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faf934b4f346a5329e05ec0a9be100ca3a5dfa46 | 'As far as me and Diana and the tango . dance that we had, I always say she just wanted some of my . deliciousness,' opponent Augustus joked to reporters . By . Alexandra Klausner . PUBLISHED: . 19:38 EST, 27 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:14 EST, 28 September 2013 . The WNBA playoff game between the Pheonix Mercury and the Minnesota Lynx took an unexpected turn last night on the Minnesota court. After a scuffle between Diana Taurasi of the Pheonix Mercury and Seimone Augustus of the Minnesota Lynx, Taurasi shocked the crowd by planting a kiss on her opponent's cheek. Both players received double personal fouls for their heated exchange. Both also also had a sense of humor about their 'dance' on the court. Scroll down for video . Diana Taurasi (right) of the Pheonix Mercury gave opponent Seimone Augustus (left) of the Minnesota Lynx a kiss after a scuffle on the court last night . Taking Turns: Diana Taurasi drives the ball against Seimone Augustus in an earlier game in July in Pheonix Arizona . 'As far as me and Diana and the tango dance that we had, I always say she just wanted some of my deliciousness,' Augustus joked to reporters. 'I was just trying to make sweet love. That's about it,' Taurasi told reporters during a post game press conference. Minnesota won 85-65. Taurasi commented on the opposition's win by saying, 'they took care of home court.' The outward display of affection left fans wondering if the kiss was just a joke or if it meant something more. The two players are not strangers. According to announcers, the two have been playing against one another since they were teenagers. Taurasi and Seimone were also not always on opposite teams. The two were teammates on the gold medal-winning US Olympic team in London. The sexual orientation of Taurasi is unknown, but in an interview with WNBA.com after being asked by a fan whether or not she had a boyfriend she said, 'I do NOT have a boyfriend, but I am looking for someone who is rich, is about 6-8 and drives a BMW 745 li.' When asked if she has a celebrity crush, Taurasi answered, 'Yes, WNBA President Donna Orender.' Lynx WNBA basketball star Seimone Augustus(right) looks at the engagement right she gave Lataya Varner(left) According to writer Kathy Belge at About.com, Diana Taurasi is known to make jokes and is often commended for having an outgoing personality. Augustus is openly gay and has been a long time advocate for same sex sex marriage. On coming out Augustus said, 'Everyone thinks that the WNBA is one big lesbo party anyway,' she said in an interview with the Associated Press. 'So I think the coming out process isn't as tough for us because people already expect it.' Augustus is engaged to a woman named Lataya Varner and hopes to get married by the end of the season. Minnesota, a state that once banned gay marriage now allows the union after a bill passed by the Senate in May. | Both players received personal fouls .
'I was just trying to make sweet love,' Tauarasi said of her kissing her opponent .
'As far as me and Diana and the tango .
dance that we had, I always say she just wanted some of my .
deliciousness,' opponent Augustus joked to reporters . |
faf978626c07616d4d3020220f16a3a26cf4fcc7 | Rolf Harris faced a flood of fresh abuse allegations yesterday as his victims vowed to reduce him to ruin by launching claims on his £11million fortune. A dozen new alleged victims have contacted lawyers seeking compensation payouts which could top £70,000 each, with a High Court civil claim set to be launched in weeks which will effectively freeze the disgraced entertainer’s assets. Harris, 84, faces being stripped of his fortune and honours, while galleries, schools and even a zoo scrambled to remove all trace of the paintings and plaques which once celebrated his life’s work. Scroll down for video . Compensation: Rolf Harris' £11million fortune would be inherited by his daughter Bindi, right after his conviction yesterday, but 'up to a dozen' women have already contacted a law firm to apply for payouts . Harris was convicted on Monday of 12 counts of indecent assault on victims as young as seven after a jury refused to believe his protestations of innocence during the eight-week trial. The court heard that Harris, who faces jail on Friday, was a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ predator who targeted youngsters and thought he was ‘above the law’. Yesterday it also emerged that: . He is staying in the multi-million pound house, which backs on to the Thames, with wife Alwen, 82, as he awaits Friday’s sentencing. Yesterday plaques honouring the paedophile were torn down at Colchester Zoo in Essex where Harris opened a £1million elephant enclosure in 1997. Paintings were also removed from schools and galleries in Australia. Yesterday a law firm said it had been contacted by 12 women thought to be from the UK, New Zealand and Australia. Their allegations of sexual abuse could be passed to Scotland Yard, which is already reviewing a handful of new victims. Richard Scorer, lawyer for Slater and Gordon which represents 176 victims of Savile, said the firm had been contacted by ‘up to a dozen people’ and were considering them carefully. Disgraced: In Australia a plaque laid in his home town near Perth has been defaced and may be pulled up while prime minister Tony Abbott said he was 'gutted and dismayed' by the news Harris was convicted . He said: ‘We back an over-arching inquiry into child abuse once those reports which are still outstanding are completed. ‘What we have discovered in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal is just how deep child abuse in institutions ran and how some people were seemingly allowed to continue their sickening crimes unchallenged.’ Mr Scorer added: ‘It is therefore vital we do everything possible now to learn from the mistakes of the past and take this opportunity to toughen the laws around the protection of children and vulnerable adults in institutions.’ Liz Dux, an abuse lawyer at the same firm, added that they planned to launch a High Court claim on behalf of the victims ‘within weeks’, to prevent Harris transferring the deeds of his home and multi-million-pound assets from three companies to his daughter or other family members. NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said they had received an ‘explosion of calls’ from people concerned about sexual abuse, with 36 of those calls relating to 13 alleged victims of Harris. Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders said: ‘We know there has been more reporting, what we don’t know yet is whether or not more charges will follow. ‘We will work with the police and look at any cases that they send to us to see whether there is enough evidence to bring more charges. So it is too early to say.’ Last night there were calls for a public inquiry to look into the culture at the time of historic sex abuse carried out by the likes of Harris and Savile. Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland said: ‘We have seen another celebrity convicted of a string of appalling child sex offences; someone who has used and abused their position and their power. ‘Is it not now time that we had an overarching inquiry into the culture at that time of these historical sex offences, so that we can both bring closure to that and actually learn lessons for the future?’ Government sources said it ‘looked inevitable’ that Harris will be stripped of a string of honours awarded by the Queen. His case will be considered by the independent honours forfeiture committee after his sentence on Friday. | Harris believed to have £11million fortune from his art, music and TV careers .
Law firm handling Savile, Clifford and Hall cases may take on Harris victims .
'Up to a dozen' women have contacted Slater & Gordon about compensation .
Harris' money is in companies and trusts, including two set up before arrest .
Child protection campaigners were inundated with calls, with the potential number of victims in Britain, Australia and New Zealand now thought to exceed 40; .
He is likely to have his MBE, OBE, CBE and Officer of the Order of Australia revoked; .
Fresh questions about his links to Jimmy Savile emerged as footage was released of the pair joking in a TV studio as Harris sketched his paedophile friend; .
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he was ‘gutted’ by the conviction; .
Harris’s home in Bray, Berkshire, could be sold to pay for compensation for his victims; . |
faf9c86d46702d46aa67c79467f61f5cc656e6cf | By . Mark Nicol . PUBLISHED: . 16:11 EST, 13 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:11 EST, 13 October 2012 . More than 400 serving and retired troops will this week descend on Parliament to confront David Cameron in a protest unprecedented in the history of the British Army. Officers and soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers will mount the Army’s first picket of the Palace of Westminster on Thursday after the Government axed its second battalion. Despite being threatened with court martial, serving soldiers are due to join their retired colleagues on the march, which coincides with a Parliamentary debate about defence cuts. Threatened: The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in Afghanistan. More than 400 serving and retired troops will protest against cuts . The Army forbids their participation in any anti-Government demonstration. It is the first time soldiers have demonstrated on the streets of London since the Bishopsgate Mutiny of 1649, when 300 members of the New Model Army launched a protest against Oliver Cromwell’s order that they be sent to Ireland. It is also the first time the British Army has taken to the streets in protest since it was formed in 1707. The Fusiliers claim Mr Cameron forced through the disbandment of 2RRF to save the Royal Regiment of Scotland because he feared cutting soldiers north of the border would boost nationalists in an independence referendum due in 2014. Rebellion: Troops last protested in 1649 against Oliver Cromwell (pictured) Captain Joe Eastwood, a former Regimental Sergeant Major of the Fusiliers, said: ‘There is a lot of anger because we know the Government did a deal to save the Jocks and to cut 2RRF. ‘I am sure that serving soldiers will join us on the protest, but given the risks to their careers, the arrangements for their participation are under the radar. ‘The MoD is threatening to use Section 69 of the 1955 Army Act. Pressure is being applied, with courts martial promised for those who defy orders. So some arrangements must remain cloak-and-dagger.’ During Thursday’s protest, the Fusiliers, led by retired Colonel Brian Gorski, will march through Whitehall wearing their black berets, and red and white hackles. As they pass the Cenotaph, they will salute fallen comrades before proceeding to Downing Street where petitions against 2RRF’s disbandment will be handed in. Afterwards, they will watch a debate on the cuts from the Commons public gallery. A motion opposing the scrapping of 2RRF– so far signed by 30 MPs – has been brought by Tory John Baron, an ex-Fusiliers officer. Colonel Gorski said: ‘The Army marching on Parliament is unique. The MoD is making enquiries and it may well have people out monitoring the march. ‘There is a lot of sensitivity about this because 2RRF’s disbandment was referred to the Prime Minister’s office, and he gave it the final nod. For these reasons there is great risk to soldiers if they attend. During the protest, the Fusiliers will pass the Cenotaph (pictured) where they will salute fallen comrades . ‘For the sake of their careers, my advice is they shouldn’t appear on the march, but if they happen to be passing Parliament or going through Whitehall at the time that is up to them.’ An Army spokesman said: ‘The Armed Forces are entitled to their beliefs provided their practice does not conflict with the services’ values and standards. ‘Although personnel are not precluded from activity which is potentially political in nature, they are not permitted to do so in uniform.’ | Serving soldiers will join march despite being threatened with court martial .
First time soldiers have demonstrated on streets of London since 1649 . |
faf9e2da830d4f0c6e1c250737a21ceec3b6f0b3 | By . Hugo Duncan . Last updated at 7:53 AM on 24th January 2012 . Warning: IMF Christine Lagarde said the global economy faced a 'defining moment' in the battle to avert a rerun of the Great Depression . The world must act now to prevent a ‘1930s moment’ and a ‘downward spiral’ into economic catastrophe, the International Monetary Fund warned last night. IMF managing director Christine Lagarde said the global economy faced a ‘defining moment’ in the battle to avert a rerun of the Great Depression. She called for a ‘larger firewall’ to protect Italy and Spain from the debt storm raging in the eurozone. In a speech in Berlin, the former French finance minister also urged Germany – the biggest economy in Europe – to take a lead in tackling the crisis and shoring up the single currency. It came as European finance ministers met to try to thrash out a new deal to rescue Greece and stave off a debt default and the break-up of the euro. Gikas Hardouvelis, an adviser to the Athens government, warned that the 17-nation bloc would collapse if Greece leaves the currency. ‘If Greece is left to go, then the market will ask who is next and the eurozone will dissolve,’ he said. Brussels, meanwhile, appears to have abandoned plans for a 'Robin Hood Tax' on London. Michel Barnier, European commissioner . for markets, admitted that a new levy on banks cannot be imposed on the . UK against its will. He denied being in a 'plot' against the City of . London. Today, the Washington-based IMF will take the axe to its forecasts for economic growth around the world and warn that Europe is heading for a double-dip recession. Mrs Lagarde said: ‘We could easily slide into a 1930s moment, a moment where trust and cooperation break down and countries turn inward, a moment ultimately leading to a downward spiral that could engulf the entire world.’ She said 2011 was ‘a year in which so much of what could go wrong did go wrong’ – and laid the blame at the door of politicians in Europe and America. At an an EU summit last month David Cameron used the UK¿s veto of a 'fiscal compact' when he could not secure safeguards for the City of London. ‘We saw many false starts and half measures in 2011 – in Europe, but also, for instance, in the United States,’ she said. Mrs Lagarde added: ‘But what we must all understand is that this is a defining moment. It is not about saving one country or region. It is about saving the world from a downward economic spiral. The longer we wait, the worse it will get. The only solution is to move forward together. Our collective economic future depends on it.’ Mrs Lagarde said Europe must bolster its defences by increasing the size of its bailout fund. The IMF’s firepower must also be increased to $1trillion (£640billion) to help it fight the eurozone crisis. But this will anger Britain, the U.S. and China, who have argued that the single currency area should do more to prop up the euro before turning to the IMF. | IMF chief urges Germany to take the lead .
Warns Europe is heading for a double dip recession . |
fafa62770611a66ea8d1876207158a16cbc1ef27 | By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 9:22 PM on 13th December 2011 . A young child has become only the second person in the U.S. to develop a rare form of flu that is usually found in pigs rather than humans. The Minnesota child has developed the H1N2 virus, which does not usually infect humans. The only previous case was in Michigan four years ago. Medical officials have warned this shows how tough flu can be to pin down, after 6,000 people died in the U.S. from the H1N1 strain in 2009. Scroll down for video . Injection: The new H1N2 strain is not covered by the current flu shot, which has a vaccine developed by experts after the deadly H1N1 outbreak in 2009 . ‘Typically influenzas change a little bit,’ Dr Aaron DeVries of the Minnesota Department of Health told CBS affiliate WCCO. ‘When the virus changes substantially, that is when a pandemic can occur and that is what happened in 2009.’ Doctors are not too worried about the case because the child recovered fast and did not make anyone around him sick with H1N2, reported WCCO. H1N2 is more commonly found in pigs in the Upper Midwest - but as the boy had no contact with the animals, the virus must have mutated. Concern: Medical officials have warned the latest outbreak shows how tough flu can be to pin down, after 6,000 people died in the U.S. from H1N1, pictured . The strain is not covered by the current flu shot, which has a vaccine developed by experts after the H1N1 outbreak in 2009, reported WCCO. ‘We do need a better vaccine and a better mechanism to rapidly develop vaccines,’ Dr DeVries told WCCO. 'Typically influenzas change a little bit. When the virus changes substantially, that is when a pandemic can occur and that is what happened in 2009' Dr Aaron DeVries . A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman said the public should not be concerned by this new case of H1N2. ‘Discovery of these novel influenza viruses shows that our surveillance systems are working,’ spokesman Tom Skinner told Fox News. Meanwhile the H3N2 strain - a mix of pig, human and bird flu viruses - was recently found in a child in West Virginia, who later recovered. There have been ten other reports of H3N2 infection across the U.S. in the past before the West Virginia case, reported ABC News. See video here . | Young child in Minnesota has developed H1N2 virus .
Only previous case of H1N2 was in 2007 in Michigan .
6,000 people died in U.S. from H1N1 strain in 2009 . |
fafae934eb1e34e10ac4a8a4b77b2e3be26c4aa7 | A macabre directory listing the name, rank and decorations of every SS member is going up for auction decades after it was stolen from Nazi officials by a British spy. The 425-page book contains more than 30,000 entries, detailing every fighter in the Nazi Party's paramilitary arm - with feared leader Heinrich Himmler at the top of the list. It was published on December 1, 1938, just months before the start of the Second World War, and was later stolen by a member of Britain's Special Operations Executive. The directory is expected to fetch up to £2,000 when it goes under the hammer next month. Sinister: This SS directory shows every member of the Nazi Party's private army in December 1938 . Stolen: The book was taken from Nazi headquarters by a British officers from the Special Operations Executive . The book is set out like a telephone directory, listing the name of each SS member, their decorations and awards, their division, party number, SS number, date of birth and promotion details. It also contains entries for officers who had died before the book was published, in a tribute to their contribution to the Nazis' twisted cause. The head, or 'Reichsführer', of the SS was Himmler, widely regarded as the architect of the 'Final Solution' which led to the murder of 11million people in concentration camps. Other leading Nazis listed in the directory include Adolf Eichmann, number 6448, who was personably reponsible for the murder of 3million Jews. In 1960, Eichmann was caught in Argentina by Israeli secret service agents and brought back to Israel to be put on trial where he was found guilty and hanged. Leader: The feared SS was set up by Heinrich Himmler, architect of the 'Final Solution' Top: Himmler was listed in the book as 'number one' out of 30,000 members of the organisation . Allies: Himmler, left, is shown with Adolf Hitler, third left, as they observe a parade in 1940 . Reinhard Heydrich, described by Hitler as 'the man with the iron heart', is number 28 in the book, while Auschwitz boss Rudolf Hoess is listed at number 19,202. Many of the most notorious leaders of the Third Reich occupied relatively low positions in the SS hierarchy at the time the directory was published, as they did not achieve their senior positions until later. Hitler does not appear in the book, because he was never a member of the SS despite being leader of the Nazi Party. The directory was taken by an unnamed British spy who was tasked with infiltrating the German high command. He smuggled it back to Britain to be . examined by the intelligence services, and then kept it as a keepsake - . which was only discovered by his family when they were sorting through . his belongings after his death a few years ago. Evil: Adolf Eichmann appears in the book as member number 6448 . Chilling: Reinhard Heydrich, whom Hitler called 'the man with the iron heart', was number 28 . Richard Westwood-Brookes, from Mullock's Auctions in Shropshire, said: 'This book is extremely rare and the story of how it was stolen from under the noses of the Germans is also highly intriguing. 'If you are a researcher of the Third Reich, which many people are, it is worth its weight in gold. It really wouldn't take much for a researcher to trace the people in the book, it could show the missing pieces to someone's puzzle. 'Former members of the SS would have wanted to conceal their identities, but this book will show them for what they once were - this sort of information is priceless in my opinion. 'Most of the men in this book were monsters, people such as Himmler, a man very close to Adolf Hitler, they put people through hell.' The directory will go up for auction on March 18 at Ludlow Racecourse, with an estimate of between £1,000 and £2,000. Founded in 1925, the 'Schutzstaffel', . German for 'protection squad', initially served as Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguards, later becoming one of the most . powerful and feared organisations in all of Nazi Germany. Heinrich Himmler, a militant anti-Semite who was later architect of the 'Final Solution', became head of the SS in 1929 and expanded the group's role and size. Recruits . had to prove their 'racial purity' and were also taught they were the . not only the elite of Nazi Party but also of all humankind. Troops: SS soldiers march in a procession at a convention of the Nazi Party in 1933 . By . the start of the Second World War the SS had more than 250,000 members . and multiple subdivisions, engaged in activities ranging from . intelligence operations to running Nazi concentration camps. The . soldiers of the SS committed many atrocities during the war, while the . concentration camp system was set up in the 1930s by Theodor Eicke of . the SS. Thousands of SS men . were also drafted to help exterminate the Jews of Eastern Europe, . participating in mass killings or guarding ghetto districts where Jews . from the west were concentrated before being sent to death camps. At . the end of the war many leading members of the SS - including Himmler - . committed suicide. Those that were captured were tried at the Nuremburg . war crimes trials. | Book published in 1938 lists 30,000 members of the SS from Himmler down .
It was stolen from Nazi officials by a British SOE agent during the war .
Set to fetch up to £2,000 when it goes up for auction next month .
The SS started as a private Nazi army and ended up as the most feared arm of the German state . |
fafb04980475a133a39d7b7b2fb176524bc7865a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:38 EST, 31 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:37 EST, 31 July 2013 . Arrest: Idowu Daramola, 48, was allegedly talking on his phone when he caused a deadly crash . The bus driver who lost control of his vehicle, causing it to smash into a lamppost which crushed an eight-month-old girl to death in her stroller was on his cellphone at the time, police believe. Idowu Daramola, 48, from Thornwood, New York, was charged with death by auto, reckless driving and using a cellphone while operating a vehicle after the death of little Angela Paredes on Tuesday. His alleged mindlessness sparked a terrifying - and ultimate deadly - chain reaction; his bus struck the lamppost, then a tree, another lamppost and a parked car, which hit three other parked cars. Seven people were sent to hospitals - including four in one of the cars - and authorities desperately tried to save Angela as her mother, Maylin Hogo could do nothing but scream helplessly. 'I heard a loud crash and people . screaming,' said Iris Pizarro, who lives in an apartment building across . the street. 'That's when I ran to the window and saw the mother over . the baby screaming, "My daughter! My baby!'" Juan Navarrrete said he heard the crash and the mother’s screams from his 21st floor apartment. Tragedy: Maylin Hogo (right) could do nothing but scream after her eight-month-old daughter Angela Paredes was killed by a lamppost that was struck by the out-of-control bus on Tuesday . Innocence: Officers ran to give the little girl CPR after she was crushed but they were unable to save her . As he rushed down to help, he watched as Officer Michael Stetson administered CPR on the bloodied infant. ‘That officer worked so hard,’ Navarrrete told the Jersey Journal. ‘He was trying to keep her alive.’ Stetson said the baby had no pulse when he arrived and began the resuscitation efforts - which very nearly worked. ‘After CPR, she was gasping every third breath,’ said Stetson, a father of three himself. As Naverrete watched the calamity unfold, he said he broke down. ‘You don't know the person, but that's a human being,’ he told Jersey Journal. ‘I really cried over there.’ Freak accident: While Angela's mother pushed her stroller down the street, a bus careened into a nearby lamppost which then fell on Angela, killing her . Cause unknown: The cause of the accident is unknown and Angela was the only casualty. A witness said the bus dropped off passengers and then suddenly sped off before crashing into the light post and a nearby car . Witness . Jose Serra said he watched as the bus dropped off passengers and then . seemed to suddenly sped out of control, hitting a parked car after . crashing into the lamppost. Four people from one of the parked cars were taken away to be treated for minor injuries. The grieving mother and bus driver were both taken to Jersey City Medical Center in neck braces, along with the child. Speaking through hospital officials, . Angela’s father Jairo Paredes and the rest of her family declined to . speak to the press, the Jersey Journal reported. The . vehicle was operated by Sphinx Transportation, which provides shuttle . service between New Jersey and New York City, just across the Hudson . River from West New York. Distraught: Angela's mother was unhurt, though she was taken from the scene in a neck brace. The family, including father Jairo Paredes (right) declined to speak to reporters Tuesday . 'It's a human tragedy': West New York Mayor Felix Roque spoke to reporters on the scene 'It's sad.' A . woman who answered the telephone at the Sphinx offices in Ridgefield . told The Associated Press the company had no idea what caused the . accident, and that the driver had been hospitalized. 'I'm not shocked at all that it was one . of these drivers,' resident Yorvira Kavanaugh said. 'They're always on . their phones, always arguing with each other. Sometimes they pull up . next to each other and argue about passengers.' Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari said driver distraction, along with speed, may have been factors in the crash. Schillari . said his office is working with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office . Homicide Unit to investigate the cause of the tragedy. Accused: Idowu Daramola, pictured left and right with his wife, was also charged with reckless driving . No comment: The driver of the bus is now being questioned by authorities. An employee of the bus company--Sphinx, which runs between New York and New Jersey--declined to comment . Daramola also had two outstanding . warrants for picking up or discharging passengers in an unauthorized . area, according to sheriff's office spokesman Mike Makarski. West New York Mayor Felix Roque was on the scene and spoke to reporters. ‘It's a human tragedy to have this kind of event in West New York,’ he said. ‘It's sad.’ On Wednesday morning, lit candles, teddy . bears and flowers were placed at a makeshift memorial as utility crews . worked to reinstall the light pole. | Angela Parrera died at the scene in West New York, New Jersey on Tuesday .
Mother Maylin Hogo's desperate screams could be heard by residents of apartment 21 floors above the scene of the bloody accident .
Idowu Daramola's bus crashed into lampposts and parked cars . |
fafb13c9a3c099c1206593eaaa3b83d53fb18582 | By . James Slack . and Chris Greenwood . Police have no idea where he is: Murderer Robert Donovan (above) has been on the run since fleeing an open prison four years ago . Police were under fire last night for . taking four years to warn the public that a dangerous murderer was on . the run from an open prison. Robert Donovan, who was convicted of stabbing a West End theatre manager to death, walked out of Ford prison in June 2010. Police . considered him so dangerous that he should not be approached by the . public, but not a single appeal was made for help catching him until . yesterday. Donovan, 57, had . been in open conditions for less than a year when he absconded from the . prison near Arundel, West Sussex. Officers said they had decided to act . only after concluding he was probably no longer in the county. Tory . MP Philip Davies, who has campaigned for tighter rules on open prisons, . said: ‘It is quite extraordinary that this is only just coming to light . now. The public should have been informed straight away. ‘People . need to know for their own safety. If the authorities had to make an . announcement every time somebody absconded, I suspect a much more robust . system would soon be put in place.’ Donovan . was jailed indefinitely at the Old Bailey in December 1974 for a crime . that shocked the nation. The sentence – in this case, the juvenile . equivalent of a life term – meant he would be detained until the prison . authorities decided it was safe to release him. He was 17 when he and his brother Patrick, 19, and David Baillie, 17, killed Palladium stage manager Edwin Thornley. Prosecutors . claimed Patrick posed as a rent boy to lure Mr Thornley. He was robbed . before being fatally stabbed in the neck with a flick-knife on . Hungerford Bridge over the Thames. All . three youths admitted robbing him. Robert Donovan was convicted of . murder. The other two were convicted of manslaughter and jailed for up . to six years. Absconded: Donovan was moved to Ford Prison near Arundel, West Sussex, and left there on day release on June 19, 2010, police said . The fact that . Donovan has been at large for four years was made public by Sussex . Police just 24 hours after the Mail revealed how murderer David Richards . was able to walk out of jail and go on the run for nine years. The . disappearance of the 53-year-old Hell’s Angel should have triggered a . manhunt after he absconded from an open prison in Derbyshire in 2005, . but local police refused to look for him and did not alert the public. Back in jail: Michael 'Skull Cracker' Wheatley . He . was able to reinvent himself as a respectable member of society, . renting a flat, claiming thousands in benefits, getting a passport and . going to Ireland on holiday. Richards, who murdered teenager Michael . Groves in 1984, was recaptured only after the Mail was tipped off about . him, traced his whereabouts and spent a week urging police to act. It was left to the Metropolitan Police, which dealt with his murder, to travel to Wolverhampton and arrest him. Finally . making a public appeal yesterday for Donovan’s capture, PC Steve Reed, . from Sussex Police, said: ‘We have been looking for Donovan for several . years without success, which suggests he has left Sussex and could be . elsewhere in the country. We need to speak to anyone who could have any . idea where he is or where he could be.’ He . added: ‘There is nothing to suggest Donovan is currently a danger to . the public, but he has not served his sentence, so we want to get him . back into custody so justice can be done.’ Donovan . was said to have links to London and the Midlands, and may have family . in Portsmouth, according to police. He may also be using the alias David . Green. Sussex Police said: ‘If you see Donovan, do not approach him but call 999 immediately.’ Last . month Michael Wheatley, 55, an armed robber known as the Skull Cracker, . walked out of an open prison in Kent and held up a building society in . Surrey before being recaptured. Ministers said inmates should no longer be kept in open conditions or given a temporary release if they had absconded before. | Robert Donovan, 57, jailed for life in 1974 after stabbing man to death .
He fled open prison in West Sussex in 2010 while out on day release . |
fafb3852ac4b8d23415c06a25a439a85a5ae6a88 | Spaniard Carlos Velasco Carballo wore the referee's kit, but he wasn't in charge for this quarter final in Fortaleza. The refereeing at this World Cup has been consistently lenient. Teams will have noted that and now know that they have a licence to foul, particularly gifted opponents like James Rodriguez. Time and time again the dangerous Rodriguez was blocked, tripped and body checked. Yet, Paulinho and his Brazil team-mates escaped sanction. What the Tottenham man has to do to get a yellow card at this tournament I do not know. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Neymar wheeled through hospital by worried staff . Furious: Colombia's defender Juan Camilo Zuniga argues with Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo . Fouling: Paulinho was a constant offender but was not booked by the referee . Ouch: Fernandinho was another who emerged without a booking despite making several fouls . Even when Colombia got a free-kick in a promising position, Carballo ignored the Brazilians charging the ball down from perhaps six yards. A caution for the defender and a retake was the correct decision. With the hosts a goal up but facing a determined Colombian side they elected to ignore the beautiful game and resort to foul tactics to progress to the semi-final. The second half of a promising game deteriorated into a petty ugly affair in which Carballo was happy to award free-kicks but nothing else – until it was too late. Frustratingly when Rodriguez committed a minor foul, he was cautioned adding fuel to the fire that Brazil are enjoying every perceived advantage of being a home team. If this continues they must surely lift their sixth World Cup. That David Luiz scored the winner from the free-kick added insult to injury. Finally: Julio Cesar and Thiago Silva were booked as the referee eventually got tough with hosts Brazil . Paying the price: James Rodriguez fouled Hulk for the free kick that led to David Luiz's goal . In the book: Rodriguez was also booked as Colombia were sent crashing out by the hosts on Friday . While Carballo did nothing to impress his assistant worked well and rightly flagged for offside to disallow Mario Yepes effort. It is hard to give Carballo any credit for finally giving a decision against Brazil when Julio Cesar hacked Carlos Bacca down. Carballo made his name in La Liga for being a strict disciplinarian but FIFA instructions have clearly affected a number of referees in this tournament and it is highly unlikely that will change in the remaining six games. The question now is whether the referee for Brazil’s semi-final will be strong enough to ensure fair play – and that referee could well be Howard Webb. | 54 fouls were recorded during Brazil's 2-1 World Cup 2014 semi-final victory over Colombia .
James Rodriguez in particular received rough treatment .
The referee Carlos Velasco Carballo remained lenient throughout the tie however . |
fafd53786a8b7bcfe7ad49a894797a7df18cc580 | With his mother's trademark pout on his face, Brooklyn Beckham makes his modelling debut aged 15. The teenager appears on the cover of Man About Town magazine and while he poses just like his mum Victoria - he looks the spitting image of his handsome soccer star dad David in the black and white photo shoot which evokes the old Hollywood images of a young James Dean. The pictures were taken by photographer Alasdair McLellan, who shot Victoria for UK Vogue and David for Fantastic Man, and is a 'friend of the family'. Dead ringer: Brooklyn Beckham is growing up look just like his dad, soccer star David Beckham . Cover boy: Schoolboy Brooklyn Beckham has never appeared in a fashion shoot before. A source said the entire family joined him to support him . Man About Town magazine, a biannual publication, says it is 'targeted at high-end business-engaged and culturally-orientated male urbanities... giving a guide to the seasonal men must haves.' Brooklyn follows in the footsteps of his younger brother Romeo, 11, who had a starring role in a Burberry campaign in December 2012. And just like his famous parents, it seems that Brooklyn's also a dedicated follower of fashion as he's pictured wearing labels including Ralph Lauren, Saint Laurent and Supreme. The dashing teen appears on the cover wearing a quiff and a navy blue bomber jacket and tie - while the word 'Quiche' is emblazoned on the front of the magazine, referring to the new term for 'hot' coined by Australian comic Chris Lilley in his hit HBO series, Ja'mie: Private School Girl. A source told MailOnline: 'David and Victoria are immensely proud of all their children, and they never push them into anything even though the boys get lots of offers. 'Brooklyn is focused on school and soccer, but of course he was so excited to get his first magazine cover shoot as he's interested in photography like his dad. 'The photo shoot was shot over a weekend and all the family went along to support Brooklyn.' Man About Town Editor-in-Chief Ben Reardon said: 'We are thrilled to feature Brooklyn Beckham in a world exclusive on the cover of the Spring/Summer 2014 issue of Man About Town. 'Brooklyn's first published editorial is a 20-page fashion story celebrating teenage style, which shows a warm and honest insight into the moment men begin to express themselves through clothes. Teen idol: Brooklyn Beckham, 15, poses for Man About Town magazine - in his first-ever cover shoot . Pout it like Beckham: Brooklyn Beckham follows in the footsteps of his brother Romeo, who starred in a Burberry campaign in December 2012 . Lookalike: David Beckham, just days after his 18th birthday, in action for Manchester United Youth team in May 1993. His 15-year-old son Brooklyn looks the image of him . Rising star: David Beckham while training for England in February 1997, aged 21, and again in 1997 playing for Manchester United . 'We could not have wished for a stronger . subject than Brooklyn to bring this story to life. He was a diligent, . relaxed cover star for his first ever fashion shoot. 'The story was a genuine pleasure for . all involved. Brooklyn was a true professional and had a keen eye in the . styling process, collaborating on selections from designers including . Ralph Lauren, Saint Laurent and Supreme. 'It is clear that he is becoming . a credit to the family name, not only possibly the most famous in the . world but one with a wealth of heavyweight fashion influence behind it.' Brooklyn is believed to have his inherited his dad's talent for soccer - and his passion for the game. Last October, he was seen training at his father's old club, Manchester United - where David made his career after signing up for the youth team aged 16 - but was NOT trying out for a contract with the club, according to sources. Brooklyn has also had trials at Chelsea in January 2013 and has been training with Queens Park Rangers' academy. Family flight: Victoria Beckham, 39, was spotted arriving in Los Angeles with her children Harper, Brooklyn and Cruz on Friday . He is now at school in London, where the Beckhams moved after David retired from professional soccer. The teenager was seen jetting into Los Angeles with his mum and brother Cruz, eight, toting sister Harper, two, in his arms on Friday night. Speaking about her children, fashion designer Victoria said: 'They lead a very privileged life but they don’t get everything they ask for. We always tell them how lucky they are.' Brotherly love: Brooklyn, 15, carried little sister Harper while clutching what appeared to be an art sketchbook . Just like dad: Brooklyn shares his dad David's good looks. David is seen at a press conference last week in Miami, where he's setting up his own soccer team . | Brooklyn, 15, oldest son of Victoria and David Beckham, is on the cover of Man About Town fashion magazine .
Editor says the shoot celebrates teenage style - and calls Brooklyn 'diligent and relaxed'
Beckhams are 'immensely proud' of kids - and family attended photo shoot . |
fafd76f0a5ec8a9a264fdd7fca8b8fe6df25fb51 | Police in Arkansas announced this morning the arrest of a man named a person of interest in the disappearance of a real estate agent who vanished showing a property to an unknown would-be buyer. Arron Lewis, 33, was apprehended in Little Rock by the local police at around 10am Monday in connection to the case of Beverly Carter, 49, who went missing from an empty home in Scott, Arkansas, Thursday - moments after neighbors spotted a stranger pull into the driveway in a pick-up truck. The Little Rock blog Forbidden Hillcrest tweeted that Lewis was captured in Pleasant Pointe apartments on Green Mountain Drive after allegedly pulling a knife on a bystander. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Caught: Police have arrested Arron Lewis (left) in connection with the disappearance of realtor Beverly Carter (right). He was spotted in a vehicle crash this afternoon where he sustained facial injuries . First look: Eyewitness Adam Nash photographed Arron Lewis' arrest outside an apartment complex in Little Rock after he had allegedly pulled a knife on him . Cornered: Lewis jumped from a window and tried to flee, but was surrounded by officers (pictured) Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay held a press conference this afternoon telling reporters that the search for the missing real estate agent continues. 'I'm hopeful she's still alive,' the sheriff said. 'We told her family Friday night that we will do our best to get her back home safely, and that's what we're trying to do.' Holladay added that investigators are currently questioning Lewis in hopes of finding out Beverly Carter's whereabouts. Sheriff Holladay said the 33-year-old suspect is currently facing kidnapping charges, but he could face additional counts depending on Mrs Carter's condition. The sheriff also shed some light on the circumstances of Arron Lewis' capture this morning, telling reporters that officers in Little Rocks - some 15 miles away from Scott where he was last seen - got a call about a possible sighting of the wanted man at local a bus stop. A passerby recognized Lewis from the news coverage and approached him, sending the man fleeing towards the Pleasant Pointe apartments. Nowhere to run: Lewis is pictured with his hands cuffed behind his back outside a Little Rock housing complex . As responding officers arrived outside the building, Lewis allegedly burst into the manager's office and jumped out the window in an attempt to flee, but was immediately caught. Lewis was named as a 'person of interest' after being involved in a car accident and taken to a hospital by police - before fleeing while officers thought he was having a CT scan done. Authorities have released images of Lewis, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, with blood on his face following the crash in a bid to track him down. According to the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, deputies received a call at around 10am Sunday about a single-vehicle crash in the 8700 block of Cato Road in Jacksonville, in which Arron Lewis' vehicle smashed into a concrete culvert. A bloodied Mr Lewis reportedly told the responding officers that someone had run him off the road. A witness told investigators that Lewis was driving at a high speed when he lost control of his vehicle in a curve, KARK reported.. Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay told reporters Monday afternoon that Arron Lewis is being interviewed in the hopes of shedding light on the missing woman's whereabouts . Notorious: Lewis has criminal records in several states, including Arkansas, Missouri and Utah . Boyfriend: The 33-year-old 'person of interest' is seen here with a woman believed to be his girlfriend . The sheriff's office also has revealed that the 33-year-old is an active parolee with a long criminal history, including charges of felony theft; accomplice to theft; unlawful removal of theft device; obstruction of government operations, and other counts. Lewis also has rap sheets in Kansas City, Missouri, and in Utah. He was released on parole in Arkansas in August 2013. He now faces kidnapping charges, according to Arkansas Online. The development comes after Mrs Carter's husband of 35 years, Carl, made a tearful plea for authorities and residents to do all they can to find her. Mr Carter found his wife's car abandoned outside the house, which was left unlocked and open. 'I'm going to try to be strong as best I can - I just want my wife back,' he said. He appeared before cameras looking tired and distraught, as one neighbor revealed he saw a 'skinny white man' pull up at the house in a pick-up truck around the time of the disappearance. Search is over: Lewis (left and right), 33, of Jacksonville, had been on the run since Sunday after fleeing the hospital where he was taken following a crash . Dark past: Lewis has a long criminal history and is currently an active parolee . Mr Carter, who raised the alarm after his wife didn't come back from her appointment after three and a half hours, has since received unusual text messages from her phone, but no other sign of her. Describing the moments he went to look for her, he told KARK: 'By eight o'clock I knew something was wrong - but I waited to eight thirty. I went up in the house, went through every closet, everything.' He could find no sign of her inside, and police and volunteers have been searching ever since. It is unclear whether the pick-up driver was the buyer Mrs Carter was going to meet. Beverly Carter, 49, vanished from the property in Scott, near Little Rock, Arkansas, after meeting an unknown person at the address Thursday evening. She was reported missing by her husband, Carl, after she didn't make contact with her family after the 5.30pm appointment. Missing: Carl Carter spoke of his distress at the disappearance of his real estate agent wife on Thursday . Hunt: Mrs Carter, a realtor with Crye-Leike in Little Rock, Arkansas, has now been missing for three days . Matriarch: Beverly Carter has been married for 34 years and has four grandchildren . Property: Mrs Carter was showing this property in Scott, Arkansas, to an unknown buyer who reportedly said he would be willing to pay in cash . When Carter went to the property to look for his wife, he found her car, a brown Cadillac, containing her purse, outside of the house, which had a wide open door. There was no trace of her inside. Police investigators say there was no evidence of a crime being committed. Mrs Carter is blonde, has green eyes, is 5' 2" tall and weighs around 145lbs, according to search effort descriptions. Mrs Carter, who works for the Crye-Leike real estate company in Little Rock, was last seen wearing a black, sleeveless shirt and red capri pants. According to ABC News, the home had been foreclosed, and Mrs Carter was showing it to a buyer she had never met, who said he could pay in cash. Carter, who says it is extremely unusual for his wife of 34 years not to stay in close contact, said that he received unusual texts from her number at 1am the morning after she disappeared. Search: Mrs Carter's husband, Carl Carter (left), told how he went looking for his wife (right) and found an empty home and an abandoned car . He said: 'All of a sudden I received three texts in a row. One said "Yes." Then she sent another text that said, "My phone's low. The battery's down, and I'll call you whenever I get signal." 'And, then, straight back-to-back, I received a text that said "Oh, I'm out drinking with some friends."' 'Beverly's not a drinker…We just want our mom back, and my wife of 35 years…I need her.' He told First Coast News: 'Her car was there, and the house was wide open, and I knew that something was wrong.' Search: Police in Arkansas continued their search for Mrs Carter today . Left at the house: Mrs Carter's husband arrived at the home to find her new Cadillac - with custom plates - left outside, while the door of the house was open . The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office started its second day of searching this morning, and is urging landowners in the area to search their property in case she is there. Colleagues described Mrs Carter, a mother of two and grandmother of four, as 'fun-loving' and 'the sunshine in the office', adding they will strengthen protections for estate agents heading out alone in future. 'I feel like I’m in a fog, or a horrible nightmare from which I can’t awaken,' Mrs Carter’s son, also named Carl, wrote on Facebook. 'She needs us, and we must continue to pray (and) brainstorm ways to find her.' Anybody with information regarding the case can contact the sheriff's office on 501-340-6600. | Arron Lewis, 33, was apprehended Monday morning in Little Rock, Arkansas .
Lewis was spotted by police in a car crash on Sunday .
They took him to hospital but he fled while they waited outside ward .
There is now an arrest warrant for Lewis, facing kidnapping charges .
Beverly Carter, 49, was showing a home in Scott, Arkansas, on Thursday .
Husband Carl went looking for her after she didn't come home .
Found door to the house wide open and her car and purse left behind .
Later received unusual texts from her phone number .
Lewis is an active parolee with a lengthy criminal recording spanning multiple states states . |
fafdadeee0b75569f414621581d28eda2c23bc2b | (CNN) -- It may be the next best thing to owning a piece of the moon. A cloth American flag that was taken to the moon's surface was one of more than 500 aviation and space exploration artifacts sold into private hands at auction this week. "To be honest with you, there's only 12 men who walked on the moon out of 105 billion people who have walked on this earth since humankind started walking upright," Larry McGlynn, the newest owner of the American flag told CNN on Friday. "These are incredibly rare items." The 2.5 inch-by-1.75 inch commemorative American flag framed with an Apollo 15 uniform patch—which also went to the moon—was sold to McGlynn for $27,741.35, according to Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of New Hampshire-based RR Auction. But the biggest seller was a complete Apollo 15 rotational hand controller used by Commander David Scott to fly and land his lunar module on the surface of the moon in 1971. The joystick-like device was purchased by an anonymous European client for $610,063, Livingston said. "It's a very important hand controller. It was the most used of all the missions," Livingston said, adding that Scott had to manually land with the joystick because he was off-course during his descent onto the moon. A crewman optical alignment sight, which is similar to a periscope for space, sold for over $126,000, he said. All three items came from Scott's personal collection. "These items represent the pinnacle of Apollo-era flown material," said Richard Jurek, co-author of "Marketing the Moon: The Selling of the Apollo Lunar Program." He added, "While risking their lives during the most critical and historic phases of their mission -- these are the items that the astronauts personally selected to retain as mementos from arguably the greatest technological and engineering achievement of the 20th century." The market is hot for space items, especially lunar-surface artifacts and prices are continually going up, Livingston said. The weeklong auction was RR Auction's seventh NASA-themed sale. Seventy items from Apollo 11 -- the first manned mission to land on the moon -- also were offered, including pieces from the personal collections of Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Many of the collectors, including McGlynn, grew up watching America's space program, and feel a personal connection to the pieces. "I actually saw an American flag like the one I bought at a geology professor's house years ago," McGlynn said. Though he did not want to identify the professor, he said that the flag was a gift from an astronaut who was advised by the professor. "These astronauts resonate. People love the heroism and the sophistication," Livingston said. "You have to remember, everyone from Galileo to Einstein to Neil Armstrong looked up to the moon, wanting to figure out how to get there -- and these astronauts were able to get up there and come back down." | A joystick used by Apollo 15 commander to land on the moon sold for over $600,000 .
It was among hundreds of aviation and space exploration artifacts sold at auction this week .
Many items touched the surface of the moon during multiple Apollo missions . |
fafdbe55f64a3e05952bc66185a25dfcc953a449 | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 04:57 EST, 10 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 21:04 EST, 10 September 2012 . We have already become familiar with the sight of Curiosity on the Martian surface, but Nasa today revealed one of the most human-like images of the rover, showing its 'face' on the surface of the red planet. The image was taken moments before engineers sent commands to remove the dust covers from one of Curiosity's most important cameras for the first time. It was then calibrated using a 'lucky penny' hidden on the rover's arm, before taking a series of astonishing shots of its wheels on the red planet's surface. Nasa today revealed stunning new images of Curiosity's wheel on the martian surface taken using the high resolution Mahli camera, which had its dustcover removed for the first time . With dust cover: The Curiosity rover used a camera located on its arm to obtain this self portrait, taken before engineers removed its dust cover . The images were taken with the Mars Hand Lens Imager (Mahli) camera. 'The self-focusing, roughly 4-centimeter-wide (1.5-inch-wide) camera will take color images of features as small as 12.5 micrometers, smaller than the diameter of a human hair. 'Mahli carries both white light sources, similar to the light from a flashlight, and ultraviolet light sources, similar to the light from a tanning lamp, making the imager functional both day and night. 'The ultraviolet light will be used to induce fluorescence to help detect carbonate and evaporite minerals, both of which indicate that water helped shape the landscape on Mars.' The team have also revealed the first evidence of Curiosity carrying cash. Engineers placed a lucky penny onboard to allow the rover to calibrate its camera. It is a 1909 "VDB" cent, from the first year Lincoln pennies were minted, the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, with the VDB initials of the coin's designer - Victor David Brenner -- on the reverse. MAHLI's close-up inspections of Martian rocks and soil will show details so tiny, the calibration target includes reference lines finer than a human hair. Nasa’s staff say the penny is a nod to an age old trick used on earth. 'When a geologist takes pictures of rock outcrops she is studying, she wants an object of known scale in the photographs,' said MAHLI Principal Investigator Ken Edgett, of Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego. 'If it is a whole cliff face, she'll ask a person to stand in the shot. 'If it is a view from a meter or so away, she might use a rock hammer. 'If it is a close-up, as the MAHLI can take, she might pull something small out of her pocket. 'Like a penny.' Open: The reclosable dust cover on Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) was opened for the first time during the 33rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission on Mars . Wheels down: Nasa used the newly uncovered Mahli camera to take a series of images of the rover's wheel on the red planet's surface . The new images also give tantalising views of the nearby mountains that Curiosity will eventually climb in its quest for for ingredients of life on the red planet . The images also reveal Curiosity's large wheels and distinctive tyre tracks, which leave morse code messages on the surface as it travels . The team calibrated the camera using a 'lucky penny' on the rover's mast . VIDEO: NASA scientists explain where Curiosity rover currently is on its mission... | Engineers reveal they have removed the dust lens from 2 megapixel Mahli camera .
Has been used to photograph 'lucky penny' on the rover's arm to calibrate the camera . |
fafde5f522724c3b50f4402ec5098b00ad3ead91 | London (CNN) -- With her lashings of butter and flirtations with the camera, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has charmed her many fans by turning everyday cooking into a more sensual experience. As she's licked her fingers while talking viewers through her recipes, she has earned nicknames such as "domestic goddess" and the "queen of food porn" in the British media. But her successful cooking career has not been mirrored in her recent personal life. Her 10-year marriage to millionaire art collector Charles Saatchi collapsed after photos of the couple having an argument at a restaurant emerged in June. In the photos -- which were splashed across the front pages of national newspapers at the time -- Saatchi has his hand around Lawson's throat. Saatchi accepted a police caution for assault, and the couple announced they would divorce soon after. Since then, the trial of the couple's two former personal assistants -- who were cleared Friday of defrauding Lawson and Saatchi of hundreds of thousands of pounds -- has gripped the media. This has mainly been thanks to revelations of drug use by Lawson and insights into her troubled marriage to Saatchi. During the trial, the two former assistants, Italian sisters Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo told the court they believed the celebrity chef repeatedly used drugs. Saatchi had said in an e-mail that Lawson had used drugs regularly, but in his testimony before the court last month, he backed off that claim. The court heard that none of the witnesses had seen her take drugs. In her own testimony, Lawson, 53, confirmed she had taken cocaine half a dozen times, during two periods of her life, and used cannabis in the past. But she denied being a habitual user, saying, "I did not have a drug problem, I had a life problem." 'I am not a chef' Her admission of limited drug use may cause some surprise because of Lawson's connections with the British political establishment. Born in London, she is the daughter of Nigel Lawson, a former Conservative Party British chancellor of the exchequer, or finance minister. Her brother Dominic was formerly editor of The Spectator, a British conservative political magazine. In the 1980s, before Lawson married him, Saatchi ran Saatchi & Saatchi, a leading global advertising agency, with his brother. Its campaigns included the promotion of the Conservative Party under then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. After studying at Oxford University, the celebrity chef began her career in publishing before moving into media, writing restaurant columns. She met her first husband, John Diamond, while working at the Sunday Times newspaper. The couple had two children. In 2001, Diamond died after a battle with throat cancer. Lawson went on to contribute to various UK newspapers before writing books. In 1998, she brought out "How to Eat," in which she stated how food was an early love. "I am not a chef. I am not even a trained or professional cook. My qualification is as an eater," she wrote. Her second book -- "How to Be a Domestic Goddess," in which she taught readers how to feel just like that while baking muffins or cakes -- came out two years later and won her the British Book Award for Author of the Year. Lawson went on to release a string of other successful cookbooks and host numerous cooking television shows, such as "Nigella Bites" in Britain. In the United States, she's been a judge on the ABC show "The Taste," which is due to air its second season starting in January. She also launched a successful kitchenware line and once oversaw a lunch menu for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former U.S. President George W. Bush. Lawson lists her recipes on her website and posts them on her Twitter account. | Fans call Nigella Lawson the "domestic goddess" and "queen of food porn"
Trial of ex-assistants gripped media, thanks to disclosure of her drug use and marriage woes .
