id
stringlengths 40
40
| article
stringlengths 48
15.9k
| highlights
stringlengths 14
7.39k
|
|---|---|---|
0532746e7d2df3818a30d63d0b42e74b048be346 | By . Taylor Auerbach . Three hoarders who have amassed a jaw-dropping mountain of rubbish at their Bondi home over the past 20 years are now camping on a footpath alongside their festering heap to prevent rubbish collectors from taking it from them. Cyprus-born Mary Bobolas and her daughters Elena and Liana live in squalor amid piles of filthy boxes, food scraps, clothes and junk in what has become an infamous eyesore in one of Australia's most idyllic suburbs. Last month, their local council finally won the right to force the Bobolas to dismantle the pile. But the trio are putting up an almighty fight and were spotted this afternoon alongside their garbage suburbs away from home. Stubborn: A defiant Liana Bobolas sits on point duty in front of her mounds of rubbish in Alexandria . Firetrap: The Bobolas' home in Bondi, Sydney has become a festering mountain of garbage . Furious neighbours described the three hoarders, whose home has turned into a disgusting animal-infested mound of garbage, as 'lepers' as their stubborn stand against council moved beyond 12 hours. 'It's horrible, terrible, very unhealthy,' said one local. The trio's house - which bulges with mounds of rubbish - has become the scene of an ugly legal stoush and has featured regularly in television, magazine and newspaper reports around the country. A 'delicate' cleanup began yesterday but the defiant hoarders were snapped by MailOnline this afternoon side-by-side with their jaw-dropping pile of garbage more than 10km from Bondi. Their neighbours issued a resounding 'stay put!'. Decades of hoarding and bizarre behaviour have turned their single-storey dwelling into a repulsive firetrap and one at the centre of constant attention from local and state governments. Furious neighbours: The house has been at the centre of ugly legal battles for years . Overflowing: The extent of the Bobolas' hoarding can be seen from space . Last month, in a breakthrough of sorts, the NSW Court of Appeal approved Waverly Council's decision to force the Bobolas to dismantle their mountainous insect-infested pile of garbage. Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported a 'good Samaritan' hired a Thrifty rental van for the family in a bid to help them shift the tonnes of rubbish, a move that has been slammed by neighbours. 'Who on earth would do that, Thrifty will never mean the same to me again,' said one longtime local. The offer backfired when the Bobolas began camping in the van and refused to hand back the keys. 'This is a very delicate situation, you couldn't dream it up,' the 62-year-old resident told MailOnline. 'We were told we were getting poor neighbours but what has happened is unbelievable...I've learned to live with it, they didn't ask to be born.' Nauseating: Locals describe the stench as 'sickening' Stay put! Neighbours welcome the Bobolas' absence as they camp alongside their festering heap . A Thrifty staffer had to reposses the vehicle with a spare set of keys and arrived on Monday night to find the van crammed full of the Bobolas' filthy possessions. They were photographed early on Thursday morning camped in front of the Thrifty depot in Alexandria - where the junk was dumped - alongside their familiar piles of decaying cardboard, clothes bags and electrical wiring. Curious neighbour Tina Sarafopoulos, who spotted them in-front of the depot, said the hoarders were not in a chatty mood. 'I stopped with my friend and I asked "how are you?" but she didn't say anything. I said "could I buy some of your things?" and she didn't answer. 'Eventually she said "my friend's not here, I can't sell without her". She wouldn't open the boxes.' Ms Sarafopoulos can see the Bobolas house from her verandah said the ugly mound is a scene of much inexplicable behaviour. 'At 4 o'clock in the morning they push things into the roof,' she told MailOnline. 'The smell is sickening, they're like lepers.' Out of place: The house festers in one of Australia's most sought-after suburbs . Bizarre behaviour: The hoarders have been spotted shoving trash into this hole in their roof . Another neighbour said the Bobolas weren't around during daylight on Tuesday or Wednesday, describing their absence as 'heavenly peace'. It is understood the Bobolas have been spending their days in front of the Thrifty property - roughly 12km from their Bondi abode - after police ordered them to remove their trash from the rental yard and stack it on a nearby footpath. The Bobolas can often be seen wandering the Bondi streets in the early morning hours looking for further items to add to their unenviable treasure trove. Strange pastime: The Bobolas have been in Alexandria for more than 12 hours, refusing to leave their rubbish . Ongoing saga: Neighbours of the hoarders have been paid by magazines to share their stories . | Three hoarders refuse to abandon their festering pile of trash .
Bondi locals describe their absence as 'heavenly peace'
Neighbours complain of 'sickening' stench emanating from the house .
Council win right to have the eyesore dismantled .
Trio camp in van provided to them free of charge for help with cleanup . |
05329c589f13ca691110aec348b3e674f47406dd | (CNN)The slaying of prominent Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov in the heart of Moscow has shocked Russia and the wider world. His murder, two days before a planned opposition march, has also outraged fellow opposition figures and prompted a slew of speculation over who could be behind it. Some government critics pointed fingers in the direction of President Vladimir Putin or one of his supporters. State media reported Nemtsov had received threats linked to his stance on the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris. The Kremlin suggested Nemtsov may have been killed by enemies of Russia intent on creating political discord. The leader of Russia's Communist Party similarly blamed anti-Russian "provocation," according to the official news agency Tass. So who was Boris Nemtsov? And how did he make so many enemies? Nemtsov, 55, was a top official with the Republican Party of Russia/Party of People's Freedom, a liberal opposition group. He had been arrested several times for speaking against Putin's government. The most recent arrests were in 2011 when he protested the results of parliamentary elections and in 2012 when tens of thousands protested against Putin. He had most recently been critical of the Kremlin's handling of the Ukraine crisis. Opposition leader Ilya Yashin said his friend had been working on a report about Russian troops and their involvement in Ukraine. In a blog entry, published on the website of radio station Echo of Moscow, Nemtsov wrote last weekend that the Kremlin now accused him of being behind the protests in Kiev's Maidan, or Independence Square, which led to the ouster of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanokovych. He posted a picture from an "anti-Maidan" protest held in Moscow which showed a marcher holding a sign with his face under the words "Maidan organizer." "The Kremlin has changed its concept," Nemtsov wrote. "It used to say it's the State Department who organized the Maidan, and now they say it's me." In a hard-hitting interview conducted only hours before his death with Newsweek magazine, Nemtsov said Russia was "drowning" under Putin's leadership and was swiftly becoming a fascist state. "Due to the policy of Vladimir Putin, a country with unparalleled potential is sinking, an economy which accumulated untold currency reserves is collapsing," he said. "This government wades into a costly, fratricidal war in Ukraine and into pointless confrontation with the West. We all feel the effects of this insane policy." Nemtsov accused Putin of using "Goebbels-style propaganda" -- a reference to Nazi Germany's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels -- to brainwash his fellow countrymen. One element of this was to implant them "with a virus of inferiority complex towards the West, the belief that the only thing we can do to amaze the world is use force, violence and aggression," Nemtsov said. Putin has condemned Nemtsov's murder and ordered a swift investigation. The Kremlin has denied direct involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Nemtsov was also known for -- and may have made enemies from -- his anti-corruption stance. Early in his career, Nemtsov won praise for his efforts as governor of Nizhniy Novgorod, a large city and major economic hub. Nemtsov was also a vocal critic of the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, calling them one of the most "outrageous swindles" in recent Russian history. In a 2013 report, he questioned where $20 billion to $30 billion had gone, saying preparations for the Games had been characterized by "embezzlement" and "unprecedented corruption." In a restaurant interview with CNN's Anthony Bourdain last year, Nemtsov lamented the situation for business owners. "This is a country of corruption. And if you have business, you are in a very unsafe situation. Everybody can press you and destroy your business. That's it," Nemtsov said. In the same interview, he did offer a hint of optimism. "This is my country. The Russian people are in bit of trouble. Russian court doesn't work. Russian education decline every year. I believe that Russia has a chance to be free. Has a chance. It's difficult, but we must do it," he said. In a statement after his death, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Nemtsov had always worked toward a more democratic and prosperous Russia. "In every post, he sought to reform and open Russia, and to empower the Russian people to have a greater say in the life of their country," he said. Years before he became a key opposition leader, Nemtsov served as deputy Prime Minister under former President Boris Yeltsin, the first post-Soviet President. Back in the 1990s, he was a high-flier bound for greater things. But he lost out in the struggle to succeed Yeltsin and had been marginalized since Putin was elected, said Peter Baker, author of "Kremlin Rising" and a New York Times reporter. "He was a person who had been fierce in his criticism of Putin. He'd clearly gotten under Putin's skin on a number of occasions. A number of people had become his enemies," Baker said. Baker said Nemtsov tried to work with Putin's regime at first but soon switched to the opposition. "History will remember him as someone who took chances, who risked his life literally to speak out in a country where speaking out is not encouraged, to say the least," Baker said. Opinion: Nemtsov killing: A chilling historical parallel? Nemtsov was a man who impressed many who met him with his energy and passion for his homeland. Sir Andrew Wood, a former UK ambassador to Russia, told CNN that Nemtsov, whom he knew personally in the 1990s, was a "genuine Russian patriot" who opposed what the Kremlin had come to stand for. "He was enthusiastic, he was engaging, I think he was always true to his beliefs, he didn't take himself over-seriously, but he did his best to promote liberal reform then, and he had been before a very successful mayor of one of the central towns, Nizhniy Novgorod." Former U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul paid tribute to Nemtsov "as a real patriot, who believed in the possibility of Russia's greatness" and said he wept for both Nemtsov's family and the country he loved. "Politics aside, he was always a loyal, loving friend of mine for 20 years. We all will miss him dearly," he said. Putin, in a telegram to Nemtsov's mother Dina Eydman, also paid tribute to Nemtsov's integrity. "Boris Nemtsov, left his mark on the history of Russia, in politics and public life. He worked on important positions in the difficult transition period for our country. He always openly and honestly stated his position, defended his point of view," he said. Putin vowed that her son's killers would be "properly punished." Nemtsov's death has shocked Russia, but it may not have come as a total surprise. Nemtsov acknowledged in an interview with Russian newspaper Sobesednik this month that he was "a little bit" afraid that his mother's fear -- that Putin would have him killed -- would come true. But, he added, "I'm not afraid of him that much. If I was afraid I wouldn't be heading an opposition party and do what I'm doing." Nemtsov's lawyer Vadim Prokhorov told Russian media that Nemtsov's life had been threatened on social media in recent weeks. But he didn't walk around with bodyguards, noted Julia Ioffe, a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine who has covered Russian politics extensively. "It was a very overt message of bravery," Ioffe told CNN's "AC360." "What we've seen in return is a very overt message of fear. People in the opposition will not believe anything that comes out of the Kremlin in terms of who did this. They perceive this as a message directly sent to them. When you see Boris Nemtsov's body lying with the Kremlin as a backdrop, they understand that's a message directed to them." In his final Newsweek interview, Nemtsov spoke of the need for "an alternative vision, a different idea of Russia. Our idea is the one of a democratic and open Russia. A country which is not applying bandit methods to its own citizens and neighbors." Crowds mourn Boris Nemtsov . CNN's Alla Eshchenko, Frederik Pleitgen, Steve Almasy and Brian Walker contributed to this report. | Boris Nemtsov was a former deputy prime minister who became an opposition leader .
He was a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, including his policy on Ukraine . |
0532fff741c2d090398731050704f56b3000c6e9 | By . Nazia Parveen . PUBLISHED: . 03:13 EST, 25 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:47 EST, 25 September 2013 . A former teacher who was found dead at her home left a suicide note blaming a routine procedure carried out at a leading cosmetic surgery clinic for making her life ‘hell’. Victoria Meppen-Walter, 44, spiralled into depression after being left with what she described as ‘dreadful facial deformities’ when a mole was removed from her forehead. She took an overdose of pills after typing a note blaming her cosmetic surgeon for her impending death and asking that his name be engraved on her headstone as a reminder of her suffering. 'Suffering': Mrs Meppen-Walter, pictured on a family holiday in 2008, said that she was left unable to leave the house after she suffered pain and facial redness . Aftermath: Mrs Meppen-Walker with a plaster on her forehead following the procedure in September 2011 . Allegations: Mrs Meppen-Walter asked her husband for the surgeon's name to be included in the inscription on her gravestone . In a series of notes, Mrs . Meppen-Walter complained that she had been left with severe pain from . ‘burning flesh in the face, neck and chest’ and spoke of a ‘regular . stabbing pain’ in her forehead. She . said her life had become ‘hell’ because she was unable to leave her . home after her face was left so severely deformed that friends did not . recognise her. In her final note, which was addressed to her husband Ashley, 64, she wrote: ‘Life is for enjoyment not for endless suffering.’ The . letter, written in July, made requests for her funeral and said: ‘What I . would appreciate though is this inscription: “Died as a result of . malice caused by Dr [name blacked out] of Transform in Sep 2011.”’ But . the world-renowned Transform Clinic, in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, . said it provided a ‘high standard’ of care for Mrs Meppen-Walter and . the surgeon involved said he had successfully carried out many similar . procedures. Company . director Mr Meppen-Walter, who found the note at the family home in . Heywood, Greater Manchester, said his wife of 17 years ‘couldn’t take . any more’. Procedure: Mrs Meppen-Walter complained of 'endless suffering' after having moles removed in a procedure at the Transform Clinic in Cheshire . ‘It was only . supposed to be a 25-minute procedure,’ he said. ‘But during the . operation she said there was a lot of blood pouring from her head. A few . weeks after the procedure she realised she had been left with a scar. She presumed it would fade away in time but it didn’t. ‘She said she was in a lot of pain. She would sit there with her head in her hands and her eyes closed.’ Mr . Meppen-Walter, a father of three, said his wife began to lack . confidence and became a complete recluse following the surgery. Then she . began to talk about suicide. He . reported her missing on August 30 after she disappeared two days . earlier and he found her disturbing notes. Officers searched the house . but did not find a body. Her . body remained undiscovered for a further three days in an unused locked . front room of their £500,000 home. It was eventually found by Mr . Meppen-Walter’s son, who climbed in through a window. Initially . Mr Meppen-Walter, his 24-year-old daughter Ainsley and a man aged 24 . were arrested on suspicion of murder. They were released shortly . afterwards without charge. A spokesman for Transform said: ‘The . treatment we provided was of a high standard. It was apparent her issues . were more deep rooted than with the actual treatment and care we . provided.’ The surgeon who . carried out the procedure said Mrs Meppen-Walter had a form of skin . cancer. He also said she had been having psychiatric care and ‘we had to . get the police involved as she had been causing difficulty for members . of our staff and myself’. Mrs Meppen-Walter was the step-gran of former Manchester City player Courtney Meppen-Walter, who was jailed for 16 months after killing two people in a car crash. | Victoria Meppen-Walter was found dead at her home in Heywood, Cheshire .
Her husband Ashley found a series of notes describing her 'endless suffering' following routine surgery .
Mrs Meppen-Walter blamed the Transform clinic in Cheshire for leaving her in severe pain .
But the highly regarded clinic says that it provided 'high standard' care to Mrs Meppen-Walter .
For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details . |
0534499a7189bca47c6c103c0507926bc1e55899 | A crew of Saks Fifth Avenue employees have been arrested after going on a $400,000 shopping spree at the luxury store using customers' credit cards. The six members of staff treated themselves to hundreds of pairs of designer shoes and handbags through an elaborate scheme that fraudulently used the credit cards of at least 22 customers. According to the criminal complaint, police last week uncovered the scam and recovered a number of the stolen items from the ringleader's apartment in Queens, N.Y. Tamara Williams, 36, is alleged to have stolen customers' credit card data from the store computers and then shared the information with five Saks sales associates. The six employees bought hundreds of pairs of designer shoes and handbags from the New York store . It is thought she then gave her accomplices specific lists of what they should buy from the store with the stolen credit card information. The five 'fake shoppers' would buy the high-priced goods using the unsuspecting customers’ credit information, the complaint stated. Some of the items were returned to Saks and the charges were returned to fake accounts created by the suspects. The crew were caught on surveillance footage carrying out the elaborate operation, and this was then shown to police. The process was able to continue for four months until the group were caught on surveillance footage carrying out the elaborate operation, and this was then shown to police. Williams' apartment was raided on Friday and police found 'over one hundred boxes of shoes... as well as many boxes of handbags and other merchandise', the criminal complaint stated. Four men and one woman have been arrested in addition to Williams. Kris Rockson, 45; Jason Chance, 25; Michael Knight-Williams, 44; Michael Bright-Asante, 39, and Alaia Harrison, 20, have all been charged with grand larceny and identity theft. | Six employees bought hundreds of pairs of designer shoes and handbags .
Used elaborate scheme that affected at least 22 customers .
Ringleader Tamara Williams, 36, is alleged to have stolen credit card data from the store computers and shared the information .
Group have all been charged with grand larceny and identity theft . |
0534697013f80aeaebd88c82c051ad370d7c7c2e | Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has called on fans to use social media to name and shame anyone caught throwing coins following incidents during the club's last two home games against Newcastle and Liverpool. The Eagles will upgrade their security measures this weekend for the visit of Arsenal in the hope that they can put a halt to the incidents seen in the last fortnight. As well as more cameras situated around the ground, some stewards will wear body cameras in attempt to get a clearer view of potential culprits. Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has called on the club's supporters to name and shame via social media . Newcastle players celebrate their opener at Selhurst Park as Fabricio Coloccini is struck in the face . Crystal Palace have vowed to ban anyone found guilty of throwing coins from the ground for life . Coloccini played the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw but John Carver raged he could have been blinded . And Pardew insists that fans should upload pictures of rule-breakers to social media. 'The incident with Chelsea in Paris gives you the strength of social media. So if any fans are next to someone [behaving inappropriately] then film them. Let's have a picture of them and we'll try and do our best to find them. 'We represent society at all levels, we get all types of our society here and we can't control their behaviour to a degree. 'All we can do is put on the best environment and most children-friendly environment we possibly can. We've got the best atmosphere in the country and we don't want to lose that with silly little incidents that have come, and I don't want to keep going on about it. 'Those few citizens that are letting us down, we need to reel them in and point them out to us.' The south London club have launched investigations in two separate incidents of objects being thrown onto the pitch. Coloccini points to the coin thrown at him (left) as Papiss Cisse celebrates his 10th goal of the season . Stewards look for any objects thrown on to the pitch at Selhurst Park as one finds a coin on the turf . The first saw Newcastle defender Fabricio Collocini hit with a coin during the 1-1 draw last week as the Magpies celebrated going ahead, the second occurred after Daniel Sturridge equalised for Liverpool in last Saturday's FA Cup tie. And the Eagles have invested in upgrading their CCTV equipment following the incidents that marred both matches ahead of Saturday's visit of Arsenal. The club are also exploring tactical security measures they can take when opposition scores to prevent further incidents. One official shows his colleague the coin having found the object that was thrown at Coloccini . Newcastle head coach Carver was fuming after the incident involving his skipper . | Crystal Palace have launched investigations in two separate incidents of objects being thrown on to the pitch .
Newcastle's Fabricio Collocini was hit with a coin in his side's 1-1 draw .
The second incident occurred after Daniel Sturridge equalised for Liverpool in the FA Cup tie .
The Eagles have invested in upgrading their CCTV equipment .
Stewards will wear body cameras for the visit of Arsenal on Saturday . |
05355370bf47ed665349b425dd6211d62f7b6282 | By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 13:03 EST, 8 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:49 EST, 9 October 2012 . Vandals have desecrated the grave of a 13-month-old baby girl, littering it with smashed beer bottles and stomping on toys left by grieving family members. Police are hunting the culprits who attacked baby Chloe Elliot's grave along with scores of others in a booze-fuelled vandalism spree at Efford cemetery in Plymouth, Devon, on Wednesday night. Families have branded the attack 'disgraceful, immoral and beyond belief' after finding their loved ones' headstones kicked down, ornaments smashed and flowers torn up as they arrived at the cemetery to pay their respects. 'Disgraceful': Little Chloe Elliott's grave, pictured left, was vandalised on Wednesday night . 'It's immoral and shows a complete lack of respect for other people,' said Andy Jean, whose mother Marie Jean's grave was severely damaged in the attack. Mr Jean was visiting the cemetery on what would have been his mum's 80th birthday. 'To do this in a cemetery and knock other people’s gravestones over is beyond belief.' Callous: Chloe Elliot, 13-months, is pictured left, in a photo on her grave that has been destroyed, right . Russell King, of Newton Ferrers, Devon, found his parents Brenda and David's grave was chipped and strewn with debris. 'It's disgusting,' he said. 'I can't believe it. It's disgraceful. You have to be respectful.' The vandals left baby Chloe's tiny plot scattered in glass from beer bottles, smashed during the alcohol-fueled frenzy. Smashed glass: Broken beer bottles lay amongst wreckage of Chloe Elliot's grave, pictured . Targeted: Multiple graves at Efford cemetery were attacked, with ornaments smashed and headstones left loose . Police said the thugs most likely targeted the graveyard on Wednesday evening, but could have left the trail of destruction in the early hours of Thursday morning. A spokesman said: 'This is obviously extremely distressing for the families concerned. 'We would very much like to hear from anyone who has information about the incident or witnessed anyone acting suspiciously on that evening in the cemetery.' | Baby Chloe Elliot's grave was littered with smashed beer bottles and broken toys .
Scores of other graves at Plymouth's Efford cemetery were destroyed in the attack on Wednesday night .
Families are devastated, labeling the vandalism 'disgraceful, immoral and beyond belief' |
0537cb3beed70475e9f3784b9cb7a7c5d37c206c | For Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, the summer months of 2013 amounted to a quite brutal induction into the highly-charged arena of transfer dealings at the highest level. On a damp Monday evening in September, as the lights went out on Manchester United’s frantic attempts to recruit stars of elite standing, Woodward, red-faced and racked by self-recrimination, privately vowed that never again would United leave things so late. A hap-hazard, scattergun approach had been shown up and within the corridors of power at Old Trafford, there was a recognition that United had come up short, signing only the lamentable Marouane Fellaini. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Ander Herrera signs for £28m . Sign him up: Herrera was a key part of the Bilbao team that outplayed Manchester United in March 2012 . Alternative: United considered signing Herrera last summer but settled on Marouane Fellaini instead . Development: After a slow start to last season Herrera has continued to develop into an all-round star . Indeed, it was only ten minutes before the 11pm deadline on September 2 that a bid for Fellaini was finally accepted by the Everton board. As the outlook at home appeared increasingly bleak, the chain of events that developed on the Iberian peninsula entered the realm of the bizarre, descending into embarrassing acrimony, amid reports that three suited men, carrying leather briefcases, had emerged at the headquarters of the Spanish league, apparently with the authorisation to seal a €36 million move for the Basque midfielder Ander Herrera. The alleged ‘imposters’, as they were branded by the Spanish Press – in reality, they were three highly reputable lawyers from the firm Laffer Abogados – had been involved in pushing through Bayern Munich’s signing of Javi Martinez the previous summer, possessing a an expertise in the legal issues that can complicate deals involving buyout clauses. United, for their part, denied any association with Rodrigo Garcia Lucas, Alvaro Reig Gurrea and Francisco Salinas Mezquita – and the affable receptionist at Laffer Abogados seemed more than a little perturbed when they received phone calls from Sportsmail the following morning. United, who have their own lawyers in Spain, also bristled at suggestions they would need to call in experts to navigate their way through the Basque country’s complex tax rules, rather offended by the notion that a club of their size and reputation would be unable to confront relatively straightforward financial regulations. VIDEO Manchester United sign Ander Herrera for £28m . Learning: Ed Woodward (left) has learned from his mistakes of last summer, when United left it too late . Options: David Moyes considered signing Herrera in January, but brought in Juan Mata to join Fellaini instead . In truth, United did not require the services of any legal experts that day, for they had no intention of matching Athletic Bilbao’s buyout clause last summer, with the two clubs’ valuations for the player set at around £10million apart. United’s bid approached £25million but David Moyes and Woodward resolved to push that bid no further, believing that they could not justify the extra expense at that stage. Now taking in the reigns of three Manchester United managers, Herrera has been a long-standing target at Old Trafford, monitored consistently and closely since he played a starring role in Bilbao’s mesmeric performance in a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford in the Europa League in 2012. He is one of several that United have continued to keep an eye on, along with midfielder Ander Iturraspe and forward Iker Muniain. On a spring Thursday evening, United could have been hit for six, as Marcelo Bielsa’s side utterly outplayed Sir Alex Ferguson’s team. One that got away: United are set to confirm Herrera's signing after making sure to get their man this time . In the summer that followed, Ferguson and United scouts pondered long and hard but eventually felt that Herrera should be allowed to develop a little longer in Spain. Ideally, they wanted him to score more goals, becoming the heir to Paul Scholes but there was also a concern that both Barcelona and Manchester City would provide competition for his signature. The decision was taken to wait until the next summer and the manager’s brother, Martin Ferguson, continued to monitor his developments. By then, of course, Ferguson had stepped aside, having laid the foundations for a move for Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona while Moyes had assumed the hot-seat. It would be an exaggeration to say that Herrera was the midfielder at the top of his wish-list, with Cesc Fabregas assuming that place, while plans to sign Thiago were shelved, as Moyes decided he required more extensive research into the player, who joined Bayern Munich instead. Herrera, however, remained on the radar, with Moyes recognising the urgent need for a player of style and substance in the central acres and he emerged as a serious target as the days counted down towards the end of the transfer window. Fiasco: United were left embarrassed after lawyers claiming to be acting for the club got involved last summer . Joy: United decided not to buy Herrera (left) in 2012, hoping that he would improve if left in Spain . Unfortunately, Herrera could barely have been at a more unaccommodating club from United’s perspective. Bilbao, who stand as a beacon of Basque national identity, maintain a long-standing philosophy to only utilise players from that region. Such a small pool dictates that Bilbao demand the highest prices, often the buy-out clause, for their assets and Herrera was no exception. There would be no short-cuts on this deal. United’s early faith – a wage package is understood to have been agreed in principle last summer and there were even suggestions that a squad number had been set aside for Herrera – diminished as the clock ticked down. Moyes resolved to return for his man in January but United grew increasingly disturbed by Herrera’s disappointing start to the season. The speculation appeared to affect his form, Herrera losing his place in the Bilbao starting line-up. As winter came, though, Herrera rediscovered his touch, as his side struck 15 goals in three games in January and Moyes came close to resurrecting a deal in the mid-season window. Ultimately, he decided to settle for the signing of Juan Mata alone. United’s interest, however, had been rekindled and dialogue was maintained between the clubs. Officials were aware that Herrera, despite his stock waning somewhat over the last eighteen months, has remained in the thoughts of Barcelona and they recognise a midfield player with the strength and power to adapt to the rigour of the Barclays Premier League and the graceful quality that has often eluded United. Pricey: Herrera is thought to cost in the region of £28m, but his release clause increases in July . This summer, Woodward is leaving little to chance and having clumsily paid in excess of Fellaini’s exit clause last summer, United were determined not to fritter away cash so easily once more. At the beginning of July, Herrera’s buyout clause at Bilbao is due to rise by several million pounds and it is this that has compelled United to act swiftly and pay a little more than they may previously have liked – the fee will be in the region of £28.4 million, including add-ons – to ensure they finally get their man. With Louis van Gaal determined to reinforce the United midfield with energy and dynamism, United have returned decisively, believing that under the right manager, at the right club, they have a player that will live up to the potential that the 6 foot tall, 24-year-old demonstrated on that March evening at Old Trafford two and a half years ago. | Herrera impressed at Old Trafford for Athletic Bilbao in 2012 .
United tried to sign him last summer, including a fiasco with 'impostors'
David Moyes opted to sign Juan Mata instead in January .
Herrera finally set to sign for Louis van Gaal's side for £28.7m . |
053807e2c95e38ce2ba87c08211cf0751670165b | Mexico City (CNN) -- Rescuers overnight recovered four bodies from a coal mine in northern Mexico that suffered an explosion last week, making a total of 11 bodies that have been extracted so far, the country's labor secretary said Saturday. Javier Lozano says at this point -- more than four days after the blast -- there is no hope of finding alive the remaining miners trapped inside. Three more miners remain inside the shaft. The mine had been operating for only 20 days and had 25 workers who were not unionized, Lozano said. He described such small, makeshift coal mines as "unsafe places," calling them "irregular, deadly traps, as we are seeing." The owner of the mine is a company known as Binsa, the statement from the attorney general's office said. The mine contains a shaft that is 60 meters (197 feet) deep, Sabinas Mayor Jesus Montemayor Garza said. Sabinas is in the coal production center of Mexico and has a museum dedicated to the history of coal mining. Several chapters of that history, however, have been tragic. In 2006, in the nearby town of San Juan de Sabinas, 65 miners perished after an explosion in the mine where they were working. Explosive gas inside the mine hindered the rescue of the miners at the Pasta de Conchos mine, which the government eventually abandoned. An organization representing family members of the victims of that accident said Tuesday's blast was a tragic reminder that the federal government must do more to regulate mines. One activist from the organization said there had been more than 40 people killed in local coal mines since the 2006 accident. "How long will it take to recognize that there is a very serious crisis in coal mining (in the Mexican state of) Coahuila, in which the workers and their families are those who must endure the worst, with dead, widows and orphans?" a statement from the organization said. | Eleven bodies have been recovered and rescuers are looking for three more .
Lozano says crews are close to reaching those .
He says there is no hope of finding the miners alive . |
05381bbbfe2ab7b909ec500d72a153090e92e30d | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 08:08 EST, 6 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:39 EST, 6 June 2013 . National treasure Cheryl Cole regularly tops polls for her million dollar smile, glossy locks and style credentials, so it come as no surprise that the average 20-something female wants to look just like her. Experts who studied the biggest fashion icons for women in Britain today found former X-Factor judge Cheryl still blazes the trail for the younger generation. Regular style chart-topper the Duchess of Cambridge emerged as the most copied figure for women in their 30s, while former Friends actress Jennifer Aniston topped the list for the 40-somethings. Nation's sweetheart: Cheryl Cole still blazes the trail for the younger generation with most 20-somethings dressing like her . Daybreak host Lorraine Kelly came top of the pile for women in their 50s while Helen Mirren was the style icon for women in their 60s. But Breakfast at Tiffany's star Audrey Hepburn was hailed as the overall style icon by women of all ages, followed by Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly. The study, which involved women aged . between 20 and 69, found younger girls also look up to Harry Potter star . Emma Watson and Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis. Singer Pixie Lott also made the list as did The Saturday's star Frankie Sandford. Mature style: It's the Duchess of Cambridge and Jennifer Aniston who women in their 30s and 40s like to emulate the style of . In . the 30-somethings category, the former Kate Middleton was slightly ahead of This . Morning presenter and Celebrity Juice panelist Holly Willoughby, with model Kelly Brook in third and Victoria Beckham in fourth. In . the 40s category Davina McCall was hailed as the second most popular . fashion icon followed by author JK Rowling and Kylie Minogue in equal . third. Britain's . over 50s apparently aspire to dress like Lorraine Kelly, Nigella Lawson . and Carol Vorderman, while the 60-somethings prefer to dress like Dame . Mirren, another Dame, Judi Dench and Joanna Lumley. Style icons: Britain's over 50s apparently aspire to dress like Lorraine Kelly, while the 60-somethings prefer to dress like Dame Mirren . The . study found that 15 per cent of the women studied said they often . dressed like their favourite celebrity and more than a quarter have . tried to find out where a piece of clothing was from after they had . spotted a celeb wearing it. Three . quarters trawl the internet to find out where celebs clothes are from . but one in twenty have even called into the TV show the star has appeared on in . a bid to track down the item. A spokeswoman for clothing brand CC, which commissioned the report, said: 'It's only natural that different age groups favour and emulate different celebrities. Classic: Breakfast at Tiffany's star Audrey Hepburn was hailed as the overall style icon by women of all ages . 'But the research does throw up some interesting points - it seems being more style focused becomes more important with age. 'Women such as Lulu, Twiggy and Jane Seymour have retained they style icon status throughout the decades and become even more stylish as they get older. 'Stylish women in their 50's seem to opt for a more demure style as sported by the likes of Lorraine Kelly or Nigella Lawson in contrast to someone like Madonna who has always pushed boundaries in terms of her image and styling.' Cheryl ColeEmma WatsonJessica EnnisMollie KingPixie LottFrankie SandfordColeen RooneyLily Cooper Nee AllenAmy ChildsJesy Nelson . Duchess of CambridgeHolly WilloughbyKelly BrookVictoria BeckhamKimberly WalshAshley RobertsVictoria PendletonKatie PriceKim KardashianChristine Bleakley . Jennifer AnistonDavina McCallKylie MinogueJ K RowlingElle MacPhersonDemi MoorePatsy KensitSarah Jessica ParkerZoe BallDame Kelly Holmes . Lorraine KellyNigella LawsonCarol VordermanAnnie LennoxFern BrittonLiz HurleyJennifer SaundersDawn FrenchJerry HallMadonna . Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall was cited as a style icon for women over 60 . Dame Helen Mirren . Dame Judi Dench . Joanna Lumley . Meryl Streep . Lulu . Twiggy . Jane Seymour . Camilla - Duchess of Cornwall . Sharon Osbourne . Sigourney Weaver . | Duchess of Cambridge is most copied style for women in their 30s .
Lorraine Kelly came top of the pile for women in their 50s .
Helen Mirren was the style icon for women in their 60s .
15% said they often dressed like their favourite celebrity .
More than a quarter have tried to find out where a piece of clothing was from . |
053967199088b6902f10b3f05e56c1611de9fcf1 | By . David Kent . Filipe Luis has moved a step closer to sealing a £20million move to Chelsea, after the Blues confirmed they had agreed a fee with Atletico Madrid. The 28-year-old Brazilian had been banished to train with the reserves in Spain after expressing a desire to follow Diego Costa to Stamford Bridge. But now Luis is inching towards arriving at the west London club, with the left back only having to agree personal terms before becoming a Chelsea player. After Cesc Fabregas (£30m) and Costa (£32m), it will take Chelsea's summer spending to £82m. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Filipe Luis give his reasons for leaving Atletico for Chelsea . Target: Filipe Luis impressed for Atletico last season and is keen to make the move to Chelsea . Almost: Luis, not picked in Brazil's World Cup squad, is closing in on a switch to Stamford Bridge . On his way: Luis was banished to train with the reserves after expressing a desire to move to Chelsea . A statement on the Chelsea website . read: 'Chelsea Football Club can confirm an agreement has been reached . with Atletico Madrid for the transfer of Filipe Luis. 'The move is subject to the 28-year-old left-back agreeing personal terms.' Atletico . had already bought a replacement in Granada’s Guilherme Siquiera but . have refused to allow Luis to go until Chelsea agreed to pay the buy-out . clause. They . are already losing Costa and Tiago Mendes to Chelsea, while goalkeeper Thibaut . Courtois is also expected to return to Stamford Bridge. Luis has formed a good . friendship with Courtois and the two will help each other in London. Chelsea manager Jose . Mourinho has also renewed his interest in Real Madrid defender Raphael . Varane, who is seeking assurances that he will become a regular starter . at Real. Carlo Ancelotti does not want to sell but Chelsea are willing to offer more than £30million if they sense a deal can be done. Meanwhile, . Besiktas have denied agreeing a deal to sign Demba Ba and Marik Marin . on loan from Chelsea despite reports on Turkish TV. Talks: Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane wants to speak with Carlo Ancelotti according to reports . Understudy: Varane is reportedly unhappy with his lack of playing time at Real last season . Wanted: Real Madrid's Varane is a target of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho . VIDEO Chelsea finally confirm Costa deal . | Chelsea and Atletico Madrid agree £20million fee for Filipe Luis .
Transfer now subject to Luis agreeing personal terms with the Blues .
28-year-old Brazilian banished to train with Atletico reserves after expressing desire to follow Diego Costa to Stamford Bridge .
Atletico bought replacement in Granada's Guilherme Siquiera . |
0539bd2998780345c4212eec81ee6863bbf0f95e | By . Peter Allen In Paris . Last updated at 1:46 PM on 1st March 2012 . A joke about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America was cut from Jean Dujardin's new film so that he could win an Oscar, it emerged today. The 39-year-old French star of the silent comedy The Artist scooped the Best Actor statue at the Academy Awards in Hollywood on Sunday. But what many of the Americans voting for him did not know was that he produced and acted in a potentially devastating sketch in Les Infideles (The Players), which he is currently promoting in France. Graphic: The French advertising authorities banned this poster of Les Infideles after complaints that it was degrading to women, but Dujardin apparently feared the deleted 9/11 scene would do most damage to his Oscar hopes. A source close to the makers of Les Infideles confirmed that Dujardin played a cheating French businessman in one of the scenes cut out of the film, which went on show in Paris this week. In the removed extract, the Frenchman had travelled to New York to conduct an affair, while telling his wife that he was working hard in an office in Manhattan. As he is about to seduce his lover in a hotel room, the businessman receives a phone call from his wife and tells her: ‘Yes, yes, my darling, everything is fine!’ Triumph: Jean Dujardin (right) pictured with his wife Alexandra Lamy at the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar Party . Starring role: Dujardin (left), with Argentine-French actress Berenice Bejo, danced into the Academy's hearts in The Artist. The silent film won three Oscars, including Best Actor for Dujardin, Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius and Best Picture . Meanwhile, the September 11 terrorist attacks of 2001 can be seen starting outside the window behind him, as a passenger plane flies in to the World Trade Centre. Original news footage was used in the sketch. The source said: ‘Yes, the scene was considered too much for America. It would have been provocative, especially in the run up to the Oscars and other awards.’ Neither Dujardin, nor the official publicists of his film, were immediately available for comment. Les Infideles has already been attacked in France for being shockingly sexist. In a publicity photo for the film, Dujardin grips a pair of naked women's legs open, under the caption: 'I'm going into another meeting'. On the promo trail: Co-stars Jean Dujardin (L) and Gilles Lellouche share a laugh on TV show 'Le Grand Journal' while promoting their new film Les Infideles . Le Parisien newspaper warned before . the Oscars that America 'doesn't joke about this kind of saucy picture' and The Artist could suffer 'collateral damage' from the controversy. What is certain is that Americans never joke about September 11th 2001 - one of the darkest days in the history of the USA. Nearly 3000 people died in the four coordinated attacks by suicide bombers on New York and Washington DC. One of The Artist's competitors for the Best Picture Oscar - which it won - was the 9/11 drama 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close', which many believe had solely been nominated because it was considered a 'patriotic' film. Controversial: Marion Cotillard faced demands that she should return her Best Actress Oscar after saying she doubted the official account of the 9/11 terrorist attacks . It is not the first time that a French Oscar winner has been involved in a 9/11 controversy following an Oscar win. In 2008 it emerged that Marion Cotillard, who had just won Best Actress for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, doubted the official account of the terrorist attacks. Footage from a Paris talk show showed her questioning both the New York attacks, and the 1969 moon landing.'I think we're lied to about a number of things,' said Ms Cotillard. Referring to the destruction of the two World Trade Centre buildings, Ms Cotillard said: 'We see other towers of the same kind being hit by planes, are they burned? There was a tower, I believe it was in Spain, which burned for 24 hours. 'It never collapsed. None of these towers collapsed. And there [New York], in a few minutes, the whole thing collapsed.' Ms Cotillard suggested that the towers, planned in the early 1960s, were an outdated 'money sucker' which would have cost so much to modernise that it was easier to destroy them. Her words - which she later claimed were taken out of context - led to calls for her to give her Oscar back. Franco-American relations over diplomatic matters have been fraught in recent years, mainly because of Paris's refusal to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. | Actor seen conducting affair in hotel as he tells wife he is working hard...
