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fd08e3289a7621977c97e9da26a2fc90b889ad8b | HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNN) -- Rescuers trying to find six miners will begin boring a sixth hole down into Utah's Crandall Canyon mine Friday, and the search will stop if no signs of life are found, the coal mine's co-owner said. Bob Murray, CEO of Murray Energy Corp., says he is hurt by criticism he did not do enough to find the miners. "This is the last hole," Bob Murray, CEO of Murray Energy, said Wednesday evening. "If we don't find anybody alive in that hole, there's nowhere else that anyone ... would know where to drill." Murray said work on the sixth hole, which will go down into the area where the miners were known to be working when the mine collapsed August 6, should be completed by Saturday. However, he expressed little optimism that the effort would be successful, saying it was "totally unlikely" any signs of the miners will be found. Murray also said that he has already filed paperwork with federal regulators to permanently close and seal the Utah mine. "I will never come back to that evil mountain," he said. Earlier Wednesday, a fifth hole drilled down into the mine found just six inches of open space left between the roof and rubble in an 8-foot-high tunnel, said Jack Kuzar, a district manager with the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. Kuzar said the fifth hole would be tested for oxygen, and a camera may be lowered down the shaft, although the small amount of space may limit its usefulness. Cameras lowered into previous holes drilled into the mountain turned up no signs of the miners, and tests showed that oxygen levels in parts of the mine were too low to sustain human life. Watch how the safety record at Murray's mines stacks up » . An effort to send rescuers through the collapsed mine tunnel to attempt an underground rescue was suspended last week, after a new cave-in killed three rescuers and injured six others. A panel of experts brought in to examine the mine after the second collapse determined that it was too unstable to resume the underground rescue. Both the mine owners and federal officials also ruled out trying to find the miners by lowering rescuers in a capsule through a hole drilled down into the mine, saying the dangerous maneuver wasn't justified absent any signs of life. The news was a blow to the family members of the missing miners, who have been holding out hope for a miracle and criticized Murray for not at least trying the rescue capsule. Signs reading "Bring them home" and "Bob Murray keep your promise" were posted overnight at the rescuers' command post. Kuzar said he met with the miners' families Wednesday, "and they're holding up very well." "They're very strong people," he said. Earlier Wednesday, in an interview with CNN, Murray said plans were under way to establish a memorial for the missing miners at the site after the mine is closed. "We're already discussing how we might go about to honor the trapped miners and make this a site for perpetuity," he said. Friends and family have identified the six missing miners as Luis Hernandez, Manuel Sanchez, Kerry Allred, Carlos Payan, Brandon Phillips and Don Erickson. E-mail to a friend . | A sixth and final bore hole will be drilled starting Friday .
Mine co-owner Bob Murray discussing how to honor miners "for perpetuity"
Wednesday rescuers completed boring a fifth hole in the mine . |
fd0912eab608403c7f799bb69366ba3d5ce1e21c | By . Rachel Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 29 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:47 EST, 30 May 2013 . Whether listening to the blues or pop, the human brain is wired to make the same music-colour connections wherever we come from, according to a new study. Experts discovered that the colour a person associated with a melody depends on how it makes them feel and not the culture they came from. This . suggests that humans share a common emotional palette when it comes to . music and colour that appears to be intuitive and can cross cultural . barriers. Singing (and seeing) the blues: Research carried out by UC Berkeley found that regardless of where you are born, the same colours are associated with the same melodies . In the study, Mozart's uplifting Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major was most associated with bright yellow and orange, whereas his dour Requiem in D minor was more likely to be linked to dark, bluish grey. Moreover, people in both the United States and Mexico linked the same pieces of classical orchestral music with the same colours. 'The results were remarkably strong and consistent across individuals and cultures and clearly pointed to the powerful role that emotions play in how the human brain maps from hearing music to seeing colors,' said Professor Stephen Palmer, lead author of a paper, University of California, Berkeley. Using a 37-colour palette, the study found that people tend to pair faster-paced music in a major key with lighter, more vivid, yellow colors, whereas slower-paced music in a minor key is more likely to be teamed up with darker, greyer, bluer colors. Scientists hope that the findings will shed light on synesthesia, a condition that links specific colours with places and even numbers . 'Surprisingly, we can predict with 95 percent accuracy how happy or sad the colours people pick will be based on how happy or sad the music is that they are listening to,' said Professor Palmer. The findings may have implications for creative therapies, advertising and even music player gadgetry. For example, they could be used to create more emotionally engaging electronic music visualisers, computer software that generates animated imagery synchronized to the music being played. Currently the colours and patterns appear to be randomly generated and do not take emotion into account, researchers said. They may also provide insight into synesthesia, a neurological condition in which the stimulation of one perceptual pathway, such as hearing music, leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a different perceptual pathway, such as seeing colors. Synesthesia is a condition in which one sense is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses such as sight. Another form of synesthesia joins objects such as letters, shapes, numbers or people's names with a sensory perception such as smell, colour or flavour. Around 4% of people are thought to have the condition which is eight times more common in women. Most synesthesists tend to be left-handed . There are no dangerous side-effects to the having the condition . Famous synesthesists include Marilyn Monroe, Mary J Blige as well as the artists Kandinsky and Hockney. An example of sound-to-color synesthesia was portrayed in the 2009 movie The Soloist when cellist Nathaniel Ayers experiences a mesmerizing interplay of swirling colors while listening to the Los Angeles symphony. Artists such as Wassily Kandinksky and Paul Klee may have used music-to-color synesthesia in their creative endeavours. Around 100 men and women participated in the study, of which half resided in the San Francisco Bay Area and the other half in Guadalajara, Mexico. In three experiments, they listened to 18 classical music pieces by composers Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johannes Brahms that varied in tempo and in major versus minor keys. In the first experiment, participants were asked to pick five of the 37 colors that best matched the music to which they were listening. The palette consisted of vivid, light, medium, and dark shades of red, orange, yellow, green, yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue, and purple. Participants consistently picked bright, vivid, warm colors to go with upbeat music and dark, dull, cool colors to match the more tearful or somber pieces. Separately, they rated each piece of music on a scale of happy to sad, strong to weak, lively to dreary and angry to calm. Two . subsequent experiments studying music-to-face and face-to-color . associations supported the researchers' hypothesis that 'common emotions . are responsible for music-to-color associations'. Study participants listened to 18 classical music by composers Bach, Mozart and Brahms that varied in tempo and in major versus minor keys. They were then asked to associated certain colours with the pieces . For example, the same pattern occurred when participants chose the facial expressions that 'went best' with the music selections. Upbeat music in major keys was consistently paired with happy-looking faces while subdued music in minor keys was paired with sad-looking faces. Similarly, happy faces were paired with yellow and other bright colours and angry faces with dark red hues. Next, Professor Palmer and his research team plan to study participants in Turkey where traditional music employs a wider range of scales than just major and minor. 'We know that in Mexico and the U.S. the responses are very similar," he said. 'But we don't yet know about China or Turkey.' | Study by UC Berkeley found that people associate uplifting music with yellow and orange hues and sober melodies with greyish blue .
Experts hope that study will shed light on synesthesia, a condition that causes people to associate places, letters and number with colour .
May also have implications for advertising, creative therapies, advertising and even music player gadgetry . |
fd091455b9ed6ec71dc4eabf4b59ffb5650ea2fc | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:13 EST, 21 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:45 EST, 21 November 2012 . 'A sham': Accountant Marian Herron, 59, is claiming unfair dismissal from from Land Securities . An accountant was forced out of her job at a major corporation because of her foreign accent, a tribunal heard today. Model employee Marian Herron, 59, claims she was sacked in a 'sham redundancy process' the day before Land Securities announced a £378.9m profit. Ms Herron, 59, worked as a £40,000-a-year service charge administrator for the FTSE100 firm, which deals in commercial property. Originally from Singapore, she claims bosses singled her out because of her foreign accent coupled with the fact she was nearing retirement age. Ms Herron, who calculated service charges for tenants in the department, lost her job in the reshuffle and was made redundant last November despite good performance and never taking a day off sick. The London Central Employment Tribunal heard a temporary worker in Ms Herron’s department, who was much younger, was offered a permanent job the week before. Land Securities’ portfolio includes some of UK’s largest shopping centres. The tribunal heard Ms Herron had been working at the firm’s head office in the Strand. Judges were told the firm ‘restructured’ the department Ms Herron worked in last summer, cutting staff numbers from 22 to 12. Land Securities, a FTSE100 firm, is the company behind some of London's biggest building projects such as this 630ft high Walkie Talkie Tower in Fenchurch Street, London, set for completion in 2014 . Office: Ms Herron worked as a £40,000-a-year service charge administrator at Land Securities' headquarters based on The Strand in London (pictured) Senior manager Amy Hayward admitted the redundancy process was a 'sham' but denied discrimination on the grounds of race or age. Ms Hayward drew up a job description for the role of 'property accountant' but admitted there was ‘no real distinction’ between that role and Ms Herron's old job. At the tribunal: Land Securities Senior Manager Amy Hayward denies the redundancy process was rigged . ‘It was two ways of saying exactly the same thing,’ she said. She admitted that past performance of workers were not considered when they were forced to re-apply for their jobs. Michael Tanney, representing Ms Herron, asked: ‘Doesn’t it defy logic to rule out the fact that the employee was a much sought out adviser to senior colleagues?’ Ms Hayward replied: ‘Yes it does defy logic, when you put it like that.’ The tribunal also heard that the department made another temporary employee, much younger than Ms Herron, permanent just days before the redundancy process started. That worker kept her job at the firm after the shake-up despite her lack of experience. Ms Hayward denied the process was rigged and that Ms Herron was made redundant unfairly because of her age and accented English. Many of the staff involved in implementing the redundancy process have since lost their jobs, the tribunal heard. Ms Herron is claiming for unfair dismissal, race discrimination and age discrimination. The hearing continues. | Marian Herron, 59, claims she was let go by Land Securities because of her foreign accent and age .
The FTSE100 firm's portfolio includes some of UK’s largest shopping centres .
The experienced service charge administrator lost her job in a reshuffle which saw her department cut from 22 employees to 12 .
Herron is claiming for unfair dismissal, race discrimination and age discrimination at a London Central Employment Tribunal . |
fd0934465be4a4f60385a1a04cdc981e57e94ab6 | (CNN) -- In a matter of days, my phone will start talking back. Given that I already have what you might call a "co-dependent" relationship with my gadgets, this development is perhaps the next natural step. Yet I know that phones are phones, and people are people, and the two must never be confused. The iPhone 4S, which will make my old iPhone 4 obsolete when it launches this Friday, features the ability to hold voice conversations with its owner. The feature, named Siri Personal Assistant, means that your iPhone will respond to your voice commands -- ask it to find a nice restaurant, check your schedule or send a text message for you. You'll receive a courteous reply. What's more, your new iPhone not only speaks but also has a gender: Siri has a female voice. Ask Siri, "Do I need a raincoat today?" and she'll look up the weather for you, replying helpfully, "It sure looks like rain today." She's so generous, in fact, that she'll help you out before you even ask. Passively say, "I'm in the mood for sushi," and Siri comes to your aid: "I've found a number of sushi restaurants," she'll proclaim, adding in her characteristically specific fashion: "22 of them are fairly close to you." She's pretty much an expert on food, to be honest. Italian restaurants? Indian cuisine? Offer her dinner in any city, and she'll know the best places to go. She knows all your friends, of course, and remembers all their phone numbers. She knows all your favorite songs and offers to wake you up in the morning. She's adorably helpful like that. She has an amazing memory, too. Tell her about any upcoming event, and she'll remind you nearer to the time it's scheduled. That kind of dependability is hard to find these days. Not to mention, she's quite the philosopher. Her thoughts on the eternal question, "What is the meaning of life?" show her softer side: "Try and be nice to people. Avoid eating fat." She's keenly intelligent, too, adding as an afterthought, "Read a good book every now and then." Did I mention she's great at directions? Go anywhere in the United States and ask her how to get home: She'll know. (Swoon!) And that's what's great about this new era of voice-enabled technology: We can converse with our phones, newly equipped with intonation and intuition, without ever forming a dependence on them. We can accept that their creators have imbued them with a dose of personality without ever thinking that they're actually people. We can converse more with our devices than we do with our spouses and yet never let our digital dialogues impinge on our human ones. This is a very bright future, and I'm sure these new advances will have no negative consequences at all. Siri assured me of it -- and she's right about everything. | The iPhone 4s features the ability to hold voice conversations with its owner .
The feature, called Siri Personal Assistant, lets new iPhone respond to voice commands .
Tell her about any upcoming event and she'll remind you nearer the time .
Mashable's Pete Cashmore says this feature could be revolutionary . |
fd09e13dbf3f095bac19bfb157481bf634d644cf | A global pandemic is one of the most serious threats to the future of the human race and now scientists have made a video showing how a deadly virus could spread from London’s busy Heathrow airport. German researchers have developed a breakthrough system for predicting how rapidly an outbreak might spread and where. While in times past diseases typically . spread within local areas, modern pandemics cross borders rapidly via . the complex network of global flight patterns and busy aviation hubs and can spread across the world in a matter of weeks. Scroll down for video . This map and diagram - a still from the beginning of the video - shows a simulated global epidemic that spreads on the worldwide air-transportation network with an initial outbreak location in London. It establishes outbreaks in cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Greenland in the first instance . They are part of a new model for predicting the arrival times of the next global pandemic in different parts of the world. The models rely on the concept of ‘effective distance,’ and the belief that contagion now travels much more quickly and effectively between busy airports in different countries than between cities and more rural areas in the same country. The maps show various routes travelling from a given airport which is the source of the contagion (in this case London Heathrow). Circular diagrams show the radial distance from the disease source and the expected spreading path a contagion phenomenon will take - including other airports that might become gateways for the disease. By using data from the 2003 SARS outbreak and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, theoretical physicist Dirk Brockmann and his colleagues from Humboldt University, Berlin, have devised a new model for predicting the arrival times of the next global pandemic in different parts of the world. The model relies on the concept of ‘effective distance,’ and the belief that contagion now travels much more quickly and effectively between busy airports in different countries than between cities and more rural areas in the same country. Here, the disease has spread to cities in Europe, Africa, the East Coast of the U.S. and even Asia. The diagram below the map shows the radial distance from London Heathrow and the expected spreading path a contagion phenomenon will take . Members of Hong Kong's Health Department wear protective suits during an exercise held at the airport to simulate a scenario in which a highly contagious disease such as SARS is suspected to have infected a passenger on board a flight . He wrote: ‘For example more people travel each day between London and New York than for example, London and some small town in the UK. ‘So would it not make sense to think of London and New York as being close neighbours and London and a small town in the UK be far apart?’ The model itself does not predict how long a virus would take to spread from A to B. Professor . Brockman told MailOnlne: 'Only relative time is important and the . message of the video is that the pattern has a circular shape when we . look at the disease spread with our new method. He . said scientists need specific information about a given disease to work . out how long it would take to spread to certain places and populations. The video shows how the virus swiftly spreads from Heathrow to European cities, Greenland and the north coast of Africa, before reaching the east coast of the U.S. and India. As Europe is engulfed by the fictional contagion, it continues to spread to the west coast of the U.S. Thailand and Russia and then to South Africa, India and Asia before it hits Australia and New Zealand. 'The air transportation network is used as a proxy for the probability that infections get carried from one place to the next,' Professor Brockmann said. While it is impossible to accurately calculate the spread of a contagion, figures from the Department of Health suggest it takes as little as two to four weeks for a virus to reach different countries from its origins. However, as 1,288 flights depart from London Heathrow to 80 countries every day and an average of 191,200 people arrive and depart from the airport every day, it is easy to imagine that the spread could be more rapid. The pattern of the outbreak quickly becomes very complex, according to the scientists, but here it is easy to see how the fictional outbreak has taken hold of Europe and parts of South Africa and the East Coast of the U.S. Once in a country such as the UK, a virus is likely to spread to all densely populated areas within one to two weeks and peak 50 days after its initial entry, experts said. ‘In the modern world that’s so connected, old school, conventional geographic distance is not so meaningful anymore,’ Professor Brockmann told Fast Company. He and his colleagues have spent the past decade testing how ‘effective distance’ might work by building theoretical pandemics and models that predict their theoretical spread. Three-years-worth of airline data was analysed to see how these distances interact with the aim of developing a universal equation that would account for the arrival times of any disease across the globe. The simulations show how difficult it would be to contain or quarantine an outbreak in a global city. Although now that researchers understand how the underlying process works, it could be used to help cut off critical links in transmission. Masks and hand sanitiser were recommended during the bird flu outbreak . As the outbreak begins to subside in Europe, it continues to spread rapidly across the U.S. and in more cities in Asia . Professor Brockmann and his co-author Dirk Hebling published a paper in Science today, which shows that the jumbled, erratic spread of disease can be reduced to simple, constant wave patterns, riding on effective distances, rather than geographic ones, through a ‘global mobility network.’ When Professor Brockmann plotted the SARS and H1N1 epidemics’ actual arrival times in different cities against their effective distances, he found strong positive correlations. ‘So we don’t need to know anything about the disease,’ Professor Brockmann explained. ‘If you throw a rock into the water, you’ll see a concentric wave. If you throw a big rock into the water, you will also see a concentric wave. 'If you throw a rock into honey, or some different liquid, you will see a wave that is propagating slower, but it will still be a concentric wave,’ he said. Regardless of the transmission method, Professor Brockmann argues that his global mobility network represents the wave pattern, while the rock and the liquid show the launch and spread of the disease. Now the outbreak appears to have completely disappeared from Europe but it has spread to Australia and New Zealand as well as throughout Asia and down the west coast of South America . Using the global mobility network, we can see how a disease launched in one city might spread to the rest of the world. Professor Brockmann developed visualisations of this phenomenon in Mexico City, Chicago and London. Unfortunately, they also show how difficult it would be to contain or quarantine an outbreak in a global city. Although now that researchers understand how the underlying process works, it could be used to help cut off critical links in transmission. The Department of Health said that when flu epidemics occur, many millions of people around the world can become ill,and a proportion will die from the disease itself or from complications such as pneumonia. It believes half the UK could develop an illness from a pandemic and there could be 50,000 and 750,000 additional deaths that would not have occurred over the same period. Professor Bockman told MailOnline: 'I think that emergent infectious diseases are something that we should take very seriously, as researchers and public health authorities do.' Here, the virus is on its last legs, but the video shows how difficult it would be to contain or quarantine an outbreak in a global city . | German researchers have developed a breakthrough system for predicting how rapidly an outbreak might spread and where .
Theoretical physicists from Humboldt University, Berlin used data from the 2003 SARS outbreak and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic .
They believe contagion travels more quickly between busy airports in different countries than .
between cities in the same country . |
fd0a0984f9866059a1d05cbf1df678bc6163233e | A Swedish couple were mistaken for Islamic State supporters when passers by mistook the birthday balloons in the window saying '21' as 'IS' - an abbreviation for the terrorist group. They were in the window for Sarah Ericsson's birthday party held at her boyfriend's house last weekend according to Kvalls Posten, who reported the police came knocking on Monday. Someone then saw the balloons from outside Fabian Akesson's home in Karlskrona and reported it as Islamic State propaganda. Birthday surprise: Swedish couple Sarah Ericsson and Fabian Akesson were suspected of being Islamic State supporters when passers-by mistook the birthday balloons saying '21' in the window for 'IS' He was brushing his teeth when he noticed several police cars parked outside the house before there was knock on the door minutes later. Mr Akesson added: 'I laughed about it and even showed them a picture that we took. And from that perspective, it looked almost like the letters 'IS'.' Despite the huge misunderstanding, the couple were still asked to take down the balloons to avoid further attention being drawn to their house. Birthday girl Sara - who studies Spatial Planning at the Blekinge Institute of Technology - told the Local: 'It was a little strange.' 'We understand why someone would report it if they thought it looked like IS-propaganda, although everyone else just thought it looked like the number '12' from outside,' She was in class on Monday when the authorities paid a visit to her boyfriend's house, in what was a very unusual call-out for police in the area. Misunderstanding:Sarah Ericsson (pictured with Fabian Akesson) said she found the whole thing 'strange' Officer Kurt Erik Gunnarsson said: 'I've never heard of such a thing before. It was new. The patrol got there and found out that someone had celebrated their 21st birthday.' 'Extremism should always be taken seriously, and we did take the balloons down immediately,' Sarah Ericsson told the Local. 'I'm so surprised at all the attention. I will never forget my 21st birthday!' | Sarah Ericsson had 21st birthday party at boyfriend's house last weekend .
Passers-by thought they said 'IS' - an abbreviation for Islamic State group .
The police paid a visit to her boyfriend's house in Karlskrona on Monday .
Despite the misunderstanding, couple were asked to remove them anyway . |
fd0a48146aad2b274b07916acb241100762ae71f | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 08:18 EST, 13 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:18 EST, 13 October 2013 . Morale in the Armed Forces has plummeted in the last three years as jobs losses and pay cuts take their toll. New figures show the number of soldiers in the British Army reporting low morale has doubled since 2010 to 30 per cent. Ministers admitted deep cuts to the Defence budget and restructuring was having an ‘inevitable’ impact on the mood among troops. Uncertainty: Jobs losses and restructuring forced by spending cuts have had the sharpest impact on morale in the Army . The coalition's dramatic reductions in the size of the regular Army, ordering several rounds of redundancies to cut troop numbers from 102,000 to just 82,000. At the same time there are plans to increase the size of the reserves from 15,000 to 30,000. But the combination of pay freezes and job insecurity is having a devastating impact on those who remain. New figures released to Parliament show 30 per cent of soldiers in the Army now have ‘low’ morale, up from 15 per cent in 2010. At the same time the number reporting high morale has fallen from 59 per cent to just 40 per cent. Inevitable: Defence minister Anna Soubry said cuts were bound to impact on morale . Kevan Jones, Labour's shadow defence minister, said: 'With the compulsory redundancies and uncertainty about future numbers, these statistics are hardly surprising. 'The way in which this government are treating servicemen and women and their families is shocking and is counter to all the promises they made at the last election about bigger armies and looking after members of our Armed Forces.' Morale appears to have been least affected in the Royal Navy, with low levels reported by 28 per cent, up just three points since 2010. Among Royal Marines, low morale is now reported by one in four, up from one in five three years ago. Some 46 per cent of Marines said their morale was ‘high’ – the highest level of any of the forces. In the RAF 29 per cent said morale was ‘low’ and 38 per cent said ‘high’. The figures, released in Parliament to Labour MP Gemma Doyle, were drawn from the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey. Defence minister Anna Soubry admitted spending cuts were to blame for the slump in spirits among the armed forces. ‘The recommendations of the Strategic Defence and Security Review have necessitated a series of difficult decisions, including reshaping our armed forces as we move towards “'Future Force 2020”,’ she said. ‘While issues such as headcount reductions and pay restraint have inevitably had an impact on morale, I continue to be impressed by the absolute dedication of our military personnel.’ The results of the survey are used by the Ministry of Defence to overhaul terms and conditions of service. Criticism: With emotions running high, retired Colonel Ian Brazier (left) and Captain Joe Eastwood heckled Britain's Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond as he spoke to the Conservative party conference last week . Miss Soubry added: ‘It is a key function of the chain of command to know their people, including levels of morale and performance. ‘Each of the services has mechanisms in place to ensure that issues are identified and acted upon.’ Cuts to the forces have raised emotions among serving personnel and veterans. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond was heckled by a retired officer during his Tory conference last week. Colonel Ian Brazier accused Mr Hammond of betraying members of the Royal Fusiliers by cutting the regiment back. But Mr Hammond insisted the cuts were ordered by Army chiefs and not ministers. | 30% of soldiers now report having low morale, up from 15% in 2010 .
Ministers admit cuts and restructuring is having 'inevitable' impact .
Labour accuses the Government of breaking promises to the Armed Forces . |
fd0a979f57a480bff585566ccb01097a21ab79eb | Civil rights pioneer Ruby Bridges says America today looks a lot like the world she helped break apart 54 years ago: A nation with segregated schools and racial tension. 'You almost feel like you're back in the '60s,' said Bridges, who is now 60 years old. 'The conversation across the country, and it doesn't leave out New Orleans, is that schools are reverting back' to being segregated along racial lines, she said. 'We all know that there are schools being segregated again.' On Nov. 14, 1960, Bridges — then six years old — became the first black student to attend a previously all-white elementary school in New Orleans. U.S. Deputy Marshals seen escorting the then six-year-old Ruby Bridges from William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in November 1960 . On Friday — 54 years later to the day when she first walked up the steps to William Frantz Elementary School — she commemorates that event with the unveiling of a statue in her likeness at her old school. Also, she is reuniting with the white teacher who taught her and with the sole-surviving U.S. marshal who walked her to school. Her mother, who was adamant about sending her daughter to the all-white school, will be at the reunion too. Bridges said racism remains painfully real today. She pointed to the tense events in Ferguson, Missouri, after a police officer shot and killed an unarmed black man, revelations about racist comments made by owners in the National Basketball Association and how so many American schools have failed to become racially mixed. Back in 1960, Bridges, flanked by U.S. marshals, had to walk past a mob of jeering segregationist protesters and Confederate flags to enter her school. One woman shouted threats to poison her. Another woman showed up at protests with a coffin with a black baby doll in it. All the white students at the school were pulled from classes and teachers quit — leaving Bridges as the school's only student. Bridges said racism was a problem before President Barack Obama's election but that his presidency has fueled racism. Ruby Bridges (pictured today) who integrated Louisiana schools in 1960 under escort from U.S. Marshals, meets with Charles Burks, who was one of those marshals, at the Indianapolis Children's Museum . 'Race is a very hot topic right now,' she said. She looks at her own experiences as evidence of a new segregation. For example, white students returned to William Frantz and the school became integrated, she said. She added that she went to integrated middle and high schools in New Orleans. Fast forward to today: The school now occupying the William Frantz building is 97 percent black, according to school data. In New Orleans, after integration, whites generally sent their children to private or parochial schools — and that preference continues today. Blacks today make up 86 percent of the public school enrolment, according to 2013 data from the Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives at Tulane University. She called demographic shifts since Hurricane Katrina — whites now make up a higher percentage of the city than before the 2005 flooding of the city — as evidence of gentrification rather than integration of schools and neighborhoods. She wondered why lawmakers and school officials can't do more to make schools more racially mixed. 'How did we integrate schools back in the 1960s? If those people did it back then, I can't understand why we can't do it today for the betterment of a community or for a society.' She said the key to a more integrated society lies with children. 'Kids really don't care about what their friends look like. Kids come into the world with clean hearts, fresh starts,' she said. 'If we are going to get through our differences, it's going to come through them.' Since the mid-1990s, Bridges has become a speaker at schools across the nation, telling her story and talking out against bullying. | Ruby Bridges first attended an all-white elementary school in New Orleans 54 years ago today .
In New Orleans, after integration, whites generally sent their children to private or parochial schools - which still happens today .
