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06b952bcf484cbaae6d003e30a5f98591fc7b155 | British Gas has launched an investigation into solar panels at dozens of schools and businesses after a series of mystery fires. Some 92 schools that signed up for free panels have been told their equipment will need improvements before it is considered safe to use. It comes after solar panel fires in three schools were confirmed by British Gas following a tip-off to The Mail on Sunday. A third roof blaze damaged two classrooms at Sutton Bonington Primary School in Nottinghamshire (above) Although an investigation after the first two was ruled 'inconclusive', it is believed the energy giant was forced to carry out improvements when a third roof blaze damaged two classrooms at Sutton Bonington Primary School in Nottinghamshire. More than 90 schools and 27 business fitted with the suspect equipment have been left without free solar energy since April. The news is likely to come as a blow to Energy Minister Greg Barker, who the same month unveiled plans to put solar panels on the roofs of 24,000 schools. British Gas has stressed that 160 other schools fitted with earlier versions of the panels are unaffected and that household ones are safe. A spokesman for Nottinghamshire County Council said the panels had been installed as part of British Gas's Generation Green project, which gives schools free equipment in return for a Government green subsidy payment. A British Gas spokesman would not reveal the cost of the shutdown, although sources say it could run 'well into six figures' once compensation – for the extra cost of mains electricity – is included. Gab Barbaro, managing director of British Gas Business Services, said: 'Safety is our number one priority. Following an incident in April, we decided to turn off solar panels at certain non-domestic sites as a precaution while we undertook a full investigation. British Gas has stressed that 160 other schools fitted with earlier versions of the panels are unaffected and that household ones are safe (File photo) No one was hurt and we have worked with independent experts to establish the cause. 'As a further precautionary step, we are upgrading part of the solar installations at these sites.' Professor Stuart Irvine, director of Glyndwr University's Centre for Solar Energy Research, said panel fires were unusual. He added: 'The cause here may lie in wiring or junction boxes, where power is converted for the grid, rather than the panels themselves. 'There's an argument that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) needs to look at this. We must make sure there's adequate testing of components and sufficient protection for buyers.' A spokesman for the DECC said: 'As legal action is pending, it would not be appropriate to comment.' | 92 schools and 27 business have been told their equipment will need improvements before it is considered safe to use .
Third roof blaze damaged two classrooms at Sutton Bonington Primary School in Nottinghamshire .
British Gas stressed 160 other schools fitted with earlier versions of the panels are unaffected and household ones are safe . |
06b9f5177aacd34cc88a169200831fb396d5a348 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama began to flesh out the details of one of his signature campaign promises Tuesday, outlining his plan for a major overhaul of the country's education system "from the cradle up through a career." President Obama says the decline of education is "unacceptable for our children." "We have let our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short and other nations outpace us," Obama said in an address to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "The time for finger-pointing is over. The time for holding ourselves accountable is here." "The relative decline of American education is untenable for our economy, unsustainable for our democracy and unacceptable for our children, and we cannot afford to let it continue," he said. The president outlined a five-tier reform plan, starting with increased investments in early childhood initiatives. Obama noted that the recently passed $787 billion stimulus plan includes an additional $5 billion for Head Start, a program to help low-income families. He highlighted a proposal to offer 55,000 first-time parents "regular visits from trained nurses to help make sure their children are healthy and prepare them for school and life." He also pledged to boost federal support in the form of "Early Learning Challenge" grants to states that develop plans to strengthen early education programs. Second, Obama called for an end to "what has become a race to the bottom in our schools" through lower testing standards. Echoing former President Bush's call to end "the soft bigotry of low expectations," Obama said states needed to stop "low-balling expectations" for students. Watch Obama challenge states to raise their standards » . "The solution to low test scores is not lower standards; it's tougher, clearer standards," he argued. At the same time, however, he urged states to develop standards "that don't simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity." To help promote this goal, Obama said he would push for funding in the No Child Left Behind law to be more effectively tied to results. The Education Department, he said, would "back up this commitment to higher standards with a fund to invest in innovation in our school districts." Obama's third tier focused on teacher training and recruitment. He noted that federal dollars had been set aside in the stimulus plan to help prevent teacher layoffs. He also reiterated a promise to support merit pay, as well as extra pay for math and science teachers with the goal of ending a shortage in both of those subjects. At the same time, however, the president warned that ineffective teachers should not be allowed to remain on the job. "If a teacher is given a chance but still does not improve, there is no excuse for that person to continue teaching," he said. "I reject a system that rewards failure and protects a person from its consequences." Teachers' unions have opposed merit-based pay, arguing that it is unfair because it leads to competition among teachers and because teachers face different challenges depending on where they are located. Fourth, Obama called for the promotion of educational "innovation and excellence" by renewing his campaign pledge to support charter schools. He called on states to lift caps on the number of allowable charter schools. He also urged a longer school calendar. "I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas," Obama said. "But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom." Obama's final reform initiative focused on higher education. Among other things, the president promised to boost college access by raising the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,550 a year and indexing it above inflation. He also promised to push for a $2,500 a year tuition tax credit for students from working families. The American Federation of Teachers, a union with 1.4 million members, said Tuesday that it embraces Obama's goals to provide "all Americans with a comprehensive, competitive education that begins in early childhood and extends through their careers." "We also fully support the president's call for shared responsibility for education -- among public officials, school administrators, parents, students and teachers," the group said in a statement. "As with any public policy, the devil is in the details, and it is important that teachers' voices are heard as we implement the president's vision." In promoting his program, the president called for an end to the "partisanship and petty bickering" that many observers believe has typically defined education policy debates in the past. "We need to move beyond the worn fights of the 20th century if we are going to succeed in the 21st century," he said. Obama also offered a rebuttal to critics who have accused him of diverting attention to issues such as education and energy at the expense of the deteriorating economy. "I know there are some who believe we can only handle one challenge at a time," he said. But "we don't have the luxury of choosing between getting our economy moving now and rebuilding it over the long term." CNN's Kristi Keck contributed to this report. | Obama stresses investments in early childhood initiatives.
President says "challenges of a new century" demand more time in classroom .
He calls for end to the practice of lowering state reading, math standards .
Obama pledges to push for major expansion of performance-based pay programs . |
06babddb627395fbb6eb4e641be7a8a42d8c4794 | The Lockerbie bomber was buried in a Tripoli cemetery yesterday as the row over the case – and his release from jail – raged on. Up to 200 family and friends attended the burial of Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi, whose return to Libya three years ago was greeted triumphantly by Colonel Gaddafi’s regime. The men who were closest to him in his life placed a white shroud across his body, while the traditional Arabic prayer Salat al Janaza was read out by an Iman. The 60-year-old, who died on Sunday from prostate cancer, is the only person convicted of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 with the loss of 270 lives. Pallbearers carry the coffin of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi during his burial at a cemetery in Janzour, west of Tripoli, earlier today . The body is carried from an ambulance for a funeral prayer before Al-Megrahi's burial. The Libyan was the only person ever convicted of the 1988 bombing of a PanAm flight over Lockerbie, Scotland . The coffin is covered with a white sheet with the Koran on it, lies in front of an imam during the funeral prayer . As his body was placed in the ground, the handful of family members present shouted out 'God is Great' and said private prayers. They included the former secret serviceman's four sons. His wife Aisha and one daughter remained at the family home, in accordance with Islamic tradition. By Muslim custom, Al-Mergahi's body had to be interned within 24 hours of his death on Sunday. His body was washed and groomed before the short burial service early on Monday afternoon. A period of mourning was then formally announced, and it will last for 40 days, as Al-Megrahi's surviving family receive mourners to their home. All had been extremely close to the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, but have been extremely well treated since the Colonel was murdered by revolutionaries last year. Convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi speaks during an interview his home in Tripoli in October last year(R) and (L) a younger Al-Megrahi in an undated photograph . Mohammed Bukharis, a neighbour, said: 'Brother Al-Megrahi is honoured and respected by all Libyans because of the suffering and pain he went through following his unjust conviction. 'Many view him as a national hero because he took the blame and the punishment for a crime that could have seen the whole country punished. 'There was never any resentment against the Al-Megrahi family when Gaddafi disappeared. On the contrary, all have been honoured.' Also among those attending today's funeral were relatives from Sebha, Al-Mergahi's hometown in the south of Libya. The town is the home of both Al-Mergahi's tribe and the Gaddafi tribe. This led to Colonel Gaddafi filling his intelligence services to members of the so-called Megarha, the tribe to which Al-Megrahi belonged. Al-Megrahi, who always maintained his innocence, is being carried by male relatives and friends of the family. Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi was 60 years old when he died . Final rest: Friends and relatives lower the coffin of Al-Megrahi . Mohammed Harizi, spokesman for Libya's ruling National Transitional Council, said: 'No official attended the funeral - it was a private family affair'. Al-Megrahi turned 60 on April 1st, but had been living on borrowed time since Britain released him on compassionate grounds in 2009 because of prostate cancer. Earlier this month he was rushed to a private medical clinic in Tripoli where he underwent a blood transfusion. When he was released from prison in Scotland in August 2009, Al-Megrahi was given just three months to live, but a combination of excellent medical facilities in Libya and the support of his family has allowed him to survive for almost three years. Al-Megrahi's house in Tripoli where the Lockerbie bomber spent his final years after being released on compassionate grounds . Friends and relatives pictured standing outside Al-Megrahi's house yesterday after the news of his death broke . A revolutionary new cancer treatment developed in London but not yet available in the UK had also enabled Al-Megrahi to survive. He took Abiraterone, the £3000-a-week hormone-based therapy drug discovered by scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. Al Megrahi was convicted in 2001 of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 as it flew to New York from London, but has always insisted he is innocent. His release infuriated many relatives of those who died as the plane exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. There were even calls by American politicians for his extradition to face further charges in the USA, but Libya's new National Transitional Council always resisted them. He marked his 60th birthday surrounded by family and friends and vowed to 'prove my innocence' before he died. Al-Megrahi's freedom was largely due to work carried out by the Gaddafi regime, and especially by the dictator's son, Saif-Al Islam Gaddafi, who is currently being held in custody in Libya, pending a trial. Lockerbie tragedy: Emergency service workers are seen next to the wreckage of Pan Am flight 103 two days after the bombing on December 21, 1988 . | Convicted Lockerbie bomber was buried today .
Friends and family attended the funeral of 60 year old Al-Megrahi .
When released in 2009 he was given three months to live and died of prostate cancer yesterday .
1988 Lockerbie bombing killed 270 people . |
06bb6494da06545173172289714e270a575e562e | (CNN) -- Abandoned workshops and empty warehouses are getting a new lease of life in Cape Town. Spaces that once housed production lines are now becoming creative hotspots for artists, designers and musicians living in a city that holds the title of World Design Capital for 2014. This urban regeneration might be most true in one of Cape Town's oldest suburbs: Woodstock. Visitors to the area can see the busy harbor to the north and the majestic Table Mountain to the south. But most people wandering around the area aren't here for the views -- with its craft stores, art markets, theaters and award-winning restaurants, this is a hot address for young urbanites. Based here is also the Old Biscuit Mill, a converted building that has now become a hive of retail activity. "When we started we knew we had made the best decision to be based in Woodstock specifically," says Zizi Poswa, a founding partner of Imiso Ceramics, a well-known local pottery collective located at the Old Biscuit Mill. "After two or three years we realized we've got to maximize on whatever we do and we've had a lot of customers coming from overseas to see our work. It's been good." Woodstock is also home to an old brewery that has now been turned into an office hub, mostly catering for small advertising and film production firms. "Buildings in the area really lend themselves to being converted," says Willem Otten, one of the architects involved in the redesign of the Old Castle Brewery. "Woodstock used to have a lot of clothing workshops and factories, so the high ceilings and generous spaces really work for the artistic community." Economic benefits . This sector is an important component of South Africa's economy. The visual arts contribute nearly $90 million to the country's GDP and provide employment to almost 18,000 people, according to the Department of Arts and Culture. But the craft sector is even more significant when it comes to generating income. The sector contributes about $985 million annually to GDP and employs approximately 38,000 people. South Africa's government is trying to build on these areas with its Public Art Program. Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile has announced a number of partnerships with local community leaders and artists in a bid to stimulate creativity in communities and help beautify areas. Overall, the program is projected to create 5,000 short-term jobs between 2013 and 2015. One person who is well-aware of the economic potential South African design has to offer is Trevyn McGowan. The company she started with her husband, "Source," is all about finding local designers and getting them started in the global market. "Our design industry is ready," says McGowan, who's also the founder of the Southern Guild -- a stable of local talent creating design art and investment pieces. "A cool market, but in a commercial environment." Design legacy . Her goal is to stimulate the industry and the majority of the work is happening in Woodstock. The regeneration of the area is one of the reasons that the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design has crowed Cape Town the World Design Capital -- a title the city will hold until the end of the year. Past title holders that have received recognition for driving urban development through design include Finland's capital city Helsinki and Seoul in South Korea. Cape Town is the first city on the African continent to have been given the title, which was first bestowed on Torino in Italy in 2008. But has the title led to real benefits for the city? "There has been a fantastic response," says Otten. "There has been an uplifting of the city as people are really making public spaces better." But there is a sense that the real benefits won't be immediately obvious. "I think this is far more intrinsic and deeper than anybody anticipates and it's only going to be in years to come that we really see the critical impact that world design capital has had on Cape Town," says McGowan. "It's all very well to want the proof right here and right now but for a young industry, we're really are doing the best we can and the legacy that's going to be left behind after the year is over." This longer-term perspective is also on the mind of Alayne Reesberg, CEO of World Design Capital Cape Town -- the body which implements the requirements of the World Design Capital organization. "There has been added impetus in 2014 for South African policy-makers to talk about design," she says. "City, provincial and national government agencies are convening on design issues and the WDC title has really accelerated those conversations." As the end of 2014 comes into sight, and with it the close of Cape Town's reign as World Design Capital, citizens will hope the year in the spotlight will have a lasting impact on the city's public spaces. Read this: From crime hotspot to hipster hangout . Read this: In the driving seat of S. Africa's economy . More from Marketplace Africa . | Cape Town is the World Design Capital 2014 .
Old factories in the Woodstock suburb are being transformed into creative spaces .
The visual arts contributes nearly $90 million to the South African economy . |
06bbbcfcf75e2e64f4367c1a99c90198db87ca4a | Roger Bolton, of Radio 4’s Feedback programme, said that some secular teachers are also ‘unsympathetic to religious education’ Fear of ‘offending’ different faiths means pupils are not being taught the true meaning of Christmas in schools, according to a BBC presenter. Roger Bolton, of Radio 4’s Feedback programme, said that some secular teachers are also ‘unsympathetic to religious education’. As a result, many pupils are not learning the crucial fact that Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus. A lack of understanding of Christianity is also preventing youngsters from gaining a proper understanding of religious imagery in literature and drama as well as European art. This ‘ignorance’ in schools is being compounded by broadcasters’ reluctance to tackle ‘faith issues’ in children’s programmes. Mr Bolton, who previously presented Sunday, Radio 4’s main programme for religious news and current affairs, condemned the trend in a ‘viewpoint’ piece written for this weeks Radio Times. He said the Band Aid single, Do They Know It’s Christmas? would be better renamed for school children as ‘Do They Know What Christmas Is?’ He said: ‘Older readers might think this is a redundant question, but I’m afraid it’s not. ‘In some schools in this country, little is taught about the true meaning of Christmas, possibly because secular staff are unsympathetic to religious education or because of the fear of offending those of other faiths. ‘And broadcasters aren’t doing much to remedy this ignorance. It is difficult to find any children’s programmes that regularly deal with faith issues.’ Mr Bolton said there were ‘exceptions’ such as On Angel’s Wings, a BBC1 animation this Christmas, which is based on War Horse author, Michael Morpurgo’ s picture book. It tells the Christmas story from the point of view of a young shepherd boy. ‘But there is little else in prospect, and the consequences of this lack of coverage are becoming evident,’ he said. The presenter pointed to a Bible Society survey published earlier this year that claimed a quarter of children had ‘never read, seen or heard of Noah’s Ark’. Fear of ‘offending’ different faiths means pupils are not being taught the true meaning of Christmas in schools, according to a BBC presenter . A similar proportion was ignorant of the Nativity; 43 per cent had never heard of the Crucifixion, and 53 per cent had ‘never read, seen or heard’ of Joseph and his coat of many colours. Mr Bolton wrote: ‘Does this matter? I think it does, for both cultural and communal reasons. ‘The United Kingdom cannot be understood without appreciating the role Christian culture has played in its development, from the introduction of the parish system to the replacement of a monarch (James II) because he was a Roman Catholic. ‘In the time of Henry VIII what one believed about the doctrine of ‘transubstantiation’ was literally a matter of life and death. ‘Our 17th-century Civil War was fought in large part over the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings. ‘Without a knowledge of Christianity, what will our schoolchildren make of much of our finest literature and drama, filled as it is with Christian imagery? Or much of the finest European art?’ A lack of understanding of Christianity is also preventing youngsters from gaining a proper understanding of religious imagery in literature and drama as well as European art . Mr Bolton said the Band Aid single, Do They Know It’s Christmas? would be better renamed for school children as ‘Do They Know What Christmas Is?’ He added: ‘It is also vital that children of other faiths learn about Christmas. How can they begin to integrate into our country if they know little of the faith still at its heart? ‘Of course, the reverse applies, too. How can they feel welcome in this country if we make no real effort to understand what is often the most important thing to them and their families – their faiths?’ A better understanding of faith ‘would also do politicians no harm when they come to debate whether or not to intervene in parts of the world where religion is still a matter of life and death’. Mr Bolton is trustee of the Sandford St Martin Trust Awards, which are given to encourage better coverage of religious and ethical issues in broadcasting. Due to concerns about a lack of understanding of Christianity, it is introducing a new category in 2015 for children’s programmes. The trust has previously given awards to programmes made about Jewish and Islamic subjects, and to programmes made by atheists. Mr Bolton added: ‘Our roots, however, are in Christianity, like the UK as a whole, and while I will certainly buy the new Band Aid 30 single, Do They Know It’s Christmas? I also want all our children to know what Christmas really means.’ A BBC spokesperson said the corporation’s children’s programming ‘reflects different religions and cultures throughout our programming across the year’ and that religion was ‘at the heart of the Christmas schedule’. | Radio 4's Roger Bolton criticised teachers who dodge subject of Jesus .
Believes approach is preventing kids from understanding religious imagery .
Said the Band Aid single better named 'Do They Know What Christmas Is?’ |
06bc2f0272d033b123e9eebbb221c62d7d51c283 | Poignant footage of First World War soldiers will be projected on to Stonehenge as part of a new exhibition telling the story of how one million men trained on Salisbury Plains during the conflict. The footage of the soldiers marching is being beamed onto the ancient stones for a memorial service marking the opening of the Soldiers At Stonehenge project. Although it is usually associated with more ancient history, Stonehenge stood at the centre of what was between 1914 and 1918 the world's largest military training camp. Poignant: Footage of First World War soldiers will be projected on to Stonehenge as part of a new exhibition telling the story of how one million men trained on Salisbury Plains during the conflict . Troops: During the conflict, some 180,000 men were stationed on Salisbury Plain at any one time, coming from across the Commonwealth to prepare for battle . During the conflict, some 180,000 men were stationed there at any one time, coming from across the Commonwealth to prepare for battle. The exhibition, which opens tomorrow at the Stonehenge Visitors Centre, aims to explore the untold story of Stonehenge, the Salisbury Plains and those who trained for war around the iconic site. Visitors to the centre will be able to learn what life was like for the men who trained on Salisbury Plaine, though stories, photographs and historical artifacts. The exhibition, which will run for six months, will also show how reminders of their presence can still be seen across the wider Stonehenge landscape, with Salisbury Plain still used by the military for training purposes today. 'Troops from across the British Empire travelled to the Salisbury Plains to prepare for war starting with Canadian soldiers in 1914, followed by men of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) in 1916,' said Robert Campbell, Head of Interpretation at English Heritage. 'The task of the men training on Salisbury Plain was to overcome the horrific stalemate of trench warfare. 'To replicate conditions on the Western Front, soldiers dug intricate networks of trenches which were then pounded by shellfire. Innovative but deadly new technology pioneered in the training camps and secret establishments created in Wiltshire during 1914 - 1918 resulted in major developments in aviation, artillery and chemical warfare.' Items on show include medals awarded to Lieutenant Edmund Antrobus, the heir to Stonehenge, who was killed in action, and original artwork of The Better 'Ole - one of the most famous war cartoons of all time which was developed by Bruce Bairnsfather on Salisbury Plain. Soldiers: Drummer Jacob Bruce and Lance Corporal Owein O'Brien from the 1st Battalion Royal Regiment Fusiliers, based at nearby Tidworth, practice the 'Last Post' as they prepare for a memorial service marking the opening of the exhibition tomorrow . History: Although it is usually associated with more ancient history, Stonehenge stood at the centre of what was between 1914 and 1918 the world's largest military training camp . The humorist and cartoonist had been posted to the 34th Division headquarters on Salisbury Plain, after serving at the front and being hospitalised with shellshock following the Second Battle of Ypres. It was while he was on Salisbury Plan that he developed his humorous series of cartoons about life in the trenches, with The Better 'Ole, depicting two soldiers in a muddy shell hole, one of the best remembered. Bairnsfather went on to invent Old Bill, an old soldier with a trademark walrus moustache and balaclava. His cartoons achieved immense popularity because they expressed the views of the ordinary soldier in the trenches. Lieutenant Antrobus, whose father Sir Edmund had also been a soldier, was killed in action just seventeen days after arriving at the front. Sir Edmund, who served in the 1880s Sudan Campaign, inherited Stonehenge as part of the Amesbury Abbey estate in 1899. His son and heir landed in Belgium in 1914 and was killed in action at Ypres in October 1914. Sir Edmund died in February 1915, it was said, of a broken heart. After their deaths the grieving Lady Florence Antrobus placed the war medals of both her husband and son within an ornate cabinet along with a portrait of her son which she had painted herself. The loss of both the owner and heir to Stonehenge lead in part to the monument being put up for sale at auction in 1915. Although there were calls for the Nation to purchase Stonehenge, it was Cecil Chubb, a locally born Barrister, who was the successful purchaser and it was he who was the last person to privately own Stonehenge. Also on show are a number of archaeological finds including cap badges, rifle cartridges, aircraft parts and highly personal items such as a spoon and even part of a bottle of Australian hair tonic. The special exhibition, Soldiers at Stonehenge - Salisbury Plain And The Journey To The First World War opens on November 5 at the Stonehenge exhibition and visitor centre. Admission is included in the entry price for Stonehenge. | Footage of soldiers marching being beamed onto the ancient stones during Soldiers At Stonehenge exhibition .
During WW1, Salisbury Plain was world's largest military training camp, with 180,000 stationed there at any one time .
Soldiers from across the Commonwealth would dig trenches to replicate those on the Western Front .
Technology developed nearby led to developments in aviation, artillery and chemical warfare . |
06bcfdad42938417504469e4be630639d7ac5ab3 | From the moment we cross the Turkish border into Syria, evidence of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria's draconian and brutal rule lingers. More than a month after the group was driven from the town of Addana, residents here drive through the streets, pointing out where ISIS fighters carried out executions and left bodies to rot for all to see. "That's where they had one of their checkpoints," says rebel fighter Abu Sa'ed, pointing to a small concrete building on the side of the road as we speed past. ISIS arrived in Addana about a year ago, initially welcomed in the conservative town by Islamist fighters. But within a few months, ISIS had entrenched itself and begun exerting its harsh order through what one fighter calls "terrorism and punishment." "ISIS came in and took over one area and announced it was an Islamic state and did whatever they wanted," Abu Sa'ed says. In the passenger's seat, fellow fighter Abu Jaafar sighs, his AK-47 trained out the window. "They used to leave the bodies of people they executed at the checkpoint for days," he says. "The corpses would rot. No one could avoid looking at them." Amid the civil war in Syria, another war is taking place -- one that pits moderate and Islamist rebels against radicals from ISIS, a group so radical that even al Qaeda has reportedly distanced itself from it. Both groups of fighters are opposed to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. For months, reports have been emerging from northern Syria about ISIS atrocities. In Addana, bullet holes riddle the walls at a former ISIS prison. Most of them are at the same level -- the average height of a man. "Those are mostly from the executions," says Abu Jamal, another fighter. "Others are from the battle." At the town's courthouse, a fresh coat of white paint covers the black mark left by ISIS -- known to paint buildings black as they take over Syrian towns. Executions would take place out front. In the back, freshly dug dirt marks where some of the bodies were buried in mass graves. Abu Jamal points to a pile of burning trash. ISIS beheaded one of the top rebel commanders -- placing his head in that very spot -- in broad daylight when the market was packed with people as a warning: anyone who dared oppose them would have the same fate. In early January, rebel groups banded together and launched an offensive against ISIS in Addana and other areas in northern Syria. "We had to leave the fronts with the regime," Abu Jamal says, "and fall back to fight ISIS and liberate the already liberated areas." Still, many in Addana are too afraid to speak openly. So deep is their fear, they don't even want to be seen with us. Next to the former prison, a family waits, hoping for closure. Volunteers shovel dirt from a grave they dug up before. Video filmed at the time shows four contorted corpses. It's among many mass graves rebel fighters have unearthed. "We found a foot, a shoe, and a jacket," Addana resident Ayoush Ali tells us. Her neighbor Mohammed Ismail joins us. His two younger brothers are missing, he says. "It's my brother's jacket. He just went out to get sugar and tomatoes." A man drops a pile of children's socks, covered in dirt, on the ground. "His wife wanted socks for their kids," Mohammed says, still disbelieving. The day after we meet Mohammed, the bodies are dug up. It's three of his brothers who were killed by ISIS. He had thought one of them was in jail. He crouches on the ground, covering his face, shoulders shaking as he sobs. | The radical opposition group ISIS was driven from Addana more than a month ago .
Locals describe mass executions committed by the al Qaeda-influenced group .
A war within a war is taking place in Syria, pitting rebel fighters against radicals from ISIS .
The town is still reeling from the group's yearlong brutal reign . |
06bd3a55d7a9b3cb70b6f5ffcafc60565823f9e1 | (CNN) -- Darrell Royal, the football coach who led the University of Texas to at least a share of three national championships in the 1960s and 1970s, died Wednesday in Austin after a battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 88. Royal is the winningest coach at Texas, one of college football's biggest programs. He compiled a 167-45-5 record at Texas from 1957 to 1976 and helped offensive coordinator Emory Bellard introduce the wishbone option offense to the Longhorns and to college football in the late 1960s. He was also Texas' athletic director from 1962 to 1980 before being inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. "No words are adequate to describe the impact Darrell Royal had on this state, the university, UT athletics and Texas football," Texas Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds said Wednesday. "He was simply the foundation, the beginning. Anywhere you look today, on this campus, you see his fingerprints." Royal, who played quarterback for Oklahoma from 1946 to 1949, began his collegiate head coaching career as a 30-year-old at Mississippi State in 1954. He also coached Washington in 1956. But he made his biggest mark at Texas, where he inherited a 1-9 team and turned in a 6-3-1 record in his first season in 1957, guiding the Longhorns to the first of 16 bowl appearances they'd make over the next 20 years. His Longhorns topped the national polls in 1963 and 1969 with 11-0 records. In 1970, the 10-1 Texas squad claimed a share of the national title. He never had a losing record in 23 seasons as a head college football coach, with a three-college record of 184-60-5. The wishbone formation, the three-running-back set that Bellard debuted on a collegiate level at Texas under Royal's guidance in 1968, helped the Longhorns go on a 30-game winning streak and spread to other colleges. Dodds said Wednesday that the current Texas team would honor Royal during Saturday's home game against Iowa State at his namesake Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. "I think [head coach] Mack Brown has said this, but our first play from scrimmage on Saturday will be out of the wishbone," Dodds said. Brown said he lost "a wonderful friend, a mentor, a confidant and my hero." "College football lost maybe its best ever, and the world lost a great man," Brown said, according to a university release. "... His impact on the game, the coaches and players, the community and the millions of lives he touched, is insurmountable." Royal is survived by his wife, Edith, the university said. People we've lost in 2012: The lives they lived . CNN's Jason Hanna contributed to this report. | Royal won three national championships as head coach at University of Texas .
He helped introduce the wishbone formation to college football .
Royal is the winningest coach at Texas, one of college football's biggest programs . |
06bd91854e207a314fb74bddee6c7474c40aa59b | This is the first picture of nun and new mother Roxana Rodriguez. The 33-year-old woman, a nun with the order of the Little Disciples of Jesus, stunned her mother superior and local church chiefs after giving birth last week to a baby boy which she has called Francis, in honour of the current Pope. Sister Roxana initially claimed to have no idea that she was pregnant and thought her labour pains were 'stomach cramps' when an ambulance rushed her to hospital in severe pain after being called by fellow nuns when she collapsed at her nunnery. Roxana Rodriguez, a nun with the order of the Little Disciples of Jesus, stunned her mother superior and local church chiefs after giving birth last week to a baby boy . Her picture was published in the Italian daily newspaper Corriere Della Sera, who have carried out an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the birth of 9lb Francis and have spoken to the the social worker in the case. It shows Sister Roxana, who is currently in the first floor maternity unit at the San Camillo de Lellis hospital in Rieti, 50 miles north of Rome, as she took her vows and became a nun in the order last September. She told her social worker Anna Fontanella:'I am so happy. I feel more of a mother than a nun, I think that's obvious. I decided to call him Francis in honour of our wonderful south American Pope. I do not feel of guilt. I will be keeping him and bringing him up. 'He is a gift from God. I am little worried about all the publicity, not only in Italy but in El Salvador and all over the world. Everyone is talking about this and I don't think I will be able to return to my home country, let alone Rieti.' Sister Roxana has written a letter of apology to the order's mother superior general Elvira Petaraca - the woman who in September she solemnly promised to follow her vows of 'chastity, poverty and obedience', the three main pillars of the Little Disciples of Jesus Order. The nun had only arrived in Italy last summer at the nunnery in Rieti and has told officials that the father is a man from her native El Salvador but she has so far not named him. Father Benedetto Falcetti, priest at the nearby St Michael's church in Rieti, said: 'It all happened last spring, around March or April time when she was back in El Salvador to get her passport renewed. 'She has not said who the father is but I understand he is an, shall we say, old flame of hers from when she was younger. At some stage I expect she will tell the father that he has a son and they will be reunited but I don't know when that will be.' The nun stunned her mother superior and local church chiefs after giving birth last week to a baby boy which she has called Francis, in honour of the current Pope . However not all share Father Falcetti's delight at the birth, apart from the anger of her superiors, sister Roxana has also upset her fellow nuns at the convent in Campomoro. One nun who answered the telephone at the convent and who asked not to be named said:'No we must certainly not be going to visit her. What she has done is not right at all. She has betrayed her vows. She will not be coming back here.' Since news of the birth was announced the hospital has been flooded with gifts for the nun and her new baby including nappies, clothes and money. Hospital director Pasquale Carducci said:'We have had to put extra security on the maternity wing because of all the interest. Like any new mum she is delighted but obviously this has created a great deal of clamour because she is a nun. 'There have been calls and gifts from dozens of well wishers and she has passed on her thanks to all these people. Medically she and the baby are doing well and I expect them to be discharged by Tuesday at the latest.' Massimo Casciani, spokesman for the local bishop of Rieti, monsignor Delio Lucarelli, said: 'At some point the bishop will visit the nun but at the moment he has not yet seen here. 'We shall be investigating the circumstances behind - the child could be the fruit of a consensual rapport but it could also have been as a result of violence. That's why we need to investigate properly.' | The 33-year-old woman is nun with order of the Little Disciples of Jesus .
Sister Roxana initially claimed to have no idea that she was pregnant . |
06bf9642337257c7c3cb69d6e049215f4401fe4f | Sinead O'Connor says she's joined the Irish republican Sinn Féin party — and immediately called for its leaders to step aside for younger voices free of IRA connections. The 48-year-old singer, who recently released her 10th album 'I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss,' says Sinn Fein is the only left-wing party able to steer Ireland toward social equality. But O'Connor says senior figures Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, who oversaw the outlawed Irish Republican Army, should retire. Mr Adams, now 66, has led Sinn Fein since 1983. Politricks: Irish singer Sinead O'Connor performs during the Italian State RAI TV program 'Che Tempo che Fa', in Milan, Italy. She's joining the Irish republican Sinn Fein party - and wants its leaders to step aside . Announcing her membership of Sinn Fein on Facebook yesterday, O'Connor told fans: 'There'd be a zillion percent increase in membership of Sinn Fein if the leadership were handed over to those born from 1983-1985 onward and no one associated in people's minds with frightful things.' Currently the second-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and fourth largest in the Oireachtas, the parliament of the Irish republic, Sinn Féin was long associated with Ireland's armed struggle for independence. By the time of the Northern Ireland's Troubles in the 1970s the party was closely linked to the Provisional Irish Republican Army, the paramilitary group commmitted to ending English rule of Northern Ireland. As such most senior members of the party, including leader Gerry Adams, have been linked to the bombing campaign carried out across Northern Ireland and England largely against what were seen as political and economic targets. Mr Adams has consistently denied allegations he was a member of the IRA. The Provos only renounced violence in 1997 when Sinn Féin were finally admitted to the peace talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement. 'Step aside': Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, left, stands with Sinn Fein politician and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness as he arrives to give a press conference at a hotel in Belfast . Masked IRA militants: The paramilitary group was commmitted to ending English rule in Northern Ireland . While it still campaigns for the central aim of a united Ireland, Sinn Féin now largely operates both north and south of the border as a democratic socialist party supporting minority rights and the eradication of poverty. Most recently the party has leant its weight to the campaign against water charges in the republic, where the cost of running water has previously been included in general taxation. O'Connor wrote on Facebook of her decision to join Sinn Féin: 'I joined Sinn Fein today. 'Because resolving issue number one is the way to resolve all current issues. 'Issue number one is we don't own our country. 'I might not even be the kind of person they want, because I'm gonna write here that I feel the elders of Sinn Fein are going to have to make "the supreme sacrifice" and step down shortly in the same way the last Pope did.' The implementation of an independent water service provider was one of the economic 'liberalisation' measures stipulated by Europe in Ireland's credit crunch bailout terms. Critics say it's the first step towards privatising water supply in the country. | Nothing Compares To You singer announced her membership yesterday .
She says Sinn Fein is the only left-wing party able to save Ireland .
Party was closely associated with the Provisional IRA in the 60s and 70s .
It still campaigns for a unified Ireland but is currently fighting privatisation . |
06bfa479d9a47868b73c1ccd48d96ab38620100f | (CNN) -- The Sri Lankan military claimed it has struck a decisive blow against Tamil rebels in the taking of a rebel naval base at Chalai. Troops at Elephant Pass, the isthmus connecting the Jaffna peninsula to the rest of Sri Lanka. The "capture of Chalai by army troops several hours ago drove a decisive blow to the entire Tiger organization, now in its death throes with the loss of the biggest Sea Tiger base in the eastern coastal belt," said a statement posted on the military's Web site. The military also said it had killed at least four rebel leaders and 10 other rebels in the fighting Thursday evening in Chalai, a community known for its bazaars. Government troops and Tamil rebels are locked in a battle for the remaining rebel strongholds in the north of Sri Lanka, where the the country's ethnic Tamil minority has been fighting for an independent homeland since 1983. Watch a report on risks facing journalists in Sri Lanka » . Humanitarian groups say as many as 250,000 unprotected civilians are trapped in the area where the fighting is taking place, and the onslaught has intensified as government forces have closed in on the rebels. The aid agencies have asked for increased access to northern Sri Lanka, calling it a nightmarish situation. Earlier this week, the conflict forced the closure of Pudukkudiyiruppu hospital in the Vanni region, the last functioning medical facility in the area of fighting. Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse rejected calls Wednesday for a negotiated end to the fighting. He said there would be no political solution, the online edition of The Island reported. Some in the international community have suggested negotiations to give the rebels an opportunity to surrender. | Military says it killed at least 14 rebels in the fighting .
Government troops, rebels battling for remaining rebel strongholds in north .
Aid groups say as many as 250,000 civilians are trapped in the area .
Ethnic Tamil minority fighting for an independent homeland since 1983 . |
06c328528f2ba3ab2f45e1cc2b05b82ffd6bd389 | A concept artist has painted crockery onto contortionists as part of a launch campaign for Macmillan's 24th World's Biggest Coffee Morning. Emma Fay created the incredible body art celebrating the nation's love of hot drinks ahead of the charity event on Friday. The fundraiser will see more than 200,000 people hosting a coffee morning with proceeds going to the cancer charity. Emma created the images symbolising an alternative coffee morning by ornately painting a mug, cupcake, tea pot and teacup onto human bodies. Concept Artist Emma Fay has created images of an alternative coffee morning for Macmillan . Emma specialises in make-up and concept artistry, hair and beauty, and bespoke design. She also runs workshops. Participants of the World's Biggest Coffee Morning will drink an estimated 5million cups of coffee and eat 10million slices of cake with the aim of raising more than £20million for people affected by cancer. At 24 years old, the event is the most successful charity fundraising event of its kind, raising more than £113million to date. Emma created the incredible body art celebrating the nation's love of hot drinks . The idea is simple: Get together with friends, colleagues or neighbours to hold a coffee morning and raise money for Macmillan. In 2013, 154,000 people signed up, raising a record £20million. Many coffee shops are also taking part to help raise funds. Every donation helps the charity continue providing services to ensure that no-one has to face cancer alone, from the moment they’re diagnosed, through treatment and beyond. To donate, visit http://www.macmillan.org.uk/donate/ . @macmillancancer . Emma specialises in make-up and concept artistry, hair and beauty . The fundraiser will see more than 200,000 people hosting a coffee morning . Many coffee shops are also taking part to help raise funds . Every donation helps the charity continue providing services to ensure that no-one has to face cancer alone . | This is 24th World's Biggest Coffee Morning charity fundraiser .
Participants set to raise estimated £20m for Macmillan . |
06c333b8a272da3a47c0cf81182f4f0683f7a8ba | A branch of hacker group Anonymous has taken on the people they believe are involved in the cover up of a horrific rape case in Ohio where two star football players are accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. The alleged rape took place in Steubenville, Ohio in August of last year, but because authorities did not immediately arrest the athletes involved, much of the policing has been done on the web. Officially, two boys- Trent Mays and Ma'lik Richmond- have been arrested and charged with raping a fellow 16-year-old, taking her to a number of parties when she was too drunk to resist, digitally penetrating her and possibly even urinating on her. Scroll down to watch video extract . Taking action: The so-called 'hacktivist' group Anonymous made a video announcing their plan to 'out' people involved in the alleged coverup of the incident . The case, which was publicized nationally by an explosive New York Times story, has split the small town of Steubenville into two sides- those who are devout fans of the football team who have chosen to support the two players, saying that the incident is the girl's fault for getting that drunk. There is also the allegation that she was drugged, but because a toxicology report was not done immediately after the alleged assault, that has not been proven. Others feel that the reason why the case . has not moved more swiftly through the legislative process is because . local officials are covering up for the start athletes, taking it as the . latest example of the hero-worship provided the teenage football . players. Horrific: Attendees at the various parties posted pictures of the two suspects dragging the seemingly unconscious victim around because she was too drunk to move . Anonymous qualifies as the latter, and an individual cell called Knight Sec has appointed themselves that internet vigilantes for the case. On their website, called Local Leaks: The Steubenville Files, they said that they took up the cause since 'a town rife with corruption, cronyism, illegal gambling and fixated upon their star high school football team (a major economic revenue engine) were prepared to orchestrate a major cover-up in order to sweep the entire affair under the rug.' The group 'began unraveling this conspiracy of silence designed to protect a group of these high school football players who had become well known to their fellow students as “The Rape Crew”.' They go on to name and discredit a number of people involved in the case- from the sheriff involved in the investigation to the prosecuting attorney- using their tech skills to hack into individuals email accounts and publish damaging allegations. In the case of a prominent football team supporter, the group published inappropriate and pornographic photos found in his email account. The Local Leaks site has become somewhat of a collection of the various Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts made by students who were either present at the parties where the girl was being dragged around by the two players by her ankles and wrists. That picture was originally screen-grabbed by Alexandria Goddard, a crime blogger who used to live in Steubenville. She took it from the Instagram account of a local high school student who later tried to sue her for defamation because she posted the photo on the web. His suit was dismissed and the teenage boy publicly apologized to the victim and her family, whose names are not being reported because she is a minor and an alleged sexual assault victim. A horrifying online trail of the August 11 incident continues to emerge, and one of the latest discoveries was that of a video of a group of high school students talking about- even laughing- about the alleged rape which seems to be happening at the time the video was shot. Throughout the video, which is just over 12 minutes long, there are numerous references to a 'dead girl' who is described as being raped and urinated on. The boy who talks the most in the video has been identified as Michael Nodianos, a former Steubenville student and baseball player who cannot contain his laughter as he describes the 16-year-old victim, seemingly in another room of the house, being raped. 'She is so raped right now,' he says at one point in the video. Laughing boy: The 'star' of the video is Michael Nodianos, a former Steubenville student who can't contain his laughter as he describes the 'dead' victim, seemingly in another room of the house . Offensive: A number of offensive comments about the alleged rape were made online, including this one on Twitter; detectives are now trawling through the online exchanges for more evidence . 'There won't be any foreplay for a dead girl,' he says. 'It ain't wet now to be honest. Trust me, I'm a doctor.' The video was obtained by hacker group KnightSec and posted on Deadspin on Wednesday. Wearing an Ohio State Buckeyes t-shirt, Nodianos jokes that the girl is 'deader than a doornail' and 'they p***** on her.' He then goes on a tirade of the . figures that she's 'deader than,' including Caylee Anthony, 'O.J. Simpson's wife,' John F. Kennedy and Trayvon Martin. Fan frenzy: The Big Red plays their home games at a 10,000 seat stadium, where they are broadcast on local television . Allegation: Both of the boys facing charges are students at Steubenville High School and were on the school's prestigious football team . The city’s police chief begged for witnesses to come forward, but received little response. At least two other people who don't . appear on camera interrupt Nodianos to let inform him that the situation . is anything but a laughing matter. 'It is rape. They raped her,' one of them says. Later, he chastises Nodianos, saying: 'Like, this is not like funny... what if that was your daughter?' Nodianos responds: 'But it isn't. If that was my daughter, I wouldn't care. I would just let her be dead. 'And is it really rape if you don’t . know if she wanted to or not? She might have wanted it. That might have . been her final wish.' The names Trent and Ma'lik, are also . mentioned in the video - the names of the suspects in the case - Trent . Mays and Ma'lik Richmond. | Group of teens seen laughing as one describes girl who was raped and urinated on .
Two Steubenville football players charged in August with rape and kidnapping of girl .
Shocking photos and video posted on social networks show the brutality of the assault . |
06c3dba6e2603a9750d5ec34e5ccac0e829dbdd9 | Tottenham face at least two years playing in Milton Keynes as they build their new stadium, the Mail on Sunday can reveal. The news will dismay Spurs fans, who must trek 50 miles to the land of concrete cows not just for a single campaign but for two seasons — maybe more. The nightmare scenario has been forced on Spurs because their stadium design won’t allow for the project to be built in phases. Tottenham could spend more than two years using MK Dons' home ground as their base . The north London club has to leave White Hart Lane while their stadium is built at the same site . Club officials recently admitted they would have to move out for a season when they receive the go-ahead to start building. However, the prospect of long-term displacement raises concerns Spurs could be forced to play in front of low crowds for a damaging period. Stadium:mk holds a little over 30,000 supporters. Spurs hope to receive the green light in January when a High Court hearing will look into a major challenge to their plans. Spurs fans will have to commute 48.3 miles from White Hart Lane for home games . Tottenham fans at White Hart Lane, which has a capacity of 36,284 . Work on the new stadium has been held back by a local business that has refused to move to make way for the development and has used its right to appeal against a CPO decision in July that went in favour of the club. Spurs recently confirmed delays meant they would not have a home stadium for the 2017-18 season, and would have to play home matches somewhere else. However, as well as the prospect of additional time away from White Hart Lane, there is growing acceptance from officials that the stadium project may not be ready to open until 2020-21. | Tottenham are to play home games at MK Dons home Stadium:mk .
The design for Spurs new ground can't be built in stages .
