id
stringlengths 40
40
| article
stringlengths 48
15.9k
| highlights
stringlengths 14
7.39k
|
|---|---|---|
fce23106a0edaea76107f6ee0c36cf3860c410c9 | By . Victoria Wellman . PUBLISHED: . 09:52 EST, 30 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:57 EST, 30 July 2012 . Georgia flesh-eating victim, Aimee Copeland's recovery is coming on, according to her father, who blogged yesterday that his daughter is already able to do 200 sit-ups in seven minutes, thanks to a gruelling rehabilitation training. Andy Copeland's pride was evident as he told how Aimee, 24, also completes a programme of 400 leg lifts in the same amount of time as well as 'planks' and 'sideplanks'. To keep her fighting spirit in check, her physical therapist make Aimee say a complete sentence with each repetition, one her father says is usually something along the lines of: 'My therapist is a sadist.' The long road: Aimee Copeland smiles bravely as she is transported to the rehabilitation clinic on July 2nd where is already able to do 200 crunches in seven minutes thanks to a dedicated physical therapist . The truth, he revealed in a lighthearted blog entry, is that Aimee loves the physical therapist at her east Georgia rehab clinic and is already stronger than a lot of people. Andy wrote: 'At this point I have to pause and ask a simple question. How many of you can do two hundred crunches in seven minutes?' The student's incredible recovery comes after just weeks after she was finally released from Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Augusta's Doctor's Hospital. Aimee, a humanist psychology student from Snelville, had been recovering there after a zip-lining accident on May 1st left a rare flesh-eating bacteria known as necrotizing fasciitis, wreaking havoc on her body. Pensive: According to Andy's blog, Aimee is made to say complete sentences after each repetition during her sessions which include crunches, leg-lifts and other abdominal strengthening exercises . Sticking together: Andy and Donna Copeland have been building an 'Aimee wing' at their Snelville, Georgia home as Aimee gets stronger in preparation for her prosthetic limbs . Doctors amputated one of her legs, a foot and most of both hands to stop the deadly bacteria from spreading and during the six week stint, Aimee drifted in and out of consciousness and on and off life support as doctors laboured tirelessly to overcome the disease. Now that she has been moved to the rehabilitation clinic, her father says her determination is relentless and has already vetoed his plans to drive her around in a wheelchair friendly van when she returns home. Fun times: Aimee is determined to return to life as normal and was outraged by her father's suggestion that he chauffeur her around in a wheelchair friendly vehicle . Hippie chic: Old photographs of Aimee show an energetic and active young student who will no doubt be relying on the $150,000 prosthetic limbs he parents are hoping to afford to give her the freedom she enjoyed before . According to his blog post, Aimee's reaction on learning about his new automotive purchase was: 'No way! I am not going to be chauffeured around town like a handicapped person.' Without relaying his concerns about his daughter's future driving career to Aimee herself, proud father Andy wrote: 'The simple fact is that between her ears, Aimee is 100%. She knows that she can accomplish anything she wants and that lacking the hands or feet to accomplish such tasks is only a minor inconvenience.' Road trip: Though Andy joked that his daughter was a terrible driver even when she did have all her limbs, his tone turned more serious as he wondered how how she thinks she could drive with her disability . Both he and his wife, Donna, have been hard at work building what they call 'an Aimee wing' onto their home to make sure her life can return to normal as soon as possible and she can get on with studying for her master's degree. The extension will include a bedroom, fitness room, sunroom and study and will be accessed by a special lift built by concerned volunteers. In the meantime, the Copelands have also been trying to raise the funding to buy their brave daughter the $150,000 prosthetic limbs that she hopes will allow her to live as independently and actively as before her horrifying ordeal. | The gruelling programme also includes leg-lifts and 'plank' exercises .
Aimee refuses to ride in the wheelchair-friendly van bought by her father . |
fce2730e5368f6681c8ff8e4e2320305432dbb55 | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 12:03 EST, 26 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:34 EST, 27 March 2013 . Tragic: Gérald Babin, 25, died during the first day of filming on French reality show Koh-Lanta . One of France's most popular reality television programmes has had its latest season cancelled after a contestant died on the first day of filming. Koh-Lanta, the French version of Survivor, was filming its 16th season on a Cambodian island when Gérald Babin fell ill during a tug-of-war task with other contestants. The 25-year-old was airlifted to a nearby hospital but suffered a series of heart attacks on the way and was later pronounced dead. The tragic incident on Friday came at the very start of a planned five-month stay on the island of Koh Rong. Contestants had jumped from a boat and were taking part in a tug-of-war contest when Mr Babin started to complain about cramps in his arms. Doctors examined him on the set and decided he should be taken to hospital on the mainland town of Sihanoukville. After he suffered from multiple cardiac arrests on the helicopter journey, hospital doctors were unable to save his life. Adventure Line Productions, which produces the programme, said that Mr Babin had undergone a medical examination before being accepted as a contestant. Broadcaster TF1 said in a statement: 'The whole team from ALP and TF1, plus [presenter] Denis Brogniart, are devastated and share in the deep sadness of Gérald's family. 'All their thoughts are with his parents, sister, wife and friends.' Hit: A previous season of Koh-Lanta, one of the most popular reality TV shows in France . The companies immediately decided to suspend filming and cancel the show's current season, and the cast and crew have now returned to France. Cambodia's tourism minister said that Mr Babin's family have travelled to the country to repatriate his body. Koh-Lanta has been running on TF1 since 2001, and averaged 7.4million viewers in its latest season. It is a spin-off of Survivor, which was invented by British producer Charlie Parsons and first appeared on TV in Sweden in 1997. Tough: But all contestants are required to undergo health checks before the start of filming . The show involves 'castaways' on a remote island working together to build a camp, with the contestants nominating one person to be evicted each week. There have been dozens of different versions of Survivor - in the U.S., the 26th season is currently airing on CBS. The UK is one of the few countries where the reality contest was not a big hit, being cancelled after its second season in 2002 and replaced with I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! | Gérald Babin complained of cramps while undergoing task on Koh-Lanta .
Airlifted to hospital but suffered multiple heart attacks on the journey .
16th season of popular reality show cancelled after tragic death . |
fce28cfc07c13a73f405e83df697cbc4a42bbe74 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Is this hanging on your wall? This painting sold for £3,000 on eBay eight years ago, but has now been established as an Impressionist masterpiece . If you paid £3,000 for this painting on eBay eight years ago, you might be sitting on an Impressionist masterpiece – and a small fortune. It was sold with another which has just been established as the work of French painter Edouard Vuillard, worth around £250,000. Now experts on the BBC show Fake Or Fortune have appealed for the owner of the eBay painting to come forward so they can tell them the good news. The antiques programme made the discovery when experts valued a painting owned by the writer Keith Tutt. He had bought the canvas, now established as the work of French painter Edouard Vuillard, for a knock-down price at an auction. It had previously been owned by art dealer Robert Warren - who revealed to presenters that it was one of a pair. He had sold the other painting, which depicts a couple eating oysters and drinking champagne, on eBay but he could not remember who had bought it. Fiona Bruce, who co-hosts the programme, said: 'You can't miss this painting. It's very large at four feet high and an unusual oval shape. 'Whoever bought it off eBay has bagged themselves the bargain of the century. 'We've done all the forensic and investigative work to prove it's genuine - now we just need to find the owner and tell them the good news. Scroll down for video . Artwork: Experts on Fake Or Fortune have appealed for the owner of the eBay painting to come forward . Other paintings by Edouard Vuillard: Grandmother Michaud in Silhouette, 1890 (left), and Misia and Vallotton at Villeneuve, 1899 (right) 'Someone, somewhere in the world is sitting on a fortune.' Another of Vuillard's paintings, called Les Couturieres, sold for more than £5million in a Christie's auction in 2009 and experts value the newly discovered works at around £250,000 each. Co-presenter Philip Mould said: 'This is a wonderful example of what can happen in this programme. 'In the course of making the programme we . threw everything into the pot in terms of forensics, science, . historical (provenance) research, and even established that it been . painted in distemper made from boiling hot animal glue. BBC One - Fake or Fortune? Artist's eye: The discovery was made by the BBC show Fake or Fortune, hosted by Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould . Online: Robert Warren sold the painting on eBay (file picture) but could not remember who had bought it . 'An amazing add-on has been to prove that now there is out there, possibly hanging above someone's fireplace, this further missing treasure. And they almost certainly don't know it.' 'Whoever bought it off eBay has bagged themselves the bargain of the century' Fiona Bruce . This week a painting of King Henry VIII, which had been hanging in a Wiltshire stately home for more than 300 years, jumped in value from £10,000 to £1 million after experts decided it was the last painted before his death. They dated the oil painting to 1547 by studying tree rings in the oak panel on which it was created. In September, meanwhile, a lost Van Gogh painting found in a Norwegian attic was finally confirmed as a work of the tortured artist, despite the fact he was not proud enough of it to sign the canvas. | Art dealer sold work online eight years ago - but has forgotten who to .
BBC show Fake or Fortune has established it is by Edouard Vuillard .
The impressionist masterpiece is now worth an estimated £250,000 .
Presenter Fiona Bruce: 'Someone, somewhere, is sitting on a fortune' |
fce2a95e4a31a4a5befcf81f46968edf62f60cde | By . Erin Clements . American Eagle Outfitters has been accused of using a street artist's designs without permission. Miami, Florida-based David Anasagasti filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that his signature eyeball images appeared in the store' s spring campaign - including its advertising, billboards, store displays, social media and website - without any credit or compensation. Mr Anasagasti, also known by the moniker AholSniffsGlue, is seeking actual damages, infringement-related profits and an injunction prohibiting further use of the artwork in question. Eyes wide open: American Eagle Outfitters is accused of using a motif designed by Miami street artist David Anasagasti in its spring 2014 advertising (pictured) Artist's statement: Mr Anasagasti, pictured, is 'not painting for a corporation. He's painting because he loves it,' says his agent . 'Given that he hails from the . counter-culture world of underground street artists, Mr. Anasagasti's . reputation as an artist has been founded, in part, on a public . perception that (he) doesn’t "sell out" to large corporate interests,' the lawsuit stated. MailOnline contacted American Eagle, and a spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit. Mr . Anasagasti's murals depicting rows of sleepy eyes can be seen in . Miami's Wynwood Arts District, where American Eagle's promotional images . were allegedly shot. One of his works appears in the above portrait of the artist, shot by Giulio Sciorio. One billboard shows a male model leaping over a fire hydrant in front of what appears to be Mr Anasagasti's Ocean Grown mural, commissioned by Miami's Ocean Grown Glass Gallery. 'Ahol is not painting for a corporation. He’s painting because he loves it,' his agent, Gregg Shienbaum, told Reuters, adding that the trademark eyeballs were particularly inappropriate for retail marketing. 'They represent the working class, who struggle and are good people. They may look a little droopy, a little sad, but it's his way of saying, "You may be down today, but you've got to keep going,"' he said. In your eyes: Two of Mr Anasagasti's works from 2013, Untitled (Table Top) and Untitled (Faces), illustrate his aesthetic . Anti-corporate: The lawsuit states that artist Mr Anasagasti's reputation was founded on a public perception that he doesn't 'sell out' Mr Shienbaum told Miami New Times: 'People from all over the world who visit Wynwood see his mural on 27th Street, then come to the gallery to see his works. I have serious collectors from France, a TV producer from Los Angeles, and a businessman mentioned on Forbes' list of the world's wealthiest people who have seen that mural and been inspired by it to come in and buy one of Ahol's iconic works.' A brief bio on Mr Anasagasti's website reads: 'Ahol, whose raw yet instantly recognizable street murals evaporate the divide between high and low art, often jumbles disparate themes from mass media, popular culture and marginalized pockets of society.' 'He often draws inspiration from the urban environment and systems of society which dehumanize its inhabitants. Ahol’s deceptively simple, yet complex renderings both portray the veneer of our everyday surroundings and the dull, job-related conflicts often encountered in a dysfunctional workplace.' A court date for the lawsuit has not yet been set. | The lawsuit says artist David Anasagasti’s reputation is partly founded on the perception that he doesn't 'sell out'
Mr Anasagasti's murals depicting rows of sleepy eyes can be seen in Miami's Wynwood Arts District, where American Eagle's promotional images were allegedly shot . |
fce2aab89c651d1c6ef19bc2e43c8f61f725354b | By . Ap Reporter . A computer glitch could help smokers get affordable coverage through Obamacare next year despite a rule allowing insurance companies to charge them much more than non-smokers. In yet another delay for the health care overhaul, the Obama administration has quietly notified insurers that the system glitch will limit penalties insurers are allowed to charge. The glitch, which will take at least a year to fix, is more likely to benefit older smokers. Oops: The Obama administration says a computer glitch may help smokers, especially those 60 and over, skirt insurance premium penalties under Obamacare . However, younger smokers could wind up facing higher penalties than they otherwise would have. A June 28 Health and Human Services Department document couched the smokers' glitch in technical language: . ‘Because of a system limitation ... the system currently cannot process a premium for a 65-year-old smoker that is...more than three times the premium of a 21-year-old smoker,’ the industry guidance said. If an insurer tries to charge more, ‘the submission of the (insurer) will be rejected by the system,’ it added. Starting in 2014, the law requires insurance companies to accept all applicants regardless of pre-existing medical problems. But it also allows them to charge smokers up to 50 percent higher premiums, a way for insurers to ward off bad risks. Not for everyone: While older smokers may benefit, younger smokers could pay more than they otherwise would have if insurers respond to the glitch with a blanket fix . For an older smoker, the cost of the full penalty could be prohibitive. Premiums for a standard ‘silver’ insurance plan would be about $9,000 a year for a 64-year-old non-smoker, according to the online Kaiser Health Reform Subsidy Calculator. That's before any tax credits, available on a sliding scale based on income. For a smoker of the same age, the full 50 percent penalty would add more than $4,500 to the cost of the policy, bringing it to nearly $13,600. And tax credits can't be used to offset the penalty. The underlying reason for the glitch is another provision in the health care law that says insurers can't charge older customers more than three times what they charge the youngest adults in the pool. The government's computer system has been unable to accommodate the two. So younger smokers and older smokers must be charged the same penalty, or the system will kick it out. That's not what insurers had expected. Slow: The Obama administration announced the glitch in late June, saying it will take at least a year to fix . Before the glitch popped up, experts said the companies would probably charge lower penalties for younger smokers, and higher penalties for older ones. ‘Generally, a 20-year-old who smokes probably doesn't have much higher health costs than someone who doesn't smoke in any given year,’ said Larry Levitt, an insurance market expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. ‘A 60-year-old is another story.’ The administration is suggesting that insurers limit the penalties across all age groups. The HHS guidance document used the example of a 20 percent penalty. In that case the premium for a 64-year-old would be about $10,900, a significant cut from the $13,600 if insurers charged the full penalty. It's unclear what insurance companies will do. A spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, the main industry trade group, said insurers were aware of the issue and expected the administration would fix it eventually. Another workaround for the companies would be to charge the full penalty to both younger and older smokers. In that case, there wouldn't be any savings for older smokers, and younger ones would see a big price shock. Roll out: The Obamacare health insurance markets, in which the uninsured will be able to buy health plans, are set to roll out October 1 despite a string of delays . Levitt said he suspects insurers would keep the penalties low to sign up more young people. Laszweski said he thought they would do the opposite. ‘It's going to throw cold water on efforts to get younger people to sign up,’ he said. Workers covered through job-based health plans would be able to avoid tobacco penalties by joining smoking cessation programs, because employer plans operate under different rules. But experts say that option is not guaranteed to smokers trying to purchase coverage individually. Some see an emerging pattern of last-minute switches and delays as . the administration scrambles to prepare the October 1 launch of the new . health insurance markets. People who don't have coverage on the . job will be able to shop for private insurance, with tax credits to help . pay premiums. Small businesses will have their own insurance markets. Last . week, the White House unexpectedly announced a one-year postponement of . a major provision in the law that requires larger employers to offer . coverage or face fines. Officials cited the complexity of the . requirement as well as a desire to address complaints from employers. ‘This . was an administration that was telling us everything was under . control,’ health care industry consultant Robert Laszewski said. ‘Everything was going to be fine. Suddenly this kind of stuff is . cropping up every few days.’ | Older smokers likely to benefit, saving around $4,500 per year .
Younger smokers could pay more than they otherwise would have .
The glitch will take at least a year to fix .
Obamacare health insurance markets launch October 1 . |
fce2e2fdc52ff713a9d549ded8f43dfe2e1dad64 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 04:50 EST, 25 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:42 EST, 25 September 2013 . Homes and businesses could be built in national parks if developers pay to make up the damage elsewhere. In a speech on boosting the rural economy, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson backed the idea of developments in some of England’s most picturesque areas. In exchange construction firms would have to create new nature sites nearby to offset the damage caused. Recovery: Environment Secretary Owen Paterson claims more development in national parks would boost rural economies . The idea of increased development in England’s 10 National Parks including Exmoor, the Peak District, Dartmoor and the Lake District could be controversial. But Mr Paterson argued that it could play a part in wider government plans designed to help boost growth and revive the rural economy. He used a speech to the National Park Authorities Conference in Easingwold, York, to back the idea of ‘biodiversity offsetting’ in national parks. Where a new development damages the natural environment, then a new nature site must be created to cancel out the damage. Protections: National Parks including the Peak District could be open to more development under the plans . He said: ‘For too long we have allowed . the lazy assumption that the environment and growth are incompatible . objectives within the planning system. ‘I . believe that, with a bit of innovative thinking, in many cases it is . possible to have both. This is why I am particularly interested in . Biodiversity Offsetting. Offsetting gives us a chance to improve the way . our planning system works. ‘It gets round the long-running conundrum of how to grow the economy at the same time as improving the environment. ‘It . could provide real opportunities in our National Parks, where the . necessary extension of a farm building could result in the enhancement . of an existing habitat or the creation of a new one.’ Under . existing rules the National Park Authority has two statutory duties - . to conserve the countryside and its wildlife, and to allow people to . enjoy it. A spokesman . for the Campaign to Protect Rural England said: 'Exactly how would it be . possible for a developer to replace, for example, ancient hedgerows by . way of mitigation? 'Some . habitats, particularly sensitive ones, are irreplaceable and thoroughly . integral to the landscape's character because it's taken centuries to . evolve - you can't just order a new one to be delivered somewhere else . like it's an Amazon purchase. 'Offsetting . doesn't address the complex way in which wildlife systems are sustained . and thrive, and if it allows developers to push through damaging . schemes then it's just another way for money to win over protecting . nature.' Enbgland has 10 national parks including Lake District (left) and Dartmoor National Park in Devon . The government has launched a consultation on biodiversity offsetting, which is still open, Mr Paterson said. He stressed it was one of several policies which he thought could benefit national parks. He added: 'There are many opportunities for National Parks to seize upon. One of these is the opportunity to capitalise on and increase the 110 million people who visit the UK’s National Parks every year. 'Tourism is important because it provides people with new experiences. It enables people to appreciate and put a value on wildlife and wild places. 'Tourism also helps grow the economy. Tourists spend money in our National Parks and this supports 68,000 jobs. 'But also when tourists return home they are more likely to buy the products we export. Great clothing, great food and great drink.' | Environment Secretary Owen Paterson backs 'biodiversity offsetting'
Homes, offices and farm buildings could be built in most protected areas .
Developers would pay for new nature sites to be created nearby . |
fce312065384a6a897374cf2f92cfee09d63cc5b | By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 12:12 EST, 18 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:26 EST, 18 March 2013 . The U.S. start-up which wants to make 3D-printable firearm blueprints available for free online has received a license to allow it to make and sell guns. Cody Wilson, founder and figurehead of Defense Distributed, posted a picture of the Type 7 Federal Firearms License (FFL) on the group's Facebook page. A note attached to the picture read: 'Look who now has a license to manufacture firearms! The work begins!' Free to download: Cody Wilson, founder of Defense Distributed, tests out a 3D-printed magazine for an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. He has now been granted a license to make and sell guns . The license granted by the U.S. agency of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms now gives Mr Wilson government approval to make and distribute guns. Mr Wilson told Ars Technica: 'The big thing it allows me to do is that it makes me manufacture under the law—everything that manufacturers are allowed to do. 'I can sell some of the pieces that we've been making. I can do firearms transactions and transport.' Defense Distributed has already made several prototypes of 3D-printable gun parts, including for the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, which is allowed under U.S. law without a license. The group has made its blueprints available as free downloads via its own distribution website after other 3D printing websites decided to remove the files. However, the new license allows Mr Wilson to make and distribute actual finished firearms. Licensed gunsmith: The license allows Texas law student Mr Wilson (pictured) to make, transport and sell weapons. Last year Wired magazine described him as one of the world's 15 most dangerous people . The Texas-based law student, who Wired . magazine last year described as one of the 15 most dangerous people in . the world, told Ars Technica that he had applied to the ATF for his Type . 7 license in October 2012. Applications for the licenses usually take around 60 days, but Mr Wilson's took a whole six months to come through. Defense . Distributed's aim, according to its website, is to extend the rights to . bear arms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment to the . entire world. 'The work begins': Mr Wilson posted this picture of his recently granted Type 7 Federal Firearms License on the Defense Distributed Facebook page . Since beginning operations last year, the group has, perhaps unsurprisingly, had to overcome range of legal problems and moral objections which threatened to derail their project. They have had their blueprints removed from CAD-file search engine Thingiverse, their account on a crowd-funding website frozen and funds returned to donors, and companies from which they planned to lease equipment repossessing their printers. Two Texas-based companies, whose names are not known, have since volunteered space and a 3D printer for the team to carry out manufacturing and ballistics testing. Mr Wilson said he will not actually start making and selling guns until he receives an 'add-on' to his license which will allow him to deal in a broader range of firearms, including fully automatic weapons. With that permission in place, he hopes to beginning selling guns to offset the costs of the Defense Distributed project. | Defense Distributed's Cody Wilson granted Type 7 Federal Firearms License .
Group posts a picture of the document, with the message 'The work begins!'
Licence will allow Mr Wilson to make and sell the weapons he prints . |
fce31f3873d278a1ce775bc803c1879b5a9354a2 | By . Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 14:47 EST, 19 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:47 EST, 19 December 2012 . Caring: Shannon was a 'loving and absolutely fantastic daughter' and her father said: 'The day Shannon died we died' A teenager died from undiagnosed deep vein thrombosis just hours after visiting an out-of-hours doctor’s surgery. Student Shannon Deakin, 16, limped into the surgery with 'knife-like' pains after her left thigh became swollen and turned red. Newly-qualified locum general practitioner Dr Karim Mohammed diagnosed an infection and gave her antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs at the Care UK walk-in centre. Shannon, of Hoyland in South Yorkshire, was told to see her own GP within 24 or 48 hours and have an ultrasound scan if she was not any better - but she collapsed and died at home about 12 hours later. After the Sheffield inquest her parents Bryan, 59, and Sue, 44, said they were considering taking legal action against the GP and Care UK. Mr Deakin said of their only child: 'We don’t think she was given a chance.' An expert emergency medical consultant Dr Alan Fletcher told the Sheffield hearing if Shannon had been referred to hospital that day she would likely have shown a high score on tests for DVT. She would have been given an ultrasound scan which would have led to treatment and her chances of survival would have been greatly improved. But he could not say Shannon, who had 11 GCSEs and was training to be a midwife, would 'more likely than not have survived if she had reached this point in treatment.' The GP should also have examined Shannon’s calves where swelling is a tell-tale sign of DVT but it was so rare in someone of her age a GP would think it was the least likely option. Dianette: Women taking a contraceptive pill are more likely to develop blood clots . Delivering a narrative verdict, coroner Chris Dorries said he had considered whether there was 'culpable human failure' in Shannon’s death or whether it had been 'contributed to by neglect' but he found the appropriate legal criteria were not met. The inquest heard Shannon had been prescribed the Dianette pill by her GP which is known to increase the chances of developing blood clots. She had been taking the pill for a month after complaining of acne affecting her back, chest and face but came off it because of side effects just a month before she died on December 4 last year. The pill was rated as a 'low risk' factor by experts who gave evidence. A post mortem showed Shannon died from a pulmonary embolism caused by a blood clot moving from her leg through her heart towards her lungs which pathologist Dr Mudher Al-Adnani said was 'extremely rare' in one so young. Dr Mohammed, who was on-call at the clinic based in Barnsley Hospital, said she came in complaining of a pain in the left side of her abdomen radiating to her groin. During a ten-minute consultation he noted a large, warm patch of redness on the front of her left thigh. Because of her brief period on the pill and a lack of negative family history he did not ask any further questions and excluded DVT from his diagnosis. 'I explained it was highly unlikely that it was a clot and my findings were more of an infection or muscular pain,' he said. But Shannon’s mother Susan, 43, who accompanied her daughter, told the inquest Dr Mohammed failed to notice her daughter’s swollen left foot and she left 'walking on the back of her pump'. The doctor told her: 'It’s either a blood clot or an infection.' Shannon even texted her cousin four hours after the consultation with the same message and a later text read 'moving a tiny amount kills'. Just 12 hours later she collapsed on the settee at the family’s home. Risks: Women are more at risk of a blood clot if they smoke, are overweight or have diabetes . Dianette, which has the medical name cyproterone acetate, works by suppressing the action of testosterone on the body's tissues.It is also used as a hormone therapy in men undergoing sex change treatment, as well as in tackling early onset puberty. The NHS website said Dianette is only used to treat acne when previous treatments have not been successful. Women are more at risk of a blot clot if they smoke, have polycystic ovary syndrome, are seriously overweight, recently had a baby, have high blood pressure or diabetes or conditions such as Crohn's disease. The NHS warns women taking the pill to be wary of signs including migraines for the first time, pain or swelling in legs, stabbing pain when they breathe, pain in the chest or sudden changes to eyesight or hearing. GP expert Dr James Gray said the locum’s assessment was 'reasonable' but it may have been prudent for him to arrange an ultrasound scan and he did not pick up on Shannon’s swollen foot which could have raised suspicions of a blood clot in the lower leg. He remained 'unconvinced' the GP had looked into all the risk factors associated with DVT. Mr Dorries’ conclusion read: 'Shannon Deakin died in consequence of an undiagnosed DVT. 'Shannon had sought medical assistance at lunchtime the previous day and whilst there are unresolved conflicts of evidence about that consultation it cannot be said, even at its highest, that the examination and assessment amounted to gross failure. 'Furthermore, even if diagnosed at that time it cannot be said that a referral to hospital would more likely than not have saved Shannon’s life.' After the hearing Mrs Deakin said: 'We took the GP at his word. Things could definitely have been done more differently and Shannon might have stood a chance. 'We haven’t a clue how she got DVT. I kept asking her if she had suffered a fall or a bump but she said not. It is a complete mystery.' Mr Deakin said: 'She was perfectly fine three days earlier. It just came on so quickly. Since her death it has been a total living nightmare. The day Shannon died we died.' | Shannon Deakin stopped taking the Dianette pill four weeks before her death .
GP thought it was an infection and gave her antibiotics but she died 12 hours later .
Devastated parents say they are considering legal action . |
fce43eb77c24dfd4f519486844a9349b8fb6032c | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 09:52 EST, 23 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:44 EST, 23 September 2013 . Jibe: Shadow chancellor Ed Balls used his keynote speech on the economy to crack a joke about David Cameron's holiday snaps . Politics is often portrayed as an exercise in proving who is the alpha male who stands out from the crowd. But Ed Balls took the battle to a new level today when he appeared to tease David Cameron about only needing a small towel to preserve his modesty on the beach. The shadow chancellor was greeted with nervous laughter and bemused stares of incomprehension from delegates at the Labour party conference. The Prime Minister was snapped on a Cornish beach last month performing the time-honoured dancing of trying to change out of his trunks while maintaining a degree of decency and dignity. Having deftly completed the tricky manoeuvre, Mr Cameron then went on to remove his trusty polo shirt to reveal an ample - and very red - torso. Delivering his keynote speech on Labour's economy strategy, Mr Balls today took a detour to cast judgement on the PM's physique. Even wife Yvette Cooper, sitting in the audience, appeared taken aback, managing only a thin-lipped smile throughout. The shadow chancellor was met with . cries of 'no' after asking the Labour Party conference if anyone felt . sorry for Mr Cameron when he was pictured putting his shorts on under . his Mickey Mouse towel. Mr . Balls revealed his wife had remarked that the PM looked slim for a . 46-year-old, leading the shadow chancellor to question who she was . comparing him to.Scroll down for video . Performance: David Cameron was pictured trying to change his shorts under a Mickey Mouse towel while on holiday in Polzeath, Cornwall last month . The Labour heavyweight could be accused of pushing his luck, given that only yesterday pictures of him taking a tumble during a football match suggested he is not too light on his feet himself. Mr Balls joked during his speech at the Brighton conference: 'Didn't you feel a little sorry for our Prime Minister this summer? Didn't you? 'Back in August, on the beach, changing into his swimming trunks, behind that Mickey Mouse towel, captured on cameras, unflattering pictures spread across the national press. 'I've been there, I know what it's like.' Measuring up: Mr Balls' wife, Yvette Cooper, had remarked at what good shape Mr Cameron was in . Heavyweight: Ed Balls takes a tumble during the Labour vs Lobby XI football match . Mr Balls went on: 'Let me let you into a little secret. When Yvette saw the pictures she said, rather pointedly I thought, she said that for a 46-year old man David Cameron looked rather slim. 'Slim? Who on Earth can she have been comparing him to? 'I just thought for a Prime Minister it was a surprisingly small towel. 'Let us all agree after the last three years the sooner David Cameron throws in the towel the better.' Life's a beach: In the latest photo opportunity Ed and Justine Miliband were pictured on Brighton beach apparently reading his leader's speech . Ed Miliband copied David Cameron to be pictured on the beach - but kept his trousers on. The Labour leader posed on the pebbles on Brighton beach with wife Justine, in just the latest photo opportunity for the couple. Justine Miliband has promised to take to . the ‘barricades’ in the general election battle as she vowed not to just . stand silently next to husband Ed in a nice dress. Party strategists plan to put Mrs Miliband on the political frontline in the run up to the 2015 election. But she has vowed to break with convention and speak out publicly about why she thinks Mr Miliband should be Prime Minister. Speaking at a Young Labour event in . Brighton, she said: ‘I wanted to come along to say a few words because I . thought, “If I don't say anything to you guys tonight probably all . you'll know about me this year is the make of the dress I wear for Ed's . speech on Tuesday”. ‘That's a . side of me the media tend to focus on and I thought it was quite . important to reassure you that I am in fact more than a dress.’ | Nervous laughter at Labour conference after shadow chancellor's joke .
Uses keynote speech on the economy to mock PM's changing his trunks .
David Cameron was pictured on Cornwall beach with Mickey Mouse towel .
Ed Miliband pictured on Brighton beach - but he kept his trousers on . |
fce4a4d7ae8a60cd1a6f6ebb12d69203a6855525 | (CNN) -- Think of the greatest American sports stars of all time and names like Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali and Serena Williams will likely spring to mind. But long before these champions smashed the record books -- and blazed a trail in the public's imagination -- the first generation of black U.S. athletes dominated an unlikely sport. The godfathers of Owens, Ali and Williams weren't stereotypical towering, musclebound men found on basketball courts or in boxing rings. Instead, they were the jockeys of the race track and their dizzying success -- and dramatic fall -- is one of the most remarkable buried chapters in U.S. sporting history. When the country's most prestigious horse race, the Kentucky Derby, launched in 1875, 13 of the 15 jockeys were African-American. Much like the NBA today, black athletes dominated horse racing for the next three decades, winning 15 of the first 28 Derbies. "They were the premier horsemen in the world," says Joe Drape, author of "Black Maestro," which tells the story of champion jockey Jimmy Winkfield. "It was the first professional sport for black athletes in America. They were at the forefront of horse racing and it was a place where they could earn a good living." Decades before Jackie Robinson made history in 1947 as the first black major league baseball player, African American jockeys forged a name as the first sports heroes of post-Civil War America. The son of a former slave, Isaac Murphy was the first jockey to win three Kentucky Derbies -- in 1884, 1890, 1891. He went on to win an unheard-of 44% of all his competitions, becoming the first rider inducted into the National Racing Hall of fame. "Murphy was the first millionaire black athlete," Drape told CNN. "He even had a white valet." Many of these jockeys had been slaves in the South, working as stable hands and becoming skilled horse handlers. Plantation owners put them on the backs of horses in informal -- and dangerous -- competitions. When horse racing became an organized sport in the early 19th-Century, black jockeys were already leaders in the saddle. Yet fast forward to today and you'd struggle to find an African-American jockey on a U.S. race track. Just 30 of the around 750 members of the national Jockey's Guild are black, according to the most recent figures available. Winkfield was the last African American to win the Kentucky Derby -- in 1901 and 1902 -- and by 1921 they had all but disappeared. It would be 79 years before another black rider, Marlon St. Julien, competed in 2000. The introduction of the Jim Crow laws in the late 1880s -- segregating blacks and whites -- spelled an end to the golden era of jockeys like Winkfield and Murphy. Increasing violence against black jockeys forced many to abandon racing and move to northern urban areas, says Drape. "It became too dangerous to put black riders on horses," he added. "An influx of Irish immigrants were now slugging it out on the track, riding black jockeys into railings and making them fall." Other riders, such as Winkfield, fled to Russia -- which had a thriving horse racing industry. "The Russians were colorblind, you had jazz players and heavyweight boxers like Jack Johnson -- it was basically the last place black American sportsmen could go," Drape said. Here, Winkfield's career skyrocketed as he won the Russian Derby four times and amassed a fortune. He was treated like a celebrity, socializing with aristocrats in Tzar Nicholas II's court and marrying two white European countesses. Decades later, segregation still ruled America, and when Sports Illustrated invited Winkfield to a reception at the Brown Hotel in Louisville in 1961, he was told he couldn't enter by the front door. Today, Deshawn Parker is perhaps the most successful of the few black jockeys competing in the states, boasting more than 4,000 career victories. The 42-year-old, who won the most U.S. events in 2010 and 2011, entered the sport after his father worked as a racing official. "Black people aren't on the track like they used to be," he said. "If you don't have someone in your family who's in the business, you don't have a reason to start racing." Parker, the 54th-ranked jockey of all time, says racing is now dominated by Latinos. Terry Meyock, national manager of the Jockey's Guild, agreed, estimating that 60% of jockeys in the U.S. are Latinos. Of the current top-10 highest earning jockeys, nine are from South America. "From black to Irish to Latino, jockeys in America tend to mirror immigration," Drape said. "The conditions are the same as 200 years ago -- the best jockeys tend to be from rural countries, they grow up around horses, it's tradition and it's a family business." For Parker, jockeys like Murphy and Winkfield didn't just change the face of racing -- they paved the way for generations of black American sports stars. "They got black athletes in the door," he said. "It's an honor to be ranked among them." | First black American sports stars weren't basketball players -- they were jockeys .
Many became skilled horse handlers while working as slaves in the south .
Today, just a few black jockeys compete on U.S. race tracks .
Horse racing now dominated by Latino riders . |
fce4a9a3ff8945582cfdc22c4c7a3719b58ada7f | Mohammed Noman, pictured, his wife, three young daughters, his mother and his brother were rescued from the blaze in Rochdale, Greater Manchester . A family of seven and their pet puppy have been rescued from a serious house fire, after a car parked on their drive was set ablaze in a suspected arson attack. Mohammed Noman was rescued along with his wife Andleeb Kanwal, 28, and three daughters: Shagufta, nine, Aliza, six, and Laila, two, from their home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The 26-year-old gas engineer's mother Rehana Kausar, 47, and brother Mohammed Arsan, 23, were also led to safety at around 3.30am today after the blaze spread through the property. His father was abroad on holiday at the time. Mr Noman said: 'I am just completely lost for words. I am still in a state of shock, I just want to get to the bottom of what has happened. 'You never prepare for something like this or imagine that it will happen to you. I just don't know what to do.' He added: 'We were all very lucky to escape unharmed but it is just the damage the house and my brother's car. There is just nothing left of the car, it's a shell. He is devastated. 'My three daughters didn't know what was going on, it was such a shock for them and they were crying and worrying about what was happening. 'The downstairs windows have all shattered, the frames have melted and the living room needs to be completely gutted but it could have been worse. 'I am going to have to take some time off work to get everything sorted out and to make sure the house is safe to live in and that we have all of the amenities we need. Mr Noman, a 26-year-old gas engineer, said: 'I am just completely lost for words. I am still in a state of shock' The blaze started in a Volkswagen Golf parked underneath a window sill and rapidly tore through the house . 'We are hoping to move back in straight away - we have nowhere else to go. He added he is now trying to contact the insurers for the property - as the house belongs to his parents - to make sure any repairs can be done to allow them to return home. North West Fire Control initially received reports that a car was on fire in Manchester Road in Castleton. The blaze, which started in a Volkswagen Golf parked underneath a window sill, rapidly tore through the house with the family inside. Approximately 20 firefighters were called to the scene. The family were assessed by paramedics at the scene but all declined hospital treatment. The officer in charge of the incident, Station Manager Paul Whittaker, said: 'The first firefighters that attended could see that this was a well-developed fire. The fire involving a car had rapidly come into contact with the ground-floor windows, spreading to the rest of the property. Approximately 20 firefighters were called to the scene and the cause of the fire is being investigated today . 'Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus quickly searched the house and in doing so were able to safely lead a family and a puppy to safety. 'Crew worked incredibly hard to carry out the safe rescue of so many people and get the fire under control.' Police are treating the incident as a suspected arson attack with intent to endanger a life but no arrests have been made. A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: 'We are treating the incident as arson with intent to endanger life after a car was set on fire. 'There were people inside the property at the time of the fire but luckily no one was injured. 'At this time enquiries are ongoing and no arrests have yet been made.' The downstairs windows were shattered, the frames melted and living room is damaged, added Mr Noman . The family were assessed by paramedics at the scene in Castleton but all declined hospital treatment . Fire Investigation Officers today launched an investigation into the cause of the fire. A spokesperson for Manchester Fire and Rescue said: 'The fire involving a car spread rapidly and came into contact with the windows on the ground floor of the house, then spreading to the rest of the property. 'This was a well-developed fire and fire fighters wearing breathing apparatus quickly searched the house and were able to safely lead a family and a puppy to safety. 'The crew worked extremely hard to carry out the safe rescue of so many people and get the fire under control.' | Mohammed Noman, wife and daughters, aged nine, six and two, rescued .
The 26-year-old gas engineer's mother, 47, and brother also led to safety .
Blaze started at around 3.30am after a car in the driveway caught fire .
Police are treating the incident as a suspected arson attack but no arrests have been made . |
fce5553c4e34d4c6c1c62593ec10100d480d976a | Louis van Gaal has praised his Manchester United side for their 'unbelievable' team spirit after they came from a goal down to beat Preston North End 3-1 in the FA Cup on Monday night. The Red Devils will play Arsenal in the quarter-finals after seeing off the League One side at Deepdale, with goals from Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Wayne Rooney. However, it took a Scott Laird opener for Preston for Van Gaal to change his system and see his team finally spark into life. The Dutchman claims that he was 'satisfied' before that moment, and delighted afterwards. Louis van Gaal - pictured with captain Wayne Rooney - was proud after Manchester United beat Preston . The Man United boss said the team spirit was 'unbelievable' in the comeback victory in the FA Cup fifth round . 'Yes [the second half pleased me] but in the first half I was also reasonably satisfied,' Van Gaal told BBC One after the match. 'We didn’t give anything away, even though it’s difficult. 'In the second half, the goal was unlucky. After then we showed the team spirit is unbelievable. We changed the shape, that was the solution I think. We scored fantastic goals, little bit lucky also. The second one for Fellaini – we have trained for that – I was pleased for Valencia.' Ander Herrera celebrates after equalising at Deepdale as United went on to win . Fellaini smashes home the visitors' second to set up a quarter-final clash with Arsenal at Old Trafford . Van Gaal also praised Marouane Fellaini for his versatiliy, admitting that he doesn't always have a position for the Belgian. 'He scores all sorts of goals. I played him for the first time in the position he wants. I don’t always have a position for him, that’s my problem.' And when the 63-year-old was congratulated by the interviewer with a 'well played' at the end, he responded with: 'The spirit was better than well played!' Van Gaal congratulates Angel di Maria after the Argentine's impressive performance at Deepdale . | Manchester United beat Preston North End 3-1 on Tuesday night .
Red Devils through to FA Cup quarter-finals after victory at Deepdale .
Scott Laird had put the League One side in front in the second half .
Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Wayne Rooney sealed win for United .
Louis van Gaal says visitors' team spirit was 'unbelievable'
Man United will host Arsenal at Old Trafford in the sixth round . |
fce579afa416cdb2693f8af92b9f377b01bea3b3 | KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Fighting raged in Afghanistan over the weekend, with a suicide bombing slaying six people, a NATO-led soldier and an Afghan police officer dying in an "altercation," and troops killing several insurgents in battles, authorities said. Fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces continues to rage in Afghanistan. The suicide bombing on Sunday killed six people in a bazaar in Spin Boldak, located in Kandahar province, NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Monday. Along with the deaths, at least 17 people were wounded, and ISAF condemned the assault. Four of those killed were Afghan border police officers, ISAF said. The location is in southern Afghanistan. The ISAF soldier and an Afghan police officer were killed after seven people were apprehended in connection with a roadside bombing in Paktia province on Sunday that targeted an Afghan National Police and ISAF patrol. The location is in eastern Afghanistan. "The detained civilians were then transferred to the ANP station at the Jaji District Center. While at the district center, there was an altercation during which an ANP officer and one ISAF soldier were killed," ISAF said in a Monday news release. The U.S.-led coalition on Monday reported fighting between U.S. and Afghan troops and insurgents over the last two days -- Sunday in Kandahar province and Saturday in Helmand province. "Several insurgents" were reported killed in both incidents. Two insurgents died in fighting on Friday in another southern region -- Zabul province, the coalition said on Monday. | Militants kill eight people and injure at least 17 in latest attacks .
Insurgents killed a coalition soldier in eastern Afghanistan .