Blacks today make up 86 percent of the public school enrollment . |
fd0abdbc04070f7fda1fa7d05f4a4cbffbad579d | By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 09:26 EST, 17 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:18 EST, 18 October 2012 . A heavily pregnant cat was found in agony and looking like a ‘walking fossil’ after she was cruelly dropped in a vat of hot tar. The black and white feline, named Lilly, was just two weeks away from giving birth when she was thrown in the tar which burned her skin and solidified on her fur, severely restricting her movements. It took groomers three hours to remove the tar with a special heavy duty cleaner after she was spotted by a concerned member of the public hobbling along a street in Nazeing, Essex. Cruelly thrown in: Lilly, a moggy who is heavily pregnant, was dropped into a vat of hot tar before she was spotted hobbling along a street . The tar had burnt large sections of her skin and caused clumps of fur to drop off her body. It had also collected on her legs making her paws appear they were double their normal size. Her entire belly and legs were caked in tar which had also collected dozens of leaves, twigs and debris. The cat was taken to animal groomers Mister Groom in Harlow, were staff used Swarfega cleaner to remove the tar. Amazingly Lilly has made a full recovery, been returned to her owners, who did not wish to be named. It is hoped she will still have a healthy litter of kittens. Heavy duty cleaner: Groomers spent three hours removing the tar which had solidified on her skin causing clumps of fur to drop off her body. Her paws appeared double in size because tar had collected on her legs . Linda Forsyth, who runs Mister Groom, said it was the ‘worst thing she had ever seen done to an animal’. She said: ‘Whoever did this to the poor thing deserves to have it done to them. I can’t understand how anyone could be so cruel. ‘I could not believe the state of the poor thing when it was brought into us. ‘The tar had solidified on its body and it could barely move, it was just meowing in pain and distress. ‘We have been in business for 30 years and I have never seen anything like it.’ Expert Groomer Catherine Tranter was one of the workers who spent hours arduously cleaning the poor creature. She said: ‘It was just so bad. I have never seen anything like it. 'Walking fossil': Lilly was spotted by a concerned member of the public hobbling along a street in Nazeing, Essex (pictured) ‘I suppose she looked a bit like walking fossil. ‘Her paws appeared as though they had doubled in size because they were covered in so much tar. ‘Lilly must have dunked in hot tar as it hard burnt large parts of her skin. She was in so much pain but was as good as gold when we cleaned her up. ‘She could have scratched but she just sat there - she must have been so relieved to get all that muck off. ‘Luckily she is back with her owner and will hopefully have a nice a health litter of kittens.’ In 2011 there was a 23.5 per cent rise in the number of people convicted for animal cruelty and neglect according to RSPCA figures. There was also a 27 per cent rise in prison sentences imposed for animal cruelty by the courts. The UK’s pet population was estimated to be eight million cats and eight million dogs in 2011. | Pregnant cat Lilly was thrown in a vat of hot tar .
Animal groomers spent three hours removing the tar, solidified on her fur .
She has made a full recovery and it is hoped that she will still give birth to a healthy litter of kittens . |
fd0b658fc1349996f5729cc9e3bdc74d200ff53f | (CNN) -- The fate of a 900-pound statue of Joe Paterno remains unclear as the Penn State community debates the former head football coach's legacy in light of a recent report that said several Penn State officials helped empower Jerry Sandusky in sexually abusing minors. A decision will be made in seven to 10 days on whether the bronze tribute will remain on campus, said Penn State spokesman David La Torre. However, one man, the sculptor, hopes Penn State officials do not rush to make a judgment. "As an artist, of course, part of me is in that statue, but I'm willing to go along with the just or fair decision," said Angelo Di Maria, who designed the sculpture of the former coach in 2001. Di Maria hopes officials will wait for emotions to "cool down a bit" before making a final decision. "I say wait and see," he added. "Nothing will diminish what happened. [But] do we throw away all the positive things that [Paterno] did? Do we cross out his name from the history of State College?" Commissioned to design a sculpture honoring Paterno more than a decade ago, Di Maria attended his first football game in Beaver Stadium and, unbeknownst to the coach, took pictures of Paterno on the field. "It was an incredible experience," Di Maria said. "The energy I felt there was incredible." Di Maria designed the iconic sculpture from his experience at that first game. "It was so common for him to run out on the field," Di Maria said. "Finger up in the air — like No. 1 -- State College No. 1, team No. 1." Paterno's statue and legacy, however, have come under fire in the week after the release of the Freeh Report, the scathing investigation led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh. NCAA could bring down heavy sanctions . The report found several Penn State officials concealed evidence that former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky had sexually abused minors. Freeh concluded that Paterno could have prevented further sexual abuse had he taken action. Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 victims. New accusations date back to 1970s . The Freeh report has shaken support for Paterno in the State College community. Paterno was fired after Sandusky was charged. He died earlier this year. A small plane flew around the Penn State campus on Tuesday carrying a banner that read, "Take the Statue Down or We Will." Di Maria, however, believes Paterno's impact on the community should not be forgotten. "Nothing justifies what happened to those kids," Di Maria said. "But are we underestimating his goodness that he shared with so many people while he was living?" "Are [the students] in their own way -- of course, nowhere near what the victims suffered — are they victims in their own sense? I think so," he added. "Do we have to consider those other people? Not just Joe Paterno, but what he stood for?" | Fate of Joe Paterno statue will be determined in 7 to 10 days .
Sculptor Angelo Di Maria says he will let Penn State officials decide what to do .
He says the statue represents not only Joe Paterno, "but what he stood for" |
fd0b7db6f8e4a01643293f0c41e5ffb02b7bd254 | (CNN) -- Each year around September 11, CNN Hero Jeff Parness and his volunteers go to a disaster-stricken community to help them rebuild. The efforts are part of New York Says Thank You, an organization Parness created to honor the support that other cities provided after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The volunteer group continues to grow because many of the people it helps go on to "pay it forward" and participate in the next year's rebuilding project. Since 2004, nearly 10,000 people nationwide have participated in projects organized by Parness. CNN's Kathleen Toner recently spoke with Parness about his group's plans for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, which includes the final restoration of the National 9/11 Flag. Kathleen Toner: Where did your group decide to go for this year's build? Jeff Parness: (In April) we were watching the news and there were tornadoes that came through northwest Georgia. In the middle of this news clip, there's this beautiful older woman in a destroyed barn with all of her animals. This lovely woman, Susan Littlejohn, lived in the barn with 65 animals that she had rescued (and) used as therapeutic companions for disabled children and seniors. ... So we decided (that) we're going to bring about 300 volunteers from around the country and do a "barn raising" in Ellijay, Georgia. Toner: How did it go? Parness: It's hard to compare projects, but in terms of the numbers of people that we got and who turned out from the local community, it was one of most successful events we've ever done. So many local folks came with their families. I think we had close to 2,000 people. We finished about 80 percent of the barn, but the real metric we used to measure success was how many people we drew from the community to teach them about Susan's Build An Ark animal rescue program. ... She's dedicated her life and sacrificed so much for caring for animals and using them as a way to inspire other people and inspire volunteerism. We thought that if she got one more volunteer or one more dollar, it was worth it. That weekend we raised over $15,000 for her, and all kinds of people were volunteering to donate their talents and help with bookkeeping, et cetera. ... At the end of the day, the community of Ellijay realized Susan and her work are very special. Toner: What are your plans for 9/11 this year? Parness: Normally we always do one main building project before 9/11, but for various reasons we did this year's project at the end of July. Now it looks like we've got around 100 people who are going to be gathering in Joplin, Missouri, from September 8 to 11. We're going to be doing two main things. We're painting 3,000 "Stars of Hope." This is a project where kids paint inspirational messages of hope and they're planted in all of the corners of the town that were wiped out when the tornado hit on May 22. There are more than 600 intersections that aren't there anymore. When we leave, they are going to be transformed. Everywhere you look there will be these colorful, inspirational messages. The second thing we're doing is really significant: the National 9/11 Flag is going to finish its tour in Joplin. Toner: What is the National 9/11 Flag? Parness: One of the greatest projects that's come out of New York Says Thank You is we wound up being custodians for what's now known as the National 9/11 Flag, which was one of the largest American flags to survive ground zero. The flag is 20 feet high and 30.5 feet wide. The pieces of the flag (were brought) to Greensburg, Kansas, when we were helping to rebuild there (after a 2007 tornado). While we were out building this 14,000-square-foot 4-H barn, all the ladies in the senior citizens' center stitched the flag back together. And where pieces of the original flag were missing, they sewed in American flags that survived the Greensburg tornado. (It) literally stitched together our two histories, both tragedy and triumph, seven years later. After the initial restoration (see photo at left), the flag looked like a beautiful patchwork quilt. But for the past couple of years, we've taken the flag around the country to all 50 states to let local service heroes stitch it back to its original 13-stripe format using pieces of American flags that were being retired. The idea was to (finish it) for this 10th year anniversary of 9/11. It's going to become part of the permanent collection of the 9/11 Memorial Museum that's being built at the World Trade Center. Toner: You really brought it to all 50 states? Parness: Yep. We had a stitching ceremony in Hawaii on Pearl Harbor Day and had World War II veterans stitch the flag. We brought it to Mount Rushmore. ... There have been so many extraordinary locations and people. We've had 25,000 people so far stitch the flag. Toner: What will you be doing with the flag in Joplin on 9/11? Parness: On the morning of the 11th, the National 9/11 Flag will be displayed in a silent tribute at the exact moment that the north and south towers fell. It will be held by Joplin first responders, local residents and disaster survivors from across the United States. The flag will then serve as the backdrop for a 9/11 Memorial Service. And following that, all of the folks in Joplin will be invited to place the final stitches in the flag using fabric that survived the Joplin tornado. It's about bringing people together and giving them the ability to put a stitch in and connect the stories of all of us. ... The symbolism is going to be super powerful. 9/11 didn't just happen in New York or Washington or Shanksville, Pennsylvania -- it happened in America. There are always going to be tragedies in our country like tornadoes. This says we're all going to be there for each other. Read the full story on CNN Hero Jeff Parness: 'Paying it forward' after 9/11 . | Jeff Parness continues to "pay it forward" through his nonprofit, New York Says Thank You .
The volunteer group helps rebuild communities after a disaster .
It has also become custodians for the National 9/11 Flag, which was damaged at ground zero .
People in all 50 states are helping to stitch the flag back to its original 13-stripe format . |
fd0b8126f21c2ebc00bce71b500e55b6a5f7aef0 | (CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama on Friday called for an economic plan for working families, saying, "We cannot only have a plan for Wall Street. Sen. Barak Obama speaks at a campaign rally in Coral Gables, Florida, Friday. "We must also help Main Street," he said. While "tough new regulations on financial institutions" are needed, the Illinois senator called for an emergency economic plan for working families. Obama spoke after meeting with his economic advisers in Coral Gables, Florida. Watch Obama call for help for Main Street » . Obama on Friday also backed administration and congressional leaders' efforts to develop a "a more stable and permanent solution" to the U.S. financial crisis. Watch Obama talk about how working Americans need help in this economy . Obama's statement came after Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox met with congressional leaders to discuss a plan that would allow banks to get rid of bad mortgage-related assets that have been a drag on their balance sheets. "What we're looking at right now is to provide the Treasury and the Federal Reserve with as broad authority as necessary to stabilize markets and maintain credit," Obama said. "We need a more institutional response to create a system that can manage some of the underlying problems with bad mortgages, help homeowners stay in their homes, protect the retirement and savings of working Americans." After meeting with his economic advisors, Obama said his team would not present a detailed economic plan at this time, "given the gravity of this situation, and based on conversations I have had with both Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke." Obama said he would not present his plan until the Treasury and Federal Reserve have presented theirs. "It is critical at this point that the markets and the public have confidence that their work will be unimpeded by partisan wrangling, and that leaders in both parties work in concert to solve the problem at hand," Obama said. Later, Obama held a rally, at the University of Miami, which was disrupted by protesters who held up signs saying "Blacks against Obama" and "Obama endorsed by the KKK." Obama said the protesters could stay and hold up their signs if they stopped shouting, but they were later escorted out after they continued to disrupt the rally. Obama spoke after Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain said Friday morning that he would establish a new agency to deal with the U.S. financial crisis that many experts say is the worst since the Great Depression. Watch McCain blast Washington corruption » . That agency, a Mortgage and Financial Institutions trust, would work with the private sector and regulators to identify institutions that are weak and fix them before they go broke. "The underlying principle of the MFI or any approach considered by Congress should be to keep people in their homes and safeguard the life savings of all Americans by protecting our financial system and capital markets," McCain told the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce in Wisconsin. McCain said the agency would be an early intervention program to help financial institutions avoid bankruptcy, expensive bailouts and damage to their customers. Obama, at the rally in Florida, lashed out at McCain's plan. "This morning Sen. McCain gave a speech in which his big solution to this worldwide economic crisis was to blame me for it. "This is a guy who spent nearly three decades in Washington and after spending the entire campaign saying I haven't been in Washington long enough ... he apparently now is willing to assign me responsibility for all of Washington's failure," he said. Wall Street witnessed the federal government take unprecedented steps this week to stabilize the economy, including the takeover of the insurance giant American International Group Inc. in exchange for an $85 billion loan from the Federal Reserve. In his speech, McCain blamed the crisis on "the corruption and manipulation of our home mortgage system" and blasted Congress and the administration for not addressing the problems at the two mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which he said "led our housing system down a path where quick profit was placed before sound finance." McCain also blasted his Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, for not working to clean up the "corruption" at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fact Check: Did Obama 'profit' from Fannie and Freddie? "We've heard a lot of words from Sen. Obama over the course of this campaign. But maybe just this once he could spare us the lectures and admit to his own poor judgment in contributing to these problems. The crisis on Wall Street started in the Washington culture of lobbying and influence peddling, and he was square in the middle of it." Although action must be taken to avoid future panics, the Arizona Republican said that ultimately, the economy would have to grow to get through "this tough time for America." McCain touted his economic plan, which includes tax cuts, and again said Obama would increase taxes on Americans who make as little as $42,000. McCain's charge that his opponent would raise taxes on those making $42,000 is misleading, however. The McCain campaign cites Obama's vote for a nonbinding 2008 budget resolution that outlines budget priorities through 2013 and assumed that President Bush's tax cuts would expire in 2011. Fact Check: Does Obama want to raise taxes? The Obama campaign says its economic plan would raise taxes only on those making over $250,000. The economic crisis has given Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, the opportunity to go on the offensive. Most Americans see Obama as more capable than McCain when it comes to the economy, polls indicate. The two campaigns have traded shots all week, most recently over the government takeover of AIG. As the economy has dominated the headlines, Obama has widened his lead over McCain, according to CNN's latest "poll of polls." Obama gains in national polls . | NEW: Sen. Obama says any recover plan must help workers and homeowners .
McCain repeats misleading charge against Obama on taxes .
John McCain calls for agency to help weak financial institutions .
McCain blasts Barack Obama for not working to fix Freddie Mae, Freddie Mac . |
fd0c2a45c8f802a2bbfdd127f246c2510e44c551 | These grisly photographs show how a hospital worker found a live maggot crawling on her Nutri-Grain bar she was about to eat for breakfast. Lisa Seymour, of Cambridge, said she was shocked to find the creature ‘wriggling on top’ of the Kellogg’s cereal bar after opening it at the weekend - seconds before she would have eaten it. The 29-year-old - who was offered just £4 compensation from the company when she complained on Monday - said the experience has put her off Nutri-Grain bars for life. Scroll down for video . Maggott in my cereal bar: Lisa Seymour said she found the creature wriggling around the Nutri-Grain bar . Wriggling: The incident reported by Miss Seymour (left) was at least the second of its kind in two months . Creature: The hospital worker said she was offered £4 compensation from the firm when she complained . Miss Seymour told MailOnline today: ‘It came in an Asda delivery and it was in a multipack, so I'd already eaten two in the packet. Then I went to eat at the weekend for breakfast. ‘You don't really look at it before you eat it - but when I was about to take a bite, I saw the maggot wriggling on top. I felt sick that I’d nearly eaten it, but also that I could have eaten one in the others.’ She added that she immediately contacted Kellogg’s customer services, who were ‘apologetic’ but insisted that the maggot would not have got into the bar during the production process. Miss Seymour was then offered £4 in Kellogg’s vouchers, but added: ‘I don't want to take the vouchers as I don't want to eat Kellogg’s products at the moment. ‘I didn’t feel like my complaint was taken seriously - I’d found maggots in my bar, it wasn't like it was mouldy. I would never eat a Nutri-Grain bar again, and I would be wary of Kellogg’s products.’ It comes two months after project coordinator Nick Todd, 22, from London, said he was 'nearly sick' after finding a live maggot in a Nutri-Grain bar - claiming it put him off Kellogg's products for life. Probe: Kellogg’s said it is asking the customer to return the bar to it so an investigation can be carried out . Looking into it: The company insisted it was taking the complaint about the Nutri-Grain bar 'very seriously' In the box: High temperatures used in the making of the bars mean a maggot could not survive, the firm said . After that incident, Kellogg's pledged to carry out a ‘full and thorough investigation’ into how the maggot was able to get into the food, adding that it took the complaint ‘very seriously’. A spokesman for the firm said at the time that it was 'extremely unlikely' the maggot entered the cereal bar in the factory 'because of the high temperatures involved in the production process'. And a Kellogg's spokesman told MailOnline: ‘Kellogg’s is taking this complaint very seriously. We are asking the consumer to return the bar to us so that a full investigation can be carried out. ‘However, in the last consumer complaint of this nature we dealt with in November, the investigation showed that the high temperatures used in the manufacture of Nutri-Grain bars meant such a specimen could not possibly have survived the production process. ‘Any infestation would have occurred after the bar was produced. Our pest control contractor did not find any issue relating to pest activity, nor were there any other complaints of this type during the production period.’ Miss Seymour, originally from Diss in Norfolk, is a medical laboratory assistant in the microbiology department at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. An Asda spokesman declined to comment. | Lisa Seymour found creature wriggling around Kellogg's cereal bar .
Offered just £4 compensation from company when she complained .
But Kellogg's says it could not have survived heat in manufacturing .
Firm claims any infestation would have happened after bar was made .
Two months ago man from London also found maggot in Nutri-Grain . |
fd0c95873d244400fde37742deabc531143e2dd3 | He may have shelled out £1.4million on a Hollywood Hills mansion. But self-styled revolutionary Russell Brand decided he was the right man to lead a protest against inflated house prices in a fashionable area of London which he frequents. Dressed as a street urchin, the comedian led his first action against Britain's richest MP Richard Benyon and his brother Edward after their family firm bought a housing estate and inflated the rent. Russell Brand led the first stage of his revolution against the family firm owned by MP Richard Benyon and his brother Edward . More than 90 households within The New Era Estate in Hoxton, East London, fear the plan to charge 'market rents' will treble their bills. The star, who is worth £9million, invited people to join him for a day of 'Dickensian fun' to protest against the 'three Scrooges' - Boris Johnson and the Benyon brothers. He was seen attaching a fake eviction notice to a Benyon Estate property and hanging a banner which said 'social housing not social cleansing' to the scaffolding. 'As you know property developers – in partnership with corrupt, inept or lazy politicians – have created a housing crisis for ordinary people all over the world,' he said on his website. Dressed as a street urchin, the comedian put up placards to protest against their family firm inflating the rents at the New Era Estate in Hoxton, East London . The star, who is worth £9million, invited people to join him for a day of 'Dickensian fun' to protest against the 'three Scrooges' - Boris Johnson and the Benyon brothers . 'I bet your rent is soaring; I bet you are finding it hard to pay. It's especially bad in cities, and for this first action we want to focus on London. 'In Hoxton, East London there is a diabolical situation that we need your help with. The New Era estate provided affordable homes for ordinary working families (they ain't that ordinary I hang out with em – some of em are right weirdos). 'Then unfortunately (and I'm partly to blame by moving in and being so cool) Hoxton became 'trendy'. 'That's when the old Etonian Edward Benyon (brother of richest Tory MP in Britain Richard Benyon), along with billion dollar American property firm Westbrook, purchased the property. 'They backtracked on the deal to keep the estate as affordable housing.' At least 100 people turned up to the first stage of his revolution, which had a heavy police presence. The left-wing comedian's new Revolution book has enjoyed monumental sales - earning the star and his publishers a staggering £230,000 in just 11 days. The left-wing comedian's new Revolution book has enjoyed monumental sales - earning the star and his publishers a staggering £230,000 in just 11 days . At least 100 people turned up to the first stage of his revolution, many dressed as street urchins . But the sales figures may further fuel his reputation as 'a champagne socialist' - after he ducked out of left-wing demonstrations in London to head to an exclusive celebrity-packed West End party. Two days before the 'peaceful' protest, he wrote on his website: 'Dress up as a pauper or an urchin – pretty soon you’ll have no choice if they get their way – and support The New Era residents whose demands are simple – to stay in the homes they’ve worked to make their own at the rent that was agreed. 'I’ll be there – I’m either going as Fagin or Elephant Man – I know he wasn’t a Dickens character, he was a real bloke, but he was Victorian and he was exploited.' The tables were turned on Russell Brand earlier this week after Twitter users started using a Blur song to mock him on the internet. Whenever the outspoken 39-year-old posted messages online in recent days his remarks have been met with the response 'Parklife' - the name of one of band's best known hits. This is because Twitter user Dan Barker posted a line from the comedian's book and remarked that his writing 'feels like someone is about to shout "PARKLIFE!" at the end of every sentence'. Berkshire MP Benyon is a director of his family's 300-year-old Englefield Estate, which owns 20,000 acres of land from Hampshire to Scotland. Its portfolio includes the 250-property Benyon Estate in East London which is now a 'minority shareholder' in the flats on the New Era Estate. His brother Edward Benyon confirmed the family was part of the consortium that snapped up the social housing. He protested against property developers who are 'in partnership with corrupt, inept or lazy politicians' | Russell Brand led his first protest today against wealthy MP and his brother .
Invited people to join a day of 'Dickensian fun' against the 'three Scrooges'
Placed eviction notice on property owned by Richard and Edward Benyon .
Estate residents fear their plan to charge 'market rents' will treble their bills .
Self-styled revolutionary is believed to be worth more than £9million . |
fd0d08f84b84659a708b3be627dee33c9bcff0c9 | Attorney General Eric Holder is endorsing a plan to reduce sentences for certain drug offenses, which he says could reduce the federal prison population by more than 6,500 inmates in five years. Making a rare appearance Thursday before the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Holder plans to endorse the commission's proposed change. According to prepared remarks provided by the Justice Department, the change would "make the federal criminal justice system both more effective and more efficient when battling crime and the conditions and behaviors that breed it." Holder says penalties would still be tough for violent criminals while finding ways to reduce the costs of the federal prison system. The move, which the sentencing commission might vote on in April, aligns with Holder's "Smart on Crime" initiative. Joining with conservative lawmakers and governors, Holder has pushed for reduced reliance on prison for certain nonviolent drug offenders. The federal prison system holds 216,000 prisoners. With only 5% of the world's population, Holder notes, the Unites States has nearly 25% of the world's prisoners. "This overreliance on incarceration is not just financially unsustainable -- it comes with human and moral costs that are impossible to calculate," Holder says in prepared remarks. Eased drug sentences: Holder expands defendants' eligibility . Rethinking drug sentences comes too late for some . | Attorney General Eric Holder says plan could reduce federal prison population by thousands .
Holder says penalties would still be tough for violent criminals . |
fd0d414d84985b15453b59d7409803997dc95e90 | An Indian domestic worker was repeatedly raped and beaten by her employers who threatened to murder her if she complained, a court heard. The 39-year-old vulnerable and . illiterate mother-of-four was used as a 'sexual toy' and 'general . dogsbody' by an extended family and their friend who forced her to become their slave for a total of six . years. She was scalded with boiling water, burned with a hot iron, beaten and threatened her throat would be cut and her body buried in a back garden if she didn't do as she was told, a jury were told today. Despite the woman approaching numerous agencies for help, Croydon Crown Court heard how the abuse continued. Employers: A court heard that Aleemuddin Mohammed, 44, and his wife Shamina Yousuf, 42, assaulted the woman and paid her just £24 during the two years and eight months she 'worked as their slave' The court heard how the woman initially went to live with Aleemuddin Mohammed, 44, a supermarket manager, and his wife Shamina Yousuf, 42, after they successfully applied for the woman's . visa. Both are accused of assaulting the woman and paying her just £24 during the two years and eight months she worked for them. The woman was then allegedly forced to moved in with Mohammed's mother, 56-year-old shop worker Shanaz Begum, and her partner, butcher Enkarta Balapovi, 53, who is accused of raping her. After escaping the couple, she was then sent to live with an acquaintance of the family, optician Shashi Obhrai, 53, from Northwood, who is accused of assaulting her. Prosecutor Miss Caroline Haughey said: 'Each of these defendants treated her . with contempt, ignoring her basic rights and taking advantage of her . naivety, her vulnerability and her ignorance. 'Each of the defendants knew of her lack . of education, expectation and awareness, both in the UK and India, . and used that to get her to comply with their wishes whether as a . domestic worker, sexual toy or general dogsbody. Accused: Enkarta Balapovi is accused of raping the woman while his partner Shanaz Begum is alleged to have arranged her transportation to the UK to be exploited by her family . 'She slept in the garage or on the floor . of the child's room. She was expected to wash, cook and clean for the . family and be at their beck and call.' The court heard how the woman was initially promised £480 . a month when she moved into the Pavilion Way address with Mohammed, his . wife Shamina Yousuf and their child. The mother worked sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, between October 2004 and October 2010. At the minimum wage rate, she should have been paid £172,288. In reality, the court heard, she received just £2,364. The couple also confiscated her passport so she could not flee the country. Ms Haughey said: 'Yousuf was short-tempered and aggressive with her. She recalls being beaten around the head, causing her ears to bleed, and Yousuf poured boiling water over her hands and forbid her to receive any medical treatment.' When Yousuf allegedly threw a cup at the victim, causing a two inch cut to her foot, she was arrested. Co-defendant: Shashi Obhrai is also accused of causing actual bodily harm to the woman, making threats to kill and trafficking within the UK . But Mohammed scared the woman into dropping the allegation and the police did not pursue the complaints she made to them. After two years and eight months with the couple, who paid just £24 for that period, the victim escaped with the help of a Pakistani stranger at a supermarket. But desperate to get her passport back, she agreed to move in with the couple's in-laws Balapovi and Begum, where she massaged their legs and feet and was forced to work for £2-per hour at a sandwich shop downstairs. 'It was while at this address she was subjected to a catalogue of sexual assaults by Balapovi,' said Miss Haughey. 'She describes how this happened repeatedly, usually on weekends, Mondays and Tuesdays. She says it happened for: "As long as I lived in the house".' After four months with the couple the victim was assisted by a charity and her rape complaints reported to the police, but she was then handed over to an acquaintance of her previous 'employers', Obhrai, and her ordeal continued. Her daily routine included cooking for eight people, washing, cleaning, looking after Obhrai's sick mother and enduring beatings, hair pulling and threats at the hands of the defendant. She was hospitalised after being pushed down a flight of stairs, struck with a rolling pin, burned with a hot iron and suffered stomach cramps and vomiting when forced to eat out of date food, the jury were told. Again the victim fled and reported the abuse to police, but no action was taken and the beatings continued, with Obhrai threatening to slit her throat and bury her in the back garden. Eventually she contacted the charity Kalayaan, which campaigns for justice for migrant workers, who referred her to the UK Human Trafficking Centre and an investigation began. Ms Haughey continued: 'Each of these defendants have collectively and severally taken advantage of her. 'Abusing her in their own way and, . when she either becomes a threat or a nuisance, is passed on to the next . party until she is no longer wanted. 'Their view of her has resulted in a prolonged and continued abuse of her. 'Tragically various state agencies . failed her too, ignoring her repeated pleas for help, not adhering to . their own investigative practices, and it could be said ignoring the . obvious.' Balapovi has pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and along with his partner Begum two separate counts of arranging travel within the UK for exploitation. Mohammed denies one count of trafficking within the UK for exploitation and sexually assaulting the victim. Obhrai and Yousouf deny separate counts of causing actual bodily harm and Obhrai alone denies making threats to kill and trafficking within the UK for exploitation. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Illiterate mother-of-four, 39, was hired as a maid but treated like a slave .
