id
stringlengths 40
40
| article
stringlengths 48
15.9k
| highlights
stringlengths 14
7.39k
|
|---|---|---|
fb5c8c3a0dea57ff2b83c440fd6a309e1c6e5d71 | New York (CNN) -- One person died and at least seven others were injured Sunday after a three-alarm fire broke out in a New York City high-rise, authorities said. Daniel McClung, 27, was remembered by a close friend as a brilliant and beautiful person, inside and out. McClung was a playwright, a deep thinker with incredible wit and an appreciation for art and great music, said friend Dave Brown. He said McClung married his husband this past summer in Boston and that they were very much in love. The couple had recently moved into the high-rise. McClung died after being trapped in a stairwell, said a spokesman for the Office of Deputy Commissioner. The spokesman said a second victim was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The 32-year-old man is in stable condition, according to police. Fire crews gained control of the blaze, which began on the 20th floor of the high-rise in midtown Manhattan, around noon, according to New York City Fire Department spokesman Danny Glover. The fire was ruled accidental and was caused by pieces of electrical equipment that were plugged into a power strip through several extension cords, Frank Dwyer, a fire department spokesman, said Monday. Witness video obtained by CNN showed flames shooting out of the building and a large plume of black and white smoke. Glover confirmed everyone had evacuated the building. He was unsure of when residents would be able to return. According to Glover, another six people showed signs of possible smoke inhalation. Fire crews received a call around 11 a.m. alerting them to the fire. 2nd body found in Minneapolis apartment building's charred remains . Arson at Chinese consulate in San Francisco a 'despicable act' CNN's Haimy Assefa and Chris Welch reported and wrote in New York City, and Mayra Cuevas wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Dominique Dodley contributed to this report. | NEW: Fire is ruled accidental, caused by electrical equipment in a power strip .
Daniel McClung died after being trapped in a stairwell, a spokesman says .
Firefighters contained the fire around noon; it broke out on the 20th floor of high-rise .
Seven others had injuries; one of them was sent to a hospital . |
fb5cc15bc8da49674308b7ce350459b7fb4533fd | Two Chinese ships arrived at the coast of Vietnam on Monday to begin efforts to collect thousands of Chinese citizens who are fleeing the country after deadly attacks last week. The chartered ships reached the port of Vung Ang in Ha Tinh, the coastal province where some of the worst violence targeting Chinese facilities and workers took place, Chinese state media reported. One of the two, the Wuzhishan, departed later Monday for the southern Chinese port city of Haikou with 989 evacuees on board, according to the official Chinese news agency Xinhua. Along with two other ships that are still en route, the vessels are being used to bring back almost 4,000 Chinese citizens who are leaving because of the recent unrest, Xinhua said. Chinese authorities said Sunday that more than 3,000 Chinese had already been evacuated from Vietnam after protests over China's decision to move an oil rig into disputed waters of the South China Sea spiraled into riots last week in which foreign-owned factories were burned and looted. At issue is the positioning of the rig in waters claimed by both China and Vietnam. Vietnam claims the rig's presence is "illegal," while China says it has every right to drill and has castigated the Vietnamese government for failing to ensure the safety of its nationals. Two Chinese citizens were killed in the violence and more than 100 were injured, authorities said. The crisis has frayed ties between the two Communist-run Asian nations, and there is little sign of either side backing down over the increasingly bitter territorial dispute. Security tightened . A series of chartered planes carried scores of Chinese citizens, including 16 critically injured workers, back to China on Sunday, Xinhua reported. The critically hurt patients were suffering from a range of injuries inflicted by beatings with iron bars, said Liao Zhilin, a spokesman for the hospital in the western Chinese city of Chengdu where they were admitted. The badly injured workers were employees of China Metallurgical Group Corp., a contractor for an iron and steel complex being built in Ha Tinh, according to Chinese state-run media. Vietnamese authorities have clamped down on the unrest, arresting hundreds of people. They have beefed up security at key locations and urged citizens not participate in further protests. But that hasn't stopped China from pressing ahead with the measures to extract thousands of its citizens from the country. Beijing has also warned Chinese people not to travel to Vietnam and said it will suspend some planned bilateral exchanges with Hanoi, according to Xinhua. Ships clash at sea . Out in the South China Sea, ships from both countries are facing off. Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA on Saturday accused China of continuing to show "its aggressiveness by sending more military ships" to the area around the oil rig. The news agency cited Nguyen Van Trung, an official at the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department, as saying that China had 119 ships in the area Saturday morning, including warships, coast guard vessels and fishing boats. Some of the ships were provoking the Vietnamese vessels by ramming them and firing water cannons at them, he said. Vietnam says the rig site is clearly on its continental shelf, and moreover, is in its Exclusive Economic Zone. Hanoi has demanded that China remove the offending rig from the disputed waters, escort vessels from the region and hold talks to settle the issue. 'We are not afraid of trouble' China, for its part, has continued to accuse Vietnamese ships of similar acts, saying they are trying to disrupt the oil rig's drilling operation. It has declared a 3-mile exclusion zone around the rig, which is operated by the state-owned oil and gas company CNOOC. "We do not make trouble, but we are not afraid of trouble," Gen. Fang Fenghui, the chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said Thursday during a visit to the United States. "In matters of territory, our attitude is firm. We won't give an inch," Fang said after meeting U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey. U.S. concerns . Relations between China and Vietnam soured this month when the Chinese platform began drilling for oil near the Paracel Islands, which are claimed by both countries. At the time, the U.S. State Department called the move "provocative," saying it "raises tensions." Beijing has laid claim to most of the South China Sea, putting it at odds with several of its neighbors in the region, including the Philippines and Malaysia. China is also locked in a bitter dispute with Japan over a group of tiny islands in the East China Sea. While many commentators say Vietnam has every right to be upset over the positioning of the Chinese rig, at least one analyst says the issue not as clear cut as some suggest. "Geographical proximity alone is not an unequivocal basis for claiming sovereignty or sovereign rights," writes Sam Bateman in the Eurasia Review. Bateman, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, says Vietnam's claim to the Paracel Islands is "seriously weakened" by North Vietnam's recognition of China's sovereignty over the Paracels and the lack of protest between 1958 and 1975. In 1974, the two countries fought the Battle of the Paracel Islands, which ended in a Chinese victory and complete control over the land and surrounding waters. After the reunification of Vietnam in 1975, Vietnam's leaders publicly renewed the country's claim to the islands, but the issue remains unresolved. "We have to acknowledge there are territorial disputes," including "what exactly is the status quo and who is seeking to change it," Dempsey said Thursday at the news conference with Fang of the PLA. His comments were a veiled reference to Washington's view that Beijing is attempting to change the status quo by more aggressively seeking to establish control over disputed areas. Protesters torch factories in southern Vietnam as China protests escalate . How an oil rig sparked anti-China riots in Vietnam . | Beijing has laid claim to most of the South China Sea .
A Chinese ship sets off with nearly 1,000 evacuees on board, Xinhua says .
Anti-Chinese protests in Vietnam descended into deadly violence last week .
The unrest was provoked by China moving an oil rig into disputed waters . |
fb5cffa674be702d92430aed732ce5eef6f7934e | Hundreds of thousands of families could be risking food poisoning by defrosting their turkeys in an unsuitable place – like the bath or the garden shed. Some 69 per cent of Britons who buy a frozen bird for their Christmas dinner – almost 11 million people – leave it in an unsafe place to thaw out. Just a quarter allow their poultry to defrost correctly in the fridge, a survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) revealed. Nearly 70 per cent of people who opted for a frozen turkey in the UK are defrosting it unsafely, in the bath, garage or garden shed, rather than the fridge, the Food Standards Agency has warned. People are left with a turkey dinner that looks and tastes delicious but contains a hidden risk that can’t be seen, tasted or smelled. Those who use an unrefrigerated area such as the garage, the shed or the bath can allow the spread of dangerous bacteria such as campylobacter – which is most commonly associated with food poisoning and responsible for an estimated 280,000 cases each year and up to 100 deaths. The FSA warned that failure to prepare a turkey for cooking correctly could leave a dinner that ‘looks and tastes delicious but contains a hidden risk that can’t be seen, tasted or smelt’. Last Christmas there were more than 3,000 confirmed cases of campylobacter in England and Wales, according to figures from the watchdog. The bug is usually found in the intestinal tract of poultry. But the Mail reported last month how seven out of ten fresh chickens are carrying campylobacter on the skin, according to latest figures from the agency. It declared yesterday as the national day to begin defrosting turkeys, reminding cooks that a typical large turkey weighing 11kg (24lb) will take two days to thaw. Kevin Hargin, the FSA’s head of food-borne disease, said: ‘We all love our turkey dinner at Christmas and this year should be no exception. It’s the little things you do that can make a real difference. ‘So if you make sure that your turkey is defrosted safely and in good time, you can enjoy your meal happily and safely.’ The FSA advises that home cooks should follow the retailer’s recommended defrosting time and thaw the bird in the fridge if possible or somewhere cool to slow the growth of germs. The bird should be covered, either in the original packaging or in a container to hold any thawing juices at the bottom of the fridge to avoid cross-contamination. Defrosting the turkey unsafely can spread food-causing bacteria such as campylobacter (pictured under a microscope). The FSA advises keeping the turkey in the fridge as cold temperatures stop bacteria growing . If the turkey is not defrosted thoroughly, it may not cook evenly and harmful bacteria could survive the cooking process. Online butcher Donald Russell advised using a coolbox. The company posted on Twitter: ‘Got a Donald Russell turkey? Take it out to defrost today – use the coolbox to save space in the fridge!’ However, some home cooks preparing for Christmas Day were already ignoring the safety advice yesterday. One user asked on Twitter: ‘Large son is bringing a large frozen turkey. Our small fridge and freezer is already packed solid. I can defrost it in the garden, right?’ Another said: ‘The only thing Christmassy in my house is the turkey defrosting in the sink.’ | Nearly 70% of people opting for a frozen turkey are unsafely defrosting it .
They risk food poisoning at Christmas due to bacteria like campylobacter .
Food Standards Agency recommends defrosting turkey in the fridge .
Has launched 'defrost your turkey day' to encourage cooks to be safe . |
fb5d35e39dc521a521c6c35ec38605f57b86009d | She spent years of 'heartache' and thousands of dollars on IVF in a desperate attempt to conceive. And in 2011, Angel Watts gave birth by a set of twins - followed by another set 16 months ago. Now, the devoted mother-of-four is taking to Facebook in a bid to help another couple to achieve their dream of having children - by advertising her six unused, donated embryos for adoption. However, she will not accept any willing parents-to-be - they must adhere to a list of what some may perceive as unusual terms that she has posted on the social networking site. Mrs Watts, mother to Alexander and Shelby, aged three, and 16-month-old Angelina and Charles, says she wants the couple whom she chooses to be financially capable of supporting six children. Scroll down for video . Taking action: Angel Watts (pictured, far right, with her husband, Jeff, and two sets of twins, Alexander, Shelby, Angelina and Charles) is taking to Facebook to help another couple to achieve their dream of having children . They must also be in 'a steady, loving relationship' with 'a strong Christian background', good health (aside from infertility) and roots in Tennessee, where Miss Watts and her husband, Jeff, are from. Perhaps most strikingly, the chosen couple must raise any children together and allow the Wattses to have a relationship with their biological siblings - unlike many embryo donation arrangements. They should also not space the offspring too far apart in age - ideally, the majority of the embryos will be used over 'a six-year window', Mrs Watts, who lives with her family in Mount Juliet, says. In her long Facebook post in December, Mrs Watts, whose embryos are in storage at the National Embryo Donation Center in Knoxville, said: 'We come with good news for someone out there. Strict guidelines: However, the mother-of-four (pictured) will not accept any willing parents-to-be - they must adhere to a list of what some may perceive as unusual terms that she has posted on the social network site . Desires: Mrs Watts says she wants the couple whom she chooses to be financially capable of supporting six children. They must also be in 'a steady, loving relationship' with good health and roots in Tennessee . 'We are seeking a couple in the area who has roots in TN who is having issues with infertility who are otherwise healthy and will need IVF in order to start a family. - A couple that wants a large family and can afford to have six children . - They will ideally be in 'a steady, loving relationship' and have 'a strong Christian background' - They must have roots in Tennessee . - Aside from issues with infertility, they should otherwise be healthy . - 'No super age gap' between the siblings - ideally, most embryos will be used over 'a six-year window' - They must be 35 years old or younger 'in order to set the process up for the best odds of success' 'We have 6 good quality frozen six-day-old embryos to donate to an amazing family who wants a large family. ... It would be very nice if there is no super huge age gap between the siblings.' Speaking to USA Today, Mrs Watts said she decided to advertise her extra embryos - initially donated by a 20-year-old woman - after reading stories of ill-fated donor-conceived children. Some of these children felt disregarded - by science and donor anonymity - from any chance of knowing anything about where they came from, she said. In relation to her own children, she added: 'Sometimes, when they are playing together and doing their own thing, absorbed in their own little world, I feel like I could just watch them forever. 'I feel like I don't even need to watch television, that I could just watch them all the time.' Doctor and lawyer Ellen Wright Clayton, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told the news site that some of Mrs Watts's terms were backed by scientific evidence. She explained how the desires of donor-conceived children are not entirely different from those of adopted children. Family: Speaking to USA Today, Mrs Watts (pictured with her family) said she decided to advertise her extra embryos - initially donated by a 20-year-old woman - after reading stories of ill-fated donor-conceived children . Further rules: Perhaps most strikingly, the chosen couple must raise any children together and allow the Wattses to have a relationship with their biological siblings - unlike many embryo donation arrangements . Mrs Watts said: 'We are seeking open communication and meetings so siblings grow up to know each other' 'There's tons of evidence to show that many, many people who are raised in families that weren't the ones who bore them want to know where they came from,' she said. She added that there appeared to be nothing legally wrong about Mrs Watts donating the embryos. Although the Wattses have received numerous responses to their Facebook post, they are yet to find a match. Mrs Watts, 45, cannot carry the additional 'good quality' embryos herself due to her age and health. | Angel Watts, 45, spent thousands of dollars on IVF in a bid to conceive .
She finally gave birth to two sets of twins, aged three and 16 months old .
Now, she is taking to Facebook to find couple to adopt six extra embryos .
But she will not accept any willing parents - they must adhere to terms .
These include wish for her children to have relationship with siblings . |
fb5e7ac23a449408dd3b32c0475fba5e86dfa398 | By . Lizzie Parry . PUBLISHED: . 16:31 EST, 11 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:31 EST, 11 November 2013 . When Hope Whispers by Zoleka Mandela reveals a childhood blighted by sexual abuse . A frank memoir by the granddaughter of Nelson Mandela has revealed she was sexually abused as a child. Zoleka Mandela, 33, also writes about the grief she suffered after losing two children, as well as her battle with breast cancer. Her 13-year-old daughter Zenani was killed in a car crash in June 2010. Two days after celebrating her 13th birthday, the great granddaughter of the former South African president died on her way home from the FIFA World Cup Kick Off Concert in Soweto. Zoleka, who was 10 years old when Nelson Mandela walked free from prison, released her new book of memoirs, When Hope Whispers, today. The honest account also charts her decade-long battle with addiction to drugs and alcohol. An excerpt featured in The Times, reveals: 'From the time I was barely eight years old to the age of 14, I had been sexually abused by some of the adults who should have been looking after me. 'For years I blamed her (her mother Zindzi Mandela) for the physical and sexual abuse I was subjected to as a child,' she said. 'My feeling was that if she had been there for me, she could have prevented it and I could have been protected. I have come to realise she probably did the best she could.' Zoleka'smother Zindzi Mandela grew up while her father was imprisoned on Robben Island and faced watching as her mother Winnie Madikizela Mandela was thrown into jail as well. Each of Zindzi's children had different fathers, with Zoleka recalling her mother could strip and reassemble an AK47 in 38 seconds by the time she was born. Zoleka was told of her eldest child's death while she was recovering in a Johannesburg clinic, a week after she tried to kill herself while on a cocaine binge. The granddaughter of Nelson Mandela tells of the heartache at the death of her 13-year-old daughter in a car crash in June 2010 as well as her decade-long battle with addiction to drugs and alcohol and being diagnosed with breast cancer last year . When Hope Whispers tells that 'the biggest part of her died' when she received the news, adding that she wished God had taken her instead. Zoleka fell pregnant with a baby boy, soon after losing her daughter. But baby Zenawe was born premature and died a few days after birth and was buried a year after his sister in June 2011. From her first boyfriend at the age of nine, her book tells of a series of 'disturbing' relationships, which led her down a path towards addiction - an affliction she battled for a decade. And it deals with her early breast cancer diagnosis in March last year, and her journey from hearing the news through treatment on a journey of 'pain and struggle to hope, faith and inspiration', she reveals on her website. Zoleka's grandparents Nelson Mandela, centre, and his ex-wife Winnie, right, celebrating his 86th birthday with his current wife Graca Machel . | Frank memoir When Hope Whispers tells of abuse at the hands of adults who should have been looking after Zoleka Mandela .
33-year-old writes about coming to terms with the death of her 13-year-old daughter Zenani in a car crash during the 2010 World Cup .
Book charts her decade-long battle with addiction and fight against cancer . |
fb5efd87791ad1b083af40f21dea5c003e741618 | GAALKACYO, Somalia (CNN) -- The U.S. government is delaying "tens of millions" of dollars in crucial humanitarian aid over concerns that the money is being diverted to a notorious militant group, a senior U.N. official said. Al-Shabaab militants ride through Mogadishu, Somalia, after a religious gathering in September. The U.S. government, concerned about the challenges in delivering assistance in a country wracked by civil war, says allegations that Al-Shabaab is stopping aid from reaching the people are under review. Although one U.S. government source said aid continues to flow to Somalia and hasn't been suspended, another said aid might not reach "some parts of the country" because of Al-Shabaab, the al Qaeda-linked terror group that is trying to overthrow the government. Located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia has long been a lawless, war-ravaged nation. The United Nations says that nearly half the population is dependent on humanitarian assistance, and one in five children are acutely malnourished. Somalia has suffered through five consecutive seasons of drought, and the ongoing conflict has caused more than a million people to be displaced. Kiki Gbeho, head of office for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Somalia, said the United States is reviewing whether its aid helps fund Al-Shabaab. The U.N. office, in a report issued in September, said the U.S. delay in reaching a decision on humanitarian funding "is already impacting on many agencies and their programmes." The United Nations estimates that 60 percent of the people it needs to reach with emergency assistance live in areas controlled by Al-Shabaab. "According to humanitarian principles, we have to serve people and need to deal with those in charge," Gbeho said. Peter Smerdon, chief spokesman for the World Food Program, the agency responsible for delivering aid to Somalia, would not comment on the U.S. funding controversy but said investigations into whether Al-Shabaab is assisted by U.N. aid assistance are "ongoing." Food supplies could run out for millions of Somalis in the next few weeks, according to the United Nations. The U.S. government is traditionally the biggest donor for food assistance. The issue of breakdowns in humanitarian aid in Somalia has long concerned the United States. A senior administration official and an administration official spoke about the issue on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The senior U.S. administration official said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Transitional Federal Government President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed discussed in August how the "delivery of services" to the Somali people be broadened. Clinton said publicly in Nairobi that the United States continues to provide "humanitarian assistance to the Somali people where delivery is feasible and effective." The administration official said that the aid has never stopped, adding that food bound for the World Food Program in Somalia is on a vessel and should arrive in a few weeks. The senior administration official said, "We are working with groups there to ensure that we can deliver assistance without having to pay off Al-Shabaab in the process. It does mean that aid may get to certain parts of the country but not others." | Washington reviewing claims that money is being diverted to militant group .
U.N. estimates 60 percent of people who need aid live in militant-controlled areas .
Millions could run out of food in the next few weeks, U.N. says . |
fb5f59e9b4db7e726bd1d925eb64c569ab45dedb | By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:40 EST, 22 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:48 EST, 22 February 2014 . A movie crew was working on train . tracks without permission from the railroad when a freight train crashed . into the production team and its equipment, killing one and injuring . seven others, a sheriff's investigator said Friday. Joe . Gardner, the lead detective on the case, said the crew had Rayonier's . permission to film on its property next to the train tracks. 'CSX has told me they were aware they were out there, but they did . not have permission to be on the train tracks,' Gardner told reporters. Casualty: 27-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Jones of Atlanta, a camera assistant, was killed in the deadly accident . "That's a very active train track,' he said. 'There's probably . anywhere from up to 10 trains a day that go through on those tracks.' The Savannah-based crew was shooting footage for 'Midnight Rider,' a . film based on the life of singer Gregg Allman, when the crash happened . Thursday afternoon. Wayne County sheriff's detectives were working . Friday to piece together how and why it happened. The deadly collision took place at a railroad trestle that crosses . the Altamaha River in the rural county about 60 miles southwest of . Savannah. The tracks, owned by CSX Railroad, cross private land owned by . forest-products company Rayonier, which has a nearby paper mill. The . crew, and director Randall Miller, had been filming a dream sequence on . a railroad, when the train suddenly appeared on the bridge they were . on. Miller, . who reportedly fell on the tracks as the crew tried to get out of the . train's path, is working on a film about the life of musician Gregg . Allman. His crew had . been prepared for two trains to pass by as they filmed at about 4pm on . Thursday. They had placed a bed on a bridge in Doctortown when a train . driver blew his whistle to alert them to an unexpected third train. Scene: Investigators said the crew never had permission to be on the dangerous tracks . The . team had less than a minute to try to clear the track and get off the . bridge before the train, which was heading to Savannah, passed by, Variety reported. A photographer pulled Miller to safety after the director fell on the tracks while trying to move the bed. The . rest of the eight-man crew were still leaving the bridge as the train . went past, striking and killing the second camera assistant, and . throwing debris from the set into the air. The train struck and killed a woman identified by the sheriff's . department as 27-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Jones of Atlanta. Jones was a camera assistant. Seven others . were injured, one seriously enough to be taken by helicopter to a . Savannah hospital. Further information on their conditions was not . immediately available Friday. Near miss: Director Randall Miller, left, fell on the tracks as he tried . to help the crew move part of a set. He is currently filming the life . story of musician Gregg Allman . Trespassing onto railroad tracks is illegal under Georgia law and punishable as a misdemeanor. The film studio Friday referred calls to a Los Angeles publicist, . Nadine Jolson, who did not immediately return phone calls seeking . comment but emailed a brief statement. 'All of us on the production team are devastated by the tragic . accident that happened today,' the studio's statement said. 'Our . thoughts and prayers are with the family of our crew member.' CSX issued a statement saying the railroad company was 'deeply . saddened' by the crash and cooperating with investigators. It provided . no further details other than to say the train involved was traveling to . Savannah from Memphis, Tenn. A CSX spokeswoman, Kristin Seay, declined to comment further and . would not confirm that film crew had no permission from the railroad to . be working on the train tracks. Authorities provided few details about the collision. Gardner said it . wasn't clear if crew members were actually on the trestle bridging the . river or just on the tracks at the river's edge. Tragic: The film crew had been filming near this stretch of track when an unexpected train hit and killed a camera assistant . He said the train . smashed some of the crew's equipment, and it's possible some of the . injuries were caused by flying debris. Among the items found on the . tracks was what appeared to be a mattress for a bed, Gardner said. It also wasn't clear if the film crew was waiting to film a train or was caught unaware by one approaching, Gardner said. In a statement, train company CSX said it had been 'deeply saddened by a tragedy'. It added: 'Initial reports indicate that at least . three people were injured, one fatally. CSX personnel are working with . first responders to meet the needs of those injured.' A . spokeswoman for the production company told Mail Online: 'All of us on . the production team are devastated by the tragic accident. Our thoughts . and prayers are with the family of our crew member.' Production . of the film about the Allman Brothers' frontman had only begun this . month. The film is due to star William Hurt and Tyson Ritter as Allman . in different stages of his life. | 27-year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones killed in accident .
Investigators claim the crew had no clearance to work there .
Crew were not expecting freight train as they filmed Gregg Allman movie .
Four people injured by debris as movie props were thrown into the air .
Director Randall Miller fell on the tracks as he tried to clear the set from the rails . |
fb5f9416d9bf2bec1bdc57dc03971f08e0ab72f7 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 13:17 EST, 12 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 16:09 EST, 12 March 2014 . A gang that posed as 'King of the Gypsies' Paddy Doherty in a bid to blackmail thousands of pounds from small business owners has been jailed for a total of 31 years. William Adams and Terence Cunningham Snr staged the sophisticated scam during a 12-month operation and targeted businesses in Newcastle, Birmingham, Hull, Devon and Sheffield. When victims refused to pay, the gang made threatening phone calls claiming to be Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star and Celebrity Big Brother winner Paddy Doherty. William Adams (left) and Terence Cunningham Snr orchestrated a scam to steal thousands of pounds by issuing chilling threats . There is no suggestion Mr Doherty had any connection with the group. The court was told that the gang threatened to castrate victims and that one company boss was told 200 caravans would be parked on his land 'like Dale Farm' if cash was not paid. Jailing the five-man gang for a total of 31 years, Judge Roger Thorn QC said: 'Over a 12-month period a well-planned conspiracy was in operation to blackmail, with utterly vile threats, victims who were themselves utterly honest, decent and members of the community. 'The victims here were found to have been from as far away as Devon all the way up to Tyneside.' Terence Cunningham Jnr (left) was handed a six-year jail term, while Darren Squire will serve four years in prison . He added: 'Those who heard the evidence are unlikely to forget it for a very long time as well as the victims who will certainly never forget those threats.' The gang struck at the Norman Burgess premises on St James’ Boulevard, in Newcastle city centre, demanding £16,000 for unwanted work. And they also visited the Briar Dene pub on The Links, Whitley Bay, and threatened David Horgan - boss of the Sir John Fitzgerald pub chain - that they would park 200 caravans on the pub car park. Adams, 46, and Cunningham Snr, 48, both of Askern, South Yorkshire, were handed eight-and-a-half year sentences and made the subject of a director disqualification order for five years. When victims refused to pay, the gang made threatening phone calls claiming to be Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star and Celebrity Big Brother winner Paddy Doherty (right), seen here with Sally Bercow and Ken Livingstone. There is no suggestion Mr Doherty had any connection with the group . Terence Cunningham Jnr, 26, of Askern, was handed a six-year jail term and a director disqualification order. Darren Squire, also of Askern, will serve four years in prison. All were sentenced for a charge of conspiracy to blackmail. Michael Howley, 72, of Messingham, Scunthorpe, who is already behind bars, was found guilty of money laundering. He was given four years. | The gang threatened business owners with castration and harassment .
When victims refused, they pretended to be reality TV star Paddy Doherty .
They targeted business up and down the country with 'vile' threats . |
fb5fc51f4dc6a663956779b6acb810b57c80e650 | (CNN) -- The hacker group LulzSec has alarmed police in Arizona this week after releasing sensitive information about officers. The group said they posted the information in response to Arizona's controversial immigration law. "We are releasing hundreds of private intelligence bulletins, training manuals, personal email correspondence, names, phone numbers, addresses and passwords belonging to Arizona law enforcement," the group said in a statement. "We are targeting AZDPS (Arizona Department of Public Safety) specifically because we are against SB 1070 and the racial profiling anti-immigrant police state that is Arizona." The Arizona Highway Patrol Association said the release of the documents is unsafe for officers. "Law enforcement officials go to many lengths to protect their identities," states Jimmy Chavez, president of the organization "These individuals maliciously released confidential information knowing the safety of DPS employees, and their families, would be compromised." The controversial bill, Arizona Senate Bill 1070, passed last year but was quickly challenged in court by the Justice Department. The measure would have required local police, while enforcing other laws, to question the immigration status of anyone they suspected of being undocumented. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit placed an injunction on parts of the measure in April saying that those parts overstepped Arizona's authority. In its lawsuit, the Justice Department challenged only six of the Arizona law's provisions, meaning others went into effect in July. Among the provisions given the go-ahead were a ban on "sanctuary cities," or municipalities with laws or policies that render them relatively safe for undocumented immigrants. A provision making it illegal to hire day laborers if doing so impedes traffic and a provision dealing with sanctions for employers who hire illegal immigrants also went into effect. CNN's Anna Rhett Miller and Alta Spells contributed to this report . | The group says they released the documents in response to Arizona immigration law .
The group releases numerous documents on Thursday .
A law enforcement official says the release put officers and their families in harm's way . |
fb602af85290b4ccb8792f0b40b7035ade000215 | By . Infant Health Expert Dr Pamela Douglas . Dr Pamela Douglas busts the myths about what makes a contented newborn . The first four months of a baby’s life can be a testing time for parents and caregivers. The wide range of confusing, and sometimes conflicting advice available can create even more anxiety at an already stressful time. Brisbane GP and infant health expert Dr Pamela Douglas cuts through the confusion in her new book The Discontented Little Baby Book. The mother-of-two has busted the top six myths about caring for newborns. Myth 1. Babies need to be taught how to sleep . Babies don’t need to be taught how to sleep – sleep is a normal biological process, which can’t be forced. It is not under conscious control. Sleep is actually controlled by two biological sleep regulators and our job is to remove obstacles that are often put in the way of healthy sleep. Parents may be told that if they don’t teach their baby to sleep now, that child will become a poor sleeper later in childhood, with negative effects on learning and development. But this is simply not true, if you look at the latest evidence. Dr Douglas believes that babies don’t need to be taught how to sleep – sleep is a normal biological process which can’t be forced . Myth 2. Feed/play/sleep cycles are the best way to get your baby into a good sleep routine . Sleepiness at the end of a feed is caused by the hormones of satiety and relaxation, and is a sign that the normal biological sleep regulators are kicking in. Sleepiness at the end of feeds is a powerful biological cue; by deliberately ignoring this cue and not letting your baby fall asleep at the end of a feed, which is often what parents are told to do, we interfere with the healthy function of the sleep regulators. The sleep may not last for long but catnapping during the day is quite normal for babies. Dr Douglas (pictured with her baby) says sleepiness at the end of feeds is a powerful biological cue . Myth 3. Back-arching, breast refusal and vomiting are signs of gastro-oesphageal reflux disease (GORD) in this age group . Back-arching at the breast, pulling off of the breast or refusing to feed actually signal a feeding problem, one that can be helped by a health professional who is trained in clinical breastfeeding support. Vomiting (once medical conditions like pyloric stenosis have been ruled out) is normal and peaks at about four months. Dr Douglas says back-arching or pulling off of the breast, or refusing to feed, can actually signal a feeding problem . Myth 4. Burping helps settle babies . Burping is a practice that spread around the world with the British Empire, but is unnecessary. Babies relieve themselves of any wind naturally from any position, just like you and me. If it seems to be working for you, that’s fine – but if your baby is unsettled, I usually recommend not burping, because it disrupts that lovely sleepiness at the end of the feed which allows the baby’s biological sleep regulators to kick in. Dr Douglas doesn't recommend burping, because it disrupts the sleepiness at the end of the feed which allows the baby’s biological sleep regulators to kick in . Myth 5. Babies need a quiet, dark sleep environment free of stimulus . Many families are told that their baby is unsettled because of over-stimulation, but this is not true. This false belief can be traced back directly to the concern doctors felt at the beginning of the 20th century about the effects of electric lighting, motor transport and radio on children’s developing brains, and has persisted despite lack of evidence. In fact, all the new neuroscience research suggests that under-stimulation of the senses from long periods spent in quiet, dark rooms during the day represents the greater risk. Research suggests under-stimulation of the senses from long periods spent in quiet, dark rooms during the day represents the greater risk . Myth 6. Sleep breeds sleep . This adage is a misinterpretation of the fact that a baby who is relaxed and content falls asleep easily; that is, calm breeds calm. But sleep can’t be forced, and babies’ sleep needs are incredibly varied. Your baby might need half as much sleep as the baby next door in the same 24-hour period, and both babies are normal. Removing the obstacles to sleep – like long naps during the day in artificially dark and quiet rooms, or following a feed/play/sleep routine – will help your baby’s natural sleep regulators do their job. Doctor Pamela Douglas is a Brisbane based GP and infant health expert, and director of the Possums Clinic for Mothers and Babies. The Discontented Little Baby Book releases 1 September and price is $29.95. It’s available at University of Queensland Press . | Brisbane GP and infant health expert Dr Pamela Douglas busts top six newborn myths .
Myths include that newborn babies don't need to be taught how to sleep or burped .
Dr Douglas says the first four months are a confusing and testing time for new parents . |
fb60a373df6b3945490fba1c39a3824fe484e35d | By . Ronnie Esplin, Press Association . Scottish flyweight Reece McFadden claimed he looked into the eyes of Charlie Edwards and knew his confident quest for Commonwealth Games gold would continue following their battle at the SECC. The 19-year-old from Forgewood had beaten the world's top amateur flyweight Andrew Selby on Friday night, saying afterwards: 'This gold is mine. This gold is my medal', before going on to say that he would beat Charlie Edwards next. In a classic Scotland versus England last-16 clash in front of an enthusiastic crowd, Croydon boy Edwards, fighting for the first time after getting a first-round bye, had to fend off the hometown fighter in the first round and did so at times with some assurance as punches were exchanged but after three pulsating rounds, McFadden was given the unanimous decision. Confident: Reece McFadden has the flyweight Commonwealth title in his sights after beating Charlie Edwards . The verdict did not impress the Englishman, who said: 'It is what you expect. Now he is the golden boy. 'I am not one who says I got robbed but I really thought I won it, I thought I did enough but that's the way it goes, we are in Scotland.' However, McFadden claimed his take on a boxer's body language again confirmed the decision. Going all the way: McFadden takes a punch from Edwards but after beating him he wants to win gold . He said: 'I knew I beat those two boys by them looking away. When my eyes were constantly on them they were looking away, looking at the referee, not wanting to know. 'That's when they are beat. I have noticed that with guys who have beat me or given me my toughest fight, they look at me square on, right at me. 'Those two boys didn't do that. But it doesn't matter if you stare at my eyes, I am still going to beat you anyway because I am the fittest I have ever been in my life and I am ready for a gold medal.' Vocal support: Edwards thought McFadden benefitted from the support of the partisan crowd . Expanding on his view of the decision, Edwards said: 'It is what it is, you are in Scotland, you are in his back yard, with all that crowd cheering. 'I thought I won but in front of this Scottish crowd I would have had to done a right number on him. 'I thought I won but that's the way it goes, it is boxing. You get that all over the world, wherever you go, in everyone's backyard they (the local boxer) always get a bit of help. But I am a good sportsman. Good luck to him.' Coming out on top: McFadden celebrates his brilliant victory in the last-16 bout . | 19-year-old believes he will win the gold on home soil .
He is already confident of win over next opponent Charlie Edwards .
Win over Andrew Selby came in controversial circumstances . |
fb60ba9ca87bd6e45d7d0a11ad3027941407c081 | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 12:25 EST, 11 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:25 EST, 11 October 2012 . Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt says the firms battle with Apple will define the future of technology. The battle between the firms has intensified in recent weeks as Apple dropped Google's maps app from its iPhone, replacing it with a troubled in house version. The decision was believed to have been made by amid amid rising tensions over Google's Android phone software. Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt says the firm's battle with Apple will be the 'defining battle' of the technology age. Schmidt said today he expects more than a billion mobile devices around the world to be running its Android software within a year, intensifying a battle with Apple Inc that he called a 'defining fight' of the industry.Schmidt said there were already four times as many Android mobile gadgets - smartphones and tablets made by the likes of Samsung Electronics - and that the scale of the battle between the two firms was unprecedented. 'We've not seen ... competitive fights on this scale,' he said during an interview with tech blog AllThingsDigital at New York's 92nd Street Y on Wednesday. Google and Apple were once close partners, with Schmidt serving on Apple's board during part of his tenure as Google CEO. But the ties between the two have been strained by the rise of Google's Android mobile operating system, now the world's leading platform for smartphones and a direct threat to Apple's lucrative iPhone and iPad businesses. As competition between the two companies has heated up, Apple has moved to cut its reliance on Google products by dumping YouTube from the new iPhone's pre-loaded selection of apps and replacing Google's mapping software on the iPhone with its own mapping service. Apple's foray into mapping has not gone smoothly. Apple CEO Tim Cook was forced to issue a public apology earlier this month amid complaints that the product - based on Dutch navigation equipment maker and digital map maker TomTom NV's data - contained glaring geographic errors and gaps in information. 'What Apple has learned is that maps are really hard,' Schmidt said. Youtube South Korean singer Psy, whose song 'Gangnam Style' teaches Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt his signature 'horse dance' 'We invested hundreds of millions of dollars in satellite work, airplane work, drive by work, to get the maps accurate.' But he added that the two technology companies were 'always in communication with each other.' Schmidt also said he did not expect Google to become a significant player in China any time soon, following its 2010 standoff with the government over Web censorship and cyber-attacks that Google said originated in China. Google relocated its search engine to Hong Kong in the wake of the episode, allowing Chinese search engine Baidu Inc to widen its lead in China, one of the few markets in the world where Google's search engine is not dominant.'Baidu will continue to be the Number One player in China for a long time,' Schmidt said. He said that he did not expect any mending of ties with the Chinese government, which he said has cut off access to Google's Web services in the past. China has in its power to arbitrarily restrict our access to Chinese citizens to keep us at whatever percentage market share they wish,' Schmidt said. | Schmidt predicted a billion gadgets will run Google's Android software within a year .
Claims Apple has learnt 'maps are really hard' |
fb6100fdad8398bc54d44bd4f7ced99d014d4229 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . This is the desperately sad story of the thinnest woman in the world who weighs just four stone after years of extreme dieting. But rather than feel sorry for herself, Valeria Levitin says her emaciated figure should be a severe wake-up call for girls wanting matchstick-thin figures. At 5ft 8in, she should weigh between 9st and 12st, according to NHS advice. Instead, she is a tiny 4st 3lbs, less than half of what her lightest healthy weight should be. Scroll down to see the interview . Valeria Levitin is a walking skeleton after years of anorexia reduced her weight to just four stone . Valeria aged 19, on holiday in Mexico. She developed the eating disorder as a teenager and has now chosen to speak out about how the illness has ruined her life . What is most worrying is that Valeria, originally from Russia but who now lives in Monaco, says she gets fan mail from girls desperate to copy her skeletal look. The 39-year-old told The Sun: ‘I have received emails from young girls who want me to teach them how to be like me. ‘All the letters I’ve had are from women, mainly in their twenties, who see me as some kind of inspiration.’ As a result, she has taken the brave step to speak out about her condition and campaign against anorexia – and says she refuses to teach young girls how to die. She says she wants to share her story to prevent other people falling victim to the same fate, saying anorexia has made her 'lonely, unattractive and repulsive for the people around me' Valeria, pictured as she is today, was banned from ballet at the age of 24 over concerns she would injure herself as she weighed just six stone . Valeria, who developed her eating disorder as a teenager, has chosen to speak out about how the illness has ruined her life. She . says she wants to share her story to prevent other people falling . victim to the same fate, saying anorexia has made her ‘lonely, . unattractive and repulsive for the people around me’. Valeria, here aged 11, believes the roots of her condition lie with her mother, who was terrified she would grow up obese like her relatives . She believes the roots of her condition lie with her mother, who was terrified Valeria would grow up obese like her relatives. Even as a young child, her diet was curtailed. Hello dear Valeria, . I . am 23 and weigh 8½st and I do not like myself this way. I want to look . skinny like Thumbelina. Nobody can persuade me not to diet, even though I . acquired gastritis and pancreatitis. I . have tried all kinds of diets but they all yielded only temporary . results. On my present diet I do not feel hungry... I cannot return to my old way of eating because I fear I . will gain weight. All my . relatives are telling me it will hurt me, that I will be a victim of . anorexia. I am a little worried that one day I will be faced with a . problem of critically low weight and I want to know when to get worried. When did it happen to you? Valeria was weighed often to ensure she hadn’t gained any weight, such was her mother’s drive for perfection. At 16, and weighing 10st, Valeria moved to Chicago with her parents. Desperate to fit in at a new school, she thought that if she lost weight, she would be accepted and liked. As a result, she restricted her diet even further, cutting out sugar or carbohydrates. The irony today is that, having cut out certain foods for so long, her body is intolerant to them and could not process them even if she wanted to. When a classmate made a cruel comment about Valeria’s figure, she became even more determined to lose weight. She said: 'We were playing football and during the game a man said, "I know how we can win. We need to put Valeria’s big ar*e in the goal”. It shattered my whole world.' By the time she was 23, Valeria’s dress size had plummeted from a healthy size 12 to a tiny size six. Deciding to become a model made the situation even worse, as she was told she was still too fat to succeed. As her weight continued to plummet, by the age of 24 and weighing just six stone, she was banned from dancing over concerns she would injure herself. It has been so long since Valeria ate bread that she can no longer remember what it tastes like . For the next ten years she saw more than 30 health specialists, though once dipped to a dangerously low 3st 10lbs. Today, even if she wanted to eat certain foods, she would be unable to. Many foods have to be avoided because they don’t agree with her body any more. It has been so long since she ate bread that she can no longer remember what it tastes like. Her illness has also made her life a very lonely one. Single for a decade, she says relationships are difficult as she is unable to do the normal things that couples do, as going to restaurants. Now, she believes she cannot be cured simply by going to a doctor, having never gained weight after seeing a specialist. Aged 23, she decided to become a model, but suffered further set-backs after being told she was too big . Rather, she says the problem is more about a 'lack of harmony between body and . soul'. Today Valeria takes supplements to counter the risk of bruising and avoids situations where she could fall. And . she believes the solution could lie in moving back to Moscow - where . she feels more at ease with herself - and trying to fulfill her lifelong . dream of becoming a mother via a surrogate. For . the incentive of wanting a child could be a trigger to get healthy . again, she says. It is something she feels she can do if she can get . herself healthy. Now 39, Valeria says she is desperate to get better and fulfill her dream of becoming a mother. She also wants to serve as a warning to others about the dangers of extreme dieting . She said: 'I would love to have a family because I feel I have so much to give. But obviously it wouldn’t be right to have a baby when I am ill. It wouldn’t be fair on the child. 'I want to stand up to anorexia. I’ve never given up on anything in my life and I’m not about to give up now.' Valeria would like people suffering from eating disorders like hers to get help. You can find support by going to b-eat.co.uk . VIDEO Frightening words of an anorexic. Valeria speaks out about her battle . | Valeria Levitin, 39, developed the eating disorder as a teenager after years of her mother weighing her as a child .
Taunted at school about her weight and told she was 'too fat' to be a model .
Says she is horrified by the letters she receives from girls wanting weight loss tips - and that her emaciated figure should be a severe warning about the dangers of extreme dieting .