Soldier's name and nationality held until family members could be notified . |
fce5a699389cc60d4e93e303fa769407ca409fc8 | (CNN) -- There are few careers that can match the pedigree of Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho. Having just set a remarkable nine-year unbeaten home league record -- which spanned 150 matches and four clubs in four different countries -- the Portuguese manager is eyeing yet another remarkable record. As he leads his Real side in the quarterfinal second leg against Tottenham Hotspur tonight, Mourinho is on the trail of becoming the first coach to win three European Cups with three different clubs. But as the 48-year-old aims to push his career to the next level, there may be the birth of a new star in his midst. It was merely a coincidence that Porto clinched their 25th title as Los Merengues were shocked by Sporting Gijon at the Bernabeu -- Mourinho's first home defeat in nearly a decade -- but what is not coincidental is the way Porto have dominated their domestic championship this season. In a fashion not seen since the heady days of Mourinho between 2002 and 2004 -- when the self proclaimed "Special One" plundered two league titles, the UEFA Cup and the Champions League -- the youthful, dynamic and ambitious coach Andre Villas Boas has swept all before him. Will Mourinho's record ever be beaten? Villas Boas is Mourinho's protege and student, but aged just 33 -- seven years younger than Mourinho was when he won his first title with Porto -- the question is whether the apprentice can match his former master's astonishing achievements at the Estadio do Dragao. Porto have simply outclassed their rivals this season, winning 23 and drawing the other two of their 25 matches to wrap up the title with five games remaining. Along the way, they have scored 61 goals and conceding a miserly 11, and are also through to the quarterfinals of the Europa League -- a competition Mourinho also won, under its former guise of the UEFA Cup, in his first full season. "I can find similarities between Villas Boas and Mourinho in the way they started their careers and the way in which they reached immediate success at Porto," Rui Orlando, a football commentator for Portuguese-based SportTV told CNN. "Furthermore, both of them were not known as players and started coaching very early on, working with some really well known coaches." CNN Sport anchor Pedro Pinto, who has followed the careers of both men closely, is even more forthright in his comparisons of the pair. "There is no doubt in my mind that Villas Boas is the second coming of Jose. He is is a young, ambitious, disciplined football lunatic, who has soaked up as much knowledge as he can from working with the best coach in the world." It is impossible not to draw comparisons between the two men. Mourinho learned his trade working as an interpreter for Bobby Robson at both Porto and Barcelona, picking up tips from the legendary English coach before eventually impressing with his own coaching acumen. Villas Boas was also at Porto in the mid 1990s. At the tender age of 17, and with no football apprenticeship behind him, his mastery of English and attention to detail impressed Robson so much that the veteran coach hired the teenager to work as part of his scouting and statistics team -- sending him to Scotland to achieve his first coaching badges. And when Mourinho returned to Porto, after cutting his managerial teeth at Uniao Leiria, he took Villas Boas under his wing, going on to employ the willing student at both Chelsea and Inter Milan in exactly the same manner as Robson had done with him. Like Mourinho, Villas Boas started his coaching career at a small club. Leaving his mentor behind in Italy, Villas Boas took over at bottom of the table Academica last season, performing a minor miracle to steer a club, without a win before his arrival, to mid-table respectability. Porto, looking for a coach after sacking Jesualdo Ferreira following their failure to retain the league title and qualify for the Champions League, quickly came a-calling -- and Villas Boas has more than justified the decision to make him the youngest coach in the Portuguese top flight, with the club suffering just one defeat in all competitions. "He has had a very strong impact at the club, in the city and in the region," continued Orlando. "He came in after a disappointing season and immediately asserted himself with a positive and confident attitude. "His philosophy is similar to Mourinho when he was at Porto. He likes to play attacking football based on ball possession and forcing opponents into submission and his planning is superb. He spends countless hours in his office sourcing information to give to his players." And Pinto believes Villa Boas will go on to even greater success in the coming years. "His strength is not only tactical, it is his ability to program players into doing exactly what he tells them to do. "His organizational and motivational techniques are so good that players really believe they can do what he tells them." Even within the pantheon of great football coaches, there are few who have won titles before their 40th birthday; even Mourinho fails to make the grade. But with Villa Boas claiming silverware at such a young age, maybe "master" Jose should beware of the burgeoning talent of his pupil. | Andre Villas Boas is following in the footsteps of his mentor Jose Mourinho .
Villas Boas has led Porto to the Portuguese title at the age of just 33 .
Mourinho was seven years older when he won his first league title with the club .
Both men are motivated, ambitious and superb at organizing their players . |
fce5b0b595fe4df2eb45a20a45bd6e37f43c5c14 | By . Tom Kelly and Andrew Levy . PUBLISHED: . 18:59 EST, 16 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:28 EST, 17 December 2012 . Days before the tragedy, the father of a British boy killed in the Sandy Hook massacre told friends in the UK that his family was enjoying a ‘dream life’ in America. Ian Hockley, whose six-year-old son Dylan was one of 20 youngsters murdered, had proudly shown former neighbours pictures of his two children when he returned to finalise the sale of their old home in Hampshire last week. Mr Hockley, who is in his early 40s, told friends at his local pub that he and his U.S.-born wife, Nicole, were having a ‘wonderful American adventure’ after moving to New England with Dylan and his older brother Jake in January 2011. Full of smiles: Dylan (left) with his brother Jake and parents Ian and Nicole. Ian had told friends and family back in the UK that they were having a wonderful time in America . Relatives said they emigrated for a ‘better life for the family’ and chose to settle in Newtown, Connecticut, because it seemed so ‘safe and peaceful’. The house they moved into was directly across the street from the home of crazed gunman Adam Lanza, who opened fire in Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday after shooting his mother dead. Before the massacre, Mrs Hockley gave a poignant interview to the local newspaper in Newtown, describing her new home as a ‘wonderful place to live’. The devoted mother said the family had ‘felt happy and comfortable’ leaving Eastleigh, Hampshire, where she had lived with IBM finance manager Mr Hockley for nine years, to move to New England. In the article posted on The Newtown Bee website, the 42-year old said: ‘The schools here have been amazing, and the people in my neighbourhood are incredible. ‘Newtown is a wonderful place to live and we’re looking forward to being here a long, long time.’ Mr Hockley’s cousin, David Lutkin, 48, from Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire, yesterday said the entire family was in shock. ‘They chose to move to that area because it’s the last place you’d expect something like that to happen and it had a good school,’ he said. Heartbreaking: Dylan Hockley was described as a 'lovely little boy' by the family's next door neighbour . ‘Obviously there was one bad apple in the neighbourhood. You can’t account for that.’ Mr Lutkin added that Dylan had been ‘very close’ to eight-year-old Jake, who would have taken the loss very hard. ‘They are just a fabulous family. They are not good at the moment.’ Maria Sweet, 81, a retired nanny who lived next door to the Hockleys in Eastleigh, said the news left her ‘brokenhearted’. She said: ‘Dylan was such a lovely little boy and very intelligent too, he enjoyed school. ‘I would often offer him a drink and some biscuits and he’d come up to me and give me a cuddle.’ She still has cards from Dylan and his brother thanking her for presents. One read: ‘Dear Mrs Sweet, thank you so much for the chocolate bars, we love chocolate. We hope you had a nice Christmas and Happy New Year and hope to see you again soon.’ She described Mr and Mrs Hockley as ‘fantastic parents’. She said: ‘They both had so much time for the kids and loved them so much. ‘Ian was back here only last week to finalise the sale of their house – they had settled in America and were enjoying life there. ‘Ian and Nicole worked so very hard here and I think they wanted to move to America for a quieter life. ‘I remember Nicole being really excited about going and the two boys were looking forwards to seeing their grandparents more. They thought it would be a nice place to bring up their children.’ Peter Missen, 55, of Southsea, Hampshire, who worked with Mr Hockley at IBM in Hampshire, said: . ‘We kept in touch via Facebook and he would upload family snaps of himself with his beloved boys.‘Although Ian was a serious professional man, he was happy go lucky and you could tell he was a doting dad. Brothers: Dylan (left) and Jake were 'very close' according to a family member . He seemed very happy with their new life over in the States and this is absolutely tragic for them. I feel completely devastated.’ Dylan’s devastated grandmother Theresa Moretti, who lives in the US, said her daughter had previously described the town as ‘safe and lovely’. She said she heard the news as she was out buying Christmas presents for Dylan and Jake. ‘I got a garbled message on my answerphone from my daughter. She was almost incoherent. I called her back and she told me what had happened. Happy: Dylan (top), Jake and father Ian. The family have lived in the U.S. for nearly two years . 'She kept saying, “Mum, how do you tell an eight-year-old his six-year-old brother is dead and not coming back?” ‘Jake was at school that day. He heard the gunfire that killed his brother. 'The family isn’t doing well . . . Why did he have to shoot 20 innocent babies? They were only six and seven years old. Killer: Adam Lanza shot 26 people dead, 20 of them schoolchildren aged five to ten, and then shot himself at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut . ‘Dylan was a lovely boy. He had dimples and blue eyes and a mischievous grin . . . We are shattered and will never be the same.’ Close family friend Kristen Trudeau said the Hockleys were being comforted by hundreds of messages of support that have flooded in. But she said the family’s agony was made even worse by the fact that they lived in the same road as Lanza. ‘They are totally bereft over the loss of Dylan, but to know you have lived with the killer is just unreal,’ the mother of two said. Another friend added: ‘Losing your son in such a way is unimaginable, but having to live within sight of the killer’s home is just sick. 'They must want to get away from here as quickly as possible.’ Mrs Trudeau, 36, and her husband Brian, 38, got to know the Hockley family soon after they moved to Newtown. Mrs Hockley joined a newcomers’ club and with another British woman, Jillian Cruwys, became one of the main organisers. The club arranges social events to help people moving into the town make friends. The family were also regular visitors to a shop that sold British goods in Newtown called UK Gourmet. ‘The children like to go there to get their Flakes and other chocolate bars,’ said a friend. ‘I don’t think the boys really liked our American chocolate.’ Prayers were said yesterday for the family at St Nicholas’s Church in Eastleigh, and advent candles were lit for them during the service. Bravery: Victoria Soto, 27, is believed to have sacrificed her life to save the children in her care . Out of the chaos and horror of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School emerged incredible stories of bravery and selflessness from teachers and staff who were prepared to lay down their lives to protect the children in their care. Teacher Victoria Soto is believed to have hidden her pupils in a classroom closet but stood outside, possibly because there was no room for her to hide in there too. When Lanza demanded to know where the children were, the 27-year-old lied and told him they were at the other end of the school in the auditorium. But six of her pupils tried to escape and Lanza shot them, Miss Soto and a teaching assistant who was in the room. Police later opened the closet and found the remaining seven members of the class, who told them what had happened. Miss Soto’s cousin Jim Wiltsie said: ‘She took her kids, put them in the closet and by doing so she lost her life protecting those little ones. 'I’m just proud that Vicki had the instincts to protect her kids from harm.’ He added: ‘It brings peace to know that Vicki was doing what she loved, protecting the children, and, in our eyes, she’s a hero.’ Miss Soto, who had worked at the school for five years, was popular with the students – not least because she liked to chew gum in class, a habit usually frowned upon during lessons. The teacher, who lived with her family in nearby Stratford, Connecticut, was single and doted on her black labrador Roxy. She called her pupils her ‘little angels’, said a friend. Scores of mourners, including Miss Soto’s mother Donna, sisters Karly and Jillian and brother Matthew, gathered in Stratford on Saturday night for an emotional vigil. Grief: Donna Soto (right), mother of Victoria, the first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School who was shot and killed while protecting her students, hugs her daughter Karly (centre) | The father of the British boy murdered in U.S. school shooting had spoken warmly of the family's new life .
He told former neighbours in UK that their new home was safe and peaceful .
His son was killed by a crazed gunman at school a week later . |
fce5c95b0333b6285297ca1c02b90398ad32d57d | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 23:43 EST, 17 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:13 EST, 18 April 2013 . A plague of rats in gardens and playgrounds could be on the way thanks to new health and safety rules that go beyond European Union guidance, pest control experts claim. The Health and Safety Executive would like the use of so-called ‘second generation’ rat poisons restricted to within 16ft of buildings. The Government agency is worried that predators in the countryside such as foxes and birds of prey will ingest the two poisons - difenacoum and bromadiolone, reported the Daily Telegraph. Problematic: The Health and Safety Executive would like the use of so-called 'second generation' rat poisons to be restricted to within 16ft of buildings . However pest control experts gamekeepers are adamant that the poisons are not eaten by other animals if used correctly - and only a fractional amount is ingested even when errors are made. Some 128,000 rat treatments carried out annually would be made illegal by the ban, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, reported the Telegraph. The Country Land and Business Association and the Countryside Alliance claim the ban will make it tougher to control rats in parks and urban wasteland, and say the HSE is going further than it should. The European Commission is only said to be currently considering greater controls on chemicals. Complaints: The Country Land and Business Association and the Countryside Alliance claim the ban will make it tougher to control rats in parks and urban wasteland, and say the HSE is going further than it should . The products are used in wider countryside areas by around 75 per cent of gamekeepers, according to the National Gamekeepers Organisation. 'We have a pretty bad situation with rats in open countryside as it is and it could easily get worse' Mike SwanGame and Wildlife Conservation Trust . Rats are mostly resistant to the first generation of poison - warfarin - reported the Telegraph. Mike Swan, of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, told the newspaper: ‘We have a pretty bad situation with rats in open countryside as it is and it could easily get worse.’ But a Health and Safety Executive spokesman insisted that the poisons should be restricted to ‘in and around buildings’. | HSE wants 'second gen' rat poisons restricted to within 16ft of buildings .
Agency is worried that predators in countryside will ingest these poisons .
Pest control experts say other animals don't eat poisons if used correctly .
Some 128,000 rat treatments carried out annually 'would be made illegal' |
fce5c9b13881b6ae4513f2f6ae5a541d7d2bfb9c | By . Sara Malm for MailOnline . Iceland’s Bardarbunga volcano has been hit by the strongest earthquake since tremors began over a week ago, raising fears that another ash cloud disaster may become reality. The earthquake reached a magnitude of 5.7, potentially leading Iceland to yet again bring the warning code to red level. Airlines around the world remain on high alert as the magnitude of the quakes increase, but local geologists say they have yet to see signs of an eruption. Scroll down for video . Shaken: Another earthquake has hit Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano, shifting 50million cubic metres of molten rock . The intense seismic activity at . Iceland's largest volcano system has raised worries that an eruption . could cause another ash cloud like that from the Eyjafjallajokull . volcano in 2010 that shut down much of Europe's airspace for six days. ‘There . was one event during the night, it was a magnitude 5.7 earthquake, the . largest in this series,’ Palni Erlendsson, a geologist at the Icelandic . Meteorological Office said. ‘Activity is still deep and we see no signs of anything close to the surface.’ On . Sunday, Iceland lowered its warning code for possible volcanic . disruption to the aviation industry to orange from red, the highest . level on the country's five-point alert system, after concluding that . seismic activity had not led to a volcanic eruption under the glacier. Red alert indicates an eruption is imminent or underway with a significant emission of ash likely. Trembling times: Although the earthquake has not caused an eruption, there are fears of a repeat scenario of the Eyjafjallajokull ash cloud in 2010 . Bad boom: The 2010 eruption of a volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier, pictured, severely disrupted European air travel for several weeks after ash spewed into the atmosphere . Met . Office scientists believe the earthquakes are a result of magma flowing . out from under the crater of the volcano, causing a change in pressure. ‘We still can't say whether it will cease, continue like this for a while or erupt. It's impossible to say,’ Erlendsson said. There . have been thousands of smaller quakes over the past week at . Bardarbunga, and areas around the volcano, in the centre of the North . Atlantic island nation, have been evacuated. However, before an eruption air travel will not be affected, a spokesman for the UK Civil Aviation Authority said last week. 'The . (UK) Met Office will be monitoring what's occurring. They will be . sending out forecasts about the atmosphere and any ash in the air,' he . said. 'If the eruption does . occur we will issue what's called a notice to airmen informing them of . the conditions. It's then up to the airlines with their safety teams and . experts whether to fly.' | Iceland volcano hit by 5.7 magnitude earthquake overnight .
Warning code currently on orange level but could be brought to red .
It is feared an eruption could lead to a repeat of the 2010 ash cloud chaos .
The Eyjafjallajokull eruption disrupted around 100,000 international flights . |
fce6ad77eb2f4bd2a4ec2840ed77f45bd38bf641 | (CNN) -- The space shuttle Atlantis glided to a picture-perfect landing Friday morning under bright, sunny skies at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The seven-person crew returned after an 11-day mission to deliver key spare parts to prolong the life of the international space station. The original six-member crew, with flight engineer Nicole Stott -- who launched in August -- returned amid sunny, clear Florida weather. "Couldn't have picked a clearer day," Cndr. Charles Hobaugh said as the shuttle approached the runway. Mission Control told Hobaugh that the landing was a "picture-perfect end" to the mission. "Everybody, welcome back to Earth, especially you, Nicole," Mission Control said. Stott had spent 87 days on the international space station, according to NASA. About an hour after the shuttle landed, the crew transport vehicle moved alongside the orbiter access hatch on Atlantis' port side, NASA said on its Web site. With the crew hatch opened, the astronauts left the orbiter to enter the vehicle. It contains beds and comfortable seats so the astronauts can receive a brief medical checkup before they step onto the tarmac, NASA said. The crew's mission included three space walks and installation of two platforms to the station's backbone. The platforms will hold spare parts that will sustain station operations after the shuttles are discontinued. NASA said the parts the crew delivered will add years to the station's life after the space shuttle fleet is retired next year. Some of the parts are for systems that keep the station from overheating or tumbling through space, NASA said. During the mission, the crew celebrated Thanksgiving while they prepared for landing. They dined on smoked turkey, green beans, mushrooms, cornbread dressing and candied yams, according to NASA. Russia will take over supplying the international space station. On this mission, Atlantis also marked a 6 pound, 13 ounce development. Astronaut Randy Bresnik welcomed a daughter from space, the second time a baby has been born to a U.S. astronaut on a mission. Mike Fincke's daughter was born in June 2004 while he was aboard the international space station, NASA said. | NEW: Mission Control to crew: "Everybody, welcome back to Earth"
NEW: Crew lands at 9:44 a.m. ET Friday after 11-day mission to international space station .
Crew's mission included three spacewalks and installation of two platforms .
Crew's Thanksgiving meal included smoked turkey, green beans and cornbread dressing . |
fce70b5cd67140ca147dae0c40055fa067b7bbae | Instead of scanning the beach for fins, Queenslanders can track sharks in near real time on their phones. Researchers this week tagged three tiger sharks off Fraser Island, in Queensland's southern coast, and their movements can be followed by anyone using a smartphone app. According to the app, Jedda, a 3.5-metre female tiger shark, is heading north along the coast through the Coral Sea. Southeast Queensland tiger shark researcher Bonnie Holmes says the app could one day be used to warn people when a shark is in the area. Scroll down for video . Researchers this week tagged three tiger sharks off Fraser Island, near Bundaberg, and their movements can be followed by anyone using a smartphone app . According to the app, Jedda, a 3.5-metre female tiger shark, is heading north along the coast through the Coral Sea . 'Having that information in real time is fantastic and if people do want it for a slight safety reason then absolutely,' Ms Holmes told AAP on Friday. The data will provide insight into the migratory patterns of the sharks, of which little is known, and help ensure the sustainability of the often feared creature. Ms Holmes is hopeful the research will lead to a reduction in the number of sharks killed in Australian waters under government culling programs. 'We might be able to show they don't go to certain areas so we might be able to remove some of that shark control gear,' she said. Southeast Queensland tiger shark researcher Bonnie Holmes says the app could one day be used to warn people when a shark is in the area . The research is a collaboration between a number of Australian scientists and shark tracking organisation Ocearch. Dr Adam Barnett, a marine and environmental science researcher at James Cook University, said having access to technology and equipment on board the Ocearch research ship is invaluable. 'Having hands-on, safe access to live mature tiger sharks will be a significant boost to research... providing data we could never have dreamed of achieving on our own,' he said. Researchers will make their way north tagging about 20 sharks between Fraser Island and Cairns, before heading to the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The study also aims to identify how well protection measures are working. In Queensland, the sharks are only protected within designated areas of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. | Three sharks were tagged off Fraser Island, Queensland's southern coast .
Queenslanders can track them in near real time on a smartphone app .
Researcher Bonnie Holmes says the app could one day warn people when a shark is in the area .
About 20 more sharks will be tagged between Fraser Island and Cairns . |
fce71870d1003649bf0b48852793183198af2db9 | By . Rob Waugh . PUBLISHED: . 13:34 EST, 22 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:34 EST, 22 March 2012 . White iPhone 4S: The new iPhone 5 will have a much bigger 4.6-inch screen, and will launch this summer, according to sources in Korea . The new iPhone 5 will have a much bigger 4.6-inch screen, and will launch this summer, according to sources in Korea. The leak, reported in a business newspaper in Korea, would make the new iPhone the same size as its cult Android rival the Galaxy S2. Korean sources are often reliable indicators of the likely form - and date - for upcoming devices, as Korean plants supply screens and processors for many hi-tech companies, including Apple. Apple has decided on the bigger . 4.6-inch display for its next iPhone and started placing orders to its . suppliers, the Maeil Business Newspaper said, quoting an unnamed . industry source. Its major display suppliers LG Display and Samsung Electronics Co declined to comment. Sales of the iPhone, first introduced in 2007 with the touch screen template now adopted by its rivals, account for around half Apple's total sales. Samsung, which is also the biggest challenger to Apple in smartphones, uses 4.6-inch OLED display for its flagship Galaxy S II smartphone, introduced in April last year. The Yerba Buena centre in San Francisco where Apple launched the new iPad. The company is widely rumoured to launch the new iPhone this summer . The high-definition 'REtina' display--containing several times as many pixels within the same area-- is used in the latest iPad released earlier this month. The latest iPhone 4S was introduced in October last year. | Screen would make new phone same size as Android rival Galaxy S2 .
Leak from unnamed Korean source .
Release date 'in second quarter' this year . |
fce78b13d9e826a1e997e626a3cdef92c8160f6b | (CNN) -- Summer is inching upon us, and that means kids at public pools will be splashing, barbecues in the backyard will be blazing and a slate of blockbusters will start crowding around "The Avengers" at cineplexes. While all this is going on, one song will be blaring from car radios, tinny laptop speakers and hot dog stands at the beach. And that tune will be deemed the song of the summer. Of course, each year around this time, anyone with fingers and a Twitter account -- let alone a published byline -- is eager to latch onto a budding chart hit and declare that, yes, this one particular three-minute confection of perfection is definitely going to be the song of the summer. And if, by chance, that song still happens to be heavily crackling across the airwaves at an hourly rate in August, well, good for those pop prophets. Pat on the back. You were right. Bravo. But let's just state the obvious: pop does have a way of weaving itself into the fabric of our summer experiences. (Think of these recent, inescapable scorchers: Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" and "California Gurls" in 2008 and 2010, respectively, the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" in 2009 and LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" last year.) So why, then, doesn't anyone ever focus on the big hits that come along in December, or, for that matter, February? Is there some law that decrees June, July and August are the only zeitgeist-approved months on the calendar? Well, no. But song of the winter just doesn't have the same sexy ring to it, and who wants to cruise around sleeveless with the windows down when it's 24 degrees outside anyway? That brings us to 2012's upcoming stretch of sunny days, and Carly Rae Jepsen. Many sites will inform you that the 26-year-old Canadian's bouncy, string-laden "Call Me Maybe" is a song of the summer shoe-in (or, at the very least, one of the top contenders). And almost like clockwork, the single has inched up to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, just as Gotye's six-week reign on top with "Somebody That I Used To Know" seems to be winding down. Not up on Carly Rae or "Call Me Maybe"? You've been living under a rock, we see. Below are the only three points you'll need to know: . Her first big break: The Mission, British Columbia, brunette placed third on "Canadian Idol" in 2007. Her first album, "Tug of War," was released in her home country the following year, and her EP "Curiosity" arrived this past February on Valentine's Day. How she blew up: Fellow Canadian Justin Bieber and his manager, Scooter Braun, signed Jepsen earlier this year to a deal with their Schoolboy Records label. "Call Me Maybe": As the legend goes, Bieber and girlfriend Selena Gomez heard the song on the radio while visiting Canada in January. An alternate music video for "Call Me Maybe" (different from the official clip) features Bieber and Gomez, as well as pals Ashley Tisdale and members of Big Time Rush, lip-syncing along with the track. The vid went viral, and has more than 74 million views. To date, the single has topped the charts in Canada, Australia and the UK, and gone Top 10 in over a dozen other countries. It's worth pointing out that while there has been lots of speculation that it could be the "perfect pop song," Jepsen's breakout hit has been breaking out for quite some time now. It was first released in September, and by April it had become a radio staple here in the States. But with June looming in the distance, it's tricky to peg this slice of disco-pop that's been around for eight months as the definitive song of summer 2012. For starters, Carly Rae has some stiff competition in the forms of her pal Justin Bieber's Timberlake-like single "Boyfriend", Maroon 5's ode to antiquated communication methods "Payphone," Train's similarly upbeat stomper "Drive By" and Pitbull's "Men in Black 3" soundtrack jam "Back in Time." She also faces peaking early in the summer with "Call Me Maybe," then having it slide away by the time fireworks start shooting off, in the wake of other new tracks that will catch the ears of iTunes-clicking tweens. Last summer, for instance, Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera's "Moves Like Jagger" didn't come along until late June. By August, "The Voice" coaches' pair-up was unavoidable on radio, and it went on to spend four weeks atop the Hot 100. But it's late May, and right now you probably just want to know whether or not "Call Me Maybe" is going to be the hands-down song of summer 2012. We'll certainly concede that it was the song of spring. As for summer? We'll say definitely ... maybe. Sorry, Carly. | One song will soon be blaring in the background, and that tune will be the song of the summer .
Many sites will inform you that Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" is a shoe-in .
We'll certainly concede that it was the song of the spring . |
fce99e7542af3429bae32c84bd0063633c8f53d9 | A chemical compound found in spicy curries could help reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer, a study has found. Researchers gave capsaicin, which gives chilli peppers their heat, to mice genetically prone to developing multiple tumours in their gastrointestinal tract. The capsaicin triggered a pain receptor in the cells lining their intestines, setting off a reaction that reduced the risk of growing colorectal tumours. Scroll down for video . Researchers gave capsaicin, which gives chilli peppers their heat, to mice genetically prone to developing multiple tumours in their gastrointestinal tract . Scientists found that the treatment extended the lifespan of the mice by more than 30 per cent. And it was even more effective when combined with celecoxib, an anti-inflammatory drug already approved for treating some forms of arthritis. Bowel cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the UK, with doctors diagnosing an average of 41,000 new cases of the disease every year. The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, recommended that patients at risk of getting colon or rectal cancers should be given capsaicin as part of their diet to inhibit tumour growth. Capsaicin is already used as an analgesic . in topical ointments, where it acts as an irritant overwhelming nerves . reducing their ability to report pain for extended periods of time. It . is also used in pepper spray. The receptor or ion channel that is triggered by the capsicin - called TRPV1 - was originally discovered in sensory neurons reacting to heat, acidity and spicy chemicals in the environment. The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, recommended that patients at risk of getting colon cancer, pictured, or rectal cancer should be given capsaicin as part of their diet to inhibit tumour growth . But the study found TPRV1 was also expressed by epithelial cells in the lining of the intestines, where it is activated by epidermal growth factor receptor or EGFR. EGFR was an important driver of cell proliferation in the intestines, whose epithelial lining is replaced approximately every four to six days. Dr Petrus de Jong added: 'A basic level of EGFR activity is required to maintain the normal cell turnover in the gut. However, if EGFR signaling is left unrestrained, the risk of sporadic tumor development increases.' They found that mice genetically modified to be TRPV1-deficient suffered higher-than-normal rates of intestinal tumour growths. Dr Petrus de Jong added: 'These results showed us that epithelial TRPV1 normally works as a tumour suppressor in the intestines.' Molecular studies of human colorectal cancer samples recently uncovered multiple mutations in the TRPV1 gene, though there was no direct evidence that TRPV1 deficiency was a risk factor for colorectal cancer in humans. Dr Raz added: ‘Our data suggest that individuals at high risk of developing recurrent intestinal tumours may benefit.’ | Researchers gave capsicin, which gives chilli peppers their heat, to mice .
Animals are genetically prone to developing tumours in gastrointestinal tract .
Capsicin triggered pain receptor, setting off reaction reducing tumour risk .
Treatment extended lifespan of mice by more than 30 per cent .
Bowel cancer is third most common type of cancer in the UK . |
fcea10d0588f6c925eb0a48c03b6055b8a5da874 | He's photographed everyone from Jerry Hall and Kate Moss to Mick Jagger and Damon Albarn but David Bailey says the secret of his success isn't being a dab hand with a camera - it's because he 'falls in love' with each and every one of his subjects. 'I'm a whore, I fall in love with them while they're with me,' Bailey told the Telegraph. 'Whether they're a man - I try to keep away from dogs - or a woman. 'You just have to fall in love with people so they're at the centre of your universe for that two or three hours or all day you're with them. Glamorous: A glossy portrait of model Jerry Hall and late photographer Helmut Newton in Cannes in 1973 . Stunning: Blur singer Damon Albarn, photographed in 2007, and Kate Moss pictured earlier this year . 'Of course sex inspires me,' he added. 'Of course it does.' And Bailey's romantic urges haven't always remained behind the camera, with the photographer's fourth wife Catherine making regular appearances in her husband's work - and in the forthcoming exhibition. Bailey, whose former wives include French actress Catherine Deneuve and model Marie Helvin, also enjoyed a relationship with supermodel Jean Shrimpton - an affair immortalised in BBC4 film We'll Take Manhattan, featuring Dr Who star Karen Gillan as Shrimpton and White Queen actor Aneurin Barnard as Bailey. Bailey made the comments as it was announced that 250 of his portraits will go on display at the National Portrait Gallery from next February. Return of the King: A darkly sexy shot of Bailey's wife Catherine (left) and a female Elvis (right) Iconic: Bailey's 1964 portrait of Mick Jagger is one of the best known images of the Rolling Stones frontman . Main man: Bailey (left) was played by Aneurin Barnard (right) in 2012 BBC film We'll Take Manhattan . The exhibition, entitled Bailey's Stardust, will include plenty of famous faces - among them Jack Nicholson and Damon Albarn - and will feature an entire room filled with portraits of his wife Catherine. Other highlights include a 1989 portrait of his wife Catherine, a playful shot of Jerry Hall and the late Helmut Newton in Cannes in 1978, and a 1957 self-portrait taken during the 75-year-old photographer's time doing National Service in Singapore. Sandy Nairne, director of the National Portrait Gallery, London, commented: ‘Bailey’s Stardust is a very special event. 'It offers an exceptional opportunity to enjoy the widest range of the mercurial portraits created by David Bailey, one of the world’s greatest image-makers.’ The exhibition will run from February until June next year and will be accompanied by a . Bailey-designed glossy book of the same name. BAILEY’S STARDUST, sponsored by HUGO BOSS, National Portrait Gallery, London from 6 February until 1 June 2014 . | The 75-year-old has new show opening in February 2014 .
Bailey's Stardust will include 250 of his most famous portraits .
Famous models include Jerry Hall, Kate Moss and Mick Jagger . |
fcea5707db07b334a766d74774fea7af3fd53787 | By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 04:22 EST, 12 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:37 EST, 12 December 2013 . The ruling that jailed feminist punk group Pussy Riot was illegal and should be heard again, Russia's Supreme Court has said. According to the Supreme Court, it was never established that Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina disturbed the peace out of 'hatred for a social group'. The crime was also not violent and the Moscow court did not take into consideration that Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova have children, the Supreme Court added. Feminist Russian punk group Pussy Riot members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, center, Maria Alyokhina, right, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, are escorted into the court room . A date has not yet been set for a new hearing but it is hoped it will be heard before the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in February. An amnesty legislation is also being considered by the State Duma which could mean they are released before the New Year. Irina Khrunova, Pussy Riot's lawyer, said she welcomed the news. Their sentences are due to end in March. Feminist punk group Pussy Riot members, from left, Yekaterina Samutsevich, Maria Alyokhina, centre, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova . Ms Khrunova told The Independent: 'If the amnesty project passes, I expect they will be out by new year’s.' Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Tolokonnikova – were convicted of hooliganism in August 2012 and sentenced to two years in a prison after performing a protest song against President Vladimir Putin in a Russian Orthodox cathedral. Samutsevich’s sentence was suspended a month later. A picture taken on April 26, 2013, shows Nadezhda Tolokonnikova who has carried out two hunger strikes . In November, it was reported that Tolokonnikova was being treated for health problems in hospital in Siberia three weeks after she 'disappeared'. She was removed from Prison Colony No. 14 in October after going on hunger strike in protest at appalling conditions. She spoke of death threats from senior prison officers, slave-like labour conditions, female inmates being forced to strip naked as they sew uniforms, the banning of toilet breaks and punishment beatings. Tolokonnikova says she was forced to work 17-hour days and eat rotten food. | It was never established that Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina disturbed the peace out of 'hatred for a social group'
Moscow court also did not take into consideration that they had children .
Supreme Court is yet to set a date for an appeal hearing .
Group's lawyer pleased and hopes they might be out before the New Year . |
fceacf8c8a4da1478aceb7f36bc976c949f6e1d5 | A 29-year-old mother was fatally shot Tuesday in an Idaho Walmart when her 2-year-old son in the shopping cart grabbed a gun that was in her purse and shot her in an apparent accident, authorities said. Detectives were investigating the scene and Walmart officials immediately shuttered the store in Hayden, said the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office. The mother was identified by the sheriff's office as Veronica J. Rutledge of Blackfoot. At the time, the mother and son were shopping with other family members, authorities said. "The shooting appears to be accidental," said a statement by Sheriff Ben Wolfinger and Lt. Stu Miller. At a press conference, Miller said the mother was shopping at the back of the store in the electronics department. "It appears that the victim brought several of her children here to do some shopping after the holidays," Miller told reporters in the parking lot. "The child looks like to be sitting in the shopping cart with the purse while the female victim was shopping." "Here it is around the holidays, just after Christmas and right before the New Year -- tragic, tragic accident," Miller said. "It's not a pleasant experience right now." The shooting occurred about 10:20 a.m. "A very sad incident happened in our store in Hayden, Idaho, that involved a female customer," said Walmart spokesperson Brooke Buchanan. "We are working closely with the local sheriff's department as they investigate what happened." The Walmart will reopen Wednesday morning, officials said. When and how do parents educate children about guns? | Mom was shopping with several of her children at Walmart, police say .
They were doing some post-holiday shopping in electronics department .
"This is a pretty tragic incident right now that we're dealing with," police rep says . |
fceb2b53bb297aaa3670ca69c0408d55b8ad308f | By . John Drayton . World number one Adam Scott produced a bogey-free third round 66 to move two shots off the lead at the Crown Plaza Invitational in Forth Worth, Texas. The Australian is in danger of losing his place at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking after only a week, depending on how Henrik Stenson finishes at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, but four birdies helped him to five-under overall to give him a fighting chance going into the final round in Texas. His performance on Saturday showed a steady return to form after a disastrous four bogeys on the opening day put him way off the pace. Not concerned: Scott said that he wasn't focused on events elsewhere, only on his golf and his performances . When asked if the possibility of Stenson usurping him was a concern, Scott told the PGA Tour website: 'I can only worry about my golf here. Worrying about that isn't going to help me at all. 'It's all very tight. We know that. I'm happy to have gotten to number one. I hope it's not such a short stay.' Four men are tied leading the way on seven-under overall going into the final day.Hideki Matsuyama and David Toms were the big movers at the top, hitting 64 and 65 respectively, while Chris Stroud and Chad Cambell also go into the final day sharing the lead. Kevin Chappell heads the chasing pack one shot behind after falling short of being only the seventh player in PGA Tour history to shoot 59. Pressure: Henrik Stenson is ready to benefit from any slip-ups from Scott . Form: After a terrible opening round Scott's performances suggested he was getting back to his best . Six birdies and an eagle after 11 holes made that a possibility at one point, also giving him the overall lead, but the American was unable to sustain the momentum and finished on 63 for the day.Chappell refused to get too downbeat after missing out on the feat, suggesting his luck just ran out slightly on the back nine. 'I used up a lot of luck today,' Chappell told the PGA Tour website. 'I had two chip-ins and made some long putts. Fifty-nine would have been nice but I kind of lost the feel of the putter there on the back nine. All in all, a good day.' Friday's leader Brice Garnett slipped to three-under overall after a disappointing double bogey and two bogies saw him card 74 in the third round. Close: Kevin Chappell narrowly missed out on a record breaking 59, eventually finishing with 63 . | Australian hits an improved round to give himself a chance in the final round .
World number one responds to the threat posed by Henrik Stenson .
Scott has only been top of the PGA rankings for a week .
Kevin Chappell misses out on being youngest to hit 59 on PGA Tour . |
fceb309feb6cbb1fbd85a1aaf4f3eea14e64ea02 | (CNN) -- Clothes can look good, feel good and smell good, but now they can also sound good. Conceptual artist and sound designer Alyce Santoro has developed a material she calls "sonic fabric." Made from 50% polyester thread and 50% cassette tape, it has the consistency of denim, but is able to play audio. This month, Santoro has launched a new line of sonic ties -- hand-sewn in Manhattan by designer Julio Cesar. The ties can be played by customizing an old Sony Walkman, and rubbing it across the surface of the fabric. The sound the ties make is, according to Santoro, "like scratching five records backwards at once." Sonic fabric began life as an artwork but is now being used in bags, dresses, accessories and more. The spools of cassette tape used in the construction of sonic fabric maintain their magnetism, and can produce sound if amplified by the head of a tape player. Santoro's early versions of the textile interwove tapes from some of her favorite artists including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Richie Havens, as well as real-world sounds such as recordings of the ocean, wind and birdsong. The idea for sonic fabric was actually born long ago; as a child, Santoro raced sailboats using strands of cassette tape as 'tell-tales' to indicate the direction of the wind. "As a kid I used to imagine that I could hear the sounds that had been recorded onto the tape wafting out into the air if the wind hit them just right -- maybe Beethoven, the Beatles, or Bob Dylan -- whatever tapes my family happened to have around the house," Santoro says. Years later, inspired by this childhood vision, Santoro began to develop her sonic fabric, knitting together strands of tape into square prototypes, which she followed up with meter-long textile sheets woven with a loom. In the early days of its development, the fabric's audio capabilities were purely hypothetical, but in 2002 Santoro worked with a friend to customize a Sony Walkman to be able to play the fabric. Hearing it for the first time was, Santoro says, "magical." Sonic fabric soon attracted attention from audiophiles who were interested in experimenting with the way music might be hidden in a garment. In 2003, percussionist Jon Fishman commissioned Santoro to make him an outfit which he played live on stage with his band Phish. For the project Fishman lent Santoro his entire tape collection, which she mined for tracks from Prince, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and more. Santoro wove the samples into a "musical suit" which drew huge cheers when it was played at Phish's concert in Las Vegas. In the future, Santoro hopes to collaborate with artists and performers to see sonic fabric to further explore the intersection between fashion and music. "It would be thrilling to work with other sound artists and musicians around the world," says Santoro, "to literally weave together our sonic experiences during these times of powerful transformation in the realms of society, politics, and the environment. The resulting fabric could be shared and made into anything imaginable by anyone interested." CNN caught up with Santoro for a Q&A. CNN: Where did you get the idea for sonic fabric? And how has its use changed in the time you have been working with it? AS: I got the idea to weave with cassette tape when I saw Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags for the first time many years ago. It was explained to me at the time that the flags often have images of sacred sounds, or "mantras," block-printed onto them. Colorful strings of these flags are hung in auspicious locations where the wind can "activate" the sounds, sending "good vibes" out around the world on the breeze. This immediately reminded me of experiences I'd had racing small sailboats as a kid. When sailing, it's imperative to remain aware of subtle variations in the direction and speed of the wind at all times. There are very low-tech ways to determine this, including feeling the wind on your face, and keeping an eye on "tell-tales" -- small strands of yarn that are tied to the rigging. It so happens that cassette tape is commonly used for this purpose, as it is a very sensitive, durable material. As a kid I used to imagine that I could hear the sounds that had been recorded onto the tape wafting out into the air if the wind hit them just right -- maybe Beethoven, the Beatles, or Bob Dylan -- whatever tapes my family happened to have around the house. I thought it would be interesting to combine the idea of the Tibetan flags with the tell-tails; to weave a fabric quite literally imbued with sonic potential. CNN: Where and how is it made? AS: Sonic Fabric is woven at a small, family-run textile mill in New England on an astoundingly beautiful 1940s Dobby loom that was salvaged by the mill especially for this purpose -- it has a special shuttle that just happens to handle cassette tape perfectly. CNN: What projects is sonic fabric currently being used in? Where would you like to see it used in future? AS: At the moment, sonic fabric is mostly used in installation art in the form of sets of sailboat sails. I like to imagine that the energy stored in the carefully-blended sounds can have some positive effect, however subtle, on the surrounding environment. I am currently collaborating with a designer friend on a line of small, wearable accessories. Julio Cesar hand sews neckties, small bags, and other custom pieces for anyone who would like to have a functional work of conceptual art that can be used as part of "everyday life". In the future, I envision more collaborative opportunities -- it would be thrilling to work with other sound artists and musicians around the world to literally weave together our sonic experiences during these times of powerful transformation in the realms of society, politics, and the environment. The resulting fabric could be shared and made into anything imaginable by anyone interested. CNN: How does it sound? AS: The sound that the fabric emits is garbled, like scratching five records backwards at once. Since the 1/8" wide strands of cassette tape get folded when they go into the loom, there are probably 20 or so strands squished into an inch of fabric. An average-width tape head is capable of picking up maybe 5 or 6 strands of tape at a time. The sound the OM tone edition of fabric emits is not garbled. However, since it's recorded with only a single note, it makes a single clear tone that can be adjusted according to the speed at which the player is rubbed along the fabric. CNN: Can anyone play it? AS: Absolutely! All you need is an old Walkman and some headphones or a small amplifier. Here's how to build one, with examples of what it sounds like when the fabric is "played." | Sonic fabric is a textile made from cassette tape and polyester thread .
The material has the consistency of denim but is capable of producing audio .
