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0706d9f61ef1381eb1f3801d6b03cf10f993dc31 | By . Marcus Townend, Racing Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 11:03 EST, 13 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:08 EST, 14 November 2012 . Shock: Frankie Dettori, pictured with his wife . Catherine, faces a world ban after a failed drugs test . French authorities were 'tipped off' that Frankie Dettori – Britain's best-known jockey – had taken a banned substance, it emerged today. The 41-year-old three-time champion jockey was shocked when officials demanded a drugs test and has been left devastated by the failure that is threatening to derail his career. He faces a hearing before the medical committee of the French racing authorities next week after testing positive for cocaine or a derivative of it while riding Longchamp on September 16. A well-placed racing source in Paris told the Evening Standard today that Dettori 'was taken by surprise by the test, following a tip-off from a third party'. Dettori is currently in Dubai, where he has stopped off after riding in the Melbourne Cup on November 6. Sources have told the Daily Mail the Italian has been ‘knocked for six’ by the positive test, which was ‘a moment of madness rather than a genuine addiction.’ Dettori’s withdrawal from his mounts at Doncaster on Saturday was unrelated to the imminent disciplinary hearing. However, Coral has removed Dettori from its 2013 champion jockey betting with the threat of a long ban hanging over him. Fellow jockey Kieran Fallon was handed a six-month ban by the France Galop in 2006 when he tested positive to cocaine for the first time. A ban of such magnitude, which would not start until Dettori’s disciplinary process was completed, would potentially rule out Dettori until May or June of next year. Coral spokesman David Stevens said: ‘If, as reports suggest, Frankie Dettori has failed a test involving cocaine, a six-month suspension is likely, and such a ban would rule him out of a title bid next year.’ The revelation has caused a sensation . in the racing world. Dettori, famous for his exuberance and flying . dismount, was awarded an MBE in 2000 and has become a major TV . celebrity. He was a one-time captain on the BBC's A Question of Sport and co-owner of a restaurant with chef Marco Pierre White. In the dock: The 41-year-old tested positive for a . prohibited substance following a meeting at Longchamp racecourse in . Paris in September, where he took part in four races . A . three-time champion jockey, he has won more than 500 group races in his . career. But his exploits in the saddle achieved legendary status at . Ascot in 1996, when he won all seven races in a row. In an interview, Detorri said: 'I . won the last race on Fujiyama Crest. I bought him when he retired and . now he lives peacefully in my field. 'My wife Catherine made me a bronze . cast of his foot – it reminds me of the wonderful horse that made me . famous.' Under reciprocal arrangements in place . between international racing authorities, any ban imposed in one . country would apply internationally. Dettori's solicitor, . Christopher Stewart-Moore, said in a statement: 'I can confirm that, as a consequence . of a positive test at Longchamp on September 16, he will be the subject . of an inquiry by the Medical Committee of France Galop next week. Frankie's folly: Frankie Dettori rides ex-racehorse Monsignor, left, to carry the Olympic Flame around the parade ring at Ascot Racecourse. Right, his famous dismount after riding all seven winners in one meeting . Dettori wins the Prince of Wales's Stakes, his 45th Royal Ascot victory, on Rewilding in June 2011 . Rides: 3,422 . Wins: 943 . Strike rate: 28 per cent . Group One victories: 110 (262 victories at Listed level or higher) Dubai World Cup wins: Three - Dubai Millennium (2000), Moon Ballad (2003) & Electrocutionist (206) He won 14 British Classics (nine riding for Godolphing) On September 28, 1996, he partnered all seven winners on the card at Ascot . 'In compliance with, and out of . respect for, the regulations of France Galop he will not be commenting . further until the France Galop procedures have been completed.' Dettori and his wife, with whom he has five children, were not at their home near Newmarket, Suffolk, last night. A relative who answered the door said: . 'I don't know anything about it. Frankie is in Los Angeles and . Catherine is in Hertfordshire with one of the children.' The jockey parted company with racing stable Godolphin last month after an 18-year relationship. Dettori was expected to continue . working his contract until the end of this year but Godolphin said at . the time that 'the retainer was not really working'. In 1993, Dettori . received a caution for possession of cocaine after he had been to watch . Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday play at Wembley in the FA Cup final. Speaking about it in 2010, he said: 'That wasn't about losing weight. That was for fun.' Describing how a 'fast' lifestyle took . over from his focus on horse racing when he began earning big money, he . added: 'Everyone wanted to be with me. I'd go clubbing, there was . cocaine and there I was like the big show-off, the idiot.' Sporting minds: In 2002 Frankie became a team captain on A Question of Sport . Family man: Frankie with wife Catherine son Leo and daughter Ella at the premiere of The Chronicles Of Narnia in December 2005 . The jockey also had a professional DJ . booth built in his home. He said: 'It started off as a bit of a joke, . but now I can't imagine life without it. 'When we have people round and the . champagne's flowing I start playing music, but I usually get kicked off . pretty fast because everybody wants a go.' The race day at Longchamp in September . is used to trial horses for the highlight of the racecourse's calendar, . the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, which is held in October. He finished second in one race, third in two others and was unplaced in the fourth. Jockey Kieren Fallon was banned for . six months by France Galop in 2006 after a positive test. It banned him . for another 18 months after a second positive test in August 2007. Frankie Dettori receives his prize from The Queen after winning the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes on Daylami at Ascot in July, 1999 . | Sources said the test was 'a moment of madness' rather than an addiction .
In 1993, Dettori .
received a caution for possession of cocaine .
Coral has removed Dettori from its 2013 champion jockey betting .
Exuberant Dettori was a captain on the BBC's A Question of Sport and invested in a restaurant with chef Marco Pierre White . |
07099e81e7d8fa45f75c62d3eb8ea039d0248d4d | Greensboro, North Carolina (CNN) -- The wife of a former top aide to former presidential candidate John Edwards defended in testimony Tuesday having shot video in September 2008 of the house and possessions of Edwards' pregnant mistress. "I wanted proof that I really was taking care of Rielle Hunter," said Cheri Young, whose husband, Andrew, was a top aide to the then-candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, who is now facing federal corruption charges. Defense attorney Alan Duncan showed the jury the videotape of the North Carolina house leased by Hunter, who was in California and had not given her consent to the taping. A number of personal pictures, Hunter's California driver's license and a tentative list of baby names were shown to the camera. Young said she had not asked Hunter for permission because she assumed Hunter was out of the country on a trip planned by Edwards' benefactor Fred Baron. "I wasn't looking through Ms. Hunter's private things," Young said. Asked why she was videotaping Hunter's private items, Young responded, "Things had gone sour" between the Youngs and Edwards, and Young wanted to be able to show that the money given to herself and her husband had, in fact, been spent on Hunter for such items as a lease on a house and furniture. Earlier in the day, Young had defended her husband's motivations for writing a tell-all book about him. "The only reason for my husband to write a book is because Mr. Edwards did not come forward and tell the truth," she testified. She was responding to questions from Duncan about profits from the book. Young pointed to an interview with ABC News in August 2008 during which Edwards did not acknowledge having fathered a child by Hunter as a critical moment in the decision to write "The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down." "It was discussed as a way to completely tell the truth in 2008," she said. "I wanted the truth to come out." The defense pointed out that Cheri and Andrew Young stand to make more money if the book is used as the basis for a movie about the disgraced politician. "Would you like to get additional income from the movie being made?" the defense lawyer asked. To that, Cheri Young offered no apologies. "Yeah, I'll take income," she said. But she maintained that the only reason she was still involved in the story was because of the court case. "I came here because I had to come here," she said. The defense also said Young has little first-hand knowledge of the events, i.e., that most of what she knew she learned second-hand from her husband, not from primary sources. Young testified that she had not been in the same room with her husband when he made many of the calls that have been cited in the case. The defense also tried to assert that Andrew Young was drinking heavily in 2006 and 2007, that it affected his memory and that he was mixing alcohol and Ambien. The prescription medication is used in the treatment of insomnia. Its combination with alcohol can increase the chance that a person taking the medication will experience side effects, according to the package insert. The defense added that Andrew Young's work for Edwards was a source of tension in their marriage, which caused Cheri Young to resent her husband. She denied the claim. Cheri Young had testified Monday that Edwards told her that using money from one of his benefactors to pay his mistress's expenses was legal. "Get the money in," said Edwards, who was then running for president, Cheri Young recalled Monday. Prosecutors say those donations, which weren't reported to federal authorities, were illegal and represent a chief reason Edwards is being tried on six felony counts. Also charged with conspiracy and making false statements, he could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted on all counts. Young testified Monday that she felt "disgusted" after being asked to endorse and deposit checks from 101-year-old heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon intended to pay Hunter's expenses. Edwards, who was then married, eventually admitted having carried on an affair with Hunter, whom his campaign had hired as a videographer, and fathering her child. Cheri Young sobbed on the stand Monday after explaining her reaction to being told that Edwards wanted her husband to claim that he was the father of Hunter's child. "The first thing in my mind was how in the world Mr. Edwards could ask one more thing of us," Young said of her thoughts at the time. Despite her reservations, Young said she participated in a December 2007 conference call with her husband, Edwards and the then-pregnant Hunter. "Mr. Edwards was trying to get everyone on board," Young testified. "(He talked) over and over about the campaign." She said Edwards also said that he didn't want his wife, Elizabeth, who had been diagnosed with cancer, to find out about the affair and child. Elizabeth Edwards died of breast cancer in December 2010. Andrew Young did once claim to be the father of Hunter's child, though Edwards -- after losing his bid for the Democratic nomination -- acknowledged that the child was, in fact, his. He is accused of concealing $725,000 in contributions from Mellon and more than $200,000 from Texas lawyer Baron, who has since died, from the public and from the Federal Election Commission by filing false and misleading campaign disclosure reports. Edwards' attorneys have argued that Andrew Young was involved in a ruse to extract hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors for his personal use. The former aide admitted during questioning by Edwards' attorney that he used campaign donations for his own benefit, including to fund construction of a home that included a pool and a theater. CNN's Ted Metzger, Eric Fiegel, Oliver Janney and Scott Garber contributed to this report. | NEW: "Things had gone sour" with Edwards, Cheri Young says .
"I wanted the truth to come out," she adds .
The former presidential candidate faces federal corruption charges . |
0709dc21f24949cd4870aa9a03f5c2b09caba020 | By . Leesa Smith . and Daniel Mills . Debris from the Soyuz rocket which took off from Kazakhstan on Tuesday is thought to be the bright light burning over Australian skies . The meteor which lit up Australia's night skies on Thursday is now believed to be left over 'space junk' from a Russian weather satellite launched in Kazakhstan. Social media was abuzz with the pictures of the bright object with its long burning tail when it blazed over the skies of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania at 9.45pm on Thursday night. The rare signing saw people deluge social media with claims of the unusual sighting - including drivers who nearly crashed their cars when they stopped on the roadside to watch it. Astronomers now say the object more resembles 'man made' fragments, probably from the Russian weather satellite launched on Tuesday, rather than a meteor. The weather satellite is being used to track cloud cover, storm systems, temperature, humidity, and polar ice movements for the next five years. Scroll down for video . Sydney observatory astronomer Melissa Hulbert said the timing of the last night's space phenomenon matches the timing and location of the rocket's mission. 'It looks like it was the upper-stage of a Soyuz's rocket that was launched a few days ago,' Ms Hulbert told AAP. 'Apparently the tracking and impact prediction matched, time and location, what we saw.' She said the object seen over Australian skies would have been a piece of the rocket designed to fall away as part of the launch of the satellite. 'It's kind of like the Apollo mission,'she said. 'Parts would be dropped off at various points throughout the mission.' The object would have had a diameter of about 3.35m and a length of about 1.5m, she said. Traffic stopped to check out the blazing shooting object on Thursday night . Geosciences Australia is unable to officially confirm the reports but a shooting light blazing across the night skyline in Tasmania, Victoria and NSW at about 9.50pm lit up social media sites . Astronomical Society of Victoria president Ken Le Marquand said the colours reported to have been seen also indicated it was man-made. 'The images I've seen show a lot of different colours,' Mr Le Marquand told AAP. 'When you get lots of colours it usually means there's different materials in there, man-made materials,' he said. 'The fact they saw all these colours in it could indicate it's made of different materials.' Mr Le Marquand also pointed to a Twitter post by Nobel Prize winning Australian National University Astronomer Brian Schmidt. 'So our fireball may well have been a piece of space junk,' Prof Schmidt wrote, linking to data showing the trajectory of meteor decay. Monash astronomer Michael Brown replied that he had had the same idea. 'Space junk crossed my mind too. Travelling close to horizontal and taking a long (time) to burn up," he wrote. On Thursday night motorists were so mesmerised by what was believed to be a meteor shooting through the sky that they were almost causing accidents as they were drawn to a complete standstill in the middle of the road. Geosciences Australia were unable to confirm reports of a shooting light blazing across the night skyline. Various photos posted to social media sites had people guessing what the unexplained flying object was. ‘Cars were stopping in the middle of the road’ Heather @I_enigma tweeted while @Bombergrl2000 posted: ‘me too. daughter came home and told me, she narrowly missed accident, cars were stopping in middle of road.’ There are also many mock shots also doing the rounds on social media, for those who missed out on getting a photo of the possible meteor. | 'Meteor' sighting closely matches timing and location of rocket launched from Kazakhstan on Tuesday .
Falling debris from rocket most likely common explanation for object which stunned witnesses .
The weather satellite will track air, sea temperatures and weather patterns .
The burning shooting object believed to be a meteor blazed across Melbourne, Tasmania and Sydney at 9.45pm on Thursday night .
Social media sites lit up with posts and photos of the unknown shooting star .
Motorists were so mesmerised by the shooting light that their cars came to a standstill almost causing accidents . |
0709e53f1c13e6a1871c9da952c56413b0b8690a | South Sudan's president, who accused Sudan of declaring war on his nation, cut short his trip to China on Wednesday as tension between the two neighbors intensified over border and oil disputes. President Salva Kiir canceled the Shanghai leg of his trip. He had planned a five-day trip, ending Saturday. It's unclear how soon he will return home. During a visit to Beijing on Tuesday, Kiir accused Sudan of declaring war on his nation. The visit came at a "critical moment ... because our neighbor in Khartoum has declared war" on South Sudan, Kiir told his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao. His accusation marked the latest in fiery war rhetoric that has drawn alarm and condemnation from the international community. China, a crucial trading ally to both nations, urged restraint and negotiation, and said it plans to send its envoy for Africa to Sudan and South Sudan to promote peace talks. Beijing has deep trade ties with Africa, and has had diplomatic and economic ties with Sudan for decades. Ambassador Zhong Jianhua traveled to both countries earlier this year for mediation, the Chinese foreign ministry said. South Sudan split from Sudan last year as part of a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of war in Africa's largest nation. The war left 2 million people dead and ended with the peace agreement that included an independence referendum for the south. Despite the split in July, unresolved issues remain between the two, including status of their citizens, division of national debt, disputed border areas and sharing of oil wealth. Simmering tensions peaked this month when South Sudan seized the oil-producing region of Heglig from Sudan, raising the stakes by targeting a resource that fuels the economies of both nations. Heglig oil facilities account for about half of Sudan's production of 115,000 barrels a day. Sudan claims ownership for the region, and lodged complaints with the United Nations and the African Union to pressure South Sudan to withdraw troops from its territory. The African Union on Tuesday gave the nations 48 hours to cease their hostilities and three months to complete negotiations on outstanding issues or face "appropriate measures." It said it will seek updates on the status of negotiations and will require compliance by Sudan and South Sudan. Failure to resolve their disputes will lead to an arbitration process, the body said, without getting into specifics. Heglig is on the border created when the two countries split. While it is a disputed region, Sudan continued administering it after South Sudan declared independence from the north. "We have every right to use all military means inside our territory to crush the enemy, " said Daffa-Alla Ali Osman, Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations. "Setting territories inside our borders as theirs ... this is a call for war until they stop and refrain from any behavior against the territorial integrity of Sudan." After an international outcry, including from U.S. President Barack Obama, who urged the nations to resolve their issues peacefully, South Sudan withdrew its troops Saturday and Sudan retook control of Heglig. "We wish to see a return to peace with our neighbors. We stand by the values of having two states viable and living in peace side by side," said Agnes Oswaha, the South Sudan ambassador to the United Nations. A day after South Sudan withdrew from the disputed region, it accused Sudan of launching ground and aerial attacks on its territory. The bombing in Unity state killed at least 16 and left 34 injured, the United Nations said. U.N. peacekeeping officials in South Sudan confirmed the casualties from bombings near the border, said Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and the current Security Council president. Council members have "demanded an immediate halt to aerial bombardment by the Sudanese armed forces and urged an immediate cease-fire and return to the negotiating table," she said Tuesday. A spokesman for the Sudanese military could not be immediately reached for comment. Claims from both sides are difficult to confirm because journalists and independent observers do not have access to the front lines. The international community has appealed for both sides to silence their weapons and return to the negotiating table, with Sudan facing the latest criticism for bombing Bentiu, which is about 60 miles (nearly 100 kilometers) from Heglig. Last week, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir vowed to never give up the disputed region, whose loss would send the nation's economy reeling. Sudan's oil industry suffered when fighting in Heglig halted oil production in those fields. The Satellite Sentinel Project released images this week suggesting a critical part of the oil pipeline infrastructure was destroyed. The collection manifold, which allows oil flows to be separated or combined without interrupting the flow, appears to have been damaged by an explosion. Analysts could not determine whether the destruction was the result of ground fighting or aerial bombardment, said Jonathan Hutson, a spokesman for the project, which is led by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. Serious damage to the facility would prevent companies from resuming production and would require substantial investment to repair or rebuild. | South Sudan's president cancels the Shanghai leg of his China trip .
His comment during a visit to Beijing marks the latest in fiery war rhetoric .
Tensions between the two spark alarm from the international community .
China -- a crucial trading ally to both nations -- urges restraint and negotiations . |
070a778b2cc801bd6c18f44fde19c9abf5fd4f47 | By . Olivia Williams . PUBLISHED: . 08:58 EST, 5 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:04 EST, 5 March 2013 . Difficult life in the spotlight: Whitney Houston faced an extortion plot shortly after her marriage to Bobby Brown, and a constant stream of obsessive fan mail . Whitney Houston's troubled private life was laid bare yesterday when the FBI revealed it kept a 128 page-file on her - including obsessive fan letters and details of an extortion attempt. Shortly after Houston married singer Bobby Brown, a 'close friend' who was 'privy to . much personal information' allegedly attempted to blackmail her. A . Chicago lawyer wrote to her production company threatening that unless the singer paid $100,000 (£66,000), his client . planned to 'reveal details of [Houston's] private life to . several publications'. Later the blackmail amount was upped still . higher to $250,000 (£165,000). Whitney's father apparently sent the perpetrator a confidentiality . agreement and an unknown sum of money. The FBI monitored her at the height . of her fame between 1988 and 1999 and the files show a decade of dealing with intrusive fans. In 1999 she began receiving letters . and cassette tapes from the Netherlands which she found . threatening. The . FBI interviewed the man, who made outlandish claims that he was the 'President of Europe', purchased Brazil for $66billion and helped . Nelson Mandela win election in South Africa. At the very beginning: Whitney Houston as young up-and-coming singer signing a recording deal with Clive Davis of Arista Records in 1983 . At the height of her fame: Whitney Houston in 1988 when the FBI began monitoring her . Among her fan letters sent by a man from Vermont, New England wrote that he 'might hurt someone with some crazy idea.' He proclaimed his love for the late singer through more than 70 letters in a 17-month period, sent to Houston at the height of her fame. More... Whitney Houston 'visited doctors three times in the eight days before her death' Whitney Houston was 'chronic cocaine user' and drowned after suffering massive heart attack, coroner reveals . The file shows the FBI interviewed the man but the bureau concluded no law was broken because the man said that all he wanted was to proclaim his love for her publicly. After the peak of her career, her behaviour was increasingly erratic. She suffered a long battle with drugs, including cocaine, as well as alcohol and spent various spells in rehab. Hell-raising lifestyle: The FBI revealed that Whitney Houston was blackmailed by a 'close friend' after her marriage to Bobby Brown (right) in 1992 . Career highlight: In 1992 Whitney Houston scored a blockbuster hit with The Bodyguard, for which she also sang her most famous song 'I will always love you' Recent appearances had become increasingly erratic and the years of substance abuse had clearly taken a toll. She cancelled a string of concerts and talk shows as she struggled to cope. In a chat show with Oprah in 2003, . the star admitted the scale of her addiction to smoking crack cocaine. 'It was every day, every,' she said. 'I didn't think about the singing . part of it any more.' Her powerful voice began to suffer . because of her demons prompting record sales to nosedive and in 2007 she . split from husband Bobby Brown after 15 years of marriage. Houston was found dead in 11 February last year in a Beverly Hills hotel bath. She was 48. Authorities said . her death was an accidental drowning due to cocaine use and heart disease. With her only child: Whitney Houston had one daughter, Bobbi Kristina, with husband Bobby Brown . Shortly before she died: Houston was seen looking worse for wear leaving a nightclub in Hollywood days before her death in February 2012 . Paramedics battled to revive the singer but she was pronounced dead hours before she had been due to perform at a pre-Grammys party. Even Houston's funeral was not . without drama. While her daughter with Bobby Brown, Bobbi Kristina, 19, . was in the front row of the church with Houston's mother both in black, . ex-husband Bobby Brown stormed out. Brown had argued with Houston's family over the number of guests he was allowed to bring. Brown was driven away from the funeral but . later returned in time for the start of the home going service. Her mentor, who first gave Houston a . record deal, Clive Davis told the congregation, 'You wait a life time . for that kind of voice to come along'. | FBI's 128 pages on Houston show she was the victim of extortion attempt .
One obsessive fan sent her 70 letters in a 17-month period . |
070ab4795be443221ef594eef4069eb34267785f | (CNN) -- Yemeni jets launched an aerial assault Thursday against suspected senior al Qaeda operatives meeting in a remote location, and about 30 militants were killed, according to the Yemen news agency SABA. Without mentioning a number, the Yemeni Embassy in Washington said in a news release, "Preliminary reports suggest that the strike targeted scores of Yemeni and foreign al Qaeda operatives." One of the militants may have been the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, the embassy said. Al-Awlaki recently told the Arab-language Web site of Al-Jazeera that he had been in touch with the U.S. Army psychiatrist accused of fatally shooting 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5. In that interview, al-Awlaki said Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan communicated with him via e-mail starting about a year before he went on the shooting rampage. Hasan wanted al-Awlaki's advice about killing U.S. troops, the cleric said. "Nasser al-Wuhayshi, the regional al Qaeda leader, and his deputy, Saeed al-Shihri, alongside Anwar al-Awlaki, were presumed to be at the site (of Thursday's attack)," according to a news release from the Yemen Embassy in Washington. Also among those targeted was Mohammed Saleh Oumair, who spoke a few days ago at a rally in Abyan province in southern Yemen, the government said. The apparent purpose of the meeting was to plan a retaliation operation after Yemeni forces raided militant hideouts last week in Abyan and in Sanaa province, where the nation's capital is located, the embassy said. Security forces killed 34 terrorists and arrested 17 in that raid, officials said. Al Qaeda in Yemen has been a growing concern for the country's government and the United States. In late July, Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the U.S. Central Command, and an accompanying delegation met with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. One of the topics of discussion was how to better combat terrorism, according to SABA. | Strike occurred at a hideout where suspects were holding a meeting .
One of militants may have been alleged Fort Hood gunman-linked cleric .
Suspects reportedly planning retaliatory attacks for recent government raid .
Al Qaeda in Yemen a growing concern for the country's government and U.S. |
070af64d0540469ac16304a4919149257361ef01 | A 25-year-old woman from London was today arrested on suspicion of Syria-related terror offences. She was detained at Luton Airport in Bedfordshire by detectives from the West Midlands counter-terrorism unit as she left a flight that had returned to the UK from Istanbul. The woman from Haringey, north London, was arrested as part of a continuing intelligence-led policing operation. Arrest: Detectives from the West Midlands counter-terrorism unit detained the woman at Luton Airport (above) in Bedfordshire on suspicion of Syria-related terror offences . She was being held this afternoon at a police station in the West Midlands on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism. The terror threat level in the UK was raised from substantial to severe earlier this year against a backdrop of increasing concerns over hundreds of aspiring British jihadis travelling to Iraq and Syria to learn terrorist ‘tradecraft’. Fears of a terrorist attack on Britain's streets have heightened in the wake of Islamic State's rise. The extremist group, also known as ISIS, has taken over large swathes of Iraq and Syria and attracted thousands of foreign jihadists to its cause, including more than 500 Britons. A new Counter-terrorism and Security Bill, containing a range of draconian powers including new orders that can block suspected British fighters from returning to the UK, was introduced to Parliament this year. Concern: Fears of a terrorist attack on Britain's streets have heightened in the wake of the rise of extremist group Islamic State (file picture) Separately today, it was reported that the number of arrests in terrorism investigations in Britain had jumped by 40 per cent this year. Police had arrested 312 people for various terrorist offences as of December 16, 2014, compared with 222 offences in 2013, according to data from the Metropolitan Police and Home Office. In addition, detectives in London said they had been contacted by 39 families this year with concerns that a relative may be planning to travel to fight in Syria, reported Bloomberg. Last month a man aged 20 and a woman, 19, from Walsall were detained at London Heathrow Airport on suspicion of Syria-related terrorism offences as they disembarked a flight from Istanbul. Also last month, a 19-year-old man from Coventry was held by counter-terrorism officers at the same airport after arriving on a flight from Jordan. But earlier this year, London Mayor Boris Johnson was roundly criticised after calling for British citizens travelling to Iraq and Syria to be stripped of their passports automatically. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Police detained woman from Haringey, north London, at Luton Airport .
She was leaving flight that had returned to Bedfordshire from Istanbul .
Arrested on suspicion of preparing for terrorism acts and is being held .
Terror threat level in UK was raised from substantial to severe this year . |
070c5dce6d05a65e1fc5fafac17822acc5de5a3c | By . Dan Bloom . A British witch doctor who conned her 'patients' out of £1million to become one of the most prolific conwomen in history has been jailed for 10 years. Juliette D'Souza, 59, persuaded 11 clients to hand over their life savings - which she insisted would be hung from a magic tree in the Amazon as a sacrifice. Instead she spent the cash on first class flights, antique furniture and a £3,000 Hermes handbag. 'Pure evil': Juliette D'Souza told one client that a relative would die if she did not continue giving her money . Jailed: Juliette D'Souza has been described as one of Britain's most prolific conwomen in history . Bizarrely, she would buy designer goods she never used and rent luxury homes which she never visited. Today D'Souza was jailed for 10 years at Blackfriars Crown Court, where police claimed she was every bit as dangerous as a violent criminal. Judge Ian Karsten QC . said she had cast a 'spell' over her victims - who had cancer, disabilities, sick relatives, job worries and fertility problems - persuading them to hand . over the money or face 'terrifying' consequences including the death of their loved ones. A jury took just an hour to convict her of 23 counts of fraud and obtaining property by deception, spanning 12 years from 1998 to 2010. The self-proclaimed healer said she had helped cure John Cleese’s daughter of cancer, boasted of knowing Princess Diana and claimed she could introduce a young . singer to Simon Cowell. Advertising her services . in Tatler magazine, she charged just £35 for a consultation but then . demanded huge sums to be used as the 'sacrifices' in Suriname, South America. There she claimed two other shamans would perform . rituals around the money before it was sent back with all the victims' problems resolved - but the money was never returned. In one especially horrifying case, a client handed over £176,000 in a desperate bid to fall pregnant. The witch doctor of Hampstead: The 59-year-old spent the money on luxury goods she never used . When she finally conceived, D'Souza told her to have . an abortion because . her foetus would be grossly deformed and ‘evil’. Her lies were finally uncovered, along with . ‘voodoo black magic’ which included freezers . stuffed with rotting meat and an abandoned capuchin monkey which was later adopted by Stephen Fry. Judge Karsten told her today: 'It is the worst case of confidence fraud I have ever had to deal with or indeed that I have ever heard of. 'The most serious aspect of this case is that you wrecked the lives of a number of your victims and you have done it out of pure greed. 'You told a number of victims the money would be returned. The reality, as it has emerged, is that you didn’t send any of this . money to South America. You used the cash for your own purposes. 'You . cheated each and every one of these victims. You were able to exercise a . considerable influence and indeed a spell over these victims.' A number of victims were 'subjugated' to . her will so that they 'lost all of their autonomy' and became 'entirely . dependent' on her, he said. 'To reinforce their dependence on you, . you initially saw to it that they were cut off from their friends and . family,' he added. 'You warned them about the "evil temperament" of the people to . whom they were close.' Many victims were left in financial ruin, with one man 'as poor as a church mouse', while the conwoman 'remorselessly extracted' more than £200,000 from an elderly woman over several years. The official amount she defrauded was £908,400, but on the evidence given by victims the final sum was closer to £1million. Police believe the total taken by D'Souza - who had similar previous convictions - could be higher still. D’Souza’s . web was finally untangled in 2007 as she made a series of mistakes . which aroused her victims’ suspicions. She claimed to have attended St . Hilliard’s College, Oxford, which does not exist and got the name of . Princess Diana’s sister wrong. The . woman who had an abortion realised she had been scammed and went to . Hampstead police station in north London, but said officers ‘laughed in . my face’. Victims: Hampstead osteopath Keith Bender, left, referred clients to D'Souza in the belief she could help. Opera singer Silvia Eaves handed over £256,000 for help with stomach problems and to invest in a clinic in Peru . This left her so . angry she forced her way into D’Souza’s home with the help of Mr Bender, . who was paying the rent on that property, and three others. Inside they . found the voodoo treasure trove – which also included drawings of an . ‘evil eye’, burned photos and a brand new barrister’s wig. D’Souza . would give her 'customers' detailed instructions about how the money . was to be paid - always in cash and in a brown envelope. Part of her . system was to demand a full-length photograph from each victim. One . victim - who was told to pay £18,000 or her partner would die - said: . 'I was absolutely terrified. I was living in fear and doing what I was . told.' Another was . 82-year-old former opera singer Sylvia Eaves, who was duped out of more . than £350,000 by D’Souza between 1998 and 2010. Another still was the mother of a . ten-year-old boy with Down’s Syndrome who was conned out of £42,000 when . D’Souza claimed she could cure his behavioural problems. The . widow, whom the judge described as a 'delightful lady', handed over the . money for various reasons including help with a stomach problem and to . 'save' her ill sister. Voodoo dolls: D'Souza's con was exposed when Mr Bender and property manager Keith Mcmahon grew suspicious and broke into her four flats at Willoughby Road in Hampstead, north London . Pet: Mr Bender had been visiting one flat to feed D'Souza's pet monkey, Joey, but did not dare enter the remaining flats for fear they were cursed. The money was later adopted by the TV comic Stephen Fry . 'I’m . relieved that she won’t be doing it to anybody else,' Mrs Eaves said . today. 'I feel terribly sad that somebody who is so clever would resort . to that, especially as she was a friend of mine. I feel terribly let . down that she could behave like that. 'She relieved me of a lot of money but I’m still here. I was gullible, I suppose, but my sister was very ill at the time.' Other . victims included retired solicitor Richard Collier-Wright, who paid . £7,000 to cure his terminal leukaemia, and former photographer Jocelyn . Bain-Hogg, who handed D’Souza thousands to improve the health of his . mother who was having heart surgery. A . couple, who cannot be named, gave tens of thousands to the fraudster . after she claimed she could help with their child’s disability and . behavioural problems. Another . victim, Geoffrey Wheeler, handed over around £160,000 to 'protect' him . from being made redundant but was left in financial ruin. Gear: Piles of rubbish filled the flats and stacks of carrier bags from designer stores littered the rooms . Her barrister, Stephen Fidler, told the court D’Souza’s elderly mother had been unwell for a . considerable time and she visits her every day. But the judge told her: 'I find no mitigating factors in your case at all.' Detective . Constables Linda Kernot and Fiona Graham said: 'We are very pleased . with the sentence. It reflects the serious nature of her actions and the . fact that she has shown no remorse. 'We are relieved that her evil schemes have been stopped as we consider Juliette D’Souza as dangerous as a violent offender. 'She . is a nasty, cruel person who targeted vulnerable people, preying on . them when they were desperate for support and guidance. In the end, her . greed and arrogance was her downfall. 'We want to thank the victims for showing great courage in standing up to her and giving their evidence.' | Juliette D'Souza, 59, from London, conned life savings from 11 people .
She said money was a 'sacrifice' that would be hung from a magic tree .
She 'helped' one woman conceive - then forced her to have an abortion .
Police: 'She is as dangerous as violent offender... a nasty and cruel person'
Victim: 'I was gullible, but my sister was ill at the time. I feel let down'
Jailed at Blackfriars Crown Court on 23 deception and fraud counts . |
070d162449f591d52105d46983543748a4b6357e | Washington (CNN) -- The nation's capital was blanketed by downed trees and power lines Saturday after a killer storm with furious winds whipped through. Bruised and battered, the District of Columbia was reeling from damage as skies cleared and the temperature began to soar again. A man died in the city, electrocuted by a downed power line, police said. His wife was in critical condition. In neighboring Virginia and Maryland, seven people were killed by fallen trees, authorities said. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency Saturday morning. Traffic flowed through major arteries, but smaller roads were a different story. Trees were down in every ward, said D.C. City Administrator Allen Lew. In 19 intersections, the traffic lights were knocked out. Saturday afternoon, more than 67,000 Washington residents still had no power. Another 1 million were in the dark in Virginia. In hard-hit Fairfax County, nearly half of all residents had no electricity. That meant no fans. No air-conditioning. No refrigerators. Authorities encouraged people without power to head to public recreation facilities or libraries to stay cool. But some of Washington's libraries were without power, too, Lew said. McDonnell said 911 emergency systems experienced problems statewide, with entire grids down in Fairfax County and Prince William County. Officials are urging residents to contact their local police and fire departments if in need of help. Much of the problem was due to the trees -- some old and huge -- that snapped in winds gusting at 80 miles per hour. Pepco requested 1,000 crews from around the nation, but it could take them a few days to arrive, said Joseph Rigby, president of the energy company. So far, he said, he has secured 200 crews. But even with the manpower, Rigby urged patience. More erratic weather could hamper recovery speed. There was a possibility of a new line of thunderstorms Saturday night, the National Weather Service said. And then, there was the heat. The Washington area hit 104 degrees on Friday, topping a record of 101 reported in 1934, the weather service said. And it was blistering again Saturday with the heat index topping 100 degrees. The power outages were so great in Fairfax County that officials gave up on the idea of cooling centers. Go to malls, they told people, or other public places that were air-conditioned. In Maryland, the state's emergency management agency reported the opening of cooling centers in Montgomery and Hartford counties. Pepco's Rigby said some areas in and around the capital could be without power for a week. That meant a lot of people will again have trouble sleeping at night. 3 states declare emergencies as heat, deadly storms bring misery to millions . | 8 people are killed in the Washington area .
More than a million people are without power .
That meant no fans or AC as the heat index was again above 100 degrees . |
070d3d2f298467dba3d7ea6d4cbe85b0e6f8f7ac | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Top executives cursed a total of 254 times during analyst calls in the past decade, and their language was more laced with profanities during tough economic times, new research has found. The CEO of Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. James Hagedorn, Ryanair Holdings Plc CEO Michael O-Leary and Merson Electric Co. CEO David Farr make up the Cursing Hall of Fame, according to a Bloomberg News review of thousands of CEO calls with investors and analysts from 2004 to last month. The interesting, though perhaps not . surprising, data shows bosses' cursing spiked in 2009, in the aftermath . of the recession, and has been steadily declining as the recovery . continues. Swear jar: Top executives cursed a total of 254 times during analyst calls in the past decade, and their language was more laced with profanities during tough economic times, new research has found . However, even Hagedorn called himself up . on it recently, apologizing for his foul mouth during a discussion with . analysts, showing the tide has turned. 'It swings back and forth,' Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts psychology professor Timothy Jay told Bloomberg. The use of profanities goes up and down in the same way as gross domestic product and unemployment, the results show. Profanity-laced: Bloomberg calculated that executives used the words f***, God***m, s*** and a**hole a total of 254 times in calls from 2004 to last month . Bloomberg calculated that executives used the words f***, God***m, s*** and a**hole a total of 254 times in calls from 2004 to last month. The naughty words appeared 17, 34, 197 and 6 times, respectively. Hagedorn, O'Leary and Farr are the only bosses to use the F word more than once - with O'Leary coming out on top with five occurrences. 'Speaking personally, I have no interest in f***ing dividends. I am very interested in getting the share price of this airline up,' O'Leary said on July 25, 2011, according to Bloomberg. Hall of F: The CEO of Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. James Hagedorn, Ryanair Holdings Plc CEO Michael O-Leary and Merson Electric Co. CEO David Farr make up the Cursing Hall of Fame . On a call on February 11, 2013, Farr said 'g**d***' three times, mainly to insist the firm was 'not a g**d*** one trick pony.' And on February 14, 2012, Hagedorn said if you looked at the profit and loss 'it clearly was a s****y year' and also said 'I'm like "f***, Valentine's Day!"' during a story about forgetting the holiday. But each of them have been trying to tame their tempers in the past year, their companies have said, with Hagedorn even getting a unanimously supported reprimand last year. | The CEO of Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. James Hagedorn, Ryanair Holdings Plc CEO Michael O-Leary and Merson Electric Co. CEO David Farr make up the Cursing Hall of Fame .
Bloomberg News review of thousands of CEO calls with investors and analysts from 2004 to last month to get the data .
The research shows bosses' cursing spiked in 2009, in the aftermath of the recession, and has been steadily declining with the recovery . |
070d6c2162d1bf6ec0d3ad9fd8373c917e5287b5 | By . Deni Kirkova . Fashion-forward pet owners can now help their pampered pooch follow suit thanks to the custom made ‘paw bag'. Created as an exact replica of their owner's favourite handbag, the miniature totes for dogs claim to be the ultimate accessory for style-savvy pets. The concept comes from a luxury accessories retailer and luxury launches website, allowing dogs to carry their possessions around in true designer style. Fashionista dog owners can now accessorise with their pampered pooch thanks to the 'paw bag' Owners can choose any handbag from Forzieri.com or selected partner brand to be made into miniature for a beloved pooch - creating an adorable matching set. The pawbag is then attached safely to the dog's collar - coordinating with that attached to their owner's arm. Andrea Forzieri, CEO & founder of Forzieri.com said: 'An increasing amount of fashion-conscious women are owning dogs. 'We felt that they would delight in enabling their pooches to match their own elegant style.' The concept comes form luxury accessories retailer Forzieri.com and luxury launches website, VeryFirst.com . Prices for the bags, available on luxury launches website VeryFirstTo.com, range from between £301 to £3,042, with a minimum turnaround of two weeks. The designs were created with help from VeryFirstTo.com, who conducted a survey to find the world's most fashionable dog. Topping the results was the labrador - followed closely by the Golden Retriever and Dalmation.The least fashionable dog was the Scottish breed, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. Marcel . Knobil, founder of VeryFirstTo, said: 'This wonderful fashion-forward . ‘pawbag' will make even the least fashionable dog feel worthy of the . "dogwalk". 'We anticipate that Forzieri has created a trend that will sweep across the globe.' The bags allow dogs to carry their own treats in designer style . Prices for the bags range from between £301 to £3,042, with a minimum turnaround of two weeks . 1. Labrador2. Golden Retriever3. Dalmatian4. Miniature Schnauzer5. Yorkshire TerrierThe top five least fashionable dogs to own:1. Dandie Dinmont Terrier2. Norwegian Lundehund3. Otterhound4. Skye Terrier5. Lowchen . | Miniatures of handbags from Forzieri.com or selected partners now made .
Princes range from £301 to £3,042, with minimum turnaround of two weeks .
