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074b54dc0e9c1493af207e40f37ab5d0da9d98f0 | By . Damien Gayle . A cyclist is making his way more than 1,900 miles across Europe fuelled only by food he is able to rescue from bins along the way. Baptiste Dubanchet set off from Paris, France, in April and is cycling all the way to the Polish capital, Warsaw, in a bid to raise awareness of how much food we waste. The 25-year-old from Bordeaux has already travelled through Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, surviving only on food destined for landfill. Baptiste Dubanchet pictured raiding supermarket bins in Berlin, Germany, during his 1,900-mile odyssey across Europe eating only food that others have thrown away. He hopes his project will raise awareness of waste . Resourceful: The 25-year-old from Bordeaux has already travelled through Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, surviving only on food destined for landfill . A wealth of food: This picture shows how much edible food is thrown away by businesses every single day . Along the way he has stayed with locals met online, who agreed to put him up for free, but he has refused any food - or even a beer - other than what has already been discarded. When he's been unable to find a sofa to sleep on he's camped out in the open. 'The objective is to make this trip relying only from food destined to be thrown away, from hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, supermarkets and markets, in order to denounce food waste,' he says on his website. Campaigners in Britain have welcomed his project, pointing out that even as we throw away hundreds of thousands of tons of edible food, there are people who do not have enough to eat. Mr Dubanchet chose to make the journey by bicycle to keep his carbon footprint as close to zero as possible. He set off on April 15 and last weekend he arrived in Konin, Poland, for the last leg of his journey. Yum: Mr Dubanchet eats a calabrese during a snack break during his trans-continental bike ride . Mr Dubanchet during a stop off in Belgium: He chose to cycle to keep his carbon footprint as low as possible . Mr Dubanchet in the Netherlands: He said the idea came to him when he was travelling in the developing world . As he travelled throught Germany, he told a reporter for The Local that his first objective when arriving at a new town is to track down sources of food. 'I have to find food fast because after all the cycling I am tired and I need the energy,' he said. 'Is my stomach full or empty? That is the most important thing, not what I am eating.' He has a sign written in each country's language to explain his project, but said many businesses have a policy of not giving anything away - even if it's to be thrown in the bin. Some workers, he says, have even risked their jobs to help him out. Mr Dubanchet said the idea came to him when he want travelling in Latin America and South East Asia after he graduated. He said the sight of so many people going hungry compelled him to do something to highlight how much food we waste in Europe. He wrote on his blog: 'The reason I can find sufficient food, is that industrialised countries are rich enough to allow themselves to waste tons of food that is still consumable. 'I find some food thrown away just because the packaging is wet or damaged, whole bags of fruit in the bin because one of the fruit is bruised, yoghurts, cheese, or other products discarded because of irrelevant expiry dates.' Mr Dubanchet and a friend with food he'd raided from a bin: The Frenchman has stayed with strangers met online during his journey and, when he couldn't find anyone to put him up, he camped out in the open . In a host's kitchen in Frankfurt: 'The reason I can find sufficient food, is that industrialised countries are rich enough to allow themselves to waste tons of food that is still consumable,' he wrote on his blog . Epic journey: Mr Dubanchet has visited six countries on his trip across Europe, and not spent a penny on food . Mary McGrath, chief executive of British charity FoodCycle, which takes food destined for the bin, cooks it up and serves it to people at risk of food poverty, welcomed Mr Dubanchet's initiative. She said: 'Baptiste has highlighted the unacceptable level of food waste that exists at all stages of the supply chain - from farm to fork. 'In the UK it is estimated that over 400,000 tonnes of food is thrown away at retail level yet over 4 million people are affected by food poverty. 'Food poverty and food waste shouldn’t co-exist in the same communities but unfortunately they do. 'We should be doing everything possible to ensure that as much edible surplus food as possible is going to help people who are struggling to get by.' | Baptiste Dubanchet's project aims to show how much food Europeans waste .
He has cycled across six countries eating only food destined for landfill .
On the way he has stayed in strangers' homes or camped under the stars . |
074c4b44aa8d4d79fde5ada47b970b24cd2db556 | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:17 EST, 26 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:17 EST, 26 June 2013 . A Connecticut couple are letting customers at a Starbucks coffee shop choose the name of their baby. Twenty-five-year-old Jennifer James and 24-year-old Mark Dixon of New Haven say they’ve been struggling between two names for the boy they are expecting in September. They decided to put it to a vote and placed signs at the Starbucks on the New Haven Green, where they are regulars, asking people to vote for either the name Jackson or Logan. Mark Dixon and Jennifer James of New Haven, Connecticut are letting customers at their local Starbucks choose the name of their baby . The couple are regulars at Starbucks on the New Haven Green where they know the baristas and some other customers by name . They come into the coffee shop almost every day, and know the baristas and some other customers by name. They set up a Starbucks to-go cup plastered with little blue hands and feet and a sign next to it which reads: 'Help us choose our son’s (first) name, Jackson or Logan.' So far, they have received about 1,800 votes in the coffee cup serving as a ballot box, and say ‘Logan’ is leading. For anyone interested in swaying the vote, there is still time as the baby poll closes next Tuesday, reports the New Haven Register. The expectant parents have so far received over 1,800 votes and it looks increasingly likely that their first born will be called Logan . The couple have set up a Starbucks to-go cup plastered with little blue hands and feet and a sign next to it which reads: 'Help us choose our son¿s (first) name, Jackson or Logan' The couple says they will post the winning name in the store. The couple are saving the voting papers and plan to glue them together in a collage for the baby's scrapbook. 'He’s going to love it. We’ll tell him we read the paper every day, everything that we see we cut out for him. We’re saving the paper of things that happened leading up to his birth, and now he’ll be a part of that,' Dixon said. The couple met at a party when they were 18, and have been together for the last three years. They plan to get married in the future. The couple met at a party when they were 18, and have been together for the last three years . | Jennifer James and Mark Dixon couldn't agree on a name for their son due in September .
They decided to let customers at their local Starbucks chose between Jackson or Logan .
More than 1,800 and Logan is the clear favorite so far . |
074d0715e360f7245913847a05840c5b2e083138 | By . Becky Barrow . PUBLISHED: . 19:05 EST, 28 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:38 EST, 28 April 2013 . Pledge: Business Minster Michael Fallon said the share handout will be ¿as attractive as possible¿ . Every postal worker in Britain will be given around £1,500 of shares in Royal Mail when it floats on the stock market, the Business Minister will say today. It will be the largest employee share scheme for 25 years with around 140,000 workers from postmen to local delivery office managers expected to scoop a windfall. In his first speech on the controversial privatisation of the country’s postal service, Michael Fallon will today pledge to make the share handout ‘as attractive as possible.’ He is keen the share handout is structured in a way that all postal workers benefit, rather than just allowing the executives to walk away with millions. But he will warn the militant postal union, the Communication Workers Union, that they must ‘engage’ with the Government - or the deal could be scuppered. The CWU is bitterly opposed to the privatisation of Royal Mail, a deal which it fears will lead to price rises, pay cuts and the destruction of the service. In a protest against the privatisation plans, the union is currently plotting to boycott the handling of any mail which has not been sent through Royal Mail, but one of its rivals, such as TNT. Speaking at think-tank Policy Exchange today, Mr Fallon will call on the CWU to ‘put ideology aside’ so that their members ‘do not lose out.’ He will say: ‘I am determined to do the right deal for them. ‘Royal Mail employees spend their working lives making the post run on time, delivering to far flung parts of the country from Lands End to John O’Groats. They are absolutely central to the future success of the company.’ Under the proposals, the Government has promised to give ten per cent of the company to its workers when it is privatised. A stock market flotation is Mr Fallon’s preferred option, and a deal valuing the company at between £2billion and £3billion is expected to take place before April 2014. Workers' windfall: The Communication Workers Union are opposed to the whole privitisation but Mr Fallon has told the union it must engage with the deal . But a major sticking point for the union surrounds whether the shares are given to postmen for free, or are sold at a discounted price. In today’s speech, Mr Fallon is not expected to make clear which option is on the table. They should also get extra cash from the shares, known as a dividend, every six months. He will say: ‘People should be in no doubt, whether the shares are discounted, or free, it is a hugely significant commitment from the Government to Royal Mail’s workers.’ Union bosses have already made clear their trenchant opposition to a deal which would require postmen to pay even a penny for the shares. Billy Hayes, general secretary of the CWU, said: ‘The idea that postal workers are going to sell their soul for a ten per cent stake in the company is not going to work. Union trouble: Frances O'Grady the General Secretary of the TUC has warned that privatising the Royal Mail would be a 'disaster' ‘Even less so if the Government expects postal workers to put up their own cash in order to buy shares. ‘Postal workers know that . privatisation would mean the break-up of the company, more job losses, . worse terms and conditions and attacks on their pensions. ‘It . would be a wrecking ball to the industry they work in. Why would they . sign up to that for a one-off share-scheme when their pay, conditions . and job security for their rest of their career could be badly affected . by the consequences?’ Anybody from families to pensioners will be allowed to subscribe for shares in the Royal Mail flotation. It . is too early to say how much they will cost or how many shares people . will be able to buy in the company which has throughout its history had . just one shareholder - the Government. Royal Mail has been gearing up for . privatisation for months, a deal which Margaret Thatcher refused to do . saying she was ‘not prepared to have the Queen’s head privatised.’ Its . £12billion pension black hole has been dumped on the taxpayer, and a . first-class stamp has jumped from 46p to 60p after the regulator . scrapped the limited on how much it can be increased each year. | 140,000 workers from postmen to managers expected to scoop a windfall .
Government has promised ten per cent of the company to employees .
CWU is bitterly opposed to the privatisation, fearing future pay cuts . |
074d14be5764bc663f6632fa2b6eb39e812344d1 | Greece's new radical left wing finance minister arrived for a crunch Downing Street meeting with George Osborne this morning wearing a leather jacket and a casual blue shirt without a tie. Following his meeting with economics professor Yanis Varoufakis, Osborne warned that a euro zone stand-off over Greek debt is becoming the biggest risk to the global economy. He insisted that the meeting was 'constructive' but described Greek debt as a 'rising threat to the British economy' and called on Europe to 'choose competence over chaos' Scroll down for video . Threat: George Osborne has warned that a euro zone stand-off over Greek debt is becoming the biggest risk to the global economy after meeting Greece's new finance minister Yanis Varoufakis in London today . Varoufakis (right), an economics professor who studied at Essex University, arrived for the meeting in a blue, open-necked shirt and leather jacket, in contrast with the traditional suit, collar and tie worn by Osborne (left) The once-over: It's unclear what the Chancellor is saying but could he be passing comment on Varoufakis's outfit . The Chancellor also publicly urged the anti-austerity finance minister to 'act responsibly' following the meeting, which comes as part of Varoufakis' whistle-stop European tour, in which he is meeting counterparts in an attempt to build support across the EU for a new debt reduction deal for Greece. Varoufakis, who studied at Essex University, yesterday secured backing from France for his country's bid to renegotiate its debt. His meeting with Osborne today was intended to convince Britain to make a similar declaration of support for repayment plans outlined by Greece's new left wing ruling party Syriza. Following this morning's meeting, Osborne said: 'We had a constructive discussion, and it is clear that the stand-off between Greece and the euro zone is the greatest risk to the global economy.' 'It is a rising threat to the British economy. And we have got to make sure that in Europe as in Britain, we choose competence over chaos,' he added. Handshake: The pair exchanged a warm welcome on the doorstep of number 11 . Welcome to Downing Street: The Greek finance minister's distinctive leather jacket was not the usual attire for a high profile diplomatic meeting . 'I urge the Greek finance minister to act responsibly but it's also important that the euro zone has a better plan for jobs and growth,' Osborne went on to say. The election of Syriza last week sent shockwaves through Europe. Alexis Tsipras, leader of the radical left-wing party heading the new coalition, immediately demanded a renegotiation of Greece' £179 billion international bailout deal . Varoufakis opted for a casual look to meet the British Chancellor at Downing Street today, arriving in a leather jacket before changing into a suit jacket, albeit without a tie. Tsipras has also opted for a decidedly casual look since becoming Greece's youngest ever Prime Minister, joking that he won't be seen wearing a tie until Greece's debt repayment is renegotiated. Discussion: Following this morning's meeting (pictured), Osborne said: 'We had a constructive discussion, and it is clear that the stand-off between Greece and the euro zone is the greatest risk to the global economy' Relaxed: Varoufakis opted for a casual look to meet the British Chancellor at Downing Street today, arriving in a leather jacket before changing into a suit jacket, albeit without a tie . Varoufakis secured backing from France for his country's bid to renegotiate its debt during discussions in Paris yesterday, where he began a whistle-stop tour, meeting European counterparts. But German chancellor Angela Merkel has made it clear she will not allow Greece's debts to be cancelled, insisting substantial cuts have already been made. Before the meeting this morning, Osborne said: 'I welcome this opportunity, so soon after the Greek election, to discuss face to face with Yanis Varoufakis the stability of the European economy and how to boost its growth.' Following Syriza shock election last week Tsipras immediately demanded a renegotiation of Greece's international bailout deal . David Cameron initially responded to Syriza's rise to power by warning it would increase 'economic uncertainty across Europe' but later offered the new leader UK help on tax collection. Varoufakis, who studied at the University of Essex, has ruled out a new wave of bail-out support, insisting his government was focused on ending the 'addiction' that has seen Greece 'craving the next dose'. Anger: Following Syriza's shock election victory last week, new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (pictured) immediately demanded a renegotiation of Greece's international bailout deal . New era: Syriza supporters gathered in central Athens cheered after the party won the election last week . Though Britain is not part of the euro, Varoufakis sought to build rapport with Osborne with face-to-face talks. Downing Street said Britain's position is one of continuity - and that Greece should honor the terms of its bailout. Tsipras today struck a more conciliatory tone, meanwhile. He says the Greek people expect him to carry out tough negotiations with eurozone creditors, but 'within a European framework.' Tsipras ruled out suggestions that his government may reach out to Russia for a loan, saying his government's primary objective is to conclude a deal with Greece's European partners and 'all those who have loaned to our country and to whom our country has obligations.' Tsipras said he was surprised many 'powerful European forces' back his government's call for a policy about-face from austerity to growth-oriented policies. But he condemned creditors' demands for painful budget measures in exchange for the loans, saying 'people need room to breathe.' Who is Yanis Varoufakis? The election in Greece of the radical left-wing Syriza party has seen the economics professor plucked from a life quietly writing 'obscure academic texts' to take the political centre stage as his country's new finance minister with the responsibility for fixing its broken economy. He may be new to political life but has already shown himself to be handy with a soundbite, describing the austerity regime imposed by Greece's creditors as 'fiscal water-boarding'. Why is he in London? Mr Varoufakis is doing the round of European capitals trying to drum up support for his attempts to renegotiate the terms of Greece's £179 billion bailout imposed by the so-called 'troika' of the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank. His message is the current repayment schedule is simply unaffordable and is stymieing any hopes of a recovery. How has it been going? Not well. When Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the eurozone ministers, visited Athens it proved to be a distinctly frosty encounter. Mr Varoufakis said that Greece was not prepared to co-operate any more with this 'rottenly-constructed committee'. A testy Mr Dijesselbloem warned him ignoring previous agreements was 'not the way forward'. Mr Varoufakis did receive a warmer reception in Paris, where the socialist government said it was prepared to help his country find a new settlement with its creditors. Who holds the key to resolving the stand-off? All eyes in Europe are on Chancellor Angela Merkel. Germany is Greece's biggest creditor and - to put it mildly - Mrs Merkel has shown no enthusiasm for any debt forgiveness, arguing that creditors have already taken one 'haircut'. She knows German taxpayers see no reason why they should pick up the tab for the Greeks' bills. Expect some tense negotiations over the coming weeks in what looks like coming down to a war of nerves between Berlin and Athens. | Osborne described Greek debt as a 'rising threat to the British economy'
Urged Europe to 'choose competence over chaos' in Greek debt standoff .
Called on new Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis to 'act responsibly'
Varoufakis is carrying out whistle-stop European tour in attempt to build support across the EU for a new debt reduction deal for Greece .
Election of radical left wing Syriza party last week shocked Europe . |
074da12f991cf7a6ede210fa88f43c4688f3952d | By . Simon Walters . and Glen Owen . UPDATED: . 05:46 EST, 13 November 2011 . Tony Blair is facing questions after one of his charities launched a bid to grab a slice of Britain's £8billion foreign aid budget. His organisation has taken the first steps to become eligible for grants awarded by the Department for International Development to rebuild war-torn countries. The highly sensitive move has prompted concerns over a possible conflict of interest with Mr Blair's complex business dealings. Tony Blair is being made an honorary Paramount Chief in the village of Mahera in Sierra Leone. Of his estimated £7m-a-year earnings, about £2m comes from merchant bank JP Morgan, which has major interests in many of the countries receiving British aid . Of his estimated £7 million-a-year earnings, about £2 million comes from merchant bank JP Morgan, which has major interests in many of the countries receiving British aid. Mr Blair's charity has applied to join the tendering process for the Department for International Development (DfID) 'security and governance' scheme, which undertakes 'peace-building' work in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The remit has raised eyebrows given the former Premier's disastrous decision to back the Iraq War. Last night, Conservative MPs said Mr Blair must prove that the pitch would not conflict with his lucrative commercial activities. Tory Philip Davies said: 'This is a very sensitive issue. The Government will have to be scrupulously careful with the award of any contracts to Mr Blair to ensure there can be no possible conflict of interest with his widespread business dealings in the Third World.' However, when asked about MPs' fears that the application could conflict with Mr Blair's business activities, a spokesman for the former Prime Minister said: 'On what basis do they claim there is a conflict? There is none, and to claim or imply otherwise is defamatory.' Mr Blair has applied to be considered for grants via the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative. Curiously, the application has been made in the name of the Tony Blair Governance Initiative, omitting the word Africa. Mr Blair's spokesman said the charity only operated in Africa. Ex-PM Tony Blair talks with health workers at Rokupa Government Hospital in Freetown on a visit to Sierra Leone, where his charity and JP Morgan operate, last year . The charity is run from the same office in London's Grosvenor Square as his business empire, the Office of Tony Blair. They share the same PO Box address in Paddington and are registered at the same address near St James's Park. The PO Box address is also shared by Cherie Blair's Foundation For Women charity. DfID – the Whitehall department whose budget will rise to £11 billion by 2015 – is spending £787 million this year on 'governance and security' schemes. Of this, £34 million is going to Afghanistan and £1.7 million to Iraq. Large sums also go to African and other Asian countries. Individual contracts can be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. It is believed that some are worth millions, although a DfID spokesman refused to confirm this. A secret DfID document seen by The Mail on Sunday shows Mr Blair's name on the list of those who have applied for 'Lot A' of the DfID governance portfolio. If successful, his charity would then be on a list of organisations eligible to bid for contracts as they came up. Others on the application list include the 'Big Four' accountancy giants – Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers – plus charities such as Save The Children and Christian Aid. Philip Davies MP warned Mr Blair is entering a very sensitive area of policy and the Government will have to be careful when awarding contracts . The document suggests that Mr Blair's record in Iraq and Afghanistan could be significant, as it states: 'Bidders should describe their approach to operating in conflict-affected and fragile states.' A DfID guide says bidders must prove their expertise in public sector reform and be able to help with 'the effective functioning of the Cabinet and PM's/President's offices'. That remit may raise eyebrows given that Mr Blair was criticised for his record on public service reform and the way he ran No 10, making key decisions with informal 'sofa diplomacy' sessions with his cronies, rather than the Cabinet system. International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell last night confirmed that Mr Blair had applied to be considered for DfID cash. He said 'The Tony Blair Governance Initiative has applied . . . to be eligible to compete for a contract on public sector governance. 'Their bid will be treated like any other and judged on value for money and effectiveness. All DfID contracts operate under strict rules designed to get the best for British taxpayers and deliver help to the world's poorest people.' Mr Blair has entered a three-stage tendering process in which he must show he is fit to run a major overseas aid project with public money. If Mr Blair's bid is approved, he will then face separate 'mini competitions' for individual contracts. His overall finances are shrouded in mystery, but it is understood that until now his charitable activities in the Third World have been funded mainly from his lucrative commercial activities. Adding Government money to this would represent a major expansion of his empire. Mr Blair is thought to have made about £25 million since leaving office, but the opaque way his finances are structured makes it almost impossible to establish the true size of his fortune. It is known that his property portfolio contains seven homes, worth £14 million. The Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) is part of the Byzantine structure of companies, partnerships and consultancies constructed by the former PM. At the centre of the web is the Office of Tony Blair, based in Grosvenor Square, London, which co-ordinates all his activities. Aid to Sierra Leone is at the centre of concerns over a potential conflict of interest for Mr Blair . The office is funded by a structure called Windrush Ventures, into which much of his estimated £7 million-a-year income is funnelled. This income is derived from his commercial consultancy, Tony Blair Associates, the JP Morgan consultancy, another job with the Swiss insurer Zurich Financial Services and speaking engagements that can earn him six-figure payments. The AGI is registered as a charity, as is his Faith Foundation and Sports Foundation. However, last year the AGI was reprimanded by the Charities Commission for asking supporters to back Labour in the Election. The former PM divides his time between the charities and his diplomatic role as Middle East peace envoy for the 'Quartet' of the UN, Russia, America and the EU. Critics argue that much of his charitable work helps him to establish key political and commercial contacts around the world. Nick Thompson, the chief operating officer of AGI, previously headed the climate change unit at the Department for Business. Paul Skidmore, AGI's director of strategy and fundraising, is a former adviser to David Miliband; Andrew Ratcliffe, one of its project leaders, was in Mr Blair's Downing Street Strategy Unit, while Malte Gerhold, who is a project leader for AGI in Sierra Leone, worked in his Delivery Unit. Sierra Leone illustrates how Mr Blair could be open to claims that his business and governmental links could lead to a conflict of interest. The AGI is working to end the nation's dependence on aid, and has helped the government there to push through reforms, including fast-track commercial courts and easier financing from banks to small businesses. Meanwhile, JP Morgan has business interests in the country, including a stake in mining company Titanium Resources Group. DfID gave £45 million in aid in Sierra Leone in 2009/10, of which £18 million went on 'governance'. However, Mr Blair's spokesman insisted: 'Mr Blair does not do business in any of the countries that AGI operates in.' Mr Blair's AGI has come under fire from some quarters for advising Rwandan leader Paul Kagame, who has been accused of running a repressive regime. He has also advised Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on how to copy his style of running a government with a 'strong centre'. Mr Blair has already passed the first hurdle, which had the 51 applicants whittled down to 41. These will be reduced to 'about a dozen' who will be eligible to bid for future DfIF contracts. | Concern that taxpayers' cash for project will conflict with £2m JP Morgan contract .
Ex-PM's organisation has already passed first hurdle to get money .
Award of grant would enable him to conduct 'peace-building' in war-torn countries... such as Iraq . |
074e60ffb9d889861da08d56a036f5382c5ff9b1 | By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 07:35 EST, 29 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:09 EST, 29 June 2012 . Mistake: Toby Donachie, 19, was supposed to be . flying to Biarritz with Ryanair, but ended up boarding a flight with the . same airline to Malmo, Sweden . A professional surfer who thought he was flying to the south of France to go training was shocked when he discovered he had touched down in Sweden. Toby Donachie, 19, was supposed to be flying to Biarritz with Ryanair, but ended up boarding a flight with the same airline to Malmo, in southern Sweden. The mistake came after a last-minute gate change and Mr Donachie only realised he was in the wrong aircraft when he heard an in-flight announcement. The teenager, from Padstow, Cornwall, said his tickets were checked twice before he got on board, once by the staff at the gate and again on the plane. He said: 'Half-way there, there was a call saying we’re flying over Denmark. 'The tickets were looked at. My boarding pass said Biarritz, and yet I was on a plane to Malmo, Sweden. 'The cabin crew just felt really bad for me when I told them. They were worried about me and super helpful.' Mr Donachie added: 'The cabin crew told me that when they did the head count, a child was hiding on the plane; so the crew didn’t notice that there was an extra passenger.' Once he arrived in Sweden, he was put on another flight back to the UK. The airline paid for a hotel and gave him a new ticket to Biarritz the following day. 'All my family and friends cried with laughter when I told them I had arrived in the wrong country,' he added. Questions: A Ryanair plane pictured at Stansted airport. Staff checked Mr Donachie's tickets twice but no one picked up on the error which has raised questions over how secure Ryanair's boarding procedures are . Change: The mistake came because of a last-minute gate change at Stansted Airport in Essex, pictured . But he said the incident raised questions over how secure Ryanair’s boarding procedures were. Stansted Airport said the responsibility for checking passengers at the gate and on to planes lay with airlines. Ryanair . said: 'While the primary responsibility for boarding the correct . aircraft lies with each passenger, we have asked our handling agent in . Stansted to investigate this error and ensure that whatever procedural . breakdown happened in this case will not recur.' Mr Donachie began to be noticed for his talent in 2006 and that year came 4th place in the European Championships. Professional surfer Toby Donachie, 19, found himself in Malmo in Sweden, more than 1,000 miles away from his intended destination of Biarritz in the south of France, after a flight check in mix-up . Wrong airport: The terminal of Sturup Airport at Malmo, Sweden where Mr Donachie ended up . Mix-up: Mr Donachie was supposed to be going to Biarritz in France for training - not Malmo in Sweden . | Toby Donachie said staff checked his ticket at the gate and on the plane but the error was STILL not spotted .
Cabin crew told him they didn't know there was an extra passenger when they did a head count as a child was hiding . |
07503ae3e3fdbe149acd00b62e3edc947f903522 | By . Freya Noble . Guns, snakes and drugs have been seized in Sydney's west as police target an outlaw bikie gang. Four men were also arrested as Strike Force Raptor continued its investigation into the Rebels motorcycle gang, police say. On Thursday morning, a 47-year-old life member of the Rebels was arrested in Macquarie Fields. He was charged with 16 offences including commercial drug supply, ongoing drug supply and possession of a knife in a public place. A diamond python was one of three snakes seized during a raid on Thursday . The man's arrest lead to four properties being searched - two in Macquarie Fields, one in Minto and another in Raby, police say. Weapons, ammunition, pythons and drugs were found at the several of the properties. At one of the properties in Macquarie Fields, officers located and seized a shotgun, a rifle, approximately 100 rounds of ammunition, a diamond python, a jungle python and restricted prescription drugs. At the other police located and seized a replica semi-automatic pistol, a replica revolver, a carpet python and a small amount of methylamphetamine . Three Rebels associates, aged 33, 41 and 49, were arrested and charged with offences including possess drug and possess protected fauna. Four men were arrested (one pictured centre) during the raids which turned out an array of drugs and weapons . A carpet python was also rescued from the Rebels motorcycle gang . All four men appeared in Campbelltown Local Court on Friday. Police say a 64-year-old Rebels associate, who lives at the Raby property, will be issued with a Court Attendance Notice for firearm and weapon offences. On Wednesday, Cleo the Alpaca was saved from a life with bikie gangs after she was rescued during a raid on the Gypsy Jokers outlaw motorcycle gang clubhouse in Sydney. The brown female Alpaca was being kept in a paddock at the rear of the building. She was allegedly stolen from a property in Bringelly, NSW, in February and the RSPCA are now hoping to reunite her with her real owners. The men appeared in Campbelltown local court on Friday . An array of weapons and ammunition were found at three properties . But Cleo wasn't the only thing police scooped during the dramatic raid. They also seized a loaded .32 calibre revolver, a loaded pistol and approximately 700 rounds of ammunition. And officers discovered more than 200 tablets, believed to be MDMA, in the bolt hole. Cleo the female alpaca was rescued from the Gypsy Jokers gang on Wednesday . | A diamond python, a jungle python and a carpet python were found at a series of bikie properties in western Sydney .
This comes a day after Cleo the alpaca was rescued from rival gang Gypsy Jokers .
Police charged one Rebel gang member with 16 drug related offences .
Weapons, drugs and ammunition also seized from three different properties . |
0750da22697df8026e125ce5ee4b410ebcb74811 | Multi-millionaire Roisin Isaacs has given an inordinate amount of time and energy to two places in recent years. One is the deprived Hilltown quarter of Dundee. The other – her private passion – is Pennlands Kiln. The farmhouse, dating from 1862, was in a dilapidated state when she bought it, but she has devoted the past years to restoring it to its full glory. Northern Ireland-born Roisin, who made her fortune in occupational health after moving to England at 18 to study as a nurse, took part in Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire series in 2009. Roisin Isaacs at her Farnham Common home, Buckinghamshire. Mrs Isaacs spent £750k to bring the Victorian gem back to life . She lived on job-seekers’ allowance in Dundee, using the city’s food bank, while learning about the work of certain charities there. She ended up donating £40,000 to two of them. ‘I was brought up by my grandparents in Bessbrook, near Newry, in very humble circumstances,’ she says, pouring tea in her comfortable drawing room. ‘And being in Dundee brought back memories of those days, when my grandfather, a gorgeous guy, also struggled to get the next meal on the table. It struck me that I should give something back. By the time I returned home to Pennlands Kiln, I was less of a capitalist and more of a philanthropist.’ Roisin, 59, first saw Pennlands Kiln, which stands in glorious isolation outside Farnham Common in leafy Buckinghamshire, in 1998. The dining room and kitchen area at the stunning house . She paid £700,000 for the property and, even though it had a horrible 1970s look and birds were actually nesting in the upstairs rooms, she immediately wanted this to be the house where she would live. So she forked out another £750,000 on a renovation project, hiring top London interior designer Beverley Barnett and reading up on the property’s history to ensure none of the changes damaged the fabric of the house. Now Pennlands Kiln is a more chic version of the Victorian original. The drawing room, which had the appearance of a cheap mock-Tudor saloon bar when she first saw it, is now tastefully decorated in creams and gold, with an impressive open fireplace. Across the hall and down the corridor there is a tiny sitting room on the left which Roisin describes as ‘the smallest cinema in the world’, and opposite is a dark, formal dining room. ‘People used to design rooms for different times of the day,’ she says. ‘And this is a night-time room.’ Straight ahead there is the white-washed farmhouse kitchen with its light oak furnishings and huge range. According to her research, the farm labourers in Victorian times would call by for their food – and be handed it out of the kitchen window. She paid £700,000 for the property and, even though it had a horrible 1970s look and birds were actually nesting in the upstairs rooms, she immediately wanted this to be the house where she would live. Now Pennlands Kiln is a more chic version of the Victorian original . Next to the kitchen the farm animals’ winter quarters have been turned into a high-tech office where Roisin’s partner Andrew Griffiths pores over computer screens, with the family’s pair of Tibetan terriers, Blarney and Willie, at his feet. One recurring feature in the house are the stencilled mottos and quotations which adorn many of the rooms. One of these – ‘Happiness unshared is scarcely happiness’ – seems particularly apt for this Secret Millionaire. What, I wonder, did she learn from making the documentary? ‘I learnt that poverty and hunger are very dangerous,’ she says, leading the way out into the gardens. Roisin Isaacs appeared on the Secret Millionaire in 2009. She lived on job-seekers' allowance in Dundee, using the city's food bank, while learning about the work of certain charities there. She ended up donating £40,000 to two of them . ‘If you can’t eat, you can’t think. If you can’t think, you can’t work and if you can’t work, you can’t help yourself.’ However, Roisin does not believe food banks and financial handouts alone will solve the problems of the country’s poor. ‘It’s a generational thing and we have lost some of our skills base,’ she says. ‘People should be taught in schools how to budget and how to make, say, a broth from inexpensive ingredients. Maybe that’s not the job of the teachers – maybe the charities should do it. But somebody must provide an education at this level.’ Although she was on The Secret Millionaire, there is nothing remotely hair-shirt or holier-than-thou about Roisin. A self-confessed party lover, one of her happiest memories of her time at the house is of the fancy-dress dance she held two years ago, when she packed 75 people, all in Victorian costume, into a giant marquee in the grounds. She also has a penchant for creating ‘refreshment’ areas outside. A self-confessed party lover, one of her happiest memories of her time at the house is of the fancy-dress dance she held two years ago, when she packed 75 people, all in Victorian costume, into a giant marquee in the grounds . There is a special ‘gin and tonic’ table set above an 18ft waterfall, a champagne-quaffing corner for pre-dinner drinks in a thatched safari hut and an afternoon tea table up on some turrets, next to her hot tub. The property is now on the market for £2.35 million, and sitting in ‘gin and tonic’ corner, looking over this impressive five-bedroom home, it is difficult to resist the question: Why move? ‘I sold my main company last year and although I have a property portfolio and a brand development company to keep me interested, I want to semi-retire,’ she says. ‘I love Billingshurst and West Sussex so I’d like to move there.’ Roisin does charity work – for Alabare, which supports vulnerable women, and the Trussell Trust food banks – which she will continue, but there is also something else that will occupy her: ‘I have one unfulfilled ambition: to write children’s stories.’ hamptons.co.uk, 01494 677744 . | Roisin Isaacs spent £700,000 on house in Buckinghamshire .
Victorian property was dilapidated and renovation bill was £750,000 .
Stencilled quotes adorn the house and animal area is now high-tech office .
Roisin lived in Dundee off benefits and foodbanks for Secret Millionaire .
Gave £40,000 to charity does not believe handouts will solve social problems . |
0751739edff08f08ef0d74cb31b3226849934d12 | A council is set to build a £12,000 'noise barrier' at a children's playground - because the sound of youngsters having fun is too loud. Bakewell Recreation Ground in Derbyshire hit headlines last June after it was closed following a single complaint about the noise of children playing. But after a public outcry, Derbyshire Dales County Council bowed to pressure and re-opened the facility - reinstating the original opening times. Controversial: Bakewell Recreation Ground in Derbyshire is set to feature a two-metre high £12,000 'sound barrier' around its perimeter because the sound of children playing is too loud . They will now spend thousands of pounds erecting an accoustic sound barrier measuring two metres high and 13.5 metres long to cut the noise. They came to the decision after sound monitoring showed the noise levels in the playground were unacceptably high over a six week period. Using LA90 noise measurements, the level of sound coming from the play area when it was not in operation was between 46dB (decibels) and 49dB. A six-week experiment at the playground in Bakewell Recreation Ground recorded noise levels of 57 decibels when children were playing. This was deemed too loud. Noise is measured in units called decibels (dB). The higher the number in decibels, the louder the noise. Here is a list of noises with their relevant decibel levels. Aircraft at take-off: 180 . Fireworks: 140 . Snowmobile 120 . Chain saw: 110 . Amplified music: 110 . Lawn mower: 90 . Noisy office: 90 . Vacuum cleaner: 80 . City traffic: 80 . Normal conversation: 60 . Refrigerator humming: 40 . Whisper: 20 . Leaves rustling: 10 . Calm breathing: 10 . Source: Hearing Aid Know . When the play area was in use however, the noise levels rose to an average of between 56dB and 57dB. It is estimated that the accoustic sound barrier would cut the noise by 7.1dB. The cost of the screen would be paid for out of the council's capital programme. Additionally it was recommended that a landscaped shrub border be planted to address the issue of parents allowing their children to urinate next to residents gardens - at a cost of approximately £2,500. The committee also agreed that further noise monitoring may be carried out on the site in the future to determine the effectiveness of the screen and whether it was necessary to install a second screen. At the meeting councillors were told the cost of relocating the wet play area would be around £100,000. At a meeting of the council's environment committee on Thursday, Councillor Peter Slack commented: 'On the site visit we could see the different issues involved in it and all these recommendations are the answer.' The committee passed the recommendations, which included a provision that further noise monitoring may be carried out on the site in the future to determine the effectiveness of the screen and whether it was necessary to install a second screen. Speaking at the time the play area was shut, Kate Hunt, of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, who went to the park with mother Jayne, son George and niece Molly, both aged four, said: 'I can't believe one person can ruin so many children's fun. Stunned: Kate Hunt, of Sheffield, who often visits the park with her son George, (pictured) was shocked when the playground was closed in June following a single complaint about the noise . 'We've been visiting the park for years so were shocked to find the wet area closed - it was particularly upsetting for George and Molly. 'Upon investigating we were told the opening hours had been reduced due to one nearby resident complaining about the noise of children playing. 'It's beyond belief someone would complain about children having fun - I'm sure the traffic noise from the main road is far more disruptive.' | Bakewell Recreation Ground in Derbyshire temporarily closed in June .
Popular playground shut after a single complaint children played too loudly .
Council then reopened site and recorded playing noise at 57 decibels .
Sound level is equivalent to a normal conversation or quiet laughter . |
0753905d0fcee780b7f5a115f5db6a070b7a2198 | (CNN) -- Libya's newly appointed Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni stepped down from his post on Sunday after an attack on him and his family. The General National Congress, the country's interim parliament, appointed al-Thinni Tuesday as interim prime minister and gave him a week to form a new cabinet. In a letter to the GNC posted on the government's website, al-Thinni said he and his family were the victims of a "cowardly attack" on Saturday night, a "shooting that terrified people in a residential area and endangered the lives of some." "I do not accept a single drop of Libyan blood be shed because of me and I do not accept to be a reason for fighting among Libyans because of this position," al-Thinni said. "Therefore I apologize for not accepting my designation as interim prime minister." Al-Thinni said he and members of the cabinet will continue their work as a caretaker government until a new prime minister is chosen by the GNC. Before his appointment on Tuesday, al-Thinni had taken over the cabinet as acting prime minister after his predecessor, Ali Zeidan, was voted out by the GNC last month. Zeidan, who was briefly kidnapped by a militia while in office, fled to Germany after his ouster because of security threats. There were no injuries reported in the attack on al-Thinni and his family, and no details about the incident were released. A resident in the neighborhood told CNN that al-Thinni was with his family when his convoy came under attack by a militia close to the area where he lives in Tripoli. After they escaped the attack and entered the neighborhood close to Tripoli's airport road, heavy gunfire erupted in the area. There have been increased concerns about the worsening security situation in Libya and the country's rocky transition to democracy after the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The government has so far been unable to build an army and a police force to rein in the hundreds of militia groups with competing interests, ideologies and agendas who continue to destabilize the North African nation. Officials have frequently been targeted and intimidated by the different militia groups. While serving as defense minister, al-Thinni's son was kidnapped in Tripoli last September and released earlier this year. | Abdullah al-Thinni is stepping down after he and his family were attacked .
He said the attack, a "cowardly" shooting, "terrified people"
A resident in al-Thinni's Tripoli neighborhood told CNN a militia was responsible . |
0753a471e6908c35bcbc2daa37e21f3a8443b590 | Charlie Grieves-Cook died after falling 40ft onto a concrete car park . He clung to metal rail for 10 minutes while intruders fired shots in apartment . Kenyan police investigating whether a spurned lover was involved in his death . Claims Grieves-Cook was initially refused treatment at a Nairobi hospital with staff demanding cash before he was admitted . The model girlfriend of a British ex-public schoolboy killed after trying to escape armed thugs in Kenya has spoken of the terrifying moments before he plunged to his death from a third-floor balcony. Diana Nekoye Sifuna, 24, told how she was forced to wrestle gunmen who called at her home and demanded to see her photographer lover Charlie Grieves-Cook. Fleeing via a back room, Mr Grieves-Cook, 36, desperately clung on to the balcony’s metal rail, dangling perilously 40ft above ground for 10 minutes, while the intruders fired shots into the apartment. In the first full account of the bungled raid, Miss Sifuna described in dramatic detail how she screamed at her lover to run as she fought for her life. Lovers: Diana Sifuna and Charlie Grieves-Cook. Mr Grieves-Cook fell to his death from a balcony after two intruders forced their way into her apartment . The striking model, who is renowned in her home country as a former Face of Africa beauty contestant, told how the couple were watching a film on the evening of March 3 when the doorbell rang at her apartment close to the Kibera township, one of Kenya’s largest slums. Thinking it was a rubbish collector, she fetched the equivalent of £3 to give as a tip before opening the door to find two youths wearing tracksuits, one of whom demanded to see ‘the mazungu, the white man’. She said: ‘I asked him to give the name of the white man, but he was unable to say. When I told him he was at the wrong house, I saw him removing a small gun from his waist and he pointed it towards me. Rundown: A bullet hole, seen on the right, is clearly visible next to the door of Miss Sifuna’s apartment in the Desert Rose complex, from which Mr Grieves-Cook fell to his death . ‘I thought it was a toy pistol, so I . grabbed it. I struggled with him while I was still holding the gun, but . it went off. I was holding it and at the same time screaming, telling . Charlie to run away. ‘The . neighbours started locking their houses. I pushed him outside, where I . kept on struggling with him, trying to wrestle the gun from him, and it . fired again. Terrifying ordeal: Model Diana Sifuna's police statement . ‘When the . gun fired, I released my hand from the gun and went to the next door at . a corner. I tried banging my neighbour’s door but nobody opened the . door for me. ‘The boy . started running while still firing at me. I heard another gunshot . downstairs, which I later learned hit the watchman of our apartment on . his hand. ‘When they . had gone, I entered my house and heard Charlie calling me. I found him . hanging, having gripped the sides of the balcony.’ In a police statement, which has been shown to The Mail on Sunday, Miss Sifuna told how Mr Grieves-Cook tragically lost his grip and fell on to a concrete ledge before she could fetch a rope to pull him to safety. She said: ‘When I held his hand and tried to pull him up, he advised me to go to the house to get a rope. I went but when I got back I saw him falling down.’ Police yesterday confirmed they had retrieved used gun cartridges, and were carrying out forensic tests on them and on the doorbell. Diana Nekoye Sifuna was forced to wrestle gunmen . There was no doctor on duty at the local medical centre, so Miss Sifuna had to take Mr Grieves-Cook to another hospital. They were then refused treatment until one of his friends paid over the phone by credit card so that he could be taken to the intensive-care unit. He later died of his injuries. The detailed account comes after detectives in Nairobi said they believe Mr Grieves-Cook may have been targeted by a jealous love rival. Officers are now planning to question Miss Sifuna about any male friends who may have hired hitmen to kill her lover. They are trying to piece together the events that brought Mr Grieves-Cook, who comes from one of Kenya’s most prominent white families, to the notoriously crime-ridden area of the capital city where he met his death. Nothing was stolen from Miss Sifuna’s home, leading police to question why the thugs targeted the apartment. Police commander David Rono Bonei said yesterday: ‘We believe this lady may have had two or three other boyfriends. Men get very jealous. It is only human. ‘Miss Sifuna has a lot more questions to answer. She has been very traumatised and upset, but now it is time to tell us a lot more about her love life.’ Mr Grieves-Cook was born and raised in Kenya before being educated at the £30,000-a-year Hurstpierpoint College, a prominent boarding school in West Sussex. After leaving school, he trained as a chef and worked at some of London’s Michelin-starred restaurants. He returned to Kenya in 1998 and built a . successful career in photography. Mr Grieves-Cook met Miss Sifuna a . year ago during a photo shoot. Despite owning his own home in the . affluent suburb of Lavington, he was a regular visitor to her apartment . in a rundown area of Langata. Around one million people live in . dilapidated shacks made of plastic sheeting and corrugated iron in . nearby Kibera, many of them sleeping on dirt floors. One . hole-in-the-ground latrine services 50 shacks and the open sewers lead . to epidemics of cholera and enteritis. Unemployment stands at 50 per cent, there is widespread dependence on the often-lethal home-brewed chang’aa liquor, and social deprivation is rife. Rape and murder rates are high. Police reluctance to enter Kibera has led to protection rackets that rule the slums. Senior detective James Manuni said: ‘Diana Nekoye Sifuna is one of the biggest names in the fashion media and she could afford to live somewhere safer. Charlie Grieves-Cook was playing with fire by going to that part of Langata at night, so close to Kibera.’ He said police inquiries showed that other male friends were regular visitors to the Desert Rose apartments and that Mr Grieves-Cook may have become a target. Four hundred mourners attended a memorial service at Nairobi’s Muthaiga Country Club on Friday, following a funeral service and cremation for family members only. Charlie’s father Jake, former chairman of Kenya’s Tourist Board and managing director of Gamewatchers Safaris, said he believed the thugs may have followed his son to Miss Sifuna’s apartment, but he would await the findings of the inquiry. He said: ‘In the meantime, we do not wish to speculate on their motives other than the probability that it was a bungled robbery attempt which had tragic circumstances. ‘We are all devastated at the loss of my son and it is heart-breaking for his family and friends. Charlie was an extraordinary young man with enormous talent who was loved by all who knew him.’ | Charlie Grieves-Cook died after falling 40ft onto a concrete car park .
He clung to metal rail for 10 minutes while intruders fired shots in apartment .
Kenyan police investigating whether a spurned lover was involved in his death .
Claims Grieves-Cook was initially refused treatment at a Nairobi hospital with staff demanding cash before he was admitted . |
0753fc6778ad63eeff2407c0121755ee168284ac | (CNN) -- Four people died when a school bus collided with a tractor-trailer at an intersection in Nebraska's rural Webster County on Wednesday, the sheriff's department said. Both drivers were both killed as well as two passengers on the bus, Webster County Sheriff Troy R. Schmitz said. The sheriff's department did not immediately say whether any of the victims were children. The accident occurred at the intersection of County Road 1800 and Country Road R outside the town of Blue Hill, near the Nebraska-Kansas state line, Schmitz told CNN affiliate KHGI. The accident occurred between 4:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. local time, he said. Schmitz declined to release details about the accident, citing a pending investigation. How safe are school buses? | A school bus and a tractor-trailer collided near Blue Hill, Nebraska, the sheriff says .
Both drivers have been killed, he says .