Sonic fabric has been used in collections by fashion designers and live on stage by musicians . |
fcec33311f22d2fdc5831691fc74bbc1668e9a7b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:29 EST, 31 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:42 EST, 1 September 2012 . Exam watchdogs last night dismissed calls for the wholesale regrading of this summer’s English GCSE papers, despite admitting that nearly 60,000 pupils who entered early got away with an easier test. Ofqual said schools had been ‘surprised’ after ‘two decades of grade inflation’ were finally brought under control. It said English grades issued to nearly 670,000 pupils this summer were fair and comparable with last year, and regrading would be ‘impossible to justify’. Scroll down to hear from the National Association of Head Teachers . Action: Teachers and parents protest outside Education Secretary Michael Gove's office earlier this week over claims GCSE English exams were unfairly marked . The watchdog conceded that English . GCSEs set in January – taken by more than 58,000 pupils – were ‘graded . generously’. However, it had decided it would be unfair to strip these . candidates of their grades. Heads and teachers denounced the report as a ‘whitewash’ and renewed threats of legal action against exam boards. Ofqual’s report claimed that schools . were partly to blame for the problem by attaching too much importance to . grade boundaries set in January that they should have known were . subject to change. This had caused some teachers to make excessively . generous predictions of pupils’ final achievements. 'Grade robbers': Headteachers today warned they could still mount a legal challenge over GCSE English as Ofqual said that this summer's results will not be re-graded . Under pressure: Education Secretary Michael Gove (pictured) has been called on to make a statement to Parliament on Monday about how the government intends to address concerns about GCSE English . Q. So, now that Ofqual has published its findings, is that the end of the matter, then? No. The unions are generally unhappy about Ofqual's stance. The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) maintains that there has been a 'systemic failure' in the awarding of GCSE English grades. They are most concerned that thousands of students who should have got a C in their English GCSE instead got a D, generally considered a fail, even though officially it is a pass, and that it could affect their chances of getting into the sixth-form college, or gaining an apprenticeship. Q. What do the unions want to happen? There have been calls for results to be re-graded and Ofqual to reconsider its findings. They say it is 'wholly unacceptable to leave the students and their teachers to pick up the pieces of a problem they did not cause' and that 'it is not acceptable or practicable to make the students resit examinations'. They also say that the grade boundaries should have not have been moved during the academic year amid fears that too many children were going to get a C. Q. What will happen now? Ofqual says it will continue to go through any further evidence with unions and talk to them about wider issues around exams and gradings, as well as information and advice to teachers and schools. Labour education spokesman Stephen Twigg wants Education Secretary Michael Gove to address the issue in Parliament on Monday, when MPs go back after their summer break. And education unions bosses are threatening to begin a legal challenge against the grade boundary changes on the grounds that it disadvantaged certain groups of students. This could be a protracted debate. Up to 1,000 schools submitted evidence to Ofqual’s inquiry claiming that English grades were lower than expected. But Ofqual insisted: ‘The standard set . for these English GCSEs is comparable with that in previous years. Each . exam board set standards for the qualifications in the manner . expected.’ In a concession, Ofqual said it would . allow pupils, as a one-off, an extra, earlier resit opportunity in . November. But this will come as little comfort to those who were . supposed to be starting sixth-form or college courses on Monday and . missed the C grades they needed to confirm places. Ofqual carried out the inquiry after the first drop in GCSE results in the exam’s history. Headache: Teachers claim the grade boundary changes during the year have disadvantaged certain groups of students . Concern focused on English after the C . pass mark dropped 1.5 points – from 65.4 to 63.9 per cent. C grades in . the subject are demanded by many employers and universities while . schools risk closure or being taken over if they persistently fail to . bring enough pupils up to the standard. Ofqual said: ‘We know that schools and colleges will be disappointed with our conclusions. ‘Many will have been hoping that we . would conclude that the June grade boundaries were too harsh, and that . we should return to the January boundaries. 'Doing so would undermine . standards and damage confidence.’ But Brian Lightman of the Association . of School and College Leaders, said: ‘There has been a systemic failure . over the awarding of English GCSE grades. If necessary we will resort to . a legal challenge.’ 2010: New GCSE English syllabuses introduced with pupils sitting exam and submitting two pieces of controlled assessment. Coursework done under strict classroom supervision.2012, January: First students begin English GCSE exams and completing controlled assessments.June: Majority of students complete GCSE English qualification.August 23: Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receive results for GCSEs. Proportion of GCSEs awarded at least a C grade falls for first time in exam's history and row breaks out over English results. Headteachers claim exam boards substantially increased grade boundaries halfway through year.August 24: National Association of Head Teachers urges Education Secretary Michael Gove to establish independent inquiry into this year's GCSEs.August 25: Exams regulator Ofqual announces it will look again at English GCSE gradings.August 28: Association of School and College Leaders calls for students marked down in June to have grades reissued and based on January grade boundaries.August 31: Ofqual publishes initial report stating that January's GCSE English exams were 'graded generously' and that June boundaries were properly set.Students who gained English GCSE this summer told they will get extra chance to re-sit but headteachers warn they could still mount legal challenge. | Oqual admits January's GCSE English exams were 'graded generously'
But it said June's test boundaries were set properly and marked fairly .
Students will be offered an extra chance to re-sit exams in November .
But Association of School and College .
Leaders said this was not 'acceptable or practicable'
Has threatened legal challenge on grounds that boundary changes had disadvantaged some students . |
fcec7d9182ed78c068df1889f012ada3b4b201f1 | The Duchess of Cambridge has expressed her grief over the death of a 12-year-old cancer patient she met on a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital. Catherine spent time with leukemia sufferer Fabian Bate, then aged nine, when she and William attended the opening of a new children's wing at the Surrey hospital in 2011. Shortly after the visit, the Duchess, 32, penned a hand-signed letter to the young boy that spoke movingly of how she had been touched by his 'strength of character' and 'positive energy'. Scroll down for video . Touched: The Duchess of Cambridge with Fabian Bate, then aged nine, at the Royal Marsden Hospital in 2011. Catherine spent time with the boy when she and William attended the opening of a new children's wing . Moving: Shortly after meeting Fabian, the Duchess penned a hand-singed letter to the leukemia patient. In it, she spoke of how she had been touched by his 'strength of character' and 'positive energy' Source of strength: Prince William with Fabian, his parents Darrell and Lydia, and sisters Cassia (left) and Oleander during the 2011 visit. Fabian often recalled that William had told him to 'be brave' when they met . Today his parents, Darrell and Lydia, have revealed how their son, who died at home in Hampton Court, Greater London, on Tuesday, drew strength from her words in the years since their meeting. Mr Bate, 52, told the Daily Mirror: 'Just having the memory that the future King and Queen are rooting for you is pretty awesome to have in your armoury and for keeping your child going in the dark times.' In her note, written on St James’s Palace headed notepaper, Kate said: 'This must be a troubling time for you, your parents and your sisters, but I know I left the Royal Marsden assured by how incredibly talented, kind and clever the team at the hospital are. 'Combined with your belief and positive energy, you couldn’t be in better hands.' After being diagnosed in 2006 and undergoing three years of chemotherapy, Fabian went into remission in 2009. But the cancer returned in July 2011 and he had to undergo transplants with bone marrow donated by his sister, Cassia. Prince William and Kate made the visit to the Surrey hospital in October 2011, just six months after their wedding. Tribute: Mr Bate, pictured with Fabian, wife Lydia and daughters Cassia (left) and Oleander, said today that his son has been laid to rest with the 'very personal and special' letter he received from the Duchess . The Duke of Cambridge took over as president of the Royal Marsden following his mother’s death in 1997. In her letter, Kate expressed delight at the news that Fabian’s two older sisters Cassia, now 14, and Oleander, now 20, had been found to be a bone marrow match. The Duchess added: 'I will keep my fingers crossed that your health goes from strength to strength over the months ahead.' Speaking six months after he received the letter, Fabian recalled that it was 'kind' of the Duchess to send him the letter, but said that it made his Mum 'cry a bit'. Inspiring: Fabian, pictured right in 2012, died at home in Hampton Court surrounded by his parents, brother and two sisters, Cassia (left) and Oleander (right), on Tuesday after an eight-year battle with leukemia . Sorrow: A spokesman for the royal couple said: 'The Duke and Duchess are sad to hear the news and their thoughts are with Fabian's family'. Above, Catherine with Fabian during the 2011 hospital visit . After the first letter, the royal couple sent two more letters to Fabian to let him and his family know that they were updated on his progress and treatment and that he was in their thoughts. A spokesman for the royal couple said yesterday: 'The Duke and Duchess are sad to hear the news and their thoughts are with Fabian's family.' Mr Bate said today that his son, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2006, has been laid to rest with the 'very personal and special' letter. 'I want Kate to know that it wasn't just a letter, it was a message that meant so much. It has stayed with him and it is staying with him now that he is departed.' He added that his son would often remember that William, 32, had told him to be brave during the visit. Speaking a year after the visit, Fabian, then 10, recalled with excitement the day he met the royal couple. He told the Daily Mail: My sisters came to hospital that day because they were excited to see Kate and William. It was funny when William put his arm around Ollie: it made her blush. 'I asked Kate about the wedding — girls like talking about those things — and told her it made everyone very happy. 'She promised to look at my blog Faith4Fabian and one day when we were getting ready to go to Legoland the postman knocked with a letter from her. 'She wrote that it was nice to meet me and she was keeping her fingers crossed. It was kind, but it made Mum cry a bit. Fabian, born in 2002, was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in June 2006 after his parents noticed that he had developed a small lump on his neck. Due to his initial poor response to the treatment, Fabian was categorised as being 'at high risk of relapse' - which means that he only carried a 60 per cent chance of being cured. But the three years on treatment went better than expected and, apart from minor infections and a case of shingles, he coped very well having few hospital admissions. He remained in remission and in September 2009 he came off treatment. Posting on Fabian's blog, Faith4Fabian, his parents said they 'enjoyed a wonderful period without daily medication'. By July 2011 he had become 'noticeable more lethargic and anaemic' - both typical symptoms of recurring disease - and suspicions were aroused during one of his frequent trips to hospital. A blood test confirmed that he had relapsed but revealed that it was isolated to the bone marrow. As the relapse was 36 months from his initial diagnosis, he was put in the immediate risk category. That year Fabian met the Duke and Duchess when the royal couple, who had married just five months previously, attended the opening of a new children's wing at the Royal Marsden Hospital. Later that year it was confirmed that his sisters, Cassia, then 11, and Oleander, then 17, were perfect bone marrow matches for their brother. Due to a medical complication, Oleander could not donate her stem cells as planned and Cassia had to step in and take her place - with the transplant procedure taking place in 2012. Over the course of his treatment, Fabian had several rounds of gruelling chemotherapy and two bone marrow transplants as well as trying new therapies. He had been due to visit Sheffield to start a biological therapy last month but could not travel because of fever. Source: Faith4Fabian.com . | The Duchess met Fabian Bate at the Royal Marsden Hospital in 2011 .
After her visit she penned a hand-signed letter to the young cancer patient .
She spoke movingly of how she was touched by his 'strength of character'
The 12-year-old lost his eight-year battle with leukemia on Tuesday .
His parents said that Kate's letter inspired him and gave him strength .
Recalled that Fabian would often say that William had told him to be brave .
Fabian's family have set up a trust fund in his memory to support other families dealing with childhood cancer. For more information or to donate to the fund click here . |
fcec8cb63ec9dd7e1ca01b64eb21a7e1d7f8c3b8 | (CNN) -- The Humane Society of the United States released Thursday what it says is video showing gruesome images of many dead chickens -- and in some cases, mummified chicken carcasses -- at a farm in southeastern Pennsylvania. The animal protection organization says the video is from an undercover investigation it conducted at Kreider Farms in Manheim, Pennsylvania, in February and March. Kreider Farms, on its website, describes itself as "a real working farm supplying fresh quality eggs, milk, drinks and premium batch-churned ice cream to select wholesalers and retail stores." The video, played in a news conference, showed dead chickens in cramped cages surrounded by live chickens and eggs. Many of the birds appeared to be trapped either in cage wire or in automated feeding machinery. "During the investigation, thousands of birds died of dehydration when there was a water system malfunction that people didn't notice for two or three days," said Paul Shapiro, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States. "Hen's legs and wings and more were found stuck inside of the wires of the cages, trapping these animals, preventing them from gaining access to food or water. Some of the floors in these barns were so packed with dead flies that our investigator described the experience as similar to walking on top of Rice Krispies." But Kreider Farms President and CEO Ron Kreider issued a statement disputing the Humane Society's claims. "The allegations by HSUS are a gross distortion of Kreider Farms, our employees and the way we care for our birds," the statement read. "There are still many unanswered questions regarding how and when this video was shot, edited and assembled." The Humane Society is pushing for passage of a bill currently in the House of Representatives that it says would lead to a friendlier system of egg production. The bill is supported by the United Egg Producers, which represents farmers responsible for more than 80% of the country's egg production. Other influential food-industry organizations, however, are opposed to the legislation. The National Pork Producers Council, for example, issued a news release in January calling it a "farm takeover bill," and saying "it would set a 'dangerous precedent' for allowing the federal government to regulate on-farm production practices, including animal housing." The bill calls for an increase in the size of chicken cages, with the aim of preventing cramped and unsanitary conditions in which chickens lay eggs. The law would be phased in over an extended period to give farms time to make the necessary changes. It is unclear when the House might take up the bill for consideration. Kreider said in his statement Kreider Farms supports such legislation and asserted that more than 80% of the chickens there are already housed in new, larger, state-of-the art facilities. Still, Shapiro said the conditions on farms such as Kreider's aren't acceptable and threaten the health of people. "There is a direct connection many times between how we treat animals and problems that we cause for ourselves," he said. "Oftentimes when we abuse farm animals, we're not doing ourselves any favors in the process. "There's a clear case to be made, for example, that increasing the amount of birds who are cramming in together, giving them less and less space, increases the risk of salmonella infection. In fact, at Kreider Farms we saw they were testing positive for salmonella at this facility. And so it's important to recognize that, of course, the cruelty to animals by itself is extraordinarily problematic, but there's also a consumer safety aspect to this." | The Humane Society shows video of dead chickens at an egg farm .
The farm calls the allegations of inhumane conditions "a gross distortion"
The Humane Society is pushing passage of legislation to create better conditions . |
fced3866514311648d51aad21def626350480e1d | Two patients died after being given kidney transplants infected with a parasitic worm, it was revealed today. Darren Hughes, 42, and Robert 'Jim' Stuart, 67, were each given a kidney from a transplant donor who was carrying the deadly worm in his organs when he died. Health bosses have confirmed the 'unique and tragic case' is being investigated after both patients died within three weeks of the kidney transplants. Darren Hughes, 42, and Robert 'Jim' Stuart, 67, died after given the kidneys from a transplant donor infected with a parasitic worm . Doctors were not aware the donor had the worm - known as Halicephalobus, which lives in soil and is found in horses - when the transplant operations were carried out at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Mr Stuart and Mr Hughes began to 'deteriorate rapidly' after their surgery and died less than three weeks later. The two men are part of only five cases ever recorded across the world - and all have died from the worm infection. Halicephalobus is a parasitic worm which lives in soil and is found in horses. It is just 1mm long. The two men are part of only five cases ever recorded across the world - and all have died from the worm infection. Mr Stuart, of Cardiff, and Mr Hughes, of Bridgend, had kidney transplants in November 2013 but both died before Christmas. A post-mortem examination revealed they both died from infection called Meningeoencephaltis which was caused by the parasitic worm . Their families are now taking legal action and an inquest is due to be held next week into their deaths. Their solicitor Julie Lewis, medical negligence expert at legal firm Irwin Mitchell, said: 'The families are both desperately seeking answers as to how these tragedies could have happened and what measures should have been taken to ensure the patients safety. 'They have serious concerns about the information they have heard so far about what happened and hope that the inquest will provide them with answers to the many questions they have about the circumstances leading up to the deaths.' Miss Lewis added: 'There have only been five reported cases in the world of people diagnosed with the infection, all have been fatal. 'The donor of the kidneys died from the same infection.' The transplant operations were carried out at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff . Ruth Walker, Director of Nursing at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said: 'This is a unique and tragic case and everyone at the health board extends their sincere and heartfelt sympathies to the families involved. 'The health board requested its own independent, external review to establish why these patients died. 'That report has been provided to the coroner's office and we continue to support his investigation into these tragic deaths. It would be in appropriate to comment further ahead of the inquest.' They are taking advice from specialist medical negligence lawyers in the hope it 'will provide much-needed answers about how their loved ones died'. Investigations have been carried out by University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, NHS Blood and Transplant and Public Health England and Public Health Wales. | Doctors not aware donor had the worm - known as Halicephalobus - when the transplants were carried at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff .
Patients 'deteriorated rapidly' after surgery and died less than 3 weeks later .
The two men are part of only five cases ever recorded across the world . |
fced7f9bc4dc855bb62172867258c983a1cadf78 | Leicester have bid £5million for Ipswich striker David McGoldrick but could face competition from Crystal Palace. For all the moves before 11pm, click here . The Tractor boys are believed to want £7million for the 26-year-old, who scored 16 goals in 34 games last season, but a deal for £6m plus add-ons could be struck. McGoldrick did not feature in Ipswich's 1-1 draw at Derby on Saturday, with boss Mick McCarthy admitting he is close to leaving Portman Road. Highly rated: David McGoldrick scored 16 goals in 34 appearances for Ipswich last season . 'A Premier League club comes in for you and you can go back home and live in your own house, with more money, it would distract me as well,’ he said. Foxes boss Nigel Pearson wants to boost his striker options after missing out on Fraizer Campbell and Troy Deeney this summer, while Neil Warnock has said he wants four players before the transfer deadline. | The Foxes are keen to add another striker to their ranks .
They have bid £5million for Ipswich forward David McGoldrick .
McGoldrick scored 16 times in 34 appearances last season .
They could face competition from Crystal Palace for the 26-year-old . |
fced8fe93df49e7d0115fb78e1eee9ed097373bf | By . Liz Hull . PUBLISHED: . 17:06 EST, 5 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:31 EST, 6 June 2013 . Wealthy businesswoman Diana Lee was murdered and her body mutilated by the penniless lover to whom she had given £70,000, a court has heard . A wealthy businesswoman was murdered and her body mutilated by the penniless lover to whom she had given £70,000, a court has heard. During their 20-month affair, David Ryan left his wife at home as he sneaked off to have sex with Diana Lee in the back of her car in lay-bys and pub car parks and inside her isolated £500,000 mansion. After one rendezvous at her house, Ryan, 48, is alleged to have bludgeoned to death 54-year-old Miss Lee, who was less than 5ft tall and weighed less than 8 stone. The bankrupt former conservatory fitter, who was £90,000 in debt, denies murder and has said he was at home with his wife watching the Olympic Games at the time. Chester Crown Court heard that after killing Miss Lee in August last year, Ryan mutilated her body with a saw to destroy DNA evidence, before dragging her body into the garage and setting it on fire. Ryan then tried to frame Miss Lee’s live-in lodger. He smeared her blood on the man’s antique German army SS dagger, slashed her dressing gown with it to make it appear it had been used to stab her to death and left some of her underwear in his bedroom. He also sent text messages from Miss Lee’s mobile phone to customers of her cattery business, which she ran from her house near the village of Cranage, near Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, to imply that she was still alive. Ryan then fled in Miss Lee’s car, before abandoning it 10 miles away and attempting to set fire to it. However, Ryan’s attempts to cover his tracks failed after the fire in the garage failed to take hold and it was discovered by Miss Lee’s brother a few hours later. Police found her naked, partly charred body in a wheelbarrow, surrounded by petrol, her bedding, shredded paper and logs. Three weeks later, police interviewed Ryan after discovering he had contacted her by mobile phone in the days before her death. Ryan, who had a penchant for designer clothes and Italian shoes, met Miss Lee at a dance club and she did not know that he was married, Brian Cummings QC, prosecuting, told the jury. During their 20-month affair, David Ryan . (pictured outside Chester Crown Court) left his wife at home as he sneaked off to have sex with Diana Lee in . the back of her car in lay-bys and pub car parks, a court heard . He said that Ryan, who was seeing a third woman at the time of Miss Lee’s death, initially denied having been in a relationship with her. However, after being asked to provide a DNA sample to eliminate him from inquiries, he became ‘unnerved’ and admitted that he had had sex with the former garden centre worker on the night before her death. He told police that he would sneak off to a phone box near his home in Hale to arrange to meet Miss Lee and that they slept together at least ten times. A post-mortem examination revealed that Ryan and Miss Lee had engaged in sexual activity hours before her death on August 9. Forensic tests on footprints in blood found on the downstairs carpet of Miss Lee’s home, called Parklands, were also found to match a brand of Italian shoes favoured by Ryan. Analysis of his computer also indicated that he had viewed and deleted files relating to the murder, as well as researching on the internet countries to which he could escape to which did not have an extradition treaty with the UK. When questioned, Ryan denied borrowing or stealing money from Miss Lee, instead claiming he only took cash from her for doing odd jobs around her home. The businesswoman's body was found in the burnt out garage of her luxury rural home. She suffered fatal injuries in the attack a court heard . Chester Crown Court heard that after killing Miss Lee in August last year, Ryan mutilated her body with a saw to destroy DNA evidence, before dragging her body into the garage and setting it on fire . Mr Cummings said: ‘The defendant was having a relationship with Diana Lee which they both kept secret from other people. Other than the fact that he had unprotected sex with her, he believed there would be nothing to link him to her... that is why he mutilated her body and attempted to incinerate it.’ A woman on the jury wept after they were shown computer-generated images and photographs of Miss Lee’s mutilated body. Mr Cummings said he realised the images made ‘unpleasant viewing’ but stressed that they were vital to the prosecution’s case. Police inquiries revealed that Miss Lee, who apparently had told no one about her affair with Ryan, had withdrawn £70,000 in cash from her bank accounts in the ten months before her death. During the same period, unemployed Ryan, who had just £100 to his name, made cash purchases of £53,000 and around £7,000 had been paid into his bank account. Mr Cummings said it was the prosecution’s case that Ryan had received ‘large amounts of cash’ from Miss Lee. He added: ‘It would not be the first time that he had managed to persuade someone to supply him with large sums of cash, which he did not repay.’ The case continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | David Ryan left his wife at home as he 'sneaked to have sex with Diana Lee'
After one rendezvous he is alleged to have bludgeoned her to death .
It's claimed Ryan mutilated her body with a saw to destroy DNA evidence .
Chester Crown Court heard he then dragged body to garage and set on fire . |
fcedcafe8ca725cb3ba24a50f02f8a0564163ae7 | Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Greek lawmakers on Sunday agreed to cut thousands of government workers to secure another 8.8 billion euros ($11.5 billion) in bailout funds. The vote clears the way for 15,000 civil servants to be fired by the end of 2014, the first time Greece's cash-strapped government has said it will cut its workforce of about 700,000. The right to a permanent position once hired by the public sector had been protected by the Greek constitution before Sunday, and about one in four Greeks is on the public payroll. Cutting that figure is part of the loan agreement between the government and its creditors, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. But the layoffs will be coming when unemployment has skyrocketed to more than 27%. Previous austerity measures have cut pay for public workers as much as 30% and reduced pension benefits. CNNMoney: Jobless misery deepens in Greece and Spain . Sunday's 168-123 vote came after heated debate in parliament and with protesters gathered outside. The civil servants union ADEDY said the measure will signify the end of the country's welfare state, but the three parties that make up the country's ruling coalition supported the layoff bill. "We are going through a very difficult path, but this is going to be a success story," Prime Minister Antonis Samaras told reporters after the vote. EU and IMF officials said earlier this month that Greece is on track to reach its bailout targets. But each round of austerity measures has fueled sometimes-violent demonstrations, and critics argue the tax increases and spending cuts imposed by struggling eurozone economies have driven up unemployment without spurring growth. 28 migrant workers wounded in shooting over wages in Greece . | NEW: "This is going to be a success story," prime minister says .
The vote clears the way for another $11.5 billion in loans .
The Greek unemployment rate is already over 27% .
EU and IMF officials say Greece is meeting its bailout targets . |
fcee1b3705c90c6bfb949c62556b6c108e1f88f3 | Turkey's leader accused France of "genocide" last century during the war in Algeria, a ratcheting up of rhetoric over controversial French legislation that would criminalize any public denial of what the bill calls the Armenian genocide last century in Ottoman Turkey. "In Algeria, an estimated 15 percent of the population had been subjected to the massacre of French from 1945 on. This is genocide," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a conference in Istanbul on Friday. "Algerians were burnt en masse in ovens. They were martyred mercilessly. If French President Mr. (Nicolas) Sarkozy does not know about this genocide, he should ask his father Paul Sarkozy. His father Paul Sarkozy served as a soldier in the French legion in Algeria in 1940s." Once a French colony, guerrillas in the North African nation fought a bloody war against French rule from 1954 to 1962. The French Foreign Ministry shot back, saying "we deplore excessive use of formulas and personal attacks that do not meet up to the standards of our mutual interest and of our relations. France recalls that it assumes with clarity and transparency its duty to remember the tragedies that have marked its history." At the same time, it cited Foreign Minister Alain Juppe's call for "measure and restraint," which, he said, "are more than ever necessary under the current circumstances." Turkey is angered over the bill, passed by the French National Assembly on Thursday and now under review by the French Senate. Immediately after the vote, Erdogan announced that Turkey is reviewing its ties with France. He said Turkey is recalling its Paris ambassador to Ankara for consultations, is canceling bilateral visits, and won't cooperate with France in joint projects within the European Union. It is also halting "political consultations" with France, stopping bilateral military activities and joint exercises, and canceling permission granted annually for all military overflights, landings and take-offs. Erdogan hopes the Senate fails to pass the so-called Armenian genocide bill but he warns that if it does, Turkey will initiate more measures toward France. The Turkish-Armenian controversy over the massacres of last century has reverberated wherever diaspora communities representing both groups exist. Armenian groups and many scholars argue that starting in 1915, Turks committed genocide, when more than a million ethnic Armenians were massacred in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. The Republic of Armenia has hailed the French move. But modern-day Turkey officially denies that a genocide took place, arguing instead that hundreds of thousands of Armenian Christians and Muslim Turks died in intercommunal violence around the bloody battlefields of World War I. Sarkozy, speaking on TV from the Czech Republic capital of Prague, explained that his country doesn't need an OK from another nation to develop its policies. He was attending the funeral of late Czech leader Vaclav Havel. "In every circumstance we must remain cool headed and calm. France alone determines its politics. France does not ask for authorization. France has convictions: human rights, the respect for history. Every country must make the effort to revisit its past. France does not give lessons to anyone nor does it receive lessons from anyone," Sarkozy said. Saying that five million Muslims in live in France, Erdogan noted the "dangerous dimensions that racism, discrimination and animosity against Muslims reached in France and Europe. French President Sarkozy got the ambition to win the elections with animosity against Turks and Muslims and unfortunately he doesn't refrain from playing such dangerous games." Turkey and France are NATO allies, and, according to official Turkish statistics, the volume of trade between Turkey and France from January to the end of October this year was more than $13.5 billion. The genocide debate is an annual source of tension between Turkey and the United States, also two NATO allies. The White House, for example, annually beats back efforts in Congress to pass a resolution which would formally recognize the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide. | The Foreign Ministry slams 'personal attacks'
Turkey is incensed over the National Assembly bill .
Erdogan brings up French activity last century in Algeria . |
fceeb8600999e2be578dff8cfc12a62027df75cb | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy has charged six guards accused of assaulting detainees in May at Camp Bucca in Iraq, naval officials said Thursday. U.S. guards patrol at Camp Bucca in Iraq in May. The Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated alleged incidents that left two detainees with minor bruises. The division also investigated an incident in which eight prisoners were confined overnight to a housing cell that had been sprayed with a riot control agent, the Navy said. The six guards will face courts-martial. Seven other cases have been resolved through nonjudicial punishment, according to a statement from the commander of U.S. Naval Forces-Central Command. The courts-martial are expected to start within 30 days at Camp Bucca, which is in southern Iraq near the Kuwaiti border. The guards accused in the case are assigned to Navy Provisional Detainee Battalion 4. | Navy guards accused of assaulting detainees at Camp Bucca .
Eight prisoners were confined to cell sprayed with riot control agent, Navy says .
Navy: Two detainees allegedly left with minor bruises . |
fceebbeca3fd798fa5311f8a4b7b6b9a99911c60 | CERN's Large Hadron Collider will be turned back on in March - at double power, scientists revealed today. The world's biggest particle collider, located near Geneva, has been undergoing a two-year refit. Work is now 'in full swing' to start circulating proton beams again in March, with the first collisions due by May, the European Organization for Nuclear Research said. Scroll down for video . A worker stands below the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), a general-purpose detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, during maintenance works. Deep below the border between Switzerland and France, the tunnel stretches out of sight, decked with silver installations fit for a starship . 'With this new energy level, the (collider) will open new horizons for physics and for future discoveries,' CERN Director General Rolf Heuer said in a statement. 'I'm looking forward to seeing what nature has in store for us.' CERN's collider is buried in a 27-km (17-mile) tunnel straddling the Franco-Swiss border at the foot of the Jura mountains. The entire machine is already almost cooled to 1.9 degrees above absolute zero in preparation for the next three-year run. The first run, carried out at lower power, led in 2012 to confirmation of the existence of the Higgs boson particle, which explains how fundamental matter took on the mass to form stars and planets. That discovery was a landmark in physics but there are still plenty of other mysteries to be unraveled, including the nature of 'dark matter' and 'dark energy'. Latest calculations suggest that dark matter accounts for 27 percent of the universe and dark energy, which drives galaxies apart, 68 percent, while the visible matter observed in galaxies, stars and planets makes up just 5 percent. Scientists look at a section of the LHC while it is switched off. A year ago, the world's largest particle collider made one of the greatest discoveries in the history of science, identifying what is believed to be the Higgs Boson -- the long-sought maker of mass . Other unsolved questions include the relative lack of antimatter in the universe, when equal amounts of matter and antimatter were created in the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, and the possible existence of other new kinds of particles. Many physicists favor a yet-to-be-proven theory known as super-symmetry, in which all basic particles have a heavier but invisible 'super' partner. Getting to grips with such issues requires deeper insights into the building blocks of the cosmos, which researchers hope to achieve by turning up the dial at CERN to higher energies. 'We have unfinished business with understanding the universe,' said Tara Shears, a physics professor at the University of Liverpool, who works on one of the four main experiments at the collider. A worker walks past the Compact Muon Solenoid - part of the LHC. The 27 kilometre circular lab went offline in February for an 18-month overhaul. When experiments resume in 2015, scientists at CERN will use its enhanced power to probe dark matter, dark energy and supersymmetry . As engineers focus on the technical mission, physicists are sifting through the mountains of data that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has churned out since 2010, for there could be more nuggets to find. 'The things that are easy to spot have already been exploited, and now we're taking another look,' said Tiziano Camporesi of CERN, noting wryly that dealing with the unknown was, well, unknowable. 'We always say that astronomers have an easier task, because they can actually see what they're looking for!' The LHC's particle collisions transform energy into mass, the goal being to find fundamental particles in the sub-atomic debris that help us to understand the universe. At peak capacity, the 'old' LHC managed a mind-boggling 550 million collisions per second. 'We give the guys as many collisions as we can,' said Mike Lamont, head of its operating team. 'That's our bread and butter. Most of that stuff is not very interesting, so there are real challenges sorting out and throwing most of that away, and picking out the interesting stuff,' he explained in the tunnel, which mixes installations fit for a starship with the low-tech practicality of bicycles for inspection tours. CERN's supercomputers are programmed to identify within microseconds the collisions worth more analysis - chunks of a few hundred per second - before thousands of physicists from across the globe comb the results to advance our knowledge of matter. The LHC's computer screens are dark, but behind the scenes, work is pushing ahead to give the vast machine a mighty upgrade, enabling the collider to advance the frontiers of knowledge even farther . 'We want to understand how that behaves, why it sticks itself together into tiny things that we call atoms and nuclei at really small scales, into things that we call people and chairs and buildings at bigger scales, and then planets and solar systems, galaxies at larger scales,' said CERN spokesman James Gillies. CERN's work can bemuse beginners, but the researchers find ways to make it simple. 'Everybody knows what an electron is, especially if they put their finger in an electric socket,' joked Pierluigi Campana, whose team has just provided the most exhaustive confirmation to date of the Standard Model, the chief theoretical framework of particle physics conceived in the 1970s. At peak capacity, the 'old' LHC managed a mind-boggling 550 million collisions per second. 'We give the guys as many collisions as we can,' said Mike Lamont, head of its operating team. Here, an engineer observes the Compact Muon Solenoid . They achieved the most accurate measurement yet of a change in a particle called a Bs, showing that out of every billion, only a handful decay into smaller particles called muon, and do so in pairs. For the experts, that finding was almost as thrilling as tracking the Higgs boson -- nicknamed the God Particle. It was theorised in 1964 by British physicist Peter Higgs and others in an attempt to explain a nagging anomaly - why some particles have mass while others, such as light, have none. As engineers (pictured) focus on the technical mission, physicists are sifting through the mountains of data that the LHC has churned out since 2010, for there could be more nuggets to find . It is believed to act like a fork dipped . in syrup and held up in dusty air. While some dust slips through . cleanly, most gets sticky - in other words, acquires mass. With mass . comes gravity, which pulls particles together. The Standard Model is a trusty conceptual vehicle but it still lacks an explanation for gravity, nor does it account for dark matter and dark energy, which comprise most of the cosmos and whose existence is inferred from their impact on ordinary matter. Some physicists champion supersymmetry, the notion that there are novel particles which mirror each known particle. A worker rides his bike in a tunnel of the LHC. When it is back in business, the supercomputers are programmed to identify the collisions worth more analysis - chunks of a few hundred per second - before thousands of physicists from across the globe comb the results to advance our knowledge of matter . 'We have a theory that describes all the stuff around us, all the ordinary, visible matter that makes up the Universe. Except, the problem is, it doesn't. It makes up around five percent of the Universe,' said Gillies. The LHC replaced the Large Electron-Positron Collider (LEP), which ran from 1989 to 2000. I . It came online in 2008, but ran into problems, forcing a year-long refit. The LHC's particle collisions transform energy into mass, the goal being to find fundamental particles in the sub-atomic debris that help us to understand the universe. Here a scientist gestures in front of a diagram of one of the many goings on at the LHC . It went on to reach a collision level of eight teraelectron volts (TeV) -- an energy measure -- compared to the LEP's 0.2 TeV. After the 50 million Swiss franc ($54-million, million-euro) upgrade, the target is 14 TeV, meaning bigger bangs and clearer snapshots. ''Every time we pass a significant amount of data collected, someone will find an excuse to open a bottle of champagne,' said physicist Joel Goldstein, glancing at a lab corner piled with empties.'We're going to run out of space eventually!' The particle was theorised in 1964 by British physicist Peter Higgs and others in an attempt to explain a nagging anomaly - why some particles have mass while others, such as light, have none. The search more knowledge about the Higgs Boson will resume when the LHC opens again after its upgrade . | The 27 km circular lab went offline .
in February but will reopen in March with more firepower to help scientists solve the mysteries of the universe .
A year ago, the Large Hadron Collider made one of the greatest discoveries in the history of .
science, identifying what is believed to be the Higgs boson .
As engineers focus on the technical .
mission, physicists are sifting through data that the mighty atom smasher has churned out since 2010 . |
fceed90b027bc409db51880d2891f6120f506f77 | In the space of one frantic fortnight, Jak Alnwick has been exposed to the brilliance and brutality of life as a professional footballer. On Sunday afternoon, as the rookie goalkeeper makes his full home debut in a Tyne-Wear derby, you get the feeling his experience will swing across the perilous pendulum which divides those two extremes. To recap, the 21-year-old was an unknown without a Wikipedia page two weeks ago when he emerged from the backbenches of the dugout at St James’ Park to first flatten Diego Costa and then perform heroics as Newcastle became the first team to beat Chelsea since April. Young Newcastle goalkeeper Jak Alnwick will experience the intensity of Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday . Then, at Arsenal, he shipped four on live television and suffered the humiliation of Santi Cazorla’s ‘Panenka’ penalty, a cheeky chip straight down the middle which does little for the confidence of any goalkeeper, let alone one making his first Premier League start. And so to Spurs at the other end of the Seven Sisters Road where his fortunes fared even worse. Again, four were conceded, only this time he was at fault for two and picked up a shoulder injury. He has been on the back pages of national newspapers for reasons which span good and bad. That, after all, is the existence of a professional footballer. Today, however, represents an entirely different proposition. Eight goals at Arsenal and Spurs will be forgotten with the passage of time. Tyne-Wear derbies, however, are etched in North-East folklore for eternity – just ask Liam O’Brien, he scored a winning free-kick for Newcastle at Roker Park in 1992 and hasn’t had to buy a drink on Tyneside since. Alnwick, then, would be forgiven for carrying a few nerves with him as he journeys along the River Tyne from his Prudhoe home and across the water to St James’. Alnwick has been passed fit despite injurying his shoulder during the 4-0 defeat against Tottenham . Alan Pardew is well aware of the exposure and expectancy surrounding the young custodian, who has been passed fit following his shoulder scare. ‘I have certainly had a chat with him,’ admits the man who is bidding to avoid becoming the first Newcastle manager in derby history to suffer four straight defeats. ‘I would have done that if he hadn't made a mistake (at Spurs) because I think it's important to talk to young players when they are going into the first team. ‘I think he was unlucky with his mistake (dropped his catch from a corner and Spurs scored) because he got punished severely with it. ‘You can get away with that sometimes, and I have played with much better goalies than Jak, without being disrespectful to him, who have got away with it. ‘They have dropped it and someone has cleared it, or it was blocked on the line or something, so I explained that to him. I think he realised that. ‘He was apologetic about the mistake, as you would imagine, but I said to him it's important not to be too apologetic, that's it's gone. ‘We make mistakes in other areas and there are all forgotten; you make a mistake there and it isn't, so he grasped that. ‘He's a local boy, he wants to make amends today in terms of a real performance, and all my squad and my staff, because we like him, will be wishing that happens.’ Alnwick is out of contract in the summer and, with Tim Krul and Rob Elliot sidelined until the middle of January, he has a chance to win a new deal. Stand-in keeper Alnwick injured his shoulder in Wednesday night’s Capital One Cup defeat at Tottenham . Either way, Pardew says the experience will serve the former Sunderland youth keeper well. ‘Whatever line his career takes, this is going to be a massive period for him,’ says the boss. ‘He did brilliantly against Chelsea, everyone was raving about him. Now he has had a down-turn against Spurs and now he has got the other side of the coin, all in the space of eight or nine days, and that is football. ‘In a minuscule way, he's had the experience of what it’s like to play football at the highest level, and now he needs to respond.’ Alnwick, of course, is one half of a goalkeeping family. His brother, Ben, played for Sunderland and Spurs and now resides between the posts for Peterborough. He has every faith in his little brother and was thrilled – if a little panicked – when the call came that Jak was coming on at half-time against Chelsea. Newcastle lost 4-0 against Tottenham as Alnwick had a game to forget, gifting two of the goals on Wednesday . ‘I knew one of our local pubs had BT so I sprinted down and got there just in time to see Jak flatten Diego Costa with his first contribution,’ laughs the 27-year-old. ‘I was shaking just watching him play and all my Peterborough team-mates started texting me and this made me worse. But Jak was okay. Goalkeepers like a good first touch and Jak seemed to grow a couple of inches at the way he took care of Costa.’ Ben, then, is proud of his sibling, if a little envious at the same time. ‘On Sunday he will be doing something I have dreamed about all my life - playing in a derby match for Newcastle with Sunderland,’ he says. ‘I was actually on the bench for Sunderland at St James' Park in the derby match Newcastle won with that goal from Emre in 2005. ‘But like all Northumberland lads I would have loved to have played for Newcastle United. It's been my life-time dream. Now Jak is living my dream.’ Young Jak will certainly be hoping his first derby is more dream than nightmare. | Newcastle United face Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday .
Young goalkeeper Jak Alnwick will again play due to injuries .
He was at fault for two goals against Tottenham on Wednesday . |
fcf027e56f8a4d1a6317d0489b9e23644dc51587 | By . Luke Salkeld . PUBLISHED: . 05:05 EST, 28 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:45 EST, 29 November 2012 . A healthy young woman decided to have her breasts removed because of a family history of cancer. Fiona Luscombe, 23, chose to have a double mastectomy after both her mother and grandfather died following battles with breast cancer. On discovering she was carrying the same hereditary gene, she made the heart-breaking decision to reduce the chances of developing the disease herself. Scroll down for video . No choice: Fiona Luscombe, 23, (pictured before her operation left) felt she had no option but to have the double mastectomy. She had both breasts removed and had the implants put in at the same time (pictured after surgery right) Miss Luscombe, a nursery teacher, . told how she opted for the surgery after doctors discovered she was . carrying the gene – but said they would not know more until further . scans in seven years’ time. She said: ‘I was devastated, totally gutted and it took a long time to get my head around it. ‘Even though I have the gene I wouldn’t be scanned until I was 30 and I couldn’t wait that long. ‘After I got the result I think I was traumatised but then I became really focused.’ She added: ‘I’ve grown up with cancer . really. I think it’s harder mentally than I thought it would be but I . couldn’t sit on it, I had to sort myself out.’ Miss Luscombe, who is engaged, was . only three years old when her mother Brenda was diagnosed with breast . cancer, from which she initially recovered. But it returned 13 years . later in her lymph nodes, liver and bones, and the former classroom . assistant died of liver cancer in 2007 at the age of 48. Memories: Fiona Luscombe's painful experiences watching her grandfather Frank Ross, pictured, and mother Brenda suffer cancer influenced her decision to have both breasts removed . Tragedy: Fiona Luscombe's mother Brenda battled breast cancer which later spread to her lymph nodes, liver and bones. She died aged 48 . Yesterday Miss Luscombe, from . Plymouth, said: ‘I didn’t understand the full extent of it when I was . younger but when it came back Mum was given six months to live and that . was true to the day. ‘She was very organised. She arranged . her own funeral, and she helped us to get through it. Her dad had . breast cancer as well. Mum had it when she was 32 years old. I’m 23. I . just couldn’t risk it.’ Miss Luscombe discovered she was carrying the . BRCA2 gene in October last year – a year after her 26-year-old sister . Jenny, who has returned from working in Spain to help care for her . sibling, had been told she was not a carrier. Rather than wait until she might be . diagnosed later in life, she said there was ‘never any doubt in her . mind’ about having both breasts removed as a precaution. The operation was carried out at St . Michael’s Hospital in Hayle, Cornwall, nine weeks ago. She said: ‘It . went really well but it was really daunting. Both breasts were removed . at the same time. They removed all of the tissue and put the implants . in.’ Devastated: Fiona, pictured on holiday in 2009, says the operation had tested her relationship with her finace . She said she had already spoken to her fiancé Chris Warn, a window cleaner, about the operation before she took the test. She said: ‘He was around when my mum died as well and so he knew about my family. He was very supportive.’ Her father, Malcolm Luscombe, 63, retired from his fire officer job when Brenda was diagnosed. He said: ‘I think the hereditary . problem goes back beyond her grandfather. It was a shock when he was . diagnosed and just goes to show men can get it too. ‘It was big decision for Fiona to . have this operation – a big step. I’m proud of her for being brave . enough to go through with it.’ BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that have been shown to play a role in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Those with a strong family history . of some cancers are invited to have more regular screening than people . who don’t seem at increased risk. Scared: Former Liberty X singer Michelle Heaton has recently revealed her experience having a double mastectomy after also being told she has the BRCA2 gene . Supportive: Fiona Luscombe's fiance Chris Warn has backed her decision to have a double mastectomy . A cell needs to have a number of mistakes in its genetic code before it becomes cancerous. Doctors call these mistakes faults or mutations. Most of these gene mutations develop during our lifetime. They . can occur due to substances people come into contact with that cause . cancer. Or they can happen because of mistakes that cells make when . copying their genetic code before dividing into two new cells. Most . of these abnormal cells die or are killed off by the immune system. It . usually takes many years to gather enough genetic mistakes, so this is . one of the reasons that cancer is generally more common as people get . older. But it is possible to . be born with a gene fault that may increase the risk of cancer. This . doesn't mean you will definitely get cancer. But it means that you are more likely to develop cancer than the average person. Scientists have identified a number of these so-called 'cancer genes'. The . first genes to be found were BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 - women with these genes . have a 50 to 80 per cent chance of getting breast cancer in their . lifetime. Only people with a strong family history of breast cancer can be tested for the gene. Women . who test positive can either have regular breast screenings, take a . prevention drug which will reduces the risk or have surgery to remove . their breasts (and possibly ovaries). | Fiona Luscombe, from Plymouth, feared she would also succumb to BRCA2 gene which increases risk of cancer .