Available on luxury launches website VeryFirstTo.com . |
070e235d3dc60e513ee5df359aa7ddfc35c007d6 | Water can be made to appear to flow in a remarkable corkscrew shaped stream by means of a simple experiment involving the right frequency of bass and a video camera with an adjustable frame rate. A mesmerising YouTube video shows how one amateur scientist made the flow appear to stay still then, by adjusting bass frequency, rotate in both directions. The video, uploaded along with a how-to guide by user brusspup on Monday, has already gone viral - attracting nearly 500,000 views and nearly 18,000 'thumbs up'. Corkscrew: Water can be made to appear to flow in a remarkable corkscrew shaped stream by means of a simple experiment involving the right frequency of bass and a video camera with an adjustable frame rate . Brusspup said on the video-sharing site: 'This is a really fun project and when you first see the results, chances are your jaw will drop.' The effect cannot be seen with the naked eye, so anyone who wants to try it at home will have to first get their hands on a camera capable of shooting at exactly 24 frames per second. To recreate the effect, the first thing you will need to do is get hold of an amplifier and a speaker with a frequency response low enough to reach 23hz - a very low bass sound. Connect the speaker to a computer running tone generating software - many such programs are available as open-source freeware - and tune it down to 24hz . Take a soft rubber hose and connect that to your tap, then run it down past the speaker, across the cone, so that one or two inches hang past the bottom of the case, and tape it securely into place. Optical illusion: The effect cannot be seen with the naked eye, so anyone who wants to try it at home will have to first get their hands on a camera capable of shooting at exactly 24 frames per second . 'The goal is to make sure the hose is touching the actual speaker so that when the speaker produces sound (vibrates) it will vibrate the hose,' brusspup explains. Point the camera at the end of the hose, turn on your tap, press play on your tone generator and, as brusspup puts it: 'Watch the magic begin'. The effect can be changed by altering the frequency of the tone. Set it to 23hz and it will look like it's moving backwards. Set it to 25hz and the stream will appear as though its moving forward in slow motion. Variable: The effect can be changed by altering the frequency of the tone. Set it to 23hz and it will look like it's moving backwards. Set it to 25hz and the stream will appear as though its moving forward in slow motion . One of the top rated comments on the video's YouTube page explains how it works. User necraduq explains: 'When the frequency of the speaker is the same with the frequency of the video frames (frames/sec) the camera actually captures the same frame everytime and thus the same water shape. 'You can see the change 1hz makes when filming (if filming is kept at the same rate 24fps) as this translates into a "forward movement". 'Imagine a clock with only a seconds indicator. If you would close your eyes and open them precisely once every 60 seconds you would think the indicator is not moving.' | Video explaining the optical illusion has gone viral on YouTube .
Vibrations from a very low sine wave give the stream its shape .
But it can only be viewed through a camera with the right frame rate . |
070e291d1388c46855baafd53fdf2b9bbb0ba057 | Friends and colleagues of a stunning 23-year-old up-and-coming tennis player have expressed shock at the news she had dropped dead from heart failure. Russian Violetta Degtiareva was already ranked 1,084 in the world with her highest ranking at 947 despite her young age. Her most notable career moment was reaching the quarter-finals at the ITF-Turnier in Turkey. But her stunning good looks meant she was being hailed as the next Anna Kournikova. Russian Violetta Degtiareva was already ranked 1,084 in the world - at just 23 years of age . Degtiareva was hailed as the next Anna Kournikova because of her stunning good looks . Also Russian, her beauty gave her celebrity status and helped to make her one of the highest-paid players. Blonde Violetta had started to attract similar fame, but has now suddenly died after apparently collapsing during a training session. The blonde beauty, who was born in the city of Rostov in south-western Russia close to the border with Ukraine, reportedly suffered heart failure and it is not yet clear as to whether she died at her training centre or on the way to hospital. News of her death was not immediately released and only became public when her close friend and fellow tennis player Anastasia Vdovenco, 20, posted it on Facebook, where it was picked up by Russian media. Anastasia said: 'I can hardly believe it. Rest in peace.' Media reports did not specify where Violetta was training when she was taken ill. The blonde beauty, who was born in the city of Rostov in south-western Russia close to the border with Ukraine, reportedly suffered heart failure . Friends of Degtiareva have expressed their shock at her death, which seems to have happened in training . Degtiareva was a rising star in the tennis world - her career cut tragically short . | Russian tennis player Violetta Degtiareva, ranked 1,084, died in training .
Friends and colleagues of the 23-year-old express their shock at her death .
A friend and fellow player posted news about her death on Facebook . |
070e5f4dbbfe7640383a93ac1df7fd0b1ed0387d | (CNN) -- Police in Nigeria's capital have banned all protests planned in support of the more than 200 girls kidnapped in April. Commissioner Joseph Mbu said the proliferation of such protests "is now posing a serious security threat" to those living around, and driving through, demonstration sites in the capital city of Abuja. "I cannot fold my hands and watch this lawlessness," he said in a statement Monday. "Information reaching us is that too soon dangerous elements will join the groups under the guise of protest and detonate explosive(s) aimed at embarrassing the government. Accordingly protests on the Chibok Girls is hereby banned with immediate effect," the commissioner continued. More than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped in northern Nigeria in April by Boko Haram, in an act that drew international condemnation. The terror group abducted an estimated 276 girls on April 14 from a boarding school in Chibok. Dozens escaped, but more than 200 girls are still missing. Nigerians and others have accused their government of not acting swiftly or efficiently enough to protect the girls seized in the dead of night. Boko Haram translates as "Western education is a sin" in the Hausa language. The militant group says its aim is to impose a stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south. CNN's Dana Ford contributed to this report. | Demonstrations are banned in the capital city of Abuja .
Police are worried about "dangerous elements" joining the protests .
More than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped in northern Nigeria . |
070e8411de507ce9a1a6c789fc3e5582ad1ad044 | More than two decades ago, he forced his way into the England team. But now, David 'Syd' Lawrence is bossing the over-40 bodybuilding scene. The former England bowler is best remembered for an agonising injury in his delivery stride in New Zealand 1992 that saw his left knee cap shattered, him screaming in agony on the floor and his cricket career done for. But the 50-year-old is back in sporting action, posing and parading his bronzed physique. VIDEO Scroll down to watch David 'Syd' Lawrence as an over-40s bodybuilding champion . Former England bowler David 'Syd' Lawrence poses on a stage after taking to over-40s bodybuilding contests . Lawrence has taken to bodybuilding almost two decades after a horrific injury to his left knee cap in 1992 . Lawrence, now 50, poses and parades his bronzed physique during his most recent bodybuilding competition . Lawrence recently won National Amateur Body Building Association's West of England champion for over-40s . The former right-arm fast bowler was recently crowned the National Amateur Body Building Association's West of England champion for the over-40s category, and told the Daily Mirror he's taken to the tough regime. 'I went to a competition in my mid-40s with a friend of mine who was competing and I looked at the people on the stage and I thought, "I can do this",' he says. 'But after turning my hand to it, I discovered the hardest part wasn’t the weights and training in the gym, by far the toughest part was the 14 weeks of dieting before competition. Lawrence in action for England in a match against the West Indies at Lord's in May 1991 . Lawrence clutches his leg after his horror fall while playing for England in Wellington in 1992 . Born: January 28, 1964, Gloucester . County: Gloucestershire . Bowling style: Right-arm fast . Test debut: 1988 v Sri Lanka . Test record (bowling only) Matches: 5 Wickets 18. Best bowl (inns): 5-106 Best bowl (match): 7-173. Av: 37.55 . First class record . Matches: 185. Wickets: 515 Best bowl (inns): 7-47 Average: 32.07 . 'It is the toughest thing I’ve done mentally and physically and that is the difference between guys who want to get big and look good, and guys who are serious body-builders and want to compete.' Former Gloucestershire paceman Lawrence admits the dark days surrounding his injury may have seen him go 'through a bout of depression' but he is thankful he survived what turned out to be the toughest period of his life. 'It wasn’t something that was as understood as it is now, but it was a dark place,' he continues. 'Something had been taken away from me and I couldn’t understand why. I got very low and was left wondering, "what do I do now?" 'Eventually I realised that I just had to get on with my life. I became a bit of an entrepreneur and I’ve got no complaints at all, I’ve been very lucky really.' Lawrence bowling in 1991 a year before his horrific injury that would eventually see him retire from cricket . | David 'Syd' Lawrence has become an over-40s bodybuilding champion .
The former England bowler has been videoed in his latest competition .
An injury that shattered his left knee cap in 1992 ended his cricket career .
Lawrence believes he has 'been very lucky' to get his life back on track .
'I realised that I just had to get on with my life,' he admits about the injury . |
070f1f89f29917a24389980443cc22bc81b9c1d2 | Bradford midfielder Billy Knott has taken to Twitter to thank John Terry for giving his dad a signed shirt following his side's stunning 4-2 FA Cup win against Chelsea on Saturday. The former Chelsea youngster was still revelling in the win on Sunday morning as he posed with his father, Steve, and the famous No 26 shirt of the Blues captain. Knott tweeted: 'Thanks to jt top man give the shirt to my dad. What a day that was every were we goooo [sic].' Billy Knott shows off his signed shirt from John Terry following Bradford's 4-2 win against Chelsea . Bradford were 2-0 down in their fourth-round tie at Stamford Bridge after goals from Gary Cahill and Ramires for the Premier League leaders. However, a strike before half-time from Jon Stead followed by goals from Filipe Morais and Andy Halliday put the Bantams ahead before Mark Yeates confirmed their progress in injury time. A dressing room visit from Jose Mourinho was the 'icing on the cake' for Bradford goalkeeper Ben Williams after the Bantams' astounding 4-2 comeback win over Chelsea in the FA Cup on Saturday. The Bradford squad celebrate their famous FA Cup fourth round win at Stamford Bridge on Saturday . League One Bradford were 2-0 down in their fourth-round tie at Stamford Bridge after goals from Gary Cahill and Ramires for the Premier League leaders. However, a strike before half-time from Jon Stead followed by goals from Filipe Morais and Andy Halliday put the Bantams ahead before Mark Yeates confirmed their progress in injury time. Mourinho admitted he was 'ashamed' and 'embarrassed' after the defeat, but the Portuguese was keen to congratulate the Bradford players after the match. A dressing room visit from Mourinho was the icing on the cake for Bradford goalkeeper Ben Williams, who claimed the humility shown by Mourinho added to what was already an incredible day. Knott (centre) in action during the FA Cup fourth round clash against his former club . Jose Mourinho (right) visited the Bradford dressing room to congratulate the players after their win . A dressing room visit from Jose Mourinho was the 'icing on the cake' for Bradford goalkeeper Ben Williams . 'It was fantastic. The scenes, the look on everyone's faces was amazing, something which will live long in the memory,' Williams told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme. 'The fans were amazing and after that Mourinho came into the dressing room and shook everyone's hand and congratulated us, that was a surreal moment as well. 'In he walked and the celebrations stopped. This figure waltzed into the dressing room. He was very classy, very humble, very respectful - it was the icing on the cake.' Knott celebrates with the Bradford bench following their team's historic win at Stamford Bridge . | Billy Knott received signed shirt from John Terry following Bradford's 4-2 FA Cup win against Chelsea .
Knott took to Twitter to thank 'top man' Terry for the gift .
Bantams are though to FA Cup fifth round following memorable win . |
071125bdb78ae9c4fd1755182141cf8a42a55feb | Jinan, China (CNN) -- Bo Xilai, the former high-flying Chinese politician whose dramatic fall from grace shook the ruling Communist Party, made a defiant court appearance Thursday, disputing several of the accusations against him at his trial in eastern China. Once considered a contender for the top rungs of China's political hierarchy, Bo is now on trial on charges of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power. A charismatic and divisive figure when he was in power, Bo has spent more than a year in detention. During that time, his name has regularly been featured in headlines, but he has been kept out of public view. On Thursday, he returned to the spotlight, albeit one controlled by Chinese authorities. Timeline: Bo's fall from grace . Many observers had expected the high-profile court hearing in the eastern city of Jinan to stick to a script of accusation, admission and conviction. But Bo, 64, appeared to be unwilling Thursday to let all the prosecution's allegations against him go unchallenged. The Thursday session has been adjourned and proceedings will resume at 8:30 a.m. local time Friday, the Jinan Intermediate People's Court said. Testimony disputed . In posts about the proceedings on its official microblog account, the Jinan court said that Bo contested the claim that he had taken bribes from Tang Xiaolin, a businessman in the northeastern industrial city of Dalian, where Bo used to be mayor. Bo said that he had previously accepted the charge "unwillingly" when he was being investigated by a party disciplinary commission. "But at that time, I didn't know the details mentioned above," he said, according to the court. After watching a video in which Tang detailed how he sent Bo money, Bo remarked, "I saw an ugly performance by a person who sold his soul," the court said. The prosecutor showed the court written testimony from Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, who was convicted last year of murdering a British businessman. Gu's statement mentioned a safe the couple shared from which she took tens of thousands of dollars to cover expenses for her and their son, who was studying in Britain at the time. Bo reportedly described Gu's testimony as "ridiculous" and questioned its reliability, as it came after she received a suspended death sentence for her murder conviction. He then said that an accusation that another Dalian business executive, Xu Ming, gave him and his family a multimillion-dollar villa in the south of France is "totally false." Although Chinese authorities had talked of a public trial for Bo, the former party boss of the sprawling southwestern metropolis of Chongqing, journalists from the international news media weren't allowed in the courtroom. Reporters had to rely on the frequent updates from the court's microblog account and official state-run news outlets, as well as a separate briefing by officials. As it dished out details through the day, the court's account on the Twitter-like Weibo service quickly gained tens of thousands of followers. China leaves nothing to chance for Bo Xilai 'trial of the century' High conviction rate . It wasn't immediately clear whether Bo's denial of part of the allegations was an unexpected development. The court's publication of his comments suggested that authorities were comfortable with the situation. And his rejection of bribery allegations doesn't mean the court will acquit him. The conviction rate for criminal trials and their appeals in China -- where the party controls police, prosecution and courts -- stood at 99.9% in 2010, a U.S. State Department report cited the Supreme People's Court as saying. Analysts have suggested that the court proceedings are more about settling Communist Party business than delivering justice. "It's a political exercise," Joseph Cheng, a political science professor at the City University of Hong Kong, said before the trial started. "It is not a trial, per se, but a political settlement." Bo's punishment will in part be retaliation for his audacity in challenging Hu Jintao, Xi Jinping and other top party leaders by pushing his own "Chongqing model" and engaging in public grandstanding, Cheng said. First photos in more than a year . Authorities published photos Thursday of Bo, who hadn't been seen in public since he was stripped of his high-ranking party posts in April 2012. One image showed him standing at the dock in a white, long-sleeved shirt, flanked by two tall uniformed police officers. His hands, clasped in front of him, were not in handcuffs, and he appeared little changed compared with pictures taken before he disappeared from public view. The court published what it said was a dialogue between Bo and the chief judge in which the defendant was cited as saying he hoped the court "can hear my case reasonably and fairly, as well as following our country's legal procedure." The chief judge replied that the court "understands your concerns, and will use our legal authority fairly and in accordance to the law." Bo's spectacular downfall -- complete with tales of murder, corruption and betrayal -- set off the Communist Party's biggest political crisis in decades. His wife is in prison. Their son, living in the United States, says he hasn't spoken to his parents in a year and half. Five members of Bo's family were in the public gallery at the trial Thursday, state media reported without providing their names. They were joined by 105 other people, including 19 journalists. Bo Xilai trial: Son Bo Guagua hopes father can 'answer his critics' A career unravels . Bo is a princeling, a term that refers to the children of revolutionary veterans who boast of political connections and influence. His late father, Bo Yibo, was a revolutionary contemporary of Mao and former leader Deng Xiaoping. Over the past three decades, Bo rose to power as a city mayor, provincial governor, minister of commerce and member of the Politburo, the powerful policymaking body of the Communist Party. A charismatic and urbane politician, Bo was credited with a spectacular, albeit brutal, crackdown on organized crime during his time in Chongqing. But when his deputy, Wang Lijun, walked into the U.S. Consulate in the city of Chengdu in February of last year and told American diplomats that Bo's wife, Gu, was an accomplice in a murder case, a glittering political career began to unravel. Wang's move precipitated Bo's political demise. Soon after news of the events began to emerge, Bo was removed from his party posts. A court found Gu guilty last year of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood in a Chongqing hotel room in 2011. A family employee, Zhang Xiaojun, was also convicted in the killing and sentenced to nine years in prison. The following month, Wang was convicted of bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power and bribe-taking. He received a 15-year prison sentence. The last chapter? Bo's trial is seen as a potentially concluding chapter in the scandal. Authorities haven't said how long it will last. But with only part of the charges reportedly addressed in the first day, it appears it could go on for longer than the two days some observers had predicted. Under the bribery indictment, prosecutors accuse Bo of using his political posts to secure influence for others. They say that between 2000 and 2012, Bo, Gu and their son, Bo Guagua, received about 22 million renminbi ($3.6 million) in bribes from Tang and Xu, the Dalian businessmen. The embezzlement charge alleges that Bo and Gu transferred 5 million renminbi of public money from a construction project in Dalian to a private account through a law firm in Beijing. And the abuse of power indictment relates to Bo's actions after he was informed about his wife's involvement in the killing of Heywood and Wang's attempted defection to the United States. CNN's David McKenzie and Steven Jiang reported from Jinan. Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong. K.J. Kwon and Jaime A. FlorCruz in Beijing contributed to this report. | NEW: Court adjourned Thursday and will resume Friday morning .
Bo denies taking bribes from businessmen in Dalian .
The former top official calls written testimony from his jailed wife ridiculous .
Bo describes a former associate's testimony as "an ugly performance" |
07115b48caab08684080565d3a422fffc5f2c862 | By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 04:52 EST, 7 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:39 EST, 7 February 2014 . She has already spent $7,000 on a nose job and breast implants to achieve her dream of winning Miss Venezuela. But for Maya Nava, this was not enough. The 18-year-old has had plastic mesh sewn to her tongue so that eating solids is simply too painful. 'It makes me lose weight faster,' she tells the BBC3 show Extreme Beauty Queens: Secrets of South America. 'You eat the same [things] but liquefied.' Maya is one of thousands of young girls desperate to be crowned Miss Venezuela and their families will do virtually anything to make it happen. Scroll down for video . Ambitions: Maya Nava has had plastic surgery on her breasts and nose to ensure she has the best chance of winning Miss Venezuela . Shocking: Maya reveals she has had plastic sewn to her tongue so that she cannot eat solids and remains thin . 'My wish is to be recognised,' she reveals. 'I want . people to know that people from the slums can succeed. 'It would . guarantee me and my family a future. It would allow us to leave the . barrio.' Maya's determination to succeed is unsurprising. She lives in the Santa Cruz barrio in Caracas where there is a murder every 40 minutes. And with more Miss Worlds than any other country and a TV audience of 50 million for the final of the national competition, beauty pageants are big business in Venezuela. Winning the Miss Venezuela pageant can mean a starry showbiz career and a route out of poverty, and as a result, there's no lengths that Venezuelan girls won't go to to win the prize. Overseen by the country's 'King of Beauty', Osmel Sousa, 67, competitors spend the six months leading up to the final in a tough beauty bootcamp where feelings aren't spared, the cameras are always watching and surgery is routine. Surgery: There are no lengths that girls in Osmel's 'Beauty Factory' won't go to to win the competition . Svengali: Miss Venezuela president Osmel Sousa speaks to BBC reporter Billie JD Porter . Thinning the ranks: The no-hopers are regularly weeded out by Osmel and his panel of judges . The Miss Venezuela House is run by the svengali-like Sousa, who is always on hand to check the progress of the girls - and dispense an unlimited supply of cutting advice. Competitors are thinned out at regular evictions judged by Sousa. Watching the women sashay down the runway, he uses his eagle eye for imperfections to spot areas for improvement. 'The two central teeth!' he exclaims as one beauty walks towards him. Blushing, she replies: 'They filed them down yesterday.' 'File them down more!' is his response. Not everyone approves of the extensive surgery the contestants undergo. The mother of Lara, another competitor insists her daughter won't have surgery because it 'would not be a fair contest'. She adds: 'All this surgery... Is it a competition to see who is the best surgeon or who's the prettiest girl?' Back in the Miss Venezuela House, Sousa is once again thinning the ranks of hopefuls. 'Listen girl, let me tell you, that . beehive hairdo looks horrendous!' he snaps at one. Tipped for the top: Regional winners Stephanie de Zorzi and Michelle Bertolini . Winner: Migbellis Castellanos narrowly beat Maya Neva to become Miss Venezuela 2013 . When a girl faints, he tells her: 'If you faint . like a beauty queen, get up like one too!' Later, he quips: 'I'm checking for girls who've got fat and to see they act like it's the final. There are a few who aren't concentrating.' While Sousa, who has done more than any other to ensure Venezuela's continuing success in international beauty pageants, might seem offensive, he insists that it's really all about the transformation. 'I am always working on that [what women . can do],' he insists. 'When I was little, I had Attention Deficit Disorder. I couldn't study, I'd just forget . everything so I drew beautiful women constantly. 'What I love is seeing positive . transformations,' he continues. 'Nature hasn't been kind to some women. Hopefuls: Girls taking part in Osmel's beauty bootcamp are expected to perfect everything from figure to voice . Hopefuls: Girls taking part in Osmel's beauty bootcamp are expected to perfect everything from figure to voice . Living the dream: Miss Venezuela (centre) and the two runners up can now expect a stellar showbiz career . 'If a girl needs a . nose job, you get her one. It's an industry so we strive for . perfection. We can't settle for mediocrity.' Not every woman meets with his approval however, with feminist protesters among those in line for another dose of caustic Sousa wisdom. 'Those organisations were created by ugly betties with no . hope of a fix!' he insists. 'They're all horrendous! 'They [feminist protesters] are taking things out of . context. We're not training astronauts here - we launch women's showbiz . careers.' And for women like Maya, who eventually - to the delight of her Santa Cruz neighbours - comes second in the Miss Venezuela pageant, success can be a route out of poverty too. | Would-be Miss Venezuelas spend thousands of dollars on surgery .
Competition overseen by Simon Cowell esque svengali, Osmel Sousa, 67 .
Maya, 18, has had a nose job, boob job and has plastic sewn to her tongue .
Plastic mesh makes eating solids painful and helps with weight loss .
Sousa says feminists who disapprove are 'ugly betties who never got a fix' |
071201b9998909688c3cb2df355131ec08b4d671 | Shola Ameobi will not be re-signing for Newcastle United and will instead try to follow Steven Gerrard to the MLS. The former Magpies striker - who quit Turkish side Gaziantep last week - has been at the club’s training ground over the past few days receiving treatment on an ankle injury. That led to speculation that he could be joining United on a deal until the end of the season. Shola Ameobi will not be making a return to Newcastle United and may move to Major League Soccer . Newcastle caretaker manager John Carver allowed Ameobi to return and receive treatment on an injury . Ameobi left Turkish club Gaziantep last week and is considering a move to the States . However, Ameobi’s relationship with Newcastle caretaker John Carver - who brought the 33-year-old through the academy - means he has been allowed to use the medical staff and facilities in a bid to regain fitness. And Carver - former boss of Toronto FC in the MLS - explained: ‘He’s come in because he’s got a problem with his ankle. He knows the medical staff and knows me from way back. ‘We’ve allowed him to come in and get some treatment. He’s actually talking about possibly going to the MLS. If I can help him in that then I will.’ Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is also set to move to America to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy . | Shola Ameobi will not be re-signed by Newcastle United .
The former Magpies striker has been receiving treatment on an ankle injury at the club's training ground after leaving Gaziantep last week .
But Newcastle caretaker boss John Carver says he won't be staying .
Ameobi is weighing up a move to Major League Soccer in America .
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard announced move to LA Galaxy this week . |
07122b4a086ce6415903b8d125632d8d11201926 | Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Six Haitian orphans, seized by national authorities last week as they prepared to journey to the United States, will be able to leave the earthquake-devastated country Wednesday. The U.S. Embassy retained custody of the children Tuesday and they were handed over to three American women who have been trying to escort them out. The women had attempted to leave Saturday when angry Haitians demanded to see their paperwork. Police suspected that a key document the women were carrying -- a permission signed by Haiti's prime minister -- was a fake, something the women and U.S. officials deny. There is no chance the paperwork is fake, said Sarah Thacker, one of the three women. Thacker, from Minnesota, was in Haiti to bring home her newly adopted son. Police did not arrest the women, but temporarily placed the children under government custody at a local orphanage. The women said Tuesday that they had been given permission to take the children to the United States. The women were staying with the children at a friend's house in Port-au-Prince. Full coverage of Haiti earthquake . The incident came nearly a month after the arrest of 10 U.S. missionaries accused of trying to take 33 Haitian children out of the country without proper paperwork. Eight of them have been released on bail and have returned to the United States. The question of Haitian children being removed from the country illegally came to the foreground after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake devastated parts of the country on January 12. Authorities feared that children left on their own -- because their parents died or they were separated from them -- would be targeted by child traffickers. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has backed Thacker's efforts. "They have filled out all the paperwork," she said. "This is a legitimate orphanage that has brought other children to America. And I feel like these little babies are just caught up in this international dispute, and it's just not fair." CNN's Gary Tuchman and Ismael Estrada contributed to this report. | Haitian orphans set to leave for United States on Wednesday .
U.S. women say they were given permission to leave country with orphans .
Police had suspected a permission signed by Haiti's prime minister was a fake . |
071231d3806a45fc2ef7310cc9d4f146e585578d | HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- Cuba will allow its citizens to stay in hotels previously reserved for foreigners, the latest in a series of decisions to lift bans on goods and services that the average Cuban can't afford. The prohibition on staying in foreigners-only hotels unnerved many Cubans, who complained that foreigners were being afforded rights that were denied to ordinary citizens. Cubans will be allowed to stay in the hotels beginning at midnight Monday, said employees at several Havana hotels. Word of the change came from Tourism Ministry officials, the employees said. For most Cubans, the measure is largely symbolic, as hotel rates are unaffordable. Tourist hotels in Cuba can cost anywhere from $60 to more than $200 a night -- well out of reach for most Cubans, who earn fewer than $20 a month on average. The hotel announcement comes after the government lifted a ban last week on Cubans owning cell phones. That privilege, too, will be too costly for most Cubans. Watch Cubans' reactions to cell phone privileges » . The Cuban government did not say how much cell phones will cost, but it currently costs more than $120 to activate a line. "It's light years from what I can buy," one Cuban said of the cell phone cost. The relaxed rules represent the first nuts-and-bolts changes since February when Raúl Castro succeeded his brother Fidel as president. When he took the helm, Raúl Castro said reforms would be on the way. "I have referred to an excess of prohibitions and regulations, and in the next few weeks we'll start lifting the most simple of them," he said. The Cuban government also recently approved the sale of computers, microwaves and DVD players to Cubans -- items previously sold only to foreigners and companies. Before the ban on staying in hotels was lifted, Cuban critics called the restrictions "tourist apartheid." In a video that made the rounds on the Internet in February, a student asked the president of Cuba's National Assembly why Cubans could not travel freely to such resorts. Though such public displays of discontent are rare, the video echoed sentiments voiced in private for years, particularly since the fall of the Soviet empire in 1991. Cuba lost billions of dollars in subsidies when its ally fell. Cuba depends on tourism as its major source of revenue. On average, more than 2 million tourists visit Cuba annually. The country's Tourism Ministry recently announced that at least 10 hotels will be built in the capital, Havana, between 2008 and 2010. The United States has long sought to isolate Cuba's communist government and restricts American travel to the island nation. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Morgan Neill and Shasta Darlington contributed to this report. | Cubans make about $20 a month on average; tourist hotels start at $60 a night .
Cubans allowed to stay in tourist hotels beginning at midnight Monday .
Government recently lifted bans on cell phones, computers, DVD players . |
0713edd28f5f4b89becbecb7f6cc27f60aae52a0 | By . Adam Crafton . What a difference a year makes. At the beginning of April last year, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United headed into the derby at Old Trafford 15 points clear of Manchester City. On Tuesday evening, it is Manuel Pellegrini’s City who will stroll into their neighbours’ backyard with a strut of arrogance, knowing United’s status has been diminished to that of inferiors. This time it is they who sit in the ascendency, 12 points ahead of David Moyes’ ailing side. A win would convert 12 into 15. Damning: Our graphic shows years of United dominance, with the difference in points between the two sides going into Old Trafford derbies heavily in their favour, but the pendulum appears to have swung . Bubble's burst: David Moyes will be desperate to beat Manchester City at Old Trafford on Tuesday night . Saviour? Wayne Rooney scores his wonder goal against West Ham last weekend . Focus: Manchester City's players look fired up in their training session ahead of the derby at Old Trafford . Two more victories in City’s games in hand on United and the gap would become 21. It is a prospect barely worth thinking about for those at Old Trafford, offering a frightening snapshot of just how far United have plummeted in the post-Ferguson era. Yet there would also be little surprise if United were to surrender once more. After all, they have won just one match in 12 against the top nine in the Barclays Premier League this season, losing seven of those. It is not difficult to see, therefore, why City are the bookmakers’ favourites to win a match at Old Trafford for the first time since the inception of the Premier League. City have inflicted the odd flesh wound in the past, of course. Kevin Keegan’s side, with Jon Macken up front rather than Sergio Aguero, as the main man beat United 4-1 at the City of Manchester Stadium in 2004. More cuttingly, there was that 6-1 . two years ago at Old Trafford, leaving Ferguson ‘shattered’ after the . ‘worst result in my history, ever’. And then there was the last-gasp . Aguero goal to snatch the title from United in the most dramatic manner . possible. These were . body-blows to the United system but they were swiftly corrected, first . through the signing of Robin van Persie, ahead of City, and . then by reclaiming the title in Ferguson’s final season. Blip? Shaun Goater scores for Manchester City in the 3-1 win at Maine Road in 2002 . Unprecedented: Trevor Sinclair celebrates back in 2004 during the 4-1 rout of their rivals . Old rivalry: City fans goad then opposition manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the 2004 victory . It's been 44 years since Manchester City beat United in three consecutive league matches. City could break this run if they win at Old Trafford on Wednesday. The Blues won 2-1 at Old Trafford last April before battering David Moyes' side 4-1 in his first derby at the Etihad in September. So, can they make it three on the bounce once again? It is a very long time indeed since United were last unequivocally considered the weaker force in Manchester and that should be a serious concern within the walls of Old Trafford. Certainly, it has never been the case in the Premier League era. Indeed, only twice before have United entered a Manchester derby at home in the Premier League trailing City on points. Before the 6-1 in 2012, City were two points ahead of Ferguson’s side but that was after just eight games. The only other occasion was an anomaly, in September 2005, when United were one point behind Stuart Pearce’s City. City had played four games to United three, meaning that particular statistic was rather skewed. Another rout: City hammered United at the Etihad earlier this season with Sergio Aguero scoring . Not you again: Aguero struck the winner at Old Trafford last season with a powerful effort after a nice run . Relief for United: Aguero has been ruled out of Tuesday's derby with a hamstring injury . The turnaround can perhaps be more readily attributed to United’s decline than City’s development in this past year. Intriguingly, for all the calmness instilled by their phlegmatic manager, City are only four points better off than they were after 28 games last season. United, by contrast, are 26 points worse off than they were at the same stage last season. All things considered, it does not require much this season to be more formidable than Moyes’ side. Big-game player: Yaya Toure has been in exceptional form of late for City . Unstoppable: Rooney scores a tremendous overhead kick against City in 2011 . Tormentor: Rooney has a penchant for scoring against City in Manchester derbies . But we should not forget that is new territory for City supporters, for the first time indisputably the dominant outfit. Previously, this would be the stuff of printed T-shirts. Now, it is par for the course. This can be rammed home if Pellegrini’s side secure a third consecutive league victory at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. That has not happened for more than 40 years, when City won five games in a row at the home of United between 1967 and 1972. Another enemy: Steven Gerrard celebrates after scoring against Manchester United . Sore sight: Luis Suarez netted Liverpool's third at Old Trafford on a dismal day for United fans . It would be the latest of a succession of records to topple under Moyes and fresh on the back of a 3-0 humiliation by Liverpool, defeat against City would provide compelling evidence that the tide has turned irretrievably in Manchester. Dropping below City or Liverpool is one thing, to fall below the two is another thing entirely. But that is the unacceptable reality that the rank-and-file at Old Trafford may be just obliged to accept come Tuesday evening at The Theatre of Dreams. Bygone era: Francis Lee (left) was part of a Manchester City team that dominated United for a period . Glory days: City fans run on the pitch at Old Trafford in 1974 after Denis Law's goal relegated United . | If Man City beat United at Old Trafford they will widen gap to 15 points .
First time in Premier League that City are bookies' favourites at Old Trafford .
David Moyes desperate to win to atone for 4-1 thumping at Etihad . |
07143be6fc1ba9b02daf2806ab7d1e20bca0dc40 | (CNN) -- Grammy Award winner John Legend will perform at this year's "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," airing Thanksgiving night on the global networks of CNN. Legend will perform "Wake Up Everybody," featuring hip-hop artist Common and Canadian R&B singer Melanie Fiona. Joining the list of stars participating in the show are presenters Halle Berry, Demi Moore, Jessica Alba, Kid Rock, LL Cool J, Renee Zellweger, Gerard Butler, Kiefer Sutherland, Marisa Tomei and Aaron Eckhart, CNN has announced. Rock legends Bon Jovi also will be part of a two-hour celebrity-studded tribute to the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010. The supergroup will perform "What Do You Got?" a new song from their greatest hits album which debuted November 9. Country music duo Sugarland will perform "Stand Up," a new song from their album "The Incredible Machine," which debuted October 19. Anderson Cooper will host the fourth annual show from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The program, spotlighting everyday people who are changing the world, airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on November 25. More than 10,000 nominations for CNN Heroes were received from more than 100 countries. The top 10 CNN Heroes are selected by a blue-ribbon panel of judges, including Muhammad Ali, Richard Branson, cellist Yo Yo Ma, Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and actor Rainn Wilson. Judges also include Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, singer Ricky Martin, actresses Holly Robinson Peete and Patricia Heaton, supermodel Alek Wek, actor and author Hill Harper, and entrepreneur Ela Bhatt. The top 10 CNN Heroes were announced on CNN.com on September 23, when public voting began to select the CNN Hero of the Year at CNNHeroes.com. The CNN Hero of the Year will be revealed at the tribute show. Each of the top 10 CNN Heroes receives $25,000, and the CNN Hero of the Year receives an additional $100,000. The 2009 CNN Hero of the Year was Efren Peñaflorida, who started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership. "CNN Heroes has illustrated the best of humanity through the telling of stories of selfless acts of kindness, courage and perseverance" said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. "We are honored to bring these Heroes the recognition they so deserve. It is a program the entire CNN family is proud of and excited to share with our viewers on Thanksgiving night." Also attending this year's show will be the Chilean miners who were trapped for 69 days before being freed last month. Organizers said they invited the miners and five of their rescuers because they symbolize the resilience and endurance of the human spirit. "The heroic efforts of the rescue of these miners was one of the most unifying and inspirational events of the year," Walton said. Since the inaugural CNN Heroes tribute broadcast in 2007, performers and celebrities who have participated include Nicole Kidman, Glenn Close, Cameron Diaz, Meg Ryan, Forest Whitaker, Salma Hayek, Lucy Liu, Terrence Howard, Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale. Previous tribute shows have included performances by Legend and fellow Grammy Award-winning artists Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood and Alicia Keys. Award-winning producer/director Joel Gallen returns to serve as executive producer of "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute." Among his credits, Gallen produced telethon events supporting victims of the Haiti earthquake, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. He won an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award for "America: A Tribute to Heroes." | Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010 will be honored with a celebrity-studded tribute show .
The broadcast airs at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on Thanksgiving night, November 25, on CNN .
Anderson Cooper will host the show from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles . |
0715d2f6840eda67d87f2fbf8d931531de994627 | (CNN) -- Cases of West Nile virus are up 25% over the past week and are expected to rise further over the next several weeks, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. As of Tuesday, 1,993 reported cases of West Nile virus have been reported in humans, including 87 deaths. Last week, the CDC said there were 1,590 cases with 66 deaths. "As we expected, the number of humans with West Nile virus disease continues to rise in the United States," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. "We expect this increase to continue for the next several weeks, probably until October." The number of West Nile cases is the highest reported to the CDC through the first week in September since 1999, when the mosquito-borne virus was first detected in the United States. Fast facts on West Nile virus . More than 70% of cases are in six states: Texas, South Dakota, Mississippi, Michigan, Oklahoma and Louisiana, officials said. Texas bears the brunt of the outbreak, with nearly 45% of cases. Wednesday's briefing focused on how Hurricane Isaac may have affected the outbreak and how Texas is managing its high number of cases. "As of now, 2012 is the worst year in the state of Texas for West Nile disease," said Dr. David L. Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. He says that before this, 2003 was the worst year for the virus. Although Petersen did not give any specific numbers associated with states affected by Hurricane Isaac, he stressed that the CDC is working with state and local officials in those areas to offer assistance on managing infestations. Experience with natural disasters such as hurricanes has shown that West Nile virus cases do not tend to increase in their wake, he said. However, people who spent more time outdoors because they were displaced from their homes or during recovery efforts may be more likely to contract the virus. Who's at risk for West Nile virus? Aerial spraying has sometimes been used to control mosquitoes after hurricanes, Petersen said. In Texas, spraying has been effective in areas that utilized it, Lakey said. A 93% reduction was seen in the density of mosquitoes in areas that received two consecutive sprays, he said. Unsprayed areas showed increases in virus-carrying mosquitoes, and places that were not sprayed consecutively showed smaller reductions in mosquitoes. Protection against mosquito bites is the best defense against West Nile virus, Petersen said. He recommended wearing long pants and sleeves during dusk and dawn -- prime mosquito times -- to prevent bites. In addition, he said, wear insect repellent when you go outdoors; install or repair screens on doors and windows; use air conditioning if possible; empty standing water from outdoor containers and objects that collect water; and support local mosquito control programs. | Cases of West Nile virus are up 25% in the past week .
Officials say they expect cases to rise for several more weeks .
There have been 87 deaths from the mosquito-borne virus . |
07163e2f091d8fe3c35da5c75099222113b8de12 | Five employees of the Blue Rhino propane gas plant in Florida that violently exploded last night . are fighting for their lives in critical condition today as . investigators examine whether a simple spark from a forklift at the site . could have caused the terrifying blast. Eight . people were injured in the explosion in Tavares in Lake County, . Florida, about 11pm on Monday, though miraculously no one was killed. The explosions forced the evacuation of all residents within a mile radius of the plant - as firefighters feared the three massive bulk tanks at the site, each with 30,000 pounds of the gas, would detonate. Authorities say the plant had 53,000 small 20-pound propane tanks on site when the blast ripped through the facility. Dozens of the tanks were sent high into the air as the gave inside them ignited. Photos of the aftermath show the ground littered with charred propane tanks. Scroll down for video . Blast: The explosion at the propane gas plant sent smoke and flames high into the air Monday night and early Tuesday . Thousands of detonated propane tanks litter the grounds of the Blue Rhino gas plant following a fire that caused thousands of bounds of the gas to explode . Wreckage: Thousands of propane cylinders fueled the blast and resulted countless small explosions as fire tore through the plant . Workers at the plant refilled and refurbished the propane tanks for resale for use in gas grills, RV campers and turkey friers. Firefighters have said they do not yet know what caused the late-night explosion, though they say a preliminary investigation indicates a combination of human error and equipment malfunction. A fire department source told WFTV that investigators are examining whether a spark from a passing forklift on site set off propane cause that another worker was releasing - setting off the entire explosion. For nearly an hour, firefighters were forced to stand back and watch as the propane tanks exploded, one after another after another. 'In my 36 years in the fire service, I've never seen anything like this,' Tavares Fire Chief Richard Keith said. Neighbors up to ten miles away from the plant reported seeing, hearing and feeling the explosion . Firefighters say they are thankful that the plant's three large tanks - which hold 30,000 pounds of propane each - did not ignite . Officials said between 24 and 26 workers were . doing the night shift at the site when the explosions began, and . then continued every few seconds for a period of around two . hours. Fifteen were initially reported missing, feared dead, but Blue Rhino said that by 2 a.m. Tuesday all of its employees had been accounted for. Two . critical burns patients were flown to Orlando Regional Medical Center, while another five were . transported, either air lifted or by ambulance, to other regional . hospitals. An additional three workers drove themselves to hospital. Injuries: A massive emergency response was called for after multiple injuries were reported . Explosions: A series of explosions have rocked a gas plant in Florida, pictured, injuring scores of people and forcing residents up to several miles away to evacuate . More than 200 firefighters and law . enforcement personnel were on scene as of 1:30 a.m. as the inferno . continued to burn on the plant that had some 53,000 20lb propane . cylinders on site. 'All Blue Rhino employees who were there tonight have been accounted for. They left and got out of harms way and ended up in a few different locations,' Lake County . spokesman John Herrell said just after 2 a.m. He added that they were able to get out because they were in the main part of the building, which wasn't on fire. At an earlier press conference Herrell described the terrifying blasts as 'really surprising,' adding 'it's very, very dramatic and surreal.' Herrell said no neighboring residents were injured. A source told the Sentinel that someone may have been filling a propane tank with a leak . and a spark ignited. But Herrell said it wasn't clear what started the blaze and that the cause was being investigated. The first blasts happened inside the plant and blew the roof off, Lake County Sheriff Gary Borders said. Plant: The Blue Rhino gas plant, pictured, continued to burn into Tuesday morning . Don Ingram, a former plant worker, told Wesh.com at least 15 to 20 people work on the plant each night . Witnesses, some of whom filmed the blasts, said thousands of 30-foot-high propane tanks loaded on pallets continued to explode every minute or two as of 11:25 p.m. The blasts began again about 12:30 . a.m. on Tuesday in tractor-trailers loaded with pallets of propane . tanks. After the second round of explosions, Tavares Fire Chief Richard . Keith evacuated his firefighters out for fear that they would be . injured. Witnesses, . some of whom filmed the blasts, said thousands of 30-foot-high propane . tanks loaded on pallets continued to explode every minute or two as of . 11:25 p.m. Residents described hearing sounds . similar to bombs going off, shotguns being fired and fireworks popping. They also said they saw bursts of light and a bright orange glow in the . sky. 'I . heard a loud bomb sounds,' Lisa Garner, 43, who lives in Lakeside, a . Tavares subdivision near County Roads 461 and 448, told the Sentinel. 'I . thought somebody ran into my house.' Blue Rhino relocated to Tavares about seven years ago. Its headquarters is in North Carolina. The plant is used to recommission Blue Rhino propane tanks. It is believed trucks were stacked with used tanks, that still had residue of propane. Shards of exploded tanks could be seen scattered around the plant. Fire officials worked for hours to contain the blazing fires, that were dying down by around 1:30 a.m. Watch more on the 11thHour's YouTube . Flames: Several locals reported seeing flames and hearing loud explosions . Blue Rhino: The propane explosions went off at the Blue Rhino LP gas plant, pictured, in Tavares . Early Tuesday morning, the evacuation . zone was reduced to a half-mile radius but will remain in effect until . at least 6 a.m., Herrell said. A shelter has been set up at the First United Methodist Church near the plant for displaced residents. Officials set up a mass casualty on scene. The hundreds of firefighters on scene couldn't get near the flames for a long period because of the extreme heat. They waiting until the fire burned down and in the meantime contained the perimeter. Don Ingram, a former plant worker, told Wesh.com the staff clock in from around 5-7 p.m. and work a 10 hour shift. He said previously many of the staff were contractors. The workers refurbish and refill propane tanks, like those used for backyard barbeques. During the 10-hour shift they fill around 4,000 to 5,000 tanks, Ingram said. Blue Rhino's tank exchange service allows customers to trade in an empty tank for a full one at retail locations, according to CNN. | Between 24 and 26 workers were doing the night shift on Monday at Blue Rhino, a propane tank-exchange business in Tavares, Lake County .