Aleemuddin Mohammed and wife Shamina Yousuf accused of assaulting the victim before forcing her to live with their in-laws .
Partner of Mohammed's mother Enkarta Balapovi then 'raped the woman'
Victim was then taken in by family friend Shashi Obhrai who is also accused of assaulting her .
During her six years serving the five defendants, she was paid £2,364 . |
fd0da1c6411e7e61ee9c9711c6634d08b0958349 | Helge Lund is in line to receive a massive £25million pay package as the new boss of BG Group . Pressure is mounting on the board of one of Britain’s biggest energy firms to scale back a controversial £25million pay package for its new boss. BG Group plans to lavish Norwegian executive Helge Lund with a £12million ‘golden hello’ on top of his annual £13million package. The deal was approved by the company’s board, which includes disgraced Iraq war diplomat Sir David Manning and former private equity boss Baroness Hogg. But it has been condemned as ‘excessive and inflammatory’ by business groups. Now it has emerged that the company’s pay committee – which is made up of five directors including BG chairman Andrew Gould – were themselves paid £1.2million last year. Mr Gould earns £727,000 a year. The committee, which is responsible for deciding the firm’s pay policies, recommended the £12million package to the rest of the board – which approved it unanimously. The chairman of the pay committee, John Hood, is the former vice chancellor of Oxford University. He will be paid £153,000 this year in total. The other members are paid between £98,000 and £115,000 – although the firm admits it also relies on ‘expert’ external pay consultants. Former UK chairman at investment banking giant Credit Suisse, Mark Seligman, is part of the committee along with chemical industry veteran Patrick Thomas and Vivienne Cox, who also sits on the ministerial advice board of the Department for International Development. Yesterday, Professor Hugh Willmott from Cass Business School attacked the ‘self-regulating elite’ of boardroom directors who set each other’s salaries. Directors have failed to ‘exercise executive restraint’ in waving through the eye-watering package, he said. He added: ‘Like a ring of traders, the market for executives is effectively rigged by the small number of players within it.’ A vote is being held on December 12 to approve the £12million package for the new head of BG Group, which is British Gas’s former oil and gas division. But two of BG’s largest shareholders have already criticised the pay plans. Corporate governance group ShareAction has started a scheme where the public can contact their pension fund and find out how they will vote next month. ShareAction boss Catherine Howard said: ‘BG Group directors very likely met privately with major investors to ask them if they would stomach this pay package, and came away thinking they’d get away with it.’ Simon Walker, of the Institute of Directors, has described the arrangement as ‘excessive, inflammatory and contrary to the principles of good governance’. BG Group has defended its offer to Mr Lund, who currently earns £2.5million a year for leading much larger rival Norwegian state-backed oil giant Statoil. A spokesman said: ‘His proposed remuneration is competitive in the international oil and gas industry.’ John Hood, the former vice-chancellor of Oxford, is among the board members of BG Group . Among the BG board members are: . John Hood . He also sits on the boards of advertising giant WPP and nuclear fuel group Urenco and is president of medical research charity Robertson Foundation. In 2004 he was appointed vice-chancellor of Oxford, where he faced significant opposition for trying to unpick the university’s historic management structure. David Manning . The former diplomat commands an annual fee of £102,000 for his part-time position on the BG Group board. He was a foreign policy adviser to Tony Blair during New Labour’s ‘sofa government’ years and was a key figure in the hugely controversial run up to the Iraq war. Baroness Hogg . Labour peer Baroness Hogg has worked in politics, private equity and broadcasting. Under her tenure as chairman, Britain’s biggest private equity group 3i racked up poor investments that saw its chief executive ousted by shareholders. She was paid £120,000 for her role at BG last year. | BG Group plans to lavish executive Helge Lund with a £12m 'golden hello'
The Norwegian boss will receive it on top of his £13m annual pay package .
Board approving the deal includes Sir David Manning and Baroness Hogg .
Business groups have labelled the deal 'excessive and inflammatory' |
fd0da99248b5550a5a588a9e15d49969e14b16d1 | (CNN) -- Rescue workers rushed Tuesday to get aid into flooded communities in New Jersey and Vermont, where many residents remain stranded in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. Marc Leibowitz, a New Yorker, went to Vermont over the weekend to get married. The wedding went off without a hitch, he said, but now he is stranded in the town of Pittsfield, with no roads to get him and his guests out. Residents have food and drinkable water, but resources are limited and won't last forever, Leibowitz told CNN's "AC 360." "There's several bridges down on Route 100. There's a road that just caved in. There's several houses in town that we watched floating. It's been scary," he said. Thirteen Vermont towns were inaccessible by roads early Tuesday. By late afternoon, Route 100 into Stratton and Rochester had opened and officials said they hoped to have the remainder of those towns accessible soon. In Grafton, Vermont, 800 residents were stranded. "It's one massive mess," said Tara Taylor, who came out of Grafton to nearby Rockingham, along with her family. "There's no words to describe this." While part of Grafton has maintained electricity, much of the town is running on generators, she said. But as far as she knew, people were well, and no one had been hurt, Taylor said. "We've been very lucky with this." Taylor's young daughter told CNN she had seen pictures of some devastated areas. "It just tore me apart on how it was like all just gone," she said. Mark Bosma of the Vermont Office of Emergency Management said officials were working to bring supplies to cut-off communities, turned temporarily into islands. The National Guard operated two helicopters, doing drop-offs where needed, delivering such necessities as food, water, medicine, diapers and formula. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, search-and-rescue teams went door-to-door by boat in flooded communities, transporting families from their homes to higher ground. "The water's moving so fast," said Scott Evans of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. "It's not even safe to go close to the river at this point." Evans spoke with CNN in Paterson, New Jersey, just three blocks from the swollen Passaic River. Water in the street was as high as 15 to 18 feet, he said. Some one-story buildings were fully submerged. Tuesday morning alone, 34 people, including 14 children, were rescued in Paterson along with three dogs, Evans said. While people had been warned that river levels were rising and flooding was likely, some stayed in their homes overnight because they didn't realize the water would come gushing so quickly, Evans said. "Unfortunately, they are used to flooding, but not of this magnitude," he said of local residents. "And a lot of areas are getting flooded this time that have not been flooded before." New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie surveyed some of the damage and told reporters on Tuesday that he had seen "extraordinary despair." More than 1,300 people throughout the state are in shelters, he said, though that number is likely to rise as additional areas are evacuated. Also Tuesday, the death toll stemming from Irene continued to rise. At least 43 deaths were linked to the storm, from Florida to North Carolina to New England. An estimated 2.85 million customers remained without power Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Energy said. That included more than half a million each in Connecticut and New York, more than 400,000 in Virginia, more than 300,000 in New Jersey and more than 250,000 in Maryland. Nearly 6.7 million customers initially were left without power by the storm, the department said. "This storm covered a tremendous amount of territory," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters in Virginia. She said most states are now in recovery, though a few states -- like Vermont and New Jersey -- are still in response mode. Napolitano traveled to North Carolina and Virginia on Tuesday with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to meet with state and local officials and to survey storm efforts. Vilsack spoke to reporters in North Carolina after touring some of the hardest-hit areas. He said tobacco, cotton and corn producers had suffered extensive damage. The full extent of Irene's destruction won't be known for some time. The federal government estimates that the cost from wind damage alone will exceed $1 billion. Analysts have put the total expected cost of Irene much higher. CNN's Julia Talanova, Mary Snow, Amber Lyon, Gary Tuchman, A. Pawlowski, Josh Levs, Joe Sutton, Nina Golgowski, Katie Silver, Ric Ward, Melanie Whitley and Jake Carpenter and iReport's Nicole Saidi contributed to this report. | NEW: Floodwaters turn several Vermont towns into tiny, temporary islands .
NEW: More than 1,300 people are in shelters in New Jersey, the governor says .
Irene's death toll is at least 43 in 12 states .
About 2.85 million customers are still without power . |
fd0de160c9fd719b3118b5a1b2baa0e721905c32 | Honolulu (CNN)His weeks-long stay in Hawaii largely uninterrupted by major news, President Barack Obama flies back to a redrawn Washington late Saturday prepared for a renewed economic push he hopes will set up a productive final presidential quarter. He faces an uphill battle: Newly powerful Republicans take control of both chambers of Congress next week, and the nation's political attention will quickly turn to the next presidential contest as candidates declare their intentions in the next few months. Expecting to receive GOP-passed measures gutting his health care law, approving the Keystone XL pipeline, and undoing his executive actions, Obama has said he's ready to wield veto power that's largely been unused during his presidency. But his aides say Obama is hoping to avoid a year of reaction focused solely on rebutting the GOP. Instead, the White House says, he'll look to present an affirmative agenda that builds upon the nation's economic gains. On areas like tax reform and trade, Obama has said he's open to working with Republicans, who made major gains in November's elections and now control the Senate. But administration officials say they're not under any illusions that Republicans in the next Congress will be more willing to work with Obama than those in the last. That means the go-it-alone strategy of last year, which relied on unilateral action to exact change, hasn't been completely retired, officials say. In a bid to jump start the year's governing — and exploit momentum following the raft of late-2014 executive actions — Obama next week will start a three-week preview period for his late-January State of the Union address. Obama's chief speechwriter, Cody Keenan, was kept busy drafting the annual speech while along with Obama for his Hawaii vacation. The President will make targeted stops in Detroit, Phoenix and Tennessee next week to promote, respectively, advances in the American auto industry, housing gains, and his education platform. The White House said during Obama's tour he would promote both executive actions and proposals for legislation. "The President is eager to get to work, and looks forward to working with the new Congress on policies that will make sure middle class Americans are sharing in the economic recovery," said Eric Schultz, a White House spokesman. "There are a number of issues we could make progress on, but the President is clear that he will not let this Congress undo important protections gained - particularly in areas of health care, Wall Street reform and the environment," Schultz said. Obama has only vetoed two measures in his six years in office, though White House officials expect that to change quickly as Republicans assume power on Capitol Hill. One of the first measures lawmakers will debate is a bill approving the controversial Keystone pipeline, which environmentalists oppose. The White House has suggested it would reject any measure from Congress approving the pipeline, since the review process in place at the State Department is still underway. Areas of compromise exist: both Republicans and Obama say they're interested in overhauling the corporate tax structure and pushing through major trade deals with Europe and Asia. But those projects face opposition from Democrats, who worry they could favor large companies over working class Americans. "We certainly hope they work with Congress instead of continuing to campaign against it," said Don Stewart, a spokesman for the incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "But remember, the biggest hangup on things like trade has been the President's own party. They oppose entitlement reform, trade, revenue neutral tax reform." Stewart said that could mean Obama is forced to spend negotiating time with both Republicans and Democrats — "something he's been reluctant to do." | President Barack Obama arrives back in Washington with the Hill under Republican control .
Obama will soon start a three-week preview period for his State of the Union address .
The President will make stops in Detroit, Phoenix and Tennessee next week . |
fd0e95a70fa99a2d40127101fa55ed89c9b89dba | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:38 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:56 EST, 5 September 2013 . After reaching nine and a half stone because of a rich diet of chicken dinners, what Mike the labrador needed was exercise. But as he was too heavy for healthy runs in the park the only option left was plenty of walkies – in water. The pet is now a slimmer six stone after a strict diet combined with seven months of training in a hydrotherapy tank – even though he was too large to fit in at first. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Hot to trot: three-year-old Mike has slimmed down to half his size on a strict calorie-controlled diet . Tipping the scales: Massive Mike was heavier than many women on his daily diet of hefty human meals . When he was taken in by a rescue pound after his owner died, three-year-old Mike was struggling to walk 100 metres - and damaged a ligament in his leg trying. But after seven months on a strict calorie-controlled regime Mike has slimmed down to a svelte 38kg - just in time for the tail-end of summer. Adoptive owners Hannah Holland and Paolo Terzaga swapped Mike's three daily human meals for two tins of bespoke dog food, and raw carrots for treats. Ella Tonge, of Dogs Trust Loughborough, said: 'Mike was the largest dog we’ve had. 'He would eat pretty much anything. 'All the staff were so excited when we heard he was coming back into the centre. Fighting fit: Mike can now fit in the hydrophysio machine to strengthen his legs . Crippled: the three-year-old was so big he needed surgery to be able to walk again . 'We’d heard that he had lost loads of weight but to see it in the flesh is amazing, he has a waist.' Ella added: 'His plight highlighted the danger of over-feeding your pet and even worse feeding them a human diet. 'What is fine for us to eat is not for them, especially when combined with very little exercise.' In February, partners Miss Holland and Mr Terzaga, both 29, took Mike for surgery to fix his leg. He now spends two hours a day walking, running and chasing after balls at his new home in Nottingham. Before and after: now weighing 38kg, Mike loves running, jumping and chasing balls . The trimmer pup can finally fit into the hydrotherapy tank at the Dogs Trust Loughborough for treat his worn limbs. Miss Holland, a veterinary student, . said: 'Mike has always been such a bright and happy boy, even when he . was nearly twice the size he should be. 'He just wanted to say hello to everyone and bounced around like a puppy. 'He’s . still recovering from his ligament operation and has just started . hydrotherapy at the Dogs Trust, something he seems to really enjoy. A new leash on life: Hannah Holland and Paolo Terzaga have put the energetic labrador on a strict calorie-controlled regime . 'When he first arrived at Dogs Trust in early 2013 he was so large he couldn’t fit into the hydrotherapy tank . 'But now with his new figure he is able to take full advantage of the tank and help rebuild his strength and ensure he is distributing his weight evenly.” Mr Terzaga, a chartered accountant, added: 'He’s always had a great personality and hasn’t really changed much. 'He just seems happier that he can get around easier.' | The three-year-old was living on the same hefty chicken dinners as his owner .
Too heavy for healthy runs in the park the only option left was plenty of walkies – in water .
After his previous owner died, three-year-old Mike was struggling to walk 100 metres . |
fd0f4922036d12b7a47f8750c96b59d34245177f | By . Lee Moran . PUBLISHED: . 05:07 EST, 15 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:58 EST, 16 September 2012 . Vow: Cristobal Piñero recovering at hospital . The 59-year-old Spaniard who cheated death after being gored, thrown into the air and then trampled on by a 900kg bull has vowed never to enter the ring again. Terrifying footage emerged earlier this week showing football referee Cristobal Piñero being launched from a three metre high 'pyramid' ramp and then attacked twice on the ground by the beast. Today, speaking from his hospital bed, he has revealed how moving his head by just a fraction as the bull bore down on him for a second time 'almost certainly' saved his life. Waiting to be operated on for a fractured shoulder, broken right wrist, two splintered ribs and bruises on his legs, he thanked the the brave onlookers who came to his rescue. He said that without the help of those at the Monovar bullring, who distracted the bull so he could be carried out, he probably would not 'be here anymore'. He added: 'This goring will be the last because I'm not getting in the ring any more and, if I go again to see the bulls in the future it will be to watch it from the side. 'I was very close to death, one of the horns passed just centimetres away from my head when I was on the floor, and now I'm suffering. I don't want to put myself in that situation again.' Scroll down for video . Dangerous: Today, speaking from his hospital bed, he has revealed how moving his head by just a fraction as the bull bore down on him for a second time 'almost certainly' saved his life . Piñero, who had to retire from professional football aged just 21 after injuring his knee during a trial match for second division side Real Murcia, has been described as a 'frustrated bullfighter' in the Spanish press. He was reportedly well known in his youth for spontaneously jumping over the bullring barrier at local bullfights. But, he said, he gave up his wild ways when his children were born in a bid to become more responsible. Three men wait on and near a three metre high 'pyramid' ramp just before a bull, lurking near the edge of the ring, brutally attacks one of them during a Spanish town's fiestas . Terrifying: The bull charges up the ramp towards one of the men and he tries to flee away from the beast . He added: 'But when, 10 years ago, my children were older I went back to my passion.' Of . Monday's incident, the Sax resident said: 'It was all my fault. I took . too many risks and was too confident because I didn't think the bull . would climb the stairs so quickly. 'I stopped and he threw me powerfully, I got caught, and in that moment I was already regretting getting into that situation. 'I . didn't lose conciousness at any moment, and I could see him flying down . the stairs and I thought that was the end for me. But it wasn't, thank . God.' The man is tossed into the air by the charging bull which has made its way onto the top of the platform . The bull tramples on the 59-year-old man who is left with 'multiple injuries' And speaking to those who have praised his courage, he said: 'I'm not brave, I'm just a madman.' This . could be especially true, seeing as he broke his left wrist in a . similar situation just three years ago and has undergone four operations . to heal it. The incident, . in the south-eastern province of Alicante, came during the town of . Monovar's fiestas - an annual seven-day celebration at the start of each . September. Each afternoon . of the festivities sees four young bulls released, one at a time, into . the town's bullring for a 20-minute run-around. 'Runners' are encouraged to sprint past the animals and 'show their bravado' in . the event which is common-place in many towns across the country. The . 'vaca', as it is dubbed by locals, regularly attracts hundreds of . spectators - but unlike a bullfight does not end with the animal's . death. WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . VIDEO: Watch Cristobal Piñero as he is attacked by the bull... filmed by Josemixx2 . | Terrifying footage emerged earlier this week showing football referee Cristobal Piñero being gored in the town of Monovar .
Revealed how moving his head by just a fraction as the bull bore down on him for a second time 'almost certainly' saved his life .
Suffered fractured shoulder, broken right wrist, two splintered ribs and bruises on his legs . |
fd109cf75f13f9f3f8f371ca218720abdc189ef0 | Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israeli security forces halted Palestinian Christians -- joined by a U.N. envoy -- participating a pre-Easter procession Saturday in Jerusalem's Old City, an action the envoy sharply criticized but that an Israeli official dismissed as a "non-event." Robert Serry, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, was among a large, tightly packed group trying to walk together on what is Holy Saturday on the Christian calendar. A woman yells out at one point, "They are preventing us from accessing our churches to pray." Some time later, the people are stopped by security forces. Barricades are set up, only to be picked up and taken away. There's also some pushing and shoving before the scene eventually calms down. The special coordinator's office explained that the group had intended to move from the area's New Gate to the Holy Sepulchre "at the invitation of the Palestinian Christian community in Jerusalem." It said the group had been earlier given "assurances ... of unhindered access," only to have "the Israeli police refuse ... to allow such entry claiming they had orders to that effect." Serry expressed "dismay" over the incident, adding, "I call on all parties to respect the right of religious freedom, granting access to holy sites for worshippers of all faiths and refraining from provocations, not least during the religious holidays." Yet Israel's government saw the matter in a different light. Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor -- in a message retweeted by Israel Defense Forces spokesman Peter Lerner -- said, "UN envoy #RobertSerry shows poor judgment in fabricating an incident out of a non-event, mishandling sensitive issue of religious freedom." Palmor told the Jerusalem Post that police were acting to limit the number of those packed into the church and the narrow streets around it, dismissing what happened as "a micro-incident." This incident is not Serry's first run-in with authorities: The U.N. envoy said he was threatened by armed men in Crimea, which broke away from Ukraine and joined Russia. Whatever its origins or conclusions, Saturday's ordeal did not prevent other activities in and around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is where many Christians believe Jesus was buried and rose from the dead. On Saturday, the church once again was home to the Holy Fire ceremony, including the sight of dozens of people holding candles or small torches. CNN's Kareem Khadder reported from Jerusalem; Greg Botelho wrote and reported from Atlanta. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report. | U.N. envoy Robert Serry, a group of Palestinian Christians proceed through the Old City .
A woman says the group wants to get into church "to pray"; Israeli police block them .
Serry says he's dismayed, urges respect for "religious freedom," no "provocations"
An Israeli official tells a newspaper police were limiting the crowd, calling it a "non-event" |
fd10a75042f6cfa2ba54847f1d379b0e8c7568b4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:56 EST, 25 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:50 EST, 25 November 2013 . The family of a woman who went missing after saying she was going shopping in her home town have been told by police she has been found in Mexico. But relatives of Sally Hann, 55, have been left worrying if she is safe and planning to come home at all after police said data protection laws meant they cannot give the family any more information. Her husband Keith contacted police on the evening of October 25 after the mother-of-four failed to return to their home in Chatham, Kent. Sally Hann's family were told only last week that she boarded a plane at Gatwick on October 29 and flew to Cancun in Mexico (file picture of Cancun International Airport) She had told him she was going shopping in the local town centre but did not come home. Four days later the family were told by police that Sally had been found safe and well and that she would contact them in three weeks. But officers said they could not give them any more details - not even where she was. It was only some time later, last week on November 20, the family were finally told she had boarded a plane at Gatwick on October 29 and flown to Cancun in Mexico. Her daughter Kirsty Fraser said she is 'worried about her state of mind' because she suffers from depression. She said when the family asked police questions about her whereabouts, they were told officers could not tell them due to data protection laws. Ms Fraser said her mother had left her mobile phone at home and her disappearance was 'out of character'. She said she was 'going out of her mind' with worry and that 'nothing had happened at home' to give her mother a reason to leave. She said: 'I’m assuming she’s on her own; I’m just worried about her state of mind because she has depression and other things.' Mrs Hann used to work as a care assistant, but had been off work sick for two years. Ms Fraser appealed to her mother: 'No one’s angry with you, no one’s upset. We just want to hear from you.' Mrs Hann had mentioned travelling to Mexico before she disappeared, but told family she wanted to go next year. A Kent Police spokesman said: 'Kent Police received a report of a missing adult woman on October 25. Inquiries were made and officers located the woman and ensured she was safe and well. 'In line with the woman's wishes no further information of her whereabouts was disclosed. We are no longer treating her as a missing person.' | Sally Hann's family left worrying if she is safe and planning to come home .
Her husband contacted police on October 25 when she did not come home .
Four days later they were told she had been found safe and well .
But it was not until last week they were told she had flown to Mexico . |
fd11a118cb42b795da2e7a979f8b078c7cdcdc6e | (CNN) -- First of all, of course we'd rather see more original blockbusters created with female leads in mind. Though Hollywood has made strides in recent years toward more gender and racial diversity, success stories like Shonda Rhimes, Mindy Kaling and Tina Fey are still the exceptions, not the rule. There's plenty of research showing that women are still sorely underrepresented onscreen and behind the scenes. But news that a female version of "Ghostbusters" got us thinking about other films we'd like to see recast with female leads. Turns out it's a ton of fun to imagine who would be the female Cheech or Chong or Indiana Jones. We also asked CNN's Facebook audience what they thought and came up with the gallery above. Let us know what you'd add in the comments, but keep in mind that "Magic Mike" is well-worn territory. | We asked CNN's Facebook audience which women they'd like to see in male roles .
Zoe Saldana as Harrison Ford in "Indiana Jones"? Why not?
Share your recommendations in the comments . |
fd11e1bf1a82d440e3c7d47de248a9d06a574cde | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . PUBLISHED: . 12:46 EST, 7 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:54 EST, 7 November 2013 . It sounds like the perfect toy - a robot that you can not only control with your smartphone, but also design and build into any shape you want. And you don’t need to know computer code, advanced robotics or electrical engineering to get started. In fact, all that's required is the ability to match up colours, a little imagination and $59 (£37). Scroll down for video... Modular Robotics is seeking $100,000 from Kickstarter backers so that it can offer kits early next year . Colorado-based Modular Robotics has been designing its build-your-own robots, called Moss, over the past two and a half years. The company recently launched the robot on crowd funding website Kickstarter to help begin the production process and is now $34,110 towards its $100,000 goal. The unique modular design use magnetic balls as joints and hinges and has no external wires. Moss modular robots use magnetic balls as joints and hinges and have no external wires . The kits come as individuals cubes that are designed to snap together to make a static structure. Each cubes has a colour-coded connecting face to help signpost how it needs to be joined up to other blocks’ various functions to work. A Bluetooth module can also be attached so that anyone can control their customised robot using a smartphone or tablet. Other modules allow users to include additional power, motion and sensing capabilities. A Bluetooth module can be attached so that anyone can control their customised robot using a smartphone . Source: Kickstarter . Moss modular robots come as individuals cubes that are designed to snap together. The cubes . have colour-coded connecting faces to help signpost how they need to be . joined up for the blocks’ various functions to work. A Bluetooth module can also be attached so the customised robot can be controlled using a smartphone or tablet. Other modules allow users to include additional power, motion and sensing capabilities. Each robot is powered with a lithium polymer battery and charging is done via a Micro-USB cable. Modular Robotics hopes Moss will open up the world of robotics to younger children who can create their own designs. It’s offering a number of kits to Kickstarter backers starting at $59 (£37) for a simple starter kit that lets you build a light-sensing robot. An advanced kit that lets you build a Bluetooth-controlled car will set you back $379 (£236). The kits are expected to begin shipping early next year. Moss creations are powered with a lithium polymer battery. Charging is done via a Micro-USB cable . | Modular Robotics is raising funds for its £37 robot kits named Moss .
Moss robots come as individuals cubes that are designed to snap together .
They use colour-coded blocks, magnetic joints and have no external wires . |
fd1223891fd20d7ad9c1322f94eff146b16679f6 | By . David Mccormack . PUBLISHED: . 20:36 EST, 29 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:57 EST, 30 September 2013 . The Great Depression of the 1930s was an era of such extreme poverty and dramatic economic decline that it remains permanently etched on our collective psyche. One major reason for the lasting impression made by the most widespread and deepest depression of the 20th century is that it coincided with the growth of photography as an art form and the period was well-documented as a result. One of the most famous American photographers documenting the era was Walker Evans, whose beautiful and sometimes haunting photographs captured such detail and emotion that the subjects feel more alive and closer to the present than the past. Country Store and Gas Station, Alabama, 1936: During a decade of profound transformation, Evans created a collective portrait of the Eastern United States through his work for the Farm Security Administration that now acts almost as a Modernist history of photography . Parked Car, Small Town Main Street, 1932: Evans said his goal as a photographer was to make pictures that were 'literate, authoritative, transcendent' Evans said that his goal as a photographer was to make pictures that were 'literate, authoritative, transcendent.' Such was the influence of Evans' work that he was the subject of the first exhibition - 'Walker Evans: American Photographs' - devoted to a single photographer at the Museum of Modern Art in New York some 75 years ago. At the same time a landmark book – ‘Studio’ – was published which comprised approximately 60 prints of his indivisible art works from that MOMA collection. Now to celebrate the 75th anniversary of that landmark collection, MOMA is once again displaying Evans’ finest work and ‘Studio’ has been reissued. Evans' landmark book 'Studio' was published in 1938 and includs approximately 60 prints of his indivisible art work including American Legionnaire, 1936 (left) and Alabama Cotton Tenant Farmer Wife, 1936 (right) 42nd Street, New York, 1929: Such was the influence of Evans' work that he was the subject to the first exhibition - 'Walker Evans: American Photographs' - devoted to the work of a single photographer at the Museum of Modern Art in New York some 75 years ago . Negro Barber Shop Interior, Atlanta, 1936: The pictures provide neither a coherent narrative nor a singular meaning, but rather create connections through the repetition and interplay of pictorial structures and subject matter . During a decade of profound transformation, Evans created a collective portrait of the Eastern United States through his work for the Farm Security Administration that now acts almost as a Modernist history of photography. The 2013 installation of Walker Evans' work maintains the bipartite organization of the originals: the first section portrays American society through images of its individuals and social contexts, while the second consists of photographs of American cultural artifacts - the architecture of Main streets, factory towns, rural churches, and wooden houses. The pictures provide neither a coherent narrative nor a singular meaning, but rather create connections through the repetition and interplay of pictorial structures and subject matter. Negro Church, South Carolina, 1936 (left) and Main Street, Saratoga Springs, New York, 1931 (right) Evans' photos 'Sidewalk and Shopfront, New Orleans. 1935,' left, and 'Citizen in Downtown Havana. 1932,' right . In 1935, Evans spent two months at first on a fixed-term photographic campaign for the Resettlement Administration in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. From October on, he continued to do photographic work for the RA and later the Farm Security Administration, primarily in the Southern United States. Evans continued to work for the FSA until 1938. Evans later became a staff writer at Time magazine and then an editor at Fortune magazine before he became a professor of photography on the faculty for Graphic Design at the Yale University School of Art. He died at his home in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975. Farmhouse in Westchester County, New York, 1931: Evans' work includes photographs of American cultural artifacts - the architecture of Main streets, factory towns, rural churches, and wooden houses . To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Evans' landmark collection, MOMA is once again displaying his work and his book 'Studio' has been reissued . | Walker Evans documented the Great Depression through his work for the Farm Security Administration .