'I grew up with cancer and I just couldn't risk it' she said . |
fcf03b156890d5f04b7b231a968058f9a3bbdc03 | By . Associated Press . and Michael Zennie . A friend of Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev wired more than $71,000 to people in six countries and used fake names several times for the transactions - including while Tsarnaev was on a pilgrimage in Russia, according to prosecutors. Khairullozhon Matanov, 23, is accused of . deleting computer files and lying to agents investigating the 2013 . bombings, which killed three and injured more than 260. Prosecutors accuse the immigrant from Kyrgyzstan of a 'pattern of deceit' in dealing with authorities as they investigated the bomb attacks. At a detention hearing, Matanov waived his right to seek release on bail. His lawyer said Matanov has no family here, lost his job as a cab driver after his indictment last week and has nowhere to go if he were released. Khairullozhon Matanov, right, appeared in a Boston courtroom on Wednesday to answer charges he hindered the federal investigation of his friends, the Tsarnaev brothers . Prosecutors portrayed Matanov as a close friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev and an acquaintance of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the two brothers authorities say planted two bombs near the marathon's finish line. Through the testimony of an FBI agent, they also described a series of money transfers in which they said Matanov often used fake names. Agent Timothy McElroy said that between 2010 and 2013, Matanov sent more than $71,000 to 15 people in six countries. McElroy said agents determined that most of the money — about $56,590 — was sent to Matanov's family, while the rest — about $14,800 — went to non-family. Matanov's lawyer, Edward Hayden, said the money transfers 'had nothing to do with terrorism.' 'He was uncomfortable sending all the money in his own name,' he said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Garland said Matanov had repeatedly deceived authorities when questioned about his relationship with Tamerlan Tsarnaev in the days after the bombings. Garland said his "pattern of deceit" was also shown through Matanov's use of aliases when sending money. He also argued Matanov was a flight risk. Khairullozhon Matanov was arrested Friday morning on obstruction charges related to the Boston Marathon bombing . Prosecutors portrayed Matanov as a close friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev and an acquaintance of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the two brothers authorities say planted two bombs near the marathon's finish line . Hayden attempted to show that Matanov cooperated with police. McElroy acknowledged that Matanov went to police in the Boston suburb of Braintree the morning after the FBI released photographs of the Tsarnaevs and gave them the brothers' address and phone numbers. That was hours before Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured hiding in a boat in Watertown. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police earlier that day. Hayden said Matanov was angry when he learned the Tsarnaevs were suspects in the bombings. "He calls them names that you can't put on TV," he told reporters. McElroy said the FBI began following Matanov after he came forward. McElroy also said that federal prosecutors told Matanov's attorney to urge his client to stay away from Boston's July Fourth celebration because "the city was on edge following the marathon bombings." Matanov was also told to stay away from this year's marathon on April 21. Hayden said he complied with the requests. In his interview with Braintree police, Matanov said he was surprised to learn the Tsarnaevs were suspects in the bombings. "I can't believe it, I can't believe that happened with them ... they were nice people, like the way they talk," Matanov told a detective, according to a transcript released Wednesday. Prosecutors say Matanov called Tamerlan Tsarnaev about 40 minutes after the bombings and invited him to dinner. Hayden said the men talked about the bombings during dinner "like everyone else discussed the bombings," but that the Tsarnaevs did not reveal anything about their alleged role in the attack. | Khairullozhon Matanov, 23, is accused of deleting computer files and lying to agents investigating the 2013 bombings .
The immigrant from Kyrgyzstan says he has no family in the US and waived his right to be released on bail . |
fcf0459f7810df9b3e8bed851878025f2f2b426f | McDonald's is testing custom-made burgers with a choice of 20 toppings and sauces. Customers at the two U.S. restaurants involved in the pilot are able to have their burgers grilled to order through. They make their order on iPads in the two pilot stores at Laguna Niguel, California, and Romeoville, Illinois. Diners at the two McDonad's restaurants piloting the Build-Your-Own-Burgers order their food using wall-mounted iPads . The restaurant at Laguna Niguel, California (pictured) and Romeoville in Illinois are testing the burgers where customers can choose from over 20 sauces and toppings . Business insiders are watching the . pilot scheme with interest as the custom-made burgers are a departure . from McDonald's signature fast-food. Richard Adams, who runs a consulting firm for McDonald's franchisees, said that speed is the bigger issue for the chain. 'They're . not going to do that with a lot of customization,' he said. 'Their . growth potential has to be built on speed, not customization.' Darren . Tristano, executive vice president at food industry consultancy . Technomic, told told the Orange County Register that the move is trying . to appeal to customers who want 'better bugers with quality ingredients' when dining out. The burgers cost $5.79 - more than a Big Mac - and one with bacon is $1 more. Business experts say the speed of delivering the food is key to McDonald's growth . McDonad's is competing with chains like Chipolte and Five Guys that offer customers more flexibility in their orders . Among . the various toppings and sauces on offer are chedder cheese, guacamole, . caramelized onions, grilled mushrooms and garlic sauce. The burger itself is the same as those used in a Quarter Pounder but are cooked to order. McDonald's said in a statement: 'With . these tests, we will have an opportunity to hear directly from our . customers in real-time on what they expect from McDonald’s in terms of . the overall restaurant experience and their ability to further customize . their menu choices.' The . world's biggest hamburger chain is trying to compete with more chains . like Chipolte and Five Guys that offer customers more flexibility in . their orders. Its new Dollar Menu and More also features five sandwiches with different sauces and toppings. Kevin . Newell, chief brand and strategy officer for the U.S told the company's . presentation for investors: 'Customization represents another important . opportunity for our business. He said the chain is equipping its kitchens with new 'assembly tables' that can accommodate more ingredients. He . said the tables will also help improve the speed of service, which has . become an issue for McDonald's as it has expanded its menu. The . remarks came as McDonald's Corp., which has more than 14,000 U.S. locations, struggles to boost sales amid heightened competition and . shifting eating habits. | McDonald's testing burgers at two restaurants in California and Illinois .
Customers offered toppings like grilled mushrooms, onions or guacamole .
Choose their made-to-order burgers via wall-mounted iPads .
Business insiders say speed of delivery is key to growth of chain . |
fcf0b34824d48ca81f38bab506500925b331a492 | A woman fatally stabbed during an argument in front of her four-year-old son made a final phone call to her mum as she lay dying inside her home. Tyrelle Evertsen-Mostert died following an argument with two lodgers at her home in Norlane, north of Geelong, on Sunday night. The 31-year-old called her mother Johanna moments after she was stabbed, Seven News reports. Scroll down for video . Tyrelle Evertsen-Mostert, 31, was stabbed to death following an argument with two lodgers at her home in Norlane, north of Geelong, on Sunday night . 'Tyrelle got on the phone and said "mum I can't do this anymore",' Johanna said. 'I got there and the ambulance crew were working on her, but I could see she was already gone. 'She had a big heart. Sometimes I would even say to her she has a halfway house because anyone that wanted to stay, she'd let them stay.' Victorian homicide squad detectives are searching for a man and woman in their 20s who left the home shortly after the incident. 'We believe we know those people and we're asking them to contact the police and come forward,' Detective Inspector Mick Hughes said on Monday. The 31-year-old's mother said she called her moments after she had been stabbed on Sunday . Police would not give a description or detail their involvement in the investigation, but said the group was known to each other. 'They were all in the house just prior to the assault,' Det Insp Hughes said. 'They went into the bedroom and there was a discussion in the bedroom that escalated.' Police do not know what the argument was about. Two other men who were at the house at the time were questioned by police, but have been cleared as suspects. Ms Evertsen-Mostert's partner, Jason, was also injured in the attack and was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Victorian homicide squad detectives are searching for a man and woman in their 20s who left the home in Norlang shortly after the incident . Ms Evertsen-Mostert's partner, Jason, was also injured in the attack and was taken to hospital with minor injuries . | Tyrelle Evertsen-Mostert was stabbed following an argument with two lodgers at Norlane, north of Geelong, on Sunday .
The 31-year-old made a final call to her mum moments after being stabbed .
Police are searching for a man and woman in their 20s over the incident .
Tyrelle's partner, Jason, was also injured and was treated in hospital . |
fcf0f7f20a9f6c3137a7f366fb48f1b289492d3e | (CNN) -- Fighting spread through Syria on Saturday as rebels claimed to down a government jet and state media reported the killings of "terrorists." Activists said rebels shot down the plane in Aleppo province. A video distributed by activists shows men shouting "God is great" as they rush to the scene amid celebratory gunfire. The video showed mangled wreckage, small fires and plumes of smoke. "These are the aircrafts of the dog Bashar al-Assad," one voice in the video said, referring to Syria's president. Col. Ahmed Al-Faj, a Free Syrian Army rebel commander, read a statement in a YouTube video claiming responsibility for the downing. He said the plane was an Aero L-39 Albatros. In another video, rebel fighters in the Damascus suburbs claimed they took over an airbase brigade building after clashes. At least 141 people were killed across the country Saturday, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. Many of them were women, children and members of the rebel Free Syrian Army, according to the group. Of the dead, 30 died in Damascus and its suburbs and 17 were killed in Idlib province. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said al-Assad's forces killed "scores of terrorists" in operations across the country, while capturing or destroying heavy weaponry and ammunition-laden vehicles in Aleppo and other areas. An estimated 30,000 people have been killed in fighting in Syria since March 2011 when government protesters took to the streets calling for political reform. Al-Assad's brutal crackdown on protesters spawned an armed conflict, which has bled over into Turkish territory. Meanwhile, rebel forces pressed toward the government-controlled Baba Amr district of Homs, where shelling continued in the embattled city, an opposition activist said. "Everyday there are firefights between the regime and the FSA (Free Syria Army) in the Sultaniya neighborhood," said opposition spokesman Abu Bakr. "The FSA has a lot of battalions in Homs. There are many dead from both the regime and the FSA." He added that "very few civilians remain in the neighborhoods around Homs." "Three or four families live in Sultaniya, on one small street," he said, noting that the electricity remains out and potable water is largely unavailable. "The houses are all destroyed, there is nowhere else for people to live." Historic Umayyad Mosque burning . Amid the clashes, Aleppo's landmark Umayyad Mosque caught fire, according to activists who say security forces took over the mosque, "set it on fire from inside, and ran away." Mohammed Saeed, an activist in Aleppo, told CNN that he saw the Syrian Army enter the mosque and ignite the building. There was no immediate government reaction to the opposition claims. State news reported, however, that security forces did eliminate a large number of "terrorists" in operations targeting their gatherings around the mosque. Aleppo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dominated by an ancient citadel. The city also is a center for the art and was named Islamic capital of culture six years ago. UNESCO's director-general expressed concern this week for possible damage to the mosque, the remains of which date to the 12th century. "I am deeply distressed by the daily news about the extreme human suffering and the escalation of damage to cultural heritage throughout the country. We saw damage to the Citadel in July and the souqs 10 days ago, and the Umayyad Mosque, heart of the religious life of the city, one of the most beautiful mosques in the Muslim world, is being severely endangered -- the extent of which we do not know yet," Irina Bokova said Thursday. Turkey to Syria: Don't send arms through our air space . Envoy visis Turkey amid escalating tensions . The joint U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria visited Turkey on Saturday for talks aimed at putting a lid on boiling diplomatic tensions between Damascus and Ankara. Lakhdar Brahimi's visit comes amid growing concern that the civil war could spill over into Syria's neighboring countries and destabilize the region. Brahimi met with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who warned that Turkey "will retaliate again if its border with Syria is violated again and if we feel that Turkey's national security is in danger." Meanwhile, Syria issued a ban Saturday on Turkish civilian airlines flying over Syrian airspace "based on the principle of reciprocity," according to a Foreign Ministry statement. The move comes one day after Turkey itself announced it will divert its planes to avoid Syrian airspace because it considers it unsafe. Syrian refugees in Turkey get food aid . The U.N. World Food Programme started an electronic food card program for the thousands of Syrian refugees who've fled to Turkey. Each Syrian family will receive an electronic card with 80 Turkish liras, or $45, per family member per month. "It allows Syrian families to shop and cook for themselves based on their own tastes and preferences," says Jean-Yves Lequime, WFP Emergency Coordinator in Turkey. Turkey is currently hosting more than 93,000 Syrian refugees in camps. Turkish officials estimate an additional 40,000 to 50,000 unofficial refugees live in Turkey outside refugee camps. As U.N. falters, Syria's conflict threatens regional stability . CNN's Samira Said, Hamdi Alkhshali, Chelsea J. Carter, Saad Abedine and Joe Sterling contributed to this report. | At least 141 people were killed across the country Saturday .
A historic mosque is on fire in Aleppo .
Lakhdar Brahimi meets with Turkey's foreign minister .
The scheduled talks come amid rising tensions between Turkey and Syria . |
fcf1b851f5091a60e9faf778797bf44de8e747b4 | (CNN) -- They're tall, they're historic and they're one of the most significant collections of freestanding treasures of ancient China. No, they're not the Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an. They're the "diaolou" of Kaiping, more than 1,800 centuries-old watchtowers that dot the rice fields around the city of Kaiping in the Guangdong Province. Despite the city's gorgeous landscape and a UNESCO World Heritage Site listing, Kaiping sees relatively few visitors each year -- for China, anyway. Last year's record 600,000 visitors was disappointing for local officials, who lament that Kaiping is more deserving of visitors than more well known cities in China, which can hit that number in a week. China's official desire to raise Kaiping's profile is understandable -- the city offers a rare and tranquil travel experience that doubles as a history lesson on unique Chinese architecture. Fusion architecture . The multistory watchtowers were built in the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a defensive response to incessant bandit raids. Heavy flooding in the area also played into the need for towers and three types of diaolou emerged over the centuries; defensive, residential and communal. "Most diaolou were designed with reinforced structures, thick walls and small windows," explains Liwen Huang, marketing manager for the Tourism Administration of Kaiping Travel Resource Development Center. At the beginning of the 20th century, Kaiping became a major source of overseas emigres. Many Kaiping natives eventually returned to the homes with newly acquired wealth, and built diaolou with Western touches incorporated into the architecture. Residential diaolou became a way for owners' to display their wealth via flamboyant designs. Along with the ancient diaolou's historic significance, the unique fusion of Chinese and Western architecture was a major factor in UNESCO's 2007 decision to confer World Heritage Site designation upon the structures. China's ancient donut-like homes: Where to see the tulou . Baroque, Roman and Gothic influences are clearly visible in many of the watchtowers. "Chinese who went overseas brought these exotic elements back home, as they found Western architecture splendid while they were abroad," says Huang. In some cases, local builders worked from images on postcards that were sent from abroad, creating unique designs. Li Garden . The best example of a luxurious diaolou can be found at Li Garden, in the Beiyi Xiang district. Built in 1936 by wealthy Chinese emigrant businessman Weili Xie (he had four wives and more than 20 children), the 11,000-square-meter complex is composed of one diaolou, six villas, two gardens, waterways and bridges. The luxurious interior was built with materials imported from overseas. Quanzhou: China's forgotten historic port . The complex was equipped with then-modern Western elements, such as flushing toilets, sinks, marble tile and fireplaces -- this at a time when most Chinese were living in tiny cottages with outdoor toilets. The garden has 20-meter steel pillars, a huge golden pavilion shaped like a birdcage and a green pond for turtles. Each window was built with at least four panes of glass to protect against firearms. What to eat while in town . Sweets are a specialty of Kaiping street stalls. Grass jelly: Made of mesona chinensis, a Chinese herb, grass jelly is one of Kaiping's most popular summer snacks. The jelly tastes best when served with shaved ice, syrup, honey or condensed milk. The sweetness balances the mild bitterness of the herb. Tofu pudding: A popular local dessert, tofu pudding has a delicate, creamy texture. Locals add a little sugar to make it more flavorful. Maltose sticks: A short wooden stick is used to stir, then mount melted maltose -- turning it into a delicious golden, sticky snack. How to get there . Fly to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, take a taxi to Tianhe Coach Terminal Station, which should cost about RMB120 ($20); buses depart from Tianhe Coach Terminal Station to Kaiping from 7:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.; tickets cost RMB38 ($6). | The watchtowers in Kaiping, China, were originally built for defense against bandit raids .
They received a UNESCO World Heritage Site listing in 2007 .
In the early 20th century, wealthy emigrants returned to Kaiping and built more towers with Western influences . |
fcf1da31755ab5bfa61aed0ce0b3cbb24961ad75 | By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 06:26 EST, 15 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:51 EST, 15 May 2013 . A mechanic has built the world's smallest campervan which has a tiny 4ft by 4ft living space. Despite its confined size the pedal-powered mini mobile home still has room to squeeze in four seats, a stove, a sink, a table and a bed. Dubbed the 'cramper-van', the invention by custom car fanatic Andy Saunders, is a mash-up of an old Bedford Bambi van and a Butlins-style pedal cart. Scroll down for video . Cramped van: Andy Saunders squeezes himself into the front of his tiny four foot by four foot mobile home . Compact space: The van has a sink plumbed in and a gas hob - as well as a very small table. The tiny vehicle cost £1,000 to build . It may come with all the mod cons, but for campers more used to the wide open spaces of the great outdoors its bijou living area could take some getting used to. A clever use of space means that inside the minuscule motor's cabin seats for four people, although one of the seats folds down over the two-ring hob and sink. The roof space extends out by 2ft 6ins, providing enough room for a small bed. The only other thing that sets it aside . from its bigger brothers is its lack of an engine, instead relying on . pedal power to pull it along. It is officially classed as a bicycle so doesn't have to be registered to go out on the roads - although it must be fitted with lights if it is going out after dark. Uphill battle: Andy said the cramper van is extremely hard work to pedal down the road . Tiny vehicle: Andy Saunders and work colleague Martin Ford ride in the van. It cost £1,000 to build and doesn't have to be registered to go on the roads because it is officially a bicycle . The 'cramper-van' was dreamed up by Andy who chopped 6ft off the front of a Bedford campervan and attached it to the pedal cart before refitting the interior. It took around two weeks to make and cost him £1,000 in materials. Andy, owner of Kampers and Kars in Poole, Dorset, said: 'We think our mini camper is the smallest camper in the world. I certainly don't know of anything else smaller. 'The Bedford Bambi was the smallest camper van ever made, and we've shaved about 6ft off that. If there was anything smaller I'd be very surprised.' Andy, 50, has made a name for himself creating weird and wonderful custom cars including a Picasso-inspired multi-coloured Citroen 2CV, a mini Mini and 21-inch tall car. Andy added: 'The mini camper really wasn't planned - it was just one of those things that popped into my head, which is how the best ideas come about. Tea for two: The cosy space inside the vehicle - which doesn't leave a lot of leg room as the whole vehicle is just 4ft by 4ft . Compact: Andy (front) and Martin squeeze into the back of their tiny mobile home which is far smaller than the one that can be seen in the background (left) Fold down: The vehicle has four seats. The back two seats fold down over the hob and sink to make the best use of the limited space . 'One of my salesmen was talking about a pedal bike and I just thought why not combine it with a camper van. 'The idea evolved at the speed of light - within 15 minutes we had sourced a pedal bike and a camper van. 'We had this old scrap Bedford Bambi camper that had been sitting around for about four years which was perfect for the camper section. 'It can be pedalled but you do have to have legs like Arnold Schwarzenegger. No wing mirrors: Andy looks out the back of his pedal mobile home. He chopped 6ft off the front of a Bedford Bambi campervan and attached it to a Butlins pedal cart before fitting the bespoke interior . 'You certainly wouldn't want to go camping in it around too many hills. 'We wanted the camper to be finished to the highest quality. 'Inside it's fully insulated and upholstered, it has a twin hob to cook on, a sink to wash up in. 'It has four seats although you have to make sure you're finished cooking because one of those seats is on the hob. 'It's got a big side window and even a small bed - you have to tuck up a bit but it's perfect for a power nap. 'It is a little cramped but it's all good fun - everyone who sees it says "wow".' | Vehicle is made from an old Bedford Bambi van and a Butlins-style bicycle .
The tiny vehicle has four seats, a stove, a sink, a table and a bed .
It doesn't need to be registered to go on the roads . |
fcf299a74c9a03ce9893ae49f4cf5849a2f39f63 | Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- A South African pensioner has died while waiting in a queue to buy tickets for the soccer World Cup, with people lining up for 20 hours in some cases and system problems causing further delays. Cape Town police spokesperson Ezra October confirmed to CNN that 64-year-old Ralph van Heerden collapsed and died while waiting to purchase 11 World Cup tickets on Thursday morning. He was certified dead by paramedics when they arrived on the scene at around 7:15 a.m. local time (0515 GMT). It is believed that he had a heart problem. According to police, paramedics tried to resuscitate him but failed. The man had waiting in line for five hours and was number 565 in the queue. ireport: Send us your pictures and videos of buying your ticket . South Africans across the country have been queuing since Wednesday afternoon in a last-minute bid to be part of the first football World Cup on the continent, with 500,000 tickets still available. Are you going to the World Cup? Click here to become a CNN Super Fan. CNN's Nkepile Mabuse was in a queue outside the Sandown ticketing center in Johannesburg, one of 11 across the country. She said the first person in line there had been waiting for 20 hours -- and then he had to wait an extra hour due to problems with the ticket machines. "I talked to a member of the local organizing committee and he said the system had crashed. The tickets couldn't be printed," Mabuse said. The tickets will be available only to South Africans until 1600 GMT, and from then overseas people will also be able to purchase them through the Web site of soccer's governing body FIFA. FIFA said 1,610 tickets were sold to 310 customers nationally at the ticketing center within the first hour on Thursday morning, with 2,166 tickets bought by 470 fans at branches of the First National Bank. "There was a massive demand for tickets this morning, which we are delighted with. We experienced some delays in issuing tickets at the outset, but we have been working on improving the response time of the system," said James Byrom of FIFA's official ticketing service provider MATCH. Mabuse said it is likely there will be empty seats at some of the tournament's group-stage games, especially outside the main cities, despite South Africans being offered tickets at a discounted rate of $18. "It is going to be very difficult to sell them all -- only 220,000 were sold at the last phase," she said. Many of the 500,000 tickets made available had been returned from overseas affiliates. "There are fewer foreign fans coming than originally expected. There were 450,000 expected but it will be nowhere that, people have been saying it'll be more like 300-350,000." Another problem for local organizers is that South Africans are used to buying tickets on the day of events. Tickets had previously been only available via the Internet and one South African bank, but organizers have been forced to allow supermarkets to become outlets as well as the 11 official sales centers. "It has been very difficult for South Africans to get tickets," Mabuse said. "The majority of people here are poor and they can't afford to buy tickets. And only 10 percent of the population have access to the Internet." FIFA gave away many tickets at the Confederations Cup in South Africa last year to avoid the prospect of empty stadiums, but Mabuse said that was unlikely to be repeated at the World Cup. "I asked FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke and he said that was not going to happen again -- they would rather have some empty seats than give tickets away," she said. | A 64-year-old man dies while waiting to buy tickets for the soccer World Cup in South Africa .
Cape Town police say the pensioner had been number 555 in the queue .
South Africans had waited up to 20 hours as 500,000 tickets were made available .
Problems with ticketing machines had caused further delays at some centers, FIFA said . |
fcf2a4fd40bacd81df1ea7840a3d435af0c5ddc2 | SANTA BARBARA, California (CNN) -- Berkeley Breathed answers the door to his Santa Barbara home, a tall, slender figure in suede cowboy boots. Berkeley Breathed has left comic strips behind to focus on his writing -- particularly children's books. But before he can extend a hand in greeting, he's nudged aside by a canine companion eager to introduce herself. "Pickles" offers a hearty welcome, vigorously shaking a tail that seems powerful enough to whack a lamp from an end table. The pit bull is one of a number of dogs that Breathed and his wife, Jody, have rescued over the years. His affection and concern for dogs form the heart of "Flawed Dogs: The Shocking Raid on Westminster" (Philomel Books), Breathed's new illustrated novel, whose hero is a resilient dachshund with a soup ladle for a leg. Gallery: The art of Berkeley Breathed » . It's the latest children's work from Breathed, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist behind "Bloom County" and "Opus," who's had great success with the genre. The earlier "Mars Needs Moms!" is set to be made into a movie produced by Robert Zemeckis. Breathed invited CNN to his mountainside home for a rare interview, which touched on topics ranging from his book to Michael Vick, Charles Schulz and his famous pen pal, Harper Lee. Watch Breathed read from "Flawed Dogs" » . The following is an edited version of the conversation: . CNN: The hero of your book is quite an unusual dog. Berkeley Breathed: Sam the Lion he's called, by Heidi [the girl] who finds him. ... The central part of the story is the fall of Sam from Heidi's life and into the depths of horrors that dogs can sometimes experience in our world -- everything from being shot at, to research labs, to the worst dog shelters amongst the world of otherwise nice dog shelters, and he comes for revenge upon Cassius [a rival]. And Cassius is going to appear at the Westminster Dog Show coming up, so Sam has got to find a team of commandos to help him infiltrate and destroy the Westminster Dog Show. CNN: What was the inspiration for the story? Breathed: The book happened because I came across both a picture and a quote at about the same time -- a picture of one of Michael Vick's fight dogs. It was set to be put down, but a shelter in Utah decided to take the dog and a few others at the same time and try to rehabilitate them. ... This was the first time the dog had ever received any affection in its life. ... It's the most moving picture of a dog I've ever seen, having gone through an impossible transition and fallen back to where dogs naturally go, which is just loving people. CNN: "Flawed Dogs" is put out by the "young readers" division of the publisher. Breathed: I notice it's getting a little bit of controversy in that people are coming to it assuming that it's for the same audience that my picture books are for. And "Flawed Dogs" the novel is definitely not. It's perfect for an 8-year-old, 9, 10, 11, 12, but I wouldn't read this in the evening to my 5-year-old. And there is a difference. ... It's revealed an issue that I'm surprised about, which is the new preciousness that's been brought to literature for children now. There is an abject fear of instilling any sort of dramatic trauma, of sadness, on the children who are receiving a story. ... And of course that was never a great concern in the past. The great children's stories that we all grew up with, there are always moments of great tragedy and moving moments of loss in the book that we weren't afraid of -- as long as you bring them [young readers] back by the end and bring them to where a reader should be, a child should be. CNN: You don't do a daily or a weekly comic strip anymore. How has that transition been? Breathed: If this was still 1985 and everything that means ... it would still be deeply appealing to be a cartoonist. But not now. I'm happy to leave that behind. The level of political rancor -- powered and driven by Web comment and cable news to a degree -- affects me like everybody else, and I get angry and I get annoyed and I get frustrated and that always translates into mediocre cartoons historically. ... I was getting too angry the last couple of years of cartooning, and it doesn't do the art any good. I'm very happy to let that go. CNN: When did you first discover, "Wow, I can actually draw"? Breathed: I could never really draw something. It was, "Wow, I can actually draw or write something that amuses somebody." And that was a dawning that didn't happen until college. ... The greatest cartoonists ever have really been very mediocre artists. Charles Schulz was always quick to admit that his skills in artistry were limited at best. And in his case it served the strip perfectly. If "Peanuts" had been drawn with the artistry of "Pogo" and a Disney animator, it wouldn't have worked. CNN: Animals were an integral part of your comic strips. Breathed: I knew that I wanted a strip with people but the focus on an animal, and an incongruous animal. ... So I looked around largely at an animal that hadn't been done before in comic strips, an animal that is generally attractive to people and people feel immediately warm to and that just would be funny. You end up with a penguin pretty fast. Plus, he's already standing, and he's kind of got clothes on. CNN: Who are your heroes? Breathed: "To Kill a Mockingbird" was a huge influence on my work. Harper Lee and I have over the years exchanged letters, which has been a massive delight. I can tell you that when I announced the end of my comic-stripping career and that Opus [the penguin] was not only going to fade away but fade away permanently, I got a letter from Harper urging me to reconsider letting Opus go away forever. I should have written back and said, "The moment you bring Scout back, I'll bring Opus back. Is that a deal, Harper?" Of all the people who should not be chastising me about stopping my career early, it would be Harper Lee. Opus really is a bit like Scout in that he's circulating around in his world, and he's surrounded by a lot of insanity, a lot of hatred, a lot of intolerance and ... he's the ultimate innocent at the center of it. And that's how Scout worked in that story. I suppose I needed an Atticus Finch for Opus, but I never had time to develop one. ... I'm not an artist who is trying to be a novelist. I've always been a writer and the art was the way to sell the writing and it's been convenient in that way. ... I'd be happy to leave that all and just be a writer if I could get away with it. I don't think I can at this point. They [readers] expect the pictures. I'm happy to oblige. | Berkeley Breathed's new book, "Flawed Dogs," inspired by photo of abused dog .
After seeing picture, Breathed says he wanted to do story about dog horrors, rescue .
Breathed best known for comic strips "Bloom County" and "Opus"
Among his fans: Harper Lee, who he says asked him not to end the Opus character . |
fcf31530fb452e67dbf5f1fa1a3b9d8e390b60d6 | By . Chloe Lambert . PUBLISHED: . 16:20 EST, 15 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:52 EST, 15 July 2013 . Many women would give anything for a larger bust. But Tina Williams has a warning for them: big breasts come with their own problems. 'I've always been shapely,' says Tina, a 62-year-old retired civil servant from Sheffield. 'It runs in the family. Even when I was at my slimmest I was a D cup. 'They never used to cause me problems, but about 20 years ago I noticed a red rash under my chest. It could be extremely sore and sometimes it would bleed. At night I'd want to hold my bust up because it was so painful.' Fuller figure: Tina Williams suffered from intertrigo, a a fungal, bacterial or viral infection of broken skin . Tina was suffering with intertrigo, a condition that many women with large or sagging breasts have - yet it's rarely spoken about. The problem starts when the skin under the breasts rubs against them, causing irritation. Because the area is warm and moist, it is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria or yeast which are found naturally on the skin. These multiply, causing the rash to become infected. The symptoms can be extremely painful - and embarrassing, too, as the unsightly infection has an unpleasant odour. 'The smell was the worst thing, and no amount of showering or using cream seemed to get rid of it,' says Tina, who lives with her husband David, 66, a retired local government officer. 'I used a lot of perfume. 'Initially I tried to keep the area dry with talcum powder but soon realised I needed something more. I saw my GP, and he said it was a fungus. I felt dirty, even though I showered every day. 'It was like it was my fault, and at the time I thought I was probably the only one with it, as it's not really something you talk about.' Her doctor prescribed an anti-fungal cream containing steroids, which helped, but didn't clear the rash completely. 'The intertrigo would still flare up about half a dozen times a year - particularly during the hot summers,' she says. 'Looking back, I think it worsened when work was stressful, too. 'I also found the wire from underwired bras would really dig in and aggravate the whole thing.' Intertrigo is a fungal, bacterial or viral infection of broken skin. As well as large-chested women, it is a common problem among overweight or obese people, and can occur in other parts of the body such as the folds of the skin around the groin or buttocks, armpits, and even behind the ears. Envy: Many women desire larger busts, but they come with their own problems . One Dutch study found one in 20 hospital patients and as many as 17 per cent of people in nursing homes were suffering with it. 'Intertrigo becomes more common as cupsizes go up, but it's more to do with the shape of the breasts than the size - even someone with small breasts could suffer intertrigo if they sagged and rubbed the skin,' says Dr Graham Johnston, a consultant dermatologist at Leicester Royal Infirmary. 'It's especially common as ladies get older and after they've had children. The breasts sag, and the skin thins with age, too, which means it's more sensitive. A badly fitting bra can cause the skin to chafe. The skin gets red and itchy because of all the sweatiness and chafing. 'But it's the growth of infection that causes real problems - this is from the normal bugs or yeast we have on our skin.' Diabetes - a known risk for people who are overweight - can further complicate intertrigo. 'Diabetes makes the skin more prone to infection because high blood sugar levels can weaken the immune system. 'This problem gets significantly greater the bigger you get. 'Some large ladies, if they fail to lose weight, get into a vicious cycle of troublesome intertrigo that will never go away.' Stress, which is known to exacerbate many skin conditions, can make it worse, adds Dr Anthony Bewley, consultant dermatologist at Barts Health NHS Trust in London. 'It can be very distressing. There's almost always a problem with people not coming forward due to embarrassment, because of the areas of the body that it concerns - and especially if it's smelly.' Caroline Morrice, 48, has had intertrigo for 20 years, but never went to her doctor out of embarrassment and because she felt nothing could be done about it. 'It's not something that's always there, but it's definitely worse in hot weather. I have the rash under my breasts and around the groin area,' says Caroline, who is chief executive of the charity Guillain-Barre Syndrome Support Group. 'I wear well-fitting underwear and shower frequently, and use Sudocrem on it which helps (the cream, designed for nappy rash, contains antifungal and antibacterial agents). 'But I thought it was something I had to put up with because I'm a bit overweight, so never thought of seeing a doctor.' Good personal hygiene is key to preventing infection, explains Dr Johnston - unfortunately, while many people may be scrupulous about cleanliness, they are unwittingly doing the wrong thing. 'It's important to make sure the area remains clean and dry. I suspect a lot of ladies think they should be scrubbing and using creams on it, but ironically harsh soaps and cleaners can make it worse because they take away layers of skin, meaning the soap particles get trapped there and cause greater infection. So we recommend or prescribe a soap substitute such as an emollient.' Aqueous cream is a good soap substitute and should always be rinsed off, although if it stings during washing, ask your chemist for another soap substitute. 'Your second line of attack will be anti-fungal creams which can be bought over the counter, or if it's really sore your GP might want to prescribe an anti-fungal with a bit of steroid in it to allow the skin to heal,' says Dr Johnston. In the most severe cases, the skin can break and bleed, and those patients may need antibiotics. Anyone suffering with this rash should consider seeing their doctor, because it may turn out not to be intertrigo, says Dr Johnston. 'Intertrigo can look almost identical to psoriasis which typically causes large, red, scaly patches on the skin - intertrigo is particularly close to flexural psoriasis which targets the folds of the skin under the breasts and buttocks. We do see patients who've been referred to us with intertrigo, but turn out to have psoriasis. 'The key is to look at whether they have the rash elsewhere on the body, such as the nails and scalp - that would suggest psoriasis. 'If you are small-chested but have a rash under your breasts it's more likely to be something like psoriasis or an allergy.' Irritation: A badly fitting bra could cause the skin to chafe, making the skin more prone to infection . Tina Williams thinks her intertrigo may have been triggered when she gained weight because of an overactive thyroid - she had an operation for this but, to her distress, continued to put on weight, gaining 3st. Tina, who is 5ft 5in and a size 18-20, has recently started on the two-day fast diet (where you eat 500 calories for two days, and then healthily for the rest of the week) and is starting to shed pounds. After suffering for 20 years, Tina even considered breast reduction surgery, but decided against it after realising how serious the operation is. Then, in March, she stumbled upon a solution when her husband noticed a newspaper article about Optifit, a new bra aimed at bigger-busted women. The bra hugs the body from the back, so the breasts are better lifted away from the body compared to regular bras. 'I never thought it would help with the intertrigo, but within a few weeks of wearing the bra, I noticed the rash was clearing up,' says Tina. 'Instead of having to use the steroid cream every day, I only needed it every other day.' Because her breasts were lifted, they were no longer rubbing against the skin beneath them, allowing the intertrigo to heal. 'The rash has gone completely now - I don't need the cream at all. I'm so relieved to be free of it at last.' Optifitbra.com . | Intertrigo is a fungal, bacterial, or viral infection of broken skin .
It is common among large-chested women as well as overweight people .
Diabetes and stress can exacerbate the condition, which appears as a rash . |
fcf345937f7820626529544ebdbee277aa100ab5 | By . Jennifer Newton . Angry mothers staged a mass breastfeeding protest today in a Sports Direct store that asked a woman who was feeding her child to leave because it was against company policy. Around 70 women descended on the shop in Nottingham city centre to show support for 25-year-old Wioletta Komar, who claimed she was kicked out of the premises earlier this year for breastfeeding her three-month-old son. Mrs Komar had been sitting on a bench inside the store waiting for her father Edward Morawiec, 63, who was trying on a T-shirts. Scroll down for video . Mothers and their babies gather outside the Sports Direct store in Nottingham as a show of solidarity . But she claims a member of staff suddenly marched over and told her that breastfeeding mothers were not welcome because of 'company policy'. The sales assistant then told her that the store had no facilities for her and suggested she should go to McDonald's which had a baby and mother room. Other customers then took pity on the mother-of-two and helped her to push her buggy outside so she could continue feeding Daniel. Mrs Komar claims she has complained to the store five times since the incident in January but has had no response, although it is believed the firm has now issued her with an apology. New mothers, from left, Lindsay Billsborrow, Ruth Knowles, Catherine Didit and Laura Armitage breastfeed their babies in Sports Direct . A mother discreetly breastfeeds her baby in Sports Direct, as part of a protest . Wioletta Komar, who inspired today's protest with her children Wicotr aged two, and five-month-old Daniel . But other mothers, who wanted to show solidarity with Mrs Komar, went to the Sports Direct store today and said they were defending their right to breastfeed in public places. Organiser of the protest Leah Gibson said: ' We’re here today to stand up for breastfeeding women and their right to feed their children in public without being asked to leave places. 'The turn-out has been fantastic, probably more than I expected. It’s been really peaceful and calm, which is exactly what we wanted. 'We just wanted to show everyone that we can feed in peace, without showing everyone our boobs. 'It’s shocking that we’ve still got this sexual ‘thing’ about boobs. 'Breasts were made to feed a child and to nourish. Only 1 per cent of the population can’t physically feed their child this way so when you look at it like that, it shows you what they are for. Gabriela Burgess, 38, breastfeeds 11-month-old daughter Klaudia in Sports Direct, left, while right, Renee Haddow breastfeeds nine day old son Dylan . 'Some mothers say "oh I don’t want to feed my baby because my boobs are for my partner". No, they aren’t - they’re for your child.' The group spent around 15 minutes in the shop and organisers confirmed there were no issues with Sports Direct staff on this occasion. Mrs Komar lives in Boston, Lincolnshire, with her husband Zbigniew, 33, and their sons Wictor, two, and Daniel, who is now five-months-old. She had travelled to Nottingham for a weekend shopping with Daniel and her father Edward as a Christmas present from her husband when they visited Sports Direct. Speaking at the time she said: 'Midwives and doctors say that it (breastfeeding) is best for the child but I feel so upset and frustrated about what has happened. 'I can't understand why a baby has to be punished for being hungry and why I need to feel like a criminal when I just want to feed my baby son.' Heather Vaughan, 29, who was told off for breastfeeding her baby daughter - in a creche . Mrs Komar also received support from other mothers including Laura Whatton - who was ejected from the John Carroll Leisure Centre in Nottingham in 2009. Mrs Whatton, reacted by saying: 'I'm not surprised really. 'Everyone is prudish toward it, even though it's the most natural thing in the world.' Patti Rundall, policy director for Baby Milk Action, explained: 'All mothers have a legally-protected right to breastfeed in public. 'It is important, it's their right and we will do what we can to support them.' Mrs Komar's experience is the latest in a number of incidents where mothers have been told to stop breastfeeding in public. In March, Heather Vaughan, 29, told how she was reduced to tears when staff at a naval museum ordered her to stop feeding her baby in its creche, telling her 'we don’t do that here'. The mother-of-two said she felt victimised and humiliated at the museum in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Bosses apologised, saying it had simply been an 'error of judgment'. Sophie Howes, who was told to stop breastfeeding in her local swimming pool. She is pictured with her eight-month old daughter Connie and mum Virginia Howes . Last . October, a midwife spoke out after she was told to stop breastfeeding in . a public swimming pool because the lifeguard thought it was . 'offensive'. Sophie . Howes was sat on the steps of the learner pool with her eight-month-old . daughter Connie at a leisure centre in Ashford, Kent, when she was . ordered to move. The manager of the centre claims that CCTV footage shows Ms Howes breastfeeding Connie while the baby's head was level with the water in the pool. But the mother said: 'It is irrelevant whether I was in the water or not because that is not what the staff member said to me to begin with. 'She didn't mention health and safety issues, she just said one of her colleagues had been offended by me breastfeeding.' She has now won an undisclosed pay out from the Ashford Leisure Trust, who run the leisure centre, after they agreed an out of court settlement. The Equality Act 2010 states that it is discrimination to treat a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding. The act protects women who want to do so in shops or other public places. | Around 70 women staged protest at Sports Direct in Nottingham city centre .