The huge blasts began just after 11 p.m. and then continued every few seconds for a period of around two hours .
Fifteen workers were initially reported missing, feared .
dead, but Blue Rhino said that by 2 a.m. Tuesday all of its employees .
had been accounted for .
Residents within a mile of the plant were initially evacuated but the zone was later reduced to half a mile .
Some living more than 10 miles away reported bomb-like blasts and their homes shaking . |
0716af226cc310430a290a2d80fa214093406400 | This seal looks like he's had too many mince pies as it sprawls on the beach with a bulging belly. The pup is an Atlantic grey seal which lives on Skomer Island just off the Pembrokeshire coast. It is one of 108 baby seals saved after a cow seal gave birth on the pebble beach and they became trapped in one of the island's caves. The pup is an Atlantic grey seal who lives on Skomer Island just off the Pembrokeshire coast . Skomer Warden Eddie Stubbings said: 'The baby seals are a joy to watch but we try not to interfere with them too much - we have to let nature take its course.' 'We have been out with them every day since - even when that hurricane blew up we were on the cliffs checking on the seals. 'Skomer is only a small island so 180 baby seals is a lot to keep an eye on.' Skomer off the Pembrokeshire coast is one of Britain's most important bird sanctuary islands . Mr Stebbings rescued the seals when they became trapped and he and his wife have been looking after them ever since. Skomer, managed by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, is one of Britain's most important bird sanctuary islands. | The pup is an Atlantic grey seal which lives on Skomer Island .
Skomer off the Pembrokeshire coast is one of Britain's most important bird sanctuary islands .
The seal is one of 180 saved after they became trapped in one of the island's caves . |
071753508e2749ac6398b4e1499edf875766d1cb | By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 07:19 EST, 7 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:31 EST, 7 November 2012 . A bar owner who raped three girls after serving them alcohol until they passed out has been sentenced to 100 years in prison. Werner Fajardo, 35, assaulted the three girls, two 14-year-olds and a 12-year-old, after he poured them drinks at his closed tavern El Cuervo, in Huron, South Dakota last year. Third Circuit Judge Jon Erickson said it was one of the worst rape cases he had seen in 35 years behind the bench when he sentenced Fajardo on Tuesday. 100 years in prison: Werner Fajardo, pictured being led from jail in November last year, has been jailed for raping three girls after serving them alcohol . The three friends were meant to be babysitting when they met up with Fajardo, who drove them to his bar and began pouring the girls drinks including vodka shots and mixed vodka drinks, police said. After drinking several drinks, the girls passed out or become so woozy they could not move, according to court documents. Fajardo, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota allegedly touched one of the girl’s genitals and another woke to find her pants and underwear down, and a condom wrapper on a table nearby, authorities said. Until they passed out: Fajardo took the three girls, two 14-year-olds and a 12-year-old, to his closed tavern El Cuervo (pictured) pouring the girls drinks including vodka shots and mixed vodka drinks . The 12-year-old girl told police she woke up to find Fajardo having sex with her on October 30, last year. Michael R. Moore, Beadle County's state attorney, said last year: ‘They all told a similar story of what happened that night, that they drank this alcohol and then passed out. ‘They all had similar memories of what happened, but none of them were able to say what happened to the other person.’ Police said in an affidavit: ‘The bar was closed but the defendant started mixing drinks for the girls.’ Memories of that night: Michael R. Moore, Beadle County's state attorney spearheaded the charges against Fajardo last year and said that the girls 'all told a similar story of what happened that night, that they drank this alcohol and then passed out' One of the 14-year-old girls told her parents about the assault on November 11 and police began investigating Fajardo and uncovered allegations of underage drinking at the bar in Huron, a town with a population of about 13,000 people. The Huron Police Department found 11 minors at the bar when they conducted their first ever alcohol licence compliance check at El Cuervo. State regulators revoked Fajardo's liquor license in January and the bar was closed. Defense attorney Carmen Means says Fajardo continues to maintain his innocence. | Werner Fajardo assaulted two 14-year-olds and a 12-year-old girl .
The Judge said it was one of the worst rape cases he had ever seen .
His defence lawyer said Fajardo maintains his innocence . |
07182ffeb7ce2d93be006d16e0e92e7372fe01f8 | (CNN) -- A day after more than 440 bodies were recovered -- the highest single-day death toll to date in the nation's civil war -- at least 160 more people were found dead in Syria on Sunday. Here are some of the latest key developments in the country's 17-month crisis. On the ground: Daraya becomes a horror story . On Sunday, 62 people were killed in Damascus and its suburbs, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. The LCC said 21 people, including an entire family, were found dead in the Damascus suburb of Daraya. It said 48 people were killed Sunday in Daraa, the town south of Damascus near the Jordanian border where Syria's uprising began. CNN spoke by Skype to an activist named Osama, who said the army was executing families in their homes in Daraya and stealing some possessions. He said shelling began last Monday and the military closed all the ways in and out, but he kept in contact with people inside Daraya through the Internet. He was told the army moved into the neighborhood on Friday and began sweeping through buildings where families were taking cover. At least 50 bodies were found in one apartment basement, he reported. Saturday's death toll included more than 200 bodies found in Daraya, but it was unclear when those victims were killed. One death consumes Syrian family's life . CNN cannot independently verify reports of death tolls, as the Syrian regime has severely limited access by international journalists. It's not surprising that Daraya came under attack, opposition activist Rafif Jouejati said. "Daraya is being targeted because it is the closest to the capital, and it is one of the first cities that revolted against the Assad regime and was the spearhead of the peaceful demonstrations in the beginning of the revolution," said Jouejati, a spokeswoman for the LCC. "I believe the regime thinks that the only way to end the revolution is (to) kill, kill, kill. Deep down, they know they are failing, but they want to destroy as much as possible before it is over." But the Syrian government had a different take on the situation in Daraya: . "The armed forces cleared the town of Daraya in Damascus countryside from terrorists ... eliminating a large number of them," the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported. Inside Damascus: VP surfaces . New video shows Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa in Damascus holding an official meeting in the capital, despite reports this month that he had defected. The video, distributed by Reuters, showed al-Sharaa meeting with a top Iranian official, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, who according to Syrian state media arrived in Damascus on Saturday. Iran's state-run Press TV also reported that al-Sharaa had met with an Iranian official "amid anti-Assad TV's defection rumors." More than a week ago, a spokesman for the rebel Free Syrian Army said al-Sharaa had fled the regime. Syrian state-run TV, at the time, did not explicitly say whether al-Sharaa had defected, but reported that the vice president's office issued a statement saying al-Sharaa "has never at any moment thought of leaving the homeland to whatever direction." Had al-Sharaa defected, it would have marked the highest-level departure from President Bashar al-Assad's regime yet. A stream of Syrian officials resigned from the regime in recent weeks, including Republican Guard Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlas and Prime Minister Riyad Hijab. Like al-Sharaa, the men are Sunnis who held top posts in a government dominated by the country's Alawite minority. Will Syria's first lady take a stand or stand by her man? Observers view al-Sharaa's power and influence as more significant than the prime minister, who only served in the post for weeks. Al-Sharaa has more clout as a long-time prominent, loyal member of the regime's old guard. He served as foreign minister under al-Assad and his late father, Hafez, for more than 20 years and has been vice president since 2006. The region: Turkey denies sending aid to rebels, slams the Syrian government . Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu rejected claims that his country was shipping weapons to Syrian rebels in their quest to oust al-Assad, the Anadolu news agency reported Saturday. "These are the arguments which authoritarian regimes had always used to conceal their internal problems," Davutoglu told the NTV news channel, according to Anadolu. Davutoglu added, "No regime fighting its own people can survive long. (The al-Assad regime) has months, and maybe even weeks -- not years." Syria's neighbors: What's at stake? Syria explained: What you need to know . CNN's Yousif Basil and Saad Abedine contributed to this report. | NEW: Activists report 62 killed in Damascus and its suburbs, including an entire family .
Video shows Syrian VP in Damascus after defection claims .
An opposition activist says Daraya is under fire because it revolted against the regime .
440 people were reported dead Saturday, including more than 200 bodies found in Daraya . |
071a01bd3bf1089b4fee4d222efcf4429575b6f4 | Sentenced: Ryan Sheppard, 18, has been jailed for life after he beat an engineer to death in a cocaine-fulled unprovoked attack, which his friend filmed on her iPhone . A girl of 15 used her iPhone to film her friend beating a man to death in a drunken attack. Ryan Sheppard, 17, punched Mark Roberts to the ground in a horrific display of unprovoked violence while high on drink and cocaine. As Mr Roberts – who was due to be married this year – lay helpless, Sheppard hit and kicked him and repeatedly lifted his victim’s head and smashed it down. The girl who was filming was also drunk, as was another girl, also 15, who was with them. Yesterday, as Sheppard was jailed after admitting murder, a judge made a scathing attack on parents who allow teenagers to drink underage. Judge Neil Ford, QC, said Sheppard and the girls had earlier drunk ‘a large quantity of quite strong alcohol’ at one of the girls’ houses. Despite the girl’s mother being present, the group had been allowed to get drunk on Malibu, Peach Schnapps and Cactus Jack. Sentencing Sheppard to a minimum of 12 years and three months, Judge Ford said: ‘This is yet another case where those with parental responsibility fail to appreciate or care about the dis-inhibiting effects of alcohol, effects which in this case have been truly devastating. ‘I appreciate that it is not easy for parents to control the behaviour of teenagers. But this case yet again demonstrates the tragic consequences which can result from heavy consumption of alcohol by young people.’ He told Sheppard, now 18: ‘I have no doubt that your use of alcohol and or drugs contributed deeply to your behaviour on that night.’ Bristol Crown Court heard that Mr Roberts, a 35-year-old engineer, was attacked last October as he walked home alone through a park after a night out in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. Victim: Mark Roberts, 35, was punched, kicked, stamped on, and had his head slammed into the pavement before being left in a pool of blood. He died 36 hours later . Sheppard approached Mr Roberts and asked him for a cigarette and to take him to a pub. He refused, telling the group to ‘go home’. The teenager then savagely attacked Mr Roberts, repeatedly punching him – while one of the girls used her iPhone to record 90 seconds of footage. Mr Roberts suffered a cardiac arrest and was left unconscious in a pool of blood, but the gang simply walked away. It was left to local residents to call for an ambulance, and Mr Roberts was taken to Weston General Hospital. At the same time that doctors were trying to save him, the court heard that Sheppard was showing the video of his fatal attack to friends. Adam Vaitilingam, QC, prosecuting, said: ‘There was an element of triumph of what he had done. This was a souvenir that could be shown to others about what Ryan Sheppard had done to Mr Roberts.’ Mr Roberts was declared dead 36 hours after the attack. Grief: In a statement read to Bristol Crown Court, Mr Roberts's fiancee described him as her 'whole life' Yesterday members of his family wept in the public gallery as Sheppard was jailed for what the judge called the ‘cowardly, unprovoked, sustained and brutal’ assault. In a victim impact statement, Mr Roberts’ parents Lesley and Andrew said: ‘We have been left broken-hearted knowing the last Mark saw on this Earth was his attacker, the face and voice of evil. One of us should have been that person.’ The statement, which was read to the court by Mr Roberts’ aunt Theresa Sheldon, continued: ‘Until the day we die, Mark will be 35. We will never see him age or get married. Mark died when he was at his happiest. His life and future have been taken away from him.’ At the end of the statement, Mrs Sheldon turned to Sheppard in the dock and told him: ‘You showed Mark no mercy, you should be shown none.’ In her own victim impact statement Mr Roberts’ fiancee, mother-of-two Zara Powell, said his murder had left her suicidal. She added: ‘He will always be my one and only. As well as my children, Mark was my whole life. In the short time we had together we achieved a lot. He made me so happy.’ Sheppard was on licence at the time of the offence, having robbed three boys of their mobile phones in March 2013. He has previous convictions for possessing an offensive weapon and handling stolen goods. The girl who was filming was acquitted of murder and manslaughter following a trial at Bristol Crown Court in June. | Ryan Sheppard, 18, admitted the murder of Mark Roberts, 35 .
Mr Roberts was attacked as he walked home in Weston-super-Mare .
He was knocked to the floor by Sheppard as a girl, 15, filmed attack .
Victim was kicked and stamped on before he was left in a pool of blood .
Judge says attack on 'helpless' Mr Roberts was 'sustained and brutal'
Mother describes Sheppard as 'face and voice of evil' in court statement .
Sheppard will serve at least 12 years and three months' imprisonment . |
071a7d2a434b3d5849565a3c6086a1129322d3c3 | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 05:14 EST, 15 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:42 EST, 29 May 2012 . The sons of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings star Paddy Doherty have admitted their role in a violent street brawl between feuding gypsy clans. Several men were involved in the punch-up when rival families clashed outside Manchester magistrates court in Spinningfields. The fight broke out after brothers John and Dougie Joyce appeared before magistrates, accused of attacking Doherty, their cousin. The incident will bring embarrassment to Sally Bercow, the wife of Commons Speaker John Bercow, who has since become friends with Doherty after they appeared together on Celebrity Big Brother. Flying fists: John Doherty (in the black and red top) fights with rival gangs of relatives, friends and associates of Johnny Joyce and his brother Dougie Joyce and Paddy Doherty outside Manchester magistrates court . Squaring up: Eight men have now admitted their involvement in the violence which erupted as part of a long-standing feud between the groups . Brawl: The fight broke out on June 13 after brothers John and Dougie Joyce appeared before magistrates accused of attacking their cousin Paddy Doherty - star of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and Big Brother . Volatile scene: The men, who had their first clenched looked angry as tensions ran high after the court case . Bloodied: Paddy Doherty after part of his ear was bitten off, in an image originally posted to his Twitter page . John, David and Simon Doherty - Paddy’s sons - were arrested with members of the Joyce and Ward families after the fight, in the city’s busy business district last summer. Eight men have now admitted their involvement in the violence which erupted as part of a long-standing feud between the groups. They included John, 24, and Simon Doherty, 32, who pleaded guilty to affray - which can carry a jail sentence. Their brother David, 27, admitted a lesser public-order offence. Six members of the Joyce and Ward clans also appeared at Manchester Crown Court. Paddy Doherty, 52, a former bare knuckle fighter, almost had his ear bitten off in a fight outside the PC World store in Ancoats. The Joyce family had been to court to support Johnny and Dougie Joyce. They were approached by Simon, David and John Doherty as they left the court. Unlikely pair: After becoming friends on Celebrity Big Brother, Sally Bercow, the wife of the Commons Speaker, went to visit Paddy Doherty at his caravan site home . High tensions: Thomas Joyce takes off his shirt as he fights with rival gangs . Struggle: At one point it looked like John Doherty was pulling a denim hooded jacket off one of the men . Street fight: The Joyce family had been to court to support Johnny and Dougie Joyce. They were approached by Simon, David and John Doherty as they left the court . Controlling: At one point during the street brawl, a man in a suit looked as if he was holding John Doherty back . Spectacle: Passers-by gathered and looked on as the families squared up to each other and a fight broke out between several of the men. Police arrived soon after and they were arrested . Passers-by gathered and looked on as the families squared up to each other and a fight broke out between several of the men. Police arrived soon after and they were arrested. A newspaper photographer, who captured the brawl on his camera, was also arrested but later released without charge. John Doherty, 24, admitted affray and David Doherty, 27, admitted a public order offence. Simon Doherty, 32, earlier pleaded guilty to affray. Thomas Ward, 37, and Thomas Joyce, 34, John Joyce, 33, and Alan Joyce, 26, all admitted affray. Dougie Ward, 17, admitted a section 4 public order offence. The men will all be sentenced on June 11. Unexpected: Concerned bystanders outside the court look on as Thomas Joyce hold his orange t-shirt in his hand . On scene: A policeman walks through the centre of the feuding gangs . Following the PC World brawl, Paddy Doherty, admitted affray and was given a 51-week suspended sentence. Johnny Joyce, 21, admitted the same charge, and was jailed for 15 months and Dougie Joyce, 23, was spared jail after admitting a lesser public order offence. Since appearing on Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, Doherty has seen his fame escalate. Last year he won Celebrity Big Brother and after becoming friends on the show Mrs Bercow, went to visit Doherty at his caravan site home, while he himself paid a visit to the Commons. Arrested: The men involved in the street fracas were split up and then arrested by police . Arriving: From left Thomas Joyce and Alan Joyce with relatives friends and associates of Johnny Joyce and his brother Dougie Joyce at Manchester magistrates court . Appearance: Dougie Ward (middle) Thomas Ward (far right) arriving at Manchester magistrates court . | Several men were involved in the punch-up last June when rival families clashed outside Manchester magistrates court in Spinningfields .
The fight broke out after brothers John and Dougie Joyce appeared before magistrates accused of attacking their cousin Paddy Doherty .
The men will be sentenced next month . |
071b234774587906e70a8887d92ef638bf050687 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama said Friday he spoke with the police officer who arrested a Harvard professor and told the officer he did not mean to malign the Cambridge Police Department when he said police acted stupidly. President Obama on Friday explains to reporters the details of a phone conservation with Sgt. James Crowley. The president acknowledged that his words "helped to contribute to ratcheting" up the situation when he criticized the manner in which Sgt. James Crowley arrested professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. "I unfortunately gave an impression that I was maligning the Cambridge Police Department or Sgt. Crowley specifically," Obama told reporters. "I could have calibrated those words differently, and I told this to Sgt. Crowley." Watch Obama describe talk » . Obama spoke about two hours after police unions in Massachusetts called on him to apologize. He did not apologize for his remark but repeated that he believed his choice of words was unfortunate. He reiterated his assertion that he believes police overreacted, but said Gates "probably overreacted as well." "My sense is you have got two good people in a circumstance in which neither of them were able to resolve the incident in the way that it should have been resolved," he said. Obama also spoke briefly with the arrested professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr., who is a friend of the president, the White House reported. He and Gates had a "positive discussion" about his call to Crowley on Friday afternoon, the White House said. Obama also invited Gates "to join him with Sgt. Crowley at the White House in the near future." In an e-mail Friday to CNN's Don Lemon, Gates wrote, "I was very pleased that the president called me today, and I was pleased that he proposed that I meet with Sgt. Crowley at the White House, since I had offered to meet with him since last Monday. "I am eager for this to be used as a teaching moment to improve racial relations in America," said the e-mail. "This is certainly not about me." His attorney, Charles Ogletree, told Lemon that he applauds Obama's intervention and "I look forward to working this out with all parties amicably." Asked if he plans to file suit, Ogletree said, "It depends on the response from everyone involved as to how we'll proceed." Earlier Friday, police unions said Obama should apologize to members of the Cambridge Police Department for saying they acted stupidly, the president of a city police union said. Watch African-American colleagues defend Crowley » . Dennis O'Connor, president of the Cambridge Police Superior Officers Association, also took aim at Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who reportedly has characterized the arrest as "every black man's nightmare and a reality for many black men." Echoing the words of Crowley, O'Connor said he was dismayed that the president and governor would opine on the issue without all the details. "It's noteworthy that both qualified their statements by saying they did not have all the facts," O'Connor said as members of his and another police union stood behind him. "Usually, when one hears those words, one would expect the next words to be 'so I cannot comment.' Instead, both officials, both admitted friends of professor Gates, proceeded to insult the handling of this case." He further said Cambridge police resent the implication they allowed race to dictate their actions in the situation. "We hope that [Obama and Patrick] will reflect upon their past comments and apologize to the men and women of the Cambridge Police Department," O'Connor said. Steve Killian, president of the Cambridge Police Patrol Officers Association, also called on Obama to apologize to "all law enforcement personnel throughout the entire country that took offense to this." Crowley previously said Obama had offended police in Cambridge and elsewhere. "I was a little surprised and disappointed that the president, who didn't have all of the facts by his own admission, then weighed in on the events of that night and made a comment that really offended not just officers in the Cambridge Police Department but officers around the country," Crowley told CNN affiliate WHDH-TV in Boston. Obama said earlier he was "surprised by the controversy surrounding" his comments. "I think it was a pretty straightforward commentary that you probably don't need to handcuff a guy, a middle-aged man who uses a cane, who's in his own home," Obama told ABC's "Nightline." Watch Crowley's boss defend the arrest » . When Obama waded into the story by answering a question about it during his news conference Wednesday night, he admitted that he "may be a little biased" because Gates is a friend. "I don't know all the facts," he also conceded. He said he did not know what role race played, but "the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home." iReport.com: Arrest sparks debate . But during his Friday remarks, Obama said he hoped the controversy surrounding Gates' arrest provides Americans with "a teachable moment" on how they can improve "relations between police officers and minority communities." Crowley, in the police report about the incident, said Gates refused to cooperate with him and repeatedly accusing him of racism when he went to Gates' home following a report of a possible break-in July 16. Crowley said he tried to determine whether there was someone else at the home and wanted to ensure Gates' safety. Gates, however, told him "that I had no idea who I was 'messing' with" and was being so loud, the sergeant said, that he could not give pertinent information to the department when he was calling in. Authorities have said they may release tapes of the officer calling in, in which Gates is heard in the background . Crowley's report said that when he asked to speak with Gates outside, the professor at one point responded, "I'll speak with your mama outside." Watch Crowley's response » . Gates' attorney, Charles Ogletree, said the professor never made such a remark. The full story will show that Gates did nothing wrong -- and that Crowley did not identify himself at first, Ogletree said. Gates said Wednesday he would listen to Crowley "if he would tell the truth about what he did, about the distortions that he fabricated in the police report. I would be prepared as a human being to forgive him." Crowley has said he will not apologize. The police incident report states that Crowley twice provided his name to Gates, who subsequently asked for it two more times. Gates ultimately was arrested for disorderly conduct, but the department later dropped the charges. Cambridge police Commissioner Robert Haas said he "deeply regrets" the arrest but stands by the procedures his department followed. "I trust [Crowley's] judgment implicitly. He is a stellar officer," Haas said. Haas added the department is "very proud about its diversity within this community and how hard we've worked over the years to build a strong, solid relationship [between] the department and the community." Haas said he agreed with Crowley about Obama's remarks. "I have to tell you the officers take that very personally and basically feel hurt by that comment. We truly are trying to do the best service we can to the community and sometimes we make mistakes. We're human. But we learn from those mistakes and we move on," he said. Black in America 2: Does racial profiling still take place? Numerous police officers, including African-Americans, have spoken up on Crowley's behalf and portrayed him as a good and fair officer. Crowley, who is white, had once been chosen by a black police officer to teach a police academy course on ways to avoid racial profiling. Obama said he had heard of Crowley's record, saying, "I don't know all the extenuating circumstances, and as I said, I respect what police officers do. From what I can tell, the sergeant who was involved is an outstanding police officer, but my suspicion is probably it would have been better if cooler heads prevailed." Gates' legal team argues that authorities are misrepresenting the professor and the officer, and Gates has said he is determined to keep the issue alive despite the charges being dropped. "This is not about me; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America," he said this week. Ogletree said Gates may bring forward people who say they've had similar experiences with Crowley. When asked for examples, Ogletree said only that they may come out in time depending on how the police department handles the situation moving forward. "I think you will be hearing much more complex and different perspective on him [Crowley] in the coming days and weeks," Ogletree said, alleging that Crowley "is well-known among people, particularly young people, for some of his police practices." Gates has no immediate plans to file a lawsuit against the department, the attorney said. Ogletree had said earlier Gates might sue the police. CNN's Joe Johns and Don Lemon contributed to this report. | NEW: Gates eager for incident to be "teaching moment" to improve racial relations .
President says he hopes incident provides "a teachable moment"
Attorney says professor has no immediate plans to sue Cambridge police .
Union asked Obama to apologize to "all law enforcement personnel" offended . |
071bf45225f89056ce0a28fd9229187f76d2276f | (CNN) -- A group of Texas clinics that provide abortions are asking the U.S. Supreme Court for emergency action to keep their facilities open, in the face of state restrictions that went into effect last week. A ruling by a federal appeals court earlier this month gave Texas the green light to move forward on the mandate requiring all abortion clinics in the state be "ambulatory surgical centers," regulated under the same standards as hospitals. Another challenged provision would force doctors performing abortions to first obtain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. Abortion rights groups said 13 reproductive health clinics were forced to immediately close Friday after the court ruling, leaving only a handful still operating. The time-sensitive appeal was filed with Justice Antonin Scalia, who gave Texas officials until Thursday to respond in writing. Scalia would then presumably ask his other eight colleagues to weigh in before issuing an order on behalf of the court. Any order would only have temporary effect, until more appeals can be filed on the larger questions of the Texas law's constitutionality. That process may take several months, at least, to resolve. The Supreme Court refused to intervene previously when other sections of the Texas law were challenged in court. Lawmakers in the state's Republican-majority Legislature have said the regulations would improve patient care and safety. Abortion rights groups counter, saying the law is designed to make it nearly impossible to operate an abortion clinic in Texas. The Center for Reproductive Rights had sued Texas this past spring, on behalf of a coalition of abortion clinics. In August, a federal judge ruled that the "ambulatory surgical centers" requirement was unconstitutional and imposed an injunction. Thursday's appeals court ruling lifted that injunction and allowed the measure to go into effect immediately. Lauren Bean, spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office, said in a statement after that ruling, "This decision is a vindication of the careful deliberation by the Texas Legislature to craft a law to protect the health and safety of Texas women." Abortion rights groups counter the mandate will leave women of reproductive age in the state with minimal health care options, and called the appeals court decision "demonstrably wrong." "Over 900,000 Texas women of reproductive age, more than a sixth of all such women in Texas, now reside more than 150 miles from the nearest Texas abortion provider, up from 86,000 prior to the enactment of the challenged act," said the clinics in their emergency application to the high court. "Women's ability to exercise their constitutional right to obtain an abortion will be lost, and their lives will be permanently and profoundly altered," by having those clinics remaining closed. Supporters said before the bill was enacted, there were 41 facilities in Texas providing abortions. H.B. 2 also bans abortions past 20 weeks of pregnancy and tightens usage guidelines for "abortion-inducing drugs" such as RU-486. Critics contend the law, in addition to eliminating abortion across huge swaths of the state, will further deny access to many women in rural communities and will force women to seek dangerous "back-alley" abortions. Republican Gov. Rick Perry signed the bill into law last year. The high court case is Whole Woman's Health v. Lakey (14A365). CNN's Azadeh Ansari contributed to this report. | Abortion clinics ask Supreme Court to intervene .
Ruling last week was on section of law requiring clinics to adhere to hospital-level standards .
Legislators have said this would improve patient care and safety .
Abortion rights groups decry ruling, say it cuts off access . |
071d8c67e207d2e3f86b579fc8a5362b45038189 | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 17:31 EST, 21 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:02 EST, 21 November 2013 . Mourners are to be fined £147 if funerals go on longer than their allotted 40 minute time limit at a council-run crematorium. North Devon Crematorium in Barnstaple will add the additional charge to the cost of a ceremony if the time between the hearse arriving and the last mourners' cars departing exceeds 40 minutes. Devonshire funeral director David Williams says that the fine is 'not morally defensible', and has been added without warning. Fine: North Devon Crematorium in Barnstaple will add the additional charge to the cost of a ceremony if the time between the hearse arriving and the last mourners' cars departing exceeds 40 minutes . He said: 'It is not nice - we were annoyed about it because it came through on our invoice. 'They had just snuck it on, no-one was ringing us up saying the service over-ran. 'And if the service is shorter than expected, the crematorium does not give money back to families. 'A funeral is not like a kids’ birthday party. 'People are distressed but they are just saying "You have 40 minutes, get in and get out", It’s not right. Mr Williams added that funeral directors are losing money because they do not wish to impose the fines on customers. He said: 'Funeral directors have been paying the charge rather than putting it on the bill, but it means our fees might have to be increased to cover it. 'It would be horrendous for us to put it on the bill. How can you justify that to the families? Controversial: Devonshire funeral director David Williams says that the fine is 'not morally defensible', and has been added without warning . 'They have just paid £2,000 and then we give them an extra fee.' Martin Williams, procurement and services delivery manager at North Devon Council which runs the crematorium, explained that funerals are booked in 40 minute slots. Services should last 30 minutes, allowing an additional 10 minutes for mourners to come and go. But he said that services can be extended by an additional 30 minutes if prearranged. He said: 'It is the funeral director’s responsibility to assess the bereaved family’s needs and book the appropriate length of service accordingly.' He added: 'All funeral directors were informed of these changes by letter before they were introduced. So far the council has only received complaints from three funeral directors out of a total of 81 in the area, according to Mr Williams. | North Devon Crematorium in Barnstaple introduced the fine in April .
But local funeral directors have been paying the fee themselves .
David Williams says it is 'too horrendous' to add fine to mourners' bills . |
071dc2650dca347b0672556680ecfde3f1862dcb | By . Bianca London . Marks and Spencer may have revealed their new 'Leading Ladies' this week but they haven't forgotten their long-time collaborator and model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Rosie, who designs a lingerie range for the high street chain, is now fronting their new Autograph campaign. The 26-year-old, who we are more accustomed to seeing in her knickers, has swapped lingerie for feminine summer dresses in the new shoot. Scroll down for video . Don't forget me! The main focus this week has been on M&S' Leading Ladies campaign starring the likes of Rita Ora and Emma Thompson but Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has been modelling for the store too . The . new season's collection, showcased to perfection by the Devon-born model, is a range of summery dresses emblazoned with abstract leaf prints and sleek monochrome . stripes. So if you are looking for summer wardrobe inspiration then Autograph has it covered in the form of chic tailored shifts, maxi length dresses, oversized clutches and strappy sandals. Summer's coming: Rosie, 26, models Autograph's summery designs in the latest campaign . Nautical: The new season's collection is an edit of contemporary abstract leaf prints and sleek monochrome stripes . As well as modelling for the store, Rosie has just designed her SS14 Autograph underwear line, too. Rosie's latest range for M&S is full of feminine and romantic pink and grey bra sets, pyjamas and camisoles. The Transformers star ensures she is . involved in every process of her range, from selecting the fabrics and . prints to modelling and promoting it. Check out those cheekbones! Rosie showcases her model credentials as she showcases the new range of buttery leather jackets and crisp white shirts . Loud and proud: Autograph's new range is full of chic tailored shifts and maxi length dresses emblazoned with bright prints . She's back! Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is back with a SS14 lingerie range for Autograph at M&S and looks tanned and toned in the new campaign images . Pretty little things: Rosie's latest range is full of feminine and romantic pink and grey bra sets, pyjamas and camisoles . Playful: In a behind-the-scenes video, the supermodel showcases her latest offerings . Speaking about her passion for lingerie to The Coveteur last month, the designer said: 'I have used vintage slips and gowns a lot to influence my designs for Rosie for Autograph. 'There's nothing sexier than confidence, so I think it's important to find lingerie that make you feel the best you can feel. Maybe it's a bra and suspenders, maybe it's a silky slip and robe. 'Put a dab of your favorite fragrance on, light a few candles and have fun!'. Golden girl: Rosie's previous collections for the high street store have been their best-selling . Model behaviour: From print inspiration to modelling the range, Rosie ensures that she is involved in every step . The model - who describes her range as 'her baby' - explained that she finds inspiration on her travels, in flea markets and even when she's 'killing time' scrolling through Instagram. Aside from her Rosie For Autograph . lingerie line for the British store, Rosie is . set to star in Mad Max: Fury Road, alongside Tom Hardy and Nicholas . Hoult. The sci-fi action adventure movie is a . sequel to the films that kick-started Mel Gibson's career and it is . currently in post-production. In 2011 Rosie replaced Megan Fox in Transformers: Dark of The Moon, her first movie role. Meanwhile her relationship with actor Jason Statham seems to be going from strength to strength and the couple seem happier than ever. Solid couple: Rosie and Jason have been dating for three years now and seem more in love than ever . M&S' new Leading Ladies: From left, Lulu Kennedy, Rachel Khoo, Alex Wek, Rita Ora, Emma Thompson, Annie Lennox and Doreen Lawrence . | Model unveils summer range by Autograph .
Includes pretty maxi dresses .
Rosie has also designed her SS14 lingerie range . |
071f7926a55d323931ebfedee15d09ae589f8333 | Archaeologists have uncovered grim evidence of a centuries-old mass grave next to Durham Cathedral. Experts from Durham University carrying out digs on the city’s World Heritage Site have discovered the remains of many more human bodies. Digs earlier this month found four bodies - a figure which has now risen to 18. Newly discovered human remains at the Durham site brings the total of skeletons found to 18 individuals. At first archaeologists believed the remains were overflow from the cathedral's cemetery, but the way the bodies were arranged reveals an unusual form of burial . The team members first thought they had uncovered remains of Durham Cathedral’s medieval cemetery, the boundaries of which may have extended further than the present day burial site. But the newly-discovered corpses had been tipped into the earth without elaborate ceremony, suggesting they part of a mass burial. Richard Annis, senior archaeologist with Archaeological Services Durham University, said: 'We have found clear evidence of a mass burial and not a normal group of graves. 'One of the densest areas of the excavation was further north, which is further away from the edge of the presumed graveyard. Durham University will carry out further research into the remains, which will include dating the bones and looking for clues as to their origin. This work is expected to begin in the New Year (archaeologist Janet Beveridge, pictured) Richard Annis, senior archaeologist with Archaeological Services Durham University, said: 'The bodies have been tipped into the earth without elaborate ceremony and they are tightly packed together and jumbled' 'The bodies have been tipped into the earth without elaborate ceremony and they are tightly packed together and jumbled. Archaeologists working on the dig (pictured) said that no definitive interpretation of the grave could be offered at this stage . 'Some are buried in a North-to-South alignment, rather than the traditional East-to-West alignment that we would expect from a conventional medieval burial site.' The same Durham University team will carry out further research into the remains, which will include dating the bones and looking for clues as to their origin. This work is expected to begin in the New Year. Mr Annis added that no definitive interpretation could be offered at this stage in the investigation. He said: 'The process of post-excavation processing, examination and analysis is essential to allow us to draw proper conclusions about this group of human remains. 'It is too early to say what they may be.' The first evidence of human remains was found earlier in November during building work at the University’s Palace Green Library. With the necessary permission from the UK’s Ministry of Justice, archaeologists are carrying out excavation works in the area before taking the bones away for further examination. By law, the bones must eventually be reinterred at an approved burial ground. Palace Green Library is undergoing a £10m development to establish world-class exhibition and visitor facilities, part of a £30m total investment in Durham University library services. | Digs earlier this month found 4 bodies - a figure which has now risen to 18 .
Team first thought they had found a medieval cemetery but the corpses had been tipped into the earth without elaborate ceremony .
Some of the corpses are arranged in a North-South alignment instead of the conventional East-West arrangement found in medieval graves . |
071fa29f07886b382e24de7a64aa999604876b98 | (CNN) -- Inter Milan have been hit with a €50,000 ($65,500) fine after their fans racially abused AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli during Sunday's derby match at the San Siro. Balotelli was making just his fourth appearance for Milan against city rivals Inter, a team with which he spent four years between 2006 and 2010. The sanction comes after Inter's fans chanted racial slurs at the 22-year-old Italy star, as well as displaying offensive banners and aiming a laser pen at the 22-year-old, who signed from English Premier League champiins Manchester City in January. Balotelli himself was fined €10,000 ($13,000) for aiming a gesture at fans as he headed down the tunnel at the end of the 1-1 draw. A statement from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) cited chanting which started in the 11th minute and was repeated in the 15th, 16th and 19th minutes. The punishment is also for similar chants directed at another player in the 30th and 44th minutes of the first half. Reports suggested Inter fans waved inflatable bananas, although there was no evidence connecting the objects with any incidents of racism. Inter were fined €15,000 ($19,000) earlier this month after their fans chanted racist abuse about Balotelli during a match with Chievo. It is the second time in recent months an AC Milan player has been the target of abuse. During an exhibition match with Fourth Division team Pro Patria in January, Ghanaian midfielder Kevin Prince-Boateng walked off the pitch after he was subject to monkey chants. Balotelli was at the center of an embarrassing incident for the AC Milan hierarchy just days after signing for the team. Paolo Berlusconi, the club's vice president and younger brother of owner and former Italian prime minister Silvio, referred to Balotelli as "the family's little black boy." Balotelli has made an instant impact on his return to Serie A, scoring four goals in four games as Milan climbed above Inter in the table and into fourth place. The striker's time at Manchester City was dominated by controversy, including an altercation with manager Roberto Mancini on the club's training ground. | Inter Milan fined $65,500 for racist abuse during Sunday's derby with AC Milan .
Inter fans directed taunts at their former player Mario Balotelli .
Fans also displayed offensive banners, used a laser pen and abused a second player .
Balotelli fined for gesturing at fans as he left the pitch . |
071fce1a9d14ffc0ccab435213df2a50e04f4da4 | A tweet from Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry's verified account on Sunday night included a disparaging image of the Democratic district attorney who is at the center of his criminal indictment on charges of abuse of power. The tweet was later deleted, followed by another from Perry's account that disavowed the post. The earlier tweet posted an unflattering mock image of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, who was convicted of drunken driving in April 2013. Perry vetoed funds to her office when she refused to resign, which led to a grand jury in Austin this month indicting Perry — who is a potential 2016 presidential candidate. The caption on the tweet reads: 'I don't always drive drunk at 3x the legal blood alcohol limit ...' The Associated Press reported that the bottom of the caption of the tweet read 'but when I do, I indict Gov. Perry for calling me out about it. I am the most drunk Democrat in Texas.' Lehmberg's office did not lead the grand jury investigation against Perry. It was handled by Michael McCrum, a San Antonio-based special prosecutor who was assigned by a Republican judge. Scroll down for video . Tweet: This image appeared on the verified Twitter account for Gov. Rick Perry . 'Unauthorized':The post was removed and Perry claimed it was 'unauthorized' Charged: Gov. Rick Perry, seen in this file photo, has pleaded not guilty and called the charges a political ploy . 'A tweet just went out from my account that was unauthorized. I do not condone the tweet and I have taken it down,' the later post said. Perry aides did not immediately return messages seeking comment from the Associated Press. Although the tweets were sent from Perry's verified account, it was unclear who does the actual posting for the feed. Perry has pleaded not guilty and called the charges a political ploy. His high-powered legal team has asked the judge overseeing the case to dismiss the indictment, claiming that the law being used to prosecute the longest-serving governor in Texas history is unconstitutionally vague. Conflict: Perry vetoed funds to Lehmberg's office when she refused to resign, which led to a grand jury in Austin this month indicting Perry — who is a potential 2016 presidential candidate . Meme: The image posted to Perry's Twitter account seemed to use Lehmberg's April 2013 booking photo for drunk driving . Second message: Rick Perry's authorized Twitter account posted this message after the mock image of Rosemary Lehmberg appeared . Perry cut off $7.5 million in state funds to the state's Public Integrity Unit — which is based in Travis County and prosecutes public corruption in Texas — when Lehmberg refused to resign. That veto drew a formal complaint from a left-leaning watchdog group. Perry's verified account is updated frequently — and sometimes famously. After finishing in fifth place in the Iowa caucuses during his 2012 presidential campaign, Perry addressed speculation that he might call it quits with a tweet of a photo of himself jogging near a lake, and the words, 'Here we come South Carolina!' | A tweet from Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry's verified account on Sunday night included a disparaging image of the Democratic district attorney who is at the center of his criminal indictment on charges of abuse of power .