... as footage shows terror attack on World Trade Center in the background . |
053ac2f67829f2e1ce5132ba10e10a4291c140f4 | (CNN) -- Basketball star Dennis Rodman seemed to get pretty upset Tuesday when asked whether he should be visiting North Korea with a group of former NBA players as part of his "basketball diplomacy" efforts. In the exclusive interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo on "New Day," Rodman supported his controversial trip and called the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, a "friend" who he loves. In case you missed it, here are the top five most amazing moments from his interview with Cuomo: . When Rodman explained why he's visiting North Korea: "It's not a good idea -- the one thing that we're doing -- it's a great idea for the world, for the world. And people always come down on the things I do, and it's weird." When Rodman compared his trip to the Olympics: "No one ever, ever asked anyone in the world why we have Olympics. And we have struggles around the world, in all the countries around the world. But when the Olympics come around there's no problems -- it's all about the game. People love to do one thing: sports." When Rodman semed to imply that Kenneth Bae, an American citizen who has been sentenced to 15 years hard labor in North Korea, had done something wrong: "Kenneth Bae did one thing. If you understand what Kenneth Bae did -- do you understand what he did in this country?" (Cuomo asks Rodman to specify exactly what Bae did.) "You tell me, why is he held captive?" (The North Korean regime says Bae was found guilty of "hostile acts" and attempts to topple the government. His mother told CNN in October that Bae has a profound love for the country and its people, and any offense he caused was not intentional.) When Rodman said he was ready to take abuse from Americans: "You're the guy behind the mic right now. We're the guys here doing one thing. We have to go back to America and take the abuse. Do you have to take the abuse that we're goning to take? Do you, sir? Are you going to take the abuse? We're going to get it." When Rodman cut Cuomo off to tell him he doesn't 'give a rat's ass' what he thinks: "You know, you've got 10 guys here, 10 guys here, they've left their families, they've left their damn families, to help this country, in a sports venture. That's 10 guys, all these guys here, do anyone understand that?" (Cuomo tells Rodman he understands and thanks the group for the cultural exchange but Rodman cuts him off.) "I don't give a rat's ass what the hell you think. I'm saying to you, look at these guys here, look at them. ... They dared to do one thing, they came here." Rodman's visit comes just weeks after North Korea announced it had executed Kim's once-powerful uncle. Rodman and the former NBA players who have joined him are playing a friendly match against North Korea's basketball team on Wednesday, when Kim is believed to turn 31. Rodman struck up the unlikely relationship with Kim when he traveled to North Korea for the first time in February. He has called Kim a "very good guy" and "a friend for life" despite international condemnation of the country's human rights record. | Dennis Rodman becomes angry while being interviewed by CNN's Chris Cuomo .
Rodman bristles when asked if it's appropriate for him to lead a visit to North Korea .
The former NBA star tells Cuomo, "I don't give a rat's ass what the hell you think"
Rodman implies that an American imprisoned in North Korea did something wrong . |
053add68eab8f231278896e4966b9b0c4702ed1e | By . Ryan Kisiel . Asia Parveen: Caused 57 injuries to the child and later claimed her violent outburst was prompted by hormones . A Muslim woman who repeatedly beat a ten-year-old girl with a steel ladle for not reading enough verses of the Koran was jailed yesterday. Asia Parveen, who was five months pregnant at the time, left the child with 57 injuries and later claimed her violent outburst was prompted by her hormones. The girl managed to escape when Parveen ran to her kitchen for a knife, and was found alone at a bus stop in the early hours of the morning. Parveen, 31, had argued with the girl on August 15 last year, Snaresbrook Crown Court in London heard. She accused the girl of lying about how many verses of the Koran she had read while praying. She then hit the girl with the ten- inch ladle for 45 minutes and forced her to stand with her arms outstretched for four hours. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, escaped when Parveen went to fetch a knife which she brandished, saying she was going to kill her. She was found four hours later, alone and in the cold at the bus stop, by police. Doctors identified 57 injuries, including marks on her arms, legs, elbows and head, when she was examined at hospital. Parveen, a former professional traditional dancer who had toured worldwide, had been fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan before the attack. She was considered to be ‘immoral’ by some in the community in Pakistan for her former dancing career and so wanted the girl to take her religious duties seriously. Parveen, a mother of three, accepted causing some of the girl’s injuries with the ladle but claimed that others must have happened when the girl ‘fell over’. Tom Nicholson, prosecuting, said: ‘The girl was praying from the Koran and Mrs Parveen accused her of lying about how many of the verses she had read. ‘She was ten at the time. Mrs Parveen took a metal spoon about ten inches in size and hit the child with it repeatedly, causing extensive bruising over both arms, her legs and head. ‘Mrs Parveen said she was going to kill the girl and ran to get a knife from the kitchen. ‘The girl had no alternative but to leave at around 10pm.’ Jailed: Asia Parveen launched 'a sustained and vicious attack' with a metal ladle . Jailing Parveen, who is now divorced, . for nine months, Judge Martyn Zeidman ignored pleas in a letter from the . child victim to spare her jail. He . said: ‘You need to understand that this was outrageous behaviour and if . you ever attack a child again, you will go to prison for very much . longer. 'Of course the injuries itself were . not life-threatening but there were so many of them and the pictures and . the body plan prepared by the paediatrician demonstrate there were 57 . injuries. ‘Having a very young baby should not be seen as a get out of jail card.’ Parveen, who lives in Hackney, East . London, admitted a single count of child cruelty after initially . insisting she had used the spoon only once or twice on the girl’s arms . and bottom. During further court proceedings, she . admitted in a second plea that she had lost her temper after feeling . ‘hormonal’, ‘isolated’ and ‘ashamed’. She claimed the other injuries had been the result of the girl falling over. She also denied threatening to kill the ten-year-old or picking up a knife. Parveen, who was told the verdict by her Punjabi interpreter, collapsed in the dock while being led down to the cells by guards. | Asia Parveen, 31, inflicted 57 separate injuries during attack .
Parveen blamed her hormones and stress from fasting during Ramadan for launching the assault .
Police found the young victim wandering the streets in the early morning . |
053afa139e6a1b01443307f42f8d2386726ccd51 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A lawsuit alleging that civilian American interrogators subjected Iraqis to torture and severe mistreatment at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad can move forward, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Detainees leave Baghdad Central Prison -- also known as Abu Ghraib -- in 2006. U.S. District Court Judge Gerald Bruce Lee rejected claims by defense contractor CACI that the company was immune from accountability over claims of physical abuse, war crimes and civil conspiracy. Reports of torture and humiliation by soldiers and civilian contractors against Iraqi detainees created a political, diplomatic and public relations nightmare for the Bush administration in the months and years after the 2003 Iraq invasion. Four Iraqi detainees have sued in U.S. federal courts, alleging contract interrogators assigned to the Baghdad Central Prison -- known as Abu Ghraib -- subjected them to beatings and mental abuse, then destroyed documents and video evidence and later misled officials about what was happening inside the facility. Eleven U.S. soldiers who also worked at the prison were court-martialed under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for prisoner abuse, and several implicated company workers in similar crimes. No contractors have yet faced criminal charges in the wake of the scandal, however. Arlington, Virginia-based CACI said it was merely providing contracting services the government required, and that sensitive political and policy questions could not be brought up in any civilian trial. The judge disagreed. "While it is true that the events at Abu Ghraib pose an embarrassment to this country, it is the misconduct alleged and not the litigation surrounding that misconduct that creates the embarrassment," Lee wrote. "This court finds that the only potential for embarrassment would be if the court declined to hear these claims on political questions grounds. Consequently, the court holds that plaintiffs' claims pose no political question and are therefore justiciable." The four Abu Ghraib detainees, led by Suhail Najim Abdullah Al Shimari, were released between 2004 and 2008, and were never charged with a crime, said their attorneys. They were represented in their civil suit by the Center for Constitutional Rights and other individual lawyers. Other Iraqi civilian lawsuits are pending. "Private military contractors like CACI cannot act with impunity," said the center's Katherine Gallagher. "They must act within the bounds of law and must be held accountable for their participation in the atrocities at Abu Ghraib and the other facilities in Iraq. We believe their actions and the acts of torture of their employees clearly violated the Geneva Conventions, the Army Field Manual and the laws of the United States." The case is Al Shimari v. CACI Premier Technology Inc., 1:08cv827. There is no word on when the case might go to trial; it could also be settled out of court. | Judge rejects immunity claims from defense contractor CACI .
In lawsuit, four Iraqi detainees accuse interrogators of physical, mental abuse .
Interrogators also accused of destroying evidence, misleading officials .
Contractors not facing criminal charges stemming from scandal . |
053d9e42872e7da4bc9c8794593c6c48d1f7bcf5 | By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 07:27 EST, 26 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:43 EST, 26 March 2013 . This is the 20-stone heavyweight of keepy-uppy who became an online star after a video of his skills appeared on youtube. Andrew Cassidy, 50, from Milton Haven in Pembrokeshire, became an online sensation after a 46-second clip showing him keeping a football in the air went viral. The grainy mobile phone footage showed 20-stone Mr Cassidy practising in a rain-soaked car park, but it was enough to prompt the organisers of the World Freestyle Football Championships in Dubai to invite him to be the star guest at their opening ceremony. Scroll down for new video of Andrew in action... Andrew Cassidy, 50, became an internet sensation after footage showing his football skills was posted online . Mr Cassidy has become a local hero in his home town of Milton Haven after the video of his skills went viral . These grainy images demonstrating Mr Cassidy's prowess were enough to catch the eye of freestyle officials . Mr Cassidy has been a well-known figure in the Welsh town for more than a decade, but when new footage showing him keeping the ball up for nearly a minute was posted on the Spotted: Milford Haven Facebook page at the weekend, his reputation went global as football fans the world over marvelled at his skills. The clip shows him giving an impressive display likened by one website to that of footballing legend Diego Maradona, rolling the ball around his neck and shoulders without touching it. The footage, which is set to Rihanna singing We Found Love, was filmed near the docks in Milford Haven by some passers-by who spotted him from their car. Initially people assumed it was a hoax or a clever marketing stunt, but this afternoon Mr Cassidy spoke out about his hidden talent. He said: 'It's crazy to think that so many people have seen my skills - this is just what I do. Sometimes kids will have a kick around with me but they always leave after I've shown them up.' He said he started kicking the ball around after he lost his job as a fisherman in 2002, and now spends two hours a day practising in the car park. Move over Maradona: Mr Cassidy has spent years honing his skills in his hometown . Not as easy as it looks: His skills have earned him admiration from around the world . Skills to pay the bills: Mr Cassidy shows up local youngsters who come down for a kick about . Masterful: The keepy-uppy star refuses to acknowledge his audience as he shows off his ball control . Mr Cassidy added: 'I'm quite agile for a big guy and I've got good hand-eye coordination, balance and timing. 'I'm . pretty good even though I've got a lot of blubber on me: it's just a . matter of practice and I've got plenty of time on my hands for that.' Now . the organisers of the World Freestyle Football Championships have . invited him to star in their opening ceremony in Dubai next month. They will fly him over . first class, put him up in a world-class hotel, and pay him £200 a day . while he is there. A spokesman said: 'He's a sensation - you can't take your eyes off him.' Mr Cassidy spends two hours a day 'working up a sweat' by practising his astonishing football skills . Lee Day, news editor of local paper the Western Telegraph, told MailOnline Mr Cassidy was a well-known character. He . said: 'He's been doing it down by the docks for years - I used to see . him years ago, but judging from the footage, he's got a lot better since . then.' Comments on the Facebook page, entitled You Wouldn't Believe How Good This Guy Is, are mostly appreciative, with one saying: 'Flat out legend. We saw him fall over one day followed by a quick look around to see if anyone saw and yup, we did.' Another online fan wrote: 'Ronaldo? Maradona? Mick Quinn? You may now add 'fat guy from Pembrokeshire' to that exalted list.' | Andrew Cassidy known in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, for football skills .
He started keepy-uppy when he lost his fisherman's job in 2002 .
Invited to appear at World Freestyle Football Champsionships in Dubai . |
0540e8c4d7afd0dd356bfe8286b9a50bfded9b54 | A nine-months pregnant teenager who claims she was raped by seven men in Sudan is now facing the death penalty after being charged with adultery. The married Ethiopian woman was just 18 years old, and three months pregnant, when she was subjected to the attack in August last year. She says she was searching for a new home in Omdurman, near the capital Khartoum, and one of the seven accused lured her into an empty property on the premises of renting it out to her and her husband. Unbelievable brutality: The pregnant Ethiopian teenager was raped by seven men after being lured into an empty building near the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, on the premise of renting the property (stock image) She was attacked and held down while a . group of men, reportedly aged between 18 and 22, took turns in raping . her, according to the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of . Africa (SIHA) network. Her . ordeal was filmed by one of the perpetrators and was circulated on . social media via WhatsApp several months after the attack. When . the video of the rape surfaced, the woman and the alleged rapists were . arrested and accused of making and distributing indecent material and . indecent behaviour. After . first being denied bail, and later charged with prostitution and . adultery, the woman is now being prevented from making a formal . complaint of rape. Sudanese . media reporting the case has tried to undermine the woman's story by . claiming she has HIV and is a prostitute, SIHA said. The woman is being held by police and refused to report the rape by the Sudanese Attorney General as she is being investigated for adultery and incident behaviour (stock image) 'The . intention to place culpability on the part of the victim is of great . concern and seeks to deflect and reduce accountability of the . perpetrators, but more disturbing is that the charge of adultery carries . with it the potential sentence of death by stoning if found guilty,' SIHA said. 'There have . even been cynical attempts to falsely claim that the men were accidently . prescribed hallucinogenic drugs by a chemist beforehand.' 'Impunity . and silence on crimes of sexual violence committed against IDPs . [internally displaced persons], migrants and impoverished women in Sudan . has been a pattern for years,' Hala Alkarib, regional director of the . SIHA network, told the Guardian. 'Successful . prosecution of rape is the exception as opposed to the norm and most . certainly does not reflect the level of incidence. 'Instead victims face . the risk that they will instead be prosecuted for adultery, being . re-vicitmised by the judicial system, and threatened with the ultimate . sentence of death by stoning.' According . to SIHA, the Attorney General has denied her the right to report the . rape as she is currently under investigation for the other charges. The Attorney General also argues that she should have reported the rape at the time of the attack. However . the woman has told her lawyer that the group of men who attacked her . threatened to kill her if she told anyone, and as a result, she was too . scared to report it. She was . further deterred by the fact that she told a police officer who found . her shortly after the attack what had happened, who dismissed her story. The . police officer decided against pursuing an investigation as it was Eid . Al Fitr, a public holiday in the Muslim country, SIHA said. He has been . charged with negligence. The . teenager was arrested on the 17th of January and despite being close to . giving birth, she has since been sleeping on a concrete floor in a cell . at a local police station. Two attempts to secure bail for her on health grounds have been refused. A . total of ten individuals, including another police officer who helped . spread the video, are currently on trial related to this case. | The Ethiopian teenager was three months pregnant when she was attacked .
She was raped by seven men in Omdurman, Sudan in August last year .
The rape was filmed and later spread on social media by the perpetrators .
The married woman is now facing the death penalty for adultery . |
054120d8b1df99fd7a0a08595b6e9a30a8902289 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 11:11 EST, 22 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:19 EST, 22 August 2013 . Two police officers were injured when a brawl involving 20 people broke out during a wedding reception at a luxury hotel. Four men were arrested after two groups from separate parties became involved in a drunken punch-up at Ramside Hall, County Durham. Police were called to £215-a-night hotel in the early hours of Monday to deal with a 'large scale disturbance'. Punch-up: Two groups from separate wedding parties got into a late-night drunken brawl at Ramside Hall in County Durham . The officers were 'slightly injured' but were able to continue with their duties, Durham Police said. A 63-year-old has been charged with assaulting a police officer and bailed to appear before Peterlee Magistrates' Court on September 4. A 16-year-old was arrested in the fracas, and held on suspicion of affray, before being bailed pending further inquiries. Emergency: Durham Police were called to what they called a 'large scale disturbance', and two officers were slightly injured as they dealt with it . An 18-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and has been released no further action. A 43-year-old was arrested on suspicion of affray and has received a caution. Ramside Hall can hold up to 500 guests . for weddings and boasts: 'Your wedding day should be as trouble free . and relaxed as possible'. It . has 80 rooms, including two Presidential Suites, and a championship . golf course but bosses refused to comment on the incident today. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Two police were injured in drunken fracas involving at least 20 people .
Incident happened at four-star Ramside Hall, County Durham on Monday .
Four people, including a 16-year-old, were arrested after the brawl . |
05433c8c1c09593ed7d2ac6af13af9c02d417b19 | By . Daniel Martin . PUBLISHED: . 13:01 EST, 13 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:24 EST, 14 May 2012 . George Osborne is under intense pressure to attend the Leveson inquiry after it emerged he entertained Rebekah Brooks at his country estate . George Osborne is facing growing pressure to appear before the Leveson inquiry after further details emerged of his close links to the Murdoch press. The Chancellor entertained former News International boss Rebekah Brooks at his grace and favour residence in Buckinghamshire while Rupert Murdoch was planning to take over BSkyB. The gathering was also attended by former News of the World editor Andy Coulson, who at the time was David Cameron’s director of communications. It happened while the Government was deciding whether to accept Murdoch’s £8billion bid for the whole of BSkyB. Labour said the fact that the event, at his Dorneywood residence, took place at all raised fundamental questions about Mr Osborne’s judgment. The news will also increase pressure on Mr Osborne to appear in person at the Leveson inquiry to answer questions about his links to the Murdoch team. He has so far only been asked to give written evidence but aides say he would be happy to appear if asked. Chancellor's guests: Murdoch allies . Rebekah Brooks, left, and Andy Coulson, right, spent a weekend at George Osborne's . Buckinghamshire estate . Details of the gathering at . Dorneywood are contained in a written statement to the inquiry submitted . by Mr Coulson, who appeared before it on Thursday. The Chancellor has already made public four meetings with Mrs Brooks during 2010. A spokesman said he believed the Dorneywood meeting had been declared by Mr Osborne as having taken place in September 2010. It was listed by the Chancellor as a merely ‘social’ event, and the location was not specified. Aides said no discussions of the BSkyB bid took place. Harriet Harman, Labour’s deputy . leader, said: ‘When senior members of a government are looking at a bid . such as the BSkyB one they have not only to make sure they act . impartially but that they are seen to be acting impartially.’ Dorneywood: Aides to George Osborne claim the Chancellor did not discuss the BSkyB bid with Mrs Brooks or Mr Coulson while there . Giving evidence: Rebekah Brooks told the Leveson inquiry she had discussed the BSkyB bid with both David Cameron and George Osborne . | Chancellor entertained News International boss Rebekah Brooks at his ministerial mansion . |
054349cf1bc7514a8a9ebc0f65607bf6c0563b7c | London (CNN) -- Decades after the crime, police are investigating what could be a clue to the burial place of the last unrecovered victim of one of Britain's most notorious killers, "Moors Murderer" Ian Brady. Keith Bennett was just 12 years old when he went missing on June 16, 1964, in northern England on his way to visit his grandmother. Brady, who was jailed for life in 1966 for three other child murders committed with the help of his partner Myra Hindley, admitted killing the boy in 1987 but has never disclosed the whereabouts of his body. The other four victims were buried on Saddleworth Moor, a lonely upland expanse in the Pennine hills, near Manchester. Keith's mother, Winnie Johnson, has spent the decades since he vanished searching for her lost son but is herself gravely ill. Now, police are investigating claims that Brady may recently have given details of the burial spot to one of his longtime visitors, in a sealed letter to be passed to Johnson after Brady's death. The information came to light when a documentary filmmaker interviewed a woman who has been acting as Brady's mental health adviser, the Press Association news agency reported. A 49-year-old woman was arrested in South Wales on Thursday on suspicion of preventing the burial of a body without lawful exercise, and has been released on bail pending further inquiries, a Greater Manchester Police statement said. Documents have also been seized from the address and are being examined, police said. In the statement, Martin Bottomley, head of the force's cold case review team, cautioned against leaping to conclusions but said police were taking the lead seriously. "I want to be explicitly clear about this: Ian Brady has not revealed to police the location of Keith's body," he said. "What we are looking at is the possibility, and at this stage it is only a possibility, that he has written a letter to Keith's mum Winnie Johnson which was not to be opened until after his death. We do not know if this is true or simply a ruse, but we clearly have a duty to investigate such information on behalf of Keith's family. "Since Keith was so cruelly taken away all those years ago, our thoughts have always been with his family as they try to come to terms with what happened. All they want is to finally be able to lay Keith to rest." The Moors murders have cast "a long and dark shadow" over the area, he said. Police have been in contact with Keith Bennett's family and staff at Ashworth Hospital, the high-security psychiatric institution where Brady is held. He has refused food for the past 12 years, in a bid to die, and is fed through a tube, the Press Association reports. Brady and Hindley were taken by police to Saddleworth Moor to look for the bodies of Bennett and another victim, 16-year-old Pauline Reade, after they admitted those killings in 1987, the news agency says. However, only Reade's remains were found. Keith's brother, Alan Bennett, runs the family's Searching for Keith website, where information about the case is posted, as well as pictures of the family taken before the tragedy. "He was a son, a brother, a friend and should have been a father, grandfather and maybe a great-grandfather. He should have been whatever he wanted to be," Alan Bennett writes. A police poster appealing for information that was put up in shops and windows at the time Keith went missing shows a cheerful, bespectacled boy. Johnson is quoted on the website as saying: "My greatest hope in this life from the day he left is to have him home, I now accept he is not alive but I still believe I have the right as his mother to give him a Christian burial." | 12-year-old Keith Bennett was a victim of notorious killer Ian Brady in 1964 .
Brady admitted his murder in 1987 but has not revealed the location of the body .
Police are investigating the possibility he has put the information in a sealed letter .
The boy's mother has never given up hope of finding his body but is seriously ill . |
0543697f98234911c31eb066d216bdd6393840dd | Killed: Sandor Horvath, 65, was chased and pulled off the scooter at a farm in Magyarszecsod . A Hungarian pensioner was dragged off his mobility scooter and mauled to death by a pair of killer donkeys. Sandor Horvath, 65, was bitten and trampled on so much that when his body was found it was believed had been torn apart by wolves. Mr Horvath, was chased and pulled off the scooter at a farm in Magyarszecsod where he was visiting his farmer friend. His mutilated remains were found by the farm owner who called the police, believing his friend had been attacked by wild dogs. But a postmortem revealed the bites and markings had come from the donkeys. Police who pieced together the evidence said it appeared that the donkeys had chased the man and dragged him off the scooter before killing him. The farmer’s daughter Csikos Darda said: 'I had noticed that the donkeys were becoming increasingly aggressive and I’d asked my father to do something about it, but he’d said they were fine.' A vet told local media: 'Donkeys aren't usually aggressive towards humans. 'They probably reacted like this as they thought the victim was intruding upon their territory.' Culprits: Police who pieced together the evidence said it appeared that the donkeys had chased Mr Horvath and dragged him off the scooter before killing him. The pair responsible, pictured, are waiting to be put down . The pair are now waiting to be put down. A police spokesman said: 'If these were dogs then they would also be put to sleep. 'We can’t allow animals to go around killing people. Putting them to sleep is the best thing for everyone.' | Sandor Horvath, 65, was attacked by donkeys in Hungary .
Bitten and trampled on so much looked like he had .
been attacked by wolves .
Postmortem revealed the bites and markings had come from the donkeys .
Pair responsible for killing him are now waiting to be put down . |
054479da0c70038800810c3cc7df59c833068cf7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:04 EST, 18 December 2013 . Tragic: James Marcus Howe had just moved to the neighborhood with his wife and young son when he was killed . Police have released two surveillance camera images of a dark Ford Mustang in the hope of catching the two thugs who broke into a reality TV director's Los Angeles home and shot him dead. James Marcus Howe, 42, had worked on such successful shows as 'America's Next Top Model,' 'A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila' and 'Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker.' He was gunned down and his wife was wounded when two men forced their way into his house in the Glassell Park neighborhood of the city on November 27 - the day before Thanksgiving. The LAPD hopes that the images of the . suspected getaway car, combined with a $75,000 reward from community . leaders will lead to tips about who killed Howe, KTLA reports. Howe's wife, Danae Howe, survived and was able to describe the suspects to police. Police said they are looking for two men in their late teens or early 20s who committed the robbery and shootings. A woman of the same age was spotted in the getaway car. This Ford Mustang convertible was seen fleeing the scene of the murder. Police released this surveillance image in the hopes of tracking down the suspects . Police say the three robbers were posing as door-to-door salesmen. The brazen robbery took place in broad daylight, just before 11am. LAPD Detective Harold Dicroce told CBS 2 that Howe and his wife recently moved to the neighborhood with their 6-year-old son. The child was not home at the time of the shooting and is being cared for by his aunt. Survivor: Danae Howe, James Howe's wife, was shot and wounded - but was later able to describe the attackers . Successful: Howe worked on more than a dozen reality TV shows - including 'Shot at Love with Tila Tequila' and 'America's Next Top Model' Howe had worked on at least a dozen reality shows since 2008 - usually as assistant director or first assistant director. He worked on the 2012 season of the CW's 'America's Next Top Model' and also oversaw 17 episodes of 'A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila.' Among the other shows he helped direct were: 'Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker,' 'Celebrity Fit Club,' Cartoon Network's 'Destroy Build Destroy' and TLC's 'I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant.' Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the LAPAD at 323-344-5731. | James Marcus Howe, 42, worked on television shows such as 'America's Next Top Model' and 'A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila'
The three intruders allegedly posed as door-to-door salesmen .
Howe and his wife moved to the neighborhood with their 6-year-old son .
The identity of the shooters is still unknown . |
054501cd83ade961eeabf29fd2393559116975c0 | By . Daniel Bates . PUBLISHED: . 20:07 EST, 23 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:07 EST, 24 October 2012 . Barack Obama created an instant internet hit with his comments during the Presidential debate about ‘horses and bayonets’. Responding to claims by Mitt Romney that the US had fewer warships now than it did in 1916, the President quipped: ‘Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military has changed. It’s not a game of Battleship.’ Instantly #horsesandbayonets started trending on Twitter having been mentioned by users 105,767 times a minute. Spoof: Barack Obama created an instant internet hit with his comments during the Presidential debate about 'horses and bayonets' Jest: Responding to claims by Mitt Romney that the US had fewer warships now than it did in 1916, the President quipped: 'Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military has changed' Hit: Instantly #horsesandbayonets started trending on Twitter having been mentioned by users 105,767 times a minute . Charge: The horses and bayonets line took on new life on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook . Meme: Before the conclusion of the third and final debate tonight, the World Wide Web was abuzz with the horses and bayonets, a term that stole the show . Face-off: President Obama and Mitt Romney share a laugh as they're introduced at the final presidential debate . One wrote: ‘President Obama sunk the SS Romney tonight.’ On Tumblr, a blogging website, . doctored pictures from the board game ‘Battleship’ soon appeared with Mr . Romney and Mr Obama’s heads superimposed onto them. Others took footage from films set in the Civil War era and added the caption: ‘Romney, leading the charge’ onto them. Special guests: One meme brought Big Bird back . into the fray, while another invoked 'the most interesting man in the . world' from the Dos Equis commercials . Making history: Romney makes a cameo in a Civil War scene, thanks to Obama's 'horses and bayonets' remark . Jokes: It didn't take long for Obama's comment to come back to haunt Romney on the internet . Seth McFarlane said: ‘If Romney’s military budget includes bayonets, it better also include tri-cornered hats' One blogger drew up a mock poster . which read: ‘Restock America’s Horses and Bayonets: Vote Romney’ and on . Facebook a cartoon of Mr Romney said: ‘I meant we needed more light . sabres.’ American comedians also got in on the . act. Dane Cook tweeted: ‘Fact: Iran has been stockpiling horses & . bayonets’, while Seth McFarlane said: ‘If Romney’s military budget . includes bayonets, it better also include tri-cornered hats.’ After the previous presidential debate Mr Romney was the one who became a viral hit over his comments about ‘binders of women’. Last chance: The debate was the final showdown between the pair . Creative: Within hours the internet was full of spoofs of the debate . Demand: The president's sarcastic retort to Romney's jab about the size of the Navy took off instantly on social networks and dominated online discussion of the candidates' final debate . Famous: A fake Twitter account, a Facebook page and other web tributes sprung up within hours of the remark . A fake Twitter account, a Facebook page and other web tributes sprung up within hours of the remark. Mr Romney had been talking about . attempts to recruit more female staff when he was governor of . Massachusetts when he made the blunder. Viral: On Tumblr, a blogging website, doctored pictures from the board game 'Battleship' soon appeared with Mr Romney and Mr Obama's heads superimposed onto them . Jab: A meme declaring 'Obama just sank Romney's battleship' generated more than 84,000 likes on Facebook and was shared more than 16,000 times in an hour . Hit or miss? Internet jokesters could not get enough of the 'horses and bayonets' and 'Battleship' references . | Obama was responding to claims by Mitt Romney that the US had fewer warships now than it did in 1916 .
President quipped: 'Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military has changed' |
05455a3390b2bbe32dd969363fc55f5a17ffa56d | JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- South Africa has refused the Dalai Lama a visa to attend an international peace conference in Johannesburg this week, a presidential spokesman said. The Dalai Lama fled China in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel Laureate did not receive a visa because it was not in South Africa's interest for him to attend, said Thabo Masebe. South Africa thinks that, if the Dalai Lama attended the conference, the focus would shift away from the 2010 World Cup -- the global soccer championship it will host next year. "We cannot allow focus to shift to China and Tibet," Masebe said, adding that South Africa has gained much from its trading relationship with China. The Dalai Lama's fellow laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, said he would boycott the event. Watch the controversy surrounding South Africa's decision » . Former president F.W. De Klerk, another laureate, backed Tutu, saying in a statement that he would also not participate in the conference if the Dalai Lama remained excluded. De Klerk said that the decision to refuse the visa made a "mockery" of the peace conference. "The decision to exclude the Dalai Lama is irreconcilable with key principles on which our society is based including the principles of accountability, openness and responsiveness and the rights to freedom of expression and free political activity," he said. "South Africa is a sovereign constitutional democracy and should not allow other countries to dictate to it regarding who it should, and should not admit to its territory - regardless of the power and influence of the country." A representative of the Dalai Lama said he was not surprised by the decision. The Tibetan government in exile thinks that China has pressured many countries to refuse a visit by the Dalai Lama, according to Chhime Chhoekyapa, an aide in Dharamsala, India. The Dalai Lama fled China in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The peace conference was billed as an opportunity to showcase South Africa's role as a human-rights champion ahead of its hosting of soccer's World Cup next year. It was to bring together Noble Laureates and top soccer officials. In addition to Tutu and De Klerk, laureates Nelson Mandela and Martti Ahtisaari, Sepp Blatter, president of soccer's international governing body, and actress Charlize Theron were invited to attend. The event had the blessing of the Nobel Committee. | Spokesman: "Not in South Africa's interest for him (Dalai Lama) to attend"
South Africa says it is worried focus will switch away from 2010 World Cup .
It added South Africa has gained much from its trading relationship with China .
Fellow laureate Desmond Tutu said he would boycott the conference . |
05459636a0162b2c7d71cb546ce4577f8aa82b44 | Berlin (CNN) -- An Italian anarchist group has claimed responsibility for a failed mail bomb attack on Deutsche Bank CEO Josef Ackermann, German investigators said Thursday. A suspicious package sent to Ackermann contained a functioning bomb, law enforcement officials in the state of Hesse said. The package also contained a note from the Informal Federation of Anarchists, or FAI, the Frankfurt state prosecutor and Hesse investigators said in a statement. The note mentioned "three explosions against banks, bankers, ticks and blood suckers," the officials said. The letter raises the possibility that two other letter bombs were sent out to other institutions, the statement said. The FAI an offshoot of the Italian Anarchist Federation. The group has claimed responsibility in previous years for failed mail bombs sent to some European embassies. Formed in 1945, the Italian Anarchist Federation had seen "a slow but constant increase" of supporters in recent years, said the website of an umbrella group, L'International des Federations Anarchistes. The Italian organization aims for "radical change" in support of "oppressed and exploited peoples," doing so with opposition to political powers and even the Catholic Church, the website said. The package was intercepted Wednesday, said police in New York, whom the Germans alerted so they could step up security at Deutsche Bank offices in Manhattan. The device, which contained shrapnel, was detected in the bank's mail room around 1 p.m. local time, said New York Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne. It did not detonate. "The return address was listed as a European central bank, which would likely increase the chances of him opening it," said Browne, who urged a general increase in mail room security. | NEW: Note from anarchist group mentions "three explosions," raising possibility of other bombs .
The package was intercepted Wednesday at Deutsche Bank mail room in Germany .
Police in Germany say it was a functioning bomb, but did not detonate .
New York police increase security around Deutsche Bank in Manhattan . |
0545aacd79b2d10262ccb3230217a5f8db6765a5 | (Wired) -- When Toshiba announced its 13-inch Excite tablet Tuesday, the company made an argument that one size does not fit all when it comes to touchscreen devices. But who will actually use such a large slab of mobile computing? "The Excite 13 is what we see as a home tablet," Jared Leavitt, a Toshiba spokesman, told Wired. "The larger size makes it an ideal kitchen tablet. You can watch how-to videos while you're cooking, or look up recipes. And then later, you can bring it into the living room to watch videos with the kids, or to look at family photos with friends." Thankfully, Toshiba is shipping the Excite 13, which runs on Google's Android 4.0 operating system, with a stand that will relieve owners from having to hold, or prop up, the large device themselves. And despite being bigger than pretty much every other competing tablet on the market, the Excite 13 is fairly thin and light for its size, Leavitt said, noting that it will weigh 2.2 pounds and measure 0.4 inches thick. Nonetheless, anyone who's watching the tablet market has to wonder why Toshiba is releasing a tablet behemoth in a world enamored with smaller devices. After all, the first tablet to gain any widespread consumer adoption other than Apple's iPad is the 7-inch Kindle Fire. And looking forward, the hottest rumors focus on an iPad mini and a 7-inch tablet that would be Google's next flagship mobile device. In short: Small is in, and big isn't even part of the conversation. Jared Spool, the CEO of User Interface Engineering, a usability research firm, agrees that Toshiba is thinking about tablet design in a way that its rivals aren't. But Spool doesn't agree that the world needs, or wants, a 13-inch tablet. "This is the sort of typical maneuver of just adding another feature without improving the actual user experience," Spool told Wired. "It's just bigger, and it's not clear to me that anyone is asking for bigger. You can only get the iPad in one size and nobody is saying, 'Gee, it just feels a little too small to me.'" But while there seems to be no consumer demand for larger tablets, the use case of watching movies as a group, or flipping through photos with loved ones on the couch, on a 13-inch slate isn't too hard to imagine, says Jakob Nielsen, principal at the Nielsen Norman Group, a usability research firm. "If a small group of people is trying to use the tablet together, sitting on the couch and consuming content, this size makes sense," Nielsen told Wired. "But I do think [the Excite 13] might be a bit of overreach. I don't think that people only need one computer. Nowadays, most people have two computers, between a laptop and a smartphone. But where this Toshiba tablet fits in -- between those devices and the TV -- I'm not sure. It's not likely to be a big success." Spool also predicts that the Excite 13 will be neither an iPad killer, nor a top-selling Android tablet. "These types of enhancements are knee-jerk reactions from companies who are trying to 'out feature' other companies," he said. "But what this comes down to is that it's not the specific technology in a tablet that makes it exciting. It's the user experience. And there's just a lot less to do on an Android tablet than an iPad. And what there is to do is much clumsier because the screen sizes and specs for Android tablets are all over the place. A 13-inch screen and a bunch of top specs do nothing to change that." Among the other specs the Excite 13 touts are a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear facing camera, and four rear-mounted speakers to blast audio from the tablet's aluminum back. The tablet also sports a 1,600×900 screen resolution, a micro-USB port, a micro-HDMI port and a full-size SD card slot. The Excite 13 sits at the top of a revamped tablet line for Toshiba, in terms of both price and screen size with a price tag of $649.99 for the 32GB model, and $749.99 for the 64GB model, when it hits stores in early June. For those looking for a more traditionally sized tablet that still packs a quad-core punch, Toshiba will also ship in June a 7.7-inch version of the Excite (known as the Excite 7) at $499.99 for 16GB of storage and $579.99 for 32GB. A 10-inch Excite, dubbed the Excite 10, will ship in May for $449.99 with 16 GB of storage and $529.99 for the 32GB. The Excite range of tablets replaces Toshiba's old line of Thrive slates, which were offered in both a 7-inch and 10-inch model. In case you're wondering why is the Excite 7 more expensive than the Excite 10, Leavitt explained: "Smaller is harder to do." Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here! Copyright 2011 Wired.com. | Toshiba's 13-inch Excite tablet runs on Google's Android 4.0 operating system .
The Excite will weigh 2.2 pounds and measure only 0.4 inches thick .
The tablet sports a 1,600×900 screen resolution, a micro-USB port and a micro-HDMI port . |
0545cddb3ea167e3e738bdcabc8f724d2998cc2e | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 11:48 EST, 15 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:57 EST, 15 November 2012 . For committed fans of retro photography apps such as Instagram, it could be the ultimate way to continue the retro theme. A London firm has created a £10 ($15) micro-sized projector that can display instagram pictures on a nearby wall. The Projecteo project has become a huge hit online - reaching its funding target on the Kickstarter site in less than 24 hours. Scroll down for video . The projecto is a tiny replica of a slide projector that can display instagram pictures printed onto film . 'Projecteo is a tiny Instagram projector,' the site says. 'It uses wheels of 35mm slide film you make online and each one holds nine photos. 'Whether they're of your best friends, that holiday last summer or good old pictures of cats, just pop them into Projecteo, focus by twisting the lens barrel and sit back to enjoy your slideshow.' Benjamin Redford of London Agency Mint, which created the product, said he was amazed by the response. 'It's been wicked,' he said. 'We hit our funding target in under 24 hours, and the response has been incredible.' The projector is a fully working system that uses pictures printed onto Kodak film instead of traditional slides . Inside the projector is a single LED light which projects the image when focused . The firm says the projector works exactly like a normal sized one. 'Like all projectors, Projecteo works best in the dark,' they say. 'We've had great looking images up to two and a half feet wide in a pitch black room. 'Unlike screens, slide film doesn't have pixels. 'This means you get beautiful looking images from a device the size of a matchbox.' The projector is designed to look like a retro slide proctor, complete with slide carousel . The images are first chosen on an app, which send the order to Mint. The pictures are printed on Kodak film, with each frame being a mini slide carousel . Each carousel is then cut and placed in a special tiny holder which is placed in the projector . | Design based on slide carousel projectors .
Reached its funding target on Kickstarter in less than 24 hours . |
0545d6613887c5dfce01ce2ea63b513d6af175ba | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 04:06 EST, 27 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:38 EST, 27 November 2012 . Talae Thomas, 30, is understood to have confessed to murdering her five-week-old son because she believed he was the devil . A woman accused of murdering her newborn son is alleged to have told police she drowned the baby boy because she believed he was the devil. Police said Talae Akei Thomas, 30, said her baby Chase Harrelson died in the hospital after she gave birth, and that the child she brought home with her in Florida, U.S., was in fact the devil. Thomas told officers 'I drowned the devil that was in my baby' after the newborn 'started talking' to her, according to a police statement. 'My baby died five weeks ago in the hospital,' Thomas said in the statement obtained by the Associated Press. 'I . brought the devil home; mine died in the hospital after they did CPR on . him. The baby started talking to me and I knew he was the devil. 'He was the devil, so I killed him. I drowned the devil that was in my baby,' the affidavit said. Thomas, who is a Christian, was arrested . on November 16 after police found her lying in the street in Plant . City, Florida, and she told them she had lost her baby. When officers searched her apartment they found Chase's body floating in a bathtub, according to a report in The Huffington Post. She has been charged with first degree murder and aggravated child abuse. The woman's family told the AP that she suffers hallucinations and had experienced a breakdown four years ago. Chase Harrelson: Thomas said her baby had died in the hospital and that the child she brought home 'was the devil', according to police statement . Tragic: Relatives of Talae Thomas said she had been a 'loving mother' to newborn baby Chase . Innocent: Thomas had posted photographs of Chase on her Facebook page along with messages like 'Crazy in love' Police officers found baby Chase in a bathtub at Thomas' home in Plant City, Florida, U.S. Talae Thomas: Relatives of the new mother have said she suffered hallucinations and went through a breakdown four years ago . Earlier this month Thomas had posted photographs of Chase on her Facebook page along with the message 'Crazy in love'. On her profile she describes herself as 'seeking the kingdom of heaven head first'. Relatives of the woman told a U.S. news station that she had been a loving mother. 'Baby Chase and his arrival were much anticipated,' her sister Abria Thomas told Fox 13. Police found Thomas lying in the street in Plant City, Florida, U.S. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Talae Akei Thomas said her newborn had died in the hospital and the baby boy she brought home with her was the devil, police say .