Some started to breastfeed their children inside the shop .
Mothers said they were defending their right to breastfeed in public .
Wioletta Komar claims she was kicked out of store earlier this year for feeding her son .
It is now thought she has had an apology from Sports Direct . |
fcf368dc7440e0c0f2d42851ed6974b1ae632679 | Horse meat has been found in a huge consignment of meatballs served in Ikea stores. The company withdrew the suspect products from outlets in the UK and 12 other countries on Friday without telling consumers why. Details emerged only after the publication of test results by food watchdogs in the Czech Republic. Scroll down for video . Precautions: The move comes two days after it withdrew Swedish meatballs from stores across Europe and a handful of countries in Asia and the Caribbean after horse meat was discovered by Czech authorities . The secret withdrawal of the meatballs . is typical of the way restaurants and catering companies are dealing . with the food scandal. On Friday, the French-owned caterer . Sodexo recalled all its frozen beef mince products from thousands of . outlets following the discovery of horse meat. Nestle - the world’s biggest food comapny - announces it is removing beef ready meals from sale in Italy and Spain after its own tests found more than one per cent horsemeat DNA in its beef ravioli and tortellini. Birds Eye removes three beef ready meals from sale in the UK and Ireland after one of its products being sold in Belgium tested positive for horse DNA . Pub giant Whitebread - which owns Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table, Taybarns and Premier Inn - confirms it has found horsemeat in its products. Tesco reveals its Everyday value spaghetti bolognese contained up to 100 per cent horsemeat. Revealed that packs of Findus frozen lasagne meals being sold around the UK contained up to 100 per cent horse meat. The lasagne packs were manufactured by French company, Comigel, at a plant in Metz, which produces food for supermarkets in Britain and Europe. Comigel makes a range of beef products for Tesco and Aldi. Both stores begin removing those products as a ‘precautionary measure’. Asda removes four own-label brands of frozen burgers from sale following the discovery of beef contaminated with horse meat at a manufacturer in Northern Ireland. Burger King admits to selling burgers contaminated with horsemeat. Emerges that Asda and Co-op have also been selling burgers contaminated with horsemeat. Hotel chain Premier Inn removes beef burgers supplied by the company from its restaurants. It has also revealed schools and hospitals have been serving beef contaminated with horsemeat. However, the firm, which supplies . schools, military bases, hospitals and prisons, has kept vital . information about the recall secret. It is believed other catering firms . and restaurant chains are withdrawing a large number of products without . telling customers. The attitude of caterers is in contrast to most . supermarkets, which have volunteered information on contamination levels . and the names of manufacturers. Ikea’s meatballs are supposed to . contain only beef and pork, but Czech Republic watchdogs found evidence . of equine DNA. The products are made by the Swedish company, Familjen . Dafgard, using meat from Ireland, Sweden and Germany. Ikea said it did not make an announcement on Friday because it wanted to carry out its own tests, which are continuing. The company said: ‘We do not tolerate . any other ingredients than the ones stipulated in our recipes or . specifications. Ikea has immediately issued a sales stop of the batch . where indications of horse meat were identified in the Czech Republic . and other concerned countries – Slovakia, Hungary, France, UK, Portugal, . Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Ireland.’ Ikea’s Swedish meatballs are hugely popular in the UK, with the company selling 60,000 portions every week. The Government’s watchdog, the Food . Standards Agency (FSA), has allowed caterers and restaurants to keep . customers in the dark, but Labour’s shadow environment secretary, Mary . Creagh, said: ‘It is totally wrong for companies to recall suspect meat . products on the quiet without telling the FSA.’ Authorities . across Europe have started doing random DNA checks after traces of . horse meat turned up in frozen supermarket meals such as burgers and . lasagna beginning last month. The European Union's agriculture . ministers gathered in Brussels today to discuss the widening scandal's . fallout, with some member states pressing for tougher rules to regain . consumer confidence. The . 27-nation bloc must agree on binding origin disclosures for food product . ingredients, starting with a better labelling of meat products, German . agriculture minister Ilse Aigner said. 'Consumers have every right to the greatest-possible transparency,' she insisted. Austria . backs the German initiative; but others like Ireland say existing rules . are sufficient although Europe-wide controls must be strengthened to . address the problem of fraudulent labeling. Explainer: A recent advert in which Ikea explained to customers what was in their famous meatballs . Discovery: Swedish-style meatballs intended for sale at Ikea outlets in the Czech Republic have been found to contain horsemeat, inspectors have revealed earlier this week . The scandal has created a split . between nations like Britain who see further rules as a protectionist . hindrance of free trade under the bloc's single market, and those . calling for tougher regulation. Processed . food products - a business segment with traditionally low margins that . often leads producers to hunt for the cheapest suppliers - often contain . ingredients from multiple suppliers in different countries, who . themselves at time subcontract production to others, making it hard to . monitor every link in the production chain. Standardised . DNA checks with meat suppliers and more stringent labeling rules will . add costs that producers will most likely hand down to consumers, making . food more expensive. The . scandal began in Ireland in mid-January when the country's announced the . results of its first-ever DNA tests on beef products. Consumer concern: The traces were found in one-kilogram packs of frozen meat balls made in Sweden . It tested frozen beef burgers taken from store shelves and found that more than a third of brands at five supermarkets contained at least a trace of horse. The sample of one brand sold by Tesco was more than a quarter horse. Such discoveries have spread like wildfire across Europe as governments, supermarkets, meat traders and processors began their own DNA testing of products labeled beef and have been forced to withdraw tens of millions of products from store shelves. The investigations have been complicated by elaborate supply chains involving multiple cross-border middlemen. | Ikea: Affected meatballs were also on sale in Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal .
Found in one-kilogram packs of frozen meat balls made in Sweden .
Ikea estimates: Sold 11.6 billion Swedish meatballs in Britain since 1987 .
Detected: Burger patties, .
lasagnas, meat pies and meat-filled pastas so far .
The Cafe Rouge chain has removed two .
items from its menus because they contained unexpected ingredients. A .
chocolate ganache dessert, billed as suitable for vegetarians, actually .
contained animal-based gelatine, and its spicy lamb and beef merguez .
sausages was found to contain pork. |
fcf45f70248c885a255a6170f912accaaf9661dc | By . Associated Press . Thousands of runners are preparing to take part in the Boston Marathon today amid tightened security following the double bombings at last year's race that killed three people and injured 260. A higher police presence, runners using clear plastic bags for their belongings, and fans near the finish line being encouraged to leave strollers and backpacks behind are just a few of the tightened security measures. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said although there have been no specific threats against the race 'we're not taking that as a sign to sort of stand down'. About 36,000 . runners have registered for the race - the second-largest field in its . history, many of them coming to show support for the event and the city . that was shocked by the attack on its signature sporting event. Thousands of runners are preparing to take part in the Boston Marathon today amid tightened security following the double bombings at last year's race that killed three people and injured 260 . Race organizers expanded the field from its recent cap of 27,000 to make room for more than 5,000 runners who were still on the course at the time of the explosions . Race . organizers expanded the field from its recent cap of 27,000 to make . room for more than 5,000 runners who were still on the course at the . time of the explosions, for friends and relatives of the victims and for . those who made the case that they were 'profoundly impacted' by the . attack. For . years, state and local officials have conducted a 'tabletop exercise' before the Boston Marathon, a meeting that allows them to study a map of . the 26.2-mile course and plan for emergencies that could arise during . the race. So . many new people needed to attend the session this year that they moved . it from the state's emergency bunker in Framingham to the a convention . center in the city. One million people are expected to line the route in a show of defiance and to honor the victims and survivors of the attacks which killed three people and wounded more than 260. A large crowd gathers to pose for photos at the Boston Marathon finish line, one day before the race . The . crowd grew from what usually is about 100 to more than 450, according . to Boston Athletic Association executive director Tom Grilk, who is in . charge of organizing the race. 'Whether . you have a small group or a big group, the spirit is the same,' he said . this month in an interview at the athletic association's office, about . two blocks from the finish line. 'And that is: How do we get our event . done well?' For the 118th edition of the world's oldest annual marathon, security along the course will be tighter than ever. 'There'll be considerably more police . presence,' Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said on CBS' 'Face the . Nation' on Sunday. 'But we also don't want to have it, you know, kind of . a race through a militarized zone. So it's about striking a balance, . and I think we have struck that balance.' More . than 100 cameras have been installed along the route in Boston, and 50 . or so 'observation points' will be set up around the finish line 'to . monitor the crowd,' the Boston Athletic Association said. Lelisa . Desisa of Ethiopia and Kenya's Rita Jeptoo, who crossed the finish line . on Boylston Street about three hours before the explosions, will return . to defend their championships. People have their photo take at the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday . Desisa returned to Boston last fall to donate his first-place medal to the city as a gesture of support. Jeptoo, who also won the race in 2006, said she is hoping for a third victory - and one she can enjoy. 'It was very difficult to be happy. People were injured and children died,' she said of last year's marathon. 'If I'm going to win again, I hope I can be happier and to show people, like I was supposed to last year.' Yesterday marathon . runners were blessed at an emotional church service that celebrated . Easter and remembered the victims, while heightened security measures, . including bag checks, were in place at marathon events. 'It's . different, coming back,' said Gisele Goldstein, 55, of Germantown, . Tenn., who planned to run her 12th Boston Marathon this year. 'It's not . just me-there's a sadness.' Her friend Nanette . Farris, 46, of Memphis, added that people were surprised she wanted to . return for her second Boston Marathon. The doubters were all . non-runners, however-the runners she knew felt differently. 'If . you're a runner, you want to show them-no one's going to take that away . from us,' Farris said. 'Once this occurred, everyone wanted to qualify . for Boston.' Last year two pressure cooker bombs were detonated near the finish line, killing three people and injuring more than 260 others . Still, there have been tense . moments - such as when an alarm went off on Friday, during the Runners' Expo at the Hynes Convention Center. People were spooked, Goldstein . said, even though it turned out to have been a test. Ricardo . Corral, 53, of New York, who planned to race in the hand-cycle division . of the wheelchair race on Monday-his eighth marathon-said he was . reassured by the heightened security. 'We are not nervous,' he said. 'We know the police will be here to protect people.' Corral . added that it was especially important to him and his teammates to . return this year, to support Boston and each other. 'As the signs say, . `Boston Strong,'" he said. 'That's why we come back.' Only hours after the bombings, people were pleading for an entry into the . 2014 Boston Marathon. For months the calls and emails continued, runners . begging for an opportunity to cross the finish line on Boylston Street . and convinced it would ease at least some of their grief. 'They'd . say, `I'm not a qualified runner; I don't think I ever will be. I . train. I run. I could do it. But because of what happened last year, I . need to run,'' Boston Athletic Association executive director Tom Grilk . said last week. Runners and guests receive containers for their Boston Marathon pre-race dinner at Boston City Hall . Wellesley College student Tiffany Liao, of San Marino, Calif., center, serves a pasta dish during a Boston Marathon pre-race dinner . 'It might have been because . they were present at the finish, or they knew somebody who was working . or was affected. They might have been somebody who lives in Haverhill, . Mass., and they were watching the race and it hit `em hard. That was . true for a lot of people. 'And we received some of these communications and we thought, `What do we do?'' The . B.A.A. had already expanded this year's field to include more than . 5,000 runners who were stranded on the course when the two explosions . killed three and wounded 264 others. A few extra invitations were . sprinkled among the first-responders and the victims, or their families; . others went to charities and the towns along the route; some who said . they were personally touched by the tragedy were already given bibs. But . organizers felt they might still be missing people, people who perhaps . didn't think their trauma was worthy amid all the lost limbs and . physical scars. So, in November, they announced that about 500 bibs . would be available for those 'personally and profoundly impacted by the . events of April 15, 2013.' In 250-word essays . submitted over the website, 1,199 would-be runners made their case. Almost 600 had the connection the B.A.A. was looking for. 'The . anger, guilt and heartbreak I still feel today will never go away,' wrote Kate Plourd, who was in the medical tent, dehydrated and vowing . never to run Boston again, when she heard the announcements: 'Explosions . at the finish line. Casualties. Dismemberments. Prepare yourself to . treat the victims.' 'Running the 2014 Boston . Marathon will help me heal my mind,' she said in the essay that landed . her bib No. 28115. 'I'll push myself ... to finish the 2014 Boston . Marathon in honor of those who won't ever give up, who I won't ever . forget.' A visitor hangs a message on a tree at the 'Dear Boston' exhibit at the Boston Public Library Sunday . A man pauses in front of a memorial for the victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings at the site of the first bomb blast . Ron McCracken of Dallas pays his respects at a makeshift memorial honoring to the victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings . That . determination was echoed by many runners, including Scott Johnson, 54, . of Atlanta. He is the executive director of the Scott Rigsby Foundation, . a nonprofit that supports people who have lost limbs. The organization . has raised money for last year's bombing victims, and this year Johnson . was planning to run with Team MR8, a team formed in honor of Martin . Richard, the 8-year-old Dorchester boy who was killed in the 2013 . bombing. 'There's a sense of resiliency,' Johnson said. 'It's sadness, but it's also a kind of fortitude. Two . people created the violence, but millions counter it with love and . support. I like those odds!' Ben Rancourt, 64, . of Ste-Germaine, Quebec, was planning to run his eighth Boston Marathon . on Monday along with his three younger brothers. 'We're . going to buy beer for the after party!' he said. 'We'll see, tomorrow, . with the fans on both sides of the road-it will feel very great!' | Marathon runners were blessed at an emotional church service .
Heightened security measures, including bag checks, in place at events .
Tense moment - alarm during Runners' Expo at Hynes Convention Center .
Only hours after the bombings people entered 2014 Boston Marathon . |
fcf4b8a716403e5ff5a33c203206001cf503a54f | (CNN) -- Four young boys died Wednesday after the Gaza beach where they were playing was attacked by Israeli forces. A pair of explosions in what had been nine days of relentless bombings between the two countries are to blame. The boys had been told to stay indoors. And as children tend to do, they disobeyed their parents to play on the beach where they had always been safe before. But there is no such thing as safe when enemy fire lands across your border for more than a week. They were too young to know that being a civilian provides no cover from an explosion. That war has no clean lines. This is why, as our hearts weep over the death of these innocent children -- some as young as 9 -- it would be good for us to take this time to reconsider our own fantasies about the supposed clean lines of the military strikes our own country launches. The U.S. may be justified in attacking an enemy (just as Israel is justified in protecting itself and its children) but it doesn't always just hurt its enemies. The United States has killed its share of little boys on the beach as well, so let us look at the photos from Gaza and remember: Sometimes we're Israel. It's an uncomfortable thought. As a public we prefer to talk about military strikes more than we like to see what happens because of them. The hardest part about being an American citizen of the world is banishing our willful blindness. Intuitively we know innocents die by American hands. But to sleep better at night, we choose not to see the ugliness that goes into "protecting American interests" or keeping our gas cheap. To hold the President and Congress accountable for the military action they authorize on our behalf requires us to care. And caring that much can be exhausting. I find myself wondering: How many children have we left face down in the sand in my lifetime? In 2002, a U.S. helicopter mistakenly bombed a house full of wedding guests in Afghanistan, killing more than 30, including children. The Guardian reported one little girl, Paliko, was brought to the hospital still wearing her party dress. Her entire family had been killed in the attack. This is what war looks like -- still. The world's weaponry is more sophisticated but the carnage hasn't changed. Just our willingness to see it. There are times in which military strikes cannot be avoided and in those times we should mourn. Homes will be destroyed. Families will lose loved ones. Children will one day go outside to play and they may never come home. It's not just the U.S. and its allies whose military strikes end up hitting children. In Syria two dozen children were killed when bombs fell on their elementary school in April. The U.N. says, in fact, that some 10,000 children have been killed in that country's civil war. Yesterday four young boys, all cousins, none older than 11, went outside to play hide and seek on a beach in Gaza. Now their parents are having funerals. One boy had part of his leg blown off and was severely burned, according to The New York Times. Nearby a smaller one with curly hair laid motionless in the sand. When you look at the pictures from this tragedy -- the beautiful blue water, waves in the distance racing to shore -- one can only imagine what a wonderful day it must've been for them. The smiles. Laughter. And then nothing. This, too, is war. And I must remember not to allow proximity to dictate my reaction to the loss of life, especially life so young. When our newspapers and televisions were flooded with horrific images from the Vietnam War, we responded passionately. We don't show the gruesome images and dead bodies like that anymore, and culturally we have grown apathetic. Politicians mock diplomacy or talk about airstrikes in the same tones in which you ask your spouse to pick up milk from the store. We must remember Paliko, think about the four little boys on the beach, consider the countless other children whose blood still stains our well-meaning but sometimes clumsy hands. The photo of a man carrying a lifeless young body through the sand struck a nerve for many of us around the country. I pray going forward that visceral response continues to be the country's reaction whenever we hear talk of war from our politicians. In war there are no clean lines. There are no safe beaches to play on. There is no safety. In 2012, a U.S. Army sergeant walked more than a mile from his base late one night and killed 16 unarmed Afghans, nine of them children, in their homes. His attorney said the officer suffered a mental breakdown while serving the last of his four deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was sentenced to life in prison while the victim's families serve out a different kind of life sentence. This is all part of war. And it's as horrible as it sounds. | LZ Granderson: 4 boys killed while playing on Gaza beach attacked by Israeli forces .
LZ: We weep, but should consider: U.S. has inflicted this kind of collateral damage, too .
He says we tend not to feel responsible for distant carnage inflicted for U.S. interests .
LZ: We should remember our visceral reaction today next time our politicians beat war drums . |
fcf4e3c28f62546479e2975acd8c19bea851c9c7 | (CNN) -- Mars rover Curiosity beamed back a sweeping color panorama of the planet's surface Thursday, showing the rocky, reddish desert surrounding it and the mountain it will explore in the coming months. The 360-degree view captures the landscape of Gale Crater, where Curiosity touched down early Monday, and the foot of Mount Sharp -- the rover's primary scientific target. Mike Malin, whose company built the camera used to shoot the scene, said the shot was "probably not the best pointed," but added, "We hope we'll get many others." The brightness of the image was boosted to compensate for the dim sunlight of the martian afternoon, but the colors were untouched, NASA said. Curiosity went through its paces "flawlessly" on its third full day on the planet, mission manager Michael Watkins said Thursday. The rover's mission is to determine whether Mars ever had an environment capable of supporting life, and its prime target is Mount Sharp, the 18,000-foot (5,500-meter) peak about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) to the south. Curiosity opening Martian frontier? Scientists hope the layers of rock that form the mountain will give them a timeline of the history of Mars. Curiosity mission planner Dawn Sumner said photographs like the ones beamed back by the rover, as well as others taken by probes in orbit, will be used to map a path to the mountain's base -- "doing the best science we can along the way, but also keeping our eyes on that beautiful layered rock," she said. The rover is supposed to run for two years, but a previous rover, Opportunity, has been working on Mars since 2004 -- well beyond the three months NASA planned. Opportunity's sister rover, Spirit, ran from 2004 to 2010. Opinion: Why I love Mars . | A 360-degree color panorama of Gale Crater includes Mount Sharp .
The peak is the Mars rover Curiosity's prime target .
The rover performed "flawlessly" on its third day on Mars, controllers say . |
fcf5d5d4e0036fc0e3b1ebc9549aa43b837965e8 | The NSA has become too big and too powerful. What was supposed to be a single agency with a dual mission -- protecting the security of U.S. communications and eavesdropping on the communications of our enemies -- has become unbalanced in the post-Cold War, all-terrorism-all-the-time era. Putting the U.S. Cyber Command, the military's cyberwar wing, in the same location and under the same commander, expanded the NSA's power. The result is an agency that prioritizes intelligence gathering over security, and that's increasingly putting us all at risk. It's time we thought about breaking up the National Security Agency. Broadly speaking, three types of NSA surveillance programs were exposed by the documents released by Edward Snowden. And while the media tends to lump them together, understanding their differences is critical to understanding how to divide up the NSA's missions. The first is targeted surveillance. This is best illustrated by the work of the NSA's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) group, including its catalog of hardware and software "implants" designed to be surreptitiously installed onto the enemy's computers. This sort of thing represents the best of the NSA and is exactly what we want it to do. That the United States has these capabilities, as scary as they might be, is cause for gratification. The second is bulk surveillance, the NSA's collection of everything it can obtain on every communications channel to which it can get access. This includes things such as the NSA's bulk collection of call records, location data, e-mail messages and text messages. This is where the NSA overreaches: collecting data on innocent Americans either incidentally or deliberately, and data on foreign citizens indiscriminately. It doesn't make us any safer, and it is liable to be abused. Even the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, acknowledged that the collection and storage of data was kept a secret for too long. The third is the deliberate sabotaging of security. The primary example we have of this is the NSA's BULLRUN program, which tries to "insert vulnerabilities into commercial encryption systems, IT systems, networks and endpoint communication devices." This is the worst of the NSA's excesses, because it destroys our trust in the Internet, weakens the security all of us rely on and makes us more vulnerable to attackers worldwide. That's the three: good, bad, very bad. Reorganizing the U.S. intelligence apparatus so it concentrates on our enemies requires breaking up the NSA along those functions. First, TAO and its targeted surveillance mission should be moved under the control of U.S. Cyber Command, and Cyber Command should be completely separated from the NSA. Actively attacking enemy networks is an offensive military operation, and should be part of an offensive military unit. Whatever rules of engagement Cyber Command operates under should apply equally to active operations such as sabotaging the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in Iran and hacking a Belgian telephone company. If we're going to attack the infrastructure of a foreign nation, let it be a clear military operation. Second, all surveillance of Americans should be moved to the FBI. The FBI is charged with counterterrorism in the United States, and it needs to play that role. Any operations focused against U.S. citizens need to be subject to U.S. law, and the FBI is the best place to apply that law. That the NSA can, in the view of many, do an end-run around congressional oversight, legal due process and domestic laws is an affront to our Constitution and a danger to our society. The NSA's mission should be focused outside the United States -- for real, not just for show. And third, the remainder of the NSA needs to be rebalanced so COMSEC (communications security) has priority over SIGINT (signals intelligence). Instead of working to deliberately weaken security for everyone, the NSA should work to improve security for everyone. Computer and network security is hard, and we need the NSA's expertise to secure our social networks, business systems, computers, phones and critical infrastructure. Just recall the recent incidents of hacked accounts -- from Target to Kickstarter. What once seemed occasional now seems routine. Any NSA work to secure our networks and infrastructure can be done openly -- no secrecy required. This is a radical solution, but the NSA's many harms require radical thinking. It's not far off from what the President's Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies, charged with evaluating the NSA's current programs, recommended. Its 24th recommendation was to put the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command under different generals, and the 29th recommendation was to put encryption ahead of exploitation. I have no illusions that anything like this will happen anytime soon, but it might be the only way to tame the enormous beast that the NSA has become. | Director of national intelligence said U.S. should have acknowledged surveillance .
Bruce Schneier: NSA is too big and powerful; it's time to break up the agency .
He says all bulk surveillance of Americans should be moved to the FBI .
Schneier: Instead of working to weaken security, NSA should try to improve security for all . |
fcf676cb6a839273acaf1beef946205a51f0296e | Los Angeles (CNN) -- A hearing in Charlie Sheen's custody battle with estranged wife Brooke Mueller took place Tuesday in private, despite a request from the actor's lawyer that reporters be allowed to witness the proceeding. While the results were sealed by the judge, Mueller was smiling broadly as she left court, in contrast to a stone-faced Sheen. Los Angeles County, California, Superior Court Judge Hank Goldberg granted Mueller's request for privacy, agreeing with her lawyer that the publicity would not be good for the couple's twin 2-year-old sons. About an hour after he entered the courtroom, the actor departed, strolling down the hallway with a woman on one arm and lawyers and guards surrounding him. He looked straight ahead as he moved to a non-public elevator for a departure from the basement garage. Mueller, surrounded by cameras and reporters as she left the courthouse, smiled but said little. Asked how she was doing, she said, "Excellent, now let's go home." She then pushed through the scrum of media toward her limo. Sheen detoured Tuesday from the East Coast leg of his "Violent Torpedo of Truth" stage tour to ask Goldberg to award him full custody of the boys after Mueller failed to appear for a drug test that was required under their child-custody agreement. As he arrived Tuesday night in Washington for a performance, Sheen told a crowd of about 30 people gathered outside that he could not talk about his custody battle and didn't know the current status of his legal battle with Warner Bros. television over his firing from the CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men." His performance was pushed back an hour as he was traveling cross-country from the hearing. "I was about to make a phone call and see how that thing went today," Sheen said. "I just landed, got a police escort from the airport. We ran more red lights than Brooke Mueller going to a pawn shop." At the California hearing, Sheen's lawyer, Mark Gross, had argued that Mueller was "a dollar short and a day late" in asking for the case to be sealed since she did not ask the same last month when she accused Sheen of threatening to kill her. "Now that she has failed to appear for a test, she wants it sealed," Gross said. But Goldberg was unmoved. "I don't think it would be in the best interest of the children to be exposed to that material," he said. While the couple reached a custody agreement before filing for divorce last year, they have argued recently over visitation arrangements. The dispute boiled over in early March when Mueller asked for a restraining order, swearing in a statement that Sheen had threatened to kill her. "I will cut your head off, put it in a box and send it to your mom," Mueller said that Sheen told her. The assertions were made in a court document that resulted in a court order that removed Sheen's sons from his home. In an interview the next day with NBC's "Today Show," Sheen denied that he had threatened Mueller. The quote against him was fabricated, he said, calling the allegation "colorful." Sheen launched his nationwide stage tour last month after Warner Bros. fired him. Sheen's lawyers were also at another hearing Tuesday morning. A judge will decide if the actor's legal battle with the studio over his firing will be heard in open court or in arbitration. CNN's Jessica Rosgaard contributed to this report. | NEW: Charlie Sheen arrives in Washington, says he can't discuss custody battle .
"Excellent, now let's go," says the actor's estranged wife as she approached her limo .
Sheen wanted Tuesday's hearing open, but Brooke Mueller wanted it private .
Sheen and Mueller are fighting over the custody of their twin sons . |
fcf6bf91e9f06166c7d76c1de1432149471bd51c | A Chinese woman had a miraculous escape when her car was buried under tons of rice after a lorry tipped over. It took rescuers an hour to dig out Lin Hen, 33, after the crash in Luoyang in China's central Henan province. She was carried from the wreckage wearing only one shoe and with bloody scratches over her arms. Lin Hen was pulled from the wreckage of her car after an hour buried under tons of rice which fell from an overturned lorry . The lorry overturned on a wet road after its brakes failed, the driver told police . Lin Hen, who was driving to her sister's wedding at the time, survived the crash inside her crushed black car . Crowds gathered around the scene as emergency services worked to shift the sacks of rice and found Ms Lin inside her black car. She was on her way to her sister's wedding at the time. The lorry driver told police that his . brakes had failed when he tried to slow down, and he had found himself . unable to stop as the truck picked up speed. He tried to swerve to avoid the woman's car but the road was wet and the lorry tipped over. It took an hour for emergency services to get to Ms Lin, who was crushed under the load of rice . Crowds gathered to watch the rescue in Luoyang, in China's central Henan province . Ms Hen's lucky escape follows a crash in Guanxi province last week where a woman smashed her head through the windscreen of her car - and survived. The unnamed woman, who was a passenger in the car, was not wearing her seatbelt when the vehicle hit the back of a lorry. Her head broke the glass and she became wedged in the hole. When . fire crews arrived on the scene, they had to remove the car's . unconscious driver from the car before they could painstakingly begin . freeing the woman. Firefighters were then able to slowly . enlarge the hole in the windscreen around her neck so that it was big . enough for the injured woman's head to be safely freed. Bloodied . and dazed, the woman was stretchered away by waiting paramedics and . taken to a nearby hospital, where she and the male driver were said to . be making a full recovery. A woman in Guanxi province had another miraculous escape last week when her head became stuck in a car's windscreen during a crash . | Rescuers had to dig Lin Hen, 33, out from underneath piles of full rice sacks .
She was driving to sister's wedding at the time of accident in Luoyang .
Driver said lorry brakes failed and caused crash in central Henan province . |
fcf7bb3f4ab33021683f9fab90f2a2d8b964ce4e | By . Keith Gladdis . PUBLISHED: . 10:57 EST, 9 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:28 EST, 9 June 2013 . 'Without pain': Author Iain Banks passed away yesterday morning . Best-selling author Iain Banks lost his battle with cancer yesterday – weeks after marrying his partner and just days before the publication of his final novel. The 59-year-old, who wrote The Wasp Factory, stunned his many fans in April when he revealed he was suffering from gall bladder cancer and that he was ‘unlikely’ to survive longer than a year. With typical dark humour he said he was ‘officially very poorly’ and revealed he had asked his long-term partner Adele Hartley, 42, an author and horror film curator, if she would ‘do me the honour of becoming my widow’. They married in a humanist ceremony in the Scottish Highlands over the Easter weekend before a short honeymoon in Venice and Paris. From then she jokingly referred to herself as ‘chief widow-in-waiting’. Yesterday she issued a statement through Banks’s website, saying: ‘Iain died in the early hours this morning. His death was calm and without pain.’ Banks passed away just three weeks after being presented with finished copies of his final book The Quarry, which is about a man who is dying of cancer, ahead of its release on June 20. In a statement his publisher Little, Brown said he was ‘an irreplaceable part of the literary world’ and ‘one of the country’s best-loved novelists’. Banks, who also wrote science fiction novels as Iain M Banks, revealed his terminal illness on his blog in April, a month after his diagnosis. He wrote: ‘The bottom line, now, I’m afraid, is that as a late stage gall bladder cancer patient, I’m expected to live for “several months” and it’s extremely unlikely I’ll live beyond a year.’ Praising the ‘professionalism’ of the NHS, he said a course of chemotherapy might extend his life for ‘several months’ but that he would withdraw from all planned public engagements. Widow: Iain Banks (right) announced in April he had married his long-term partner Adele Hartley (left) as he revealed he was suffering with cancer . Legacy: Before his death Banks completed his final novel The Quarry which is to be published on June 20 . Later Banks, who was born in Fife, . Scotland, used his website Banksophilia, set up to provide updates on . his health, to thank his fans for their support. He said: ‘I feel treasured. I am deeply flattered and touched, and I can’t deny I’ve been made to feel very special indeed.’ Last month he added: ‘Still knocked . out by the love and depth of feeling coming from so many people; thank . you, all of you. It means a lot, almost more than I can say, and – . whatever type or size of screen I read the comments on – I come away . from the computer, laptop, iPad or phone with a happy smile on my face.’ Before he died, Banks decided to write thank-you letters to his favourite authors telling them how much he valued their work. Award-winning: Banks was named by The Times newspaper as one of the 50 greatest living authors in 2008 . The author said he did not expect to live longer than a year and died of cancer just two months after announcing he was terminally ill . Banks published his first novel The Wasp Factory in 1984 and his debut sci-fi title, Consider Phlebas, came three years later. The Crow Road, which opens with the . memorable line ‘It was the day my grandmother exploded’, was adapted for . a popular television series in 1996. In 2008 Banks was named as one of . the 50 greatest British writers since 1945. The Quarry describes the physical and . emotional strains in the final weeks of Guy, who has terminal cancer and . is being looked after by his teenage son. It reveals the difficulties Guy faces, from using a walking frame to his opposition to alternative treatments. Crime writer Ian Rankin, a friend of . Banks for many years, paid tribute to his sense of humour, saying: ‘He . was refusing to take cancer seriously, in the same way that he refused . to take life seriously. He was a great guy to hang around with and . somebody for whom life and the world were a fictional template for him . to do as he pleased.’ Sci-fi author Ken McLeod said: ‘I . think he has left us a very significant body of work, both in . mainstream literature and science fiction and he’s also left a large gap . in the Scottish literary scene as well as the wider English-speaking . world.’ Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh said: ‘I’m off out to the pub to toast one of my all time literary heroes with a malt.’ The gallbladder concentrates and stores bile from the liver as part of the digestive system. Gallbladder cancer is rare in the UK but is more common among women. It does not cause symptoms in the early stages, grows quickly and is often not diagnosed until the cancer has spread. Most early-stage cancers are found by chance. At more advanced stages, symptoms include jaundice, abdominal pain and nausea. If the cancer is diagnosed early enough, surgery is the most effective treatment. As it advances it can spread to lymph nodes, the liver and other organs. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be used to stem its spread but only one patient in ten with advanced gallbladder cancer survives for five years. Vanda Taylor, of Cancer Research UK, said: ‘Gallbladder cancer is seldom diagnosed early and therefore can be very difficult to treat successfully.’ | The Scottish author revealed he was terminally ill in April .
He did not expect to live longer than year after being diagnosed .
Before his death Banks completed his final novel The Quarry due to be published on June 20 .
It follows the final weeks of a man terminally ill with cancer . |
fcf7c670900b369f8818634ac57821f23447cc12 | A middle-aged British mother-of-two has joined Islamic State extremists after running away to wage jihad with her toyboy husband. Muslim convert Sally Jones, 45 –who has spent a lifetime on state benefits – ranted online about how she wants to behead Christians with a ‘blunt knife’. The unemployed mother, who was once an aspiring rock musician, claims to have joined bloodthirsty jihadis roaming the lawless border between Syria and Iraq. Scroll down for video . Chaotic lifestyle: Mother-of-two Sally Jones - who has spent a lifetime on state benefits - before she left Britain to marry a British hacker turned jihadi who she met online . A video posted on YouTube, and then deleted, is believed to show Sally Jones playing in a rock band in the early 1990s. It is thought Jones may have converted to Islam and travelled to Syria . On an account attributed to Umm Hussain al-Britani, this pictured was posted showing a female fighter holding an AK-47 . She is believed to have abandoned her two . young sons to marry one of the British suspects in the beheading of . US journalist James Foley. Jones, who now calls herself Sakinah . Hussain, wears traditional Islamic dress and has swapped her home in . Chatham, Kent, for Raqqa, the Syrian stronghold of terror group IS. Last . night her brother Patrick, 52, who runs his own paving company, said . his family are deeply shocked by her conversion to radical Islam. Speaking at his £500,000 home in Oxted, Surrey, he said: ‘This is a very . upsetting and distressing time for my family and I just don’t want them . to be a part of it. She fell in love and went away.’ Jones is . thought to have sneaked into Syria at the end of last year after an . online romance with Junaid Hussain, 20. She has posted a series of . chilling threats on social networking sites and posed for photos with an . AK-47, while dressed in black with her face veiled. Using the . pseudonym Umm Hussain al-Britani, she has abused Jews and praised Osama . bin Laden. Married: According to her Twitter profile, Umm Hussain al-Britani (left) married British computer hacker-turned jihadi Junaid Hussain . British computer hacker-turned jihadi Junaid Hussain pictured online posing with a scarf over his face and a rifle in his hands . Just days ago, she warned: ‘You Christians all need beheading . with a nice blunt knife and stuck on the railings at Raqqa... Come . here I’ll do it for you!’ Her husband Hussain is a computer hacker . who fled Britain while on police bail suspected of violent disorder in . Birmingham. He was jailed for six months in 2012 for stealing sensitive . information from an aide of Tony Blair and blocking a government . anti-terrorist hotline with prank calls. Hussain travelled to the . warzone with Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, 24, a former rapper dubbed the ‘hip . hop jihadi’. Both men now fight for IS and are suspects in the killing . of Mr Foley. Jones is an unlikely Islamic convert and even more . unlikely member of the terrorist militia. In the early 1990s she was the . lead guitarist in an all-girl rock band called Krunch who played a . series of gigs in the South East. A clip of one of her performances . posted online shows her with a shock of blonde hair and wearing a . leather mini-skirt. In recent years she developed an interest in art, . attempting to sell fantasy pictures as well as T-shirts, mugs and key . rings through a niche website. On August 10 Umm Hussain tweeted that her and her husband had made it to the 'Caliphate' She has also posted up a series of warning, the most extreme of which have recently been removed . She adopted several online personas such as Skya and Catgel, and contributed to forums on conspiracy theories, witchcraft and black magic. One bizarre picture showed her dressed as a nun while pointing a large handgun. She later forged an online romance with Hussain, who was the leader of a computer hacking group known as Team Poison. Using identities such as Pu55yTheGod and Pu55y Hussain, she posted dozens of messages denouncing rivals. Speaking near Jones’s former two-bedroom council house in Chatham, neighbour Julie Horton, 58, said yesterday: ‘She was very scatty, everything was always a drama. Her language wasn’t good, her children were unruly and she was extremely loud. Men came and went but she lived mainly as a single mum with her two boys.’ Another neighbour added: ‘She was a nightmare. Always screaming and shouting and up all hours of the night. Everything about her was extreme. She had problems with debts so one minute she was there, the next she’d scarpered. She started to go through a phase of thinking she was a witch. ‘She’d post pictures on Facebook of her dressed in a cloak and said things about being able to talk to spirits.’ It is not known what has happened to her sons, aged around ten and 14, whom she described in photographs posted online in 2010 as the ‘loves of my life’. After being contacted by journalists, Jones deleted messages, including the threat to behead Christians. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said yesterday: ‘We appeal to the public to help identify for us aspiring terrorists.’ | Muslim convert who went to Syria may be Sally Jones from Chatham .
It is believed she could be going by the name Umm Hussain al-Britani .
Umm Hussain has claimed she married British jihadi Junaid Hussain .
The pair had an online romance before travelling separately to Syria .
Both have since posted up a series of threats to kill Christians . |
fcf7cb02f8882ecdac36176848bbe39dc91e2b52 | (CNN) -- Saudi King Abdullah has pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison in a case that sparked international attention, a Saudi newspaper has reported. The case cast light on the treatment of women under Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic law. Al-Jazirah newspaper quoted a Saudi Justice Ministry official saying King Abdullah issued a royal pardon Monday -- the same day that the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, begins in Saudi Arabia. The victim's husband told CNN he has not received an official letter regarding her pardon, but considers it to be legitimate since it was announced in an official Saudi newspaper. He thanked King Abdullah for the pardon, saying: "This fatherly care and noble gesture will help (in) lifting the emotional and psychological stress and suffering that our family has been enduring." "This is not something new because we know that the King was always generous in dealing with his people and the entire world," the husband said. "This week, we have two holidays to celebrate; the Eid and this great news of the pardon." Saudi sources told CNN that the king's pardon was not related to the beginning of the Hajj nor the Eid al-Adha festival that follows, which is normally when the Saudi monarch issues amnesty for prisoners. Watch how Arab media is reporting the story. » . Saudi Arabia's Justice Minister Abdullah Bin Mohammad al-Sheikh told al-Jazirah newspaper that the king felt the pardon would be in the best interests of the Saudi people, and the decision did not reflect any lack of confidence in the Saudi justice system. The White House welcomed King Abdullah's decision, but National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe stressed that "this is obviously a matter for the Saudi Arabians and King Abdullah." A Saudi court ruled the 19-year-old had an "illegitimate relationship" with a man who was not her husband, and that she was raped after she and the man were discovered in a "compromising situation, her clothes on the ground." The rape took place in Qatif in March 2006 when the woman was engaged to be married. The case has drawn international attention, provoked outrage in the West and cast light on the treatment of women under strict Islamic law in Saudi Arabia. The woman was meeting with a man -- described by the woman's attorney as a former friend from whom she was retrieving a photograph -- when they both were abducted last March. Seven men, convicted of abducting the pair and raping her, were sentenced from two to nine years in prison. Abdul Rahman al-Lahim, the lawyer who represented the woman, faced a disciplinary hearing for "insulting the Supreme Judicial Council and disobeying the rules and regulations" of the judiciary. The hearing has been postponed. The woman's husband has been outspoken in his support for his wife. He called a Lebanese TV show to defend her, when a former Saudi judge claimed on the program that she "spoil(ed) their marital bed" by meeting an unrelated male "in secret" and admitted her guilt. Al-Lahim has said he hopes the case changes the Saudi justice system. "We want to highlight the rape crimes in Saudi Arabia and the way they are handled and sentenced in court," he added. "This is a new era for all of us." He said that the rape case had elicited a fierce response, including calls for his beheading. U.S. President George W. Bush said last week that King Abdullah "knows our position loud and clear" on the case. Under Saudi law, women are subject to numerous restrictions, including a strict dress code, a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man's permission to travel or have surgery. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom, Saad Abedine and Isha Sesay contributed to this report . | NEW: Sources say pardon unrelated to Hajj nor subsequent Eid al-Adha .
NEW: Justice minister says king felt pardon in best interests of Saudi people .
Report: King Abdullah pardons rape victim sentenced to 200 lashes .