Describes being anorexic as ‘lonely, unattractive and repulsive for the people around me’ |
fb610f0636cba9fdcef207d0172baec2bb1846ed | Washington (CNN) -- The following is the prepared transcript of House Speaker John Boehner's speech Monday night on debt reduction talks: . Good evening. I'm John Boehner. I serve as Speaker of the whole House -- of the members of both parties that you elect. These are difficult times in the life of our nation. Millions are looking for work, have been for some time, and the spending binge going on in Washington is a big part of the reason why. Before I served in Congress, I ran a small business in Ohio. I was amazed at how different Washington DC operated than every business in America. Where most American business make the hard choices to pay their bills and live within their means, in Washington more spending and more debt is business as usual. I've got news for Washington -- those days are over. President Obama came to Congress in January and requested business as usual -- yet another routine increase in the national debt limit -- we in the House said "not so fast." Here was the president, asking for the largest debt increase in American history, on the heels of the largest spending binge in American history. Obama's speech: Compromise needed now . Here's what we got for that spending binge: a massive health care bill that most Americans never asked for. A "stimulus" bill that was more effective in producing material for late-night comedians than it was in producing jobs. And a national debt that has gotten so out of hand it has sparked a crisis without precedent in my lifetime or yours. The United States cannot default on its debt obligations. The jobs and savings of too many Americans are at stake. What we told the president in January was this: the American people will not accept an increase in the debt limit without significant spending cuts and reforms. And over the last six months, we've done our best to convince the president to partner with us to do something dramatic to change the fiscal trajectory of our country. . .something that will boost confidence in our economy, renew a measure of faith in our government, and help small businesses get back on track. Last week, the House passed such a plan, and with bipartisan support. It's called the "Cut, Cap, and Balance" Act. It CUTS and CAPS government spending and paves the way for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, which we believe is the best way to stop Washington from spending money it doesn't have. Before we even passed the bill in the House, the president said he would veto it. I want you to know I made a sincere effort to work with the president to identify a path forward that would implement the principles of Cut, Cap, & Balance in a manner that could secure bipartisan support and be signed into law. I gave it my all. Unfortunately, the president would not take yes for an answer. Even when we thought we might be close on an agreement, the president's demands changed. The president has often said we need a "balanced" approach -- which in Washington means: we spend more. . .you pay more. Having run a small business, I know those tax increases will destroy jobs. The president is adamant that we cannot make fundamental changes to our entitlement programs. As the father of two daughters, I know these programs won't be there for them and their kids unless significant action is taken now. The sad truth is that the president wanted a blank check six months ago, and he wants a blank check today. That is just not going to happen. You see, there is no stalemate in Congress. The House has passed a bill to raise the debt limit with bipartisan support. And this week, while the Senate is struggling to pass a bill filled with phony accounting and Washington gimmicks, we will pass another bill -- one that was developed with the support of the bipartisan leadership of the U.S. Senate. Obviously, I expect that bill can and will pass the Senate, and be sent to the President for his signature. If the President signs it, the 'crisis' atmosphere he has created will simply disappear. The debt limit will be raised. Spending will be cut by more than one trillion dollars, and a serious, bipartisan committee of the Congress will begin the hard but necessary work of dealing with the tough challenges our nation faces. The individuals doing this work will not be outsiders, but elected representatives of the people, doing the job they were elected to do as outlined in the Constitution. Those decisions should be made based on how they will affect people who are struggling to get a job, not how they affect some politician's chances of getting re-elected. This debate isn't about President Obama and House Republicans ... it isn't about Congress and the White House ... it's about what's standing between the American people and the future we seek for ourselves and our families. You know, I've always believed, the bigger government, the smaller the people. And right now, we have a government so big and so expensive it's sapping the drive of our people and keeping our economy from running at full capacity. The solution to this crisis is not complicated: if you're spending more money than you're taking in, you need to spend less of it. There is no symptom of big government more menacing than our debt. Break its grip, and we begin to liberate our economy and our future. We are up to the task, and I hope President Obama will join us in this work. God bless you and your families, and God bless America. | Washington's days of spending and piling up debts are over, Boehner said .
Boehner: Country didn't get much good out of President Obama's spending binge .
House will pass a bill this week that can and will get through the Senate, Boehner said . |
fb61ac7a6187ce18fbfa282fbed41f3ee7a3635c | Paul Bagnall, 18, died after he tried to re-enact a Tudor hanging at his family home in Orpington, Kent . An A Level student who died while trying on costumes for a school play had been trying to re-enact a Tudor hanging, an inquest heard today. Banker's son Paul Bagnall, 18, was looking for a costume to wear in his parents' loft when the tragedy happened at the family home in Orpington, Kent. He was discovered by his mother Sandrine, 44, when she returned home at 4pm on 7 January and the inquest heard she initially thought it was a dummy placed there as a joke. Paul, a prefect at Darrick Wood School in Orpington, was wearing tights, a white ruffled shirt and a belt. Mrs Bagnall, 44, said: 'I thought it was actually a dummy hanging there and not Paul because it looked smaller than him. 'Then I realised there had been an accident. 'He had no problems, lots of friends and was looking forward to going to university. He was the sweetest, nicest boy.' 'We think he had tried to stage a Tudor hanging. The combination of tights and a laminate floor could have caused him to slip. 'He wasn’t a daredevil, but he took risks if he thought he was being careful.' In her statement read out at the inquest in Croydon, she said Paul had recently been on a trip to the Hampton Court archives and that his banker father Nick had been telling him about ancient Tudor rituals. She said: 'Nick told Paul that in Tudor times they used to tie prisoners up by their necks. 'Paul had said he needed a costume to act in a play at a fancy dress party at the end of his school ski trip in February. 'He was studying Tudor history for his A Levels, which explains how he was dressed when he was found.' She added: 'We had a dressing up box in the loft, and Paul and his sister Lauren regularly used to dress up in the school holidays in different costumes and accessories, on the spur of the moment.' Much loved son: Paul's mother Sandrine Bagnall, 44, told the inquest her son was 'the sweetest, nicest boy' There was a step ladder next to him, but Mrs Bagnall said Paul often used it so he could look in the mirror when he had costumes on. She said: 'It was not unusual for him to do that. 'Paul used to check his costume in the wardrobe mirror, which would explain where he was facing when he died. 'I’ve no idea how long he was up there.' Mrs Bagnall said she tried to get her son down and called paramedics, but he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later. The inquest heard the teenager had sat an exam earlier that day, but was not being bullied or under any stress. The cause of death was given as hanging. The A Level student was found by his mother, and despite her calling paramedics, he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later . South London coroner Dr Roy Palmer said there were no drugs or alcohol found in Paul’s body when he died. Recording a verdict of accidental death, he said: 'I’m satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Paul was in the loft searching around in the dressing up box and looking at himself in the mirror when he somehow slipped and gave in to an untimely death. 'I’m so very sorry it happened, and that you lost your son so tragically.' Paul spoke fluent French, played rugby for his school’s first team, and had been offered a place to study mechanical engineering in Southampton. His father, Nick, 57, added: 'He was a great boy and much loved by everyone who knew him. He was a great son and brother to his sister - a wonderful boy who did not have a bad bone in his body. 'His teachers said he was a natural mathematician and used to help his friends out with their work. 'Despite being a bit clumsy, through determination he became a good rugby player and a black belt in karate. 'He was always smiling. Even when he was in a karate bout he would be beaming - that’s the kind of person he was. He will be missed by so many people.' School principal Barbara Rhymaun described Paul as 'An exceptional student who was very popular amongst staff and students alike.' For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or go to www.samaritans.org . | Paul Bagnall, 18, was found dead at home by his mother, Sandrine, 44 .
He'd been trying on costumes for a school play at home in Orpington, Kent .
The prefect at Darrick Wood School was wearing tights and a ruffled shirt .
Inquest hears he had recently been learning about Tudor history and rituals .
Mother says that Paul had no problems and was 'sweetest, nicest boy'
South London coroner Dr Roy Palmer records a verdict of accidental death . |
fb61b951872b8452948d039df629a87ec4031acc | Carl Froch will have to wait for his big Las Vegas farewell against Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr after the world champion injured his elbow in training last week. Almost all the details had been agreed on a March 28 fight that would have brought an end to Froch’s stellar career. But Sportsmail can reveal that an injury three weeks into his training camp has forced Froch to temporarily scrap his plans. His promoter Eddie Hearn is already in talks to rearrange the fight with dates considered in late April and early June. Carl Froch (right) will have to wait for his chance to realise his dream of fighting in Las Vegas . Froch has not fought since he knocked out George Groves in front of 80,000 people at Wembley last year . Hearn said: ‘Carl is devastated but given the scale of the fight and the fact it may be his last, he didn’t want to take any half measures by fighting injured. ‘We were very close to concluding negotiations so as you can imagine it was heartbreaking for Carl to make the call. But we are already looking to reschedule the fight. ‘Everyone knows Carl’s desire to fight in Vegas so we are doing what we can to make it happen. I fully believe it will happen, but he rightly does not want to go into what might be his last fight with an injury.’ Rumours of Froch’s retirement spread on social media on Sunday evening after Froch tweeted a picture of a pair of gloves hanging up. A deal for Froch to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr (right) had been close before he suffered his injury . Chavez has not fought since winning his rematch with Brian Vera in Texas last March . Hearn insisted the WBA and IBF super-middleweight champion’s priority remains one last fight, having last fought in his remarkable Wembley rematch win against George Groves in May. Froch had reiterated his hopes for a Vegas fight earlier this month, saying: ‘Dare I say it, but we’re nearly there with the Chavez fight in Las Vegas which we’ve long talked about.' But he said on Monday: 'I'm disappointed to have to let this opportunity go but at this stage in my career I have to make every fight count. 'I will get some treatment and then we will look to make this fight or another big fight in the early summer.' Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr posted this on Instagram after hearing abour of Carl Froch's injury . | Carl Froch had hoped to finish his career with a fight in Las Vegas .
A deal with Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr was close to being finalised .
But Froch injured his elbow in training last week, delaying the fight .
Froch sparked retirement rumours with a picture of gloves hanging up . |
fb61fc4cdf201683b660888535ffa0b72f2e93cb | By . Mark Prigg . Google's attempt to register the word 'Glass' as s a trademark for its electronic glasses has been stalled by the United States' Trademark Office. The firm is involved in a long-running row over the word, with experts claiming it is too generic to be patented and the USTO rejecting Google's application. Google, on the other hand, claims the word applies to its entire glass product, which includes frames, and not just the glass component. A trademark examiner raised two objections, one of which was that the trademark was too similar to other trademarks containing the word 'glass', which could lead to confusion for consumers. While Google has already registered the term 'Google Glass' as a trademark, a report in the Wall Street Journal this week revealed that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has objected to the 'Glass' trademark application, submitted last year. According to the report, a trademark examiner raised two objections, one of which was that the trademark was too similar to other trademarks containing the word 'glass', which could lead to confusion for consumers. The other objection was that the word 'glass' was merely descriptive, ans that such generic terms cannot be trademarked under US federal law. Google's trademark attorneys wrote a 1,928-page letter to the government in response to the Trademark Office's decision to stall the trademark application. However, the letter from Google's lawyers contained around 1,900 articles about Google Glass, with the remainder of the letter disputing the trademark examiner’s objection that using the word 'glass' as a trademark would confuse consumers and the assertion that it was merely a descriptive word. It also singled out other firms that have the word glass in their logo. The Trademark Office has yet to make a final ruling on the application. The USTO document concluded that 'Glass' would be 'be understood as describing a feature of some the goods, namely, that some of the goods will incorporate display screens and/or lenses that are or will be made of, inter alia, glass.' Although Google is not required to trademark the word in order to use it for its glasses device, if the company is not to able to register ‘Glass’ as a trademark, it will make it much harder to counter trademark infringements. Similarities between Google Glass and other existing trademarks, including Write on Glass, Glass3D and Teleglass, are also likely to confuse consumers, it is believed. The Trademark Office has yet to make a final ruling on the application. | Claims the word glass is too generic to trademark .
Firm wanted to trademark word and its futuristic font .
Google has already registered the term 'Google Glass' as a trademark .
Back to Mail Online home .
Back to the page you came from . |
fb625d578ecd3549c6315b851420f9095c367e1f | As pollsters, it's our job to keep a finger on the pulse of the American electorate. As women, we also take an interest in finding out what female voters are actually thinking. It's never as simple as commentators want you to think. We know that Democrats like to reduce women down to single-issue voters. They like to talk about "the women's vote" as if it's a monolith. As common as those talking points are, they offer a pretty unsophisticated view of women and what women want. Recently we did a poll for the Republican National Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee of 1,206 women voters in battleground congressional districts. These are the districts that will see competitive races for seats in the House of Representatives this fall. So what does our polling show? First, women's priorities run the gamut, but the most important issues involve jobs and household finances. Second, the vast majority of women are upset with the status quo and express feelings that range from anger to apathy. No one, however, is satisfied. To put that into a political context, that's bad news for the party that holds the White House. Democrats should be especially concerned, because their only discernible appeal to women voters has been "Republicans don't like you." It's a line devoid of substance, at a time when women voters desperately want action on issues of substance. For years Democrats have fixated on a contrived "war on women" to connect with female voters. But that routine won't get them far today, given their abysmal effort to improve the lives of working families. Contrary to what Democrats' rhetoric would suggest, the economy, government spending and health care rank as women's top priorities. And current policies aren't cutting it. The survey also found that only 25% of women in these districts believe the country is headed in the right direction, while 67% say it's on the wrong track. A majority (53%) also disapprove of President Barack Obama's job performance. On the economy, women are still looking for real solutions that offer women better work opportunities and will actually start growing our economy for all workers. They also endorse changes to our tax and retirement laws to allow them to keep more of what they earn and to help small business owners pursue their goals. Opposition to Obamacare among women is high, with 55% opposing the Democrats' signature health care law. Just 41% support it. Importantly, those who oppose Obamacare feel much more strongly about it than those who support it. Forty-three percent strongly oppose the law, compared to just 22% who strongly support it. That's a significant enthusiasm gap that works in the favor of the Republican Party, the party that believes we can do better than Obamacare. In other words, when our candidates oppose Obamacare and support real health care solutions, they are likely to find support among women. In the poll, women said they agree with some basic principles about health care, including the statement, "We need to start over and create real heath care reform that allows us to choose the plans we want, the doctors we need at the cost we can afford." They reject the typical Washington one-size-fits-all approach and identify with the statement in the poll that "Obamacare doesn't allow women to make health care decisions for their families." None of this is to say Republicans will have an easy go of it in November 2014 or 2016. There was a clear "gender gap" in 2012, with Obama winning the votes of a majority of women. That gap will not be erased overnight. Yet in the last midterm election, in 2010, women favored Republicans over Democrats for the first time in modern history. Many of those same dynamics are at play in 2014. Republicans do have an opportunity. When they make their case to voters, in this cycle and the next, the majority of female voters will be open to candidates who can present substance and solutions. Simply saying "they don't like women" is a vapid political strategy that will not be effective for the other side. For female voters, ideological debates also aren't seen as helpful. By and large they practice the politics of pragmatism. They're looking for leaders who are measured and solution-oriented in their approach. The party that represents the status quo will be unacceptable to the majority of women voters. The party that provides meaningful, workable alternatives will have the advantage among women voters. Republicans are the party best positioned to take on that role. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion. | Republican pollsters say Democrats like to simplify issues when it comes to women .
But, they say, reality is a bit more complex .
Jobs and household finances rank at the top for women, according to a GOP poll .
Democrats' appeal to women voters has been "Republicans don't like you," they say . |
fb62f997173038028c390fc6b11e71c0beb3b0b6 | The world's largest clubs keep on splashing the cash as they seek to surpass their rivals and buy the stars to fire them to glory. Despite rulings such as Financial Fair Play coming into effect, the transfer fees keep on rising. Sportsmail has collated the top 10, with La Liga dominating the list with six of the most expensive deals on record. 10. DAVID LUIZ (Chelsea to Paris Saint-Germain) £50million in 2014 . The Brazilian defender was extremely popular with the Chelsea faithful down at Stamford Bridge and enjoyed a highly successful three years in West London. He helped Chelsea win the FA Cup, The Champions League and the Europa League. However he was susceptible to the occasional error and such lapses of concentration were never going to sit well with manager Jose Mourinho and Luiz lapped up the chance to move to big spending Paris Saint-Germain. VIDEO Scroll down to watch: The Top 10 most expensive football transfers of all time . Erratic: Luiz created a shock by moving to Paris but was clearly not a part of Jose Mourinho's plans at Chelsea . 9. RADAMEL FALCAO (Atletico Madrid to Monaco) £51million in 2013 . In the summer of 2013 Falcao was one of the world's hottest properties. Monaco flexed their financial prowess and lured the Colombian international to France. Falcao fired in 70 goals for Atletico Madrid in just 91 appearances, hence his high fee but after only one injury hit season with Monaco, Falcao has moved to the Premier League on loan . The Colombian forward completed his £6million loan deal to Manchester United in the early hours of Tuesday morning after the Old Trafford club held off competition from Arsenal and Manchester City for his signature. Moved on: Falcao has already left Monaco after one season and signed for Manchester United on-loan . 8. EDINSON CAVANI (Napoli to Paris Saint-Germain) £55million in 2013 . Having impressed during three years in the Serie A for Napoli, scoring 95 goals in 116 appearances, Cavani headed to France to join Paris Saint-Germain who continued to spend big. Prolific: The Uruguay international has already won three trophies in Paris including the 2014 Ligue 1 title . 7. KAKA (AC Milan to Real Madrid) £56million in 2009 . The FIFA 2007 World Player of the Year spent six scintillating seasons at the San Siro for AC Milan prompting a huge bid from Real Madrid in the summer of 2009. Despite winning the La Liga in 2012 with Los Blancos, a series of injuries and inconsistent form saw the playmaker depart the Bernabeu last year, heading back to Milan. However the former Brazil international has already moved on, having signed for MLS side Orlando City for 2015. In the meantime Kaka is on loan back at his first club Sao Paulo. Hit and miss: Kaka joined Real Madrid with huge expectations but the playmaker never reached that billing . 6. ANGEL DI MARIA (Real Madrid to Manchester United) £60million in 2014 . United smashed the British transfer record in paying Real Madrid £60million for di Maria as the Red Devils continued their summer rebuilding under new manager Louis van Gaal. The Argentina international had a fine World Cup but tragically missed out on the final with injury. He was instrumental for Real Madrid for the past four seasons and arrives at Old Trafford with high hopes of inspiring United up the table. The 26-year-old impressed on his debut against Burnley on Saturday but couldn't inspire United to a win as they were held 0-0 at Turf Moor. Van Gaal will hope he can replicate his stunning Real Madrid form which saw him awarded Man of the Match as Los Blancos won the Champions League in May. Good start: Di Maria started for United at Burnley on Saturday and was in fine form before being substituted . 5. ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC (Inter to Barcelona) £40million and Samuel Eto'o (£20m) in 2009 . Here's a player never short on confidence. Ibrahimovic signed for Barcelona following three successive Serie A titles at Inter Milan. However after only one season at the Nou Camp, with 16 goals in 29 appearances, he left having fell out with manager Pep Guardiola. Ibrahimovic blamed Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola for his failure at Barcelona, claiming that his former boss used to 'bully' him. The flamboyant Swedish international has since played for AC MIlan and signed for Paris Saint-Germain in July 2012 where he has guided the club to two successive Ligue 1 titles. Short stint: The striker only lasted a year at the Nou Camp having fallen out with manager Pep Guardiola . 4. JAMES RODRIGUEZ (Monaco to Real Madrid) £63million in 2014 . Rodriguez was one of the revelations of the World Cup this summer, scoring in each of Colombia's games as they reached the quarter-finals of the competition for the very first time, eventually losing 2-1 to hosts Brazil. In total Rodriguez scored six goals at the World Cup to finish as the leading scorer - one clear of Thomas Muller - while his stunning 25-yard volley against Uruguay was voted goal of the tournament on FIFA.com. New Galactico: James Rodriguez signed for Real Madrid after catching the eye at the World Cup this summer . 3. LUIS SUAREZ (Liverpool to Barcelona) £75million in 2014 . What can you say about the controversial striker. A series of incidents blighted his superb record at Liverpool. The Uruguay international fired in 82 goals for the Premier League giants in just 125 games. Despite the controversy surrounding his bite on Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup this summer and his subsequent ban, Barcelona still came in for striker. Suarez is currently serving his four-month ban for the bite and has yet to make his competitive debut for Barcelona. Controversial: Luis Suarez left Liverpool after a series of incidents overshadowed his fine goal scoring record . 2. CRISTIANO RONALDO (Manchester United to Real Madrid) £80million in 2009 . Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo moved to the Bernabeu in a protracted transfer saga. Ronaldo had been sensational at Old Trafford over six seasons, helping Sir Alex Ferguson's side win three Premier Leagues and the 2008 Champions League. Since arriving at Real Madrid, Ronaldo's impact has been stunning. His goal scoring record is second to none with 178 for Los Blancos in 166 appearances. Consequently, the Portuguese star has guided Madrid to the 2012 La Liga title and their much desired 'Decima' Champions League in May. Galactico: Cristiano Ronaldo has been a huge success at Real Madrid since leaving Manchester United in 2009 . 1. GARETH BALE (Tottenham to Real Madrid) £86million in 2013 . The welshman was in inspired form for Tottenham during the last three seasons at White Hart Lane having previously struggled when he arrived at the North London club in 2007. Bale tranformed his game from a troubled left-back, sitting on the bench at Tottenham, into a match winner. He was scoring crucial goals for fun and Real Madrid finally purchased Bale for a record fee last summer. The 25-year-old enjoyed a dream first season in Madrid as the forward played a major role in their Champions League and Copa Del Rey successes. Dream move: Gareth Bale left Tottenham last summer to join Real Madrid in the most expensive signing ever . | Four of top 10 signed this summer with Angel di Maria to Manchester United .
La Liga rules the spending with six of the highest transfers in the top 10 .
The Premier League only had one deal in the top 10 .
Most expensive transfer ever saw Gareth Bale sign for Real Madrid last year . |
fb63312f8311bfe35b6f1e37ce183534f90c87c3 | An 11-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy committed suicide by suffocating himself months after being bullied and robbed of an iPhone. Mitchell Wilson, of Pickering in Ontario, Canada, was out walking when his face and teeth were smashed into the pavement by a boy from his school. A 12-year-old was arrested and removed from the school, but Mitchell’s father said his disabled boy was ‘never the same’ after the attack. Acquitted: A teen accused of beating up and stealing from 11-year-old Mitchell Wilson (pictured) leading to his suicide in 2011, was acquitted from his charges today . Changed: Mitchell's father said his son 'lost that spark you see in a kid's eye' after the robbery . Mitchell was attacked last November for the Apple iPhone he had borrowed from his father Craig Wilson, reported the Huffington Post. He was scared of bullies who picked on him because of his disability and the attack made him even more stressed and anxious, Mr Wilson said. 'Subsequent to the beating that he took, he just lost that spark you see in a kid's eye,' Mr Wilson told CTV Canada AM. 'He had huge anxiety attacks about going outside and going for his walks and going to school by himself.' Evidence: Written and oral testimony by Mitchell prior to his suicide was found not reliable enough by the court though the boy's father Craig Wilson says he is keeping his son's side of the story as the truth . Disappointment: Family of Mitchell expressed disappointment after the verdict today while his grandmother Pam Wilson earlier said they 'don't want to be a lynch squad' but hope the alleged attacker is helped for a better life . Conclusion: Concluding the trial, the court's judge said she hopes one day the boy's attackers will one day come forward and take responsibility for their crime . Mitchell lost his mother three years ago to skin cancer - and he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy last year, reported the National Post. Doctors had told Mitchell his muscular dystrophy could be helped by walking outside, but he was scared of doing this after the attack. Phoebe Prince - January 2010The 15-year-old Irish immigrant was racially taunted for three months by classmates in Massachusetts after she dated a popular boy. She was found by her sister hanging in the stairwell of her home. Tyler Clementi - September 2010The Rutgers University freshman's roommate used secret cameras to record the 18-year-old kissing another man and stream it over the internet. He jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. Jamey Rodemeyer - September 2011The gay 14-year-old thanked Lady Gaga in a YouTube video in which he talked about suffering incessant homophobic bullying. He was found dead outside his Buffalo home. Mitchell committed suicide and was found dead in his bedroom earlier this month on the day he was due to start a new school year. It was also one day after he received a . subpoena to testify against his alleged attacker, who cannot be . identified for legal reasons. Mr Wilson said his son was embarrassed and apologised to him because he could not stop the attacker beating him up. The 12-year-old was due to appear in court on Wednesday, but prosecutors said it was too soon after the suicide. Now there appears to be nobody to testify at the trial and the charge of assault could be dropped. A new trial date has been set for November 21. Mitchell's grandmother Pam Wilson said his family 'don't want to be a lynch squad' and are only trying to help the attacker have a better life. The 11-year-old's death is the latest in a string of suicides which came after accusations of bullying. Just last week gay 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer killed himself after being subjected to vile treatment over his homosexuality. Ann Haas, senior project specialist at . the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, cautioned against a . phenomenon known as contagion, in which suicides among people in similar . circumstances can increase after a very public death. 'Suicide is not a heroic act or something to be emulated or admired,' she said. 'If we portray it as something that is admirable and very sympathetic, vulnerable youth may hear that as, "Look at the attention this case is getting and everyone is feeling sorry and praising this individual," and it can form a narrative that can be compelling.' | Mitchell Wilson, who had muscular dystrophy, became scared to go out .
The boy suffocated himself just months after the assault .
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org .
In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 . |
fb63b7e2ec5174de199fe160f79e28da93eb1765 | (CNN) -- Despite a thrilling victory at the British Grand Prix that saw Mark Webber close the gap on world championship leader Fernando Alonso, Red Bull insist they are in no rush to offer him a new contract. The Australian chalked up his second victory of the season at Silverstone, hunting down the Ferrari of Alonso at the climax of a hugely tactical race. Webber closed the gap between himself and his Spanish rival to 16 points with the halfway point in the campaign fast approaching. Though the 35-year-old is emerging as a leading contender to claim his maiden Formula One title and despite speculation linking him with a switch to Ferrari, Red Bull insist they are relaxed about his contract. Webber pips Alonso to take British GP at Silverstone . "I think that very simply we have a great relationship with Mark," team boss Christian Horner told gathered reporters. "As always with him, things are pretty straightforward. "This is his seventh season with the team. He has had all of his success in F1 with this team and we would like to see that continue. "Inevitably there is an awful lot of speculation surrounding Ferrari, but we are only focused on ourselves. We cannot control what other people say or do, and I think that Mark feels comfortable in the team." The marque also boast defending double world champion Sebastian Vettel amongst their ranks, and Webber has been outspoken in the past about having to play second fiddle to the German. But Horner confirmed that contract talks with Webber are on the agenda in the not too distant future and praised Vettel for claiming a podium place at Silverstone. "Mark wants to be in the team next year and therefore, as we have always stated, during the summer we will sit down and talk about the future," he said. "And that period of time is obviously coming up pretty close now, so over the next few weeks we will be talking about 2013. Mark has given me every indication that he is very happy here, and you can see that in his driving. "He is driving very well this year, he has won two big races now -- the Monaco Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix, and I think his drive at Silverstone was excellent. Latest Formula One standings . "It was great for him to win for the team at our local race, and obviously coming from just up the road as well, and to have Sebastian up there on the podium after a difficult first lap again was a double bonus." Meanwhile, Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali thinks the constructors' title will be as closely fought as the drivers' championship this year. Red Bull have dominated in each of the last two years and though they are out in front again this season, the gap to Ferrari is only 64 points. Domenicali said: "If we look at the situation of Silverstone, with the first four cars, it means we have made a step in the right direction from the performance point of view. But it is a very open championship," he said. "I don't believe honestly that the others will stay behind. I am sure McLaren will fight to come back, and the others are very close. "I was impressed by the pace of Lotus. If you look at (Romain) Grosjean, if you look at the first lap he pitted and then he finished sixth. So the field is very tight." | Red Bull say they are in no rush to discuss a new contract for Mark Webber .
The Australian driver won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday .
Webber has been linked with a move to Ferrari to replace Felipe Massa .
The 35-year-old is second in the drivers' championship behind Fernando Alonso . |
fb63f75d7940cca3308a5a099bd566665fbc363b | Washington (CNN) -- Supporters of an Iranian opposition group claimed Thursday they have information about another secret facility tied to the Iranian government's nuclear program. According to Alireza Jafarzadeh, an Iranian-American with ties to the People's Mujahedeen of Iran, the facility is at a site referred to as TABA, just west of Tehran, and is designed to manufacture parts for centrifuges used to enrich uranium, a key component for civilian nuclear power as well as for nuclear weapons. A U.S. official who is not authorized to speak on the record said the United States is aware of the facility. Jafarzadeh told reporters at a news conference that over the past four and a half years the plant has produced enough parts to make more than 100,000 centrifuges, well beyond the needs for the nuclear facilities declared by the Iranian government to international monitors. He also maintained the site is under the control and supervision of the Iranian Defense Ministry. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors nuclear activities on behalf of the United Nations, has inspected Iran's declared enrichment facilities, but Iran does not provide details or access to sites where nuclear components are made. Soona Samsami, another supporter of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran, said the TABA site comprises three main warehouses over an area of nearly 48,000 square meters, or nearly 12 acres. She said the essential parts manufactured there include casings, magnets, molecular pumps, composite tubes, bellows and centrifuge bases. Although satellite photos were shown of the site, no direct evidence was provided other than to say the information was from members of the People's Mujahedeen organization inside Iran. The same group was the first to provide the details that publicly exposed the existence of Iran's clandestine nuclear program in 2002. Iran claims its nuclear program is for civilian energy needs, but the United States and other nations maintain Iran is working to develop fissile material for nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency said in its most recent report, in February, that Iran continues to stonewall the inspectors by not providing sufficient information or access to its facilities for inspectors to determine the ultimate purpose of Iran's nuclear program. Former nuclear inspector David Albright, who has closely followed developments concerning Iran's nuclear exploits, said he had no information about whether TABA is in fact a secret nuclear site. But he did question the claim that Iran has enough parts to make 100,000 centrifuges. "There is no way Iran has made components for 100,000 centrifuges," said Albright, adding, "It runs contrary to all indications that Iran has a shortage of raw materials." According to Albright, Iran has indicated it wants to have 50,000 centrifuges and has so far manufactured 12,000 to 15,000 of them. Albright believes there is a political motivation behind the Iranian opposition's claims that leads to exaggeration. He said the opposition supporters challenge international sanctions as a way to highlight their goal of getting the United States to remove the People's Mujahedeen of Iran from its list of foreign terrorist organizations. At the news conference, Jafarzadeh -- saying that "the revelations today show the policy pursued by the United States has not been productive in halting the nuclear program of Iran" -- maintained that only a democratic Iran will succeed in eliminating the nuclear program, and that the best chance for democracy lies with the United States removing the People's Mujahedeen of Iran from its terrorist list. | An Iranian-American with ties to the People's Mujahedeen of Iran announces the find .
He says Iran uses the site to make parts for centrifuges used to enrich uranium .
The United States is aware of the facility, a U.S. official tells CNN . |
fb64cdd7813a5e10b78b8fb076acdfe7568bad7f | About two dozen protesters rallied outside Bill Cosby's show in Pueblo Friday night, but the comedian's performance went off without a hitch. The Pueblo Chieftain reports the demonstrators chanted "no means no" and "Colorado believes the women." The 77-year-old comedian is facing sexual assault allegations from more than 15 women, with some claims dating back decades. He's denied the allegations through his lawyer and has never been charged. Finished? Bill Cosby isn't backing down in the face of protests at his performances . Protesting: Eric Verlo stands on Union Avenue in front of Memorial Hall in Pueblo, Colorado to protest an appearance by Bill Cosby. A group of about 25 people gathered before the show with signs and chanting . Bill Cosby released this statement to The Denver Post: 'Dear Fans: I have thousands of loyal, patient and courageous fans that are going to leave their homes to enjoy an evening of laughter and return home feeling wonderful. 'I'm ready!... I thank you, the theatre staff, the event organizers and the Colorado Community for your continued support and coming to experience family, fun entertainment.... 'Hey, Hey, Hey - I'm Far From Finished.' Cosby is slated for two Saturday shows in Denver, where protesters are expected to gather outside the downtown venue. Cosby released a statement Thursday thanking his "courageous" fans and saying he's ready to perform. He finished his statement with references to his "Fat Albert" character's trademark line and to his 2013 television special — "Hey, Hey, Hey — I'm Far From Finished." In the most recent allegation, a model claims Cosby drugged and sexually abused her at the Playboy Mansion in 2008. Chloe Goins met with Los Angeles police on Wednesday to pursue criminal charges against the comedian over the incident almost seven years ago. More than 15 women have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct, including several who say the comedian drugged and raped them in incidents dating back at least four decades. Prosecutors rejected filing charges against Cosby based on allegations by Judy Huth, a Riverside County resident who is suing the comedian, alleging he abused her in the early 1970s when she was 15 years old. Huth's lawsuit states the abuse happened at the Playboy Mansion. Speaking up: Rayla Riddick holds up a light to a sign during a protest of a Bill Cosby. The Bill Cosby show, "Far From Finished", was nearly sold out on Friday evening -- but that didn’t stop dozens of protesters from coming out . Show must go on: The organizer of the protest, Rae Carnevale, said the message she's trying to convey is personal. The show went on despite sexual assault accusations against Cosby by a number of women . Los Angeles police Commander Andrew Smith said that he could not confirm any investigation into Cosby and that sex abuse cases are 'extremely confidential'. Neither Smith nor Kuvin would speculate on what charges Cosby might face, and both noted that the statute of limitations for sex offenses are complex and depend on the facts of a case. Cosby's attorney has denied some of the accusations against the comedian, saying they have been discredited or come from discredited accusers. Cosby joked about the allegations against him at a recent show in Canada. 'We hope that the people that are paying to attend Mr. Cosby's shows understand that these victimized women have broken their silence now and they will not remain quiet any longer,' Kuvin said. 'Mr. Cosby should, and will be held accountable for what he's done.' He said women reporting abuse 'should be encouraged and not joked about'. Rumours: More than a dozen women have accused Cosby of sexually assaulting and drugging them. Cosby, however, denies the allegations and hasn't been charged . Meanwhile, the door is firmly shut to Bill Cosby's return to NBC, the network's top entertainment executive said Friday. 'That's safe to say,' NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt said Friday when asked if the network would ever again do a project with Cosby, who 30 years ago was the sitcom king with the network's 'The Cosby Show.' The network said late last year it was dropping plans to develop a 'classic' family sitcom with him. The series was announced in mid-2014, before a rising tide of accusations against Cosby by women who say he drugged and assaulted them. During a question and answer session with the Television Critics Association, Greenblatt was asked to explain what tipped the network against working with Cosby, who was publicly fending off allegations from two women a decade ago. 'Fifteen women came out and accused him of what they accused him of,' Greenblatt said. Although Cosby hasn't been proven guilty of anything, 'when that many people come out and have such similar complaints, it became a tainted situation' and the network didn't want to proceed with the sitcom. He's glad NBC 'is out from under that,' Greenblatt said. Pressed to say precisely what number of accusers is seen as critical mass, Greenblatt replied: 'Fifteen, yes, two no.' | The comedian thanked his 'courageous' fans and before performing in Pueblo on Friday .
He will be performing his show at Denver's Buell Theater on Saturday .
The 77-year-old comedian is facing sexual assault allegations from more than 15 women, with some claims dating back decades .
In the most recent allegation, a model claims Cosby drugged and sexually abused her at the Playboy Mansion in 2008 .
Chloe Goins is the first woman accusing Cosby of sexual misconduct whose case may fall within the statute of limitations .
NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt said network was done with Cosby, who 30 years ago was the sitcom king with the network's 'The Cosby Show' |
fb650b93ae9e693e6902a9606a70d63a617476e6 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- Despite the fact that some of the effects of climate change are still imperceptible to all but the most highly trained eyes, there can be no doubting the alarming picture painted by glacier melt. The iPhone application includes audio, video, slideshows and a documentary film. As these rivers of ice retreat back up the valleys they carved out, so scientists' knowledge of climate change advances, in turn helping us recognize the signs of a warming world. Now a new iPhone app is helping visitors to the Swiss Alps understand how climate change is altering the landscape. Developed by the Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research at the University of Bern in Switzerland and Swiss software company, Texetera, the Jungfrau Climate Guide is an interactive guide to glaciers and climate change. For a fee of 20 CHF (around $19) visitors to the Jungfrau Alpine region can hire an iPhone loaded with the app. Kaspar Meuli, Head of Communications at the Oeschger Center, told CNN what people can expect from the device. "There are many different levels to the application. Audio pieces -- like the ones you might expect to find in a museum guide which guide you through paths on seven different trails." At different stages along each trail, the phones -- aided by the built-in GPS -- alert visitors to particular points of interest by sounding a yodel. "For example," Meuli explained, "if you are standing in front of a glacier you will be told why it is no longer as big and provided with images of what it looked like 100 years ago, and what it might look like in the future." There are more than 40 audio guides, plus a range of multimedia offerings including videos, slide shows and a documentary film. There are also sections which describe the various flora on the trails along with information on biodiversity. "Everyone who tries it is quite fascinated by it," Meuli said. "People are realizing that climate change is real when they see the consequences." The Jungfrau region is home to the upper and lower Grindelwald glaciers, which have retreated rapidly in recent years. In 2008, the World Glacier Monitoring Service reported that glaciers in some regions of the world were melting away at a rate of more than a meter a year recently. Responding to the 2008 report, Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the U.N. Environmental Program, said: "Millions, if not billions, of people depend directly or indirectly on these natural water storage facilities for drinking water, agriculture, industry and power generation." "There are many canaries emerging in the climate change coal mine," Steiner added. "The glaciers are perhaps among those making the most noise." In the future, Meuli says the University hopes to produce features that can be used by teachers in preparation for taking classes to the glaciers. | New iPhone app is helping visitors to Swiss Alps understand glacier melt .
The Jungfrau Climate Guide app uses audio, video and slide shows .
Developed at University of Bern the app examines retreat of Grindelwald glaciers . |
fb6546bd5448b1f2464201a1bf8e963b9d133c56 | Owners of Australia's first Hello Kitty Cafe are in a froth after getting a stern warning from company headquarters in Japan when bosses there noticed they were serving coffees with the bow on the wrong side of the cat-like character. To celebrate the opening of the store in Adelaide, fans were invited to come and sample sweet treats and enjoy a cup of coffee - topped with a motif of Kitty made out of chocolate powder sprinkled through a stencil. One fan shared an image of her cuppa on the cafe's Facebook page and the picture was spotted by executives at Sanrio, who own the Hello Kitty licence, in Tokyo. Scroll down for video . The image of the cup of coffee shared on the Hello Kitty Facebook page shows Kitty's bow on her right ear - it should be on her left . They noticed that because the stencil was used the wrong way, the bow was on Kitty's right ear - and quickly pointed out it should be on the left. 'We got into a lot of trouble from Sanrio,' store owner Jade told Daily Mail Australia. 'Her bow is meant to be on the left hand side but we're not sure why or how that photograph turned out that way.' In August, Sanrio revealed the beloved character is not actually a cat. In fact, she's a real human named Kitty White who lives outside of London, has a twin sister and owns a cat. While her little bow is famously attached to her left ear, her twin sister, Mimmy White wears a yellow bow on her right ear. Meet the famous Hello Kitty (left) who wears her bow on her left ear, while her twin sister, Mimmy (right) wears a yellow bow on her right ear . One foodie who posted the photograph noticed the bow was placed on the wrong side of the beloved cat . The first Australian Hello Kitty cafe officially opened its doors in Adelaide on Sunday . Hello Kitty fans with a taste for fine desserts and gourmet cakes can now dine in style. Offering plenty of selfie opportunities with the beloved cat, the first Sanrio-licensed Hello Kitty Café in Australia opened its doors in Adelaide this week. More than 1000 foodies attended the official opening on Sunday and anyone who celebrated their birthday in November was treated to a free ‘mini Hello Kitty mousse cake’. From macaroons and mousses, to birthday cakes and crème brûlées, the menu serves up cat-face treats for casual coffee dates, birthdays as well as high tea gatherings. From macaroons and mousses to birthday cakes and crème brûlées, the menu serves up treats for everyone . The first Australia Hello Kitty cafe offers plenty of selfie opportunities with the beloved cat . ‘Our main focus will be on desserts and of course, everything from the food to the décor will feature the character,’ staff member Damaris Oaurovics told Daily Mail Australia. ‘We’ve got our own chefs to freshly make and bake all the desserts from scratch daily and also our own baristas to serve up hot or cold beverages. ‘We’re also looking at bringing out a savoury cafe-style menu in the future – so light meals like burgers, chips, salads, sandwiches and many more.’ Despite the Sanrio character famous for its 'pink theme', the coffee chain store is not decked out in pink but still stay true to its character with giant kitty figurines. ‘Our café is not pink – A lot of people assume that our café would be pink from the ceiling down to the floor but our colour code at the moment is brown, yellow, grey and white,' Ms Oaurovics said. ‘When the owner from Sanrio brought the café here, he decided to keep it simple and change the colours to make it look like a café-style place for everyone to enjoy.' Ms Oaurovics added: ‘The reason why Adelaide was picked to opened its first Hello Kitty-themed café was because the business partners happened to live here.’ It's a Hello Kitty world! Foodies can enjoy cat-face treats such as biscuits and delicious creme brulees . Adelaide foodies treating themselves to some cat-face themed treats and coffees . Hello Kitty delight! Foodies can enjoy cat-face treats such as biscuits, gourmet cakes and waffles! The café has received a significant amount of positive feedback on the official Hello Kitty Café Australia Facebook page. Maria Josephine posted: ‘The cakes here are divine, as are the drinks. The staff are beyond friendly and welcoming. 1st class service all the way!’ Kitty Kaza wrote: ‘Friendly services, cute snacks & gorgeous cakes. Nice place for a girlie catch up. Thnx [sic] guys.’ Jack Booth posted: 'Thank you for an amazing morning - your cafe is a dream come true'. Hello Kitty fans with a taste for fine desserts and gourmet cakes can now dine in style . Desserts and pastries are freshly made and baked from scratch daily by chefs . Hello Kitty delight! Foodies can enjoy cat-face treats such as biscuits, gourmet cakes and creme brulees . The cafe has its own baristas to serve up Hello Kitty-themed hot and cold beverages - coffees and milkshakes . | The first Australian Hello Kitty cafe officially opened in Adelaide .
The coffee chain has been slammed for having the bow on wrong side .
More than 1,000 food lovers showed up for the official opening .
The cafe gave out free mousse to people born in November .
Savoury treats may be next on the menu . |
fb658abacd0a5909922d0528f442ad37d8b9005e | As anti-American riots spread to Australia, Al Qaeda urged Muslims to step up protests and kill more U.S. diplomats in Muslim countries in response to the U.S.-made film which mocks the Prophet Mohammed. The terror group made the appeal as riot police clashed . with around 200 protesters at the U.S. Consulate in Sydney on Saturday as . demonstrations against the anti-Islam film 'Innocence of Muslims' spread across the world. The Al Qaeda statement said; 'Whoever comes across America's ambassadors or emissaries should follow the example of Omar al-Mukhtar's descendants (Libyans), who killed the American ambassador,' the group said, referring to Tuesday's attack on the U.S. consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi. Scroll Down for Video . Protesters clash with policemen on a street in Sydney's central business district, on September 15, 2012 . 'Let the step of . kicking out the embassies be a step towards liberating Muslim countries . from the American hegemony,' a statement posted on an (AQAP) website on Saturday said. In Australia, Ten Network television . news showed a policeman knocked unconscious as the mostly male crowd . hurled bottles and other missiles. Many of the protesters were wearing . Muslim dress. Police used pepper spray against . the protesters, who chanted 'Obama, Obama, we love Osama' and waved . placards saying 'Behead all those who insult the Prophet.' Fury about the . film swept across the Middle East after Friday prayers, with protesters . attacking U.S. embassies and in protests that killed at least seven . people and prompted Washington to send troops to bolster security at its . missions. A policeman, injured by protesters, is assisted by colleagues in central Sydney today after anger over an anti-Islam video spread to Australia . Police confront a group of protestors in central Sydney as an injured demonstrator lies on the ground in the Australian city . A protester holds a home made sign during a rally in Sydney's central business district as anger over a film that insults the Prophet Mohammed spread to Australia on Saturday . An injured protester is detained by a policeman in Sydney's Hyde Park . 'The film . published in America which insults our Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon . him, comes as part of the continuing crusader wars against Islam,' AQAP's statement said, referring to European wars in the region some . 1,000 years ago. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, is mostly militants mainly from Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and is regarded by the United States as the most dangerous branch of the network founded by Osama bin Laden. The group has used Yemen, a key regional U.S. ally, to plot attacks on the United States. Washington has backed a Yemeni army campaign that drove al Qaeda and its allies from their southern stronghold this year. Muslims have blamed the U.S. government for the amateurish film of obscure origin. Washington has condemned the film and said it does not condone any insult to any religion. Mourners shout slogans as they carry the coffin of Mohammed al-Tuwaiti, a protester shot dead on Thursday as riot police dispersed protesters who stormed the U.S. embassy's compound in Sanaa, Yemen . Yemeni mourners carry the coffin of a protester who was killed two days ago during clashes with security forces at the US embassy in Sana'a, Yemen . Kashmiri Muslim students shout anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans during a protest against a low-budget US film that depicts the Prophet Mohammed in Srinagar today . Indian muslim women shout slogans against United States of America because of the film made in US called 'Innocence of Muslims' which ridicules Islam's Prophet Muhammad, in Chennai, India today . Praising the attacks by angry demonstrators in Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Sudan on U.S. and other Western missions as 'natural responses to a huge insult', the statement said that American embassies should be burned and diplomats killed. It said defending the Prophet's honor was a "religious duty and obligation to the Muslim nation, each according to his ability". The group also said that Muslims living in the West have an extra duty to be involved in attacks on key targets. 'They are more capable of doing harm and reaching the enemy is easier for them,' it said. Impoverished Yemen is struggling against challenges on many fronts since mass protests forced president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down last year after decades in power. The United States, eager to help the country recover from the upheaval that has pushed it to the brink of collapse, has said it would provide $345 million in security, humanitarian and development aid this year, more than double last year. A . total of six police officers were injured, including two who were taken . to a hospital. Two protesters were treated for police dog bites and 17 . others for the effects of pepper spray, police said in a statement. There were no details of their condition. In Australia, Eight people were arrested on charges including assaulting police and resisting arrest. Police said they were unsure who organized the protest. 'There . was little or no organization or control of what they were doing, and . their actions were disgraceful,' police Superintendent Mark Walton said . in a statement. Prime Minister Julian Gillard said the protest was unacceptable. 'Violent protest is never acceptable - not today, not ever,' she said in a statement. Shoppers watch from a glass bridge between shopping centres as police pursue protesters in Sydney's central business district on Saturday . Police officers prevent anyone from approaching the building that houses the United States consulate in Sydney on September 15, 2012 . Several hundred people took to the streets of Sydney on Saturday, throwing rocks and bottles during clashes with police. The demonstration that began with about 200 people outside the U.S. consulate in Sydney swelled to more than twice that number, with protesters appearing to catch police off guard as they marched through the centre of the city. Several streets, usually thronging with weekend shoppers, were blocked off by police as the protest grew. Police, many wearing anti-riot equipment and some on horseback, used dogs and chemical sprays, including tear gas, as they tried to control the protest. A man and woman struggle with their stroller while other shoppers attempt to move out of the way as police pursue protesters in Sydney's central business district . A protester hits a policeman with a pole in in Sydney today as anger of the anti-Islamic video produced in the U.S. spread to Australia . Protesters pray in front of a line of police officers in Sydney's Hyde Park today . Television pictures showed one policeman with a head injury being led away by colleagues. A spokesman for paramedics said there were no serious injuries. A police spokesman said the protest was being monitored, with demonstrators gathering in a central Sydney park. A Muslim leader addressed the protesters in the park, calling for calm. Australia, a staunch U.S. ally with troops still fighting in Afghanistan, has a Muslim population of about 476,000, or 2.2 percent of the population, according to 2011 census figures. The violent protests in Australia follow four days of demonstrations across the Arab world, stretching from Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Lebanon, Palestinian territories, Israel, Sudan, Nigeria, Tunisia and Pakistan. | Al Qaeda in the .
