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fa0839648d15ea2e39720105e639d36db9062b02 | By . Simon Tomlinson . Charged: Former PCSO Peter Bunyan was found guilty at Taunton Crown Court of abusing his position to have affairs with five women while on duty . A police community support officer used the police database ‘as a dating agency’ to have affairs with single mothers and domestic abuse victims while on duty, a court heard. Peter Bunyan accessed inside information to do background checks on women and their ex-partners after ‘welfare’ visits to victims of crime, it is alleged. He is accused of neglecting his duties by turning his police radio off on shifts before having sex with women, including at a neighbourhood police office. He is alleged to have urged a mentally ill woman to email explicit pictures of herself to the police station. Married Bunyan, 40, a father of two, denies 12 counts of misconduct in a public office over a five-year period. Prosecutor Simon Burns told Taunton Crown Court yesterday: ‘If he was not in uniform or on duty, there would not be a trial. ‘But if on duty or in his uniform he should have been at work but he was in bed with somebody, he was not exercising his proper role as a police officer. ’ Bunyan, of Carharrack, Cornwall, admits he had sex with four women but said it was off duty. He denies sex with a fifth woman. All five say the sex was consensual. Mr Burns said of Bunyan’s use of the police database: ‘You do not use the criminal intelligence system as a dating agency.’ Peter Bunyan, an officer with Devon . and Cornwall Police, is alleged to have accessed highly sensitive police . data to perform background checks on women and their former partners . after so-called 'welfare' visits to victims of crime. He . is accused of neglecting his duties by turning his police radio down on . shifts before having sex with women, including at a police . neighbourhood office, as well as encouraging one mentally ill woman to . send explicit pictures of herself on email to the police station. Bunyan, a father-of-two, denies 12 . counts of misconduct in a public office, taking place over a five-year . period in the Camborne and Redruth areas of west Cornwall. On trial: Police community support officer Peter Bunyan (pictured, left, outside court and, right, in his uniform) is accused of using highly sensitive police data to strike up affairs with vulnerable women while on duty . The case is being held at Taunton Crown Court, Somerset, out of the Devon and Cornwall Police force area. Prosecutor . Simon Burns told the jury: 'This is not a court of morals. You will . hear all sorts of sordid details in relation to this case. 'He . (Bunyan) has abused his position as a police officer by targeting women . - targeting vulnerable women - and conducting inappropriate sexual . relationships with them while on duty. 'He has behaved, while on duty as a police officer, inappropriately and unprofessionally. 'Not only was he in his full uniform... but occasionally even turned down or off his police radio.' Mr Burns said Bunyan had sex with women at various locations, including at a neighbourhood police office. Bunyan . also accessed the police database, where he was able to find highly . personal details about people in the community, including the women he . targeted, the court heard. Mr . Burns added: 'He used that confidential information, which is not . allowed to be simply looked at by a police officer, unless they have a . lawful reason for doing so. 'You . don’t look up somebody simply to be nosy, to look at where they live, . to look for their telephone numbers. He abused the police computer . system to his own advantage. 'You do not use the criminal intelligence system as a dating agency.' Mr Burns said the public expected PSCOs such as Bunyan to protect them on the streets, 'not to be in bed with them'. Mr Burns said Bunyan’s first affair was with a woman who had some mental health issues. She . was later sectioned under the Mental Health Act. The woman previously . had reason to call the police following a dispute with someone. Another . woman struck up a relationship with Bunyan after he went to her home to . take a witness statement when she was a victim of domestic violence. But . the statement took “an inordinate amount of time to complete”, the . court heard. Bunyan then started to ask the woman intimate questions . about her body. The . couple developed a relationship, which in one case saw Bunyan collect . the single mother from a firework display and take her to a . neighbourhood police office where they had sex. The woman said Bunyan had been on duty - something Mr Burns said the PCSO later admitted. Redruth police station, where Bunyan would openly view explicit pictures of his victims . Bunyan is said to have “encouraged” the women to post naked pictures of themselves - some pornographic - to . his local police station. Colleagues of the PCSO told the jury . how he “clearly appreciated” the images, which were sent on CDs and . viewed by Bunyan on the police computer at Redruth police station. PCSO Karen Moreley, who worked with Bunyan for a year, said he was sent images of naked women regularly. She told the jury: 'There were topless images and images using mirrors. 'He clearly appreciated these images and would laugh and joke and check the mail to see if any discs arrived. 'I found him quite forthcoming to women, quite creepy and unprofessional.' Bunyan admits having sex with four women, who include single mothers, women in their 20s, and victims of domestic abuse, but said it was off duty. He denies sex with a fifth woman. All five say the sex was consensual. Bunyan denies 12 counts of misconduct in a public office and his trial, expected to last up to three weeks, continues. The officer has been suspended by Devon and Cornwall police. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Peter Bunyan 'accessed sensitive data to perform background checks'
'Turned his police radio down on shifts before having sex with women'
Father denies 12 counts of misconduct in a public office over five years . |
fa0887e96ece12fa1926ea34859fe78f7ebfab91 | She was given just three months to live after a stranger pointed out an unusual mole on her shoulder. But twelve months after being diagnosed with stage four melanoma- a terminal condition- Emma Betts is still healthy and determined to make a difference, chronicling her journey through her blog. After being given the initial diagnosis, Emma said that she spent a lot of time 'googling young people with melanoma and trying to find other people's stories' in an attempt to figure out what was happening to her. Scroll down for video . Emma Betts was given just three months to live after being diagnosed with stage four melanoma . 'Most of them just said "I went to treatment and then this happened', but I wanted something blunt and honest,' Emma said. Emma decided, somewhat nervously, to start her own blog, Dear Melanoma, in order to document her daily struggles and start 'a conversation about cancer'. Covering everything from the plans she has for her death, her support for the 'dignity to die' cause, and her fear of leaving her new husband, Serge, behind, her blog offers a raw and honest account of living with cancer. 'While it's tough writing the posts and I get quite upset, seeing the comments and reading how it has impacted people makes me feel like I'm actually doing something for myself, as well as other people,' Emma said. 'I see it almost as a job, it's therapeutic, being honest about showing the really tough side of things that people don't want to admit to,' she said. Emma and her husband Serge had to push their wedding forward because they weren't sure she would live . In March 2013, Emma married her husband Serge, who she met just as she began her treatment . After being given the news that the cancer had spread into her liver and many of her other major organs, making her cancer inoperable, Emma's life changed dramatically. Having gained access to a clinical trial for a new immunotherapy treatment, Emma began seeing her tumours shrink, and then stabilise, which she said is both positive and negative. 'I had an appointment with my oncologist and she was so excited, because she never thought I'd make it this far,' Emma said. 'But for me, the year mark has been met more with fear than with excitement, because people who take the drug normally respond for 22 months,' she said. 'It's already been a year and so every day I'm here I have to ask, how long until it stops working? It means that life isn't normal. Everything is now taken into consideration,' she said. In March 2013, Emma married her husband Serge, who she met just as she began her treatment. 'He got thrown into the deep end. I think lots of people wondered why we were getting engaged as we weren't sure I would live to see my wedding, but we've been through more in the past year than some people do in a lifetime,' she said. 'He was pretty amazing to have signed up for this. But it means that every decision we make now involves cancer.' 'Serge was pretty amazing to have signed up for this. But it means that every decision we make now involves cancer,' said Emma . Emma said she is doing small things to make herself happy, like having fresh flowers in the house . 'The days that are good are the ones where I reach a goal. Serge and I moved our wedding forward because we weren't sure I'd be alive, but I was fine,' Emma said . For Emma, part of this is writing her blog, an outlet which has now become a driving force in her life and has allowed her to be both candid and realistic in her writing. 'I would happily give up everything that I hoped for my future just to be able to grow old. I don’t need to have children. I don’t need to have a career. I just need to be alive,' she wrote in her most recent post. 'I know that this will kill me, we just don't know when. There are good days and bad days, but the cancer is always there,' Emma said. 'The days that are good are the ones where I reach a goal. Serge and I moved our wedding forward because we weren't sure I'd be alive, but I was fine,' she said. 'My next goal was my birthday, and then seeing my nephew born, and then Christmas. And now I'm just living one day at a time,' she said. Emma said she was determined to find small ways to live a life that was good. 'My goal was my birthday, and then seeing my nephew born, and then Christmas. And now I'm just living one day at a time,' Emma said. Emma with her new puppy Ralph, who she said brings her joy because he doesn't know she has cancer . 'I really struggled writing a bucket list because all the things I was writing down, like having children or a career, or travelling, I couldn't do,' Emma said. 'They were all things I couldn't have, and so everything on my list are everyday luxuries. Fresh flowers in the house, eating pavlova if it's on a cafe menu, drinking wine and champagne and not just saving it for a special occasion,' she said. 'I wanted to bring a bit of happiness in my life that wasn't dependent on a doctor saying yes or no.' Emma said she is now hoping to use her story to fund research for clinical cancer trials, and is hosting a fundraising event for the Melanoma Institute of Australia. 'It's so important to raise money for the trials, because it gives people like me more options. Once the drug stops working, you want to jump onto the next and the next one to gain more time,' Emma said. 'What my life looks like for next little while is tough because I don't know how long life is,' she said. 'Serge and I aren't planning too far in advance, just spending lots of time together and enjoying each other as it comes.' | Emma Betts was given three months to live when she was diagnosed with stage four melanoma .
She and new husband Serge had to move their wedding date because they weren't sure she would live .
One year on, she is still healthy thanks to a new immunotherapy treatment .
She said that when she was first diagnosed she spent 'a lot of time googling young people' with cancer .
Emma decided to start her own blog, chronicling her battle .
She said she wanted to 'start a conversation about melanoma'
The blog offers a very honest and blunt look at her life and struggles .
Emma said she is very realistic about the fact that she 'will die of her cancer, it's just a matter of when'
She is using her time to enjoy life and raise funds for cancer research . |
fa08ddbee59a31bc1234fef24e52116f069b2d77 | More than 130 passengers who suffered severe diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps on board nine separate trips have won a £280,000 settlement from the cruise operator. The passengers all fell ill while travelling aboard the Fred Olsen cruise liner, the Boudicca, on nine trips between October 2009 and May 2010. A spokesman for travel law specialists Irwin Mitchell, who handled the case on behalf of the passengers, said the cruise operator has agreed to settle the case without formally admitting liability for causing the passengers to fall ill. The cruise operator said the illness were down to a higher than usual number of cases of norovirus or winter vomiting virus among the UK population. More than 130 passengers have received a £280,000 settlement after falling ill aboard Fred Olsen's Boudicca cruise liner, pictured here in Kingstown Harbour in St Vincent and The Grenadines in 2011 . Luke and Emma Ryan from Petersfield in Hampshire booked a Christmas and New Year break on board the ship, with their five-year-old daughter Abigail. But Mr Ryan, 41, said their long-anticipated holiday soon turned into a nightmare. He said: 'It was a disaster. This was supposed to be a relaxing time for us to celebrate the festive period, so we couldn't believe it when I fell ill on Christmas Eve with nausea, stomach cramps and gastric symptoms. 'Instead of opening presents on Christmas morning, I had to be seen by a nurse. 'The . cruise was cut short by a day due to the illness and, to be frank, the . end could not have come soon enough. We hope this settlement will mean . we can now move on with our lives.' Clare Pearson, specialist illness lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: 'The fact that some of the passengers who suffered illness during and after trips on the Boudicca cruise ship in 2009 and 2010 still have continuing symptoms demonstrates the seriousness of what they have been through. 'Through our work, we have heard a range . of stories of how so many people’s breaks - which were often booked as . luxury once-in-a-lifetime trips to celebrate Christmas, wedding . anniversaries and birthdays - were ruined by illness. We are delighted for our clients that they have now received a fair settlement from Fred Olsen after enduring such terrible times on board the Boudicca. 'We hope that this outcome will allow our clients to look to the future and put the terrible problems they faced behind them, while we hope that it also acts as a reminder to cruise operators of the need to uphold the highest standards of safety and hygiene on board their ships.' A Fred Olsen spokeswoman said their clients 'may rest assured' that all their ships 'meet the highest standards of health, safety and hygiene at all times'. She said their fleet comply 'fully with the strict requirements and inspections of their flag state and relevant authorities'. The passengers fell ill on nine separate cruises between October 2009 and May 2010. The cruise operator settled but refused to admit liability for the illness, putting it down to an outbreak of norovirus in the UK . 'Fred Olsen Cruise Lines rejects any allegations made in the claim by Irwin Mitchell solicitors - as it has all along - regarding the standards of cleanliness and hygiene aboard its ships, which are of the highest standard across its fleet,' the spokeswoman said. 'In particular, Fred Olsen ensures that it upholds the most rigorous hygiene standards when preparing and serving food on board its ships, and refutes any allegations made by Irwin Mitchell to the contrary. 'Unfortunately, from October 2009 to May 2010, there was a higher incidence than usual of gastric illness, also known as ‘norovirus’, or ‘winter vomiting virus’, within communities in the United Kingdom, which is commonly identifiable in areas where people reside in close proximity. 'Most people do not report incidences, but on a cruise ship - where movement is restricted - cases are particularly highlighted. 'The virus - which is more contagious than the common cold, and is spread very easily by contact with surfaces and from person to person - is also particularly prevalent during periods of cold weather. 'Symptoms of the illness include a sudden onset of vomiting and/or diarrhoea; some people may have a temperature, headache and stomach cramps. Commonly, the illness abates within one or two days. 'It is frustrating that, even with . the extra preventative and containment measures that were put in place, a . number of guests on board these cruises were affected by this illness.' The . firm said all passnegers on board their cruises are made aware of the . importance of meticulous hygiene, are asked to complete a medical . questionnaire before embarking on their holiday and are reminded . regularly to make use of the hand sanitiser provided on board. In the event of an outbreak of gastric illness, the spokeswoman said the crews take every precaution to ensure the 'swift containment of the illness on board', resulting in the closure of a number of public areas, including all public toilets and the self-service buffet. She said frequent cleaning is undertaken and any guest showing signs of the illness are asked to stay in their cabin, with complimentary room service and entertainment, until they are considered to be symptom-free by the ship's doctor. 'At Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, the health, safety and well-being of all our guests and crew remains our utmost priority at all times, and we believe that our systems for preventing the spread of illness on board our ships are amongst the best within the industry,' the spokeswoman added. April 2013 . Monica Bounds, right, and Veronica Godfrey, left, were struck down by norovirus while on board the Fred Olsen liner the Boudicca . Monica Bounds was on board the Fred Olsen liner Boudicca when she was struck down by norovirus. She said her £900 getaway turned into a holiday from hell. Mrs Bounds branded the luxury liner a 'plague ship', riddled with the illness, which left numerous passengers 'quaratined' in cabins as crew wore masks and nuclear disaster-style suits. She claims staff were secretly placed on a ‘Code Red’ warning that forbade them to touch passengers. Many guests spent the trip suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea, she said. Fred Olsen said 61 of 732 passengers became ill on the voyage. Mrs Bounds spent much of her ten-day cruise isolated in her cabin, where her seriously ill friend Veronica Godfrey was on two drips hooked over a coathanger and hanging from a porthole. A spokesman for the cruise operator, said, at the time: 'Boudicca underwent an extensive "deep clean" and sanitising operation by independent specialist contractors before she embarked. 'It was extremley disappointing that, following these rigourous measures, the virus was brought back on the ship.'February 2013A Carnival cruise ship was stranded in the Gulf of Mexico after an engine fire broke out and crippled the power system. The ship's 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew members were stuck on board the liner Triumph for days. Passengers reported how the four-day cruise turned into a nightmare, as carpets became soaked in urine and scarce food supplies left them with nothing to eat but cold sandwiches. Around 3,000 passengers aboard the Carnival cruise liner Triumph (pictured above) were left stranded after a fire broke out in the engine crippling the water and power system . The blow-out crippled the ship's water and power supply, with reports that only five bathrooms were working for all the passengers on board. One passenger said people were asked to urinate in cabin showers and defecate in bags.Ann Barlow said: 'It's disgusting. It's the worst thing ever.' And Debra Rightmire, added: 'Conditions are getting worse by the hour. Cabin carpets are wet with urine and water. 'Toilets are overflowing in the cabins , we are having to sleep in the hallways.'December 2012An outbreak of the winter vomiting virus hit passengers on board a P&O liner bound for the Christmas markets. Around 150 of the 2,000 passengers on board the Oriana were reported to have been taken ill in December 2012. An outbreak of norovirus plagued the P&O liner Oriana, when she set sail for a tour of the European Christmas markets in December 2012. Around 150 of the 2,000 passengers were reportedly taken ill . One passenger described the trip as the 'cruise from hell'. People started to fall ill within hours of the liner setting sail on December 4, 2012. It was bound for a tour of the festive markets in Zeebrugge, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Oslo and Hamburg. P&O said nine cases of norovirus were confirmed and added that enhanced sanitation protocols had been enacted.May 2012Around 170 passengers on board luxury cruise liner the Boudicca had their dream holidays ruined by sickness. The Fred Olsen owned ship was greeted by NHS staff and ambulance crews when it docked in Scotland after a 13-day tour of the Canary Islands that was marred by a suspected norovirus outbreak.February 2012 The second consecutive outbreak of norovirus hit Princess Cruises, cutting short the Carribbean holidays of more than 3,000 passengers. The ship was ordered back to Port Everglades for a special clean, ending its voyage two days early. Around 114 passengers and 59 crew members on board the Ruby Princess were hit by the bug.Just a week earlier two other Princess Cruise ships had been struck by the highly contagious illness, which causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.October 2009Sixteen passengers on board the Boudicca were confined to their cabins when a norovirus outbreak struck the liner in October 2009. The ship left Venice with 850 passengers on board and was bound for Malaga, Sardinia, Tunisia and Lisbon on its 21-day voyage. The on board doctor confined himself to his own cabin, suspecting he had caught the highly-contagious bug. A Fred Olsen spokesman said at the time, that the swimming pool and food buffet had been closed as a precaution. | More than 130 passengers fell ill on nine separate Fred Olsen cruises .
Passengers agree to accept £280,000 while cruise firm denies liability .
The cruise operator said the illness was the result of norovirus outbreak .
Luke Ryan said his Christmas turned into a 'disaster'
Fred Olsen reject any claims regarding cleanliness on board their fleet . |
fa094f25febc3c61b06af15da0c9d5451670390a | Delay: One in five 25 to 34-year-olds had or would be postponing their wedding for more than two years, the report said. (File image) Young Britons have turned into ‘Generation Pause’ and now routinely delay life events such as marriage and having children due to financial worries, a study found. One in five 25 to 34-year-olds had or would be postponing their wedding for more than two years, the report said, while one in ten said they could never afford to marry. Meanwhile one in seven 35 to 44-year-olds had or would put off starting a family for at least five years, and a quarter had done so for two years because of a lack of savings and investments. One in 12 envisaged never being able to afford children, and a quarter of this age group believe they will never afford a house. The report, released by investment company SCM Direct, said it showed the extent to which ‘financial constraints are directly impacting on matters of the heart’. It added: ‘We believe the impact of this delay is seismic, not just on a personal level for those who have hit the pause button, but on a wider level. ‘What would be the societal and economic impact if the age that couples started families shifted to the late 30s and mid-40s, with couples in Generation Pause increasingly postponing having children? ‘What will be the impact on the housing market if we move to a nation of renters rather than buyers, or to a model in which people can’t afford to get their first foot on the ladder until middle age?’ More than 3,000 people aged 18 to 85 were asked if they had or would be delaying different life events – including marriage, having children, buying a house and retirement – because of money woes. And Research Plus, which conducted the survey, found a significant number of those aged 25 to 54 had done so – dubbing them ‘Generation Pause’. Nearly half of this age group admitted they would have to delay their original retirement plans due to a lack of savings. A third admitted they were relying on family inheritance to fund their future, while the same number believed they would have to downsize at some point to raise more money for life events. Gina Miller, of SCM Direct, said: ‘We are reaching a crossroad. Life ambitions that were once taken to be a given – marriage, children, buying a property or retiring – are no longer seen as achievable by a significant portion because feelings of financial security and stability are at an all-time low. 'We believe that the UK is heading for a crisis. Britain – one of the most wealthy countries in the world – now has a generation of 25 to 54-year-olds in which only one in six is confident that what they are currently saving will be enough to cover their future plans.’ Anxious: One in seven 35 to 44-year-olds had or would put off starting a family for at least five years, and a quarter had done so for two years because of a lack of savings and investments. (File image) She added: ‘We have been shocked by how prevalent the “pause effect” is and how severely it is impacting people’s lives.’ The study also found that half of women had less than £1,000 in savings, compared to less than a third of the male population. And just one in five women have savings of more than £20,000, against over a third of men. However their problems could be partly due to spending habits. Those in Generation Pause admitted spending four times as much on holidays and three times as much on fashion and personal grooming as they did investing in pensions and savings. | One in ten 25 to 34-year-olds said they could never afford to marry .
One in twelve 35 to 44-year-olds envisaged never being able to afford kids .
A quarter of this age group believe they will never be able to afford a house .
The widespread delay in different life events has created 'Generation Pause' |
fa0957b83379b84a7ad14f3e677e1238cc9756dc | By . Lucy Buckland and Sarah Bull . PUBLISHED: . 19:30 EST, 21 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:23 EST, 22 May 2013 . The TV chef who has been reportedly helping Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood recover after his marriage break-up has now split from her husband. Glamorous Marcela Valladolid, 34, was thought to be divorced but according to reports she remarried her Mexican politician husband Fausto Gallardo last year. A source close to Fausto, who has a nine-year-old son also called Fausto with the slim brunette, told The Sun Marcela's role on the US version of the BBC hit was meant to have been her big break but 'has just been the break up of her marriage'. Close friends: Paul Hollywood has reportedly split from his wife just weeks after returning from filming with Marcela Valladolid on US version of The Great British Bake Off . Paul confirmed he had split from his wife of 15 years Alexandra last Friday. The George Clooney of the baking world ended his marriage just weeks after appearing alongside Marcela, who is the US version of 78-year-old UK judge Mary Berry. A family source told The Sun that Marcela had spent a lot of time away from her home in San Diego and her husband is running to be a councillor in Tijuana, Mexico. They added:'Some of the family knew they had been through a rocky period, but we thought that was past. They have kept it quiet.' Her husband, his wife: Fausto Gallardo has reportedly split from his wife for a second time while Alexandra Hollywood has been seen without her wedding ring . Unlike Paul, who released a statement on Friday, although did not comment on . reports that it was the chef's 'close friendship' with Marcela was partly to blame . for his marriage breakdown. Paul has now moved out of the family . home and was living in a studio flat in Kent, and is only telling friends he has split from wife Alexandra. Following the news, Paul cancelled a book signing that was scheduled in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday. Close friends: Paul and Marcela have been filming in the US, judging American's cakes and pastries . Paul, who has an 11-year-old son with his . wife, only recently returned from LA where he appeared on the US . version of the show, The American Baking Competition. Marcela . and Paul were said to have 'hit it off from day one' and the Tequila . brand owner described him as a 'handsome devil'. And during his time in LA, both Paul and Marcela frequently shared pictures of themselves together on Twitter. Since they stopped filming the series, the pair's Twitter conversations haven't ended, . with Marcela telling Paul she was sending him a 'big hug'. A friend of Paul's told The Sun: 'Marcela loved his Scouse charm and he thought she was gorgeous and talented - the perfect package. 'During filming they got very close and count each other as close friends'. Friends are said to be astonished Paul . and Alexandra's marriage is over as before the presenter started . filming in the US he whisked her off on a romantic holiday to Paris. Paul and Alexandra first met when he was a chef in a top hotel in Cyprus, and Paul said in a recent interview that his wife finds his new sex symbol status 'hilarious'. Cuddling up: Both Paul and Marcela frequently shared pictures of themselves together on their Twitter pages during their time filming the show . Smiles all round: The pair are said to have hit it off from 'day one' of filming . He added of the George Clooney . comparisons: 'It’s flattering. But I always think they are taking the . mickey. I don’t really believe it. 'It’s . quite embarrassing. I’m quite shy, really. The figure you see on TV, . that’s just a persona. I like getting home, putting my feet up, getting . into my slippers and dressing gown.' Paul continued: 'I get marriage proposals, maybe one a week. Women do flirt, yes. They just want someone from the telly. 'They come and talk to you and I guess baking is more attractive and so they feel they have something in common with me.' Close: Since Paul returned from the US the pair have been tweeting each other - but have remained silent on the nature of their relationship . Picture perfect: Marcela is believed to have split from her husband for a second time . Friends: Marcela and Paul exchange jovial messages on Twitter . Paul is now hoping that his involvement in the US show will increase his profile Stateside. Speaking about the new show to the Daily Mail at the TV Bafta Awards on Sunday, Paul praised . British contestants for having a ‘stiff upper lip’ and admitted he was . surprised to discover how thin-skinned their American counterparts were. He said: ‘It’s exactly the same show. Same tent, same set up, same stations, same people. Except they are . bigger. They are very emotional, and of course I’m not the right person . to put up with that. Within the first week, all of them were crying. The George Clooney of baking! The Bake Off has made Paul something of a heartthrob . UK pride: Hollywood, pictured on last year's Great British Bake Off with Mary Berry, said contestants in America lacked the 'stiff upper lip' of the Brits . ‘I . said “I’m so sorry, but I’m only saying your cake doesn’t look good.” And then they just burst into tears. It’s all a bit much. But in Britain . it’s all stiff upper lip. And then you get crying later.’ He added: ‘To be honest, the bakers . over here are much better. But we are filming series four now here so . the fact is things will only get better in America. You are going to . attract a more qualified baker.' MailOnline has contacted Paul for a comment on the allegations. | Rumours Marcela Valladolid was divorced were untrue according to reports .
The 34-year-old chef 'married Mexican politician Fausto Gallardo for the second time last year'
But the pair, who have a nine-year-old son, have split for good, a reports say .
Paul Hollywood is believed to have 'hit it off' with American Baking Competition judge Marcela . |
fa098ed0f22feea5b3b83f6bc8345c4e67d2b8e0 | A Mexican policeman has been fired after he was caught on camera, while on duty and in uniform, having sex with a woman. David Raymundo Vazquez Ucan, 31, was sacked after footage of his seedy rendezvous - in broad daylight on a car bonnet by the side of a road - was uploaded online and went viral. The video begins with an unidentified woman leaving a nearby house in Merida and walking over to the Yucatan State Police officer's squad truck. Scroll down for video . Caught out: A Mexican policeman has been fired after he was caught on camera, while on duty and in uniform, having sex with a woman . Viral: David Raymundo Vazquez Ucan, 31, was sacked after footage of his seedy rendezvous - in broad daylight on a car bonnet by the side of a road - was uploaded online and went viral . With his colleague Benjamin Gaspar Sanchez remaining sat in the driver's seat, Vazquez walks with the female to the rear of the vehicle. He is seen laughing and flirting with her, before he drops to his knees to perform oral sex. Some time later he then removes his belt, including his gun holster, so she can return the favour. He was fired, alongside Sanchez who was reprimanded for not taking any action, on Sunday morning, reports Union Yucatan . The duo were officially dismissed on Monday after undergoing a humiliating ceremony where their entire platoon turned their back on them as they handed over their badges . The footage was filmed on October 23. It's unclear who was behind the camera, but many have speculated the . officer was subjected to a sting. The . video was then forwarded to police headquarters, where Vanguardia . reports Vazquez was formally identified by his vehicle's ID number of . 2037 which is clearly seen in the clip. He was fired, alongside Sanchez who was reprimanded for not taking any action, on Sunday morning, reports Union Yucatan. The . duo were officially dismissed on Monday after undergoing a humiliating . ceremony where their entire platoon turned their back on them as they . handed over their badges. | David Raymundo Vazquez Ucan, 31, was sacked after footage went viral .
Filmed in broad daylight on a car bonnet by the side of a road .
His partner was also reprimanded for not taking any action . |
fa09d99e64e55cfedbd52d04a5e9946ee1451463 | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 10:34 EST, 18 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:34 EST, 18 June 2013 . There is no denying 2013 has been the year of Cara Delevingne. The fun-loving 20-year-old model landed her debut British Vogue cover, walked in countless shows at fashion week and even posed alongside Romeo Beckham in Burberry's spring/summer13 campaign. But . while the bushy-browed babe has seen her star rise rapidly (and even . been dubbed the new Kate Moss), the future wasn't always so bright. The 5'9" beauty was once-upon-a-time branded a 'dwarf' by famed designer and Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs. The long and short of of it: Marc Jacobs, right, branded the model-of-moment, left, a 'dwarf' and refused to cast her in his shows . In fact, the fashion designer actually banned her from appearing in his autumn/winter 2012-13 shows because he thought she was too short and looked odd among his other models. Speaking in an interview with Sunday Times Style, Katie Grand - who helps Jacobs decide which models to select for the runway - said: 'I was trying to get her [Cara] in the show, but it was the show in which everyone was very tall and very long. She's made it: After his insult, he recruited Cara to walk in his Paris Fashion Week show last season, left, alongside Kate Moss, right . 'I remember Marc looking at me and saying, "Why is that dwarf in here?", and me being devastated. 'I apologised to her afterwards and made up for it by casting the model in all her key shows and shoots.' The outgoing model was cast for both Jacobs' eponymous label and Louis Vuitton, for whom he is creative director, back in March, and has now become one of his favourites, because she has 'great energy' and is a good role model for other girls. Zest for life: The designer has now changed his tune saying that Cara has great energy and is a role model to young women . Speaking recently, he said: 'She's a silly goose. She has a great energy. She turned up to the Vuitton show wearing a zebra outfit from Madagascar, a onesie. 'She'd been traipsing round Paris all evening in it, you got to love a girl like that. It's rare in life that you meet a person who doesn't care. It sets a good example.' Friends in high places: (L to R) Designer Victoria Beckham, Marc Jacobs and model Kate Moss attend a drinks reception . It's been one whole year since a Ryan Gosling colouring book flew off the shelves and got the world putting crayonsto paper. Designed by creative publishing label I . LOVE MEL, the Colour Me Good Ryan Gosling colouring book featured 15 . pages of monochrome Gosling in action. And now it is Cara Delevingne's turn to have people reaching for the Crayola. Colour Me Cara: From the creator of the famous Ryan Gosling colouring book, comes everyone's favourite model . Colour Me Good Cara, the brainchild of Mel Elliott, features 16 line drawings of the Brit model who has taken the world by storm. It featuries Cara in all her gorgeous guises: hot Cara, sophisticated Cara, kooky Cara, geeky Cara, catwalk Cara, cheeky tomboy Cara, and many more. Crayons at the ready: Colour Me Good Cara, the brainchild of Mel Elliott, features 16 line drawings of the British model who has taken the world by storm . Kooky: From glam Cara to kooky Cara, every side of her personality has been covered by Mel . Big fan: Cara even tweeted about the colouring book to her thousands of fans, who are likely to snap one up . The book costs £7.50 and is available from www.ilovemel.me . | Creative director of Louis Vuitton banned 5'9" model from his shows .
Said she was too short and looked odd among other taller girls .
Now says Delevingne has 'great energy' and is a terrific 'role model'
Cara has become one of his favourite models and walked in his show .
And... Cara now has her own colouring book . |
fa0a4418f4027dcb2d245158f13fc74fb75f4409 | CLICK HERE to find out all you need to know about 15-year-old Norwegian sensation Martin Odegaard . Norway coach Per-Mathias Högmo has urged 15-year-old starlet Martin Odegaard to resist a move to the Premier League. The Stromsgodset midfielder is part of Hogmo's squad for this week's Euro qualifiers. He has already spent time training at Manchester United and his father met with United officials at the end of last season. Liverpool and AS Monaco have also posted scouts on a regular basis to monitor his progress. But Hogmo said: ‘He has already made his debut with the national team, but also at club level, he will have to take a step forward. Martin Odegaard in action on his Norway debut against United Arab Emirates in Europe . The 15-year-old has been urged to resist the overtures from big clubs by his national team manager . 'He is a special talent, but it is not easy to say what would be the next best move. He has two choices. 'Whether he goes to a mid-range club that helps his development, such as Ajax, or he goes directly to an absolute top club. 'You can see that most players that take the second route don't usually succeed.’ Norway boss Per-Mathias Hogmo (centre) says Odegaard should move to a 'mid-range club' for his progress . | The highly-rated 15-year-old has been linked with moves to Manchester United, Liverpool and Monaco .
Became the youngest senior Norway international ever when he made his debut against the United Arab Emirates in August .
But national team coach Per-Mathias Hogmo has urged him to resist a move to a big team .
Instead backs the Stromsgodset midfielder to eventually move to a 'mid-range club' to aid his development .
Odegaard called up for Euro 2016 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Malta this month and doesn't turn 16 until December . |
fa0b801730fce3a3f343a56e89efed02246f867d | Scientists have developed a male birth control pill which they claim is 99 per cent effective and has few side effects. The pill, derived from an Indonesian shrub, apparently allows men to produce sperm that cannot get women pregnant. It is made from the gendarussa plant, which has long been used by tribesmen on the island of Papua to prevent their wives from conceiving. Scientists have developed a pill, derived from an Indonesian shrub, which they claim will render sperm incapable of getting a woman pregnant - with a 99 per cent efficacy rate . Professor Bambang Prajogo, of Airlangga University, developed the pill after hearing rumours of these effects, and bringing the gendarussa plant to his lab for study in 1985. He has carried out 30 years of research, isolating the active ingredient, putting it into a tablet form, and carrying out clinical trials to prove its contraceptive effects, Global Post reports. He says the plant’s active ingredient disrupts three key enzymes in sperm, weakening them and making them unable to penetrate the eggs during the fertilization process. This would not interfere with the quantity or quality of sperm produced because it only targets the enzymes, he told the Jakarta Post. Professor Prajogo is currently working on the dosage, but hopes to create a formula meaning men would take the pill an hour before sex. Small clinical trials, the largest studying 350 men, found it to be 99 per cent effective. They also found male fertility returned to normal within a month of taking the pill. However some men gained weight on the pill, Professor Prajogo told the Global Post. The gendarussa plant, is a small branched shrub found in China, Malaysia, India, the Phillipines and Indonesia. In 1985, Indonesian researchers began to look into its effect as a contraceptive. They heard anecdotal evidence that men belonging to a certain tribe in Papua were using it as a contraceptive, Coconuts Jakarta reports. The tribesmen would boil the leaves in water and then drink the water 30 minutes before having sex. It is said to have been a 'godsend' for the tribesmen. In their culture, they were not allowed to get their wives pregnant until after they had fully paid off their dowries. Professor Prajogo, of Airlangga University, has been studying the contraceptive effects of gendarussa for nearly three decades. He says the plant’s active ingredient disrupts three key enzymes in sperm, making them unable to penetrate the eggs during the fertilization process. And at least one participant saw an increase in two enzymes that indicate poor heart or liver functioning, although it was unclear whether this was due to the pill or another health issue, he said. But overall, researchers found no obvious side effects, and 'certainly none that rival those associated with female hormone-based contraceptive pills'. Hormonal birth control has been linked with a raised risk of heart attack, strokes and blood clots, as well as nausea and bleeding. However previous research has found one of the biggest barriers to a male birth control pill comes from the attitudes of women – who don’t trust their partners with the responsibility of taking it. In 2011, a survey by Anglia Ruskin University found that half of women would not rely on a male pill as contraception – because they did not trust their partners to remember to take it. Now, the Indonesian medicines regulatory body wants a bigger trial to verify the findings. Indeed, such a trial would need to be carried out for the pill to be marketed in Europe or the U.S. But global pharmaceutical companies are already showing an interest in the pill. Professor Bambang said he has already turned down an offer of billions of funding from a major U.S. pharmaceutical firm, who wanted to buy his patent, which is owned by the University. Now, he says the pill will hit the shelves by 2016, although regulations mean it may take up to a decade longer to be sold in Europe and the U.S. The news comes after the Parsemus Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation based in the U.S., announced its trials of a new birth control injection were proving promising. The injection, called Vasalgel, is injected into the vas deferens - the tube that sperm passes through on the way to the penis. The gel acts to block sperm, thus preventing pregnancy. Developers hope it will be cheap, reversible and long-lasting, and hope to make it available within three years. Similarly, last year Australian researchers said they had made a scientific breakthrough that could make a male contraceptive pill reality. Their technique worked like a temporary vasectomy, stopping sperm leaving the body during sex. This works by blocking two proteins involved in the ejaculation process. The pill works by weakening enzymes in sperm, making them unable to penetrate the eggs during the fertilization process . | Pill said to weakens enzymes in sperm so a woman can't become pregnant .
Small clinical trials have shown it is 99% effective and has few side effects .
Male fertility returned to normal within month of taking the pill, say doctors .
Pills is made from the gendarussa plant, an Indonesian shrub .
For years, tribesmen in Papua have boiled the plant in tea as birth control . |
fa0c293c9f0a5bb255677d98e683f26a90a6b4ad | A woman has died after she was crushed by a truck when it rolled over in the driveway of a home on Sydney's north shore. Police arrived at a house in Wahroongah around 5pm on Wednesday following reports that a woman was trapped under the vehicle. The truck is said to have tipped over and rolled down a driveway, before crashing into a house and colliding with two people at the scene. There was no driver in the vehicle at the time. Scroll down for video . A woman has died after being crushed by a truck in the norther Sydney suburb of Wahroonga . There was no driver in the truck when it rolled down a driveway . The woman, who the Sydney Morning Herald report to be in her mid-30s, died at the scene despite paramedics attending to her. Her four-year-old son was with her at the time of the accident, but escaped with minor injuries. He has been taken to hospital. New South Wales Police said in a statement: 'The driver of the truck, who was not in the vehicle at the time of the incident, is currently assisting police with their inquiries.' The accident happened at a home around 5pm on Wednesday . The woman's four-year-old son was beside her during the crash but escaped with minor injuries . | A truck rolled down a driveway in a suburb of Sydney's north shore .
A woman was killed in the accident while her four-year-old son was injured .
There was no driver in the truck when it tipped over . |
fa0c451adcb3b6a61c4855b34ed8bdd863a11905 | This schoolboy has set his sights on a professional rugby career - despite being born with just one hand. Ben Seward was born with his right arm missing the wrist and hand but he hasn't let his disability hold him back and has been a keen rugby player since he was just seven-years-old. The 10-year-old, from Chorley, Lancashire, has a prosthetic hand but due to health and safety concerns he is not allowed to wear it on the pitch and copes with just one hand. Rugby-mad Ben Seward, centre, was born with only one hand, pictured with his parents David and Carol . Despite his disability, Ben, pictured, does not allow it to stop him from playing the game he loves . His dream is that when he grows up he can play with his favourite team the Wigan Warriors, pictured . Ben plays winger and centre for Chorley Panthers under 11s and dreams of a career playing for his idols, the Wigan Warriors, when he is older. He said: 'I have been playing rugby for nearly four years now. I started playing rugby because it was a good way for me to keep fit and it is a team sport so everyone can get involved. 'The thing I love the most about it is that I have made so many new friends and get to meet lots of people. 'My favourite team are the Wigan Warriors and I go to watch all of their home games. I have met a lot of the players too and my favourite player Josh Charnley used to play for the same team as me. 'I go to training camps at Wigan every summer too and have even had the chance to play against some of my favourite players which is really exciting. 'Going to the camps and playing for Chorley Panthers helped me decide that I definitely want to play professionally. My coaches have been amazing and I have improved a lot over the past few years. 'I have two favourite positions, winger and centre. If I play centre then I get to tackle a lot more - sometimes it can be quite scary because there are some really tough players. 'I don't think having one hand holds me back from playing rugby at all, and when I start secondary school in September I am hoping to be able to play for them too one day.' And Ben isn't the only rugby fan in the family as dad David, 38, is the reason behind the schoolboy's obsession and Carol, David and daughter Kaitlyn, 12, are also season ticket holders. Mum Carol said that having one hand has never stopped Ben doing anything and that the brave schoolboy rarely wears his prosthetic hand except for 'cosmetic reasons'. Doctors believe that Ben punched through the lining of the womb causing fibres to wrap around his arm . Ben, pictured, has been playing for the Chorley Panthers under 11s, where his idol Josh Charnley started . The 39-year-old teaching assistant said: 'Ben is completely obsessed with rugby - it is his life. 'He isn't allowed to wear his prosthetic hand when he plays because of health and safety as it is quite hard and could harm another player on the pitch. 'But he wouldn't want to as sometimes it just gets in his way and he copes just fine with one hand. He gives it his all. 'He does very well with his rugby and is a very popular member of the team.. He is hoping to play for his high school as well when he starts in September. 'They make no exceptions for him and treat him just like every other child.' 'When he isn't playing it, he is watching it - no matter what team it is or if it is rugby league or rugby union. And he has a season ticket for the Wigan Warriors.' According to Mrs Seward, the only thing Ben cannot do like his friends is tie his own shoelaces . The youngster's disability came as a huge shock to the family after what seemed to be a normal, healthy pregnancy - and his missing limb was only discovered after he was born. Doctors think it may be a result of Ben punching through the lining of the womb, in the early stages of pregnancy, causing fibres to become wrapped around his right arm. But the missing limb didn't delay his development and he was walking unaided at just 13-months-old and he has excelled in several sports such as football, rugby and javelin. Mrs Seward said: 'If there is something Ben can't do, he quickly works out his own way of doing it. He is amazing. 'He is just like any other child and he never uses his arm as an excuse. In fact the only thing Ben can't do is tie his own shoelaces. Everything else, he has a good go at. 'He has had a prosthetic arm since he was just seven-months-old but most of the time it is just a hindrance to him. 'He had a dress arm at first and then had months of training to use a mechanical arm but he doesn't wear a prosthetic often. 'He mainly wears it for cosmetic reasons rather than functional reasons - maybe if he was having a school photo taken or something like that.' Ben Seward, pictured, rarely wears a prosthetic arm, only using it on 'dress occasions' like a school photo . | Ben Seward, 10, from Chorley, Lancashire, was born with only one hand .
The youngster wants to pay for the Wigan Warriors when he grows older .
He is not able to use his prosthetic hand while on the rugby field .
Brave Ben has been playing rugby since he was seven-years-old .
He is a Wigan Warriors season ticket holder and goes to all home games . |
fa0c680ed8f101a3d2ec769a3ce92f9b818dd74b | (CNN) -- Thai scrapyard workers accidentally detonated a suspected World War II-era bomb Wednesday, killing seven and injuring 19 after attempting to cut into it with a blowtorch. The device was discovered at a construction site in Bangkok, and moved to a scrapyard before workers tampered with it, in an attempt to break it down into smaller parts. Thai state news agency MCOT, quoting the the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Erawan Medical Center, said six people died at the scene. Another reportedly died before reaching the city's Mayo hospital. The blast, in Bangkok's Lad Prao district, caused a ten foot-deep (3 m) crater in the scrapyard's warehouse, and damaged neighboring properties. The device was around 3 ft (1 m) long and weighed 500 lb (225 kg). Local police commander Virasak Foythong told media that the scrap workers believed the bomb to have been defused. "The workers at the warehouse thought the bomb was no longer active so they used a metal cutter to cut into it, causing the explosion." Police said they suspected that the bomb was of World War II vintage but its origin was not determined. Both British and American bombers attacked Bangkok in 1944, while Thailand was an ally of Japan. It is the second war-era ordnance to have been discovered in the city in less than a week. A similar device was discovered last Saturday but was safely deactivated. It is not uncommon for World War II bombs to be unearthed in Asian cities, with a similar discovery made on a Hong Kong construction site several weeks ago. | Suspected WWII-era aerial bomb explodes in Bangkok neighborhood, killing seven .