Officers found five-week-old Chase Harrison floating in a bathtub at Thomas' home in Plant City, Florida, U.S. |
0545f3c8c6f09c482bb7c281aa05c0b8ca4efe94 | They are the gruesome crimes that have appalled - and intrigued - the world. First came so-called Miami 'zombie', Rudy Eugene, who stripped his victim before savaging his face by the side of the road. Then, gay porn star Luka Magnotta allegedly murdered his former lover with an ice pick before dismembering him and devouring some of his flesh. As if this was not horrifying enough, he then apparently posted footage of the killing online. The pair are just the latest in a long and infamous line of cannibals whose exploits have broken one of the last taboos. Adventurer William Buehler . Seabrook wrote of his experiences with cannibalism in his 1931 book . Jungle Ways. He noted that human flesh actually tastes 'just like veal' Tribesmen in Papua New Guinea, where cannibalism is still practised . But back in the 1920s, one man set . out to provide a detailed record of the societies that devour human . flesh - and went so far as to taste it himself. American adventurer William Buehler . Seabrook wrote of his experiences in his book Jungle Ways, published in . 1931. He noted that human flesh actually tastes 'just like veal'. The account follows his travels in . West Africa, where he spent time with the Guero people, and joined them . as they feasted on human meat. The author observed that the raw flesh looked like beef but less red and with pale yellow fat. Once cooked it turned grey and smelled like beef. As for the taste, he wrote: 'It was so nearly like good, fully developed veal that I think no person . with a palate of ordinary, normal sensitiveness could distinguish it . from veal.' Modern day cannibals: Luka Magnotta (left) is . suspected of killing and eating his victim and sending body parts in the . post. Rudy Eugene (right) was shot dead while he ate the face of a . homeless man in Florida last month . Seabrook's account is regarded as . unreliable by many, because he later confessed Guero tribesmen refused . to let him take part in their tradition - bizarrely claiming he made up . for the disappointment by obtaining the body of a dead hospital patient . in France and cooking it on a spit. But experts regard his description as the most useful - because most commentaries on cannibalism come from the criminally insane and are often contradictory. German killer Armin Meiwes,insisted human flesh tastes like pork, 'but a little bit more bitter, stronger.' While Japanese cannibal Issei Sagawa described it as 'tender and soft' like tuna. The . survivors of the 1970 Andes plane crash, portrayed in the movie Alive, . were forced to eat their fellow passengers to survive - but insist in . their accounts the frozen flesh was flavourless. Cannibalism has recently been practised in several wars, specifically in Liberia and Congo. Cannibalism is rare and is not illegal in most countries. People who eat human flesh are usually charged with crimes not relating to cannibalism, such as murder or desecration of a body. The Korowai - an ethnic group of about 3,000 people in New Guinea - are one of very few tribes still believed to eat human flesh as a cultural practice. It is also still known to be practised as a ritual and in war in various Melanesian tribes. Melanesia is an island region immediately north and northeast of Australia. Survivor Nando Parrado recalled: 'When I ate my first piece, it had no taste. I forced myself to swallow - without guilt. I was eating to live.' Those . who have tried to unearth the truth about the taste of human flesh . point out the flavour is likely to vary - based on the age of the . victim, the body part eaten and the method of cooking. An article on Slate.com observed: 'Cannibals have told anthropologists that human meat is sweet, bitter, . tender, tough, and fatty. The variation may result from disparate styles . of cookery. 'Many tribes eat the meat of deceased humans only after it . has rotted slightly. Roasting and stewing seem to predominate, with many . tribes throwing in hot peppers or other seasonings. 'Rudy . Eugene, the attacker in Florida, ate his victim’s face.The Swedish . cannibal went for only the lips, while a Tokyo man reportedly cooked and . served his genitals to the highest bidders. 'Cannibalistic . tribes show a similar diversity. Seabrook’s West African cannibals . preferred the loin, rump, ribs, and palms, which were considered . especially tender. Cannibals in 19th-century Fiji reportedly preferred . the heart, thigh, and upper arm. Other tribes apparently held the . breasts of young women in high esteem.' Alive: Survivors of the Uruguayan plane that crashed in the Andes in 1972 were forced to eat the flesh of dead passengers . | William Buehler Seabrook spent time with a cannibal tribe in Africa in the 1920s .
He described the texture and taste of human flesh in his 1931 book Jungle Ways . |
0545f93b66b2d76798d20155d77863a001e25162 | By . Emily Crane . and Aap . A man has handed himself in almost 12 hours after allegedly running from the scene of a fatal car accident during a police chase northwest of Melbourne. Police were responding to reports that three men and a woman wearing balaclavas were allegedly trying to rob a ticket machine at Macedon railway station, about 70km from Melbourne, just before 5am on Saturday. The four people took off in a sedan and police gave chase but a short time later, officers found the car had rolled on a nearby bend. Scroll down for video . A man has handed himself in almost 12 hours after allegedly running from the scene of a fatal car accident during a police chase northwest of Melbourne . One man was killed after being ejected from the vehicle and police saw two men fleeing into dense bush, Nine News reports. Police arrested a 27-year-old Sunbury woman at the scene and she is under police guard at Royal Melbourne Hospital. 'The fact they left their friends, one dead and one injured, and fled off into the bush probably speaks volumes about their character,' Assistant Commissioner Jack Blayney said of the two men who fled. Police were responding to reports of an alleged robbery at Macedon railway station, about 70km from Melbourne, just before 5am on Saturday . The four people took off in a sedan and police gave chase but a short time later, officers found the car had rolled on a nearby bend . A Sunbury man, 30, was later arrested on a roadside at nearby Gisborne about 9.45am on Saturday. He had minor injuries and remains in police custody. But police were still looking for the second man until Saturday evening when a 32-year-old from Diggers Rest showed up at Gisborne Police Station. He was being held for questioning. Investigators believe the car lost control in wet conditions and clipped a tree. 'If the police are indicating to people that they should pull over, they should pull over. It's not worth risking your life, the life of your friends, the life of innocent members of the public and also the lives of police officers for such trivial matters,' Blayney said. One man was killed after being ejected from the vehicle and police saw two men fleeing into dense bush . Police arrested a 27-year-old Sunbury woman at the scene and a man, 30, was later arrested on a roadside at nearby Gisborne. Police were still looking for the second man when he showed up at Gisborne Police Station . | Police were pursuing a sedan with four people following reports of alleged robbery at Macedon railway station, northwest of Melbourne .
The car was found a short time later on its side early on Saturday morning .
Police found one man dead after being ejected from the vehicle .
A 27-year-old woman was arrested at scene and a man, 30, was arrested later that morning on a roadside .
Police were still looking for another man when he handed himself in at Gisborne Police Station on Saturday night . |
0547b8a97e20e5ae051daca4899321e454f6e884 | (CNN) -- FACETIME: Mahmoud Jibril, former Libyan interim Prime Minister . After the death of Colonel Gadhafi, Libya is looking towards a new and very different future. This week in a special edition from the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan, MME sits down with the country's former interim prime minister Mahmoud Jibril to discuss a timeline for a new constitution and elections. IN FOCUS: Jordan's economic pressures . Tensions have been high in Jordan, where King Abdullah dismissed his cabinet for a second time this year and appointed a new prime minister. Jordan is one of the smallest economies in the Middle East and suffers from high rates of poverty. Leone Lakhani takes a look at Jordan's most pressing issues. Marketplace Middle East airs weekly at the following times (all GMT): . Fridays: 0845, 1645, . Saturdays: 0615, . Sundays: 0515, 1745, . Mondays: 0045 . | MME talks to Libya's former Interim prime minister Mahmoud Jibril about the country's future .
King Abdullah of Jordan has made several changes in the government this year .
As Jordan struggles with high poverty rates, MME looks at the country's economic pressures . |
054864973615e62cf86b4f58e8b8952bf8b0203b | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 07:33 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:38 EST, 5 September 2013 . A little boy given just days to live when he was born four months prematurely is starting school today. Owen Piper weighed just 1lb 9oz when he was born and his head was a small as an egg. His parents, Hayley and Craig, were told he was unlikely to survive for more than 72 hours. Owen Piper (pictured with his mother, Hayley Piper, 29) was born four months prematurely weighing just 1lb 9oz. His parents were told that he would probably not survive for more than a few days . But after 17 weeks in intensive care he pulled through and has now started at St George’s Primary School in Sheerness, Kent. The only noticeable difference between four-year-old Owen and the other children in the playground is his oversized uniform - the smallest available - as he is still catching up with his growth. Ms Piper, 29, from Minster, Kent, said: ‘Owen is so excited about school - every day he asked me “is it school yet mummy?” ‘He’s such an inspiration to me - I look at him every day and think he’s gone through so much already, but he’s just not fazed by anything. ‘It was the deepest, darkest time of my life when Owen was in hospital. ‘The only way to describe what we went through is that it was like being on a rollercoaster. Owen (pictured shortly after his birth) spent 17 weeks in intensive care after his birth in July 2009. He was eventually discharged on November 2 - the day after his due date . Owen has now started at St George's Primary School in Sheerness, Kent. He is still smaller than his peers and has lung disease but he is expected to fully recover by the time he is seven . ‘One day Owen would be doing really well and the next he would be at death’s door. ‘He’s come on leaps and bounds and he’s a proper little character. His talking is just phenomenal - he’s a real chatterbox. ‘I never in a million years thought he would go to a mainstream school, I always thought he’d be behind in something.’ Owen was born at Medway Maritime Hospital on July 10, 2009, and finally allowed home on November 2, the day after his due date. When Owen was born he was so small that his head was only as big as an egg. His first woolly hat is pictured on an egg cup . Owen's mother, Hayley Piper, said: 'He's such an inspiration to me - I look at him every day and think he's gone through so much.' Image shows a normal newborn nappy next to one of the ones used when Owen was born . He remained on oxygen for six months and still suffers from chronic lung disease, but doctors say that this problem should clear up by the time he is seven. The toddler has now been officially signed off by Medway Maritime Hospital and last winter was the first he did not have to be admitted to hospital after becoming unwell. Office manager Ms Piper and alarm technician Craig, 31, are on the fundraising committee for the Oliver Fisher Trust which supports the neonatal unit that treated Owen. To find out more go to www.oliverfisher.org . | Owen Piper, four, was so small at birth his head was the size of an egg .
His parents were told he probably would not survive more than a few days .
Spent 17 weeks in intensive care but discharged the day after his due date .
Now the only noticeable difference between Owen and other children is his .
oversized uniform as he is still catching up on growth . |
054867c4e7c02464b93802ad5dc61409a6fffb3b | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . Time and again ancient ‘bog bodies’, and their remarkably well-preserved features dating back thousands of years, have left scientists speechless. These eerie cadavers are naturally mummified within a peat bog that preserves intricate details, such forehead creases and even laughter lines. Now, the incredible properties of peat are being used by the beauty industry to create skincare products that claim to promote youth and cure skin damage. Scroll down for video . Bill Kenny from Croghan Hill was inspired to launch the the peat-based Ógra skincare range after seeing the well-preserved Iron Age body of 'Old Croghan Man' (pictured) found in a bog in 2003 . One such company is Tullamore-based Ógra who is using peat to create a range of luxury skincare products, according to a report by Audrey McGlinchy in Narratively. The Irish group has made use of local peat, which is the material formed when plant remains partially decompose. This particular peat in County Offaly has one of the highest concentration of antioxidants in the world. Bogs, which are particularly common in Ireland, contain this peat which as the bog grows, gets pushed deeper beneath the surface. Bogs, which are particularly common in Ireland, contain peat which as the bog grows, gets pushed deeper beneath the surface . Inspired by peat's protective powers, Mr Kenny started Ógra - the Irish word for ‘youth’. The company now sells peat-based skincare products such as the Peat Face and Body Mask for £40 ($66) Away from oxygen, the bacteria that break down matter can’t survive, which means the deeper you dig in a bog, the greater peat’s youthful power. Bill Kenny, founder of Ógra, lives just few miles away from a 14-acre bog near Croghan Hill in which the Iron Age ‘Old Croghan Man’ was discovered in 2003. Promotes youthfulness – According to Ogra, the skincare company, peat contains strong antioxidants that can combat free radical damage. This free radical damage is generally recognised as the main cause of premature ageing. Peat contains trace elements including zinc, copper, iron, selenium as well as partially rotted plants such as bog whortleberry. It is also alleged to promote an increase in collagen production which helps to increase cell regeneration and slow down the ageing process. Astringency – It claims to tighten the pores which gives the skin a smoother look. Detoxifier – The company claim that peat stimulates the lymphatic system and is therefore a very effective detoxifier. Peat removes dead skin cells, toxins and other impurities from your skin. PH balance - The natural abundance of essential oils and fatty acids penetrate into the skin and are thought to to re-establish the skin’s natural PH balance . Source: Ogra Skincare . ‘I remember the police superintendent phoning me up to tell me they’d found a body in the peat,’ the former construction worker told MailOnline. ‘I thought maybe it was a murder victim, but when I spoke to the superintendent that evening he told me the man was there for thousands of years. ‘He was so well-preserved, they could tell you what he ate the day he died, and by the pollen in his nostrils, what time of year he died.’ Inspired by these protective powers, Mr Kenny started Ógra - the Irish word for ‘youth’. The company now sells peat-based skincare products such as the Peat Face and Body Mask for £40 ($66). Last year, Ógra Skincare sent a batch of peat to Glasgow University to be dated and they found that Mr Kenny’s bog is more than 9,000 years old. The peat, they discovered, contained 98 to 99 per cent organic materials, including high levels of antioxidants and antiseptics. The main antioxidant is trolox, the water-soluble equivalent of vitamin E. The product also contains magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, copper, iron and zinc. Recalling his earliest memory of peat, Mr Kenny is still amazed by it ‘magical properties’. ‘When I was seven, my hand was badly burnt by a pot of water,’ he told MailOnline. ‘I got up and all the skin on my hand fell, it was red raw, just like a piece of liver. ‘My mother put me on a bicycle and took me to a peat bog that we own just a mile away. She mixed up the peat and she put my hand straight down into it. ‘The only thing I can remember about that, is that once I entered my hand into the peat there was no more pain… I thought, there must be something fabulous in peat.’ Bill Kenny, founder of Ógra, lives just few miles away from a fourteen-acre bog near Croghan Hill in which the Iron Age ‘Old Croghan Man’ was discovered . | Bill Kenny from Croghan Hill launched the peat Ógra skincare range .
Peat is the bog material formed when plant remains partially decompose .
He was inspired by finding of a well-preserved Iron Age body in 2003 .
Body, dubbed Old Croghan Man, hadn't decomposed because of peat .
Mr Kenny claims peat creams are high in antioxidants and antiseptics . |
054891b9199a73152564cc5be925250ea282bb00 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . CREATED: . 05:42 EST, 25 June 2012 . A burglar begging a judge to send him to prison must be a rare sight in any court. And in the case of housebreaker Kierran Batchelor, the reason was equally unusual – his 10am meetings with his probation officer were wrecking his sleep patterns. The 21-year-old had originally been handed a suspended 40-week sentence and supervision order after he burgled two houses in February. The judge was prepared to give Kierran Batchelor a second chance, but he turned it down . Kierran Batchelor committed to house burglaries . But weeks after walking free from court he was back before a judge after missing his daily meetings with his probation officer. Batchelor told the judge he failed to attend the meetings because they were too early in the day – despite being at 10am. Recorder David Herbert told Batchelor he was willing to give him a second chance when he appeared at Coventry Crown Court on Friday. But astonishingly, Batchelor was jailed after he asked to be sent to prison so he could catch up on his sleep. Batchelor, who represented himself, was working 10pm-6am in a warehouse. He told Recorder Herbert: ‘I was not finishing work until 6am and had to be at probation at 10am. It wrecked my sleep pattern. It was getting too much. I’d rather go to jail and get it out the way, come out and get a fresh start, and not have to do probation and things like that.’ Mr Herbert asked Batchelor: ‘Have you given up on the order?’ He replied: ‘Yes.’ Matthew Barnes, prosecuting, told the court: ‘He has told me that he has insufficient motivation to attempt to comply with the order. He is resigned to the suspended sentence being imposed.’ Sentencing him to 40 weeks in prison, Recorder Herbert told Batchelor: ‘You have failed to co-operate with the requirements of the order. In those circumstances I am going to activate the 40-week sentence. You were given a chance and you have not taken it.’ Grinning Batchelor, from Coventry, even thanked the judge as he was being led away. He was originally sentenced on April 20 after committing two burglaries in Coventry in February. As well as the suspended sentence he was given six months of drug rehabilitation and 18 months’ supervision. He later tested positive for cannabis and failed to attend any appointments after May 18. The 39 days Batchelor spent on remand in March and April will count towards his sentence. Kierran Batchelor took to Facebook to share his excitement at being released from remand after his initial sentencing on April 20. But he later told a judge that daily probation meetings were 'too much' and asked for prison instead . | The judge was prepared to give Kierran Batchelor a second chance after he broke supervision order .
Burglar said daily probation meetings were 'getting too much' and asked judge for prison instead .
He thanked judge and smiled as he was led away for 40-week sentence . |
0548a16488051ef6b9ab3f77e97f5b3a53193021 | An Indonesian grave robber has admitted stealing the bones of twin babies for black magic spells which he believed would enable him to fly and be invisible, police said today. Police detained Resi Rokhis Suhana, 27, in the south of the main island of Java on Sunday, following reports that bones had been stolen from graves. He was arrested in a banana plantation in Cilacap district in possession of bones, ripped white shrouds of the type used in Muslim burials, women's underwear and a sickle, police said. Grave robbing for magic: Resi Rokhis Suhana (pictured centre in red top) being questioned by police after he was found to be in possession of the bones of twin babies to use for black magic spells he believed would make him invisible and able to fly . Local police chief Andry Triaspoetra said: ‘In preliminary questioning, he admitted robbing the graves to perfect a magical power called “Ultimate Magical Knight”.’ Following his arrest, Suhana was admitted to hospital to evaluate his mental health. Some still believe in black magic in Muslim-majority Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands inhabited by a kaleidoscope of different peoples. In 2003, a man was arrested for eating the flesh of a freshly buried old woman in what he believed was part of a ritual to make him invincible. The perfect supernatural power: In police questioning, Suhana said he wanted to cast the 'Ultimate Magical Knight' spell. Police have since admitted him to hospital for mental evaluation . Earlier this year the justice ministry proposed banning ‘black magic’ that causes death or suffering, an offence which would carry a five-year prison sentence. ‘Black magic’ is thought to be still practiced widely in Indonesia and rituals vary from incantations to ward off a common cold, to murder and grave robbing to access body parts to enhance supernatural powers. There have been various cases of grave robbers stealing the bodies of children. Dead virgin teenage girls are particularly sought after and many families guard their children’s bodies for 40 days after the burial to protect their graves. On an auspicious day in the Javanese calendar, babies have been known to be kidnapped and beheaded by sorcerers who believe that burying the head in front of their house will bring their families wealth and luck. To bring good fortune: A British citizen was arrested in Bangkok last year trying to smuggle foetuses, which had been dry roasted and painted in gold leaf, into Taiwan to sell to wealthy customers online . Local witch doctors, known as ‘dukuns’ are often hired to control the weather especially to stop rain during weddings and big public ceremonies. Magical talisman, spells, oils and clothes with magical properties can be found at local markets. Black magic is practiced in other parts of Indonesia and Asia as well. Last year British citizen Hok Kuen Chow was arrested in Bangkok after six foetuses were found stuffed into travel bags. Chow, 28, a Briton born in Hong Kong of Taiwanese parents, was held in the city’s Yaowarat area after police received a tip-off. He . is suspected of trying to smuggle the foetuses – from two to seven . months – back to Taiwan to sell to wealthy customers online. Chow has reportedly admitted buying the bodies, which had been roasted dry and painted in gold leaf, for 200,000 baht (£4,040). Back . in Taiwan he could have sold them for six times that amount to rich . clients who believe the foetuses will bring them good fortune. ‘The . bodies are between the ages of two and seven months,’ said Wiwat . Kumchumnan, of the police’s children and women protection unit. Black magic profits: Hok Kuen Chow could have sold the foetuses for six times what he paid for them had he successfully smuggled them to Taiwan . | Resi Rokhis Suhana was arrested in Java following grave robbing reports .
He had bones, white burial shrouds, women's underwear and a sickle .
Police said during questioning he admitted to grave robbing and wanting to perform black magic .
He was admitted to hospital for a mental evaluation .
Black magic is thought to be widely practiced across Indonesia . |
054954d43f97fada7e4c6dea34d2ae5738e8869b | Real Madrid have been warned to not expect an easy ride when they compete in this month's Club World Cup, by 1978 World Cup-winning Argentina coach Cesar Luis Menotti. The Spanish giants are the heavy tournament favourites, with the Champions League holders currently on a 19-game winning streak in all competitions. Real, who also won the Copa del Rey this calender year, are five matches short of the world record of 24 successive victories, set by Brazilian side Coritiba in 2011. Real Madrid will be competing in the Club World Cup later this month in Morocco . Despite boasting an array of talent, including current Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, Menotti believes Carlo Ancelotti's squad shouldn't expect to stroll their way through to silverware at the Club World Cup - which will be held in Morocco. 'Real Madrid cannot afford to think of the Club World Cup as a joke,' he wrote in his column for DPA. 'There has been a history of surprises in the tournament, so I do not think it's going to be a walkover for them against the other teams.' Real will be looking to the mercurial talent of Cristiano Ronaldo (right) to lead them to glory in Morocco . The reigning European champions will face either North American representatives Cruz Azul or Asian entrants Western Sydney Wanderers in the semi-finals on December 16. The victor of that clash will face either Oceanic side Auckland City, CAF champions ES Setif or Copa Libertadores winners San Lorenzo in the tournament decider four days later. Traditionally European sides have been successful in the tournament with Bayern Munich winning the competition last season, although Chelsea suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Corinthians in the showpiece event 12 months prior. Corinthians were crowned the Club World Cup champions in 2012 after a shock 1-0 win against Chelsea . | Real Madrid will be competing at the Club World Cup later this month .
Real are currently on a 19-game winning streak in all competitions .
Real will face either Cruz Azul or Western Sydney Wanderers in the semi-finals on December 16 .
Club World Cup final to be staged on December 20 . |
054bfc9d97027c82f15f3b12484133b4b0fecbdc | By . William Turvill . PUBLISHED: . 07:58 EST, 1 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:40 EST, 1 October 2013 . A respected cancer specialist killed a 21-year-old cyclist who was on a bike ride with her boyfriend while driving on the bend of a road, a jury heard today. Dr Helen Measures told the jury how she overtook two cyclists in her red Mini only to drive into the path of two more riders coming from the opposite direction. She collided with waitress Denisa Perinova, who was out on a bike ride with her new boyfriend. Cyclist Denisa Perinova (left) died after colliding with the car of Dr Helen Measures (right), a jury heard . Miss Perinova, originally from the Czech Republic, allegedly lost control of her £300 second-hand bike, which was bought for her by her boyfriend, Ben Pontin, just four days before. She was flung 15 yards from the seat of her new racing bike and, despite wearing a helmet, died in hospital from severe head injuries a week later, the Oxford Crown Court jury was told. Measures, who has a doctorate in oncology and has worked as a scientist for leading pharmaceutical companies for the past 30 years, has denied causing Miss Perinova’s death by careless driving. A keen cyclist herself, she told the court: 'I can’t help it if a cyclist, with all due respect, falls over as I’m approaching them and comes into my line of travel.' The 51-year-old divorced mother-of-four said she was travelling back from a garden centre to her home in Pishill, near Henley-on-Thames, at 40-50mph on July 15 last year. She was with her four-year-old daughter and her long-term boyfriend. The former parish church bell ringer said she had not seen the cyclists coming from the other direction when she overtook, and thought there was 'sufficient room' to make the manoeuvre. Measures said she was 'surprised' to see Mr Pontin and his girlfriend coming towards her as she rounded the curve in the road - but felt they still had enough room to get past. 'I don’t know why I didn’t see them,' she said. 'I had to make a decision of what to do. I felt the safest decision was to continue straight ahead because they were in single file. 'If I had been concerned, I would have stopped suddenly.' Mr Pontin had earlier told the jury he saw Measures make a 'stupid manoeuvre' in front of them on a bend in the A415. Describing the moment the oncoming car overtook the cyclists on the opposite side of the road, he said: 'I just couldn’t believe the person driving had overtaken at that point.' Miss Perinova, shown here with her parents and younger brother, died after the collision in July 2012 . Mr Pontin said he was forced to aim for a 'tiny' gap and then felt his girlfriend’s wheel touch the back of his bike before looking around and seeing she had been flung 15 yards away in the collision. Her body lay motionless at the entrance to a field. Her helmet was smashed, and Mr Pontin said it was unclear whether she had been struck by the defendant’s Mini. Miss Perinova was initially rushed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital, in Reading, before being transferred to a specialist neurological unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where she later died. Taking to the stand, Measures, who has previously been on family cycling holidays, said she did not have a chance to break. She said the first cyclist, Mr Pontin, went past her. However, Miss Perinova came at her at 'right angles' after losing control of her bike. In a heated exchange at Oxford Crown Court, Measures was challenged by prosecutor Sandra Beck, who said: 'You are relying on other road users avoiding you when you are on their side of the road?' Measures replied: 'I can’t help it if a cyclist, with all due respect, falls over as I’m approaching them and comes into my line of travel. 'I would expect cyclists to generally remain upright as the first cyclist did and went past. 'When I looked, it was sufficiently clear not to stop me doing that manoeuvre. 'You do not make a manoeuvre if you don’t think it is safe to do so. 'Had everyone stayed upright, there would not have been an issue. 'I had my daughter in the car. I do not drive without due care and attention.' The trial, before Judge Patrick Eccles, continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Dr Helen Measures, 51, drove into the path of cyclists on road bend .
She was driving back from garden centre with daughter and boyfriend .
Denisa Perinova, 21, was with her boyfriend, Ben Pontin .
Waitress Miss Perinova died after she was flung 15 yards from her bike . |
054cf733280ab456a52f50b2918d657a848f21e4 | Many men have been known to experience a nauseating sinking feeling the moment they utter those two life-changing words - 'I do'. For Peter Bolton, it wasn't cold feet that left him feeling queasy - but the prospect of falling hundreds of metres to his death after he lost his balance during the cliff-top ceremony in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Strictly speaking, he was not getting married but renewing his vows with wife, Faith, when the seemingly terrifying incident happened. Scroll down for video . Solid footing: Couple look steady as Peter Bolton reads his vows to his wife, Faith, in Sante Fe, New Mexico . A select few friends looked on in horror as Mr Bolton suddenly leant backwards, appearing to lose his balance as he stood on the edge of the precipice while reading his vows. He shouts and fearfully flails his arms in the air as guests look on and display very little reaction. Luckily, Mrs Bolton was on hand to grab her husband and prevent the happy occasion from turning into a tragedy. She manages to get a solid grip on his left arm before pulling him to safety. While the photos and video have proved a hit online, many are questioning whether the slip really was a close call - or in fact a choreographed stunt. Either way, the couple, who married in 2009, were able to laugh about the footage at the party that followed the mountain ceremony. Mr Bolton is rescued by Faith after losing his balance and leaning backwards over the precipice . The relieved husband was pulled back to safety and was then able to carry on with the ceremony . | Peter Bolton was confirming love for wife, Faith, in Santa Fe, New Mexico .
The couple chose to hold the ceremony in dramatic cliff-edge location .
But disaster strikes when Mr Bolton appears to accidentally lean backwards .
Luckily, wife comes to the rescue - quickly clutching hold of his flailing arm . |
054de19b1c5e94bdf6132f842e2cfbdb5b7055ed | A dog suffered severe burns after his owner dumped her boyfriend who then poured hot water on the animal in a suspected revenge attack. The dog's owner, Mariah Facca, said she was breaking up with 27-year old Alain Williams Sunday when he told her he poured hot water on her dog Moon at his home, according to police. The one-year-old dog was rushed to the vets with second-degree burns covering 30 to 40 percent of her body. Moon, a one-year-old pitbull, suffered severe burns after his owner dumped her boyfriend who then poured hot water on the animal in a suspected revenge attack . The dog's owner, Mariah Facca, (left) said she was breaking up with 27-year old Alain Williams (right) Sunday when he told her he poured hot water on her dog Moon, according to police . The vets are concerned her organs may fail as a result of the burns and if she does recover she will need extensive care, reports WSVN. It's horrible, you know,' Facca said. 'She doesn't even have any fur. She used to love going in the water. The vets are concerned her organs may fail as a result of the burns and if she does recover she will need extensive care, reports WSVN . Vets said Moon will need her bandages to be changed daily for 30 to 90 days and the bills are expected to exceed $10,000 . 'I don't even think she wants to be around water.' Police charged Williams with a count of torment, deprive, mutilate or kill an animal. 'It hurts a lot. I don't want nothing to happen to my dog. I love her so much,' Facca said. Veterinary Dr. Fumiko Miyamoto said Moon will need her bandages to be changed daily for 30 to 90 days and they are appealing for help to pay for her care at Hollywood Animal Hospital. 'Her wounds are basically on top of her head right here, the back, the leg and part of her forelegs too, so she has pretty significant burns.' Moon's medical costs are expected to exceed $10,000, which is an amount Facca can not afford. On Monday a court judge set Williams' bond for $86,000. He also faces other charges for behavior during his arrest which included him being Tasered. Williams also allegedly threatened to 'kill' officers at the police station. | Dog's owner, Mariah Facca, was breaking up with 27-year old Alain Williams .
He then told her he had poured hot water on her dog Moon .
Moon has second-degree burns covering 30 to 40 percent of her body .
Vets are concerned her organs may fail as a result of the burns .
Moon's medical costs are expected to exceed $10,000 . |
054e351e313ecec3b9c47d701a1491cdbbff07e1 | By . Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 05:43 EST, 1 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:55 EST, 1 October 2013 . When artworks by famous landscaper John Constable go under the hammer, they can expect to fetch well in excess of £20m. But now the beautiful countryside on which arguably Britain's most famous painter based many of works is up for sale at a bargain price of £1.75m. A total of 231 acres of land in Dedham Vale - just north of Colchester on the Suffolk and Essex border - have been put up for sale. Art history: The land for sale is near the village of Dedham, whose church featured in John Constable's painting Dedham Lock and Mill . It features water meadows, lowland grass, arable farmland and fishing rights, so the new owner will be buying themselves a piece of quintessential English history. Constable's 1831 masterpiece Salisbury Cathedral was bought by The Tate in May 2013 for £23.1m and last year 2012 The Lock became one of the most expensive British paintings ever sold when it fetched £22.4m at auction. So whilst the £1.75m asking price may be out of reach of many art fans, it is still less than 10 per cent of the price of each of those two iconic paintings. Inspired: The Essex and Suffolk countryside featured in some of Constable's most famous works, such as The Hay Wain . Water bargain: The picturesque land is up for sale at £1.75m . Popular: The land could well be snapped up by an American, as people from the US have a huge passion for John Constable, the seller has said . The land for sale even features in one of Constable's most famous works, The Dedham Vale, painted in 1802. Countryside campaigners are calling on the National Trust to buy the land to safeguard its future for the nation. Robert Erith, president of the Dedham Vale Society, said: ‘The land on the Essex side of the River Stour was given by my family to the National Trust in the early Fifties and it would be a very nice thing if the National Trust were to own the Suffolk side as well. ‘There is very little any landowner could do with it apart from keeping it natural because it is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and associated with John Constable who painted in that part of the country. Reel worth: Whoever snaps up the land will enjoy 1,200m of fishing rights along the River Stour . Plea: Countryside campaigners are calling on the National Trust to buy the land . ‘There are a lot of potential buyers who would be likely to appreciate the sensitivity of the landscape but if the National Trust were to buy it, it would then belong to the nation. ‘ . The land - which is privately owned by a local farm - could even be snapped up by rich Americans who have a passion for Constable who was born in nearby East Bergholt. Chris Leney, of Robinson and Hall, which is marketing the land, said: ‘Americans seem to have a lot of interest in Constable. ‘We have sold a lot [of land] to them over the years around there. ‘We have two or threes potential types of buyers. We have farmer buyers who might buy it to graze cattle; investor buyers who would see it as an investment for pension funds or other funding and the third sort, because of its location, will be interested in Constable himself and the history.’ Whoever snaps up the land, they will be unable to make any great changes to its character because it is protected as it is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. They will, though, be able to enjoy 1,200m of fishing rights along the River Stour, 90 acres of arable farmland and 142 acres of water meadows. | A total of 231 acres of land on the Suffolk and Essex border is up for sale .
Whoever snaps it up will enjoy 1,200m of fishing rights on the River Stour . |
054eb94e96e3976546e32036660682ee79a56236 | Venezuelans have taken to the streets in recent days, leading to gruesome clashes between protesters and police. Their demands are varied, from economic to social. Here's a Q and A to bring you up to speed with what's going on. When did the protests in Venezuela begin? Nationwide student protests started this month. On February 12, the demonstrations attracted global attention when three people were killed. Demonstrators are demanding better security, an end to goods shortages and protected freedom of speech. Major social and economic problems have fueled the protests. But as the demonstrations gained steam, officials have pointed fingers at other factors and accused the United States of plotting to destabilize the government. Some blame Venezuela's government, led by President Nicolas Maduro, for those problems. Maduro and other officials blame the opposition for the security and economic problems. The protests are the largest Maduro has faced in his 11 months in power. He has called opposition members fascists and compared them to an infection that needs to be cured. Who's protesting? Many demonstrators across the country are students, but prominent opposition politicians have also joined marches. Since February 13, more than 2,000 stories from Venezuela have been uploaded to iReport, CNN's user-generated platform. Many of the videos and photos are gruesome, and depict violent scenes between demonstrators and police. Who are some of the opposition figures involved? You'll be hearing a lot about opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez in the coming days. He's become the opposition's face of demonstrations against the government. Lopez was detained this week on terrorism and murder charges, but prosecutors dropped those charges, replacing them with arson and conspiracy counts, his lawyer said Thursday. What did Lopez do? Lopez was arrested in connection with the deaths of four anti-government protesters and a government supporter in clashes nationwide. He was targeted because he organized protests. He has denied the charges, which the human rights group Amnesty International said "smack of a politically motivated attempt to silence dissent in the country." Human Rights Watch weighed in, too, warning that Venezuela must avoid "scapegoating" political opponents. You mentioned something about a U.S. plot to destabilize Venezuela ... Yes. Top Venezuelan officials have accused the United States of trying to destabilize the government. This week, Venezuela gave three U.S. diplomats 48 hours to leave the country, accusing them of conspiring to bring down the government. At a rally Tuesday, Maduro shouted, "Yankee, go home" from the stage, drawing cheers from the crowd. U.S. President Barack Obama was not amused. "Venezuela, rather than trying to distract from its own failings by making up false accusations against diplomats from the United States, the government ought to focus on addressing the legitimate grievances of the Venezuelan people," Obama said. Is this the first time Venezuela has had protests? No. Bitter protests and counterprotests by supporters and opponents of the government have threatened political stability in Venezuela over the past decade. Many of Maduro's claims -- of U.S. intervention, of assassination plots -- were also lobbed by the late President Hugo Chavez. Chavez was briefly ousted in a coup in 2002, but otherwise outlasted the protests and repeatedly won re-election. What happened to Hugo Chavez? He ruled for 14 years until his death last year after a long battle with cancer. Maduro, who was then his vice president, won the presidential election and is now running the country. What's the latest? Lopez remained in a military prison Thursday. His wife, Lilian Tintori de Lopez, called on supporters to keep the pressure on the government. "Don't give up," she said. "I won't." Tell me more about Venezuela . Venezuela is on the northern coast of South America and shares a border with Colombia, Brazil and Guyana. Its formal name is the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The oil-rich nation -- one of the world's top 10 oil exporting countries worldwide -- has a population of about 30 million. | Murder, terror charges against opposition leader Lopez dropped; new charges brought .
Nationwide student protests started this month .
They attracted global attention when three people were killed .
Protesters want better security, an end to goods shortages, protected freedom of speech . |
0550be9865e8fcd68068c3cfab4bdba15f93d8e7 | By . Daniel Bates . Joe Jackson has vowed to make Michael Jackson’s son Blanket into a star as big as his father - so long as he is ‘trained’ properly. The 75-year-old family patriarch said that he disagreed with those who said there would never be another King of Pop because Blanket was ready to take his place. He said that the 11-year-old is the ‘spitting image’ of Michael at that age and revealed that he believed a fortune teller who once predicted Blanket would be a sensation. Prospects: Blanket Jackson is ready to become the next King of Pop, according to Michael's father Joe . Joe’s comments evoked memories of how he pushed Michael and his brothers into show business and ruled the family with an iron fist. He has in the past admitted to beating his children with a strap but was unapologetic and claimed that it ‘kept them out of jail and kept them right.’ The physical and emotional abuse supposedly went on for years and friends of Michael’s have said that he was never able to forgive his father. Fond memories: Paris Jackson discussed the death of her father Michael for the first time at length . Dancing lessons: Paris said she wanted to learn how to perform the Moonwalk dance from her father, but they never got around to it . Joe made his comments in a forthcoming documentary about Michael’s children in which Blanket speaks on camera for the first time. Prince Michael, 16, and Paris, 15, also talk frankly about the impact of the death of their father in 2009 at the age of 50 as he prepared to mount a comeback. In the documentary Joe said: ‘They said there would never be another Michael Jackson and I say that we already have one. But I said he just has to be trained. Candid interviews: Prince Jackson also opened up about his father's death and lessons learned from him . ‘That kid is the spitting image of Michael when he was smaller.’ Speaking of the fortune teller, he said: ‘She said that boy there is going to be the biggest entertainer in the world.’ The documentary is called Remembering Michael and was made by Michael’s mother Katherine, 83, the legal co-guardian of his children. Heir apparent: Blanket was pegged by his grandfather Joe of being the next King of Pop . Family matriarch: Katherine Jackson was executive producer of the documentary . In extracts already made public Paris breaks down in tears as she says of her father: ‘He promised he would teach me how to moonwalk, but he never got round to it.’ She also opens up about how her grief led her to attempt suicide in June and says her life was so secluded she did not even know her father’s name until she was six. The reason was that he wanted his children to know him as ‘Daddy’ and not a celebrity. In his interview Blanket says that some of his earliest memories are going into his father’s room and watching videos of him dancing. Remember a brother: Tito Jackson also appeared on the documentary and shared stories of his brother Michael . Support: Joe Jackson (left), pictured with his pop-star daughter Janet, said the 11-year-old 'needs to be trained' | Joe Jackson has vowed to turn the 11-year-old into a big star .
Said the youngster is a 'spitting image' of his father when he was that age .
His comments evoke memories of how he pushed the Jackson family into show business . |
05513f69ca4c4b3f582363c52ede0ef8a80433bb | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:22 EST, 29 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:22 EST, 29 August 2012 . People living in Scotland and Northern Ireland can expect to spend a smaller proportion of their lives in good health than their English and Welsh neighbours, new figures suggest. The amount of life spent in good general health is increasing in England and Wales but falling in Scotland and Northern Ireland, according to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Could diet be to blame? Scottish youngsters can expect to enjoy fewer healthy years compared to the English and Welsh (file picture) And health authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland should expect increasing demands on services, researchers concluded. Boys born in England between 2008 and 2010, who are expected to live to the age of 78, are estimated to spend 64 years in good health. Those born in Scotland, who are expected to live for almost 76 years, have a 'health life expectancy' of just under 60 years, data shows. Similarly, girls born in Wales between 2008 and 2012 can expect to live 63 of their estimated 81.7 years of life in good health. The number of years spent in good health for girls born in Northern Ireland is 61.9. The authors said: 'These findings indicate that Scotland and Northern Ireland may face proportionally greater future demands on health services than England and Wales due to the well established link between self-rated health and subsequent mortality and health service use.' While life expectancy continues to increase across the UK, researchers wanted to assess whether the additional years were spent in good or bad health. Across the UK as a whole, people can expect to spend more than 80 per cent of their lives in good or very good general health. For boys born between 2008 and 2010, they could expect to live 63.5 years in good health - 81% of the life expectancy of 78.1. The average time for girls to live in good health was 65.7 years - 80 per cent of the female life expectancy of 82.1. Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of Saga, comments: 'The latest figures showing that more of us are staying healthy into later life these days are really something to celebrate. Medical advances have brought such success in helping people live longer. That does also mean re-evaluating our lives too. 'Working longer, keeping active - and saving more if you can - are vital ingredients of managing the ageing population. We need to help older people look after themselves where possible and help younger people appreciate the value of elders.' | Scottish boys can expect to enjoy four fewer years of good health than English boys . |
055353988c91a4de23ffbae21dba3e2648c9cc48 | Two Pennsylvania brothers were charged with theft, conspiracy and receiving stolen property after allegedly stealing nearly $500,000 worth of sewer grates and selling them for scrap metal. Brian Vetrulli, 36, and John Vetrulli Jr, 38, of Gilbertsville, were arrested on Saturday in the King of Prussia section of Upper Merion Township in their white 2013 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. Police were alerted to the truck because it matched the description of a vehicle believed to be involved in the thefts of 13 iron sewer grates from parking lots in the area. John Vetrulli Jr. (left) and Brian Vetrulli (right) were jailed on Saturday in Montgomery County on charges of theft, conspiracy and receiving stolen property . After the vehicle was stopped, 'officers noticed a large pry bar [crowbar] in the bed of the truck', according to police. The truck contained receipts from scrap metal dealers dating back to December 12, 2014, that indicated the brothers had sold off more than 1,000 grates for about $9 apiece. Investigators discovered the younger Vetrulli already had an outstanding warrant for theft and when police questioned the brothers, they reportedly confessed to the 13 thefts in Upper Merion Township. The Vetrulli brothers reportedly confessed to taking 13 grates from Upper Merion Township in Pennsylvania . The Vetrullis also confessed to grabbing grates in Philadelphia, Limerick, Collegeville, Plymouth Meeting, Willow Grove, Abington, Bensalem, Haverford, Broomall, Upper Providence, and Montgomeryville. At this point, investigators believe the Vetrulli brothers 'caused approximately $500,000 worth of loss throughout five counties in approximately one month' as the iron grates cost nearly $475 to replace. They are being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility on $10,000 cash bail and a hearing has been scheduled for January 30. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | The Vetrulli brothers were arrested on Saturday in Upper Merion Township .