A Saudi court had ruled the 19-year-old had an "illegitimate relationship" |
fcf8575db4b87c6d3125384b4ffb94ddcb30c52d | (CNN) -- It's been quite some time since someone made fun of me for being from New Jersey. But the Gov. Chris Christie bridge scandal is bringing the old Joisey stereotypes back into play. "New Jersey smells bad," "New Jersey drivers are the worst!" and, quite possibly the most inaccurate accusation, "Jersey made Snooki and J-Woww!" (Not ours! They're both from New York.) We're not a boorish population living in an industrial wasteland. The same old disparaging remarks have made Garden Staters thick-skinned underdogs. I'm convinced the New Jersey Turnpike was built to keep outsiders out, because the concrete blight along many stretches shows no evidence of why Jersey is called the Garden State. Once you get off on any exit, you will see Jersey is so much more than what most saw in the "Sopranos" introduction. I'm here to clear the air: New Jersey is one of the most underestimated states in the country. Don't knock it until you've traveled it. Want to give it a try? Here are six spots to check out from north to south. Jersey City . Go on a food tour of diverse Jersey City. You'll find authentic and affordable Mexican food at Taqueria, a savory crepe at French restaurant Madame Claude's, new American food using seasonal, local ingredients at Thirty Acres, and don't miss Marco and Pepe's for brunch (three words: croissant French toast). Once you've sufficiently indulged, catch a movie at the Loew's Jersey Theatre, a not-for-profit historic landmark built in 1929 that has hosted the likes of Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington, Jean Harlow, Bob Hope and, more recently, the American rock band Neutral Milk Hotel. Cool, right? If you want to get in touch with mother nature in this densely populated area, head north for a hike or bike ride in beautiful Palisades Interstate Park, a historic national landmark, and one of my favorite places in the world. West New York, New Jersey . Hungry after the hiking and biking? Luckily you're minutes away from some of the best Hispanic food in the tri-state area in West New York. Head over to Bergenline Avenue, the longest commercial avenue in New Jersey, and go for a nice long urban stroll with ample people-watching, shopping and eats from El Salvadorean to Mexican to Peruvian or Cuban. So many choices. Having trouble deciding? Start stretching your stomach at Dulce de Leche, an Argentine cafe and bakery where magical dulce de leche pastries and beef, chicken, ham, cheese or spinach empanadas are made with mucho amor. Princeton . If you're looking for a mix of history, an art scene and tree-lined streets, then you're hankering for Princeton. Fancy. Take a walking tour of Princeton University's Ivy League campus, which dates to 1754. It's well worth it. As for art, you'll want to head over to the Princeton University Art Museum, which houses more than 72,000 works of art. After soaking in all that art and culture, stop for a treat. Now, while I've heard the Bent Spoon is where "the party is at" for their gelatos, I can only vouch for Thomas Sweet Ice Cream on Nassau Street. They're famous for their blend-ins, way before a chain ice cream shop became popular for it. Since you're already on Nassau Street, you might as well shop. It only makes sense. Bookstores, dining spots and gift shops, oh my! Frenchtown . Now that you're an unofficial Garden Stater, you'll want to get in your car and drive (it's what we do) to Frenchtown, along the banks of the Delaware River. Rolling hills, green fields and scenic views support the state's lush moniker. If you're there anywhere from May to September, slap on some sunscreen and go for a gentle tube ride or some rafting. For those looking for some imported furniture or home decor from Southeast Asia, go to Two Buttons, owned by the author of "Eat, Pray, Love," Elizabeth Gilbert, and her husband. Asbury Park . Now, as the locals say, we're "going down the shore." Out-of-towners have a stale notion of caked layers of fake tanning spray and so-called guidos galore along the Jersey Shore, thanks to the MTV show. The state's coast is actually defined by its historic boardwalks, arcades and amusement parks thick with nostalgia. When I want to stay close to the tri-state area but still want to feel like I went on a mini-getaway, I go to Asbury Park. I love it's old-timey charm, boardwalk, lounges and restaurants, and, of course, beaches. It never gets completely packed with people, so you'll find some peace and quiet. If you're a Bruce Springsteen fan (of course you are, who isn't!?), you should make it a point to go to the historic Stone Pony, where he got his start. Not far is Asbury Lanes, another no-frills but fun music venue and vintage bowling alley. Cape May . Finally, for a real getaway, keep driving south until you reach the southern tip of Jersey and charming and quaint Cape May, which stakes a claim as the nation's oldest seaside resort. A National Historic Landmark, Cape May is filled with lovely Victorian homes. You can stroll on the boardwalk, visit the historic Cape May lighthouse, go whale or dolphin watching or go wine tasting at the Cape May Winery. Embrace your inner Jersey girl and enjoy some of the Garden State's finer things before the rest of the out-of-towners catch on. But if you don't, it's no skin off our back. More for us. | New Jersey is the butt of jokes once again, thanks to its governor .
But from Princeton to Asbury Park, New Jersey is for travelers .
Try ethnic food in Jersey City; explore nature in Frenchtown . |
fcf86b9f9246eb5f124b4c0070cfea9cde0db0d7 | (CNN) -- Shortly after Alabama's rout of Notre Dame there was one word that many on the field seemed not to want to broach. Dynasty. But why not? Alabama's 42 to 14 thrashing of Notre Dame in Monday night's BCS National Championship game was the Crimson Tide's second in a row. It is also Alabama's third national title in the last four years. Isn't this a dynasty, a reporter asked Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, moments after he led his team to the win? "You can call us whatever you want but this was a total team effort," McCarron said. Alabama coach Nick Saban also shied away from the D- word during a news conference after the game. "I don't think words like dynasty are words that I have much interest in. That is for other people to speak about," Saban said. And many on social media were. "I really believe that this is, in my lifetime, the best dynasty that I've ever seen in college football," ESPN personality Kirk Herbstreit tweeted about Alabama. Herbstreit's comment was retweeted thousands of times. In fact, "#Dynasty" was trending in many regions in the United States early Tuesday morning as Crimson Tide fans partied in the streets of Tuscaloosa. With the win, Alabama joins college football royalty. The team joins Nebraska, in the '90s, and Notre Dame, in the '40s, as the only teams to win three championships in four years. When Nebraska did it, they shared the 1997 championship with Michigan. And to add to Alabama's legacy, none of the championship games were really close. In 2010, Alabama stomped Texas 37 to 21. Last year, the Tide blanked LSU 21 to 0. And this year, the championship game felt like it was over at halftime. Game? What game? There's a pretty woman in the stands! The No. 2 Crimson Tide scored on drives of 82, 61 and 80 yards against the top-ranked and undefeated Irish in its first three drives of the game. They drove 71-yards and scored with 31 seconds left in the half to take a dominating 28-0 lead. By that time, despite the fact that half of the game was yet to be played, many of those commenting on Twitter were jokingly wondering if Notre Dame would come out of the locker room for the second half. The Irish did, but it did not get much better for them. In fact, one of the biggest hits of the game on Alabama's quarterback McCarron came from his own teammate, Barrett Jones. The two teammates disagreed on a play call and had to call a timeout to get it cleared up. McCarron got in his lineman's face and Jones pushed him some three yards back, a feat that Notre Dame could never do throughout the game. Notre Dame also couldn't stop Alabama's running game. Crimson Tide runners Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon both ran for more than 100 yards. Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly said his team had a lot to learn from Alabama. "We are not there yet," Kelly said. "Alabama showed us that in the way they played the game. We got a lot of work left to do to get back here." But there was one player from Alabama who was ready to put the crown on. "I think I can use the word dynasty now," said linebacker Nico Johnson, shortly after the confetti fell on the field. "Three titles in four years, that is a dynasty." Bleacher Report coverage of the national title game . CNN's Steve Almasy contributed to this report. | Alabama wins its third BCS title in four years .
The team joins two other teams in college football history to complete that feat .
"This is, in my lifetime, the best dynasty that I've ever seen in college football," ESPN commentator says . |
fcf8c404b4e5a431a420b0e3165aac13c16bac71 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Britain will assist France in its attempt to stop the advancement of al-Qaeda rebels in Mali, it has been revealed. The UK will transport troops and specialist equipment to the West African country after France launched an operation in conjunction with the Malian Government to halt Islamic extremists. Assistance was agreed in a phone call between David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande. The Prime Minister earlier expressed his 'deep concern' about the advancement of rebels in the country. Onlookers walk past a fire at Ngolonina market in the Malian capital of Bamako. The fire began as France launched air strikes against Islamist militants . France launched its air offensive after al-Qaeda rebels made advances in the key Mali city of Konna . A police officer and firemen walk at the scene of the fire . Downing Street stressed that British . troops would not engage in combat in the country, but two transport . planes are expected to be deployed within 24-48 hours. A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister spoke to President . Hollande this evening to discuss the deteriorating situation in Mali . and how the UK can support French military assistance provided to the . Malian Government to contain rebel and extremist groups in the north of . the country.' 'The Prime Minister has agreed that . the UK will provide logistical military assistance to help transport . foreign troops and equipment quickly to Mali. 'We will not be deploying any British . personnel in a combat role. They also agreed that the peacekeeping . mission from West African countries needs to be strongly supported by . countries in the region and deployed as quickly as possible. 'Both leaders agreed that the situation in Mali poses a real threat to international security given terrorist activity there.' The Government's National Security Council is set to discuss the situation in Mali when it meets on Tuesday. More than 100 people were killed . when troops French began their operation in the country on Friday. Mr Hollande said his troops would target Islamist . terrorists in the former French territory for 'as long as necessary', . despite the death of a pilot in the attack. The . dramatic intervention coincided with a failed operation, launched only . hours before, to free a French hostage being held captive in Somali, . during which the hostage and two commandos were killed. United front: The UK's assistance to France was agreed during a conversation between French President Francois Hollande and David Cameron this evening . Military action: French Mirage 2000 D aircraft fly over Mali, after taking off from the French military base of N'Djamena, in Chad . Forced to act: A fighter jet refuels above the skies of Mali. French President Francois Hollande has said he had to take action against the terrorists who 'show a brutality that threatens us all' The involvement of French forces in . the African nation marks a dramatic change in Mr Hollande's attitude to . foreign intervention. The President was spurred to act by . the potential southern advancement of rebels towards Mali's capital . Bamako, having already occupied much of the country's northern region. The operation, backed by the UN . Security Council and West African nations, was in response to a plea for . help from the country's government. Mr Hollande sent 200 troops, as well as . the bombers, to join local forces as they wrestled control back in the . strategic, rebel-held town of Konna. Western powers fear that the al-Qaeda-linked militants . will seek to use the vast desert zone in Mali as a springboard for international . attacks. Speaking about the decision to intervene, Mr Hollande said he was . forced to act against the terrorists who 'show a brutality that . threatens us all', and . said the operation was in part aimed at protecting Mali's 6,000 French . citizens. He said: 'We have already held back . the progress of our adversaries and inflicted heavy losses on them. But . our mission is not over yet. 'The terrorists should know that France . will always be there when the rights of a people, those of Mali who want . to live freely and in a democracy, are at issue.' Mr Hollande said Islamists had shown 'blatant aggression that is threatening Mali's very existence' and said the operation was in part aimed at protecting Mali's 6,000 French citizens . Concerned about reprisals on French soil, Hollande said he had asked his . prime minister to reinforce security in public buildings and on public . transport as quickly as possible. David Cameron earlier expressed his . 'deep concern' about the advancement of al-Qaeda in Mali, backing . France's decision to launch military action against the terror group's . militants. The offensive has prompted British Islamists to protest outside the French Embassy in London. Mr . Cameron also sent his condolences to the family of the dead . hostage killed in Somalia, Denis Alexx. 'I am . deeply concerned about the recent rebel advances in Mali, which extend . the reach of terrorist groups and threaten the stability of the country . and the wider region,' said Mr Cameron. 'I welcome the military assistance France has provided to the Malian government, at their request, to halt this advance. 'These developments show the need to . make urgent progress in implementing UN Security Council resolutions on . Mali and ensure that military intervention is reinforced by an inclusive . political process leading to elections and a return to full civilian . rule. 'I would also like to . send personal condolences to the families of the French hostage killed . in Somalia and those of the two soldiers either killed or missing in the . rescue attempt. Veiled Muslim women and children hold up signs reading 'Jihad' and calling for Shari'ah law in Mali as they protest outside the French embassy in central London . About 50 protestors waved placards and shouted in opposition to the sir strikes on Islamic militants, authorised by French President Francois Hollande . 'Last night's tragic events underline how essential it is that we work together to combat terrorism in Africa.' An army officer at the headquarters . of Mali's former military junta in Bamako said nearly 30 vehicles . carrying Islamist fighters had been hit by the French airstrikes and . 'over 100' rebels had been killed in fighting. 'We have driven them out, we are effectively in Konna,' Malian Defence Ministry spokesman Lt. Col. Diaran Kone said. 'We don't know if they have planted mines or other traps, so we are moving with caution. There were many deaths on both sides.' A shopkeeper in Konna said he had . counted 148 bodies in four different locations in the town, including . several dozen uniformed government soldiers. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the militants threatened to create 'a terrorist state at the doorstep of France and Europe'. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (left) told a news conference in Paris that the rebels in Mali threatened to create a terrorist state on the doorstep of Europe. He was backed by David Cameron (right) The fighting involved hundreds of French troops and overnight airstrikes on three rebel targets, said Mr Le Drian. A spokesman for al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said he considered the French operation a 'crusader intervention', and told France it would be 'digging the tombs of its sons' if the operation continued, according to the Mauritania-based Sahara Media website. A military official in Mali said Islamist militants were driven out of Konna, but that the city captured by the extremists earlier this week was not yet under government control. 'We are doing sweeps of the city to find any hidden Islamist extremist elements,' said Lt. Col. Diarran Kone. 'The full recovery of the city is too early to determine as we do not yet control the city, and we remain vigilant.' The fall of the town of Konna had been a major blow to government forces but on Saturday, with the aid of French airstrikes, they took back the town from the rebels . Sanda Abou Mohamed, spokesman for Islamist group Ansar Dine, told The Associated Press he could not confirm if his fighters were still in Konna. 'I cannot tell you if our fighters are still in the city of Konna or if they are not, because since yesterday afternoon I have not had contact with them as the telephone network has been down in this zone.' Other West African nations authorised an immediate deployment of troops to join the offensive, which had previously been set to happen in September. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara signed an order on Friday to deploy some 3,300 regional troops under a U.N. mandated operation. 'By Monday by the latest, the troops will be there or will have started to arrive,' said Ali Coulibaly, the country's African Integration Minister. 'Things are accelerating ... The reconquest of the north has already begun.' The bulk of the forces are expected to come from Nigeria, Niger, Senegal and Togo, led by Nigerian Major-General Shehu Abdulkadir. Burkina Faso, which has tried to mediate talks with some of the Islamist groups, said on Saturday it would rapidly deploy 500 soldiers to Mali to support. Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Africa has been a shadowy presence for years in the forests and deserts of Mali, a country hobbled by poverty and a relentless cycle of hunger. Most Malians adhere to a moderate form of Islam. In recent months, however, the terrorist group and its allies have taken advantage of political instability, taking territory they are using to stock weapons and train forces. Turbaned fighters control major towns in the north, carrying out amputations in public squares just as the Taliban did. And as in Afghanistan, they are flogging women for not covering up. Since taking control of Timbuktu, they have destroyed seven of the 16 mausoleums listed as world heritage sites. | Follows conversation between David Cameron and Francois Hollande .
UK troops will not engage in combat in the West African country .
Prime Minister expressed deep concern about al-Qaeda advancement in Mali .
French strikes helped wrestle key town Konna back from Islamic militants .
French intervention prompts protests involving Islamists in London .
Al-Qaeda warns France it will be 'digging tombs of sons' if action continues . |
fcf8cdd335692bb38987eb0e340d26a7f28d08cd | By . Sadie Whitelocks . PUBLISHED: . 14:58 EST, 20 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:30 EST, 20 August 2013 . One of America's first and longest-standing female news anchors has celebrated her 45th year on the job. Jean Enersen landed a role at KING5, an NBC-affiliated television station located in Seattle, Washington, in 1968 at a time when men ruled the airwaves. The lithe blonde, 69, previously explained to seattlepi.com that when she first went to work for the network she frequently encountered sexism. Scroll down for video . Sustained career: Jean Enersen, one of America's first and longest-standing female news anchors has celebrated her 45th year on the job - here she is pictured on air in 1975 . Fast forward: Ms Enersen pictured on the small screen last fall . 'I was told if I drank a shot of whiskey before going on air I might be able to lower my voice. Others suggested I take up smoking,' she recalled. At the time women advancing in the field believed that speaking in a lower register would made a better impression on viewers, who were more used to male reporters. On another occasion she said that a cameraman was so insulted to be paired with a woman, he refused to shoot the story they were set to work on. But . determined, she 'fought her own battles' and eventually . made a name for herself on the broadcasting circuit, winning . several Emmy awards for her work. On the hunt for a story: Ms Enersen says that during her career she's been able to do 'a lot of firsts' and in 1987 she was one of the few American journalists to be asked to report in the Soviet Union before it dissolved . Talking about her illustrious career recently on the Today Show Ms Enersen explained that she's been able to do 'a lot of firsts' and witness a plethora of historical events first-hand. As a twenty-something she led the first U.S. broadcasting crew to China after Richard Nixon resumed trade relations. And later, was one of the few American journalists to be asked to report in the Soviet Union before it dissolved. 'In terms of broadcasting, there's so many other devices people get their news on . . . things have changed a lot' Some of the famous figures she's . interviewed include Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill . Gates and most recently Barack Obama. Her former boss, Pat Costello told the Seattle Times: 'She's our go-to person. 'If there's a big interview out there, . we would like Jean to do it. When Warren Buffett and Bill Gates were in . town, we wanted Jean.' Asked what's been the most important thing that's happened for her since starting at KING5 at the age of 24, Ms Enersen touched on technological advancements. 'In terms of broadcasting, I think there's so many other . devices that people get their news on,' she explained on Today, adding that 'things . have changed a lot.' Not stopping yet: At 69, it appears that she has no intention of retiring and continues to host regular broadcasts . The thrice-married mother-of-two says that her real passion is educating people about health matters, particularly breast cancer. 'We need to reach women who don't go to doctors except in emergencies and convince them to take advantage of a free testing opportunity,' she said. Approaching 70, it appears that she has no intention of retiring and continues to host regular weeknight broadcasts with her co-anchor Dennis Bounds. 'KING5 is a great TV station,' she concluded during her Today interview. | Jean Enersen landed a role at KING5, an NBC-affiliated television station, in 1968 aged 24 at a time when men ruled the airwaves .
One of her memorable achievements includes leading the first local broadcasting crew to China after Richard Nixon resumed trade relations . |
fcf8fa793554f56c93e68bf37efe59d4f2e65f4b | They had endured the cataclysmic power of Typhoon Haiyan and the devastating tidal waves whipped up by the super-storm's 150pmh winds. But now they were trapped in a flooded hotel with water waist-deep. Surrounded by fallen cables, the elderly and frail survivors were terrified. Rescue, however, soon arrived. Wading through the hazardous courtyard, these men loaded them on to mattresses and began to ferry them to the relative safety of the hotel building in Leyte Province, in the Philippines. The heroic rescue was captured on video by a reporter who warned guests about the cables in the water. Scroll down for video . Residents caught in the centre of Typhoon Haiyan waded through water up to their waist as they rescued four elderly people trapped in the storm . There were fears the water in the courtyard had been electrified by fallen cables and the reporter said he could feel his legs 'tingling' Despite the obvious dangers, the distressed and vulnerable people were all brought to the safety of the main hotel building where they were able to evacuate to the higher floors . He tells them: 'I can feel electricity in the water. My legs are tingling.' The video shows the raw power of the storm that it is feared has left thousands in the Philippines dead. It shows the hotel being battered by winds in excess of 150mph. Trees are seen being bent under the force of the winds and at one point water can be seen pouring down the staircase of the hotel. The reporter says off camera: 'So we have a storm surge starting to flood the ground floor of the hotel. 'Residents are evacuating up to the second floor.' The rescuers were in a race against time to bring the elderly residents to safety amid concerns about electricity in the waist-high flood water . The video of the rescue shows the tsunami-like impact the category five storm had on the area . Despite the obvious dangers to the rescuers, the four elderly people were brought through the flooded courtyard on top of mattresses. The official death toll from the category five storm now stands at 2,275 but that is expected to rise sharply. Yesterday, bodies were still being piled up on the side of the road and witnesses say there is little official counting of the dead. The figures from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 3,655 were injured, with a further 80 missing. The hotel residents were forced to evacuate to higher floors when the ground floor became submerged by water . At one stage water could be seen pouring down a staircase inside the hotel . The storm, one of the most powerful on record, hit the country's eastern seaboard on Friday, destroying tens of thousands of buildings and displacing about 600,000 people. A massive relief operation is underway, though many in the disaster zone have yet to see much assistance. There are reports of widespread looting and even exchanges of gunfire between armed men and security forces amid drastic food shortages in the affected cities. | Rescue of elderly through waist-deep flood water caught on camera .
Heroic rescue continued despite fears the water had been electrified .
Video shows raw power of Typhoon Haiyan that has left thousands dead . |
fcf93a0e31ffcde729d18de1874a32d5d3a451a3 | Brazilian right back Danilo netted a crucial penalty for Porto as the visitors fought back against Basle in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash, though the fixture was dominated by two decisions from referee Mark Clattenburg. Paraguayan midfielder Derlis Gonzalez opened the scoring at St Jakob-Park as Liverpool's conquerors looked set to take a narrow lead to Portugal, before Casemiro thought he had equalised for the visitors. However, English official Clattenburg took two minutes to disallow the goal, and then awarded Porto a penalty after Walter Samuel was adjudged to have handled in the box. Danilo made no mistake, sending goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik the wrong way . Danilo fires home a penalty for Porto during the 1-1 draw with Basle in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash . The Brazilian right back celebrates with his team-mates after netting the equaliser at St Jakob-Park on Wednesday night . Basle midfielder Derlis Gonzalez scores the opening goal of the game after prodding the ball past Porto goalkeeper Fabiano . But Gonzalez was caught in the face by the stopper's knee during the Champions league last-16 clash . Gonzalez holds his face as he goes to celebrate with his team-mates after opening the scoring at St Jakob-Park . Porto thought they had equalised when on-loan Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro poked the ball home after a scramble from a corner . But English referee Mark Clattenburg (bottom right) adjudged that two players were offside and impeding the goalkeeper . Clattenbrug sought help from additional assistant referee Kevin Friend (top left) as he made his decision . Clattenburg chats with goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik after disallowing the goal early on in the second half . BASLE: Vaclik, Xhaka, Suchy, Samuel, Safari, Gonzalez (Calla 25), El-Nenny, Frei, Zuffi, Gashi (Hamoudi 83), Streller (Embolo 63). Subs not used: Vailati, Degen, Arlind Ajeti, Delgado, Hamoudi, Embolo, Calla. Booked: Suchy, Samuel, El-Nenny, Frei, Gashi . Goal: Gonzales 11 . PORTO Fabiano, Danilo, Maicon, Marcano, Alex Sandro, Herrera, Casemiro, Torres (Neves 68), Tello (Quintero 81), Martinez, Brahimi (Quaresma 61). Subs: Helton, Martins Indi, Quaresma, Quintero, Evandro, Ruben Neves, Aboubakar. Booked: Danilo, Alex Sandro, Casemiro, Torres . Goal: Danilo 79 (pen) Referee: Mark Clattenburg (England) Basle set themselves up as a team who first and foremost didn't want to concede, but scored with the first chance of the game in the 11th minute. Fabian Frei chipped a perfectly weighted ball over the Porto defence and found Gonzalez, who held off his marker and prodded the ball past the Porto goalkeeper. But the Paraguayan was involved in a heavy collision with Fabiano in his efforts, with the Porto stopper's knee making impact with his face. Basle lost their bite after the he went off injured in the 25th minute. Porto took their time to get going but began stringing some moves together and although the did not seriously test Tomas Vaclik before half-time, it was a different story after the break as they controlled the game. The visitors had a half-chance to level on the hour mark as they started to apply the pressure but Jackson Martinez was thwarted by the home defence as he was floored in the box while referee Clattenburg waved play-on, before Danilo sent the ball flying over the crossbar and into the stands. The away side continued to push and Cristian Tello had the ball in the back of the net 10 minutes before the break although the offside flag had already gone up. It looked as if Julen Lopetegui's men had got onto the scoresheet two minutes into the second half as Tello's corner found Maicon at the far post, whose header was punched out by Vaclik before the ball fell to the feet of Brazil midfielder Casemiro to volley home. But seconds later the goal was disallowed after a brief exchange of words between Clattenburg and his assistant, and the English referee ruled the goal out after saying the Porto players had impeded the goalkeeper in an offside position. Czech stopper Vaclik was forced to parry Tello's close-range shot out for a corner as the game approached the hour mark, while - five minutes later - Martinez came close to netting a leveller with a great chance but he fired too high with his close-range effort and instead found the roof of the net. Casemiro wields away to celebrate with the visiting fans before finding out the goal had been ruled out . Clattenburg sought help from fellow English official Kevin Friend as he made his decision - which took around two minutes . Jackson Martinez scooped the ball over the bar for Porto when through on goal as the Portuguese side went hunting for an equaliser . Basle players pile on top of Gonzalez after his opener - though the Paraguayan was down hurt for some time . The 20-year-old receives treatment on the touchline on Wednesday night from the Basle physios . Gonzalez eventually had to be taken off during the first half after the injury . With just over 10 minutes remaining, Porto levelled through Danilo's penalty after former Inter defender Samuel went to ground in his own box and was unable to avoid handling the ball on the deck. Danilo made it look easy as he took the resulting spot-kick with a cool short run to fire into the bottom-left of the goal and beat the diving Vaclik as the visitors' pressure finally paid off. Both sides seemed content to play out for a draw in the end, though the Portuguese side are surely favourites. Casemiro, challenged by Walter Samuel, heads the ball towards goal for Porto at St Jakob-Park . Basle's Taulant Xhaka (left) fights for the ball against Porto winger Yacine Brahimi during the last-16 clash . Basle head coach Paulo Sousa (right) greets Porto's boss Julen Lopetegui prior to kick0off . Clattenburg books Spanish midfielder Oliver Torres during the last-16 clash . | Derlis Gonzalez put Basle in front in the first half but collided with the goalkeeper in his effort .
The Paraguayan midfielder was taken off 14 minutes later after the heavy blow to the face .
Casemiro thought he had equalised for Porto but Mark Clattenburg ruled the goal out for offside .
The English official took around two minutes to make his decision after speaking with Kevin Friend .
Clattenburg later gave penalty to Porto after Walter Samuel was adjudged to have handled in the area .
Danilo scores penalty as Portuguese side seal draw in first leg of Champions League last-16 clash . |
fcf9d5c67fe64b08bb72a3ab47abde56fe0672f9 | A 26-year-old man who fell asleep during a New York Yankees game is suing ESPN and two of its announcers for airing his nap on the live telecast. Andrew Rector claims he has suffered emotional distress due to an 'unending verbal crusade' against him during the broadcast, in which the camera panned to his second-row seat in the lower level of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and showed him snoozing, according to The Smoking Gun. Major League Baseball has been named as a defendant in the complaint after the clip was uploaded to the MLB website as part of a highlights packed, allegedly causing a flurry of insulting comments. Disparaged: Andrew Rector, 26, claims to have suffered emotional distress after ESPN showed him napping during a New York Yankees game on April 13 . The New Yorker contents that he was made to feel 'socially bankrupt' and like a 'fatty cow' as a result of the comments made by two announcers during the telecast . Sued: Dan Shulman and John Kruk - the ESPN Sunday night baseball commentators - are at the center of the complaint by Andrew Rector . ESPN announcer Dan Shulman is accused of referring to the New Yorker as 'oblivious', while the second commentator, John Kruk, is accused of saying a ballpark is 'not the place you come to sleep'. Schulman also questioned whether Rector had slept through a third inning home run by Yankee Carlos Beltran, which causes a huge applause from the crowd of 45,000. Rector contends his distress comes from . being made out to be a 'fatty cow that needs to seats' and a 'confused . disgusted and socially bankrupt individual'. The incident occurred during a game against the Boston Red Sox on April 13. The lawsuit was filed in State Supreme Court in the Bronx on July 3. It also claims that the announcers used words like 'stupor', 'fatty', 'unintelligent', and 'stupid'. 'Emotional distress': Andrew Rector says he has suffered from being shown on the telecast and is subsequently seeking $10 million . Neither the announcers or ESPN have commented on the complaint. He works for a car rental company in the Bronx. The Yankees have also been named in the suit. | Andrew Rector, 26, of New York, fell asleep during a New York Yankees game on April 13 .
The camera panned to him and two commentators discussed how he was 'oblivious' to the game .
Clip was posted online as part of a highlights package .
Rector claims he has suffered emotional distress as a result of the broadcast and the online comments .
He is suing ESPN and announcers Dan Schulman and John Kruk .
The Yankees and Major League Baseball have been listed as defendants .
Rector works for a car rental company in the Bronx . |
fcf9f399128f27214a3ad445a86843e166ac8723 | Kevin Nunes was beaten and shot in 2002. The investigation into his murder contained serious errors, a police watchdog probe later found . Fourteen police officers - including two chief constables - will not face charges over a botched murder investigation of a promising football star. Kevin Nunes, who had been on the books of Tottenham Hotspur, was found dead in a country lane in Pattingham, Staffordshire on September 19, 2002. The 20-year-old had been savagely beaten and shot five times. Five men were found guilty of the alleged 'execution-style' murder of Mr Nunes and jailed for a total of 135 years at Leicester Crown Court in 2008. But they launched a collective appeal and were cleared at the Court of Appeal in March 2012 after a damning report exposed a catalogue of blunders by Staffordshire Police. After the trial, it emerged concerns over the credibility of the key prosecution witness, Simeon Taylor, were not disclosed to the defence. Mr Taylor claimed to have seen the killing having driven the car which took Mr Nunes to his death. But it later emerged that complaints made by Mr Taylor concerning his treatment while in witness protection were 'put on ice'. A detective handling the key witness was also involved in an 'intimate' affair with a disclosure officer, it emerged. A senior detective believed there was an 'at any cost' culture within Staffordshire Police to ensure Mr Taylor gave evidence in the case. In September last year, a file of evidence was handed over to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The police watchdog probe centred on how the officers acted before the trial and dealings with protected witness Mr Taylor in 2008. But it emerged today that none of the 14 former and serving Staffordshire Police officers investigated over the murder will face prosecution. The officers include high-ranking Adrian Lee, the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police, and Gloucestershire Police's Chief Constable Suzette Davenport. Staffordshire Police's temporary Chief Constable Jane Sawyers and West Midlands Police's Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale have also been told they face no further action. Gloucestershire Police's Chief Constable Suzette Davenport (left) and Adrian Lee (right), the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police, were among the police who will face no further action . West Midlands Police's Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale (left) and Staffordshire Police's temporary Chief Constable Jane Sawyers (right) are also no longer being investigated . The CPS said it had considered two allegations in connection with the handling of the case. One was that Staffordshire Police had received a complaint from the main witness relating to a senior officer of the Sensitive Policing Unit in November 2006. The second matter was the force's failure to disclose the results of internal review of the sensitive policing unit and its handling of Mr Taylor. Five of the 14 officers were told they would not face criminal prosecution in January and the nine remaining officers were told the same decision had been reached this week. Commenting on the latest officers to be cleared, a CPS spokesman said: 'We considered whether there is sufficient evidence to prove that any action or inaction was a deliberate attempt to pervert the course of justice or could amount to the criminal offence of misconduct in public office. 'The CPS has determined there is insufficient evidence to prosecute any of the nine police officers, four remain in service while five are now retired, investigated either for attempting or conspiring to pervert the course of public justice or for criminal misconduct in a public office.' Owen Crooks (left) and Levi Walker (right) were among the five men convicted then cleared of murder . Antonio Christie (left) and Adam Joof (right) were also in the group, cleared of the 'execution style' killing . The investigation into the case against group - who also included Michael Osbourne (pictured) - was flawed . The spokesman added: 'The CPS has taken the decision that whatever criticisms may be made about the conduct of the various officers, there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of a conviction against any of them for conspiring or attempting to pervert the course of public justice. 'Equally, that there is no realistic prospect of a conviction resulting from the prosecution of any officer for the misconducting themselves in public office. 'Rather than a conspiracy to conceal, the evidence suggested that there was an overall failure to disclose the report. 'None of the officers who could be shown to be aware of the content of the report had a clear and direct responsibility for disclosure in the murder case. 'This CPS decision applies only to possible criminal proceedings and not to any possible misconduct proceedings under police regulations.' | Ex-Tottenham youngster was found shot and beaten in 2002 .
Five men were convicted of his murder in 2008 and jailed .
They were later cleared and freed after flaws in investigation exposed .
Police watchdog handed evidence of botched murder probe to CPS .
None of 14 officers involved faces further action, it was confirmed today . |
fcf9f60391dc2c01c6bd21099c38e539f9f2a02e | Strictly Come Dancing made Susanna Reid a star, but it appears to have cost the BBC Breakfast presenter her relationship. While Reid has spent the past few weeks on the road for Strictly’s live arena tour, her long-term partner and father of her three children, Dominic Cotton, has had enough and separated from her — signing up to a dating website to find new love. It is just the latest example of the ‘Curse of Strictly’, which has seen numerous couples split up after appearances on the BBC show. Scroll down for video . Split: Susanna Reid and her partner Dominic Cotton have ended their relationship . Profile: Dominic Cotton's profile on the dating website match.com lists his interests as including the theatre, his occupation as executive/management and his relationship status as currently separated . Sparkling: Reid with dancer Kevin Clifton. Many celebrity couples have split up after appearing on the show . In his profile on Match.com, the . 46-year-old former BBC sports journalist says: ‘Underneath my blokeish . exterior I am a sensitive soul. 'I enjoy sharing things and am someone . who doesn’t shy away from commitment. Life is for living with someone . special.’ Cotton, who has known Reid for 15 years, says on the website he is ‘currently separated’, looking for a woman aged 35 to 45. After listing his interests, which . include ‘spending time with my kids’, he sees himself as ‘trendy’ and of . ‘attractive appearance’ — and reveals his ‘best feature’ is his ‘bum’. Dance: Susanna Reid wowed the judges on the BBC prime time show Strictly Come Dancing . Reid's agent confirmed the split on Friday in a statement: 'Susanna Reid and Dominic Cotton have agreed to separate but remain good friends. Not strictly together: Susanna Reid, pictured with dance partner Kevin Clifton, appears to be separated . 'The welfare of their children remains paramount for both of them at this time. Please respect their space and privacy.' Reid’s . punishing work schedule is unlikely to have helped. She . makes a five-hour round trip from her home in South London to present . BBC Breakfast from the Salford studios, Monday to Wednesday. Reid wakes at 3.30am to head to the studio, films the three-hour show before catching the train to London to pick up her three young sons from school. She spends the evening with them before catching another train back north for the night. She also had to fit in training and filming for the last series of Strictly, on which she and her dance partner, Kevin Clifton, finished second behind footballer’s wife Abbey Clancy. After the end of Strictly’s TV run in December, Dominic admitted Susanna’s schedule had been ‘tough’ and ‘really full on’. He said he was ‘looking forward to having my partner back’. Before appearing in Strictly, Susanna said she believed Dominic was a better parent to their sons than she was. It's over: Susanna seen out with Dominic and their children who supported her on TV during her heavily promoted Strictly campaign . ‘He’s always hands-on, but more so recently. He’s doing the stuff we normally share — parents’ evenings, homework. He’s unrivalled as a parent. I can’t even come close.’ When I asked Reid last night if it was true they had separated, as Cotton said on the dating website, she replied: ‘I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to discuss this.’ Cotton, interim chief executive at charity UK Youth, declined to return my calls. Earlier this month, Reid was reportedly offered £1million to switch to ITV. Respected: Susanna Reid yesterday on the BBC's Breakfast programme, where she has forged her career. She makes a five-hour round trip from her South London home to present the show in Salford three days a week . | BBC Breakfast presenter's partner Dominic Cotton has joined Match.com .
Describes himself as 'separated' and says his best feature is his bum .
Reid's agent confirmed the couple 'have agreed to separate but remain good friends'
Several couples have split up after appearances on BBC1 show Strictly . |
fcfa15a9b02b55aba30fdec228c038a5d6fdc13e | Tony Verna, a television director and producer who invented instant replay for live sports 51 years ago, has died. He was 81. Verna died Sunday at his Palm Desert home after battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia, daughter Tracy Soiseth said. CBS used instant replay for the first time in the December 7, 1963 Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia, after Verna developed a method to cue the tape to pinpoint the play he wanted to immediately air again. Scroll down for video . Tony Verna, inventor of the TV instant replay, died Sunday aged 81 from leukemia at his Palm . Verna first used his pioneering technique during a 1963 Army-Navy game in Philadelphia . He said he was looking for a way to fill those boring gaps between plays during a football telecast. The concept was so new that when Army quarterback Rollie Stichweh scored a touchdown, announcer Lindsey Nelson had to warn viewers: 'This is not live! Ladies and gentlemen, Army did not score again!' Instant replay quickly became a staple of sports broadcasting, and Verna's innovation gave fans a new way to look at the games. 'Not many things you can do in life where you can change the way things were happening before,' Verna told The Associated Press in 2008. Verna would go on to produce or direct five Super Bowls, the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby and even 'Live Aid.' His lasting legacy, though, is pulling back the curtain on sports and revealing what really goes on. Verna is survived by his wife of 45 years, Carol, daughters Tracy Soiseth and Jenny Axelrod, son Eric Verna and three grandchildren. | Tony Verna re-invented TV sports with the technique he first pioneered during an Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia in 1963 .
Verna's method involved a new way to cue tape that could pinpoint the play he wanted to immediately air again .
He said he was looking for a way to fill those boring gaps between plays during a football telecast . |
fcfaa38cacfd5dd7f9ce52ceee63f3d0641a5239 | Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said Gov. Chris Christie's veto of a ban that would have prohibited the use of pig gestation crates in New Jersey was a "good decision." According to the Des Moines Register, Branstad said in his weekly press conference Monday that he personally lobbied for Christie to not sign the measure, arguing that people in New Jersey don't understand the issue. While animal rights activists and supporters of the ban say the crates are cruel -- pregnant sows can't turn around in the limited space -- advocates like Branstad argue the crates help keep sows separated from smaller piglets that are at risk of being stepped on and killed. "This is an issue that most people in New Jersey have no clue," Branstad said. "They don't raise hardly any pigs in New Jersey, they don't have farrowing crates. But this is something we do have knowledge of in Iowa, and I give him credit for listening to and understanding that this is something we're very concerned about and that does impact consumers as well because if these baby pigs are crushed and die that means there are fewer pigs and that impacts the price of pork." By comparison, New Jersey has far fewer pigs (9,000) compared to Iowa, the county's largest pork producer with 20.5 million, according to the USDA. Iowa is also a state that holds enormous influence in the 2016 presidential election given its status as the first-in-the-nation nominating state -- thus a politically important state for Christie should he decide to make a White House bid. "I did share with Gov. Christie my personal experience and my interest in this and that of Iowa Farm Bureau and the National Pork Producers, all of which are headquartered here in Iowa," Branstad said. Christie said he vetoed the bill because it was a "solution in search of a problem" and a "political movement masquerading as substantive policy." Such decisions, he argued, should be made by the state's Board of Agriculture, which currently doesn't outlaw the crates. In his comments Monday, Branstad appeared to be conflating gestation crates with farrowing gates, which keep pigs separated from piglets after giving birth but still allows access for nursing. It's an argument that's been pushed by other opponents of gestation bans. "It's stunning that the governor of Iowa is so unfamiliar with pig farming that he doesn't know the difference between gestation crates and farrowing crates," said Paul Shapiro, vice president of Farm Animal Protection at the Humane Society of the United States. "This bill applied only to gestation crates, meaning there are no piglets to be kept separate from their mothers, since they're all in utero," he told CNN. The Humane Society, which helped push the New Jersey bill and advocates for group housing for sows, argue that pig farmers use the crates simply to cram as many pigs into one facility as possible. Dave Warner, spokesman for the National Pork Producers Council, acknowledged that farrowing crates -- not gestation crates -- are used to prevent sows from stepping on piglets, and said someone who makes comments like Branstad's are "just mixing them up." He said group housing can result in aggression between pigs, and gestation crates help protect adult pigs from each other. He added it's true that the crates help provide space for slightly more pigs in a facility but argued "there's nothing inhumane about them." Because of the crates, he said, farmers and veterinarians have better access to provide daily monitoring and care for the pigs, making them healthier. | New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced Friday he would veto a bill banning pig gestation crates .
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad praised Christie's decision in a press conference Monday .
Christie is considering a 2016 presidential bid . |
fcfaef65deca3a42d902f97b55b59e8b4e857fff | Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown has claimed that TV weatherman and former biology teacher Fred Talbot played his class gay porn when he was 11. The 51-year-old singer was taught by Talbot at Altrincham Grammar School in Manchester in the late 1970s and also told a court that he gave masturbation practice as homework. Talbot, 65, denies 10 offences of indecent assault on five boys while working as a teacher between the late 1960s and the early 1980s and is on trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester. Ian Brown, pictured as he is driven from court today after giving evidence in the trial of Fred Talbot, his former teacher. He claims the TV weatherman showed his class gay porn when they were 11-years-old . Wearing trainers, jeans and an open-necked shirt, Mr Brown said the all-boys grammar school was a violent place - but Talbot was one of the few teachers who did not physically hurt pupils. He told the court he remembered 'in particular' two or three biology lessons given by Talbot when he was an 11-year-old boy. 'Very early at school, I would not have been there a long time, Mr Talbot asked all the class if any of us had ever masturbated,' he said. 'We were 11 years old at the time.' Mr Brown continued: 'He went on to explain how to masturbate, how you should masturbate and the following lesson he asked who had masturbated.' TV weatherman Fred Talbot, 65, denies indecent assault at the trial being held at Minshull Crown Court (pictured arriving at court today) Neil Usher, prosecuting, asked if there was any response from the boys. 'Nervous giggles,' Mr Brown said. 'He wanted to know who was successful in the masturbation. He asked boys to raise the hand.' Mr Brown said in further biology lessons, Talbot would approach the boys who had raised their hands - the ones with 'bum fluff on their lips' - and have 'private words' and 'murmuring' in their ears. The witness continued: 'I can remember sitting there wondering, "What is he saying to them?"' 'They were all the same age but they were a foot bigger than us.' Mr Brown, who attended the school between 1974 and 1979, then told the jury of a second memorable biology lesson with Talbot. He said the class went to the science block, but instead of the usual classroom went into another with a projector set up to show the class of 11-year-olds a film. Mr Brown said: 'A three minute film on a Super 8 projector, of a guy walking into a room dressed in denims, sits on bed, takes trousers down and masturbates. 'The film was about three minutes long. It was only a few years later I realised it was probably a gay porn film. It wasn't a sex education film. 'It was years later I realised it was wrong to show us that film.' Mr Usher asked how old the witness was at the time and the lead singer of the Manchester band, the Stone Roses, replied: 'Around 11. About the time you would have had sex education in school.' Mr Brown gave further evidence, much of which cannot be reported for legal reasons. Talbot became a TV regular on the floating weather map in Liverpool's Albert Dock for ITV's This Morning show after his teaching career had come to an 'abrupt end' in 1984. The jury heard he resigned his school job after allegedly propositioning a pupil at his home and the headmaster was informed. The 51-year-old singer was taught by Talbot at Altrincham Grammar School in Manchester in the late 1970s . Talbot became a TV regular on the floating weather map in Liverpool's Albert Dock for ITV's This Morning show after his teaching career had come to an 'abrupt end' in 1984 . But the court was told Talbot was a 'chancer' who used his 'boundless energy' and 'extrovert personality' to abuse some of the boys he taught, four of them teenage pupils. Talbot, of Bowdon, Cheshire, denies ten indecent assaults on boys as young as 14, dating back to 1969. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Ian Brown, 51, was taught by Fred Talbot at Altrincham Grammar School .