The tweet included unflattering mock image of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, who was convicted of drunken driving in April 2013 .
Perry vetoed funds to her office when she refused to resign, which led to a grand jury in Austin this month indicting Perry — who is a potential 2016 presidential candidate .
Perry has pleaded not guilty and called the charges a political ploy .
The tweet was later deleted, followed by another from Perry's account that disavowed the post .
Although the tweets were sent from Perry's verified account, it was unclear who does the actual posting for the feed . |
0720bf6dceb87b5c5f8545e2e3ddf16db78a2dc8 | By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:47 EST, 5 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:47 EST, 5 October 2013 . Hero: Nicholas Oresko, a World War ll Medal of Honor recipient, has died in hospital aged 96 . A World War II veteran and the nation's oldest living Medal of Honor recipient has died aged 96. Nicholas Oresko, an Army master sergeant who was badly wounded when he single-handedly took out two enemy bunkers during the Battle of the Bulge in 1945, died on Friday night at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. Oresko had been hospitalized after injuring himself in a fall at an assisted living center in Cresskill. He died of complications from surgery for a broken right femur. A November 2011 article on the Department of Defense website described Oresko as the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient. The medal is the nation's highest military honor, awarded by Congress for risk of life in combat beyond the call of duty. A Bayonne native, Oresko received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman on October 30, 1945. At 28, Oresko was the platoon leader when automatic fire pinned down his unit. Realizing . a machine gun in a nearby bunker needed to be eliminated, Oresko moved . out alone in the morning darkness, braving bullets that zipped about . him, until he was close enough to throw a grenade into the German . bunker. He rushed the bunker and used his M-1 rifle to kill the soldiers who survived the grenade blast. Achievement: Nicholas Oresko received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman on October 30, 1945 (left). His heroism in WWII prevented numerous American casualties . Then another machine gun fired, knocking Oresko down and wounding him in the right hip and leg . He managed to crawl to another bunker and take it out with another grenade. Despite being weak from loss of blood, Oresko refused to be evacuated until he was assured that the mission was accomplished. His actions on January 23, 1945, were credited with preventing numerous American casualties and were praised as key to the Allies' victory. The Bergen Record reported that several veterans and young members of various branches of the military stayed with Oresko in his final days after a friend wrote about his health problems on a Facebook page and noted that Oresko had no immediate family still living. Aged: Nicholas Oreska died in hospital on Friday of complications from surgery for a broken femur . | Nicholas Oresko, America's oldest living Medal of Honor recipient, has died aged 96 .
He died in hospital last night of complications from surgery for a broken right femur .
The WWII veteran was badly wounded when he wiped out two enemy bunkers near Tettingen, Germany, during the Battle of the Bulge .
President Harry S. Truman presented him with the medal during a White House ceremony on October 30, 1945 . |
07219fde9287637bcac154aca9695e228afbe60d | (CNN) -- Hef owned one. Miss Universe had one named after her. And a recent vice presidential nominee campaigned on one. Now, after nearly 50 years, the iconic McDonnell Douglas DC-9 airliner is pretty much done. Overall, say aviation enthusiasts, it's been a great ride. The twin-engine, single-aisle jet's biggest and first operator, Delta Air Lines, officially retired its remaining fleet of six DC-9s on Monday, leaving only a handful of passenger models operating among foreign airlines and government and military outfits. It's high time to give this plane its due. Experts credit the DC-9 with helping to open markets and spark air travel trends that continue today. And what about pop culture? During its peak in the 1970s, the DC-9 became an ultimate status symbol among the world's emerging Jet Set. For some, the plane was truly shagadelic. Playboy magazine owner Hugh Hefner bought a custom DC-9 and turned it into a personal fur-lined flying boudoir. But while Hef was making mile-high-club history, the DC-9 was making travel history. Airlines embraced this T-Tailed plane with engines mounted on the rear, instead of the wings. They liked its ability to land easily at airports with shorter runways. Here's how the DC-9's geeky aviation technology helped change America's travel culture: . —Longer wing flaps and dynamic engines helped DC-9s land and takeoff on shorter runways that often served smaller towns. —In turn, airlines used the DC-9 to open new shorter routes which connected big cities to smaller ones. —And that led to making jetliner travel more accessible to more Americans. Bottom line: The DC-9 helped Americans who live in smaller towns embrace air travel. It's hard to know for sure, but experts estimate the DC-9 series has flown perhaps 2 or 3 billion passengers between its first commercial flight on December 8, 1965, and its last flight on January 6. "I think its age alone puts it in the hall of fame, just on longevity," said William Swelbar, an aviation industry blogger, consultant and research engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Post-deregulation, the DC-9 was incredibly important in building hubs in lots and lots of smallish markets." Swelbar said it had a direct impact on the growth of air travel to smaller cities like Green Bay, Wisconsin. "Today that airplane would arguably be too big to serve Green Bay -- because now Green Bay is served by a number of smaller regional jets," he said. "But the fact of the matter is, the DC-9 really helped make Green Bay an important point on a number of airline maps." Affectionate nicknames for the plane stuck. Some called it the Chuck Niner. More powerful versions were called "Sport Nines." Labels like "Dirty Niner" and "Diesel 9" were veiled references to its smoky, loud engines during the early days. "As an ex-Northwest employee I can't say enough great things about the Diesel 9," wrote CNN commenter Keith Montgomery. The plane's rear-mounted engines made loading and unloading luggage faster, he wrote, because baggage handlers didn't have to wait for the engines to "spool down" before they could access the bags. By the late '60s, the buzz was growing and Hefner wanted one. In 1969 he took delivery of a DC-9-32 -- a longer version than the original -- painted black and stenciled with the iconic bunny logo on the tail. The aircraft was dubbed "The Big Bunny." Riding this sleek chariot, the Playboy prince whisked his bright-eyed girlfriend Barbi Benton on a whirlwind trip to Europe and Africa in 1970. Video posted on YouTube shows the plane as a high-altitude party palace, complete with a reel-to-reel videotape player, a shower, and a disco. In 1977, BWIA West Indies Airways celebrated the crowning of Trinidad and Tobago's first Miss Universe, Janelle Penny Commissiong, by naming a DC-9 in her honor. More recently, the plane played a role in the 2012 election. GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney trusted a DC-9 to ferry his running mate, Paul Ryan, from stump speech to stump speech. By the way, that plane -- built in 1970 -- was the same age as the vice presidential candidate. Since 1965, Delta -- the first carrier to fly DC-9s -- has flown a total of 305 of them -- nearly a third of the over 970 that McDonnell Douglas manufactured until production ended in 1982. This isn't the first time Delta has retired the DC-9. The Atlanta-based airline got rid of their first fleet of DC-9s in 1993. But 15 years later, it acquired 72 DC-9s as part of a merger with Northwest. It's been taking those planes out of service little by little until last week, when Delta retired its final six. (Delta said two of those DC-9s will remain on standby for a few weeks as backup planes.) Not wanting to ignore a key moment in the history of an aviation icon, Delta hosted a small ceremony with cake and balloons on Monday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The DC-9 chosen for the final passenger flight was a 120-seat Series 50 model built in 1978. Its FAA registry number: N773NC. Aboard the plane was aviation correspondent Jack Harty of Airchive.com. "It was bittersweet," he said, reflecting on the passing of a relic from a different time when on-board WiFi sounded like science fiction and lighting up a Marlboro was commonplace. While still on the ground, Harty got a peak inside the flight deck. He found no advanced flight management computer and none of the modern, so-called "glass cockpit" digital displays you might find on newer airliners. The plane's instruments were a throwback to 1970s technology -- lots of old-fashioned round, analog dials. N773NC's first airline was North Central in '78. A year later, it was obtained by Republic. It changed airlines again in 1986 when Northwest swallowed Republic. In 2009, it got a Delta paint job, after Delta's mashup with Northwest. Eventually it was time for Harty to board N773NC for Delta's final scheduled DC-9 passenger flight -- appropriately named Flight 2014 -- from Minneapolis to Atlanta. Once in the air, the crew led passengers in a quick champagne toast to honor the aircraft. By the way, another storied airliner from the same era, the DC-10, will reportedly make its final passenger flight in February from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Birmingham, England. The DC-9 leaves behind a powerful design legacy that will fly for years. Aviation geeks point to what they call "variants" of the plane which are still going strong, including the MD series -- the MD-88 and the MD-90. Another plane with design roots reaching back to the DC-9 is the Boeing 717. These planes all look a lot like the DC-9, with their rear-mounted engines -- and of course that cool-looking T-Tail. To replace the DC-9s and other retiring planes, Delta is acquiring 36 717s this year from AirTran and another 36 in 2015. The 110-seat 717s have a range that will allow them to fly all of the airline's domestic routes. By 2017, Delta also plans to add 40 Airbus planes to its fleet, including the international widebody A330-300 and -- for domestic routes -- the single-aisle A321. Delta also is the process of buying 100 new Boeing 737-900ERs to replace older 757s and 767s. Get ready for a lot more airliners to retire between now and 2019. The aviation consulting firm ICF SH&E predicts more commercial jets will be retired worldwide this decade than ever before -- somewhere between 6,000-8,000. Compare that to about 1,700 commercial jets that were retired in the entire 1990s. The time is right for airlines to buy newer planes, experts say, because interest rates are relatively low, and higher fuel prices require newer, efficient engines. As for the exiting DC-9s, one will be handpicked for permanent display at the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta. "It was a robust workhorse of an airplane," said Delta spokesman Michael Thomas. "Its longevity proves how robust it was." | Born in 1965, DC-9s opened jet routes to small airports, spurring travel .
Delta, the last U.S. carrier flying DC-9s, officially retired its fleet on January 6 .
Hugh Hefner had one; 2012 VP nominee Paul Ryan campaigned in one .
Delta's final five Series 50 DC-9s will be sold off, another will go to a museum . |
072263adb43949cb124282a001b5e1f1dec59672 | (CNN) -- Thirty one countries have abolished the death penalty but China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Yemen remain amongst the most frequent executioners, according to a new report from Amnesty International released Monday. The human rights organization officially recorded at least 527 executions in 2010, down from at least 714 in 2009. The leading regions for executions, according to Amnesty, are Asia and the Middle East, with eight of the top 10 nations from those areas. "While executions may be on the decline, a number of countries continue to pass death sentences for drug-related offenses, economic crimes, sexual relations between consenting adults and blasphemy -- violating international human rights law forbidding the use of the death penalty except for the most serious crimes," said Salil Shetty, the group's secretary general. The totals in the Amnesty report exclude China, which carries out the death penalty more than the rest of the world combined. "China is believed to have executed thousands in 2010 but continues to maintain its secrecy over its use of the death penalty," the Amnesty report said. "China used the death penalty in 2010 against thousands of people for a wide range of crimes that include non-violent offenses and after proceedings that did not meet international fair trial standards." Chinese authorities could not immediately be reached for comment. The human rights group flagged China, along with Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malaysia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, on imposing death sentences for drug-related crimes. Amnesty cited Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates for executing people under the age of 18. The United States carried out the fifth highest number of executions in 2010, with a total of 46. Sixteen states have abolished the death penalty. Illinois did so this year. The level of public support for capital punishment in the United States has stayed relatively steady during the last decade, according to Gallup. Five out of the last 10 years, 64% of Americans have backed the death penalty in cases of murder. About three in 10 oppose executions. Amnesty sees hope in the 25% decline in executions as the group pushes for abolishment. "Any country that continues to execute is flying in the face of the fact that both human rights law and UN human rights bodies consistently hold that abolition should be the objective," Shetty said. "A world free of the death penalty is not only possible, it is inevitable," he said. "The question is how long will it take?" | China maintains secrecy over its use of the death penalty .
China, Iran, North Korea, Yemen and United States execute the most people .
China executes more than the rest of world combined, according to Amnesty International .
The United States executed 46 people in 2010 . |
0722778d3b5186f0212160505fe5bbdd609b3d24 | By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 11:26 EST, 25 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:41 EST, 25 August 2013 . BBC broadcaster Evan Davis has sparked a debate on Twitter after appealing to his 124,000 followers to help find a job for a Latvian man he met at a barbecue. The Radio 4 Today presenter posted a photo of the man this morning with the words 'Can anyone give this lovely guy I met at a bbq yesterday a job? Hospitality perhaps? Or he has to return to Latvia.' But the post has resulted in people taking to Twitter to discuss whether the broadcaster should be using his position as a high-profile broadcaster to help someone into employment. Broadcaster Evan Davis has called on his Twitter followers to help find this man a job . One Twitter user called SGA wrote: 'Why not get him a job in radio?' While another called Melindi Scott said: 'Why hospitality perhaps? Did you not investigate his entire skill set?' However, others have praised the broadcaster's act of kindness. Davie Kelly wrote: 'No-one will trump the small act of kindness behind the initial tweet.' Davis was also one of a number of journalists involved in a BBC1 Panaroma special called Breaking into Britain . While another Twitter user called Josh said: 'dude, foreign workers have a better work attitude than most British people!' Davis also presents Dragons Den and the business conversation programme the Bottom Line. In . 2011 he presented Made in Britain, a three-part BBC2 series with an . accompanying book on how the country pays its way in the world. Davis . was also one of a number of journalists involved in a BBC1 Panaroma . special called Breaking into Britain, an account of the journeys . migrants take to get into Europe and the UK. For the six and a half years prior to working on the Today programme he was the Economics Editor for the BBC. A BBC spokesman said: 'As Evan is tweeting from a person account we would not comment on this.' | Radio 4 Today presenter posted the photo this morning on Twitter .
His tweet sparked a debate online about whether he should be using his position as a high-profile broadcaster to help someone into employment . |
0722eb694b993eb3731c1237ac89ce09aa46948c | Usually burglars like to work quickly and in darkness to prevent them from being caught red-handed. However, a pair of cheeky crooks took a far more relaxed approach when breaking into a residency in China. They plonked themselves on the sofa and flicked on the homeowner's TV, helping themselves to delicious snacks while they were at it. Unfortunately for these foolish home invaders, they were immediately arrested after being spotted on a remote surveillance camera. The man of the house, 32-year-old Chung Chang, was at work when he randomly decided to check his security gear on account of a 'sixth-sense'. He watched absolutely stunned as two men casually wandered around his living room in the city of Linyi in eastern China's Shandong province, enjoying all the facilities on offer. The nerve of them! A pair of burglars sat on the sofa to snack and watch TV while invading a residency in China . 'When I saw these two men in my flat I was very confused,' Chung says. 'At first I thought they might be friends of my son, but when I called him he said he wasn't at home. 'My wife was away on a business trip so I knew they weren't her friends. 'Then I saw them putting on white gloves and looking through my things and I realised they were burglars. 'And they had the cheek to watch my TV and eat my crisps too!' Chung then called the police who went straight to the block of flats and knocked on the door. 'Sixth sense' - Fortunately the flat owner decided to check his security cam from work and spotted the intruders wandering around his living room . A police spokesman said: 'When officers arrived the men inside were clearly very surprised. 'We heard lots of swearing coming from the other side of the door and then it went quiet. 'The two men were found hiding under the owner's bed after police and club wielding security guards went inside. 'At first they said the flat was theirs, but when we asked them why they had been under the bed they realised the game was up and confessed.' The convicts, who had previously shared a jail cell and had only just been released, now face up to five years. Busted! The police were immediately called and the men were found hiding in the bedroom before they were taken away in handcuffs . | Chinese worker checks home security camera and sees flat being burgled by two men .
The intruders make themselves at home by eating snacks and watching TV .
Police are called and arrive to arrest them .
They are discovered hiding under the bed and pretend to be the true homeowners . |
07236c6d6bfa4bb5737c5d193ac35aa510ccdaa3 | Washington (CNN)Our first 2015 trip around the "Inside Politics" table brought fresh insights on President Obama's early moves, key intelligence on Republican congressional shifts, some North Dakota intrigue and a look back that perhaps has a parallel to the angst some liberals have about their 2016 front-runner. 1. The 'big speech' isn't what it once was, so Obama hits the road . A post-State of the Union road trip is a presidential tradition, but Obama is planning a pre-speech swing, perhaps to show the times are changing. Julie Pace of The Associated Press says it's the latest attempt by the White House to maximize its political leverage -- all the more important now that Republicans will control both the House and the Senate. "The White House says that this is a way to get out there, gain momentum and draw up contrasts with Republicans early on. But it also shows that State of the Unions simply aren't as important as they once were," said Pace. "The President's last State of the Union address drew 33 million viewers. It was the lowest number of viewers since Bill Clinton's last address. You still get a big audience, but I think this is interesting, whether this signals that not only this White House but future White Houses will see an incentive in talking to the American people about State of the Union ideas separate from just that one big night. " 2. Easy sailing for AG choice Lynch? Attorney General Eric Holder has few, if any, friends among Republicans in Congress, and there were predictions of a rocky road for the woman chosen by Obama to take the reins at Justice now that Holder is stepping down. But The Atlantic's Molly Ball tells us that smooth sailing is now the prediction as Loretta Lynch prepares for her confirmation hearings. Yes, Republicans have some big policy differences with the Obama administration and will use the Lynch hearings to air them. But Ball says her reporting found that Lynch herself has made a very good impression on key GOPers. "She impressed a lot of Republicans in her meetings on the hill last month," said Ball. "Sen. Grassley, who's the incoming chairman of the Judiciary Committee, hasn't said anything negative about her. Senior Republican sources in the Senate tell me they think there may be a little bit of drama but right now she's looking pretty good for confirmation." 3. Chaffetz's plans for Issa's old committee . The new Congress means some new faces leading key congressional committees, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah can be certain of this: He will be compared early and often to his combative predecessor, Rep. Darrell Issa of California. Chaffetz is about to take over the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, the panel that for the past couple of years has held high-profile hearings on the IRS, Benghazi, and other flashpoints between the GOP and the Obama White House. Chaffetz has a more easygoing style than Issa but is no less ambitious -- and no fan of the White House. Ed O'Keefe of The Washington Post shared his reporting on how the new chairman plans to close down some investigations, but then get busy with a new set of oversight priorities. "He's putting together a bunch of new subcommittees --one to look at Obama's work on energy and the environment and another focused specifically on administrative rules, or all the regulation-writing that is going on across the administration," said O'Keefe. "He says staffers on that subcommittee are tasked with waking up every morning, scouring the Federal Register and all the other pieces of information that are out there about rule-making going on, and hold hearings about them. " 4. One big question for 2016 -- will Heitkamp take the plunge? In Washington, the big 2016 debate is over when Hillary Clinton will let us know for certain. But in North Dakota, it's Heidi Heitkamp who has things in a bit of a holding pattern. Heitkamp, a Democratic U.S. senator, is looking hard at heading home and running for governor in 2016. Nia-Malika Henderson of The Washington Post took us inside the chess game that could play out if Heitkamp shakes up state politics with a gubernatorial bid. "She's not up for Senate until 2018, so if she runs for governor in 2016, she can also keep her Senate seat," said Henderson. "But if she wins, she could actually appoint her successor. And Republicans in North Dakota are nervous about that prospect and making some noise and putting bills forward to prevent that little technicality, so she wouldn't be able to do that." 5. Clinton and Warren -- this 2016 dynamic has a 1992 parallel . Another big 2016 debate in Washington is whether liberals can somehow convince Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts to challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. I vividly recall a similar debate back in late 1991 and early 1992, when then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton was emerging as the Democratic front-runner and annoying some party activists with his argument that Democrats were repeatedly losing presidential elections because the national party was far too liberal. Back then, the liberal at the receiving end of the urgent entreaties was New York Gov. Mario Cuomo. Among those most aggressive on courting Cuomo were the labor unions that Clinton often blamed for pulling Democrats to the left. On deadline day to file for the New Hampshire primary, there was a plane waiting in Albany, New York, to take Cuomo to Concord to declare his candidacy and join the fray. Reporters waited, and a crowd gathered as word spread of the expected drama. I remember sitting in the Concord bureau of The Associated Press and filing the bulletin that Cuomo would NOT run. And on that day and in the days that followed, I recall the relief his decision gave to top lieutenants in the Bill Clinton campaign. The principal reason Clinton survived the roller coaster of character questions in that '92 campaign was his own political skills and tenacity. But it is also fair to note that it turned out to be a relatively weak Democratic field. No offense to Bob Kerrey, Tom Harkin or the late Paul Tsongas, but none emerged as a lasting, serious threat to Clinton. Jerry Brown -- then the former California governor and now back in that job -- held on the longest, but never came close in the delegate chase. Cuomo's decision kept on the sidelines a powerful intellect with proven debate skills -- and earned the New York governor the "Hamlet on the Hudson" moniker because of his public debate, largely with himself, over whether to run for president in 1988 and then again in 1992. | Elizabeth Warren's impact on Hillary Clinton camp recalls Mario Cuomo in 1992 .
What key GOPers are saying about Loretta Lynch .
How Jason Chaffetz will change Darrell Issa's old committee . |
0724815bbc8203d12faa9b761508b57642332a4d | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 08:29 EST, 12 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:14 EST, 12 December 2013 . As millions of Brits flock to the shops and spend hours - or sometimes minutes - labouring over the perfect gift for their loved one, it seems that their efforts may well be futile. A new survey has revealed that nearly half of us are preparing to fake a positive reaction to an unwanted gift in order to avoid upsetting a loved one's feelings this Christmas. From the 'long-suffering' to the 'faking it face', FEMAIL and body language expert Judi James are here to help you decipher the 12 telltale faces you could be witnessing on Christmas morning. Not impressed: If your woman pulls the 'disappointed face' (left) she is not happy; while the 'long-suffering' face (right) says 'thanks for the socks...the same pair you've bought me for the past ten years' Fuming: Only 0.4 per cent of people have witnessed the 'rage face' but it is the worst of the lot - and quite easy to spot . Judi showed over 2,000 . people photographs of the twelve faces and asked them to pick the . ones they recognised most when giving gifts to friends and family. The 'happy face' topped the list, with 64 per cent recognising it, followed by the 'love face' (37 per cent) and the 'curious face' (19 per cent). Other popular faces were the 'OMG face', the 'disappointed face' and the 'fake it' face. Win! Men, if your lady displays this 'happy face' it means she is delighted with her Christmas gift . What does her face say? The 'love face' (L), which is the second most popular face, means she adores her present, while the 'curious face' (R) means she is intrigued . Oh em gee! The 'OMG face' means she is shocked, but in a good way . The research found that, surprisingly, mum is the most likely person to be on the receiving end of the ‘fake’ smile, with nearly 1 in 5 people claiming she is responsible for the majority of unwanted Christmas gifts. Thankfully, amidst the faking, there will be genuine delight with almost two thirds of people claiming to see happy reactions from their gift giving efforts, and a third seeing a love face. However, it seems there is a degree of awkward uncertainty among some gift recipients with one in five claiming to have witnessed a curious face as the reaction to their gift. Judi explains: 'Being put on the spot to open a gift in front of friends and family can be a stressful situation, so it’s natural for people to ‘fake it’ in order not to hurt a loved one’s feelings. Not convinced: The 'faking it' face (L) is one to look out for this year, and the 'styling it out face' (R) probably means she doesn't take your gift seriously . Behind the smile: The 'guilty face' (L) and the 'suspicious face' are two to look out for this year . 'A lot of time and effort normally goes into buying Christmas gifts, so it’s probably the one time of year that a white lie is OK!'. But how can you truly tell if someone is delighted or not? Judi maintains that it’s all in the smile. 'When it comes to knowing whether someone is truly happy with their gift look closely; the smile is usually spread evenly across the face, with a subtle display of upper and lower teeth and the eyes are narrowed slightly into a crescent shaped eye-smile. 'On the other hand, when we perform a white lie, we are often guilty of over-acting; look for over the top wide eyes and a wide open mouth displaying upper and lower teeth with a hand on the chest,' she advises. So how do you ensure you don't get a ‘fake smile’? Men, take note. Here are the year's most unwanted Christmas gifts. Topping the list is bubble bath (37 per cent), ill-fitting clothes (29 per cent), ornaments (27 per cent) and perfume or aftershave that smell awful (24 per cent). Women are more likely to want to bin the bubble bath than men, with over a third (39 per cent) saying it’s the item they’d least like to receive, compared to only 18 per cent of men. For men its socks that are the most undesired Christmas gift with 27 per cent listing this as the top no-go gift, compared to only 10 per cent of women, found the survey by American Express Gift Cards. The happy face 64 per centThe love face 37 per centThe curious face 19 per centThe OMG face 16 per centThe disappointed face 7 per centThe fake it face 6 per centThe styling it out face 5 per centThe guilty face 5 per centThe suspicious face 4 per centThe long-suffering face 4 per centThe tantrum face 1 per centThe rage face 0.4 per cent . Bubble bath (37 per cent) Ill-fitting clothes (29 per cent) Ornaments (27 per cent) Perfume or aftershave that smell awful (24 per cent) | From the 'long-suffering' grimace to the 'disappointed' face, here's how to decipher your partner's reaction to their present this Christmas .
Nearly half of Brits will fake happiness for an unwanted gift .
Mothers are most guilty of buying unwanted gifts . |
072498d190f0e46e37e32a12dc5ccab22c069233 | Many English people are now too embarrassed to fly the Cross of St George – because they think the nation's flag has become too ‘chavvy’. Almost a third would not display the flag because it has become associated with football and lager louts, a social anthropologist Kate Fox has said. A quarter were put off by its links to far right extremists, she said. Scroll down for video . Put off: Almost a third would not display the flag because it has become associated with football and lager louts, a social anthropologist Kate Fox has said. (File image) Miss Fox, co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC), said the shunning of the flag by middle England had now become a ‘class problem’ rather than a political one. Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, she said most people in this country are ‘closet patriots’ but fear being judged by their peers if they embrace it. She said: ‘30 per cent don’t fly the flag because for them, it’s associated with football and the phrase they used is – I don’t like the word, but they said it’s a bit chavvy to fly the flag. So it’s got lower class associations. ‘It’s almost more of a class problem that the flag has now rather than a political problem.’ Fox, author of the bestseller Watching The English, said her research showed 83 per cent of people in England feel some pride in their country, with only three per cent never taking pride in it. But she added two thirds of us do not know the date of St George’s Day, and three quarters do not celebrate it in any way. Connotations: A quarter of people surveyed were put off by its links to far right extremists, social anthropologist Kate Fox said. Above, British National Front supporters march with the flag . She said her research showed that we are a ‘nation of closet patriots’ but that we valued ‘the importance of not being Earnest’ and felt ‘embarrassed’ about the big open shows of patriotism seen in other countries. ‘There’s this notion that the English lack all patriotic feeling,’ she said. ‘We take a bit of pride in our lack of national pride. It’s bizarre.’ Another factor is that the national flag has in recent years been embraced by far-right extremists, she said. ‘There are about 25 per cent of people for whom the association with the far right and racism puts them off flying the national flag,’ she said. ‘Although actually 60 per cent of people would like us to embrace St George’s Day, and fly the flag, 25 per cent of people do not do it because of those associations. ‘But if you think about it, the flag was only available for appropriation by extremists because the rest of the population already shunned it. ‘That’s how they were able to steal it – to highjack it.’ Fox also spoke about the impact of the internet and social media on our national identity, saying it had helped us become less reserved. She said: ‘The only thing that’s significantly changed is the advent of social media, where the English lose some of their Englishness. It’s a bit like being drunk. ‘The English online are uninhibited. ‘It’s like you’re down the pub.’ On our use of vocabulary, said that we collectively enjoyed feeling that we had the power of foresight over our lives, which is why many English people enjoyed using the word ‘typical’. She said: ‘You have to be able to say it in a way that sounds simultaneously peeved but also stoically resigned and shruggy. ‘And at the same time smugly omniscient - almost pleased that your predictions have been fulfilled. Everything may have gone pear shaped but you have not been taken unawares.’ And on tea, the nation’s favourite drink, she said she had underestimated its ‘magical properties’ when she joked about it in the first edition of her book. She said: ‘Of course, the next thing I saw was that, in the 7/7 bombings in London, concerned shop keepers rushed out to give aid and comfort to the walking wounded. ‘What did they take apart from blankets? Cups of tea. ‘You can imagine those shop keepers looking out and thinking oh god, I’ll put the kettle on.’ | Almost a third think it has become associated with football and lager louts .
A quarter were put off by the flag's links to far right extremists .
But 83 per cent of people in England still feel some pride in their country . |
0724c54cfa2b2d70cd7cc5873a0850eac9ba4fbf | By . Daniel Martin . PUBLISHED: . 19:37 EST, 16 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 02:07 EST, 17 January 2014 . A report has found that of the 1.8m single parent households in Britain, 650,000 of them are not in any sort of work. Posed by models . Britain has more single parents than almost any country in Europe, and almost one in three of them are unemployed. A report has found that of the 1.8million single parent households in Britain, 650,000 of them are not in any sort of work. This has led to a situation where the average single parent household in the UK claims twice as much in benefit support as the average two-parent household. The proportion of lone parent households in the UK is the fourth highest in the EU - behind only Estonia, Latvia and Ireland - with 24 per cent of of children being brought up by just one adult. The think tank Policy Exchange, which compiled the study, said the figures showed that if George Osborne wants to slash the welfare bill, he needs to target support at helping young, single parents find work. Author Matthew Tinsley said: ‘Raising a child is a huge responsibility regardless of your living arrangements. All parents - especially young single mothers - need support. ‘It is right that the government extended free childcare. However, it is also right to ask more from people to find a job. Simply relying on benefits when you are physically and mentally able to work is not fair. ‘Policymakers must do more to help the two thirds of a million unemployed single parents find a job. Such action would significantly boost the UK economy and help find further savings in the welfare budget.’ The report found that the level of unemployment among single partners can partly be attributed to when they had children. More than half (52 per cent) of lone mothers who had their first child as a teenager are not in work or looking for work, compared to 40 per cent who had their first aged 20 to 23. More than half (52 per cent) of lone mothers who had their first child as a teenager are not in work or looking for work, compared to 40 per cent who had their first aged 20 to 23. Posed by models . Among those who have their first child in their early thirties, the unemployment rate is 19 per cent. However, there has been an increase in the number of single parents in work compared to the 1990s, partly due to employment support and stronger job search requirements introduced by the previous government, and the increase in part-time work. The most common age single parents had their first child is 20 compared to couples who are together who most often had their first child at 30. While the number of teenage pregnancies has fallen by a third between 1998 and 2011, the UK still has one of the highest rates in the developing world. | Of the 1.8million single parent households in Britain, 650,000 of them are not in any sort of work .
Average single parent household in UK claims twice as much in .
benefit support as the average two-parent household .
Only Latvia, Estonia and Ireland have more lone parent households . |
0724f1ba975c9de9d78c483cfe0da00a1fdb4aaa | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 03:45 EST, 3 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:30 EST, 3 October 2012 . An extreme hoarder burned down his house, killing himself and seriously injuring his sick mother, in an apparent act of defiance. Dean Verboven, 42, reportedly set a fire in his cluttered, run-down home in Havemeyer Lane, Greenwich, Connecticut, just hours before state social workers were due to arrive and clear out the mess. His 69-year-old mother Barbara Verboven is getting treated for severe burns at Bridgeport Medical Center. SCROLL FOR VIDEO REPORT . Arson: Authorities survey the scene after Dean Verboven apparently sparked a blaze. Gutted: Scorch marks and melted materials show the temperature of the hire, which may have been started with an accelerant. Police said the fire department believe the fire was deliberately started. Greenwich Police Lieutenant Craig Gray said: 'The fire department has determined it was intentionally set.' Neighbour Richard Meehan witnessed the blaze, which broke out at about 7am. He said: 'I rushed over and there was smoke pouring out of the house. 'About that time they were bringing the lady out and about five or six minutes later we saw them take the second person out.' Investigation: (Left) Police personnel confer outside the house. (Right) A firefighter surveys the damage. Gutted: The home was filled with the Verbovens' clutter. Barbara Verboven remains in critical condition. A dumpster was already at the site to be filled with the Verboven's belongings. The house has been an eyesore for years, . attracting complaints from neighbors, CBS New York reported. Neighbours said Barbara used to work for the Board of . Education in Greenwich but became ill and her son was . taking care of her. The man of the house was a retired Greenwich cop who died in the 1980s. The two were in a 'slow decline' and things got especially bad in the past five years, they added, but the mother and son were well-liked. 'I knew this boy since he was 8-years-old and they are sweet people, nice people,' Gladys Pardo said. Clutter: This picture gives an idea of conditions in the house. Police and fire officials in Havemeyer Lane, where the fire was started. One neighbor said Barbara Verboven spent almost all her time in a single room of the house, eating and sleeping in a room with a television on 24 hours a day. Daily paper Greenwich Time quoted Fire Chief Peter Siecienski, who said heavy fire gutted part of the first floor of the house where the two had their bedrooms, and smoke caused heavy damage to the second floor. The state fire marshal's office brought a dog to the scene. The dogs are typically used to search for accelerants. Assistant Fire Chief Bob Kick commended the firefighters. He said: 'They did a good job. They got in there quickly.' | Dean Verboven apparently sparked blaze as social workers prepared to clear home .
The extreme hoarder died and his mother is severely burned in hospital .
Pair were 'well-liked', according to neighbours . |
0725ac1362ddf6a6fc44351b46bef1cc32143848 | Mexico City (CNN) -- Mexican officials are revealing details of a recently announced agreement that ends a 16-year trucking dispute between Mexico and the United States. U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced the agreement during a visit by the Mexican leader to Washington last week. The two leaders solved what had been a wrench in the gears of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was signed in 1994. Under the agreement, U.S. and Mexican tractor-trailers were to be allowed to transport goods back-and-forth across the border beginning in 1995. But safety and security concerns spurred the United States to bar Mexican trucks on U.S. roadways. In response, Mexico retaliated with $2.5 billion in tariffs on a variety of U.S. goods. A pilot program in 2007 to get Mexican trucks on U.S. roads was de-funded. This time, Mexican officials said, in details that began to emerge over the weekend, the authorizations will be permanent. Unlike the failed pilot program, under the new plan there will be no limit to the number of companies who can participate and the trucks they can register for cross-border transport, said Dionisio Perez-Jacome, Mexico's Communications and Transportation Minister. There will be three phases to the program, he said. The first will be the application and inspection of Mexican trucks and the accreditation of their operators, Perez-Jacome said. This phase concludes with a provisional authorization being granted to enter the United States. The second phase starts with a three-month period of thorough inspections of the vehicles crossing the border, checks that will decrease starting the fourth month, he said. It concludes with a certification that the company is following all the rules. The last phase involves the Mexican companies being notified of their permanent authorization, which can be granted after 18 months of successful operations, Perez-Jacome said. This authorization can only be revoked if a safety regulation is broken. A binational commission will be created to monitor all the phases of the new program. "This is a great step forward in our bilateral relations," Mexican Economy Minister Bruno Ferrari said. "The solution to this conflict represents a substantial advance for regional competitiveness, and, without a doubt, will offer new business opportunities for Mexican truckers." Currently, three trucks and three drivers are used to get goods across the border, Ferrari said. It comes out to about $150 per crossing. Multiplied by the 4.5 million annual truck crossings, the savings generated could exceed $675 million, he said. The agreement is expected to be signed by both presidents by June, at which time Mexico will drop half of its retaliatory tariffs, Ferrari said. The second half will be removed when the first permit for Mexican truckers is issued. However, Ferrari noted, Mexico reserves the right to re-introduce tariffs if any parts of the agreement are violated by the United States. Some in Mexico expressed concern that the U.S. Congress may block the agreement. Ferrari said that his understanding was that Obama was asking for a consultation period that would include Congress, but that the legislative body's approval would not be required. The flow of goods across the border exceeded $2.75 billion in 2010, which represents 70% of total trade between Mexico and the United States, Ferrari said. "The agreement achieved will reduce the costs of transporting goods between both nations," he said. | Obama and Calderon announced the agreement last week .
It comes after 16 years of disputes .
Mexico truckers would go through three phases before authorization . |
0726338597523c397d7e57c32e856d32717656ab | Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday promised ‘intense and sustained’ U.S. support for Iraq, but said the divided country would only survive if its leaders took urgent steps to bring it together. Hours before Kerry arrived in Baghdad, Sunni tribes who have joined a militant takeover of northern Iraq seized the only legal crossing point with Jordan, security sources said, leaving troops with no presence along the entire western frontier which includes some of the Middle East's most important trade routes. U.S. President Barack Obama has offered up to 300 American advisers to Iraq but held off granting a request by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite Muslim-led government for air strikes to counter the two-week advance by Sunni militants. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday promised 'intense and sustained' U.S. support for Iraq, but said the divided country would only survive if its leaders took urgent steps to bring it together . Oceans apart: Secretary of State John Kerry and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met face to face in Baghdad on Monday. The two government officials didn't appear to be on very friendly terms at a photo-op, but Kerry said the 100 minute meeting went well . Officials have meanwhile called for Iraqis to form an inclusive government. The insurgency has been fuelled largely by a sense of materialization and persecution among Iraq's Sunnis. ‘The support will be intense and sustained and if Iraq's leaders take the necessary steps to bring the country together, it will be effective,’ Kerry told reporters in Baghdad. He said Maliki had ‘on multiple occasions affirmed his commitment to July 1’ as the date to start the formation of a new government bringing in more Sunnis and Kurds to share power, a move Washington is keen to see. Iraqi and Jordanian security sources said tribal leaders were negotiating to hand the Turabil desert border post to Sunni Islamists from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) who took two main crossings with Syria in recent days and have pushed Iraqi government forces back toward Baghdad. Kerry, center left, flew to Baghdad this morning to meet with Maliki, right, and Iraq's other leaders to personally urge the Shiite-led government to give more power to political opponents before a Sunni insurgency seizes more control across the country and sweeps away hopes for lasting peace . Iraq state television said late on Monday that the army had recaptured both the crossing with Jordan and the al-Waleed crossing with Syria. Ethnic Kurdish forces control a third border post with Syria in the north, leaving government troops with no presence along Iraq's 800-km western border. For the insurgents, capturing the frontier is a dramatic step towards the goal of erasing the modern border altogether and building a caliphate across swaths of Syria and Iraq. Kerry said: ‘Iraq faces an existential threat and Iraq's leaders have to beat that threat with the incredible urgency that it demands. The very future of Iraq depends on choices that will be made in the next days and weeks.’ Washington, which withdrew its troops from Iraq in 2011 after an occupation that followed the 2003 invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, has been struggling to help Maliki's administration contain a Sunni insurgency led by ISIL, an al Qaeda offshoot which seized northern cities this month. The U.S. can't go in and occupy every country in the Middle East facing turmoil, president Obama said in a series of interviews that aired on Monday morning . ¿Unless we are prepared to stay indefinitely in all these various countries, something that we can¿t afford, and it would involve over time accusations that we were occupying these countries,¿ Obama told Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, ¿at some stage, they¿re gonna have to take responsibility for working together' Washington is worried Maliki and fellow Shi'ites who have won U.S.-backed elections have worsened the insurgency by alienating moderate Sunnis who once fought al Qaeda but have now joined the ISIL revolt. While Washington has been careful not to say publicly it wants Maliki to step aside, Iraqi officials say such a message was delivered behind the scenes. There was little small talk when Kerry met Maliki, the two men seated in chairs in a room with other officials. The meeting lasted one hour and 40 minutes, after which Kerry was escorted to his car by Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari. As Kerry got in, he said: 'That was good.' The face to face meeting followed the broadcast of an interview with President Obama in which had reiterated that the United States cannot solve Iraq's problems with military force. Kerry, center, greets the crew as he boards a plane at Jordan's Queen Alia International Airport in Amman this morning . A general view from a helicopter carrying Secretary of State John Kerry, shows Baghdad, Iraq as of this morning. Islamic extremists have still been unable to get close to the country's capitol city despite destroying neighboring towns . Only Iraqis can resolve the violent conflict tearing apart in their country, Obama said, and in order to do accomplish this, they must find a way to ignore their sectarian differences for the common good of their homeland. 'If they can't, there's not gonna . be a military solution to this problem, Obama told CNN's Kate Boulduan. 'There's no amount of American . fire power that's gonna be able to hold the country together, and I've . made that clear to [Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki] and all the other leadership inside of . Iraq.' The U.S. neither has the resources nor the responsibility to be the world police in the Middle East, President Barack Obama emphasized. ‘Unless . we are prepared to stay indefinitely in all these various countries, . something that we can’t afford, and it would involve over time . accusations that we were occupying these countries,’ Obama told Morning Joe . co-host Mika Brzezinski,‘at . some stage, they’re gonna have to take responsibility for working . together.’ Iraq is the third stop on Kerry's trip to the Middle East. The Secretary of State, center, his staff and bodyguards are pictured here boarding a plane in Jordan this morning . Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, second right, greets Kerry, left, upon his arrival to Baghdad . Kerry's meeting in Baghdad today comes after an announcement by President Barack Obama on Thursday that the U.S. would send up to 300 military advisers to Iraq but no combat troops . America's military cannot run around the world playing 'whack-a-mole' with extremist . groups, the president has repeatedly said throughout the last several . days. ‘Keep in mind that our goal in . Afghanistan was to decapitate Al Qaeda, which had carried out 9/11. That . has been accomplished. Now Afghanistan is a sovereign country that is . gonna have to deal with its own security,’ Last month the president announced that he would significantly draw down troops in Afghanistan by the end of the year. The president has made clear that he would not put boots back on the ground in Iraq. On Thursday Obama announced that the U.S. would deploy up to 300 military advisers . to help train, advise and support the Iraqi army but made clear that . the forces would not engage in combat with the Islamic radicals . violently attempting to conquer the country. A CBS News/New York Times poll released on Monday found that Americans are divided about how they want the president to handle the situation. Half of Americans believe that U.S. does not have a responsibility to provide military assistance to the ailing country, while 42 percent said the U.S. was obligated to intervene. Likewise, 50 percent poll-takers said they believe the ongoing situation in Iraq will not increase the threat of terrorism in the United States, compared to the 44 percent who thought it would. Kerry greets U.S. Marines as he arrives at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad . | U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry promised 'intense and sustained' U.S. support for Iraq on Monday .