"I did not have a drug problem, I had a life problem," Lawson told the court .
Her marriage to millionaire Charles Saatchi ended this year . |
fafe8efd7a0692636e51320c33ffa468af98d91d | By . Emma Innes . A mother has credited her baby daughter with saving her life after doctors discovered a deadly heart condition when she went into hospital to give birth. Samantha McRoberts, 29, arrived at hospital for a scheduled Caesarean delivery of her third child, Marley. But she struggled to stay conscious in the aftermath of the delivery and emergency tests confirmed she had a seriously weakened heart valve which could have failed at any time. Samantha McRoberts believes baby Marley saved her life because she discovered after the birth that she had a potentially deadly heart condition that needed immediate teratment . When she was pregnant with Marley, Miss McRoberts was very breathless and ill but she was told it was normal . She said: ‘If I hadn’t been in hospital at that time, and under those circumstances, then my heart condition might never have been discovered. ‘I thank Marley for saving my life - if it wasn’t for her, I don’t know if I would be here today.’ Miss McRoberts, a supermarket worker from Bracknell, discovered she was pregnant with Marley in the summer of 2012. She said: ‘My partner Chris and I were delighted when we found out. We couldn’t wait to have another child together. ‘I suffered with very bad sickness from an early stage of the pregnancy. I spent entire days in the bathroom, near the toilet. ‘But more worrying than that was the fact I was also quite out of breath, so I decided to ask my doctor about it.’ Marley was delivered by C-section but after the delivery Miss McRoberts started drifting in and out of consciousness. Her heart then stopped numerous times and a crash team had to battle to save her life . Concerned, Miss McRoberts visited her GP who reassured her that her breathlessness and sickness were the results of an infection and the fact she was asthmatic. She said: ‘It was a struggle but the C-section was booked for the following February, so I had something to focus on. I battled through my discomfort.’ Miss McRoberts had a severely damaged mitral valve. This valve separates the upper left heart chamber from the lower left heart chamber and helps control blood flow through the heart. Problems with the valve can make the heart less efficient at pumping blood around the body. Severe problems with the valve can lead to heart failure. To prevent this, surgery is required to replace or repair the valve. This operation usually involves cutting down the middle of the breastbone to access the heart. Surgeons can then repair the valve or replace it with one made from animal tissue. Source: NHS Choices . But there were troubling signs from the . moment Miss McRoberts was given a spinal block after arriving at . hospital for the delivery. She said: ‘As the anaesthetic began to work I felt deathly ill. My memory is patchy, but I have a clear image of Chris standing over me, urging me to keep calm. 'My heart rate was fluctuating but the doctors and midwives managed to stabilise me.’ She was able to enjoy a moment of happiness as Marley was placed on her chest following the delivery, but the calm was abruptly shattered when her vital signs suddenly crashed. She said: ‘The doctors rushed around me and I was aware of voices asking me to stay awake as I dipped in and out of consciousness.’ Waking up three hours later, doctors gave a shocking assessment - her heart had stopped several times and at some points she had been just seconds from death. It was only the quick thinking of the crash team which had saved her life. A detailed scan revealed one of her heart valves had been practically destroyed. A bout of rheumatic fever she suffered as a child was identified as the probable cause. It was thought that the strain of the pregnancy with her daughter had been too much for her heart. She said: ‘I already had a son, Harvey, who’s now four, with Chris, and I had a daughter Summer, now eight, from a previous relationship, so it was a mystery why I hadn’t suffered through those previous pregnancies. ‘The only certainty was that I was lucky I was in hospital when it happened - if it hadn’t have been for Marley, I would have died.’ Tests revealed Miss McRoberts had a severely damaged heart valve which could fail at any time . Misss McRoberts (pictured with Marley and partner, Chris) had to have open heart surgery to replace the valve . Shaken, Miss McRoberts was confronted with the news that she needed open heart surgery to repair her damaged valve. She said: ‘The thought of leaving my children without a mother was enough to motivate me. Although the heart surgery would be risky, I needed to make sure I would be around for them in the future, and surgery was the only way.’ Thankfully, the operation to replace the valve in July 2013 was a success and she was able to return home to her family. Miss McRoberts is now back at home and celebrating Marley's first birthday (pictured) She said: ‘For the first few months of Marley’s life I was ordered to have lots of bed rest. I was so weak I couldn’t even pick her up, so there were moments when I wondered whether it would affect me bonding with her. ‘Chris was absolutely amazing, and took over all the duties for night feeds and changing nappies.’ Marley turned one last month and Miss McRoberts is now fully recovered from surgery. She said: ‘I needn’t have worried about not bonding with her - we’re as close as we could be. I feel so proud of my whole family for coping with what I’ve been through. ‘I’m particularly proud of Marley, because without her I wouldn’t be here.’ | Samantha McRoberts was very breathless and ill during her pregnancy .
She was told this was normal and that it was related to her asthma .
Marley delivered by C-section but then Ms McRoberts lost consciousness .
Her heart stopped numerous times and a crash team battled to save her .
Tests revealed she had a severely damaged mitral heart valve .
She had to have open heart surgery to replace the damaged heart valve .
She has now recovered and is back at home with her family . |
fafec6b5ed1172ffc7fc45b218429782f5de2680 | A 17-year-old girl has provoked a storm of controversy after she posted a video on Facebook showing her older brother slowing saw the head off a live turtle. Catrina Shears, from West Michigan, posted the 43 second video of the snapping turtle's death to the social media website this week. The clip, filmed on a mobile phone, shows the teenager using pliers to pull the turtle's head out from its shell while her elder brother steps on the turtle. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . A 17-year-old girl has provoked a storm of controversy as she posted a video on Facebook showing her older brother slowing saw the head off a live turtle . As the turtles squirms he then pulls out a hacksaw and slowly saws through the animal's neck for about 20 seconds. Although the turtle moves it's legs it stops moving after as the hacksaw goes deeper. According to her Catrina's comments the pair were in rush and could not find an axe. Catrina seems unaffected, and said they have done this for years, and described how they let the animal's blood drain for several hours. Catrina Shears, from West Michigan, posted the 43 second video of the snapping turtle's death to the social media website this week. The clip, filmed on a mobile phone, shows the teenager using pliers to pull the turtle's head out from its shell while her elder brother steps on the turtle . Then she commented that she 'should have taken a video of the blood squirting' from the turtle's neck. The posting on the video drew heavy criticism on Facebook with many saying if the siblings want to hunt and kill animals for meat the method of death should have been quicker. Other people said that 'decapitation is the humane way to kill a snapping turtle.' After several complaints the Department of Natural Resources released a statement reported Fox8.com, saying: 'We are certainly disappointed anyone would post something like that to social media. Although the actions depicted in this video are technically legal under state statute - provided that the capture of the turtle was legal - we would advocate a more rapid means of taking the animal's life. We further hope this turtle was taken for the purpose of human consumption.' Last night Catrina wrote on her Facebook page: 'Everyone who messages me saying rude things will also be reported for harassment and cyber bullying if they threaten me etc.' | WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT .
Catrina Shears, of West Michigan, posted the 43 second video on Facebook .
Clip shows the teenager using pliers to pull the turtle's head out from shell .
Elder brother steps on the turtle and saws the head off for 20 seconds .
DNR: 'We are certainly disappointed anyone would post something like that' |
faff7bbc19121e7aae24d15458580f45fc384173 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:16 EST, 10 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:48 EST, 10 March 2014 . Tiger Woods has taken refuge on board his yacht with his girlfriend Lindsey Vonn after a tough weekend on the golf course. Woods and Vonn were spotted boarding his boat, called Privacy, on Sunday night in Miami Beach after he played in the Cadillac Championship tournament. Vonn is no stranger to the yacht, and was spotted there before she officially announced that she was dating the professional golfer months after his infidelities were revealed. Getaway: Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn were seen taking a golf cart to his yacht Privacy on Sunday night in Miami . On board: Vonn, who couldn't participate in the Olympics because of her injured knee, is seen wearing a brace as she and Woods board his yacht . The yacht has been Woods' retreat of choice for years and he even spent his honeymoon with his ex wife Elin Nordegren on board. The $57million vessel was also reportedly her wedding gift, but it seems that she didn't get to keep it as part of the $100million divorce settlement she received after their 2010 split. His getaway with Vonn comes after she spent much of the weekend watching Woods play in both the Cadillac Classic and the Honda Classic before that. She was seen watching on the sidelines with Woods' 6-year-old daughter Sam. Turning in: Vonn and Woods are seen on the back of the golf cart as they were driven to the marina . Smiling: Woods inspects Vonn's injured leg as they share a light moment after his disappointing finish in the tournament . Keeping with its name: The couple is shielded by an umbrella at one point before boarding . Time off: The length of their boat stay is unknown but the yacht has been seen in Miami all week . 'Lindsey and Sam were seen laughing and joking around with one another,' an onlooker told E News. 'Lindsey and Sam at one point were holding hands and hugging. They were fooling around most of the time. They watched Tiger for three holes. They all seemed like a normal, happy family. They were all laughing and smiling, enjoying the day. 'Lindsey looked like she was having a great time and looked like a good mom, paying Sam lots of attention.' Settling in: Vonn and Woods were accompanied by a member of his entourage who was wearing a matching red shirt . Pricy: Woods bought the yacht for $57million as a wedding gift to his ex wife Elin in 2004 but it appears that he kept it in their 2010 divorce . Lindsey and Sam kept to the side but were luckier than two other onlookers. Woods accidentally hit two spectators with his golf ball on Sunday, leaving one of the men bleeding from the head. Cheerleader: Woods' daughter Sam was seen supporting her dad at the Honda Classic . Bonding time: Vonn cuddled up with Sam while they watched Tiger play and they seemed very comfortable . Woods went over and apologized to the men after each of the incidents, and gave them signed gloves in response. He ended the day with a six-over par 78, beating only two of the field's 68 players. When it came time to board the 155-foot yacht, Woods' children were nowhere to be seen. Ouch! The German tourist was enjoying the final round of the World Golf Championships at the Trump National in Doral, Florida, when the golfing legend's opening tee shot landed squarely on his head . | The couple was seen boarding his 155-foot yacht Sunday night in Miami .
She had been on the sidelines with Woods' daughter Sam over the weekend as he played in two tournaments .
He finished the Cadillac Championship with a score of 78- his highest score ever .
Hit two different spectators with stray balls during the round . |
faff8cc5cb3748d7f4adf265c79e4a2aa1522d9b | Hillary Clinton left her post at the top of the U.S. State Department on Feb. 1, 2013, but the federal government spent more than $55,000 on travel expenses related to her book tour just last month, procurement documents show. The expenses included a $3,668 charge for her to enjoy a single night's lodging in a suite at the posh Four Seasons George V hotel in Paris. That rate corresponds to the cost of a suite with a 'large and superbly appointed marble bathroom,' a 'deep soaking tub,' 'sparkling chandeliers' and 'elegant period furniture,' according to the Four Seasons website. Double-whammy: Taxpayers forked over thousands for Mrs. Clinton to stay in the lap of luxury while she promoted her book overseas . Hardback diplomacy: Hillary was photographed with French President Francois Hollande -- and her book -- in Paris last month . Only the finest: The Four Seasons in Paris boasts rooms that start at about $1,400 per night . Should taxpayer money fund Hillary Clinton's book tour? Should taxpayer money fund Hillary Clinton's book tour? Now share your opinion . Purchase orders also show that taxpayers footed the bill for a $5,100 rental of three Mercedes-Benz executive limousine vans during a single day in Berlin. MailOnline could not locate records of hotel costs in the German capital. Rental cars for Secret Service agents in Paris totaled a whopping $11,291. The government spent another $35,183 on lodging there, but the purchase order doesn't say where Clinton's personal protection detail stayed. The one-time first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was conducting interviews in Europe related to her book 'Hard Choices,' and was not traveling on official government business. In Paris, she was photographed repeatedly with French President Francois Hollande – and the 635-page tome. Tim Miller, executive director of the America Rising PAC, told MailOnline that the expense seems odd considering the size of Mrs. Clinton's well-publicized speaking fees, which often top $200,000 per appearance. 'Hillary's book tour through Europe was a fiscal double whammy – lining her pockets with outrageous speaking fees and billing the taxpayers for thousands in travel,' Miller said on Monday. The Department of Homeland Security paid for the van rentals in Berlin, billing the cost to its Office of Inspector General (OIG) – which normally has control over investigators, not bodyguards. 'I don't understand that,' Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan told MailOnline. He said that sometimes the State Department arranges for foreign travel for dignitaries who get Secret Service protection. 'We would have requested the cars' in . Berlin and Paris, he added, 'because we want to have control of that car . that she rides in.' But 'I don't understand that OIG thing at all,' he said. Doing some inspecting? Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General -- not the Secret Service -- paid for Hillary's limousine rides in Berlin while she promoted a German translation of her book ('Entscheidungen') during an appearance at the State Opera Theatre . Expensive ride: DHS rented three custom Mercedes-Benz Viano vans like this one to ferry Clinton and her entourage around Berlin . First ladies have historically enjoyed Secret Service protection for life after they leave the White House. The same can't be said, however, for former cabinet secretaries, making it curious that the State Department's Paris Embassy was on the hook for the other costs. 'On a . foreign trip like that, State Department sometimes pays the original . bill and Secret Service might reimburse it later,' said Donovan. He added, however, that he couldn't say whether that would happen in this case. A press officer at State said she would hunt for information, including answers to the thorny question of whether her agency had paid for Clinton's private travel on other non-government trips. | $3,668 hotel suite at the posh Four Seasons George V hotel in Paris .
$5,100 to rent three Mercedes-Benz VIP vans in Berlin, curiously billed to the Homeland Security Department's Office of Inspector General .
State Department paid for nearly $50,000 of the costs even though Mrs. Clinton no longer heads the cabinet agency .
Anti-Hillary PAC calls it a 'double-whammy' considering Hillary's well-publicized six-figure speaking fees . |
fb00d221664b57975b877a9d6865fbed7677e5fd | By . Emma Glanfield . Princess Diana told how she 'could not help but be deeply moved' after visiting landmine victims in Bosnia in her last official letter . Princess Diana told how she ‘could not help but be deeply moved’ after visiting landmine victims in Bosnia in her last official letter written before her tragic death. The hand-signed note, on Kensington Palace-headed paper, was dated August 11, 1997 and was sent to humanitarian campaigner Dilys Cheetham. In it, the Princess of Wales thanked Ms Cheetham for delivering aid to refugee camps in the Mostar region of Bosnia. The Princess had herself just returned from a three-day visit to Bosnia as part of her crusade against landmines. In the heartfelt letter, she wrote: ‘There was not enough time for me to visit the Mostar area while I was in Bosnia but I was able to visit a number of anti-personnel landmine victims and their families. ‘I could not help but be deeply moved by the experience.’ She added the trip ‘hardened my resolve to ensure the world does not forget that those who have been so needlessly maimed by these terrible weapons will need care and support for many years to come’. The moving letter was sent just weeks before her tragic death in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. It is now expected to fetch up to £3,000 when it is auctioned off in Birmingham next week. Ms Cheetham, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, died in 2006. Before her death she sold the letter to celebrity photographer Jason Fraser in a charity auction to raise money for landmine victims. The hand-signed note, on Kensington Palace-headed paper, was dated August 11, 1997 and sent to humanitarian campaigner Dilys Cheetham . In the heartfelt letter, Princess Diana wrote: 'There was not enough time for me to visit the Mostar area while I was in Bosnia but I was able to visit a number of anti-personnel landmine victims and their families' The Princess had just returned from a three-day visit to Bosnia as part of her crusade against landmines when she sent the moving and heartfelt letter . The moving letter is the last official note to be written by Princess Diana before her tragic death in a car crash in Paris in 1997 . It was sold for a second time to a private collector in 2007 - on the tenth anniversary of Diana’s death. The letter is now set to go under the hammer again and will be sold off by Jewellery Quarter-based Fellows Auctioneers on Monday. Mark Huddleston, head of antiques & fine art at Fellows, said: ‘The letter is moving not only because of its heartfelt message but also because it would have been the last ever written by her. ‘It is an incredibly important historical document. Diana was much loved, not just in Britain but around the world.’ In February 2012, two handwritten letters from Diana to her stepmother Countess Spencer were withdrawn from an auction after her family objected. The letter is expected to fetch up to £3,000 when it is auctioned off in Birmingham next week . In February 2012, two handwritten letters from Diana to her stepmother Countess Spencer were withdrawn from an auction after her family objected . | The hand-signed letter was written on Kensington Palace-headed paper .
It was sent to humanitarian campaigner Dilys Cheetham on August 11, 1997 .
Moving letter followed Princess Diana's visit to landmine victims in Bosnia .
She sent it just weeks before her tragic death in a car crash in Paris in 1997 . |
fb00fdf696dfd0ef41b3b5bd40d21f0ffec26bb4 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Democrats on Thursday failed to override President Bush's veto of a children's health insurance bill that opponents said was too expensive. Musician Paul Simon, left, joins House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to oppose Bush's veto of the SCHIP bill. By a vote of 273 to 156, the measure fell 13 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed for an override. Forty-four Republicans voted for the override. "Now is the time for Congress to stop playing politics and to join the president in finding common ground," said a White House statement after the vote. Bush was "pleased," the statement said, that the "misguided legislation" was defeated. Democrats, sensing earlier that they didn't have the votes, vowed to continue the fight, despite a defeat. The issue has ignited an intense two-week struggle on Capitol Hill after Bush vetoed the proposed five-year expansion and $35 billion spending increase. Bush proposes increasing the program by $5 billion. Before the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke of a middle-class family caring for a child with a birth defect, asking lawmakers: "So when the president wants to have 4 or $5 billion for children in this initiative, is he the one, the decider, who wants to go to that family and say, 'Your child is out'?" "We're lobbying for all of the children," said the California Democrat. Watch Democrats pull out all the stops » . Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner explained his and other opponents' stance on the bill. "What we've been working towards is trying to find a way to say that we ought to insure poor children first," said the Ohio Republican. "Let's not let this become another Washington program that starts with one principle of mind and then becomes something for everyone." It was the fourth veto of Bush's term. See veto record » On its first go-round, the House passed it with 45 Republican votes -- about two dozen votes short of the two-thirds majority. Earlier, Pelosi said Bush "is alone," in his stance on the bill, "and he's dragging some of his House members with him down this path." Bush said Wednesday that the congressional plan would "encourage people to move from private medicine to the public." Another member of the Democratic House leadership, Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, vowed Thursday that they would not let up. "There will be no compromise on 10 million children's health care," Emanuel told CNN. "We won't go above it, but we ain't going below it. "The American people support this issue because kids do not need to suffer for what is basically a broken health care system, and this provides those children with that health care," Emanuel said. The SCHIP program covers about 6 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, the federally funded program providing health care for the poor, but can't afford private health insurance. The bill the House and Senate passed in September would extend eligibility for the program to about 4 million more, paying for the expansion with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Wednesday found strong support for Democrats' efforts to override the veto. The poll found 61 percent of Americans believe Congress should overrule Bush, while 35 percent believe the veto should be sustained. Pollsters interviewed 1,212 people from Friday through Sunday. The survey has a sampling error of 3 percentage points. Bush stood firm during a Wednesday news conference. "I made clear that, if putting poor children first requires more than the 20 percent increase in funding I proposed, we'll work with Congress to find the money we need," said the president. "I'm confident we can work out our differences and reauthorize SCHIP." Bush complained that administration officials "weren't dialed in" to the plans, "and I don't know why. But they just ran the bill, and I made it clear we weren't going to accept it." The bill passed the Senate with the support of prominent Republicans such as Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Charles Grassley of Iowa. House Republican leaders have complained that Democrats postponed the override attempt for two weeks to use the issue for political advantage. A coalition of labor and advocacy groups had been pounding Republicans with a nearly $1 million television ad campaign on cable networks featuring children who have received benefits from the program. The House Democratic campaign committee has paid for radio ads and automated calls to voters in GOP-held districts it considers competitive in 2008. Democrats say they would need to peel off about 14 Republicans in the House to be able to enact the bill over Bush's veto. Republican staffers tell CNN that Rep. Bobby Jindal, who is running for governor of Louisiana, is expected to join Democrats in supporting the override. Jindal did not vote on the original bill. Meanwhile, of the eight Democrats who voted against the bill in September, only one has said he will reverse his vote and support an override. Rep. Mike McIntyre, who described his North Carolina district as "Tobacco Road," told CNN on Monday that the debate "is no longer about the tobacco tax, but really about whether we're going to help our children." Democratic Rep. Diane Watson of California, who declined to vote on the original bill, has agreed to vote for the override, House Democratic Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn said. Niki Tsongas, the widow of former Sen. Paul Tsongas who won a special election Tuesday to replace Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Marty Meehan, will be sworn in Thursday morning in time for the vote. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Deirdre Walsh and Jessica Yellin contributed to this report. | Bush "pleased" by defeat of "misguided" bill, says White House .
Supporters fail by 13 votes to muster two-thirds majority to override bill .
Supporters wanted $30 billion more than Bush for five years of SCHIP .
SCHIP targets kids in gap between Medicaid, private insurance . |
fb01e757ad96f643cf3e9c7c46ad9ecd50944576 | From the puritanical Victorian standards of beauty in 1910, to the eclectic styles of today, a fascinating new time-lapse video documents how hairstyles have changed over the past century. The video, masterminded by the team at Cut Video, shows how beauty has evolved over 100 years in just one minute. Beginning in 1910, the model showcases the elegant yet conservative curls seen on the Crawley women in Downton Abbey. Scroll down for video . Then and now: Beginning in 1910 and finishing in 2010, a new video shows how hairstyles have evolved . The film swiftly moves through to 1920, also known as the Roaring Twenties, and depicts the popular bobbed haircut - a symbol of women's increasing freedom. The look was inspired by glamorous film stars such as Louise Brooks, and make-up was worn heavy. Next up is the 1930s and 1940s - eras that took cues from Hollywood starlets such as Bette Davis and Rita Hayworth. Curls were big news during these decades, which is reflected in the video, and it shows them loose, pinned and, above all, in abundance. Early days: Beginning in 1910, the model showcases the elegant curls seen in Downton Abbey . Bouncy bouffant: The Roaring Twenties were depicted through the popular bobbed haircut . Sophisticated: The video shows the 1930s, left, and 1940s, right - eras that took cues from Hollywood stars . Glamorous: The 1950s were all about immaculate hair via beautifully curled bouffants, as seen in the video . The video then moves on to 1950s. Following the end of the Second World War, women became increasingly glamorous and immaculate. They embraced traditional, conservative values of beauty and with it came beautifully curled bouffants, and the iconic 'doe eye' created with heavy eyeliner and bright lips. The 1960s, as proven in the video, were all about the apologetically voluminous beehive. The look was created in 1954 by Chicago-based hairdresser Margaret Vinci Heldt who was asked by the editors of a glossy magazine to conjure up a style to reflect the next decade - it became a sartorial hit. Next up came the 1970s - and a social revolution. Indeed, hair reflected this and was worn long, flowing and free. Popularised by the likes of Farrah Fawcett, it was all about loose curls. Beehive babes: The 1960s were all about the voluminous beehive masterminded by Margaret Vinci Heldt . Thanks to the social revolution of the 1970s, hair was worn long, flowing and free a la Farrah Fawcett . As for 1980, as seen in the video, hair got bigger and bigger and women took inspiration from Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, who crimped their hair and wore it in a side ponytail. Make-up was colourful and clashing and hairspray was a girl's best friend. As the footage ventures into 1990, it's clear that Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel in Friends was hugely influential. Hair was long, sleek and framed the face; choppy layers were all the rage. So popular was this look that it was recently named the most iconic hairstyle ever. The millennium hairstyle didn't change hugely and sleek hair was still big news. The final look in the video is 2010 and showcases bouncy, loose curls reminiscent of Kim Kardashian - the model is even taking a selfie using her mobile phone. Jordan from Hershesons said of the video: 'The time lapse shows a real move from hair that is contrived; you need an arsenal of products and tools for hair that is stiff and untouchable. 'Nowadays, hair has gone on a journey to be more organic, natural. Far more ‘get up and go’ achievable beauty, hair you want to run your hands through. 'The most popular requests we get are for ‘undone’ styles. People want ‘Cool Girl’ hair that looks a little bit naughty.' Wacky: In 1980 hair got bigger and bigger and women took inspiration from Madonna and Cyndi Lauper . Sleek and chic: The 1990s and 2000 were fairly bland in terms of hair experimentation. Women wore their locks sleek and choppy layers were favoured . Selfie nation: Hair as we know it today is worn effortlessly curled and the final shot in the video, right, is perhaps a nod to selfie-obsessed celebrities of today such as Kim Kardashian . nice’n easy colour Advisor Jonathan Long comments on the hair colour trends through the decades: . 1930s: . “In the 1930’s with the already vibrant Art Noveau, and the more recent Art Deco trends spreading across Europe and America, hair became more graphic and bold. The look was short, jaw length hair, with strong shape. Long hair tended to be pin curled at the front to resemble jaw length hair and kept small and tight in a chignon style at the back. Colours were bold, single applications of primary colours; the purest tone. If it was blonde it was the cleanest, purest platinum possible and if it was dark it was deep and strong to give strength and density to the shape.” 1940s: . “In the 1940’s, even in the midst of war with clothing and fabric rationing, people took great pride in their hair. The updos of the 30’s continued but hair naturally became longer and darker giving way to beautiful deep rich dark tones which would be set on pin curls then brushed through to create that classic wave of the 40’s. Raven haired beauties like style icon Ava Gardener epitomised the 40’s and took the lime light with beautiful blondes like Veronica Lake becoming more rarely seen on screen.” 1950s: . “With the constraints of war at an end, glamour became popular and women wanted to create a hair look that implied ‘domestic goddess’. Women looked to the glamour of Marilyn Monroe and the decade's other big Hollywood screen vamps and sirens for inspiration. Intense red coloured lips and platinum blonde hair became popular, highlighting a pale complexion.” 1960s: . “Women were moving into the workplace and wanted a more manageable and achievable day-time look. Hair colour was kept simple, with the emphasis on natural, healthy-looking colour like nice’n easy Sunkissed. Blonde was still the key colour but a more natural darker blonde with highlights, made famous by Ursula Andress and Bridget Bardot. Darker hair was often given highlights and the sun-kissed look by soaking strands of hair in lemon juice and sitting in the sun.” 1970s: . “At the beginning of the 1970’s a dark natural blonde look remained popular, inspired by Farrah Fawcett from the cult series 'Charlies Angels'. Hair was all about manes of free-falling curls, soft partings and long fringes completed by bronzed skin. However by the end of the era with the 'Punk' movement, women like Toyah Wilcox started to experiment with hair colour. For the first time we saw vivid primary or fluorescent hair colours emerging.” 1980s: . “Women were opting for intense strong colour to compliment 'power dressing'. Rich brunettes and strong blondes were all the rage, inspired by Dynasty characters' Krystle Carrington (Linda Evans) and Alexis (Joan Collins). On the other hand, the rebellious streak that started with punk continued with women led by Madonna wanting an ever-changing hair colour to go with their unconventional, eccentric clothing.” 1990s and 2000s: . “During the 1990’s and naughties, the whole world went back to blonde all over again! Each season we see the emergence of new hair colour trends, but our love of blondes remains constant throughout. Multi-toned inspired highlights, which can be achieved at home with nice’n easy Sunkissed, or an all over blonde – any shade of blonde in fact, even previously brunette models and film stars turned blonde.” 2010s: . “With all of the resources available to us today in the 2010s, blonde is still the desired hair colour of choice. The blondes of today are much easier going and less high maintenance. Multi-tonal, sun kissed, sandy blondes have replaced the all over block colours of previous years, allowing for that organic look and feel. We are entering into an era of huge change in hair colour and the way that people perceive hair colour. In the 2010s it should be a part of you not something extra added. With the likes of Scarlett Johansson opting to 'dress it down' instead of 'up' with her tousled sandy, sun kissed locks at this year’s Oscars showing her real natural beauty, you can definitely see the change we are heading for!” | Video documents changing hairstyles from 1910 to today .
Shows hair inspired by Madonna, Farrah Fawcett and Kim Kardashian .
Reveals styles from 20s bob, Hollwood curls in the 40s and the 60s beehive . |
fb01f208362596c3d32be51515699604e260efea | Italian captain Francesco Schettino returned to the stricken Costa Concordia for the first time since he jumped ship two years ago in a tragedy that claimed 32 lives. Wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses, the disgraced captain fought off a media scrum as he arrived in the tiny port on Giglio Island, donned a life jacket and got on a boat that took him out to the vessel. Schettino's visit was part of a court-ordered inspection in the ongoing trial against him for multiple counts of manslaughter and abandoning ship before all the passengers had been evacuated. Scroll down for video . Back on board: Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino (left) stands on the upper deck of the doomed ship on his first visit since the disaster that claimed 32 lives two years ago . Capsized: The Costa Concordia capsized when it crashed into rocks two years ago. The wreckage has since been righted in the biggest-ever salvage operation of its kind and will be towed away for scrapping in June . Covering all bases: Schettino's lawyers asked the court in Grosseto to authorise the search to determine if any factors beyond human error contributed to the disaster . Denies charges: Schettino's visit was part of a court-ordered inspection in the ongoing trial against him for multiple counts of manslaughter and abandoning ship before all the passengers had been evacuated . Looking for clues: Captain Schettino stands aboard the Costa Concordia, and appears to point something out to the team with him . Gathering evidence: The court granted special dispensation for Schettino to attend after a request by his lawyers but specified he was there 'as a defendant, not a consultant' His lawyers asked the court in . Grosseto to authorise the search to determine if any factors beyond . human error contributed to the disaster. After searching the bridge and lifts last month, experts will examine the emergency generators today. 'They . want to show that I am weak, just like two years ago. It's not true! I . want to show I'm a gentleman, not a coward,' Schettino, who was dubbed . 'Captain Coward' by the tabloids, was quoted by Italian media as saying. Schettino . claims he fell onto a lifeboat as the ship keeled over on the night of . the disaster on January 13, 2012 and then stayed on dry land because he . wanted to co-ordinate the nighttime evacuation from there. Surveying the damage: Schettino (right) and his lawyer Domenico Pepe (left) spend time surveying the upper deck of the crashed cruise liner . Crashed: Schettino (right) boards a ferry to leave the site of the crash. What remains of the wreckage of the Coata Concordia, which sank two years ago, is seen in the background . Setting sail: Schettino (front) climbs aboard a ferry as he leaves Giglio harbour with the crashed Costa Concordia in the background . Defence: Schettino claims he fell into a lifeboat and wanted to run evacuation of the ship from the shore . Evidence: Schettino's lawyers wanted to see if any faults with ship contributed to the disaster . Investigation: Schettino's (centre) lawyers asked the court in Grosseto to authorise the search to determine if any factors beyond human error contributed to the disaster . In a recorded phone call from that . dramatic night, a senior coast guard official was heard shouting at . Schettino: 'Get back on board, for f***'s sake!' With . 4,229 people from 70 countries on board, the giant luxury liner crashed . into rocks just off Giglio as it allegedly attempted a risky 'salute' manoeuvre. It capsized near . the coast but has since been righted in the biggest-ever salvage . operation of its kind and is due to be towed away for scrapping in June. Schettino . returned to the island on Tuesday for the first time since that night . and had been hiding from the media glare in a white-painted house on a . cobbled side street near the port in a picturesque fishing community . that numbers only a few hundred people. Surrounded: Schettino faced a media scrum on the island of Giglio before boarding the Costa Concordia . Disgraced: Captain Schettino pictured in Giglio harbour, as he came ashore after visiting the Costa Concordia . Facing the media: Schettino faces the scrum of journalists after visiting the stricken Costa Concordia with his solicitor . Address: He told the crowds: 'I want to show I'm not a coward' Guarded: Schettino attended a two-hour safety briefing at a local hotel. before returning to the ship . Anger: The former captain of the Costa Concordia faced an angry mob, with one local shouting: 'Drown yourself' Before boarding the Concordia, Schettino attended a two-hour safety briefing at a local hotel. As he emerged he refused to answer questions from waiting journalists, saying only: 'Get out of the way.' TV footage showed the chaotic scenes and one local could be heard shouting at him in Italian: 'Drown yourself.' Islanders . reacted with mixed emotions to his presence, with some saying they felt . sympathy for someone they consider a 'scapegoat' for wider blame and . others saying he and the ship should get off the island. Francesco Schettino (right) takes images with his cell phone as he leaves the shipwrecked cruise liner . Difficult reunion: Captain Schettino (right) on the boat that took him to the stricken cruise liner . 'I'm not a coward': Wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses, the disgraced captain is seen in the tiny port on Giglio Island before getting on a boat that took him out to the Costa Concordia . Anxious: Captain Schettino talks on the phone as he waits to board the wreck of the Costa Concordia . Sergio Ortelli, the mayor of Giglio, . said there was 'indifference' to Schettino's visit and more concern . about when the luxury liner would be taken away. 'What marked this island more was when he got off that boat on the night of the accident,' Ortelli said. 'When . the spotlights are turned on, the pain of this event returns. The . relatives of the victims and the people of Giglio need an explanation of . what happened.' But the . mayor added: 'More than his two-day presence, we are interested in the . two-year salvage of the ship, which we hope will finish as soon as . possible.' 'This island wants to return to normality, to tourism' - a major earner in the summer months, he said. Media scrum: Schettino arrives for a briefing prior to boarding the wreck of the Costa Concordia . Defence: Schettino claims he fell onto a lifeboat as the ship keeled over and then stayed on dry land because he wanted to co-ordinate the nighttime evacuation from there . Thursday's technical inspection will . focus on a lift where several of the victims died and an emergency . diesel generator which the defence says malfunctioned on the night of . the disaster on January 13, 2012. The . court granted special dispensation for Schettino to attend after a . request by his lawyers but specified he was there 'as a defendant, not a . consultant' and was only allowed to follow the proceedings. Schettino's lawyer Domenico Pepe told AFP earlier: 'Schettino is confronting the whole world on his own.' The . lawyer, who was accompanying Schettino on the island, said the . captain's former employer and ship owner Costa Crociere, the biggest . cruise operator in Europe, had focussed the blame on him. 'It is very, very difficult because Schettino does not have the economic resources of Costa,' he said. Salvage operation: The Costa Concordia after it was raised upright in September in the biggest salvage operation of its kind. It is due to be towed away for scrapping in June . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Francesco Schettino tells media scrum: 'I want to show I'm not a coward'
Schettino faced angry mob, with one local shouting: 'Drown yourself'
His lawyers want to see if any faults with ship contributed to the disaster .
Islanders say they want the stricken vessel removed from their coastline .
Schettino says he fell in lifeboat and wanted to run evacuation from shore . |
fb0258d0595f598a86f87ab62cb864d6c48752b8 | (CNN) -- Iran's parliament on Thursday approved the Cabinet nominations of a suspected terrorist and the first woman minister in the Islamic republic's 30-year history. Iran's first woman minister Marzieh-Vahid Dastjerdi. She will head the health ministry. Lawmakers approved the nomination of Ahmad Vahidi for its defense minister post. He is a former leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and one of six former and current Iranian officials sought by Interpol for the bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center 15 years ago. Of those Cabinet choices approved by parliament, Vahidi won the highest number of votes. Argentina's Foreign Ministry has deplored the nomination of Vahidi, who is accused of working with Lebanon's Hezbollah militants in carrying out the 1994 attack. Marzieh-Vahid Dastjerdi was approved as the nation's health minister. She is the first female minister since the Islamic republic was founded. Iranian lawmakers gave their votes of confidence to 18 of the 21 nominees proposed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- who entered a second term of office after a disputed presidential election. Two of those who failed to get the required majority votes enabling them to start work officially were female nominees: Sousan Keshavarz for the education ministry and Fatemeh Ajorlou for welfare and social security. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets for more than two weeks to protest the June 12 election results, calling them fraudulent after Ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming winner. More than 1,000 people were arrested in a government crackdown, and Iran said at least 30 people were killed in post-election violence. | Islamic Republic appoints its first ever woman minister Marzieh-Vahid Dastjerdi .
Lawmakers also approve nomination of Ahmad Vahidi for its defense minister post .
Vahidi, a former leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is a suspected terrorist . |
fb02a01808b612860bddec2e2f300f9a5f3a78ed | Several members of England’s Euro 2012 squad travelled to the Auschwitz death camp yesterday. Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart were among those who toured the gas chambers, while the rest of the squad stayed closer to their Krakow base to visit the enamel factory where Oskar Schindler protected Jews from the SS and Gestapo. Hart, Rooney and the national team manager Roy Hodgson were joined by Leighton Baines, Theo Walcott, Andy Carroll, Jack Butland and Phil Jagielka, as well as former Chelsea manager Avram Grant, who lost 15 members of his family at the camp. Everton defender Jagielka, whose grandparents were Polish, said parts of the visit left him fighting back tears. Scroll down for video . Wayne Rooney leaves the gas chamber and crematoria during a visit by an England Football Association delegation to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and former concentration camps . An estimated 1.3 million people were killed at the Auschwitz-Birkenau site, of which 90 per cent were European Jews . Sombre visit: Wayne Rooney and other members of the England team during a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and former concentration camp, ahead of UEFA Euro 2012 . ‘To round people up like cattle and bring them to a place just to be killed – I don’t think I can find a word to describe that,’ he said. ‘I think the worst moment for me was when we went to see the suitcases of the victims and you saw the age difference of those who died – anything from 60 years to three years old.’ Goalkeeper Hart added: ‘It is the scale of the place that hits you, the numbers that walked through those gates with absolutely no hope of survival. When we went to see the place where the bodies were cremated, we were told 90 per cent of those who walked through that door were dead within the hour.’ Members of the England team enter the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz, under the sign which translates into: 'Work makes you free' England's visit to the camp is part of an ongoing partnership with the Holocaust Educational Trust . Holocaust survivors Zigi Shipper and Ben Helfgott both addressed England's players before they left for Poland last week. 'I've . never seen a room so silent and intense,' the goalkeeper said, 'people . hanging off every word as these guys spoke about what they did, and what . their end message was. 'There was no hate. They weren't angry. They just had that message of how you can be a better person. 'I couldn't get over them, the two guys. They were amazing. 'They spoke at the end about what roles we have as footballers and what sort of message we can hand out. 'It got me. It was great to speak to them. I just wanted to thank them for coming in. Two amazing people.' Defender Joleon Lescott was one of 14 . players to visit the factory and said: 'Days like today you tend to look . back on as much as the tournament itself in years to come, the things . you have done, the people you have met. 'I am sure, in years to come, the tournament will be a highlight but so will visiting places like this. 'It . is fresh in my mind at the moment so it might take a while for it to . sink in. I will go back to the hotel and think about what has been said . to us by the guide. 'Most . youngsters today have a glorified image of a ghetto but the ghettos we . have learned about today are not like that. I did not have a full . understanding of what the word means.' Guide: Avram Grant, whose father Meir survived the Holocaust, shows England around . The trip was filmed and will be included in a DVD used in secondary schools to educate students about the Holocaust . Roy Hodgson, right, speaks to former Chelsea manager Avram Grant, whose family suffered and died at Auschwitz, during a visit by England FA members to the death camp . The national team manager Roy Hodgson wore his sombre blue England suit, while his players appeared more casual in polo shirts and trainers. Earlier this week, Italian players visited Auschwitz in tracksuits, while the Dutch team opted for faded jeans and trainers. The Auschwitz Museum advises visitors: ‘On the Museum grounds, visitors should behave with the appropriate solemnity and respect. Dress should be appropriate for a place of this nature.’ However, last night the FA said the players had been advised to wear ‘more comfortable clothing’ due to the six-hour round trip between Auschwitz and their base in Krakow. They were also told that training shoes would help them on the ‘uneven’ ground.The rest of the squad made the shorter journey to the enamel factory in Krakow made famous by the film Schindler’s List. ‘The players made it clear which of them wanted to go to Auschwitz,’ said one FA source. ‘It was left completely up to them as to which trip they decided to go on.’ England team members visited Oskar Schindler's former factory near Krakow and left their mark signing a football and the visitors' book . Members of the squad saw items manufactured in the factory, which employed Jewish people and saved them from death camps . Schindler's List: The names of Jewish people saved from the death camps by Oskar Schindler's factory . The visit to Auschwitz, organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust, took place after two Holocaust survivors spoke to the squad in England before they flew to Poland earlier this week. At the end of the guided tour, FA chairman David Bernstein and Hodgson donned skull caps and lit candles in memory of the dead. Mr Grant's father, Meir Granat, was . just a teenager when his father decided to uproot his family and flee . their hometown of Mlawa, Poland in 1937. Meir's . father Avram, feared that something terrible would happen and took his . wife and nine of their ten children on a three-year trek to find safety - . across Poland, into the horrors of the Warsaw camp and eventually to a . remote forest in Russia. Leading: England captain Steven Gerrard arrives at the Oskar Schindler factory in Krakow, Poland . Visit: Chelsea player Ashley Cole, right, makes his way to the museum on the factory site, left . According . to an interview with the BBC, Grant explained that one child, Hertsel, . was hidden in a monastery, Rachel and Estera were placed in . an orphanage and the rest were constantly moved around Eastern Europe in . search of safety. Two of Grant's . father's . siblings - Koppel & Hannah - were pulled from their train when it . stopped and were never seen again. He later discovered that both died at . Auschwitz. The rest of his father's family along . with many other Jews were taken by train deep into Russia's wilderness . and offloaded to die in temperatures as low as -40C. Subdued: Manchester United player Ashley Young looks at the floor while spectators take photographs . Duty: Manchester United player Phil Jones, left, and Birmingham goalkeeper Jack Butland, right, head inside . His father's sister Sarah, aged 15, was the first to die after eating poisonous mushrooms. Sarah was the first of seven family members Meir was forced to bury, digging their graves with his own hands. He also buried his own mother and father. Grant first visited the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, where members of his family died, in 1988 and returns each year with . Holocaust survivors for the 'March of the Living'. He told the BBC . however that his father Meir, who died in October 2009, never went back . to Poland, because he couldn't face it. Yesterday saw the first games of Euro 2012 take place, hours after the Dutch team said they were subjected to racist chanting as they trained in Krakow. UEFA has told referees to stop matches if racist chants persist. The story of Oskar Schindler, whose factory was visited by many of the England squad, has been told in a novel and a Hollywood blockbuster movie. The ethnic German industrialist, born in Moravia, is credited with saving more than 1,100 Jews during the Second World War. He shielded Jewish workers from the Nazis by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories. Schindler was a regular guest at Nazi SS parties from the early stages of the war, but increasingly protected his Jewish staff as Hitler's anti-Semitic extermination campaign progressed. He was appalled when many of his workers were rounded up and killed in a 1943 raid on a Jewish ghetto in Krakow. He later sought to use all his powers of persuasion to shield workers from deportation and death. One such occasion is recounted by author Eric Silver in The Book of the Just: The Unsung Heroes Who Rescued Jews from Hitler. 'Two Gestapo men came to his office and demanded that he hand over a family of five who had bought forged Polish identity papers,' Silver wrote. '"Three hours after they walked in," Schindler said, "two drunk Gestapo men reeled out of my office without their prisoners and without the incriminating documents they had demanded".' Germany classed Schindler's factory as a 'business essential to the war effort', which enabled him to claim exemptions for his workers whenever they were threatened with deportation. Wives, children and the handicapped were shown to be necessary mechanics and metalworkers. Schindler died in October 1974 aged 66. His protection of Jews was reimagined in Thomas . Keneally's 1982 novel Schindler's Ark and Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning 1993 film Schindler's List. | Grant asked Hodgson to join the squad's Auschwitz visit to explain to them what happened .
His father buried his parents and siblings during the Holocaust .
Trip was filmed to educate secondary school pupils about the Holocaust .
Captain Steven Gerrard led an additional visit to Oskar Schindler's factory . |
fb02a8634431e58528ce439536b2253db11a1c89 | Cairo (CNN) -- A senior Egyptian general admits that "virginity checks" were performed on women arrested at a demonstration this spring, the first such admission after previous denials by military authorities. The allegations arose in an Amnesty International report, published weeks after the March 9 protest. It claimed female demonstrators were beaten, given electric shocks, strip-searched, threatened with prostitution charges and forced to submit to virginity checks. At that time, Maj. Amr Imam said 17 women had been arrested but denied allegations of torture or "virginity tests." But now a senior general who asked not to be identified said the virginity tests were conducted and defended the practice. "The girls who were detained were not like your daughter or mine," the general said. "These were girls who had camped out in tents with male protesters in Tahrir Square, and we found in the tents Molotov cocktails and (drugs)." The general said the virginity checks were done so that the women wouldn't later claim they had been raped by Egyptian authorities. "We didn't want them to say we had sexually assaulted or raped them, so we wanted to prove that they weren't virgins in the first place," the general said. "None of them were (virgins)." This demonstration occurred nearly a month after Egypt's longtime President Hosni Mubarak stepped down amid a wave of popular and mostly peaceful unrest aimed at his ouster and the institution of democratic reforms. Afterward, Egypt's military -- which had largely stayed on the sidelines of the revolution -- officially took control of the nation's political apparatus as well, until an agreed-upon constitution and elections. Mubarak denies ordering shootings . The March 9 protest occurred in Tahrir Square, which became famous over 18 historic and sometimes bloody days and nights of protests that led to Mubarak's resignation. But unlike in those previous demonstrations, the Egyptian military targeted the protesters. Soldiers dragged dozens of demonstrators from the square and through the gates of the landmark Egyptian Museum. Salwa Hosseini, a 20-year-old hairdresser and one of the women named in the Amnesty report, described to CNN how uniformed soldiers tied her up on the museum's grounds, forced her to the ground and slapped her, then shocked her with a stun gun while calling her a prostitute. "They wanted to teach us a lesson," Hosseini said soon after the Amnesty report came out. "They wanted to make us feel that we do not have dignity." The treatment got worse, Hosseini said, when she and the 16 other female prisoners were taken to a military detention center in Heikstep. There, she said, she and several of other female detainees were subjected to a "virginity test." "We did not agree for a male doctor to perform the test," she said. But Hosseini said her captors forced her to comply by threatening her with more stun-gun shocks. "I was going through a nervous breakdown at that moment," she recalled. "There was no one standing during the test, except for a woman and the male doctor. But several soldiers were standing behind us watching the backside of the bed. I think they had them standing there as witnesses." The senior Egyptian general said the 149 people detained after the March 9 protest were subsequently tried in military courts, and most have been sentenced to a year in prison. Authorities later revoked those sentences "when we discovered that some of the detainees had university degrees, so we decided to give them a second chance," he said. The senior general reaffirmed that the military council was determined to make Egypt's democratic transition a success. "The date for handover to a civil government can't come soon enough for the ruling military council," he said. "The army can't wait to return to its barracks and do what it does best -- protect the nation's borders." | 17 women were arrested at a March 9 protest in Cairo, after Mubarak's ouster .
A senior Egyptian general says some of them were subject to "virginity checks"
He says it was done so that they wouldn't claim later they had been raped .