Also killed were two passengers on the school bus, he says . |
07554dab02f056aba8cbf35c992592bd9d745c1d | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 05:16 EST, 8 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:31 EST, 8 October 2013 . It was thought to have died out over 50 years ago, but photographers have managed to snap an exceptionally rare lizard in Ecuador. The long-nosed Pinocchio lizard was spotted by a team of photographers and researchers after combing a remote area in the north west of the country for three years. The lizard, which was first discovered in 1953 and named after the fictional lying puppet, was thought to be extinct until 2005 and it has only been sighted three times since. Scroll down for video . After searching for the rare long-nosed Pinocchio anole (pictured) for three years, a team of photographers and researchers found the lizard recently in a stretch of pristine cloud forest in the northwest part of Ecuador, around two hours drive from the capital . The lizard was named after Pinocchio (puppet, pictured), a fictional character whose nose grew each time he lied . The curious-looking animal did a disappearing act in the 1960s and was not seen again until an ornithologist saw one crossing the road in the same stretch of cloud forest. The animal was most recently captured by Alejandro Arteaga, a co-founder of an eco-tourism company called Tropical Herping, which has been searching for the almost long-lost animal. The researcher told LiveScience that the best time to spot the rare lizards known as anoles is at night when they are sleeping and less likely to run away. As part of an expedition in January, one of his sharp-eyed team saw a male Pinocchio anole scaling a branch and the team managed to catch it and keep it overnight until they could photograph it in its natural surroundings the following morning. Mr Arteaga said: 'After looking for so long It was very thrilling to find this strange lizard.' The male lizard's long nose actually serves no real purpose apart from advertising its good genes and female anoles select their mates based on whether it has an impressive appendage. The females do not have long noses. The curious animal was discovered in 1953 but disappeared from the 1960s until it was spotted again in 2005. Since then, the endangered species has been seen just three times . The male Pinocchio Anole's long nose actually serves no real purpose apart from advertising its good genes and female anoles select their mates based on whether it has an impressive appendage . The creatures are unsurprising . endangered have have so far only been seen in four places - most of . which are along the same stretch of road in north west Ecuador, . according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Mr Arteaga said the strange-looking anoles have one of the tiniest ranges out of all lizard species in the world. He . and his colleagues set out specifically to find the Pinocchio lizard to . complete their book, 'THE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF MINDO' after it . evaded them for so long. The book details all the weird and wonderful amphibian and reptilian occupants of the region north of Ecuador's capital, Quito. | The long-nosed Pinocchio lizard was spotted by a team of photographers in a remote region of north west Ecuador .
The animal was first discovered in 1953 but disappeared in the 1960s, before being rediscovered in 2005 and sighted just three times since .
Alejandro Arteaga, of eco-tourism company Tropical Herping, photographed the animal to complete his book on creatures of the region . |
0755608389afb292c3a13f9647a806bb57d53138 | The United States is offering its help, but making clear that the Nigerian government must take the lead in finding more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Officials told CNN the Obama administration is sharing intelligence with Nigerian authorities and could provide other assistance, but there is no planning to send U.S. troops. With a World Economic Forum gathering set to begin Wednesday in Abuja, the Nigerian government came under mounting pressure to save the girls abducted in the country's remote northeast and threatened with being sold into slavery. On a trip to Africa, Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States "will do everything possible to support the Nigerian government to return these young women to their homes and to hold the perpetrators to justice." In Washington, U.S. officials offered few specific details on American help being provided. "We are going to keep working with the Nigerians privately on that," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters. "Obviously they have come out very publicly and said that they are, you know, making every effort to find these girls. I just don't think we are going to outline how we are helping them. What we are focused on is making sure they can find (the girls) and bring them home to their families." No U.S. troops . Harf noted that Sarah Sewall, the undersecretary of state for civilian security, democracy and human rights, would be traveling to Nigeria in coming days. Asked if she anticipated U.S. troops or other assets getting sent to Nigeria, Harf replied: "I do not." White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama has been briefed on the situation a few times. Carney also listed a series of U.S. programs and steps in Nigeria, most predating the latest kidnappings, intended to strengthen its criminal justice system, improve its ability to combat improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and expand economic opportunity for women. "There are other things, I am sure ... but this is an outrage and a tragedy and we are doing what we can to assist the Nigerian government to support its efforts to find and free the young women who were abducted," he said. According to two senior U.S. officials, Nigerian authorities so far have not asked for specific help in any kind of possible joint rescue mission. One of the officials said the Nigerians privately indicated they want to handle the situation themselves, perhaps because they don't want visible American forces in their country. "We are sharing intelligence that may be relevant to this situation," said another U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of not being identified due to the sensitive nature of the information. "You are going to see a focus on this in all three channels of government: diplomatic, intelligence and military." Sharing intelligence . The United States could offer satellite imagery and electronic intelligence such as communications intercepts in the effort to rescue the kidnapped girls. Another American official said the U.S. military is not planning to send troops, but could consider helping Nigerian forces with any planning for a rescue mission, under existing military cooperation agreements. U.S. Africa Command has long been helping Nigerian forces improve their training and operations to counter Boko Haram militants. Last week, the State Department's annual report on global terrorism described Boko Haram as a group that "espouses a violent Sunni extremist ideology" and has received funding from al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb. The United States designated Boko Haram a terrorist organization last November, said the report, which blamed the group for attacks in northern and northeastern Nigeria that have killed thousands of people since 2009. Among the most notorious attacks by Boko Haram were a 2011 bombing at a United Nations building in Abuja that killed more than 20 people, and a wave of bombings in Kano, Nigeria, in 2012 that killed 180 people in one day, the State Department report said. The group also has freed prisoners and killed students and soldiers in other attacks, and kidnapped French citizens in neighboring Cameroon, according to the report. Link to al Qaeda affiliates . Boko Haram "receives the bulk of its funding from bank robberies and related criminal activities, including extortion and kidnapping for ransoms," as well as the al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb funding, the report added. According to U.S. authorities, Boko Haram has gotten training in weapons and communications from AQIM as well as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder asked U.S. intelligence agencies to prepare a report for him on the latest schoolgirl kidnappings in Nigeria, an American law enforcement official told CNN. The attorney general also requested an assessment of Boko Haram that could help the Justice Department seek indictments or curtail funding sources for the group. The name Boko Haram means "Western education is sin," and a video made public Monday showed a man claiming to be Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau saying the kidnapped girls should get married instead of going to school. "I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah," the man says in the video first obtained by Agence France-Presse. Selling humans . "There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell. I will sell women. I sell women," he continues, according to a CNN translation from the local Hausa language. According to accounts, armed members of Boko Haram overwhelmed security guards at a school in northeastern Borno state, pulled the girls out of bed and forced them into trucks. The convoy then disappeared into a forest bordering Cameroon. The total number kidnapped was 276, according to Nigerian authorities. At least 53 escaped, leaving 223 missing, police said. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said Sunday that his government would free the girls. In Washington, a group of U.S. senators from both parties has introduced a resolution condemning the kidnappings and calling for the United States to help the Nigerian government improve school security and go after Boko Haram. The resolution stops short of calling for sending American troops, instead urging "timely civilian assistance" from the United States and allied African nations to help rescue the abducted girls. "Attacking and abducting young women simply for going to school is despicable and must never be tolerated," Sen. Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, said in a statement. "The international community must make clear that all children deserve the chance to pursue an education without fear and that those responsible for these heinous crimes will be held accountable." 6 reasons why the world should demand action . What's at stake in war against girls' kidnappers? Boko Haram: The essence of terror . | A top State Department official is traveling to Nigeria .
President Obama is briefed on the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria .
Sources: The United States is sharing intelligence with Nigerian authorities .
There are no plans for U.S. troops to get involved, officials say . |
07559652193959e5aa46b040361439682e141305 | She’s known for her perfect figure and dazzled viewers with her foxtrot in the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. But Denise Van Outen has revealed she's never followed a fad diet and doesn’t deliberately cut out any foods entirely. In fact, she claims she ‘not a big one for getting on the scales’ and ‘couldn’t tell you’ what she weighs today, she told MailOnline. Instead of bathroom scales, she has a favourite pair of skinny jeans. They work as her weight-gauge: if she can’t fit into them, she knows she has to hit the gym. Scroll down for video . Denise Van Outen says she keeps slim by being 'sensible': she doesn't do fat diets but avoids carbs in the afternoon and runs on a treadmill while watching TV . While she was crowned 'Rear of the Year' in 1999, she says she likes to keep her legs in shape so she can wear her favourite skinny jeans and pencil skirts . Her mantra over the last ten years has been to eat and exercise ‘sensibly’, and she says she has to keep fit as her job as a West End actress demands it. ‘Especially the industry I work in, if you look good and you’re healthy, you feel good,’ she said. ‘If I gain weight, I feel sluggish. You’re not jumping out of bed, ready to tackle the day.’ Though she was crowned Rear of the Year in 1999, her legs are the main focus of her exercise. ‘I try and keep my legs in good shape. I like to wear my skinny jeans and pencil skirts,’ she says. And harking back to her earlier days as an Essex ladette, she admits she still drinks too much on holiday and can’t resist crisps. ‘I don’t have a sweet tooth, I’m lucky. So I don’t have to worry about cakes and biscuits,’ she told MailOnline. ‘I like crisps - I could devour a whole bag of them watching my favourite TV shows.’ She says she gained around two stone after having her daughter, and often puts on weight over Christmas or after a holiday – but finds it easy to cut down afterwards. 'My daughter Betsy is my motivation for everything,' Ms Van Outen says. Though she lives her life in the public eye, her daughter allows her to stay mentally strong. 'I'm a mother first before anything else,' she adds . ‘It’s from drinking wine, if you’ve been on holiday. ‘I just cut out the booze to lose weight.’ Her other top tip? Avoiding carbs late at night. ‘I love jacket potatoes. But I have them for lunch so I can burn them off in the afternoon,’ she says. Despite being 40, she says she feels much younger, and isn’t scared by the thought of ageing. ‘I always think “You never feel any older”. The way I behave, it’s like I’m in my early 20s. 'Having a daughter keeps me young. I’ve got an excuse to be young and silly.’ ‘I don’t know how I’ll feel when I’m 50, you’ll have to ask me then.’ A fifth of Britons would give up chocolate or Facebook for a year in order to lose a stone, a survey has found. People said they would consider giving up alcohol forever (19 per cent), stop watching their favourite soap (15 per cent) and some even said they would give up sex for a year (11 per cent) in order to lose weight. The research was commissioned by XLS Medical, which manufactures weight loss supplements. The survey found that collectively, British people want to lose a total of 67.2m stone this year, and almost a third are looking to lose up to two stone. But the research revealed that by January 31, more than half of New Year diets (56 per cent) will be dead. A fifth of Britons would delete their Facebook account in order to lose a stone, according to a survey . It highlighted the plethora of excuses we make to allow ourselves to resume unhealthy eating. Top excuses were: 'it's too cold to exercise' (17 per cent) and 'you don’t see the results quickly enough' (21 per cent). XLS Medical iS now searching for people to take part in a new weight loss documentary series, fronted by Denise Van Outen. They will be guided through a slimming programme, with the highs and lows of their weight loss journey charted on camera. To enter the XLS-Medical documentary, as well as starring in the next TV advert, visit www.xls-medical.co.uk . As well as taking part in the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, she is the voice of reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex, whose stars are famous for their fake tans and plastic surgery. While she’s currently not considering going under the knife, it’s not a move she’s written off. ‘I wouldn’t rule it out one day,’ she said. ‘If anything’s going to make you feel it better, then do it. ‘Some people lose weight, some people change their hair. ‘What I would say is the cast of TOWIE are young. It is an addiction for some people.’ For now, she sticks to a good diet and exercise to keep middle age spread and wrinkles at bay. She has both a treadmill and an exercise bike in her home - which she likes to use in front of the TV - and says signing up for charity events keeps her motivated. ‘I’ve cycled through Rajasthan, climbed the Great Wall of China and I’m just about to cycle across Vietnam and Cambodia’ she says. If she gains weight by drinking too much on holiday or eating too much over Christmas, Ms Van Outen just puts on a pair of unforgiving skinny jeans. If they are too tight, she knows she needs to hit the gym. She is pictured out and about in London (left) and appearing on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing (right) ‘That gives me the motivation to exercise and keep going because I’ve got a target.’ She enjoys being part of a team and hearing other people’s stories. On her last trip, one lady was beating cancer, which struck a chord with her as she lost her grandmother to the disease. She became an ambassador for charity Breast Cancer UK afterwards, carries out breast examinations and always gets regular check ups herself. This is one of the reasons she wants to inspire healthy living and weight loss in others. But she says other people can lose weight and stick to an exercise regime even if they don’t sign up to such ‘extreme’ events as the ones she’s taken part in. Ms Van Outen is pictured celebrating her 40th birthday in May this year. But she told MailOnline she is not scared by the thought of ageing . She says: ‘I’m not a weight loss expert. 'I can speak for me and my friends. One of my friends signed up for a 10km walk and it really motivated her. ‘I’ve got friends who have signed up for stuff and it changes their outlook.’ This is why she has paired up with XLS Medical, a food supplement that claims to aid weight loss. The company creates tablets and sachets which are eaten after meals, poured straight into the mouth without any water. It's claimed the products stop the digestion of fat and carbohydrates. Clinical studies published in the journal Obesity found that people using XLS Medical's Fat Binder product or Carb Blocker product lost three times as much weight after 12 weeks as those taking placebo tablets. Ms Van Outen is now searching for women to take part in a weight loss documentary. They will go through a slimming programme, with the highs and lows of their journey recorded on camera. She told MailOnline: ‘I got involved because I believe in successful weight loss. ‘It will be great to see how these women have changed their lives and go on a journey with them, hearing their stories. ‘You don’t have to do the whole course. I even signed my mum up to take the tablets. 'She had to get Christmas out of the way, but she loves it now.’ And beneath the glamour and fame of the life of a superstar, she says it is her family that is most important to her; and allows her to stay mentally strong in what can be a superficial industry. ‘My daughter is the motivation for everything,’ she said. ‘When I go home and I come and close the door. The rest is just my job, it doesn’t matter. ‘When I close the door, I’m a mother first, and that’s what matters.’ | Denise, 40, says she never weighs herself and 'doesn't do' fat diets .
Uses a pair of unforgiving skinny jeans to gauge if she needs to slim down .
Likes to keep her legs in shape so she can fit into jeans and pencil skirts .
Recommends avoiding carbs in the afternoon and 'booze-free' periods . |
0755a200b44b9b9701b827152d9c5e6fdc688f6f | A New York father who has spent 18 months desperately trying and failing to rescue his two sons from Uruguay after they were kidnapped by his wife will shortly return to the United States. Guy Brunetti, 47, from Eastchester, flew to the South American country after his 42-year-old spouse, Ivanna Soto, then pregnant, abducted their toddler son, Octavio, now three, in May 2013. For the past year and a half, he has been fighting for the legal right to rescue Octavio, as well as his younger son, Luciano, whom he has never met and would now be 14 months old. But now, Mr Brunetti plans to return to the US within a month after an appeals court in Montevideo ruled he would not have the right to have Luciano brought back if he is ever found. Scroll down for video . Desperate: Guy Brunetti, 47, has spent 18 months desperately trying and failing to rescue his two young sons, including Octavio (center), from Uruguay after they were abducted by his wife, Ivanna Soto (right) in May 2013 . Devoted: Mr Brunetti (pictured with Octavio before his abduction), from Eastchester, New York, flew to the South American country after his 42-year-old spouse, then four months' pregnant, fled there in May 2013 . Missing: For the past year and a half, the father has been fighting for the legal right to rescue Octavio (pictured), as well as his younger son, Luciano, whom he has never met and would now be 14 months old . However, despite the ruling, the devoted father has vowed to not give up his $70,000-plus fight to have his two children returned to New York, saying: 'I've hit a wall [but] the battle continues'. In a phone interview with The Journal News, he said: 'I'll probably come home to go to Washington and do some leg work there in the United States, then probably head back to Uruguay.' Last year, Mr Brunetti, who has been fighting for his sons while living in a Montevideo-based room that he rents weekly, was granted the right to have Octavio returned to the US by an appeals court. However, upon hearing of the decision, Ms Soto, a Uruguay native, dropped all contact with her husband and fled with their two sons. She is now a fugitive sought by Interpol. 'It's unexplainable,' Mr Brunetti told ABC News. 'It's this torture I live with every second, every minute, every hour of the day. It's a situation that no parent should have to go through.' Mr Brunetti started dating Ms Soto in 2009 after first meeting her in 1997. The pair initially lived in Uruguay, where they married and had Octavio, before moving to Eastchester for financial reasons. Before the abduction: But now, Mr Brunetti (pictured with Octavio) plans to return to the US within a month after an appeals court ruled he would not have the right to have Luciano brought back if he is ever found . Mother and son: A young Octavio is pictured with Ms Soto, who is now a fugitive who is sought by Interpol . Escape: Mr Brunetti has vowed to not give up his $70,000-plus fight to have his two children returned to New York, saying: 'I've hit a wall [but] the battle continues'. Above, Ms Soto fled from New York to Uruguay . On May 22, 2013, when Ms Soto was four months' pregnant, Mr Brunetti, an auto parts wholesaler, came home to find his wife had fled with Octavio. He flew to Uruguay and begged her to return. Having no luck, he filed a motion under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction to have his son returned to the US. The motion was granted on October 2, 2013. On November 27 this year, he lost a second legal battle to have the right to have Luciano returned. It remains unclear why Ms Soto initially fled the US, nor why she did not inform her husband. Happier times: 'It's unexplainable,' Mr Brunetti said of his desperate fight to rescue his sons. 'It's this torture I live with every second, every minute, every hour of the day.' Above, Mr Brunetti with Octavio as a baby . Fight: Mr Brunetti's fight has gained widespread support from friends, relatives and members of the public. In addition to a Bring Octavio Home Facebook page (pictured), there is a dedicated gofundme.com page . Mr Brunetti's fight has gained widespread support from friends, relatives and members of the public. In addition to a Bring Octavio Home Facebook page, there is a dedicated gofundme.com page. On the page, Mr Brunetti says his wife and sons could potentially have fled to Brazil, Paraguay or Argentina, and that the hunt for the trio has been a 'huge blow' both financially and emotionally. 'I feel I'm alone fighting because of all the complications of the police, the governments,' the father said, adding that the public's response to his social media campaigns has greatly lifted his spirits. | Guy Brunetti, 47, returned home from work in May 2013 to wife had fled .
Ivanna Soto, who was pregnant, had also taken son, Octavio, now three .
Mr Brunetti, of New York, flew to Uruguay and begged his wife to return .
After she refused, he filed and won a court motion - causing her to flee .
Ms Soto, who has since given birth to baby Luciano, is now a fugitive .
Mr Brunetti recently lost appeal for right to bring Luciano to US if found .
Father plans to return to US within month - but vows to 'continue battle' |
07579ae0dad0bb7e6fea045723deb29c26919ea8 | By . Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 09:08 EST, 2 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:25 EST, 2 June 2012 . Several rare tornadoes battered parts of the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic Friday night, setting much of the Eastern Seaboard up for a soggy Saturday full of flood warnings, high winds, and heavy rain. The intense storm system left trees uprooted and property damage throughout – while tornadoes were reported in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania with up to 17 throughout the country last night. The perfect storm conditions were made possible by a lower-than-average temperatures mixed with rain and a low pressure system. Scroll down for videos . That sinking feeling: Homeowner Doug Swinton surveys his property after a tree fell through his home's roof in Gamber, Maryland last night . Damages: Mr Swinton stands in his storm-damaged family room after a tree fell through his home's roof; authorities say strong winds brought down trees and branches across southern and eastern Carroll County . The perfect storm: A tornado and waterspout swept through Hampton, Virginia, damaging boats and sending debris flying through the air . Dark skies: One witness at the marina said the gentle rain quickly turned into a twister . According to WAVY.com, a tornado and waterspout – a funnel over the water – swept through Hampton, Virginia after what witnesses described as a pleasant evening rain. ‘It was like a freight train,’ Gary McIntire, a resident of Hampton, told the station. ‘It was like the Wizard of Oz…It was really truly awe-inspiring and awful.’ At the Hampton Yacht club, boats up to 30-feet long were lifted from the water and deposited sideways, as debris and tree leaves went flying, witnesses said. Most of the damage was to the boats that were on land, WAVY.com reported. The weather system, more often seen in the Midwest and the Great Plains, left many scrambling for cover. While there have not been any injuries reported, there was significant damage to power lines and trees in the storm’s path. Fallen: In Harford County, Maryland, a tree fell into a local house, and up to two dozen buildings were severely damaged in the storm . Calm before the storm: Dark clouds surrounded the Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington yesterday . Delays: A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 parks at the gate at Dulles International Airport outside Washington; many flights were delayed because of the weather yesterday . Cover up: Members of the Washington Nationals grounds crew worked with the rain tarp on the field as storms in the area forced the postponement of the team's scheduled MLB National League baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in D.C. The Virginia storm’s path swept into major cities like Baltimore and Washington D.C., as the city experienced flood warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings throughout the night. Harford County, Maryland saw severe damage from last night’s storms. A tree fell into a local house, and up to two dozen buildings were severely damaged in the storm, the Baltimore Sun reported. There was also a reported tornado in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh. Residents reported many fallen trees and property damage. A shelter was set up at a nearby YMCA for the town’s residents. According to the Weather Channel, the storm caused a dome at Robert Morris University to collapse. The school, just outside of Pittsburgh, said that all students were able to escape without sustaining injuries. Yet another tornado was reported in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The twister touched down near Highway 17, but went airborne after several minutes. The NWS warns of driving in flood waters, as it often is deeper than it appears. According to MSNBC, some 11,000 people had no power overnight. The storm also left those in nearby Prince George’s County, Maryland without electricity. The unusual storm pattern also caused a headache for thousands of commuters. Storm watchers: Seventeen tornadoes were reported across the country yesterday, with 115 high wind reports, especially along the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic . Forecast: Rain can be expected moving up into the northeast, and there will be showers in the Pacific Northwest as well in Washington state and Oregon . Inclement weather: The tornadoes and wind gusts came about in part because of lower-than-normal temperatures along the East Coast . According to NBC Washington, the Orange Line on DC’s Metro was closed due to a fallen tree on the tracks. Additional, surrounding airports suffered heavy delays beginning Friday afternoon. As the system pulls moisture in from the Atlantic Ocean, heaviest rainfall is anticipated across the Northeast and Upper Ohio River Valley. However, warm and humid conditions of the Southeast will allow for severe thunderstorm development. Behind this system in the Plains, there will be significantly cooler temperatures after the passage of the strong cold front. Temperatures will be 15 to 20 degrees below seasonable from the Central Plains through parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes. In the West, a cold front over the Pacific Northwest continues pushing moisture onshore. This will produce more widespread scattered showers across Oregon and Washington, but heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are not likely. Meanwhile, mild moisture and warm temperatures over the Central and Northern Rockies will support afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms. Severe weather development is not likely in these areas. Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Thursday have ranged from a morning low of 26 degrees at Silver Bay, Minnesota to a high of 102 degrees at El Centro, California. | Tornadoes reported in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North Carolina, with up to 17 twisters possible .
Storms left severe damage in their wakes, uprooting trees and downing power lines .
More than 11,000 reported without power in Washington, DC .
Severe flood warnings exist throughout the day for parts of the country . |
07579d1fd7f2f366bac249b493997efa3a44c801 | By . Alex Greig . PUBLISHED: . 16:44 EST, 28 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:44 EST, 28 October 2013 . The ex-wife of a Russian billionaire is asking $30 million for a waterfront compound in the New York borough of Brooklyn. Galina Anissimova, former wife of oligarch Vasily Anisimov, is selling the property which has two limestone mansions, a pool and two docks that can home a large yacht on Jamaica Bay. The Mill Basin property has the most expensive price tag Brooklyn has ever seen, and is twice as much as anything else on the market at present. Exclusive: Brooklyn's most expensive property can be seen occupying the far right corner on the Jamaica Bay shoreline . For $30,000 the buyer will become the owner of a gated compound with a main house, guest house and outdoor pavilion with kitchen. The Noel Jeffrey-designed main house has features such as a Lalique fireplace, a circular 'meditation room' and water views from every room. The 10-bedroom, 15-bathroom property was built in 1989 by John Rosatti, a Brooklyn car dealer with rumored mob connections. According to Curbed, inspectors found he excavated tidal wetlands then filled them with landfill in order to extend the property.He sold the property to Anissimova in 1996 for $3.7 million before the resulting lawsuit settled and she set about renovating it. Looking more Miami than New York, the property is all white stone and sharp edges. According to the New York Daily News, Anissimova bought the neighboring property and tore it down, then built the Noel Jeffret-designed 8,200-square-foot guest house. Jeffrey also remodelled the main house. Galina Anissimova's broker James Cornell of The Corcoran Group said she has probably spent more than $30 million on renovations. Fortress: The compound sits behind electronic gates in the Mill Basin area of Brooklyn . 'It’s perfect,' Cornell told the New York Daily News. 'It’s the highest quality everything I’ve ever seen in 24 years in the business.' The hotel-like interior spaces are in shades of cream and beige, with marble floors and bright white shiny ceilings.Vasily Anisimov made his fortune in aluminum and iron ore then diversified into real estate development. According to the Wall Street Journal, Anissimova is selling the Brooklyn property in the largely Russian enclave of Mill Basin because she spends most of her time in Florida - a locale the compound would look right at home in - and plans to buy a smaller apartment in Manhattan. Galina Anissimova's daughter, Anna Anissimova, has been called 'the Russian Paris Hilton.' Last year, she listed an apartment in Manhattan for sale for $50 million but eventually took it off the market. She may be able to spare her mother a room in the meantime. | The most expensive Brooklyn property ever is up for sale .
The $30 million compound is in the Mill Basin area .
It's owned by Galina Anissimova, ex-wife of Russian billionaire Vasily Anisimov . |
0757ab4eef03760513889364c734220da8284e81 | Warren Gatland accepts that Wales need to 'get across the line' in their pursuit of a major rugby prize that has eluded them for six years. Not since November 2008 and the 11th game of head coach Gatland's current 82-Test reign have Wales floored a southern hemisphere heavyweight. On that occasion it was Saturday's opening autumn Test opponents Australia, beaten 21-18 just eight months after Wales were crowned RBS 6 Nations champions in Grand Slam fashion. Wales celebrate after beating Australia in November 2008 - their last win over southern hemisphere opposition . Five of nine subsequent defeats against the Wallabies have been by four points or less, while they twice lost by a point to South Africa during the same period. 'We are pretty aware we have been knocking on the door and put ourselves in situations - perhaps not against the All Blacks, but definitely against South Africa and Australia - on a number of occasions to win games,' Gatland said. 'We had a pretty honest debrief when we first came in (to prepare for the autumn series). 'We looked at the second Test in South Africa (Wales lost 31-10 in Nelspruit five months ago) and hopefully the things we can learn from, make sure that learning takes place and we are a bit more clinical when we get that opportunity again, if it does arise. Head coach Warren Gatland is desperate for Wales to break their southern hemisphere hoodoo . 'Once you do it the first time, it becomes easier the second and the third time. We have been knocking at the door, but we've got to get through it and get across the line and nail one of those victories.' This weekend's clash is given added emphasis by the fact that Wales and Australia will lock horns during next year's Rugby World Cup in a fearsome pool that also includes highly-fancied host nation England and often-dangerous Fiji. The Wallabies have arrived with a new coach - former Leinster supremo Michael Cheika - and found themselves dodging fall-out from Kurtley Beale's recent brush with Australian rugby authorities that earned the full-back a five-figure fine. 'A lot of people have been talking about what's happened with Kurtley Beale and those sort of things, and does that make them more vulnerable?' Gatland added. 'With Australians, it makes them stronger. Kurtley Beale (centre) has been omitted from the Australia squad for disciplinary reasons . 'They thrive on any adversity and any criticism, and we are expecting a really tough game on Saturday. 'I have got a massive amount of respect for what Michael (Cheika) has achieved. He is the only coach who has won a European Cup and a Super Rugby title. 'What he did with Leinster was incredibly impressive, and what he has done with New South Wales in terms of turning them around in a pretty short time. 'I think by his own admission it is going to take a little bit of time, but having watched him and seen him operate, it won't be that long. 'He plays a really positive brand of rugby, he gets his point across pretty succinctly and he is pretty honest with the players, and they appreciate that. 'In 10 months' time, when they turn up for the World Cup, I think they will be a real outfit to contend with.' Michael Cheika (left) has taken on the Australia job with a brilliant C.V. behind him . Starting on Saturday, Wales will play 12 Tests before their World Cup opener against Uruguay next September, and Gatland has made no attempt to hide the fact that rugby's global spectacular tops his agenda. 'We've really looked at the long-term plan in terms of this campaign, the Six Nations and the World Cup,' he said. 'We have run things a little differently in this campaign and we will in the Six Nations, almost like World Cup camps in terms of long-term preparation and planning. 'It is something I think we have been pretty bold and courageous to do. Our whole focus in the next 12 months has to be getting out of our group in the World Cup. That has to be our primary focus. Jamie Roberts (centre) trains at the Millennium Stadium ahead of Saturday's clash against Australia . 'Although we want to do exceptionally well in the autumn and in the Six Nations - and those are important games for us in making sure we perform well - the long-term objective is getting out of that group and making the (World Cup) quarter-finals.' Gatland, meanwhile, has confirmed that all of Wales' France-based players - Leigh Halfpenny, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, Mike Phillips and Luke Charteris - will be available for the autumn finale against South Africa on November 29. Lock Charteris has been released back to Racing Metro this week after a deal was done with the Paris-based Top 14 club that will see them reciprocate in terms of the Springboks clash. | Wales play Australia at Cardiff in their opening autumn international .
Wales have not beaten southern hemisphere opposition since 2008 .
Warren Gatland admits he is desperate to break hoodoo before World Cup . |
07580b633a293e3153f3af5c0ff92bb312684ee7 | (CNN) -- A single phone call by Osama bin Laden's trusted courier tipped off U.S. officials to his Pakistan compound, ultimately leading to the raid that killed the al Qaeda leader, a senior Pakistani intelligence official told CNN Saturday. The telephone call the courier made was "not the final one -- it was the initial piece of evidence" that sparked the focus on the compound in Abbottabad, the official said. Four years ago, U.S. officials uncovered the identity of a trusted bin Laden courier -- later identified as a Kuwaiti named Abu Ahmad -- whom they believed was living with and protecting the al Qaeda leader. The Washington Post, citing U.S. intelligence officials, reported Friday that Americans had intercepted a "catch-up phone call" Ahmad took from an old friend. "This is where you start the movie about the hunt for bin Laden," one U.S. official briefed on the intelligence-gathering leading up to the early Monday raid on the compound told the Washington Post. The Pakistani official told CNN the phone call was made by the courier, though he didn't know when. The courier and his brother were among those killed in Monday's raid. In recent days, the materials taken from bin Laden's compound continued to yield a trove of intelligence, including details about a possible attack on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. At a briefing Saturday focusing on the intelligence aspects of the raid, U.S. officials released five videos showing the al Qaeda leader. They were seized at his compound. One video looks like a home movie, a portrait of a graying man watching television, but it is an image that suggests how conscious bin Laden was of his image. The other videos showed him in more formal attire, making remarks, but U.S. officials removed the audio in all five videos. As early as February 2010, al Qaeda members discussed a plan to derail trains in the United States by placing obstructions on tracks over bridges and valleys, the alert said, according to one law enforcement official. The plan was to be executed later this year, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, though no specific rail system was identified, the official said. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed a notice was sent to federal, state, local and tribal authorities. "We have no information of any imminent terrorist threat to the U.S. rail sector, but wanted to make sure our partners are aware of the alleged plotting. It is unclear if any further planning has been conducted since February of last year," spokesman Matt Chandler said. Rail agencies across the United States heightened security. A U.S. official said that "valuable information has been gleaned already" from the information gathered at bin Laden's compound, though no specific plots or terrorist suspects were identified. But the material suggests that al Qaeda was particularly interested in striking Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, according to the law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity. U.S. authorities have found that al Qaeda appeared especially interested in striking on significant dates like July 4, Christmas and the opening day of the United Nations. The material seized from the compound included audio and video equipment, suggesting bin Laden may have taped messages there, a U.S. official said. Ten hard drives, five computers and more than 100 storage devices, such as disks and thumb drives, were also found, a senior U.S. official told CNN. Dozens of people in Abbottabad have been arrested because of their suspected connections to the compound where Osama bin Laden was shot and killed, a Pakistani intelligence official said Friday. Investigators want to know whether any of the people are al Qaeda members or sympathizers. The United States and Pakistan have been allies for years in the anti-terrorism effort, but U.S. concerns that Pakistanis haven't been robust enough in the fight against Islamic militants and suspected U.S. drone attacks that killed innocent civilians have heightened tensions. Another suspected drone strike killed 12 suspected militants on Friday in the Pakistani tribal region. Questions remain over why and how Pakistani intelligence officials could not have known bin Laden was hiding out in the city, which is home to a military academy and has a strong military presence. Pakistani armed forces chiefs issued a statement Thursday admitting "shortcomings in developing intelligence" on the terrorist leader's presence in the country. The army chief of staff, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, "made it very clear that any similar action, violating the sovereignty of Pakistan, will warrant a review on the level of military/intelligence cooperation with the United States," the statement said. Since the raid, Pakistan has ordered U.S. military personnel on its territory drawn down to the "minimum essential" level, the statement said. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh contributed to this report . | NEW: U.S. officials release five edited videos found at bin Laden's compound .
Phone call was the "initial piece of evidence" leading to compound, Pakistani official says .
The phone call was made to an old friend by bin Laden's courier, Post reports .
Time of the phone call is unclear . |
0758f6859285b8aa78d5940838a94e8ce10d2c0b | (CNN) -- When a marriage ends up in court it usually means the end -- but for Todd Rogers it was just the beginning. For an Olympic gold medalist and a former world champion, looking for the perfect partner on the beach volleyball court is what life is all about. The 39-year-old was a single man following the breakdown of his seven-year partnership with Phil Dalhausser -- a relationship which had catapulted both men to the very top. Now he's bouncing back after offering his own version of marriage guidance. "The only way I can equate it to your average fan is that it's actually similar to a marriage," Rogers told CNN's Human to Hero series. "The top teams literally get together, they call each other 'Hey, would you like to play?' and that's kind of like the first date. "You ask them on a first date. Then you're meeting and going down to the beach and practicing and every one of those is like a date and a second date and third date. "When you get to nine or 10 dates, then you say, 'OK, looks pretty good. I like what I'm seeing.' "Then you move forward and the season comes along near the summer and every time you go out there you have the stuff that you would literally have in a marriage." Baseball beginnings . Rogers was a volleyball divorcee when he met current partner Ryan Doherty -- a man 11 years his junior and without any real experience at the top level. His successful partnership with Dalhausser had come to its natural end but a new adventure was waiting just around the corner in the shape of Doherty. At seven feet tall, Doherty is not far off the height of the net, which stands at eight feet, giving him a major weapon over his rivals. For Doherty, volleyball has given him another chance of a sporting career after his original dreams of playing major league baseball ended in failure. A minor league player for a team affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization for three years, Doherty had hoped to become a professional only to be released from his contract. Struggling for work and suffering under the collapse of his baseball career, Doherty traveled to North Carolina to visit a friend, who would go on to introduce him to beach volleyball. "He was living really close to the beach and we found a beach volleyball court and decided 'Oh, we should try this, we should try to learn' and I just fell in love," he said. "I played every day and I got beat by high school girls when I was like 25-years-old and it was really embarrassing but still it was a great time and I loved it. "So after I finished my degree I decided to move out to California and see if I could play this game every day." New dream . It proved an inspired decision as Doherty went from strength to strength before pairing up with Rogers -- a move which he believes has given him another crack at becoming a top sportsmen. "I would consider myself one of the luckiest guys you can imagine being able to play one sport professionally, two is pretty jaw dropping for me," Doherty added. "I really lucked out. I don't know what I did in a previous life but I want to thank that guy. Playing professional baseball was my dream. It was my whole life. "I wanted to do that and when it was over I was really depressed. I was really bummed because I loved that lifestyle. "Then I was lucky enough to just fall into a lifestyle that's every bit as fun, challenging and motivating as being a professional baseball player." So when Rogers and Dalhausser parted ways at the end of 2012 following a seven year partnership, Doherty saw his chance. It was Rogers who got in contact with Doherty after seeing a raw and talented player impress while competing alongside fellow professional Casey Patterson. Professional partnership . Rogers had already faced Patterson and Doherty on two occasions and once his relationship with Dalhausser looked set to end, the experienced Olympian made the call. "Playing with Todd has been pretty much a dream come true for me," said Doherty. "I watched every match he's played online well before I was a professional when I first found the sport. One of the most motivating things I've ever seen was Todd and his former partner winning the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. "It was amazing to me. I was rooting and cheering and screaming at my TV and I also know that the nickname 'Professor' is very well deserved. "He has a really good understanding of how things work and why they happen the way they do, so just as a new guy who's trying to learn and trying to get better at the sport, I couldn't have lucked into anything better. "This has been a really great experience for me so far." Rogers is also enjoying his new "marriage" and even jokes about Doherty being his "wife." But while the two like to jest off the court, on it, they remain very much focused with Rogers determined to help his partner become one of the most exciting talents on the circuit. "Ryan's very tall, he's very raw in the game but he has a tremendous amount of potential," said Rogers. "But really the number one thing to me is that he's a good guy that I enjoy hanging out with and chatting with. "You're on the court for 10 to 15 hours a week with someone but you're hanging out with them for 100 hours, maybe even more if you consider sleeping in the same room the whole time. If you're not getting along off the court I think it's real tough." Olympic glory . While the prospect of the pair competing at Rio in 2016 is a slim one, Rogers is not giving up on making it to Brazil just yet. He remains supremely fit and agile and with Doherty at his side, anything is possible. "The highlight was winning the Olympic gold medal in Beijing," he said. "I don't think you can get any better than that although there are some other ones that are high on my list like winning in my home town for the first time in Santa Barbara, California. "Then there was winning the World Championships in Switzerland in 2007 but the Olympics is once every four years. "There's only been five Olympics for beach volleyball and to be part of that elite group which can claim a victory at it, the greatest sporting event in the world really, is a really cool honor for me. "Ryan is only 29 so I definitely would hope that he's be going to Rio, if I'm his partner and it works out that way -- great. "Right now I tend to think more of a year at a time and if Rio happens for me great, but if nothing else I can watch Ryan playing in Rio and hopefully in 2020 as well." | Todd Rogers and Ryan Doherty are U.S. beach volleyball stars .
Rogers has won Olympic gold and a World Championship .
Doherty is former baseball player who has taken up beach volleyball .
The pair could compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio . |
075a0fd896c4d9ba135d55372ef419f41a682138 | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Leah Simpson . PUBLISHED: . 14:37 EST, 8 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:52 EST, 9 July 2012 . Usher's 11-year-old stepson 'has been declared brain dead by doctors' following a jet ski accident yesterday. TMZ reports that Kyle Glover, the son of Usher's ex-wife Tameka 'has not experienced any brain activity' since he was admitted to hospital. According to the website, a decision has yet to be made whether to take Kyle off life support. Trauma: The 11-year-old stepson of Usher pictured with wife Tameka back . in 2008, has been declared 'brain dead' by doctors after a jet ski . accident . Critical: The child was taken to the Children's Healthcare unit at Egelston Hospital in Atlanta . Usher is reported to have arrived at the hospital last night to join his former wife at her son's bedside. Tameka has spoken to Radaronline since the accident, telling the website that her son is not doing well. 'He’s bad,' she said. The mother-of-five also posted a message on her Facebook page thanking friends and fans for their support. 'Kyle, You are strong.. You'll be saved I know it. I love you my baby. I need all #Prayers for my son! thanks you everybody!' she wrote. Scene of tragedy: Kyle was enjoying himself at Lake Lanier in Georgia, his father Ryan lives in Atlanta . The schoolboy was struck in the head by a 38-year-old man riding a jet ski as he rode an inner tube towed by a speedboat on Lake Lanier in Atlanta, Georgia. He was unresponsive when he was rescued from the water. A 15-year-old female companion is also reported to have been struck. The accident is now being investigated, with the Department of Natural Resource in Atlanta launching an inquiry. They plan to recreate the incident to help determine what happened. The . Wildlife Resources Division department's Critical Incident Response . Team will use special computer programs to help them determine how fast . the boats were going at the time of the accident. Critical: Usher, pictured with Tameka back in 2008, with three of his stepsons, including Kyle who is is said to be carrying . Robin . Hill, a representative for the organisation confirmed that rangers have . been in touch with the driver of the jet ski and remain in contact with . him. They will hand their recommendation over to the district attorney who can then decide whether or not to file charges, once the department has completed their investigation. Usher, 33, split from Tameka back in 2009 with their divorce finalised later that year. The superstar singer is said to have chartered a plane for Tameka, who was out of town, to be at her son's bedside at the Children's Healthcare at Egelston Hospital yesterday. Tameka, who has two children by the singer, Usher Raymond VI, four and three-year-old Naviyd Ely Raymond, was reported by TMZ sources to be 'extremely thankful' for the gesture and 'rushed immediately to be with her son.' Kyle is one of two sons Tameka had by Atlanta clothier Ryan Glover. She gave birth to her first son as a teenager. Showbiz roundup! Angie's Bosnia honours, Nolan's walk of fame & Borgnine remembered... | Usher chartered a plane to transport mother Tameka to Kyle's bedside .
Struck on the head by passing jet-ski while he was riding an inner tube on Lake Lanier .
He has not experienced any 'brain activity' since the accident . |
075a381f9e797796d0749f0747fa494979bbc62c | A teenager told authorities that her mother killed two siblings and forced her to put one of the bodies in the freezer of their Detroit home where both were found by an eviction crew. Details of death and extreme abuse emerged Thursday as Mitchelle Blair appeared in court, two days after the bodies of a 9-year-old son, Stephen Berry, and 13-year-old daughter, Stoni Blair, were discovered. Blair, 35, is charged with child abuse, but she could face murder charges when the bodies thaw and autopsies are performed, prosecutors said. Bond was set at $1 million. Scroll down for video . Mitchelle Blair stands during her video arraignment on Thursday. Her daughter told authorities that her mother killed two siblings and forced her to put one of the bodies in the freezer of their Detroit home where both were found by an eviction crew . Details of death and extreme abuse emerged Thursday as Mitchelle Blair appeared in court, two days after the bodies of a 9-year-old son, Stephen Berry, and 13-year-old daughter, Stoni Blair, were discovered . Daughter: Blair's daughter, Stoni Ann Blair, is seen with her father Alexander Dorsey. Stoni would have been 15 now, if alive. Her sister claimed Blair killed Stoni by strangling her with a T-shirt and suffocated her with a plastic bag . Court officers serving an eviction notice at Blair's home opened the freezer and found the bodies of her daughter Stoni Ann Blair and her son Stephen Gage Berry . An attorney hasn't been assigned. The Michigan Department of Human Services is taking steps to end Blair's rights to two other children, a 17-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son. In a court filing, the state said the teen described a house of horror, where she and her surviving brother were beaten with an extension cord and piece of wood, hit with a hot curling iron and burned with a clothing iron. 'Blair tortured Stephen for approximately two weeks prior to his death by tying a belt around his neck, throwing hot water on him while in the shower and putting a plastic bag over his head,' the state said, quoting the 17-year-old. In a court filing, the state said the teen described a house of horror, where she and her surviving brother were beaten with an extension cord and piece of wood, hit with a hot curling iron and burned with a clothing iron . A woman walks past notes left on the door at at the family's home on Wednesday . Stephen was 'unresponsive' on Aug. 30, 2012, and Blair wrapped his body in bed linen and put him in the freezer, the state said. Nine months later, Blair became 'enraged' when Stoni said she didn't like her surviving siblings and strangled the girl with a T-shirt and suffocated her with a plastic bag, the department said. Blair then made the teen 'put Stoni in the deep freezer following her death,' the agency said. The 8-year-old boy also was aware that his sister and brother were killed and subsequently placed in the freezer, the department said. Medical exams revealed evidence of abuse, including numerous scars, on the children. Toni Williams, 28, left, and Natasha Bell, 30, leave balloons at the house on Wednesday . The teenager said neither she nor her siblings have attended school for two years. Earlier Thursday, Blair appeared in court on child abuse charges via a video feed from a police lockup. Magistrate Renee McDuffee entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf. 'The charges in this matter are so heinous,' McDuffee said in explaining the $1 million bond. The state said it investigated allegations of abuse in 2002 and 2005. Blair was referred to counseling. The state said the two fathers of Blair's surviving children are unfit to care for them. Together they owe $50,000 in child support and haven't seen the kids in two to three years. Neighbors say Blair has lived in the complex at least 10 years. She was unemployed and having money troubles, and she had gotten behind on her rent. Neighbors said they knew about the impending eviction. Court records show a judgment filed last month against her for $2,206 owed to the complex. 'While we all understand the desire to know what happened in that home is strong, I will ask you to be mindful of the two children who were also in that home and are still living,' Detroit Police Chief James Craig told reporters Wednesday. 'They've been through a lot, a tremendous trauma.' | Mitchelle Blair appeared in court, two days after the bodies of a 9-year-old son, Stephen Berry, and 13-year-old daughter, Stoni Blair, were found .
Blair, 35, is charged with child abuse, but she could face murder charges when the bodies thaw and autopsies are performed, prosecutors said .
Bond was set at $1 million .
17-year-old said Stephen was tortured for approximately two weeks prior to his death by tying a belt around his neck, throwing hot water on him while in the shower and putting a plastic bag over his head'
Claimed mother killed Stoni by strangling her with a T-shirt and suffocated her with a plastic bag . |
075a466b54e5be21db38ea1675f2323373da06af | By . Harriet Arkell . Nicola Hicks, 42, was told she wasn't allowed to buy more than three packs of steak from her local Morrisons supermarket in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire . A mother who wanted to buy four packets of steak for a family dinner was told she was only allowed buy three by a supermarket cashier. Nicola Hicks, 42, of Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, was astonished when the woman on the checkout at her local Morrisons in Hoddesdon held back one of the packets and called over her supervisor. The supervisor agreed that four packets was too many, and only allowed Mrs Hicks to buy three packets. When Mrs Hicks' mother-in-law, who was with her, tried to buy one pack separately, she was refused. Mrs Hicks, a mother of three, said that at first, she didn't understand why the cashier would only scan three of the two-packs of steak. She said: 'The lady on the till scanned three and then said she had to call the supervisor. I had no idea why, and asked if there was a problem. 'She said "I can't let you buy this last packet", and when she called her supervisor over, she agreed. 'I said "Why on earth not - it's not alcohol, it's not medicine, it's only steak", but they just refused, saying there wouldn't be enough left for anyone else. 'I just couldn't believe what was happening - there was plenty left behind on the shelves, and no signs saying that it was on special offer so you could only buy a few. 'Everyone in the queue behind me was absolutely gobsmacked.' Mrs Hicks, who works in pharmaceuticals sales, argued her case with supermarket staff for quarter of an hour before realising she was not going to win. As she left, another customer offered to buy the steak for her surreptitiously. Mrs Hicks said: 'That was the only way I could buy enough meat to feed my family - giving another customer some money and getting them to buy the steak for me. 'I found it disgusting that it's a local store and I couldn't buy enough meat for a family Sunday dinner.'She wanted to buy four packs of two steaks to feed herself, her husband, her three children and her parents on Sunday night. Steak: The mother of three said she felt 'humiliated' by her encounter with two members of staff at Morrisons . A Morrisons spokesman blamed the problem on computer error, but Mrs Hicks says no-one has contacted her . A spokesman for Morrisons said the meat had been on special offer the day before, which meant sales were limited. They said: 'We are very sorry that Mrs Hicks was unable to purchase the steak she wanted. 'There had been a system fault on our part that meant that the products couldn’t be processed through the till. 'We are very keen to work with her to make sure that she is still happy to shop with us in the future.' But Mrs Hicks said: 'I was humiliated when I was in the right. I wasn't trying to buy alcohol or pills, just steak. 'They say it was computer error but if that were the case, they would have allowed my mother-in-law to buy the steak. And to make matters worse, I still haven't heard a thing from Morrisons.' | Nicola Hicks, 42, wanted to buy four two-packs of meat for a family dinner .