He was in Iraq meeting Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to deliver the Obama administration's message that Iraqis must come together in order to save their country .
President Barack Obama is so far continuing to stand firm on his decision not to deploy combat troops to Iraq .
The country's problems can't be solved by military might alone, he said, in interview that aired on CNN, CBS and MSNBC on Monday morning .
'There's no amount of American .
fire power that's gonna be able to hold the country together,' Obama told CNN .
A new poll shows that more Americans than not believe the U.S. is under no obligation to give Iraq military assistance . |
0727f66b5a45e24da68a929a67ae9031ce55aa3e | A mysterious joker has been spotted hanging upside down from bus stops and monuments around a city centre - dressed as Batman. The unknown caped crusader has built up an internet following after being spotted around Nottingham over the last few months. Astonishingly, the brazen Batman has been seen suspending himself by his ankles in daylight. The caped crusader is actually a plasterer by day who wants to help 'save people from their misery' The mysterious Batman impersonator has been pictured hanging from his ankles in various places in the city . He has been spotted several times in and around the city's famous town hall. The Batman impersonator, who admits he is actually a plaster who lives near the real Gotham in Nottingham, has even set up his own Facebook account. Speaking on his Facebook page, he wrote: 'There aren't enough people smiling these days and there are too many negative things happening in the world. 'I want to be a positive influence and be the hero who saves people from their misery. Nottingham's superhero said his superpower is the ability to make people laugh . 'As long as people are smiling, that's what it's all about. 'I'm hoping the more people spot me, the more I will be able to raise my profile. I want people to start trying to find me and hunt me out at places they think I might be. 'I want them to take pictures of me or photo-bomb me, and then share? the pictures on Facebook and Twitter. 'The aim is to become a figurehead of fun in Nottingham. 'All I'll say is that I'm a very outgoing character and can be quite random. 'My super power is being able to make people laugh. 'I'm also a fan of the Batman films, although I thought George Clooney was pretty rubbish. 'I'm looking forward to seeing how Ben Affleck plays it. The dad-of-one even has a trusty sidekick - but he only describes himself as an 'assistant', rather than Robin. The 30-year-old said: 'I wouldn't call myself Robin as I feel as though I would be lowering myself - I'm nobody's Robin. 'I think I'm more of a Joker character, although that would mean I would lose in a fight against Batman.' The Batman sightings comes months after the sinister 'Northampton Clown' became an internet sensation after dozens of pictures emerged of him standing in the town at night. | Batman impersonator a plasterer who lives near real Gotham in Nottingham .
He has been spotted suspending himself by his ankles around city centre .
Nottingham Batman: 'There aren't enough people smiling these days' |
07288d71607f85345d4a38296b69f99c0e6814ad | Wayne Rooney's 74th minute free-kick ensured England beat Estonia 1-0 to top Group E. Here, Sportsmail gives you a round-up of the other Euro 2016 qualifying matches from around Europe. Alexandru Epureanu's header earned Moldova a surprise 1-1 draw with Russia in Moscow, paving the way for Austria to take the top spot in their European Championship qualifying group. Russia struggled to break down a dogged Moldovan defence until the 73rd minute, when Artyom Dzyuba earned and converted a penalty following a foul by Victor Golovatenco. Moldova responded within seconds of the restart as Epureanu headed home from Alexander Dedov's corner. Russia suffered a disappointing 1-1 draw with Moldova, with Austria moving above them in the group . Rubin Okotie scored the only goal of the game as Austria beat Montenegro 1-0 in Vienna . Estonia 0-1 England . Austria 1- Montenegro . Russia 1-1 Moldova . Ukraine 1-0 Macedonia . Belarus 1-3 Slovakia . Lithuania 0-2 Slovenia . Luxembourg 0-4 Spain . Sweden 2-0 Lichtenstein . Midfielder Serhiy Sydorchuk scored on his full international debut to help Ukraine edge Macedonia 1-0 in their Euro 2016 Group C qualifier. Sydorchuk, on target as a substitute in the 2-0 win away to neighbours Belarus on Thursday, finished off a swift counter-attack in added time at the end of the first half. The speedy Evgeny Konoplyanka created the goal with a cross to the far post with Sydorchuk arriving to fire in from close range. In Vienna, the Pakistan-born, half-Nigerian Rubin Okotie's 24th-minute goal won the game for Austria against a flat Montenegro side. Montenegro went into the qualifying group with hopes of reaching Euro 2016, but had already been struggling after an opening win over Moldova was followed with a goalless draw against Liechtenstein last week. Ukraine's players head back to their own half after celebrating Serhiy Sydorchuk's goal . Diego Costa fluffed his lines in the first half, but the Chelsea forward did eventually get on the scoresheet . Diego Costa ended his long international scoring drought with the third goal in an uninspiring 4-0 win for Spain away to minnows Luxembourg in Euro 2016 qualifying Group C on Sunday. Brazil-born Costa had failed to find the net for his adopted country in six previous appearances but broke a duck lasting more than 500 minutes when he netted from close range in the 69th minute in a rain-lashed Luxembourg City. David Silva opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a fine long-range strike and set up Paco Alcacer to make it 2-0 three minutes before half time. Substitute Juan Bernat added the fourth two minute from the end. Without captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a second straight game, Sweden struggled to convert their chances but still beat Liechtenstein 2-0 in their Group G Euro 2016 qualifier at the Friends Arena on Sunday. Jimmy Durmaz pokes the ball past Lichtenstein goalkeeper Daniel Kaufmann to put Sweden 2-0 up . Slovenia's players celebrate after scoring; Lithuania,though, remain second in the group . Erkan Zengin broke the deadlock after 34 minutes with his second goal in three qualifying games, his thumping shot taking a deflection off a defender and looping over the goalkeeper into the net. Jimmy Durmaz doubled Sweden's advantage in the first minute of the second half, stabbing the ball home from close range after Bicer horribly sliced a left-footed clearance into his path. Slovakia followed up their impressive victory over Spain with a 3-1 win over Belarus. Napoli midfielder Marik Hamsik scored a brace for the visitors, while Stanislav Sestak added a third. Timofei Kalachev scored the hosts' only goal. Milivoje Novakovic scored the winning goal on Thursday for Slovenia, and the veteran forward continued his impressive form by grabbing a brace to help the visitors beat Lithuania 2-0. The win draws Slovenia level on points with Lithuania as they climb up to second in Group E. Napoli midfielder Marik Hamsik celebrates after scoring Slovakia's opening goal against Belarus . | Fabio Capello's Russia drew 1-1 with Moldova in Moscow .
Ukraine beat Macedonia 1-0 in their Euro 2016 qualifier .
Rubin Okotie scored the only goal as Austria beat Montenegro .
Spain cruise to victory over Luxembourg, Sweden beat Lichtenstein .
Slovenia win 2-0 away to Lithuania , Slovakia beat Belarus . |
0728c57d6a4b0bee7dc01e1c71212f6ee13839fe | An underground website that was dealing cocaine and other illegal drugs has been shut down, federal authorities said today. U.S. law enforcement shut down Silk Road, an anonymous Internet marketplace for illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine and criminal activities such as murder for hire, and arrested its alleged owner. Silk Road owner, Ross William Ulbricht, 29, known online as 'Dread Pirate Roberts,' was arrested in San Francisco on Tuesday, according to court filings. Criminal network: Ross William Ulbricht, 29, has been arrested in San Francisco over the alleged drug-dealing activities of his website Silk Road . Ulbricht, who holds an advanced degree in chemical engineering, appeared in federal court on Wednesday and a bail hearing was set for Friday. His lawyer Brandon LeBlanc, a public defender, declined to comment. A Google+ account for Ulbricht had this post on April 9 last year: 'Anybody know someone that works for UPS, FedEX, or DHL?' Federal prosecutors in New York charged Ulbricht with one count each of narcotics trafficking conspiracy, computer hacking conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, the filing said. 'Silk Road has emerged as the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today,' FBI agent Christopher Tarbell said in the criminal complaint. The site was used by 'several thousand drug dealers' to sell 'hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs,' he said. The site, which has operated since early 2011, also offered tutorials on hacking ATM machines, contact lists for black market connections and counterfeiters, and guns and hit men for sale, according to the charges. More than 900,000 registered users of the site bought and sold drugs using the digital currency Bitcoin. Time's up: The FBI has shut down Silk Road, an anonymous Internet marketplace for illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine and criminal activities such as murder for hire . In recent media reports about the growing popularity of Bitcoin, the Silk Road website has emerged as part of a darker side to the use of digital currencies. Through the site, according to the charges, users could buy drugs and have them shipped to an address. Investigators, posing as regular users on Silk Road, made more than 100 purchases of drugs, which were shipped to the New York area. According to the complaint, Ulbricht, who shortened his alias from Dread Pirate Roberts to DPR when posting on Silk Road's forums, operated the site from San Francisco. It's a piece of data locked in an internet-based network by a complex equation. Once released it can be traded and used like money online and can be purchased with real cash. Many websites are now taking Bitcoins as a form of currency. As well as digital currency, Bitcoin miners enjoy the competitive nature of unlocking the coins. Famous fans include the Winklevoss twins - famous rivals of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg - who own around 1 per cent of Bitcoins - currently worth around $11million. It has been dismissed by some as a Ponzi Scheme and touted by others as the future of money. It is not centrally controlled and it's unique and complex set up means the market cannot be altered or hacked, according to the developers. There are 21 million coins predicted to last until 2140 and their finite nature means they perform more like a commodity, such as gold. The coins first emerged in 2008 and launched as a network in 2009. They were introduced by an obscure hacker whose identity is a mystery but is known as Satoshi Nakamoto, which is thought to be a pseudonym. Users choose a virtual wallet from one of the various providers which enables them to receive, give and trade coins from other users.Bitcoins can be bought from specialist currency exchanges and online marketplaces such as eBay. At times, he used computers at Internet cafes to access the servers running the website, which employed several technological tools to mask the location of its servers and the identities of its administrators and users. The complaint described other aspects of Ulbricht's online presence: In a Google+ profile, he described himself as a fan of libertarian economic philosophy and posted videos from the Ludwig von Mises Institute, an Auburn, Alabama-based economics institute. Reached by phone in Austin, Texas, Ubricht's parents said they had not known what their son was doing in San Francisco. 'He is a really stellar, good person and very idealistic,' said Ulbricht's mother, Lyn Lacava. 'I know he never meant to hurt anyone.' Ulbricht's father Kirk confirmed his son had received a master's in material sciences from Pennsylvania State University. His thesis was titled: Growth of EuO Thin Films by Molecular Beam Epitaxy. 'He did amazing research on crystals and exotic materials they hoped would have some use for humans, Ulbricht said. 'But it was very theoretical stuff.' The complaint against Ulbricht describes a darker side. During one correspondence with a Silk Road user, Ulbricht tried to call out a hit on another user with whom he had a dispute. That user, known online as FriendlyChemist, was threatening to expose the identities of thousands of Silk Road users unless Ulbricht sent him money. 'I wouldn't mind if he was executed,' Ulbricht wrote, offering personal details about his foe, including the fact that he was a married father of three, and the names of the city and province where he lived. In a later post, Ulbricht wrote: 'He is threatening to expose the identities of thousands of my clients.' 'This kind of behavior is unforgivable to me. Especially here on Silk Road, anonymity is sacrosanct.' During the raid, authorities seized $3.6 million worth of bitcoin, which was used instead of cash or credit cards to complete transactions on Silk Road. Facing charges: Ulbricht, 29, is due in court on Friday. He has an advanced chemisty degree and 'very idealistic', according to his parents . The charges against Ulbricht said his website generated sales of more than 9.5 million bitcoin, roughly equivalent to $1.2 billion. Authorities seized the currency by taking control of the digital 'wallets' Silk Road used to store bitcoin. In a corresponding civil asset forfeiture action, prosecutors claimed Silk Road and Ulbricht were liable to the government for the value of all transactions involving drug tracking and computer hacking, as well as for money laundering penalties, and a final amount would be determined at trial. The raid on Wednesday was not the first time the U.S. government has made arrests related to Silk Road. Earlier this year, authorities in South Carolina arrested Eric Daniel Hughes, known on Silk Road as 'Casey Jones', and charged him in state court with drug possession. The Drug Enforcement Agency seized units of bitcoin, which Hughes allegedly used to purchase drugs from the online market. Bitcoin, which has been around since 2008, first came under scrutiny by law enforcement officials in mid-2011 after media reports surfaced linking the digital currency to Silk Road. | Silk Road owner, Ross William Ulbricht, 29, known online as 'Dread Pirate Roberts,' was arrested in San Francisco on Tuesday .
Ulbricht, known online as 'Dread Pirate Roberts', has advanced degree in chemical engineering .
Hundreds of kilos of illegal drugs being sold by a network of thousands of drug dealers .
'The most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today,' FBI said . |
072a2b494924b4de430486e07fb99e5d0a3821ef | Southampton boss Ronald Koeman has criticised England's 'crazy' Christmas schedule, claiming the traditional fixture pile-up only favours the biggest clubs. The Saints, who are second in the Barclays Premier League, face Aston Villa on Monday ahead of a testing month that brings games against Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea. Koeman's side also have to play four games in nine days over Christmas including league fixtures on Boxing Day and New Year's Day before the FA Cup third round on the first weekend in January. VIDEO Scroll down for Sportsmail's Premier League preview: Aston Villa vs Southampton . Southampton boss Ronald Koeman called the Christmas fixture schedule 'impossible' and 'crazy' Southampton players celebrate with Shane Long after scoring against Leicester in a 2-0 win . 'It's difficult because I don't have experience playing that number of games in such a short time,' Koeman said. 'I always used to be on holiday during Christmas and now we have a lot of games to prepare for. 'I told the players, "honestly, I don't have that experience", it's difficult. 'We have to play December 26 and then again on the 28th, January 1 and then January 3 for the FA Cup - it's crazy. 'It's not crazy to play at Christmas because I understand - we had that in Holland and the people like that. 'I'd like that as well if I like football and support Southampton - I can have my Christmas meal then go to the stadium and watch Southampton, I am happy. Southampton have only started 15 different players in the Premier League this season . Koeman took over from Mauricio Pochettino in the summer and Southampton have been a revelation . 'The problem is you have one day off between two games and that's crazy, that's impossible. 'That's my problem with the schedule because if it's the 26th and the 29th, no problem, but it's Friday and Sunday. That's crazy, one day off, crazy.' Southampton have reaped the benefits of Koeman's consistent selection policy this season. The Saints have started less players (15) in the league so far than top four rivals Arsenal (18), Tottenham (21), Liverpool (21) and Manchester United (22). Koeman believes the fixture congestion at Christmas plays into the hands of those teams with bigger squads at their disposal. 'Does it favour the big clubs? Yes. They can change players much easier than other teams in the Premier League,' Koeman said. 'It is worst for the clubs who haven't got 24 players at the same level. Koeman believes the smaller squads are at a disadvantage over a hectic festive period . 'You have to change your team and I don't like to change my team. I believe if the team is doing well you can change one or two positions but I don't believe in changing my team in six or seven positions.' If Southampton want to keep pace with the sides at the top of the table, they may need to bolster their options in the January transfer window. 'Our transfer policy in January doesn't depend on winning and losing over the next month,' Koeman said. 'It depends on the players we have - for example we know that Sadio Mane has to play at the African Nations Cup, Maya Yoshida will play in the Asian Cup but we don't need a lot of players. 'I am happy with the players we have. It depends on injuries if you need someone but it's too early to make conclusions about that.' | Ronald Koeman labels festive fixture pile-up 'crazy'
Southampton play four games in nine days in December and January .
Saints boss says it favours clubs with bigger squads .
Southampton have only started 15 players in the league this season . |
072b5668dc990948670a019d57d1762a4ff281a1 | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 19:59 EST, 30 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:02 EST, 31 August 2012 . Kindle Fire, Amazon's digital reader has sold out in the United States, sparking speculation that the release of a new version is imminent. The internet retailer has a major press conference scheduled for next Thursday in Santa Monica, California. It's widely expected to reveal a new model of the Fire there, so the announcement that the first model is 'sold out' suggests that Amazon halted production a while ago to retool for a new model. Sell out: Kindle is widely expected to reveal a new model of the Fire, so the announcement that the first model is 'sold out' suggests that Amazon halted production a while ago to retool for a new model . Seattle-based Amazon launched the $199 tablet last November. It was the first Kindle with a color screen and the ability to run third-party applications, placing it in competition with Apple Inc.'s iPad, at half the price of the cheapest iPad. Amazon doesn't say how many Fires it has sold, but says it captured 22 percent of U.S. tablet sales over nine months. That would make it the second-most popular tablet, after the iPad. Based on iPad sales reported by Apple, Fire sales can be estimated at somewhere around 5 million units. Sales: Amazon doesn't say how many Fires it has sold, but says it captured 22 percent of U.S. tablet sales over nine months. That would make it the second-most popular tablet, after the iPad . Separately, ABI Research said today that sales of dedicated e-readers, like the non-Fire, black-and-white Kindles, peaked last year. It expects worldwide sales of e-readers at 11 million in 2012, down from 15 million in 2011. The research firm expects tablets to outsell e-readers nine to one this year, despite costing four or five time as much. Still, e-readers won't go away completely, ABI analyst Joshua Flood said. 'We believe there will always be a niche market for the dedicated reading device for voracious readers, business travelers, and educational segments, particularly ones that are low-priced,' Flood said. Amazon could update the rest of its Kindle line at next week's event, too. The current models were launched a year ago. In the intervening time, competitor Barnes & Noble Inc. has launched a Nook e-reader with a built-in screen illuminator for reading in the dark. Amazon itself was the main outlet for the Kindle Fire. However, Staples stores recently sold it for $179. | The internet retailer has a major press conference scheduled for next Thursday in Santa Monica .
Announcement that the first model is 'sold out' suggests that Amazon halted production a while ago to retool for a new model . |
072bfe8f00801397e77277958a01368d80f63421 | (CNN) -- This week on The Big Three, we tackled the George W. Bush library opening, frustration over flight furloughs (complete with congressional finger-pointing) and Dean Obeidallah's CNN.com column, "I'm a Muslim and I hate terrorism," which seems sadly necessary in the wake of Boston. The opening of a presidential library is supposed to be a time for national unity. All the living presidents attend, standing together for a photo op and offering complimentary speeches about the newest inductee to the ex-presidents' club. But during all the same pageantry in Dallas at the opening of Bush's library, a less civil debate on the Big Three (and across the country) was going on about 43's legacy. Margaret Hoover is a proud Bush administration alumna and attended the opening in Dallas. Dean, it is fair to say, is not a Bush fan. At all. And so the debate raged, with Margaret citing his investment in foreign aid to stem the tide of AIDS in Africa and keeping the nation safe from terrorism after the attacks of 9/11. Dean acknowledged that Bush might be a nice guy to hang out with but asked whether the library would consist primarily of coloring books. As the card-carrying centrist in the group, I try to find common ground. And so it goes. At the time of our discussions, the sequester cuts were kicking in, and airline travelers were feeling the pain, with 40% of flights delayed this week because of the furlough of air-traffic controllers. Congress has since overwhelmingly approved a measure to get the air travel system up to speed again after the delays provoked a round of the blame game on Capitol Hill, with conservatives accusing the president of "playing politics" with these particular cuts. Margaret agreed with this assessment. I ain't buying it. The sequester was supposed to be so dumb and painful that it would compel Congress to reason together and find deficit and debt reduction to more strategic means. It didn't. And while the rhetoric of cutting government spending is popular, the reality is predictably less so. And so we're being treated to the absurdity of conservative activist groups such as Americans for Prosperity -- whose sole purpose is to argue for cuts in government spending -- complaining about the practical effects of those very cuts on which they insisted. This is the old dynamic we see too much of -- cuts for thee but not for me. Finally, in the wake of the Boston terror attacks, America and the American Muslim community have navigated the tricky territory of confronting the ideology of radical Islam that apparently inspired the attacks without engaging in group blame. Dean's excellent CNN.com column tries to clarify some of the bigoted myths by making the point that American Muslims might hate jihadis even more than typical Americans do because the murderers claim to represent their faith and cause a massive backlash against this growing American community. Read the column -- and then listen to our conversation, tackling subjects such as why extremists of other faiths tend not to blow things up. | CNN Radio podcast features CNN Opinion contributors on top three stories .
Podcast offers views of John Avlon, Margaret Hoover and Dean Obeidallah .
Panelists exchange views on the Bush library, flight delays and attitudes toward Muslims . |
072d1828c0bfe26e9cb12b17dad58ecd6295af92 | A Missouri teenager allegedly defaced a car with a tube of mascara in June. An allegedly poorly parked car in the parking lot for Chesterfield's Jewish Community Center upset Carlie Hertel, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Hertel, 18, allegedly covered the car in mascara and scratched both a windshield and a car window, the paper said. Scroll down for video . Charged: Carlie Hertel, 18, allegedly scratched and graffiti-ed a car with mascara last month . Hertel wrote a note for the driver as part of her alleged misdeeds, KMOV said. 'Hey [expletive]. How about you park your car like a normal person you [expletive] head. Also, left you some presents in your gay car!' Hertel reportedly wrote. Police said in documents obtained by the Post-Dispatch that Hertel confessed to vandalism 'because the way [the car] was parked made her angry.' The car suffered over $3,000 worth of damages, Capt. Steve Lewis told the newspaper. Hertel faces a first-degree property damage charge. 'Thousands of dollars of damage to a vehicle, it's entirely possible this person wasn't parked properly,' Lewis told KMOV. 'However, that doesn't mean that someone should take it upon themselves to damage their vehicle and damage their property.' Parking lot: Hertel allegedly vandalized a car in the lot for the Jewish Community Center . | A 'poorly parked' car upset Carlie Hertel in June at a community center .
Hertel, 18, allegedly covered the car in mascara and scratched both a windshield and a car window .
She also reportedly left a note for the driver that said 'How about you park your car like a normal person you [expletive] head'
The car suffered over $3,000 worth of damages . |
072e207ab80edc7488df04a1004f0fcdfabf2aea | Palo Alto, CA (CNN) -- It does not make for pleasant dinner conversation. But we have a global sanitation crisis. More than 40% of the world's population does not have access to a toilet. These 2.6 billion people, most living in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa, face the daily challenge of finding a bush, train track or empty lot where they can urinate and defecate in relative privacy. Between 1990 and 2008, the share of the world's population that had access to basic sanitation increased only 7%, to 61% of the world's citizens. In many developing countries, mobile phone penetration is expanding at a faster rate than sanitation. In Tanzania, for example, half the country's citizens have mobile phones, but only 24% use an improved sanitation facility. Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of World Toilet Day, a day set aside not simply as a celebration of this most venerable and useful of technologies, but as a way to draw attention to the crisis and some possible solutions. This sanitation crisis is not only an affront to dignity. It results in the release of hundreds of tons of feces and urine each day directly into rivers, lakes, landfills and oceans, creating an immense human and environmental health hazard. Every day more than 4,000 young children die from sanitation-related illness. Fully half of the hospital beds in the developing world are occupied by people whose ailments can be traced to poor sanitation. A small but dedicated community that includes governments, NGOs, donors and research institutions is working to expand access to basic sanitation services in developing countries. They employ a range of innovative strategies, including "naming and shaming" community members who defecate in the open, constructing public toilets operated by entrepreneurs, and providing subsidies to help households build their own facilities. In most cases these sanitation champions promote or deliver "on-site" services such as a pit latrine or a toilet with septic tank. These facilities capture feces and urine in a chamber under or next to the users' dwelling. When adopted on a wide scale and maintained properly, these solutions can dramatically improve household and environmental sanitation. On-site solutions are also popular because they cost less to build, and require much lower volumes of water than a conventional sewer system. In addition, some on-site sanitation facilities allow for the possibility of generating biogas for cooking and lighting, and for re-using composted excreta as fertilizer for agriculture. Given all these benefits from improved sanitation, why has it proven so difficult to expand access to this essential service? One answer may be that the kinds of sanitation facilities offered to developing country households are not terribly appealing. As sanitation guru Professor Sandy Cairncross of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine noted two decades ago, "For those accustomed to a contemplative squat in the open air in the cool of the early morning, who among them would choose a dark, damp, smelly and possibly precarious cubicle?" Efforts to keep sanitation as low-cost as possible may also be part of the problem, at least for some consumers. Researchers from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill working recently in Southeast Asia found that households prefer and are willing to pay for higher quality toilets, particularly when they are marketed as a symbol of prestige and modernity, rather than just a preventive health measure. This shift toward aspirational marketing is one important step toward generating greater household demand for improved sanitation services. In order to turn the tide on the global sanitation crisis, however, efforts are also needed to develop models for low- and no-water sanitation systems at scale, models to which municipal and national governments themselves can aspire. In cities across the United States, the transition from outhouses and privies to sanitary sewers occurred more than a century ago, when metropolitan populations numbered in the tens or hundreds of thousands. Today there are more than a dozen cities in developing countries that have at least 5 million inhabitants, most of whom rely on latrines or toilets with septic tanks. Municipalities with limited resources struggle to regulate, much less manage, the emptying and safe disposal of sludge from these facilities. It is estimated that only 15% of domestic waste in developing countries undergoes any form of treatment before being discharged to the environment. In the United States, our prevailing urban sanitation model has changed little in the past century, with the typical American flushing more than 12,000 liters of potable water down the sewer every year. Despite declining per capita fresh water availability, increasing frequency of municipal water rationing and the need to replace a large share of the country's aging wastewater infrastructure, there is little discussion as to how domestically we might transition to a sustainable sanitation future that reduces freshwater requirements and lowers energy costs. Waterless and composting toilets are niche technologies, marketed to "ultra-green" consumers and those living in remote locations. Indeed, the recycling of grey water, even for nonpotable uses such as watering landscapes, is still controversial in many places. Certainly, most people don't want to talk about poop, much less debate whether and how it might be recycled in their communities. But it is precisely this debate that is needed. We need to trigger sanitation innovations that can benefit citizens of wealthy and poor countries, and also instigate systems that help protect the resource base they depend on for development. Wouldn't that be something to celebrate? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jenna Davis. | Jenna Davis: 2.6 billion people do not have access to toilets, a global sanitation crisis .
Every day more than 4,000 children die from sanitation-related illness, she says .
Davis: A dedicated community is working to expand access to basic sanitation services .
In the U.S., the prevailing urban sanitation model has changed little in 100 years, she says . |
072e8484e8a751f5a84beea3e8ab6f50bf397c42 | (CNN) -- A town engulfed by fighting in South Sudan remained tense Thursday as peacekeepers and police deployed patrols and "a significant number" of people who had fled to safety stayed at a U.N. base, officials said. The discord erupted in Wau, the capital of Western Bahr el-Ghazal state in the newly independent country. The violence reflects the growing pains of the new nation, which became independent from Sudan last year. The unrest started last week after a decision to switch the seat of the local government headquarters from Wau to nearby Bagarre stirred anger, government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin told reporters in the national capital, Juba, on Thursday. Security forces killed 10 people amid rioting. Demonstrators attacked a bank and others businesses Saturday and Sunday, he said. Relatives of those killed abducted 28 farmers thought to be aligned with the state government, Benjamin said. The discovery of the bodies of six of the farmers spurred more violence Wednesday. There was no official word on the number of people killed Wednesday. It is believed at least two people died in the violence, but some news outlets reported higher tolls. Peacekeepers with the U.N. Mission in South Sudan saw fires and a few hundred young people carrying sticks, spears and machetes, U.N. officials said. The mission deployed peacekeepers and armored personnel carriers to secure Wau's airport and patrol in and around the city. About 5,000 people, mostly women and children, escaped the fighting and sought protection at a local base of the U.N. mission in Wau, officials said. "Earlier today, many of those who sought U.N. protection and stayed overnight left the base to inspect their homes -- a significant number of civilians, mainly women, children and the elderly, remain in the U.N. base and continue to be protected," said U.N. spokesman Eduardo Del Buey at U.N. headquarters in New York. "The U.N. mission continues to safeguard the airport and has conducted patrols to assess the situation in the city and affected outlying settlements," Del Buey told journalists. "The mission is also redeploying additional peacekeepers to Wau in order to assist in the protection of civilians." Del Buey said the U.N. Mission in South Sudan is urging authorities and community leaders to "exercise restraint and engage in peaceful dialogue in order to prevent a further deterioration of the fragile situation." Peacekeepers are working closely with South Sudan -- which has sent more police to Wau and is investigating the violence, officials said. South Sudan is the world's newest country. It became independent six years after the signing of a peace deal that ended the war between northern and southern Sudan. Journalist Jared Ferrie and CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report . | A decision to switch a local government headquarters stirs anger .
Several thousands fled to safety at a U.N. base .
South Sudan is the world's newest country . |
072e9a8865ff9f1e162f7a2a3cf58157911008fb | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:51 EST, 21 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 23:51 EST, 21 June 2012 . These are the pictures that show a seasoned shark expert and professor catching one of the largest bull sharks on record. Neil Hammerschlag, who is an associate professor at the University of Miami, caught the massive sea creature during an on-going survey project to capture and tag sharks. He said he’s floored that creatures like that still swim around in the open water. ‘It’s an amazing sign to know they’re still out there,’ he told the Miami Herald earlier this month. The pictures show the colossal creature being brought aboard the ship’s drum, where the female bull shark was then tagged and released into the open water. Fish tale: Marine scientist Neil Hammerschlag was conducting a research tagging project when he and his team snared a lethal bull shark that weighed as much as 1,000 pounds . Mind the mouth: Hammerschlag, far right, poses with his team and the shark while keeping a wary eye on the colossus . As soon as he began to pull on the fishing line, Hammerschlag could tell this was no ordinary catch. 'We . didn't know if we were pulling up a sunken boat, a monster shark, a . school bus — we had no idea which it was,' Hammerschlag told OurAmazingPlanet. It turned out to be a monster - a 10 foot long bull shark weighing in at over 1,000 pounds, to be precise. 'As soon as it came to the surface, . it literally took my breath away, it was so big,' Hammerschlag said of . the beast caught in the Florida Keys. Hammerschlag, a shark researcher and professor at the University of Miami, spends every other weekend hunting for sharks in Southern Florida. He has caught more than a thousand sharks over the years, which he and his team label with either a satellite tag or an ID tag, take muscle and fin samples, as well as a vial of blood before releasing the animal back into the ocean. And, on May 27, Hammerschlag and his team tagged their biggest shark to date. The scientist says that he can usually bring in a line by himself but this time he needed a colleague to help. Hauling it in, the massive, female bull shark took their breath away, Hammerschlag said. The researchers estimated that it weighed more than 1000 pounds. Bull sharks tend to weigh between 200 and 500 pounds. After fitting the massive shark with an ID tag, they released her back into the deep blue. A blood sample will determine whether or not she is pregnant. Bull sharks are the region’s top predator and, like other species, females tend to be larger than males. Both male and female bull sharks have the most testosterone of any animal on the planet, according to Hammerschlag. Shark Hunter: The researchers caught the massive animal in the reefs near the Florida Keys, they released the bull shark back into the deep blue after tagging it with an I.D . Like great white sharks and tiger sharks they have serrated teeth which allow them to tear apart their meals and go after bigger prey. Bull sharks also like to swim in shallow, coastal waters and are unusual in their ability to survive in freshwater. They have previously been found in rivers around the world, including the Mississippi river. Hammerschlag reassured Our Animal Planet that the sharks don’t specifically target humans: 'They possess the machinery but lack the motivation.’ That said, experts often say that Bull sharks are the most dangerous in the world and are often blamed for unprovoked, deadly attacks. Of the 29 shark attacks in the U.S. last year, 11 happened in Florida. None were fatal. | Enormous female bull shark captured off the coast of Florida in May - the largest on record .
University of Miami researcher guessed shark was between 800 and 1,000 pounds . |
072eb9bf0cb05778dcce898807f35afc79e16fae | They may not be the most elegant of names, but they are certainly eye-catching. And no one could blame the postman if he titters when he's delivering letters to homes in Bum, Tittybong, Climax or Intercourse. Now someone has created an interactive map of the world's most suggestive place names - and probably become a hero to immature teenagers everywhere. Nob Hill can be spotted on the map, which will surely become a much loved website of anyone with an infantile sense of humour . San Francisco's Nob Hill may raise eyebrows with its unfortunate name - but at least it will give residents a laugh . Those living in Tittybong, Australia must surely be tired of seeing people smirk when they tell them where they live . Perhaps Tittybong's name put residents off staying there - as the lonely looking area in Australia is deserted . Among the others highlighted on the map are Poo in India, Pee in Liberia, Bitche in France and Arsoli in Italy. And if those weren't enough to prompt a snigger, there's Vagina in Russia, Anus in the Philippines and Gland in Switzerland. There are places with names to make you blush - but you'll have to find them yourselves. The map titled Vaguely Rude Place Names Of The World was created by geographer and Nokia's director of places Gary Dale from south-west London. Toilet humour: The town of Poo in Spain is certain to prompt a chuckle from those with an imaginative mind . Poo in Spain has a beach - and is considered to be a far nicer place than its name might initially suggest . A high point of the map is Climax, Georgia - which might conjure up a couple of images that homeowners there don't want you to think about . Climax in Georgia is sure to be popular with those roaming the map for more giggles . Bald Knob, Arkansas, US . Phuket, Thailand . Shyte Brook, Shropshire, UK . Spanker Knob, Australia . Bumbang, Australia, . Fanny's Cross, Devon, UK . Wet Beaver Creek, Arizona, US . Seymen, Turkey . Crotch Lake, Ontario, Canada . Sandy Balls Estate, Hampshire, UK . Mr Dale modestly describes his work as 'a classic Web 2.0 style maps mashup [that will] never win any awards for originality or innovativeness'. 'Maybe it's part of bring British, but an airport whose code is BUM is just … funny,' he said. 'The source of each of these vaguely rude sounding names was from Yahoo's WOE data set, before the data was released via the GeoPlanet API and (currently offline) GeoPlanet Data download.'A list of real but amusing sounding place names, culled from GeoPlanet by one of the old Yahoo! Geo team, has been sitting in a file on one of my backup drives for too many years now.'But given a geographic data set. Stamen's wonderful Toner map tiles and a JavaScript maps API, in this case Leaflet, the temptation to make a map out of it all was just too strong.'Yes it's a map, yes it's geographical innuendo and yes, it's very much part of the British sense of humour.'If you're British, try not to snigger too much; if you're not British, just shake your head sadly and mutter "those crazy Brits".' The UK has more than its fair share of rude place names, not least Six Mile Bottom in Cambridgeshire . Snigger, snigger: Bum, in Sierra Leone, west Africa, would make most schoolboys laugh . Spread Eagle in Newfoundland, Canada, is one of the more polite place names . Intercourse in Pennsylvania, U.S., is another place with a very unfortunate name . | Have you been to Poo in Spain, Bitche in France or Arsoli in Italy?
Map showing all these places created by geographer Gary Dale . |
072f053db5aa1b74776adfd75bf3db5c092e9ad5 | Witnesses in New Jersey have spoken of their horror at seeing a young mother douse her new born baby in a flammable liquid and set her alight. Hyphernkemberly Dorvilier, 22, is accused of burning her daughter alive on a public roadway at about 11 p.m. on Friday in Pemberton Township. 'It was just horrible. Like nothing you've ever seen,' said David Joseph, who lives across from where the incident occurred. Scroll down for videos . Accused: Hyphernkemberly Dorvilier has been charged with murdering her newborn baby. Her bail has been set at $50,000 . Neighbor Joseph, 45, initially thought he had caught someone dumping garbage when she stepped out of her Land Rover - such was her calm demeanor. 'We saw the fire and we thought someone was over there burning trash,' he said. Joseph's wife then notice what was really going on and screamed. The woman then tried to flee but he managed to restrain her until police arrived. A makeshift memorial now stands where the baby was killed. Scene: Witnesses say 22-year-old mother got out of her car and stopped in the middle of Simontown Road in Pemberton Township, New Jersey, on Friday night and burned the child alive . 'It was just mind-boggling. It was a nightmare even if you have a strong heart. Hopefully she'll pay for it,' said Joseph. Dorvilier was arrested at the scene. She is being held on $500,000 bail, prosecutors said. Medics rushed to the scene and airlifted the young child, which was still alive and breathing when they arrived, to St Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia with severe burns. However the baby succumbed to its injuries a short time later. Emergency services were called to the scene after residents described a 'commotion' inside a nearby home before the horrific act . The woman, who witnesses say lit the child on fire, was taken to Deborah Hospital, in Brown Mills, New Jersey according to NBC Philadelphia. She was then arrested after her condition stabilized. A statement by the Burlington County Prosecutors read: 'Burlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi and Pemberton Township Police Chief David H. Jantas announced today that a Pemberton Township woman has been charged with killing her newborn baby by setting her ablaze last night on Simontown Road. 'Hyphernkemberly Dorvilier, age 22, of Rutgers Avenue in Pemberton Township, was charged with one count of Murder. Bail was set at $500,000 by the Hon. Jeanne T. Covert, J.S.C. 'Dorvilier was lodged in the Burlington County Corrections and Work Release Center in Pemberton Township. 'Officers from the Pemberton Township Police Department were dispatched to Simontown Road just before 11 p.m. yesterday after a resident called to report the fire in the roadway. Response: Medics rushed to the scene and airlifted the young child to St Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia with severe burns. It succumbed to its injuries a short time later . 'At approximately 11:15 p.m., the baby was airlifted to Saint Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia and was reported to be alive and breathing at that time. The baby died approximately two hours later. 'The investigation revealed that the infant had been doused with an accelerant prior to being set ablaze. Dorvilier was taken into custody at the scene. 'An autopsy will be performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood. 'The details of the baby's birth are being investigated. The investigation is being conducted by detectives from the Pemberton Township Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.' | Young child was found burning alive in Pemberton Township, New Jersey .
Medics rushed to the scene and airlifted child to a Philadelphia hospital .
However the newborn succumbed to its injuries a short time later .
Hyphernkemberly Dorvilier, 22, has been charged with murdering the child .