One woman allegedly targeted had said, "They wanted to teach us a lesson" |
fb0389b2c6a56ae9900cd8305e84e24935f3aaa8 | Tyson Fury’s on-off grudge match with Dereck Chisora will be rescheduled for this autumn even though the giant Mancunian’s initial reaction to Saturday’s chaotic postponement was to wash his fists of the London rival he has defeated once already. Fury’s frustration with Chisora’s breaking of his left hand was understandable after David Haye’s twin-set of injury withdrawals had stalled his career for so long. But then Fury himself pulled out of Saturday’s rearranged clash with late replacement Alexander Ustinov when his uncle Hughie, his first trainer at the start of his career, fell suddenly and critically ill as an arterial blood-clot formed after a minor operation. Face off: Dereck Chisora (left) and Tyson Fury square up to one another ahead of their fight that was cancelled . And a contract is a contract, after all. Promoter Frank Warren is meeting with the fight family Fury this week to review potential dates. By then Chisora will have received specialist advice as to how soon he can resume sparring, hopefully with a view to fighting before the end of October. Warren says: ‘What has happened to Tyson’s uncle is terribly unfortunate but we have an agreement to get the fight back on as soon as he and Dereck are available. And it will still be the final eliminator for a world heavyweight title challenge to Wladimir Klitschko.’ Fury says some silly things at times and his belief that obscene tirades sell fights is mistaken but his devotion to the family ethos of the travelling community to which he belongs is genuine beyond question. Although he knew he would be an easy target for the twitter trolls if he pulled out of a fight after being so critical of Haye and Chisora for doing the same to him, Fury’s emotional concern for his uncle was paramount. Replacement: Tyson Fury (left) pulled out of his fight because he was 'really affected' by his uncle's illness . No laughing matter: Tyson Fury (left) pulled out of his fight Alexander Ustinov (right) due to his uncle's illness . No go: Tyson Fury (left) and Alexander Ustinov's fight is off after Fury's uncle was taken ill . Beneath the lurid public persona lives an engaging 25-year-old lad who is so likeable that his outbursts always come as a surprise to those who have spent time in his company away from the spotlight. In private, his fierce ambition to become world heavyweight champion is informed by an intelligent thought process which would confound those who despair of his penchant for play-acting as the wild man. That is part of the dilemma for the British Boxing Board of Control as they prepare to rebuke him for the most vulgar and offensive of his recent outbursts, for which he has apologised. Nor would it be prudent to press ahead with a disciplinary hearing while his uncle remains in a coma in hospital. Fury has expressed resentment at being summoned to explain himself and threatens to switch his fights from Britain to Ireland, from where this Catholic family originally hails. Behind the scenes: Snap from Tyson Fury during a training session at his gym in Bolton . Persona: Fury is a different man away from the camera then the portrayal of him in public . But after only one bout in 15 months – an inconsequential one at that – and with another delay now upon him, Fury does have to be careful how he and his other uncle, Peter who is now his trainer, manage his career at this point. Fury’s core following comes from in and around Manchester and the big TV pay-nights are to be had in this country. Also, England is a stronger base from which to launch both a world title challenge and an assault on the US boxing market. Fury is racing Hatfield’s Billy Joe Saunders for the honour of becoming the first boxer of gypsy stock to win a world championship. Saunders won the European middleweight belt on the Fury-deprived bill in Manchester by stopping Italy’s Emanuele Blandamura and hopes to meet Chris Eubank Jnr in a world title eliminator next.The sooner Fury can get Chisora back in the ring, the better. Australian legend Jeff Fenech believes his protegee Lucas Browne can become his country’s first world heavyweight champion. Fenech, a three-division world title holder in his own right, bases that prediction on his first-hand experience of the comparative punching power between Browne and world champion heavyweight phenomenon Mike Tyson. Strong man: Lucas Browne is a powerful puncher, according to his trainer Jeff Fencher . Now Browne’s trainer, Fenech also worked . the pads and the corner for Iron Mike during some of his days as the . most feared fighter on the planet. Fenech says: ‘Holding the pads for Lucas hurts me more than Tyson did. Two of the present world heavyweight belt holders will be vulnerable to Lucas, who is really heavy-handed. It will be tremendous for Aussie boxing if he can make heavyweight history.’ The British boxing public will have a chance to evaluate that claim on Friday night under Ricky Hatton’s promotional banner. Browne is one of three Australians in the stable of the Manchester Hitman, who fancies the chances of his man from Down Under against either Tyson Fury or Dereck Chisora. Hard hitting: Browne's punching power is comparable to that of a young Mike Tyson . Browne is taking on Ukrainian Andriy Rudenko in Wolverhampton for minor WBC and WBA belts.Victory would lift him higher up the queue to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne or WBA ‘regular’ title holder Rusian Chagaev, both of whom Fenech is convinced he could beat. Browne is the chief supporting attraction on the Wolverhampton undercard for Frankie Gavin’s European welterweight title fight with the tough Leonard Bungu. Gavin-Bungu and Browne-Rudenko will be televised live Friday night on BoxNation . Some are calling him the Baby-Faced Assassin and he does bear quite a resemblance to Terry Spinks, our late 1956 Olympic gold medallist and former British featherweight champion. Others are talking of him as the middleweight Mike Tyson and 27 knock-outs in an undefeated 30-fight record strengthen that comparison. Gennady Golovkin is blazing a trail of destruction through his classic division, as his latest victim willingly testifies. Right hook: Gennady Golovkin punches Daniel Geale during the WBA/IBO middleweight championship . Winner: Golovkin celebrates after knocking Geale out at Madison Square Garden . Smiles: And he celebrates with his belts after the bout on Saturday night . Daniel Geale, himself a recent world champion, was blown away inside three rounds of their title fight in New York’s Madison Square Garden this Saturday night and promptly said: ‘I’ve never seen, let alone been hit by, a harder puncher in my life. The first time he lands on you comes as a shock.’ Thus Geale tacitly confirmed all the scary stories emanating from gyms in America of how Golovkin, despite using gloves like pillows, is flattening sparring partners almost twice his size and wearing head-guards. One report claims that in order to get some kind of sparring, the man from Kazakhstan often has to promise not to punch his opponents in the head. So he drops them with disembowelling body-shots, like the one which took out Anglo-Irish challenger Matthew Macklin around this time last year. Golovkin, at 32, is coming to prominence late. First there was a 350-fight world-title-winning amateur career in which he lost only five times. Then the pros kept ducking him. Like Mike (and Terry): Golovkin has been compared with boxing legends Mike Tyson (left) and Terry Spinks . Challenger: He could be set for a fight with Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico . But now the big money is getting behind him and the US television moguls are pressing Miguel Cotto to meet Golovkin in a battle to unify their various world 160 lb titles. The huge Puerto Rican support for Cotto in New York and the frenzy growing around Golovkin would make for a mega-night in the mecca of the Garden. The middleweight Iron Mike? Golovkin has not only the punch but the chin to suggest he may well be. A split-second before he was knocked out Geale connected with his best punch of those three rounds, a peach of a right cross flush to the Kazakh jaw. Golovkin, without so much as a flinch, instantly delivered his concussive left-right combination. Then he grinned, as all the ring’s Baby-Faced Assassins have tended to do down the decades as they help their fallen prey to their feet. Golovkin smiles a lot. Rather like an innocent kid. Not unlike how we remember Terry Spinks. But then he has a lot to smile about. Like it being six years and 17 fights since he was taken the distance. | Tyson Fury bout with Dereck Chisora set to be rescheduled for the autumn .
Last Saturday's fight was called off after Chisora withdrew through injury .
Fury then pulled out of replacement fight with Alexander Ustinov .
Gennady Golovkin is making waves in middleweight division .
He has been compared with legendary boxers Mike Tyson and Terry Spinks . |
fb038e9849b64f2d0db7b3795d9c1e6bf577cefa | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- First lady Michelle Obama vowed Monday to "take no prisoners" as she and her husband launch an unprecedented bid for Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. First lady's attitude about the effort to secure Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics: "Take no prisoners." "It's a battle -- we're going to win -- take no prisoners," the first lady said with a smile at a roundtable discussion with reporters in the White House State Dining Room. She compared the intense lobbying effort to the 2008 presidential campaign, noting that in the election campaign, a lot of voters made their decision in the final days. She said members of the International Olympic Committee may do the same. "And our view is, we're not taking a chance," she said. "We're just not going to assume that the bids -- that the decisions are made, and so that no matter what the outcome is, we'll feel as a country, as a team, that we've done everything that we can to bring it home." The White House confirmed Monday that President Obama will fly on Thursday to Copenhagen, Denmark, where the International Olympic Committee will be reviewing bids from several countries on Friday. It will be the first time that an American president has lobbied the IOC in this manner. Mrs. Obama arrives in Copenhagen on Wednesday with White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and other top aides. "What a dynamic duo they will be," Jarrett said. "I think it will be high impact, I think their presentation will be both very personal, given that they know and love Chicago so well." Mrs. Obama said she and Vice President Joe Biden have been lobbying IOC members by telephone in recent days, and that she plans a packed schedule once she lands in Denmark. "I think I'm talking to everybody," she said of the dozens of IOC members who will decide the victor. She will also make a formal presentation to the IOC, before the president makes his own pitch on Friday. "We're each going to do our own proposal," she said. "I think we have as good a chance as any country." She joked, however, that there are limits to how far they will work together. Watch Ed Henry's full report on the Obamas' Olympics effort » . "We're not going to do a joint poem together," Mrs. Obama said with a laugh. She also revealed a story that suggests she's taking the lobbying very seriously. At last week's G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, she sat next to the first lady of Brazil, one of the nations with a rival bid. "I adore her but I said, 'You know, I'm going to hug you now and then I'm going after you in Copenhagen,' " Mrs. Obama recalled with a laugh. "And she said, 'You too.' So gloves are off." | Michelle Obama to join forces with husband in unprecedented bid to nab Olympics .
The first lady promises "to take no prisoners" during her campaign in Denmark .
She'll be working her own pitch with IOC members while president makes his own .
She's jokingly warned first lady of Brazil "gloves are off" in quest to land Games . |
fb0404315d28ba110b75887957465aa6d321f283 | By . Martin Robinson and Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 08:36 EST, 25 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:28 EST, 25 June 2013 . Shamed multi-millionaire art mogul Charles Saatchi made a show of defiance last night when he dined alone at the central London restaurant where he was photographed grabbing wife Nigella Lawson by the throat less than ten days ago. Life appears to be going on as normal for Mr Saatchi, 70, who was seen speaking on his phone and smoking as he sat outside Scott's restaurant in Mayfair. Mr Saatchi, who is said to have dined alone, had earlier reiterated his claims that he was only involved in a 'playful tiff' with his TV chef wife while sat outside the same restaurant earlier this month. He was photographed on that occasion repeatedly squeezing his wife's throat and pinching her nose. Defiance: Last night Charles Saatchi was again at Scott's restaurant alone, despite it being where he assaulted his wife . Return: Saatchi pictured leaving Scott's on his own last night after dining at the Mayfair restaurant . Night out: The art mogul was not believed to be dining with anyone else during his visit to Scott's . Hours after Mr Saatchi was spotted dining alone, Ms Lawson's father, former Chancellor Nigel Lawson, was pictured arriving at her Mayfair bolthole to offer his support. Nigella has fled to a £10,000-a-week central London apartment to decide whether her marriage to Charles Saatchi has a future after he assaulted her. Wearing a smart suit, Tory Lord Lawson did not speak to press as he entered the flat this morning. He may have been reacting to news that his chef daughter could fly out to America soon in an attempt to escape the media spotlight surrounding her controversial marriage . Visit: Former Tory Chancellor Lord Lawson arrived at his daughter's flat in a smart suit before being buzzed in . Plans: Nigella Lawson could soon fly out to America in an attempt to escape the media spotlight surrounding her marriage to Charles Saatchi. She is pictured today returning to her Mayfair address . Space: Ms Lawson is due to rent a house in LA during filming for the second series of U.S show The Taste. The taxi driver is pictured letting her out of the vehicle . Ms Lawson's plans to move out to America earlier than expected came as Mr Saatchi said he was only attempting to wipe his wife's nose and called the 27 minute incident a 'playful tiff'. Speaking to the Evening Standard, he . said yesterday: 'Even domestic goddesses sometimes have a bit of snot in their . nose. I was trying to fish it out'. The advertising mogul has apparently been carrying on life as normal since the incident - last night he was seen dining at Scott's, the Mayfair restaurant where the row with his wife took place. Ms Lawson is due to fly to LA this summer as she films a second series of U.S show The Taste. While there she plans to rent a house in LA . Speaking to the Evening Standard, a Los Angeles TV source said: 'Going to America may give Nigella the space from her husband to help find a way to repairing the damage that has been done.' The show is a food version of hit BBC show The Voice and is aired by U.S network ABC. In . the reality contest, Ms Lawson and other judges rule on food with blind . single-spoon tastings. The show co-stars US chef and author Anthony . Bourdain. The initial photographs appeared to show the 70-year-old former advertising tycoon grabbing . his wife by the throat caused a furore when published a week ago. Saatchi accepted a police caution for assault. Under pressure: Charles Saatchi is pictured today outside a restaurant from where he bought food . On the side: Mr Saatchi went in through a side door next to the restaurant where food was delivered to him . Explanation: Ms Lawson's plans to move out to America earlier than expected came as Mr Saatchi today said he was attempting to wipe his wife's nose . TV . chef Miss Lawson, 53, apparently carried on with married life as normal . after the incident. But as soon as the pictures were published she left . the £14million family home in Chelsea to live in a £10,000-a-week . apartment in Mayfair. She . was seen outside on Wednesday and Friday without her wedding ring. On . Saturday a bulging bag of clothes was delivered, leading to speculation . that she is settling in for a long stay. Miss . Lawson has two children from her first marriage to journalist John . Diamond who died from throat cancer in 2001. She and Saatchi married ten . years ago. Yesterday her spokesman said she was maintaining her silence on her marriage difficulties. | Mr Saatchi, 70, returned to dine alone at Scott's in Mayfair last night .
He reiterated claims hours earlier that he and his wife had a 'playful tiff'
'Even domestic goddesses sometimes have a bit of snot' he said .
Mr Saatchi said he was attempting to wipe his wife's nose .
Lord Lawson was photographed visiting daughter Nigella in Mayfair .
The former Chancellor was dressed smartly but wouldn't speak to reporters .
Celebrity chef may bring forward plans to fly to Los Angeles this summer .
She is due to rent a house during filming for U.S show The Taste . |
fb045ea07ed2fc48f5cb72462ad28dca52b01b24 | By . Alex Ward . An assault victim thought he was Barack Obama after an infected bite mark on his cheek caused him to hallucinate and develop 'God-like delusions'. Tatenda Kamasho, 19, was stabbed and bitten on the cheek by Jordace Sinclair, 18, while waiting in a queue at McDonald’s in The Drapery, Northampton. The assault wound on Mr Kamasho’s cheek turned septic, causing him to fall into psychosis. He began suffering hallucinations and developed a God complex. Attack causes hallucinations: A cheek bite Tatenda Kamasho (right) suffered during an attack by Jordace Sinclair turned septic which caused him to hallucinate that he was American President Barack Obama (left) Northampton Crown Court heard how the young man was attacked by Sinclair when he objected to Mr Kamasho talking. Sinclair also made threats to strangle him at 6am on June 17. Prosecutor Mary Loram said: ‘At this point, the defendant head butted him and there was an exchange of punches.’ Sinclair, of no fixed address but from Northampton, then pulled a knife from the back of his trousers and . stabbed Mr Kamasho with such force the knife snapped in two. While waiting: Sinclair attacked Mr Kamasho in this McDonald's in Northampton when he objected to Mr Kamasho talking. Sinclair stabbed him with a knife with such force it snapped in two and also bit his cheek . Jailed: Sinclair (right) was sentenced to five years jail at Northampton Crown Court (left) while Mr Kamasho remains in a psychiatric hospital . They fell to the ground and Sinclair bit Mr Kamasho's cheek before he was restrained by staff. Mr Kamasho's injuries were considered life-threatening and he was treated for the stab . wound at Northampton Hospital. He was readmitted the next day when the cheek bite . became septic. His airway closed and he was put in a five-day induced . coma. On June 26 he began to suffer hallucinations. Ms Loram said Mr Kamasho’s condition deteriorated to such a state that he believed he was the American President and could hear ‘six million people talking, with God-like delusions’. Life-threatening injuries: Sinclair stabbed Mr Kamesho (pictured) with a knife with such force it snapped in two and also bit his cheek which had 'disastrous consequences for him,' Judge Richard Bray said . She said he is still being treated at a psychiatric hospital four months after the attack and sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Sinclair pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of a knife and theft and was jailed for five years. Judge Richard Bray told Sinclair: ‘The bite to the cheek was a particularly unpleasant act. ‘The . injuries had disastrous consequences for him. He developed a serious . infection, was in a coma for five days and the doctors describe them as . life-threatening. ‘The . prognosis is uncertain. I appreciate you did not intend to cause . injuries that serious. 'However, you have to take the consequences of . what followed.’ | Jordace Sinclair, 18, attacked Tatenda Kamasho, 19, while in McDonald's .
Mr Kamasho was bitten on the cheek and the wound turned septic .
He suffered hallucinations and his condition deteriorated to such a state he believed he was Mr Obama and had 'God-like delusions'
Sinclair was jailed for five years . |
fb04c24e34210c9375113078e1915fc02666d22f | By . Lydia Warren . and Jessica Jerreat . A Texas teenager whose date died in their hotel room after her senior prom has sent a series of emotional text messages to a friend suggesting she passed away following an overdose. The unidentified date frantically called 911 on Saturday morning after waking up in a North Houston Hyatt to find that 17-year-old Jacqueline Gomez was not breathing. Investigators said that the MacArthur High School senior showed no outward signs of injury and the results of her autopsy are pending. They added that her boyfriend is not suspected of any crime. Now text messages that he sent to one of Gomez's friends on Saturday afternoon have indicated that investigators believe she might have overdosed, the Houston Chronicle reported. Scroll down for video . Final night: Jacqueline Gomez, 17, sent this image of her and her boyfriend to a friend just hours before she was found dead in their hotel room, pictured. The boyfriend has suggested she died of an overdose . The friend, Justice Gonzalez, shared the messages with the Chronicle. She said she texted the date, who is not a student, after she saw pictures he had posted to Instagram showing him crying. 'They said she overdosed,' a text reads, likely referring to law enforcement. 'I woke up. I tried waking her but she wouldn't. I was screaming and crying telling her to wake up. But she didn't. She didn't.' He added that she had seemed 'perfectly fine and happy' when they left the prom and went to bed. He told authorities that they had consumed some alcohol before bed, and he added in the text messages that she had also taken the prescription painkiller hydrocodone. He said he did not know where they were from or how many she had taken. Mystery: Gomez was found dead hours after the end of her senior prom and autopsy results are pending . 'I shoulda took them away and flushed em,' he added. 'I miss my girl.' Friends and family previously denied Gomez was a hard-partying teenager, and said she spent her time working at a Kroger grocery and finishing up her high school studies. The couple had booked into Houston's Hyatt Hotel, where other students were also staying, at about 11pm on Friday following the 'Miami Night' prom. The next morning, the boyfriend called 911 to report that she was not breathing. According to KHOU 11, police found alcohol and prescription painkillers in the hotel room. Loss: 17-year-old Gomez is pictured with a male friend at the prom in North Houston on Friday night . Her boyfriend was taken in for questioning, but only so detectives could try to understand what had happened. Police said he is not a suspect. 'He was there. He knows everything, so we're just continually wanting to find out what happened,' Detective Mike Miller said. The unexpected death has shocked . Jacqueline's classmates at Aldine ISD MacArthur High School, who only . hours earlier had attended the prom with her. 'It's shocking. I can't believe it. I . mean, really, I can't believe it,' Leandra . Mendez, a 19-year-old classmate of Jacqueline's, told the Houston Chronicle. In the weeks leading up to the prom, which was held in the same hotel where Jacqueline's body was found, the teenager had been planning her dress with friends. Scene: Her boyfriend woke up in the Hyatt hotel to find her not breathing and frantically called 911 . Briana Hernandez, who worked at a store with Jacqueline, said prom was all the teenager had talked about for the past few weeks. 'Every day she would come to work and talk about it. She was so excited to go to prom,' Miss Hernandez told Click2Houston. She added that Jacqueline, 'who always came to work with a smile' had sent a picture of her in the hotel room just hours before she died. 'I told her right before left ... "Just please be safe, Jackie". And I gave her a hug, and . she left,' friend Justice Gonzalez said. Jacqueline had been due to attend Lone Star College, where she planned to study to become a pharmacy technician. | Jacqueline Gomez, 17, was not breathing when her boyfriend woke in their hotel room in Houston on Saturday morning .
Text messages the unidentified boyfriend sent one of Gomez's friends apparently reveal that authorities believe she died of an overdose .
He told the friend that Gomez had prescription painkillers but does not know how many she took, adding 'I shoulda took them away and flushed em'
Police have said that the boyfriend is not a suspect in the death .
Autopsy results are still pending and could take weeks . |
fb05a2ae6bb6a534d12d022569876fe13a18088d | By . Sara Smyth . PUBLISHED: . 12:02 EST, 24 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:09 EST, 24 August 2013 . Survivor: Phil Woodbridge came through the potentially fatal accident unscathed thanks to his quick reactions and sturdy car . A 25-year-old man has survived a 40 tonne truck falling onto the roof of his car after it smashed into a bridge. Phil Woodbridge, of Stockport, Greater Manchester, swerved onto the pavement and escaped through his passenger door as the HGV landed on his roof directly above him in Brinnington. The sales manager was travelling to work by an unusual route because of the huge fire at the recycling plant nearby in Bredbury. Miraculously the roof of his Audi A3 - which he bought last month - only gave way slightly under the lorry’s weight and Phil was able to jump out of the passenger side uninjured. He said: 'It was a horrible situation. I heard the lorry hit something and it started to topple over, I dropped it into second gear to get some speed up and swerved onto the pavement. 'As it hit I ducked my head down and undid my seatbelt and jumped out as quick as I could. The whole thing was in slow motion. The instinct was to swerve and the car saved me. 'I only bought it four weeks ago, afterwards I just stood staring at it. If I’d stayed on the road I would have been crushed. It started to hit me that night when I began thinking about it. 'But I’ve not got a single mark on me. Hopefully I’ll get another Audi, the police said the picture of the lorry on it would be a great advert for them.' The lorry driver, a 34-year-old man, was also able to climb out of his cab, also uninjured after the crash on Thursday morning. Trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield were also delayed while the bridge was inspected and passed as safe. Firefighters were called to the accident at 10.50am. Close call: The lorry fell onto the driver's side of the car. Mr Woodbridge swerved onto the pavement and escaped through his passenger door and the full force of the vehicle smashed his windscreen . Rescue: Miraculously, the lorry driver was also unhurt. Trains were delayed while the bridge was inspected . Watch manager Steve Johnson, from Offerton fire station, said: 'The man ducked out of the way when he saw the lorry falling. 'It landed above his head but because the car is sturdy it held up to the weight. 'A 40 tonne lorry falling onto a car could have potentially been fatal.' | Phil Woodbridge jumped out of the passenger door as the lorry fell above his head .
Roof of his four-week-old Audi only gave way slightly under the weight .
34-year-old lorry driver was also unhurt in the potentially fatal crash . |
fb06118598e91f4f3aee9ba30622be108f2fe12e | Beijing (CNN) -- After a deal was hammered out by European Union leaders last week on a joint plan to help bail out Greece and bolster European banks, the world looked to China to help pick up the check. In a historical context, it's a remarkable turn of events for China, which inside a generation has rocketed from isolation and poverty to become the world's second largest economy behind the United States. But as Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Europe to meet with other G-20 leaders in Cannes, it became increasingly clear that Beijing wasn't coming into town wearing a white hat to rescue debt-ridden eurozone nations. Why is the EU turning to China? Simply put, Beijing has the money. The tumult in Greece is over austerity moves that would cut Greek services, reduce payback to Greek bondholders by as much 50% and bolster loans to help Athens in $178 billion deal. The end goal of these measures would leave Greece with debt equaling 120% of its total economic output by 2020. China, by contrast, is the largest holder of foreign currency reserves in the world with more than $3 trillion in its coffers and an economy whose annual growth rate hovers near 10%. European leaders are hoping Beijing will be a substantial contributor to the European Financial Stability Fund, which under the deal hammered out last week would increase from 440 billion euros to 1 trillion euros ($1.36 trillion). But Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao told reporters gathering in Cannes ahead of the summit that it was "too soon" for Beijing to say whether it would contribute to the fund. "The fund has not established details of its investment options so we still can't talk about the issue of investing," he said. What's in it for China? The bloc of 17 nations united under the euro currency is China's largest trading partner, the destination for nearly 20% of Chinese goods exported in 2010; by comparison, 18% of Chinese exports were sent to the U.S, according to 2010 World Trade Organization figures. In July, eurozone trade to China surpassed the U.S. for the first time to become the EU's largest trading partner, according to Eurostat. So an unstable Europe would undoubtedly hurt the fortunes of exporters here. Still, any help would likely come with strings attached. Though U.S. lawmakers have led complaints that China unfairly manipulates the value of its currency, similar shouts have been heard from European officials. No doubt Beijing would like to see those calls silenced. Moreover, China wants the EU to give it market economy status, which would reduce the tariffs for Chinese products sold in the eurozone. China is scheduled to get market economy status by the World Trade Organization in 2016, and observers say it's likely the EU will wait until then. "Since eruption of the global financial crisis and the debt crisis in Europe, China has offered help to Europe. For instance, China sent several delegations to Europe to purchase huge amounts of goods and services in 2009, aiming to boost Europe's economy. Since last year, China has purchased bonds of several European countries, trying to save nations deep in a debt crisis," a commentary in China's state-run Xinhua said last month arguing for market economy status. "By contrast, it is a pity that the EU side still shows no sincerity on the issue of recognizing China's market economy status," it said. Why is China reluctant to help? There appears to be little domestic enthusiasm in China to run to the EU's aid. "They keep pushing the anti-dumping thing and bullying China, and now we are helping them?" one Beijing man told CNN, referring to allegations that China "dumps" products in markets with unfair pricing. "I say we should not save them." Chinese perceive their currency reserve as a nest egg built on the back of 30 years hard work building its economy, said Patrick Chovanec of Tsinghua University. "It's a sensitive issue because Beijing can't be seen to be just investing this money willy-nilly," Chovanec said. "They need to make a case that they're going to earn a reliable return." Economist Andy Xie in Shanghai argues it's not in Beijing's "political, economic or strategic interest" to come to the EU's aid. While some have argued a handout would be a way for China to increase its "soft power" abroad, Xie thinks such a move would backfire. "Look at Greece -- they complain their country is being taken over by German bankers," he said. "How do you think they will feel if China steps in? The average person wouldn't look at this as aid, but as China coming in and taking us over." And a slowdown in the EU would hurt China, it wouldn't raise the specter of widespread unemployment, he added. "China's labor market is fully employed ... there are widespread shortages of manual labor. Any economic slowdown (from reduced EU demand) is not likely to see widespread unemployment." Even more of a signal that Beijing will let the EU solve its own problems. How China can really help . Others say that China's real opportunity to help isn't through bailing out Europe, but investing in the EU and boosting domestic consumption of European products. "What the Europeans lack isn't money, what they lack is growth," said Chovanec. "China can play an important role in saving Europe but not in the way that most people think. Most people think the Europeans are coming to China hat in hand hoping for bailout funds. "Really the way that China can help Europe is not by continuing to run surpluses and turn around to use the proceeds to lend it back to Europe to keep them on life support. "The real way Chinese can help Europe is by using some of that money, the $3 trillion worth of reserves they've piled up to stimulate consumption ... and help create jobs, earnings and opportunity in Europe," Chovanec said. CNN's Alexis Lai contributed to this story . | EU leaders are hopeful China will assist in funding the European debt plan .
China has the world's largest currency reserves with more than $3 trillion .
Beijing is reluctant to spend the reserves for fear of public backlash .
"They keep pushing the anti-dumping thing and bullying China, and now we are helping them?" |
fb06bf33173ade74b879ba003b23a48a88cbd026 | By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 04:49 EST, 2 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:11 EST, 2 December 2013 . She has a crippling condition that is weakening her heart, causing her muscles to seize up and has very recently confined her to a wheelchair. But through her love of music - and with little help from her friends - Kaitlin Windt is determined not to let her progressively debilitating illness stop her playing in her beloved marching band. The 14-year-old flute player, who goes to Boardman High School in Ohio, has a dreadful birth gene that was eventually diagnosed as Friedreich's Ataxia. It's muscular dystrophy, scoliosis, heart weakness, circulation problems, diabetes and more rolled into one tragic syndrome. Brave: Wheelchair-bound flute player Kaitlin Windt (centre) takes part in a performance with her high school marching band despite suffering a crippling illness that causes heart problems and her muscles to seize up . Helping hands: Kaitlin is pushed around by the band director's daughter Rachael Ruggieri who has learned the entire routine to ensure everything goes smoothly during the performance . When she reached high school this year, Kaitlin and her band director Tom Ruggieri vowed not to let Friedreich's stop her from joining the band. With the rapid and intricate movements of a high school marching band - from twisting tubas to dipping drums to majorettes - it's no place for a wheelchair to be rolling around. But for Ruggieri, Kaitlin's spot in the 184-member band started long before he ever met her. Several years ago, he watched a news program about a college marching band. In it, was a wheelchair-bound student whose father learned the march routine so he could push his son on the field. 'I choked up when I saw it,' said Ruggieri. 'I put myself in that position and wondered "How would I do it?" 'I thought: I would like to make that happen some day.' Against the odds: The 14-year-old has Friedreich's Ataxia which causes muscular dystrophy, scoliosis, heart weakness and diabetes, but is determined to continue doing the things she loves . having fun: Kaitlin Windt (right) with fellow band member Helen Nguyen during a football game in Boardman, Ohio . That 'some day' came last spring. Kaitlin has been in a school band since fifth grade and she had dreams of being in the Boardman High band. Walking has always been a challenge with her disease, but halfway through eighth grade last year, the curvature in her spine had progressed that she needed rods inserted in her back to straighten her. It made her walking even more unstable and a wheelchair safer. Kaitlin's father, Howard, said: 'Mr Ruggieri already knew of Kaitlin and her interest in band. He got a surprise with the wheelchair, though.' Kaitlin's mother, Chrissy Longley, did not want Kaitlin's feelings hurt. 'She really wanted to be part of band, but I didn't want to get her hopes up,' Chrissy said. 'The last thing I wanted to do was have her sign up and learn that she had to sit on sidelines.' Ruggieri didn't want that either. 'We have the same expectations for all our kids,' Ruggieri said. 'Never are all kids at the same level of music or marching. We work with all of them.' For Kaitlin to play her flute in the Boardman band, an adult would need to learn all the drills and push Kaitlin around the field at every event. Howard's and Chrissy's work schedules would not permit them. Ruggieri needed someone to volunteer - but he got two. Beth Bean, band booster club president and mother to band members Jeff, a senior, and Kristine, a freshman, said: 'It brought back memories of my band life at Springfield,' This summer, she added the role of Kaitlin's away game partner. Kaitlin's home games were handled by Ruggieri's daughter, Rachel, who came home from Kent State to help out. It was an easy fit for Beth and Rachel as they were set to be at the critical band camp anyway to assist Ruggieri. The three of them got started together at August camp in Erie, Pa., and Mother Nature tested them from the start. Progressive illness: Kaitlin (pictured with school friends) developed a curvature in her spine halfway through eighth grade last year which meant she needed rods inserted in her back to straighten her . Rain-soaked fields, mud, slogging - it was a tough introduction to their new partnership. 'We started with the worst conditions, so it could only get better,' Rachel said. Kaitlin laughs at those first days. 'I almost fell out of my chair twice,' said the 14-year-old who, with her brother Blake, 12, splits living time between her parents' Boardman homes. Beth recalls one tipping moment. 'I turned too fast and was not used to the chair yet and I hear "Mrs Bean - I'm tipping",' Beth said with a laugh. Both Beth and Rachel said if you think their job was tough, try being Kaitlin and playing the flute while all this was going on. Friend Rachel Ruggieri . 'She did the best to play flute while we bumped around,' said Rachel. 'It was just nice to see her happy and enjoying the band.' Already solved for the Boardman band next year is who will handle Kaitlin. Beth and Rachel are already set to go. And Kaitlin no doubt expects to be there. Kaitlin had a normal kid life - doing ballet and playing baseball. He parents later noticed small things, but they were dismissible. Friedreich's itself is often not diagnosed until teen years or later, said Chrissy. That all changed in the summer before fifth grade as the disease took control. 'It affects everyone differently,' said Howard. The impact of the diagnosis came to the family in stages. 'First they told us the ataxia part -- a tightening of the muscles, and I thought, 'oh well, no biggie - therapy and stretching,' said Chrissy. 'Friedreich's is a whole different ball game.' Of all the harsh realities of Friedreich's, one reality strikes just a bit harder - it is genetic. Kaitlin's brother Blake has it as well. 'I was in Columbus for work,' said Chrissy when she got the news. She and Howard ended their marriage long before Friedreich's entered their lives. 'I was away from the kids, so they could not see me break down. It was so hard to grasp. I did not function for days.' Kaitlin talks with Boardman High School band director Tom Ruggieri who was inspired to help her after hearing about a wheelchair-bound student whose father learned the march routine so he could push his son . Chrissy struggled with guilt. 'It's a horrible feeling knowing it's a genetic disease. As a parent - I know that it came from me,' she said. Although it affects 1 in 50,000 Americans, how it happens seems almost a tragic fluke. The gene can exist and be defective in any one person and there are no problems. That's Howard and Chrissy. When those two people who have that defective gene have children, there's a 25 per cent chance their offspring will have the disease. That's Kaitlin and Blake. Friedreich's Ataxia is a genetic condition that around 1 in 50,000 people in the United States. The illness affects everyone differently, but symptoms range from loss of co-ordination in the arms and legs, fatigue, muscle loss and heart disease. It can also cause aggressive scoliosis - a curvature of the spine - and diabetes. The defective gene can exist in any one person and there are no problems. But when two people who have that defective gene have children, there's a 25 per cent chance their offspring will have the disease. There is currently no cure, but some of the symptoms can be managed. Blake's determined that he won't be in a wheelchair, said Howard. And they notice that physical effects on him are less than Katlin's. But Blake required glasses at an earlier age - the disease affected his eye muscles. Around Kaitlin is a core of friends who've she's known since kindergarten: Courtney Segool, Shannon McMaster and Emily Mook. They form a tight ring around her - aiding with all her needs as needed at the dorm, on the bus and more. 'Her friends are so welcoming to her. They're the most loving people,' Rachel said. And occasionally in life, you bump into new folks like Ruggieri, Rachel and Beth, willing to figure out new things. 'I was floored at how much they've invested in her,' said Chrissy, who was watching video posts throughout the week of band camp. 'This was a huge deal for Kaitlin.' Rachel was nervous, she admits. She asked her father what if this doesn't work. 'He said "We're just going to make it work",' she said. 'I love that he's not afraid to take risks that others would push away.' Ruggieri said being in band is about adjustments and acceptance, and this was just the same - even though that TV segment was his only evidence of seeing it work in his 25 years. 'None of us looked at it as "It's a great thing we're doing." 'It was simply: This is what the band needs - let's do it.' | Kaitin Windt has rare genetic condition called Freidrich's Ataxia .
Causes her muscles to seize up, heart weakness and diabetes .
Curve in spine got so bad it has confined her to a wheelchair .
But she is determined to keep playing in her high school band .
Band director's daughter has learned routine to push her around . |
fb06f2c7ea15c2b8fb02e4bb250c6894315de195 | (CNN) -- Pfc. Bradley Manning, who provided classified government documents to WikiLeaks detailing, among other things, America's undisclosed policies on torture, was found guilty of espionage on Tuesday. The verdict comes on the 235th anniversary of the passage of America's first whistle-blower protection law, approved by the Continental Congress after two Navy officers were arrested and harassed for having reported the torture of British prisoners. How have we gotten to the place where the revelation of torture is no longer laudable whistle-blowing, but now counts as espionage? The answer is that government has not yet come to terms with the persistence and transparency of the digital age. Information moves so fast and to so many places that controlling it is no longer an option. Every datapoint, whether a perverted tweet by an aspiring mayor or a classified video of Reuters news staffers being gunned down by an Apache helicopter, will somehow find the light of day. It's enough to make any administration tremble, but it's particularly traumatic for one with things to hide. That's why they tried to throw the book, and then some, at Manning. Prosecutors cast simple Internet commands known to any halfway literate Internet user (or anyone who used the Internet back in the early '90s) as clandestine codes used only by hackers to steal data. That Osama bin Laden could download these files off the WikiLeaks website (along with millions of other people) became justification for classifying the whistle-blowing as espionage, an act of war. And Manning is just one of a record seven Americans charged with violating the Espionage Act in a single administration. But prosecuting those whose keyboards or USB sticks may have been technically responsible for the revelations is futile. The more networked we become and the more data we collect, the more likely something will eventually find its way out. After all, a security culture based on surveillance and big data cuts both ways. Moreover, harsh reaction to digital whistle-blowers only increases the greater population's suspicions that more information is being hidden. In this one leaking incident, Manning exposed allegations of torture, undisclosed civilian death tolls in Afghanistan and Iraq, official orders not to investigate torture by nations holding our prisoners, accusations of the torture of Spanish prisoners at Guantanamo, the "collateral murder" video of Reuters journalists and Iraqi civilians as U.S. soldiers cheered, U.S. State Department support of corporations opposing Haitian minimum wage, training of Egyptian torturers by the FBI in Quantico, Virginia, U.S. authorized stealing of U.N. Secretary General's DNA -- the list goes on. These are not launch codes for nuclear strikes, operational secrets or even plans for future military missions. Rather, they are documentation of past activity and officially sanctioned military and state policy. These are not our secrets, but our ongoing actions and approaches. A thinking government--a virtuous one, if we can still use such a word--would treat this as a necessary intervention. Things have gone too far. But ours is a government in "present shock": an always-on, always-connected population puts the administration in a state of perpetual emergency interruption. It's not the phone call at 2 a.m. for which a president has to be prepared, but the tweet at 3, the Facebook update at 4, the YouTube video at 5, and on and on. In such a crisis-to-crisis landscape, there's no time to implement or even articulate a "grand narrative." A real-time, digital world offers no sense of mission or opportunity to tell a story. There's no Cold War to win. No moon shot to work toward. There are just emergent threats, one after the other after the other. Things just exist in the present, one tweet - or, actually, many tweets - at a time. This makes it exceedingly difficult to frame our policies and strategies with language and purpose. It's no longer a matter of walking the talk. Without the talk, there's only the walk. We have no way of judging the ethics and intentions of our government except by what it actually does. Combine this with the transparency that comes with digital technology and our leaders simply have no choice but to do the right thing. It takes more energy to prevent exposure than simply to behave consistently with the values we want to project. Just as corporations are learning that they can no longer maintain low prices through overseas slave labor without getting caught, a democratic government can no longer maintain security through torture and coercion without being exposed. Betraying our respect for human dignity only makes us less resolved as a people, and less trusted as a nation. We are just beginning to learn what makes a free people secure in a digital age. It really is different. The Cold War was an era of paper records, locked vaults and state secrets, for which a cloak-and-dagger mindset may have been appropriate. In a digital environment, our security comes not from our ability to keep our secrets but rather our ability to live our truth. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Douglas Rushkoff. | Douglas Rushkoff: Manning found guilty of espionage. Why is whistle-blowing punishable?
He says U.S. government hasn't faced it can't control info in digital age of easy access .
He says Manning exposed objectionable official actions of U.S.--not secrets, but approaches .
Rushkoff: The transparency of a digital age means U.S. has no choice but to do right thing . |
fb07a716206bd931c94a0075fe73004677db3199 | By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 05:56 EST, 19 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:36 EST, 19 September 2013 . A mother has had two cars written off while parked in the same spot outside her home in the space of just five weeks. Nicola Hawkins, 31, lost her 06-registration Fiat Punto when a motorbike crashed into it in Swansea, South Wales, on August 11. She treated herself to a £3,000 BMW 3 Series convertible as a replacement but it was destroyed as well a little over a month later. First crash: Nicola Hawkins' Fiat Punto is written off in the first crash outside her home in Swansea, South Wales. The car was damaged on the opposite side of the road to this, but was moved after the collision . Second crash: Five weeks later Nicola's replacement BMW 3 Series convertible, which she bought for £3,000, is written off in another crash while parked in the same spot . A car came speeding through traffic . lights near her home at midnight, flipped and landed on top of her second hand car. Her BMW was very badly damaged in the accident on September 14 and also had to be written off. The driver and passenger in the black Vauxhall Astra which crashed into the convertible were both injured and had to be taken to hospital. Following the accident neighbours have labelled the spot outside their terraced homes as 'the unluckiest parking space in Britain'. Mother-of-one Nicola said: 'I can't believe my bad luck. Accident spot: Both times the car was parked in the same spot (marked with a red dot) close to Nicola's home in Swansea, South Wales . 'I've only had my new car four weeks because there was a crash in the same place five weeks earlier in which my other car was written off. 'The car had come through the lights at a ridiculous speed, and landed on top of mine.' Nicola has called for Swansea Council to remove the bollards which have recently been erected on the grass verge of her quiet suburban road. She said: 'I used to park my car on the grass and if I had still been able to then my cars might not have been hit. Crash scene: Both accidents happened while the cars were parked just behind where the camper van is in this picture. However, the Fiat Punto is photographed on the opposite side of the road because it was moved after the collision . 'I've been in touch with Swansea Council and they told me that the bollards had been erected for safety reasons. 'They wrote in an email it was also was done to protect the grass.' Resident Robert Jones, 63, said: 'It must be the unluckiest parking spot in Britain - I can't believe lightning has struck twice. 'When I saw the first crash had happened I thought it was sheer bad luck. But when you get another car written off in five weeks it seems like a curse!' Nicola, who lives with her husband Adam, 33, and son Jac, six, said she and her neighbours had now begun a petition calling for a re-think on the bollards. A spokesman for Swansea Council said: 'Council traffic engineers previously carried out a site assessment of the junction. 'As a result, a series of bollards have been installed to help improve visibility for motorists. 'The bollards will also prevent the verge from any further vehicle related damage.' Unluckiest parking space: Mother-of-one Nicola, with her six-year-old son Jac, stands next to the spot where both her cars were written off in the space of five weeks . | Nicola Hawkins, 31, lost her Fiat Punto in the first crash on August 11 .
She bought a £3,000 BMW 3 Series which was written off on September 14 .
Neighbours in Swansea, South Wales, described it as the 'unluckiest parking space in Britain' |
fb07c49808d307b943958dee4dea301903194f70 | By . Dan Ripley . Follow @@Ripley_77 . Didier Drogba's previous game in a Chelsea shirt proved rather more dramatic as his final kick in a Blues jersey resulted in them winning the 2012 Champions League. But there was to be no penalty kick heroics from the Ivorian on his return to the club, as the veteran striker drew a blank in his first game back for the Stamford Bridge outfit. Chelsea left the 36-year-old on the bench for the start of their pre-season friendly at Werder Bremen's Weserstadion, with the Blues fielding an attacking trio of Diego Costa being supported by Fernando Torres and Mohamed Salah. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Chelsea need games - Mourinho . Guess who's back: Didier Drogba made his second Chelsea debut in the pre-season friendly at Werder Bremen . Finding his feet: Drogba was a half-time substitute during Chelsea's 3-0 defeat by the German outfit . Calling the shots: The Ivory Coast striker instructs team-mates during the defeat at the Weserstadion . VIDEO Chelsea need games - Mourinho . A highly ineffective first half from the trio led to Jose Mourinho making changes at the break, and following a poor first half showing, expectations rose as Drogba replaced Costa for the second period. By that point the Blues were already 2-0 down but Drogba certainly seemed up for it as he took to the pitch wearing his old No 15 shirt, pointing to the sky with both hands before the second half resumed. He was straight into the action too as he just missed out in latching on to a Fabregas pass - signs perhaps that the legs may be starting to show their age. But despite an early flurry, Chelsea failed to turn a decent spell on the ball into any serious sort of pressure and Drogba quickly faded out of the game in the central attacking role. Like Costa before him, Drogba simply couldn't make it work with a support cast of Torres and Salah and the duo were replaced 12 minutes into the second half. All yours, skip: Cesc Fabregas gave Drogba the captain's armband later in the game after John Terry departed . Not your day: Drogba reacts by lifting up his shirt after missing a chance on his Chelsea return . What did I do? Drogba's afternoon was one of frustration as the Blues played poorly in the pre-season loss . Shortly after, Chelsea had their best chance. But in a counter attacking move which started from a Bremen corner, Drogba was nowhere to be seen. A quick breakaway saw substitutes Nathan Ake and Eden Hazard combine before squaring a pass for Cesc Fabregas to chip over the crossbar. Drogba was constantly marshalled by Bremen's Assani Lukimya and it wasn't until the 70th minute until he got back into the action - albeit with a clever run into the box ending with his cut-back easily cleared. With 15 minutes to play, the former Marseille hitman had his brightest moment of the half as he collected a Fabregas pass. It looked like vintage Drogba was back, but at an angle to goal, he rifled off target at the near post with options open to him inside the box for a pass. Not that you can blame him for having the temptation to shoot in a pre-season exercise. Drogba ended the game as captain after John Terry departed late on, but rather than help lead a fightback, Chelsea conceded again a minute before time with the hosts scoring their second penalty of the afternoon. Fans will hope a couple more weeks of pre-season training will get him back up to speed with the Premier League. Fans will never forget how Drogba ended his first Chelsea spell in Munich but just as many will soon forget his rather anonymous showing in Bremen on his return two years later. Nice moves: Drogba showed touches of skills as he turns to shake off attention from Martin Kobylanski . All in: Drogba got stuck into battles as he challenges Werder Bremen's Oliver Husing for a header . No way past: Theodor Gebre Selassie makes a tackle on Drogba who failed to hit the target on his return . | Didier Drogba played first Chelsea game after joining on free from Galatasaray .
Ivory Coast striker was second half substitute for Diego Costa in 3-0 defeat by Werder Bremen .
John Terry handed him captaincy later in game, but 36-year-old failed to trouble German side in front of goal . |
fb0882d5ecebce62af6a6a0c5252d2283abd868b | NEW YORK (CNN) -- It is one of the most notorious cold cases in recent memory. A 6-year-old girl, a child of beauty and privilege, was found dead in the basement of her home in Boulder, Colorado, on the day after Christmas 1996. The strangulation of JonBenet Ramsey is also among the coldest of cases. Twelve years have passed, and again it is Christmastime, the season of JonBenet's death. The investigation has taken many heartbreaking twists and turns, including a false confession and baseless suspicions cast for a time on the child's parents. After years of false starts, there are no solid leads. For many, the images of this tragic story are indelible: A doll-like child smiling flirtatiously at the camera in flamboyant costumes, heavy makeup and grown-up hairstyles parading on a beauty pageant stage. A tiny, lifeless body, dressed in long johns, found on the basement floor by her father. Watch how this case touched nearly everyone » . Just this past July, John and Patsy Ramsey were exonerated by police of having any role in their daughter's death. Patsy Ramsey died of cancer in June 2006. FBI lab results confirmed that a man, yet to be identified, touched JonBenet's long underwear. This so-called touch DNA also was found in JonBenet's underpants, mixed with the child's blood. Police believe the DNA belongs to the killer. They just don't know who he is. They are waiting for a match. From the beginning, police focused their attention on Patsy Ramsey, placing the entire family under what authorities later would admit was a cloud of suspicion. The investigators' working theory was that JonBenet's mother may have struck her in anger as punishment for bed-wetting, causing the little girl's death on Christmas night. Investigators theorized that a strangulation was then staged to direct suspicion toward an intruder or sexual predator. Patsy Ramsey told police she awoke early December 26 and found a two-page, handwritten ransom note on a back staircase. It said JonBenet had been kidnapped by a "small foreign faction" and that she'd be executed if the Ramseys did not pay a $118,000 ransom. The Ramseys checked JonBenet's room, discovered she was missing and immediately called 911. When police arrived, they suggested that John Ramsey and a family friend, Fleet White, search the house. Shortly afterward, Ramsey and White found JonBenet's body in a wine cellar in the basement. The child's body was wrapped in a blanket, with duct tape across her mouth and white cord wrapped around her neck and wrists. An autopsy showed the child had eaten pineapple shortly before she died. She'd been sexually assaulted, strangled by the cord and struck on the head. Crime scene photos show two small burn-type injuries on JonBenet's head. Private investigators Ollie Gray and John San Augustin, working as consultants on the case, said the burns are consistent with marks made with a "stun gun." Investigators also concluded that the paper the ransom note was written on came from a notepad in the Ramsey home, as did the broken paintbrush handle used to form the garrote. However, the sources for the cord and duct tape were not found anywhere in the home. Other nagging clues include an open basement window near where the child's body was found. A suitcase stood directly below the window, and appeared to have been used as a step. There was a scuff mark on the wall beneath the window. A footprint of a Hi-Tec hiking boot was found in the dust in the wine cellar and cannot be connected to anyone in the Ramsey family or their friends. Police say they were initially suspicious of the Ramseys because there were no footprints in the snow outside the house. Lou Smits, a lead police investigator on the case, resigned because, he said, the investigation "was misdirected and had developed tunnel vision, only focusing on the Ramseys as suspects and not following alternative leads." The contradictory facts have caused problems in the case. Many experts have said they believe Boulder police botched the investigation by failing to preserve the crime scene properly. When, for example, police arrived and directed John Ramsey to search his own home, Ramsey not only found his dead daughter but also picked her up and brought her upstairs, disturbing the crime scene. Police investigators, friends and family were allowed to walk in and out of the house freely, again contaminating evidence that could have been gathered. The District Attorney's Office has taken over the investigation, said spokeswoman Caroline French. "This case is still an open and active investigation," French said. Prosecutors seek tips and ask anyone with information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for JonBenet Ramsey's death to call 303-441-1636. | False suspicions, unsecured crime scene plague investigation from start .
Ramsey family spends years under "cloud of suspicion"
New touch DNA test cleared all family members earlier this year .