The Mail on Sunday reveals fans will have to travel for two years or more . |
06c4f087ab8cd03402c3c3815c353a6d5b0baf62 | By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:37 EST, 20 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:37 EST, 20 November 2013 . A sharply divided Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Texas to continue enforcing abortion restrictions that opponents say have led more than a third of the state's clinics to stop providing abortions. The justices voted 5-4 to leave in effect a provision requiring doctors who perform abortions in clinics to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The court's conservative majority refused the plea of Planned Parenthood and several Texas abortion clinics to overturn a preliminary federal appeals court ruling that allowed the provision to take effect. Not in favor: The US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday it will not stop Texas from enforcing restrictive abortion laws . The four liberal justices dissented. The case remains on appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. That court is expected to hear arguments in January, and the law will remain in effect at least until then. Justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the liberal justices, said he expects the issue to return to the Supreme Court once the appeals court issues its final ruling. The Texas Legislature approved the requirement for admitting privileges in July. In late October, days before the provision was to take effect, a trial judge blocked it, saying it probably is unconstitutional because it puts a 'substantial obstacle' in front of a woman wanting an abortion. But a three-judge appellate panel moved quickly to overrule the judge. The appeals court said the law was in line with Supreme Court rulings that have allowed for abortion restrictions so long as they do not impose an 'undue burden' on a woman's ability to obtain an abortion. Writing for the appeals court, Judge Priscilla Owen noted that the Texas law would not end the procedure, only force women to drive a greater distance to obtain one. Pleased: Texas Governor Rick Perry praised the decision, selling it as a protection for women from 'shoddy' abortions . Justice Antonin Scalia, writing in support of the high court order Tuesday, said the clinics could not overcome a heavy legal burden against overruling the appeals court. The justices may not do so 'unless that court clearly and demonstrably erred,' Mr Scalia said in an opinion that was joined by Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy did not write separately or join any opinion Tuesday, but because it takes five votes to overturn the appellate ruling, it is clear that they voted with their conservative colleagues. Planned Parenthood and several Texas abortion clinics said in their lawsuit to stop the measure that it would force more than a third of clinics in the state to stop providing abortions. After the appeals court allowed the law to take effect, the groups said that their prediction had come to pass. In their plea to the Supreme Court, they said that 'in just the few short days since the injunction was lifted, over one-third of the facilities providing abortions in Texas have been forced to stop providing that care and others have been forced to drastically reduce the number of patients to whom they are able to provide care. Already, appointments are being canceled and women seeking abortions are being turned away.' Mr Breyer said the better course would have been to block the admitting privileges requirement at least until the court issued its final ruling because some women will be unable to obtain abortions. Also in favor: Michael Benavides of Austin holds up a crucifix July 1 and leads a group of pro-life supporters into the Texas State capitol . If courts ultimately find the law is invalid, 'the harms to the individual women whose rights it restricts while it remains in effect will be permanent,' he said. The five justices and three appeals court judges who sided with Texas are all Republican appointees. The four dissenting justices are Democratic appointees. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, who initially blocked the provision, is a Republican appointee. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, praised the Supreme Court action. 'This is good news both for the unborn and for the women of Texas, who are now better protected from shoddy abortion providers operating in dangerous conditions.' 'As always, Texas will continue doing everything we can to protect the culture of life in our state,' Mr Perry said.Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said the groups will continue the legal fight: . 'We will take every step we can to protect the health of Texas women. This law is blocking women in Texas from getting a safe and legal medical procedure that has been their constitutionally protected right for 40 years.' Also in favor of the decision: Even children protested in favor of more restrictions on abortion . 'This is outrageous and unacceptable - and also demonstrates why we need stronger federal protections for women's health. Your rights and your ability to make your own medical decisions should not depend on your ZIP code,' Ms Richards said. Tennessee and Utah are the other states enforcing their laws on admitting privileges. Similar laws are under temporary court injunctions in Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota and Wisconsin. In Texas, 12 abortion providers say they have attempted to obtain hospital privileges for their doctors, but so far none of the hospitals have responded to the requests. That means those clinics can no longer offer abortions, leaving at most 20 facilities open in a state of 26 million people. All of those facilities are in metropolitan areas, with none in the Rio Grande Valley along the border with Mexico. Currently, only six out of 32 abortions clinics in Texas qualify as ambulatory surgical centers, and some have doctors who do not meet the admitting privileges requirement. Texas women undergo an average of 80,000 abortions a year. | Texas abortion restriction have cut the number of eligible abortion clinics by one-third .
Opponents of the law took their fight all the way to the US Supreme Court .
Justices ruled 5-4 in favor of leaving the law as it is . |
06c5b56d8e6c9e6bf602cbcb62d5e1601ff9adda | It has hardly been a smooth ride, from the theft of cars to hackers stealing an early script - filming for the new Bond film Spectre has been hit by a string of disasters. And yesterday it emerged the curse of Bond had struck again, after two crew members were injured in a car crash on set in Austria. According to a source, filming was put on hold when one of the crew members was hit at high speed by a racing car during a stunt. 'Curse': Yesterday it emerged two crew members were injured in a car crash on set in Austria. Daniel Craig is pictured here in Solden, Austria filming a scene for Spectre . Daniel Craig (front left) and Rory Kinnear (front right) pictured on the first day of filming for upcoming James Bond movie Spectre . The driver lost control of the vehicle, sending it careering into the crew member and trapping them beneath the car. Last night a spokesman for the EON productions, which is behind the James Bond films, confirmed the accident had taken place. And a relative of one of those injured in the crash said: ‘They were filming in Innsbruk [Austria] and the driver of the stunt car, a racing car, lost control. 'The car crashed into someone, wedging them between the pavement and the car. And they had to be helicoptered to a hospital. ‘Another person was injured and was taken to a different hospital. The crash also damaged lots of the filming equipment, so none of the footage can be used.’ The crash is the latest disaster to hit Spectre since filming began at the end of last year. Setbacks have included the theft of nine cars, hackers stealing an early version of the script and Daniel Craig, who is portraying Bond for the fourth time, spraining his knee while filming a fight scene at Pinewood Studios in London. In recent days plans to shoot a funeral scene in a Rome cemetery were scuppered after a Christian confraternity banned the team from filming. Behind the scenes: Filming for the new Bond movie is expected to continue tomorrow following the car crash . And they have also been blocked from shooting a chase scene at the Quattro Fontane site, where there are four 16th-century baroque fountains. Last night filming had been put on hold to deal with the car crash. The cast and crew are thought to have been relocated to Rome, where filming it due to commence tomorrow. According to a source, Bond bosses have got around the issue with the cemetery, which was to be the first Rome location, by agreeing to create a set nearby. Among the material being shot in Rome is a car crash scene, which will see some of the city’s most famous streets shut down, with 800 security guards primed to accompany residents around the neighbourhood. Spectre is the 24th film in the Bond franchise. It is due for release in October. Last night a spokesman for the film said: ‘There was an accident on set today. Two crew members were taken to hospital, one has been released and another is being treated for a leg fracture.’ | Two crew members injured in car crash on set during filming for Spectre .
Filming put on hold when one of the crew members was hit at high speed .
Crash is the latest disaster to hit Spectre since filming began late last year .
It is the 24th film in the Bond franchise and is due for release in October . |
06c5b972e09424f5ad27a3c31d7c35c495db1df2 | Washington (CNN) -- President Obama highlighted stronger federal efforts Monday to help lower a high school dropout rate that, according to the president, is undermining America's future economic potential. Obama noted that the administration has committed $3.5 billion in new federal support for underperforming schools. Among other things, the Education Department is attempting to encourage states to identify and take new measures to reverse trends in schools with graduation rates below 60 percent. The Education Department's new "school turnaround grants" are designed to help 5,000 low-performing schools in the next five years. Obama's proposed fiscal year 2011 budget includes an extra $900 million for the program. "Our kids get only one chance at an education, and we've got to get it right," Obama said. "If a school continues to fail its students, then there's got to be ... accountability. ... The stakes are too high -- for our children, for our economy, for our country." The president argued underperforming teachers will need to be replaced in struggling school districts. But more accountability and higher standards, he said, need to be matched by greater federal funding and more parental involvement. Obama made his remarks during an appearance at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with the nonprofit group America's Promise, which sponsors programs for at-risk children. The group is headed by Alma Powell, the wife of former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Colin Powell. Roughly 1.2 million students drop out of school every year, according to the White House. About half of the dropouts are Latino or African-American, Obama said. As a consequence, the administration claims, the country loses almost $320 billion in potential earnings every year. | High school dropout rate threatens U.S. economic future, Obama says .
Administration has committed $3.5 billion to help struggling schools, he says .
Obama says underperforming teachers need to be replaced .
He calls for more federal funding and parental involvement . |
06c641d084a79c04ca10849fdc85783feb691b57 | With the transfer window firmly closed until January, Premier League clubs up and down the land have a few months to reflect on their summer business. But which sides had a window to remember? Who surprised their rivals with some wise acquisitions? And which players who chose to go elsewhere would've been the biggest asset to England's top-flight? We asked our three wise men - Jamie Carragher, Martin Keown and Jamie Redknapp - those questions and more. Here's what they had to say. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Costa and Welbeck in action this week for their countries . Big money buy: Manchester United splashed a British record transfer fee on midfielder Angel di Maria . Which team 'won' the transfer window? JAMIE CARRAGHER: Chelsea, without a doubt. They got most of their business done early and always seemed to be in control. The way Diego Costa has started is so impressive and we've still not seen Filipe Luis, who is a top player. And the money they've spent is not too bad when you compare it to United. Perfect start: Diego Costa has bagged four goals already after joining Chelsea from Atletico Madrid . JAMIE REDKNAPP: Chelsea did their business early and got £50million for David Luiz. Further down the table, Aston Villa did well to keep Ron Vlaar. And I really want Tom Cleverley to do well. He's been a scapegoat for too long. New and old: Cesc Fabregas (left) is pulling the strings in Chelsea's midfield while Didier Drogba (right) has returned to the club to provide experience . MARTIN KEOWN: It's a full house. Chelsea won it the day they sold David Luiz for £50m. And then they got £28m for Romelu Lukaku. Unbelievable business. Financial fair play rules have made them become better negotiators. Reasons to smile: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho (right) finds his side on top of the Premier League table . Is Danny Welbeck good business for Arsenal? KEOWN: It is good business. United are becoming a team of galacticos and he doesn’t fit into that. I’m not sure United have ever been convinced about him. It will be exciting for him to work with Arsene Wenger. He improves young players and has a superb record with top strikers: Klinsmann, Weah, Bergkamp, Henry. Welbeck is not clinical in front of goal but he’ll practise that. I remember Emmanuel Adebayor rarely hitting the target when he first joined Arsenal but Wenger had him practising and the improvement was phenomental. He’s the same price as Mario Balotelli but Welbeck will be here for the long term, Balotelli won’t. My only worry is that he could be in mourning about leaving such a great club. He needs to realise he has joined another and can finally take centre stage. Fresh start: Danny Welbeck left Manchester United to join Arsenal in a £16million deal on transfer deadline day . CARRAGHER: I can see the positives of his move from both sides. His goalscoring record isn’t great so I can see why United have moved him on. A lot of people at United will be loath to see a local lad go. And he has real pace, which United don’t have much of. He’s a good fit for Arsenal but he’ll play a similar role: sometimes he’ll be out wide, sometimes through the middle and sometimes on the bench. Is he really going to be their No 1 striker? REDKNAPP: I like him and always hear good things about his attitude and personality. He’s a good athlete but doesn’t score enough goals and doesn’t get in the right positions enough. I’m pleased for Arsenal fans that they signed someone. Welbeck is going there with a real point to prove. Point to prove: Welbeck, pictured in England training, will be hoping for regular playing time at the Emirates . Outside the heavyweights, who got the best deal? REDKNAPP: Hull signed match- winners in Gaston Ramirez and Hatem Ben Arfa. And I won’t apologise for saying it but Sandro is an excellent signing — he’s a monster, exactly what QPR needed. He’s got a tremendous attitude and work ethic and is an infectious character who will rub off on everyone. Talented: The signing of French midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa on loan from Newcastle was a coup for Hull City . KEOWN: Hull landing Ben Arfa. He was never a bad player, he just fell out with Alan Pardew. He has so much ability. CARRAGHER: I agree on Sandro. He’s a big strong player, who impressed me for Tottenham. He has a physical presence and QPR needed Premier League experience. They just have to keep him fit. One signing you wish had happened... CARRAGHER: I’d have loved to have seen Xabi Alonso come back to the Premier League instead of moving to Bayern Munich. He’s such a good passer of the ball. KEOWN: Toni Kroos. I don’t know why Van Gaal didn’t want him. Instead he went to Real Madrid. He passes the ball so cleanly. REDKNAPP: I agree with Jamie on Alonso and would have also liked to have seen Arsenal sign Falcao. They are so close to being title contenders. Moving on: Xabi Alonso (left) left Real Madrid for Bayern Munich, while Toni Kroos (right) went the other way . VIDEO Premier League breaks records across the board . | The summer transfer window closed on Monday night .
Chelsea strengthened their squad and sold their unwanted players .
Diego Costa has helped fire Jose Mourinho's side to the top of the table .
Danny Welbeck has a point to prove after leaving Manchester United .
The 23-year-old joined Arsenal in a £16million deadline day deal .
Hull have made some inspired signings, including Hatem Ben Arfa on loan .
Sandro will give QPR a strong presence in central midfield .
Xabi Alonso and Toni Kroos would've been great additions to the Premier League but both moved elsewhere . |
06c6e1196cb7b39f664df2f6b1f630978ccaa50c | Dozens of residents in northeastern Nigeria have been killed in two separate attacks launched by Boko Haram Islamists, according to officials and residents. Scored of Islamist insurgents dressed in military uniforms stormed the Christian farming village of Izghe, in Borno state, late Saturday and opened sporadic fire on residents, killing at least 106 people in an attack specifically targeted at male residents. The gunmen, who arrived in the village riding in trucks and on several motorcycles, opened fire and hacked male residents they had assembled in the village square. They moved door to door in search of male residents who were hiding. The attack prompted an exodus of hundreds of panic-stricken residents of nearby villages to the neighboring Madagali district in Adamawa state. "We suspect that the gunmen were members of Boko Haram. They have taken over the village," said Madagali local government chairman, Maina Ularamu.. The attackers looted businesses and food stores "and loaded all their spoils into vehicles owned by residents and fled into the bush," said Ularamu. A survivor of the attack, farmer Barnabas Idi, said he scaled the fence of his house and crawled for about 40 minutes to safety. Idi said that security agents were not present during the attack. In the second attack early Saturday, suspected Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on Doron Baga, a fishing village along Lake Chad. "They opened fire from all directions, forcing residents to jump into the lake in a bid to escape, and many drowned while others were gunned down," said Babagana Gwoni, a survivor of the attack. The gunmen looted fish and foodstuffs before setting houses on fire, Gwoni said. Lt. Col. Mohammed Dole, a military spokesman, confirmed the Doron Baga attack but declined to give details. "We received report of the attack on Doron Baga, but we don't have details because the area falls under the operational jurisdiction of the Multinational Joint Task Force," Dole said. The Multinational Joint task Force comprises troops from Nigeria, Niger and Chad and was set up in 1998 primarily to fight light weapons proliferation. Its mandate has been expanded to include combating the Boko Haram insurgency. | Boko Haram kills at least 106 people in an attack targeted at males, officials, residents say .
In another village, some victims drown in Lake Chad as they flee Islamists' gunfire .
Boko Haram's insurgency has left hundreds dead in northeastern Nigeria . |
06c763562d4fa4a8ac269bedf448b7e65402606b | (CNN) -- Crisis club Racing Santander has been thrown out of next season's Copa del Rey after its players staged a bizarre on-pitch boycott of a quarterfinal tie against Real Sociedad. The protest Thursday saw Racing players link arms on the center circle and refuse to play the second leg. They needed to pull back a two-goal deficit to earn a last four clash with Catalan giants Barcelona, but months of frustration over unpaid wages boiled over. The match was quickly abandoned but the Spanish football federation (RFEF) reacted Friday by imposing the penalty and a fine of €3,000 ($4050) on the stricken Cantabrian club. A statement on the federation's official website said its competitions committee had awarded the tie to Basque side Real Sociedad, who had led 3-1 from their home leg. "The non-appearing club will not be able to participate in the next edition of the Copa del Rey," it read. The Racing players, who were applauded by their home fans in the El Sardinero, had warned before the match that they would take action unless club president Angel Lavin and his board resigned. Substitutes and staff -- including coach Paco Fernandez -- who has reportedly not been paid for sixth months -- performed the same gesture of defiance on the touchline before the referee Gil Manzano called a halt to the proceedings after less than a minute. Fernandez told a post-match press conference that he was proud of his players for the stance they had taken and the support they had received. "We feel touched. We regret having to make this decision but we have done it out of respect to football, the sport that we love, and to ourselves," he said. "I want to thank my players for their bravery. Today was the biggest game of our lives and we have done it for our dignity. Without the fans' support, today's decision would have been very difficult to take." Racing had reached the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey after upset victories over La Liga top-flight sides Sevilla and Almeria, despite languishing in Spain's third division. The majority of the club's 101-year history has been spent in the top division of La Liga themselves with a sixth-placed finish as recently as 2008. But plagued by debt, Racing suffered two straight relegations as well as entering administration. | Racing Santander players stage boycott of Copa del Rey quarterfinal .
Angry about unpaid wages at cash-strapped club .
Real Sociedad led 3-1 after first leg on their home ground .
NEW: Spanish federation ban Racing from next season's competition . |
06c7ebdcc58e41b68278c77d140916f986dce37c | On a cold Monday in February 2012, 46-year-old Merseyside police officer Mike Cawson became a tragic statistic — one of hundreds of NHS patients injured or killed each year when medical devices fail. PC Cawson, who was suffering from heart failure, was being rushed by ambulance from Royal Liverpool University Hospital for life-saving surgery in a specialist cardiac unit at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Hospital. He never made it. His failing heart was relying on a special pump — a portable version of an intra-aortic balloon pump, inserted into his main artery. In 2013, there were 13,600 reports of failed devices to the watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) — these were linked to 309 deaths and 5,000 serious injuries . Such pumps, which inflate and deflate a balloon in the artery, are used as temporary support for the heart in patients who are awaiting urgent cardiac surgery. But half-way through the 40-mile drive to the hospital where the specialist team was on standby to perform an emergency operation, the battery powering his pump failed. Internal hospital documents obtained by Good Health reveal that the battery, which had been fully charged before the ambulance journey, was faulty. With no spare battery on board, the transfer team from the Royal Liverpool were helpless and the ambulance was forced to divert to nearby Warrington Hospital, where the balloon had to be removed (an inactive balloon can quickly cause blood clots to form). Later that day PC Cawson was sent on to his original destination, but died the following day. An inquest into his death heard from a consultant cardiologist from the Wythenshawe who said it was ‘highly unlikely’ that the failure of the pump had contributed to PC Cawson’s death. The Royal Liverpool also reiterated to Good Health that its patient had experienced ‘no clinical adverse effects’ but had ‘sadly died after a sudden deterioration in his condition’. There is no doubt, however, that the failure of the pump did mean that PC Cawson was not able to have the life-saving surgery he was meant to have. Furthermore, after his death, the trust issued advice to all teams transferring patients with intra-aortic balloon pumps to carry a spare battery. It can be of no consolation to PC Cawson’s loved ones to learn that many other families’ lives have also been shattered when medical equipment failed patients. The official figures for the number of NHS patients injured or killed each year by faulty medical equipment are shocking. In 2013, there were 13,600 reports of failed devices to the watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) — these were linked to 309 deaths and 5,000 serious injuries. The numbers are rising: over the past decade there have been almost 100,000 reports of failed devices, involving 2,300 deaths and 22,000 injuries. It's difficult to shake the impression that medical devices are being rushed onto the market . But these official figures could be just a fraction of the true human cost of unreliable medical equipment. For in a stunning admission to Good Health, the MHRA says it fears the true toll could be more than five times as bad. Its experts have told us that, based on global research and work carried out following the scandal over the PIP breast implants (which were made using industrial silicone with a high risk of rupture), they believe reporting of such incidents to be less than 20 per cent of the real figure —and possibly as low as 10 per cent. If this is true, this would mean in 2013 there were actually a shocking 68,000 adverse incidents, with 25,000 injuries and 1,545 deaths. Applied to the past decade, this produces a shocking tally that almost beggars belief: almost 500,000 incidents, 11,500 deaths and 110,000 serious injuries. Asked if it would be reasonable to extrapolate the figures in this way, Tony Sant, the watchdog’s manager responsible for adverse incident reporting and medical devices, said: ‘There’s nothing new with that kind of analysis. The question is, of those incidents: were the serious ones reported?’ There was, he adds, no way of knowing. One of the reasons for this is an extraordinary culture of secrecy embedded in EU law. Under Article 20 of the 1993 Medical Devices Directive, ‘all the parties involved in the application of this Directive are bound to observe confidentiality with regard to all information obtained in carrying out their tasks’. In other words, the MHRA can’t breathe a word. ‘We can’t give you which trusts and which medical device manufacturers were involved,’ explains Mr Sant. ‘We are prohibited.’ That’s why the MHRA never named the manufacturer in an earlier death linked to a failed battery in an intra-aortic balloon pump. Yet these two incidents were neither the first nor the last time this type of device has failed. On March 24 last year, Maquet, a division of Swedish medical technology giant Getinge, urgently recalled more than 12,000 of its intra-aortic balloon pumps. It had received more than 100 reports that a simple design fault — a misshapen ring — was causing the device to shut down ‘without any visual or audible warning’. This could result in a sudden and potentially fatal loss of blood pressure. A patient died as a result. Getinge issued a previous urgent recall for the same device in 2010 when it discovered the screens indicating the pump’s performance tended to go blank. Kornelia Rasmussen, the communications manager for Getinge, told the Mail: ‘Our products, by their very nature, are used in life-threatening and critical care environments countless times each day. 'If we believe that any are not safe, or do not meet our specifications, we institute immediate corrective action and we will continue to do so.’ Getinge is not alone: each year the MHRA receives approximately 1,000 safety notices from manufacturers alerting the watchdog to problems with their products. Yet while the MHRA is not allowed to name the manufacturers, it was able to reveal that the most frequent failures have been in expensive, high‑tech equipment being used in critical situations, such as operations and in intensive care. The MHRA is also allowed to name names and products when a reported failing could have widespread safety implications, issuing a Medical Device Alert. The MHRA has had to send manufacturers back to the drawing board with devices that had been already used on patients . But here, too, the figures are far from reassuring. In 2014, 49 such alerts were issued. The most recent was on December 18, warning of a risk of serious injury to babies in an infant warmer made by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. A faulty retaining nut meant the heater unit ‘may partially detach’. In the past year, device manufacturers, including some of the biggest names, have issued close to 1,000 so-called field safety notices. They make for hair-raising reading. At one end of the scale was a wheelchair that might suddenly tip its seat backwards and an instrument for orthopaedic surgery so badly designed that it couldn’t be cleaned properly, exposing patients to the risk of infection. More obviously life-threatening were faulty defibrillators, which are increasingly in the hands of inexperienced community volunteers. Last year, the MHRA issued an alert for one ‘smart’ defibrillator which advised life-savers to use too slow a rate of chest compression. Another defibrillator incorrectly displayed a ‘Do not touch the patient’ icon — which, according to the MHRA’s masterful understatement, ‘could affect patient outcome’. Grave faults were also highlighted in pumps that automatically administer drugs to patients, a ventilator used to aid breathing during surgery and a software program for analysing CT scans. The number of European patent applications for medical devices doubled between 2002 and 2012, outstripping applications from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors (there are already 500,000 different types of medical devices being used in the NHS). And it’s difficult to shake the impression that these devices are being rushed onto the market insufficiently tried and tested. This is reinforced by the shocking number of times the MHRA has had to send manufacturers back to the drawing board with devices that had been already used on patients. In 2013 alone, manufacturers were ordered to give 1,129 ‘undertakings to improve designs, manufacturing processes and quality systems’. And between 2011 and 2013, production ceased on 143 products, said a spokesman, ‘partly or wholly because of MHRA intervention or because a company felt it didn’t want to make the necessary changes for commercial reasons’. The MHRA is prevented from telling us which ones. A spokesman for the Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI) rejected any suggestion products were being rushed out, saying they were ‘put onto the market with processes backing them up to ensure they meet the correct standards’. Furthermore, monitoring the products after they’ve been launched ‘enables manufacturers to learn lessons from any field reports — if there is a situation identified by MHRA or others where improvements need to be made, then manufacturers will respond to that’. The number of reports of faulty medical devices involving new joints . And this is perhaps the most shocking thing of all. For the regulation of medical devices is a bit like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. Under EU law, private companies, known as ‘notified bodies’, ‘assess medical devices for quality, safety and [check] that they work’. They then hand out the CE mark allowing these devices to be marketed in Europe. Thereafter, ‘post-market surveillance’ — essentially, waiting to see if something goes wrong — is used to identify any problems. In other words, everyone from the manufacturers to the MHRA and the notified bodies seems to accept that device failures are inevitable — with patients serving as guinea pigs. The MHRA says it is working urgently with NHS England to eradicate the problem of under-reporting. In the meantime, following the MHRA experts’ revelations to Good Health, the watchdog now says that its investigations have whittled down the number of deaths associated with device failures in its most recent official report from 309 to just 86. It is an extraordinary U-turn on its own published official figures. There is no doubt that the system is fundamentally — and potentially dangerously — flawed. ‘Two things are certain,’ says Peter Walsh, chief executive of the patient charity Action against Medical Accidents. ‘Far too many people are needlessly dying or being harmed as a result of faulty devices or poor use of devices, and the reported incidents are still an understatement of how big the problem is.’ What we do know is clearly just the tip of the iceberg. | Over past decade there have been almost 100,000 reports of failed devices .
This involved 2,300 deaths and 22,000 injuries but could be just a fraction .
The MHRA says it fears the true toll could be more than five times as bad .
Most frequent failures have been in expensive, high‑tech equipment . |
06c84b3782fd35f895e59d6d021c624046f18469 | Donald Graham murdered millionaire heiress Janet Brown and got his girlfriend to pose as her so he could steal hundreds of thousands of pounds from her family . The married lover of a millionaire heiress murdered her before getting his dinner lady girlfriend to pose as the dead woman so he could steal hundreds of thousands of pounds from her family. Donald Graham murdered Janet Brown in 2005 and went on to steal £585,000 from her estate, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle and pay for sports cars. After killing Miss Brown, with whom he had been in a long relationship despite being married to someone else, Graham got a third woman to pose as her so she could ask the dead woman's father for more cash. Miss Brown's body has not been found. After murdering Miss Brown, Graham plundered the dead woman's savings and sold her assets - which he used to treat himself to a Ferrari, a Porsche and an Alfa Romeo. He then turned his greedy intentions on her elderly parents and started siphoning their cash, Newcastle Crown Court heard. Days after murdering Miss Brown, he met school dinner lady Elizabeth Todd and used some of the stolen money to buy her a house. When the killer's string of lies looked like they were about to unravel, Graham convinced Todd, who was today sentenced for fraud, to write two letters to Miss Brown's father's bank, posing as the dead woman, to request a cash transfer into his account. The 52-year-old mother, who lived in a council flat before she met Graham, also made two telephone calls under the guise of Miss Brown to a care home where a friend of hers worked and left messages under the dead woman's name in a bid to keep up the claim she was still alive. Miss Brown vanished in May 2005 and Graham convinced her friends and loved ones she had moved away abroad to start a new life. It was almost a decade later, after both of her parents died, that the sad truth of what happened to her emerged. Graham is currently serving a life sentence, with a minimum term of 32 years, for her murder. After killing Miss Brown (left), Graham got his girlfriend Elizabeth Todd (right) to pose as her so she could ask the dead woman's father for more cash . Todd, of Seaton Deleval, North Tyneside, pleaded guilty to fraud and perverting the course of justice. Judge John Evans sentenced her to six months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with supervision. The judge said: 'It is a tragic tale of repeated manipulation, naked exploitation, betrayal and greed which befell Janet Brown and ultimately her vulnerable parents at the hands of a ruthless killer. 'It ended with the untimely death, the cold-blooded murder, of Janet Brown. 'Your part in this appalling tale was, I accept, as do the crown, limited. 'It needs to be recognised, it is accepted you did not know the truth about Janet. Had you done so, had that been established, I would have had to approach the question of sentence on a very different basis.' Judge Evans said he accepted Todd was 'vulnerable and naïve' when she 'blindly carried out his directions'. Glen Gatland, defending, said Todd could have been preyed on by the callous killer because of her physical resemblance to Miss Brown. Mr Gatland said: 'There is evidence he tired to persuade Elizabeth Todd, very shortly after their first meetings, to have her hair dyed to the same colour.' The court heard Todd believed Graham, who would profess his 'love and devotion' to her, would one day marry her - a belief that was backed up when he bought two engagement rings. Mr Gatland added: 'He was a very, very skillful conman, he was able to lead Elizabeth Todd up the garden path. He is skillful at using women. 'Elizabeth Todd believed Janet Brown was overseas and working. She genuinely believed what Donald Graham was telling her.' Graham is currently serving a life sentence, with a minimum term of 32 years, for Miss Brown's murder . Graham, 60, who lived with his wife Denise, sent letters and cards to Miss Brown's parents after he killed her, claiming to be Janet and telling them she had settled in Europe. He then went about gaining the trust of her parents, giving him access to banking information and personal documents. After the death of Janet's mother, Graham even took her father shopping each week while defrauding the family of hundreds of thousands of pounds. During the murder trial, the court heard he created a fake will for Janet's elderly father Eric Brown, which would leave his estate - Plane Trees Estate, in Hexham, Northumberland, to Graham. Eric Brown's will originally left all of his assets to Janet, but in the circumstance that he outlived her everything would be left to the Guide Dogs for the Blind charity. The court how Janet Brown and Elizabeth Todd had both been listed as witnesses on the fake will in which Graham forged Eric Browns signature. Skipton Building Society noticed suspicious activity on Eric Brown's account in 2009 and stopped the transaction of a cheque from Eric Brown to Donald Graham's account. This led to Graham writing letters to the bank claiming to be Eric and Janet Brown, although they were both dead. Todd admitted writing two of the letters, claiming to be Miss Brown and requesting cash be transferred immediately. When Graham was interviewed by police he claimed he was the joint executor of Eric Brown's will with Janet Brown. Donald Graham, of Elsdon Avenue, Seaton Deleval, Northumberland, was charged with 19 offences in September 13, 2013, nearly four years after the investigation began. He was charged with murder, two counts of obtaining a money transfer by deception, 13 counts of fraud, forgery, conspiracy to commit fraud and perverting the course of justice. Todd pleaded guilty to fraud and perverting the course of justice and was handed a suspended sentence at Newcastle Crown Court (pictured) He first appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on September 17 2013 and pleaded not guilty to all charges on January 10 2014. Graham changed his plea on March 14 and admitted 18 fraud offences against Janet Brown and her parents. He denied murder and preventing the course of justice but a jury at Newcastle Crown Court found him guilty of both counts on June 19. The total amount that Graham gained during the fraud was £585,000. Janet Brown lived with her elderly parents Olive and Eric Brown in a converted barn on her parents estate Plane Trees Farm, near Hexham, Northumberland. She had been planning to go on holiday in June 2005 to France with Graham, her lover of eight years. Graham cancelled at the last minute falsely claiming his wife was too ill for him to leave her. Janet told a friend that Graham had 'let her down'. However Graham had secretly met another girlfriend - Todd - and was no longer interested in Janet Brown, only her finances. Janet disappeared before she went on holiday and has not been seen since. | Married Donald Graham murdered millionaire heiress Janet Brown in 2005 .
Graham took £585,000 from her estate and spent it on sports cars .
He got his girlfriend Elizabeth Todd to pose as her to steal cash from family .
She called a care home posing as Brown to keep up pretence she was alive .
Todd was today given a six-month suspended sentence for fraud .
Judge ruled that Todd did not know Miss Brown had been murdered .
Graham was jailed last year for murder and will serve at least 32 years .
Miss Brown's body has not been found . |
06c97493013fb1642ddd53f5581c36420c21ba43 | Pablo Zabaleta says Manchester City's defence must be at its physical and mental peak against the best strikeforce in the world on Tuesday. The combative Argentine lines up against Barcelona and close friend Lionel Messi at Eastlands braced for a test of City's Champions League credentials and the 30-year-old is confident his team can come through. 'They have perhaps the best strikeforce in the world,' said Zabaleta. 'We’ll need to be right physically. Pablo Zabaleta (right) has warned Manchester City to be ready for the best strikeforce in the world . Zabaleta (right) trains with the Manchester City squad on Monday ahead of the clash with Barcelona . The Manchester City squad are put through their paces at Monday's training session . 'You have to put up a good defence and not let any of the three [Suarez, Messi and Neymar] have the freedom to create chances. 'They are players that make the difference, the best forwards in the world. This attack is the envy of many. We will try to have a good game defensively, with an organised and concentrated unit.' Talking to El Mundo Deportivo, Zabaleta admitted: 'It will be a tough game. We’ re confident of a better result than last year. 'There were doubts about Barcelona after the Christmas break and problems between the coach and some players. But football is about now and nothing more. Wilfried Bony (left), Samir Nasri (centre) and Bacary Sagna (right) are put through their paces in training . City's Spanish playmaker David Silva plays a flashy pass during training on Monday . City right-back Pablo Zabaletta (right) keeps the ball up with team-mate Samir Nasri (centre) 'They recovered quickly and put together a run of wins that put them a point behind Real Madrid. The defeat at home to Malaga doesn’t mean they’re in bad form. They’re in good form but lost. 'One game doesn’t change anything. We still believe that we will face the best team in Europe, with great players. 'On our part, we needed to show we could control the game and move the ball [against Newcastle]. The five goals give confidence to the team. For us it was a very important result.' Discussing former Liverpool striker Suarez, Zabaleta added: 'He is one of the best in the world. Perhaps at Liverpool, he played as the focal point of the attack. He shared space with Sturridge and Sterling, but was the most important striker. Midfielder James Milner (right) shrugs his shoulders in training ahead of City's game with Barcelona . Nasi sprints past City team-mate Wilfried Bony (left) as Pellegrini watches his side train . 'It’s his first year at Barca and like everybody he needs a period of adaptation. He hasn’t scored the same amount of goals as Messi and Neymar, but he’s created a lot. 'The goal against Levante the other day shows the quality that he has. I’m sure that he will be key. 'We’re a team that has only recently been in this competition. When you face teams with experience and prestige it’s an extra boost. 'We are in great form and with all our players available. That’s ideal when you’ re playing against one of the best teams and Barca are one of those. 'Between two teams that try to play football, that want to have the ball, the possession and that, above all else, will try to create goalscoring opportunities. Two teams which will try to attack quickly - it will be an open game.' | Manchester City welcome Barcelona to the Etihad on Tuesday night .
Two sides face each other in the last-16 of the Champions League .
Pablo Zabaleta says Barcelona have the best strikeforce in the world .
Argentine warns City defence to be at their physical peak for clash . |
06c9e053ec2d4904c67875c6a237c8b6333ae428 | Prince Andrew this week said foreign firms should invest in Britain, not other European nations, because 'unlike them it is open for business' Prince Andrew has risked causing another political controversy by poking fun at EU nations plunged into chaos by the collapse of the euro. The Duke of York told entrepreneurs at the Davos summit in Switzerland that foreign firms should invest in Britain, not other European nations, because ‘unlike them it is open for business’. And he boasted it had another huge advantage – its own currency, not the ailing euro. Fresh questions were being raised about the Prince's attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he is staying in a luxury ski chalet - at the expense of the taxpayer, it has emerged. His controversial remarks were made at a private . cocktail party at the conference, attended by international . political and business leaders. They . came on the eve of tomorrow’s EU summit in Brussels, where Prime . Minister David Cameron faces another bruising confrontation over his . refusal to accept EU curbs on the City of London. Chancellor . George Osborne and London Mayor Boris Johnson were also at the Davos . reception, hosted by the Prince to promote British business, even though . he is no longer a special envoy for UK Trade & Investment, the . Government-backed body. Prince . Andrew was forced to quit the role last year following disclosures in . The Mail on Sunday about his friendship with US billionaire Jeffrey . Epstein, a convicted sex offender. But . he was allowed to maintain a lower-profile role and was guest of honour . at its reception for British business leaders in Davos on Thursday. According . to witnesses, he said in his welcoming speech: ‘The message to get . across here tonight is that Britain is open for business – unlike one or . two other countries I could mention.’ To warm applause, he added: ‘And what is more, we have our own currency!’ A man sleeps before a panel session at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, where Prince Andrew this week gave his speech . Controversial: Prince Andrew (left) has held a one-to-one meeting with President Ilham Aliyev (right), the billionaire dictator of Azerbaijan . One . businessman said: ‘He knew he was chancing his arm a bit but most of us . thought his comments were great. That is what he is there for, to bang . the drum for Britain. ‘If any European takes umbrage at what he said, they lack a sense of humour.’ The . Duke of York has made hundreds of trips to promote Britain. But his . role was dogged by claims of lavish spending. A spokeswoman declined to . comment. Questions have been raised over . Prince Andrew's role at the World Economic Forum, six months after he . was forced to stand down at UK trade envoy over his friendship wit a . convicted sex offender. Conference in the cold: The Switzerland winter sports resort of Davos, where the World Economic Forum is being held . Lap of luxury: The chalet Prince Andrew is staying at in Klosters features its own chef, chauffeur, sauna and steam room . Hard day on the slopes: Prince Andrew on a previous skiing trip . So . far he has given a dinner for Indonesian businessmen, hosted a reception . for UK trade delegates - including George Osborne - and held a . one-to-one meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, the billionaire dictator . of Azerbaijan. This is despite him being forced to . stand down as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade . last July, amid controversy over his friendship with sex-offender . Jeffrey Epstein and his close links with despots. The 51-year-old Duke has been accompanied to the event by two publicly-funded aides and royal protection officers. Yesterday, he was spotted going in . skiing in nearby Klosters, where he is staying in a luxury, . eight-bedroom chalet - accommodation which could up to £39,000. The bill for the chalet - which . features its own chef, chauffeur, sauna and steam room - could cost . anything between £21,000 and £39,000, and it is expected to be paid for . out of taxpayers' pockets. The latest revelation about Prince Andrew has sparked outrage amongst his critics. Shadow . Justice Minister Chris Bryant told the Sunday Mirror: 'I thought we had . dispensed with his services. There were plenty of UK representatives - . David Cameron, George Osborne, Andrew Mitchell - who could have all met . with Aliyev if it was in our national interests. 'At a time when everybody is feeling . the pinch, it's shocking Prince Andrew still thinks he should be . entitled to an eight-bedroom mansion.' The Duke's meeting with President . Aliyev only emerged through Azerbaihan state news agency, which released . a picture of the pair together. A spokesman for Buckingham Palace . said Andrew had been invited to the World Economic Forum and was . attending in his capacity as a senior member of the Royal family. He . also added that his meeting with President Aliyev was one of many . official engagements planned during his visit. He told the Sunday Mirror: 'His role . is to continue to support UK business and travel overseas as a senior . member of the family, and visits which were already in the diary will be . kept. He will relinquishing it gradually.' | Duke of York said foreign firms should invest in Britain as 'unlike other Euro nations it is open for business' |
06c9e753b9be333bf76fcec0a8df995db05930dc | (CNN Student News) -- September 23, 2013 . CNN Student News begins the week in Kenya, as we report on a terrorist attack at a shopping mall in that nation's capital. We also examine the potential impact of a powerful typhoon bearing down on China, and we hear how some prominent Chicagoans are hoping sports can help curb violence in the city. Plus, we meet a fast food worker whose act of kindness earned an outpouring of praise. On this page you will find today's show Transcript, the Daily Curriculum, Maps pertaining to today's show, and a place for you to leave feedback. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. DAILY CURRICULUM . Click here for a printable version of the Daily Curriculum (PDF). Media Literacy Question of the Day: . How might media coverage of an approaching storm affect how people in its path prepare? What positives and negatives might result from this coverage? Key Concepts: Identify or explain these subjects you heard about in today's show: . 1. terrorist attack . 2. typhoon . 3. "peace tournament" Fast Facts: How well were you listening to today's program? 1. In what African capital did a terrorist attack occur at a shopping mall? 2. What areas have been affected by Typhoon Usagi? 3. How did a Minnesota fast food worker react after a blind customer accidentally dropped $20? Discussion Questions: . 1. What is your opinion of mall security drills, such as those used at the Mall of America? In your view, what can be done to make public areas safer? What do you think people can do to try to ensure their own safety in public? 2. What kinds of conditions do you think might foster gang presence in an area? What impact might gangs have on a community? What do you think people could do to reduce the negative impacts of gangs in their communities? How effective do you think events like the "peace tournament" can be in a community? 3. Why do you think a woman at a Minnesota Dairy Queen allegedly pocketed some money that a blind customer dropped? What are your thoughts on the store manager's reaction? What would you have done if you had witnessed this? CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show and curriculum. We hope you use our free daily materials along with the program, and we welcome your feedback on them. MAPS . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . Africa . Nairobi, Kenya . Asia . China . North America . Chicago, Illinois . FEEDBACK . We're looking for your feedback about CNN Student News. Please use this page to leave us comments about today's program, including what you think about our stories and our resources. Also, feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom. The educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well. Thank you for using CNN Student News! Click here to submit your Roll Call request. | This page includes the show Transcript, the Daily Curriculum, and Maps .
Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary .
The Daily Curriculum offers the Media Literacy Question of the Day, Key Concepts, Fast Facts and Discussion Questions .
At the bottom of the page, please share your feedback about our show and curriculum . |
06ca29ffc15c38f2a6f814683de1d0ee120baf63 | (CNN) -- The enthusiasm gap between football fanatics and those who can't tell a Raven from a Falcon can widen into a chasm come Super Bowl Sunday. It's hard to resist a nationwide party, so you'll find the clueless mingling with the season ticket holders, which can lead to bitterness from both quarters when apathy meets with bone-crushing enthusiasm. As a colleague wrote in an e-mail upon discovering that a friend who doesn't care for football was hosting a Super Bowl party, "I think it's totally annoying and now I have to find a reason to tell you to keep your chips and dip to yourself because I don't want to constantly listen to you ramble on while I'm trying to watch the game. Wanna have a party? Then have one. Just don't hijack my Super Bowl. I'm about to go into mourning about football season being over." Plenty of non-fans are perfectly comfortable taking a pass and indulging in an alternate activity on game day. Many hosts are warm and welcoming to guests who don't know a blitz from a drop kick (so long as they bring a sufficiently chilled six-pack or a semi-competent guacamole). But the occasional "Shush! I'm trying to hear Jerome Boger's call!" is bound to happen. Granted, any thematic gathering stands a chance of widening the gulf between devotees and dilettantes. There's always the blowhard at the Oscars party rolling his eyes, delivering a dull indictment of celebrity culture and yammering on about not having seen any of the films (all while hogging the artichoke dip). That's a pretty serious fumble in the decency department. So how about a little teamwork this Sunday? Here are tips on how not to ruin a Super Bowl party for those disinterested in the game yet game for a celebration. Opinion: I hate, hate Super Bowl parties . For the non-fan: . Keep off the field of play . If you go to the beach and you spend the whole time crabbing about sand between your toes while the rest of your friends are frolicking, perhaps you're meant for the museum or the mall instead. It's not fair to bring everyone else down just because football isn't your bag. Have a "me" day, indulge in something you love ("Law & Order" marathon? Puppy Bowl perhaps?) and console or celebrate with the gang after the game. Perform some drills . Dig the company, but know you'll be bored stiff even before kickoff? Assign yourself a labor-intensive task that will benefit everyone. Assemble a 47-layer dip, serve up freshly made guacamole to order or squeeze a few dozen limes to ensure everyone's margaritas stay replenished. Just clear it with the host beforehand, and everybody wins. Consult your bookie . Not into the game, but want to get your share of chicken wings and halftime hijinks? While it would be terribly rude in most other social circumstances, feel free to retreat to a quiet corner with a book or the (quiet) communication device of your choice. Just remember to look up and smile every once in a while (especially if you've been dragged there as someone's plus one) so you aren't just remembered as that party pooper who spent the whole time scowling. Rally an ally . Around bowl time, the Internet abounds with articles about how to sound like you know what you're talking about at a Super Bowl party. That seems exhausting. While the assembled masses might not have time or patience for your questions about what's happening on the gridiron, there's bound to be at least one person dying to take you under his or her wing. Keep that person's nacho plate topped off and he/she will be your No. 1 fan. Hut or shut up . Perhaps you think football is dull, barbaric or hopelessly unsophisticated. There's an awesome place where you can go and yelp about that to your heart's content: It's called the Internet, and it's right there in your pocket. Feel free to tweet, comment or text your heckling to the sympathetic masses -- which might be rather passive-aggressive, but at least you're not out-loud harshing the buzz of the folks who were kind enough to let you take up couch space. For the host: . Kick it off properly . Are casual or non-fans welcome? If your aim is to party down with only the die-hards, (politely) make that clear in the invitation so less-fanatical friends can make alternate plans. Make room on the sidelines . If your gathering is going to be split between die-hard football fans and folks who are just in it for the dip and halftime nip slips, consider drawing some clear lines on the field of play. This might mean you'll have to clean up your bedroom or den, but that's a small price to pay for peace. Draft backup hosts . You might be the best host in the history of the game, and have all your bases covered (apologies for the mixed sports metaphor), but accept offers of help if you can. The guest might simply be at a loss for something to do. Consider tasking them with beer runs, cheese grating or dish duty and consider it a victory for your mad hospitality skills. Are you a non-fan who plans to attend a Super Bowl party with die-hard fans? Share your strategy in the comments section below. | If you aren't a football fan, you might feel out of place at a Super Bowl party .
Try to be inoffensive to hard-core fans if you're just there to socialize .
Helping the host with chores is one way to be useful and keep busy .
Asking a friend who is willing to explain the game can make it more fun for you . |
06ca93151d86c65c176e696a55c97feea5657d39 | An Australian businesswoman has been released from a Chinese jail seven years after she was arrested for embezzlement. Friends and family from Sydney eagerly waited outside Guangzhou No.1 Detention Centre in South China as Charlotte Chou was released on Saturday morning, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. When the Chinese-born entrepreneur returns to Sydney, she'll be able to see her seven-year-old son Lincoln for the first time since she was arrested in 2008. The last time she held him was when he was one-year-old. Australian businesswoman Charlotte Chou has been released from a Chinese jail after about seven years of being held in detention . When Ms Chou walked free from the detention centre, she was greeted by her 19-year-old son Cleon, who's attending university in Beijing, and Sydney-based 21-year-old daughter Chloe and Ms Chou's sister Fiona Zou. In 2008 she was taken away by police while her one-year-old son Lincoln was asleep in their home in Guangzhou, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. He is now seven-years-old and is in the care of Ms Chou's parents in Sydney's north shore, according to the Australian Financial Review. Ms Chou was accused of stealing about 29 million yuan, which is $5.3 million, from a private university which she helped establish. As a result she was sentenced a year and a half in jail on bribery charges in 2008 but was rearrested upon her released in December 2009. After numerous trials, in 2012 she was found guilt of embezzlement and was sentenced to eight years behind bars. During an appeal last year, her sentence was reduced to three years. | Charlotte Chou was released from Guangzhou No.1 Detention Centre in South China on Saturday morning .
The Australian businesswoman was greeted by friends and family from Sydney .
The Chinese-born entrepreneur had been serving an eight year sentence for embezzlement .
When Ms Chou flies back to Sydney, she'll be able to see her youngest son for the first time since 2008 .