Bomb discovered on a construction site and moved to a scrapyard, where it was sold .
Scrap workers detonated the bomb accidentally after cutting into it with a blowtorch .
WWII-era ordnance still discovered from time to time in Asian cities . |
fa0cbf4e3e6a2a05d65f2b14760b7909ada97637 | Miss de Freitas told detectives that Mr Economou raped her just before Christmas 2012 . A wealthy financier yesterday sent his condolences to the family of the woman who killed herself after he launched a private prosecution against her because she had accused him of rape. Alexander Economou, 35, said the death of Eleanor de Freitas, 23, was a ‘great loss’ as her father asked a coroner to investigate why the Crown pursued the case against his daughter. Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders is personally overseeing an inquiry into lawyers’ decision to put the vulnerable young woman on trial. Miss de Freitas, a brilliant former Durham University student who suffered from a psychiatric illness, told detectives that Mr Economou raped her just before Christmas 2012. Police investigated her allegations but closed the case after concluding that gaps in the evidence meant they would not be able to secure a conviction. Despite being told he would not face charges, Mr Economou paid for his own inquiry in an attempt to show he was innocent. As part of the effort to clear his name, he assembled emails, text messages, details of phone calls and CCTV footage of him and Miss de Freitas together. He then started a private prosecution against Miss de Freitas for perverting the course of justice by allegedly lying to police. The whole process is said to have cost him £200,000. The Crown Prosecution Service took over the case but decided against using its powers to throw it out, leaving her frightened and devastated. Bipolar disorder sufferer Miss de Freitas killed herself in April this year, three days before the start of her trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court. Mr Economou’s father Angelo, 62, is a successful businessman of Greek origin who was born in Britain. He runs UK-registered firm Time and Tide Shipping, and lives in a £830,000 house in Chiddingfold, Surrey. Mr Economou is the company secretary of his father’s firm and a former director of a helicopter training school. Companies House documents list his occupation as ‘financial analyst’. Scroll down for video . He lives in a £900,000 flat in an exclusive mansion block overlooking the upmarket King’s Road in Chelsea, west London. His father’s wealth appears to explain how Mr Economou was able to buy his Chelsea flat in his own name for £245,000 in 1999, when he was just 20. He declined to comment yesterday, but his spokesman said: ‘He sends his condolences to the family for this very unfortunate event. It is a great loss.’ An inquest into Miss de Freitas’s death was adjourned yesterday following Mrs Saunders’ intervention. Bipolar disorder sufferer Miss de Freitas killed herself in April this year, three days before the start of her trial . West London coroner Chinyere Inyama said he needed to know the remit of the CPS investigation before deciding on the scope of his hearing, which will probably be held in front of a jury. Lawyers for Miss de Freitas’ parents called for the inquest to look at whether there were adequate measures in place to protect people who report rapes. Catherine Oborne, representing the young woman’s family, said: ‘We specifically request any advice on evidence and any correspondence between the police and the CPS in relation to the decision by the CPS to continue the prosecution against Eleanor. ‘It is quite an unusual case which brings to light areas where there are not such adequate procedures. Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders is personally overseeing an inquiry into lawyers’ decision to put the vulnerable young woman on trial . ‘The question we want to ask the court to consider is whether there are sufficient safeguarding policies, processes and procedures to protect rape claimants and prevent prosecutions of rape claimants.’ Miss de Freitas’ father David, 59, a financial planner from Fulham, west London, complained to officers that he was harassed after the private prosecution against his daughter was launched. Miss Oborne told the coroner yesterday: ‘We will be asking you to take into consideration the way the police investigated claims of harassment made to Mr de Freitas during the private prosecution. ‘But also the overall oversight of the private prosecution process which, as it is in this case, allows the alleged perpetrator to enter a prosecution against the complainant. We also want to explore whether there are sufficient processes, policies and safeguards to ensure there is communication between the public authority for prosecution and the public authority for health.’ Mr Economou is not required to attend the inquest, according to his spokesman. Miss de Freitas achieved straight As at A-Level at the private Putney High School before starting a geography degree at Durham University, but she dropped out after her mental state deteriorated. Before her death, she was studying for financial services exams and was in a loving relationship with a boyfriend she met at Durham. But she was ‘ground down’ when the CPS took over the private prosecution, her father said. Mr de Freitas said he welcomed Mrs Saunders’ pledge to investigate the case, but added: ‘It very much falls into the category of too little too late.’ Eleanor de Freitas claimed she was raped by Alexander Economou just before Christmas 2012. But she did not go to the police station to make a formal complaint until January 4 last year. Detectives investigated but ruled that there were too many inconsistencies in the evidence to bring a successful prosecution. Officers informed Miss de Freitas on February 21 last year that they would not be bringing any charges. But wanting to clear his name, Mr Economou used his own money to launch a private prosecution against Miss de Freitas for perverting the course of justice by allegedly lying to police. She received a court summons on August 13 last year. The Crown Prosecution Service took over the case, giving it the power either to end it or to pursue it. To the horror of Miss de Freitas and her family, it decided to continue. Miss de Freitas killed herself on April 7, three days before she was due to stand trial. | Alexander Economou launched private prosecution against Eleanor de Freitas because she had accused him of rape .
Miss de Freitas killed herself in April, three days before start of her trial .
Mr Economou, 35, said that her death was a 'great loss'
DPP is personally overseeing inquiry into decision to put her on trial .
For confidential .
support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local .
Samaritans branch or click here . |
fa0ccec2563406a0557bc0fa448d66a49d8dfe8a | Los Angeles (CNN) -- "The King's Speech" story knocked around in David Seidler's head for half a century before he finished writing the screenplay for the film, which is now nominated for a dozen Academy Awards. Any sooner and it might have been "a fairly reasonable script," but not likely good enough to earn an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay, Seidler said. It demanded "a more mature writer." "I don't think it would have been the same," he said, as he sipped hot tea in the Beverly Hills Hotel's Polo Lounge. During lunch, Seidler opened a large envelope holding an original photograph of King George VI sitting with President Franklin Roosevelt. The photo, a gift from collector Keya Morgan, was taken in June 1939, just three months before he delivered the dramatic radio address that is the climax of his movie. "He's trying to look relaxed, but it's not relaxed at all," Seidler said, pointing to the king's crossed hands. He noticed Roosevelt's legs were not covered with a blanket, as was the usual pose. "You can see the braces," he said. "That's just about the only photograph I've ever seen of him without the blanket. That's very unusual." Seidler spoke about the similarity between Roosevelt's paralyzed legs, a public secret, and King George VI's speech impediment, which was "swept under the royal carpet." "Not much is written about it, because the royal stutterer is a source of embarrassment," Seidler said. "Stuttering was considered a speech defect and if you had a speech defect, you were, by definition, a defective person." But the king was a royal inspiration to Seidler, who himself began stuttering as a child while sailing from his native England to the United States to escape the German bombing. Seidler, now 73, was a college student when he first decided to write about how King George VI overcame his stutter to lead Britain through World War II with inspiring radio addresses. Searching the pain of his own childhood gave Seidler the words he needed for "The King's Speech," he said. But it was not something he could do until later in life, he said. "This required going back into the pain and the loneliness and the isolation and frustration of being a stutterer," Seidler said. "And being a stutterer is rather like having a very bad toothache. When you've got the toothache, all you're thinking about is 'Wow, my tooth really hurts.' All I can think about is that pain. As soon as you get to the dentist and the dentist fixes it, the last thing you want to remember is how that tooth ached. You just blank it out, the mind forgets it." It took many years for Seidler to allow his mind to recall what it was like to be a stutterer, he said. "But as a more mature writer, let me put it that way, when you start looking back on your life, it is easier to go back into the past and therefore, I was able to really put my head back into being a stutterer, which I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise," he said. The long wait was not self-imposed, but was a royal request from Elizabeth, the queen mother. The king's widow sent a letter granting her blessing to the effort if Seidler waited until after her death. "The memory of these events is still too painful," she wrote in 1982. "I knew what she meant," Seidler said. "It was her grief over the loss of her husband at a very early age; he was in his early 50s when he died, because he had the stress of being the reluctant king, a position he wasn't trained for, wasn't suited for. And she just didn't want to be reminded of what had happened." As a good British subject, he waited. "I didn't think I had that much longer to wait," he said. "She was a very old lady at the time. I thought a couple years, three or four at the most." She lived for two more decades, dying in 2002 at the age of 101. Her long life may give the 73-year-old Seidler the distinction of being the oldest writer to win an Oscar for an original screenplay. | David Seidler drew upon his childhood pain as a stutterer to write the screenplay .
He waited decades to write the story at the request of the royal widow, Seidler says .
The story wouldn't have been good enough for an Oscar nomination if he wrote it sooner, he says . |
fa0cdb942c0505100edaef777e6c2a5399f4a963 | By . Australian Associated Press . Tony Abbott's personal approval rating took another hit as voter support for the Federal Government dropped three points to 37 per cent, but more heavily in stronghold states Western Australia and Queensland, according to the latest Newspoll. In findings being attributed to displeasure with the coalition's first budget, government support in WA has slipped six points to 40 per cent and by four points to 37 per cent in Queensland. Men are generally continuing to back the government, but its support among females has dropped two points to 35 per cent, according to the results published by The Australian. The Prime Minister's personal rating has fallen sharply in all states and every demographic group. Scroll down for video . Sharp drop: Tony Abbott is down four points as the preferred Prime Minister . Mr Abbott is now behind Bill Shorten (left) as preferred Prime Minister, 37 per cent to the Opposition Leader's 41 per cent . Only 38 per cent of voters in Mr Abbott's home state of NSW preferring him in the top job, compared to 42 per cent who say they'd back Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Nationally, he is preferred as Prime Minister by 37 per cent of voters (a drop of four points) while nationwide approval for Mr Shorten has jumped from 36 per cent to 41 per cent. There has also been a significant fall in backing from older voters, with support among those aged between 35 and 49 tumbling three points to 34 per cent, and among those 50 and older falling from 48 per cent to 45 per cent. More... Tony Abbott takes heat for saying Australia was 'unsettled' before British arrived . PM 'risked his daughters' lives' by parading them for political gain during the election campaign, claims senator . 'The unaffordable energy capital of the world': Tony Abbott blames green companies for increasing power prices in Australia . The results come three days after Mr Abbott landed himself in hot water after he said Australia was unsettled before British colonisation. Mr Abbott made the comments during an address he made at the Melbourne Institute, saying Australia was unimaginable without foreign investment. 'I guess our country owes its existence to a form of foreign investment by the British government in the then unsettled or, um, scarcely settled, Great South Land,' he said on Friday. | Tony Abbott down as preferred PM to 37 per cent; Shorten up to 41% .
Displeasure at Coalition's budget affects Government support in key states .
Voter backing in WA (six points) Queensland (four points) falls sharply . |
fa0cfc16b4a02a5fd92b0d4810a020a6cd988540 | Ring the changes: Bianca Jagger claimed in a police report her lost ring was worth £160,000 but now says it is worth only £15,000 . Bianca Jagger is facing a court battle after refusing to pay an £8,000 reward to a man who found her ring in the street. The former wife of Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger lost the diamond and platinum ring when it fell off her finger when she was in Austria for the Salzburg music festival in 2008. Reinhard Fingler, who found the ring, claims Miss Jagger, 67, is making a ‘blatant attempt’ to cheat him out of a proper reward. Under Austrian law he would be entitled to £8,000, 5 per cent of the £160,000 that she claimed in her police report it was worth. But she now says she made a mistake about the value and is offering £800. Mr Fingler has begun a legal action to make her pay £8,000. Miss Jagger has a jeweller’s appraisal to present to a court in Salzburg next Tuesday valuing the ring at £15,000. Fingler picked the platinum, diamond and sapphire sparkler up in the street. His attorney Alexander Schuberth said: ‘This is outrageous. I find this claim both bizarre and spurious. ‘Where Jagger got the value of the ring as £160,000 seems to be a mystery as she’s never appeared in court for us to be able to ask her.’ Jagger’s claim that she did not know the value of the ring has raised eyebrows in the elite world of high-end jewellery as her daughter Jade is a gem designer. Ex: Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger And Bianca Jagger Pictured Together On Their Wedding Day In 1971 . 'It seems beyond belief that she could get the value so wrong. Her daughter makes her living designing and selling jewellery', added the lawyer. The prestigious Viennese lawfirm of Lansky, Ganzger & partners represents Miss Jagger and did not comment on the alleged lower value of the ring. Fingler, from Salzburg, initially gave the ring to his daughter thinking it was a trinket, but handed it in eight days later and claimed the reward. Mick Jagger in full swing at a show in London in 1973 and the couple's daughter, jewellery designer Jade (right) It has emerged that back in October 2008, after it was found, Miss Jagger offered to give Mr Fingler €1,000 and transfer €9,000 to Amnesty International, an arrangement he declared to be unacceptable. Judge Friedrich Gruber at the State Court Salzburg will decide next Tuesday whether Austria has the right to hear the case as Ms Jagger has her main residence in London. | Platinum, sapphire and diamond ring was found on Salzburg street in 2008 .
Jagger claimed in her police report that it was worth £160,000 .
Under Austrian law the finder is entitled to five per cent of an item's value .
But Jagger refused to pay the £8,000 and has now had the ring re-valued . |
fa0d1e22d9a58463f3754911e5f20f176ef99125 | (CNN) -- Police have caught a group of alleged thieves accused of stealing more than $46,000 since mid-January from commuters stuck in traffic in Peru's capital city, Lima. After weeks of undercover surveillance, agents with the Peruvian National Police surrounded the suspects Monday as they were allegedly trying to again rob people stuck in traffic in the Barrios Altos neighborhood of Lima. The group of thieves, who call themselves "Coyotes," had been taking advantage of commuters stuck in traffic to rob them in broad daylight, police said. They seemed to primarily target taxis, but passengers in other vehicles were also robbed, they said. "They would break the cars' windows and try to get in like that or they would unlock the doors and attack their victims," a police official told CNN affiliate America TV. Some of the victims would fight back and the suspects had to walk away empty-handed and in one instance, somebody started shooting a weapon straight into the air and the suspects ran away, police said. An elderly woman, who was attacked by the gang, said she tried to fight back. "I tried to hold on to my purse, but then I noticed that they were armed and let go," the woman told America TV. Police video handed out to media outlets shows the suspects trying to outrun police officers who were chasing them, but they were all eventually caught. One of the suspects is 23 years old and the other three are only 18, police said. They're all being charged with armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and conspiracy to commit a crime. Police also said they are looking for four more suspects. | Police caught group of alleged thieves accused of robbing people caught in traffic in Lima, Peru .
After weeks of surveillance, police caught suspects Monday .
One suspect is 23, the other three are 18 .
All being charged with armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and conspiracy to commit a crime . |
fa0d5aa77cc97ff2a52eadf8b2d50fe139c2f4d0 | FIFA have concluded there is insufficient evidence to open disciplinary proceedings against Croatian side HNK Rijeka over an alleged incident of racial abuse towards young Manchester City midfielder Seko Fofana during pre-season. The club's Elite Development Side, managed by French World Cup winner Patrick Vieira, were playing their final pre-season game of a tour in Novigrad in July. Fofana, 19, was sent off by the referee after being seen to kick out at his opponent but the club subsequently revealed their belief that Fofana, usually a level-headed young man, was racially abused by opposition players moments before he lashed out. Seko Fofana, pictured on loan at Championship side Fulham, was allegedly racially abused by HNK Rijeka . Fofana, seen here tussling with Chelsea's John Swift, is part of Manchester City's Elite Development Squad . Elite Development Squad manager Patrick Vieira, once alerted to Fofana's complaint, immediately entered the pitch and after holding discussions with the referee and the City officials present, the decision was taken for his players to leave the field. The news reverberated around Europe but five months on, Sportsmail can reveal that FIFA will take no action against the Croatian team. A FIFA spokesman confirmed: 'The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee considered that, based on the information at his disposal, there were not enough elements to justify the opening of disciplinary proceedings. Also in relation to this matter, the chairman was pleased to observe that Mr Davor Suker and Mr Patrick Viera engage positively to work through the issue. 'The relevant parties were notified on Friday, 5 December in the form of a letter, which also emphasised FIFA's zero-tolerance stance against any form of discrimination.' Patrick Vieira (second from right) was praised for taking his players off the pitch after the alleged incident . City have become increasingly disillusioned by what they perceive to be the weak approach of UEFA towards racism in the game and this latest decision by FIFA will rankle wtihin the walls of power at the Etihad Stadium. For the fifth time in just over two years, one of their players has allegedly become the victim of racial abuse. Previous incidents include the subjection of Mario Balotelli and Yaya Toure to monkey noises in European competition, a banana being launched at Gael Clichy in a friendly at Limerick and Devante Cole, a young talent, receiving relentless abuse in a youth tournament in Madrid. Fofana, pictured in action against Brighton, saw HNK Rijeka deny City's accusations of racial abuse . Vieira was praised in the summer by anti-racism groups but the Croatian side accused Vieira and his staff of an 'illogical decision.' Ranko Buketa, the sport co-ordinator of HNK Rijeka, said: 'It seems that this is the way in which they are trying to hide a very hard tackle from a Manchester City player that resulted in an exclusion, followed by a hasty and illogical decision of the Manchester City coaching staff on the withdrawal of the team from the field. The game was most of all within the limits of fair play.' He added that the fact they had six Nigerian players was evidence of their commitment to challenging racial prejudice. | The alleged incident occurred during a friendly in Novigrad in July .
Patrick Vieira took his players off the pitch and the game was stopped .
But FIFA have decided there is not enough evidence to charge Rijeka .
Midfielder Fofana is now on loan at Championship side Fulham . |
fa0d5de7d82bb89d2021ed8d3f65e704f6c7c091 | By . Margot Peppers . The star of the NBA draft lottery last night wasn't a big-name team owner - it was the very pretty 18-year-old daughter of Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Wesley Edens. When Mallory Edens was chosen by her millionaire father to represent his team at the yearly ping-pong ball pull, she had no idea what an impression she would make. But thanks to her good looks and charming demeanor, the high school senior became an overnight internet sensation, amassing tens of thousands of Twitter followers, receiving marriage proposals and even having songs written about her. Scroll down for video . Newest MVP: The star of the NBA lottery draft last night wasn't a big-name team owner - it was Mallory Edens the very pretty 18-year-old daughter of Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Wesley Edens . Making an impression: Thanks to her good looks and charming demeanor, the high school senior became an internet sensation, amassing thousands of Twitter followers and even receiving marriage proposals . NBA fans took to Twitter to voice their infatuation with the teenager - after checking to make sure she was of age, of course. 'Mallory Edens is winning the NBA Draft Lottery. Yes, I googled to make sure she is 18,' wrote one admirer. Another fan tweeted: 'I still remember the day before I was in love with Mallory Edens. It was yesterday.' After drawing the ping-pong ball and bringing in the number two pick for her dad's team, Mallory revealed that she never imagined it would be her up on that stage. New following: 'Mallory Edens is winning the NBA Draft Lottery. Yes, I googled to make sure she is 18,' wrote one of Mallory's admirers on Twitter . Smitten: Another fan wrote: 'I still remember the day before I was in love with Mallory Edens. It was yesterday' A semi-lucky charm: Mallory brought in the number two pick for her dad's team (pictured with Philadelphia 76ers strategic adviser Julius Irving on Tuesday evening) 'He sort of brought it up in passing one . time and I thought he was joking,' she said to JSOnline about her father, who also has an older daughter and a son. 'And then here I am, so I suppose it . wasn't a joke. 'I was really nervous but really happy to . get the second pick,' she said. 'I was extremely . nervous, but it was really fun.' Since last night, not only has Mallory gained a massive Twitter following, but she's also received marriage proposals from fans. Popular girl: Twitter users react to seeing Mallory Edens at the draft lottery . Serious crush: Even female followers were charmed by the 18-year-old . Superstar: Another viewer tweets about how he only has eyes for the high school senior . She has . even inspired a song that was written about her and shared on YouTube, . with lyrics that include: 'We're in love with Mallory, she got a rich . dad, we're in love with Mallory, picking second's not bad.' The video has already had more than 11,500 views since it was posted this morning. While . Mr Edens had two daughters to choose from to represent his team at the . draft lottery, his other daughter Madison says he made the right choice. No sibling rivalry: The Bucks co-owner has an older daughter named Madison, but she was happy to cede the role to Madison. 'She's definitely the more photogenic one,' she said of her younger sister (pictured) Musical muse: Mallory has even inspired a song with lyrics that include: 'We're in love with Mallory, she got a rich dad, we're in love with Mallory, picking second's not bad' A star is born: No doubt this isn't the last we'll be seeing of Mallory, whose Twitter follower count is currently at 39,000 and growing . Doting dad: Her father (pictured) says he couldn't be prouder of his daughter - though he may or may not be pleased with the sensation she has instantly become . 'She's definitely the more photogenic one, so I was happy to give it to her,' she said, adding: 'I could not be up there. She was amazing. ... What a great way to start.' And of course, her father couldn't have been prouder of his daughter - though he may or may not be pleased with the sensation she has instantly become. 'It was . kind of our first official day, and it’s a dream come true,' he said in an interview after the draft. 'We're very excited to be here, and to be here with my . family and our friends is really special. We're happy with the outcome. We could have been number one, but number two is pretty good.' | Mallory was chosen by her millionaire father Wesley Edens to represent the Milwaukee Bucks at the yearly NBA draft lottery in New York on Tuesday .
Thanks to her good looks and charming demeanor, the high school senior amassed tens of thousands of Twitter followers, received marriage proposals and even had a song written about her . |
fa0dbf77229b4577aa7e94f50ef1e5e88d0e0cc0 | If Republicans don't wield their congressional majority next year to pass immigration reform legislation, a GOP takeover of the White House in 2016 will be "difficult, if not impossible," Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said during a CNN interview released on Sunday. Graham, a Republican who has long-favored comprehensive immigration reform, said he believes the GOP has hurt itself with Hispanic voters due to its resistance to reforming the current system. And without a major change, Democrats will get another four years in the Oval Office, Graham told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union." "If we don't at least make a down payment on solving the problem and rationally dealing with the 11 million [illegal immigrants believed to be in the U.S.], if we become the party of self-deportation in 2015 and 2016, then the chance of winning the White House I think is almost non-existent," he said. But Graham, who is mulling a 2016 presidential run, slammed President Barack Obama's executive action last month to safeguard as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants. He accused the President of "acting in a rogue fashion" for "political reasons." Republicans, though, need to "do more than just fight the executive order," he added. Graham supports giving a pathway to citizenship to the so-called DREAMers -- undocumented immigrants who crossed into the U.S. illegally as children and have lived in the U.S. since. And in 2014, Graham showed the political viability of his position by successfully beating back a tough primary challenge in his conservative state by reaffirming -- rather than running away from -- his stance on immigration. "If the Republican Party cannot muster the political courage to deal with the DREAM Act children in a fair and balanced way after we secure our border, that says a a lot about the Republican Party's future regarding the Hispanic community," Graham said. "I don't believe most Americans would fault the Republican Party if we allowed children who have been here since they're babies to assimilate into society with a pathway to citizenship after we secure our borders." Graham was one of the most ardent supporters of a bipartisan immigration bill he helped negotiate in 2013 that passed the Senate but did not get a vote in the House. The bill would have bolstered border security and created a path to citizenship for millions -- many of whom are now getting temporary relief under Obama's executive action. And while Graham's name didn't make the cut in the latest CNN/ORC poll, another candidate who supports immigration reform is leading a crowded field of potential Republican presidential candidates. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush snagged 23% of Republican support in the survey released Sunday. While Graham said Bush would be "an excellent candidate" who could win the presidency in 2016, he insisted the race for the Republican nomination is still "wide open." RELATED: Jeb Bush says he has 'no problem' defending expanding immigration . "It's like preseason polling in football. You really don't know, do the pads connect? But I think it's good news for Jeb Bush at least initially," Graham said. Graham hasn't yet decided on a 2016 run, which he will consider more seriously next year, but he did tout his "unique" qualifications to be President in a period of tumultuous global affairs. "I think over the last several years I've been more right than wrong when it comes to foreign policy, that the next President of the United States has got a world on fire," Graham said. "I think I have a unique capability to do things like that." Graham suspects China involved in Sony attack . | Sen. Lindsey Graham says Republicans need to tackle immigration reform in order to win the White House in 2016 .
He has not yet decided if he will make a bid for the GOP nomination . |
fa0e2eaae83aa5887d251ac1acba60aeff24e6d6 | By . Michael Zennie In Newtown, Connecticut and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:45 EST, 16 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:14 EST, 17 December 2012 . A special education teacher murdered in the Connecticut school shootings died just two days after her boyfriend asked her parents for her hand in marriage, it was revealed on Sunday. Rachel D’Avino, 29, was to be engaged to her longtime boyfriend on Christmas Eve. She was gunned down by Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old gunman who murdered 27 people - including 20 first grade students - before taking his own life at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday. Rachel D'Avino, 29, died just two days after her boyfriend asked her parents for her hand in marriage . Miss D’Avino was said to have tried to draw the shooter away from children at the school, and was killed in the process. The Bethlehem, Connecticut, native only started teaching at the elementary school this past fall. Her friend Lissa Lovetere, who is also handling her funeral arrangements, said teaching special needs children was a calling for Miss D’Avino. ‘She had that gift, that maternal instinct. She cared for people,’ Ms Lovetere told MailOnline on Sunday. ‘Working with special needs children was her forte,' Lovetere added. D’Avino worked in special education and had been a therapist for autistic children. One of her college friends told the LA Times . that: 'She was one of the funniest, loudest, happiest people ever,' said the friend, who asked that she remained anonymous out of respect . for the family. 'She was willing to do absolutely anything for the kids she worked with.' D’Avino's friend said that she was well-known for dressing up and singing songs to the children during activities. Rachel D'Avino was a recent arrival at Sandy Hook Elementary School who was described by a friend as one of the 'funniest, loudest, happiest people ever' Tragic: Mourners embrace in front of a U.S. flag flying at half mast near a memorial in front of the St. Rose of Lima Catholic church in Newtown . 'She was an amazing person. We worked together for years, and lived down . the street from each other for longer,' the friend continued. 'She devoted her life . to children.' The LA Times also reported on a Facebook post by Dr John Molteni, director of the Institute for Autism and Behavioral . Studies at Saint Joseph College. D’Avino had been a student in the graduate certificate program at Saint Joseph. Dr Molteni said: 'She was a paraprofessional working with a student with special needs, . something she had dedicated her life to doing.' 'She had . just completed her coursework to sit for her certification exam . on Wednesday.' Tributes: Firefighters and other volunteers reorganize a memorial for shooting victims near Sandy Hook Elementary School on Sunday. They are then planning to build a shelter over the cards, toys, flowers and candles . A Newtown resident embraces a young boy at a memorial in front of the St. Rose of Lima Catholic church . The father of one of the children slain in Friday’s Sandy Hook Elementary shooting offered forgiveness to the shooter, saying his love went out to them as well. Robbie Parker, who lost his six-year-old daughter Emilie in the massacre yesterday said: 'I’d live to offer our deepest condolences to all the families who were directly affected. It’s a horrific tragedy, and our hearts go out to them. 'This includes the family of the shooter, and I want you to know that our love and support go out to you as well.’ Speaking live on CNN Saturday evening, Mr Parker, 30, was barely maintaining his composure as he spoke of his slain daughter, saying that he was ‘so blessed’ to be her dad. The 30-year-old physician’s assistant said he wanted to get his message out to the greatest amount of people possible, saying that the medium of television was probably the best way to alert friends and family as to how he and his wife are coping. ‘I’ve been contacted by so many people wanting to know how we’re doing that this might be the best way to share those feelings,’ he said, saying that he extended his condolences to all of the other parents and family members who lost a child in the ‘horrible tragedy.’ Heart-wrenching: Robbie Parker fought back tears during a press conference about the death of his six-year-old daughter . Artistic: Emilie Parker was one of the victims. Her father Robbie Parker talked of how his daughter could often be found carrying crayons and paper to make cards for those having a bad day . In a remarkable turn of grace, Mr Parker also said that he offered condolences to the family of the shooter, Adam Lanza. ‘I want you to know that our love and support go out to you as well,’ he said. The father then began to tearfully speak of his blonde-haired, blue-eyed daughter. ‘My daughter Emilie would be one of the first ones giving her love and support to all of the victims, because that’s the kind of person she is,’ he said, pausing a moment to take a steadying breath. ‘As the deep pain begins to settle in our hearts, we find comfort in the incredible person Emilie was and how many people she was able to touch in her short time on Earth.’ Mr Parker spoke of Emilie’s incredible artistic talent, and how she could often be found carrying crayons, markers, and paper to make colorful cards for those having a dark day. | Boyfriend of Rachel D’Avino, 29, had asked her parents for permission to marry her four days ago .
Special education therapist tried to draw shooter away from children and was gunned down in the process . |
fa0eb2a1de11aaff4cc7d9853bb6e35f18a609e1 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 21:16 EST, 10 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:18 EST, 10 October 2013 . The richest MP in Parliament has spoken of a £1million wrecking spree which saw a Jeep smash into three aircraft and demolish buildings on his country estate – just hours after he was sacked as a minister. Two planes were destroyed and a third was rammed into buildings at the airstrip, causing horses to bolt from their paddock and charge along a busy road. Richard Benyon, 53, said: ‘The horses were running up and down the A4 – the vehicle had smashed into the aircraft, pushing one into the buildings, and it then crashed through gates and across fields.’ Former minister: Richard Benyon, pictured with wife Zoe and son Louis has spoken of a £1million wrecking spree on his 20,000 acre estate . Mr Benyon, the Conservative MP for West Berkshire who is worth £200million, said his vast Englefield estate between Newbury and Reading had been ‘plagued for years’ by gangs staging illegal hare coursing events. There had also been numerous thefts and vandalism of crops, but nothing on the scale of Monday night’s damage. Thames Valley Police, who are questioning a 29-year-old man from Slough, Berkshire, say a Jeep was deliberately driven into the planes on the 20,000-acre estate. The man has been bailed until November 18. Peter Ford, 70, of Upper Basildon, near Reading, who owns one of the planes, said: ‘I was gobsmacked, stunned, at the damage. Walled estate: Englefield House, home of former minister Richard Benyon and his family . ‘They left bits of the car embedded in the planes. They were completely trashed with the wings almost detached. ‘Our plane is like a vintage car – we spent a lot of time, love and money to keep it going and there’s only half a dozen in the UK. ‘They’re no longer in production.’ Police estimated the damage to the planes at £750,000. Mr Benyon lives at Englefield House in the heart of the estate with his second wife Zoe, 42, and son Louis. Michael and Carole Middleton, parents of the Duchess of Cambridge, live in a £7million country mansion four miles from Englefield. On Monday, Mr Benyon was fired as an environment minister and will return to the back benches in a government shake-up by David Cameron, who was raised in the village of Peasemore, a few miles from Englefield. Wrecked: One of the Cessna airplanes damaged on Mr Benyon's estate . One of the planes was a classic 1950s vintage Cessna G-AXZO. The others are also thought to be Cessnas. A Jeep Grand Cherokee was discovered on fire on the nearby A4 at Theale. Mr Benyon is regarded as the wealthiest MP in Parliament. The great-great-grandson of three-times Tory Prime Minister Lord Salisbury. He can trace his ancestry back to William Cecil, the chief political adviser to Elizabeth I. He was appointed a minister at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2010. He is a former officer with the Royal Green Jackets and is the son of Sir William Benyon, himself a former Tory MP. Englefield House is in a private walled estate that includes farmland, woodland and a model village. It was built during the reign of Elizabeth I, who granted the manor of Englefield to her ‘spymaster’, Sir Francis Walsingham. The house came into the Benyon family’s possession in the early 19th century. The gardens are open all year but the house is open only to pre-booked group tours. The Benyons also have land and property interests in London and Scotland. Mr Benyon, MP for Newbury since 2005, also owns a £1.5million house near Westminster. Englefield House is often used as a location for TV series and films such as X-Men: First Class, The King’s Speech and Great Expectations. Last night a police spokesman said they were still hunting another person in connection with the attack. | Two planes were destroyed at Richard Benyon's Englefield House estate .
The aircraft were crashed into by a Jeep, which drove through gates .
The incident caused horses to bolt from their paddock onto the A4 .
The estate, between Newbury and Reading, has been plagued by illegal events and vandals . |
fa0f0a81b42ae2e717e2534801aa7a74648b222b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 10:10 AM on 16th August 2011 . The Kardashian sisters are so close that they seem to share everything - and that includes style ideas. Eldest Kardashian sibling Kourtney arrived at Kim's Beverly Hills home today wearing a similar outfit to the one her younger sister wore last Friday. The 32-year-old looked happy with her outfit choice of high-waisted peach shorts, a white lace top, sky-high camel stiletto sandals and wide, sable-coloured belt. She was a dead ringer for the 30-year-old soon-to-be-married Kim, who wore a puffy orange . skirt, white top and off-white heels to a meeting at West Hollywood's . Pacific Design Centre last Friday. Copycat: Kourtney Kardashian appeared at sister Kim's Beverly Hills home today wearing a similar outfit to the one her middle sis wore on Friday . Kim's cutting-edge style: The middle Kardashian sister dresses so chicly that her older sis stole her style . It isn't any wonder that the ladies borrow one another's style given their very active adventures in fashion retail. Along with youngest sister Khloe, the girls own and operate D-A-S-H, a clothing boutique with locations in Los Angeles, Miami and New York City. They have also jointly released a 20-piece jewellery line for Virgins, Saints and Angels which debuted in March 2010. Outfit twins: The Kardashian sisters steal one another's style . In the spring of 2010, the ladies collaborated with bebe; both Kim and . Khloe, 26, are pictured below wearing the same dress from their . collection. Most recently the girls debuted their QVC-exclusive line K-Dash in September of 2010. Next up for the Armenian sisters is the launch of their Kardashian Kollection for Sears. Who looks best in the dress? Kourtney isn't the only Kardashian that copies Kim's style - younger sister Khloe does, as well. Here, the girls both wear dresses from their own line for bebe . The . three brunette beauties will all be on hand to celebrate the private . launch of their new line at Hollywood hostpot The Colony on 17 August. Handbags, lingerie, belts, dresses and heels will all be available for retail this week. But while it's alright for the women to copy one another's style, they're in a bit of hot water for allegedly knocking off someone else's. It's in the bag: The soon-to-be-bride and her sister Kourtney stepped out in Studio City, California this afternoon for - what else - a fashion meeting . What problems? Kim is all about peace and love now that she's about to marry Kris Humphries . According to Women's Wear Daily, accessories designer Monica Botkier has filed a cease and desist letter against the retail giant, who have since pulled the bag from its website. She took to her website's blog to grouse: 'We just discovered how our Botkier ‘Clyde’ was simply copied by Kardashian Kollection for Sears. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery but we don’t think so ...' Ms. Botkier might feel differently had she been born a Kardashian. It's in the bag: Monica Botkier's Clyde is on the left and the Kardashian Kollection for Sears purse is on the right. Do you think they look alike? | Accessories designer Monica Botkier also believes the sisters are copycats as she sues Sears over knock-off Kardashian Kollection bags . |
fa0f4b2d8b6b41ac9da3d4cd45b25907d7dfcf5c | Riverside, California (CNN) -- A conservative county supervisor in Southern California wants to form the 51st state by seceding the region from California, saying the state's problems require "radical" solutions. "Listen, I knew I'd be criticized. I learned in my tenure of being a politician for 19 years, sometimes you have to do radical things to get people's attention," Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone said on CNN Thursday. "We have hit a nerve with citizens who are just fed up with business as usual in the state," Stone said. "I'm talking about a secession plan from the state of California." This week, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors gave the OK to Stone to hold a summit of California's local leaders to discuss remedies for the state's long list of woes -- including secession. But the county board stopped short of endorsing Stone's secessionist plan by insisting no taxpayer money be used for the conference. Stone has come up with a name for the new state: South California. It would be composed of 13 largely Republican counties, most of which are inland along the Nevada and Arizona state lines. The plan would exclude Los Angeles County, but would include Orange and San Diego Counties, both on the coast. Stone has a long list of grievances against the state and its legislators: high taxes and fees, inability to reform welfare programs, high unemployment and excessive regulations. "What the state has done is they've been balancing their budgets on the backs of our local coffers. They've been stealing our sales tax, property tax," Stone said. "The bottom line for me and my constituents is jobs. We are sending jobs out of the state of California by the train load." Riverside County is among the hardest hit communities by the recession and mortgage meltdown, leaving many communities pockmarked with vacant homes, Stone said. "We are the foreclosure capital of the world," Stone asserted. "We have some areas of the county that have 25% unemployment. The average in Riverside County is about 15%." Stone's plan seems a long shot, one analyst said. There have been at least 27 efforts for secession within parts of California since the 1800s, and none has been successful. Robert Melsh, a political science instructor at Mount San Jacinto College in San Jacinto, California, which is in Riverside County, said Stone's plan stunned him, largely because of the high cost of putting a secessionist plan before voters. He called it a "scare tactic." "Insanity," Melsh said. "I mean this is major surgery where we need a Band-Aid. "It takes millions of dollars to get the signatures necessary to put up an initiative," Melsh added. Melsh also raised the question of getting a 51st state's government up and running. "Where is he going to put the capitol? Disneyland?" Melsh said. Stone, a pharmacist and owner of an innovative compounding pharmacy, said he drew the lines for a new state by picking 13 counties that were contiguous and fiscally conservative or moderate. A date for the summit of local leaders has yet to be scheduled, he said. CNN's Traci Tamura contributed to this report. | A Republican supervisor in Riverside County is fed up with California's financial woes .
He has drawn plans for 13 counties to form the 51st state .
The would-be state's name: South California .
A summit of the local state leaders will consider the idea . |
fa0f7bbaca9a30d12cab7b8bb9a034b8df6fcad1 | Australian teenage tennis sensation Nick Kyrgios was in no mood to talk to a member of one of the biggest boy bands in the world after his defeat against Andy Murray at the Australian Open. The 19-year-old walked straight past Niall Horan from One Direction while making his way to his changing room at Melbourne Park, while the Irish singer was left doing a double take. In video footage from after the game, Horan, 21, appeared to try and catch Kyrgios’s eye, with his Rod Laver Arena minder in yellow also trying to catch the tennis star’s attention. But Kyrgios just kept on walking, ignoring Horan, who was dressed in a red shirt, blue shorts and a black cap, and his entourage. Scroll down for video . Australian Nick Kyrgios lost to British player Andy Murray in the Australian Open quarter final . The tennis star walked straight past Niall Horan from One Direction while making his way to his changing room at Melbourne Park, while the Irish singer was left doing a double take . The One Direction star was at the match to cheer on Murray after celebrating Australia Day on Monday, and looked to still be well and truly in the spirit of celebration as he sipped on a beer. Tuesday's night's match saw world No 6 Murray defeat Kyrgios from Canberra in straight sets. In the post-match interview, Murray said that he had seen Kyrgios perform over the past 18 months, and that he had 'seen how dangerous Nick is'. 'I wasn't going to underestimate him,' he said. Kyrgios walked straight past Horan in the Rod Laver Arena on his way to the changing rooms . Kyrgios just kept on walking, ignoring Horan (left), who was dressed in a red shirt, blue shorts and a black cap, and his entourage. Checking out the game: Keeping it casual, Niall Horan donned a plaid shirt and Lakers baseball cap . Murray said that he knew what it was like to be a teenager in the spotlight, and implored the Australian public to let the young tennis star to grow. 'Try not to put too much pressure on him. He needs to be able to mature and develop. He'll make mistakes, he's young, and growing up in the spotlight isn't easy,' Murray said. l keep learning and getting better. He's an incredibly talent, not many people have done what he's done at his age,' he said. The 19-year-old said that the experience had been stressful but also enjoyable, and that his focus going ahead was going to be on staying healthy and enjoying the games he played. Nick Kyrgios left the court after his defeat at the hands of British star Murray . The 19-year-old was cheered on by his family and the Australian crowd . Victory! Andy Murray won the match against teenage player Nick Kyrgios on Tuesday . Murray beat him in three sets and earned his place in the semi-finals . Kyrgios sent out a thank you message on Twitter to his fans after the game . The player said Murray was 'just too good on the night' 'I'm happy I got as far as I did. It was a great experience,' Kyrgios said in his post-match interview. 'This is why I play the game, to play these kind of tournaments,' he said. Kyrgios said that he was still 'growing into' his body, but took his increased level of fitness compared with his performance at Wimbledon as a positive. 'These [the top five seeded players] are incredible athletes, they're really on another level,' Kyrgios said. The 19-year-old said he had felt very supported by the mainly Australian crowd during the match, but that he had tried to focus on his game rather than the thousands of spectators. Yes please! The One Direction star seemed thrilled upon getting a delivery of beer by a pal during the game . Delighted: Niall drank beer during the game, which took place in the height of Australian summer . 'I definitely felt the support...it's one of the best courts in the world,' he said. Murray's measured and calculated game won him the match in the end, securing his victory 6-3 against Kyrgios. Tennis prodigy Kyrgios last year claimed hip hop star Drake's music was to blame for his near loss to Czech Republic's Jirí Veselý in the third-round at Wimbledon. last year claimed hip hop star Drake's music was to blame for his near loss to Czech Republic's Jirí Veselý in the third-round at Wimbledon. Admitting his a fan of the rapper Kyrgios blamed his bad start and general lacklustre performance on the music he was listening to before the first set. 'I came out really flat, so hopefully I won’t listen to that again! It was actually Drake. Didn’t do the job for me,' Kyrgios said after the game. Downtime: The boy band star is currently taking time off from his busy schedule and spending time in Australia . Incognito: And he almost blended in with the packed crowd at the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park . Tense! He well and truly got into the game, which saw Andy Murray win over teenage competitor Nick Kyrgios to score a place in the semi-final . Jokes! Niall appeared to be sharing some quips with a pal while taking time out from watching the sporting event . Chums: The Irish singer spent time away from his boy band co-stars to mingle with other pals . Sports fan: Niall is an avid fan of many sports, mostly golf and was given a lifetime membership at his hometown club in December . | Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios walked straight past Niall Horan .
They were both in the corridor at the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park .
The One Direction star did a double take but Kyrgios didn't stop .