Anyone with information is asked to call 303-441-1636 . |
fb08949becfb88b26403f5011436216bd5f3b733 | By . Julian Robinson . An Italian pensioner aged 75 has been accused of being 'sex mad' - by his wife who is 50 years younger than him. Elderly Efisio Manfrin appeared in court in Naples accused by his spouse of being a 'maniac that wanted sex all the time'. And she told the court that the constant pressure to get into bed was driving her mad. Naples in Italy where pensioner Efisio Manfrin, 75, has been accused by his 25-year-old wife of being a 'maniac that wanted sex all the time' The two of them ended up before judges . because police were called to a fight at the family home, and both . accused the other of assault. Wife Iglesia Guerero, 25, and originally from Cuba, said the fight was about his 'non-stop demands for nookie'. But her husband hit back in the court row claiming the fight was over money. He told court: 'The fight started because I realised she cared more about money than sex and affection. 'I thought the world of her when we met, and was flattered that she said she loved me. 'She told me she valued the fact I could make her laugh, and that I was much more interesting to talk to than younger men. 'Of course I gave her presents, and we had a normal sexual relationship, but when we married and she had access to my bank account, that all ended. 'She just wanted me to pay for everything and any attempt at affection was rejected.' The couple had briefly split in 2012 when she moved back to Cuba but a month later she returned, and moved back with her husband but the rows got worse, and ended when she left for the day and he gave all her designer clothes to a charity shop. There was a furious row, that ended with both sides calling the police and the pensioner being taken from the house and ordered to stay away until matters calmed down. Both are now fighting it out in court, and the trial continues. | Pensioner, 75, described by wife as 'a maniac that wanted sex all the time'
Italian Efisio Manfrin married his wife Iglesia Guerero, 25, five years ago .
They are in court accusing each other of assault after fight at Naples home .
He said fight started because 'she cared more about money than sex and affection' |
fb089578b7cea0687a540b5d907e5a8997d68ae0 | Boston (CNN) -- James "Whitey" Bulger was one of the most "vicious, violent and calculating criminals to ever walk the streets of Boston," prosecuting attorney Fred Wyshak told the jury Monday as closing arguments began after 35 days of testimony in Bulger's trial. Bulger is accused of 19 killings and 13 counts of extortion and money laundering during a 20-year "reign of terror" that defined South Boston from the early '70s through 1995, when Bulger fled Boston. The prosecution took close to three and a half hours for its closing. The defense took over two and a half hours to make its case, then the prosecution had the final word in a rebuttal. The jury will begin deliberating the fate of the alleged crime boss Tuesday. Defense attorney J.W. Carney summed up his case by questioning the credibility of prosecution witnesses, some of whom came to court with extensive criminal resumes and who had worked out deals with the government in exchange for testifying against Bulger. "If you cannot say in your deliberation that I personally can believe (prosecution witnesses) beyond a reasonable doubt, then the government cannot prove its case about the alleged murders," Carney told the jury. "The government is buying the testimony of these witnesses. The currency used here (is) how much freedom someone is going to get. What the government can pay the individual is the individual's freedom," Carney continued. Earlier, prosecutor Wyshak said Bulger and his partner "plotted, they schemed, they robbed they murdered together, they were also informants together." Prosecutors contend Bulger was an FBI informant who used protection from rogue agents as he continued his life of crime. Defense attorneys have argued Bulger was not an informant, and that FBI bungling was key in the case. "If there is one thing you heard during this trial, it's how secretive that relationship is," Wyshak said to the jury Monday. "The last thing a criminal wants ... is for people to know he's an informant." But he also said that it "doesn't matter whether or not Bulger is an FBI informant when he put the gun to the head of Arthur Barrett and pulled the trigger." Arthur "Bucky" Barrett died after being shot in the head in 1983. "It's not about whether or not the FBI in Boston was a mess," he said. "... It's about whether or not the defendant is guilty of crimes charged in the indictment." He added, "When he puts a gun in the stomach of Mr. (Michael) Solimando and tells him you own me $400,000, it doesn't matter if he is an informant or not, it doesn't matter whether or not the FBI is leaking information to him." The defense rested its case Friday with no rebuttal from the government. During their weeklong defense, Bulger's lawyers seemed to have three goals: . One: Try to cast doubt on who killed two of the 19 victims, both of them women. Two: Shift the blame onto the FBI, specifically agents who either did nothing or did too little to prevent several killings. Three: Convince the jury that Bulger was not an FBI informant, a notion prosecutors called "ludicrous" in light of his FBI informant card and a 700-page file loaded with "tips" on rival gang members. In closing arguments, defense attorney Hank Brennan told jurors why he thinks the government has made Bulger's informant status the crux of its case. "Think about why it's so important, if it's not an issue, why do they keep bringing it up," Brennan posed to jurors . Brennan explained that other than to "embarrass" his client, the government was boasting Bulger's informant status to cover up years of corruption. "If he's not an informant, think of the liability," he said, recounting instance after instance where government officials as high as strike-force attorneys in the Justice Department protected Bulger throughout his criminal career. Prosecution defends plea deals . Defense attorneys also attacked the credibility of gangsters who became star witnesses for the prosecution, testifying under immunity after they learned Bulger was an informant for the FBI for nearly two decades. Wyshak on Monday defended the government's unsavory plea deals with those gangsters, three of whom together implicated Bulger in the 19 murders and various acts of extortion. "The government didn't choose them, Bulger chose them," Wyshak said. "The only thing worse than making a deal with (former hit man) John Martorano would have been not making a deal with John Martorano." Wyshak said the government "held its nose and made the deal." It took prosecutors 90 minutes to detail the 19 murders Bulger is accused of, showing photos of each of the victims and the crime scenes. Bulger is not charged with delivering the fatal blow in all of the murders, but is charged with participating as part of a racketeering conspiracy. Wyshak called Bulger "the leader of a very wide-ranging, broad organization," who is culpable for his co-conspirator's crimes. But Wyshak made clear Bulger was the alleged triggerman in some cases, recalling testimony from Bulger's partner, Steve "The Rifleman" Flemmi, about the murder of John McIntyre, whose remains were exhumed from a shallow makeshift grave in 2000. McIntyre had begun cooperating with the government on the shipment of weapons to the Irish Republican Army and 36 tons of marijuana imported into Boston Harbor. "It's Arthur Barrett all over again, held at gunpoint, chained to the kitchen chair, interrogated," Wyshak said. Flemmi said he was holding McIntyre's body while Bulger was trying to strangle him with a rope, but the rope was too thick. After that didn't work, McIntyre practically begged for a bullet after Bulger asked him "would you like one in the head," according to Flemmi. Wyshak got choked up at some points, trying to make Bulger appear utterly heartless. In talking about the murder of Paul McGonagle, Wyshak recalls that Bulger's former cohorts testified that whenever they passed the Neponset River, where McGonagle's remains were exhumed in 2000, Bulger said, "'Drink up, Paulie.' That's the level of humanity that this defendant is operating at. ... And every time he goes by there its 'Drink up, Paulie.'" Victim's mother warned FBI about an impending murder . Bulger was a fugitive for more than 16 years, after a crooked FBI agent told him in December 1994 he was about to be indicted on federal racketeering charges. The FBI track him down and arrested him 2011 in Santa Monica, California, where he had been living with his girlfriend under an alias. During the trial, jurors heard dramatic testimony from convicted gangsters, bookies, extortion victims, a disgraced FBI supervisor, ex-drug-dealers, retired FBI agents and relatives of people Bulger is accused of killing. Prosecutors called 63 witnesses. The defense called 10. Martorano testified for both sides, making a total of 72 witnesses over 35 days. Bulger never took the stand despite repeated hints from his lawyers throughout trial he would testify. In fact, Bulger seemed to want to testify. Questioned by Judge Denise Casper, Bulger called his decision a "choice made involuntarily." He claimed he had been given immunity for his crimes by the former head of New England's Organized-Crime Strike Force, Jeremiah O'Sullivan, now deceased. "The evidence is overwhelming," Wyshak said as he concluded his closing argument. He called Bulger "the leader of one of the most ruthless criminal organizations ever in Boston," one that "wreaked havoc on this city for decades." "In his capacity as the leader, he is legally responsible for it all, as either a principle an aider and abettor or conspirator." 'Bulger: I didn't get a fair trial' Bulger, who lost his temper several times during the trial, appeared angry, shaking his finger at the judge and claiming he was "choked off from making an adequate defense." "I didn't get a fair trial. This is a sham. Do what ya's want with me," Bulger said. Families of the victims have been in court every day of the trial. The wife of one of the victims shouted "You're a coward!" Patricia Donahue's husband, a truck driver, was killed in the crossfire of a slaying Bulger allegedly committed. She later explained Bulger had a chance to take the stand and tell the truth. Flemmi testified as one of the government's star witnesses, and he said that he saw Bulger strangle the two women. The defense team, however, presented evidence that Flemmi had the greater motive to kill the women -- his girlfriend and his stepdaughter. Bulger's attorneys release photos designed to show his softer side . The girlfriend, Debra Davis, was about to leave him for another man. The defense recalled Martorano, who testified that Flemmi admitted he "accidentally strangled" the 26-year-old woman. Flemmi acknowledged he lured Davis to a home but says Bulger strangled her because she was talking too much and had become a liability. Wyshak recalled testimony that Bulger always needed to take a nap after strangling or shooting his victims to death. In his closing argument, prosecutor Wyshak told the jurors they "don't have to decide who strangled Debbie Davis." "He doesn't need to be the one that strangled her to be criminally liable," he said. "If he is a co-conspirator or he aids and abets, he is just as liable as he is if he puts his hands around her neck and strangles the life out of her." A number of retired FBI agents and supervisors also took the stand, many testifying that they believed Bulger should have been shut down as an informant because he wasn't providing any useful information. The agents said they never pressed the issue because apparently FBI headquarters felt Bulger was useful in taking down the New England Mafia. There are 18 jurors,12 with six alternates. Eleven are men and seven are women. Man arrested in death of alleged Bulger extortion victim . | NEW: Both sides make closing arguments in the trial of James "Whitey" Bulger .
NEW: Defense: "All our government cared about -- get the mafia at all costs"
NEW: Prosecution: "It's not about whether or not the FBI in Boston was a mess"
Bulger is accused of 19 killings during a 20-year "reign of terror" |
fb08af39c29b834be982af6a5eb83725db6deac4 | (CNN) -- From supermarkets to the office supply store, it's hard to miss those tiny bottles of 5-hour Energy. The makers of 5-Hour Energy call it a "no-nonsense drink." "It would be easier for me to tell you where we didn't sell them in the U.S. than list all the places we do," said Carl Sperber, spokesman for Living Essentials, the Detroit, Michigan-based manufacturer of 5-hour Energy shot. The small, shot-glass size bottles promise to provide energy and alertness without jitters to fatigued Americans. Unlike other popular energy drinks that market to college students, 5-Hour Energy's audience is multitasking, working professionals. The market demand has skyrocketed since the product hit store shelves in 2004. The company expects to move more than 350 million shots this year, Sperber said, up from 174 million in 2008. "This is a no-nonsense drink," Sperber said. "It is not a fashion statement. It doesn't have a cool name; it is just a simple grab-and-go product to help busy adults when they can't afford a letdown." Each 2-ounce bottle contains zero grams of sugar, 4 calories and about the same amount of caffeine as a small coffee. It also contains about a dozen ingredients that are broken down into B vitamins (B3, B6, B9, B12) and what the manufacturer lists as an "energy blend." But don't expect superhuman results, one expert said. "The B vitamins are given at extraordinarily high levels, and people need to know they are not some magic potion that's going to immediately raise your energy level," said Dr. Brent Bauer, Mayo Clinic director of complementary and integrative medicine. "There is no data that show that." The overall health impact of the shots' energy blend is a little fuzzy, according to some experts, because little data has been collected about the effectiveness or safety of the natural compounds. The blend contains: citicoline, tyrosine, phenylalanine, taurine, malic acid, glucuronolactone and caffeine. Phenylalanine, taurine, tyrosine are all amino acids our bodies naturally produce. Malic acid is a natural chemical substance found in food. Glucuronolactone is a byproduct of glucose produced in the liver. Citicoline is a natural compound that produces a chemical in the brain. "These energy shots have over a dozen ingredients all together, and consumers are ingesting them at very high doses but there is no research of how the ingredients react all together," Bauer said. "It's plausible if you put these 12 things together you will get a good result but it's also possible for them to cause major interactions to medications, or have a negative impact on the liver or kidney. We just don't know at this point." Watch Dr. Gupta talk about the the safety of 5-hour Energy » . Consumers of 5-hour Energy probably won't ever drink enough shots to reach toxic levels of the B vitamins, experts said, but side effects can occur. The maker notes on its Web site the potential "niacin flush reaction" from vitamin B3. It would be noticeable but temporary, one expert said. "If you have too much B3 it can cause tingling in your whole body. You will turn red, flush, but it would only last for about 30 minutes," said Jim White, spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. "Research also shows high doses of vitamin B6 can cause nerve spasm, also temporary trouble with muscle coordination." 5-hour Energy's spokesman says that his company doesn't have safety data on the specific blend of ingredients in its product, but believes that side effects are "rare." "None of our ingredients are synthetic drugs," Sperber said. 5-hour Energy also advises consumers to check with their health care provider before taking the booster. Medical experts acknowledged that if taken modestly, the products are unlikely to have a negative impact on health. "In moderation, it can give you energy. But the problem is people drink coffee, then take these energy shots, then down Red Bull, take Hydroxycut, and it is just too much in the body at one time," White said. The makers of 5-hour Energy agree. "There is no law against stupidity and there is always that person out there that is going to push the envelope and consume too many of them or combine our product with others, but we can't really control that," Sperber said. | 5-Hour Energy promises energy, alertness without jitters to fatigued Americans .
Each bottle contains caffeine, high doses of B vitamins, and "energy blend"
Expert: No research of how the ingredients react together . |
fb0907d587c5263a5323279f84245bcc93e15005 | By . Lucy Crossley . Three men have been arrested after a shootout with armed officers from the National Crime Agency, police said today. Multiple shots were reportedly fired during the stand-off in Tottenham, north London, with the agency confirming that firearms were discharged by officers. Shots were also allegedly fired at the officers - who work to prevent serious and organised crime, although no one was injured during the shooting. Investigation: Three men have been arrested after a shootout with armed officers from the National Crime Agency in Tottenham, north London . Two men were arrested, and later charged . with attempted murder and possession of a firearm over the incident on Friday evening. Another man was later arrested and charged with possession of a firearm. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service were also called to the scene, and the entire road was sealed off in both directions. 'Officers from the National Crime . Agency (NCA) were present when these shots were fired,' said a Met . Police spokesman. The NCA have confirmed that firearms were discharged . by NCA officers. 'MPS officers attended the scene. There were no reported injuries. Location: Multiple shots were reportedly fired during the stand-off in Tottenham, north London, with the agency confirming that firearms were discharged by officers . 'A 24-year-old man and a 22-year-old man were arrested at the scene by NCA officers. 'They . were taken to a north London police station and have since been charged . with attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to . endanger life in relation to shots fired at NCA officers. 'A 44-year-old man was arrested a short time later by MPS officers. He has subsequently been charged with possession of an offensive weapon.' The men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder have been remanded in custody and will appear before magistrates at Highbury Corner tomorrow. The incident is being probed by detectives from Trident Gang Crime Command, which oversees all shootings in London. It is also being assessed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. 'During an incident in Haringey, North London, on Friday evening, firearms were discharged by NCA officers,' said a spokesman from the NCA. 'We are not aware of any injuries relating to the incident. NCA officers arrested two men and inquiries continue. 'We have notified the Independent Police Complaints Commission of the matter, and they are conducting assessments.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Firearms discharged by officers during stand off in north London .
Two men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and later charged .
Shooting reported to the Independent Police Complaints Commission . |
fb0975d7f4798edd868e6f78fea0d90b52415e4f | In a sickening video posted on YouTube, soldiers from the Syrian-based group Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) were seen holding up the decapitated head of a soldier they believed was a supporter of President Bashar al-Assad. But, after the footage was made public, the victim was recognised by an extremist as a fellow rebel fighter who had been wounded during a battle. The militants have now asked . for forgiveness. Sickening: Soldiers then held the severed head up in front of a crowd in Aleppo . Error: Mohammed Fares, left, who was mistakenly decapitated by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham militants . After an investigation the soldier was identified as Mohammed Fares, a commander of Ahrar al-Sham, a group who fight alongside the ISIS. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said ISIS fighters misunderstood comments Mr Fares made about the founding fathers of Shia Islam, Imams Ali and Hussein, according to The Daily Telegraph. It is thought Mr Fares was injured while fighting pro-Assad forces for the control of military site Base 80 near Aleppo, before he was mistakenly executed. The militant group tried to explain their error by referring to a story in which the prophet Mohammed said Allah would forgive a man who killed a believer by mistake. An ISIS spokesman, Oma al-Qahtani, confirmed Mr fares had been injured in fighting and had been captured by soldiers who believed he was fighting against them. He has now said an investigation into the death would be carried out by the appropriate authorities. The huge mistake has highlighted chaos within the rebel ranks in Syria, which Assad has taken advantage of in recent weeks during a push by his forces south-east of Aleppo. Violence: Free Syrian Army fighters carry a fellow fighter who was wounded during clashes near Base 80. Victim Mohammed Fares was injured during the same battle . Offensive: The advance into Base 80, a large military position which rebels have held since February, is part of a surge by Assad's forces who are exploiting weaknesses in the opposition . Loss: Soldiers carry the body of a fellow rebel who was killed near Aleppo International airport after clashing with Assad's forces . | Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham severed the head of a fighter in Syria .
Believed he was a pro-Assad soldier but turned out to be a fellow rebel .
Group 'misunderstood' comments he made about Shia founding fathers . |
fb0991488a59c58b8b7ab46659d16bceaa434e27 | Killed: Shaaliver Douse, 14, was killed by police early Sunday. Officers say he pointed a gun at them . The shooting of a 14-year-old boy Sunday by a rookie police officer has shocked New York City. The police commissioner concedes that the teen may be the youngest person ever killed by the NYPD. Despite the tragic young age of Shaaliver Douse, Ray Kelly was quick to defend the white 26-year-old officer, who just graduated from the police academy last month. Kelly said the teen had fired multiple rounds and was chasing someone through the streets of the Bronx about 3am Sunday. When two officers confronted him, he refused to drop the pistol and pointed it at them, the Commissioner said at a press conference Sunday evening. The officer fired a single round from his 9mm service pistol, striking Shaaliver in the jaw and killing him. Police sources told the New York Times that they believe Shaaliver was pursuing a gang rival. Detectives believe the incident was also related to the shooting of a 15-year-old boy in May, for which Shaaliver was arrested and charged with attempted murder. The NYPD released a picture of an Astra 9mm semiautomatic pistol covered in the boy's blood - in an effort to prove that he was armed at the time he was killed. The department also produced surveillance video that purportedly shows Shaaliver in a white t-shirt running toward a man standing in . front of a bodega and opening fire. A second video . shows Shaaliver chasing the target around the corner. It was there that . the teen was confronted by police. Scroll down for video . This bloody 9mm handgun (pictured here) was involved recovered from an armed 14-year-old Bronx boy who was killed by a rookie NYPD officer . The NYPD says this video shows Shaaliver shooting at the man in the blue t-shirt and then chasing after him . Police say this teen in a white T-shirt is Shaaliver. He can be seen running after his target on the streets in the Bronx . When Kelly was asked whether the Bronx teen was the youngest person ever killed by a New York police officer, he hesitated. 'I don't recall any other at this juncture. There may have been, I just don't recall,' he said, according to the New York Post. Despite this show of evidence, his family has denied that the 14-year-old boy was involved in gangs and said the NYPD is trying to whitewash the killing. 'They're making it all up. There was no gun. It’s all a cover-up. It’s what the police do. They kill us and cover it up,' the boy's aunt Quwana Barcene told the Post. 'It’s not fair. It was my sister’s only child. You shouldn’t have to bury your child. My beautiful nephew got shot in the head. A mother of one now has to bury her only child.' NYPD top brass are standing by the officer in the shooting - but are treading carefully. 'Regardless of the circumstances, this is a crushing blow to any parent,' Kelly said. The crime scene (pictured here) was located in the Bronx where in the early hours of the morning two uniformed police officers found boy firing at a fleeing man . In the aftermath of the shooting NYPD officers carefully case the scene for evidence where two rookie cops shot an armed 14-year-old boy . Ms Barcene likened the shooting to . the death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida - a case that sparked . outrage across the country. 'Him, . Trayvon Martin, it’s never going to end.' she said. 'A child. Fourteen . years old. Fourteen years old. Gone. Shot in the head. By police.' Many . in the black community remain highly skeptical of the NYPD over the . shooting death in march of 16-year-old Kimani Gray in Brooklyn. Police . said the teen also had a gun, though the shooting drew marches across . the borough in protest of the killing. Sunday . was not Shaaliver's first run-in with police. In May, he was arrested . and charged with attempted murder after he shot and wounded a . 15-year-old boy in the neighborhood. Police say they used surveillance . video from that that incident to identify Shaaliver among a group of . teens running from the scene. However, those charges were later . deferred and Shaaliver was released back onto the streets when the . 15-year-old victim couldn't testify against his shooter. Police believe that shooting was gang-related, as well. The fatal shooting occurred in the Bronx at the volatile corner of Courtlandt Avenue & 151st Street . The shooting occurred right near this Bronx convenience store where police discovered Douse firing shots at a fleeing man . Police . said the altercation Sunday started when Shaaliver, who lives in a . nearby housing project with his mother, opened fire on a man standing . outside a bodega in the crime-ridden Melrose section of the Bronx. The target fled, running down the street, with Shaaliver chasing after him. Two . officers, age 26 and 27, who had jointed the NYPD in January and . graduated from the academy last month, were in the area as part of an . Operation Impact deployment of police in the neighborhood. The . uniformed officers identified themselves as police and ordered . Shaaliver to drop his weapon when they confronted him, authorities said. Instead of dropping the weapon, police say, he raised it and pointed at the officers. One . of the officers opened fire shot him in the left side of the jaw, . police said. The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene. '(The officers) literally were half a block away from where the (first) shots were being . fired,' a police source told The New York Daily News. 'They ran . to the corner and there it was.' The man Shaaliver was firing at is still at large. Run-in with the law: Police say this picture shows Shaaliver running away after he shot a 15-year-old boy in the Bronx in May. He was later released after prosecutors cited lack of evidence . The unnamed police officers involved in the shooting were patrolling the high-crime area in the Bronx . | Shaaliver Douse, 14, was chasing down man and shooting at him when he was encountered by NYPD officers, police say .
Teen raised his gun at police and was shot in the jaw .
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says he cannot think of a younger person shot and killed by officers in the city .
Boy's family denies gang involvement and says Shaaliver never had a gun .
Teen was previously arrested for shooting a 15-year-old gang rival but was never prosecuted . |
fb0992ec598af4a88506dbcbceec60310ab4e772 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 19:35 EST, 9 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:58 EST, 10 December 2012 . Some people create man caves in their basement, but Roy Moseman's got a century-old general store, full of brightly colored packages a customer might have found in a general store circa 1900, give or take a few years. Moseman, a retired electrical contractor, started off with just a wooden stove when he started his collection about 20 years ago. But within 10 years, he had built a collection of hundreds of store items. Colorful: The shelves of Roy Moseman's basement are filled with an incredible array of bright tobacco tins, with long-gone names such as Q-Boid, Queed and Holiday Pipe Mixture . 'I just started buying it up,' said the decorated Vietnam veteran, who was wounded while serving on a river boat. Now, it's all displayed on shelves, counters and cabinets, which also date from many years ago. The shelves and boxes hold a dizzying array of tobacco packs of long-gone brands like Hi-Plane, Prince Albert, Q-Boid, Dixie Queen and Cherokee. There's a curious snuff ball made by Levi Garrett just down the shelf from tins of Possum Cigars. 'Am Good and Sweet,' the slogan says. Comprehensive: Moseman has hoarded a wide range of general store items . 'Graphic art': Moseman says he likes the advertising on the packaging . On the medicine shelves, Moseman's got Dr. Thracher's Mixture for Diarrhoea Due to Dietary Indiscretions near the section containing Hopalong Cassidy Hair Trainer, along with dozens of other products from Castor Oil to toothache drops. There's even a veterinary medicine section, featuring products such as Dr. LeGear's Poultry Inhalant. Nearby are tin and paper containers that once held such scary-sounding stuff as Mexican Brand Insect Fluid and El Vampiro. Moseman didn't neglect food and drink as he built his store collection. One unopened box contains Kate Smith's Bake-a-Cake Kit, just 31 cents. Veteran: Moseman served in Vietnam . Dedication: Moseman has built up his collection over the last two decades . 'I've even got a case of kite string down there,' he said. A tin sign celebrates a product once made here in Athens. 'Ice Cold Bludwine, for your health's sake,' just 5 cents a bottle. Most of the items in the collection aren't worth much on the collector's market, thanks in part to Internet shopping. But a few, like his Wrigley chewing gum man, are pretty rare, he said. Proud: Moseman shows off his basement . But Moseman built the collection mainly because these products are a kind of history in and of themselves. 'That's the thing I like; the graphic art,' said Moseman, pointing to an old wooden cabinet with a colorful lithograph on the front proclaiming 'It's Easy to Dye with Diamond Dyes.' Companies weren't spending money on TV, radio or Internet advertising 100 years ago, Moseman said. 'Their advertising is basically on their tins and boxes.' Attention to detail: The collector inspects an old tobacco tin for a date . | Vietnam vet Roy Moseman created incredible collection of long-gone packaging beneath his home in Athens, Georgia .
Store items include medicine, tobacco, food and drink containers . |
fb09b424314af24c1eb85460f3487b9712df25f5 | United Airlines said on Thursday that it is notifying passengers who were on flights with a man later diagnosed with Ebola and telling them how to contact federal health officials. United said it is also telling passengers that officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe the man could not have spread the disease during the flights because he was not showing symptoms and was not yet contagious. On September 19, Thomas Eric Duncan flew from Liberia in the heart of western Africa's Ebola outbreak zone to Belgium on a Brussels Airlines flight, according to Belgian officials. Scroll down for video . United Airlines finally informed concerned passengers on Thursday that they had been traveling on flights with Thomas Duncan, the man who was diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. - but are not at risk . Thomas Duncan flew from Liberia to Brussels in Belgium to Washington, D.C., before finally arriving in Dallas on September 20 . United said it believes that Duncan flew the next day on United Flight 951 from Brussels to Dulles International Airport near Washington and connected to Flight 822 from Dulles to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. United officials declined to say how many passengers were on the flights. The Brussels-to-Dulles flight was on a Boeing 777 that has 266 seats, and the flight to Dallas used an Airbus A320 with 138 seats. In a statement, the airline said on Thursday that the two planes underwent their routine overnight 'thorough cleaning' after the flights, 'including cleaning of lavatories and galleys with heavy-duty all-purpose cleaners and wiping tray tables and armrests with disinfectant.' It added that 'we continue to clean and route the planes throughout our network as usual'. Duncan remained in a hospital isolation ward on Thursday. According to health officials, he became sick and went to a Dallas hospital on September 25, but was released, only to return by ambulance three days later and test positive for Ebola. The airline industry and its labor unions worked Thursday to tamp down travelers' fears about Ebola. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents pilots at United and other carriers, said airlines have the authority under U.S. law to deny boarding to passengers who appear ill. Thomas Eric Duncan took three flights to travel from Monrovia, Liberia to his final destination of Dallas, Texas on September 20 . On September 19, Thomas Eric Duncan flew from Monrovia Airport (pictured) in Liberia in the heart of western Africa's Ebola outbreak zone to Belgium on a Brussels Airlines flight . The union said it also had 'full confidence' in procedures to contain the Ebola outbreak, including checking passengers for fever - a key symptom - at airports in western Africa. Duncan did not have a fever when he left Liberia. But authorities there said Thursday that they will charge him with lying on a health-screening form he filled out at the airport for not disclosing that he had helped carry a woman who became ill and died of Ebola. The disease is believed to have sickened more than 7,100 people in West Africa and killed more than 3,000, according to the World Health Organization. | United told passengers that the CDC doesn't believe the man could have spread the disease on the flights he took last month .
The planes underwent a rigorous cleaning process, United said Thursday . |
fb09ea47f959362fbce4be94421d3fbf2ccdabef | Set in the backdrop of the beautifully barren Mongolian mountains these photographs show young females breaking into a masculine dominated pasttime, as young men are drawn away from their family homes. Photographer Asher Svidensky chose to focus on the next generation of hunters who are the future of keeping this dying part of their culture alive - including 13-year-old Ashol Pan. He said: 'I decided to focus myself; stop looking for a portrait of a centuries old image of a Kazakh eagle hunter, and instead represent the future of this ancient Mongolian tradition.' Set in the backdrop of the beautifully barren Mongolian mountains these photographs show young females breaking into a masculine dominated pasttime, as young men are drawn away from their family homes . Photographer Asher Svidensky chose to focus on the next generation of hunters who are the future of keeping this dying part of their culture alive - including 13-year-old Ashol Pan . He said: 'I decided to focus myself; stop looking for a portrait of a centuries old image of a Kazakh eagle hunter, and instead represent the future of this ancient Mongolian tradition' The Israeli-Russian snapper who took them spent a day at a time with each of the families he shot during a four month trek through western Mongolia. Most of his guided travels were carried out on horseback as there are very few roads in that part of the central Asian country. During that time he met the proclaimed 'Youngest Eagle Hunter in Mongolia', 14-year-old Bahak Birgen, who began training aged eight. Ordinarily young men don't begin their education until they turn 13 and are deemed to be strong enough to carry a full grown eagle on their arm. Having photographed Bahak for the last time, Asher had enough time and money to meet one more eagle-hunter. The Israeli-Russian snapper who took them spent a day at a time with each of the families he shot during a four month trek through western Mongolia . He chose to find a female student, to really demonstrate the future of this past-time and came across Ashol Pan with her father . Photographer Asher Svidensky with Ashol Pan as they scout out the scenery during the series of photos . He chose to find a female student, to really demonstrate the future of this past-time and came across Ashol Pan with her father. 'I didn't want to add an additional version of the previous shots, but rather look for something more than 'another boy',' explains Asher. One of the pictures shows her release a bird as big as her whole upper body whilst stood atop a mountain with the crisp white, snowy peaks in the distance. Ashol's father, Han Gohadok, explained that his eldest son was due to take over the hunting duties but, as he had been drafted to the army, it was unlikely her would return to resume them . Photographer Asher Svidensky plays with two children who live in the region aged six and seven . In the past this sight would have been unthinkable, but now girls are being taught to control these magnificent birds of prey to replace their brothers . In the past this sight would have been unthinkable, but now girls are being taught to control these magnificent birds of prey to replace their brothers. Ashol's father, Han Gohadok, explained that his eldest son was due to take over the hunting duties but, as he had been drafted to the army, it was unlikely her would return to resume them. Despite his daughter's training, Han said he would never think of making her take up the role full-time, unless she explicitly asked to do so. Asher was a photographer in the Israeli army for three years before he moved over to the PR side whilst training to become a tour guide. Ashol Pan studies at school when she is not busy honing her skills in the art of golden eagle hunting . Despite his daughter's training, Han said he would never think of making her take up the role full-time, unless she explicitly asked to do so . | Photographer Asher Svidensky chose to .
focus on the next generation of hunters which are now female .
Documented the inner turmoil of daughters breaking into a masculine dominated pasttime . |
fb0a7d8f17f9341c02428f5677044603e2ea0d3f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:34 EST, 31 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:10 EST, 31 August 2013 . House prices have leapt almost £500 a month this summer as the market continues to recover and government attempts to kickstart mortgage lending enabled more first-time buyers to get a foot on the property ladder. The average price for a UK home now stands at £170,514, a rise of 3.5 per cent from last August, according to Nationwide building society. In addition, mortage lending is at its highest for more than five years, according to Bank of England figures. Experts say a 'rising tide' of lending is boosting the property market. Rising higher: House prices continued to rise on a quarterly basis, suggesting a continuing strengthening in the market . Government schemes such as Funding for Lending and Help to Buy have boosted the market by helping first-time buyers, in particular, on to the property ladder, enabling the market to avoid the traditional summer lull. The £80bn Funding for Lending Scheme . launched in August 2012 offers banks and building societies discounted . loans in return for pledges to lend to businesses and households. Initiative: Chancellor George Osborne's Funding for Lending and Help to Buy schemes have been credited with keeping the housing market lively during the normally sleepier summer months . It has been credited with improving the availability of mortgages and reducing interest rates. Chancellor George Osborne also launched Help to Buy in April, which allows people to buy a property with a 5 per cent deposit. The state lends buyers 20 per cent of the value of a new home worth up to £600,000, interest-free for five years. Figures from the Bank of England showed that mortgage approvals climbed to 60,624 last month, up from 58,238 in June. This marks the highest level since March 2008. Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders recently showed that first-time buyers accounted for 45 per cent of house purchase loans between April and June - the highest since records began in 2005. Nationwide said house prices rises had shot up 1.4 per cent in the three months to August - the strongest pace of increase since mid-2010. The building society said this rise was evidence of the growing robustness of the property market. Jonathan Samuels, chief executive of Dragonfly Property Finance, said: ‘While the Nationwide's figures are stronger than the Land Registry's, also published this week, what's not in doubt is that prices, overall, are rising.' Richard Sexton, director of e.surv chartered surveyors, told the Daily Express: 'The housing market is being lifted by a rising tide of mortgage lending. House purchase lending is 30 per cent higher than last July, which reflects the drastic improvement in the availability of high loan-to-value mortgages.' On the up: House prices have been rising steadily this year with the average UK house price at a three-year high . Mr Sexton said the mortgage market was now much more accessible to first-time buyers, which had triggered 'a ripple of activity all the way up the ladder'. He added that the choice of mortgages available to borrowers was at its highest since the financial crisis, which had opened up the market to a much wider spectrum of people. Some property experts suggested that the surge in house purchases in what is traditionally a quieter month for the market could be partly down to buyers rushing to get on to the property ladder before prices rise any further. Haste: buyers may be rushing to buy a property before prices rise any further . Boost: The number of first-time buyers entering the property market has leapt to levels not seen in nearly ten years since the launch of the Help to Buy scheme . But there are concerns that these schemes will push up house prices and borrowing levels, rather than spurring on more new home construction. Bank of England governor Mark Carney warned earlier this week over the risks of another housing bubble. He said the Bank is ‘acutely aware’ of the potential threats and said action will be taken to clamp down on mortgage lending if needed. The Bank could step in and ask lenders to restrict borrowing terms or even force banks to hold more cash on their balance sheets to slow down price rises. Warning: Bank of England governor Mark Carney said he is 'acutely aware' of the risks of another housing bubble . Steep gains: The percentage rise in the average house price since last summer has been steep, illustrating the effect of government efforts to unblock mortgage lending . Earlier this week mortgage industry professionals joined mounting criticism of George Osborne's subsidies aimed first-time buyers, as a survey found most of them expected property values to surge by 11 per cent by 2016. The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association found 60 per cent of lenders and mortgage advisers feared a house price bubble. Lenders are already forecasting the average house price will rise by 2.7 per cent by the end of this year, based on Land Registry data of sales in the first half of 2013. Peter Williams, executive director of IMLA, warned the Government might end up giving with one hand and taking away with the other. He warned the Government’s exit from the scheme would also need to be managed very carefully on order to avoid doing serious harm to levels of mortgage lending and said more needed to be done to build more homes in order to meet demand and prevent another bubble. ‘If people are struggling to raise deposits in the current climate, then a further 11 per cent increase in house prices will lift the property ladder even further out of reach for some. Affordability fear: But house the average house price to earnings ratio has also been creeping up in recent months, meaning the property ladder will remain out of reach for many . Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, said: ‘While there have been encouraging signs that house building is starting to recover, construction is still running well below what is likely to be required to keep up with demand.' He added: ‘The risk is that if demand continues to run ahead of supply, affordability may become stretched.’ Property experts said the growth in house prices was expected but also warned the figures masked contrasting regional variations. Mr Samuels said that while demand was rising steadily, buyers were becoming much more wary about paying over the odds for a property, and that the recovery of the housing market was patchy across the country. ‘As ever, it's important to remember that the average house price figure glosses over areas of the country where the market is less robust,' he added. ‘London and the South East may be steaming ahead but other areas, especially in the North, are still spluttering their way to recovery.’ House prices have risen by 6.3 per cent in London over the past year, figures revealed yesterday. But they were falling or stalling in the rest of the country, according to data released by the Land Registry – highlighting the gulf in Britain’s property market. While the cost of the average home in London has reached an all-time high of £385,800, in other parts of the country house prices are £30,000 below their peak. Wales experienced the biggest fall, with prices down 2.2 per cent in the past year to an average of £115,149. In the North East, the average house price is only £99,718. Even in the regions where they are rising, the increases were only modest – 0.5 per cent in the East Midlands, 1.3 per cent in the East and 1 per cent in the South West. The average price of a home in England and Wales is £164,098, up only 0.8 per cent in the past year. The Land Registry said the number of homes sold for £1million or more has risen by 28 per cent in the past year, to 24 a day. The total in May was 740 – 508 of which were in London. | Average UK house price is £170,514 - up 3.5 per cent from last August .
Mortgage lending is at a five-year high .
Government schemes are credited with kickstarting lending and helping first-time buyers on to property ladder .
But experts warn of another housing bubble . |
fb0a9e386731ab539db70b8f5fd6e3c0bfd1fb15 | Poachers killed 33 elephants recently in remote Congo park . Three poachers died in gun battle with rangers at weekend . Garamba National Park, Congo, a stronghold for LRA . By . Paul Donnelley . The deaths of 33 elephants in a remote park in Congo has led to speculation that the rebel Lord's Resistance Army is poaching the animals. Ten were killed last Friday in Garamba National Park, according to African Parks, a conservation group that manages the park along with Congolese authorities. Park rangers killed three poachers in a weekend gun battle in Garamba, in Congo's northeastern corner near South Sudan. Ten elephants were killed last Friday in Garamba National Park, according to African Parks, a conservation group that manages the park . ‘We have reason to believe that the major poaching thrust is emanating from the heavily forested Azande Domaine de Chasse, which has been a traditional base for the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA),’ Peter Fearnhead, the CEO of African Parks, wrote in a letter to other conservationists that the news agency Reuters obtained today. Warlord Joseph Kony, the LRA leader indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, waged a brutal guerrilla war against the Ugandan government in the north of the country for nearly twenty years before fleeing with his fighters into the jungles of central Africa around 2005. A 2013 report from human rights group Enough Project said the LRA had begun systematically killing elephants and trading poached ivory for food, weapons, ammunition and other supplies. Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, whose group may be behind the poaching of 33 elephants recently in Garamba National Park . Mr Fearnhead wrote it was not yet clear ‘whether the current poaching onslaught emanates from the LRA, Sudanese poaching gangs, local Congolese poachers, or a combination of these.’ Garamba is home to around 1,800 elephants, according to African Parks, and has been targeted by poachers in the past. Twenty-two elephants were killed and their tusks and genitals removed in a single 2012 attack suspected of being carried out by the LRA. However, the rebels' involvement in the killings was never confirmed and some harbour doubts that the LRA is behind the latest wave of poaching. ‘We hear the elephants were killed by professional poachers. That is not the LRA,’ said Rev Benoit Kinalegu, a Catholic priest who heads a network monitoring LRA attacks and movements from the town of Dungu on the edge of the Garamba park. ‘This area is so militarised it is impossible to know who it was,’ he said. A 5,000-strong African Union Regional Task Force, supported by 100 U.S. Special Forces, is hunting for Kony and his commanders, who are accused of abducting thousands of children to use as fighters in a rebel army that has earned a reputation for mutilating its victims. While Kony is believed to be hiding in a Sudanese-controlled area of a disputed enclave in South Sudan, according to the United Nations, his fighters continue to operate in an isolated zone straddling South Sudan, Congo and Central African Republic. The Lord’s Resistance Army, also known as the Lord’s Resistance Movement, is a militant religious movement, which operated in northern Uganda and South Sudan. The LRA has been accused of widespread human rights violations, including murder, abduction, mutilation, child-sex slavery, and forcing children to participate in hostilities. The LRA was originally formed to resist the Uganda People's Defence Force before it took control of the country. The UPDF has been accused of widespread murder, rape, and pillage. In June 2006, Radhika Coomaraswamy, the United Nations' special representative for children, found that more than 5,000 children had been recruited into the Ugandan government army. Ideologically, LRA believe in African mysticism and Christian fundamentalism. It claims to be establishing a theocratic state based on the Ten Commandments and local Acholi tradition.The group is led by Joseph Kony, who proclaims himself the spokesman of God and a spirit medium.By 2008, it was thought he had more than 50 children and more than 80 wives. | Poachers killed 33 elephants recently in remote Congo park .
Three poachers died in gun battle with rangers at weekend .
Garamba National Park, Congo, a stronghold for LRA . |
fb0ac13762a04f1bcd4fa07fb90c52f35cadfb91 | By . Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 08:41 EST, 19 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:08 EST, 19 March 2012 . A two-year-old girl has made an astonishing recovery after she was bound in duct tape and left in a cold shower until she lost consciousness. Though Alexis Salaz was initially pronounced brain dead at the hospital, she has made a remarkable recovery, surmounting both physical and mental disabilities. The child’s aunt, 50-year-old Mary Horsley, was found guilty of felony child abuse and faces between 20 to 48 years in prison when sentenced next month. Making strides: 21-month-old Alexis is making a miraculous recovery after she was declared brain dead . Guilty: Alexis' aunt Mary Horsley (left) was convicted of child endangerment; the girl's mother Samantha Salaz (right) was also convicted of the same charges . During the trial, jurors heard that the Colorado Springs woman would often put tape over her niece’s eyes and put her in the shower as punishment for any small misstep. Deputy District Attorney Debbie Pearson told the court of the torture borne by Alexis. ‘If she moved, she was dunked. If she cried, she was dunked,’ the Colorado Springs Gazette reported. Ms Pearson continued: ‘Alexis never had a break. It was constant, constant torture.’ Alexis’ mother and Horsley’s niece, 19-year-old Samantha Salaz, also pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in serious injury, and received a 24-year prison sentence. Loving father: The girl's father Joseph Saunders (right) says that she is making strides and attends therapy five times a week . Horsley’s attorney, Ed Farry, plans to appeal. He argued that Salaz – not Horsley – was to blame for Alexis’ injuries. However, Horsley was acquitted of the most serious charge against her -attempted murder – but was convicted for abusing two of her grandchildren as well. The child’s father, Joseph Saunders, said in an email to KRDO that he was unaware he was a father until the trial; Salaz apparently told him that he had miscarried. 'If she moved, she was dunked. If she cried, she was dunked. Alexis never had a break. It was constant, constant torture.' Still, the father is grateful for her daughter, and notices improvement every day. He said: ‘Within months of living with my wife, our kids and I, she had started regaining some physical activity, and its seemed as if her brain started “turning on.”’ He added: ‘She is a true miracle.’ Alexis has a long road to recovery yet – according to Mr Saunders, she has to attend therapy five times a week, and cannot walk, talk, or eat on her own. | 21-month-old Alexis Salaz was punished by her aunt, Mary Horsley for 'moving and crying'
Horsley will be sentenced to 20 to 48 years for felony child abuse . |
fb0b4cfe6f252ee76fdda4b6a3d909751e9d4474 | (CNN) -- Google says it will spend $5 million on an effort to wipe pictures of child sexual abuse from the Web and another $2 million to research more effective ways to find, report and eradicate the images. "The Internet has been a tremendous force for good -- increasing access to information, improving people's ability to communicate and driving economic growth," Jacqueline Fuller, the director of Google Giving, said in a blog post. "But like the physical world, there are dark corners on the web where criminal behavior exists." Part of the $5 million will go to established child-protection groups that have been partnering with Google to fight the problem. They include the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Internet Watch Foundation. The Web giant also is creating the Child Protection Technology Fund to develop more efficient ways to fight child porn. Recently, Google has begun using "fingerprinting" of child sex-abuse images, Fuller said. It will help law enforcement, Web companies and advocates find and remove the images, as well as prosecute the people who posted them, Google says. "We're in the business of making information widely available, but there's certain 'information' that should never be created or found," Fuller wrote. "We can do a lot to ensure it's not available online -- and that when people try to share this disgusting content they are caught and prosecuted." Since 2008, Google has been using technology to tag images, helping the company find them anywhere else they may appear on the Web. Among other things, Google can make sure images or Web pages do not appear in search results. In 2006, the company joined Microsoft, Aol, Time, Time Warner (CNN's parent company) and others in a Technology Coalition, targeting child abuse on the Web, and has donated hardware and software to groups around the world fighting child sex abuse. The company, which jealously protects details on how its search algorithms and other processes work, did not immediately respond to a message seeking more details about how its new initiative will work and what additional efforts may be on the way. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the group's tip line received 17.3 million images and videos of suspected child abuse in 2011. That was four times what the group received in 2007. | Google spending a total of $7 million to ramp up fight against child porn .
Search giant's "fingerprinting" helps find images, prosecute those who post them .
Child Protection Technology Fund will look for new tools . |
fb0b4e398d70af2d9e25280f1ff40e706770793d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:36 EST, 7 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:53 EST, 8 November 2012 . Three siblings quarrelling over their late mother's will are risking spending every penny they were about to inherit in the vicious court battle. Julia Hawes claims that there is no evidence that her mother lacked the mental capacity to change her will and cut her brother, Peter Burgess, out of her £120,000 estate. Mr Burgess and his other sister, Libby Burgess, insist the will is invalid and are fighting Mrs Hawes at the Court of Appeal. United: Siblings Libby and Peter Burgess contests their sister Julia Hawes' appeal against an earlier ruling their their mother was not of sound mind when she excluded Peter from her will . Their mother Daphne Burgess changed her will in the presence of her daughter Julia and a solicitor in January 2007, two years before she died; . Lord Justice Patten presiding the case commented on the huge legal costs already run up in the dispute, saying: ‘There is going to be nothing left in this estate. ‘One of the sadnesses about this case is that Libby - who was a beneficiary in both wills and was in most need of her mother’s bounty - gets nothing. I mean, it is just appalling.’ Mrs Burgess, who died 80 years old in May 2009, changed her will shortly after moving from her home in Bradville, Milton Keynes, to a bungalow which was bought for her by her son, a managing director of a recruitment company. The reason why she had excluded her son Peter from her will, according to the documents, was that she intended to reward him ‘lifetime provisions’ by making improvements to the bungalow. Peter and Libby Burgess, challenging the will, gave evidence about their mother’s deteriorating health, in particular memory loss and confusion. An Oxford psychiatry professor also gave evidence, concluding it was likely Mrs Burgess was suffering from a ‘moderate’ disorder of the mind at the time. Expensive squabble: Judges at the Court of Appeal at the Royal Courts of Justice have yet to pass judgement on the case, but lamented the fact that there will be little to no money left to inherit due to the legal costs . Following a hearing at Central London County Court in January, the will excluding Peter Burgess was struck in favour of an earlier document. In the first will Mrs Burgess divided her assets equally between her three children and was favoured after a judge found that she ‘loved all her children very much and in equal measure’. Mrs Hawes, who was also ordered to pay £18,000 back into her late mother’s estate, is now appealing against the ruling. Her lawyers argue there is no evidence to justify the judge’s conclusion that Mrs Burgess lacked the mental capacity to make a valid will and approve its contents. They also point out that the will was drawn up by an experienced solicitor who described the pensioner as being ‘compos mentis’. Piers Hill, for Mrs Hawes, said: ‘None of the evidence suggests an inability of Mrs Burgess to appreciate and comprehend the claims to which she ought to give effect in her will.’ Legal representatives of Peter and Libby Burgess say that the there was ‘serious falling out’ between Mrs Hawes and her brother in the background of the creation of the 2007 will. Their counsel, Penelope Reed QC said: ‘The judge found that Daphne did not intend to exclude her son from the will. 'She further found that, if Daphne had intended to cut her son out of the will, she would have told him.’ Reserving judgment on Mrs Hawes’ appeal, Lord Justice Mummery said it was ‘of importance’ because of the rights of older people to have their wishes honoured. He added: ‘When a person, towards the end of their life, makes a will, they ought to have their wishes respected unless it is very clear that it wasn’t what they wanted.’ | Two sisters and brother in vicious court battle over Daphne Burgess's will .