Such was the influence of Evans' work .
that he was the subject to the first exhibition devoted to a single photographer at .
the Museum of Modern Art in New York some 75 years ago .
Now to celebrate the 75th anniversary of that landmark collection, MOMA is once again displaying some of Evans' finest work and his book - 'Studio' - has been reissued . |
fd12744acab4ddbf6840a900b6af718f5a5bc9b7 | In 2006, Pluto lost its status as a planet when other bodies in the solar system of similar or greater size were found. The decision to demote it to a ‘dwarf planet’ by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) at the time was highly contentious - and it now seems many still want its planet status reinstated. In a debate where experts presented cases for and against the decision, it was found that most people in the audience still wanted Pluto to be a planet. In a debate held last week at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Massachusetts most people still wanted Pluto to be a planet. Three experts gave their arguments for and against Pluto being a planet and audience members then gave their decision - with most wanting Pluto to still be a planet (shown) The debate was held last week at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During the event three experts explained their own reasoning for thinking Pluto was or wasn’t a planet reports Astrobiology Magazine. And the audience members were then asked to vote on which argument they thought was best. According to the IAU, a cosmic body must satisfy three conditions before it can be classified as a planet. The first is that it must be in orbit around the sun, and not be the satellite of another planet. Second, it must have sufficient mass to form a spherical shape under its own gravity. And finally it must have cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit. The latter was the condition that lost Pluto its planet status. This is because it orbits in the Kuiper Belt at the outer edge of the solar system, where many other icy rocks and worlds orbit in its vicinity. Dr Gareth Williams of the Minor Planet Centre defended the original IAU decision in 2006 and said Pluto should not be a planet as it had not cleared the path in its orbit - one of the prerequisites for a planet, as decided in 2006. Science historian Dr Owen Gingerich argued that, for historical and cultural reasons, Pluto should be a planet. And Dr Dimitar Sasselov, director of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative agreed with Dr Gingerich, but for the reason that any lump of matter large enough to form a sphere around a star should be classified as a planet. When put to the vote, the majority of the audience - which consisted of experts and members of the general public - agreed with Dr Sasselov, who’s definition would also help classify exoplanets. The vote isn't official, although it does highlight the continued public disapproval of Pluto being demoted. However, if Pluto was still a planet it would cause a number of complications. Namely, several other bodies of a similar or greater size such as Ceres and Eris were found, and it is estimated there may be hundreds more Pluto-sized objects in the outer solar system. Reinstating Pluto, therefore, could ultimately lead to our solar system not being a small family of eight easily identifiable planets, but a complicated system of dozens of obscure worlds extending far beyond the orbit of Neptune. In July 2015, New Horizons will become the first spacecraft ever to visit Pluto (illustration shown). In 2006 Pluto lost its status as a planet when other bodies of a similar size were found in the solar system. Had it remained a planet, the family of planets in the solar system would likely have to be expanded to several dozen . The latest vote isn't official, but highlights the public continued disapproval of Pluto's demotion to 'dwarf planet' status. Shown here is the most detailed view to date of the entire surface of the dwarf planet Pluto as constructed from multiple NASA Hubble Space Telescope photographs taken from 2002 to 2003 . | Pluto lost its status as a planet in 2006 when other bodies of a similar size were found in the solar system .
Last week, during a debate at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, people voted to reinstate its planet status .
Three experts gave their arguments for and against Pluto being a planet .
Audience members then voted on which argument they thought was best .
The vote isn't official, but highlights the public continued disapproval of Pluto's demotion to 'dwarf planet' status .
In July, the New Horizons craft will become the first mission to visit Pluto . |
fd1275c61bc0c1fe55886d5ffd6c52d59c8b9180 | (CNN) -- The Obama administration likely will succumb to growing pressure to "do something" kinetic and dramatic in Iraq, and when it does, it will most likely be air and missile strikes against ISIS targets. This could relieve the political pressure on the President: His critics continue to blame him for abdicating U.S. leadership in Syria and in Iraq --which now faces the advancing extremist militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). But answering the political mail in Washington is not the same thing as dealing with, let alone resolving, the complex issues on the ground that have led to this crisis. To do that would require a comprehensive reengagement strategy, even without boots on the ground. And President Barack Obama should not be drawn into a veritable Iraq war III. Most of Obama's detractors engage in what I call "woulda/coulda/shoulda" criticism. That is to say, if the President had only invested more time and effort in negotiating a status of forces agreement with the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, left a residual presence there, enforced his chemical weapons red line in Syria and backed the moderate opposition there, we wouldn't be seeing the ISIS jihadi rampage playing out in both countries. But given the limited amount of intervention this administration, Congress, and the public would support, even under the best of circumstances, the U.S. could not have stopped the dynamic that is occurring. We cannot hold Iraq's hand forever, nor end Syria's civil war without a major military commitment. And the longer the Syrian conflict continued, the more of a boon the conflict would provide to jihadi elements who fed off its violence and sectarian character. As for Iraq, the al-Maliki government's insistence on maintaining Shia dominance and privilege, and repressing Sunnis, created the perfect ferment for ISIS's spread. No amount of U.S. military power summoned by any administration could have compensated for this kind of bad sectarian governance. That and the weak institutions of the Iraqi state have allowed ISIS to thrive. No matter how much progress the U.S. made in Iraq between 2003 and 2011, the dysfunction that now shapes Iraq's future was driven by factors set into motion by the very act of the invasion, Iraq's nature and its location. And those same factors limit now what the U.S. can do; they should make Washington wary of getting sucked back in. Back to Iraq: What can - and should - the U.S. do now? Maliki's sectarian dominance . How can you expect stability and security in a country where the political contract between the governed and those who govern is completely skewed in the direction of the Shia community? But that's what you have with Nuri al-Maliki; and that's unlikely to change. Shia repression has left Sunnis feeling disenfranchised -- one reason why violence has surged in the last year -- and this is why it's hard to get Sunni elements of the military to fight and resist ISIS moves. It's also why some key Sunni elements are reportedly in league with the ISIS jihadis. It's a reason to be careful about backing a government not committed to serious power sharing and reform, let alone to use direct U.S. military intervention to defend it. The U.S. couldn't build the new Iraq on the backs of American military power before it was clear that al-Maliki was a Shia triumphalist. How are we to do it today when it's clear that he is? The neighbors . Geography is destiny. This isn't America's neighborhood: It does not have the same kind of stake as those who live there. The U.S. may be committed to a nonsectarian, pluralist, democratic Iraq where everybody gets along in one big happy family. But Iran and Saudi Arabia envision very different outcomes, and they will act in ways detrimental to our interests. Iran is worried about ISIS to be sure. But Iran knows that its long-term interests depend on a stable Iraq under Shia dominance. That means that while it will assist al-Maliki, it won't pressure him to reform. The Saudis, on the other hand, can't abide al-Maliki and while they are worried about the Sunni jihadis, they see some merit in weakening the Prime Minister. Both Tehran and Riyadh will continue to see Iraq as a battleground to check the other's influence and to promote their side in a Sunni-Shia war. Iraq's stability and the U.S.'s altruistic vision of Iraq's future will be the casualties. The Syrian civil war . Any U.S. strategy that deals with Iraq in isolation will fail to get at a main sources of the ISIS threat. The Syrian civil war was a godsend for these jihadi groups. And unless the United States is prepared to expand its area of operations and to develop a sustained, aggressive strategy to contain if not destroy the ISIS presence in Syria, any effort in Iraq will at best produce a short-term success. Having willfully avoided militarizing the U.S. role in Syria, the President may well go ahead and do so now, with all the risks of mission creep. Attacking ISIS will also help Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Iran in Iraq. A serious strategy . And that brings us to the most difficult dimension of this entire problem. Without a serious and sustained strategy that has a military, counterterrorism, political and economic component, including mobilizing the international community, it's hard to see how the Obama administration can realistically put these Humpty Dumptys back together again. To do that would mean American involvement -- for starters CIA or special forces in an advisory capacity, most likely functioning clandestinely. Airstrikes, even if they worked to check ISIS, would have to be used repeatedly over time. And more training for the Iraqi military -- most likely with advisers on the ground to instruct in the use of sophisticated military equipment -- would be necessary. And despite all of this, it's likely that ISIS may still be able to secure enclaves in Iraq. Haven't we seen this movie before? It was called Iraq 2003-2011, and it clearly didn't have a happy ending. So, Mr. President, you probably have no other choice but to get sucked back into Iraq with military strikes. It might even have positive short-term results. But it likely won't over time. Triumphalist Shia, unhappy Sunnis, Iranian influence, and Kurdish separatists will guarantee it. Iraq was a trap for America once before. It will be again. 5 predictions revisited: Iraq's troubles are years in the making . | Writer: Obama administration will likely yield to pressure to act on ISIS advances in Iraq .
He says it should not. The U.S. could not have prevented crisis. Bad Iraqi governance was key .
He says any success repelling ISIS in Iraq will be short-lived unless U.S. also does so in Syria .
U.S. would need sustained strategy if it is to address crisis. We've seen this movie before, he says . |
fd12d08d7d4e3c9ada8a17910ea22fca53772009 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:28 EST, 6 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:24 EST, 6 March 2014 . A silver tabby cat who fell asleep on top of a warm fuel tank woke up more than 100 miles away after a terrifying journey clinching to a moving coach. The animal, nicknamed Diesel by the National Express workers who found him, curled up on top of the coach's fuel tank while it was parked overnight in Westward Ho!, Devon. But when the driver started the coach for the 8.45am service to Grimsby it was too terrified to move - and stayed until the coach came to a stop in Bristol. Survivor: Diesel the cat clung to the coach's engine for 100 miles . Hiding place: Coach driver Andy Musket found Diesel and coaxed him out . Driver Andy Muskett heard the meowing cat as he was unloading customer’s luggage. Passengers were transferred onto another coach to continue the journey to Grimsby, while Mr Muskett attempted to coax the cat out. He called engineer Andy Teagle for help and the pair managed to persuade the tabby to come out from under the coach. The cat does not have a collar or microchip, so staff named him themselves and took Diesel back to the depot to be fed. Mr Muskett said: 'I heard a strange . noise that was definitely not mechanical and realised that as only one . thing meows we probably had a cat incident. 'It . was still a bit of a shock to find a silver tabby cat sitting on the . fuel tank. When we got him down he was actually pretty contented. Care: Diesel, above left with nurses and right with an RSPCA collection officer, was fed and cared for. The RSPCA is now looking for his owners . Voyage: Diesel travelled 100 miles underneath the coach from Westward Ho! to Bristol . 'He must have been looking for somewhere warm to sleep and crawled under the coach when it was parked up overnight, and was probably too frightened to move when it started in the morning.' Diesel is now in the care of the RSPCA, who are trying to locate his owners. They have put out a missing notice to all of the local vets' offices. Julie Parson, animal collections officer for the RSPCA, said: “We are delighted staff at National Express were able to get Diesel out from such a tricky location. 'We think Diesel may have got into the engine as it was a warm place to sleep. When we checked him over we realised he is suffering from some burns and he is currently on antibiotics. Fortunately he is now recovering well at one of our clinics in Bristol. 'Although he is skinny, he is very friendly so we think he has an owner who is probably missing him.' Anyone with any information about Diesel is asked to call the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018. | Silver tabby curled up under the coach in Westward Ho!, Devon .
Was only found after the National Express service stopped in Bristol .
Coach workers coaxed him down and nicknamed him Diesel .
RSPCA is now trying to track down his proper owners . |
fd12fc9d2445ade1f7680364bad8a112aea2ba2e | By . Olivia Williams . PUBLISHED: . 06:08 EST, 22 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:31 EST, 22 August 2013 . French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir's collection of belongings is described by experts as 'a goldmine' The single largest archive of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's personal property is going on sale, offering a candid look inside the master painter's life through hundreds of his letters, photos and artworks. The Renoir Estate Collection is set to be sold in New York on September 19 as 143 lots with an estimated value of $3 million. The sale includes 19 original sculptural plaster models, or maquettes, created during Renoir's twilight years between 1913 and 1918 with the help of a young assistant, Richard Guino. A dedicated artist who painted every day of his life, Renoir died in 1919. His . personal archive remained with his heirs until 2005 when his grandson . Paul offered it for sale as a single lot at a Maryland auction where it . was purchased by the current owner. 'It . is a gold mine,' said Virginie Journiac, an art historian and former . curator of the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, in the south of France. 'These . personal Renoir pieces will be seen for the last time as a unique . collection unless a single buyer is able to purchase all the lots.' Other objects in the sale include Renoir's polka-dotted silk scarf, marriage license and a notebook full of critic's reviews. Renoir's poignant last work, The Woodcocks, was painted the day he died in 1919 and is the only painting in the collection . Renoir's personal items will be up for sale in New York in September at an estimated value of $3million for the 143 lots . The Grande Venus Victorieuse by Renoir created in 1914-1915 is estimated to fetch $900,000 to $1 million . There . are letters from his contemporaries Claude Monet and Edouard Manet; his . Legion of Honor medals; hundreds of glass-plate negatives; and . documents relating to the construction of Les Collettes, his estate at . Cagnes-sur-Mer. Several museums, reached for comment, declined to say if they would bid. The collection 'illuminates the . career, life and eminence of this very, very humble man,' said Brian . Roughton, managing director of fine art at Heritage Auctions. 'It shows the amount of his . insecurity about his life, about being an artist ... an incredibly . loving and sensitive man to his entire family.' Celebrated for his sensual nudes and charming landscapes, Renoir's sculptures are less known. Family photos of Renoir, pictured seated under the umbrella, from his family photo album are one of the most intimate lots up for auction . This vast collection of items, including his spectacles, is likely to be the last time that so many of Renoir's belongings will be displayed together . The maquettes, many of which remained . at Les Collettes until 1960, were based on Renoir's drawings and . paintings and were produced after a crippling arthritis had nearly . paralysed his hands. Guino was paid to work under Renoir's guidance and did not sign the works. A court recognised him as a co-author in 1973. The current seller, who also owns the . maquettes, got embroiled in a legal battle with the Guino family over . the copyright of eight of the maquettes. The case was settled in 2008, . and Heritage said all the material was being offered free and clear. The personal note book full of his critic's reviews in one of hundreds of items from Les Collettes, his estate at Cagnes-sur-Mer . Showing a rarely-seen glimpse into Renoir's family life, a bust of his son Coco dated 1907-08 is expected to sell for $30,000 . The auction house did not name the . consignor but published reports at the time identified her as Tracy . Penwell, an Arizona gallery owner. Renoir . considered 'Large Venus Victorious,' a life-size statue of the Roman . goddess elegantly holding a drape in one hand and an apple in the other, . a masterpiece. Created in 1914-1915, it is estimated to bring $900,000 to $1 million (£578,000 to £642,000). The . auction also features the only two sculptures entirely executed by . Renoir's hands - a medallion at a guide price of $20,000 (£13,000) and a . bust of his youngest son Claude, "Coco" at $30,000 (£19,000). Woodcocks, at an estimated value of $80,000-$120,000 (£51,000 - £77,000) is the only painting in the sale. A collection of copper plates, showing Renoir's works in progress . The items, including the Grande Venus Victorieuse are now ready for shipment in Dallas, heading for New York . The small picture is of great historical significance because it is believed to be Renoir's last work, said Journiac, whose just-published book The Late Renoir, The Riviera Years is largely based on the material in the collection. 'He painted this still life with two dead birds some hours before he died, which is quite symbolic,' she said. While there is abundant literature on Renoir, Journiac said, 'This collection offers a lot of new information, especially of his last less studied period.' | Renoir's personal items will be sold at a New York auction .
The Renoir Estate Collection has an estimated value of $3 million .
Woodcocks, the only painting on sale, was painted the day he died .
Statue 'Large Venus Victorious' is expected to fetch $1 million alone . |
fd1340c0b8a2f0b936921e1884cd770ce204f510 | (CNN) -- Frenchman Thomas Voeckler has taken the yellow jersey from Norway's Thor Hushovd after a dramatic ninth stage of the Tour de France which was marred by a series of crashes which led to two of the race favorites pulling out. Voeckler, who led the race for 10 days in 2004, finished second to Spain's Luis-Leon Sanchez at the end of the hilly 208km run from Issoire to Saint-Flour, which saw the riders tackle seven climbs in the Massif Central region. Both Voeckler and Sanchez were members of a six-man breakaway group which formed at the 50km mark after a succession of attacks. Rui Costa holds on for Tour de France win . However, as the peloton began closing the gap on the six leaders, a huge pile-up on a descent at 102km saw a number of riders hit the ground at speed. Among them were Astana team leader Alexander Vinokourov, a previous Tour of Spain winner, and Omega Pharma-Lotto leader Juergen Van Den Broeck, who finished fifth in last year's Tour. The 37-year-old Vinokourov, who had already announced his decision to retire at the end of the season, suffered a broken leg after tumbling a few meters down a ravine, while Van Den Broeck sustained a fractured shoulder blade. Key Garmin domestique Dave Zabriskie was also forced to retire, to add to the list of riders that have crashed out of this year's race, which include Bradley Wiggins, Tom Boonen and Janez Brajkovic. More drama was to follow when Team Sky's Juan Antonio Flecha, one of the breakaway riders, was clipped by an accompanying French TV car, sending him and Johnny Hoogerland flying, with Dutchman Hoogerland spectacularly going head-over-heels onto some barbed wire that surrounded a field on the side of the road. Although both riders continued the race, eventually finishing well adrift of the peloton, their bloodied bodies indicated that they may not be on the start line for Tuesday's 10th stage following Monday's rest day. Voeckler, who began the day in 19th place, now holds the race lead after finishing five seconds behind Sanchez, but nearly four minutes ahead of the peloton. The Team Europcar rider lies 1:49 ahead of Rabobank rider Sanchez, who is 37 seconds clear of Cadel Evans in third place. "When you only have two minutes on a rider like Cadel Evans in the overall, you have to be realistic," Voeckler told the official Tour de France website. "I'm not a dreamer, I will just fight and give all that I can. I know it's impossible for me to keep the lead for 10 days like in 2004 but one thing is sure -- tomorrow I can keep the jersey because it's a rest day!" he added, . Hushovd's brave hold on the yellow jersey ended when he trailed home in 82nd place, 6:47 behind Sanchez, and he now lies 24th in the overall standings. Defending champion Alberto Contador came home 12th, in the same group as the overall contenders, and continues to creep up the standings to 16th position overall. However, the three-time winner was another to crash on Sunday and told reporters he was suffering from some pain in his knee, although he will have time to rest it on Monday's rest day. | Thomas Voeckler in the yellow jersey after ninth stage of Tour de France .
Voeckler finishes second to Luis-Leon Sanchez after stage of high drama .
Alexander Vinokourov and Juergen Van Den Broeck both crash out of race . |
fd1388b3ed06b834ef7bf574fec4bce182a5ff88 | By . Dan Bloom . Wearing the striped caps designed to turn them from human beings into numbers, these Holocaust survivors wept as they returned to a concentration camp after 69 years. The three Polish men were among those remembering 76,000 people who died at two sites in central Germany - hanged, starved or riddled with disease, mostly for the crime of being different. They were forced to make munitions at Mittelbau-Dora, where the ceremony took place, and 50 miles away at its parent camp Buchenwald, both of which were liberated by U.S. troops 69 years ago this week. As early as 1937, Nazi leaders sent some 250,000 people to Buchenwald, Mittelbau-Dora and dozens of other sub-camps, where they lived in terrible conditions with little food. The majority of those who died collapsed from exhaustion. At Buchenwald, 8,000 Soviet prisoners of war were shot in a specially-made killing facility. This year's ceremony focused on the genocide of Hungarian Jews in the Second World War, and saw the former prisoners lay flowers and examine the crematorium where the bodies of their friends were burned. After lying forgotten in disrepair for decades, Mittelbau-Dora, near Nordhausen, Germany, was reinstated in 2005 as a memorial site and museum to the atrocities of Nazi Germany, with the message that they should never be forgotten. Tears for the dead: Nazi concentration camp survivor Boleslaw Pieniazkiewicz, from Poland, mourns during a ceremony today to commemorate the 69th anniversary of the liberation of former Nazi concentration camp Mittelbau-Dora near Nordhausen, Germany. Around 20,000 prisoners died in the camp . Memorial: From left, Polish survivors Alojzy Maciak, Boleslaw Pieniazkiewicz and Tadeusz Samerdak lay flowers at Mittelbau-Dora today. The site is now a memorial . Memorial: The three survivors of the camps walk to view the crematorium wearing prisoners' hats. This year's commemoration focused on Hungarian Jews . Emotion: The prisoners at Mittelbau-Dora and its parent camp, Buchenwald, were forced to make German munitions for the war in terrible conditions . Shadows of the past: The camp was stripped bare in 1947 and reinstated as a full memorial site in 2005, to ensure the horrors of the Nazi regime are not forgotten . Comfort: Bertrand Herz, President of the International Committee of Buchenwald-Dora and Sub-Camps, left, with Nazi concentration camp survivor Ed Carter-Edwards, who travelled to the service from Canada. Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals and the homeless were sent to the camps, among many others . Poignant: With their prisoner numbers still visible to remind them how they were dehumanised, the survivors examine tributes at the new memorial in Mittelbau-Dora . Horror: Nazi concentration camp survivor Chasten Bowen and his wife Jeanie Bowen travelled from California. Here they examine the ovens where bodies were burned . Liberated: Elie Wiesel, right, was one of thousands found emaciated when Buchenwald was liberated by the allies. The site was 50 miles from sister camp Mittelbau-Dora . Freedom for those who lived: Inmates of the Buchenwald camp line up receive treatment at an American hospital after the camp was liberated by U.S. troops in April 1945 . | Ceremony held 69 years after the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp in Nordhausen, Germany, was liberated .
Around 60,000 prisoners were forced to make German armaments in terrible conditions. A third of them died .
Service at the camp, now a memorial site, focused on genocide of Hungarian Jews there and at nearby Buchenwald . |
fd138b77752b287bc8673dc7cb9f5c101cc01a33 | Two leading players questioned why there was no ambulance on site after Fabrizio Zanotti was struck on the head by a ball in the KLM Open on Thursday. Zanotti was on the 16th fairway at Kennemer Golf Club when he was hit by an errant drive from France's Alexandre Kaleka on the 14th. According to the European Tour, Zanotti did not lose consciousness and received treatment on the course from a doctor and a paramedic before he was taken to hospital. VIDEO Scroll down to watch KLM Open - Round 1 highlights . Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay is attended to by medical staff after being struck while Alexandre Kaleka looks on . Zanotti thanked his followers for their support and confirmed that he would be taking time away from golf . An ambulance eventually arrived and took Zanotti to hospital but he fortunately never lost consciousness . VIDEO KLM Open - Round 1 highlights . The 31-year-old from Paraguay was accompanied by fellow players Felipe Aguilar and Ricardo Gonzalez, who withdrew from the tournament to stay with their friend. Zanotti was later discharged from hospital and wrote on Twitter that he would now take a few weeks off, but the incident caused a delay of almost two hours and left Italian pair Edoardo Molinari and Matteo Manassero particularly unhappy. In reference to the death of caddie Iain McGregor in Madeira earlier this season, Molinari wrote on Twitter: 'Seems like @fabrizanotti is ok. How is it possible there is no ambulance on site after what happened in Madeira.' Manassero added on Twitter: 'Let's hope now that the second incident will guarantee ambulances on site for everybody's safety.' In a statement released to Press Association Sport, tournament director Miguel Vidaor said: 'Fabrizio received impeccable medical care and attention from the team of doctors and paramedics who were already on site as part of the tournament and who are fully equipped to deal with any medical emergency. 'They subsequently deemed it necessary for Fabrizio to go to hospital as a precaution for further assessment and we are pleased to report that he has been discharged after receiving the all clear.' KLM Open director Daan Slooter added: 'We have worked with The European Tour to upgrade the medical provision at this year's KLM Open. 'Unfortunately, there was not an ambulance on site, as requested by The European Tour, since we took the decision not to have one because the first aid provision on site was capable of dealing with an incident like this, and indeed any other medical emergency. Manassero said he hoped the second accident in a short time period would lead to a change in policy . 'Let's hope now that the second incident will guarantee ambulances on site for everybody's safety,' he tweeted . 'The hospitals nearby and the ambulance system in Holland could respond quickly if further assistance was required, and indeed the ambulance responded within the parameters of Dutch law. In light of what happened with Fabrizio, we now have an ambulance on site for the remainder of the tournament.' Zanotti had started his round from the 10th and was level par after six holes when the incident occurred. Molinari carded an opening 66 to lie one shot off the lead held by defending champion Joost Luiten and Scotland's Jamie McLeary. Luiten carded four birdies, an eagle and just one bogey in his 65, while McLeary joined the Dutchman on five under with a birdie on the 16th just before play was suspended for the day. Play in the first round will resume at 8am on Friday. Alexandre Kaleka looks nervous as he watches his fellow professional receive treatment after being hit . 'It is always nice to shoot a 65,' said Luiten, who had downplayed his chances of a repeat victory on Wednesday. 'I played well and didn't make any mistakes. That's the key on this course, keep the ball in play and take your chances. For me it was a good solid round and I hit some nice spots. 'Sometimes you can be conservative and take irons off the tee but if you feel good with the driver you have to hit it and make a tough hole into a birdie hole. It all depends how the winds are but I was hitting my drive well and I tried to take advantage of that.' Italy's Andrea Pavan and France's Gary Stal were alongside Molinari on four under, with Ryder Cup player Thomas Bjorn and vice-captain Miguel Angel Jimenez off the pace on one over. | Zanotti struck on the head by Alexandre Kaleka's shot .
Felipe Aguilar and Ricardo Gonzalez withdraw from KLM Open to take their friend to hospital .
Zanotti did not lose consciousness and was treated on course by a doctor .
Incident follows death of caddie Iain McGregor earlier this season .