He told court he remembers a few lessons with his former teacher in 1970s .
In one he claims Talbot asked if they had masturbated and explained how .
Brown also claims he showed a three-minute gay porn movie in class .
Talbot, 65, denies 10 historic offences of indecent assault on five boys . |
fcfbb6a5388b2324da16aa04a8636158c10e79ad | A mother was killed in front of her family when she was struck by lightning on a Brazilian beach. Rosangela Biavati a 36-year-old married mother of one, died instantly when she was hit by the bolt of electricity during a trip to Guaruja, a popular seaside resort on the coast of Sao Paulo. The first photograph shows the victim heading towards the water with outstretched arms as she warns her 11-year-old son to get out of the sea because of the gathering storm overhead. The next image captures the electrical discharge streaking down. The mother runs towards the sea, waving her arms at her 11-year-old son as she tries to get him to return to shore . The split second the lightning bolt hits Rosangela Biavati, obscured by a vehicle, in front of her horrified friends . A Mitsubishi pickup obscures the moment the bolt hits the woman as she steps towards the water’s edge but the tragic outcome is clearly evident in the following image in the sequence of shots. Three men, including the victim’s husband who is wearing white swimming trucks, drag her lifeless body onto the beach. According to Rosângela's husband, his wife had gone to tell his son and nephews, who were swimming in the sea, to get out because of the bad weather. Rosangela Biavati died instantly when she was hit by the bolt while trying to save her son . As she stepped into the water she was hit by a single bolt of lightning. 'The weather started to close in and we decided to leave. I was putting our bags into the car, and the kids were on the beach. 'The next minute my wife was lying on the floor. I received a mild shock,' said a distraught Leandro Lopes Santos. The victim’s brother Elias Biavati added: 'When I saw my sister she was already lying on the ground and people were trying to revive her by massaging her heart.' According to the Biavati, another sister who was standing near to Roseangela when the lightning struck received a black eye. 'We are in a state of shock. My brother-in-law is devastated by the sudden death of his wife. We can’t believe how it happened - it could have been any one of us,' the victim’s brother said. A total of 13 members, all from the same family, had gone to the beach for the day. They arrived at midday but by 3pm the sunny weather had changed as storm clouds gathered and the weather became overcast and the atmosphere heavy. Café owner Arionaldo Garrido, who was on the beach, said he quickly realised something was wrong. 'We had taken our tables inside because we could see a storm was coming. Several rays had already flashed across the sky and streaked down,' he recalled. 'Suddenly we heard a loud bang and saw several people running. We knew that something terrible had happened. It's a real tragedy for the family who have lost a wife and mother.' Climatologist Rodolfo Bonafim, from environmental organisation Friends of Water, said that the lightning bolts are common around this time of year. 'There is a high incidence of lightning now because of an increase in heat and humidity. It’s more concentrated at this time during the summer than at other times in the year because the humidity is higher. 'The seaside area is also a region bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, making it a perfect zone for this type of inclement weather,' he said. Rescue bid: Mrs Biavati is carried out of the surf and on to the beach before first aid is carried out on her . Rescue bid: Mrs Biavati is carried out of the surf and on to the beach before first aid is carried out on her . | Rosangela Biavati was trying to get her son and nephews to leave the water as a lightning storm began .
She died instantly in front of her husband and other relatives when she was struck by a single lightning bolt . |
fcfc0074a3a96fdec8f7acccf9aa4b5670b14d40 | By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 11:39 EST, 5 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:39 EST, 5 October 2012 . Free birth control dramatically lowers rates of abortions and teen births, a large study has revealed. Only 6.3 teenagers in every 1,000 given their choice of contraception get pregnant, compared with 34 per 1,000 nationwide, U.S. researchers found. If birth control options were free, one abortion in 79 to 137 could be prevented, said scientists in St Louis, Missouri. New outlook: The rate of teen pregnancies was found to drop dramatically if women were given access to free contraception (picture posed by model) More than 9,000 women in the city were given their choice of contraceptive at no charge. When cost was not an issue, women flocked to the most effective . contraceptives - the implanted options, which typically cost hundreds of . dollars. The women, many of them poor or uninsured, experienced far fewer unintended pregnancies, reported Dr Jeffrey Peipert of Washington University in St Louis. There were much lower rates of abortion, too, with 4.4 to 7.5 abortions per 1,000 women in the study, compared with 13.4 to 17 abortions per 1,000 women in the St Louis region and 20 per 1,000 women nationally. The findings of the study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology come as millions of U.S. women are . beginning to get access to contraception without copayment under President . Barack Obama's health care law. Sound investment: Women given their choice on contraception gravitate towards the most effective methods, researchers found . Women's health specialists said the study, which ran from 2008 to 2010, foreshadows that policy's potential impact. Alina Salganicoff, director of women's health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, said: 'As a society, we want to reduce unintended pregnancies and abortion rates. 'This study has demonstrated that having access to no-cost contraception helps us get to that goal.' Dr. James T. Breeden, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, described the results as an 'amazing improvement'. 'I would think if you were against abortions, you would be 100 per cent for contraception access,' he added. The law requires that contraceptives be available for free for women enrolled in most workplace insurance plans from January 1. Controversial issue: Millions of women are beginning to get access to free contraception under President Barack Obama's new healthcare plans . The policy is among the law's most contentious provisions because it exempts churches that oppose contraception but requires religious-affiliated organisations, such as colleges or hospitals, to provide the coverage for their workers. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and many conservative groups say that violates religious freedom, and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has voiced similar criticism. This week, a federal judge in St Louis dismissed a lawsuit challenging the contraception mandate. Nearly three dozen similar suits have been filed around the country. Jeanne Monahan of the conservative Family Research Council suggested contraceptive use can encourage riskier sexual behaviour. 'Obama administration's contraception mandate may ultimately cause more unplanned pregnancies since it mandates that all health plans cover contraceptives, including those that the study's authors claim are less effective,' she said. Nearly half of the nation's six million-plus pregnancies each year are unintended. An estimated 43 per cent of them end in abortion, with low-income women far more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy than their wealthier counterparts. 'We shouldn't have, in my view, a tiered system where the women with money can get family planning and the women without cannot,' said Dr Peipert, noting that 39 per cent of the women in his study had trouble paying basic expenses. About half of unplanned pregnancies occur in women who use no contraception. As for the other half, condoms can fail and so can birth control pills or other shorter-acting methods if the woman forgets to use them or can't afford a refill. Implanon is an implant inserted under the skin of the arm that prevents pregnancy for three years. An IUD, a tiny T-shaped device inserted into the uterus, can last for five to 10 years, depending on the brand, although it can be removed. Only about five per cent of U.S. women use long-acting contraceptives, far fewer than in other developed countries. Dr Peipert believes this is because insurance has not always covered the higher upfront cost to insert them and because doctors do not always mention these methods. Three-quarters of his study participants chose an IUD or Implanon, and a year later 85 per cent were sticking that choice - compared to about half who had initially chosen the pill, patch or other shorter-acting method. | Millions of women are .
beginning to get access to free contraception under Obama's new healthcare law .
Women gravitate towards the best forms of birth control when they have all options, researchers found .
Long-term contraception methods can currently cost hundreds of dollars up-front .
Nearly half of the nation's six million-plus pregnancies each year are unintended . |
fcfcd619850b2ad9beaa81cc584ff14d31be0ccc | Presumably by the same logic that decrees all elephants are scared of mice, towering Stoke City forward Peter Crouch is 'petrified' of hamsters. The surprising revelation was made by the former England star's wife, Abbey Clancy, who posted a photo online of the beast in question. She said: 'This is our tiny baby hamster Katie who my husband is petrified of!!!' Peter Crouch is 'petrified' of a baby hamster, according to the 33-year-old's wife Abbey Clancy . The Stoke City forward battles for the ball with Manchester United defender Chris Smalling . But the 33-year-old isn't the only famous footballer to suffer from animal phobias. David Beckham admitted to being scared of a frog during an expedition to the Amazon while former Ipswich town and Charlton Athletic midfielder Matt Holland once said he was scared of 'most animals' and won't allow cats or dogs in his house. The former Tottenham and Liverpool man does apparently have a soft spot for some animals, though. Shortly before Christmas Merseyside Dogs Home announced that they had received a donation from Crouch and Clancy. Crouch towers over Michael Carrick during their recent Premier League clash at the Britannia Stadium . Crouch warms up ahead of Stoke's clash with Everton earlier in the season . | Peter Crouch and his wife bought a new pet hamster .
But the Stoke City forward is apparently 'petrified' of it .
Crouch does apparently have a soft spot for larger animals . |
fcfd17e3b382df47b5bbb7b9b4cb93cff4689cd1 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 06:34 EST, 19 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:58 EST, 19 April 2013 . Barred: The popular black cat plays with staff at the Stratford sorting office, but bosses want the animal out . A stray cat adopted by posties is to be evicted because Royal Mail bosses believe it breaches health and safety guidelines to have an animal on the premises. The black Tom has visited Stratford-upon-Avon's sorting office every day for the past five years, putting a smile on the . faces of staff - just like Postman Pat and his beloved companion . Jess. He has been adopted by 100 staff but is facing a workplace ban after managers ruled he was a risk, adding it was not 'ideal' having a cat around . Royal Mail staff have fed and cared for him since 2008 and say the feline, who they just call 'Cat', has become part of the team. Almost 1,000 people have joined a Facebook group called 'Save Our Cat' in less than a week, and inspired on Twitter, with . #savethestratfordcat trending. A postman who has worked there for 13 years, who wanted to remain anonymous 'because we could probably lose our jobs for this', said: 'We can't see the reason why he has to go because he doesn't harm anyone. It's pathetic. It is a pointless exercise, why are they trying to do it?' Another worker, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said: 'The area manager came in and said "the cat has to go for health and safety reasons". 'We are all angry and upset. It is health and safety gone mad. The cat does not do anything wrong. Everyone has a bond with the cat. He is part of the team and the furniture, he has done five years service. He is ours. He gets lots of fuss and cuddles and has even got its own ball and stash of food'. Friend: The cat, known as 'Cat', is shown here on the sorting office's steps, but he is about to be rehoused . A third staff member added: 'He has been there longer than most of the managers so how can they possibly demand its eviction? He does not get in anyone's way or cause problems, it just sits around. He's here when we open up at 3.30am and he's usually the last to leave at night. 'We are in uproar. It is our cat. It is ludicrous'. Postwoman San Smith posted on the Facebook page: 'Save the Cat, he was with me through my interview in the chair beside me, please save the cat :)' Alexander Gibbons, who works at the sorting office, said: 'Postman Pat has a cat on delivery. Together, we will save this poor b*****. Look how cute he is! :)' Kerry Bambridge, another postal worker, said: 'Save our cat! If it makes a difference ill get the tipex out so he's white too and call him Jess!' (sic) Relaxed: The popular cat has visited every day for the past five years, and eats and sleeps on the premises as the postal workers love him . Cherylyn Pitcher said: 'It's never Postman Pat without Jess', while Sharon Brown posted: #Come on fellas, we can do this, beat the royal mail nd save the cat' (sic). Royal Mail confirmed they were looking for a sanctuary that would take in 'Cat' and a transport cage appeared at the depot earlier this week. A Royal Mail spokesman said: 'Although this stray cat has become a . regular visitor to the good natured postmen and women in our sorting . office, we will be speaking to a local animal welfare charity to find a . suitable permanent loving home for the stray.' Sad: Despite a campaign by staff and local people, bosses are said to have brought this cat transporter in, ready to move the stray cat on . Home: The cat wanders in freely but Royal Mail want it stopped and the cat moved on as soon as possible . But the employees think the owner lives nearby the depot and say it would be wrong for Royal Mail to re-home the helpless puss. 'We gave him a collar but it was taken off. We tried to find a home for him but he has never wanted to go home,' another said. Local people have condemned Royal Mail with many saying 'shame on them' over the red-tape madness. Kado Crocker said: 'What a shame that H/S are getting rid of this cat. Don't they know he could keep vermin down. Also its beneficial too workers so they work better and more relaxedWhat are they going too do with him if he cant be found a home.' | Stray visits Stratford posties every day for food and cuddles .
But Royal Mail bosses want him out on health and safety grounds .
More than 1,000 join campaign to keep the animal, called simply 'Cat' |
fcfe3e1cbe1b7787208c586fa80276d9aa0c4945 | United Nations (CNN) -- The body of a United Nations worker, who had been missing for 24 years, has been found in eastern Lebanon, a representative of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday. Alec Collett was on assignment for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, when he was kidnapped in Lebanon in 1985. The British national was 63 years old at the time. "Although he is saddened by Alec Collett's death, he hopes that the actions taken to find his remains can provide a measure of comfort to his loved ones," the statement from Ban's representative said. Collett's abductors released two videotapes during his first year in captivity, in which Collett sent messages to his family, according to the U.N. In April 1986, a Beirut television station received a videotape that purportedly showed Collett being hanged, but the United Nations said it was impossible to formally identify whether or not it was him. Since then, nothing further had been heard about Collett's fate, despite repeated requests, the U.N. said. Collett had been visiting various UNRWA operations in Lebanon as part of a three-month consultancy mission when he was kidnapped on March 25, 1985 in the midst of Lebanon's civil war while riding in a car near the Beirut airport, according to the U.N. His driver, an Austrian national, was also abducted, but later released. Collett was the first U.N. employee to be kidnapped in Lebanon. A group calling itself the "Revolutionary Organization of Muslim Socialists" claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. In the months that followed, several other UNRWA staff members were kidnapped, but later released. Collett was married to an American, Elaine Collett, and their son Karim was 11 years old at the time of his kidnapping. During his 35-year career as a journalist, Collett worked in Prague as a newspaper correspondent for several British publications after World War II, as well as an Associated Press reporter in New York and at the United Nations. | Alec Collett had been visiting various UNRWA operations in Lebanon when he was kidnapped in March 1985 .
Group called "Revolutionary Organization of Muslim Socialists" claimed responsibility for kidnapping .
In April 1986, a Beirut TV station received a videotape purportedly showing Collett being hanged . |
fcfe46443bb32053cf382d371fc60749227f3f5b | Beijing (CNN) -- A high-speed bullet train collision in eastern China's Zhejiang province left 35 people dead and 210 injured, state-run news agency Xinhua reported Sunday. Witnesses told China National Radio that a bullet train stopped on the tracks Saturday because of a power outage from a lightning strike. Another bullet train traveling in the same direction rammed into the first train from behind and caused four of its cars to fall from an elevated bridge, the radio report said. A rescue operation was under way. Some passengers told the radio network they had to smash windows and crawl out of the cars. Officials said some cars were severely twisted and it was hard to know how many people were still trapped inside. The struck train was carrying 1,300 to 1,400 passengers, officials said. | NEW: About 210 are injured .
Rescue operations continue .
The accident was in eastern China .
Some passengers had to break windows to get out . |
fcfff305fcfaeeb49cf4abcac79051b5def23be4 | The Obama administration will work to ensure that gay and lesbian Americans are eligible to take leave from their jobs to care for a same-sex spouse, regardless of whether they live in a state that recognizes gay marriage, the White House said Friday. President Barack Obama is directing the Labor Department to start drafting rules making clear that the Family and Medical Leave Act applies to same-sex couples, allowing gay and lesbian employees to take unpaid leave to care for a sick spouse regardless of where they live. Currently, . legally married couples are eligible for those benefits if they reside . in a state in which same-sex marriage is legal. The Obama administration will work to ensure that gay and lesbian Americans are eligible to take leave from their jobs to care for a same-sex spouse, regardless of whether they live in a state that recognizes gay marriage . Obama is directing the . Department of Labor to propose a rule extending the FMLA rights even to . states where gay unions are not legal. The . move comes three years after the Obama administration stopped defending . the Defense of Marriage Act, which lets states refuse to recognize gay . marriages performed in other states. The . rule is being issued as Attorney General Eric Holder announces the . results of a review of U.S. laws in the wake of the landmark 2013 . Supreme Court Windsor decision that held that the survivor of a same-sex . couple could claim the federal estate tax exemption for surviving . spouses. The decision forced . the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages in states where . it is legal and has paved the way for the Obama administration to take . steps to expand the legal rights of gay couples. The Family and Medical Leave Act allows employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for family and medical purposes. Holder . is due to issue a review on Friday of how the more than 1,000 different . federal rights and obligations linked to a marriage or a spouse are . affected by the Windsor decision. Obama . on Tuesday said he would sign an executive order barring federal . contractors from discriminating against employees based on their sexual . orientation, but he also told gay rights activists they need to keep up . the pressure on Congress to pass a broader law. In . February, Holder announced widespread changes within the Justice . Department to benefit same-sex married couples, such as recognizing a . legal right for them not to testify against each other in civil and . criminal cases. The White House is promoting the move as . part of Obama's push to expand protections for gays and lesbians by . allowing same-sex couples to take advantage of the same federal benefits . available to married heterosexual couples. The decision forced the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages in states where it is legal and has paved the way for the Obama administration to take steps to expand the legal rights of gay couples . To that end, the Justice Department also plans to announce it has completed a review that Obama ordered to assess what legal benefits can be extended to gay couples. Already, Obama has moved to ensure gay couples have equal access to health insurance, immigration privileges and tax benefits, the White House said. But the White House said there are a few benefits that current law prohibits the federal government from granting to same-sex couples. Hoping to end that limitation, the Obama administration is calling on Congress to pass legislation removing those prohibitions. Democratic members of Congress already have introduced bills expanding protections for gays and lesbians related to Social Security and veterans' benefits, the White House said. | Current law only allows couples living in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage to be eligible for benefits .
Move comes three years after administration stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act . |
fd005edfe93df4de413fd841ae1e2834048a7c72 | By . Simon Jones . Real Sociedad want Arsenal to sell their £3.5million buy-back option on striker Carlos Vela. The club president Jokin Aperribay and vice president Angel Oyarzun flew to London at the weekend to secure the 50 per cent rights retained by Arsenal following Vela's sale last summer. Aperribay only has until July 1 to acquire the rights and Arsenal are looking for £6.5m plus bonuses, which could reach £8m for the 25-year-old. Buy-back: Real Sociedad want Arsenal to give up their 50 per cent stake in striker Carlos Vela (centre) Clause: Vela signed for Sociedad last summer but Arsenal can buy him back for £3.5million . Sociedad have already agreed a new four-year contract with Vela who is wanted by Atletico Madrid. Price: Arsenal want £6.5m plus add-ons from Sociedad for the Mexican striker (left) | Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay flew to London at the weekend .
Arsenal still retain 50 per cent rights on Vela after sale last summer .
Aperribay has until July 1 to acquire those rights from Arsenal .
Arsenal want £6.5m plus bonuses for the 25-year-old Mexican . |
fd006c1db92b3c92307a4ff2b87e6cb79d1079d9 | By . Zoe Szathmary . A Massachusetts teen brought a Boston TV sports reporter to his junior prom - who happens to be dating Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks. Cameron Stuart, 16, launched a social media campaign last October to convince Jenny Dell to be his date, The Veritas reported at the time. Scroll down for video . Dance the night away! Jenny Dell is seen here posing for a picture with prom date Cameron Stuart - who convinced Dell to be his date after launching a campaign called 'The Movement' Stuart's campaign - called 'The Movement' - included using the Twitter hashtag '#HelpCamStuartBringJennyDellToProm' and trying to get her attention at a Red Sox game, the paper reported. Dell said yes after she saw Stuart holding a sign with the hashtag before a November parade for the Red Sox, the Veritas said. On Thursday night, Dell came to Stuart's house - and shared a snap of the couple smiling on Instagram. 'Rockland Prom w/@CameronStuart15! #BulldogNation,' she wrote. He's the king! 16-year-old Cameron Stuart won prom king and is seen posing with date - and TV reporter - Jenny Dell . Boyfriend: Dell is seen here with her boyfriend Will Middlebrooks, a third baseman for the Boston Red Sox . Stuart made sure to get the blessing of Dell's boyfriend Will Middlebrooks, The Brockton Enterprise reports. 'It was very sweet,' Dell told the paper. 'It was very gentlemanly of him to make sure [the date was okay.' Dell also uploaded a video to YouTube which showed her dancing with the other guests in attendance. Stuart's big night also ended with a win - he won the title of prom king. A grinning Stuart is seen next to Dell in a photo she uploaded to Twitter. 'I'm one lucky lady to be at prom...with...the... KING!!! Congrats,' she wrote. | Cameron Stuart asked sports reporter Jenny Dell to be his date at the prom .
Dell agreed and accompanied him to the Thursday night bash .
Stuart even won the title of prom king . |
fd012a308d3154d2e6a20344a3312a3b06095e3f | When Steven Isles' father went missing five years ago in highly publicised circumstances, he was touched by the outpouring of support he received from friends and strangers. This week Mr Isles, from Townsville in Queensland, was devastated by the deaths Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson. But he was particularly upset at the prospect of Ms Dawson's three children having to spend their first Christmas without their mother. So the 34-year-old decided to start a Christmas card drive to let Oliver, Chloe and Sasha know that the whole of Australia was thinking of them at this difficult time. Scroll down for video . Steven Isles' (left) father Senior Sergeant Mick Isles (right) disappeared on his way to a training course in 2009 . The 34-year-old, from Townsville, said he was devastated by the deaths of the two Sydney siege victims . 'I just thought "What can we do?",' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'People don't want to get in people's way when they go through terrible things in life. 'Even if they don't open one of those cards for months when they actually want to, or feel they need some form of outside strength, they can share in it.' Mr Isles' father Senior Sergeant Mick Isles disappeared on his way to a training course in 2009 and his body was never found. While an inquest was held in 2012 Steven Isles suggested there was foul play involving other police. His father had been investigated over money laundering and drug trafficking, and while he was cleared of any wrongdoing his relationship with other officers suffered as a result. The inquest eventually found that Mick Isles 'intentionally took his own life', after his car was found abandoned with keys on the floor under the steering wheel, and a shot gun and ammunition were missing from the family home. Mr Isles (right) said when his father (left) first went missing he remembers lots of people dropping off meals and letters to show their support . He started a Christmas card drive to let Katrina Dawson's children know that the whole of Australia was thinking of them at this difficult time. Pictured is a tribute Sasha wrote to her mum . Mr Isles said he was talking about the tragedy amongst friends when he came up with the idea . Steven Isles said when his father first went missing he remembers lots of people dropping off meals and letters to show their support. 'You feel a bit bombarded at the time, but on reflection you go "Wow" - it certainly was a welcome distraction to have that much support,' he said. CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR Oliver, Chloe and Sasha Dawson. Let them know we are all thinking of them. At times of such tragedy we, Australians being the resilient people do what we do best and that is band together during someone’s time of need. There is still time. When you are at the shops or the newsagent please buy a Christmas Card and send it to the three beautiful children Katrina Dawson leaves behind. I have spoken with Sandy Dawson's [Katrina's brother] Clerk and commitment has been provided to deliver to Katrina's children all mail that arrives. Address cards to: . Oliver, Chloe & Sasha Banco Chambers Level 5/ 65 Martin Place Sydney NSW 2000 . Share this message anywhere and everywhere, lets get as many cards as possible to these children and lets show them how many people are thinking of them . Thanks in advance everyone. Proud to be an Aussie. Mr Isles said he was talking about the tragedy amongst friends when he came up with the idea to start the Christmas card drive. 'I'm in Townsville, in north Queensland, and a few of us were talking as you do - the whole country shared the pain of the loss of these two people,' he said. 'Yes it's Christmas and some people raised concerns about do these children Oliver, Sasha and Chloe, is it the right time for them to get Christmas cards? 'And I guess it's embracing the time of year, we're saying every child deserves some sort of Christmas spirit. 'It's amazing how many people truly care - we don't want to tread on your toes we just want you to know we care.' He first posted the idea on his Facebook page on Wednesday and it has been shared almost 500 times. The Australian Missing Persons Register also shared his post on their Facebook page, which received over 4500 shares and almost 3000 likes. Mr Isles has organised for the letters to be delivered and collected by the clerk at the chambers of Ms Dawson's brother, barrister Sandy Dawson. He also sent his own card with a picture of two gold hummingbirds on it. 'I wrote 'Legends say hummingbirds float free of time and carry the hope of love', it's just a token to say Mum's always with you and she won't be forgotten.' He first posted the idea on his Facebook page on Wednesday and it has been shared 5000 times . | Steven Isles' father disappeared in 2009 and has never been found .
He found letters from friends and strangers very comforting at the time .
The Townsville man started a Christmas card drive for the children of Sydney siege victim Katrina Dawson's children . |
fd0144414c5259f4550e49753f0f80b370e840c6 | (CNN) -- English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur crushed Scottish outfit Heart of Midlothian 5-0 in the qualifying round of UEFA's Europa League. Tottenham, who had their opening Premier League clash against Everton postponed due the recent London riots, nevertheless looked much the sharper as they raced into a 3-0 lead by half time. It took just five minutes for Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart to take advantage of some calamitous defending to poke Tottenham 1-0 in front before Jermain Defoe and 21-year-old Jake Livermore, scoring his first goal for his club, put the tie beyond the Edinburgh club. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon completed the rout. It was a great night for English clubs as Fulham beat Ukraine's Dnipro 3-0 thanks to a brace from U.S. international Clint Dempsey, Stoke City -- playing their first European tie in nearly 40 years -- snatched a 1-0 victory against FC Thun in Switzerland whilst second division Birmingham City held Nacional to a 0-0 draw in Portugal. Elsewhere Europe's leading clubs fared badly. Helsinki pulled off arguably the biggest shock of the night by beating German side Shalke 2-0 in Finland. Shalke was missing talismanic Spanish striker Raul after he was left out of their Europa League squad. AS Roma also face a tough second leg after Slovan Bratislava beat them 1-0 in Slovakia. The second leg ties all take place August 25th. | Tottenham Hotspur smash Hearts 5-0 in the Europa League .
Good night for English clubs as Fulham and Stoke City win .
Shalke 04 and AS Roma both lose .
Second leg of qualifying round takes place August 25th . |
fd028ced217d211a4ab9285206285903af0274d2 | LA PAZ, Bolivia (CNN) -- Five of Bolivia's nine states staged a civic strike Tuesday, protesting against President Evo Morales and demanding a larger share of the country's natural gas revenues. Members of Santa Cruz's Juvenile Union burn wood during protests Tuesday in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Officials in Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando, Tarija -- states in the wealthy, eastern lowland known as the "Media Luna," or half-moon -- and Chuquisaca, also in the eastern part of the country, instructed residents not to leave their homes until the end of the one-day strike, Bolivian newspaper El Diario reported. The five departments contain much of the Andean country's natural gas deposits, and their leaders are asking for natural gas revenue that Morales has earmarked to increase funding for pension plans, the five regions said in a statement on the strike posted on Santa Cruz's Web site. They said they were "sorry that the inflexibility of the government forced the prefectures to take this type of resolution." Confrontations between government supporters and pro-autonomy groups in a Santa Cruz neighborhood appeared to be the day's most violent. Police fired tear gas three times at demonstrators. In the other four departments where the strike was being observed, there were no disturbances. The 24-hour strike was called by civil committees of the departments to demand that the government give back the money it has collected by taxing hydrocarbons in order to fund the pension plan. The president of Santa Cruz's civic committee, Branco Marincovick, said the tax is constraining regional development. The government condemned acts of violence during the day and said that the strike was limited. The strike comes nine days after Morales garnered more than 67 percent of votes in a recall referendum, which he had proposed in May to break a power struggle long simmering between him and the conservative leadership in the Media Luna states. Despite the solid show of support for Morales, the vote also endorsed the leaders in Santa Cruz, Pando, Beni and Tarija, making it impossible to reach a solution to the stalemate. Morales, a former labor organizer and the country's first indigenous president, was elected in 2005 on promises to reform Bolivia's constitution for the benefit of its indigenous majority. But his proposals have been hampered by his rivals in the Media Luna states. Since taking office, all four have pushed for greater autonomy, saying the individual departments have the right to control their own affairs, including increased access to gas revenues. In speaking about the revenues earmarked for increased pensions, Morales emphasized that it was for the good of the people, a refrain he often uses. "Some authorities believe that this money is theirs, and it is not so, this silver is of the people and should benefit the people," the president said last year, shortly after he announced the measure. Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research, a nonpartisan think-tank, said Morales' overwhelming victory at the polls strengthens his hand at achieving his goal of redistributing wealth. Less than one percent of landowners in Bolivia own two-thirds of the country's farmland, he said in an article published in The Nation magazine. "Bolivia is South America's poorest country, with 60 percent of the population living below the poverty line, and 38 percent in extreme poverty," he said. "The voters have overwhelmingly decided that they want their government to do something about that. This should be possible, even if it means redistributing some of the country's most important natural resources." CNN's Gloria Carrasco contributed to this report. | Five of Bolivia's 9 states demand larger share of nation's natural gas revenues.
President has earmarked gas profits to increase funding for pension plans .
Police fire tear gas three times at demonstrators in Santa Cruz . |
fd028d554a761233e647d7e489929271256774cd | Andy Murray wants to work with coach Amelie Mauresmo for the 'long term'. The Scot announced he had hired the French former Wimbledon champion shortly before the grass-court season, but the partnership could not help Murray retain his title at the All England Club as he exited at the quarter-final stage. But, speaking ahead of this week's Rogers Cup in Toronto, the British number one insisted the link-up has been a positive experience. VIDEO Scroll down for Andy Murray is training at 100 percent after back problems . Partnership: Murray and Mauresmo will continue to work together after enjoying their time so far . Experience: Mauresmo, who won two Grand Slams as a player, joined Murray to offer a new perspective . He told BBC Sport: 'We've agreed to work together and I think from both sides we're willing to do what it takes to make it work long term. 'I really enjoy working with her, she's helped me a lot. 'She integrated well with the rest of the team. It's been a good start. Now it's about me producing the results.' Preparation: Murray was talking before the Rogers Cup in Toronto as he starts working towards the US Open . | Murray began working with Mauresmo this summer before Wimbledon .
Former World No. 1 to travel with British star 25 weeks a year .
Murray says he 'really enjoys working with her' |
fd033d4153cc39c4e30d5e448170c1e4944b0661 | By . Tim Shipman . PUBLISHED: . 19:39 EST, 18 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 03:36 EST, 19 February 2014 . Foreign migrants will be banned from receiving benefits unless they earn a minimum of £149 a week, under new rules unveiled today. From March 1st people from European countries who claim to have been in work or self-employed in order to gain access to a wider range of benefits will face a more robust test. Under current EU law the definition of a ‘worker’ is very broad meaning that those who work just a few hours a week in a pub once a week can access Housing Benefit, Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits. Now, the definitions of 'worker' are very broad, to the point that only a few hours work a week entitle a person to things like housing benefit and child support. But under new rules, this definition will become a lot stricter . To show they are undertaking genuine and effective work in the UK a European migrant will have to show that for the last three months they have been earning at the level at which employees start paying National Insurance. The new minimum income threshold is the equivalent of a working 24 hours a week at the minimum wage. Those who qualify as a ‘worker’ will be able to claim benefits, including JobSeeker’s Allowance if they fall out of work. They will also be able to claim Income Support and Employment and Support Allowance as well. Those who fail to meet the minimum income requirement will be classed as a jobseeker or not economically active and will have to wait three months after they start searching for work before they can claim JSA. From April 1st they will also have to wait three months before claiming Housing benefit as well. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: ‘As part of the Government’s long-term economic plan we have taken action to make sure our economy delivers for people who want to work hard, play by the rules and contribute to this country. ‘These reforms will ensure we have a . fair system - one which provides support for genuine workers and . jobseekers, but does not allow people to come to our country and take . advantage of our benefits system. ‘The . British public are rightly concerned that migrants should contribute to . this country, and not be drawn here by the attractiveness of our . benefits system.’ Migrants to the UK will be under particular scrutiny under the new laws, in order to prevent 'benefit tourism' by new EU countries . The level of the minimum income requirement will be permanently pegged to the level of the National Insurance Contributions Threshold, which is £149 a week--£7755 a year-- in 2013/14, and £153 a week, or £7956 a year, in 2014/15. The changes come after David Cameron set out a number of areas where he wanted the benefit system to be tightened in a speech last year. The Prime Minister demanded action amid concerns from MPs that the end of restrictions on new arrivals from Bulgaria and Romania - lifted on January 1st - would lead to a huge influx of migrants. Since January 1st all migrants from the European Economic Area have been subjected to a tougher ‘habitual residence test’ and will have to wait for three months before they can get income-based JSA. If they pass the test jobseekers will then only be able to get JSA for 6 months. After 6 months, only those who have a job offer or compelling evidence that they have a genuine chance of finding work will be able to continue claiming. A DWP source added: ‘This is all part of the Government’s long term plan to cap welfare and reduce immigration so our economy delivers for people who actively contribute and want to work hard and play by the rules.’ | Currently the definition regarding who is a 'worker' is very open .
At the moment people can work a few hours a week and claim benefits .
New rules would make claiming benefits a lot stricter .
People will have to earn a certain amount in order to have the right to claim .
Secretary Ian Duncan-Smith says: 'reforms will ensure a .
fair system'
Reforms will 'not allow people to come to UK and take .
advantage' |
fd0372383176689a3aba1fe08ed62cc7dd8b5302 | (CNN) -- A video camera mounted inside the police car of a Virginia Tech police officer slain Thursday showed a man with a weapon who appears to be same person as a man who was later found shot dead about a quarter of a mile away, a Virginia state police official said Thursday night. Maj. Rick Jenkins added that, at this point in this investigation, "we cannot say definitively" that the second victim had fired the shots that killed Officer Deriek W. Crouse. But the man does appear on video footage from moments before that officer was killed, and he also matches the description first put out by police of the suspect. In addition, Jenkins said authorities "have recovered clothing items that lead us to believe that" the second victim and the man on the video "are one and the same." The incident began about 12:15 p.m., when Crouse, a four-year Virginia Tech police veteran, pulled over someone during a routine traffic stop in the Cassell Coliseum parking lot near McComas Hall. The Cassell Coliseum at Virginia Tech houses athletic facilities. McComas Hall houses exercise facilities. Soon thereafter, police "dispatch was unable to make contact with the officer," Virginia Tech Deputy Police Chief Gene Deisinger said. Then, before 12:30 p.m., police received their first call from a witness who said he'd seen the suspect -- who state police Sgt. Bob Carpentieri said authorities "do not believe ... was in the vehicle that was stopped" -- approach the officer's car and open fire. A few minutes later, at 12:36 p.m., the first of six alerts was issued to the campus community about the shooting. A visibly upset Julie Fleming described to CNN affiliate WDBJ how she'd been walking nearby and saw police pull up around the vehicle of the officer who had been shot. "When they opened (the car door), he just fell out toward the ground, and they immediately started reviving him," she said, adding that two officers then took off with weapons after the gunman. Brian Walls, an employee in the school's athletic department, told CNN he also saw first-responders trying to resuscitate someone in the same area, which is also near the university's football stadium. The shooter had fled on foot toward a parking lot known as "the Cage," school spokesman Mark Owczarski said. This suspect was "described as white male, gray sweat pants, gray hat w/ neon green brim, maroon hoodie and backpack," Virginia Tech said in posts on its website and Twitter feed. About a quarter-mile from the first shooting, in what's described as the "I-Lot," a law enforcement officer saw a suspicious man and tried to contact him, Virginia Tech Police Department Deputy Chief Gene Deisinger said. "By the time they turned around and located the subject, that subject was deceased," the deputy chief said. Gov. Bob McDonnell said Thursday night that "another gunshot" had been heard between 15 to 30 minutes after the first shooting. The clothes tied to the initial suspect description were recovered later. Jenkins, though, did not state they were found on the second dead man, where he was found. While several updates were sent out, it wasn't until 4:30 p.m. that the school announced on its Twitter feed that "law enforcement agencies have determined there is no longer an active threat or need to secure in place. Resume normal activities." On Thursday afternoon, authorities similarly did not explicitly state that the second person shot dead had earlier killed the police officer. Carpentieri said only that "investigators feel confident that they have located" the officer's shooter. "When the university lifted the alert, they consulted with several people and they felt that it was safe for students and faculty to go about their day," Carpentieri said. "We like to think that things are safe." Crouse, 39, joined the Virginia Tech police force six months after the 2007 mass shooting, according to a release on the school's website. A U.S. Army veteran who had worked at the New River Valley jail and with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department, the Christiansburg resident is survived by his wife as well as five children and stepchildren. The second slain man has not been identified by name. And police also have not given a possible motive for the shootings. The Virginia State Police are taking the lead in the investigation, Deisinger said. Federal agents are involved as well, including six agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who responded to the scene, ATF spokesman Scot Thomasson said. In addition to reviewing the video from Crouse's car, investigators are sorting through ballistic and DNA evidence and interviewing witnesses, said Jenkins of the state police . The episode rattled a campus where 33 people were killed on April 16, 2007, when student Seung-Hui Cho went on a shooting rampage. Two of those deaths occurred at West Ambler Johnston Hall, across the street from the Coliseum lot. "In light of the turmoil and the trauma and the tragedy suffered by this campus by guns, I can only say that words don't describe our feelings and they are most elusive at this point in time," Virginia Tech President Charles Steger told reporters Thursday. On Thursday, law enforcement and school officials said the alert system put in place in recent years worked well, both from technological and communications standpoints. "What I observed and experienced was significant cooperation from everybody I encountered," Deisinger said of what he saw, on campus, after the alerts went out. "I think the community received the notification and responded to that, as we asked them to." Kiersten Todt Coon, a risk management consultant who has worked with other universities on campus management, said it appears that accurate information was communicated quickly and methodically -- in contrast to what happened four years ago. That said, she said school administrators should now review whether that information got out to everyone who needed to get it. "Did the messages work across the board?" Coon asked rhetorically. One school administrator said he and other staffers locked rooms and laboratories in Shanks Hall within three minutes of getting the first alert around 12:36 p.m. In the subsequent hours, he said faculty and employees got "regular and updated information" that he described as "very helpful" and calming. "We've practiced this over time," said Robert E. Denton Jr., head of Virginia Tech's department of communication, told CNN affiliate WSLS during the lockdown. "This is kind of scary to go through ... It brings back so much." McDonnell lauded the communications effort not just as governor, but also as a parent: His daughter is a Virginia Tech master's student who was confined to a basement classroom during the four-hour episode. "Like so many parents who had children on the Virginia Tech campus, I felt a lot of that angst and uncertainty," he said. "Again, I want to express my gratitude to law enforcement for making sure that they kept the faculty (and) parents regularly informed." Classes for the semester ended Wednesday. Students were preparing Thursday for final exams for the fall semester, though the university announced on its website that Friday's exams had been postponed to Saturday. A small vigil was held Thursday night on the Blacksburg campus, and a similar event is scheduled for for 6:30 p.m. Friday, according to a posting on the student government association's Twitter account. Beyond Virginia Tech, Thursday's incident had ripple effects elsewhere in western Virginia. All public schools in Montgomery County -- where Blacksburg is located -- were also placed on lockdown, county school Superintendent Brenda Blackburn said. Dismissal eventually began at 3:30 p.m., after a delay of more than an hour. In addition, a western Virginia rest area along Interstate 81 was shut down Thursday afternoon, Virginia Department of Transportation spokesman Jason Bond said. The stop, on the highway's northbound side, is about nine miles from the Virginia Tech exit. He did not know whether that move -- which was ordered by state police -- was related to the Blacksburg shooting. Carpentieri noted there was "some suspicious activity at that location," though he also declined to say whether it was related to the Virginia Tech incident. Several Virginia Tech administrators -- including the head of campus police, Wendell Flinchum, and the emergency management director, Michael Mulhare -- were in Washington on Thursday at a federal court hearing on the 2007 shooting on the school's campus, according to U.S. Department of Education officials. Flinchum and the school were criticized after that incident for not notifying students quickly enough that there was a danger on campus. The hearing was an appeal of the Department of Education's fine of $55,000 on Virginia Tech under the Clery Act, a federal law related to campus safety. In April, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli called the 2007 case against Virginia Tech "Monday-morning quarterbacking at its very worst." As to Thursday's incident, Carpentieri stressed that there were "two crime scenes" -- where the two bodies were found -- and that the probe is ongoing, with many questions still unanswered. At the same time, he voiced confidence that "things are safe for people to be out again." "These are large crime scenes and it takes several hours to put the puzzle together," the state police sergeant said. "We still don't have a lot of the puzzle pieces connected." CNN's Carol Cratty, Phil Gast, Greg Botelho, Vivian Kuo, Eric Fiegel and Sally Holland contributed to this report. | NEW: A vigil is held at Virginia Tech on Thursday night; another is set for Friday .
Video from a slain police officer's car shows a man with a gun, just before shooting .
The man on the video matches the description of a person later found shot dead .