The last time she saw Lincoln was when he was one-year-old . |
06cb3e31d27feda470854993a1a785051f3b3884 | By . David Kent . Claudio Ranieri has been appointed as the new coach of Greece, the Greek Football Federation has announced. The 62-year-old Italian takes over from Fernando Santos whose contract expired following the World Cup where he guided Greece to the last 16. Ranieri has been handed a two-year deal and his main focus will now be steering Greece to Euro 2016. Greek challenge: Claudio Ranieri is hoping to steer Greece to Euro 2016 after being appointed this new boss . Brazilian farewell: Fernando Santos' managerial duties ended when Greece were knocked out of the World Cup . 'Claudio Ranieri signed a two-year . contract with the Greek Football Federation and is the new coach of the . national team,' read a statement on the federation's website. 'The Italian coach, with service at many major European clubs, is expected to lead our group to new successes with Euro 2016 on the horizon.' Ranieri's first match in charge will be a European Championship qualifier against Romania on September 7 with Northern Ireland, Hungary, Finland and the Faroe Islands also providing the competition in Group F. Onto the next challenge: Former Greece manager Fernando Santos left after the World Cup . A wealth of experience: Claudio Ranieri has previously managed at both Chelsea and Juventus . Decent showing in Brazil: Greece celebrate after beating the Ivory Coast in group stage match. They were later eliminated by Costa Rica in the last 16 . The experienced tactician has been out of work since his sacking by Monaco in May after two seasons in the principality. Ranieri made his name in his native Italy winning the Coppa Italia with Fiorentina before moving to Valencia where he won the Copa del Rey and the Intertoto Cup. Four seasons at Chelsea followed before a brief return to Valencia and spells at Parma, Juventus, Roma and Inter Milan. | Italian takes over from Fernando Santos whose contract expired after World Cup .
Ranieri's first match in charge will be a European Championship qualifier .
62-year-old managed Chelsea from 2000 to 2004 .
He received a £4m pay-off from Monaco after being sacked in May . |
06cba62d0c05eb8adcde3913ece43abd7d608b72 | Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A 3-year-old girl in Afghanistan has been diagnosed with the first case of polio in the country's capital in 13 years, the Afghan Health Ministry said. Ministry spokesman Kaneshka Turkistani this is Kabul's first polio case since 2001. He said the Health Ministry has started an anti-polio vaccine campaign in Kabul. So far this year, two polio cases have been registered nationwide with the Afghan Health Ministry. Last year, 14 polio cases were registered. Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that can cause permanent paralysis in just hours. It has been eradicated around the world except for just a handful of countries. In addition to Afghanistan, polio is still endemic in Pakistan and Nigeria. CNN's Saima Mohsin contributed to this report. | Polio has been eradicated in most of the world .
It is still endemic in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria .
The disease can cause permanent paralysis . |
06cd89f8d7af20fa4feae5111943c92278fd8a41 | London, England (CNN) -- Formula 1 will continue to take place in Britain for the next 17 years after a deal was struck between Silverstone's owners and the sport's chief Bernie Ecclestone. Monday's announcement by the track's owners means the oldest venue on the F1 calendar keeps its place. Silverstone's comeback took place despite rival track Donington Park being awarded the contract to host the British Grand Prix from 2010. However, that circuit lost out after failing to secure the $200 million needed to fund redevelopment plans. That had led to fears Ecclestone would look to move the race abroad. Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips told the Press Association: "We've always had five-year deals and never been able to get the investment we needed to redevelop. "But 17 years gives us the ability to invest and move forward. We've always had the belief the British Grand Prix was an important cornerstone of Formula One but, with Bernie, you're never quite sure. Phillips described the deal as "peace in our time" between the circuit's owners, the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC), and Ecclestone. "The relationship with Formula One Management has been improving," added Phillips. "There's a good working relationship with him now and we don't have any issues." Applauding the negotiating team, BRDC president and 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill told the Press Association: "It's not easy to enter into an agreement of this magnitude. It's a big commitment. "But the BRDC felt we wanted this relationship to continue, and we were prepared to back the negotiating team, with the level of risk satisfactory for the deal to go ahead. "This announcement is tremendous news. It really does cement Silverstone as a motor sport venue and is incredibly satisfying for the BRDC to cement its relationship with F1." | Formula 1 will continue in Britain after deal between Silverstone and sport's chief Bernie Ecclestone .
Announcement by the track's owners means the oldest race on the F1 calendar keeps its place .
Donington was to host British Grand Prix from 2010 but failed to secure $200 million for redevelopment . |
06cefa7fe11bdf3464f7a6b460c70c8363ebaf45 | President Barack Obama is marking the 44th Earth Day with a carbon-emitting extravaganza, spending more than 15 hours on Air Force One and 15 minutes aboard the Marine One helicopter. Not including his motorcades in Oso, Washington, the site of a recent devastating mudslide, his trip will consume an estimated 35,565 gallons of fuel. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the statistics arm of the Department of Energy, burning each gallon emits 21.1 pounds of carbon dioxide, bringing the president's Earth Day carbon footprint to more than 375.7 tons. The White House did not respond to a question about any measures it might be taking – planting trees, for instance – to offset those emissions. President Barack Obama boarded Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base on Tuesday, en route to the state of Washington to visit with family members of victims of the deadly March 22 mudslide, and then on to Tokyo, Japan to meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe . Air Force One, the president's private Boeing 747, burns about 5 gallons of jet fuel per minute, a rate that would have the typical car stranded halfway to the grocery store . Boeing's specifications for its 747 aircraft, which serves as Air Force One, include an estimate for fuel consumption of 5 gallons per mile. Tuesday's presidential travel will span more than 7,100 miles over two continents.– more than one-quarter of the way around the earth. Sikorsky, whose HV-3d Sea King helicopter flew Obama from the White House to Andrews Air Force Base, burns an additional 176.7 gallons of fuel per hour, requiring more than 44 gallons – about four times the size of a modern economy car's fuel tank – for the estimated 15-minute trip. A White House pool reporter noted that Marine One' landing on the South Lawn of the White House 'caused a flurry of hundreds of tree flower petals.' Mid-morning Tuesday, the White House issued a sweeping online essay calling for renewed awareness of threats from global warming. 'Our health, our economy, our security, and our planet’s future are once again threatened by pollution and environmental degradation,' the White House's official blog claimed. Warning: 'Our health, our economy, our security, and our planet¿s future are once again threatened by pollution and environmental degradation', the White said on its blog today . 'Our climate is changing, and that change is being driven by human activity. Every year, the United States pumps millions of tons of carbon dioxide pollution and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.' 'Earth Day is about taking action,' the White House declared. Obama's trip will have more than an environmental cost, draining $228,288 from the taxpayer-funded U.S. Treasury for every hour it's in the air. The Air Force's estimate brings the president's airfare to $3.47 million. The United States ranks 12th in the world among all nations for per capita carbon dioxide emissions. Obama is visiting the town of Oso, Washington, the site of a deadly March 22 mudslide. He will meet with victims' families as well as first responders. His trip to Tokyo will include a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and a visit with the nation's emperor and empress. | President took Marine One chopper to Andrews Air Force Base and will fly to Washington state and Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday .
'Earth Day is about taking action,' the White House declared shortly after takeoff .
Air Force One consumes 5 gallons of jet fuel for every mile it flies .
The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that burning the fuel emits 21.1 pounds of CO2 per gallon .
Total presidential fuel consumption for Earth Day, not including automobile motorcades, is an estimated 35,609 gallons . |
06d0b99cc255e43d7c290c8eb913ae97d3c7dd3d | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 08:51 EST, 22 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:36 EST, 23 March 2012 . A former soap star who admitted driving the getaway car in a gangland shooting has been jailed for perverting the course of justice. Brian Regan, 53, who played Terry . Sullivan in Channel 4's Brookside, was found not guilty at Liverpool . Crown Court over his role in the killing of nightclub doorman Bahman . Faraji, 44. However, he was convicted of two counts of perverting the course of justice by lying to police in the early stages of the murder investigation and disposing of a pair of gloves he wore on the night. Jailed: Former Brookside actor Brian Regan, left, was cleared of murdering a nightclub doorman but was jailed for perverting the course of justice. He is pictured right as his Brookside character Terry Sullivan . Regan, who was on bail for supplying cocaine when the murder took place, was jailed on January 25 for a total of four years and 10 months. The facts can now be revealed after Mrs Justice Nicola Davies lifted reporting restrictions put in place to avoid prejudicing the trial of another defendant, Jason Gabbana, who was today convicted of the murder. Bahman Faraji, known by the nicknames Batman and Ben, was gunned down in a 'ruthlessly planned and callously carried out execution'. Prosecutors said it was the result of an argument between criminals. Those involved in the shooting went to extraordinary lengths to lure Mr Faraji, 44, to his death on February 24 last year. He had gone to the Belgrave public house that night following a series of phone calls he received from a pay-as-you-go mobile phone. Victim: Nightclub doorman Bahman Faraji was shot in the face . 'This was a dirty phone obtained for the purpose of luring Mr Faraji to his death and used in a disciplined way that was designed to leave no clue as to the identity of its user,' prosecutor Brian Cummings QC had told the jury. Regan's unwitting involvement began when he delivered a £30 bag of cocaine to drug user Edward Heffey. The former soap star told the trial he would supply Heffey, a convicted armed robber, with drugs 'about three or four times a day'. That night, '(Heffey) asked for a lift to go and get money so he could pay for the drugs', Regan said. The pair then drove to Belgrave Road, around the corner from the pub, and Heffey left the vehicle as Regan snorted a line of cocaine. Mr Faraji arrived at the Belgrave in the company of two other men shortly after 6.30pm on the night of his murder. They spent about 10 minutes in the pub before they went outside and stood on the pavement. A short while later the gunman approached and said to Mr Faraji, 'Are you Ben?'. Mr Faraji nodded and the killer raised his shotgun and fired it directly into the victim's face from a distance of three or four feet. Mr Faraji fell to the ground in a cloud of smoke and died instantly as Heffey ran back to the waiting car. Detective Chief Inspector Neil Bickley of Merseyside Police's major incident team said it was a 'shocking' crime. He added: 'Any murder is an appalling event but to me this was striking - it was 6.50pm in a quiet residential area outside a pub during half-time in a Liverpool match. 'What became apparent during the investigation and from the evidence in the trial is that Mr Faraji had received a telephone call in the evening requesting him to go to the pub for a meeting. 'That call was from a dirty phone which was used to deliberately lure him to the pub to be shot.' Mr Bickley added: 'The defendants have never volunteered any information to suggest what the motive was. Actor: Brian Regan can be seen performing in a play called '30 Days in Walton Jail' back in 2008 . Brutal: The murder occurred outside the Belgrave pub in Aigburth, Liverpool, pictured, which is in a quiet residential area . 'It would seem likely to me that Mr Faraji thought he was going to meet somebody he knew. 'It's entirely possible that was for some sort of illicit meeting but we really don't know at this stage.' Following the shooting, detectives launched a murder investigation and began by hunting for the getaway car, a red Ford Escort estate, which had been spotted by witnesses and on CCTV. The next day, police stop-checked the vehicle in Liverpool city centre and at the wheel was Regan alongside girlfriend Christine Line. Regan initially told police he had not been anywhere near the area where the murder took place. But Line's witness statement contained significant differences and detectives became suspicious. Caught: Brian Regan drove Edward Heffey, left, to the pub on the night of the murder. Jason Gabbana, right, has been convicted of the murder . The couple were arrested that night and Regan's efforts to distance himself from the shooting quickly unravelled. Mr Bickley said: 'The last thing the police need at the start of an investigation is somebody trying to wrong foot them. 'That's clearly what Regan's statements were intended to do. 'Fortunately, we were not wrong footed for too long but it is completely unacceptable to mislead the police at any time and certainly at the start of a murder investigation when time is so critical for us.' The jury was told that on the way to the police station, Regan said: 'I done nothing wrong and I didn't do anything willingly.' He also told detectives: 'I want to help you but I'll be shot.' After giving evidence against his co-accused, the court ordered security be stepped up around Regan and that security guards sit between him and the rest of the defendants. He was also designated a 'vulnerable prisoner' and placed in the isolation wing of his jail. Popular: TV show Brookside - which Brian Regan starred in - was set in this residential close in Liverpool . Prisoner: Regan was found not guilty at Liverpool Crown Court, pictured, over his role in the killing of Faraji but he was jailed for perverting the course of justice . Mr Bickley said the murder had left a 'devastating' mark on Mr Faraji's family. 'There is a six-year-old son who is going to grow up without knowing his dad and that is appalling,' the detective added. 'It is going to take an awful long time for them to come to terms with what's happened.' Paul Whittaker, the chief crown prosecutor for Merseyside, said: 'This was a ruthlessly planned and callously carried out execution of a 44-year-old man in a quiet residential street in a suburban part of Liverpool. 'The whole circumstances of the offence are quite shocking. 'The police and the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) will not spare any effort to investigate, prepare and pursue these cases and together we are absolutely committed to driving all organised crime and gun crime out of Merseyside.' | 53-year-old played Terry .
Sullivan in popular Channel 4 show .
He was cleared of murdering nightclub doorman Bahman .
Faraji but jailed for lying to police and disposing of gloves he wore on night of murder .
Regan now a 'vulnerable prisoner' and placed in isolation wing of jail after giving evidence against his co-accused . |
06d203179ef0d5eb7127b06dc685930d0a65121f | Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's former crown prince was arrested Tuesday on charges of firing a pistol in a public place and threatening others, authorities said. Paras Shah allegedly fired several rounds at Rubel Chaudhary, a Bangladeshi national and the son-in-law of Nepal's deputy prime minister Sujata Koirala, after an argument Saturday in a wildlife resort in Chitwan, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Kathmandu, according to reports. No one was injured. "The ex-prince took out a pistol and started to open fire, accusing the Koirala family of conspiring to abolish the monarchy in this country," Chaudhary said Monday, according to media reports. Police spokesman Bigyan Raj Sharma told CNN the investigation is ongoing. Koirala's Nepali Congress party, the nation's second-biggest political party, demanded Shah's arrest on Monday. He was arrested in the tourist resort of Pokhara, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Kathmandu, and police were questioning him, according to Ramesh Kharel, superintendent of police. Shah, 39, traveled to Pokhara from Chitwan on Sunday following the incident. Nepal abolished the monarchy in 2008, and members of the royal family became commoners. At the time, Koirala's father, Girija Prasad Koirala, was the prime minister. The hard-partying Shah reportedly has a history of reckless behavior. There have been previous reports of his using firearms in public places in the past. He was also believed to have killed a popular singer, striking him with his car, about a decade ago, when Nepal's monarchy was in place. However, Tuesday was the first time police have arrested Shah, who splits his time between Kathmandu and Singapore. | Paras Shah allegedly fired a pistol at the son-in-law of the deputy prime minister .
Shah accused him of conspiring to abolish the country's monarchy .
The former crown prince has a history of reckless behavior . |
06d2d80d71dd42013136a70c30605c7197a540a3 | (CNN) -- Thousands of clicks per minute. More than 23,000 reader comments, with the counter spinning like an odometer in a "Fast and Furious" movie. With 45 murders a day in the United States and about one a minute worldwide, why have so many of us fastened on this one? Why do we care so much about the shooting death of someone for texting during a movie? It's clear from the headlines why the media are featuring the story: It's not just a fatal shooting. It's a fatal shooting over texting. As a crime story, it would be confined to the local Tampa paper. As an Internet story, readers can't look away. We're reading it because we think it tells us something about an issue we already care about. You can see this in the comments of people reading online articles about it. For some people, it's proof that the texting has gone too far. For others it's a lesson about gun control. Others use it to decry the loss of civility. That's how we take the story. But what does it actually tell us? That some people habitually text too much? We already knew that, but it's not clear at all that the victim, Chad Oulson, was one of those people. Maybe his 3-year-old had a question or just needed to hear from her dad. That some people are thoughtless about how what they're doing affects the people around them? We already knew that, although it could be that Oulson thought his texting was unobtrusive or was urgent enough to override the concerns of those he was disturbing. That the norms for Internet use are not yet fully agreed upon by everyone? We already knew that, although maybe the gunman was provoked not by the rudeness of Internet users but by what he perceived as the general rudeness of those who unwrap crinkly candies, talk back to the screen and whisper about what's about to happen. The truth is, I fear, that although we receive news of this horrible incident as evidence of something, there's really nothing to learn from it -- or from other individual events that are supposed to prove a point -- for two reasons. First, lots of people are rude in theaters without getting shot. So, we'd need to know what made this case different. Was the texter unusually persistent or obnoxious? Was he in a bad mood because his 3-year-old needed something from him, because he thought previews count as advertisements and thus can be disrupted? And why would this provoke someone to shoot him? Was the shooter mentally unstable? On bad meds? Convinced that this would send a message to texters everywhere? To understand this story, we would need to know the specifics -- why this texter got shot this time -- because humans don't act for general reasons. But, as we understand the specifics, the scope of what we learn decreases. This becomes less an example of, say, the push-back against the Internet than a story about particular people in a particular circumstance. The more specific the details, the less you can generalize from it. That holds not just for this story but for every time the media present a dramatic event in the life of individuals. Choosing to take something as evidence of what we already believe is the opposite of evidence. "Man shoots texter" is not evidence of a larger societal trend unless it is well-researched and part of a much larger, systematically gathered set of data. There would be no harm done, except stories like this actually get in the way of our learning something new. They encourage us to go "Tsk," and sadly shake our heads as if one of our beliefs has yet again been shown to be right, because that's how we've chosen to construe it. In short, we learn nothing from stories like these except which narratives the media think will get us to pay attention, and which narratives actually do. But this killing is not a lesson. It is just a tragedy. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Weinberger. | David Weinberger: Media, readers riveted by story of shooting of texter in theater .
He says we look only because it raises issues people care about: guns, civility, texting .
As we learn particulars, story sheds ever less light on those broader issues, he says .
Writer: These stories feed our existing notions, there are no lessons. It is only tragic . |
06d31175341471b94292e67b977b735eee09c4f8 | Former England captain Mike Gatting believes the time has come to consign the Kevin Pietersen chapter to the past once and for all. Amid the off-field issues, Pietersen remains England's highest run-scorer and there is some talk about a national return despite the troubles, not least from the player himself. In his time away from England cricket, Pietersen has turned out for Twenty20 sides in different countries, including in the Indian Premier League, and has played in the same format for Surrey this year. VIDEO: Scroll down to get the view of figures from around the world of cricket on KP . Mike Gatting has poured cold water on a possible international return for Kevin Pietersen . Pietersen has turned out for Surrey (left) and Delhi Daredevils since his England sacking back in February . Pietersen has criticised several of his former England team-mates, including Matt Prior (right), in his new book . However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is unlikely to grant him a return, and Gatting has little doubt as to the reasons. 'He spent a whole summer here with Surrey supposedly but didn't play championship cricket or anything else,' Gatting said. 'He says he would like to play for England, but sometimes his actions haven't coupled with the words, which is sad because he's a hugely talented cricketer. 'Perhaps if he'd played for Surrey and got a few hundreds for them, perhaps that might have promoted his case a bit more.' Pietersen, writing in his autobiography which is released this week, also claimed there was a culture of bullying in the England squad and pointed the finger at Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Swann has since rejected the claims as 'codswallop', and even accused Pietersen of indulging in bullying himself. Pietersen and Graeme Swann (right) celebrate their 2010 Ashes victory but the pair have since fallen out . Former England coach Andy Flower (right) was another to come in for criticism in Pietersen's autobiography . Pietersen has questioned Alastair Cook's captaincy credentials following his England ejection . The furore around Pietersen's autobiography reached new levels on Tuesday with the emergence of a document cataloguing his alleged behaviour during last winter's Ashes. However, with England set to tour Sri Lanka in the build-up to next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Gatting has little time to dwell on the past. He told Press Association Sport: 'I just hope we look forward and not back. 'I'm more concerned that we look at the players we've got - Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Gary Ballance, (Jos) Buttler. 'All these guys are who we want to see now because that's where they are now. 'They're in the team and we'd like to see them go forward. History is the past and we're looking to the present.' When asked if the Pietersen saga could adversely affect England's preparation for the winter tours, Gatting said: 'I hope not. 'Having watched the young guys in the summer, they look very capable of doing it. 'When you have the likes of (Alex) Hales, Buttler, (Ben) Stokes, (Ian) Bell and (Alastair) Cook - lots of fine players. 'It's quite an interesting period for England cricket. We have inspiring cricketers and I'm very hopeful we'll see some really good stuff from the guys in the winter.' | Pietersen would have turned out for Surrey over the summer if he was serious, says former England captain .
Pietersen hints in autobiography of probable international cricket comeback .
The exiled batsman has turned out for several different Twenty20 sides, including stint in Indian Premier League, in the past year .
Gatting hopes book furore will not affect England squad going forward . |
06d41861bdfba4a0be31f7df1428959c10962f9a | Thierry Henry says that Costa Rica showed England how to combat Andrea Pirlo and proved that team ethic triumphs over individual quality. The unfancied Central Americans booked their place in the last 16 and condemned Roy Hodgson’s side to an early exit following their 1-0 victory over Italy. England had been beaten 2-1 by the Italians in their Group C opener having allowed midfield playmaker Pirlo to dictate the contest. Circle of life: Costa Rica celebrate their 1-0 victory over Italy which sends them through to the last 16 . Joy: Costa Rica have booked their place in the knockout rounds with a game to spare . Grounded: Andrea Pirlo did not inspire Italy as he had done against England . But Costa Rica subdued the Juventus man as Bryan Ruiz’s first-half header gave them an unlikely but deserved win. Henry also believes Costa Rica were good value for their success and drew comparisons with England’s failure to deal with Pirlo. ‘Costa Rica went forward and were pressing Pirlo. He never had one chance to turn and pick a pass. If you let Pirlo play he will expose you,’ said the BBC pundit. ‘They did not show Pirlo any respect during the game.’ Out: England will be heading home after the group stage . Flying Bryan: Fulham flop Bryan Ruiz celebrates the goal which gave Costa Rica a first-half lead . Verdict: Thierry Henry was full of praise for Costa Rica and critical of England . The former France international added: ‘I’m sure you didn’t know one player from Costa Rica. But if you have a good team, sometimes you don’t need names. ‘Costa Rica showed us that without the quality that England, Italy and Uruguay have, if you are well organised and have an idea of what you need to do then you can win.’ Fellow pundit Clarence Seedorf echoed Henry’s sentiment. ‘I think Costa Rica are better tactically (than England) because the (Italy) midfield was completely blocked,’ said the former Holland midfielder. ‘I agree with Thierry, it’s about having a team.’ Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, says that England did not deserve to remain in the competition on the evidence of their defeats to Italy and Uruguay. ‘You have to earn the right to stay in a tournament and England have not done that,’ he said. ‘They have been a bit naïve in situations. When they got back into it against Uruguay at 1-1 we had a chance to get a point and say “right, we’re ready for the last game” and they didn’t.’ And ITV pundit Patrick Vieira said: ‘You can't say that England have played badly over the 2 games. But you need to score when you have momentum.’ | Former international stars say Three Lions were not as good tactically as Costa Rica .
Henry believes they showed what team work and organisation achieves .
Their 1-0 victory over Italy means England are eliminated at World Cup group stage for first time since 1958 . |
06d4d7e47cb757687f3fcbee440629c9da5356f9 | Hong Kong (CNN) -- China has launched a terrorism crackdown one day after a series of explosions in an open-air market killed dozens in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang, the country's state news agency, Xinhua said Friday. Without any details, the report said authorities had undertaken a "one-year crackdown on violent terrorist activities" in the volatile region after blasts in the heavily policed city of Urumqi killed at least 39 people and wounded more than 90, according to state media. The number of dead does not include the attackers. The state news agency reported Friday that five attackers were responsible for the blasts; four were killed in the explosions, and a fifth was arrested Thursday. They were identified through DNA testing, Xinhua said. In Urumqi, authorities tightened security checks at entry ports in an attempt to curb weapons smuggling, including inspections of individuals, luggage, transport facilities and postal deliveries at land border crossings, Xinhua reported Friday. After visiting the injured and the scene of the explosions, Guo Shengkun, minister of public security, called for severe punishment for those responsible, state media said. President Xi Jinping also called for the terrorists behind it to be "severely" punished. Two SUVs slammed into shoppers gathered at the market in Urumqi at 7:50 a.m. Thursday, and explosives were flung out of the vehicles, Xinhua said. The vehicles then exploded, according to the news agency. Some of the photos circulating on social media suggested a hellish scene, with bodies strewn on the ground amid burning wreckage. Others showed flames and smoke billowing out of the end of a tree-lined street guarded by police. 'An enormous sound' "I heard an enormous sound, then I looked out from my balcony," said a resident of a building near the explosion who would only give his surname, Shan. He told CNN that trees obscured much of his view of the scene, but that he "could see there was chaos, with people injured." Many of the victims caught in the blasts were elderly people who regularly visited the morning market, Xinhua reported. "It's mainly people coming to trade vegetables, especially the elderly who get up early and buy vegetables to cook," Shan said. The U.S. government condemned the attack. "This is a despicable and outrageous act of violence against innocent civilians, and the United States resolutely opposes all forms of terrorism," White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement. String of recent attacks . Chinese authorities have stepped up security measures in Xinjiang in recent months amid a series of attacks within the region and in other major Chinese cities. On Wednesday, Xinhua reported that 39 people had been sentenced to prison in the past two months for "inciting violence" in Xinjiang. But Thursday's devastating blasts suggest the government is facing a foe determined to wreak havoc. The market attack comes less than a month after an explosion hit a train station in Urumqi, killing three people and wounding 79 others. The April 30 blast occurred just after Xi had wrapped up a visit to the region. Ethnic tensions . Chinese officials have linked a mass knife attack in March that killed 29 people at a train station in the southwestern city of Kunming to Islamic separatists from Xinjiang. They have also blamed separatists for an October attack in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in which a car rammed into a pedestrian bridge and burst into flames, killing two tourists and the three occupants of the vehicle. The knife-wielding assailants in the Kunming attack and the people in the car that hit Tiananmen were identified as Uyghurs, a Turkic-speaking, predominantly Muslim ethnic group from Xinjiang. Ethnic tensions between Uyghurs and Han Chinese people, millions of whom have migrated to resource-rich Xinjiang in recent decades, have repeatedly boiled over into deadly riots and clashes with authorities in recent years. Some Uyghurs have expressed resentment over harsh treatment from Chinese security forces and Han people taking the lion's share of economic opportunities in Xinjiang. The Han are the predominant ethnic group in China, making up more than 90% of the overall population. Shift in targets . The pattern of ethnic violence in the region goes back decades, according to James Leibold, an expert in ethnic relations in China at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. "But what's new, and what I think is significant, is that we have a shift in target," Leibold said. "We have a targeting of innocent civilians, places where innocent civilians gather -- an attempt to maim innocent civilians in large numbers." The other change is that the violence has "seeped outside" the borders of Xinjiang into other parts of China, he said. It remains unclear who is behind the recent high-profile attacks. Chinese officials have pointed to a murky separatist group, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which they have blamed for violent acts in the past. East Turkestan is the name used by many Uyghur groups to refer to Xinjiang. But analysts are divided about the extent of the that group's activities and its links to global terrorist networks such as al Qaeda. "Generally, the government response is to blame terrorists without providing many details," Leibold said. "So I suspect it's going to be very difficult to get to the bottom of this incident like previous ones." Q&A: Xinjiang and tensions in China's restive far west . | State news agency: China begins "one-year crackdown on violent terrorist activities"
The report offers no details of the crackdown, but authorities tighten security at entry ports .
Thursday's explosions killed at least 39 people and wounded more than 90, state media say . |
06d696ee07a7af1c31b872e4226f3d59897cc4a4 | By . Victoria Woollaston . The unique twists, turns and layers of Mount Everest’s rocky terrain have been caught on 3D camera by a motorised glider. A pair of German pilots mounted the specialist Modular Airborne Camera System (MACS) to the wing of a Stemme S10-VTX glider before making the trip over Everest’s summit - 8,848 metres above sea level. Footage from the camera will now be used to build a high-quality 3D model of the Nepalese mountain, with a resolution down to 15 centimetres. Scroll down for video . German pilots flew the motorised glider, pictured, over the summit of Mount Everest and filmed the event using a specialist 3D camera. Researchers plan to use this footage to build a 3D model of the Nepalese mountain with a resolution down to 15 centimetres . Mount Everest is the tallest of the so-called ‘eight-thousanders’ - at 8,848 metres - and is the standard to which all other mountains are compared. Everest’s geological story began 40 million years ago when the Indian subcontinent began a slow-motion collision with Asia. The edges of the two continents were forced together and formed the tall ridges that make up the Himalayas today. Glaciers have chiselled Mount Everest’s summit into a huge, triangular pyramid, defined by three faces and three ridges that extend to the northeast, southeast, and northwest. The southeastern ridge is the most widely used climbing route. It is the one Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay followed in May 1953 when they became the first climbers to reach the summit and return safely. Researchers plan to use this model to help improve forecasts of landslides and floods resulting from the outbursting of glacial lakes. The scheme was set up by the Mountain Wave Project (MWP) and researchers from the German Aerospace Centre, also known as Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt (DLR). MWP pilot Klaus Ohlmann and co-pilot Jona Keimer took an hour and a half to reach the summit, after taking off from the expedition base camp at Pokhara airport in Nepal on 28 January. They flew the glider along the Himalayas towards Mount Everest before using mountain waves to gradually gain altitude. 'The conditions were ideal, despite the wind speeds at the summit of Everest, which neared 100 kilometres per hour,' said Ohlmann. 'The almost turbulence-free slope updrafts helped us ascend quickly.' The MACS camera system, developed and built by DLR, was fitted to the glider in an unpressurised instrument container under the wing. Its three camera heads, arranged facing . toward each other at a lateral slant, give a 120-degree field-of-view . and can take high-resolution images of steep slopes. The Stemme S10-VTX glider, pictured, was mounted with a specialist 3D Modular Airborne Camera System (MACS) built by the German Aerospace Centre. The 3D model will be used to help improve forecasts of landslides and floods resulting from the outbursting of glacial lakes . Due to the cold temperatures of the Himalayan summits, which can drop to below -35 degrees Celsius, engineers had to put the camera through a series of tests before the flight could take off. This included tests in a vacuum chamber, at moderate altitudes above the Alps and while subjected to unusual lighting conditions. While the pilots were given a specialist oxygen sysyem designed to help them fly to such high altitudes. The pictures from the camera will now be . used to create detailed 3D colour computer images of the mountainous . regions that the glider passed over. To cope with the high altitudes and cold temperatures of the Himalayas, pictured, which can drop to below -35°C, engineers put the camera through a series of tests before the flight. This included tests in a vacuum chamber, at moderate altitudes above the Alps and during unusual lighting conditions . The scheme was set up by the Mountain Wave Project (MWP) and researchers from the German Aerospace Centre. Pilot Klaus Ohlmann, left, and co-pilot Jona Keimer, right, took an hour and a half to reach the summit after taking off from the base camp at Pokhara airport in Nepal on 28 January . DLR has also developed its own software to create these images too, which is currently uses to evaluate data captured by Earth observation satellites. The first 3D models of the Everest flight will be available in the coming weeks. The researchers are keeping a blog to provide additional details of their adventurous research expedition to the Himalayas. The aircraft was supplied by the Faculty of Aerospace Technology at the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen. | The motorised glider was flown by pilots Klaus Ohlmann and Jona Keimer .
3D cameras captured the flight as it travelled over Mount Everest's summit .
Footage will be used to build a 3D model of the Nepalese mountain with a resolution down to 15 centimetres .
This model will help improve forecasts of landslides and floods . |
06d6f7e0ec98dd99bf1058a23887055ddbdf4fea | The extraordinary number of foreign criminals hiding in Britain was dramatically revealed yesterday after police arrested more than 700 suspects travelling on our roads in just 48 hours. As a row raged over a report which showed the £1billion-a-year failure of successive governments to guard Britain’s borders, police launched the biggest-ever blitz on overseas offenders, rounding up 1,687 suspects in two days. Using number plate recognition technology to spot foreign-registered vehicles potentially associated with criminal activity, police stopped 2,304 cars, arresting 729 immigrants. They include gangsters and thugs wanted in their own countries for crimes such as human trafficking, robbery, fraud, drug smuggling, assault and domestic abuse. Scroll down for video . Police officers bash down a door as they conduct a raid on a property in Coventry yesterday . Raids across Britain in the past two days have netted more than 700 foreign criminals . One 28-year-old Czech fugitive wanted on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) for 23 offences, including robbery, was spotted in Birmingham city centre. The automatic number plate recognition cameras also identified a 51-year-old Polish man in Smethwick, West Midlands, who is suspected of a £11,500 fraud. The week-long crackdown – involving 43 forces in England and Wales – has seen raids carried out targeting foreign criminals across the UK. Police also handed out 958 fines and cautions to overseas motorists for driving without a licence, insurance or tax and using rebated fuel, known as red diesel. West Midlands Police, which is co-ordinating Operation Trivium, gathered intelligence from 14 countries on their most wanted offenders in Britain. A list of 3,500 number plates associated with crime was distributed to traffic officers, who were instructed to pull over any matching vehicles. Meanwhile, 30 police officers from 14 European countries ran checks on the drivers on their own databases at a Birmingham control centre. A 24-year-old Polish man was arrested in Worcester just hours after an EAW was authorised for crimes including domestic abuse, assault and theft in his homeland. Suspected robbers, fraudsters and drug traffickers were all caught in the police raids . Police found another wanted man from Slovakia living in Handsworth, where he was running a human trafficking ring. In some cases, the offenders could be deported within ten days if they do not oppose extradition on an EAW. Others arrested for crimes committed in the UK could face trial in Britain, where a judge will decide whether they should be deported at the end of their sentence. Officers said the ‘show of strength’ had yielded an unprecedented number of arrests by turning Birmingham into ‘the headquarters for a European Union police force’. The crackdown came as ministers refused to name dozens of high-risk foreign criminals on the run for more than five years. A damning National Audit Office report has revealed that foreign offenders are able to walk into the country unchecked, commit new offences, then cheat removal on human rights grounds once their jail terms are complete. It claimed that 58 ‘high harm’ offenders – a category including rapists, killers and drug dealers – absconded after being released from prison. One in six of the 4,200 foreign criminals freed from jail have fled, and police routinely fail to check if arrested foreign nationals have a criminal record at home. The report prompted Paul Houston, whose daughter Amy was run over and killed by an illegal immigrant in 2003, to accuse politicians of having ‘blood on their hands’. But yesterday David Cameron stressed that 22,000 foreign national offenders had been removed from Britain since he entered Downing Street, adding: ‘We’re making progress, the buck does stop with me but I wouldn’t mind a bit of cross-party support for the actions we need to take.’ A Home Office spokesman said: ‘These people are the subject of ongoing investigation and we are determined to hunt them down and remove them.’ | More than 700 foreign criminals have been arrested across UK in 48 hours .
Comes after report showed successive governments failed to guard borders .
Number plate recognition technology used to spot vehicles of interest .
Immigrants arrested include gangsters, thugs, fraudsters and burglars .
Week-long crackdown has involved 43 police forces in England and Wales . |
06d7217d8a48064f2849d4f9d5a754979252f7d1 | By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 10:27 EST, 7 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:27 EST, 7 June 2013 . It's school, but not as most schoolchildren know it. These Chinese children are trainees at the Fei Yan Acrobatics Troupe, and dream of performing around the world. With lessons from morning til night, and only an hour and a half off a day, their rigorous training will ensure that those who achieve their dream will be the best they can be. The children training for the Fei Yan Acrobatics Troupe in China's Hunan Province spends hours each day practising contortion . Only the best and most dedicated children will make it through to become members of the independent troupe . Training for the troupe is free for talented children, and those who make it will receive a contract to perform and a monthly wage. The acrobats, based in Changsha, in southern China's Hunan Province, are run by 76-year-old troupe leader Han Keting, a former acrobat who performed for Chairman Mao. He runs a tight ship. Earlier this year, the leader dismissed two children because he decided they weren't training as hard as the others. 'They could set bad examples,' he said. The troupe's young members, who live together in a dormitory, train each day from 8.10am to 11.30am, and from 2pm-5.30pm. Their schedule is pinned on a board in front of the training house and includes body contortion, handstand, skate rolling, kung fu, stairs, and many others. The children at the acrobatic school practise the same stunts over and over again until they are perfected . With every tendon tightly controlled, and jaws clenched with effort, two female students practise holding a handstand . As part of their training the children perform the same actions over and over again until they are perfected. Each month the difficulty level is then raised and they learn a new set of even tougher stunts. One such stunt is called the Boneless Girl, and involves the acrobat placing her chin on the floor and curling her body up behind her with her feet placed on the floor in front of her face. Mr Keting said: 'Most kids started training from eight years old, and as an acrobat they only have five years of golden time, from 16 to 20. With their neck and their jaw taking all of their body weight, it is obvious why such rigorous training is necessary . The troupe was set up by former acrobat Han Keting, 76, who once performed in front of Chairman Mao . The trainee acrobats live together in dormitories and dream of winning a paid contract with the respected troupe . Utmost dedication is required of the pupils - earlier this year two children were dismissed for not training hard enough . Each month the difficulty level is raised and the young students start to learn a new set of even tougher stunts . 'After 20 years old, their skills are becoming rusty and body is becoming stiff'. Mr Keting performed on stage for more than 40 years, and after retiring from a provincial state-owned acrobatics troupe, he established his own. He said: 'No one can perform my programme anymore, as it takes years of extremely hard training.' The respected troupe leader now has connections around the world and has taken his troupe to perform in countries including Britain, the United States, Germany, Mexico and Thailand. China's long-established Fei Yan Acrobatics Troupe is well respected and performs all over the world . Learning to be an acrobat requires complete dedication, and the students train from 8.10am until 5.30pm . The patched shoes reflect the fact that money is tight for the students, but they will earn a monthly wage . Living and training at such close quarters, the students develop tight friendships with each other . This young girl is practising for a stunt called the Boneless Girl - agility is essential for these highly skilled acrobats . | Youngsters train in the hope of joining China's Fei Yan Acrobatics Troupe .
They work from 8am-5.30pm perfecting stunts at their school in Changsha .
Troupe leader Han Keting, 76, says their 'golden years' are from 16 to 20 .
Those who make it will earn a monthly wage and perform around the world . |
06d7366ba7904198e2a8f66b0f173a802b0351c9 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S., Turkish and Iraqi leaders all held talks Monday about Kurdish rebels using northern Iraq as a launchpad for cross-border attacks into Turkey. Turkish troops patrol near the border with Iraq on Monday. President Bush chatted by phone with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while separately two senior Iraq national government figures met with the head of the country's Kurdish region. The diplomatic moves came after Turkish warplanes pounded Kurdish separatist targets in northern Iraq on Saturday and Sunday as well as last week. Bush and Erdogan talked about the dangers of the Kurdish separatist rebels along the Turkish-Iraqi border, the White House confirmed. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said they discussed their common efforts to fight terrorism, and the importance of the United States, Turkey and Iraq working together to confront the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Bush has vowed to help Turkey fight PKK rebels. The PKK has spent two decades fighting for autonomy for Kurds in southeastern Turkey, with some of its attacks launched from inside northern Iraq. The United States and European Union consider the group a terrorist organization. Last week, Turkey's ambassador to the United States, Nabi Sensoy, said his country's maneuvers against Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq were based on intelligence provided by the United States. In the Kurdish Iraq city of Sulaimaniya, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who is Kurdish, and Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who is Sunni Arab, met with Kurdish Regional Government President Massoud Barzani. Iraqi Kurdish officials, while critical of the PKK, have denounced the Turkish bombing campaign. Last week, Barzani snubbed visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in protest of the attacks. "We have vehemently condemned the bombardment. The bombing targeted safe and secure areas and innocent people. Several people were either killed or wounded," Barzani said on Monday at a press conference with the others. "We held consultations with President Jalal Talabani and we will continue our consultations with other concerned parties to put an end to these aggressions and put to an end the shelling of villages." The three Iraqi officials also dealt with national unity. They signed a "memorandum of understanding" to deepen relations further with their three parties: Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party and al-Hashimi's Iraqi Islamic Party, a Sunni Arab entity. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kathleen Koch, Talia Kayali and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report . | Bush: U.S., Turkey and Iraq must unite against PKK Kurdish separatists .
Iraqi Kurds are critical of both PKK and air attacks against them .
Turkey bombed alleged PKK sites in northern Iraq over the weekend .
PKK has spent 20 years fighting for autonomy in Turkey; uses Iraq as a base . |
06d8caa4a0f92518d748e2c72bfc4ce6a5e378e3 | (CNN) -- A middle-aged woman walked into the emergency room of Phebe Hospital with a fever on the evening of June 23. Phebe was known as one of the best hospitals in rural Liberia, supported by the local government and international religious and academic partners. Phebe was especially known for its high-quality nursing care, serving as a training hospital for nearby Cuttington University, one of the country's few nursing schools. A few hours after arriving in the emergency room, the woman was admitted to the medicine ward with a list of potential infections -- all the usual suspects in Bong County: malaria, typhoid, sepsis. An epidemic had been raging for months in nearby Guinea, but Ebola was not considered as a possible diagnosis. After all, nobody at Phebe had ever seen a patient before with Ebola, and as the axiom goes in medicine, when you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras. Certainly don't start imagining unicorns. The nurse who cared for the woman that night drew her blood and helped her to the toilet to urinate. When the woman began vomiting and soiled her sheets, the nurse cleaned up the mess, as nurses do all over the world every day. For a disease whose transmission depends on the direct contact of one human being with the body fluids of another, Ebola has no better customer than nurses. The other thing about nurses that the virus finds particularly helpful is they tend to work in shifts. Before the week was out, Bong County's first Ebola patient had died, and seven nurses caring for her had fallen ill. Six of them would also die in the coming weeks. The remaining clinical staff, watching their colleagues falling ill all around them, abandoned the hospital. When the patients saw what was happening, those well enough to walk out did just that. Over the ensuing months, the epidemic rippled across Bong. Hundreds of individuals were infected, and perhaps more importantly, basic social institutions also began to collapse. One by one, all three hospitals in the county shut down due to fear of the spread of the virus, followed by most of the primary care clinics. Women were left without midwives to deliver their babies, accident victims without emergency rooms to care with them. Next the primary schools closed, then the secondary schools, and finally Cuttington University. Guilty of Ebola until proven otherwise . Ebola is not just a disease of individuals but also one that infects society's most basic health and social welfare structures. As a disease that afflicts health care institutions, it is perhaps fitting that the most powerful weapon in the fight against Ebola is not a single drug or vaccine but instead a particular type of health care institution: the Ebola Treatment Unit, or ETU. On September 15, I helped International Medical Corps open the first ETU in Bong County. I have worked in many hospitals, both rich and poor, and have set up refugee camp clinics and trauma field hospitals in poverty-stricken and war-torn countries. But managing an ETU has been an entirely different experience. The primary goal of a hospital or clinic is to care for patients and, if possible, to save their lives. The primary goal of an ETU is to protect the lives of its staff. The secondary goal is to protect surrounding communities and resuscitate local health care systems by taking patients suspected of having Ebola out of their homes and hospital emergency rooms, breaking the chain of transmission. Caring for patients comes third on the list of priorities, though still remains important. After all, why would people go to an ETU if they did not think there was at least a chance that it would help make them better? During the week before opening our ETU, I can honestly say that I worked harder and slept less than during any other time in my life. The sheer number of details involved in the construction and management of this unique type of health care facility is almost endless. Ebola's $1 billion bill hits Africa's bright economic lights . First, a site had to be chosen, which has been a significant roadblock to the opening of other ETUs. Hospitals tend to be built close to the communities they serve; most communities, however, tend to want their ETU as far away as possible. Our ETU sits in the middle of a forest, 2 kilometers (more than a mile) down a rough dirt road, on the grounds of an old leper colony. Perhaps it is not surprising that the survivors of one of humanity's oldest and most stigmatized diseases would be among the few to welcome a treatment facility for one of the newest stigmatized diseases. Second, the design and infrastructure of the ETU had to be perfected, with separate spaces and wards designating different levels of risk, where staff members would know to take different kinds of precautions. A borehole was drilled and giant tanks erected to mix up the nearly 12,000 liters of chlorine required each day to disinfect the ETU and its staff properly. A giant incinerator was built to burn the vast amounts of infected waste produced by the facility safely. Third, supplies had to be purchased, both the normal kind present in any hospital, such as bed sheets and intravenous fluids, but also the expensive (and increasingly difficult to purchase) personal protective equipment. A single outfit of boots, gloves, suit, mask, hood, goggles and apron costs as much as $90, and at full capacity the ETU might go through 100 outfits a day. Ebola hospital overwhelmed by patients . Finally and most importantly, local staff had to be hired and trained to work in the facility. While a small team of expatriates working with International Medical Corps manages our ETU, more than 90% of the staffing remains local. During the week before opening our facility, I helped organize an intensive training for our first 50 staff members, including physician assistants, nurses, nursing aids, hygienists, sprayers, safety monitors, waste handlers, chlorinators, laundry staff and burial team members, to ensure they knew how to protect their health and the health of their colleagues while working in the ETU. Just 72 hours before our opening day, we had a checklist of almost 50 items, ranging from goggles to gravediggers, that we still needed to be able to begin admitting patients safely to the ETU. The pressure to open the ETU had been building for weeks as the numbers of cases of Ebola in the county began to skyrocket. Somehow, and I'm still not sure how, we made it happen. | Phebe Hospital in rural Liberia was abandoned after first Ebola patient infected staff .
All three hospitals and schools in Bong County shut down due to fear of Ebola .