Arabian Peninsula urges all Muslims to step up their protests against the U.S. and to kill American ambassadors .
Anger among the global Islamic community over the movie produced in the U.S. that mocks the Prophet Mohammed spreads across the world .
Police clash with hundreds of protestors in the busy centre of Sydney - Australia's largest city .
Police used pepper spray against .
the protesters, who chanted 'Obama, Obama, we love Osama' and waved .
placards saying 'Behead all those who insult the Prophet.' |
fb658d206b71be5a4c7176d5947650a23c8088d6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:25 EST, 16 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:25 EST, 16 April 2013 . Carrots could be used in the fight against prostate cancer . Carrots are the new weapon in the war against prostate cancer, scientists have claimed. A study led by Professor Norman Maitland at the University of York says a diet rich in Vitamin A could be the key to beating the disease because it makes it more treatable. The researchers have discovered that retenoic acid, a chemical made from Vitamin A, can reduce the ability of the cancer to invade surrounding tissue. Vitamin A can be found in foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes and leafy green vegetables such as kale. Prof Maitland said: 'If the cancer is confined to the prostate it’s much more treatable with conventional medicine. This is about prevention rather than cure but it can stop the spread of cancer. 'We have found that specific twin genes are turned off in malignant prostate cancer stem cells. When we turn them back on using retenoic acid, the cancer becomes less aggressive. 'It has been known for many years that low vitamin A in samples of men’s blood is associated with prostate cancer, but nobody knew the mechanisms involved. 'This is an exciting new development which links an element from our diet to prostate cancer stem cells.' Each year 41,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 10,000 die of the disease. Carrots contain Vitamin A, which scientists believe could make the disease more treatable . | Acid in Vitamin A can stop cancer spreading to surrounding tissue .
Scientists dub the development as 'exciting' |
fb65f87f48d3269d931db60e67bafad1c2b7be0e | A Royal Marine veteran who single-handedly took out a German machine-gun posts on D-Day has been awarded his second green beret- after he lost his 60 years ago. Frank Cramp, 94, handed the prized headgear back along with the rest of his kit when he left the armed forces in 1954. The ex-corporal only discovered afterwards he was allowed to keep it and spent six decades regretting his mistake. A proud Mr Cramp puts on his second green beret, (left) the 94-year-old veteran had been given his first beret as a Royal Marine in WWII (right) but had given it back along with the rest of his kit when he left the armed forces in 1954. But when Navy chiefs heard about his plight they decided to reward brave OAP Frank with a replacement green beret - the official headdress of the British Commandos of WWII and still worn by Royal Marines today. Londoner Frank emigrated to Edmonton, Canada, in 1957 but travelled to France for a tour of the Normandy beaches. The former commando landed ashore there on Sword Beach in 1944 with pals from 45 Commando - but he soon found himself alone when his landing craft had to retreat, along with all his comrades. Undeterred, he went on a one-man surprise mission to take out a German machine gun sentry and managed to take out the enemy with barely a scratch. Lt Col Richard Cantrill, 42 Commanding Officer, re-presents Mr Cramp with the famous headdress at the Dewerstone beauty spot on Dartmoor where current Royal Marines receive their first green beret on completion of training . When Frank decided to mark the 70th anniversary of the landings his daughters and the Royal Marines Association arranged for him link up with 42 Commando at Bickleigh Barracks in Devon - where Frank was once an instructor. Navy brass then whisked him to Dewerstone, a remote beautyspot in Dartmoor in Devon, where Royal Marines are awarded their green berets after finishing training at nearby Lympstone Commando Training Centre. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Cantrill, commanding officer of 42 Commando, said it was a pleasure to give the hero his prized hat back. He said: “It was a great pleasure for me to host Frank. Hearing his extraordinary recollections of his landing on Sword Beach, and beyond, was fascinating and served as a reminder as to why commando forces were first raised, and how they were employed. Frank Cramp during his time in the Royal Marines, who single-handedly took out a German machine-gun posts on D-Day . Frank Cramp has been re-presented with the famous green beret after giving it up by mistake 60 years ago . “We discovered that Frank had always regretted not keeping his green beret when he was demobilised, and so we were delighted to re-present Frank with his commando headgear, in the same spot on the edge of Dartmoor where modern commandos receive theirs. “He remembers saying to comrades in Normandy after a number of near death experiences that he must have a guardian angel and would probably live to be 100. “He then said to me, with obvious glee, ‘Just six years to go, Rich’. “I am so pleased that Frank, with great support from the Royal Marines Association, has remained a close member of the Royal Marines family - once a Marine, always a Marine.” Mr Cramp, originally from Poplar, said he enjoyed his visit immensely. He added: “I was surprised and overwhelmed with the recognition and respect I received.” | Former commando Frank Cramp landed on Normandy beaches in 1944 .
The one-man surprise mission took out a German machine gun sentry .
He handed back his prized beret when he left the forces in 1954 .
The veteran learned later he was allowed to keep it and regretted mistake .
Navy chiefs decided to present the brave OAP him with a replacement .
Green beret is official headdress of the British Commandos of WWII . |
fb661c0fe61dcc5dd5253ecbe49f1a025aa8a80f | The UK's first specialty cereal cafe has just opened its doors in London's Brick Lane and it's already causing quite the stir. The Cereal Killer Cafe is the brainchild of identical twins, Alan and Gary Keely, from Belfast and boasts an impressive offering of the breakfast staple. Along with 120 varieties of cereal, the restaurant - set up in the hipster epicentre of the captial - also offers 20 toppings and 12 different milk options. The Cereal Killer Cafe is the brainchild of identical Irish twins, Alan and Gary Keely from Belfast . The restaurant is heavy on 90s nostalgia, as evidenced by the throwback decor and retro furniture . 'We thought 'Why isn't there anywhere that you can just go and sit down and have a bowl of cereal?' Gary Keely explains in the video. 'So we went and did some research into it – would it work as a business? How would it look? Where would we get the cereal from? And everything was just ticking all the boxes for us. So, here we are, nearly a year and a half later.' Plenty of limited edition breakfast offerings line the shelves, like these royal varieties . Research into opening such an establishment began nearly a year and a half ago . The establishment is heavy on the nostalgia, with limited-edition boxes and collectibles proudly displayed on furniture reminiscent of yesteryear. The eighties and nineties vibe continues with the music choices and vintage magazines. 'We just want people to walk in and think: 'God, do you remember this?' and just to feel like a kid again,' he adds. 'We want people to walk in and think: "God, do you remember this?'' Gary says of the cafe's nostalgic vibe . When asked to point out his favourites, Gary migrated towards popping candy-infused Poppin' Pebbles . 'We just wanted to play on the nostalgia, so we've got a lot of vintage cereal boxes. 'We've got a lot of the toys that you used to get. 'The music that we're playing is a lot of 80s and 90s music. 'The magazines are all 80s and 90s.' 'We've got a lot of vintage cereal boxes and a lot of the toys that you used to get,' he adds . Aside from the 120 varieties of cereal, there are also 20 toppings to choose from and 12 different types of milk . The cafe is open from 7am until 10pm and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner - meaning cereal aficionados can get their fix pretty much anytime of day. Behind the counter, brightly-coloured boxes line the walls and offerings are as diverse as Golden Grahams and Reese's Puffs to Cap'n Crunch and Apple Jacks. 'There's so many weird ones, like, a lot of these ones are from America,' the co-owner says. Get your fix at any time! The cafe is open from 7am until 10pm and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner . Gary is also a fan of the limited-edition Halloween cereals that line the shelves, such as Count Chocula . 'We've got Poppin' Pebbles, which is berry-flavoured cereal with pieces of popping candy in it, which is really strange. It's got that little pop, but it's still quite nice. 'I really love the Boo-berry, Count Chocula and Franken-berry – these are limited-edition Halloween cereals that are only available one month of the year in America. 'We've got these, but really limited-edition, so we've only got about 20 boxes of them.' Employee Jules Prentice explains the cereal 'cocktail' idea: mixing several varieties to create a custom bowl . He demonstrates by creating one of the restaurant's signature concoctions: Choco-potamus . And it's affordable! Small bowls will cost £2.50, while large bowls are priced at just £3.50 . A male employee, Jules Prentice, offers a tour of the 'mixology' station, where customers can create a custom 'cocktail' of several types of cereal mixed together. 'Just to mix things up a little bit, Alan and Gary have created a range of cocktails, just taking different cereals and combining them together,' the cereal mixologist adds. 'I think a lot of kids when they're younger used to do that themselves, so they basically designed a whole range of cocktails including the toppings that we have, as well.' The staff then demonstrated their skills by creating the restaurant's signature Choco-potamus concoction. Small bowls of cereal will cost £2.50, medium bowls will set customers back £3.00 and large bowls are priced at £3.50. | Brick Lane's Cereal Killer Cafe is brainchild of twins Alan and Gary Keely .
Heavy on nostalgia, the cafe displays collectible toys and plays 90s music .
Offerings include: Royal Wedding-themed varieties and Halloween flavours . |
fb662ea6b90d97a2525065e3e93574ea406ccc8b | Radamel Falcao is ready to boost Manchester United’s firepower by returning from injury against Hull City at Old Trafford on Saturday. The Colombia striker’s fitness has been in question since he joined United on loan from Monaco in the summer and he has not played for five weeks because of a calf injury. But manager Louis van Gaal revealed that Falcao is set to return to the squad this weekend, and Marcos Rojo may also be included after recovering from the dislocated shoulder he suffered in the Manchester derby at the start of this month. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Louis van Gaal reads list of injuries in joke at club's twitter feed . Louis van Gaal switches on the Christmas lights at Old Trafford on Thursday night . Radamel Falcao (centre) was back in training this week, and is set for a return to action against Hull . Juan Mata (left) and Ashley Young were in good spirits as United trained at Carrington on Friday . Falcao (left) is set for a return against Hull at the weekend, and United were in good spirits at training . Defender Marcos Rojo is also set to return to action after recovering from a dislocated shoulder . ‘We have to wait and see in the last training session,’ said Van Gaal. ‘I live day by day at this moment. It’s always difficult to say but we have good news. Maybe Falcao and Rojo come back in the 18, that’s it I think. The rest were already fit.’ Falcao, who will cost in excess of £50million if United sign him permanently in the summer, has made only five appearances so far and scored once. Asked if he believes the former Porto and Atletico Madrid striker can rediscover the form that made him one of the most feared strikers in world football, Van Gaal added: ‘I hope so because we have him on loan because of that. ‘Every player in my selection has to fight for his position. I shall always take the best of the players and it has to be suitable for the mix of players. It’s also an obligation of a player that he does that.’ Wayne Rooney led the line as the United squad took part in sprint drills on Friday . Falcao (right) has had a stuttering start to his Manchester United career, but is back for the weekend . Angel di Maria (centre) takes part in a drill with his Manchester United team-mates at Carrington . Van Gaal is confident Falcao will rediscover his best form when his injury problems clear up . Luke Shaw is set to miss between four and six weeks with ankle ligament damage sustained against Arsenal . Manchester United sit fourth in the Premier League table ahead of the weekend's match . United still have a worrying injury list with Luke Shaw the latest to be ruled out for between four and six weeks with the ankle ligament damage he suffered against Arsenal last weekend. Van Gaal also confirmed that he has given Daley Blind a holiday after the midfielder suffered a knee injury playing for Holland earlier this month. The United boss said: ‘Luke sustained an ankle ligament injury but with no serious complications. He will be out for the next few weeks because of this. ‘I gave Daley Blind a holiday because in the first week it is more or less rest than exercise. He didn’t have so much holiday because of the World Cup. You may remember the Netherlands were there until the end. ‘He will come back on Monday. Then he has to exercise and practise every day because an injured player has to train more than a fit player.’ Daley Blind, who injured his knee on international duty, will report back to United on Monday . Van Gaal was guarded in his optimism that United will end the season in the Champions League places . United’s victory at the Emirates lifted them into fourth place but Van Gaal was guarded in his optimism at seeing his team among the Champions League spots despite the injury problems and a fixture list that has seen them face Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal in three of the last four games. ‘I don’t want to mention that (injuries) as a manager because I want to speak about the fit players, but you’re right when you see how our preparation was, how many injuries, and then how heavy our second part of the matches were,’ he added. ‘It was a very big test but after (playing) heavy opponents we are still a force so I’m happy. But we have to be a force at the end of the league, not now. Now is not so important. We have to improve our playing style and beat our opponents more easily.’ Former United skipper Steve Bruce returns to Old Trafford with Hull on Saturday to take charge of his 700th Premier League game as a manager. At the age of 63, Van Gaal knows he is unlikely to reach the same milestone. ‘It says that he is a very good manager I think, but I don’t know, I cannot judge him,’ he said. ‘When you have 700 Premier League matches, I don’t think I will reach that amount. ‘I have seen him playing for Manchester United. He was a very firm and also a leader. Mostly players who are leaders become managers.’ Head here to Like our Manchester United Facebook page. Steve Bruce makes his return to Old Trafford on Saturday when Hull City visit . VIDEO United and Chelsea set to battle it out for Varane . | Man United host Hull City in Premier League on Saturday .
Louis van Gaal confirms Radamel Falcao and Marcos Rojo are in squad .
Luke Shaw will be out for a 'few weeks' with ankle ligament damage .
Man Utd are currently fourth in the table .
But Van Gaal believes United need to improve to finish the season there . |
fb66d13678787c4d84008c9009e96a31acb4cdc5 | (CNN)Being a parent has suddenly become a lot more stressful. At least it has if you live in Taiwan. Lawmakers in the island have outlawed iPads and other electronic gadgets for children under the age of two, and demanded that those under the age of 18 do not use digital media for "a period of time that is not reasonable." Parents who fail to comply with the new "Child and Youth Welfare Protection Act" -- or rather, fail to enforce it upon their children -- may be fined 50,000 Taiwan dollars ($1,576). Now, as much as I dislike the excesses of bloated, interfering governments, I couldn't help but emit a yelp of joy when I read of these developments in Taiwan (which follow similar measures in China and South Korea). Of course, there are obvious difficulties with the legislation. For a start, it fails to define a "reasonable" length of time, leaving its application open to interpretation and abuse. Moreover, how can the law possibly be enforced? The government can hardly install some sort of spyware on every tablet and games console sold in the country. Most irritatingly of all, the measures also seem to ride roughshod over personal privacy. Dealing with the mother-in-law was bad enough. Now politicians are telling us how to parent our kids? (Talk about the "nanny state"). Nevertheless, I couldn't help but feel that as a symbolic gesture, the new Taiwanese legislation is important. The fact is that doctors' advice on screen-time has been clear for years -- and for years, it has been comprehensively ignored by most parents. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the most influential body to have released such guidelines, recommends that "television and other entertainment media should be avoided for infants and children under age two." "A child's brain develops rapidly during these first years, and young children learn best by interacting with people, not screens," it says. For older children, screen-time should be limited to two hours per day. The National Library of Medicine, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, points out that "despite what ads may say, videos that are aimed at very young children do not improve their development." Depressingly, however, the vast majority of parents are either unaware of the guidelines and dangers, or they simply disregard them. Research has shown that in the United States, children have between five and seven hours a day of screen-time, roughly triple the AAP's maximum. And British psychologist Aric Sigman says that the average seven-year-old will have spent the equivalent of an entire year in front of a screen. In Australia, a study called Virtually Impossible found that 45% of eight-year-olds and 80% of 16-year-olds exceed the recommended screen-time allowance. Let us be clear: the AAP guidelines might be rather black and white, but they are vitally important. Dismissing them, researchers believe, can cause children to have impaired brain development; an increased risk of attention problems, anxiety and depression; behavioral difficulties; obesity; sleep loss; poor academic performance; and physical complaints. Yet many parents continue to put their heads in the sand. Partly, the option of a digital babysitter is simply too tempting. In addition, there is a perception that electronic media can be beneficial or educational for children. As one study put it, "the immediate practical advantages and believed educational benefits of entertaining children with screen media often override the long-term harm that many [parents] feel does not apply." That's not to say that parents are devoid of good reasons to be skeptical. Every new medium, from novels to radio, has been accused of corrupting the young, and there could be something rather shrill in the medical establishment's opposition to digital media. It is indisputable that technology is increasingly dominating our lives; children who are able to write code or use Photoshop will have a significant advantage as adults. Furthermore, a number of academics have drawn a distinction between harmful and beneficial screen-time. Zero to Three, a nonprofit early childhood organization, argues that harm could be reduced if parents made screen-time "a shared experience," and if children still had lots of time to play in the "real, 3-D world." Similarly, the Harvard Family Research Project has argued that "young children may benefit from computer use" if the software is sufficiently interactive and "empowering." But such studies can be exaggerated. It is worth noting, for instance, that even the Harvard study emphasizes that "excessive screen time harms healthy growth and development, regardless of content". And the AAP, which reviewed its guidelines in 2011, has not seen fit to significantly alter them. The fact remains that as a benchmark, the AAP guidelines deserve to be taken seriously. The alternative is to play Russian roulette with your child's wellbeing. Moreover -- and this is the important point -- the extent to which the guidelines are being smashed is massive. Most children in developed countries are consuming double, triple, or even quadruple the accepted healthy level of screen-time. Even the most educational app is unlikely to make a meaningful difference to that. There's no point in sugaring the pill. If kids aren't encouraged to unplug, they are likely to turn into some rather unhappy adults. This isn't something I say very often, but hurrah for the Taiwanese nanny state. | Lawmakers in Taiwan have outlawed iPads and other electronic gadgets for children under the age of two .
They have also demanded that those under the age of 18 do not use digital media for "a period of time that is not reasonable"
The new Taiwanese legislation is important, writes Jake Wallis Simons . |
fb67bb85c50f57a12667469b4907a658a9451eda | Forecasters say spring is just around the corner, and it can’t come soon enough for this little fellow. The lamb was born in Downderry, Cornwall, where shepherd Arthur Phillips, 58, has been working round the clock to make sure that his new arrivals survive the chilly weather. The Met Office’s Calum MacColl said: ‘By the end of the week, temperatures will start to get back to more like normal for this time of year. They should return to about seven or eight degrees Celsius (44F - 46F).’ Ewe beauty: The lamb was born in Downderry, Cornwall, where shepherd Arthur Phillips, 58, has been working round the clock to make sure that his new arrivals survive the chilly weather . Blooms: 100,000 snowdrops at Wakehurst Place – a National Trust estate in West Sussex – offers further hope that spring isn’t far away, while camellias (pictured) are making an early appearance in Cornwall . A stunning white carpet of 100,000 snowdrops at Wakehurst Place – a National Trust estate in West Sussex – offers further hope that spring isn’t far away, while camellias are making an early appearance in Cornwall. Elsewhere, the current cold snap has delivered an exceptionally generous dump of snow on Mam Tor, a craggy old Bronze Age hill fort in the heart of the Peak District. At 1,700 ft above sea level, it is little more than a mound by Scottish standards and a mere pimple in the Alpine scheme of things. But it is famous for its panoramic views and for the unstable shale which frequently comes cascading down a fearsome gully on its southern side, so much so that the road which used to run beneath it eventually had to be abandoned. This week, an intrepid band of local mountaineers noticed that the gully was covered in more snow than anyone could remember. So they decided to ski it. And this week, it was declared the most desirable ski resort in Europe. | Shepherd in Cornwall has been keeping a close eye on this little lamb .
While 100,000 snowdrops in West Sussex offer hope spring is on its way .
Met Office said temperatures will start to get back to normal this week . |
fb6a0b55fc17d92a5f269d7993fc49fb63baa1d6 | As you’ll know by now, Carl Froch’s spring fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr has been put back because Carl has injured his elbow. It’s heartbreaking for Carl because he desperately wants a Las Vegas fight before he hangs up his gloves, but I am already looking at the possibility of rescheduling for a summer fight against Chavez. Other fights such as Bernard Hopkins and Gennady Golovkin have also been discussed - we will see how it plays out. From Carl’s point of view, this latest setback is tough to take. We were so close to getting all the details in place for a March 28 fight, but three weeks into training he hurt his elbow. He is the consummate professional and has fought injured before but he won’t make that mistake again, especially for what might be his last bout. Carl only made the call to postpone last week so now he will take some time to digest that and in the meantime I’m looking at the options. This setback has been frustrating for all of us. I have worked on it for months. Carl Froch wants to fulfil one of his dreams by fighting in Las Vegas before he hangs up his gloves . Froch's March 28 fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr (left) has been postponed because of injury . A fight against Gennady Golovkin has been discussed - but money will determine the route he goes down . A Chavez fight still appeals a lot to us and whatever route we go the deal has to be right. That will be key in whatever fight he takes, whether it is against Chavez, Hopkins, Golovkin or anyone else. Carl is a warrior – everyone knows that. And that is why he would love to fight Golovkin. It would be a fight for the ages but both men would need to be rewarded for that. Those details need to be right. Likewise against Hopkins – they are great names and great fighters but so is Carl so the deal has to suit all parties. Watch this space because Carl will be going out with a bang. One man waiting in the wings is James Degale, mandatory challenger for Carl’s IBF belt. James is looking to become the first Brit Olympic gold medalist to go on and win a world title - expect a big announcement on his opponent soon and history to be made this spring. Bernard Hopkins has passed 50 but is showing no signs of slowing down and wants 'at least one more fight' Kell Brook is set for his big homecoming in Sheffield on March 28. The guy is so excited after everything he has been through and we will announce his opponent on Thursday. I’d back him to beat anyone – Amir Khan included. The opponent is not totally decided yet. We have been looking at Jo Jo Dan, who is No 1 ranked contender for Kell’s world title. We’ve also looked at Diego Chaves and Josesito Lopez, but there are maybe half a dozen names in the frame. He has been training hard after what happened in Tenerife and it is great that he is finally closing in on the first defence of his title. I’ll never forget the night he won against Shawn Porter in California – he proved there and then what he can do. Kell Brook won the IBF world welterweight title when he beat Shawn Porter in Los Angeles in August . Brook said he was the 'victim of an unprovoked attack' when he was stabbed on holiday last September but is ready for his big homecoming in Sheffield on March 28 but no opponent has been booked as yet . Eddie Hearn says it's time for Amir Khan (right, punching Devon Alexander) to step up and take the Brook fight . Kell has been sharp and fast in training and he’s also been a keen observer of all that goes on around him in the division. I can understand why Amir Khan has pushed so hard to get a Mayweather fight – if he lost that fight he could brush it off. If he lost to Kell, where does he go from there? It also looks like the deadline Khan set Floyd to accept the fight has passed. So what next? He knows where we are. He has so much to lose in fighting Kell but is adamant he would win with ease. If he truly believes that then this is the fight that would make him more money than any other. I offered Khan $5million to take the fight before Kell won a world title. With a world title involved, the pot of money for this fight is even bigger. If Khan truly thinks he could beat Kell, then he should step up. I would back Kell every day of the week to win that fight. This year is going to be a big year for him and Amir wants the lion share of the pot - we are more than happy to have a 60-40 or 70-30 winner-takes-all deal. In fact, how about winner takes all? It’s big balls time. I caught up with Deontay Wilder’s win against Bermane Stiverne for the WBC world heavyweight title. I’m pleased for Wilder. He’s a character and a dangerous heavyweight, which is what the American heavyweight scene has lacked. He also proved his durability and now he has some proper options in front of him, including a rematch with Stiverne, a unification with Wladimir Klitschko or a fight with Britain’s Tyson Fury. That would be a fun event. Hearn caught up with Deontay Wilder’s win against Bermane Stiverne for the WBC world heavyweight title . Wilder also proved his durability and now has some options in front of him, including a rematch with Stiverne . Needless to say, we are keeping an eye on what is going on because down the line it will be of interest to our own man, Anthony Joshua, who is well ranked with the WBC. He’s had a setback after picking up a stress fracture in his back, but he will be back out on April 4 in Newcastle and I can reveal here that he will also fight on April 25 at the O2 Arena, hopefully against Kevin Johnson, who he was meant to fight this month before he injured his back. After that we will look to put him in a big fight at the back end of the summer and then Joshua will be knocking on the door for one of the world titles at the end of the year. Anthony Crolla is on the mend and we are looking at his options. It is a long road back and hard not to think that he should be preparing for his world-title shot right now. I am delighted for Derry Mathews to be getting a shot in Ant’s place against Richar Abril for the WBA world lightweight title. Derry is a good guy. Our options thereafter might be a shot at Derry, if he wins, but we are also keeping an eye on the WBO belt. Terence Crawford, the WBO champion, is likely to move up a weight, and we’d be tempted by a fight against Juan Diaz for the title in the summer. I think that can be made. Anthony Crolla is on the mend and Matchroom are looking at the Manchester boxer's options . Derry Mathews to be getting a shot in Crola’s place against Richar Abril for the WBA world lightweight title . I caught up with Floyd Mayweather recently and asked him about Manny Pacquiao but as ever he was not giving much away. But it sounds like this fight is closer than ever to happening. I gather a lot of the details are in place and that it is down to the TV networks to reach an agreement – that’s not a small factor in this sport. Anything can happen. I believe it’s 50-50 it will go ahead and I think it will be a two-fight plan, with one in May and the other in September. Floyd Mayweather's super-fight against Manny Pacquiao is closer than ever to happening . Pacquiao has set Mayweather a deadline of the end of this month to agree terms on the bout . The fact that Miguel Cotto’s fight with Saul Alvarez is off might complicate things as he is someone Mayweather would want to fight. But my hope, like everyone else’s, is that the fight with Pacquiao will finally happen. Don’t be surprised if Cotton wins the race though. It might be a couple of years too late for some but it will break every record that has ever been set in boxing. It will be an amazing clash of skill versus work rate and speed. I think Mayweather would edge it but it would be very close. | Carl Froch will return in the summer and fight Julio Chavez Jnr, Bernard Hopkins or maybe even Gennady Golovkin .
Money will determine his route this year .
It’s 'big balls' time for Amir Khan - how does a winner takes all against Kell Brook sound?
Anthony Joshua will go on April 25 show at O2 Arena, probably against Kevin Johnson .
Anthony Crolla will consider WBO route to world title after head injury .
Mayweather-Pacquiao will be a two-fight special - and Floyd will edge it .
Click here for all the latest boxing news . |
fb6a2b15a17ce4b54aeaceb7b1aa6c55c09145a3 | Former Washington Mayor Marion Barry is dead, a Washington hospital spokeswoman said early Sunday. He was 78. Barry was elected four times as the city's chief executive and was a council member in the District of Columbia for 15 years. The one-time leader of the city's old Board of Education, Barry was, at one time, revered nationally as a symbol of African-American political leadership and beloved for his prowess at local politics. But his professional accomplishments were often overshadowed by bad behavior in his personal life that made for startling headlines. Barry was infamously busted in 1990 on law enforcement surveillance tape smoking crack cocaine in a drug sting involving the FBI and Washington police. That footage was televised. Barry was convicted of possession and served six months in prison. But he made a tremendous political comeback. Barry reclaimed his seat in the mayor's office in 1995. In 2002, police said they found "apparent" traces of marijuana and cocaine in Barry's car but didn't arrest him. He was re-elected to the City Council in 2004. In 2006, he was suspected in separate incidents of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. He was found not guilty of the DUI charge, and the state said a computer glitch erroneously reported that Barry's license had been suspended. In 2009, he was arrested on a charge of stalking, which prosecutors later dropped. "Who can better help our city recover than someone who himself has gone through recovery?" he once asked confidently. Former Harvard professor and civil rights leader Cornell West said on CNN on Sunday that Barry "had his flaws" but was a "great freedom fighter" for the poor and disenfranchised. The Washington Post noted that he "plowed hundreds of millions of tax dollars into job training and employment programs, senior centers and social-welfare endeavors. Rank-and-file workers were hired by the thousands to serve under Mr. Barry's newly-appointed supervisory corps of African American middle and top level managers." He ardently promoted African-American-owned enterprises. His recently released autobiography, "Mayor for Life: The Incredible Story of Marion Barry, Jr.," recalls a quote that underscored Barry's ability to spotlight inequalities in America. "Why should blacks feel elated about seeing men walk on the moon when millions of poor blacks and whites don't have enough money to buy food to eat on earth?" he said during President Richard Nixon's administration. "In Washington, I have worked hard for the people and I've been loved by the people," Barry said in a July interview on CNN. "I didn't get elected because of my name. I got elected because I work hard for the people." President Barack Obama said in a statement that he and first lady Michelle Obama were "saddened" to hear of Barry's death. The President recalled that Barry was born a sharecropper's son and came of age during the Civil Rights movement. "As a leader with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Marion helped advance the cause of civil rights for all. During his decades in elected office in D.C., he put in place historic programs to lift working people out of poverty, expand opportunity, and begin to make real the promise of home rule," the statement said. "Through a storied, at times tumultuous life and career, he earned the love and respect of countless Washingtonians, and Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathies to Marion's family, friends and constituents today." People we've lost in 2014 . | Marion Barry was elected four times as Washington's mayor .
Barry was sentenced to six months in prison after a 1990s drug conviction .
Cornell West: Barry "had his flaws" but was a "great freedom fighter" for the poor . |
fb6a55e274a182f07c0a510bbe6cc44fff8053e2 | The quality of the finishing we have seen before. From Luis Suarez it has become what we expect. But what was utterly remarkable about his performance here in Sao Paulo was the fact that he was even on the pitch when he scored what proved a quite brilliant winner for Uruguay. In the end he left the field with cramp, and understandably so only 28 days after undergoing surgery on an injured knee. But not before accelerating away from a static, stuttering England defence in the 85th minute of this World Cup encounter – 85 minutes for heaven’s sake – and pushing Roy Hodgson’s side perilously close to elimination from the competition. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Suarez's emotional dressing room message to wife and kids . Means so much: Luis Suarez scored twice against England on Thursday night for Uruguay . Shock: The striker's second goal late on really seemed to take the wind out of England's sails . Relief: Wayne Rooney equalises for England against Uruguay, his first goal in a World Cup . At last: Rooney and Ross Barkey celebrate after the crucial strike . Crucial: Luis Suarez scored the opening goal at the Corinthians Arena, putting Uruguay ahead against England . Clinical: Phil Jagielka failed to pick up the Liverpool poacher, who made no mistake . Words of advice: England captain Steven Gerrard whispers in Rooney's ear before the game . Too much for him: Suarez is in tears on the bench after leading Uruguay to victory . SUAREZ ROONEY . 88 Minutes played 90 . 2 Goals 1 . 2 Shots on target 2 . 2 Shots off target 2 . 24 Total Passes 35 . 66.7% Pass Completion 71.4% . 12 Accurate passes in opp. half 19 . 1 Chances created 2 . 0 Tackles won 0 . 24 Balls lost 18 . This, of course, was a night when . England wished for something similar from Wayne Rooney, and when he . levelled the score to cancel out Suarez’s first-half strike it seemed he . had at last made an impact. In his 10th game at his third World Cup, . the player who promised so much when he first burst onto the . international stage at Euro 2004 had scored a World Cup goal. A heavy burden of expectation . There . was a reason why Steven Gerrard extended an arm across Rooney’s . shoulders in the tunnel moments before kick-off and whispered into his . ear. England’s captain knew how important an encounter this was for his . international colleague. Just as he knew it was time for England’s . talismanic striker to finally put that considerable talent to use on the . greatest stage of all. Uruguay . were looking to Suarez to provide much the same inspiration after their . opening defeat to Costa Rica, so the burden of expectation was heavy on . both these players on a night when defeat would leave their respective . teams in a most precarious position. Star man: The Uruguay players congratulate the forward, who had just returned from injury . Beaten: Joe Hart didn't have a chance in the England goal, with the ball finding the bottom corner . Dejected: Rooney, Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard watch on after the opener . Central roles . Rooney . was selected, as expected, in that number 10 role he prefers. If he was . a peripheral figure on the left flank against Italy, here was an . opportunity to stamp his authority on the tournament. In . fairness to Rooney, he was far from England’s worst player and only . Gerrard covered more ground than the Manchester United forward. In total . Rooney ran 10.36km. He also went close on two other occasions and . created an excellent chance for Daniel Sturridge. But you have to wonder . if switching Rooney with Raheem Sterling was the right move when the . youngster was so impressive against Italy. Here, on the . right, he created not once chance before being hooked by Hodgson. And . England lacked the drive and ambition they had with Sterling in the . central role. In truth . Rooney might have devoted too much energy running into areas away from . the zone where he needed to be most effective; between Sturridge and the . midfield. Compare that to Suarez. He planted himself between England’s . centre-halves and punished them. Quite simply, the man did his job. Quality of the opposition . If . Rooney took encouragement from Uruguay’s defensive display against . Costa Rica, the changes Oscar Tabarez was forced to make because of . injury and suspension perhaps would have given him further cause for . optimism. There was Alvaro Pereira at left back; once of Porto and Inter . Milan but now at Sao Paulo. But more significantly there was Jose . Gimenez, a 19-year-old centre-half with only one league appearance for . Atletico Madrid after signing for a million Euros last year. He was . certainly nowhere to be seen when Rooney arrived, unopposed, to meet . Glen Johnson’s ball for England’s equaliser. But . Suarez must have fancied his chances as well against defenders he knows . only too well. They also looked fragile in their opening game here in . Brazil and he embarrassed Phil Jagielka much as Mario Balotelli did Gary . Cahill. As Danny Mills observed, ‘if the centre-forward can . see the number on your back you are in trouble’. A brief add to that: . If a centre-forward is allowed to seize on a long ball and score . unchallenged, the entire defence has failed in its principal task. Never mind the quality of the finish. That was shocking defending from . England. Fitness concern: But Suarez was full of running on his return from injury, troubling the England defence . Inches: Wayne Rooney went close to opening the scoring with a curling free-kick early on . Not quite: The Manchester United striker thought his World Cup goal would never come . Was fitness an issue? Suarez . might have declared himself 100 per cent fit but, seriously, who was he . kidding? Nobody returns at their best in the first game that kind of . absence. What we saw though, in both the header he scored and the finish . he produced, was the natural skill, agility and athleticism he . possesses. Not to mention that killer instinct. It’s why he so . outrageously outstanding. If . there were fitness concerns about Rooney prior to the tournament, and . one still wonders how disciplined he was in getting himself ready for . the World Cup given his weakness for some of the finer things in life, . he answered his critics here. Opportunities squandered . Suarez wasted one particularly good chance in the 51st minute when he had a clear shot on Joe Hart’s goal. But . let’s just look at the statistics for a moment here. Suarez has now . scored 40 international goals in 78 appearances, 11 of those coming in . qualifying for this World Cup. And the two he scored here came on a . night when he was also taking Uruguay’s free-kicks and corners. For . Rooney, he will reflect on this game with more frustration. He went . mighty close to scoring twice in the first half, first with a free-kick . that whistled just wide and then when meeting a Gerrard free-kick with a . header that crashed against the crossbar. In the second half he also . forced Fernando Muslera to make a stunning close-range save. But that’s . still one goal from four chances, compared to a return of two from three . for Suarez. Says it all really, even if Rooney also delivered one super . ball for Sturridge shortly after Suarez had scored. It was a . defence-splitting ball that sent Sturridge into space, the England . forward forcing Muslera to make a decent save at his near post. Wrong foot: Rooney shot straight at the goalkeeper when he found space in the penalty area . Sitter: Wayne Rooney missed a great chance from yards out after a fine cross from a free-kick . Agonising: The England striker had never scored a goal in a World Cup, despite playing in three tournaments . How did they carry themselves? Suarez . might not have been fit but boy was he fired up. After sitting through . that dreadful performance in Fortaleza, he demanded higher standards . from his colleagues. Martin Caceres certainly got an earful when he . delayed delivery of a pass. Rooney used to be like that too, but he seems less influential, less vocal, on the pitch these days. Verdict . It . is in World Cups that world class players shine, and if Rooney could . once claim to stand among the best those days appear to over. Suarez . proved that, essentially on one leg. Hero: Suarez may have been stretchered off (below) but he had done enough for the South Americans . Club rivals: Liverpool team-mates Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard challenge for the ball in the air . | Suarez scores double to put England on the brink of elimination .
Rooney equalised earlier on for Three Lions with first World Cup goal .
Uruguay striker was playing first game after knee surgery . |
fb6a9e5ffcc233eac27464bd5c6c78f73e9874c2 | The Bank of England has come under fire for lavishing staff with pensions ‘beyond the wildest dreams’ of ordinary people. In a withering attack, government adviser Ros Altmann has described the benefits paid to employees at Threadneedle Street as ‘mind boggling’ and the most generous she has seen in the UK. Last night another pensions expert said the gold plated pensions enjoyed by Bank officials are more befitting of an ‘international superstar chief executive.’ The old lady of Threadneedle Street: Government adviser Ros Altmann has described the benefits paid to employees at the Bank of England as ‘mind boggling’ and the most generous she has seen in the UK . More than 1,000 Bank staff are still building up benefits in a gold plated final salary pension which pays out a retirement income based on salary at retirement and length of service. The same applies for a slightly less generous ‘career average’ pension introduced in 2007 for new employees, which has around 1,400 ‘active members’. But staff in either scheme do not have to contribute a penny for the privilege. Instead the Bank makes an annual contribution of more than half of their salary. Even MPs - who also enjoy hugely generous final salary pensions - typically contribute just under 14pc of their salary. Latest figures published by the Bank show it also increased contributions from under £50million last year to almost £75million this year to plug a growing funding deficit in its pensions. Dr Altmann, who has been appointed by the Government to champion the rights of older workers, said: ‘These benefits are beyond the wildest dreams of ordinary savers. ‘It means staff on £50,000 are actually being paid £75,000 – they don’t have to contribute a penny. ‘I can’t think of any other schemes in the UK which are as generous as this.’ 'Benefits are beyond the wildest dreams of ordinary savers': Dr Altmann, left, has been appointed by the Government to champion the rights of older workers. The bank's '£1million' governor, Mark Carney, is right . The vast majority of private sector employers have shut down their final salary pension schemes because they are too expensive to run - partly because people are living longer. Just 1.8million private sector workers are still paying into a final salary pension scheme – a drop of around half since 2006, according to the latest figures from the Pension Protection Fund. Oil giant Shell in 2012 became the last blue chip company in the UK to shut its final salary pension to new joiners. Almost a third of final salary schemes in the private sector have been closed to future contributions for existing members. Meanwhile the gulf between public sector and private sector workers is growing, with around 12 million public sector workers still enjoying a generous final salary pension funded by taxpayers. Millions of private sector workers are being automatically enrolled into work pensions as part of a government-backed scheme to kick-start saving in the UK and avert a future crisis. Referring to the Bank of England’s pension arrangements, Tom McPhail, head of pensions research at Hargreaves Landsown, said: ‘These benefits are off the scale and are more generous than the best mainstream public sector schemes. ‘You are getting into international superstar chief executive territory here.’ Although the Bank of England’s pension is not funded by taxpayers, this is not the first time its generous benefits have come under the spotlight. Earlier this year it emerged Mark Carney had become the first £1million governor, with his move from Canada to London costing the Bank of England nearly £200,000, on top of his £874,000 annual package. This includes a £250,000 annual housing allowance. Mr Carney is not a member of the Bank’s final salary pension scheme and receives a payment of around £145,000 - 30pc of his £480,000 salary - instead. The Bank of England declined to comment. | Ros Altmann says Bank's pensions are the most generous she has seen .
Staff in either scheme do not pay a penny towards their pension pots .
Most private employers have shut down their final salary pension schemes . |
fb6aa7e22c12dfd2a3f159088de11e33bf0ac15f | Trekking trip: Mother-of-two Debra Wilding, 49, was with a team of 12 hikers from the UK . The grieving husband of a British woman who died after falling ill during a trekking trip to Everest praised her last night as a ‘lovely’ person who was ‘doing what she wanted to do’. Mother-of-two Debra Wilding was with a team of 12 hikers from the UK - including her daughter - when she began to feel unwell after a trip to the Everest base camp. The 49-year-old started to have trouble breathing and spent the night at a hotel in Khumjung with her daughter, Hannah, 23, while en route to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. But Mrs Wilding, from Ulverston, Cumbria, who was married to finance director Ian, was found dead in the hotel on Monday. Mr Wilding said: ‘For the family this is the most difficult thing we have ever had to go through. We are finding it hard but are being very supportive of each other.’ The 52-year-old added: ‘She was the oldest person in the group and a very determined lady. I know when she's suffering she just ploughs on through - she grits her teeth and fights on. ‘Deb had done lots of training on the fells here in Cumbria - walking, running and cycling, so her fitness level was generally very good. ‘But the starting point of this trek was over three times as high as the highest mountain in Cumbria, and from there went up by another 2,000 metres (6,500ft) to get to Everest Base Camp. Fell ill: Mrs Wilding (left) started to have trouble breathing and spent the night at a hotel in Khumjung with her daughter Hannah (right), 23, while en route to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu . ‘She was doing what she wanted to do. It had been a dream for a long time and she'd been planning it for a year and had done all the right preparation. It's just so sad it has ended the way that it has.’ Mrs Wilding’s body has been airlifted to Kathmandu’s Teaching Hospital for a post-mortem examination, with officials saying she may have suffered from altitude sickness. Local police official Purushottam Silwal said: 'She possibly died of altitude sickness. Her body was airlifted to Kathmandu for a post mortem.' The Everest base camp where she fell ill is 17,700ft (5,364 metres) above sea level. The couple, who also have a 14-year-old daughter, moved to their £500,000 four-bedroom house in Cumbria five years ago having visiting the Lake District regularly for a number of years. Location: The woman was on a trekking trip to Everest base camp (pictured) with a team of 12 British hikers, when she began to fell unwell . Mr Wilding said: ‘It's been a terrible shock. When you are about 50 you think you've got many more years together and living in such a beautiful part of the world where there is so much to enjoy. ‘We were looking forward to 20 or 30 years of walking the hills and enjoying the Lakes. You don't expect it to stop so abruptly and with no warning. ‘There's really nothing that can comfort you after the shock of losing such a lovely person, so popular and with so many good friends.’ Altitude sickness is caused when people ascend too quickly into areas where there is decreased atmospheric pressure. Symptoms include headaches, fatigue, dizziness and nausea. People with more severe forms can suffer from breathlessness, even when resting, and are advised to seek immediate medical attention because it can be fatal. Everest: A Foreign Office spokesman said they were aware of the death of a British national in Nepal and say they are providing consular assistance . The woman's body was airlifted to the Kathmandu Teaching Hospital (pictured) in the Nepalese capital, for a post mortem . A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are aware of the death of a British national in Nepal on October 6, 2014. We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.' October is peak trekking season in the Himalayas and Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains. Earlier this year, hundreds of climbers abandoned plans to ascend Mount Everest after 16 Nepalese guides were killed in an avalanche in April. The Sherpa people are one of the main ethnic groups in Nepal's alpine region, and many make their living as climbing guides on Everest and other Himalayan peaks. More than 4,000 climbers have reached the summit of Everest since 1953, when it was first conquered by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. Hundreds have also died trying. | Debra Wilding, 49, had returned from Everest base camp when she fell ill .