Horan was on his way to see British player and match winner Andy Murray . |
fa0f967aeb0aca72570987d85836009ec9d260db | By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 03:12 EST, 12 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:12 EST, 12 March 2013 . Killed: Jill Meagher was found dead in September last year after failing to return home from a night out . The man accused of raping and murdering Irish journalist Jill Meagher left her body in a dark alley then returned home to fetch a spade with which to bury her, a court heard today. Adrian Bayley is alleged to have attacked the victim as she was coming home from a night out, then strangled her to stop her reporting the crime. The 41-year-old appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court today in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid being committed to a higher court. Mrs Meagher, 29, from Co Louth, left a Melbourne bar to walk the short distance home at 1.30am on September 22 last year, prosecutor Gavin Silbert said. Eight minutes later she was accosted by Bayley, who dragged her into a deserted alleyway, raped her three times and then strangled her 'because she was the only witness to the crime', according to the prosecutor. Mr Silbert said Bayley left his victim lying in the alley and went back to his home in the suburb of Coburg, not far from where Mrs Meagher lived with her husband Tom. Bayley then allegedly returned to the scene at 4.22am in his white saloon car after picking up a shovel. He put Mrs Meagher’s body in the boot of the car and four minutes later drove to another town where he used the spade to dig a shallow grave at the side of a road and bury the Irish woman, the court heard. Suspect: Adrian Bayley is accused of raping Mrs Meagher three times then killing her by strangling . Mr Silbert said that five days after the murder Bayley was interviewed by homicide detectives in a 22-hour interrogation. During the interview, Bayley allegedly admitted to raping and strangling Mrs Meagher, and directed homicide detectives to where she was buried. Mrs Meagher's husband, parents and brother were in the court for the first day of the committal hearing. Mr Meagher had to leave the court in distress several times as the graphic details of his wife's murder were recounted. Couple: Mrs Meagher with her husband Tom, with whom she lived in Melbourne having left her native Ireland . Distraught: Mr Meagher with his brother-in-law Michael McKeon outside a court hearing . Pathologist Matthew Lynch told the court that Mrs Meagher had been strangled with ‘sustained force’. He said he had gone to the site where Mrs Meagher was buried at about 2am on September 27 after being told by homicide detectives that there had been a development in the search for the woman. Dr Lynch said he helped remove dirt from the burial site and then assisted in bringing her body from the ground. She was wearing some clothes, he said, and was lying on her left side. When he carried out a post mortem examination later that morning he found evidence of neck compression. He discovered haemorrhages and bruising on her neck, along with bleeding in neck muscles and fractures to her larynx. Police: Forensic officers involved in the search for Mrs Meagher's body after she went missing in September . Tribute: Flowers were left outside the shop where Mrs Meagher was last seen alive via CCTV footage . Dr Lynch said those injuries suggested manual compression involving sustained force. Under cross examination from Bayley’s defence lawyer, Dr Lynch said it was possible Mrs Meagher could have died if the force of the neck compression had ceased when she was unconscious while lying on her back with her airway blocked. At the end of today’s hearing, Bayley stood in the dock and pleaded guilty to one count of rape but not guilty to murder. He also pleaded not guilty to a further two counts of rape. Mr Meagher stormed from the court, visibly upset, after Bayley announced his pleas. The defendant has been committed to stand trial in the Victorian Supreme Court on a date to be arranged. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Jill Meagher, 29, murdered on way home from night out in Melbourne .
Adrian Bayley 'raped her three times and killed her to hide evidence'
Lawyer says alleged killer went home to fetch a spade to bury the body . |
fa0fe3fd4a6e2932f2efe04ecb5c2a67dbf566db | Crystal Palace want to offer Swansea City striker Michu a return to the Premier League if he recovers successfully from ankle surgery. Palace boss Neil Warnock is pressing to sign a goalscorer in the January transfer window and is prepared to rescue Michu from an unhappy loan spell with Napoli where he has failed to score in his five matches played. The Spaniard is currently recovering from an operation to trim his right ankle but is expected to be able to play in the second half of the season. Michu has made five appearances for Napoli since moving on a season-long loan from Swansea this summer . The forward could be allowed to move to another club on loan for the second half of the season . Michu scored 18 league goals during his first season with Swansea, but struggled with injury in his second . Neil Warnock wants to add more fire power to his squad in January and is considering a move for Michu . Swansea sent the 28-year-old on a season-long loan to Serie A with manager Garry Monk making Wilfried Bony the new focal point of his attack. But Michu's time under Rafa Benitez has been so unhappy the Italians may allow him to move on to another club on loan. Palace also like another Swansea forward Bafetimbi Gomis but are scared off by the £7million price tag. | Michu joined Napoli on a season-long loan from Swansea in the summer .
But Napoli may allow him to join another club on loan in January .
The striker has only made five appearances since moving to Napoli .
Michu is currently recovering for ankle surgery but is expected to be fit for the second half of the season . |
fa104381c0d80cec7a1ee0456f99126b0f662af8 | When even al Qaeda publicly rejects you because you are too brutal, it's likely a reasonable indicator that you are. A long simmering dispute between "al Qaeda Central," headed by Ayman al-Zawahiri, and the most brutal al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, generally known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, surfaced publicly on Monday. On jihadist websites, al Qaeda's central leadership posted a notice saying ISIS "is not a branch of the al Qaeda group." It is the first time in its quarter century history that al Qaeda has officially rejected one of its affiliates. Why did this happen? ISIS and another al Qaeda affiliate known as the Nusra Front have been fighting each other in Syria for several weeks now. This open warfare caps a dispute between ISIS and Nusra about who is boss in Syria that has been brewing since ISIS released a statement in April announcing its official merger with Nusra. A leader of Nusra rejected the merger, and in June, al-Zawahiri annulled the merger. ISIS, in turn, rejected al-Zawahiri's annulment of the merger. (This is a fine example of what Freud usefully termed "the narcissism of minor differences.") Al-Zawahiri is clearly fed up with ISIS's open rejection of his overall leadership of the al Qaeda network. Moreover, he is likely quite concerned about how ISIS is alienating ordinary Syrians by a brutal campaign that has involved the public beheading of opponents and the imposition of Taliban-style rule on the population, including the banning of smoking, music and unveiled women in public. Al Qaeda's leader has seen this movie before -- in western Iraq in 2006, when al Qaeda in Iraq (the parent organization of ISIS) imposed a brutal Taliban-like rule on the population that caused the Sunni tribes in western Iraq to rebel against al Qaeda in an uprising known as "the Sunni Awakening." The Sunni Awakening, with a heavy assist from the U.S. military, led to al Qaeda losing control of much of western Iraq by 2008. Nusra seems to have learned from the mistakes of al Qaeda in Iraq and is not imposing Taliban-style rule in the areas of Syria that it controls and is instead operating in a Hezbollah-like manner, providing social services. The group, for instance, provides bread and electricity in the eastern Syrian city of Ash Shaddadi, where it also controls the city's wheat silos and oil wells. Nursa also is engaging in the kind of alliance-building that al Qaeda affiliates generally have not been able to pull off because they regard compromise as a deviation from their God-given beliefs. Nusra has, for instance, allied with more moderate elements of the Syrian opposition to fight against ISIS during the past several weeks. Nusra, in fact, represents what al Qaeda's core leadership wants in one of its affiliates: A group that doesn't tarnish the al Qaeda brand by using brutal tactics against fellow Muslims. This has been a core concern for al Qaeda for the past decade. Al-Zawahiri sent a letter to al Qaeda in Iraq in the summer of 2005 admonishing the group against its campaign of killing Shia civilians. Similarly, Osama bin Laden wrote a private letter to the al Qaeda-aligned Somali terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, in 2010 telling the organization to stop attacking in the central market of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, because such attacks were killing Muslim civilians. Also in 2010, al Qaeda leaders wrote a private letter to the leader of the Pakistan Taliban telling him forcefully to suspend his group's campaign of attacks against mosques and markets, which was killing hundreds of Pakistani civilians. The difference now is that al Qaeda has gone public with its displeasure with ISIS and is also officially cutting the group off. Despite the bitter differences between the two al Qaeda-aligned groups in Syria, senior U.S. counterterrorism officials tell me they are "All Syria. All the time." That is because al Qaeda affiliated groups in Syria and neighboring Iraq now control more territory in the Arab world than at any time in their history; a swath of land that runs from northwestern Syria some 400 miles to the east into western Iraq. On Tuesday, CIA Director John Brennan testified before the House Intelligence Committee: "There are camps inside of both Iraq and Syria that are used by al Qaeda to develop capabilities that are applicable, both in the theater, as well as beyond." Brennan asserted that these camps represent a real threat to the United States. Adding to their concerns, U.S. counterterrorism officials tell me that more Americans have traveled to fight in Syria than was previously understood. They believe some 70 Americans have fought there over the past three years. Previous estimates suggested only a handful of Americans had done so. U.S. counterterrorism officials are rightly concerned that Americans who have fought in Syria will return to the States radicalized and perhaps even to plan to carry out terrorist attacks. That said, it isn't clear how many of the 70 Americans who are estimated to have fought in Syria have done so alongside the al Qaeda-aligned groups or with other more moderate rebel groups who are fighting the Bashar al-Assad regime with some degree of American support. | A Syrian rebel group has been disowned by al Qaeda .
Peter Bergen says al Qaeda's central leadership seems put off by the group's brutality .
The split could weaken al Qaeda's grip in Syria, after it made advances there, he says .
Bergen: U.S. officials believe more Americans have gone to fight vs. the Syrian regime . |
fa111fd72fecb85370a5a7863c891e9617d719ad | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 06:58 EST, 2 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:02 EST, 3 August 2012 . Dozens of people rolled up their sleeves yesterday in Mexico City to help create a monster sandwich. Measuring an impressive 53-metres in length (173-feet) the massive sandwich didn't break the world record, but still manged to become the biggest that Latin America has ever created. Local authorities and 55 local business rolled up their sleeves to prepare the sandwich - known as 'torta' in Mexico. Thousands of pieces of bread, lettuce, onion and tomato were mixed with more than 70 ingredients, including hundreds of litres of mayonnaise, mustard and spicy sauces. Scroll down for video . Bigger is better: Dozens of people in Mexico City crafted a 53-metre-long monster sandwich - making it the biggest sandwich ever made in Latin America . Mixture of flavours: Thousands of pieces of bread, lettuce, onion and tomato were mixed with more than 70 ingredients, including hundreds of litres of mayonnaise, mustard and spicy sauces . Community effort Local authorities and 55 local business rolled up their sleeves to prepare the sandwich - known as 'torta' in Mexico . Each section of the 700 kg (154 lb) super torta had a different flavour cooked up by local chefs. Organised by local government in the Mexican capital, officials hope the mammoth sandwich will give the nutritious Mexican torta a much-needed boost in sales as it struggles to compete with imported fast food chains. 'What we are trying to do is to support the social development of small businesses which are normally family businesses. 'In the last ten years, the sale of the torta has fallen 60 percent due to foreign fast food which does not have the same nutritional value of the torta,' said local government official, Elena Edith Segura Trejo. Despite its super size, the sandwich didn't quite make it into the big league of sandwiches. Boost: Organised by local government in the Mexican capital, officials hope the mammoth sandwich will give the nutritious Mexican torta a much-needed boost in sales as it struggles to compete with imported fast food chains . Event organisers expect more than 350,000 visitors during the fair and hope to sell hundreds of thousands of tortas now they have completed the challenge . Breaking bread: Pieces of the gigantic torta were handed out to the hungry crowd for free . According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest sandwich ever made was in 2005 in the United States and weighed 2,467.5 kg (5,440 lb), while the honour of the longest sandwich goes to two Italians who constructed a sandwich over 630 metres (2066 feet) long in 2004. For organisers, the sandwich exceeded the record they set one year ago when they prepared a baguette some three metres (9 feet) shorter than Wednesday's (August 01) effort. 'It's great that they broke the record; I think it was 53 metres and the torta is very tasty,' said fair participant, Ivon. Victory: For organisers, the massive sandwich exceeded the record they set one year ago when they prepared a baguette some three metres (9 feet) shorter than yesterday's effort . Time for tea: Two young girls tuck in to their share of the record-breaking bread . With large crowds waiting for a taste of the mammoth sandwich, torta lover Paulina Barrera gave chefs the thumbs up for their creation. 'It was worth waiting; it is delicious. I'm eating the turkey, delicious, very good,' she said. The long torta challenge is part of a three-day fair that looks to support the traditional Mexican sandwich and more than 20,000 local businesses across the country dedicated to producing the delicious baguette. Event organisers expect more than 350,000 visitors during the fair and hope to sell hundreds of thousands of tortas. | Local authorities and 55 local business in Mexico City rolled up their sleeves to prepare the 700kg sandwich .
Each section of the 700 kg (154 lb) super torta had a different flavour cooked up by local chefs .
Thousands of pieces of bread, lettuce, onion and tomato were mixed with more than 70 ingredients, including hundreds of litres of mayonnaise, mustard and spicy sauces . |
fa11757d45c0d6139167d3f156bffcf9e63a407d | By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 21:49 EST, 19 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 22:01 EST, 19 September 2013 . A California associate pastor has been accused of sexually assaulting several of his parishioners with his ‘healing hands.’ Juan Jorge Castro, 53, of Norwalk, CA., was arrested last Friday for the alleged assault of at least four parishioners, but is suspected of violating upwards of 20. The allegations include repeated abuse of the victims and accusations he used their undocumented immigration status against them. Mr Castro has been formally charged for assaulting only four women, as the other 16 have refused to discuss the crimes with investigators. Accused pervert: Jorge Juan Castro, 53, is suspected of sexually assaulting at least 20 women in his parish . The alleged pervert is said by investigators to have told women who came to him for counseling that the sex acts were part of the faith-healing process,’ a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told local media. ‘He claimed to have healing hands and utilized that process to eventually sexually assault them,’ the spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times. ‘[Mr Castro] would perform certain acts with them in the name of God,’ a spokesperson told KCALAged 18 to 39, Mr Castro’s victims were all undocumented immigrants, which the accused man used to blackmail them into silence. ‘He did this by invoking fear by threatening to tell the victims if they reported him he would have the victims deported,’ a sheriff’s office spokesperson told KNX. House of evil: Mr Castro is accused of assaulting women both at this church, and at their homes . The allegedly corrupt counselor also threatened to embarrass his victims in front of the congregation. ‘He preyed upon them from a trust position. He warned them they'd be the subject of ridicule in the church if they told others,’ the spokesperson told the Times. The crimes are alleged to have taken place beginning in 2004, shortly after Mr Castro moved to Los Angeles from Argentina, according to reports.. They took place both on church grounds and in victims’ homes. Excommunicated: Mr Castro has been removed from the church as a result of his alleged actions . Investigators are promising any women wishing to come forward that they will overlook the victims’ immigration status and take no adverse action against them if they come forward, they told local media. Officials also believe there may be more victims and are urging all women victimized by Mr Castro to come forward and tell their story. The supposed scoundrel has been charged with multiple counts of rape, penetration by foreign object and oral copulation, but investigators told local media they expect more charges to come. He is being held in Los Angeles County jail on $2million bail. | Juan Jorge Castro, 53, has been formally charged with sexually assaulting four women .
Another 16 victims are afraid to come forward for fear of endangering their undocumented immigration status .
Officials believe there are more victims . |
fa1273fd4fef67bcea387d8084f60da134ba47d8 | Washington (CNN) -- John Kerry got Swift-boated. Jimmy Carter had his re-election chances decimated in the Iranian desert. Then there was Michael Dukakis and that tank photo. It is a tradition of presidential politics in recent decades that Democrats get accused of being soft and inexperienced on military and foreign policy issues, and Barack Obama was no different in 2008. However, a string of foreign policy successes -- including the killings of terrorist leaders Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki, and now the toppling of the Gadhafi regime in Libya without the loss of any U.S. service members -- have made Obama seemingly invulnerable to the quadrennial Republican attack line. The question is whether it will matter a year from now, when voters decide if he should get a second term. To analysts interviewed Monday, the president's policies and actions during almost three years in power have helped him shed the knee-jerk, anti-war reputation affixed to Democrats since the Vietnam era. They cite increased drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, including the one that killed the U.S.-born al-Awlaki, as well as the Special Forces mission that raided a compound in Pakistan housing bin Laden. "Those actions demonstrate a degree of toughness that insulates him from the charge of being soft on defense," said Darrell West, vice president and director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington. However, voter dissatisfaction with 9% unemployment and crawling economic recovery is likely to overwhelm any benefit the president gets from foreign policy successes, said David Gergen, a CNN senior political analyst. According to Gergen, the association of Democrats with liberal pacifism dates back decades. In the middle of the 20th century, he noted, Democrats were the party of international engagement willing to "bear any burden" to defend the nation and its interests, as President John F. Kennedy put it at his 1961 inaugural address. Then the Vietnam War deeply divided the country, with Democrats becoming inextricably linked to the fervent anti-war movement by nominating liberal South Dakota Sen. George McGovern for president in 1972, according to Gergen. In subsequent decades, the perception persisted of Democrats as liberals who were soft on communism and unwilling to use military force. In 1980, the failure of a military mission in Iran ordered by Carter to rescue 52 Americans held hostage since the revolution the previous year cemented his image as a weak leader. Crashed helicopters in the desert became the foreign policy symbol of a presidency that helped orchestrate the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. Carter then was defeated by Ronald Reagan in the presidential election that year. Eight years later. Dukakis saw his campaign against then-Vice President George H.W. Bush undermined in part by a photo that sought to prop up his military credentials by showing him riding a tank. However, the image of Dukakis in what appeared to be an over-large military helmet with his name affixed to the front, his tie and business shirt visible beneath military outer garb, instead prompted ridicule. The "soft on war" legacy for Democrats continued in 2004, when Kerry came under fierce, privately funded attacks that accused him of falsifying his account of a battle that earned him a Silver Star as a Swift boat operator, as well as making false claims about misconduct by other U.S. forces in Vietnam and Cambodia. The campaign against Kerry coined the phrase "swift-boating" in reference to an acute, partisan and not necessarily truthful political attack. It also turned what should have been a benefit for Kerry -- his war record compared to the non-service in Vietnam by Republican incumbent George W. Bush -- into a controversial issue. Kerry lost the election. For Obama, what was perhaps his greatest foreign policy triumph -- the covert mission to send U.S. special forces into Pakistan after bin Laden -- came close to the kind of failure that plagued Carter's rescue mission 31 years earlier. One of the U.S. helicopters involved became disabled, forcing a change in how the mission was carried out. This time, though, the U.S. forces were able to infiltrate bin Laden's compound, kill him and fly out with his body. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations, called Obama's decision to launch the mission one of the most courageous he ever saw a president make. If the bin Laden mission had failed, West and Gergen noted, Obama would likely find himself in the same position as Carter -- an incumbent candidate labeled as weak and ineffective. "They would have tried to turn Obama into Jimmy Carter," West said, adding: "People would have said that even though the mission was ambitious, the execution was flawed and that this would reflect poorly on presidential leadership." Instead, "I don't think it's going to be possible for Republicans to Swift-boat Obama," West said. The president's actions "demonstrate a degree of toughness that Jimmy Carter didn't have." Both Gergen and West said Obama's strategy seeks to exert U.S. influence while minimizing the nation's long-term commitment to overseas conflict and any loss of American lives. That strategy was most evident in the Libya campaign, which was launched by the United States under a U.N. resolution authorizing establishment of a no-fly zone to protect civilians from attack by Gadhafi's military. Eventually, the campaign shifted to NATO control, with U.S. forces playing a supporting role for air strikes that targeted Gadhafi forces. In the end, the total cost to the U.S. government is expected to be under $2 billion with no loss of American lives, compared to the more than $800 billion in costs and more than 4,000 U.S. fatalities in the Iraq War launched by the Bush administration. Some Republicans have tried to defuse credit for Obama's policy, complaining it lasted longer than necessary because the administration withheld the full might and leadership of U.S. forces throughout the Libya campaign. But to West, the successful completion of the mission -- with Gadhafi gone and no long-term U.S. commitment or cost -- will bolster Obama in next year's election. "I've seen that a lot of people are arguing foreign policy is not going to be relevant in 2012," according to West. "I think those interpretations miss the leadership Obama has displayed in foreign affairs." Gergen warned that Obama remains vulnerable to problems in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the president is ending or reducing long-running U.S. wars. Last week, Obama announced that virtually all U.S. troops would leave Iraq by the end of the year, which would fulfill a campaign pledge from 2008. At the same time, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan is being decreased following an earlier surge ordered by Obama, with the goal of ending the war by the end of 2014. Republicans such as veteran Sen. John McCain of Arizona -- who lost to Obama in 2008 -- have criticized both moves, saying they undermined the long-running missions by providing U.S. enemies with an end date to the nation's military commitments in those countries. "I do think he's fortified himself against these Republican attacks," Gergen said of Obama, but he added that "Iraq or Afghanistan or both could become a crisis between now and the election. Overall, though, the president has strengthened his standing as commander-in-chief, Gergen and research assistant Michael Zuckerman wrote in a CNN column last week. Obama's foreign policy approach will "bolster a campaign argument that may resonate not only with his base, but also with swing voters increasingly wary of foreign engagements: that Obama wields force much more prudently and surgically than the reckless GOP -- that he has wound down Iraq and helped win back international respect, all while delivering strong results," the column said. | Foreign policy wins fortify the president against Vietnam-era criticism of Democrats .
Analyst: President Obama is tougher than Jimmy Carter was .
Domestic woes may trump foreign policy successes, however . |
fa1328d35f1bda1ea767505c2ef9cff68a10ec00 | A pair of Burmese migrant workers have been charged in connection with the brutal murder of two British tourists at a luxury Thai beach resort. David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found mutilated on Sairee beach on the after attending a party on the island of Koh Tao in September. Autopsies showed both had suffered severe head wounds and Witheridge had been raped, before their bodies were discovered near the resort known for world-class scuba diving. Scroll down for video . Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were brutally murdered on the island of Koh Tao in Thailand this summer . Burmese migrant workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 21, have been charged with the murders. They claim they were tortured by Thai police before they confessed to the crime. The pair were working in the country illegally . Burmese bar workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, who were working in the country illegally, have now been charged by Thai prosecutors with with conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to rape and robbery, according to deputy police chief spokesman Colonel Kissana Phathanacharoen. Neither man appeared at the Provincial Court on the island of Ko Samui and they will have an opportunity to enter a plea at the next hearing, he added. They are also entitled to request bail at any time, he said. Police claimed the men confessed to the killings in October, adding that the DNA evidence matched that of the two suspects. Prosecutors have said other evidence includes close-circuit television footage linking the two to the crime. But there has been international concern about the way the case has been handled by the Thai authorities. The pair, both 21, have admitted they were drinking beer and playing guitar near the scene where Witheridge from Great Yarmouth and Miller from Jersey were found on September. They could be sentenced to die by lethal injection if they are convicted. The backpackers' bodies were found in the surf on Sairee Beach (pictured) in the early hours of the morning . But they claim that their initial confessions were extracted by beatings and threats and it was reported that a Burmese embassy official later formally retracted their statements to police. Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the allegations, citing a lawyer from the Burmese embassy legal team who said he had been told that police had beaten one suspect and 'threatened him with electrocution.' The Foreign Office has also expressed concern to Thai authorities about whether the investigation was conducted properly and British detectives also flew to the country to observe and assist the Thai investigators with the case, last month. Along with the torture allegations, police have also been criticised for failing to secure the crime scene and releasing several names and pictures of suspects who turned out to be innocent. They were also condemned after they paraded Lin and Htun in front of cameras shortly after the had made their confessions. A lawyer for the pair also said key witnesses are too afraid to come forward, hampering his clients' defence as they prepare to enter a plea. 'This case is not fair,' Nakhon Chomphuchat, head of their Thai legal team told the AFP. 'They were migrant workers so witnesses do not dare to testify (for the defence). 'We have many disadvantages ... we still have not seen the prosecutors' evidence, we just have to fight as best as we can,' he added. Royal Thai Police Major General Suwat Jaengyodsuk defended the investigation before the country's Human Rights Commission yesterday, according the Bangkok Post. Insisting the DNA tests and arrests had been handled by the book he said there had been no torture at any time during the investigation, the paper reported. Witheridge, a student at the University of Essex, was described by her family as 'a beautiful, intelligent, loving young woman who poured joy into the lives of all who knew her'. Mr Miller finished studying civil and structural engineering at Leeds University in June, where he was on course to achieve a first-class degree. His family said he was a 'hard-working, bright and conscientious' young man who would be 'sorely, sorely missed.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | David Miller and Hannah Witheridge murdered on Koh Tao on Sept. 15 .
Migrant workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun have been charged .
Thai police claim they confessed and their DNA was found at the scene .
Lin and Htun claim they were beaten before admitting to the crime .
Neither man attended court to hear the charges against them . |
fa136b5063b572457e6b9ad879d860986f3ac2ee | The pub that helped inspire hit TV show Peaky Blinders could be sold for under £200,000 as it goes under the hammer next week. The Garrison in Birmingham is where Hollywood star Cillian Murphy and his criminal gang gather in a private side room to plan their nefarious criminal schemes in the BBC show. The watering hole - which could also have hosted the real Peaky Blinders gang - has been closed for two years. A steal: A pub featured in hit BBC gangster drama Peaky Blinders is up for sale for under £200,000 . The series features Inception star Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby and Sam Neill as Chief Inspector Campbell . The gang earned its chilling nickname through the practice of sewing razor blades into the peaks of their flat caps, so that they could blind rival gangsters by headbutting them. Despite being put up for sale last year, the Victorian drinking den failed to sell and it is hoped the historic pub will be resurrected by a bidder at the auction. For the guide price of £160,000 - £175,000 plus VAT a buyer could get their hands on the three-storey building near Birmingham City Football Club, which includes a six-bedroom living quarters. The show’s creator Steven Knight said his grandfather used to drink at The Garrison and that he took Cillian Murphy on a day long research trip there before filming began so he could perfect his Brummie accent. Den: The watering hole may well have been a favourite haunt of the real Peaky Blinders gang . New lease of life? Despite being put up for sale last year, the Victorian drinking den in Birmingham failed to sell and it is hoped the historic pub will be resurrected by a bidder at the auction on Thursday 22 . The gang earned its chilling nickname through the practice of sewing razor blades into the peaks of their flat caps, so that they could blind rival gangsters by headbutting them . Although there is no direct evidence linking the gang to the pub, stories of them frequenting the site have been handed down by Midlanders throughout the decades. Speaking to the Birmingham Mail last year, Neil Hayes, security guard at the run-down site, said there were real concerns the building and its place in Birmingham’s history will be lost forever. 'Birmingham folk are such passionate people, but here they have a piece of their own history rotting into the earth,' he said. 'In its day, this was always the "go to" pub.' The Garrison goes up for auction by Cottons at Villa Park on Thursday May 22 at 11am. Harry Fowler, Ernest Bayles, Stephen McHickie and Thomas Gilbert, pictured, were members of the notorious 'Peaky Blinders' gang which terrorised Birmingham around the turn of the 20th century. The gang earned its chilling nickname through the practice of sewing razor blades into the peaks of their flat caps, so that they could blind rival gangsters by headbutting them. They ruled the industrialised areas of Bordesley and Small Heath from the 1880s through to the early 1900s, when the city was one of the world's most important manufacturing hubs. Left to right, Peaky Blinders Harry Fowler, Ernest Bayles, Stephen McHickie and Thomas Gilbert are revealed in archived police photos . To coincide with the release of the series, West Midlands Police dug up the original charge sheets for some of the gang members, which are now more than 100 years old. The fading sheets show that, despite the reputation of the gang for terrible crimes, these men and boys had been hauled up on relatively trivial offences. Fowler and Bayles, aged just 19 in the photographs, were charged with 'bike theft' after stealing the unattended item and attempting to sell it on. Stephen McHickie, 25 when pictured, was charged with breaking into a drapers shop which was just 11 doors from his own home. Thomas Gilbert, much older than the others at 38, was arrested for the crime of 'false pretences'. All four gangsters are shown wearing the traditional Peak Blinders outfit, of donkey jackets, silk scarfs, bell-bottom trousers, steel-capped boots and a distinctive flat cap. Baby-faced thugs: Harry Fowler and Ernest Bayles were just 19 when their mugshots were taken by police . Thomas Gilbert, 38, was arrested for 'false pretences', and Stephen McHickie, 25, broke into a drapers shop . Court reports from the time refer to the gang members as 'foul mouthed young men who stalk the streets in drunken groups, insulting and mugging passers-by'. West Midlands Police Museum worker David Cross, 69, explained the method behind the gangsters' signature weapon. He said: 'It was quite a strange weapon they used to rob people, although makes sense when you think about it. 'When they would hit someone on the nose with their cap, it would bring tears to their victim's eyes and cause temporary blindness - that's when they'd thump you and rob you. 'It is a very quick manoeuvre - that is how they worked. They would target anybody who looked vulnerable, the gentleman on his way to work who didn't look strong or fit, ladies, teenage girls, anyone - they would take anything they could convert into money.' But theft and muggings was by no means the only illegal activity of the Peaky Blinders, who built a criminal empire on illegal betting, protection rackets and Birmingham's black market. The were known to fight with rival gangs, and at times would even turn on the police. | The Garrison may have been haunt of notorious Birmingham gang .
It will go under the hammer for a guide price of around £175,000 next week .
The pub is the den of Hollywood star Cillian Murphy in BBC drama . |
fa1399310f2946dc84b050e1c3872dc554137cf8 | Vienna, Austria (CNN) -- If anyone can understand what the Cleveland abduction victims must have endured, it's Natasha Kampusch. Like the three women, the 25-year-old Austrian spent most of a decade imprisoned in her abductor's house after being abducted on a Vienna street in 1998. Wolfgang Priklopil kept her locked in his cellar for eight tortuous years. He raped her, then committed suicide when she finally escaped seven years ago. She said Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight should enjoy the feeling of freedom but be careful. "It was an enormous feeling of joy that cannot be compared to anything else," she told CNN. "You see all of the possibilities laid out in front of you. ... "The women in Cleveland should really try to savor this joyous feeling as long as possible, and to avoid letting themselves be pushed back into everyday life too soon." In 1998, Kampusch, then 10, was dragged into a car while walking to school. She was often locked inside a "hermetically sealed" concrete jail. Her abductor used restraints on her to keep her in bed with him as he slept. She wrote that she was beaten as many as 200 times a week -- until she heard her own spine "snap." She escaped in August 2006 and wrote a book entitled "3,096 Days" about the ordeal. The days immediately after her escape were hard. "It was a very difficult time to experience for me, the media everywhere, and re-establishing my relationship with my parents again," she said. In many ways the case in Cleveland is a lot like hers, but she was alone, while the three Ohio women had each other to talk to during their captivity. She also never heard her abductor explain why he did it, but she said that wasn't as important as knowing he would never be able to harm anyone else. She said she was glad the women were still alive. "I am very happy for the three women, and thank God they had survived their ordeal," she said. "They are certainly very strong women." Kampusch said former captives need to take time to work through the emotional issues themselves. "Don't let other people take over," she said, standing outside the home where she was held. She owns it now; it was awarded to her by the Austrian courts as damages. The property is an important symbol, she said, and keeping it is her way of dealing with her past. "It's so very emotional for me because it never stops," she said. "You live with it." The ordeal will be with her for her whole life, she said. She tries to see positives in her life and look forward, not back. She had to "bury the hate you feel for the person who did this to you," she said. Besides assimilating back into normal lives slowly, former captives also have to deal with the people who don't believe their stories are entirely true. She would tell the Cleveland women: "Don't worry what people say. They are the ones that experienced it, they are the ones who survived it, and they are the ones who have to come to terms with what they experienced their entire lives." It's a sobering message for women already scarred by years of terrible conditions. Their captivity has ended, but their ordeal may be far from over. CNN's Matthew Chance reported from Vienna, and Steve Almasy wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Victoria Eastwood contributed to this report. | Natasha Kampusch was held for eight years in an Austrian man's basement .
She escaped and was reunited with her family in August 2006 .
She says the Cleveland women should return to normal lives slowly .
Kampusch says she had to "bury hate" for her abductor, who later committed suicide . |
fa13cbe05e1f61bb424600d2ebf4eec2e210b785 | By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 16:48 EST, 24 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:23 EST, 24 July 2013 . Jennifer Whiteley, 27, died after apparently taking the so-called 'legal high' Benzo Fury: Her family paid tribute to her as 'a wonderful person loved by everyone' A talented trainee psychologist has died after taking a party drug that was outlawed less than a month ago. Jennifer Whiteley, 27, was taken ill after sniffing a drug called Benzo Fury - a former ‘legal high’ which was temporarily banned by the Government last month over health fears. The former A-star Catholic girls' school pupil was rushed to hospital but suffered a heart attack and died shortly afterwards. Detectives originally believed she may have taken a pink Ecstasy-type tablet from a rogue batch feared to have killed 11 other people but officers recovered Benzo Fury powder from her home in Sale, Greater Manchester. Yesterday, as police issued a warning over the dangers of party drugs, her family paid tribute to the blonde Masters graduate who was setting out on a career in psychology. She was working as a mental health carer and had seen her articles published in the Journal of Health Psychology. In a statement her distraught family last night said their daughter was a ‘young, caring and beautiful woman.’ The family said: ‘Jennifer was passionate about her field of study and wanted to help people wherever she could. You could put her with a group of people covering every age, creed and colour and she could engage with all of them. ‘The overwhelming response from all the people who knew her, is that this young, caring and beautiful woman was a wonderful person loved by everyone and her loss will affect them all deeply.’ The tragedy unfolded in the early hours of Saturday morning when Miss Whiteley collapsed after taking the amphetamine-type drug 6-APB at her home. It is thought she and her boyfriend both attended a hospital after suffering an adverse reaction to the drug. Miss Whiteley died from a heart attack though her boyfriend recovered and later discharged himself after receiving treatment. Jennifer obtained an MSc in health psychology from Staffordshire University. She collapsed early Saturday at home after taking banned party drug . Police said officers were now awaiting toxicology results to establish how Jennifer died. In the statement her family said that growing up Miss Whiteley was an exceptional pupil achieving 11 GCSEs, including 3A*, 2 A-levels and three AS levels. She went on to Manchester Metropolitan University where she obtained a 2.2 BSc Honours degree in psychology and subsequently an MSc in health psychology from Staffordshire University. Detective Inspector Frank Morris said: ‘We will not be able to confirm the cause of this woman’s death until we get toxicology results. However, we recovered a powder which is a ‘legal high’ known as Benzo Fury, the legality of which is the subject of ongoing attention by the relevant authorities. ‘Taking drugs can not only have dire consequences for the person taking them but also for their family and friends.’ Benzo Fury, a mild stimulant that acts like amphetamines, is one of two legal highs which was banned for one year by the government last month. Announcing the temporary ban Home Office minister Jeremy Browne said it was being done to ‘protect the public’ and prevent ‘misery’. They have banned Benzo Fury and another legal high NBOMe while the government’s advisory council on the misuse of drugs assesses whether the ban should be made permanent. | The former A-star Catholic girls' school pupil suffered a heart attack and died shortly afterwards .
She worked as mental health carer and had articles published in the Journal of Health Psychology.
Home Office minister Jeremy Browne said ban was to ‘protect the public’ and prevent ‘misery’ |
fa14618774d0a81903eb9bae1ddebb0029557cc7 | Sydney man Peter Gardner, who has been detained in China on suspicion of drug smuggling for more than three months, is still languishing in a Chinese jail as he awaits a decision on whether his case will go to trial. New Zealand-born Gardner was arrested on November 8 in Guangzhou, where authorities allege he tried to smuggle 40kg of methamphetamine out of China. His travelling partner, Sydney woman Kalynda Davis, 22, was released without charge in December after a month in custody. Peter Gardner was arrested on November 8 in Guangzhou for allegedly trying to smuggle 40kg of methamphetamine out of China . But Gardner, a 25-year-old from Richmond in northwest Sydney, could face the death penalty. New Zealand human rights lawyer Craig Tuck has joined Gardner's defence team and will travel to China soon to work with his client's Chinese legal counsel. 'Mr Gardner has had his file transferred from the police to the prosecutor's office,' he said in a statement. 'He is detained in a cell while he awaits the decision about whether or not his case will proceed to trial. Sydney woman Kalynda Davis, 22, was released in December after a month in custody without charge . 'He is grateful for the love and support of his family and friends in New Zealand and Australia.' The Gardner family has requested privacy and won't comment to the media while the case proceeds. When Ms Davis returned to Sydney, her father revealed she was cleared because she had carry-on luggage only. She had been shackled in a small cell during the 30-day interrogation, was allowed no contact with the outside world and had her long, blonde hair cropped. But after her month-long imprisonment in a Chinese jail late last year, Ms Davis' life appears to have returned to normal. Social media photos last month showed Ms Davis enjoying the sunshine, much of it with her best friend Dan Stella, who posted a touching tribute to the friend with which who he shares a 'magical bond' with. Ms Davis has settled back into Sydney life after the nightmare of being shackled in a small cell during a 30-day interrogation in China . When Ms Davis returned to Sydney, her father revealed she was cleared by Chinese authorities because she had carry-on luggage only . 'I'm blessed n thankfull I have this girl back home n in my life, best friends for life (sic)', he wrote earlier this month. Mr Stella went on to describe the emotion he felt when he discovered he may never see Ms Davis again, saying he felt truly 'blessed' to have her back. The pair visited Naru Beach in Newcastle together in the first week of 2015, with Ms Davis joking she wanted to forget how sunburnt she was after spending the day in the sun. Mr Stella likened Ms Davis' return to 'winning the lottery' to which she replied 'love you so much' and 'Makes each time we spend together so much more special'. | Peter Gardner is still awaiting a decision on whether his case will go to trial .
He was arrested on November 8 in Guangzhou, China .
Authorities allege he tried to smuggle 40kg of Ice out of China .
Gardner, 25,from Richmond in Sydney, could face the death penalty .
His travelling partner, Kalynda Davis, 22, was released in December .
Gardner had his file transferred from the police to the prosecutor's office . |
fa149035aa8a3eb9afc0a54889c80410c9b45fa1 | Rupert Murdoch has backtracked on Twitter after making a controversial series of tweets in the wake of last week's Paris attacks . Rupert Murdoch has backtracked on Twitter after making a controversial series of tweets in the wake of last week's Paris attacks. The media mogul sparked outrage on Friday after saying all Muslims should be held responsible for the actions of jihadists. On Wednesday Murdoch took to Twitter once again but this time attempted to walk back from his comments which had caused controversy days before in the wake of three days of terrorist atrocities in Paris. 'Certainly did not mean all Muslims responsible for Paris attack, ' he tweeted. 'But Muslim community must debate and confront extremism.' Two minutes later he tweeted again: 'Ten of thousands of jihadi victims are Muslims and millions fighting back. But important for people of all faiths to address the threat.' The News Corp boss' latest tweets had a far less inflammatory tone than that which he had adopted in the aftermath of the attacks. On Friday he had suggested that even peaceful Muslims must take responsibility for the actions of terrorists until the 'jihadist cancer' is destroyed. He wrote: 'Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible.' He had then attempted to maintain his hardline stance, telling more than 500,000 followers that 'political correctness' made for 'denial and hypocrisy'. He added: 'Big jihadist danger looming everywhere from Philippines to Africa to Europe to US. 'Political correctness makes for denial and hypocrisy.' Murdoch's latest tweets have a far less inflammatory tone than that which he had adopted after last week's attacks . Murdoch words sparked a storm on the social network, with many Muslim users outraged that he had appeared to lay the blame for the terrorist attacks on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket on an entire religion, which has more than one billion followers. One user blasted his sweeping generalization and said: '"they" as in most Muslims????? You can't hold an entire religion of billions responsive [sic] for the actions of a few' Erwin Renaldi said: 'I'm really sad reading this. Insulting my faith and I have nothing to do with the extremists and I can do nothing.' Simon Edhouse added: 'Rupert, is West responsible for our extremists, Anders Breivik? etc' Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling condemned Murdoch's comments, writing: 'I was born Christian. If that makes Rupert Murdoch my responsibility, I'll auto-excommunicate.' She then added: 'The Spanish Inquisition was my fault, as is all Christian fundamentalist violence. Oh, and Jim Bakker.' Bakker is a disgraced pastor and televangelist who resigned amid a sex scandal, and later served five years of an original 45-year prison sentence for fraud and conspiracy, after stealing millions from charitable donations. Others questioned Murdoch's own morals, and referred to the phone-hacking scandal at the now-defunct News of the World newspaper. Michael Monan replied: '@rupertmurdoch In the same way that you must be held responsible for ordering the hacking of the voicemails of dead school children?' Murdoch's words also prompted ridicule - with white men, journalists, Australians and men called Rupert apologizing on his behalf. The creator of BBC sitcom Citizen Khan, Adil Ray, who said: 'I think all of Australia should be held responsible for Rupert Murdoch.' Matt Haig added: 'Rupert Murdoch thinks all Muslims should apologise for terrorism. So on behalf of white people I'd like to apologise for Rupert Murdoch.' Richard Robbins said: 'Am I to be held responsible for the rantings of octogenarian media moguls because we're both Caucasian?' Another user joked: 'Maybe most Ruperts peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy cancerous media dinosaur @rupertmurdoch, they must be held responsible.' To which, Rupert Franklin replied: 'I'd like to offer an apology on behalf of us all. Murdoch's comments don't represent the views of mainstream Rupert community.' And Matt Haig added: 'Rupert Murdoch wrote a tweet. As someone who uses Twitter I would like to apologise on his behalf.' | Controversial media mogul has taken to Twitter once again and attempted to walk back his comments in the aftermath of Paris terror attacks .
Sparked outrage on Friday saying even peaceful Muslims must take responsibility for 'jihadist cancer'
'Certainly did not mean all Muslims responsible for Paris attack, ' he tweeted on Tuesday .