The first Ebola Treatment Unit opened in Bong County in mid-September . |
06d925a5788ac2414f751445bebf451143b496b5 | By . Alexandra Williams . , in Geneva . In rehab: Schumacher was conscious as he was transported 120 miles from Grenoble Hospital to University Hospital Lausanne on Monday morning . Formula One legend Michael Schumacher had his eyes open and was conscious during his transfer from a French hospital to a facility in Switzerland, according to a Swiss report. It also stated that Schumacher, 45, was able to communicate to ambulance staff by nodding his head. Schumacher was transported 120 miles from Grenoble Hospital to University Hospital Lausanne on Monday morning. The report in the Swiss tabloid Blick . stated that the ambulance was operated by Sanitätoberwallis, a company . based in Visp in the canton of Valais rather than from Grenoble or . Lausanne. Ambulance staff . were not told the identity of the world-famous patient in advance. They . also had to relinquish their mobile phones on arrival at Grenoble. Matthias . Volken, medical superintendent of the ambulance firm, said: 'I can . confirm that we carried out the drive to transfer (Schumacher) on . Monday.' The paper said Schumacher had lost a lot of weight during his 170 days in hospital since the accident. Schumacher did not speak, but he communicated by nodding his head and had his eyes open for most of the journey, the paper said. The hospital where he is now being treated is one of Switzerland’s best and has renowned neurology experts. It is in the city of Lausanne, just 20 miles from Schumacher's home, where he lives with his wife Corinna and two children. The University Hospital of the Canton of Vaud (CHUV) in Lausanne, where Schumacher was transferred from a French hospital to begin a lengthy rehabilitation regime after his terrible skiing accident left him in a coma . It is almost 25 weeks ago that Schumacher, a very competent skier, suffered his life-threatening accident. He was holidaying with family and friends in the French resort of Meribel, where he owns a chalet. On Monday his manager Sabine Kehm announced that he was no longer in a coma and had been transferred to Lausanne where he will undergo a lengthy rehabilitation regime. | Former Formula One star was able to communicate with staff by nodding .
Ambulance workers were not told in advance who they were transporting .
They also had to give up their mobile phones on arrival at Grenoble .
It's 25 weeks since Schumacher suffered his life threatening skiing accident . |
06da5c1a755c09a61a6a4fa027ece6e6046ece17 | (CNN) -- The world's top pound-for-pound fighter, Manny Pacquiao, will attempt to win a world title in a fourth division by taking on three-time world champion Miguel Cotto in his next bout. Manny Pacquiao will take on Miguel Cotto in his next fight scheduled for Novermber 18. The Filipino boxer will fight the 28-year-old Puerto Rican for the WBO welterweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, America on November 14 it has been confirmed. Promoter Bob Arum, who represents both fighters, announced that although contracts still need to be signed, verbal agreements have been given: "I'm very excited about this because it's a good fight for boxing [and] it wasn't difficult to do, because they both wanted the fight," Arum told the Los Angeles Times. Pacquiao is a national hero in the Philippines but has seen his popularity grow around the world since his comprehensive victory over British fighter Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas. The man dubbed the "National Fist" is currently rated by The Ring, the sport's most respected trade magazine, as the best boxer in the world. His career earnings stand at an estimated $50M and he stands to bank further millions with the Cotto fee, however, Arum has yet to announce how the purse will be split. Pacquiao has been in devastating form in recent times, racking up a string of victories in four different weight divisions. Mexico's super-featherweight Juan Manuel Marquez was dispatched by the "Pac Man" before the 30-year-old secured further wins against America's David Diaz (lightweight) and Oscar de la Hoya (welterweight) before a devastating show of force against British light-welterweight Ricky Hatton. Cotto survived a recent split decision result against Ghana's Joshua Clottey despite suffering a bad cut over one of his eyes during the bout and has only lost once in his career thus far to 31-year-old Mexican Antonio Margarito. Arum said a press tour with the fighters will start Sept. 9 in Los Angeles. | Manny Pacquiao will fight Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto in his next fight .
The Filipino will be aiming to win the WBO welterweight title .
The bout will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 14 .
The "Pac Man" is currently rated the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world . |
06dbca7c58e251d1b1bc4e6416a5515820a189bb | Baby Gammy and his mother have moved into a new house paid for using part of the $250,000 raised for his family through public donations. About half of the money raised was spent on the three-bedroom house, leaving $120,000 to cover 10-month-old Gammy's future medical and living expenses, said charity Hands Across The Water. Charity founder Peter Baines said the family needed a new home because their previous one-bedroom unit was too run-down for Gammy, who still suffers from a lung condition. Scroll down for video . Baby Gammy and his mother Pattharamon 'Goy' Janbua moved into a new house, 100km south of Bangkok . Almost half of the $250,00 raised was spent on the three-bedroom house, where the pair will live with Goy's husband, grandparents and two other children . 'He was recently back in hospital for six days prior to them moving into house,' Mr Baines told Daily Mail Australia. 'We took advice from Down Syndrome Australia who said the environmental conditions of where the kids live are important. 'They're more susceptible to illness, colds, and virus than children who do not have Down syndrome so they need to live in a cleaner, healthier environment that's why we were keen to see them moved.' Earlier this year Goy and Gammy found themselves at the centre of an international row over the ethics and legality of surrogacy when it emerged Gammy's Australian parents David and Wendy Farnell abandoned him in Thailand but took home his healthy twin sister Pipah. Before moving into the new home Gammy was in hospital for six days due to a lung infection . Goy and Gammy pose with Nom Manochantr, general manager of Hands Across The Water in Thailand . Child protection officials in Western Australia are still conducting an 'extensive and rigorous' assessment into the welfare of Pipah, the West Australian reported. Pipah recently returned to Australia after a trip to China with Mrs Farnell for her mother's funeral. WA Child Protection Minister Helen Morton said officers have yet to make a decision about whether she can stay in the care of her father David Farnell, a convicted child sex offender. 'The department was fully aware of her travel and was supportive of her taking time to grieve and spend time with her family,' Ms Morton told the West Australian. 'While this specific case is still subject to an ongoing thorough assessment, I can assure you that much has happened behind the scenes.' The family needed a new home because their previous one-bedroom unit (pictured) was too run-down for Gammy, who still suffers from a lung condition . The family plans to do some alterations at the front of their new house to set up a noodle shop, similar to the one they used to run at Goy's grandparents nearby house (pictured) Child protection officials in Western Australia are still conducting an 'extensive and rigorous' assessment into the welfare of Gammy's twin sister Pipah, pictured with David and Wendy Farnell . The house for Gammy's family was purchased and is being held under a trust in the name of Hands Across The Water, which is managing the family's money on behalf of his Thai surrogate mother Pattharamon 'Goy' Janbua. 'This way we guarantee the safety of the house so the family can't sell it or use it for any means that are inappropriate,' Mr Baines said. Gammy, Goy, and Goy's husband, grandparents and two other children moved into the home earlier this month. Mr Baines said Gammy was now much healthier and has gained a lot of weight. He added that the family plans to do some alterations at the front of the house to set up a noodle shop, similar to the one at the front of Goy's grandparents' house where Gammy sometimes stayed. Hands Across The Water founder Peter Baines visited the family earlier this month to assess their situation and needs. Pictured: Goy and her three children . Mr Baines described Gammy as: 'a strong little boy who certainly appears healthy and full of life' 'That's not out of necessity, because we're paying them more than enough in a monthly allowance,' he said. 'It's just a way for Goy to be productive and earn an income.' The house is in the same neighbourhood as the family's previous residence, in an industrial area about 100km south of Bangkok, where they also ran a small shop selling salads and noodles. Mr Baines said $250,000 was raised for Gammy through the Go Fund Me website, but the company took $10,000 in fees. 'We made approaches and asked if they could discount that and they said no,' he said. Three people, who wish to remain anonymous, originally set up the Go Fund Me page to raise $25,000 for Gammy. Media outlets picked up the details of that fund when the story started gaining worldwide media attention, and when the amount of money donated became too much for them to handle they asked Hands Across The Water took step in and manage it. Mr Baines said: 'we anticipate the original donated funds being sufficient to see Gammy into early adulthood' Earlier in the year, Hands Across The Water administered $20,000 towards Gammy's medical costs, including moving him from a public to a private hospital, when he was suffering from a lung infection . | Family move into new three-bedroom house paid for by public donations .
About $120,000 is left over to cover the 10-month-old's future expenses .
The family needed a new home because their previous house was too run-down for Gammy, who still suffers from a lung condition .
The house was purchased and is being held under a trust in the name of charity Hands Across The Water . |
06dbd6f5abaaa2fce3225f433a1d2833b458c56f | A young British volunteer has died in South East Asia – just days after revealing he had caught a life-threatening tropical disease. Richard Cann, 24, had been working with the Orangutan Health Project on the western Indonesian island of Sumatra. Ten days ago he wrote on Facebook that he had caught dengue fever, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. Scroll down for video . Richard Cann, 24, was working at the Orangutan Health Project on Sumatra, Indonesia, when he fell ill . He posted a message saying: ‘Had dengue fever last week. Slept solidly for four to five days, now feeling on the mend.’ He also revealed he had been ‘sitting in 45C heat with no doctors and no air con, hot water for the joints and a cat for cuddles’. He added: ‘Should be fine next week. I’m made of tougher stuff.’ However the university graduate, from Winchester, collapsed and died following a seizure on Monday. It is still unclear whether his death was linked to his fever. His parents, Kate and Chris, have flown out to the island. Dengue is a common viral infection spread by mosquitoes. It is common in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, with Brazil having the highest number of cases. Symptoms include: . - A high temperature that can reach up to 41ºC . - Headache . - Pain behind the eyes . - Bone, muscle and joint pain . An infected human is bitten by the mosquito, the infected mosquito then bites another human and the cycle continues. The condition is widespread in areas with a high mosquito populations. Dengue usually clears up by itself within two to three weeks. There are no specific medications to treat the disease but symptoms can be managed using paracetamol. A number of people will go on to suffer a more serious form of the illness, known as 'severe dengue'. It is a potentially fatal complication which can lead to shock, bleeding and organ damage. | Richard Cann caught dengue fever while working on the island of Sumatra .
24-year-old had been working with the Orangutan Health Project .
He wrote on Facebook 10 days ago that he was ill but was 'on the mend'
He died on Monday after suffering a seizure and his parents have flown out . |
06dbe0b5a4d314e8f59551a448b47ea99b16ee56 | The parents of American aid worker Peter Kassig who has been captured by ISIS have revealed they have been sent a horrifying audio recording of their son begging for his life. Ed and Paula Kassig, from Indianapolis, said it was the first time they have heard the 26-year-old's voice in over a year and he sounded 'like a robot.' The couple, were ordered by ISIS to keep his capture a secret, but when his picture surfaced on TV days ago, they decided to speak out in hopes their son will hear their words. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Plea: Ed and Paula Kassig, from Indianapolis, the parents of American aid worker Peter Kassig who has been captured by ISIS, have revealed have been sent a horrifying audio recording of their son begging for his life . Ed and Paula Kassig, from Indianapolis, said it was the first time they have heard the 26-year-old's voice in over a year and he sounded 'like a robot' In the audio recording Peter said his life was in jeopardy if U.S. airstrikes did not stop . Sitting in their living room with a school photo of Peter - also known by the Islamic name Abdul-Rahman in the background, Mr Kassig told CBS: 'The dynamics have changed now. Steven's [Sotloff] family kept to secrecy, and he was executed. Peter's name has been listed.' In the audio recording Peter said his life was in jeopardy if U.S. airstrikes did not stop. 'It was just automatic, kind of toneless, as though he was a robot,' Mrs Kassig said. Peter with his mother as a child. He is the Kassig's only child. The couple said they hope their son will learn of their TV appearance - either directly or indirectly - and 'know we are doing everything we can to secure his release' Mr Kassig and his son - he described his horrified reaction one morning at breakfast when a photo of his son flashed across the TV . 'And I'm sure it's because they were insisting what he could say.' He described that his time was running out,' Paul told TODAY. 'His vitality, his spark was not in his voice.' Peter's captors threatened him in a chilling video showing the beheading of 47-year-old British aid worker Alan Henning on October 3. The couple told how once the video was made public they moved to a hotel to avoid media attention. Mr Kassig described his reaction one morning at breakfast when a photo of his only child flashed across the TV. 'One minute you look at your scrambled eggs and you look up, it's football. Next minute, look at your scrambled eggs, you look up and there's your son,' he said. 'And you sit there and you have to watch. Everybody's jaw on the place drop. And you gotta fake it, too, 'cause you don't want to stand there and look callous. And inside, you just want to scream. 'Hey, that's my kid.' Just ate it, went back upstairs.' Aid worker: Peter Kassig (left), who has been held captive by ISIS for the past year, first went to the Middle East as a U.S. soldier before returning as a medical worker. Right, he is threatened by an ISIS militant . They also speak of the 'demanding' nature of Peter's captors. The Kassigs said ISIS militants have not 'asked' for anything and instead, 'they demand, they simply demand,' Mr Kassig told CBS correspondent Margaret Brennan. Donning a purple jacket and turtleneck top, Mrs Kassig added: 'And their demands have always been ones we cannot accommodate.' Ms Brennan then asked the couple if the demands were 'beyond what is reasonable in terms of money, in terms of power?', to which Mrs Kassig replied: 'In both cases, yes.' Looking down with teary eyes, she continued: 'And we have sent them back messages that we cannot do what you ask. We have tried, but we don't have the power.' In an interview with TODAY they shared portions of a handwritten letter from their son passed on by a former hostage. An inspiration: While in Turkey, Peter (pictured) founded SERA (Special Emergency Response and Assistance), an emergency relief group that serves refugee populations and internally displaced persons . Humanitarian work: It was while working on a project for SERA almost exactly a year ago, on October 1, 2013, that Peter (pictured) was captured by members of ISIS as he headed to Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria . Mr Kassig read from the letter: 'Don't worry, Dad. If I go down, I won't go down thinking anything but what I know to be true, that you and Mom love me more than the moon.' 'He knows that this is bigger than it just being about him,' Mrs Kassig said. 'And we do too.' They explained their son's conversion to Islam saying: 'He was as taken with the religion as he was with the people. 'It was a natural process for him,' said Mr Kassig. Peter, who has been held captive by ISIS for the past year, first went to the Middle East as a U.S. soldier before returning as a medical worker to help victims of war. While in Turkey, he founded SERA (Special Emergency Response and Assistance), a medically-oriented emergency relief group that serves refugee populations and internally displaced persons. It was while working on a project for SERA almost exactly a year ago, on October 1, 2013, that Peter was captured by members of ISIS as he headed to Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria. In the brutal video showing Mr Henning's death earlier this month, Peter was shown kneeling in the desert while a masked militant condemned President Barack Obama for 'aerial bombardments'. The militant added: 'It's only right we continue to strike the necks of your people.' Emotional plea: Mr and Mrs Kassig's latest plea comes just days after they released an emotional YouTube video (pictured), in which they begged their son's ISIS captors to 'show mercy' and free him . Desperate: On Wednesday, the couple appealed directly to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi on Twitter, begging him to spare their only son's life. Above, Mrs Kassig's tweet, featuring a letter to al Baghdadi . Mr and Mrs Kassig's latest plea to Peter's captors comes just a few days after they appealed directly to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi on Twitter, begging him to spare their only son's life. Mrs Kassig posted a letter on the social networking site, reading: 'I am trying to get in touch with the Islamic State about my son's fate. I am an old woman, and Abdul-Rahman is my only child. 'My husband and I are on our own, with no help from the government. We would like to talk to you. How can we reach you?' Beheading: On October 3, Mr Kassig was threatened with death in a video showing the beheading of 47-year-old British aid worker Alan Henning (pictured). He was seen kneeling in the sand at the end of the footage . The tweet followed an emotional YouTube video, released by the couple on October 4, in which they pleaded to Peter's captors to 'show mercy and use their power to let him go'. Mr Kassig, a school teacher, who was filmed on a sofa alongside his wife, told militants: 'Our family deplores all human suffering and the loss of innocent life, no matter who is responsible. 'We know that the Syrians have suffered. We also believe violence is not the solution to the problems that trouble us all.' Speaking directly to her son, Mrs Kassig, who was donning a headscarf and clasping a photo of the aid worker in her hands, added: 'We are so very proud of you and the work you have done to bring humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. President: Barack Obama (pictured) has condemned the death of Mr Henning and urged that U.S. forces and its allies will bring his killers to justice . 'Our hearts ache for you to be granted your freedom so we can hug you again and then set you free to continue the life you have chosen, the life of service to those in greatest need.' The beheading of Mr Henning followed the murders of three other captives in similar circumstances: U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines. U.S. officials have confirmed that Mr Kassig is being held by Islamic State militants, but have declined to give any more details of his capture. The aid worker's family said in a statement earlier this month that they had stayed silent about this news 'at the wish of those who have held their son.' President Barack Obama has strongly condemned the death of Mr Henning and urged that U.S. forces and its allies will bring his killers to justice. 'Mr Henning worked to help improve the lives of the Syrian people and his death is a great loss for them, for his family and the people of the United Kingdom,' the politican said in a statement. 'Standing together with our U.K. friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan's murder - as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines - to justice.' The President added that the U.S. and other nations will continue to take action to 'degrade and ultimately destroy' the Islamic State group. | Peter Kassig has been threatened with death in a video released by ISIS .
Ed and Paula Kassig hope Peter sees 'we are doing everything we can'
Also speak of their lack of power and captors' 'unreasonable demands'
Mr Kassig was captured by militants while working as aid worker in Syria .
He featured in graphic video showing beheading of hostage Alan Henning . |
06de2747c69750ce0c9ef027744b89faeb0f4079 | Montpellier (CNN) -- Two men who have become France's first same-sex married couple have opened their hearts about the special qualities in each other that made them want to spend the rest of their lives together. In the nervous minutes leading up to Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony in the southern city of Montpellier, Bruno Boileau said he adored Vincent Autin's "charisma, his ability to appease me, calm me down ... also his sensibility and his determination." And returning the warmth, Autin told CNN in the couple's only interview on their wedding day: "What I love about him is his objectivity and the way he protects me. He is my great protector." But their marriage is not just about their love; they also want to build a family and, perhaps, teach future generations how to break down prejudices. "We want children, we want to pass down values that are important to us, that we hold dear, that are right. And we want grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a real family," Autin said. "One of the reasons we want children is because children have no judgement, and we want to break down society's barriers." He added that "when French children are born into this world, they are born with the same rights as everyone else -- but from the moment you said you were a homosexual, society deprived you of some of those rights. Today the French Republic has given these rights back to us." The 40-year-old, who works for Montpellier's tourism office, expressed his gratitude to those who had helped win the controversial right for same-sex couples to marry, legislation that was signed into law 10 days ago by President Francois Hollande. "We are very nervous, but obviously excited. This is a step forward for France. What's happened today is thanks to everybody who has been so mobilized over the past few months." The change in the law has not been without its opponents, prompting sometimes-violent demonstrations of hundreds of thousands of people across France. "It's very sad that they turned violent," Autin said. "It's always so surprising to feel so attacked, but you must remember this was a minority and most people are in favor. This proves that love can triumph over hatred." "So thankful to those who helped us come to this moment. Some of the people we're referring to have passed away, such as Harvey Milk [the first openly gay American elected to public office] who was a great inspiration." Autin described how the couple met seven years ago. While surfing the net at the same time, they both chanced on an online fan forum for a pop star who found fame on a show similar to "Pop Idol." A group of people decided to go for lunch, after which he and Boileau, a 30-year-old civil servant, became inseparable. Like many a couple tying the knot, Autin declined to give details about what outfits they would wear, but he did confide what both parties hoped to get out of the big day: "Obviously love, but also a great party." | Two men explain why they have become France's first same-sex married couple .
Bruno Boileau said he loved Vincent Autin's "charisma, sensibility, determination"
They also want to build family and teach future generations to end prejudices .
Couple thank those who helped win controversial right for gay couples to marry . |
06de5076fcdf6bb3d6d14446899496aaa23b9263 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor, Gerri Peev and John Stevens . PUBLISHED: . 07:57 EST, 5 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:24 EST, 5 November 2012 . Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt: The new measure mark a victory for patients . Patients could sue the NHS if they are forced into mixed sex wards under a revamp of the NHS constitution, it emerged yesterday. The patients' charter will also enshrine in law the need for patients and families to be consulted before a patient is put on an 'end of life' pathway. Both moves by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt herald a major victory for patients and follow separate Daily Mail campaigns over the indignity of mixed sex accommodation and the controversial end-of-life treatment plans. A ban on mixed wards comes nearly two decades after an initial pledge by then Tory Prime Minister John Major. Just last year, half of all NHS trusts in England admitted they had placed patients in mixed rooms. Since then, the Department of Health has introduced fines of £250 per patient, per day for hospitals still doing so. But the new NHS constitution will leave patients in no doubt about their rights. It will declare: 'If you are admitted to hospital, you will not have to share sleeping accommodation with patients of the opposite sex.' It will also give reassurances to vulnerable patients, saying: 'You have the right to be involved fully in all discussions and decisions about your health and care, including in your end of life care, and to be given information to enable you to do this. Where appropriate this right includes your family and carers.' 'The right to be involved':The patient's charter will leave them in no doubt about their rights . Lib Dem Care Services Minister Norman Lamb said the new obligation would make 'clear and explicit' to patients and their families that they would be kept informed over end-of-life treatment. He added that although there had been a 'very substantial' reduction in the number of patients on mixed sex wards, all patients had a right to expect single sex rooms. Mr Lamb made clear that all providers of NHS care would be legally bound to take account of the NHS constitution. 'Ultimately, there could be a legal challenge if a provider was systematically failing to take account of the constitution,' he added. 'It provides much greater force and again it restates the principle that you should have single-sex accommodation if you have NHS care.' Respect for staff - or no treatment . You should treat NHS staff and other patients with respect and recognise that violence, causing a nuisance or disturbance on NHS premises could result in prosecution and that abusive or violent behaviour could result in you being refused access to the NHS. Prompt apology if things go wrong . To ensure that if you are harmed while receiving healthcare you receive an appropriate explanation and apology, delivered with sensitivity and recognition of the trauma you have experienced, and know that where mistakes have been made, lessons will be learned to help avoid a similar incident occurring again, and to ensure that the organisation learns lessons from complaints and uses these to improve NHS services. Decisions on end-of-life care . You have the right, to be involved fully in all discussions and decisions about your healthcare, including in your end of life care, and to be given information to enable you to do this. Where appropriate this right includes your family and carers. Single sex wards . If you are admitted to hospital, you will not have to share sleeping accommodation with patients of the opposite sex, in line with details set out in the Handbook to the NHS Constitution. He also explained that care providers would be obliged to consult patients on end-of-life care. '[The constitution] will now specifically refer to the importance of involvement, so I think it really does genuinely strengthen the obligation,' he went on. But Marie Curie Cancer Care argued that the Government should go further and called for the next independent national audit of the end-of-life Liverpool Care Pathway to be brought forward. Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow health secretary, said he was disappointed that patients would still not be given a choice of whether to die at home or in a hospice. He added: 'While these changes are good as far as they go, I would like to see much more ambition from the Government on end-of-life care. 'Far too many families in England find themselves spending their final hours with a loved-one in a hospital. Many would much rather be together at home or in a hospice. This more personal approach can also cost much less. The Mail has highlighted concerns about relatives not being consulted when their loved ones are being put on the LCP. The pathway means patients deemed close to death are sedated and denied nutrition and fluids by tube – but many families have come forward to complain that this happens without discussion with relatives of those involved. Last month the family of Margaret Kibble, 95, told how hospital staff allegedly removed all her drips and feeding tubes without any consultation after she was admitted to hospital in Lewisham in January 2011. When family members heard her begging for water they demanded that doctors put the great-grandmother back on food and fluids. Nearly two years later, she is still alive and back home. Last night her son Graham Satchell, 57, welcomed the announcement and said: 'We applaud any changes that mean hospitals talk more with families. In some cases the Liverpool Care Pathway is the right thing to do, but families need to be told the fors and against.' Former nurse Jane Taylor, 57, claims that she only found out that doctors had sedated her mother and withdrawn food and fluids when she caught a glimpse of her medical notes on a windowsill. But it was too late to stop the process and 83-year-old Phyllis Nicholls, who was being treated at a hospital in Surrey, died. Last night Mrs Taylor said: 'This is a very good idea because older people are scared of going into hospital at the moment.' But Imelda Redmond, director of policy and public affairs at Marie Curie, said: 'The Liverpool Care Pathway has enabled thousands to experience dignified care in the last days of life. We have become increasingly concerned about the media coverage which reports negative experiences of people in hospital and the end of life. 'That is why we are calling for the next independent national audit to be brought forward so that we can identify as soon at possible where these failings are taking place.' Abusive patients face being thrown out of hospitals and denied treatment under reforms to the NHS 'bill of rights'. Repeat offenders will be barred from trusts or doctors' surgeries in a similar way to unruly pupils who are excluded from school. Some 60,000 NHS workers a year are violently assaulted. But almost 70 per cent of the attacks involve patients who are not responsible for their actions due to underlying conditions such as mental health problems. Proposed changes to the NHS constitution will allow staff to refuse to treat violent patients but only 'if it is safe to do so'. Care minister Norman Lamb said: 'It is important to understand we have responsibilities as well as rights and we should be treating professionals with respect. It is a two-way street.' Fewer than one in 40 attacks on NHS staff end in prosecution. Hospitals and GPs can already ban abusive patients according to their local policy but this is the first time a national guideline has been put in place. Peter Carter, of the Royal College of Nursing union, said: 'We agree with the sentiment in principle but it is another thing putting it into practice. We are not going to fling out a person if they have a very major ailment and they are being abusive.' | Complaints must be answered in three working days, single sex wards must be the norm and there will be a right to an apology .
Patients and their families must also be consulted about the controversial Liverpool Care Pathway for people who are dying . |
06de87608ce891d8f05a0524702729924b35b92e | By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 05:15 EST, 31 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:25 EST, 31 January 2013 . New procedures will be put in place in memory of Cassie McCord, who died when she was hit by Colin Horsfall's car, despite him failing an eyesight test three days earlier . Drivers who are medically unfit to take the wheel will lose their licenses in a matter of hours after 45,000 people signed a petition in memory of a 16-year-old girl who was killed by a partially sighted 87-year-old. Cassie McCord was hit by Colin Horsfall as she stood on the pavement, three days after he failed an eye test but refused to surrender his licence. Her mother Jackie has campaigned for the past two years for a law to instantly bar unfit drivers. The Department of Transport (DfT) has now announced it is working to 'accelerate' the process to enable officials to seize licences more quickly. Currently, it can take days to revoke the licence of someone who has been deemed a danger by police. But now the DVLA will inform people they can no longer legally drive within hours of being tipped off by police officers. Although not a change in legislation, the procedural improvement has been dubbed Cassie's Law and has been hailed by police as a potential life-saver. Mrs McCord, from Colchester, Essex, said: 'I am confident this is a really good solution. 'The fact the Department for Transport has listened to someone like me who has no power is amazing. 'Next week it will be two years since Cassie died. The timing could not be better.' Cassie, who wanted to become a lawyer, was on her way to college when she was killed. Police were in the process of trying to get Mr Horsfall's licence revoked when Cassie died. Three days before he had driven into the exit of a petrol station in Colchester and then failed a police eye test. He walked with a stick and used a zimmer frame but despite being urged to surrender his licence, he refused. Police were applying to the DVLA for his licence to be revoked but the process took days. Mrs McCord had campaigned for a change in the law but the DfT said it instead has strengthened procedures to enable medically unfit drivers to be stopped quicker. Under the previous system it would take the police up to four working days to notify the DVLA via post or fax. The new plans will enable police to tell the DVLA about eye test failures more quickly through a new electronic system. Drivers will be told they are not allowed to drive within a matter of hours of failing the test. Those who drive after their licence has been revoked could be fined up to £5,000 or sentenced to up to six months in prison. Scroll down for video . Police will be given powers to seize the licence of medically unfit drivers after campaigning by Cassie's mother Jackie, pictured with her daughter's boyfriend Daniel Gordon, left, and her husband John Rason, right. She collected 45,000 signatures . Cassie's mother Jackie, pictured together right, said her daughter 'had a very strong sense of right and wrong' and had wanted to become a lawyer. She was on her way to college when she was hit . A DVLA spokeswoman said officials have been working with the Association of Chief Police Officers to introduce a faster system to deal with roadside eye test failures. She said: 'This new . process will reduce the risk of motorists whose eyesight has been . identified by the police as not of the required standard for driving . continuing to do so.' The department said licences will not . be revoked immediately but communication between the police and the . DVLA will improve and allow licences to be seized within a matter of . hours. It will then be up to the DVLA to decide whether the licence should be returned or revoked. Mrs McCord presented her petition to Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond in October. The MP said yesterday: 'We have every sympathy with Mrs McCord and . would like to thank her for her valuable work in raising awareness of . this issue. 'The DVLA and . the police have worked closely to greatly streamline the process for . revoking a licence when the police identify that a driver's eyesight is . inadequate. 'The decision . whether to revoke a driving licence on medical grounds remains with the . DVLA, though the process for informing drivers that their licence has . been revoked has now been accelerated.' Alan Jones, the Police Federation's roads policing lead for England and Wales, welcomed the decision. He said: 'It seems absolute nonsense a police officer who knows someone has defective eyesight has not be able to do anything. 'We believe what the Department for Transport has suggested is something which would work. 'I know Cassie's Law asked for the police officer to have the authority to suspend a licence. 'In this suggestion, the officer acts as a conduit and we are happy with that.' Mr Horsfall hit the accelerator of his red Astra instead of the brake. Police released CCTV images of his car moments before the impact further up the road . The Astra, right, mounted the pavement before hitting and killing Cassie. Colin Horsfall died three months later . The new process will be operational between 8am and 10pm Monday to Friday. Mrs McCord, who also has a son Sam, 20, and is divorced from her children's father Graham, said: 'People are incredible. We could not have done this without all the people who have supported us and I do not have the words to express my gratitude to them.' Mr Horsfall had pressed the accelerator on his automatic Astra instead of the brake when he hit Cassie. Mrs McCord said: 'Colin Horsfall was just a . very selfish man. I just feel that he knew he was unfit to drive but . that didn't stop him. 'The police don't have the power to . temporarily withhold a driver's licence. Had they had the power to do . that, Cassie wouldn't be dead. And there are other tragedies like hers.' Mr Horsfall was interviewed by police . after the accident, at Colchester General Hospital, and was told Cassie . had died. He died three months later of his injuries and pneumonia. Three days before Colin Horsfall crashed into Cassie he failed an eyesight test after a separate crash but refused to surrender his licence . Dozens of tributes were left at the scene of Cassie's death and Mrs McCord paid tribute to the thousands of people who helped her campaign for the change in the law . VIDEO: CCTV shows car mounting pavement moments before crash . | Cassie McCord, from Colchester, was killed on her way to school .
She was hit by Colin Horsfall's car three days after he had failed an eye test .
However he refused to surrender his licence and continued driving .
Cassie's mother Jackie collected 45,000 signatures backing her campaign .
Department for Transport says medically unfit drivers will be taken off the road faster after two-year family campaign in memory of student . |
06e025eadf900f013d94c19d1f0d2b870c6b7aed | By . Keith Gladdis . PUBLISHED: . 19:03 EST, 12 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:04 EST, 12 February 2013 . Litter police have been told to issue £80 on-the-spot fines for the ‘disgusting and inappropriate’ practice of spitting in the street. Last month the Daily Mail told how councils had deployed private litter police to hand out fines for dropping items such as cigarette butts, bank cards, nut shells and even pens. Now Waltham Forest council, in north-east London, will extend the penalties to anyone caught spitting. Cleaning up its act: Waltham Forest has gone one better than the litter police and will fine anyone caught spitting as well as dumping rubbish on streets . The measure is part of their ‘Wipe It Out’ campaign against environmental crime. Council bosses say they want to make spitting in public taboo by sending an ‘unequivocal message’ that the streets should be treated with respect. Last year, neighbouring borough Enfield announced plans to introduce a bylaw to ban spitting. It is still waiting for clearance from the Government to enforce the new rules. Waltham Forest claims it has been able to get around the bureaucracy of introducing a bylaw by deciding to class spit and urine as ‘waste’. That means litter police who have previously targeted people dropping cigarette butts, crisp packets and takeaway boxes can issue fines to those caught spitting. Fines: Bosses at Waltham Forest Council were able to get round the bureaucracy of introducing a bylaw by classing spit and urine as waste . The civil enforcement officers can also hand out tickets to people found urinating in the street.Clyde Loakes, deputy leader of Waltham Forest council, said: ‘It’s horrible to witness and leaves an unsanitary mess on our paths and pavements. ‘Why people think it is acceptable to indulge in what must be the most anti-social of all behaviours is a mystery, but they do. ‘In the past people would not have thought twice about throwing a cigarette butt on the pavement, or letting their dog leave a mess on a pathway. ‘In the same way, I think we need to make spitting and urinating taboo. ‘I don’t believe the vast majority of people need telling that it is disgusting and inappropriate. Waltham Forest Council wants to make spitting taboo by introducing the new penalties . ‘But this move sends out an unequivocal message to those people who spit or treat our streets like a toilet. You will be issued with a fine and you find it the most expensive penny you have ever spent.’ Councils raise an estimated £5.5million from handing out more than 73,500 litter fines a year. This means around 200 fines are issued every day. One company, called Xfor, is run by former soldiers. It has been accused of being overzealous in issuing the fines, each one of which can earn the firm up to £45. The company has made around £1.6million from the contracts it holds with 15 local authorities. Council bosses insist that they are simply trying to keep their streets clean. However, complaints have flooded in from people who feel they do not deserve the harsh penalties. One woman in Blaenau Gwent, South Wales, says she was fined for accidentally dropping a thread from her glove. Another was given a £75 ticket for walking her dog in a field she had used for 30 years. She had no idea the park had been turned into a no-dog zone because the warning signs had been stolen. Other people have been fined up to £80 for dropping bits of orange peel, a banana skin and even a single matchstick. | Councils are deploying litter police to fine people who drop rubbish .
Waltham Forest will extend penalties to anyone caught spitting or urinating in public .
Council was able to get round bureaucracy of introducing bylaw by classing spit as waste . |
06e0845a168e9612b31a908d3141dcda03849c9b | (CNN) -- Syria accused Israel of firing rockets into the Damascus suburb of Jamraya on Sunday, striking a "scientific research center," Syrian state TV reported. It is the second Syrian claim this year of a strike against what observers have described as a government defense research facility, and it comes one day after U.S. officials first told CNN that the United States believes Israel carried out an airstrike against Syria. Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on the Syrian TV report. "We do not comment on these reports at all," an IDF spokesperson said. The Syrian news report claimed the rocket attack on the research center aided rebels, who have been battling government forces in the region. In late January, reports surfaced that Israeli warplanes targeted the research facility. The Syrian government has said the airstrike killed two workers and injured five others. A U.S. official told CNN at the time the Syrian claims were false. The official said Israeli fighter jets targeted a Syrian government convoy carrying surface-to-air missiles bound for the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Syria denied there were such shipments. The report of rocket attacks come as sectarian violence erupted in northwestern Syria, where three consecutive days of killing by mostly Alawite forces have left hundreds of predominantly Sunni residents dead, opposition groups said Saturday. "The regime attacked the town of Beyda and other neighboring areas from the sea with rockets before security forces and militias loyal to the regime entered the area and conducted mass executions," Free Syrian Army chief of staff Gen. Salim Idris said by phone from Antakya, Turkey. "They want to establish a sectarian-based entity in the region," he said. State media have said their forces were seeking only to clear the area of "terrorists," the term they have routinely used when referring to rebel forces. But the U.S. State Department said it was "appalled by horrific reports that more than 100 people were killed May 2" in Beyda, a suburb of Baniyas. "We call on all responsible actors in Syria to speak out against the perpetration of unlawful killings against any group, regardless of faith or ethnicity," spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said in a statement. Opposition groups that included the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Free Syrian Army said the widespread killing in and around the coastal city of Baniyas continued Saturday as largely Alawite regime forces used tanks, battleships and missile launchers to hit largely Sunni neighborhoods in Baniyas. The government forces killed at least 200 people on Friday and Saturday in Baniyas and its suburbs, the LCC said Saturday. More than 200 others were killed there on Thursday, when the killings started early in the day, it said. Reliable information has been difficult to obtain because government forces controlled access to the village, the LCC said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said hundreds of Sunni families began fleeing Baniyas' southern neighborhoods at dawn Saturday, heading toward the cities of Tartous and Jableh. A graphic video posted by activists who said it was shot in the Ras al-Nabaa neighborhood showed people, including an infant, lying lifeless on the ground. Many bore what appeared to be bullet wounds and some appeared burned. CNN's access to war zones has been limited by the government and has not been able to confirm its authenticity. State-run Syrian TV filed reports from Beyda over the last two days reporting that government troops along with the National Defense militia, an armed Alawite group loyal to the government, "have cleaned the area from armed terrorists" after "they burned civilians' homes and stores and terrorized the population." The reporting was supported by interviews with members of the Syrian army. U.N. has warned of sectarian violence . Last December, the U.N. Commission of Inquiry warned that the civil war had become "overtly sectarian." It said government forces and militias, dominated by Alawites, had been attacking Sunnis -- who were "broadly (but not uniformly)" backing the rebel groups. And anti-government armed groups were targeting Alawites. Other minority communities, including some Christians, Armenians, Palestinians, Kurds and Turkmen, "have also been caught up in the conflict, and in some cases forced to take up arms for their own defense or to take sides." But it said the "sectarian lines fall most sharply" between Alawites and Sunnis. The "increasingly sectarian nature" of the fighting is a motivator for proxy groups fighting in Syria. Anti-government armed groups are composed of Sunnis from the Middle East and North Africa, the report said. Shiites from other countries have entered the conflict on behalf of Syria. The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah has said its members are fighting. There are reports of Iraqi Shiites fighting in Syria and of Iran's Revolutionary Guards providing intellectual and advisory support. Christian communities across Syria have been under the gun and on the move. Homs, for example, was once home to 80,000 Christians, but the commission said most had escaped to Lebanon. "With communities believing -- not without cause -- that they face an existential threat, the need for a negotiated settlement is more urgent than ever," the commission said. Al-Assad makes public appearance . Also Saturday, the country's president made his second public appearance this month, according to state-run Syrian Television. "President Bashar al-Assad joins thousands of students and families of martyrs in Damascus University in inaugurating the Martyred Students Monument in memory of all the students who were killed in Syria," it said. The president's Facebook page posted a picture of the event. On May 1, al-Assad visited the Ummayad electrical plant to "congratulate its staff and all the Syrian workers on the occasion of International Workers' Day," the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported. Israel said to be flying over Lebanon . Israel was flying warplanes over Lebanon on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the Lebanese army said. Lebanon's president, Gen. Michel Sleiman, condemned the violations as "an attempt to shaken Lebanese stability," the state-run National News Agency reported Saturday. The Israeli military had no comment. But a source in the Israeli defense establishment told CNN's Sara Sidner, "We will do whatever is necessary to stop the transfer of weapons from Syria to terrorist organizations. We have done it in the past and we will do it if necessary the future." Israel appears to have struck Syria . Two U.S. officials told CNN on Friday that Israel appears to have conducted an airstrike into Syria on Thursday or Friday. Based on initial indications, the U.S. does not believe Israeli warplanes entered Syrian airspace to conduct the strikes. President Barack Obama told reporters on Friday that he did not foresee a scenario of "American boots on the ground in Syria" that would be good for that country or the region. Obama said other leaders in the region want to see al-Assad out of power. CNN's Barbara Starr, Saad Abedine, Amir Ahmed and Joe Sterling contributed to this report . | NEW: The Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on the report .
Syrian TV reports Israel has targeted the Jamraya area .
Al-Assad makes another public appearance .
The United States "is appalled" by the reports . |
06e08ce59b20e817f72b32293f0ce466775bf9ab | Immigrants are being granted permission to settle in Britain despite having ‘zero income and no employment’, a government inspector warned last night. The failure to carry out full background checks on the migrants undermines a key Home Office policy that applicants should be able to support themselves and their families without relying on the State. Foreign nationals who want to remain in the UK permanently are supposed to undergo strict checks by officials into their financial background. Scroll down for video . The chief inspector of immigration John Vine found potentially tens of thousands of applicants were approved without face-to-face interviews. As a minimum, they require enough money to pay for housing, plus a disposable income of more than £100 a week. But the chief inspector of immigration, John Vine, found potentially tens of thousands were having their applications rubber-stamped without either a face-to-face interview or HMRC investigation. An estimated one million migrants apply for permission to stay in the UK each year. But, incredibly, HMRC is willing to do only 3,000 checks a year for the UK Border Agency – just 250 every month. Such checks would establish if a migrant who claimed to be able to support themselves was telling the truth about their income or even having a job. As a result of the HMRC policy, officials are letting migrants stay without having had access to wages slips, P60 forms and other crucial data. Mr Vine, who carried out spot checks on a small sample of cases, said officials had granted permission to settle here despite the applicant having ‘zero income and no employment’. HMRC is only willing to do 3,000 checks a year for the UK Border Agency despite an estimated one million migrants applying for permission to stay in the country each year . He said the number of HMRC checks was ‘insufficient’ and must be urgently increased. Of 49 cases he looked at where . migrants were asking to stay on the grounds of marriage, not a single . person was interviewed. This is despite huge concern over sham . marriages. In other cases, . the application was decided while the husband or wife was still . overseas. Mr Vine said in one in every ten of such cases the decision . reached by immigration officials was ‘unreasonable’, mainly due to . insufficient evidence the migrant could afford to support themselves. The inspector raised his concerns in a report which focused on how UKBA handles cases involving marriage and civil partnerships. In . it, he also said there are currently more than 16,000 migrants waiting . to hear from border officials whether they can stay in Britain in yet . another ‘unacceptable’ UKBA backlog. Some . 14,000 applicants, growing at a rate of 700 a month, have already been . refused the right to stay but are pleading with officials to reconsider. An . additional 2,100 cases – shipped in a box from a UKBA office in Croydon . to Sheffield – are still waiting for an initial decision, some dating . back a decade. Mr Vine said: ‘This is completely unacceptable and I . expect the Agency to deal with both types of case as a matter of . urgency. John Vine said immigrants were being granted permission to settle despite having 'zero income and no employment' Ferry passengers caught entering Britain with cocaine in their luggage are being let off with just a small fine. Instead . of arresting and prosecuting, border officials are routinely . confiscating the drugs, allowing passengers to pay around £100 and then . letting them carry on their journey. John . Vine, chief inspector of Borders and Immigration, said the approach was . unlawful and anyone caught with Class A drugs should be put before a . court. His report into . border controls found two occasions where a small amount of cocaine was . discovered on a passenger or in their luggage coming into Dover via . Calais. Both cases involved less than 1g of the drug. Under . customs laws, passengers caught with small amounts of Class B and C . drugs can pay a ‘compound settlement’, have the drugs confiscated and . escape prosecution. But . that law does not extend to Class A drugs. Anyone caught entering with . even small amounts of heroin, cocaine or ecstasy must be arrested and . can face a lengthy prison sentence. The . report said: ‘Although the amount was small, we were concerned that in . one case investigators advised a compound settlement for the offence, . given that this was contrary to Border Force’s own guidance. ‘Border . Force subsequently informed us that they had revised their guidance to . reiterate that class A drugs fall outside the scope of compounding.’ ‘Delays also mean . enforcement action is likely to be more difficult in the event the case . is ultimately refused. This is because the individual will have been in . the UK for a number of years and may have developed a family or private . life.’ He also said the . percentage of successful appeals in marriage cases was too high, at 53 . per cent from April 2011 to February last year. Mr Vine told Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'Work is being transferred but missed or lost. The organisation should know what its own backlog and workload is, then it can prioritise. 'I was concerned at the high rate of appeal.' He admitted that 13 per cent of cases remained unresolved. Mark Harper, Minister of State for Immigration, told the show that the 14,000 outstanding appeals had not been done through the proper channels. 'We went and just allowed people to say, "can you just go through it again?" They should have given a clear message. 'We inherited an agency with a lot of problems.' Sir Andrew Green, of . Migration Watch, said: ‘This is yet further evidence of the chaos in the . immigration system.’ UKBA . said last night: ‘We are working with HMRC to increase the number of . searches we can do against their systems. Since this report we have . brought in strict new rules on proving income levels to make sure that . those bringing in family members are able to support them.’ | Chief inspector of immigration John Vine said many had 'zero income'
Thousands may have had applications rubber-stamped without full checks .
A further 16,000 are still waiting for a decision on whether they can stay .
Some of the cases date back almost a decade, to 2003 .
Minister for Immigration said he inherited an agency with problems .