Was on a trekking trip with 12 other British hikers including her daughter .
Thought that she started to suffer trouble breathing and went to a hotel .
Later found dead with officials saying she may have had altitude sickness . |
fb6b553148fc002421bdd5ba8ae1f787a4b85dae | Middle aged women who regularly do aerobics, Zumba or step classes are protecting themselves against breast cancer, research shows. Doing half an hour’s vigorous activity a day – including squash or a spinning class – reduces the risk by a fifth. Scientists also found that obese women are over 50 per cent more likely to develop the illness than those who are slim. Women who did three hours of vigorous physical activity a week were found to be at 21 per cent lower risk than those who did little or no exercise . Around one in eight women in the UK eventually get breast cancer – around 50,500 a year – but there is growing evidence that a healthy lifestyle can hugely lower this risk. Researchers at Oxford University spent three years following 126,000 women who had been through the menopause, and recorded whether they developed the disease. They also filled in detailed questionnaires about how often they exercised, their weight, diet and drinking and smoking habits. Women who did three hours of vigorous physical activity a week were found to be at 21 per cent lower risk than those who did little or no exercise. This includes intensive gym classes such as spinning or dance workouts – but not gentle jogging, walking or cycling. And women with the highest body fat were 55 per cent more likely to have developed the illness than those who were slim. Scientists have known for some time that being overweight or obese increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer. They think that fat cells increase levels of the hormone oestrogen, which encourages the growth of tumours. But the Oxford team suspect that exercise may provide greater benefits in protecting against cancer, aside from simply preventing weight gain. One theory is that intensive physical activity further lowers the amount of oestrogen. Figures show that fewer than half of women meet the NHS’s recommended exercise guidelines of at least two-and-a-half hours a week . A breast cancer drug rejected by the NHS rationing body can extend survival times by five months, a study has revealed. Eribulin could benefit up to 1,200 British women a year – but was turned down by NICE in 2012 because of a lack of evidence. However a study involving 1,800 women found it increased survival time by three months for those with a type of breast cancer known as HER2 negative. And for women with another form called triple negative, the average survival time increased by five months, scientists at Leeds University found. The drug – which costs many thousands of pounds a year – is given as an injection at the same time as women have chemotherapy. The findings will be presented at the National Cancer Research Institute Conference in Liverpool today, and have been hailed as ‘encouraging’. Campaigners hope the research will prompt NICE to re-assess whether the drug could be given to patients on the NHS. Professor Tim Key, a Cancer Research UK scientist from the cancer epidemiology unit at Oxford University, said: ‘What’s really interesting about this study is that [reduction in breast cancer risk] does not appear to be solely due to the most active women being slimmer, suggesting that there may be some more direct benefits of exercise for women of all sizes. 'We don’t yet know exactly how physical activity reduces risk ... but some small studies suggest that it could be linked to the impact on hormone levels in the body.’ He said that more research was needed to look at the link between women’s hormone levels and the apparent prevention of cancer. Women who are slim and fit in middle age have probably been so for most of their lives, so will have been experiencing any potential cancer-protecting benefits for years. But Professor Key said that taking up exercise or losing weight in middle age could still help prevent the illness. Figures show that fewer than half of women meet the NHS’s recommended exercise guidelines of at least two-and-a-half hours a week. But Alison Cox, head of cancer prevention at Cancer Research UK, said this study ‘confirms that the benefits of staying active go beyond just burning calories’. | Healthy lifestyle can hugely lower the risk of developing breast cancer .
Around one in eight woman in the UK eventually get the disease .
Researchers spent three years following 126,000 women who had been through the menopause and recorded whether they got breast cancer . |
fb6c25426725f209211b98b86bc4a7029c635b86 | By . Ray Massey . You and I might think potholes are a bad thing – but the roads minister has claimed they are actually the sign of a booming economy. Robert Goodwill said craters are being caused by the recovery, as more people get jobs and use their cars to get to work. He also claimed that streets are suffering more wear and tear as consumer spending rises – causing an increase in the number of delivery drivers on the roads. The transport minister says potholes are being caused by the recovery, as more people get jobs and use their cars to get to work . His comments came days after Home Office minister James Brokenshire gave a similar explanation for a huge backlog of passport applications. He told the House of Commons that delays were due to a ‘significant surge’ in applications which was ‘an indication that as the economy is improving more people are understandably planning to travel’. Tory Mr Goodwill told LBC Radio yesterday: ‘We have seen more traffic on the roads – we have seen a 4 per cent increase in traffic in the first quarter of this year in comparison to a year ago. ‘That is because more goods are travelling around as the economy improves, more people are travelling to work as they get jobs, so this means the roads are getting more wear and tear.’ His claims came after the Government revealed how it would spend £168million to end the ‘menace’ of potholes by filling in more than three million before the next general election. To secure cash from the Pothole Repair Fund, local authorities will have to publish monthly progress updates on how many they have fixed. Some 148 councils applied for funding, and ministers said every single one will receive a share. All repair works will have to be completed by the end of March next year – two months before the next election. Robert Goodwill claimed streets are suffering more wear and tear as consumer spending rises . Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: ‘Potholes are the bane of all our lives and the funding announced today is an important step in ridding our roads of this menace.’ The AA welcomed the cash injection, but warned that potholes were not the only road maintenance ‘menace’ that needed to be tackled. The group’s president Edmund King said: ‘Potholes in the UK have been a long-running scourge that has cost tens of thousands of car owners millions of pounds in repair bills, and councils millions in compensation claims. The new government money is very welcome, but it will only be truly effective if roads are re-surfaced on time and not just patched up after each winter.’ The AA also called for a fund to allow councils to switch street lights to cheaper, greener and more fuel-efficient technologies rather than switch them off altogether. | Tory MP Robert Goodwill said craters are being caused by the recovery .
Claimed streets suffer more wear and tear as consumer spending rises . |
fb6c3c78eca464f27c877c51304eb71ae4b27dd0 | Scroll down for video . Residents in the Pocono Mountains were today ordered to stay inside after police reportedly exchanged gunfire with a survivalist fugitive who shot dead a state trooper last week. Donning bulletproof vests, officers have hunkered down in the wooded Canadensis neighborhoood where Eric Frien, one of the FBI's most wanted men, lived with his parents. They have told locals in the townships of Price and Barrett to remain inside, while others have been asked not to travel to the area due to heavy police activity. Those who had been kept away from the area were allowed to return to their homes this morning, but told to shelter in place. However, around 20 people who couldn't get back to their homes were required to take refuge at the Barrett Township firehouse, said township supervisor Ralph Megliola. This morning, roads remained closed as police carrying heavy rifles intensified their search for 31-year-old Frein following a long night that included gunshots. An unmarked helicopter was heard flying overhead, its lights off. After daybreak, two FBI agents in a black SUV donned tactical gear before heading toward the search area. Wanted: Authorities say Eric Frein (left and right) killed Cpl. Byron Dickson and wounded Trooper Alex Douglass . Increased presence: Donning bullet-proof vests, state police officers have hunkered down in the wooded Canadensis neighborhoood where Eric Frien, one of the FBI's most wanted men, lived with his parents . Action: They have told locals in the townships of Price and Barrett to remain inside, while others have been asked not to travel to the area due to heavy police activity. Above, police in armoured cars surround the area . Displaced: Residents who had been kept away from the area were allowed to return to their homes this morning, but told to shelter in place. Above, displaced resident Jason Neff comforts his wife Jennifer . Authorities will not say whether they believe they have Frein surrounded. Their last communication came shortly after 9pm yesterday when a spokeswoman asked the media to relocate at a staging area further away from the scene. Shots were fired in the area around 6:40 p.m. Friday, a Monroe County 911 dispatcher said. An official told CNN there were gunshots between police and 'an individual believed to be Frein,' the channel said. The source also said police were outside where someone got inside a home using forced entry. Today, residents Al and Debbie Mundy said they had to spent the night in their pickup after going out for groceries yesterday evening. When they got to the end of the road, a state trooper told them they would not be permitted back into the neighborhood, they said. 'They would not let us turn around to go a quarter-mile back to our house,' said Mr Mundy. Meanwhile, Canadensis resident Richard Barry told of how he did not return home from work in time before the roadblocks went up. He said that family members who were at home had told him police were going through their yard and the dog was barking. 'I'm hoping that sooner or later he (Frein) just says "I give up. You win",' Mr Barry added. On patrol: This morning, roads remained closed as state police intensified their search for 31-year-old Frein . Manhunt: After daybreak, two FBI agents in a black SUV donned tactical gear before heading toward the search area. Above, state police officers are pictured emerging from their car as they prepare to help search for Frein . Can we return yet? Authorities will not say whether they believe they have Frein surrounded. Their last communication came shortly after 9pm yesterday. Above, Mr and Mrs Negg speak with a state trooper . Shelter: The Pennsylvania State Police today asked all residents of Barrett and Price townships (pictured) to continue to shelter inside. The force told locals to remain away from windows or openings to the outside . As many as 200 officers at a time are trying to flush out Frein. Authorities are hoping to catch the gunman they allege opened fire on a state police barracks a week ago, killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson and wounding a second trooper. Police had previously been focusing their search on tens of thousands of acres of undisturbed forest that offered the self-taught survivalist ample opportunity to hide. But in the current search, authorities believe Frein is hiding in the patch of forest near his hometown of Canadensis and the state police barracks in Blooming Grove where authorities say he killed Dickson and wounded Trooper Alex Douglass. Police have said Frein nurses an unspecified grudge against law enforcement and government and consider it unlikely he will target the public. Pennsylvania State Police told Fox29 reporter Dave Kinchen that Frein may be carrying two firearms. Active: Frein, who has participated in Cold War military reenactments, is part of a group called Eastern Wolves . Authorities are seen in the search for Eric Frein . A '[b]ig tow truck' and '[t]hree police vehicles' drove away from the area late Friday evening, Peter Cameron of The Times Tribune reported. ABC News reported Frein has participated in Cold War military reenactments and is a member of a group called Eastern Wolves. Reenactor Roman Kamensky told the news site 'If he's re-enacting anyone, it's Rambo from the very first movie,' referencing the 1982 film 'First Blood.' 'He put a bad light on us,' Kamensky also said. 'We respect cops, we don't try to kill cops.' Kamensky explained to ABC News 'We attended the same events. Red Alliance is a global [military simulation] community, so when you find someone in the Tri-state area, you try to meet up.' Speaking about Eastern Wolves, Kamensky said 'From what I've seen, they haven't been doing much. Most of them are just casual guys from Pennsylvania. They have some land over there. They host their events and locals come out and they just play Airsoft.' Where is he? The FBI shared Frein's image in New York City's Times Square . Victims: Cpl. Bryon Dickson, left, was killed last week and Trooper Alex Douglass, right, was wounded . In a news conference, Lt. Col. George Bevins said 'Information has been received that Frein currently has his head shaved tightly on both sides with long hair on top.' 'It's wider than a mohawk on top,' Bevins said. 'His hairstyle is completely different from the hairstyle that Frein has worn for years. Investigators believe that this change was made as part of the mental preparation to commit this cowardly act.' Eastern Wolves member Stephen D'Arcangelo told NBC News 'That stuff about wanting to commit mass murder and kill cops? I never heard him say anything like that.' 'With the mohawk thing and the military uniform, they're making him sound like Travis Bickle from "Taxi Driver" and he wasn't that dude,' he also said. Police say they are methodically eliminating places where Frein could take refuge, including hunting cabins, campsites and vacation homes in the Pocono Mountains. Mohawk: The FBI said Frein might currently have a mohawk . Have you seen me? A wanted poster for Frein is seen in a Philadelphia convenience store . It's difficult. The terrain in this area of Pennsylvania is so impenetrable in spots that police choppers can't see through the forest canopy. The suspect also has his pick of places to break into and steal food. Pike County alone boasts more than 14,000 seasonal or recreational homes. NBC News reported that Frein was in jail for three months after failing to appear for his own trial, stemming from his alleged theft of relics from World War Two. 'He was locked up until he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to time served and restitution,' the news site said. Frein, publicly identified as a suspect Tuesday, is already drawing comparisons to Eric Rudolph, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bomber who eluded authorities for years in the woods of western North Carolina. Similar? Frein, publicly identified as a suspect Tuesday, is already drawing comparisons to Eric Rudolph, pictured. Rudolph bombed the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and hid for years in the woods of western North Carolina . Like Frein, Rudolph was described as an anti-government survivalist who lived off the land, but authorities say one of his earliest moves after going on the run in 1998 was to swipe a six-month supply of food and a pickup truck from a neighbor's house. He left the man $500. Frein's sister Tiffany said 'He did something messed up, but he's still a human and he has feelings' to NBC News Wednesday. 'We're not trying to protect him,' she also said. 'He has to suffer the consequences. But he's still our family. I don't know where he is or what he's doing. I hope it's a big misunderstanding.' The FBI has posted his image in Times Square and says there is a $100,000 information reward. Funeral: Pennsylvania State Troopers prepare for the start of Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson II's funeral Thursday . In a release, the agency said 'Frein is known to be a heavy smoker, a weapons enthusiast, and a survivalist. He claims to have fought with Serbians in Africa, and he has studied Russian and Serbian languages. He may have shaved his head on both sides and have long hair on top. 'He was last seen with no facial hair and was wearing a brown and gold windbreaker, khaki shorts, and sneakers. He was carrying a dark green backpack with black trim. Frein has ties to the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, including the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.' This story is developing. | Residents in Pocono Mountains ordered to stay inside following 'gunfire'
Others asked not to travel to the area due to heavy state police activity .
Officers have hunkered down in the neighborhood where Eric Frien lived .
Shots were fired in area around 6:40 p.m. yesterday, said 911 dispatcher .
Frien, one of FBI's most wanted men, killed Cpl. Byron Dickson and wounded Trooper Alex Douglass in Blooming Grove, authorities said .
Police will not disclose whether they believe they have him surrounded .
This morning, two FBI agents in black SUV headed toward search area .
Frein, 31, has reportedly participated in Cold War military reenactments .
He was jailed for three months after failing to appear for his own trial .
Police say Frein nurses an unspecified grudge against law enforcement .
However, authorities say it's unlikely the fugitive will target the public .
FBI posted image in Times Square, offering $100,000 information reward . |
fb6d562ec1b01d0d55626d8dc1c315b5e0471cc3 | A woman donated her kidney to a total stranger and they are now engaged after he proposed on Christmas Day. Ashley McIntyre, 25, discovered Danny Robinson, 25, was on dialysis treatment and was in need of an organ donor. She turned out to be the the perfect match in more ways than one. Ashley McIntyre and Danny Robinson became engaged after she donated her kidney to him . Miss McIntyre first found out about Mr Robinson from her mother, Kim, who heard his mother talking about his need for a kidney on a radio show . Speaking to the USA Today, she said: 'I never in a million years imagined this would happen...it was a whirlwind. It's crazy how it all worked. It was all planned out by God.' She added: 'I know being a living organ donor is not possible for a lot of people. But it's something to just think about. 'It's just kind of a human thing, something (to) do for another person that could change their life.' Danny's mother, Denise Stutzenberger, says even before she met Ashley, she was convinced her son would end up marrying her. 'I told her, "You are going to be my daughter-in-law, you just don't know it yet,"' she said. 'I don't know how to explain it. Something in me told me.' Their story is also highly unusual for the fact only one per cent of living kidney donations are from strangers. On Christmas Day, he proposed and she accepted. The two are now expecting a baby in June . Overall in Kentucky last year, there were 135 kidney transplants, 33 involving living donors - so the couple's transplant was likely to have been one of the only live donations between strangers across the state. Miss McIntyre first found out about Mr Robinson from her mother, Kim, who heard his mother talking about his need for a kidney on a radio show. He had been diagnosed at 16 with IgA nephropathy, which occurs when an antibody lodges in the kidneys, causing inflammation that gradually damages kidney function. Family members offered to donate their kidneys but no one matched and so he spent two years on the transplant waiting list. The next day Miss McIntyre send a Facebook message to the radio show ('Terry Meiners & Co') and made contact with representatives from UK's transplant program. When the two were discharged from hospital, they remained close and started a romantic relationship after a Memorial Day family barbecue . She then underwent a series of tests and found they matched perfectly. When the procedure was 'almost set in stone', the two families agreed to meet at a Cheesecake Factory restaurant and they 'all clicked immediately'. Following that, Miss McIntyre and Mr Robinson, who are both from Louisville, Kentucky, chatted on the phone and regularly exchanged messages. Then in April she underwent the operations which went smoothly. It left her with one kidney and him with three — his two non-functional ones and hers working beside them. When the two were discharged from hospital, they remained close and started a romantic relationship after a Memorial Day family barbecue. On Christmas Day, he proposed and she accepted. The two are now expecting a baby in June and are hoping to buy their own place. 'It still doesn't register to me,' Miss McIntyre said. 'Before all of this [attention], we don't really think about our situation. We just live our daily lives. So to relive it all is kind of surreal, but it's awesome.' | Ashley McIntyre, 25, donated her kidney to stranger Danny Robinson, 25 .
She found out he was on dialysis treatment and needed an organ donor .
Before operation, they chatted on the phone and regularly exchanged texts .
Once complete, they remained close and started romantic relationship .
He proposed on Christmas Day and they are now expecting a baby in June . |
fb6e164e754ec176031f0ccecdefcbc56810c7e3 | (CNN) -- Townsend Farms is recalling bags of a frozen fruit mix commonly used in smoothies because they could be contaminated with the hepatitis A virus, the company said in a statement. Townsend's Organic Antioxidant Blend is suspected in an outbreak of the virus that has affected five Western states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thirty-four people have been infected with hepatitis A, and 11 of them have been hospitalized as of Monday. Infections have been reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, the CDC website said Tuesday. Nineteen of the 25 ill people interviewed by the CDC reported eating the Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend. The fruit mix with contaminated ingredients was sent to Costco stores and Harris Teeter stores. At Costco, the recalled codes include T012415 through T053115; consumers can find these on the back of the package near the words "BEST BY." Harris Teeter packages have "BEST BY" codes of T041615E or T041615C. The outbreak has been traced to pomegranate seeds from Turkey that are in the Townsend Farms fruit mix, according to the company statement. The mix contains pomegranate seeds and other produce from Argentina, Chile and the United States. "There is no indication that cherries and other berries are contaminated," said William E. Gaar, an attorney for Townsend Farms. State health departments, the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC continue to investigate. The company was notified about the outbreak Thursday by the CDC, which sent investigators to the Townsend Farms processing plant in Fairview, Oregon, Gaar said. Hepatitis A is usually transmitted via contaminated food or water, or by someone who's infected, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Frequent hand-washing is recommended to limit the spread of hepatitis A. The highly contagious infection inflames the liver and limits its ability to function. "Mild cases of hepatitis A don't require treatment, and most people who are infected recover completely with no permanent liver damage," the Mayo Clinic website says. Severe cases can lead to liver failure and death, according to the World Health Organization. There are an estimated 1.4 million cases of hepatitis A annually worldwide. Consumers who may have eaten the contaminated product should contact their doctor, and the product should be thrown away immediately. CNN's Jacque Wilson and Greg Morrison contributed to this report. | Townsend Farms recalls Organic Antioxidant Blend containing frozen fruit .
Thirty-four cases of hepatitis A are being investigated .
The outbreak has been traced to pomegranate seeds from Turkey .
Hepatitis A inflames the liver and limits its ability to function . |
fb6e2305c46c9c78bd9c355f52da9c8377e9dcc1 | A social worker who falsely accused an innocent father of abusing his six-year-old daughter was allowed to continue working with vulnerable children, it has emerged. Suzi Smith alleged during a custody battle that she had seen Jonathan Coupland, 53, attack his child. The accusation – made while she was ‘really, really angry’ – led to him being handcuffed in front of neighbours, thrown into a cell and banned from seeing his daughter. The Daily Mail revealed the case in April, and since then a disciplinary hearing has found Mrs Smith guilty of misconduct and ruled that her fitness to practise is impaired. Jonathan Coupland was falsely accused of abusing his daughter, Jessica, by a social worker Suzi Smith was allowed to continue working with vulnerable children . But she was not struck off or suspended. Instead, she was given a three-year caution order, which means she can continue to work with the most vulnerable children. It has also emerged that she was allowed to continue working as a social worker after making the false accusation. Last night, Mr Coupland told of his anger that Mrs Smith was permitted to carry on working with children. ‘I am shaking with rage,’ he said. ‘I feel disgusted. It is unbelievable. I was arrested for sexually assaulting the most precious thing in my life. Once you are tarred with that brush, that is it. People where I live think I am a paedophile. ‘But she was working with children again – the one place I would never want her to work again. She even got a promotion. What has she got now? Just a slap on the wrist. No parent or child should go through what my family has gone through. No sanction will ever be strong enough for her.’ Mrs Smith, 53, admitted making the ‘horrific mistake’ and was sacked early last year from her job with Cafcass, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, which represents children in the family courts. She was jobless between February and June 2013, but from July 2013 until January 2014, was employed by an agency to work with children for Southampton City Council, where she dealt with issues of child protection and adoption. Mrs Smith, 53, admitted making the ‘horrific mistake’ and was sacked early last year from her job with Cafcass, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, which represents children in the family courts; but from July 2013 until January 2014, she was employed by an agency to work with children for Southampton City Council, where she dealt with issues of child protection and adoption . The disciplinary hearing at the Health and Care Professions Council, in Kennington, South London, was told she was even given a promotion and did three other stints of agency work as a social worker for local councils until January, when she had to stop working in the run-up to her disciplinary case. Mr Coupland, from Spalding, Lincolnshire, raised his daughter alone after splitting from her mother. The former painter and decorator has fought a lengthy custody battle. In January 2012, Mrs Smith made a home visit and apparently clashed with Mr Coupland. Subsequently, she wrote the damning case note while she was ‘really, really angry’. She claimed she had witnessed Mr Coupland stroking his daughter inappropriately – which he has always denied and she now admits did not happen. Later, Mr Coupland was arrested at home on suspicion of sexual assault and questioned for about ten hours. He claims officers threatened to put his daughter in temporary care before he begged them to place her with his mother. The following day, Mr Coupland was told there would be no further action. Mrs Smith had been interviewed by officers and retracted what she had previously claimed. Cafcass, which is funded by the Department of Justice, sacked Mrs Smith and paid Mr Coupland £86,000 in damages. Mrs Smith’s husband Tim, who represented her at the hearing, said she was overworked when she made her initial record about Mr Coupland touching his daughter. ‘She immediately retracted that with the police,’ he said. ‘At the time of making that record Mrs Smith was in a mood. She was working 14 hours a day and had something like 40 cases on the go. There is no other explanation apart from it was just a horrific mistake.’ Mrs Smith said she had learned from what happened. ‘I have tried to establish a better work-life balance to make sure I am not overworked and that each of my cases get the attention they deserve,’ she told the hearing. She said she was ‘taking time to do less work but more accurate work’. Mrs Smith has previously apologised to Mr Coupland and said she was put under pressure by police to stick to what she initially wrote that he had done. Panel chairman Stephen Fash said Mrs Smith had ‘overstated’ what she thought she had observed. The panel found she made the false allegation, but did not do so dishonestly. Lincolnshire Police said officers were ‘duty bound to investigate’ Mrs Smith’s allegation, adding: ‘It transpired that the allegation was not as originally reported to us. The male was released without charge.’ | Suzi Smith alleged that she saw Jonathan Coupland abuse his daughter .
The claim led to him being thrown in a cell and banned from seeing her .
Mrs Smith later admitted making the accusation up and was sacked .
But for several months until January 2014 she again worked with children . |
fb6f64a9dad913fe0380e537b77109a216c0f9f8 | Mexico City (CNN) -- On the eve of a meeting of Mexico´s top prosecutors and judicial officials in Veracruz state, authorities Wednesday were still trying to determine who left 35 bodies in a busy thoroughfare there -- and why. Investigators said a video may hold clues to how unidentified men managed to drive two open-back trucks filled with corpses through rush-hour traffic and then abandon them, blocking traffic as stunned onlookers watched. Police in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz found the abandoned trucks and the bodies near a shopping mall in the municipality of Boca del Rio on Tuesday. Mexico´s state prosecutors and court presidents are scheduled to meet there Thursday. Photos of the scene showed the two trucks with their back gates open, the bodies falling out onto the street. People on a nearby overpass looked down on shirtless bodies piled on top of each other. ¨This is a way of making yourself known, and saying, ´We have the power, we can do this with impunity,´¨ said Jose Reveles, a security analyst. "'We do it at five in the evening, in a heavily traveled avenue. We drive two trucks loaded with cadavers, and nobody stops us.'" Drug-related violence has been on the rise in Veracruz as cartel members battle over territory. But the large toll gripped headlines across Mexico and drew attention from peace activists gathering in a conference in the nation´s capital Wednesday. "They were left like trash in the street," said Edgardo Buscaglia, president of the Institute of Citizen Action for Justice and Democracy. Buscaglia, an expert on organized crime, told audience members that the bodies found in Veracruz are a reminder that Mexicans must not become desensitized to violence, even if authorities say the victims had criminal histories. "The value of a human life does not decrease because it has a criminal background or not," he said. The dead included 12 women and 23 men. The video may show that the two trucks were guarded by other cars that could have doubled as getaway vehicles, Veracruz Attorney General Reynaldo Escobar Perez said Wednesday in a radio interview. He did not say where the video came from. Investigators also are looking into whether police colluded with the people who discarded the bodies, he told W Radio. As of Wednesday, morning, 95% of the bodies had been identified through databases, Escobar Perez said. Most of them had criminal records, he said. One of them was identified as a local policeman who disappeared about 15 days ago, he said. In another interview, the attorney general said that the victims died of suffocation. Only one had a bullet wound, he said. The state of the bodies led investigators to deduce they died shortly before being abandoned, Escobar Perez said. The attorney general on Tuesday described the grisly discovery as "unprecedented." "It hasn't happened before in the state of Veracruz," he said. The two trucks were abandoned in the middle of the highway, witnesses said. Their gates were open and bodies had fallen out. Hours later, bloodstains remained on the road as troops stood guard. Boca del Rio is in Veracruz state's most populated area. It has become a frequent site of clashes between armed groups as drug-related violence grows. Earlier Tuesday, 32 inmates escaped from three prisons in Veracruz, authorities said. At least 14 of them have been apprehended. Escobar Perez said none of the bodies that had been identified by Tuesday night appeared connected with the prison breaks. Government figures indicate that more than 34,600 people have been killed in drug-related violence since Mexican President Felipe Calderon began a crackdown on cartels in December 2006. Other reports estimate that more than 40,000 have died. The latest government figures were released in January. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday, Calderon decried the violence caused by drug trafficking and called on fellow leaders to put a stop to the burgeoning weapons trade and rampant drug consumption fueling it. ¨Today we must be aware that organized crime today is killing more people and more youth than all the dictatorial regimes combined at this time,¨ he said. CNN´s Rey Rodriguez, Mario Gonzalez and Catherine E. Shoichet and CNNMexico.com contributed to this report. | NEW: Analyst: Criminals are sending a message of power, impunity .
NEW: Mexico´s state prosecutors are scheduled to meet nearby .
The attorney general says investigators have a video of the scene .
The bodies were found near a shopping mall in Veracruz state . |
fb6f9962a7d37759aaa96ea30c8b61121ca8b3bb | By . Lizzie Edmonds . Britons can expect high temperatures of up to 19C this Easter weekend - hotter than popular holiday destination Greece. Forecasters at the Met Office say the south east will see dry and settled conditions throughout the week with temperatures hitting highs of 18C on Wednesday. By Easter Sunday, those in the region will be basking in highs of up to 19C - well average temperatures of 13C for April. Ready for the sun: Mia and Leo Rogers brave the waves in Bournemouth, Dorset. The south can expect high temperatures of up to 19C this Easter weekend . Hollie Butterworth, 11 months, gets stuck into playtime at the Dorset beach. The weather is expected to top popular holiday destinations in Greece - which will see highs of just 17C . The north and north west will also see relatively settled conditions throughout the week with temperatures of 15C - although there is a higher chance of showers across the region. The top temperature predicted this Easter weekend for the north is 15C on Sunday - again well above the average of 10C for this time of year. In comparison, Greece's capital city will be just 16C on Sunday - with lows of 14C in the week. Meanwhile, Rome in Italy will be wet and 9C on Easter Sunday and the French capital Paris clear but just 11C. The forecast comes as the Met Office predicts Britain is set for a six-week heatwave following throughout the end of April and through to May. A report by the forecasters reads: 'Latest predictions for UK-mean temperature favour . above-average temperatures for April and April-May as a whole.' The warm conditions are expected to bring a quarter of a million visitors to the south west of the country - providing a £54million boost for local businesses. However, the fine weather is bad news for hayfever sufferers - with the Met Office warning of a 'high' pollen count in the London area and a 'medium' count for the rest of the country in the next seven days. Daffodils at Warkworth Castle, Northumberland. The find weather will be around all week - with highs of 18C on Wednesday in the south and 15C in the north, the Met Office say . Wild goats in Llandudno Country park, Wales. The sunny weather this Easter is expected to bring a £50million boost to local business in the south west - with 250,000 visiting the area over the four days, experts say . Britain currently has one of the highest rates of hay fever in the world with about 25 per cent of the population suffering. It is believed that the number of sufferers is likely to more than double to 32million by 2030. The Met Office spokesman said: 'Starting with this weekend and early week, the general theme is similar to what we have now. Good, fine weather with outbreaks of rain in the north west. 'Showers will drift southwards today with conditions getting increasingly cloudy by the end of the day. 'The rest of the week we can expect a lot of fine weather. For the next few days it looks as though high pressure will be in charge throughout the UK. 'Central south eastern parts will see dry with sunny spells, but there will be rain in the north west.' Archie, aged nine, enjoys the sunshine amongst the rape fields in Billingsley, Shropshire. The Met Office say the fine conditions will continue throughout April and perhaps even in to May . 'Average temperatures for the week will be around 13C - with top temperatures in London and the south east on Wednesday at around 18 or even 19C. 'The north and north west won't be quite so settled but will be still be 15 to 16C mid week. 'Wednesday will certainly see the nicest weather of the next five days. 'The average temperature for this time of year is 10C in the north and 13 in the south. Many places will see temperatures a good 2 or 3 degrees above average. 'Good Friday will be breezy and rain is possible - with a band coming in from the Atlantic. There is still high pressure though and temperature will be around 12C . 'Saturday is still unsettled but temperatures will reach up to 19C in the south east on Sunday and Monday.' | Clear and sunny with highs of 19C on Easter Sunday in the south east .
North will be more unsettled but chances of rain - but still 15C .
Average April temperatures for south is 13C and north 10C .
Athens in Greece will be just 16C on Easter Sunday and Rome, Italy 9C .
Comes as Met Office predicts six-week heat wave in late April early May . |
fb7067e92040d116de5a132f2f52a447d5eed544 | The Sandy Hook gunman worshiped the devil and had an online page dedicated to Satan, a former classmate revealed, as his childhood barber recalls Adam Lanza never spoke and would stare at the floor every time he had his hair cut. Lanza's worshiping page had the word 'Devil' written in red, Gothic-style letters against a black background, Trevor L. Todd told The National Enquirer, something which he said was 'weird' and 'gave him the chills'. The FBI are trying to piece together his smashed up hard drive to see if his online footprint will reveal any motive for the killing, but they strongly believe he made use of devil-worshiping and suicide sites and boasted of his murder plans on message forums. Adam Lanza's childhood barber Bob Skuba revealed today that Nancy Lanza stopped bringing her son in for haircuts a few years ago so he thought he had moved away from the area. Time was running out: Nancy Lanza was searching . for other places to have her son Adam educated and traveled all over the . world to find something suitable . He told CNN that Adam would never speak or even look at him any time he came in for a cut, which was every six weeks for years. 'It’s just weird that I actually . touched him. I'd tried to joke with him,' Skuba said. 'He wouldn’t even . look at me. He would just be looking down at the tiles the whole time. 'I wish I would have killed him then. Or he should have killed himself a long time ago. He would have saved us all the trouble. 'I should have slit and stabbed him by accident. It would have been a lot better for those people.' Cutting Adam Lanza’s hair 'was a very . long half an hour. It was a very uncomfortable situation', stylist Diane . Harty said. She said that she never heard his voice even once and that Nancy, a . divorcee, also hardly spoke - only to tell Adam what to do as he would not listen to anyone else. Weird: A former classmate of Adam Lanza while they were at Newtown High School said he had online page worshiping the devil . It also emerged today that the chief . medical examiner in the massacre is enlisting the help of a geneticist . to see if they can find a biological motive behind why the 'troubled . genius' shot dead 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary . School on Friday. Dr H. Wayne Carver says he wants to . know if there is any identifiable disease associated with the behavior . of the shooter, especially as Asperger's syndrome - which Adam is thought to have suffered . from - is not associated with violent behavior. 'I’m exploring with the department of genetics what might be possible, if anything is possible,' Dr Carver said. 'Is there any identifiable disease associated with this behavior?' He is also awaiting toxicology results. Lanza's mental state is vital as to why he may have committed one of the worst mass shootings in American history. Another working theory is that he was . angry that his mother was planning to commit him to a psychiatric . facility because he was becoming too difficult for her to handle alone. Given his decision to kill his mother . Nancy while she lay sleeping in her bed at their Connecticut home and . then drive to his former elementary school to purposefully kill innocent . children, there had to be a strong connection in his mind between his . anger and the school. Nancy, 52, was thought to volunteer at . Sandy Hook Elementary School, and so the theory extends to the fact . that Adam felt he loved those children more than she loved him, since . she was planning to send him away. House of horrors: It is thought that Nancy was planning a move from their house in Newtown, pictured, for Washington state to find a place for Adam to go to college as she was tired of home schooling the troubled 20-year-old . Struggling: Various family friends have said that she warned that you could never turn your back on Adam while he was in your care, explaining why it may have been taking a toll on her prompting for her to look for options . A friend told the New York Post that Nancy was overwhelmed. 'It was really hard for her as a . single mother. It’s hard enough raising an autistic child, just me and . my wife. I couldn’t imagine doing it alone,' said Rich Collins, 54, a . Lanza family friend who has an autistic son, Jeffrey, 17. 'I think it’s important to get the . part of the story out — that an unmarried woman was trying to raise an . autistic child on her own. I think she needed more support.' Fox News . quotes a neighborhood figure, whose father works as the pastor of an . area church, as saying that the 20-year-old shooter found out that his . mother was in the legal process of having him committed and was upset. That . news, coupled with his jealousy of the time she allegedly spent with a . group of kindergarteners at Sandy Hook, is thought to have served as the . basis of the killing. A number of factors are still unconfirmed in the theory, and it appears that they may remain as such for some time. Records . of conservatorship filings, which Nancy Lanza would have needed to make . in order to commit her son since he is over 18-years-old, are sealed by . the courts so if any such filings were made they will not be released . publicly. 'Adam Lanza . believed she cared more for the children than she did for him, and the . reason he probably thought this (was the fact that) she was petitioning . for conservatorship and wanted to have him committed,' Joshua Flashman . told Fox News. Targeted: All but one of the students in this first grade class were killed by gunman Adam Lanza, prompting the theory that he chose them because his mother worked with that group as a volunteer . Unanswered questions: It is still unclear what Nancy Lanza's connection was to Sandy Hook Elementary School, though it is confirmed that Adam attended it as a child . One of the biggest questions remaining . ever since the shooting was reported on Friday was Nancy's connection . to the school which was clearly singled out as a target by Adam. The majority of his shooting was . limited to the reception, where he forced his way into the building and . killed those standing in his way, and then to a single first grade . classroom. Those children . are thought to be the ones that Nancy grew close with during the last . academic year, when they were in kindergarten. Initial . reports immediately after the shooting claimed that Nancy was a full . time or even substitute teacher at the elementary school, though as the . chaos of the day slowed, school officials said that she was not on any . records of having worked there in any formal capacity. That option leaves the possibility open that she volunteered her time with the young children, though school board member Cody McCubbin could not confirm that role when asked by MailOnline. That was echoed by Lillian Bittman, a former school board member who told the Wall Street Journal: ‘No one has heard of her. Teachers don’t know her.’ Though the court records will never back up the claim that Nancy was trying to have her son committed, her actions do lend credence to the idea because she had spent much time over the course of this year traveling to different schools to find a suitable place to send Adam. Former babysitters of Adam's said that she warned that she could never turn her back on the young boy, meaning that when she went to visit prospective schools, Adam was either with her or very aware of the fact that she had gone shopping for his next home. In a Facebook conversation between Nancy and her former sister-in-law Marsha, Nancy revealed that she had wanted to downsize from her $1.4million home in Newtown. 'I am still in the same place but getting to the point where I may want a smaller house. I travel a lot, spend time with friends, work with a couple of charities,' she wrote in one of the messages. As a teenager, Adam Lanza would come in for a haircut about every six weeks without speaking or looking at anyone and always accompanied by his mother, said stylists at a Newtown salon. He stopped coming in a few years ago, and the employees at the salon thought he had moved away, said stylist Bob Skuba. Adam in the chair: Hairstylist Diane Harty said Adam was difficult to deal with . The comments from him and his colleagues were among the first describing how the Lanzas interacted with each other. Investigators have found no letters or diaries that could explain the attack, one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. Cutting Adam Lanza's hair 'was a very long half an hour. It was a very uncomfortable situation,' stylist Diane Harty said. She said that she never heard his voice and that Nancy Lanza also hardly spoke. Another stylist, Jessica Phillips, echoed their descriptions of the Lanzas and added that Nancy Lanza would give her son directions about what to do and where to go. Adam would move only 'when his mother told him to,' Skuba said. 'I would say, "Adam, come on." He wouldn't move,' Skuba said. 'And his mother would have to say, "Adam, come on, he's ready." It was like I was invisible.' He said Adam also wouldn't move from his chair after his hair was cut until his mother told him to.If a stylist would ask Adam a question, Skuba said, his mother would answer. 'He would just be looking down at the tiles ... the whole time,' Skuba said.Former classmates have previously described Adam Lanza as intelligent but remote, and former high school adviser described him as anxious and shy. Several people who knew his mother have described her as a devoted parent. Divorce paperwork released this week showed that Nancy Lanza had the authority to make all decisions regarding Adam's upbringing. The divorce was finalized in September 2009, when Adam Lanza was 17. The Associated Press . | Medical examiner enlists help of geneticist to see if there is a biological reason behind massacre .
Newtown resident raises possibility that Adam Lanza, 20, was angry and may have snapped over mother's possible plans to commit him .
Nancy Lanza, 52, was shot to death in her own bed by her son before the Sandy Hook killings .
Lanza killed 20 children and six adults in the school before killing himself as police closed in . |
fb707dad1c04d922ce4294a8b3cca25f9a26a024 | By . Ashley Clements . Follow @@Ashley_Clements . Theo Walcott has been putting in some extra hours on the training pitch as the Arsenal winger looks to recover from the knee injury he suffered against Tottenham last season. The 25-year-old has been out of action for for six months, but is targeting a return to Arsene Wenger's first team within the coming weeks. Walcott took to Instagram to show off his sprinting skills on Wednesday afternoon as he went through his paces at Arsenal's London Colney training base. Getting in the groove: Theo Walcott puts his knee to the test as he trains alone on Thursday . Road to return: The Arsenal winger took to Instagram to prove he is 'getting stronger every day' The winger seems to be happy with his progress as he posted: 'Getting #Stronger & #Quicker every day!!!! #SpeedMatters'. Gunners fans will be hoping Walcott can return to action sooner rather than later as Wenger looks to better his team's fourth-placed finish of last season. The French boss has signed former Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez to bolster his attack and Walcott revealed recently his delight at the new boy. Main man: Walcott will be hoping to play a key part in Arsenal's 2014/15 Premier League season . Out: The Arsenal winger ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against Tottenham in January . Walcott warned the Premier League to 'watch out' for when himself and Sanchez are flanking the Gunners attack. He tweeted: 'Watch out Premier League Me and Alexis Sanchez will be a deadly force!! Speed matters.' Speed: Walcott believes himself and Alexis Sanchez (right) will be a 'deadly force' this season . VIDEO Arsenal heading in the right direction - Winterburn . | Theo Walcott trains alone in bid to recover from knee injury .
Ruptured anterior cruciate ligament against Tottenham in January .
Arsenal winger takes to Instagram to prove his fitness . |
fb71a9f52e8e4e3600154be8f877f8b93a3b91f0 | A woman who works for Fox Sports has called for a change in the NFL and sports media as a whole in light of how the Ray Rice incident has been handled. Katie Nolan, a digital correspondent who hosts web series No Filter, says in a new video that instead of boycotting the NFL for its delayed reaction to the football player's heinous actions, we should fight back. 'It's time for women to have a seat at the big boy table and not where their presence is a gimmick or a concept,' she says. 'Just a person who happens to have breasts offering their opinion on the sports they love and the topics they know.' Scroll down for video . Speaking out: Katie Nolan (pictured), a digital correspondent for Fox Sports, has called for a change in the NFL and sports media as a whole in light of how the Ray Rice incident has been handled . Shake-up: 'It’s time for women to have a seat at the big boy table and not where their presence is a gimmick or a concept,' she says . Katie begins the video by explaining how much of a football fan she is, and how it is hard for her to reconcile her passion for the sport with her recent disapproval of the NFL. 'All this Ray Rice stuff has put me in an uncomfortable position. How do I reconcile my values and beliefs with my love for a sport that has an ongoing issue with domestic violence?' she says. 'How do I support a commissioner who needed to SEE a video of a man punching a woman in the face in order to realize it's unacceptable?' Then she explains that a simple boycott would not be practical, since not enough fans would follow through for it to make a significant difference. She adds: 'More likely, a boycott would just remove the critical thinkers from the NFL conversation and leave the league to continue making billions of dollars with even less accountability.' Challenge: Katie's video has had 200,000 views. 'The truth is the NFL will never respect women and their opinions as long as the media it answers to doesn't. I'm ready when you are, Fox,' she says . Instead, Katie calls for a change in the sports media industry, so that women have more of a say in the decisions made and the conversations had. 'Women in sports television are allowed to read headlines, patrol sidelines, and generally facilitate conversation for their male colleagues,' she states. 'And, while the Stephen A Smiths, Mike Cairns, Dan Patricks and Keith Olbermanns of the world get to weigh in on the issues of the day, we just smile and throw to commercial. Contradiction: 'All this Ray Rice stuff has put me in an uncomfortable position. How do I reconcile my values and beliefs with my love for a sport that has an ongoing issue with domestic violence?' she says . 'It’s time for the conversation to change or at least those participating in the conversation.' The video, which was posted on Tuesday, has had nearly 200,000 views. Many people have taken to the comments section to voice their support and agreement. 'I've been an avid fan since 2006 and have a dream one day to be an NFL announcer, but after everything that has taken place over these past 6 months, I'm in total agreement,' wrote one person. Agreement: 'Until [Roger] Goodell [pictured] resigns or is fired, I refuse to watch another NFL game. It's a complete disgrace seeing how much of a monopoly this league truly is,' commented one person on the video . 'Until [Roger] Goodell resigns or is fired, I refuse to watch another NFL game this year. It's a complete disgrace seeing how much of a monopoly this league truly is... A statement must be made that this s*** won't be tolerated.' Katie concludes her video with a call for NFL fans to fight for change in the sports media industry. 'Because the truth is the NFL will never respect women and their opinions as long as the media it answers to doesn't,' she says. 'I'm ready when you are, Fox.' | Katie Nolan, the host of Fox Sports web series No Filter, says women have been unjustly left out of the Ray Rice conversation .