John Vetrulli Jr, 38, and Brian Vetrulli, 36, are charged with theft .
The brothers had receipts showing they sold more than 1,000 missing grates for $9 apiece .
Each grate weighs about 100 pounds and costs about $475 to replace . |
0553606e0f941891281ec2aedec5155faacbbf16 | LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Massive dogs belonging to "Mission: Impossible" star Ving Rhames attacked and killed a live-in caretaker at the actor's Los Angeles home Friday, police said. A sign on the gate of actor Ving Rhames' home points out that a dog is on the premises. The caretaker, whose name was not released by authorities, was found dead on the front lawn of Rhames' gated home in an expensive Brentwood neighborhood, covered in dog bites, a Los Angeles police spokesman said. Several large dogs were running loose on the property when police responded to the scene shortly after 7:15 a.m. (10:15 a.m. ET) and animal control officers took three huge bull mastiffs and an English bulldog into custody. "It appeared that the person suffered a number of injuries as a result of the dog mauling," Sgt. Lee Sands said. "There were numerous dog bites all over his body, but the exact cause of death is pending the coroner's ruling." Sands said four dogs, the largest weighing nearly 200 pounds, were being quarantined as part of an investigation into the attack. He said it was not yet clear how many of the dogs had taken part in the mauling or why they had turned on the caretaker. The victim, who worked for Rhames for two years and lived on the property, was pronounced dead at the scene. Television pictures showed the body being removed from the scene, covered in a blanket. Neighbors said that they had never seen signs of aggression from the dogs. Representatives for Rhames, who is out of the country shooting a film, had no immediate comment. The 46-year-old actor is known for starring in "Pulp Fiction" and alongside Tom Cruise in all three "Mission: Impossible" movies. Rhames has a long list of film and television credits. He won a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for starring as Don King in a 1997 TV movie about the flamboyant boxing promoter. The actor discussed dogs during a 1999 interview with the Los Angeles Times, describing a 1-year-old Fila Brasileiro (Brazilian Mastiff) he owned at the time as having been bred to guard slaves. "It was the only dog they found that had the temperament to guard a slave," Rhames said in the interview. "It could be around you every day, but if you tried to run away..." E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Dogs kill man at Ving Rhames' L.A. house .
Man was caretaker at house .
Rhames, known for "Mission: Impossible," not at home when attack occurred . |
055429c683720ab4ecca6890e37df67c5ac61d19 | Tottenham has confirmed Paul Mitchell's move from Southampton to become the north London club's head of recruitment and analysis. Mitchell is hailed as a driving force in the successful scouting and hiring structure that has seen the Saints turn a troubled summer into a remarkable success with their improved squad coming at a profit of £37million. 'We are delighted to announce that Paul Mitchell has joined the Club as Head of Recruitment and Analysis,' Spurs announced on their website before outlining his background. Tottenham sold Gareth Bale to La Liga giants Real Madrid for £86million in 2013 . Paul Mitchell's task is to overhaul Tottenham's scouting system and have the success he did at Southampton . Tottenham technical director Franco Baldini could be heading for the White Hart Lane exit door . Roberto Soldado Spanish, 29, F, £26.4m . Verdict: Underwhelming. Six goals and six assists in 33 Premier League games is a costly return. Erik Lamela Argentinian, 22, AM, £25.7m . Verdict: Nearly-man. Lavish talent but no goals in 20 PL games. Paulinho Brazilian, 26, M, £17.4m . Verdict: Miss. Far from the best midfielder in north London, let alone Brazil. Etienne Capoue French, 26, M, £9.7m . Verdict: Jury out. Patchy form and injuries have disrupted his season. Christian Eriksen Danish, 22, M, £11.5m . Verdict: Mercurial. Brilliant last season, less so this. 10 PL goals, eight assists. Ben Davies Welsh, 21, D, £10m . Verdict: Miss. One PL game is a poor return. Vlad Chiriches Romanian, 25, D, £8.5m . Verdict: Middling at best. Solid early but unreliable. Federico Fazio Argentinian, 27, D £8m . Verdict: Miss. Error-prone, two red cards already. Nacer Chadli Belgian, 25, AM, £7.2m . Verdict: Hit. Best value of all, PL goals (seven) and assists (four). Eric Dier English, 20, D, £4m . Verdict: Promising. Early goals (two in PL) and shows potential. Ben Stambouli, French, 24, M, £4.7m . Verdict: Miss. Just one sub PL appearance. DeAndre Yedlin (US, 21, £2.5m) & Michel Vorm (Dutch, 31, £5m) Yedlin on loan. Vorm yet to play in PL. 'A former player with Wigan Athletic and MK Dons, Paul initially took up the role of community ambassador with the Dons when he retired from playing in 2009 at the age of 27. 'Following the appointment of Karl Robinson as manager in 2010, Paul was assigned to his back room staff as Head of Recruitment, recognising his aptitude for identifying player talent. 'He joined Southampton in January, 2012 to manage their Scouting and Recruitment department.' Southampton farewelled some of their biggest players, including Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Rickie Lambert, along with coach Mauricio Pochettino to Spurs in the off-season. But they've rebuilt under Ronald Koeman and sit a lofty second on the Premier League ladder. The appointment could mean the end of Spurs’s technical director Franco Baldini's tenure at the club . Baldini, 54, has been in his job since summer last year and oversaw player departures including Spurs’ best player and talisman Gareth Bale for a world record £86m. Results have been mixed for the 13 faces brought in partly with the cash raised, from Paulinho to Roberto Soldado to Erik Lamela and, more recently, Federico Fazio and Ben Stambouli. ‘Franco is pretty relaxed about the situation but he knows in football that people come and go and that he’ll be moving on at some point, whenever that is,’ said a source. Mitchell, 33, follows Pochettino from St Mary's to White Hart Lane where Saints players including Jay Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin are highly coveted. Pochettino is the fifth permanent manager in seven years since Juande Ramos joined in 2007 and the Argentine has been left a squad that isn't able to flourish under his high-tempo pressing system that so impressed in the south. Spurs had lost three of their four league games leading up to Sunday's unconvincing three points over Hull that required a 90th minute winner from Christian Eriksen. Paulinho and Roberto Soldado are among the players who have failed to impress since joining the club . Tottenham's Harry Kane has said his team-mates need time to adapt to Mauricio Pochettino's style . Pochettino's Spurs climbed from 12th to 10th with a last-ditch win over Hull on Sunday . Tottenham fan Martin Cloake, who wrote the book Taking Our Ball Back, says the staff merri-go-round at White Hart Lane is hurting the club. ‘It’s clear that there has been too much change in personnel recently,’ he says of Spurs’ dilemma. ‘There’s not much sense of team spirit evident when we play and no real leaders stand out. ‘There are lots of players with potential flair, perhaps fewer of the type who will dig in and help to hold a team together — therefore letting the flair players express themselves. ‘Off the pitch, the phrase ‘I’ve never felt so disconnected from the club I support’ keeps coming up. That’s partly because of the discontent with the top level of football in this country but it’s also because those running the club too often come across as aloof and as treating the fans as cash cows.' | Paul Mitchell move confirmed from Saints, where he's worked since 2012 .
Spurs technical director Franco Baldini could be heading for the exit door .
Tottenham sold Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a world record £86m .
The north London side have brought in 13 faces with the money raised from Bale's move to the Spanish capital with many failing to impress . |
05542b701e2624ae375b03c2c609da9ae865da43 | While blizzards, snow and freezing conditions batter parts of the East Coast, unseasonably warm temperatures across the rest of the country mean the U.S. is experiencing one of its warmest winters on record. Almost the entirety of the country's West has experienced significantly warmer than average temperatures across December and January, while parts of the East Coast, including New York and Boston are continuing to be battered by a freezing storm system. In this month alone thousands of warm weather records have been broken as high temperatures across the western states contributes to what is now the country's sixth-warmest winter on record. The West is experiencing temperatures which have contributed to the country's sixth-warmest winter on record. Pictured is Lake Success, near East Porterville, California, where drought conditions are worsening . A horse grazes in a Temecula, California, pasture surrounded by palm trees in this photo taken late December . Meanwhile residents in Boston (pictured) are bracing themselves for more than 16inches of snowfall. Pictured is the snow covering the homes of residents in South End, Boston . An Air Force officer walks through the snow after Obama departed Air Force One in a motorcade following his trip to California at the weekend . The East Coast storm system - which follows a weekend storm that dumped a staggering 16.5 inches of snow on Boston - is set to hit the South . So far this month there have been 4,074 records set for warm temperatures across the West, USA Today reported. This includes hot weather records in Seattle, San Jose, Las Vegas, Reno and Salt Lake City. Remarkably, the average February temperature in Salt Lake City is 16.4degrees above average, while Boise is up 12.2degrees and Phoenix 8degrees. Last month, the West, Rocky Mountains and Northern and Central Plains were all warmer than average, with many maintaining hot temperatures that placed the month among their top ten warmest averages. Incredibly, San Francisco had no measurable rainfall during January, while the state of California itself had its fourth-driest ever January. As well as remaining unseasonably warm, much of the West continues to suffer drought conditions. Nearly all of Hawaii was drier than average, with drought expanding to 46.6per cent of the state, according to the National Climatic Data Center. And although the drought improved in parts of the Southern Plains and Southwest, it worsened in the West and Midwest. A dog walks across the receding shoreline of Folsom Lake, California, in November, where the drought shows no sign of letting up . While storms in early December gave farms in California a boost, temperatures across the state remain unseasonably high . Temperatures forecast for Thursday show the blizzard hitting parts of the East while the West remains warm . The dry area spans California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma and other parts of the region, directly affecting more than 64 million people. In contrast to the big dry in the West, Winter Storm Octavia - which follows a weekend storm that dumped 16.5 inches of snow on Boston over the weekend - is now set to pummel the South. Residents in Boston have battled through 16.5 inches of snow while New Yorkers are preparing for another six inch-dumping. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Washington DC was bracing for between four to eight inches of snow, according to USA Today. Mayor Muriel Bowser told CNN's 'The Situation Room' that the weather was 'dangerous cold'. Federal government offices in the area will be closed on Tuesday. Father south, up to a foot of snow was forecast in Roanoke and Richmond, Virginia, where Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a statewide emergency. Residents have been advised to avoid non-essential travel, while thousands of children in the region are missing school for a second day running . Kentucky and Tennessee were also preparing to be battered by the storm, which could dump more than a foot of snow on each state. | Blizzards, snow and freezing conditions are currently battering the East .
But overall, the U.S. is experiencing its sixth-warmest winter on record .
In this month alone, thousands of warm weather records were broken .
The West is experiencing much higher than average winter temperatures .
Drought conditions across parts of the West and Midwest are continuing . |
0554412038f5deecf7c001ec68853952e92bdb21 | Police in Georgia are searching for a retired couple who disappeared after going to purchase a car from a seller they contacted online. Vietnam War vet Elrey 'Bud' Runion, 69, and his 66-year-old wife, June Runion, drove from Marietta to McRae on Thursday to meet someone who had responded to a Craigslist ad placed by Bud seeking a 1966 Mustang. Daughter Virginia Owens said she became suspicious after her parents failed to show up to babysit her children on Friday and didn't answer their cell phone. Bud and June Runion, who are both in their late 60s, drove from Marietta to McRae on Thursday to meet someone who had responded to a Craigslist ad placed by Bud seeking a 1966 Mustang . The missing couple's daughter say their father had wanted a 1966 Mustang ever since he had returned from duty in Vietnam in 1966 . Daughter Virginia Owens said she became suspicious after her parents failed to show up to babysit her children on Friday and didn't answer their cell phone . The couple were driving a champagne colored 2003 GMC Envoy and cell phone data shows they made it to McRae by Thursday evening. Police say the phone number the Runions called traces back to a disposable cell phone, signals from which they are tracking in hopes of finding the couple. A missing person's report has been filed with Cobb County police. Owens and her sister, Stephanie Bishop, say the last conversation they had with their parents was one in which they had expressed excitement over the car. They said their father had wanted the car ever since he returned from duty in Vietnam in 1966. ‘We’re just staying positive and not thinking the worst,’ Brittany Patterson, another daughter, told AJC.com. The couple's concerned daughters have set up a Facebook page to assist with the search and to raise awareness of the couple's disappearance. To date it has been shared more than 40,000 times. The couple were driving a champagne colored 2003 GMC Envoy and cell phone data shows they made it to McRae by Thursday evening . The couple's concerned daughters have set up a Facebook page to assist with the search and to raise awareness of the couple's disappearance. To date it has been shared more than 40,000 times . | Bud and June Runion, who are both in their late 60s, had drove to meet someone who responded to Bud's ad seeking a 1966 Mustang .
Cell phone data shows the couple made it to McRae, Georgia, by Thursday evening but they haven't been heard from since .
The couple were driving a champagne colored 2003 GMC Envoy .
The couple's daughters became concerned when the grandparents didn't show up to babysit and didn't answer their cell phones . |
0554ad9869cfebadb13c78dba03919ae9c02eef6 | BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Six U.S. soldiers were killed Wednesday in Iraq when a bomb exploded in a booby-trapped house while they were on patrol north of Baghdad, the military announced. U.S. soldiers conduct a house-to-house assessment mission in Baghdad on Wednesday. Four soldiers were also wounded in the attack and evacuated to a coalition forces hospital, Multi-National Corps-Iraq said. The troops were taking part in Operation Iron Harvest -- a new drive against Islamic militants in northern Iraq after a spate of attacks on local anti-insurgent groups. The operation is part of a nationwide push against jihadists loyal to al Qaeda in the provinces of Diyala, Salaheddin, Nineveh, and Tameem. "It will be a difficult fight, but we will continue to execute simultaneous operations in each one of our four provinces," said Maj. Gen. Michael Hertling, commander of U.S. troops in northern Iraq. But resistance in the "breadbasket" region in eastern Diyala so far is "less than anticipated," he said. The offensive -- which has been centered near Muqdadiya -- has left 20 to 30 suspected insurgents dead in the area around that city, Hertling said. About 24,000 U.S. troops, 50,000 Iraqi soldiers and 80,000 local police are based in the region. In addition, about 15,000 Iraqis are taking part in anti-insurgent groups known as Concerned Local Citizens or Awakening Councils. The groups will perform defensive security tasks during the operation, the U.S. military said. The new push comes just short of a year since President Bush ordered almost 30,000 additional troops to Iraq to secure Baghdad and its surrounding provinces. Al Qaeda in Iraq has been deeply rooted in Muqdadiya, about 62 miles north of Baghdad, since about 2004. Wednesday's deaths occurred in an agricultural area on the north side of the Diyala River from the city. The U.S. military has conducted operations there in the past and has frequently come under fire. One recent operation ended with several insurgents killed and a large amount of weapons and explosives seized, a military source told CNN. The bombing Wednesday was the first incident involving multiple deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq since September 10, when seven Multi-National Division-Baghdad soldiers died and 11 were injured in a vehicle accident in western Baghdad. The last attack in which so many U.S. troops died from hostile action happened May 28, when six Task Force Lightning soldiers were killed by explosions near their vehicles during operations in Diyala province. Awakening Councils . Iraq's concerned-citizens groups began forming in the country's predominantly Sunni Arab regions in late 2006, and their cooperation with U.S. forces against the jihadists has been credited with much of the decline in violence in Iraq since summer. But that cooperation has made them an increasing target for al Qaeda in Iraq, which Hertling said has launched a campaign of intimidation against the locals. Monday, five severed heads were left on a road leading to Baquba "with Arabic writing in blood on the forehead which said, 'Join the Concerned Citizens and you will end up like this,' " Hertling said. And he played video from an aerial surveillance drone that showed three people in Diyala assassinating another person -- pulling the victim from a vehicle, shooting him and leaving him in a ditch. They were eventually captured, and information was found linking them to al Qaeda in Iraq, he said. Hertling said that even though there has been a reduction in attacks across the country, there has been an increase in "high-profile, spectacular" events in his region, citing a suicide vest attack and a bridge bombing that sparked media attention and made the region look as if it were "reeling." But he said attacks like those will prove to be the jihadists' "Achilles' heel," turning the population against them and driving them toward the concerned citizens' groups. "It's sort of a reverse counterintuitive logic," Hertling said. "They are trying to intimidate people that join them by killing them, and it's causing more people to go against them." And Hertling said Nineveh -- home of the country's third-largest city, Mosul -- is an important geographic region because it borders Syria. Sunni militants long have crossed the border from Syria into Iraq to stage attacks, and Mosul's diverse, cosmopolitan population has made it an easy place for jihadist operatives to hide, he said. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Troops were taking part in new offensive, dubbed Operation Iron Harvest .
Six soldiers die when bomb explodes in booby-trapped house .
Blast also leaves 4 U.S. soldiers wounded .
It's the first incident involving multiple deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq since September . |
0554d66c1f08e118eb0bdaff44bb813d2c93a446 | (CNN) -- Paris is perpetually one of the world's most popular cities. And the 16 million tourists who travel to the home of La Tour Eiffel and the Louvre leave a whopping $17.8 billion behind during their trips, according to MasterCard's 2012 Global Destination Cities Index. While Paris isn't generally a place you go to save money, it can be done. Even in this pricey place, the clever traveler can track down activities, services and just plain pleasures that don't cost a single centime. Here's a list of 10 fabulous and free finds in the City of Light. Tour the city for free. Spend an hour or 90 minutes strolling city streets on free tours -- except for the voluntary tips you give -- with Parisian natives through Discover Walks. Held 363 days a year -- each day except December 24 and 25 -- these rain-or-shine, small-group tours show you the Right and Left Bank, Notre Dame, the hip-and-trendy Marais and the picturesque city village of Montmartre. Just show up ready to walk. You don't even have to book in advance unless you're bringing a group of eight or more. Soak up the organ sounds at Saint-Sulpice. Here's a favorite of "Europe Through the Back Door" travel guru and public television series host Rick Steves. The Left Bank church of Saint-Sulpice -- which gained fame thanks to its prominent role as a location in "The Da Vinci Code" -- has a pipe organ tradition dating back to the mid-16th century. Visitors can climb up a spiral staircase to the organ loft to meet multilingual virtuoso Daniel Roth after the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass and subsequent organ recital. Guests can watch this living legend play one of Europe's most majestic pipe organs during the 12:05 p.m. Mass. Amazing grace, indeed. Drink up -- at a sparkling water fountain. Leave it to Paris to create a public water tap -- inside a lovely park, no less -- with the bubbly stuff. For the past couple years, the Jardin de Reuilly in the city's southeast 12th arrondissement has been serving up cooled sparkling water to quench Parisian thirsts (available any time the park is open). The park's La Pétillante public fountain was the first in France to add carbon dioxide to the city's tap water, and locals lapped it up by bringing their own bottles to fill. You'd expect no less in the country that gave the world Perrier. On a clear day you can see ... Sure, you can climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe or Eiffel Tower, but some of the City of Light's most stunning -- and free! -- views can be found from the roof terrace of the Left Bank's Institut du Monde Arabe. An über-modern, curved-façade facility designed by famed French architect Jean Nouvel, the Institut was founded by 18 Arab nations and France to take a multidisciplinary look at the Islamic Arab world. It allows visitors, whether or not they're visiting the Institut's recently revamped museum, library or bookshops, to take its glass elevator up to the ninth floor terrace. From here, gaze out at Notre Dame, the Centre Pompidou or the landmark column standing in Place de la Bastille. Under 26? Catch up on contemporary French art at MAC/VAL -- the Musée d'Art Contemporain du Val de Marne. Who says youth is wasted on the young? Not if they're lovers of contemporary art and artists like Christian Boltanski, Bruno Perramant and Gina Pane. Here, out in the 'burb of Vitry-sur-Seine, MAC/VAL offers visitors a range of French modern art from the 1950s through today. And if these visitors are under 26, they get to experience it all gratis (flash an ID to borrow a free audio guide). From established talent to emerging artists, you'll find them at MAC/VAL, which hosts three to four temporary exhibits each year. Look for the loos. Most folks don't get particularly psyched about toilets. But when they're the space-age, self-cleaning, pod-like gray structures dotting the Parisian streetscape, you just might. You'll find 400 of these disabled-accessible bathrooms scattered all around Paris (they're open between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.) near major tourist spots, food markets and taxi stands. Each time a visitor uses these "sanisettes," the toilet bowl and floor are automatically cleaned, dried and disinfected -- and they contain coat hooks, a mirror and sink. And with natural roof lighting, reduced water use and renewable-source electricity, they're eco-friendly to boot. Mother Nature must be thrilled. Life's a beach (during the summer, at least). So what if the Seine River that snakes through Paris has no beach? This city is nothing if not inventive -- so Mayor Bertrand Delanoë spearheaded the creation of Paris Plages, man-made "beaches" that offer locals and tourists alike a "Seine-side holiday" each summer. Starting around July 20 and for four weeks after, the city closes the streets along the river, brings in tons of sand and palm trees and offers a slew of entertaining options from beach volleyball to kayaking to open-air concerts on three different "beaches." Of course, this being France, riverside cafés, restaurants and ice cream vendors are de rigueur. You'll have to wait 'til next year to take advantage of the next installment, but what a Parisian way to spend those dog days of summer, from 8 a.m. to midnight. Make it a museum. Just like museums in most world-class cities, many of those within Paris open themselves to visitors free of charge one day a week. In the City of Light, that's the first Sunday of each month. Save those euros for a few café au laits or souvenirs and check out the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée National Rodin (hello, The Thinker!), among others. Some, like the Musée Carnavalet, offer free admission to their permanent and themed collections each day. For those seeking a free dose of nighttime culture -- and who visit Paris in mid-May -- Nuit des Musées is just the ticket. Nearly 200 city museums keep their doors open during this one night from 6 p.m. until at least midnight. See Paris through local eyes. There's nothing like traipsing through a city with a local resident by your side. The Parisien d'Un Jour, Paris Greeter program, pairs city visitors with regular residents -- students, working people, retirees and others. These folks aren't formal guides or interpreters, just passionate Parisians willing to spend two or three hours walking with groups of six or fewer tourists, showing off their favorite areas and spots based on your interests and language. Just go online to register. (Paris Greeters welcome visitors with disabilities, too.) Got questions about navigating the Métro or Parisian quirks? Ask away. And while the service is free, the program happily accepts donations. Savor free sounds on Sunday. As it has since the early 1930s, the American Church in Paris has hosted the Atelier Concert Series, which offers a performance venue to musicians of diverse backgrounds and musical styles. Staged at the legendary Left Bank church every Sunday at 5 p.m. from September to November and January through June, music lovers will hear everything from classical pianists to opera singers to flute-and-guitar ensembles. Feel like giving thanks? Drop something in the voluntary offering at the door. Maureen Jenkins is a freelance travel and food writer who lives outside Paris and blogs at UrbanTravelGirl.com. | Free programs pair tourists with locals to explore the city .
Take in views from the top of the Left Bank's Institut du Monde Arabe at no cost .
Free concerts and museum admission give visitors a complimentary taste of culture . |
05558f66489ed2eefd95f3fe37a7918377b43f3b | Beijing (CNN) -- If the latest U.S. intelligence reports are true then North Korea is planning to test-fire not one but multiple missiles, the latest provocative act by its unpredictable young leader. While the region has become used to the posturing from Pyongyang, the recent wave of rhetoric has been unusually sustained and virulent, leading some analysts to consider the possibility of an armed confrontation between the two Koreas -- the neighbors remain technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. So far Kim Jong Un has refused to listen to the international community, leaving many to wonder if anyone can appeal to the leader, thought to be 30 years old, and defuse the crisis. All eyes are turned on China. Of all the regional powers, analysts say, China has the greatest potential leverage over its traditional ally. Chinese troops fought side by side with the North Koreans during the Korean War that left the Korean peninsula divided. Over the years it has supplied the North with much of its fuel, food and other resources. China could stop doing this at any time but it has rarely done so. "Chinese netizens say, 'if we squeeze it for one week, what do you do the next week? You have to un-squeeze because we can't let them die,'" explained Sunny Lee, a South Korean writer and scholar. "They think it's an ineffective strategy from the start." Lee says China has tried squeezing the North in 2002 and again in 2006. "They tried it and realized it did not work," he said. It fears the specter of millions of starving refugees crossing into China along its 1,400-kilometer (880 mile) border with North Korea. It also fears a united Korea under the control of South Korea, a close U.S. ally. Lee says China benefits from the status quo and from Pyongyang's brinkmanship. "When North Korea makes some noise, the U.S. ambassador asks the Chinese ambassador at the United Nations for a dialogue, it becomes a public G-2," he said. "It elevates China's international status. It seems, on the surface, that China has now come around as a respectable global stakeholder." But Lee said the U.S. benefits too. "It can pressure South Korea to join its military defense system, it can pressure South Korea to join a regional trading group, and it can sell South Korea more advanced weapons, which are very expensive." Meanwhile, analysts say a full-scale North Korea attack is unlikely, but they also fear a mishap could unintentionally trigger a localized skirmish -- a fact that has triggered unusually strong statements from Beijing. OPINION: Will China finally 'bite' North Korea? "No country should be allowed to throw a region into chaos for selfish gains," declared President Xi Jinping last Monday, apparently an oblique slap at its wayward ally. North Korea's latest bout of saber rattling began on February 12, when it conducted a third underground nuclear test. The international community reacted with outrage, while the United Nations responded with more sanctions. Even former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, a North Korean ally, warned against conflict last week. He described the current tensions on the peninsula as one of the "gravest risks" for nuclear holocaust since the Cuban Missile crisis in 1962. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is visiting China this week to press Beijing to lean on its wayward neighbor. "Of course they will use their influence," Jon Huntsman, the former U.S. ambassador to China, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "The question is will North Korea listen to their admonition? They have influence, but they've been lied to and they've been cheated by North Korea. They know that and they are feeling the sting of it." Huntsman believes the Chinese have less clout with the North Koreans. "Business is done by people and they have less of a personal rapport at senior levels with the Korean leadership than they did in the years back," he said. None of China's current leadership has met with Kim Jong Un. Last November, China dispatched Li Jianguo, a senior Communist Party official, to Pyongyang in a last-minute effort to convince Kim to forgo its planned nuclear test. Li failed. Since then, there have been no high level exchanges between the two former allies. Indeed the last high-profile foreigner to spend quality time with the young Kim was Dennis Rodman, the eccentric former NBA basketball star. "You have a friend for life," Rodman told Kim after the two men sat next to each other to watch a basketball exhibition in Pyongyang in March. The meeting showed another side of a young man thrust into the seat of power with much to prove, according to Korea watchers. Christopher Hill, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, said the flurry of tough talk out of Pyongyang shouldn't be ignored, but it could be directed to the citizenry itself. "I think there's a big element of domestic North Korean politics, if one can understand that concept, where clearly Kim Jong Un is not being well received," Hill told CNN recently. "I think they are trying to kind of boost his status to some sort of wartime leader." It remains to be seen how far the relatively inexperienced leader will go to shore up his position at home -- even if this pushes the North's traditional ally too far. Lucrezia Seu in Beijing contributed to the report. | New intelligence reports suggest North Korea planning multiple missile launch .
Traditional ally China increasingly irritated by regime under Kim Jong Un .
President Xi Jinping: No country should be allowed to throw region into chaos .
Analysts believe Kim is under pressure to justify his position at home . |
0555bda88856e4ac5101e202f6c88606c25b634d | By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 06:25 EST, 4 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:49 EST, 4 October 2013 . When Margot and Valerie were rescued from a battery farm things started to look up. No longer stuck in cramped cages, they were suddenly free to roam around the garden to their hearts’ content. But it seems their new-found freedom wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. The chickens weren’t used to being outside and found it a bit chilly for their liking. Nice and warm: Ex-battery chickens Margot, left and Valerie, right, show off their cosy fleece-lined jackets . Wrapping up: The pair had jackets made after their owners were told ex-battery hens often struggle in the cold . So their owners, Trevor and Samantha . Stickley, put their heads together and came up with a solution – two . chicken-sized fleeces. The couple from Bournemouth took the pair to a tailor’s shop where the birds had their inside drumsticks and chicken breasts measured for two fleece jackets. The garments slip over the hens’ heads and cover their crowns, although there is enough room for them to flap their wings. Custom-made: Owners Trevor and Samantha Stickley took the pair to a tailors, where they were measured . Stay still! Margo the chicken is measured for her jacket by manageress of The Zip Yard tailors, Sam Old . One of the jackets is lined with leopard print and has a wishbone design on the front andthe other has a red trim and a heart logo on. The 18-month-old Rhode Island Red hens will wear the coats throughout the winter until they are more used to the chilly temperatures. Trevor, 47, a taxi driver from . Bournemouth, said: 'We rescued the chickens from a battery hen place and . this is their first winter out of the environment they’re used to. Good fit: The chicken's breasts and inner drumsticks were measured by staff . 'Battery hens don’t see day light and they aren’t used to the cold weather or changes. 'Someone explained to us that they might suffer from the cold in their first season, so we looked on the internet for a way around this. 'We took Margot and Valerie to a local tailors and they have fitted them with these two lovely jackets. Creation: The jackets, pictured completed above, were then made from a drawn pattern, pictured behind . 'Our family and friends think that it’s brilliant we managed to find somewhere who would happily measure and fit coats for two chickens.'A spokeswoman from the Zip Yard, the tailors behind the quirky jackets, said: 'We were very surprised to have an enquiry about a pair of chickens. 'We have never worked with animals before and it was the weirdest request we have received but we were happy to help. 'They were our most bizarre customers but they very well behaved. Happy customers: Margot poses in her jacket with owner Trevor Stickley . | Chickens Margot and Valerie rescued by Trevor and Samantha Stickley .
Couple from Bournemouth were told ex-battery hens often struggle to adapt to the cold in the winter months .
So owners took pair to Zip Yard tailors, who made the fleece-lined jackets after measuring under their drumsticks and across their chests .
The chickens wear their jackets while in the back garden . |
05561b55698e0da9a31e4671f4cb672c8c70e618 | (CNN) -- An American student is in critical condition after undergoing two operations after chimpanzees tore at his body in front of tourists at a South African animal sanctuary, a hospital spokeswoman told CNN on Tuesday. Andrew Oberle, a primatology student from the University of Texas at San Antonio, was being treated at a Johannesburg hospital after two chimps attacked him Thursday, spokeswoman Robyn Baard said. "He went though a 6-hour procedure of which doctors cleaned out his wounds and now it's a case of wait and see, and just to keep him sedated and comfortable for now," she said. Oberle had been at the Jane Goodall Institute's Chimp Eden since May, according to Eugene Cussons, the facility's managing director. Oberle was at the sanctuary, near Nelspruit, South Africa, for the second time after training and volunteering there in 2010. His training included an explanation about "no-go" areas, spaces for animals where people are not supposed to go. Witnesses to the attack said that Oberle went into a no-go area because he seemed to want to remove a stone close to one of the animals that could have been picked up and thrown around, Cussons told CNN. Oberle crossed one barrier and approached a second one, which is a main fence with 24 strands of electrical wiring, Cussons said. Two male chimps grabbed Oberle and tried to drag him under the fence, but were not able to yank him into their enclosure. Zookeeper killed by wolves in Sweden . Cussons said he estimates the attack lasted 15 minutes. At some point, people tried to stop the chimps, and Cussons shot two rounds in the air to see if that might get them to retreat, he said. One of the chimps then charged at Cussons, he said. Cussons shot that chimp in the abdomen, he told CNN, and it seemed to shriek as a kind of signal to other chimps that there was a more powerful threat present. The chimps then backed off, he said. Oberle was rescued and transported for medical care. None of the 13 tourists, most of them from local areas, were harmed, officials said. The chimp that was shot had an operation at the Johannesburg zoo to repair damage to his small and large intestines. Hospital spokeswoman Baard declined to discuss the nature of Oberle's wounds. She said the student's parents had requested privacy, adding that they are "quite traumatized." The sanctuary, which is featured in the Animal Planet program "Escape to Chimp Eden," remains closed and its staff is receiving counseling, executive director David Oosthuizen said. There are no plans right now to euthanize the chimps involved in the attack, said Dries Pienaar, who is leading the investigation into the incident. He works for a parks agency that makes sure zoos, sanctuaries and breeding projects comply with the law. Pienaar told CNN that his preliminary findings are that human error is to blame, but he cautioned that his investigation is not complete and that he wants to interview Oberle. He hasn't spoken to all of the tourists yet, either. Chimp Eden was established as a home for rescued chimpanzees. Many of the primates have suffered "horrible injuries and abuse from humans," according to the sanctuary. Neville Pillay, head of animal behavior at Wits University, said that violence in chimpanzees is not at all unusual. "Chimpanzees are known to be violent, and they can kill other animals. And male chimpanzees are particularly strong," he said. Dave Salmoni, an expert in large predators for Animal Planet, said abused and captive chimpanzees can be particularly dangerous, likening the chimps to troubled prison inmates. "Now this is a very nice prison, but it's a prison nonetheless," he said Monday. "And that's why you can see a lot of acting out behavior, and in some cases, with chimpanzees, they act out just because they can." Oberle was passionate about studying chimpanzees, his friend Anthony Reimherr told CNN affiliate KXAN. He said it was "intriguing" to listen to Oberle when he spoke about the animals. "It's just something that he loved to do, and I think it's something that he'll always continue to do," Reimherr said. Laboratory chimps get new lease on life . CNN's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report. | Chimps attacked student Andrew Oberle at a South Africa sanctuary .
Oberle is in critical condition at a Johannesburg hospital .
The sanctuary is closed and its staff is receiving counseling .
There are no plans to euthanize the chimps involved, investigator says . |
05569e0262f8aaced52fee518c11b8652e29dca9 | By . Harriet Sargeant . Under fire: Labour MP Ann Clwyd has has been attacked by the NHS and her own party after she complained that her husband Owen died 'like a battery hen' in hospital . Yesterday, the hospital where Ann Clwyd’s husband died issued an official report dismissing her claims against it. The Labour MP is the latest in a long list of patients and their families who the NHS feels it can ignore with impunity. This is despite the fact that this courageous widow, grieving for her beloved husband, stood up in Parliament determined to expose the ‘indifferent’ and ‘callous’ staff and the lack of care that she claimed caused his death. It is despite the fact that David Cameron was so impressed by her first-hand experiences that he asked her to overhaul the complaints system of the NHS. It is despite the fact that her harrowing testimony brought forth a flood of letters from the public telling similar stories of neglect. That cuts no ice with University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. Owen Roberts might have died like ‘a battery hen’, shoved up against the bars of his tiny bed, his feet hanging over the edge, bereft of even socks or a blanket to keep him warm, according to his wife. But the investigation by hospital staff, overseen by an independent panel of experts, dismissed 21 of the MP’s 31 complaints as unproven or by saying ‘insufficient evidence to uphold this concern’. Anyone who has made a complaint to the NHS, whether questioning an indifferent nurse or making a more formal accusation, knows the response they will get only too well — a barrage of doublespeak designed to confuse and weary you. Only once in the report into Owen Roberts’ death does the doublespeak falter. That is when it knocks up against the fact he waited 27 hours in A&E and then died of hospital-acquired pneumonia. ‘This concern is upheld except that it is not upheld that there was a lack of care and attention,’ is the hospital’s response. Go wonder at that one. George Orwell, the writer who invented the phrase doublespeak in his novel 1984, could not have put it better. Taking on the NHS is not for the faint-hearted, as Ms Clywd is discovering. Our health service seems to have reached new levels of paranoia. Happier times: Ann Clwyd with her husband Owen Roberts on their wedding day 1963. He died aged 73 at University Hospital of Wales . When I was investigating the NHS for the Centre of Policy Studies ten years ago, managers did not know what was going on in their hospitals because they rarely visited a ward or asked patients about their experiences. They could at least claim ignorance and hope the whole thing would go away. Now, instead of not responding to complaints, the NHS turns aggressively on the person daring to complain. Our caring service has become more like something out of an airport thriller — a vast, malign organisation bullying patients and their loved ones, threatening whistleblowers and spending huge sums of taxpayers’ money to grind them down. Just this week it emerged that University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust spent £6 million on legal fees, employed a PR firm and even set private detectives to dig dirt on Dr Raj Mattu, a heart surgeon who had spoken out about the dangerous conditions on his wards. That is all he had done. Complaint: Mrs Clwyd, 77, claimed her husband had been victim of an 'almost callous lack of care' and was treated with 'contempt' by NHS staff before his death in October 2012 . For that, as his lawyer said, he was ‘vilified, bullied and harassed out of a job he loved’. Ann Clwyd does not work for the NHS, but the organisation has done its best to hit her where it hurts. She has accused hospital bosses of an ‘outrageous breach of confidentiality’ by publishing detailed information about her husband’s death. As she said: ‘No one is going to make a complaint in future if their personal details are going to be made public in this way.’ The NHS being essentially a political organisation. Ms Clwyd also finds herself under fire from her own party. Recently Wales’s First Minister Carwyn Jones launched a stinging attack on her for critical comments made about the Welsh NHS — saying she had ‘no evidence and no facts’ to back up allegations of a crisis in the service. The Labour Welsh Assembly Member Lynne Neagle was outraged at Ms Clwyd’s concerns about the high mortality rates in some Welsh hospitals. She accused Ms Clwyd of ‘denigrating’ the Welsh NHS and warned that ‘she should stop’. Actually, no, she shouldn’t. What should stop are the high mortality rates. But that is unlikely to happen any time soon, given the fact that Labour’s Welsh Assembly Members have voted against inviting her to give evidence to an influential Welsh Assembly committee. Where the UK Coalition asked her to lead an inquiry, the Welsh Labour government has blocked and denigrated her. Her facts were good enough to alarm Sir Bruce Keogh, Chief Medical Officer for England, but not Welsh Labour MPs. Ann Clywd has discovered that patients come a very poor second to propagating the NHS myth. How crucial that myth is we saw in spades at the Olympic opening ceremony. Its artistic director, Danny Boyle, would have us believe that the health service is stuffed with lovely, dancing nurses in starched caps who read stories to sick children. Dream on. Many of our elderly patients would be pathetically grateful for a nurse that paused long enough at their bedside to offer them a drink — never mind bedtime stories. The response of assembly members and hospital boards is typical. I came across it when investigating the NHS over nine months. My accounts of what I had seen were also dismissed as ‘anecdotal’. While there are undoubtedly countless dedicated and caring people working for the NHS who put themselves out for patients, like Ann Clwyd, I, too, was flooded with letters from patients who’d suffered the same ‘anecdotal’ experiences of callousness and incompetence. Vision: The Olympic opening ceremony's artistic director, Danny Boyle, would have us believe that the health service is stuffed with lovely, dancing nurses in starched caps . An old man described on the phone how he had watched his wife die of neglect. His call reduced me to tears. ‘I don’t know who to complain to. No one will listen,’ he said by way of apology at the end of the conversation. In a court of law, the testimony of a witness is given due weight. In the NHS, the same testimony is traduced as anecdote. That is part of the problem. Every patient with a complaint is made to feel isolated — a one-off, who really shouldn’t presume to denigrate such a noble institution. Look at what happened to a Labour MP of long standing. What chance do the rest of us have? One of the only reasons that the scandal . of Mid Staffs came out was because a number of relatives of patients . happened to go to the same nearby cafe and started to exchange stories. Tragedy: Owen Roberts waited 27 hours in A&E and then died of hospital-acquired pneumonia . They quickly realised that what they had been told was a one-off was, in fact, a systematic failure of the trust and the whole New Labour project for the NHS. This was one reason why their evidence had to be rubbished — with the woman who led the protests falling victim to a vicious hate campaign. The tragedy is that similar evidence against the NHS is still being rubbished. Let us end with one of those anecdotes the authorities dismiss — one left by a woman to comment on a story about Ann Clywd on the Wales Online website. The woman describes the degrading treatment of her dying mother in one Welsh hospital. When she complains, she says, ‘ranks are closed so people don’t take things further’. The authorities know complaints fall on ‘deaf ears and some like myself, because of their own ill health, do not have the stamina to follow things through. Money will be another obstacle to fight these cases, as they will inevitably carry on for years before a conclusion.’ It has happened to two friends. ‘Three years down the line and they still do not have closure.’ She finishes with this heartfelt plea: ‘Let me explain how I feel about Ann Clwyd’s findings. Myself and many, many friends who have experienced the disgusting downfalls of the Welsh NHS have all said we’d rather commit suicide than go into hospital when we are too old to stay at home through ill health. ‘I will . . . trust me. I will not be treated as a discarded piece of nuisance rubbish, as my mother was.’ Rather than another expensive, time-wasting re-organisation of the NHS, let the Government take one simple step. Create a website, not particular to individual hospitals, but a general forum where people can post these heart-breaking stories. How many hospitals will have the gall to dismiss case after case with their blanket approach of ‘insufficient evidence’? That way, patients will know they are not alone. And a malign bureaucracy will no longer get away with dismissing stories of cruelty and death as ‘merely anecdotal’. | MP claimed in Parliament that a lack of care caused husband Owen's death .