Mr Vine said the organisation should have known what its backlog was . |
06e0c5e356ea05412085381b1bccb10d0394f8a1 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Margie Brandquist wears a framed photo of her sister, who died in a plane crash three months ago. Flowers are left at a makeshift memorial near the site of a plane crash in Clarence Center, New York, in February. Her sister, Mary Pettys, 51, was engaged to be married when her Continental Connection Flight 3407 went down in icy conditions near Buffalo, New York. The flight, operated by regional carrier Colgan Air, plunged into a house in Clarence Center, killing all 49 people on board and one man in the house. Brandquist is one of several of the victims' family members attending this week's National Transportation Safety Board hearing on Capitol Hill. Brandquist wants to know why the pilot, who failed several flight tests before joining the airline, never received hands-on training with the emergency equipment that was activated before the crash. "We put our lives in the hands of people that we assume that the [Federal Aviation Administration] and the airlines are properly training," she told CNN's Randi Kaye. The safety board resumed its three-day hearing Wednesday. Watch hearing consider whether crash could have been avoided » . At Tuesday's hearing, Colgan Air acknowledged that Capt. Marvin Renslow never trained on the "stick pusher" emergency system in a flight simulator. But in a written statement, the carrier said that both Renslow and First Officer Rebecca Shaw had received other specific training about how to handle situations like those that preceded the crash. It said that the company provides FAA-approved ground training and that "Captain Renslow and First Officer Shaw had thorough initial and recurrent training" on how to handle a stall. "Captain Renslow and First Officer Shaw did know what to do, had repeatedly demonstrated they knew what to do, but did not do it," the statement said. "We cannot speculate on why they did not use their training in dealing with the situation they faced." Anne Marie Russo, whose daughter Madeline died in the crash, watched Tuesday's televised hearing at a hotel in Newark, New Jersey, with other families who lost loved ones on the flight. "This should not have happened," she said. "These 50 people should be enjoying their life right now." She said she believes that cost-cutting measures by airlines may have been a factor in the crash. "Maybe the training has to be more safer, more satisfactory for the public," she said. "This is tragedy that happened to these 49, 50 people, it could happen to any one of us." Dan Marzolf, who also lost a loved one in the crash, said the hearing was very technical, but he hopes "to get to some conclusions." "I really do hope good will come from these meetings," he told CNN's affiliate in Buffalo, WGRZ. On Tuesday, the safety board investigators released a transcript of the cockpit voice recording from moments before the crash. The last sounds heard were Shaw saying, "We're" and then screaming at 10:16 p.m. Seconds earlier, Renslow said, "Jesus Christ" as a sound "similar to stick shaker," an emergency warning system, was heard, the transcript said. Renslow said, "We're down," and a thump was heard. About five minutes before the crash, Shaw had shared with Renslow her fear of flying in icy conditions. "I don't want to have to experience that and make those kinds of calls. You know, I'd've freaked out. I'd've had like seen this much ice and thought, 'oh, my gosh, we were going to crash,' " Shaw told Renslow. The safety board's preliminary investigation determined that there was some ice accumulation on the Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 aircraft but that "icing had a minimal impact on the stall speed of the airplane." At Tuesday's hearing, Colgan Air said Renslow, though not training physically on the "stick pusher," received more training on it than the law requires. "In the ground school portion, it is covered," said Paul Pryor, head of Colgan Air's pilot training program. Such training is not required by the Federal Aviation Administration. "That's a significant problem," veteran pilot Douglas Moss said. Moss, an expert in stall recovery, believes that flight simulator practice with a stick pusher should be mandatory for aspiring pilots. "It's similar to picking up and throwing a ground ball in baseball. You can study it academically all you want to, but you really need to develop the proficiency, the skill, the muscle memory required to do that," Moss said. Since the accident, Colgan has added demonstrations of the technique on its flight simulator . "This is one of a number of additions that Colgan has made to its training and safety programs in the wake of the accident," the statement said. Renslow had failed five pilot tests, known as check rides, three of which occurred before he joined the airline, Colgan Air said. Renslow had revealed only one of those failures to the airline, according to Colgan. Wally Warner, a Bombardier test pilot who testified Tuesday, said he believes that the pilot could have overcome the stall that caused the crash. "Obviously, the initial reaction to the stall warning was incorrect, and that set the course of action for what followed," Warner said. CNN's Allan Chernoff contributed to this report. | NEW: Airline says officers "did know what to do ... but did not do it"
Families of victims of February crash near Buffalo, New York, watch hearing .
Safety board hears that pilot got no simulator training on one safety device .
FAA doesn't require such training; airline says pilot had classroom training . |
06e1006cc2fe8751f7b3f66e37165648234c0496 | (Mashable) -- Android smartphone market share trails iPhone market share by a scant 9 percentage points in a recent study from analysis giant Nielsen. According to statistics on overall U.S. market share, Android is the single fastest-growing mobile platform. By contrast, Apple's iOS shows an ever-so-slight decline. Other operating systems, including BlackBerry and Windows Mobile, show sharp declines over the past quarter. Still, BlackBerry is the top mobile OS by the numbers, with around 30 percent of the total market share. Last month, Nielsen's stats showed that Android was the preferred platform of new smartphone buyers, suggesting that big-budget marketing campaigns for devices such as the Droid lineup and HTC's Evo were paying off. In fact, Androids outsold iPhones for the first time ever in the first half of 2010. Nevertheless, these stats still show iOS devices as the leading smartphones in the Android-versus-iPhone battle. Today, Android has 19 percent of the mobile OS market, while Apple's iOS smartphones have 28 percent. Age also plays a role in which device a given smartphone user is likely to choose. Members of the under-35 crowd were more likely to be seen with an Android than were older folks. And BlackBerry held sway with users over 45. Apple dominated when it came to smartphone users ages 44 and under. Based on these trends, we fully expect BlackBerry devices to sink below iPhones in popularity within the next quarter. And we're sure it won't be too long before Android and iOS are neck-and-neck in competing for smartphone dominance. Do you think the consumer actions behind these trends are based more on device performance and facts or more on personal bias and marketing? We'd love to get your opinions in the comments. © 2010 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved. | Android market share trails iPhone by scant 9 percent, says Nielsen .
Apple's iOS shows an ever-so-slight decline .
BlackBerry is the top mobile OS, with around 30 percent of total market share . |
06e17495ac0810fac0f19abdef65afa342cb4039 | OCD sufferer Emily Davies reveals extent of illness . Mental health charities have reacted with anger after discovering high street store Paperchase had been selling handwash mocking Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The chain - which has 130 stores across the UK - was selling a hand sanitiser called OCD which mocks sufferers. Directions for the product read: 'Open cap. Sanitize. Close cap. Open cap. Sanitize. Close cap. Make sure cap is firmly closed. Recheck cap. Are you sure it's closed?' The illness affects more than 700,000 Britons and their sufferers have branded the product 'disgusting ' and 'offensive'. Emily Davis, 21, has suffered with OCD all her life and caused a Twitter storm after discovering the product was being sold in Paperchase. 'OCD is a very serious disorder that ruins lives,' she said. 'It is a recognised mental health condition, and many people will have had personal experience of it or know someone who has. 'I feel the notion we should be able to just 'laugh off' this product is incorrect. 'This product mocks contamination OCD. Sanitiser is not inherently harmful, and is a useful tool when used correctly. But, when used incorrectly, the consequences can be terrible. I'm publishing my photo for the first time to show when my hands were at their worst because of my obsessive sanitiser use. 'I've always hidden this picture, but I'm going to be brave and share it because people need to know how serious this is. 'This product should be removed from sale. It is not being sold maliciously but out of ignorance and I want to change that.' Emily, 21, of Wimbledon, London, tweeted the image calling for it to be removed from sale and received a wave of support from fellow sufferers. Scroll down for video . Offensive 'joke' hand gel was sold in Paperchase mocking debilitating condition causing outrage . OCD sufferer Emily took to social media to highlight her disgust at the sale of the hand gel in stores . Others who found it offensive included Jessica who tweeted: 'That is really quite upsetting and offensive.' Megan Marshall added: 'As an OCD sufferer myself that is disgusting.' Another tweet from Nichola JW said: 'That's an utter disgrace, OCD is life-shattering, not a joke.' Sue Baker, director of mental health charity Mind's Time To Change campaign, said she had already expressed her concerns over the product to Paperchase. She said: 'Products that poke fun at or stigmatise people with mental health problems can cause very real harm by sending the message that conditions such as OCD are trivial and even humorous, making it harder for people affected by these issues to speak out and seek help for them.' Paperchase has now removed the product from sale but online stores, including Amazon still sell it. OCD is an anxiety disorder affecting 12 in every 1,000 people in Britain. The condition causes a person to have obsessive thoughts and to practice compulsive behaviours. Sufferers often . display repetitive behaviours alongside the need to obsessively check . thing - and hand washing is one way the condition displays itself. They also experience unpleasant thoughts which cause anxiety. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and treatment options include cognitive behavioural therapy and antidepressants. Some people with OCD also go on to develop depression. Source: NHS Choices . It is unclear how long the store was selling it. Amazon reviews read 'great gift gag' and 'good joke value'. Mark Winstanley, CEO of Rethink Mental Illness, added: 'This product is extremely crass and insensitive and it's really disappointing that Paperchase are selling it. 'OCD is not a funny personality quirk, it is a mental illness which can be very debilitating and it affects around 1.2 per cent of the population. 'The last thing people who have the condition need to see is it trivialised in this way. 'Paperchase would never sell a product that made fun of a physical illness like diabetes or heart disease, so why should people with mental illness have to put up with it? 'Last year, Asda stopped selling a 'mental patient' fancy dress costume after a major public outcry against it. 'We're calling on Paperchase to do the right thing by withdrawing this product. 'There is already so much stigma around mental illness and 'joke' products like this only make things worse.' A spokeswoman for Paperchase said the company has now removed the product and any remaining items would be taken off the shelves immediately. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder which affects 12 in every 1,000 people in Britain. Sufferers often display repetitive behaviours alongside the need to obsessively check things, hand washing is one way the condition displays itself. | Sufferers brand hand gel called OCD 'disgusting and offensive' to victims .
Bottle says 'Open cap. Sanitize. Close cap. Open cap. Sanitize. Close cap.'
Mental health charities say it mocks symptoms of people with OCD .
Paperchase confirms it has removed the gel from sale in its stores .
Victim Emily Davies reveals shocking image of affect of OCD . |
06e2309fa4de1c0fe031af0ad70dfa3bb5a0627a | (CNN) -- Turkey fired on Syrian government targets in response to the shelling of a Turkish border town in which five civilians were killed Wednesday, according to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office. The town of Akcakale "was hit by artillery fire belonging to the Syrian regime forces," a statement from Erdogan's office said, in the first clear assertion of blame for the shelling. "Our armed forces on the border responded immediately to this atrocious attack within the rules of engagement, and points in Syria determined by radar were hit with artillery fire," it said. "Turkey, within the confines of the rules of engagement and international law, will never leave these types of provocations aimed at our national security unanswered." Syrian refugees in Turkey: Police are forcing us from homes . The retaliatory artillery fire marks a significant increase in tension between the two countries, and CNN affiliate CNN Turk reported that witnesses observed intermittent artillery fire from Turkey into Syria continuing into the early hours Thursday. Syrian authorities are "offering sincerest condolences on behalf of the Syrian government to the family of the deceased and the Turkish people" and are investigating the source of the gunfire, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). "In case of border incidents that occur between any two neighboring countries, countries and governments must act wisely, rationally and responsibly, particularly since there's a special condition on the Syrian-Turkish borders in terms of the presence of undisciplined terrorist groups spread across the borders who have varying agendas and identities," said Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi. Opposition groups in Syria said artillery fire from Turkey fell on a government military center near Tal Abyad in northern Syria's Raqqa province. Turkish military reinforcements are deployed near the border, they added. The artillery shell fired into Turkey came from Tal Abyad, according to Turkey's semiofficial Anadolu news agency. The North Atlantic Council, NATO's most senior political governing body, said it stands by Turkey. The alliance "demands the immediate cessation of such aggressive acts against an ally, and urges the Syrian regime to put an end to flagrant violations of international law," the council said after an emergency meeting. The Syrian government has a recent pattern of "aggressive attacks" at NATO's southeastern border, it said. Akcakale Mayor Abdulhakim Ayhan said earlier that three children, their mother and a female neighbor died when a house was hit. Two police officers were among those hurt, he said. Nine people were injured when the shell landed on the town in Sanliurfa province, near the Syrian border, the Turkish prime minister's statement said. Relations between Turkey and Syria were already under strain over Damascus' response to an 18-month-long uprising against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Civil war in Syria . A senior U.S. defense official said the Pentagon is watching the situation with some degree of concern, "but at this point, there's nothing to suggest it's going to become a broader conflict." The official said the reciprocal fire appeared to be a smaller-scale border skirmish rather than a large-scale aerial bombardment. "We think this is Turkey basically saying, 'Don't mess with us. Whatever is going on inside Syria, don't mess with us,'" the official told CNN. Both nations would have an interest in not allowing the conflict to escalate, according to the official. "In some ways, Turkey would have more to lose in that kind of fight than Syria. They've already got a potential refugee problem coming from Syria, and a fight would only make that worse, the official said, adding that "Syria has so many problems right now, the last thing the government needs is to add another." Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to express his government's "deepest concern" about the shelling, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said. Before launching its military strike against Syrian targets Wednesday, Turkey reached out to NATO and U.N. chiefs. Ban issued a statement expressing condolences to the shelling victims in Turkey. He called on Syria to respect the territorial integrity of its neighbors. The U.N. Security Council privately discussed the situation. Syria's internally displaced languish in squalor at Turkish border . "The secretary-general has repeatedly warned that the ongoing militarization of the conflict in Syria is leading to tragic results for the Syrian people," Ban said. "Today's incidents, where firing from Syria struck a Turkish town, again demonstrated how Syria's conflict is threatening not only the security of the Syrian people but increasingly causing harm to its neighbors." Musa Ozer, who lives next to the house where the artillery shell landed, was crying as he spoke on the phone with CNN in the aftermath of the attack. "The bomb fell on us. My head's really not in the right place right now," he said. "My uncle was injured and his wife died. What am I to make of this?" Ayhan said the shell landed on one house but debris from the impact scattered across a wider area, leading to the high number of injuries. He also voiced the concern felt by residents of the southeastern town. "The people of Akcakale are rising up against this. They live in fear," he told CNN Turk. The mayor said the shell that caused the deaths was the second to land Wednesday on Akcakale. Salih Aydogdu, a local neighborhood mayor, called for authorities to act to prevent such incidents. "Over the last month, we've had these types of incident five or six times. This is a small place; every time it happens, we can hear it. We are right on the border with Syria," he said. "The people of Akcakale are upset. We want the governor and the police to take precautions. This was Turkey's most peaceful and tranquil area. Now we have neither peace nor tranquility." For the past two weeks, schools have been closed in the town, and the teachers have left, he added. Akcakale has been rocked by previous fighting just across the border in Syria. Last month, Turkish residents watched as Syrian shells crashed into Syrian territory, barely a stone's throw away from the Turkish border fence. The close artillery barrage forced Turkish authorities to temporarily shut schools in Akcakale and close off roads leading to the Syrian border. Rebel leadership announces move from Turkey to Syria . Only two years ago, Syria and Turkey enjoyed cozy bilateral relations. The neighbors had instituted visa-free travel for their citizens, and cross-border trade was booming. Diplomatic relations ruptured, however, months after the Syrian uprising began. Last March, Turkey shuttered its embassy in Damascus and the Syrian government declared Turkey's ambassador, Omer Onhon, persona non grata. Erdogan has repeatedly denounced Syrian President al-Assad, publicly calling on him to step down after accusing him of massacring his own people. The Syrian government, meanwhile, has accused Turkey of arming and funding Syrian rebels. CNN journalists have witnessed light weapons in the form of assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns coming from Turkey to Syrian rebels. In addition, Turkey is currently hosting more than 93,000 Syrian refugees in camps. Turkish officials estimate another 40,000 to 50,000 unofficial refugees live in Turkey outside refugee camps. This is not the first deadly cross-border incident between the two neighbors. On Tuesday, Turkish officials announced at least two suspected Kurdish fighters were killed after a clash broke out along the border in Turkey's Mardin province. In June, the Syrian government announced it had shot down a Turkish military reconnaissance jet after it crossed into Syrian airspace. Two Turkish pilots were killed in the incident. The Turkish government continues to insist the jet was shot down by a surface-to-air missile after it left Syrian airspace -- claims that the Syrian government denies. Syria, Turkey blunt over plane incident . CNN's Gul Tuysuz, Talia Kayali, Richard Roth, Joe Vaccarello, Chris Lawrence, Nick Paton Walsh, Amir Ahmed and Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report. | NEW: Witnesses observe intermittent artillery fire from Turkey into Syria, CNN Turk reports .
Syria says it is investigating source of gunfire fired into Turkey .
No evidence of broader conflict, U.S. defense official says .
Turkey strikes targets in Syria following shelling of a Turkish border town . |
06e37ea3344d8540c4934aadbd00e18d6d164af5 | In the wake of the Westminster child abuse scandal and allegations of establishment cover-ups, hackers Anonymous have decided to expose international paedophile networks. The hacking group says it is is planning on collecting evidence against international paedophile rings and their abuse of children to find the links between different operations and ultimately bring the perpetrators to justice. Named 'Operation Death Eaters' after Voldemort's band of evil followers in the Harry Potter series, the group is calling for a global effort in exposing the paedophile rings through the power of social media. Scroll down for video . A still from the Operation Death Eaters video by Anonymous - the hacking group says it is is planning on collecting evidence against international paedophile rings to ultimately bring the perpetrators to justice . This newest Anonymous campaign comes just weeks after the group declared war on jihadists in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris. Now, they are building a grassroots database of paedophile cases from across the world in order to ultimately expose an 'international cult' of child sex abuse. A Tumblr set up to promote the campaign states: 'The objective of opdeatheaters is an independent, international, victim-led tribunal/ inquiry into trafficking and paedosadist industry. 'What is our first step? We need meticulously researched and clearly documented examples of high level complicity in the industry, obstruction of justice and coverups to show the need for independent inquiries.' The UK version of the site states: 'The CSA inquiry in the UK is an attempt to depict a powerful cult as a string of isolated incidents of "sex abuse". 'The complicit UK media is running a huge propaganda campaign to conflate torture and murder with "paedophilia" and call for understanding of "paedophilia". 'This is not a group of sad paedophiles who need help and understanding. This is a torture and death cult with a powerful global human trafficking network. Named 'Operation Death Eaters' after Voldemort's band of evil followers in the Harry Potter series, the group is calling for a global effort in exposing the paedophile rings through the power of social media . 'We demand that torture and murder be called torture and murder, not sex. This is an international cult and needs to be investigated as one, not simply as an endless series of isolated incidents confined to the UK. 'We call upon our comrades globally to help us investigate and demand an end to to the trafficking networks with arrests at the top not just the bottom. 'We demand an end to human trafficking and abuse complicity worldwide.' The Independent refers to an Anonymous statement which claims: 'The Westminster paedophile ring is one of many cases where Operation DeathEaters has actively pursued and sought truth, in order to end the hideous crimes concealed behind the British elite. 'In fear of these investigations being bungled over time, the operation’s objectives are clear and simple: source public information before it disappears, push for independent enquiry, and offer support to witnesses and the victims where needed.' Anonymous also cites a number of high profile cases and investigations in the UK including Jimmy Savile, MP Cyril Smith,the claims regarding Elm Guest House and the now-defunct Paedophile International Exchange . Tens of millions of images of child abuse are believed to be circulating online on the 'dark web', many showing such graphic abuse that the media is turning a blind eye to the problem, experts warned this week. Figures from the European Commission's Global Alliance against Child Sexual Abuse Online suggest 50,000 new child abuse images are uploaded each year - of which more than 70 per cent are images of children under the age of 10. Heather Marsh, author of Binding Chaos and who works with Anonymous, said: 'Our central objective is to establish independent, internationally linked, victim-led inquiries into high level complicity, obstruction of justice and cover-ups in the paedosadism and child trafficking industries. 'The premise behind OpDeathEaters is to expose high level complicity, obstruction of justice and cover up in the paedosadist industry in order to show the need for independent inquiries.' On January 10 Anonymous activists released a video condemning the gun attack at French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo which left 12 people dead. The hacking group says it wants to collect evidence against international paedophile rings and look into their abuse of children to find the links between different operations and bring the perpetrators to justice . In the clip, which was uploaded to the group's Belgian YouTube account, a figure wearing the group's Guy Fawkes mask and a hood says in French in an electronically-distorted voice: 'We are declaring war against you, the terrorists.' Sitting at a desk and reading from a piece of paper, the figure says the group will track down and close all accounts on social networks related to terrorists to avenge those killed. Anonymous has previously carried out cyber attacks on websites belonging to the Government, as well as those of corporate and religious organisations. In 2012 Anonymous crippled the Home Office's website by flooding it with huge amounts of internet traffic. Hacker group Anonymous has been linked to online attacks around the world aimed at punishing governments for policies of which the hackers disapprove. Members are known as 'Anons' and are distinguished by their Guy Fawkes masks. The group are seen as anything from digital Robin Hoods to cyber terrorists for their hacking campaigns against government agencies, child pornography sites and the Klu Klux Klan. In 2008 the online community staged a series of protests, pranks, and hacks Church of Scientology as part if its 'Project Chanology.' Later targets of Anonymous 'hacktivism' included government agencies of the US, Israel, Tunisia, Uganda, and others, copyright protection agencies; the Westboro Baptist Church; and corporations such as PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, and Sony. In 2013 they declared war on secretive 'chat sites' used by paedophiles to trade images. Last November they hacked into the Twitter account of the Ku Klux Klan after the white supremacist group distributed flyers threatening 'lethal force' protesters in Ferguson. Dozens of people have been arrested for involvement in Anonymous cyberattacks, in countries including the US, UK, Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey. | Hacking group Anonymous are targeting international paedophile rings .
'Operation Death Eaters' is campaign aiming to expose 'paedosadists'
Global project is building a grassroots database of international cases .
Hopes to ultimately expose an 'international cult' of child sex abuse .
Calling on followers to research cases of high level corruption .
Also demands 'end to human trafficking and abuse complicity worldwide' |
06e40682a6fb7aac44aba00457abbd475d94e663 | Thousands of lives could be saved by a £10 blood test that can tell in 30 minutes whether someone has had a heart attack. Current tests can take six hours or more, during which patients may have another attack or suffer further cardiac damage that could be fatal. The test has been successfully used in a trial at Manchester Royal Infirmary and could now be rolled out across the health service. The £10 heart attack test has been successfully used in a trial at Manchester Royal Infirmary and could now be rolled out across the health service . Doctors say the new method – known as the H-FABP test – will quickly pinpoint heart attacks, reducing the need for extensive hospital screening and saving time and money. If patients have one heart attack, however minor, they are far more likely to suffer a serious one in the near future. Detecting such initial attacks is vital so that sufferers can have appropriate treatment. For example, a stent, or small tube, can be implanted to help support weak arteries. The £10 test searches for a protein called H-FABP, or heart-type fatty acid-binding protein, which is released into the blood in a heart attack. It has been developed by a team at Randox Health in Crumlin, Northern Ireland. When patients visit A&E with chest pains, doctors often recommend tests to rule out a heart attack. This is the single most common reason for hospital admission – yet in most cases, the pains are down to some other cause. At the moment, suspected heart attack patients have an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a blood test, which can take more than ten times longer than the H-FABP test . At the moment, suspected heart attack patients have an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a blood test, which can take more than ten times longer than the H-FABP test. An ECG costs £60 to £250, but can not detect minor attacks. Experts say many patients are wrongly sent home as a result. Dr Rick Body, a consultant in emergency medicine at Manchester Royal Infirmary, said the new test ‘offers the potential to rule out heart attack in many patients as early as their time of presentation to hospital’. ‘This means doctors have a more accurate insight into who is at risk,’ he added. ‘Many patients with chest pain are admitted to hospital for hours or even days although most of them don’t have a heart problem and don’t need to stay. These patients could be reassured much earlier if we had better tests.’ Gary Smyth, the medical director of Randox Health, said existing tests are not sensitive enough. The NHS says coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attacks, is the biggest cause of death in Britain and worldwide. It occurs when blood supply to the heart is blocked by a build-up of fatty substances. Smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure all contribute to the condition, which causes 74,000 deaths in the UK each year. Around one in five men and one in eight women will die from the disease. Men are significantly more at risk than women up to the age of 50. | Current tests can take six hours or more, during which patients may have another coronary .
Doctors say the new method – the H-FABP test – will pinpoint heart attacks .
Smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure all contribute to the possibility of heart attack . |
06e4887068581b785a4542880ef6a87bf3b65011 | Jose Mourinho believes Chelsea must learn how to unpick opponents who throw 10 men behind the ball or miss out on the Barclays Premier League crown again. The Portuguese manager admits his Stamford Bridge side fell short in last term's Barclays Premier League title race due to a lack of final-third quality. Mourinho believes new recruits Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa will help solve that problem, with Chelsea opening their league campaign at Burnley on Monday. New dimension: Cesc Fabregas (second left) and Diego Costa will offer Chelsea more quality . The Portuguese boss admitted Chelsea have worked extensively in pre-season on unpicking opponents who set out solely to nullify his side's threats. 'We need more quality in our football,' said Mourinho. 'When you have matches with space and time it's much easier to play football. 'When you don't have space and time because a lot of football is based around tactics and systems: in a very simple way, everything depends on space and time. 'And when you don't have space and time to play, you need more quality. 'We are working exactly in that direction. 'We need more quality in our game, and we are working on that. 'We have worked on exactly that in training, expecting a team to be defensive and try to close every road to goal.' Touch of class: Fabregas will complement Chelsea's box-to-box midfield runners . Last term, Mourinho's first season in his second managerial tenure at Chelsea, ended with no silverware reward. Defeats like the galling 1-0 home reverse to relegation-battling Sunderland left Mourinho defending his top stars at the time. Now though the Chelsea manager has conceded only sharper build-up play will allow the west London club to break their trophy deadlock. The Chelsea boss believes Fabregas will offer a new dimension in midfield play this term to complement a host of box-to-box runners. The former Real Madrid and Inter manager said none of his midfielders will command automatic selection - but neither will any be out in the cold. Deadly Diego: Costa will offer Chelsea more clinical finishing than they had from their strikers last season . 'That is not so tough, because we play 60 matches in a season,' he said. 'In this first two weeks it's one match a week, but after that starts the cups, the Champions League and the national team. 'So you have to adapt, nobody will feel they are first or second choice. 'Mikel, Matic, Ramires, Fabregas, Schurrle, Van Ginkel: so everyone will play, everyone will feel useful, important. 'On the field we have a very good balance.' VIDEO Chelsea are title contenders - Mourinho . | Chelsea must learn how to get past teams who put 10 men behind ball .
Costa and Fabregas will help to solve that problem .
Mourinho admits Chelsea need 'more quality' in their football .
Fabregas will offer something different to Chelsea's box-to-box midfielders . |
06e57605ed97d156294c5092723acaa51b4ed492 | Mesut Ozil revealed the bizarre pre-match ritual that he believes has helped him become one of the best players in the world. The German, who has won La Liga, the FA Cup and the World Cup during his time with Real Madrid, Arsenal and the German national team, is extremely careful in his preparation. Ozil always puts his right boot on first, and ties his laces repeatedly in knots to influence the way he plays. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Mesut Ozil reveal his pre-match superstitions . Mesut Ozil sits down with Adidas and reveals what his pre-match superstition is . As well as revealing he always puts his right boot on first, he also said he ties several knots in his boots . Ozil tries to get away from German teammate Per Mertesacker during Arsenal training on Friday . 'For the game many tie their laces in the normal way. I make only knots,' Ozil told Adidas. I feel more comfortable with those knots. If you do it differently and you want to stop the ball, mainly with the instep, the ball might slip and you can't take the ball well. 'That is why I do these knots like that, since I started playing football. 'Because I'm religious I always step on the pitch with my right foot first, and put on my right boot first. Ozil insists putting several knots in his boots influences the way he plays during games for Arsenal . The 25-year-old says he has been doing that with his boots since he started playing as a child . The Gunners star revealed how his religious beliefs influence his pre-match ritual and his footwear . 'Sometimes I forget about it, then I tie up the left shoe first. Then I take it off again and at first take on the right boot and then the left one.' Ozil, who recovered from a slow start to the season to score once and give an assist against Aston Villa last weekend, also says he thrives on the big occassion. Ozil and his fellow German Arsenal star Lukas Podolski share a joke before the north London derby . 'I'm not nervous, I rather look forward to these games, because in such games I can prove myself,' he said, which will encourage Arsenal fans in the week of the North London derby. But the Gunners star is unlikely to be the life and soul of the dressing room at the Emirates on Saturday evening. 'I'd say I'm more the quiet one,' he said. 'I concentrate on the game, I'm more into massage and concentration, and that is what runs through my mind, that I don't make mistakes.' | Arsenal star always puts his right boot on first 'because I am religious'
German World Cup winner also doesn't tie a bow in his laces to try and help him control the ball on his instep .
Ozil also claims he doesn't get nervous before big games . |
06e5aedc2c9c030175cf69b2e10d574ff31e9a3c | With their drastically different price points and clientele, Primark and Prada should be poles apart when it comes to looking after their customers. But it has been revealed that the two stores have one unexpected thing in common: their level of customer service. An independent guide to London shops has awarded both retailers a rating of just two out of five for their customer service. Not so posh: Luxury department store Prada, who show their collections on the world's most famous catwalks, have been rated the same at Primark for customer service . With the designer Bond Street store attracting the likes of Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow, with an average handbag costing around £700, customers should expect an excellent level of service. But in fact, the research by fashion journalist Tracy Rose and her husband Russell for the third edition of their shopping guide, Fashion Fabulous London, reveals a surprisingly low score for the iconic Italian brand. Bargain basement: Primark, which copies Prada's designs and sells them for a fraction of the price, received the same rating as the designer store . The 100-year-old brand, . whose designs often inspire cheap product ranges by bargain retailers such as Primark, received a much worse customer service review . than it's cheaper counterpart. Tracy Rose, who visited the store, said: 'Once there, it seemed that the sales assistant had problems with person recognition, or maybe that she had come off a trance training course.' Famous fans: The likes of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Beyonce (both pictured attending Prada's costume gala) are huge fans of the 100-year-old brand . Writing about her visit to the 80,000 square foot Oxford Street Primark store, she commented that the service at the till was 'actually very friendly', which led to the service rating being doubled. The Roses carried out reviews of 200 different shops in the capital and decided that good service speaks for itself and therefore they judge it accordingly. Tracy Rose is a milliner and a fashion journalist on BBC, lTV, Channel 4 , Five, Sky News, GMTV, London Tonight and was a diarist for London Fashion Week. Her husband, Russell Rose, is co-editor of the Fashion Fabulous books and blog, London's top independent shopping guide. According to Amazon.co.uk their latest book, the third edition of Fashion Fabulous London, 'is the essential guide, offering up-to-date information on how to buy fashion in London. From Bond Street to Brick Lane, this book showcases the Top 200 hottest places to buy fashion in London plus over 60 must visit stores for both sexes.' | Both retailers awarded just two out of five for customer service .
Average Prada handbag £700 with fans like Victoria Beckham .
Primark handbags start at just £7 . |
06e6bfb649a060055f31f4aea584613b3b893a69 | Jermain Defoe is set to sign for Sunderland to spearhead Gus Poyet's attempts to guide the club away from the Premier League relegation zone. Providing the deal is completed in time, the 32-year-old could make his debut against former club Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday, where he will look to continue a remarkable trend of scoring on every debut he has had for each of his clubs. He scored the winner and led West Ham to victory over Walsall on his debut in 2000, before marking the first appearance of a loan spell to Bournemouth with a goal in a 2-1 defeat to Stoke. Defoe celebrates scoring on his Tottenham debut after 13 minutes in a 4-3 win over Portsmouth . When Defoe made his Portsmouth debut, he scored the goal that earned his team a point at home to Chelsea . Defoe departed West Ham for a move to Tottenham in 2004 and scored after 13 minutes in his first game for the club, a 4-3 win over Portsmouth. And Portsmouth became the next destination for Defoe in 2008 and the striker instantly endeared himself to the Fratton Park faithful by earning the south coast side a point in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea. While the move to the Stadium of Light brings an end to an unhappy spell with Toronto FC for Defoe, life got off to a brilliant start with a double in his first game against Seattle Sounders. Defoe (right) beats a tackle from Djimi Traore (left) to score on his Toronto FC debut against Seattle Sounders . Defoe joins Sunderland with the club 16th in the Premier League table, but they have only won three times this season, the lowest amount in the division. Poyet's side are only a point clear of Hull in 18th. | Jermain Defoe has a prolific scoring record when making his debut .
He has found the net on all five club debuts during his playing career .
Defoe could make first start for Sunderland against former club Tottenham . |
06e73a446a138076aac5dd959ad2395cf5af96a8 | By . Associated Press . A Washington state grandmother could lose an eye after she bravely rescued her grandson who was being viciously attacked by an otter as he swam in a river on Thursday. Roxane Leilani Grove's grandmotherly instinct kicked in as soon as she heard the screams of her 8-year-old grandson, Bryce Moser, and then saw the horrible sight of an otter biting him aggressively in a swimming hole in the Pilchuck River - about 30 miles northeast of Seattle. 'I could see that it was biting into his head and it had its claws around him,' Grove told KOMO News. Scroll down for video . Attacked: Roxane Leilani Grove and her grandson Bryce Moser, left, with their injuries from an otter attack at Pilchuck River, Washington . 'I just . swam out there and I grabbed the claws to pull it off of him. 'I just remember trying to hold it as tight as I can and yelling "Get . him out of the water! Get him out of the water!"' Grove managed to get young Bryce out of the water but not before suffering her own injuries. 'It just started biting on me and biting on me and it felt like little knives just going in,' Grove told the TV station. The . pair were taken to a hospital where Grove reportedly received hundreds . of stitches to her face and head as well as the eye injury and Bryce . received nine staples in his head. State . and federal wildlife agents in Washington are trying to trap the otter . and it will likely be killed unless it is a female with pups, because it . has pounced on people, said Capt. Alan Myers of the Washington . Department of Fish and Wildlife. 'We're doing everything possible to capture than animal as soon as possible,' Myers said Friday. 'This is an extremely rare incident. Otters are not known to be aggressive toward people.' The boy's mother, Tabitha Moser, saw the four-foot otter attack her son and her mother saved him. A state worker was unable to find the otter, so expert trappers were called in from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, Myers said. They'll try to trap it with a foot snare or tranquilize it. 'We're not sure if it's a hyper-aggressive male protecting territory or a female protecting its young,' Myers said. An eight-year-old boy and his grandmother were attacked by an otter in Washington's Pilchuck River . 'There's a lot of liability in trying to relocate an animal that's been hyper-aggressive, and it would likely be euthanized. If it's a female with pups, there's another possible outcome if we can find a good location.' But the otter would have to be killed in any case so its brain could be tested for rabies, if that's a concern for doctors treating the boy and his grandmother, he said. 'There are no known cases of otter rabies in Washington,; he said. 'That's an extremely remote possibility.' The grandmother was treated at Harborview . Medical Center in Seattle and the boy at Providence Medical Center in . Everett, the boy's mother, Tabitha Moser told KING. The attack took place in Washington's Pilchuck River - about 30 miles northeast of Seattle (pictured) 'All of a sudden I just heard him scream for his life. He was just bobbing up and down in the water and as he came up there was something all the way on top of his head,' she told KING. The otter continued to attack as they left the water. 'Even after it got into the river and out of our way it stood on its hind legs looking at us like, 'Don't do it again; don't come in here,'' she told KING. Myers said he has not heard of any other otter attacks in Washington but there have been some around the country. Lake Conner Park has been closed, and signs have been posted along the Pilchuck River warning people to beware of the otter, Myers said. | Roxane Leilani Grove is seen with bloody scratches covering her face in a picture taken after the attack .
The incident occurred in the Pilchuck River - about 30 miles northeast of Seattle - on Thursday .
Her grandson, Bryce Moser, needed stitches for bites and is seen in the photo covered in bandages, kissing Grove .
State and federal wildlife agents in Washington are trying to trap the otter and it will likely be killed unless it is a female with pups . |
06e7e7aac441a7c3f22f21c15a1958f3384f46ce | By . Chris Pleasance . Toronto's crack-smoking mayor Rob Ford has released a picture on himself taking a dip in the pool at his rehab clinic. He also announced plans to be out the clinic on June 31 so he can launch his reelection campaign on July 1 - Canada Day. Ford has been at the Greenestone facility, in Ontario, since checking himself in on May 1 after another drunken rant was caught on camera. Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto who was filmed last year smoking crack cocaine, has been picture enjoying a swim at his GreeneStone rehab clinic in Ontario . Ford said today that he plans to be back at home on July 1 when he will launch his reelection campaign (pictured at Toronto town hall in November 2013) Speaking to the Toronto Sun, he said: 'I will be back, I guarantee you. I am coming back and you will see a different Rob Ford.' Speaking about his time in the clinic, Ford said he has been able to work out, relax and make some friends, though confesses he has been missing his family. The only time he has seen his wife and children was for a trip to Crabby Joe's on his birthday, and he adds that he is anxious to get back to them. On the subject of his addiction, he acknowledges that it is his own fault. He said: 'No one has enabled me. We were talking about the enabling thing the other day in a meeting. You do booze or drugs because you want to do it. 'I take full responsibility. I have learned my lesson.' Ford was pictured looking glum outside the clinic last month, wearing an orange sweater, jeans and Crocs . 'I feel good. You are going to see a difference. You are going to see a healthier Rob Ford and I am going to win the election on Oct. 27.' The picture is the first time Ford has been seen inside the clinic, though last month he was pictured outside wearing . a bright orange Texas Longhorns sweater, jeans and Crocs. On that occasion, 44-year-old looked glum during the brisk stroll, despite earlier . calling the luxurious rehabilitation center 'amazing' and saying it . reminded him of 'football camp'. A week before that, he was seen in Bracebridge, which is about 25 miles east of the center. He was seen chatting with local residents, many of whom snapped pictures with him and posted them online. In a bizarre twist, he also made headlines last month when a former fellow resident at the clinic, 36-year-old LeeAnne Rob, was charged with drink-driving his SUV. She also suggested that she had left her watch in his room, although the has since refused to comment on the nature of their relationship. Glum: Ford kept his head down as he took the paths at the center last month, which is just north of Toronto . Reflection: He kept his head down as he walked along the path at GreeneStone Clinic in Ontario . He's . is allowed to leave the clinic to run personal errands such as banking, . but otherwise he's in treatment '24/7,' his lawyer Dennis Morris told the National Post. Ford previously declared that 'rehab is amazing' and that it reminded him . of 'football camp'. Speaking to the Toronto Sun at the start of the month, Ford said he feels 'great' and is benefiting from the . self-imposed exile. 'It . reminds me of football camp. Kind of like the Washington Redskins camp I . went to as a kid,' he said, adding 'I am working out every day and I am . learning about myself, my past and things like that.' Luxury: Ford previously claimed that his rehab was costing $100,000 - and said it was worth every cent . Residence: The clinic has 'treetop cottages and executive townhouses' with 'rustic suites', its website says . He . joked 'on October 28 there will be no need to change the locks. There . will be no need to clean out my office because I am coming back.' He said the very public fall from grace - including a video of him smoking crack, being filmed while drunk and making lewd comments about his wife - was what he needed to shake him into action. 'I do feel bad about what happened, but it might have been the best thing that happened because I am working on getting better,' he told the Sun reporter. He . said the decision to check himself into rehab came on April 29 - the . morning after he was taped in an apparent intoxicated state at a city . pub. During the rant, he also claimed he was 'in a divorce' and staying at a hotel. He has been married to wife Renata since 2000. Out and about: Ford, 44, has been spotted in the nearby town of Bracebridge, where he has posed for photographs with fans. He has not said how long he will remain there . Out of control: Ford (pictured in January with Toronto's chief budget officer) found himself in deep water last year when a video emerged of him using crack cocaine. Others emerged of his drunken tirades . The . same day Ford announced his leave of absence, the Globe and Mail . published screen grabs of a new video which shows Ford smoking the . illegal drug at his sister's house on April 26 before apparently checking into GreenStone. On the centres website, it says: 'Located in a resort setting in scenic Muskoka, Ontario and equipped with holistic spa services, delicious, nutritious and seasonal menus offered through our Lodge Restaurant, and a full suite of fitness and recreation facilities.' Its accommodation consist of 'treetop cottages and executive townhouses' that 'feature rustic suites.' Ford previously indicated to the Toronto Sun that his treatment could cost as much as $100,000. 'It’s worth every dime, every dime,' he said. 'A hundred grand is cheap. It’s a steal.' | Rob Ford has released a picture of himself taking a swim at rehab clinic .
Says he plans to leave the GreeneStone facility in three weeks' time .
He will then launch reelection campaign on July 1 - Canada Day .
Ford went into rehab on May 1 after another drunken rant was filmed .
He previously called the clinic 'amazing' and likened it to football camp . |
06ea5997b2132ebc78a7129a910a80c46d4634fa | The man abducted by murdered student Jamie Gao in January has revealed for the first time his terrifying ordeal after being kidnapped, taken to a park and bashed in the head and chest. Gao had been called in as an enforcer to 'get revenge' on 18-year-old Alex Li on behalf of a female friend, who had been dumped by the victim's flatmate, the intended target of the assault. But when Gao, who was accompanied two teenage associates, arrived at the flat at Carlton in Sydney's south on January 9, Mr Li was not at home – so he abducted Jaiwei Yu, 19, instead. Watched: Federal police were reportedly monitoring Jamie Gao for three years before his death . Abducted: The flat (left) at Carlton in Sydney's south that Jaiwei Yu (right) was kidnapped from by Jamie Gao . 'It was because Alex and [his girlfriend' broke up,' Mr Yu told MailOnline at his home in Sydney's southern suburbs. '[She] wanted revenge on Alex. She used Jamie to do it ... to come around and kidnap me.' Mr Gao, 20, was killed on Tuesday May 20 and former detectives Glen McNamara and Roger Rogerson are charged with his murder. The University of Technology, Sydney business student's body was found floating off Sydney's Shelly Beach, near Cronulla, wrapped in a blue tarp on Monday morning. Friends of the murdered 20-year-old say 'his intention was not to be bad' and he was swayed by peer pressure . Detained after dark: It was to this park, Tindale Reserve, in southern Sydney where Jamie Gao and two teenage accomplices took 19-year-old Jiawei Yu after kidnapping and beating him and driving him around in his car on the night of Thursday January 9 as part of a revenge attempt gone wrong . The discovery triggered a nation-wide manhunt for Rogerson, which ended in his arrest in a blaze of publicity at his Sydney home. McNamara, a former police colleague of Rogerson's, was charged with Mr Gao's murder on Sunday night. Police allege that on the day of his murder Mr Gao got inside a car with McNamara and Rogerson while carrying what they say was $3million worth of methamphetamine. The car was driven to a storage unit nearby, where police will allege Mr Gao was killed for the bag's contents just before 2.30pm. CCTV footage showed Mr Gao last getting out of his car holding a large bag in Padstow. Shocked police officers have said they can't understand why they would commit such a crime in a place covered with CCTV cameras. 'It was so dumb,' a detective told the Sydney Morning Herald. Five months earlier, the night Mr Gao abducted Mr Yu, the 19-year-old victim endured a terrifying 90-minute ordeal where he was driven around nearby suburbs, taken to Tindale Reserve, a local park, and bashed around the head and chest by Mr Gao, who he had never previously met. 'They drove around, through the park and they beat him up with fists in the head,' Mr Li told MailOnline. Meanwhile Mr Li, the intended target, was staying at a house just one street away when Mr Gao arrived sometime after 10pm. 'They think I am with Jaiwei. We are friends,' Mr Li said today. Jamie Gao's girlfriend (pictured right kissing him) is in shock over his death . 'They thought I would be at his house. I'm not at home and they thought he might be here.' When Mr Gao and his two friends arrived at the apartment they lured Mr Yu, who came to Australia from Guandong Province, China five years ago, onto the street before forcing him into the car and taking off. Mr Yu, who said he was not a student and did not currently have a job, refused to say whether Mr Gao was armed. Police interviewed Mr Yu at his home in February and on March 22 charged Mr Gao with taking and detaining Mr Yu in company with intent to get advantage and occasioning actual bodily harm. Gao was also charged with conspiring with the two teenagers to assault Alex Li and cause him actual bodily harm. The girl and the third friend, who were minors at the time, will face Sutherland Children's Court on July 1 on charges relating to the kidnap and assault. Mr Gao (left) and his girlfriend (right) started dating at the beginning of the year . Meanwhile, a 19-year-old friend of Mr Gao's, who had lunch with him the day before he was murdered, told MailOnline his involvement in a drug deal seemed completely out of character, describing him as a 'nice guy' who was swayed by peer pressure. 'People say he's dealing drugs and he's bad. But his intention is not to be bad,' she said. 'He doesn't do anything on purpose to hurt anyone, I think he was just persuaded by his friends and by peer pressure.' Mr Gao's friend said she was shocked the student - who had an active social life, a happy family life in a $1.5-million Hurstville home and was enjoying a budding romance with his new girlfriend - was allegedly involved in drug dealing. 'He doesn't tell us about all the stuff he does,' she said. 'He does tell us about his private life, family and girlfriend but not about the illegal stuff.' Mr Gao's girlfriend told the MailOnline it was a 'very hard time' for her . The day before his murder was reportedly as normal for Mr Gao as any other. He went to his morning university classes before stopping for lunch at a nearby cafe with a uni friend. At no stage, his friend told MailOnline, did he seem nervous or on edge. Nor did he mention his plans for the following day. Instead he spent his time gushing about his new girlfriend - a young woman he'd had a crush on for some time and had been dating for just 'a couple of months'. Pictures posted to Mr Gao's girlfriend's Facebook page show the couple hugging and kissing. Mr Gao's girlfriend told MailOnline she was struggling to cope with the news. She declined to comment in detail, saying it was a 'very hard time' for her. On Monday May 19, the UTS business student went to class in the morning and afternoon as normal. During a break between 11am and 1pm he lunched with a friend at Caffe Tiamo on Pitt St in Sydney's CBD. His female friend, who did not want to be named, said Mr Gao did not talk about his plans for the next day. 'He was fine, normal. we had lunch,' she said. 'He didn't tell me about the meeting.' Mr Gao's friend told MailOnline that, before the body was formally identified, his girlfriend was still hopeful he'd return, saying she 'still expects him to come back'. 'They've only officially been together a couple of months, but he liked her for a while,' she said. Mr Gao lived with his mother Catherin Sui Ying Gao and grandmother in a $1.5 million house in Hurstville. A woman at the home on Monday declined to comment. The friend described Mr Gao as social and naturally smart. 'He wasn't crazy about study, he wasn't the nerdy type that studies every day, he was more social,' she said. A body found floating off Shelly Beach near Cronulla was formally identified as Mr Gao on Tuesday afternoon . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Jaiwei Yu was abducted at a flat in Carlton in Sydney's south on January 9 .
The 19-year-old was kidnapped by Jamie Gao and two associates .
Gao was found dead on Monday, allegedly murdered by former Sydney detectives Glen McNamara and Roger Rogerson .
Gao and his associates intended to abduct Alex Li but he wasn't home .
Gao had been called in as an enforcer to 'get revenge' on Alex, 18 .