Two minutes later he tweeted again: 'Ten of thousands of jihadi victims are Muslims and millions fighting back'
Latest tweets have a far less inflammatory tone than that which he had adopted after last week's attacks . |
fa14aeff407055cab546029eb04756dfe3155a0e | Standing in Ploshtad Sveta Nedelya – the large square which spreads out at the heart of Sofia – I am momentarily unsure what year it is. Behind me, the Holy Sunday Church is a swarthy slice of the 19th century – an Orthodox temple competing for souls with the 16th century Banya Bashi Mosque, which sits a few doors down. In front, the broad facade of the TZUM department store is an austere reminder of the grim communist Fifties – even as it towers over the archaeological remains of the Roman settlement of Serdica, which are framed beyond glass at my feet. Only when the adjacent metro station bursts into life, disgorging a crowd of commuters, does the 21st century seem to feel present and correct. A church to haunt a million postcards: The magnificent Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral is Sofia's landmark . Bulgaria's capital is rarely anybody's first suggestion for a mini-break. But, easily reached via a three-hour (direct) flight from London, it is deserving of closer attention – not least because few cities wear their past quite as openly as this fascinating little corner of eastern Europe. Just about every dominant power that ever thrived on our home continent – ancient Greeks, road-building Romans, Ottoman Turks, the heavy hand of the Soviet Union – has had its say here at some point. The result is an intriguing cocktail of architectural styles and overlapping eras that is certain to delight more intrepid travellers. Exploring the centre, I soon encounter the Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral. Indeed, it is hard to miss Sofia’s keynote building. It is the sort of dreaming wonder of a church that, were it located in Paris, Rome or Barcelona, would gaze out from a million postcards. In truth, it looks like it has escaped from Moscow – an epic, domed creation that was built between 1878 and 1912, at a time when Bulgaria was in thrall to Tsarist Russia. Its flanks are adorned with mosaics – while its interior, where the aroma of incense hangs thick in the air, is a feast of space. It has a neighbour too, the smaller St Sophia – a humble red-brick pile that, remarkably, has occupied its site since the sixth century. Inside, medieval frescoes supply colour and beauty, saints peering piously at the observer. Unknown quantity: Sofia is one of Europe's most historic cities, but is rarely on the tourist map . Sofia loves its churches – but it also revels in culture. The Sofia City Art Gallery, with its 3500-strong cluster of contemporary works, is a treasure trove. Yet the motherlode is the National Art Gallery. Pitched inside a former royal palace, this is a pleasing place to spend an afternoon, its many paintings hung in high-ceilinged chambers where the affairs of court once played out. The names of the painters whose pieces decorate the walls will not, perhaps, be familiar – but the striking landscapes and rural scenes crafted by Bulgarian luminaries like Anton Mitov and Vera Nedkova are eye-catching nonetheless. Somewhat bizarrely, the National Museum of History is hidden four miles south-west of the centre, in the suburb of Boyana. You need to take a taxi to reach it – but the inconvenience is offset by the collection that awaits. Bulgaria’s full tale is revealed here. The priceless Panagyurishte Treasure – a clutch of gold goblets from the fourth century BC – recalls the days when the area was part of the ancient Greek region of Thrace. Crusader swords and World War weaponry tell military stories of different vintages. And the building regales you with the most dramatic yarn of all. This sturdy block of concrete, with its sweeping staircases and enormous rooms, was used for state events in the Iron Curtain epoch. There is still a distinct whiff of Bond villain’s lair to its angular bulkiness. However, it would be wholly incorrect to say that Sofia exists in some sepia yesteryear. And you do not have to look too closely to see a vibrant, modern city of quiet confidence. Trundling along: A tram rolls past the Tsentralni Halite market hall - where you can find quality wines . There are flashes of the now in the broad Tsentralni Halite. Sofia's main market hall may be a happy relic, dating to 1911, but the picture inside is decidedly up to date – a host of stalls selling organic olive oils and fruity bottles of Bulgaria's increasingly quaffable wines; a small bar where locals discuss the issues of the day over discreet glasses of beer. This image blossoms on Vitosha Bulevard. Sofia's key drag is largely pedestrianised, and when I amble along it in late afternoon, a merry crowd is in evidence – families milling around the shops, worker bees heading for the hive of bars and cafes. It is not quite the Champs Elysées, but it hints at something that Paris cannot match. At the south end, the mountain which gives the avenue its name can be glimpsed between the townhouses – Vitosha, wearing a cap of snow. The ski season at its two resorts – Konjarnika-Vetrovala and Aleko, both roughly half an hour away – usually runs between December and March. Wandering further, I find myself in the leafy lanes to the rear of the National Art Gallery – where the ghosts of the communist decades are firmly exorcised by two splendid options for a night out. With a menu heavy on cocktails and high-end bottles of whisky, Dada Cultural Bar is the sort of trendy watering hole that could comfortably exist in any great global metropolis, a wave of elegant conversation washing over the clientele within. Another piece of the past and present: Sofia's Banya Bashi Mosque is a doughty remnant of Ottoman times . Moskovska 15, meanwhile, is one of the city's undoubted culinary kingpins – a softly lit restaurant of crisp linen, gourmet flair and wine-list expertise. The menu entices with its talk of beef with herb-and-potato purée, and meatballs with pancetta. I choose the former, pairing it with a half-bottle of Bulgarian merlot that is warm and rich – and wonder again why more people do not flit east to sample what is one of Europe's intriguing last secrets. For all the grand visibility of its past, Sofia is a place that is increasingly facing forwards. British Airways (0844 493 0787; www.ba.com) flies to Sofia daily from London Heathrow. Return fares from £136. A three-night break at the five-star Grand Hotel Sofia costs from £495 per person (based on two people sharing), including flights from Heathrow, private transfers and breakfast – through Cox & Kings (020 7873 5000; www.coxandkings.co.uk). | Bulgaria's intriguing capital is one of Europe's less known major cities .
It has historic buildings from the Ottoman, Communist and Roman eras .
The colossal Alexsandar Nevski Cathedral is its most significant landmark . |
fa15900ccaec590f9728986736477db7dad087a9 | An over-the-counter painkiller used by millions will no longer be sold in pharmacies from today, over fears that it could raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Diclofenac pills will now only be available with a prescription. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said the painkilling and anti-inflammatory tablets, widely bought under the brand name Voltarol, carry a ‘small but increased’ risk of heart problems. Diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug, has been reclassified by the UK healthcare regulator as a prescription-only medicine after concerns it may cause heart problems for some patients . Painkilling gels that contain diclofenac will still be available over the counter, however. Diclofenac accounts for six million prescriptions, and it is thought that tens of thousands buy Voltarol directly over the counter. The pills are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are used to relieve pain caused by conditions including arthritis, gout, headaches and flu. In 2013, Oxford University researchers found high doses of NSAIDs can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. A review by European health officials confirmed the finding, and said patients should no longer use diclofenac if they have a heart condition, or have previously suffered heart attacks or strokes. Diclofenac - the active ingredient in Voltarol – offers fast relief from pain and inflammation associated with back, neck and muscle aches. It also gives short-term relief from headaches, toothache, period pain and cold and flu symptoms. It blocks a substance in the body called cyclo-oxygenase, which produces chemicals in response to injury – causing pain, swelling and inflammation. In 2013, a major Oxford University study found that for every 1,000 people with a moderate risk of heart disease taking 150mg a day for a year, about three would experience an avoidable heart attack, of which one would be fatal. Diclofenac can also cause serious side-effects in the gut, such as ulceration, bleeding or perforation of the stomach or intestinal lining. The MHRA’s Commission on Human Medicines concluded that these side-effects could ‘not be ruled out’ even at lower doses, or when diclofenac is taken for a short time. Pills containing diclofenac remain available over the counter in many other countries, including Germany, Italy and Australia. However, the MHRA’s Sarah Branch said: ‘Diclofenac is associated with a small but increased risk of serious cardiac side effects in some patients, particularly if used at high doses and for long-term treatment. Because of this, the Commission on Human Medicines has advised that patients need to have a medical review before taking oral diclofenac to make sure it is suitable for them. ‘If patients have recently bought diclofenac tablets and continue to need pain relief they should talk to their pharmacist about suitable alternative treatments.’ Dr Branch said those prescribed diclofenac by a doctor should continue to take their medicine as instructed, as their medical history has already been assessed. Dr Phil Berry, head of clinical safety at Voltarol manufacturer Novartis, warned: ‘Those who want to continue taking oral diclofenac are now going to have to go to their GP which, in view of the current situation in the UK with A&E, is worrying.’ Six million prescriptions were written for diclofenac last year and the drug is also available over the counter in lower dose Voltarol tablets and cream . | Diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug, has been reclassified .
Is used by millions for conditions such as back pain, arthritis and gout .
But there were fears the drug could also cause heart problems .
Has now been re-classified and will only be available on prescription . |
fa1618e040095b153ffd1b71b3778f16325fd837 | By . Mia De Graaf . Rats as big as cats have been scouring the streets of Birmingham, breaking holes in walls and ravaging bins, reports claim. Pest control has gone into overdrive to tackle more than 5,100 sightings of the enormous animals in the city just one year. Colin Watts, managing the crackdown, said he saw a two-foot rodent as 'wide as a brick'. Outbreak: Pest control has been sent into overdrive to find and catch two-foot rats swarming Birmingham . Giant holes have been made into homes, and calls to pest control were up by 300 on the year before in 2013 . He said: 'One of the biggest I've seen must have been 14 or 15 inches long. 'That was just the body, without the tail. 'With its tail it would have been over 2ft. It was like a small cat.' One professor blames the obesity epidemic and households' unhealthy diets for fuelling the pests' appetite and eating habits. Dr Robin Allaby, professor in evolutionary genetics at Warwick University, said: 'Humans have got bigger with nutrition and it's a quite likely explanation for rats as well.' Colin Watts, who has been dealing with the outbreak, says they weigh the same as two bags of sugar . Mr Watts added that some rats felt as heavy as two bags of sugar. 'They're unbelievably big and heavy when you pick them up,' he said. 'It's because of all the food around for them in bags. 'They are definitely getting bigger.' Earlier this month, councillors objected to plans to privatise Birmingham's pest control service, which they claim would make the essential service too expensive for residents. The service must become self-sufficient within two years so £600,000 can be cut from the budget. Mr Watts is urging families to lay poison and warning rats reproduce at an alarming scale. One professor at Warwick University blames households' increasingly large eating habits for fuelling the rodents' diets . Officers had suggested outsourcing the service and increasing charges. Young rats can fit into a hole the width of a large pen as their spines were like 'jelly'. Sexually active and reproducing at just six weeks of age, rats have up to 12 babies at a time. In a lifetime of around 18 months, they can have approximately 200 offspring. Mr Watts said: 'Imagine the knock-on effect, it's incredible. 'So it's imperative we keep putting poisons down in Birmingham.' Ratzilla: Rats in Papua New Guinea can reach the size of a large tom cat, such as this one pictured in 2007 . There are several species of rat classed as 'giants' - most of them from South America and Indonesia. The coypu - a large rodent which grew up to 2ft long and weighed 20lbs - is found in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. It is similar to a beaver and lives in water and in burrows on river banks. It was believed to have been made extinct in the UK in 1989 after it became a pest and caused damage to river banks and irrigation systems. Several species of giant rat bigger than some cats were discovered in 2007 in remote jungle areas on Papua New Guinea. The largest, known as woolly rats, can reach 3ft long. In South America, there are two types of giant rat from the Kunisia genus. They grow to more than 1.5ft and feed on insects and other mammals. The news Birmingham comes just days after a 16in 'ratzilla' was found in a flat in Sweden, which sparked a frenzy on Twitter. The . picture of the enormous rodent, which had been caught in a rat trap, . broke into the kitchen by gnawing its way through cement and wood. Meanwhile, in Germany, residents of Halle were this week terrified by the discovery of 'demon' rats with fangs in their central river. In the UK, pest control officers were forced to hunt down a swarm of two-foot rats in Bradford in 2010. And last . year, exterminators were baffled by rats who chewed through heavy duty, highly-protected wires in Southampton - sparking a massive . blaze that caused thousands of pounds of damage at a coach company. The fire destroyed three coaches and three minibuses at the firm's headquarters. | Two-foot rodents breaking holes in walls, ravaging bins in Birmingham .
Professor blames households' eating habits for fuelling size of pests .
Chief pest control officer says they weigh same as two bags of sugar . |
fa16396e12acde2168b2d79ef39419cfbd6b327e | An eight-year-old boy was critically injured when his sister, nine, shot him in a head after finding her parent's loaded handgun. The horrific incident took place in the city of DeLand, Florida, yesterday evening. The girl 'somehow obtained a handgun that belonged to a parent' and was holding it when it discharged, police said. An eight-year-old boy was critically injured when his sister, nine, shot him in a head after finding her parent's loaded handgun. The boy is pictured being loaded onto a helicopter to be taken to hospital . It also emerged that a pair of teenagers aged 19 and 15 were supposed to be babysitting the children but had gone to a nearby store when the shot was fired . Initial reports said the boy was only grazed by the bullet, however it was later confirmed he was hit directly in the head. He was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, DeLand Police Sgt. Chris Estes told WFTV 9. It also emerged that a pair of teenagers aged 19 and 15 were supposed to be babysitting the children but had gone to a nearby store when the shot was fired. There were three other children all under 10 also in the home at the time but they were uninjured. The shooting took place on this street in DeLand, Florida . He was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, DeLand Police Sgt. Chris Estes . Police would not comment on whether or not they had found the parents of the children and if they would face any charges. It is not yet known if the Department for Children and Families have been called in. The incident remains under investigation. | The unnamed boy is in a critical condition following incident .
He was airlifted to a hospital in Orlando, Florida .
Two teenagers were watching them but went to shop during shooting . |
fa1642dc04f9fd22e44282e48c2a4f7a260074dc | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:42 EST, 12 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:55 EST, 12 June 2013 . Chloe Brennan, 40, outside London's High Court. She is battling her late father's relatives, claiming she was the victim of a 'conspiracy' to cut her out of inheriting more than £500,000 . A woman claims her father’s relatives conspired to cut her out of a £500,000 inheritance because she ‘shamed their family’ by being born out of wedlock. Chloe Brennan says her father’s siblings ‘never liked her and didn’t want to know her’. The mother of two claims her half-French father, Francoise Devillebichot, ‘treated her like a princess’ and promised she would never have to worry about money again after he died. But when Mr Devillebichot died of throat cancer in 2011, aged 65, Mrs Brennan, 40, was shocked to find he had signed a will on his deathbed. That left the bulk of his £620,000 estate – including his home in Harrow, north London, and a flat in Cannes – to his sisters Anne and Lucille, his brother Phillippe and the children of a third sister, Jackie. Mrs Brennan, who is her late father’s only child, wants the High Court to rule the will invalid and hand Mr Devillebichot’s entire fortune to her. She told the court how her paternal grandfather, Georges Devillebichot, was a top French diplomat who lived in London and married an English girl, setting up home in Knightsbridge and raising their four children. She said this auspicious upbringing led to her father’s siblings feeling ‘shame’ and ‘unfounded hostility’ when she was born illegitimate. Mrs Brennan, of Reading, told Judge Mark Herbert QC she had to take a DNA test following her father’s death to ‘prove her heritage’. In the will she was left £100,000. But Mrs Brennan insisted that on her wedding day her father promised her his worldly goods and she ‘fears the will is in fact a forgery’. She claims Jackie and Anne, together with their cousins Anthony Prior and Andrew Prior – the executors of the estate – were ‘part of a conspiracy to fraudulently propound an invalid will’. They deny those accusations, along with claims the siblings exerted ‘undue influence’ on their dying brother to get him to make the will. Mrs Brennan told the court: ‘I contend that the siblings took advantage of my father’s admission to hospital and indisposition by making and arranging the will. ‘If he did sign the will, he was . compelled to sign any document put before him, without ever knowing the . full and real contents of it or its implications. ‘The circumstances around the making . of the will raise suspicion. It was made when my father was admitted to . hospital and the siblings were told he had seven days to live. I wasn’t . contacted. The next day he signed the will, effectively excluding his . only daughter, directly contrary to previous discussions with me. Ms Brennan's cousins Anthony Prior - a magistrate and executor of the will - and Andrew Prior outside London's High Court. She accuses the pair of taking part in the conspiracy against her . ‘I believe that there is a suspicion or doubt that this will was invalid and hope the court will reach the same conclusion.’ Luke Harris, representing Mr Devillebichot’s siblings, said the way the will divided the assets was ‘perfectly understandable’. He added the £100,000 gift to Mrs . Brennan, far from being shocking, ‘reflected his favourable treatment of . his daughter during his life’. Cross-examining Mrs Brennan, he said: ‘He was getting tired of giving you money.’ Mr Harris told the court: ‘The will is . rational on its face. The evidential burden is upon Mrs Brennan to . raise a real doubt about capacity. It is submitted that she has clearly . failed to discharge that burden. ‘There is certainly no evidence that . raises even a prima facie case that the Priors, Anne and Jackie have . forged or falsely propounded the will or conspired to commit forgery. ‘The Priors are both respectable . members of society. It is inherently unlikely that two such individuals . would come to court to lie.’ The hearing continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Chloe Brennan, 40, family 'never liked her and didn’t want to know her'
She says they have 'forged her father's will' which only left her £100,000 .
Claims he had promised her his entire estate once he died .
But family say he had simply grown 'tired of giving her money' |
fa168ef9df55c6e2a75485e58abebb21dcc1a668 | Divorce can be a turbulent time, so why not do it in extreme comfort? That's the big sell behind Gideon Putnam Resort & Spa, a luxury resort in upstate New York's, latest venture. Previously renowned for putting on lavish weddings the hotel and spa has turned it's attention to quick splits with $5,000 (£3,000) weekend divorce packages. For that amount you and your soon-to-be ex husband can make a weekend of it with access to the baths and spa, tennis, hiking, swimming, golf courses and ice skating, in between trips to your attorney. Excess baggage? Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa in Saratoga Springs in New York will take care of it . Sound like a nice way to break-up? The 'Divorce Hotel' has only two criteria: you must be a US citizen and agree to use the attorneys and mediators provided by the hotel. A jolly on the golf course this ain't - you have to be fully committed to your forthcoming divorce. Over the weekend guests work with mediators to finalise the sticky details into a signed agreement and, if they choose, the whole process can be filmed as part of a new reality show made by A. Smith and Co., the production company behind Gordon Ramsay’s 'Kitchen Nightmares'. Visit the hotel's Roosevelt Baths for sanctuary from your other half before you make the break . Program founder Jim Halfens told the New York Post, 'Practically, they are divorced after signing on Sunday.' 'After signing, all work is done and we send it to a judge who only puts a stamp on it to make it official.' Halfens, who already runs similar projects in his native Netherlands, expects to start up his services at the end of September. Rob Sgarlata, a hotel representative, stated, 'They want people to get into an environment that minimizes the stress of the situation and that's exactly what we offer.' Couples check into separate rooms and use a shared suite for 'mediation' talks . He added, 'We welcome all kinds of guests.' Problems could arise when weddings and divorces are held at the same time but Sgarlata says the hotel will keep the milestones separate. 'We would be sensitive to having them in different parts of the hotel,' he said. | Gideon Putnam Resort & Spa in New York charges couples £5,000 for stay .
Guests have the option of being filmed during the process for reality show .
In between consulting attorney parties play golf, swim and enjoy massages . |
fa1737ccd3454bc47262a3c6a2fc7a4d512a1c05 | By . Andy Dolan . PUBLISHED: . 03:01 EST, 8 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:34 EST, 18 June 2012 . Shot dead: Clare Sly, 38, who was found gunned down in her home in Walsall early this morning . A 23-year-old man and his girlfriend are being held on suspicion of . shooting dead his own mother and her partner in the early hours of this . morning, neighbours have claimed. The victims, named locally as teaching . assistant Clare Sly, 38, and her 43-year-old partner Decker Vassall . were gunned down at their home after neighbours heard rowing at the . property. Their bodies were . discovered at 1.37am at a house on Laneside Gardens, in the Birchills . area of Walsall, West Midlands. Paramedics tried to revive the pair but . both died at the scene. Soon after police arrested a . 23-year-old man, believed to be Ms Sly's son Anthony Vassell, and a . 22-year-old woman, believed to be his girlfriend. They are understood to have to have . lived just 15 metres away from Clare's house with her mother Eileen Sly, . 69. Any possible motive for the killing is still unclear. Ms Sly has two more sons, aged around 10. At Laneside Gardens - a cul-de-sac . with a path running down the middle - two terraced houses opposite each . other were being combed by police and forensic teams this morning. Locals said teaching assistant Ms Sly . lived at number nine Laneside Gardens and it is understood her son . Anthony lived with his grandmother at number five. Some neighbours said Ms Sly worked at . the nearby Allumwell Junior School. Others said they heard screams . coming from the house before the shooting. One said: 'People often cut through from the local pub and it sounded like they were heading in that direction.' The neighbour added: 'I didn't know . the woman well but I know that she was a decent, hard-working woman. The . man who was shot is known as 'Decker' but I don't know his real name. 'Apparently she was Clare Sly and her son Anthony has been arrested. It's tragic.' Crime scene: A policeman stands guard outside a house on Laneside Gardens. Two properties on the quiet cul-de-sac were being combed for clues today . A neighbour and her son - who both did not wish to be named - said they were close to Anthony Vassell. They said: 'We have heard that Anthony . and his girlfriend have been arrested, I can't believe it's his own . parents who are dead.' Neighbours Carol, 67, and Sydney . Robinson, 71, named the dead woman locally as Clare Sly the daughter of a . good friend Eileen Sly. Mrs Robinson said: 'We woke up in the . morning, maybe gunshot noise disturbed us, and we looked out of the . window and we could police swarming all over these houses, in particular . Eileen and Clare's house. 'Clare was an absolutely lovely girl, . she has three sons, and her partner is a few years older than her. They're a lovely family. 'We live in a really close knit . neighbourhood everyone is here for one another, Sydney used to give . Clare lifts to school when she was a child. 'I can't believe what's happened, a . double killing in this neighbourhood is unheard of, it's a nice place to . live full of nice people, I feel sick inside.' Mr Robinson said: 'Clare grew up around here, we never had any trouble from her. 'We were so shocked when we heard, I remember when Clare was born. 'It's absolutely tragic, her mum will be devastated.' Neighbour Sandy Varma, aged 34, said: 'I'm in shock. It's just not something you expect. Bill Mason, 81, who has lived in the area for 45 years, added: 'She was at work most of the time. 'I saw her occasionally when she put the bins out and I only spoke to her a couple of times each year.' Resident Daljit Kaity, 19, said: 'I . can't believe what has happened, I used to see two little lads playing . in the front garden of the house. 'It's tragic if they've lost their mum.' An officer stands behind the property: Police swooped on two suspects shortly after being called to the scene. There were in custody this morning . West Midlands Police said officers . were called to the house, on Laneside Gardens, at 1.37am on Friday after . ambulance crews attended a property, where two people were found with . serious gunshot injuries. A spokesman said: 'Despite the best efforts of medical staff, both the man and woman died at the scene. 'Officers immediately cordoned off the . property and the cul-de-sac as an investigation was launched into the . circumstances of the deaths. 'After making immediate enquiries a . 23-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman were arrested nearby in . connection with the incident. They have been taken to a police station . for questioning this morning.' Detective Inspector Michaela Kerr, . from West Midlands CID, said: 'Both the man and woman sustained gunshot . injuries and they received emergency treatment at the scene, however . they could not be saved and died a short time later. 'We are treating their deaths as . suspicious and two people were arrested nearby in connection with the . incident. They are in custody this morning and will be questioned by . detectives.' Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Anthony Vasell, 23, arrested, neighbours say .
22-year-old woman also held in connection with killing .
Neighbours heard screams coming from the house in the early hours of this morning . |
fa1747605b9868484106ec6ca9de7a898a764926 | By . Paul Donnelley . A Tibetan monk who posed for a selfie with London Mayor Boris Johnson was so caught up in the moment that it caused him to lose a laptop containing his life’s work. Lelung Rinpoche, 43, was excited to find he was travelling on the same London Underground train as the mayor. But after posing for a photograph, the expert on Buddhist scriptures grabbed his young son and left the train as he suddenly realised he had reached his stop. Boris Johnson posed for a selfie with a Tibetan monk while on a train. Lelung Rinpoche was so caught up in the moment - he accidentally left his laptop, which contained his life's work, on the train. In the picture the mayor is holding what appears to be a copy of The Beano, the children's comic. It is folded to show a page headed 'PieFa', which may be Pie Face, who is a sidekick of Dennis the Menace. It was only moments later that he realised he had left on the train his laptop containing nearly 1,000 pages of rare scriptures he had collected from around the world. It was in a rucksack that also contained a camera, keys and his passport. Since then, the bag has been handed in anonymously to London Underground staff and his camera, keys and passport have been returned to him. But the all-important laptop, which disappeared as he travelled between Uxbridge and Eastcote on April 10, is still missing. Mr Rinpoche, who had become engrossed in a deep conversation with Boris Johnson about Tibet during their brief meeting on the Metropolitan Line train, had nearly complete drafts of two books on the laptop. The books aimed to help preserve ancient teachings which are under threat of being lost due to the political unrest in his Tibetan homeland. Mr Rinpoche is the spiritual director of the charity the Lelung Dharma Trust, based in Eastcote, northwest London. His work featured in a BBC2 documentary in 2010 called Buddha in Suburbia. One of the centre’s volunteers, Connie Dusek, who is on holiday in Majorca, said today: ‘The bag has come back, but not the laptop. ’I think someone has taken it in order to sell it on. Underground staff at Baker Street received the bag back with the camera, passport and bunch of keys, but not the laptop he needs so desperately. Fascinating conversationalist: Lelung Rinpoche was so engrossed in his chat with Boris Johnson that he almost missed his stop and left his rucksack on train containing his laptop . ‘They have no information on the person who handed it in. Perhaps they did not see who it was.’Mr Johnson had been in Uxbridge to attend a political event. Mr Rinpoche, whose charity is offering a £500 reward for the laptop’s return, said: ‘I saw Boris on the train and he was two or three seats in front of me. Other people were having pictures with him, so I did too. ‘I thought he was a very modest person to take the tube and we talked about Tibet. Part-recovery: Underground staff at Baker Street (pictured) received Lelung Rinpoche's bag back with the camera, passport and bunch of keys, but not the laptop he needs so desperately . ’He said he really wanted to visit. When I got off the train, he waved at me and I went on my way.’ The Tibetan, who had been travelling back from registering the birth of his baby daughter, added:‘Some of the work has taken months and months, and have been taken from different books. ‘The laptop had two book’s worth of material, around 900 pages that I had collected from around the world. I had visited libraries in countries like Mongolia to try to find any pages they have. ‘The two books were nearly at a stage where I could publish them. But I have lost almost all of it.’ | Lelung Rinpoche, 43,chatted with the mayor about Tibet .
Jumped off train when realised he was at his stop .
Left behind rucksack containing laptop, keys, camera and passport .
Bag returned with all possessions intact apart from laptop .
Laptop contains two almost completed books . |
fa17caa4dce33cd5f36a7ca63aede184d0c154f3 | Cairo (CNN) -- Hussein Gomaa Hussein was only 31 when he died. It was 2 in the afternoon on a late January day. A bullet pierced his chest as he protested the regime of Hosni Mubarak on the streets of Cairo. Hussein's brother Mohamed has no doubts as to Mubarak's complicity. He wishes the harshest punishment for the longtime Egyptian dictator when a trial verdict is pronounced Saturday. Execution. That is the only sentence that will satisfy the families of all those who died or were injured in Egypt's revolution last year, Hussein says. "That is the only verdict we will accept." In what Egyptians have dubbed the trial of the century, Mubarak will face a judge Saturday to find out his fate in a long-awaited decision that is sure to make a definitive mark on the Arab nation's future. Gallery: Arab leaders -- where are they now? The verdict comes after a notorious emergency law expired Friday, ending 31 years of sweeping police powers. And it comes ahead of a polarizing mid-June runoff in the presidential election that pits the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi against the more secularist Ahmed Shafiq, a former official in Mubarak's regime. Mubarak could receive the death penalty. Or a prison term. Or be acquitted altogether. The latter could send angry crowds back to Cairo's Tahrir Square and deal a heavy blow to Egypt's unfinished revolution. The last days of Mubarak's regime . Mubarak became president in October 1981, ruling Egypt with an iron hand as a staunch ally of the United States. But all those years in power were shattered by 18 days of uprising. On February 11 of last year, he stood down, defeated by popular will. He was charged with corruption, misappropriation of funds and, most seriously, issuing orders to kill demonstrators calling for the downfall of his regime. About 840 people died and more than 6,000 others were wounded in the Egyptian uprising, according to Amnesty International. "As president, Mubarak was responsible for protecting all Egyptian citizens," said prosecutor Mustafa Suleiman. "He didn't take the appropriate measures to carry out his duty to stop the bloodshed and the acts of violence against the Egyptian people." Also on trial were Mubarak's two sons and other members of his regime. Mubarak was the first former Arab head of state in many decades to appear in an ordinary court of law. Tunisia's Zine el Abidine Ben Ali was tried in absentia. Mubarak's trial, said Human Rights Watch, has the potential to set a meaningful regional precedent for accountability for human rights abuses and for upholding international fair trial standards. When the trial opened, it was a spectacle few Egyptians thought they would ever see. Images broadcast around the world showed the former leader in a defendant's cage, trapped like an animal. January 2012: Mubarak arrives at court via stretcher . Within a matter of six months, he had fallen from the pinnacle of power to the depths of humiliation. The trial proceeded in chaotic manner. Outside the heavily guarded court, Mubarak's foes clashed with loyalists. Magdi Fouda is one such loyalist; he leads a group of Mubarak supporters. He said he hopes the court finds the former president innocent Saturday. Fouda collected 750,000 signatures on a petition calling for Mubarak's pardon. Others have set up a Facebook page called "Sorry, Mr President," which boasts more than 240,000 "likes." When Mubarak's trial began in August . The ousted leader should be honored, not humiliated, for his decades of work for Egypt, Fouda said. "We believe President Mubarak has been terribly mistreated recently," he said. "We will stand faithfully by him, to honor him for his 62 years of service to Egypt. Lawyer Khalid Abu Bakr attended every session of the trial, representing some of the families of those killed in the uprising. "I am proud of the transparency and objectivity of this historical trial regardless of the verdict," he said in February. "It has met all the standards of judicial due process in comparison with court proceedings in Europe and the United States of America." Now, on the eve of the verdict, Bakr said the ailing Mubarak maintained a certain regal disdain for the proceedings, spending much of his time on a mobile bed, his hair jet black, odd on a man well into his 80s. Never did he show regret, Bakr said. No words of remorse ever left his lips, though some expected him to say he was sorry for the blood that was spilled. Or perhaps, that he made a mistake. For journalist Mona Eltahawy, Mubarak's trial is not about revenge. It's about justice in a land where the courts and legal system have been rife with corruption. To hope for justice to prevail is very difficult for Egyptians, she said, pointing out that members of the police and security forces have never been put on trial. "Egyptians are very angry," she said. Still, people protested non-violently on the streets last year. They achieved what was the unthinkable -- they toppled Mubarak. Whatever happens Saturday, Eltahawy said, Egyptians will oppose injustice. Peacefully. CNN's Bed Wedeman reported from Cairo and Moni Basu, from Atlanta. | In Egypt's 'trial of the century,' Hosni Mubarak will find out his fate Saturday .
Some relatives of those who were killed in protests want Mubarak to be executed .
Loyalists say the former leader was mistreated . |
fa17f3ef6835e6b980f840a373a8978e40f386a6 | BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) -- European leaders agreed Friday to send an 1,800-strong security force to maintain stability in Kosovo, although they stopped short of backing independence for the province. French soldiers at the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo last month. Kosovo is expected to declare independence from Serbia early in the new year. Serbia, however, insists the region should remain autonomous within its borders. Speaking at the end of a one-day summit of European heads in Brussels, Jose Socrates, the Portuguese prime minister currently holding the European Union presidency, said that sending the security mission was a "political decision." The police and security force is expected to be deployed to the Balkan state ahead of an announcement of independence. "This is the clearest signal that the EU could possibly give that it intends to lead on the whole issue of Kosovo's future, its status and its role in the region," Socrates said. According to CNN's Robin Oakley in Brussels, European leaders are trying to balance an obvious readiness to back Kosovan independence with incentives to Serbia, which is seeking membership of the EU. EU leaders are deeply conscious of their failure in the early 1990s to move early enough to prevent the bloodletting in the Balkans over the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, he said. Although most EU leaders support Serbia becoming a member state to boost stability in the Balkans, French President Nicholas Sarkozy said that Serbia's membership is dependent on it recognizing Kosovo's independence and handing over war criminals. Socrates confirmed to CNN that any fast-tracking of Serbia into the EU could only be considered if it agreed to hand over Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb general wanted at the The Hague for suspected war crimes. Two years of negotiations on the future status of Kosovo ended in failure earlier this week, when talks mediated by Europe, the United States and Russia ended without an agreement. The disputed province is dear to the Serbs, Orthodox Christians who regard it as Serbian territory. But it is equally coveted by Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, Muslims who have a 90 percent majority. Since 1999 the United Nations has been running the province with NATO peacekeepers, who still number 16,000. Oakley said the EU mission to Kosovo would help to ease the handover from the U.N. to local authorities. E-mail to a friend . | European leaders agree to send 1,800-strong security force to Kosovo .
Kosovo expected to declare independence from Serbia in new year .
Serbia insists region should remain autonomous within its borders . |
fa17f790596ab893bd895982f8549fbc1c7deb45 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- The singer Madonna has settled with Guy Ritchie for $75 million, or about £50 million, as part of their divorce agreement, her representative, Liz Rosenberg, confirmed on Monday to CNN. Madonna and Ritchie in London for the premiere of Ritchie's film "Rocknrolla" on September 1. Film director Ritchie's spokesman made no immediate comment. The couple was granted a preliminary decree of divorce on November 21 Britain's High Court in London. The couple have six weeks and a day from that hearing before the divorce becomes final. The two-part divorce is standard in Britain. The window of time allows anyone who objects to the divorce -- or has changed their minds -- to notify the court. The couple married at Scotland's Skibo Castle eight years ago. They have three children -- Rocco, born to the couple in 2000; David, adopted from Malawi; and Lourdes, Madonna's daughter from her previous relationship with dancer Carlos Leon. British newspapers reported Friday that Ritchie agreed to take almost none of the singer's fortune, estimated to be around £300 million ($447 million). | NEW: Madonna agrees $75M settlement with Guy Ritchie, spokeswoman says .
Couple was granted preliminary divorce decree in November .
After six weeks and a day the divorce will likely become final .
The couple are divorcing after eight years of marriage . |
fa181cec43aaf686e85e7e85c17bae7436a46c51 | Robbie Kingsford was attacked in a homophobic hate crime on Saturday morning in Surbiton . Two thugs wearing pink tutus are being hunted by police after launching a savage homophobic attack on passers-by outside a YMCA. The men were sitting outside the hostel with three women in the early hours when they began hurling gay abuse at their two victims, aged 18 and 21. The attackers approached the two men and punched one before kicking and stamping on the other, who had fallen to the floor while trying to intervene. The victim who was punched suffered minor facial injuries, while the other - named by a local newspaper as Robbie Kingsford, 21, after his father Brian posted an appeal for witnesses and a picture of his son's injuries on Facebook - was taken to hospital with head injuries and was later discharged. The attack in Surbiton, Surrey, on Saturday morning, is being treated as a homophobic hate crime, although no arrests have yet been made. The first suspect is described as a short, white man, in his late twenties, with fair hair, shaven and a muscular build and was wearing a pink tutu. The second attack is also a white man in his late twenties, with brown short hair and also wearing a pink tutu. The YMCA in Surbiton, Surrey, was the scene of an alleged homophobic attack on Saturday . Trainee Detective Constable Ann-Marie Hodgkiss said: 'This was a violent and unprovoked hate crime and I am appealing for anyone with any information about the incident to contact me. 'The two suspects were distinctively dressed, probably due to Halloween, and I would urge anyone who recognises their description and who may know who they are to contact me and help us trace them.' | Men in pink tutus hurled gay abuse at two men before assaulting them .
Attack in Surbiton, Surrey, on Saturday, treated as a homophobic hate crime .
Both attackers described as white men in their late 20s with short hair .
One of the victims named as Robbie Kingsford after his father Brian posted an appeal for witnesses and a picture of his son's injuries on Facebook . |
fa18387f9af73418ba698b05ffa410ca36b47b93 | By . Paul Donnelley . PUBLISHED: . 13:34 EST, 12 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:44 EST, 12 March 2014 . A jealous husband was jailed for life today for murdering his 'Shirley Valentine' wife over her holiday romance. Mother-of-four Assia Newton, 44, was strangled by her furious husband Kelvin, 45, for falling in love with a waiter on a Mediterranean holiday. After years trapped in an unhappy marriage, she told her builder husband that she wanted a divorce – and had met a new man in Tunisia. Jealous: Assia Newton (left) was murdered by her builder husband, Kelvin (right) at the family home in South Wales after she fell in love with a Tunisian waiter during a Mediterranean holiday . Mrs Newton was due to fly out to meet the waiter for a third holiday in two months when Newton strangled her with a dog lead in the bedroom of the family home. The couple’s three daughters looked down on their father from the public gallery as he was jailed for life with a recommendation that he serve a minimum of 18 years. Youngest daughter Sameera, 17, said: ‘‘Mum joked she was like Shirley Valentine and told dad about the waiter after the second holiday.’ Victim: Assia Newton poses for a happy family portrait with her three daughters. Mrs Newton's smiles belied the fact that her home life with her husband was a continuous series of arguments and violent rows . The daughters told police how their father had ‘changed’ after being told about Mrs Newton’s new relationship with a waiter called Mohammed. Cardiff Crown Court heard that Mrs Newton visited Tunisia for the first time in June last year after going on holiday with her daughter Sophia to celebrate the girl's 18th birthday. Mrs Newton returned to Tunisia alone a fortnight later and began a long-distance relationship with daily calls to Mohammed over the internet. She was days away from taking her third holiday to meet her new love when Newton strangled her with a dog lead. Eldest daughter Charmaine, 23, said that her mother was ‘happy’ someone was being kind to her after suffering years of violence in her 23-year marriage. She said her father had been ‘violent, controlling and jealous’ throughout the marriage. Charmaine added that her mother had begun to ‘stand up for herself’ in the months before her death. Newton, of Bridgend, denied murder but was found guilty by a jury after a two-week trial. Her Honour Judge Eleri Rees told him: ‘This was murder borne out of your sexual jealousy and the knowledge that Assia intended to leave you for good. ‘Assia told friends that there was no sexual relationship but she believed it could develop into one.‘She even had the courage to tell you about the relationship. ‘But it is clear you didn’t take the news calmly and did not accept the marriage was over.’ Judge Rees said: ‘‘Assia will never see her daughters marry and become mothers themselves. No sentence I can pass will heal the pain and anguish they feel.’ She sentenced Newton to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years before he can be considered for release. | Mother-of-four strangled by husband with a dog lead in bedroom at Pencoed, near Bridgend, South Wales .
Assia Newton, 44, was browbeaten by husband, Kelvin, for all of their 23-year marriage and was days away from holiday with boyfriend .
Told husband of love for new man, Mohammed, and chatted to the Tunisian busboy every day on the internet .
Eldest daughter Charmaine said her mother was 'happy' for first time in years because of hew new friendship .
Judge recommends Newton serves at least 18 years before being considered for parole . |
fa18dd9fe797f67fbe8abd0cffac99b33aabd3fa | It is a story of war, love and bravery and could grace the pages of any novel. But this tale of two war-weary servicemen from different armies battling to win over an attractive French postmistress - which includes an astonishing act of bravery - is completely true to life. The tale begins in the north-eastern French village of Hangest Sur Somme, close to the frontline of the First World War. Romantic: The story of how Victor Brookes met and married his wife Yvonne Brunel is worthy of any love story . The couple are pictured on honeymoon in Paris . It is here where a young British medic, Sergeant Victor Brookes, met Yvonne Brunel in her post office. Her job involved regularly posting communiques to update locals about the war's progress and she would often meet servicemen passing through the village. Increasingly, the couple developed a close friendship. But it was not just Brookes who had his eye on the young postmistress. Carol White, from Michigan, who was serving in the US Army, was also smitten by Miss Brunel and they also formed a close bond. But, as reported by the Daily Telegraph, June 30, 1918, was to become a defining moment in all of their young lives. Brookes was called to the village of Belloy-sur-Somme, which was just two miles from his sweetheart's village. An RAF corporal was trapped in a huge crater caused after a German aircraft dropped a bomb. Impressive: The Albert Medal from the First World War which belonged to Sergeant Victor Brookes is pictured. It will soon go on display in the Imperial War Museum in Manchester . Together: Despite the attentions of Carol White, from the U.S. Army, Miss Brunel decided to marry Mr Brookes. They are pictured at home near Manchester with their son Allan . Carbon monoxide gas had formed at the bottom of the pit, leaving the man extremely sick. Despite knowing that the crater was filled with poisonous fumes, two men attempted to get him out. But they were completely overcome and soon became ill. Despite seeing how the gas affected the pair, Brookes also volunteered to enter the pit. But, unsurprisingly, he also succumbed to the fumes and had to be dragged free. The incident left the two men dead and Brooks was hospitalised. The trio, along with Brigadier-General Alfred Burt , who also entered the crater, were later awarded the Albert Medal for bravery - one of the rarest honours which can be handed out. During his time in hospital, Mr Brookes remained in contact with Miss Brunel. And it was during this time that, despite the affections of Mr White, the young postmistress fell for the stricken medic. The couple eventually married in Hangest in 1919 and enjoyed a honeymoon in Paris. After moving to Gorton in Greater Manchester, they went on to have two children, Allan and his sister, Yvette. Despite their rivalry over the same woman, Mr White and Mr Brookes remained on good terms. The American even sent the family parcels of clothing during the Second World War. The Albert Medal was passed on Allan when Mr Brookes died in 1974. He had planned to pass it on to his son Stephen, but three years ago he sadly died. Kind: Allan Brookes has donated the Albert Medal to the Imperial War Museum in Manchester . Allan, 89, has now given the medal to the Imperial War Museum in Manchester. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Allan said: 'Carol White and my father seem to have had the same object of affection and I do know that there was a tussle involving my mother, but it seems my father prevailed.' His sister Yvette Woodward, 82, added: 'Mother worked at the Post Office and would post communiques of the war. There was no television so she would get messages about what was happening and they used to post it outside.' | Sergeant Victor Brookes met Yvonne Brunel in Hangest Sur Somme .
They developed a close friendship despite being close to frontline of war .
But U.S. Army man Carol White also developed feelings for postmistress .
Brookes was left badly injured after attempting to rescue soldier .
After leaving hospital he won the heart of Miss Brunel .