She adds that instead of boycotting the NFL for its treatment of the incident, we should 'fight back' |
fb725ba5214f6496401ad96eae09481fd27071ff | By . Sean Poulter . UPDATED: . 07:03 EST, 5 January 2012 . Shopping centres have triggered a Big Brother row after installing equipment that allows them to track customers using their mobile phone signals. The technology has raised privacy concerns after it emerged that major shopping centre owner Land Securities has installed it at ten of Britain’s biggest malls. These include the giant Cabot Circus, Bristol; Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth; Princesshay, Exeter; Buchanan Galleries, Glasgow; Bon Accord & St Nicholas, Aberdeen; and The Centre, Livingston. A tiny yellow sign in Exeter's Princesshay shopping centre is the only warning customers receive that their mobile phone signal is being 'tracked' by Footpath's scanners. There is no way to opt out except not to enter or to turn off your mobile . Malls using the FootPath system in the . London area include One New Change and New Street Square in the City; . Cardinal Place, Victoria; and The Galleria, Hatfield. Path Intelligence, which developed . the system in the UK, said it includes safeguards to prevent spying on . individuals and that no personal information is collected. Rather, it is designed to track . people’s movements to better understand what shops and services they . find most interesting or useful. However, most shoppers are completely . in the dark about the tracking technology, and the only way to escape it . is to turn off the mobile phone. The 'warning' sign in the Princesshay shopping centre. Nick Pickles of Big Brother Watch says, 'It is assumed that the shopping centre has the automatic right to track people's mobile phones - to me that's wrong.' Nick Pickles, of privacy and civil . liberties group Big Brother Watch, said the law needs to be tightened to . cope with new mobile phone tracking systems. ‘People are right to be worried that . their mobile phones can be turned into tracking devices very easily, . without their permission or knowledge,’ he said. ‘While we have been given assurances . that the FootPath technology is not capable of capturing personal . information or sending communications to people’s phones, other . technologies which would allow this are available. 'Such tracking and communications would be a significant intrusion on privacy.’ Shoppers told about the tracking were concerned that they were effectively being followed without their permission. Path Intelligence says that its use of phone-tracking technology is widespread on Britain's High Streets - and that 'major' chains already use the technology . A customer at Princesshay, Hilda . Luscombe, said: ‘This is another invasion of our privacy. We shouldn’t . have to switch off our phones to opt out. This is just spying on us.’ Another customer, Robert McConnell, . said: ‘In the George Orwell book 1984 everyone was saying ‘‘Big Brother . Is Watching You’’. In 2012, everyone is asking ‘‘Who’s watching Big . Brother?’’.’ How it works: The FootPath system explained . Path Intelligence chief executive . Sharon Biggar wouldn’t name all the malls using the system, to maintain . the privacy of the firm’s clients. So shoppers can only know it is being . used if they spot the small signs put up by the centres. Miss Biggar insisted the technology . had been misunderstood. ‘This is in no way an invasion of privacy, we . cannot identify shoppers’ information,’ she said. ‘We cannot identify phone numbers or who an individual customer is. It is very much like watching dots walking around a room. ‘We are very open with the public. We . ask our clients to have signage up where the system is operating. The . signs are exactly the same as the ones for CCTV.’ She insisted the system was far less . intrusive than the tracking used by internet giants who follow the . activities of online shoppers. Land Securities said the technology . ‘is fairly common in the retail arena’ and added: ‘We are not monitoring . a private individual. We record the movements of a mobile phone. We are . not holding any data on anyone, all we get is a red dot telling us . where it travelled to.’ Path Intelligence is combined with sales data to create a full 'picture' of the effectiveness of shop layouts . | Technology installed at ten of UK's biggest malls .
Will track movement but not personal information, developers insist .
Tiny yellow sign only warning of 'FootPath' scanners . |
fb729468ada450a1fc22063d950c6a4f1b4ae71d | If being pooped-on from the heavens is a sign of good luck, you could say Sydney artist Emilio Cresciani has had a good run - at least when it comes to a supply of ready-made canvases. The artist says he became fascinated with patterns of bird droppings on city pavements after a family holiday to Venice some years ago. So he started photographing them. 'I know it's not a subject that many people would think of as art, but really, nature is the source and place of all creativity,' says Cresciani. 'Natural forms have their own beauty and it's the randomness of the patterns that inspired me.' His collection of black-and-white images, Flight Patterns, is now on show at the MARS Gallery in Toowoomba, Queensland. Cresciani says the images, taken in-and-around Sydney, including Hyde Park, Central Station and Manly, remind him of Jackson Pollock's expressionist works and have even been called 'White Poles' by one fan. 'The patterns are a natural landscape, overlaid on a man-made landscape,' says Cresciani. 'It also continues my interest in waste and the things that we overlook in our everyday lives.' Splat: Sydney artist Emilio Cresciani has launched a collection of black-and-white photographs of bird droppings on city pavements . Cresciani says he became fascinated with the patterns on a family holiday to Venice, a city of fine art and pigeons . 'We love looking at cloud formations and the colours and shapes of sunsets so why not other aspects of nature?' says Cresciani . Cresciani says his photographs have been called 'White Poles' in reference to expressionist painter Jackson Pollock's famous 'Blue Poles' 'My parents kept telling me to look up at the sights but I became fascinated by the sites on the ground,' Cresciani says of a family holiday to Venice, a city home to millions of pigeons . Patterns in the poo: One of the black-and-white photographs on show as part of Cresciani's 'Flight Patterns' exhibition . Cresciani says he spent 8 months shooting bird poo all over Sydney for his 'Flight Patterns' exhibition. 'The patterns are a natural landscape, overlaid on man-made landscape,' says Cresciani of his art. Cresciani says it's the randomness of the designs that he finds interesting . | Sydney artist Emilio Cresciani sees patterns in the poo on city pavements .
'Natural forms have their own beauty and it's the randomness of the patterns that inspired me', says Cresciani .
His collection of close-up images, Flight Patterns, are on show at Queensland's MARS Gallery . |
fb72ac5b84046d651766dd9f124fa731d464279d | Detectives investigation sexual abuse allegations against Rolf Harris flew to Australia as part of the inquiry, according to a Sydney television network . British police inquiries into sex abuse allegations against entertainer Rolf Harris have stretched to Australia, a Sydney television network claimed today. Channel Seven said that at least two Scotland Yard detectives flew to Australia in late March as part of their investigations into the allegations against 83-year-old Harris. Harris has a brother who lives in Australia, but it is not known whether he was questioned. The news of the international inquiries came as Coronation Street actor Bill Roache was arrested over claims he raped a 15-year-old girl in 1967. Roache was not held by detectives from Scotland Yard's Operation Yewtree, which is investigating ‘historic’ sex crimes in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal. Channel Seven said it was not clear whether any formal interviews were conducted while the Harris detectives were in Australia. The claims of police inquiries in the country were later reported by at least one Australian newspaper chain, quoting the channel. Sydney's Daily Telegraph said that Scotland Yard would not comment on the investigation. But the paper said the visit by the detectives was reportedly made two weeks before Mr Harris's identity was made public by a British newspaper. Harris' lawyers attempted to bar the . media from reporting on his arrest, but his identity was revealed by . multiple sources two weeks ago. Harris has not been charged with any offence and he has strenuously denied allegations of sexual misconduct. He was arrested in March, but he was released on bail to face further investigations in Britain this month. Roache and Harris are just the latest in a long string of veteran celebrities to be arrested on suspicion of sex offences allegedly committed over the past few decades. Max Clifford, left, has been charged with 11 counts of indecent assault under Operation Yewtree. He denies all allegations. Bill Roache, right, today became the latest veteran celebrity to be arrested on suspicion of historic sexual offences . Convicted paedophile Gary Glitter was . arrested in October last year as part of Operation Yewtree, which was . launched in response to the revelation that entertainer Jimmy Savile had . molested dozens of young girls before his death in 2011. Comedian . Freddie Starr was arrested in November and April,over claims he once . groped a 14-year-old girl in Savile's dressing room. Former DJ Dave Lee Travis was arrested in November and March, on suspicion of offences that he says are not related to children. Jim Davidson, the controversial comedian and TV presenter, was arrested in January in relation to alleged sexual offences. He has denied the allegations. Publicist Max Clifford was arrested in December and last week was charged with 11 counts of indecent assault. He denies all the allegations against him. All of these celebrities were arrested under Operation Yewtree, except Roache. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Two Scotland Yard detectives reportedly flew to the country in late March .
Harris has not been charged and denies allegations of sexual misconduct . |
fb7361b2252868687621e16d988a2959ea29c531 | A new investigation into the death of singer Amy Winehouse found that she died of accidental alcohol poisoning, authorities in London said Tuesday. The conclusion was the same as that of an earlier investigation, which had to be thrown out because the coroner did not have the right qualifications. The Grammy Award-winning artist, who had battled with alcohol and drug abuse for several years, was found dead at her north London home on July 23, 2011, at age 27. The new inquest was ordered in December by the London borough of Camden. Dr Shirley Radcliffe, interim coroner for Inner North London, gave a verdict of "death by misadventure" Tuesday, meaning the death is judged to be accidental, with no law broken and no criminal negligence involved. Winehouse "had a history of excessive alcohol ingestion for some years and was under the care of a number of physicians," Radcliffe told the court, according to a summary provided by Camden Council. "She had had a period of abstinence from alcohol for 12-13 days in July but a few days before her death she began to drink alcohol again. "Following her death the police attended and deemed the death to be non-suspicious. Toxicological analysis revealed a level of alcohol commonly associated with fatality." The original coroner, Suzanne Greenaway, lost her position as assistant deputy coroner, to which she was appointed by her husband, London Coroner Andrew Reid, after it was discovered that she had not been a registered lawyer in the United Kingdom for the requisite five years. A life cut short: Remembering the tragedy of Amy Winehouse . Greenaway's report also concluded that Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning, in a "death by misadventure." A pathologist told Greenaway's court that Winehouse's blood-alcohol level was 416 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood. The level considered lethal is 350 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, and the legal limit to drive in Britain is 80 milligrams of alcohol. The pathologist found no traces of tablets in Winehouse's stomach and said her organs appeared to be normal. The singer's soulful, throaty vocals brought her stardom in 2007, but her troubled off-stage life -- chronicled in her top 10 hit "Rehab" -- won her notoriety. Her death came less than two months after her latest release from a rehabilitation program and weeks after she was booed offstage by disappointed fans in Serbia. The tattooed London-born singer-songwriter's first album, "Frank," debuted in 2003, when she was 19. International success came with her 2007 album "Back to Black." She dominated the 2008 Grammys, winning five awards that night and delivering, via satellite from London, a strong performance of "Rehab." Winehouse's wedding dress stolen . | The new probe finds that Amy Winehouse died of accidental alcohol poisoning .
Earlier probe that found the same was thrown out when coroner credentials questioned .
The 27-year-old singer was found dead at her home in north London in July 2011 .
She had battled with alcohol and drug abuse for several years . |
fb746559c820a446e47bda30886d2a0c8f20efc8 | By . Ben Nagle For Mailonline . Kevin Pietersen is enjoying some time away from cricket, by taking a breathtaking helicopter ride over the capital. The former England cricketer, whose international career finished in February when the ECB decided not to consider him for future selection, posted two pictures on his Instagram account to show his 78,000 followers the view. The first of which, taken next to the helicopter Pietersen flew in, shows the current Surrey player smiling before he boards his flight. The second photograph shows the view from the air, with Pietersen looking down over the Houses of Parliament, with stunning views across the rest of the capital. It is currently unclear what Pietersen's next permanent cricketing move will be, as the South African born batsman continues to 'freelance' playing 20/20 cricket around the world. Copter: Pietersen poses for a photo before boarding his helicopter flight over the capital . Stunning: The photo Pietersen posted from the skies shows an amazing view of London from above . | Former England international Kevin Pietersen is currently in cricketing limbo .
He has been 'freelancing' for Surrey, and played in their 20/20 loss last week .
He will travel to play in the Australian Big Bash this winter .
Pietersen posted two pictures on his Instagram account of his flight . |
fb74bbf9afc2ad449e5120df6d23c8fe660ce4dc | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 04:57 EST, 8 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:59 EST, 8 October 2013 . A drug squad uncovered an underground cannabis cave when they raided a remote ten acre farm run by a retired company director. Trevor Winterbottom, 68, had been secretly growing the drug at his luxury £500,000 suburban home. But when his crop grew so large he ran out of room and dug a giant hole underneath an outbuilding at an isolated farm he owned three miles away to house his plants. Quite a crop: Trevor Winterbottom cultivated cannabis in an underground home-made basement hidden within his 10 acre property . The ceiling was held up with crude building supports and officers discovered 200 mature plants being grown . Police found the underground farm during Britain’s big freeze last January after being tipped off. They spotted a trail of footprints in the snow leading to the outbuilding, to find the basement had been excavated beneath the building and was only accessible by a homemade hatch using of ladders that were nailed to hardboard. The ceiling was held up with building supports and officers discovered 200 mature plants being grown. Electricity that was being used to power lights above the plants was being abstracted from elsewhere. A number of other cannabis plants were also recovered from inside the address. The recovered cannabis plants had a combined street value of £145,000. Police found the underground farm during Britain¿s big freeze last January after receiving a tip-off . Electricity that was being used to power lights above the plants was being abstracted from elsewhere . The basement had been excavated beneath the building and was only accessible by a homemade hatch using of ladders that were nailed to hardboard . Winterbottom snr, who used to run a property company, and his businessman son, Trevor jnr, 31, were both caught in one of the outbuildings in Hyde, Greater Manchester. At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Winterbottom snr of Stalybridge, admitted producing cannabis and also admitted abstracting electricity. He was jailed for 45 months at Manchester Crown Court. Winterbottom jnr was given a community order for 12 months and ordered to do 240 hours unpaid work after admitting producing cannabis. Greater Manchester Police said that at about 12.50pm on Wednesday 23 January officers attended the address - a farm off Harrop Edge Road, Hyde, owned by Winterbottom snr - following a report of suspicious activity at the location. The property is situated at the top of a single track road and stands on a 10 acre plot that contains the main home, a static caravan, three metal shipping containers, two brick buildings and a large wooden structure. The land was covered in snow when officers arrived and having identified footprints in the snow a search of the outbuildings commenced. A short time later the two defendants were arrested in the wooden outbuilding. Det Con Marc Barker, said: 'By his own admission Trevor senior admitted digging up his land and creating a makeshift cellar when the crop he had been growing in his house became too big. 'A crude yet fully functioning structure complete with a sophisticated lightening system was built beneath one of the out buildings and was extremely well hidden. 'Their sole intention was to cultivate a large amount of cannabis and had we not acted when we did their crop would have seen them make a considerable amount of cash.' | Trevor Winterbottom, 68, had secretly grown the drug at his luxury home .
When crop grew too big, he dug hole underneath farm to house more plants .
Police discovered haul in Greater Manchester after being tipped off .
Recovered cannabis plants had a combined street value of £145,000 .
Retired company director jailed for 45 months . |
fb756396b39c7220182d4573b236f7e05a9531ca | Maria Sharapova's boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov showed off his softer side on Sunday when he stopped his Sony Open match to tend to a young ball girl who was struggling with the 90-degree heat in Miami. Dimitrov was in a first set tie-breaker with Kei Nishikori when he walked towards the ball girls asking for a towel. 'Towel, please - towel please,' Dimitrov was forced to repeat himself when the girl didn't appear to spring into action and rush him a towel. Scroll down for video . Class act: Grigor Dimitrov stopped his match on Sunday to help a ball girl who appeared to be struggling with the 90-degree heat . Attentive: Dimitrov repeatedly asked for a towel from the young ball girl before noticing that she appeared to not be feeling well . Rescued: Once he realised the girl was ill, Dimitrov grabbed her hand and rushed her to a bench where paramedics could treat her . Famous partner: Dimitrov is the boyfriend of Maria Sharapova, pictured here in action against Kirsten Flipkens at the Sony Open . It was then that Dimitrov appeared to notice that the girl seemed ill. The 16th-ranked tennis player in the world then took the girl's hand and walked her over to a bench, where the medical staff could take a look at her - and it was all captured on film. Tennis, unfortunately doesn't award points for being a nice guy - Dimitrov lost his match, but certainly gained some points in the arena of public opinion. In addition to being Sharapova's boyfriend, Dimitrov gained notoriety in his early years for having a style of play similar to Roger Federer's. Video courtesy of Alexandre Cossenza . Together: Dimitrov pictured with his girlfriend Sharapova in Spain last year . 'Baby Fed': Dimitrov is the 16th ranked tennis player in the world and is dating tennis phenom Maria Sharapova . In fact, the similarities earned him the nickname 'Baby Fed.' Federer, however, was no fan of the nickname, telling reporters in October 'I hope people don’t call him Baby Fed so often anymore. At first it’s funny, but it gets annoying.' | Grigor Dimitrov stopped his match against Kei Nishikori to help an ill ball girl .
Girl appeared to be suffering in 90-degree heat at Sony Open in Miami .
Dimitrov rushed the girl to paramedics who could treat her .
The Bulgarian is the the boyfriend of tennis star Maria Sharapova .
Dimitrov, who is ranked 16 in the world, lost the match . |
fb75cba5a0850b7fed8620a638a8fb26cd8d1ea3 | By . Katy Winter . While it doesn’t require you to spend your days in reflective prayer, the latest diet regime to hit the spotlight does recommend that followers mirror the eating habits of the Greek Orthodox monks of Mount Athos. The religious men eat a Mediterranean diet made up almost exclusively of unprocessed, fresh, low-fat foods, and also engage in days of fasting where they drastically reduce their calorie intake to clear their minds. The monks are obviously doing something right as they have been found to live an astonishing 10 years longer than the average Greek person and also tend to be slim and youthful. The monasteries of Athos are among the world's healthiest communities. The monks live very long lives, largely free of cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's . Outlined in a new book, The Mount Athos Diet by Richard Storey, Sue Todd and Lottie Storey, the plan aims to eliminate the concept of ‘dieting’ and instead splits the week into three types of day; three moderation days, three fasting days and one feasting, which can be moved around each week to adapt to lifestyle. During the three fasting days you cut out all dairy, fish, meat, alcohol, eggs and oil, sticking to small portions of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans. As well as promising a host of health benefits the Monk Diet claims to produce weight loss without a feeling of deprivation . The moderation days allow you a healthy, fresh, low-fat, Mediterranean diet. Dairy, olive oil, fish, chicken and eggs can all be included, although sugar, processed foods and red meat are still off the menu. Alcohol is even allowed on these three days - though only red wine in moderation (2 units a day) is allowed. The feast day is, as it sounds, a free-for-all, where anything from red meat to cake, mojitos and chocolate is allowed - though the diet does recommend a modicum of restraint in terms of portion size. Breakfast: Bircher muesli breakfast pot . Lunch: Chicken soup with toasted wholemeal pitta . Dinner: Baked sweet potato with olives and feta and green salad . Snacks: An apple, a handful of nuts or seeds . Breakfast: Grilled grapefruit . Lunch: Vegetable soup with a small piece of wholemeal bread . Dinner: Baked butter beans with fresh tomatoes and lettuce . Snacks: Unlimited vegetable sticks . Breakfast: Grilled peaches with Greek yogurt . Lunch: Carrot and coriander soup . Dinner: Chicken salad with Greek yogurt dressing and a glass of red wine . Snacks: Square of dark chocolate, fruit and vegetable sticks . Breakfast: Muesli . Lunch: Lentil soup . Dinner: Jacket potato with kale and carrots . Snacks: Small bowl of berries, nuts and seeds . Whatever you want – within reason! The three days can be placed in any order to make your life easier. The book explains: ‘Studies have shown that the monasteries of Athos are among the world’s healthiest communities. The monks live very long lives, largely free of cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Their way of eating also carries with it an enticing by-product: natural weight loss. ‘The monks don’t count calories, nor do they suffer any of the deprivation commonly associated with the ‘fad’ diets of the Western world. Theirs is not really a ‘diet’, more a way of life. 'They eat good food and drink good wine, and by following age-old principles of using wholesome ingredients, eating in moderation and exercising regularly, they are among the fittest and healthiest people on earth. ‘Each monastery is largely self-sufficient and very little produce is bought in from the mainland. The monasteries are surrounded by kitchen gardens, orchards, vineyards, beehives and olive groves, and everything produced is organic and seasonal; much time-consuming effort is required to nurture crops and maintain the maximum possible output from the land. 'Monastery meals are an extension of the daily religious observance, occurring twice a day – morning and evening. 'Meals are consumed in silence, as the monks listen to the daily readings from the scriptures (with occasional interruptions from the Abbot).’ Richard Storey, one of the authors of The Mount Athos Diet, who has visited the monks every year for 15 years, spoke to MailOnline about how he came to the conclusion that their eating regime would be beneficial for everyone. 'The monks are deemed to be amongst the healthiest group of people in the world, with very low cancer rates and almost no Alzheimer’s and after years of living among them I recognised their diet had a large part to play in this,' Storey told MailOnline. 'I always came back feeling fitter, healthier and having lost weight, but I never felt like I had been deprived. 'We recruit numerous people to test out the monk’s diet to see if it was applicable in a normal Western life. I lost 22lb everybody lost weight . 'A key thing we found was that the lack of calorie counting was a large relief. 'We also found that somewhere along the way, usually at the three or four week mark, you realise that, without any pressure being placed on exactly calories, you are eating differently and what you crave on the feast day changes. ‘Most people no longer even want the highly-processed, high-sugar foods they did at the beginning.’ The Mount Athos Diet by Richard Storey, Lottie Storey and Sue Todd (Vermilion, £10.99) | The monasteries of Athos are among the world's healthiest communities .
Monks live very long lives, largely free of cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's .
Also live an average of 10 years longer than the average Greek .
Their Mediterranean diet and fast days also promote weight loss .
New book 'The Mount Athos Diet' outlines the no-calorie-counting regime . |
fb76a6d3785e475cdca288e65204c5eca19b2bfc | (CNN) -- Authorities say a fellow inmate working in the kitchen of a Michigan jail tried to serve a poisoned apple to a serial stabbing suspect after the two had an altercation behind bars. Accused serial stabber Elias Abuelazam never took a bite, Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell said Thursday. But Andre Franklin, 34, now faces a charge of attempted poisoning for the September incident. The tainted apple, sprayed with oven degreaser with "poison components in it," never made it out of the kitchen, Pickell said. "We found out immediately," he said but declined to say how guards learned what happened. Pickell said Franklin apparently targeted Abuelazam after the two "had some words with each other." Abuelazam is a suspect in 18 stabbings in Michigan, Virginia and Ohio. Five of the attacks were fatal, Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton has said. He has been charged with homicide in three of the five deaths and has been charged with six counts of assault with intent to commit murder. Abuelazam has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed awaiting trial. Pickell said Franklin had nearly completed all of his time for a simple assault charge and was a trustee: a nonviolent prisoner who qualified for jobs that could help reduce his sentence. But if convicted of attempted poisoning, Franklin could face up to 15 more years behind bars, Pickell said. He is in jail in lieu of $5,000 bail. | An apple is covered with oven degreaser, the sheriff says .
The inmate faces a charge of attempted poisoning .
The sheriff says accused serial stabber Elias Abuelazam never took a bite . |
fb76b578be6dd8f830574dcef39224e74ca146d1 | (CNN) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Cape Verde on Friday, the final stop on her seven-nation Africa tour in which she emphasized good governance and urged officials to implement reforms. Hillary Clinton was in Cape Verde on Friday on the final leg of her Africa tour. Clinton is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Pedro Maria Neves before returning to the United States. The Obama administration describes the island nation on the western coast as an African success story. "Cape Verde enjoys a stable democratic system, high transparency and low corruption," said Marianne M. Myles, the U.S. ambassador to Cape Verde. The relationship between the two countries is based on a long history of partnership, which started in 1818 when the first U.S. consulate in sub-Saharan Africa was established in the country, Myles said. Clinton's 11-day trip started in Kenya, and has included stops in South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Liberia. She arrived at Cape Verde from Liberia, where she applauded the work of pro-American president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first woman elected head of state in Africa. "Today, (Liberia) is a model of successful transition from conflict to post-conflict, from lawlessness to democracy, from despair to hope," Clinton said. "For the last three years, the people of this country have been working to promote reform, reconstruction and reconciliation. Liberia has adopted sound fiscal policy and seen strong economic growth." Clinton's trip comes after President Obama's visit to Ghana in July, where he urged African leaders to improve government stability. During her visit, Clinton echoed Obama's sentiment on government reform. Like Obama, Clinton made it clear that America is willing to help, but from the background. African leaders must take the lead in reforming their own countries, she said. Clinton's message was a mix of praise and criticism. She also addressed other issues including democracy, trade and sexual abuse. Hours before her arrival in Kenya, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said that Africa did not need another lecture on good governance. But Clinton said she was delivering a "tough but lovingly presented" message to the East African nation. "As President Obama pointed out in his speech in Ghana, Kenya has not fulfilled its economic promise because it hasn't yet realized fully what it means to have a functioning, dynamic democracy, and a free press and an independent judiciary," she said. She urged Angolan officials to adopt a new constitution and hold a proper presidential election. However, she also lauded the nation's commitment to fighting HIV as the two countries signed a partnership to combat the epidemic. At a town hall meeting in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Clinton talked about the importance of democracy and warned that though Nigeria produces 2 million barrels of oil a day, its poverty rate has gone up over the past 13 years. She blamed the lack of progress on corruption. "The most immediate source of the disconnect between Nigeria's wealth and its poverty is a failure of governance at the local, state, and federal level," she said. Watch Clinton compare election to 2000 U.S. presidential election » . During a visit to Congo, Clinton denounced sexual attacks on women and announced $17 million in funding to help fight abuse in the country. "In the face of such evil, people of good will everywhere must respond," she said. "The United States is already a leading donor to efforts aimed at addressing these problems." Clinton also met with the leaders of Somalia's transitional government in neighboring Nairobi. The country has been waging a bloody battle against al Qaeda-linked militants with help from the United States. The State Department notes it is the earliest trip by a secretary of state and a president to Africa of any previous U.S. administration. | Secretary of State Hillary Clinton winds up 11-day Africa trip with Cape Verde visit .
Clinton's visit has included stops in Kenya, Liberia and Nigeria .
Clinton has urged African leaders to continue government reforms . |
fb77c9cc66966d53bbe3bf9fbc3860d24127bba6 | By . Jason Groves . PUBLISHED: . 14:59 EST, 22 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:05 EST, 22 March 2013 . The Russian owner of The Independent launched an attack on Government plans to restrict Press freedom, just days after his newspaper gave full support to the proposals. Alexander Lebedev, who also owns the London Evening Standard, said: ‘The restrictions of the freedom of the press in Britain – I would think that would be a very wrong decision. Absolutely. ‘There are better ways to rectify the wrong things that have been done during the hacking affair.’ Alexander Lebedev warned that press regulation would be a bad thing for the British media . Earlier this week, The Independent’s editor Chris Blackhurst was the only national newspaper editor to back the Royal Charter scheme for Press regulation. He said: ‘This isn’t perfect but neither is it terrible. I don’t see anything in it that will threaten the sort of journalism we produce at The Independent.’ But by Thursday the newspaper was expressing serious doubts, its leader column talking of ‘potentially critical flaws’ in the proposals. The Independent editor Chris Blackhurst expressed support for the Royal Charter earlier this week . Meanwhile the veteran Labour-supporting magazine Tribune yesterday became the latest well-known periodical to reject the Charter, saying ‘we will not be signing up to any new procedure for imposing state licensing of the Press’. Education Secretary Michael Gove also joined the chorus of criticism, saying the clampdown on the Press in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal is having a ‘chilling effect’ on free speech. In a sign of growing Tory unease, Mr Gove also said he was ‘uncomfortable’ about the controversial deal stitched up by the three main party leaders last Sunday to introduce a new Press regulator. And he warned that the arrests of dozens of journalists, public officials and whistleblowers posed a serious potential threat to free speech. His intervention came as pressure group Hacked Off announced an embarrassing climbdown over aspects of the Government’s Royal Charter on Press regulation, which it helped draw up. The group, whose directors include the actor Hugh Grant, called for changes to remove a ‘glitch’ in the proposals that would leave thousands of internet bloggers facing the threat of ruinous damages. It came just days after prominent Hacked Off supporter Max Mosley said the Government should be able to ‘cut off the wires’ of Internet publications that erred. Speaking to BBC’s Question Time, Mr Gove, a former senior journalist at the Times, contrasted the clampdown on the Press with the lack of arrests in the wake of other scandals, such as the banking collapse or the deaths of up to 1,200 patients at Mid Staffordshire Hospital. Hacked Off, led by Hugh Grant (pictured) have called for a change in the charter to exclude small bloggers . Kate and Gerry McCann have also been prominent campaigners for restrictions on the press . He said David Cameron had secured the ‘best deal available’, given Labour and the Liberal Democrats had ganged up to back new Press laws. But he indicated he remained deeply uneasy about the threat to free speech. He said: ‘The free Press is one of the historic strengths of this country. Sometimes it is raucous and, as a politician, you can sometimes be on the receiving end – so you should. ‘A free Press should hold people to account. That is why I am uncomfortable about politicians themselves deciding how the Press should be regulated. My view is a minority in the Commons.’ He added: ‘We have had scores of journalists arrested – I suspect some will face their day in court. The Independent expressed support for the royal charter when most national newspapers didn't . ‘I don’t know how many people responsible for some of the banking scandals which cause so much misery to so many have been arrested. ‘I’ve seen no arrests when there have been other scandals from Mid Staffs and elsewhere where people have suffered. ‘We are in danger – with a newspaper industry which is suffering commercially – of driving to the margins the organs of free speech. ‘Frankly it is more important that politicians fear proper scrutiny than that the Press fear politicians scrutinising them.’ Nick Clegg yesterday appealed to the newspaper industry not to boycott the scheme, adding: ‘I hope when tempers cool a bit and the dust settles, people will see it’s the middle way.’ Thousands of internet bloggers have come together under the umbrella campaign Blog Off, calling for small publications to be excluded from the proposals. It even has the backing of Labour’s deputy chairman Tom Watson, who has led the campaign for Press regulation. Tory peer Lord Lucas last night tabled an amendment to the Crime and Courts Bill which would remove individual Internet bloggers and most small publishers from the provisions of the Royal Charter. The Government has not yet indicated whether it will support the change. Meanwhile former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown will today accuse Mr Cameron of making a colossal ‘strategic blunder’ in pulling out of talks on the creation of a new Press regulator. | Alexander Lebedev said that a Royal Charter would be the 'wrong decision'
The owner of the Independent believes there is a better way .
Independent editor Chris Blackhurst supports the government's decision .
He said that while the Charter isn't perfect, it also isn't 'terrible' |
fb782af01fd8f736db07e510a1173e7348dff898 | By . Fiona Macrae . PUBLISHED: . 19:56 EST, 11 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:48 EST, 13 June 2012 . The creation of babies with three genetic parents would be an ‘amazing opportunity’ for families whose lives have been blighted by incurable diseases, say an eminent group of experts on ethics in science. The influential Nuffield Council on Bioethics conceded that while those with religious views might view the advance as an ‘abomination’, there is no ethical reason to stop it, provided it is proved to be safe and effective. The approval comes as pressure builds on the Government to amend the law to allow the genetic engineering of eggs and embryos, creating babies free of devastating genetic diseases. Three parents? Ethicists have decided that mixing DNA from more than two parents is acceptable if it is used to cure hereditary diseases . The children would effectively have two mothers and one father. Those in favour say it would give couples who have endured the heartbreak of miscarriages and stillbirths, and children who have died while still young, the option of having a healthy family. But critics say the science is too risky and the safety of the baby should take precedence over a woman’s desire to be a mother. There are also concerns about the long-term effects of tampering with the DNA at the first stages of life, something known as germline therapy and banned in most countries. Done differently, it could lead to the creation of designer babies, made to order by hair colour or eye colour. Brenda Almond, emeritus professor of moral and social philosophy at Hull University, cautioned against opening a ‘Pandora’s box’ of problems. She said that if the new technique was allowed, pressure would build to allow bigger genetic changes. Slippery slope? There are philosophers who say that it could be a stepping stone to other kinds of tampering . Work is being carried out at Newcastle University into incurable diseases caused by faults in mitochondria, tiny sausage-shaped powerhouses inside cells which turn food into energy. Each mitochondrion has its own DNA that is passed down from mother to child. Serious defects in this affect one in 6,500 babies and cause around 50 genetic diseases, some of which kill in infancy. Women carrying diseased mitochondria often face the heartbreaking choice of whether it would be kinder to remain childless. To get round this, the scientists are perfecting two techniques in which the mother-to-be’s diseased mitochondria are swapped for healthy ones from an egg donated by another woman. A successful mitochondrial ‘transplant’ should eradicate disease from future generations of the family. The amount of DNA contributed by the donor would be small and it is not thought it would affect the child’s looks or personality. For this reason, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, an independent body which tries to steer public opinion and policy on advances in health and science, said it would not be right to class the egg donor as a second mother. It concluded that the transplants would be an ethical option, provided they are shown to be safe and effective. | Critics caution against opening a 'Pandora's box' which could lead to a trend towards 'designer babies' |
fb784ea50559ccf087521510e7760473038cef2e | Tee-d off: A highly critical documentary about Donald Trump's £750m golf course in Aberdeenshire, Scotland will air on Sunday for the first time . Residents living near Donald Trump’s £750m golf resort in Aberdeenshire have suffered ‘egotistical bullying,’ film-maker Bill Forsyth claims. He compares the living conditions of Trump’s neighbours with living in communist-era Romania as a highly critical documentary on the development called You’ve Been Trumped is set to air on UK television for the first time this Sunday. Forsyth was left ‘dazed and shocked’ after watching the film about proud Scottish homeowners taking on the celebrity tycoon. The film shows residents’ water and electricity being cut off, tonnes of earth being piled up next to their homes and film-maker Anthony Baxter as complaints by locals to police are ignored. Forsyth told The Guardian: ‘We’re watching real lives and livelihoods mercilessly put to hazard by a malign concoction of egotistical bullying, corporate muscle flexing, craven averting of gaze by national politicians and crass misreading of events by local authorities including police.’ The documentary, which is acclaimed by radical American film-maker Michael Moore, makes parallels with his Bafta-winning classic film Local Hero in 1983 which tells the story of an American oil tycoon who wants to buy out a remote Scottish village. Many refer to Local Hero including neighbour Michael Forbes who resisted Trump’s attempts to acquire and demolish his home to expand his golf course. Trump says on the golf course website: ‘I have never seen such an unspoiled and dramatic sea side landscape and the location makes it perfect for our development.’ But Forsyth described the documentary about the development ‘a moving depiction of human survival and dignity amidst murky doings akin to seventies Romania’. The film-maker also described Trump as having ‘very limited utility in a sophisticated fictional drama. That’s not to deny his usefulness elsewhere, say in a comparatively primitive or cheap drama’. On hearing that You’ve Been Trumped . would be broadcast on British television, the tycoon went on a tirade on . Twitter, targeting director Baxter and other ‘morons’ for criticising . the multi-million pound resort. Residents take on tycoon: The film shows residents' water and electricity being cut off, tonnes of earth being piled up next to their homes and film-maker Anthony Baxter arrested as complaints by locals to police are ignored . Award-winning documentary: Bill Forsyth (left), who directed Bafta-winning film Local Hero, said he was 'dazed and shocked' by the documentary which is acclaimed by radical American film-maker Michael Moore (right) He . tweeted to Baxter: @antbaxter should really be ashamed about his . massive box office disaster. Take a hint and get out of the film . business, loser. People don’t like false stories. He also tweeted that the documentary . has helped him ‘promote & make Trump International Golf Links . Scotland so successful you stupid fool!’ Trump . has bought up hundreds of acres on the northeast coast of Scotland and . built Trump International Golf Links which opened in July. The . project, spanning approximately 1235 acres, will also include a second . 18-hole golf course, a 450-room hotel and 1,500 luxury homes in a . residential village. The broadcast comes as first minister . Alex Salmond, once an influential supporter of Trump’s project, was . refused support from Trump. Twitter tirade: Trump criticised the documentary's director Anthony Baxter, writing: 'Take a hint and get out of the film business, loser' about his golf course (pictured arriving in Scotland to view developments at the course in June) It was revealed last week that Trump refused Mr Salmond’s written request to Trump for public support for a controversial decision to release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing. On Tuesday Trump’s lawyers threatened Scottish agencies supporting a potential offshore wind farm being built near the site of his golf resort. His executive vice president and counsel, George Sorial, said Baxter’s film was ‘a gross misrepresentation of the facts’ and that the project was widely supported by local residents, businesses and politicians. He said: 'This film only presents the myopic views of a very small fringe element that are not respected and are widely regarded as a national embarrassment for Scotland. 'Mr. Baxter is not a credible source of information and it's widely known that he breached US copyright laws to produce this film, which is nothing more than a feeble attempt to make money by exploiting the Trump name. 'Despite his yearlong efforts to peddle this fraudulent interpretation of the story, Baxter's film has totally failed at the box office while our course in Aberdeenshire has been embraced by the global golf community and the local residents.' Not fact: Trump's executive vice president and counsel, George Sorial, said Baxter's film was 'a gross misrepresentation of the facts' and that the project was widely supported by locals . Trump bankrolled a £10million fighting fund for British anti-windfarm campaigners earlier this year. The move followed proposals for 11 giant turbines off the Aberdeenshire coast, which Mr Trump says will spoil the view from his golfing resort. The billionaire believes the structures, each as high as a 64-storey building, will besmirch the unspoilt landscape surrounding the £750million, 1,200 acre complex. But with the resort being built over a site of special scientific interest, Mr Trump's sudden lust for preserving the environment may open him to accusations of hypocrisy. Anti-windfarm: Earlier this year Trump bankrolled a £10m fighting fund for anti-windfarm campaigners following proposals for 11 giant turbines which he says will spoil the view from his golfing resort . | Documentary You've Been Trumped will air on British television on Sunday for the first time .
It depicts the sufferings of residents living near Donald Trump's golf resort .
Film-maker Bill Forsyth said the film left him 'dazed and shocked'
Trump has called the documentary's director Anthony Baxter a 'loser' |
fb789043f81f909a713489cdaffb3901bd29b4fc | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Development threatens to engulf Civil War battlefields, a preservationist group said as it released its annual list of endangered battle sites on Wednesday. Civil War reenactors fire a cannon at the Gettysburg, Pennsylavnia, battlefield in 2003. "In town after town, the irreplaceable battlefields that define those communities are being marred forever," said James Lighthizer, the head of the Civil War Preservation Trust. "As we approach the sesquicentennial of the bloodiest conflict in our nation's history, we need to be more aware than ever of the importance of preserving these sacred places for generations to come." The group says it has helped save more than 25,000 acres of Civil War battlefields in 18 states. Topping the 2009 list of endangered battlefields is Monocacy, Maryland, where the Preservation Trust wants to prevent a trash-processing facility with a 350-foot smokestack from being built nearby. In Virginia, the group is fighting to keep a Wal-Mart Supercenter from going up on the edge of the Wilderness Battlefield, which also is on this year's list. On that site, 160,000 Union and Confederate troops fought a two-day battle in 1864. "These hallowed battlegrounds should be national shrines, monuments to American valor, determination and courage," actor Richard Dreyfuss said in prepared remarks. "Once these irreplaceable treasures are gone, they're gone forever." Dreyfuss has been involved in a pair of Civil War documentaries. Rounding out the group's Top 10 list of endangered battlefields are: . | Development threatens to destroy historic Civil War sites, group says .
Trash processing center may be built near Maryland battlefield .
Wal-Mart proposes store adjacent to Virginia's Wilderness battlefield .
Sites are "irreplaceable treasures," actor Richard Dreyfuss says . |
fb78bea19cd96beb5e97c3151091d717d48bc5de | By . Mail On Sunday Reporter . 'anti-PDL1' drug is 'big advance' A new drug is showing 'spectacular' results in patients with bladder cancer, which kills 5,000 people in Britain a year. Doctors are hailing the immunotherapy drug - known as an 'anti-PDL1' - as potentially the biggest advance in the treatment of the disease in 30 years. During tests, the drug, given by intravenous drip, cleared all visible tumours from two patients with advanced cancer in a matter of weeks. And it shrank tumours in a quarter of patients treated - a success rate about double that of much more toxic chemotherapy. Professor Thomas Powles, of Barts Cancer . Institute, led a small-scale trial, funded by pharmaceutical giant . Roche, in which the drug was tested on 65 patients in Britain and . elsewhere. He said: 'To show this spectacular response in these . end-stage patients is extremely unusual.' Professor Peter Johnson, of Cancer Research UK, said: 'It's exciting to see a potential new treatment for bladder cancer patients who have been waiting a long time for new therapies.' | 'anti-PDL1', given by intravenous drip, cleared all tumours from two patients . |
fb795f0d8b418b3c3e1d6dc39b787c37ee0444dc | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States has designated a Kurdish militant group in Turkey as a terrorist organization, the State Department said. Turkish President Abdullah Gul, left, speaks to reporters with President Bush earlier this week in Washington. The group, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, known as TAK, is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK -- the separatist Kurdish group that has been attacking Turkey from inside northern Iraq. Turkey has responded to the attacks by bombing PKK targets in the predominantly Kurdish area of northern Iraq. The United States, the European Union and Turkey regard the group as a terrorist organization. The United States says TAK is "responsible for multiple terrorist attacks in Turkey, which targeted tourist locations, military sites, and government buildings, resulting in several deaths." The classification of the group as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" subjects the organization and its supporters to financial sanctions. "With this designation, the United States reaffirms its commitment to fight terrorism in cooperation with its NATO ally, Turkey. The United States will continue to work with Turkey, Iraq, and the rest of Europe against the PKK and its support networks and affiliates, such as the TAK. There must be no safe havens for such terrorists," according to a statement from Tom Casey, deputy spokesman of the State Department. The move came after President Bush met Tuesday in Washington with Turkish President Abdullah Gul. The men discussed what Bush called their "common enemy ... the PKK." The PKK has spent two decades fighting for autonomy for Kurds in southeastern Turkey. E-mail to a friend . | U.S. puts Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, or TAK, on list of terrorist groups .
TAK is affiliated with Kurdish separatist group PKK .
PKK has been attacking Turkey from inside Iraq .