Peter Burgess claims ill mother did not mean to leave him nothing . |
fb0b62412538395a31d476d044d550b604105762 | It may look like the control panel from a sci-fi spaceship, but this plethora of buttons and futuristic steering wheel is the cockpit of the Bloodhound supersonic car. This is the view that driver Andy Green will see when he aims to become the first person in history to hit 1,000mph (1,609kph) on land. The 51-year-old hopes to break the world land speed record with the £10 million rocket-powered car. Click and drag to manipulate the cockpit below and scroll down for videos . This is the view that driver Andy Green will see when he aims to become the first person in history to hit 1,000mph (1,609kph) on land. Click and drag to take a tour of Bloodhound SSC's cockpit . The SSC stands for ‘SuperSonic Car’ because the Bloodhound will be going faster than the speed of sound. The vehicle has four wheels and is powered by both a jet and rocket. It is designed to go over 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) per hour. The slender body, 44 feet (14 metres) long, keeps the entire vehicle aerodynamic. It weighs just over seven tonnes and the engines will produce more than 135,000 horsepower. That’s more than six times the power of all the cars on a Formula 1 starting grid put together. In the coming years the vehicle will begin test runs at lower speeds before attempting to set a new land speed record. The current land speed record stands at 763.035 miles (1,227.985 kilometres) per hour, set by former RAF pilot Andy Green (who will also drive the Bloodhound) back in 1997 in the ThrustSSC. The Bloodhound will beat this record by some distance if it is successful. The complex cockpit has been tailored to the needs of Wing Commander Green - an RAF fighter pilot - who will make his bid to smash the world record next year. It has been made from five different types of carbon fibre weave and two different resins. It has taken more than 10,000 hours to design and manufacture in total. Sandwiched between the layers of carbon fibre are three different thicknesses of aluminium honeycomb core, which provide additional strength. At its thickest point the hi-tech material is made up of 13 layers but measures just 24mm thick. The structure weighs 441lbs (200kg) and bolts directly to the metallic rear chassis carrying the jet, rocket and racing car engine. It has to be so strong as this front . section will have to endure peak aerodynamic loads of up to three tonnes . per square metre at 1,000mph (1,609kph) as well the considerable forces . generated by the front wheels and suspension. The 51-year-old RAF pilot hopes to break the world land speed record - and with it the sound barrier - with the £10 million rocket-powered car. A model is pictured . It will also carry ballistic armour to protect Wing Commander Green should a stone be thrown up by the front wheels at very high speeds. The roof of the cockpit has been designed to create a series of shockwaves that will channel the air into the Eurojet EJ200 jet engine. The pencil-shaped car is 44ft (14 metres) long, 6.2 feet (1.9 metres) wide and weighs 14,158lbs (6,422kg) when fully fuelled. In its ultimate form, it is expected to generate the combined output of 95 Formula One cars. ‘Carbon fibre is an extraordinary material,’ said Wing Commander Green. ‘It is the same high-tech material from which we make jet fighters, F1 cars and in this particular case, the strongest safety cell in the history of motorsport. ‘It is a fantastic piece of technology and it needs to be phenomenally strong to take the load and thrust from 210 kilonewtons and 130,000 horsepower of engine thrust from the back of the car and to take the aerodynamic load of up to 12 tonnes per metre.’ The complex cockpit (pictured) has been tailored to the needs of Wing Commander Green, an RAF fighter pilot, who will make his bid to smash the world record next year . The car will also use a highly specialised windscreen, which has been custom-made from acrylic. The plastic is heated, stretched and then two layers are bonded together to create a 25mm section - thicker than a fighter jet’s windscreen and sufficient to withstand an impact from a 2.2lbs (1kg) bird at 900mph (1,448kph). ‘I am actually looking through two inches (5cm) of plastic which needs to be optimally perfect so I can see what I am doing,’ he said. ‘That kind of plastic is that thick and strong to survive a 1,000mph airflow and also, worst case, to take a bird strike from a big bird, maybe 4.4lbs (2kg) at 650mph (1,046kph) or half that weight approaching 1,000mph (1,609kph).’ The cockpit is positioned in front of three incredibly loud motors - the jet, a cluster of hybrid rockets and the racing car engine that drives the rocket’s oxidiser pump, which are expected to generate a noise level estimated at 140 decibels - the equivalent to a shotgun blast. Wing Commander Green (pictured left) will wear a . specially made in-ear communications system to protect his hearing and . to ensure that he can communicate with mission control during his blisteringly fast drive (illustrated right) The structure (pictured) weighs 441lbs (200kg) and bolts directly to the metallic rear chassis carrying the jet, rocket and racing car engine . Wing Commander Green will wear a specially made in-ear communications system to protect his hearing and to ensure that he can communicate with mission control. He has drawn on his experience of flying fast jets and driving world land speed record winners Thrust SSC and JCB Dieselmax to design the dashboard and cockpit layout. He will climb into the Bloodhound via a carbon fibre hatch, eight inches (50cm) in diameter, just below the jet air intake. During a 1,000mph (1,609kph) run, Bloodhound will cover 12 miles (19km) in two minutes, exerting an acceleration force of almost 2G and peak deceleration force of 3G on its driver. This long-duration G force is another experience unique to Bloodhound. Formula One drivers may experience higher G forces, but they only do so for a few seconds at a time. Wing Commander Green said: ‘All of this technology will give me the most extraordinary working environment with which to get Bloodhound up to 1,000mph and also the highest level of protection we can possibly get. It’s a brilliant piece of engineering.’ The Bristol-based Bloodhound team will be attempting to break the 1,000mph (1,609kph) barrier on a purpose-built 12-mile track in the South African desert in 2015 and 2016. The Bristol-based Bloodhound team will be attempting to break the 1,000mph (1,609kph) barrier on a purpose-built 12-mile track in the South African desert in 2015 and 2016. An illustration of the attempt is pictured . The team behind the Bloodhound SSC have revealed how they intend to slow it from 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) per hour to zero. The engineers based in Bristol have been trying to find brakes that can withstand the huge temperatures and stresses of the vehicle - and they might now have the answer. After the car reaches its top speed, air brakes and parachutes will slow it to 160 miles (260 kilometres) per hour. Breaking to this speed is done at a constant 3G deceleration - equivalent to going from 60 miles (95 kilometres) per hour in a normal car to zero in one second - for 20 seconds. This last stint to zero is where the problem lies, however. Even at this speed the cars wheels are still spinning 10,000 times per minute. Attempts to use carbon rotors from a jet fighter in the form of car-like disc brakes shattered at speeds of just half this, so the team needed a new approach. Instead, they switched to steel rotors from brake manufacturer AP Racing. In tests these proved much more promising, withstanding temperatures of up to 850°C (1,560°F). They even survived to such an extent that they can be used again. The next step will be to test these brakes out at the full 10,000rpm that will be experienced. But hopes are high that they could be the solution to bring the Bloodhound safely to a halt. | The cockpit of Bloodhound SSC is made from layers of carbon fibre .
It took 10,000 hours to design and manufacture .
The structure weighs 441lbs (200kg) and has to be strong to withstand forces generated by the front wheels and suspension .
Driver Andy Green will use the controls in a bid to become the first person in history to hit 1,000mph (1,609kph) on land .
He hopes to break the world land speed record with the £10 million car .
First record attempt will take place in the South African desert next year . |
fb0bdf1605b43a77a2a87712ba018a068a021d3a | Aleppo, Syria (CNN) -- In a small village outside of Aleppo where we are hunkered down for the night, our host apologizes profusely. He doesn't have enough blankets for us and it's bitterly cold. He and his family were forced to flee their home in the city to their unfurnished, humble residence in the countryside with nothing but the clothes they could carry. He spent 25,000 Syrian pounds -- around $300 -- to pay a truck driver just to bring out the bedroom furniture and a TV from their Aleppo home. He couldn't afford another run. Syrian family hides from attacks in underground 'prison' We went to stay with his brother, who was also full of apologies because he couldn't offer us tea. The power was out and there was no cooking gas. In the dark, we chatted about the situation in Aleppo, Syria's largest city. There, airstrikes have transformed buildings into heaps of rubble, and most of the city is now under rebel control. Many Aleppo residents fled when the fighting began, finding themselves crowded into relatives' homes or in refugee camps as winter set in. The bitter cold and financial hardships brought them back. Others, like this family, returned only to retrieve some belongings and then quickly left again. In Aleppo, the battle lines are fluid and, in some neighborhoods, snipers are a constant danger. Where the fighting has subsided, there are other threats. "The incredible cost of living is causing a lot of problems," our host's brother told us. "Criminality has gone up significantly. Each day we are catching thieves, even young boys. People are hungry and cold." Syrian refugees face brutal cold in Lebanon . The cost of a canister of cooking gas in this village jumped from 450 pounds to 3,500 -- from about $5 to $45 -- and that's when it's available. "If the situation doesn't improve soon, people are going to start tearing each other apart," he laments. Skyrocketing food prices and shortages mean some Syrian children are eating only one small meal a day, if that. Residents in one Aleppo neighborhood have taken matters into their own hands, collecting money to buy food for the neediest -- but it's never enough. Children elbow and shove each other, the smaller ones trying to wiggle through for a ladleful of cracked wheat cooked in a huge vat in the middle of the street by the neighborhood volunteers. Amid the chaos, little hands try desperately to grab small bags of hummus passing overhead. A block away, residents clamor for bread. Fatme waited in line for three hours. She had fled Aleppo with her family, and returned a month ago when they thought it might be safe. They were wrong. Her husband was wounded by shrapnel in an explosion shortly afterward. "Of course I am afraid," Fatme said. "But what can I do? Are my children not going to eat?" Across the city, what were once staples are now luxuries. A child carries away two bowls with the burnt remains of the cracked wheat. It's all too much for one of the volunteers, Abu Abdo. "Until when are we going to live like this?" he cries. "Look, people are eating burnt food!" NATO chief echoes warning over chemical weapons . Everywhere in Aleppo, there is evidence that the fighting has taken a heavy toll on the most vulnerable. Close to the bombed-out Dar el-Shifa hospital -- once the city's main field clinic, now a pile of debris -- families pick their way through rubble. Some stop and peer up at what is left, expressions of shock and deep sorrow etched across their faces. Few are able to comprehend what has become their reality. Hamza, 14, gathers with other children near a massive crater filled with grimy water from a burst water main, exploded in a blast a few days before. His parents sent him to fill a container with water after an airstrike cut off their supply. He speaks softly, his arm in a sling. "I was wounded in a strike in the village we fled to," he says simply. Gunfire rings out on the streets of Sakhour, an Aleppo neighborhood that regime forces hope to retake so they can cut off a main artery for opposition forces and reopen a route to Aleppo's airport. Amid the street fighting, a group of women invite me into a house, venting their frustrations and anger. "We know freedom has a price, but how long can we keep on living like this?" one woman asks. Another tells of how her roof caved in from an explosion. "Each time I hear one, I look up and expect to die." Syria shut down Internet, security firm says . She and her family moved around three times before they ran out of money. "At least if there was work, anything, it would be a little easier," she says. For many children here, gunfire has become background noise. Khawle, 12, sits on the sidewalk, cradling a neighbor's infant daughter. She doesn't move or stop talking as the gunfire intensifies, simply hugging the baby and rocking back and forth. Others flinch at the sound of each pop and blast of weapons. Every time Saleh Hadidi leaves his house, his 4-year-old daugher clutches his leg and begs him not to go. Metal rods protrude from his bandaged arm, a bullet wound he sustained at a government checkpoint that he says was meant for his daughter. "She was sitting in the front (of the car) when the gunfire started and I put my arm around her," he recalled. "She was drenched in my blood, and the soldiers were screaming, accusing me of being a rebel fighter. They held a gun to my head three, four times and she was screaming, 'Daddy!'" The girl flinches and clasps her hands, looking away as her father recounts that day. As we leave a woman whispers to me, "Sometimes I want to die rather than live like this." Journalist Ammar Cheikhomar contributed to this report. | Rebel forces control most of Aleppo, Syria's largest city .
There is still sporadic fighting there .
Some residents have returned, others have only retrieved their belongings .
Food is in short supply and, as a result, prices have skyrocketed . |
fb0beea09f9fa17b89b4fdcda70a1b2e6f8ccd2b | It is a tale of tragedy meets election-year politics. As the nation reels from yet another mass murder, in which the killer shot some of his victims before taking his own life, two rival proposals aimed at improving mental health -- and supporters hope curbing mass gun violence by extension -- are before congressional lawmakers. A measure sponsored by Rep. Tim Murphy, a Pennsylvania Republican and clinical psychologist, seeks to get states to revise standards for committing the severely mentally ill to hospitals. His bill, which has bipartisan support, also includes a controversial proposal that seeks to empower families and judges to intervene on behalf of severely mentally ill adults and, in some cases, compel court-ordered therapy and medication. Murphy's effort would also significantly dial back federal funding to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which spends more than $3 billion annually on care and is an agency that Murphy does not think is effective. His bill has the backing of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the American Psychiatric Association and the National Sheriffs' Association, among other groups. On Thursday, he will also outline before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee the results of his yearlong look into federal mental health programs -- an investigation sparked by the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Can Mental Health Bill Help Stop Mass Killings? Treading carefully on guns . "The privacy laws were to prevent mistreatment from health care ... not meant to keep people from being treated in health care," Murphy said on CNN's New Day on Wednesday . He added that in many of the recent mass shootings, the parents were aware of the gunman's mental health issues but were legally powerless. "People knew when something was going on. What about the rights of society? When someone says 'we don't want you forcing them into treatment,' look, I get that," Murphy said. "But society is saying when the signs are there, that someone is gravely disabled or gravely ill from mental illness, a brain illness, treat them. Denial is not a treatment." A competing measure from Rep. Ron Barber, a politically vulnerable Arizona Democrat struck by gunfire when his former boss, then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot and severely wounded in 2011, also takes a mental health approach. His legislation would more broadly improve mental health care through added federal financial assistance for counseling, research and education efforts. Stage set for partisan fight . His measure has the seal of approval from a number of organizations, including the National Association of School Psychologists, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health America. "We know that one of every four Americans will have a mental illness at least once in their lifetime. Investing in mental health services in our communities and early identification and prevention of mental illness will save both lives and money," Barber said in a statement on his Web page. The pending showdown over the two measures -- neither of which directly addresses the type of mass gun violence that ended lives in Santa Barbara, Newtown and so many other cities -- sets the stage for a partisan fight over overhauling the nation's mental health system. "It's not what's in their hands, it's what is in their mind and heart that we've got to deal with," Murphy said on "New Day." "California has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation bar none. And so it didn't work there." Tackling mental health and gun policy is a thorny issue, but one that needs to be addressed, Rep. Peter King, R-New York, told The Washington Post this week. "We've got to look at how we define mental illness, who is denied weapons and who is not, and focus the discussion," King, who has pushed for tougher firearms measures, told the paper. "We have to have this debate." Initiatives focusing on mental health were among the nearly two dozen executive actions put in place by the White House after Newtown. Young, angry and socially alienated . The debate will unfold as the nation digests the actions of Elliot Rodger, 22, a former Santa Barbara City College student who police say fatally stabbed three people and shot three others in that city before taking his own life, Friday. His parents had alerted authorities to their son's mental illness and signs, they say, pointed to the danger he might one day pose. And, as has happened after Columbine, Virginia Tech, Fort Hood, Tucson, Aurora, Newtown, Washington and other shootings in other places, the victims' families and neighbors plead for justice, for an end to gun violence, for a change in laws. "What, what has changed? Have we learned nothing? Where the hell is the leadership," a weeping Richard Martinez, whose son, Christopher, a University of California Santa Barbara college student who was shot by Rodger, told CNN. "My kid died because nobody responded to what happened at Sandy Hook." Father of shooting victim chastises politicians, demands new gun laws . In what has become part of a familiar ritual following mass shootings in America, advocates call for action and politicos, especially those in Washington, project solemnity before retreating to their respective corners of the intractable gun debate. "Shame on us for allowing this to continue," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, who championed firearms reforms that failed in Congress following Newtown. Dems also weigh gun bill . In another effort, House Democratic leaders said Wednesday they were weighing whether to push an amendment to a spending bill aimed at strengthening background checks for gun buyers. But they acknowledged it would likely prove unsuccessful. The White House is also pushing to fund gun violence prevention studies for the first time in roughly 20 years, an effort resisted by Republican critics who accuse the Obama administration of playing politics with taxpayer funds. Political experts say there's little visibility on the issue, even if the conversation centers on mental health, which has routinely presented itself in the roster of America's mass shootings. As details emerged over the weekend in California, Rodger's history of mental health issues apparently was no secret to his family. A family friend said he had seen therapists since childhood. The public push for reforms is fickle and is largely influenced by moment-to-moment tragedy, said Cedric Alexander, the chief of police for DeKalb County, Georgia, a clinical psychologist and adviser to the pro-gun rights group Independent Firearm Owners Association. "Our attention span is so short we never focus on this complicated problem long enough to address the problem, let alone begin to fix it," Alexander said in a statement. Support for gun control has hit peaks and valleys since 1993. That's when the Brady Bill came about after the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan and established a federal background check program for gun purchases. According to a CNN/ORC International survey conducted in December, 49% of Americans said they supported stricter gun control laws, while 50% opposed them. That fell from the 55% who backed tougher measures a few weeks after the Newtown shootings. States take the lead . Stymied federal legislative actions have sent advocates for stricter controls looking for new ways to have an impact. The gun control fights have now moved to the states where legislatures have weighed more than 1,000 proposals, according to an analysis by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The battle over gun policy: Old fight, new strategies . And according to data collected for CNN by the National Conference of State Legislatures, more than half of the nation's legislatures -- those dominated by Republicans -- weighed bills that would have nullified any federal ban on military style assault weapons and limits on large magazines. Will states go where Congress hasn't on gun laws? A number of measures at the state level deal with mental health. In South Dakota, the GOP-controlled legislature passed a bill requiring that mental health records of "someone acquitted of a crime by reason of insanity" be sent to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. According to data from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, roughly 1% of gun permit applicants who failed to pass a background check over the past 14 years, or 10,180 people, were denied for reasons related to mental health. | Lawmakers have two bills tackling mental health in aftermath of Santa Barbara shooting .
Such efforts have failed before and political experts doubt there's much political will .
Since Congress has failed to act, states have enacted a number of gun reform laws .
Families of victims, advocates frustrated by lack of federal action . |
fb0c01f00b715eb947c8561a792c8cd85ff0f3ba | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:51 EST, 8 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:29 EST, 8 December 2012 . Reckless: Marvin Travon Hicks was arrested after he crashed his car, killing a two-year-old girl, while running away from police . Police have arrested a California man after he led them on a high-speed chase before slamming his car into another, killing a two-year-old girl and severely injuring her mother. Marvin Travon Hicks, 43, was taken into custody Friday and charged with suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter. He is being held on a $1 million bail and is due to appear in court on Monday. Meanwhile, the victim was identified as Madison Ruano, a two-year-old girl who was considered a ‘miracle’ child after she survived being born severely prematurely at 25 weeks and weighing less than two pounds. According to the official report, police started pursuing Hicks after he ran a red light on Sierra Highway, shortly before the fatal collision. Authorities say he then weaving between cars going at speeds over 100 mph and even drove briefly on the wrong side of the road in an attempt to avoid police. It was at that point that Hicks drove his black Toyota straight into the blue Lexus driven by Ruano’s mother. Both the woman and child suffered massive trauma to their upper body and were immediately taken to the hospital, where the little girl later died. Her mother remains in serious condition. Meanwhile, Hicks was surrounded by several officers with their guns drawn, according to The Antelope Valley Times. Photographs from the scene show the front of Hicks' car was completely totaled and that he had a difficult time standing as he was pulled by police from his car. It was unclear whether drugs or alcohol had anything to do with the crash, though deputies on the scene said Hicks appeared to be in a state of inebriation. Hicks also has a long history of drunk and reckless driving. In October 2001, Hicks was convicted of driving under the influence, while in August of 1995, he was convicted of misdemeanor hit and run. Destroyed: Hicks' car was completely totaled with the front of his car crumpled and his windshield shattered . Seized: Hicks was pulled from his car after being surrounded by a number of armed deputies . Already, condolences over the young . girl’s death are pouring in, with people leaving balloons and stuffed . animals at the intersection where the accident took place. Meanwhile, a Facebook tribute page for the girl described and a memorial fund has raised nearly $3,000 for the family. On . the Facebook page, Ruano was described as being ‘precious little light . to ALL who encountered her.’ It also describes how Ruano managed to . survive, despite being born nearly three months early and at only 1 . pound and 14 ounces. By the time she left the hospital, she was a healthy four pounds, much to the relief of her parents. ‘We . know that Madison is now in the arms of our dear Lord, Jesus,’ the page . reads. ‘We are thankful for her life and the short time that we had her . with us.' Devastating: The victim was two-year-old Madison Ruano who was described as a 'precious little light to all who encountered her' Shaken: Ruano's mother, left, was hospitalized and has yet to be released. She is in a stable yet serious condition after suffering massive trauma to her upper body . Miracle Life: Ruano was considered a 'miracle child' after she survived being born nearly three months premature, weighing less than two pounds . Grieved: In honor of Ruano, people have left out stuffed animals and balloons at the site of the horrible accident . | Marvin Travon Hicks, 43, was arrested on felony vehicular manslaughter charges .
The victim was two-year-old Madison Ruano, who was considered a 'miracle child' after she survived being born nearly three months premature .
Her mother is in a stable but serious condition . |
fb0c568bd4be7db19690c0dfd5e4ee7060b519a3 | SHANGHAI, China (CNN) -- On Saturday at 10 a.m. it's show time for Brenda Zhang and her subtitle team. They roll out of bed, meet each other online and chat, while their modems download the latest episode of "Prison Break," which just aired half a world away on Friday night in America. Chinese netizens have a growing appetite for online English content. Once they have the show on their hard drives, the team spends the rest of the day creating subtitles for it in Chinese before putting it back online for other fans to watch. Dozens of such groups exist in China. They are voluntary and are translating a mix of media, from books and magazines to games, TV shows and movies. The translated products are for an audience whose primary means of accessing foreign entertainment is the Internet. The members of these online translations groups participate out of a desire to improve their English. For many there is also a passionate interest in overseas content and a desire to make it accessible to other Chinese people. "This is a way to fulfill your life and do something you are interested in," said Zhang, a 24-year-old who translates for a team that calls themselves "Showfa." "I think Chinese people need to know something different, to see how the foreigners think about life, think about love." Aside from the international content made available on the Web, largely by the translation groups, people in China have fewer opportunities to legally watch imported entertainment than in many developed countries. While the viewing selections have been growing in recent years, Beijing still issues quotas for the number of international films allowed in cinemas each year, while the limited amount of content permitted to air on state-run TV is usually censored, poorly dubbed and not popular anymore. Translation team members download TV shows through different methods: watching directly from a Web site or downloading from a translation group Web site. Clips can also be downloaded through BitTorrent -- file-sharing sites such as Xunlei. Through this method, groups post their "seeds" on these sites, and people can download them. The translation teams acknowledge that what they are doing is less than legal and say they do worry that someday they may be forced to quit (so far there are no reports of a group being shut down). "We are living in this grey zone," said Deping Wang, a former member of a team called 1000fr. "It is not legal, but at the same time, nobody can live without it. This is the dilemma." Many international media companies are concerned the groups are eroding their potential profit margins in China by illegally making the content available for free. Some, however, see the translation groups' efforts as a conduit for cultivating a market that will be willing to buy content if it is allowed to be distributed through official avenues in the future. "While there is still an issue on the translation right, we also take a broader view to look at its impacts on other parties such as it's providing a platform for a Chinese audience who would otherwise not be able to understand or access The Economist content," Henry Luk, Asia-Pacific regional director for The Economist Group, told CNN via e-mail. Since 2006, a group calling itself the Eco Team has translated more than 8,000 articles from British newsmagazine The Economist. Members collaborate with the translations, posting articles on their message board to be collectively copy-edited. The final versions are published on Eco Weekly a biweekly publication that can be downloaded and printed at no cost. The Eco Team Web site has more than 60,000 registered users, according to the group. "We want this magazine to be published in Chinese," said translator Jerry Bai at a recent party held by some of the Eco Team members in Shanghai. "This is our only one wish." However, beyond the copyright issues that come up around the subtitle squads, Bingchun Meng, a media lecturer at the London School of Economics who is studying the teams, sees them as an opportunity to understand the social dynamics of virtual groups. "These are fascinating communities," Meng said. "You think that everything online is more egalitarian and anti-establishment, but what we see is the emergence of another kind of operation of power, but maybe the power doesn't come from the traditional source but from different venues." Virtual communities The translation teams consist of loosely structured yet highly coordinated, even hierarchical, virtual communities often consisting of hundreds of participants around the world. While some members occasionally meet each other offline, they mostly communicate through email, online forums or via instant messaging services, like QQ and MSN Messenger. Within each team, there are leaders responsible for organizing the translation efforts of various sub-groups assigned to different TV shows and movies in English and also other languages such as German and Japanese. Leaders select the shows to subtitle by taking votes from Chinese "netizens" about the programs they want to see. More experienced translators are given so-called "zero day" shows -- highly popular programs, like "Prison Break," that are recorded and uploaded by someone living abroad to a special FTP site immediately after the program. Meanwhile, back in China, a team is on standby, ready to download and subtitle the show as fast as they can for Chinese fans to watch online -- and to see if they can beat rival translation gangs. Competition can be fierce. To get ahead, some teams route content through servers in Thailand and Hong Kong to circumvent slow speeds that can stymie downloads between the United States and China. "It can buy 10 minutes, and, you know, 10 minutes means a lot of things," said Wang, the former member of 1000fr, one of the first translation teams in China. There are around a half-dozen other subtitle groups that are well known, including YDY, or Yidianyuan (Garden of Eden), 1000fr's main rival. "These two groups fight together to see who is the fastest to translate into Chinese," Wang said. "Two hours was one of our record translation times." Before someone can be a translator, he or she must first go through an application process and take a language test. Wang said she had to translate 300 words in 15 minutes to become part of 1000fr. Teams also often have entire human resources departments responsible for recruiting new members, and there is never a shortage of applicants. "A lot of people apply. A lot," said Zhang, who is responsible for bringing in new recruits for Showfa's Japanese subgroup. "There are a lot of TV series, and we need a lot of human resources." But just as quickly as new members come, they also go. Many of the translators are college students with plenty of time on their hands, often quitting once they graduate and have to get a job. Zhang finished school several years ago but still manages to find time to spend with her subtitle group who she says are also her best friends. They also meet online every Tuesday morning to translate another popular American show, "24". Yet now on Saturdays, Zhang and the translators will have to come up with a different routine. This season of Prison Break was its last. "We will take a break," Zhang said. "And wait for new shows." | Online translating teams in China volunteer to translate pirated English media .
Virtual teams compete with one another to translate latest downloaded U.S. shows .
Team member: "We are living in this grey zone ... it is not legal"
Media expert: Groups are unique experiment in social dynamics of virtual groups . |
fb0cdd375206d15011c3ab0709baf1b3fbfd3252 | More than 200 letters written by mass murderer Anders Breivik have been seized to stop him setting up a far-right organisation from within his prison cell. Prison authorities have revealed they seized 220 of his letters because the correspondence showed he was attempting to establish himself as the 'frontman' of an organization prepared to use extreme violence. Breivik was responsible for the massacre of 77 people in 2011 after detonating a bomb in downtown Oslo and carrying out a mass shooting on Utoya Island. In 2011, Anders Breivik (pictured) carried out one of the worst atrocities ever seen in Norway when he massacred 77 people, many of whom were teenagers . Breivik makes a fascist salute during a court appearance in Norway. The far-right extremist has been attempting to build a political party from his prison cell . A written ruling stated: 'Breivik's intention is to consolidate his position as front man and leader figure for a movement that involves using extreme violence and terror as an instrument,' The Local reported. Yling Faeste, a spokesman for Norway's prison system, added: 'We have refused to send some letters from Breivik for reasons of security. We're talking about roughly 220 letters.' The right-wing, anti-muslim extremist was sentenced to 21 years' imprisonment with preventive detention in 2012. It the harshest possible prison sentence available under the Norwegian justice system and it is likely he will remain in prison for the rest of his life. Since his incarceration, Breivik has made increasingly desperate attempts to receive publicity, as well as issuing a number of bizarre demands. In February, he threatened to go on hunger strike unless prison authorities cave in to a list of demands for better conditions - including giving him a PlayStation 3. Emergency services work at the scene of the mass shooting on the island of Utoya, Norway . Breivik detonated a car bomb in downtown Oslo before shooting dozens on the island of Utoya. Pictured is the damage caused by the explosion . It emerged that he had issued a typed list of 12 demands to authorities at the high-security unit in Skien in southeast Norway where he is serving out his sentence. The demands - outlined in a letter sent to the the French national newsagency AFP - included better conditions for his daily walk and the right to communicate more freely with the outside world, which he argues are in line with European rights legislation. He also demanded that his PlayStation 2 games console be upgraded to a Playstation 3 'with access to more adult games that I get to choose myself'. Held apart from other prisoners since 2011 for security reasons, Breivik argued in the letter sent in November, last year, that he has the right to a wider 'selection of activities' than other inmates to compensate for his strict isolation. | Mass murderer is trying to establish extremist uprising from his prison cell .
Anders Breivik killed 77 people in 2011 after he went on a shooting spree .
Authorities have revealed they have seized more than 200 of his letters .
They claim he is trying to establish himself as a 'frontman' for violence . |
fb0d133829ab26f0488b1c4f286df7802e498d4c | PUBLISHED: . 12:54 EST, 5 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:38 EST, 6 June 2013 . The forgotten logbook of a former Royal Navy diver has revealed fascinating details about a unique World War One submarine that sank over 80 years ago as the result of a simple failure to secure the door. The faded diary of Plymouth-born Albert ‘Bob’ Smale who, as a 23-year-old recently-qualified Navy Diver participated in a year-long salvage operation to raise the world’s very first underwater aircraft carrier, HMS M2, has been found by his family. Lee Smale, 62, of Plymouth, Devon, the youngest son of four children born to Bob and Gladys Smale remembers his father’s logbook from childhood. The forgotten logbook of a former Royal Navy diver Bob Smale by his son Lee (pictured) has revealed a fascinating insight into attempts to raise a unique World War One submarine that sank over 80 years ago . The fading diary was rediscovered by the family of Plymouth-born Naval diver who participated in a year-long salvage operation to raise the world's very first underwater aircraft carrier, HMS M2 . It reveals that the World War One submarine that sank over eighty years ago as the result of a simple failure to secure the door . All of the vessel's 60-strong crew lost their lives in the tragedy - believed to be a direct consequence of a failure to secure the submarine's hangar doors before diving . 'The logbook had always been in the family but it we’d never really given it much thought,' he said. 'He died in 1968 but it was only when we began sorting through my mother’s things when she moved into sheltered accommodation that it resurfaced. 'But looking through all his belongings and coming across the logbook again the family recognised its significance.' The M2 was one of four ‘M’ class submarines put into service during WW1 and following the cessation of hostilities was modified to carry a small two-seater Parnell Peto biplane. Intended for aerial reconnaissance . during advance scouting missions, the aircraft had hinged wings to allow . it to fit within a specially designed watertight hangar. Launched by hydraulic ‘catapult’ the Peto, on its return was recovered via a deck-mounted crane. A picture of Albert 'Bob' Smale circa WW1: As a 23-year-old recently-qualified Navy Diver he participated in a year-long salvage operation to raise the world¿s very first underwater aircraft carrier . Admiralty mention in dispatches for Mr Smale's services during the Wanhsien Incident in Chine, 1926 . Mr Smale and his wife Gladys at a family wedding in the Fifties: It was only after Gladys's death that her children found their father's diving logbook as they were going through her possessions . Bus man's holiday: Mr Smale and Gladys in swimwear on a family trip . Distinguished career: Mr Smale went on to achieve the rank of Petty Officer in the Royal Navy . Retirement: This local paper clipping reports on Mr Smale's retirement as a swimming pool attendant at HMS Drake, Plymouth in 1967. He died a year later . On . January 26, 1932 during a routine training exercise off West Bay, . Dorset, after advising her support vessel of her intention to dive, all . contact with the M2 was lost and the submarine disappeared without . trace. A major search ensued but with her position unknown it was eight days before the M2’s location was eventually discovered. Albert 'Bob' Smale during his Royal Navy service . All of the vessel’s 60-strong crew lost their lives in the tragedy - believed to be a direct consequence of a failure to secure the submarine’s hangar doors before diving. Lying upright on the seabed at a depth in excess of 30 metres, the Royal Navy salvage team, hindered by the strong tidal currents that swirled around the M2, worked around the clock for 11 months to seal the hull prior to filling the vessel with air to refloat the stricken submarine. But as the salvage attempt reached its final stage, and only six metres from the surface, a heavy gale resulted in the operation being aborted and the M2 dropped back down to the seabed. The neat handwritten pages of the logbook initially record Mr. Smale’s diver training, but further examination revealed a passage dedicated to the M2 salvage work carried out by himself and his colleagues. Under a heading entitled 'M2 Salvage” Mr. Smale describes the 'method of sealing hatches with cement.' 'Hatch is closed down and then a layer of small bags filled with cement is placed on top, and then a few buckets of loose cement is put on to fill in the spaces between bags.' The logbook also contains a detailed hand-drawn illustration of the submarine showing its position, features and amendments prior to the failed lifting operation. The . difficulties of working at such a depth, contending with strong tides, . poor visibility and bad weather while dressed in the heavy brass helmets . of the era are also conveyed in detail in a collection of newspaper . cuttings pasted among the book’s pages. The Dorset Daily Echo reported: 'He has an electric torch swung around his neck. 'The feeble illumination of this . helps him when the torch is held close, but his principal asset is a . sense of direction acquired by experience and that astonishing . sensitiveness of touch which utter darkness gives to a diver as to a man . who is blind.' The M2 was one of four ¿M¿ class submarines put into service during WW1 and following the cessation of hostilities was modified to carry a small two-seater Parnell Peto biplane. Pictured is the HMS M2 in action . Intended for aerial reconnaissance during advance scouting missions, the aircraft had hinged wings to allow it to fit within a specially designed watertight hangar . Launched by hydraulic 'catapult' the Peto, on its return was recovered via a deck-mounted crane . 'My dad had . quite a varied and distinguished career,' continued Lee who also has a . certificate in recognition of his father’s mention in dispatches during . the Wanhsien Incident on the Yangtze River, China in 1926. Bob Smale was a contemporary and close friend of Lionel 'Buster' Crabb (pictured), the Royal Navy frogman who disappeared in mysterious circumstances at the height of the Cold War . Going on to achieve the rank of Petty . Officer, Bob Smale was a contemporary and close friend of Lionel . ‘Buster’ Crabb, the Royal Navy frogman who disappeared in mysterious . circumstances at the height of the Cold War. Lieutenant Commander Crabb, came to prominence for his pioneering work in underwater bomb disposal during WW2 and while he had all but retired by 1955 just a year later he was recruited by M16 to investigate an advanced propulsion system used by the Soviet cruiser Ordzhonikidze during the vessel’s visit to the United Kingdom. On the evening of April 19, 1956 Crabb descended into the murky waters of Portsmouth Harbour on what was to be his final mission and was never seen again. Several months later the headless and handless corpse of a diver was discovered floating in a nearby harbour, but this was not the end of Commander Crabb’s story. At the inquest into Crabb’s disappearance, the coroner’s report suggested that the body was in all probability that of the missing 47 year-old OBE and George Medal holder - despite to the lack of firm evidence which could have been provided by fingerprints or dental records. Unsurprisingly various theories abounded . as to Crabb’s fate: he was killed by a Soviet sniper; eliminated by M15 . or even defected to the USSR to head their military diving team. With her protected status as a War Grave, the wreck of HMS M2 has now become popular dive site with recreational scuba divers . Allowed to dive her remains on a 'ook-but-don't-touch' basis, the modern day diver can observe the M2's final resting place, just as Bob Smale did over eighty years ago . However, Lee Smale is adamant that his father’s friend didn’t die on that fateful night. 'He and my father were apparently very close and he told members of the family at the time that he didn’t believe for one minute that Crabb was dead.' With her protected status as a War Grave, the wreck of HMS M2 has now become popular dive site with recreational scuba divers. Allowed to dive her remains on a ‘look-but-don’t-touch’ basis, the modern day diver can observe the M2’s final resting place, just as Bob Smale did over eighty years ago. | Forgotten diary of Albert ‘Bob’ Smale has been rediscovered by family .
Details salvage operation to raise world’s first underwater aircraft carrier .
Contact with HMS M2 was lost in January 1932 during routine exercise .
All of the vessel’s 60-strong crew lost their lives in the tragedy .
The logbook reveals it was a direct result of failure to secure the doors . |
fb0d476a7e8d3633b9eca7a168109fbcb6bcde1a | (CNN) -- The International Criminal Court on Wednesday found a Congolese warlord guilty of turning children into killers, marking the war crimes tribunal's first verdict in its decade of operation. Judges convicted Thomas Lubanga of conscripting and enlisting children under age 15 and using them to participate in "hostilities" during a civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He will remain in custody pending sentencing. The verdict marks a milestone for the international court that targets war crimes worldwide. It is the first verdict issued by the Netherlands-based court, which has 14 other cases, three of which are in trial stage. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the verdict. "Mr. Lubanga's conviction for the war crimes of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of 15 is an important step forward in realizing the international community's commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of crimes against children in situations of armed conflict are brought to justice," he said. Lubanga surrendered in 2006, and his trial started three years later. His was the court's first trial and its first verdict since it was established in 2002 to address crimes of international concern, including genocide and war crimes. His trial also marks the first time a suspect has faced an international tribunal based solely on charges involving the use of child soldiers, the court said. "Today's verdict will give pause to those around the world who commit the horrific crime of using and abusing children both on and off the battlefield," said Michael Bochenek, director of Amnesty International's law and policy program. Prosecutors said Lubanga led a rebel force that recruited child soldiers to take part in a bloody conflict. The violence occurred in 2002 and 2003 in the mineral-rich eastern part of the nation. Lubanga coordinated the recruiting of child soldiers and forced some of them to serve in militia roles, including as his bodyguards, the court said. Those testifying against him included former child soldiers, who told the court that he recruited them to kill, rape and rob. "This case represents a huge step in the struggle against these serious crimes against children," Luis Moreno Ocampo, the court's top prosecutor, said in a statement posted on its website. "Child conscription destroys the lives and futures of thousands of children around the world. This case will contribute to exposing the problem and in stopping these criminal practices." Lubanga is one of more than a dozen people sought by the international court, including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Joseph Kony, the fugitive Ugandan leader of the Lord's Resistance Army. Lubanga's guilty verdict sets a precedent for others accused of similar crimes, including Kony, who became an Internet sensation last week after the release of a video detailing brutality by his rebel army. Kony is accused of using children to kill and mutilate his foes across four African nations, including Uganda and Congo. CNN's Bharati Naik contribued to this report. | The International Criminal Court finds a warlord guilty of conscripting and enlisting children .
Thomas Lubanga is the court's first arrest and conviction .
Lubanga remains in custody pending sentencing . |
fb0d7a4691cd20373476a9ced23714ddf6f0b946 | (CNN) -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. has said he is ready to make the big-money fight with newly crowned WBO welterweight world champion Manny Pacquiao happen. After victory in Las Vegas over Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto on Saturday, Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said the "whole world" now wanted to see a fight with Mayweather. Reacting to the proposition the undefeated 32-year-old, who formerly held the WBC title at welterweight, told British broadcaster Sky Sports: "If he wants to fight Floyd Mayweather all he has to do is step up to the plate." The twice-voted Ring magazine fighter of the year added that he felt Pacquiao's approach was one-dimensional but the Filipino would be a favorite with the crowd. "The thing is with Pacquaio I don't see any versatility as a fighter; he's a good puncher but just one-dimensional. Is Pacquiao the greatest? "The world's going to go 'wow' if Floyd Mayweather gets beaten. That's what everyone is looking to see. "If I beat Manny Pacquaio do you know what they are going to say? 'You are supposed to beat him, you are Floyd Mayweather, you are the bigger man'. If I knock him out they'll say 'you're supposed to knock him out he's been knocked out before'. "I'm in a no-win situation and when I beat him no one is going to be surprised because he's been beaten before; whatever I do to Pacquaio has been done before - he's been beaten on three occasions. And if I knock him out I don't want the world shouting because he's been knocked out twice before." If the fight goes ahead it is expected to challenge the mark set by Oscar De La Hoya's bout with Floyd Mayweather for the most profitable in history. Money generated from pay-per-view subscriptions earned the two fighters an estimated combined total of $77 million in 2007. Mayweather, whose nickname is "Money," said: "If I go out and make $60-75 million in one night; come on - I'm not losing." | Manny Pacquiao is the new WBO welterweight world champion .
Floyd Mayweather Jr. used to hold the WBC title in the division and is undefeated in 40 fights .
Mayweather's fight with Oscar De La Hoya gave a record $77 million payday for fighters .
A Pacquiao bout with Mayweather expected to eclipse this total . |
fb0dbc98de898583ecc61b12ea44a3eab9fcf53a | Frank Lampard is to be offered an ambassadorial role with the FA as part of a strategy to keep former England players involved with the national team. The Manchester City midfielder’s stock has soared since being being forced out of Chelsea in the summer. He signed to play for New York City in Major League Soccer in the new year but FA chiefs want to tap into his vast experience. Frank Lampard's stock has soared since being being forced out of Chelsea in the summer . Lampard chats with Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini during a training session on Monday . Although the 36-year-old retired from international duty after winning his 106th cap at the World Cup, Lampard impressed England boss Roy Hodgson and FA officials with the way he mentored the squad’s young players in Brazil. Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, who also retired from international football in the summer, is another earmarked for an ambassadorial post. Lampard impressed with the way he mentored England's young players in Brazil . Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard is another earmarked for an ambassadorial post. | Frank Lampard to be offered an ambassadorial role as part of a strategy to keep former England players involved with the national team .
He impressed England boss Roy Hodgson and FA officials with the way he mentored the squad's young players in Brazil .
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard is another earmarked for an ambassadorial post. |
fb0dded5f210f2400cfad65d4213c3493f75210d | One of Britain's worst boxers who is so bad he describes himself as a 'human punchbag' is getting back in the ring despite losing his last 50 fights in a row. Robin Deakin, 27, won his first professional bout in 2006 but has lost every bout since then and currently has the worst professional record in the country. He has been knocked out 12 times in his last 50 fights and has performed so badly that he even had his British boxing licence taken away. Beaten: Boxer Robin Deakin collapses in the ring as he is defeated by Ryan Taylor (right) in London. Robin has lost 50 fights in a row and is thought to be Britain's worst boxer . Human punchbag: Robin Deakin (right) is hit in the face by Ran Taylor as he is defeated in January 2012. He has lost 50 fights in a row after winning his first bout . Defeated: Robin gets checked over by a doctor after being defeated by Ryan Taylor in January 2012 . But rather than give up, Robin got a permit issued in Germany so he can carry on fighting. Despite his half a century of losses, he is preparing for his next clash against an as yet unnamed fighter in London on March 1. Robin, of East Tilbury, Essex, said: 'I've been a human punch bag. I'd love a title. I'll probably never get one, but I feel like I deserve it. 'My record doesn't reflect my abilities really. There have been several times where I think I should have won on points, or got a knockout, and the decision has gone the other way. 'I think people expect me to lose now - but you can bet that I try my best to win every single time I step in the ring. Despite my record boxing is all I know, all I live for.' Robin turned professional after a successful amateur career which saw him win 40 out of 75 bouts, including making it to the semi-finals of the British Youth Championships. Defeated: Robin Deakin (left) is beaten again - this time by Billy Morgan in February 2011 as he wracked up 50 losses in a row . Another defeat: Robin Deakin is hit in the face by Billy Morgan during their bout in 2011. In total, Deakin has lost 50 out of his 51 professional fights and lost his licence . Fight club: Super featherweight Billy Morgan (right) defeats Robin Deakin in Bethnal Green, London, in February 2011 . It's a knockout: Bill Morgan (right) swings his fist at Robin Deakin on the way to victory during their bout in Bethnal Green, London, in February 2011 . But since then he has one of the worst boxing records of all time . turning pro records office BoxRec say he has one of the worst boxing records of all time. He said: 'When fights have been set up for me, they haven't always had my best interests at heart - I've been paying people's mortgages and it's cost me my licence. 'You look at boxers like Amir Khan and they have one big fight a year, at one point I had 19 fights in 24 weeks. Defeated again: Tommy Caris (right) has Robin Deakin on the ropes as he defeats him in a lightweight contest in Olympia, Liverpool, in January 2012 . Loser again: George Michael Carman (right) hits Robin as he is defeated in December 2011. He has now clocked up 50 defeats in a row . 'I would get a call saying someone has dropped out and can I take their place. One fight I had seven hours' notice, and most of that was spent on a train to Birmingham.' Born with a club foot, Robin endured 60 operations and could not walk until he was six. He said: 'I've been boxing for 21 years. I took it up to build my own confidence, make my legs stronger and make people proud of me. I think I'm still doing that. 'I hope my comeback will make the British boxing authority give me back my licence so I can carry on living my dream.' His record is still better than Peter Buckley who quit the sport in 2008 after losing 256 out of 300 professional fights. Victory: George Michael Carman holds his arms aloft after defeating Deakin on points in December 2011 . The UK's boxing regulatory authority, the British Boxing Board of Control, suspended Deakin's licence in 2012 when they began worrying for his health after sustaining so many blows to the head. BBBC General Secretary Robert Smith said: 'What needs to be stated here is that he has no British Boxing Board of Control licence. 'He had his licence withdrawn for his own interests. Robin's forthcoming fight is nothing to do with the BBBC. 'If he wishes to reapply for his licence, that will be considered, but he had his licence taken away for his best interests. 'The sad thing here is that Robin is a very nice young man. Everybody likes him, and he's mad on boxing. We felt for his own welfare he should be stopped. 'We have a duty of care to individuals and we would never knowingly sanction a fight with somebody incapable of boxing.' Mr Smith added: 'The record looks worse than it is. He always put up a good show. He always did his very very best. 'He has had his time, and we wish him the best in any future endeavours.' Clunking fist: Lewis Pettitt swings a punch at Robin Deakin in October 2010 as 'Britain's worst boxer' is defeated again . Beating: Robin takes a hit from Lewis Pettitt. After winning his first ever fight in 2006, the 'human punchbag' has now lost 50 bouts in a row . | Robin Deakin, 27, won his first fight in 2006 but has lost every one since .
He has been knocked out 12 times as he wracked up 50 defeats .
Deakin has performed so badly he had his boxing licence taken away .
But he hasn't given up the fight and instead got a permit issued in Germany .
He will take on his next opponent on March 1 despite his terrible record . |
fb0e23daa0cf98e42e44ebd0701c0e68764874c1 | By . Tamara Cohen . PUBLISHED: . 18:36 EST, 12 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:36 EST, 12 August 2013 . Charities will receive guidelines on ‘appropriate levels’ of pay in the wake of revelations of chief executives receiving six-figure salaries. An investigation last week found that 14 UK foreign aid charities – including Save the Children, the British Red Cross and Oxfam – agreed to pay rises despite donations falling. International Development Secretary Justine Greening called for more transparency as MPs complained that people donating after emotional TV appeals may feel misled. High earners: Among the highest paid chief executives of charities are Justin Forsyth, left, a former New Labour adviser who earns £163,000 as chief executive of Save the Children, and British Red Cross' Sir Nick Young, right, who earned £184,000 last year . Yesterday, it emerged the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, which represents charities in England and has 10,000 members, will draw up guidance for charity trustees ‘on how to go about determining senior staff remuneration’. The advice, which will be the first code of conduct about pay in the charity sector, is set to be published next spring. Chief executive Sir Stuart Etherington, who is calling on the Charity Commission to set up a working group on pay levels, said yesterday: ‘The public are right to ask that their donations are spent effectively and efficiently. ‘Setting senior staff salaries is a complex task for trustees, who have to balance many factors to determine the right pay level in their organisation. ‘I believe definitive guidance would be a useful resource for trustees and would help give the public confidence that salaries have been properly considered. ‘I’m pleased the Commission is responding positively to our proposal to work together on this.’ Former Oxfam chief executive Dame Barbara Stocking, pictured left with Miriam Gonzalez Durantez (right), wife of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, was another high earner . A spokesman for the Charity Commission said: ‘We welcome this initiative from NCVO to work on an advisory code for charity trustees when setting senior staff salaries, and we would be happy to be involved in a process that supports trustees to fulfil their duties when making decisions.’ Priti Patel, the Conservative MP who said charities should spend less on executive salaries, said: ‘The Charity Commission should be commended for taking this positive step by looking at the wholly inappropriate levels of executive pay across the charitable sector.’ Charity Commission head William Shawcross said that high salaries risked bringing the sector ‘into disrepute’. It emerged last week that of the 14 charities on the Disaster Emergency Committee, six executives earn more than the Prime Minister, and 30 were on six-figure salaries. Among the highest paid are Justin Forsyth, a former New Labour adviser who earns £163,000 as chief executive of Save the Children, and British Red Cross chief executive Sir Nick Young, who earned £184,000 last year. Dame Barbara Stocking of Oxfam took home £119,560 before stepping down this year. Charlie Elphicke MP, who sits on the public administration select committee, said: ‘Charity bosses need to remind themselves that charity is a vocation, not an opportunity for personal enrichment. ‘More people will volunteer and donate when they know charitable funds are targeted at the front line rather than the boardroom.’ But charities say their pay is lower than levels in the private sector and they ‘need to attract the best people’. | Investigation found that 14 .
UK foreign aid charities – including Save the Children, the British Red .