But cashier at Morrisons in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, only scanned three .
Her supervisor told Mrs Hicks she had to leave some steak for other people .
The mother of three said the meat wasn't on special offer or running out .
In the end she gave another customer money to buy the fourth pack for her .
Mrs Hicks said: 'I felt so humiliated. I wasn't trying to buy pills, just steak'
Supermarket blames computer but still hasn't said sorry to Mrs Hicks . |
075ac0b564098ded1f1a3a93e8cf471bdc6defe9 | At £50 per head, it's not the most expensive of meals, and even comes with a cocktail. But if Lady Luck smiles on them, customers at the world's first pay-by-poker restaurant could walk away with paying just a fraction of the price... or even get their three-course gourmet feast for free. All-In Kitchen, which will be opening in Haggerston, London, will see diners' success at the poker table determine how much they pay for their meal. All-In Kitchen is the world's first pay-by poker restaurant opens between January 19 to 21 . The pop-up - a collaboration between PokerStars and Jones & Son restaurant - will be open from January 19-21, with plans to roll out the experience nationwide. Customers will be able to choose from a poker-inspired menu, exclusively curated by Jones & Sons. The gourmet offerings will feature Royal Flush of King Crab Thermidor; Queen Scallops accompanied by salt-baked swede and bacon marmalade; four-of-a-kind lamb chops, rump, kidney and shoulder with rosemary jus and two-pair of pear tarte tatin, pear caramel and ice cream for dessert. Ordinarily, the cost of this meal, including the bespoke poker-inspired cocktail, is about £50 per head. Diners could find their dinner is on the house by playing 10,000 chips at the pop-up . The partnership was conceived to celebrate the 2015 UK and Ireland Poker Tour's (UKIPT) London kick off . But diners could be paying a maximum of £10 for the entire feast by booking at seat at the felt and playing an action-packed three hands of poker, perfect for sharks and novices alike. Play 10,000 chips and above, and dinner will be on the house. Those playing between 5,000 to 10,000 chips will have a small £5 fee to pay . Those with less than 5,000 chips will still bag a bargain, with the the three-course gourmet feast totalling to £10. Those who want to simply soak up the experience are welcome as well, although they will have to pay the full price for their dinner. Andy Jones, Founder of Jones & Sons, said: 'I love food and never shy away from the tables when I get the chance, so having the opportunity to create a menu that combines two of my favourite things was something I jumped at. 'Embracing Poker within the dishes was a lot of fun and some of the dishes that hit the cutting room floor were a bit out there, but I can't wait to see the results and serve up some Aces.' The partnership was conceived to celebrate the 2015 UK and Ireland Poker Tour's (UKIPT) London kick off. There are plans to roll out the experience nationwide across each stop of the PokerStars UKIPT. Guest are able to book their place at the restaurant at www.billetto.co.uk/all-in-kitchen. | All-In Kitchen is a collaboration between PokerStars and Jones & Son .
Pop-up opens from 19 to 21 January in Haggerston, east London .
Partnership to celebrate the 2015 UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) |
075b2a1e78f6493ebba2ae92bbdf5289f6e1f43a | (CNN)An early blast of cold air will leave more than half of the United States shivering into the weekend. About 200 million people will be affected by the severe cold, CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri said. The unseasonably cold temperatures associated with an arctic air mass will continue to surge southward through the central United States. Temperatures are forecast to be 20 to 40 degrees below climate average for areas east of the Rockies into the Great Plains. The cold air will move toward the South by Wednesday morning, bringing freezing temperatures as far south as Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. It will reach the East Coast by Thursday, forecasters said. "Early season cold outbreak will drift south and eastward across much of the eastern half of the country over the next several days," the National Weather Service said in a statement. By the time the weekend hits, hardly anyone in the eastern two-thirds of the nation will be spared. "The next 10 days over the entire eastern half of the country will be below normal," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said Tuesday. In Wyoming, the wind chill is expected to be between 25 to 35 below zero. Experts warned residents not to stay outside for prolonged periods, and urged farmers to move livestock into a barn. "The cold spell is about zero degrees, and we will get subzero overnight," said Mayor Rick Kaysen of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Residents flocked to grocery stores to stock up as they anticipated a hiatus from the outdoors. "People are hunkered down at home, maybe sitting around the fireplace," Kaysen said. "This is not unusual for us, except that maybe it is early on in the season. We have experience with it. There was advance information coming in regard of the intensity of the storm and what to expect." In Minnesota, though tempered by years of long brutal winters, this snap came a little too soon. "This is the first snow I've seen this season, and it's a major snowstorm, rather than the usual light dusting you'd expect to start off the winter with," said Katie Robinson of St. Paul. "I think that's the biggest thing -- that we went from a very warm and mild fall to now being thrust so abruptly into winter." In Montana, temperatures plummeted as bitterly cold winds rushed down the front range of the Rocky Mountains. In Billings, Wednesday will bring overnight lows below zero and daytime highs in the single digits. With overnight temperatures plunging close to record lows, downtown Billings, the heart of Montana's largest city, was empty. Those who did venture out in the cold said they were ready. "We just watched the alerts, and when they say it's going to be cold, we just bundle up," resident Tessa Rogers said. The cold snap will bring lows in the teens and single digits into Iowa, Kansas and Colorado this week but also spread freezing temperatures as far south as Texas. A hard freeze warning extends to just north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The frosty blast will move across the rest of the United States, but it will not be as harsh as in the Midwest. Atlanta and Birmingham, Alabama, are expecting daytime high temperatures in the mid-40s on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. A normal high this time of year is 64. Residents in the northern United States can thank Super Typhoon Nuri for the mess. It is the strongest post-tropical cyclone on record in the North Pacific, the National Weather Service said. The storm system plowed into all that arctic cold air in Alaska and northern Canada, forcing it south. Things will get warmer over the weekend, but it won't stay that way, forecasters say. Another arctic blast is on the way for next week. CNN's Gary Tuchman contributed to this report. | By the weekend, the eastern two-thirds of the nation will be affected .
In Wyoming, the wind chill is expected to be between 25 to 35 below zero .
Farmers urged to move livestock into a barn . |
075b9f635bcd96346886d6e6d8e626af4f223ce6 | By . Alexandra Klausner . A wave of sheep mutilations in Port Lavaca, TX over the past . few months lead some residents and UFO groups to believe the killers may be . from another planet. Wayne and Karen Daggs lost 21 of their Barbados Sheep since July . and lost their last two less than a week ago. At first Daggs thought that . people were stealing the sheep for food, but the surgical precision and the graphic . nature of the mutilations led him to believe otherwise. The mutilations piqued the curiosity of Charles Stansburge, . a popular member of the Mutual UFO Network, after he’d read an article about the . killings in an Advocate article published in the Houston Chronicle. WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS . A dead female mutilated Barbados sheep shown here is one of the 21 missing or killed sheep on the Daggs farm . Stansburge, the organization’s section director, traveled . from Rosenberg to Daggs' residence to launch an investigation on Tuesday. He . plans to help the Calhoun County Sheriff’s department solve the puzzle. Fletcher Grey, a senior field investigator of the Mutual UFO . Network planned to arrive on Wednesday to help Stansburge with the . investigation. Police investigators believe the incidents may be related to . satanic worship. ‘I can't think of a reason aside from rituals or malicious . mischievousness for the mutilations,’ Calhoun County investigator Bobbie . Vickery told the Victoria Advocate. Recently, Daggs has been losing an animal every five days . and usually a few at a time. ‘At first I . lost four little ones,’ said Daggs. A little over a week ago a male sheep was found by the pond . castrated. His cause of death is unknown. Precisely removed sheep testicles are found laying in the grass at the Dagg's farm . After three female sheep went missing, Daggs found two of . them. ‘One of them was found in the pond, stabbed behind the ear. Another had . had its female sexual organs removed.’ The organs sat next to the dead sheep. The removal of the organs looked very surgical to Daggs and . it was curious to him as to why no trace of evidence was found next to any of . the sheep. ‘It doesn't look like a coyote got at them,’ he says. ‘I think that . a person is doing this.’ Also, as to how someone stole the sheep from the property . was perplexing. Barbados sheep weigh 60 to 75 pounds, not an easy weight to stealthily . carry off property, Daggs says. ‘It's not just kids. Whoever is doing this knows what they . are doing,’ Daggs continued. laser-like incisions, no traces of blood, and absence of tracks are characteristics of . the mutilations that Stansburge has investigated. Stansburge has not . commented on what he believes is killing and stealing the sheep. His findings . are confidential. Charles Stansburge, a member of the Mutual UFO Network, is helping the police department investigate the mutilation . ‘It's an ongoing . investigation so I can't talk too much about it,’ said Stansburge. ‘We need to . find out what is getting in the property.’ ‘It could be a man, a wolf, an E.T. or anything,’ he continued. ‘We're trying to lean towards earthly things.’ In the early 1900s a similar mutilation was discovered. A . horse was found dead with no traces of blood and nothing but the bone above the . neck, Stansburge said. An examination of the horse showed that its nervous system . had been removed with what looked like a laser. A bag with unknown metal tools that could have been a ‘laser . gun’ was found 50 feet away from the horse. WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTO . A castrated male sheep is mysteriously dead with no trace of evidence as to how it was killed . According to Stransburge, Alien races have inhabited or . visited the Earth for hundreds of thousands of years. Calhoun County Sherriff George Aleman believes a human is . behind the killings. ‘It wasn't a wild animal, which would tear the meat,’ Aleman says. ‘This was too clean to be an animal. Whoever did this knew what . they were doing.’ Wayne Daggs worked in law enforcement for 23 years,18 . of those years as a constable with Calhoun County Precicnt 4. Since retiring, . he has tended to his animals. He is starting to believe he may have offended someone and that . someone is seeking revenge by stealing his animals. ‘I worked hard to not make enemies . while I was on the job,’ Daggs said. He had an emotional connection to the animals and deeply . mourns their loss. ‘It hurts me severely,’ he said. Daggs puts the cost of the animals he has lost at around . $1,250, and the investigation is being treated by the county as a case of theft . of livestock and mutilation. Aleman mentioned that there was a group of self-proclaimed . satanic worshipers in the area in the late 70’s who were responsible for . cattle mutilations. However, Aleman doesn’t think that group is linked to these killings. ‘This could be someone who has nothing else to do but hurt animals for kicks,’ he says. The Calhoun County Sheriff's Department is offering $2,500 . for information regarding the sheep mutilations. They are asking that anyone in . the area who has had animals go missing or killed should contact law enforcement officials as soon . as possible. Barbados Sheep, like the one's pictured here, weigh 60 to 70 pounds and would be difficult to forcibly remove from the Daggs' property . | Mutual UFO Network helps law enforcement investigate the precise mutilations of 21 sheep .
‘This was too clean to be an animal. Whoever did this knew what .
they were doing,’ said a sheriff . |
075baa16014a67a82a84cdb1022b5570fcdee81f | An awful 146-word term paper littered with grammatical errors that is barely even readable has become a potent visual symbol of the University of North Carolina's fake classes scandal. The one-paragraph essay on civil rights icon Rosa Parks earned an A- and was exposed by former UNC professor Mary Willingham, who spent 10 years teaching UNC's athletes before she turned whistleblower on alleged classroom corruption. The shocking essay came to light during an ESPN documentary timed to coincide with the March Madness basketball competition. It contains allegations that UNC athletes in danger of failing were encouraged to sign up for fake tutor groups designed to let students pass. Scroll Down for a Video: . Allegations of academic fraud: This is Mary Willingham a former student adviser at UNC who has claimed that many athletic students at the college were unable to read or write and that fake classes were set up to enable them to play and to graduate . The so-called 'paper classes' were essentially no-show study groups that allowed semi-literate and in some cases, illiterate athletes to pass, thereby boosting their Grade Point Average to meet the NCAA's eligibility requirements. The anonymous essay, titled, 'Rosa Parks: My Story' attempts to recount the important moment on December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, when Parks refused to give her seat up for a white man. However, it fails to even place the event in the past or give any gravitas to the momentous moment in American history. 'Some of these college students could read at a second or third grade level,' Willingham, a UNC academic adviser since 2003 told ESPN. 'Students were taking classes that really didn't exist. They were called independent studies at that time and they just had to write a paper... There was no attendance.' During the course of her ESPN interview, Williams confirmed the existence of 'easy paper classes' and alleged that students were guided to these classes by their academic advisors. 'Their job isn't necessarily to make Deunta Williams a better person, a smarter person,' Williams told ESPN. 'Their job is to make sure I'm eligible to play.' Deunta Williams, played football at UNC from 2007 to 2010 and has admitted to the scam, now says he is ashamed to have been involved with it. Willingham's whistleblowing began in 2011 after she became appalled that UNC, rather than educating its athletes was keeping them from needing to study at all. The paper: This is the essay on Rosa Parks that received an A- that Mary Willingham produced as evidence of apparent academic fraud on an ESPN special timed to coincide with March Madness . She began to release information to journalists about basketball and football stars who read at a grade school level. She confessed herself to steering many young men into lecture classes that simply did not exist. And most galling for her, given UNC's proud history pushing for desegregation, that the courses were in African-American history. Willingham began to feed information about alleged academic fraud to the News & Observer in Raleigh. UNC is heavily invested in the $16 billion business that is college sports but Willingham's revelations threaten that. 'I was part of something that I came to be ashamed of,' said Willingham to Bloomberg News in February. On the evening of December Rosa Parks decided that she was going to sit in the white people section on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. During this time blacks had to give up there seats to whites when more whites got on the bus. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. Her and the bus driver began to talk and the conversation went like this. 'Let me have those front seats' said the driver. She didn’t get up and told the driver that she was tired of giving her seat to white people. 'I’m going to have you arrested,' said the driver. 'You may do that,' Rosa Parks responded. Two white policemen came in and Rosa Parks asked them 'why do you all push us around?' The police officer replied and said 'I don’t know, but the law is the law and you’re under arrest. 'We weren’t serving the kids. We weren’t educating them properly. We were pushing them toward graduation, and that’s not the same as giving them an education.' When she publicly came forward, UNC stripped of her supervisory title and denied the allegations of widespread academic fraud. UNC officials noted in a statement released after the ESPN report aired that little new information was revealed and noted that the university has used the episode as a chance to improve. 'We have instituted numerous reforms, including new governance and accountability standards in our Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes,' Vice Chancellor for Communications and Public Affairs Joel Curran said in the statement. In January senior UNC officials publicly condemned her for suggesting that football and basketball stars couldn’t read well enough to get through college classes honestly. The fake classes were investigated in 2012 and Department head Julius Nyang’oro was listed as the instructor for the classes, although he calender revealed him to be abroad during some of these. He has been charged with a felony for defrauding the university, and is currently fighting the charge in court. Indeed, North Carolina has been in an academic crisis mode for more than three years. Shocking: Mary Willingham said her research of 183 football or basketball players at UNC from 2004-12 found 60 percent reading at fourth- to eighth-grade levels and roughly 10 percent below a third-grade level. An NCAA investigation into the football program in 2010 expanded into a probe of how the nation's first public university provides academic help to athletes. It led to a discovery of fraud in a department with classes featuring significant athlete enrollments. Now, the debate of balancing academics and big-time sports at the university has been reignited by comments from a reading specialist about the reading levels of football and basketball players. 'It really has just been like we've been under siege for the past three years,' said Lissa Lamkin Broome, a banking law professor and UNC's faculty athletic representative in January. 'Now to the extent that we've uncovered problems during this siege, that's a good thing — to find those problems and weed them out and to try to put processes in place to hopefully ensure ... that some of this stuff doesn't happen again.' In a CNN story that aired in January, Willingham said her research of 183 football or basketball players at UNC from 2004-12 found 60 percent reading at fourth- to eighth-grade levels and roughly 10 percent below a third-grade level. She said she worked with one men's basketball player early in her 10-year tenure who couldn't read or write. 'I don't believe it's true,' UNC coach Roy Williams said in January. 'It's totally unfair. I'm really proud of the kids we've brought in here. ... We haven't brought anybody in like that. We've had one senior since I've been here that did not graduate. Allegations: Mary Willingham said she worked with one men's basketball player early in her 10-year tenure who couldn't read or write (Her allegations did not relate to Deunta Williams - who is pictured here in a game gainst the Duke Blue Devils in 2009) 'Anybody can make any statement they want to make but that is not fair. The University of North Carolina doesn't do that. The University of North Carolina doesn't stand for that.' Willingham has said in interviews that she has received death threats and hate mail. UNC police spokesman Randy Young said investigators have contacted her and 'are responding appropriately.' Broome said Willingham had shared her findings previously but hasn't provided data that led to her conclusions. 'If Mary's data uncovers issues that would be helpful to us in our admissions process or in our academic support process, then I want to know about those so we can benefit from whatever work she has done ... in moving forward and doing things better,' Broome said. Admissions director Stephen Farmer, a review group member, said his office won't hesitate to tell coaches no if a recruit can't handle coursework. 'We do not rubber-stamp anyone for admission,' Farmer said. 'We evaluate students for admission and we decide whether the students are capable of succeeding academically at UNC. That's about as plain as I can make it.' The topic of balancing academics and athletics isn't unique to UNC, such as the AP reporting in 2011 that 39 schools had at least 50 percent of football players clustering in one, two or three majors. But the scope of problems here has often left officials sifting through what happened as much as looking ahead. In December, a grand jury indicted Nyang'oro for receiving $12,000 to teach one of the no-show classes in summer 2011, a lecture course that was instead treated as an independent study requiring a paper. The enrollment was 18 football players and one ex-player. | A terrible 146-word term paper on Rosa Parks that received an A from University of North Carolina is released .
Whistleblower Mary Willingham claims that it is just one example of academic fraud at the institution .
Willingham alleges athletes were guided towards fake classes and gifted grades to comply with NCAA guidlines .
UNC denies academic fraud is widespread and claims that only one professor - who has been suspended - was responsible . |
075e071c6241e2b0ea7a1a7ecab1a32d7cd1a4e2 | Every November, millions of men globally grow mustaches to raise awareness of men's health. And this year, one woman did not want to miss out - despite being unable to grow facial hair. Photographer Van Lokey-Saltzman, from Dallas, Texas, is transforming herself into an array of mustached men for Movember 2014 with the help of black face paint, hair gel, props and an iPhone. Stunning: Photographer Van Lokey-Saltzman, from Dallas, is transforming herself into an array of mustached men (including this one, pictured) for Movember with the help of black face paint, hair gel and some props . Dressed to impress: Every day, she selects a mustache from her collection of more than 50 - from big and bushy to thin and straight (pictured) - before undergoing the lengthy process of making it look realistic . Putting on years in just hours: This involves using face paint to darken the hair, eye liner to define the mustache, other makeup to contour and shade her face and old-fashioned clothes to enhance her character . Manipulation: To complete the look, Lokey plays around with a range of accents and poses, extending her jaw or twisting her head in a particular way (such as in the picture above) to manipulate her appearance . Photographer: She then prepares for the shot - which she takes not using a professional camera, but simply with an iPhone, selfie-style. She later posts her favorite images on Facebook. above, Lokey as herself . Every day, she selects a mustache from her collection of more than 50 - from big and bushy to thin and curled - before undergoing the lengthy process of making it look realistic. This involves using face paint to darken the hair, eye liner to define the mustache, other makeup to contour and shade her face and old-fashioned clothes to enhance her character. To complete the look, Lokey plays around with a range of accents and poses, extending her jaw or twisting her head in a particular way to manipulate her appearance, CNN reported. She then prepares for the shot - which she takes not using a professional camera, but simply with an iPhone, selfie-style. She later posts her favorite images on Facebook. Another creation: 'What started out as a wacky Movember mustache photo project turned into a serious exercise in making me unrecognizable even to myself,' said Lokey, who has a degree in painting and drawing . Posing: 'Eventually my friends were like, "I don't even see you in this photo". And that made me think, "Wow, let me see what I can really do with this",' she added. Above, Lokey poses with a cigarette in her mouth . Well, hello there: Lokey first undertook the project last Movember after discovering some goofy stick-on mustaches lying around. She started putting them on and posting images online, but quickly became bored . Realistic: However, she still liked the idea of posing in mustaches to raise awareness of men's health, so she decided to make it more enjoyable by bringing her characters (such as this bushy-haired gentleman) to life . In addition to using props from her home and twisting her head to do so, she also decided to purchase more realistic-looking mustaches from an online theater shop. Above, this mustache was created with eyeliner . 'What started out as a wacky Movember mustache photo project turned into a serious exercise in making me unrecognizable even to myself,' said Lokey, who has a degree in painting and drawing. 'Eventually my friends were like, "I don't even see you in this photo". And that made me think, "Wow, let me see what I can really do with this".' Lokey first undertook the project last Movember after discovering some goofy stick-on mustaches lying around. She started putting them on and posting images online, but quickly became bored. Old man: Although some of Lokey's characters may look familiar, most of them are not based on real people . Colorful: Instead, they are inspired by pictures the photographer finds online. Above, another character . Looking stern: And despite their incredible appearance, they have not been altered in Photoshop - although Lokey (pictured in another pose) does often add filters and brighten the images using a simple phone app . Big and bushy: 'Even though my pictures are not real, in that I'm trying to be someone else, I try to make sure they're real without altering them too much digitally,' said Lokey, pictured posing with a black pipe . Smiley: The photographer (pictured with her friend in a Facebook photo) spends up to two hours on each look . However, she still liked the idea of posing in mustaches to raise awareness of men's health, so she decided to make it more enjoyable by bringing her characters to life. In addition to using props from her home and twisting her head to do so, she also decided to purchase more realistic-looking mustaches from an online theater shop. Although some of Lokey's mustached-characters may appear familiar, most of them are not based on real people. Instead, they are inspired by pictures the photographer finds online. 'Keeping the fake real is what I'm trying to do. If someone can't recognize me, I have done my job, said Lokey . Handle-bar mustache: The photographer has compiled her favorite characters in a book for her friends . Adapted: These photos show Lokey in a white mustache (left), before adding a filter on a phone app (right) And despite their incredible appearance, they have not been altered in Photoshop - although Lokey does often add filters and brighten the images using a simple phone app. 'Even though my pictures are not real, in that I'm trying to be someone else, I try to make sure they're real without altering them too much digitally,' said Lokey, who spends up to two hours of each look and has compiled her favorite characters in a book for her friends. 'Keeping the fake real is what I'm trying to do. If someone can't recognize me, I have done my job.' | Van Lokey-Saltzman is turning herself into mustached men for Movember .
Each day, she selects mustache from her collection of more than 50 types .
Uses paint to darken hair, eye liner to define it and makeup to shade face .
Then dresses up and pulls expressions, before taking shot with iPhone .
Photos look incredibly realistic - and none are altered using Photoshop . |
075e0eb572789dbbae8ced8d2e79bc3c82090c73 | The female relative who said she was sexually assaulted by accused murderer Lian Bin 'Robert' Xie told court that she didn't want to pursue the allegations. The young woman, who cannot be named, told NSW Supreme Court on Thursday that she believed he was 'completely innocent' of the alleged murders of five members of the Lin Family and didn't want to destroy her relationship with Mr Xie's wife Kathy. Mr Xie is accused of murdering his brother-in-law Min 'Norman' Lin, wife Lily Lin, their young sons Henry and Terry and Lily's sister, Irene Lin with a hammer-like weapon as they slept in the early hours of their North Epping home in Sydney's northwest on July 18, 2009. The woman told court that in the years leading up to the murders, there had been a number of 'uncomfortable' behaviours with Mr Xie, which he inappropriately touched her. Scroll down for video . Lian Bin "Robert" Xie is escorted to a prison transport vehicle as he leaves the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on Wednesday. The man is accused of murdering five members of the Lin family in their North Epping home in Sydney in July 2009 . The court heard the woman texted Mr Xie's solicitor Kara Greiner saying: 'I have information that could potentially change the crown case and destroy part of the defence case.' But following a meeting with Ms Greiner in May, she had a change of mind and told the lawyer she wouldn't pursue the abuse allegations further. 'I still believe Robert is completely innocent,' the young female texted after the meeting. 'I'm still willing to do everything to help him, everything ... I'm always 100 per cent supporting Robert.' But days later, she had a further change of heart after speaking to a close friend and a counsellor. 'I thought, what if he really is guilty (of the murders). He is not someone I would want to live with Kathy,' she told the court. 'Because I didn't have enough evidence to make that judgement I can only tell the court what I know.' It was reported that the young woman came to live with Mr Xie and his wife in their Epping home, before he allegedly began coming into her room at night, according to Sydney Morning Herald. 'I'm a pretty light sleeper so when he came in, I think I woke up ... but I had my eyes closed,' the young woman said. 'He put his hand under my pyjamas and under my underwear and just kept it there for a few moments ... just above my vagina. Then he got up and left.' She said she stayed silent about the abuse because she didn't want to 'crush' Xie's wife Kathy. 'I knew it would destroy my relationship with her.' She said in one incident at Mr Xie's family home, they were sitting on the couch when he began rubbing his hands up and down her thigh. When she stood up, he repeated this action on her torso while taking 'longer breaths'. 'I felt it wasn't very right but I wasn't sure what to think,' she said. After the murders, she told the court that his behaviour intensified. Relatives of the alleged murders of five members of the Lin Family: Yang Fei Lin (right) and Feng Qing Zhu leave the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on Tuesday . Mr Xie is escorted from a prison transport vehicle on his arrival at the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on Tuesday . The first time he allegedly sexually abused her, during one night at his home, she thought she had 'dreamt it'. 'It didn't seem real ... It didn't seem in line with his character,' she said. 'But when it happened again, I knew I wasn't crazy.' The relative continued: 'It would stop for two weeks or three and I would think, 'Oh God, it's over'... but then it would start again.' She said she didn't tell anyone about it at the time. 'I think I just felt really embarrassed,' she explained. The crown has previously alleged Xie's 'sexual desire' for a female relative was one of three motives that drove him to carry out the brutal murders. Mr Xie has pleaded not guilty to all five counts. The trial continues . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | The young woman told court on Thursday that in the years leading up to the murders, there had been a number of 'uncomfortable' behaviours .
After the murders, she told court that his behaviour intensified into regular sexual assaults .
But she told court that she didn't want to pursue the allegations because she believed he was 'completely innocent' of the Lin family murders .
Lian Bin 'Robert' Xie is accused of murdering his brother-in-law and four other members of the Lin Family .
Mr Xie has pleaded not guilty to all five counts but trial continues . |
075eff30bb4534c6df87eca3e4bef0ecad34098c | By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 07:37 EST, 19 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:27 EST, 19 January 2013 . From a perfectly sculpted snowman riding a bicycle to a dog lover taking his Alaskan malamutes for their first ever sledding experience in the unlikely location of Barnes Park in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear - your pics are helping us capture Britain as it is swept by snow. Whether . it be a snow-topped castle, or a blizzard in full force, we are asking . our readers across the UK to send in their best pictures, capturing the . effects of 2013's first cold snap. Readers from all corners of the UK - from Plymouth to Middlesbrough - have already been sending their snow-tinged pictures. If . it is beautiful scenery you have captured or just somebody having fun, . help us share the experience with readers across the country. Are you out frolicking in the snow? Email all your pictures to [email protected] . Going the extra mile: Lizzy Eddy sent in this picture of an impressive sculpture of a snowman riding a bicycle . A sledding trip... in Sunderland! Craig Richards takes his two malamutes - Alaskan sled dogs - for their first ever sled training in Barnes Park, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear . A clever spot of driving: Lauren Haynes captured this romantic picture of two hearts driven into the snow in Brighton . A chilly dip: Members of the Seabrook Seals went for a swim despite the freezing weather today at Fisherman's Walk, Bournemouth, Dorset . Panoramic views: Andrew Cook captured this image of Roseberry Topping from the car park at Newton Under Roseberry . Bird food: Darren Moston managed to capture this lovely image of a cunning bird that appears to be carrying a whole slice of bread in Stocktonheath, Warrington . Moo-ping around: Caroline Warde took this picture of a rather grumpy looking bull in Middleton on Sea . Birds of a feather: A swan rests on top of frozen water in Stocktonheath, Warrington, while a duck struggles in the snow in these pictures captured by Darren Moston . Home sweet home: This couple camp out in an igloo in Winchester cathedral grounds in Hampshire . Artistic: Lenita Burman managed to take these beautiful pictured of ice on the window of her car, left, and her house, right . Bird of prey: A Hungary Kestrel helping itself to the dog's bone in Easington Lane, Tyne & Wear . Delays: Peter Garner took this picture of two trains being held at a red light as heavy snow falls . Alex Gainer took this picture of a red Mario Brothers mushroom, left, and a snowman built in London with the London Eye in the background, right . Writings in the snow: Terry Bouch demonstrates the lazy way to build a snowman . Winter moments: Gemma Charlton snapped this robin in the snow, left, while Emma B submitted this picture of a rabbit enjoying the flurries, right . Quite a gathering: John Rose feeds some very hungry birds at Branston water park, Burton-on-Trent . Deborah Porter took this shot of ice clinging to flowers in Oxon, left, while a couple keep warm in their hot-tub in Worle, Weston-super-Mare, pictured right . Standstill: Trains are covered with at least half a foot of snow in Grosmont, North Yorkshire Moors, near Whitby . Enshrined in white: Wymondham Abbey surrounded by crisp white fields in Wymondham, Norfolk, capture by Jessica Read . The ice queen: One patriotic reader pays tribute to Elizabeth II by building a snowman in her honour, left, while Matt Corah captured this atmospheric shot of a deserted train station in Grosmont, North Yorkshire Moors near Whitby, right . Early riser: Dawn breaks over Lansdown in Bath after heavy snowfall that is predicted to continue over the weekend . Ride of ice: The wheels of this bike have completely frozen in Oxon . Ice-tree: An eerie image of a tree covered in snow, left, while dog Jasper makes a hair-raising leap in the snow in Pebmarsh, Essex, right . That's one way to get around! Boys use a bath to go sledging at Coulsdon memorial ground park, Coulsdon, in Surrey . Treacherous conditions: Pavements are frozen over with ice along St James Park in London . Still going: Public transport was still running in some parts as proved by this picture of a Metropolitan line tube train travelling through Chorleywood, Herts . A very chilled couple: These two snowmen appear delighted with the weather with one even giving a thumbs-up . Breaking dawn: This group got up early to make the most of the weather with a day of Sledging in Llanllyfni, North Wales . Family fun: Numerous sledging enthusiasts headed to Chorleywood Common, Chorleywood, Herts, for a chilled day out . Bottoms up! This group of friends appear to be having a snow-ball of a time enjoying the winter sun and a drink with a newly-made friend . Will you give me a push? This snow-covered dog waits for a ride on a wooden toboggan . Where's Charlie Brown? Two brothers build their very own Snoopy dog in Frampton Cottrell, South Gloucestershire . Snow scenes: A picturesque river view in Oxfordshire captured by Deborah Porter, left, and a tree with its leaves covered in snow in Newmarket, Suffolk . Hello! A snowman left outside a block of flats in Streatham Common, south London, and (right) Ernie Allesch-Taylor in Selborne, Hampshire . | As snowstorms sweeps the UK our readers are sending in their best pictures from every corner of the country . |
075f0bd5c716a2ba29d71f6d05946209ee908512 | Dressed in a floor-skimming crimson gown, the Netherlands' Queen Máxima was every inch the royal style icon as she arrived for the traditional Prinsjesdag [Prince's Day] session of the Dutch Parliament. With her husband King Willem-Alexander, 47, by her side, Máxima, 43, cut a dramatic figure as she stepped out of the gold-gilt state coach outside the Parliament building in the Hague. Sporting a royal blue sash of office and a neat crimson cap, she and her husband then processed into the chamber where MPs were waiting for the traditional royal speech setting out the next year's business. Royal welcome: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his wife Queen Maxima wave to crowds . The Dutch equivalent of the State Opening of Parliament, Prinsjesdag sees the monarch give details of the government's programme for the next financial year, as well as budget allocations. With the sixth largest economy in the Eurozone, the Netherlands one of the few still powering ahead - a small wobble earlier this year notwithstanding - despite the malaise elsewhere. The country was also hit by tragedy earlier this year when Malaysia Airways Flight MH17 was shot down on its flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing 193 Dutch nationals. Neither, however, stopped well-wishers from gathering in the Hague to greet the royals, who have been on the throne of the Netherlands for just over a year. Big arrival: The royal couple arrive at the Parliament Building in the Hague ahead of the King's speech . Big moment: King Willem-Alexander, 43, sets out the Dutch government's plans for the next year . Round of applause: Maxima looked thrilled at the positive response to her husband's speech to Parliament . Following the King's speech, the royal couple were driven to the Noordeinde Palace, where they later appeared on the balcony to wave to crowds. There, they were joined by Willem-Alexander's younger brother Prince Constantijn and his wife Princess Laurentien. The group of four smiled broadly as they waved to well-wishers, while their mother, the former Queen Beatrix, 76, was also present and waved to crowds from the King's Office. The Argentina-born Dutch Queen has seen her popularity soar in recent months thanks to her tireless work on behalf of the MH17 families. She has also attended some of the repatriation ceremonies and was seen sobbing from her perch beside Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the first flight arrived back on Dutch soil. Packed: The Dutch Parliament building in the Hague was crammed with MPs waiting to hear the speech . Family affair: The Dutch royal couple were joined by Prince Constantjin and his wife Princess Laurentien . Greetings: Flanked by Princess Laurentien and Queen Maxima, King Willem-Alexander waves to the crowds . | The Dutch Queen, 43, was in the Hague for the Prince's Day speech .
As with the State Opening of Parliament, it sets out government business .
Husband King Willem-Alexander was dapper in pinstriped trousers .
Speech outlined Dutch Government plans for the next financial year . |
075fb5ad34cc56bde1e80dadc9b65413da20aa31 | Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew believes once striker Dwight Gayle finds his inner confidence he will be a real handful for Barclays Premier League defences. The 24-year-old, who was playing for Conference North side Bishop's Stortford three and a half years ago, scored twice as the Eagles came from 2-0 down to beat Burnley 3-2 at Turf Moor. He has now scored in Palace's last three matches - since Pardew arrived from Newcastle - and his manager has high hopes for him. Gayle struggles to contain his delight as he runs to celebrate his late winner with the travelling Palace fans . 'He just seems a very uncomplicated player,' he said. 'He is very straightforward in his work; he is quick, good in the air, good attitude - blimey there is not much more you want. 'All he needs is experience and to grow in his confidence. 'When I had Jason Puncheon at Southampton he wasn't the player he is today. 'Because he has played in the Premier League he has that inner confidence he can play at this level and that is what players like Dwight Gayle need to find.' Crystal Palace striker Gayle halves Burnley's advantage with a clinical strike on Saturday . Puncheon was Palace's other goalscorer as they recovered from goals by Ben Mee, from a corner, and Danny Ings, who benefited from Scott Arfield out-muscling Joel Ward on the touchline, in the opening 16 minutes. 'I was disapponted in the first two goals,' added Pardew. 'I know the ball wasn't in the quadrant (corner) for the first goal but that is a lame excuse, we should have done better. 'The second goal was a foul and I think the referee and linesman were distracted by the fact was the ball in or out and didn't see the player just dump our defender on the pitch. 'Having said that we had to show tremendous qualities, not just fighting spirit and resilience - which I know is in the group - but flair and bravery to pass the ball which we did against a Burnley team who I thought were on their mettle.' Gayle celebrates his second and Crystal Palace's third as Alan Pardew's side fight back from two-goals down . Burnley boss Sean Dyche disagreed with his counterpart as, despite their early lead, he felt his players were not at their best and that is what cost them. 'We got a 2-0 lead and I didn't really feel comfortable with how the team was performing,' he said. 'We didn't start particularly well and we looked slightly off all the details we do well and if you don't do them well enough you will get hurt. 'It is probably a bit harsh on us to lose the game but they did well enough to win it and we've done that to other teams. 'I said to them afterwards if you come one per cent off the performance levels then you are not guaranteed anything, you have to play hard all the time, and we were just off and just off it too far for us at this level of football. 'The hardest thing in management is to snap teams out of that performance level when they are just below par. 'You can do it when there are two or three but when it is five or six it is more difficult. 'It wasn't a radically poor performance but they were just off their levels and for a team which is learning you can't afford to do that.' | Dwight Gayle has scored in all three games since Alan Pardew took over at Crystal Palace .
The 24-year-old was playing for Conference North side Bishop's Stortford three years ago .
Burnley boss Sean Dyche felt his players were not at their best in 3-2 loss . |
075fce7ef948b7e7b7e87669e67dba1272395cbf | (CNN) -- There isn't just one Republican national convention that started on Tuesday; there are four of them going on. There's the convention for the base, which is why Rick Santorum and Ted Cruz were up there, and why the day was suffused with religion. Then there's the convention for the undecided -- or as they are called now, the persuadables. Anne Romney and Chris Christie were the headliners for this bunch. Mrs. Romney's role was to be the humanizer-in-chief, and the governor's role was to bring his blunt charm to independents looking for a lack of posturing and pandering. As the week progresses, other speakers will be carefully chosen for their ability to get fence-sitters to climb in their direction. Of course, there's also the convention for the media, which in many ways might be the most important audience of all. There are 15,000 journalists in Tampa -- Jeff Jarvis accused them of squandering "ego-dollars." Since their coverage will influence a lot more people than actually saw the proceedings, their lens becomes the national lens. Lastly, there's the convention for everyone else. That's most of America, but most of the country doesn't really care that much, which is why "America's Got Talent" on NBC pulled in more than 4 million-plus viewers than their convention coverage managed to scrape together. Those are a lot of masters to serve, which is why the first night of the convention came across as such a fragmented affair. There were strands of a narrative -- end the culture of dependency, don't let us turn into Europe, Republican policies help immigrants succeed, you can trust Mitt -- but the strands were stranded, lacking a big cohering theme. What Peggy Noonan said about Anne Romney's speech actually describes the entire evening, that it was "scattered, full of declarations...that weren't built upon but abandoned." There were a few moments of strong Republican branding last night; I thought the best single line came from Chris Christie, when he said "I believe we have become paralyzed by our desire to be loved." In the era of counting Facebook friends and Twitter follows, that's a message that cuts across parties and that speaks to everyone who in their heart knows and understands the risks of striving for popularity. It's also a smart way to turn President Barack Obama's superior likeability numbers against him, although it's doubtful that Mitt Romney's lower numbers are based on his willingness to trade off short-term favorability ratings for unpopular stances. Chris Christie is building his own political brand around a persona of strident rejection of the seductions of being an object of political eroticism (he is the anti-Clinton in that regard.) But the trouble for the Republicans is that the counterpoint to the "desire to be loved" -- what Christie described as "strengths greater than the passions and emotions of the times" -- is exactly what many find lacking in his candidate. If political parties are essentially brands -- and they are -- then contemporary political conventions should be occasions when those brands are both strengthened and nuanced. But they rarely are -- the "bump" is notoriously ephemeral. There's a reason for that. Successful brands -- those that are both enduring and changing below the surface -- have a strong hand at the controls. Not dozens of self-interested brand managers which their own constituencies, which is the way politics operates. Great brands -- Apple, Nike, Starbucks, Virgin, you name it -- are not created and managed by committees. But that is exactly and literally what the parties are: The Republican National Committee; The Democratic National Committee. The flaws of "design by committee" are so well-known that they even have their own Wikipedia page. Parties out of office, by definition, find it harder to create and project a unified, focused brand identity. The lack of a leader, an ability to hand out plum jobs, bitter infighting and posturing for the next election, are all brand-destructive. The 2008 Democratic Party, despite a bitter primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, was an exception. Their titanic battle was one of personality more than a debate on the issues, so the core of the party wasn't riven by the fractiousness that comes from being out of power. Obama's singularity and aura of personal mission projected a massively powerful Democratic brand; in fact, it's the emotional investment in the Obama brand that the Republicans are now trying to turn against the president. It's a potent weapon; disillusionment stings. It wasn't the Democratic Party that won in 2008, it was Obama. The personal brand was more potent than the party's. Now we face the reverse. In 2012, the Republicans lack a commanding personal brand at the top of the ticket, and it remains to be seen if their political brand is strong enough to overcome that absence. There's nothing I've seen, from the brand theater of Tampa -- including an inability to cut to anything but older white faces in the crowd -- that looks all that encouraging. There are too many brand managers in the party, and at the party. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Adam Hanft. | Adam Hanft: These are four GOP conventions in one, playing to different groups .
He says the party is aiming at the base, undecideds, the media and everyone else .
He says GOP has fragmented message with too many masters .
Hanft: Can politics win anyway? So far it doesn't look good . |
076042a9fc5ecd5b9794bc8d9174f3fb475caa2f | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Current TV filed a countersuit Friday against its former star employee Keith Olbermann, a day after the television personality filed his suit against the company. Current TV, co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore and businessman Joel Hyatt, ousted Olbermann last week. The company's 16-page suit, filed in California Superior Court, accuses Olbermann of breach of contract and dismisses as "fiction" the charges Olbermann leveled against it Thursday. "In particular, Current seeks a determination that it is no longer obligated to pay a dime to Mr. Olbermann who, having already been paid handsomely for showing up sporadically and utterly failing to keep his end of the bargain, now seeks to be paid tens of millions more for not working at all," says the cross-complaint, which was signed by Laura W. Brill, a lawyer for Current TV. The cross-complaint says that Olbermann leaked the financial terms of his contract; refused to help promote the network; was absent 19 of 41 working days in January and February; and refused to participate in Current's caucus and primary election coverage specials, then changed his mind just before the Iowa Caucuses. Current said it has upheld its end of the bargain, and then some, despite criticism from Olbermann, who was its highest-paid employee. "For example, he arrogantly and falsely calls 'cheap' the company that has paid him the highest compensation he had ever received in his career, provided him the largest staff of any program he had ever anchored, given him the largest studio and custom-designed set on which he had ever worked, and paid over $50,000 in an eight-month period to eight different limousine companies because none of the previous seven were able to meet his Patrician standards for how to drive him around New York City," the cross-complaint says. It asks for Current TV to be relieved of any continuing obligations to Olbermann, asks for unspecified damages "to be proved at trial" and seeks reimbursement for legal expenses. A call to Olbermann's manager was not immediately returned. On Thursday, Olbermann had sued Current TV in the same court, claiming breach of contract, unfair dealing and disparagement. Olbermann says he is owed $50 million to $70 million in cash and equity compensation, according to the suit, which seeks a jury trial. The lawsuit also seeks a judgment for other unspecified monetary damages, with interest. "This action is necessary as Current has repeatedly and willfully breached its written agreement with Olbermann," his lawsuit said, "often continuing to do so after receiving specific notices to cure such breaches. "In its most recent breach, Current unilaterally, and without cause, terminated its agreement with Olbermann. Current's sudden and public termination of Olbermann was the latest in a series of increasingly erratic and unprofessional actions undertaken by Current's senior management," the lawsuit said. Olbermann's suit called Gore, Hyatt and Current management "no more than dilettantes portraying entertainment industry executives." In a statement Thursday, Current said it fired Olbermann for "serial, material breaches of his contract, including the failure to show up at work, sabotaging the network and attacking Current and its executives." It continued, "It is well established that over his professional career Mr. Olbermann has specialized in pounding the table. "However, Mr. Olbermann, by filing his false and malicious lawsuit, has now put this matter into a legal process where there will be an objective review of the facts. "We hope Mr. Olbermann understands that when it comes to the legal process, he is actually required to show up." Gore and Hyatt courted Olbermann to leave his previous employer, MSNBC, with promises of "an unprecedented level of control and resources to build a new progressive network," Olbermann's lawsuit said. Olbermann was given "full editorial control over 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' " and the title of chief news officer, the suit said. But the relationship soured shortly after Olbermann joined the network, according to the suit. "Admitting that he and Gore 'had expertise lacking in order to strategically execute the vision (they had) committed to' Hyatt created an environment in which major business errors and technical failures became commonplace and acceptable," the lawsuit alleges. "Hyatt also attempted to isolate Olbermann from his professional representatives in an awkward attempt to form a close personal friendship with his new star," the suit says. When Olbermann didn't reciprocate, Hyatt withheld production resources and disparaged Olbermann in the press, the lawsuit says. CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report . | Current TV accuses Olbermann of breach of contract .
Company co-founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt are "dilettantes," Olbermann's suit says .
Olbermann says he's owed $50 million to $70 million in cash and equity compensation .