Move against TAK comes after Turkish president meets with President Bush . |
fb7973e39c39982620e23e860afd0b07e82052b0 | LA PAZ, Bolivia (CNN) -- An air of anxiety clutches Bolivia this weekend amid high-stakes talks designed to end bloodshed and keep the country whole. Bolivian President Evo Morales says opposition leaders are trying to overthrow the government. The central government of leftist President Evo Morales, Bolivia's first leader from an Indian majority centered in the western highlands, is conducting talks with governors of largely white provinces in the east who want autonomy. Tension between the two sides erupted into violence that killed at least 30 people in September. In addition, differences about the country's future have threatened to split the country. Julian Torrico, a peasant leader, said he and other Morales supporters will storm the eastern city of Santa Cruz if the talks, which started Thursday, do not yield progress. "We will go into Santa Cruz and respond with force because they have (marginalized) us and massacred us, so we will massacre them and we will take their land away from them," he said. Watch protesters march in Santa Cruz » . "The fight here is between poor and rich. The government of Evo Morales took power by a majority and now these opposition governors don't want to let him govern," Torrico said. Anyelo Cespedes, president of the Santa Cruz Youth Union, which opposes Morales, said they don't want a dictatorship or a communist regime. "We have our way of life and we don't want that changed," he said. The central government and eastern governors are discussing topics that include the distribution of natural-gas revenues, autonomy for several eastern provinces and the president's plan for a new constitution. Those negotiations may offer one of the final chances to reverse Bolivia's slide toward violent instability, according to Gonzalo Chavez, an analyst. "This is probably one of the few opportunities that we're going to have to solve the problems of the country," he said. Four of nine provinces in Bolivia have declared autonomy from the central government in referendums this year. Morales, an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and former Cuban President Fidel Castro, said the moves could cause Bolivia to disintegrate. The eastern opposition leaders have long opposed a decision of the Morales government to divert some revenue from oil and gas produced in the region to pay for government programs for the elderly. They have also opposed his plans to revise the constitution to give greater rights to the indigenous majority. The differences flared into violence with opposition protesters occupying government buildings and energy installations. Morales has said the opposition leaders are trying to overthrow the government. He expelled U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia Philip Goldberg on the grounds that he urged anti-government protesters to get violent, an assertion the United States has denied. "This is a coup in the past few days by the leaders of some provinces, with the takeover of some institutions, the sacking and robbery of some government institutions and attempts to assault the national police and the armed forces," Morales has said. Opposition leaders said they merely want their demands met. Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza of the Organization of American States arrived in Bolivia on Friday to encourage dialogue. He expressed optimism based on the "preliminary results" from the talks. Representatives of the Organization of American States and the 12-nation Union of South American Countries are among a group of international observers that has come to Bolivia for the negotiations. Ivan Canelas, a government spokesman, said the talks provide a critical opportunity to break an impasse that has split the country for months. "We understand that making peace requires the suspension of all forms of pressure," he said. Gov. Mario Cossio of the eastern Tarija state said he and other opposition leaders hope to reach a final agreement. He said they hope "to build a national agreement that Bolivia needs, that the Bolivians want." He said the goal is to "give peace back to our country and give certainty to Bolivia." CNN's Karl Penhaul and Gloria Carrasco contributed to this story. | Bolivian leaders plan to hold talks designed to bring peace to country .
Four provinces in Bolivia have declared autonomy from the central government .
At least 30 people have died in September . |
fb7afad17545a88533954feb50743c60a017623c | (CNN) -- German logistics giant Deutsche Post said Monday it was cutting 9,500 jobs as part of a major program to restructure its loss-making DHL delivery service in the United States. DHL's restructuring is expected to result in heavy job losses. Deutsche Post said it would discontinue its U.S. ground and air delivery operations based out of Wilmington, Ohio, following an outsourcing agreement with UPS. DHL Express will continue to operate between the United States and other nations, the company said in a statement. DHL's 9,500 job cuts are on top of 5,400 job cuts announced earlier this year. The statement said DHL was shutting down all ground hubs and reducing its number of stations to 103 from 412. The company said it was making the cuts to improve profitability and "to prepare the company for the economic challenges ahead." DHL Express is owned by the German company Deutsche Post World Net. Officials in Ohio had been hoping to prevent layoffs. State senator Sherrod Brown sent a letter Sunday to DHL Express Chief Executive Officer John Mullen and urged employment officials in Washington for emergency funds to assist workers and communities affected. In May, Deutsche Post announced plans to outsource air services with UPS. Brown says the plan would mean shutting down DHL's hub in Wilmington and cutting at least 8,000 jobs. Brown testified at two congressional hearing this year that centered on the proposal. Prior to the announcement, Wilmington Mayor David Razik said he was preparing for the worst. "Given the state of the economy and the world wide economic collapse we know it can't be good news," he told CNN Sunday night. "Freight is down significantly, DHL is losing customers, they have laid off sales personnel in other locations. We really think it's certainly not going to be good for Wilmington." | German owners of DHL announce 9,500 job cuts .
Owner Deutsche Post says U.S. air and ground operations to wind up .
Officials in Ohio had hoped to prevent job losses . |
fb7bd32eee2a82f4246525295a8f6738e4e7a4e1 | Keenan Steiner makes his way along Charlotte's secured streets, struggling to put on his tie and manage his monogrammed backpack at the same time. The 27-year-old is on a mission: He's looking for a party. Not just any party. He works with the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that advocates for greater government transparency. His goal at the Democratic National Convention, as it was at the Republicans' confab in Tampa: to crash as many parties as he can, then blog about them. Since 2008, his organization's Political Party Time website has been tracking exclusive, behind-the-scenes events where politicians and special interests meet, often out of the spotlight. The groups hosting these events, Steiner says, hope to influence the outcome of the November elections -- as well as lawmakers' votes in Congress and state capitols. By his count, there were at least 400 parties planned during the DNC and 200 during the Republican National Convention. "All the big players are at the conventions at once," he says, "so it is sort of like being in the Washington party circuit on steroids." Tonight Steiner decides to stop by Planned Parenthood Political Action Fund's "Sex, Politics, and Cocktails" party first. The organization has been under recent attack from Republicans in Congress who have repeatedly tried to shut off federal funding for the organization's family planning efforts. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the group's political arm and official host of the party, has spent nearly $2 million during this year's election cycle -- most of it on negative ads against Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. While groups like Planned Parenthood Action Fund spend millions to elect Democrats, groups like Americans for Prosperity work to put Republicans in power. Steiner has an issue with the laws that regulate these types of groups, because they're not required to reveal the names of the donors who ultimately pay for those ads. "There is a real transparency issue here," Steiner says. Steiner says he tried but failed to get into the Americans for Prosperity party in Tampa. Here in Charlotte he doesn't have a ticket, but he sees a friend outside the Planned Parenthood party who helps. He says he can usually talk his way into events. At his friend's urging, security waves Steiner and his Sunlight Foundation colleague Liz Bartolomeo through. They even let them use the velvet-lined VIP line to bypass the crowd. Inside, smartly dressed older women sit in a line on comfortable couches, checking their email on smartphones. A man wearing an Obama ball cap orders a drink called "Safe Sex Champagne" for his girlfriend. He's having the "Obamatini." A woman clutching one of the "We love Michelle" banners that had been handed out on the convention floor earlier in the evening keeps knocking it into people as she joyfully dances "The Electric Slide." The giveaways here are simple and, in some cases, intended to provoke a laugh. Condoms inside hot pink matchbook covers lay on low tables around the dance floor. The front of the package says "Protect Yourself From Romney & Ryan in this Election." It's an advertisement for Planned Parenthood's Women Are Watching website. "This party seems like a way to drum up enthusiasm with the base," Steiner says, as he makes his way to the bar to talk with someone he knows. "It's not a party where you will rub shoulders with governors, and people aren't necessarily sowing the seeds for laws that will be written next year here like we've seen at some of the super-elite parties, but it still is important," Steiner says. He pulls out a small Moleskine pad and takes notes as he talks to someone by the bar. The loud disco music suddenly fades away, and the emcee tells the excited crowd that two special guests have arrived. The floor goes wild as actress Ashley Judd stands in front of a hot pink "Sex, Politics" banner with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at her side. "The Democrats have clearly decided their work for women is a winning issue for them, and Pelosi is a rock star among the Democratic base," Steiner says. "Homocon" during the conventions . Pelosi talks about the Democrats' support for women's issues -- among the convention themes earlier that evening -- then encourages the crowd to support the president. After Pelosi wraps up her speech, she does a little dance as the '70s hit "Celebration" plays her loudly off the stage. She poses for photos with Planned Parenthood Political Action Fund leaders and other VIPs. People start to dance again. Andra Gillespie, a political science professor at Emory University who was in Charlotte to observe the convention, says parties such as this energize the base on particular issues. They are also mutually beneficial to the people who attend. "Some will show up to these parties for nice swag or good food or to show their support for a particular political message, sure," Gillespie said. "But it's also aimed at the fledging county commission candidate who shows up at the convention. "The fact that Pelosi is there gives them a chance to take a picture with her and then tweet it out or put it on their Facebook page. It gives them a certain type of credibility. It makes them look important, and they'll remember an organization that made this happen." Steiner says there were several splashy events at the RNC. Though fewer in number than at the DNC, the parties were equally high profile. At the Florida Aquarium, scantily clad women dressed as mermaids floated in a tank as guests at the Distilled Spirits Council party ordered drinks from multiple bars. In "A Salute to the House and Senate Energy and Commerce Committees," attendees could shag balls and take batting practice at Tropicana Field for a charitable donation. A $15,000 donation got people into a private reception with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, courtesy of the Foundation for Florida's Future. It's midnight back in Charlotte before Steiner and Bartolomeo head out past streams of other party-hoppers and make their way to a swank hotel near the convention center. The lobby has a different feel than the Planned Parenthood party. Well-dressed guests sit at a tiny table by the bar with a couple bottles of expensive Veuve Clicquot champagne. Sen. John Kerry stands in the corner having a hushed but animated conversation with two equally tall men. And more people carrying "We love Michelle" signs, now somewhat crushed, make their way toward the elevator. On the hotel's second floor is "Come Together: A Late Night Celebration" honoring the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. Steiner doesn't have an invitation here either, but he blends into the crowd to make his way into the fancy ballroom. The event invitations advertise the party's sponsors. Steiner says he noticed their names on a giant screen next to the dance floor. Waste Management, Amerigroup, Maximus and VS2 were among the hosts. Gillespie says some people may be uncomfortable with the role corporations play behind the scenes at such events, but she thinks they are necessary. "Taking corporate funding for them is a double-edged sword since you do need someone to pay for it," she says. "You don't want to use public funds for a party. "That type of corporate sponsorship may suggest they have more influence than others with politicians, and some may take issue with it, but groups don't have the money to do this on their own and they want to attract the right people to their events. "People won't show up if the party is boring." Men with lapel pins identifying them as state legislators or congressmen make their way into the party. Bartolomeo points out others wearing special pins she says are given to big Obama donors. Steiner ignores the live band playing James Brown's "Sex Machine" and forgoes the red, white and blue macaroons. Instead, he talks to people and takes notes. "This is more a top-flight party than Planned Parenthood's, as the guest list is more exclusive and the food, drink and space itself is some of the most expensive I've seen," Steiner explains later. He speaks with a county commissioner running for Congress and her husband, a lawyer at McGuireWoods -- another of the evening's sponsors. The party, he says, "is about building relationships with people in business and the government." Craig Holman is a political ethics expert whose nonpartisan nonprofit, Public Citizen, has teamed up with Steiner's organization in the party monitoring enterprise at the convention. He worries these parties play an outsized role at conventions. "These conventions are supposed to be merely ... events to rally for these candidates," Holman says. "But the lobbyists and special interest groups are indulging in a real habit of turning these conventions instead into lobby-fests." Gillespie has a different perspective. "The conventions are really professional conferences," she said, "and like most trade associations, networking is a big part of what you are doing here." "Yes, the delegates are here to nominate their candidate, but behind the scenes you have a lot of local candidates trying to make connections, meet potential fundraisers and backers. That may be more important to them than the activities you see on TV. It's hard to develop a profile for yourself and a reputation if you don't know anyone." It's past 1 a.m. when Steiner leaves the party and heads off to another. He hears the actor and hip-hop artist Common is performing at a party within driving distance. He'd prefer not to stay out too late if possible; he's learned that a certain Super PAC is hosting a brunch at an undisclosed location in the morning. It's supposed to be at a mansion, but he doesn't know which one. At least not yet. Puppet protesters pull no punches . | Nonpartisan nonprofit tracks events where politicians, special interests meet .
Group advocates for greater government transparency .
Writer's goal: Crash as many RNC, DNC parties as he can and blog about them . |
fb7bfa15574adab0f957975944911c50af7a0061 | By . Larisa Brown . An elderly cancer victim has died after a police dog savaged her in her own home. Irene Collins, 73, had answered her door to officers searching the neighbourhood for an escaped suspected drug dealer. Just as she showed officers into the back garden of her home, the dog pounced, leaving her screaming in terror and covered in blood. Penrith Road in Middlesbrough where Irene Collins lived when she was attacked by the police dog . Mrs Collins, who was suffering from lung cancer, was taken to hospital but died over the weekend. Neighbours claimed to have warned officers beforehand that she was in a frail condition. One . said: ‘She wasn’t bitten, she was mauled. A relative told me the dog . had punctured and broken her arm, ripped her other arm, and then managed . to bite off her calf muscle after it had been restrained.’ Another . neighbour said: ‘It was horrible, everyone could hear her screaming . right across the street. It was a shock to see her. She had blood across . her face, and she was grey with shock. ‘The police dog handler had searched my house earlier and he was in tears. He looked devastated by what happened.’ Cleveland . Police said Mrs Collins had suffered ‘bites about her body’. Officers . said the dog had been ‘withdrawn from operational policing activities’, . but it was not clear whether it had been destroyed. The tragedy, which happened in Middlesbrough last Wednesday night, was said to have left the whole street in shock. Mrs . Collins, a widow for 30 years, had opened the door to officers chasing a . suspected drugs dealer who had fled through gardens after being stopped . in a car nearby. A resident said: ‘The street was full of police. There was a helicopter searching from above and about seven police cars. Assistant chief constable Sean White of Cleveland Police offered his condolences to the family . ‘A . car had apparently been stopped and the driver ran off into our estate. The police were knocking on doors and asking to search people’s back . gardens and outbuildings. Someone told them Irene was ill but they went . to her door anyway.’ Mrs . Collins was said to have answered the door at the side of her house and . was about to show the officers into her back garden when the dog, . described as a cross between a springer spaniel and an alsatian, . attacked her. After being treated at the scene she was taken to James . Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, where she died. Speaking . soon after the drama, neighbour Claire Williams said: ‘Irene was lying . on the kitchen floor while the police attended to her. ‘She was in ill health already. She barely leaves the house, her breathing is very poor and she’s about six stone. 'I . warned the police to be careful and told them she may not make it to . the door but they went anyway. It’s horrific what happened to her.’ Mrs Collins’ family issued a brief statement thanking people for their ‘kind messages’. A family spokesman added: 'We are devastated.' Jose Pearson, 85, a neighbour for almost 60 years, described Mrs Collins as a lovely woman. ‘All the work she did was for charity,’ she said. ‘For years it was all she did, working in a charity shop.’ The incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Neighbour Kerry Blades laid flowers at Ms Collins’ Penrith Road home with niece Tylier Smith, nine. She said: 'It is disgusting. For her to be in her own home when it happened, it has shocked everyone down the road. The dog shouldn’t have been let off a lead until it was absolutely necessary. 'She has lived here for years. I have been here for 34 years, and I think she has been here since I was little. 'She was very quiet, but always very nice with people. She liked spending time with her family and her son was always there. We used to see her pottering around in her garden as well. 'Nobody can believe what happened.' Jack Williams, 20, a student at Teesside University who lives next door to Ms Collins, said he was 'shocked and saddened' by the news. He said: 'We all can’t believe it. We thought that she was going to come home soon. She was a lovely woman, the best neighbour you could have asked for. 'What has happened to her, and what she went through is just horrific.' | Irene Collins, 73, was attacked by the dog at her home in Middlesbrough .
Cleveland Police were searching for a suspected criminal in her garden .
Dog was withdrawn from operational duty after it bit the pensioner .
Understood she was in poor health and passed away over the weekend .
Matter referred to police watchdog who will investigate the circumstances .
Officers offer condolences to her family, who say they are 'devastated' |
fb7c0661fa69510bc13311785b93a39f56ed03b5 | A female doctor says she left her comfortable middle class life in Malaysia to join the Islamic State - where she married a jihadi she had never before met and whose language she could not speak. Calling herself Shams, the 26-year-old has since kept an impassioned diary of the time she claims she spent in ISIS-held cities Taqba and Raqqa - updating a number of social media sites with florid descriptions of her marriage to a Morocco-born terrorist who uses the nom de guerre Abu Baraa. As well as posting detailed accounts of her day to day life as an a terror bride, Shams also posts words of encouragement for other young female fanatics thinking of joining ISIS - often updating her websites with chilling images, including one of a doctor's stethoscope wrapped around a rifle. Scroll down for video . Sick: This image Shams shared on social media is understood to show her and her ISIS jihadi husband Abu Baraa on their wedding day. Chillingly it is captioned: 'In the land of jihad...till martyrdom do us part' Armed and dangerous: Shams - who uses the Twitter name Bird of Jannah - has told her followers that she first travelled to Syria in February, adding that felt 'excitement' at the prospect of joining the terrorist group . Chilling: In August Shams uploaded this sickening photograph of a doctor's stethoscope wrapped around a large assault rifle. She described it as a 'selfie' of her and her terrorist husband . Shams has told her followers that she first travelled to Syria in February, adding that her emotions were at the time were a mixture of 'excitement' at the prospect of joining the terrorists and 'sadness' at the thought of leaving family members at home in Malaysia. She added that she can speak English, Urdu and Hindi, which has helped her fit in with the huge number of foreigners who have travelled to join ISIS without being able to speak Arabic. Her claims cannot be independently verified and she has not responded to contact on social media. Her marriage to Abu Baraa was arranged for her by another woman in April and, despite the couple not sharing a common language, Shams has written about their relationship in breathless phrases that wouldn't look out of place in a Mills and Boon novel. Jihadi bride: Sham's marriage to Abu Baraa was arranged in April and, despite the couple not sharing a common language, she has written about their relationship in breathless phrases . Describing their first meeting, she wrote: 'I was trembling. Nervous. Scared. My emotions were mixed. When he noticed my arrival, he gave salaam [said hello] and introduced himself, so did I. Then, it was a long awkward silence.' 'After few minutes, I flipped my niqab. He looked at me, our eyes catches each others. He smiled. And asked a question I shall never forget . . . 'Can we get married today?',' she added. Shams - who uses the Twitter handle @__birdofjannah - said the couple were married on the same day they met, but it took her a further 24 hours to 'fall in love'. Describing their praying together, Shams said: 'He turned back and smiled at me. And I can feel something. Yes, I guess I just fell in love with someone - my husband! She went on to say that the couple have since downloaded dictionary apps on their iPhones in order to communicate with one another. The majority of Sham's social media updates are syrupy phrases about her relationship with an ISIS fighter . The qualified doctor left her middle class life in Malaysia to join ISIS. She has since kept an impassioned diary of her time cities of Taqba and Raqqa, with many updates focussing on her marriage . However Shams is clearly aware of the potentially fleeting nature of a romance with a terrorist. On October 21 she wrote: I know for a fact that one day my husband will be a shaheed [martyr]... and I have to prepare for it.' Not that such matters worry her. In one image she uploaded a photograph understood to show her and a bearded, tie-wearing Abu Baraa on their wedding day. Chillingly the image was captioned: 'In the land of jihad...till martyrdom do us part'. She later posted: 'I should learn to be positive and stay happy for the sake of my unborn baby.' In August, in a blog post claiming to tell 'the true story' of her life as a jihadi bride, Shams told her readers that she is taking some time off from her work as doctor as she had been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. The illness is the same form of acute morning sickness that the Duchess of Cambridge has suffered from during both her pregnancies. Horror: Shams specialises in updating her social media sites with florid descriptions of her marriage to a Moroccan-born terrorist who uses the nom de guerre Abu Baraa . Warped: Shams says her parents are fully supportive of her decision to wage jihad. In fact she claims they have spent the past few months putting their affairs in order before they make the journey to join her in Syria . Shams claims that under the extreme interpretation of Islamic law practised in the areas of Syria and Iraq controlled by Iraq, she required her father's permission before being allowed to marry. Far from her family being horrified by her journeying to join the terror group, Shams said her parents are fully supportive of her decision to wage jihad. In fact she claims they have spent the past few months putting their affairs in order before they make the journey to join her in Syria. When asked her reasons for joining ISIS by one of her many followers on social media, she said she first travelled to Syria in order to use her medical expertise to treat wounded jihadis. Shortly after she uploaded a sickening photograph of a doctor's stethoscope wrapped around a large assault rifle, describing the image as a 'selfie' of her and her husband. In one of her most recent postings on Twitter, Shams wrote: 'A life without jihad is like drinking sea water. It keeps you thirsty & cause you dehydrated [sic]. That's the condition of our Ummah [international Muslim community] today.' The previous day she had posted: 'November is officially the month of martyrs, one after another, joining the smiling caravan.' Do you know Shams, also known as Bird of Jannah? Contact [email protected] . | 'Shams' claims she is 26-years-old and travelled to Syria from Malaysia .
Regularly updates social media with tales of marriage to ISIS fighter .
Marriage to Morocco-born jihadi named Abu Barra was arranged for her .
Says couple don't have common language and use dictionary to converse .
She claims family approve of the match and will soon join her in Syria . |
fb7c0ab0c9e0a219d26f4c39f7ff0aee888e7487 | Istanbul (CNN) -- A leader of Turkey's ruling party held out the possibility of a vote on what to do with the Istanbul park where planned razing triggered two weeks of anti-government protests but said demonstrators must leave the park. "The Turkish government will not accept Gezi Park protests to be continued forever," Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party, said after meetings with a delegation of "popular artists" involved with the demonstrations. His comments were carried by the semi-official Anadolou News Agency. Celik said the government could hold a referendum on the redevelopment of the park, the last green space in central Istanbul -- but he urged the demonstrators to "walk out." At least one protester immediately rejected the idea of a vote. "We do not think that a referendum is the right way to go because we think that this park should remain as a park because it's our right, and rights should not be asked in a referendum," said Imre Azem. The meetings took place a day after riot police used massive amounts of tear gas, water cannons and stun guns to break up protests in Istanbul's Taksim Square. Police also shot tear gas canisters into nearby Gezi Park, violating a promise not to do so. Leaders of the protests skipped Wednesday's talks. One of them, Eyup Muhcu, said those attending the meeting are friendly with Erdogan's government. Meanwhile, thousands of lawyers marched out of their offices in several cities to rally against the arrests of attorneys in the protests. With no sign of negotiations on the horizon, Turkey, a NATO ally with a democratically elected government, could see fighting grip more of the country. And harsh actions against protesters could strain Erdogan's strategic friendships with much of the West -- relationships that are particularly critical in light of the civil war ravaging Turkey's neighbor, Syria. "The real challenge for the government of Turkey, as now the international focus is on this crisis: How do they get the people behind me to agree to go home?" CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reported Wednesday from outside Gezi Park, seat of the demonstrations. "That requires compromise, conciliation." On Wednesday morning, Paton Walsh saw someone being taken out of the park on a stretcher. But things were calm in the area, with morning rain having washed away some of the debris from events the night before. Traffic in the major square was nearly back to normal. While police were in position, they looked relaxed, CNN's Arwa Damon reported. Police worked to dismantle barricades that demonstrators in the square have used as they've battled police in recent days. In Ankara, street skirmishes broke out between protesters and police, who fired tear gas. Reporters released . The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported Wednesday that two of its reporters detained by police were released. Sasa Petricic and Derek Stoffel were held all day after being picked up earlier on Wednesday, CBC said. Earlier, the network said it had been in contact with them, and they said they were "OK." Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has expressed concern to Turkey's ambassador, the CBC reported. Turks living in Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria and Albania who support Erdogan plan rallies of their own Friday, Anadolu reported. Opinion: Past and future collide in Turkey clashes . But the anti-Erdogan protests show no sign of abating. What began in late May as a demonstration focused on the environment -- opposition to a plan to build a mall in Gezi Park -- has evolved into a crusade against Erdogan that's spread around the country. Attorneys in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities gathered in front of government buildings for rallies, CNN Turk reported. Some called on Istanbul's chief prosecutor to resign. Government officials, however, insisted that while peaceful protests are allowed, those who use violence were being detained. "If these people have objections to the government's project for Gezi Park and Taksim Square, they are welcome and we can listen to their ideas. Such issues can be settled through dialogue and within the framework of the law, not resorting to violence," President Abdullah Gul told reporters. Erdogan's government has no problem with ecologists who started protests to save Gezi Park from bulldozers but takes action against Marxist extremists, who have lobbed rocks and Molotov cocktails at police, said Ibrahim Kalin, the prime minister's chief adviser, referring to the latter as "troublemakers." "Anywhere in the world, they will not be considered peaceful protesters," Kalin told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday. He said some were associated with a group that carried out an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara in February. The police reaction has been no different from that of security forces' methods against similar groups at Occupy Wall Street protests in the United States, he insisted. "The police obviously have the mandate to establish public order," Kalin said, just like they do in Spain, Sweden and Britain. Letters from Turkey, with pride . International criticism . Experts and human rights groups say Erdogan's government lags when it comes to human rights and freedom of expression by opponents. "Prosecutors and courts continued to use terrorism laws to prosecute and prolong incarceration of thousands of Kurdish political activists, human rights defenders, students, journalists and trade unionists," Human Rights Watch wrote in a 2013 report on Turkey. Turkish journalists are afraid to write anything critical of the government, and media companies are slapped with huge tax fines for covering uncomfortable topics. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Turkish authorities have targeted journalists with detention for covering the protests. Erdogan's dilemma is in how he handles those who did not elect him, said CNN's Fareed Zakaria. "He has come to believe that he speaks for all of Turkey." Why Taksim Square matters to Turks . Those who are against him are handled in "too authoritarian" a manner, Zakaria said Tuesday on Piers Morgan Live. The prime minister has said he will not back down. "They say the prime minister is harsh," Erdogan said Tuesday, referring to his detractors. "I'm sorry," he told a gathering of his own party. "The prime minister is not going to change." Erdogan is tightening his grip on power, adding authority to the office of the presidency, which he hopes to hold in coming years. Former U.S. intelligence chief John Negroponte said he believes the protests could have something to do with Erdogan's ambitions. There may be "forces joining in here, whose aim it is to prevent him from achieving his ambition of becoming the next president of the country," he told Morgan. What's driving unrest and protests in Turkey? CNN's Ivan Watson, Nick Paton Walsh, Gul Tuysuz and Arwa Damon reported from Istanbul; Josh Levs, Ben Brumfield and Greg Botelho reported from Atlanta. | NEW: CBC reports two of its journalists have been released .
"Such issues can be settled through dialogue," Turkey's president says .
Ruling party official floats referendum on park's future .
Pro-Erdogan rallies are scheduled in four countries, a news agency reports . |
fb7cb29b3b39dc3dbeab37eb14ce46d29be65309 | Hilary Mantel has laughed off comparisons between her novel Wolf Hall and Prince Charles' household as being an 'exaggeration'. The author made the comments following an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace this morning, during which she had a damehood conferred on her by Prince Charles. Charles has endured a torrid week, thanks to the publication of a new biography, which along with comparing his household to the 'treacherous' Tudor Court, claimed he would be 'a meddling monarch'. Scroll down for video . Exaggeration: Mantel laughed off comparisons between Wolf Hall and Clarence House this morning . The book, Charles: Heart of a King, also alleged that he attempted to back out of his 1981 wedding to Lady Diana Spencer and revealed that he compares himself to Blackadder buffoon, Baldrick. So stung was Charles by author Catherine Meyer's less-than-flattering portrayal, he yesterday took the rare step of authorising a letter to the Times newspaper that hit back at the 'speculation' and denied that Meyer had had any sort of privileged access. In it, his private secretary William Nye described the contents of the book as 'ill-informed speculation' and said Charles will run a monarchy 'inspired' by that of his mother and grandfather when he takes the throne. But it was Meyer's comparison of Clarence House to the court depicted in Wolf Hall that proved most eye-catching, with the author describing it as 'treacherous and opportunistic'. 'One former householder refers to Clarence House as Wolf Hall,' writes Meyer, 'in reference to the treacherous and opportunistic world depicted by Hilary Mantel in her fictionalised account of the rise of Thomas Cromwell under Henry VIII.' Proud: Mantel, seen here with her damehood, also revealed that Charles is a fan of the BBC2 adaptation . Treacherous: The royal household was compared to Wolf Hall's Tudor court by author Catherine Meyer . Torrid: Charles, who spent the morning conferring investitures, has endured a difficult week . Mantel, however, would not be drawn into the controversy and laughed when asked about similarities between Clarence House and her novel. 'I couldn’t possibly comment on that,' she said. 'I think there may be an element of exaggeration there.' Nevertheless, Mantel is no stranger to a royal controversy, having once ignited one herself courtesy of a speech in 2013 in which she described the Duchess of Cambridge as 'bland'. She also likened the Duchess to a 'machine-made' doll and called her 'painfully thin', adding: '[She is] without quirks, without oddities, without the risk of the emergence of character. 'She appears precision-made, machine-made, so different from Diana whose human awkwardness and emotional incontinence showed in her every gesture.' Claims: Charles, seen here with the Duchess of Cornwall, has hit back at 'ill-informed speculation' Not amused: The claims were made in a new book entitled: Charles: Heart of a King . Buffoon: Among the claims was the revelation that Charles compares himself to Blackadder's Baldrick . Despite Mantel's comments, she was given a warm welcome by Prince Charles, who even told the author that he is a fan of her work - despite Meyer's comparisons. The 66-year-old royal also admitted to being a fan of the current BBC2 adaptation, which stars Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damien Lewis as Henry VIII. 'We talked about the television series of Wolf Hall,' said Mantel, following the investiture. 'He is enjoying [it] very much.' Mantel, whose books about the life of Henry VIII’s adviser Thomas Cromwell have been critical and commercial hits, was made a dame by Charles for her services to literature. Success has come late to the 62-year-old, but she has more than made up for it by collecting a haul of literary honours, including twice winning the Man Booker Prize. | Hilary Mantel was presented with a damehood at Buckingham Palace .
Laughed off comparisons between Clarence House and Wolf Hall .
The lurid claims were made in new biography, Charles: Heart of a King .
Charles has hit back at 'ill-informed speculation' in letter . |
fb7d46b1786b153ec669fbdd0f6d86b164a7a1cc | By . Julian Robinson . This is the dramatic moment a newsagent chased an armed robber out of his shop - by threatening to hit him with a hammer. The raider, who said he was carrying a gun, was caught on CCTV cameras storming into Monica News store, in Birmingham's Small Heath. But just seconds later he can be seen sprinting out of the shop after assistant Sajid Hussein bravely confronted him. CCTV images captured the moment the man entered the store saying he had a gun . Seconds later, the armed robber turned and fled after shop assistant Sajid Hussein pulled out a hammer . Sajid Hussein, pictured with the hammer circled in red, chased the robber out of the store in the Small Heath area of Birmingham . The robber had threatened to kill Mr Hussein, unless he put cash into a yellow plastic bag he was carrying. But Police said the gunman then fled empty handed at around 10.40am on Tuesday. Father-of-one Mr Hussein, 40, said: 'I saw this man come into the shop and come straight up to me. I knew something wasn’t quite right so I stood my ground. 'He told me "give me money or I’ll kill you". 'He forced me into the back room where he thought there must be the safe but I managed to grab a hammer I’d been using to put up some shelves. 'I forced him back and held the hammer in his face and he looked really shocked. Shop assistant Sajid Hussein is pictured with the hammer he used to chase a gunman from the store . CCTV pictures show Mr Hussein standing at the door to the shop moments after frightening off an armed robber. The hammer is circled in red . After a job well done and having chased off the robber by threatening him with a hammer, Sajid Hussein walks back in to the shop . 'I waved it close to his face and he just shrank away. He sounded pretty scared and just ran off.' Shop owner Mudasar Majeed, 27, who was out of the shop at a cash and carry at the time, praised his loyal assistant for his bravery. He said: 'The chap walked into the shop and had a gun half covered under a cloth. 'He asked the assistant to put everything from the till into his bag. 'Luckily the guy had a hammer and chased him away from the shop. He acted very bravely. The incident happened at Monica News, pictured, on Somerville Road, in the Small Heath area of Birmingham . 'He was pretty shaken up yesterday but no-one was hurt and nothing was taken. He was back at work today and which just shows you the kind of man he is. 'It’s the first time anything like this has happened and it won’t make us shut up shop that’s for sure.' A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: 'An Asian man wearing dark clothing, who said he was carrying a gun demanded cash before the shopkeeper picked up a hammer and the man ran out empty handed.' | Gunman demanded cash and threatened to kill newsagent Sajid Hussein .
The 40-year-old then pulled out a hammer and chased after armed robber .
Raider fled empty handed from the store in Small Heath, Birmingham .
Footage of the dramatic incident was captured on in-store CCTV cameras .
Mr Hussein praised for his bravery as police begin hunt for armed robber . |
fb7d7f4665ef90620ea3cf4d27ae229063b0c591 | Luis Suarez climbed off the bench at half time to spark a dramatic comeback against Almeria leaving Barcelona supporters asking why he wasn’t on the pitch from the kick-off. Barca coach Luis Enrique left more than £150million of talent out of his starting line-up against a struggling team without a home win all season and had to change the disastrous team selection at half time to avoid defeat. Suarez and Neymar were both introduced at the break after a goal from former West Brom loanee Thievy Bifouma gave Almeria a shock lead. Jordi Alba rushes over to celebrate with Luis Suarez after the Uruguayan made Barcelona's winner . Alba dinks the ball over the keeper for Barcelona's second after an assist from Suarez . Alba (second left) is congratulated by his team-mates after scoring Barcelona's winner . Neymar (centre) celebrates after scoring the equaliser for Barcelona in Almeria . Almeria: Ruben; Ximo Navarro, Trujillo, Fran Velez, Dubarbier; Thomas, Verza, Soriano (Hemed 68), Azeez; Jonathan, Thievy (Edgar 76). Subs not used: Díaz, Machado, Dos Santos, Perez-Roldan . Goal: Thievy 37. Barcelona: Bravo; Adriano, Batra, Mascherano, Jordi Alba; Rakitic, Busquets (Xavi 67) Rafinha; Pedro (Suarez 45) Messi, Munir (Neymar 45). Subs not used: Ter Stegen, Montoya, Pique, Dani Alves. Goals: Neymar 73, Alba 82. Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco . Attendance: 12,606 . Suarez dragged Barca back into the game cracking an acrobatic volley on to the cross bar and then setting up Neymar and Jordi Alba for the two goals that won Barcelona the match. It has been a week for strange team selections and Luis Enrique’s starting line-up topped even Brendan Rodgers’ decisions in midweek at theBernabeu. Gerard Pique, Xavi, Dani Alves, Suarez and Neymar were all left on the bench against an Almeria team yet to win at home. Almeria, whose first team is worth around 10 times less than that all-star bench, could not believe their good fortune. They defended comfortably and attacked with purpose throughout the first half. Thievy, who was particularly prominent, put his team ahead on 37 minutes and it was no more than the strugglers deserved. Lionel Messi was dispossessed on the edge of his own area and the reaction from Barcelona said much for their current form. The Argentine failed to respond, dropping his head and beginning his stroll back towards his own half. Those around him also seemed to stand still. Messi had only lost the ball because none of the six players ahead of him had been in a position where they could be passed to. No-one pressurised Fernando Soriano, who swept the ball forward to Thievy. The striker sprinted clear of Javier Mascherano and Marc Bartra and slipped the ball past the advancing Claudio Bravo. Thievy Bifouma (No 9) shoots past Claudio Bravo to put Almeria ahead against Barcelona . Suarez has an acrobatic effort but he did set up both of Barcelona's goals . The Barcelona striker tries a Cruyff turn to get away from Almeria defender Angel Trujillo . Bifouma (left) and Thomas Partey of Almeria rob Lionel Messi of the ball . Neymar (left) and Suarez cut frustrated figures before Barcelona equalised . Trailing 1-0 at half-time Barça were 45 minutes from losing three league games on the bounce for the first time since 2003. Luis Enrique’s team selection had back-fired with disastrous consequences. It must have been an uncomfortable visitors’ dressing room as he faced his players having already sent Suarez and Neymar out to warm up. Both came on at the start of the second half. Barça had mustered just one first half chance of note with Ivan Rakitic from the left and Messi looping a header on to the bar. Suarez’s second-half introduction almost brought the equalizer on the hour when he hit the cross-bar with an acrobatic volley after a Rakitic corner had been flicked on. And the former Liverpool man then wriggled clear down the right before centering for Neymar to roll in the equaliser. He could have put Barca ahead from the same right wing channel but his cross shot went just the wrong side of Ruben’s post. The Uruguay star then teed-up Messi but the Argentine headed on to the bar for the second time in the game. As the clock ticked down it looked as if Suarez second half show might bring only a point but with six minutes left he crossed from the right and Alba stroked the ball past Ruben for the winner. arça had their three points but Enrique’s team selection had made hard work of it and he had Suarez's second half performance to thank for the turnaround. Neymar is challenged by Almeria defender Ximo Navarro as the Brazilian looks to get away . Barcelona's Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic (right) wins an aerial battle with Fran Velez . | Jordi Alba set up by Luis Suarez for winner after Neymar equalised .
Thievy Bifouma had put Almeria ahead in second half .
Lionel Messi missed chance to equal La Liga scoring record . |
fb7dbfa37f21f6c0ef54a3e11fbfe992e0fa72d5 | By . Mia De Graaf . Tragic: Gertrude Donaldson, 92, died after being struck by a reversing van as she navigated her way across a car park filled with potholes and 'unclear' road markings . The owners of a car park where a great grandmother was killed by a reversing van as she tried to avoid a pothole have been fined £145,000. Gertrude Donaldson, a retired nurse who served in India during the Second World War, was walking around numerous potholes and 'unclear' road markings when she was hit by the vehicle. Following an investigation, it emerged the car park firm in Kendal, Cumbria, had been warned a year earlier but failed to carry out repairs. And today the company, Jaymar Estates, was found guilty of breaching health and safety guidelines. 'There was a clear and obvious danger,' said Nicholas Johnson QC, prosecuting. 'The death of Mrs Donaldson was the result of the failures identified.' Mrs Donaldson, of Kendal, had been walking back from the doctors' surgery on October 28, 2009, when she was struck by the van. Carlisle Crown Court heard she had been attempting to cross Station Road car park but was waylaid by fencing, potholes and road markings. The incident came a year after Jaymar Estates was advised by a contractor to lay tarmac over the holes and repaint the markings. 'It was greatly foreseeable,' said Judge . Peter Hughes QC. 'This was an important car park in a busy town centre, . close to Kendal railway station. The state of the car park had been a . cause for concern for over a year.' Accident: Mrs Donaldson was killed in 2009 by a white van, pictured left. The potholes and road damage can be seen in this picture . Police line: Officers can be seen above at the time of the accident inspecting the site . Action against Manchester-based Jaymar Estates was brought by South Lakeland District Council. Company directors and brothers, Mordecai and Jacob Halpern, and Howard Frankel, director of another of Jaymar’s sister companies, had previously denied any responsibility for the accident. However, in court on Monday, they . pleaded guilty on behalf of the company to a charge of exposing people . to health and safety risks. They were fined £95,000, with £50,000 costs. The court was told that spaces on the car park were leased out by Jaymar Estates to other organisations, including the GP surgery, the Royal British Legion, and the Riverside Hotel. Fined: Jacob and Mordecia Halpern, Jaymar Estates directors, were warned a year earlier to fix the car park . Keith Morten QC, in mitigation for . Jaymar, said in the months before the accident, the Riverside Hotel had . installed fencing around what it perceived to be its own spaces, causing . further difficulties on the site. These were not removed until several months after Mrs Donaldson’s death. Tribute: Mrs Donaldson's family paid tribute to 'Babs' who served as a nurse in India in World War Two . However, Jaymar employed a marshall to patrol the site and this later prevented a ‘near-miss’. The necessary remedial work was carried out in 2010. 'These are men of deeply-held religious conviction,' added Mr Morten. 'In the Jewish faith, family is of utmost importance. They understand full well the heartbreak caused by the loss of a loved one.' After the hearing, Mrs Donaldson’s family said they were ‘happy’ with the message the fine sent out. 'Prior to mum’s death issues about safety in the car park had already been raised with Jaymar. 'On the day of her death, she chose to walk to the surgery because it was a nice day, a reasonable distance for her to walk, which shows how well she was. 'She was the head of a large family and to have her snatched away from us like that was a real shock that will live with us forever. 'We are just grateful now that we have this conclusion and hope this will serve as a reminder to companies about their responsibilities for the health and safety of the public.' Mrs Donaldson, known to friends and family as Babs, had eight children, 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. | Gertrude Donaldson, 92, was walking around potholes when she was hit .
Died from injuries after van reversed into her in car park in Kendal, Cumbria .
The firm, Jaymar Estates, was warned to carry out repairs a year before .
Great grandmother Mrs Donaldson served as a nurse in Second World War . |
fb7e56655820968b3803a2bb50768c8b7804a3ee | By . Lizzie Edmonds . A call girl has told a court she is 'deeply ashamed' about taking selfies next to the body of a dead teacher who she and her boyfriend are alleged to have injected with a lethal dose of heroin. Kirsty Edmondson, 23, and Christopher Sawyers, 36, are accused of killing 47-year old former history teacher Kenneth Chapman at a flat in Eccles, near Salford, by injecting him with the drug. As he lay dead, the pair used mobiles phones to take 'trophy photos' of themselves before having sex on his bed, jurors were told. Kirsty Edmondson, 23, left, and Christopher Sawyers, 36, killed a former history teacher by giving him a lethal dose of heroin, a court heard. They are alleged to have taken 'trophy pictures' of themselves with the corpse . The pair killed former history teacher Kenneth Chapman, pictured, at a flat in Eccles, near Salford, a court heard. They then allegedly lived with his body for up to a week before stealing his money and television . The pair lived with Mr Chapman’s corpse . for up to a week - during which time they stole his TV and computer before raiding . his bank account in a string of online frauds, Manchester Crown Court was told. They even texted the victim’s sister pretending to be the deceased asking if she could lend him . £75. Later Sawyers allegedly showed one of the . photos to his friends saying: 'Look at this. I will show you a photo of a . corpse.' Chapman’s body was eventually found on January 12 this year - 15 days after his death. It is alleged the pair murdered Chapman after they discovered he was sitting on £18,000 following the sale of his house. But in court today, Edmondson insisted she was not a 'cold, callous killer' She added she 'wouldn't kill anybody' before insisting: 'I’m not a killer, it’s not how it looks' Call girl Edmondson told Manchester Crown Court today she was 'deeply ashamed' of what had happened - and insisted the alleged murder 'wasn't what it looked like' The court heard how the 23-year-old had been having a fling with the victim after he used her services. She told the court Mr Chapman was the 'best person I knew in my life' Edmondson, who admits stealing money and property, told the court today she was 'deeply ashamed of what I have done before and after he died.' She continued: 'I might not be sat here bawling but . when I go back to that sweat box and realise everything that’s happened, . believe me, I’m paying for it. 'I would never kill Kenneth Chapman. I wouldn’t kill anyone but I definitely wouldn’t kill him. 'I’m not that type of person. I have . got no reason to want him dead. I didn’t do anything towards killing . him. Christopher Sawyers did.' Edmondson and Sawyers, who is known by the nickname Twinny, both deny the murder. The court heard how Edmondson had been . having a fling with the victim who is originally of Cockburnspath, near . Berwick-upon-Tweed after Mr Chapman began using her services. Mr Chapman's body was found 15 days after he died in a flat in Eccles, pictured. During the time the pair lived with his body, they texted his sister pretending to be the deceased and asked for £75 . In her defence Edmondson said she . stole Chapman’s TV, games console and bank cards - but claimed he was semi-conscious after being injected with the drug when she did so. When asked about the selfies she replied: 'I don’t know the reason for taking it. I’m not a killer, it’s not how it looks. 'Twinny asked me if Ken had any family who could put money in. I said he had a sister and he told me to text asking so I did.' She . said she was petrified of Sawyer and he forced her to lie and cover up . events until she eventually spoke to the police on January 14 - two days . after Mr Chapman’s body was found. The prosecution showed Edmondson the 'trophy photos' in court and said: 'This is an example of how cold and callous your are' She added: 'It was eating me up inside that Ken’s body had been found. 'I told the police he had overdosed. Twinny kept getting it in my head that if I told the truth and he had done it then I would be going to prison for it with him.' 'My head was f*****, my life was f*****. My life was not normal before him [Sawyers]. I had Ken and was doing what I do but it was my normality. I met him and my life went upside down. 'He killed the best person I knew in my life. I’ve had time to reflect in prison for the last four months. I know what he did and I was there and seen it. 'Twinny told me we were both going to prison if we didn’t stick together. I don’t know why I stuck by him, it was just a situation that got out of control. 'I felt like I couldn’t go nowhere because I had to make money to look after both of us. 'I could have gone to the police but I thought I would be doing myself harm. I thought I was going to prison for murder. 'If you are never in that situation you don’t know what you will do. I was petrified of him.' But Tony Cross QC prosecuting showed Edmondson one of the pictures taken after Chapman’s death saying: 'This is an example of how cold and callous you are - this is a photo taken on the evening you had killed Kenneth Chapman. 'You told your representative these photos were when you were smashed out of your face. Being off your head does not provide you with a defence. 'No-one forced the camera into your hands. Christopher Sawyers wasn’t threatening you. 'He didn’t arrange you in the sitting room. You were standing within touching distance of the corpse of Kenneth Chapman. This is a trophy photo.' Sawyers also denies the manslaughter of former accountant Peter Clark, . 60, who suffered a fatal heart attack after he was given heroin on July 5 . 2012. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Kirsty Edmondson, 23, accused of killing Kenneth Chapman, 47 .