Mr Clwyd died of hospital-acquired pneumonia in October 2012 .
David Cameron asked her to overhaul NHS complaints system .
Investigation by hospital staff dismissed 21 of the MP’s 31 complaints . |
05575a5965cfa30001cb505ffc04b05ff0211d31 | An army of Islamic State terrorists has advanced to the outskirts of Vienna, Spain has cut off routes to Gibraltar and Nigel Farage – prime minister of 'Great England' – has deported all immigrants who have arrived in the past ten years. This, according to the BBC, is what the world would be like if the European Union were to collapse. The apocalyptic vision of a continent in which social order has broken down – to be screened on BBC4 tonight at 10pm – has been condemned by Eurosceptic critics as 'scaremongering'. Scroll down for video . Calamity: The Great European Disaster Movie, according to the BBC, is what the world would be like if the European Union were to collapse . The 75-minute film shows what the supposedly impartial broadcaster suggests might happen should the EU implode, and depicts the final days of the European dream as it turns into a nightmare of worthless currencies and predictions of even darker days to come. The BBC describes The Great European Disaster Movie as an 'authored documentary', but the film – which features comedian Angus Deayton as an archaeologist struggling to explain what the single currency was to a young girl sitting next to him on a plane – has been criticised as a hyped-up piece of pro-EU propaganda. Horrifying images of concentration camp victims are interspersed with wartime footage of devastated cities, while commentary is provided by former Economist editor Bill Emmott, who made the film with Italian journalist Annalisa Piras. The terrifying sequence of events ends with Angela Merkel resigning as European Council president and overseeing a vote to abolish the EU. In his commentary, Mr Emmott admits immigration imposes financial burdens on nations but insists that in the long term it creates the resources needed to maintain a welfare state. In the film, the girl – apparently being deported from Britain because she has an Italian mother – asks Angus Deayton about pictures of bridges on an old euro banknote. He tells her: 'They were supposed to symbolise unity, unification, all the countries being connected. It was a great idea but unfortunately it didn't work.' 'Faction': The BBC describes The Great European Disaster Movie as an 'authored documentary', but the film has been criticised as a hyped-up piece of pro-EU propaganda. Mr Emmott and Ms Piras say the film expresses their personal views and is intended to provoke debate. But last night it was condemned by Tory eurosceptic MP Sir Bill Cash as 'scaremongering'. He said: 'It would be much better if the BBC provided us with a proper analysis of what has gone wrong with European structures.' And Tory MEP Daniel Hannan said: 'This is typical of the pro-EU side. They make such ludicrous claims they make themselves look ridiculous.' Tonight's broadcast will be followed by a discussion by a panel of guests including Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens and Ukip MP Mark Reckless. A BBC spokesman said: 'BBC editorial guidelines do not prevent the commissioning of programmes which approach subjects from a particular perspective.' And Mr Emmott said: 'It's a warning of what could happen if Europe continues on its current path.' Comment by PETER HITCHENS . Even the BBC sometimes grasps that it has gone too far. And 11 days ago, it went into a five-star panic over its plan to show a more-or-less crazy pro-EU film tonight. I assume that, spooked by the derisive reaction to its laughable pro-Labour drama A Casual Vacancy, its chiefs suddenly realised that they had another embarrassment on their hands. The planned transmission was abruptly cut by several minutes, losing a large chunk about the migration wave across the Mediterranean. And this helped make space for a post-programme discussion, heavily loaded with critics of the European Union, including me, former Chancellor Norman Lamont and Ukip MP Mark Reckless. This is really a figleaf to cover its naked bias, as you will see when you watch it tonight. I took part because it seemed silly to miss any opportunity to make the case for British independence. I'm very happy for Bill Emmott to make as many films as he likes for the BBC about the wonders of the EU. The trouble is, you cannot imagine the Corporation giving anyone the chance to make a film about how miserable it will be if Britain stays in, and how good it will be if we leave. For this programme is blatant propaganda. And the only cause for joy is that it's not very good propaganda. A doomed plane is zig-zagging across a divided, blacked-out Europe, bearing Angus Deayton and a little girl who has supposedly been deported from a xenophobic, cruel England because her mother isn't paid enough. This provides the excuse for a patronising series of lecturettes from Mr Deayton. Everything about it is run through with the stupid, ill-informed prejudices of the BBC. Opponents of the EU are portrayed as 'anti-European' nostalgists and haters of abroad. Opponents of immigration are portrayed as dislikers of immigrants. Things which are the EU's own fault, such as its self-inflicted economic crisis, are not blamed on the EU. Wild fantasies are explored in which a British departure causes everyone else to leave – though why they would, if it is so wonderful, I cannot tell. Baseless guff, about how the EU has brought peace, is repeated unquestioned. In fact, to the extent that it has had any influence on war and peace, the EU has brought war, most recently thanks to its aggressive push into Ukraine. Winston Churchill's Zurich speech of 1946, which it partly quotes, is a plea for continental Europe to unite, with Britain, the USA and the USSR acting as outside sponsors. Oh, and the Berlin airport for which the fictitious plane is originally bound closed in 2008, as anyone who knows Europe would be aware. | Apocalyptic vision of Europe descending into social chaos aired tonight .
BBC4 programme condemned by Eurosceptics as 'pro-EU propaganda'
BBC say The Great European Disaster Movie is 'authored documentary'
It shows terrorists advancing to Vienna, Nigel Farage as Prime Minister .
In the film, Mr Emmott warns: 'Our worry is that if Europe continues on its current path, the EU will collapse and that that would have catastrophic consequences for all of us.' Viewers see a glimpse of a post-EU continent in which:Visas and landing cards are required for travel between European countries; .
A power crisis in Germany has put Berlin airport out of action.
The new president of France, far-Right leader Marine Le Pen, has declared a state of emergency.
EU chiefs, meeting in Berlin, have abolished the euro.
Looters are rampaging through Rome after the shooting of protesters by police.
Fierce fighting erupts in Vienna as the 'unstoppable' advance of IS fighters continues. |
055a276b1e49334d1dae623301578903975b87b3 | By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 13:28 EST, 24 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:03 EST, 24 January 2014 . Daniel Rodriquez jailed for a total of 12 years after an armed siege at his home in Kidlington, Oxon, in July last year . A man who took a cocktail of drugs before holding his two-year-old twin girls hostage in an armed siege was jailed for 12 years today. Daniel Rodriquez, 38, from Kidlington, Oxon, armed himself with an air rifle and an imitation handgun as his daughters slept in their beds following a domestic incident on July 9 last year. More than 50 officers in riot gear and . armed with guns surrounded the family flat in the early hours of the morning. The man twice fired at police as dozens of officers filled the streets for the pro-longed stand off. Rodriquez took a cocktail of . drugs including heroin, crack cocaine and valium while the police were . outside frantically trying to negotiate the children’s release, a court heard. Rodriquez was later restrained by officers with a Taser after the girls - wearing matching pyjamas - were carried from the property by police. The man pleaded guilty to possession of two firearms and two counts of using the firearms to resist arrest. Rodriquez was sentenced to 12 years behind bars at Oxford Crown Court today. Prosecutor Rachel Drake described the terrifying siege to the court. Miss Drake said: 'There was cordoning off of the areas and a very long siege situation involving negotiations between the defendant and the police. 'He was in a very agitated and distressed state and said he was considering taking his own life. 'Police were extremely concerned about the safety of the twin girls asleep in the bedroom next to the defendant. 'As the incident developed, the police were negotiating with Mr Rodriquez. About 9.30am, having supplied him with some food he passed down one of the girls. 'At 11.30am, the second of the children was passed through the window. There was no suggestion they were harmed during this incident.' An officer holds one of the man's daughters in his arms and takes her to safety following the siege . Despite handing over his children, the gunman still refused to come out of the flat. Miss Drake continued: 'Mr Rodriquez was not prepared to give himself up to the police for many hours afterwards. His arrest eventually took place in the foyer of the flat at 3.50pm. 'Following the defendant’s arrest, a full search was made of the flat and the two firearms were recovered.' The guns were found to be a .177 calibre air rifle and an imitation Colt Python handgun. Rodriquez appeared in court via a video link in prison wearing a navy and white hooped jumper. He stared forward blankly during the sentencing hearing and only spoke to confirm his name. At the time of his arrest, the father ran his own car wash firm Ace Power Wash Services in Kidlington, Oxon. One of the twins is removed from the property by an officer. The girls were wearing matching pyjamas as they were taken to safety . The court heard he had served six months in prison in 2002 for racially aggravated common assault, and had a string of convictions for theft, burglary, drug possession and ABH. His most recent conviction was for burglary and theft in 2011. In mitigation, his defence counsel Lucy Tapper said her client suffered mental health problems - including bipolar, depression and borderline personality disorder. She told the judge that Rodriquez loved his children and never intended them any harm during the hostage crisis. She said: 'The devastating cocktail of drugs and alcohol Mr Rodriquez had consumed, coupled with his overwhelming sense of anxiety and paranoia caused him to react in the way he did that morning when great numbers of police arrived at his house. 'The children were never, ever put in any direct danger by him. He had got them up in the usual way, got them breakfast and had them watching television. One officer reports hearing them laughing and playing in the back room.' Armed officers surround the flat in Kidlington. Rodriguez twice fired at police during the siege . Judge Ian Pringle commented that it was an 'appalling' case and said Rodriquez’s possession of the firearms was an 'aggravating factor' in the case. Jailing Rodriquez for 12 years, the judge said: 'Police staked out the house you were in with your two very small daughters. You released them one by one. 'That siege lasted until just before 4pm that afternoon - a serious aggravating feature of this case, no doubt brought about by your taking of a lethal cocktail of drugs over a huge period of time.' Rodriquez had pleaded guilty to possession of two firearms and two counts of using the firearms to resist arrest. For those counts, he received four years in jail. He was also jailed for eight years to run concurrently after he admitted three counts of rape and one sexual assault charge against a woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. Speaking after the case, Detective Sergeant Jim Homes, the investigating officer from Thames Valley Police said he was 'satisfied' with the result of what was a 'very difficult' investigation. 'It was a very unusual case, not one that we’ve dealt with before,' he added. Rodriguez was sentenced to 12 years in jail today following the incident in July last year . | Daniel Rodriquez, 38, held twin daughters hostage at home in Kidlington .
Armed himself with air rifle and imitation gun and 'took cocktail of drugs'
Fired twice at officers who surrounded the home in July last year .
Twin daughters were eventually rescued by riot officers and taken to safety .
Rodriquez was jailed for 12 years at Oxford Crown Court today . |
055ac0791f3028c130fc21d8a16aac70202ed5d7 | Regret is etched across Samir Nasri’s face when talk turns to last season’s Champions League defeat against Barcelona. It still rankles. Not only the result, not only Martin Demichelis’s decisive red card in the first leg, but also Manchester City’s approach. ‘Were we naive against Barca? Yes, we were,’ says the Frenchman. ‘It’s still difficult to talk about. We were flying before the Barca matches, but then we had three or four starters who had injuries and it wasn’t the same. Samir Nasri spoke of his regret as a press conference on Monday whilst reflecting on last year's campaign . Samir Nasri and Wilfried Bony enjoy Manchester City training ahead of facing Barcelona on Tuesday night . Wilfried Bony (left), Samir Nasri (centre) and Bacary Sagna (right) are put through their paces in training . ‘I just think last year was a little bit too much for the whole club. Manchester City had never played in the last 16 of the Champions League before, so it was too much pressure, too big a game. ‘Against a team like Barca you cannot make the kind of mistakes we did. You have to play your game. We let them play and we didn’t play our own game. ‘Usually we have possession of the ball but against Barca we didn’t, we just defended. We are not a team who knows how to just defend.’ French midfielder Samir Nasri will hope to continue his fine recent form for Manchester City on Tuesday . Martin Demichelis is sent off during the 2-0 home defeat to Barcelona in the 2014 Champions League last 16 . Nasri, alongside manager Manuel Pellegrini, is optimistic the side can topple Barcelona this season . Fast forward 12 months and Nasri believes he will not be haunted by the same regrets after the clubs’ Champions League sequel. Nasri’s face is now wide-eyed with optimism. He feels Barca are beatable this time. He has spotted chinks in their armour. He knows exactly how the two-legged tie needs to play out for City to make a statement that reverberates across Europe. ‘I watched both Paris Saint-Germain versus Barcelona matches in the Champions League this season and I think there’s things we can do,’ he said. They still have great players, but Dani Alves is not the Dani Alves of four or five years ago. We can hurt their defence. The Manchester City squad jog during their warm-up in training on Monday in Manchester . The Manchester City squad trained hard ahead of their Champions League clash with Barcelona . Nasri claims Barcelona are not the team they were, picking out Dani Alves (centre) in his press conference . ‘I just hope we can keep a clean sheet in the first leg and then we will have a good chance to qualify. ‘We conceded two goals at home last year, so it was too hard for us to go to the Nou Camp and qualify.’ Nasri can expect to play a pivotal role for Manuel Pellegrini on Tuesday night . For he is one of the Chilean’s key midfield creators. The Frenchman’s superb goal in the 2-0 win at Roma that clinched qualification to the knockout stages in December is testament to that. And in Pellegrini, Nasri has a manager he says he has bonded with. Contrast that with his difficult relationship with Pellegrini’s predecessor Roberto Mancini. The Italian spent the summer of 2011 trying to persuade Nasri to leave Arsenal for the Etihad, only for their relationship to deteriorate. Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri (left) shares a joke with manager Manuel Pellegrini on Monday . ‘Pellegrini gave me back the joy of playing football,’ says Nasri. ‘He is like Arsene Wenger. Someone who likes to joke, someone who likes to talk and take an interest in your life. ‘I love to have this kind of relationship with a manager, when it’s not just about football.’ Similarly, there is no love lost between Nasri and France manager Didier Deschamps. A breakdown in relations between the pair resulted in the City forward missing out on a World Cup place last summer. Nine months on, does the 27-year-old wish the situation had been handled differently? Absolutely not. Nasri has scored in his last two matches to help keep up the pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea . ‘Apart from the World Cup, for me club football is bigger,’ he said. ‘The World Cup is the World Cup and I’m sad I won’t play in it, that’s my only regret. But to play a friendly with my national team, I did it many times so it’s not something I’m missing. ‘I suffered more when I was happy with France. I live in England and I don’t really notice what they say about me, but my family will suffer and I don’t want this.’ Nasri will be hoping even more he does not suffer at the hands of Messi & Co again. Samir Nasri was speaking at the global launch of New Balance Football. To find out more about New Balance Football go to newbalance.com/football or follow @NBFootball on Twitter and Instagram . | Manchester City welcome La Liga club Barcelona to the Etihad on Tuesday .
Barcelona defeated Manuel Pellegrini's side in the last 16 last year .
Samir Nasri believes City were naive in the 4-1 aggregate defeat last year .
City beat Newcastle 5-0 on Saturday as Barcelona lost 1-0 to Malaga . |
055b152834e8f97a16f958cd9409fc35617bef6d | Denial: Andrew Hamade, brother of Bryan 26 (pictured), has denied accusations that his brother leaked nude celebrity pictures online . An American software engineer has denied stealing nude photos from celebrities’ iCloud accounts and claimed his life was being ruined after being identified as the hacker online. Bryan Hamade, 26, was named as the source of the shocking leak after he tried to sell intimate pictures of actress Jennifer Lawrence in return for internet currency Bitcoin. She and 100 other celebrities have been named on a list of victims after their accounts on Apple’s file sharing service were allegedly hacked into. Mr Hamade posted some of the pictures on social networking website Reddit under the username BluntMastermind and allegedly tried to sell them for $100 each. But he was forced to deny he was the original hacker after internet users on file sharing website 4chan – where the original pictures appeared - identified his real name. Admitting he had been an ‘idiot’, he insisted he had lied about being the original hacker and said the photo he had tried to sell was a fake. He told the MailOnline: ‘I am not behind this. I lied to someone on reddit to try and get bitcoins with a photoshopped picture. ' Outside her home near to Atlanta, Georgia, Jenna Bennett, Hamade's mother, told MailOnline that her son was not there. She said that Hamade is trying to hire a lawyer but has had trouble as it is Labor Day. She said the family may make a statement later. According to a graphic chart doing the rounds online, Hamade, who posts online under the username, BluntMastermind, gave himself away as one of the original leakers when he attempted to prove to a 4chan user he had genuine nude images for sale. Andrew said that the family have not been contacted by the FBI, but said they were being harassed by news crews who were keen to speak to them . Exercise: Jenna Bennet, who is Bryan Hamade's mother leaves the house she shares with her son on Monday amid the growing controversy surrounding the software developer . Explanation: This graph created by a reddit user explains why suspicion has fallen on the shoulders of Bryan Hamade . He posted a screen grab of his computer which revealed his hard drive and network drive. Reddit users tracked back through Hamade's previous posts and matched the hard drive and the PC name - thereby allegedly outing him as one of the original leakers. However, he vehemently denied this to the MailOnline. ‘4chan thinks it's me for because of the photoshopped post I made. I am not a hacker. I have no idea how the hell someone could hack into all those accounts.’ Mr Hamade said he had been wrongly identified as the hacker after other internet users launched a ‘witch hunt’ to find the culprit. According to one amateur internet sleuth, he had claimed to own 13 pictures of Miss Lawrence, 24, including four nude photos. He allegedly asked for $100 for each photo but was identified after he posted a screenshot of his computer desktop that showed his ‘network folders’ saved in his name. Mr Hamade added: 'I am just an idiot . who tried to pull one over on 4chan and lost big time. I am not the . original leaker. I only reposted one thing that was posted elsewhere and . stupidly had my network folders visible. Watch Video Here . Mr Hamade tried to sell intimate pictures of actress Jennifer Lawrence (left) in return for the internet currency Bitcoin. Kate Upton (right) was among the list of victims whose accounts on iCloud were allegedly hacked into . The original photos were reportedly stolen via iCloud, before being published on file-sharing website 4chan . 'I'd never in a million years know how to hack into any of the accounts listed. 4chan just attacked me because they like to attack anyone in situations such as this.’ Mr Hamade works for software company Southern Digital Media in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Hamade has taken down all his social media and said that his original plan to profit off the leakers has backfired. And in a further damning twist, a search of the Google cache for Hamade's deleted Twitter feed shows that he sent Olympic gymnast, McKayla Maroney, who was hacked, a message in April of this year. In it he comments on one of her gymnastic performances, saying, 'That's some serious arm dancing.' Why? Reddit users asked Hamade why he interacted with 18-year-old Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney. He said it was an innocent exchange . Indeed, according to his own employers' website, Hamade is qualified in code and a specialist in PHP, MySql, HTML and Java. In another screenshot from the anon-ib message board, where the nude pictures were allegedly collected before being posted onto 4chan, there is a posting from a user known as 'OriginalGuy'. Reddit user claim that OriginalGuy was posting pictures that had appeared only on postings made by Hamade. According to the company’s website, he is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia and is the company’s ‘technical expert’, specializing in several computer programming codes. Hamade says he is now seeking a lawyer to defend himself against any charges that may be brought against him. He also says he is looking for the true leaker. 'The real guy is on 4chan posting intermittently,' Hamade said of the nude photo leaker. 'He’s most likely the one behind it, but it does seem the photos passed around to multiple people before being leaked, so it may just be someone who has them and didn’t hack to get them.' Time-stamp: This post to reddit reveals an argument between Bryan Hamade and another user about the time the Atlanta technician posted pictures to the web-thread service . Cat Deeley (right) was named as a victim whose photographs were stolen, but no supposedly 'nude' images of her have appeared online, while Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice (left) wrote on Twitter her image was . faked . A spokesman for Oscar winner Miss Lawrence has confirmed the photos of her are genuine, saying: 'This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence.’ Other celebrities named in the list posted by the hacker include Kate Upton, Cat Deeley, Ariana Grande and Victoria Justice. Some in the list have denied the photos are genuine. In other cases, photos have not yet been leaked online. | Bryan Hamade, 26, was named as source of leak of nude celebrity photos .
He tried to sell intimate pictures of Jennifer Lawrence in return for Bitcoin .
He posted images on Reddit and allegedly tried to sell them for $100 each .
But he was forced to deny that he was original hacker users identified him .
Admitted he had been an 'idiot' and that photo he had tried to sell was fake .
A total of 101 celebrities have been named on a list of victims of the hack . |
055b9974ef6271af20387d3244f084116958cd91 | In the weeks following Christmas, thousands of children across Britain sat down to write thank you letters to friends and family kind enough to give them a present. But parents at one primary school were left fuming after they discovered their children had been told to do the complete opposite and complain about the gifts they received. Children as young as seven were asked by teachers to write a letter of complaint to Father Christmas about their 'rubbish' presents. Ungrateful: Children at a school in Kent were told to write a letter to Father Christmas, complaining about their presents . Pupils in years three and four at Green Park Community Primary School in Dover, Kent, were told to 'use adjectives' to describe their shoddy gifts and how they felt when they tore off the wrapping paper. Children were instructed to use 'metaphors and personification' to get a gold award for their work, while all children were told to tell Father Christmas what they expected him to do about it. Some, including Charlotte Balfe's nine-year-old daughter Summer, were told do the task as homework. Summer did the homework reluctantly as she was worried she would 'get into trouble' if she did not. Mrs Balfe said: 'My little girl did this homework as she was worried about getting told off by the school. I think it was wrong they were given it to do though.' Other furious parents took to Facebook to vent their anger at the posts. Stacey Britton wrote: 'I was appalled when Cole come home with his homework stating this...sufficed to say he's not doing it!' Pupils in years three and four at Green Park Community Primary School (pictured) in Dover, Kent, were told to 'use adjectives' to describe their shoddy gifts . Headmaster Richard Hawkins did not apologise for the assignment, calling it a 'bit of a misunderstanding' Tisha Fullbrook said: 'My kids school homework is that this week! Mine ain't doing it!' Carolanne Kemp added: 'My son wont be doing this homework, i teach him to be grateful for what he's given not complain about it as other children are not so fortunate. 'Not to mention the fact that his dad worked bloody hard including working overtime to make sure he had a brilliant christmas only for him to be told to write a letter complaining about what he got... i dont think so!!' Richard Hawkins, the headteacher of the 265-pupil school rated 'Good' by Ofsted, said the homework was not meant to cause offence. He said: 'Lots of the children understood what the home work was about - writing a letter of complaint. 'We chose Santa as they are used to writing letters to Santa.' He added: 'Some parents said they didn't want their child to complain about presents. We took that feedback and reacted quickly to it. 'It led to engaging families and discussions with the parents which is always good. 'It's a little bit of a misunderstanding. We have a fantastic record with homework.' The task young children were asked to complete was as follows: . English challenge . Bronze: Write a letter to Father Christmas to complain about the presents you received for Christmas. Use adjectives to describe the presents and how you felt when opening them. The last thing you need to write is to ask what you expect him to do about it. Silver: Write a letter to Father Christmas to complain about the presents you received for Christmas. Use adjectives to describe the presents and how you felt when opening them. The last thing you need to write is to ask what you expect him to do about it. Use a range of openers and connectives in your letter and some similes (as, like). Gold: Write a letter to Father Christmas to complain about the presents you received for Christmas. Use adjectives to describe the presents and how you felt when opening them. The last thing you need to write is to ask what you expect him to do about it. Use a range of openers and connectives in your letter and some similes, metaphors and personification (e.g.: My toy car laughed in my face!). | Children were told to write a letter of complaint about Christmas presents .
Pupils aged seven were marked gold, silver or bronze for their complaints .
Furious parents refused to allow their children to complete the assignment .
'I teach my son to be grateful, not to complain,' fumes one appalled mother .
But the school's headmaster says it's just 'a little bit of misunderstanding' |
055ecf62987ba22f49bd7e45a9338f9a60e0b9ce | Deon E. Warren, 19, is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting dead a father of two . Police in Maryland have arrested a 19-year-old suspect in the fatal shooting of a father of two who tried to break up a fight to protect his teenage son. Deon E. Warren, of Upper Marlboro, was arrested late Wednesday night at a motel in Anne Arundel County. He's charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Mitchell White, who was trying to break up a fight on Tuesday at around 5:35 p.m. when he was shot. White tried to protect his 16-year-old son and break up the altercation between him and another man at the parking lot at the Belair Swim and Racquet Club near Bowie High School. There were dozens of people there, and they all scattered when a shot was fired. White was struck and died at the scene. He had a 16-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter and was set to marry his fiancée, Tanya, in the Bahamas next spring, according to WTTV reported. His heartbroken family found out about White's death via Twitter, according to the station. 'I don't understand why this would happen,' the victim's mother, Netty Edwards, told WTTV. 'Why this man would take my son's life like that. It's just terrible.' Investigators working the case quickly identified Warren as the suspect aided by the series of of tattoos he has covering his face, including a black crescent moon and star — among other easily recognizable marks. 'All them tattoos, that's kind of crazy,' V. Watkins, who lives across the street from Warren, told WJLA. 'I wouldn't have myself marked up like that, it's a dead giveaway.' Court records show that Warren was cited for marijuana possession in December 2013 and May 2014, according to WJLA. Warren, who is being held without bond, also has a juvenile rap sheet but those records are kept sealed, the station added. | Deon E. Warren, 19, has been charged with first-degree murder in Maryland .
He's accused of killing 39-year-old Mitchell White, a father of two who was set to get married in the Bahamas next spring .
White jumped into a fight to protect his teenage son when he saw the 16-year-old boy in a physical altercation with another man . |
055f3cbfb9110f60ec3f13ea3b9c81ff8fc057f5 | MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Dozens of gay and lesbian rights activists planning a parade in southwestern Moscow Saturday have been detained, Russia's Interfax news agency reported. Gay and lesbian rights activists are detained in Moscow Saturday ahead of a planned march. The arrests included Nikolai Alexeyev, a prominent gay activist in Russia, and his associate Nikolai Bayev, Interfax said, adding that more people trickling into the location were being arrested without explanation. Officials of Moscow's gay community had announced earlier plans to rally at Novopushkinsky Park in central Moscow, Interfax said. The arrests came ahead of Saturday night's Eurovision Song Contest, which is being held in Moscow. The contest has a strong following among the gay and lesbian community. Watch police break up the march » . Journalists from various countries gathered at the scene, as police barricaded the park with metal bars. Trucks with soldiers onboard were parked on nearby streets, Interfax said. UK gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, in a statement on his Web site ahead of the march, said it was being held to coincide with the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. "This parade is in defense of human rights. We are defending the often violated human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Russians. They want legal protection against discrimination and hate crimes. I support their cause. "Not all Russians are homophobic, but many are. Gay Russians suffer queer-bashing attacks, blackmail, verbal abuse and discrimination in education, housing and employment. This shames the great Russian nation." The Eurovision Song Contest, which began in 1956, sees singers and groups from a short list of European nations perform a specially written song before telephone votes from each nation decide the winner. In western Europe, the contest is regard as a light entertainment spectacular, with a strong following among the gay and lesbian community. Many fans dress up, hold parties and gather round the TV to watch the three-hour-plus televised marathon. In recent years, however, eastern European nations, which take the contest much more seriously, have come to dominate. The contest is also known for its political edge, as nations either give zero points to traditional enemies -- or, if they are enjoying good relations, the maximum number of points, as a sign of friendship. The most famous winners of the contest were ABBA, who came to attention as the Swedish entry with "Waterloo" in 1974. In 1988, Celine Dion won the contest while singing on behalf of Switzerland. The dance show Riverdance first came to attention as an interval act when the contest was held in Dublin, Ireland, in 1994. The organizers of the contest estimate it is watched by 100 million people worldwide. | News agency: Police barricade park where demonstrators due to meet .
Arrests come ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest, being held in Moscow Saturday .
Most famous winners of the contest were ABBA, who came to attention in 1974 .
Contest is traditionally taken more seriously in eastern Europe . |
055fce9f71d006da42a9fb549df03bdb443bb814 | By . Amanda Williams . Michael Green, 84, was dragged from his car and left with a broken hip and needing surgery to a head wound after he was carjacked by a gang of thug . A pensioner was dragged from his 'pride and joy' car and beaten up with a metal weight during a carjacking by a gang of as many as six teenagers outside his local pub. Michael Green, 84, was yanked from his 15-year-old £2,000 car outside the Trumpet in Bilston, West Midlands, on Friday evening. He was then beaten around the head with a metal weight by one of the group - who left him in the road with a broken hip and needing serious surgery to his head. As the retired sales rep and musician started his engine the three yobs pulled open his door and grabbed him from the Toyota Avensis, police said. They then sped off in the £2,000 vehicle leaving the frightened pensioner lying badly injured in the gutter at around 11.30pm. He was spotted by a passer-by who raised the alarm. The widower was taken to Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital where surgeons operated on the wound and his fractured hip. His daughter Gisella Smith released a shocking photo of her father's injuries and made an emotive plea for information. She said the 15-year-old car had been her father's 'pride and joy' and the callous attack has had a 'massive' effect on him. She added: 'My dad is the most amazing person, when I was two, my mother died and he single-handedly raised three children. 'Throughout my childhood he held down two jobs - by day he was a sales rep and by night he was a semi-professional drummer. 'Music is my dad's life. Going to the Trumpet is his life. He loves going there as they play live music. I'm just hoping that he has got the confidence to go back. 'Over the last few years he has been a bit slower on his feet and now walks with a stick. 'He felt at home at the Trumpet he always parked his car, which was his pride and joy, in the same spot. She added: 'He is the kindest, politest man I know, a real proper old fashioned gentleman and I am proud to call him my dad. The widower was taken to Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital where he needed surgery to a head wound and treatment for a fractured hip. Yesterday his daughter Gisella Smith released a shocking photo of her father's injuries and made an emotive plea for information . 'He had literally just got in the car he hadn't even put his belt on when he was dragged from it. He then suffered a sustained attacked and was repeatedly punched and kicked. 'Luckily a passer-by spotted him and it was them that called the police. People from the pub then came out to help. They have been really upset about it all. 'I have no words really to describe how we feel about the attackers. There was no motive. It's not a fancy car but it was my dad's pride and joy. 'They smashed the windows in front of him before driving off. I'm just so glad he is alive when you hear the full details -you wouldn't wish it on anyone's dad and grandad.' As a young man as a young musician Mr Green was in the Mike Green Galaxy band - a regular resident band at the Civic in Wolverhampton - and his music has been played in the Royal Albert Hall. West Midlands Police said the thieves crashed Mr Green's car a short time later - less than four miles away from the pub. Mr Green was yanked from his car outside the Trumpet in Bilston, West Midlands, on Friday evening, where he had been enjoying live music . His daughter Gisella Smith released a shocking photo of her father's injuries and made an emotive plea for information . She said the 15-year-old car had been her father's 'pride and joy' and the callous attack has had a 'massive' effect on him . A 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of robbery and was later bailed pending further enquiries. But Det Chief Insp Pete Dunn, the senior investigating officer in the case, said the father-of-two was attacked by youths who may be as young as 15-years-old. He said: 'It is possible there were six teenagers involved. 'This is a significant attack which has resulted in one arrest of a young male so far. 'The lines of inquiry include looking at the vehicle, the CCTV from the pub and CCTV of where the vehicle was left. 'We are looking for six young males aged between 15- 18 and the victim is the only witness at the moment. 'The car was abandoned just one and a half miles from the public house. As a young man as a young musician Mr Green was in the Mike Green Galaxy band - a regular resident band at the Civic in Wolverhampton - who played at the Royal Albert Hall . Mr Green, 84, (pictured centre) was yanked out of his car outside the Trumpet in Bilston, West Midlands, on Friday evening. He was then beaten around the head with a metal weight by one of the group - who left him in the road with a broken hip and needing serious surgery to his head . Mr Green's daughter said: 'I have no words really to describe how we feel about the attackers. There was no motive. It's not a fancy car but it was my dad's pride and joy'' His car was a Toyota Avensis, similar to the one pictured . 'The attackers used a bag containing a heavy object to hit the victim across the head and dragged him across the floor. 'He was punched and kicked as well before they drove off.' He added: 'We have taken the unusual step to ask the family to help with our appeal. 'This was a motiveless and cowardly attack on a vulnerable and elderly man. 'This pub is a lifeline for Michael and to be attacked in this way is totally unacceptable. 'I will do everything within my power to bring these culprits to justice and I am appealing for the communities help. 'If anyone has any information no matter how insignificant I would urge them to call me or one of my team on 101.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Michael Green suffered a broken hip and head wounds in brutal attack .
The retired musician was leaving his local pub when he was yanked from car .
Widower was then kicked and punched and attacked with a metal weight .
He was left badly injured and lying in the gutter at The Trumpet in Bilston . |
05604447e7aa49dcfbb4afc4da451e58c8268577 | The iPhone may just put the 'I' in phone as a new study reveals that those who left their devices behind for even a few minutes felt a 'lessening of self.' A study from the University of Missouri called 'The Extended iSelf: The Impact of iPhone Separation on Cognition, Emotion, and Physiology,' found that being separated from the iPhone can lead to 'physiological anxiety' and 'poor cognitive performance.' The study published on Thursday in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication surveyed 40 iPhone using subjects from three different journalism courses. Scroll down for video . I miss my iPhone: The iPhone may just put the 'I' in phone as a new study reveals that those who left their devices behind for even a few minutes felt a 'lessening of self' The group was meant to be representative of students at a large university. CBS reports that during the first experiment members of the study were told to sit in a room and complete a puzzle while they still were in possession of their phone. They were then instructed to complete a second puzzle but were told that their phone was causing Bluetooth interference and would need to temporarily be confiscated. While subjects were completing the puzzle, the researchers called their phones and the subjects were able to hear it but did not know where it was nor were they allowed to answer it. During the study the researchers conducting the study took note of participant’s heart rate and blood pressure. A release published by the researchers said that when the subjects were separated from their phones their anxiety, heart rate, and blood pressure increased and they were less able to complete the puzzle. Researchers wrote that people should avoid being separated from their technology at all costs, especially during an important task. 'iPhone users avoid parting with their phones during daily situations that involve a great deal of attention,' said the release. Russell Clayton who worked on the study said that people in the study who were separated from their phones had debilitating separation anxiety. 'Our advice would be to carry your iPhone with you but to silence your phone during cognitively demanding tasks (i.e., work, meetings, exams, etc) in order to avoid any potential distractions that may reduce your attention throughout the day,' Clayton told The Huffington Post. Don't leave it at home: Researchers of the study recommend keeping one's iPhone handy during tasks to prevent 'poor cognitive performance' and anxiety . | The University of Missouri published a study called 'The Extended iSelf: The Impact of iPhone Separation on Cognition, Emotion, and Physiology'
The 40 subjects were asked to a complete two puzzles and had their iPhone confiscated during the second puzzle .
Subjects' anxiety spiked when being separated from their devices and they did poorly on the puzzle . |
0560a8536bed8e2cd353b4c9828bf03774186e5e | (CNN) -- New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush announced Tuesday that he would forfeit the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005 when he was at the University of Southern California. "I will forever appreciate the honor bestowed upon me as a winner of the Heisman," Bush wrote in a statement released by his pro team, the New Orleans Saints. "While this decision is heart-breaking, I find solace in knowing that the award was made possible by the support and love of so many. Those are gifts that can never be taken away." Bush, who skipped his senior season at USC to enter the National Football League draft, has been under a cloud since an NCAA investigation led to harsh sanctions against his alma mater. The investigation found that two would-be sports agents lavished gifts on the star and his family and that at least one member of the Trojans coaching staff knew about it. The NCAA gave the school four years of probation, forced it to vacate its last two wins of the 2004 season, including the 2005 Orange Bowl, and all of its wins in 2005. The school is banned from bowl games in 2010 and 2011 and cannot associate itself with Bush. Additionally, running backs coach Todd McNair has been banned from off-campus recruiting. The punishments were announced in June. "The persistent media speculation regarding allegations dating back to my years at USC has been both painful and distracting," Bush said in a statement released by the Saints. "In no way should the storm around these allegations reflect in any way on the dignity of this award, nor on any other institutions or individuals. Nor should it distract from outstanding performances and hard-earned achievements either in the past, present or future." The NCAA ruled that Bush lost his eligibility to play college football in December 2004. The Heisman Trophy Trust, which administers the award, has been conducting its own investigation. From December 2004, the sports agents, who were hoping to represent Bush in the NFL draft, allegedly paid for hotel rooms, rent on a home where Bush's family lived and a limousine ride to accept the Heisman in December 2005. But such payments are not allowed under NCAA rules. In his statement, Bush said he wanted to turn "a negative situation into a positive one by working with the Trustees to establish an educational program which will assist student-athletes and their families avoid some of the mistakes that I made." "I am determined to view this event as an opportunity to help others and to advance the values and mission of the Heisman Trophy Trust," he said. The Heisman "recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity," according to the award's website. "Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance and hard work." Bush helped lead the Saints to their first Super Bowl victory during the 2009-2010 season. | NCAA investigation: Reggie Bush received payments, gifts while playing at USC .
Investigation led to harsh sanctions against University of Southern California .