Cross and Oxfam – agreed to pay rises .
First code of conduct about pay in the charity sector due to be published next spring .
Charity Commission head: high salaries risked bringing the sector ‘into disrepute' |
fb0e8598f01c01ce71093b0873617e4e319a6f90 | Nigeria defended its response to the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls by the terror group Boko Haram, even as details emerged Tuesday about a second mass abduction, adding to a growing global outrage over the fate of the children. President Goodluck Jonathan has been under fire over accusations the government initially ignored and then later downplayed the abduction of the girls, who have become the focal point of a social media campaign demanding their safe return. "The President and the government (are) not taking this as easy as people all over the world think," Doyin Okupe, a spokesman for Jonathan told CNN. "We've done a lot -- but we are not talking about it. We're not Americans. We're not showing people, you know, but it does not mean that we are not doing something." In detailing the government's response, two special battalions have been devoted to the search for the missing girls, Okupe said. That includes 250 locations that have been searched by helicopters and airplanes. It was unclear whether these were additional troops being dispatched or were forces already in place. More troops, he said, are also on the way. But the father of two of the schoolgirls taken by Boko Haram told CNN there has been no sign of the military in the days and weeks following the abduction. He accused the government of "playing" with the parents of the missing girls, treating them as "fools." "Had there been these military men who went into the bush to rescue our daughters, we would have seen them," said the father, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals by the government and the terror group. "...We have never seen any military man there." U.S. offer of military help . In a sign that Nigeria may be bowing to international pressure and outrage, the government announced the creation of an information center dedicated to answering questions and providing daily updates about rescue efforts, Okupe said. Nigeria's President also accepted an offer of U.S. military support in the search for the girls. "So what we've done is — we have offered, and it's been accepted — help from our military and our law enforcement officials," U.S. President Barack Obama told NBC News on Tuesday. "We're going to do everything we can to provide assistance to them." That help includes the creation of a "coordination cell" to provide intelligence, investigations and hostage negotiation expertise, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. The cell will include U.S. military personnel, she said. The joint coordination cell will be established at the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Abuja, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the work is expected to begin immediately. But even as the help was offered to Jonathan, new details were emerging about the abduction of at least eight girls between the ages of 12 and 15, who were snatched Sunday night from the village of Warabe. The village is located in the rural northeast, near the border of Cameroon, an area considered a stronghold for Boko Haram, a group that U.S. officials say has received training from al Qaeda affiliates. Villagers in Warabe told CNN that gunmen moved from door-to-door late Sunday, snatching the girls and beating anybody who tried to stop them. The latest abductions come amid international outcry over the April 14 kidnapping of more than 200 girls. According to accounts, armed members of Boko Haram overpowered security guards at an all-girls school in Chibok, yanked the girls out of bed and forced them into trucks. The convoy of trucks then disappeared into the dense forest bordering Cameroon. Boko Haram: A bloody insurgency, a growing challenge . 'Western education is sin' Boko Haram translates to "Western education is sin" in the local Hausa language, and the group has said its aim is to impose a stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Africa's most populous nation, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south. The United States has branded Boko Haram a terror organization and has put a $7 million bounty on the group's elusive leader, Abubakar Shekau. In recent years, the group has stepped up its attacks, bombing schools, churches and mosques. But it is the abductions of girls that has spawned the biggest outrage, with a #BringBackOurGirls campaign that initially began on Twitter and then quickly spread with demonstrators taking to the streets over the weekend in major cities around the world to demand action. 6 reasons why the world should demand action . On Tuesday, the United Nations human rights chief blasted Boko Haram, saying the group's claim of slavery and sexual slavery of girls are "crimes against humanity." "The girls must be immediately returned, unharmed, to their families," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a news release. 'I abducted your girls' A man claiming to be Shekau appeared in a video announcing he would sell his victims. The video was first obtained Monday by Agence-France Presse. "I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah," he said, according to a CNN translation from the local Hausa language. "There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell. I will sell women. I sell women." In the nearly hourlong, rambling video, Shekau repeatedly called for an end to Western education. "Girls, you should go and get married," he said. Pillay, along with three other African United Nations women leaders, sent a letter reminding the Nigerian government of its "legal responsibility to ensure that girls and boys have the fundamental right to education and to be protected from violence, persecution and intimidation," according to her statement. In the United States, all 20 women serving in the Senate signed a bipartisan letter calling on Obama to take action. "More can be done by this administration. I would like to see special forces deployed to help rescue these young girls. Some of these girls are as young as nine years old," Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told CNN. "...They're being sold into slavery, forced into marriages, required to convert. This is just horrible." More than 355,000 people, including celebrities and lawmakers, to date have signed a change.org petition that calls upon the world to act to save the girls. The petition calls on Jonathan and the government "to ensure all schools are safe places to learn, protected from attack." 'You can never rule out surprise' Nigerian Minister of Information Labaran Maku told CNN that despite international reaction and media reports, there have been some successes in combating Boko Haram. But when asked about bombings in Abuja, which came the same day as the mass abduction of schoolgirls, he said: "In the case of insurgency and guerrilla warfare, you can never rule out surprise here and there." He also declined to agree that misinformation released by the military in the aftermath of the April kidnapping added to the growing outrage. First, the military said all the girls had been released or rescued. But after the girls' families began asking where their daughters were, the military retracted the statement. "When they made that statement, it was based on a report they received," the minister said. Nigeria's finance minister said Monday that her country's government remains committed to finding the girls but should have done a better job explaining the situation to the public. "Have we communicated what is being done properly? The answer is no, that people did not have enough information," Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told CNN's Richard Quest. What's at stake in war against girls' kidnappers? CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery . | The father of two missing girls says there has been no sign of Nigerian military .
"We have never seen any military man there," the father says .
Nigeria's President is not "taking this as easy as people all over the world think"
Nigerian village residents say armed men took eight more girls late Sunday . |
fb0f5dc735771cebbb0c9c4bb2b70ef3b212d9b8 | By . Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 10:03 EST, 28 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:24 EST, 28 October 2012 . Horrific: Attorney Maggie Baumer nearly lost her arm after trying to enter her apartment via garbage chute . A New York City lawyer is lucky to have her arm after she tried to enter a garbage chute in attempts to enter her ground-floor apartment. Maggie Baumer was locked out of her Chelsea apartment, and had tried to jump through the garbage chute around 5am Sunday morning, activating a trash compactor. The young woman was stuck in the compactor in excruciating pain for some 45 minutes before FDNY workers could free her. According to the New York Post, Ms Baumer had lent her keys to a friend and forget to ask for them back. Rather than calling a locksmith or her friend, she buzzed several different apartments until someone let her in the building. To get to her ground-floor apartment, she tried to enter a trash compactor that would take her to the cellar, where she could then go through a window back into her apartment, the Post reported. But rather than go down into the cellar, Ms Baumer was trapped by the compactor, which triggered a hydraulic piston to activate, crushing her arm. Place of residence: Ms Bauman lives in this apartment building in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood . A spokesperson for the FDNY told MailOnline that emergency workers arrived to the scene around 5:50am this morning. They said that Ms Baumer was trapped in the compactor for about 45 minutes, in excruciating pain. Firefighters and other emergency workers gave her morphine to cope with the pain, the Post reported. When they extricated her, Ms Baumer’s arm was nearly severed. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, and remains in critical condition after undergoing surgery. Alcohol could have played a factor in the bizarre accident, a source told the New York Daily News. According to her biography on Goldstein & Lee’s website, Ms Baumer graduated from Tufts University’s law school and joined the firm full-time shortly after. | Maggie Baumer had been out late during last night's Halloween festivities .
Tried to enter ground-floor apartment via a garbage chute when her arm was trapped after hydraulic piston was triggered by her motion .
Rescue workers said she was stuck for agonizing 45 minutes . |
fb0fc2cd83143f83c90169ca0b6f389ce3bf40de | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday addressed issues ranging from the sex abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church to the easy availability of pornography to the "alarming decrease" in Catholic marriages in the United States. The pope arrives to address U.S. bishops in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He spoke at a prayer service with U.S. bishops at Washington's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Roman Catholic church in North America. Benedict said the sexual abuse of children by priests has caused a "deep shame" and called it "gravely immoral behavior." "Many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain that your communities have suffered when clerics have betrayed ... their obligations," he told the bishops. Responding to the situation has not been easy and was sometimes very badly handled, the pope admitted. Watch the pope address the issue » . "It is vitally important that the vulnerable are always shielded from souls who would cause harm," he said. The pope then turned his attention to a different concern involving kids. "What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today?" he asked. Benedict urged the media and entertainment industry to take part in a "moral renewal." Earlier Wednesday, President Bush, first lady Laura Bush and more than 13,500 spectators welcomed Benedict in an elaborate ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. In remarks greeting the pope to the White House, Bush called the United States "a nation of prayer." Bush was interrupted by applause as he said, "In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred and that each of us is willed." Benedict responded by praising the role of religion in the United States. "From the dawn of the republic, America's quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God the creator," he said. Watch Benedict talk about his hopes for the trip » . Earlier, a U.S. Marine Corps band performed the national anthem of the Holy See as well as "The Star-Spangled Banner." A fife and drum corps in Colonial costumes also played tunes, including "Yankee Doodle," and soprano Kathleen Battle sang "The Lord's Prayer." The day, with perfect spring weather, was also the pontiff's 81st birthday. After the ceremony concluded, the crowd, led by Battle, serenaded Benedict with "Happy Birthday" as he smiled from a White House balcony. Watch a priest who has known Benedict for years tell what he's like » . Guests on the South Lawn included Catholic clergy, ecumenical representatives, Catholic schoolchildren, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Sisters of the Poor and Knights of Columbus. Event planners faced an enormous demand for tickets for what White House press secretary Dana Perino called "one of the largest arrival ceremonies ever held at the White House." Following the ceremony, Bush and the pope had a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office. The pope left the White House at about noon in his distinctive "popemobile." His massive motorcade moved slowly down the wide avenues of the U.S. capital to the Vatican Embassy, where the pope is staying. Crowds of enthusiastic spectators waved U.S. and Vatican flags and screamed as the pontiff rode past. A smiling Benedict arrived Tuesday at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to cheers from a crowd of invited guests. The pontiff was greeted by Bush, the first lady and their daughter Jenna, each of whom shook his hand. It was believed to be the first time an American president has greeted a world dignitary on arrival at Andrews. It marks Benedict's first visit to the United States as pope. Watch how the pope's visit could affect the presidential campaign » . Security will be tight during the six-day visit, with 27 state, local and federal agencies protecting the pope as he meets with religious leaders, celebrates Mass at two baseball stadiums and makes his way around in the popemobile. Benedict faces no specific threats, according to the FBI, but a March audio message from Osama bin Laden mentioned the pontiff. The centerpiece of the trip's Washington leg will be Thursday's Mass at Nationals Park, a new baseball stadium where 46,000 people will gather to see the pope. Everyone must go through metal detectors on entering, and nearby roads and bridges will be closed. Temporary flight restrictions will be in place over the stadium, and a 1½-mile section of the adjacent Anacostia River will be closed during the Mass. Benedict will travel to New York on Friday and address the U.N. General Assembly, linking the visit to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He'll celebrate Mass on Sunday morning at Yankee Stadium. Where will the pope be? » . One of the stated goals of the pope's visit is to energize the U.S. Catholic community with its estimated 70 million members. Three years after succeeding Pope John Paul II, Benedict is likely to also address the church's relationship with other faiths, the U.S.-led war in Iraq and the upcoming U.S. presidential election, said John Allen, a CNN Vatican analyst. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Elaine Quijano contributed to this report. | NEW: Pope tells bishops abuse of children was "gravely immoral behavior"
Pope, president discuss Middle East, Latin America, says White House .
Six-day, two-city visit to U.S. marks Pope Benedict XVI's first as pope .
Pope will celebrate Mass at stadium Thursday, travel to New York on Friday . |
fb103023f66f6d26d5395298b67e8842977b077c | By . John Drayton . PUBLISHED: . 18:05 EST, 15 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:30 EST, 15 February 2014 . Villarreal's La Liga match at home to Celta Vigo was halted shortly before the final whistle and delayed by about half an hour after what appeared to be a tear gas canister was thrown on to the pitch on Saturday. Celta were leading 1-0 at the Madrigal and there were about three minutes left when the canister, which local media said contained tear gas, landed near the visitors' goal and began spewing out a thick cloud of white smoke. Both sets of players, some of whom were clearly suffering from the effects of the gas, retreated inside the stadium and fans quickly left the ground, with many covering their mouths and noses and in obvious distress. VIDEO: Scroll down to see Villarreal's match with Celta Vigo suspended due to tear gas . Flashpoint: Villarreal's forward Jonathan Pereira kicks a smoke bomb thrown onto the pitch at El Madrigal . Stamp it out: Pereira attempts to extinguish the missile . In the smoke: Villarreal's Jonathan Pereira runs to kick a tear gas canister during the match with Celta Vigo at El Madrigal . Unsavoury scenes: Villarreal's Tomas Pina shields his mouth after a tear gas canister was thrown on to the pitch during the match with Celta Vigo . Covering up: Stewards and security at the Villarreal match against Celta Vigo try to stop breathing in the tear gas . Celta goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez was seen running away . from the smoke rubbing his eyes. The visitors were leading 1-0 when the game was interrupted after Fabian Orellana's score in the . The game was restarted and Celta's Manuel Agudo scored off a free kick in the 90th minute to give the visitors a 2-0 victory. Villarreal president Fernando Roig said police are looking for the person who threw the bomb. He said the device had released tear gas and was similar to ones used by police. 'Villarreal condemns and laments what has happened,' Roig said. 'This type of act in no way represents our fan base, which is calm and controlled. I am convinced that this was done by someone who came from outside to hurt Villarreal.' Villarreal midfielder Bruno Soriano added, 'These things can't happen in our house. I hope the person is found.' Celta coach and former Barcelona player Luis Enrique said he had never experienced anything like it in a game before. 'Everyone thought it was a flare, but when we saw (goalkeeper) Yoel (Rodriguez's) eyes, which were bright red, we immediately realized that it was something more dangerous,' he said. 'This should never have happened.' The loss left Villarreal in fifth place, four points behind the final Champions League spot. Take cover: Tomas Pina reacts after a tear gas canister is thrown at Villarreal . Painful: Celta goalkeeper Yoel RodrÃguez rubs his eyes after a canister of tear gas was thrown on to the pitch . Making an exit: Fans inside El Madrigal try to make their way out after a canister of tear was thrown on to the pitch . Taking their leave: Fans leave El Madrigal after a canister of tear gas was thrown on to the pitch . Effects: A Villarreal fan heads for the exit after the cannister was set off . Anger: Villarreal president Fernando Roig (right) stands beside policeman after the incident . | Match stopped for half an hour in closing stages at El Madrigal .
Canister thrown on to pitch which produced a thick cloud of smoke .
Fans left the ground in obvious distress .
Celta Vigo ran out 2-0 winners when the match was restarted . |
fb1076884cfa729728baa87339fd92c9e71b5e84 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 08:06 EST, 3 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:32 EST, 4 February 2014 . A winter storm dumped several inches of wet, heavy snow on parts of the eastern United States on Monday, snarling commutes and Super Bowl fans' trips home, closing schools and government offices, cutting power and delaying or canceling more than 7,000 flights across the country. Fat flakes fell in Philadelphia and New York, creating slushy sidewalks and streets and all but erasing all memory of Sunday's temperatures in the 50s. The storm began moving out of the region Monday afternoon, making way for another system expected to sweep in from the Plains with ice and snow late Tuesday and early Wednesday. The National Weather Service reported about 8 inches of snow near Frostburg, Md., while parts of southern Ohio and West Virginia got about 10 inches. Totals in the Philadelphia area ranged from 3 to 9 inches; New York saw as much as 7 inches by 3 p.m. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Mess: More than 7,000 flights were delayed or cancelled Monday due to a brutal winter storm that left several inches of snow across the East Coast . Risky: Even after being de-iced, several airlines decided that flying in the storm would be too risky . LaGuardia: New York City was hit with up to nine inches of snow in some areas, including LaGuardia Airport in Queens . Government offices, courts and schools closed in parts of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and scattered power outages were reported throughout the region. Speed limits were reduced on many major highways. In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency with travel conditions hazardous. Nonessential government employees were dismissed early. By late afternoon, the flight-tracking website FlightAware reported more than 4,300 delayed flights and 1,900 canceled flights nationwide in cities including Philadelphia, Newark, N.J., and New York. Inbound flights to those airports were delayed one to three hours because of snow and ice. Russ Louderback, of Fishers, Ind., and his 11-year-old son Mason had gone to New Jersey to see the Super Bowl but suffered a triple whammy of bad luck: Their beloved Denver Broncos lost, they got stuck in an hours-long traffic jam leaving the stadium and their Monday afternoon flight home was canceled. 'It was so congested we couldn't get out of New Jersey, even though we left early because our team lost,' said Louderback, a hotel executive. Delayed: The flights that weren't cancelled due to snow were delayed, in some cases up to several hours . Super Storm: Many of those in New York to attend the Super Bowl on Sunday were stuck in the airport for hours waiting through flight delays . Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was among the stranded travelers after her return flight to Phoenix was canceled Monday, a spokesman said. Brewer attended the big game as part of the ceremonial handoff of hosting duties; next year's Super Bowl is in Glendale, Ariz. Francois Emond, of Alma, Quebec, arrived at Newark Airport at 6 a.m. Monday to find his flight home had been canceled. Wearing a Seattle Seahawks championship hat and an ear-to-ear smile, he said he didn't care about the cancellation or the weather in light of Seattle's victory. He planned to spend an extra night at his hotel in New York. 'The night will be very short,' Emond said. 'When you win a Super Bowl for the first time, the night is very, very short.' In Connecticut, architect Frank Emery described messy conditions outside as he stopped at a coffee shop in New Haven. Repeat: Another storm is expected to hit the East Coast again sometime on Tuesday . 'A lot of people must have called in sick after the Super Bowl,' he said. 'It's not cleaned up as well as usual.' In Philadelphia, the airport experienced weather delays as long as four hours Monday morning. But the flight home for Seahawks fan George Shiley, of Snohomish, Wash., remained on schedule at midday. Shiley, a Seattle season ticket holder, had won a lottery for Super Bowl tickets. He and his buddy stayed in Philadelphia, about 85 miles southwest of the East Rutherford, N.J., stadium. 'It's been a great trip. I joked that `It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' - and it was, until today,' said Shiley, referring to the FX sitcom. At least two deaths and one serious injury were blamed on the storm. In western Kentucky, where the snow began falling Sunday, a man died that night when his car skidded into a snowplow. On Monday, a New York City man was fatally struck by a backhoe that was moving snow. A 10-year-old girl was in serious condition after she was impaled by a metal rod while sledding north of Baltimore. Another storm is likely to hit the region beginning Tuesday night, bringing a combination of rain, freezing rain and snow, said Gary Szatkowski, a weather service meteorologist in Mount Holly, N.J. Perhaps residents shouldn't be surprised, considering groundhog Punxsutawney Phil on Sunday predicted six more weeks of winter. There's also a possibility for a storm this weekend, Szatkowski said. 'I like to say Punxsutawney Phil agrees with me,' he said. 'Winter's not over, that's for sure.' Chaos: Traffic crawls along Hudson Street in New York City on Monday as snow begins to fall again after several days of mild weather. It is the first of three winter storms expected to hit the U.S. this week . Winter wonderland: People walk along a snow-covered 5th Avenue by Central Park in Manhattan Monday . Staying warm: Angel Hetemaj, 5, celebrates with her mother Samantha, as their bus pulls into view in New London, Connecticut on Monday morning as sleet and snow threatens to fall all day . Covered: Plows clear runways as snow falls at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey - the nearest airport to the Super Bowl stadium . Cancellations: United passenger Jan Cloos looks at her flights status at Newark Liberty International Airport . Lows: A weather map shows the chill and snow expected to fall across the country on Monday . Heavy snow: Parts of the Northeast could see as many as 12 inches of snow into Tuesday . Long lasting: The snow is expected to turn to rain in New York City later in the week . White out: People wait on a ferry boat in view of the Brooklyn Bridge during Monday's snow storm . Battling through: A woman carries one of her dogs through a snowy park in New York on Monday . Empty: A park employee carries a shovel through Bryant Park on 42nd Street in the snow on Monday . At least two deaths and one serious . injury were blamed on the storm. In western Kentucky, where the snow . began falling Sunday, a man died that night when his car skidded into a . snowplow. On Monday, a New York City man was fatally struck by a backhoe . that was moving snow. A 10-year-old girl was in serious condition after she was impaled by a metal rod while sledding north of Baltimore. Another . storm is likely to hit the region beginning Tuesday night, bringing a . combination of rain, freezing rain and snow, said Gary Szatkowski, a . weather service meteorologist in Mount Holly, N.J. Perhaps residents shouldn't be surprised, considering groundhog Punxsutawney Phil on Sunday predicted six more weeks of winter. There's also a possibility for a storm this weekend, Szatkowski said. 'I like to say Punxsutawney Phil agrees with me,' he said. 'Winter's not over, that's for sure.' Battle: A cyclist makes his way up the Hudson River Greenway as heavy snow falls on Monday in New York . Not happy: Snow collects on a dog's fur in Manhattan on Monday as as many as 8 inches begins to fall . Chill: The snow returned to New York City, pictured, after staying away for the Super Bowl this weekend . Bundled up: A woman walks through Union Square in New York City on Monday as snow falls around her . Delays: A jet is on the tarmac at Philadelphia Airport as flights were canceled across the U.S. Not in the moo-d: Snow gathers on a steer's head at Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts . Danger: A police officer walks a woman to his vehicle after her she slid her car off the road in Pennsylvania . Crash: Traffic backs up as vehicles move around a three vehicle crash in Plains, Pennsylvania on Monday . Winter walk: Lisa Drobka walks her dogs Louis and CiCi through the snow ain State College, Pennsylvania . The second storm is expected to reach . further across the country, blanketing Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City and . St Louis with heavy snow. Snow, . freezing rain and sleet is also expected to hit north and west of . Washington and Baltimore on Tuesday, the Weather Channel reported, . before turning to rain into Wednesday. Snow will also blanket western, central . and Upstate New York and New England, covering Buffalo, Albany, . Burlington, Boston and Portland, Maine. Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana . and Michigan could also get six or more inches of snow between Tuesday . and Wednesday, according to The Weather Channel, NBC reported. Snow . will later reach the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians and northwest . Texas, where winter weather advisories are already in place due to the . threat of freezing rain. On its way: A NOAA satellite image taken early Monday shows rain and snow across the Tennessee/Ohio Valley and Mid Atlantic regions as a winter storm descends on the country . Making the most of it: Two friends play in the snow at the Henderson golf course in Kentucky . Wrapped up: Tessa Moore makes her way to work in downtown New Bedford, Massachusetts Monday . Snow day: Bryan Walton pulls his sister, Camden, on a sled in Maysville, Kentucky, where 7 inches fell . Blanket: A woman takes photos of the snow on the New Haven Green, in New Haven, Connecticut . From . Tuesday, the ice could also spark power outages in western . Pennsylvania, western Maryland, northwest Virginia and eastern West . Virginia. Then the third winter storm is expected to hit the Rockies on Friday. 'We . don’t know the orientation or the path of the storm,' Walton said. 'There will likely be high impacts from the Midwest into the Northeast . and perhaps even the south Saturday and Sunday.' It comes just days after Atlanta was brought to a grinding halt by the snow to the South. | New York City could was hit with seven inches of snow by 3 p.m. Monday .
Nearly 7,000 flights have been delayed or canceled across the country .
Newark Airport - the closest airport to the Super Bowl stadium - was hit with the brunt of delays and cancellations .
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency .
Winter storms expected to land throughout the week, bringing sleet, snow and ice from Texas to Maine . |
fb109b96f66a38092fd5aeaba9ffd896eec840a9 | (CNN) -- The Tanzanian island of Zanzibar began three official days of mourning Sunday, a day after 200 people died when a ferry jammed with passengers and tons of cargo capsized amid strong waves. In addition to Tanzania, South Africa was sending divers and navy forces to help with recovery efforts, said Mohamed Aboud, the state minister of Zanzibar. British officials have also sent helicopters to help with the search efforts. "Right now, we are focusing on getting the bodies for the relatives, but you never know, God is God ... we might find people alive," he said. Rescuers saved 579 people, including 20 children, Aboud said. "A lot of children are going back to Zanzibar for school, so there were a lot on the ferry," said Ismail Katumba, a resident of Dar es Salaam. "It was so chaotic. It was so crowded." The minister said the ferry carries a maximum capacity of about 600 people and was traveling between the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. But additional passengers, who were apparently not registered, had also made their way onboard, he said. It capsized in predawn hours local time, sending passengers scrambling for any available objects to avoid getting swallowed by the dark waves, witnesses said. Some jumped atop mattresses floating from the cargo. Fisherman, local hotels and residents joined rescue crews to help in the search, authorities said. Rescue crews took bodies to a nearby tent. "You could hear people screaming loud and crying as bodies surfaced, mostly children," said Katumba, who lost a friend in the accident. "What you do is you just go over and start looking at the bodies to identify them." Most of the rescued were transported to local hospitals for treatment, and some have been discharged. President Ali Mohamed Shein of Zanzibar, who ordered the three days of mourning, also called for flags to fly at half staff. Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete also said the nation would mark three days of mourning starting Sunday. The government has buried dozens of unidentified victims, the minister said, and will maintain records for those searching for loved ones. Pemba and Zanzibar, the two main islands on the Zanzibar archipelago, are popular among tourists for their pristine sandy beaches on the Indian Ocean. Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania. CNN's Jim Clancy, Nicole Saidi, Samira Said and journalist Richard Mgamba contributed to this report . | NEW: Britain sends helicopters to help with the search efforts, official says .
South Africa is also sending divers and navy forces to help .
"Right now, we are focusing on getting the bodies for the relatives," official says .
Zanzibar is a popular tourist destination . |
fb10bb4cad406e4b59ede699c254f04167ca1a1b | By . Jonathan O'Callaghan for MailOnline . People who use Facebook and Twitter are less likely than others to share their opinions on hot-button issues, even when they are offline. That's according to a survey that challenges the view of social media as a vehicle for debate. The study suggests that sites like Facebook and Twitter might actually encourage self-censorship. Online loudmouths may be annoying, but a new survey suggests they are in the minority. In a report released Tuesday, the Pew Research Center found that most people who regularly use social media sites were actually less likely to share their opinions, even offline (stock image shown) The study was carried out by Pew Research Centre in Washington DC in conjunction with Rutgers University in New Jersey. Facebook is on a quest to 'weed out' links to ‘click-baiting’ stories that are designed to make people click on them. The social network says that by monitoring how long people spend reading news articles, as well as how they interact with them, it can prioritise the best content that pops up in people's News Feeds. In a blog post, research scientist Khalid El-Arini, and Joyce Tang, a product specialist at Facebook, said the firm has made improvements ‘to help people find the posts and links from publishers that are most interesting and relevant, and to continue to weed out stories that people frequently tell us are spammy and that they don’t want to see. Facebook said a survey revealed that 80 per cent of its users prefer headlines what make the content of an article crystal clear, so they can work out if a link is worth clicking on. Researchers said they detected what they call the 'spiral of silence' phenomenon: Unless people know their audience agrees, they are likely to shy away from discussing anything controversial. In other words, most people are more comfortable with ice-bucket challenges than political banter. 'People do not tend to be using social media for this type of important political discussion,' said Keith Hampton, a communications professor at Rutgers University who helped conduct the study. 'And if anything, it may actually be removing conversation from the public sphere.' The survey was conducted shortly after Edward Snowden acknowledged leaking classified intelligence that exposed widespread government surveillance of Americans' phone and email records. Hampton said the Snowden case provided researchers with a concrete example of a major national issue that divided Americans and dominated news coverage. Of the 1,801 adults surveyed, 86 per cent said they would be willing to discuss their views about government surveillance if it came up at various in-person scenarios, such as at a public meeting, at work or at a restaurant with friends. But just 42 per cent of Facebook or Twitter users said they would be willing to post online about it. In addition, the typical Facebook user - defined as someone who logs onto the site a few times per day - was actually half as likely to discuss the Snowden case at a public meeting as a non-Facebook user. Meanwhile, someone who goes on Twitter a few times per day was one-quarter as likely to share opinions in the workplace compared with those who never use Twitter. Only when a person felt that their Facebook network agreed with their opinion were they twice as likely to join a site discussion on the issue, the survey found. Researchers in Washington DC and New Jersey say Facebook (stock image shown) and Twitter are stifling people's opinions. In the study they found typical users were afraid to voice their opinions offline. They call this the 'spiral of silence' phenomenon where people shy away from discussing controversial topics . Another finding was that social media didn't make it easier for people to share opinions they wouldn't otherwise share. Of the 14 per cent of Americans unwilling to discuss the Snowden case with others in person, fewer than one-half of 1 per cent were willing to discuss it on social media. Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center Internet Project, said one explanation is it's possible that social media actually makes people sensitive to different opinions. 'Because they use social media, they may know more about the depth of disagreement over the issue in their wide circle of contacts,' he said. 'This might make them hesitant to speak up either online or offline for fear of starting an argument, offending or even losing a friend.' Hampton added that there is a concern that a person's fear of offending someone on social media stifles debate. 'A society where people aren't able to share their opinions openly and gain from understanding alternative perspectives is a polarised society,' he said. | Researchers at the Pew Research Centre in Washington DC and New Jersey say Facebook and Twitter are stifling people's opinions .
In a study they found typical users were afraid to voice their opinions offline .
They call this the 'spiral of silence' phenomenon where people shy away from discussing controversial topics unless they know their audience agrees .
In one finding people who regularly use Twitter were one quarter as likely to discuss opinions in the workplace to those who never use Twitter .
One alternate theory is that social media makes people more empathetic to the opinions of others . |
fb1170913351afbb1753440f513034809448a8e8 | By . Ashley Collman . PUBLISHED: . 12:15 EST, 9 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:54 EST, 9 March 2014 . Even in death, legendary American racehorse Native Diver is making moves. The remains of Native Diver are being exhumed at the recently-closed Hollywood Park racetrack to be moved to Del Mar. Native Diver was the seventh thoroughbred to win a million dollars and the first to do so in California. USC students, seen here, helped in the dig . Archaeologists Lynn Swartz Dodd said the dig was unusual, because 'Usually archaeologists are digging at sites that are a minimum of 50 years ago or earlier' Native Diver was the seventh thoroughbred to win a million dollars and the first to do so in California . Hollywood Park was Native Diver's hometown track but it closed last December after years of declining revenue. The racetrack will soon be replaced by an office building and shopping complex, but before that Native Diver's old owners decided to dig up the horse so that he could rest in a more appropriate location. 'He's racing royalty,' Richard Shapiro told the Los Angeles Times. 60-year-old Shapiro is the grandson of the man who bred Native Diver. 'You couldn't leave a horse like this beneath a real estate development.' It is hoped that Native Diver will have a more appropriate resting place . Richard Shapiro, grandson of the man who bred Native Diver, called the horse 'racing royalty' Native Diver was buried in a canvas bag and the nails from his horse shoes were still visible on the hooves . Money-maker: Racehorse Native Diver was one of the first to make a million dollars . Archaeologists Lynn Swartz Dodd and Tom Garrison are leading the dig, with the help of about a dozen students at the University of Southern California and were wrapping up the two-day dig on Sunday. Dodd told MailOnline that the dig was unique in that Native Diver was buried 'relatively recently'. 'Usually archaeologists are digging at sites that are a minimum of 50 years ago or earlier. Also, it's a bit unusual because most USC professors spend their time diffing outside the United States and this was the opportunity to work with our students locally.' Stomping grounds: Hollywood Park was Native Diver's hometown track. The race track is pictured above in June 1956. It as shuttered last December because of declining revenue . New home: Native Diver's final resting place will be at Del Mar race track. Above, a shot of the track on opening day, 2012 . Native Diver made headlines when he died just eight days after winning the Del Mar Handicap in 1967. At the dig site in Hollywood Park on Saturday, Garrison pointed out the racehorse emerging from the earth. 'He actually looks like he's running,' Garrison said. 'He never stopped.' Once fully-exhumed, Native Diver will be moved to Del Mar racetrack about 100 miles south. Dodd says she and her students found . Native Diver buried in a canvas bag and the nails from his horse shoes . were still visible on the hooves. The . dig presented some challenges, like the fact that they had to move a . 40,000-pound statue placed on top of the burial site while also working . around a recently leaked sewer pipe. 'Thankfully we have not found anyone else's skeleton,' Dodd joked. | Native Diver was one of the first race horses to earn over a million dollars .
When the thoroughbred died in 1967, it was buried at Hollywood Park .
Hollywood Park closed in December and an archaeology team was brought in to exhume Native Diver's body for reburial in Del Mar . |
fb119de33d4a562d2abd68cc75991166072bfdfa | When Mario Testino compared Cara Delevingne to Kate Moss, it is unlikely he was thinking of the picture on this picture. Nonetheless, the 20-year-old catwalk sensation showed she can match the supermodel in more ways than one. On a mammoth night of 12 hours of partying she managed to take in four top venues and hook up with a string of stars. Long night: Cara Delevingne pictured at 5am on Tuesday after 12 hours or partying . It was the kind of effort Miss Moss would have been proud of and ended in true style – with Miss Delevingne on her bottom after stumbling out of a house party at 5am yesterday. The young model’s marathon began shortly after her second appearance of the day at London Fashion Week – at the Burberry show at 4pm. By 6.30pm, casually dressed in a hoody and skinny trousers, she and friend Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Sir Mick, had turned up at East London pub The Cockpit, where they stayed for an hour and a half. Miss Delevingne then moved on to the War Child Brit Awards concert with Muse at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire where she bumped into One Direction star Harry Styles, whom she is rumoured to have once dated, singer Rita Ora and pop star Will.I.Am. From there, she popped in to the Dazed and Confused party at the Café Royal at around 11.30pm, where she chatted with Kate Moss’s husband Jamie Hince before heading to a bash at the West London home of football agent Dave Gardner. At 4pm on Monday Delevingne had looked her model best on the catwalk for Burberry before heading out with friend Georgia May Jagger . It was as she left there, alone, that . she lost her footing. By the time she eventually made it home, she is . thought to have been up for the best part of 24 hours. It was a night out even Miss Moss . would have been proud of. Memorably, her wilder outings have included . planning four parties spanning 34 hours to mark her 34th birthday - . although she called it a day after 18 hours. But while Miss Delevingne and Miss Moss, now 39, both enjoy a good night out, in other ways they could not be more different. The former was raised in a Belgravia . mansion, is granddaughter of Sir Jocelyn Stevens, the former boss of . English Heritage, and the Delevingne family are well-established members . of London’s society scene. Her grandmother was a lady-in-waiting to . Princess Margaret, her mother Pandora was a society beauty during the . 1980s who counts the Duchess of York as one of her close friends, and . her godmother is Joan Collins. It is all rather a far cry from the humbler origins of Croydon-born Miss Moss, who has been Britain’s top model since the 1990s. At 9pm she was pictured at the War Child Brit Awards concert with singer Rita Ora . At 12.30am Cara and friends chat to Harry Styles and Jamie Hince . Aside from their waif like frames, it . was a similarity in the two’s energy, attitude and personality which . prompted celebrated photographer Mario Testino to label Miss Delevingne . ‘the new Kate Moss’. Testino labelled Miss Delevingne ‘the new Kate Moss’ after recognising a similarity in the energy and attitude of the pair. In response, the younger model has said: ‘It’s crazy to even be considered in the same calibre as Kate, it’s a huge compliment but scary even to be mentioned in the same breath.’ Either way, Testino was clearly on to something. But no one can say 2012 was not a brilliant year for her. In addition to earning Testino’s praise, she won the Model of the Year award at the British Fashion Awards and starred in the famous Burberry advertising campaign alongside Romeo Beckham for which she earned £570,000. She has also appeared on the cover of fashion magazine Vogue. She takes a stumbble on the stairs as she leaves David Gardner's house party . The model tries to style it out as she trips on the staircase . Miss Delevingne, who is now said to be moving into a north London flat recently bought by her best friend Miss Jagger, has struck up a relationship with 18-year-old singing sensation Jake Bugg, who grew up on a tough Nottingham council estate. The singer-songwriter, who has been compared to Bob Dylan, attended the Burberry catwalk show on Monday afternoon. The pair have already been on a string of dates since meeting at the beginning of last month when the singer-songwriter performed at an event hosted by Burberry. Still feeling sleepy? Cara carries an array of pillows as she returns home . Speaking about Miss Delevingne’s relationship with the musician, her mother said: ‘I don’t think it’s anything serious at the moment. But she has told me about Jake and she says she thinks “he’s cute”. ‘I think they have been on a couple of dates together. I haven’t met him yet although I’m looking forward to meeting him. I think it is very early days.’ | Cara Delevingne packed in four top venues on Monday night .
The model met up with stars such as Georgia May Jagger and Harry Styles .
Mario Testino compared the young model to Kate Moss . |
fb11e9bbb908de6d33ad40347d84ebb2fbb42658 | By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 18:00 EST, 10 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:00 EST, 10 May 2013 . Referendum vote: Mr Cameron will allow Ministers a free vote next week when Eurosceptics force a vote on the failure to include legislation on an EU referendum in the Queen's speech . David Cameron is allowing senior Cabinet ministers to back an EU referendum Bill and vote against the Queen’s Speech. Eurosceptic MPs will next week force a vote condemning the Queen’s Speech for failing to include legislation on a referendum. The Prime Minister will be on a visit to the US but he has given colleagues a free vote on the issue. Eurosceptic ministers including Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, and even Foreign Secretary William Hague, are among at least 100 Conservatives who may support the move, sources said. Labour leader Ed Miliband will today announce that Labour will not back an in/out referendum on Europe, in a move that will dash the hopes of many of his own MPs who think he should match Mr Cameron’s pledge to hold a referendum after the next election. In a reference to UKIP leader Nigel Farage, he will accuse Mr Cameron of trying to ‘out-Farage Farage on Britain’s membership of the European Union’. He will say that the Prime Minister is ‘wrong’ to have announced that an in/out referendum will take place and will insist that Britain must stay in the EU. Although Mr Cameron is said to be ‘relaxed’ about next week’s vote, it will be unprecedented for members of the Cabinet to criticise the Queen’s Speech, which they are responsible for writing, in a parliamentary vote. The situation has come about because the Coalition cannot bring forward a Bill to reinforce Mr Cameron’s pledge of a referendum in late 2017 or early 2018 after a renegotiation of Britain’s membership, since it is not supported by the Lib Dems. But Tory Eurosceptics believe the party should underscore the commitment by attempting to introduce legislation, even if it is voted down by the Lib Dems and Labour. Vote: Iain Duncan Smith and William Hague are among 100 Tory MPs expected to support the move next week . They have tabled an amendment that states that the Commons ‘respectfully regrets that an EU referendum bill was not included in the Queen’s Speech’. Though next week’s vote will be largely symbolic, it is expected to be followed by a Bill tabled by backbenchers. Downing Street sources indicated that MPs and ministers may be allowed to vote in favour of that as well. TV presenter Des Lynam (pictured) threw his weight behind UKIP yesterday and said he had penned a song to celebrate. The former Grandstand host revealed he voted for the Eurosceptic party in last week’s local elections, although he admitted it was an act of protest. And – in a tongue-in-cheek reference to Ken Clarke’s description of UKIP candidates as clowns – he rewrote the lyrics to the Stephen Sondheim classic Send In The Clowns. Mr Lynam’s new lyrics include the verse: ‘We used to be rich / Now we are not / But here at last there’s a chance / To stop all the rot / Send in the clowns.’ His backing is another boost for UKIP, which received around a quarter of the vote. UKIP leader Nigel Farage pledged to lead a rendition of Mr Lynam’s song at the party’s next conference. And it is thought the Prime Minister might vote himself in favour of a private member’s Bill on the issue which is expected to be unveiled within weeks, though it stands no chance of becoming law without Labour and Lib Dem support. London Mayor Boris Johnson, Mr Cameron’s chief rival, yesterday said the Prime Minister’s approach was ‘completely right’. He said: ‘What we need to do is to say to our friends and partners: “Listen chums, this thing isn’t working for either of us”. ‘We need a renegotiation. We need to look at the way the thing is managed.’ The London Mayor said he would only vote to stay in the EU if there was a ‘substantial improvement’ when Britain renegotiates its relationship with Europe. ‘If you get rid of a lot of the barnacles that have accreted around business thanks to European Union regulation and legislation over the last 30 or 40 years, then I’d be content to stay in the single market. ‘But if not, then we should be absolutely clear that we’ve got to be ready to walk away.’ Tory MP Philip Hollobone said that ‘a very large number’ of MPs would support next week’s EU referendum amendment to the Queen’s Speech. ‘There are 81 Conservative MPs who rebelled on the EU referendum issue last time. I wouldn’t be surprised if the number is in excess of 100,’ he said. ‘The Prime Minister is making it quite clear that he wants to have a referendum by the end of 2017, provided he wins. We have to hold his feet to the flames to make sure that comes about.’ Bill Cash, chairman of the European scrutiny committee, said: ‘We need a referendum this side of the general election.’ | Eurosceptic MPs will force vote on EU referendum law next week .
They will condemn Queen's speech for failing to include plans for legislation .
Ed Miliband will say today that Labour will not back in/out referendum . |
fb12330f8b092e3f88cfe19d81a1c31628314502 | A 26-year-old man decided there was more to life and gave up everything so he could travel the world in a converted van. Bored with his conventional life in the UK, systems engineer Mike Hudson, 26, has spent 300 days travelling 10,000 miles in a £2,500 LDV Convoy van. The adventurer, from Sheffield, converted the vehicle into his very own 'studio apartment' complete with bedroom-lounge-diner, walk in shower room, 200-watt solar power system, fridge and gas cooker. Scroll down for video . Mike Hudson has already travelled some 10,000 miles after starting a new chapter of his life in his van . The 26-year-old decided to leave Sheffield and travel the world, and right, he earns money fire-juggling . Mike spent four-months refitting the van and set off from his home city to live in some of Europe's most striking wildernesses and cities. He worked in an office during the day while learning to build websites and researching how to refit his van in his evenings. Mike explained how he reached the decision to make such a dramatic change in lifestyle. 'I lived in Sheffield and I really love that city,' he said. 'I have loads of great friends in England and I had my own place which rented with a friend, a car and a good job. Mr Hudson now takes in some of the more spectacular views around the world as he tours with his van . This is the scene that Mr Hudson was more used to on a daily basis; Sheffield . 'Looking back though, I was quite miserable the year before travelling. I felt a bit trapped, and I had a feeling of - is this it? This can't be it. 'I wanted something different - adventure, experience and challenge. I was bored, and living on the road was a daydream I couldn't get rid of. 'I was lucky everyone there was really cool when I told them my plans to leave the UK and travel the world in my truck. 'I was nervous, scared, excited and relieved because I knew there was no going back. It's a bit of a life experiment.' Mr Hudson paid £2,500 for the LDV van, and spent a fair amount of time making it into his 'home' There is space in the back of the van now to dine, relax and then sleep, with a nice wood finish . Mr Hudson has added in extra storage space for some of life's essentials as he travels around the world . Mike, who left the UK in March last year and is currently in the paradise Greek island of Santorini, managed to scrape together £4,500 to finance his new life. He now survives on a daily budget of just ten-pounds per day by diesel sharing with hitchhikers, generating money from his online blog and juggling fire as a street performer. Highlights of Mike's journey include crossing the incredible Transfagersan pass in Romania, taking part in Hungary's SUN music festival and spotting brown bears in the forest. 'In Slovakia, I did a three-point turn in a narrow mountain road and the back wheels slipped off the edge of the crumbling road. This is how Mr Hudson's home started - more akin to a painter and decorator's pack-up than a home . Mr Hudson spent four months preparing the van for the next journey of his life . 'My foot was pressing so hard on the brake, there was fluid leaking onto the road, I couldn't let go because I'd go off the road down the hill, backwards. 'My van is rear wheel drive so I had to be towed out. 'I really didn't think I'd get out of that situation.' So far Mike has travelled from England to France, Spain and Portugal, then he travelled east to Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria to eventually reach Greece. Mike has travelled from England to France, Spain and Portugal, then he travelled east to Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary among others . Mr Hudson has ensured he can dine with a little bit of style, despite eating out of the back of a £2,500 van . There was even enough room to fit a toilet into the van, and right, a general view from the back . Despite the drama of life on the road, Mike explained why he has no firm plans to return home at the moment. 'I like England, but the winter and lack of light kills me - plus it's too cold to live in a van during winter,' he said. 'I want to look back when I'm older and think - yes I was living, and I made the most I could out of life. Mr Hudson has said he has no firm plans to return home at the moment after taking in some wonderful sights . Mike Hudson (back row second from left) celebrates in a pub with friends before his world trip . 'I describe everything in my blog and whether this gives people a kick in the right direction to follow their dreams, or helps them in some way with van conversions or travel then I'm happy. 'Eventually, I want my website to be a resource for anyone who wants to convert a van into their home with minimal skills and tools, as well as guides for living and travelling in a van. 'This is a great way to travel and live.' For more information visit www.vandogtraveller.com . | Mike Hudson has spent 300 days travelling 10,000 miles in a £2,500 van .
LDV van has bedroom-lounge-diner, toilet, fridge and gas cooker .
Decided to travel after becoming 'trapped' in his life in Sheffield .
Has crossed the incredible Transfagersan pass in Romania and took part in Hungary's SUN music festival . |
fb1235ab739ae302d18b184210e7d98c65c759d7 | (CNN)Ambitious companies that ignore the imminent rise of Virtual Assistants as the gateway to the Internet run the same risks as those that dismissed the disruptive innovations of Google in 1998. The current generation of VAs are consumer products like Apple Siri, Google Now, Microsoft Cortana. Smaller innovators like Viv Labs are pursuing a less hardware or operating system dependent architecture. In the enterprise marketplace VA capabilities feature in technologies like IBM's Watson and Amelia from IPsoft. In 2014, there has been a surge in acquisitions of related artificial intelligence technologies by all the major technology companies. Rapid advancements in the underlying technologies have also been taking place -- from neural networks to natural language processing to wearables and emotional recognition systems. The launch of the first mainstream high-impact VA is perhaps four or five years away. What will a VA do? VAs will monitor mental and physical well-being, support lifestyle goals and ambitions through suggestions, prompts, and coaching. They will alert you when friends are nearby, translate both language and culture, help you budget or even intervene when you overextend. Just like a guardian or parent, they will advise you to avoid walking down a particular road at night, or tell you to apply sunscreen based on your skin type and sun levels. Many of these technologies currently exist in relative isolation and the power of the VA will be in consolidating all these data points into an integrated user experience. This could be on your phone, your watch, in your car, and in your home. You'll be able to choose if your VA is like a butler, friend, colleague, slave, or even master. Our research collaboration, Project Virtual Assistant, with global media agency Mindshare focuses on understanding what people really want from the next generation of these services. Our research findings . We worked intensely for two months with 12 workshop participants experimenting with the latest technologies. We conducted expert interviews with leaders in the field on the technical, legal, and socio-economic possibilities and implications, and surveyed 1,000 smart phone users in the UK. One clear finding is that every organization in the world needs to prepare now for a VA-infused future that will directly impact internal efficiencies and operations and external branding and growth strategies. Preliminary results from our previous Human Cloud at Work research indicated that wearables increased productivity in the workplace by 8.5%. Participants were keen to get real-time feedback on the potential correlations between data from their bodies and productivity and performance metrics. VAs will provide the automated opportunity to gather, analyze, and make recommendations from the data from not just one but all of your wearables in real-time. Similar to a football coach, managers will have the ability to put their best employees "on the field" and make split second decisions on productivity. The VA inside the company, and our heads . Internally, VAs will transform organizational behavior, leadership, and talent management. Companies will develop branded VAs supporting organizational culture and productivity. Think of them as super-powered Intranets or enterprise portals providing voice-activated access to training, coaching, assessment, knowledge, and internal communications. Early adopter companies can strategically position themselves as VA proponents. Already 62% of UK smart phone users say they are ready to integrate VAs into their everyday work lives. Well-being programs are increasingly important in organizational culture, and VAs can help individual employees learn about boosting their productivity and reducing stress in order to reach their rofessional goals and aspirations. VAs will also operate as gateways to business intelligence within a company. Optimizing their design and functionality for the needs of each individual organization will by a key ingredient to job satisfaction, retention, loyalty, and recruitment. VA as disruptor . Another important component of the VA will be to disrupt the consumer journey. For example, at the moment firms sell branded painkillers in your local pharmacy for up to 10 times the price of generic painkillers with identical ingredients. These identical products are often right next to each other on the shelf and yet consumers, typically out of brand loyalty and emotional triggers, will buy the branded product. VAs will augment the consumer journey by filling in our behavioral 'black holes' and protecting us from simple emotional exploitations. Your head and your heart might be telling you to buy the branded product partially because of the successful impact of the brand's consumer behavior insight, but your VA will automatically reinsert rationality into your decision-making process. Organizations will need to adapt their strategies as technology succeeds in protecting customers from behavioral exploitation where regulatory bodies and self-regulating industries have failed. In 1998 Google search spawned a revolution in the digital economy and fundamentally changed the way we connect with people, products and services. VAs mark the next digital revolution and will have an even more profound impact on our organizations, everyday lives, commerce, interactions, and behaviors. Read more: How mentors make superstars . Read more: Mapping the sharing economy . Read more: Making scents of disaster . | Virtual assistants are the most significant development of the digital revolution .