Alleged she and Christopher Sawyers, 36, injected victim with heroin .
Pair then allegedly took selfies with his corpse and had sex on his bed .
Lived with his body for a week before stealing his money, court heard .
But in court today, call girl Edmondson insisted it 'wasn't how it looks'
Insisted she wasn't a cold-blooded killer and said she was 'ashamed' |
fb7ed18364ddbe113a0a665a45f1a297472d35a7 | (CNN) -- Like thousands of other Iranian women, Parisa took to Tehran's streets this week, her heart brimming with hope. "Change," said the placards around her. Iranian women demonstrate Thursday in the streets of Tehran, the capital city. The young Iranian woman eyed the crowd and pondered the possibility that the rest of her life might be different from her mother's. She could see glimmers of a future free from discrimination -- and all the symbols of it, including the head-covering the government requires her to wear every day. Women, regarded as second-class citizens under Iranian law, have been noticeably front and center of the massive demonstrations that have unfolded since the presidential election a week ago. Iranians are protesting what they consider a fraudulent vote count favoring hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but for many women like Parisa, the demonstrations are just as much about taking Iran one step closer to democracy. "Women have become primary agents of change in Iran," said Nayereh Tohidi, chairwoman of the Gender and Women's Studies Department at California State University, Northridge. The remarkable images show women with uncovered heads who are unafraid to speak their minds and crowds that are not segregated -- both the opposite of the norm in Iran, Tohidi said. She said a long-brewing women's movement may finally be manifesting itself on the streets and empowering women like Parisa. "This regime is against all humanity, more specifically against all women," said Parisa, whom CNN is not fully identifying for security reasons. "I see lots of girls and women in these demonstrations," she said. "They are all angry, ready to explode, scream out and let the world hear their voice. I want the world to know that as a woman in this country, I have no freedom." Though 63 percent of all Iranian college students are women, the law of the land does not see men and women as equal. In cases of divorce, child custody, inheritance and crime, women do not have the same legal rights as men. In the past four years, Ahmadinejad has made it easier for men to practice polygamy and harder for women to access public sector jobs, according to CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour. Amanpour, who has reported extensively from Iran, describes Iranian women as "very strong." In 1997, it was women who came out along with young people to put reformist candidate Mohammed Khatami into the presidency, Amanpour said. Increasingly, women's voices are gaining power as their numbers rise and their demands grow louder. Even the granddaughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the architect of the Islamic republic, voiced frustration at the way women are treated. "Women are just living things," Zahra Eshraghi told Amanpour. "A woman is there to fill her husband's stomach and raise children." For the first time, women were allowed to register for the presidential race, though none, including Eshraghi, were deemed fit to run by the religious body that vets candidates. But women's issues surfaced in the campaign. That was partly the result of a women's movement comprised of educated, urban, middle-class women that has grown in recent years with the addition of more conservative and poorer women, said Tohidi, a longtime observer of women's rights in Iran. Ironically, traditional women first gained voice under the clerics. "Khomeini needed their votes, so he encouraged them to be publicly active," Tohidi said. The middle-class women who enjoyed certain freedoms in prerevolutionary days refused to turn back, while a new generation of conservatives were awakened to feminism. In 2003, lawyer and women's rights activist Shirin Ebadi won the Nobel Peace Prize, providing a "big boost" for Iranian women, Tohidi said. At the same time, private organizations and charities that deal with women's issues blossomed under the presidency of reformist Mohammed Khatami, growing by as much as 700 percent, Tohidi said. Marriage age increased as more women opted to marry for love, instead of entering arranged marriages. The One Million Signatures Campaign officially launched in 2006 sprouted new discourse and attention with a petition that asks the parliament to reform gender discriminatory laws. In this year's presidential campaign, Iranian women pressured candidates to agree to ratify the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The 1979 treaty has been ratified by 186 nations, including several Islamic states. Two opposition candidates, Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karrubi, vowed to look into parts of the Iranian constitution that defer women's rights to what is regarded as an outdated version of sharia, or Islamic, law. Moussavi had even promised to appoint women as cabinet ministers for the first time. Some women in Iran looked to Moussavi to carry their banner, perhaps because they were inspired by his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, a much-admired academic who told CNN's Amanpour that Iran's 34 million women want civil laws and family laws revised. Author and journalist Azadeh Moaveni, who spent several years working in Iran, said Ahmadinejad's fundamentalism has pushed Iranian women to the edge. "He has been a catastrophe for women," said Moaveni, who wrote "Lipstick Jihad" and co-authored "Iran Awakening" with Nobel laureate Ebadi. The weight of discrimination against women is felt most profoundly through Iran's legal system, but Moaveni said Ahmadinejad added to the hardship by clamping down on women's lifestyles. He mandated the way women dress and even censored Web sites that dealt with women's health, Moaveni said. A woman would be hard-pressed to conduct a Google search for something as simple as breast cancer. Moaveni was almost arrested because her coat sleeves were too short and exposed too much skin. In that setting, she said, it's striking to see women protesting, especially without their hijabs, or head coverings. "While it's not at the top of women's grievances, the hijab is symbolic. Taking it off is like waving a red flag," Moaveni said. "Women are saying they are a force to be reckoned with." Azar Nafisi, a professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies and author of "Reading Lolita in Tehran," said she has been watching the footage from Iran with "inordinate pride." She marched on the streets during the 1979 revolution because she believed in greater freedoms for her people, only to see her dreams shattered as hardline clerics took hold of Iran. "Reading Lolita" is largely a memoir of her harrowing days in Iran until 1997, when she immigrated to the United States. "The way I walked down the street became a political statement," Nafisi said. She recalled her own mother being a devout Muslim who chose not to wear a veil. Her grandmother, like more traditional women in Iran, wore a veil but resented the government ordering her to do so. Covering up, Nafisi said, was a matter of faith, not politics. Nafisi believes that women have become a symbolic statement of the power of the Islamic state. She called Iranian women canaries of the mind -- barometers of how free society is. It's impossible to predict what will transpire in Iran in the coming days. Nafisi believes a regime change will not be enough; that only a change in mindset can lead to greater freedoms for women. Moaveni said the sheer scale of the demonstrations assures her that the political and social climate will never again be the same in Iran. Tohidi is keeping her fingers crossed that the protests won't prompt Iran's hardliners to clamp down and rule by repression. But all of them shared the hopes of the women -- like Parisa -- who are marching on the streets. "Today, we were wearing black," Parisa said, referring to the day of mourning to remember those who have died in post-election violence. "We were holding signs. We said, 'We are not sheep. We are human beings,'" she said. Parisa was thankful for all the images being transmitted out of Iran despite the government's crackdown on international journalists. She was thankful, too, that the world cared. "Today," she said, "I had this feeling of hope that things will finally change." | Women have been strikingly noticeable in street demonstrations .
Many hope the protests will lead to changes in gender discriminatory laws .
Iranian women have been slowly building a movement for greater rights . |
fb7f3e2e7cf89715ee99e64bf679b36dcd6ee7f1 | The death rate due to cancer has declined in the United States in recent years, largely due to better prevention and treatment. In fact, 650,000 lives were spared from cancer between 1990 to 2005, according to new statistics from the American Cancer Society. Experts say prevention and improved treatment has lowered the U.S. cancer death rate. During the 15-year period, the cancer death rate among men dropped by 19.2 percent, mainly due to decreases in lung, prostate, and colon cancer deaths. In women, the cancer death rate fell by 11.4 percent, largely due to a drop in breast and colorectal cancer deaths. "This is good news because cancer death rates have continued to decrease since the early 1990s because of prevention and improved treatment for many cancers," said lead author Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, the strategic director of cancer surveillance at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, Georgia. "We have to be optimistic based on the trends. We are on the right track." The findings are published in the July/August issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Despite the optimism, however, there is still much work to be done to win the war on cancer, experts stress. There will be close to 1.5 million new cancer diagnoses in the U.S. in 2009, and 562,340 people are expected to die of the disease. This means that more than 1,500 people will die of cancer each day in 2009; the most common lethal cancers in men and women are lung, prostate, breast, and colon cancers. Health.com: How to avoid colorectal cancer . A drop in hormone replacement therapy leads to a decline in breast cancer cases . The decrease in deaths from breast cancer accounted for 37 percent of the reduction in the death rate among women during the 15-year period. "Any life spared from cancer or serious illness is a victory, but success comes in little steps -- one life at a time," said Dr. Marisa Weiss, the president and founder of advocacy group Breastcancer.org and the author of several books, including Taking Care of Your Girls: A Breast Health Guide for Girls, Teens, and In-Betweens. Weiss is also the director of breast radiation oncology and breast health outreach at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. "It's great news that a large chunk of the decreased death rates in women can be attributed to breast cancer," she said. This is largely due to a decreased use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which has been shown to increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. HRT fell from grace after a large government-funded study known as the Women's Health Initiative was stopped early because the risks of HRT, including an increased risk of breast cancer, greatly outnumbered the benefits of the therapy. Health.com: What breast cancer really feels like . Another reason for the decline in breast cancer deaths, however, is delayed diagnosis due to the fact that many women are not getting their yearly X-ray or mammogram. "Fewer women are getting mammography and that's why fewer women are getting diagnosed with breast cancer, so eventually that will come back and bite us in the rear end," Weiss said. Black women continue to die of breast cancer at a greater rate than their white counterparts, she pointed out. What's more, the current obesity epidemic may fuel a rise in the rates. "Fat makes extra hormones, which lead to extra cell activity and extra abnormal cell activity," she said. "Fat is a storing facility for hormonally active pollutants, so if you are overweight, you're more likely to hold on to some chemicals in the environment that enter your body from food and water." Health.com: How to keep your food cravings at bay while you lose weight . And that's not all: "Fat brings on puberty earlier and early puberty is a risk factor for breast cancer," Weiss said. "These areas of disappointment are areas of opportunity," she added. But greater efforts are needed to encourage healthy eating and exercise to help combat obesity, especially in adolescents, she said. Health.com: Melt pounds with mix-and-match cardio routines . Another encouraging sign is a drop in colorectal cancer deaths due to better and more widespread screening. "Colorectal cancer screening saves lives because it detects cancer at early stages when treatment is more effective, and it also removes precancerous lesions," said Jemal. The current recommendation for people at average risk of colon cancer is to get regular screening tests starting at age 50. Not all good news . Death rates from breast and colon cancers are falling, but the death rates from pancreatic (women), liver (men and women), and esophageal cancer (men) are increasing -- largely because of the obesity epidemic. Among men, death rates for the fatal form of skin cancer melanoma are also on the rise. Although there has been a decrease in lung cancer deaths among men (due to smoking-cessation efforts), the death rates for women with lung cancer are still on the rise. Lung cancer is expected to account for 26 percent of all cancer deaths in women in 2009, according to the new statistics. Health.com: My smoker's cough turned out to be emphysema . "We haven't seen a decrease here yet, but cigarette smoking in women peaked about 20 years later than it did in men," Jemal said. He predicts a decrease in lung cancer deaths in women in the next 5 years. Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 . | American Cancer Society estimates 650,000 lives spared from cancer 1990 to 2005 .
Cancer death rate for men dropped by 19.2 percent, in women, 11.4 percent .
Drop in breast cancer attributed to decreased use of hormone replacement therapy . |
fb7f3e94ab76a1e5fc894ff1760774ac56a0ae2c | By . Rebecca English, Royal Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 10:59 EST, 23 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:20 EST, 23 December 2012 . The Queen missed church today after being hit by a nasty bug, but insists she will be well enough to celebrate Christmas. The 86-year-old monarch has been laid low by a illness which a spokesman described yesterday as 'the tail end of a heavy cold'. Yet it was enough to make her miss Sunday service at Sandringham for the first time in living memory, much to the disappointment of a crowd of 100 well-wishers who waited outside the 11am service at St Mary Magdalene Church. Service: Prince Philip arrives without The Queen but with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie . Tradition: Prince Philip is joined by Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor . Other members of the Royal family led by Prince Philip, 91, did attend the service, however, walking the few hundred yards from Sandringham House. Philip was accompanied by Prince Andrew, his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, Prince Edward, his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex and their nine-year-old daughter Lady Louise Windsor. Hayley Shaw of Norwich, Norfolk, who was in the crowd, said: 'A member of the Royal entourage came out just before the service and told everyone that the Queen would not be coming. 'Somebody said they had come all the way from Wales and the aide replied that he was sure the Queen would be at church as normal on Christmas Day. 'When Sophie Wessex came out of the church, I overheard her talking to the vicar, suggesting that someone had a sore throat and would have found it hard to sing. I guess she was talking about the Queen. It was a disappointment not to see the Queen and it made me a little bit worried about her - but Philip was looking very healthy.' Well-wishers: Prince Philip and Prince Andrew outside the church, where around 100 people had gathered . Illness: The Queen was absent at the church service for the first time in living memory . Missed: A spokesman described The Queen's illness as the 'tail end of a cold' Another onlooker added: 'Word went around a few minutes before the service that the Queen would not be in attendance - but no explanation was given. 'It left everyone wondering what the problem could be. The Queen is normally a stickler for routine and nobody can remember her missing a service here before. 'But Prince Philip and the other Royals seemed quite happy and were smiling which suggested it might not be anything too serious.' A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: 'She is getting over the tail end of a cold. That is why she was not at church today. 'It will certainly be business as usual next week. She hopes to be at church on Tuesday for the Christmas Day service - absolutely.' Public appearance: The Queen was last seen in public boarding a train to Norfolk in London three days ago . The Royal party walked back to . Sandringham House after the 45 minute service. Eugenie and Beatrice . stopped to accept gifts of flowers from several children. An estate worker at Sandringham said: 'This has taken everyone by surprise. Apparently the Queen was fine on Saturday when she gave out Christmas presents to staff.' The Queen was last seen in public on Thursday when she and Prince Philip caught a train from King's Cross to King's Lynn, Norfolk, at the start of her Sandringham break. Last year Prince Philip fell ill over Christmas at Sandringham. He underwent surgery to have a stent inserted into a blocked artery and spent four nights in hospital. The Queen traditionally spends the . festive period with her family gathered around her at her Norfolk . estate. But this year there will be some empty spaces around the table . on Christmas Day. Happy family: 'The other Royals were smiling which suggested it might not be anything too serious' Stroll in the park: The Royals walked the few hundred yards to the church from Sandringham House . The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are planning to spend Christmas at the Middleton family home. And Prince Harry is currently serving as an Apache pilot in Afghanistan. Yesterday, St James's Palace said Prince William and his pregnant wife are to spend the day privately in Bucklebury, Berkshire - a decision taken with the approval of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. But the pair do plan to visit Sandringham at some point over the festive period. Kayleigh Allen, nine, who was standing in the crowd outside the church, brought a special soft toy labelled My First Toy for the pregnant Duchess. Last year, hundreds of well-wishers turned out to see the Duchess of Cambridge attend her first Christmas Day service at church in Sandringham. | The monarch missed the service for the first time in living memory .
Other members of the Royal Family were led to church by Prince Philip .
Spokesman describes The Queen's illness as the 'tail end of a cold'
Prince Andrew joined daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie .
Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor also attended . |
fb7f80868bd6c144928991e56416524984a1b2d0 | (CNN) -- She had nightmares about taking part in the New York City Marathon -- in one she even dreamed she was dead prior to getting to the start line -- but it turns out Caroline Wozniacki need not have worried. For one the tennis ace from Denmark completed the grueling 26.2-mile journey Sunday, which was impressive enough given only about a week ago did Wozniacki's lengthy season come to an end in Asia. Secondly the former world No. 1 posted a time of just over three hours and 26 minutes. Wozniacki tweeted the secret to her finishing was "carb loading," posting a picture of herself munching mountains of popcorn, while watching the New York Rangers play ice hockey against the Winnipeg Jets with friend Serena Williams on Saturday. Waiting for her at the finish line was Williams, who just happened to beat Wozniacki in the U.S. Open final in New York two months ago. "I never tried anything this hard," Wozniacki was quoted as saying by the New York Daily News. "This is the toughest physical challenge ever. "You have to keep going, keep going. I just kept grinding out there." It was always on Wozniacki's "bucket list" to run the marathon and she raised funds for the charity Team for Kids. Despite Wozniacki's athletic background, the race didn't go down without a hitch. She hit a wall, said the Daily News, at the 20-mile mark. But the 24-year-old -- formerly engaged to golf No. 1 Rory McIlroy -- ended strongly and was congratulated by Williams. Her feat also drew praise from fellow players and retired greats such as Billie Jean King. Wozniacki said completing the marathon would help her tennis game. "I know I can be out there for hours and be fine," she was quoted as saying by the Daily News. "I can keep battling it out there and I think that's a great mental advantage to have when you go out to play." Presumably, though, she'll take a break first. | Caroline Wozniacki completes the New York Marathon in just over three hours, 26 minutes .
She was met at the finish line by one of her best pals, fellow tennis player Serena Williams .
Wozniacki ran for charity after saying it was on her "bucket list" to take part in the race .
Wozniacki was formerly engaged to the world's top-ranked golfer, Rory McIlroy . |
fb7fdc9efc14281253390d099043eece445ca9d5 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:33 EST, 1 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:48 EST, 2 May 2013 . Mr and Mrs Ghandi has accused the council worker of ripping their front gate off its hinges . A couple has accused a council worker of ripping their padlocked front gate off its hinges so he could check if they were recycling properly. The officer from Croydon Council, in south London, was sent to question Bharat and Sheila Gandhi, who had been reported to the local authority for not leaving paper, glass and plastics out for collection. But when the officer arrived at the house in South Norwood and realised he couldn't get in, he allegedly forced the gate off its hinges. Unbeknown to him, he was being filmed by the couple's CCTV camera which had been installed after the house was burgled in 2011. Mr and Mrs Gandhi say they take their waste to Factory Lane recycling centre by hand and have accused the council of 'intrusion'. Mr Gandhi, 60, said: 'The behaviour by the council person was inexcusable and even dangerous as he left our property vulnerable and without any reason.' The council, which said the damage was accidental, has offered to refund the £100 repair costs. However, Mrs Gandhi, 56, said: 'It is not about money, it is about the principle. It would have taken a lot of force to break the gate. 'There is a bell for people to ring, which he did not.' The couple run the local Neighbourhood Watch group and lost £20,000 of possessions when they were burgled. Locked: CCTV captured the council worker arriving at the Gandhi household . The council worker appears to be having a little trouble opening the gate . Idea: CCTV captures the man appearing to lift the gate up off its hinges . Success: After a tricky start the council worker manages to gain access to the property . They also accused the officer of not having ID on him when he visited again on April 17. A council spokesman said: 'We're waiting for details of the necessary repairs and we will compensate the homeowners appropriately for this accidental damage. 'Staff on the team have been reminded of the importance of carrying their ID at all times and if, as in this case, they have left it at home, a temporary form of identification will be arranged.' | Officer had been sent to question Bharat and Sheila Gandhi .
The couple have accused him of taking the gate off its hinges .
Croydon Council has said it will pay out compensation . |
fb810795bbb799559823f11cd601d42e4581f37f | Under fire: Jamie Oliver has faced stinging criticism since he suggested British workers are lazier than Europeans . Jamie Oliver has received a barrage of criticism after his attack on young British workers branding them lazy compared with his 'tougher' immigrant staff. The 38-year-old celebrity chef sparked outrage yesterday after he claimed that his restaurant empire would be forced to close if he had to rely only on Britons. Chefs, political groups and the general public lined up to defend British workers saying they are hard-working and reliable. Migration Watch vice-chairman Alp . Mehmet said it was unfair to compare immigrants desperate for a job with . young Britons trying to establish a career. 'Jamie Oliver is simply wrong,' he told MailOnline. 'It wasn't that long ago that he was a young British worker. 'This . generalisation is wrong and it's damaging. 'Hundreds of thousands of . young British people are very hard-working and bright and desperate for a . job.' A spokesman for UKIP . echoed his comments: 'To simply say that British workers aren't as good . as European or foreign workers is insulting and inaccurate. There might . be some workers that give British workers a bad name but it's not the . vast majority.' Fellow celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson insisted Brits were often better. Oliver with trainee chefs his Fifteen restaurant at Watergate Bay in Cornwall, which helps unemployed young adults get a start in the trade. He says European immigrants are 'tougher, much stronger' Backlash: A Twitter user makes her feelings about Jamie's comments known . Criticism: Another Twitter user vents frustration at Jamie's remarks . Criticism: Alp Mehmet, from MigrationWatch, said Jamie Oliver is 'simply wrong' about British workers . He told the Mirror: 'A lot of European staff are good workers, but they don't have that passion for food. 'When . I find a young Brit I find them incredibly creative and enthusiastic. The country needs young people to train as there aren't enough young . British chefs. We need to encourage them, rather than knock them.' Essex-born Oliver, . who worked his way up from the kitchen in his father’s Essex pub, said . working an 80 to 100-hour week was 'really normal' when he started his . career. But he said young British workers nowadays don't have the same work ethic. 'The EU . regulation now is 48 hours, which is half a week’s work for me. And they . still whinge about it!' he said. ‘British . kids particularly, I have never seen anything so wet behind the ears. I . have mummies phoning up for 23-year-olds saying to me, “My son is too . tired.” On a 48-hour-week! Are you having a laugh? ‘I . think our European immigrant friends are much stronger, much tougher. If we didn’t have any, all of my restaurants would close tomorrow. There . wouldn’t be any Brits to replace them.’ Jamie Oliver’s food range products cost up to seven times more than supermarket own-brand equivalents - while he lectures the poor about eating healthily and cheaply. The celebrity chef's new television show and accompanying cookery book sees him steering families away from spending money on expensive ready meals and convenience foods. But the 38-year-old has put his name to ready-to-eat dishes that are much pricier than supermarkets' own brands. A foodbank charity has now questioned why people would pay more for products just because it had a celebrity's picture on the packet. But several British chefs voiced their disagreement. Chef Sam Carlton, who works at a brasserie in Halifax, wrote on Twitter: 'I'm a British female chef who works over 48hrs and doesn't whinge. Don't tarnish us all.' Chef Mike Counsel said: 'So Jamie Oliver employs immigrants . because British workers are soft? Is he for . real? The guy has forgotten his roots and should be ashamed' Many took to Twitter to pour scorn on Oliver, arguing that he should have more faith in the country's youth. One wrote: 'Jamie no points for loyalty; will remember when next dining out.' Another said: 'I won't be wasting my . cash in his restaurants' 'What Jamie Oliver said about young British workers is disgusting,' wrote one. 'Hard-working': Sam Carlton, 25, said British chefs work long hours and don't complain . Sam Carlton, 25, said she felt 'insulted' by Jamie's attack on young British chefs. The female sous chef has been working in kitchens since she left school at the age of 16 and says she has had to graft tirelessly to make her way in the industry. After stints in hotels, restaurants and even a period of working in the U.S with the Marriott Hotel chain, she gained the experience which helped her gain her current job at gastro-pub the Brasserie At The Bull in Halifax. 'Everywhere I've worked, I've always worked long hours - it just comes as standard,' she told MailOnline. 'All the other chefs I've worked with have been the same. We don't complain - it's just what the job entails. 'I've had to sacrifice to be a chef. I can't remember the last time I had a weekend off and I've had one Christmas at home in the past nine years. We slog our guts off but Jamie's comments have tarnished us all. 'These celebrity chefs are missing the point.' In fact, Sam said in some cases it was European, rather than British, staff who had found the long hours of the catering industry a problem. 'In my experience, it's been . foreign workers who have complained about the working hours,' she said. 'They . weren't used to it compared to their country. 'When I worked in America the hours we're actually shorter because that's just how it is over there. 'And when I worked in North Yorkshire we had some Spanish waiting staff and they were shocked at how many hours we work. 'Chefs in this country know what the job entails and just get on with it because it's not about that - it's about the passion.' | Chefs, political groups and public lined up to defend British workers .
'Jamie Oliver is simply wrong,' says Alp Mehmet from MigrationWatch .
'British workers are often better than Europeans,' said fellow celebrity chef Anthony Worrall Thompson .
'I work more than 48 hours a week - don't tar us all,' wrote Sam Carlton, a 25-year-old chef who works at a brasserie in Halifax . |
fb812457dc19f9c99843c288418127b4ef9387dd | Gold medals are the pinnacle of achievement for the 26 Olympic sports contested at the Games. Athletes get one shot every four years to make history: but time, dedication, guile and application must combine for the opportunity to be seized. Sometimes, however, even this is not enough to be crowned the world's best. Visualize running the race of your life as part of a four-man relay team, being acknowledged as winners to the world but never receiving the coveted medallion of precious medal. Imagine this happened 12 years ago to a team from a nation that has only ever won two gold medals previously and that, despite the official nature of the result, the wait goes on. Picture that in the intervening time, between the event and the present day, you have buried one of your teammates, a man who died at the age of 42 without ever touching the gold he rightfully won. This is the story of Nigeria's 4 x 400m runner Jude Monye. Monye was born in Onicha-Ugbo, Delta State, Nigeria and ran the 400m in 45.16 at his prime at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg. His talent was so prodigious as a youth he won a scholarship to train and study in the United States at the University of Mississippi and, after an injury-plagued experience at the Atlanta Games of 1996, then qualified to run for his nation again at Sydney 2000. And it was in Australia that Monye, running in the Nigerian relay team of Clement Chukwu, Sunday Bada and Enefiok Udo-Obong, reached his zenith of performance on the track. The greatest . "That relay team was the greatest," Monye, 38, told CNN, at "Nigeria House" a theater close to the Olympic Park in East London, themed in all things west African for the duration of the 2012 Games. "Previously there had always been a weak member in the relay team, but when myself and Clement joined Sunday, and then Enefiok came into the side, we knew we were strong. We knew something special could happen." The tale of Nigeria's only gold medal in the 4 x 400m is one as packed with drama as it is delays. Going into the race, the Nigerians had reason to feel pleased with their performance so far. For a nation that had never won a medal in the 400m -- its two other golds came from football and long jump in 1996 -- the team won their semifinal to book a place in lane four. In lane five, the outright favorites, Team USA: Antonio Pettigrew, Alvin and Calvin Harrison and anchored by one of America's greatest ever sprinters Michael Johnson, who had already taken gold in the individual 400m. Monye would race the second leg against Pettigrew. "On the day of the final, I woke up feeling relaxed and thought 'I feel good, let's see what happens.' All the attention from our sports ministry was on the women's team, they were thought to be the big medal hope, nobody really paid attention to us. "And we only got the fifth fastest time in the semifinals, remember, but we had trust in ourselves. We knew we could deliver." Nigeria were in fifth when Monye clasped the baton for the second leg. By the final meter, Udo-Obong had dipped his head into second place with an overall time of 2:58.68. "It was the race of our lives," Monye told CNN. "It's the best 4 x 400m I ever ran, and we still hold the African record." While the runners from the most populous nation in Africa beat Jamaica to second, the Americans topped the podium and had gold medals draped around their necks, a crowning glory for the team and Johnson -- a winner in the individual 200m and 400m in Sydney -- in particular.But the golds would have a restless destiny. Dope and displaced gold . In 2004 the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled that Jerome Young, an American sprinter who ran for the States in the 4 x 400 semifinal, had been ineligible to compete, a decision that would see the medals taken from the quartet and the result erased from the record books. Under appeal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the ruling and allowed the USA to keep their medals, but not for long. For in May 2008, in the trial of former running coach Trevor Graham, Pettigrew testified he had used performance enhancing drugs (EPO and human growth hormone) under Graham's tutelage during the Sydney Games. Graham was subsequently sentenced to one-year's house arrest for perjury while Pettigrew suffered a two-year ban from competition. In the wake of the admission both Pettigrew and Johnson returned their gold medals voluntarily to the IOC in June of that year, before the Olympic Committee confirmed the American abrogation. Their decision came within a whisker of breaching the "statute limitations" of 8 years, after which there is no legal basis for retrospective change to such results. "For eight years I could say I was a five-time Olympic gold medalist. Then I had to start saying four-time. It doesn't sound the same," an angry Johnson told British newspaper The Daily Telegraph in July, 2012. Pettigrew committed suicide in 2010. The golds were no longer in the possession of the USA runners, but they still were far from the Nigerians' grasp. The long wait ... Four more years passed -- while the IOC waited to see if any further information would surface from American doping investigations -- before the body's executive board to award the gold medals to the west Africans. On July 20, 2012 as the IOC convened ahead of the London Games, Nigeria were proclaimed gold medal winners of the Sydney Olympics' 4x400m relay. Sadly, the decision came too late for Bada, who died suddenly, of a suspected cardiac arrest, in December 2011, after collapsing at the National Stadium in Lagos. "The day before he died I called him to talk about the medals, so it's sad we've lost him. The IOC should have made this a priority, it's very frustrating," Monye said. "It was sad we didn't get to hear the Nigerian national anthem during the Olympics, but especially for my friend Sunday. He's not here to get the medal. That in itself is sad." According to Monye, the three remaining athletes are still unaware of how and when the medals will be given to them. "I'm disappointed in the IOC and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC). I spoke to the Nigerian sports minister last week and he said to me 'Congratulations Jude, when are you getting your gold medal?' I said 'Sir, you're asking me?' I've heard nothing since. "It would have been nice to get our medals in the stadium in London, but I'm not sure this has happened in the Olympics before. This is very rare, so there is no protocol." In response the IOC told CNN in a statement: "The presentation of the medals falls under the remit of the NOC, we suggest that you contact the Nigeria Olympic Committee directly for further details." When CNN did, Tunde Popoola -- the Secretary General of the Nigerian Olympic Committee said: "We cannot respond to the questions raised at this time." Though doubt remains over when Monye, Udo-Obong and Chukwu will receive their coveted prize, the meaning it will have to those involved and a nation of avid athletics fans does not. "Nigeria loves the Olympics especially track and field, it would mean so much for the country. The medal could now be dedicated to Bada and we're hoping his son could pick up the medal for him instead." | Nigeria's 4 x 400m team were awarded victory when Team USA's gold was rescinded .
Antonio Pettigrew, of Team USA, admitted doping during the Sydney Olympics in 2008 .
The Nigerian athletes have still yet to be given their gold medals won in 2000 .
Former 400m runner and member of Nigerian relay team Sunday Bada died in 2011 . |
fb8149a228308070be22bce2ceb26b62ea7ba333 | (CNN) -- Mysterious explosions. Unexplained shaking. Something's going on in Clintonville, Wisconsin, but nobody seems to know what it is. The sounds -- variously described as rattling pipes, clanging metal, thunder or firecrackers -- have continued on and off since early Sunday night in just one part of the small town of 4,600, located about 180 miles northeast of Madison. Accompanying the sounds are vibrations that have shaken homes and household objects in the northeast corner of town, city manager Lisa Kuss said. The sounds were loud enough Monday morning that a CNN journalist could hear them during a cell phone conversation with Kuss. The baffling phenomenon does not appear to have caused any significant damage or injuries, according to Kuss. Workers peered into manhole covers and utility crews tested for leaking natural gas and other problems, but no one has yet to find anything amiss, Kuss said. Geologists and the military don't seem to have any quick answers, either, she said. U.S. Geological Survey records show no seismic activity anywhere in Wisconsin Sunday or Monday. "It's like we're imagining things but it ain't, because we're all out and talking to find out what's going on," Clintonville resident Verda Shultz told CNN affiliate WLUK. Absent any better explanations for the sounds and sensations that have, well, rattled, the town, residents were left to their own devices to come up with explanations. "My bet is on gremlins," one Facebook user jokingly posted to WLUK's Facebook page. Alien machinery buried for millennia, countered another. No, said one one tongue-in-cheek Twitter user. It's clearly mole men launching their attack on the surface dwellers. While the Wisconsin sounds have yet to be explained, mysterious booming noises are not all that unusual. Recent media accounts include reports from North Carolina, Idaho, Tennessee and others. U.S. Geological Survey scientist David Hill even published a paper in 2011 called, "What is That Mysterious Booming Sound?" In it, he said such sounds are so commonplace in upstate New York, they earned the nickname "Seneca guns." They're also well enough known to be named by residents of Belgium, the countries around the Bay of Bengal, Italy and Japan, among other places, he wrote. While the specific source of such sounds is rarely found, natural explanations abound, Hill said. One possible explanation is gas explosively escaping from underground rock formations. Another is a rock burst, which can happen when mining or quarrying uncovers long-buried rock, suddenly relieving stress and resulting in "locally loud, explosive reports." Others include meteorites, a phenomenon known as "booming sands" or even distant thunder, sounds that Hill wrote can be carried for significant distances under proper atmospheric conditions. CNN's Kara Devlin contributed to this report. | NEW: Booming sounds may be mysterious, but not particularly uncommon .
Residents of Wisconsin town began reporting unexplained sounds Sunday night .
Shaking or vibrating sensations accompany the sounds .
City officials say they don't know what's going on . |
fb8149fe014c3fc4e4c6a8b689fd8a518573dcbd | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 07:43 EST, 2 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:24 EST, 2 September 2013 . A determined Boston Marathon bombing survivor, who made the brave decision to have her left foot amputated, has taken the first tentative steps in her beloved high heels with a new prosthetic leg. Heather Abbott, 39, decided to have her foot amputated after two surgeries and advice from doctors that keeping it may lead to a life blighted by chronic pain. Ms Abbott walked in a pair of four-inch nude stilettos last week, five months on from the devastating attack on April 15. Scroll down for video . Standing strong: Heather Abbott, who survived the Boston Marathon bombing in April, but had her left foot amputated is now back in high heels thanks to a prosthetic limb . Striding forward: Ms Abbott, from Rhode Island, has made a determined recovery in the five months since the terrorist attack . Ms Abbott told WCVB: 'I'd like to get back to wearing the things I used to wear.' She joked that she might need to leave the town where she lives because there are so many cobbled streets which are typically difficult to negotiate in towering heels. The bombing survivor currently has a prosthetic leg which she says is a little on the bulky side. She has also used a waterproof prosthetic to allow her to do one of her favorite activities of paddle-boarding. However thanks to Next Step Prosthetics in Manchester, New Hampshire, Ms Abbott is being fitted for a new limb with a silicon cover which will look much more like her other leg. The artificial limb costs in the region of $20,000 and will take around a month to complete. In one of many harrowing decisions made in the wake of the attack, Ms Abbott made the choice to have her foot amputated. She said that her doctor 'gave me the rundown, as did several other doctors, on the choice I had, and basically it was whether to keep my leg, the rest, my foot actually is where the injury occurred, or to amputate sort of below the knee'. She added: 'And it certainly was a . difficult decision, but when I weighed the pros and cons, I think this . was the best option for me. First steps: Ms Abbott is having a new silicon-covered prosthetic leg created by Next Step Prosthetics in Manchester, New Hampshire . Well-heeled: The 39-year-old's plaster-covered artificial limb. She says once it is finished, she hopes it will help her get back to 'wearing things she used to wear' Boston strong: Heather Abbott is one of several victims who has bravely spoken out following the bombing. She was given the honor of throwing the first pitch at Fenway (right) 'It would likely be shorter, one of my legs would likely be shorter than the other, and I wouldn't be able to live the lifestyle that I did prior to the injury.' On the day of the bombings, Ms Abbott and half a dozen friends took in the traditional Patriots' Day Red Sox game at Fenway Park. They left early and headed to Forum, a bar close to the blast site. Ms Abbott was at the back of the long line, waiting as bouncers checked IDs, when the first blast went off. Unlike many, she knew exactly what it was. 'I felt like I was watching the footage on 9/11,' said Abbott, who works in human resources for Raytheon Company in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. To donate to Heather's Recovery Fund, click here. Courage: Heather Abbott speaking at a press conference at the Boston hospital where she described her multiple surgeries and her brutal decision . | Heather Abbott, 39, decided to have her foot amputated after doctors advised that she may be left in chronic pain following two operations .
Ms Abbott, from Rhode Island, was one of 264 people injured in the April 15 attacks which left three dead . |
fb81f068d202563cd8ddbd2db1954d005fb039b6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:42 EST, 27 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:42 EST, 27 October 2012 . Veterans of the Battle of El Alamein gathered today for a special service to mark the 70th anniversary of the bloody battle. The evensong at Westminster Abbey in . London marked seven decades since the battle in North Africa - . widely hailed as the turning point in the Second World War. Around 40 British and Australian . veterans, many of whom are now in their 90s, were part of a 500-strong . congregation to honour those who fought in the 14-day battle. Heartfelt tribute: Wreath Bearers from the Royal Horse Artillery walk beneath the organ loft during a service marking the 70th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein at Westminster Abbey . Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir David Richards, second right, salutes after placing a wreath at the grave of an unknown warrior alongside Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall, second left . Focus point: Wreaths laid by General Sir David Richards and General Sir Peter Wall rest on at the grave of the unknown warrior . More than 4,000 Allied servicemen lost . their lives and almost 9,000 were wounded in the combat that saw General . Sir Bernard Montgomery's troops defeat German general Erwin Rommel's . Afrika Korps. Addressing the congregation, Chief of . the Defence Staff Sir David Richards said: 'The Battle of El Alamein was . a turning point in the Allied fortunes in the Second World War, a . victory that Churchill referred to as a bright gleam that caught the . helmets of the soldiers, and cheered all our hearts. 'Men from all three services played their part, not least those from my own regiment, the Royal Artillery. 'I am very proud to be here today, . paying tribute to them, and their example of courage and professionalism . which today's armed forces constantly strive to live up to.' Bloody: More than 4,000 men lost their lives in the battle that lasted 14 days . Large casualties: A further 9,000 allied soldiers were wounded in the battle that is widely considered to be the turning point of World War II . Memorial: Veterans of World War II stand behind Black Watch veteran Major Peter Watson, who served in the battle of El Alamein, centre, as he pays his respects to the Grave of the Unknown Warrior . Veteran Robert Lay, 91, from . Northumberland, described the service as a 'timely opportunity' to . remember those who fought in the battle. Mr Lay, who served with the 5th Armoured . Tank Regiment at El Alamein, said: 'The 70th anniversary of the Battle . of El Alamein is for me a timely opportunity for remembrance of all my . close friends and associates, particularly my first tank crew - closer . than brothers - who I travelled with almost all the way to Tunis. 'All of them, I believe, were killed by the time we crossed the Seine in 1944.' During the service, two wreaths were laid at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. The first was by the Chief of the . Defence Staff on behalf of The Duchess of Cornwall, whose father Major . Bruce Shand served with the 12th Lancers at El Alamein. A second wreath . was laid by the Chief of the General Staff Sir Peter Wall on behalf of . the armed forces. Remembrance: Around 40 British and Australian veterans joined the 500-strong congregation . Joint forces: Nearly 200,000 British, Australian, New Zealand, South African, British Indian, Free French and Greek soldiers took part in the battle . Past and present: Veteran of the Battle of El Alamein, Major Peter Watson, third left, stands with fellow members of The Black Watch Battalion . Speaking at the service, Defence . Minister Mark Francois said: 'I am honoured to be here today with so . many veterans and their families on the 70th anniversary of this . momentous battle. 'El Alamein was the first major Allied . victory of the Second World War, and it is important that we never . forget all those who fought so valiantly, including more than 4,000 men . who lost their lives.' Under the command of General Montgomery, . nearly 200,000 British, Australian, New Zealand, South African, British . Indian, Free French and Greek forces defeated the Axis powers. At the time of the battle, which began . on October 23, 1942 and ended on November 4, the Allies were fighting to . keep their vital supply lines open from the Mediterranean to the East. During the Second Battle of El Alamein the Allied forces of the 8th army lead by General Bernard Montgomery (pictured) defeated the Axis forces lead by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel . Into battle: British troops advance in El Alamein. Tanks and infantry fought in close co-operation to achieve victory . Rommel had inflicted heavy defeats on . Allied forces in Africa, forcing them back to the village of El Alamein, . about 60 miles west of Alexandria. Finally, on October 23 General . Montgomery ordered a counter-attack with almost 900 guns levelled at the . German positions to be discharged at once. While previously the Suez Canal was . threatened, and with it Allied access to the rich oilfields of the . Middle East, now the Allies were able to press their advantage and . eventually push the Germans and Italians out of Africa. Recalling the importance of the Allied . victory at the Battle of El Alamein, Sir Winston Churchill said: 'Before . Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat.' Pictured is the crew of an anti-tank gun cleaning their weapon. By the time the battle of El Alamein began, the British and Empire forces had been fighting in Africa for two years . General Bernard Montgomery (centre), commander of the British Army in North Africa during the Western Desert campaign, confers with staff officers . By October 1942, General Montgomery had amassed an army of nearly 200,000 men, more than 1,000 tanks, around 1,000 artillery pieces and more than 500 aircraft . The 70th anniversary service, led by the . Dean of Westminster The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, featured music from . the Band of the Royal Artillery with renditions of Leo Stanley's . Alamein March and Out of Africa by John Barry. Following the ceremony, a private reception was to be held for the veterans and their families. The British offensive of El Alamein will . be also be marked in Afghanistan by the 4th Mechanised Brigade (The . Black Rats), who are currently deployed as the lead formation of Task . Force Helmand. It was at the time of the Battle of El . Alamein that the brigade's soldiers adopted the Jerboa or 'Black Rat' emblem that they continue to wear as their insignia in Helmand Province . today. Plan of attack: How the forces were deployed on the eve of the battle . The battle of El Alamein, named after a village on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, ended in the victory of the British Eighth Army over Rommel's Afrika Korps. It was said to be the turning point in the war in Africa . Here we come: Sherman tanks go into action. The proceeded in single file because the paths through the mines were narrow . | Evensong at Westminster Abbey in .
London today marked seven decades since the battle in North Africa .