Molinari questions how it is possible there are still not ambulances on site . |
fd14c670d08c2dcd0f1d13876c2598a1f885c638 | ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- In radio broadcasts and sermons, Taliban militants have been promoting themselves as Islamic Robin Hoods, defending Pakistan's rural poor from a ruling elite that they describe as corrupt and oppressive. Mohammed Daoud, with his son Faisal, is among those who have embraced the Taliban's message. That message has been resonating throughout the Pakistani countryside, where the culture is deeply conservative and the people are desperately poor. In farmlands just 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the center of Islamabad, Mohammed Daoud and his 15-year-old son Faisal eke out a living by cutting grass for their four water buffalo. They feed their family of seven, earning the equivalent of around $50 a month by selling buffalo milk. Two months ago, Daoud said, the government bulldozed his family's house, probably because they were illegally squatting on property they did not own. "Justice [in Pakistan] is only for people who have money," Daoud said, while slicing through handfuls of grass with a small scythe. "We are illiterate," he added, "but we are hoping that with Islamic sharia law, our lives will get better." Across this overwhelmingly Muslim country, there is widespread hope that adopting a strict code of law based on the Koran will transform a society where corruption is rampant and where at least a quarter of the population lives under the poverty line. Watch why the Taliban's message would resonate . Enforcement of sharia law is the platform the Taliban have been using to justify recent land-grabs, such as last week's armed occupation of the district of Buner, some 60 miles from the Pakistani capital. In an interview with CNN, Muslim Khan, the Taliban spokesman in the militant stronghold of Swat Valley, denounced the Pakistani government, calling the prime minister and lawmakers "un-Islamic." "They're making money like in a supermarket," Khan said, adding that under sharia law both the rich and the poor would be treated equally. Militants have slowly taken over territory in northwestern Pakistan by first targeting unpopular landlords and bureaucrats, according to Amnesty International, the human rights watchdog. "Its systematic. The Taliban move into an area, they use local existing resentments. They often go in with the guise of being Robin Hoods," said Amnesty International representative Sam Zarifi. "They scare away some local thieves, they impose very, very quick justice, very harsh justice, and initially in some places they are even welcomed." The Taliban's promise of Islamic justice would be welcomed in farm fields on the outskirts of Islamabad. Rows of wheat -- along with the posh villas of Pakistan's ruling elite -- are within sight of Islamabad's iconic white Faisal Mosque. "In the present judicial system, even the innocent people are punished," said Sajeet Hussein, as he and a group of farmers shared lunch under the shade of a tree. The group explained that they were losing a court battle to stop the government from seizing their land, because they claimed they couldn't afford to bribe policemen and judges. "Every part of the country should have sharia law, like in Saudi Arabia," said Hussein's brother Babar, who sported a long bushy beard. "Then poor and rich people will be equal." "We love the Taliban," announced one Pashtun farmer who asked not to be named. He called the militants heroes. Sports star-turned-politician Imran Khan summed up his response to the Taliban in Pakistan by saying, "The poorer section of society is joining them...this is now developing into a battle between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots.' "What the Taliban are giving them is cheap -- in fact, free -- accessible justice at the village level," he added. "This is what Pakistan should be doing for its own people." But if farmer Babar Hussein has his way, Taliban justice would mean taking away freedoms from Pakistani women, like the right to have a driver's license. "Women should not even come out of their houses. That's against Islam" he said, while complaining about the un-Islamic fashions he saw women wearing in Islamabad. When Taliban militants overran Buner last week, they told women to stay indoors, warned men to stop shaving their beards, and threatened shopkeepers who sold movies and music. In Pakistan's rural society, male strangers are not even supposed look at local women. And yet, some farmers enjoy blaring Bollywood music and even dancing on trailers full of hay, while driving their gaudily-decorated tractors. If the Taliban's rural revolt succeeds, it could bring silence to the Pakistani countryside. | Amnesty International: Taliban first targets unpopular landlords, bureaucrats .
Taliban spokesman in Swat Valley calls Pakistani government as "un-Islamic"
Islamabad's Faisal Mosque surrounded by posh villas of Pakistan's ruling elite .
Imran Khan: Battle shaping up as one "between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' " |
fd15156d97c424e3c2ac50f703fb388a11b3ee04 | (CNN) -- Rory McIlroy held his nerve to maintain the lead on day three of the PGA Championship at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky and will take a slender one shot cushion into Sunday's final round. The Northern Irishman, who is attempting to win his third straight tournament and second major of 2014, carded a round of 67 Saturday to leave him on 13-under-par for the week. Austria's Bernd Wiesberger is a shot back at 12-under-par followed by Rickie Fowler on 11-under. Phil Mickelson finished the day at 10-under-par alongside Jason Day while Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson, Ryan Palmer and Miko Ilonen are tied for fifth position at nine-under-par. "I'm really happy with how I finished again," McIlroy told Sky Sports upon reaching the clubhouse. "I finished really strongly which puts me in good position for tomorrow." McIlroy won the British Open in July and reclaimed the world No. 1 spot last week when he picked up the WGC Bridgestone Invitational title. And his big-hitting game seemed made for the tender greens in Louisville that had been softened by early morning rain. But the day was not without its challenges and McIlroy had to dig deep to fend off the chasing field. The 25-year-old saved par on the fourth after teeing off into the hazard before carding birdies on holes five and seven. He bogeyed eight and then once again showed guile to par the ninth when he overshot the green. A birdie on ten was then followed by a bogey on 12 and another difficult par save on 13. At this stage Day, Fowler and Palmer had clawed McIlroy back to tie for the lead at 10-under-par. But the Rory McIlroy of the last month has been nothing if not resilient. He spoke Friday about how golf has become his life since splitting from fiance Caroline Wozniacki in May. And when the pressure was on here in Kentucky, he excelled. A birdie on 15 was followed by a miraculous approach shot on 16 that dropped two feet from the hole. Three birdies from Wiesberger on the final three holes, however, brought the Austrian level atop the leaderboard. But McIlroy added one last birdie of his own on 18 to secure the overnight lead. "I knew there were guys ahead of me making birdies and it gives me a lot of confidence knowing that if I get challenged and people put the pressure on I am able to respond like I did today," McIlroy said. "If I can keep playing well and staying mentally strong, there is another major to maybe come my way." By comparison, Wiesberger will be aiming for his first ever major win when he heads out Sunday. The 28-year-old is ranked 70 in the world and had only ever made the cut once in five previous majors. "I played beautifully today, I didn't miss a lot of shots, set up a few nice opportunities on the last few holes especially. I'm very proud of myself the way I played," Wiesberger said in quotes carried by UK news agency, the Press Association. "It's a completely new situation for me, only my second cut in a major in six attempts, so I am quite a rookie in this particularly situation. I have driven it really nicely this week and if I can do it again it will settle down the nerves and I am going to have fun tomorrow." Elsewhere on the course, former world No. 1 Adam Scott scored a fine 66 to leave him tied at seven-under par with Lee Westwood, Hunter Mahan, Kevin Chappell and Jim Furyk. Wales' Jamie Donaldson is a shot ahead at 8-under-par after scoring an impressive 66 alongside Graham DeLaet and Steve Stricker. At the other end of the leaderboard, Bubba Watson's frustrating form continued as he scored a disappointing round of 73 leaving him two-over-par for the tournament. | Rory McIlroy takes slim lead into final day of PGA Championship .
British Open winner holds one shot advantage over Austria's Bernd Wiesberger .
Rickie Fowler, Jason Day and Phil Mickelson all in chasing pack . |
fd155716f40b05bb84c1003fa7a64bfd1eb0fa04 | By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 17:41 EST, 23 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:20 EST, 23 May 2013 . Heartbreak: Friends and family of little Antonia Candelaria, pictured, laid her to rest today as the funerals for victims of Monday's tornado get underway . A nine-year-old girl who 'found the positive, good and joy in everything' was laid to rest today after she was killed in the arms of her best friend when the Oklahoma tornado struck their school. Nicknamed 'Ladybug' by her family, little Antonia Candelaria is one of seven children who perished at the Plaza Towers Elementary in Moore. Her closest friend, fellow third-grader Emily Conatzer, was with her — a source of solace for her parents. Antonia's funeral was the first of three to be held in the next two days for children who died in Monday's storm, which claimed a total of 24 lives and damaged or destroyed 13,000 homes in the Oklahoma City suburb. Ironically, . the heavens opened as family and friends hurried into a chapel where . mournful country songs played and photos of a beaming Antonia filled the . foyer on Thursday. Her mother, Brandie Candelaria, said that knowing her 'beautiful young lady' was in the arms of her best friend when she died was comforting for her family. 'I . know Tonia and Emily were together and holding hands and taking care of . each other,' the distraught woman said according to Moore Schools . Superintendent Susan Pierce, after learning of her daughter's death. In a tear-jerking obituary in The Oklahoman, the family described Antonia as a happy girl who loved life and the people around her, always 'dancing to her own drum.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Tragic: Mourners leave the memorial service for nine-year-old Antonia Candelaria who was killed by the tornado that struck Plaza Towers elementary school on Monday . Together at the end: Antonia's closest friend, fellow third-grader Emily Conatzer, was with her ¿ a source of solace for her parents . Ladybug: Nicknamed 'Ladybug' by her family, little Antonia Candelaria is one of seven children who perished at the Plaza Towers Elementary in Moore . 'She was a beautiful young lady on the inside and out,' her mother wrote. 'She . had her own most special and beautiful way of looking at the world. She . could find the positive, good and joy in everything.' She remembered her daughter as someone 'specially gifted in art as well . as music' and said she 'loved to draw, paint, color and make crafts.' Of Antoni and Emily, she wrote: 'They were inseparable, even in their last moments, they held on to one another . and followed each other into Heaven and they will never be alone. 'We . will miss our precious little Ladybug everyday but will rejoice for the . day we will be reunited with her again someday,' the obituary . concluded. Taking shelter: People gather under a garage to avoid rain after attending a memorial service for little Antonia Candelaria at Vondel Smith Mortuary South Colonial Chapel on May 23, 2013 . Support: Hundreds of people gathered in stormy weather on Thursday to mourn the nine-year-old girl who loved to sing, dance and paint, as funerals began for 24 victims of the massive tornado . Rain: A man yells at the media asking them to leave after attending a memorial service for nine-year-old Antonia Candelaria at Vondel Smith Mortuary South Colonial Chapel on May 23, 2013 . | Antonia Candelaria, 9, was laid to rest on Thursday after she .
was killed in the arms of her best friend during Monday's twister .
Nicknamed 'Ladybug'
little Antonia's funeral was the first of seven children who perished at the .
Plaza Towers Elementary in Moore .
Family and friends braved heavy rain to remember the nine-year-old who who they said 'found the positive, good and joy in everything' |
fd15df3140a8c651e434f04f5085dcdd56fd2734 | (CNN) -- The increasingly slapstick global steeplechase in pursuit of Edward Snowden, the former American contractor who leaked top-secret details of surveillance programs, looks like a cross between "The Hunt for Red October" and "The Bonfire of the Vanities." Nobody, except perhaps Snowden himself, is coming out of this well. While the CIA's Public Enemy Number One plays Captain Marko Ramius, keeping stumm beneath the (radio) waves in the Moscow transit zone, Very Important People are making themselves ridiculous in vintage Tom Wolfe style. High on the list is John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State. Huffing and puffing, Kerry warned China and Russia of "consequences" if, as seems probable, they have conspired to deliberately thwart U.S. justice by twisting the long arm of the law. Like too many American politicians, Kerry seems to believe "the law" is what the White House counsel and U.S. Justice Department deem it to be on any given day, and that this made-in-America "law" applies inexorably to every country and every corner of the world. Wrong, John. It's like invading somebody else's country without a U.N. Security Council resolution, or entering a home without a warrant. Not advisable, unless you relish hand-to-hand combat and endless sarcasm. Quite what Kerry's "consequences" may be is not specified -- but the idea sounds arrogant to foreign ears. Perhaps the U.S. will retaliate by ordering the secret hacking of Chinese government data banks? Wait a minute. Hasn't that been done already? To Asian eyes, Snowden is a new, more useful kind of Quiet American. Having picked his brains or pockets or both, Hong Kong happily let him go. Russia says it feels "threatened" by U.S. criticism. This is as close as Sergei Lavrov, Moscow's dour foreign minister, has ever got to making a joke. If Putin and pals can stiff Obama on Syria and Iran, they can certainly "lift" a tale-teller and endure a cyber-tiff or two. These are tears of laughter, not pain. Crowing Chinese comments about how the heroic Snowden has "torn off Washington's sanctimonious mask" give a clue to what is going on here. So, too, does the uppity behavior of tiny Ecuador and Iceland. If these international minnows dare challenge the pomp and majesty of Imperial America, how stands the Empire now, Caesar? Fraying at the edges, is the answer. Admit it. For Obama et al, it's a "pants-down" day. L'affaire Snowden has provided a glorious field day for all those "surrender monkey Commie pinko crypto-Marxist long-haired G8-loathing eco-friendly global-warming anti-free market anti-capitalist anti-McDonald's (anti-stereotype)" anti-Americans who just love to hate the "Land of the Free." It's surprising how many of them there are these days. Perhaps it has something to do with Guantanamo. For sure, the Beijing Politburo has no problem with detaining people indefinitely without charge. After all, they've been doing it for years. But it comes hard from a global superpower that is constantly lecturing China and everybody else about the inviolability of human rights. Perhaps it's a Bradley Manning thing. There's a lot of sympathy out there for the pint-sized soldier who dared to share the State Department's incredibly tedious cables, then got treated worse than a mass murderer. Every country has its own experience of U.S. bullying. In Britain, the case of Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon, accused by the U.S. of the "biggest military computer hack of all time", became a cause celebre. In the end even Britain's sycophantic Cameron government was obliged, by force of public opinion, to throw out the U.S. extradition demand. Where could Snowden go next? Perhaps it's the way the U.S. ignores its friends' environmental and resource concerns. Perhaps people in the global village are growing less tolerant of a domineering, one-size-fits-all philistine culture. Iran has a pithy catchphrase for it. It calls America the "Global Arrogance." Or perhaps it's a "white man's burden" thing. That's the phrase the British used to morally justify their empire-building. They were doing good, or so they told themselves, annexing all those countries and subjugating their peoples. Geopolitically speaking, Washington took over where London left off, post 1945. Except the US equivalent phrase is "right man's burden". That is to say, we (that's the imperial Washington 'we') are (always) right, and you (lesser mortals, sadly benighted) are (always) wrong. The world watched this attitude play out in Afghanistan and Iraq (intervention to make America's streets safe) and now in Syria (non-intervention to make America's streets safe). Pity all those displaced and terrorised Middle Easterners, but hey, we fixed Osama didn't we? Strange that sense of triumph over the killing of the 9/11 mastermind was not universally shared. Extra-judicial assassination, drones, killer robots, extraordinary rendition, black ops, wet ops, psy-ops, silly ops... The world is a bit tired of all this American posturing, grandstanding, and self-serving banditry. So now it's cyber-ops, but wholly unofficial, courtesy Mr E. Snowden. It would hard to accept it is real, if you didn't suspect it was virtual. Rather than decry it, many applaud it. The White House is furious at the non-cooperation it has received. But has it occurred to them that maybe not just the Russians and the Chinese, but those soft, liberal Europeans and all the other neutrals also don't like the idea of being spied on by an out-of-control transnational agency beyond the reach of the law, any law, anywhere? Obama and Kerry can talk about security until they lose signal. Right now, the rest of the world is talking sovereignty, privacy and individual rights. And enjoying the moment when the big guy takes a fall. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Simon Tisdall. | NSA leaker Edward Snowden has hidden in Hong Kong and Moscow airport .
U.S. secretary of state warned China and Russia of "consequences"
Simon Tisdall: L'affaire Snowden has provided a glorious field day for anti-Americans .
Every country has its own experience of U.S. bullying, writes Tisdall . |
fd168414ecc2163a8b0bb16b80d0e5d1a9ccad5a | By . Ap Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:30 EST, 11 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:36 EST, 11 December 2013 . Millennial women in America are more likely to receive pay nearly equal to their male counterparts than any previous generation. A Pew Research study out Wednesday shows that the working women of Generation Y bring home around 93 percent of the earnings of men. But even as the wage gap closes, women aged 18 to 32 remain as pessimistic as their mothers and grandmothers regarding gender equality. Closing the gap? A new Pew study out Wednesday found that Millennial women are more likely to receive pay nearly equal to their male counterparts than any generation before . Overall, women earned just 84 percent of what men were paid in 2012 according to the Pew study. Though . the younger generation is more fortunate after decades of women’s . demands for equal pay, 75 percent of women 18-32 still say the U.S. needs to do more to bring about equality in the workplace. Some 57 percent of young men answered the same way. While . women under 32 now have higher rates of college completion than men . that age, the analysis of census and labor data shows their hourly . earnings will slip further behind by the women's mid-30s, if the . experience of the past three decades is a guide. Narrower, but still there: Pew's research shows that women 25 to 34 make 93 percent of what their male counterparts take home. Compare that to the 84 percent that woman make versus men overall . That widening gap is due in part to . the many women who take time off or reduce their hours to start . families. Other factors cited in the report are gender stereotyping, . discrimination, weaker professional networks and women's hesitancy to . aggressively push for raises and promotions, which together may account . for 20 to 40 percent of the pay gap. Even so, just 15 percent of young women say they have been discriminated against because of their gender. ‘Today's . generation of young women is entering the labor force near parity with . men in terms of earnings and extremely well prepared in terms of their . educational attainment,’ said Kim Parker, associate director with the . Pew Social & Demographic Trends Project. ‘They feel empowered in . many ways, yet when they look at the workplace, they see it as a 'man's . world' with the deck stacked against them.’ ‘They . think that men earn more than women for doing the same job and that . it's easier for men to get top executive jobs than it is for women,’ she . said. Women are . increasingly moving into higher career positions both in government and . business. They make up nearly half the workforce, and the share of women . in managerial and administrative occupations is nearly equal to that of . men — 15 percent compared to 17 percent. Not out of the woods: Despite the great strides made in closing the pay gap, even Millennial women continue to be skeptical about gender equality in America--nearly as skeptical as their mothers and grandmothers . Andrew Cherlin, a sociology professor . at Johns Hopkins University, attributed young women's negative . assessments about gender equality to their rising career expectations. ‘More doors are now open to women, but they can now see how far they are . from equality in high-level jobs,’ he said. The . near-equal pay for young women is being driven in large part by their . educational gains. Some 38 percent of women ages 25-32 now hold . bachelor's degrees, compared to 31 percent of young men. As a result, 49 . percent of employed workers with at least a bachelor's degree last year . were women, up from 36 percent in 1980. That means more women in . higher-skilled, higher-paying positions. The . current ratio of hourly earnings for young women to young men, now at . 93 percent, is up from 67 percent in 1980 and is the highest in . government records dating back to at least 1979. Across all age groups, . the median hourly wage for women last year was 84 percent as much as men . — $14.90 vs. $17.79, up from 64 percent in 1980. At . the same time, the Pew study indicates that a woman's job advancement . often will hit a ceiling, due in part to competing demands of work and . family. Women remain twice as likely as men to work part-time and are . more likely to take significant time off from employment during their . lives to care for children or other family members. Still skeptical: While the wages are going up for Millennial women, the Pew study shows that 75 percent of women aged 18-32 think more should be done to bring about gender equality. In Boomer generation women, the number was only slightly higher . Among young women, 59 percent say that being a working parent makes it harder to advance in a job or career, compared to just 19 percent of young men. Across all age groups, 22 percent of women and 9 percent of men report having quit jobs for family reasons at some point during their working lives. Fewer young women than young men aspire to become a boss or top manager. Some 34 percent say they're not interested, compared to 24 percent of young men. And the vast majority of adults of all ages who reduced their work hours to care for family members — 94 percent — say they are glad they did it. ‘This report shows that we are still very much in a 'stalled revolution' when it comes to gender equality in the workplace — and young women see it,’ said Pamela Smock, a sociology professor at the University of Michigan. ‘When we see our male CEOs taking off a day to care for a sick child, then we will be working in a more gender-equal workplace — and a more gender-equal world.’ The Pew study was based on interviews with 2,002 adults by cellphone or landline from October 7 to October 27. The Pew poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. | Pew Research has found that Generation Y women make 93 percent as much as their male counterparts .
Overall, women in America made just 84 percent of what men were paid in 2012 .
The study found that young women are as pessimistic about gender equality as previous generations . |
fd1693f387eeffeda8a599db8e1c1e75a9190550 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:08 EST, 24 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 22:32 EST, 24 May 2012 . Fine time: A total of 6.8million parking tickets were handed out by councils last year - up from 6.5million in 2010 . Motorists are being hit with parking fines every 4.6 seconds as the number of penalties issued to drivers soars, research reveals. A total of 6.8million parking tickets were handed out by councils last year – up from 6.5million in 2010. But a quarter of parking tickets are disputed, with 39 per cent of challenges succeeding. The rise comes despite a 5 per cent fall in the number of traffic wardens from 3,882 in 2010 to 3,693 last year. The findings come from Freedom of Information requests to 71 councils by the insurer Swiftcover.com. The figures showed parking fines rose from 6,585,411 in 2010 to 6,831,666 last year – a 3.7 per cent increase of 246,255, ‘equivalent to one every 4.6 seconds’, according to the report. The 131,378 fines handed out every week last year generated at least £234million for councils. Across London, a total of 4,124,561 fines were issued last year – up 3.6 per cent on the previous year. Outside the capital, Liverpool (146,503), Manchester (138,558) and Birmingham (132,684) city councils issued the highest number of fines. This is based on a minimum fine after early payment discount of £25 outside of London and £40 in the capital. Further research found that 51 per cent of motorists turn their backs on their local high streets because of the difficulties posed by parking. On average, 74,257 fines were handed out by each local council last year, compared to 72,367 in 2010. But the report says that as fines soared, the number of local council traffic wardens of ‘Civil Enforcement Officers’ fell from 3,882 in 2010 to 3,693 in 2011 – a drop of around 5 per cent. The busiest traffic wardens were found in Liverpool, handing out an average of 2,616 parking fines each in 2011. They were followed by those in Coventry (2,220) and Worcester (2,125). That's the ticket: A total of 4,124,561 tickets where handed out in London last year up 3.6 per cent on the previous year . The lowest proportion of fines were in Sunderland where each traffic warden handed out just 296 fines on average. But higher numbers of fines also led to an increase in disputes by motorists. In 2010 some 1,677,043 parking ticket disputes were lodged with local councils and Transport for London. In 2011 that figure rose to 1,758,571 – or 146,547 each month. However, the success rate of these challenges has fallen - from 47 per cent (780,710 tickets overturned) in 2010 to 39 per cent (683,218 tickets overturned) in 2011. Success rates in disputed cases vary dramatically by local council. They range from as little as 11 per cent in the City of Bradford, to 72 per cent in Chichester. More than third (36 per cent) of Manchester motorists who disputed a ticket were successful, while 41 per cent of appeals were upheld in Birmingham. Further research by swiftcover.com revealed that parking in their nearest town or city centre has become more difficult for two thirds (66 per cent) of motorists. Battle: While 39 per cent of motorists that challenged fines last year were successful, that success rate was down from 47 per cent in the year prior . It is forcing more than half (51 per cent) of shoppers to turn their backs on their local high-street. And six out of ten (61 per cent) of 17 to 24 year olds do not now shop in their local town, . Robin Reames, chief claims officer at swiftcover.com, said: ‘Shortage of parking has become a huge issue in towns and cities across the UK in the past five to ten years. However, this doesn’t excuse illegal parking. Although it might be an easy option to park on a double yellow for a short time, it’s potentially dangerous as well as being illegal, and can result in a fine. ‘Furthermore, if your illegally parked car is a hazard and a moving vehicle crashed in to it, an insurer could in theory request up to a third of the bill from the at fault motorist.’ Insurers are entitled to request for up to a third of the cost of an accident if the policyholder is proven to have parked illegally and in a hazardous way, although the firm insists this is ‘extremely rate.’ | Total fines rose by 3.7 per cent last year .
Equivalent to one ticket issued every 4.6 seconds .
More than 4million tickets dished out in London .
Half of motorists don't use high street because of difficulties posed by parking . |
fd16e82ead83ddc46ea31a19ce637feefb24d9bc | By . Jack Doyle . PUBLISHED: . 20:55 EST, 25 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:32 EST, 25 March 2013 . Police chiefs are wasting millions of pounds when buying basic kit because they cannot agree on the details - such as how many pockets a uniform should have. The national spending watchdog found widespread disagreement between forces about what kind of high visibility jackets they prefer for their officers and how they like their handcuffs. As well as disagreeing on many pockets a police uniform needs, forces also hold opposing views about what constitutes a good boot. Police chiefs are wasting millions as they can't agree on basic details of uniform such as handcuffs, boots and hi-vis jackets . As a result of their lack of agreement, forces are not using their combined purchasing power to its greatest advantage, and some are spending much more than others on simple items, the National Audit Office has concluded. In a report published today it reveals some forces are paying as much 400 per cent more than others for each high-visibility jacket. The highest price paid by a force was £100 per jacket, compared to a unit cost of just £20 in others. Astonishingly, the report found 20 different specification differences between high-viz jackets. A spokesman for the NAO said these included whether it should be a heavy anorak or a lightweight cagoule, the levels of waterproofing and weight. Damian Green estimates that the force will have saved £110million by March 2012 through better procurement . On handcuffs, forces differed on whether they preferred the steel finish or a black colour, and how the two cuffs should be linked together. Some forces spent just £14 on a set of cuffs, compared to £43 in the most spendthrift constabulary. Riot shields can be round, curved or long, interlocking and vary in weight and thickness. Some forces prefer shields with map holders and dog handling straps. They cost between £31 and £136 depending on the force. Body armour varied in areas such as thickness and colour and in price from £203 to £410. If forces could agree common standards on those five standard goods, they could save 25 per cent of their procurement budgets - or £1.6million a year, the report said. But coming in the way of agreement was that each piece of equipment had at least nine separate specifications. The report said: ‘Forces have found it particularly hard to agree common specifications for uniform, which they spent almost £8million on in 2010-11. The auditors added: ‘If forces cannot agree on such areas, meaningful collaboration will not be feasible. Margaret Hodge MP, chair of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, said: ‘It is unbelievable that something as simple as a high-visibility jacket has 20 different specifications, with associated prices that differ by as much as £80. ‘Instead of focusing money on tackling crime, police forces are wasting resources disagreeing over how many pockets they should have on their uniforms.' Forces are facing cuts in Home Office funding totalling £2.1 billion over the five years to 2015. Together they spend £1.7billion on non-IT equipment every year. The NAO said forces could save £2.6 million a year - up to a third of their uniform costs - by agreeing a common specification. Chair of the Public Accounts Committee Margaret Hodge said that it is unbelievable that there were so many differences between the forces . NAO head Amyas Morse said: ‘Faced with the pressure to make substantial savings, it makes sense for police forces to examine the scope for cutting the cost of buying goods and services. ‘What is clear is that many opportunities for savings remain unexploited. ‘Agreement between forces on collaborative ways of buying and common specifications for equipment can deliver better value for money - but implementing this is a challenge where forces are used to doing their own thing. Policing and criminal justice minister Damian Green said: ‘The NAO report recognises progress is being made. ‘The police are already required to buy vehicles, body armour and some IT through national agreements and we estimate forces will have saved £110 million by March 2013 through better procurement.’ | Disagreed on basic things, such as how many pockets a uniform needs .
Some forces are paying 400% more than others for a hi-vis jacket .
Forces differed on whether they wanted a steel or black finish on handcuffs .
Justice minister Damian Green estimates they will now save £110million . |
fd16f92ee54e817977f5982267d59676a8320c29 | A Little League coach died after he was struck in the head with a baseball as he warmed up with his 12-year-old son's team before a game. Father-of-two Richard Becher, 50, from Holbrook in Long Island, New York, was pitching during batting practice at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, Suffolk County, on Saturday when the freak accident occurred. One of the young players is believed to have hit the ball that struck Becher. Richard Becher, 50, from Holbrook, New York, was pitching during batting practice at Baseball Heaven (right) in Yaphank, Suffolk County, New York, when the freak accident occurred . Several witnesses attempted to revive him with CPR while waiting for police and paramedics to arrive at the scene. Becher, the Vice President of Sachem Little League, was rushed to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. According to the New York Post, Becher was reportedly pitching behind an 'L' screen, which is designed to protect pitchers, when he was struck. Roger Pondel, a spokesman for Baseball Heaven, said: 'It was obviously a tragic situation. Our hearts go out to the family.' The Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad is investigating the incident. Several witnesses tried to revive the father-of-two with CPR at the New York facility . He was rushed to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue, New York, but he was pronounced dead a short time later . | Richard Becher, 50, was hit at Baseball Heaven in Suffolk County, New York .