Current TV terminated Olbermann last week . |
0760fba5bff4b1b1c30a0aac13d2c3a10be44fee | Tinder has quickly settled a sexual harassment suit brought against the company by one of the app's co-founders. Whitney Wolfe, 24, has been awarded an undisclosed amount of money after claiming she was harassed and forced out of the company when her romantic relationship with Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder Justin Mateen, 28, soured. It has also been revealed that Mr. Mateen is no longer with Tinder, or parent company IAC. Scroll down for video . Tinder tiff: Former Tinder marketing Vice President Whitney Wolfe (center) sued the dating app, claiming sexual harassment and discrimination after she broke up with co-founder Justin Mateen (left) Serious allegations: Wolfe's suit claims co-founder Justin Mateen (pictured here center with executive Jonathan Badeen on right) called her a whore in front of Tinder CEO Sean Rad (left). Mateen is now no longer with the company . 'Whitney’s lawsuit against Tinder has been resolved (without admission of wrongdoing),' John Mullan, a partner at Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff & Lowe, LLP, the firm representing Miss Wolfe, said in an email to BuzzFeed. 'She is proud of her role as a co-founder of Tinder and of the role she played in the app’s success. She is now pleased to be able to focus her energy, talents, and ideas on exciting new opportunities.' Documents released by Los Angeles County Superior Court Monday morning showed that Miss Wolfe dropped the case. In a series of vitriolic texts submitted as part of the lawsuit and seen by MailOnline, Mr. Mateen accused his former lover of being 'heartless,' threatened to 's*** on' a love rival, and berated her for 'flirting' and spending time with Muslim men, whom he referred to as 'Muslim pigs.' In one text he even told Miss Wolfe, 'Ul regret acting this way once my tenderness for you wear off from ur behavior.' In her complaint, filed on June 30, Miss Wolfe stated that Mr. Mateen subjected her to 'horrendously sexist, racist, and otherwise inappropriate comments, emails and text messages.' She was then, ultimately, fired by the company. Textual harassment: In this aggressive text allegedly from Mateen he appears jealous of a younger man with whom he believed Miss Wolfe to have formed a relationship . Torrent of abuse: A series of screen grabs of texts allegedly between Tinder CMO and co-founder Justin Mateen and co-founder Whitney Wolfe form part of her sexual harassment lawsuit. In this one Mateen refers to Wolfe as his 'left overs' Undisclosed sum: It is not known how much Miss Wolfe has received in her settlement . The torrent of abuse to which Miss Wolfe alleged she was subjected to after ending her relationship with Mr. Mateen, which began in February 2013 and lasted until that December, has exposed a culture among Tinder's senior executive which went beyond 'frat-like,' according to her attorney. Mr. Mateen had been suspended in the wake of the allegations, and now a source close to the company, who declined to be identified, has said he is no longer with Tinder or IAC. Miss Wolfe had been seeking compensatory damages, including restitution, lost pay, and punitive damages, in her lawsuit. | Whitney Wolfe, 24, was awarded an undisclosed sum of money just two months after filing a lawsuit against Tinder .
Miss Wolfe had claimed she was subjected to sexual harassment, and then ultimately fired, after breaking up with co-founder Justin Mateen .
Mr. Mateen is now no longer with Tinder or parent company IAC, according to a source . |
0763d82d190d0dfb4722be705887643e14c2eb75 | By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 04:41 EST, 2 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:58 EST, 2 September 2013 . Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell raped a young girl in her bed after covering her mouth with her favourite teddy bear, a court heard yesterday. A jury was told that he even threatened the youngster with death if she mentioned the attacks, which he allegedly carried out over a nine-year period and told her was ‘our little secret’. ‘No one needs to know otherwise you’ll be taken, you’ll die and the evil will come over you,’ he is accused of saying. Start of trial: Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell in the dock at Manchester Crown Court while his alleged victim gives evidence behind a curtain yesterday . Ordeal: Le Vell shook his head as the girl behind the curtain sobbed giving evidence to the court yesterday . Le Vell, 48, who has played garage . mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV1 soap for 30 years, is facing a total . of 12 sex charges. He is accused of five counts of rape, three of . indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child and two of . causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He denies all the charges. The . girl sobbed yesterday as she told a jury at Manchester Crown Court that . she had been repeatedly abused by the soap star from the age of six. On . one occasion the actor allegedly lay on top her and said: ‘It’s ok, . you’re safe. Just keep calm, stay asleep ... I’m going to get rid of . the evil.’ The 48-year-old is then accused of pulling down her pyjamas, covering her mouth with the teddy bear and raping her in her bed. The . girl told the court that as she was raped Le Vell would talk to her. ‘He said I was safe and he was just getting rid of all the evil and all . the bad that was inside me,’ she said. ‘To stop me speaking he put one of my favourite teddy bears over my mouth so I could still breathe but not say anything.’ The . girl, who cannot be named, wept as she gave evidence from behind a . screen and said Le Vell simply walked away after the attack. End of the day: Le Vell, whose real name is Michael Turner, walks out of court through a crowd of photographers chewing on his lip . Exit: Le Vell is rushed from Manchester Crown Court after the . first day of his trial for a series of alleged child sex offences . Defendant: The actor, pictured being driven home, faces 12 charges of sex offences against children, including five counts of rape, three counts of indecent assault, two counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity . ‘He just . got off me and kissed my left cheek and left,’ she said. ‘I was so in . shock it was like I was not even in my body. I was just motionless.’ The . attacks allegedly began when she was in primary school and continued . throughout her childhood until she finally told someone. The . girl, who is now a teenager, would speak only to her teddy bears about . the abuse. She said it disgusted her and left her feeling ‘upset and . dirty’. Le Vell, who was charged under his real name of Michael Turner, shook his head as the charges were put to him. The . jury was told that the actor, who lives in Hale, Cheshire, was a . long-term heavy drinker who had previously sought help for his problem. He . went to a pub almost every night and would often drink seven or eight . pints of beer in one sitting. He once turned to Alcoholics Anonymous but . it had not helped and the heavy drinking continued. The . court heard that at the time the alleged abuse occurred Le Vell was . having serious marital difficulties with his wife, Janette, and they . were both under considerable strain. Denial: Le Vell in the dock where he pleaded not guilty to raping a young girl and 11 other charges . Accusations: The prosecution say Le Vell, whose . real name is Michael Turner, used threats to keep the silent, but he . says the alleged victim is a 'fantasist' and an 'attention seeker' Case: The prosecution, sketched with Le Vell watching on, told the court he was a 'heavy drinker' who abused the girl for eight years . The abuse was said to have taken . place at various addresses and ended a few years ago. The girl told the court that she was molested for months before the abuse escalated. She said Le Vell had threatened her not to tell anyone. ‘I . was very scared because it did not feel right. I did not know what to . believe or think,’ she said. ‘I would cry and cuddle my teddies and tell . them it doesn’t feel right but it must be.’ She . said on each occasion she felt removed from the actual abuse as if she . was outside her body watching down on herself and that Le Vell would . ‘stink’ of alcohol and cigarettes. ‘He smelt really, really bad with what I know now to be alcohol,’ she added. The girl said she became a ‘different child’ as a result of the alleged abuse, and felt ‘very confused’. Prosecutor . Eleanor Laws said the girl suffered years of nightmares and had wet the . bed until she was 12 because of the alleged abuse. Hearing: The jury was told that after one alleged attack he 'seemed happy', 'as if it was giving him pleasure' Attention: The actor listens to his alleged victim giving evidence from behind a screen to protect her identity . Throughout . the girl’s tearful testimony, which lasted for an hour and 45 minutes, . Le Vell sipped at water from a plastic cup and shook his head . repeatedly. Miss Laws said . Le Vell had first been arrested in September 2011 but the case was . dropped after an initial investigation. However it was reviewed by the . Crown Prosecution Service and the actor was re-arrested and charged in . February this year. Miss . Laws said: ‘He answered all questions put to him. He said that she was a . fantasist and an attention-seeker and this was just another of her . fantasies.’ Originally from . Manchester, Le Vell is one of the longest-serving actors on Coronation . Street, but has been suspended from the ITV show until the conclusion . of the case. The jury was warned by the judge to try the real Michael Le Vell – and not the character he plays on screen. Before . the trial even began, Judge Michael Henshall asked if any of the . potential jurors felt they would not be able to try the actor due to . their interest in the soap opera. Interest: The Coronation Street actor is one of the most recognisable faces on television after more than 30 years in the soap . Surrounded: Le Vell speaks to a police officer guarding the court as the media swamped him yesterday as his trial started . ‘The man on trial is Michael Turner, not the character he plays,’ he said. Judge . Henshall allowed the empanelled jurors a 15-minute break to decide . whether their feelings about the ITV show would cloud their ability to . judge the evidence fairly. Two . jurors – both women – decided they would not be able to try him without . some sort of bias and were allowed to step down. Two others were chosen . in their place. Eleanor . Laws QC, prosecuting, then began the opening address, telling the jury: . ‘There is no room in your deliberations for any form of emotion or . sympathy or prejudice. You must judge the facts of this case using your . own common sense.’ The jury of eight women and four men will sit through up to two weeks of evidence before being asked to return a verdict. The case continues. Career: Le Vell's character Kevin Webster is one of the longest running and popular in British soap history . Long-running character: The actor, who has been on the soap for 30 years, is reportedly set to return, depending on the outcome of the trial . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Actor plays Kevin Webster and faces 12 charges at Manchester Crown Court .
Le Vell hasn't appeared in the soap for months and pleaded not guilty .
Prosecution says actor was 'heavy drinker' who carried out years of abuse .
'No-one needs to know otherwise you'll die,' he allegedly told girl .
Le Vell told police the child was a 'fantasist' telling a 'pack of lies' about him .
Alleged victim cried as she gave evidence against him from behind a curtain .
'He told me he was getting rid of all the evil and bad inside me', she said . |
076474379e59bab1807c3c66d28aef1c7916c01a | By . Jennifer Newton . A married couple claim they were victimised at work due to their religious beliefs after being refused holidays during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Donna Tunkara, 32, and husband Yassin, 31, say they suffered discrimination, harrassment, victimisation and constructive dismissal after bosses at the Portrack Lane warehouse in Stockton-on-Tees of supermarket giant Morrisons turned down holiday requests in 2012. A tribunal held at Teesside Magistrates’ Court yesterday heard evidence from Mrs Tunkara, who says her holiday request for the last 10 days of fasting during Ramadan was turned down unfairly. Donna Tunkara and husband Yassin claim they were victimised after being refused holidays during Ramadan . She added that the stress of working night shifts caused her to suffer a breakdown and be admitted to hospital. However solicitor Philip Crowe, . representing Morrisons, called Mrs Tunkara a 'liar' during cross . examination and said that she had not got the holidays she asked for . because she missed a deadline - meaning all holiday time was already . taken. He said: 'You have not got exactly what you wanted and acted like a spoiled brat, and you have taken the easy way out to play the discrimination and race card, haven’t you? It is unfair.' Mrs Tunkara rejected accusations that she had fabricated her story, and said that she and her husband had enjoyed their job at the Stockton base. She said: 'No it was not the easy way out. 'It was very difficult to deal with. We asked for the holidays because it was too difficult to work night shifts while fasting.” Mr . Crowe had asked Mrs Tunkara why the couple, from Linthorpe, . Middlesbrough, had not put in their holiday requests by the end of . February, the company deadline for summer requests. He also challenged her over discrepancies in the dates she claimed to have had meetings with managers. The married couple, worked here at Morrisons Distribution Centre on Portrack Lane, Stockton-on-Tees . Mrs Tunkara said she had been admitted to hospital after working a shift on August 11, 2012, and had not even recognised her husband in the immediate aftermath. She also claimed that she had asked for time off for her and her husband between August 9 and August 22 at the beginning of March, as soon as she received a planner from her mosque telling her when Ramadan was to begin. She told the tribunal her line manager Peter Woodward had taken the request while he was in a meeting with another person. Directly after, he told Mr and Mrs Tunkara he had discussed Ramadan with the other person and had decided he would not grant the request, claims Mrs Tunkara. Mr Crowe denied this incident ever took place, and asked why Mrs Tunkara had only mentioned it in her latest witness statement. He also asked her why, after working during the first weeks of Ramadan in July and August, did she only suffer problems while working shifts during the period she had asked to have off. Mrs Tunkara said she had come to a compromise to work shorter, seven-hour shifts, and split her 30-minute breaks in two but the cumulative stress of working while fasting had led to her breakdown. She also said she and Mr Tunkara had been denied informal 15 minute breaks other staff enjoyed on night shifts, and that her request for holidays had been treated differently to requests from other members of staff. The case continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Donna Tunkara and husband Yassin were refused time off during Ramadan .
The couple worked at Morrisons distribution centre in Stockton-on-Tees .
Mrs Tunkara says stress of working nights meant she ended up in hospital .
Morrisons solicitor says they failed to meet deadline for holiday requests . |
076474e8aa6dc19df944f6615286827dffe409e1 | An arrest has been made in the mysterious case of a New Hampshire 15-year-old girl who went missing nine months ago and reappared home last week. Nathaniel Kibby, 34, was arrested at his home in Gorham Monday afternoon and charged with the felony kidnapping of Conway teen Abigail Hernandez. The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office said in a press release that Kibby confined Hernandez on October 9, 2013 'with purpose to commit an offense against her.' Scroll down for video . Collared: Nathaniel E Kibby, 34, was arrested Monday in connection to the nine-month disappearance of New Hampshire teen Abigail Hernandez, who reappeared alive in her hometown last week . 'Hernandez provided police with details of her kidnapping sufficient to warrant (the) arrest,' investigators added. Kibby was allegedly arrested without incident and is set to be arraigned in Tuesday at Conway District Court. Neighbor Donald Stgermain, 76, was at home at the time Kibby was arrested and described the scene to MailOnline. Mr Stgermain said he was making food around noon when law enforcement showed up outside his neighbor's house, 'dressed in battle gear with rifles'. He says about an hour later FBI agents showed up at his house, asking if he knew Kibby or had ever seen a young girl near the house. Mr Stgermain said he never had, and never noticed anything strange happening at Kibby's house. Kibby has been living at the residence on Brookside Drive for about five years, Mr Stgermain said. When he moved in he had a girlfriend, but Mr Stgermain says they appeared to have broken up and Kibby has since lived alone. Mr Stgermain's wife has seen Kibby walking a Doberman around the neighborhood on a few occasions. Abigail made headlines last October 9 - . just days before her 15th birthday - when she unexpectedly disappeared . after last seen by her boyfriend walking home from school. Back home: Abigail Hernandez made headlines last October when she disappeared from her hometown of North Conway, New Hampshire while walking home from school. She reappeared home last week . The . only contact she had with any friends or family was a letter believed . to have been sent by the schoolgirl to her divorced parents, Zenya and . Ruben Hernandez, in the weeks after her disappearance. Then last Sunday, she suddenly reappeared. Kibby's arrest came just hours after Hernandez's mother gave an interview, to speak out against rumors surrounding her daughter's disappearance. In an interview with the Today show, mother Zenya Hernandez shut down speculation that her daughter ran away because she was pregnant. 'The majority of people somehow believe that she was pregnant. She was not. She did not run away. I firmly believe that,' Mrs Hernandez said, adding that she does not believe her daughter knew her alleged abductor. 'She did not run away': Zenya Hernandez spoke with the Today show on Monday to dispell rumors her daughter ran away nine months ago because she was pregnant. Mrs Hernandez says she believes her daughter was abducted . Police have since released a sketch of the man believed to have abducted Abigail, according to the teen's descriptions. However, law enforcement have not released further details of their investigation since her reappearance. ‘Our biggest challenge is, we’re . dealing with incomplete information,’ Kieran Ramsey, assistant special . agent in charge of the Boston Division of the FBI told The Boston Globe. ‘The . victim in this case is a 15-year-old girl. It’s not as cut and dried as . people think that somebody can exactly recount what happened, when, and . where.’ Mrs Hernandez also described the moment her daughter returned home last week, wearing the same clothes as the day she went missing in October 2013. 'We just stood and looked at each other and then we hugged and I just said, "Thank god you're home, thank god you're home."' While it was a happy homecoming, Mrs Hernandez was worried by the change in her daughter who had lost a lot of weight and was very pale. 'She had a look in her eyes that I've never ever seen before and that's haunting me,' Mrs Hernandez said. In her interview, Mrs Hernandez vowed to bring her daughter's abductor to justice. 'I feel like they just took and ripped something out of our souls and just as I swore that I'll find her - I'll find the person. I'll find out what happened,' Mrs Hernandez said. Clues: This week police released video of Abby on the day she . disappeared, left, and a sketch of a man they believe drove her away in a . blue pick-up after interviewing Abby for three hours . A missing person poster of Abigail Hernandez displayed in a storefront window in North Conway, N.H., shows Hernandez has been found . On Saturday, authorities released a . sketch of a man, provided to them by Abby, who they believe drove her . away in a blue pick-up back in October. On Friday, the District Attorney's office . revealed that police had received 20 tips from members of the public, . following the release of the sketch. Despite conducting a three-hour . interview with the teen, it is unclear whether they know where she was . or if she was taken by force. They . have also appealed for witnesses who may have seen Abby return after . she was apparently dropped off on the same road that she was possibly . abducted from all those months ago. Sources . close to the investigation said the teenager has so far not been able . to tell officers many facts about her disappearance. But . they are convinced a crime has been committed - as they believe there . is no way the 15-year-old could have stayed hidden for nine months . without some kind of adult involvement. Abigail's reappearance has baffled her North Conway community, including her old boyfriend Jimmy Campbell, 15, and his family who spent a lot of time with the teen before she went missing. Heartbroken: Jimmy Campbell, 15, was left confused when Abigail, his first love, disappeared while walking home from school on October 9 last year ¿ just days before her 15th birthday . So far, they have had little contact with Abigail and her mother, and have received no answers in relation to her nine month absence. 'I have instant messaged Abby’s mother . Zenya, but we have not had any contact. All I want is the truth, I don’t . care what happened, but I want to know who the sons of b*****s were who . had her for nine months,' Jimmy's father James Campbell told MailOnline. Because Abby spent so much time with . Jimmy at the Campbell’s house, the family were questioned by FBI agents . as a matter of course when she first disappeared. Mr Campbell says his family are overjoyed . Abby is home, but he feels the community, who invested so much time and . effort into the search, deserve to know what happened. Zenya Hernandez, center, and her daughter, Sarah Hernandez look at Senior Assistant Attorney General Jane Young, during a news conference on Friday . 'I . understand the police want to keep the investigation hush hush to an . extent, but they wanted our help when they were looking for her, so how . about giving us some answers now?', he said. Abigail has not spoken publicly about her alleged abduction, but has released a statement thanking those in her community that aided in the search. 'My gratitude is beyond words. It's an incredible feeling to be home and I believe in my heart that your hopes and prayers played a major role in my release,' she said. However, many locals in North Conway feel the same as James Campbell and are still incredibly frustrated by the lack of answers. A number of people posted their views on the Facebook page of The Conway Daily Sun. One, . Jaime McKinnon, wrote: 'Okay... So I hate to be a huge jerk here.. but . seriously. It's like pulling teeth to get any darn info. The entire area . has gone above and beyond to support and help with the search for her. Now she's back and we can't get any darn answers.' Mystery: James Campbell, who says he was close to Abby and her family, has not talked to Abby's mother since she returned. He, like the rest of the town, are left searching for answers over where she has been . Reunion: Ms Smith said she spoke to Zenya this week who told her: 'It's over. The nightmare's over.' Ms Smith added that: 'They could just sit in a room staring at each other and they'd be happy. They are just enjoying being around each other' Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . | Abigail Hernandez, 15, mysteriously returned to her North Conway, New Hampshire home last week, after disappearing in October .
On Monday, 34-year-old Nathaniel Kibby was arrested for her kidnapping .
According to a press release, Kibby confined Abigail on last year 'with purpose to commit an offense against her'
He is set to be arraigned in Conway District Court on Tuesday . |
076480e9ee039bc8bcfff5b7c75d336b22f9fba2 | By . Luke Augustus . Follow @@Luke_Augustus29 . Manchester United are the most valuable team in the world after signing a world record £750million kit deal with Adidas. Wall Street values the Red Devils at £2.1billion after shares in the club rose to almost five per cent on Monday following their ground-breaking partnership announcement with the German manufacturers. VIDEO Scroll down for Manchester United unveil their new kit . Top dogs: Manchester United are the most valuable team in the world according to Wall Street . Welcome back: United have announced a £750million ten-year-deal with Adidas starting in 2015 . Manchester United - *Adidas - £75million . (*Begins at the start of the 2015/16 season) Arsenal - Puma - £30million . Real Madrid - Adidas - £4million . Liverpool - Warrior - £23million . Barcelona - Nike - £22million . Bayern Munich - Adidas - £22million . Manchester United - **Nike - £21.6million . (**Ends after the 2014/15 season) Adidas' 10-year deal with United begins at the start of the 2015/16 season, ending American sportswear rivals Nike's 13-year association with the club. In April, Forbes magazine valued the Old Trafford outfit as the second most valuable team in the world at £1.77billion. They were second to Real Madrid's £1.92billion value, but that has changed following United's deal with Adidas. Despite missing out on Champions League qualification last season, Louis van Gaal's side commands the highest kit and sponsorship deals in the world - which includes their £53million-a-year deal with American car manufacturer Chevrolet. Pushed down: United's deal with Adidas moves them above Real as the world's most valuable club . Manchester United - Chevrolet - £53million . Barcelona - Qatar Airways - £26million . Bayern Munich - Deutsche Telekom - £23million . Real Madrid - Emirates - £23million . Liverpool - Standard Chartered - £18million . Sunderland - Invest in Africa - £18million . Regardless of the club's debt, Wall . Street predicts that the Manchester outfit will stay at the top of this . chart for years to come with Adidas boldly predicting they will record . £1.5billion worth of replica shirt sales over the term of their . contract. In addition Forbes reports that over in Spain La Liga teams are looking to distribute their next television deal collectively rather than individually, which would dent Real and eternal rivals Barcelona's financially power. At present the Spanish duo generate around £106 million each in television revenue in comparison to current champions Atletico Madrid who earn £36million. Fair share? Atletico Madrid earn £36million in La Liga television rights compared to Real's £106million . | Manchester United are the most valuable club in the world according to Wall Street .
United's £750million kit deal with Adidas moves them above Real Madrid .
Louis van Gaal's side valued at £2.1billion . |
0764d8aba3ab247eacc9b13d41438d82f131e4a4 | By . Francesca Chambers . Barack and Michelle Obama are just like any 'normal' parents when it comes to raising teenagers. Even the President and First Lady of the United States face teen troubles, Michelle Obama said in an interview Monday. And like other parents, Barack and Michelle have had to come up with their own secret parenting weapons. Scroll down for video . 'If they're like looking a little, you know, uninvolved in an event, I'll just lean over and be like, "If you don't smile, I'm gonna start dancin'," ' Obama said, gearing up to get her groove on, during an interview with Michael Strahan, co-host of Live with Kelly and Michael, on Monday . 'We're like any parents. We love to embarrass them,' the First Lady said of her and the President's approach to parenting daughers Sasha and Malia Obama . 'We're like any parents. We love to embarrass them,' the First Lady told Michael Strahan, co-host of Live with Kelly and Michael, during an interview on the White House lawn Monday. 'If they're like looking a little, you know, uninvolved in an event, I'll just lean over and be like, "If you don't smile, I'm gonna start dancin'," ' Obama said while gearing up to get her groove on in her seat. 'And it's like, "No mom, please. Whatever you do, just don't move," ' the First Lady continued, mimicking Sasha and Malia, the first daughters. The President's approach? Threatening to sing, the First Lady said. 'And Barack is like, I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna start singin'. Here I go. Here I go.' 'A little Al Green's comin' on,' Strahan said, referencing the President's 2012 performance of Al Green's hit Let's Stay Together. 'Dad feels like a number's comin' on,' Michelle Obama chimed in. More... First Lady of Nashville! Michelle Obama to guest star on the hit ABC drama alongside Connie Britton next month . Fit for a Mc-Queen! Elegant in a designer dove grey coat dress, Kate attends church with William on Easter Sunday in Sydney . Royals on Easter parade: Queen is joined by royal family members for service at St George's Chapel in Windsor . Fellow show co-host Kelly Rippa, who joined the interview via satellite from New York, had a parenting question of her own for Michelle Obama. Who is teaching the girls to drive, the President or the First Lady? 'It will be neither of us,' Michelle said. 'I think our agents don't want us driving with teenagers,' she continued. 'Especially the President's detail. I don't think they want him in the state when she's learning how to drive.' Malia Obama turns 16 in July. Sasha . Obama, who turns 13 in June, will not reach driving age until the Obamas . leave the White House. The President and First Lady are not allowed to drive in Washington, D.C. because of security concerns. Presidents have been known to drive their personal vehicles while on their personal property, but it is not common for the Commander-in- Chief to drive, even after he leaves office. 'We will fortunately be able to hand that responsibility over to someone else,' the First Lady told Rippa. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama cheer a little egg roller as they host the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday. First Daughters Sasha and Malia Obama were not in attendance because today is a school day . Michelle Obama (center) walking with her daughters Malia (left) and Sasha (right) last month as they visit the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China in Beijing. President Barack Obama did not travel to China with the rest of the First Family . During the interview with Strahan, Michelle Obama also discussed how difficult it was to get the whole family together for family time on the weekends now that the girls have differing schedules and activities. She remarked that while the family tries to go to church as much as it can, as it did the day previous on Easter, it's not always possible. The Obamas often uses Sunday as a time to relax and catch up on the news, the First Lady said. 'We could be loungin' or nappin' or something like that,' the First Lady said. Strahan interviewed Obama at the White House as part of NBC's coverage of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. The First Lady wore a colorful, checked shirt and belted kimono wrap and gray pants on Monday. She also sported a new hair do, sans bangs, which Rippa noted that the show's audience 'loved.' Sasha and Malia Obama were not in attendance of the Easter Egg Roll on Monday. 'They are in school today,' FLOTUS Press Secretary Joanna Rosholm told a White House pool reporter. | Michelle Obama gave an interview to Live with Kelly and Michael during the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday.
During the interview she discussed her and Barack's parenting techniques.
'We're like any parents. We love to embarrass them,' she said of First Daughters Sasha and Malia Obama.
The First Lady also divulged that neither she nor the President would be teaching the girls how to drive.
'I think our agents don't want us driving with teenagers.' |
0764fc12a29e67a514696b63804ec87fc92baf32 | By . Lizzie Parry for MailOnline . Andrew Ross, 48, died after suffering severe brain damage during an operation to remove excess skin . An obese man died after suffering severe brain damage when he was put to sleep for surgery to remove excess skin, the result of a gastric band operation. Andrew Ross' weight dropped from 41 to 26 stone after the surgery in 2008, an inquest heard. The 48-year-old former fork-lift truck driver from Wythenshawe, who weighed 26 stone, was admitted to the private Spire Manchester Hospital for treatment to remove excess skin from his abdomen. It followed a gastric bypass operation carried out in 2008. At that point, he weighed around 41 stone and had a body mass index of 67, three times what it should have been. But the inquest heard ‘complications’ quickly arose after he was anaesthetised for the apronectomy procedure and he went into cardiac arrest for around 10 minutes. Mr Ross, who had four children and three step-children, was revived but suffered brain damage, his ex-wife Christine Blay told the hearing. He was taken to the cardiac intensive care unit at Wythenshawe Hospital then transferred to the specialist Dermot Murphy care home in Withington, where he had 24-hour care. He died in hospital on August 10 after developing bronchial pneumonia. The inquest heard Mr Ross had a very large heart due to his obesity and high blood pressure. Mrs Blay, 49, his wife for 11 years, said his weight rose after he stopped working following a fall. He also suffered asthma and diabetes. Coroner Nigel Meadows was told that the surgery was approved and he went for a pre-operative anaesthesia assessment a week before, where he was classed as high risk. Mrs Blay said that after he was admitted she was told that the operation hadn’t gone ahead and he was in a critical condition after a ‘cardiac event’. The inquest heard Mr Ross’s heart stopped during an attempt to intubate him, or insert a tube down his throat. The operation in March 2011 followed gastric band surgery in 2008, after which Mr Ross' weight fell from 41 to 26 stone, an inquest at Manchester Coroners' Court heard. Pictured is the private Spire Hospital in Manchester . Anaesthetist Dr Deborah Nolan said there was a high risk of complication because he was morbidly obese. It was a ‘difficult intubation’ after relaxant and anaesthetic drugs were given before his oxygen levels dropped, the inquest heard. He was immediately given oxygen but his heart rate dropped, Dr Nolan said. She said she had given him sufficient amounts of anaesthetics and had reacted in a ‘appropriate and timely’ way. The inquest continues. | Andrew Ross, 48, suffered severe brain damage prior to the operation .
He was admitted for treatment to remove excess skin in March 2011 .
In 2008 Mr Ross underwent a gastric band op after ballooning to 41 stone .
Inquest heard 'complications' arose as he was being put to sleep .
Father-of-three went into cardiac arrest for 10 minutes but was revived .
Suffered brain damage and died in hospital of pneumonia five months later .
Ex-wife Christine Blay told the inquest his weight had spiralled after he stopped working as a fork-lift truck driver following a fall .
Hearing at Manchester Coroners' Court continues . |
07668a6320ff5f3ea7e1d9876a14b3cc9cfb35e0 | Kabul (CNN) -- The ordeal of Gulnaz did not simply begin and end with the physical attack of her rape. The rape began a years-long nightmare of further pain, culminating in an awful choice she must now make. Even two years later, Gulnaz remembers the smell and state of her rapist's clothes when he came into the house when her mother left for a brief visit to the hospital. "He had filthy clothes on as he does metal and construction work. When my mother went out, he came into my house and he closed doors and windows. I started screaming, but he shut me up by putting his hands on my mouth," she said. The rapist was her cousin's husband. After the attack, she hid what happened as long as she could. But soon she began vomiting in the mornings and showing signs of pregnancy. It was her attacker's child. In Afghanistan, this brought her not sympathy, but prosecution. Aged just 19, she was found guilty by the courts of sex outside of marriage -- adultery -- and sentenced to twelve years in jail. Now inside Kabul's Badam Bagh jail, she and her child are serving her sentence together. Sitting with the baby in her lap, her face carefully covered, she explains the only choice she has that would end her incarceration. The only way around the dishonor of rape, or adultery in the eyes of Afghans, is to marry her attacker. This will, in the eyes of some, give her child a family and restore her honor. Incredibly, this is something that Gulnaz is willing to do. "I was asked if I wanted to start a new life by getting released, by marrying this man", she told CNN in an exclusive interview. "My answer was that one man dishonored me, and I want to stay with that man." Tending to her daughter in the jail's cold, she added: "My daughter is a little innocent child. Who knew I would have a child in this way. A lot of people told me that after your daughter's born give it to someone else, but my aunt told me to keep her as proof of my innocence." Gulnaz's choice is stark. Women in her situation are often killed for the shame their ordeal has brought the community. She is at risk, some say, from her attacker's family. We found Gulnaz's convicted rapist in a jail across town. While he denied raping her, he agreed that she would likely be killed if she gets out of jail. But he insists that it will be her family, not his, that will kill her, "out of shame." Whether threatened by his family or hers, for now, jail may be the safest place for her. Shockingly, Gulnaz's case is common in Afghanistan. CNN asked a spokesman for the prosecutor to comment on the case. The reply was that there were hundreds such cases and the office would need time to look into it. But Gulnaz's plight has found international attention because of a dispute between the European Union and a team of documentary makers hired to report on women's rights in Afghanistan. The documentary makers filmed a lengthy report on Gulnaz and other women, showing her talking openly about her fate. They showed the film to the EU, who were paying for it as part of a project on female rights here. After viewing it, the EU decided to spike the project. The EU said it was concerned about the safety of the women in the film: they could be identified and might face reprisals. The filmmakers however suspect -- citing an email leaked from the EU delegation -- that the EU might also be motivated by its sensitive relationship with Afghan justice institutions, since he film shows the Afghan justice system in a very unflattering light. The leaked email says: "The delegation also has to consider its relations with [Afghan] Justice institutions in connection with the other work that it is doing in the sector." The EU Ambassador to Afghanistan, Vygaudas Usackas, rejected any political motivation in asking for the film not to be shown. "What I am concerned about is that situation of the women. About the security and well being, that's of paramount importance, the key criteria according to which I, as representative of the European Union will judge," said the ambassdor. Under Afghan law, Gulnaz has been judged an adulterer. Despite the ongoing dispute over her story, her predicament has not changed. She faces the hideous choice of 12 years in jail or marriage to her rapist and risk death. It's a marriage she says she'll accept, so her child can continue to have a mother. | Afghan rape victim Gulnaz found guilty by courts of adultery and jailed for 12 years .
The only way victim can escape incarceration is to marry her attacker .
Gulnaz refuses to give away the daughter who resulted from the rape .
Women in her situation can be killed for the perceived shame their ordeal has brought their community . |
0767258fdd09dd589a8b59dedc17e713642fdcd5 | A female pastor arrested during a peaceful protest in Ferguson last night has told of her shock as she was 'grabbed' and dragged along the ground so roughly that it tore off her vest marking her out as clergy. Speaking to MailOnline just hours after her release Pastor Rebecca Ragland recalled her ordeal and voiced her belief that anyone of conscience should stand with the protesters. She said: 'I was completely stunned. All I can tell you is what my body experienced. My mind at that point was just in shock. 'I was grabbed so hard that I fell to the ground. Then I was just being yanked and it was pretty rough. I'm hurting today.' Pastor Ragland's arrest marked the first police action to be taken against protesters following Governor Nixon's declaration of a state of emergency. Moment of arrest: This is the moment Reverend Rebecca Ragland was arrested by police. She told MailOnline it was after she was grabbed and dragged along the ground . Concerned: Reverend Ragland said she was demonstrating in Ferguson because she believed people of color are not fairly treated and that it was her duty as a Christian to stand with them . Vest: How Reverend Ragland was dressed for the demonstration. She went towards the front, she said, to de-escalate the situation but was arrested . The minister for Ferguson's Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion was one five protesters arrested for blocking a street outside the police headquarters. The handful of protesters were faced down by a line of officers in full riot gear as impatience grows in the city waiting for a Grand Jury decision on whether to indict Darren Wilson for shooting unarmed teenager Michael Brown, 18. According to Reverend Ragland the group - only numbering around 15 - blocking the road were dispersing when the St Louis County officers moved in. She said, 'I think everybody was completely shocked. We were dispersing at that point. Then they came down so I turned around and I thought, 'Well I'm a de-escalator so I need to stay at the front.' Rev Ragland is one of many local clergy who have taken to the streets in an attempt to defuse the volatile relationship between protesters and police that saw the Missouri town erupt in violence following the shooting on August 9. She was wearing a bright orange vest with the word 'Clergy' clearly printed across her back. Today she believes that far from protecting her this made her a target for officers keen to make a point ahead of the violence anticipated when the Grand Jury makes its announcement. Last night's arrest has been read as a clear message that law enforcement will come down hard on any and all protesters. She explained, 'I think it's noteworthy that they picked three people from the line. One was behind me wearing an Anonymous mask. One was at the very end and he was wearing an anonymous mask. And me.' Dragged from the front of the protest, the forty-six year old mother of two was cuffed and put in a police van along with the other arrestees. She said, 'As soon as they cuffed me they took me right back to the paddy wagon. Two men were holding my arms. They put me in a van. At this point the arresting officer spoke to me.' Rev Ragland would not recount the detail of that brief exchange other than to say that the officer 'expressed how he felt.' She does not, she said, want to 'vilify the police.' She and the other protesters were driven to a converted garage behind the police station where they were patted down and basic information taken. They were then put back in the van and transported to Clayton's Buzz Westfall Justice Center. At no point did anybody read her her rights. Once there, she recalled, 'You go from nylon handcuffs to metal cuffs when you're brought in. 'They take you inside another garage and you stand against a wall. You see a nurse then after that they take all of your possessions that are valuable or loose - jewelry and all that mess, shoe laces. Tensions: Michael Brown (left) was shot dead in August by officer Darren Wilson (right) in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking massive protests over the death. A grand jury is deciding whether to indict him . Divide: Although most demonstrations have been pro-Michael Brown some, such as this woman's protest, have been in support of Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Brown to death . Flashpoint: Ferguson is expecting more demonstrations when the grand jury ends it deliberations . Tensions: Demonstrations are already taking place in Ferguson, Missouri, with calls for Darren Wilson to be indicted by the grand jury, which meets again on Friday, over the killing of Michael Brown . 'At that point you're processed in terms of initial intake. Then you go through a numbered door and when you get to the other side it's like what I would call the bus station. It's where you do your time if you're taken in on a misdemeanor or whatever.' The pastor was fingerprinted - a process that she admitted left her feeling 'uneasy' - and has been charged with 'refusal to disperse and failure to move vehicle which is obstructing flow of traffic'. She was lucky, she said. She was released at 3am barely four hours after the arrest that so stunned her. It is not the first time that Rev Ragland has had dealings with police in Ferguson. On October 13 she was detained for nine hours before being released without charge. That encounter came during a highly controversial period during which Ferguson police adopted the 'five second rule' meaning that any protester who stopped walking for more than that time could be arrested. The practice was deemed illegal by a federal judge and County Chief of Police, John Belmar, stripped Ferguson police of their authority over protests. Yet despite her experiences Rev Ragland was anxious not to attribute blame. She said, 'The clergy want to be compassionate voices to soothe people who are so broken and hurt and to be a voice for the kind of justice that's actually going to move the polarities to a point where they can heal instead of this place where we're just shouting and hurting.' She intends to go back out along protesters following the Grand Jury's announcement because, she said, 'My role is to advocate for justice and to advocate for peace and for change in a system that has for too long needed to change. 'There is plenty of evidence to suggest that people of color are treated in a discriminatory fashion by our justice system. 'I think that that is sufficient reason for those of us of conscience to stand with the protesters. It's what Jesus would do.' Residents of Ferguson, Missouri, prepared Wednesday for a grand jury report expected soon on the fatal August shooting of an unarmed black teen by a white policeman, an event that laid bare long-simmering racial tensions in the St. Louis suburb. The shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown sparked weeks of sometimes violent protests. Many businesses have boarded up their windows as they expect another wave of demonstrations to follow the grand jury's decision, particularly if officer Darren Wilson is not charged. More than two-thirds of the residents of Ferguson are black, but its mayor, police chief and most of its police department are white. Black residents say their conflicts with the police long predate Brown's shooting. A protester in a Guy Fawkes mask stands with his hands in the air in front of police outside the Ferguson Police Department Wednesday . People await the grand jury verdict over the police slaying of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri . In a sign of tensions ahead of the grand jury report, a few dozen protesters gathered outside the city police station late on Wednesday in sub-freezing temperatures faced by officers in riot gear. Some protesters chanted 'Indict that cop.' Police arrested about six people when protesters tried to block the street after ignoring orders to keep it clear. The arrests were the first of protesters in about a week. On Tuesday, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon named a panel of 16 commissioners to develop solutions to the deep-seated socioeconomic disparities in and around Ferguson. Despite the tensions, some in Ferguson have tried to carry on life as usual. A crew of city workers spent Wednesday morning putting up Christmas decorations on the street that is home to the Ferguson Police Department. Activists say that will be the first place demonstrators assemble after the grand jury report. Officials have said the grand jury is expected to make its decision by the end of the month. Show of force: Police in riot gear try to break up protesters marching in the streets . The Ferguson-Florissant School District told parents on Wednesday that schools may close early or not open at all on the day the grand jury's decision comes, with the decision based on when officials learn the report is coming. Country singer Hunter Hayes, citing the state of emergency declared by the governor, canceled a concert scheduled for Thursday night at an arena on the campus of St. Louis University. Nixon has defended his decision to declare the state of emergency ahead of the grand jury's decision, a move some called heavy-handed, particularly given that protests in recent days had been peaceful. The state of emergency allows the National Guard to deploy to the St. Louis area. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay asked for 400 National Guard troops to be deployed to his city, to work in alternating 12-hour shifts at 45 locations around the city. There are conflicting accounts of what preceded the Aug. 9 shooting of Brown, with some witnesses contending he had raised his hands in surrender and others describing a struggle between the teen and Wilson. Source: Reuters . | Reverend Rebecca Ragland tells MailOnline she was dragged along ground so roughly her vest, marked clergy, was ripped off .
Her arrest is one of the first since declaration of state of emergency in the St Louis suburb .
Protests last night are expected to be followed by much larger demonstrations when grand jury reaches decision .
Could come as early as tomorrow and National Guard and other law enforcement bodies are on standby . |
07672731beebb09f3d5c726704adf7eba09c59d3 | Former secretary of state and potential 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made it very clear during an appearance earlier this week that she is no fan of Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked thousands of classified documents to journalists and who currently is avoiding criminal charges by hiding out in Russia. The former first lady attended a discussion at the University of Connecticut on Wednesday and was asked whether Snowden's leaks had done anything to help national security, or the discourse about how far the government can go in terms of domestic intelligence gathering. Clinton said she feels that the balance between privacy and security is important, but the way Snowden went about bringing the information to light was damaging to national security and may have inadvertently helped terrorist groups. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Harm: Clinton says Snowden's leaks did nothing but harm U.S. security and help terrorists and those who with harm on America . 2016: Clinton is a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2016 . 'I think turning over a lot of that material—intentionally or . unintentionally, because of the way it can be drained—gave all kinds of . information, not only to big countries, but to networks and terrorist . groups and the like,' she said. She went on to say that she doesn't 'understand why he couldn't have been part of the debate at home,' before taking classified documents to other countries. Clinton went to explain how Snowden could have had a bigger impact if he had turned the information over to officials and asked for whistleblower protection. 'When he emerged and when he absconded with all that material, I was . puzzled, because we have all these protections for whistleblowers,' Clinton said. 'If he were . concerned and wanted to be part of the American debate, he could have . been. But it struck me as—I just have to be honest with you—as sort of . odd that he would flee to China, because Hong Kong is controlled by . China, and that he would then go to Russia, two countries with which we . have very difficult cyber-relationships, to put it mildly.' Phony: Clinton mocked Snowden's question for Putin about whether Russia has any spy programs similar to ones he exposed in the US . Clinton, a former senator from New York before being appointed secretary of state, explained to the audience that having worked in the State Department and the Senate, she is much better informed about the threats that face the United States than the average citizen - many of whom look at Snowden as a hero. 'There are people right this minute trying to figure out how to do harm to Americans and to other innocent people,' Clinton said before explaining that the balance between security and privacy may have shifted towards security in the post-9/11 world, but that the NSA's intelligence gathering is what's helping to prevent another terrorist attack. After he had stolen the classified documents, Snowden went to Hong Kong, which is ruled by China, before settling in Russia. Clinton said by doing so, Snowden has essentially helped these countries - both of which have somewhat strained relations with United States - gather intelligence about U.S. security forces. 'When I would go to China or I would go to Russia,' she said, 'we would . leave all my electronic equipment on the plane with the batteries out, . because this is a new frontier and they're trying to find out not just . about what we do in our government, they're trying to find out about . what a lot of companies do and they were going after the personal emails . of people who worked in the State Department. It's not like the only . government in the world that is doing anything is the United States.' 'I have a hard time thinking that somebody who is a champion of privacy and liberty has taken refuge in Russia under Putin's authority,' Clinton said of Snowden . Clinton also mocked Snowden's recent call-in to a supposed Q&A with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who granted Snowden temporary asylum in his country after he leaked the classified documents. During the Q&A Snowden cautiously asked the Russian president if the Russian government had spy programs similar to those of the United States. Mocking Snowden and Putin's response, Clinton condescendingly paraphrased Putin's answer, saying, 'well from one intelligence professional to another, of course not.' 'Oh, thank you so much,' she continued to mock. 'I mean really.' Clinton also took a shot at Snowden's claim that he's a passionate defender of privacy and liberty. 'I have a hard time thinking that somebody who is a champion of privacy and liberty has taken refuge in Russia under Putin's authority,' She said. Putin's government has routinely jailed those who oppose his rule, including members of the punk band Pussy Riot and longtime political opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky, whom Putin had jailed for eight years. | Clinton says Snowden's leaks did nothing to help national security .
The former secretary of state says Snowden should have revealed his information to U.S. officials under whistleblower protections rather than hand it over to foreign governments .
The possible 2016 presidential candidate says she's puzzled how someone who supposedly is so dedicated to privacy and liberty would choose to live in Russia under Vladimir Putin . |
076763a34d181cbb907b3bfd307a922c7edddd07 | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 06:25 EST, 4 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:36 EST, 4 June 2013 . Natasha Porter, 23, developed Guillain-Barre syndrome after being bitten by a mosquito in Australia . A woman bitten by a mosquito while on holiday in Australia was left paralysed from the neck down. Natasha Porter was confined to a wheelchair for four months and was unable to move anything below her neck for three weeks after suffering the bite. Ms Porter was two weeks into the holiday of a lifetime in Australia when she developed Guillain-Barre syndrome - a disease which causes the body attacks its own nervous system. She first noticed numbness in one toe, but within four days she could barely walk. Doctors told her the fast-moving paralysis could freeze her diaphragm within hours and that there was a chance she could die. Ms Porter watched helplessly as she lost control of her entire body within hours. She was unable to feel her hands, feet or legs - or move anything below her neck. ‘Every time I went to sleep at night I wondered if I might not wake up,’ said Ms Porter, from Crawley, West Sussex. ‘All I could think was I'm 23 - I don't want to die.’ Ms Porter flew to Western Australia in March 2012 and spent seven months working in a cafe to save up for a trip down the country’s east coast. However, she began to notice numbness in her toe two weeks after arriving in Cairns. The paralysis then moved to her hands two days later. Ms Porter visited a pharmacist who dismissed her symptoms as an allergic reaction and prescribed antihistamines. But when her arms began to feel so heavy she could not lift them up to brush her hair, she consulted a doctor who diagnosed anxiety and stress. She spent two more days deteriorating on a two-day cruise round the Whitsunday Islands before a concerned couple rushed her to hospital. The condition causes the body to attack its own immune system and it left Ms Porter in a wheelchair for four months and unable to move anything below her neck for three weeks . Doctors tested her reflexes and found she had none. Ms . Porter said: ‘The doctor said he thought it could be Guillain-Barre . syndrome. I had never heard of it. The next words he said were “I'm . worried," and I was so scared. ‘He said it was potentially fatal because it freezes your diaphragm and he said I might need to go on a ventilator really soon. ‘I remember feeling guilty because I knew I was going to have to call my parents. I was thinking, how do I call them up and say I might be dead in a few hours? She was diagnosed after she started to experience numbness in her feet and hands and felt as though her arms were too heavy to lift. Doctors initially thought she was suffering from an allergic reaction or stress . ‘I was thinking I just don't want to die, I'm only just beginning to live.’ Guillain-Barre . syndrome is a rare and serious condition which occurs when the body's . immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. The exact cause is unknown but around 60 per cent of sufferers develop it when bacteria or a virus enters the body and triggers the immune system to attack nerves. This causes the nerves to become inflamed and stop working and in some cases makes the body numb. She was warned that she could end up on a ventilator, or even die, if her diaphragm also became paralysed by the condition. Her parents had to fly out from England to be at her bedside . Within three weeks she was able to move both her arms a few centimetres, and six weeks after she was paralysed she stood up for a few seconds with the help of three nurses. She had to wear a face mask to protect her from further infections . It can prove fatal but around 80 per . cent of suffers make a full recovery after several weeks in hospital . although some take a year or more to fully recover. Ms . Porter’s father Joe, a taxi driver, flew out to join his daughter, and . called her mother, Sue, a college lecturer, when it became clear she was . very ill. In November, Ms Porter (pictured with father, Joe) was flown back home accompanied by two nurses . Within two days Ms Porter could not move anything but her head. She said: ‘I was trying to wiggle my toe and I was staring at it knowing it should move but it wouldn't. ‘I . couldn't do anything, it was awful. To go from being so independent to . not being able to go to the loo, lift up your own leg. I had to ask to . be turned over in bed. It was depressing. ‘There was a constant burning. It was incredible. I can't describe the pain.’ However, thanks to a lot of physiotherapy, Ms Porter was able to regain her independence one movement at a time. Within three weeks she was able to move both her arms a few centimetres, and six weeks after she was paralysed she stood up for a few seconds with the help of three nurses. She said: ‘People were saying, “bend your legs, straighten your back, tuck you tummy in,” but it was so strange as I just had no idea how to do it. ‘The first time I was able to move for five seconds I remember just yelling and everyone started applauding.’ In November, Ms Porter was flown back home accompanied by two nurses, and reunited with brother Jack, 27, and sister Shelley, 25. By the New Year she was able to take short trips away from her wheelchair and by the end of January she went out dancing with her friends for the first time. Ms Porter has now made a full recovery and returned to work. She and her boyfriend, Tom Kelly, are hoping to finish their travels once they have saved up enough money . In March she began work as an administration assistant, and she is planning to finish the round the world trip she began, and to climb to Everest base camp with boyfriend, Tom Kelly, as soon as they raise the funds. Ms Porter said: ‘I don't want to waste anytime anymore and I hope I have become a better person. ‘I just want to live as much as I can, spend as much time with my friends and family, just enjoying my life.’ Guillain-Barre syndrome (pronounced Ghee-lan Bar-ray) syndrome is a rare but serious condition of the nerves that control the body's senses and movements. It affects about 1,500 people in the UK every year and is slightly more common in men than women. It causes the immune system (the body’s natural defence against infection and illness) to attack these nerves, causing them to become inflamed. Symptoms include a tingly, numb sensation in the arms and legs which can result in a loss of feeling and movement. Most people who develop it have suffered from a viral or bacterial infection a few weeks before. Around 80 per cent of people make a full recovery within a few weeks or months, and do not have any further problems such as permanent nerve damage. | Natasha Porter developed Guillain-Barre syndrome while travelling .