Star says he wants to help young athletes "avoid some of the mistakes I made" |
0561885fa27b3eaf9fd0f2f6936dd3250a04003d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:50 EST, 6 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:46 EST, 6 January 2013 . A dental assistant fired because her boss thought she was too attractive wants the Iowa Supreme Court to reconsider its decision rejecting her discrimination lawsuit. Melissa Nelson's attorney asked the all-male court Friday to withdraw its Dec. 21 ruling, which she called a 'significant blow to gender equality.' The court ruled that Nelson's firing by Fort Dodge dentist James Knight might've been unfair but wasn't illegal. Fired: Melissa Nelson was so attractive, Iowa dentist James Knight fired her out of fear she'd make him want to stray from his marriage . Hello ladies: Despite Nelson being 21 years younger than him, married, and 'not interested in a relationship,' Knight believed it would be too hard not to start an affair with her . The court - and specifically Justice . Edward Mansfield, who penned the decision - ruled firings of . employees who are an 'irresistible attraction' to bosses do not violate . the Iowa Civil Rights Act because they're motivated by feelings and emotion, not . gender. Nelson's filing says the court erred because her gender played a role in her termination. Knight said he fired Nelson because he'd grown too close to her and worried he'd try to start an affair. The court ruled 7-0 bosses can sack . employees they see as an 'irresistible attraction,' even if they have . not engaged in flirtatious behavior or otherwise done anything wrong. Talking with CNN recently, Nelson said of the decision, 'I don't think this is fair. I don't think this is right.' An attorney for Knight said the decision, the first of its kind in Iowa, is a victory for family values because Knight fired Nelson in the interest of saving his marriage, not because she was a woman. But Nelson's attorney said Iowa's all-male high court, one of only a handful in the nation, failed to recognize the discrimination women see routinely in the workplace. Nelson insisted she was never interested in Knight romantically, regardless of his own feelings. 'Absolutely not,' she said. 'I'm happily married.' Content: Happily married with children Nelson said she saw Knight as a father figure and had 'absolutely' no interest in him romantically . Since Knight fired her she has worked as a waitress six nights a week. While her former boss claimed her clothes were so tight he couldn't look at her without being aroused, Nelson said the only outfit she wore to work was standard scrubs worn by many nurses and assistants in dental offices. Asked if she saw herself as irresistibly attractive, Nelson laughed at the question. 'I'm just an ordinary girl,' she said. 'Just an ordinary mom.' Her attorney, Paige Fiedler, said, 'These judges sent a message to Iowa women that they don't think men can be held responsible for their sexual desires and that Iowa women are the ones who have to monitor and control their bosses' sexual desires. If they get out of hand, then the women can be legally fired for it.' Nelson, 32, worked for Knight for 10 years, and he considered her a stellar worker. But in the final months of her employment, he complained that her tight clothing was distracting, once telling her that if his pants were bulging that was a sign her clothes were too revealing, according to the opinion. He also once allegedly remarked about her infrequent sex life by saying, 'that's like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it.' 'That's like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it.' Knight and Nelson — both married with children — started exchanging text messages, mostly about personal matters, such as their families. Knight's wife, who also worked in the dental office, discovered the messages and demanded Nelson be fired. The Knights consulted their pastor, who agreed that terminating Nelson was appropriate. Knight fired Nelson and gave her one month's severance. He later told Nelson's husband he worried he was getting too personally attached and feared he would eventually try to start an affair with her. Family man: Knight's wife, who also works in the dental office, demanded Nelson be fired when she discovered text messages . Ordinary mom: Nelson has been working as a waitress since she lost her dental job and is unsure of her future career path . Nelson was stunned because she viewed . the 53-year-old Knight as a father figure and had never been interested . in starting a relationship, Fiedler said. Nelson filed a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination, arguing Knight wouldn't have terminated her if she was male. She did not allege sexual harassment because Knight's conduct may not have risen to that level and didn't particularly offend her, Fiedler said. However, it has been revealed Knight sent Nelson raunchy text messages about six months before her dismissal asking how often she 'experiences orgasms.' 'The motives . behind Dr. Knight terminating Mrs. Nelson were quite clear: He did so . to preserve his marriage. Knight argued Nelson was fired not because of her gender, but because her continued employment threatened his marriage. A district judge agreed, dismissing the case before trial, and the high court upheld that ruling. Mansfield noted that Knight had an all-female workforce and Nelson was replaced by a woman. He said the decision was in line with state and federal court rulings that found workers can be fired for relationships that cause jealousy and tension within a business owner's family. One such case from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a business owner's firing of a valued employee who was seen by his wife as a threat to their marriage. In that case, the fired employee had engaged in flirtatious conduct. Jurisprudence: Justice Edward Mansfield penned the Iowa Supreme Court's decision on Knight's dismissal of Melissa Nelson . Mansfield said allowing Nelson's lawsuit would stretch the definition of discrimination to allow anyone fired over a relationship to file a claim arguing they would not have been fired but for their gender. Knight's attorney, Stuart Cochrane, said the court got it right. The decision clarified that bosses can make decisions showing favoritism to a family member without committing discrimination; in this case, by allowing Knight to honor his wife's wishes to fire Nelson, he said. Knight is a very religious and moral individual, and he sincerely believed that firing Nelson would be best for all parties, he said. 'While there was really no fault on the part of Mrs. Nelson, it was just as clear the decision to terminate her was not related to the fact that she was a woman,' he said. 'The motives behind Dr. Knight terminating Mrs. Nelson were quite clear: He did so to preserve his marriage. 'I don't view this as a decision that was either pro-women or opposed to women rights at all. In my view, this was a decision that followed the appropriate case law.' | A lawyer for Melissa Nelson on Friday asked the Iowa Supreme Court to void its Dec. 21 ruling .
Court ruled 7-0 James Knight legally dismissed Nelson .
Knight fired 10-year assistant because she wore tight outfits and was 'irresistible'
Assistant says she was happily married and only wore scrubs .
Knight's wife demanded dismissal after finding hubby's texts to Nelson .
Decision was made on the advice of Knight's pastor . |
05621db24ddf5470a10304ad10d5c0ba71403238 | Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- He might have some 60 albums under his belt and numerous awards to his name but iconic Zimbabwean musician Oliver Mtukudzi has no plans to slow down. "Retiring from what?" he asks purposefully when asked if he'd consider a break from music. "This is me," explains 60-year-old Mtukudzi moments before he hits the stage at the Market Theater in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa. "I'm doing me; I'm not doing a career. This is who I am; I can't retire really from myself." It is, then, no surprise that award-winning Mtukudzi, who is affectionately called Tuku by his fans, decided to mark his birthday last September with the release of yet another album. Called "Sarawoga," which means "left alone" in Shona, Mtukudzi's latest album is a tribute to his beloved son Sam, who died in a car crash in 2010 aged 21. Watch Mtukudzi performing . The recording comes after a long period of grief for the soft-spoken artist. "I'm still learning to live with it," says Ntukudzi, who had written and rehearsed many of the album's songs with his son; Sam was a highly talented multi-instrumentalist himself who pursued his own music career but would also often perform with his father. "I've only released my first offering this year and for the past two years I didn't even think about my music really," says Ntukudzi. "I was just thinking of him and trying to recover, even though music was my therapy. I think I've performed more shows since 2010 up to today than ever before because that's the only therapy I've got." Read related: Afrobeats going global . Born into a musical family in 1952, Mtukudzi has been successfully performing for nearly four decades throughout Africa as well as in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. His foot-stomping music has been described as a mixture of Zimbabwean pop style "jit" and South African township pop. Through his distinct sound and inspiring lyrics, he's documented the joy and pain of his countrymen who fought for freedom under colonial rule and died for democracy after Zimbabwe's independence in 1980. "Where I come from you don't get to sing a song if you have nothing to say," says the musician, who grew up in Highfield, a ghetto neighborhood in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare. "So every song has something to do with that man in the street, he must be able to use it in his life." As a young boy, Mtukudzi joined choirs to improve his singing talent and taught himself how to play a three-string guitar. He soon started writing and recording songs and after an illustrious career he is today one of Zimbabwe's best-known musicians. Read related: The man who brought MTV to Africa . More than just an entertainer, Mtukudzi is committed to addressing everyday social challenges, using his music as a vehicle to speak about the issues he's passionate about. In 2003 he founded an art center in Norton, near Harare, and last year he became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for eastern and southern Africa, focusing on youth development and HIV/AIDS. Mtukudzi, who lost his brother Robert and several band members to AIDS, recently took his campaign to eradicate the HIV/AIDS stigma to mothers in Tanzania. He is also outspoken against patriarchy and has criticized polygamy as a practice that increases the risk of spreading HIV. But as well as tackling heated and important issues with his songs, the artist-turned-activist has also been producing and starring in feature films since the early 1990s, using his celebrity to empower and influence others. Released in the early 1990s, feature film "Neria" questions the place of tradition in the life of contemporary African women. The theme song remains to this day one of Mtukudzi's most popular tracks. "I know sound is OK but visual can be better ... because it sticks in your head," he says. "If you see things you get to understand things much better than when you just hear things. That's why we do short films and try and show them to the people." Read related: Malian kora legend breaks music barriers . Back at the Market Theater, a few minutes before his sold-out concert begins, Mtukudzi admits that he still doesn't known which songs from his long repertoire he will play to his audience. His show, he says, is all about the moment. "I don't write a setlist," he explains. "How do I know the show is going to be for me to plan? I just look for the first song -- if I find the first song everything falls into place, because I don't know the mood of the day, so as I get into the mood I get the songs." What's more certain, however, is that his audience is in for a memorable show. | Oliver Mtukudzi, 60, is an award-winning Zimbabwean musician .
His latest album is a tribute to his son who died in a car crash in 2010 .
Mtukudzi, known as Tuku to his fans, uses his music to campaign against AIDS stigma and polygamy .
He's also ventured into feature films to address social challenges in modern day Africa . |
0562316358df673dec5d5611ee741dcb7d4180ed | It is almost 28 years to the day since Diego Maradona knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup, but Gary Lineker let bygones be bygones as the former England striker joked with the Argentina legend about his infamous 'Hand of God' goal. Lineker took time out from his role as a BBC pundit in Brazil to appear on Maradona's live TV show on Sunday and, in Spanish, joked: 'It is 28 years ago today, right? How's that hand of yours?' The pair have a history together after the former Leicester forward tracked the World Cup winner to Buenos Aires in 2006 for BBC documentary, 'When Lineker met Maradona'. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Peter Reid kiss Diego Maradona's infamous left hand . Good to see you, Diego: Gary Lineker jokes with Maradona about his 'Hand of God' goal which knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup . Bygones: Gary Lineker holds up Diego Maradona's infamous left hand during the live TV show . Pat: Lineker joked about how it was 28 years ago since Maradona's infamous goal against England in 1986 . All smiles: Lineker tracked Maradona in 2006 for a BBC documentary ahead of the World Cup in Germany . 'Hand of God': Maradona sticks out a hand to the ball out ahead of Peter Shilton and into the goal . Winner: Argentina went on to lift the 1986 World Cup with talisman Maradona becoming a legend . Pals: Lineker tweeted 'it was great to catch up with Diego Armando Maradona' on Monday . Gary Lineker's search of Diego Maradona ahead of the 2006 World Cup - hosted by Germany and won by Italy - saw the ex-England striker meet the Argentina legend in Buenos Aires. Maradona admitted the 'Hand of God' goal was 'cunning' on his part, but is yet to call it an act of cheating. It emerged the BBC paid an undisclosed fee to Maradona to appear on the show, with £50,000 the alleged amount. The pair looked in high spirits joking together in the studio as Lineker first held Maradona's right arm aloft on the daily Venezuelan TV show, before the Argentinian corrected him with his left. It wasn't all about that infamous goal, though, as Lineker went on to describe Maradona's second, where he took on Peter Reid, Peter Beardsley, Terry Fenwick and Terry Butcher twice, as 'the best I saw in my career'. The 'Hand of Goal' goal has never sat right with the majority of England fans, least of all that day's goalkeeper Peter Shilton, but Lineker seems to have gotten over the controversy. It echoes ex-England midfielder Peter Reid who, in 2011, kissed Maradona's hand and called him a 'top man' during a reunion of the 1986 World Cup foes. Lineker, during his search for Maradona in his documentary ahead of the 2006 World Cup, was told the handball was 'cunning' by the man himself. The Argentina hero is yet to admit to cheating. The BBC admitted to paying an undisclosed fee to Maradona to appear in the show, with £50,000 the alleged amount. Truce: Maradona tells Lineker an explanation of his infamous 1986 World Cup goal that killed England . 'When Lineker met Maradona': The pair discussed their past controversies, namely 1986, in the documentary . Back in the day: Lineker meets Maradona in 2006 during the BBC's documentary . | Gary Lineker jokes and pats Diego Maradona on back about 'Hand of God' goal that - 28 years ago today - knocked England out of 1986 World Cup .
Both played in the quarter-final that Argentina won 2-1 with Lineker scoring a consolation goal for England after Maradona had struck twice .
Lineker was a BBC pundit for Russia vs Belgium and Portugal vs USA on Sunday before appearing as a guest on Maradona's live TV show .
Former England striker tracked the Argentine legend in 2006 for BBC documentary 'When Lineker met Maradona'
Lineker says Maradona's second goal in quarter-final was best he has seen . |
05628910023dc986fceaa84b997faf7f3f0af260 | It's considered a time honored Thanksgiving tradition to devour the delicious turkey dinner. But one woman has created the ultimate Thanksgiving meal...using nothing but Rice Krispies. Jessica Siskin, a New York-based food artist, decided to create the incredible life-like plate of food with all of the trimmings, including mash potatoes and gravy, turkey, corn and stuffing. Delicious: Jessica Siskin, a New York-based food artist created the incredible life-like Thanksgiving meal . Talented: Jessica Siskin, pictured here, has created the incredible life-like plate of food ahead of Thanksgiving . Her one-of-a kind meal is featured on the social media site, Instagram, under the handle Mister Krisp where she sells her incredible art. Her page features dozens of images of everyday items such as chicken wings and even a bowl of hummus to go with the big meal, all transformed with Rice Krispies. She has even managed to cleverly re-create something to talk about after dinner with the cheeky image of Kim Kardashian's now famous booty picture featured in Paper Magazine. Siskin said she originally came up with the innovative idea for the treats when she needed to make a dessert for a friend's potluck last fall, and settled on a Rice Krispie Treat. 'I don't know how to cook anything besides Rice Krispie Treats' she tells MailOnline. Each treat that she makes, typically takes between 40 minutes and two hours to make. And she is clear about why she enjoys using the breakfast cereal in her food art. 'Because everything tastes better when it's made of rice krispie treat...except pizza,' she writes. Booty: She has even managed to cleverly re-create the cheeky image of Kim Kardashian's now famous booty picture featured in Paper Magazine for something to talk about after dinner . Food: Her page features dozens of images of everyday items and even a bowl of hummus . Hot item: Depending on your taste, these Rice Krispie chicken wings could be a part of the Thanksgiving dinner . Support: Siskin used to work for the Olsen twins, seen here, and said 'They've been so supportive' The talented artist previously worked at Elizabeth and James, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's fashion line. 'They've been so supportive,' she says of the Olsen twins, adding that Elzabeth and James sent Mister Krisp snowmen to the brand's top customers for the holidays. Now, as families across the country prepare for their annual Thanksgiving dinner, Siskin's Rice Krispie version is enough to set off a whole host of cravings ahead of November 27. It's fortunate that this non-traditional meal is, in fact totally edible. | The meal is the brainchild of Jessica Siskin, a New York-based food artist .
She created the incredible Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings .
The delicious-looking plate of food has turkey, mashed potatoes and corn .
She showcases her art on Instagram under the handle 'Mister Krisp' |
0562ec9ff16cc8951817045a85daa63effb54148 | (CNN) -- A former detention deputy with an Idaho sheriff's office has been charged with raping his wife, placing her in a car trunk and driving to his mother's residence, where he allegedly killed his mother, authorities said Wednesday. Michael James Lee, 24, of Meridian, had no previous criminal history and was fired from the department about a year ago, said Andrea Dearden, spokeswoman for the Ada County Sheriff's Office in Boise. Lee was arraigned Wednesday on six felony charges, including first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, rape and aggravated assault, Dearden said in a press release. According to the sheriff's office, Lee on Tuesday assaulted his wife, bound her with chains and tape, put her in the trunk of a car and drove to his mother's house in the neighboring city of Eagle, about 15 miles northwest of Boise. He also threatened to harm their 4-month-old daughter, who also was driven to the house, according to the statement. Lee's wife later said he was going to his mother's house to rob her, authorities said. Lee had dinner with his mother, and spoke with her and the woman's 56-year-old female roommate. The roommate said she went to lie down. The roommate "heard a noise" and found Lee with his mother, authorities said. The suspect was holding a knife and had stabbed his mother multiple times, according to authorities. CNN affiliates KTVB and KBCI identified the victim as Lynn Marie Blake, 46. "While this was going on, the wife, who had been in the trunk for an hour, heard a car and used the emergency latch to get out of the trunk and ran to get help," according to the Ada County Sheriff's Office statement. Deputies found Lee next to his mother's body, according to authorities. The roommate, who had tried to intervene, was attacked by Lee but managed to escape from the house with the infant girl, Dearden said. Her injuries were not life-threatening. | Former deputy charged with murder, rape and kidnapping .
Idaho deputies arrrested him after discovering dead mother .
Suspect was arraigned on charges Wednesday . |
0564132428d3f924e5a6a09c8fc1e77eed66b33b | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 20:05 EST, 26 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:25 EST, 27 September 2013 . Reality TV stars attended a party at the Big Brother house to celebrate The National Trust's controversial move to open the iconic building to the public. Model Sophie Anderton and cage fighter Alex Reid were among the many former housemates to take a trip down memory lane. Reid, 38, the ex-husband of media personality Katie Price, said he was thrilled to return to the site of his win in 2010. Oops! Sophie Anderton flashes her peach-coloured knickers at the National Trust gala opening of the Big Brother House in Elstree Studios . Past CBB winner Alex Reid attended . an event to celebrate the opening of the Big Brother house to the public as a National Trust property . He said: 'The night before coming in I had second thoughts but I knew I had to do it. I wanted to be known as an actor and an athlete but I was known for my sex life. 'When I came in I treated it like a fight and turned boos into cheers,' he told the Daily Star. 2007 winner Brian Belo also attended, comparing the site to an exclusive private school. He said: 'It's surreal really. I feel like I'm an old Etonian visiting the school again.' Visitors will be able to have a look around the house at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, for just two days. The 500 tickets sold out within 12 minutes. Big effort: Big Brother 7 housemate Nikki Grahame attended with a damaged foot . Check it out: Visitors were able to see the inside the most famous house under surveillance on Thursday night . Quite the party: Housemates and members of the public conversed in the main living room of the Big Brother house . However, the plan to open up the Big Brother house was criticised by former MP Ann Widdecombe who said she was 'saddened' by the move. The former politician believes the Trust should concentrate on properties which had 'stood the test of time'. The property with its ever-changing . decor has been home to figures such as Vinnie Jones, Ivana Trump and . Vanessa Feltz who have taken part in Celebrity Big Brother over the . years. The . National Trust’s London director Ivo Dawnay said: 'The fact that the . housemates’ residence is not, say, a sublime late Robert Adam country . house does not necessarily make it less interesting. 'The great houses of our past reflected the tastes of the day and so does the Big Brother House.' Scroll down for video . Brush with fame: The Big Brother House will be open to visitors thanks to the National Trust . The National Trust admitted the scheme to open the house up was just a bit of light-hearted fun . The house has undergone many changes during its 13-year history . He added: 'Our tongues are not a million miles from our cheeks - unusual for an organisation not most famous for its sense of humour. We hope that by opening the Big Brother house we are paving the way to an altogether wittier future.' But Miss Widdecombe - a former contestant on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing - told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: 'I’m rather saddened by this. 'I’m a member of the National Trust and I’m not going to be burning my membership card because of this, but I don’t think it’s part of the National Trust’s mission.' Traditional: The recently-restored Castle Drogo in Devon is the kind of property people normally associate with the National Trust . Miss Widdecombe said she accepted that the Trust should update its portfolio and not 'just wholly go for historic homes', but questioned whether it should be getting involved with the Big Brother house, rather than BBC Television Centre, which is due for redevelopment. 'I do think something has to stand the test of time before you can seriously call it heritage,' she said. 'I don’t think it needs to be tawdry and celebrity-obsessed. There’s lots of candidates around that I think you could choose for this sort of exercise.' 'Even Prime Ministers have discovered in their time that trying to make things look more trendy can upset people who are pretty loyal.' | Launch party sees former stars of the reality TV show return to the set .
Visitors will be able look around the famous house for two days .
Trust said it will allow people the chance to experience the iconic TV location .
But former MP Ann Widdecombe called it 'tawdry' and 'celebrity-obsessed' |
0564a8673db999ebbbcb18979987a40462e29417 | Universal Studios has a sealed an agreement to open a £2bn theme park in Beijing, the culmination of a 13-year effort to enter China's fast-growing entertainment market. US theme park operators are rushing to build in China, where there are few high-quality parks and park revenues are growing rapidly as city dwellers spend more on entertainment and travel. The Beijing Universal theme park, to be developed with the state firm Beijing Tourism Group Co, will have China-themed attractions in addition to well-known ones based on Western brands like the Harry Potter series when it opens. Theme park: Chairman of Universal Parks and resorts Tom Williams, alongside Minion from the Despicable Me . Plans for the future: The projected £2bn development of Universal's Beijing theme park . Tom Williams, chairman and chief executive of Universal Parks and Resorts, told a news conference in Beijing that the park would also aim to draw visitors from outside China, while Hollywood director Steven Spielberg said on video that he would be participating in its design. 'There is Disneyland in Hong Kong, but there isn't really anything of equivalent quality of a tourist attraction on the mainland yet,' said James Roy, associate principle of China Market Research Group. 'It has a chance to be very successful.' Universal's Beijing development will rival Walt Disney's Shanghai plan (pictured) It will compete against rival Walt Disney Co, which is constructing a £2.8bn theme park set to be completed next year, as well as a £2bn entertainment complex that DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc and Chinese partners are working to finish by 2016. Both of those parks will be located in Shanghai. Universal declined to comment on an opening date but a local newspaper said the opening was slated for 2019. The Beijing theme park will feature Western themes such as Harry Potter, alongside Chinese developments . Universal Studios is set to add another theme park alongside its Singapore attraction . Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment unit of Comcast Corp, the largest cable company in the US. It operates theme parks in Los Angeles, Orlando, Osaka and Singapore. Comcast reported £620m in total theme park income in 2013. Universal and Beijing Tourism Group (BTG) will create two joint-venture companies to build and manage the project. BTG will hold 70 per cent of the construction firm, while Universal will hold 70 per cent of the operating company. The park will be developed on about 300 acres in eastern Beijing. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (left), at the Orlando Universal park, could be reborn in Beijing, as rivals Disneyland have been a success in Hong Kong (right) In good spirits: Duan Qiang (left), chairman of the Beijing Tourism Group, points to movie stills . They said the Beijing park will include attractions from other Universal parks as well as new ones reflecting China's cultural heritage. The complex will eventually cover about 1,000 acres and feature a Universal CityWalk entertainment zone and a Universal-themed resort hotel. It will be the third Universal park in Asia, with the others in Singapore and Osaka, Japan. | Theme park operators are rushing to enter China's fast-growing market .
A local newspaper says the 1,000-acre resort will open in 2019 .
Hollywood director Steven Spielberg will contribute to its design .
Resort will compete with Walt Disney's proposed Shanghai theme park . |
0564b2a2894749d64d0c9bb519e7625d61251952 | (CNN Student News) -- October 5, 2010 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Washington, D.C. • Germany • Massachusetts . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Broadcasting from the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, CNN Student News is ringing the bell! It is my job and pleasure to be your anchor -- I'm Carl Azuz. In the next ten minutes, we'll bring you up to speed on today's headlines. First Up: Community College Plan . AZUZ: First up -- McDonald's and Gap -- they're two of the businesses that are getting involved in a new education plan by President Obama. It's called "Skills for America's Future." And its purpose, according to the president, is to link up community college students with the businesses that could hire them. So one part of this, for example: Gap, the clothing business, says it plans to start offering community college students the chance to build their skills and possibly get jobs down the road. While talking about this, the president, who's a Democrat, spoke out against Republicans, saying they are trying to cut education from the government's budget by 20 percent, in order to save money. A Republican representative says it's President Obama's government spending that threatens education by creating debt that today's students will have to pay for. Shoutout . CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Mrs. Schweizer's Academic Stretch classes at LaSalle Springs Middle School in Wildwood, Missouri! The 1919 Treaty of Versailles officially ended what war? You know what to do! Was it: A) World War I, B) World War II, C) Hundred Years' War, D) or the Spanish-American War? You've got three seconds -- GO! The Treaty of Versailles was the document that brought World War I, or the Great War, to an end. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout. End of Great War . AZUZ: Well, in a manner of speaking, it ended with the Treaty of Versailles. See, World War I was completely over this weekend. You're like, "what?" Listen to this: As part of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany -- who was blamed for starting the Great War -- was fined the equivalent of hundreds of billions of dollars. The money was needed to rebuild Europe, parts of which were decimated by shelling, gunning, bombing, in the most destructive war the world had ever seen at the time. But Germany, who'd just been defeated, had trouble paying all that money. And for awhile, under Adolf Hitler, it refused to pay that money. Well, flash forward to the 1990s. Decades after World War II and the division of east and west Germany, the country was once again reunited in 1995. And it took up the job of paying back what it still owed from World War I. The last installment of interest, dating back to the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, was finally paid on October 3rd, 2010. Ocean Census . AZUZ: Well, it was on October 4th, 2010 that results came out from a census on the world's oceans. This took time, work and money: 10 years to survey marine life, 2,700 scientists from around the world, $650 million. It's not easy to take a census of the waters that cover 70 percent of the Earth's surface. Here's the big headline from the report: There are more ocean species than even scientists imagined. One-million-plus, when they used to think there were only a quarter of that! Also interesting -- estimates of what scientists still don't know. For example, more than 16,000 species of fish have been identified. They now think that an additional 5,000 species still haven't been discovered. In the words of one researcher: Life in the sea "astonished us everywhere we looked." Bullying in Schools . AZUZ: This week, CNN is focused on the issue of bullying in schools: What causes it and what can be done to stop it. Last school year, we took an informal survey at CNNStudentNews.com asking how many of you had ever witnessed bullying. 87 percent said they had. A student who recently spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper, described how being bullied made him feel. (BEGIN VIDEO) ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, ANDERSON COOPER 360°, NEW YORK: Jason, how about you? JASON, BULLYING VICTIM: I guess I was bullied on a regular daily basis from April of last year until the end of this school year. One day this school year now I saw him and he punched me in the throat. That wasn't cool. COOPER: He just punched you. JASON: Yeah. I didn't even see him coming, he just came out of nowhere and hit me. But he would probably just be calling me names, all because I was smarter than him or the music that I listen to. Just pretty much if I was different from him, he would find a name to call me that was related to the difference and just call me that name. And its like after a while, after so much of this stuff they tell you, you start to believe it and you start to think that it's your own fault. Many kids that I know just think that its their own fault so they actually change themselves and change their appearance just to try and fit in. And bullies spawn other bullies because like in the beginning. They pick on other kids to keep themselves from being picked on . COOPER: I wasn't bullied very much in school, but I remember folks who were and I think I was just probably a bystander, I think which makes me probably as culpable as those who bully because I just stood by and just watched other people being bullied. But, meeting the people who were bullies at my high school reunion, and then meeting kids who had been bullied, the ones who had been bullied were actually the most interesting people, because they were the ones who back then were kind kind of different in one way or another and back then difference was made fun of, but in real life, as soon as you leave school, difference is what makes you special and unique and makes you interesting. (END VIDEO) Blog Report . AZUZ: Couldn't agree with him more. At CNNStudentNews.com, we recently asked what you think the worst form of bullying is. The results so far: 35 percent say it's physical bullying. 37 percent say verbal. 28 percent say cyber. One thing you all seem to agree on, what Valerie says right here: "All types of bullying are horrible. Spreading around rumors can be just as bad as a punch to the face." Becka agrees. She says "verbal and physical bullying are worst; they mess with your head and make you think you're worthless." Lucas feels "the most common form of bullying has to be verbal. It's hard to prove, hard to catch, and hard to ignore." Seth says "cyber and verbal bullying can be shaken off, but physical bullying can leave you with bumps and bruises." But Grason writes, whoever said "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" has obviously never been to middle school." All of you have had very good comments on this subject -- thank you for talking to us about it. Is This Legit? CNN STUDENT NEWS: Is this legit? New York's Madison Avenue is a symbol of the U.S. finance industry. Not legit! New York City's Madison Avenue is most closely associated with the advertising industry. Ads on School Notices . AZUZ: It'd be interesting to see what Madison Avenue thinks of this: a school's plan to allow advertisements on the back of school notices that elementary kids take home. So syllabuses, permission slips, notes that kids are given for their parents to look at, those could soon have these on the back: Advertisements for local businesses. This is the plan at Peabody Public Schools in Massachusetts. The reason for it, we've covered a lot this year. The schools need money, and this is one way to raise it. Here's how a member of the Peabody School Committee explained the reasons behind the plan. DAVID MCGENEY, PEABODY SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER: Well, we can only go to the taxpayers so often. They're tapped out. The parents are certainly tapped out, with all of the fees that they're incurring. So I thought it was time to bring in the business element and make it entirely voluntary and try to raise money that way. AZUZ: But the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is one group that's not on board with this. Here's what they say: "It is not hard to imagine that students who serve as couriers for ads for pizza parlors and ice cream shops will lobby their parents to go to these locations the second they get home. Participating in this advertising scheme may actually cause a backlash against businesses since parents may view them as exploiters instead of community partners. Blog Promo . AZUZ: You could really go either way on this which is why it makes for a great blog! How would you react if your little brother brought home a permission slip, with an advertisement on the back? Would you feel he's being taken advantage of or that it's a good way for his school to get needed funds? CNNStudentNews.com! Before We Go . AZUZ: Before we go, a tale of two bacons. There's the actor Kevin Bacon and then there's the bacon you put on your salad, or potatoes, or sculpture. The edible icon -- we're talking about the bacon made of bacon, of course -- came from a man at a bacon salt company. He did this to raise money for kids at a children's hospital. The dough he makes from this bacon would be used to buy needy kids balloons, gifts and toys. Goodbye . AZUZ: Who would've thought that bacon, could've been so sweet? CNN Student news will be bakin' up stories for you all week on HLN, on iTunes, and online. We'll see ya later! | Hear why some say that World War I actually ended last Sunday .
Discover what scientists have learned about marine biodiversity .
Weigh in on a plan to put ads on school notices .
Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today's featured news stories . |
056542ee30fc3bc9b418cf4c5eec6211b01b8518 | By . Francesca Infante . PUBLISHED: . 19:25 EST, 10 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:42 EST, 11 March 2013 . He suffered a very public humiliation when his apology over tuition fees was turned into a spoof video that went viral. And it seems Nick Clegg was hoping for a greater success from this keynote address by incorporating the moves of someone a little more popular, namely Korean pop star Psy. Speaking yesterday at the Lib Dem party conference in Brighton the Deputy Prime Minister seemed to be doing his own version of the popular Gangnam style dance routine. Nick Clegg could have inadvertently imitated Psy's dance as he compared the Tories to a trolley veering right . Taking the reins: Nick Clegg looked like Korean singer Psy as he made his keynote conference speech in Brighton . He was caught by photographers gesturing at the ceiling with both arms and crossing both hands in front of him in a remarkably similar fashion to the pop star in his distinctive ‘horsey style’ dance. Mr Clegg isn’t the first to imitate the . South Korean pop star’s moves – Hugh Jackman, Heidi Klum, Britney Spears . and Madonna have already recorded their own versions of the dance. His flamboyant body language might have been an attempt to act out his latest metaphor for David Cameron and the Conservative party - which he compared to a ‘broken shopping trolley’ that keeps veering to the right. Buoyed with confidence following his party’s victory in the Eastleigh by-election, he gave a rousing speech to members at the Liberal Democrat Spring conference. Giddy up: Nick Clegg was confident following the success at the Eastleigh by-election and seemed to mimic the Gangnam style dance during his speech . Despite woeful poll ratings yesterday . suggesting the party could lose half its seats in a General Election, he . insisted the Liberal Democrats had proved they were no longer a party . of protest. The Lib Dem . leader told a rapturous audience in Brighton they were ‘no longer the . none-of-the-above choice...we are a party that is for things, not simply . against things’. And he . spelled out what he was against by turning his fire on his Coalition . partners, saying it was the Liberal Democrats who kept the Government . ‘anchored in the centre ground’. ‘The Conservatives, on their own, will never deliver the fairer society - it’s just not who they are’, he said. ‘The . Conservative party knows it needs to stay on the centre ground to have . any chance of speaking to ordinary people’s concerns. At least the . leadership seem to. ‘But . they just can’t manage it no matter how hard they try. They’re like a . kind of broken shopping trolley. Every time you try and push them . straight ahead they veer off to the right hand side.’ Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg called for unity in the party as he appeared to imitate solo singer Psy . He also tried to play down tensions within his party on austerity, particularly with Mr Cable, who did not address the conference and was relegated to fringe events. The unity of the Liberal Democrats is ‘what our enemies most fear’, Mr Clegg said. ‘No one will know what we stand for unless we stand together’. He told activists:’Get back out there. Tell our side of the story. And we will win again. On the doorstep, in town halls, in Government. Keep fighting for what we believe in. Keeping winning’. | Nick Clegg seemed to imitate the Gangnam Style dance made famous by Psy .
He compared Tories to a faulty supermarket trolley for veering to the right . |
05657b871694c3a5b31a0fc63746ef382b31e32c | A mother-of-nine who claims £38,000 a year in handouts and demanded a bigger council house for her huge family is pregnant again - this time with twins. Cheryl Prudham, 32, and her husband Robert, 29, are set to receive at least a further £1,400 in handouts when the baby girls arrive. Mrs Prudham said she will 'not be made to feel guilty' for having children' as she and her husband both work part-time. Mother-of-nine Cheryl Prudham who claims £38,000 a year in handouts and demanded a bigger council house for her huge family is pregnant again - this time with twins . Last year the couple, from Sittingbourne, Kent - who were living . in a three-bedroom council house at the time - said they were entitled . to a bigger house, because they both work part-time. Eventually the couple were able to arrange a house swap and they moved to a £200,000 property, also in Kent, the Sun reports. But the expectant mother is still not happy with the swap - organised via Facebook with a family looking to downsize - because she had to move away from her preferred area of Sittingbourne. She admits her huge brood were not especially planned because she and her husband do not like using contraception. Speaking after her bid for a new house last year, she said: 'In the past I have been on contraception but I got pregnant with the coil and the pill just doesn't settle well with me. 'We don't use condoms and me and Rob have never talked about it. 'I did rely on benefits before but I am motivated to be more than a mother.' And she admitted: 'I was surprised by the cost of our kids in the end.' Cheryl had her first son George, 13, when she was just 17 and was living in a homeless hostel in Kent in the summer of 2000. She soon moved into a flat with her ex-boyfriend and had second son, Jack, 12, and her eldest daughter Caitlin, eight. The mother then had three unplanned pregnancies Maisie, seven, Lillie, five, and Madison, four. The couple are set to receive at least a further £1,400 in handouts when the baby girls arrive. Mrs Prudham said she will 'not be made to feel guilty' for having children' as she and her husband both work part-time . Mrs Prudham revealed that in her old house her children, who are aged between nine months and 13, sit on the floor to eat at meal times because there is not enough space for a dining table. In March 2009 she met current husband Rob and they had Leon, now three. They then had Lenny, now two, before completing the family with daughter Lainey in January this year - before she discovered she was pregnant once again with twins. The couple both recently started working 20 hours per week a week as carers. Neither pays any income tax because their earnings fall below the minimum threshold - earning them just under £1,400 a month. They then receive £400 child tax credits, topped up by £70 working tax credits, and their £123 a week rent is footed by the council. They already reportedly receive £7,326 a year in child benefit. | Cheryl and Robert Prudham last year demanded a bigger council house .
Eventually they arranged house swap - but are still not happy with choice .
Mrs Prudham said she will 'not be made to feel guilty' for having children'
The couple work 20 hours a week - but are still entitled to benefits . |
05658accda2d6f9deb9c07477bb1cb112a0ce664 | By . Ian Drury, Defence Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 19:36 EST, 30 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 03:28 EST, 31 January 2014 . David Cameron yesterday cited the success of fictional television spies as a reason for reviving the controversial ‘snoopers’ charter’. The Prime Minister said he wanted to resurrect plans to allow the police and security services to eavesdrop on the public’s internet and mobile phone use. The contentious legislation was dropped last year amid a storm of protest from civil liberties groups and the Liberal Democrats. But I saw it on TV: The Prime Minister cited fictional spies in his appearance before the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy yesterday, prompting anger from backbench Tory David Davis . Did I just say that? Cameron was defending proposed new powers for spies to search through e-mails . Mr Cameron said: '¿In the most serious crimes [such as] child abduction, communications data... is absolutely vital ¿ who called who and when, and where was the telephone at the time. Not the content, but the data' But in an extraordinary intervention, . Mr Cameron pledged to introduce ‘essential’ new laws after watching TV . shows Spooks, Homeland and US Sherlock Holmes spin-off Elementary. The . award-winning - but fictional - TV crime dramas all portray police and . intelligence officers using communications data to catch villains. Life imitates art: Mr Cameron may have been inspired by Homeland, pictured . He told a parliamentary security committee that monitoring private information was essential to keep citizens safe from terrorist attack and serious criminals. He said: ‘In the most serious crimes [such as] child abduction, communications data... is absolutely vital – who called who and when, and where was the telephone at the time. Not the content, but the communications data. ‘I love watching crime dramas on the television. There’s hardly a crime drama where a crime is solved without using the data of a mobile communications device.’ ‘We have to explain to people is . that... if we don’t modernise the practice and the law, over time we . will have the communications data to solve these horrible crimes on a . shrinking proportion of the total use of devices and that is a real . problem for keeping people safe. ‘Everybody . raises questions about who has access to my data and why but I’m . absolutely convinced that proper rules for communications data is . essential.’ But Mr Cameron faced ridicule, including from those in his own party. Tory MP David Davis, who has opposed the snoopers’ charter, said: ‘Sadly, you can’t derive policy from watching fictional crime dramas on TV. Policy should be made using hard evidence, strong arguments and proper data, not the exploits of fictional crime fighters.’ Lib Dem chairman Tim Farron said: ‘Serious policies should be based on evidence, and after to listening to experts, and not based on what you saw on Homeland.’ Information superhighway: Data analysis features heavily in TV shows like Spooks, pictured . And Emma Carr, of Big Brother Watch, said the proposed snoopers’ charter would have put every citizen under surveillance ‘in a way that the Home Office now acknowledges went too far’. She added: 'These are very complex issues with enormous implications for privacy. Perhaps the Prime Minister should read President Obama’s independent surveillance review rather than relying on television programmes.' During an appearance before MPs and Peers on the Joint National Security Strategy Committee, Mr Cameron acknowledged that reviving the unpopular legislation was ‘contentious’. The new security Bill, which would have forced internet companies to store for a year details of all Britons’ online activity, was blocked last year by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. But Mr Cameron believes action is still needed to reflect the fact criminals are increasingly using internet phone calls or social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate. Grilling: Mr Cameron gave evidence yesterday to the committee, chaired by Labour's Margaret Beckett . The police can already tell when, where and who made a mobile phone call or sent a text message. But they cannot always trace the origin of an email, a message sent via instant messaging or a phone call made over the internet. Revelations by US whistleblower Edward Snowden, who lifted the lid on the scale of GCHQ’s role with America’s National Security Agency in monitoring electronic communications around the world, have also seen demands for the law drop down the agenda. | 'There’s hardly a [TV] crime solved without using... a mobile', PM claimed .
But his appearance before Parliamentary security committee was mocked .
Tory MP David Davis: 'You can’t derive policy from watching fictional crime' |
0566204fefd08ea40567efcf93f212a21b44eb33 | Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Haitian police shot and killed a man they suspected of stealing rice in earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince on Thursday, leaving his body on the sidewalk for hours as his family mourned. The dead man's mother identified him as Gentile Cherie, a 20-year-old carpenter. A companion with him was wounded, and a third man nearby was hit by what he said was a stray bullet. Witnesses said no one was looting at the time. Josef Josnain, the owner of a shop near the city's airport, said the five bags of rice the men were found with fell from a truck and passers-by picked them up. And Cherie's wounded companion, who did not give his name, said a truck driver gave them the rice. "A truck stopped and we jumped on, and the driver gave us the rice as a gift," he said. "But the cops shot us." A CNN crew spotted police stopping the two men Thursday afternoon. They stopped to film the arrests, but while they were getting out of the car, they heard four gunshots and saw the men on the ground. Both had been shot in the back. A third man, Auxilus Maxo, was wounded by a stray bullet near the scene. He told CNN he was hit in the side while waiting for a bus -- after applying for a job as a police officer. Marc Justin, a senior police officer in the area, said he would investigate the killing and said there was no shoot-to-kill order for suspected looters. "Nobody can do this in any country," Justin said. "Even if somebody was stealing a bag of rice, nobody has a right to do this." Justin said he had called for an ambulance for the wounded man, but none appeared. Instead, the man was picked up by members of the U.N. peacekeeping mission MINUSTAH who happened on the scene after the shooting. Shopkeepers retrieved the rice left behind. CNN sought comment from the Haitian government about Thursday's incident. There was no immediate response. Twitter updates l Full coverage . Sporadic looting has broken out in Port-au-Prince, where relief workers have struggled to get food, water and medical aid into the hands of survivors of last week's magnitude 7.0 earthquake. Reports of police firing on looters have surfaced as well, but CNN has been unable to independently confirm them. The Haitian National Police have been criticized for alleged abuses for years. A 2009 report by Human Rights Watch criticized its officers for the use of "excessive and indiscriminate force," including involvement in kidnappings, torture and arbitrary arrests. Meanwhile, the force "is largely ineffective in preventing and investigating crime," it found. List of missing, found in Haiti . Reforming the national police is one of the major goals of the U.N. mission dispatched to Haiti after the 2004 revolt that forced then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from office. But a 2009 report for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded, "The relationship between the population and the Haitian National Police is still characterized by suspicion, accusations of brutality, human rights violations and complicity with criminal and corrupt elements." Are you there? l Impact Your World . An Amnesty International report last year found the number of reported abuses appeared to be on the decline -- but at least two people died in police custody, and reports of excessive force, fatal shootings and warrantless arrests continued. Two-and-a-half hours after the shooting Thursday, Cherie's body remained on the sidewalk. | Dead man's mother identified him as Gentile Cherie, a 20-year-old carpenter .
Companion with him was wounded, and third man nearby says hit by stray bullet .
A CNN crew spotted police stopping the two men Thursday afternoon .
CNN crew heard 4 gunshots while getting out of the car, saw 2 men on ground, shot in back . |
0566c9eaf0825cda885b15ade107a9e0b2534a9b | (CNN) -- Former baseball slugger Jose Canseco accidentally shot himself in his left finger while cleaning a gun, police said. He was in surgery Tuesday night, his fiancee tweeted. "This is Leila . Thank you all for the kind words and prayers . Jose is in still surgery and will be ok. Please pray for his finger !!," she said in a tweet posted to his account. | Canseco hit more than 450 home runs .