A state police major says "we cannot say definitively" the dead man shot the officer . |
fd03b31e610d10e6f7abab8cb0e1786d439d3271 | French counter-terrorism experts have identified 64 suburbs in dozens of cities that act as breeding grounds for Islamic extremism. So-called 'ghettos' with high rates of youth unemployment, immigration and single-parent families, such as L'Ariane near Nice, have been linked to the radicalisation of young and vulnerable people. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls last month admitted that the country had collapsed into social and ethnic 'apartheid' - the first time a senior politician has conceded that economic marginalisation and religious tensions have led to serious divides. Until 17 people were killed in January's shocking Charlie Hebdo terror attacks, the French government remained largely consistent in its claim that overriding 'Frenchness' was a unifying factor more powerful than loyalties to local communities or religious belief. Tragic: Until 17 people were killed in January's shocking Charlie Hebdo terror attacks, the French government remained largely consistent in its claim that overriding 'Frenchness' was a unifying factor in the country . Extremists: Brothers Said (left) and Cherif Kouachi (right), who killed 12 people in an attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in central Paris. The pair then died following a siege . In total 64 French suburbs have been identified as breeding grounds for extremism, each of them sharing startling similar characteristics, according to Sky News. Unemployment, for example, is on average 23 per cent in the suburbs, rising to a staggering 45 per cent among the young. Up to half of all families in the 64 suburbs also have just one parent. For those lucky enough to have work, the average income is just €11,000 (£8,300) a year, leaving many with barely enough money to survive. As many as 50 per cent of those living in the suburbs are also first generation immigrants or their children, many of them having travelled to France from war-torn nations. Such patterns of have now proved to the French leadership that vast swathes of the population are falling behind economically, resulting in ghettoised suburbs where mental and social attachment to France as a nation holds little sway, and where criminal and religious leaders often wield power. Militants: The French government believes that around 400 French citizens have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside militants from the Islamic State terror group (pictured) Claim: French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (pictured) last month admitted that the country had collapsed into social and ethnic 'apartheid' As well as identifying 64 suburbs as having the potential to push the young and vulnerable towards extremism, the French interior ministry has also designated 15 Priority Security Zones in areas already considered hotbeds of crime - with radical Islamism and jihadism chief among them. Speaking to Sky News, Colonel Gael Marchand, head of the Gendarmerie in Alpes-Maritime, said: 'There is a very blurred and small gap between organised crime and terrorism.' 'Terrorists need funding and they are often recruited in prisons. If you're a terrorist and a former criminal you know where and how to get weapons,' he added. He added that weapons, including guns, are easy to come by in these 15 areas, as each of them extensive links to mafia smuggling routes from Italy and eastern Europe. The 15 areas, which have not been identified, have already been reinforced by undercover investigators and uniformed officers, with rapid response road blocks and random weapon and drugs checks now in force in an effort to reduce the rate of criminality. Tribute: Millions marched through Paris in the days that followed the attack as they showed their support for freedom of speech and the Charlie Hebdo staff . Je Suis Charlie: The satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was targeted by Islamic terrorists because of it frequently published cartoons about the religion. 17 people died over three bloody days last month . The French government has been ridiculed for producing a poster to help identify potential jihadists - with one suggestion that giving up baguettes is a telltale sign. They claim pointers that someone is being radicalised by Islamist fanatics include alarm bells such as losing interest in sports, rejecting family members and changing eating habits. The poster was launched as part of a new £320million campaign to counter terrorism in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. But the attempt to inform the public backfired, with many ridiculing the Stop Jihadism poster for the suggestions it made. News of the terrorism breeding grounds being identified comes as French police arrested eight men suspected of recruiting fighters for Islamist militants in Syria. The arrests in the Paris and Lyon areas are not linked to the Charlie Hebdo attacks, Interior Minister Barnard Cazeneuve told local media. The French government believes that around 400 French citizens have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside militants from the Islamic State terror group. There are also approximately 900 Islamic extremists still in France with links to recruitment cells. Mr Cazeneuve said 161 terror-related legal proceedings were in progress, with 547 individuals suspected of involvement in terror networks. The majority of these relate to the funding and recruitment for terrorist groups, rather than the plotting of terror attacks themselves. | Counter-terror experts identify 64 French suburbs linked to radicalisation .
Young and vulnerable fall prey to extremists in these so-called ghettos .
Each of the high risk suburbs share startlingly similar demographics .
Youth unemployment is at 45 per cent and average salary just £8,300 .
Half of all residents are either first generation immigrants or their children .
French PM last month admitted country had collapsed into 'apartheid' |
fd0436722477cd827a599142500cda56a62d7ac2 | A mother found dead in a suspected murder-suicide had taken out an intervention order against her estranged husband which expired just four days earlier. The former couple’s flatmate heard moaning noises coming from a bedroom in the moments before Shikha Godara Beniwal died, but he did not intervene because he thought they were having sex. Homicide detectives have confirmed the ex-couple, who had a three-year-old son, were known to them due to a history of domestic violence going back at least two years. Scroll down for video . Melbourne physiotherapist Shikha Godara Beniwal was murdered by her estranged husband Sunil just four days after the intervention order she had in place against him expired . It is believed Sunil Beniwal, 36, killed Shikha Godara Beniwal at his home in Deer Park, in west Melbourne, on Saturday night or in the early hours of Sunday before committing suicide by veering into an oncoming truck. The Beniwal's son was in the house at the time of the suspected murder, along with Sunil's unsuspecting flatmates, James Negri and his girlfriend. Negri's younger brother, Jackson Kelly, said his sibling had heard the little boy crying and the sound of a woman moaning but didn't call the police as he thought they were having sex. He said his brother is 'shaken up' and had never witnessed any fights between the estranged couple and thought they were trying to get back together as Shikha was a regular visitor to the house. Sunil Beniwal, 36, committed suicide after murdering his estranged wife and mother of their three-year-old son . Kelly,17, told Fairfax Media: 'They had just come back from India. I thought they were trying to work it out. 'He seemed like a nice, normal guy. I don't know why he turned like this. I can't believe it.' Although the police won't release how Shikha, 32, died until after an autopsy, they said they are yet to find a weapon and are not looking for anyone else in connection with her murder. The couple had a history of domestic abuse and were known to police but Sunil's flat-mate thought they were trying to work things out and said they recently travelled to India together . They believe Sunil murdered her and then fled in his car, committing suicide by swerving into a truck around 4am. He died on impact and the driver, a father-of-four, Tom Delios is still in hospital. The emergency services rushed to the crash site on Hopkins Rd, Truganina, near Caroline Springs, and police discovered his wife's body just hours later at his Corey Close home at around 7.45 am. Homicide Detective Sergeant Paul Tremain has confirmed Sunil and Delhi-born physiotherapist Shikha were known to them due to domestic violence. Sunil veered his car into this mammoth truck on Hopkins Rd, Truganina, near Caroline Springs at about 4am Sunday morning . The emergency services rushed to the crash site on Hopkins Rd, Truganina, near Caroline Springs, and police discovered his wife's body just hours later at his Corey Close home at around 7.45 am . While Sunil died on impace, the driver of the truck is still being treated in hospital for shock and minor injuries . He said: 'There was an intervention order taken out in 2012 which expired four days ago. 'It's a shocking circumstance of two people who couldn't work out their differences and it's ended in a tragedy like this. 'We need an autopsy to be carried out and once that's happened we'll be in a better position to know what has gone on.' Police trying to contact Sunil's next of kin discovered Shika's body at his home in Deer Park, Melbourne . Devastated relatives of the couple congregated at the house on Sunday where she was murdered . Police were still at the property Sunday night as grieving relatives arrived and confirmed they are treating her death as suspicious and are not looking for anyone else. The couple's young son has been taken into care of the Department of Human Services. Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78 . | Police believe Shikha Godara Beniwal was murdered by husband Sunil .
Their three-year-old son was in the Melbourne house when Shikha died .
The family had a history of domestic abuse going back at least two years . |
fd046b9a21c4933119a2740505d3e072d72d4550 | (CNN) -- Sebastian Vettel led home teammate Mark Webber as Red Bull claimed a 1-2 in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday. Red Bull have claimed all three pole positions so far this season, with German Vettel heading the grid in the first two races and Webber starting first at Sepang, but had been hit by reliability issues priot to Sunday's race. However, they finally got their reward this time around, with Vettel outpacing his Australian colleague after the first lap, holding on for a comfortable victory. Formula One standings after three races . "It was a great race for us and a great result for the team after the last two races when we just didn't get the results we wanted," Vettel told reporters. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg claimed third place -- although it proved another disappointing race for seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher who was forced to quit the race early because of suspension problems. The grid had a lop-sided look to it due to Saturday's dramatic qualifying session which was hit by heavy rain. This meant the two dominant teams, Ferrari and McLaren, were both towards the rear of the field as the race began and had to weave their way through slower cars in order to get amongst the top 10 for some world championship points. McLaren's former world champion Lewis Hamilton drove superbly to battle his way to sixth position, after starting 20th, while Ferrari's Felipe Massa finished seventh and current world champion Jenson Button was eighth. Meanwhile, Bahrain GP winner Fernando Alonso, who led the championship going into the race, saw his race ended on the penultimate lap due to an engine problem with his Ferrari -- after he had tried to overtake Button. With Alonso failing to finish in the top 10, therefore missing out on world championship points, Massa's seventh-placed finish proved enough for him to steal the overall lead from his Ferrari teammate . The Brazilian, who has returned to F1 this season after suffering head injuries in an horrific crash last season, lies on 39 points, two ahead of Alonso and Vettel who are tied for second place. But this season promises to be one of the closest ever with only nine points separating the top seven after three different winners -- Alonso, Button and Vettel -- in the first three races. | Sebastian Vettel beats Red Bull teammate Mark Webber to win Malaysian GP .
Vettel had started on pole position for the first two F1 races of the season .
Felipe Massa finishes seventh but overtakes Fernando Alonso to lead overall . |
fd05447db29a445dc54b471af6707eae5cb43ef4 | (CNN) -- Colombia may have exited the World Cup at the quarterfinal stage but it did not stop a massive crowd from welcoming home their heroes in the capital Bogota Sunday. Hosts Brazil put paid to the team's hopes with a narrow 2-1 victory in Fortaleza Friday, although the win came at a heavy price with Neymar ruled out for the rest of the World Cup. Arriving at El Dorado airport after an Avianca flight, the squad were met by a frenzied welcome with thousands lining the streets as their open top bus negotiated its way through the streets. Colombia, coached by Argentina's Jose Pekerman, won its group and impressed with its flowing football, led by World Cup sensation James Rodriguez. He scored his sixth and tournament-leading goal, a late penalty, in the defeat to Brazil. "Thanks for always being there, thanks for the support, we love you," Rodriguez said as he addressed the crowd. They had gathered early, most wearing the team's yellow shirt, to catch a glimpse of the players who were given red carpet treatment at the airport, before going on a tour in the bus, which inched its way through the throngs. The Colombian players were then presented on a stage at the Simon Bolivar park and showed off their footwork by dancing to the music. Meanwhile, the Brazil squad has been training in Teresopolis ahead of its semifinal clash with Germany in Belo Horizonte Tuesday. Chelsea's Willian, who could come in for Neymar, admitted his loss was a blow to Brazil's hopes of winning the World Cup on home soil. "Neymar sets the standard for us. He is capable of deciding any game, so playing without him will be difficult," he said. But the midfielder added: "We know the quality that we have. We are all very sad at losing him but we are now even stronger after what happened and we can continue to pursue our dream." Willian suffered an injury scare in training Saturday after a clash with Hernanes but said it would not prevent him playing in the last four clash. Coach Luis Felipe Scolari's other possible replacement for Neymar, who has fractured a vertabra in his back, could be winger Bernard, who plays for Shakhtar Donetsk. | Colombia team returns home to massive welcome in Bogota .
Colombia went out in quarterfinals to hosts Brazil .
WC top scorer James Rodriguez center of attention .
Brazil comes to terms with loss of star player Neymar . |
fd05a58a30de9dec401991f8950e94f181f5b0f7 | Argentina has passed a new law stating that all public transport and stations must display the inflammatory words: 'The Falklands are Argentina'. The new regulation was approved unanimously in parliament last night after it was proposed by MP Teresita Luna. Daniel Filmus, secretary of state for Falkland affairs, tweeted the announcement, saying: 'Public transport will carry the message #LasMalvinasSonArgentinas, an initiative from @terelunalarioja approved unanimously.' Argentina's football team poses with a banner reading 'The Falklands are Argentina' which will now be marked on all public transport and stations in the country after a law was voted in unanimously in parliament . The law, part of more than 60 public transport measures, means all vehicles on road, rail, water or in the air must be marked with the phrase, it was reported by The Daily Telegraph. However, some Argentines took issue with the move, with one tweeting: 'Haven't you got anything more urgent to deal with?' Ms Luna, 41, a politician from La Rioja province in the west of the country near the border with Chile. Given her distance from the British territory, it is not clear why she has been the forerunner for the vote. However, the campaign #LasMalvinasSonArgentinas has been gathering traction in recent months. In July, Argentina's football chiefs were fined £19,500 by FIFA after their players posed with a political banner laying claim to the Falkland Islands. The players stood behind the slogan ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ (the Falklands are Argentinian) at a June 7 friendly against Slovenia in Buenos Aires. Clarkson and the Top Gear team were forced to flee Argentina this summer after the outspoken presenter was spotted driving around the country with a number plate believed to reference the Falklands War of 1982 . The world governing body opened disciplinary proceedings against the AFA last month following the controversial incident. The message was displayed in support of an on-going campaign to claim sovereignty of the islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. A statement from FIFA said the AFA had been fined and issued with a reprimand after it was deemed to be in breach of Article 60 of the FIFA stadium safety and security regulations ('political action') and Article 52 of the FIFA disciplinary code ('team misconduct'). It also comes after a furious row erupted when Jeremy Clarkson was spotted driving through Argentina with a number plate H982 FKL which some claimed a reference to the Falklands War. The Top Gear cast and crew had to flee the South American country after they were attacked by an angry mob, which Clarkson described as 'the most terrifying thing I've ever been involved in.' Alicia Castro, the Argentinian ambassador to the UK, demanded an apology from BBC head of television Danny Cohen during a meeting this month - which the corporation refused to give. | Law was approved unanimously in parliament after proposal by MP .
Argentina fined by FIFA after players posed with message in June . |
fd05add33275e8e02f35720ed3e6b27f84747556 | By . Ray Massey, Transport Editor . Saab will start making cars again, two years after going to the wall. The Swedish firm will make existing models, such as the 9-3 saloon, but also start producing electric cars. It went bankrupt in late 2011 and was bought by a Chinese-Swedish investment group, National Electric Vehicle Sweden, in June 2012. Saab is to reproduce its 9 x 3 Turbo Saloon in the first batch of vehicles to be made since the company was bought in 2012 . Spokesman Mikael Oestlund said initial production levels at its factory in western Sweden will be ‘modest’ and rise if demand grows. The company is to make a petrol-powered version of the car with the aim of launching an electric version later. Mr Oestlund said: 'You can’t change or develop very much in . a year. We acquired the assets in August last year. 'Our focus has been . to get the co-operation up and running with 400 suppliers and ensure the . facilities were working.' 'We are humble and say we’ll start . the production volume with low figures and be able to increase over time . according to the market’s demand.’ Sales peaked at 133,000 cars in 2006 but slumped to 27,000 only three years later. A Sweden Airforce Arrow shaped SAAB Vigen. The company dates back to 1937 when it manufactured military aircraft . US car giant General Motors (GM) – which also owns Britain’s Vauxhall - bought a 50per cent stake and management control of the firm in 1989, before gaining full ownership in 2000 – though bosses admitted they never knew quite what to do with it. At the Detroit Motor Show in January 2008, General Motors senior executive Bob Lutz told the Daily Mail ahead of his company’s eventual sale of the Swedish car firm: ‘Saab is the GM executive wife’s vehicle of choice . 'But I don’t think it has ever made a profit in its entire history. We’ve hung onto it longer than we should have.’ American parent firm GM itself sought bankruptcy protection as the global financial crisis unfolded, forcing the US company to dispose of assets. So GM sold Saab to Dutch group Spyker, which in turn eventually sold the firm to Nevs in June last year. The new owners have said they want to focus on electric cars as they look to revive the brand. SAAB’s origins go back to 1937 when Sweden’s Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (SAAB) was founded in Trollhättan to manufacture military aircraft. At the end of the Second World War, in which neutral Sweden played no active part. SAAB diversified into cars with the first production of the two-stroke-engine Saab 92. It soon became a household name in Sweden and in the 1970s it released its first turbocharged model - the landmark Saab 99. Saabs found favour with architects, independent spirits and maverick entrepreneurs such as Virgin boss Sir Richard. Loyal enthusiasts appreciated SAAB for its aerodynamic style and quirks like placing the ignition lock between the front seats rather than on the steering column. It was the first to offer heated seating in 1971. | The company is to reproduce a 'modest' number of its popular 9-3 saloon .
Saab went bankrupt in late 2011 after inconsistent sales .
Chinese-Swedish investment group bought the company in 2012 . |
fd060b0a285dc4ae0e40ebaca74e8a53090b4bfc | Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Four journalists are free weeks after they were captured by the Libyan military and then sentenced to jail for a year, a Libyan government spokesman said Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Tunisian government condemned Libya's alleged continuous firing of rockets at the border town of Dhiba, a Tunisian foreign ministry source told the Tunisian News Agency. Also, fighting resumed Wednesday between rebels and forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi at the Dhehiba/Wazen border crossing with Tunisia, according to the Tunisian state-run news agency. Significant reinforcements joined the rebels while government troops responded with heavy artillery, the agency said. At the same time, UNICEF announced a humanitarian campaign to raise $20 million for children and women inside Libya and for nearly 800,000 refugees who have fled to neighboring countries including Tunisia. The freed journalists include two Americans: Clare Morgana Gillis, a freelancer for the Christian Science Monitor, the Atlantic and USA Today; and James Foley of GlobalPost. The others are Spanish photographer Manuel Varela, who also goes by the name Manu Brabo, and British journalist Nigel Chandler, Libyan government spokesman Musa Ibrahim said. Ibrahim said a judge released the four journalists after ordering them each to pay a $164 fine for entering the country illegally. Ibrahim didn't know if the journalists had paid the fines yet. When asked about missing South African photographer Anton Hemmerl, Ibrahim said the government isn't holding him and hasn't been able to locate him. "We never had him with us at any stage," Ibrahim said. Ibrahim spoke with the four journalists after they arrived in the lobby of the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli and told them they are welcome to stay and work in Libya under a visa. South Africa's ambassador to Libya was also at the hotel trying to get any information on Hemmerl. The four freed journalists were to spend the night at the hotel Wednesday, with their rooms paid for by the Libyan government, and then be driven to the Tunisian border, Ibrahim said. Gillis, Varela and Foley were detained by pro-government forces in early April, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Once taken to the border with Tunisia, Varela will head home to Spain, the Spanish foreign ministry said in a statement. The foreign ministry declined to give any details earlier this month about Varela's situation, due to the "discretion and prudence" that his case demands, but Spanish media reported April 24 that he talked by phone to his parents in northern Spain and told them he was safe and being treated well. Spain still has an embassy in Tripoli, although it evacuated its personnel from the city, like many other nations, as fighting between the regime of Moammar Gadhafi and rebels intensified in late March. When asked about journalists being mistreated while in Libyan custody since violence erupted in February, Ibrahim said all journalists were treated "fairly" and "as good as possible," but he pointed out that the country is in armed conflict, and the military didn't know for sure whether persons captured were indeed journalists. Ibrahim added that many former military personnel from Europe are now working with the rebels. Since February, the Committee to Protect Journalists has tallied more than 80 attacks on members of the news media in Libya, including four deaths and 49 detentions. Human Rights Watch and CPJ have called upon the Libyan government to account for missing journalists covering the conflict there. Meanwhile, in Tunis, the government charged that Libya's rocket-firing at Tunisia is a violation of its sovereignty and puts citizens and infrastructure at risk, even though Tripoli pledged several times not to fire in the direction of Tunisia, the foreign ministry source told the Tunisian News Agency. The Tunisian government warned of "immediate and disastrous consequences" to bilateral relations and said the "serious" attacks are likely to force Tunis to take "severe" measures such as reporting the violations to the U.N. secretary general in order "to defend its territorial integrity," the source told the news agency. In a related matter to Libya, UNICEF issued its appeal to raise $20 million for the Libyan crisis and said more than 1 million people may have been affected by the conflict, especially as almost 800,000 Libyans have fled to Egypt, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Tunisia, the group said in a statement Wednesday. "Children have been deeply affected by this conflict. Their rights to learn, to play and to express themselves have been compromised. UNICEF and partners are working to support the community in their solidarity to create safe spaces for all Libyan children," Shahida Azfar, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and north Africa, said in a statement. CNN's Michael Martinez and Al Goodman contributed to this report. | Four foreign journalists covering the Libyan conflict are released and fined .
Meanwhile, Tunisia condemns Libya's firing of rockets at a Tunisian border town .
UNICEF announces an effort to raise $20 million for Libyan women and children . |
fd06daaa4ac75e432d4384f3fe2ac1ad1f3f43ef | (CNN) -- It looks like Kanye West's new wife is rubbing off on him. In the August issue of GQ magazine, the rapper talks about everything from his design ambitions -- he'd like to build amusement parks -- to his next album to his home life, including the relationship he's built with uber-celebrity Kim Kardashian. According to West, his reality star bride, whom he married in May, has helped him acquire a unique set of skills: "Kim K skills," if you will. "One of the reasons why I think that me and Kim are very powerful together isn't just the concept of celebrity or this mega rap star and this mega-beautiful pop star," West said. "What I had to learn from Kim is how to take more of her advice and less of other people's advice. There's a lot of Kim K skills that were added. In order to win at life, you need some Kim K skills, period." And that's just one of things we now know about Yeezus. Here are eight more: . 1. Kanye is a blowfish . "People have me pinned as a shark or a predator in some way, and in no way am I that. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone. I want to defend people. I want to help people. ... I'm not a shark, I'm a blowfish." 2. He gave a 45-minute toast at his own wedding . And he freely admits this. "In the speech, I talked about the idea of collaboration and all the people involved working together and being able to change things. ... I said, "Wow, Carine (Roitfeld) is seven seats down from Kim (Kardashian). Farnaz (Farjam), the producer of the Kardashians and the producer of 'The Real World,' is four seats down from (director) Steve McQueen. And four seats, because in between them is Hosain (Rahman) from Jawbone. This is what I talked about. That was not a forty-five-minute speech to myself. Do you realize what that means for those people to be in that close of a proximity to each other?" 3.He doesn't care that Jay Z and Beyonce weren't there . It may have been Kim and Kanye's wedding, but all anyone wanted to know was whether Jay Z and Beyonce were going to be there. They ended up not attending -- although Beyonce gave her congratulations via Instagram -- and 'Ye seems fine with it. "All that, I wouldn't even speak on. It doesn't even matter to me whatsoever, who would show up. Because the most important person to show up there, to me, was Kim." 4. He feels like he's constantly fighting . Even in the GQ interview. "I'm sitting right here, it's a fight. I'm fighting with the way I line my words up together and the way I place a sweater on top of a T-shirt. At this point, people know what's up. People know I'm smart. And people know that, whether it's SNL or Jimmy Kimmel, it's a trend to take the piss out of celebrity -- just as much of a trend as wearing a gray hoodie or driving a Prius." 5. Especially for celebrity rights . In his wedding toast, "I talked about the idea of celebrity, and celebrities being treated like blacks were in the '60s, having no rights, and the fact that people can slander your name. I said that in the toast. And I had to say this in a position where I, from the art world, am marrying Kim. And how we're going to fight to raise the respect level for celebrities so that my daughter can live a more normal life. She didn't choose to be a celebrity. But she is. So I'm going to fight to make sure she has a better life." 6. He also fought for Kim . "I had to fight for that for seven years." 7. He's actually not that sad . Despite what the #sadKanye meme would lead you to believe, he's feeling pretty good. "(W)e got the Vogue cover, Steve McQueen won the Oscar, we finally got married... You know? We have a child. We're a family now. I am an arbiter of taste, and people think that I have the ability to make things cool -- or if I'm doing it, it should be cool. And I feel that this stuff's starting to be cool. And that feels good to me. Because I don't like walking around with people thinking I'm doing uncool s**, because there's nothing I'm doing that's uncool. It's all innovative. You just might not understand it yet. But it's cool. Family is super cool. Going home to one girl every night is super cool. Just going home and getting on the floor and playing with your child is super cool. Not wearing a red leather jacket, and just looking like a dad and s**t, is like super cool. 8. He's also really happy about this . "Having someone that I can call Mom again. That s*** is super cool." North West's earrings spark social media debate . Kim and Kanye turn Instagram into wedding album . | Kanye West gives a wide-ranging interview to GQ .
He discusses his career goals, family and life as a celebrity .
He feels like he's fighting for celebrity rights .
He also says he's acquired "Kim K skills" |
fd076f5c3f42cd4f50d4fb0d02b857a72ef20b59 | When you’re in a rush, it might feel like it takes forever to get a pan of water to boil. But according to an Oxford University engineering professor, the key to speedy cooking is a bit of rocket science. Dr Thomas Povey is an expert on jet and rocket engines, particularly the techniques used to manage and transfer engine heat in the most effective way. Now he has brought the benefits of his knowledge to the nation’s kitchens, dreaming up a new saucepan design which knocks a minute off a boiled egg’s cooking time. From start to finish, it would normally take around six minutes to boil an egg – three minutes for the water to boil plus another three minutes of cooking time. But Dr Povey’s patented new design could reduce this by roughly a minute, which might prove useful for people who need to cook a quick meal in the morning. Called the Flare, the saucepan works best with gas hobs. It has a series of fins which direct flames quickly and evenly up the side of the pan, holding the heat far more effectively than traditional versions. The main body is aluminium but the handles are made of stainless steel, so will not reach the same searing temperatures as the base. Flare pans, which can also be used with electric, ceramic and halogen hobs, reach the right cooking temperature around 34 per cent faster – and use 28 per cent less energy than conventional pans. The Oxford Professor of Engineering has now formed a partnership with Lakeland homewares to turn his prototype into a finished product. The new range will be available in the UK exclusively through the firm’s stores and website. But the cost of joining the kitchen space age comes with some pretty galactic prices – the designs range from £49.99 for a milk pan to £59.99 for a ten-inch frying pan, £64.99 for a saucepan and £84.99 for a top-of-the-range stockpot. Dr Povey said: ‘A lot of tests have been done comparing Flare pans to conventional saucepans and they have proved to be at least 30 per cent faster in coming to the boil.’ The pans go on sale next month starting at £49.99. The finned design channels heat from a gas flame across the bottom and up both sides, to capture energy that would otherwise be wasted. This results in the pan heating up significantly more quickly and cooking food faster. It claims to be 40 per cent more efficient and consequently, faster. | The energy efficient Flare design, which has fins, was dreamed up by a professor of engineering at Oxford University .
The shape of the pan channels heat from a gas flame across the bottom and up both sides, to capture energy that would otherwise be wasted .
This means it can heat food faster using 40 per cent less energy .
The pans, which are made from cast aluminium, will go on sale at Lakeland next month, with prices starting at £49.99 . |
fd07f0106ec758fb92f2f4605d7b1522786d3441 | By . Sadie Whitelocks . PUBLISHED: . 05:19 EST, 25 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:00 EST, 25 May 2012 . Since her Team GB Olympic kit was unveiled in March, the London fashion designer has been keeping a relatively low profile. But last night Stella McCartney got back into the swing of things as she attended a pop art themed charity ball in the capital . Wearing an eye-catching swirl print dress from her eponymous label, the 40-year-old looked happy and relaxed as she joined a host of fashion friends including Agyness Denn, Natalia Vodianova and Naomi Watts. London designer Stella McCartney opted for an eye-catching swirl-print dress and strappy heels . And it seems the event was a great promotional event for the acclaimed designer, as a number of guests opted for pieces from her collection. Both Agyness and Natalia opted for floor-length gowns from her latest range. Agyness sported a gold-embroidered, short-sleeved cream dress paired with chunky, beige wedges, while Natalia picked a royal blue, strapless lace dress with a belted, peplum waist. The charity fundraiser, held at Banqueting House, Whitehall, was in aid of the NSPCC Rebuilding Childhoods Appeal, which helps fund post-abuse therapy for children who have suffered abuse. As co-chairs of the event Stella McCartney and Natalia Vodianova took to the stage to give a speech . The first annual art ball - the Surrealist Ball - raised £2.8 million in March 2011 and this year over £1.1 million was collected. After a drinks reception guests feasted on minted garden pea and truffle soup and roast halibut with Morecombe bay brown shrimps. And a 'Pop' passion fruit mousse was served to finish. Other guests to appear at the event sponsored by UBS, included actresses Naomi Watts and Rashida Jones. Urban Caprice catered for the event while Boujis hosted the bar. Henry Holland and his muse, Agyness Deyn return after meeting the Queen earlier this week . Fashion fringe: American actress and former model, Margo Stilley (left) and Mary Charteris (right) Puerto Rican model turned photographer Astrid Munoz and model Poppy Delevigne . Wined and dined: Naomi Watts and Stella McCartney catch up at the dinner table . | Both Natalia Vodianova and Agyness Denn wear her eponymous label .
Last night's ball raised over £1.1 million for the NSPCC . |
fd0861376e699ba1d72c98dc2fa224cf6370066d | When the largest shopping centre in the world opened in 2005, it was dubbed the Great Mall of China, and around 70,000 shoppers were expected to flock there each day. The South China Mall seemed to have it all: an 82ft Arc de Triomphe, a 1.3-mile canal complete with gondolas, and an enormous indoor and outdoor roller-coaster. There was only one thing missing: the shops. Scroll down for video . Going nowhere: Escalators are draped in sheets . A monument to failure: The mall in Dongguan has never got off the ground . They were missing when the mall in the Chinese city of Dongguan opened in 2005, when fewer than 99 per cent of the stores were leased, and they are still missing now. Occupancy rate at the 7m square feet mall - the largest in the world in terms of leasable space and more than twice as big as the largest mall in the US, the Mall of America - is still lying at one per cent. Those who hoped the South China Mall would herald a new dawn in which China would consume what it produced, rather than simply export it, have seen their hopes dashed. The mall was dreamt up - and paid for - by Alex Hu Guirong, a Dongguan native who became a billionaire selling instant noodles. It was designed around seven zones, each representing a city, country or area: Amsterdam, Venice, Paris, Rome, Egypt, California, and the Caribbean. Designers were sent around the world for two years scouting for good locations for zones, and car park spaces were built for all the shoppers who would drive there. Covered in dust: Decorations put up years ago still hang from the ceiling . Empty as the day it opened: There's only litter in the shopping centre's corridors . But the project never took off, and eight years on, it is still lying fallow. (Meanwhile the largest shopping centre in the world by total area, the Dubai Mall, is now the world's most visited shopping and leisure destination with more than 54m visitors a year.) In the Chinese mall, sheets lie draped over unmoving escalators, old decorations still hang, covered in dust, and the only movement is the odd crisp packet blown by the wind along an empty corridor. Instead of shop assistants, the few people employed in the echoing centre are security guards paid to sit on chairs and keep vandals out. How it should have looked: A map of the shopping centre at the beginning . Impressive entrance: The 82ft Arc de Triomphe outside the empty mall . No shops, no shoppers: One corridor after another lies empty . A handful of businesses still operate, mostly fast-food restaurants to serve the families who bring their children to the amusement park and IMAX cinema outside the mall. But the vast majority of the mall, including what should have been a gleaming hotel for all the destination shoppers, remains empty. Chinese retail experts say one of the problems is the lack of transport infrastructure to bring the shoppers in. Shrouded in sheets: The empty mall is home to security guards . Barren wasteland: Outside the shopping mall the ground is untended . Busier outside: Families visit the amusement park and IMAX cinema outside the shopping centre . Now known as the 'New' South China Mall (the 'New' was added in a failed relaunch in 2007), it doesn't lie on any major transport network or nearby airport, and can take hours to get to via public transport, even for those living a short distance away. A reporter who wrote this detailed account of the mall for Vagabondjourney.com said it took him more than two-and-a-half hours to get to the mall by bus from six miles away. But even if the locals could get there, they might not want to. Dongguan has a population of more than 10m, but with most of the inhabitants working in the city's factories, they do not have deep enough pockets to do justice to a a high-end shopping centre. China has also been badly hit by the global recession, with its export market suffering from the financial woes of the United States and Europe. The mall is now owned by the Founders Group, a division of Beijing University, but any plans they have for its future remain to be seen. Not much to buy here: Empty shopfronts in the New South China Shopping Mall . Canal: The mall boasts more than a mile of canals which shoppers were to enjoy on gondolas . Lone employee: A female security guard keeps lookout against vandals . Fast food: McDonalds is one of the few retailers in situ at the shopping centre . Unfulfilled dream: The mall was dreamt up by local instant noodle billionaire Alex Hu Guirong . The shoppers never came: Eight years after it was launched, the retail centre is still empty . VIDEO: Look around the eerie New South China Mall . | New South China Mall twice as large as the biggest in US, Mall of America .
Shopping centre's poor location with bad transport links blamed for failure . |
fd0881f361137d2720bb7d95fddf0a21b79f1444 | By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . If you've ever queued for a public toilet at a festival or event, you'll know how difficult it is to find the cleanest option, quickly. With that in mind, a mathematician has devised a system of determining how many toilets must be rejected automatically to guarantee the best possible option. When faced with a row of 100, her conclusion is that the first 37 should be avoided, and then each should be opened in order to make the correct choice. Scroll down for videos . What's the best way to pick a public toilet at a festival or event? According to Dr Ria Symonds. for YouTube channel Numberphile. she claims that out of 100 toilets, people should discard the first 37 and then pick the next best toilet based on the 37 they've already observed, to get the cleanest experience . In the video, Dr Symonds draws three toilets on a piece of paper, and numbers them one to three - one being the most hygienic, and three being the dirtiest. The order of these doors is then randomly mixed up. There are six permutations of this problem, making it three factorial. The chances of the first toilet being clean is slim, especially at large numbers so Dr Symnods suggests rejecting the first toilet in each permutation, and selecting the next best. Using the first permutation, Dr Symonds can't pick the first, but the second isn't as clean as the first, so that leaves the third as her only option. She then continues to go through the system in the other five permutations, and by rejecting the first each time, picks the cleanest toilet on three occasions. This results in a three out of six, or 50 per cent, chance, of picking the best toilet overall. When this number raises to 100, she applies the same principle and discovers that the best way to get the cleanest possible toilet is to reject the first 37. This particular mathematical problem is similar to the ‘secretary problem’. This famous conundrum asks how, out of 100 candidates, an interviewer would pick the best person for a job. The same principle can also be used to select the best toilet at a festival, apparently. ‘If you ever go to a music festival, especially a music festival in the UK, you might come across the problem that there’s always lots of toilets for you to choose from,’ said Dr Ria Symonds from the University of Nottingham in the video for YouTube channel Numberphile. She explains that 'the problem with these toilets is they’re not always that well looked after.’ So, in this particular problem, there can be considered three types of toilet: one that is deemed disgusting, one that is adequate, and one that it spotless. ‘Ideally I’m looking for the best toilet, the most hygienic, the cleanest toilet, one with plenty of toilet paper in there and hand sanitiser and has been looked after,' she said. When searching for the best toilet she imagines a row of many, in this case 100, and in the problem a festival-goer works through the toilets one-by-one. But the second constraint is that you can’t go back to a previous rejected toilet as ‘there are people queieing behind you.' After some painstaking maths, which you can watch in the videos below, Dr Symonds ultimately comes to her conclusion. Glastonbury is famed for its rather unsanitary toilets. Here festival-goers are seen using the newly installed long drop toilets in the rain at the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset on 26 June 2014. Perhaps with this new mathematical method, though, people won't need to seek these new toilets out . ‘If we were in Glastonbury and there were 100 toilets, what we should do is reject the first 37 toilets that we see,’ explained Dr Symonds. She clarified that you need to look in each of those toilets. After that, you should then pick the next best toilet that you see as compared to the previous 37, which will get you the optimum standard of toilet. This will prevent you from running out of toilets before finding one suitable, but it also makes sure you will find the best available toilet as quickly as possible. And after the 37th toilet, you then also have a 37 per cent chance that a toilet you pick is actually the best category of toilet (lots of toilet paper and soap) in the remaining 67 per cent. This method was also famously suggested to be used in the dating world to find the best partner - although perhaps lining up 100 men or women as prospective partners wouldn't go down so well. If you’re in the mood for more mathematical brain teasers you might also enjoy the famous Monty Hall problem, a paradox named after the host of the American TV game show Let’s Make a Deal. In the problem a contestant is presented with three doors: behind two is a goat and one has a new car - the latter of which they obviously want to win (contestants who would rather win one of the two goats are not considered here). The contestant is then asked to pick one of the three doors but, before they are allowed to open it, the gameshow host (who knows the location of the car) opens one of the other doors, revealing a goat. The contestant is then given the choice to switch. Should they switch, or should they stick with their door? Does it even matter? It’s intuitive to think that it doesn’t matter as, with two doors, there is a 50:50 chance the contestant will pick the car. But a bit of maths shows that switching is actually much more successful. In fact, the car will be chosen 2/3 times if the contestant switches, compared to just 1/3 if they don’t. The reason is explained in the image below. In each it is assumed the contestant chooses door 1 each time, although it doesn’t matter which they actually pick - this is just an example. As can be seen, when they make their initial selection they have just a 1/3 chance of being correct. But after the host has revealed a goat, switching then gives them a 2/3 chance of getting the car. | Nottingham professor reveals how to pick the best toilet at a festival .
In a video for Numberphile she explains how to choose out of 100 .
The rather complex solution is based on the famous 'secretary problem'
She claims the first 37 toilets in a row of 100 should be rejected .
Toilets should then be compared to find the best option relative .
This gives the mathematical best chance of finding the cleanest toilet . |
fd08c290e643100e0731d6766ea73a4f7bb002f1 | (CNN) -- As McDonald's opens its first restaurant in Vietnam, take a look at some of the big breakthroughs the fast food chain has made in the past -- from its first outlet in the Soviet Union, through the Kosher Mac and MacMaharaja, to the branch at Guantanamo Bay. Russia . It took McDonald's 14 years of intense negotiations to convince the Communist leaders of the Soviet Union to allow the chain to set up their first restaurant. Yet almost as soon as the Iron Curtain began to fall, the first McDonald's opened in Moscow's busy Pushkin Square -- on January 31, 1990. The restaurant seated 700 diners and its opening attracted thousands of people, who queued for hours to spend the equivalent of weeks' salaries on a single burger. The company says the Moscow branch is still the largest McDonald's in the world. Israel . McDonald's operates around 180 branches in Israel, of which over 50 are kosher, meaning they only serve food that meets strict dietary requirements. Unlike the non-kosher restaurants, these branches stay closed on Saturdays to observe the Shabbat and boast a unique logo with the golden arches sitting on a blue, rather than red background. McDonald's restaurants around the world cater to local demands by including their own versions of regional specialties on the menu: in Israel, that's the "MacKebab." Guantanamo Bay U.S. Navy base . The McDonald's within the compound at Guantanamo Bay naval base is the only branch of the fast food chain on the island of Cuba. The restaurant is only accessible to the base's personnel and the chain says it has no plans to open any other branches in Cuba. Bosnia and Herzegovina . McDonald's spent more than four years trying to break into the Bosnian market, but opposition from local shop owners, supported by the government, was fierce. The chain finally opened its first branch in the country in 2011. McDonald's Arabia . McDonald's has managed to succeed in many Middle Eastern countries, offering various culturally- and religiously appropriate specialties to its Muslim customers. The company's first venture into the Arab world was Morocco, where it opened its first branch in Casablanca in 1992. Most branches respect Ramadan, restricting service in fasting periods during the holy month, and offering special menus at night. Certified halal-quality food is widely available, and the restaurant tries to reflect the local tastes by offering the MacArabia Chicken Sandwich, served in folded Arabic bread. In Saudi Arabia, the chain adheres to local laws by segregating male and female diners -- much to the disapproval of international women's rights organizations. India . The global hamburger chain is a big success in India, where it operates 300 branches. McDonald's offers special meals to please the palates of local customers; it does not serve any beef or pork-based burgers, reflecting the religious beliefs of many Indians. Instead, it offers the Chicken MacMaharaja and the McAloo Tikki -- a vegetarian-friendly blend of spicy potatoes and peas. Iraq . OK, it's not really the real deal, but McDonald's could still claim it as a win -- of sorts... As on other U.S. military bases around the world, McDonald's food used to be available within Baghdad's Green Zone. And while the chain is not planning to expand into the country, a successful knock-off fast food restaurant "MaDonald's" in the town of Sulaymaniyah has been popular with locals since it opened there in the 1990s. Read more: Man builds $141.33 'McEverything' dream sandwich . | Vietnam's first McDonald's restaurant opened this weekend .
More than 70 years after it was founded, McDonald's operates in more than 100 countries .
But not all of its branches are without controversy: Take a look at some of them . |
fd08c809f11d619fad738efccf5f1360f5121445 | By . Valerie Elliott . PUBLISHED: . 16:18 EST, 6 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:18 EST, 6 April 2013 . A German company is threatening to destroy the view in a picturesque corner of the Cotswolds by building a solar farm. Belectric, one of the world’s biggest solar energy companies, already owns 200 large solar farms around the globe and has set its sights on Britain. The Bavaria-based firm, which has a UK subsidiary in Iver, Buckinghamshire, already has three 30-acre farms in Cornwall and a fourth such installation in Cambridge. Beautiful countryside: Residents in Willersey, Gloucestershire have formed a campaign group to fight against solar development to ruin their views . It has also found plots for a further five in the South and East of England and is exploring other counties. Its planned incursion into the Cotswolds, a symbol of England’s green and pleasant land, has outraged the community. The 25-acre solar farm in the Gloucestershire village of Willersey would provide power to 1,500 homes. But villagers are determined to protect the vista from the nearby Broadway Tower landmark, which they say would be spoiled by the development. A new campaign group, Save Our Cotswold Countryside, has been formed to fight the plan to scar the landscape with 66,000, 9ft-tall, shiny metal panels. Locals fear the solar farm will deter tourists, hit property prices and damage the local economy. Outcry: Cotswold residents are furious that they may have green fields around their villages covered in solar farms . Sarah Bent, a co-founder of the group, who has run a bed-and-breakfast near Willersey for 18 years, said: ‘Millions of people come to the Cotswolds to enjoy the gentle hills and beautiful scenery. Now our green fields could be obliterated.’ Ronan Lynch, who owns the land, believes a solar farm is right for the site. He tried farming but the soil is too poor to grow crops. He declined to discuss potential profits from the deal but income from similar contracts varies from £600 to £1,000 a year per acre. Mr Lynch said: ‘The only people who will see it are trespassers on the land or anyone who uses a footpath at the back of the site. It could power 1,500 homes and that has to be a good thing.’ Belectric is organising a meeting to address the villagers’ concerns. Eyesore: Farmer Adam Twine looking out across a huge bank of solar panels in Watchfield, Oxfordshire . Director Toddington Harper said: ‘We do not believe there will be any visual impact. I am passionate about what we’re doing but the sites have to be well screened and not on prime agricultural land.’ Councillors will make a decision on May 20. The gold rush for solar power started in Britain two years ago when the Government offered financial incentives for firms to invest in renewable energy. According to industry regulator Ofgem, there are 589 large-scale solar farms in Britain. | One of the world’s biggest solar energy companies has its eye on UK .
Plans would involve scarring the Cotswolds with 66,000 metal panels . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.