Gao, 20, appeared in Downing Centre Local court on May 13 . |
06ead0e3ccecd623b5739f95b432e40dae2235a4 | The United States government is sending thousands of military troops to the west African nation of Liberia as part of the Obama administration's Ebola virus-response strategy, the White House said late Monday night. 'U.S. Africa Command will set up a Joint Force Command headquartered in Monrovia, Liberia, to provide regional command and control support to U.S. military activities and facilitate coordination with U.S. government and international relief efforts,' a statement from the White House press office said. 'A general from U.S. Army Africa, the Army component of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), will lead this effort, which will involve an estimated 3,000 U.S. forces.' Liberia is the hardest-hit of the four west African nations that have confirmed Ebola cases, accounting for more than one-half of the fatalities. The others are Sierra Leone, Guinea and, to a lesser extent, Nigeria. Scroll down for video . Even the littlest ones: Liberian Red Cross health workers wearing hazmat suits carry the body of a 18-month-old Ebola victim in Monrovia . AFRICOM is set to send 3,000 American military officers and enlisted personnel to Liberia soon . Modern-day lepers: In Liberia, suspected Ebola patients like this man (right) are seen most days lying near busy streets -- with most people terrified of touching them . Some of what America's armed personnel will do in Liberia is unclear. The White House said 'many' of them will be stationed at an 'intermediate staging base' where they will supervise the movement of medical staff, supplies and heavy equipment. AFRICOM already warns its own personnel that they should 'avoid nonessential travel to Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia.' And the Defense Department is concerned, one Pentagon official told MailOnline, about the public perceptions aroused when American G.I.s patrol ground zero in a disease outbreak that could plunge three or more countries into chaos if it worsens significantly. Combat soldiers and Marines 'will be on hand and ready for anything,' said the official, who has knowledge of some, but not all, of the Ebola-related planning. 'But hopefully it will be all logistics and hospital-building.' 'The president has ordered us to help, and we're eager to do it,' he said. 'Now it looks like we're going to be the lead dog, and that's bound to make a lot of people nervous. It's understandable.' 'But no one wants U.S. personnel enforcing someone else's martial law if things go south and the entire region is at risk.' 'At this point in a response like this, we would normally play a support role for USAID and the CDC,' he said, referring to the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The official spoke on condition of anonymity. The Fox News Channel reported on Sunday that the U.S. military's emphasis on Ebola prevention, driven by President Barack Obama, has stretched thin most if not all of its other missions. A senior military official told Fox that General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a recent meeting that 'the Department of Defense's number one priority is combating Ebola.' The network's source commented that 'we don't need to be taking planners away from the CT [counter-terrorism] mission, and that is what is going on.' Defense spending is down 21 per cent since 2010, the first fiscal year for which the Obama administration presided over the federal budget. But the president is insisting that the military carry much of the burden in Africa. 'National security': President Obama said during a recent NBC News interview that African Ebola might be a threat to the U.S. if it was not crushed out quickly, and allowed to mutate . State of the art: In America, the few known Ebola patients -- all of them flown home from Africa -- have been cared for in high-tech isolation pods like this one, shown during a biocontainment drill . Squalor: In Liberia, suspected Ebola patients often end up in the care of family members in conditions where poor sanitation and minimal medical care contribute to a township-wide downward spiral . In a Sept. 7 interview on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' he called it a 'national security priority.' 'If we don't make that effort now, and this spreads not just through Africa, but other parts of the world, there's the prospect then that the virus mutates, it becomes more easily transmittable, and then it could be a serious danger to the United States,” said Obama. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest fielded questions Monday about the threat that a mutated Ebola virus could endanger the American population. 'Right now,' Earnest said, 'the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the United States is very low. But that risk would only increase if there were not a robust response on the part of the United States.' 'And that's why the president – among other things – that's one of the things that's motivating the president to direct an aggressive response.' Obama will visit the CDC in Atlanta on Tuesday for a situation update, and to give a public speech about the need to regard Africa's public health crisis as a threat to the United States. Earnest's office said Monday night that military engineers would be on hand in Liberia to build makeshift hospitals, and that the American government 'will help recruit and organize medical personnel to staff them.' The Pentagon has also committed to construct and staff at least one 25-bed 'field-deployable hospital,' in Liberia, but The Washington Post reported last week that it will treat only infected health care workers – not civilian victims of the outbreak. Scary: LIberians have become accustomed to seeing hazmat-outfitted medics and burial workers in their neighborhoods, but American military troops will be an entirely different sight . The Ebola virus is spread through contact with bodily fluids, including blood, sweat and saliva. In some African cultures, preparing the dead for cremation involves physical contact with their remains -- something that has allowed the disease to spread quickly . The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps will send 65 administrators, clinicians and support staff to run the facility. That's a change from a week ago, when Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, told Reuters that the military would turn the field hospital over to the Liberian government after it was built. 'No U.S. personnel right now will be providing patient care,' Col. Warren said on Sept. 8. We are deploying the hospital facility, setting it up, stockpiling it. We'll turn it over to the government of Liberia and then the DoD (Defense Department) personnel will depart," he said. The World Health Organization says the current Ebola Virus Disease outbreak, a form of hemorrhagic fever, has infected more than 4,900 west Africans and killed at least 2,400, mostly in Liberia. The State Department purchased a shipment of 5,000 body bags for its USAID mission in Liberia last month. USAID is also procuring up to 160,000 hazmat suits for medical workers. The White House aid Monday night that USAID will soon airlift 130,000 of those 'sets of personal protective equipment' to health care workers in affected countries. | The Obama administration said late Monday night that the U.S. military will set up a command post in Monrovia, Liberia, the Ebola outbreak's epicenter .
'This effort ... will involve an estimated 3,000 U.S. forces,' according to the White House .
Pentagon official says military will 'be the lead dog, and that will make a lot of people nervous. ... No one wants U.S. personnel enforcing someone else's martial law if things go south and the entire region is at risk'
U.S. Africa Command warns servicemen and women: 'Avoid nonessential travel to Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia'
Pentagon is drawing flak for sending 25-bed 'field-deployable hospital' that is meant to treat health care workers, not civilian victims .
The U.S. president will travel to the CDC in Atlanta on Tuesday for a briefing about his government's efforts to stem the tide overseas . |
06ead64f4887b354c684e25f806e12242945c498 | By . Stephen Wright . Last updated at 12:09 PM on 13th September 2011 . Priorities: Bernard Hogan-Howe joins the Metropolitan police at a time of change and difficulty . A plain-speaking police chief renowned for his ruthless obsession with cutting crime was yesterday appointed head of the beleaguered Metropolitan Police. Bernard Hogan-Howe, 53, vowed to put fear back in the minds of criminals after winning the race to become commissioner at Scotland Yard. Britain’s new top officer faces an enormous task trying to restore morale in the Met in the aftermath of the phone hacking scandal, widespread criticism of the force’s handling of the London riots and concerns about burglary and robbery figures. He will also assume overall responsbility for counter-terrorism in the run up to next year’s Olympic Games in London. Mr Hogan-Howe is the force’s third chief appointed in six years following the controversial exits of his two predecessors, Sir Ian Blair and Sir Paul Stephenson, making it the hottest seat in British policing. He was handed a five-year contract after convincing interviewers he could lead a ‘new, more transparent’ era for the force. The former Merseyside chief constable could not disguise his delight at landing the job. ‘It’s the highest accolade that any police officer could have,’ he said. Outlining his targets, he added: ‘The idea is to make the criminals fear the police and what they are doing now.’ One of Mr Hogan-Howe’s priorities will be ensuring the Olympic Games pass off peacefully at a time of unprecedented police funding squeezes. He is expected to run a tight ship at the Yard and will move quickly to shake up the Met’s senior management team. Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick is tipped as a strong contender to be his deputy. Mr Hogan-Howe beat off a strong challenge from Sir Hugh Orde, the much respected but outspoken president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, to land the £276,000 a year job. The other contenders were acting commissioner Tim Godwin, who now reverts to being deputy commissioner but who is expected to leave the Met in the next few months, and Strathclyde’s chief constable Steve House. A number of members of the Metropolitan . Police Authority were keen for Sir Hugh to be appointed but Home . Secretary Theresa May, who has been angered by Sir Hugh’s attacks on . government policy, was never likely to sanction such a move. Announcement: Bernard Hogan-Howe, centre, was chosen by Home Secretary Theresa May, left, and Mayor of London Boris Johnson, right, to be the new Scotland Yard Commissioner . Resignations: Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul . Stephenson, left, and deputy commissioner John Yates, right, both left . the force in the wake of the News of the World phone hacking scandal . Unsuccessful: Sir Hugh Orde had been widely tipped for the top job . She said: ‘Bernard has an excellent track record as a tough single-minded crime fighter. He showed that in his time as chief constable of Merseyside, and I’m sure he’s going to bring those skills and that ability to fight crime to the Metropolitan Police here in London.’ London Mayor Boris Johnson said: ‘It was a very strong field but I think the Home Secretary and I were agreed that Bernard’s performance was outstanding, and he really commended himself above all by his relentless focus on building on the work of Sir Paul Stephenson and Tim Godwin in driving down crime.’ Mr Hogan-Howe was parachuted into the Met as acting deputy commissioner after Sir Paul and Britain’s anti-terror chief, assistant commissioner John Yates, quit in quick succession. The surprise move was a clear indication that he was in line for the top job on a permanent basis. He had previously been working for Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary. Untouchable: Hogan-Howe has been compared to legendary U.S. lawman Eliot Ness (pictured as played on TV by Robert Slack) Bernard Hogan-Howe is an advocate of zero tolerance policing and waged what he called a ‘total war on crime’ against the gangsters and villains of Merseyside when he was chief constable there. It worked. During his five years in charge, from 2004 to 2009, crime was reduced by almost a third and anti-social behaviour by 25 per cent. A force which had once been rated the worst in the country for public confidence became one of the country’s best. Everyone from vandals to drug-takers to fare dodgers was targeted. And, when Mr Hogan-Howe was unhappy with the sentences they were given by the courts, he was not afraid to say so. He has been nicknamed Eliot Ness – the legendary lawman in Prohibition America whose hand-picked team of Untouchables brought down Al Capone – for his zero-tolerance on gun and knife crime. Mr Hogan-Howe led his officers in Merseyside as they investigated some of the most sensitive and appalling crimes of recent years, including the racist killing of Anthony Walker, a black student, with an ice axe and the gun murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones – the innocent victim of a gangland feud. The Rhys Jones investigation, considered incredibly challenging because of the culture of silence attached to gangs, saw officers cleverly recruit a teenage supergrass as their main prosecution witness in order to crack the case. Such experiences will stand him in good stead at the Met, where tackling the gang culture blamed for last month’s riots will be one of his most important jobs. He will also need all his experience of handling delicate racial problems in the wake of the fatal shooting which proved the trigger for widespread destruction. The married 53-year-old, an avid football fan who is a tough-tackler on the pitch, began his career in his native Sheffield in 1979. Identified as a high-flyer, he was sent to Oxford University by the police. He has an MA in law from Oxford, a diploma in applied criminology from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from the University of Sheffield. If that sets alarm bells ringing – the very politically-correct Sir Ian Blair had a similarly academic background – Mr Hogan-Howe is said to have drawn experience from another ex-Met Commissioner: Sir John Stevens. As an assistant commissioner at the Met from 2001 to 2004, he watched as Sir John ran the force with an iron-grip, leaving his officers in no doubt of what was expected of them. He will need a similarly robust attitude to bring order to the Met now. But few who saw him in action in Merseyside doubt he is up to the challenge. | Bernard Hogan-Howe is the Met's third chief in six years .
Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick tipped as strong candidate for deputy . |
06eba79efb9e6a76c4d21e54624ff4828e0796ef | Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Insurgents launched attacks Thursday on a Provincial Reconstruction Team base and a military outpost in Afghanistan, Afghan and NATO officials said. Three insurgents took positions in a home near a PRT base in Kandahar, said the region's police chief, Salim Ahsas. Officials killed two of the attackers, but one was "still resisting in the building," Ahsas said. Residents reported heavy gunfire in the area. The PRT base is about 800 meters (half a mile) from the three-floor building the insurgents are in, said Haji Ahsan, acting head of the Kandahar Provincial Council. "We can say that this a failed attack by the Taliban," Ahsan said. "The Taliban have always been trying to do symbolic attacks to get more attention." Haji Agha Lali, a member of the Kandahar provincial council, said insurgents were firing small guns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) toward the Provincial Reconstruction Team. There were no casualties among PRT or military personnel, Ahsas said. The Taliban brought in two cars full of explosives, possibly to use in the attack, but authorities gained control of them and were working to defuse them, Ahsas said. The U.S. military describes PRTs as civil-military organizations aimed at helping improve stability and rebuild, usually following hostilities. The U.S. Embassy said the attack on the PRT base began at about 2:45 p.m. local time and was ongoing several hours later. Afghan and coalition forces responded. "All PRT Chief of Mission personnel are safe and accounted for, but there are unconfirmed reports of a number of other injuries," the embassy said in a statement. "We do not have additional details at this time." The statement noted that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said civilians serving in Afghanistan will not be intimidated by such attacks. Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings, spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, said the fighting in Kandahar was one of two incidents Thursday. The second involved a suicide car bomb that exploded outside an ISAF base in the Panjwai region. "There are no ISAF casualties and the base's perimeter was not penetrated," he said. CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report . | NEW: The U.S. Embassy says there are reports of injuries .
NEW: "This is a failed attack by the Taliban," an Afghan official says .
ISAF says a suicide car bomb exploded outside an ISAF base in the Panjwai region .
No casualties reported among PRT or military personnel . |
06ebe1a6e9ebf4b122774d202492d2f0de7a4589 | By . Jennifer Smith for MailOnline . Brian Broughton had the end of his nose bitten off during the attack last March . A violent thug who bit off a man's nose as he walked to work has been jailed for 12 years. Brian Broughton, a father-of-one, was on his way to his factory job in Benton, Newcastle, when he was attacked by David Robson in March. After starting a fight with the 24-year-old, Robson bit off the tip of his nose and spat it out on to grass. The 22-year-old, who was on bail at the time of the attack for a separate violent incident, was jailed for 12 years at Newcastle Crown Court on August 29. Speaking after Judge Simon Hickey's sentencing, Mr Broughty recalled the moment he saw his nose 'flattened' on the ground. 'I ended up having a fight with him, but then I realised it wasn't going to be a fist fight. 'He didn't want to fight me, he wanted to bite me,' he said of Robson, who he is thought to have known for years. 'I was half knocked out and stunned. Then I realised he was biting my nose,' he said. 'I was shouting and screaming. It was some pain. I was just in shock. 'You just don’t expect someone to do that. 'Real men don’t bite people.' 'When I found my nose it was flattened and covered in mud and little stones. 'I had it in my hand. I can remember when the ambulance pulled up I was trying not to look at the window because I didn’t want to see my reflection. 'I was scared to look.' Doctors at the Royal Victoria Infirmary were able to reattach the nose but Mr Broughton is still awaiting plastic surgery. 'I’m back to normal now. 'I’m back at work and everything is fine. I just want to get on with my life now,' added Mr Broughton. 'My nose has not fully healed but it’s much better. 'You can’t really tell anymore. It’s kind of grown back by itself so it’s not a bad as it first looked.' At the time of the attack Robson was already on bail for an alleged stabbing in June 2013. The 24-year-old father-of-one was on his way to work when he encountered David Robson (right) in the street. After the pair began fighting, he realised Robson had latched his teeth onto his face and wouldn't let go . The man, pictured before the attack, is now waiting for plastic surgery to correct his face . The court heard how the 22-year-old was involved in an incident in which a man was stabbed under his arm. On August 29 Robson was jailed for eight years for the incident in March with a 34 month concurrent sentence for the prior attack. Judge Hickey however extended the first sentence by four years after considering the danger the man posed to society. A Northumbria Police spokesman said: 'This man is now facing the consequences of his violent actions. 'Let this serve as warning to others that violence is not acceptable and we will take action.' | Brian Broughton was walking to work when he encountered David Robson .
The 22-year-old started fighting him and bit off the end of his nose .
Father-of-one picked up 'flattened' nose on ground after thug spat it out .
Robson was jailed for 12 years at Newcastle Crown Court . |
06ebfef9282d64afc6c6d32a53e870d6b0ee77c7 | Teenager Richard Fellows drowned after getting into difficulty while swimming at a busy beauty spot . Tributes have been paid to a teenage boy who drowned after getting into difficulty while swimming at a busy beauty spot with friends on one of the sunniest days of the year. Richard Fellows, 15, was pulled from the water by rescue crews at Arrow Valley Countryside Centre, in Redditch, Worcestershire, yesterday following a two-hour search effort. Friends desperately tried to help the teenager while the park was full of people on one of the sunniest days of the year so far. One boy, who asked not to be identified, said: 'My brother was with Richard in the water. Richard got into trouble and the others went to try and help him, but they couldn't.' Emergency services managed to pull Richard from the water, and performed emergency resuscitation, but he was pronounced dead when he arrived at Alexandra Hospital, Redditch. Ambulance staff also treated two other teenage boys who were recovered from the water. Charlie Rogers, 18, Richard's former neighbour and classmate at Trinity High School said: 'We just can't believe what's happened. It doesn't seem real. 'Richard had a lovely personality. You'd only have to look at him and he'd make you laugh. It's so unreal that he's gone.' Within hours, almost 1,500 people had joined a Facebook group set up in memory of Richard, who was a part-time shelf stacker at Tesco. The family of Richard Fellows have been down to the river where he died today in order to lay flowers . Today tributes have poured in on social media while friends and family have been to the river to lay flowers . Richard died after getting into trouble along with friends while swimming on one of the hottest days of the year . Richard was pulled from the water after a two hour search and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital . One friend wrote: 'R.I.P Richard, you . always did know how to keep a smile on everyone's face, and my deepest . respects to everyone that knew him. So glad I did know him, legend, . never forgotten!' Another wrote: 'With u today thought was gonna be fun now it ent I lost my bestfriend/brother gonna miss u loads... gonna miss u love yah porky R.I.P god has took the wrong person ?:'(' Charlie Rogers, a former neighbour and classmate at Richard's school, said the teenager had a 'lovely personality' adding that 'it's so unreal that he's gone' A combined response unit of police, fire and ambulance services, including a Midlands Air Ambulance helicopter, attended the scene after they received the call at around 12.20pm. The authorities also sent the ambulance service's hazardous area response team. Wearing wet suits, they joined other emergency services in a two-hour search of the lake's waters. The teenager was eventually located and brought ashore where medics started resuscitation and advance life support, according to the ambulance service spokesman. An ambulance with a doctor on board then took the teenager to Redditch's Alexandra Hospital, which had been pre-alerted to his serious condition. A spokesperson from West Midlands Ambulance service said: 'Three teenage boys were reportedly in difficulty in a lake at the park and a call was made to the emergency services at approximately 12.20pm. 'An ambulance crew, together with a . responder paramedic; the Hazardous Area Response Team; MERIT and . Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford were sent to the scene. 'Two . boys were recovered from the water and treated for minor injuries by . ambulance staff. They were later discharged to the care of parents at . the scene. The schoolboy got into trouble along with two others who were also pulled from the river and survived . The school children had been swimming in the River Arrow, near Redditch in Worcestershire . 'The specialist HART team were in wet suits and joined other emergency services in a search of the water for nearly two hours. 'A third teenager was eventually located and brought to safety where medics commenced immediate resuscitation and advance life support. 'The patient was taken by ambulance to Alexandra Hospital in Redditch. 'The hospital was alerted to the serious condition of the patient. A MERIT doctor travelled to the hospital with the patient and Crew. 'It is understood that the patient was later confirmed deceased at the hospital.' Superintendent . Kevin Purcell, the North Worcestershire Police Commander, said: 'Our . thoughts are with Richard's family after this tragic incident.' The . 2.5 mile-wide country park features walkways and a play area and is a . popular attraction with families and youngsters with the large 29-acre . man-made Arrow Valley Lake at its centre. Police have also issued a warning to youngsters not to cool off in rivers and ponds on hot days. Inspector Ian Joseph, of West Mercia Police, said: 'This was a dreadful tragedy and our thoughts are with Richard's family and friends. Richard was pulled from the water by rescue crews at Arrow Valley Countryside Centre, in Redditch, Worcestershire, yesterday following a two hour search effort . Ambulance staff also treated two other teenage boys who were recovered from the water . A combined response unit of police, fire and ambulance services, including a Midlands Air Ambulance helicopter, attended the scene after they received the call at around 12.20pm . 'While the investigation is at a very early stage, it was a beautiful spring day and it appears the boys went into part of the river which forms a pool by the weir for a swim. 'Unfortunately the water there is deep and cold, and Richard did not resurface. 'I cannot reiterate strongly enough that swimming in a warm indoor pool is very different to swimming in open water, and even the strongest of swimmers can get into difficulty in rivers, canals, ponds, and quarries. 'Aside from the water being cold and deep, there may be strong currents, and submerged objects can also pose problems. 'Please, do not swim in open water, no matter how hot the weather. It is incredibly dangerous.' | Tributes have been paid to Richard Fellows, 15, who died while swimming .
He was pulled from the water but was pronounced dead at hospital .
Former classmate said the teenager 'had a lovely personality'
Almost 1,500 people joined Facebook group in his memory within hours . |
06ee2326ddc286c4610c36e53b68f66dfaffe498 | Beijing (CNN) -- I was at the last public speech by the former U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke. During the Q & A session, a Chinese student asked the outgoing ambassador to compare the Chinese dream and the American dream. The ambassador said he didn't know much about the Chinese dream, so he talked instead about the American dream. Like Americans, the Chinese people also have their dreams -- a powerful country, a good education, a happy family, or a bountiful harvest. Yet the dreams of the ordinary Chinese have never been articulated as powerfully and eloquently as the American dream, until Xi Jinping came into power. OPINION: China's awkward 'banana' slip . Xi first mentioned the term "the Chinese dream" during his tour of an exhibit at the National Museum of China in November 2012, shortly after he became leader of the Chinese Communist Party. That exhibit is called the Road to National Rejuvenation, and Xi said the Chinese dream is the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Then on March 17, 2013, Xi fully spelled out his thoughts about the Chinese dream in his first public speech as the newly elected president of China. "The Chinese dream is the dream of the whole nation, as well as of every individual," he said. "The Chinese dream, after all, is the dream of the people. We must realize it by closely depending on the people, and we must incessantly bring benefits to the people." Publicity campaign . After his speech, the Chinese dream has entered the daily discourse of both the Chinese government and the ordinary Chinese, thanks in no small part to the government's massive publicity campaign. There were countless speeches, contests, essay competitions, scholarly conferences, and TV shows that had the Chinese dream as the central theme. If there had been a contest for the most popular Chinese phrase in 2013, the Chinese dreams would probably have won the title. Apart from nationwide publicity, there are other reasons why the Chinese dream has become a household phrase. It is much less elusive than Mao Zedong's Thoughts, Deng Xiaoping's Theories, Jiang Zemin's Three Represents, or Hu Jintao's Harmonious Society; it is a term that can be understood by any Chinese. Besides, who doesn't have dreams? Thus it easily resonates with the Chinese people. Finally, Xi promised to realize the dream by depending more on the people and bringing more benefits to them. Thus Xi's dream, at least in its rhetorical form, is a dream for the people, by the people, and of the people. Who doesn't like such a dream? Reforms . And Xi meant what he said, at least in one area and that is corruption, the most urgent issue facing the Chinese community party. He has launched an unprecedented crackdown on corruption, and 20 high-ranking officials -- vice-minister level and above -- have been investigated or punished within a little more than year. He also signed two documents -- Eight Regulations and Six Bans -- that have significantly improved bureaucratic efficiency and sharply reduced public expenses on receptions, overseas travel, and vehicle purchases. Because of Xi's tough campaign, China's entertainment businesses, particularly top-end restaurants, clubs, and hotels, have suffered enormous losses, over which the ordinary Chinese are rightfully gloating. Rampant corruption, be it bribery, buying and selling offices, illegal land grabs, or abuse of power, is certainly the biggest scourge of China today, leading to rising discontent and unrest as well as declining public trust in government. Most importantly, corruption seems to have made it increasingly difficult for the ordinary Chinese to have their dreams come true. Restoring confidence . China is becoming economically and militarily much more powerful, and the average Chinese is living a much better life. Yet at the same time more and more Chinese seem to have lost faith in the government and the future of China. A prosperous and powerful China should be a land of opportunities for its people, but actually it appears to have become a land of anger and despair for an increasing number of Chinese. Thus Xi's articulation of the Chinese dream and his campaign against corruption can be viewed as the first steps by the new Chinese leadership to restore public confidence in the party and the government. Thus far, his policies have won enthusiastic support among most Chinese, and Xi has become arguably the most popular leader since Deng Xiaoping. If the dreams of the ordinary Chinese today -- like those of their ancestors in ancient China -- depend on the good luck of having a sage leader, however, that means China is still under the rule of man, not rule of law. When that leader steps down, or if that leader makes disastrous decisions, the dreams of the Chinese people will be in jeopardy. With immense popular support at the moment, President Xi should initiate institutional reforms that empower every Chinese to have dreams and to have those dreams come true. These reforms will not only set China on a path of sustainable political and economic development, but also enable the Chinese people to be truly proud of the Chinese dream, just as Americans are proud of the American dream. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tao Xie. | March 14 marks one year since Xi Jinping was officially appointed China's president .
After Xi's first presidential speech, the "Chinese dream" became a household phrase .
Xi's campaign against corruption can be seen as the first steps to restore public trust, says Xie .
Xie says reforms will enable all people in China to be truly proud of the Chinese dream . |
06eecb240892c652240386224cbaa8daf925d070 | (CNN) -- Want to get killed off in a "Game of Thrones" book? "Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin is offering just that chance to help raise money for the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and the Food Depot in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Fans who visit his page on celebrity fundraising site Prizeo can make a donation and be entered to win a trip for two to New Mexico where they'll ride a helicopter tour the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary with Martin. Donation levels range from $10 to $20,000 and the larger to gift the more opportunity there is to receive goodies. For example, $100 gets a donor a campaign T-shirt and a thank you video. $4,500 could yield a script of the first ever episode signed by the cast and crew and $7,500 snags a pair of tickets to the Season 5 premiere of the "Game of Thrones" television series. But the biggest prize goes to the first fans with deep pockets to ante up. For $20,000, one male and one female character will be named after the donor in a future novel with the author promising the character will "certainly meet a grisly death." If you have read his books or watched the show, you know he means it. | Fans can win a chance to be in "Game of Thrones" book .
Author promises the character will meet "a grisly death"
Money raised will go to charity . |
06ef65cb4cd7f1b1f717525f44febf463b745d51 | Immigrant drug baron: Mahmoud Jaber, 31, had been peddling heroin and crack cocaine in Lancashire . An immigrant drug baron will finally be thrown out of Britain after he exploited human rights laws to legally stay in the country and commit more crimes for eight years. Mahmoud Jaber, 31, had been peddling heroin and crack cocaine in Lancashire to live a lavish lifestyle and served three jail terms. But although he was told he would be deported as long ago as 2006, Palestinian-born Jaber - whose father lives in the UK - used Article Eight of the Human Rights Act to successfully appeal the order, arguing he had a ‘right to family life.’ Yet he was then convicted of a string of further drug trafficking offences - claiming he was ‘emotionally scarred into drug taking’ by his experiences after being born in a refugee camp in the Palestinian West Bank. When he was again warned he would be deported back to Palestine, Jaber again used Article Eight in a bid to stay in the UK. Today it was revealed that after a series of legal battles and appeals, an immigration judge has ordered Jaber to be sent back to Palestine - saying the criminal had an ‘appalling history.’ It is thought the case will have cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds in legal fees. The saga began after Jaber arrived in Britain in 1988 for a six-month stay only to come back permanently in February 1992, to join his father and move to Accrington, Lancashire. New home: The saga began after Jaber arrived in Britain in 1988 for a six-month stay only to come back permanently in February 1992, to join his father and move to Accrington (pictured) in Lancashire . His father - who had arrived earlier in the UK in 1987 had already lost a battle to claim asylum in 1990 but he was granted leave to remain due to ‘exceptional circumstances.’ Jaber was allowed indefinite leave himself in 1998 in line with his father and attempted to get British citizenship. But in 2003 he was convicted of a series of offences including resisting police and possessing Class A drugs. The following year he was back in . court for drugs offences and in September of that year he was jailed for . four years for dealing crack cocaine and heroin. In . April 2006, Jaber was told he would be deported but in May the . following year he lodged an appeal under Article Eight and won the right . to stay. In December 2008, . he was repeatedly brought into court where he was convicted of . possessing cannabis, cocaine and breaching court orders. Then . at Burnley Crown Court in October 2010, Jaber was convicted of intent . to supply heroin and crack cocaine and manufacturing crack was jailed . for six years. The court heard Jaber had turned an empty flat into a drugs factory and police recovered heroin and crack cocaine worth almost £25,000. Detectives said his commercial dealing on ‘a significant scale’ and was said to be close to the importation of drugs. Jaber kept £4,000 in cash at his home and officers found a receipt for a £6,000 Breitling watch. He was also was driving around in a £60,000 BMW M3. At the time, Jaber claimed he had spent the first eight years of his life in a refugee camp on the Palestinian West Bank. He said his experiences in the camp were ‘horrific’ and he was so ‘scarred’ by what he saw he experimented with cannabis when he was 13 - five years after he arrived in the UK. Jaber claimed his drug use increased to cocaine due to ‘family issues’ and intially claimed all the drugs found at the flat were for his own use. In 2011, Jaber was warned he faced deportation yet in 2012 but he again claimed it would result in a ‘breach of his human rights.’ Whilst his appeal was in the pipeline, in 2013 he was convicted of money laundering and jailed for an extra 21 months after Preston Crown Court was told he used drugs money to buy an Audi Quattro S5 for £44,000. Later that year he was ordered to pay back £37,147.06 as proceeds of crime. The appeal came to a tribunal in Bradford, West Yorks, on October last year an immigration panel ordered he be deported saying removal would ‘not be disproportionate.’ The panel concluded his offending was ‘simply too serious to outweigh his claims to remain in the United Kingdom because of his history.’ The panel said his length of time in the UK was ‘outweighed by the public interest in keeping society safe from a perennial offender who they believed in all likelihood would be a serious threat to individuals.’ But Jaber appealed to the Upper . Immigration Tribunal in Manchester and used Human Rights laws to argue . he would be at ‘risk of harm’ if he was returned to Palestine. His lawyer Carla Rawlinson claimed . Jaber's safety could be in jeopardy because his uncle had been killed by . Israeli forces during militia insurgency in 1989. Abroad: Jaber claimed he was 'emotionally scarred into drug taking' by his experiences after being born in a refugee camp in the Palestinian West Bank. A file image of the Palestinian refugee camp of Kalandia is seen . She said Jaber would have to pass through an Israeli checkpoint and the checkpoints into Palestine are controlled by the Israeli occupying forces. She claimed at best, he would be turned away by the Israelis and at worst he would be at risk of harm because of his ‘history’ and the history of his uncle. 'I am satisfied, given this appellant's appalling history, that the appeal fails' Judge Richard Chalkley . She said the length of time Jaber had been away from Palestine in itself, would cause him to be at risk of enquiry by the Israeli authorities, who would want to know why he had been out of Palestine for 20 years. But rejecting the appeal on April 3, Judge Richard Chalkley said: ‘I am satisfied, given this appellant's appalling history, that the appeal fails. The appellant has not raised an asylum claim. ‘He had not raised an Article 3 claim and given that he was represented throughout, if there was a serious possibility that on his return he would be at risk, then I have no doubt whatsoever that it would have been raised as an asylum claim or an Article 3 claim. ‘I find that there are no errs of law in this determination, which I uphold.’ Last year, 200 offenders – including rapists and muggers – successfully . challenged their removal by citing Article 8 of Labour’s Human Rights . Act. A Somali rapist, who held a knife to a pregnant woman’s throat as he assaulted her, is among the many criminals who cannot be deported from Britain because of rules on a right to family life. Mustafa Abdullahi (right), 31, was jailed for ten years in 2007 after he threatened to kill his ‘vulnerable’ victim and repeatedly raped her in her own home. He was set to be deported on release and Home Office lawyers warned immigration judges of his dangerous nature and a continued lack of respect for the law. But last December he was deemed to have a right to a family life under Article 8 and released. Abdullahi does not have any children or a wife in Britain, but his mother and siblings live here. Separately, last August it was revealed Sanel Sahbaz, a foreign criminal jailed for various violent attacks, had successfully argued against deportation because it would violate his human rights. Sahbaz, 30, a Bosnian who now lives in Hertford, came to Britain as a child in 1993. Since 2005 he has committed a string of offences including common assault, handling stolen goods, theft, public order offences and assaulting police. He qualified for automatic deportation after he was jailed for four years, and the Home Office told him he would be sent home. But he was told he can stay indefinitely after he brought a legal challenge under Article 8. His lawyers argued that if he was sent back to Bosnia it would separate him from his parents, brother and cousin, who are also in Britain, which would breach his rights. Learco Chindamo was jailed indefinitely for knifing to death headmaster Philip Lawrence, a father of four, 18 years ago outside St George's Roman Catholic School in Maida Vale, west London, in 1995. The teacher went to help a 13-year-old pupil who was being assaulted. The former gang member was ordered to serve at least 12 years, but released in July 2010 after claiming he was a reformed character. The Government was prevented from deporting Chindamo to Italy, where he lived as a child, after his lawyers argued it would breach his human right to a family life. He was freed and allowed to live in Britain, but returned to jail only months later for breaching the terms of his parole. He has remained in prison since but last week the Parole Board approved his release once again. | Mahmoud Jaber was peddling heroin and crack cocaine in Lancashire .
The 31-year-old was funding a lavish lifestyle but served three jail terms .
Palestinian-born Jaber used Article 8 rights to stop deportation in 2006 .
Yet he was then convicted of a string of further drug trafficking offences . |
06ef9cae1350efa95873f34747c9c724bed6aaac | Rates of short sightedness among young Britons have soared because of smartphones, a leading laser eye surgeon has claimed . Rates of short sightedness among young people have soared because of smartphones, a leading laser eye surgeon has claimed. David Allamby, Founder of Focus Clinics, says there has been a 35 per cent increase in the number of people with advancing myopia (short sightedness) since the launch of smartphones in 1997. He has warned the problem could increase by 50 per cent in the next ten years. Mr Allamby thinks the problem is so widespread that he has dubbed it ‘screen sightedness’. He says that half of Britons own smartphones and that they spend an average of two hours a day using them . This, along with time spent using computers and watching television, is putting children and young people at risk of permanently damaging their sight. New research found that the average smartphone user holds the handset 30 cm from their face - with some people holding it just 18cm away - compared to newspapers and books, which are held 40cm away from the eyes. According to Mr Allamby, excessive screen watching at close proximity keeps the genes that control myopia activated well beyond the age that short-sighted would historically have stabilised - about 21. Myopia used to stop developing in people’s early 20s but now it is now seen progressing throughout the 20s, 30s, and even 40s. Mr Allamby said: ‘If things continue as they are, I predict that 40 to 50 per cent of 30-year-olds could have myopia by 2033 as a result of smartphones and lifestyles in front of screens – an epidemic we call screen sightedness. ‘People need to ensure they limit screen time wherever possible even by going outside without their phone for a period of time each day (getting out into the sunshine has been shown to reduce the progression of short-sight), and also seriously consider the age at which they give their children a smartphone.’ Mr Allamby says today's children are most at risk of myopia – with children as young as seven being given smartphones. David Allamby says there has been a 35 per cent increase in the number of people with advancing myopia since the launch of smartphones in 1997 . It is predicted that by 2014 teenagers . aged 12 to 17 will be the second biggest market for smartphones behind . 18 to 24-year-olds. Mr Allamby's claims are supported by previous research which has shown that using a smartphone can damage people's vision and cause headaches. Researchers at the University of California found that the problem is the demand on the eyes to focus on the screen and simultaneously adjust to the distance of the content. The phenomenon is known as 'vergence-accommodation' and experiments found people suffered discomfort when content from mobile phones appeared in front of the screen rather than behind it. | David Allamby says there has been a 35% increase in the number of people with advancing myopia since the launch of smartphones in 1997 .
He believes the problem could increase by 50% in the next ten years .
The problem is so common he has given it a name - 'screen sightedness'
50% of 30-year-olds could have the problem by 2033 due to smartphones . |
06f04a0ce349234090799a5adabf65dc3224dc22 | One of Labour’s rising stars has claimed she is shunned by colleagues because she speaks with a middle-class, southern accent. Shadow transport secretary Mary Creagh revealed she is the victim of inverse snobbery because she does not have a ‘broad regional accent’. Miss Creagh said she had been the victim of ‘throwaway comments’ and ‘assumptions’ about her upbringing from her own side. Shadow transport secretary Mary Creagh claims she had been the victim of ¿throwaway comments¿ and ¿assumptions¿ about her upbringing from her own side . ‘People have sort of made assumptions on the basis that I don’t have a broad regional accent, and I’ve been quite quick to put them right about my background,’ the shadow minister told Total Politics magazine. ‘People assume that I’m from a more comfortable background than I actually am, and that’s actually been on my own side when that’s happened. People have made throwaway comments. ‘And I’m always very keen for people to understand that actually, it wasn’t all that easy when I was growing up in Coventry as the car factory shut down and unemployment went through the roof. Mary Creagh is a married mother-of-two who has been MP for Wakefield since 2005. She was born and brought up in Coventry. Her father, Thomas, was a car factory worker and her mother, Elizabeth, a primary school teacher. The 46-year-old went to Bishop Ullathorne Comprehensive School in Coventry and landed a was a scholarship at Pembroke College, Oxford to read modern languages. She worked for the London Enterprise Agency, before becoming a Labour councillor in Islington in 1998, standing down when she became an MP. She joined Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet in 2010, making a name for attacking the government over the forests sell-off, the badger cull and horsemeat burgers. ‘The fact that I went to Oxford and . acquired a kind of… lost my Coventry accent – although it does come back . in moments of high stress – it should not be, you know, I think people . make a lot of assumptions about people and they’re not necessarily . useful or helpful.' Miss Creagh, 46, a married mother-of-two who has been MP for Wakefield since 2005, was born and brought up in Coventry. Her father was a car factory worker and her mother a primary school teacher. Her remarks may surprise colleagues, since many senior Labour figures, including Ed Miliband, Ed Balls, Chuka Umunna and Tristram Hunt, also speak with southern accents. In the shadow Cabinet, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has been accused of adopting a mysterious northern accent though she was raised in Hampshire and educated at Oxford. Miss Cooper represents the Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford constituency, a collection of former coalmining towns in Yorkshire. Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham speaks with a light northern accent, while shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves has a strong south London twang. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Michael Dugher, tipped as a potential future leader, was born and raised in Doncaster, south Yorkshire, and has a noticeable northern accent. Former TV presenter Gloria de Piero, the shadow womens’ minister, has a strong Bradford accent. In the interview, Miss Creagh defended Mr . Miliband, who has been under increasing pressure over Labour’s . narrowing poll lead and faltering response to last week’s Budget. ‘Look, Tony Blair’s not around . anymore,’ Miss Creagh said. ‘I think Ed Miliband is right to forge his . own path. I think he’s bold, creative and a very deep thinker. 'We have to show that we are different, and we are different, from those days.’ Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham has a northern accent, shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves has a strong south London twang and Labour's vice-chairman Michael Dugher was born and raised in Doncaster . She said the likes former Business Secretary Lord Mandelson could make a 'contribution' to Labour, but the party had to move on. 'Mandelson was quoted on the radio this morning, so yes, there is definitely a place for people who served under both previous prime ministers, I think, to make a contribution. 'You know, when people offer me help, wherever it comes from, I’m always grateful for it. I don’t think anybody, any individual, has a monopoly on wisdom, and I think we should take ideas from wherever they come.' | Mary Creagh was born and raised on Coventry but has southern accent .
Shadow transport secretary says she is the victim of inverse snobbery .
Labour colleagues make 'throwaway comments' and 'assumptions' |
06f0d23c455f6826fcc0f6459f6914b97a0726c7 | British soldiers saw prisoners being hooded, given electric shocks and kept in cells the size of dog kennels for prolonged periods at Camp Nama (file photo) British troops working at a secretive US detention centre in Iraq saw prisoners being given electric shocks, brutally beaten and locked in ‘kennels’, it was claimed last night. For the first time, servicemen at the notorious Camp Nama in Baghdad have spoken of how they saw Americans abuse and torture terror suspects. One captive had his false leg pulled off and was beaten around the head with it, they said. But when the troops complained about the treatment, a British Army officer said: ‘You didn’t see that – do you understand?’ The claims will fuel suspicions that military chiefs and ministers turned a blind eye to the abuse. The allegations follow the scandal over Baha Mousa, a civilian beaten to death by British troops in Iraq in 2003 and abuses at the US-run Abu Ghraib prison. At Camp Nama, two RAF squadrons and an Army Air Corps unit had guard and transport duties while SAS and SBS troops were based nearby. The joint US-UK special forces unit, code-named Task Force 121, worked to seize key insurgents.But few British personnel were allowed into the camp’s interrogation area. This included a room with every surface painted black, where the worst abuses are said to have been carried out. British forces have told how they witnessed Iraqi prisoners being tortured in a secret US detention centre in Baghdad International Airport (file photo) On the tenth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, former UK personnel have come forward. Two SAS members told how they saw two Iraqi prisoners being tortured in an area run by Delta Force, the US special forces unit. One said: ‘They were given electric shocks from cattle prods and their heads were held under the water in the swimming pool.’ Witnesses said prisoners were held in cells the size of large dog kennels made of wire mesh and corrugated iron. Geoff Hoon, who was defence secretary at the time, insisted he had no knowledge of Camp Nama . One told The Guardian: ‘The prisoners . were taken into a hangar to be bagged and tagged, a bag put over their . heads and their hands plasticuffed behind their backs. They would be . driven to the Joint Operations Centre. They were in pretty poor shape . when they were taken out.’ 'Everyone's seen the Abu Ghraib pictures. But I've seen it with my own eyes.' Another former soldier said: 'I saw one . man having his prosthetic leg being pulled off him, and being beaten . about the head with it before he was thrown onto the truck.' Suspects were brought to the secret prison at Baghdad international airport, known as Camp Nama for questioning by both US military and civilian interrogators. Their methods were so brutal that they drew condemnation not only from a US human rights body but from a special investigator reporting to the Pentagon. The Guardian reports that Geoff Hoon, defence secretary at the time, insisted he had no knowledge of the camp or the activities carried out there. When it was pointed out to him that the British military had provided transport services and a guard force, and had helped to detain Nama’s inmates, he reportedly replied: ‘I’ve never heard of the place.’ In the same manner the MoD has repeatedly failed to address questions about ministerial approval of British operations at Camp Nama. Nor would the department say whether ministers had been made aware of concerns about human rights abuses there. There is no suggestion UK personnel carried out any abuse but questions have been raised about what ministers knew. | Abuse took place at Camp Nama at Baghdad International Airport .
One serviceman says he saw a prisoner beaten with his prosthetic limb .
Former members of joint UK-US Task Force 121 have spoken out . |
06f290a163e81c46437ca61b5fd13741d7db11f2 | While our own moon may be thought of as difficult for man to visit, researchers say Saturn's has a whole lot more to kill off any unsuspecting visitors. Researchers have found gigantic polar clouds of hydrogen cyanide roughly four times the area of the UK on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. Astronomers say the find was 'totally unexpected'. Nasa's Cassini spacecraft spotted the development of the gigantic polar cloud covering over one million square kilometres – roughly four times the area of the UK. Titan is unique in our solar system because of its dense nitrogen-methane atmosphere, which is very similar to Earth's in some ways, but very different in others. For example, air temperatures are around 200 degrees colder and, in contrast to the warm salt water seas of Earth, frigid hydrocarbon lakes populate Titan's surface. Titan has seasons just like Earth, only each season lasts over seven years instead of three months due to its ponderous orbit around the Sun. After equinox in 2009, Titan's south pole entered the perpetual darkness of polar winter. The new study led by Leiden Observatory, the Netherlands Institute for Space Research and the University of Bristol is published today in Nature. Titan has seasons just like Earth, only each season lasts over seven years instead of three months due to its ponderous orbit around the Sun. After equinox in 2009, Titan's south pole entered the perpetual darkness of polar winter. Soon after, instruments on Nasa's Cassini spacecraft observed the development of a gigantic polar cloud covering over one million square kilometres – roughly four times the area of the UK. Bristol researcher and co-author Dr Nick Teanby said: 'The cloud was first seen in images from Cassini's cameras taken in 2012. 'It started off quite small but soon grew to cover the entire south polar region. This was totally unexpected and set us puzzling over what the cloud could be made of. Unfortunately, while the images showed that the cloud was very high up, at over 250km above the surface, they did not allow us to figure out what the cloud was actually made of or why it was there. 'For the next two years Cassini gathered more data including infrared spectra of the cloudy region. Lead author Remco de Kok said: 'When we looked at the spectra, we saw two large peaks that weren't present in spectra of other places on Titan. Saturn's biggest and brightest moons are visible in this portrait. Titan (5,150 kilometers, or 3,200 miles across) is Saturn's largest moon and appears at the lower left. Rhea (1,528 kilometers, or 949 miles across) is the planet's second largest moon and is seen above center. Enceladus (505 kilometers, or 314 miles across) has the brightest surface in the solar system, reflecting nearly all of the sunlight that falls upon it. Enceladus is just above the rings, right of center. These peaks coincided exactly with the peaks you'd expect from ice particles of hydrogen cyanide, or 'blauwzuur' (blue acid) as it's known in the Netherlands, which is highly toxic. This was very surprising to us, since we did not expect HCN ice to be able to form so high in Titan's atmosphere. 'This new research suggests that Titan's south pole must be extremely cold to allow hydrogen cyanide to condense. In fact, the upper atmosphere must have cooled by over 50 degrees in less than a year to reach a blisteringly cold -150C. Remco de Kok concluded: 'This is a very rapid change given Titan's long annual cycle and is much colder than previously thought possible. It suggests that once the pole is in shadow the upper atmosphere acts as a very efficient radiator of heat, perhaps due to the high abundance of exotic hydrocarbon and nitrogen based compounds, which emit strongly in the infrared. This artist's rendition shows the Huygens probe floating in a methane/ethane lake on Titan. A probe due to land on Saturn's moon, Titan, could discover a world that looks 'a little bit like Sweden or Northern Canada', one of the mission's scientists said. 'Cassini is set to continue observing Titan until it takes a dive into Saturn at the end of its mission in 2017. It will be fascinating to see how the cloud will develop.' Titan is unique in our solar system because of its dense nitrogen-methane atmosphere, which is very similar to Earth's in some ways, but very different in others. For example, air temperatures are around 200 degrees colder and, in contrast to the warm salt water seas of Earth, frigid hydrocarbon lakes populate Titan's surface. | Gigantic polar clouds of hydrogen cyanide spotted high in atmosphere .