The Albert Medal will go on display for the first time in the Imperial War Musuem's North's First World War Centenary exhibition. It will open in April next year . |
fa18dfae7fb50c632d92f978fd3dbc18b82678e2 | A one-time builder has gone from fitting kitchens to fitting hair extensions in her very own beauty salon. Michelle Pindar, from Hull, lived the first 52 years of her life as Michael who married a woman and started his own kitchen fitting business. But she has decided to present herself a as woman full-time to match up with her feminine persona. Michelle decided she was ready to sell up and look for a new project and that's when she bought the salon . She lived the first 52 years of her life as Michael (left) before becoming Michelle (right) four years ago . After realising that she was born in the wrong body, the beautician, 56, started dressing as a woman and has just recovered from having complete gender reassignment surgery. Michelle said: 'I loved being a kitchen fitter and I was great at my job but I felt more comfortable working in beauty once I became a woman. 'I couldn't carry on fitting kitchens in the week and being a woman at the weekends. 'Now it's my favourite thing to do to help other women look their best - I'm all about the nails, the hair and the make-up.' She started dressing as a woman at weekends from age 38, but at 52 started living as Michelle full time . She new things weren't right from an early age (left), and at around eight years old realised she felt more comfortable as a girl than a boy, but pursued the manly lifestyle expected of her (right) Michelle realised at eight years old that she felt more comfortable as a girl than a boy. Despite knowing something was wrong, she pursued the manly lifestyle expected of her by getting a job in a shipyard, marrying a childhood friend aged 23, and later opening her own kitchen fitting business. But 15 years into their marriage, Michelle, aged 38, decided to take the plunge and started dressing as a woman at weekends. While she pursued her construction business Monday to Friday, Michelle switched to dresses and heels for Saturday nights out on the town. Four years ago she started presenting as a woman full time and, to match up with her more feminine persona, she gave up kitchen fitting after 22 years of running the business. Instead she bought the Body Beautiful beauty salon where she now works waxing, applying semi-permanent make-up and perfecting women's brows, lashes and hair. But Michelle hasn't lost her entrepreneurial spirit in the switch and invented a pillow she claims prevents some of the ageing to skin that occurs overnight. Michelle says she loves going out more since she's been living as a woman fully, especially after her sugery . She couldn't imagine being without the Body Beautiful salon and loves helping people look their best . And she wants to encourage more women into project management and construction having seen the business from both a male and a female perspective. Michelle said: 'I was just eight when I realised that I'd been born in the wrong body. 'I just had this feeling but I didn't act on it because I hadn't even heard the word transgender or transsexual. 'I did everything I could to be as manly as possible. 'I ended up working in a shipyard and then I took the skills I'd learned there and started my own kitchen fitting company. 'I married a friend I'd known since school just because it was what was expected of me but we never had children. 'It took me a long time but I eventually realised that what I needed to do and I told my wife I needed to start dressing in girls' clothes. 'She handled it well. We couldn't stay together after that but we are still friends. 'The whole time I wanted to be a girl. 'Since I've been living fully as a woman, and especially since I had my surgery, I've loved going out more and more. 'I'm getting to have the youth as a woman I never had before. Now she's seen it from both sides she says she can appreciate that people don't take women working in the construction industry seriously at all - and she'd love to get back into it one day . 'I loved being a kitchen fitter - I was at the top of my game, and the big home improvement stores recommended me to fit all the kitchens they sold. 'But it didn't fit with me when I became a woman. 'I decided I was ready to sell up and look for a new project and that's when I bought the salon. 'I can't imagine being without the salon now. I love being able to help people look their best. 'Now I've seen it from both sides I can appreciate that people don't take women working in the construction industry seriously at all and I'd love to get back into it one day. 'But for now, I'm happy owning the salon and working on the Beauty Pillow.' | Michelle Pindar, from Hull, was a man called Michael until she was 52 .
She now lives her life as a transgender woman full-time .
Beautician, 56, sold kitchen fitting business and bought a beauty salon . |
fa19261ea19bd15cd7c61f10357b8e759d071877 | (CNN) -- Thailand's general election on Sunday pitted the Democrats, led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, against the opposition Pheu Thai party, led by Yingluck Shinawatra, youngest sister of Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006. Abhisit on Sunday conceded the election, making Yingluck the country's first female premier. Below is a timeline tracing highlights of the last 10 years, beginning when Thaksin, then a multibillionaire media tycoon, first took office. He rode to power with populist policies that gained huge support from the rural poor. But Thailand's elite feared his policies would erode their position. Thaksin was also criticized for his brutal war on drugs, which saw summary executions, and for a heavy-handed response to violence in the Muslim-dominated south. 2001 . January 6 - Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party wins in general election . January 18 - Constitutional Court agrees to put Thaksin, who is set to become prime minister, on trial for allegedly concealing assets when he was in government in 1997. The move comes a month after his indictment by the National Countercorruption Commission, an independent body. Thaksin denied any wrongdoing in the case. February 9 - King Bhumibol Adulyadej appoints Thaksin prime minister. He would become the country's first prime minister to serve a full-term in office. August 3 -- In an 8-7 decision, the Constitutional Court acquits Thaksin of concealing assets, citing insufficient evidence. He avoids a ban from politics. 2005 . March 9 - Thaksin begins second term as PM after he and the TRT win landslide victories in the February elections. 2006 . January 23 - The Shinawatra family announce the sale of its controlling stake in telecom company Shin Corp. to Singapore's state-owned Temasek Holdings for a tax-free $1.9 billion. February 24 - Thaksin dissolves parliament, calls for snap elections on April 2 amid protests and mounting criticism over his family's sale of shares in Shin Corp. March 5 - Tens of thousands attend rally by newly formed People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to call for Thaksin's resignation for alleged abuse of power, corruption and business conflicts of interest. April 3 - Thaksin claims victory after snap election, which opposition parties boycotted over corruption allegations. Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party was the only major party to participate. May 8 - Constitutional Court rules April election invalid. September 19 - Military seizes power in a bloodless coup following series of PAD rallies, while Thaksin is at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. 2007 . May 30 - Constitutional tribunal dissolves former ruling Thai Rak Thai party and bans 111 leading party executives from holding office for five years. December 23 - Thaksin's allies under the People's Power Party (PPP) banner win first Thai election since 2006 coup, sending a message to the generals behind the coup that ousted Thaksin. 2008 . January 28 - Parliament chooses PPP leader Samak Sundaravej as PM-elect . February 28 - Thaksin is taken into police custody after returning from exile to Thailand. May 25 -- The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) stages around-the-clock protests in Bangkok and become known as the "Yellow Shirts" for their clothing. They oppose a planned change to the Constitution which would protect Thaksin and followers from corruption charges. September 9 - Constitutional court fires PM Samak Sundaravej for conflict of interest over hosting a cooking show while in office. September 17 - Lawmakers elect Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat, a deputy of the People's Power Party (PPP), as prime minister. October 21 - Thaksin is convicted of corruption over a land deal while in office and sentenced in absentia to two years imprisonment. He lives in London since fleeing the country in August and skipping a court appearance. November 27 -- Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat declares state of emergency at Bangkok's two main airports, which were occupied by Yellow Shirt protesters. Thousands of passengers get stranded. December 2 - Thailand's Constitutional Court dissolves the ruling PPP after finding the party committed electoral fraud in the December 2007 election. December 15 - Parliament chooses opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva of the Democrat Party as the new prime minister, while supporters of the former PPP and Thaksin protest outside. Those protesters, known as the Red Shirts for their clothing, say Abhisit was not democratically elected. 2009 . April 13 - Two people are killed and at least 113 wounded in violence amid clashes between anti-government protesters and pro-Thaksin supporters. Thaksin says he is willing to return from exile. November 10 - Thaksin arrives in Cambodia to begin new job as economic adviser, straining relations between the two countries. 2010 . February 26 - Thai Supreme Court finds Thaksin guilty of abuse of power and seizes $1.4 billion of his assets. March 12 - Red Shirt protesters take to the streets of Bangkok, demanding new elections and saying Abhisit was not democratically elected. April 7 - Abhisit declares a state of emergency in Bangkok and nearby provinces after anti-government demonstrators storm parliament. April 12 - Thai election commission recommends dissolution of ruling party, accusing the Democrat Party of accepting an $8 million campaign donation from a private company and mishandling funds. The party vows to fight the allegations. April 16 - Abhisit hands security operations over to the military after three Red Shirt leaders escape from a hotel surrounded by security forces . April 22 - Grenade attacks at protests kill one person and leave dozens wounded. May 3 - Government offers to hold elections in November, if Red Shirts end protest in commercial center . May 12 - Government says it will shut off power, cut supplies and seal off the central Bangkok intersection where Red Shirt protesters have amassed. The tactic comes after demonstrators disregard an ultimatum from Abhisit to vacate the area. May 13 - Militant anti-government faction leader Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdipol is shot in the head while talking to reporters, sparking several days of clashes. May 19 - Security forces surge into Lumpini Park in largest crackdown on protesters since demonstrations began; two people are killed. May 25 - Thai court issues warrant for Thaksin on terrorism charges connected to the protests. Thaksin's attorney said the charges violated "logic, law and any claim of hopes for reconciliation." June 2 - Abhisit survives no-confidence vote after accusations of excessive force against anti-government protesters during a crackdown on May 19. November 29 - Thailand's Constitutional Court dismisses case alleging the Democrat Party had misused campaign funding. The ruling party could have been disbanded if found guilty. December 21 - Thai Cabinet agrees to lift state of emergency implemented in April for Bangkok and three surrounding provinces. 2011 . May 9 - King Bhumibol approves Abhisit's request to dissolve the lower chamber of Parliament, paving way for new elections. Yingluck Shinawatra, younger sister of the ousted prime minister, jumps into the race as a candidate to unseat Abhisit. July 3 - Abhisit concedes election, congratulating Yingluck as "Thailand's first female prime minister." CNN's Melissa Hassett contributed to this report. | Vote on Sunday is first general election since 2007 .
Since then two prime ministers of the People's Power Party were removed, party banned .
Parliamentary vote in 2008 put Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva in office .
He faces Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra . |
fa192826eb7f0693ec2018cff76e194d5b1833e7 | Peter Odemwingie has set his sights on a 'dream' showdown with Argentina after taking Nigeria to the brink of the World Cup second round. The 32-year-old Stoke striker's first-half goal saw the Nigerians past Group F rivals Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 in Cuiaba on Saturday evening and left them within a point of reaching the knockout stage. Odemwingie, who was used only as a substitute in the opening 0-0 draw with Iran, is hoping his efforts will help him retain his place for an eagerly-anticipated clash with Lionel Messi and company in Porto Alegre on Wednesday. Crucial: Peter Odemwingie celebrating his winning goal against Bosnia & Herzegovina on Saturday . Harmony: The Stoke forward celebrating the vital finish with his team-mates . Newborns: Odemwingie annonced on twitter that his goal celebration was dedicated to his children . He told www.fifa.com: 'I earned myself a starting position and it was important to work hard to keep it, especially before a big game like Argentina, which is a dream for every player to play in.' Should the Bosnians, the only team in the group which now have no chance of qualification, avoid defeat by Iran in Salvador, Nigeria would be through regardless of what they do after winning a game at the finals for the first time since 1998. Odemwingie said: 'I'm so happy for the country, our fans, the team. It was maybe one of the hardest three points in my career, though.' There were plenty of familiar faces for Odemwingie at the Arena Patanal, with former Lokomotiv Moscow team-mate Emir Spahic captaining Bosnia and current Britannia Stadium colleague Asmir Begovic between the posts. Fortune and misfortune: Odemwingie chats after the game with Bosnia forward Edin Dzeko . Something to talk about: Odemwingie's finish was past Stoke team-mate Asmir Begovic . However, the striker insisted inside knowledge did not come into play when he homed in on Begovic for what proved to be the game's decisive moment with 29 minutes played. Asked if he felt he had the upper hand, Odemwingie smiled as he said: 'No, I don't think so as saving shots from close distance is one of the stronger sides of his game. 'He is a great guy. He knows I have a good shot and I tried to shoot a few times. I'm sure he is going to tell me off when I get back to Stoke. 'I had to do it for my country but I was so happy to see him on this stage and I exchanged shirts with him at the end of the game.' | Odemwingie looking forward to Group F showdown with Argentina .
32-year-old scored Nigeria's only goal in 1-0 victory over Bosnia .
It was the Super Eagles' first World Cup win since 1998 .
Nigeria currently sit on four points and the verge of the last-16 . |
fa193cc6adfa6f24d0eef4bccbe43c5e434df60f | (CNN) -- He doesn't have an agent. He doesn't have a publicist. He doesn't even seem to have a fixed address. Yet, in by-the-numbers Hollywood, Bill Murray has turned his unpredictability into an asset. Want to get hold of him? Call his 800 number. Maybe he'll get back to you. (Maybe he won't. In fact, he probably won't.) You almost certainly won't find him among the glitterati in Los Angeles, but if you're at a Charleston, South Carolina, birthday party; or a house party in Scotland; or the Salt Lake City airport, you might run into the star. Indeed, there's an entire website devoted to "Bill Murray stories." Such is his impish image that it's subtitled -- after an alleged Murray quote -- "No one will ever believe you." (There's a Tumblr, too.) "If his three and a half decades in the public sphere have taught us anything about the actor, it's that he simply does not give a good goddamn," wrote GQ's Dan Fierman in a 2010 interview. Doesn't he know better? Doesn't he realize he should dress in fashionable clothes and not shorts and Hawaiian shirts? Doesn't he realize that he's supposed to glide around in limos and Lexi? Doesn't he realize he's a celebrity, dammit, and celebrities are supposed to be -- arrogant sniff -- special? Here are more than five reasons why he's the greatest star going: . He does the movies he wants to do. Some movie stars will do anything for a paycheck. Others, like George Clooney, have a code of sorts: "One (low-budget indie) for me, one (big-budget blockbuster) for them." Bill Murray's code is: I'll do whatever the hell I want. His new film, "St. Vincent," lives up to the Murray ethos. It's an indie film with a rookie writer/director, Theodore Melfi. Murray took the role almost casually after Melfi, a neophyte, left a series of increasingly urgent messages for the performer. His role? A crusty old man -- a stroke victim -- who befriends a young boy. There's no rhyme or reason to what makes a Murray movie. He's become a part of Wes Anderson's troupe, appearing in "Rushmore," "The Grand Budapest Hotel," "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" in roles large and small. He made an awards bid, playing Franklin D. Roosevelt in "Hyde Park on Hudson," and took a small part in an attempted blockbuster, the big-screen version of "Get Smart." It's nothing new for Murray -- in the early '80s, he was uncredited in "Tootsie," made the biggest comedy of all time in "Ghostbusters" and then turned to a pet project, "The Razor's Edge." He's never looked back. "I think we're all sort of imprisoned by -- or at least bound to -- the choices we make, and I think everyone in the acting business wants to make the right choices," he told Esquire in 2012. "You want to say no at the right time and you want to say yes more sparingly." He works more than people think. It feels like Murray goes years between movies -- and, once upon a time, he did. Except for a small but nice turn in 1986's "Little Shop of Horrors," Murray went four years between "Razor's Edge" and "Scrooged" -- he used the downtime to study at the Sorbonne -- and he made just a handful of films during the early and mid '90s. "I've retired a couple of times. It's great, because you can just say, 'Oh, I'm sorry. I'm retired,' " he told GQ's Fierman. "And people will actually believe that you've retired. There are nutters out there that will go, 'Oh, OK!' and then leave you alone." But since 1998's "Wild Things" and "Rushmore," there's been plenty of Murray, including nine projects in 2014-15 alone, according to the Internet Movie Database. He won't be pressured into "Ghostbusters 3." Or any comedy, actually. Will Murray pop up in the new "Ghostbusters," now being helmed by Paul Feig and starring a number of comic actresses? Who knows? In 2010 he was adamant that he wasn't going to do it for the (presumably substantial) money. "It's the studio that really wants this thing. It's a franchise. It's a franchise, and they made a whole lot of money on 'Ghostbusters,' " he told Fierman. And he's not so keen on a straight comedy, either. "I think there's something that I can bring to a comedy today, but I don't know where to bring it," he said in 2012. "I know that if I ever feel that I need to make a funny movie, I'll figure out how to write one. I'll get it done. If I ever get some ambition, I'm gonna get some s*** done." He may look nonchalant, but he takes acting seriously. Perhaps Murray's most important teacher was improv great Del Close, with whom he worked at Chicago's Second City. "He taught people to commit," he told Esquire. "Like: 'Don't walk out there with one hand in your pocket unless there's somethin' in there you're going to bring out.' You gotta commit. You've gotta go out there and improvise and you've gotta be completely unafraid to die. You've got to be able to take a chance to die. And you have to die lots. You have to die all the time." And he thought he was going to win an Oscar for "Lost in Translation," which earned him his only Academy Award nomination. "The one time I got a bunch of prizes, I just assumed I'd win them all," he told GQ. "Because I'd been winning them all. I wasn't disappointed or anything, but I was surprised." He's from a big family and he has a big family. Murray is the fifth child of nine. A number of his siblings are also in show business, including former "SNL" writer and cast member Brian Doyle-Murray, "Mad Men" actor Joel Murray and actor-writer John Murray. (A sister, Nancy, is a Dominican nun but also acts; she put on a one-woman show about St. Catherine of Siena.) He's also a father to a brood of six with two wives, and he takes fatherhood seriously -- and cheekily. While preparing for dinner during the Esquire interview, he told his then 10-year-old son, Lincoln, "You're going to have to get dressed nicely. And you need a shower. That's an order." His son responded, "Yes, sir." He also accompanied son Jackson to a 2013 Clemson-Florida State game in Clemson, which Jackson attends. As a witness reported on Billmurraystory.com, "As I approached I noticed a young college girl covered in Seminole attire walk over to Murray and hand him an FSU themed football asking if he would sign it. Murray took the football from her, said "Go Tigers", PUNTED the football over the road into a big group of bushes, and ran off. It was single-handedly the funniest thing I have ever witnessed!" He likes hanging out with you. (Well, maybe not you personally, but non-celebrity types.) The "Murricane," as friend Mitch Glazer calls him, isn't much for security. He told The Associated Press' Jake Coyle that he generally trusts the public: "Most people are fine," he said. The security wasn't worth it psychologically. "From the first time I was ever given a bodyguard, I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm going to be assassinated.' It made me think I was going to be shot. So I never liked it. I never liked the sensation of it," he told Coyle. But the 800 number? That exists for a reason. "When the phone started ringing too many times, I had to take it back to what I can handle. I take my chances on a job or a person as opposed to a situation," he told Esquire. Glazer is often his intermediary -- and, famously, the butt of one of Murray's favorite jokes. Glazer is married to actress Kelly Lynch, and when Murray sees Lynch's film "Road House" on TV, he'll call Glazer when the Lynch-Patrick Swayze sex scene comes on. "Bill once called him from Russia," Lynch told the A.V. Club. And then there's ... well, you know. Several more reasons why we love Bill Murray: . • He crashed an engagement photo shoot. • He did karaoke with complete strangers. • He was busted for an allegedly drunken ride ... in a golf cart. In Stockholm. • He bartended at SXSW. Regardless of what you ordered, you could only get tequila. • He read poetry to construction workers. Perhaps his old friend and "Groundhog Day" director, Harold Ramis, put it best. Murray is "all the Marx Brothers rolled into one: He's got the wit of Groucho, the pantomimic brilliance and lasciviousness of Harpo, and the Everyman quality of Chico." Don't ever change, Bill. | Bill Murray has made a career out of unpredictability .
Actor has crashed photos, popped up in surprising places .
His movies run the gamut from indie to blockbuster .
Newest is "St. Vincent," in which he plays old man recovering from stroke . |
fa1946d917f21730ca4f8b963acb7e771e7414f4 | Marcos Maidana has been rewarded for giving Floyd Mayweather Jnr his toughest test in years with a lucrative rematch against the pound-for-pound No 1. Mayweather struggled to adapt to the Argentine's rough tactics when they first met in May, eventually grinding out a majority decision to preserve his unbeaten record. The two welterweights will resume their rivalry on September 13, back at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Mayweather confirmed on Thursday. VIDEO: Scroll down to see Floyd Mayweather take his new Bugatti for a spin . It's on: Floyd Mayweather will face Marcos Maidana again in September after being pushed all the way in May . Another bite of the cherry: Marcos Maidana has been handed a rematch against Floyd Mayweather . Tough nut to crack: Mayweather struggled to adapt to the Argentine's approach . VIDEO I always find a way to win - Mayweather . The 37-year-old was short of options for his second fight of the year, with Amir Khan ruled out due to Ramadan while Manny Pacquiao is set to fight in Macau in October. Mayweather said: 'Marcos Maidana is a tough customer and he gave me a fight that had me work for the victory. 'His . style is difficult at best, but with experience comes a way and will to . win. I'm not one to give second chances in the ring, but I want to give . the fans what they want to see. 'I . will be as prepared as I always am when I step in the ring on September . 13. I only see the outcome one way and that's another successful night . for me and my team.' The rematch will be promoted by Golden Boy, despite Mayweather saying he would not work with the company again after CEO Richard Schaefer departed last month. Mayweather's own company, Mayweather Promotions, does not hold a license to host fights in Las Vegas. Maidana . said: 'The rematch with Mayweather is the only fight that really . motivates me. I feel I earned it in the ring and Floyd owed it to me. 'I've already proved that I don't care if the man I have in front of me is the best pound-for-pound champion. 'I was close to ending his reign last time. On September 13 he will not get away undefeated.' | Maidana handed lucrative rematch after giving Mayweather tough first fight .
Duo will do battle at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 13 . |
fa19635e2a34de5e40c651d29ecc3c019f93b1e7 | Swiss alpine, climbing and outdoor company Mammut know how to show off their equipment in spectacular fashion. The sports group have created jaw-dropping photographs of ski-jumpers, climbers, trail runners and mountain guides braving precarious precipices and heart-stopping descents in the Swiss mountains over the years, all captured by mountaineering photographer Robert Bösch. For their most recent stunt, Mammut has paid homage to the first ascent of the Matterhorn as mountain guides traced the route over the Hörnligrat ridge in a chain of lights, just like the roped party with Edward Whymper before them. The event, designed by agency ErdmannPeisker and captured by Bösch, was a test run for the 150th anniversary in July 2015, for which the mountain guides will be illuminating the route of the ascent for one month. Other incredible visuals have been created by climbers perching precariously on a needle-like mountain to crate a 'rock cactus' in the Bregaglia range, forming an 'X' on the steep slopes on the North Face of the Eiger, and standing on the narrow ledge of Kleines Kamel to test mountain boots. Athletes climbed up 30 metres of vertically hanging rope and waited for two hours while the whole group assembled in a straight line to capture another amazing shot, while another group climbed to a summit plateau of 4,158 metres, with breathtaking results. Scroll down for video . Watch your step! The Swiss sports group have created spectacular photographs over the years to promote their equipment and clothing, including this 2009 shot of mountain guides assembled on the narrow ledge of Kleines Kamel, Furka Pass . Extreme lengths: 28 mountain guides climbing the Ago del Torrone in the Bregaglia range, also known as Cleopatra's Needle, to create this 'rock cactus' in 2012 . Exhausting effort: This group climbed 30 metres of hanging ropes to get this shot, with some hanging for up to two hours while they waited for everybody to reach the same point . Amazing advertising: Mammut use incredible images such as this one of ski-jumpers, to showcase their equipment and clothing . Breathtaking: This group climbed to a summit plateau of 4,158 metres on the Jungfrau in 2012 . Cocooned: Photographer Robert Bösch captured 60 Mammut employees, from interns to the Vice-President sleeping at 2,700 metres altitude, in Diavolezza, Engadin in 2008 to test Mammut's sleeping bags . Race you to the bottom: 200 freerider skiers take to the slopes on Melchsee-Frutt, Switzerland in 2009 . Pushing it to the limit: Climbers are pictured testing backpacks by climbing in Osogna, Tessin in 2009 . Global celebrations: To mark the company's 150th birthday in 2012, this group created the world map on the 'Ewig Schneefeld' between the Eiger, Mˆnch and Jungfrau . A bit nippy: 200 brave souls test out Mammut's alpine underwear in Eiger in 2008 . Cool runnings: Trailrunners are captured in Diavolezza in Mammut wares . X marks the spot: Climbers perch precariously on the North Face of the Eiger in 2011 . Spectacular: Alpine, climbing and outdoor equipment company Mammut have paid homage to the first ascent of the Matterhorn by capturing mountain guides as they traced the route over the Hörnligrat ridge in a chain of lights . | Latest stunt pays homage to the first ascent of the Matterhorn .
Incredible images captures by Swiss mountaineering photographer Robert Bösch .
Mammut stages the events to showcase their alpine, climbing and outdoor equipment . |
fa19dfc10241d25805c4f4b48f303e49790415c6 | Ever wondered if you're akin to the rest of the fans who support your team? Well thanks to a survey from YouGov you can discover if you like the same food, hobbies as well as a lot more. Based on a sample size of 3,107 fans, below Sportsmail have picked out 12 of the most eye-catching responses from Manchester United supporters. Over 3,000 Manchester United fans were surveyed in the YouGov poll . What are their favourite foods? Surprisingly, shoofly pie came out on top of the food preference chart, followed by strawberry crumble and lentil casserole. What are their favourite hobbies? United fans like to spent their time away from Old Trafford buying and selling stuff online, playing chess and drawing. What pet are they most likely to own? The pet they are most likely to own is a bird. What are their political views? United fans occupy the centre ground in their views. Personality-wise what are they like? Manchester United fans describe themselves as dedicated, outgoing and adaptable but they can also be fussy and demanding. What car are they most likely to drive? United fans are most likely to be seen driving around in a Vauxhall. What are their top five favourite movies? Among the favourite films named by Manchester United fans in the survey were Home Alone 2, Let's Be Cops, The Equalizer, Indecent Proposal and Draft Day. What are their top five favourite TV shows? Amusingly, the Champions League live is named as United fans' favourite show despite this being the first season in nearly two decades they haven't been in it. I'm A Celebrity also features, as does Football Focus, Whicker's World and Criminal Minds. What are their top five favourite music artists? United fan Simply Red features as the favourite artist, followed by Victoria Beckham, Cheryl Cole, Adele and Michael Jackson. Who are their top five favourite celebrities? United fan Eamonn Holmes topped this chart, followed by Simon Cowell, Jeremy Kyle, Jonathan Ross and Gary Barlow. Who are the top five people they follow on Twitter? United players past and present dominate - Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Michael Owen. What newspapers and magazines do they prefer to read? United fans are most likely to read The Sun and their club magazine, Inside United. | Results based on a survey from YouGov who asked 3,107 United fans .
United fans say they are dedicated but can be a little bit fussy .
They follow United stars past and present on Twitter . |
fa19e4bb73ed744770318422304af95752673eb6 | A major international environmental group is pulling out of the process to guarantee that diamonds do not come from conflict zones, saying the Kimberley Process had refused "to evolve and address the clear links between diamonds, violence and tyranny." The campaign group, Global Witness, had been part of the process to certify that precious stones are not "blood diamonds" for nine years. Mike Davis announced the Global Witness decision Monday. "We don't take this decision lightly, but we feel that we've now have reached a juncture where by continuing to participate we are inadvertently lending legitimacy to a scheme which is really misleading people in the diamond trade," he said. The decision follows the controversial sale of a batch of diamonds from the Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe, some of which are owned by companies associated with President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party. Davis said the Mugabe government has to rely on diamond income because of the intense international pressure on it. "Diamonds are an absolute godsend for them and a curse for the rest of Zimbabwe," he said. The Kimberley Process was developed in 2000 when a group of diamond-producing countries met in Kimberley, South Africa, to combat the trade in conflict diamonds. The group's efforts were supported by the United Nations, which in December of 2000, ratified a resolution in support of the group. | Global Witness says the scheme is ignoring the links between diamonds, violence and tyranny .
The move follows the sale of diamonds from Zimbabwe .
The Kimberley Process is backed by the United Nations . |
fa1a80878921f7af235739d0eab570e475f15e9d | (PEOPLE.com) -- Sixteen days after her December 8 Las Vegas wedding to boyfriend Barry Herridge, Sinead O'Connor is ending the marriage, the "Nothing Compares 2 U" singer announced Monday on her website. "Dear friends," O'Connor 45, writes, "I had for reasons u will all understand, wished to keep this private but have been told today it is to be leaked in the next few days despite my best efforts. So I must now leak it myself so as the record is straight." She blames pressures placed upon him by "certain people in his life" not to be with her based on press reports about her. "Within 3 hours of the ceremony being over the marriage was kyboshed by the behaviour of certain people in my husband's life. And also by a bit of a wild ride i took us on looking for a bit of a smoke of weed for me wedding night as I don't drink," she writes. "My husband was enormously wounded and very badly effected by that experience and also by the attitude of those close to him toward our marriage. It became apparent to me that if he were to stay with me he would be losing too much to bear." She adds, "A woman wants to be a joy to her husband. So.. U love someone? Set them free." She also says, "He is a wonderful man. I love him very much. I'm sorry I'm not a more regular woman. I truly believe though it is painful to admit, we made a mistake rushing into getting married, for altruistic reasons, and weren't aware or prepared for the consequences on my husband's life and the lives of those close to him. He has been terribly unhappy and I have therefore ended the marriage. I think he is too nice to do so. And too nice to trap." O'Connor, who has four children from her previous relationships, wed music producer John Reynolds in 1989 and journalist Nicholas Sommerlad in 2001. This past April, she split from longtime friend and collaborator Steve Cooney. See the full article at PEOPLE.com . © 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Sinead O'Connor announced on her website that she is ending her marriage .
She blames pressures placed upon Herridge by "certain people in his life"
"I'm sorry I'm not a more regular woman," she writes . |
fa1aa1a15915c74a02ff3521be0f8aafbe1cc799 | (CNN) -- Back in the mid-1960s, a Palestinian guerrilla group called Fatah -- the Conquest -- began launching cross-border attacks against Israeli civilians. Sponsored by Syria and led by Palestinian activists, among them the young Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah aroused admiration throughout the Arab world. So much so that Egypt, then Syria's rival, formed its own group and called it the Palestine Liberation Organization -- the PLO -- which also staged attacks into Israel. The Israelis wouldn't sit passively, though, but struck back at Fatah's Syrian hosts, who in turn shelled Israeli villages. Not to be outdone, Egypt in May 1967 evicted U.N. peacekeeping forces from the Sinai Peninsula and amassed troops along Israel's border. This precipitated an Israeli pre-emptive strike against Egypt which, within hours, ensnarled Syria and even Jordan. Six days later, Israeli troops controlled the territories, whose final status remains bitterly unresolved. Recalling the background to the Six-Day War -- a conflict almost nobody wanted and even fewer anticipated -- is crucial today in the face of a frightfully similar process unfolding along Israel's southern border. If left unchecked, the rising violence in Gaza could quickly spiral uncontrollably. Another conflagration, no more desired or foreseen than that of 1967, could once again engulf the Middle East. Though Fatah and the PLO merged long ago and are now headed by Mahmoud Abbas, who has since forsworn terror, other Palestinian groups are vying for power. By attacking Israel, they gain credibility in the Palestinian street and prestige throughout the region. One such group was Hamas, a wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, that violently expelled Abbas' men from Gaza in 2007 and proceeded to fire thousands of rockets at Israel. Still not passive, Israel retaliated with punishing operations in Gaza in 2008 and 2012. Those blows, together with the Brotherhood's fall from power in Egypt, subdued Hamas, but now another Gaza organization has risen to challenge it. Islamic Jihad has been firing rockets and aiming ground attacks at Israel. Characteristically, the Israelis responded with force and earlier this week killed three Islamic Jihad operatives engaged in mounting a strike. The terrorists then fired some 50 rockets and mortar shells at southern Israeli towns, spurring Israeli fighter jets to bomb 29 targets in Gaza. (An Islamic Jihad leader told CNN on Thursday a truce had been declared, but the Israeli government has not commented.) But Israel regards Hamas as the sovereign authority in Gaza and holds it ultimately responsible for any attacks emanating from there, even those conducted by Islamic Jihad. If the rocket fire and shelling continue, Israel is likely to retaliate against Hamas, which could be dragged, however unwillingly, into the fighting. Islamic Jihad is funded and armed by Iran. Just last week, Israeli naval commandos intercepted a cargo ship -- the Klos-C -- carrying 400,000 bullets and 40 rockets capable of hitting Tel Aviv. Made in Iran, the arms would have enabled Islamic Jihad to join with Hezbollah, Iran's chief proxy in Lebanon, to rocket every Israeli city. The goal is to deter Israel from striking Iran's nuclear facilities and to paralyze it with multiple existential threats. But what if Iran -- much like Egypt in 1967 -- miscalculated? What could happen if an Israeli reprisal for Islamic Jihad's rockets results in a confrontation between Israel and Hamas? Would Hezbollah then join the clash, unleashing its arsenal of more than 100,000 rockets against the Jewish state, and would Israeli forces have to invade Lebanon to stop them? Would Iran watch idly while its closest Middle East ally was crushed by the "Zionist enemy," or would it, too, leap into the fray? Gaza remains a combat zone as of this writing, and rocket alert sirens are wailing in southern Israeli cities. As in previous exchanges, a de facto cease-fire might be worked out and relative calm restored to the region. Or the confrontation could widen, and what began as a skirmish could inexorably expand into war. As the example of 1967 reminds us, a single spark in the combustible Middle East can swiftly fan a flare-up into a firestorm. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Oren. | Michael Oren: The flare-up in Gaza could ignite a wider war .
In 1967, conflicts in the Mideast spiraled into the Six-Day War, he says .
Oren: Islamic Jihad, challenging Hamas for supremacy in Gaza, launched rockets into Israel .
He says the question is whether a truce can prevent conflict from becoming conflagration . |
fa1aff02026b67ebf5dd0d89f9c7569e1a07c0b1 | Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Rick Norsigian kept two boxes he bought at a garage sale under his pool table for four years before realizing they may be too valuable to store at home. The Fresno, California, commercial painter learned this week that what was in those boxes he paid $45 dollars for a decade ago could be worth more than $200 million. "When I heard that $200 million, I got a little weak," Norsigian said at a Beverly Hills art gallery Tuesday. Art, forensic, handwriting and weather experts teamed up to conclude the 65 glass plates in the boxes were photographic negatives created more than 80 years ago by Ansel Adams, the iconic American photographer whose images of the West inspired the country. Arnold Peter, the lawyer who led the effort to authenticate that the negatives were made by the man known as the father of American photography, said their approach was "to put these negatives on trial." Experts, including a former FBI agent and a U.S. attorney, "came to the conclusion that, based on the evidence which was overwhelming, that no reasonable person would have any doubt that these, in fact, were the long-lost images of Ansel Adams," Arnold said. The photographs were from the early career of the famed nature photographer, a period that is not well documented since a 1937 darkroom fire destroyed 5,000 of his plates, Arnold said. "It truly is a missing link of Ansel Adams and history and his career," said Beverly Hills appraiser and art dealer David W. Streets. The photographs were taken between 1919 and the early 1930s at locations familiar to Adams, mostly around Yosemite, California, Streets said. "This is going to show the world the evolution of his eye, of his talent, of his skill, his gift, but also his legacy," Streets said. "And it's a portion that we thought had been destroyed in the studio fire." Norsigian, who scours garage sales for antiques, was looking for a barber chair when he spotted to two deteriorated boxes in the spring of 2000. "When I pulled on of those glass negatives out, I seen Yosemite," he said. "As a young man, I worked at Yosemite quite a bit. So, right away I recognized it as Yosemite." He bickered with the seller, finally negotiating down from $70 to $45 for the boxes. The owner said he bought them in the 1940s at a warehouse salvage in Los Angeles. He bickered the price down from $70 to $45. It would be two years before he realized they photos may be from Adams, he said. After four years, he had done enough research to realize the plates could be valuable. He moved them from under his pool table and placed them in a bank vault. How these 6.5 x 8.5 inch glass plate negatives of famous Yosemite landscapes and San Francisco landmarks -- some of them with fire damage -- made their way from Adams collection 70 years ago to a Southern California garage sale in 2000 can only be guessed. Photography expert Patrick Alt, who helped confirm the authenticity of the negatives, suspects Adams carried them to use in a photography class he was teaching in Pasadena, California, in the early 1940s. "It is my belief that he brought these negatives with him for teaching purposes and to show students how to not let their negatives be engulfed in a fire," Alt said. "I think this clearly explains the range of work in these negatives, from very early pictorialist boat pictures, to images not as successful, to images of the highest level of his work during this time period." Alt said it is impossible to know why Adams would store them in Pasadena and never reclaim them. The plates were individually wrapped in newspaper inside deteriorating manila envelopes. Notations on each envelope appeared to have been made by Virginia Adams, the photographer's wife, according to handwriting experts Michael Nattenberg and Marcel Matley. They compared them to samples provided by the Adams' grandson. While most of the negatives appear never to have been printed, several are nearly identical to well-known Adams prints, the experts said. Meteorologist George Wright studied clouds and snow cover in a Norsigian negative to conclude that it was taken at about the same time as a known Adams photo of a Yosemite tree. In addition to Yosemite -- the California wilderness that Adams helped conserve -- the negatives depict California's Carmel Mission, views of a rocky point in Carmel, San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, a sailing yacht at sea and an image of sand dunes. "The fact that these locations were well-known to Adams, and visited by him, further supports the proposition that all of the images in the collection were most probably created by Adams," said art expert Robert Moeller. Moeller said that after six months of study, he concluded "with a high degree of probability, that the images under consideration were produced by Ansel Adams. Silver tarnishing on the negatives also helped date the plates to around the 1920s, Alt said. "I have sent people to prison for the rest of their lives for far less evidence than I have seen in this case," said evidence and burden of proof expert Manny Medrano, who was hired by Norsigian to help authenticate them. "In my view, those photographs were done by Ansel Adams." Arnold, the lawyer, said they presented their evidence to descendants of Adams, but they've not heard back. Norsigian, who is 64, still works for the Fresno school system, but he may retire this year. It could be a while before he sees the profits from the sale of prints from the negatives, but Streets estimates over the next 25 years it could mean over $200 million for Norsigian. For now, the photos will go on a tour of universities and museums, starting in October at Fresno State University, Norsigian said, . "I just hope everybody enjoys them," he said. He's not spoken with the man who sold him the two boxes a decade ago. "If he's still around, I'm afraid he may come looking for me," he said. | NEW: Negatives were stored under a pool table for years .
Man paid $45 at a California garage sale for 65 glass plates .
Experts concluded negatives were lost Ansel Adams photos .
Photos are a "missing link" in Adam's career . |
fa1b607f2bd6f6b052d429a65175f375cf1b585a | (CNN) -- A municipal police officer was shot and killed late Thursday while standing guard at a local government booth inside a mall in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, police said Friday. The officer was gunned down by three people who were trying to rob the booth, which is a place where local residents can pay their annual homeowners tax, municipal police spokesman Adrian Sanchez said. "As of right now, we do not believe this had anything to do with the ongoing drug violence in the city," he said. "The suspects were detained and are being processed." Photos from the scene taken just after the officer was shot showed mall patrons running for cover. The gunmen ran away, but police caught them, local journalist Arturo Chacon said. Also, around 4 a.m. Friday, a man who was being chased by gunmen in several cars drove to a municipal police station in Juarez looking for help, Sanchez said, leading to a 15-minute gunfight. "It would be wrong to say the attack was on the police officers," he said. "An injured man looking for help was being chased, and he came to us. That's when we encountered the gun battle." No officers were injured, and the shooters fled. Since October 2010, at least 26 municipal police officers have been killed in Ciudad Juarez, Sanchez said. Local journalist Arturo Chacon contributed to this report. | Three people tried to rob local government booth that officer was guarding .
Gunmen ran away, but police caught them, local journalist says .
Violence not thought to be drug-related, police spokesman says .
Later, in separate shooting, chase leads to 15-minute gunfight at Juarez police station . |
fa1b82136220ea0030dda76ebb1dc7f3141931ac | Fernando Torres is excited about the prospect of playing with Cesc Fabregas at Chelsea next season, and welcomes the competition Diego Costa will also bring to the side's attack. The striker has failed to set Stamford Bridge alight since joining the Blues from Liverpool for £50million in 2011, only managing 20 goals. But he hopes the arrival of Spain team-mate Fabregas can help him and Chelsea when the new campaign gets under way. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Costa and Torres scoring during Spain training . Teamwork: Cesc Fabregas (left) and Fernando Torres (right) try to catch Arjen Robben last Friday . Blue is the colour: Fabregas insists he cannot wait to link up with his new Chelsea team-mates . Linking up: Spain team-mates Fernando Torres and Diego Costa could be lining up together at Chelsea . Up for the challenge: Fernando Torres is relishing the prospect of possibly competing with Diego Costa (below) 'I wish he could have joined us a couple of years earlier,' Torres told Spanish radio station Onda Cero. 'He is a blessing for strikers, he always looks to find that final key pass, he's the type of player Chelsea don't have.' Torres' fellow Spain striker Diego Costa is set to follow Fabregas to west London, with the Atletico Madrid man admitting he is on the verge of joining the Blues for a reported £32m. Costa, whose 36 goals last season fired Atletico to the Primera Division title and the Champions League final, is expected to be Jose Mourinho's first-choice striker next term, but Torres said he will welcome the arrival of his international team-mate. 'People have been saying for some time that Chelsea have signed a striker, and if it's Diego, then it's very welcome,' he added. 'The level of competition at big clubs should always be very high.' | Torres excited to play with Spanish team-mates Fabregas and Costa .
Costa expected to join in £32million deal after Fabregas signed last week . |
fa1b96f3dc19f2b5d7de10a1a13fd8926011738a | (CNN) -- BATE Borisov stunned German giants Bayern Munich 3-1 Tuesday to continue their superb start to the Champions League group stages. The Belarusians won their opener against Lille and followed that up with a famous victory in their own stadium in Minsk. It was the first defeat after nine straight wins in all competitions for German league leaders Bayern and they were always on the back foot once Aleksandr Pavlov put the home side ahead after 23 minutes. Vitali Rodionov doubled the lead with 12 minutes remaining before Franck Ribery first struck the post then grabbed a 90th minute lifeline for the visitors. Brazilian Renan Bressan sealed a famous victory for BATE with a clinching third on the counter attack in the fifth minute of injury time. "This is a sensational result for us, we will celebrate a bit but we need to keep working hard," BATE's ex-Arsenal star Aleksandr Hleb told AFP. "Bayern are still favorites in our group, we are taking it one match at a time. In the other match in Group F, Valencia condemned Lille to their second straight defeat with a 2-0 win at the Mestella in Spain. Goals from Jonas in either half clinched the vital win for Valencia. An upset also looked possible when Manchester United trailed to minnows CFR Cluj in Romania through an early strike from Pantelis Kapetanos. But a pair of goals from Robin van Persie, both time assisted by Wayne Rooney, secured victory for Alex Ferguson's men. They top Group H with two wins, while FC Braga beat Galatasaray 2-0 in the other match played. Reigning champions Chelsea secured their first victory in Group E, beating Danish minnows FC Nordsjaelland 4-0 in Copenhagen. A Juan Mata goal just before half time was all that separated the two sides for much of the encounter and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech made a superb save to touch a Joshua John shot on to the post after the break. But David Luiz rifled home a second from a free kick, Mata scored his second, and Ramires with the fourth put a gloss on the scoreline. Juventus, who held Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their opener, had to come from behind to salvage a point against Shakhtar Donetsk in a 1-1 draw in Turin. Willian fed fellow Brazilian Alex Texeira to fire the Ukrainians ahead after 23 minutes. But Serie A champions Juventus preserved their 45-match unbeaten run when Leonardo Bonucci scored from Andrea Pirlo's corner just a minute later. Barcelona won the heavyweight clash in Benfica 2-0 to maintain their 100 per cent start to Group G. Alexis Sanchez put Barca ahead after only six minutes and midfielder Cesc Fabregas sealed three points in the Stadium of Light after the break. Their night was partially spoilt with two minutes to go when Sergio Busquets was shown red after a clash with Maxi Pereira. Scottish champions Celtic are giving chase on four points after a 3-2 away win over Spartak Moscow. Celtic went into the match in the Russian capital with a record of 11 straight losses on the road in the Champions League and 21 games without a win away from home. But an early goal from Gary Hooper gave Neil Lennon's men great encouragement. Spartak hit back to lead 2-1 after an Emmanuel Emmenike double, but home defender Juan Insaurralde was sent off just after the hour mark for pulling back Hooper. Celtic leveled when substitute James Forrest's shot found its way home via a rebound from defender Dmitri Kombarov. Giorgos Samaras headed a dramatic and deserved late winner for Celtic. | BATE Borisov beat Bayern Munich 3-1 in Champions League .