Married man was struck as he warmed up with his young son's travel team .
Several people tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead in hospital .
He was reportedly standing behind a protective screen when he was hit . |
fd16fe64b623a9f21a20d21bedda309d897bf7ee | A couple who made a harrowing video of their baby boy being taken away by social workers at six hours old yesterday backed a senior judge’s call to expose family courts to ‘the glare of publicity’. The parents secretly filmed the moment council staff seized their fourth child after being told they were not capable of looking after his elder siblings. They then posted the clip online. The footage shows the 36-year-old mother, who has learning difficulties, screaming ‘No!’ as social workers warn they will ‘get physical’ if the couple resist. Scroll down video . The six-hour-old baby is cradled by its father as a police officer stands close by in the secretly recorded video . The mother is clearly distraught in the video as Staffordshire social workers and police take the baby away . Yesterday her husband backed Sir James . Munby’s attack on the secrecy which shrouds Britain’s family courts as . he rejected the local council’s bid for an injunction to suppress the . video. The injunction . was also designed to prevent anyone knowing the names of the social . workers, or discovering the name of the local authority that applied for . the order, Staffordshire County Council. Sir . James, president of the Family Division of the High Court, also . rejected the council’s bid to bar the father from sharing information . about the case. And in a . dramatic intervention, he said there was a ‘pressing need’ for more . transparency in the family justice system as a whole. Destroyed: The father says he was left feeling powerless and upset by the removal of his baby son . The . 41-year-old husband at the centre of the case said yesterday: ‘Taking . our children away destroyed my life and my wife’s life. I posted the . video to show how draconian the state can be even when social workers . have accepted we would never have harmed our children.’ The . father, whose comments could not be printed until the judge’s . intervention, added: ‘Hopefully if there’s more openness in how these . decisions are made it will prevent injustices.’ They . claim social workers removed their baby because they decided the mother . was incapable of bringing them up because of her learning disability. The couple said it was only after they had a second daughter in 2008 they came ‘under the microscope’. One social worker can be heard saying: 'We are here to take [baby J]. I don't want to have to get physical' Harrowing: The bewildered newborn baby can be heard crying during the distressing seizure . Sir James Munby said the baby's father should not be prevented from sharing information about the case after Staffordshire Council tried to gag him . Two . years later, the mother was accused of pulling her elder daughter’s . hair – which she denies – and after an investigation, both girls were . taken away. The couple had a third daughter last year, but she was taken . away aged six hours, the same fate that was to befall their baby son, . known only as J. Accompanied . by police, social workers allegedly citing ‘risk of emotional harm’ took him away following his birth in April, unaware the father was . filming on a computer webcam. In . the video, the mother is clearly distraught as her husband remonstrates . with officers and council staff at their Staffordshire home. In June . the father was given a suspended six-week prison sentence for refusing . to co-operate in removing the video from internet sites. An . edited version of it plus the parents’ account can only now be . published following Sir James’s ruling, although they still cannot be . named in order to protect their children, three of whom have now been . adopted. The father said: . ‘The social workers said my wife and I were in a volatile relationship. There has never been violence. The court was told there was a risk the . children would come to harm in the future. They were never harmed.’ He . added: ‘The judge’s comments are a step in the right direction, but I’d . like to see the Press allowed into all family courts to stop social . workers getting away with telling lies.’ The . father said that although social workers considered his wife disabled, . her disability benefits were halted after intervention by council staff, . and because neither work they had to be supported by family. Staffordshire . council said it had never tried to shield itself from scrutiny. ‘I . believe any parent in this situation should be able to tell their story, . but the prime interest of the local authority is that the child has to . be protected,’ council leader Philip Atkins said. Last . night the British Association of Social Workers warned that encouraging . aggrieved families to publicise their experiences risked ‘demonising’ their profession. Chief . executive Bridget Robb said: ‘Such images do not tell the whole story. If the public want children to be protected, they have to get behind . social workers, understand that removal of a child is not a decision . taken lightly by them alone. Sire James Munby told his colleagues they must learn to deal with offensive and defamatory material on the internet, rather than ‘throw up their hands and moan’. The country’s most senior family law judge said much of what is posted online about the courts is ‘highly objectionable’ but the law had to adapt to it and judges must stick to the ‘fundamentally important principles’ of free speech. Sir James spoke during his High Court ‘Child J’ ruling this week, one of the first to advise judges on how to deal with material on the web and social media. He said: ‘The internet allows anyone, effectively at the click of a mouse, to publish whatever they wish. ‘The consequence is that the internet is awash with material couched in the most exaggerated, extreme, offensive and often defamatory terms, much of which has only a tenuous connection with objectively verifiable truth. ‘The law must develop and adapt, as it always has done down the years in response to other technologies. We must not simply throw up our hands in despair and moan that the internet is uncontrollable. Nor can we simply abandon basic legal principles.’ | Seizure by Staffordshire social workers secretly recorded on webcam .
Shows police and staff telling couple they have to take 'baby J' away .
Film can be shown for first time after landmark ruling . |
fd1708be095b6584075d385fd9f14e2d71cb59fd | Sen. Rand Paul is trying to shed the perception that he's an isolationist and that he thinks the United States should retreat from intervention in other countries' affairs. But members of his own party are making it hard for the Kentucky Republican to escape that image. Sen. John McCain, one of the most hawkish members of the Senate, told Fox News host Neil Cavuto on Tuesday night that Paul has "a fundamental lack of understanding of the situation and the threats we face" from ISIS. Referring to Paul's evolving position on ISIS, McCain said the libertarian-leaning senator "has obviously been doing somersaults" since the Sunni militant group gruesomely killed two American journalists and a British aid worker. Paul, who is seriously considering a presidential run in 2016, responded to his critics in an interview released Wednesday in The Federalist, telling the conservative Web magazine how "frustrating" these labels are for him. "I spent the past five years in public life telling everyone that 'hey, I'm not an isolationist' ... and when they find out I'm not, they say I've switched positions, because I'm not the position they were saying I was. You know what I mean? So for five years they've been accusing me of being something that I say I'm not." But McCain apparently doesn't buy this explanation. He said Paul has "dramatically shifted his positions on national security. He said we shouldn't intervene, no matter what, anywhere. And now obviously he wants to take out ISIS." "I think it's kind of a desperation kind of trying to find some footing here as he slides down a very steep slope of credibility." Former Vice President Dick Cheney has also been critical of Paul's foreign policy stance. On ABC's "This Week" in June, Cheney described him as "basically an isolationist. That didn't work in the 1930s; it sure as heck won't work in the aftermath of 9/11." Facing such vocal opposition in the Republican Party, Paul continues to battle the image of an isolationist with shifting views. Paul told CBS "This Morning" earlier this week that his perception of ISIS has evolved as world events changed, adding that the killings of Steven Sotloff, James Foley and David Haines "influenced" his position. Paul has said he doesn't back arming Syrian rebels, a position McCain has supported since Syria's civil war broke out three years ago. But Paul has been noncommittal on what the United States should do except that the Congress should determine the path forward. In The Federalist interview, Paul didn't deny that he's skeptical of U.S. intervention. "We have to be very wary of intervention and that there are often unintended consequences," he said. "At the same time, I've also said all along that I'm not for no interventions." McCain, however, remains skeptical. When Cavuto asked him if Paul would be a good commander in chief, he replied, "Not on national security. No." War against ISIS: What does Rand Paul's 'yes' mean? | Sen. John McCain insists Sen. Rand Paul is an isolationist .
McCain: Paul has been "doing somersaults" after ISIS beheadings of Westerners .
Dick Cheney also has been critical of Paul on foreign policy .
Paul, a possible 2016 GOP presidential candidate, denies switching foreign policy views . |
fd1889cb22ea3bc3855874b3233c41efb7f63367 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Crime in England and Wales fell by 15 per cent last year to a new record low since records began. There were 7.5million offences in 2013 according to the British Crime Survey, down from almost 9million in 2012. David Cameron sent congratulations to the police, with the figures showing a 22 per cent fall in both violent crime and bike thefts. The crime survey for England and Wales showed a 15 per cent drop in crime in 2013 to 7.5million . The Crime Survey for England and Wales tracks all crimes committed by interviewing victims, and as a result includes offences not reported to the police. It showed that there had been a 15 per cent overall drop in crime compared with 2012, and suggests crime has fallen by a fifth since before the coalition was formed. It suggests the crime has more than halved from a peak of 19,109 offences recorded by the survey in 1995. Mr Cameron wrote on Twitter: ‘Congratulations to the police - helping overall crime to fall 15 per cent in 2013 in England & Wales. Crime is falling.’ There was a 22 per cent fall in household theft, a 15 per cent fall in vandalism and a 4 per cent drop in burglary. However, fraud rose by 25 per cent and shoplifting was up 6 per cent. Lib Dem crime minister Norman Baker said: ‘We can have confidence that England and Wales are safer than they have been for decades, with crime at its lowest level since the survey began in 1981.’ The number of reports of sex offences was up 17 per cent, which has been linked in part to the ongoing publicity of abuse cases including that of shamed DJ Jimmy Savile. Theft and violent crime saw falls of up to 22 per cent, the latest figures showed . The Prime Minister used Twitter to congratulate the police on falling crime figures . Official figures recorded by the police showed a 2 per cent fall in total crime, but this smaller drop has been linked to ongoing concerns about the quality of officers’ data. Police figures have been stripped of their official ‘gold standard’ status by the statistics watchdog. The drop in violent crime comes after a poll published yesterday, which suggested that an increase in alcohol prices is partly responsible for a reduction in binge-drinking and serious violence for the fifth consecutive year. The number of people injured in serious violence dropped by 12 per cent in 2013 compared with 2012, with more than 32,000 fewer people treated for injuries relating to violence in England and Wales, a Cardiff University report found. Crime minister Norman Baker said the streets were safer than they have been for decades . Adam Pemberton, assistant chief executive at Victim Support, said: ‘While we welcome this significant fall in crime, it is important to remember that for many of the victims of 7.5 million crimes committed last year the impact will have been severe and long-lasting. ‘We are concerned to see a rise in fraud and shoplifting, crimes which can be wrongly perceived to have little effect on victims but are often very harmful to individuals, businesses and, in some cases, communities.’ MPs have raised concerns about the way police recorded crime, including categorising offences to present an unclear picture. Whistleblower Pc James Patrick claimed massaging data to meet targets was ‘ingrained’ at Scotland Yard. Chief Constable Jeff Farrar, who leads on crime statistics for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: ‘The statistics issued today are heartening but unsurprising. ‘They confirm to us that crime is continuing to fall and that the effect of prominent operations, such as Yewtree and the launch of Action Fraud, are resulting in more reporting of sexual offences and fraudulent activity. ‘Increased reporting allows us to get the fullest picture of these crime areas and make sure our work to combat them is properly resourced, as well as ensuring that we can maintain public confidence in the policing response. ‘The police service is committed to further cutting crime and using our resources as efficiently as possible so as to keep the country as safe as possible.’ Jack Dromey, Labour's shadow policing minister, said: 'The continued long term fall in overall crime is welcome, building on the reductions seen over the last decade and more. 'However, the Government should not be complacent. Seven police force areas show increases or no reduction in crime, some kinds of crime have seen big increases and these figures also don't capture the full picture, as retail crime isn't included in the crime survey.' | 7.5million offences reported in crime survey in 2013, down 15% on 2012 .
Figures have more than halved from a peak of 19,000 in 1995 .
Ministers say England and Wales are safer now than for decades .
But there was a rise in reports of raud, sexual offences and shoplifting . |
fd1918e32c30b926a8e16644da55f03a90bbebca | Barbara Bowman never thought this day would come. The artist says that when she spoke out three weeks ago, in a Washington Post opinion article, she hoped to give voice to other women who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by legendary comedian Bill Cosby. She says she wanted them to know they were not alone. Since then, at least 16 others have gone public with accusations. Many of them offered similar stories about being drugged and raped, and said they were reluctant to talk earlier because they feared for their careers, their families or their own safety. Three of Cosby's accusers, including Bowman, told CNN on Tuesday of having struggled and gained strength in solidarity. "One of my main goals was to reach out to these women who didn't have the courage yet," said Bowman. "Seeing it in action is really intense." While Cosby has not commented on the allegations, his camp has repeatedly and vigorously denied them. In a recent statement, Cosby's lawyer Martin D. Singer said it defies common sense that "so many people would have said nothing, done nothing, and made no reports to law enforcement or asserted civil claims if they thought they had been assaulted over a span of so many years." Victoria Valentino was a Playboy bunny when, she claims, Cosby drugged and raped her in the late 1960s. She called such denials "absolutely ridiculous," adding, "he's got a very good spin doctor." Asked why it took her and others so long to come forward, Valentino said that "over the years, women didn't have a voice." "Rape victims, sexual assault victims were victimized by the system," she told CNN's 'New Day.'"... We didn't believe in the system, because the system did not stand by us through things like this." Rape allegations won't go away for Bill Cosby . Comedian draws attention to Cosby accusations . In the pantheon of America's greatest comedians, they don't get much bigger than Bill Cosby. He broke though in the 1960s on the stand-up circuit with his reflections on everything growing up in Philadelphia to family life with his children and wife Camille. Cosby. His comedy albums became bestsellers and award-winners; he spearheaded numerous shows, from children's programming like "Fat Albert" and Nick Jr.'s current "Little Bill" to his groundbreaking sitcom, "The Cosby Show." Cosby also became a well-known and respected voice on a host of hot-button issues. "Bill Cosby is a gifted comedian who has used the power of laughter to heal wounds and to build bridges," then-President George W. Bush said in awarding Cosby a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. "... By focusing on our common humanity, Bill Cosby is helping to create a truly united America." Yet Cosby's reputation has come crashing down in a few short weeks. Cosby resigns from Temple University board . It began in late October, when comedian Hannibal Buress bluntly attacked what he perceived as Cosby's "smuggest old black man public persona" and called him a "rapist." Bowman said Tuesday that it "felt like a slap in the face" that it took a comedian's comments on stage "for people to perk up their ears and think, 'Oh, maybe there is something to this,' when it's such a serious situation." By that point, years had passed since Temple University staffer Andrea Constand had sued Cosby alleging she had been drugged and sexually violated in 2004 and that 13 other "Janes Does" had similar stories. Bowman wrote in the Washington Post that she was one of those women, but she never got the chance to testify because the lawsuit was settled. Had she gotten the chance, Bowman would have recalled her life as an aspiring model and actress in her late teens back in the mid-1980s, back when Cosby starred in his eponymous No. 1 TV show as a doting, wisecracking dad. That was when, she claims, Cosby drugged and raped her, then told her, "'I had better never, ever see your face or hear you name again.'" After Buress' remarks she decided to put herself out there. "It was really, really scary. I really felt like I was out in the wilderness, all by myself," Bowman told CNN. "And one of the things that I kept saying over and over again was, 'If I could help one woman, just one, then I've done my job ... But I had no idea how powerful it was really going to be for these women and other women who are still off the record." 'I thought I was the only one' Valentino said she had thought of coming forward before herself, but stopped because "I couldn't relive it, I couldn't do it." But "it was a whole different ballgame" after Bowman took that first step, Valentino said. In the age of the Internet, she said, accusations couldn't easily "be swept away into the shadows any more." Also on the CNN set Tuesday was Jewel Allison. "For years, I thought that I was the only one," said Allison, who claims Cosby sexually assaulted her in the late 1980s, when she was a model and aspiring actress. "I kept this as a secret ... afraid no one is going to believe you, afraid society is going to victimize you." Allison said that, because she's African-American, she was especially reluctant to speak out, as Cosby has long been revered in that community. About a decade ago, Allison said, a friend alleged to her that Cosby had done something similar to her, but Allison urged her "to keep quiet." "And I feel guilty, I feel horrible," Allison said. "You're raised to, 'Shhh, don't talk.'" Now is different, though. Meeting face-to-face with Bowman and Valentino is part of her "healing process," she said. "It wasn't about him, it was about what was best for me," added Allison. "...When you tell the truth, it really does set you free. I never understood what that meant until now." | Three of the at least 17 women who have accused Bill Cosby speak to CNN .
Barbara Bowman says she hoped to encourage others when she spoke out weeks ago .
Victoria Valentino says "women didn't have a voice" in alleged rape cases .
Cosby's camp has consistently, vehemently denied the claims against him . |
fd1995095dd9de77e2dff0698f812274d4601fbf | By . Mike Dawes . PUBLISHED: . 05:35 EST, 1 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:55 EST, 1 August 2013 . He has won numerous champion boxing titles around the world, but following the birth of his third child Ricky Hatton has revealed his greatest achievement - his three children. Announcing the arrival of his daughter Fearne Grace Hatton, the proud father, 34, posted pictures of her birth at 5.45am yesterday morning. Hatton then followed up with a picture of his two older children with fiancée Jennifer Dooley - his son Campbell, 11, and daughter Millie, one - meeting their new baby sister for the first time next to the words: 'My 3 greatest ever achievements.' 'Greatest achievement': Ricky Hatton's children Millie, left, and Campbell, right, were in hospital to greet their new sibling Fearne who was born yesterday . The boxer received a deluge of congratulations after announcing the news on Twitter at 6.11am yesterday morning. He posted: 'Me & Jen just had another baby girl. 6lb 13oz,born 5.45am. She is lovely, perfect, Mum is fine also. I feel blessed.' Fellow Brit boxer Wayne Elcock and Carl Frampton were among the well-wishers. Carl Frampton wrote: Congratulations to @HitmanHatton and his missus on the birth of their newest bambino'. Hatton is a former WBA, IBF, IBO and The Ring Light Welterweight Champion, and WBA Welterweight Champion. After losing his last fight to Manny Pacquiao, Hatton put his career on a long hiatus, with rumours of a comeback circulating the media since. But two years ago, on July 7, 2011, Hatton announced his retirement from boxing. He made a brief comeback but lost his first match in more than three years on November 24, 2012, and announced his final retirement from the sport. New blue: Ricky Hatton and his wife Jen had a new baby girl, Fearne Grace Hatton at 5.45am on Wednesday . Beaming: Former boxer Hatton's news was met with a deluge of well-wishers and fans . | Hatton, 34, posted pictures of his newborn baby girl Fearne Grace Hatton on Twitter after she was born at 5.45am Wednesday morning .
He also posted image of his two older children meeting their little sister .
Proud father wrote: 'My 3 greatest ever achievements' next to the picture . |
fd19f100f26766fc5d6374a195c66026e8c3b8c5 | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 12:32 EST, 17 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:08 EST, 17 November 2012 . This is the lengthy queue that formed at a faulty cashpoint that started spewing out free money. Ecstatic customers flocked to the Bank of Scotland ATM after realising the machine was dispensing extra cash today. The machine was reported to be issuing double he amount requested by customers making withdrawals, until police were alerted and stood guard at the cashpoint until the bank could shut down the machine. Too good to be true: Disbelieving customers flocked to the cash point when they realised it was dispensing extra notes . The Bank of Scotland was eventually able to switch off the machine remotely after being alerted to the costly blunder. It said it was unlikely to take action because of the difficulty of tracing all the payments dispensed this afternoon. A crowd had gathered when the ATM, on Stonelaw Road in the Burnside area of Rutherglen, Glasgow, started pumping out the extra notes. The branch said it would 'contact any customers who have been affected'. Word of the fault spread after a picture of the queue at the bank machine was posted on Twitter. One user, Lauren, tweeted: 'The bank of Scotland at Burnside was giving out double money now police are standing there so no one can go to it #gutting'. Disappointed Mark Gallagher, who uses the Stonelaw Road branch, tweeted: 'I was elsewhere'. Bonus: The cashpoint in Scotland was reported to be dispensing double the amount of money requested by customers making withdrawals . The bank said in a statement: 'We can confirm that, for a very short period of time, the ATM in Burnside, Glasgow, was mis-dispensing cash. 'It will be difficult to trace all payments, as they won’t all be our customers, so it’s unlikely that we will take action. 'We apologise for any inconvenience caused.' | The cashpoint in Glasgow, Scotland, was reportedly pumping out double the amount requested by customers making withdrawals today .
The Bank of Scotland eventually switched off the ATM remotely after being alerted by police . |
fd1a9aacdf6ea782f2c71d8bfff0d483a0c01e9d | Pam Pope, 65, from Surrey had nine organs removed by surgeons trying to save her life when they diagnosed a very rare form of cancer . A cancer patient underwent a 13-hour operation to remove all the organs she could live without as surgeons battled to remove an aggressive and rare form of cancer from invading her body. The morning after the procedure, dubbed the 'mother of all surgeries', Pam Pope's surgeon stood by her bedside and listed all the organs his surgical team removed in order to save her life. By the time he reached the ninth, the 65-year-old had burst into tears. The gruelling operation carried out at The Hampshire Clinic in Basingstoke, aimed to remove all cancerous tissue in the body. In Ms Pope's case her appendix, large bowel, most of her small bowel, gall bladder, spleen, womb, ovaries, fallopian tubes and cervix were removed, as well as most of her stomach lining and navel. 'I just wasn't expecting to be told so much of my body had gone,' she said. 'The list of organs that had been removed was so long that I actually lost count. 'I just could not fathom how I could still be alive when so much of me was missing.' The operation, carried out by a team of six leading UK surgeons, is known in medical circles as the 'mother of all surgeries', with good reason. It was followed by a ‘chemo bath’, where the abdominal cavity is filled with warm chemotherapy liquid - normally for 90 minutes, while the patient is still under anaesthetic. It is one of the most invasive operations performed and the only way to treat a rare cancer thought to originate in the appendix - pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). The disease quickly spreads around the abdominal cavity meaning diagnosis usually comes with a death sentence. Now the mammoth operation to remove as many organs as possible while keeping patients alive means sufferers like Ms Pope, who would previously have been considered too sick to treat, are being offered a lifeline. 'I was already stage four when they operated because the cancer had gone undetected for so long,' she said. 'I would not be here now had it been left for a few more months.' Though Ms Pope suspects her cancer may have developed earlier, she had been complaining of symptoms for 15 months before her final diagnosis. 'I just did not feel right,' she said. 'I had stomach pain and nausea.' After several visits to her GP, the insurance executive from Camberwell, Surrey, was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). 'I felt that was not accurate,' she said. 'I had always been very fit and very healthy with a good diet but my GP did not want to consider anything else.' Ms Pope returned to see her GP several more times over the course of the next year, each time requesting a referral to hospital which was denied. It was only after she reported a change in bowel habits to a different doctor that alarm bells finally rang. Doctors initially diagnosed Ms Pope with IBS, but not convinced, she sought a second opinion. Further tests revealed the 65-year-old was suffering pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) - a cancer which is thought to spread from cancer of the appendix, causing tumours to grow on other abdominal organs . 'The new GP agreed my symptoms warranted further investigation, which was a huge relief because by then I was in no doubt that it was not IBS,' she said. In December 2012 a laparoscopy - where a fibre optic instrument is inserted through the abdominal wall to look at organs - quickly identified that abnormal cells were present. She said she felt 'strangely relieved' to hear this news having spent so long insisting she did not have IBS. Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare cancer, affecting around one in 500,000 people a year. It is characterised by the presence of mucin-producing tumours in the abdominal cavity. There are a number of possible origins of PMP, but the most common source is appendix cancer. There is no known underlying cause of PMP but there are a number of theories around its origin. Cells from a tumour in the appendix are thought to leak into the abdominal cavity and implant on other abdominal organs. The tumours then replicate and produce a mucinous byproduct that then spreads throughout the abdomen. Many patients lack clearly defined symptoms, making the disease difficult to spot until the later stages. The most common symptoms are: . Source: PMP Research Foundation . It was like 'being proved right', she added. But when her consultant told her she was the one in a million patient suffering with rare PMP, like many people, she had never heard of the cancer. He explained the disease had started in her appendix but may have spread around the abdominal cavity in mucus leaked from the organ. The microscopic cells can then attach themselves to other organs and tissue the mucus comes into contact with. An operation to 'debulk' the body of cancerous cells, she was told, was her only hope of survival. The surgeons had no idea how far spread the cancer was and how many organs they needed to remove until they operated. Ms Pope was hopeful when she was wheeled into theatre in May last year that surgery would be minimal because she had not suffered the weight loss or thickening of the waist common with advanced PMP. Just 24 hours later she was told surgeons had removed her appendix, large bowel, most of the small bowel, gall bladder, spleen, womb, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix as well as most of her stomach lining and navel. 'I cried because I could not believe I was still alive,' she said. 'I had thought I might lose one or two organs but not all that. I realised then why it was called the "mother of all surgeries" - everything that I could live without had gone to give me the best chance of survival. 'It was a shock but the surgeon was very supportive in offering to arrange counselling,' she said. The radical operation had been followed by a radical procedure called a chemotherapy bath. This is where the cavity was filled with hot chemotherapy liquid in an attempt to wash away any remaining cancer cells. Ms Pope said: 'Despite everything that they had taken I was told five per cent still remained on my small bowel. Six surgeons removed Ms Pope's appendix, large bowel, most of her small bowel, gall bladder, spleen, womb, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix as well as most of her stomach lining and navel . 'It was too dangerous to remove it all so they left as little as they could which needed conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.' Ms Pope spent the best part of the following year in hospital recovering and undergoing more chemotherapy. Chemotherapy baths, officially called Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy, involve filling the abdominal cavity with warm chemo liquid, normally for 90 minutes. The patient remains under anaesthetic. Bathing the inside of the stomach with heated chemotherapy increases the chances of the cancer cells being killed. Heat at 42°C kills cancer cells without affecting normal, healthy cells. If the drug was given in general circulation, as with normal chemotherapy, the temperature would heat the body up and the heart would stop. But the abdominal organs act as a barrier, absorbing the drug. It can therefore reach a high concentration in the area where the tumours are, without reaching the blood stream and damaging tissues in the rest of the body. The treatment was approved by the government's health watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), in February 2010. The biggest hurdle was adjusting to the loss of so many organs. At one stage she looked unlikely to pull through and was advised 'enjoy the time you have left'. Determined not to give up, the 65-year-old contacted cancer professor Justin Stebbing at the London Clinic of Oncology. She said: 'I had read about his work and my surgeon agreed to refer me. 'He was a leading voice on cancers like mine and probably about the only person who wouldn't turn me away.' Professor Stebbing found a regime Ms Pope's body could cope with. A scan earlier this year revealed no signs of any cancer, but hydration is still an issue and Ms Pope relies on a drip every night, which she uses at home. She struggles with tiredness and remains frail, though her health has improved enough for her to return to work part time. 'I love my job so that was a major achievement for me,' she said. Fortnightly chemotherapy will, she hopes, keep the cancer at bay. 'This has been a fight but I need to tell my story to make people aware of this very sneaky cancer,' she added. 'I was told this disease would likely kill me but I'm still here thanks to the 'mother of all surgeries, which has lifted a death sentence.' | Pam Pope complained of symptoms for 15 months before doctors diagnosed her as suffering irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
She was referred to specialists and tests revealed abnormal cells .
Doctors revealed she was suffering the appendix cancer pseudomyxoma peritonei - so rare it affects just one in 500,000 people .