The 14-day battle is hailed as the turning point in the Second World War . |
fb823ee592e71fefeb063bb83a3c90edf98b2822 | By . Fiona Macrae . PUBLISHED: . 09:57 EST, 1 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:31 EST, 1 October 2013 . Chart hits are increasingly glamorising alcohol and could be driving children to drink, researchers have warned. Almost one in five songs in modern top tens contains a reference to booze – twice as many as ten years ago and almost three times as many as 30 years ago. The study also found that today’s music is more likely to glorify drinking than songs of the previous decade. Recent number ones referring to alcohol include Rihanna’s Cheers and Kesha’s Tik Tok. Since 2001, lyrics about alcohol have more than doubled, according to Liverpool's John Hopkins University. Researchers fear it glamourises drinking to children. One in five songs in the UK charts was found to make references to alcohol, while children and teens were found to spend two hours a day listening to these songs . With former studies showing that exposure to alcohol marketing raises the odds that under-16s will start to drink, the researchers described their findings as a ‘major concern’. The research team at Liverpool John Moores University counted mentions of alcohol in songs that reached the UK top ten in 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011. Songs that specifically mentioned drunkenness were also noted. The proportion of hits featuring alcohol rose from 5.8 per cent in 1981 to 18.5 per cent in 2011. And by 2011, one in eight songs referred to heavy drinking. The number of references was lowest in 1991, at 2.1 per cent. The researchers say this could be due to the rise of rave culture – linked more to the drug Ecstasy than alcohol. By the bottle: Rihanna tweeted this photo of herself . A selection of lyrics from popular songs that glorify drinking . The study attributes the rise of alcohol-related lyrics to an increase in the amount of U.S songs becoming popular in the UK. It uses Katy Perry's Last Friday Night, a still from the music video pictured, as an example and claims the song links drinking to confidence and success . The analysis, published in the Journal of Music Psychology, found mentions of drink to be most common in tracks from the US and in R&B, rap and hip-hop genres. By 2011, the proportion of songs that glamorised alcohol by linking it to confidence, sociability or good looks clearly outweighed those that blamed it for hangovers and health problems. Similar studies have been done in the US but this is the first to look at British charts. Researcher Professor Karen Hughes said that the hidden advertising could encourage youngsters to start drinking or lead those who already drink to consume more. She said parents should be aware of the content of songs their children listen to. The study looked into chart history. Songs in 1981 contained relatively few references to alcohol, with the number declining further in 1991. Yet by 2001 they featured in 8% of hits. This figure continued to climb, more than doubling by 2011 18.5 per cent of the top 10 songs featuring alcohol-related lyrics . Professor Hughes added that although . lyrics cannot be censored, it may be possible to warn about references . to alcohol on labels that point out sexually explicit and violent . lyrics. The research concluded: ‘Health and other professionals . should recognise increased alcohol promotion in popular music and ensure . this does not reinforce the binge drinking culture or contribute to the . already high burdens of alcohol on young people.’ Earlier this week . it emerged that 6,580 youngsters aged 18 or under were admitted to . hospital with alcohol-related problems – some younger than 11. Emily . Robinson, of Alcohol Concern, said young people ‘over-estimate how much . their peers drink’ because advertising for it is ‘simply everywhere’. | One in five songs in the UK top ten found to contain references to alcohol .
Since 2001, the number of alcohol-related lyrics has more than doubled .
Experts warn pro-drinking lyrics are a threat to youngsters and fans .
Study claims songs glamourise drinking and ignore the potential risks . |
fb824fa4ce932e860604ac21db4b555c6ad1114e | Neanderthals have been extinct for 33,000 years, but George Church, a genetics professor at Harvard Medical School, believes he can bring them back with the help of a surrogate human mother. They're usually thought of as a brutish, primitive species. So what woman would want to give birth to a Neanderthal baby? Yet this incredible scenario is the plan of one of the world’s leading geneticists, who is seeking a volunteer to help bring man’s long-extinct close relative back to life. Professor George Church of Harvard Medical School believes he can reconstruct Neanderthal DNA and resurrect the species which became extinct 33,000 years ago. His scheme is reminiscent of Jurassic Park but, while in the film dinosaurs were created in a laboratory, Professor Church’s ambitious plan requires a human volunteer. He said his analysis of Neanderthal genetic code using samples from bones is complete enough to reconstruct their DNA. He said: ‘Now I need an adventurous female human. ‘It depends on a hell of a lot of things, but I think it can be done.’ Professor Church’s plan would begin by artificially creating Neanderthal DNA based on genetic code found in fossil remains. He would put this DNA into stem cells. These would be injected into cells from a human embryo in the early stages of life. It is thought that the stem cells would steer the development of the hybrid embryo on Neanderthal lines, rather than human ones. After growing in the lab for a few days, the ‘neo-Neanderthal’ embryo would be implanted in the womb of a surrogate mother – the volunteer. Professor Church, 58, is a pioneer in synthetic biology who helped initiate the Human Genome Project that mapped our DNA. Big ideas: Contrary to belief, Neanderthals had a larger brain size and may have been more intelligent than humans . Bringing the past alive: A scene from the film Jurassic Park, which suggested dinosaurs could be recreated through DNA trapped in amber . He says Neanderthals were not the lumbering brutes of the stereotype, but highly intelligent. Their brains were roughly the same size as man’s, and they made primitive tools. Cloning the caveman: Geneticist Professor George Church . He believes his project could benefit mankind. He told German magazine Der Spiegel: ‘Neanderthals might think differently than we do. They could even be more intelligent than us. ‘When the time comes to deal with an epidemic or getting off the planet, it’s conceivable that their way of thinking could be beneficial.’ Scientists say that his plan is theoretically possible, although in Britain, like most countries, human reproductive cloning is a criminal offence. But Professor Church’s proposal is so cutting-edge that it may not be covered by existing laws. However, experts worry that neo-Neanderthals might lack the immunity to modern diseases to survive, and some fear that the process might lead to deformity. There is also uncertainty over how they would fit into today’s world. Bioethicist Bernard Rollin of Colorado State University said: ‘I don’t think it’s fair to put people... into a circumstance where they are going to be mocked and possibly feared.’ In a scathing reaction, Philippa Taylor of the Christian Medical Fellowship said: ‘It is hard to know where to begin with the ethical and safety concerns.’ | Professor George Church of Harvard Medical School believes he can reconstruct Neanderthal DNA .
His ambitious plan requires a human volunteer willing to allow the DNA to be put into stem cells, then a human embryo . |
fb82e2c7a22ff0d7f84748fd94eb83daf6c3f15d | By . Chris Parsons . Last updated at 12:41 AM on 17th February 2012 . 'Rape': Derek Chartres, 59, is alleged to have carried out the rape on the schoolgirl between 1982 and 1984 . A senior Chamber of Commerce figure and former RAF police officer raped a schoolgirl while his wife lay on the bed watching, a court heard today. Derek Chartres, 59, allegedly watched pornography and engaged in sex acts in front of schoolgirls and is also accused of raping a girl under 16. The former Chamber of Commerce president is accused of a string of sex acts against two girls, while his wife Pearl, 51, denies aiding and abetting the rape after she allegedly lay on the bed and watched. The alleged offences took place . between 1982 and 1984 when Chartres, from Newport, Isle of Wight, . committed the offences on the two schoolgirls, who are now both women in . their 40s, telling one it was 'sex education'. One . of the women complained to police in 2010 that Mr Chartres raped her . when she was a schoolgirl in the couple's bedroom, while his wife lay on . the bed and watched. One . girl, who recalled being around 11 at the time, told police how Mr . Chartres would watch pornographic videos in her presence and had once . kissed her intimately. She . said Mr and Mrs Chartres asked if she liked sex and engaged in sex acts . in front of her. They once had full sex in front of her calling it 'sex . education', according to prosecutor Roderick Blain. She said she also remembered Mr Chartres kissing her, which she found 'disgusting'. In . a DVD interview conducted by police, played to jurors, the other alleged victim . said Mr Chartres watched pornographic videos and rubbed her leg. On another occasion Mr and Mrs Chartres had full sex in front of her in the couple’s bedroom, she claimed. 'Sex attack': Derek Chartres allegedly raped a . schoolgirl while his wife Pearl is said to have lay on the couple's bed . and watched . She said: 'I could not believe what I was seeing.' Under cross examination from Mr Chartres’s barrister, Robert Bryan, she agreed she could not be sure how old she was when the alleged offences took place. Mr Bryan put it to the woman that she had 'made everything up'. However, she told the court everything she had said about the couple was the 'absolute truth'. Mr Chartres, managing director of business logistics and support company The Business Services Group and a former officer in the Royal Air Force police, helped found a youth version of the Chamber of Commerce called Young Chamber. He faces one charge of committing indecent assault, one of committing gross indecency with a child under the age of 14 and one of raping another girl under 16. His wife, on trial alongside her husband this week, is accused of aiding and abetting a rape and indecent assault. The couple are jointly charged with four counts of committing indecency with a child under the age of 14. They deny all charges. The defence was due to start its case on Thursday. The case at Portsmouth Crown Court continues. | Former RAF police officer Derek Chartres 'performed sex acts with wife in front of schoolgirl'
Alleged offences took place between 1982 and 1984 . |
fb833f9014b62f40de11db879c203c71abc9b6e0 | A Royal Marine known as 'the commando who refused to die' after suffering 100 injuries in an Afghanistan explosion has had a leg removed - so he can play with his children. Corporal Paul Vice, 31, suffered more than 100 significant wounds during an explosion and 'died' twice as he was airlifted back to Camp Bastion in 2011. The father-of-four, who was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery during two previous incidents, received more than 114 wounds to his torso. Corporal Paul Vice pictured in hospital (left) following the operation to remove his leg, and undergoing rehabilitation (right) after the surgery . Paul Vice (right), with fellow Invictus Games contestants Robert Cromley-Hawke (left) and John-James Chalmers (left) after they won gold medals in the road cycling event . Remarkably, he had more than 400 pieces of shrapnel and stones removed from his body by surgeons, suffered a broken neck, a damaged left eye, was deafened in one ear and suffered a stroke, a brain injury and paralysis down his right side. After surgery he recovered, and his determined spirit saw him compete at the recent Invictus Games, where he won medals in cycling and archery. But on-going problems with his left leg have stopped him from enjoying life with his wife Tessa and their four children Honey, Alfie, Frankie and Harley. So he made the difficult decision to remove the troublesome limb, which he referred to as 'the wet fish'. Before having the leg removed, he wrote a message on the limb which read: 'Dear leg, thanks for all the misery and admin you have caused over the last three years. See you later pal.' He said: 'The leg is crap - it does not do anything and I call it the wet fish. It does not do anything but cause me gip and pain and it cannot get any worse. 'I have gone through the stage of being depressed about why it happened and I have got over it. 'More importantly this is about my children. I cannot interact with them how I want. I want to be running and playing football with them, but at the moment I have problems just walking after them. Corporal Paul Vice, pictured left and right during his early years with the Royal Marines, was awarded the Military Cross for bravery prior to suffering life-threatening injuries in Afghanistan . Athletes Luke Darlington and Paul Vice (right) pictured during an interview prior to the Invictus Games . 'As a family, we have all agreed that the best way forward for me is to have the leg amputated. 'I live in the here and now and my sole aim is to look after and give my children and family the best life they can get.' Immediately following the 2011 explosion, while suffering from shock, he tried to check that all his limbs were intact, but could not move his head as the blast had broken his neck. He was able to see a pool of blood pouring from his torso, then realised that a life-threatening amount of blood was also streaming from his neck - he had a severed artery. His life was saved when a colleague who had escaped the blast rushed to his aid, and forced his knee into his neck to stop the bleeding. He survived the blast, but suffered a broken neck, a stroke, a damaged left eye, was deafened in one year and suffers from an enduring brain injury which causes paralysis. Mr Vice pictured in action during the Invictus Games, where he won medals for cycling and archery . Paul Vice watches the games (right) during a break in the competition, after having competed in the road cycling event (left). He is now known as 'the commando who refused to die' He was evacuated back to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, and a month later started his gruelling rehabilitation at Headley Court, the tri-service rehabilitation centre in Surrey. Cpl Vice said: 'I lay there checking myself over to make sure I still had my limbs. I couldn't move my neck because it was broken but I remember seeing a massive pool of blood coming out of me and then felt and heard blood spouting out from my neck like a hose pipe. 'I didn't feel pain, just red hot - I thought I was on fire. 'When I felt the hole in my neck I knew it was an arterial bleed, so I thought that was it. 'That's when Richie came ploughing through the dust and stuck his knee into my neck.' He is now the subject of a documentary, called The Commando Who Refused to Die, which will be broadcast on Friday, December 12, and includes footage of the amputation. | Corporal Paul Vice was injured in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2011 .
More than 400 pieces of shrapnel and stones were removed from his body .
He also suffered a broken neck and severed artery in his throat .
Blast also caused brain injury and partial paralysis down his right side .
He 'died' twice during the emergency airlift back to Camp Bastion .
Injuries sustained in the attack caused ongoing problems with his left leg .
He has now chosen to have it amputated so he can play with his children .
Cpl Vice is known as the 'Commando who refused to die' |
fb83465f60aac5414eb32427400c0b47dbd9d0cb | [headerlinks] . Alexander Kristoff of Norway, in a solo show of opportunistic racing, won the 12th stage of the Tour de France in a sprint as Vincenzo Nibali kept the yellow jersey for a 10th day on Thursday. After hitching a ride behind the back wheel of Italian sprinter Matteo Trentin, Kristoff powered out of the barreling pack and beat Peter Sagan of Slovakia, who was second, by nearly a bike length, while Arnaud Demare of France was third. The pack overtook a pair of breakaway riders with less than seven kilometers to go. Kristoff, who won the Milan-San Remo race this year, pointed his fingers skyward and shouted as he crossed the line - pretty much without any of his Katusha teammates: Sagan's Cannondale team and Giant-Shimano took turns leading the pack at the end. But Kristoff timed his burst perfectly. Sprint finish: Katusha procycling team rider Alexander Kristoff his win in the 12th stage of the Tour de France . Close call: Kristoff celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the 12th stage in Saint-Etienne . Top of the charts: Italian Vincenzo Nibali of Astana Pro Team kept his grasp of the yellow jersey . VIDEOÂ Kristoff Leave Sagan sulking on Stage 12Â . 'I won, finally, and I am really happy,' Kristoff said of his first Tour stage win, adding he had been second in two previous sprints. 'It was time to win. 'In Norway, there was a lot of pressure on me: I am the only Norwegian this year!' Kristoff paced himself without two big rivals: Giant-Shimano rider Marcel Kittel, who has won three stages, was dropped earlier in the ride along four small- and medium-sized climbs, while German countryman Andre Greipel, who won Stage 6, crashed within the last few kilometers. 'I went at just the right time,' said Kristoff, adding he had no idea the two Germans were out of contention for the stage win. 'I was just thinking about myself.' The mostly flat 185.5-kilometer (115.5-mile) course from Bourg-en-Bresse to Saint-Etienne in southeastern France was well suited for a possible sprint finish. Hands up: Kristoff crosses the finish line ahead of France's Arnaud Demare to win the twelfth stage . Over the bridge: The pack push through the 185.5km stretch from Bourg-en-Bresse to Saint-Etienne . The top standings didn't change. Nibali leads Richie Porte of Australia by 2 minutes, 23 seconds, and Alejandro Valverde of Spain was third, 2:47 back. Nibali is looking to become the first Italian to win the Tour since the late Marco Pantani in 1998. American rider Andrew Talansky pulled out before the stage due to severe back pain from previous crashes. The Garmin-Sharp leader who won the Criterium du Dauphine last month rode for several hours with excruciating back pain on Wednesday, when he finished last on the 11th stage. The pack now faces two days in the Alps - which are getting relatively short shrift this year - even if both stages feature uphill finishes that are likely to shake up the top standings. Friday's relatively long Stage 13 will also put riders' legs under the most strain so far. The 197.5-kilometer (123-mile) trek begins in Saint-Etienne and will crescendo: It first covers a mid-sized climb, then the Category 1 Palaquit pass, and finally an 18-kilometer (12-mile) ascent to the Alpine village of Chamrousse - one of cycling's hardest climbs. Nibali, however, said his Astana team will try to manage the race on Friday, before what he sees as a greater challenge a day later. 'It's surely the second stage in the Alps that scares me the most,' he said, 'because on the first one everyone has energy, and it's always the second one that requires more energy - and where you pay for your efforts.' Scenic: The peloton passes through beaujolais vineyards in Cogny, France . Leader: Nibali wearing the yellow jersey, rides with his Kazakhstan's Astana teammates . | Norwegian rider Kristoff held off challenge from Sagan .
No change at top of overall standings as Nibali retains yellow jersey . |
fb834661d6649d93a48b5f0581cb18aa3c02bbea | Foreign nurses, midwives and dentists will be required to speak a good level of English before they are allowed to work in the NHS, the Government announced today. The clampdown follows concerns that far too many patients are being subjected to poor care on the wards because of communication failings of staff. Nurses from the continent will in future have to have ‘the necessary knowledge of English’ to speak to patients – and could face language tests. Dentists will have to speak a good level of English to work in the UK under plans new Government plans . Regulators will be able to strike off health workers if there are concerns that their English is not up to scratch. Changes were made to enable doctors to be tested for their language proficiency earlier this year. It followed the scandal in 2008 when a doctor from Germany, Daniel Ubani, administered a massive overdose to a pensioner during his first shift as an out-of-hours GP. Leading doctors have warned that the poor communication skills of some EU nurses is putting patients in danger and say their skills are not up to the same standard of British-trained colleagues. Figures this summer showed that the number of nurses from the European Union allowed to work in Britain has doubled in just four years. There are now 20,914 on the register who can practise in hospitals and care homes compared with 10,244 in 2010. In a written ministerial statement today the health minister Dr Poulter paid tribute to the 'contributions that healthcare professionals from all over the world have contributed, and continue to contribute, to our NHS'. But he said: 'It is essential that they have a sufficient knowledge of the English language in order to provide safe patient care.' Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt introduced English language tests for doctors and now wants it extended to other health professionals . Dr Poulter said the Government had already introduced language controls for doctors and would now push for the test to apply to other professionals in the NHS. He said: 'Earlier this year, changes were introduced to strengthen the law around language controls for doctors by introducing language controls for European Economic Area doctors wishing to practise in the UK. 'Ministers from the four UK health departments are firmly committed to improving public protection by preventing healthcare professionals who do not have sufficient knowledge of English from working in the UK.' | New test follows concerns that too many patients are subjected to poor care .
European health workers required to have 'necessary knowledge of English'
Regulators could stop foreign nurses working if they did not speak English . |
fb83627664bda0ec7d9dcb6434e5058f358f280e | (CNN) -- Fernando Alonso could be forgiven for exuding an air of misty-eyed contentment as he sits among his own motorsport memorabilia at Madrid's Canal Art Center. Visitors have been poring over the Spaniard's silverware, cars and kit ever since the exhibition celebrating his near 30-year career opened last December. But he insists now is not the time for reminiscing. "If you ask me this question in 10 years' time I will tell you less, because two championships are more than I could dream," the Formula One driver told CNN. "If you ask me right now and I am in a middle of a competition, I am hungry for victories; hungry for success -- I will tell you that two championships are not enough." Since winning his second world F1 title for Renault in 2006, Alonso has endured a frustrating time on the track. A three-year deal with McLaren ended prematurely after one season following a souring of relations with team boss Ron Dennis and his driving partner Lewis Hamilton. A return to Renault in 2008 saw him slip from third place to fifth in the drivers' championship -- a season that will be forever remembered for the so-called "Crashgate" affair -- and a year later Alonso registered just one podium and finished ninth overall in his worst showing since debuting for Minardi in 2001. The switch to Ferrari in 2010 has been more productive, yielding 11 grand prix wins and 31 podiums in 77 starts. But a third world title has remained just out of reach -- the 32-year-old has finished second to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in three of the past four seasons. But it's anyone's guess what might happen this year, with all teams and drivers grappling with a new car following a complete overhaul of F1's technical regulations. With the first pre-season testing session now complete, Ferrari have learned much about their new-look F14 T. Alonso finished second fastest on the final day in Jerez, Spain and completed the second most number of laps overall. By contrast, reigning champions Red Bull managed just 20 laps over all four days. "These were four very demanding and important days to give us something to work on over the coming days in Maranello," team principal Stefano Domenicali told Ferrari F1's official website. "The important thing is to do as many laps as possible to give our engineers the data they need to continue with the development of the car. It would be premature to make any precise evaluations," he added. Alonso agrees saying it's too early to judge how the Italian team might fair this season. "We are discovering every day new things about the car and new possibilities, so I think the potential is there," he said. "The car has some good signs and, let's say, the philosophy that the car has been designed is just what we are seeing now on the data. So there is nothing wrong, nothing to be pessimistic about, but a lot of work to do." Lower noses, raised eyebrows . Along with smaller engines -- 1.6-liter V6 turbos replace 2.4-liter V8s -- come smaller fuel tanks (100 kilos compared to around 150 last year) and a range of chassis alterations. The most obvious of these changes has been the lower nose cone, which is now a maximum height of 185 millimeters compared to last season's 550 millimeters. Alonso concedes it's a bit of cosmetic surgery that all teams have struggled with aesthetically. "They are ugly, yeah. We have to be honest with that, you know, with our fans and ourselves first of all. "So probably we will get used to these new aesthetics, let's say, but the first moment they are not good enough because people look at Formula One like excellence of motor sport, of aerodynamics, excellence of performance and technology -- and when you see those front part of the car, it doesn't look like all the things we've been saying. "So I think we will find different solutions. I'm sure the engineers are clever enough to make the car fast and also beautiful." Un-Finn-ished business . Alonso will also be forging a new partnership with new teammate Kimi Raikkonen this season. The flying Finn, who won his only world title driving for Ferrari in 2007, makes up one half of the most interesting Formula One pairings in recent times, and one which will test both men's skills on the track and their powers of diplomacy off it. "I think he's very talented so that is a huge help and a huge motivation for myself first and also for the team, because the team knows it has to deliver a good car because Kimi will deliver a good result," Alonso said. "I know I need to deliver my best, if not I cannot be in front of Kimi, so that is only good and positive news for Ferrari." Positive news for Ferrari, and everyone involved in F1, would be any improvement in the condition of Michael Schumacher. The German's agent Sabine Kehm announced last week that the 45-year-old, who has been in a medically-induced coma for over a month, was having his sedation reduced to start the "waking-up process." Schumacher, who won five of his seven world titles with Ferrari, suffered severe head trauma in a skiing accident at the French Alps on December 29. "I think we are (all) still in shock, after nearly one month," Alonso said. "The day that I received the news I could not believe it, to be honest, because he is not a man that you think will have any problem. "He was the man that can beat anything and can win any race and can do anything without any worries, so to see him and to see the accident... "We are all hoping every day to have some good news coming from the hospital ... all (the) drivers have huge respect because he was the man that motivated us and he was the man who we were looking at when we were go-kart drivers." Alonso's quest for a third drivers' championship title begins in Melbourne on March 16. Read more: Schumacher doctors start 'waking up process' Read more: F1 rips up the rulebook - 2014 changes explained . | Double F1 world champion talks to CNN about 2014 season, tech changes and Schumacher .
Spaniard says Ferrari's new F14 T is showing "some good signs" but there is "a lot of work to do"
The 32-year-old will race alongside Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari this season .
Alonso concedes new noses are "ugly" and that cars need to be "fast and beautiful" |
fb839cc5b56999b11688502cc6a2efebe315afdb | By . Sarah Griffiths . Dozing off at inopportune moments can be at best embarrassing and at worst life-threatening. Now a group of students have come up with a device that tracks a person’s alertness over time and ‘nudges’ them when they are at risk of falling asleep - which could help reduce road accidents if it is worn by drivers. The gadget called Vigo, claims to be the first wearable device to quantify alertness and can send a vibration alert to keep someone awake, or give them recommendations about when to take a break. Scroll down for video . A group of students have come up with a device (pictured) that tracks a person's alertness over time and 'nudges' them when they are at risk of falling asleep - which could help reduce road accidents . Wear Vigo whenever you need to be alert for an extended amount of time - such as through a work meeting or when driving. Connect Vigo to your mobile device through Bluetooth. Customise when, and how, Vigo nudges you. Tag the event when you’re finished so you can look back on the data later to find patterns in your alertness. The personal device tracks patterns in blinks and body movements to alert the wearer of the gadget in realtime about when they are getting drowsy. The creators of the device believe it could be used to keep people awake during long work meetings and more importantly, on the road. Almost 20 per cent of accidents on major roads in the UK are sleep related, 40 per cent of which involve commercial vehicles, according to government statistics. Sleep-related accidents, which most often occur in the early hours and after lunch, are more likely than others to result in a fatality or serious injury, so any device that could help to keep people alert, could potentially save lives. ‘The idea is simple - although your brain has a tendency to trick you into thinking you’re mentally fit enough to keep pushing on with your daily business, your body can’t hide when you’re tired, said the creators of Vigo, from the University of Pennsylvania. ‘With an infrared sensor, an accelerometer, and a clever algorithm, Vigo knows you’re drowsy before you do.’ A life saver? The personal device tracks patterns in blinks and body movements to alert the wearer of the gadget in realtime about when they are getting drowsy . The average blink takes one fifth of a second but there is a lot of information packed into that small amount of time. Vigo examines 20 parameters in blinks and watches how the variables change. This data, when combined with information about the activity a person is undertaking and their head motion, allows the device to measure mental energy and come to a conclusion about when a person is at risk of falling asleep. The gadget allows people to decide when and how it nudges them when they have been ‘idle’ for too long. An app works with the device and displays important information about alertness using a traffic light system (with green for alert and red for drowsy) so that users can pick out patterns in their routine and make changes . A person can be alerted by a vibration, LED light or even a 'pump up' song to help them refocus. Vigo's creators suggest the deice could come in handy at university or work to keep people focused on a task at hand . The Vigo device comprises: . A person can be alerted by a vibration, LED light or even a ‘pump up’ song to help them refocus on a task. The gadget begins to log data about an individual’s alertness the moment they start wearing the device and doesn’t stop until it is taken off. An app works with the gadget and displays important information about alertness using a traffic light system (with green for alert and red for drowsy) so that users can pick out patterns in their routine and make changes. ‘Maybe you’re more drowsy on weekday afternoons, or maybe you’re in a better state in the evenings than mornings. Vigo helps you understand yourself better so you can plan your day accordingly,' its creators said. The device, which weighs just 20 grams, connects to an iPhone or Android smartphone that supports Bluetooth 4.0 and functions like an ordinary Bluetooth headset so it can be used to make phone calls too. Vigo examines 20 parameters in blinks and watches how the variables change. This data, when combined with information about the activity a person is undertaking and their head motion, allows the device to measure mental energy . The graduates, who created the algorithm and prototype of the device to keep them alert in lectures, have been building the device in Shenzhen, China over the past couple of months and are now raising money on Kickstarter to put the gadget into production. The gadget, which is available in black or white, is on sale on the crowd funding site for $79 (£48) - with an expected retail price of $119 (£73) - and so far the project has raised $27,654 of its $50,000 goal. | Vigo tracks a person’s alertness over time and ‘nudges’ them when they are at risk of falling asleep .
The device analyses patterns in .
blinks and body movements to alert the wearer of the gadget in realtime .
about when they are getting drowsy .
Students at the University of Pennsylvania claim they have created the first wearable device to quantify alertness, which works alongside a phone app .
Back to Mail Online home .
Back to the page you came from . |
fb83c6e814cdbc5a956c2df83036454a9521cb90 | By . Charlie Scott . Follow @@charliefscott . Arsenal fans that queued outside Puma's flagship store for hours enjoyed their first glimpse of the club's new kits as Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini stepped into the front window of the shop wearing the home, away and cup strips. The Gunners timed their kit launch to perfection. On the same day the club announced the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona, their kit deal with Puma - worth a reported £30million-a-year - kicked into gear. Cazorla, Arteta and Flamini were all present at a glitzy unveiling at the Puma store in Carnaby Street, before Arsenal spectacularly unveiled the kits to the public via a 20m high water projection visible from the North Bank of the River Thames, right in front of the London Eye. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Arsenal seal Sanchez swoop . Fresh: Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini model the new Puma Arsenal kits . Impressive: Puma project their new Arsenal advert onto water jets on the River Thames at Embankment . Lucrative: The deal was announced as 'the biggest in Puma and Arsenal¿s history' First one in: The Arsenal launch took place at the Puma store in Carnaby Street . Ready to go: Olivier Giroud (left) and Alexis Sanchez wear Arsenal's new Puma kit for the 2014/15 season . VIDEO Arsenal seal Sanchez swoop . The FA Cup holders announced their partnership with Puma earlier this year, ending a 20-year partnership with Nike. It was announced as ‘the biggest deal in Puma and Arsenal’s history’, surpassing the £30million-a-year the club receive from main sponsors Emirates Airlines. At the time, Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said: 'We are excited to be partnering with Puma, a company whose football heritage and record of innovation have a strong affinity with our own. 'This represents another important step forward in Arsenal's progression on and off the pitch.’ The boss: Arsene Wenger's image is projected onto the 20m high spray of water . Show: The Arsenal trio stood behind the shop window as they modeled the strip . Cheer: Arsenal fans will be hoping to see Aaron Ramsey celebrating next season . New look: The kit was paraded for the first time at the Puma store in Carnaby Street . Change: Arsene Wenger's side will wear this light and navy blue number for their away trips . The timing of the launch could not come at a better time for the Gunners and their fans, as the club look set to announce the signings of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona and Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle. Sanchez had been touted for a move to Liverpool as part of the deal taking Luis Suarez to the Nou Camp, but Arsene Wenger’s interest in the Chile international put an end to that. The attacker is expected to fly to London from Spain on Thursday to finalise terms and undergo a medical to complete his £30million move to the Emirates. Sanchez is set to sign a five-year deal worth in the region of £140,000-per-week, which will put him on par with Arsenal’s current top-earner Mesut Ozil. Sales of the kit went live at 11pm, and . fans at Puma's store in Carnaby Street. New: Sales of the kit went live at 11pm, and fans at Puma's store in Carnaby Street . Striker pose: Giroud and Jack Wilshere model the kit they will be wearing next season . New deal: The FA Cup holders announced their partnership with Puma earlier this year . New boy: Alexis Sanchez has completed his move from Barcelona to Arsenal . Back in action: Theo Walcott (above) will hope to stay injury- free next season . | Arsenal have revealed their new Puma kit for the 2014/15 season .
Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini present new strip in London .
FA Cup holders announced their deal with Puma earlier this year .
It has been announced has the 'biggest deal in Arsenal and Puma's history' |
fb83cf476218a0f868c3654c6f47512ddd998555 | The latest in virtual reality gaming, the Oculus Rift DK2 headset, certainly looks real - at least that's what the security guard's reaction in this video would lead one to believe. Ugandan gaming community GamersNights were recently testing the new product and decided to show a local man exactly what the new wave of gaming is all about. Playing a demo called Cyber Space, which imitates a large pendulum swing (like the ones found at a theme park), the man eagerly donned his goggles to take a spin on the 'ride.' In Uganda, a security guard recently tried out the Oculus Rift DK2 headset - with hilarious results . Gaming community GamersNights were recently testing the new product and gave this man a demo . The man was initially quite shocked at what he was seeing, but within seconds, his reaction changed to utter joy. Fast forward several more seconds however, and on what would seemingly be the downswing motion of the pendulum ride, the security guard finds himself falling head-first onto the floor while grabbing the seat of his chair. The audience and crew immediately burst into laughter, while the man was helped up and dusted off. Thankfully, the guard got a chuckle out of his immersive experience embarrassment, as well. The security guard was testing out Cyber Space - a 'ride' on a pendulum-like swing . Although initially the man was quite surprised by the game, his reaction quickly turned to enjoyment . However, at the part where the pendulum swings downward, the man suddenly fell face-first onto the floor . Oculus Rift is a virtual video game experience, which recently received a large $2 billion dollar investment from Facebook. While demo versions have been making the rounds, a consumer version is still yet untested. However, the virtual reality start-up is believed to have the potential to change the way we work, play, and communicate, according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The crew and audience immediately burst into laughter, as the security guard was clearly not injured . As the demonstrator helped him up and dusted him off, the tester too had a chuckle at his own expense . | Man tested Oculus Rift virtual headset during Ugandan GamersNights filming .
Playing demo Cyber Space, the security guard initially enjoyed his 'ride'
But wound up falling face-first during one particularly immersive experience .
Oculus Rift is still in testing and not yet available to mass market . |
fb84026b021892e243cc5ccfb61691dc4bd95a60 | (CNN) -- It's been sort of a rough week for Google+. Fresh on the heels of reports that activity on Google's social network -- the tech giant's effort to cut into Facebook's empire -- has dropped sharply since its public rollout, a Google engineer accidentally shared a memo calling the site "a knee-jerk reaction" and a "study in short-term thinking." Google+, which launched by invitation only in June, has been a hit among so-called "tech elite" journalists, bloggers and others heavily immersed in the technology and social-networking world. But adoption by the general public, namely the people behind Facebook's roughly 800 million accounts, has been slower. Engineer Steve Yegge blames, in part, blames Google's failure to share the site's programming platform with developers who could have built games and other apps to make it a more robust online hangout. How do we know? He accidentally shared what was supposed to be an internal memo with the world. On Google+. "Google+ is a knee-jerk reaction, a study in short-term thinking, predicated on the incorrect notion that Facebook is successful because they built a great product," Yegge wrote in what was supposed to be an internal memo. "But that's not why they are successful. Facebook is successful because they built an entire constellation of products by allowing other people to do the work. So Facebook is different for everyone." The post, which Yegge deleted but is still being shared on other people's Google+ pages, says Facebook's rich set of apps helps attract and keep users. "Some people spend all their time on Mafia Wars," he wrote. "Some spend all their time on Farmville. There are hundreds or maybe thousands of different high-quality time sinks available, so there's something there for everyone." What's worse is that, in a follow-up post, he mistakenly made the memo public because he's "not what you might call an experienced Google+ user." The post said he'd talked to Google's public-relations department and it was understanding about his mistake. "(T)hey went out of their way to help me understand that we're an opinionated company, and not one of the kinds of companies that censors their employees," he wrote. The memo comes on the heels of a report from Chitika Insights, a Web analytics firm, saying traffic on Google+ has plummeted 60% since it opened to the public on September 20. On that day, Chitika reported, traffic spiked 1,200% from before, when an invitation was required to join the network. But, just a week later, it had fallen back to roughly the same level it was before the public rollout. "It would appear that although high levels of publicity were able to draw new traffic to Google+, few of them saw reason to stay," Chitika said in its report, released Friday. The firm puts forward two theories: 1) that the supply of social-media users is limited (and, presumably, mostly already on Facebook) and 2) that while it has a "striking new interface, rapid release of new features, and focus on user interaction," Google+ doesn't offer much that's truly unique. While Web analytics can be an imprecise science (companies use different programs and, as such, often end up with different figures), the report spoke to the general perception of how the network has fared. To throw one more jab, tech blogs were noting with some degree of snark that Google CEO Eric Schmidt appears to have finally joined Google+ -- more than three months after it was launched. Mashable's Ben Parr noted in an October 4 post that the low level of public usage by Google's top brass (he counted a total of 22 posts from co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin) sends the wrong message. "It doesn't matter how you slice it," he wrote. "If Google's management truly believed in Google+ as the future of the company, they would be more engaged." | Google Plus, struggling to catch on as a Facebook competitor, is having a rough week .
Analytics firm says usage of the network has dropped 60% since it became public .
A Google engineer accidentally shared a post calling Google+ "a study in short-term thinking"
Company's top brass has also taken hits for not publicly engaging on their site . |
fb84a961354194756f9449a452fd5e47734c0167 | The Keystone XL pipeline represents a big step toward true North American energy independence, reducing our reliance on Middle Eastern oil and increasing our access to energy from our own nation and our closest ally, Canada, along with some oil from Mexico -- to 75% of our daily consumption, compared with 70% now. That decades-long goal for our country is finally within reach, but we need to stay focused on the big picture, and we need to act. This $7 billion, 1,700-mile, high-tech transcontinental pipeline is a big-time, private-sector job creator, and it will also hold down the gas prices for consumers and reduce our energy dependence on an unstable part of the world. Finally, it will do so with good environmental stewardship. That's why I, along with 44 of my colleagues from across the nation, introduced new legislation to move the project toward approval and construction after President Barack Obama's rejection of the project last month. Another view: Ted Turner on the case against the Keystone XL pipeline . The Hoeven-Lugar-Vitter amendment to the highway funding bill, which we are now working to pass, authorizes TransCanada to construct and operate the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to the Midwest and Gulf Coast, transporting an additional 830,000 barrels of oil per day to U.S. refineries. This includes 100,000 barrels of crude oil a day from the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana. That's key to my state, because providing pipeline capacity and gathering systems for that much North Dakota crude will take as many as 500 trucks a day off of roads in the oil patch. That's a win-win for producers, state revenues and most importantly, public safety on our Western highways. The Keystone XL project is good for North Dakota, but it is vital for the nation. Some 75% of the pipe for the Keystone XL pipeline will be made here in North America, 50% of it in Arkansas. Some 90% of all other construction materials will come from companies in the United States and Canada. From an environmental perspective, the project has been under review since September 2008, more than three years, and the State Department's environmental review, completed in August 2011, found "no significant impacts on most resources" providing environmental restrictions are met. Further, our new legislation includes all federal and state safeguards and sets no time limit on Nebraska's ability to further review the pipeline's route through the state, the only portion of the route in contention. Additionally, 80% of the new Canadian oil sands development is being developed "in situ," meaning, it has a similar carbon footprint and emissions as conventional oil wells. If the Keystone XL pipeline isn't built, Canadian oil will still be produced -- 700,000 barrels a day of it -- but instead of coming down to our refineries in the United States, instead of creating jobs for American workers, instead of reducing our dependence on a turbulent part of the world, that oil will be shipped to China. It will have to be carried there on large oil tankers, creating more carbon emissions, and it will be processed at facilities with weaker environmental safeguards. Finally, it's important to point out that the Keystone XL pipeline is nothing new. Thousands of pipelines crisscross our nation, delivering refined products to fuel our cars, heat our homes and power our industries. In fact, the original Keystone pipeline, which became operational in 2010, runs from Alberta through my state of North Dakota. Contrary to claims by critics, the pipeline itself has never leaked. The leaks happened at fittings and seals at above-ground pumping stations, which were properly and promptly fixed. I have worked toward approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, first as governor of North Dakota and now as a U.S. senator, because I believe it helps our nation on so many levels. It is just the kind of project that will grow our economy and create jobs in the right way -- through private-sector investment. The Keystone XL pipeline will also help to wean us from our dependency on oil from volatile regions of the world and help us move toward a true energy independent future. It will make our nation safer and stronger for the American people. Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter . Join the conversation on Facebook . | Keystone XL pipeline would take crude oil from Canada through Midwest to Gulf Coast .
John Hoeven: It will create jobs, help lead to North American energy independence .
Hoeven-Lugar-Vitter amendment would allow TransCanada to build the pipeline .
State Department reports it will have little environmental impact, Hoeven writes . |
fb850ac2ef2950a6014d0c629a3a2f100b5e31ca | The All Blacks have taunted England by claiming their Twickenham performance was a backward step and Stuart Lancaster’s men must play a more attacking game to be world beaters. England lost 24-21 to the world champions, making it four successive defeats following last summer’s 3-0 whitewash, and the final scoreline flattered the hosts. Jonny May’s stunning try raised hopes of an England win but they ran out of steam badly in the second half. England players look dejected during the demoralising defeat against New Zealand at Twickenham . England manager Stuart Lancaster looks on as England were beaten at home to New Zealand . VIDEO England 21-24 New Zealand highlights . New Zealand No 8 Kieran Read, the world player of the year, said: ‘They took us on up front but they didn’t show as much as they did in June (when England lost the series 3-0). ‘They started well, then maybe went away from their strength. They scored a great try by passing the ball but later on they closed up a bit. They will learn a lot from this game.’ Read’s team-mate, fly half Aaron Cruden, agreed that England — who will consider starting George Ford at No 10 against South Africa on Saturday with Owen Farrell at inside centre — went into their shells in the second half. Danny Care of England is stopped by Aaron Cruden... and the Kiwi had more to say after the game . New Zealand No 8 Kieran Read, the world player of the year, said he saw more from England in June . ‘At the start of the second half we felt we got a bit of dominance and England went away from using the ball a bit,’ Cruden said. ‘They reverted a lot to kicking and trying to put pressure on us that way. In the first half they were chancing their arm a bit. They turned down a shot at goal and kicked to the corner. ‘In the second half they reverted to being forward-orientated and kicking the ball. We were expecting them to use the ball more, but we adapted well.’ England went in at half time with the lead but ultimately lost out to an impressive New Zealand team . Lancaster has several selection dilemmas — including the make-up of the back row — ahead of the Springboks, who were surprise losers to Ireland in Dublin. But despite the latest setback the head coach is adamant his injury-hit side is on track 11 games away from the start of next year’s World Cup. ‘I don’t think in any games we’ve played we’ve felt we’ve been dominated,’ Lancaster said. ‘The first half of the third Test [in New Zealand] is probably the only time. We don’t think the gap is very big at all.’ Chris Robshaw suffers in the Twickenham rain as England fall to defeat against New Zealand . | New Zealand say England must play a more attacking game .
England lost 24-21 at Twickenham, their fourth straight loss to the All Blacks .
New Zealand No 8 Kieran Read said he saw more from England in June .
Aaron Cruden said he expected England to use the ball more after the break . |
fb85deb5a9ef67a83761d74f1d12fe24cd640b20 | 82% of City workers eat at desks because they have too much work on . 24% eat 'anything they can get their hands on' to help energy levels . 44% blame colleagues for weight gain . City workers who slave away over their lunch break to meet targets and hit bonuses aren't just seeing an increase in their salaries. According to a new survey, as stress levels rise for desk-bound office workers, so does their waist-line. A staggering 82 per cent of City workers now eat at their . desks because they have too much work on and 24 per cent need to feed their flagging energy levels with ‘whatever they can get their hands on’. Scroll down for video . Desk-bound: 82 per cent of City workers now eat at their desks because they have too much work on . A shocking 35 per cent reach for chocolate as a midday snack because they have no time to take a lunch break. To add to the desk diet conundrum, 44 per cent of office workers now also blame their colleagues for their weight gain. The survey, carried out by weight management programme LighterLife, showed that there is always one ‘office feeder’ encouraging bad eating habits. The office feeder is a new breed of . colleague bringing in treats and snacks for everyone - further fuelling . the unhealthy desk diet. TV’s Doctor Hilary Jones said: . 'Stress plays a huge role in eating habits and the challenges of a busy . life hugely impact healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. 'Stress is a major trigger for . overeating and sustained stress is an unhealthy way to live life and . also impairs the ability of talented workers to have more balanced . thinking while also boosting the risk of illness. Sweet treats: 35 per cent of workers reach for chocolate because they don't have time to get lunch . 'While companies and workers might think the desk diet is a productive and efficient approach to managing work load, the lack of a lunch break will not only impact the waist-line but also the workload. 'The survey has again highlighted that a change in mindset is exactly what people need when it comes to mindful and healthy eating. City workers need to stop making excuses and start eating well again.' Colleagues bringing in treats 44% . I need an energy boost 21% . I crave something sweet 18% . Colleagues bringing in baked goods 6% . Boredom 6% . Stress 6% . Chocolate 35% . Treats left round the office 24% . Anything I can get my hands on 18% . Fruit 15% . Crisps 6% . Seeds/Nuts 3% . | 82% of City workers eat at desks because they have too much work on .
24% eat 'anything they can get their hands on' to help energy levels .
44% blame colleagues for weight gain . |
fb85eeb476e4dccbce975ab41156b78acab4408d | (CNN) -- Five Royal Marines have been charged with murder for the death of a man in Afghanistan's Helmand province last year, authorities said Sunday. In all, authorities arrested nine Marines in connection with the death, but four were later released without charge, the British defense ministry said. The men were part of Operation Herrick 14, as Britain's efforts in Afghanistan are known. Their case will now proceed through a military court system that mirrors the civilian legal system. In its announcements of the arrests, and later the charges, the ministry offered little detail about the incident except to say it took place last year and described the dead man as "an insurgent." However, the British newspaper The Independent said Saturday the Marines were arrested after police found footage on a laptop during a separate investigation into pornographic material. The newspaper said the footage showed the Marines discussing whether they should offer medical aid to an injured man. The man was wounded while trying to ambush a patrol. He later died -- although the death was not captured on the footage, the paper said. Read more: Q&A: International troops in Afghanistan . By Sunday, a Facebook page supporting the men had gathered more than 36,000 followers. "This page is set up to show support for the seven Royal Marine Commandos arrested for murder for an event which happened in Afghanistan 2011 where no civilians were injured and one gunman was killed who shot at them FIRST," the page said. Read more: Afghan war is not over yet . | In all, nine Marines were arrested; four have been released .
The ministry offers little detail about the case .
The Independent says the Marines discussed whether to help a wounded Afghan .
The Afghan had attacked their patrol, the paper says . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.