Two wins from two for the Belarus side in Group F .
Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona secure away wins .
Celtic snap away drought with superb 3-2 win in Moscow . |
fa1be6e487b3da301e8c3c5a5891e5daa4d32ea7 | Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was admitted to a hospital in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday with a stomach virus, a doctor told CNN. "He is getting hydration and holding his food down," Dr. John Linton of Yonsei Severance Hospital said. "All his signs are normal. We hope to send him on his way tomorrow, but he is an elderly gentleman, so we are watching him like a hawk." The state-run Yonhap news agency reported that Kissinger, 86, arrived in the South Korean capital Wednesday for a security forum and met with President Lee Myung-bak on Friday. A special medical team did a check-up and MRI scan and took X-rays, but found nothing serious, staff sources at the hospital said. Kissinger will likely remain at the hospital overnight and will probably be released Sunday, they said. Kissinger, who now chairs a consulting firm, served in the 1970s under Presidents Nixon and Ford. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 with Le Duc Tho for negotiating a treaty to end the Vietnam War. Kissinger had triple coronary bypass surgery in 1982 and an angioplasty in New York five years ago. Journalist Andrew Salmon contributed to this report. | NEW: Henry Kissinger likely to be released Sunday, doctors say .
Former secretary of state complained of stomach pain .
Kissinger served under Nixon, Ford; shared 1973 Nobel Prize . |
fa1bfe2d2ee52882f805331c8fdc8c41cb959cd7 | By . Wills Robinson For Mailonline . A gang of robbers have today been jailed for ransacking a jeweller’s home before bundling him into his own car and taking him to his own showroom so they could steal nearly £100,000 pounds worth of gems. Damon Denham, Stephen Evers and Eugene Gunderman burst into Mark Reid’s house, in Ockham, Surrey, tied him up, put a pillowcase over his head and then plundered £22,000 worth of jewellery from his personal collection. They then drove the 48-year-old victim to Gordon Marks Silver and Goldsmiths, in nearby Cobham, in his own car and forced him to unlock the shop. The group barged in and smashed open display cases with a crowbar to get to the diamond jewellery inside. Sentenced: Stephen Evers, 42 (left), and Damon Denham, 27 (right), were jailed for 13-and-a-half years each after they broke into Mark Reid's house in Ockham, Surrey, before stealing £100,000 worth of gems . With them distracted by the shiny trinkets, Mr Reid seized his chance and fled into the road, shouting for help. Jailing the trio for a total of 39 years at Guildford Crown Court, Judge Peter Moss said of the victim’s ordeal: 'It’s difficult to imagine how terrifying that must have been.' A DNA sample from a crowbar at the shop matched 27-year-old Denham, while another from Mr Reid’s jeans from his bedroom matched 42-year-old Evers. Jurors during the trial heard that Mr Reid had been home alone in his large, detached house on the evening of October 14, 2012. He was sitting on the sofa, watching television, when the gang struck. Prosecutor Graham Smith told the court: 'Without warning, he was confronted by several intruders, bursting through his patio windows. These men were wearing balaclavas, dark clothing and gloves.' The robbers had hurled two concrete breeze blocks through the double-glazed doors before piling in to the building. Driver: Eugene Gunderman, 27, was jailed for 12-and-a-half years for his part in the terrifying double raid . The shocked victim leaped up and tried to flee the men up the stairs to his bedroom, where he had a panic alarm button. The victim himself later told the court: 'Two of them were fast behind me. I got to my bedroom. There are two bolts on the door. I just got to the bolt and a crowbar came through and separated the door. 'They pushed the door open. They kicked me a couple of times and trod on my arm and said: ‘Don’t mess about’.' They tied his hands, placed a pillow case over his head and then rifled through his entire house, tearing a grandfather clock from the wall and taking a bronze sculpture. One man held what Mr Reid thought was a knife to his leg as he told them he did not have a safe. In total they stole about £22,000 pounds worth of items from his house. Mr Smith said: 'Whilst at the house they started asking him about the jewellery shop, whether there were valuables there. He had not mentioned he had a jewellery shop.' They bundled him into his Toyota iQ and, with him and at least three of them in the vehicle, drove to his shop, where one of them cut the tie to allow Mr Reid to unlock his business. He went to get keys to unlock the silverware cases but one robber told him: 'I don’t want that s***. Let’s go for the big stuff.' But as he fumbled for the right keys in the dark, the thieves began forcing the cases open with crowbars. Mr Reid was left in the dark. 'I thought: "No one’s watching me" and I legged it,' he said. They took £98,700 pounds worth of jewels. Mobile phone analysis revealed calls between Denham and Gunderman, 27, and also that Denham and Evers had both called the same two phone numbers around the time of the raid. Some of the jewellery was recovered after Gunderman had given it as presents to his then girlfriend, Danielle Church. Plundered: The gang forced a terrified Mr Reid to open up Gordon Marks Silver and Goldsmiths in Cobham, Surrey, before they barged in and smashed the display cabinets with a crow bar . The judge told the trio: 'It’s totally plain that this was a professional operation, a gang operating for high stakes, at night, with careful planning. You were all party to a professionally planned and organised robbery of the most serious kind. 'I bear in mind this (charge) was a conspiracy to rob but it was a conspiracy which was carried through completely.' Yet he added: 'I cannot and do not sentence any of you as taking a leading role in this.' All three men had criminal records but none for anything similar to this offence. The judge jailed Denham, from Old Windsor, Berkshire, and Evers, Feltham, Middlesex, for 13-and-a-half years, and reduced the sentence for Gunderman, of Queens Close, Old Windsor, to 12 years because of his guilty plea. Afterwards Detective Inspector from Surrey Police, Jake Nuttall said: 'The sentences handed out to Denham, Evers and Gunderman reflect the severity of the incident, which was a terrifying and traumatic experience for the victim.' Denham and Evers had both denied the charge of conspiracy to rob, claiming cross-contamination was behind the genetic evidence. Gunderman admitted the charge on the first day of trial but on the basis that he had driven others to a location near the house. He abandoned this basis after Judge Moss suggested it was implausible. | Mark Reid, 48, was tied up by the trio and had a pillowcase put over his head .
Was on the sofa watching TV when the gang broke into his detached house .
Gang stole £22,000 worth of jewels from Mr Reid's house in Ockham, Surrey .
They then bundled him into his car before driving to his store nearby .
Forced him to unlock Gordan Marks Silver and Goldsmiths in Cobham .
Damon Denham, 47, Stephen Evers, 27, and Eugene Gunderman, 27 were jailed for a total of 39 years for their part in the crime . |
fa1c08d2d311a73f6f43a719932be4ffff9f7402 | By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 11:09 EST, 27 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:53 EST, 27 February 2014 . A freak gust of wind turned a family fireplace into a giant vacuum which a pet rabbit up into the chimney breast where it was stuck for three days. Nine-year-old Natasha Cameron was in tears when her best friend Chloe, a sand-coloured rabbit, was blown up into the chimney by a rush of air at her home in Bramhall, Manchester, on Sunday. The family hoped the animal would hop back down but by Wednesday they decided to call for extra help. Lucky escape: Natasha Cameron (front) with her pet rabbit Chloe and her brother Harry, mum Pru and brother Alexander . Firefighters and RSPCA officials desperately tried to coax the floppy eared pet down before she was eventually eased to safety using a pipe and a chopped up piece of washing line. Chloe was given treatment to clean her eyes and Natasha was delighted to have her beloved pet back in her hands. Natasha said: 'She's a really mischievous rabbit. 'I was devastated when it happened and I couldn't stop crying because I thought she might be dead. 'She was very thin and dirty and her eyes were really red when she came down but she's alright now.' Chloe disappeared after a freak gust of wind created a vacuum and sucked the rabbit up into a chimney breast . Natasha's mother, Pru, 37, revealed Chloe had been bought as a Christmas present and that her daughter was petrified when she found out her rabbit was trapped in the chimney. Pru said: 'She was stuck up in the fireplace for three days and it just seemed like she had been sucked up by a hoover. 'I've never seen anything like it and we couldn't sleep for three nights while she was stuck in there.' Pru, Natasha and her brothers Alexander, 11, and Harry, six, had only moved into the home a week earlier when disaster struck. Firefighters used a specialist 'snake eye' camera to find Chloe, which had been let out of her hutch for a spot of exercise. RSPCA Inspector Steve Wickham said: 'I have never come across a case like this before. 'There . were bricks sticking out in the inside of the chimney so it was like a . ladder and that was probably how Chloe managed to climb up. 'We created a makeshift catcher and managed to hook her down with the help of a camera. 'We were worried at first that we would have to remove the chimney but thankfully we managed to avoid that. 'She had lost quite a bit of weight and had soot in her eyes but thankfully she was fine.' Firefighters rescuing Chloe the rabbit who got stuck up a chimney breast and was trapped for three days . Firefighters used a specialist 'snake eye' camera to find Chloe the rabbit who got stuck up a chimney . Survivor: A police officer holds a sooty Chloe who spent three days trapped in a chimney breast . | Chloe the rabbit was swept up into the chimney in Bramhall, Manchester .
Pet was bought as a Christmas present for nine-year-old Natasha Cameron .
Family hoped the animal would hop back down the chimney .
By the third day they called in firefighters and RSPCA for help .
Firefighters used a specialist 'snake eye' camera to find Chloe . |
fa1c1bded9706f8aa79a5de0332a64303d36891c | Tony Blair has told political allies that he believes the Conservatives will win the next election because Ed Miliband has failed to connect with voters, it was reported last night. The former prime minister has apparently said that the Labour leader ‘cannot beat’ David Cameron in 2015. Mr Blair is reported to believe the Conservatives will remain in power next year because Labour has not persuaded Britain it is ready to govern. Tony Blair has told political allies that he believes the Conservatives will win the next election because Ed Miliband has failed to connect with voters, it was reported last night . But last night Mr Blair’s office said the story was ‘absurd’ – and that he believes Labour can win. Mr Blair’s reported verdict on Mr Miliband follows criticism of the Labour leader’s performance from some senior figures in his party. The Daily Telegraph said Mr Blair’s apparent prediction was made in a private conversation with long-standing political allies earlier this month. One person who was present told the newspaper: ‘The Conservatives will be the next government because Labour has failed to make a good case for itself. That is what Tony thinks. He does not think that Miliband can beat Cameron.’ Recent polls have shown Labour’s lead over the Tories narrow to just one percentage point, on average. Some of Mr Blair’s allies fear Mr Miliband is not doing enough to appeal to the centre-ground voters who gave the party three general election victories between 1997 and 2005. Lord Prescott, Mr Blair’s former deputy, has said that Mr Miliband is pursuing a ‘core vote strategy’ of appealing only to traditional Labour supporters and disaffected Liberal Democrats. Other Labour figures are concerned that Mr Miliband has failed to develop a clear strategy for responding to Ukip and its voters’ concerns over immigration and Europe. Last month former Labour home secretary Alan Johnson suggested Mr Miliband should have joined the Army so he seemed less of a ‘geek’. The former prime minister has apparently said that the Labour leader ‘cannot beat’ David Cameron in 2015 . Mr Johnson was defending Mr Miliband after a poll suggested the public did not see him as a strong leader. And earlier this month former Labour MP Andrew MacKinlay said Mr Miliband must resign if Labour is to win the election. Mr Miliband has himself confessed to problems with presentation – including in a speech when he admitted he looked less like a prime minister than David Cameron. Last night Mr Blair’s office said: ‘We will not be commenting on unattributed statements except to say that this is not his view. He wants and hopes to see a Labour victory and believes Labour can indeed win under Ed’s leadership.’ A tweet was sent from Mr Blair’s official account @tonyblairoffice saying: ‘TB says: The Telegraph story does not represent my view. Ed Miliband and the Labour Party can and will win the next election.’ A Labour Party source said Mr Miliband would continue with his current strategy. ‘This election will be won by the party which can get the country working again,’ the source said. ‘Labour is the only party which can do this with a plan to save the NHS, change the economy, freeze energy prices and reform the banks.’ | Former PM has apparently said Labour leader ‘cannot beat’ Cameron .
Mr Blair’s office said story was ‘absurd’ and that he believes Labour can win .
Polls have shown Labour’s lead over the Tories narrow to just one point . |
fa1c22f3ce7f18f6b196eab72f4b4f061dba1c5a | Six months ago, the story began as a puzzling news bulletin. A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet with 239 people on board had vanished from radar screens as it was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The disappearance was quite the mystery. Was it a terrorist attack? Was there a mechanical failure that led to a crash? Did the plane go down over land or water? Were there any survivors? We all figured the answers would come after searchers found the aircraft or its wreckage. Half a year later, it remains a deep mystery. No part of the plane has been discovered. Not one speck of debris. A Boeing 777-200ER just disappeared. With 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board, it just vanished. Authorities are convinced the plane crashed March 8 in the southern Indian Ocean. Satellite data and radar information indicate the plane turned off course and most likely went down about the time it would have run out of fuel. Officials don't know why it flew off course. Looking for debris yielded nothing but garbage . Airplanes and ships searched the surface of the ocean for nearly two months, with each report of debris turning out to be a false lead or flotsam from another source. To date, more than 4.5 million square kilometers of sea have been scoured. An underwater drone with sonar took the search beneath the waves in mid-April and looked for the source of four underwater pings picked up by devices towed by ships. The pulses were encouraging because they were of a frequency close to that used by the locator beacons on the plane. The four signals were within 30 kilometers of one another. More days of searching followed. Dozens of underwater missions over hundreds of kilometers. Still nothing. Heartbroken family members of the people on board the plane have been left still seeking answers. Deciphering the noise . Recently, Australian researchers said they had recovered another underwater sound recorder that was in the ocean when MH370 vanished. They found a signal similar to one they noticed on recordings from other devices pulled from the water. It could be a noise made by the plane crashing. As with many possible clues in this strange case, there is a big but. The researchers at Curtin University believe the sound or sounds came from an area thousands of kilometers to the northwest of the search area. The signal seems to have originated close to the tip of India, near a geologically active ridge -- meaning the recordings are most likely those of a seismic event. Experts poring over data . The latest clue comes from a failed satellite phone call from the airline's staff on the morning the plane disappeared. Subsequent analysis of the failed call has given experts a better idea of the aircraft's position and where it was traveling, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said August 28. And that data indicates the missing passenger jet may have turned south slightly earlier than previously thought. The next phase of the search for the remains of the plane and the people on board is primarily focused on a 60,000-square-kilometer area, roughly the size of West Virginia, in the southern Indian Ocean. Forbidding undersea terrain . A deepwater search that will involve three ships is expected to start in the area in late September, using a range of sophisticated sonar equipment. The process is forecast to take as long as a year and cost $48 million, officials have said. Ships have already been mapping the undersea terrain in the isolated swath of ocean to help the searchers. Much of the geography of the area was previously unknown before MH370's disappearance drew attention there. And some of it will be very, very difficult to search, with the mapping survey showing undersea volcanoes and steep ridges. The latest analysis of the data indicates that southern areas of the huge search grid may be of high interest, Australian officials have said, suggesting that the zone is likely to be further adjusted. Job cuts at airline . The loss of MH370 and the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine in July have contributed to 6,000 people at the airline losing their jobs because of heavy financial losses. The carrier reported in late August that it lost $97.4 million in the second quarter. Malaysia Airlines was once a symbol of national pride. But the airline was in big financial trouble before the twin disasters of Flight 370 and Flight 17 claimed the lives of 537 people. Australia: MH370 may have turned south earlier than previously thought . Hard areas found in search zone unlikely to be man-made . | On March 8, MH370 veered off course and vanished from radar en route to Beijing .
Millions of square kilometers of ocean surface have been searched .
The deepest parts of the sea will be the next place searchers send their equipment .
Family members of the 239 people on the plane have been left still seeking answers . |
fa1c5f64eae9982f8fe7c8e6ad24aa23c5d99a5a | Dubbed the 'Cirque du Soleil' of horse shows, this troupe of teenage girls execute death-defying stunts every rodeo season. The Encore Presentation Trick Riders allow girls aged from age 12 to 17 to perform. They combine gymnastics, bravery and extraordinary horsemanship. Scroll down for video . Trick rider Kendel Sampson performs on Jack during the trick riding session of the RAM Rodeo in Ontario . Courtlyn Fiddler bravely stands on Roper holding a Canadian flag at the opening of the rodeo finals . The teenage Encore Presentation Trick Riders perform daring stunts every rodeo season throughout Canada . Trick rider Kyrstin Raymond performs at RAM Rodeo. The girls-only troupe are aged between 12 and 17 and train weekly to master the gravity-defying tricks . The girls combine gymnastics, bravery and extraordinary horsemanship . They perform at a variety of small towns throughout Ontario but are based in the Canadian town of Wyoming. Practicing once a week, it can take them months to master each stunt. The girls’ coach is Aly Love is a former member of Cavalia, the spectacular horse circus show. They perform at a variety of small towns throughout Ontario but are based in the Canadian town of Wyoming . The Encore Presentation Trick Riders allow girls aged from age 12 to 17 to perform . The 'Cherokee Drag' is where the girls' hair and arms are pulled across the ground while they cling onto the horse with their legs . It was a competitive sport until the 1940s but was eventually banned for being too dangerous . She has taught the troupe daring tricks . such as the 'Cherokee Drag' - where the girls’ hair and arms are pulled . across the ground while they cling onto the horse with their legs. Trick riding originated in Russia as a form of military defence and was introduced to North America at the beginning of the 20th century when Communism took hold of eastern Europe, resulting in mass migration to the States. It was a competitive sport until the 1940s but was eventually banned for being too dangerous. Trick riders Kyrstin Raymond and Dopka Kozugulov double up on Chief during the trick riding session . One of the barrel racers rounds a barrel in Pain Court, Ontorio . A Saddle bronc rider seen getting bucked off during the RAM Rodeo in Ontario . It was banned as riders' tricks became more . outrageous and risky as competitors were so desperate for prize money . and many deaths occurred . A cowboy spectacularly falls from his bull during the RAM Rodeo. The sport can be very dangerous . Riders’ tricks became more outrageous and risky as competitors were so desperate for prize money and many deaths occurred. Now it can only be enjoyed as an exhibition sport and the Encore Presentation troupe are one of the top examples of horse dare-devilry performance art. Now it can only be enjoyed as an exhibition . sport. The Encore Presentation troupe are one of the many examples of . rodeo entertainment . A Steer wrestler performs during the RAM Rodeo in Ontario . A male trick rider in action at Calhoun Stables in Woolwich, Ontario. The sport was brought to the America from Russia . rick rider Dopka Kozugulov performs Roman ride during the trick riding session at Calhoun Stables in Woolwich . | The Encore Presentation Trick Riders are aged between 12 and 17 .
They are based in Wyoming, Canada and perform across the country .
Combine gymnastics, bravery and extraordinary horsemanship .
Perform the 'Cherokee Drag', where the girls’ hair and arms are pulled .
across the ground while they cling onto the horse with their legs . |
fa1d1d023390a49ad20cf25808bb154cf32b986f | Atlanta (CNN) -- Kate Sweeney first met Oana Hogrefe over coffee at an Atlanta strip mall. They talked about horrible things. About babies who die in utero and the mother who must go through labor anyway. Or those born with genetic disorders whose parents live through a cruel countdown to the day they will have to disconnect the tubes. They also spoke about how Hogrefe points her camera at these children and clicks. As a memorial photographer, she volunteers to take photos in hospitals under the most trying circumstances. Sometimes the images she creates are the only tangible thing parents have left of a child who died at birth or soon after. Hotel Death: Where dying guests are promised salvation . Sweeney learned Hogrefe took a photo one time of twin girls -- one born healthy, the other sick. The healthy twin was crying inconsolably so the nurses laid her next to her sister, who had little time to live. Hogrefe took out her camera. Later in life, she thought, the surviving sibling could look at this picture and see: " 'Here we are, close together.' At least that makes it real." Sweeney, a journalist, had begun researching a book on memorials when she first spoke with Hogrefe. The Atlanta writer had thought of memorial photography as a macabre practice left over from another era when people were obsessed with death. She didn't understand why anyone would want such photos. But after meeting Hogrefe, Sweeney saw things another way. These photos were often the only evidence of lives lost so young. They said these tender lives mattered. The memorial photos led Sweeney to ask a deeper question: What is our relationship to death now? Are we, as a society, alienated from something that is inevitable? The answers are complicated but death, it seems, is starting to come out of its cold, hard shell. Sweeney's book, "American Afterlife: Encounters in the Customs of Mourning," looks at how certain people process death and why they choose certain rituals and memorials. There is a chapter about green burials or internments that are completely biodegradable. Others examine roadside memorials, a cemetery that was built to be a hang-out, obituary writing and underwater graves. Like the television show "Six Feet Under" that piqued her curiosity in the first place, Sweeney's book puts death front and center in a form that is digestible, poignant and, at times, entertaining. "Death is not something we talk about," she tells me, as we, too, meet in an Atlanta coffee shop to talk about horrible things. Americans, she says, are so obsessed with youth and triumphing over every challenge they face that they become afraid of aging and death, often seen as life's ultimate defeat. Taboo talk . The Victorians did not speak openly about sex but they were far ahead of us when it came to the much more difficult matter of death. Perhaps it was because they were accustomed to seeing death all around them. Disease was rampant and life spans shorter -- the average American died at 47, Sweeney writes. Infant mortality was so high that parents did not name their babies until after a first birthday. Most people died at home; bodies were often laid out for viewing in front parlors. But modern medicine changed all that. Over the years, public displays of grief became unfashionable. "Mourning," writes Sweeney," retreated from public rite to private practice. It went underground." Over time, death surged ahead of sex in the forbidden quotient. Americans increasingly felt uneasy dealing with the inevitable end of life. Death equaled discomfort. "We want never to age. We have become a death-denying culture," says Mark LaRocca-Pitts, a chaplain with Crossroad Hospice. LaRocca-Pitts started the first Death Café in the Southeast. The idea, he says, is to bring strangers together, offer tea and cake and discuss the end of life. About 40 people come and split up into smaller groups and carry on confidential conversations on everything from terminal illness to funerals they've attended and what they might want for their own. "Now there's a movement to talk more about death, to become more friendly with it," he says. The Conversation Project, co-founded by columnist Ellen Goodman, aims to get people to share the way they want to live at the end of their lives. "It's time to transform our culture so we shift from not talking about dying to talking about it," says the Conversation Project website. "It's time to communicate about the kind of care we want and don't want for ourselves." LaRocca-Pitts credits the growth of palliative care and the hospice movement with making people realize there can be death with dignity. He also chalks it up partly to aging take-control baby boomers who are facing their own mortality. "If we are able to talk about death, we might be able to live fuller lives," he says. "There's a lot less anxiety because you've befriended death." Undoubtedly, the conversation has been helped by television -- with shows such as the HBO hit series "Six Feet Under" that inspired Sweeney -- and social media. Last summer, NPR host Scott Simon's tweets from his mother's deathbed went viral. And now, there's Sweeney's book, which is sure to get people talking about death. 'American Afterlife' Sweeney has never suffered catastrophic loss, a fact that might strike her readers as rather strange. More often than not, stories about death arise from the pen of someone who has been touched by loss. "I am still freaked out by the prospect of losing people I love," she says. The book prompted her to think about how she would memorialize her loved ones -- her mother, for instance, loves gardening and wants her ashes to be turned into mulch. Sweeney discussed with her husband her own wishes, though she wouldn't share what they are. "Most of the time we don't think about these things until we have to," she says. "I think you should do what feels right." She brings up a family she encountered who has a weenie roast each year at a green burial cemetery. Yes, a weenie roast. Traditional funerals are profitable in America. The average cost of a burial in 2012 was $7,045, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. But increasingly, Americans are leaning toward cremation. In 2012, 43.2% of America's dead were cremated. By 2017, that number is expected to rise to almost 50%. The ways Americans are memorializing loved ones has diversified greatly in the past few years. Many, such as Oana Hogrefe's memorial photography of infants, are helping bringing death and dying back into the public realm. Reefs, ink and roads . Sweeney went out with Eternal Reefs, a company that mixes ashes with a compound to transforms them into an artificial coral reef. She watched as seven families put the ashes of their loved ones in natural cast concrete and lowered them to into the Atlantic off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. "Military veterans, environmentalists, fishermen, sailors, divers and people who have been active all their lives or whose lives has been cut short, are comforted by the thought of being surrounded by all that life and action going on around them," the Eternal Reefs website says. Their families loved the idea of a living legacy on the ocean floor. "In a way, these survivors are interacting directly with the bodies of the people they loved in life, although most probably prefer not to think of it that way," Sweeney writes. On the day she went out with Eternal Reefs, the ashes being memorialized at sea included those of a cat named Mistofeles -- his family had traveled all the way from California. The reefs are part of a trend to scatter ashes in places of natural beauty. The National Park Service, writes Sweeney, even has an application. The one at the Grand Canyon forbids teeth, bone fragments or parts that are recognizable as human remains. Others choose to remember the dead in a much more personal way. There's nothing more permanent than to etch a memorial into your own skin, tattoo artist Sarah Peacock tells Sweeney. She inked a man whose wife died of a fluke illness at 38. When the portrait was finished, the man cried. He told her the tattoo was his last stage of letting go. Mary Wilsey chose to remember her daughter Brittany, who died in a car accident near Wilmington, North Carolina, with a roadside memorial of a cross and a wreath of fake flowers. "People drive down the roads," Wilsey tells Sweeney, "and death never even crosses anybody's mind if they don't see one. But when you see one, it brings death to your attention." But a lot of people think Wilsey's grief shouldn't be their commute. Or they say such memorials are dangerous because they are distracting. Sweeney explores the controversy. "It comes down to where does grief belong?" Sweeney tells me. "I don't think we are super comfortable with another person's grief." What happens after someone dies is personal, she says. But it's also a reflection on how we, as a society, handle it. Ultimately, it's about how we bring death to life. Follow CNN's Moni Basu on Twitter . | The Victorians were open about death; later, it became a topic of discomfort .
These days, people are starting to talk more about dying .
Journalist Kate Sweeney's new book explores customs of mourning in America .
Sometimes those rituals include reefs, roads and roasts . |
fa1d42ec5321227fb8aa3ba004e06e9903dfd9b7 | CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- An Illinois man was charged with possession of a potentially deadly neurotoxin commonly found in puffer fish after the FBI led a raid at his home Monday. Edward F. Bachner, 35, of Lake in the Hills, was charged with one count of illegal possession of a toxin, according to a federal complaint filed in U.S. district court. Bachner is listed as the corporate secretary of Rosetta Wireless Corp. in Naperville, in suburban Chicago. Bachner was arrested after accepting a small amount of tetrodotoxin delivered by an undercover federal official at his home, the FBI said. Tetrodotoxin is a neurotoxin that in large doses can cause paralysis and death. It's often linked to consumption of puffer fish, a delicacy from the Indian and Pacific oceans that can prove fatal if not prepared properly, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bachner, using the alias Edmond Backer, attempted to purchase 98 milligrams of tetrodotoxin through the Web site of a New Jersey chemical company, according to the FBI. Bachner claimed he was a doctor working for Illinois-based EB Strategic Research, which does not exist. The quantity of the toxin requested alarmed an employee at the chemical company, who alerted authorities, the FBI said. Bachner appeared before a magistrate judge at the federal court in Rockford and is being held without bond until his next court appearance. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. Calls late Monday to Bachner's home and business went unanswered. | FBI: Edward Bachner tried to buy 98 milligrams of tetrodotoxin through the Web .
Neurotoxin, commonly found in puffer fish species, can cause paralysis and death .
Bachner was arrested after accepting a small amount from an undercover official .
If convicted, the 35-year-old faces 10 years in prison . |
fa1d62a7140e48dc1edb8c3c0dc52bc9e5801dc8 | By . Jessica Jerreat . From the Eiffel tower in Paris and a Van Gogh painting, to the Northern Lights and a tiger, a nine-year-old boy in Texas is compiling a bucket list of things to see before he goes blind. Ben Pierce is slowly losing his vision in both eyes because of scar tissue left over from health issues caused when he was born prematurely. As his world gets dimmer, the adventurous little boy is trying to see as much of the world as possible so he can have clear memories of what it looks like. Visual memories: Ben Pierce has written a bucket list of things he wants to see before he goes blind . Painting pictures: Ben hugs his mom, Heidi, as they look at Van Gogh's Haystacks after Dallas Museum of Art opened early just for the family . Doctors suggested to his parents Kit and Heidi that they should show him as many sights as possible so he would remember what things look like. 'Let him see the mountains and let him see the ocean. Take him to see animals so he can describe it better when he doesn't have the ability to see it,' Ms Pierce told KTLA. She and her husband sat down with Ben and helped him create a bucket list of places and things he wanted to see. Already Ben has managed to tick off a few items on his wish list, with the Dallas Museum of Art opening early recently so he could get a close up view of Van Gogh's Haystacks. The family . have been constantly amazed by the generosity of people who have heard . about Ben's list and sent in donations, or helped make items on it . possible. In . less than two days, more than $17,000 was raised on a Give Forward page to . help Ben complete his wish list, which includes trips to Shakespeare's . Globe in London, seeing waterfalls and safari animals, and visiting a . toy factor. Magical: During a trip to Harry Potter World, Ben was 'picked' by a wand at Ollivander's store . Spell bound: An anonymous donor paid for Ben and his family to visit Harry Potter World, above, after the nine-year-old revealed how much he loved the books . Out of this world: Ben takes a seat next to the flight director at NASA's Mission Control, who let him talk to astronauts in the space station . No one knows when Ben will lose his sight for good, and he is already learning to walk with a cane and perform everyday tasks such as cooking without relying on his eyes. 'I just don't want to be blind,' Ben told WFAA as he started to cry during a recent interview. But despite his fears, he is embracing what time he has left with his vision. His eye problems are a lingering after effect of being born four months early. He weighted just 1lb 6oz at birth, and his eyelids were still fused shut. While he bounced back from other health problems caused by his early arrival, his eyes have not been able to recover. However, he is working hard at building up a visual memory bank through his bucket list, and already has visited Harry Potter World and mission control at NASA. With a large family - Ben has five brothers and sisters - and a bucket list that covers several countries, the Pierces have been holding fundraisers to pay for some trips, and others have been provided by generous donors. One anonymous donor paid for the family of eight to fly from their Texas home to Florida so Ben could explore Harry Potter World. Family fun: On each trip, including one to meet NASA's astronauts, Ben is accompanied with his five brothers and sisters, and parents Kit and Heidi . Adventure: Doctors suggest to Ben's parents that they let him experience as many things as possible before losing his sight . Fighter: Ben weighed just over 1lb when he was born more than four months early. Although he is healthy, his eyes were damaged . Travel: Google Earth at NASA allowed Ben to see images of the Eiffel Tower, but he wants to see it for real too . The nine-year-old loves to read, and the books about the schoolboy wizard are among his favorites. When he woke on the first day, Ben was able to see the spires of Hogwarts Castle from his hotel room. During the trip he was picked at Ollivander's store to let a wand choose him. 'He was so excited, I cried seeing his expression,' Ms Pierce wrote on a blog about the day trip. 'You try a few wands that cause funny mishaps (boxes flying off shelves, flowers dying) and then the correct wand chooses the child – complete with spotlight and music and burst of air blowing the child’s hair up. It was so fun!' Some of his bucket list wishes were more straightforward. The technology fan wanted to visit an Apple store. Generous: When Ben asked to visit an Apple store, the staff gave him a yellow Genius T-Shirt and an iPad . Original: Some of the bucket list trips are more unusual, such as this one to see a water tower . Nature: Ben feeds a cockatiel during a visit to a wildlife park . But when his parents reached out to a store, they not only welcomed Ben in and gave him one of the yellow T-shirts their Genius teams wear, they also gave him an iPad filled with apps to help those who are visually impaired. He has also visited a water tower, watched books being made, visited farm animals and Dallas Zoo. One of the more memorable trips was to NASA, where Ben and his family got to meet astronauts, tour mission control and listen to astronauts in the space station. '[NASA] gave him an experience beyond his wildest dreams in so many ways. None of us could have imagined how incredible our visit would be,' Ms Pierce said, adding that Ben had been 'given him memories that will stay with him forever'. The family know Ben won't be able to see everything for himself, so they have also asked for well-wishers to send postcards to him from their favorite places. | Scar tissue on Ben Pierce's eyes are causing him to go blind .
Doctors suggested his parents create as many visual memories as possible to help Ben cope . |
fa1fa4976c40333da435a1777bea42544205290e | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 06:03 EST, 26 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:17 EST, 26 October 2012 . A dying schoolgirl desperately seeking a bone marrow transplant to save her from a rare deadly illness is being kept alive - with horse blood. Zoe Gilbert, 11, has a form of aplastic anaemia which doctors believe can only be a cured by a transplant. The condition, also called bone marrow failure, affects the blood and is caused by the bone marrow and stem cells not producing enough blood cells. So far, Zoe’s desperate family have failed to find a match for the youngster. Zoe Gilbert, 11, is dying from rare aplastic anaemia, which attacks her immune system. Doctors are keeping her alive with medicine made from horse anitbodies. Pictured with her mother Elizabeth and sister Kirstie . Instead, the schoolgirl is having her dangerously weak immune system boosted - by horse blood. A serum from the equine blood is injected into Zoe because it contains antithymocyte globulin (ATG) - an antibody which doctors hope will kick-start her immune system. Incredibly, the treatment has a range of bizarre side effects, including the growth of facial hair. There is also a risk Zoe could contract a deadly infection - but medics believe her illness is so bad the chance is worth taking. Zoe will have to wait for four weeks after the treatment is completed to find out whether it has been successful. If it doesn’t work, her only option will be finding a suitable bone marrow donor to come forward and save her life. Zoe’s mother Elizabeth Gilbert today launched an urgent appeal for more donors to sign up to the bone marrow register to ‘secure Zoe’s life’. She said: ‘It’s very difficult at the moment not knowing what will happen. My biggest fear is it not working and having to go through it again. ‘A transplant would secure Zoe’s life. Even if we don’t find a match,donors could save other people’s lives.' Zoe's sister, Kirstie Gilbert, 24, added: 'We are just desperate for her to be well again. Zoe wants to go to sleepover parties and not worry about getting sick. She has just started secondary school and is only able to do three days a week. The nursery school teacher, added: 'There are so many risks with this treatment and her body could reject it or relapse from it at any time. Doctors hope the antibodies will kick-start Zoe's immune system. If not, her only option will be finding a suitable bone marrow donor to save her life . 'She's my little sister - I take her to have her nails done and treat her to shoes to try and cheer her up. 'But there are only so many pairs of shoes you can buy - she just wants her life back.' Every year, thousands of patients with blood cancer and other blood disorders are given transplants of healthy bone marrow. Their own diseased marrow is first destroyed to prevent the new marrow from being rejected and to create space for the transplanted tissue. Zoe, who lives with her family in Impington, Cambridgeshire, was diagnosed with the condition by doctors at Addenbrooke’s Hospital after she had ten nose bleeds in just two weeks. The condition means her bone marrow fails to reproduce red and white blood cells and platelets, which prevent bruising, and leaves Zoe with little resistance to infections. Zoe, a student who loves football and swimming, has to have blood and platelet transfusions every week - spending days at a time in hospital. Staff at Addenbrooke’s hospital and the Anthony Nolan charity, which manages the UK bone marrow register, have searched world-wide but failed to find a suitable donor for Zoe. Research shows that family members are not necessarily compatible and it is more likely that a complete stranger will be an exact match. Children who do not have a brother or sister who is a good bone marrow match can be treated with a immunosuppressive therapy using antibodies from horse and rabbit blood. The horse therapy reduces the number of white blood cells circulating in the bloodstream using drugs such as antilymphocyte globulin (ATG) and ciclosporin, which stimulate the bone marrow to restart blood cell production. Myles Bradbury, consultant paediatric haematologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, said; 'For children who do not having a sibling bone marrow match the second option is an unrelated match. 'If, as in this case, we cannot find a match we use horse ATG, which has an 85 per cent survival rate.' The antibodies are given to the patient in a liquid medicine intravenously through a central line in the neck. Unfortunately, the main side effect of ciclosporin is extra hair growth on the body, which can be quite obvious on the face. Patients can also suffer from high temperatures, rashes and swollen, painful joints. Zoe has to be kept in hospital for three weeks and closely monitored in isolation as she will be prone to fatal infection while undergoing the treatment. Dr Michael Gattens, consultant paediatric haematologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, said: ‘Ideally bone marrow is the best option but without a match we use ATG. ‘It is a pretty intensive treatment and can result in serum sickness, but we can only carry out marrow transplants if we have a perfect match - it is essential for this condition, otherwise it won’t work. ‘Zoe will be in hospital for three weeks and she will be kept in isolation and closely monitored for infection which in many cases can be fatal.’ He added: ‘For most people, a transplant is a long-term solution. Occasionally, many years down the line, people relapse.’ Aplastic anaemia affects only one in every 200,000 people and in many cases the reasons behind the condition are not clear. Experts estimate only about 30 to 40 children are diagnosed with aplastic anaemia each year.It can affect anyone at any age but seems to occur most often in children and people over 60 years old. To help Zoe visit facebook.com/thehelpzoecampaign . Anthony Nolan runs the UK register of bone marrow donors. Donors need to be between the ages of 16-30 and in good health. For more information, please visit www.anthonynolan.org . | Zoe Gilbert, 11, has aplastic anaemia, which doctors believe can only be a cured by a transplant .
While waiting for a donor, doctors are giving her injections of horse blood .
Treatment said to boost the immune system, keeping patients alive .
But has unfortunate side-effects such as as growth of facial hair .
Little girl's family beg bone marrow donors to come forward . |
fa1fc835c115f75f3ef2dd431c1bbf586821baf9 | (CNN) -- Penny Ireland's family is so scattered around the world that Facebook, the popular social networking site, has become the family's No. 1 way to communicate. The fastest-growing age group on Facebook is women older than 55, Inside Facebook says. "We call it our living room," the 56-year-old mother said by phone from her home in Houston, Texas. "Everybody can tell what everybody else is doing." "Everybody" includes Ireland's five kids and her 83-year-old mother, who has a Facebook profile she accesses daily, Ireland said. While online social networks like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are known hang-outs for younger adults and teenagers, older generations in recent months have been taking to the medium at a faster rate than any other age group, according to industry reports. Many of these older folks use social networks to keep tabs on younger family members and they often find fruitful connections with their peers after they've friended all of their kids and grandkids, according to an informal survey by Stanford University professor BJ Fogg. Join a conversation on this topic at CNN's Facebook page . The trend is still relatively confined. Only about 7 percent of people older than 65 have online social-networking profiles, according to research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. But Facebook's popularity is growing most quickly among women older than 55, according to a site called Inside Facebook, which tracks Facebook's growth. There are now about 1.5 million female users older than 55 on the site, the group says -- roughly a 550 percent increase over six months ago. By comparison, membership among people younger than 25 grew by less than 20 percent over the same period, Inside Facebook says. Facebook now says it has 200 million users, making its user base larger than the populations of all the world's countries except China, India, the United States and Indonesia. Such a vast presence, coupled with news media buzz about all social media, has pushed online social networking to a "tipping point," said Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist at the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Fogg, the Stanford instructor, said the trend has spread outward from college towns, where Facebook was first adopted, and inward from the American coasts. Facebook today has a global presence, with 70 percent of users living outside the U.S., the site says. "We've reached critical mass where there's been enough talk about Facebook and people have gotten so many invitations from their friends, they're going, 'OK, what is this Facebook thing? I've got to get onboard or I'm going to be left in the dust,' " Fogg said. Parents who are interested in their kids' online activities contribute to the sharp increase in older users on Facebook, said Linda Fogg-Phillips, a 49-year-old who, with her brother, co-taught a six-week class at Stanford called "Facebook for Parents." "Parents are finally at the point where they realize this is not going away. They better figure out how to get on it and they'd better figure out how to use it," said Fogg-Phillips, who is a mother of eight in Las Vegas, Nevada. "It's a snowball effect. It's viral in a good sense." Older people often must overcome fears about privacy issues before they will join Facebook, Fogg-Phillips said. Once they do, they often find unexpected uses for the network, she said. iReport.com: Facebook, Twitter growing pains? That was the case for Craig Costa, a 55-year-old fly-fishing guide in Park City, Utah, who said family members forced him to join Facebook. Costa still finds parts of the site annoying, and isn't comfortable having his personal information made public, but he has connected with old friends he wouldn't have otherwise -- including his ex-wife, who now is a Facebook friend of his current wife. "It's been really interesting because so many people have a connection to me," he said. "I was married before and my wife is now talking to my ex-wife. And some of her old friends are telling old stories about me to my wife. It's just bizarre for me." Costa said he also can more easily keep up with his 28-year-old son, who lives in New York and also keeps a Facebook page for his dog. Karen Essman, 61, uses Facebook but said she has trouble convincing her peers to join social-networking sites. They often don't understand the interface or are afraid of scams, she said. "It's a little bit more difficult for older people," she said. Margaret Brooks, 63, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, joined the site because there was no other place for her to see her 18-year-old grandson's artwork. She asked to be his friend online, and at first she worried he wouldn't respond. "I did think, 'Oh my goodness, I'm old grandma. He doesn't want to have anything to do with grandma on Facebook,' " she said. "But he did, and every time I send something to him he sends something to me." Joanne Woeppel joined Facebook so she could keep tabs on her 13 grandkids. But the Web site also has helped the 71-year-old keep up with other people without changing her routine. "I'm pretty much what you would call a loner. I'm content in my own company. I can find things to do to entertain myself that I don't need to be out and about," she said by phone from her three-bedroom house near Dallas, Texas. "I don't go out to socialize." A former call center worker and aspiring sci-fi author, Woeppel visits the online social network about once a day. Spending time on Facebook, which she joined in September, helps her feel connected to family all over the country -- especially to the youngsters, she said. She has family members who live nearby, but says she's found a way to communicate with them in their own language through Facebook. "Let's face it, kids that age aren't really interested in talking to people my age very much. It's more, 'Hi grandma how are ya? ... Bye!' " she said with a laugh. "That's basically what I get from my grandkids, so if I can engage them through just a little bit of chit-chat [online], it's a lot more than I can get over the phone." | Women older than 55 make up the fastest-growing age group on Facebook .
Expert says the site has hit a "tipping point," causing older people to join .
Some older family members use the site to get in touch with younger generations .