Workplaces must adapt and establish working relations with them .
We will be able to use them in every aspect of our personal lives .
Leading players Google, Microsoft and Apple are seeking control of this massive new market . |
fb1237713f1c4b8abc2d7379a5938a75ab425cd4 | PUBLISHED: . 03:37 EST, 25 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:14 EST, 25 November 2013 . Sir Cameron Mackintosh, above, planned the demolition of the former village hall and the erection of retail space for food and drink units . Theatre impresario Sir Cameron Mackintosh's plans to renovate a harbour in his highland village has caused bitter division after residents accused him of planning to destroy local trade. Sir Cameron is said to have been 'deeply hurt' over claims his £750,000 coastal development in Mallaig would ruin local business. The theatre mogul, behind hit shows such as Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Les Miserables is now threatening to pull out of building new marina facilities after the outcry by locals. Plans by the entertainment tycoon - estimated to be worth £725m, placing him second on the Sunday Times Rich List of UK music millionaires - include the erection of a food outlet. But locals say Mallaig already has too many restaurant and fear the competition. Sir Cameron, 66, has sparked fierce debate over the site, which includes his own private pier. It involves the demolition of the former village hall and the building of marina facilities, flats, shops, restaurants and bars. It is due to be heard by Highland Council in the New Year. But already many locals have lodged official objections and even organised a petition. Taste of Scotland award winner Michele Milligan of The Steam Inn said: 'How in God's name is another one (food outlet) going to benefit anyone? You say 'it will provide jobs' I say I will need to pay off staff as there won't be enough to go around! 'Think bout (sic) this from our point of view! We graft all year I employ 18 staff which is all year if the business has a downturn I will have to reduce full time workers so another competitor can employ seasonal workers. 'By all means renovate what existing buildings are there and clean the place up! If Mr Macintosh wants to invest money do it wisely and not to the detriment of all ready struggling businesses !!' Overhaul: The harbour of Mallaig in the Scottish Highlands, above, has become the subject of fierce debate after locals claimed Sir Cameron's plans would 'destroy' local trade . Cafe owners Linda and Peter McLean wrote that 'having new retail, catering and carryout facilities would be to the detriment of existing businesses within the village - these businesses are mainly locally owned and provides much needed employment to local people.' Bed and breakfast owner John Summers added: 'At present I have a partial view of the marina but if the food and drink outlet goes ahead we will have no view of the bay at all. 'There are already ten locally run restaurants eight of which do takeaways I am quite sure we don't need another.' Charlie King, the vice chairman of the Mallaig Harbour Authority - who will gain new toilets and shower facilities out of the development - said an 'upset' Sir Cameron had telephoned him last week. 'He had received an email from one of the objectors claiming that he was destroying the village. It really annoyed him. He says he is spending £750,000 on helping the village', said Mr King. 'He has taken the criticism badly. He has received quite a few personal attacks over this and he said to me that 'if they don't want it he does not need to do it.' He will never make money in his lifetime from this. Investment: The theatre impresario has already invested in the area, part paying for this health centre close to the coast . 'Cameron has been very hurt over it. He is very annoyed - here's somebody willing to spend £750,000 to do some good and he is expected to take these attacks that he is destroying a place he loves on the nose? Cameron has done so much good for the area over the years - he deserves better than this.' Mr King, who used to be the Highland councillor for the area added he agreed that Mallaig had too many restaurants, but Sir Cameron had told him he was going to drop the restaurant from the plans and replace it with a bakery. Andrew Aitchison, the estate's agent, said they were talking to objectors to try and overcome their concerns. 'Though there will be some form of food outlet we are not proposing a restaurant' said Mr Aitchison. Friend of the stars: Seen here with Alfie Boe, left and Matt Lucas, right, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, centre, is the man behind productions such as Les Miserables and Cats . 'We have been speaking to various parties to clarify the situation which is certainly not to commit anything detrimental to other business but would complement those already there and bring even more trade. 'Unless there was strong support in the majority of the community, Sir Cameron would not proceeded against the wishes of the majority of the village. 'Sir Cameron's motivation has been to help and provide facilities which will improve Mallaig and make it sustainable. 'If the village community are supportive we will crack on. I think any planning application tends to draw objections. There is strong support along the majority but we recognise that some of the local businesses have concerns.' | The stage mogul is planning £750,000 harbour development in Mallaig .
Part of the project will include the building of retail food outlets .
Locals say big business arrivals could put their own trade at risk . |
fb1246644173c9cfdbd52aaa0e661eec23457d54 | (CNN)Boston's brutal winter has made its way into the record books. After yet another blizzard last week, the city marked its snowiest month since record-keeping started in 1872, forecasters said Sunday. "It's official, Boston has reached its snowiest month on record with 45.5 total inches," the National Weather Service tweeted early Sunday. "The old record was 43.3 in January 2005." And as the inches piled on, the city marked another milestone: third snowiest winter on record, with 89.2 inches so far. Forecasters predict that a blizzard will linger until Sunday night. Cape Cod and the islands off the Massachusetts coast could see hurricane-force winds. Track the storm . Meanwhile, wind chill warnings were in effect for Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut and parts of Maine and Pennsylvania. "A wind chill warning means the combination of very cold air and strong winds will create dangerously low wind chill values. This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia or death if precautions are not taken," the weather service said. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has declared the next seven days ''Valentine's Week'' in an attempt to help restaurants, flower shops and other small businesses hurting from the record-setting snowfall. Speaking to reporters about storm preparations for the fourth time in three weeks, the governor quipped, "There's a little bit of deja vu all over again." Your images of winter weather . The blizzard will bring drifting snow in many parts of eastern Massachusetts, Baker said. Already, the snowfall is expected to be more than what was forecast as recently as Saturday night, Baker said Sunday morning. He urged drivers to stay off the roads. On Sunday, officers responded to reports of a wreck that may have involved upward of 20 vehicles on I-95 in Waltham, state police in Massachusetts said in a statement. There were no immediate reports of major injuries. A snow squall was cited as a possible contributing factor to the crash. "Tomorrow is a holiday (Presidents Day), and it's probably a really good time for everybody to come up with neat things to do indoors and right around your house," Baker said. How to beat the winter blues . Sunday's storm will compound the exasperation caused by four weather systems that have dumped piles of snow on the city. Eastern Massachusetts is under blizzard warnings, as are parts of eastern Maine. The snowfall is lighter, relatively speaking, in the western part of the state and heavier in the east. It's expected to let up on Sunday afternoon. Some gusts have been reported at more than 50 mph. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph will cause the snow to blow around and hamper visibility. Power outages can be expected in many areas, the National Weather Service said. The collecting snow caused damage to an apartment complex in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, police there said. A partial roof collapse at the apartment complex displaced 30 people, Portsmouth police Capt. Ken Smith said. "There were no injuries, but it did damage to two units on the upper floor," Smith said. "This was most likely caused by snow load." About 20 miles to the south, in Seabrook, New Hampshire, a portion of a strip mall also collapsed because of snow, according to Mark Bibau of the local fire department. No one was in the affected businesses at the time of the collapse, he said. "A lot of these commercial buildings are flat (roofed)," he said. The chief is going around town looking at buildings "with a critical eye," Bibau added. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, better known to many as The T, won't run Sunday, when the worst of the weather will hit. There will be no subway, bus, commuter rail, trolley or ferry service. It's the third time the subway has shuttered service because of a serious storm. Officials will decide on Sunday whether to cancel service for Monday. And Amtrak has canceled six trains for Sunday. There is no ban on driving, but it seems like a pretty bad idea. "Travel will become nearly impossible," the National Weather Service said. The snow will be a light snow, so it will fly around easily in the strong winds. Visibility will be a quarter mile or less during the storm. More 1,800 flights have been canceled for Sunday, according to Flightaware.com, which tracks cancellations for weather and mechanical reasons. Many of those canceled flights were scheduled to depart from Boston and New York-area airports. Already for Monday, around 100 flights have been canceled. CNN's Mariano Castillo, Carma Hassan, Paul Matadeen and Michael Guy contributed to this report. | "There's a little bit of deja vu all over again," says the governor of Massachusetts .
Wind chill warnings are in effect in Massachusetts, New York and elsewhere .
Reports come in of roofs collapsing in New Hampshire . |
fb1322e4d5a3442df08285b93afb0fb51c1b51a1 | By . Lucy Crossley . This is the moment a shirtless suspect was savagely bitten in the neck by a police dog as officers told the man to lie on his stomach during an arrest. The clip, filmed by a shocked passer-by, shows the man lying on his front in the road with one officer behind him and another in front holding the canine. Footage of the incident was described as 'awful' by the force's assistant chief constable and is now the subject of a police probe. Scroll down for video . Bitten: This still from a video clip filmed by a shocked bystander shows the dramatic moment a shirtless suspect was savagely bitten in the neck by a police dog during an arrest . Investigation: The clip, which is now the subject of a police probe, shows the man lying on his front in the road with one officer behind him and another in front holding the canine . Struggle: The police handler tries to pull the dog away as the man tries to free himself . In the video the man, who was being arrested on suspicion of assaulting two police . officers, is seen attempting to lift himself off the ground as the dog lunges forwards, sinking its teeth into his neck. The police dog handler is shown trying to pull the animal away but it does not release the man and he is dragged a short way along the road. The incident happened at around 3am on Monday morning after officers arrested a male following a fight in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset. A number of onlookers recorded the event on their phones, and in this clip witnesses can be heard in the background shouting and whistling. Lunge: As the man attempts to lift himself off the ground the dog is seen plunging its teeth into his neck . Probe: Avon and Somerset Constabulary has confirmed it is investigating the video but added that it must be remembered this is only a short clip of the arrest . The 22-second clip was uploaded to Instagram on Monday and has since sparked outrage amongst members of the public. It was uploaded by student Kerri Claydon, 18, who described the incident as 'shocking'. 'The man was asked to get on the floor which is what he did,' she said. 'He was then threatened with a Taser although they didn’t Taser him. 'Then the dog went for him. It was quite shocking and the man was bleeding a lot. They managed to get the dog off but it carried on barking at him. Torment: The police dog handler is shown trying to pull the animal away but it does not release the man and he is dragged a short way along the road . Arrest: The incident happened at around 3am on Monday morning after officers arrested a male following a fight in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset . 'It didn’t look like the officer had . control, he was only holding the lead with one hand and I think a car . may have put him off his balance. This is what police dogs are trained . to do. 'They then handcuffed him and took him away.' Miss . Claydon said she did not witness the incident which led up to the . arrest but Avon and Somerset Police described it as a 'large fight . involving a number of people'. Viewers of the video took to Instagram to criticise the officer involved in the Bank Holiday incident. One, . @lisajanekovacs, said: 'Think its absolutely disgusting the fact that . if any member of the publics [sic] dog did this it would be destroyed. Pounce: The dog is pulled away from the suspect, but seems keen to attack once more . 'Yet that young man was already laying on the road flat out...utterly dispicable [sic].' Avon and Somerset Constabulary has confirmed it is investigating the video but added that it must be remembered this is only a short clip of the arrest. A police spokesman said a 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting two police officers and causing criminal damage. He has been released on bail pending further inquiries. The spokesman said the force would not comment on the breed of dog involved, and would not be saying anything further on the incident. Many of the force's dogs are German Shepherds, although other breeds are also used. The dog has now been removed from active duty in line with standard procedure. Louisa Rolfe, the assistant chief constable of Avon and Somerset Police, described the mobile phone footage as 'awful'. 'I have watched the YouTube clip featuring one of our police dogs and I think it's awful,' she said. 'It's . only a few seconds long and doesn't show what led up to the arrest, nor . the aftermath. A full investigation is taking place to understand . exactly what happened. Action: Miss Claydon said she did not witness the incident which led up to the arrest but Avon and Somerset Police described it as a 'large fight involving a number of people' 'The . officer was transferred to other duties whilst the investigation takes . place and we are referring the matter to the IPCC today. 'It's our policy to be as open and transparent as possible. 'It . would be wrong to comment on a live IPCC investigation but I can assure . the public of the rigorous standards expected of our dogs and their . handlers. 'The events surrounding this particular incident will be closely scrutinised to see what we can learn from it.' Ms Rolfe said police officers had been called to the Regent Street area of Weston-super-Mare in . the early hours of Saturday morning to reports of a large fight . involving a number of people, and that during the incident, a man was bitten by a police dog as he was being arrested. The matter has also been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. 'On . Wednesday 7 May, the IPCC received a referral from Avon and Somerset . Police in connection with video footage of a police dog bite,' said a . spokesman from the watchdog. 'The IPCC will now assess the referral to determine the level, if any, of IPCC involvement going forward.' Scene: The incident took place in the Regent Street area of Weston-super-Mare, which is close to the seafront . | Video clip shows the moment male suspect is bitten by a police dog .
Man seen attempting to lift himself off the ground as dog attacks .
Police say the man was arrested following a fight in Weston-super-Mare .
Force's assistant chief constable describes footage as 'awful'
He was arrested on suspicion of assaulting two police officers .
28-year-old questioned over criminal damage claims and released on bail .
Officers have now launched an investigation into the footage .
Dog has been removed from active duty in line with police procedure . |
fb1348879f1b66bd24ff44868ef4611ff9506465 | New York (CNN) -- Authorities in New York state are working to identify the remains of an infant found in an upstate river that are believed to be those of a baby missing from Utica since June. Utica Police Sgt. Steve Hauck said a crew of about seven New York State Police divers found the remains in a container in a very specific part of the Mohawk River. They believe they belong to Levon Wameling, who was 10 months old when he was reported missing. Following "credible information from State Police," investigators searched the river Friday morning, according to Utica Police Chief Mark Williams. "It's safe to say we were told a narrow area of where (the remains) might be and we found (them) there. We have to do our due diligence to confirm the identity, but we are confident they are the remains (of Levon)," Hauck said. The Onondaga County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct the autopsy. Hauck said there is no official time table for when the autopsy results will be available but said identification would likely come first. Determining the cause of death might take months. He said investigators have DNA samples from Levon and his family to compare to the remains. He added that autopsies of children often take longer than those of adults and that being submerged in the river affected the remains. On Thursday, the missing the child's father, Jevon Wameling, was arrested by New York State Police and accused of breaking into a home in a suburb of Utica to steal jewelry and money. Hauk wouldn't say whether Wameling had anything to do with the tip leading police to the as-yet unidentified remains, citing the ongoing investigation, but the circumstances of Levon's disappearance raised questions about the boy's father from the start. Wameling took two weeks to go to an attorney's office then call police to report Levon's disappearance, authorities said back in June. "Based on the information that he's given us, we have a lot of concern," Williams said at the time. "We have a problem with what he says," Williams said. "There's no question about it." The father told investigators he took the child out for a late-night walk and locked himself out of his home, so he put the boy down on the small front porch and went around back to find a way in. When he opened the front door, he said, the baby was gone. "We have a lot of investigative work to be done on this case still," Williams said Friday. "We're going to make sure the person responsible for this is charged." Levon's first birthday would have been August 31, police said. | New York State Police find the remains of a child in a river based on a tip .
The remains were in a container in "a narrow area" of the river, police say .
Levon Wameling was 10 months old when his father reported him missing in June .
Dad waited 2 weeks to report disappearance, raising questions, police said in June . |
fb13def67136fe8fbbf5998670c359a3fbcfea40 | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 00:30 EST, 14 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:11 EST, 17 May 2013 . Chris Hadfield, the singing superstar commander of the International Space Station, has landed safely back on Earth with two other astronauts after a five-month mission - and immediately tweeted it was 'wonderful to smell and feel Spring.' A Soyuz space capsule carrying the Canadian astronaut, American Thomas Marshburn, and Russian Roman Romanenko landed as planned . in the Steppes of Kazakhstan at 8.31am local time today. Hadfield captured the hearts of millions of fans back on home through his prolific social media postings - including most recently - a YouTube video of him covering David Bowie's Space Oddity, which was his farewell to the International Space Station. Watch video of the landing below... Safe: Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield gives a thumbs-up after a successful parachute landing in Kazakhstan this morning . Commander Hadfield's first tweet back on Earth, sent just hours after his capsule landed . Live footage on NASA TV showed the Soyuz TMA-07M capsule slowly descending by parachute onto the steppes under clear skies. Russian search and rescue helicopters hovered over the landing site for a quick recovery effort. Rescue teams moved quickly to help the crew in their bulky spacesuits exit through the narrow hatch of the capsule. They were then put into reclining chairs to start adjusting to Earth's gravity after 146 days in space. Coming home: This NASA pictures shows the capsule floating to Earth on the barren steppes of Kazakhstan . Touchdown! The Russian Soyuz space capsule lands some 150 kms southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan in central Kazakhstan . The capsule touched down exactly as planned, and rescue crews were soon on site to help the astronauts emerge . The three astronauts smiled as they chatted with space agency officials and doctors who were checking their condition. Hadfield, who served as the space station's commander, gave a thumbs-up sign. They then made quick phone calls to family members and friends. NASA spokesman Josh Byerly said by telephone from the landing site that the three returning astronauts were doing very well. Home again: Hadfield, left, Russian Flight Engineer Roman Romanenko, center, of the Russian Federal Space Agency and NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn sit in chairs outside the Soyuz Capsule just minutes after they landed in a remote area outside the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan . Hadfield, 53, an engineer and former test pilot from Milton, Ontario, was Canada's first professional astronaut to live aboard the space station and became the first Canadian in charge of a spacecraft. He relinquished command of the space station on Sunday. 'It's just been an extremely fulfilling and amazing experience end to end,' Hadfield told Mission Control on Monday. 'From this Canadian to all the rest of them, I offer an enormous debt of thanks.' He was referring to all those in the Canadian Space Agency who helped make his flight possible. Hadfield bowed out of orbit by posting a music video on YouTube on Sunday - his own custom version of David Bowie's 'Space Oddity.' It's believed to be the first music video made in space, according to NASA. Superstar: Chris Hadfield has developed millions of adoring fans for the YouTube videos that he has posted in his five months as commander of the International Space Station . Hadfield's most recent hit was his cover of David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' 'With deference to the genius of David Bowie, here's Space Oddity, recorded on Station. A last glimpse of the World,' Hadfield said via Twitter. Hadfield sang often in orbit, using a guitar already aboard the complex, and even took part in a live, Canadian coast-to-coast concert in February that included the Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson and a youth choir. The five-minute video posted Sunday drew a salute from Bowie's official Facebook page: 'It's possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created.' A three-man U.S and Russian crew is staying on the space station and will be joined in two weeks by the next trio of astronauts. | Soyuz space capsule carrying the Canadian astronaut, American Thomas Marshburn, and Russian Roman Romanenko landed as planned .
in the Steppes of Kazakhstan at 8.31am .
Hadfield captured the hearts of millions of fans back on home through his prolific social media postings .
Tweeted minutes after landing, telling followers 'Wonderful to smell and feel Spring' |
fb13e138397be6e2f7e630989fd3046cfe228ae5 | (CNN) -- Vermont's House and Senate voted Tuesday to override the governor's veto of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. Demonstrators in Iowa celebrate that state's approval of same-sex marriage on Friday. The Senate voted 23-5 to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto, according to the Senate office. Shortly afterward, the House overrode the veto on a 100-49 vote. The votes surpassed the number needed -- two-thirds of those present -- to override the veto. The action makes Vermont the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriages. The others are Massachusetts, Connecticut and, as of last week, Iowa. Douglas vetoed the bill Monday. "Vermont's civil union law has afforded the same state rights, responsibilities and benefits of marriage to same-sex couples," the governor wrote in a letter to David Gibson, secretary of the Senate. "Our civil union law serves Vermont well, and I would support congressional action to extend those benefits at the federal level to states that recognize same-sex unions. But I believe that marriage should remain between a man and a woman." Tuesday's votes end a 10-year battle to legalize same-sex marriage in Vermont despite a court ruling legalizing civil unions, according to CNN affiliate WPTZ-TV. Same-sex marriages will become legal on September 1. Following the House vote, corridors of the legislative building filled with jubilant supporters, some embracing and others talking on cell phones to spread the news, WPTZ said. "We haven't decided who's going to propose to who yet," said one man, standing with his partner. The couple told WPTZ they will have been together 25 years in September. The Human Rights Campaign, which describes itself as the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, issued a statement applauding the votes, noting Vermont is the first state to legalize same-sex marriage through the legislative process. "This historic vote in the Vermont Legislature reminds us of the incredible progress being made toward equality," said Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign president, in the statement. "Less than five years ago, lesbian and gay couples began marrying in Massachusetts. Now, with the Iowa court decision last Friday and today's vote in Vermont, there will be four states recognizing the right to marry for loving, committed lesbian and gay couples." Vermont Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin was quoted in the statement as saying, "The struggle for equal rights is never easy. I was proud to be president of the Senate nine years ago when Vermont created civil unions. Today we have overridden the governor's veto. I have never felt more proud of Vermont as we become the first state in the country to enact marriage equality, not as the result of a court order, but because it is the right thing to do." Vermont's neighboring state, New Hampshire, also has taken steps toward legalizing same-sex marriages. On March 26, the New Hampshire House passed a bill by seven votes that would legalize same-sex marriage, sending it to the Senate, according to the Concord Monitor newspaper. New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has said he opposes same-sex marriage but has not said whether he will veto a bill legalizing it. Like Vermont, New Hampshire allows civil unions for same-sex couples. "The civil unions bill [Lynch] signed into law prevents discrimination and provides the same legal protections to all New Hampshire families to the extent that is possible under federal law," Lynch spokesman Colin Manning told the Monitor. On Friday, the Iowa Supreme Court struck down a state law banning same-sex marriage. The decision upheld a 2007 ruling by a lower court that struck down Iowa's 1998 law limiting marriage to heterosexual couples. Polk County District Judge Robert Hanson found that the law violated the state constitution's guarantee of equal protection and hurt gay and lesbian couples "in numerous tangible and intangible" ways. | Vermont House and Senate voted Tuesday to override governor's veto of bill .
Same-sex marriages will become legal in Vermont on September 1 .
Vermont becomes fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage .
Jubilant supporters of the bill throng legislative building after the override votes . |
fb14049b24b08c919d8b7bcd4f507cac0bcbf611 | Investigators probing the racist spray painting last month of the small-town Massachusetts home of an eighth-grade football player are now focusing on the 13-year-old boy's mother. Andrea Brazier, mother of football player Isaac Phillips, is now being investigated as the sole suspect in a crime that shocked the town and nation when she blamed her son's teammates for spray painting racist graffiti all over the family's home. ‘Knights don’t need n*****s' was found spray painted on the side of their Lunenburg home. The school cancelled the remainder of the Blue Knights' season in response. Scroll down for video . The heat is on: Mother Andrea Brazier (left) initially blamed son Issac Phillips' teammates for racially charged graffiti sprayed on her home, but investigators now view her as the only suspect . State and local officials have cleared the Lunenburg High School football team in the hate crime and are now focusing their efforts on Ms brazier, according to reports. A Wednesday search of Ms Brazier and Mr Phillips' home turned up cans of spray paint and multiple round of live ammunition, according to affidavit cited by the Boston Herald. It was all a lie: Ms Brazier still has this picture posted to her Facebook profile, but officials are pointing the finger at her . Federal agents also interrogated the embattled mother, and stated in the affidavit she wanted the investigation to end because she had committed the crime. 'Andrea stated she had painted over the graffiti and that she wanted nothing further to do with the investigation,' the affidavit said. Mr Brazier even appeared to halfheartedly admit her guilt under further questioning . 'Andrea was told by (an) FBI agent that . she wanted the investigation to stop because she was the one who spray . painted the graffiti on her house and Andrea stated ‘OK,' thew affidavit continued. She professed the innocence of both her son and husband Anthony Phillips before leaving the local police station in tears, said the affidavit. The teen's mother is white and his father is half black. Ms Brazier and Anthony Phillips refused an offer from authorities to remove the graffiti, the affidavit continued before adding that aerosol cans were found burnt in an outdoor fire pit. No arrest is imminent, according to the Boston Globe, but cops are now working to compare the graffiti to handwriting samples. 'Most of the leads that we have followed up throughout the investigation have led back toward the house,' an official told the Globe. Locals talking to the Globe expressed shock and disbelief over the allegations. 'It’s pretty shocking, if it’s really his mom,' said sophomore basketball player Sam Sargent. 'If it’s true, she didn’t just put her son through a lot, she put this whole town through a lot.' Hurt and embarrassed: Isaac Phillips is reportedly upset over the incident to the point he does not want to return to school . Cathy Hennessy, a 46-year-old mother of three, felt bad for Ms Brazier. 'This isn’t that kind of town,' she told the paper. 'If it was the mother, that’s just really sad.' A friend of Isaac Phillips expressed a similar sentiment. 'I don’t see why she would do such a thing and have our school disgraced.' The boy's parents moved to blame teammates they accused of repeatedly hazing their racially mixed son. ‘I don't really understand why someone would even do something like this,’ Phillips told WCVB-TV when news first broke of the awful graffiti. 'I have two younger brothers and another sister. This is our house, this is where we live. Eventually, they're going to see it.’ The teen's cleats have been thrown in the trash and the tires on his bicycle slashed in the past, she further detailed. Players were given an opportunity to come forward with information about the graffiti incident during a team meeting in the days after the incident was first reported, none came forward and the season was cancelled. The lack of an admission of guilt by any players make more sense in light of the most recent revelations. 'We didn't want this': Father Anthony Phillips (right) initially said he and Ms Brazier (left) had no idea the incident would receive this much attention . Lunenburg Public Schools Superintendent Loxi Jo Calmes then announced that the remainder of the school's football season would be forfeited. The decision prompted an angry reaction from some locals, including a former coach who launched a petition to get the remaining games reinstated - chief among them the annual Thanksgiving game. ‘I was so angry - this is so unfair to a lot of those kids,’ Matthew Roderick told Telegram.com. The change.org petition is titled ‘Loxi Jo Calmes: Let Them Play!’ ‘I grew up here and mentored a lot of those kids. The whole team shouldn't be punished with no facts,' he stated. 'I was disgusted that innocent kids were being punished and the majority did not do anything.’ Venom from locals over the decision to cancel the rest of the football season was spewed not at the team, but at the family. Isaac’s father Anthony Phillips, who owns a local construction company, has said he was listening to a local radio call-in about the incident when one of the callers blamed his family for causing all the problems. Terrible: Officials believe this racist graffiti was scrawled on the house by Ms Brazier . He just wanted to play football: Instead his mother's alleged actions cost his team the remainder of the season . ‘We did nothing wrong - it has been turned around like we did something wrong and we're the victims,’ he said at the time . ‘We didn't want any of this stuff.... Everything happened so fast,' he continued. 'We only expected a little bit of local attention after it happened. We're not vicious parents out to ruin the town. I'm hoping in the next few days someone steps forward.’ The graffiti, which is being investigated by the FBI as a hate crime, is just the latest accusation of racism that the team is facing. In two different games earlier this month, referees reported players using racial epithets against opposing players. In the weeks prior to the graffiti incident, Anthony Phillips said he spoke to the coaches about his son's treatment but they told him that they doubted any players were involved. A separate investigation into the team's conduct did find it guilty of hurling racial slurs at an opposing team, the Herald reported Thursday. The season was not reinstated, several seniors lost the last two games of their last season of football. 'It's gross to think someone did this and just stood back and let us take the blame for this, senior Greg McGrath said. 'We took the fall.' | The family initially blamed fellow football players and complained their son is the victim of hazing by the school football team .
The graffiti read: 'Knights don't need n*****s'
School authorities cancelled the rest of the season after no-one from the team came forward to admit to the hate crime .
Mother Andrea Brazier vaguely alluded to her guilt while being questioned by officials over the graffiti . |
fb14f77eed0ebc97f1ac7e3515e9b82228a83f9d | By . Louise Eccles . PUBLISHED: . 05:32 EST, 25 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:45 EST, 25 April 2013 . 'Attack': Malcolm Blackman, 45, allegedly twice raped a woman inside the Occupy London protest camp . An anarchist leader twice raped a woman at the infamous protest camp on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Old Bailey heard yesterday. The alleged assaults happened at the squalid tent city set up by hundreds of anti-capitalists in the Occupy London group. Malcolm Blackman, self-styled leader of computer hacking group Anonymous UK, raped the woman in her tent twice in seven days, including once when she had passed out drunk, the court heard. The woman sobbed as she told the jury why she had not informed other Occupy members about the alleged rapes. ‘It was all, protest, protest, protest, and if you had any personal issues you were out of line,’ she said. She was scared to report the rapes for fear of upsetting the ‘togetherness’ of the group, which reportedly encouraged members to ‘focus on the protests’. The woman also claims she was raped a third time and her hands violently bound with plastic ties – although Blackman, 45, has not been charged with this alleged offence. Blackman apparently acted as a ‘leader’ and spokesman for Anonymous UK, the British wing of the global internet hacking group that carries out cyber attacks on capitalist targets and governments. The court heard that he started a sexual relationship with the woman shortly after they met at the makeshift encampment in November 2011. He moved into her four-man tent in the new year after claiming the zip on his tent was broken. The woman said: ‘He was a welcoming sort of character, people turned to him. He seemed to be a leader sort of person.’ But on January 14, while they were kissing in her tent, he apparently pulled plastic ties from his pocket and roughly tightened them around her wrists, before raping her. Giving evidence from behind a screen, the woman said: ‘One minute it all seemed to be normal and the next minute he’s putting ties round my wrists and it’s really hurting. He held my hands in one hand and he put the ties round really quickly.’ Protest site: The woman was allegedly attacked twice by Blackman, 45, inside the central London camp . Afterwards he cut the ties and she lay . sobbing while he fell asleep, she claimed. Asked why she did not tell . anyone, she replied: ‘I was ashamed and embarrassed. I didn’t know if it . was me perhaps not being experienced in a relationship. I saw it as . something I had done wrong in some way.’ When asked why she had not evicted him . from her tent after that, she said: ‘I could have but I didn’t. 'He was a . very strong character and I was probably frightened of upsetting the . general togetherness of the camp. I wanted to keep quiet, to keep in the . background and not make a big issue of it.’ 'It was all, protest, protest, protest, and if you had any personal issues you were out of line' Woman . The woman would spend every weekend at St Paul’s, returning to her job and home in London in the week. The following Saturday, January 21, she returned to the camp and drank brandy and wine with other protesters. Later that night, Blackman went into her tent and they had a conversation before she apparently ‘passed out’. She said the next thing she remembered . was him assaulting her, but she was too ‘shocked’ to protest and he . later fell asleep in the tent. Camp: Blackman frequently spoke to the media on behalf of Anonymous UK during the Occupy London protest . ‘I was scared of him,’ she said. ‘I was . confused about what to do. I was confused about the relationship.’ Activists spent much of their time at the St Paul’s camp drinking instead of protesting, the Old Bailey heard. During the Occupy protest, between October 2011 and February 2012, some of those involved spent the days inside each other’s tents downing bottles of whisky, brandy and other spirits donated by supporters. When they did attend protests, including those outside the US embassy and the Bank of England, they would return to the camp via ‘a few drinks’ in the pub. Giving evidence against Malcolm Blackman, the alleged victim said: ‘There was a lot of drinking going on. Malcolm would drink most of the day. Other people would drink during the day.’ She recalled spending one day drinking wine and brandy, another sharing a bottle of whisky. Blackman was linked to another protester around the time he was seeing the alleged rape victim, the court heard. Jurors were played footage of the carnival atmosphere at the camp, with people performing juggling acts, waving flags and dancing on the cathedral steps. In lieu of security, the camp had a ‘tranquillity tent’ where people were encouraged to go to discuss any problems. The woman, who said her feelings for . Blackman were ‘complicated’, returned to the camp on January 28, and . went to a pub with other members. In the evening she had a row with . Blackman. She alleges they both later fell asleep in the same tent, . along with a third man, something Blackman denies. She told the court she awoke to find a . belt tied around her neck in a noose. Blackman allegedly forced her to . perform a sex act on him. ‘He was quite forceful,’ she told the . court. ‘He said, “You know you want it”.’ She said Blackman then told . her she was ‘too touchy feely’, before climbing back into his sleeping . bag. The woman did not report the rape until June, by which time there was bitter in-fighting in Anonymous UK. Gordon Ross, defending, claimed the woman had invented the allegations against Blackman because she wanted to ‘take him down’. ‘Effectively what you and others were trying to do was destroy him and his leadership of Anonymous UK,’ he said. The woman admitted she was expelled . from the Anonymous Facebook group by Blackman, along with others, after . angry exchanges about the group. She also admitted confronting him over a . relationship he had started with another woman. The Occupy London camp – in which . Anonymous UK members camped closest to the cathedral – remained at the . site for more than four months before being broken up by police in . February last year. Blackman, of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, denies two counts of rape. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Malcolm Blackman, 45, allegedly raped woman twice in her tent in London .
Activist frequently spoke to media during anti-capitalist protest at St Paul's .
He tied woman's hands behind her back with cable ties, Old Bailey hears . |
fb156222122fefbca0383debf4a4948221dae5a3 | There was disappointment for motorists today as fuel duty was frozen rather than reduced, but good news for owners of Reliant Robins, which are now classed as classic cars exempt from road tax. Chancellor George Osborne announced that the planned September fuel duty rise will not take place, but he resisted calls to cut duty - to the disappointment of campaign and motoring groups. The AA said the freeze on duty, for a fourth year, was 'very welcome relief for UK drivers'. Scroll down for video . Expense: There was disappointment for motorists today as fuel duty was frozen rather than reduced leaving British car owners paying the highest proportion of tax in Europe . However, AA president Edmund King went on: 'The freeze still leaves the squeeze on families and businesses that rely on four wheels to function and prosper. 'Now that we know, from official figures, that inflation-hit earnings are effectively at 2002 levels and car use is struggling to revive, perhaps a short-term cut in fuel duty would have got the UK properly mobile again.' Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: 'The good news is that fuel duty has now been frozen since March 2011. The bad news is that the UK's 37 million drivers still pay the highest proportion of petrol and diesel tax in Europe. 'The Treasury's own analysis shows cuts to duty would boost the nation's economic output. 'Yet the stubbornly high pump prices mean transport costs remain a real concern for the record 18 million people who rely on a car to get to work. 'For those offered low paid employment . there is a real question mark over whether they can afford to take it . up with travel still so expensive.' Budget: Chancellor George Osborne announced that the planned September fuel duty rise will not take place, but he resisted calls to cut duty . Are you better off after today's Budget? Are you better off after today's Budget? Now share your opinion . But the Reliant Robin is to become a 'classic car' and therefore exempt . from road tax. Under earlier rules only cars built before January 1 1973 were exempt from vehicle excise duty. But Mr Osborne said a new 40-year rule would be introduced from April 1 2014, meaning newer models will now be exempt. It includes the Reliant Robin, Austin Allegro and MGB V, and could see their market value rise as a result. While the Treasury suggested the three-wheeler van used by Del Boy in sitcom Only Fools and Horses would benefit from the change, in fact Trotter's Independent Traders used a Reliant Regal three-wheeled van. The rise, fall and finally freeze on fuel duty since 2007 . Price at the pumps: The average price of unleaded petrol since 2007 . Proposal: Mr Osborne also announced that following the severe winter weather, he was making an extra £200 million available to local authorities to repair potholes . Mr Osborne also announced that following the severe winter weather, he was making an extra £200 million available to local authorities to repair potholes. Professor Glaister welcomed the extra money. But he added: 'The drip, drip of funding does not address the £10 billion road maintenance backlog that councils themselves have identified. It is also disappointing that this money has to be bid for. This creates a bureaucratic burden and means not all councils and drivers will see the benefits.' The Chancellor also said that the two per cent increase in company car tax would be extended to 2017 and 2018, but there would be an increase in discounts for ultra-low emission vehicles and there will be a reduction in the rate of fuel duty for ethanol. | The planned September fuel duty rise will not take place, says Chancellor .
AA president says duty freeze is a 'welcome relief' for UK drivers .
But he says a short-term cut would have 'got the UK mobile again'
UK's 37m drivers pay highest proportion of petrol and diesel tax in Europe .
£200m fund to repair potholes also announced by George Osborne . |
fb1575ee7f69159651040a4f5e9af1f58a3a8e24 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 07:03 EST, 19 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:38 EST, 19 February 2013 . A boy with a rare condition meaning he can't resist eating wall plaster has been given a unique birthday present - an inedible bedroom. Zach Tahir is celebrating his sixth birthday today, and his new bedroom has been unveiled after he gnawed through the walls of the last one. The youngster suffers from the rare condition Pica, which causes him to crave inedible objects, including stones, paper and moss. Scroll down for video . Happy birthday! Pica-sufferer Zach Tahir is celebrating being six today with a new bedroom he can't eat . Zach suffers from the rare condition Pica, which causes him to crave inedible objects, including stones, paper and moss . But his craving for the things around him went to a whole new level when he began to chew through through plasterboard and nibble through his blinds. Mother Rachel Horn, 32, said: 'There's no limit to what he will try and eat. 'We don't know what appeals to him about the objects around him but there's nothing we can do to stop him trying to chew through anything and everything.' Zach's new bedroom has been uniquely designed with squash-court walls that due to their tough shiny surface, means he won't be able to gnaw at them. And, the room has been kitted out with fool-proof furniture that he's unable to sink his teeth into, with slanted window sills to stop him climbing. Ms Horn said: 'His wardrobes and chest of drawers have been made with rounded edges and installed so he can't pull them over. Zach, who gnawed through the walls of the last bedroom, and his mother Rachel Horn (right) holding her phone which can connect to CCTV monitoring his room . Zach's mother Rachel Horn, 32, said: 'There's no limit to what he will try and eat.' Zach's mother looking at a screen showing how she can monitor her child . 'We have also had to have the blinds in his bedroom installed in between the window panes so he can't reach them, and the sticks to adjust them are magnetic so I can remove them as and when.' The bedroom, thought to be the first of its kind for PICA sufferers, has cost the family £36,000 to be created as an extension had to be built on the family's home in Salford, Greater Manchester. Salford Council have stumped up £26,000 as part of a disability allowance, but Ms Horn has managed to raise a further £10,000 through charitable donations. Members of the Coronation Street cast got behind the campaign to raise money for Zach . Soap stars Kym Marsh, left, and Kate Ford, . right, lent their support to the campaign to raise awareness . and fun a new safe-proof room for the five-year-old . Actor John Henshaw also supported the efforts to help build an extension for the child . Some of the loose plaster in Zach's bedroom which the youngster has been eating . Those included in supporting Zach's fund are members of the cast of ITV soap Coronation Street and comedian John Bishop. Ms Horn, . who gave up her job in a bank to look after Zach, said: 'It's been . overwhelming how much people have helped to raise the money for Zach's . room. 'It's such a . worry knowing he could put anything in his mouth, and when he began . eating wood, I was terrified it may splinter in his mouth or he would . swallow a large piece and choke.' People suffering from Pica frequently crave and eat substances with no nutrition, such as dirt, paint, ice, sand, glue and chalk. The condition, which gets its name from the Latin word for magpie – a bird known for its large and indiscriminate appetite – affects up to 30 per cent of children aged between one and six. Although the condition sounds bizarre, it is actually classed as serious eating disorder that can cause serious health problems such as lead poisoning and anaemia. However, in some cases, a lack of certain nutrients, such as iron or zinc deficiency may trigger the unusual cravings. Pica is most common in people with learning or developmental disabilities, such as autism, or those who've suffered a brain injury. It can also be a problem for some pregnant women or people with epilepsy. In many cases, the disorder lasts several months, then disappears on its own. Otherwise, treatment can involve replacing missing nutrients causing the cravings, giving medication to deal with a learning disability or giving rewards for eating normal food. Zach, who has a younger sister, Isabella, three, has suffered with Pica all through his life and began by eating moss when he first could walk around outside. 'He likes things that are very textured, such as moss and paper, as he can mull them around and chew on them for a while,' Ms Horn said. 'It's worrying for me as a parent, as you worry what kind of germs he might be eating.' Amazingly, despite having the condition all of his life, Zach, who is autistic and cannot speak, has never needed any medical treatment. But, Ms Horn finds it hard to trust Zach as he goes out of his way to find things to eat. She has CCTV equipment installed in his bedroom which she can access at any time from her smartphone. She said: 'When I hear him in the night, I just switch on the camera through my phone and can see what I'm doing. 'If I go straight in there, he can become distressed and not want me to leave him again, so it's best if I can see what he's doing without him knowing. 'He doesn't sleep much because he has a very active mind due to being autistic so he keeps me on my toes, especially at night. 'His new room will mean he can settle more and will hopefully go to sleep for longer periods when he realises there's no point in him staying up to try and find things to eat.' | Zach Tahir, from Salford, suffers from the rare condition Pica .
It causes him to crave inedible objects, including stones, paper and moss . |
fb159630669098a3c9c4590c9cf97c38a2c67288 | (CNN) -- The port-city of Kochi, on India's west coast, isn't known for its arts scene. Nestled amid Kerala's famously stunning backwaters (travel writers have long loved touting the streams that snake through the rural countryside as the quintessential bucket-list endeavor), the city is more readily defined by its breathtaking backdrop. From today and for the next three months, that will change, as the world's culture vultures descend into Kochi to attend one of India's first international arts festivals: the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Even since Venice introduced the world to the biennale in 1895, the word has been symbolic of a city's cultural ascendency. Often, biennales demonstrate a region's savvy through showcasing the direction the contemporary arts scene will go in coming seasons. Kochi has something a little different planned. Rather than focusing on the future, this biennale's theme centres very much on Kochi's history. In particular, it will put a spotlight on Muziris, India's answer to Atlantis. Muziris was a prosperous trading hub that from the first century B.C. that supplied the world with everything from spices to precious stones. The city drew traders from as far as Rome, Greece and China. It was active up until the 14th century, when it mysteriously disappeared under the sea -- perhaps by a flood or tsunami. Excavations just outside Kochi a few years ago unearthed pottery, coins and various other artefacts that link the region to the Roman era, and suggest that, at last, Muziris has been found. The biennale founders have adopted the fallen port as a theme for the event, and in previous months, a legion of local and international artists have picked over the city for inspiration for their projects. Many pieces will involve found art. Alex Mathew, a Kerala-born sculptor, is designing a piece with abandoned anchors, while Vivan Sundaram, India's leading installation artist, is creating a 400 square-foot reconstruction of Muziris using terracotta shards unearthed at the excavation site. He will both physically throw water on the installation, and incorporate video of flowing water, to represent the destruction of the city. "It's about a certain fragility of this quiet, thriving port town, of which little is actually known," he says. The hope is that they'll draw attention not only to Kerala's artistic heritage, but to its historic one as well. In many ways, Kochi makes a lot of sense as the destination for the country's first biennale. Kerala seems to have birthed a large proportion of artists over the years, including K.C.S. Panicker, considered by many the father of Indian abstract painting, and Raja Ravi Varma, one of the first Indian artists to gain notoriety outside the subcontinent. "Just why Kerala produces so many artists seems to be a very popular question," notes Dorrie Younger, co-founder of the Kashi Art Café, the city's first gallery. "It's most likely due to a combination of a high standard of living, the political climate, tolerance for opposing ideology, and a long history of foreign visitors." Riyas Komu, one of the organisers for the festival, also gives credit to Kerala's political climate. "There's a long tradition of activism here, and there's always been a very vocal dialogue between political parties. For artists, the most important thing is that they have the capacity to be argumentative." One of the participants, Ubik, is a Kerala-born artist who has since relocated to Dubai. On a recent research trip to the area, he discovered the extent that politics has shaped his paintings. "Growing up, I'd always see communist propaganda messages all over the walls. It's an aspect that's seeped into my work, and strangely enough, it only now kind of makes sense to me. I do a lot of text-based paintings, and I was always quite curious about where that came from. Now I know." See also: Evolution of the Asian art market . Like many artists that hail from the region, Ubik hasn't stayed put. He notes that one reason Kerala's artists seem to flock to other countries is a lack of museums and galleries. "Most of the art market is focused on [Mumbai] and Delhi. That's just where it is, commercially speaking. From what I know, I don't think Kerala really has the infrastructure for that," he notes. Lacking traditional arts spaces, the organisers have done something quite unique; they've commissioned heritage houses throughout the area to host the work, including an old Dutch dockyard, a former 17th century military bungalow used by the Dutch East India Company and a 19th century British gentleman's club. Komu is also hoping that the biennale will bring the necessary infrastructure for a budding Keralan arts scene. "We're building an architecture where a biennale can grow," he explains. "Traditionally, India has failed to take on projects like this. Hopefully, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale will change people's minds, and they'll start to have philanthropic ideas, and to invest in arts and culture for the next generation." | The Indian city of Kochi will host India's first ever international arts festival .
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale will run for three months and display works by Indian and international artists .
Lacking traditional arts spaces, the organizers have commissioned heritage houses throughout Kochi to host the festival . |
fb15c5062c12cc98666b58e632de5d09ec778866 | Roy Keane told Sir Alex Ferguson 'we need f****** more from you' Irishman says he wouldn't have missed a drugs test like Rio Ferdinand . Keane admits he headbutted Peter Schmeichel in an alcohol-fuelled fight . Former Man United midfielder does not regret horror tackle on Alf-Inge Haaland . Keane 'regrets apologising' to Fergie . Irishman also slams Fergie for Rock of Gibraltar dispute . Everyone who was at the Riverside Stadium on October 29 2005 remembers the game. Middlesbrough beat Manchester United 4-1 and it appeared – wrongly as it turned out – that years of dominance for Sir Alex Ferguson’s team were about to come to an end. Roy Keane certainly feared as much and his frustration spilled over when he was subsequently asked – instructed, he claims in his new book – to appear on the club’s in-house TV channel MUTV to talk about a game in which he had not played. What happened next is embedded in United’s folklore. Keane’s words were considered so volatile that the programme was never shown and the Old Trafford captain was fined £5000. Weeks later, he was gone. Alex Ferguson was not impressed with Roy Keane criticising his Manchester United team-mates . Keane criticised Manchester United's defending during 4-1 defeat by Middlesbrough in 2005 . Edwin Van der Sar looks on as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scores Middlesbrough's second goal . Gaizka Mendieta strikes the opening goal at the Riverside to get Middlesbrough off and running . In his book The Second Half, however, Keane claims his criticism of his team mates didn’t upset a single one of them and that it was only manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his assistant manager Carlos Queiroz who had a problem with his actions. Aware of what was appearing in newspapers about the issue, Keane called a meeting in the United dressing room and explained to this team mates that – contrary to press reports he believes were leaked by the club – he had not questioned the amount of money they earned. 'It was getting a bit silly so I got the players together in the dressing room and told them it was f*****g nonsense,” he writes. 'They were all going: ‘Yeah, Yeah’. Not one of them had an issue. Not one. 'Even now people still say: "The video had to be destroyed". Like it was a nuclear weapon or something.” Keane said he spoke to his team-mates and none of them had an issue with his criticism . Aiyegbeni Yakubu celebrates scoring his penalty as Boro put United to the sword . Wayne Rooney looks dejected as United slump to defeat against Steve McLaren's side . Keane writes about the MUTV row in his new autobiography The Second Half . Still Keane had another trial to undergo, though, and it is this that he believes sowed the seeds of Ferguson’s decision to get rid of him. Called in to an office at the club’s training ground, Ferguson made his captain and the first team squad sit through the programme in its entirety. Again Keane was convinced the players he had criticised – such as Darren Fletcher, Rio Ferdinand and Kieron Richardson – did not have a problem with him. 'I said to Darren Fletcher: "Fletch?’” writes Keane. 'I had said something about my wife tackling better than him for one of the goals. 'But I could tell he was fine with it. 'But the manager and Carlos were in the back with steam coming out of their ears. 'The manager said: "It’s a disgrace, this f*****g video."' In his book, Keane makes an issue of matters such as trust and loyalty and it clearly rankles to this day that he was made out to be the bad guy after a programme he never wanted to make in the first place. 'The MUTV people go: "It’s your turn",' he revealed. 'I had to do it. 'I was disappointed with the players but it was MUTV, propaganda for the club. 'So I did the interview.' Keane believe United painted him as 'loose cannon slagging everyone off'. By midday on November 18, he was no longer a United player. | Roy Keane has lifted the lid on row that ultimately led to him leaving Manchester United in his autobiography 'The Second Half'
The then Manchester United captain criticised his team-mates on the club's own TV channel MUTV after defeat by Middlesbrough in 2005 .
The interview was later pulled by the club and Keane was fined £5,000 .
Manager Alex Ferguson described what Keane had done on MUTV as a 'disgrace' and a decision was made that he must leave .