Ms Pope underwent 13-hour 'mother of all surgeries' to remove cancer . |
fd1aa0d4c5ef04aeeec6f764ca682bca2787410f | (Mental Floss) -- 1. Da Vinci's clockwork car . A working model of Leonardo Da Vinci's car on display in 2004 at the Museum of the History of Science in Florence, Italy. Leonardo da Vinci is renowned for his forward-thinking sketches and intricate designs, which included blueprints for a bicycle, a submarine, and a helicopter. But you can't win 'em all. Da Vinci also designed a three-wheeled wagon-like device -- often referred to as the clockwork car -- that never really lived up to the hype. Its spring-operated design makes it the first-known concept for a self-propelled vehicle. And because it was designed without a driver's seat (though a secondary steering column was present) and was meant to be programmed along a specific course, the clockwork car is also thought to be one of the world's first robots. Some speculate that faulty interpretations of da Vinci's notes prevented the success of his ideas, but there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. When engineers finally constructed a working model of the car in the late 1990s, it only traveled 40 feet. 2. The monowheel . In 1869, French craftsman Rousseau of Marseilles built the first in history's line of unsuccessful monocycles. Sitting inside the monowheel, a rider steered the contraption by shifting his or her weight in the desired direction. As if that wasn't difficult enough, the massive outer wheel remained directly in the rider's line of sight at all times. Braking was also potentially hazardous, as stopping too abruptly would cause the rider to be propelled forward along with the outer wheel. But perhaps the biggest strike against the monowheel was the immediate comparison of any rider to a gerbil -- something even the French wouldn't tolerate. 3. The Daihatsu Trek . It's a car! It's a bed! It looks suspiciously like a child's toy! For the outdoorsman who has everything except a really expensive Big Wheel, there was the Daihatsu Trek. A single-passenger off-road vehicle, the Trek not only allowed drivers to travel to remote areas, it also gave them a place to bed down for the evening. With its collapsible seat, steering wheel, and roll bar, the boxy monstrosity from 1990 offered all the comforts of a really cheap motel room. And while we can't be sure why the car never made it past the concept stage at Daihatsu, we can only guess members of the off-road focus groups felt silly driving a Transformer. 4. The Avrocar . A quasi hot potato of international engineering, the Avrocar was initially funded by the Canadian government, designed by a British engineer, and eventually assumed by the U.S. Defense Department as part of the Cold War weapons race. The UFO-like contraption was 18 feet in diameter, but only 3 feet thick. It featured vertical takeoff and landing and was designed to reach speeds up to 300 mph while remaining elusive to radar. Unfortunately, the two-person craft was never able to stabilize at heights above 8 feet, nor travel faster than 35 mph. After eight years and more than $10 million, the project was abandoned in 1960. 5. The Dymaxion . Buckminster Fuller was many things --inventor, philosopher, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and bearer of a name that makes Frank Zappa's kids feel average. Among his many architectural and engineering creations, Bucky tried his hand at automobiles. In 1933, using a V-8 engine loaned to him by Henry Ford, Fuller built the Dymaxion car. Truly a wonder to behold, the Dymaxion was nearly 20 feet long, got 30-plus miles to the gallon, held up to 12 people, had a maximum speed of 120 mph, and could do a U-turn in 20 feet, thanks to a single rear wheel that controlled the steering. Unfortunately, the car's steering appears to be at fault for a fatal accident at the 1933 World's Fair, when the Dymaxion was rubbernecked by another car. Although later evidence placed fault on the driver of the other car, negative publicity surrounding the wreck caused investors to pull away from the project, and Fuller was freed up to build geodesic domes and work on his friendship with John Denver. The fortunate outcome of the Dymaxion's failure? Denver's hit tune, "What One Man Can Do," which was written for Fuller. 6. The KAZ . Originally designed in 2001 to push the limits of electric automotive technology, the KAZ (Keio Advanced Zero-emission) vehicle is part science-fiction, part sports car, part limousine, and entirely unattractive. But the beauty of the KAZ lies in its eight wheels, each powered by its own battery, which allow the luxury concept car to reach speeds in excess of 190 mph without emitting any pollution. The car's design also makes for a safe ride because what would normally be the engine compartment is a crushable zone, reducing risk to the driver. Sadly, the KAZ came off as less luxury automobile and more cartoon, sending the designers back to their drawing boards. E-mail to a friend . For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved. | Da Vinci's clockwork car -- first-known concept for a self-propelled vehicle .
Daihatsu Trek looked like really expensive Big Wheel .
KAZ vehicle had eight wheels, each powered by own battery . |
fd1ae2c9102b14982bed0902bf46c96d9fb7584d | By . Emily Sheridan . PUBLISHED: . 15:55 EST, 13 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:53 EST, 14 June 2013 . The new Big Brother housemates are usually made up of regular people who we will come to love or hate over the next few weeks. However, some eagle-eyed celebrity spotters may find one particular housemate looks rather familiar - alternative model Sallie Axl. The tattooed blonde, 26, was photographed just two months ago in a passionate clinch with The Only Way Is Essex star Tom Pearce in London. Scroll down for video . Familiar face: Tattooed model and DJ Sallie Axl was the second to enter the Big Brother house . Getting lucky: Sallie with The Only Way Is Essex star Tom Pearce in April . The pair had obviously met up at the DSTRKT nightclub and were spotted all over each other as they left the venue in the early hours. Then then hopped into a taxi together, presumably to get to know each other better. Making her debut on the new series of the Channel 5 reality show on Thursday night, the bisexual model showed off plenty of her figure and tattoos in her skimpy outfit as she made her way into the house. In fact, Sallie's outfit choice quickly earned her the nickname 'Sideboob Sallie' among viewers who tweeted their shock at the revealing nature of the ensemble. Not exactly demure: The DJ showed off her tattoo sleeves and a whole lot of side boob in skimpy ensemble . What do you think of this year's Big Brother contestants? Sallie boasted she had slept with over 70 girls, but describes them as 'head f**ks'. She also claims to have slept with various celebrities, including footballers... and presumably Tom. She is currently single, having ended her last relationship after discovering her 'weirdo' boyfriend going through her phone. Sallie has a three-year-old daughter who lives with her for several days every other week, while her father looks after her for the rest of the time. Model Sallie describes her little girl as the most important person in her life, and says every second they have together is precious. Ready to cause trouble: Sallie pulled some interesting poses before going into the house . 'T**s and tatts, that's me!' Sallie summarises herself . While Sallie has made a name for . herself as a model, she was actually only signed up six months ago, and . says she is proud to be one of the first tattooed models to break into . the mainstream industry. And while Sallie's days are taken up . with modelling, she works as a DJ in the evenings, counting DJing as one . of her main hobbies along with extreme sports and fire-breathing. Her new housemates have been warned she could be difficult, as she described herself as a 'b**ch'. Meet and greet: Sallie speaks to the first housemates to enter, twins Jack and Joe Glenny . Get a room: Sallie boasted she has slept with several celebrities, one presumably being Tom . She said: 'I get my boobs out in public, because I love it. T**s and tatts that's me'. Before entering the house she said . she differs from most models because: 'I don't wear heels, I don't wear . push up bras, glamour girls can be tomboys too.' When someone pointed out Sallie's presence on BB to her former kissing partner Tom on Twitter, he replied: 'Ha ha ;-).' Sexy selfie: Sallie has made her way into the mainstream industry despite her numerous tattoos . Reality fan: Sallie is clearly a fan of reality shows, and posed up with Chidgey from The Valleys in another shot on her Twitter . | Glamour model, 26, was seen kissing Tom two months ago .
She has a three-year-old daughter who she sees every other week .
Claims to have slept with 'over 70 girls' as well as other celebrities and footballers .
Has earned the nickname 'Sideboob Sallie' thanks to her entrance outfit . |
fd1b41d96109d3ef7a3ab77973e95d7a672b481a | By . Janine Yaqoob . PUBLISHED: . 10:12 EST, 7 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:13 EST, 7 August 2013 . They may be only a few hours old but these newborn pandas are already enjoying life in the spotlight as they wave to cameras. Little Yuan Zai was born to born to giant panda Yuan Yuan at Taipei City Zoo, Taiwan last month. A team of keepers have been working around the clock to take care of the female panda cub, who is being cared for in an incubator. Yuan Zai, a newborn giant panda, gives her fans a huge wave. She was born at Taipei City Zoo to parents Yuan Yuan and Tuan Tuan . Their daily routine includes feeding the cub, taking her temperature after each meal, changing her bedding and keeping track of her weight, zoo official Chang Chi-hua said. Yuan Yuan and her mate, Tuan Tuan, were gifted to Taiwan by China in late 2008 as a cross-Taiwan Strait gesture of goodwill and Yuan Zai is their first cub. The public will have to wait another couple of months before they can catch a glimpse of the first panda born in Taiwan. Zush, the baby panda, cheerfully greets the world by putting his paws up in the air. He was born at Highland Wildlife Park, near Kingussie in the Scottish Highlands . Over at Highland Wildlife Park zoo keepers have been celebrating the birth of a little boy. Kitty and Kevyn, the Park's pair of red pandas, are officially proud parents to Kush. Keepers are pleased with the youngster's progress, with first-time mum Kitty taking great care of him. Born at the beginning of June, Kush is also the Park's first ever red panda cub and the first to be born in one of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's animal collections in 13 years. Douglas Richardson, head of living collections for the Highland Wildlife Park said: 'Kush's current preoccupation is eating and sleeping, mainly the latter, and he was fairly affronted when we interrupted his afternoon nap to give him his initial examination. 'There was a little bit of growling and barking and trying to appear big and dangerous when we were examining him, but it was a little difficult to take something that cute and fluffy seriously.' Kitty and Kevyn, who are both two years old, joined the Park only last year with Kitty arriving in May from Berlin Tierpark and Kevyn two months later from Aalborg Zoo, Denmark. Keepers are particularly pleased with the arrival of Kush as the pair had only recently reached sexual maturity. Red panda cubs are born completely helpless and take a few months to develop. At first they are very small and completely blind, relying completely on their mother for protection. They resemble very fluffy guinea pigs for several weeks and only start to venture outside of their den at approximately three months old. Due to their sensitivity, Kush and his parents will be off show for the next few weeks. | Little girl Yuan Zai was born at Taipei City Zoo to giant pandas Yuan Yuan and Tuan Tuan .
Red pandas Kitty and Kevyn are proud parents to Kush, who was born at Highlands Wildlife Park in Scotland . |
fd1bc4be734784dfc99d9a9e4600d2f0d66ed1bc | (CNN) -- A flight labeled the "final" certification test of an improved battery system for the grounded Boeing 787 Dreamliner was "straightforward" and "uneventful," the airplane maker said Friday. The test was an important one for Boeing, which has billions of dollars riding on the success of the new airliner. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and similar regulators worldwide grounded the Dreamliner in January after two battery-related fires damaged 787s in Boston and Japan. No one was hurt in the fires. In March the FAA approved a Boeing certification plan to fix the 787's problematic lithium-ion battery system and prove the new design is safe. Friday's nearly two-hour flight was the final certification test of that plan. Boeing announces changes to Dreamliner battery system . Boeing "will now gather and analyze the data and submit the required materials to the FAA," the company said in a news release. It said it expects the material to be delivered in a matter of days. The flight left Paine Field in Everett, Washington, at 10:39 a.m. with a crew of 11, including two FAA representatives, Boeing said, and it returned at 12:28 p.m. "The crew reported that the certification demonstration plan was straightforward and the flight was uneventful," Boeing's news release said. "The purpose of the flight was to demonstrate that the new battery system performs as intended during normal and non-normal flight conditions." At the time the planes were grounded, 50 787s were flying worldwide. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in March the Dreamliner will not be allowed back in service until Boeing proves the new design is safe for passengers. | The test is part of Boeing's work on an improved 787 lithium-ion battery system .
50 Dreamliner aircraft have been grounded since January after two battery fires .
Boeing says it will analyze the data from the test and submit material to the FAA . |
fd1da8acd0333c41e4551edc342717ec1be4ada3 | (CNN) -- Two journalists in Thailand have been released on bail in a controversial defamation case that has raised concerns over press freedom in the country. Australian journalist and editor of news website Phuketwan, Alan Morison and his Thai colleague Chutima Sidasathian, appeared in court Thursday over a report connecting military personnel to human trafficking. Phuket's provincial court ruled that the case should proceed and set the first hearing for May 26. If found guilty, the pair face jail time of up to seven years and a fine of around $3,000 each. The charges, which were brought by the Thai navy, relate to an article that Phuketwan, a small news website in the province of Phuket, published on its website in July last year. The report included information from a Reuters investigative piece that alleged some Thai security forces, including navy personnel and police, have been profiting from the smuggling of ethnic Rohingya people fleeing violence in neighboring Myanmar. Reuters won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the plight of the Rohingya Monday. The Royal Thai Navy filed criminal defamation and computer crimes charge against the Phuketwan reporters in December, accusing them of knowingly publishing false information and committing slander. But other Thai news organizations that quoted the Reuters reporting at the center of the case have not been charged, according to Phuketwan. The navy filed a criminal complaint against Reuters, but the news agency has also not been charged, a Reuters spokesperson said Thursday. "To our understanding, the complaint is under review by the authorities," she said. The fact that Phuketwan appears to have been singled out for legal action has raised concerns among press freedom advocates that the lawsuit is an attempt to silence the small news site, which has been covering the Rohingya's movements in Thailand for a number of years. "We're keen to get back to what we were doing and that was reporting the Rohingya as an issue," Morison told CNN Thursday. "What's happened is that we've been diverted by this case to writing about ourselves. So we really haven't been able to cover the Rohingya issue the way we were once able to, and that's disappointing, and one of the ramifications of the foolishness of this particular lawsuit." Morison and Chutima were detained in separate cells at the Phuket provincial court for around five hours Thursday while officials made arrangements for bail. "We lost our freedom. That is a terrible thing," said Chutima after the pair were released. A local advocacy group, the Andaman community rights and legal aid center provided the bail of 100,000 baht (around $3,000) for each journalist. The case against Phuketwan has been condemned by the United Nations and prominent human rights groups, who say that imprisonment is a disproportionate punishment for defamation. Human Rights Watch said the navy should allow authorities to investigate the allegations of trafficking and other mistreatment of Rohingya migrants. "The trial of these two journalists is unjustified and constitutes a dark stain on Thailand's record for respecting media freedom," Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch said in an emailed statement Thursday. "The Thai Navy should have debated these journalists publicly if they had concerns with the story rather than insisting on their prosecution under the draconian Computer Crimes Act and criminal libel statutes," Adams said. Morison, 66, who is originally from Melbourne, has been in Phuket for 11 years where he produces Phuketwan and also freelances for international media, including CNN, The Sydney Morning Herald and the South China Morning Post. He worked for CNN as CNN.com Asia Deputy Editor from 2001 to 2002. Chutima, 33, has worked as a fixer for several international media organizations whose staff have traveled to Phuket and nearby regions to cover the Rohingya issue, including Reuters. "These two journalists have done more than most to report accurately from Thailand the plight of Rohingyas. They have also rendered invaluable assistance to journalists at Thomson Reuters and other local and foreign media organizations attempting to report this humanitarian crisis," the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand said in a statement. "The legal action also seriously damages the image of Thailand and claims it may make to supporting freedom of speech and fair comment." Thailand ranks 130th out of 180 countries in the latest Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the organisation's Asia-Pacific desk described the case as "absurd." "If the navy want to dispute the Reuters special report, which has just won a Pulitzer Prize, it can publicly give its version of events and demand the right of reply," he said. Phuketwan congratulated Reuters for their recent award but has been disappointed by the company's response to the defamation case. A Reuters spokesperson said Thursday that Chutima was employed "in a very limited role to help make appointments," and she was not a part of the team who reported and investigated the stories that were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in international reporting. "We oppose the use of criminal laws to sanction the press -- large or small, local or international -- for publication on matters of public interest, like the Rohingya," the spokesperson said. The Thai navy has denied any involvement in people smuggling. A navy official, who asked not to be named, told CNN in December that the navy did not intend to obstruct or threaten any media, but they were seeking to protect the organization from false allegations. The navy could not be reached for comment for this story. Morison is still hopeful that the Thai government will intervene and the case will be dropped before May 26 when he and Chutima are due to appear in court again. "It all comes down to what constitutes democracy," he said. "The media is a very important part of most democracies, and the military shouldn't be able to sue the media over this kind of issue." Boatloads of Rohingya fleeing ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar have arrived in Thailand in recent years. Reports of Rohingya ending up in camps where they are held at ransom, beaten, killed or sold as laborers have been documented by NGOs and media organizations. The Thai government says it is committed to combating human trafficking but denies that the Rohingya are victims of trafficking. It says that they are migrants who consent to being smuggled. | Reporters in Thailand formally charged with defamation and granted bail .
The Thai navy accuses them of 'publishing false information and committing slander'
Rights groups fear for media freedom, say the case is an attempt to silence small website .
The journalists will appear in court again May 26 . |
fd1dd8a3c1a39f5bd4baec3f5dfb0de3b580f216 | Former CIA director and retired Army General David Petraeus is urging members of Congress to support President Barack Obama's plan for military intervention in Syria after the country's president is suspected of launching chemical attacks on his own people, killing more than 1,400, including hundreds of children. Petraeus says military action in Syria is 'necessary' to deter other nations - like Iran and North Korea - from using similar weapons. While the president could have used military force in Syria without the approval of Congress, he opted to put the decision to a vote. Even if Congress doesn't approve the president's plan - which seems likely given the bi-partisan objections to intervening in yet another war in the Middle East - Obama still has the authority to launch an attack. Endorsement: Retired General and former CIA Director David Petraeus is urging Congress to approve Obama's plan for missile strikes in Syria . 'Failure of Congress to approve the president’s request would have . serious ramifications not just in the Mideast but around the world,' Petraeus said in a statement to POLITICO. President Obama is using gruesome footage that shows the carnage in the suburbs of Demascus following the August 21, attack, when the White House alleges Syrian President Bashar al-Assad launched sarin gas in areas considered to be rebel strongholds. In one of the more heartbreaking videos, a room is full of what appear to be the lifeless bodies of dozens of children. In another, men are seen foaming at the mouth and having convulsions. In all, 1,429 people were killed in the vicious attack, including at least 426 children. Petraeus, who is widely respected amongst lawmakers when it comes to military matters, could help persuade members of Congress to support the White House's plan for Syria. Horror: The Obama administration is showing videos that show dead children to congressmen to garner support for his plan for military intervention . Carnage: Authorities say 1,429 people were killed during the attack, including 426 children . 'Failure of Congress to approve the president’s request would have . serious ramifications not just in the Mideast but around the world. Military action against the Syrian regime is, thus, necessary not just . to deter future use of chemical weapons in Syria and elsewhere, but also . to ensure that Iran, North Korea and other would-be aggressors never . underestimate the United States’ resolve to take necessary military . action when other tools prove insufficient,' Petraeus said in the statement. Petraeus served as the U.S. commander for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan under former President George W. Bush and President Obama. He was tapped by Obama to be the director of the CIA in 2011 but was forced to resign after an affair he had with his biographer went public. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates also have publicly supported the president's call for military intervention in Syria. Support: President Obama and Secretary Kerry likely will not be able to get Congressional support for intervention in Syria . On Monday - when Congress is back in session - President Obama will sit for interviews with six different television networks in an attempt to win public support for his plan for Syria. The interviews will be conducted by ABC’s Diane Sawyer, CBS’s Scott . Pelley, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Fox’s Chris Wallace, NBC’s Brian Williams . and PBS’s Gwen Ifill. Congress is expected to vote on the matter later this week, as support for the president's plan continues to dwindle. President Obama last week canceled a trip to California so he could stay in Washington to continue lobbying for intervention in Syria. The president was scheduled to attend a $32,4000 a plate fundraiser at the home of Marta Kauffman, the co-creator of the NBC sitcom Friends. | Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton .
and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates also have publicly .
supported the president's call for military intervention in Syria .
Obama's plan for missile attacks on Syria is not likely to get Congressional support .
Congress will likely vote on Obama's plan this coming week . |
fd1dd8fc8aaf64af4b348f739f030478229b64ab | Watching Home Alone will have most parents believe that a child should never be left alone, but one mother is challenging this idea. Lizzie Heiselt, a mother-of-three living in Brooklyn, New York, told MailOnline that she feels it's important for parents to draw the line between protecting their children and 'keep[ing] them from developing confidence and growing into their own capable person.' So, on occasion, she leaves her seven-year-old son in their apartment for short periods of time of 45 minutes or less, and she says the independence and confidence it gives him is well worth it. Parenting: Blogger and mother-of-three Lizzie Heiselt (pictured with her son) has sparked a heated debate after revealing that she sometimes leaves her seven-year-old son home alone for up to 45 minutes at a time . 'It's essential for kids to learn and be confident that they have the ability to take care of themselves and to fight their own battles - and to know that they have the support and confidence of their parents as well,' she explained. In Ms Heiselt's post on her blog the Mother Runner, she explains that her son is a homebody who is responsible, follows the rules and is happy to be on his own. Referring to him as Manchild because of his 'old soul', she says when he asked to be left at home while she went to the laundromat around the corner from their apartment building, she acquiesced - after first teaching him what to do in case of emergency, of course. 'It's essential for kids to learn and be confident that they have the ability to take care of themselves' On another instance, she took her two younger children for a run around Prospect Park, and again she let her son stay behind. 'I was gone for about . 45 minutes for the longer of the excursions, [and] by the end of that time, I . was a little bit anxious to get home,' she told MailOnline. 'He was starting to wonder when . we were getting back as well, so it seems we both felt that 45 minutes . was about our limit - for now.' Comfortable alone: The Brooklyn-based mom explains that her son is a homebody who is responsible and follows the rules, and he often asks to be left at home while she runs errands . She added that as he does it more frequently, he will likely get accustomed and 45 minutes won't seem like such a long time anymore. But until then, she doesn't want the experience to be uncomfortable for him. 'Not that he wouldn't be able to handle himself . in terms of following the rules or taking care of himself,' she clarifies. 'But more that . he would start to get anxious and worried, which I don't think is . terribly important for him to experience at this point in his life or in . this context.' Ms Heiselt has written that she is averse to the idea of 'helicopter parenting' - mothers and fathers who stifle their kids by being too involved in their lives - and instead encourages hers to learn and do things on their own. Independence: 'It's essential for kids to learn and be confident that they have the ability to take care of themselves and to fight their own battles,' she says . 'They need to have the ability to make their own decisions in life and to function without supervision,' she says. 'Getting . in the way of that maturing process can, I believe, cripple children as . they grow up and don't have the confidence or the knowledge of how to . handle problems as they arise.' 'Getting in the way of that maturing process can, I believe, cripple children as they grow up' Not only is it perfectly safe to leave your child alone, it's also perfectly legal - at least in the state of New York. According to the Child Protective Services website, there is no specific age limit when it comes to children being at home alone. 'Some children are responsible, intelligent, and independent enough to be left alone at 12 or 13 years of age,' it reads. Baby steps: She says as he gets older, he will likely get accustomed to being alone and 45 minutes won't seem like such a long time. But until then, she doesn't want the experience to be uncomfortable for him . 'Parents and guardians need to make intelligent, reasoned decisions regarding these matters.' For Ms Heiselt, she's confident that she has made the right decision for her son - although her feelings on the topic may be significantly different when her daughter, now two, is his age. 'I like to think that it would depend on the child, regardless of their gender, but I also know that little girls appear more vulnerable,' she admitted. 'I think when she gets to be that old I will first need to evaluate her temperament and decide if she has the maturity and awareness to handle that kind of responsibility.' | Mother-of-three Lizzie Heiselt says she occasionally leaves her 'homebody' seven-year-old son at home alone for up to 45 minutes .
She is averse to 'helicopter parenting' - stifling kids by being too involved in their lives - and instead encourages hers to learn and do things on their own . |
fd1e07f4f80d2e8b2563c9240b4328b34f645fda | (CNN) -- Authorities along the central coast of California are searching for a missing boy they believe was snatched from the shelter where he was staying by another resident. Police issued an Amber Alert Friday for 4-year-old Jeremy Guthrie, who is thought to be wearing a camouflage shirt and bright blue underpants. "Very dynamic situation as you can imagine. We're mobilizing every possible, every imaginable resource to find Jeremy. Unfortunately, we have not been successful at this point," said Steve Gesell, interim police chief. Jeremy and his mother had been staying at the First Baptist Church Shelter in Atascadero, California, police said in a statement. He was last seen around 9 p.m. Thursday and may have been abducted around 4:30 a.m. Friday, when a door alarm sounded, they said. The mother of the boy told police he could have been taken by Annette Hale, 52, who was also staying at the shelter. The two women had a disagreement Thursday night, said Gesell. "A witness was reported to have heard a little boy say 'I don't want to go,' or something similar to that, and we have an eyewitness that believes they saw a woman holding what may have been Jeremy in a blanket as they left the building," he said. Hale is around 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. She has brown hair, glasses and is not related to the missing boy. Gesell said she has a history of erratic behavior, but is not thought to be violent. Jeremy was described by police as 3 feet, 5 inches tall with brown hair. He may have a blanket with him, they said. | NEW: The suspect and the mother of the missing child reportedly had a disagreement .
The child, Jeremy Guthrie, is 4 years old .
He was abducted Friday morning from a shelter in Atascadero, California .
Police are searching for a suspect who was also staying at the shelter . |
fd1f652a72b7fa997552d3ea1ef36cc2ccddf48f | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blames the U.S. and 'wicked' British for creating the Islamic State group which has seized control of a swathe of Iraq and Syria . Iran's supreme leader has blamed the U.S. and 'wicked' British for creating the Islamic State terror group which has seized control of a swathe of Iraq and Syria. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's sharp remarks, in his first speech since prostate surgery last month, were a reminder of Iranian suspicions of the west despite the rise of a common foe. 'America, Zionism, and especially the veteran expert of spreading divisions, the wicked government of Britain, have sharply increased their efforts of creating divisions between the Sunnis and Shi'ites,' he said. Islamic State, known to its detractors by its Arabic acronym Da'esh, has overrun swathes of war-torn Syria and Iraq in recent months. Despite being adversaries for decades, Shi'ite power Iran and the U.S. both oppose the militants and have armed local groups fighting them. Senior officials from both countries have denied any plans to work together, however. 'They created Al Qaeda and Da'esh in order to create divisions and to fight against the Islamic Republic, but today, they have turned on them (Islamic State),' Khamenei said. The U.S. along with several Sunni Arab monarchies began a campaign of air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria on September 23. Other Western countries, including Britain, have also taken part in bombing raids against Islamic State positions in Iraq. Khamenei's accusation appeared to be reference to Western support for the rebel forces fighting Tehran's close ally, Syrian President Bashar-al Assad. Hardline Islamists have emerged as the rebels' strongest military element. There are persistent rumours that many rebels trained and armed by the West have gone on to join Isis. A recent survey of armaments used by Isis found the U.S. was the third biggest source, after Russia and China. Conflict Armament Research worked alongside Kurdish forces to study small-calibre ammunition recovered from jihadi forces. Iran also believes the United States and Britain are using the Islamist threat to justify their renewed presence in the region. 'A careful and analytic look at the developments reveals that the U.S. and its allies, in efforts that are falsely termed countering Daesh, seek to create division and enmity among the Muslims rather to destroy the root causes of that (terrorist) current,' Khamenei said. 'Shi'ites and Sunnis must know that any action or remark, including insulting one another, leads to increased sensitivities and ignite flames. This will certainly benefit the common enemy of all Muslims.' Islamic State fighters fighting Kurdish forces in Kobane: Despite being adversaries for decades, Shi'ite power Iran and the U.S. both oppose the militants and have armed local groups fighting them . Khamenei's criticism was a counterpoint to an apparent thaw in British-Iranian relations when President Hassan Rouhani met British Prime Minister David Cameron in New York in September - a move that was criticised by hardliners at home. That meeting followed decades of strained relations which worsened when Britain closed its embassy in Tehran after hardliners stormed it in November 2011. Britain decided in June this year to reopen the facility, but the embassy has yet to open its doors. | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Isis is part of a divide and conquer strategy .