One resident said the woman told them she was burning 'dog feces'
She has since been arrested as Burlington County Prosecutors investigate . |
0730a5921e9a2fde0e36821da355c412f26b9b8b | Louis van Gaal has been telling Manchester United's players to think of beating Stoke City while they are in bed. United will make it eight wins from 10 matches on Thursday if they beat Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. The idea of travelling to Staffordshire for a lunch-time kick-off on New Year's Day may not appeal to many people - particularly those who enjoyed a heavy night seeing in the new year. Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal wants his players to 'dream' before Stoke City clash . Wayne Rooney has flourished in a number of roles under the Dutchman since his arrival . But Van Gaal is relishing the opportunity of gaining ground on Manchester City and Chelsea, who play Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur respectively later in the day. The Dutchman took little notice of Chelsea and City's slip-ups last weekend - United themselves failed to take advantage as they drew at Spurs - and the Dutchman insists only his players will decide whether they become genuine title contenders in the coming weeks. 'You have to always do it by yourself and not depend on results of the opponent,' the United manager said. 'You have to be busy with yourself, with your preparation, and the imagination of the game. 'All the players have to do that - dream of the game already, you have to play the game already in your bed.' Van Gaal takes his United side to the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke City on New Year's Day . Although United sit in third position after a nine-match unbeaten run, Van Gaal is yet to see a completely satisfactory performance from his team. The 3-1 win Boxing Day win over Newcastle United had the hallmarks of a victory from the Sir Alex Ferguson era, but Van Gaal was still not totally happy. Van Gaal is so demanding that he says he has enjoyed just a single 'perfect' performance from one of his teams during his 27-year career. And that came 20 years ago when he coached an Ajax team containing the likes of Edwin van der Saar, Edgar Davids and a 19-year-old Patrick Kluivert to a 2-0 Champions League win at Real Madrid. 'That was a perfect game - the only one in my eyes,' Van Gaal said. Robin van Persie (battling with Hugo Lloris) has found himself in among the goals again . 'I have not achieved that with Manchester United.' The fact that United dropped points at Spurs thanks to Hugo Lloris' brilliance, and at Villa Park, where the hosts played the final 25 minutes with 10 men, still rankles with Van Gaal. 'In the last three games - Aston Villa, Newcastle, Tottenham - we should have had nine points,' the former Barcelona manager said. 'Then, we would (have) four more points and we would be only six points (behind Chelsea).' Reflecting on his first five months in England, Van Gaal said he had been taken aback by the support he had received from United fans despite the club's stuttering start. 'I have never had the experience that when you lose or draw at home that the fans still applaud you, showing their belief in you. Never,' Van Gaal said. 'In Barcelona, (they wave) white handkerchiefs. In Bayern, they whistle. In Amsterdam, Ajax, they are shouting for someone else. United are also beginning to see the best of Colombian striker Radamel Falcao . 'Here, they stand up, and applaud. Unbelievable. That's why I'm thanking the fans because they were very important in my first six months.' Adnan Januzaj and Ander Herrera could return from illness and injury respectively for the Stoke match and Angel di Maria may feature after Van Gaal played down the seriousness of a pelvic injury. 'He's coming back. It's not serious,' Van Gaal said. Chelsea's Eden Hazard was subjected to a rash challenge by Phil Bardsley when the Blues went to Stoke last week, but Van Gaal is sure the officials will not let Thursday's match turn ugly. The United manager added: 'I think the referee is the most important man on the pitch always in relation to tackles. 'He has to allow it or not. We have Michael Oliver and I think he is a very good referee.' Van Gaal moved to praise referee Michael Oliver, who will take charge of the game at Stoke . | Manchester United face Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Thursday .
Louis van Gaal is aiming to make it eight wins from 10 matches .
United boss says his players must 'dream'of beating Stoke .
Van Gaal wants his players to 'already play the game in bed' |
0733837df22df9bf1608e5fcf6621f97d5ad8382 | JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- South Africans waited on election results Thursday in a ballot that the ruling African National Congress party appeared on course to win in a landslide. ANC leader Jacob Zuma is expected to be South Africa's next president. South African media reported Thursday that the ANC had won around 65 percent of the vote with one third of ballots counted. Reports suggested the opposition Democratic Alliance could be on course to claim control of Western Cape province -- but the ANC was ahead in the country's eight other provinces. "This party is an elephant. You cannot actually topple an elephant," presidential candidate Jacob Zuma told thousands of supporters at ANC headquarters in central Johannesburg, according to Reuters.com. Zuma, who danced and sang his trademark "Bring me my machine gun" anti-apartheid anthem, stressed the ANC was "not yet celebrating victory." Final results are not expected until Saturday. All counting is done by hand in the country, which has 23 million registered voters. Members of parliament will elect the country's president next month. The Independent Electoral Commission said the number of people voting on Wednesday created long lines and a shortage of ballot boxes and papers in some districts and voting stations. Watch as South Africa waits for a winner » . "We thank voters for their enthusiasm and patience as they waited to exercise their democratic right to vote," commission Chairwoman Brigalia Bam said Wednesday. Although the ANC is widely expected to win, it remains to be seen how much ground the two main opposition parties -- the Democratic Alliance and the Congress of the People -- will gain, and whether the ANC will be able to hold onto its two-thirds parliamentary majority. The ANC has gained votes in every election since 1994, when the country held its first democratic election. But the Congress of the People -- a breakaway faction of the ANC -- threatens the ruling party's grip on power. Voter shares feelings about ANC and new rival » . The ANC has been dogged by allegations of corruption and has been accused of failing to deliver services to the poor. And Zuma until recently faced fraud and corruption charges. The country's prosecuting authority dropped the charges two weeks before the elections, citing alleged political interference in the case. That decision sparked widespread outrage, with opposition parties accusing prosecutors of buckling under political pressure. Twenty-six parties vied in Wednesday's election. They included Islamic and Christian parties, and right-wing Afrikaaner and socialist groups. Learn more about some of South Africa's political parties . More than 5,000 domestic and international observers are monitoring the election, according to the electoral commission. CNN's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report. | African National Congress on course for landslide, South African media reports .
Reports says ANC has 65 percent of vote; official results expected Saturday .
Opposition Democratic Alliance could claim control of Western Cape province .
Controversial ANC leader Jacob Zuma expected to become president . |
073455f98ed2e6669015ae8f34b2863aeb3274fa | By . Press Association Reporter . Last updated at 3:49 PM on 28th October 2011 . A former nurse told her daughter her life had become a 'nightmare' after undergoing gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, an inquest heard today. Virginia Humphrey, 67, died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) in Brighton, East Sussex, on May 9 after losing 10 stone in six months, the inquest at Brighton County Court was told. An email sent by divorcee Mrs Humphrey to her daughter, Deborah Mitchell, who lived in the U.S., was read out to the inquest. Tragic: Virginia Humphrey, pictured with her grandchild before the operation, was worried about having the gastric bypass . In the email, sent on January 18, she described how she was unable to keep any food down and had chronic indigestion, leaving her feeling like a 'prune'. She wrote: 'Life since coming out of hospital has been a nightmare. 'Friday was an awful day ending with me being so sick I thought I turned my body inside out.' Her son, Kevin Humphrey, said that in her last few months she became wheelchair-bound as she did not enough energy to walk, and he would have to carry her up the stairs to the house they shared in the city. He told the inquest: 'I had rails fitted but she wasn’t strong enough to use the rails. 'She could walk no further than 10 steps, then she’d feel faint.' The inquest heard yesterday how Mrs Humphrey, who also had another son, suffered from malnutrition as she was unable to absorb nutrients. It was also heard that the surgeons who carried out the operation at University College London Hospital (UCLH) may have got their measurements wrong when carrying out the procedure as it was possible a channel leading to the colon was cut too short. Fatal . operation: Virginia Humphrey died in hospital in Brighton after she . lost more than ten stones following a gastric band operation . Mrs Humphrey, who suffered from type two diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure, had undergone the procedure to help her lose weight on August 31 last year and seemed to be doing well and making the progress expected in the following months. However by December she was beginning to have problems keeping food down and was admitted to the A&E department at the RSCH twice that month. The inquest heard that although she went to the hospital because of her constant vomiting, medics also found she had chest problems and so did not inform staff at UCLH of her bariatric trouble. Mrs Humphrey, who worked as an Army nurse before becoming an auxiliary nurse, went to A&E again on February 9 suffering from severe vomiting, diarrhoea, lower abdomen pain and indigestion. Medics found she was dehydrated and also had difficulty swallowing. The inquest heard staff at the RSCH decided Mrs Humphrey should be transferred to UCLH so she could have specialist bariatric care. They did not have space for her immediately but she was admitted on February 22 with symptoms of vomiting and difficulty swallowing. University College Hospital London: The hospital where Mrs Humphrey underwent her gastric bypass surgery in August last year . James Hewes, a trainee surgeon who had carried out the gastric bypass alongside consultant bariatric surgeon Marco Adamo, told the inquest these were relatively common complaints from patients following gastric surgery, and would normally last for around a year afterwards. He said on seeing her again at the hospital, her kidney function appeared to be completely normal and she appeared dehydrated, but not severely. Her albumin levels, which indicate the amount of protein in the blood and could have pointed to malnutrition at the time, fluctuated but were also said to be normal. The inquest heard that 'morbidly obese' Mrs Humphrey, who had weighed 18st 10lb (119kg) ahead of her operation on July 23, weighed 75.4kg on February 22, which was described as more than would have been expected, but not of great concern. It was heard that Mrs Humphrey, who was previously described as a 'very cheerful' person by her GP, Dr Caroline Roberts, was also a 'stoic' character who may not have let on to hospital staff just how ill she felt before she was discharged on February 28. Mr Adamo said: 'Patients are very happy because of the weight loss so sometimes they tend to minimise their symptoms. 'Patients are more inclined to say 'it's fine'.' The inquest heard Mrs Humphrey, known as Ginny, later contracted a blood stream infection, which may have contributed to her death of multiple organ failure. | Son reveals mother could not walk more than 10 steps in her last few months .
Inquest hears former Army medic effectively starved to death after operation . |
07354451c4aa08fec48b05eeaca19a0fa638b244 | By . Kimberley Dadds . PUBLISHED: . 07:52 EST, 4 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:23 EST, 4 August 2013 . It's the type of scandal that would make most people in the public eye want to crawl under a rock, or at least keep a low profile for a short amount of time. But then most stars aren't Simon Cowell, and instead of act ashamed of his actions, Simon has instead acted like it's business as usual - quite literally. The music mogul brushed off the attention he's been receiving since it was revealed married socialite Lauren Silverman is pregnant with his best friend's baby by attending a One Direction concert on Saturday night. Business as usual: Simon Cowell brushes off his pregnant lover scandal by attending a One Direction concert in Las Vegas on Saturday night . Simon, 53, was spotted mingling with fans as he stood in the audience and watched his X Factor stars perform in Las Vegas. Cowell concentrated on the gig as he stood next to a male friend acting as if his problems were a million miles from him. But while his woes aren't really a million miles from him he is certainly trying to distance himself while the news and fan reactions calm down. Cowell jetted out of Los . Angeles this weekend - leaving all the furore over . his married, pregnant lover behind. The . X Factor supremo, 53, left California from a private airport and will . join friends on board the Slipstream yacht in St Tropez, in the South of . France, for what is expected to be a month-long vacation. Taking his mind off things: Simon even attended a press conference this week despite the furore surrounding his private life since Lauren Silverman, his best friend's wife, revealed she's pregnant with his baby . He . will tour Europe and take time to evaluate how exactly to proceed after . it was revealed last week that New York socialite Lauren Silverman - . married to his friend Andrew - is expecting his baby. Members of Cowell's harem including . his ex-girlfriend and 80s popstar Sinitta, and even possibly his former . fiancee Mezghan Hussainy, are expected to join him. Both are standing by him and have given him their full support. Ironically, . it was on board the $458,000-a-week Slipstream that Cowell was pictured . sharing a tender embrace with Lauren last August, in images that came . to light earlier this week. But . as Cowell soaks up the sun, his lover is spending the weekend in the . Hamptons with her estranged husband as they attempt to come to an . 'amicable resolution' over their divorce, according to one source. The couple want to make their seven-year-old son Adam their main priority, the source said. New revelations: Simon Cowell is said to have ended his relationship with Lauren before he knew she was pregnant . And it seems Simon will need to use his time on holiday to come to terms with the expense of his latest scandal. Cowell is reportedly set to pay out £63 million in child support. The . 53-year-old music mogul is said to have pledged to give her £3 million a . year until the youngster turns 21 after taking legal and financial . advice over the "messy" situation. A . source told the Daily Star Sunday newspaper: 'He wants to ensure he . does the right thing for her and their baby as well as resolving this . mess. 'Simon wanted to know exactly where he stands and to minimise the damage this will do to his bank balance. 'Over': Reports are claiming Simon finished with Lauren, only to then be told she was pregnant with his child . 'He has a good relationship with . Lauren at the moment but when you're as wealthy as Simon, you can't take . any chances. Money changes people.' Simon . has been named in divorce papers filed by Andrew and it is claimed the X . Factor boss has "happily agreed" to cover his former friend's legal . costs if he drops an adultery claim in favour of a no contest divorce. Andrew . has been spotted at the lavish New York home he shared with Lauren - . who stands to receive between $3 and $4 million in the divorce under the . terms of their pre-nuptial agreement - and their son over the last few . days, but friends insist there has been minimal communication between . the estranged couple. One pal told the New York Post newspaper: 'Andrew stayed at the house to create some normalcy for their son. 'Marry her': Lauren's mother, pictured centre is urging Cowell to 'do the right thing' by her daughter and walk her down the aisle . 'There . was no talk about the divorce settlement. That is being handled by the . lawyers. There was minimal conversation between them. It was done purely . for their child.' And while he was enjoying himself at the One Direction concert, more news broke about his situation as it has been claimed he actually dumped Lauren six weeks ago - before he knew she was pregnant. The 53-year-old music mogul is said to have ended his romance with the 36-year-old socialite - the wife of his close friend Andrew Silverman - six weeks ago, only to later discover she is expecting his baby. He is said to have told a friend: 'It's over with Lauren - it has been since before anyone knew she was pregnant. I want matters resolved but in a sensitive way. I have to respect a lot of people's feelings. There's a lot of people's feelings here.' Laying low: Simon Cowell leaves his Los Angeles home on Friday night for a month-long trip to Europe . Break: Cowell was spotted leaving Los Angeles on his private jet on Friday night . Simon is said to be feeling "confused" about Lauren's pregnancy but has vowed to stand by her. The source added to the Sunday Mirror newspaper: 'Simon feels like he's been done up like a kipper in all of this. 'He and Lauren split up six weeks ago but the next thing we know he gets a phone call from her saying, 'Guess what?' Since then he has been feeling very confused about everything.' Lauren's mother, Carole Saland, meanwhile has slammed claims her daughter deliberately got pregnant to "trap" the 'X Factor' boss. Happy days: Cowell and Silverman vacationing in France last August. He left for St Tropez this weekend . And she's calling for him to do the "right thing" and marry her pregnant daughter. She told The Sun newspaper: 'Lauren is not a gold-digger. She came from a very comfortable family and never lacked for anything. 'Her and Simon are very fond of each other. She tells me great things about him and has always spoken very highly of him... "I trust Simon to do the right thing by my daughter.' Lauren - who is 10 weeks pregnant - has a seven-year-old son, Adam, with Andrew. The casino boss has filed for divorce. Close: Simon Cowell appearing to kiss Lauren Silverman on a yacht off the coast of St Tropez in August 2012 . | The music mogul brushed off the scandal by watching One Direction at their Las Vegas concert on Saturday night .
Simon Cowell reportedly dumped Lauren Silverman six weeks ago, only to then be told she is pregnant with his baby .
X Factor creator has swanned off to holiday on yacht he was pictured embracing Lauren Silverman on last year . |
07356462e4bcd458810792892b262e87b56b2d65 | By . Mary Greene . What am I bid for this bed? Rococo, ornate, property of a shipping tycoon whose wife has admitted, after 30 years of marriage, that she's always hated it. Bidding starts at £400... it's sold for £2,200 to the man decorating apartments for wealthy Chinese clients. When the well-heeled residents of Chelsea feel the urge to declutter last season's conspicuous consumption, Lots Road Auctions is where they sell off their old stuff. Customer Lili Tarkow-Reinisch, with one of the lots from Chelsea's infamous auction house . Every Sunday afternoon there are bargains galore, whether you fall for the fibre-optic polar bear or a bookcase with zebra-skin lining. Now a new Channel 4 series takes viewers behind the scenes, meeting the auctioneers who would sell their own grandmother - and the customers so desperate for a bargain they'd probably buy her. Every week, valuer Andrew Mackay gets on his push-bike to visit some of west London's wealthiest homes. One lady had paid £30,000 for two corner sofas, he recalls. Andrew Mackay heading off to do a valuation . She got bored with them after six months, put them into storage costing £1,000 a month for three years - by which time they'd cost her £66,000 - and was delighted when they fetched £1,500 each at auction. 'We're lucky here because the vendors aren't selling because they're skint. We get lots of celebrities... They don't want to sell on eBay or have strangers coming to their house - this is a lot more anonymous.' Andrew points to a nondescript leather armchair and footstool. It turns out it's Ralph Lauren, cost £6,000 on Bond Street and now has an estimate of £800-£1,200. You wouldn't look at it twice. 'When there's no chiselled sales assistant, it loses its glitter,' he laughs. It finally goes for £2,000. But not every thing sells. A set of bar stools upholstered in whale skin, originally from Aristotle Onassis's yacht Christina, had to be withdrawn from sale for legal reasons. 'The owner didn't want them back, so we just got rid of them.' Some people are addicted to auctions, such as friends Lili Tarkow-Reinisch and Sam Edge, who are trying to furnish Lili's new seven-bedroom Georgian mansion. 'I've bought eclectic things like an old roulette wheel that was valued at £3,500 but I got for £600, and my kids love it,' says Sam. 'It's no good looking for anything specific; something has to catch your eye.' Sam's tip is to turn up on Monday after the auction, when you can sometimes make a 'cheeky offer' for lots that haven't sold. 'I got a pair of fantastic chandeliers. They were estimated at £2,000-£3,000; I got them for £750.' Most unsold lots - if they're unclaimed - go to a charity furniture shop in Watford. 'They do very well out of us,' says Andrew. 'We gave them a George III bureau the other day. The best buys at the moment are furniture. You can furnish a house with Victorian or Georgian furniture cheaper than Habitat. It's frustrating seeing wonderful things going for nothing. But working here, you realise possessions weigh you down.' The Auction House will be shown on Tuesday at 9pm on Channel 4. | A new series on Channel 4 will delve into one of Chelsea's most infamous auction houses .
From fibre-optic polar bears to zebra-skin bookcases this is a treasure trove for the bizarre .
The Auction House will be shown on Tuesday at 9pm on Channel 4 . |
0735e500036ba3a370e1432ecf13fb71b2b09d5b | Cyber thieves hacked into the accounts of more than 1,000 StubHub customers and fraudulently bought tickets for events. Online criminals obtained the login details and passwords from users around the world in a scam believed to be part of an international cyber fraud ring. An international investigation involving the City of London Police, U.S. Secret Service and Canadian Mounted Police uncovered the illicit operation and arrests are expected to be announced today during a press conference hosted by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. Online scam: The login details and passwords of StubHub customers from around the world are said to have been hacked . The San Francisco-based company insist the thieves didn't break through its security — rather, they got account-holders' information from data breaches at other websites. The company detected the unauthorized transactions last year, contacted authorities and gave the affected customers refunds and help changing their passwords. StubHub's head of global communications, Glenn Lehrman, said he could not reveal how much money was involved or how many people were being charged. Fraudulent charges were posted after hackers obtained user credentials by hacking into other sites, then used them to log in StubHub, he said. Sanctions: Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance will hold a conference with the City of London Police to announce the arrests . 'We did not have anyone who hacked into our system,' Lehrman said. He said the schemes involved a 'pretty intense network of cyber fraudsters working in concert with each other.' It's unclear whether the digital prowlers then exploited their access to scoop up more information from the compromised accounts. The company and the law enforcement official wouldn't give further details Tuesday. StubHub, owned by eBay, is the leading digital marketplace for reselling concert, sports, theater and other tickets, offering brokers and fans a way 'to buy or sell their tickets in a safe, convenient and highly reliable environment,' as its website pledges. In the last year, major companies such as Target, LinkedIn, eBay and Neiman Marcus have been hacked. Target, the nation's second-largest discounter, acknowledged in December that data connected to about 40 million credit and debit card accounts was stolen as part of a breach that began over the Thanksgiving weekend. Even Goodwill Industries Inc. found itself announcing last month that shoppers' payment card data might have been stolen. Ticket-sellers also have been targeted. The event ticketing service Vendini last month settled a class action lawsuit related to a data breach in 2013. Authorities generally advise consumers to protect against possible identity theft from such breaches by keeping close watch on their bank statements and using credit card monitoring services, among other tips. | Customers around the world are said to have been affected by the scam .
Company says login details and passwords were hacked via other sites .
City of London Police are involved in investigation and plan to make arrests .
Firm detected unauthorised transactions last year and alerted authorities . |
0735f8b1ca990488367b182fc186e343e6a294c0 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 15:34 EST, 24 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:26 EST, 25 September 2012 . An extraordinary collection of more than 300 vintage London Underground posters which date back to as early as pre-World War One are set to fetch a combined £500,000 at auction next week. The posters, which include slogans such as 'Shop Between Ten & Four’, 'Please Pass Along The Platform' and 'The Lure of the Underground' are expected to go for £800 to £15,000 each. Auctioneers Christie’s described the chance to buy the posters - which date from 1913 to 1955 and are being held in South Kensington, south-west London - as ‘unrivalled and never-to-be-repeated’. Futuristic: 'London 2026 AD - This is all in the air' was a posted by Montague B Black, designed in 1926, that presents a fascinating vision of London in the future, with an airport at London Bridge . Directions: This central area lithograph in colours map of the Underground was printed in 1934 by Waterlow & Sons, although the designer was listed as 'anonymous' The Tube was known as ‘the longest art gallery in the world’ after advertising began in 1908 when the six independent railway operators running it decide to promote ‘the Underground’ together. Their plan was to increase passenger numbers and they commissioned top designers to promote anything from off-peak travel to sports fixtures, as well as leisure outings and seasonal sales. There was huge public demand over the following years to purchase the posters, and around 150 copies of each were made available to buy for between two and five shillings in the 1910s. In the Twenties and Thirties, top designers such as Fred Taylor and Austin Cooper were attracted by the status of winning a commission, while other artists got their big break on the hoardings. Advertising: 'Smelling the Riches of London' (left), a poster by Frederick Charles Herrick in 1927; then 'At London's Service' by Misha Black and Kraber from 1947 (right) Instructions: 'Shop Between Ten & Four' (left) was by Annie Gertrude Fletcher in 1926, printed by Chorley & Pickersgill of Leeds; while the iconic 'Please Pass Along the Platform' (right) was by Cyril Kenneth Bird in 1944 . The Underground and London Transport - . its successor from 1933 - kept duplicate copies of most of the posters . it produced, and it is from there that the selection offered for auction by Christie's. has been drawn. 'Offering this carefully curated duplicate selection will help us to sustain and care for the core collection for future generations' Sam Mullins, London Transport Museum director . The auction . will be held next Thursday, October 4. Fifty highlights from the . collection were on display during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic . Games in July and August. The . posters were taken from London Transport Museum archives and all money raised from the auction will be held by the museum for use in future . buying, conservation and restoration. Sam Mullins, director of London Transport Museum, said: ‘The complete LTM collection comprises over 40,500 posters and artworks. Historic: The Aldershot Command Searchlight Tattoo, to give it its full name, was a huge event in the inter-war years that included military performances. This 1934 poster (left) was by Andrew Power (a pseudonym for Sybil Andrews and Cyril Power). Meanwhile 'The Lure of the Underground' (right) was by Alfred Leete in 1927 . Trips: A poster advertising the Wimbledon tennis . tournament (left) by Andrew Power from 1933; and a poster headed 'Kenwood' by George Sheringham in 1926 (right) ‘Offering this carefully curated duplicate selection will help us to sustain and care for the core collection for future generations.’ 'We hope that the King Street exhibition of highlights, as well as the full sale exhibition pre-sale, will provide insight into the often forgotten rich artistic past of the London Underground' Nicolette Tomkinson, Christie’s director . Christie’s director Nicolette Tomkinson said the auctioneer is ‘privileged’ to have been entrusted with ‘some of the most recognisable and sought-after designs in the history of vintage posters’. She added: ‘We hope that the King Street exhibition of highlights, as well as the full sale exhibition pre-sale, will provide insight into the often forgotten rich artistic past of the London Underground.’ The world record price for a travel poster sold at auction is held by Christie’s, after Man Ray’s iconic design for London Transport, called 'Keeps London Going', sold for a whopping £50,400 in 2007. | Amazing collection of more than 300 vintage posters expected to go at Christie's auction for £800 to £15,000 each .
Posters from 1913 to 1955 made following decision by independent operators in 1908 to join forces on advertising .
Collection includes futuristic vision of London, and one suggesting people should go shopping outside of peak hours .
Following the King Street public exhibition in July and August, there is a full sale exhibition of the posters between September 29 and October 3 at Christie’s in South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3LD - before the actual auction on October 4 at 11am . |
07380a8aa966d2b23f32ed5cd47ce0d7cdcc25ba | By . Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 21:15 EST, 18 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:39 EST, 19 July 2012 . Police have released a shocking surveillance tape showing a 10-year-old girl who escaped from a creepy suspect who tried to abduct her as she walked home. A $10,000 reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of a suspect in the attempted abduction of the girl in south Philadelphia. Police said the man followed the girl in his car on Tuesday as she was walking with her 2-year-old brother in the Whitman neighbourhood. Scroll down for video . Danger looming: The girl and her two-year-old brother can be seen walking down the street as the suspect's car is parked ahead of them . Stalker: As the children turn the corner, the suspect can be seen getting out of his vehicle and following them . As the children walk past, the man can be seen exiting a white vehicle and following them. He then put his hand over the girl's mouth and tried to carry her away. Police said the girl struggled and then fell, and the man tried to abduct her again before fleeing. Investigators released surveillance video on Wednesday, and Mayor Michael Nutter asked for help from the public, calling the events 'totally outrageous.' Creep: A surveillance camera captures the suspects as he follows closely behind the children . Abduction: The terrified girl falls to the ground as the suspect tries to pick her up in a kidnapping attempt . He said: 'Our children must be able to walk around their own neighbourhood' without fear of such crimes. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male 30-40 years old, between 5'9" and 6'0" tall, with a thin build, short black curly hair and a thin moustache. He was wearing a black short-sleeve T-shirt, and blue pants. Ordeal: Police said the girl struggled and then fell, and the man tried to abduct her again before eventually fleeing back to his car and driving off . He was driving a late 1990′s-early 2000′s white mid-sized Sedan, possibly a Mitsubishi or Nissan - with a black scuff mark on driver’s side rear bumper and dent on left front fender wheel well. Police urge anyone with information to call 215.686.TIPS (8477). Vehicle: The suspect's car is a earlier model sedan with visible signs of damage in the front and back . See the attempted abduction . | Shocking surveillance footage released by Philadelphia police in hopes of catching suspect .
Can be seen struggling with girl as she walks with her brother .
Cops now hunting suspect, who fled in white sedan . |
07382cf384f122707b90235d8866f1ba932afe5a | (CNN) -- Joran van der Sloot returns to a Peruvian courtroom on Wednesday, five days after requesting more time to "reflect" on what plea he will make in his murder trial. The 24-year-old Dutch national indicated on Friday that he was willing to make a "confession" in the 2010 killing of Stephany Flores, but that he did "not agree with the aggravating factors" as defined in the murder charge levied against him. Given this statement, the panel of three judges decided to give van der Sloot until Wednesday to make a final decision. There is no jury. This was the latest twist in a case that has made international headlines, in part because of the circumstances of the killing but also because van der Sloot was arrested twice, but never charged, in the 2005 disappearance of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway. Police say van der Sloot killed Flores in his Lima hotel room in May 2010, then took money and bank cards from her wallet and fled to Chile, where he was arrested a few days later. Van der Sloot sues nation of Chile . Hours before Friday's court proceedings, his attorney said that van der Sloot would plead guilty to all charges related to Flores' death. His apparent aim would have been to get a reduced sentence after making a "sincere confession." But after the session began, he voiced doubt about the charge, leading to the delay. On Wednesday, van der Sloot is expected to finally give his plea in the Lima courtroom. He is charged with "qualified murder" and simple robbery in the killing of 21-year-old Flores. If it is not guilty, then the trial will resume before the all-female judicial panel. If he pleads guilty, the sentencing phase would begin. On Friday, prosecutors went over all the evidence and witnesses they had and gave a summation of the case against van der Sloot. The case of Holloway, who vanished in 2005 while on a graduation trip to the Caribbean island of Aruba, is part of the Peru case as well. Holloway was last seen leaving a nightclub with van der Sloot and two other men. Van der Sloot was arrested twice but never charged in Holloway's disappearance, which is still unsolved. His attorney, Luis Jimenez Navarro, pointed out last week that the fatal attack on Flores occurred exactly five years after the Alabama teenager went missing. It has been widely reported that van der Sloot killed the woman after he believed she saw something on the Internet relating to Holloway. "He is a young man ... who has practically lived persecuted for a crime he says he did not commit ... or for a disappearance that he cannot explain," the lawyer said. "Movies and books have been made ... At that age, and with other characteristics of his psychological profile, ... in that moment, he felt threatened and reacted in a brutal manner." The victim's family, including her father, Ricardo Flores, had pushed for stiffer charges and said that van der Sloot hasn't looked "remorseful" in court appearances. "He had an indifferent and prideful attitude. He looks as if he has everything under control. He looks better than when he appeared on TV after he was arrested," Ricardo Flores told CNN last year. If found guilty on all counts, van der Sloot could face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Besides the Flores murder trial, van der Sloot also faces possible extradition to the United States. In June 2010, a federal grand jury in Alabama indicted him on charges of wire fraud and extortion after allegations surfaced that he tried to extort $250,000 from Holloway's mother, Beth. He was allegedly given a total of $25,000, and authorities believe he used that money to travel to Peru and participate in a poker tournament, where he met Flores. InSession's Jean Casarez and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report. | Joran van der Sloot is charged with murdering a woman in a Lima hotel room .
Last week, his lawyer said van der Sloot would plead guilty and make a "sincere confession"
Instead, he voiced doubt about the charge and was granted more time to "reflect"
He is expected to make a decision Wednesday, which will determine what happens next . |
07385e3faf1eceb978c4fa0c5227147dcfe06e24 | She is a two-time Oscar-winning actress. But Dianne Wiest is reportedly struggling to find enough work to afford her New York City apartment. Speaking to the New York Times, the 66-year-old explained how she finds it difficult to earn enough film and television roles to pay the rent on her home, believed to be in Manhattan's West 79th Street. 'I have to move out of my apartment soon,' she admitted. A two-bed apartment at the actress's supposed apartment complex is currently advertised online at a rental price of $5,300 per month. Scroll down for video . Actress: Dianne Wiest (pictured) is reportedly struggling to find enough work to afford her New York home . Struggle: The 66-year-old explained how she finds it difficult to earn enough film and television roles to pay the rent at her home, believed to be in this apartment block in Manhattan's West 79th Street (pictured) Ms Wiest also revealed she never attempts to re-invent herself for a role. Instead, she leaves it to fate. 'I think that if it’s meant to happen, it will happen - which is I guess a real sign of stupidity,' said Ms Wiest, who has two adopted daughters, Emily and Lily, who are both now in their twenties. Ms Wiest, who won her two Oscars for her performances in Hannah And Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway, was interviewed by the newspaper alongside actress Tonya Pinkins, 52. The pair are currently in rehearsals together for 'Rasheeda Speaking', a dark comedy about racism that was written by Chicago playwright Joel Drake. It is being directed by Cynthia Nixon. Ms Wiest stars as Illeen, a white employee in a surgeon's office, while Ms Pinkins plays her African-American receptionist co-worker. They end up being driven apart by their boss's machinations. Stars: Ms Wiest (left), who won two Oscars for her performances in Hannah And Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway, was interviewed by the New York Times alongside 52-year-old actress Tonya Pinkins (right) Successful career: Ms Wiest, who was born in Kansas City, Missouri, is also well known for her work in Edward Scissorhands and The Birdcage. Above, Ms Wiest and Johnny Deppin Edward Scissorhands . During the interview, Ms Wiest revealed that she accepted the role partly 'to explore my own latent racism', but often finds it hard to recover from some of the antagonistic scenes. Meanwhile, Ms Pinkins, who played Livia Frye on the soap opera All My Children, said that she chose to join the cast so she could 'be in the room with Cynthia and Dianne'. Ms Wiest, who was born in Kansas City, Missouri, is also well known for her work in Edward Scissorhands and The Birdcage. She previously dated New York talent agent, Sam Cohn. Another film: The actress is pictured (right) alongside Al Pacino (left) and Simon Axler in The Humbling . Latest project: Tonya Pinkins, Dianne Wiest, playwright Joel Drake Johnson, director Cynthia Nixon, Patricia Conolly, and Darren Goldstein attend a photo call for the New Group production of 'Rasheeda Speaking' With regard to television, she won her first Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Dramatic Series for her role in Road to Avonlea in 1989. From 2000 to 2002, she portrayed interim District Attorney, Nora Lewin, in NBC's Law & Order. Previews for 'Rasheeda Speaking' begin on Tuesday at the Signature Center. | Dianne Wiest revealed she is struggling to work enough to pay her rent .
Believed to live in an apartment complex in West 79th Street, New York .
The 66-year-old actress said: 'I have to move out of my apartment soon'
Two-bed apartment at complex is listed online for $5,300 rent a month .
Also disclosed she never tries to re-invent herself for an on-screen role . |
073997d5b66dbb7646aaf90e9bde481050d62a8e | Almost a quarter of Americans in the prime of their working lives are out of a job - and millions have given up trying completely, new figures show. Data published by the Senate Budget Committee revealed the extent of unemployment in the United States, saying that 28.9million US citizens aged 25-54 are out of a job - 23.2 per cent of the total. The information, published by Republican lawmakers, show a 3.5million increase compared to 2007. Stark: The stats, from Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee, show widespread joblessness in the US . The rate differs from the Department of Labor's official unemployment figure of 6.1per cent because the Budget Committee figures also include people who have been unemployed so long they no longer count as part of the 'labor force' used to calculate the regular rate. A release under the name of Jeff Sessions, an Alabama senator, said the figures show 'deep, profound and pervasive' problems in the U.S. economy. The figures cut against the regular unemployment figures, which have been steadily falling since a high of 10 per cent in 2010. Unemployment: The statistics cut against recent improving unemployment statistics. Pictured are would-be workers in New York queuing for jobs . He said: 'Nearly one-quarter of this group - 28.9 million people, or 23.2 percent of the total - is not currently employed. 'They either became so discouraged that they left the labor force entirely, or they are in the labor force but unemployed. This group of non-employed individuals is more than 3.5 million larger than before the recession began in 2007.' 'Those attempting to minimize the startling figures about America’s vanishing workforce — workplace participation overall is near a four-decade low — will say an aging population is to blame.' 'But in fact, while the workforce overall has shrunk nearly 10 million since 2009, the cohort of workers in the labor force ages 55 to 64 has actually increased over that same period, with many delaying retirement due to poor economic conditions.' 'In fact, over two-thirds of all labor force dropouts since that time have been under the age of 55. 'These statistics illustrate that the problems in the American economy are deep, profound, and pervasive, afflicting the sector of the labor force that should be among the most productive.' | Chart shows that 23.2 per cent of adults 25-54 are not working .
Exceeds official 6.1 per cent estimate by including long-term jobless .
Figures released by GOP side of Senate Budget Committee .
Stats 'demonstrate deep, profound and pervasive economic problems' |
073aa754c6c53ac736b0ddcec6f0b68e48dc2e64 | By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 06:17 EST, 17 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:11 EST, 17 June 2013 . These intricate creations look like a church's stained glass windows - but are actually layers and layers of carefully cut paper. The laser-cut sculptures are the work of artist Eric Standley, 45, who stumbled across the idea by accident. 'I was working on another project that included laser cutting circle-based patterns into Cheerios boxes,' said Standley, an associate professor of art at Virginia Tech. Scroll down for video . It's not a stained glass window, but hundreds of pieces of paper cut and layered by artist Eric Standley . The sculptures bind layers of paper together once an intricate cutting process has taken place . This piece, called Demeter, is Standley's largest work so far at 134 layers deep . Demeter took three months to complete, with each laser-cut sheet of paper stacked by hand . 'When I was leaving the laser lab one day I stacked a few cut pieces together and was blown away by the layered complexity of the different works. 'I took out my sketchbook straight away and wrote down a dozen questions that took about two years to work through, to enable me to come up with the finished idea.' Each piece takes about 80 hours of laser-cutting time, using 100 layers of coloured paper on average. The sheets of cut paper are assembled by hand then bound to reveal the finished work. One piece of artwork takes Standley up to four months to complete. His largest work so far is called Demeter and made of 134 layers of paper. Looking into the sculptures reveals the scale of the stack of paper and the colours within . The works are finished by being bound into a flipbook. The orange cover frames the details in the centre of the books . Professor Standley's foray into working with paper was accidental, he says . Each designs takes between three to four months of work to become a finished piece . 'I'm like a monk with a laser,' Standley told Wired magazine. 'I give it everything - it's not just pushing a button. You've got to have faith in what you do - you can't fake faith.' The projects are meticulously planned before the laser comes out. He said: 'I sketch a composition first, working out an overall goal. 'Then I draw each layer in vector-based software. Each layer is cut individually with a CNC Laser. Standley's projects are inspired by Gothic, Islamic, and Greek art motifs . This one looks like a window to the sea made of delicate loops of paper . Standley began working with lasers on his own paintings before trying the technique on card and then paper . Up to 80 hours is spent on the cutting of the paper alone . 'The work is then cleaned of chads [leftover bits of paper], assembled and bound like a flip book. 'The . final stage of my process includes building a mount and frame that . holds the work, allowing for a degree of movement that is inherent with . paper.' Professor Standley took inspiration by . Gothic, Islamic, and Greek art motifs, first copying their geometry before 'riffing' his own ideas. Different angles reveal more detail in each piece thanks to the way they are stacked . The plan for each design is sketched out by hand then drawn in vector-based software . The 3D pieces are often symmetrical to mimic ancient art motifs . The creations mimic the symmetry of his influences and reveal colours and shapes when explored from different angles. He said: 'I've been fortunate in the . work's reception. Someone described my work as "otherworldly". That rang . positively with me. 'Truly . this work could not be done without the use of technology, although . whatever the reason, I'm lucky enough to have the patience to do what I . do.' | Eric Standley spends up to 80 hours using a laser-cutter for one piece of art .
The layers of coloured paper are stacked by hand and bound into a flipbook . |
073b9535b7d8a270b1a503684cbe2e385822cffa | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 02:59 EST, 6 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:57 EST, 6 August 2013 . Most brides have a dream wedding that they try to create for their special day. For this bride, it's perhaps questionable whether this was what she envisioned for her wedding day for all those years. Regardless, it's clear from the beaming smiles on the faces of both the bride and groom, as they stand knee deep in freezing, flowing waters of a salmon river in Alaska, that this is the perfect wedding for them. Scroll down for video . Groomsmen holding fly fishing rods watch as Kadie and Dake Schmidt exchanged their vows, knee deep in a salmon river in Alaska . Bridesmaids look on as Kadie and Dake Schmidt, right, exchange a kiss at the end of their wedding ceremony . Flanked by supportive bridesmaids and groomsmen, wearing protective long waders, the happy couple exchanged their vows to the sound of the running river in the remote but beautiful setting. Kadie Walsh and Dake Schmidt, both local fishing guides, opted for a rather nontraditional salmon fishing theme for their entire wedding. The couple's rings were presented each in the mouths of two king salmon and both the bridesmaids and groomsmen were carrying fishing rods complete with flower posies throughout the ceremony. Stunning setting: It was arguably a beautiful setting for the ceremony, with Pillar Mountain in the background. The majority of the wedding party kept their feet dry, watching from the shoreline . Unafraid of getting their hands messy, the couple then caught their own pair of pink salmon to commemorate their special union . Shortly after the newlyweds were married, they were each handed a rod and both caught their own pair of handsome pink salmon on the Buskin River, on Alaska's southern Kodiak island. While marrying in the freezing fishy waters of a fast-flowing river in Alaska might not be everyone's cup of tea for their special ceremony, Mr and Mrs Schmidt, it appears, couldn't have been happier with the arrangement. The setting might be unusual but some elements of the special day followed the traditional course, including Kadie's minor make-up touch-ups from the bridesmaids . Impressed: Clearly enjoying the salmon-themed wedding, one groomsman stopped to watch with awe as two large king salmon are removed from the ceremony . | Couple exchange vows knee-deep in the Buskin River, in Kodiak, Alaska .
Wedding rings presented in the mouths of two king salmon .