His semiautomatic handgun accidentally went off . |
0568708c5ba4a20dad94155c940c1bc8ecf12536 | (CNN) -- The arrest of a Connecticut town's finance director -- who is accused of embezzling $2.3 million while financially supporting his mistress in Florida -- has left the small community in financial crisis. Henry L. Centrella Jr., 59, was arrested in August on five counts of first-degree larceny after several months of investigation found more than $2 million of misappropriated funds from January 2008 through November 2012, according to his arrest warrant. Centrella had served as the finance director for the town of Winchester since 1982 and had unrestricted access to the town's assets and finances for more than 30 years. He was fired in January, the warrant said. A private auditing firm discovered an irregularity in the town's finances, which led to criminal allegations, Connecticut State Attorney David Shepack told CNN. Centrella, who lived in neighboring Winsted according to the arrest warrant, allegedly gathered the large sum of money by using various schemes such as filing inflated tax information and misappropriating town funds. According to sworn statements written by members of his staff, Centrella never allowed anyone to assist him with depositing the town's money in the bank, even if he was on vacation, insisting that money be kept in a drawer for him until his return. The financial consequences for the small Connecticut town of Winchester have been "wide-ranging and deep," according to Kevin Nelligan, the town's attorney. The town has had to lay off police officers and other government workers because of the financial strain, he said. Unable to pay bills on time, repair public roads and facing the possibility of schools missing payroll, Nelligan expressed it might take years for the town to recover. The state investigation also claims that Centrella had a mistress in Florida whom he met in 2000 at a casino he frequented. In 2008, he told the woman his divorce was finalized and the two became romantically involved. Centrella and the woman were engaged from 2009 until December of 2012, when she discovered he was still married to his wife, Gregg Centrella. During their relationship, Centrella convinced the woman to quit her job and move south. He supported the woman financially, even buying her a wedding dress, the warrant says. She told investigators he made plans to purchase a home with her, and told her he would soon move to Florida to be with her. Centrella paid for all of these expenses in cash. He reportedly told his mistress he acquired his money from selling 88 acres of land to Disney World and by investing in Google stock, according to the warrant. Based on Centrella's alleged activities, there is approximately $7 million in cash that was not used for intended purposed, leading to a cash flow problem for the town, said Town Manager Dale Martin. The town is now seeking $2 million in private loans from local banks, Martin told CNN. The money will be used for pending payments until the town collects the remaining tax for the year. The man responsible for the town's financial turbulence was once respected and trusted by the tightknit community, said Martin. Centrella is being held at the New Haven Correctional Facility on $100,000 cash bail. With a civil suit pending against Centrella and his wife, all of their assets have been frozen, said Nelligan. Gregg Centrella reportedly told investigators that although they still reside together, she had not spoken to her husband in months. She claims the only knowledge she had of her husband's activities were from what she read in the newspaper, the warrant says. The investigation is still ongoing, but Nelligan said he is confident that the amount of money that has been embezzled will increase as the case unfolds. Centrella's attorney, Robert Dwyer, did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment. Winchester is in northwestern Connecticut and has a population of about 11,500, according to the town's website. | Henry L. Centrella Jr., 59, was arrested in August on five counts of first-degree larceny .
Investigation has found that more than $2 million has been misappropriated .
Winchester, Connecticut, has been left scrambling for a way to pay its bills . |
05688bac0e46542be65a6df240428a6f26c86fd0 | By . Anna Hodgekiss for MailOnline . The number of parents who can correctly identify their children as overweight or obese has fallen over the past two decades . Obesity is skewing the way we view those who are overweight - and could be wreaking havoc on children's health, a study has warned. New research has revealed that between 1988 and 2010, the number of parents who could correctly identify their children as overweight or obese went down. And the increasing trend of weight underestimation is extremely alarming, the researchers caution. 'Today, almost one out of every three children is overweight or obese,' said senior author Dr Jian Zhang of Georgia Southern University. 'They are at significantly increased risk of a number of diseases as they grow older, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and cancer.' And the first step to dealing with any problem is being aware of it, he told Reuters Health. Dr Zhang and his team examined height and weight data on 2,871 children - aged between six and 11 - from the 1988 to 1994 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the U.S. Then they assessed 3,202 similar youngsters from the 2005 to 2010 cycles of the survey. In all cases, the children’s parents were asked if they considered their child ‘overweight, underweight, just about the right weight, or don’t know'. In the 1988 to 1994 data set, 78 per cent of parents of an overweight boy and 61 per cent of parents of an overweight girl, wrongly identified the child as ‘about the right weight.’ That number increased to 83 per cent for boys and 78 per cent for girls in the 2005 to 2010 period. Similarly, for obese boys, 26 per cent of parents said they were ‘about the right weight’ in 1988. This is compared to 37 per cent in 2010, according to the results, published in the journal Pediatrics. Like their parents, many children also identify themselves as about the right weight even if they are overweight or obese. And these youngsters are also less likely to try to lose weight. Commenting on the new findings, Dr Zhang said: 'Studies overwhelmingly show that parental perceptions of their child’s weight influence family readiness to foster healthy behaviours. 'Increasingly underestimating puts more kids at the risk of becoming overweight or obese.' One reason for it might be that parental perceptions might be . changing over time as obesity becomes more common, since people . generally judge themselves (and their children) against the people . around them. It's also possible that more parents are . unwilling to admit their children are overweight due to the increasing . stigma of obesity, said Dr Zhang. Experts say part of the problem is that parents are also overweight - so they don't see the extent of their child's weight problem . Other studies have shown that overweight adults are increasingly not perceiving themselves as overweight, said Mary Burke, a senior economist in the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, who was not involved in the study. The misclassification rate was quite high for both time periods, she points out. 'For six to 11 year old children, a lot of parents could say "I’m waiting to make a pronouncement because kids are always changing - and they grow out of it",' she said. 'And "about the right weight" could reasonably include some kids who are slightly overweight but close to the healthy weight category.' It is the misperception that a child is not obese that's important, she stressed. And though it seems logical that parents who more accurately perceive their kids’ weight will be more ready to try to change an overweight child’s behavior, it may not be that simple, she said. 'It’s not clear that if a doctor hammers home that a child is overweight, the parent will have more readiness to help child engage in more healthful behaviors. 'Do you really need to change parental perception first? It may be more effective to promote healthier behaviors among all kids.' | U.S. researchers looked at data from 1988-1994 and 2005-2010 .
More parents in the earlier date range were able to tell if a child was fat .
Increasing trend of weight underestimation is 'extremely alarming' |
05690aec38784eb1abc29b0d4d40fbecf06746bf | When Jewish schoolgirl Helga Weiss was ordered off the train at Auschwitz in 1944, she was destined for death in the gas chambers - along with all the others considered too young or too old to work. But instead of being killed, Helga, not long in her teens, managed to convince 'Angel of Death' doctor Josef Mengele she was older and fit to work. Almost 70 years after she gave one of the most reviled Nazis the slip, the story of the Czech teenager - now a celebrated artist - . is to be told for the first time in a new book. Helga Weiss, pictured here during the war, was given hard labour instead of being gassed at Auschwitz after convincing Josef Mengele - the 'Angel of Death' - that she was 'fit to work' Helga Weissova-Hoskova, as she is now known, went on to become a famous artist in the Czech Republic . Mengele would hold the power of life and death over the Jews sent to the camp - sending the weakest off to the left and unwittingly into the gas chambers where they would meet their end. The strongest would go to the right for forced labour but survival. Although the other children were killed, Helga was spared by the SS officer, who sent her to a work camp. His snap decision saved her life, and at the end of the war she was freed. Miss Weiss, who went on to become a . famous artist in the Czech Republic, and is now in her 80s, will have her war memoirs . published around the world. She kept a diary jotted down in school . exercise books of her time spent in concentration camps during the war. Death camp: The main entrance to Auschwitz. Schoolgirl Helga Weiss managed to persuade Mengele to save her. The writing over the gate 'Arbeit macht frei' says 'work sets you free' As prisoners arrived at Auschwitz, notorious doctor Josef Mengele (pictured) would sort them - ushering the strongest to the right and the weakest to the left to their deaths. Those who were not fit for work - because they were not physically fit, were too young or too old - were sent to the gas chambers immediately. Historians have told harrowing stories of how he sentenced a block of 750 people to death when he discovered there was an outbreak of lice in their block. But although Mengele had the power of life and death over all the new arrivals, it was his grim experiments that gave him notoriety. He would amputate limbs, sterilise prisoners and give them shock therapy. Those who didn't die during surgery would be killed by infection or put to death. The sheer barbarity of his actions has made him one of the most infamous characters in Nazi Germany. But when the Third Reich fell in 1945 he escaped to South America and lived on until 1979. The book, Helga's Diary - sold to publishers at the Frankfurt book fair - has been likened to the diary of Anne Frank. It will come out in Britain next year. After persuading the death camp officer to save her, Miss Weiss moved back to her home city of Prague after the war. Although she found fame with her artwork, her war diaries were little known. Helga was sent to live in a ghetto by the Nazis in Terezin, Czechoslovakia, at the start of the diary which begins in 1939. She tells the story of her grim life - and how freedom was gradually curtailed before she was shipped off to Auschwitz with her mother in 1944. Helga - who is now married and uses the surname Weissova-Hoskova - told the Observer during a visit to London last year that life under the Nazis got progressively worse before she was shipped off to the death camp. 'One thing after another was forbidden: employees lost their jobs, we were banned from the parks, swimming pools, sports clubs. 'I was banned from going to school when I was 10,' she said. 'I was always asking my parents, "What's happening?", and became angry at them if I thought they were trying to hide something, to protect me.' She arrived at Auschwitz on October 4, 1944, where Dr Mengele was deciding who to kill and who should be given labour. After tricking the reviled doctor into thinking she was old enough to work, Helga was sent to Flossenbürg where she was forced to work. Of around 15,000 children from Terezin sent to Auschwitz, it is believe between 150 and 1,500 survived. Although Helga has admitted in the past that she kept a war journal, it had never been published before. Helga's Diary (published by Viking) is out on June 7 next year. Through a child's eyes: Arriving at Terezin by Helga Weissova-Hoskova, whose artwork is well known in the Czech Republic . Sketching the horrors: Helga's work entitled Removing the Third Tier of Bunks Before the Red Cross Visit. The Holocaust survivor now lives in Prague . | Czech teen Helga Weiss lied about her age .
Now in her 80s, she is a celebrated artist . |
05699234fb9cb66ce2f41eee6ee8b8a639d794dd | Jailed: Christopher Birch fled to Spain after being charged with raping his wife and indecent exposure to his step-daughter. He has been jailed for 15 years . A rapist who forced his wife to have sex with him in front of her eight-year-old daughter has been jailed for 15 years after fleeing to Spain. Christopher Birch fled while on bail following his repeated attacks on Louise Birch over six years. During one incident, Louise's daughter Sophie O'Farrell had heard her mother's anguished screams and walked in the room - but her step-father brutally continued. However, when he was due to appear in court charged with rape and indecent exposure in May 2011, he never arrived - sparking a three-year manhunt. He was still at large seven months later when Louise died after an illness aged just 33 in December 2011. Today, Sophie, 18, has said she can 'finally rest' as Birch is jailed for 15 years for rape and indecent exposure to a child. Addressing her ordeal, Sophie, who has waived her right to anonymity, said: 'My bed was right up against her wall, you could hear it. 'If you can hear your mum screaming, then you're going to go in there. 'He [Birch] was stopping my mum from saying anything with his hand over her mouth. 'It's not like he stopped when I walked into the room. He just said "it's ok we're just playing". 'I was confused when I saw it. I knew it wasn't right. 'I said something the next morning and my mum said "we were playing". 'There was always something between us after that, and I do blame him for that. 'Now she's dead I can't regain that with her. That is upsetting because he's done that. He's ruined a lot of lives. 'It's hard to rekindle relationships when you know something so horrible has happened to someone.' Mr and Mrs Birch met in late 2004 and married in December 2005. After they split in 2007, he sent Sophie, then aged 13, pictures showing his genitalia. Sophie, of Waterlooville, Hampshire, said: 'It was vile. It sickened me. 'It was disgusting to think that he was meant to be a father to me. That was a big thing to me.' Police contacted the family in June 2010 while investigating a harassment case involving Birch, 34, formerly of Gosport, Hampshire. He was convicted of harassment and given a sexual offences order. They then told police of the rape and messages, and recorded video witness statements detailing the crimes. Birch was arrested again and charged with five counts of rape and two charges of causing a child to look at an image of sexual activity between 2004 and 2010. He was released on bail. But when his case came to Portsmouth Crown Court in May 2011, he did not appear. Police were forced to launch a manhunt after he was spotted fleeing the country on a Calais-bound ferry from Dover. Birch had previously denied raping Louise and sending the messages and a jury trial went ahead without him in May 2012. He was found guilty of two counts of rape and two counts of causing a child to look at an image of sexual activity. Scroll down for video . Ordeal: Sophie O'Farrell (left) and her mother Louise Birch (right) were traumatised between 2004 and 2010 . The jury found him not guilty of three counts of rape charges. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in his absence. He was brought back to this country last month after being found by the Spanish authorities after a European arrest warrant was issued earlier this year. Sophie said giving evidence in court was traumatic and she was unable to move on knowing Birch was still free. Sophie added: 'I think he was trying to say he hadn't done it - if he hadn't then why run away? 'If that hadn't have happened, we wouldn't be here three years down the line. 'I could've moved on with my life. I'm happy that he's finally going to see justice for what he's done. 'It will put it to rest. Now he's in prison I know where he is.' While he was at large, Louise became seriously ill and underwent a kidney transplant and had her leg amputated before her death. Sophie's maternal grandmother Linda O'Farrell, 58, said she was pleased justice had been served. She said: 'My daughter and granddaughter have got their justice now.' 'I can finally rest': Sophie, now 18, spoke of her relief at Birch's sentencing and her grief that her mother could not live to see him jailed . Birch was sentenced to another seven months in prison at Portsmouth Crown Court last week for failing to surrender. Judge Sarah Munro QC said it was 'hard to imagine a more serious offence'. Judge Munro said: 'The decision you made to abscond led to delays in the trial process and vast expense as the police tried to locate you. 'In absconding yourself you looked to avoid a conviction. Your wife was alive but very ill when the process started. 'It's hard to imagine a more serious offence of this kind. There must be an additional penalty.' The seven months will run consecutively from his 15-year sentence handed to him previously. Judge Munro added his escape to Spain knocked public confidence in the justice system and was a drain on resources. Unyime Davies, mitigating, said Birch said he was remorseful, and disappeared because he was 'simply scared'. Birch previously exposed himself to schoolgirls, jumping out of bushes with his pants around his ankles while performing a sex act. It left women and girls scared to walk alone, sparked an undercover police operation and saw him branded the 'Gosport Flasher'. Birch was found guilty of indecent exposure and given 180 hours community service in April 2005. He was convicted of three counts of outraging public decency and three counts of indecent exposure between April 1 and June 16 in 2004. He had admitted the offences in police interview but then tried to claim he was just urinating. Sophie said she didn't know if her mother knew of the case. | Christopher Birch repeatedly attacked his wife Louise over six years .
Louise's daughter Sophie, then 8, walked in but he continued his attack .
When the pair told police he was charged but did not appear in court .
Sparked three-year manhunt during which Louise died of an illness .
Jailed for 15 years, judge said it is 'hard to imagine a more serious offence'
Sophie, now 18, said she can 'finally rest' after the ten-year ordeal . |
0569b529449c1d208699182e24347fb0eeb250c8 | Police have revealed that the couple whose candle-lit marriage proposal was caught on a helicopter night vision camera from the sky are to marry. The words ‘will you marry me’ were written in flames as the Metropolitan Police’s helicopter flew over a north-west London's Gladstone Park near midnight on Saturday. Remarkably, even though it was pitch black, the helicopter’s heat sensitive camera captured the author of the message down on one knee - apparently proposing to his partner. Scroll down for video . She said yes! Police have revealed that the couple whose candle-lit marriage proposal was caught on a helicopter night vision camera from the sky are to marry . Tracked down: Police were able to trace the happy couple after an appeal on Twitter . Police were searching for a stolen car when they saw the romantic proposal in north-west London's Gladstone Park near midnight on Saturday. The image shows two people next to message - one down on one knee . The MPSinthesky Twitter account, for MPS Helicopters, tweeted this photo from their heat-sensitive camera of the romantic moment that shows the message burning in the darkness . Officers were searching for a stolen car when they came across the message. The MPSinthesky Twitter account tweeted: ‘We think we have just seen the most romantic guy in north London.’ After an appeal for internet users to help them identify the couple, so that they could pass on the photographs of their proposal to the bride and groom-to-be, police said today that the bride-to-be had accepted as her boyfriend popped the question. They tweeted: . They tweeted: ‘Who were the lucky couple in Gladstone Park just before midnight ? #willyoumarryme? ‘Does anyone know who the newly engaged couple are as we have great photos to share with them?’ Images of the pair were shared with the account’s 95,500 followers in a bid to track them down. Officers believe the message had been written using lit candles to stand out against the night sky. Police posted these two messages on Twitter, appealing for internet users to help them identify the couple, so that they could pass on the photographs of their proposal to the bride and groom-to-be . Officers were flying over Gladstone Park, pictured, when they spotted the message. They appealed for help identifying the couple so that they could pass on the photographs taken from the air . | Police were looking for a stolen car when they came across the message .
It was spotted in Gladstone Park, London, near midnight on Saturday .
Officers had wanted to track down the couple to pass on the photos .
Bride-to-be has accepted the proposal and the pair will get married .
Are you the romantic groom, or the happy bride-to-be? Or do you know the mystery couple? Email [email protected] or call 0203 615 1265. |
0569d66dbf7560eafab5326bf447866642c36863 | The team that supported Vincenzo Nibali to victory in this year’s Tour de France were faced with suspending themselves from racing on Friday after one of their riders failed a test for the banned blood-boosting drug, erythropoietin. Maxim Iglinskiy was a member of the nine-man Astana squad that helped Nibali secure victory in July and the Kazakh-funded team have already provisionally suspended their rider after the UCI reported that he had failed a dope test on August 1. Now, however, regulations could demand that the team has to suspend itself as well, causing huge embarrassment to Nibali in what would amount to another crushing blow to the sport in its battle against doping. Maxim Iglinskiy (L) has been provisionally suspended after a positive drugs test . Italian Vincenzo Nibali celebrates winning the 2014 Tour de France on the podium at the Champs-Elysees . Astana team manager Alexandre Vinokourov, the Olympic road race champion in London in 2012 and himself a convicted doper, said in a statement: ‘In accordance with regulations of the MPCC (Movement for Credible Cycling) to which the Astana team first adhered in 2013, the rider is suspended provisionally and shall remain out of competition in anticipation of the results from the B analysis. All Astana Pro Team riders are contractually obliged to respect strict ethical rules and regulations.’ The MPCC regulations also demand that a team must suspend itself from racing for eight days in the case of multiple positives over a 12 month period. Only last month Iglinskiy’s brother and fellow Astana rider Valentin was also suspended for failing an EPO test in August. Astana – which was also the team Alberto Contador rode for when he won the 2010 Tour, only to then be stripped of the title because of a doping offence - are now set to miss next week’s Tour of Beijing. The Atsana team face missing the Tour of Beijing after rules state they must suspend themselves . | Atsana team member Maxim Iglinskiy has tested positive for erythropoietin .
He was one of riders supporting Vincenzo Nibali to Tour de France victory .
Regulations demand that the team must suspend themselves, meaning they could miss the Tour of Beijing . |
056a7137ea7e9072f1c5ba378beef18603bf984e | By . Beth Stebner and Reuters Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:04 EST, 24 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:23 EST, 24 May 2012 . Though the recession all but left the housing market on its knees, new home sales are being driven by an unlikely factor – the rise in demand for new, larger housing. These houses - dubbed McMansions - are being built in order to appeal to homeowners who might be hesitant to buy a new home in feeble economic times. Often over 3,000-square-feet, these homes also feature high ceilings, more space, and an overall luxury, but at the same price of other homes on the market. From the ground up: New construction of homes in jumped in April, in part due to McMansions being built . Upward mobility? Americans also bought more previously owned homes in April, a hopeful sign that the weak housing market is gradually improving . Numbers released Wednesday shows rising sales and prices provided evidence that a housing market recovery was gaining some traction. The housing sector has been the Achilles' heel of the economy ever since the home-price bubble burst. Data this week, however, has painted a relatively upbeat picture for the market and underscored the economy's resilience. 'The recent buoyancy in housing market activity has raised hopes that this beleaguered sector may finally be on the verge of a rebound,' said Millan Mulraine, senior macro strategist at TD Securities in New York. New home sales increased 3.3 per cent to a seasonally adjusted 343,000-unit annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday. Compared with April last year, sales were up 9.9 per cent. The report came on the heels of news on Tuesday that home resales hit a two-year high, with the sector getting support from investors who are increasingly seeing value. Even more encouraging, the median price for both new and previously owned homes surged last month, a further sign of life for a market that has struggled to come back from its 2006 collapse. Promising: New home sales increased 3.3 per cent to a seasonally adjusted 343,000-unit annual rate . The median price of a new home rose to $235,700 last month, up 4.9 per cent from a year ago. While the data does not indicate the size of new homes built or sold, SmartMoney points out that the average square footage of any given home size has gone up – not down – in the recession, in part because developers are trying to attract potential buyers. Despite the rise in sales, the market continues to be hamstrung by an oversupply of previously owned homes - especially from foreclosures, many of which sell well below their market value. McMansions are large luxury houses that are found within subdivisions, often in suburbs. What they offer in space they lack in personality and architectural style, as many are made to blend into the ‘theme’ of the subdivision. A typical McMansion boasts more than 3,000 square feet, though construction work is often shoddy or cheap. Because the mansions are so large, developers cut corners with other things like insulation or distinguishing details. They originated in California around the 1980s as a bridge between more modest suburban homes and luxurious estates. Many homeowners chose to get rid of their large homes during the recession because they are expensive to heat and cool. New home sales account for about 7.6 per cent of the overall housing market and face stiff competition from previously owned homes, even though builders are carefully managing inventory. 'As sales pick up, we should start seeing better levels of starts and that would mean more construction jobs,' said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania. 'Nevertheless, with the all-clear sign on foreclosures now out, the pressure on the newly built portion of the market will remain high for a long time.' While the inventory of new homes on the market rose 1.4 per cent to 146,000 units last month, it remained near record lows. At April's sales pace it would take 5.1 months to clear the houses from the market, down from 5.2 months in March. New home sales last month were buoyed by a 28.2 per cent jump in the Midwest. Sales in the Northeast rose 7.7 per cent, to the highest level in over a year, while in the West sales soared 27.5 per cent. Sales were down 10.6 per cent in the South. A separate report from the Mortgage Bankers Association showed applications for loans to buy houses fell for a second straight week last week, even though mortgage rates dropped to a record low. Signs of recovery in the housing market have spurred interest from some big-name investors. Oliver Chang, the head of U.S. housing strategy at Morgan Stanley, announced this week that he was departing to start a buy-to-rent housing fund. The appetite for private label residential mortgage-backed securities has strengthened among investors rattled by broader market volatility. | New home sales up 3.3 per cent in April, up 9.9 per cent from last year .
'McMansions' construction helping modest development boom, as larger houses offered for same price in hopes to entice buyers . |
056d31d7097348f32b15309ff7ea12240d6d749d | Hong Kong (CNN) -- I can't even remember the last time I thumbed a message on its itty-bitty qwerty keyboard. And yet, I stubbornly keep my BlackBerry in my bag and on my desk, fully charged. As with my Palm Vx of yesterday, breaking up with a beloved gadget is hard to do, especially when you have history. My BlackBerry and I go back over 10 years. We met at a telecom conference in Hong Kong. I will never forget the wonder of our first wireless e-mail. Look, I'm no softie when it comes to loving and leaving my electronics. I've thrown out old Macs. I've recycled expired Sony Ericsson handsets. I've even trashed now-antique digital cameras. But this is the longest and saddest gadget breakup I've ever gone through. I can no longer accept its limits: A disappointing apps portfolio, clunky interface, and frankly lame camera. Over the years, we grew apart. I started to dabble in social media and mobile photography. The tools on offer from other devices were far better in functionality, speed and resolution. I wanted my BlackBerry to change, and yet it never managed to deliver. And suddenly, I felt like it just wasn't there for me. I have stopped using the beloved device. But like the other 50 million BlackBerry users still out there, I just can't pull the plug. Read more: BlackBerry's dwindling users ponder uncertain future . As with others suffering relationship issues in the digital age, I turned to social media for advice. "Make it quick. Drop it in the tub. Better for both of you," advised Beijing blogger Bill Bishop. Michael Sommer tweeted, "If it's not wounded or sick, no mercy killing. Put it into a vitrine." After looking up the word "vitrine," I realized that putting an expired gadget in a glass box is like taxidermy for a deceased pet. Sorry. Just can't go there. But not everyone was as keen to ditch the BlackBerry. My ever-compassionate colleague John Vause said, "Don't do it... it will get better... I promise." On Monday, BlackBerry announced that it was being taken private -- a headline that raised hopes among loyalists that change is sure to come. Meanwhile, my pal Eunice Yoon implored me to keep hope alive with the reminder, "the typing is so much easier!" But the doubt has already settled in, and I'm already starting to see my BlackBerry in the past tense. "Just for fun, I fire up my circa 2005 Treo 750 sometimes," reminisced J. L. Gatewood. That's one beautiful ode to throwback gadgetry. BlackBerry, I'm not quite ready to throw you out. You remain fully charged. Opinion: Why I'll never ditch my Blackberry . | Struggling BlackBerry announces it plans to become a private company .
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout refuses to let go of her BlackBerry device .
But she says other smartphones offer better apps, functionality . |
056d4493718c77f2ebc0a9aacd4f1fce984b1d05 | (Oprah.com) -- A businesswoman, a mother of four, an international fashion icon, a woman committed to making the world a better place for women and children -- Queen Rania of Jordan is truly changing the world. Queen Rania says cultural dialogue, education and increased opportunities are ways to combat terrorism. Rania Al-Yassin was born in Kuwait. Shortly after Saddam Hussein invaded that country in 1990, her family fled and settled in Jordan. After graduating from business school, Rania began working her way up the corporate ladder. When she was just 22, she went to a dinner party where she met Jordan's Prince Abdullah -- considered one of the world's most eligible bachelors. He didn't remain one for long after that night. Six months later, Rania and Abdullah had a royal wedding and started a family. And, though they planned for a life as royals, Abdullah assumed he'd remain a military officer for life. In 1999, while on his deathbed, King Hussein of Jordan stunned his country by announcing that his son Abdullah -- not his brother -- would succeed him as king. That made 29-year-old Rania the world's youngest living queen. Rania says that being queen is not the trait she defines herself by. "I am not at all conscious of it," she says. "I make a conscious effort not to be conscious of it. Because I'm Rania, you know? People call me 'Queen,' but, you know, that's not me ... I'm Rania." There are many perks to being queen, of course, but Rania stresses that there are also responsibilities. "One of the major misconceptions about this position is that people think that I might be far removed, that I might not be in touch with reality," she says. "The honest truth is that my life is very much about dealing with issues on the ground, dealing with ... the problems that our country faces. That's something I do on a daily basis." Watch how Queen Rania uses technology to reach young people » . When most people think of queens, they probably think of what they know from fairy tales. "For me, it's just real life," Rania says. "I am a mother. I care about my children. I worry about what they eat. I worry about the influences from their friends." Rania is not only sitting royalty in Jordan, she's raising the next generation of royals too. She is the mother of four children -- 14-year-old Hussein, 12-year-old Iman, 8-year-old Salma and 3-year-old Hashem. Rania says her family tries very hard to remain down to earth. The family has relaxed much of the ceremonial pomp and circumstance of their position. Rania prefers that people not refer to her as "Your Majesty" ... and King Abdullah loves to barbecue! The family never discusses the possibility that Hussein, their oldest child, could be the future king of Jordan, Rania says. Instead, she says the family strives to remain like any other family. For instance, to get the things they want, the children have to clean their rooms and do well in school. "The most important thing is to instill them with the right values," Rania says. "I just feel that values are the shield that you carry with you throughout life. It protects you from whatever life throws at you." Rania has become famous around the world for her efforts to improve educational opportunities for girls and the rights of women. "In my mind, poverty is a 'she,'" Rania says. Helping others is something Rania says she feels compelled to do. "Once you feel that others are like you, then you want for others what you want for yourself," she says. "And that way you start helping others." Rania explains that there is a direct relationship between increasing education and eliminating poverty. "You can change the course of a nation through education," she says. "One of the most important things you can do for a girl is empower her with her education. Once she has the education, she can then have control over her income, she can change her life, she can have choices." To understand what life is like for the women in Rania's kingdom, "The Oprah Show" spent a day with a few women in Amman, the capital city of Jordan. One woman named Muna worries about striking a balance between work and motherhood. Part of that means preparing lunch -- the most important meal in Jordanian culture -- for her family. Unlike in America, most children and husbands return home to eat with their families for lunch. Just like in America, Muna cooks a variety of meals, everything from traditional Arabic food to hamburgers and spaghetti. In this largely Muslim country, one religious tradition is increasingly a matter of choice. Approximately 60 percent of Jordanian women wear a veil. Though Queen Rania says she has never worn a veil, she understands why a woman would want to. "We think it's a personal choice," she says. "Unfortunately, in the West, people look at the veil as a sign of oppression or weakness. This is not true as long as a woman is wearing it because of her belief. I always say we should judge a woman according to what's going on in their heads rather than what's going on top of their heads." Rania says that when people focus on differences between cultures -- especially stereotypes and things like veils -- they fail to realize just how similar all people are. "Once you go beyond the mannerisms, the language, the cultural idiosyncrasies, you realize that you're basically the same, you know?" she says. Rania also wants to break down the stereotypes the West holds about her culture. "I would like to dispel the misconception that Arabs are all extremists, that Arab people are violent and that women in the Arab world are oppressed and suppressed," she says. The struggle we feel today is not really Middle East against the West, Rania says, but rather it is between extremists and moderates of all religions. "We need to speak up," she says. "The biggest nightmare for the extremists is for us to get along, and that's why we have to get along. We have to communicate more." In the future, Rania says she hopes for a more open and secure world. "We look at problems happening halfway across the world and we think, 'Well, that's their problem.' But it's not," she says. "When you solve somebody else's problem, you're solving a problem for yourself because our world today is so interconnected." Rania says solving problems that stem from intolerance -- like terrorism -- require cultural dialogue, education and increased opportunities. "We have to create opportunities for our youth so they have a chance in life," she says. "Whenever you're frustrated and you feel like you don't have a future or you can't get a job, then you're more susceptible to be influenced by terrorism and extremist ideology." Oprah.com: Africa's first-ever elected female president . From "The Oprah Winfrey Show" Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Queen Rania is a businesswoman, a mother of four and a fashion icon .
The queen of Jordan says she has responsibility to help her country .
She is well known for efforts to improve education for girls .
Rania would like to break stereotypes the West has about Arab culture . |
056db00a74f0e9fd96de34881e23bae534026a8e | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 14:13 EST, 23 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:01 EST, 24 June 2013 . First published in 1923, it’s a magazine that has adorned many coffee tables for decades since - and given us a fascinating insight into broadcasting over the past nine decades. Now an exhibition at the Museum of London will soon showcase 90 years of the Radio Times, with memorable covers including the 1966 World Cup, EastEnders launch in 1985 and George VI’s coronation in 1937. Also included in the set is the magazine’s first issue from September 28 1923, the first Christmas issue from the same year - and the award-winning Doctor Who ‘Vote Dalek’ cover from 2005. 'Organ of the BBC': The Radio Times first edition from 28 September 1923 (left) and the first Christmas edition from 21 December (right) in the same year are pictured . Famous dates: This front-cover through a window was for George VI's coronation on 7 April 1937 (left). The other for 9 August 1940 (right) is 'Bombers over Germany' Other highlights include a 1941 Luftwaffe map, which plots the magazine’s printing plant in Park Royal, north-west London, as a Nazi air-raid target along with transport hubs, factories and landmarks. Radio Times staff had been moved there from central London when the Second World War began - and the plant became a strategically-important target as part of the war on propaganda. The map - showing the plant which also printed fellow BBC magazine The Listener - was found by U.S. air force intelligence officer Captain Andrew Wilson at the Fritzlar airbase in Germany in 1944. The exhibition also features a Doctor Who display - a Radio Times regular since 1964 - and visitors will be able to put themselves into a photograph of the ‘Vote Dalek’ cover against a backdrop of Westminster Bridge. Iconic: The Charlie Chaplin cover from 10 October 1952 (left) is joined in the exhibition by the World Cup cover from 7 July 1966 - the year England won the competition . Sports and comedy: The Wimbledon cover from 29 June 1967 (left) marked the summer which saw the first colour broadcast to air on British TV - the Wimbledon tennis tournament. The Morecambe & Wise cover from 3 January 1976 (right) is also seen . The front-page was voted most iconic cover ever by the Periodical Publishers Association in 2008. 'To flick through the covers of Radio Times over the past 90 years is to watch a popular history of Britain unfold' Ben Preston, Radio Times editor . Radio Times editor Ben Preston said: ‘To flick through the covers of Radio Times over the past 90 years is to watch a popular history of Britain unfold. ‘Royal weddings, coronations, the outbreak of war and peace, moon landings and even a victorious World Cup, household names created and stars born - all have graced the cover of Radio Times. ‘No other magazine can rival Radio Times for showcasing the work of some of the nation’s finest artists and photographers, creating unforgettable magazine covers that resonate today.’ Albert Square: The EastEnders cover from 16 February 1985 (left) preceded the first episode of the soap that month. Call the Midwife is seen (right) from 11 February 2012 . Famed: The 'Vote Dalek' cover against a backdrop of Westminster Bridge from 2005 was voted most iconic cover ever by the Periodical Publishers Association in 2008 . Historic: London street map printed for use by Luftwaffe pilots. Colour-coded bombing targets - including the Radio Times print works in Park Royal, north-west London, have been printed on the map in red and purple. It covers an area from Ealing in the West to Islington in the East, Hampstead in the North and Westminster in the South . Museum of London director Sharon Ament added: ‘Some of the most momentous moments from Radio Times’ considerable cannon will be on our walls. 'No sitting room was without this magazine - it was a weekly ritual to pore over its pages' Sharon Ament, Museum of London director . ‘That’s not only rather splendid but totally apt as this publication has its roots in London and has been a large part of much of our culture for the past 90 years. ‘No sitting room was without this magazine - it was a weekly ritual to pore over its pages.’ The magazine, which has been owned by Immediate Media since 2011, now sells almost 900,000 copies a week. | Memorable covers at exhibition include World Cup 1966, EastEnders launch and George VI's coronation .
Also included in set is first issue from September 1923 and the first Christmas issue from the same year .
A Luftwaffe map from 1941 plots magazine's printing plant in north-west London as a Nazi air-raid target .
'Cover Story: Radio Times at 90' is free to visitors, and is open from August 2 to November 3 2013 at the Museum of London . |
056e01a3ffaecd3dd16a828746094c691cad8316 | By . Simon Jones . Petr Cech's agent has confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco have both made contact about the Chelsea goalkeeper. The 32-year-old Czech could leave if Thibaut Courtois returns to Stamford Bridge. Cech has been Chelsea No 1 for a decade after joining from French side Rennes, and long been regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world but there is evidence his powers are beginning to fade. Speaking to Czech website Aktualne, his agent Viktor Kolar maintains Chelsea have yet to say Cech is no longer required but other clubs have made enquiries. VIDEO Scroll down ot watch Courtois brilliant goalkeeping during Belgium training . Waving goodbye: Petr Cech could be on his way out of Chelsea this summer . Rising star: Thibaut Courtois is heading back to Chelsea after the World Cup and a long loan at Atletico Madrid . 'He has two years left on his Chelsea contract and has an interest to continue there,' said Kolar. 'Mourinho did not tell him that he would not count on him anymore. We have not been given any signals that Petr would be made available [for transfer]. CLICK HERE to read Simon Jones's full Transfer Column this week... 'If that was the case, though, you have to realise that Petr is one of the world's top goalkeepers and has a certain salary. There are not many clubs who could afford to sign him. 'Paris Saint-Germain have shown interest and we have also communicated with Monaco.' Kolar confirmed he would contact other clubs if Chelsea confirm Cech can go. 'I would get in touch with Zubizarreta (Barcelona) and people at Real Madrid. These are clubs we would consider if Chelsea wanted to get rid of Petr. We would also consider Bayern but they have Neuer there. 'Then there are leagues Petr would not go to. For instance, Serie A, because clubs in that league have problems.' Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach believe they have won the race to sign Chelsea's Thorgan Hazard on loan next season. | Petr Cech is in battle for Chelsea No 1 shirt with Thibaut Courtois .
Chelsea braced for bids for Czech star .
Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco have been in contact .
But Jose Mourinho has not told Cech he can leave Stamford Bridge . |
056ea4346b8d1a5ea37205e309d5115dac9dd2e4 | (CNN) -- Two-time champions Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations after being held 2-2 by Guinea on Saturday. Second-half goals from strikers Victor Obinna and Ikechukwu Uche put Nigeria 2-1 ahead in Abuja, but Ibrahima Traore's 90th-minute equalizer ensured that Guinea finished top of Group B by three points. The Super Eagles missed out on one of the runner-up spots as two of their three wins came against bottom nation Madagascar -- and only results against the top and third-placed teams count. Nigeria won the tournament in 1980 and 1994, and finished third in four of the last five stagings. South Africa, champions in 1996, also failed to qualify for next year's event in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon after being held 0-0 at home by Sierra Leone. Niger went through from Group G instead on head-to-head results despite losing 3-0 in Egypt, after both nations finished on nine points. Ghana, runners-up in 2010, qualified in first place from Group I after a 2-0 win away to Sudan thanks to first-half goals from striker Asamoah Gyan and defender John Mensah. Sudan could yet claim the remaining runner-up spot depending on the results of Sunday's Group D and H matches. Libya shook off the north African country's political strife to seal a place as Group C runners-up after a 0-0 draw away to Zambia, who clinched top spot. Mali went through as Group A winners despite conceding an injury-time equalizer in the 2-2 draw away to Liberia. Cedric Kante put the visitors 2-1 ahead in the 87th minute but Patrick Wieh leveled in the second minute of time added on. Cape Verde Islands also ended on 10 points after beating Zimbabwe 2-1, but finished second on head-to-head results and missed out on a 2012 place on goal difference. Burkina Faso topped Group F after drawing 1-1 with Gambia, but face an appeal from Namibia -- who complained about the fielding of Cameroon-born defender Herve Zengue in their two defeats. Angola topped Group J after winning 2-0 away to Guinea Bissau. Uganda's 33-year wait to qualify continues after a 0-0 draw with Kenya left the nation a point adrift in second place. Tunisia joined Botswana in qualifying from the five-team Group K after a 2-0 home win against Togo clinched second place. Malawi missed out following a 2-2 draw away to Chad, with Karl Max Barthelemy earning a point for the home side in the fourth minute of time added on. | Nigeria and South Africa fail to qualify for 2012 Africa Cup of Nations .
Super Eagles eged out by Guinea in Group B after conceding late equalizer .
South Africa also missed out on overall runner-u spot after being held at home .