One mother says Facebook has become her family's "living room" |
fa200485f9ceb0e482315d4b4e544d06fc929c04 | By . Sarah Dean . The Australian parents of a toddler with an aggressive brain tumour who were forced to fly to the US for life-saving treatment costing $200,000 say they still haven't received any funding from the Federal Government. Edwin Ho, wife Rochelle Luk and their son Edric have now returned to their home in Perth after flying to the US in May for targeted proton beam therapy, which is not available in Australia. Little Edric looked happy to be home as he crawled across the airport floor giggling after the family got off the plane. His parents previously accused the Government of refusing to fund Edric's much needed treatment because of budget cuts. Scroll down for video . Smiling again: Edric has returned from the US after having life-saving treatment for his aggressive brain tumour . This week they told Channel Seven they are still waiting for help despite the treatment being successful. 'We feel disappointed we didn't get any funding but we're still fighting,' Mr Ho said as the family arrived at Perth airport. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Health for comment. In May, Edric's parents claimed the therapy was their toddler's best chance of survival. However, the Government said he should have the more standard treatment that is already available in Australia. The family said pleas for funding from the Federal Health Department's Medical Treatment Overseas Program had been rejected. Edwin Ho and his son Edric flew to the US in May for targeted proton beam therapy, which is not available in Australia . Struggle: Edric needed treatment for an aggressive brain tumour and doctors say his best chance of survival is with special treatment in the US . They were forced to borrow from friends and family to get their son treated at the University of Florida. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health told previously Daily Mail Australia that the decision not to fund the overseas treatment came from a 'preliminary assessment which at this stage denies the treatment'. 'One of the main criteria for treatment overseas is that it can't be performed in Australia. Patients with the same condition are currently being treated in Australia,' she said. 'If doctors or the family can come back with further information before a final decision is made then it will be considered.' Battle: Edric's parents have been forced to borrow from friends and family to get their son treated at the University of Florida . However, the family claim the conformal photon radiotherapy treatment being offered to them in Australia has 'horrible side effects'. Little Edric, who previously had a tumour half the size of his brain removed in an operation, has also been recommended for the special treatment abroad by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists. He is suffering from an anaplastic ependymoma - a tumour that forms when cells in the central nervous system (in his case the brain) begin to multiple rapidly. 'It was devastating': Edric's mother Rochelle said finding out her son was sick was 'every parent's worst nightmare' The experts said the best treatment for Edric was unavailable in Australia and other treatments delivered much bigger areas of low dose radiation to brain tissue that could be harmful. Describing the moment they found out Edric was seriously ill, his father Edwin told Seven News: 'He was normal one week and paralysed the next.' At 18-months, he stopped walking and lost the use of his right hand. 'It was devastating. It was the worst nightmare of a parent,' his mother Rochelle said. The hospitals who have been treating Edric in Australia so far - the Sir Charles Gairdner and Princess Margaret hospitals - said they would appeal against the decision not to fund his overseas treatment. Location: Edric's parents will take him to the University of Florida for treatment on Sunday . | Edwin Ho and wife Rochelle Luk flew their son to the US in May .
Toddler Edric was recommended for targeted proton beam therapy .
The treatment is not currently available in Australia .
His parents claim budget cuts mean the government won't help pay . |
fa20632d0346047d4d1d602bd7d9364480471528 | A boy who was just 15 when he fatally shot his 12-year-old half-sister has been sentenced to 30 years in prison - after she identified him as the killer before she died. Levi Elliott, now 17, was handed down 20 years for second-degree murder, five years for armed criminal action and five years for tampering with a motor vehicle at a Polk County, Missouri court on Wednesday. His father had pleaded with the judge to give Elliott the maximum penalty, saying he feared the teenager was capable of murdering again. He must serve 20 years before he is eligible for parole. It comes three months after the teen was convicted of shooting his sister Sierra in the head while she watched TV on March 24, 2012 at their Bolivar home. Their parents - his biological father and stepmother - had left them alone at the house together for 30 minutes. Locked up: Levi Elliott can be seen in court during his sentencing hearing on Wednesday. The 17-year-old was sentenced to 30 years in prison for shooting dead his sister when he was just 15 . When the couple arrived home, they found Elliott and his father's pickup truck gone and Sierra barely alive. She was unable to talk but raised her hand to indicate 'yes' when her mother asked if Elliott had shot her, the Springfield News-Leader reported. She died the following day. After the shooting, he drove to a nearby payphone, where he called his biological mother and stepfather and told them an intruder had burst into the home and shot dead Sierra. Operating the truck without consent or a proper license, Elliott drove to his mother's home in Kansas City and turned himself into authorities a day after the shooting. Although there was no specific forensic evidence pointing to Elliott as the killer, there were inconsistencies in his story and no one else had the motive to shoot her, prosecutors told the court. One of Elliott's classmates testified that they had heard him say he hated his sister and wouldn't care if she died, prosecutor Kenneth Ashlock, said, the Bolivar Herald-Free Press reported. Killer: Levi Elliott is pictured left in his mug shot after his arrest. Prosecutors said he shot his 12-year-old half-sister Sierra, right, in the head while she watched television at their Missouri home in March 2012 . Murdered: Sierra, pictured, was unable to speak when her parents arrived home but indicated 'yes' with her hand when her mother asked if Levi had shot her. She died from her injuries the following day . In custody: Footage shows Elliott after his arrest, when he was just 15. After the killing, he fled the scene in his dad's pickup truck and went to his mother's home before turning himself into police . Prosecutors told the jury that after 'ambushing' his sister in her parents' bedroom, Elliott 'told a story so unbelievable that it contradicts reason and all the evidence in the case'. When Elliott spoke to his mother on the phone, he said he had been at home with Sierra when he heard a gunshot and rushed to the room where he saw a stranger with a rifle going through the family's drawers. He claimed the gunman then chased him out of the house before climbing in a Jeep and following him as he drove away. 'His story is entirely improbable if not impossible,' Assistant Attorney General Josh Harrel said. Harrel said that questions remained over how the teenager had been able to put on his shoes before running away and why the front door was locked when the parents arrived back home. The boy's father had also testified that his pickup was hard to start and took time to warm up - even though the teenager claimed it was his getaway vehicle. Plea: His father, James Elliott, pictured, pleaded with the judge to sentence his son to the maximum sentence possible, saying he believed he could murder again. James Elliott was also the father of Sierra . Heartbroken: Levi Elliott's mother, Joy Adams, said she believed her son was innocent and had been abused by his father - but an investigation found the claims to be unsubstantiated . 'His story is a fabrication not supported by evidence,' Harrel said, the BH-FP reported. 'He could not tell his mom and stepdad the truth, which was that he shot Sierra.' But the defense argued that it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Elliott was guilty, as no blood was found on his clothes or on any of the guns taken from the home. At the hearing, the jury had not been allowed to hear Peggy Elliott's claims that her daughter had indicated that Levi Elliott had pulled the trigger. A judge ruled that no evidence showed that Sierra knew she was dying when she raised her hand so did not qualify as a dying declaration. It was ruled inadmissible at trial, the BH-FP reported. Even though Elliott was 15 at the time of the killing, he was brought to trial as an adult. During the sentencing hearing, Elliott's father, who was also Sierra's father, had begged for his son to get the maximum possible punishment of 30 years, KY3 reported. 'I now know what Levi is capable of: murder - and I believe he would do it again,' said James Elliott. Heading to prison: Elliott, who maintains he is innocent, will not be eligible for parole for 20 years . But his mother, Joy Adams, insisted that her son was innocent, telling the news channel: 'Five minutes in prison would have been too much for my son.' After he was found guilty in October, she became ill and was rushed from the courthouse in an ambulance. Elliott's sister, Ashley Elliott, told the judge should be lenient on her brother because he was mistreated by their father. 'He was paddled with a board on his backside, on the backs of his legs, and a couple times he would take the board and hit him across the face with it,' she said. But Children's Services did not find evidence of abuse at the house, the judge said. Elliott maintains his innocence. | Levi Elliott, now 17, was sentenced to 30 years for the murder of his sister Sierra at their Bolivar, Missouri home in March 2012 .
While their parents were out, he shot her dead while she watched television and then fled in his dad's pickup truck, prosecutors said .
When the parents arrived home, Sierra could not speak but raised her hand to say 'yes' when they asked if her brother was responsible .
He claimed that an unknown intruder had shot Sierra and then chased him from the home, but prosecutors called the story 'unbelievable'
A school friend testified that Elliott said he hated his sister .
His father had pleaded with the judge for the maximum penalty . |
fa20c0ec5a5ec158d1691962ccd7b9239707be06 | By . Lizzie Parry . PUBLISHED: . 11:56 EST, 4 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 11:56 EST, 4 January 2014 . The bodies of 13 men were today dragged from the wreckage after a five-storey building collapsed in a coastal village in Goa, India, police said. The residential building, which was being built, caved in this afternoon as around 50 labourers worked at the site. 'We have got 13 bodies from the wreckage,' said Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. 'We expect the death toll to rise.' The bodies of 13 people have been dragged from the wreckage of a five-storey building, which collapsed in the village of Canacona in Goa on Saturday . Rescuers pull an injured labourer from the crumpled building. Police said seven people have been confirmed dead so far, while dozens of workers are feared trapped . Seven people have so far been confirmed dead, while dozens are feared trapped in the rubble, police said. Authorities are trying to . determine how many people were at the construction site when the . structure crumpled, police superintendent Shekhar . Prabhudessai said. Rescue workers used cranes and bulldozers, shovels and their bare hands as they struggled to lift the concrete slabs and other debris to free the workers. The desperate rescue attempt was witnessed by hundreds of onlookers in the seaside village of Canacona, south of Goa's capital, Panaji. 'It was like an earthquake . when the building fell,' witness Ramesh Naik said. 'You could not see . what exactly had happened because of the dust.' Rescue teams used cranes, bulldozers, shovels and their bare hands in a desperate attempt to help their injured colleagues . It is understood around 50 people were working on the construction site when the building gave way . Initial reports said the building that collapsed was five stories high. The building collapse was the latest in a string of deadly construction accidents in India, in recent months. Fire and emergency services crews rushed to the spot and chief minister, Mr Parrikar said military reinforcement had been called in. 'We will immediately arrest the builder, the contractor and municipal officials involved in sanctioning this construction site,' he said. 'I am personally monitoring the situation.' The bodies were moved to a morgue at a nearby hospital. Mr Prabhudessai said the cause of the collapse has not yet been determined. The building collapse happened in the seaside village of Canacona, south of Goa's capital Panaji, pictured . | Five-storey building collapsed in the seaside village of Canacona .
Police said seven people have been confirmed dead so far, with that toll expected to rise while dozens are feared trapped in the debris .
Rescuers desperately tried to free labourers using cranes, bulldozers, shovels and their bare hands . |
fa20dfb9b4e729df2ea4ece85de973ce7064401a | A group of children got to dress up in their finest Halloween costumes as they were sworn in as United States citizens during a naturalization ceremony in Baltimore. The group of 49 children donned their best outfits - including a bright blue Captain America suit and a yellow banana outfit - at an immigration event in Maryland. And it will be a day that they're not likely to forget as they proudly pledged allegiance to their new country in an array of brightly colored outfits. Captain America: Erza Retta Dessie, 13, centre, from Ethiopia wears a Captain America costume as he was sworn in as a United States citizens in Baltimore, Maryland . Dressed up: Dessie was among 49 other children who were sworn in at the special Halloween-themed event . Banana: Kritagya Ghimire wears a Banana costume while he receives his Certificate of Citizenship . The children, who came from 21 different countries from all over the world were encouraged to attend the ceremony in their Halloween costumes by United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) officials. One young man stole the show by turning up in a bright yellow banana-themed Halloween costume which left only his face showing out of a round hole. Kritagya Ghimire proudly stepped forward to receive his Certificate of Citizenship in the Banana costume at the Halloween themed naturalization ceremony which took place on October 31. Meanwhile, 3-year-old Erza Retta Dessie from Ethiopia wore a Captain America costume as he was sworn in at the event. Another girl smiled broadly in her eye-catching Sponge Bob SquarePants costume as she put her right hand over her heart to recite the pledge of allegiance. During the last decade, America has welcomed more than 6.6 million naturalized citizens into the country, according to the USCIS. Scary: MD Kamruzzaman of Bangladesh wears a Ghoul costume - with a mask which that was made famous by the 1996 movie Scream - while holding his Certificate of Citizenship . Allegiance: Children wearing Halloween costumes recite the Pledge of Allegiance after becoming US citizens . In 2013, up to May, approximately 503,104 individuals were naturalized. Each year, approximately 680,000 citizens attend naturalization ceremonies across the United States and around the world. Officials: A boy dressed as a fire captain checks in with officials before the naturalization ceremony . | The group of 49 children donned their best outfits to the ceremony .
USCIS officials encouraged the children to dress up for the special event .
Children from over 21 countries attended the event in Maryland, Baltimore . |
fa214972933ca4916515a7e7d7c36a7224f13ce8 | By . Bianca London for MailOnline . We'd just about accepted collagen marshmallows and collagen drinks but the latest food packed with the anti-ageing ingredient might just be a step too far. Tokyo eatery, Zenyaren, serves a variety of the meaty treats, which have been designed to beat wrinkles. The grilled skewers of meat come in frozen blocks of collagen gelatin so they can be licked or crunched just like an ice lolly. Would you eat this all in the name of younger looking skin? A Tokyo eatery serves a variety of the meaty treats, which are packed with collagen and claim to beat wrinkles . This precious protein is the basic building block of the skin, forming mesh-like bonds to hold it firm and stop it sagging. When we are young, skin is made up of 80 per cent collagen. After the age of 25, we lose it at the rate of about one per cent a year. The result is the twin curses of wrinkles and saggy skin. Owners of the Zenyaren restaurant in the capital Tokyo - which invented the dish - say they have become massively popular during Japan's summer heatwave. Chefs prepare traditional skewers of chicken - known as yakitori - but then slowly freeze them in collagen blocks so they keep their freshly barbecued taste. Yum? Japanese skincare specialists believe by adding collagen into the diet via these bizarre meals, the effects of ageing can be slowed down but UK specialist aren't convinced . How do they work? This precious protein is the basic building block of the skin, forming mesh-like bonds to hold it firm and stop it sagging. A standard 'two lolly' serving costs just £ 2.50. Regular Koma Izuma, 47, said: 'It is delicious especially when you are trying to keep cool on a hot day. Refreshing and nutritious at the same time - and great for your complexion.' Japanese beauticians believe that eating collagen-rich foods keeps your skin young and wrinkle-free. Tokyo skin expert Tatsuto Tamura explains: 'This has been popular in Japan for generations although only now is it becoming mainstream and known in the West too. 'People here seek out collagen-enriched foods such as chicken, pigs' feet or shark fin because they believe it will help their skin,' he added. In the US, many restaurants now serve special 'wrinkle free' menus of dishes loaded with collagen. But the craze has not, however, impressed British skin specialists, and the British Skin Foundation claims that eating collagen does not benefit the skin in any way. Tasty? Chefs prepare traditional skewers of chicken - known as yakitori - but then slowly freeze them in collagen blocks so they keep their freshly barbecued taste . Cheap as chips: A standard two lolly serving costs £2.50 and fans say they're refreshing and nutritious at the same time . Laura Casewell, editor of The Cosmetic Surgery Guide, told the Mail: 'There's a definite move towards improving the skin from the "inside out" rather than the "outside in" and stimulating our bodies to replace what has been lost.' So can these meaty bites beat your crows feet? UK-based plastic surgeons and dermatologist aren't convinced. Mr Paul Banwell FRCS(Plast) from The Banwell Clinic, said: 'These collagen popsicles sound like a fun idea but unfortunately there is little scientific evidence to support their effectiveness. 'There are a myriad of more effective aesthetic facial treatments available from skilled surgeons and doctors and I would urge the public to seek tried and trusted methods of rejuvenation.' This isn't the first edible collagen to come onto the market. There have been various ranges of collagen-infused marshmallows and sweets that promise to 'reduce the appearance of cellulite, and firm and tone skin'. 'I haven't seen any strong evidence that explains why eating an increased amount of collagen should improve the quantity or quality of collagen in your skin,' says founder of 111SKIN, Dr Yannis Alexandrides. 'Collagen is a type of protein, and works with keratin to provide the skin with strength, smoothness and elasticity - however, it is effectively broken down in your stomach. There's no direct pathway to send collagen to the skin. 'I would suggest a following a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regime to optimise skin health and ensure that your body can manufacture collagen naturally. Can these make you young too? We've previously seen collagen-infused marshmallows and sweets that promise to reduce the appearance of cellulite, and firm and tone skin' | Grilled skewers of meat come in frozen blocks of collagen gelatin .
Collagen forms mesh-like bonds to hold it firm and stop it sagging .
A standard 'two lolly' serving costs £ 2.50 .
UK plastic surgeons say they're not much use . |
fa225c041975ef1e69a564b5e940c55542072012 | Bartow, Florida (CNN) -- After more than three decades in prison, a Florida man was set free Thursday after a DNA test showed he did not kidnap and rape a 9-year-old boy in 1974. "I'm not angry," James Bain, 54, told reporters after a brief hearing in Bartow, Florida. Bain was 19 when he was convicted on charges of kidnapping, burglary and strong-arm rape. He received a life sentence. He's going home for the first time in 35 years. "I got God in my head," said Bain, surrounded by supporters and wearing a T-shirt with "Not Guilty" across the front. "I knew one day he will reveal me." Of the 245 people in the United States whom DNA testing has exonerated, none has spent more time behind bars than Bain, according to the Innocence Project, a national organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through such testing. In 2001, Florida passed a statute allowing cases to be reopened for DNA testing. Bain submitted handwritten motions four times seeking such testing but was denied each time. His fifth attempt was successful after an appeals court ruled he was entitled to a hearing. Bain initially was expected to be freed with some conditions as the state wanted a further review of DNA test results. But the review was completed ahead of Thursday's hearing. Polk County State Attorney Jerry Hill told the judge that DNA testing had excluded Bain from the crime. "He's just not connected with this particular incident," Hill said. "Mr. Bain, I'm now signing the order, sir," the judge said, referring to an order vacating the judgment and sentence. "You are a free man. Congratulations," he said, and the courtroom erupted into applause. In 1974, the 9-year-old Lake Wales, Florida, victim had told police that his attacker had bushy sideburns and a mustache. After being shown five photos of potential suspects, the victim picked out one of Bain, the police report said. The victim, now 44, lives in Florida and was made aware of Bain's situation, according to multiple sources. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Bain said he was going home with family. "I'm going to see my mom," he said. His mother, Sarah Reed, has been in and out of hospitals in recent years. She said she is putting her house and her car in her son's name. "I want him to have something by himself. He's suffered enough," she said. Asked about prison, Bain said, "So many things can happen to you at any time." But now, "I guess I kind of feel like when they first landed on the moon. We have touchdown," he said, laughing. CNN's Rich Phillips contributed to this report. | "You are a free man. Congratulations," judge tells James Bain .
Bain imprisoned for 35 years in abduction and rape of a 9-year-old Florida boy .
DNA testing excluded Bain from crime, authorities say .
His case was reopened after his fifth request to use DNA evidence . |
fa2265761035716d50137eb3bad32710de93c5ed | By . Alex Gore . PUBLISHED: . 10:24 EST, 17 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:24 EST, 17 January 2013 . A former fishery owner is demanding £2.5million damages from the Environment Agency claiming that otters it introduced to a nearby river ate all his 22,000 carp. Brian Dodson said the agency set up an otter haven without informing him of the impact they would have on the stock in his six lakes. Mr Dodson, 60, established the Waen Wen Fishery near Bangor, North Wales, digging out the lakes and filling them with £250,000 worth of fish. But then the agency set up the otter haven a couple of miles away on the River Cegin. Mr Dodson said his business never quite got off the ground and he decided to sell some of his stock in 2008 – but found that he had none. Carnivorous: Fishery owner Brian Dodson claims otters have decimated the fish at his lakes (library image) Carnage: These skeletons are all that remain of carp eaten by otters at another fishery . ‘When I netted one lake that I thought had 8,500 carp in nothing came out,’ he said. ‘This has ruined me financially.’ He said he has been unable to sell the fishery and it has now been taken off him by his mortgage company. He claims that over a period of years his valuable fish were decimated by the carnivorous creatures, ruining his business before it had got off the ground, the 60-year-old claims. Mr Dodson said that had the Environment Agency told him of the probability of otters re-colonising the nearby river he could have taken protective steps, like putting up a protective fencing. He is suing the agency for breaching the Environment Act 1995, claiming it had a duty of care to consult landowners when planning the otter initiative. Mr Dodson is seeking £2.5 million to cover the loss of income he believes he would have recouped from anglers using his fishery. Bad for business: Mr Dodson said he is unable to sell his Waen Wen Fishery, which lies empty and out of use . Unwelcome visitors: Mr Dodson took this picture of an otter feeding ground at his North Wales fishery . The matter will go before the High Court next month in what could become a landmark case for fishery owners across the country who have had similar issues with otters. Buzzards were almost extinct 30 years ago but there are now nearly 40,000 in Britain. But it caused red faces at Defra, which wanted tighter controls on the species to protect pheasants but had to scrap the plans last year after a public outcry. In Australia, cane toads were successfully introduced in the 1930s. But they have been blamed for a sharp dip in other predatory reptiles ever since. They have also been accused of putting quolls in danger, with the native marsupial partial to the toad's toxic skin. Britons are still shocked when they see a wallaby hoping around. The animal - a common sight in Australia - was brought into the wild in the UK in 1930s and sightings continue today. A more recent success in the UK is the beaver, which was reintroduced from Europe more centuries after disappearing. Since then they have returned to nearly every corner of Britain. But critics say the scheme has been ill thought as there is not enough food in our waterways to sustain their booming numbers. As a result otters - which have no natural predator - are said to have been picking off big and cumbersome fish from fisheries and putting them in jeopardy. Mr Dodson's Waen Wen Fishery, near Bangor, in North Wales, has lain empty and out of use for several years now. He said: 'This has ruined me financially and left me devastated. I built a fishery from scratch, there was nothing there at all before. 'I got all of the planning permission and it took me a few years to dig out the six lakes and filled them up with carp. 'In all that time didn't know the Environment Agency were promoting a nature reserve on the nearby River Cegin. Nobody said a word to me about the otters. 'We then started hearing all these stories about otters being spotted no more than two miles away from us. 'In 2008 I set about trying to sell off some carp to and when I netted a lake that had 8,500 carp in nothing came out. 'I brought a consultant in and we drained the lake and it was empty. I later found evidence of fish bones that had been stripped of its flesh. 'My case is that under the Environment Act 1995, the Environment Agency had a duty to carry out some sort of notice or consultation with me before the work began to encourage otters into the area. Price of success: Otters are flourishing across Britain thanks to a programme of reintroducing them to the wild . 'This case could open the way for . other fishery owners in Britain who feel they have not been given . sufficient warning about the rising otter population.' Mr . Dodson spent 22 years working as a process control engineer at oil and . gas refineries in the Middle East and saved up to start up his fishery . business. Curig Jones, a spokesman for Environment Agency Wales, said: 'We are preparing to challenge this claim robustly on all counts.' The four-day hearing is set to take place at the High Court in Cardiff on February 25. Bank form the brink: Otters were on the verge of extinction in Britain 30 years ago . | Brian Dodson is seeking compensation in the landmark High Court case .
His six lakes, near Bagnor, North Wales, have lain empty and out of use .
Otters have flourished since being reintroduced to the wild across the UK .
Critics say there are not enough food in waterways to sustain the numbers . |
fa229919943a4970515eed2038d956076d2fb306 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 06:55 EST, 7 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:31 EST, 7 March 2014 . A mother suffered an extreme and terrifying form of postnatal depression which caused her to hear voices and fantasise about killing her baby daughter. Having never suffered any form of mental illness, Lyndsey Walker, 20, experienced rare postpartum psychosis following the birth of her daughter Elizabeth, now 15 months old. The psychosis manifested itself as a male voice inside Miss Walker's head which told her she was an unfit mother and that her family would be better off if she were dead. Recovered: Lyndsey Walker, 20, with fiance Andrew, experienced rare postpartum psychosis following the birth of her daughter Elizabeth, now 15 months old . Troubled: The psychosis manifested itself as a male voice inside Miss Walker's head which told her she was an unfit mother and her family would be better off if she were dead . The voice even encouraged her to imagine asphyxiating Elizabeth, resulting in Miss Walker attempting suicide. While postnatal depression is relatively common, affecting around one in ten women, postpartum psychosis is 100 times rarer. Miss Walker, a former hairdresser, said: 'After Elizabeth was born I didn't feel anything towards her, good or bad. I had no emotions at all. 'I pretended I was delighted in order not to make other people alarmed. But I was steadily getting worse, and soon resented having to change and feed Elizabeth. 'A deep male voice started talking to me, coming to me at times I couldn't predict. He told me I was so bad at being a mum that Elizabeth would be better off if I were dead. 'I had visions of smothering Elizabeth with a pillow, which I believed would make the voice leave me alone, although I never came close to hurting her.' Arrival: Baby Elizabeth was born in December 2012 after an exhausting 39 hour labour . Miss Walker said: 'I loved having the bump. I felt really close to my daughter from an early stage. The labour really took it out of me. But when they gave me Elizabeth to hold, I didn't feel anything . Elizabeth, Miss Walker's daughter with her fiance Andrew Jackson, 29, a car detailer, was born in December 2012 after an exhausting 39-hour labour. Miss Walker, of Preston, said: 'Andrew and I found out I was pregnant almost as soon as we decided to start trying. We were really happy. Postpartum psychosis affects about 1 in every 1,000 women (0.1 per cent) who have a baby. It is much less common than Baby Blues or postnatal depression. It is a severe episode of mental illness which begins suddenly in the days or weeks after having a baby. Symptoms vary and can change rapidly. They can include high mood (mania), depression, confusion, hallucinations and delusions. Postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric emergency and help must be sought as quickly as possible. Postpartum psychosis can happen to any woman. It often occurs ‘out of the blue’ to women who have not been ill before. Women usually recover fully after an episode of postpartum psychosis. (SOURCE: Royal College of Psychiatrists) 'I'm close to my mum and loved the idea of passing on that love and having a little life to care for. 'I loved having the bump. I felt really close to my daughter from an early stage. The labour really took it out of me. Then, when they gave me Elizabeth to hold, I didn't feel anything. I wasn't sad, or surprised. I didn't feel any strong feelings whatsoever. I thought, 'I'm holding a baby, and it's OK, but I'm not that bothered'. 'Over time, things became unbearable. Washing, dressing and feeding Elizabeth was just a chore. Andy and my mum Amanda could tell I was suffering so they asked me to go and see a doctor.' At the GP's office, Miss Walker was scared to reveal a troubling development - that she had begun hearing a voice in her head. She said: 'I wasn't sleeping very much and was very shaky. I was terrified that if the doctor heard about the voice then Elizabeth would be taken away from me. 'The voice told me that Elizabeth was sent by the devil. Then, when I began fantasise about hurting her, I knew it was time to seek help. Problems: As time went on, Miss Walker struggled to wash, dress and feed Elizabeth, because it felt like 'a chore' 'I told mum everything and she took me back to the doctor, who diagnosed postpartum psychosis and prescribed anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medicine. But by then I was doing everything to voice told me to do. 'It tried to make a bargain - it said it would leave me alone if I swallowed all my medication at the same time while drinking an entire bottle of wine.' Recovering from her overdose, Miss Walker volunteered to be placed on a psychiatric ward, where she would stay under close supervision for two weeks. She said: 'It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was strange having to line up for medication every morning with the other patients, and being away from everyone. 'Although I was allowed visitors, I wasn't permitted to see Elizabeth for a week. Battle: Miss Walker began to hear a voice in her head that said Elizabeth was sent by the devil. When she began fantasise about hurting her, she knew she had to seek help . Apart: Miss Walker was banned from seeing Elizabeth for a week - during which time she began to long for her . 'Being away from her had an effect I didn't expect - I started longing to be with her. It was the first sign of a change within me. 'When I came out of hospital I started to notice things about Elizabeth - how beautiful her smile was, and what fun we had when we're together. Miss Walker hopes to raise awareness of postpartum psychosis to help others affected . 'I knew I loved her and would do anything for her.' Today Miss Walker says Elizabeth is the light of her life. She has been given a clean bill of health by psychiatrists and doctors and, following several months of aftercare at home, she will be completely discharged from the mental healthcare services next week. She now hopes to raise awareness of postpartum psychosis in order to give hope to parents affected by it. Postpartum psychosis, or PPP, affects approximately one in 1,000 mothers. Most women who experience it have no history of mental illness themselves, or within their families. She said: 'I've had to accept that the experience has changed my life. 'Women who have suffered postpartum psychosis after their first pregnancy have an even chance of developing it again after following pregnancies, so there are risk factors to consider if I want to have more children in the future. 'What I went through was terrible and even though it's rare it can happen to anyone. 'But when people ask me about it, I don't shy away from it. It's important that all aspects of mental health are discussed openly and honestly in order for people to understand it better.' For more information or advice about post-natal depression, click here . For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org . | Lyndsey Walker experienced postpartum psychosis after daughter was born .
Baby Elizabeth, now 15 months, was born after 39-hour labour .
But her mother says she felt 'nothing' when she held her daughter .
Then began hearing voices saying Elizabeth had been sent by the devil .
Took an overdose and was admitted for psychiatric treatment .
Miss Walker has now recovered and formed a deep bond with her daughter . |
fa22a1d8c4e9aa2414c0183238e177f02a96d9f6 | (CNN) -- To say that "Real Housewives of New York City" star Ramona Singer is busy would be an understatement. Between her different businesses -- wine, jewelry and skin-care products -- and the time she spends filming the Bravo reality show, Singer is hardly ever in the same location for very long. But Singer's passion remains with New York City, where she still manages to spend most of her time. A busy lifestyle doing what she loves suits Singer just fine, and New York is the best place for her. The buzz of the city is what Singer loves most. "You can be all by yourself and you walk out on the street and then you're not alone, but surrounded by tons of people. It just has such great energy." Here, Singer shares some of her favorite locations in New York City. Where to eat . T-Bar Steak & Lounge 1278 Third Avenue . A swanky spot on the Upper East Side, T-Bar is known for its flair and of course, its steaks. Grabbing a cocktail here is an easy way for Singer to unwind. "I love this restaurant and it's in my neighborhood. It's a place I can go by myself and get a bite to eat. I can go with girlfriends, I can go with my husband, they have a great area where you can just hang out and have drinks and appetizers or a whole meal. It just has a nice vibe, a nice local place." The Standard Grill 848 Washington Street . With a wide variety of menus from breakfast to "late night," The Standard Grill offers items from a $1 "good pickle" to the $95 porterhouse steak for two. The restaurant is at the bottom of the trendy Standard Hotel, under the High Line Park. Singer makes tracks to the hotel's 18th floor, where the Top of the Standard lounge (also known as the Boom Boom Room) offers a fun mix of decadence and hip 70s throwback atmosphere. "I can go on top and have drinks at the Boom Boom Room -- very art deco, chic, a must-see place. The view is floor-to-ceiling glass, absolutely beautiful. It's breathtaking." Where to shop . Bergdorf Goodman Fifth Avenue . A store with history and designer finds unlike any other, Bergdorf Goodman is like a one-stop shop for Singer, who has little time for shopping. The variety and helpful sales staff makes this one of her top places in New York. "They have great sales and a great selection. And unlike something you buy in one of the boutiques, you can return it -- because once in a blue moon, I do make a mistake. I love the Sixth floor, they have all of the contemporary designers, like Milly, Rebecca Taylor, Theory. "I'm always on the go: traveling, running, doing, multi-tasking. I need a place I feel really comfortable, where I get great service and has a great selection." Michael Kors 790 Madison Avenue . A jewelry designer, Singer can appreciate affordable, fantastic fashion. Michael Kors' new line of accessories is a favorite of Singer and her daughter, with a wide range of watches for about $250. "I'm in love with their watches, they're oh-so-unbelievable. People ask me and I tell them, 'It's not a Rolex, it's a Michael Kors.' They also have great shoes and handbags." Favorite spot in Central Park . The Central Park Boathouse East 60th Street . When Singer needs an escape, she visits the Boathouse for its relaxing scenery, good eats and recreation. "It's the best-kept secret in New York, beyond stunning and gorgeous. It's on the water, so you can have lunch or dinner outside along the waterfront. You can also ride bikes there or grab a bite from a concession stand." | Ramona Singer doesn't always have time to shop, but she loves Bergdorf Goodman .
The Central Park Boathouse provides relaxing scenery for the ever-busy Singer .
The Standard Grill and T-Bar are fun, swanky dinner spots in New York City . |
fa23100a220d93abecce22b96ffcecbae4d7beb4 | BALAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Mullah Nadhim preached open war on U.S. troops for years. In Iraq, voters' fingers are dipped in ink so they can't vote multiple times. He and many other Sunni Muslims in Iraq shunned elections and fought instead with roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades. With provincial elections scheduled for autumn, however, Nadhim and other Sunnis say, they made a mistake by sitting out the elections in January 2005. Their absence at the polls, they say, resulted in less political power for Sunnis and more for Shiite Muslims and Kurds. Some Sunnis say they plan to put down their weapons and instead join "the battle of the fingers," a phrase for elections that draws its name from the practice of dipping voters' fingers in ink so they can't vote a second time. "At least 80 percent of the Sunnis believe that the battle of the finger is more important, more powerful than the battle of weapons and RPGs," Nadhim said. More than 370 former Sunni insurgents near Balad, 42 miles (68 kilometers) north of Baghdad, recently signed a pledge to stop attacking U.S. and Iraqi security forces. "You don't shoot us anymore," one U.S. soldier said. "OK?" American soldiers fingerprinted them and took retinal scans, saying they would detain "most-wanted" militants but releasing most others. Men who are facing charges in the Iraqi legal system were given dates to appear in court. No one suggests that the elections will end violence in Balad, but it's a step in the right direction in the eyes of the U.S. military and Iraqi government. Provincial elections are seen as key in empowering Iraqis at the grass-roots level and creating a political system that includes those who have been alienated from power. The Bush administration has set provincial elections as one of its benchmarks to foster political reconciliation in Iraq. "On the political front, Iraq has seen bottom-up progress as tribes and other groups in the provinces who fought terror are now turning to rebuilding local political structures and taking charge of their own affairs," President Bush said recently. Iraqi authorities originally hoped to hold the elections by October 1. Yet details of the vote, including when it is to be held, are still being debated between Iraq's main political blocs. Gen. David Petraeus, the outgoing top U.S. military commander in Iraq, told Congress two weeks ago that provincial elections probably will happen in November. Whatever the date, one former member of the Ansar al Sunna militant group probably will be among those casting ballots. He said that spurning the last elections in favor of violence left Sunnis in Balad largely powerless. "Right now, everything is being run by the Shiites," he said. "God willing, this time it will be better than before." | Sunnis say they made mistake by sitting out 2005 election .
They look forward to "the battle of the fingers" at this year's elections .
Provincial elections are seen as key in empowering Iraqis . |
fa2336ef80824e294ddf5add04f69462aaa02b81 | Seoul (CNN) -- It took two teenage suicide cases due to school bullying last year in South Korea for people to notice something was very wrong. The students lived in different cities and went to different schools, but both jumped to their deaths after saying they could not take the pain of being bullied any longer. Over the last few weeks, the country's media has been filled with reports about tragic cases of school bullying. This week, two more students from the same class reportedly took their own lives -- one was the victim of bullying, the other a powerless friend who had stood by and watched the abuse. Experts say the cases highlight how desperately many South Korean teenagers need a means to escape the bullying as well as a way to cope. Park Han-wool, a 17-year-old high-school student, said he has been bullied for the past six years. He has been isolated from other classmates, beaten during school trips and locked up in the classroom. "I wanted to tell people about it. I did tell my parents, but they didn't take it seriously thinking it was an issue between friends," he said. The bullying became so bad that Park tried to jump from his school building in front of his teachers, but he was stopped by the police. He is now involved in creating a music video with other teenagers to raise awareness of school bullying, an issue he says that was not taken seriously until recently. The tools of bullying vary from forcing victims to run errands and steal, to sexual assault, confinement and gang beatings. With reports of other incidents of teenage violence n schools, including the assault of teachers and rape of younger students, many South Koreans are asking, "what is wrong with our kids?" The answer, according to some analysts, lies within the hyper-competitive nature of South Korean society. As the country continues to enjoy success economically, Korean students are being pushed into an environment of competition to succeed. "At school, students don't see their peers as friends but as competition and believe that they need to beat others," said Dr. Bae Joo-mi, a specialist at the Korea Youth Counseling Institute. In a classroom environment in which students are forced to prove themselves, those who fall behind in grades turn to other means to show they are more powerful, taking on the role of the aggressor, Bae explained. The family support system also fails many adolescents. "The parents heavily invest in raising their children to be successful and skillful in various fields, but when it comes to raising them to be moral and have healthy personalities I think there has been a lack of interest," Bae said. Schools and teachers have been criticized for turning the other way in bullying cases and trying to cover it up. Local governments have gone into a frenzy of drafting up new measures to hold bullies accountable and prevent school violence. Experts such as Bae believe it may take more than simply increasing monitoring of school violence. What students need is a healthier environment to learn more social skills and know how to deal with their problems, they say. A survey conducted in 2010 by the Foundation for Preventing Youth Violence, a counseling center established more than 15 years ago, indicated that more than 20% of those surveyed said they had been bullied. Of those victims, more than 30% said they felt suicidal due to bullying. The same group said last year that the number of counseling cases of students seeking help from suicidal feelings doubled from the previous year. The concern is that students have not been able to learn how to find solutions to their problems in a rigid educational environment and are now turning to suicide as their last resort. Counseling groups urge the government and schools to step up and punish those accountable, while keeping the victims safe from harm. | South Korea's media has been filled with reports about tragic cases of school bullying .
This week two more students from same class reportedly took their own lives due to bullying .
Experts say many South Korean teenagers desperately need a means to escape .
The hyper-competitive nature of South Korean society is held up as one reason for bullying . |
fa23c4ea2d2b96c88cee75ac4041ff3ae6741810 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Created 4:31 PM on 29th June 2011 . It can be notoriously difficult to win over the in-laws. But Heidi Withers may have a tougher . task than most after her future mother-in-law emailed her a vicious . character assassination in which she attacked her for her ‘staggering . uncouthness and lack of grace’. Carolyn Bourne, a renowned grower of . pinks and dianthus flowers, told Miss Withers, 29, she should attend a . finishing school in ‘utmost haste’ to get rid of her ‘bad manners’. Etiquette guide: Renowned flower arranger Carolyn Bourne, right, gave her daughter-in-law to be a stern dressing down via e-mail. She is pictured here at a plant show in Coventry with her husband Edward . She went on to describe her as ‘an ideal candidate for the Ladette to Lady television series’. The email was intended to be a . private rant. But shocked Miss Withers, a PA for a London recruitment . firm, sent it on to a select group of friends. Surprised and amused, the . friends in turn forwarded the message on to their friends. And by last night the email had been . posted on numerous websites, with thousands writing comments about the . ‘mother-in-law from hell’. Mrs Bourne, the stepmother of Miss . Withers’ fiancé Freddie Bourne, sent the email after the young couple . had spent a weekend at her £500,000 five-bedroom detached home on the . picturesque outskirts of Dawlish, Devon. Incensed by her future . daughter-in-law’s behaviour, the 60-year-old wrote: ‘It is high time . someone explained to you about good manners. Yours are obvious by their . absence and I feel sorry for you.’ 'Uncouth': Heidi Withers, left, on holiday here in the U.S. with her husband-to-be Freddie, forwarded the email sent to her by Carolyn Bourne . Mrs Bourne, who is married to . Freddie’s 63-year-old father Edward, even said Miss Withers’ behaviour . had left their pet dog Bomber ‘profoundly upset, depressed and anxious’. Mrs Bourne, who runs Whetman Pinks, a . sprawling plant nursery based around 30 industrial greenhouses in the . grounds of her home, went on to list several examples of Miss Withers’ apparent lack of manners. She accused her of poor table . manners, insulting the family in public and failing to send a . hand-written card to say thank you after her stay. And she rounded off the email with a withering attack on the nature of the couple’s relationship. ‘One could be accused of thinking . that Heidi Withers must be patting herself on the back for having caught . a most eligible young man,’ she concluded. ‘I pity Freddie.’ 'Perfect candidate': Mrs Bourne compared her future daughter-in-law to the television programme Ladette to Lady . Mrs Bourne also criticised Miss Withers’ parents for failing to save enough money for their daughter’s wedding. Miss Withers’ mother Sylvia, a nurse, and father Alan live with their two Yorkshire terriers in a five-bedroom £450,000 detached cottage set in half an acre in the village of Aylton, near Ledbury in Herefordshire. A neighbour said: ‘They are such a lovely family and Heidi is a brilliant girl. They really are the salt of the earth. ‘I don’t know why the lad’s stepmother is getting involved.’ Last night 29-year-old Freddie, who runs online bicycle shop Capital Cycles and lives in Putney, South-West London, declined to comment. Mrs Bourne also refused to answer any questions as she attended a Horticultural Trades Association plant show at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry. Mind your manners: Carolyn Bourne, a renowned grower of pinks and dianthus, sent Heidi Withers the vicious email after her future daughter-in-law visited Mrs Bourne's Devon home . Her husband Edward said: ‘We are aware of what is being said. I know it is very boring, very repetitive and very dull but we will not be making any comment and neither will my wife.’ Miss Withers and Mr Bourne are not the first to suffer acute embarrassment because of out-of-control email round robins. A derogatory email exchange between Harry Fildes, 25, and Sebastian Marsh, 24, about Mr Marsh’s ex-girlfriend spread rapidly in March after Mr Fildes accidentally sent a copy to the girl in question. Mr Marsh was later sacked by his company, Miller Insurance. And Holly Leam-Taylor, a graduate trainee at consultants Deloitte, quit in December 2009 after sending an email discussing attractive male staff. It is high time someone explained to you about good manners. Yours are obvious by their absence and I feel sorry for you. Unfortunately . for Freddie, he has fallen in love with you and Freddie being Freddie, I . gather it is not easy to reason with him or yet encourage him to . consider how he might be able to help you. It may just be possible to . get through to you though. I do hope so. If . you want to be accepted by the wider Bourne family I suggest you take . some guidance from experts with utmost haste. There are plenty of . finishing schools around. Please, . for your own good, for Freddie’s sake and for your future involvement . with the Bourne family, do something as soon as possible. Here are a few examples of your lack of manners: . I . understand your parents are unable to contribute very much towards the . cost of your wedding. (There is nothing wrong with that except that . convention is such that one might presume they would have saved over the . years for their daughters’ marriages.) If . this is the case, it would be most ladylike and gracious to lower your . sights and have a modest wedding as befits both your incomes. | Carolyn Bourne told Heidi Withers she was 'an ideal candidate for Ladette to Lady television series'
She tells bride-to-be she needs 'guidance from experts' |
fa23dc5c5f415b265dbfd2ec681779e0e1cd6fa5 | The Hague, Netherlands (CNN) -- Bosnian war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic launched a full-throated attack on the International War Crimes Tribunal Tuesday, as he appeared at a hearing to discuss his refusal to appear for trial. He said he "cannot take part in something that has been bad from the start, and where my fundamental rights have been violated." Karadzic, who is accused of responsibility for the worst massacre in Europe since World War II, says he has had insufficient time to prepare his defense. He is representing himself. But Judge O-Gon Kwon told Karadzic it was the court, not the defendant, who decides when the case is ready for trial. He advised Karadzic to participate in order to get a fair trial. The judges will decide by the end of the week how to deal with the former Bosnian leader's boycott of the proceedings, Judge Kwon said before adjourning the trial for the day. Karadzic, the Bosnian Serb leader during the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, faces 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Memories of the massacre remain raw. Watch the video . The charges stem partly from the massacre of more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica, in what is know Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1995. Karadzic has been insisting he has not had enough time to prepare for the trial, saying there are 1.3 million pages of documents to study. He denied stalling, and said imposing a lawyer on him would not help. "It is with joy that I am preparing for these proceedings," he said through a translator. "Nobody can get through this material better than I can, no lawyer. The best possible solution would be that the defense be given sufficient time" to prepare. He rejected prosecutor Hildegard Uertz-Retzlaff's assertion that Tuesday's proceedings constituted part of the trial. "I hope that this is not some kind of a trick," he said. "I am attending a status conference hearing." The court cannot force a defendant to appear. Karadzic, as a "self-representing accused," is the only one who can cross-examine witnesses and speak in court about the substance of the charges against him. However, judges can impose a lawyer on Karadzic if he continues to refuse to cooperate. The trial began without his presence on October 26, more than a year after Karadzic was captured in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. He had been on the run for more than 13 years and was living in disguise in Belgrade, practicing alternative medicine at a clinic. Karadzic faces life in prison if he is convicted. The court cannot impose the death penalty. The 1992-95 Bosnian conflict was the longest of the wars spawned by the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Backed by the government of then-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, Bosnian Serb forces seized control of more than half the country and launched a campaign against the Muslim and Croat populations. Karadzic was removed from power in 1995, when the Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian war barred anyone accused of war crimes from holding office. Milosevic died in 2006 while on trial at The Hague. | Radovan Karadzic appears at hearing at International Criminal Tribunal to discuss his refusal to appear for war crimes trial .