The condition causes the body to attack its own immune system .
She was in a wheelchair for four months and paralysed for three weeks .
Was warned she might die if her diaphragm also became paralysed .
It was six months before she was fully recovered and able to go back work . |
07680a355d5c4ea045c3625507e30dd4b08fb460 | Spain striker David Villa has announced he will leave La Liga champions Atletico Madrid after being made an ‘irresistible’ offer thought to be from MLS side New York City FC. The 32-year-old was spotted in Manchester's Bridgewater Hospital on Saturday, where he was underwent a medical ahead of a move to Manchester City's U.S. franchise. ‘It is an irresistible project for me and my family, it is very, very good. It is about football and I have to accept it,’ Villa said in a message to fans published on the Atletico website. VIDEO Scroll down to watch David Villa mobbed by Atletico Madrid supporters . Farewell: David Villa has said his goodbyes to Atletico Madrid ahead of a slated move to New York City . Battle: Villa (left) battles with Raphael Varane during the Champions League final, which Atletico lost . ‘I will be a fan of Atletico all my life for what they have given me this year.’ Villa . moved to Atletico from Barcelona ahead of last season and, leading the . attack alongside Diego Costa, helped them win a first La Liga title . since 1996. They also came . within 90 seconds of winning the Champions League before Real Madrid . rallied to claim the title 4-1 after extra time in last week's final in . Lisbon. ‘It has been a great . project for me both personally as well as sporting and now I face a new . challenge which is what I have always looked to do in my career and my . life,’ he added. Confirmed: Villa has been named in the final 23-man squad for Spain's World Cup defence . ‘I would . like to thank the people at Atletico and those that tried to convince me . to stay, like Cholo (coach Diego Simeone) and the rest of the coaching . staff.’ Villa was named in . Spain's 23-man squad for the World Cup in Brazil, where the defending . champions will open their Group B campaign against the Netherlands in . Salvador on June 13 before facing Chile and Australia. | Villa would be New York City FC's first marquee signing .
NYCFC will be launched in the next Major League Soccer .
The club is a joint venture between Man City and the New York Yankees .
Villa says he's been made a 'irresistible' offer that is 'about football'
He thanked boss Diego Simeone, who tried to convince him to stay .
In one season at Atleti, Villa won the La Liga title and came minutes from winning the Champions League . |
076c5ae5abca3f8fa9f20cc36c96fb5a3e3b0c0c | By allowing only the best eggs or embryos to be selected for IVF, the Oxford University test is expected to slash the odds of miscarriage and greatly boost the chances of a woman having a healthy baby (picture posed by model) A three-in-one test that could almost guarantee the chance of having a baby could be available within months. By allowing only the best eggs or embryos to be selected for IVF, the Oxford University test is expected to slash the odds of miscarriage and greatly boost the chances of a woman having a healthy baby. This would cut the financial and emotional costs of trying time after time to start a family. IVF costs between £3,000 and £15,000 a course, but success is far from guaranteed. Just one in four of the 40,000 women who have it each year have a baby. The test's inventor, Dagan Wells, said: 'It offers the possibility of enhancing success rates of IVF, allowing couples to more rapidly get to the point of having a child and avoids the heartbreak of miscarriage and termination of pregnancies affected by serious disorders.' The new technique builds on an existing test called array comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) which counts the number of chromosomes in an egg or embryo. Healthy eggs should have 23 chromosomes and embryos 46, but many have more or less than this, greatly increasing the risk of miscarriage and of having a child with a condition such as Down's syndrome. Up to three-quarters of miscarriages are thought to be due to embryos having the wrong number of chromosomes, with eggs from older women particularly likely to be defective. 'Astonishing' results released two years ago revealed array CGH to more than double a woman’s odds of getting pregnant. Now, the technique’s pioneer Dr Wells is trying to make it even better by bolting on two other checks. He told the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s annual conference that one involves counting the number of mitochondria – the tiny ‘batteries’ inside cells that turn the food we eat into energy. The other involves checking structures called telomeres. These are tiny biological clocks that cap the ends of chromosomes, protecting them from damage, much like the caps on the ends of shoelaces prevent fraying. Studies suggest that short or fraying telomeres can make the difference between ‘life or death’ for an embryo. Dr Wells said testing for three defects rather than one could take the IVF success rate from the 80 per cent or so of array CGH to approaching 100 per cent. ‘We hope to fill in that gap and get closer to getting a successful pregnancy from every IVF cycle.’ He added that his test won’t help women whose pregnancies fail because of problems with the womb. But this is not a major cause of IVF failure and other researchers are working on ways of getting round it. Dr Wells plans to make it available to around 15 British IVF clinics within weeks. However, initially, only the chromosome data will be used when deciding which embryos to use in IVF. After around six months, he will look at the telomere and mitochondria data taken from the embryos at the time and see whether it also helped predict the women’s odds of becoming pregnant. If so, he plans to make the full three-in-one test available to British clinics. It will only be available privately initially and is expected to add around £2,000 to the cost of IVF, the same as array CGH. The British Fertility Society has previously cautioned against the use of array CGH until there is large-scale data on how well it works. | Financial cost of trying to start a family would be cut .
Only quarter of 40,000 women who currently have IVF succeed . |
076c765cf49953637725bace56cf9fa1e568a1ef | CIA-funded weapons have begun flowing to Syrian rebels, a U.S. official told CNN. But opposition groups say they have yet to receive any. The official confirmed details first reported by the Washington Post but would not speak publicly. "That is something we are not going to dispute, but we are not going to publicly speak to it," the official said. The weapons are not American-made, but are funded and organized by the CIA. They started to reach rebels about two weeks ago, the official said. The artillery was described as light weapons, some anti-tank weapons and ammunition. The Syrian National Coalition and the Free Syrian Army deny they have received weapons from the United States. "We have some promises from the U.S. administration of shipment of weapons in a short period of time, but until now we have not received any," said Free Syrian Army Political and Media Coordinator Louay al-Mokdad. "We have logistical help, but we didn't get weapons until now. We hope that in the next short period of time we will start receiving weapons, because we have promises from EU countries and the U.S. that they will help us and support us." The supply is in addition to the non-lethal aid that the United States has been providing the rebels since April, when the Obama administration first altered the nature of the aid to include items such as body armor, night vision goggles and other military equipment. The official insisted the effort has been in the works for some time, and did not start as an effort to appease those calling for more rebel aid during the new diplomatic initiative with Russia. Kerry hints at transfer . Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday during a Google+ Hangout discussion that "many of the items that people complained were not getting to them are now getting to them." He did not elaborate on specifics. A spokeswoman for the National Security Council declined comment. "We aren't able to inventory or provide timelines for every type of assistance we provide to the Syrian opposition," spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said. CNN could not reach members of the rebel forces early Thursday morning. Congress approved supply . The supply of weapons was approved by Congress after the Obama administration asserted the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons on a small scale. But no progress toward physically supplying the rebels had been reported since then. "Some things have not been getting to the opposition as rapidly as one would have hoped," Kerry said Tuesday. CNN first reported on the plan to arm Syrian rebels with small arms and ammunition in June, but officials refused to lay out a time line on delivery. Obama's national security team and members of Congress have repeatedly urged the president to increase direct aid for the rebels. They argue such a step would strengthen the hand of moderate members of the Syrian opposition, and make them less reliant on well-armed extremist elements within their ranks. Other developments . The latest developments come on the eve of new diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Russia, which begin Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland. Secretary Kerry will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for two days to discuss a Moscow proposal to avert a U.S.-led strike in Syria by having the Syrian government put its chemical weapons stockpile under international control. But as Russia continues to supply Bashar Al-Assad's regime with weapons while the U.S. supplies the rebels, and Putin writes a piece in the New York Times questioning the authority of Obama's call for military strikes, the baggage being brought to the negotiation table continues to pile up before talks have even begun. | Rebel groups say they have yet to receive weapons .
Official: "That is something we are not going to dispute"
The weapons are not American-made but are funded and organized by the CIA .
They started to reach rebels about two weeks ago, the official says . |
076c9476beb2024f045a91bd1e01b4862f6f7531 | The judge in the divorce case between New York City banker Sage Kelly and his ex-wife Christina has called their trial a 'fiasco.' Justice Matthew Cooper said that the pair's behavior was 'horrible,' and that he felt bad for their 'innocent children.' This as Sage Kelly, a $7 million-a-year Manhattan banker who worked at Jefferies & Co., recently settled with his wife Christina for an undisclosed amount of money. The settlement also includes joint custody of the couples two daughters, 10-year-old Cameron and 6-year-old Logan. Moving on: Sage Kelly has settled his divorce with wife Christina (above with their two daughters) out of court for a very pricey, and undisclosed, sum . Reunited: As past of the settlement agreement, the couple will share joint custody of their two daughters (above) 'This ended up as horrible as it can be for Mr. Kelly and I guess to some extent for Ms. Kelly, but most of all for the children,' Cooper said, according to the New York Post. Sage's lifestyle became very public knowledge in October when Christina’s 26-page affidavit in their divorce was made public, which described in detail her husband's alleged cocaine use and sexual hijinks. At one point Christina, 39, graphically detailed a cocaine-fueled foursome she and Sage had with the head of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Marc Beer, and his girlfriend at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston. Christina said Sage wanted her involved to get Beer's business for his company, and that she engaged with both Beer and his girlfriend in sexual activity. Battling spouses: Christina counter-sued Sage in August of this year after he won full custody of their daughters when he filmed her doing cocaine in the Manhattan apartment . Revenge affidavit: Christina filed a 26-page affidavit accusing her husband of sexual promiscuity and rampant drug use . Getting dragged in: Christina claimed she and Sage had a cocaine-fuled foursome with pharemcutical big wig Marc Beer (left) and his girlfriend, and that Sage's boss at Jefferies, Ben Lorello (right), used cocaine . In her affidavit Christina also claims that Sage slept with the wife of a coworker while her husband was sleeping in their guest bedroom and that he hosted a Mushroom Day at their swanky Sag Harbor vacation home, where guests all ingested the hallucinogenic fungi. Christina also accused a number of Sage's friends, including his boss at Jefferies, Ben Lorello, of using cocaine. Sage, 42, who has denied all of his wife's allegations, would not comment on the divorce settlement. He did previously admit that he and his wife had used drugs 'at certain social events in the past,' but stated 'the Wolf of Wall Street tale [Christina] tells this court is a work of fiction.' Christina has had her own problems with the law, having been caught on video inside the couple's house doing cocaine just this past July and being charged with felony DWI and endangering the welfare of a child after she crashed her Range Rover into a telephone pole in May 2010 while her two young daughters were in the backseat. Shattered past: Christina admits now that she has a drug and alcohol problem that she is working on, having been charged with DWI in 2010 (mugshot on left) while he daughters were in the car, while Sage claims his wife's affidavit is a work of 'fiction' Because of this, Sage won custody of their two daughters, which led his wife to counter-sue and her affidavit to become public. Now it seems that both parties are ready to move on and enjoy a more private life. Said Christina, 'I’d like to put this behind us and move forward with a new chapter in my life as Christina di Mauro.' A source close to the case also revealed that Christina said in a statement that Sage is 'a great father who greatly loves our children' and that the two are 'both fully committed to co-parenting our children.' Christina also apologized to those who had been affected by this very public battle, specifically 'those at Jefferies and those associated with Jefferies.' She also said this 'amicable' settlement 'ensures loving homes for our children.' | Sage Kelly, the $7million-a-year head of health care investment at Jefferies & Co. in New York City, has settled his pricey divorce out of court .
This as the judge in his divorce trial has described he and his ex-wife's behavior as 'horrible,' and having a bad impact on their 'innocent children'
The banker and father of two was counter-sued by wife Christina after he won full custody of their children in August of this year .
Sage had filmed his wife doing cocaine in their apartment, and she had been charged with DWI in 2010 while her two daughters were in the car .
Christina attacked Sage by describing his alleged drug-fueled lifestyle in detail, saying he was a heavy user of cocaine, mushrooms and other drugs .
She also stated the two had a cocaine-fueled foursome with Aegerion Pharmaceuticals head Marc Beer and his wife at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston . |
076d838140ed3280d9cb62e60fea4b951834d6c4 | By . Mark Duell . This is the astonishing moment holidaymakers watched wild dolphins put on a show for them just yards away from a Cornish beach. Sunseekers in Gwithian, near St Ives in Cornwall, were amazed to see three dolphins leaping out of the water close to people swimming. Tourist Mary-Anne Drabble, 41, quickly took out her mobile phone to snap pictures of the cetaceans ducking and diving last Friday. Mrs Drabble, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, said: ‘It was a breathtaking experience - I was actually crying at what I saw. 'Everyone on the beach was cheering as they jumped out of the water. I think the dolphins were showing off for everyone.’ Dolphins have been seen closer to the British coastline as sea temperatures soared to 21C (70F) over the weekend. Mrs Drabble said lifeguards eventually managed to encourage the dolphins away from swimmers, with the help of a helicopter. Scroll down for video . Impressive: Sunseekers in Gwithian, near St Ives in Cornwall, were amazed to see three dolphins leaping out of the water close to people swimming on Friday . Watching: Tourist Mary-Anne Drabble, 41, quickly took out her mobile phone to snap pictures of the cetaceans ducking and diving beneath the waves . Hot weather: Dolphins have been seen closer to the British coastline as sea temperatures soared to the 21C over the weekend . ¿Breathtaking¿: People on the beach in Cornwall were said to have been cheering as the dolphins jumped out of the water . Time to leave: Lifeguards urged people to stay away from the dolphins, before a helicopter was used to encourage them to swim back out into open water . Some 28 species of cetacean have been recorded in UK waters, with 11 of these regularly appearing, according to Government figures. Dolphins can be viewed from places such as Chanonry Point in the Moray Firth near Inverness, as well as Cardigan Bay in Wales. They can also be seen around Land's End in Cornwall from January to April, as well as on the east coast of Scotland between July and September. It is illegal under British law to intentionally kill or injure a dolphin, or ‘recklessly disturb’ one - for example to cause it distress by chasing it in a boat. Fishermen with larger vessels are obliged to fit acoustic deterrent devices to deter dolphins from approaching them, and reducing by-catch levels. They are also advised to reel in their lines if dolphins appear while fishing, before moving away from an area if the cetaceans do not leave first. Dolphins are powerful animals that can become aggressive towards humans, and it can be harmful for both parties if people attempt feeding. Two decades ago US officials had to issue guidance on this subject after people were seen in Florida feeding dolphins beer, hot dogs and sweets. It is recommended that people get no closer than 50 yards to dolphins, because they can feel harassed if you get too close to them. In addition, dolphins have delicate skin which is very sensitive to human touch and therefore can be at risk of harm from humans. Warmer sees could be behind a rise for a change in the type of dolphins spotted off the North East, a survey suggested four years ago. A rise in sightings of common, bottlenose and Risso's dolphins - associated with warmer waters - was reported by the North East Cetacean Project. Among the cetaceans whose numbers sighted off the UK have increased over the past 30 years are the common dolphin and striped dolphin. | Holidaymakers watch wild dolphins put on a show in Gwithian, near St Ives in Cornwall .
Tourist Mary-Anne Drabble, 41, quickly took out mobile phone to take pictures of them .
Lifeguards eventually encouraged them away from swimmers, with help from helicopter .
Dolphins seen closer to British coastline as sea temperatures soared to 21C at weekend . |
076e56e116dbff0f738ba19c4dcdd2bec30c1601 | By . Richard Shears . Regina Soosalu, 23, was found dead on a beach on Rawa island . An Estonian model linked to Malaysian royal family has been found dead on the same group of islands where a British traveller died in mysterious circumstances a month earlier . Regina Soosalu, who uses just her surname, was found dead on a beach on Rawa island, off the south east coast of Malaysia, 20 miles from Tioman island where the body of Gareth Huntley, 34, from Cricklewood, North London, was found floating in a pond in June. Hasnan Hassan, head of crime investigations in southern Johor state, told AFP seven people had been arrested so far for questioning over her death but declined to comment further. Pathologists are now trying to establish how 23-year-old Soosalu died after she had set out from a resort for a stroll along the beach on July 1. She was initially believed to have drowned . – but police said on Wednesday they had found wounds on her body and . were investigating the case as murder. The island group, a popular destination for British tourists, is gaining a reputation as a dangerous place to be, particular following the murder of a French holidaymaker, Stephanie Foray, ,30, whose partially mummified remains were found buried in a cave on Tioman island in 2011. Just this week, 39-year-old Asni Omar was sentenced to be hanged for her murder. In May 2011 a group of foreign visitors were involved in a bloody brawl with bodyguards who accused them of interfering with a powerboat belonging to the Sultan of Johar on Rawa Island. In 2005 a member of the Johor royal family was taken in for questioning after a Brazilian couple’s wedding was gatecrashed, resulting in a brawl, on Rawa Island. Pathologists are now trying to establish how Soosalu died after she had set out from a resort for a stroll along the beach on July 1. The model, whose face has been seen on the covers of numerous international magazines, was the girlfriend of Alang Reza Ibrahim, the son of the former Sultan of Johor . Gareth Huntley, 34, from London, was found dead last month in Malaysia . Now police have descended once again on Rawa as they investigate the murder of model Soosalu, a crime that has sent shock waves through the international fashion industry. The reported ‘strong and independent’ model, whose face has been seen on the covers of numerous international magazines, was the girlfriend of Alang Reza Ibrahim, the son of the former Sultan of Johor. The Star newspaper of Malaysia reported today that until Tuesday this week Alang had remained silent about his girlfriend’s death until he wrote on Facebook about ‘the worst tragedy’ of his life. Saying that he was heartbroken, he wrote: ‘Regina my love has passed away on July 1, in the holy month of Ramadan. ‘She is my love, my best friend and will continue to be my inspiration for the rest of my life. ‘Her heart was filled with greatness, love, compassion, for all beings and life itself.’ Senior Assistant Commissioner of Hasnan Hassan of Johor CID told The Star that six suspects had been brought in for questioning. Asked if her boyfriend had been called in as well, Mr Hasnan told the paper that police had ‘yet to bring him in’. A close friend of Soosalu, who asked not to be named, said: ‘She was considered as one of the top models in our industry and made a name for herself through sheer hard work. Soosalu was the best among us.’ Another friend said: ‘She was a star in the scene and her death is a loss to the industry.’ | Regina Soosalu was found dead on Rawa island, off coast of Malaysia .
Treating death as murder after ‘suspicious wounds’ were found on her body .
Today seven were arrested for questioning over her death .
Found 20 miles from where body of Mr Huntley, 34, from London was found .
Pathologists are now trying to establish how 23-year-old Soosalu died .
She had set out from a resort for a stroll along the beach on July 1 . |
076f0fd9400cf4059262d57404de7eac1bc7ef10 | She has vowed not to let her $127million Powerball win change her - and has even promised to give some of the cash to church. But single mother-of-four Marie Holmes looked to have treated herself to a millionaire makeover as she collected her share of the vast lottery jackpot. The 26-year-old, from Shallotte, North Carolina, was pictured wearing a woollen beanie when she came forward with the lucky ticket, which netted her a lump-sum payment of $127million before taxes. But as she finally stepped forward to claim her winnings, she dazzled with a new hairstyle and smart suit. Scroll down for video . Dazzling: Marie Holmes, looked to have treated herself to a millionaire makeover as she collected her share of the vast lottery jackpot . The 26-year-old, from Shallotte, North Carolina, was pictured wearing a woollen beanie when she came forward with the lucky ticket . Marie Holmes, 26, from Shallotte, North Carolina, made her $127million lottery winnings official on Monday with a press conference for the Education Lottery . Holmes announced her winnings to a local news station earlier this month. But the handing over of the large check makes her winnings official . Holmes, one of three winners of the historic $564million jackpot, announced her winnings to a local news station two weeks ago. But the passing over of the over-sized check at a news conference yesterday made her winnings official. Holmes has said that she hopes to set up college funds for her children, buy a new home, give money to church and to travel - perhaps to Paris, as she's never been outside the United States. Holmes says she gave her mom $15 to buy five tickets on her way to church. She later bought five more. Weeks later, life is very different. She says security accompanies her everywhere. At the news conference, she was flanked by her lawyer and her financial adviser. Holmes and her family live in a trailer in Shallotte, North Carolina — just north of South Carolina on the coast. Winning still 'doesn't feel real', Holmes said at the press conference. 'It's not going to change the person that I am, but it's going to change our situation,' she added. 'It's going to be very fortunate.' The lucky winner said earlier this month that she scared her kids, one of whom has cerebral palsy, after she found out she had won and began screaming that they 'didn't have to struggle anymore'. 'I am humbled and grateful for the opportunities this has created for my family,' she said. Holmes said at the press conference that having the money hasn't hit her yet, and that it still 'doesn't feel real' Holmes said she originally bought five tickets for a total $15 before the lottery was announced. She later bought five more in homes of winning the jackpot . She said at the conference that now she is happy her family won't have to struggle anymore now that she has the money. 'They're going to be able to live a comfortable life,' she said. 'That's everything.' She used to work at McDonald's and Walmart before quitting to take care of her children. Her four children, Brayden, Charisma, Andrea and Ebony, are aged from nine months to seven years old. Brayden is believed to suffer from cerebral palsy. Holmes sacrificed her education to care for her four children and took minimum wage jobs to provide for her family. With little or no help from the fathers of her four young children, she has struggled financially for most of her adult life. Holmes has also seen her own father repeatedly jailed and her favorite cousin shot and left paralyzed after a home invasion. Family members describe Holmes as a loving mother who always put her children first. 'Marie is very grounded and she will know what to do with all that money,' said her uncle William Bryant. 'I'm sure she will want to buy a new home for herself and her kids, but I can't see any extravagant purchases. She's a nice girl who loves her family and loves her church.' Holmes said in the press conference that she can give her kids all that they want now, but she still wants them to live humbly . Family members have said that the mother is a nice and grounded woman who 'always puts her kids first' Holmes has little contact with the two fathers of her four children. The three eldest are with her former high school sweetheart who now lives in California. Her youngest child is with a local man but friends say he is not involved in his daughter's life. Lottery officials said her winning ticket was sold at a convenience store in Shallotte. It is the fourth time that a North Carolina ticket has claimed a Powerball jackpot. In North Carolina, a winner has 180 days from the drawing to claim the prize. The winning numbers were: 11, 13, 25, 39, 54 and the Powerball 19. Holmes's winning line was the fourth of the 'quick picks'. The odds of winning the Powerball are one in 175million. The gas station she bought the ticket at will get $50,000 as a retailer incentive award. Another ticket-holder from the February 11 drawing in Puerto Rico has elected to remain anonymous, while the owner of a winning ticket sold in Texas has not yet come forward. Holmes has been living in the pictured trailer with multiple family members. She hopes to buy a new house for her and her kids with the earnings, but she doesn't know if she'll settle in North Carolina . Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, Holmes, worked at this McDonald's in North Carolina to help her family get by . The Texas Lottery posted on Twitter that one of the winning tickets was sold at Appletree Food Mart in Princeton, a city about 40 miles north of Dallas. It had been nearly a year since a Powerball prize reached the giant number people have come to expect recently. That was last February, when someone won $425.3million. The February 11 jackpot was the third-largest in Powerball history and the fifth-largest U.S. lottery prize. The last time a Powerball jackpot climbed so high was May 2013, when a Florida ticket won a $590.5million prize. The largest payout in U.S. history was to three ticketholders in the Mega Millions game, the other national lottery drawing. That was a $656million prize won in March 2012 by players in Kansas, Illinois and Maryland. In 2012, state officials who run Powerball and Mega Millions changed ticket prices and lowered the odds of winning jackpots in hopes the moves would increase the number of huge prizes and draw more players. The new rules worked, causing jackpots to repeatedly climb to record levels. More than half of the top 10 U.S. jackpots have been reached in the past couple of years. | Marie Holmes, from Shallotte, North Carolina, came forward to a local news station two weeks ago with winning ticket .
She chose to take lump-sum payment of $127million before taxes .
She plans to set up college funds for her kids, buy a new home .
Holmes, 26, also plans to give money to church and travel with funds .
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 175 million . |
076f488be801ae3c4ff30a48c4fd55e3fd1b5d4f | NEW YORK (CNN) -- It's a historic event taking place on an international stage that's been seven years and $40 billion in the making. The National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, is shrouded in smog on opening day of the 2008 Olympics. Opening ceremonies last week of the 2008 Olympic Summer Games were lauded as the most spectacular in history, with pyrotechnics blasting from the top of Beijing, China's National Stadium and a synchronized fireworks display firing off across the capital. What has been mostly absent from Beijing, however, are protests. Although a unified China is the image that country's government is eager to portray, many human rights groups allege that China has orchestrated a massive cover-up. Beyond human rights, questions remain about whether China has kept its promises to the world to improve in two other major areas of reform: freedom of the press and pollution cleanup. Human rights . "In the run up to the Olympics, it seems that Chinese authorities are so obsessed with projecting an image of 'stability' and 'harmony' ... that they have really come down quite hard on human right's activists and lawyers," said Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific director for Amnesty International. In its report "The People's Republic of China: The Olympics Countdown -- Broken Promises," Amnesty International details what it calls a systematic persecution of dissident voices in Beijing and throughout China. "The Chinese authorities have used the Olympics and the cleanup before the Olympics as an excuse to maintain and extend a draconian detention system that they had called re-education through labor," Zarifi said. "What that really means is that they're punished through forced labor to be taught a lesson ... and thousands of people who have ordinary complaints or demand reforms of the Chinese government have instead been rounded up." The Amnesty report cites other human rights violations leading up to the Olympics. Amnesty accuses the Chinese government of using surveillance and detention to pursue family members of activists and blocking protesters from traveling to the capital city from other areas, such as China's Sichuan province, which was devastated by an earthquake in May that claimed the lives of nearly 70,000 people. The Chinese foreign ministry criticized the Amnesy International report, saying it had a biased attitude toward China. Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao was quoted by China Daily in a news briefing saying, "We hope [Amnesty International] can take off the colored glasses it has worn for many years and see China in an objective way." Beijing secured the Olympics in 2001 amid some controversy, with a tacit acknowledgment of concerns over its record on human rights, press freedom and environmental pollution. Even the day before the host city was announced, Wang Wei, then secretary general of the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee, said China was committed to change. "We are confident that the games coming to China not only promote our economy but also enhance all social conditions, including education, health and human rights," Wang said. "We will give the media complete freedom to report when they come to China." Press freedom . However, it was quite a different story for reporters as they arrived at the Olympic press center in Beijing. They discovered that many Web sites had been blocked, such as those with information about Tiananmen Square protests, Tibet, Taiwan or the Dalai Lama. Internet sites are severely regulated throughout China, and limited access to some of the sites was granted only after reporters complained to the IOC. The same official who assured the international media of "complete freedom" in 2001 took a somewhat different tone last week. "Yes, we promised to provide free access to the Internet, except for a few [Web sites] that would jeopardize our national security and would not be good for the healthy growth of our young people," said Wang, who is now the executive vice president of Beijing's Olympic organizing committee. In a statement provided to The Associated Press, Wang said, "As in any other country, there are some kinds of limitations ... however, I think we are going to provide sufficient access for the media to cover the games." Critics of China's policy on a free press said the problems run much deeper than the lack of access to some Web sites from the Olympic Village. "China's political reality is a place where no freedom of expression will really be allowable ... this goes for the Chinese people and the foreign journalists," said Xiao Qiang, director of the China Internet Project at the University of California, Berkeley. "[China] is always afraid that if it lets its own people speak freely and spontaneously organize by itself, the Chinese communist party could be endangered or even be threatened." Foreign journalists in China for the Olympics complain that access to report on anything that extends beyond sporting events has been severely limited. Xiao points to the recent beating and detention of two Japanese journalists who were investigating an alleged terrorist attack in northwestern China as a sign of a government that is not used to a free press. "They also feel since they got the Olympics, the world is coming anyway by this point, they can just do what they want and just let the world tolerate rather than have to fundamentally change their own behavior," Xiao said. Chinese officials later apologized for the beating incident. Pollution . A third major commitment by China in its Olympic bid was to clean up pollution in Beijing. Although government readings on pollution have gone down in the years since China won the bid, they still routinely far exceed World Health Organization guidelines. And at least one American-based environmental consultant believes that China has purposely manipulated its own pollution statistics to give a false impression that more progress has been made. "Beijing's public air quality reporting has been a misinformation campaign," said Steven Q. Andrews, author of a scientific report on China's air quality and two opinion-editorials on the topic for the Asian edition of The Wall Street Journal. Andrews cites the closure of two air quality monitoring stations in heavily trafficked areas of Beijing in 2006 as the reason why the number of "Blue Sky days" increased in the past two years. The Blue Sky program was instituted by the governments in major cities across China as a system to measure acceptable levels of pollution. The criteria for a "Blue Sky day" are still below what many industrialized countries consider good air quality. When the program was launched in 1998, Beijing had only 100 "Blue Sky days," but last year, that figure rose to 246, a report the Chinese state media hailed as a major improvement. When asked about the allegations that air quality monitoring stations were shut down, Du Shaozhong, the deputy head of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, said, "this phenomenon does not exist," according to Time magazine. Chinese officials did not respond to CNN's request for an interview. Despite official assurances that the air is safe for competition, athletes and fans have expressed concern over the thick smog covering the entire city. The American Lung Association went so far as to issue a warning to those attending the games. "Individuals traveling to the 2008 Olympic Summer Games should plan and prepare for the high levels of outdoor pollutant in Beijing ... [and] limit or avoid outdoor exercise," it said. Beyond highlighting the discrepancies between China's promises and actual reform, critics interviewed by CNN about all three major areas shared one common sentiment: disappointment. "This is really a significant opportunity lost for the Chinese government to show to the world that they really trust their own people ... a sign of a China that is ready to take its place in the first ranks in the nations of the world," said Amnesty International's Zarifi. | China has spent $40 billion, seven years planning for 2008 Olympic Games .
In 2001, China promised to improve human rights, press freedom and pollution .
Beijing official: Free Internet jeopardizes national security, detrimental to youth .
Experts disappointed in 'significant opportunity lost' for reform, improve world view . |
07708ce3b9c6003ed4fb3fd2770fb9426219b532 | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 06:44 EST, 28 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:36 EST, 28 May 2013 . They are widely regarded as a safe means of making a phone call while behind the wheel. But researchers have today suggested that drivers using hands-free kits could pose almost as much of a safety risk as those illegally holding their mobile to their ear. A Canadian study found that drivers using hands-free devices were significantly more likely to make a host of potentially hazardous errors - from speeding to switching lanes without indicating - than drivers not talking on the phone. Not as safe as you think? Researchers in Canada say hands-free devices that allow people to talk at the wheel can still increase the risk of driver error . Sales of hands-free phone devices have . soared in the UK in recent years since it became against the law to use a . mobile phone normally while driving. The law banning drivers and motorcyclists from using hand-held phones or similar devices came into force ten years ago. The possible punishments for drivers or riders caught using their mobile range from a £60 fixed penalty and three penalty points, to being disqualified from driving and issued with a maximum fine of £1,000. The only instances in which drivers are allowed to use their phone are if they need to call 999 in an emergency and it is unsafe or impractical to stop, or if they are safely parked. Drivers are permitted to use hands-free kits, sat navs and two-way radios while driving or riding, but could still face a penalty should they be stopped by police who deem them to be distracted and not in control of their vehicle. It was thought that using a hands-free device significantly cut the risk of driver error, when compared to holding a phone to the ear. But the new study found that drivers using a hands-free phone made significantly more errors - such as crossing a centre line, speeding, or changing lanes without indicating first - compared to those not using a phone. A study led by Professor Yagesh Bhambhani, of the University of Alberta in Canada, showed the jump in errors also corresponded with a spike in heart rate and brain activity. Researchers looked at the brain activity of 26 participants who completed a driving course using a driving simulator. Participants were first tested in a . 'control' condition - using the simulator to drive through virtual city streets while using no telecommunications device. They . were then tested again while talking on a hands-free device. The drivers were engaged in two-minute conversations that avoided emotionally charged topics. Danger: Sales of hands-free kits soared after it became illegal to use a mobile phone in the usual way while behind the wheel . Researchers found there was a significant increase in brain activity while talking on a hands-free device compared with the control condition. Prof Bhambhani said: 'The findings also indicated that blood flow to the brain is significantly increased during hands-free telecommunication in order to meet the oxygen demands of the neurons under the "distracted" condition.' | Study shows hands-free devices lead to sharp increase in driver errors .
Users more likely to speed or suddenly change lanes, researchers say .
Academics in Canada monitored the brain activity of drivers . |
0770d6bb6732153dbd97f0d8247722ff0a69e90d | Washington (CNN) -- President Obama wished the nation a happy Thanksgiving on Thursday and also used his weekly address to renew his call for bipartisan cooperation on addressing major issues facing the nation. In the remarks usually delivered on a Saturday, Obama said the first family will have the same kind of holiday experienced by millions of Americans -- filled with friends and relatives, good food and football. "And just as folks have done in every Thanksgiving since the first, we'll spend some time taking stock of what we're thankful for: the God-given bounty of America and the blessings of one another," the president said. The White House menu Thursday featured traditional Thanksgiving fare, including turkey, ham, two kinds of stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, along with macaroni and cheese, greens and five other kinds of pie. Obama called for Americans to think about those less fortunate and saluted the "countless" Americans serving their country and communities, from soldiers on guard around the world to volunteers at local soup kitchens and food pantries. On Thursday morning, Obama called 10 members of the military -- two from each the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy -- deployed in the U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the White House said. The president "thanked each of them for their service and sacrifice and wished them and their families a Happy Thanksgiving," the White House statement said. The day before, the first family spent an hour handing out Thanksgiving dinner packages to people at Martha's Table, a local aid organization. Such service is "emblematic of what Americans have always done," Obama said in his weekly address. "We come together and do what's required to make tomorrow better than today," he said. "That's who we are." That means supporting the nation's soldiers and working together to help spur faster economic recovery from the recession, he said. "But we won't do it as any one political party," he said. "We've got to do it as one people. And in the coming weeks and months, I hope that we can work together, Democrats and Republicans and independents alike, to make progress on these and other issues." Noting his scheduled meeting Tuesday with congressional leaders from both parties, Obama said it was time for "a real and honest discussion, because I believe that if we stop talking at one another and start talking with one another, we can get a lot done." "For what we are called to do again today isn't about Democrats or Republicans," he said. "It's not about left or right. It's about us. It's about what we know this country is capable of. It's about what we want America to be in this new century." | NEW: President Obama calls troops on Thanksgiving .
The president uses his weekly address to wish Americans a happy Thanksgiving .
Obama calls the holiday one of counting blessings and helping others .
The first family helped distribute Thanksgiving food packages Wednesday . |
077109d2a5078e77b07262755014e9006e92ab87 | Washington D.C. (CNN) -- Kim Jong Un has further solidified his control over North Korea by reportedly purging his uncle Jang Sung-taek, Vice Chairman of the important Nation Defense Commission. Although Jang was often referred to as the "second most powerful man in North Korea," he may now been ousted from the leadership elite for the third time. He has twice returned to the inner circle of power, but this cat may now have run out of lives. Kim's uncle 'probably' ousted, S. Korean lawmakers say . What does the move say about the stability of North Korea? Some experts perceive a weak, embattled Kim feeling forced to fend off challengers. But it is more likely that Kim's purge of Jang -- as well as hundreds of other officials since 2011 -- shows that the North Korean ruler is firmly in control and confident enough to target even the most senior strata of power. Like his father and grandfather, Kim is playing rivals off against each other to eliminate real or perceived challengers. Debate rages amongst experts as to why Kim felt it necessary to purge his former mentor and protector. Potential explanations revolve around four Ps -- power, parity, people and policy. Although a classic struggle for power between the leader and potential contenders is a possible explanation, Jang had seemed content to play the role of éminence grise, exercising power behind the throne. The best chance for Jang to have grabbed the ring of power would have been when Kim was weakest immediately after his father's death in 2011. But even then, the young Kim was immediately presented as the sole ruler and not as a part of a leadership consortium. After Kim acquired each of his father's titles affirming control over the government, military, and party, it became increasingly more difficult for potential challengers to oust him. Kim Jong Un more bellicose than his dad was? Then there's the issue of parity between the Korean Workers' Party (KWP) and the military. Under Kim Jong Il, power shifted to the military, as the National Defense Commission became the preeminent center of government power. But under his son, the KWP has regained some power. The KWP's Central Military Commission has now eclipsed the National Defense Commission as the arbiter of North Korean military policies. Rather than a struggle to wrest power from Kim, the purge may instead result from people fighting for closer access to him. There are widespread rumors that Jang was defeated in a struggle with personal rivals. The least likely explanation for the purge is a debate over policy. Although Jang was often referred to as a "reformer" by the media, there is little evidence that he or any hidden cabal advocated implementing significant economic and political reform or moderating North Korea's threatening behavior. Pyongyang created the perception of factions of hardliners and reformers as part of a "good cop-bad cop" strategy to elicit benefits during negotiations. As a Korean adage warns, "The same animal has soft fur and sharp claws." When Kim ascended the throne in 2011, he was erroneously perceived as a reformer simply because he had spent a few years in Switzerland as a teen. The likely departure of his uncle will have little impact on North Korea policy. Kim has shown himself to be just as inimical to reform and pursuing a less belligerent foreign policy as his predecessors. He showed his willingness to escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula to dangerous levels earlier this year, threatening nuclear attacks against the United States and South Korea. The young leader has also made clear he has no intention of abandoning his regime's nuclear weapons, even revising the constitution to enshrine North Korea as a nuclear weapons state. Pyongyang declared, "those who talk about an economic reward in return for the dismantlement of [North Korea's] nuclear weapons would be well advised to awake from their daydream ... Only fools will entertain the delusion that we will trade our nuclear deterrent for petty economic aid." Rather than seeking an illusory North Korean reformer, Washington and Seoul should instead prepare for the extended rule of yet another member of the Kim family willing to test the resolve of his opponents. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of Bruce Klingner. | Jang Sung-taek was the vice chairman of North Korea's top military body .
Klingner: Shows that leader Kim Jong Un is firmly in control and confident .
Widespread rumors that Jang was defeated in a struggle with personal rivals, he says .
Klingner: Departure of his uncle will have little impact on North Korea policy . |
077160329d73878526eab8683b76adfc775aca40 | A 12-year-old girl gave the store Dick's Sporting Goods a dose of girl power after receiving their catalog and noticing there were no female basketball players featured. McKenna Peterson, the daughter of reporter Chris Paterson of AZCentral Sports and NBC12 wrote a fiery letter to Dick's about the lack of women players in their Basketball 2014 catalog. Peterson tweeted a photo of his daughter's well-written letter and hundreds flocked to social media to give the young girl their support, reports Business Insider. Girl power: McKenna Paterson, 12, wrote a letter to Dick's Sporting Goods about them not featuring female basketball players in their catalog and says she herself is a basketball player . 'I think that girls should be treated as equally as boys are treated,' she writes. Peterson details in her letter how she is a fan of women’s [professional basketball teams such as the Phoenix Mercury. I don't know if you are keeping track of the ladies sports world but they are the Western Conference Champions AND the League Champions of 2014. They have at least two of the best players in the WORLD,' she writes. The team has talented players such as Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. 'So, back to the point,There are NO girls in the catalog! Oh, wait, sorry. There IS a girl in the catalog. SITTING in the STANDS, ‘she boldly points out. With pictures of girls sitting on the stands, Peterson says it makes it difficult for girls to break into sports generally associated with men. The letter: 'So, back to the point,There are NO girls in the catalog! Oh, wait, sorry. There IS a girl in the catalog. SITTING in the STANDS,' she says in this letter to Dick's Sporting Goods . Girls are also only mentioned two times in the catalog on a page talking about shoes and once on a page with cheerleaders. 'It's hard enough for girls to break through in this sport as it is, without you guys excluding us from your catalog,' she writes. She then reminds the store that she loves shopping there but may be tempted to visit a store with greater respect towards gender equality. 'Maybe my dad will take me to some other store that supports girls to actually PLAY basketball and follow their dreams and not sit on the side-lines and watch the game,' she writes in a warning tone. Peterson says, however, that she hopes she doesn't have to resort to going to another establishment because she truly likes shopping at Dick's. 'If you actually read this far,' she adds, 'thank you for your time and I look forward to seeing girls in the next basketball catalog you send out. I really DO enjoy going to your store and getting new shoes. The staff are very friendly and kind.' She then ends her letter both politely and does so while asserting confidence. 'Sincerely, McKenna Peterson, The Fabulous Basketball Player.' Not only is McKenna a fabulous basketball player she’s an inspiration for teenagers to speak up and say what's on their minds. | McKenna Peterson, 12, wrote a fiery letter to Dick's Sporting Goods store about the lack of women players in their Basketball 2014 catalog .
'So, back to the point,There are NO girls in the catalog! Oh, wait, sorry. There IS a girl in the catalog. SITTING in the STANDS,' she writes angrily .
With pictures of girls sitting on the stands, Peterson says it makes it difficult for girls to break into sports generally associated with men .
'I think that girls should be treated as equally as boys are treated,' she writes . |
07719fe2593c6f75979defc14130871cfdccbd67 | An online fundraiser for the family of a Pennsylvania woman allegedly killed by her stepfather last month has nearly reached its $15,000 goal, as prosecutors have revealed the shocking murder was motivated by the suspect's necrophilia. Gregory Graf, 53, was arrested late last month and charged with shooting dead his newlywed stepdaughter, 33-year-old Jessica Padgett, who was last seen alive November 21. Her body was discovered buried behind a shed on Graf's property five days later. A friend in need: Shauna Wilkins, pictured right next to Jessica Padgett, has launched a fundraising campaign to help her slain friend's family in the aftermath of her murder . Kindness of strangers: As of Monday morning, the GoFundMe campaign was just $380 shy of its $15,000 goal . On Friday, it emerged that the suspected gunman videotaped himself sexually abusing the lifeless body of the 33-year-old mother of three. Shauna Wilkins, a longtime friend of the victim's, launched a GoFundMe campaign a week and a half ago to provide financial assistance to Padgett's three young children, reported Leigh Valley Morning Call. As of Monday morning, the fundraiser was just $380 short of its $15,000 goal thanks to the generosity of nearly 340 Good Samaritans. Padgett's widower, Mica, and his mother are the only people who will be able to use the collected donations, which will help cover the grieving family’s basic living expenses. Padgett's sister, Kristi Davis, wrote a message on her Facebook page last week thanking the community for their generosity and kindness. 'I don't want my brother in law to have to worry an ounce about the mortgage or putting food on the table until he can heal and get back to work. Thank you again!' she wrote November 30. Miss Davis took to the fundraising page last week to once again express her gratitude for the outpouring of support. 'Wow.. I'm just speechless. You all are amazing and Jessica is smiling down on all of you for helping to take care of her precious babies,' Padgett's sister posted. Alleged necrophiliac: Gregory Graf recorded himself sexually abusing the body of Jessica Padgett, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said on Friday . Discovered: Graf was arrested five days later after police found Padgett's buried behind a shed on the property where he lives with Padgett's mother . Hunter: Gregory Graf's Facebook is filled with photos of him along with animals he's hunted . On Friday, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said investigators have discovered a video on Gregory Graf's computer showing the 53-year-old sexually abusing Jessica Padgett's corpse. Padgett, 33, was last seen alive November 21, when she left work at a day care center. Graf was arrested five days later after police found her body outside the home where he lives with Padgett's mother. Graf, 53, is being held without bail on a homicide charge. The fencing company owner confessed to killing Padgett, a recently married mother of three, according to Morganelli. The victim's family said in a statement last month that Padgett 'was a beautiful, vibrant young woman who was beloved by her family and friends. The world shines less bright today.' Graf applied for a public defender, saying in court Friday that he didn't want to burden his family financially. A judge turned him down, ruling he had enough money to pay for his own defense. 'Like I said, I just don't want to take away the funds from the family,' said Graf, the owner of a fencing company. 'You're not going to be able to escape paying for the resources of an attorney,' Judge Stephen Baratta told Graf . 'I just can't allow that.' Morganelli said Graf will be charged with abuse of a corpse. So happy together: The raised funds will be made available to Jessica's (far right) newlywed husband, Mica (top left). Pictured here are the happy couple with their friends, Shauna and Jim Wilkins . Two peas in a pod: Ms Wilkins (right), a longtime friend of Jessica's (left), launched the fundraiser to help the woman's grieving husband and children with basic living expenses . Killed: Padgett, a 33-year-old mother of three, was last seen alive on November 21, when she left work at a day care center and her dead body was found in a shed five days later . 'He videotaped it,' Morganelli told Philly.com. 'So there's a videotape of him abusing the corpse sexually.' Morganelli said he believes that Graf took his stepdaughter's life in order to abuse her as a corpse. 'I believe it was a direct motive, in my opinion,' Morganelli said, 'and that's what we're going to be arguing.' Because the alleged abuse occurred after Padgett was killed Morganelli will not be able to seek the death penalty. Philly.com reports that under Pennsylvania law Rape and murder allow prosecutors to purse capital charges but sexual desecration of a corpse does not. Padgett went missing that day after she left Duck Duck Goose Child Care in Northampton and she never returned to her job there. Police say that the shooting happened around 10 minutes after she was last seen, though her body wasn't recovered until five days later. Morganelli has said Graf also had a marijuana-growing space at his house that was discovered by police as they searched for Padgett. Police seized 13 bags of marijuana and also confiscated $42,000 in cash and envelopes containing marijuana seeds from in a safe in the basement of Graf's home. \ . Graf's Facebook account indicates he has a love of hunting animals and has killed quite a few. Loved: The victim's family said in a statement last month that Padgett 'was a beautiful, vibrant young woman who was beloved by her family and friends. The world shines less bright today' Family: Jessica Padgett was married and had three children and also worked with children at a childcare center . Confessed: Gregory Graf confessed to killing Padgett and said he did it because he wanted to have sex with her and that he did so after she was dead . | Jessica Padgett's friend Shauna Wilkins started a GoFundMe page to help the slain Massachusetts woman's husband and three kids .