Keane said he spoke to his team-mates and none of them had an issue with the criticism . |
fb15d9bff157666a98e09d0e75cb0f05d9998e51 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . The bodies of a South Texas couple who were reported missing in a South Texas lake over the weekend have been recovered. A San Patricio County justice of the peace identified the two as 30-year-old Ronnie Jean Renfro of Corpus Christi and 31-year-old Marshall Shambo of Mathis. Sheriff Leroy Moody says their bodies were found floating in the waters of Lake Corpus Christi on Monday afternoon, one day after they disappeared in the lake while boating with Shambo's two children. Victims: The bodies of Marshall Shambo (left) and his girlfriend Ronnie Jean Renfro (right) were recovered from a Texas lake on Monday . Search: Rescuers searched for house before the bodies were recovered Monday afternoon . Moody says the couple jumped into the water to rescue Shambo's 5-year-old daughter, who had gone into the water. Family members tell KIIITV.com that the the couple's boat broke down about 2 p.m. Sunday just 200 feet from their home. They had let the 4-year-old jump into the water to go to the bathroom. The girl and her 7-year-old brother - who stayed in the boat - were wearing life vests at the time. The girl started drifting away, at which point both Shambo and Renfro - who were not wearing life vests - jumped in after her. The 7-year-old boy also tried to get in the water but the couple told him to get back in the boat. Accident: The couple reportedly jumped in the lake to rescue Shambo's daughter, who had started to float away from their disabled boat . Shortly after the boy returned to the boat, he noticed he could no longer see his father or Renfro, but that his sister was still floating along. He then waved down some passing jet skiers for help. The children were taken to shore as emergency crews began to assemble to search for the missing couple. Search parties scoured the lake until about 7 p.m. before giving up for the night. The next morning, search crews began looking at 8 a.m. The bodies were found floating a few hours later. It's unclear what caused the couple to drown, but officials are describing it as a tragic accident. Shambo's mother, Donna Shambo Voyles, posted a note to friends and family on Facebook. Loss: Shambo's mother wrote a note to friends and family thanking them for their support as her family recovers from this tragic loss . 'I am not sure what to say or do right now. The shock of the last 2 days is consuming me,' Shambo Voyles wrote in her note. 'My heart is breaking, not only for the loss of my dear son and his lovely girlfriend, but for my daughter who has lost so much more than a brother, my grandchildren who just lost their Dad, and my family & friends that will never again share the joy of a beloved nephew, cousin, stepbrother, step son, grandson, and friend. 'My soul is bruised deeply and has a hole that won't ever be repaired. I do want to say thank you for so many lovely thoughts and prayers. They truly help. It is heart warming and comforting. I wish I could answer everyone of you, but please know your love is felt by me and our family.' | The couple was identified as 30-year-old Ronnie Jean Renfro and 31-year-old Marshall Shambo .
Their bodies were discovered Monday afternoon, more than 24 hours after they went in the lake .
Shambo and Renfro jumped in the lake to rescue Shambo's daughter, who was floating away from their disabled boat while wearing a life vest .
Shambo's daughter was rescued by passing jet skiers who couldn't locate the couple . |
fb15f32aeb91d29ca7aee5f25fdaa2004d9a6078 | The Atlanta Braves have decided to leave the limits of their namesake city because they got "a terrific deal," Mayor Kasim Reed said -- one that was sweeter than he felt comfortable supporting for fear of hurting his municipal government long-term. "We wanted the Braves to stay in Atlanta, but (there was a) business problem that we had to solve," Reed said Tuesday. "That choice was encumbering between $150 million and $250 million in debt and not having money to do anything else." The mayor chose not to go that route, and partly as a result, the Major League Baseball franchise is heading about 12 miles north to Cobb County. This new multimillion-dollar stadium, which will be part of a larger retail and entertainment complex, is scheduled to open in 2017 to the northwest, where two major interstates -- Interstates 75 and 285 -- meet, the Braves announced Monday. Atlanta Mayor: Cost too high . A day later, Reed admitted that he was taken aback by the news. While the team and city had been engaged in negotiations over the past 18 months -- and he'd "still felt that we could get a deal done" -- the mayor said his first indication that something had changed came after being contacted by a Braves official on November 6, a day after his re-election. Reed said he learned about the baseball club's new thinking, including a reported offer of $450 million of public financing from Cobb County, the next day. The city of Atlanta wasn't asked to put up that much money, nor was it asked to build a new stadium, the mayor said. Still, the Braves did ask for extensive public investments in the publicly owned stadium and the surrounding area, money that Reed said he didn't feel the city could give now, given other needs and the desire to keep spending and debt in check. The mayor pointed specifically to a $922 million infrastructure backlog and desires to upgrade roads, expand public spaces and pursue other improvements across the city. "If we made a different decision," Reed said, "every single dollar for everything else would have gone to fund and modernize the stadium." Critics have pointed out that, in recent months, city money has been allocated for another stadium in downtown Atlanta: $200 million for a new home for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. Reed took pains to state that the two stadium deals "candidly are not close." The Falcons' one uses revenue from the city's hotel-motel tax but doesn't tap the government's general fund, as a Braves stadium deal might have done. Plus, the mayor added, "I certainly was not going to try to finance two stadium deals at the exact same time." The team's contract with Turner Field, which was retrofitted for baseball after the 1996 Olympics, expires in 2016. Club President John Schuerholz said in a video message that Turner Field needs "hundreds of millions of dollars of upgrades. Unfortunately, that massive investment would not do anything to improve access or the fan experience." He vowed that the new stadium site "will be one of the most magnificent in all of baseball. It will thrive with action 365 days a year." The surrounding area will be a "mixed-use destination," he said. As to what will then happen with the Braves' current home, Reed says it will be demolished to make way for "one of the largest developments for middle-class people that the city of Atlanta has ever had." The mayor pointed out that it wasn't like the Braves were leaving the region altogether, insisting that they are and will remain his favorite team. And he credited Cobb County officials with stepping up to make a strong offer. "$450 million in public financing is a pretty good deal," Reed said. "We can't spend money that liberally in the city of Atlanta. We are fiscal conservatives here." 8 short-lived sports venues . | Turner Field will be demolished, area will be redeveloped, mayor says .
The Atlanta Braves vow to leave Turner Field in 2017, moving to Cobb County .
County reportedly offers $450 million in public money to move the team 12 miles north .
Mayor: Keeping the franchise may have required $150 million to $250 million in city funds . |
fb16403417a2ebaf12c9c7f210957ea12d50c11e | By . Laurie Whitwell . PUBLISHED: . 11:24 EST, 7 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:54 EST, 8 July 2013 . Hero Murray dedicates history win to coach Ivan Lendl . 'Well done, Andy': Stars' Twitter tributes . PICTURE SPECIAL: Relive Murray's glorious Wimbledon campaign . Banish the references to Fred Perry. Throw out the record books. Andy Murray has made the history Britain was hoping for by claiming the Wimbledon men's singles title. Not since 1936 has the All England Club witnessed a home winner but the 26-year-old Scot fulfilled a lifetime ambition, and those of generations of tennis fans, by defeating Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. The Centre Court crowd erupted with a roar never before heard as the Serbian plunged a groundstroke into the net to give Murray the victory. But he had thoroughly earned it. He . threw off his hat, screamed in joy, and pumped his fists in the . direction of his team up in the stands and he scaled the steps to hug . each of them in turn. There were tears from him and his mother Judy. It may have been straight sets but . there was drama at the finale. Of course there was. History boy: Andy Murray is the first Briton to lift the Wimbledon men's trophy since 1936 . Crowd scene: Murray celebrates on his way to celebrate with the fans after winning the Wimbledon title . Family affair: Murray embraces mother Judy as she cries tears of joy after her son's victory . Can't believe it: Murray collapses in celebration on Centre Court after winning his Championship point . Tough battle: A exhausted Murray embraces opponent Novak Djokovic after the heroic straight sets win . Will Andy Murray win Sports Personality of the Year? Murray needed four . Championship points to get the job done but that will not matter a jot. Serving for the match, he raced a . 40-0 lead and stood on the precipice of history ground-breaking enough . to shake Centre Court to its core. But Djokovic, never one to give up . easily, ensured the wait would go on a little longer, saving all three . Championship points, then doing the unthinkable and holding three break . points. But Murray only increased his athleticism, his determination, his guts, to turn it around and show he was the better player. Adulation: Murray lifts the famous trophy in front of the adoring Centre Court crowd after his win . Not letting go: Murray cradles the trophy the British public have craved since Fred Perry's win in 1936 . Making history: Murray celebrates winning the first set on the way to his historic victory . Flying: But World No 1 Djokovic was defeated by the brilliant Scot in straight sets . Trophy collection: Djokovic, with the runners'-up shield, congtratulates Murray after his win . It was excruciating. But what are a few extra minutes when you’ve been waiting 77 years? The opening told how the match would take shape with plenty of break points and long rallies from the outset. There was ebb and flow too. Murray won the first three points only for Djokovic to take the next five. At 1-1, the third game provided a vignette of the quality, excitement, and gripping tension that would follow. It took beyond 10 minutes and had epic rallies lasting 24 and 25 shots. At the end of it Murray was celebrating, finally breaking his advisory for the first time at the seventh time of asking. Acing the competition: Murray delighted the Centre Court crowd by being in top form in the final . Cheering him on: Murray's girlfriend Kim Sears was right behind him as he made British sporting history . Exultation: Murray became the first Brit to win the men's Wimbledon singles title for 77 years . Splitting it up: Serbian world No 1 Djokovic takes a slide on the Centre Court grass . Djokovic broke straight back in the . next game, but, at 3-3 on the Serb’s serve Murray’s defensive qualities . shone through. He took it, then secured a vital, tense service game to . lead 5-3. Minutes later he had the all-important first set. The second saw more gruelling groundstroke duels before Djokovic, as expected, upped his game to break in the fourth game. But with Murray at the peak of his . abilities – full of running and incredible reaches – it never felt like . that would prove definitive and indeed it proved as he broke back in the . seventh. Djokovic showed an unusual lack of composure in handing the . game to Murray with a double fault. Errant challenges were also becoming a . feature, and at 5-5 on his serve, Djokovic would come to rue the . incorrect calls to Hawk-Eye. At 15-15 he felt a ball from Murray fell . long but he had lost the ability to challenge. After losing the point he . was evidently upset, asking umpire Mohamed Lahyani: ‘You can’t see . this?’ Magical: Murary celebrates another point on the way to winning the coveted title . On target: Murray was in sensational form as he claimed the Wimbledon title against the world No 1 Djokovic . It turned out he was wrong anyway and . the ball clipped the line but Djokovic was rattled. The score . progressed to 30-40 and a shot into the net gave Murray an important . break. He served it out, laying down an ace . to take the second set and a 2-0 lead. It was so important. Not since . Henri Cochet in 1927 had a player come back from two sets down to win a . men’s final. That bit of history was too much to change. Murray was on a roll, breaking . Djokovic in the first game of the third set and then taking another to . make it five games in a row. But, once more, Djokovic surged, breaking Murray twice to claim four in a row in response. Yet again the momentum swung, however, and this time decisively in Murray’s favour. With lung-busting sprint after . lung-busting sprint, he first got level to 4-4, then took the score in . the penultimate game to 40-15 in his favour with a trademark forehand . down the line on the run. The game was sealed and the rest is (new) history. Vocal support: Tennis fans swamped Murray Mound to cheer their hero on at the All England Club . No enough: World No 1 Novak Djokovic aims a shot but cannot stop Murray triumphing in straight sets . Range of emotions: Murray shows his frustration after losing a point (left) and celebrates after the match . 1987: Born May 15, Dunblane, Scotland. 1999: December - Wins junior Orange Bowl title in Miami. 2004: September - Becomes first British winner of US Open boys' title, beating Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky. 2005: March - Becomes youngest British Davis Cup player, aged 17, in match against Israel. June - Defeats Radek Stepanek to become first Scot to reach third round at Wimbledon. Loses to David Nalbandian. October - Reaches first ATP final at Thailand Open, losing to Roger Federer. 2006: February - Claims first ATP title by beating Lleyton Hewitt in San Jose. February - Moves above Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski in rankings to become British number one. April - Splits from coach Mark Petchey. July - American Brad Gilbert appointed Murray's new coach. 2007: May - Snaps a tendon in his wrist at the Hamburg Masters, and the injury forces him to miss the French Open and Wimbledon. November - Splits from coach Gilbert. 2008: July - Loses to Rafael Nadal in Wimbledon quarter-finals. August - Defeats Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati to claim first Masters Series title. September - Beats top seed Nadal in semi-finals of US Open to reach first grand slam final, where he loses 6-2 7-5 6-2 to defending champion Federer. 2009: June - Loses to Fernando Gonzalez in French Open quarter-finals. June - Becomes first British player since 1938 to win Queen's Club title, beating James Blake in the final. July - Reaches first Wimbledon semi-final but loses 6-4 4-6 -6 7-6 to Andy Roddick. August - Wins Montreal Masters with victory over Juan Martin Del Potro, and becomes world number two for first time. 2010: January - Loses 6-3 6-4 7-6 to Federer in Australian Open final. July - Loses Wimbledon semi-final 6-4 7-6 6-4 to Nadal. Splits with coach Miles Maclagan after two and a half years. 2011: January - Beaten 6-4 6-2 6-3 by Djokovic in second successive Australian Open final.June - Loses 6-4 7-5 6-4 to eventual champion Nadal in French Open semi-final. September - Loses 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-2 to Nadal in US Open semi-final. December - Hires eight-time grand slam winner Ivan Lendl as his new coach. 2012: January - Loses 6-3 3-6 6-7 6-1 7-5 to Djokovic in Australian Open semi-final lasting four hours and 50 minutes. June - Murray's French Open run ends in the quarter-finals with defeat by David Ferrer. July - Reaches Wimbledon final for the first time with victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but loses 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 to Federer who lands a record-equalling seventh title. Murray breaks down in tears in his on-court interview, saying: 'I'm getting closer.' August - Wins Olympic gold in singles at Wimbledon by beating Federer 6-2 6-1 6-4, and takes silver in mixed doubles with Laura Robson. September - Finally breaks his grand slam duck, beating Djokovic 7-6 (12/10) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 to win the US Open. December - Finishes third in the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year awards.Awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list. 2013: January - After beating Federer in the semi-finals, Murray loses 6-7 (2/7) 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 6-2 to Djokovic in the Australian Open final. May - Forced to pull out of the French Open due to a back injury. June - Wins his third AEGON Championships at Queen's Club, beating Marin Cilic in the final. July 5 - Reaches his second Wimbledon final, beating Poland's Jerzy Janowicz 6-7 (2/7) 6-4 6-4 6-3 in the semi-finals to set up a match against world number one Djokovic. July 7 - Triumphs in the Wimbledon men's singles with a 6-4 7-5 6-4 victory over Djokovic, becoming Britain's first winner of the title since 1936. | Andy Murray beats Novak Djokovic in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 .
Murray is the first Brit to win Wimbledon men's singles title since 1936 .
The Scottish star is set for a £1.6million windfall after winning the trophy .
Mother Judy was in tears after seeing her son seal the Championship . |
fb16ea90da081ca12e2aa046132e929247b556e4 | (CNN) -- The man who New York police say shot to death three Iranian musicians was kicked out of their indie rock band last year, surviving band members said Wednesday. Ali Akbar Mohammadi Rafie, 29, took his own life Monday after shooting his former band mates in the Brooklyn apartment where they lived and practiced, the New York Police Department said. The dead included guitarist Soroush Farazmand, 27, whose rock band the Yellow Dogs was featured in a 2009 CNN report about Iran's burgeoning underground rock scene. Farazmand's brother, Arash, 28, a drummer with the Free Keys who later joined the Yellow Dogs, was also shot and killed at the same location. A third man killed was Iranian musician Ali Eskandarian, 35. New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters that the gunman used a .308-caliber assault rifle, apparently to settle a "dispute ... over money" between the bands. The gunman shot and killed one of the victims through a window before entering the building in the East Williamsburg neighborhood and shooting the others on the second and third floors, Kelly said. Rafie shot himself on the roof after scuffling with at least one of two other people. Rafie came to the United States soon after joining the group in Iran to replace a bass player who could not get a visa, members Siavash "Obash" Karampour and Koory Mirzeai said in a written statement sent to CNN on Wednesday. "It became clear very quickly that he was not a natural fit within our group of friends, and his personal views conflicted with our approach to our art and to the world," they said. Rafie was booted from the band several months later "and in the 14 months since then, we've had no contact with him at all," the statement said. The loss of their fellow musicians left "a gaping hole in our hearts," they said. "For now it's impossible to even imagine a future without our friends, and no explanation can make sense or begin to justify what has happened to our lives." The survivors are "in shock, awe, blinded with rage and paralyzed with grief," they said. "Ali Eskandarian was nearly finished with his memoir, Arash had just received political asylum from Iran and Soroush was hard at work on new Yellow Dogs material," they said. "Everything we had hoped and worked for was finally coming true. ... The future was so incredibly bright. The band will continue to make music, they said. "We will not let this disgusting brutality define us or become our story, but instead respond by creating music more passionately and with more intensity than ever before, embracing the freedom that we all dreamed would one day be ours back in Iran and play to honor those who should be playing next to us." They are planning a memorial service for the three, which will be announced later, they said. In the 2009 CNN report, members of Yellow Dogs described performing in an improvised, clandestine music studio to avoid the wrath of Islamic authorities. The band settled in East Williamsburg after attention generated by the group's contribution to the soundtrack of a film called "No One Knows About Persian Cats," a movie about Iran's underground music scene that won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. "The law has a problem with rock music so we can't play it," Karampour told CNN in 2009. Iranian authorities viewed the band members as "anarchists," Karampour told CNN. "They're like my brothers," Karampour said of the band members. "They're more close than my brothers." In the CNN story, Yellow Dog members described their brand of music as rock played with bad equipment and said it touched on subjects ranging from Iranian oppression to American greed. CNN's Ray Sanchez, Reza Sayah, Nic Robertson and Azadeh Ansari contributed to this report. | Police: Ali Akbar Mohammadi Rafie took his own life after shooting former band mates .
"He was not a natural fit within our group of friends," surviving members say .
The Yellow Dogs were featured in a 2009 CNN report about Iran's underground rock scene .
Loss of their fellow musicians left "a gaping hole in our hearts," members say . |
fb1703dca00066b685dcba7e55508932d09b9247 | By . Mark Prigg . Air pollution in China and other Asian countries is causing storms in North America to become stronger and changing weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere, a new Nasa study has claimed. Researchers found that pollutants are strengthening storms above the Pacific Ocean, which feeds into weather systems in other parts of the world. The effect was most pronounced during the winter, the team said. Scroll down for video . The Temple of Heaven in haze-covered Beijing: Air pollution in China and other Asian countries is causing storms in North America to become stronger and changing weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere, a study suggests. The key to the changes in weather is the Pacific storm track. This represents a critical driver in the general global circulation by transporting heat and moisture around the world, the team said. The transfer of heat and moisture appears to be increased over the storm track downstream, meaning that the Pacific storm track is intensified because of the Asian air pollution outflow. Lead author Yuan Wang, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, said: 'There appears to be little doubt that these particles from Asia affect storms sweeping across the Pacific and subsequently the weather patterns in North America and the rest of the world. 'The effects are quite dramatic. 'The pollution results in thicker and taller clouds and heavier precipitation.' Northwest Pacific winter storms are now 10 percent stronger than they were 30 years ago, the team said. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In the first study of its kind, scientists compared air pollution rates from 1850 to 2000 and found that anthropogenic (man-made) particles from Asia impact the Pacific storm track that can influence weather over much of the world. The team used detailed pollution emission data compiled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and looked at two scenarios: one for a rate in 1850 – the pre-Industrial era – and from 2000, termed present-day. By comparing the results from an advanced global climate model, the team found that anthropogenic aerosols conclusively impact cloud formations and mid-latitude cyclones associated with the Pacific storm track. 'The climate model is quite clear on this point,' said Wang. 'The aerosols formed by human activities from fast-growing Asian economies do impact storm formation and global air circulation downstream. Researchers found that pollutants are strengthening storms above the Pacific Ocean, which feeds into weather systems in other parts of the world, leading to heavier rainfall across North America . 'They tend to make storms deeper and stronger and more intense, and these storms also have more precipitation in them. 'We believe this is the first time that a study has provided such a global perspective.' In addition, Zhang says large amounts of aerosols and their long-term transport from Asia across the Pacific can clearly be seen by satellite images. The Pacific storm track represents a critical driver in the general global circulation by transporting heat and moisture, the team notes. The transfer of heat and moisture appears to be increased over the storm track downstream, meaning that the Pacific storm track is intensified because of the Asian air pollution outflow. 'Our results support previous findings that show that particles in the air over Asia tend to affect global weather patterns,' Zhang adds. 'It shows they can affect the Earth’s weather significantly.' | Pollutants are strengthening storms above the Pacific Ocean .
These feed into weather systems in other parts of the world .
Effect was most pronounced during the winter .
Back to Mail Online home .
Back to the page you came from . |
fb170fede2af2f15d95384890689a5b18b8cd1b8 | By . Laura Cox . It's becoming a rather annoying ritual for BBC viewers. You settle down to watch a much-anticipated TV drama – then have to crank up the volume or switch on the subtitles. Just a month after the BBC’s Jamaica Inn was lambasted for its mumbling actors and poor sound quality, the corporation’s latest big release, Quirke, has been hit by the same complaints. Drama: Crime series Quirke, starring Gabriel Byrne, has attracted complaints about its audio quality . Anger: TV star Richard Madeley was one of the viewers to vent his fury about the dialogue . Viewers watching the crime drama on Sunday night were furious when they couldn’t make out what was being said. They reported having to switch on subtitles or turn up the volume to the maximum setting, while others simply gave up and turned it off. Set in 1950s Dublin and based on the novels by Booker Prize-winning author John Banville, Quirke follows the city’s chief pathologist, played by Gabriel Byrne, as he investigates a murder. Pugh's take on the silent drama Quirke . But it seems many of the 4.2million who watched the first episode in the three-part series struggled to follow the action, with TV presenter Richard Madeley leading the complaints on Twitter. Madeley blamed the BBC’s sound editing, writing: ‘Was really looking forward to Quirke, BBC1, 9pm – but despite winding volume up to 100 per cent, still can’t hear at least a third of dialogue! Again! ‘And it’s definitely the programme – switched channels and sound boomed out massively loudly. Back to Quirke, and inaudible. Grrrrrr!!!!’ He persevered with the programme a little longer, then finally announced: ‘Oh well, I give up. Throws ear-trumpet away and hobbles upstairs to bed, prematurely aged by c*** c*** c*** BBCTV sound.’ Another viewer also blamed the quality of the sound editing, tweeting: ‘I spend 99 per cent of my time with subtitles! I’m 35 ... BBC buy new [microphones].’ But others blamed the actors for failing to enunciate properly, likening the effect to the mumbling cast of Jamaica Inn. One viewer wrote: ‘Trying to enjoy BBC’s Quirke but too much mumbling and not enough enunciation! Jamaica Inn revisited?’ Before changing channels, another tweeted: ‘We turned over, can’t be bothered with whispers.’ They weren’t alone in turning off the programme in frustration. Stars: Quirke features actors such as Sir Michael Gambon, left, and Aisling Franciosi, right . Notorious: Jamaica Inn rapidly became known for its problems with inaudible dialogue . Another . Twitter user wrote: ‘How far into Quirke did you get tonight? Shades of . Jamaica Inn – mumbling and dark. Was this same director? Turned off yet . another drama!’ After it was broadcast over Easter, Jamaica Inn generated more than 2,000 complaints about ‘incoherent mumbling’. The . BBC originally said that technical faults were responsible but following an . investigation admitted another problem was that some of the cast . had failed to deliver their lines clearly. Last night there had been no official complaints to the BBC about Quirke or to television watchdog Ofcom. Responding . to the Twitter row, a spokesman for the BBC said: ‘There were no . reported problems or complaints following Sunday night’s opening . episode’ | Dublin-based crime drama had first episode on BBC One at the weekend .
Dozens of viewers took to the internet complaining they could not hear it .
The row is reminiscent of the controversy over period drama Jamaica Inn . |
fb180934e2fc63c7026ff812353d512759c649fd | Scroll down for video . A prosecutor released hundreds of pages of additional documents Saturday from the investigation into the police shooting of Michael Brown, including an interview transcript of a friend who initially asserted that he had seen Brown get shot in the back. St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch said the newly released records were inadvertently excluded from the thousands of pages of other documents made public Nov. 24, when a grand jury decided not to charge Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson for killing Brown. The freshly publicized documents include a transcript of an interview of Brown's friend Dorian Johnson conducted by the FBI and county police just four days after the Aug. 9 confrontation in which the white officer shot the black 18-year-old. Previously released forensic evidence showed that Brown was not shot in the back but was struck by bullets in the head, chest and arm. The St. Louis County prosecutor has released more documents related to the investigation of the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer, including a transcript of a police interview with Dorian Johnson (pictured center, at Brown's funeral), the friend who was with Brown when he was killed . Johnson's account to investigators was generally similar to his later grand jury testimony, in which he portrayed Wilson as the aggressor during a struggle that began at the officer's vehicle and led to a brief chase before Brown's fatal shooting. In both his original interview and his Sept. 10 grand jury testimony, which was previously released, Johnson said that Wilson reached out of his vehicle window toward Brown's throat or shirt. During the ensuring struggle, Johnson said he never saw Brown touch Wilson's gun. Wilson told grand jurors that Brown grabbed ahold of his weapon and twisted it toward the officer's leg. The officer eventually fired his gun from inside the vehicle. Forensic evidence showed that Brown's hand was shot at close range. Brown and Johnson then ran. In his August interview, Johnson initially was adamant that he had seen Johnson get shot in the back while running. 'It definitely struck him in his back,' Johnson said, later adding: 'It caused him to stop.' Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, 28 (left), shot unarmed teen Michael Brown, 18, (right) dead on August 9 . Asked by a detective how he knew Brown had been shot in the back, Johnson replied: 'If it would've missed him, or if he wouldn't have felt it, I believe he would've kept runnin.' Under further questioning, Johnson later acknowledged that he didn't see a bullet hit Brown's back, but he remained adamant that Brown's back was toward Wilson when he fired a shot. By almost all witness accounts, Brown turned at some point to face the officer. Johnson described Brown's hands as being raised, one higher than the other. Wilson told grand jurors that one of Brown's hands was clenched in a fist and the other at his waist as Brown began charging back at Wilson. As with the previously released grand jury documents, the witness transcripts released Saturday varied in their accounts of Brown's hands. One witness said Brown's 'hands kinda went up.' Another said Brown's hands were up briefly but he then ran toward Wilson. Scene: Wilson shot Brown seven or eight times, with the shooting sparking condemnation across the US over police violence, specifically against black men . Another said Brown threw up his hands and said something that sounded like, 'Don't kill me.' Among the documents released Saturday was a witness list, with all of the names of the witnesses whited out. It shows that 62 people testified before the grand jury between Aug. 20 and Nov. 21, including some who appeared multiple times. Some of the people interviewed by federal authorities did not testify before the grand jury. McCulloch apologized in a written statement for any confusion that may have occurred by failing to initially release all of the interview transcripts. He said he believes he has now released all of the grand jury evidence, except for photos of Brown's body and anything that could lead to witnesses being identified. | Dorian Johnson was with Michael Brown when he was shot dead by officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9 .
Johnson's police interview after the shooting now released for the first time .
He told police the same details he did the grand jury investigating Brown's death .
However he admitted he did not see a bullet hit Brown in the back .
Johnson said Wilson first reached out of his car and grabbed Brown's neck .
He said Brown did not grab Wilson's gun, as Wilson had told jurors .
Brown was shot in the hand and he and Johnson then ran away .
Johnson said Brown turned around with his hands up and announced he was not armed .
He believed Brown had been shot in the back before turning around but isn't sure .
Wilson then shot Brown, telling jurors that Brown had charged for him . |
fb1886ec883ec1e75070ea655eb75af45d45f249 | By . James Titcomb . PUBLISHED: . 04:20 EST, 24 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:37 EST, 24 May 2012 . The controversial replacements for the Harrier jump jets may cost taxpayers even more than their £500million asking price - because the heat from take off could melt aircraft carriers' decks. The fumes from the U.S. Joint Strike Fighters are so hot that special heat-resistant paint will be required to protect the take-off strip. But American military experts are still developing the coating, which the Britain will now have to beg for as well as the new planes. Takeoff: Fumes from the F-35 jump jet can damage ships' decks, US tests have revealed . The flaw is the latest problem to hit the ministry of defence's 6.2billion plan for two new aircraft carriers after scrapping the Ark Royal and selling off the Harriers. It comes just two weeks after Defence Secretary Philip Hammond was forced into an embarrassing U-turn over the purchase of the new jets. He scrapped plans to replace the Harriers with conventional F-35C planes, which take off from an runway, when the £2billion cost of fitting the new warships with catapult take-off systems was discovered. The Government then had to revert to the previous Labour government's plan to purchase 12 F-35B 'jump jets', at a cost of up to £500million each. The turnaround cost taxpayers an estimated £250million. The new heat-resistant 'Thermion' coating has been developed in America after U.S. tests showed that exhausts from the jets could melt ships' decks. Expense: The 170,000 square ft HMS Queen Elizabeth will have to be covered with heat-resistant paint . U-turn: The MoD committed to purchasing 12 £500m jump jets in an embarrassing turnaround this month . Wasted: The RAF's entire fleet of GR9A Harriers was refitted at a cost of millions just before Cameron's defence review scrapped the entire fleet and sold them to the U.S. An MoD spokesman said the cost of the new paint would be 'negligible' and were 'greatly offset' by the savings from not fitting the £2billion 'cats and traps' to the aircraft carriers. 'Work to identify a suitable deck coat is ongoing so exact costs are not yet available,' the spokesman said. The new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, are set to be completed in 2020. The project has been branded an 'omnishambles' by Labour defence spokesman Jim Murphy. A spokesman for the MOD said: 'The MoD will save £2BN by not fitting "cats and traps" and this will greatly offset the relatively small cost of specialist deck coating which has always been factored into our plans. 'Deck coating was always part of the STOVL variant ship specification. Work to identify a suitable deck coating paint is ongoing with our American partners in this project.' | MoD must pay for heat-resistant paint on new warships .
Exhausts from jet takeoff can damage aircraft carriers .
News comes two weeks after £250m U-turn on new jets .
Latest embarrassment in £6.2bn 'omnishambles' |
fb1911ba81e2b903181176aee7785f09a359832b | By . Deni Kirkova . PUBLISHED: . 08:29 EST, 25 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:21 EST, 25 January 2013 . Dr Lucy Glancey has been performing this operation for five years . It is a sexual quixotic quest that has . frustrated couples for decades. The illusive G-Spot has proved an enduring mystery - sparking debate among doctors, some of whom claim the idea of the G-Spot is a myth. But now, for those who can locate their G-Sport, help is at hand as it is revealed that the sex lives of couples worldwide could be enhanced dramatically thanks to a single jab. The vaginal sub mocosal hylauronic acid injection - or G-Shot - claims to improve women's sex lives by pumping filler into their G-Spot. And now an Essex clinic reports a 50 per cent boom in bookings for the surgical procedure, suggesting it really works. The jab, which costs £550, temporarily increases the G-Spot's size to that of a 10p coin. Dr Lucy Glancey, of Grancey Medical in Essex. has been performing this operation for five years. In the first three years she performed approximately 60 procedures and in the last two years she has seen a 50 per cent increase, with approximately 90 cases completed. The G-Shot has an expected longevity of six months. Dr Glancey said she gets inquiries from younger women who do not need the procedure and see it as a fashion trend, but she doesn't perform the procedure on them, deeming it 'unnecessary'. Her usual clientele, who do benefit from the jab, include women in the 35-50 age group who have either given birth, changed with age or have embarked on a new relationship, perhaps with a younger man. Dr Grancey says women with 'stretching . and age-related changes experience less tightness and friction' and the . G-Shot can help with this to a degree. The G-Shot involves locating . the position of the G-Spot and enlarging the area using a dermal filler. A . speculum - like the ones used during a cervical smear test - is gently inserted into the vagina to access the G-Spot. A hyaluronic acid dermal . filler is then injected into the vaginal wall. Dr Glancey said she gets inquiries from younger women who see it as a fashion trend . The dermal filler . contains a local anesthetic to keep discomfort to a . minimum. But the clinic also warns patients of the possible risks associated with the procedure. These include infection, urinary retention, painful intercourse, a 'sensation of always being sexually aroused' - or no effect at all. Along with all those risks, though, comes the hope of increased frequency and intensity of orgasm, especially for those who have not experienced vaginal orgasm before. Along with many risks comes the hope of increased frequency and intensity of orgasm . The 'lunchtime' procedure can be completed in just half an hour. It . is certainly proving a hit in Los Angeles where women are rushing to . the Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute of America for their fix. Now, as the procedure becomes increasingly more widespread in the UK, women will not have to fly so far afield to get the boost they have always wanted. www.glanceymedical.co.uk . Yes, yes, yes! Some women report the G-Spot leads to powerful orgasms . The GräfenberG-Spot, often called the G-Spot, is defined as a bean-shaped area of the vagina. Some women report that it is an erogenous zone which, when stimulated, can lead to strong sexual arousal, powerful orgasms and female ejaculation. The G-Spot is typically described as being located one to three inches (2.5 to 7.6 cm) up the front (anterior) vaginal wall between the vaginal opening and the urethra and is a sensitive area that may be part of the female prostate. Although the G-Spot has been studied since the 1940s, disagreement persists over its existence as a distinct structure, definition and location. A 2009 British study concluded that its existence is unproven and subjective, based on questionnaires and personal experience. Other studies, using ultrasound, have found physiological evidence of the G-Spot in women who report having orgasms during intercourse. It is also hypothesised that the G-Spot is an extension of the clitoris and that this is the cause of vaginal orgasms. Sexologists and other researchers are concerned that women may consider themselves to be dysfunctional if they do not experience the G-Spot, and emphasise that it is normal not to experience it. SOURCE: Glancey Medical . | Procedure involves injecting hyaluronic acid into the G-Spot to 'increase friction'
Essex clinic has seen 50% boom in last two years .
Treatment suitable for 35-50 age group but women in their 20s still inquire . |
fb191562d596a3cf852ce685fe7dbc809403cbd2 | Nice have called on FIFA to use 'sporting logic' and allow Hatem Ben Arfa to play for the club this season. The former Newcastle United forward – released from his contract earlier this month – was prevented from making his debut for the Ligue 1 side after it emerged he has already played for two clubs this season. Nice, however, argue that Ben Arfa's appearance for Newcastle was only in an Under-21s match and the English FA have supported their claims by stating that the game was not recognised as an official fixture. Ben Arfa was released from his contract at Newcastle earlier this month after falling out with coaching staff . The French forward signed for Ligue 1 side Nice soon after, but has had his debut delayed by FIFA rulings . Ben Arfa also played for Hull City this season, but failed to make an impact and had his loan deal terminated . Ben Arfa also turned out for Hull City during an unsuccessful loan period and FIFA rules state that a player can only represent two clubs during one season. But Nice have released a statement, saying: 'The return to this country of the French international has not yet been sorted out from an administrative point of view due to the fact brought to light by our own federation with FIFA, despite an initial positive and unequivocal response from the English federation. 'OGC Nice wishes to quickly resolve this issue and that the sporting logic prevails so that we can bring our new recruit into the squad for this Friday's trip to Bordeaux. 'In a period where the general feeling is one of disappointment at seeing a talent-drain, the club hopes to be able to count on the support of the national bodies to facilitate the return of an international to France.' Having been one of French football's brightest prospects, Ben Arfa cut a forlorn figure on the Hull bench . Ben Arfa has 13 caps for France, but has not played for Les Blues since the European Championships in 2012 . | Nice have urged FIFA to let Hatem Ben Arfa play for them this season .
He joined Nice after his contract was terminated by Newcastle United .
FIFA rules state that a player can only play for two clubs in a season .
Ben Arfa played for Newcastle Under-21s and on loan at Hull City last year . |
fb1946aeebc479b87bb0e0c36f84bc46e308d09e | (CNN) -- From the time she was an 11-year-old, blue-eyed, freckle-faced blonde until she was a 29-year-old woman with two children, Jaycee Dugard was kept locked away in a backyard compound of sheds and tarps by a couple who police say abducted her. Jaycee Dugard was locked in a shed tucked under a blue tarp in her alleged captor's backyard. She was more than 160 miles from home, and her family had no idea where she was. Nobody else knew she was there except the couple who snatched her off the street in front of her house in South Lake Tahoe, California, in 1991, and took her straight to the soundproof shed, police said. Dugard's pocket of Phillip and Nancy Garrido's backyard in Antioch, California, was so overgrown no one even knew it existed. The details about Dugard's time in captivity emerged Thursday after one of Northern California's most enduring mysteries was solved and the Garridos were arrested and accused of her kidnapping. Anyone who came across the couple's backyard, littered with garbage cans and a dishwasher, would assume that it ended at a 6-foot fence. Watch aerial images of the backyard compound » . "You could walk through the backyard and never know there was another set of living circumstances," said Fred Kollar, undersheriff of El Dorado County. "There was nothing that would cause you to question it. You can't see it from either adjoining property. It was presumably well arranged." But tucked away beyond the tangle of bushes, high grass and trees was a blue tarp that concealed the only world Dugard had known since her abduction. Kollar said the property had "a hidden backyard within a backyard." It included several sheds no taller than 6 feet, two tents and several outbuildings, "where Jaycee and the girls spent most of their lives." It also held a vehicle that matched the description of the car used in Dugard's kidnapping, Kollar said. The "secondary" backyard was inside the first and was "screened from view." One of the sheds was soundproof, he said. In it were sheds and tarps, a makeshift bathroom and shower, along with electricity supplied by extension cords. Kollar compared the primitive conditions to camping. Dugard lived for several years there by herself. The sheds were locked from the outside. She grew up and had her captor's children there, and raised them there. "None of them have ever been to school, they've never been to a doctor," Kollar said. "They were kept in complete isolation in this compound, if you will, at the rear of the house," he said. "They were born there." The children, both girls, are now 15 and 11. "They are all in good health," Kollar said in response to a question about how Dugard and her children are doing. "But living in a backyard for the last 18 years does take its toll." | Jaycee Dugard locked in soundproof sheds in alleged captor's backyard for 18 years .
Compound of sheds, tarps equipped with makeshift bathroom and shower .
Dugard also had two children with her captor, gave birth and raised them there .
Authorities: "They were kept in complete isolation in this compound" |
fb1976d92d08963f4d210663bf65eaa4dd34439c | By . Associated Press . Jim Rogers, a philanthropist and education advocate who served as chancellor of Nevada's higher education system from 2005 to 2009 without pay, died Saturday evening at his Las Vegas home after a bout with cancer. He was 75. Rogers also was the owner of KSNV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Las Vegas, and oversaw the growth of Sunbelt Communications into 14 TV stations in five Western states. Sunbelt now is known as Intermountain West Communications Co. In 2007, Rogers said he was worth about $300million and had donated some $275million to universities, including $60million to schools in Nevada. In 2000, he was named among the nation's top 12 philanthropists by Time magazine. Jim Rogers, pictured in 2008 at an investor forum in China, passed away on Monday at his home in Las Vegas . He graduated from the University of Arizona law school in 1962. The school was named for him after the gift he pledged in 1997 became the largest ever given to a law school at the time. His donations also helped establish the law school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 'Jim and I were contemporaries while practicing law, and what a terrific lawyer he was,' U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who represents Nevada, said in a statement. 'And his talents were not limited to law. What he has done in education is superb. His philanthropic endeavors are unsurpassed in the state of Nevada.' As chancellor of the University of Nevada system, Rogers fought for increased education funding and sought to shake up the system to improve it. He criticized Nevada's tax policy and called for personal and corporate income taxes to help pay for education. His clashes with UNLV President Carol Harter and University of Nevada, Reno, President John Lilley forced them to quit. He supported a proposal to have university regents appointed instead of elected. He also donated his salary back to the university system. Governor Brian Sandoval said Nevada 'lost one of its most outspoken and fearless advocates,' citing Rogers' national recognition as a philanthropist and business leader. 'Jim dedicated his time and resources to advancing our education system and as chancellor of higher education, was fierce in his commitment to make sure our students had the resources they needed to succeed,' Sandoval said in a statement. 'Jim's legacy will live on in the many lives he touched throughout his truly remarkable career.' Critics branded Rogers as abrasive and opinionated, but he said he simply sought to get the best from himself and others around him. 'I'm very demanding of other people and myself,' Rogers told the Las Vegas Sun upon retiring as chancellor. 'I do have a very short temper, and I wish I didn't. But that's the way I am... At the same time, I'm consistent and I expect the people I work with to meet high expectations. 'I've got one shot going through this life. I want to make sure I do as much as I can,' the Las Vegas High School graduate added. In 2010, Rogers was honored by the Nevada Board of Regents with the title of chancellor emeritus and awarded its highest honor, Distinguished Nevadan. Last year, he received the President's Medal from UNLV. 'Jim was an outstanding advocate for higher education and a great friend,' said Kevin J. Page, chairman of the Board of Regents. 'He made it his personal mission to fight for higher education funding when he was chancellor and continued that work after he returned to the private sector. Improving Nevada's education system was Jim's way of giving back to the community.' University Chancellor Dan Klaich said that while some may have found Rogers challenging to work with, he enjoyed their collaboration. 'Jim abhorred mediocrity and loved this state with every fiber of his being. That is a legacy each of us should try and live up to,' Klaich said in a statement. Rogers' survivors include his wife, Beverly, and three children from a previous marriage. Funeral arrangements were pending. | Jim Rogers said he donated about $275million to universities, including $60 million to schools in Nevada .
He was named among the nation's top 12 philanthropists by Time magazine in 2000 . |
fb19ab2c7041b8fc74d8983826c907cbda198ca1 | Mickey Rooney, whose roller-coaster, nine-decade career in show business included vaudeville, silent films, movies, television and Broadway, died Sunday. He was 93. Rooney died in California, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said. Rooney's career spanned almost the entire history of motion pictures. He made his first film, the silent "Not to Be Trusted," in 1926 and followed it up with several shorts based on the "Mickey McGuire" comic strip. He was still making movies nine decades later, including "Night at the Museum" (2006) and "The Muppets" (2011). At the time of his death, he had three more films in the works, according to the Internet Movie Database, including a version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" with Margaret O'Brien. Rooney had just completed his last movie role in the next installment of "Night at the Museum" with Ben Stiller. "He led a full life but did not have enough time to finish all he had planned to do. He had the time of his life and the utmost respect for the cast and crew," his son Mark Rooney said in a statement to CNN Monday. He separated from his wife, Jan Chamberlin, two years ago and moved in with his son and his wife, Charlene, according to the statement. "With them he finally found happiness, health and a feeling of safety and was able to enjoy life again." "Mickey was finally enjoying life as a bachelor, and the morning of his death, they spoke of all their future plans," the statement said. "He loved the business he was in and had a great respect for his fellow actors." For a period in the 1930s and 1940s, boosted by the popularity of the "Andy Hardy" series of films, Rooney was the No. 1 star at the box office and perhaps the brightest star at MGM -- a whole studio of "more stars than there are in heaven," as the publicity said. Yet he became as famous for many marriages -- eight, all told -- and his regular tumbles off the Hollywood pedestal as he was for his incredible energy and longevity. Still, he never stopped getting up. "I keep going because if you stop, you stop," he told the UK's Guardian newspaper in 2009. "Why retire? Inspire." Top box-office draw . The diminutive 5-foot, 2-inch Rooney began his acting career shortly after his first birthday, appearing on vaudeville stages with his parents. He was born Joseph Yule Jr. on September 23, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York. His parents split when he was young, but spurred by his mother, he soon found himself in Hollywood. Before he was 10, he was a star, appearing in dozens of shorts based on the popular "Mickey McGuire" strip. He worked steadily through the 1930s, with notable turns in a 1935 version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and 1937's "Captains Courageous," the latter opposite Spencer Tracy. (Rooney also appeared in Tracy's 1938 vehicle "Boys Town.") But he shot into Hollywood's stratosphere in his next film series as Andy Hardy in more than a dozen films produced between 1937 and 1946. Andy Hardy was a good-hearted ball of teenage mischief, always trying to make a few dollars or willing to "put on a show," no matter what it took: rounding up friends, using a barn, getting some spare parts from his wholesome middle-American neighborhood. Inevitably, he would be called to account with his father, Judge Hardy, played at first by Lionel Barrymore and later by Lewis Stone. Judge Hardy would reiterate the basics of fairness and morality, and Andy -- and the movie audience -- would have once again learned a valuable lesson. The films were hugely popular, even more so when Rooney's character became the centerpiece starting with 1938's "Love Finds Andy Hardy." It didn't hurt that Rooney was paired with Judy Garland for three of the films. Garland and Rooney also co-starred in several Busby Berkeley musicals, including 1940's "Strike up the Band" and "Babes on Broadway" a year later. Many marriages, money troubles . But Rooney's private life wasn't always as wonderful as his on-screen persona would indicate. He was married eight times, three times in the 1940s alone. His first marriage, to Ava Gardner, began in 1942 and ended in 1943. In 1944, he married an Alabama beauty queen, Betty Jane Phillips; that one ended in 1948. His third marriage, to Martha Vickers, lasted less than three years. Throughout, Rooney was known as a spendthrift and a challenging partner. He loved horseracing and routinely spent his earnings at the track, even when there weren't many earnings to speak of, as there was during a fallow period in the 1950s. As an adult of a certain size, Rooney found it much harder to find roles into which he could channel his prodigious talents. But he wouldn't stay unemployed for long. There was a TV series, "The Mickey Rooney Show," for a season in 1954-55. More important, there was a supporting actor Oscar nomination for 1956's "The Bold and the Brave." Rooney, however, wasn't very discriminating about his roles. Other films during the late '50s and early '60s included forgettable flicks such as "Operation Mad Ball" (1957), "The Private Lives of Adam and Eve" (1960) and "Platinum High School" (1960). He appeared in the classic "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) but in the unfortunate, broadly acted role of Holly Golightly's Japanese neighbor, Mr. Yunioshi. He was one of the cast of a thousand comedians in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963). Rooney also made TV guest appearances on such shows as "The Investigators," "Naked City" and "The Twilight Zone." On the latter, he played a jockey. 'He is a showman' After another 15 years of minor movie parts and TV roles, Rooney's up-and-down career once again hit the heights. He earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as a horse trainer in 1979's "The Black Stallion" and dazzled Broadway in the song-and-dance revue "Sugar Babies" -- a role, given his start, he was born to play. The show earned him a Tony nomination and ran for almost three years. Over the years, Rooney earned four Oscar nominations. In addition, he received a special Oscar in 1939 and an honorary one in 1983. Rooney also triumphed on television in the 1981 TV movie "Bill," about a mentally disabled man trying to live on his own. That performance garnered him an Emmy. Video: Interview with Rooney in March . He also found a lasting marriage when he wed Jan Chamberlin in 1978. Chamberlin survives the actor. However, Rooney once again faced financial struggles as he entered his later decades. They came to national attention when he asked a Los Angeles court to appoint a conservator to protect him from his stepson and stepdaughter. Rooney blamed his financial troubles on a stepson whom he successfully sued. He also took his case to Congress, delivering emotional testimony to a House committee in March 2011 in which he said family members took control of his life, making him "scared, disappointed, yes, and angry." Rooney made his audience laugh and cry when he implored senators to stop what experts call chronic emotional, physical, sexual and financial abuse of elderly Americans by family members and other caregivers. Rooney called on Congress to make elder abuse a specific crime. "I'm asking you to stop this elderly abuse. I mean to stop it. Now. Not tomorrow, not next month but now," he shouted from the witness table. Rooney: A spokesman against elder abuse . Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Reva Goetz appointed attorney Michael Augustine as Rooney's permanent conservator that month. Augustine immediately began seeking entertainment gigs for the aging performer, telling CNN that he had to revive his show business career quickly or would die "in very short order." Augustine summed up Rooney's drive in a few sentences. "Mr. Rooney's parents put him on the vaudeville stage when he was 17 months old," he said in 2011. "If Mr. Rooney were to not work, I think we would be attending Mr. Rooney's funeral in very short order. "It's part of his fiber," Augustine continued. "He loves it. He is a showman." His last months included reunions with old friends, the family statement said. "Even someone of Mickey's iconic statue was quite star struck and was extremely thrilled to attend Vanity Fair's Oscar party recently," the family said. "Just last week Mickey was ecstatic when they surprised him by reuniting him with one of his great loves, the race track. There they spent time with Mel Brooks and Dick Van Patten. He had exceptional care and a new lease on life." People we lost in 2014 . | Mickey Rooney just finished work on "Night at the Museum 3"
Rooney was the No. 1 box office draw from 1939-41 .
Diminutive star had a famous screen partnership with Judy Garland .
He earned four Oscar nominations and received two statues . |
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