Ghana qualified along with Mali, Libya, Niger, Angola and Tunisia . |
056f680f5e691cfe04b22a5b3d094425f1e738de | By . Rob Preece . PUBLISHED: . 12:33 EST, 5 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:40 EST, 7 August 2012 . To its residents, Yorkshire is known as 'God's Own County'. And were it a country in its own right, the white rose county would be riding high in the Olympic medal table. Four Yorkshire athletes, including Sheffield's Jessica Ennis, have won gold at London 2012 so far, prompting Twitter users to celebrate how the county is faring better than Japan, South Africa and Australia. Top of t'world: Jessica Ennis, of Sheffield, celebrates winning gold for Great Britain in the women's heptathlon . Champion: Ennis shows off her gold medal after finishing more than 300 points clear of her nearest challenger. She has been promised a civic reception when she returns to Yorkshire . A tweet by a Leeds-based sports . journalist, claiming that Yorkshire would be 11th in the medal table, . has been retweeted more than 3,400 times. Ennis, 26, won gold last night in the Olympic Stadium, coming first in the heptathlon by more than 300 points. A postbox outside Sheffield's City Hall has been painted gold in her honour, and the city's council has promised to welcome her home with a full civic reception. Another Yorkshire champion is cyclist Ed Clancy, who won gold for Great Britain in the men's team pursuit. Clancy, 27, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, clinched a second medal tonight when he won bronze in the men's omnium event. Wheels on fire: Ed Clancy, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, goes for gold in the velodrome at London 2012 . Winners: Clancy (left) celebrates victory with team-mates Geraint Thomas (right), Steven Burke (second left) and Peter Kennaugh after the men's team pursuit final . Pride: Sports reporter Jonathan Buchan's message on Twitter has been retweeted more than 3,400 times . Andrew Triggs Hodge, 33, a rower raised in Hebden, North Yorkshire, was a member of Great Britain's gold-winning men's coxless fours crew. He won the race at Eton Dorney with crewmates Alex Gregory, Peter Reed and Tom James. The fourth gold medal winner is Katherine Copeland, whose family live in Stokesley, North Yorkshire. Copeland, 21, won the women's lightweight double sculls with Sophie Hosking. Three other Yorkshire athletes have also won medals. Lizzie Armitstead, 23, from Otley, clinched silver in the women's cycling road race. Her achievement was matched by Nicola Wilson from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, who won a silver in the team eventing competition with Zara Phillips, William Fox-Pitt, Mary King and Tina Cook. Rower Tom Ransley, 26, was part of the British men's eight crew which won bronze. He hails from Kent but attended York University and has competed for York City Rowing Club. Glory: Andrew Triggs Hodge celebrates with arms aloft after he and team-mates Tom James, Pete Reed and Alex Gregory clinch gold in the men's rowing four event . Triumph: Yorkshire athlete Katherine Copeland (left) won gold with Sophie Hosking (right) in the lightweight women's double sculls . By contrast, at 6pm today South Africa had won three gold medals, Japan had two and Australia only one. It prompted Leeds radio journalist Jonathan Buchan to tweet on Saturday: 'If #Yorkshire was a country it would currently be 11th in the medal table above the likes of Japan, South Africa and Australia! #teamgb' Yorkshire could be in line for more Olympic success later this week. Brothers Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, aged 24 and 22, from Leeds, are highly fancied in the men's triathlon, which is due to take place in Hyde Park on Tuesday. In contention: Triathlete Alistair Brownlee, pictured holding a Yorkshire flag after an event last year, is tipped to do well in the Olympic race on Tuesday . | Four Yorkshire athletes have won gold at London 2012 so far .
Olympic champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis, 26, comes from Sheffield .
Other Yorkshire medal winners include Ed Clancy, Andrew Triggs Hodge and Katherine Copeland . |
056fb13816aacf2dbf60b439a547cccd498254ed | By . David Derbyshire . Last updated at 10:38 PM on 18th July 2011 . Animal testing for household products such as bleach, washing-up liquid and air fresheners could soon be banned. Ministers yesterday took the first steps towards ending experiments on rabbits, mice and other laboratory animals. Testing of cosmetics on animals has been illegal in Britain since 2008. 'Unacceptable': Testing on animals often causes illness or even death . Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone said inflicting pain and suffering on animals to manufacture household products was ‘unacceptable’. The tests involve giving animals toxic doses of chemicals or rubbing irritants into their skin. Unacceptable: Lynne Featherstone said that testing on animals was wrong . The Government had previously said it wanted a ban, and yesterday announced it was consulting with companies, trade bodies and other interested parties to draw up a detailed proposal. Mrs Featherstone said: ‘We believe it is possible to sell household products without inflicting pain and suffering on animals, and it is unacceptable that testing in this area continues. ‘We propose to implement a ban through our licensing powers, and we are inviting stakeholders to share their views so we can end this practice as soon as possible.’ The move was given a guarded welcome by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) which has campaigned to end animal testing for cosmetics and household products. Chief executive Michelle Thew said: ‘The BUAV welcomes the reaffirmation of the intention to ban testing on animals for house products, although we are concerned by the Government’s continued uncertainty about which products will be covered and the absence of a firm date to implement the ban. ‘It is unacceptable for animals to continue to suffer and die for a new washing-up liquid or air freshener.’ It is likely to be several months before the ban is brought in. The consultation will last 12 weeks. More than 7,000 animals were used for testing of household products like air freshener between 1997 and 2006 . The proposal is part of wider plans to reduce the use of animals in research – and switch to tests on laboratory grown cell cultures and computer modelling. If there are no alternatives, the Government wants to reduce suffering. Last week the Home Office revealed that the number of animals used in scientific and medical experiments has gone up by one million in the past decade. Most of the rise is caused by the creation of genetically modified mice and fish for medical research. | After cosmetic ban, Home Office to outlaw 'unacceptable' tests for household products . |
0570c24661f112a2f164b2c7ac2495edef64c5e6 | Karim Benzema snubbed a move to Manchester United in 2009, according to Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas. The France striker left his boyhood club for Real Madrid that summer, but Aulas claims an offer to move to Old Trafford was also on the table. United sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid the same summer, with Benzema now linking up with the Portugal superstar and Gareth Bale to forge the Spanish giants' 'BBC' attack. Karim Benzema celebrates scoring for Real Madrid against Athletic Bilbao earlier this month . Benzema (top centre) centre scores for Real Madrid against Athletic with a header . Benzema was in action over the weekend as France beat Portugal 2-1 in a friendly . Nationality: French Age: 26 . Clubs: . Lyon (2004-2009): 122 games, 43 goals . Real Madrid (2009 -) 165 games, 75 goals . Now Aulas has revealed that Benzema spurned United's advances to fulfill a long-term dream of playing at the Bernabeu. 'For a long time he wanted to play one day at Real Madrid and when operations began to fall into place, we did not object,' Aulas told Canal+. 'The proposal was superior to Manchester United's but he was given the opportunity to go where he wanted. Michael Owen celebrates scoring for Manchester United against Aldershot in 2011 . Manchester United sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for £80m and signed: . Antonio Valencia (Wigan) - £16m . Michael Owen - free transfer . Gabrial Obertan (Bordeaux) - £3m . Mame Biram Diouf (Molde) - undisclosed . Chris Smalling (Fulham) - £10m . 'I am very happy for him. This is the best striker in La Liga and one of the best in the world. 'The criticism he has received are part of the life of a professional football player, but we had to be above it all.' United ended up signing Michael Owen on a free transfer that season and Mame Biram Diouf from Molde. Sir Alex Ferguson's side finished second in the Premier League behind Chelsea, who went on to also win the FA Cup. | Manchester United sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in 2009 .
Lyon president claims that Man Utd wanted Karim Benzema that summer .
However Jean-Michel Aulas says striker always wanted Bernabeu transfer .
Benzema completed a €35million (£28million) move to Real in 2009 .
United instead signed Michael Owen on a free transfer the same window . |
0571232be4a8197d2e396e139b3f0e21446fcbe3 | Denver, Colorado (CNN)A federal judge gave a four-year prison sentence Friday to a 19-year-old Colorado woman who admitted guilt in wanting to become an ISIS bride and participate in its jihad in the Mideast. Shannon Maureen Conley is one of the first Americans to be sentenced for conspiracy to support ISIS and received a sentence that was also recommended by prosecutors seeking to send a message of deterrence. Though the judge initially cited how Conley needs psychiatric care, he sided with prosecutors in the end. "What is it that will cause others to stop" in the future, Judge Raymond P. Moore said during sentencing. Before sentencing, Conley wept as she read a statement saying, "It was after arrest that I learned the truth about the ISIS that I was taught to respect." She talked about her ongoing journey into Islam. "Since my incarceration I have had a chance to read the entire Quran," she said. She concluded that "the scholars" she had been following in her online research about Islam had distorted the Quran, she said. "Even though I was committed to the idea of jihad, I didn't want to hurt anyone. It was all about defending Muslims," she said. She called her situation a "life-altering" experience and said she now wants to be a "catalyst of good" going forward. "I am deeply humbled by this opportunity to grow," she said. "I do not believe I am a threat to society and I ask you to allow me to prove it," she pleaded to the judge. Conley's mother waved to her with tears in her eyes as Conley was led out of the courtroom. Later her parents released a statement online criticizing the U.S. legal system for making an example of their daughter in trying to discourage others from turning to extremism. If "the government is willing to sacrifice the future of a 19-year-old American citizen to drive the point home ... then we feel the terrorists have won this particular battle in the war on terrorism." Outside the courthouse after the proceeding, Conley's lawyer, Assistant Federal Defender Robert Pepin, told reporters he was disappointed with the sentence and noted that the plea agreement imposed limitations on any appeal, which the defense is considering. "I think the judge gave a sentence he thought was appropriate. That's all I really have to say about the sentence," Pepin said. He said he wanted Americans to know that his client is a wonderful person. "Her future will be bright. She will get past this," he said. But Moore said Conley's plea agreement gave him limited options on sentencing. Under the plea agreement, Conley faced "up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 for conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization," federal prosecutors said. She received credit for cooperating with federal authorities, according to the prosecutor and the judge. Her prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release and 100 hours of community service, in which she has to interact with "ordinary people," Moore said. He also prohibited her possession of any black powder or explosive materials. "I'm not taking any chances," Moore said. Conley's plea was made last year in exchange for a reduced charge with a lighter sentence. During Friday's sentencing hearing, U.S. Attorney Greg Holloway said Conley has been cooperative and willingly provided information to investigators. He argued that a four-year sentence would send a message that the U.S. government uses restraint, but consequences are serious in terror cases. Moore interrupted the prosecutor at one point saying, "That woman is in need of psychiatric help." "I'm not saying that her decisions were all a product of mental illness. ... But she's a bit of a mess," Moore said. The judge referenced Conley's psychiatric report that stated "she is not a terrorist." The judge also alluded to a series of events from 2011 to her arrest in 2014. "There is a history of events that would make for a bad movie," Moore said. Conley almost agreed to marry three different people in a matter of months, according to Moore. The prosecutor said Conley was "pathologically naive." Added the judge: "She has no history in the criminal justice system. She is very young. ... Teenagers make dumb decisions a lot." Conley looked relaxed in court. She smiled at times while talking with lawyers before the hearing. She wore a blue and white jail uniform, a head scarf and glasses. Pepin said while Conley has been in jail, she has been studying Spanish and macroeconomics, writing letters to her mother, sisters, friends, even "Allah," talking about religion and her desire "to understand." Her lawyer said she has gone through a complete transformation in the past nine months. Pepin argued that "the things that she believed at the time she was arrested she does not believe now." He noted that Conley, a convert to Islam, changed her adopted Muslim name from Halima to Amatullah, because she is a different person now. Amatullah means female "servant of Allah." Conley initially took the name Halima after converting to Islam. Opinion: When Americans leave for jihad . But Moore adamantly responded, "She had another name before Halima." "Don't tell me that changing her name means she gets it. She changes her name like I change my socks," the judge told the defense. The judge said a belief, even if she was misled by ill-intentioned extremists asserting religion justifies violent jihad, does not excuse her actions. "There is a string of defiance that rolls through her life that I have not seen change yet," Moore said. "Defiance has been a part of the fabric for a long time and that is concerning." The judge talked about how she showed up to a meeting with the FBI wearing a T-shirt that said, "Sniper don't run, you'll die trying." The judge also mentioned how investigators tried to stop Conley with multiple warnings that following through on her plans could lead to her arrest. She responded with, "I'd rather go to prison than do nothing," according to Moore. The judge also expressed alarm about Conley's other preoccupations. "What am I to do about this obsession with the military?" Moore said. Opinion: Rise of the female jihadists . He said Conley planned to be a police officer and join the military and then went to training with U.S. Army Explorers to learn military skills. What if one reason she desired to go to Syria to marry an ISIS fighter wasn't just because she shared a belief in jihad, but "because he was attractive to her because he was a soldier?" the judge asked. The judge noted that Conley still signs letters "behind enemy lines." A female imam went to mentor Conley in jail and reported that Conley wanted to talk about violent jihad. The judge said it's surprising that Conley suddenly is disavowing jihad and that she has seemed to do a 180-degree turn in a very short period. The judge also brought up a letter Conley wrote to a friend that seemed to mock the American people's concern about terrorism. Moore also referenced comments that Conley made to CNN when it visited her a day before Friday's sentencing. Conley told CNN of her new adopted Muslim name, a new hairstyle for the sentencing date, and how "I'm in a vulnerable place right now, and it would be stupid of me to talk to you when I'm vulnerable." On Friday, Moore noted that "she doesn't get it." "She's a look-at-me girl," Moore continued, and he referenced the CNN interview. Pipen said he was furious about the jailhouse visit and said he thought it was sneaky. The judge also cited the ISIS fighter whom she was to marry, Yousr Mouelhi, a 32-year-old Tunisian man . "Why did she think Mouelhi was a good man?... Does she get this?" the judge said. He indicated that Conley still calls her suitor "a good man." Conley attracted national attention last year after authorities arrested her at Denver International Airport. Investigators said she told them she was going to Turkey to await word from an ISIS member in Syria, a man she met on the Internet and planned to marry. According to court documents, she intended to become a nurse in an ISIS camp. She is a Colorado certified nurse's aide. Her parents, Ana Maria and John Conley, were aware of their daughter's conversion to Islam but didn't know about her interest in extreme Islam or jihad. John Conley reportedly caught his daughter talking to her ISIS "suitor" on Skype. The couple asked for the father's blessing, but he said no. On April 1, the father called the FBI to report that he had found her ticket for an April 8 flight to Turkey on his desk. Opinion: What lures Americans to Syria fight? CNN's Ana Cabrera and Sara Weisfeldt reported from Colorado. Michael Martinez wrote and reported from Los Angeles. | Shannon Conley, 19, receives prison sentence that prosecutors requested .
Judge weights "what is it that will cause others to stop" endorsing jihad .
"I do not believe I am a threat to society," Conley pleads before sentencing . |
0573109d9ee241a51843a125be103ae5930ef50d | By . Kristie Lau . PUBLISHED: . 17:22 EST, 30 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:34 EST, 30 May 2012 . A woman is suing Neiman Marcus after the luxury retailer refused to refund $1.4million worth of goods that her ex-husband gave to her. Patricia Walker from University Park, Texas wanted to return the goods after learning that her ex-husband had been having an affair with her own 'trusted' Neiman Marcus personal shopper. The collection of clothing, jewellery, accessories and artworks had been given to Ms Walker over the three years she had spent recovering from a serious car accident. Not happy: Patricia Walker (above) from University Park, Texas, is suing Neiman Marcus after the store refused to refund $1.4million worth of goods bought for her by her ex-husband. She claims she never wanted the gifts . Expensive taste: The women's now ex-husband was allegedly cheating on her with her own personal shopper from Neiman Marcus, who received a commission on the goods, some of which are pictured above . The accident, which occurred in 2007, left her bedridden for a majority of the time. Favi Lo, the female personal shopper who had an affair with Ms Walker's ex-husband, Robert Tennison, received a 'steep commission' from the purchases according to the plaintiff's attorney Mike Ticer. Mr Ticer is assisting his client in filing a lawsuit against the store on the grounds of 'fraud', 'deceptive trade practices' and a 'violation of company policies' which normally allow customers to return goods within a specified time frame. She had only learned of the alleged affair in 2010, which was just a few months into the couple's divorce. She closed her account with the store immediately after she found out. Ex-husband: Robert Tennison, pictured, is the ex-husband of Ms Walker. He spent $1.4million on gifts for her . Cheater: Favi Lo (above), Ms Walker's personal shopper, is said to have received a steep commission on each of the ex-husband's purchases. She is still employed at the department store in Dallas . Ms Walker was a loyal customer; she had spent $100,000 per year at the store up until her accident. Her husband's total purchases, which are described as 'like new' or in 'mint condition', outweighed her own by hundreds of thousands of dollars between 2007 and 2010. In 2009, his purchases totaled $850,000. Mr Ticer told ABC that the gifts, including a pair of earrings worth $30,000 and a pair pf pajamas worth $285, were items that his client 'couldn't wear and never really wanted'. He said: 'The product of these sales is sex for merchandise.' Distasteful: Mike Ticer (pictured), the woman's attorney, claimed the gifts were items she 'never really wanted' The store's return policy states: 'If for any reason you are not satisfied, we will gladly accept your . timely return of unworn, unwashed, or defective merchandise. 'Returned . merchandise should include the vendor packaging and tags and be in the . same condition as when it was received. Used merchandise cannot be . returned unless defective. A pickup and/or restock fee may apply.' After Ms Walker had requested that the goods be refunded, the store sent staff out to inspect the merchandise. Mr Ticer said 'the store never followed through or offered an explanation for not taking the items back'. Location: The Neiman Marcus store in Dallas where Ms Walker's ex-husband purchased the large amount of goods. His mistress, the personal shopper who earned commission on the purchases, still works there . He expressed further disapproval over the company's choice to keep Ms Lo as an employer. She is still employed at the retailer's NorthPark Mall location in Dallas. He said: 'The real villain in this case is Neiman Marcus. After . learning of this affair, they decided they weren't going to do anything about . it.' As for the merchandise, it is currently being held in storage under tight security. | Patricia Walker from Texas received the gifts over the three years she spent recovering from a serious car accident .
Husband had been helping cheating partner earn commission on his purchases to help start new life together . |
05734e4b1ca09822bfdd322ce09fce064ec2996d | Landing in the UK by private jet is normally the preserve of the rich and famous. But then six-week old Dax is used to making unusual entrances, having arrived prematurely while his parents were on a short break in New York. Mum Katie Amos and dad Lee Johnston were overjoyed at his birth just after Christmas - but faced a £85,000 hospital bill while they waited until early March for their son to be well enough to travel. Special delivery: Katie Amos, 30, at home with baby Dax who was born 11-weeks early, whilst his parents where on holiday in New York . Their travel insurance company has now confirmed all costs will be covered, however, and flown them home in a specially equipped medical jet, complete with a doctor and nurse. 'When we were finally given the all-clear to come home I broke down in tears. We were so happy, no words could describe it,' said Miss Amos, 30. 'It was such an incredible feeling to step off the Tarmac in the UK. It was such as relief.' The couple had been told Dax, who weighed 3lb at birth, wasn't be able to travel home until his original due date of March 10 as he wouldn't be able to fly on a commercial plane. But Lenox Hill Hospital in New York gave the go-ahead on Thursday after insurers Allianz said they were providing the private jet, which has an incubator. They left on Friday and stopped briefly in Canada and Iceland before arriving East Midlands Airport the following day. Katie and Dax's father Lee Johnston were overjoyed at his birth just after Christmas - but faced a £85,000 hospital bill while they waited until early March for their son to be well enough to travel . Dax, pictured in Pilgrim Hospital, weighed just 3lbs when he unexpectedly arrived in December last year . Parents Katie Amos and Lee Johnston, both 30, flew Dax home from New York in his own private medical jet . Katie Amos, 30, and fiancé Lee Johnston, 29, from Burgh-le-Marsh, Lincolnshire, welcomed son Dax (together above) unexpectedly . Safe and sound: Dax, who now weighs 5lb 9oz, is being cared for at Pilgrim Hospital in Lincolnshire but should be able to go home in a fortnight . Dax, who now weighs 5lb 9oz, is being cared for at Pilgrim Hospital in Lincolnshire but should be able to go home in a fortnight. Miss Amos and her fiancé, also 30, flew to the U.S on Boxing Day for a last holiday together as a couple. But she unexpectedly went into labour on the second day of the four-day break while on a movie tour in Central Park. 'I was in complete denial when I went into labour. I just kept saying to the nurses I wasn't having my baby I was going home,' she said. 'It wasn't until I was being told to push that it finally started to sink in.' What should have been a joyous occasions was tarnished by the sickening realisation they might face a six-figure bill for the medical care they received if their insurers, Allianz, didn't cover the cost. 'When we arrived at the hospital one of the nurses asked Lee to sort out our medical insurance,' added Miss Amos, a fitness instructor. 'When he came back he was grey in the face. The woman he had spoken to said she wouldn't accept our insurance. It was so scary. 'There was a huge list – even the examination cost $500.' Miss Amos and son Dax (above), who was born weighing 3lbs, and told he wouldn't be able to fly until March . Dax, who was born 11 weeks early while his parents were on a four-day break in the Big Apple, was kept in an incubator during the flight . A team of doctors, nurses and pilots helped the Johnstons fly to Lincolnshire in a 'military-style operation' After a nail-biting five-day wait the couple, from Burgh-le-Marsh, Lincolnshire, were given the good news that they would not have to foot the bill. But they still had to wait for doctors to approve the journey – and apply for a U.S passport. 'To get a UK passport it would have taken up to three months and we wanted to get him home as soon as we could so Dax has a U.S passport and birth certificate,' said Miss Amos. 'Just to get the photo we had to remove all of his vital tubes that helped him feed and breathe – it was really scary. 'Being born so prematurely Dax has had a few health problems but he's doing really well now.' She added: 'He has reflux which is common for premature babies as his little body has had so much to contend with. 'He's still being closely monitored as he suffers from Patent Ductus Arteriosus which means one of the main arteries from his heart isn't closed properly. It's looking positive though as doctors say this should close on its own.' It had been feared the baby wouldn't be given the all-clear to fly until March 10 - his original due date . Little Dax is now staying at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, after flying home with a US passport . Dax is still being closely monitored as he suffers from Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) which means one of the main arteries from his heart is not closed properly . Dax flew home from Lennox Hill hospital in New York after doctors gave him the all-clear to fly on Thursday . She added: 'We have cried, laughed and felt everything in between. It's been a really tough journey and we are over the moon that it's finally over.' The couple were helped while abroad by donations of nearly £12,000 that flooded into a fundraising website and was used for clothes, food and other essentials. Mr Johnston, who is also a fitness instructor, said all donations were now going towards a charity that provided them with cheap accommodation during their stay in the Big Apple. He added: 'Being the man of the house it's my job to look after my family and take control but I was completely helpless over there. I just tried to do as much as I could for Katie and Dax. 'Luckily, we were very prepared and my dad is a painter and decorator so Dax's nursery was virtually finished before we went. We can't wait to get him home now.' | Katie Amos and fiancé Lee Johnston went to New York for four-day break .
Miss Amos went into labour 11 weeks early while sightseeing in the city .
Couple welcomed son Dax, weighing just 3lbs, after two days in Big Apple .
But doctors said the baby couldn't fly until March and the couple feared that they would be stranded in New York with £85,000 of medical bills .
But Dax has now flown home with a US passport in his own medical jet thanks to the couple's insurance company and private donations . |
05735dc02fed0630b660e140048d25ea556cffea | Way back in the mists of time, when schoolkids were expected to learn seemingly endless lists of facts off by heart, they chanted a poem to remember the names of England's kings and queens. "Willie, Willie, Harry, Ste," it began. "Harry, Dick, John, Harry three / One, two, three Neds, Richard two / Harrys four, five, six, then who?" It then ended with the most recent monarchs: "Edward seven, George and Ted / George the sixth, now Liz instead." Of course, it's not done that way any more, but if it were, which name would make it into the next verse? We know that "Charles" and "William" will follow "Liz," but which name will follow theirs? Long before it was announced that William and Catherine had had a baby boy, speculation about what they'll call the newest addition to the royal family reached fever pitch. Would they pick a name that has already featured in that schoolroom poem? Read more: What will the royal baby look like? "William and Kate are very much a couple of the 21st century but I think they will stick to traditional names, in keeping with the past," Kate's biographer Claudia Joseph told CNN. Whatever the pair pick as the all-important first name, there will be plenty of room to fit in nods to other members of the family too. "Royals have quite a lot of names," said Williams. "Charles is actually Charles Philip Arthur George, and the Queen is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. Her father, Bertie, had five names." Writing for CNN, royal author Andrew Roberts agreed: "Although we can't know what the child's name will be, we can be sure that he or she will have a lot of them: Some heirs to the throne [have] had as many as seven or eight." But now we know it's a boy, Williams said the couple's choice was simpler in theory, since there are fewer traditionally "royal" male names to choose from. George and James are the current frontrunners with bookmakers, with odds of between 6/4 and 11/4. "We're very fond of King Georges in this country," she said. Read more: Royal baby -- heir for a new century? But the peculiar British royal tradition of switching between names may complicate matters. Prince Charles is expected to be known as King George VII when he ascends to the throne; King George VI was actually christened Albert; and his brother, Edward VIII, who became Duke of Windsor after his 1936 abdication, was known as David by family and friends. History has also knocked several male names out of the equation: Edward is unlikely, given that scandalous abdication so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, and the various King Richards, Charleses and Johns are viewed as cruel, tyrannical or just downright unpopular. "Charles, at 10/1, and John, at 8/1, are very unlikely," Roberts wrote. "Charles is already taken as the name of Prince William's father, and John was one of the worst kings in British history." King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta by his nobles in 1215; he was portrayed as the key villain in "Robin Hood." "There's no way they would pick Edward as a first name," insists Williams. "And you can't have Henry, after Henry VIII (though of course if Harry came to the throne he would be Henry). My bet is on George Philip William Edward." In recent years, there has been a move away from classic "regal" names by those on lower branches of the royal family tree. Prince Andrew and his now ex-wife Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson plumped for the unusual Beatrice and Eugenie for Prince William's cousins. Princess Anne, William's aunt, has two granddaughters by son Peter and Canadian daughter-in-law Autumn Phillips: Savannah (born in 2010) and Isla (born in 2012). Read more: Who can inherit British throne? But Joseph said William and Kate were always unlikely to go for more "trendy" options on the lists of popular names. In 2013, the most popular names for baby boys in the UK so far are Noah, Oscar and Oliver, according to babynames.co.uk. "Obviously other members of the royal family have broken with tradition but the offspring of William and Kate will be a future monarch," she said. That means, says Williams, "we're not going to see a Chardonnay, or a Plum, or an Apple." Nevertheless, British betting shops are more than happy to take your money if you fancy a flutter on a more modern or quirky moniker. If you think the future monarch might name a king-in-waiting after the King, you can always give it a shot: Ladbrokes are offering odds of 500/1 in favor of Elvis, while the chances of the baby prince being named after South Korean rapper and YouTube sensation Psy are a long shot 5000/1. Read more: Royal baby, meet the family! | Speculation about what baby boy will be called has reached fever pitch .
Prince William and Catherine are expected to opt for a traditionally "regal" name .
Bookies' favorites are George and James -- but you can also place bets on unusual names . |
057442248251775f342c6024e2afd6961b07bf2e | London (CNN) -- As we prepare to embrace a new year, women have been sharing their plans to improve their work lives in 2013. We asked women to tell us their career New Year's resolutions, and you have inspired us with your ideas. Whether they're big ambitions, a change in attitude or new priorities, the women who contributed know what they want and how to get it. Here are some of our favorite pieces of advice -- we hope you find them helpful too: . Create time for things that are important . Whether it's creating time for business priorities or life outside work, many wanted to work more efficiently. Amanda Pouchot, founder of The Levo League, an online community of young professional women, said: "My goal is to be better at prioritizing so that I can leave the office at a reasonable hour and go to the gym. In order to succeed in my job, I need to first take care of myself and be the best I can be." On The Levo League discussion board Kristen Andersson said: "In 2013, I'll shift my career into next gear by deliberately setting aside time for the two long-term projects I've identified." Louisa Crook added on Twitter: "Going to push forward once and for all with focusing on my niche (content) and stop taking clients that keep me out of it!" Ask for more . Erica, on the CNN comments thread, said: "Confidence. Even when I'm not feeling particularly confident, forcing myself to act confident. "I think it's important women not be afraid to go after what they want professionally -- which means being direct and asking for that next raise or promotion. This coming year, I will be focusing on squashing that fear. I'd rather get a hundred 'nos' than never have asked in the first place." Also on the CNN comments, cap said: "This year I'm working on being more assertive with my opinions and ideas. Working on my leadership skills and putting myself out there and once I am able to do that, ask for a promotion and pay raise." On Levo League, Kat Reilly said: "My number one goal for 2013 is to ask for more -- to let others know what I want, to go after it and to take action." Improve my relationships . Dr Letitia Wright, host of the Wright Place TV Show, in Southern California, got in touch on Twitter to say: "I plan to leverage my relationships (better) in 2013. Connect on (a) deeper level and make things happen for both parties." Write a book, or just write . †. | Women offer their career resolutions for 2013 .
Women contacted us through CNN comments and social media .
We highlight the key themes for professional development for 2013 . |
0574557a949a767f8e1aaf7600bb4fd6d43ff8da | (CNN) -- Rafael Nadal has admitted he is unlikely to play again this year as he set his sights on a return from injury at January's Australian Open. The former world No. 1 has been sidelined with tendonitis -- inflammation in the knee -- since withdrawing from July's Olympic tournament and has not played since losing to unseeded Czech Lukas Rosol in Wimbledon's second round. Eleven-time grand slam winner Nadal refused to rule out playing in Spain's Davis Cup final match against Czech Republic in November, but admits it could be difficult to force himself into the team after a three-month absence. "My biggest goal is to compete at Australian Open," the 26-year-old Spaniard told CNN Espanol, referring to the first grand slam of 2013. "About the Davis Cup final, of course I would love to take part in it, but first I have to see if I will be ready technically and physically. "We would have to ask whether I am the right choice to compete in a Spanish team that has been long preparing for this important tie considering also the months I have spent without playing. But that's a decision that it's not mine." Nadal has won the Davis Cup on three previous occasions, in 2004, 2009 and 2011, but missed out on Spain's 2008 triumph with a previous knee complaint. "Let's take it one day at a time," added the former world No. 1. "I'd rather be cautious especially after trying to recover for the London Olympics and for the US Open with no success. "I prefer to go day-by-day without setting objectives or time frames, work hard on my recovery and make sure I keep on getting better little by little." Nadal has been forced to watch from the sidelines as longtime rival Roger Federer returned to the top of the world rankings after winning a seventh Wimbledon singles title. He has also seen Britain's Andy Murray, who won the men's singles gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games, move above him in the world rankings after securing his first grand slam title at last month's U.S. Open. Currently ranked fourth in the world, Nadal has qualified to play at November's season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London, but his ability to take part is in doubt due to his injury problems, admitting that his knee is still "bothering him". | Rafael Nadal has targeted a return from injury at January's Australian Open .
The 11-time grand slam winner has been out of action since July .
The Spaniard has not ruled out playing for his country in next month's Davis Cup final .
Nadal is currently fourth in the world rankings . |
0575a137366d5d0e8c3622e6d3fb6b1ecdb94bb8 | EL CALABOZ, Texas (CNN) -- Eloisa Tamez said she isn't scared anymore, just determined. "I am not backing down," she said. The U.S. government wants to build a border fence like this one. About 100 landowners are fighting it. Tamez owns three acres of land along the Texas-Mexico border where the Department of Homeland Security would like to build a border fence. The property is a remnant of a 12,000-acre grant from Spain to her family in 1767, before the United States even existed. "It is my history. It is my heritage," Tamez said. This week, the Justice Department began legal action against landowners and municipalities who have refused to give government surveyors access to their land. Tamez expects she will be sued sometime soon, but she is not intimidated. Asked how long she will fight, she said, "As long as I have to." Michael Chertoff, the Secretary of Homeland Security, said the fence will not be stopped by opponents like Tamez. "Can we simply abandon an enterprise because it is a problem for a particular individual?" Chertoff told CNN. "I don't think I can accept that." Watch Chertoff say it's "civic responsibility" to give up land » . Chertoff believes a fence would curb the steady stream of illegal immigrants making their way across the border and lessen the flow of drugs. He also argues it will increase the safety of Border Patrol agents who have faced increasing violence. The government wants to build 700 miles of fence along the Mexican border, including 370 miles of it by the end of this year. About 70 miles of fence is to be built in the Rio Grande Valley by year's end, if the government gets its way. The Rio Grande forms a natural barrier along this stretch of the border, but in some places it is narrow enough to swim across. On the banks of the river there is ample evidence that people do so. Piles of underwear lie discarded by swimmers after they make it across. The swimmers change into dry clothes they have carried across in plastic bags. Then they disappear into the United States. The Border Patrol has stepped up its efforts in the Rio Grande Valley with more lights, and sensors to pick up movement. A levee built along the river has a muddy road on top used by Border Patrol vehicles to patrol the area. Richard Cortez, the mayor of the border town of McAllen, Texas, believes hiring more Border Patrol agents, deepening the Rio Grande, and clearing its banks of tall vegetation would provide better border protection than the fence. Cortez calls the fence "a multibillion-dollar speed bump," which will slow, but not stop, illegal immigration. "It is a false sense of security," he said. "America will not be safe. America will continue to waste resources on something that is not going to work." Cortez and other border mayors who oppose construction of the fence formed a group called the Texas Border Coalition. The coalition wrote to Chertoff asking for further consultations on the fence, but this week the Department of Homeland Security turned them down. While expressing support for open dialogue with residents and officials, David Pagan of U.S. Customs and Border Protection wrote in an e-mail, "We do not plan to suspend work on the construction of fence in order to hold a series of additional consultation meetings." Cortez said his city is contemplating a court test of the law that mandated the construction of the border fence. And so a battle is being waged by about 100 landowners, those like Eloisa Tamez who are standing firm. "I will not allow them to come and survey my land. I have an American-given right to protect my property," she said. E-mail to a friend . | Government wants land for border fence; landowners refuse .
Secretary Chertoff says he won't relent "for a particular individual"
Eloisa Tamez says her property has been in her family since 1767 .
Border town mayor calls the fence "a multibillion-dollar speed bump" |
0575c84f139d4f0181a7ecc287205e5b4c4aaf4d | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 08:04 EST, 13 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:40 EST, 13 January 2014 . Jailed: Conner Newall, 19, hijacked a car at gunpoint then held up a village post office . These dramatic images show a teenager fleeing armed police at speeds of up to 100mph after he went on a gun rampage to pay off a drug dealer. Conner Newall, 19, hijacked a car at gunpoint then held up a village post office before attempting an escape in West Cumbria - forcing officers to scramble the police helicopter. Detectives tracked his stolen Vauxhall Corsa as he sped for 20 miles through towns and villages before being rammed off the road by a patrol car as he tried to turn into a country lane. As officers wrestled Newell to the ground, he pleaded for mercy, yelling: ‘I don’t want to die. I’m a dead man - I owe thousands.’ It was later revealed that he owed a local gangster £1,500. Details of the car chase emerged at Carlisle Crown Court where Newall was jailed for ten years after admitting armed robbery, possession of a firearm and dangerous driving. The incidents occurred just a few miles from where gunman Derrick Bird, 52, shot dead 12 people and injured 11 others before killing himself during a gun rampage in June 2010. Newall began his crime spree in Wigton at 12.45pm on November 8 last year when he ambushed motorist Donna Lancaster as she sat texting in her stationary Vauxhall Corsa. Newall pulled open the passenger door, and calmly told her: ‘Excuse me, but I need to borrow your car.’ Miss Lancaster, 51, initially refused but then noticed the teenager had a gun under his jacket. As she gave him the car keys, Newall pointed the gun towards Miss Lancaster’s face and told her he also wanted her mobile phone, before escaping in her car. Scroll down for video . Taken from above: Helicopter footage of 19-year-old Newall being chased by police through West Cumbria . Pursuit: Detectives tracked Newell's stolen Vauxhall Corsa as he sped for 20 miles through towns and villages . On the road: Details of the car chase emerged at Carlisle Crown Court where Newall was jailed for ten years . Dangerous: Armed officers, supported by a police helicopter, spotted Newall and then began pursuing him . Chase: Newall drove at speeds of up to 100mph along the A596 and nearby roads, driving through junctions . Miss Lancaster said she felt that ‘this was it’ and her ‘world was at an end’, the court heard. She feared she would be shot even as he drove away, said Rebecca McGregor, prosecuting. Just after 2pm, Newall - who was masked with a black balaclava - burst into a post office and threatened postmistress Gwen Hopkinson and a colleague Amanda Harrison with the gun. Miss McGregor said: ‘He said he wanted some money and Mrs Hopkinson laughed, believing he was joking. He told her he was not joking; that he was desperate and that he was sorry.’ Newall grabbed more than £1,200 from the till and drove off but the pursuit began after one of the women in the post office noted down the registration number of the Corsa. Armed officers, supported by a police helicopter, spotted Newall and then began pursuing him as he drove at speeds of up to 100mph along the A596 and nearby roads, driving through junctions and narrowly avoiding crashes. Dramatic: Eventually Newall was rammed off the road by a patrol car as he tried to turn into a country lane . Rammed: Officers to scramble the police helicopter, which took footage of Newall being chased in Cumbria . Caught you: Newall was jailed after admitting armed robbery, possession of a firearm and dangerous driving . Lengthy chase: The stolen Vauxhall was rammed off the road near to the village of Prospect in Cumbria . Confronted: Newall was also banned from driving for five years at Carlisle Crown Court following the incident . 'I'm a dead man': As officers wrestled Newell to the ground, he pleaded for mercy, yelling: 'I don't want to die' One pedestrian in the port town of . Silloth had to leap out of the way as Newall sped past before roaring on . through Aspatria, Allonby, and towards Maryport. 'You terrorised these women in two separate and very serious robberies' Judge Paul Batty QC . Eventually the stolen Vauxhall had its tyres punctured by a stinger device and was rammed off the road near to the village of Prospect. The court heard Miss Lancaster could not work for a fortnight after the raid and Mrs Hopkinson’s confidence was said to be ‘shattered.’ The gun was found to be an air pistol. Marion Weir, defending, said: ‘He now appreciates the terror that his victims must have felt. He wants to move forward and get on with his sentence and express an apology to the victims.’ But Judge Paul Batty QC told Newall: ‘You terrorised these women in two separate and very serious robberies. The court cannot be other than impressed by the actions of these officers in bringing this defendant to justice.’ Apprehended by police: It was later revealed that 19-year-old Newall owed a local gangster £1,500 . Armed officers: Police said his case highlights 'how drugs can have such a devastating effect on people's lives' Vehicle: The car that teenager Newall was driving, fleeing armed police at speeds of up to 100mph . Nearby: The incidents occurred just a few miles from where gunman Derrick Bird, 52, shot dead 12 people and injured 11 others before killing himself during a gun rampage in June 2010 . Newall was also banned from driving for five years. Detective Chief Inspector Mike Brown of Cumbria Police said after the case: ‘Newall not only caused huge distress to the women he threatened with a gun, but could have seriously hurt or killed someone through his reckless driving. 'If you get involved with drugs this can be the end result' DCI Mike Brown, Cumbria Police . ‘The back story to this case is that this was all driven by the defendant’s involvement in drugs, and the debts he had accrued as a consequence. 'This, yet again, highlights how drugs can have such a devastating effect on people’s lives. ‘Indirectly drugs have led to decent people becoming victims of serious crime, not to mention the untold long-term psychological effects that these events may have on them. ‘In addition the family of this lad will also suffer as a result of his decision to get involved in drugs and this should yet again serve as a significant warning to others. ‘If you get involved with drugs this can be the end result. Here is a young man that will be wasting a significant part of his life behind bars.’ | Conner Newall, 19, hijacked a car at gunpoint then held up a post office .
Attempted escape in Cumbria before officers scrambled police helicopter .
Detectives tracked his stolen car as he sped through towns and villages .
Was eventually rammed off road as he tried to turn into a country lane .
Jailed for ten years and gets five-year drive ban at Carlisle Crown Court . |
0576133f6c2201f8f319375ce5a6e5a37d424c29 | Lagos, Nigeria -- Nigeria's president ordered security forces Tuesday to step up their search for 15 children kidnapped in the country's southeastern region when gunmen hijacked a school bus. President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the "utterly callous and cruel kidnapping" of 15 nursery and primary school pupils on Monday. A statement from the president's office said the Nigerian leader order the Inspector-General of Police and heads of other security agencies "to take all necessary steps to rescue the abducted children and return them safely to their parents." The incident occurred near Aba, the capital of Abia state. Kidnapping has been rampant in the region for years. In this case, the abductors are asking for a ransom of 20 million naira, or nearly $130,000 . Police don't know the whereabouts of the children, and they won't confirm their nationalities and identities. Geofrey Ogbonna, the state's police spokesman, said four gunmen boarded a bus headed to Apayi International School in Aba and took the children away. The bus driver and the school teacher who were on board are in police custody and helping law enforcement efforts. Jonathan urged the children's parents and relatives "to remain calm" and assured them that the government "will do everything possible to apprehend the kidnappers and bring closure to these ugly incidents as soon as possible." Militants in the southern oil-producing region, who have been fighting for years over fairer distribution of the country's oil wealth, have abducted oil workers, and people engaged in criminal activity have snatched up citizens to get ransom money. Kidnappings and rape in Abia state are common and have become more frequent in recent years. They include vehicle hijackings and even people being snatched off the street. The motive is usually money. Some people travel with security -- if they can afford it. As foreign oil workers improved their personal security, the kidnappers have increasingly targeted Nigerians. | The incident occurred in Abia state .
Kidnapping has been rampant there for years .
NEW: The president urges the children's parents and relatives "to remain calm" |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.