Donations will go towards covering family's basic living expenses .
Gregory Graf recorded himself sexually abusing Padgett's body, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said Friday .
Graf is being held without bail on a homicide charge and confessed to killing Padgett, a recently married mother of three .
Graf also allegedly had a marijuana-growing space at his house that was discovered by police as they searched for Padgett . |
0772025c767462d7cc0a7ef85348a85f9dd9c1c5 | Niamey, Niger (CNN) -- Two French citizens who were kidnapped in Niger's capital were killed -- apparently executed by their abductors -- during an attempted rescue mission, the French Defense Ministry said Sunday. "During this rescue operation, the two hostages were killed, probably executed by their kidnappers. Two French soldiers were injured and many terrorists were killed," said a statement on the ministry's website. The two were seized by masked gunmen who burst into Le Toulousain, a restaurant owned by a French citizen, in Niamey Friday night. A witness said the bar was crowded and many people did not realize what was going on at first. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said it is believed that "those behind the kidnapping were probably part of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)." However, AQIM has not yet claimed responsibility. The group did acknowledge it was responsible for the abduction of five French citizens who have been missing since September. The spokesman said French Defense Minister Alain Juppe will travel to Niamey Monday to hold a news conference. No other details, including the identities of the two who were slain, were immediately available from official sources. The French newspaper Le Figaro identified the men as Antoine De Leocour and Vincent Delory, both 25. French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned the killings in a statement Sunday, calling them a "barbaric act." He vowed that France will "fight relentlessly against terrorism." Niger's Voice of Sahel radio reported severe clashes between Niger army forces and the kidnappers early Saturday near the town of Ouallam, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Niamey, the capital, and not far from the Mali border. The leader of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Abu Musab Abdul-Wadud, has warned France that if it does not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, more French nationals would be endangered. "If you want safety for your citizens who are held captive by us, then you must move quickly to take your soldiers out of Afghanistan according to a specific time table that you announce officially," Abdul-Wadud said. The five French citizens kidnapped in September were linked to French nuclear energy company Areva, which has been mining uranium for decades in Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world. France has already said it may begin to withdraw some troops from Afghanistan next year. Minister Herve Morin told French radio station RTL in late October that France will begin to transfer the control of certain districts to Afghans in 2011. Journalist Ibbo Daddy Abdoulaye contributed to this report. | NEW: Sarkozy calls the killings "a barbaric act"
The French Defense Ministry says the men were likely executed by their abductors .
It's believed the kidnappers are linked to al Qaeda, a spokesman says .
The two were abducted while having dinner at a restaurant . |
07729d070cdec7716ee7ba62f8dbf93531970248 | By . Paul Harris . PUBLISHED: . 14:04 EST, 31 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:08 EST, 31 January 2013 . He was the art world’s king of bling – a man who devoted a lifetime to acquiring some of the most exceptional and bizarre works of gold and silver ever produced. Many of the items London dealer Michael Wellby bought were once so underrated they would have sold for little more than their value in precious metal. But times change. And yesterday historians were celebrating his gift to a museum of one of the most important collections of Renaissance and Baroque objects for more than a century. Precious: A group of German silver gilt cups of a stag by Elias Zorer (c.1605-10), an owl (c.1570), a ship model (c. 1620), a Dutch musketeer by Adriaen de Grebbe (c. 1600) and a bear (c. 1605-10) Director of the Ashmolean Museum Dr Christopher Brown (right) and Professor Timothy Wilson, The Keeper of the Ashmolean's Department of Western Art, discuss a silver gilt pitcher . His haul of nearly 500 items, valued together in the tens of millions, has been bequeathed to Oxford University’s Ashmolean museum. Among them are highly unusual works that were considered inferior or undesirable at the time he bought them, compared to more traditional or sought-after pieces. This month the spoils of his shrewd eye and travels around the continent will go on display before being housed in a permanent gallery, described as ‘a cabinet of wonders’. The collection, bequeathed after Mr Wellby’s death last year, was trumpeted as ‘the most important accession of objects of this sort to any UK museum’ since a bequest by Ferdinand Rothschild to the British Museum in 1898. Important donation: A German Serpentine ewer and basin with silver gilt mounts (c.1580) The blues: A lapis lazuli cup (pictured left) with jewelled and enamelled silver gilt mounts made with stone (c. 1560) and a bowl (right) with gold mounts from Prague (c. 1608) Admiration: A woman looks at a 'silver gilt ewer with enamelled royal arms of Portugal' that dates from around 1510 AD . Impressive: The collection of nearly 500 objects has been valued at tens of millions of pounds . Historically it spans more than 250 . years from the 1500s to 1700s. Aesthetically, however, it encompasses a . fascinating spectrum of style and craftsmanship, including works that . incorporate coconut shell, ostrich egg, ivory and mother of pearl. Such . items have come to be highly prized by wealthy collectors – but few of . his contemporaries appear to have had Mr Wellby’s unerring nose for a . bargain. According to . one friend, he was expert in securing under-priced items – but, the . friend added: ‘He bought a great many things simply because he liked . them, not because they were sought-after or fashionable.’ Mr . Wellby, who died aged 84, was driven by a passion for craftsmanship. He . joined the family silver-dealing business at 18 and built it into one . of the best known in Europe, with premises in Mayfair. His . private collection, acquired during more than six decades of travel and . trade, also reflected his fascination for exotic materials, especially . from the Africa and the East. Generous: The haul of objects was donated by the late antiques collector Michael Wellby . The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (pictured) had 900,000 visitors last year and announced plans for a series of exhibitions to celebrate its 330th anniversary this year . | Collection labelled most important museum donation in more than a century .
Pieces donated by the late antiques collector Michael Wellby .
Among them are unusual works considered inferior when he bought them . |
0773777996b449f94dc2229211f0ade7eb330d62 | Cricket Australia has decided to trademark the phrase ‘63 not out’ to prevent people from cashing in on the death of Australian cricketer Philip Hughes. Tributes have flowed for Hughes since his death on November 25 when he was hit in the head by a Sean Abbott bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The batsman will again be in everyone's thoughts as the Boxing Day Test starts in Melbourne today. In what has been an emotional series for the home team because of Hughes' death, they go into the encounter leading the series 2-0. Hughes was on a score of 63 not out when the tragedy occurred and that number has been immortalised in Australia since then. However, to stop those out to make a quick profit from of it all Cricket Australia applied to have the phrase ‘63 not out’ trademarked under the name, and an agreement was reached. Scroll down for video . To preserve the memory of Philip Hughes Cricket Australia has decided to trademark the phrase ‘63 not out’ Hughes was on a score of 63 not out when he tragically died after getting hit by a bouncer in the head . Since Hughes' death merchandise has already been on sale online featuring the phrase . The move came after representatives of Cricket Australia and its legal representatives K & L Gates had discussions with Hughes' family and management last week to prevent potential unlicensed memorabilia. The West Australian reported that the agreement will cover several classes of goods and services including clothing and other memorabilia. It now means Cricket Australia controls the use of the phrase on all merchandise - a move they say was purely ‘defensive’. ‘Cricket Australia registered the trade mark in conjunction with Phillip's management purely as a defensive registration to prevent others trying to exploit Phillip's memory,’ a spokesman said. ‘There was some evidence of that starting to occur which is why we have taken this action.’ Hughes will again be with his team mates in spirit when they play the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne today . A tribute to Hughes featured the number 63 seen from inside the scoreboard during day four of the First Test match between Australia and India in Adelaide . Cricket Australia's main concern was unlicensed memorabilia. Merchandise relating to Hughes has been on sale online with T-shirts and stickers featuring the phrase already being sold, along with plaques detailing Hughes' career stats - including his final innings. It has been a difficult period for the Australian team since Hughes's death, particularly during the Christmas period. Australia captain Michael Clarke was devastated by his friend's death. On Christmas Day he took a moment to remember the best friend he called a brother. 'Today you will have Christmas with us bro,' he wrote next to a candle with Phillip's photo sitting on a mantle piece next to a framed picture of his friend with himself and wife Kyly Clarke on a night out. Injured Australian captain Michael Clarke (left) shares a joke with bowler Peter Siddle on day one of the Third Test between Australia and India at Melbourne Cricket Ground . Debutant on the Australia team Joe Burns (right) his congratulated by Clarke after he received his baggy green cap at Melbourne Cricket Ground . Clarke is currently injured but was at the MCG on Boxing Day for the start of the third Test against Australia. Before the match he could be seen chatting with his team mates as well as congratulating Joe Burns on making his debut for the side. The skipper limped off the field on the final day of the first Test in Adelaide against India holding his right hamstring and was forced to miss the rest of the series. Clarke, 33, had surgery on the hamstring injury last week and had initially feared that his career could be over. But he's not ready to hang up his bat just yet. In his column for the Daily Telegraph, Clarke wrote: 'The biggest thing for me at the moment is getting back on the field for the World Cup. 'I have been told by medical staff that I am in as good a condition as I can be a week after undergoing the surgery.' Australia will co-host the World Cup with New Zealand. The tournament begins on 14 February. Clarke makes a tearful farewell at Hughes' funeral service in Macksville . Representatives of Cricket Australia and its legal representatives K & L Gates had discussions with Hughes' family and management last week about image rights . Hughes was the 408th person to be selected to wear the famous baggy green cap and Australia’s Test cricketers are all wearing their late teammates numbers on their shirts in the four Tests against India this summer. | To prevent people making a quick profit off the cricketer's legacy Cricket Australia have trademarked the phrase ‘63 not out’
The agreement will cover several classes of goods and services including clothing and other memorabilia .
It means Cricket Australia controls the use of the phrase on all merchandise - a move they say was purely ‘defensive’
Merchandise relating to Hughes has already been on sale online with T-shirts and stickers featuring the phrase . |
077403a734f30c8d9af7ee3f1561c32795de7ef5 | By . Rebecca English . PUBLISHED: . 12:09 EST, 23 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:02 EST, 23 January 2013 . You can always rely on children to ask the questions that even Jeremy Paxman would fear to utter. The Duchess of Cornwall's bananaskin yesterday came courtesy of a six year old primary school pupil who asked her innocently: 'Are you going to be Queen?' The textbook answer, as far as Clarence House is concerned, would have been 'No, Princess Consort' - which is what they have always insisted she will be called when Prince Charles accedes to the throne. Camilla is passionate about literature and has long campaigned to get children reading more . Instead Camilla laughed and replied mischievously: 'You never know.' Her response is likely to add to fuel to the fire of constitutional debate over the Duchess's future role. The prince's advisors plumped for the . title on her somewhat controversial marriage to the Prince of Wales in . order to placate public sensibilities. Academics insist, however, that she will legally be Queen whatever Charles chooses to call her. And friends of the prince say he has always been hopeful that the public would indeed accept her as just that. The Duchess was out and about on public duties yesterday to promote her new patronage of national literacy charity, Beanstalk. The organisation recruits and trains . volunteers from every walk of life to work in primary schools with . children who have fallen behind in their reading. Camilla is passionate about literature and has long campaigned to get children reading more. Yesterday she was at St Mary's RC . Primary School in Battersea, south west London, to meet some of the . children Beanstalk has helped. As wife of the future king, the Duchess of Cornwall is undoubtedly an expert on anything royal. And yesterday she declared seven-year-old Chrisangelo Ayag’s kingly outfit as ‘superbly authentic’. ‘I must say,’ she said, ‘you look pretty cool.’ Of Jack and the Beanstalk, the Duchess said: 'I find that the more gruesome it is, they more they love it' Whether that’s a compliment she . frequently pays her husband, the Prince of Wales, is anyone’s guess – . although he was recently named by GQ magazine as one of the snappiest . dressers in Britain. But Camilla was certainly very taken . with her new young friend, wearing who was wearing a paper crown, cloak . and a drawn-on beard. She appeared entranced as the pupils . treated her to a performance of one of the books they have recently been . reading, an African tale called The Papaya Who Spoke, featuring . Chrisangelo in a starring role. She also met several youngsters . working with their volunteers, including five-year-old Omani Koroma, who . has come on ‘leaps and bounds’ with the help of Isobel Patchett. After listening to him reading aloud, . she said: ‘Omani, that was brilliant. I give you ten out of ten. Keep it . up. Everyone is very proud of you.’ She also treated some of the children . to a rendition of Jack and the Beanstalk. Discussing the story . afterwards, particularly the child-eating giant, she said: ‘I find with . children that the more gruesome it is, they more they love it.’ The Duchess left the school with three signed copies of the book. Camilla met children who have fallen behind in their reading, but are benefitting from the scheme . | The Duchess was there to promote her new patronage of national literacy charity, Beanstalk .
She visited St Mary’s RC Primary School in Battersea, south west London, who have benefitted from their help .
The organisation recruits and trains volunteers to work in primary schools with children who have fallen behind in their reading . |
077513520791c6486a8978a92596e7a7f1b5db03 | Elena Vesnina, breezed through to the second round in just 53 minutes at the expense of Austrian Patricia Mayr-Achleitner - and the Russian will pick up at least £43,000. The 27-year-old won 6-0, 6-4 to register the first victory of this year's Wimbledon Championships. But it wasn't all bad news for Mayr-Achleitner who receives £27,000 for her day's work. Easy day's work: Elena Vesnina on her way to victory over Patricia Mayr-Achleitner . Beaten out of sight: Mayr-Achleitner's (right) Wimbledon campaign was over almost before it began on Monday . Meanwhile, former US Open champion . Samantha Stosur became the first major casualty on the opening day at . Wimbledon as the Australian suffered a first-round loss. The 30-year-old was beaten 6-3 6-4 by Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer on Court Three, situated on the site of the old Court Two which became known as the 'graveyard of champions'. Wickmayer, supported from the stands by countrywoman and four-time grand slam winner Kim Clijsters, whose academy she trains at, clinched her victory with a classy forehand cross-court winner. For 17th seed Stosur, the result was the latest in a long line of Wimbledon disappointments and means that after 12 visits she still has yet to go beyond the third round. Stosur, who last week ended a working partnership with Briton Miles Maclagan, a former coach of Andy Murray and Laura Robson, said of her early exit: 'I don't feel like I played bad. There's only so much you can really be down on yourself about apart from losing.' She said of her hunt for a new coach: 'I think I still know what I want out of them. There's probably a handful of coaches that you might want to think about. They've probably all got jobs.' Shock: Yanina Wickmayer (left) eased to a straight-sets win over Samantha Stosur (right) on day one . Sloane . Stephens, the 21-year-old American, was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon . in 2013 but made a first-day exit this time, losing what always looked a . tricky opening assignment against Maria Kirilenko. Russian Kirilenko, . who reached the last eight two years ago, prevailed 6-2 7-6 (8/6) on . Court 18. Stephens said: 'It feels like the end of the world now, but fortunately it's not. So that's a good thing.' She . suggested she was having problems behind the scenes, adding: 'There's . things that you guys don't know about, a lot of things that everyone . else doesn't see, but you have to work through it and you have to deal . with it. Sometimes you've got to be a big girl and just work through all . the things that are troubling you.' Japanese . 43-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm threatened an upset against an opponent . 18 years her junior as she swept ahead against Russian 22nd seed . Ekaterina Makarova. However from 5-0 ahead in the first set Date-Krumm's high standards began to fall and the veteran was beaten 3-6 6-4 7-5. Date-Krumm . said: 'She's top 20 and she is a tough player, a big fighter. If I lost . 6-1 6-1 or 6-1 6-2 or something like that then I would need to give up. 'But still I almost won, and my physical level is still not bad for 43 years old.' Out: Sloane Stephens (left) and Kimiko Date-Krumm (right) both made early exits at Wimbledon . | Russian Elena Vesnina takes just 53 minutes to progress to the second round and guarantee herself £43,000 .
Beaten Patricia Mayr-Achleitner takes home £27,000 despite her heavy defeat .
Samantha Stosur became the first major casualty on the opening day at Wimbledon .
Sloane Stephens and Kimiko Date-Krumm also crashed out . |
0775bdcec271c5175e3a4a68e9f5a8ffa7bc8108 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Lindsay Lohan was taken into custody at the end of Friday's hearing in her necklace theft case after the judge sentenced her to 120 days in jail for violating her drunk driving probation. The actress was expected to post a $75,000 bond at the jail and be freed. The judge granted the bond after her lawyer filed a notice of appeal. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner also ordered Lohan to serve 480 hours of community service, including 360 hours at a downtown Los Angeles women's center. Sautner suggested Lohan might behave better after seeing "how truly needy women and women who have fallen on real hard times have to live." She must complete another 120 hours of community service at the Los Angeles County morgue. The judge also ruled Friday that the necklace theft case against Lohan will go forward to trial, but the felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor. "I'm going to give her an opportunity," Sautner said. Sautner did not buy the defense argument that Lohan accidentally walked out of a Venice, California, jewelry store wearing a necklace that later appeared around her neck in photographs taken five days later. "If in fact it was an accident, she could have called the store back," Sautner said. Defense attorney Shawn Holley argued that Lohan was busy and scattered when she was at the store and absent-mindedly walked out with the necklace. "It's undisputed that Ms. Lohan walked out of the store with the necklace on," Holley said. The prosecution must show she had "specific intent to permanently deprive the store of that necklace." "I see the intent here and the level of brazenness to say 'Let me see what I can get away with here,' " Sautner said. A police detective testified that Lohan's assistant handed the necklace to a police officer after learning through a website posting that police had obtained a search warrant hours earlier to search for it in her home. Prosecutor Danette Meyers argued that "it doesn't take a rocket scientist" to realize Lohan returned the necklace to police because she knew her home was about to be searched. Lohan's trial date was set for June 3, but she must return to court for a hearing May 11, the judge said. A misdemeanor could still result in up to a year in prison for Lohan. Before delivering the good news to Lohan about the reduction of the charge, the judge addressed her much-publicized misbehavior. "She thumbs her nose at the court," Sautner said, referring to an incident with another judge last year. "She walks into court with 'F U' on her fingernails. I don't know what that means unless it has 'I am' before it." The jeweler who accused Lohan of stealing the gold and diamond necklace testified Friday that she had not gotten any money from selling the security camera video of the actress in her store. Kamofie and Company owner Sofia Kamen was the second witness called by the prosecution in the preliminary hearing. Holley used the the store's licensing of the video, for a reported $40,000, to question Kamen's motives in accusing Lohan of theft. All of the money from the video licensing went to publicist Christopher Spencer, who Kamen said she fired last month because he was negotiating deals for the store that she was not interested in, she testified. Spencer subsequently disputed Kamen's account. Kamen said that she realized the necklace was missing 10 minutes after the actress left the store last January. She wasn't closely watching Lohan, even though there was another incident four days earlier in which the actress almost walked out wearing a diamond earring. "We thought it was an accident," Kamen said. "We weren't thinking that she would take it." The first prosecution witness was Tinelli Comsooksri, a store employee who was working the day of the earring incident. "She was covering the earring that she still left on with her hair," Comsooksri said. She stopped Lohan as she was walking out, Comsooksri said. As prosecutor Meyers held the infamous necklace, now known as "People's Exhibit 2," Kamen testified that it was priced at $2,500 although it cost the store only $850. She explained that retail jewelers routinely triple the wholesale price. The value of the necklace was a crucial issue for Lohan for the felony grand theft charge to be reduced to a misdemeanor. Shoplifting offenses are charged as petty theft if the property taken is valued at less than $950. Lohan has been in court nine times in the past year, mostly for hearings related to probation violations for her 2007 drunk driving case. She did a short stint in jail last year, but she also checked into substance abuse rehab twice under court order. | NEW: The judge sentences Lohan to 120 days in jail for a probation violation .
NEW: Lohan is expected to post bond Friday night while her lawyer appeals .
Lohan's theft charge is reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor .
Lohan trial set for June 3 . |
0776b470aa7ce48492722c76198475b9300d5c2e | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 12:19 EST, 26 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:03 EST, 26 November 2013 . If you anger animals on an Antarctic isle, they won't attack you, they'll just sit on your stuff - as this unfortunate wildlife photographer found out. He did his best to save what belongings he could, but the fate of his tent was already sealed. A herd of four-tonne female elephant seals belly-flopped across the ice and parked themselves squarely on his temporary home, crushing it beyond recognition. Scroll down for video . No need to blubber! The crew did their best to save their belongings, but the fate of their tent was already sealed . Tent up aggression: The seals writhed and yelped as they made sure there was nothing left of the orange tent . Criminal damage... within tent: This is all that was left of the tent by the time the seals rolled off . Despite his, and his colleagues', attempts to shoo them away, the group of animals refused to budge until they'd had their fun. After some 15 minutes they got bored of the prank and finally rolled off, grunting and yelping, to rejoin their herd. The seals launched the surprise attack as the team, from London-based film company Atlantic Productions, filmed emperor penguins on South Georgia, a remote and rugged British island between Argentina and Antarctica. Anthony Geffen, the film’s producer, said: 'The crew were camped out for months on South Georgia to get the amazing story of a young King Penguin, and each day they set off to film in different locations around “Penguin City” where up to a million penguins live. Ent-icing: Though one of the most remote places on earth, the island is also home to one of Earth's most feverish breeding grounds . Not an ice thing to do: The seals launched the surprise attack as the team, from London-based film company Atlantic Productions, filmed emperor penguins on South Georgia, a remote and rugged British island between Argentina and Antarctica . 'While they were busy concentrating on getting the tale of our hero King Penguin in the can, what they didn’t see was that back at the camp a herd of massive slephant seals were busy wallowing all over the tents. 'They had to double up on the accommodation that night - and it just shows that film making isn’t always glamorous especially with stars like the ones we have in our film.' Though one of the most remote places on earth, the island is also home to one of Earth's most feverish breeding grounds. Mischievous: Earlier, one of the younger seals tried to make off with one of the crew's walkie talkies but they saved it in the nick of time . Mister or missus? Males' harems can contain several dozen females, which are somewhat lighter on their feet being a fifth of the males¿ size and therefore able to get up to more mischief . It's perhaps a good job these southern elephant seals were only females; males are the largest living carnivore and can grow up to 16ft and weigh 8,800lb. Their . harems can contain several dozen females, which are somewhat lighter on . their feet being a fifth of the males’ size and therefore able to get . up to mischief with the many unattached males which hang around hoping . for an illicit affair. While the male bull seals are promiscuous, the king penguins with whom they share the island are renowned for their monogamy, as the male shares care of the egg equally with the female. The clip is from the making of a feature film Adventures of the Penguin King, which is being released on 6th December 2013 in theatres and on VOD in the US, with Rex the King Penguin voiced by Tim Allen, best known for being Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story movies. To know more see Atlantic Productions' Twitter feed, @AtlanticProds, or visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Adventures-of-the-Penguin-King. | The mishap occurred on the isle of South Georgia near the Antarctic Circle .
Seals launched the attack as the crew shot penguins for a documentary .
The four-tonne mammals sat on one of the tents and refused to budge .
They only rolled off the mangled tent when they got bored to rejoin herd . |
077a049cd0f11842fb93160980eec5118feb9d4f | By . Sophie Jane Evans . PUBLISHED: . 15:10 EST, 17 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:58 EST, 18 September 2013 . Fans of the iPhone 5S have began queuing outside Apple's flagship store ahead of its official launch on Friday. The first diehard customer has been spotted camping outside the gadget giant's London store in Regent Street - and says he would only consider selling his spot for a four-figure sum. Gad Harari, 17, is spending his second night in a makeshift tent as part of a four-day wait for the latest iPhone model, which comes with an in-built fingerprint scanner. Scroll down for video . Dedicated: Diehard fan Gad Harari, 17, has set up camp outside the Apple's flagship store in Regent Street, London, in a makeshift tent as part of a four-day wait for the iPhone 5S, which will be released on Friday . Fans: Mr Harari and friend Noah Green, also 17, have said they plan to buy the 5S, which was unveiled for the first time last week . He said he has already refused an . offer of £200 for his place in the queue - predicting that people would . offer up to £1,000 later on. The . teen, who set up camp yesterday with friend Noah Green, also 17, has . been sheltering from the wet weather under a green tent kitted out with . all the latest technology, including one of Apple's MacBook laptops. 'We . are always among the first to get a new iPhone,' said Mr Harari, who is . a familiar face outside the firm's store. 'I came down last night to be . the first - this time we really wanted to be first. 'It's how you really show your dedication to Apple products. As well as that, you do have the opportunity to sell your space.' The student, who . lives in Hendon, London, added: 'I would probably sell my place . in the queue for about £1,000. There are crazy people who are willing to . do that.' Worth the wait? Apple's new iPhone 5S (front) and iPhone 5C (back) have been eagerly awaited by fans. The 5S smartphone is available in three colours - silver, gold and 'space' grey . Both Mr Harari and Mr Green said they plan to buy the 5S, which was unveiled for the first time last week along with Apple's first mid-range phone the 5C. They both go on sale on Friday at 8am. The 5S device, said to be twice as fast as its predecessor, sets itself apart from its competitors with its Touch ID feature. This allows users to unlock their phone and purchase apps with the touch of a finger. Mr Green, from Stanmore, London, admitted he was supposed to be at college this week, but said: 'I don't think they'll mind because (joining the queue) is an ingenious idea. 'I'm really excited. It's going to be incredible, this launch. It's going to be the biggest yet.' The student, who runs his own web business, said he has queued for Apple gadgets for the past four years. 'I collect Apple products,' he said. 'I pretty much have everything that Apple makes.' The 5S - which comes in gold, silver or 'space' grey - is made of high-grade aluminium. It will be available through EE, O2, Three, Carphone Warehouse and Phones4u, priced at £549 (16GB), £629 (32GB) and £709 (64GB). The cheaper 5C - introduced at a time when the tech giant arguably faces stiffer competition than ever before - represents Apple's first move away from the high-end market. It has been available for pre-order and comes in a range of vivid colours, priced at £469 (16GB) and £549 (32GB). | Apple's eagerly-anticipated new iPhone 5S will be launched on Friday .
It is available in three colours and has an in-built fingerprint scanner .
The first diehard fan Gad Harari, 17, has been spotting camping outside the gadget giant's flagship London store in a makeshift tent .
He says he would only consider selling his spot for £1,000 . |
077a56120574116ef940771a59934417720e663d | By . Steph Cockroft . Coach driver Felicity Hall, 46, pleaded guilty to drink driving after she was spotted 'staggering around' Manchester Piccadilly station . A coach driver who was caught 'staggering around' a railway station just minutes before she was due to drive passengers home has been banned from the roads. Felicity Hall, 46, was heard 'slurring' her words and openly admitted she had been drinking - despite the fact she was about to drive a coach full of passengers from Manchester Piccadilly railway station, a court has heard. Hall, from Horwich, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to drink-driving after tests found she was more than twice over the legal limit. Manchester Magistrates' Court heard Hall would have gone on to drive the coach while she was over the limit if another staff member had not raised the alarm. Prosecutor Gareth Hughes also told how Hall, who had no previous convictions, had since been sacked by the company for which she worked, Atlantic Travel. District Judge James Prowse told the . defendant that the incident, which took place just after midnight on April 13, could have been very dangerous. He said: 'Had this not been stopped there would have been passengers . on board a bus driven by someone over the legal limit.' Mr Hughes told the court how Hall was spotted pulling up in a coach, before getting out to talk to a station co-ordinator. Hall was spotted at Manchester Piccadilly railway station, pictured, from where she was due to drive a coach of stranded passengers on a rail replacement service . Hall was only stopped from driving the coach when staff at the station saw her 'stumbling around'. She then admitted she had been drinking . The co-ordinator's job was to direct passengers to the right coaches for their rail replacement services, the court was told. When the co-ordinator asked Hall why she was there, she told the man she had been 'covering' for another coach which had not turned up, the court was told. She then told the man she had been drinking and was seen 'staggering about'. Mr Hughes said the coordinator then informed the British Transport Police. Yasser Dean, managing director at Atlantic Travel, the company for which Hall worked, had also phoned the station co-ordinator to warn him about Hall's possible state. Mr Dean said he had heard Hall 'slur her words' during a random telephone check. Hall has since been sacked from the coach company for which she worked . Hall was arrested and later had a breath-test. Her reading was 81 micrograms of alcohol, the court heard. The legal limit is 35mg. The district judge adjourned the hearing, warning Hall she would possibly be given a community sentence. The judge warned her: 'Driving while disqualified is an extremely serious, imprisonable offence. 'The circumstances of this case I feel make it rather too serious to deal with simply with a financial penalty.' Hall was handed an interim driving ban until the sentencing hearing on June 3. Speaking after the hearing, Mr Dean said: 'Passenger safety is our paramount concern.' | Felicity Hall, 46, from Horwich, Manchester, pleaded guilty to drink driving .
She was heard 'slurring words' before she was due to drive passengers .
Staff member at Manchester Piccadilly railway station raised the alarm . |
077a6fc0a693a8727138bd242e6cea731b0c33f8 | (CNN) -- England batsman Jonathan Trott has been named the ICC's cricketer of the year for 2011. The 30-year-old headed off teammate Alastair Cook, who won the Test player award, last year's winner Sachin Tendulkar of India and South Africa opening batsman Hashim Amla. He scored 1,042 runs in 12 Tests, including four centuries at an average of 65 per innings, as top-ranked England won series against Australia, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. In 24 one-day internationals, he hit 1,064 runs at an average of 48. "It's fantastic to be part of a successful team, and I never envisaged winning this award. It's a brilliant feeling to be recognized," the South Africa-born Trott said at the awards ceremony in London on Monday. The awards, in their eighth year, covered the period from August 11, 2010 to August 3, 2011. Cook scored 1,302 runs at an average of 51.74 in 12 Tests during that period, including 235 not out as England retained the Ashes -- winning a five-day series in Australia for the first time since 1987. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the Spirit of Cricket award after allowing England batsman Ian Bell to be reinstated after a controversial run out during the second Test at Nottingham in July. Sri Lanka batsman and wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara won both the one-day player award and the People's Choice prize, voted for by the public. New Zealand bowler Tim Southee claimed the award for best Twenty20 international performance after taking five wickets and holding a catch during a victory at home to Pakistan in December. West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo was named as Emerging Player of the Year, while 20-year-old compatriot Stafanie Taylor won the top women's award for her performances with both bat and ball. Pakistan's Aleem Dar won the top umpire award for the third year in a row, heading off five-time recipient Simon Taufel, his fellow Australian Steve Davis and England's Ian Gould. | England cricketers rewarded after dominating in the past 12 months .
Batsman Jonathan Trott named top overall player by ruling body the ICC .
Alastair Cook is chosen as the best player in the five-day Test format .
Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara wins two awards, in one-day and public vote categories . |
077b04dc31d1a17daeef27effab87974b0024a91 | (CNN) -- The principal cellist of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra has been dismissed from his post after a video of his boorish behavior on a passenger train last week outraged users on Chinese social networks. Russian national Oleg Vedernikov was filmed with his bare feet placed on the headrest of a female passenger in front of him. He refused to remove them after she repeatedly objected, then taunted her and used obscenities in Chinese as she swatted at his feet with a newspaper and threw magazines and plastic bottles at him in frustration. When train staff showed up, he denied knowledge of the incident. But the heated exchange, captured on video by a fellow passenger, provoked widespread public criticism after it was widely circulated on Chinese microblogging website Sina Weibo. The orchestra announced Vedernikov's dismissal in a statement published Monday on its official website. "Beijing Symphony Orchestra firmly believes that Oleg's conduct has badly damaged the orchestra's reputation," the statement said. "In accordance with the orchestra's regulations and the terms of his employment contract, Beijing Symphony Orchestra has dismissed him." Music director and principal conductor Tan Lihua said, "the orchestra, as a civilized envoy of high culture, requires all of its staff, including foreign performers, to comply with the country's laws and regulations as well as traditional moral standards." Vedernikov's dismissal is the latest in a series of high-profile incidents involving foreigners behaving badly in China. Two weeks ago, a drunk British tourist was captured on video attempting to sexually assault a Chinese woman in public. Again, this provoked widespread anger on social networking sites, and came at a time when the government is cracking down on foreigners living and working in the country without proper credentials. CNN's Chi Chi Zhang contributed to this report. | Beijing Symphony Orchestra fired its principal cellist after his boorish behavior was caught on camera .
The Russian national refused to remove his bare feet from a fellow train passenger's headrest, taunting and cursing at her .
Beijing Symphony Orchestra said the incident damaged the group's reputation, following widespread public outcry on Sina Weibo . |
077c2c9511616e8738a42c0a8f17a76dab5ac01b | (CNN) -- When Britney Spears sings "you better work, b***h," it sounds like she might be singing that to herself. The 32-year-old pop star has had a hectic year -- a new album, "Britney Jean," preparations for her upcoming two-year Las Vegas residency and her everyday role as a mom to two boys. Spears admitted while promoting E!'s documentary "I Am Britney Jean" that there are times she thinks about not just slowing down but retiring altogether. "I have thought about it," Spears told E!. "If I happen to have another baby or something like that, I'd probably move back to Louisiana. I do miss Louisiana. I miss the people. I miss the food. I miss the way of life, how everything is really simple." But retirement remains just an idea rather than a plan. "I think right now is my time to perform and do what I'm doing," she said. "Britney Jean" has been promoted as her most personal disc yet, and the E! documentary went behind-the-scenes of Spears' life as the singer prepared for Vegas. Along the way, the pop star offered up revelations on everything from her thoughts on sex (she loves it) to her favorite bubble gum flavor (watermelon) to why she thinks she's not really made for this industry. "Personally, I'm really a shy person," she said. "I'm particularly not really made for this industry because I am so shy. It's not something that I deal with so well." Besides the difficulty of being in the public eye, she also insists on perfection when performing -- or as Spears put it in the doc, "Being a perfectionist really sucks." "It's just a lot of pressure," she explained, but that pressure is also what keeps her going. "I have that motivation in rehearsals to make it the best every time. That's why I do what I do." | E! documentary went behind-the-scenes with singer preparing for Las Vegas .
Britney Spears admits she sometimes thinks about retiring .
Spears says she's "not really made for this industry because I am so shy" |
077d6b77a05959d7d6b6eaeec92908487d7abe8e | By . Lawrence Conway . PUBLISHED: . 10:53 EST, 13 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:55 EST, 14 May 2012 . These are the incredible birds eye view photos of Iceland’s extreme landscape - taken from up to 9,000ft in the air. The stunning shots were captured by husband and wife duo Erlend Haarberg, 46, and Orsolya Haarberg, 35, as they soared above the beautiful Nordic nation. The pair scaled mountains, trekked over some of the world’s most rugged terrain and took to the skies in a light aircraft to snap some of the world’s most spectacular scenery. Incredible: The hot spring in Iceland's Fjallabak Nature Reserve which is part of a series of pictures taken from up to 9,000ft in the air . And the beautiful results reveal the drastically contrasting landscapes of Iceland - from explosive volcanoes to Europe’s largest icecap. In one photograph, a fork of sideways lightening sparks out from the Eyjafjallajvkull volcano - which caused travel chaos when it erupted in 2010 - as it explodes into action. Another shot appears to show a tree, but is actually a river delta running into several different streams. Orsolya, from Jakobsli in Norway, who wed . Erlend in 2005 before embarking on the epic photography project, said: . 'Normally I get sick when flying, so I was thankful for the calm . conditions, otherwise I would have been in trouble. Spectacle: Lightning flashes through an ash cloud from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland . Dramatic: A meandering river crosses the grey sandy beach of Landeyjarsandur in Iceland . Rugged: This aerial view of the the Thjors river in Iceland reveals another of the country's drastically contrasting landscapes . 'We had been forced to wait for two months for a day that wasn’t cloudy or raining. So when we woke up and it was sunny we knew we had to get in the air as quick as possible before it changed. 'But it was definitely worth being patient. Iceland’s landscape is so extreme and varied - it makes for such amazing viewing. The colours of the flat landscape really only become visible once you are in the air.' Husband Erlend was charged with taking the extraordinary aerial images while his wife guided the pilot from the back of the light aircraft. Time lapse: A flock of red knot birds feed on coastal rocks while being washed by waves in Snaefellsnes peninsula, Iceland . Splash: This boiling mud pot was captured on camera in Hverir in Iceland . Atmospheric: This picture shows a hot spring with an unusual cloud formation above it in Hveravellir, Iceland . Erlend used an open window to capture clear shots of the world below as the plane banked to the left, allowing him to look straight down. Incredibly, thanks to the poor weather, they covered the whole nation in just one five-hour flight before being forced to return as the fuel ran low. Professional snapper Orsolya, who quit her studies to become a full-time photographer, added: 'It was a tight schedule. One minute we were photographing the erupting Eyjafjallajokull volcano and the next we were over Europe’s largest ice cap, the Vatnajvkull. 'Most tourists never get to see these places at all - let alone from the air. We feel privileged to have witnessed them first hand. Unreal: An aerial view showing small streams flowing at the Langj kull glacier in Iceland . 'We always try and show Iceland in a totally different light to the one the tourists often experience. That’s why we decided to focus on all the extremes and contrasts the country had to offer. 'People seem to be amazed by the abstract aerials, probably because they are almost alien-like.'The couple have now released a book called Iceland: Land of Contrast to document their travels. Landscape: Steam can be seen shooting from the ground at the hot spring area of the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in Iceland . | Dramatically contrasting landscapes captured during five-hour break in weather that allowed the photographers to take the shots from a light aircraft .
One pictures shows a huge fork of sideways .
flying lightening over the Eyjafjallajokull volcano - which caused air .
travel chaos when it erupted in 2010 . |
077db73a078f21b9aa069d22368b2612d96083b9 | By . Deborah Arthurs . PUBLISHED: . 08:29 EST, 17 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:56 EST, 18 April 2013 . A former international ice dancer has returned to the rink - three years after going completely blind.Tracy Compton, 45, says she used her sense of hearing to avoid other skaters. In her early 20s, she travelled the world, competing for Great Britain in international synchronised skating competitions. At 13, Miss Compton, of Morden, south west London, lost the sight in her left eye through a detached retina. Back in the game: Former international ice dancer Tracy Compton has returned to the rink three years after glaucoma left her completely blind . Nearly 30 years later, glaucoma claimed the sight in her right eye, leaving her completely blind. Skating since she was five years old, Ms Compton 'took to it like a duck to water' going on to spend six hours a day skating in her teens. Ms Compton stopped skating when she had her first three children. After returning to it briefly in her early thirties, she stopped again when her mum died in 2007. 'My mum used to work in the ice rink shop. When I lost her it was quite hard to go back,' said Ms Compton. Supported to get back on the ice by a friend and fellow skater, Ms Compton said: 'I was transported back in time. It was like I'd never been off the ice.' Heightened senses: Tracy, who suffered detached retinas in her left eye at the age of 13, says she manages to avoid other skaters using her sense of hearing . Ms Compton uses her hearing to avoid collisions with other skaters. She said: 'You can hear somebody's movements. I can hear the skates on the ice. 'Different moves sound different, like going forward or backwards sound different. I never really thought about it before.' 'I'm an ice dancer at heart,' said Ms Compton, who is now working towards her level nine ice dance medal. The adventurous mother of four and grandmother of three also competes in tandem cycling time trials. With a current personal best of 25 miles in 1 hour, 4 minutes, Ms Compton said: 'It's thrilling. I think I've got a thing for speed. Courageous: The adventurous mother of four and grandmother of three also . competes in tandem cycling time trials. With a personal best of . 25 miles in 1hr 4mins she said: 'It's thrilling. I . think I've got a thing for speed' | In her 20s Tracy Compton, 45, travelled world as international ice dancer .
Mother of two lost sight in left eye at 13 after suffering a detached retina .
30 years later glaucoma claimed the sight in her right eye .
Tracy, from London, was 'transported back in time' after getting back on ice . |
077dcc948a5e86f4fffcdb658a279348877f7ce0 | Jose Riga lauded his Blackpool players for focusing on the task in hand as they ended a six-month wait for a victory amid protests against the club's owners in the stands. Fans disillusioned with the Oyston family's handling of the Seasiders since their top-flight demotion in 2011 targeted Friday night's home clash against Cardiff as a perfect opportunity to vent their frustrations publicly. After 53 minutes - a symbolic number for Tangerines supporters because 1953 was the year of the 'Matthews Final' - large swathes of the crowd poured down to the advertising hoardings or left the stadium, with three fans even forcing the game to be stopped as they invaded the pitch. Blackpool's manager Jose Riga celebrates at the end of the game against Cardiff City . Francois Zoko (centre right) scored the only goal of the game for Blackpool in their 1-0 win against Cardiff . Prior to that point Riga's men had been on top, but their concentration never relented as Francois Zoko fired home a 64th-minute winner in a deserved 1-0 victory which lifted them off the foot of the Sky Bet Championship table. 'I'm happy just because it's a result of good collaboration and we forgot all that's happened around to focus on our job; we deserve it,' the Belgian said. 'The fans were even more behind us (after the goal) because that was the message I delivered to the players: keep going and do your job. 'That's all what I ask and just what the fans ask, even those who protest. Blackpool team-mates congratulate Zoko (centre) on his 64th minute striker at Bloomfield Road . 'They did well because it's not so easy. Even with a reduced number of fans you feel the sphere and you have the will and the power to go until the end and that's what we do.' Blackpool now head into the international break on a high, having experienced a winning feeling for the first time this season. The last time Championship clubs took a two-week hiatus for international games, Riga's job was openly touted to Burton's Gary Rowett by chairman Karl Oyston. Riga and Oyston have since forged an uneasy alliance - although the tension continues to simmer - and the Belgian, as he has always done, reiterated his commitment to the Seasiders. Blackpool fans protested against chairman Karl Oyston ahead of the match against Cardiff City on Friday . He added: 'My idea from day one is not to leave the club. There are many things that have been said but I was there all the time working hard so why I have to leave now... 'As manager you never decide but I repeat I just want to do my job here and to succeed with Blackpool.' Riga's position was definitely strengthened by this win, but the defeat for Cardiff further emphasised their need to exit managerial limbo soon. Prospective boss Russell Slade was at Bloomfield Road and is expected to officially assume the role early next week when the final compensation issues are ironed out with his former employers Leyton Orient. Some fans left Bloomfield Road midway through a first half in which both sides failed to break the deadlock . With Slade's arrival seemingly imminent, joint caretaker managers Daniel Gabbidon and Scott Young were disappointed to know they were signing off with a defeat. 'With Russell's experience and the quality of players we have at the club, we can still be promoted,' Gabbidon said. 'I hope he has time to get his points across. There isn't much wrong. There are small things we must improve on. 'Game-management has to be better and we must improve on decision-making. That wasn't good enough at times. 'The new manager is experienced and will be ready for the test ahead.' The hosts felt they should have a penalty in the first half when Fabio (left) tackled Nathan Delfouneso (right) | Blackpool beat Cardiff 1-0 to move off the bottom of the Championship .
Francois Zoko's strike gave the hosts victory at Bloomfield Road .
Blackpool fans staged several protests against the club's ownership throughout the match . |
077e0f00c713675db4f5c5a26f1c818f4b3c21fa | (CNN) -- Bashing Cliven Bundy for his remarks regarding race is like LeBron James dunking on a 5-foot rim: Pointless. And the same is true for Los Angeles Clippers owner Don Sterling, if you believe that he made the remarks attributed to him by TMZ and Deadspin. As President Barack Obama said, "when ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't really have to do anything, you just let them talk." Still talking about the talk of the ignorant is fun. After all, few things are more entertaining than well-executed memes and a hashtag in front of stupidity. The problem is that while men such as Bundy and Sterling may be racist, they are not the face of racism. Not today's version. But we'll place that yoke on their shoulders anyway because it's easy, like James dunking on a kiddie rim. Some conservatives will quickly pedal away from the Bundys and the Ted Nugents of the world, insisting that they are not like those rodeo clowns. They don't have a racist bone in their body because they would never make such outlandish statements. But then they turn around and marvel at how "well-spoken" or "articulate" a black person is and think nothing of it. Politicians of all stripes will publicly denounce the offensive things that Bundy says but continue to construct policies that cater to his sensibilities. Today, racism isn't a crazy old white man with a dead calf on his shoulders proclaiming he's "unracist." No, it's elected officials such as U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin saying inner-city men are "not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work" and then feigning shock that people saw a racist element to his statements. Bundy and Sterling are just the lightning rods of the moment. Not too long ago, Paula Deen was the social pariah. Meanwhile, Racism 2.0 is busily working in the shadows, gerrymandering away voting rights and creating legislation that makes pre-emptively shooting dead a young black man who makes you nervous synonymous with standing one's ground. The longer the media allow ignorant relics like Bundy to continue to hog the spotlight -- and the public points at him as the face of conservative racism -- the longer the current incarnation can go unchecked. That doesn't mean Bundy's fight with the government should be ignored. That doesn't mean Sterling's alleged remarks -- and well-documented past of discrimination -- should be overlooked. Only that their views -- and thus, importance -- should be kept in perspective. For mispronouncing Rosa Parks' name pales in comparison to the politics of courting a racist electorate. It pales in comparison to the lack of compassion for the five children who were shot Easter Sunday at a park on the south side of Chicago or the characterization of poor people as takers. During the height of the recession, according to an analysis in The American Prospect, 33 states increased spending on prisons while decreasing spending on education, and we're to believe the disproportionate number of minorities in jail is a coincidence? So, yeah, yuk it up at Bundy's expense. Keep tweeting #boycottClippers if it makes you feel better (though I'd be more prone to use my 140 characters to ask why the NAACP thought Sterling was a good candidate for a lifetime achievement award). But don't make such people out to be anything more than what they are -- the few remaining voices of oppression from years past. Today racism has a different look. A different sound. A different voice -- though the song is still the same. | Granderson: Bashing Cliven Bundy's remarks is easy, but he's not face of today's racism .