Titan is unique in our solar system because of its dense nitrogen-methane atmosphere .
Moon has seasons just like Earth - but each lasts over seven years . |
06f4ffc582d7bbca31ce3cf70adda28570fc2177 | Swansea have appealed against defender Federico Fernandez's red card in Tuesday night's Capital One Cup defeat to Liverpool. The Argentinian was dismissed by referee Keith Stroud in stoppage time for a challenge on Philippe Coutinho and faces a three-match suspension. A statement issued on the club's website read: 'Swansea City can confirm that the club will be appealing the red card issued to defender Federico Fernandez against Liverpool last night. Swansea have appealed against the red card given to Federico Fernandez against Liverpool on Tuesday night . Fernandez challenges Phillipe Coutinho in an earlier piece of play before the tackle which saw him sent off . 'The club officially informed the Football Association by today's 1pm deadline. 'The FA will make a decision on the appeal ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Everton.' Swansea had led through Marvin Emnes' goal but Mario Balotelli equalised and, after Fernandez was dismissed, Dejan Lovren's header snatched a 2-1 win to send the Reds through to the quarter-finals. Balotelli scores a late equaliser for Liverpool against Swansea City in the Capital One Cup last-16 match . Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren roars after his injury-time header sealed a 2-1 win against the Welsh side . | Swansea City appeal against red card shown to Federico Fernandez .
Argentina defender was dismissed during Capital One Cup clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday night .
Centre back was given his marching orders for tackle on Phillipe Coutinho .
Swansea lost 2-1 in the fourth round tie after conceding two late goals . |
06f52a5b1cca7fe7b4bcfd714b617b9e4501f283 | Mitt Romney has condemned Barack Obama's 'angry and desperate Presidency' after Vice President Joe Biden told a largely African-American crowd that the Republicans were 'going to put y'all back in chains'. Vice President Biden made the race blunder while declaring Republicans wanted to 'unchain Wall Street'. But his comment sparked a furious reaction from Romney, who accused the Obama campaign of race-baiting and promoting politics of hate. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Tough talk: Mitt Romney had some unusually strong words for President Obama and his surrogates during a speech in Ohio on Tuesday after Vice President Biden made a race gaffe . Joe Biden drew the ire of the Mitt Romney camp after telling an audience that the Republican would put voters 'back in chains' with his Wall Street financial deregulation plans . Support: Hundreds of coal miners and their families wait to attend Romney's rally . 'Mr. President, take your campaign of . division and anger and hate back to Chicago,' Romney said at an Ohio . event, where hundreds of coal miners and their families had earlier stood in line to attend. 'His campaign and his surrogates have . made wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the . Presidency. Another outrageous charge came a few hours ago in Virginia. And the White House sinks a little bit lower. 'His campaign has resorted to . diversions and distractions, to demagoguing and defaming others. This is . an old game in politics; what’s different this year is that the . president is taking things to a new low.' Biden . later clarified his comment, insisting he was merely using the same . phrases the Republicans had used - but admitting he said 'unchained' instead of 'unshackled'. His full statement is shown below. The Romney campaign got an energy . boost over the weekend when he announced his selection of Wisconsin . Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate. Vice President Joe Biden made controversial . statements while in Danville. More than 50 percent of the Virginian . town's population is African American . Bringing it down: Romney criticized Obama, seen here at an event in Iowa, and his surrogates for 'sinking' the White House because of the tone of their discourse on the campaign trail . 'Attack dog'? Paul Ryan was selected as Romney's vice presidential nominee, a role that is typically thought of as the more aggressive of the two . Though the vice president is largely seen as the 'attack dog' in presidential campaigns, in a supposed effort to keep the top-of-the-ticket from appearing too negative, Tuesday night's speech by Romney shows that he is not afraid to throw some punches. The Obama campaign responded in kind, saying that it was not Biden or the president who were disrespecting the Office but Romney with his plethora of negative ads. 'Governor Romney's comments tonight seemed unhinged, and particularly strange coming at a time when he's pouring tens of millions of dollars into negative ads that are demonstrably false,' Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said in response to Romney's speech. Critiques of negative ads have gone both ways, however, as a PAC that supports Obama was widely panned after it released an ad where a retired steel worker blamed Romney's venture capital firm for firing him, prompting him to lose his health insurance, which the man then said caused his wife to die of cancer. 'Whether its accusing Mitt Romney of being a felon, having been responsible for a woman’s tragic death or now wanting to put people in chains, there’s no question that because of the president’s failed record he’s been reduced to a desperate campaign based on division and demonization,' Romney campaign spokesman Andrea Saul said, referencing the Priorities USA Action advertisement. The latest Real Clear Politics composite poll has Obama coming in at 47.6 per cent, leading by 3.7 to Romney’s 43.9 per cent. 'We don't have to imagine any more. The details are there. Here’s what Congressman Ryan said. He said, "We believe a renewed commitment to limited government will unshackle our economy." 'The Speaker of the House said, used the word "unshackled" as well, referring to their proposals. The last time these guys unshackled the economy, to use their term, they put the middle class in shackles. That’s how we got where we are.'Nine million jobs lost. Wage stagnation. Sixteen trillion dollars in wealth you all lost in your home equity, in your 401Ks and your pension plans. You’re the ones that got nailed. All of America, except the very few.'And I’m told that when I made that comment earlier today in Danville, Virginia, the Romney campaign put out a tweet. You know, tweets these days? Put out a tweet, went on the airwaves saying, "Biden, he’s outrageous in saying that." I think I said instead of "unshackled", "unchained". 'Outrageous to say that. That’s what we had. I’m using their own words. I got a message for them. If you want to know what's outrageous, it's their policies and the effects of their policies on middle class America. That’s what’s outrageous.' WATCH THE VIDEOS HERE . ,p> . | Vice President Biden said Republicans will 'put y'all in chains' to a largely African American audience on Tuesday .
Mitt Romney responded saying Obama and his surrogates were launching a 'campaign of division and anger and hate' |
06f56593e178374562f4ab050d26f1f37e411b8a | Amne Alrifai said Muslim women have become too frightened to leave their own homes . Muslims communities in Sydney have organised 'chaperoning services' for women on public outings after a rise in abuse and vandalism. They say there has been a rise in attacks since the anti-terror raids three weeks ago, as well as reports of Australians fighting for the Islamic State in recent months. There has been 30 attacks reported on Muslims because of their religion since the first anti-terror raids in Sydney on September 18, according to the Muslim Legal Network. Most of these attacks were on women wearing the traditional Muslim hijab, the organisation says. Now men are offering to step in and chaperone women wearing hijabs while they are out in public doing their shopping, during the school drop off and pick up, and escort them where they need to go to ensure their safety. The support is being organised through the Australian Non Muslims supporting Muslims Facebook group, which opened in September and already has more than 8000 members. On the Facebook page, the group said the rising trend of 'Islamaphobia and discrimination encountered every day by Muslims living in Australia is unacceptable.' A group member, Amne Alrifai, 23, who was born and raised in Liverpool in Sydney's south-west, said that Muslim women are facing so much aggression in Western Sydney that they are becoming too frightened to leave their own homes. 'The chaperoning has been required as a result of many reports of harassment from within the community,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Scroll down for videos . Amne Alrifai said her newsfeed has been rife with accounts of abuse and photographs of vandalised properties. This photograph was taken in Wentworthville, in western Sydney, on September 20 . 'Facebook was a hotbed of reports of harassment and women were starting to fear that they would be next. 'The men offering chaperoning services put the call out for everyone, but focused on women without a 'muhram' or male relative, so that they may accompany these ladies during their daily errands and to ease their fears. ‘They just want to live their lives peacefully and should not need chaperones to feel safe enough to do their shopping.’ The services are organised through a Facebook page called Australian Non Muslims supporting Muslims, which opened in September and has over 8000 members . The 23-year-old said her newsfeed has been rife with accounts of abuse and photographs of vandalised properties, with all sorts of terrible, disgusting messages being left on cars, homes and places of worship of Muslims. ‘People's cars and backyards have been spray painted, with some saying: ‘F**** MUSLIM’ and most of it is happening in the suburb where I spent most of my life growing up,’ she said. ‘Now, what would drive someone to do something so disgusting? ‘It is terrifying that these violent, angry bigots do not see that they are walking the same line that ISIS does. Muslims communities are organising chaperoning services for public outings after a rise of incidents of abuse and vandalism. This car was taken in Liverpool of Sydney's south-west . ‘Yes, there have not been any beheading's in the streets, but why should I have to be concerned for my safety in the streets of Australia because of my religious beliefs?’ Among recorded incidents, a Muslim women had her hijab pulled off her head and thrown to the ground at Casula Mall in Sydney’s south-west, which has left her feeling threatened. 'How is it that anyone can think it’s reasonable to react to violence perpetrated in the name of Islam by fighting innocent, Muslim women?’ she said. ‘I started receiving messages from people I barely know, asking me if I was okay because their Muslim friend had been hassled in the streets. ‘We shouldn’t have to be texting each other to see if we’re okay. We shouldn’t have to change the way we live our lives either.’ Another vandalised vehicle taken in Wentworthville of west of Sydney - taken on September 20 . ‘I had never seen such a widespread affect. I mean, a few isolated incidents, sure. But almost everyone? Never. Ms Alrifai, who now lives in Canberra, said she is also mortified and concerned about the possibility of ‘young Muslim men falling into cult-like groups, such as ISIS’. ‘As an Australian Muslim, I’m mortified about the possibility of young Muslim men abandoning their Islamic teachings of love and kindness and falling within the folds of yet another terrorist organisation, threatening the world,' she said. ‘We, [Muslims of Australia] are under pressure and the worst thing to think about is that these people who have been charged are Australian. 'We need to have the support networks in place to identify when these youths are going down this path and prevent it from happening. ‘On the other hand, we’re trying to defend ourselves from bigots who don’t realise how similar they are to the ‘terrorists’. ‘These guys are the terrorists of Australia, and I denounce them in the same way I denounce ISIS. 'I fear them as much as I fear ISIS. They are just as much a threat to my personal safety and security as ISIS – if not moreso. They are in my backyard. ‘It’s terrifying, and I feel sorry for the parents of these men. If I’m feeling this broken, I can’t imagine how they’re feeling now. Ms Alrifai moved to Canberra two years ago and said she has never had to deal with any racism or discrimination in the nation’s capital. ‘In fact, sometimes I forget that I wear a hijab. But Liverpool will always be home, as inglorious a place as it can be,’ she said. 'This picture of my colleague and I on the day she wore a hijab to work to support Muslim women . Ms Alrifai said the media coverage of ‘terrorism’ at the moment is overwhelming but what makes it different this time is that it’s a threat on Australian soil. 'What we need is more coverage about the acts of support and unity and the overwhelming amount of good contributed to Australia by Muslims. 'People who commit crimes against Australian Muslims should be made to feel that they are the unwelcome minority in the public’s opinion, not the other way around. ‘Acts of violence committed by someone claiming to be Muslim is so often reported as ‘terrorism’, has become a word that has lost all meaning. ‘We’re just the same as everyone else and we’re just as outraged by the idea of violence in our country.’ Amne Alrifai, 23, who was born and raised in Liverpool, said that Muslim women have faced so much aggression in Western Sydney; they have become too frightened to leave their own homes . She said the increased violence against Muslims is counter-productive and has created a further divide between the Muslim and non-Muslim community. ‘I would never claim that all Muslims are perfect, or that the Islamic community is doing everything possible to identify and prevent the radicalisation of our youth. We have a lot left to do - we’re working on it. ‘What I know for a fact is that we find ISIS to be just as terrifying and abhorrent as the rest of the world. We are just as worried about what the future holds.’ Ms Alrifai said she hopes to see a united Australia that appreciates that most Muslims just want to live normal lives and that they are all an important voice in this dialogue . Despite all the threats and concerns in the Muslim community, Ms Alrifai said she hopes to see a united Australia that appreciates that most Muslims just want to live normal lives and that they are all an important voice in this dialogue. ‘I’m hoping to a see a stronger Islamic community that is aware enough to prevent home-grown terrorism and resilient enough to ensure that the majority of Muslims, who are just normal people, feel safe and supported. ‘An Australia where non-Muslims can rest assured that they are safe. I want to see Australia where following a certain religion, coming from a particular culture, loving a particular person and being of a particular skin colour does not result in harassment. ‘I know I can’t speak for all Muslims, but I have spent the last week and a half fighting what feels like a losing battle on every front. ‘However, I am glad that the Islamic community is coming together to support each other. It's something we haven't been so good at in the past.' ‘Everything is going to be okay in the end, and if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.’ You can read more of Amne Alrifai's blog HERE. NSW . Victoria . Queensland . ACT . Source: Islamophobia Register Australia . Ms Alrifai moved to Canberra two years ago and said she has never had to deal with any racism or discrimination in the nation’s capital . | Muslims communities are organising chaperoning services for public outings after a rise in incidents of abuse and vandalism .
The services are organised through a Facebook page called Australian Non Muslims supporting Muslims, which opened in September .
Following the anti-terrorist raids in Australia, there have been around 30 attacks reported on Muslims, mostly against women wearing the hijab .
Amne Alrifai said Muslim women have faced so much aggression in Sydney; they have become too frightened to leave their own homes .
The 23-year-old said her newsfeed has been rife with accounts of abuse and photographs of vandalised properties . |
06f5c95d6de4c42e4c74f672a896f3cd0d857d62 | (Time) -- Facebook has started to roll out a new version of its Messenger app for Android that only requires a name and a phone number, not an actual Facebook account, to sign up. Although the new Facebook Messenger app is only available in a handful of countries for now--Australia, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Venezuela--it will eventually roll out to the United States and elsewhere, allowing users to chat with their phone contacts even if they're not using Facebook. This news has set the tech world atwitter with proclamations that the new Messenger is an assault on the lowly text message (including one such proclamation from Facebook itself). It's a nice thought, at least. Given that a single text to your neighbor can cost more than a data transmission from Mars, who wouldn't relish the idea of wireless carriers getting their comeuppance? In reality, though, standard SMS has a lot going for it, and will likely weather all kinds of assaults, especially one from Facebook. For one thing, Facebook Messenger faces the same adoption hurdle as other Internet-based messaging apps like WhatsApp and Viber: It requires a conscious decision not to use traditional SMS. With Facebook Messenger, you must first consider whether the recipient has Facebook installed, and is set up to receive notifications for new messages. Then, you must commit to using the Messenger app instead of your phone's built-in SMS functionality. Once you do that, the conversation is locked into Facebook unless you have one of the select Android phones that can integrate regular text messages. That's a lot to consider compared to the standard SMS, which is guaranteed to reach and alert the recipient as long as you have the right phone number. To truly threaten the text message, Facebook Messenger needs the kind of tight smartphone integration found in Apple's iMessage, which automatically replaces standard text messages between any two iPhone users. That's not really possible unless Facebook starts making its own smartphones. In lieu of tighter smartphone integration, Facebook simply has to compete with similar services that are already well-established. As Boy Genius Report points out, competitor WhatsApp is already a Top 5 messaging app in 141 countries and handles 10 billion messages per day. (Compare that to 7.8 trillion regular text messages sent in 2011, according to Portio Research, for an average of 21 billion messages per day.) Competition is good, but in this case it means users will be fragmented across multiple services that can't talk to one another. Ideally, these competing services would somehow find a way to work with each other, so a Facebook user could send a message to someone who uses Whatsapp or Viber. It sounds crazy, but considering that wireless carriers found a way to make it work with SMS, tech companies should be able to figure out a solution. I acknowledge that the need for SMS alternatives is more desperate outside the United States, where the price per message can be cost-prohibitive. But in the land of all-you-can-eat messaging, if you really need to reach someone, SMS remains the most reliable option, and Facebook Messenger only poses a minor threat. © 2012 TIME, Inc. TIME is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Used with permission. | Facebook is rolling out a new version of its Messenger app for Android .
App only requires a name and a phone number, not an actual Facebook account, to sign up .
Some bloggers see the new Messenger app as an assault on the lowly text message .
But standard SMS has a lot going for it and will likely weather all kinds of challenges . |
06f6a7eb397d5ac5e3ec966b8ecf260ebca736f1 | Disgusted: Ari Teman says that he discovered that his Manhattan apartment had been used to host an orgy after he interrupted the man who was organizing it . A New York comedian got an unwelcome shock on Friday when he discovered he had unwittingly rented out his apartment for an orgy. Ari Teman advertized his Manhattan apartment on Airbnb and was contacted by a man named David who said he wanted a place for his family to stay while he attended a wedding in the city. However, after handing over the keys to David during the afternoon, Teman realized he had forgotten a bag and went back to his apartment at 11.30 pm where he found the aftermath of an 'XXX Freak Fest' orgy that had taken place all over his home. According to Teman, when he returned to his apartment building he saw David in the lobby and heard him saying, 'they're shutting us down.' Asking David what that meant, Teman claims that that he look on in horror as the saw David total panic about his return. Rushing to his apartment to see it in a state of disarray, he googled David's telephone number to see what came up. The orgy, which was billed online as a 'BBW Panty Raid Party' advertized a cellphone number which matched the one provided by David in his AirBNB profile. Investigating further, Teman discovered the Twitter feed of @TWINN_GREEN, who was advertising a 'XXX Freak Fest' on Friday night at the location of Teman's building. Scroll down for video . Apartment on Airbnb: This is the frontage of Ari Teman's Manhattan apartment that was used to host a sex orgy on Friday night . Teman furiously ejected David from his home and is now claiming damages from Airbnb of $67,076 from the party and is fearful that his landlord will evict him. Indeed, David was listed as a verified member of the popular renting website and his profile contained multiple reviews - all positive. However, Teman says that among the damaged items were a broken sofa, bed, torn lamp, coffee table, drum set and his Fender guitar. Also, all of Teman's clothes were mysteriously damp, which caused an outraged Teman to write a Tumblr post about his woes, saying, 'I don't even want to know how it's wet.' Explicit: This is one of the promotional posters for the sex party that took place inside Ari Teman's apartment on Friday . Investigation: When Teman realized what had happened in his apartment he Googled David's telephone number and discovered this tweet . There were also condoms and liquor left lying around and Teman is claiming he is so embarrassed he can't look other tenants in the eye. 'I enjoy a 'Festival' as much as the next fellow, but this is a family building and some people don’t enjoy having their neighbor’s worldly possessions tossed in a pile into the common area, while a group of strangers form a pile to have their private areas tossed. As such, I’m going to be evicted.' Police from the NYPD's 10th precinct were eventually called to clear the apartment. Phoning the telephone number listed online, Gawker said they spoke to David who insisted he did nothing wrong, that there was no party and that Teman has said that he could have up to 50 guests to the apartment. Anger: When Ari realized what had occurred he instantly demanded an explanation from Airbnb . Prompt response: Airbnb have moved quickly to address Teman's issues with his apartment and their verification process . Teman disputes all of this and sent Airbnb a furious tweet - to which they responded very quickly. He was sent $23,817 and the company paid for someone to come over and change his locks. 'AirBNB has been in contact every day. Their staff has been helpful,' Teman told Gothamist. 'AirBNB is putting me in a hotel for a week.' The dispute between David and Teman is currently in the hands of their lawyers and AirBnB made this statement: . 'Over 11 million guests have had a safe and positive experience on Airbnb and problems for hosts and guests are incredibly rare, but when they happen, we try to help make things right. 'We were appalled when we learned about this incident and we took immediate action to help this host. 'The individual who rented this space has been permanently removed from our site. We've reimbursed the host for damages to his apartment and ensured he has a new place to stay. 'In the days ahead, we'll continue to work with the host to assist him with his additional needs and we will work cooperatively with any law enforcement agencies that investigate this matter.' | Manhattan comedian Ari Teman discovered to his horror that he had rented his apartment out to sex orgy organizers .
The XX Freak Fest was interrupted by Teman - who threw out the man who had rented his apartment through website Airbnb .
Is seeking $67,076 in damages . |
06f7a793264d679aaf3654c313231a3b33870d5a | Two women who have lost half their body weight are finally shedding their insecurities with life-changing make-overs. In a new TLC special titled New Body, New Style, 26-year-old Annabelle and 40-year-old Lori learn how to style their new slim figures and reclaim their confidence. The show, which has partnered up with People magazine and airs on January 2nd, follows the two women through their emotional journeys, with celebrity stylist Mary Alice Stephensonon on hand to help guide them. Scroll down for video . After the birth of her first child, 40-year-old Lori's weight grew to 240lbs. Using food as an emotional comfort after giving birth, Lori became ashamed of her appearance and refused to leave the house . In a new TLC special titled New Body, New Style, Lori (right) learns how to style her new figure with celebrity stylist Mary Alice Stephenson (left) Since childhood, Annabelle has struggled with her weight, weighing 328lbs by the time she graduated high school. Thanks to healthy diet and exercise, in just one year Annabelle lost 140lbs and currently weighs 155lbs. In order to complete her body confidence make-over, Annabelle must star in a People photoshoot, where the magazine's Style and Beauty Director, Andrea Lavinthal, eases her into it by giving her some much needed fashion advice. Meanwhile Lori, whose weight grew to 240lbs after the birth of her first child, lost 120lbs thanks to her work's 'get healthy' program. Since childhood, 26-year-old Annabellestruggled with her weight, weighing 328lbs by the time she graduated high school . Thanks to healthy diet and exercise, in just one year Annabelle lost 140lbs and currently weighs 155lbs . Using food as an emotional comfort after giving birth, Lori became ashamed of her appearance and refused to leave the house. But after losing half her weight through food and exercise, she doesn't know how to dress her new body, and instead has been relying on ill-filling hand-me-downs. On the show, Mary Alice helps Lori discover the right approach to her style, just in time to attend an important company event. | TLC has partnered with People magazine for a TV special titled New Body, New Style .
26-year-old Annabelle and 40-year-old Lori, who lost half their body weight, reclaim their confidence on the show . |
06f9666a6d89d3ac64a5e5d1f6c89db146c40e90 | By . James Nye and David Mccormack . PUBLISHED: . 00:58 EST, 17 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:17 EST, 17 July 2013 . The family of Michael Boatwright - who was found unconscious in a Palm Springs motel room four months ago and woke up speaking only Swedish - have revealed themselves after learning of his whereabouts for the first time on Monday. Even though his driver's license says he . was born in Florida and served in the U.S. Navy from 1971 to 1973, . Boatwright has no memory of his life to date and now answers only to . Johan and converses in Swedish to doctors with the help of an . interpreter. Now Boatwright’s sister has revealed that she did not know whether he was alive or dead and that she hasn't seen him for 10 years. Scroll Down for Video . Amnesia: Michael Boatwright awoke to find he had no memory of his past life to date, could not recognize his own reflection and believed he was Swedish . 'I haven’t talked to him in years. He just disappeared,' Michelle Brewer told The Desert Sun over the phone from her home in Louisiana. She said that she had no way to get in touch with the 61-year-old, even when their mother had died last year, she said. 'He’s always been just a wanderer. Then he’d come back when he needed some money or something from somebody. Then he’d take off again,' she said. Boatwright was overwhelmed by the flood of calls Monday, but wanted to thank those who were helping him piece together his story, hospital spokesman Rich Ramhoff said. Former life; Michael Boatwright served in the U.S. Navy from 1971 to 1973 (left) and was carrying old photographs on him when he was discovered in a Palm Springs motel room in February . His . current persona of Johan Elk, clashes with the Social Security card, . passport and veteran's medical card he was carrying in February and . following mental and physical health exams, Boatwright was diagnosed on . March 13th with transient global amnesia. Doctors . at Desert Regional Medical Center have theorized that his total memory . loss was triggered by some kind of emotional or physical trauma - what . exactly that was though, they admit to drawing a blank on. 'He's . kind of a blank slate,' said Lisa Hunt-Vasquez, the social worker . assigned to track down relatives and help piece his life back together. Searching . on the internet, Hunt-Vasquez has learned so far that Boatwright was a . 3D graphic designer who taught English in Japan for 10 years and then in . China for four. She has discovered on a testimonial on . the website of a TPR English School in Zhuhai, China, that he left his . teaching post one year before his catastrophic memory loss. Baffling: Michael Boatwright is pictured here with two women - one who is believed to be his wife and a little boy thought to be his son . However, every attempt to discover a friend or relative has failed. An address on his U.S. passport for a Japanese woman believed to be his ex-wife was a dead end - as was all the telephone numbers listed on his cellphone. Indeed, the Japanese, Chinese and Swedish consulates have turned up no next-of-kind information. What is known is that Boatwright flew into Palm Springs from Hong Kong on February 24th - which was the last day valid on his Chinese visa. Hunt-Vasquez said that she did not know why he had chosen to fly into California and even contacted local tennis clubs to see if he was scheduled to play - thinking his tennis rackets might be a clue. Upon contacting Dade County Missing Persons Bureau in Florida, she found that Boatwright's parents were deceased and that his first wife divorced him in 1983 - she could not be contacted. It was even thought at one point that Boatwright could have two sisters in Sweden, but again, that has not been confirmed. No Recollection: This is one of the photographs which have failed to jog the memory of Michael Boatwright from his amnesia . For Boatwright, the sheer frustration and confusion of the whole ordeal is maddening. 'When I look at the photos, I see my ex-wife and my son ... my mother and grandmother, but I don't recognize them. I don't know them,' he said. 'Sometimes it makes me really sad and sometimes it just makes me furious about the whole situation.' Indeed, to help Boatwright adjust to his new reality, Hunt-Vasquez has put him in contact with Palm Spring's local Swedish-American community at the Vasa Order of America's Desert Viking lodge in San Jacinto. His friend there, Viola Wyler, told MyDesert.com that despite lucid conversations, Boatwright suffers from detachment from reality. 'All of the events that he talked about, he has never been involved in it; he always feels that he is looking in,' Wyler said to MyDesert.com . Relief: Michael Boatwright uses exercise as the only way to concentrate his mind and not think about his memory loss . From their talks, Wyler surmises that he did indeed live in Sweden in the mid-1980s, but because he has no strong regional accent she thinks that he learned it late in life or has not used it much during his adult life. Even the photographs that he carries do not trigger his memory in any way. Despite the knowledge that he used to be a graphic designer and taught English as a second language, Boatwright has no memory of how to execute the skills he learned during his life. And sadly now, Hunt-Vasquez is worried that he may not be able to stay in the hospital much longer because, despite his amnesia, he is healthy. But, the hospital is also looking for other viable options - 'really try to avoid just him being in the streets.' For Boatwright, though, his daily life is a living hell. 'Walk in my shoes for one day,' he said. 'You'll experience the nightmare of a lifetime.' | Michael Boatwright awoke four months ago with no recollection of who he was and speaking in Swedish .
Now has sister has come forward and revealed that she hasn't had any contact with him in ten years . |
06f981fb82a7f7192d94da42d3e0c82b4fe4f39c | By . Fiona Macrae . PUBLISHED: . 20:11 EST, 6 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:14 EST, 6 February 2013 . Their children may be fluent in Mandarin and accomplished violinists, but pushy mums can expect little thanks. A study found that ‘helicopter mothers’ who hover over and control their children’s lives are resented. And the bossier they are, the more the discontent builds. Resentment: 'Helicopter mothers' who hover over and control their children's lives can expect little thanks in the future, a study suggests . Researcher Professor Jean Ispa, from the University of Missouri, said: 'Children flourish when they have opportunities to make choices about what they do, particularly in play situations.' The University of Missouri team studied videos of children playing with their mothers. 'Mothers who are highly directive do not allow that kind of choice. In our study, the children were playing with some toys, and the very directive mothers were making the decisions about how to play, what to play and how quickly to play,' the professor said. 'Children flourish when they have opportunities to make choices about what they do' Professor Jean Ispa, University of Missouri . More than 2,000 children were taped when they were aged one, two and three and again before they started school. The pushy mothers tended to correct their children, rather than simply allowing them to have fun. For instance, when a child tried to put a plastic cow into a toy barn through the window, the mother would show them how to put it through the door instead. Bossy: Mothers who constantly correct young children may be stifling their creativity . And if a child was playing with a pretend kitchen set, the controlling mother might not let the child touch the fake burners on the stove. Professor Ispa, an expert in human development, said that while mothers might think they are helping the their children by correcting them, they may instead be stifling their creativity. Their interference may also mean their children find spending time with them less enjoyable. However, warm and caring parenting cancels out some of the negative effects of bossiness, according to the report published in the journal Parenting: Science and Practice. Professor Ispa said: 'Even if mothers were very directive, if they were also warm, the negative effects of high directiveness lessened. 'We know that children, regardless of culture, need to feel loved. 'Children take in the meaning of what their mothers are trying to do, so if a mum is being very directive and is generally a very warm person, I think the child feels, "My mum is doing this because she cares about me, and she's trying to do the best for me." 'If that warmth is missing, then the child might feel, "My mum is trying to control me, and I don't like it."' She added that as the children got older, the mothers tended to become less bossy, perhaps because they trusted them more. British head teachers have warned of the peril of 'helicopter parents', saying that ambitious mothers and fathers are condemning middle-class children to years of stress and anxiety. And some parents are still hovering over their children when they leave school. Universities have complained about parents joining their sons and daughters for freshers' week, with some even sleeping in their children's dorms. | Bossy mothers risk stifling children's creativity .
Mothers urged to allow toddlers to have fun . |
06f988b60b8e7bd64c62997019f4de7874df8192 | By . Mark Duell . and Rebecca Camber . This is the mafia don who will be allowed to return to his life of hiding in Britain after a blunder by prosecutors seeking his extradition to Italy. Domenico Rancadore, who had covered his face with a scarf when arriving and leaving court, was pictured yesterday during the last, farcical stages of his legal battle. Rancadore was told in court that he would not have to face justice at home because prosecutors had missed the deadline to appeal against a decision to allow him to stay in Britain – by a matter of hours. Scroll down for video . This is Domenico Rancadore, the mafia don who will be allowed to return to his life of hiding in Britain after a blunder by prosecutors seeking his extradition to Italy . Legal wranglings: The couple leave Westminster Magistrates' Court after the hearing, which was told that an appeal against the ruling had been lodged by the CPS but was not served within the statutory time limit . The blunder means Rancadore can settle . back into the quiet existence he built himself over two decades in the . London suburb of Uxbridge. In . Italy, he had been sentenced in his absence to seven years in jail for . running Cosa Nostra, a branch of the Sicilian mafia involved in . extortion, racketeering and drug trafficking. Last . week a judge ruled that he could not be sent back after a European . Court of Human Rights ruling was upheld in the High Court, saying that . chronic overcrowding in Italian jails breaches human rights laws. However, senior district judge Howard Riddle invited prosecutors to appeal. Long-running case: Rancadore and his wife report at Uxbridge Police Station in West London on March 18 . But yesterday, the 65-year-old was told that he would face no further proceedings. Westminster magistrates heard that the . Crown Prosecution Service had lodged an appeal at the High Court. But . they failed to serve papers to Rancadore’s solicitors until Tuesday . afternoon – just 14 hours after the seven-day deadline. The High Court will formally dismiss the appeal within days, while prosecutors have already withdrawn the claim. Yesterday . district judge Quentin Purdy said: ‘There is an agreement there are no . future proceedings against you. You’re free to go as far as this court . is concerned.’ Free man: Rancadore, 65, is pictured again with his wife Anne (left) and in an archived police mugshot (right) He granted . Rancadore unconditional bail, pending the formal dismissal of the . appeal. His decision came after chaotic scenes in which prosecutors . failed to show for the hearing. Afterwards the father-of-two wandered . outside court with his 60-year-old English wife Anne shaking his head . saying: ‘I am confused. I do not have to sign any papers?’ His wife insisted: ‘My husband really hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s not what he’s been portrayed as. House: The home of Rancadore, who lived incognito in Uxbridge, west London, using the name Marc Skinner . ‘I’m just happy he’s home. He can go out and look after his front garden now without worrying he is being watched.’ Since . 1994 Rancadore has been hiding from Italian police, living in a . bungalow in Uxbridge under the name Marc Skinner. He was arrested last . August by Scotland Yard, and claimed to have come to the UK to give his . wife and their children Giuseppe and Daniela, now 36 and 33 . respectively, ‘a good life’. He had been sentenced to jail in Italy in . 1999. Rancadore’s solicitor Karen Todner said: ‘This case has been a farce.’ A . CPS spokeman said: ‘The appeal against the decision of the district . judge has been withdrawn as we did not serve notice of the appeal on the . defence.’ | Domenico Rancadore won't face appeal against ruling allowing him to stay .
'The Professor', 65, won battle against extradition back to Italy this month .
Judge ruled prison conditions in home country would breach human rights .
He was arrested last August after evading Italian authorities for 20 years .
Rancadore tells Westminster Magistrates' Court: 'Yes, yes, thank you' |
06fa42943b9b622de14ac36d66ab6d1c57f4b043 | By . Amanda Williams . Two men have been found guilty of stabbing a businessman to death in a botched carjacking which would only have earned them £500. Rory Gordon, 23, and Jae'Don Fearon, 21, attacked Harjinder Singh Bhurji, 32, after he refused to hand over the keys to his treasured Mercedes SLK coupe. The attack ended with Mr Bhurji getting stabbed in the heart, and left dying on the side of the road in Ilford, Essex, in the early hours of September 13 2011, as the pair drove off. Rory Gordon, 23, and Jae'Don Fearon, 21, . attacked Harjinder Singh Bhurji, 32, after he refused to hand over the . keys to his treasured Mercedes SLK coupe . Jurors unanimously found Gordon guilty of murder at the Old Bailey, while Fearon was convicted of his manslaughter after being found not guilty of murder. A third defendant, Andre Campbell, 23, was found guilty of a charge of handling stolen goods after exchanging the victim's iPhone for £100. Adjourning sentencing to May 27, Judge Michael Topolski told Gordon: 'You have been convicted of a brutal murder of a innocent man. 'A brutal murder committed with a knife in the course of a commission of a crime, and all for perhaps £500.' He said he would need to consider what minimum life sentence term to impose, adding: 'That time in circumstances such as these is a very significant one indeed.' The attack ended with Mr Bhurji getting stabbed in the heart, and left dying on the side of the road . The trial had earlier heard that Mr Bhurji was parked in Stoneleigh Road, Ilford, talking to a female friend when the carjackers suddenly struck,. They pulled the woman out of the vehicle and demanded the keys, which Mr Bhurji, who was proud of his car with personalised number plates, said he did not have after throwing them behind the driver's seat. He was stabbed in the heart but was able to lean down to retrieve the keys and hand them over before he collapsed. The Mercedes - which was fitted with a tracking device - was then driven off 'at speed' leaving Mr Bhurji dying by the road. It was later found parked neatly near Epping Forest. Opening the trial on April 2, prosecutor Sally . O'Neill QC told jurors: 'Mr Bhurji made the mistake of protesting against his car being taken.' Fearon and Gordon were convicted after CCTV footage and mobile phone data put the pair at the scene of the murder. Gordon drove there in a black Corsa and left in the Mercedes. Fearon then picked him up in the Corsa after the the stolen car was left to see if it would be found by police, the court heard. Gordon, of east London, admitted stabbing Mr Bhurji and that he went to steal the car armed with a knife. But he said he did not mean to cause him serious harm and his death was an 'accident'. He admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter but denied murder. The Mercedes - which was fitted with a tracking device - was then driven off 'at speed' leaving Mr Bhurji dying by the road. It was later found parked neatly near Epping Forest . Fearon, . of Chingford, Essex, denied murder and manslaughter and said he had . been smoking cannabis on the fatal night, claiming he did did not know . anything about the knife or the stolen car. A . victim impact statement was read out to the court by Ms O'Neill on behalf of the family, which described Mr Bhurji as a . 'humble and reserved character' who 'enjoyed life and loved to travel'. It . said Mr Bhurji had a 'passion' for cars from an early age and studied . electronics before getting a job at Mercedes-Benz, where he won many . awards and certificates. He . went on to realise his 'dream' of starting his own business, becoming . the main breadwinner of the household so his parents did not have to . continue working. 'Knife . crime has got to stop,' the statement added. 'No one should have to . experience the pain of losing their loved one this way. 'Rory . Gordon and Jae'Don Fearon have deprived Raj and his family of the rest . of his life. At 32, a healthy, intelligent man was snatched from his . future his hopes and dreams.' Detective Inspector Andy Yeats, of the Metropolitan Police's homicide and major crime command, said: 'Mr Bhurji was a loving son and brother who had everything to live for. He was a successful businessman and worked hard to provide for his family. 'Gordon and Fearon have no concept of hard work. They spotted Mr Bhurji's car and decided they would take it by force without a single thought for the devastating consequences. 'Mr Bhurji's female friend was threatened with a knife before Mr Bhurji was stabbed through the heart without any chance of defending himself. 'We can only hope that today's result offers the family of Mr Bhurji some solace.' | Rory Gordon, 23, and Jae'Don Fearon, 21, attacked Harjinder Singh Bhurji .
Mr Bhurji had refused to hand over keys to treasured Mercedes SLK coupe .
He was left lying by the side of the road dying after he was stabbed in heart .
Jurors unanimously found Gordon guilty of murder at the Old Bailey .
Fearon was convicted of manslaughter after found not guilty of murder . |
06fa8f7a1246651942d4ebb50b1c99fc2043e5c5 | (CNN) -- Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has announced he will quit international cricket at the end of the ongoing second Test against West Indies. MacGill will retire after 10 years of Test cricket, in which he has taken 207 wickets. The 37-year-old made his Test debut against South Africa 10 years ago and has since gone on to take 207 wickets at an average of 28.28 over 43 Test matches. "Unfortunately now my time is up," MacGill said. "I am incredibly lucky that as well as providing me with amazing opportunities off the field, my job allows me to test myself in one of Australia's most highly scrutinised sporting environments. "Bowling with some of crickets all time greats such as Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee has made my job a lot easier. I want to be sure that exciting young bowlers like Mitchell Johnson enjoy the same privilege," he added. MacGill took the only wicket to fall on a rain-interrupted third day of the Test in Antigua. He had Ramnaresh Sarwan brilliantly caught at slip by Michael Clarke for a well-constructed 65, but otherwise drew blank on a frustrating day for the tourists. The ever dependable Shivnarine Chanderpaul (55 not out) and Dwayne Bravo (29 not out) took the West Indies to the close on 255 for four wickets. They were replying to Australia's 479 for seven declared and with only two days remaining a draw looks the likely outcome in MacGill's farewell appearance. Australia won the first Test in Jamaica by 95 runs. | Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has announced he will quit Test cricket .
The 37-year-old made his Test debut 10 years ago and has taken 207 wickets .
MacGill took only wicket to fall in rain-interrupted third day of second Test .
Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo compile unbroken stand of 73 . |
06fe669aadfa7f9c5a37b9b9686199b220b570c7 | By . David Kent . Manchester United's lingering hopes of signing Arturo Vidal have been crushed after his manager insisted the Chile forward will remain in Italy. New Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri revealed he has held talks with the 27-year-old and that he has committed his future to the Serie A club. United had been pursuing Vidal all summer but will now turn their attentions elsewhere, with Roma's Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman on their radar. Raring to go: Arturo Vidal (left) posted this picture with his Juventus team-mates . Allegri said: 'Vidal will stay here and he's very happy about this. I spoke with him about his fitness, we're happy he will stay with us.' On Monday, Vidal posted a picture on Twitter of himself with team-mates Andrea Pirlo, Martin Caeceres and Marco Storari to reveal his side are 'ready' for the new season. Vidal helped Chile reach the last 16 of the World Cup where they lost to hosts and eventual semi-finalists Brazil. Allegri will get his first look at his players on Wednesday when they take on Cesena in a friendly. Staying: Vidal will remain at Juventus after being targeted by Manchester United this summer . | Arturo Vidal had been a £35million target for Manchester United .
Chile forward will remain with Juventus .
Louis Van Gaal will now look elsewhere for reinforcements and could bid for Kevin Strootman of Roma . |
06fe75f88ed2560440ba70bc73ee789a52f07890 | (CNN)In the aftermath of the heinous attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in France, many are tweeting and writing in solidarity: Je suis Charlie. But I'm not. Because I am not Charlie. Of course, I unequivocally support the right to free speech. Period. And I also believe in choosing to exercise that right responsibly and respectfully. That's why I would not have published cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed, insulting 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide in the process (and no, I wouldn't have published many of Charlie Hebdo's cartoons insulting Judaism and Christianity, either). In no way should this be taken -- as it has been by some on Twitter -- to suggest that I somehow condone the killings of Charlie Hebdo's staff. That's a ridiculously insulting idea and just plain wrong. It's possible to honor and protect the free speech rights of publications like Charlie Hebdo while simultaneously believing such cartoons are unnecessarily disrespectful and offensive. As others have pointed out, in the wake of the Paris attacks we've conflated support for free speech with support for the actual speech in question. But while I unquestionably support the free speech rights of the KKK and "god hates fags" protesters, for example, that clearly doesn't mean I would support, never mind join in, their hateful messages. Some on the right insist that media should have to re-print Charlie Hebdo's anti-Islam cartoons or else they're cowardly. However, this is a fundamental perversion of free speech, to say the least. There is no inconsistency between supporting free speech for Charlie Hebdo's cartoonists and finding the content of some of their cartoons offensive and disrespectful. I don't profess to be a scholar of Islam. But it's plain that some branches or interpretations of the faith view any depictions of the Prophet Mohammed as blasphemy. That doesn't mean that all Muslims who see such depictions as blasphemy think the appropriate response is violence; far from it. But a radical few do, and, as Middle East commentator Juan Cole has argued, they exploit such defamations against the prophet to try to radicalize others in the faith. Unfortunately, there are some in the West who think all of Islam is tainted, and who -- despite there being plenty of violence and intolerance in the texts and histories of Judaism and Christianity -- believe Islam is somehow uniquely violent and intolerant. But when we mistakenly believe that a narrow and violent interpretation of Islam is the only true version, we play right into the hands of the radical zealots who want the world, including all Muslims, to believe precisely that. The reality is that the Muslim world isn't just the leadership of Saudi Arabia and Iran, but also Indonesia and Mali. And it's worth pointing out that several Muslim countries have elected or appointed female heads of state, something the United States has yet to manage. And also that while much remains to be done on advancing gay rights, gay bars do still exist in Lebanon and in Jordan. Unfortunately, about 60 percent of Americans don't know a single Muslim, and so may only know about Islam what the media reports about terrorists. It is important to remember that there are a wide variety of interpretations and practices of Islam worldwide, including an active debate on those interpretations among scholars and spiritual leaders. Sadly, I have to wonder if Charlie Hebdo had been attacked for cartoons insulting Christians, whether there would be a similar outpouring in support of the magazine, especially in the United States. After all, many of the same people outraged just a month ago about the alleged "War on Christmas" have no qualms about launching a "War on Islam" because, well, it's not their religion being mischaracterized and insulted. It unsettles me to think that the reason so much of the outpouring of support for Charlie Hebdo is driven not just by the violence suffered or a defense of free speech, but by the opportunity to implicitly support jabs at Islam. But judging by some of the coverage, it seems a fair assumption to make. Indeed, on the same day of the attack in Paris, a bomb was placed outside the offices of an NAACP chapter in Colorado. Thankfully, no one died in that attack, but it was still a bomb on U.S. soil and yet the story was absent from much of the mainstream media. Had Muslims been the suspects, I think it's fair to say there would have been much more attention paid. As someone with a public voice, my free speech benefits from an extra megaphone, and while the principle of free speech means I can say what I want whenever I want it, in practice I try to think carefully about the impact of my words -- and how they might be felt among others whether or not they share my belief system. Personally, I believe in not saying something just because I want to speak, but because I want to be heard. So, for instance, I don't casually condemn or denigrate people's religions because I want people of faith to hear me. All religions face the struggle of progressing from rigid tradition to evolving modernity, and so I want my voice to be clear and constructive in supporting that progress. Put another way, when I open my mouth, I don't want to be part of the problem, I want to be part of the solution. I want to help Islam and Christianity and Judaism and society in general become more open and inclusive and democratic and liberated. Free speech is fundamentally essential to that project. So is respect. In the aftermath of the heinous attacks in Paris, it's important we remember that free speech and respect can go hand-in-hand. | Sally Kohn: It's possible to back free speech but object to Charlie Hebdo cartoons .