Pair then caught a couple of pink salmon to celebrate their union . |
073bfcfe412b5b967cbb26d5987a602c83d7c641 | By . Anthony Bond . Last updated at 9:26 PM on 13th January 2012 . A son finally heard his dead father’s voice for the first time - after unearthing a lost, original recording of the 70’s hit song ‘Seasons In The Sun’. In 1970, musician Alan Ludley was tipped for fame when asked by Polydor Records to record an unknown French folk song with the lyrics: 'We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.' But when Alan, from Middlesbrough, was killed in a car crash, his version was never released - so singer Terry Jacks recorded it instead and got a 1974 hit, selling 10million records. Scroll down for video . Emotional: Adrian Ludley, 43, broke down in tears after hearing his dad's voice for the first time after listening to an original recording of hit song Seasons In The Sun . Alan left behind a one year-old baby who although photographed once with his father, could never recall his voice. Now . Adrian Ludley, 43, has finally found a copy of his dad’s studio . recording, thanks to a local appeal - meaning he can finally hear his . dad for the first time. A . BBC Inside Out documentary reveals Adrian's extraordinary search for the . song and it’s remarkably poignant lyrics - of a son saying farewell to . his father for the last time. Viewers . see Adrian break down in tears as he listened to his late father . singing the ominous words 'Goodbye Papa, it’s hard to die'. He said: 'Nothing could top this in my life, this is just amazing. It’s the best experience ever. 'Definitely I’ve found a reconnection with him, it’s just incredible. The perfect closure for my search.' ‘Seasons In the Sun’ by Canadian singer Terry Jacks remains one of the best known pop songs of all time, and became a Christmas Number 1 in 1999 for Westlife. Close: Alan Ludley is pictured here with his son Adrian shortly before the musician was killed in a car crash . It was an adaptation of the song ‘Le Moribond’ by Belgium songwriter Jacques Brel in 1961 with lyrics by American singer-poet Rod McKuen. The Jacks version is one of the fewer than thirty all-time singles to have sold 10 million (or more) copies worldwide. But years before Jacks shot to fame, a newly-signed band in Middlesbrough called Rivers Invitation had recorded their version of the song for Polydor and it was all set for a 1970 summer release when tragedy struck. Alan, who was the band's singer, was killed aged 23 in a car crash, Rivers Invitation disbanded with their debut single unreleased. It left his baby Adrian to be raised by his grandparents, before moving on to start adult life in California. As he approached his 40’s with children of his own, Adrian became determined to find out more about the father he could not remember. Popular: When Alan Ludley was killed in a car crash, his version of Seasons in the Sun was never released - so singer Terry Jacks, pictured, recorded it instead . He embarked on a quest to find a . recording of the Rivers Invitation version of Seasons in the Sun and to . hear his dad sing the words which had become loaded with added poignancy . because of his sudden death - ‘goodbye to you my trusted friend. Goodbye my friend it’s hard to die’. Four years ago Adrian contacted BBC Tees presenter John Foster for help and an appeal to listeners did help to find some recordings and photographs, but not Seasons In The Sun. Adrian told listeners at the time: 'The song that I’ve been searching for and what everyone has told me was the recording of Seasons in the Sun. 'It would be absolutely amazing if that ever came about - huge. I’d never experienced any of his music. 'Since the accident, since I was a kid I would search but nothing ever came of it so I could only really imagine what his voice must have sounded like. 'The first time I was told he recorded Seasons In The Sun I didn’t believe it. Great find: BBC Tees presenter John Foster, right, with the old original recording of Seasons in the Sun which was found in the house of Peter Ayton, left . 'It was too much because of the magnitude of that song and how everybody knew it. 'It was the first 45 record I ever bought and I would listen to it in . my bedroom over and over and imagine how he would sing it. 'It would be amazing to actually get that song because that’s what triggered it all, that’s what motivated me.' After four years of trying, Adrian feared the song had been lost forever, but it was then discovered in an old tin of junk in band member Peter Ayton’s house. The song was played to Adrian and Inside Out got the band members back together for the film. And after hearing the emotional recording together, Adrian broke down in tears and uttered: 'Thank you all so much.'Adrian's story is told on Inside Out BBC One (NE & Cumbria) on Monday January 16 at 7.30pm and can be seen the following day by viewers outside the North East & Cumbria on the BBC iPlayer. | Alan Ludley was tipped for fame when he laid down Polydor track .
Killed in a car crash aged 23 when his son was just one .
Terry Jacks' version sold 10million records worldwide .
Son breaks down as original is played on BBC TV show . |
073cc299fd81fe944d898747d266e636e7056c1e | Who needs airport bartenders when there's a perfect pint pulling machine to do all the hard work? This genius automated beer dispenser is quite the draw in the All Nippon Airways Alliance Gold Lounge at Japan's Kansai International Airport (KIX). The Asahi machine works exactly like a fountain drinks dispenser but with one very important extra: it has a tilt feature to help drinkers get the right amount of head on their drink, without spilling a single drop. Self-service: A man grabs a glass and prepares to use the automated draft beer dispenser . Thirsty travellers help themselves to a chilled pint glass and simply place it on the drinks stand, before pressing a button on the machine. With a soft, robotic whirr the back of the stand swiftly moves forward, gently tilting as golden liquid streams down from the overhead nozzle. Pour: The man places the glass in the machine and presses the buttons . Tilt: Moments later the machine tilts the glass at the required angle and pours in the beer . Head: The machine then straightens up the glass and a head is poured into the glass creating the perfect pint . As the pint glass gets filled, the stand reverts to its original position and a six-second spurt from the machine fills the rest of the glass with a perfect head. The perfectly poured suds are now ready to drink . The automated draft beer dispenser is one of only an estimated five in the country. The machines have been around for quite some time but are uncommon outside of international departure lounges. | Pint pulling machine at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan .
Tilt feature ensures just perfect ratio of liquid to froth .
Draft beer dispenser is one of only an estimated five in Japan . |
073cea241dbfe268976dbda3679db91860e2cf79 | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 11:43 EST, 29 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:45 EST, 29 January 2013 . After Miranda Kerr tweeted out pictures of herself frolicking on a golden beach in Mexico this week, the world looked on in envy. And it seems she isn't the only Victoria's Secret model to be flaunting her enviable figure on the beach while the rest of us battle the January blues. Fellow Angel Jessica Van Der Steen has been unveiled as the face (and incredibly toned body) of Heidi Klein's latest swimwear range with a stunning seaside campaign video to go with it. Scroll down for video . Beach babe: Jessica Van Der Steen has been unveiled as the face of Heidi Klein's Resort Summer 2013 collection . The new video and campaign images for the Resort Summer 2013 collection show 29-year-old Jessica dancing against the beautiful . hills and the calming seas of Mustique, a small private island that is part of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Taking inspiration from hidden . treasures and the secrets of the sea, this collection is all about the . beautiful details. Playful: Jessica can be seen dancing against the beautiful hills and the calming seas of Mustique . Swimwear fans will be impressed by the intricate beading and exotic embellishment of the . flowing kaftans and floaty, beach dresses. In true Heidi Klein style, the swimwear garments are designed with hidden support to ensure the perfect fit, which Jessica models to perfection. Cheeky: The Victoria's Secret model can be seen wiggling her bottom and sticking out her tongue to the camera . Classic: Swimsuits from the label are classic and simple with added intricate beading . Making a splash: The campaign video sees Jessica playing in the sea with two local girls . The collection has key safari influences and python and zebra prints as well as nautical themes make this collection perfect for the winter sun. The Belgian fashion model can be seen cheekily wiggling her bottom and playfully blowing kisses to the camera as well as posing on the front of a boat. Jessica, who appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in both 2004 and 2005, can be seen at the end of the fun beach side video prancing around with two young girls in the sea. Prices for the classic bikinis start at £180 while kaftans are around £280. She's an animal: The prints are bang on trend with plenty of zebra and python print detailing . | Jessica shows off her toned body in the Heidi Klein Resort Summer 2013 collection .
Shot in Mustique, small private island that is part of St Vincent and the Grenadines . |
073cf05923f48fb3fc19904289ac1403bcf1e96c | By . Olivia Williams . PUBLISHED: . 18:16 EST, 30 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:24 EST, 30 March 2013 . An ice cream tub believed to contain human placenta has been found by a dog walker, police said tonight. The discovery was made on a footpath near Tooting Bec Athletics Track, south London, at about 6.55am, Scotland Yard said. The dog walker initially thought they had found a human organ in the container, which police believe was partially buried before being unearthed by an animal. Horrifying discovery: The dog walker found the buried tub of placenta on a footpath near Tooting Bec Athletics Track . Medical staff who examined photographs of the substance have suggested it is human placenta which could be two weeks old. The item has been taken for pathological examination. A search using specially trained police 'blood' dogs did not find any other items buried in the area, the Met added. Police said the early indication of human placenta has raised concerns there may be a vulnerable new mother who has given birth and may require medical assistance. Chief Inspector Nick Aldworth said: 'Obviously we are at the very early stages of the investigation into what has been found, but the suggestion that it could be a human placenta does give us concern that there could be an individual whose health and wellbeing may be at risk.' 'That said, we retain an open mind regarding the item and how it came to be buried on the pathway pending the results of testing and any confirmed information coming to light. Alarming: Medical staff have suggested the human placenta the dog found could be two weeks old . 'Therefore we are appealing to the person who buried the item to contact us, or anyone who knows the person who buried the item. Your call will be treated in the strictest of confidence. 'We are also appealing to anyone who uses the path at the back of Tooting Bec Athletics Track to contact us if they remember seeing anything out of the ordinary there recently. 'I would like to emphasise that our primary concern at the moment is for the welfare of anybody who may have given birth without medical assistance and our focus is currently on welfare and not enforcement. Anybody who comes forward will be treated with this in mind.' Anyone who can assist police is asked to call on 101. | Dog walker found placenta near Tooting Bec Athletics Track in south London .
His dog dug the tub up, which had been partially buried .
Doctors suspect the placenta could be two weeks old .
Police are worried a new mother needs medical assistance . |
073db95b2e19832eecf5f66fba2f6024cda8e0c3 | By . Associated Press . A private drone trying to record footage of a Northern California wildfire nearly hindered their air assault, fire officials said today. State fire spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff says the drone was sighted above the fire burning in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Sacramento on Sunday, the day after the fire broke out. The person controlling the unmanned aircraft, whom she did not identify, was trying to get video of the blaze and was told to stop by authorities because of the potential danger to firefighting planes. Scroll down for video . The El Portal Fire pictured burning near Yosemite National Park, California, late Sunday . Fires in te Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park pictured at dusk on Sunday as a firefighting aircraft flies overhead, California . The fire — one of two that has forced evacuations in California — has burned through a little under six square miles and was 65 percent contained. Some of the roughly 1,200 people under evacuation orders were allowed to return to their homes Monday morning. Firefighters in Northern California had made progress on Sunday against the wildfire that destroyed 13 homes and forced hundreds of evacuations in the Sierra Nevada foothills, while a fire near Yosemite National Park destroyed one home grew significantly overnight. The fire had burned over 2,500 acres (1,011 hectares) and was just 5% contained on Monday morning . Fire on the mountain: A firefighting helicopter flies in to siphon water out of the Merced River in order to fight the El Portal Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park in California . Lost cars: Bill Cleek, left, embraces his good friend, Terry Cromwell outside a structure which housed one of many antique cars destroyed by a fire at Rancho Cicada Retreat on Sunday . Roads closed: Highway 120 in and out of Yosemite National Park is closed due to firefighting efforts on the El Portal Fire burning in the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park in California . Fire crews were able to significantly increase their containment lines but 'the steep, dry terrain continues to be a challenge,' a CalFire said. About 1,900 firefighters, aided by aircraft including a DC-10 air tanker, were working to control the blaze. CalFire officials say the fire started Friday when a vehicle drove over dry vegetation. Alfred Shults, his wife, Carolyn, and their granddaughter fled their home in El Dorado County on Friday after receiving an automated telephone call ordering residents to evacuate, according to the Sacramento Bee. Before he left, Shults said he packed as much as he could into his vehicle and turned on a sprinkler to soak the area around his beloved motorcycle. 'We just wanted to get out of there, and hope there's something left when we get back,' Alfred Shults, 65, told the Bee on Saturday as they waited for news at an evacuation center in Placerville. Out of gas: An antique car, one of many destroyed on the Rancho Cicada Retreat property is surrounded by burned trees on Sunday . Fighting fire: A City of Folsom firefighter moves through burned trees and ash not far from the origin of the Sand Fire in Amador County on Sunday . Smoke in the trees: Trees in Yosemite National Park are backlit by a sun turned orange by smoke from the El Portal Fire burning in the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park in California . Meanwhile, a wildfire that began Saturday west of Yosemite National Park quadrupled in size overnight to more than 3 square miles. It destroyed one home in the small community of Foresta, adjacent to the park, Ranger Scott Gediman said. An estimated 100 homes in Foresta and the small community of Old El Portal were evacuated Saturday, and residents remained out of their homes Sunday. Two shelters opened for people and animals. 'There have been no injuries so far, which is wonderful,' Gediman said. The . nation's largest wildfire - the 618-square-mile Buzzard Complex in . eastern Oregon, 45 miles northeast of Burns - remained at 95 percent . contained on Sunday. Incident reports from the fire say containment . lines continue hold as crews monitor increased fire activity. In . north-central Washington, the nearly 400-square-mile Carlton Complex . fire, the biggest in the state's history, continued to burn Sunday in . rising temperatures, but no major flare-ups have been reported. Sequoia trees and other wonders, remained open throughout Sunday. None of its treasures were threatened, Gediman said, although some areas were smoky. About 400 firefighters, aided by fixed-wing helicopters, battled the flames, Gediman said. The cause wasn't immediately known. Wildfires also burned in other Western states, including Washington, Oregon and Colorado. Nothing remains: Bill Cleek looks over the remains of one of his cabins which was destroyed by a fire at his Rancho Cicada Retreat in Amador County . All a haze: Smoke from the El Portal Fire casts a haze over the Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park in California . Fighting in flight: A firefighting helicopter flies in to siphon water out of the Merced River in order to fight the El Portal Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park in California . | A private drone was trying to record footage of the wildfire but nearly hindered the relief efforts .
Firefighters in Northern California made .
progress on Sunday against a wildfire that has destroyed 13 homes and .
forced hundreds of evacuations .
The fire, which also destroyed 38 outbuildings, was 50 percent contained Sunday night .
About 1,900 firefighters, aided by aircraft including a DC-10 air tanker, were working to control the blaze . |
073eb8c32c6b2b423f195b05175208b6e7468ded | Beijing, China (CNN)The son of kung fu movie star Jackie Chan has been released after being jailed for six months in China for drug offenses. Jaycee Chan was detained in August last year after he tested positive for marijuana and police found more than 100 grams of the drug in his Beijing apartment. His management company, Mstones, said he was released early Friday morning and will hold a press conference on Saturday. "He will make a formal public apology and give a full explanation," the online statement said. A Beijing court sentenced him in January but took into account the time he already spent in jail since last summer. Chan pleaded guilty to "hosting others to take drugs," was also fined 2,000 yuan ($320), announced the Dongcheng District People's Court. The Hong Kong native was arrested along with a Taiwanese actor, amid a government crackdown on celebrity drug offenders. Although he did not attend the trial, Jackie Chan -- who has starred in Hollywood blockbusters like "Rush Hour" and was named an anti-drugs ambassador in China in 2009 -- had expressed anger and disappointment in his son in media interviews. "I failed to discipline him -- now the state is helping me discipline him and make him get rid all the bad habits," the elder Chan, 60, told the state-run Xinhua news agency last December, while denying his son had received special treatment in jail. The younger Chan's case has put a spotlight on the Chinese capital's intensifying anti-drugs campaign. By mid-November, the authorities had detained almost 10,000 people for using drugs, nearly double the previous year's figure. Announcing the numbers, a top anti-narcotics official in Beijing emphasized the government's "zero-tolerance" stance on celebrity offenders due to the impact of their behavior on the youth. Last August, dozens of management agencies representing actors and singers signed an agreement with Beijing authorities, banning drug use from the entertainment industry and pledging to fire any artists who break the law. CNN's Vivian Kam contributed to this report from Hong Kong. | Son of Jackie Chan released from jail after 6 months sentence .
Jaycee Chan tested positive for marijuana in August .
His father was named anti-drugs ambassador in China in 2009 . |
073f4cc1b2ad3b7cc42783a01b8c84aac819dfba | Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Seven people, including some accused of having ties to a U.S.-backed Farsi-language radio station, were arrested in Tehran, according to Iranian media reports. The seven "worked as liaisons for anti-revolution satellite organizations and Zionist media," the semi-official Iran Labour News Agency (ILNA) reported Sunday. The people were connected "with the conspiracy," ILNA said, referring to recent anti-government protests in Iran. The arrests came in an "intelligence ministry operation," ILNA said. "These people were connected with Radio Farda and had gone through the process of selection and training in Dubai and Istanbul and some of them had been officially employed by the U.S. intelligence service." However, Radio Farda's director, Armand Mostofi, told CNN Sunday it has no employees inside Iran. Radio Farda is based in Prague, Czech Republic, and in Washington. It is affiliated with Radio Free Europe, and broadcasts from Prague. Mostofi said he first heard of the arrests in Iranian news reports. "A lot of our news comes from the relationships with our listeners," he said. "It's a two-way relationship. Hundreds of thousands of our listeners call in to inform us of what is going in Iran." He said Iran has consistently blocked the station's Web site and has tried to jam their satellite signal. "The crackdown of journalists in Iran has worsened in the aftermath of the presidential elections," Mostofi said. "Iran used to be the largest prison for journalists in the Mideast, and unfortunately, has become the largest prison in the world for journalists." Iran's state-owned Press TV reported the seven included "two Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operatives." The group planned to "stoke unrest and violence on a march scheduled for February 11," according to the report. That date marks the 31st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed shah. There was no immediate reaction to the reports from the United States. CNN's Mitra Mobasherat contributed to this report. | Arrests came in an "intelligence ministry operation," ILNA reports .
ILNA: Some "had been officially employed by the U.S. intelligence service"
Radio Farda director says it has no employees in Iran, sees "crackdown of journalists" |
073f5005eab4357fb779e516fd681d82ff37d791 | By . Alexandra Klausner . PUBLISHED: . 16:38 EST, 10 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:28 EST, 10 March 2014 . Three women from Maine were out at the Bruins game on Thursday to have a knockout belated birthday celebration for one of them. Unfortunately that same pal was 'knocked out cold' and must now see a neurologist. Sabina Grasso turned 21 a few days before Anna McDonough and Caitlyn Brown attended the Boston Bruins game. The girls were taking photographs near the ice when the metal pole used to hold up the protective netting fell and struck both Grasso and McDonough in the head. Grasso was knocked unconscious, McDonough was hit, and Brown was not injured. Soon after a spokesman for the arena issued a statement insisting the injuries were just 'minor'. But is has since emerged that may not be the case. The Press Herald reports that Grasso is scheduled to see a neurologist in Portland this week but that she is severely struggling. Sabina Grasso, Anna McDonough, an Caitlyn Brown are pictured here at the Bruins game before a giant pole hit both Sabina and Anna in the head . Sabina (right) was celebrating her 21st birthday when she was injured so badly that she needed to be rushed to the hospital . Anna and Sabina are seen here as they run from the dangling net and pole at Thursday night's Bruins game . Sabina (left) suffered a major blow to the head and must visit a neurologist . Bloodied: Sabrina is seen here with here looking quite injured after a pole hit her in the head . 'Sabina was knocked out cold,' said her mother, Terri Grasso. 'She suffered a severe blow to the head.' Grasso . is a student at Endicott College in Boston. The three ladies became . friends at Emmanuel College in Boston where they were all freshman . together but now attend different New England Schools. McDonough and Grasso both returned to their parents homes in Scarborough where they are recovering from trauma. McDonough's . father, Brian McDonough, is outraged by the incident and said that the arena is downplaying the girls injuries by calling them 'minor' when . they are anything but. 'These . were not minor injuries. These women are lucky to be alive,' McDonough . said in a telephone interview with the Press Herald on Sunday. 'The . photographs (online) speak for themselves.' The friend of the injured girls, Caitlyn Brown, is still traumatized by what happened to her two friends. 'I’m . doing OK, but it was really scary. You never think about something . falling from the sky and knocking out your best friend,' she said. Ironically . enough the safety net was installed in 2002 to prevent specatators from . stary pucks after a 13-year-old girl from Columbus, Ohio was fatally . struck by one. Now it's the net fans need protecting from. Caitlyn Brown, who was not hurt, had to watch both her friends get injured on Thursday night after the game . Dazed: The injured woman is aided after a metal pole holding up protective netting behind one of the goals fell . Being tended to: The two women were taken away by ambulance as blood streamed down their faces from their injuries . Anna McDonough was also hit in the head by the pole that mysteriously tumbled down . An EMT checked the pulse of Anna McDonough after she was injured . Carried away: Emergency workers remove Sabina Grasso from the arena on a stretcher for precaution - officials later said her injuries were minor . Anna McDonough was also hit in the head by the pole that mysteriously tumbled down but she was not as badly injured as Sabina Grasso . | Sabina Grasso must see a neurologist after she was 'knocked out cold' by a pole attached to a safety net at the Boston Bruins arena .
Sabina Grasso turned 21 a few days before Anna McDonough and Caitlyn Brown attended the Boston Bruins game to celebrate her birthday .
The arena issued a statement saying that the girls had minor injuries but now Grasso must go to a neurologist . |
073fe5d27830b5b573fe40aa49789e6e36c3e967 | (CNN) -- Sarah Palin: politician and mother. iReporters weigh in on the difficulty of balancing those two roles. iReporter Christina Walker says its very challenging to balance work and caring for her 1-year-old child. Since Sen. John McCain named Alaska Go. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential pick, she has been closely scrutinized by both the public and the media. Palin has served as governor of Alaska for almost two years. She also has five children, including a 4-month-old son with Down Syndrome and a 17-year-old daughter who is 5-months pregnant. Her choice to run as the Republican vice presidential nominee has drawn both praise and criticism from the left and right alike. Now iReporters are asking: Was it the right decision? Some feel that Palin's choice to run shows poor judgment. "I think she made the wrong call. It's not her time," said Andy Stably of Salem, New Hampshire. "Given her personal situation and her special circumstances, it does seem more important than the nomination she's accepting. I don't think that should be blanket statement for all moms. But the job she's about to interview for is the job of jobs, and it's going to require her to sacrifice what she has at home." Stably has children of his own, and his wife works full-time. He says this experience has helped shape his views on Palin: "Doesn't everyone, male or female, think about the impact a job offer would have on their personal life before accepting the offer?" "It's not a sexist thing," said Jeanette Lee, who is raising a 15-month-old baby of her own. "If my family was having these sorts of issues, I wouldn't be putting them in the spotlight and making them go through this publicly. For her to walk away from her baby with special needs just shows her character. I feel like she should pay more attention to her whole family." "If her children were older, it wouldn't be an issue," Lee added. Others feel Palin's family situation would have a negative impact on her effectiveness as vice president. "I want my president to be my president. It is a difficult, sometimes thankless, and emotionally devastating job that requires 100 percent resolve at all times," said Carlton Madden, from West Monroe, Louisiana. "I think she has a lot on her plate ... I have no problem with a woman being president, but I'm going to hold her to the same standards I'd hold a man. If [Obama] had a pregnant teen daughter and a child with special needs, I'd have serious reservations about his ability to make a split-second decision, too." Christina Walker, of Austin, Texas, who has a 1-year-old daughter, says her experience as a mom has led her to the same conclusion. "I opted to change my career path so I could spend more time with my child, and I'm trying to manage both the career and the child," she said. "It's very challenging, and I'm not in nearly the type of stressful role that she would be in." But some think Palin's experience as a mom would only make her a better vice president. Carolyn Jasper of Shreveport, Louisiana, says Palin's experience as a mother makes her a better candidate because she knows what it's like to balance life and work and can understand the lives of "regular" Americans. "I can tell you one thing about being a mom. You learn real quick how to work through all of life's huge problems and bring them down to a manageable size," said Jasper, who has three children of her own. "I do think she'll be more capable of understanding what the regular American people need from their government because she is a mom and a family person." So is there a double standard at work? Some iReporters think so. "Why aren't we questioning how Obama can raise his kids?" asked Shawn Strode of Orlando, Florida. "Mind you, having a Down Syndrome child is going to be more challenging, but are we assuming the dad can't step in and be a parent? We automatically assume that first ladies can be great parents and that it won't take away from the father being the president. I don't think it will affect her job that much." "I'm a little tired of hearing about Bristol and her pregnancy," said Katy Brown, a freshman at Kent State University in Ohio. "This has nothing to do with the campaign. It has nothing to do with how well Sarah Palin will lead the country. ...This just shows that they're a normal family." Lisa Stiles, of Richmond, Virginia, has been involved in grassroots campaigning for nuclear energy throughout her career and says Palin inspired her to consider running for office in the future. She thinks this discussion would never have come up if Palin was a man. "Are people forgetting that she has a husband?" Stiles asked. "I would think people would be applauding the fact that such a reversal of traditional gender roles is possible." And Jordan Saver of Athens, Georgia, believes there is a different kind of sexism going on in the race: "We're giving [Palin] credit for being a mother and a politician, but Barack Obama doesn't get credit for being a father and a politician," he said. "It's reverse discrimination. But if they mentioned it, it would be seen as sexist." "It's the wrong conversation to be having," added Kathryn Ova of New York City, who describes herself as a "die-hard feminist." "Our overall belief system of putting work ahead of family for both men and women is kind of dominating right now. It's coming up because she's a woman, but putting work ahead of family is a major issue regardless of gender." | iReporters weigh in on Sarah Palin's roles of politician and mother .
Some say she can't be both a good mother and a good vice president .
Others say Palin is being held to an unfair standard as a woman .
iReport.com: Is there a double-standard? |
07408425df675cd822bc334836dd37509b36b27d | Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- President Barack Obama, speaking early Wednesday in Afghanistan at the tail end of a surprise visit there, discussed how the war will end and promised a steady drawdown of U.S. troops. Obama committed to pulling 23,000 troops out of the country by the end of summer and sticking to the 2014 deadline to turn security fully over to the Afghan government. He said that NATO will set a goal this month for Afghan forces to be in the lead for combat operations next year. "We will not build permanent bases in this country, nor will we be patrolling its cities and mountains. That will be the job of the Afghan people," the president said during a speech at Bagram Air Base. Read extensive excerpts of the speech . His unannounced trip was Obama's third visit to Afghanistan since taking office. It coincided with the first anniversary of the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in neighboring Pakistan, and comes as Obama is fighting for re-election. Hours after Obama left the country, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force reported a loud explosion in the capital, Kabul. Gen. Mohammad Ayoub Salangi, Kabul chief of police, told CNN it was a suicide car bomb. The blast killed five people outside a compound known as Green Village, according Sediq Seddiqi, a spokesman for Afghan Interior Ministry. An undetermined number of others also were injured. The president promised not to keep troops in harm's way "a single day longer than is absolutely required for our national security," but promised to "finish the job" and "end this war responsibly." Obama spoke of a "negotiated peace," and said his administration has been in direct talks with the Taliban. "We've made it clear that they can be a part of this future if they break with al Qaeda, renounce violence, and abide by Afghan laws," he said. Finally, the president vowed: "This time of war began in Afghanistan, and this is where it will end." Earlier in his trip, Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed an agreement outlining cooperation between their countries once the U.S.-led international force withdraws in 2014. Some U.S. forces will remain in a post-war Afghanistan as military advisers, but both U.S. and Afghan officials have yet to decide how many troops will continue supporting the Afghan military, and for how long. See reactions to Obama's surprise trip . At a signing ceremony for the Strategic Partnership Agreement, Obama said that neither country asked for the war that began more than a decade ago, but now they would work in partnership for a peaceful future. "There will be difficult days ahead, but as we move forward in our transition, I'm confident that Afghan forces will grow stronger; the Afghan people will take control of their future," Obama said. Addressing a concern in Afghanistan that the United States will abandon the country once its troops leave, Obama said, "With this agreement, I am confident that the Afghan people will understand that the United States will stand by them." He later added that the United States "did not come here to claim resources or to claim territory. We came here with a very clear mission to destroy al Qaeda," referring to the terrorist organization responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks. Obama's address came nine years to the day after then-President George W. Bush delivered his "Mission Accomplished" speech aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, announcing the end of major combat operations in Iraq. Karzai offered his thanks to the American people for helping Afghanistan, and the presidents shook hands after signing the document in the atrium of the King's Residence, part of the Presidential Palace in Kabul. "This agreement will close the season of the past 10 years and is going to open an equal relationship season. With the signing of this agreement, we are starting a phase between two sovereign and independent countries that will be based on mutual respect, mutual commitments and mutual friendship," Karzai said. Obama warned the Afghan people and, later, U.S. troops he met with, of difficult days ahead. In remarks to troops at Bagram, Obama sounded emotional as he said that soldiers could see friends get hurt or killed as the mission winds down. "There's going to heartbreak and pain and difficulty ahead, but there's a light on the horizon because of the sacrifices you've made," he said. The security risks in Afghanistan were evident from the secretive nature and timing of the trip. Obama landed in Afghanistan in the cover of darkness, and the signing ceremony occurred in the late evening. Back in the United States, politicians reacted to the president's visit -- some with praise, others claiming it was politically motivated. Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney said, "I am pleased that President Obama has returned to Afghanistan. Our troops and the American people deserve to hear from our president about what is at stake in this war. Success in Afghanistan is vital to our nation's security. It would be a tragedy for Afghanistan and a strategic setback for America if the Taliban returned to power and once again created a sanctuary for terrorists." Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, was less supportive. "Clearly, this trip is campaign-related. We've seen recently that President Obama has visited college campuses in an attempt to win back the support of that age group since he has lost it over the last three years. Similarly, this trip to Afghanistan is an attempt to shore up his national security credentials, because he has spent the past three years gutting our military," he said in a statement. The Strategic Partnership Agreement provides a framework for the U.S.-Afghanistan partnership for the decade after the U.S. and allied troop withdrawal, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters on the flight. Specific levels of U.S. forces and funding are not set in the agreement and will be determined by the United States in consultation with allies, the officials said on condition of not being identified. Noting the anniversary of the bin Laden mission, the officials called it a resonant day for the Afghan and American people. More than 130,000 troops from 50 countries serve in Afghanistan, according to the NATO-led International Security and Assistance Force. The United States is the biggest contributor, providing about 90,000 troops, followed by the United Kingdom (9,500), Germany (4,800) and France (3,600). The war that began in 2001 is increasingly unpopular in the United States, with the latest CNN/ORC International poll in late March showing 25% of respondents supporting it and 72% opposing it. More than 2,700 troops from the United States and its partners have died in the war, the majority of them American. In 2011, the United States outlined its plan to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. The move was followed by withdrawal announcements by most of the NATO nations. Last week, Afghan National Security Adviser Rangin Daftar Spanta and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker initialed a text that outlined the kind of relationship the two countries want in the decade following the NATO withdrawal. The deal had been long expected after Washington and Kabul found compromises over the thorny issues of "night raids" by U.S. forces on Afghan homes and the transfer of U.S. detainees to Afghan custody. It seeks to create an enduring partnership that prevents the Taliban from waiting until the U.S. withdrawal to try to regain power, the senior administration officials said. Obama visited Afghanistan in March 2010 and returned in December of the same year. He also visited Afghanistan in 2008 as a presidential candidate. CNN's Tom Cohen, Barbara Starr, Keating Holland, Nick Paton Walsh and journalist Masoud Popalzai contributed to this report. | NEW: Car bomb in Kabul kills 5 after Obama visit .
Facing an election at home, the president says "this time of war" will end .
Romney lauds Obama visit, says Afghanistan "success" is vital .
Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai sign an agreement on future cooperation . |
0741ca4b1246d7d1550b5f25d4402017e10bb2c6 | They have a better squad, a better record and – in keeping with the German reputation for meticulous preparation – they appear to have bagged the best accommodation, too. While England have plumped for an ageing Rio hotel close to a gang-infested slum as their base, the Germans will luxuriate in a secluded, specially-built £25million resort within easy reach of all their games. Funded jointly by the German FA and private enterprise, the Campo Bahia resort offers beach-facing villas, hot tubs, a 2,000 sq ft pool area and its own restaurant. The German FA has invested in a purpose built beach-front resort for their team at a cost of £25 million - which will open to the public after the World Cup . The training pitches and media centre are just one mile away. Crucially, the complex – which lies 700 miles north of Rio on the Atlantic coast – offers easy security and is a short ride away from the airport, ensuring that the German players can be delivered to all their games in less than two hours by private jet. The base will become a commercial resort when the World Cup is over. By contrast, the England team face a journey of between one and two hours to their training ground – an army base – and up to three hours to the international airport from their hotel, the four-star Royal Tulip in Rio. Inside, there is cracked paint, a failing internet service and stained carpets. The £200-a-night hotel was criticised on TripAdvisor by one guest who said: ‘It makes a North Korean prison seem like a dream destination.’ England's hotel is located within view of the Rocinha favela in Rio where armed gangs are being targeted by police . The hotel was named the InterContinental until 2010 when a group of gunmen from a drug gang stormed the lobby, taking 30 guests and staff hostage and killing one woman. A worker said: ‘The hotel was sold and renamed because as you can imagine that incident wasn’t very good for business.’ A staff member at the Tulip said rooms were ‘being renovated’ but added: ‘We have another year and a half to go before the building work is complete.’ When asked if the hotel would be ready in five weeks when the England team are due to arrive he shrugged and said: ‘Look around you, what do you think? We are working very hard to get it ready.’ Inside a room, large brown stains dotted the blue carpet. The bath water took five minutes to run warm and emerged from the tap a dull yellow colour. One note of consolation for the England squad is that the German resort isn’t yet ready, either. While is Arsenal colleagues are stuck in the centre of Rio, Per Mertesacker will be able to enjoy the beach in the German FA's £25 million base 700 miles north of Rio . | German FA develop purpose built resort for their base during the tournament .
Private industry helped cover some of the £25 million cost for their hotel .
After the World Cup, the hotel will open to the public to recoup the investment . |
0741d99a66393c7712299ac5cd124b679a173122 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 04:34 EST, 11 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:50 EST, 11 December 2013 . This remarkable video shows the dramatic transformation in a mother with cerebral palsy after she smokes cannabis to relieve her symptoms. Jacqueline Patterson, from Kansas City, Missouri, has a severe stutter and suffers incredible pain because of her condition. She has found that marijuana is the only thing that really helps - but each time she buys or smokes it, she runs the risk of losing custody of her four children. Despite marijuana being legal for medical reasons in 20 states, it is not legal in Kansas City where Ms Patterson lives. But because of her debilitating symptoms, she says using the drug actually makes her better mother. Before she smokes cannabis, she seriously struggles to speak. Afterwards, she speaks calmly and with no problems at all. In the video, she explains: 'I was born with cerebral palsy and a severe stutter - which has got to be one of the most stigmatising disabilities invented by God. It's very humiliating. 'My right side of my body is much noticeably weaker than my left and my right arm is always painfully tense. 'I went through my entire childhood in pain because I couldn't move my muscles.' She realised from the first time she smoked cannabis that it eased her symptoms. In a letter to the Kansas City Star, she said: 'I . was born with cerebral palsy and discovered early on that cannabis . mitigated the most painful physical and emotional manifestations of my . disorder. Ms Patterson has found that marijuana is the only thing that really helps her symptoms. Despite it being legal for medical reasons in 20 states, it is not legal in Kansas City, Missouri, where she lives (file picture) 'I later learned that cannabis can help stutterers speak more clearly and that decades ago, doctors discovered the herb’s ability to alleviate muscle spasms, from which I also suffer.' In the film, viewers meet Ms Patterson when she hasn't smoked marijuana for three days. Her stutter means it can take several seconds for her to pronounce a word. Driving into downtown Kansas City to look for the drug, she explains: 'I smoke to be the mother my children deserve - they are really cool kids. 'Being a good mother to my children is the most important thing in the world to me. Cerebral . palsy is an umbrella term used to describe damage to the brain that . occurs before, during or after birth. birth. It is a condition that . affects muscle control and movement. People with cerebral palsy often . have other related conditions or problems, including: difficulties . speaking or understanding other people speak, incontinence, learning . difficulties, visual impairment and hearing impairment. 'I hate the way I stutter and it's the most effective treatment I have found. 'But if I were to get busted buying or smoking marijuana there is a possibility I could lose my children.' Back home, after three hits of the drug, she is able to speak completely normally. Speaking about the remarkable difference, she says: 'The third hit is when I begin to feel the tension dissipate. 'It really helps my speech - I feel much calmer, much less rushed and I feel like I can control the muscles that I couldn't before I smoked. 'It's kinda nice and I don't make as many funny faces.' While there is little scientific evidence for the benefits of marjuana in cerebral palsy, it is used by some . people living with multiple sclerosis to relieve pain, tremor, and . muscle spasticity to provide a feeling of 'looseness'. | Jacqueline Patterson, from Kansas City, Missouri, has a severe stutter and suffers incredible pain because of her condition .
She has found that smoking marijuana is the only thing that really helps .
But each time she uses it, she runs the risk of losing custody of her children .
Video shows her going from having severe stutter to speaking easily . |
07423291d9cb9e9ed236de70b1eb8b1b21a1f295 | London (CNN)Want to get the latest issue of the world's most controversial magazine but can't get your hands on a paper copy? Don't worry, there's an app for that. The Charlie Hebdo app features the so-called "survivors' issue" of the satirical magazine, which sold out within minutes in France and across Europe this week. Versions are available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Once downloaded, users can purchase the latest edition for $2.99. Twelve people, including several of France's most famous cartoonists, were massacred at Charlie Hebdo's Paris office last week by gunmen who claimed the attack was retribution for the magazine's notorious cartoon caricatures of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed. Thousands of people waited outside newsstands on Wednesday -- some lining up before dawn -- to buy the new issue in a show of solidarity with the surviving members of Charlie Hebdo's staff. The magazine initially planned to publish 3 million copies of the issue -- 50 times the magazine's typical weekly circulation of 60,000 -- but upped it to 5 million as demand outstripped supply at stores across Europe. As shops ran out of copies, Charlie Hebdo columnist Patrick Pelloux wrote on Twitter, "Thank you, and rest assured we will reprint and redistribute." On Friday, hundreds of people still hoping to get their hands on a copy waited outside The French Bookshop in west London, which had limited sales of the in-demand issue to one copy per person. One customer, who identified herself as Ashley, had arrived at the shop at 6:30 a.m. She told CNN: "I'm an artist and a musician, so freedom of expression and speech is very vital to me." "I'm going to get my French flatmate to translate it for me and I'm probably going to keep it as a keepsake," another customer, who identified herself as Emily, told CNN as she left the shop with her copy. The cover of the latest edition features a cartoon of a tearful Prophet Mohammed holding a banner that says "Je Suis Charlie" -- a message of support for those killed that spread from social media to the streets of Europe last week -- and a headline that declared "All is forgiven." Any depiction of Islam's prophet is considered blasphemy by many Muslims, and the latest edition received mixed reviews from the Muslim community. "My initial thought is that the cover is a near perfect response to the tragedy," said Hussein Rashid, a professor of Islamic thought at Hofstra University in New York. "They are not backing down from the depiction of Mohammed, exercising their free speech rights. At the same time, the message is conciliatory, humble, and will hopefully reduce the anger directed to the Muslim communities of France." Yahya Adel Ibrahim, an imam in Australia, took a dim view of the latest cover but urged his 100,000 Facebook followers to follow the example of Mohammed. "As it is clear that the cartoons are to be published again, Muslims will inevitably be hurt and angered, but our reaction must be a reflection of the teachings of the one we love & are angered for," Ibrahim said. "Enduring patience, tolerance, gentleness and mercy was the character of our beloved Prophet." Charlie Hebdo is no stranger to controversy. In November 2011 the magazine's office was burned down on the same day it was due to release an issue with a cover that appeared to poke fun at Islamic law. The cover cartoon depicted a bearded and turbaned cartoon figure of the Prophet Mohammed with a bubble saying, "100 lashes if you're not dying of laughter." In September 2012, despite the ongoing global furor over the anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims," the magazine published an issue featuring a cartoon that appeared to depict a naked Mohammed, along with a cover that appeared to depict a Muslim man being pushed in a wheelchair by an Orthodox Jew. French and American officials expressed dismay with the decision, and France closed embassies and schools in about 20 countries temporarily as a precaution. Charlie Hebdo journalist Laurent Leger -- who survived last week's deadly attack -- defended the magazine at the time, saying the cartoons were not intended to provoke anger or violence. "The aim is to laugh," Leger told BFM-TV in 2012. "We want to laugh at the extremists -- every extremist. They can be Muslim, Jewish, Catholic. Everyone can be religious, but extremist thoughts and acts we cannot accept." "In France, we always have the right to write and draw. And if some people are not happy with this, they can sue us and we can defend ourselves. That's democracy," Leger said. "You don't throw bombs, you discuss, you debate. But you don't act violently. We have to stand and resist pressure from extremism." CNN's Daniel Burke and Brian Stelter contributed to this report. | Charlie Hebdo releases app in wake of massive demand for latest issue .
Controversial French satirical magazine to publish 5 million copies of first issue since attack .