He says politicians denounce remarks even as they push or abide de facto racist policies .
He says gerrymandering, stand-your-ground laws, voter ID laws all are Racism 2.0 .
Granderson: Look for real racism in spending on jails, not schools . |
07819b8fc69ccbd41bfa25578011bda3f0a79320 | By . Guy Walters . PUBLISHED: . 20:35 EST, 10 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:35 EST, 10 March 2014 . When archaeologists investigated two 7,000-year-old corpses unearthed in Spain in 2006, they made two startling discoveries. One . of the two Mesolithic hunter-gatherers had carried African and European . genes, which meant he had dark skin and blue eyes. But there was an . even more amazing revelation from the scientists when they announced the . results of their research last month. The man's genes also showed he was lactose intolerant. This is a condition in which the body has difficulty in absorbing the sugar that is commonly found in milk. For 3m people in the UK a glass of cow juice is about as welcome as being force-fed cod liver oil . A problem drinking milk? What sort of hunter-gatherer was this? Surely food intolerances are a bit modern and namby-pamby? Well, . I can identify strongly with this Mesolithic milk dodger, as I too . suffer from lactose intolerance. I'm one of the estimated three million . people in the UK for whom a glass of cow juice is about as welcome as . being force-fed cod liver oil. Much to my regret, I only discovered . that I had the condition last year, when I was going on a punitive . three-day hike through the Yorkshire Dales with a good friend. At one . point, as we were puffing up a particularly strenuous climb, he turned . to me and observed, 'You do realise that you burp ALL the time?' At . first, I was in denial. Surely everybody burps a lot? Maybe I was just . bad at hiding it. But by the time we reached the peak, I started to . wonder - not least for the sake of my friendship - whether I did have . something wrong with me. What happened next was like something out of a . film, albeit one that goes straight to video. On a distant dale, I . saw some cows. There they were, munching away, and the sight of them . suddenly made me realise: Of course, it was milk. Wretched milk. Until . then, I had dismissed people who claim to have intolerances as being . vain and self-important. I'm not talking about those with allergies, . which are clearly serious, and can be life-threatening. I'm referring to . those annoying people who carp on about being intolerant to this and . that, when they are in fact just fussy eaters. A genetic mutation in the majority of the population means the ability to drink milk can be enjoyed for years . But it was time to . confront my prejudices. I was going to give up milk. No more breakfast . cereal, no more milk in my tea and coffee. The idea of giving up my . cherished daily bowl of Grape Nuts seemed appalling, but I had to give . it a try. Within about two days, my belching had almost vanished. There was no more effervescence, my guts no longer painfully bloated . with gas. There was no doubt that milk was the culprit. I had . cracked it, although I did curse that I had not kicked the milk churn . decades before. All those years of subjecting friends and family to . constant burping, all that discomfort needlessly endured, and all . because I hadn't tolerated those with intolerances. Initially, I kept . quiet about the whole business, as I didn't want to be a dietary bore. And then I came across the startling fact that 75 per cent of the world . has some degree of lactose intolerance. It was another . cow-on-a-distant-dale moment. Hang on, I thought, you people who can . drink milk, it's you who are the weird ones! Not me, I'm the normal one. As . it turns out, the ability to tolerate lactose is really only found in . people in northern Europe, North America and in pockets in the Middle . East and western and southern Africa. If you go anywhere else, you'll . find that everybody is like me and Mesolithic Man. Why is this? The . answer lies in the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in . milk. Although all of us are born with lactase, after about the age of . two, the levels in our small intestines diminish rapidly for most . people, which makes it hard for lactose to be broken down, and therefore . causes discomfort, which is often manifested by burping. But in . countries such as the UK, a genetic mutation in the majority of the . population means that lactase persists, and therefore the ability to . drink milk can be enjoyed for many decades after infancy. Last month, . British scientists who have studied the residue in cooking pots from . archaeological digs estimated that this mutation may have taken place . 6,000 years ago. Opinion is divided as to why this mutation which . allows some of us to drink milk took place. Some suggest that when our . ancestors started to consume dairy produce, they built up a tolerance . which altered their genes. Others think that the mutation happened . before mammalian milk was drunk, and it allowed dairy consumption to . take place. The amount of lactose adults with intolerance can cope with in a day. It's equivalent to a glass of milk . But for people like me, it doesn't really matter what . came first. I want to know the health implications. After all, it's . drummed into us from an early age that milk is an essential part of our . diet, chiefly because all that calcium is good for our bones. 'There . are no serious health consequences of being lactose intolerant,' says . Professor John Mayberry, a gastroenterologist at the University . Hospitals of Leicester, 'and you should remember that for much of the . world it's quite normal. There's no increased risk of any diseases.' You . should also remember milk does not have a monopoly on calcium, which . is found in broccoli, cabbage, soya beans and nuts. And just because . you are lactose intolerant, it does not mean you have to give up cheese, . as the fermentation process significantly reduces lactose levels. Although . Professor Mayberry confirms that my self-diagnosis is perfectly valid . and safe, there are more medically rigorous tests you can take should . you suspect lactose intolerance. 'Potentially, you can submit to a . whole series of investigations,' says Professor Mayberry. 'But the most . simple and least invasive is the hydrogen breath test, in which the . level of hydrogen in your breath is measured after you have drunk some . lactose solution.' The test is done at a hospital and you need a GP referral. Hydrogen . is one of the gases so charmingly emitted by the likes of me after . drinking milk - bacteria in the gut produce hydrogen in reaction to . unabsorbed food, and if your levels of hydrogen are 20 parts per million . higher after drinking the lactose solution, then you're lactose . intolerant. In my experience, that figure seems low. At times, I could have sworn I was expelling pure hydrogen.Another . common test is to measure the levels of glucose in your blood after . drinking lactose. The lactase enzyme breaks down lactose into glucose - . so if your glucose either rises slowly, or not at all after drinking . lactose, it's a sign of lactose intolerance. Guy has enough lactase in his small intestine to be able to cope with milk in tea . Again, this hospital test needs a referral from your GP. Although . Professor Mayberry's words are reassuring, for some, a lactose . intolerance can actually be a symptom of something more serious. A . deficiency of lactase can be caused by inflammatory bowel diseases such . as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, but as these also present other more . serious symptoms such as weight loss, bleeding and mucus, a diagnosis of . lactose intolerance alone is no reason to be alarmed. But those who . smugly think they can consume lactose for the rest of their lives . should also think again. 'Lactase starts to diminish in a lot of people . in their 60s and 70s,' says Professor Mayberry, 'which is why older . people find they cannot eat certain food any more. 'Lactose isn't just present in milk, but it's used in all sorts of foods, such as whitener in loaves of bread.' I've . now started to reintroduce milk in a small way. I now take it in tea . and coffee, and like many with lactose intolerance, I have just enough . lactase in my small intestine to be able to cope with these amounts. For . the time being, I appear not to have passed on my intolerance to my . children, who are both nearly in double figures, and seem able to drink . milk with impunity. But as soon as one of them emits a tell-tale burp, I'll snatch the glass, and tell them to leave the rest of the herd. | For 3 million lactose intolerant Britons a glass of milk it is not welcome .
But a genetic mutation in the majority means they can enjoy it for years . |
0781e836c067fcdf1fa0a6ed9c1378c34127c2e5 | By . William Turvill . PUBLISHED: . 20:14 EST, 7 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:14 EST, 7 December 2013 . France and the African Union have announced plans to deploy several thousand more troops into the embattled Central African Republic. The move comes as thousands of Christians fearing reprisal attacks sought refuge from the Muslim former rebels who now control the country after days of violence left nearly 400 people – and possibly more – dead. Following a conference on African security in Paris, president Francois Hollande said France was raising its deployment to 1,600 today - 400 more than first announced. Francois Hollande, pictured here with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairwoman of the African Union Commission, it said France was raising its deployment to 1,600 today - 400 more than first announced . Later, after a meeting of regional . nations about the Central African Republic, his office said that African . Union nations agreed to increase their total deployment to 6,000 - up . from around 2,500 now, and nearly double the projected roll-out of 3,600 . by year-end. Amid new . massacres on Thursday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution that . allows for a more muscular international effort to quell months of . unrest in the country. Troops . from France, the country's former colonial overseer, were patrolling . roads in Bangui and fanning out into the troubled north west on . Saturday. 'This force is going to . deploy as quickly as possible and everywhere there are risks for the . population, with the African forces that are present - currently 2,500 . soldiers,' Mr Hollande said, referring to the increased French presence. 'In what I believe will be a very short period we will be able to stop . all exactions and massacres.' In an interview with France-24 TV, Mr Hollande specified the AU reinforcements would arrive 'in the coming days'. Word of the bigger deployments came as human rights groups continued the grisly business of counting and collecting bodies of those killed in recent massacres. The death toll in the capital from the recent fighting rose on Saturday to 394, according to Antoine Mbao Bogo, of the local Red Cross. Meanwhile, Central African Republic's president called on the former rebels who are now integrated into the national army to stay off the streets now being patrolled by French and regional forces. Presidential spokesman Guy Simplice Kodegue said those who violated the order would be punished. Central African Republic, one of the world's poorest countries, has been wracked for decades by coups and rebellions. In March, the Muslim rebel alliance known as Seleka overthrew the Christian president of a decade. Aid workers returned to the streets today to collect bloated bodies that had been uncollected in the heat since Thursday, when Christian fighters known as the anti-balaka who oppose the country's ruler descended on the capital in a co-ordinated attack on several mostly Muslim neighbourhoods. Residents of Christian neighbourhoods said the ex-rebels known as Seleka later carried out reprisal attacks, going house-to-house in search of alleged combatants and firing at civilians who merely strayed into the wrong part of town. Zumbeti Thierry Tresor, 23, was among those killed after he tried to cross through another neighbourhood to visit family members in another part of Bangui. Seleka fighters shot him in the neck and stomach, his friends said. In March, the Muslim rebel alliance known as Seleka overthrew the Christian president of a decade . On Saturday, neighbours hiked the rocky path to his one-room home where his covered body lay on the floor underneath neatly hung music posters. Outside the front door, his wife wailed hysterically, gripping their three-year-old daughter in her lap as neighbours crowded around her. Alongside their house, a team of a dozen men with sticks and shovels dug Mr Tresor's grave under the shade of a tree. ‘We want the French army to come and protect us,’ said Mr Tresor's friend, Francois Yayi. ‘We have no police to call. The Seleka will kill us all.’ He and his friends begin counting on their fingers the number of neighbours killed amid the latest spasm of bloodshed. At least ten they determine have died since Thursday. | Move comes as thousands of Christians fear reprisal attacks from Muslim former rebels who now control the country .
France has also announced plans to increase number of troops in country . |
078266cea1aa6e46d5c2bf3e41f18998ebf44807 | (EW.com) -- A premiere date has been set for Rihanna's fashion competition series, "Styled to Rock." Originally slated to air on the now defunct Style Network, the series will premiere Friday, Oct. 25 at 8 pm ET/PT on Bravo. Executive produced by Rihanna, the show will see 12 aspiring designers face off in weekly challenges, each tailored to a celebrity guest. Only half will earn the opportunity to actually show their design to the star guest, while the other half will face elimination. Pharrell Williams, model Erin Wasson, and Rihanna's stylist ,Mel Ottenberg, will serve as mentors to the contestants, while the celebrity guest list includes Miley Cyrus, Carly Rae Jepsen, Khloé Kardashian, Kylie Minogue, Kelly Osbourne, Kid Cudi, The Band Perry, Ne-Yo, Big Sean, and Nervo. Considering the cash and prizes the winner will receive, viewers can expect some fierce competition. The grand prize includes $100,000 in cash, a fashion feature in Glamour magazine, and a chance to join Rihanna's own design team. Will you tune in to watch "Styled to Rock?" See the original store at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Rihanna's fashion show will now appear on Bravo .
"Styled to Rock" had been slated for the now defunct Style Network .
The grand prize includes a chance to join RIhanna's style team . |
0783bb08ac7a8b8c4f925743cc2fd9ea7c642a2d | By . Rebecca Evans . Former Asian Football Confederation President Mohammed Bin Hammam is alleged to have paid out £3 million in bribes to football officials to secure support for the 2022 Qatar world cup bid . Pressure was mounting last night for Qatar to be stripped of its status as 2022 World Cup host in the wake of fresh corruption claims. Emails and account details allegedly reveal how a senior official ‘bought’ support for the Gulf state’s successful campaign to stage the tournament. Up to £3million from secret slush funds was reportedly used to bribe officials by Mohamed bin Hammam – a disgraced former vice president of football’s governing body Fifa. According to the Sunday Times, payments of up to £120,000 were made to African football bosses who held sway over the continent’s voting process. Contrary to Fifa’s strict bribery rules, Mr Bin Hammam staged hospitality junkets across Africa and Asia, meeting delegates privately and handing out Nike holdalls full of luxury gifts and £250,000 in cash to get backing for Qatar’s bid. Yesterday there were calls for the 2022 World Cup bid to be re-run and for Fifa president Sepp Blatter to resign. Fifa’s decision to award the world’s biggest sporting tournament to the tiny oil-rich desert state has been controversial from the word go. As well as health fears for footballers over the 50C summertime heat, reports say 1,200 migrant workers have died during an £120billion frenzy to build eight stadiums and other infrastructure. Business magnate Mr Bin Hammam was banned from world football in 2011 after being caught bribing voters in a bid to become Fifa president. The official Qatari bid committee have always insisted that the 65-year-old had nothing to with the campaign to take the World Cup to Doha. Among the alleged payments made by Mohammed bin Hammam were: . £30,000 for ‘school fees’ for Liberian-born former Man City striker George Weah – Fifa’s world player of the year in 1995. £48,000 to Zambian FA president Kalusha Bwalya for ‘FA and personal expenditure’. £31,500 to Fadoul Houssein, of the Djibouti FA, for an ‘expensive course of medical treatment for his general secretary’ and an all-expenses luxury trip to Saudi Arabia. £36,000 for a ‘car to travel to football projects’ for ex-Gambian FA boss Seedy Kinteh. £480,000 to the Ivory Coast FA as part of a Fifa development scheme. £120,000 in cash to 25 delegates flown to Kuala Lumpur to discuss the bid in 2008. £30,000 to Sao Tome FA president Manuel Dende, who asked for £138,000 for ‘football pitches’ to be paid into his personal account. As bids were being prepared six years ago, he was head of Qatari football, president of the Asian Football Confederation and a Fifa vice-president – with a vote in picking the top bid. However, the newly unearthed files allegedly show that he flew around the world in the Qatari royal jet in a covert campaign to create a ‘groundswell’ of support. There is also said to be evidence that he paid just under £1million into bank accounts controlled by Jack Warner, who stepped down as Fifa vice-president in 2011. Of this money, £370,000 was paid before Mr Warner voted in 2010 to award Qatar the 2022 tournament. Emails from African football bosses show their thanks for money they received. One in Namibia said he would ‘always be behind you’, but asked for a ‘once-off financial assistance to the tune of $50,000 (£29,000)’. FIFA president Sepp Blatter, right, awarded the competition to Gulf state following a vote in December 2010 . Fifa is now under pressure to re-examine the Qatari bid as a result of the latest corruption allegations . There are also claims Mr Bin Hammam exploited his position as chairman of a Fifa development scheme in poor countries to channel more than £700,000 into the football federations of three key African Fifa voters. By contrast, England was humiliated when its campaign to host the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022 received just two votes. Shadow international development secretary Jim Murphy yesterday said the bidding process should be held again if the allegations are proved true. He added: ‘The failure to do so would amount to the biggest crisis in Fifa since its formation in 1904.’ Alexandra Wrage, a former member of Fifa’s independent governance committee, said the documents were a ‘smoking gun’ after officials had insisted there was no evidence of corruption. Tory MP John Whittingdale, chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, said Fifa boss Mr Blatter’s position was ‘almost untenable’. Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce said he would favour a re-vote if the body’s chief investigator found wrongdoing. Last night a member of Mr Bin Hammam’s family said they would not be commenting. | Emails and account details allegedly reveal how a senior official ‘bought’ support for the Gulf state’s successful campaign to stage the tournament .
Up to £3million from secret slush funds was reportedly used to bribe officials by Mohamed bin Hammam . |
0784188f60d61fa6357e580101a5bb83c08d4cc3 | (CNN) -- Dr. George Tiller knew that violence could come at any moment. For a reminder, he needed to think only of the old gunshot wounds in his arms from 1993 or the bombing of his clinic years earlier. Dr. George Tiller was one of the few U.S. physicians who performed late-term abortions. Still, Tiller, who was fatally shot at his Kansas church Sunday, continued to provide the late-term abortions that often brought protesters to his Women's Health Care Services clinic in Wichita. Tiller, one of the few physicians who was still offering such abortions in the United States, "made an effort to live his life as normally as possible, knowing he could be a target at any time," said Peter Brownlie, president of the regional Planned Parenthood office in Kansas City, Missouri. Normal came with an asterisk. The 67-year-old had armed security at his clinic and a "pretty rigorous" security procedure at home, Brownlie said. Scott Roeder from the Kansas City, Kansas, area is being held without bail in the shooting, according to the sheriff's office Web site. A motive wasn't immediately known. But if someone targeted Tiller for his work, it wouldn't be the first time. "What a gentle soul," said Suzanne Poppema, chairwoman of the board for the Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, national network of abortion-rights physicians who are committed to providing the best possible care for patients. Tiller also served on the board for the group."He was a rational intelligent human being." Poppema called his death"the ultimate backwardness." She said the threat of attack was often a concern for Tiller and is a worry for many doctors and medical students who choose to perform abortions. "It wears on your psychology, because you always have to be looking over your shoulder, thinking, 'Is today OK or not OK?' " Poppema said. "Because you are doing work that is medically correct and yet having to operate as if you live in a war zone." Poppema said the attacks, even after Tiller was shot through both arms in 1993, didn't deter him from practicing. An ardent foe of abortion, Shelley Shannon, was convicted of attempted murder and is serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison for the shooting. See all abortion-related attacks since 1993 » . Tiller's clinic was damaged by a bombing in the mid-1980s, and it has been picketed for years, with some activists distributing leaflets around his neighborhood, Brownlie said. Watch background on George Tiller » . "He endured that kind of stuff on a very frequent basis," Brownlie said. "As recently as early this month, the clinic sustained serious vandalism that put them out of commission for a week or so." Tiller, a former Navy flight surgeon, took over his father's Wichita medical practice where abortions were performed during a time when the procedure was illegal. Tiller's practices had an effect on proposed abortion legislation. This year, before she was sworn in as U.S. secretary of health and human services, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius vetoed a bill that would have required doctors to give more details when justifying late-term abortions to the state health department, the Wichita Eagle reported. Tiller also made a mark on Sebelius' confirmation process for the health and human services post. Sebelius came under fire in part because Tiller and his staff attended a 2007 reception that Sebelius held at the governor's mansion and because she originally failed to account for donations she received from him. Tiller, a University of Kansas medical school graduate, had been practicing medicine for about 40 years, starting as an intern at a U.S. naval hospital and later becoming a Navy flight surgeon in California, according to his clinic's Web site. He started providing abortion services in 1973 and became the clinic's director two years later, according to the Web site. The clinic also provided grief counseling and funerals. His patients were "almost always in circumstances where something had gone horribly wrong with a pregnancy" and where a woman's health would be endangered if the pregnancy continued, Brownlie said. His willingness to perform late-term abortions as more and more doctors abandoned them made Tiller a lightning rod for anti-abortion rights activists and legislators. Kansas law generally allows abortions even into the third trimester so long as the physician determines that the fetus isn't viable. A doctor who makes such a determination after 21 weeks gestation must report the reasons why the determination was made. "Third-trimester abortion is simply a part of abortion," Tiller told Wichita TV station KAKE in 1999. "We have constructed our clinic and our philosophy along the lines that until you have natural survivalhood [of the fetus], the woman is the patient, not the fetus. "When does natural survivalhood come on? ... Sometime after the end of the second trimester." Watch panel discuss implications of his slaying » . But even if a fetus is determined to be viable after 21 weeks, Kansas law still permits a doctor to perform an abortion if that physician and another determine that the procedure is necessary to preserve the life of the woman. Tiller was the only Kansas doctor still performing late-term abortions in Kansas, the Wichita Eagle reported. His Web site said his clinic had "more experience in late abortion services over 24 weeks than anyone else currently practicing in the Western Hemisphere, Europe and Australia." He faced repeated legal challenges. In March, he was acquitted on 19 misdemeanor counts relating to how he obtained second opinions for late-term abortions, according to the Wichita newspaper. In 2008, an inquiry initiated by abortion opponents who petitioned state authorities to convene a grand jury ended without charges. Tiller is survived by a wife, four children and 10 grandchildren. In a statement issued Sunday through Tiller's lawyers, his family said their loss "is also a loss for the City of Wichita and women across America." "George dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality health care despite frequent threats and violence. We ask that he be remembered as a good husband, father and grandfather and a dedicated servant on behalf of the rights of women everywhere." CNN's Matt Smith and Josh Levs contributed to this report. | George Tiller was one of few remaining doctors in U.S. offering late-term abortions .
He had been shot in 1993 and lived under the constant threat of violence .
He made mark on confirmation process for head of health and human services .
"Third-trimester abortion is simply a part of abortion," Tiller said in 1999 . |
078596a8cf5fb973bf51c58107ddfda8074d3cc3 | Billionaire: John McAfee arrested in Belize . The millionaire British founder of security firm McAfee has been forcefully arrested in Belize following a drugs and weapons bust at his property. John McAfee had his house in Orange Walk, Belize City, surrounded by armed guards on Monday. McAfee says they stormed his house, killed his dog and handcuffed him in the sun for 14 hours without food or water. The 67-year-old, who founded the popular McAfee antivirus computer software, moved from America to Belize in 2008 after a series of lawsuits that threatened to wipe out his fortune. The eccentric entrepreneur now runs an antibiotic drug company from the tiny central American country. He said he was arrested because he refused to donate money to a local politician. McAfee told Belize's News 5: . 'On Monday at six o’clock, I was awakened by the sound of a bullhorn, a . megaphone. I went outside and saw about thirty GSU in full uniform, . fully dressed, automatic weapons, storming through the property and . driveway. 'I went back inside, got some clothes on, I came out. I was told to put up my hands up against the wall as were eleven other people in the compound. 'It began, innocently enough, with my refusal to donate to the local political boss of the district where I lived in Orange Walk and I have given at least two million dollars in gifts to the police departments in Orange Walk, San Pedro, Belize City.' Belize: McAfee founder moved to the tropical central American country in 2008 . Belize's Gang Services Unit (GSU) said . they found a cache of weapons on McAfee's property and that he did not . have a licence to manufacture drugs. The GSU issued a statement which said: 'Present on the premises at the time were John McAfee, his girlfriend who is a 17-year-old Belizean minor and five security guards. 'During the search ten firearms - seven 12-gauge pump action shotguns, one 12-gauge single action shotgun, one Taurus nine-millimetre pistol and one nine-millimetre CZ pistol were found.' Five air rifles and 270 12-gauge cartridges were also found. McAfee was born in England and moved to America at an early age. He founded his software company in 1989 from his home in Santa Clara, California. It has since become one of the largest software companies in the world and was bought by electronics maker Intel for £5billion in 2010, although the founder no longer had any share in it. He lost much of his money in the financial crash, and his wealth reportedly declined from $100million (£62million) to less than $4million. McAfee was not given any charge and says he is seeking legal advice. | John McAfee says arrest was for refusing to donate to politician .
Dog shot and left handcuffed in sun for 14 hours .
Belize security claim he had illegal weapons and drugs and that he was arrested with 17-year-old minor .
Software entrepreneur moved to Belize after series of lawsuits against him . |
078741450aa35f04a5275c45c1dd8565e430711e | Jennifer Lawrence ‘blindsided’ Chris Martin by breaking up with him after an intense four-month romance, it has been revealed. Friends said today that Oscar-winner Lawrence, 24, split with Martin, 37, late last week, leaving the Coldplay frontman ‘really sad’. She made the decision to end the relationship before embarking on a six-week promotional tour around the world for her new movie Mockingjay, the latest episode in the Hunger Games series, prompting the announcement on Monday. Scroll down for video . Out again: Jennifer Lawrence looked downcast as she headed to dinner with her dad Gary on Monday night in LA - just hours after confirming she had split from Chris Martin . Her main man: Jennifer turns to father Gary Lawrence after splitting with boyfriend Chris Martin . The actress is believed to have been speaking openly about the problems in the relationship to friends while promoting Mockingjay in the US. One friend said: ‘Chris wanted to spend all his free time with Jen – there was a discrepancy between how they viewed their relationship, she’s so easy going and he’s quite intense.’ And she also told friends that the Coldplay frontman, 37, was so keen on their being together that he wanted to spend all his free time with her. But throughout the brief relationship, Martin remained close to his estranged wife Paltrow, with whom he has two children, daughter Apple, ten, and Moses, eight - another source of strain for the pair. He and Paltrow, 42, announced in March that they were 'consciously uncoupling' after ten years of marriage. The source told MailOnline: ‘Jennifer said Chris is an all or nothing kind of guy, so she chose nothing. She broke up with him late last week. ‘He was completely blindsided, he was really sad about it. ‘Jen is contractually obliged for the next six weeks to promote Mockingjay and she just couldn’t see how it was going to work. ‘ . Starring role: Jennifer Lawrence plays heroine Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games franchise. She is about to embark on a six-week global promotional tour ahead of the release of Mockingjay . Not enough time: Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence told friends she could not devote enough time to smitten Chris Martin . The couple were first publicly linked in August, shortly after Jennifer split from her long-term boyfriend, British actor Nicholas Hoult, but are believed to have first struck up a romance as early as June. They quickly became a hot item and were spotted enjoying an intimate afternoon for two at the Wolffer Estate Vineyard just a few days before Jennifer’s birthday on August 15. A source told E! News at the time: 'They were there on a date. They were very low-key, nobody realised who they were. The setting was super-romantic.' The pair were seen sampling wines together, with the source adding: ‘They watched the sun go down together, then quietly left.' They then shared a string of quiet date nights at Martin's Malibu home and the romance seemed to move further into the spotlight on September 19, when Lawrence attended Coldplay's performance at the iHeartRadio music festival in Las Vegas. But throughout everything, Chris stayed close to his ex-wife Gwyneth. The ex-couple were even pictured enjoying an intimate sushi dinner in LA last week with Oscar winner Gwyneth tenderly stroking Chris's face as she left. The singer met up with Jennifer later that night. And another source claimed to MailOnline on Monday: 'Jen got tired of watching Chris play happy families with Gwyn and was annoyed that he was trying to keep her hidden away.' Still close: Gwyneth Paltrow reached out of her car to caress her ex-husband Chris Martin's face as they stopped for a chat on the side of the road following their family dinner in LA last week . Not herself: The usually bubbly actress failed to crack a smile as she headed out with her father in LA on Monday night . But a source close to Martin told US Weekly that their relationship had been ‘rocky’ due to their ‘insane’ schedules, adding: ‘They really like each other, but it’s just so complicated with so much going on.’ And while Lawrence is believed to have had a crush on Martin since she was a teenager, another source told US that the British singer was equally enamored and believed she was ‘the real deal’. Hours after the split was confirmed, a rather downcast looking Jen was seen going to dinner with her dad Gary in LA. A source confirmed to People magazine that it was indeed Jennifer who did the dumping, saying: ‘Jen is the one who broke it off with Chris.’ Mockingjay, the first part of the final two movies from the Hunger Games series, is released on November 21 by Lionsgate. Representatives for both Jennifer and Chris declined to comment. Caught out: Jennifer and Chris enjoyed a very secretive relationship, but she was pictured in Las Vegas after attending his iHeartRadio Music Festival performance in September . Happy man: Chris looked like a transformed man in the months that he was dating Jennifer, walking through Malibu in bare feet on one occasion . | Friend says: 'Jennifer said Chris is an all or nothing kind of guy, so she chose nothing'
'She broke up with him late last week...he's really sad'
Actress is starting six-week promotional tour for new Hunger Games movie .
Martin's closeness to ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow also a source of strain . |
07878590f7fb4c5c7ca864080c04f6cfeda87127 | (CNN) -- The Scottish Rugby Union has appointed Andy Robinson, formerly coach of bitter rivals England, as the new national team boss. Andy Robinson will be seeking to revive the fortunes of Scotland's struggling rugby side. The 45-year-old won eight caps as a flanker for England, and was assistant coach in Clive Woodward's 2003 World Cup-winning set-up before taking over for an ill-fated reign himself in 2004, winning just nine of 22 matches. Robinson returned to top-class coaching with Celtic League team Edinburgh in 2007, and has sufficiently impressed Scottish officials in the 20 months since then to win favor as the replacement for Frank Hadden. He had been part of Hadden's backroom staff, and had already been chosen to coach Scotland A this summer. Hadden resigned on April 2 after Scotland again struggled in the Six Nations, finishing second from bottom with just one win from five outings. Robinson was delighted to be given the chance to return to the international stage. "With the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011, I believe we have a crop of players who can really challenge the world's best, and preparation for that starts now," he told the SRU Web site. "I'm looking forward to leading Scotland A into the IRB Nations Cup in Romania next week and thereafter preparing for our Autumn Tests at Murrayfield against Fiji, Australia and Argentina." Robinson is believed to have headed off the likes of South Africa's World Cup-winning coach Jake White and former Australia boss Eddie Jones for the job. Former Scotland captain and British and Irish Lion Gordon Bulloch was part of the interview panel that determined the appointment. "Andy was the outstanding candidate from a quite exceptional shortlist which underlines the allure of coaching the Scotland team," he told the SRU's Web site. "I know from having had the privilege of his coaching and guidance on Lions tours that he is passionate about his rugby, is a skilled communicator and has values and an ethos which are absolutely at one with developing a winning Scotland team." Scottish Rugby chief executive Gordon McKie said he was confident Robinson would prove to be successful. "Andy has proved himself at every level of the game and we are thrilled that he will now be leading the Scotland team as we look towards the challenges of the next three years, including the 2011 World Cup," McKie said. "He has been part of the Scottish Rugby family for the past two years and has brought success both to Edinburgh Rugby, with their highest ever Magners League finish in successive seasons, and has also guided the Scotland A team to notable successes." | Andy Robinson appointed new coach of Scotland's national rugby team .
Robinson replaces Frank Hadden, who resigned in April after poor results .
The 45-year-old has played for and coached England's national side .
He rebuilt his career with Edinburgh after being sacked by England . |
0788adeacefdfa67d56d6906276b3342a9ea8b23 | By . Kieran Corcoran . PUBLISHED: . 14:18 EST, 13 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:46 EST, 14 October 2013 . Seven members of the Red Cross have been kidnapped by gunmen in Syria today. The six workers and one volunteer were travelling in a four-vehicle convoy in the north of the country when the attackers blocked their path and opened fire, according to Syria state media. They had been delivering medical supplies in the Idlib province when the abduction took place near the town of Saraqeb, at around 11.30am local time. Danger: The kidnapped people were members of the Red Cross who were working in Syria (file picture) Help: The people, who have not been identified, has been delivering medical supplies in the Idlib province in northern Syria . Treatment: A spokesman has called for the immediate release of the workers, saying they are urgently needed to help the people of Syria . The Syrian media reports blamed the attack on 'terrorists' - a term often used to describe the rebels fighting President Bashar Assad. The Idlib area has been largely under rebel control for the past year. A spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross today confirmed that the people had been kidnapped, but that they had not been contacted by anybody claiming responsibility. The organisation has called for their immediate release. Ewan Watson said: 'I am able to confirm that six ICRC staff . members and one Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteer have been abducted . near Idlib in northwestern Syria. War-torn: The kidnapping took place in the dangerous Idlib province . 'We . are calling for their immediate and unconditional release of this team . which was delivering humanitarian assistance to those most in need - and . we do that on both sides of the front lines.' The Red Cross has not offered any information about the gender of nationality of the six employees who were captured. However, a spokesman said that the team had been in the field since 10 October to assess the medical situation in the area and to look at how to provide medical aid in the province, which is said to be: 'by definition is a difficult area to go in.' News of the kidnapping came as further . violence erupted in the Syrian capital, Damascus, where state media . also reported that its own headquarters in the city's Umayyad Square were damaged by two car bombs. It is not known whether there are any casualties. Kidnappings . have become a common feature of the ongoing conflict in northern Syria, . where fighting between government and rebel soldiers is still fierce. Aid workers and foreign journalists are at particular risk of abduction. The . war, which has torn apart the Middle-Eastern country, has so far . claimed more than 100,000 lives and has created 2.1million refugees. Conflict: The fighting in Syria continues to rage, and two car bombs reportedly exploded in Damascus this evening (file photo) Gunfire: Armed men, whom Syrian state media suggested were rebel fighters, opened fire on the Red Cross convoy today (file photo) Ravaged: Areas all over the country have been affected by the conflict . It has been a conflict of particular brutality, with the international Human Rights Watch organisation last week accusing rebel forces of killing 190 civilians and taking 200 hostages in a single attack earlier this year. People around the world were particularly horrified by reports of a chemical weapons attack in August which killed an estimated 1,400 people. Following international pressure, a team of inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons were sent into the country to oversee the destruction of the Syrian government's chemical weapon supply. Inspection: Footage allegedly showing the OPCW working in Syria was aired last week . Unknown: The broadcast, from Syrian TV, shows the inspectors at an unspecified location in Syria . The team, which was this week awarded the Nobel peace prize for their work, entered the country at the beginning of the month, and was reportedly filmed starting work on President Assad's stockpiled munitions. The conflict has claimed more than 100,000 lives and driven more than 2.1million refugees out of their shattered homeland. | Six employees and one volunteer are missing, the Red Cross confirmed .
Syrian state TV said that gunmen blocked their convoy and opened fire .
The Red Cross has called for their immediate and unconditional release .
The violent incident comes as two car bombs exploded in Damascus . |
078943b2cf489435c1867b3e04bfc2fa22a05737 | A Canadian teenager has been arrested for a series of 'swatting' incidents across the United States. The 16-year-old boy has not been named but is reportedly to blame for upwards of 30 hoax calls in the U.S. He has been connected to false calls in California, Maryland, Florida, New York and Connecticut. He also faces 60 unspecified charges in Canada and was arrested on Thursday. Target: The Canadian teen, who has not been publicly identified, is believed to be behind four different threats posed against Melbourne High School in Florida over the past month . Arrogant: A Twitter account connected to the suspect shows that he publicly taunted the police . String of incidents: The threat of a shooting on May 8 was the fourth such incident that the same teen is believed to be behind . Florida Today reports that the teen is the one responsible for a series of threats posed against a high school in Melbourne, Florida over the past month. He reportedly called in a bomb threat on April 15 that led to a three-hour search and evacuation, the claim that he had a knife and stabbed someone a week later, a threat that he would start shooting a gun at Melbourne High students unless he received a large sum of money, and another threat of violence on Wednesday. Police reports claim that the suspect is a boy and Florida Today links the suspect to a Twitter account where he repeatedly taunted the FBI following his May 8 threat against the school. In one of the tweets, he laughed at the fact that two Melbourne High students had been arrested for soliciting the Canadian's help in swatting their school. All over the map: The teen has been connected to 'swatting' incident in five states and two countries . Before the slew of incidents involving Melbourne High, his April 17 target was further north in Connecticut. The Hartford Courant reported that tactical teams were dispatched to a house on Round Hill Road in response to a call where someone told police that they had a weapon and had taken several people hostage in the home. The road, which extends through the lengthy, wealthy neighborhood was closed for hours and armed police carefully approached the house, thinking that they would have to deal with a dangerous stand off. Moving up north: On April 17, the teen swatted a house in Connecticut, telling police in Greenwich that he was armed and holding hostages in this home but they later realized that there was no one inside . 'No one responded from inside the house and no one answered the phone from which the initial call was made,' police captain Robert Berry told Greenwich Time. 'Officers eventually made entry into the house and no one was found inside. 'At this time, we do not believe that there was any actual hostage situation.' | 16-year-old in Ottawa arrested over hoax calls throughout the U.S.and Canada .
Connected to incidents in California, New York, Connecticut and Maryland .
One of the latest included four different threats made against Melbourne High in Florida and he began taunting the FBI on Twitter .
Two teens at the school were also arrested for allegedly asking the Canadian to swat their school . |
078a417e79bb9112697ce03193c9fdf534ff0dee | Ryan Giggs announced his retirement from playing on Monday after a glittering career with Manchester United. The Welshman won 13 Premier Leagues, four FA Cups and two Champions Leagues with United and will take up his role as assistant manager to Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford next season. As is the norm these days, pictures, videos and tributes have flooded the internet and social media and we take a look at the best ones below. Crowd: Manchester United designed this graphic showing Ryan Giggs' 150 team-mates . Joke: An image of Giggs as a youngster and one of him this year poking fun at Liverpool's title drought . Legend: The slogan 'tearing you apart' has been used in many tributes to the Welshman . Longevity: Giggs spent 23 years as a United first-team regular and will become assistant boss next season . Bright spark: BBC 606 paid tribute to the Welshman with this colourful mosaic throughout the years . On the run: Giggs' forays down the left wing were a regular sight at Old Trafford . Man and boy: A side-by-side comparison of Giggs in his youthful and veteran days . No stopping him: Giggs was renowned for effortlessly tearing through defences . Glittering: A list of Ryan Giggs' trophies won with Manchester United . | Ryan Giggs announced his retirement from football on Monday .
Welshman won 13 leagues, four FA Cups and two Champions Leagues .
Giggs will be assistant manager to Louis van Gaal next season .
The 40-year-old had 150 team-mates in time at Old Trafford . |
078bdebde7f089b666afd7551f98e9868c84069a | (CNN) -- Erroll Southers In the aftermath of the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253, it is likely the Senate will move to confirm the embattled nomination of Southers as head of the Transportation Security Administration when it returns from its winter recess. Objections to Southers' confirmation were first made by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina over the potential unionization of TSA employees. Southers is the Los Angeles International Airport's assistant chief for homeland security and intelligence. The airport's police department, which Southers has helped manage since early 2007, is the largest such operation in the country, with approximately 1,200 employees. Southers is also associate director at the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events at the University of Southern California. The former FBI special agent served as a deputy director of homeland security for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. CNN Political Ticker: DeMint defends blocking appointment . Miriam Siefer The attorney who will defend the 23-year-old Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up Northwest Flight 253 is no stranger to terrorism cases, according to The Detroit News. Miriam Siefer, chief federal defender with the Federal Defender Office in Detroit, Michigan, represented James Nichols when he was a suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing. His brother Terry Nichols was convicted for that act of domestic terrorism. Siefer is now the lead attorney for Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, who is accused of hiding explosive materials sewn into his underwear that could have brought down the airplane. "She's one of a handful of people who is universally respected and admired by people in the U.S. Attorney's Office," said Alan Gershel, the former head of criminal prosecutions in Detroit who now is a law professor at Cooley Law School in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Detroit News: Suspect's lawyer old hand at terror cases . Micah Fialka-Feldman A U.S. district judge has ruled that Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, violated a federal law by refusing to allow Fialka-Feldman, a disabled student, to live in a campus dorm and now must make a room available for him. The Detroit News and NPR report that Fialka-Feldman has a mild cognitive impairment that hinders his ability to read and write. But the university said because he was in a special program and not a full-time student, he couldn't live on campus. It took him two buses and two hours to get to campus from his parents' home. The judge ruled that Oakland University had discriminated against Fialka-Feldman, who says he will hang a poster in his room with quotes from civil rights leaders. One says: "A community that excludes one member is not a community at all." NPR: Intellectually disabled student wins dorm suit . Detroit News: Student wins housing fight . William Koch The Palm Beach, Florida, billionaire says that a 1787 Lafite Bordeaux with Thomas Jefferson's initials etched into the bottle is fake. "I thought that I had a piece of history, a piece of America's most important history," Koch told the Los Angeles Times. So Koch sued the seller and has filed four other lawsuits. He says there are more to come. His goal is to clean up an industry where a single bottle can go for more than $100,000. In 1989, Koch purchased the Lafite and three other bottles of Bordeaux, also purported to be Jefferson's, for about $500,000. In the federal lawsuit he filed in New York against the wine supplier, Koch claims Jefferson's "initials" were etched into the bottle with modern-day power tools. Los Angeles Times: Wine collector sues over alleged fakery . Michael Landers This 15-year-old 10th-grader from Old Westbury, New York, is the youngest player to win the men's national singles championship in table tennis, or pingpong. In a New York Times profile, Landers says his training can last 30 hours each week. For 14 months, Goran Milanovic, a former Serbian discuss thrower, has been putting him through 90-minute workouts two or three times a week. NY Times: The ping-pong prodigy . What makes a person intriguing? There are people who enter the news cycle every day because their actions or decisions are new, important or different. Others are in the news because they are the ones those decisions affect. And there are a number of people who are so famous or controversial that anything they say or do becomes news. Some of these people do what we expect of them: They run for office, pass legislation, start a business, get hired or fired, commit a crime, make an arrest, get in accidents, hit a home run, overthrow a government, fight wars, sue an opponent, put out fires, prepare for hurricanes and cavort with people other than their spouses. They do make news, but the action is usually more important than who is involved in the story. But every day, there are a number of people who become fascinating to us -- by virtue of their character, how they reached their decision, how they behaved under pressure or because of the remarkable circumstances surrounding the event they are involved in. They arouse our curiosity. We hear about them and want to know more. What they have done or said stimulates conversations across the country. At times, there is even a mystery about them. What they have done may be unique, heroic, cowardly or ghastly, but they capture our imaginations. We want to know what makes them tick, why they believe what they do, and why they did what they did. They intrigue us. | Nominee for TSA chief held up by South Carolina senator .
Lawyer for terror suspect familiar with terrorism cases .
10th-grader is youngest player to win national table tennis championship . |
078c5dabca5da5747280aa3529ccc427551b03eb | The once-troubled Bahrain Grand Prix has reported record profits and growth in 2014 after switching to a night race. The event was cancelled in 2011 after violent clashes between police and anti-government protesters. It went ahead in 2012 despite calls for it to be cancelled in the wake of alleged human-rights abuses. Lewis Hamilton celebrates winning the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix in April, last year . Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the grand prix last year, a decision was taken for the Bahrain International Circuit to become floodlit. The response from the public was significant as the BIC increased F1 ticket revenues by 29% compared to 2013 on the back of its highest race-day attendance of 31,000. The number of international visitors for the race also increased by 150% compared to 2013. BIC chief executive Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al-Khalifa said: 'The success of our 10th anniversary year reflects the hard work not just over the last 12 months, but ever since the BIC opened its doors ten years ago, with a vision to put Bahrain on the map through motorsport. Switch to night race helped attract a race-day attendance of 31,000 for Bahrain race in 2014 . 'Our success in 2014 was not a one-off for the BIC. Our aim has always been to establish the circuit as a sustainable business in its own right and a place to grow grassroots racing as the home of motorsport in the Middle East. 'We continue to build and evolve that platform with the support of our partners and sponsors, with new initiatives such as the commercial development supporting that growth. 'We can therefore look forward to the next 10 years with some confidence.' | Bahrain Grand Prix cancelled in 2011 and staged amid protests in 2012 .
Switched to a night race for 10th anniversary of the event in 2014 .
Organisers reported record profits after event attracted 31,000 fans . |
078cdb879079bfdca4e2644e6a5dbd2baece0b65 | By . Simon Jones . Manchester City hope Sergio Aguero will sign his new £210,000-a-week deal before the start of the new season. The Premier League champions have made it clear to the Argentina striker that he is pivotal to their future, along with captain Vincent Kompany, and talks have gone well. Real Madrid and Barcelona have made no secret of their admiration for Aguero, 26, but City want to wrap up a new improved five-year deal overtaking the current one which runs to 2017. VIDEO Scroll down for Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero play football tennis over fence . Hopeful: Manchester City are keen for Sergio Aguero to sign a new deal before the start of the new season . Aguero was dogged by niggling injuries last season, but still scored 28 goals in 34 games. City have opened initial talks with Kompany over a similar sized deal and hope Edin Dzeko, Joe Hart and James Milner follow suit. Milner, 28, wants to wait to see how many games he gets before renewing, but is key to City’s homegrown quota. Waiting game: James Milner is keen to see how many games he gets before committing to Man City . VIDEO City confirm Lampard deal . | Manchester City keen for Sergio Aguero to sign new deal with the club .
Premier League champions offered Argentine £210,000-a-week contract .