Ex-Bosnian Serb leader is accused of responsibility for worst massacre in Europe since World War II .
Karadzic, who is representing himself, says he has had insufficient time to prepare his defense .
Karadzic was arrested last year in Belgrade after more than a decade on the run . |
fa241a4a22de2be4632e873c673838b20cfb8188 | Gary Glitter was yesterday charged with eight sexual offences against under-age girls more than three decades ago. The former singer is alleged to have molested two girls, one of whom was no more than 13, over three years. The offences are alleged to have taken place in the late 1970s when the glam rocker’s career was already in decline. Gary Glitter has been charged with eight sexual offences relating to . girls aged between 12 and 14, the Crown Prosecution Service said . The alleged offences are said to have taken place between 1977 and 1980, when the singer's career was already in decline . Now aged 70 and in poor health, Glitter was told by prosecutors that he faces trial. In . a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service said the first victim, who . was aged 12 or 13, claims Glitter had sex with her, indecently assaulted . her and drugged her for sex in 1977. The second, who was aged 13 or 14, accuses Glitter of indecently assaulting her between late 1979 and the end of 1980. Scotland . Yard and prosecutors have been exchanging evidence since July last . year, with the most recent material submitted in March. Baljit Ubhey, . CPS chief crown prosecutor for London, said five further allegations . made by two other women had been dropped because there was ‘insufficient . evidence’. Glitter was the first suspect to be arrested by Scotland . Yard’s Operation Yewtree in 2012, the investigation set up after Jimmy . Savile was exposed as a prolific paedophile. The pop star - real name Paul Gadd - is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 19 . Since his arrest, . Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, has kept a low profile at his £1.2million . apartment in London’s fashionable Marylebone district. He has been re-bailed at least five times as more than a dozen other celebrities were arrested by Yewtree detectives. The decision to charge Glitter leaves only a handful of Yewtree suspects on bail, including BBC DJ Paul Gambaccini. Former . Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning was charged last month with 41 offences, . including 34 counts of indecent assault. The allegations dated from . between 1967 and 1985. Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck was arrested and spent . nearly a year on bail before being told he would not face charges. Fellow comic Jim Davidson will also face no further action. DJ Mike . Osman and former BBC producers Wilfred De’Ath and Ted Beston were also . arrested and later told they would not be charged. Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis was cleared by a jury of 12 sex attacks, although he still faces three charges. Glitter will appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on June 19.. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | The alleged offences are said to have taken place between 1977 and 1980 .
Pop star - real name Paul Gadd - is due to appear at court on June 19 .
Glitter, 70, was first person to .
be arrested as part of Operation Yewtree .
The investigation .
was launched in the wake of Jimmy Savile abuse claims . |
fa244afa1c414a7a1f0cc7b6bf66315757996b2b | By . Andrew Levy . PUBLISHED: . 00:31 EST, 5 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:59 EST, 5 December 2012 . When Ollie Boorman advertised his 21st birthday party on Facebook, he hoped to attract a couple of hundred friends at most. Inspired by a Hollywood film in which an unpopular student throws open his parents’ home to all-comers, he promised a night never to forget. Unfortunately for his neighbours, that’s exactly what they got. Happy birthday: Ollie Boorman, left, said seeing Alesha Dixon at his party was 'crazy' and said the event was the 'best night ever' More than 1,000 revellers – including . Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon – packed into his parents’ garden before spilling out into the street. But while the party-goers in the village of Tewin, Hertfordshire, had a good time, neighbours were less impressed. Police were called amid reports of thefts, smashed cars and fighting. They launched a major operation, which . included closing a nearby road because of congestion caused by the . number of cars arriving. Out of control: Revellers turned up from as far away as Manchester to the party in Hertfordishire . Party: More than 1,000 people crowded into the Ollie Boorman's street after he advertised his birthday on Facebook . Chaos: Neighbours complained to police when the party, pictured, began to spiral out of control . Packed: Ollie Boorman said he expected about 200 people to turn up and was left shocked when five times that many arrived . They finally halted the party at 11pm, three hours after it started. Boorman – whose parents were away in Dubai – is now counting the cost after he was charged with causing a public nuisance. The day after the night before: The scene after the house party where Ollie Boorman held his 21st and over 1,000 people turned up . He admitted the offence at St Albans . Magistrates’ Court and was given a community order under which he must . serve an eight-week curfew between 8pm and 6am. He was also ordered to . pay £500 compensation to Hertfordshire Police and £85 costs. The court heard the computer engineer admitted the party, which his brother James, 18, also attended, had got ‘way out of hand’. But he dismissed concerns after the court appearance, hailing it ‘the best night ever’. ‘It was a really good atmosphere. No . one was getting into any trouble,’ he said. ‘At first when all these . strangers showed up me and my brother were a bit worried. But everyone . was really chilled out and it was really fun so we started having a good . time. ‘It was crazy when Alesha showed up. She said thanks for letting her come and told me it was a great party. She said she couldn’t believe how many people were there.’ Boorman added his parents Karen, 49, . who works for John Lewis, and father Clive, 52, a salesman, gave their . blessing for the event so long as any mess was ‘kept outside’. ‘We tidied up. We filled about 20 bin liners with rubbish and did about five trips to the tip,’ he said. The party was called Project XXX in a . reference to the film Project X about a teenager who throws a party to . boost his popularity. Word of the event spread like wildfire . as information was passed around on social networking sites and . strangers from as far afield as Manchester turned up. A spokesman for Miss Dixon, who lives . in nearby Welwyn Garden City, said: ‘When she got there she realised it . was not the sort of party she wanted to be at and left.’ One of Boorman’s neighbours, who asked . not to be named, said: ‘I felt like a prisoner in my own home. I was . scared to go out. I’m amazed his parents were happy to go abroad knowing . what he planned.’ He also had the bare-faced cheek to pull a moonie . Taking some responsibility it appears that a pond or swimming pool has been cordoned off . | Britain's Got Talent judge turned up to say happy birthday to friend of the family Ollie Boorman .
The 21-year-old advertised party on Facebook and Twitter and was swamped by 1,000 people .
Boorman ordered to pay £500 compensation after admitting public nuisance charge on Friday .
Said it was 'crazy' when Alesha Dixon arrived and had the 'best night ever' |
fa2491f20401eee00ad68fc918e1594eafbf1021 | Before 14-year-old Philip Chism allegedly killed his algebra teacher, the pair had at least one more encounter as student and teacher, a witness said. Chism had been doodling and listening to music during Colleen Ritzer's algebra I class during the school's final period, classmate Cambria Cloutier told CNN. Creating such drawings was unusual for Chism, and when the final bell sounded at 1:55 p.m. Tuesday, Ritzer asked him to stay after class. Cloutier sat two desks over from Chism, who rarely participated in class discussion but was "a really good student," she said. While shuttling between two after-school meetings, Cloutier said, she looked into the same classroom and saw Ritzer standing by her computer and Chism sitting in a chair about 5 to 10 feet away. The teacher smiled at her, Cloutier recalled. At some point that afternoon, Ritzer went to a student girls' bathroom on Danvers High's second floor, as someone was in the locked faculty bathroom, a source close to the investigation said. Chism allegedly followed her in. The school reopened its doors Friday, as the first answers began to surface. How was Ritzer killed? With a box cutter the suspect, Chism, had brought into school, a source close to the investigation says. What happened to her body afterward? It was stashed in a recycling bin, rolled outside, then dumped about 20 feet into woods behind the northeastern Massachusetts high school's athletic fields, adds another source. It was left there -- not buried, not even covered. And where did the alleged killer go afterward? After changing his clothes, he went to a Wendy's fast-food restaurant and a movie, sources say, before police in a neighboring town saw him walking on a busy road under the pitch-dark sky early Wednesday. Yet the question of why this happened -- why a popular young educator who always wore a smile and went the extra mile was killed allegedly by a teenager who friends, family and co-workers described as reserved and well-behaved -- continues to loom large. Caring, compassionate teacher was 'brilliant ray of light' Chism, who had moved to the Boston suburb of Danvers before the start of the school year, remains jailed without bond. A grand jury will play a big part in deciding his next step: If they indict him for first- or second-degree murder, he -- like any juvenile age 14 or older -- would be tried as an adult, based on Massachusetts law. Meanwhile, the tight-knit North Shore community is still trying to make sense of what he allegedly did and of life without a teacher who so many appreciated, learned from and loved. "It's just surreal how quickly someone can go, and how much we take for granted every day," said Danvers High student Chris Weimert. Ritzer was "the nicest teacher you could ever have. I can't believe it." There will be a wake for Ritzer at St. Augustine Church in Andover on Sunday, and her funeral will take place there Monday. A member of the Ritzer family, who declined to be named, said the family is "doing as well as can be expected." Two missing-persons reports come together . Students and colleagues described the 24-year-old Ritzer as someone who gave everything for her students -- be it a pat on the back, a sensible explanation to a tricky concept, or the time, effort and heart to work through problems, math or otherwise, with them. One of those students was Chism, a freshman. Sometime after Ritzer held him back after class, she was killed in the bathroom. There, Ritzer was punched a few times before being killed with a box cutter around 3:30 p.m., said a source. Her body went into a recycling bin, then outside the school where it was tossed. Authorities eventually found a bin that apparently had been thrown off an embankment about 100 feet away from Ritzer's body, a source said. Before police found her -- before they even knew she was missing -- they'd started looking for Chism. This was in the early evening, with Danvers Police tweeting to residents that he hadn't returned home and was last seen around the Hollywood Hits movie theater in the town about 20 miles northeast of Boston. Scott Przybycien, the theater's manager, told CNN that Chism arrived around 4:15 p.m. Tuesday and caught the start of the Woody Allen film, "Blue Jasmine," about 15 minutes later. Surveillance video, which was turned over to police, confirmed that Chism was there until the movie let out around 6:15 p.m., he said. "He fit right in like a normal, everyday person," Przybycien said Friday, noting that teen paid cash for his ticket and had on clean clothes. While they were looking for him, police got a call around 11:20 p.m. Tuesday about another missing person: Ritzer. She wasn't home either, nor had she answered her phones. The stories started coming together about an hour later, when police officers in nearby Topsfield found Chism walking along Route 1. Whatever he told detectives in his subsequent interviews, whatever they saw in surveillance footage from the school, led to Chism's arrest for murder. It also led them to Ritzer's body in the woods. Read the complaint . A quiet and normal student . Chism is a quiet young man, those who know him said. He excelled at soccer and made a harmless impression. "He ... seemed quiet and reserved, but he just seemed normal," said Ariana Edwards, who was in Chism's English class. Chism didn't drink or do drugs, and he came from a good family, one of his closest friends said. He described Chism as a good athlete who was shy at first but eventually warmed up to people, adding that he hadn't been acting strangely lately. Friends got their first hint that something was awry when Chism didn't show up for soccer practice Tuesday. The team set out to look for him after seeing texts that he was missing. He was a newcomer to Danvers, a town of about 26,000 people. His family had bounced around, and he had lived in different cities in Tennessee and Florida since he was in fourth grade, authorities in those states said. Friends, relatives bewildered by arrest of 'storybook kid' in teacher slaying . A teacher who went the extra mile . Meanwhile, many were at a loss in Danvers to explain the death of Ritzer -- a woman who inspired many, whether it be in the classroom or online, with her heart, intellect and positive spirit. "She was talking on Saturday about this year was a good year. She was teaching freshmen for the first time. She was happy," said Jen Berger, Ritzer's best friend. "I don't even know what the world is like without her. It's a scary thought." Sympathy spread through the region, making its way into the baseball World Series. Bleachers full of fans who had assembled to watch the Boston Red Sox take on the St. Louis Cardinals observed a moment of silence in Ritzer's honor before Game 1 began Wednesday night at Boston's Fenway Park. Ritzer, a 2011 graduate of Assumption College who was working toward a master's degree at Salem State University, seemed to always wear a wide smile and was approachable to students and colleagues alike, said Charlotte Dzerkacz, who became good friends with Ritzer in 2011 when they taught at the same middle school. "She was energetic, she was compassionate," Dzerkacz said. "You couldn't ask for anything more from a teacher or a friend." Salem State issued a statement lamenting Ritzer's death. "She believed children have much to offer and often do not realize how special they are as individuals," the university said. "In her application to Salem State she said she was dedicated to 'helping students in times of need.' " Ritzer was known to take to Twitter to dole out homework assignments and wisdom to her students. "No matter what happens in life, be good to people," she wrote in August. "Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind." Debate unfolds after teacher slayings in Nevada, Massachusetts . | Chism "fit right in" when he saw "Blue Jasmine," theater manager says .
Colleen Ritzer asked Philip Chism, who'd been doodling, to stay after class, student says .
Source: Ritzer was punched before being killed with a box cutter in the bathroom .
Bathroom where the teacher was killed remains shut when high school reopens . |
fa24aa68a620b5336db7fa3b177384cb1cbfddb9 | Farrah wishes the sex tape was with her deceased ex- boyfriend . By . Shyam Dodge . PUBLISHED: . 15:54 EST, 10 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:37 EST, 10 April 2013 . Farrah Abraham has admitted that her sex tape was in fact a professionally shot pornographic video. The troubled Teen Mom star initially denied involvement in the film but has since said she is willing to sell it for a couple million dollars. The 21-year-old was apparently . attempting to pass off the adult production as a leaked video of her and . porn actor James Deen engaged in a private documentation not intended for the public. Confession: Farrah Abraham admitted that the sex tape was a professional pornographic film, pictured in New York, in December . But the ruse was exposed when Farrah was spotted leaving porn company Vivid Entertainment holding hands with Deen, on Sunday. When asked about the video, Farrah's 27-year-old co-star was more than willing to admit that the whole thing was a scam. The professional porn director and actor told TMZ that the supposed sex tape was a 'setup'. Deen explained:'I . think what happened is that [the porn company was] going to pass it off . as a sex tape and somebody saw us coming out of a building together and . people asked me what's going on. 'So I was like, "We're making a porno!"' Deen would not confirm whether or not the porn company was in fact Vivid Entertainment. The man in question: Porn star James Deen said the video was a 'setup', pictured at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, in November . Farrah, who has a four-year-old daughter . Sofia, appeared to feign surprise when asked about the existence of the tape on Monday, . muttering: 'I don't... exist... anything about that.' She later added: 'If I had my own personal stuff, that's my own personal thing.' But according to Deen: 'Everybody's trying to make it this story, but really [Farrah] wanted to make a sex tape.' Teen Mom: The 21-year-old with her four-year-old daughter Sofia in Dallas, Texas, in September 2011 . On Wednesday, Farrah finally conceded that the video was in fact scripted and shot by professionals. She told TMZ that she made the tape in an effort to immortalize her youthful physique. And the reality star still plans on selling the movie 'for [nothing] less than a couple million.' Since the con was initially exposed by Deen, the young mother said she now wants nothing to do with her co-star. She told TMZ: 'If my ex-boyfriend Derek [who died in a car accident in 2008] were alive, I would've rather it had been him with me.' And the scandal prone television star took to Twitter to defend herself, on Tuesday: 'I 'm going to ignore all the lies, all the hate, all the disrespectful people who want 2 take advantage of me, have fun making money off me.' Difficult relationship: Farrah with her mother Debra Danielson on MTV . But Farrah's mother Debra Danielsen does not believe her daughter would be involved in such a scandal. Debra told TMZ, on Tuesday: 'My daughter has never expressed interest in things like that,' referring to the sex tape. 'She was not brought up that way.' The 57-year-old added: 'We have religious beliefs.' While the grandmother may be a woman of faith, that did not stop her from allegedly choking and punching Farrah in the face. The New York Daily News . reported, in January 2010, that Debra was arrested under suspicion of . domestic abuse and assault against her then 18-year-old daughter. And on an episode of 16 & Pregnant, Debra was caught by MTV cameras hitting Farrah in the mouth during an argument in a car. | Farrah wishes the sex tape was with her deceased ex- boyfriend . |
fa25000144d4f6ea4bc7c396d4fe0a57eb8f8fb5 | Aston Massey, 23, finally has the figure she has dreamed of for 20 years with her fourth boob job - after her first fake breast exploded . A woman disfigured by childhood burns finally has the figure she has dreamed of for 20 years with her fourth boob job - after her first fake breast exploded. Aston Massey, 23, from Carshalton, Surrey, was badly scarred when she poured boiling water over herself at the age of three and a build-up of scar tissue meant she was left with lopsided breasts. She had a mastectomy at the age of 21 in June 2012 and her first right breast implant was successfully fitted in October 2012. But when she had further surgery to fit a new nipple five months later she contracted a blood infection and the implant travelled up her chest and pressed on her collar bone before bursting one night as she slept. More than a pint of pus leaked from a gaping hole in her boob and Ms Massey had to be rushed to hospital. 'My whole boob was like one giant spot just waiting to be popped and part of me wanted it to,' said Ms Massey. 'There was so much pressure I thought it might burst at any moment. My breast had swollen so much that even a sneeze could have caused it to explode. 'I remember shouting to my sister: 'My boob's exploded!' It sounds quite funny now, but at the time I was really panicking.' The support worker for disabled people rejected two further NHS implants in August 2013 and February 2014, but she finally underwent a successful operation in September this year. After years of struggling to fit an A-cup bra Ms Massey is now a C-size and plans to have a nipple tattooed on her new boob to complete the transformation. 'I never imagined I'd have to go through so much, but I don't regret a minute of it,' she said. 'I've been dreaming about having a normal pair of boobs for as long as I can remember, and no matter how much surgery I have to go through, I'll do it to achieve my dream.' WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . The support worker for disabled people rejected two further NHS implants in March and August 2013, but she finally underwent a successful operation in September this year . She was scarred for life after climbing over a baby gate at home and pulling a pot of boiling potatoes on top of her. After her first breast implant surgery 18 years later her boob exploded when she caught an infection brought on by capsular contracture. This is a common complication in breast augmentation surgery where the body forms a hard capsule of scar tissue around the implant and it has to be removed. In August 2013 she had reconstructive surgery for a second time but a few weeks after the implant was put back in she caught another infection. She had a mastectomy as soon as she turned 21 (right) and her first right breast implant in June 2012 to correct the imbalance, but her new breast swelled to four times its normal size and burst (right) Just six months later she had another implant fitted but was left devastated when it was again rejected by her body. She had her final operation in September this year to fit a new implant as scar tissue caused by the blood infection had caused it to be pushed up her chest. 'I'm absolutely delighted that I have got over all of these issues,' she said. 'Because it went so well at first I didn't really think that anything bad might happen, especially because I was so young. 'I am just happy that I have finally got over that hill and can start to look forward.' Infection and bleeding are relatively rare after breast implant surgery. But if you are having an implant fitted for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy (breast removal), you may have a greater risk of infection and bleeding. Most infections can be treated using antibiotics. But if your breast becomes severely infected, you may need to have the implant removed to prevent further complications developing. You should be able to have the implant reinserted after the infection has cleared up. Some research suggests the risk of infection and bleeding may be increased if you smoke because your wounds will take longer to heal. Surgeons may recommend not smoking before your operation to reduce the risk of developing complications. Some of the problems that can occur as a result of having breast implants fitted include: . Within four weeks of her first operation operation she contracted a blood infection and the implant travelled up her chest and pressed on her collar bone before bursting one night as she slept . | WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: Aston Massey, 23, was badly burnt aged 3 .
A build-up of scar tissue meant she was left with different sized breasts .
She had a mastectomy at 21 and her first right breast implant in June 2012 .
But her new breast swelled to four times its normal size and exploded .
Her body then rejected two more NHS implants because of infections .
She finally had a successful operation in September 2014 and is delighted . |
fa25f27d225416d2b0a0af0ea29b8d3212ecff95 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 11:45 EST, 5 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:52 EST, 6 March 2013 . Two pranksters spent three days preparing a welcome home gift for their flatmate by wrapping his entire bedroom in brown paper. The friends used 150 metres of paper and eight rolls of sellotape to wrap everything from the bed and wardrobes to books and lamps. Stunned Steve Berryman, 28, returned home from a skiiing holiday in France to find all his belongings - even his ukulele - had been wrapped up. Steve Berryman in his room after his brother Tim Berryman and Tim Sutton completely wrapped the room in brown paper . And... it's a wrap: The two pranksters spent three days preparing the welcome home gift for their flatmate . His brother Tim, 26, and fellow flatmate Tim Sutton, 27, carried out the makeover as a farewell prank before Steve leaves the UK for a job in America. 'I was shocked to say the least,' said Mr Berryman. 'They had pinned a card to my door saying, "Congratulations on your new job - we've given your room a makeover". 'When I walked in, I couldn't believe it. I didn't know where anything was. I've unwrapped the essentials - my bed and my computer, but everything else is still the way it was. 'If I want a book, it's pot luck which one I get. But it's nice to be able to use the room as a giant notepad. Plus, it looks quite nice. 'The tidying job was excellent. My room's never been so clean before.' Mr Berryman, a Linux systems administrator, is moving out of their shared flat in London later this year and moving to San Francisco. Steve's brother Tim, 26, and fellow flatmate Tim Sutton, 27, carried out the makeover as a farewell prank before Steve leaves the UK for a job in America . The friends used 150 metres of paper and eight rolls of sellotape to wrap everything from the bed and wardrobes to books and lamps . Even Mr Berryman's bed was completely wrapped up in paper . His two flatmates also filled his room with 320 balloons before he returned from the Meribel ski resort in the French Alps. They filmed the entire prank on a time lapse and posted the video on YouTube. Mr Berryman's brother Tim said: 'It was a labour of love. It was worth it just to see the look on his face. Mr Berryman's brother Tim said: 'It was a labour of love. It was worth it just to see the look on his face' Tim Berryman said: 'We found over £100 in loose change and wrapped all that too' Moving: Mr Berryman, a Linux systems administrator, is moving out of their shared flat in London later this year and moving to San Francisco . Job done: Tim Sutton inside Steve Berryman's room after he completely wrapped it in brown paper . 'His room was pretty disgraceful and dirty and has been for a long time so we thought we would give him a gift. 'It took us three days, 150 metres of paper and eight rolls of sellotape to wrap the whole thing. 'We found over £100 in loose change and wrapped all that too. The hardest part was wrapping the ukulele though. It was just so fiddly.' | Steve Berryman, 28, returned from holiday to find everything wrapped .
All his possessions from his ukelele to books and lamps were covered .
Brother Tim, 26, and flatmate Tim Sutton, 27, carried out the prank . |
fa25fa6a66b671cb5330fe1a5d4055443850c4fa | (CNN) -- When you look to buy airline tickets later this week, it might seem like prices have shot up. For once, that's not actually the case. Higher advertised fares are the result of new Department of Transportation rules that are going into effect under the banner "Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections #2." Higher prices shown up front is one of the four main changes that you'll see when the the new rules go into effect starting Tuesday, so let's talk about what will happen. Full fare advertising . On some airline websites and in ads, you've probably seen fares displayed as a certain amount plus taxes and fees. That's a pretty common thing throughout society, but the DOT has decided that it's unacceptable for airline travelers. Beginning Thursday, the advertised price has to be the total price including any mandatory per passenger taxes and fees. Let's say that there's a sale for $59 each way between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Now, the airline can advertise it as $59 each way plus taxes and fees. On Thursday, it will have to be shown as $69.80 each way. This applies to advertisements, but more importantly, it applies to reservation websites. They can no longer show just the base fare in the search results. This may seem a little strange since it's not the case in other industries. Hotels still show base rate before taxes and fees, for example. But this is how the DOT wants the airline industry to work. Wondering what exactly is included in this new fare? Fuel surcharges must be included in the rate (as has been the case for years anyway) and any mandatory fees. Of course, most of the fees people see adding up today are optional fees, like baggage charges, and those can still be broken out. There are, however, a slew of regulations impacting them as well. Fees become more prominent and standardized . The DOT has decided to regulate optional fee disclosure to make pricing clearer, but unfortunately, the new rules might end up doing the exact opposite. A couple of things make good sense. If there is a change in bag fees or baggage allowances, the airlines must prominently display a link to the change on their homepages for at least three months. Airlines will also have to make available a complete list of rates for all optional services, from pillows to food and drinks. While airlines have to get into specifics for bag fees, the rest can be listed in ranges of fees, making the information somewhat less useful. These changes sound good, but then the DOT steps up disclosure where it might hit the point of overload. Under the new rules, anytime a fare quote is given, airlines have to let passengers know that "bag fees may apply." In addition, when a ticket is purchased, the airline must include in the e-ticket receipt, a complete list of all possible bag fees and allowances. That means detailing different rules for elite frequent fliers, different rules by class of service, etc. If you're wondering where they'll put it, it will undoubtedly go into the fine print at the bottom that nobody reads anyway because there are already too many disclosures down there. One actual victory for travelers here centers around which bag fees get charged when a traveler is booked on codesharing airlines for trips beginning or ending in the U.S. Today, if you buy a ticket on, say, American, but your first flight is on its codeshare partner Etihad, then the baggage rules on Etihad usually apply. The new rule means that the policies of the marketing airline, in this case American, apply regardless of who is operating the flight. That sounds good, but in practice it's going to be very difficult to implement and enforce. No more opt-out . If you've ever bought a ticket from an ultra low-cost airline like Allegiant or Spirit, you might have found yourself frustrated by the dreaded "opt-out" procedure. You know how it works. The travel insurance or some other optional service might be automatically checked. If you don't want it, you have to uncheck it before you continue or it will be charged. This rule makes that illegal going forward. All optional services will be "opt-in" only. No price increases after you buy . This might sound silly, but fares can no longer be increased after tickets have been purchased. Has this been a problem? No. But it does prevent Allegiant from doing something that travelers might have liked. Allegiant had discussed the idea of giving travelers the choice of two fares. One would be higher, but would not change. The other would be lower, but would go up if the price of fuel went up. So it would simply tie a piece of the fare to the cost of fuel. If people wanted to take a gamble on fuel prices, they could buy the lower fares. That, however, is no longer an option. But it really is minor since the option wasn't yet offered anyway. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Brett Snyder. | New rules require airlines to roll mandatory taxes and fees into advertised fares .
Optional fees must be more clearly listed, which Snyder says may create confusion .
Baggage fees will be subject to more stringent disclosure rules . |
fa263ce646635c90888cee9e4535fda4542d6d45 | Pedialyte, an electrolyte packed drink for dehydrated babies, may also be a cure for hungover adults. Regardless of whether or not the drink is an effective cure, Chicago college and graduate students swear by the drink and have begun demanding it at their local stores, The Daily News reported. Pedialyte is so popular in Chicago that a delivery app called Foxtrot may add Pedialyte to their menu after receiving numerous requests. This poor hungover girl may need to grab a bottle of pedialyte . Pediatricians #1 electrolyte formula is Chicago student's #1 hangover cure . Pedialyte sales have remained static over the years but recently sales have skyrocketed. Whether or not the drinks popularity is parallel with its use as a hangover remedy is unclear. It sure seems that way, though. Grid Chicago reported that, figures from market research firm IRI show that Pedialyte sales surged 16% in August compared to the same month in 2012. Some adults compare Pedialyte to Gatororade but without all the added sugar. Musician Jason Isbell toll The New York Times Magazine, 'It's like 10 Gatorades in a bottle.' Chicago students wanting to recover from partying are starting to demand that their local bodega carry Pedialyte . Whether or not Pedialyte actually works as a hangover cure is still up for debate. A group of Chinese researchers at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou say that sprite is actually the best hangover cure. Doctors don't see eye to eye with Chicago students. The Daily News reports that Stanley Goldfarb, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, told Slate that Pedialyte wont work to stop a hangover. 'There's nothing you can do to remove the alcohol byproducts,' DR.Perelman said. 'They have to be metabolized by your liver, which takes time. There's no evidence that anything is better than waiting,'he continued. The drink's website section listed 'Pedialyte to the rescue' says the drink is Pediatricians #1 oral electrolyte solution. Representatives from Abbot Laboratories who make Pedialyte refuse to comment on the use of the product as a hangover aid. | Chicago college students demand that local grocery stores and delivery apps like Foxtrot carry the electrolyte beverage .
Pedialyte sales have increased by 16 per cent in a year .
'It's like 10 Gatorades in a bottle' says musician Jason Isbell . |
fa2683f66fc62aed99af308d929085651f1fc073 | They were mocked as 'jackasses' for revealing how they had been 'exiled' from the United States - to Italy's most exclusive resort. Now the Chilean-born New York socialites refused re-entry to the US, after being accused of 'enslaving' their Chilean nanny, have broken their silence to Dailymail.com - to say that it is 'heart-breaking' spending Christmas in Portofino. Malu Custer Edwards and her husband Micky Hurley were formally cleared of trafficking their child-minder to the US and forcing her to work in slave-like conditions. But during a family sailing holiday around the Mediterranean, their visas were rescinded- and the family have been stuck in Portofino on the Italian Riviera ever since. Now as they face Christmas away from their Upper East Side home and an ongoing legal tussle, mother-of-four Malu has told Mail Online of her despair after being denied entry to the country where she grew up. Stranded: Socialites Malu Custer Edwards, 29, left, and Micky Hurley, 35, right, are not allowed to return to New York from Italy despite being cleared of abusing their nanny . 'Distress': The couple and their four children are stuck in Portofino, north Italy . The 30-year-old said it was 'heart-breaking' for the couple to tell the children they weren't going to get home for the holidays. She said: 'My eldest son asked for no presents for Christmas. Instead he made a card saying all he wanted for Christmas was to go back to New York, as a family.' The couple's elder children Rex, Malu and Olympia, have now missed the first semester of the school year and the Hurleys have been forced to enroll them in an Italian school 'to distract them' and 'give them some normality in their lives'. Malu, who was born in Chile into a prominent family, grew up in New York until, at the age of 19, she fell pregnant with Rex and moved with Micky to her native country. But after she gained a place at the prestigious Parsons School of Design in 2011 the family relocated to the Manhattan's Upper East Side. Micky and the three elder children had permission to live there because of Malu's student visa while their youngest was born in the States and is a US citizen. The family were accompanied by a nanny, Felicitas del Carmen Villanueva Garcia, whom they had hired through an agency in Chile. But with three months she had left. Two years later she accused the couple of taking her passport, locking her in their apartment, not giving her enough food while they dined out at Manhattan's trendiest restaurants and allowing their children to beat her. The Hurleys denied the charges but were ordered to pay around $6,000 in backpay. In the surrounding publicity a series of unpleasant emails between Micky and a photographer who had worked with him emerged, creating the impression of an over-privileged snob. In one email Micky allegedly tormented his former collaborator with the fact that he was the great-grandson of a seamstress. 'If you were reborn a million times your grandmother would never be a Baroness like mine.' Hurley claims his grandmother was born an aristocrat in Ireland, although his exact lineage is unclear. 'Abuse': Custer Edwards claims the pair have been receiving hate mail in the wake of the dismissed lawsuit . But Malu insists their home life in New York was 'very simple' and says she and her husband divided the chores and had no any help around the house after the nanny left. This summer as the case dragged on and with the stress of proving their innocence weighing on them the couple accepted an invitation to stay on a friend's boat sailing along the French and Italian coast. Since Malu hadn't left the US for two years, their visas had expired, but she believed renewing them was a formality and she claims she had all the paper work in order. The lawsuit was not yet resolved but as it was a civil suit it shouldn't have had any bearing on the decision, Malu says. But when she went to pick up the passports the first thing they did was stamp them with denials as she looked on in horror. On a peninsula in the Ligurian Sea, Portofino is Italy's most exclusive and glamorous resort. It is where Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton romanced in the 1961 as she took a break from filming Cleopatra, and its main hotel, the Splendido, offers stunning views, lavish fine dining and the chance to bump into A-list guests. The resort itself has hosted everyone from Winston Churchill to Rihanna, drawn by its scenery and climate. Christmas is low season but it compares favorably to New York for climate. Today it is mostly sunny and 50F - compared to a rainy Manhattan where the temperature is 39F . The officials would not explain the problem but gave her a code that corresponded to the stated reason for refusal. It was only afterwards that she discovered the visa was refused on grounds of the 'human trafficking' claims made against her by the nanny. She remembered: 'I was in a complete state of shock. I lived in the US from the age of one until I was 19. Never could I have imagined that this would happen. 'It was horrible. I felt like I had been judged without having been found guilty.' She said it 'broke her heart' to tell the family. 'One more way the lawsuit ruined our lives.' Things went from bad to worse. Within 24 hours of the decision her husband was hospitalized and operated on for a collapsed lung. Malu describes this time as 'the most difficult experience of our lives'. But after two weeks Micky was allowed to go 'home', which was by then, a friend's house, a former chapel near Portofino. And on December 9 they were officially cleared of all charges brought by the nanny. 'We cried tears of joy and relief' she said. However it will be impossible to forget the 'suffering we went through because of all the lies,' she said. But the ramifications of the lawsuit that 'ruined our lives' are still with them as they have not so far been granted permission for a reconsideration of their immigration ban. 'All those false allegations were deemed baseless and thrown out of court...it was all a lie, but the repercussions of this lawsuit seem endless,' she said. With Christmas here it is particularly tough. 'The children miss their friends, their toys, belongings.' The Hurleys will be having a 'simple' family Christmas she said. 'We will give the children their gifts, we will go to mass in family. We will continue to pray that this wrong be righted. Friends and family cannot believe the injustice, she said. 'It makes no sense to anyone looking from the outside in. Well, it doesn't make sense to us either and we are living it.' 'We want to leave all this nightmare behind us, and get back to NY, where we have a right to be, adding, 'Our bags are packed. We are ready to go.' | Micky Hurley, 37, and Malu Custer Edwards, 30, were accused of abusing Chilean nanny and locking her in their Upper East Side apartment .
A judge dismissed the lawsuit on December 9 .
But the Chileans are not allowed to return from holiday in Italy .
Border officials cited the case as reason for blocking them and 3 children .
The family is stranded in Portofino, where they had planned to stay three weeks in August .
Today they told Dailymail.com they were 'heartbroken' and their eldest son says he doesn't want presents for Christmas, just to go back to New York .
Portofino is largely sunny and 50F today - Manhattan is rainy and 39F . |
fa26ab48966fe619468d01fb155ae66532e73e45 | Pregnant women who sleep on their backs are at greater risk of having a stillbirth . Pregnant women who sleep on their backs are at greater risk of having a stillbirth, a new study suggests. Mothers-to-be in Ghana who slept in this position were found to be five times more likely to have a baby with a low birth weight, and for some women this resulted in a stillbirth, the researchers said. The researchers also claimed that more than a quarter of cases of stillbirth might be avoided simply by ensuring that women change their sleeping position. The study was conducted in Ghana where between 20 and 50 of every 1,000 babies are stillborn, compared with just 3.5 per 1,000 in the UK. But a recent study in New Zealand suggests that supine sleep - the technical term for sleeping on your back - is linked to higher stillbirth rates in high income countries, too. The study's senior author, Louise O'Brien, from the University of Michigan, said: ‘If maternal sleep position does play a role in stillbirth, encouraging pregnant women everywhere not to sleep on their back is a simple approach that may improve pregnancy outcomes. ‘In Ghana, inexpensive interventions are urgently needed to improve pregnancy outcomes. ‘This is a behaviour that can be modified - encouraging women to avoid sleeping on their back would be a low-cost method to reduce stillbirths in Ghana and other low-income countries. ‘The data in this study suggests that more than one-quarter of stillbirths might be avoided by altering maternal sleep position.’ Experts suggest that pregnant women try to sleep on their side, ideally on their left side because this can improve the blood flow to the placenta. In the new study the researchers interviewed women shortly after they had given birth at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana. Scientists found that those who had slept on their backs during pregnancy risked compression on the vein that carries deoxygenated blood from the lower part of the body to the heart. This means the heart is not pumping as blood as effectively as it should, which may lead to stillbirth. Researchers said the study shows that giving pregnant women simple advice on how to sleep could radically reduce the number of stillbirths. This research supports a recent . Australian study which suggested that pregnant women who sleep on their . backs are six times more likely to have a stillborn baby. The researchers claim that a quarter of stillbirths in Ghana might be avoided by ensuring that women change their sleeping position . The study, known as the Sydney Stillbirth Study, looked at the pregnancies of 295 women from eight hospitals around Australia. The five-year study found that women who sleep on their backs are six times more likely to have a stillborn baby. Lead researcher Dr Adrienne Gordon, from Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, said previous research had suggested prolonged periods in this position restricted blood flow to the baby. The researchers added it was important that women who are currently pregnant 'don’t become alarmed if they sometimes sleep on their back'. Commenting at the time, Emma Laing, midwifery manager for baby charity Tommy’s, told MailOnline: 'Given the small number of women monitored in this study, it would be impossible to say whether the findings can provide accurate recommendations for pregnant women about sleeping on their back during the latter stages of pregnancy. 'What we do know is that 20 per cent of the 4,000 stillbirths that happen each year in the UK remain unexplained, and we certainly need further research to find out why stillbirth happens. 'Should women have any concerns or feel their babies' movements have decreased, they should contact their midwife or speak to our midwives here at Tommy’s for advice.' Tommy’s midwives can be contacted on the charity’s freephone PregnancyLine: 0800 0147 800. A stillborn baby is a baby born dead . after 24 weeks of pregnancy. If the baby dies before 24 completed weeks, . it is known as a late miscarriage. There . are around 4,000 stillbirths every year in the UK and 11 babies are . stillborn every day in the UK, making it ten times more common than cot . death. In almost half of stillbirths, the direct cause of the baby's death cannot be established. Ten . per cent of stillborn babies have some kind of abnormality and other . possible causes include problems with the mother's health or problems . with the placenta, which links the baby’s blood supply to the mother’s. | Women in Ghana were found to be at greater risk of stillbirth if they slept on their backs during pregnancy .
May be because the position reduces blood flow from the lower part of the body to the heart .
Recent studies in Australia and New Zealand have also highlighted the potential risks of this sleeping position . |
fa2710f29e6c4c0c4084cbbdc28ce7776f3955dd | Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Ex-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf acknowledged his government secretly signed off on U.S. drone strikes, the first time a top past or present Pakistani official has admitted publicly to such a deal. Pakistani leaders long have openly challenged the drone program and insisted they had no part in it. Musharraf's admission, though, suggests he and others did play some role, even if they didn't oversee the program or approve every attack. In an interview this week in Islamabad, Musharraf insisted Pakistan's government signed off on strikes "only on a few occasions, when a target was absolutely isolated and no chance of collateral damage." Still, his admission that Pakistani leaders agreed to even a limited number of strikes runs counter to their repeated denunciations of a program they long claimed the United States was operating without their approval. The drone strikes -- which the nonpartisan public policy group New American Foundation estimates have killed at least 1,990 people in Pakistan, including hundreds of civilians -- are unpopular in Pakistan. "Today, the world superpower is having its own way, without any consent from Pakistan," former Interior Minister Rehman Malik said last month. Despite such pronouncements, there's been speculation that the story might have been different behind the scenes. In a cable sent in August 2008 and later posted online by Wikileaks, then-U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson mentioned a discussion about drones during a meeting that also involved Malik and then-Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. "Malik suggested we hold off alleged Predator attacks until after the Bajaur operation," Patterson wrote. "The PM brushed aside Rehman's remarks and said, 'I don't care if they do it as long as they get the right people. We'll protest in the National Assembly and then ignore it.' " Unmanned U.S. drones began launching attacks in Pakistan in 2004, by which time Musharraf had been president for five years after taking power in a bloodless coup. He said that Pakistani leaders would OK U.S. drone strikes after discussions involving military and intelligence units and only if "there was no time for our own ... military to act." This happened "only rarely," said Musharraf, who left office in 2008 and spent years in exile before returning to Pakistan last month to launch a political comeback. But sometimes, he said, "you couldn't delay action." "These ups and downs kept going," he said. "It was a very fluid situation, a vicious enemy, ... mountains, inaccessible areas." Musharraf said that one of those killed by U.S. drones was Nek Mohammed, a tribal leader accused of harboring al Qaeda militants in Pakistan's western border region. At the time, in June 2004, Pakistan intelligence sources said Mohammed died after Pakistani forces launched a missile at a house where he was staying. Anti-drone bill advances in Florida . Drones -- by the numbers . Pakistani military battles militants near border with Afghanistan . CNN's Nic Robertson reported this story from Pakistan, and Greg Botelho wrote it in Atlanta. | FIRST ON CNN: Musharraf says Pakistan OK'd U.S. drone strikes "on a few occasions"
He says sometimes "you couldn't delay," noting the "enemy" could be elusive and "vicious"
Pakistani officials have long condemned U.S. drone strikes and denied any role in them .
A drone killed Militant Nek Mohammed, Musharraf says; Pakistan had credited its military . |
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