12 people, including top cartoonists, were killed when gunmen stormed Charlie Hebdo's office last week . |
07424087bb07ca7b18d9eb5a9acd807ee9d8c59d | Nine Ukrainian soldiers were killed by tank fire Monday at the airport in the flashpoint city of Donetsk, according to the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Information Center. Twenty-seven were wounded in the fighting, said Andrey Lysenko, spokesman of the center, at his press briefing. In a separate incident, three civilians were killed and five injured in shelling overnight in Donetsk, the website of the city office said Monday. Residential and administrative buildings were damaged as a result of artillery fire, according to the site, which described the situation as tense. Ukrainian government forces have been fighting pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine for months. Despite the ongoing violence in places such as Donetsk, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko insisted last week that a ceasefire signed with rebel leaders more than three weeks ago was holding. | Nine Ukrainian soldiers killed in clashes, Ukraine says .
Twenty-seven soldiers also reportedly wounded .
Three civilians were killed in overnight shelling in Donetsk . |
0742708005d75f2ce2248d74144a7d71fa8d1475 | By . Ryan Lipman . Opera singer Tamar Iveri has been dumped by Opera Australia over homophobic comments posted on her Facebook page . A soprano has been dumped by Opera Australia after she was accused of labelling homosexuals 'sewage' and 'fecal masses' on her Facebook page more than a year ago. The company confirmed on Monday that Georgian singer Tamar Iveri, set to star in its production of Verdi's Otello, had been released immediately from her contract. Iveri was to have played the lead part of Desdemona in the opera, scheduled to open on July 5. A post on Iveri's Facebook page against a gay pride march in her Georgian home city had brought widespread condemnation, with patrons sharing their outrage on social media and Opera Australia sponsor Qantas expressing its concern. 'I was quite proud of the fact how Georgian society spat at the parade ... Please, stop vigorous attempts to bring West's 'fecal masses' in the mentality of the people by means of propaganda,' read Iveri's comments, which were taken down shortly after they were posted. The singer has since blamed her zealous Christian husband, Raul Tskhadadze, for posting the comments in her name, saying he had found an article she had been writing about recent gay pride protests, changed it and posted it under her name. In a statement, Opera Australia said the opinions posted were 'unconscionable', and it acknowledged Iveri had apologised at the weekend. 'Opera Australia has agreed with Tamar Iveri, to immediately release her from her contract with the company,' the statement reads. 'Ms Iveri and her husband have both made public statements in the last 48 hours with regards to comments attributed to Ms Iveri. She has unreservedly apologised for those comments and views. 'Opera Australia believes the views as stated to be unconscionable.' Opera Australia's decision was supported on its Facebook page with observers unanimously approving of Iveri's sacking. Iveri denied writing the comments and has said they were written by her husband . Iveri, pictured with her husband Raul Tskhadadze . The opera singer has previously taken to Facebook to hit out at claims she was homophobic, as reported by the Australian media. 'For my entire career I have been working with gay people and some of them are very dear friends,' she posted. 'All of them can confirm that I never lost a word that might associate me with homophobic ideas. I respect every single human being and I am against all kind of discrimination and violence'. Iveri goes on to explain to context of the post that was made on her Facebook account. She points out that on May 17, 2013, 'a gay parade was supposed to pass directly in the yard of an Orthodox Church in Tiflis', the capital of Georgia. 'At the same place and for the same date a commemoration for Georgian soldiers killed in Afghanistan had been announced. 'For that reason and because Georgia is a country where 90 per cent of the population are deeply religious, conservative Orthodox Christians I wanted to express my sincere doubts that a parade made sense under these circumstances, in the yard of an Orthodox church. 'I was worried that this would provoke people and lead to violence. Unfortunately this is what happened then.' The soprano has previously taken to Facebook to deny she is homophobic . The opera singer explains that her husband was also using her Facebook account and that he is deeply religious and has a 'tough attitude towards gay people' 'He copied my text, changed it considerably and posted it under my name. You might imagine that I was not happy with that at all and I immediately deleted it when I saw the text about half an hour later. 'This text does not express my own opinion. I'm afraid it was too late and the text was already spreading in the internet. Iveri said she explained the post and officially apologized to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Georgia a year ago and her apology was accepted and she also denied writing a letter to the Georgian president about the issue. An Opera Australia spokeswoman said it had been important for the company to take some time to understand fully what had been said, and to exercise due diligence. She said if Opera Australia failed to do so, it would be acting in a discriminatory way and 'we value fairness for all'. 'Having now taken this time, Opera Australia believes the views expressed by Tamar Iveri to be unconscionable, and has therefore taken action to part ways. 'We have all felt this to be emotional and disturbing and have sought to bring this situation to a resolution as fairly and quickly as possible.' Iveri, pictured far right, will no longer star in the leading role of Desdemona in its production of Verdi's Otello . On Monday, Iveri shared Facebook a post by her husband Raul Tskhadadze, written at about midday Monday, in which he broke his silence to address 'mushrooming pathos and hatred' in the media about the post. 'For me it is hard to watch how affected she (Iveri) is, and watch how people are damaging my most precious person's reputation and her peace of mind due to which she had no share of the underlying,' the post reads. Mr Tskhadadze has taken all responsibility for the post written last year, in a Facebook post yesterday, which was shared by his wife . Mr Tskhadadze claims to have been responsible for the Facebook post, which caused the 'stir'. 'At that time we used a common Facebook profile, at the same time, I thought to use Tamar's popularity, and to reached (sic) my voice to numerous audience I published a letter on her behalf,' he posted. 'The letter was signed on our Facebook page, when Tamar returned home she erased the letter and got very upset. However, a few minutes were enough for people and for Georgian press.' Mr Tskhadadze said news of the post was spread by the Georgian press, which nearly cost him 'the price of a loss of personal happiness'. He said his wife did not initially disclose that the letter was not written by her. 'She had endured and suffered a lot because of the letter which I wrote. Tamar has never been homophobic and especially not against western values,' the post reads. Mr Tskhadadze then explains why he wrote the post, in light of the funeral of the Georgian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, one which was his best friend. He said a gay march at the same churchyard where the funeral was taking place 'seemed a provocation' and such reports were spread all over Georgia. 'I believe that society should be naturally tolerant toward people of different sexual orientation, and at the same time people can express their will for freedom, and I thought I could express the fact that someone may not agree with the idea of gay people’s demonstration on the streets.' Having lived in Europe for a 'few years', he concludes by making comparisons between Georgian and European consciousness and that Georgia is still not ready for some European culture in daily life. 'That is what I wanted to say in the letter. However, I regret that it was not entirely clear... and by this letter I have caused many trouble for my lovely wife and also for myself.' He finished by stating he understands his responsibility and publicly declares he is to blame for the post on May 17, 2013 and that 'all the damage should be on myself'. 'It is unbearable to me that the year later, when her (Iveri's) explanation and apology after the incident is over in Georgia, released articles in the foreign press again caused controversy around this delicate issue,' the post ends. In the post, Mr Tskhadadze apologies for damage he has caused to his wife's reputation . | Opera singer Tamar Iveri dumped by Opera Australia .
She was accused of labelling homosexuals 'sewage' and 'fecal masses'
The soprano will no longer star in the lead part of Verdi's Otello .
Iveri claims her husband wrote the comments on her Facebook page . |
0743c84b00e112618e4c42d185dff24452a94452 | (CNN) -- So there was Hank Aaron, leaning back in his chair during an exclusive CNN interview in the clubhouse of an Atlanta golf club, and the former slugger of the Atlanta Braves was fretting over the spot. What's going to happen to the spot, he said, raising his eyebrows? It's the spot that was visited on April 8, 1974, by a baseball representing the 715th home run of his career. Just like that, Babe Ruth's record was history. So is the spot -- almost. For now, the spot is preserved in a parking lot that once was Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium, where Aaron sealed his immortality with his high-arching blast over the fence in left-center field. The spot is surrounded by part of the old ballpark's outfield wall, and high above the spot is a large baseball-shaped placard with the inscription: Hank Aaron, home run, 715, April 8, 1974. The whole scene is illuminated by lights. As a result, those traveling across the street to the Braves' current place of Turner Field can see the spot as they either walk through or drive by the parking lot at night. "I'd hate for that mark to be destroyed," said Aaron, shaking his head while looking visibly distraught. "In fact, I've gone out there with several people and taken pictures at that spot." That spot is among the places in the universe that should remain as unmolested as possible for eternity. Think Gettysburg. The Mount of Olives. Dealey Plaza. Tranquility Base. What Aaron did 40 years ago Tuesday with a flick of his quick wrists was as much for society as it was for baseball. Just 27 years after Jackie Robinson broke the game's color barrier, Aaron was a black man from Mobile, Alabama, shattering the most sacred of records, not only for baseball, but for sports. The old mark belonged to a white man who was so beloved that he is credited with helping to save the game during the 1920s. Chasing Ruth's ghost was challenging enough, but Aaron also had to battle a slew of hate mail and death threats. He succeeded, and for proof, there is the spot, at least for the moment. The Braves plan to move from Turner Field to a northern suburb called Smyrna, Georgia, at the start of the 2017 season. They will take the statue of Aaron with them, because they can rip it from the ground in front of Turner Field and carry it to their dream land. The Braves can't move the spot, though. Atlanta mayor: Cost too high to keep Braves . So there was Aaron, contemplating the spot's future after he used his famously rich voice to discuss nearly everything and everybody he encountered during his 80 years on Earth, and he did so with passion. Aaron on Jackie Robinson: "Of course, back then (when I was a youngster), my mother expected me to go to school, but I had read the Dodgers were going to play an exhibition game in Mobile. Jackie was speaking at a drugstore and I said, 'I'm not going to get this opportunity again, so I better take my chances and listen to Jackie Robinson now.' Little did I know, I got front row seats, and next to me was my father. It was worth it, and I don't need to tell you what happened after that (a spanking)! But it was worth it. (Jackie) was my hero, always had been and not only because the baseball player he was, but for the person he was." Still, despite Aaron adding that he felt an obligation to become the new Jackie as a vocal critic of baseball regarding diversity after Robinson's death in 1972, he didn't make that the most sentimental time of the interview. Aaron on Martin Luther King Jr., and other civil rights leaders that he often encountered in Atlanta: "The one I had the most contact with was (Benjamin Mays, the president of Morehouse College and MLK's mentor). He and I were very close, and every year around Thanksgiving, he'd come over to my house and have a little Harveys Bristol Cream. He wouldn't drink much, but he would just sit down and tell you some stories. It was fascinating." The same goes for Aaron's thoughts after No. 715 flew off his Louisville Slugger. "When I touched first base and got almost to second base, I started thinking about: 'Isn't this wonderful the fact that here I am, the third oldest child of Estella and Herbert Aaron, and the two of them are sitting in the stands, watching their son play professional baseball,' " Aaron said. " 'Isn't it wonderful that they could be here on this day to witness history?' I tell you, to this day, I don't know how she managed to do it, but (my mother) got to home plate quicker than I got to home base." That said, Aaron only battled a baseball-sized lump in his throat during the interview when he discussed the spot. "I certainly wouldn't want it destroyed," he said, with misty eyes. "I'd like for it to remain there in some way . . . I've not talked to the mayor, so I don't know what his thoughts are on it." I know. I contacted the office of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, and I got an e-mail from Reed praising Aaron, especially when it comes to his endless work helping kids through his Chasing the Dream Foundation. Then, after Reed said the city plans to redevelop the area around Turner Field when the Braves leave, Reed wrote, "I will do everything in my power to ensure that any development proposal considered by the City of Atlanta for the future of the Turner Field area maintains the integrity of this important monument to (Aaron's) record-smashing 715th home run." When I told him that, Aaron just exhaled. | Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record 40 years ago .
Terence Moore: Aaron's record is marked with a memorial in Turner Field parking lot .
He says Aaron and others want to make sure the spot is kept even after Braves move .
Moore: Aaron's record-breaking home run was more than just a baseball achievement . |
07441b353d22a454ef7512b760c7358bfc2525b6 | (CNN) -- If only they'd all bitten their tongues. Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry have gotten into a mini war of words over their shared smooch at Cyrus' concert in February. At the time, it seemed the two pop stars were playing off Perry's hit, "I Kissed a Girl," as Cyrus said after the kiss was over, "I just kissed a girl, and I really liked it a lot." But according to Perry, Cyrus wanted more than Perry was willing to give. Her show "was amazing," the 29-year-old said on Australian morning show "Sunrise" on Tuesday. "She has this one part where it's like a kiss cam, and I just walked up to her to give her like a friendly girly kiss, you know, as us girls do, and then she like, tried to move her head and go deeper and I pulled away." "God knows where that tongue has been. We don't know! That tongue is so infamous!" Cyrus has heard about Perry's quip and gave her response on Twitter, coyly mentioning Perry's rumored ex-boyfriend, John Mayer. "Girl if ur worried abt where tongues have been good thing ur ex boo is ur EX BOO cause we ALL know where THAT (tongue) been," Cyrus posted on March 6. While the stars' back-and-forth appeared to be a little tart, Perry has taken Cyrus' ribbing in stride. | Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus are having a fallout over their kiss .
Perry joked that Cyrus wanted more than she was willing to give .
Cyrus heard about it, and fired back with a tweet referencing Perry's rumored ex .
The two pop stars kissed each other at Cyrus' concert on February 22 . |
0745129571bb22c61c9358e50e0d4548a926b5c1 | It may seems like just another dance remake at first glance. But look a little closer and there are indications that set this particular remake apart from any other. As the dancers jump, grind and thrust, the footage zooms into red scars that dissect their skin and large lumps on their bodies. That’s because the women in the recreation of Eric Prydz’s ultra-sexy Call On Me video are all cancer patients. The ladies who took part in the remake of Eric Prydz's Call On Me are at various stages of battling cancer . The Norwegian patients and survivors prove that they’re not defined by their illness when they set out to re-enact one of the sexiest music videos ever. The idea was conceived by Aktiv Against Cancer, an organisation that wants people to be active after they are diagnosed with cancer, and after their treatment. Their aim was to demonstrate the positive effect of physical activity on the body and mind. And that no one should let cancer kill their confidence. The organisation believes that physical activity should be a part of cancer treatment. The video ends on the shot of the group's 'dance instructor' walking towards the lone male dancer in the class. As she gets closer to him she takes off her long, blonde wig . Not what it looks like: At first glance, it seems to be just another video but close-ups show the scars of recovering patients . Getting sexy back: The video was made by Aktiv Against Cancer which believes activity helps aid recovery . Aktiv Against Cancer was founded by nine-times New York marathon champion Grete Waitz, who after her own diagnosis, joined forces with Helle Aanesen in November 2007 and started the organisation. The group made the video not just to prove that cancer patients and survivors can still be sexy after a diagnosis but also to show that physical activity helps in recovery. The dancers in this video were given training and and then flown to London, where they were taken to the same studio where the original video was shot. One woman who took part in the video said: 'We believe in confidence. That's why we set out to remake one of the most daring music videos ever, starring cancer patients. 'We did this to raise awareness. We did this to prove that cancer doesn’t have to kill your confidence.' | Norwegian sufferers and survivors were given training and flown to London .
The re-enactment was organised by charity Aktiv Against Cancer .
The organisation said physical activity should be part of treatment . |
0745fe675fff884b9da39a6d56b398045ac8257a | When she was robbed of £10,000 worth of jewels, Loretta Smith was left traumatised. But in an extraordinary act of forgiveness the 75-year-old victim has sent one of the burglars £20 to help him turn his life around. The generous act came after career criminal Kevin Derbyshire wrote her a letter apologising for his crime. Loretta Smith said she hoped that by giving the burglar the money, it would help 'bring him to his senses' Apology: Kevin Derbyshire (left) wrote a letter to Mrs Smith while he was awaiting sentencing for the burglary, which took place in August last year . The pensioner wrote back to the 24-year-old, accepting his apology – and enclosed a £20 postal order. She explained: ‘He just said he was very, very sorry. ‘His writing was appalling [with] really bad spelling. He said he was really sorry for what had happened and he had been under the influence of valium.’ She continued: ‘I felt sorry for him. He obviously wasn’t very bright. I answered his letter and said thank you for your letter and that I hoped he understood the trauma he’d caused me.’ It appears Derbyshire’s partner in crime had also realised the trouble the pair had caused by their actions. During the raid on Mrs Smith’s home last August Derbyshire and Graham Llewellyn, also 24, grabbed £10,000 worth of gems including several rings and watches. But after CCTV pictures of them committing the burglary where broadcast, Llewellyn bundled some of the stolen property into a black bin bag and left it outside Mrs Smith’s home. The release of the CCTV pictures led to their arrest. Llewellyn has also written to Mrs Smith – but has so far not had a response. Speaking about her letter to Derbyshire, Mrs Smith said: ‘I made it very short and sweet, thanking him for the letter and said I was sure that he had not only upset me. He must have upset his partner or wife both financially and emotionally. ‘I thought at first I’d send him some stamps so he could send letters to loved ones – but I sent him £20.’ After he was arrested for burgling Mrs Smith’s home, a repentant Derbyshire wrote to his victim. Here is his letter (with spelling mistakes corrected) To the victims of my really horrible crime that I’ve committed, I just want to say that I’m really sorry for my stupid actions. I can assure you that I’m not a bad person, and I do not do things like this. I feel really bad, and I know I should. Things like this shouldn’t happen at all, and I didn’t even know what I was doing at the time. It was only when I went on Facebook and read all the horrible messages about me that it clicked what I had done. After the 75-year-old replied, sending him £20, he wrote back: . Dear Mr and Mrs Smith, . I just wanted to say thank you ever so much for your kindness towards me and replying to my letter. I really can’t say how much that letter meant to me in words, but I can assure you that it made me feel a lot better. Thank you so much for taking your spare time out of your way to write back to me. And if there’s anything I can do for you when I am released, I will not hesitate to do unpaid work and also, when I’m released, I will drop you a bunch of flowers and a bottle of good wine. I am so sorry for my silly actions. Her gift came despite Derbyshire and his accomplice leaving Mrs Smith with a £500 bill to repair the broken window at her home in Bolton and several stolen items not being returned. Mrs Smith added: ‘If people think I’m silly then hey ho.’ ‘I thought his letter came from the heart but maybe I’m just gullible. I’m hoping it will bring him to his senses and make him realise he has to go out and work.’ She added: ‘He did say when he comes out of prison he is going to buy me a bunch of flowers and the best bottle of wine he can afford.’ Details of Derbyshire’s written apology emerged at court, where the two men were jailed for 32 months each after admitting burglary. In Bolton Crown Court Derbyshire’s lawyer Nicholas Ross said his client was ‘remorseful’ and said of Mrs Smith’s gift: ‘It was out of remarkable sympathy, and I might say, in an almost saintly way, a token of her generosity.’ Revelation: Details of the apology emerged at Bolton Crown Court (pictured) where Derbyshire's lawyer used it to help with his plea for mitigation. Mrs Smith said that she thought the letter 'came from the heart' | Kevin Derbyshire, 24, stole £10,000 worth of jewellery from Loretta Smith .
He was caught after footage of the raid on her Bolton home was put online .
Derbyshire wrote a letter apologising and said he would buy her flowers .
Mrs Smith, 75, felt bad and said it was 'normal' to send him money in jail . |
07483841414de9f4ea80513a768e72857ded0960 | By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 2:11 PM on 1st October 2011 . With 50,000 fans on their feet and many with tears in their eyes, six-year-old Cooper Stone stood and tossed a ceremonial first pitch of the baseball playoffs to his favourite player, Josh Hamilton. Cooper is the boy who saw his fireman father Shannon fall to his death while trying to catch a ball thrown to him by Hamilton during a Texas Rangers game in Arlington in early July. This was his first trip back to Rangers Ballpark - and it came at the centre of a huge stage, with his widowed mother, Jenny Stone, and Rangers president Nolan Ryan by his side. Emotional: Jenny Stone, centre, gets a hug from Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton, next to Rangers owner and president Nolan Ryan, left, as Mrs Stone's son, Cooper stands at right before the start of their game . Wearing a Rangers jersey featuring Hamilton's No. 32 and ‘Cooper’ between the shoulders, the boy threw the ball on a line to Hamilton - crouched like a catcher about halfway to the home plate. Tragedy: Veteran fireman Shannon Stone died after he fell from the stand in front of his young son . The outfielder - who has been through his share of personal struggles - stood to catch it, then pumped his fist, smiling wide the whole time. Then he went to the front of the pitcher’s mound to meet Cooper and Mrs Stone for the first time. Hamilton embraced the boy, then his mother. He held her for a while, speaking words that made it tough for her to control her emotions. ‘I just asked her if they were believers in Christ and she said they were,’ Hamilton said. ‘I said: “Well, we know where your husband is right now. Make sure that the little one knows who his daddy was and what he stood for”.’ Mrs Stone appeared to thank Hamilton. They hugged again, then Hamilton - whose wife gave birth to their third daughter only a few weeks ago - gave Cooper another hug too. The reigning American League Most Valuable Player (AL MVP) started heading to the dugout, only to realize he still had the ball. So he reached back and gave it to Cooper. A security guard met Cooper as he reached the dirt in front of the Texas dugout and gave him a fist bump. Nelson Cruz was the first of many Rangers waiting at the steps of the dugout to slap hands with the boy. His mother wiped tears as she walked away with Mr Ryan. ‘They have turned a difficult return to The Ballpark into a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Cooper,’ Mrs Stone said in a statement issued by the team. Big moment: Jenny Stone, left, walks on the field with Texas Rangers owner and president, baseball legend Nolan Ryan, before the start of Game 1 of their MLB American League Division Series baseball playoffs . ‘Nothing could be more exciting for a boy than throwing out the first pitch to his favourite player. We are glad and grateful to be here to see the Rangers start their march to the World Series.’ Cooper, his mum and six more in their group sat in front-row seats one section closer to home plate than Mr Ryan. When Hamilton singled in his first at-bat, Cooper jumped up and down, twirling a red towel. ‘We're just honoured that they were willing to come out and do that and share the day with us,’ Mr Ryan said. Shannon Stone was reaching for the ball thrown by Hamilton when he fell headfirst about 20ft, landing on concrete behind the outfield wall. Cooper was his only child, and the two . were extremely close, with the nearly three-hour drive from their home . in Brownwood to Rangers games among their favourite activities together. The . Rangers recently announced plans to build a statue of Shannon and . Cooper Stone outside the home-plate entrance as a tribute to them, and . to all fans. Memorial walk: Family members follow the procession with the fire truck carrying the coffin of Stone after his funeral in Brownwood, Texas . Remembered: Brownwood Fire Department Lt. G. Nesom carries the helmet of Mr Stone as he leads pallbearers out of First United Methodist Church following a service for him in Texas . The team hopes to unveil it by the opening day next season. The club also is planning to raise the railing throughout the stadium. 'They have turned a difficult return to The Ballpark into a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Cooper. Nothing could be more exciting for a boy than throwing out the first pitch to his favourite player. We are glad and grateful to be here to see the Rangers start their march to the World Series' Jenny Stone . A memorial fund started by the team on the family's behalf recently received more than $150,000 from an auction sponsored by Fox Sports Southwest, the team's main broadcaster. ‘I call (Jenny) periodically just to . see how she's doing and see if they have any needs that we might be able . to assist with,’ Mr Ryan said. ‘It's been on-going since the accident.’ Mr Ryan also discussed with Mrs Stone the best time for Cooper to return to the stadium. The boy wanted to come sooner, but Mrs Stone ‘wasn't ready to deal with it,’ Mr Ryan said. However, she realised that coming back ‘was in (Cooper's) best interests, because this is what he was wanting to do.’ Floral tribute: Wreaths and flowers were placed outside the Central Fire Station in Brownwood in memory of Shannon Stone of the Brownwood Fire Department . Help: Fellow fan Ronnie Hargis, who had been chatting to the victim moments before the tragedy, leans out to try and grab him but it is too late . A few weeks ago, Mr Ryan called to invite them for the final home-stand. Knowing the play-offs were likely, he also invited them to not only come to the game, but to throw out the first pitch. The Rangers played the Tampa Bay Rays in . Game 1 of their American League division series, which also happened to . be the first game of the entire postseason. 'We're just honoured that they were willing to come out and do that and share the day with us' Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan . ‘He represents what we believe we're about and he is a very dyed-in-the-wool Ranger fan,’ Mr Ryan said. Mr . Ryan also made sure Hamilton felt comfortable being part of this. Hamilton is a recovering substance abuser whose career nearly was . derailed by his personal demons. ‘I . went to Josh before we decided anything and asked Josh how he felt . about it, because I didn't want to put Josh in any awkward position,’ Mr . Ryan said. Hamilton said he prayed to help steel himself for the moment, and to know what to say. Convoy: A funeral processional for Stone makes its way along FM 45 on the way to the cemetery . Carried: The coffin of Stone is loaded onto a Brownwood Fire Department truck following a memorial service . ‘The Lord gave me words at the right time,’ he said. ‘I'm not good with speeches. Not good with knowing what I'm going to say before. Because I rehearse it too much and it don't sound genuine. 'You could tell she was really emotional about coming back to the park. The little one, he's young enough where he understands but at the same time it's not as emotional for him as it is mom' Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton . ‘So I just kind of let it happen. It worked out good. ... You could tell she was really emotional about coming back to the park. ‘The little one, he's young enough where he understands but at the same time it's not as emotional for him as it is mom.’ Cooper and his family sat near the Rangers' on-deck circle, and Hamilton gladly caught the boy's eye several times. It was a nice counter to the scoreboard in a game the Rangers lost 9-0 to the Rays. ‘Just to see the smile on his face and him enjoying himself,’ Hamilton said, ‘it was pretty special to see.' | Cooper Stone throws first pitch before Texas Rangers v Tampa Bay Rays .
Rangers president Nolan Ryan and his widowed mother were by his side .
Father Shannon Stone toppled over barrier and plummeted 20ft in July .
Fireman fell onto concrete after trying to catch ball for six-year-old son .
Questions were raised about safety and tradition of throwing balls to fans . |
07483c768fee08cc94b9dbdaa3c0b17d13d128d7 | A 'gangster's moll' who blew more than £75,000 of drugs money on a luxury lifestyle will only have to pay back £800. Natasha Hugh, 28, spent £78,000 on an opulent wedding, top-class dental work and exotic holidays in the Caribbean. The beautician was bankrolled by her boxing champion husband Justyn Hugh, 30, who made £400,000 bringing cocaine into the country from Albania and the Netherlands. Natasha Hugh (left) was bankrolled by her boxing champion husband Justyn Hugh (right) who made £400,000 bringing cocaine into the country from Albania and the Netherlands . She spent thousands of pounds during a four-year spending spree, including £10,477 on her dream wedding at the Vale Resort - a luxury hotel near Cardiff used by sports stars and celebrities. Prosecutor Roger Griffiths said: 'There was a lavish lifestyle which wasn't sustainable on the declared earnings of Mr and Mrs Hugh. 'The majority of transactions were dealt with in cash installments. 'Mrs Hugh knew or should have known the money had come from crime.' The mother-of-two spent £2,260 on dental work and £2,345 on bridal accessories ahead of her wedding to ex-Welsh Light Heavyweight champion boxer Justyn. She also paid £5,000 in cash for a sporty Mini Cooper - which she later upgraded for a £19,570 Mini Countryman. Hugh's luxury lifestyle was paid for by her husband after he trafficked five-and-a-half kilograms of cocaine into South Wales from London. Hugh (pictuted) blew thousands of pounds during a four-year spending spree, including £10,477 on her dream wedding at the Vale Resort - a luxury hotel near Cardiff used by sports stars and celebrities . Judge Stephen Hopkins, sitting at Cardiff Crown Court (pictured), ordered Justyn Hugh to pay back £9,500 while Natasha must pay back £820 . Justyn Hugh, from Newport, South Wales, was caught following an eight-month police investigation and sentenced to 10 years in jail after pleading guilty to conspiring to supply a Class A drug. His wife, also from Newport, was given 18 months in jail after being found guilty of possession of criminal property following trial. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing was told the couple made more than £400,000 from their criminal activity but would only have to pay back the £10,320 that could be recovered by police. Judge Stephen Hopkins, sitting at Cardiff Crown Court, ordered Justyn Hugh to pay back £9,500 while Natasha must pay back £820. The judge told her he did not believe she had expressed any remorse for what she had done and that she had 'financially benefited' from her husband's drug dealing. | Natasha Hugh spent £78,000 on wedding, dental work and luxury holidays .
But a judge at Cardiff Crown Court has ordered her to pay back just £820 .
Beautician was bankrolled by her boxing champion husband Justyn Hugh .
He had made £400,000 bringing cocaine into UK from Holland and Albania .
His wife had spent £10,477 on dream wedding at a top venue near Cardiff .
The 28-year-old also bought a Mini Countryman for £19,570, court was told .
She was jailed for 18 months after being found guilty of possession of criminal property following a trial . |
074861ff223d281acceeb323a8695cebd0fda662 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:19 EST, 18 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:24 EST, 18 August 2013 . A riot broke out at a juvenile correctional facility in South Central Florida Saturday night over a Cup Noodles deal gone wrong. According to Polk County Sheriff's spokesman Carrie Eleazer, two groups at the all-male facility Avon Park Youth Academy in Polk, Florida were engaging in a low-stakes game of basketball. A group from St Petersburg was playing a group from Orlando. At stake: three packages of instant ramen. Out of control: A riot broke out Saturday night at a juvenile detention center in South Central Florida over three packages of Cup Noodles . But when the St Petersburg team lost, they refused to give over the the instant noodles, sparking a brawl between the two teams. That fight started chaos at the private detention facility maintained by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, but run by the private correction company G4S which houses 138 juveniles. Valuable: The fight broke out when a losing basketball team refused to hand over the agreed-upon prize of three instant noodle packages . Police were notified and the staff were immediately called out of the building since they are not equipped to deal with violence at the compounds. 'Employees are not allowed to have any specialty equipment to include pepper spray, which would have allowed them to deal with the fight before it escalated to a riot,' Eleazer said. The riot wasn't contained until 12am the next day. Eleazer estimates that the rioting juveniles caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Some juveniles gained access to an office building holding their records and set it on fire as well as setting a dumpster on fire. Eighteen of the 20 buildings on the compound were heavily damaged. By the time authorities from several law enforcement agencies showed up, they were handcuffing all of the teens in 'flex' handcuffs. None of the juveniles escaped. Seven detainees were injured in the riot including one broken leg. Sixty-four of the juveniles were transported to the PCSO South County Jail in Frostproof where they were placed in state custody. They are being separated from the adult inmates. The rest stayed at the academy. Eleazer says the Sheriff's office is investigating the riot and will be issuing felony charges to those involved. None of the riot was caught on camera since the facility doesn't have surveillance monitors and the academy is in a rural area on the Avon Park Air Force Range. The juveniles housed at the academy are considered 'moderate risk'. Juveniles sent to the academy are between the ages of 16 and 18 and stay an average of 270 days. No cameras: A police spokesman said none of the riot was caught on camera as there are not security cameras in place at the rural facility . | The Avon Park Youth Academy in Polk, Florida was taken over for more than three hours by delinquents Saturday night .
The riot was started when a losing basketball team refused to hand over the agreed-upon prize of three Cup Noodles packages .
Authorities finally got the riot under control early Sunday morning, taking some of the delinquents to county jail .
The Sheriff's office is investigating the riot and will press felony charges . |
074906004a54e7d84104e19a030c0c17266c725e | More than 26,000 people have gone missing in Mexico over the past six years as violence surged and the country's government cracked down on drug cartels. Mexico's Interior Ministry announced the staggering statistic on Tuesday but noted that authorities don't have data about how many of the disappearances are connected with organized crime. The 26,121 disappearances occurred during former President Felipe Calderon's six-year administration, which ended on December 1 when Enrique Pena Nieto assumed the presidency. Pena Nieto's government has formed a special working group to focus on finding the missing, said Lia Limon, deputy secretary of legal matters and human rights for Mexico's Interior Ministry. Locating people "is a priority for this government," Limon told reporters. The release of the government statistics Tuesday comes several days after a report from Human Rights Watch said Mexican security forces were connected with the disappearances of at least 149 people during Calderon's tenure. "President Pena Nieto has inherited one of worst crises of disappearances in the history of Latin America," Jose Miguel Vivanco, the organization's Americas director, said in a statement. In the northern Mexican state of Coahuila alone, officials reported nearly 2,000 disappearances between 2006 and 2012, Human Rights Watch said. Rights groups and activists have long said that forced disappearances are among the most troubling problems Mexico faces and have cautioned that reliable statistics are hard to come by because many such cases are unreported. The human toll of Mexico's drug war . Limon said Tuesday that the data federal authorities have don't specify what caused the disappearances. She said the list could include people who have emigrated out of the country or fled because of family conflicts, in addition to people who were kidnapped. Authorities will need several weeks to release data about the number of disappearances since Pena Nieto took office, she said, due to "inconsistencies" in the data. Critics have accused Mexico's government of not doing enough to find the missing and punish those responsible. In many instances, families frustrated with a sluggish response from authorities have searched themselves for missing loved ones. Read more: The 'open wounds' of Mexico's drug war . In October 2011, Calderon said the "very high" number of missing people was a growing concern. He listed them among the victims of violence that he described as "open wounds" in Mexican society. "We don't know the size of the problem," the president said during a speech inaugurating a new prosecutor's office aimed at helping victims. Human Rights Watch said last week that it sees a ray of hope in the new administration. "The Pena Nieto government has been very open so far about acknowledging the scale of the problem and the work that remains for them," said Nik Steinberg, a Mexico researcher for the organization. "The real question will be: are they ready to investigate and prosecute these cases?" Mexican blogger vows to fight despite threats . | Mexico's interior minister says 26,121 people disappeared from 2006-2012 .
It's unclear how many of the disappearances are connected with organized crime .
Official: Locating people "is a priority for this government" |
07493cdde0fe60c860a9e682243d562cdcf9ae35 | Tim Sherwood and Jurgen Klinsmann have emerged as leading contenders for the Aston Villa vacancy as the struggling club begin their search for a successor to sacked Paul Lambert. Villa are understood to have made initial contact with Sherwood, the former Tottenham head coach, who is one of a small number of available managers with recent Premier League experience. Klinsmann, the current USA boss, is also under consideration with owner Randy Lerner a known fan of his work with the national team. Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood could be the man to lift the mood and change results at Villa Park . Extricating the former Germany international from his role across the Atlantic will be highly difficult, however, with the 50-year-old enjoying his life in California and keen to take his adopted country to the 2018 World Cup. Chief executive Tom Fox was at Bodymoor Heath on Thursday compiling a list of suitable candidates, as concern grows over Villa’s Premier League future. The club hope a replacement for Lambert can be made before Stoke visit Villa Park in the Premier League on February 21. Sherwood has been in the running for two previous jobs this season but has failed to agree terms. He came close to landing the West Bromwich Albion position last summer only for wage demands to prove an issue, while he appeared set for Queens Park Rangers until the move fell apart after the interview stage. It is understood he would be interested by the vacancy at Villa. United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann is also being considered but is said to be happy living in America . Paul Lambert was sacked on Wednesday as Villa manager with the club in the relegation zone . Klinsmann is liked by Lerner and Fox, both Americans, and money would not be an issue in attempts to lure him to England. Klinsmann, though, turned down Tottenham before Mauricio Pochettino was appointed would need convincing. Glenn Hoddle is another name in the frame. Villa desperately need fresh impetus to lift the mood and generate an instant lift in results after their slide into the bottom three. Avoiding relegation to the Championship is of utmost important. But the club also want a manager who will commit to the long-term and help develop young players through the academy. Head of recruitment Paddy Reilly is assisting the search. It has emerged that Lambert twice invited Lerner to sack him before the Villa owner finally pulled the trigger after defeat to Hull. Lambert raised the issue with Lerner last summer and then earlier this season but was asked to continue in the role. Sherwood, pictured celebrating with Emmanuel Adebayor, has been linked with a number of top jobs . Lambert left Villa on a sour note after being informed of his sacking via a phone call from Fox on Wednesday afternoon. The 45-year-old is thought to be hurt he was not told face-to-face, as Fox’s omission from his statement issued via the LMA indicated. Lambert did thank Lerner and previous chief executive Paul Faulkner and insisted he understood fans’ frustrations at Villa’s malaise. ‘I always shared their view that the football club is too big not to be competing at the top end of the table. I hope that can happen,’ he said. The Scot vowed to be back, adding: ‘You never stop learning in football management. My time as Villa manager will prove hugely beneficial in the next stage of my managerial career.’ Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner wants a manager who can make an immediate impact on the squad . | Tim Sherwood is the bookmakers' favourite to take over at Aston Villa .
Paul Lambert was sacked after Villa dropped into the bottom three .
Current USA national coach Jurgen Klinsmann is also a top contender .
Villa are understood to have made initial contact with Sherwood . |
0749b88da7047728a76d8fe058cbcf6d73e5f383 | Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech at Georgetown University today was met with tepid enthusiasm from students, with just half of seats in the reception hall appearing to be filled. Pictures and video discovered by the Daily Caller show empty clusters throughout the 750-seat auditorium in which she spoke as part of a security conference being held at the Washington, D.C. university. This is at least the second time in recent weeks that Clinton has been unable to pack a room during an appearance just as the clock winds down for her to make a decision about whether she wants to carry her political party's torch in 2016. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discusses 'Smart Power: Security Through Inclusive Leadership' at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. today. Clinton is back on the speaking circuit now that the midterm elections have concluded . This photo, shared on Twitter by a Politico photographer depicts a mostly empty balcony area during Hillary Clinton's speech in Georgetown's Gaston Hall today . In late October Clinton served as the headliner at a rally for Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, who was campaigning to become the Bay State's chief executive at the time, at the University of Maryland's College Park campus. After the event was over, Brown's staff claimed that more than a 1,000 supporters came out to see Clinton, but it was evident that there were far fewer attendees, as most of the nose-bleed seats on one side of the gymnasium were empty, as were areas of the bleachers on the side. Clinton spent a good deal of her time throughout the fall barnstorming the country, attempting to save embattled Senate Democrats from electoral defeat. Today denoted one of just a few non-political speeches she's given since, and she is slated to make remarks at two events in January and February. Her Feb. 24 speech at the first-ever Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women has raised eyebrows among politicos as Clinton has repeatedly promised to make an announcement about her political future at the top of the year. Once she declares her candidacy for president - if she intends to at all - it would be frowned upon for her to continue charging business executives upward of $200,000 for a slice of her time. The recently announced February speaking date indicates that Clinton may wait until early spring to make her decision public. A second photo taken by the Politico staffer shows empty blocks in the main area of the 750-person hall, as well . Polls continue to show Clinton atop the 2016 field should she follow through on a second presidential run. A CNN survey released on Tuesday shows her decimating her competition in the Democratic primary and earning 65 percent of her party's support. Democrats' second choice, progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, received just 10 percent of the vote in the hypothetical match up. Trailing Warren were Vice President Joe Biden at nine percent and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at five percent. Coming in at just one percent were New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, retiring Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and outgoing Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. Without Clinton in the race, Biden, a former Delaware senator, would jump to the top of a plurality of Democrats' wish lists, followed by Warren, with all other possible contenders failing to earn double-digit support. | This is at least the second time in recent weeks that Clinton has been unable to pack a room during an appearance .
The clock is winding down on her self-selected deadline to make a decision about whether she wants to carry her party's torch in 2016 .
A CNN poll released yesterday shows her blowing her Democratic competition out the water still . |
074a9f0f9137346949589b46ebf46d316bee913b | Senator John McCain sacrificed the dream of a White Christmas for a far greater cause this holiday season as he flew to Kabul to spend time with American troops serving overseas. The war hero's appearance comes just days before American and NATO combat troops will withdraw from Afghanistan after 13 years in the country. This as local forces in the country will now be tasked with protecting the security vacuum left in the wake of America's withdrawal from the increasingly daunting and emboldened threats of Islamic militants. Scroll down for video . Sandy Christmas: Senator John McCain (above) spent Christmas day with the troops in Kabul, Afghanistan . Hello ladies: The male troops seemed to have their morale boosted thanks to some sexy singing Santas . Big man on campus: American forces are preparing to leave Afghanistan next week after 13 years . Senator McCain also took time to meet with some of the country's leaders during his trip, including president Ashraf Ghani and his chief executive officer Abdullah Abdullah. President Ghani and Senator McCain also both took time to praise the service of the brave men and women who helped the country over the past 13 years, with Ghani praising them for their incredible sacrifices while McCain emphasized America's long-term support for the country, according to a statement released by the presidency. The reason for the season: Even Santa stopped by to see the troops . Change4 it up: The ladies later performed for the troops in gold dresses . Far from home: The troops celebrated their holiday away from their families for perhaps the final time . Christmas cheer: Two troops add some color to their camouflage with Santa hats . And while many of the male, and a few of the female, troops were no doubt incredibly moved by the words of these leaders and nostalgic about their tour coming to an end, it would seem that for many the highlight of the holiday was a few sexy Santa dancers who entertained the troops in revealing red dresses that seemed to do wonders for morale. | Senator John McCain spent Christmas with American troops in Kabul, Afghanistan .
This as American and NATO forces are set to withdraw from the country on December 31 .
Senator McCain and Afghan president Ashraf Ghani also took time to praise the service of the many brave men and women . |
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