Kohn warns not to dismiss all of Islam as extreme . |
06febdbc83191eda77746858ac81c43a21de2748 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:52 EST, 12 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:41 EST, 12 September 2013 . A homeless man high on meth has been charged with aggravated murder after he allegedly killed a police officer by shooting him in the chest. Timothy Troy Walker, 34, could face the death penalty, prosecutors said on Wednesday after he ambushed Officer Derek Johnson in Draper, Utah on September 1. Walker, 35, has been charged with a first-degree count of aggravated murder over the killing of the 32-year-old officer, who was a married father of a young son. Timothy Walker has been charged with aggravated murder over the death of a Utah police officer. His mugshot shows the extent of his injuries from a self-inflicted gunshot wound . He also has been charged with attempted homicide for allegedly trying to kill his girlfriend Traci . Vaillancourt, a former model left disfigured and hooked on painkillers following a rare blood disease. District . Attorney Sim Gill told the Salt Lake Tribune that the death penalty is . 'on the table' but prosecutors would wait until after the preliminary hearing . and arraignment. The suspect was booked into Salt Lake County Jail on Wednesday after his release from hospital following treatment for a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Vaillancourt was also hospitalized after her boyfriend allegedly shot her in the back. She was released on Saturday and booked into Salt Lake County Jail. She was charged on Wednesday with two counts of obstructing justice for allegedly lying to investigators over what had happened. Walker and Vaillancourt, 34, have no fixed address and were believed to be living out of their car. Killed: Father-of-one Sgt Derek Johnson was fatally shot when he stopped alongside Walker's Volvo in Draper on September 1 . Police believe that Walker ambushed Johnson while he was sat in his patrol car. Sgt Johnson was married to his high school sweetheart Shante Sidwell with whom he had a six-year-old son Bensen. His funeral was held last Friday where the community paid tribute to man described as a dedicated public servant. Speaking in response to the crime, . Vaillancourt's sister Victoria King has revealed her sister's tragic . demise from aspiring model and TV star to drug-addled homeless woman . reliant on her violent boyfriend. After: Vaillancourt was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called Hereditary Angioedema which made her face, throat and limbs swell. This is her latest mugshot from her arrest for two counts of suspicion of obstruction of justice on Saturday . Accused: Timothy Walker (left) has been charged with the murder of Sgt. Derek Johnson and his girlfriend Traci Vaillancourt (right) charged with lying to police . After having her first child, Vaillancourt was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called Hereditary Angioedema which made her face, throat and limbs swell, her sister told KSL.com. She says her sister quickly became addicted to her pain medication after suffering four strokes before the age of 30. 'It just went downhill from there,' King told the broadcaster. 'I tried to get him away from her. She chose a different path. … He was bad news from the get-go, I knew it, and the two of them combined, and a loaded gun nonetheless, and strung out on drugs.' 'We tried and tried and tried to help her but you can't help someone who won't help themself,' she added. Proud dad: Derek Johnson is pictured with his son Bensen . Happily married: Derek Johnson grew up in Draper and married his high school sweetheart. He was described as a dedicated police officer . King last saw her sister and Walker, 35, the day before the shootings and was left startled by his behavior. 'He got out of the car and he was hyper, showing me a gun that has a laser and a machete and knives,' she said. The couple were trying to talk King into giving them cash - an event which wasn't unusual according to Vaillancourt's older sister. They have a daughter together who lives in full custody of her paternal grandmother. Online: In this photograph posted by friends on Facebook they expressed dismay at what had become of the girl they loved, right . Ms King told Salt Lake Tribune that her sister was not without remorse at what had become of her life but couldn't work her way out of the cycle of addiction. 'She would cry, ‘I never pictured my life turning out like this,’' King told the newspaper. According to King, Walker gave Vaillancourt attention and Vaillancourt 'was attached to him at the hip'. She says the pair have been living in and out of motels and were most recently living out of their car. She says the couple told her they needed protection and that's why they had purchased a cache of weapons. 'I know she was a victim, but I felt like I already lost her a long time ago. My heart is absolutely bleeding for Derek Johnson’s family,' King added in the interview. 'I just want them to know I’m sorry'. Crashed: Sgt Johnson drove his car a short distance after being shot, crashing it into a field . Shot dead: A tribute site has been set up to Derek Johnson . 'The streets of Draper City were made safer by Sgt. Derek Johnson who loved his job as a police officer for the Draper City Police Department,' Johnson's family wrote in his obituary. 'Understanding the risk, but wanting to protect he gave his life while on duty Sept. 1, 2013, at the age of 32. 'He was the recipient of many awards, including Life Saving Award, Distinguished Service Award, and was the 2012 Community Policing Officer of the Year. With a good nature, a sense of humor that could light up any room, attention to detail and the ability to make anyone his friend. 'He made a difference. He loved his family, hunting, running, hiking and giving service. He was always up for a good challenge,' it reads. The police officer, promoted last year, tried to drive away after the shooting and crashed his patrol car into a field. | Timothy Walker, 35, charged with aggravated murder after being released from Utah hospital with self-inflicted gunshot wound .
Traci Vaillancourt was allegedly shot in the back by her boyfriend after he shot dead a police officer . |
0702355ac74ef89e2b82a837fec44d3f0c8cb3e9 | A police officer told colleagues ‘all black people look like monkeys’, a court heard yesterday. PC Kevin Hughes, 42, is accused of making the racist comment as he pointed to three black men leaning against a wall. When challenged, he allegedly replied ‘but it’s true’ before arguing that the men were ‘closely related to chimpanzees and more closely related to Neanderthals’. His comments were alleged to have been made while he was on patrol in Newham, one of London’s most ethnically diverse areas. PC David Hair (left) and PC Kevin Hughes (right) denied their comments - overheard by a colleague - were racist . And his colleague David Hair asked a . black officer if she was staying to do overtime or ‘going home to cook . bananas', it is alleged. Kate Wilkinson, prosecutor, told . Westminster Magistrates Court that PC Hughes was on patrol with PC . Costas Dakoutros when he made the comments. Hair, of Epping, Essex, and Hughes, who met at police training school, both deny making any racist comments. Hughes allegedly made the racist remarks while in a patrol car in Green Street with three colleagues on February 22 after seeing three black men standing on the pavement, the prosecutor said. He allegedly turned to his colleague, PC Costas Dakoutros, who was in the back of the car with him, and said: 'Look at them, they look like f****** monkeys.' 'PC Dakoutros looked shocked and said ‘You can't say that',' Ms Wilkinson said. But Hughes allegedly replied: 'No, but it's true.' 'He began to deliberate that they [black people] were closely related to chimpanzees and then said they were more closely related to Neanderthals,' according to the prosecutor. Giving evidence, PC Dakoutros, who made an immediate note of the incident, said it has had a profound impact on his wellbeing. He said: 'It was horrible. I'd heard the comment and it was always playing on my mind. 'It affected me at the time. I felt I was given something that I didn't know how to deal with. I felt something should be done but I didn't know exactly what to do. I just wanted the matter taken out of my hands.' Charges: The two officers appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court where they denied making racist comments while on duty . He added: 'I stopped sleeping. I put on a bit of weight. I was generally moody. I retreated into myself a lot. 'I was kind of starting to doubt the organisation that I worked for.' PC Dakoutros described a culture of racist banter between Hughes and Hair, who were good friends. He . told the court the pair would refer to each other as 'auntie and . uncle'- using imitation Asian accents in the style of the TV show . Goodness Gracious Me, starring Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar. He . also described an incident in which the pair were on an operation with . an Asian female Special Constable and they decided not to use the term . in case she made an official complaint against them. He said: 'K [Hughes] said we can't use 'auntie' as she might complain. D [Hair] agreed. 'It backed up my initial thoughts that these two officers were aware that someone might complain if they heard it being used.' Another colleague who was in the car said he heard Hughes say: 'Black people hadn't evolved and lived in mud huts in Africa', according to Ms Wilkinson. But under questioning the officer denied being racist and said he was commenting on the way a man walked. Ms Wilkinson said: 'He said he didn't recall seeing three black males but said he saw someone with a certain gait who walked like a monkey and he had said to PC Dakoutros something about a monkey.' 'I didn't know if you were going to go into a little rant and say you were going to go home and cook bananas.' - Alleged words of PC Hair to black colleague . Hair is alleged to have made racist comments to his black colleague, PC Julia Dacres, on March 13. PC Dacres lived in south London and so would not regularly work overtime as she found it difficult to travel home late at night, Ms Wilkinson told the court. While on patrol, Hair asked PC Dacres if she was going to do any overtime, to which she sarcastically laughed and said she would. Hair then allegedly said: 'I didn't know if you were going to go into a little rant and say you were going to go home and cook bananas.' Ms Wilkinson said PC Dacres was 'stunned' by this comment and replied: 'That is a weird concoction. Is that what you had for dinner?' PC Dakoutros said when he heard the comment, he initially thought it was an ongoing joke', but 'when I spoke to PC Dacres, about it, it had obviously upset her'. Hughes was present in the police van at the time. 'PC Hughes admitted hearing the comment and said it was stupid,' Ms Wilkinson said. Hair admitted making the comment but said it was not racist because he 'could have named any food', according to Ms Wilkinson. She added: 'He does not deny the statement but asserts it was made with no racial connotation.' The prosecutor also said the pair, who worked in the North East Victim Offender Location Time team (Volt), regularly mocked Asian culture while working, which distressed some colleagues. Hughes and Hair would call each other 'aunty' and 'uncle', common terms in Asian culture for elders, using mock accents 'such as those heard on television comedy series', Ms Wilkinson said. Senior staff never challenged the pair for this, she said. The decision to charge the officers came after an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) following a referral of the complaints in April. The Met said both officers were suspended from duty on 5 April. The case continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | PC Kevin Hughes allegedly directed racist comments at members of the public while on patrol .
Fellow PC David Hair 'asked black colleague if she was going home to cook bananas'
Officers were suspended in April following complaints from other PCs . |
070396af13275a797e17661bb4bb83f1cc42576c | When they took just one point from Chelsea and Manchester City in the space of a week, any title challenge from Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United was written off. Their defence was porous, their midfield void of invention and their forwards misfiring. Even David Moyes had fared better than the new Dutch boss. A winter of discontent lay in store as November beckoned. But the forecast has changed at Old Trafford. Winter, thus far, has been a season of contentment for Van Gaal. The title race, having doubled in size when Chelsea stalled and City surged, now has a third competitor. United, after six wins on the spin, have hit top speed. Wayne Rooney is mobbed by his Manchester United team-mates after opening the scoring against Liverpool . Rooney sent Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones the wrong way to set up United's win over their chief rivals . Louis van Gaal has transformed United in the past six weeks, in which his side have won six times . As it stands: The Premier League table on Monday . The 3-0 victory over Liverpool was not without its flaws and they did, of course, need goalkeeper David de Gea at his best. But there was an air of inevitability about their triumph; such expectancy is what has marked United as champions throughout the Premier League era. They were quicker, stronger, more hungry and clinical. There was cunning, too, exemplified by the brilliant Michael Carrick. Van Gaal, it was said, was considering Carrick for the captain’s role before he was injured in the same week as the manager’s unveiling. Armband or not, he is leading their renaissance. Six starts: six wins. His return has facilitated the realisation of this team’s potential, of which there were early-season glimpses. Now, it is there for all to see. Robin van Persie, having baffled all with his failure to produce despite the arrival of his mentor, now has four goals from four games. Without his strikes two seasons back, Sir Alex Ferguson would not have signed off with a league winner’s medal. Likewise this time around - without an on-form and on-target Van Persie, they cannot challenge. At Southampton, where United were admittedly poor, the Dutch striker had two chances and took them both. They won 2-1. That is the difference. Then there is Wayne Rooney. While Van Persie has four in four, the captain has three in that period. Having worn a frown for much of last season, he is playing with a smile, free of the pressure which had appeared to weigh so heavily amid the failings of his team-mates. Robin van Persie has scored four goals in his last four games to find his best form again at last . The return of Michael Carrick (left) has provided experience and helped inspire United's recent resurgence . David de Gea (centre) has been a rock in goal, almost single-handedly repelling Liverpool on Sunday . Even the supporting cast are now playing their part; Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young are all enjoying new direction under Van Gaal. 20 Dec Aston Villa vs Man Utd . 26 Dec Man Utd vs Newcastle . 28 Dec Tottenham vs Man Utd . 1 Jan Stoke vs Man Utd . 4 Jan Accrington or Yeovil vs Man Utd (FA Cup third round) 11 Jan Man Utd v Southampton . 17 Jan QPR v Man Utd . 31 Jan Man Utd v Leicester . Fellaini, aided by Carrick, is helping to shield a backline previously left brutally exposed. They have conceded just once at Old Trafford in six hours and, in De Gea, they finally boast a goalkeeper worthy of mention alongside the likes of Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar. Monday’s Champions League draw took place minus the previously ubiquitous United. But that is no bad thing. Even better, they managed to dodge the Europa League and made an early exit from the Capital One Cup. Chelsea, meanwhile, have a League Cup quarter-final at Derby County on Wednesday, while Europe will serve as a distraction to domestic affairs when the knockout rounds resume with a tie against Paris Saint-Germain in February. Manchester City, too, are not without their worries. Sergio Aguero is sidelined until the new year, as is his replacement Edin Dzeko and skipper Vincent Kompany. Barcelona lie in wait in the Champions League and then there is Frank Lampard, match-winner again on Saturday and a player they can ill afford to lose to the MLS, where he is contracted to play in 2015. Chelsea have seen their lead at the top of the Premier League cut to just three points . Manchester City must cope without star striker Sergio Aguero until the new year due to injury . Rooney (left), Van Persie and Juan Mata celebrate the win that confirmed United among the title contenders . VIDEO 6 wins in a row, my wife is happy - Van Gaal . Before the new year, United face Aston Villa, Newcastle and Tottenham. They will be favourites to extend their winning run to nine matches, all the while quickening the pace in pursuit of the top two. It is all a far cry from the anonymity of their mid-table malaise just six weeks ago. Chelsea were as good as champions, City would take second and, as for United, they could do battle with Southampton, Swansea and West Ham for the Europa League places. They were 10th, residing only in the top half by virtue of goal difference over West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United. They were closer to the bottom than the top. But United are motoring through the gears, the title race is on and there are three teams who can win it... Head here to Like our Manchester United Facebook page. | Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday .
United are now eight points behind Chelsea in the Premier League .
Manchester City are just five points clear of United .
Louis van Gaal has transformed his team in just six weeks, after six wins .
Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, David de Gea and Michael Carrick have been key men . |
0703b9d18b6604f272626a303eb164fc60d9e9de | (CNN) -- On Wednesday the wrestling community and fans around the world mourned the passing of Ultimate Warrior, one of the biggest and brightest stars of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Born James Hellwig, before legally changing his name to Warrior in 1993, he is fondly remembered by many for his rivalries in the ring and for his trademark vivid face paint. He died aged 54 and is survived by his wife and two daughters. The cause of his death is not yet known. "WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstars ever, The Ultimate Warrior," read a statement fron WWE, the modern incarnation of the WWF. "Warrior began his WWE career in 1987 and quickly went on to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history. Warrior became WWE Champion at WrestleMania VI, defeating Hulk Hogan in an epic encounter." Gallery: Best sports images of the last seven days . Ultimate Warrior's death came just days after he had been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. On Monday he appeared in the WWE's weekly Raw show. Tributes to the former WWF world champion poured in from throughout the wrestling world, including from his former rival Hulk Hogan. Triple H, real name Paul Michael Levesque, is one of the modern day WWE "superstars" and he also mourned the death of Ultimate. During his appearance on Raw, Ultimate gave a poignant speech. "No man becomes a legend on their own," he told the arena. "Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe their final breath. "And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper in something that's larger than life, then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized by the storytellers -- by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honor him, and make the running the man did live forever." | Former professional wrestler Ultimate Warrior dies aged 54 .
He was born James Hellwig, but changed his name to Warrior in 1993 .
The cause of his death is not yet known, he leaves a wife and two daughters .
Ultimate Warriors was a star of the World Wrestling Federation in the late 1980s and the 90s . |
07062cfe855440c85faf2c445f8b2a0f6fed708a | In a career which spanned five decades, Lynda Bellingham - best known as the 'Oxo mum' thanks to the long-running series of adverts - was loved for her frank and funny style. It was with the same upbeat humour that she spoke about dealing with 'that curveball' of terminal illness, after she was diagnosed with colon cancer little over a year ago. In a series of typically open interviews, she fought her cancer in the public eye, talking honestly about her illness, her decision to stop her treatment, and her wish for one last Christmas with her family. But it was not to be, and the mother-of-two died in her husband Michael's arms on Sunday. Scroll down for video . Lynda Bellingham best known for playing the Oxo mother in a series of adverts for the stock cubes, was a regular on our screens for decades as the wholesome middle-class gravy-making mother . In a series of typically open interviews, she fought her cancer in the public eye, talking honestly about her illness, her decision to stop her treatment, and her wish for one last Christmas with her family . She was born Meredith Lee Hughes in Montreal, Quebec, on May 31, 1948, but grew up near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire after she was adopted by a British couple - only discovering the truth when in her teens. The star, best known for playing the Oxo mother in a series of adverts for the stock cubes, was a regular on our screens for decades as the wholesome middle-class gravy-making matriarch. She once joked that while no 'half respected actor' would have considered the role, it had afforded her a 'nice house, and school for her children'. She got her first taste of stage success at school before going on to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, followed by a steady succession of roles in theatre, film and television. She also starred as Helen Herriot in All Creatures Great And Small, alongside Christopher Timothy, who described the actress as 'a real friend' She starred as Helen Herriot in All Creatures Great And Small, alongside Christopher Timothy, who described the actress as 'a real friend'. 'She was a life force. She was funny, she was loyal, talented and a great mum,' he told the BBC. She also took the title role in sitcom Faith In The Future, and on stage, she appeared at the Old Vic and the Royal Court and in the West End production of Calendar Girls. Married three times. Ms Bellingham had two sons and was awarded an OBE in 2013 for her charity work. She also took the title role in sitcom Faith In The Future, alongside Simon Pegg, Jeff Rawle, and Julia Sawalha . On stage, she appeared at the Old Vic and the Royal Court and in the West End production of Calendar Girls, alongside Gaynor Faye, Patricia Hodge, Julia Hills, Elaine C Smith, and Sian Phillips . Bellingham was one of the presenters of ITV's Loose Women and in one of her final broadcasts told her co-hosts she was 'in a good place' when she made the decision to stop treatment, saying: 'It is essential to feel you have some control of your life.' In an emotional message, she told viewers: 'Grasp it all, don't be afraid, enjoy the bits you can and tell your family you love them while you have the chance.' Ms Bellingham with sons Michael and Robert, husband Michael, and stepson Bradley . at Buckingham Palace. She was awarded an OBE in 2013 for her charity work . The actress and presenter insisted death should be confronted and discussed and made it her mission to transform it into a 'positive' thing. She died in her husband Michael's arms on Sunday . The actress and presenter insisted death should be confronted and discussed and made it her mission to transform it into a 'positive' thing. Her autobiography, called There's Something I've Been Dying To Tell You, was published just 10 days ago. Bellingham, whose sister Barbara died from lung cancer, had been a high-profile supporter of Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support. The actress, who was adopted, published a best-selling memoir, Lost And Found, which dealt with her search for her birth mother. She also wrote a novel, Tell Me Tomorrow, which was published last year. Ms Bellingham was born Meredith Lee Hughes in Montreal, Quebec, on May 31, 1948, but grew up near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire after she was adopted by a British couple . She got her first taste of stage success at school before going on to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, followed by a steady succession of roles in theatre, film and television . Bellingham married her third husband, property developer Michael Pattemore, on her 60th birthday. Her decision to end her treatment was revealed in a serialisation of her forthcoming autobiography. She had said she hoped to see one last Christmas. Bellingham said: 'The decision to give up chemo was a huge relief because I took back some control of myself. It's there on the table if I want it. 'I don't want the boys or my husband to see me die a little sad old lady. I want to go out there as I am.' She said she wanted her autobiography to be 'uplifting', adding: 'I wrote the book for everybody out there. 'It's not supposed to be an embarrassing account of me having terminal cancer. 'I wanted to write it for everybody who is given that curveball and say of course there are no answers but, if you can, take it and make it positive and talk about dying. 'If two people read this book and think 'Actually, that's how I feel and I'm not on my own', then I'll have done something half-decent.' She filmed a special farewell episode of Loose Women, which will air on Wednesday, in which she received a standing ovation. Lynda Bellingham with her first husband - producer Greg Smith in 1975 . In a statement on behalf of Bellingham's family, Sue Latimer said: 'Lynda died peacefully in her husband's arms yesterday evening at a London hospital. Her family, to whom she was devoted, would like to thank the nurses and staff for their tremendous care and support. 'As an actor, writer and presenter, Lynda was a consummate professional to the very end. 'Those of us privileged to have known her personally will miss the entertaining, life-enhancing, true and honest friend that blessed our lives.' Her first marriage, to film producer Greg Smith, fell apart due to his series of affairs and her second, a 16-year marriage to Italian restaurateur Nunzio Peluso with whom she had two sons, Michael, 31, and Robbie, 27, was abusive. She later campaigned against domestic violence was awarded an OBE in 2013 for her charity work. In 2008 she married her third husband, mortgage broker Michael Pattemore, who has since been described as 'her rock'. She was appointed an OBE in January this year for her voluntary service to charitable giving. Bosses of the children's charity she helped set up today paid tribute to her campaign work with young victims of domestic abuse. Sharon Evans, chief executive of the Dot Com Children's Foundation, said her friend kept helping other people right up until her death. Ms Evans said: 'It is incredibly sad that Lynda, who was my dear friend and patron of our charity, died so young. 'I met Lynda during a police campaign against domestic violence 12 years ago and she went on to help me launch the Dot Com Learning programme. 'She was a powerful children's champion and she went on trying to help people right until the end.' She said Miss Bellingham was driven by her past experiences, adding: 'The programme helps prevent children from suffering violence and abuse and Lynda was passionate about children being safe having seen how her own children were affected by the violence in her first marriage. 'We loved her very much.' | Star was battling colon cancer and decided to end her chemotherapy .
Mother-of-two had been hoping to spend one last Christmas with family .
She was best known for role as mother in long-running Oxo adverts .
Ms Bellingham was also a presenter of ITV's Loose Women chat show .
The actress was also awarded an OBE in 2013 for her charity work . |
07062e63b1815a74c13223b6e6c05af080297752 | Inside this forest lies 1,000 forgotten cars from the 1950s - a vintage car collector's dream which has been left to rust. The scrapyard was established by two brothers to store cars abandoned by servicemen during the Second World War now lies neglected. Rusting classic cars including vintage Opels, Fords, Volvos, Buicks, Audis, Saabs and a Sunbeam litter the natural undergrowth. Vintage: Inside this forest lies 1,000 forgotten cars from the 1950s - a vintage car collector's dream which has been left to rust . Hikers have discovered trees growing around bodywork and moss covering seats and steering wheels. The forgotten vintage vehicles are worth an estimated £100,000 in scrap value alone. Photographer Svein Nordrum, 54, ventured into the dense woods to photograph the abandoned vehicles. Mr Nordrum said: 'It is very quiet in there. It is a strange feeling when you're there, as if you're on the edge of the world. Rust: Cars lie piled on top of each other in the forest in the county of Bastnas, a mining town in southern Sweden . 'The forest is very dense. You can only see a couple of cars at any one time - the rest disappear into the woods.' Two Swedish brothers founded the scrap yard in the 1950s to break down vehicles which had been abandoned by American soldiers leaving Europe after the Second World War. They then sold on spare parts for repairs. The brothers had a house each among the forest of broken automobiles. Car collector's paradise: Rusting classic cars including vintage Opels, Fords, Volvos, Buicks, Audis, Saabs and a Sunbeam litter the natural undergrowth . The scrapyard was established by two brothers to store cars abandoned by servicemen in during the Second World War now lies neglected . Forest that time forgot: Hikers have discovered trees growing around bodywork and moss covering seats and steering wheels . They continued to trade until the 1980s before they abandoned the site in the 1990s leaving the forest undergrowth to claim the cars. Mr Nordrum said: 'The cars are now a part of nature in a way. The trees grow all over and through the cars, with branches sneaking through windows and over the bonnets.' The car graveyard is just in the county of Bastnas, a mining town in southern Sweden. A classic car is claimed by the undergrowth: Photographer Svein Nordrum ventured into a thick forest in southern Sweden where he found 1,000 forgotten cars from the 1950s . Classic: The car graveyard is located just in the county of Bastnas, a mining town in southern Sweden . The forgotten vintage vehicles are worth an estimated £100,000 in scrap value alone . The brothers who set up the scrapyard continued to trade until the 1980s before it was abandoned leaving the forest undergrowth to claim the cars . Photographer Svein Nordrum, 54, ventured into the dense woods to photograph the abandoned vehicles . By-gone era: The brothers who established the car scrapyard had a house each among the forest of broken automobiles . According to the photographer some people in Sweden want to remove the cars but environmentalists keep stopping them because wildlife now live in the bodywork . Abandoned: Vintage cars are stacked up in the forest in southern Sweden which have been left there since the Second World War . The 1,000 corroded vehicles are collectively worth an estimated £100,000 in scrap but efforts to remove the cars from the forest have been thwarted. Mr Nordrum said: 'Some people in Sweden want to remove the cars, but environmentalists keep stopping them. 'Apparently birds and other animals have made nests in the bodywork.' A spokesperson for ASM Auto Recycling, a UK-wide car salvage company, said: 'The standard price for scrap metal is about £100 a ton, so 1000 cars would be worth about £100,000 in scrap. 'The price of metal goes up and down. An average car would be worth around £100 in scrap at the moment, but it changes from time to time.' | The scrapyard was established by two brothers to store cars abandoned by servicemen during the Second World War .
Rusting classic cars including vintage Opels, Fords, Volvos, Buicks, Audis, Saabs and a Sunbeam .
Hikers have discovered trees growing around bodywork and moss covering seats and steering wheels .
The forgotten vintage vehicles are worth an estimated £100,000 in scrap value alone . |
070681451d99725626b552c9f038f378d2242b34 | Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman had an assault rifle handy when authorities raided his beachside hideaway over the weekend, but the world's most wanted drug lord never opened fire. That's because marines used infrared and body-heat scanners to pinpoint the locations of everyone inside the condo and make sure they were asleep, a Mexican official told CNN. Saturday's pre-dawn operation that captured Guzman in the Mexican Pacific resort town of Mazatlan marked a dramatic twist in a case that has long captivated the country and frustrated investigators on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The notorious Sinaloa cartel leader's nickname, which means "Shorty," belies the tall and near-mythic status Guzman achieved in recent years for his ability to elude capture by using bribes, safe houses and an army of cartel helpers. His 13 years on the lam ended Saturday inside a no-frills condo tower, where investigators found Guzman lying shirtless next to his beauty-queen wife. The Mexican official, who asked not to be identified because he's not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said that Guzman's body guard and the drug lord's 2-year-old twin daughters were also sleeping in the condo. "He had an AK-47 next to the bed. When the Mexican marines entered the condominium, he was still asleep," said Michael Vigil, a former Drug Enforcement Administration official who says he was briefed on the raid. "They used the element of surprise, and he did not have a chance to react and seize his weapon." Escape through sewer tunnels . Guzman had an assault rifle and ammunition close by when Mexican marines broke into the apartment in a "surgical" operation, the Mexican official said. Authorities had been closing in on Guzman for months before Mexican marines swooped in, Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam told reporters. Earlier police operations yielded a trove of intelligence, including cell phone and other data, a U.S. law enforcement official said. That helped Mexican authorities and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents hunting Guzman gain confidence in recent weeks that they could arrest him. Before Guzman's capture, Mexican federal forces made several significant arrests of Sinaloa cartel associates, including two people authorities said were suspected of providing security for top leaders of the cartel. A key discovery earlier this month marked a turning point in the investigation: seven houses in the Mexican city of Culiacan, connected by secret tunnels that also tied in with the city's sewage system. Mario Hidalgo Arguello, a courier who flipped during questioning by Mexican authorities, told interrogators about the series of safe houses, according to U.S. officials familiar with the hunt for Guzman. When authorities raided one of them last week, it turned out to be Guzman's main residence in the town of Culiacan. The time it took Mexican marines to get past the house's reinforced steel doors was enough to allow Guzman to escape via a hidden hatch under a bathtub, the officials said. "But the investigation was so thorough that we continued," Murillo said. With authorities temporarily off his trail, Guzman slipped out of Culiacan through the sewer tunnels, the Mexican official told CNN. Eventually he made his way to Mazatlan, a beach resort city about 125 miles (200 km) away. Informants and wiretaps . Months before authorities nabbed him there, U.S. authorities made a major break in the case. In November, they arrested Serafin Zambada-Ortiz at the Nogales, Arizona, border crossing. He is the son of Guzman's closest lieutenant, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, likely the Sinaloa chief's heir apparent. The arrests intensified in recent months, with each providing phones that led to a trove of new data that helped map associates in ever-closer touch with Guzman, U.S. officials familiar with the hunt said. Agents from the DEA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Marshals Service have fed intelligence gleaned from wiretaps and informants to Mexican authorities for years. Each cell phone led to dozens of others over time. "It went from phone to phone, just basic law enforcement," one of the U.S. officials said. In recent months, investigators focused on five wiretaps -- four operated by the DEA and one by ICE, which yielded valuable intelligence, the officials said. As the hunt intensified, Guzman and his lieutenants stopped using certain phones, apparently aware of the surveillance. In the final days, the ICE wiretap was the only one still producing activity, the officials said. Captured alongside Guzman was Carlos Manuel Hoo-Ramirez, who U.S. authorities say appeared to serve as "El Chapo's" communications conduit. He carried multiple phones that proved crucial to finding the drug boss, the officials said. Hunt marked by rumors, close calls . Ever since his escape in a laundry cart from Mexico's Puente Grande prison in 2001, the hunt for Guzman has grabbed headlines. During the drug lord's nearly 13 years on the lam, rumors swirled about his whereabouts. From time to time, investigators suggested they were hot on his trail. But even as Mexico stepped up its pressure on cartels, he remained an elusive target. Many in the country suggested that his whereabouts were an open secret -- and that the government must have been deliberately steering clear of capturing him. In 2009, the archbishop of Mexico's Durango state told reporters that Guzman lived near the mountain town of Guanacevi. "Everyone knows it, except the authorities," he said. Days later, investigators found the bodies of two slain army lieutenants in Durango's mountains, accompanied by a note: "Neither the government nor priests can handle El Chapo." A year later, when asked by reporters again about Guzman's whereabouts, the archbishop said, "He is omnipresent. ... He is everywhere." In 2012, a Mexican official told the Associated Press that authorities nearly caught Guzman in a raid on a beach mansion in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, barely a day after Hillary Clinton had met with other foreign ministers from across the hemisphere in the same resort town. Last year, Guatemalan authorities said a man who resembled Guzman died in Peten, Guatemala, during a shootout. Later, they changed their story and said Guzman wasn't killed and the shootout may never even have happened. Family still in spotlight . While Guzman managed to avoid authorities' attention, the wrath of his rivals and the media's glare, other members of his family weren't so lucky. Authorities arrested Guzman's brother, known as "El Pollo" (The Chicken), in Mexico City in September 2001. Three years later, he was shot to death by a fellow inmate in a maximum-security prison. Legend has it that "El Chapo" Guzman was also once arrested in Mexico's capital, according to an account in Malcolm Beith's book "The Last Narco: Inside the Hunt for El Chapo, the World's Most Wanted Drug Lord." "At the police station, he lifted up a suitcase and put it on the desk of the capital's chief of police," Beith writes. "Inside was $50,000 in cash; within minutes, Chapo was out the door." Members of a rival cartel gunned down Edgar Beltran Guzman, one of El Chapo's sons, in a Mexican shopping mall parking lot in 2008. Police found more than 500 bullet casings at the scene. Last year, authorities arrested Guzman's father-in-law in Sonora, Mexico, charging him with drug-related crimes. But not all of the focus on Guzman's family has been tied to organized crime. In September 2011, word eked out that Guzman's beauty-queen wife, Emma Coronel -- a citizen of both the United States and Mexico -- had given birth to twin girls at a hospital in Lancaster, California. About a year later, authorities arrested Alejandrina Gisselle Guzman Salazar, one of El Chapo's daughters, at a border crossing in San Ysidro, California. She was deported back to Mexico several months later. Her attorneys said she was pregnant and had been coming to the United States to have a baby. | During raid, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman had an AK-47 next to his bed .
The Sinaloa cartel boss was captured after more than a decade on the run .
Official: Investigators used infrared scanners to pinpoint Guzman's location .
Wiretaps and informants helped authorities to close in . |
070697b2b6fca43d4007168b1a2aaf690deffe67 | These images show the joyful school days of former pupils at the Army Public School in Pakistan, where Taliban militants slaughtered 132 innocent children on Tuesday. In pictures obtained by the Mail Online, pupils can be seen happily smiling into the camera on a trip to the mountains, competing in a school sports day and learning in the library. They come from the school yearbook of Asad Liaqat, now a PhD student at America's esteemed Harvard University, who credits the school with giving him the solid early education he required to move forward. Scroll down for video . Students from the Army Public School in Peshawar on a field trip to the mountains. Taliban militants butchered 132 pupils and nine teachers at the school on Tuesday . Watched by his pupils and teachers, a student leaps through a fiery hoop at a school sports day . Carrying swords and dressed in ceremonial costume, students perform for their parents in 1999 . After witnessing Tuesday's Taliban attack on his Alma mater, he wrote that he was left with nothing but questions about the atrocity which saw 132 innocent children and nine teachers viciously slain. 'Is there someone else left to blame, before we finally turn on ourselves,' he asked in a moving article, originally posted on a DAWN.com. 'Does it end where we begin or does it extend to within our souls?' It is a far cry from the happy days he spent in class 7E, where one 'library lesson' now takes on particular poignancy for him. After walking up a flight of stairs, through wood-paneled doors into a 'library that was too dark and cold,' he recalled sitting back in a comfortable chair and reading book, the name of which is long forgotten. With the 'forbidding librarian' looking on, he was drawn into the story about a soldier trying to escape from enemy territory back into his own. 'It was deathly cold,' Liaqat said. 'But the soldier could not ask for shelter. Instead, when he got tired, he would lie on the ground and will himself to believe that it was warm. Legs crossed, students sit at a singing competition held at the school. Many of the dead in the recent Taliban attack were of a similar age . Lessons in the library: As teachers look on, pupils study at the exclusive school in Peshawar. The Taliban said they selected the army's school for the attack because the Government is targeting our families and females . Teachers pose happily outside the the school in a picture for the 1999 yearbook. Nine members of staff were among the dead after Tuesday's Taliban attack . It will take days to clean up the carnage at the school (right) which was once attended by Asad Liaqat (right) who provided the pictures. He is now studying for his PhD at America's Harvard University . 'It worked for him. Even in the crippling cold, he could use the power of his mind to believe it was warm and that it would all be fine.' Around 13-years later he feared, 'some child would be sitting on that same chair, willing himself to believe that the cold in his attacker's heart would turn to warmth.' 'Maybe, after getting shot, he would have spent a few moments thinking about the warmth of his mother's embrace,' he said. Liaqat also recalled the school's auditorium where military spokesman, Major General Asim Bajwa said the attackers began their killing spree by shooting randomly at the students. Over 100 bodies were recovered there after the attack. 'Reports state that all their moves were calculated,' he said, questioning where the Taliban attackers had entered the room simultaneously or left any of them unguarded. There were five exits, four on either side and one at the back, he added. 'The one at the back would have been the best one for a quick exit,' he explained. 'Run across a few feet of concrete, past the chalking of quotes attributed to Quaid-e-Azam (Pakistan's founder), down a dozen steps, and into the trees.' Those trees, which he could see from his classroom, were within school walls, but nonetheless provided a handy hiding place, away from his teachers' prying eyes. 'Sometimes, to skip class, or sometimes in break-time, we would walk into the stretch of what I thought of as woods, lining the back wall of the school,' he said. 'We would crack silly jokes and look for interesting objects left behind by others as if we were scavenging in a forest,' he added. 'When a member of the staff saw us, we would be summoned back to class.' Nightmare scene: The bloody school auditorium where at least 100 bodies were found. Liaqat said there were five exits, four on either side and one at the back . Shoes lie among blood on the auditorium floor, where pupils were having a First Aid lecture before the massacre unfolded . Pools of dried blood is splattered across the floor, amid broken and knocked-over chairs . Books and note paper litter the floor of the school, dropped as children ran for their lives . Now he hopes those trees provided cover to pupils from the Taliban, but he said that from time to time their hiding place would be cut back or down. He also feared that the children's bright green uniforms may have allowed the Taliban militants to spot them but he said: 'Sometimes in the winter months there would be fog.' He also hoped that the clean up operation will be thorough enough for those who survived. 'Months from now, when another kid walks into the trees to look for interesting objects left behind by others, will they find a pencil sharpener, a chewed-up pencil, a pack of gum they weren't allowed to chew in class,' he asked. 'Will there be dried blood on these objects? How much care will be taken to remove these traces of blood?' If he wasn't looking out at the trees, Liaqat could also see a small canal from his beloved classroom, which ran parallel to the main road outside the school. 'There was a period of one or two weeks when we would see soldiers standing on either side of the canal, knee-deep in mud, clearing out the excess deposits, 'Bhal Safai', they called it,' he said. Harrowing: A blood-splattered doorway leading to an auditorium at the school in Peshawar, with spectacles on the floor belonging to one of the victims of the massacre . The fanatics used suicide vests and grenades in the attack, which left debris strewn across the floors . 'I remember thinking our soldiers must not have a lot else to do if they were clearing out canals,' he added. 'How long will it take them now to clear out the blood and the insides of children strewn all over the school?' He feared some of those bodies would be found in the canteen, where 'the samosas were usually soggy but there was something wonderful about the chutney that I have not seen replicated elsewhere.' It was so good he made his mother try some at a parent, teacher meeting but 'she was not impressed,' telling him it was 'too watery and probably really unhealthy.' Those children caught in the canteen by the Taliban 'would probably not have survived,' he said. 'It was too open. There was no place to hide. After the bell rung at the end of the day, he said he would past the main administrative block towards the school's car park. 'I would often encounter some teachers and students praying on straw mats strewn on the grass in front of the senior school block,' he recalled. 'There would be about 10-15 people, and my Islamiat teacher was usually one of them.' 'His head was always tilted slightly to the left. For him, probably a marker of added involvement and concentration in the prayer. For me, an unnecessary display of piety. A soldier surveys the damage in the school, as books and paper lie among debris in one of the corridors . Renowned Pakistani journalist, Wajahat S. Khan finds the devastation at the Army Public School hard to take . He added: 'I wonder if he still taught at the school. I wonder if he still tilted his head to the left when he prayed. I wonder if the tilt saved his life today. I wonder if the lack of a tilt cost the others on the prayer mats their lives.' Eerily, Liaqat would also walk home past a graveyard, adjacent to the school, which some reports have suggested the attackers scaled the wall of to get in. 'I remember wondering what it would be like to visit the graveyard as someone whose loved one was buried in it,' he said. 'I do not remember there being a lot of empty space in that graveyard. Thirteen years of urban sprawl have happened since. Will there be enough space for the bodies, small and big? When will we run out of space?' While holding the Taliban attackers responsible for the attack, he said: 'When we do go beyond single incidents, we go for neat, comfortable narratives. 'Russian invasion in Afghanistan. American funding of Mujahideen. The Army's games in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Indian infiltration. Saudi money. Poverty. Lack of education. Lack of development. Apathetic politicians. Insensitive middle classes.' Where do we start and where do we stop, he asked. 'Perhaps monsters are created because we need a visualisation of the evil that our minds cannot capture,' he said. 'Monsters are useful because they distance blame from ourselves. 'Monsters are simple, neat and horrific,' he added. 'There is no need for nuance. Evil is useful because if evil exists then good does too, and we embody the good because we define the evil.' 'Now we will mourn for three days,' he said. 'Then, we will stop mourning. We forget our own 9/11's (there have been too many). How can we expect anyone else to remember?' | Pupils at the Army Public School can be seen learning and having fun .
The exclusive images were provided by former pupil Asad Liaqat .
He is struggling to comprehend the Taliban attack which left 148 dead .
Recalls a happy time, soggy samosas and playing hooky in a nearby forest .
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . |
0706d8142dc885903a4e6dcf5adb540613f0ff60 | European migrants should not move to Britain unless they have a job lined up, George Osborne suggested. The Chancellor insisted that European Union freedom of movement rules were not created to allow people to live off the welfare state in other countries. But in an escalation of tensions between London and Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel today made clear that the general principle of freedom of movement in the EU is 'not negotiable'. Chancellor George Osborne today insisted that EU freedom of information rules did not envisage 'people coming who don't have job offers' or moving into a life on benefits . Mr Osborne today visited the Meterolink Trafford Depot in Manchester, where he became one of the first customers on the new tram to Manchester Airport . David Cameron is under increasing pressure to tackle EU immigration, which has fuelled a rise in the number of people moving to Britain. A number of ideas floated by senior Tories in recent weeks have been dismissed as illegal or unworkable. Downing Street today admitted that the Prime Minister still does not know how to curb immigration, telling journalists: 'No final decisions have been taken.' Instead of imposing quotas or caps on the number of people who could move to Britain, the PM is being urged to focus on limiting access to the benefits system for the unemployed. However, Number 10 insiders insist he is determined to tackle the 'huge numbers of people' who move to the UK for work. One proposal would see European migrants banned from the UK unless they have guaranteed work – and would get kicked out after three months if they could not support themselves. Mr Osborne insisted that Germany understands 'the disquiet that is caused amongst British people'. He told BBC Breakfast: 'You have people coming from other parts of Europe here to claim our benefits, who don't necessarily have jobs to go to. 'This is creating a huge pressure on public services and the British public want this addressed.' He added: 'We're going to do this in a calm and rational way, but the British people want this addressed; we're employed by the British people and that's what we're going to do. 'What we're going to address is this question of how freedom of movement operates in the 21st century. 'It was never envisaged that you would have such large numbers of people coming, people coming who don't have job offers, people who move onto our benefit system – although we've been able to tighten that up in recent months, but it's still the case that they can do that. 'And that causes a lot of public unhappiness because they think it's unfair. Of course, these are welfare payments paid for by hard-working British taxpayers.' David Cameron is being forced to change his planned reform of immigration rules to win Angela Merkel's support . What Berlin says about freedom of movement . German government source: 'Mrs Merkel feels she has done all she can to placate the UK, but will not accept immigration curbs from EU member states under any circumstances. It has come to a Mexican stand-off and it is now a question of who blinks first.' Angela Merkel's spokesman: 'The general principle of freedom of movement in the European Union is not negotiable.' What London says . Chancellor George Osborne: 'You have people coming from other parts of Europe here to claim our benefits, who don't necessarily have jobs to go to. This is creating a huge pressure on public services and the British public want this addressed.' Downing Street source: 'We are talking about numbers. Overall numbers are too high.' Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith: 'All I know is that the work that we have done is to get rid of the pull factor; the Prime Minister’s always made clear that there are limits in all of this, but I wouldn’t get engaged in a debate about principles. I always think to myself when people start debating principles, what actually happens is they lose the reality of what is happening on the ground.' A Downing Street source insisted in addition to tackling abuse of the benefits system, Mr Cameron had made clear he wants to limit the overall number of migrants to Britain. 'We are talking about numbers. Overall numbers are too high. We have significantly cut migration from outside the EU,' the source told MailOnline. 'We are now in a position where the UK economy is performing much more strongly... and huge numbers of people are coming here from those European countries to work in the UK and that is now an issue.' However German Chancellor Angela Merkel has fired a warning shot at the Prime Minister, suggesting she would rather see Britain leave the EU than allow the Prime Minister to tear up its rules on free movement of labour. The Chancellor warned the Prime Minister that he is reaching a 'point of no return' by pushing for reform of the bloc's sacred free movement system. The pair clashed at a summit in Brussels last month, German magazine Der Spiegel said. Citing senior officials, it said Mrs Merkel told Mr Cameron he was nearing a 'point of no return' with plans to introduce quotas for the number of EU workers who can come to Britain. She threatened to abandon her efforts to keep Britain in the EU unless he backed down. One government insider was quoted on Radio Bavaria saying: 'The time for talking is close to over. 'Mrs Merkel feels she has done all she can to placate the UK, but will not accept immigration curbs from EU member states under any circumstances. It has come to a Mexican stand-off and it is now a question of who blinks first.' Today Mrs Merkel's official spokesman, Steffen Seibert, insisted that Germany wants Britain to remain an 'active and engaged' member. But he stressed that Mrs Merkel has also made it very clear that 'the general principle of freedom of movement in the European Union is not negotiable'. National Insurance numbers (NINOs) have been handed out to more than 420,000 people from the EU, up from 285,000 in the year before the coalition was formed . George Osborne is to seek a deal on cutting Britain's shock £1.7billion EU bill at a meeting of finance ministers in Brussels this week. The Chancellor will lobby other member states to look again at the rules which hammered the UK, while giving rebates to the likes of France and Germany. Downing Street said the government was still examining the detail of the rules used by EU officials to calculate the astonishing demand, linked to better than expected economy growth. David Cameron's official spokesman said: 'What's clear is that there are a number of issues at play here. 'There is still more work to do to understand the forecasts, how these compare to other countries.' Any new deal on EU migration will have to be agreed by 28 member states. Mr Cameron's officials spokesman said: 'The point we are making is when the founding fathers established the European Union and introduced the principle of free movement it was about labour and how countries integrated in the single market. 'The mass migration that we have seen with new countries joining, the impact on other populations in countries like the UK, free movement in order to claim benefits, these are all ways that have developed and evolved.' Senior Tories want the government to limit access to tax credits for new arrivals to the UK. Syed Kamall, the leader of the Conservatives in the European parliament, said claiming benefits should be linked to contributions to the welfare system. He told The Times: 'One of the problems we face is that we have a universal benefits system, whereas other countries have the contributory benefit system.' He suggested that all benefits, including tax credits, would only be available to someone who had paid tax. It would cover everyone, so it does not discriminate against EU migrants. Mr Kamall added: 'Anyone who wants to get benefits would have to pay in for two years. 'I'd like us to say if we win the next election that benefits from the end of 2017 have to be contributory. That gives people now in the system time to contribute.' It is the latest idea to emerge in the Tory search for a policy which will satisfy demands for tougher controls, woo Ukip voters and be agreed by all 28 EU member states. An earlier proposal to impose quotas on access to National Insurance numbers, needed to work in the UK, was dismissed as 'illegal' by outgoing European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. Another option was to apply an 'emergency brake' to the numbers which could come from a particular country if, for example, their economic collapse led to large numbers flocking to the UK in search for work. Mr Cameron has promised to put immigration at the heart of his plan to renegotiate Britain's membership of the EU, before holding at in-out referendum by 2017. However, his speech setting out his plans will now be delayed until after the Rochester and Strood by-election, which Ukip is on course to win after the defection of Tory MP Mark Reckless. In 2011, Mr Cameron promised to bring borders and immigration under control: 'No ifs. No buts.' He vowed that net migration would be in 'the order of tens of thousands each year', but latest figures put it at over 200,000. | New ideas emerge in rush to find a way to curb immigration from Europe .
George Osborne insists freedom of movement laws need to be revised .
Chancellor insists rules are not for people who do not have a job lined up .
Tories in Brussels want a ban on accessing benefits and tax credits .
Claims only be made after paying into tax system for up to three years .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel warns Britain could leave the EU .
Osborne to use Brussels meeting to lobby for cut in £1.7billion bill . |
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