City also opened talks with Vincent Kompany, Edin Dzeko, Joe Hart and James Milner . |
078cf91ce33682f797f8d745cea7f93dd5f8ab5e | Moore, Oklahoma (CNN) -- A search-and-rescue effort to find survivors of a monster tornado that pulverized a vast swath of the suburbs of Oklahoma City shifted Tuesday to one of recovery, officials said. No new survivors or bodies have been found since the early hours after the tornado carved a trail 17 miles long on Monday afternoon. "We feel like we have basically gone from rescue and searching to recovery," Glenn Lewis, the mayor of hard-hit Moore, told CNN's Anderson Cooper. Lewis said he didn't expect the death toll to climb any higher. At least 24 people, including nine children, were killed, according to the state medical examiner's office. "I think that will stand," Lewis said. Earlier reports of at least 51 deaths were erroneous, said Amy Elliot, chief administrative officer for the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In the chaotic aftermath of the tornado, Elliot said it appeared some of the dead were counted twice. Snapshot of courage after tornado levels school . 'One of the strongest storms' Damage assessments conducted Tuesday showed the tornado packed winds, at times, between 200 and 210 miles per hour, making it an EF5 -- the strongest category of tornadoes measured, the National Weather Service said Tuesday. Teams are still evaluating the destruction, and the rating released Tuesday is preliminary. So far, they've found that the tornado's width spanned 1.3 miles -- the length of more than 22 football fields lined up end-to-end. Given its breadth and power, it ranks among some of the strongest storms ever to strike the United States, CNN senior meteorologist Dave Hennen said. Hardest hit was Moore, Oklahoma -- a suburban town of about 56,000 and the site of eerily similar twisters in 1999 and again four years later. The scene -- block after block of flattened homes and businesses, the gutted remains of a hospital and hits on two elementary schools -- left even seasoned veterans of Oklahoma's infamous tornadoes reeling. The devastation was so complete, the mayor said city officials were racing to print new street signs to help guide rescuers and residents through a suddenly twisted and unfamiliar landscape. A search-and-rescue team was sent from nearby Tinker Air Force Base, which also provided search lights, vehicles and water trucks, while neighboring Texas sent an elite 80-member urban search team. The American Red Cross sent 25 emergency response vehicles. Rescue crews were expected to complete a search for victims by late Tuesday, Moore Fire Chief Gary Bird told CNN. "We will be through every damaged piece of property in this city at least three times," Bird told reporters. "And we hope to be done by dark tonight." More than 230 people were injured, according to authorities. The path of the storm . 'Can't believe this' Some residents of Moore returned home to piles of debris, hoping to find pictures or some memento. "You just wanna break down and cry," Steve Wilkerson told CNN, holding a laundry basket that contained the few, intact belongings he could find. "But you know, that's how it goes," Wilkerson said, his voice shaking. "You gotta be strong and keep going." Wilkerson has been through tornadoes before, but nothing like this one. "I still can't believe this is happening," he said. "You work 20 years, and then it's gone in 15 minutes." All that remained in some places were "sticks and bricks," Fallin told reporters, calling the storm one of the "most horrific storms and disasters that this state has ever faced." Police, firefighters, volunteers and nearly 180 National Guard troops joined forces Tuesday in searching the rubble and securing areas hit by the storm. The weather wasn't cooperating with their efforts: National Weather Service crews surveying the damage in Moore reported rain, half-inch hail and 45-mph winds over the debris field. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol asked motorists to steer clear of Interstate 35 near Moore to free up lanes for disaster response resources streaming into the area. And so many people were showing up to volunteer that authorities had to plead with would-be rescuers to stay away. Path of devastation . The tornado struck at 2:45 pm C.T. on Monday -- only 5 minutes after the first warnings went out, according to the National Weather Service. Moore residents had about 30 minutes before the massive storm entered the western part of the city, CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said. Eerily similar tornado in 1999 . Among the many buildings struck by the storm were two schools: Plaza Towers and Briarwood elementaries. Of the nine children killed by the storm, authorities said seven died at Plaza Towers Elementary School where the tornado ripped the roof off and collapsed walls. Among the dead is 9-year-old Ja'Nae Hornsby, who was killed at Plaza Towers, her father told CNN's Anderson Cooper. About 75 students and staff members were hunkered down in Plaza Towers when the tornado struck, CNN affiliate KFOR reported. At one point, an estimated 24 children were missing from the school, but some later turned up at nearby churches. On Monday, a father of a third-grader still missing sat quietly on a stool outside. Tears cascaded from his face as he waited for any news. Even parents of survivors couldn't wrap their minds around the tragedy. "I'm speechless. How did this happen? Why did this happen?" Norma Bautista asked. "How do we explain this to the kids? ... In an instant, everything's gone." 'I love you,' teacher tells students . 'It's heartbreaking' James Dickens, a gas-and-oil pipeline worker, grabbed his hard had and joined other rescuers at Plaza Towers Elementary School. "I felt it was my duty to come help," he said Tuesday after a long night of searching. "As a father, it's humbling. It's heartbreaking to know that we've still got kids over there that's possibly alive, but we don't know." Track current severe weather . Moore, and the Oklahoma City region, are far too familiar with disaster. In 1995, 168 people died in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. In 1999 and then again in 2003, Moore took direct hits from tornadoes that took eerily similar paths to Monday's storm. The 1999 storm packed the strongest wind speeds in history, Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb said. "We're a tough state. This is a tough community," Lamb said. "There is hope. We always have hope. We always have faith." President Barack Obama, pledging whatever federal aid Oklahoma would need, praised teachers who protected their students. "If there is hope to hold on to -- not just in Oklahoma but around the country -- it's the knowledge that the good people there and in Oklahoma are better prepared for this type of storm than most," he said. "And what they can be certain of is that Americans from every corner of this country will be right there with them, opening our homes, our hearts, to those in need, because we're a nation that stands with our fellow citizens as long as it takes." 10 deadliest tornadoes on record . More trouble brewing . The storm system that spawned Monday's tornado and several other twisters Sunday isn't over yet. Southwest Arkansas and northeast Texas, including Dallas, are under the gun for severe weather Tuesday. Those areas could see large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. A broader swath of the United States, from Texas to Indiana and up to Michigan, could see severe thunderstorms. "We could have a round 3," CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said. "Hopefully, it won't be as bad." Severe weather 101 . CNN's Michael Pearson and Chelsea J. Carter wrote and reported from Atlanta, and Brian Todd reported from Moore. CNN's Greg Botelho, Catherine Shoichet, Holly Yan, Gary Tuchman, Pamela Brown, George Howell, Ed Payne contributed to this report. | NEW: Mayor of Moore does not expect death toll beyond 24 .
Ja'Nae Hornsby, 9, is among the children killed at the school, her father says .
Authorities revise death toll downward to 24, including nine children .
Crews going "board by board" in search for survivors, victims, official says . |
078db742781cfb7ebd48e922716a4f6acb329756 | Prosecutors presenting their case against two women charged in the beating death of a 23-year-old California nightclub goer showed today a short cellphone video where the victim could be seen being kicked in the head. The jumpy recording depicts Annie Hung Kim Pham wrestling with another woman on a sidewalk. As they struggle, a woman in a white blouse, black jacket and boots approaches and appears to kick Pham in the head. Scroll Down for Video: . Suspects: Vanesa Zavala (left) and Candace Brito attend a preliminary hearing in the West Justice Center earlier this month to determine if they will go on trial for the murder of Kim Pham . Caught on camera: Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas Borris, left, stands up to tell the court to dim the lights at the West Justice Center in Westminster while a video showing the deadly fight is presented Monday . Prosecutors say the kicker is murder suspect Vanesa Zavala. Immediately after the kick, Pham goes limp and the clip ends with her friends lifting her by her arms as they try to carry her away. Zavala and Candace Brito have pleaded not guilty. A judge will determine after the two-day hearing that began Monday whether there is enough evidence to order them to stand trial. Police have reviewed three videos of the violent confrontation from bystanders. Other footage appears to show Brito kicking Pham as well before Brito is knocked to the ground by another woman. Investigators are still seeking to interview a third woman, identified in court testimony as ‘Amelia,’ who they say is the person wrestling on the ground with Pham when she is kicked. Just who started the fight outside The Crosby in the early morning hours of Janiary 18 is in dispute. A witness told authorities the fight began after Pham started swearing at a group of people that she and her friends had bumped into outside the club, and that Pham threw the first punch. Zavala told police that Pham's first swing hit her and the fight began. Killed over a photo? Kim Pham was knocked to the . ground and beaten by a group of men and women after a friend . said she may have accidentally ruined their picture by walking in front . of the camera . Plea: Posters put near the crime scene appealing for information about the tragic January incident . Pham's friends countered that three women in the other group attacked Pham without provocation after they bumped into her while trying to take a picture. Defense attorneys have repeatedly indicated that Pham's friends might have minimized her role in the fight and their involvement. They have also been picking at the police investigation, pointing out that detectives have not positively identified another woman who can be seen on video kicking at the woman who is fighting Pham. ‘You don't even know who that person is, do you? You don't even know if she's in any way connected to Ms. Pham, do you?’ Brito's attorney, Michael Molfetta, said to Santa Ana police Detective Leo Rodriguez. ‘You haven't investigated it because you've decided those two are guilty of murder and everybody else is a victim. That's why you haven't followed up on this, isn't it?’ Molfetta said to Rodriguez, who denied the statement. Lawyers for both sides reached an agreement Tuesday about how to handle testimony from a homicide detective who went undercover while wearing a wire and got Zavala to talk about the fight. The attorneys accepted as evidence for the preliminary hearing only that Zavala told Detective Patricia Navarro, ‘”She hit me first. I acted in self-defense.”’ On Monday, Judge Thomas J. Borris ordered Navarro to stop her testimony after she acknowledged going undercover as an inmate to record Zavala after she had requested a lawyer. At a preliminary hearing Monday, Santa Ana police Detective Roland Andrade said he was told by a witness that Pham began swearing and was restrained by friends as the other group walked away. However, when the three girls returned, Pham threw the first punch, Andrade quoted the eyewitness as saying in to the Westminster court. Fatal fight: Candace Marie Brito arrives for a preliminary hearing at the West Justice Center in Westminster, California, on Monday, Feb. 10, 2014. Brito and Vanesa Zavala (right) are charged in the beating death of Kim Pham in front of a Santa Ana nightclub . Vanesa Zavala (left) and Candace Marie Brito appear at a preliminary hearing at the West Justice Center, Westminster, California on Monday February 10, 2014. The two women have been charged in the beating death of 23-year-old Kim Pham . Police are still investigating a third woman as a person of interest and have reviewed three cellphone videos of the fight. Defense attorneys said Monday that the third, unidentified woman was actually the person who began fighting with Pham. It was only after the two fell to the . ground, pulling each other's hair and punching, that Brito, who was the . unidentified woman's friend, kicked Pham in the head, Detective Matthew . Mcleod said on the stand, summarizing the testimony of an eyewitness who . also shot cellphone video. Zavala then also kicked at Pham, after which Pham went limp and lost consciousness, he said. Witnesses described her as still holding her hands to her face on the ground when paramedics arrived but seeming unresponsive. Both women were picked out of a police photo lineup. Mistake? A friend of the victim revealed that Kim Pham was outside The Crosby club when she may have accidentally wandered in front of a camera as a group of partygoers posed for a snapshot . Forensic Pathologist Dr. Etoi Davenport, who conducted the autopsy on Kim Pham. testifies about the blunt force trauma to Pham's brain during a preliminary hearing for Candace Marie Brito and Vanesa Zavala in the West Justice Center in Westminster on Monday . Kenneth Reed, an attorney for Zavala, introduced the idea that Pham's friends might have minimized their involvement and Pham's role in the fight. 'You just kind of took the story - "She got beat" - and you just kind of took the statements of these friends of hers?" Reed said. 'Fighting means fighting, more than one person fighting, right?' Pham, who went by the first name Kim, graduated from Chapman University last year and would have celebrated her first wedding anniversary last month. She was an aspiring writer whose work was published online and in an anthology of works by Vietnamese-American writers.unidentified woman was actually the person who began fighting with Pham. Pham was taken off life support after the beating. The coroner listed Pham's cause of death as blunt force injury of the head. She had bleeding in her brain, two blackened eyes and contusions behind her left ear and on the right side of her head, said Dr. Etoi Davenport, a coroner's forensic pathologist. Watch Video Here: . Disturbing: Police were quick to announce that they did not believe the attack was motivated by race, as the area has a large Vietnamese community that were concerned about a possible hate crime . On January 29, three days before what would have been her first wedding anniversary, hundreds of mourners attended her funeral held in Westminster, California on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Her husband led the pallbearers who helped carry her casket to her cremation. ‘I always try to have a tough-guy mentality, be the protector of our family, but she was the one who taught me how to let down my guard and to share something beautiful,’ her stepbrother Jason Nguyen said at the service. Her family kept her on life support until they could donate her organs- only learning that she was an organ donor once they arrived at the hospital- which her family thinks is telling of the person she was. Organ registry One Legacy site announced that Pham's donations helped save five lives. Her heart, kidneys, lungs, pancreas and liver were used for critical patients and her donated skin tissue was used for burn dressings, bones that could help fractures and prevent amputations, and her bone marrow is available for orthopedic use. 'She always put others' needs before herself and never thought badly of anyone. She kept love in the center of her life and preached kindness and respect for others. Brutal: A video that friends claimed showed the . attack was shared on Facebook. It shows people trying to break up a . fight in the street while someone is lying on the ground . 'We will always remember her as a sweet, vibrant, and wise daughter, sister, and friend. She is our little angel and God's gift to all of us.' So far two women are in police custody and investigators have released the photo of a third woman that they think may have information pertaining to the attack. Vanesa Tapia Zavala, 25, was arrested at the end of January and is accused of taking part in the early morning beating. She entered a not guilty plea but remains in police custody on $1million bail. She faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted. Violent Police say a fight broke out between Pham and another woman, whose friends then stepped in . Candace Marie Brito, 27, has been identified as the second suspect and has been arrested for her alleged involvement in the attack. She entered a plea of not guilty. A third woman’s photo has been released in hopes that someone will recognize her and help the police get in touch with her as they believe she has some information about the incident. The Los Angeles Times reports that one of Ms Pham’s friends who was not at the nightclub at the time of the attack heard that Ms Pham accidentally walked into the background of a photo and the subjects who had intended to be the focus of the shot attacked her in retribution. | Video shows Kim Pham, 23, wrestling on a sidewalk with woman before suspect Vanesa Zavala kicks her in the head, according to prosecution .
Detective said in court Monday a witness claimed they saw the victim throw the first punch .
Police seek to interview woman named 'Amelia' who is believed to be the person seen wrestling with Pham when she's kicked .
Pham died January 18 after an altercation outside The Crosby Club in Los Angeles .
Zavala and Candace Brito have pleaded not guilty to murder .
Pham had been waiting outside a nightclub when she became involved in argument with another girl, whose friends also turned on her .
A friend said fight may have been over a spoiled photo . |
078df757a8acf0a617a40de79efa22de934a03a6 | A ‘British jobs for British workers’ row erupted yesterday as it emerged that a new £1billion wind farm off the Lincolnshire coast is being maintained by teams of workers flown in from Scandinavia. As he officially opened the offshore scheme yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg claimed 30,000 British jobs would be created by the end of the decade by investing in renewable energy. But local MPs and businessmen said this appeared a hollow promise. Because turbines for the Centrica scheme off Skegness are made in Denmark, Danish and Swedish workers are being drafted in daily to work on them. Scandinavian Airlines will even begin a six-days-a-week service between Copenhagen and Humberside Airport in October to keep up with demand. The whole construction of the wind farm was largely foreign, with a French company making the cabling in Germany and Norway and the foundations being manufactured in Holland. Sam Pick, who runs a renewable energy consultancy, said Britain was in the ‘craziest possible situation’ where the Government was ‘subsidising development to a huge degree but doing absolutely nothing to either guarantee or support UK content’ in offshore wind farms. ‘There are turbines out there in the North Sea which have not touched UK mainland,’ he said. Labour MP Nic Dakin warned that if the industry did not train British people to service and maintain the turbines, there was little prospect of any domestic jobs premium from the so-called ‘Green revolution’. Announcing £66million of fresh Government funding for the offshore wind industry, Mr Clegg said the investment would help to make the UK a ‘world leader’ in the sector and create an employment boom, contributing £7billion to the economy. He compared climate change sceptics who oppose wind farms and other renewable energy developments to the Luddites who smashed machinery during the Industrial Revolution. ‘I think this industry will get bigger and bigger year in year out, which means more jobs in the local area. I know there are many local concerns that the focal work on these wind farms is performed by those flown from elsewhere, yet there are promising signs,’ said Mr Clegg. ‘As a Government we’ve announced an offshore wind strategy that should lead to 30,000 British jobs being created by the end of this decade and we are working with the industry to make sure that the British supply chain are given a fair crack of the whip in the future.’ Mr Clegg hopes the industry will more than quadruple in size by 2020 – at the highest end of government predictions – with half the production coming from domestic firms. But his claims were dismissed by industry experts, who said the targets and job creation predictions were hopelessly optimistic. They say unless major companies can be persuaded to manufacture wind turbines in the UK, wind farms will continue to be built, but few jobs will go to British workers. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg looks out of a helicopter window as he flies over the wind farm yesterday . Mr Pick said: ‘If the Government . doesn’t succeed in bringing wind farm manufacturing to the UK in the . near future then we will miss out on the tens of thousands of jobs that . have been promised and they will go to mainland Europe instead.’ Mr . Dakin, MP for Scunthorpe, said: ‘If we do not act now, we will be in . the same position by 2020 and will have to import skills and expertise . while our own school leavers and young adults continue to languish in . unemployment.’ Humberside has a history of industrial unrest over foreign workers ‘taking British jobs’. Workers at the Lindsey Oil Refinery at Immingham, North Lincolnshire, staged unofficial strikes and mass protests four years ago because 400 Italian and Portuguese workers were being brought in to work on a major construction project. Giant floating barges were being used to house the hundreds of foreign workers who were involved in building a de-sulphurisation unit at the Total refinery. The £300million contract was put out to tender and won by an Italian firm which angered unions by bringing in Europeans rather than hiring locals in an area of high unemployment. A mass walkout by workers at the Lindsey refinery led to copycat action across the UK. Employees at power stations and refineries across the country held ‘sympathy’ walkouts in protest at the use of foreign workers. A deal was eventually struck to give some new jobs to British workers, although no foreign employees at the Total refinery lost their jobs. The Institute . for Public Policy Research, a leading think-tank, also found Mr Clegg’s . claims were optimistic and said greater certainty was needed to attract . investment. Generous . taxpayer-funded subsidies for wind farms are set to continue until the . end of the decade, but foreign energy firms want a longer-term . commitment. Proposals for a new Siemens wind turbine factory in Hull were given planning permission in May last year. But the German firm wants more concrete promises before it goes ahead with the £80million factory, which would create 700 direct jobs and thousands in the supply chain. Ministers have promised guaranteed prices – fixed at up to triple the market rate – for electricity from offshore wind until 2019. They say the financial incentive will make Britain an attractive place to invest and transform our energy supply, but the difference between the wholesale price and the agreed rate will have to be met by consumers. Dr John Constable, of the Renewable Energy Foundation, a UK charity publishing data on the energy sector, said: ‘Even if the Government’s optimistic assumptions are right, the fact is that wind jobs are soft jobs and dependent on subsidies that increase energy costs and destroy jobs in real businesses. ‘We can’t be sure that the wind jobs will be in the UK, but there is no doubt at all that the jobs lost through high energy costs really will be British.’ Energy Secretary Ed Davey said: ‘Local people can absolutely benefit from the workers who come from abroad. We want to have a lot more British jobs in the industry, that is why we are publishing the industrial strategy. We want to make sure we get the jobs in the supply chain. ‘At the moment because we are coming from a small base it hasn’t been, but we believe the potential here is huge.’ Councils across the UK have spent more than £7.2million on charging points for electric cars over the past three years yet many are not being used. One in six councils had at least one point not used at all over the past year, and less than a third of authorities had a charging point being used on average more than once a week, figures obtained by the BBC revealed. | Offshore scheme off Lincolnshire coast is being maintained by workers flown in from Scandinavia .
Scandinavian Airlines to run .
six-days-a-week service between Copenhagen and Humberside to keep up with demand .
Deputy Prime Minister claimed .
30,000 British jobs would be created by the end of the decade by .
investing in renewable energy . |
078eaad18c2a36eed5b00089781575f25569b030 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:13 EST, 11 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:15 EST, 12 May 2013 . Detectives investigating the murder of a man whose body was found in a flat have named the victim. Mantas Leonavicius, 22, originally from Lithuania, was found dead in Stanley Street, North Shields, at 2.20pm yesterday, Northumbria Police said. A 17-year-old boy and two men, aged 18 and 22, all from the North Shields area, are in police custody on suspicion of the murder. Suspicious: Mantas Leonavicius's death in Stanley Street in North Shields is being treated as a murder . Mr Leonavicius is fairly well known in the local area, and is thought to have visited local off licences and pizza take away shops regularly. Residents told police he would often sit on the steps of his Stanley Street flat in a combat-style jacket. Northumbria Police are appealing for anyone who saw Mr Leonavicius, who had a 'distinctive ginger goatee style beard', between Wednesday and Friday to come forward. North Tyneside Chief Superintendent Steve Neill said: "Enquiries into Mr Leonavicius' murder are ongoing and the three people arrested remain in police custody. 'Mr Leonavicius was fairly well known in the area - he had a distinctive ginger goatee style beard - and a number of people we have spoken to have mentioned that they regularly used to see him sat on the steps outside his flat. 'We really need to hear from anyone who has seen him between Wednesday and Friday to ring us on 101 and pass this information on - no matter how insignificant they might think it is, it could still help us with our enquiries.' Detectives arrested a fourth man tonight in connection with the murder.The 21-year-old is currently in custody, Northumbria Police said. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Mantas Leonavicius, 22,was found dead yesterday .
Three men in custody on suspicion of the murder . |
078f7c31b354c12a538de09126e939047b1e6632 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . The bodies of three American servicemen who went missing in action more than 40 years ago during the Vietnam War have been returned to the U.S. after being discovered in Cambodia. The remains, in three white coffins draped with U.S. flags, were hoisted Wednesday into a C-17 military cargo plane for transport to Hawaii, where they will undergo DNA testing to try to confirm their identities. An honor guard of four currently serving U.S. servicemen carried the coffins. ‘As the son of a combat helicopter pilot who served in Vietnam twice, I am truly privileged to be a part of this important ceremony,’ U.S. Ambassador William Todd said in a speech at Phnom Penh International Airport in which he also thanked the Cambodian government for its assistance in searching for the missing. Honoring fallen comrades: American military service personnel in Cambodia pay their respects to one of the three coffins that were being flown back to the U.S. to determine the identities of the corpses that have been found . ‘To my fellow Americans assembled here today, I am humbled and honored to join with you to pay respect to our fellow countrymen who put our nation's needs above their very lives,’ Todd said. ‘Today, we honor colleagues who died far from home and whom we never knew.’ Some 90 Americans were listed as missing in action in Cambodia from the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975, but the remains of only 37 have been recovered and identified. The latest sets of remains were found in eastern Kampong Cham province. U.S. forces staged a brief ground incursion into eastern Cambodia in 1970 and bombed the country heavily from 1969 to 1973. No longer missing: The latest sets of remains were found in eastern Kampong Cham province and they were flown back to Hawaii on Wednesday (pictured) Returning home: U.S. forces staged a brief ground incursion into eastern Cambodia in 1970 and bombed the country heavily from 1969 to 1973 . A year ago, the Pentagon announced the burial at Arlington National Cemetery of the fragmentary remains of a Marine who perished in a failed helicopter rescue from Cambodia of the crew of the merchant ship Mayaguez in May 1975, an incident that is considered the last U.S. military engagement in the long Vietnam War. Their helicopter crashed after coming under heavy fire; 13 aboard were rescued at sea and 13 others were declared missing. Remains of 12 other U.S. servicemen who also were aboard the helicopter had been accounted for previously, following a series of searches off the coast of Cambodia. The latest remains were repatriated just two days after U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he is establishing a new Pentagon agency with more focused authority and innovative approaches to account for missing U.S. war dead. ¿As the son of a combat helicopter pilot who served in Vietnam twice, I am truly privileged to be a part of this important ceremony,¿ U.S. Ambassador William Todd said in a speech at Phnom Penh International Airport . The Pentagon has been under congressional pressure for months to take decisive action to improve the POW-MIA accounting effort. Its failings were highlighted last summer when The Associated Press disclosed an internal Pentagon report that said the search for remains of missing soldiers on foreign battlefields was mismanaged, wasteful and acutely dysfunctional. After lengthy study, Hagel decided to combine the functions of the two leading agencies in this field — the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command, based in Hawaii, and the Defense POW-MIA Office, based in the Pentagon. Those two organizations will disappear; the new agency will be directed by a civilian official not yet named. | Three unidentified remains have been found in the Kampong Cham province in eastern Cambodia .
Being flown back to Hawaii for DNA testing .
Up to 90 American servicemen were listed as missing in action in Cambodia at the end of the Vietnam War . |
078f9b5ffa2a41e506bdb88c8b30694c0d9f6969 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:56 EST, 24 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:07 EST, 24 August 2013 . The chairman of the Housing Authority in Newington, Connecticut has implemented a new no smoking policy for adult residents similar to those implemented in many college dormitories. Only difference is those impacted by the new rule aren't 18-year-old co-eds - in one case, it's a 90-year-old World War II veteran who has been told he and his 90-year-old wife who has severe Alzheimer's Disease are being evicted from the apartment where they've lived for 20 years because he has been busted smoking cigarettes on a breezeway rather than in a designated picnic area away from the building. Andy Nowicki, who won a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts during the war, was a combat infantryman fighting the Nazis in Africa, Italy, France and Germany. The Army is where he picked up his smoking habit 70 years ago, as Uncle Sam provided soldiers with free cigarettes during the war. War hero: Andy Nowicki enjoys a cigarette in front of the apartment he and his wife are about to be evicted from . Habit: Nowicki started smoking while fighting the Nazis. He says he's tried to quit but can't . Now that habit has cost him his home. 'It's like they're going to turn this into a concentration camp,' Nowicki told the Hartford Courant as he smoked a cigarette in his rolling chair that he had to wheel the appropriate distance from his apartment in a senior living center in Cedar Village. 'I don't know why they singled me out.' Janet Nowicki, Mr. Nowicki's daughter, has no idea where her parents will go if they are forced from their $714-a-month apartment - the couple lives on a small, fixed income. Additionally, Mr. Nowicki's wife, Leona, is in the very late stages of Alzheimer's - most of the time, she barely even recognizes her husband of nearly 70 years. Ms. Nowicki and Paul Doyle - a state senator who is acting as the Nowicki's attorney free of charge - are urging the Housing Authority to make an exception in Mr. Nowicki's case because of his age, immobility and war record. New Policy: the smoking restrictions were put in place at Cedar Village apartments in January 2012 . 'Personally, I couldn't sleep at night evicting a 90-year-old war hero from government-subsidized housing,' Doyle said. 'It's just totally incredible to me that we can't find an exception to the rules. I think common sense should prevail and let Mr. Nowicki live out his life because of what he did for all of us.' The town's mayor has even stepped in, also urging the Housing Authority to come up with some sort of compromise that would allow the Nowickis to stay in their apartment. However, the town has no control over the independent Housing Authority. 'I fully agree that you shouldn't smoke,' Newington Mayor Stephen Woods said, 'but the man is 90 years old. There's got to be some way to compromise so that he won't have to leave the home where he's been for 20 years. Every issue isn't black and white.' The Housing Authority doesn't seem to want to budge, though - Chairman Stephen Karp and Executive Director Melinda Harvey say that making an exception to the rule - implemented about 18 months ago - isn't going to happen. Compromise: State Senator Paul Doyle is acting as the Nowicki's attorney and hopes he can come to a compromise that allows the couple to stay in their home . 'Once you start that, where do you end that?' Karp said. 'We made a . decision that's in the best interests of the health and safety of the . tenants. We really feel there isn't room for making an exception on this . particular issue.' When asked about Mr. Nowicki's mobility issues, Harvey told the paper 'he has a walker and a scooter - he gets around the property pretty well.' Mr. Nowicki said he's tried quitting before, but simply can't. 'Are you kidding?' he said. 'I got the best doctor in the world. He gave me gum. He gave me the patch.' Elliot Lane is the attorney representing the Housing Authority when the Nowicki's case is heard on September 3. He said he expects a mediation session prior to the hearing. 'Can a compromise be reached?' Lane said. 'We're not in court yet. I'm looking forward to meeting with Sen. Doyle to see if we can find an agreement satisfactory to both parties.' | Andy Nowicki started smoking in the Army when the U.S. government gave him free cigarettes as he fought the Nazis in Europe and Africa .
Mr. Nowicki won a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts during the war .
The Housing Authority implemented a no smoking policy 18 months ago and is evicting Mr. Nowicki - who has mobility problems - for not walking to the specified smoking area at the complex . |
0790e0c58fd3ea5c6e29a5bc8347b5c97063e43a | (EW.com) -- How's your year going? Probably not as well as the Rock's. The former wrestling star (and host of TNT's "The Hero," which premieres Thursday night) is in the midst of an amazing box-office streak. He's starred in four movies so far in 2013 — Snitch (Feb. 22), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (March 28), Pain and Gain (April 26), and Fast & Furious 6 (May 24) — and while they haven't all been massive hits, three of them opened at No. 1. All together they've grossed over $937 million worldwide, giving the Rock (a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson) some major box-office bragging rights. "As you know, I've been around for some time now," the Rock told EW recently. "This is my 12th and 13th year in the business. Building an empire was the goal." And built an empire he has! In fact, for the past 15 weekends — yes, since Feb. 22 — the Rock has had at least one movie in the Top 10 at the U.S. box office. And considering audiences' enduring love of the Fast franchise, he's got a few more weekends left before that streak ends, too. Here's how it's all worked out: . Feb. 22-24 -- Snitch (No. 2) Mar. 1-3 -- Snitch (No. 4) Mar. 8-10 -- Snitch (No. 5) Mar. 15-17 -- Snitch (No. 6) Mar. 22-24 -- Snitch (No. 10) Mar. 29-31 -- G.I. Joe: Retaliation (No. 1) Apr. 5-7 -- G.I. Joe: Retaliation (No. 2) Apr. 12-14 -- G.I. Joe: Retaliation (No. 4) Apr. 19-21 -- G.I. Joe: Retaliation (No. 5) Apr. 26-28 -- Pain & Gain (No. 1), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (No. 6) May 3-5 -- Pain & Gain (No. 2) May 10-12 -- Pain & Gain (No. 3) May 17-19 -- Pain & Gain (No. 4) May 24-26 -- Fast & Furious 6 (No. 1) June 1-3 -- Fast & Furious 6 (No. 1) Pretty incredible, right? If that's somehow not enough to convince you that the Rock is winning pop culture right now, then take a look at his Twitter stream. It's pretty much the best thing on the internet, and that should count for something! See the original story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | The Rock has starred in four movies so far in 2013 .
"Building an empire was the goal," he said .
Three of his films have reached No. 1 . |
07917b93d069037ef9b6399c0886abea0908bc95 | (CNN) -- An autopsy was conducted Monday in the death of a onetime medical student who died of an apparent suicide while facing charges in a killing tied to the Craigslist website. However, the medical examiner is withholding the official cause of death for Philip Markoff pending further tests, prosecutors said. "Markoff was alone in his cell and all evidence collected thus far indicates that he took his own life," Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis and Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a statement released earlier. "Nonetheless, as with all such cases, a comprehensive investigation will be conducted to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding his death." Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral told CNN that Markoff had not demonstrated any notable behavior while in custody and did not pose a disciplinary problem before his death. While Markoff had been on suicide watch from April 23 to May 14, he was not on watch around the time he died, she said. Suicide watch for jail inmates is determined by a psychiatrist, she said. In her eight years as sheriff, there have been four confirmed suicides; Markoff would be the fifth. There's an average of 57 serious suicide attempts a year, Cabral added. Markoff was found unresponsive in his Boston, Massachusetts, jail cell at 10:17 a.m. Sunday and pronounced dead by medics, according to officials. He was found with wounds to his neck and ankles, EMS spokeswoman Jennifer Mehigan said. Markoff, 24, was charged with the April 14, 2009, fatal shooting and attempted robbery of Julissa Brisman, 25, at Boston's Copley Marriott Hotel. Police said that Brisman, a model, advertised as a masseuse on Craigslist, a popular online classifieds service, and said Markoff might have met her through the site. In a statement Sunday, the family of Brisman said it was "shocked and dismayed" at the news of Markoff's apparent suicide. "Their grief for Julissa is as fresh today as the day over a year ago when Markoff took Julissa away from them," said the statement issued by a representative for the family. "The long-awaited criminal prosecution was their only opportunity to confront him, and now he has taken that away as well." The family promised to pursue "other avenues to seek justice for Julissa and help ensure that others do not suffer from such devastating, unnecessary violence," according to the statement. Markoff was also charged with the April 10, 2009, robbery of Trisha Leffler at a Westin Hotel in Boston. Police reports said Leffler was robbed of $800 in cash and $250 in American Express gift cards and was held at gunpoint and bound. At his arraignment in June 2009, Markoff pleaded not guilty to the Massachusetts charges. He also was facing charges in an April 16, 2009, incident at a Holiday Inn Express in Warwick, Rhode Island. In that incident, police said, Markoff tied up and demanded money from a 26-year-old dancer who had posted a Craigslist advertisement. The robbery was interrupted when the woman's husband entered the room, and the suspect fled after pointing his gun at the husband, according to Warwick Police Chief Col. Stephen McCartney. At the time of his April 2009 arrest, Markoff was a second-year student at Boston University's School of Medicine and was engaged to be married. His friends and acquaintances expressed shock, describing him as a model student and the "all-American" guy. A woman identifying herself as Megan McAllister, his fiancee, maintained his innocence in an April 2009 e-mail sent to ABC News, saying Markoff "is the wrong man" and "was set up." "Unfortunately, you were given the wrong information as was the public," she said. "All I have to say to you is Philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly!" Markoff's attorney had also proclaimed his innocence. Conley, the district attorney, told reporters last year that Brisman's death was "a brutal, vicious crime -- savage. And it shows that Philip Markoff is a man who's willing to take advantage of women -- to hurt them, to beat them, to rob them." Brisman sustained blunt head trauma and was shot three times at close range, prosecutors said. Conley said they believed the motive for her death was robbery. In executing a search warrant at Markoff's home, police found a firearm, along with restraints and duct tape, he said. Police traced internet communications with Brisman to an e-mail account that had been opened the day before her death, Conley said. Using internet provider information, they found the computer was at Markoff's residence in the Boston suburb of Quincy, he said. CNN's John Branch and Logan Burruss and In Session's Beth Karas contributed to this report. | NEW: Sheriff says Philip Markoff did not behave differently before death .
Medical examiner withholding official cause of death for Markoff .
He was accused of killing one woman and robbing two others .
Authorities believe he met his victims on Craigslist . |
07920f4aee5c40961504021e6a1d475c89ac8e8d | Mark Llewellyn, the executive producer of Seven’s prime time current affairs current affairs program Sunday Night apparently was involved in a newsroom brawl at the program's Sydney headquarters this week. Lewellyn, a highly-regarded professional, who has been working as executive producer of the show since 2006, apparently had a disagreement with producer Paul Waterhouse over a story Mr Waterhouse had been researching. It is alleged that Mr Llewellyn was unimpressed with the angle of the story and 'threw' Mr Waterhouse against a wall, tearing his shirt. Mark Llewellyn, the executive producer of Channel 7's prime time current affairs show, Sunday night, has been accused of physically attacking a producer at the station's Eveleigh headquarters . The altercation began in the Sunday Night newsroom and carried on into Mr Llewellyn's office. Things apparently escalated quickly and Sunday Night reporter Ross Coulthart and producer Nick Farrow were forced to step in to break the two producers apart. It is understood that Seven’s human resources department is investigating the incident, after some members of staff threatened to walk off the show in protest. Following formal procedure, it is believed that the Seven Network asked Mr Llewellyn to take a two-week advance on his annual leave. Mr Llewellyn reportedly sent an email around the office yesterday to inform staff that he is now on leave. It is believed Mr Llewellyn has been under immense pressure following extreme budget cuts at the station and huge amounts of tension in a dwindling office. Sunday Night has reportedly been under pressure recently after it became locking in a ratings battle with rival show Nine's 60 minutes . 'They had a dust up in the newsroom in a production meeting in which Llewelyn threw him (Mr Waterhouse) into a wall,'a Channel 7 source told Daily Mail Australia. One member of staff reportedly commented on how ironic it was that the office had recently been compelled to attend a bullying and conflict resolution workshop. Mr Llewellyn has carved out an impressive career within the media industry since he began in 1983. He was the first Australian journalist on the Iran-Iraq border at the end of the first Iraq war. Mr Llewellyn has also covered the Cannes film festival for Today Tonight and produced the network’s acclaimed 2008 Anzac Day coverage live from Gallipoli. The TV news boss left Nine in difficult circumstances in 2006 after he revealed in court documents that Nine’s CEO Eddie McGuire wanted to “bone” the Today show host Jessica Rowe. Sunday Night has reportedly been under pressure recently after it became locking in a ratings battle with rival show, Nine's 60 minutes. It is understood Mr Waterhouse has raised the possibility of pressing charges against Llewellyn. | Executive producer of Seven's Sunday Night show, Mark Llewellyn, reportedly got involved in a newsroom brawl with producer Paul Waterhouse .
It is understood that Llewellyn was unhappy with the angle Waterhouse was taking on a story .
Llewellyn apparently threw Waterhouse against a wall and tore his shirt .
Lllewellyn has reportedly been under immense pressure at the station since budget cuts were made . |
0792d35538d6d08575cdc7653f78e246eb5c691a | (CNN) -- Crashing waves. Windy bluffs. The mystique of the high seas and whatever lies beyond: Seaside places possess a dramatic allure that's naturally attractive to storytellers. Maybe that's why so many famous writers have chosen to live, work and set their fiction by the ocean. Or maybe they just liked the beach in summertime. Whatever the case, if you're fond of literature as well as lounging, consider following in one of these writers' footsteps. Whether you gravitate toward heat and palm trees or windswept north Atlantic dunes, some writer has put their stamp on a seaside spot to suit your tastes. Here are five places where inspiration hangs in the salty air. Monterey County, California: John Steinbeck . The region that John Steinbeck immortalized in "Tortilla Flat," "Cannery Row" and other works is one beautiful place to see the Pacific. Its sunny vistas are in contrast with Steinbeck's characters and their harsh struggles, but several sites ensure that the ghost of Tom Joad is not forgotten. Start, as Steinbeck did, in Salinas, where his birthplace and boyhood home on Central Avenue has been preserved as The Steinbeck House. Tours for the public run on select Sundays in the summer (suggested donation $10); the restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch featuring Salinas Valley produce. The places where masterpieces are born . Down the street, the National Steinbeck Center provides an in-depth look at the Nobel Prize winner's life and work, with interactive exhibits, artifacts and film screenings ($14.95 adults; $5.95 children). About 20 miles away in Monterey, stroll along Cannery Row to Steinbeck Plaza and absorb the atmosphere of this street -- called Ocean View Avenue until it was renamed for Steinbeck's book -- where Lee Chong, Mack and the others hatched their schemes. Unwind with a visit to Asimolar State Beach in Pacific Grove, where the Steinbeck family owned a summer cottage. Key West, Florida: Ernest Hemingway . Ernest Hemingway spent most of the 1930s in Key West and got a lot of writing done. This, despite the distraction of spectacular sunsets, water-based activities and ubiquitous drinking. He was lucky to live in a stately, palm-fringed house that remains a tranquil oasis to this day. Five trips for crime fiction lovers . Tour the Hemingway Home ($13 adults; $6 children) and see the splendors that temporarily tamed his wanderlust. Star attractions include a sparkling pool and large collection of six-toed cats, some descended from one the author owned. For a fuller taste of his life by the Gulf, organize a fishing charter and do battle with a marlin. Once you've perused "To Have and Have Not," Hemingway's novel set in Cuba and Key West, stop for a drink at Captain Tony's Saloon (the original Sloppy Joe's). The spot was a favorite of the author's and is said to be the inspiration for Freddy's in the book. Nantucket, Massachusetts: Herman Melville . "Moby-Dick" was published in 1851, but it wasn't until the following year that Herman Melville got around to visiting this island prominently featured in his magnum opus. Nantucket's reputation as the whaling capital of the world impressed Melville from afar. Ishmael, the book's narrator, considers it "the most promising port for an adventurous whaleman to embark from." Today Nantucket is known principally as a summer getaway, but whales remain a big (pun intended) part of the tourist draw. Brick and mortar: Best indie bookstores . Bring a copy of "Moby-Dick" and dig in to Chapter 14, "Nantucket," on your arrival. Revisit Melville's own experience as a summer tourist by checking into the Jared Coffin House -- called Ocean House when Melville stayed there -- for a bed and breakfast ($180-$560 in peak season). Just down the block, learn more about whaling tales that fascinated the author at the Nantucket Whaling Museum ($20 adults; $5 children). Then, mount your own obsessive search for the beast with a 6-hour whale-watching cruise ($155 per person). Cruises run three times a week during summer, with sightings guaranteed. Prince Edward Island, Canada: L.M. Montgomery . Countless young people have grown up captivated by "Anne of Green Gables," L.M. Montgomery's 1908 novel set in this Canadian maritime province. Travelers drawn by Anne will find the island -- with its distinctive red soil, rolling farmland and pristine beaches -- equally captivating. They'll also find its tourism industry based heavily on the book's continued popularity. Whether you arrive by air, ferry or the 8-mile bridge from New Brunswick, head for the North Shore. There you'll find Prince Edward Island National Park, home to sandy beaches and a series of Green-Gables related attractions in and around Montgomery's home town of Cavendish. Check out the farm that inspired the story ($7.50 adults; $3.75 children) and, separately, the site of Montgomery's own home ($4 adults; $2 children). Then spend some time in Avonlea Village ($70 per family; two-day admission) for a taste of the old-fashioned life; daily events include wagon rides, pig racing and samplings of raspberry cordial and homemade ice cream. Cornwall, England: Daphne DuMaurier . Stories like "The Birds" and "Rebecca" earned Daphne DuMaurier her reputation as a dark writer, expert at creating a sense of foreboding. But the landscape that fed her imagination encompasses some of the most pleasant and beautiful scenery in the United Kingdom. Today, the southwest corner of England, particularly Cornwall, is deeply associated with her vivid fiction. Top spots in Europe for 2013 . Spend at least one night at the Jamaica Inn (about $130-$175). Its history as a hideaway for 18th-century smugglers inspired DuMaurier to pen her novel "Jamaica Inn," and there's now a "Smuggler's Museum" on site, including a Daphne DuMaurier Room full of memorabilia. Come in May and you can drop by The Fowey Festival of Words and Music, inspired by DuMaurier's memory and offering dozens of events, from concerts to cruises (tickets range from about $7.50-$23). If the beaches are chilly, try your hand at sailing -- a favorite pastime of the ill-fated Mrs. de Winter -- with a 5-day course at the Fowey Harbour Sailing School (about $735; tel. 44-78/999-62414). | Add a bit of literary history to your summer beach getaway .
On spectacular Prince Edward Island, find L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables .
Check out Hemingway's home -- and cats -- in Key West .
Find John Steinbeck's inspiration in Monterey . |
079381b05699aa47ffbacc2a2b7386b537784dad | By . Hugo Gye and Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 01:32 EST, 31 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:23 EST, 31 July 2013 . British Gas revealed today it made £23 every second from its customers in the first six months of 2013 and hinted at more price rises. After raising its prices just before last year's record-breaking cold winter, the energy giant raked in a £356million profit from households during the first half of this year - up 3.2 per cent on 2012. As people cranked up the heating to deal with plunging temperatures, residential gas consumption alone soared by 18 per cent during the first four months of 2013. The news has led to consumer groups demanding they freeze the price of gas and electricity to ensure households can afford to keep warm this winter. Parent company Centrica also enjoyed bumper profits of £1.58billion for the past six months - up nine per cent - causing its shares to rise sharply this morning. Profits hike: British Gas's residential arm made £356million in the first half of this year, up 3.2 per cent . Facts: A huge rise in revenue from households driven by a price increase and freezing conditions helped British Gas increase residential profits to £356million . Its profits would have been higher but were held back by a new duty to pay for energy efficiency measures in customers' homes, which helped push environmental costs up 37 per cent for the period. Centrica warned that the scheme, which has landed it with a £1.4 billion bill, would 'inevitably impact on customer bills ultimately' and that it was facing 'upward pressure on costs'. Finance director Nick Luff said: 'We will keep prices as low as we can for as long as we can. If prices do have to go up, we will delay it for as long as possible.' Today consumer group uSwitch said British Gas should not raise its prices again this year. 'The . fact that British Gas has absorbed increasing costs so far this year . will be of cold comfort to consumers who may be fearing the worst – . especially with rumours of price rises. Profits are up from last year, . so we would urge British Gas to help quell customer's fears and go one . step further from its May pledge and commit to a price freeze for the . rest of the year,' spokesman Tom Lyon said. 'People are already starting to worry . about next winter and the cost of their energy bills and high energy . prices have a big impact on consumers. Last winter, almost seven in ten . households went without heating at some point to keep their energy costs . down.' But Centrica maintain they are giving consumers a good deal. Chief executive Sam Laidlaw said: . 'With our customers using more gas to stay warm during the unusually . cold winter, we're doing everything we can to help them keep their . energy costs under control and make bills simpler and clearer.' Cashflow increase: A drop in average temperatures in Britain helped British Gas increase its profits . Today's announcement of its half-year . financial results are likely to spark anger as it is revealed how . British Gas boosted its bottom line via the steep bills landing on . customers' doorsteps in the wake of the freeze. The earnings announcement comes a day after French-owned energy firm EDF said its profits had risen to a record £903million in the wake of the cold spell. British Gas's rise in profits does not entirely reflect gains from heavy winter gas usage, which are likely to have been offset by the cost of a new obligation to deliver energy efficiency measures in customers' homes, analysts said. Boss: Centrica's chief executive Sam Laidlaw pledged to 'keep energy costs under control' The company has been the subject of sustained hostility as it awarded multimillion-pound pay packets to executives while customers have struggled to pay rising energy bills amid the economic downturn. Its results announcement also comes as new rules on simpler energy tariffs provoke an industry backlash. Rival provider SSE said the changes would 'add cost and complexity to energy suppliers' relationships with customers'. In June, Centrica muscled in on the UK's potential shale gas boom by buying a 25 per cent stake in the Lancashire Bowland exploration area, paying £40million cash and pledging tens of millions in further funds for the venture, which is operated by Cuadrilla Resources. | Firm raised energy prices by 6% shortly before onset of freezing winter .
Parent company Centrica announces £356million in profits from homes .
Consumer groups demand price freeze to ensure people can heat homes .
But British Gas would not rule out putting up gas and electricity again . |
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