The U.S. helped to train and arm rebels in Syria fighting Bashar Assad .
The group now known as Islamic State emerged from that rebel movement . |
fd1ff0e7cd6527149ced38f91542be075c926e89 | (CNN) -- Phil Mickelson did it the hard way. But the bottom line was that he came away victorious from the Scottish Open to end a 20-year individual drought in Europe. Mickelson beat South Africa's Branden Grace in a playoff on the links course at Castle Stuart in the Scottish Highlands on Sunday for his first win in Europe since claiming a Challenge Tour event in Paris in 1993. It was the perfect preparation for Mickelson ahead of the British Open that starts Thursday at Muirfield in Scotland. It must have also eased the pain of finishing second again at the U.S. Open last month. "This is really cool," Mickelson, in his ninth appearance at the Scottish Open, was quoted as saying by the European Tour's website. "It's important to me, and it's probably the biggest challenge of my career hitting the shots that are required here. "To win here and to play well here, finally win on a links golf course, it really means a lot to me and it also builds my confidence heading into future Scottish and British Opens." The highest ranked golfer in the field at No. 8, Mickelson blew a chance to win the title in regulation when he erred on the 18th hole. Needing only a par five -- he didn't drop a shot at the 18th in the first three rounds -- Mickelson struck a bogey to complete his round at three-under 69 and was 17 under through four rounds, like Grace. But in the playoff at the same hole he recovered, edging Grace by hitting a birdie. "I was so mad at myself for mentally losing my focus that I came out on that 18th (in the playoff) pretty focused to make a four," said the American. "I started coming here around 2000 or so and spent a lot of years here enjoying my time in Scotland and enjoying this competition. "And to finally win, that feels great." Mickelson and Grace were tied for second behind Sweden's Henrik Stenson heading into the final round. Stenson's two-shot lead evaporated when he fired a one-over 73 and he finished tied for second with Denmark's JB Hansen. | Phil Mickelson wins the Scottish Open in a playoff over South African Branden Grace .
Mickelson wins his first individual event in Europe in 20 years .
Scandinavians JB Hansen and Henrik Stenson finish two shots behind Mickelson and Grace . |
fd200372ab71a848fea6fe467abe566c36a8e2fb | Stripped down to his underwear in the bitter cold, this man risks his life trying to rescue his dog from a frozen river. Moments later, as he inched along the ice on his hands and knees, he fell into the water – yet fortunately, both dog and owner clambered out unscathed and continued their walk. Paul Wenborne, who took the photograph while walking his own dog by the River Stour in Essex yesterday, described the unidentified man's behaviour as a 'foolish act of bravery'. Do you know the man on the ice? Email us at [email protected] . High risk: A man fell through the ice while crawling across the frozen River Stour, eyewitness Paul Wenborne said . The man stripped down to his underwear and crawled across a frozen river to rescue his trapped dog . Mr Wenborne, 52, of Rayleigh, Essex, . added: 'I was with two friends and we couldn't believe what we were . seeing. He stripped down to his pants and started crawling across the . ice.' But Essex fire service condemned the man's rescue attempt as 'extremely dangerous'. Assistant divisional officer Stuart . McMillan said: 'Even though this ice appears to be strong it can be . eggshell thin, and anyone who falls through into the water below could . get trapped under the ice and would only be able to survive for minutes . in the freezing water. Not safe: Essex fire service condemned the man's rescue attempt as 'extremely dangerous' 'Dogs will normally make it safely off the ice and back to the shore. The same cannot be said for people.' The ice remained across much of the country this weekend, with the mercury dipping as low as -15.6C in Holbeach, Lincolnshire. But as the cold snap draws to a . close, be warned – there's a drought hot on the heels of the big freeze. The Environment Agency has warned that this year could see severe water . shortages, with hosepipe bans as early as spring. Icy landscape: A young boy on a sledging trip stops to admire the stunning wall of icicles hanging from a cliff in County Durham . Wintry weekend: Icicles drip from a cliff as frosty weather continues across Britain . According to the Met Office, . temperatures will peak at a relatively mild 9C (48F) today. By . Wednesday, it could hit 11C (52F) in the South and 10C (50F) in the . North. Would you risk your life to save your pet? Would you risk your life to save your pet? Now share your opinion . But an exceptionally dry 2011, . followed by what is shaping up to be the driest winter on record, has . left the reservoirs low and rivers parched. Incredibly, several counties . are officially in drought already, and experts say that if the heavens . don't open soon, the problem will get worse. While 2011 was Scotland's wettest . year on record, parts of England saw very low rainfall. East Anglia had . its second driest year and the Midlands its third driest. The situation hasn't improved in 2012 . so far, with below average rainfall in the Midlands, East Anglia and . the South East in January. Ian Barker, the Environment Agency's . head of water, land and biodiversity, said: 'It has been an . exceptionally dry winter and that has left us with very dry soils. 'It would take an average month's . rain to saturate the soil before we then begin to see rainfall percolate . down to the water table and bring groundwater levels up.' Icy waters: Surface of Lake Semer reflects the snow covered Pennines, near Hawes. Swan lake: Bids take off from a small patch of melted water in the frozen surroundings of Fairburn Ings RSPB Reserve, Castleford. Two water companies – Anglian and . South East – have been granted drought permits that allow them to take . more water from rivers to top up their reservoirs. Thames Water has . applied for four permits. Mr Barker said the next few months will be 'critical' to stop the drought spreading further and hosepipe bans coming in. Wildlife is already suffering, with fish being rescued from dry rivers and birds struggling to find food. Andrew Chapman, a senior environment . planning officer with the Environment Agency, said: 'In simple terms, . unless we get a downpour that lasts for several weeks in the very near . future, we are in trouble.' A teenager was airlifted to hospital on Saturday following a sledging accident in Fridaythorpe, near York, at . around 1.30pm, an ambulance spokesman said. Winter wonderland: India Garrod, 16, rides her horse Blue across the Lincolnshire Wolds, near Louth . Frosty: Frozen ladybird at Watt Wood Nature Reserve, Lincolnshire, wears jacket of ice as temperatures plunged to -14C . Firefighters were called to assist with the landing of the helicopter at Bootham Park Hospital, York. In Cumbria, treacherous fog . conditions caused a motorway pile-up on the M6 near Perth yesterday afternoon . - leaving one motorist seriously injured in hospital. Around 12 cars were involved in the . smash, which caused miles of tailbacks. Great North Air Ambulance . Service (GNAA) sent a rapid response car because it was too foggy for a . helicopter. A GNAA spokeswoman said: 'There has . been one person who has been seriously injured. Their injuries were not . life-threatening. Luckily there were no fatalities.' Let it snow: Deer feeding at a snowy Wollaton Park in Nottingham . In Buckinghamshire, two dog walkers . who watched their helpless pooches drown in the Olympic rowing lake were praised by . the fire service for not attempting to rescue them. The owners were said to have done the . right thing by suppressing their 'natural instincts' and not jumping in . after their pets, when the animals fell through the ice on Dorney Lake, . near High Wycombe, on Saturday. A fire service spokesman said the . public was 'at last getting the message not to risk their own lives . trying to rescue their pets'. He added: 'It is a difficult enough job for firefighters and often ends in human tragedy if owners go on to the ice themselves. 'We are grateful the owners were thinking sensibly and had the presence of mind to stay on the bank and call for help.' Britain could be facing a severe drought this summer after the driest winter on record, experts have warned. Without heavy rainfall in the near future, extreme water shortages could hit many parts of the country - with parched landscapes, rivers drying up and possible hosepipe bans in the summer. It could have a huge knock-on effect for farmers, food production, tourism and local wildlife. Officials from the Environment Agency say the worst affected areas would include the Midlands, East Anglia and the south-east of England. Ian Baker, head of water, land and biodiversity at the Agency, said: 'The last five months in East Anglia have been the driest period since records began in 1910. 'The next few months are critical in terms of refilling ground water. It is certainly something to worry about.' Much of Europe continues to be gripped by the big freeze, with up to 50cm falling in some places. Nine people have been killed in Kosovo when an avalanche hit the village of Restelica in south of the country, officials said on Sunday - adding to the 500 plus people killed in the snow and bitter cold across the continent in the past two weeks. In Montenegro, a state of emergency has been declared following the worst snow fall in more than half a century - leaving hundreds of villages cut off. But Paul Knightley, forecaster for . MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the cold . spell is coming to an end in Britain - although it could take some time. He said: 'We are coming to the end of . the cold spell. It's going to be a slow process, it's not going to . suddenly be massively mild. 'Some places will see a dramatic . change in temperature but it may not be something people necessarily . notice because they have been so low.' He . said cloud spreading down the country from the north would bring a rise . in temperature and some patchy drizzle and light snow in some parts. 'The snow itself is not going to be near . the amounts we have seen but there will be some drizzle which will fall . on to very cold ground so we will see the risk of some ice, especially . in untreated areas', he added. Euro freeze: People enjoy a cold winter day on the frozen Lake Pfaeffikersee, near Zurich . The weather wreaked havoc with the weekend's sporting calendar after a number of matches and racing . fixtures fell victim to frozen conditions, including the opening round of Rugby League's Northern . Rail Cup. Ambulance crews were called out . to three separate cases of people who narrowly avoided tragedy in icy . water, West Midlands Ambulance Service said. A . spokeswoman said crews were called to one man who reportedly jumped . into a canal near Chancel Way in Halesowen, Birmingham, to rescue his . dog. Both were found out of the water when they arrived. Horse play: The Skikjoering Grand Prix Credit Suisse race was run on the frozen Lake of St Moritz in Switzerland . In a separate call, two teenage boys, aged 13 and 14, were taken to hospital by ambulance after falling through ice in Doxey Marshes, near Creswell Farm Drive, Stafford. And in a third incident crews were called to Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, to reports of children playing on a frozen lake, but no one was hurt after police moved them away, the spokeswoman said. 'Adults and children alike are reminded that frozen lakes, canals and ponds are extremely dangerous and can have serious or even fatal consequences,' she added. 'In all three cases ambulance crews have responded to, those involved have had very lucky escapes.' Do you know the man on the ice? Email us at [email protected] . | Essex fire service said rescue was 'extremely dangerous'
Mercury dipped as low as -15.6C in Lincolnshire this weekend .
Teenager is airlifted to hospital after sledging accident .
Dogs drown in Olympic and Paralympic rowing lake .
Treacherous fog causes pile-up on the M6 in Cumbria .
Much of Europe remains in the grip of big freeze .
Kosovo avalanche deaths add to the Euro death toll . |
fd2024a36a18d4cf80c84b7ee3b246da503f884e | The World Cup is just 16 days away and excitement is building. Each week our man in Brazil, Joe Callaghan, brings us the latest news and views from South America - as well as traveller tips for those heading out there - and provides a flavour of exactly how the World Cup in Brazil is shaping up. 'Yes, [money] is one of the reasons. I'm 59 and I don't want to work as a coach until I'm 70. I want to retire in four or five years.' Those words were uttered in June 2008, which, assuming our maths are right here, means Luis Felipe Scolari never got his wish. Four and five years have come and gone, a sixth is well upon him and the now 65-year-old is about as far removed from the peace and tranquility of retirement as he could ever have imagined. The lush green of Granja Comary in the hillside surrounds of Teresopolis, ironically, can be a very serene place when it wants to be. VIDEO Scroll down to watch J-Lo and Pitbull film video for World Cup song . Relaxed: Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari was in relaxed mood when he greeted journalists at their training base . Warm greeting: Scolari give Dani Alves a warm welcome to the Brazil training centre ahead of the World Cup . Whether it wanted or not, yesterday was certainly not one of those days as Brazil's World Cup squad made the short trek up from Rio de Janeiro and picked their way through a pack of protesters, throngs of fans and an army of national and international media. In the middle of it all stood Scolari, the flame to which these myriad moths were drawn. Brazil's first day in World Cup camp is a pretty big deal every four years but this time round they take on the world on home turf with 200 million pairs of eyes staring down on them in heavy hope and enormous expectation. But Big Phil cut a comfortable figure, one who is exactly where he wants to be. Retirement? You've got to be kidding. To be fair, buying the winnebago and . seeing a bit more of the world with his wife Olga weren't the only . things that didn't go to the plan Scolari laid out back in June 2008. Those comments were made at a press conference that came in the middle . of Euro 2008 when the 2002 World Cup winner was confirmed as Avram . Grant's replacement as Chelsea manager. High hopes: Scolari greets Brazil's biggest talent Neymar to their World Cup training base this week . Objection: A handful of protestors also met the players, upset at the sums of money spent on the World Cup . He didn't take up the role and that lucrative three-year deal until a month later but it was all over within another seven months. It was a short spell marked with a long list of failings. Signings, Deco the prime example, never quite clicked, there were fallings out with senior players and tactical breakdowns aplenty. But more than anything, succeeding two men - Grant and Jose Mourinho - who had been unbeaten at home and going on to drop 16 of 39 points at Stamford Bridge did it for Scolari. It was an episode that scarred . Felipao, not just big in nickname but in character and confidence too. Being viewed as unable to cut it in the Premier League cut him deep. After all, this is a man who has been at the helm in three major . tournaments that also featured England. He . knocked them out of all three - the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and Euro . 2004 in between - before being denied the opportunity to continue the . streak when the Three Lions failed to qualify for Euro 2008. Never mind . Germany or Argentina, Scolari is the new Old Enemy. Hard times: Scolari is still hurt by the memories of failing to succeed during his time as Chelsea manager . So there is no little irony that here he is now, 12 months past the appointed retirement date eyeing history and relying heavily on sources of that painful experience. Bidding to become only the second man . in history - and the first since 1938 - to win two World Cups as . manager, Scolari is leaning on the league which burned him so badly, . taking six Premier League players home for action and summoning four of . his 23 from Chelsea. As . for Mourinho, the old foe whose shadow he couldn't escape at the Bridge . and who he fell out with more than once when he was Portugal coach and . the upstart was working his early magic at Porto, Scolari has a lot to . thank him for. Benefactor: Scolari has benefited from Jose Mourinho's (right) improving of Willian and Oscar at Chelsea . In deconstructing and casting afresh Willian into the relentless, all action talent he became this past season, while also tinkering and finessing the approach of Oscar, there is a mark of Mourinho in Big Phil's retooled Selecao, unlikely as Scolari is to ever acknowledge it. However, he has mellowed, he has changed. At Granja Comary he welcomed his squad almost like a father or at the very least close family. There was little of the past headmaster, more jolly uncle. New traits have blended easily though with the old reliables - most crucially, loyalty. Scolari will largely stick with his tried and trusted Confederations Cup winners in the bid for home glory. There has been some trademark luck too, not a single major injury in the build-up, while opening night opponents Croatia will have their leader of the line Mario Mandzukic suspended. They are the kind of early breaks that can shape a path to glory, that can at the very least help build confidence. 'In Brazil we only have one option,' said Scolari earlier this month. 'Winning.'Retirement can sure as hell wait. High hopes: Scolari says the Brazilian public only has one outcome in its mind for the World Cup: winning . David Luiz's huge-money swapping of London for Paris has kicked off a financial frenzy involving Brazilian defensive talent. Dani Alves looks certain to join the former Chelsea man at PSG with Marquinhos going in the opposite direction to Barcelona. Meanwhile, not be left out, Marcelo picked up a win and goal-scoring bonus in the Champions League final. We guess the drinks are on the defenders at Brazil camp. Winner: Brazil's Marcelo scores in the Champions League final victory for Real Madrid over Atletico Madrid . Brazil does music as well as it does football. Pretty damn good in other words. It's little surprise then that the host nation have proved harsh judges of the official song of the World Cup. Brazil's assessment of We Are One has been withering on a Cowell-esque scale. Rightly so, the ditty trundled out by Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and native daughter Claudia Leitte is truly awful and about as Brazilian as a stadium finished on time. Its stock is so low that the locals would be happy enough to just rehash an old tune with #VoltaWakaWaka becoming a trending hashtag here in the hope that Shakira's anthem for South Africa 2010 can be brought back in place of J-Lo and Co. Brazil is 'One' alright, united in turning the volume down. Party time: Jennifer Lopez (left), Pitbull and Claudia Leitte perform the Official World Cup song on stage . Unison: J-Lo and Pitbull's World Cup song We Are One has been canned by the Brazilian public . Star performers: J-Lo and Claudia Leitte during recording of their World Cup song We Are One . Some Brazilian imports came and made the Premier League their own (Juninho, Gilberto Silva), some didn't quite (Mario Jardel and Afonso Alves at the head of that queue). Juliano Belletti falls somewhere between the two but that's not say there weren't spectacular moments during his three seasons at Stamford Bridge. The World Cup winning full-back scored some screamers in his time at Chelsea's and came to mind this week after Marcelo bundled in Real Madrid's third against Atlético in the Champions League final. The last Brazilian to score on European football's biggest night was none other than Belletti, who broke Arsenal hearts with the winner in the 2006 decider. Three years retired, he works as an analyst for SporTV in his homeland. Remember me? Former Chelsea defender Juliano Belletti is now working for Brazilian TV . 'We believe we are heading in the right direction. We have two more games in Brazil and all these games are designed for us to be ready for the first game against Chile.' Australia coach Ange Postecoglou after his side's sterile 1-1 draw with South Africa on Monday. The Socceroos will be the first team to arrive in Brazil when they get here on Wednesday, a full 11 days before England. Dropped into a group with Spain and Holland, as well as Chile, they probably should make the most of their pre-tournament time. They're unlikely to hang around too long after kick-off. FIFA released their stadium food and drink prices yesterday and while fans jetting in from Europe or Australia may be pleasantly surprised to find that, by home standards, they'll be far from fleeced once inside any of the 12 host arenas, the same can't be said for locals. Being asked to shell out R$6 (£1.60) for a small local beer (a large is £2.70, a large Budweiser £3.50) is hardly going to burst many budgets but being asked for R$6 for a 500ml water when any corner store in Brazil sells 1.5litre bottles for less than a quarter of the FIFA price smacks of good old-fashioned opportunism. Maybe just get plenty of H2O onboard before coming through the turnstiles. Big prices: The Brazilian public has reacted badly to FIFA's high prices for food and drink inside stadiums . June rolls around this weekend which means only one thing in the world's biggest rainforest - winter is here. But don't wheel out the gloves and snoods just yet because the relentless heat is not ready to give way in Manaus. Highs of 30C will persist all week with lows (English fans might feel 'slightly less highs' is a better term) of 23C. Consider this, stadium volunteers plucked from the local community complained of feeling ill after training runs in the heat in recent days. If that's the toll it is taking on the locals, blow-ins may be better off staying indoors. | Brazil boss Phil Scolari is set to walk away from management after the World Cup .
He says there is only one option for Brazil's World Cup fortunes: 'Winning'
The .
Brazilian public is in unison in its dislike of the official World Cup .
song We Are One from Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull and Claudia Leitte .
Brazilian defenders David Luiz, Dani Alves and Marquinhos all look set to be on the move shortly .
Fellow Brazilian Marcelo scored in Real Madrid's Champions League triumph on the weekend . |
fd2055d1a7e7f691a5ed69c33fc40328d1dd13e2 | By . Harriet Cooke . PUBLISHED: . 06:03 EST, 6 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:15 EST, 6 November 2012 . Retired teacher Patrick Gallagher, 64, suffered a heart attack after arguing with neighbours over their loud music . A retired teacher died of a heart attack after neighbours placed a ghetto blaster on his doorstep and played 'a terrific volume of music', an inquest has heard. Patrick Gallagher, 64, was found lying face down in a pool of blood in the doorway of his home in Healey, near Rochdale, after he rowed with his neighbours over the volume. His wife of 32 years, Susan Gallagher, told an inquest into his death that the tragedy happened after she heard her neighbours playing music and went outside to investigate. She told the hearing in Rochdale that after she had realised the noise was coming from neighbour John Butterworth’s house, she returned home and discussed with her husband whether they should call the police. The couple were then interrupted by even more noise. Mrs Gallagher said: 'We were both still in the living room. 'Suddenly there was a terrific volume of music immediately outside the house. 'It was the sort of volume you would experience in a fairground.' In a written statement, Mrs Gallagher . said that her husband had witnessed a woman placing what appeared to be a . ‘ghetto-blaster’ outside their door. He then went out to investigate when he was confronted by neighbours John Butterworth and Stephen and Sharon Maloney, the inquest was told. Mrs Gallagher said: 'I heard voices. I heard him saying, ‘What are you playing at?’ He wasn’t especially angry. It was, if you like, said in a teacher’s voice.' Mrs Gallagher said Mr Maloney repeatedly warned Mr Gallagher not to ‘make an enemy’ out of him before lunging at him on the doorstep. She said Mr Maloney was then grabbed by his wife, causing him to stagger sideways. Tragic: The middle house belonged to Mr Gallagher, who died in the doorway . At this point, she said, she ran upstairs to ring the police. When she returned, the inquest heard, everyone had disappeared from the doorstep and the music had been switched off. She told the inquest: 'I made the 999 call and left the receiver off because the call handler asked me to go downstairs and see what was happening. 'All music and everything had been switched off. It was a strange atmosphere.' Mrs Gallagher then saw her husband collapsed in the doorway. He was taken to hospital shortly after the incident, at 10pm on August 14, and died three days later after suffering a series of irregularities with his heart. Giving evidence at the inquest, pathologist Dr Naomi Carter said Mr Gallagher had suffered a heart attack and collapsed after developing a blood clot due to the stress of the argument. Dr Carter said: 'When someone is involved in a stressful event, it’s a common experience that your heart beats faster. 'The reason that he developed the blood clot and collapsed when he did is as a direct result of this incident in its entirety.' Five people were arrested in connection with the incident but were later released without charge. The inquest continues. | Inquest heard how Susan Gallagher found her husband Patrick, 64, lying in a pool of blood .
Minutes earlier a woman had placed a ghetto blaster on their doorstep .
Stress of row over loud music caused the heart attack, doctor said . |
fd20a876ab32c0e2c0ef93db7444c829cfb5211a | By . Craig Hope . Follow @@CraigHope01 . England’s players risk being struck down with sickness ahead of their World Cup opener against Italy having begun a course of medication to prevent malaria. The 23-man squad will take tablets for 12 days in a bid to combat the disease, which is particularly prevalent in the north of Brazil and in Manaus where the Three Lions kick off their campaign on Saturday. But the antimalarial drug Malarone causes side effects which include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and headaches. And with one in 10 people usually affected, there is a danger that some of Roy Hodgson’s men could take ill over the coming days. Risk: One in ten people who take anti-malaria tablets are affected by sickness . Prevention: England's players began their 12-day course of tablets on Tuesday . Very common: More than 1 in 10 people who take Malarone . - diarrhoea- headaches- nausea- stomach pain- vomiting . Common: More than 1 in 100 people who take Malarone . - abnormal laboratory test results- allergic reactions including anaphylactic reactions- blood problems- cough- depression- difficulty sleeping- feeling dizzy- fever- itching- loss of appetite- metabolic problems- skin rash or rashes- strange dreams . Uncommon: More than 1 in 1000 people who take Malarone . - feeling anxious- hair loss- inflammation of the mouth- palpitations- urticaria . Rare: More than 1 in 10,000 people who take Malarone . - hallucination . No choice: Roy Hodgson accepts his players must take the medication . The England boss, however, would rather his players suffered the side effects than contract malaria. ‘It’s . a question for the doctors really: I went to Manaus and I didn’t take . any for the two days I spent there,’ said Hodgson, whose staff will also . take the medication. ‘That might just be something to do with the fact that I’m not a football player. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve got to go with medical opinion. 'If the doctors are telling me that, when we go to Manaus, the players must take malaria tablets, whether it has side effects or not, what do I do? 'I can’t turn around and say: “We will not take malaria tablets” because the bottom line is it’s better to have stomach cramps or whatever it is for one player in 10 than have someone contract malaria, because that would be unthinkable.’ | Three Lions squad began course of medication on Tuesday .
One in 10 people who take Malarone suffer side effects including vomiting and headaches .
There is a high risk of contracting malaria in northern Brazil, which includes Manaus where England face Italy .
Roy Hodgson says he would rather his players were sick than contracted the disease . |
fd20ef45a7d35ad22bbb6444df7ec3dddf3420bb | At first glance, these images might look like something belonging on a film set about paranormal activity. But these mind-blowing photographs are infact the works of a French 'camouflage' artist who uses his paintbrush to make people 'disappear' from pictures. Laurent La Gamba uses crafty techniques to make his models blend into a series of ordinary and bizarre objects - including fridges, sports cars and supermarket shelves. These mind-blowing pictures are the works of a French 'camouflage' artist who uses his paintbrush to make people 'disappear' from pictures . Laurent La Gamba uses crafty techniques to make his models blend into a series of ordinary and bizarre objects - including fridges . The 47-year-old also creates images in which the models vanish into the likes of supermarket shelves (pictured) and flash sports cars . The 47-year-old, from Paris, spends up to two hours intricately painting each person with acrylics before positioning them with incredible precision and photographing them in front of the objects. The finished result is the illusion that the models are 'hovering' in front of the objects. Mr La Gamba has described his photos as 'procryptic', a word normally used to define the protective colouring found in insects who use camouflage against their enemies. Last year, the married father-of-two first created a spectacular set of images by blending his friends and family with a range of top sports cars. The project, which merged his love of cars and art, used three BMWs and two Porsches for his latest work and was shot in the Pyrenees, southern France, where he has a studio. He said: 'Each shoot takes about a day. The people who model in my set are my friends and family. The father-of-two spends up to two hours intricately painting each person with acrylics before photographing them in front of the images . Mr La Gamba, from Paris, gives the models the appearance that they are 'hovering' in front of the chosen objects, including this flag . He described his photos as 'procryptic' - a word normally used for the protective colouring in insects used to camouflage against enemies . 'I wanted to enrich my camouflage work and make the camouflage more difficult technically by using a moving image. I am a painter, I paint the installation myself in full. 'They make me proud and I have great fun in the process of making them. 'Some people laugh, some people admire it - others think it is software generated, so there is really a wide variety of reactions.' In one collection, the married artist used three BMWs and two Porsches to create the 'disappearing' images over sports cars . He said that all of his artworks are original and are in no way re-touched or digitally edited . The models are usually friends or members of Mr La Gamba's family. He even appears in the images himself, from time to time . The project, which merged his love of cars and art, was shot in the Pyrenees, southern France, where Mr La Gamba has a studio . | Parisian artist Laurent La Gamba, 47, spends up to two hours intricately painting each person with acrylics .
The father-of-two then photographs the models in front of a range of ordinary and bizarre images, including shelves .
His work, which uses friends and families as models, gives appearance of people 'hovering' in front of the objects . |
fd21558f41c6d7cc09eb934f9604ca3ad4ed12e5 | (CNN) -- A Canadian porn actor suspected of killing and dismembering a university student in Montreal pleaded not guilty Tuesday to all the charges against him, the prosecution office in Quebec said. Luka Rocco Magnotta, 29, faces first-degree murder and other charges in the death and dismemberment of Jun Lin, a 33-year-old Concordia University student from China. Ahead of the hearing, police said Magnotta would appear in the Montreal courtroom via video link. He arrived in Canada on Monday from Germany, a police official said. He was in police custody when he flew back aboard a Canadian military plane. Magnotta did not fight extradition from Germany after his arrest there this month. "Now the alleged killer is in Montreal, and he'll be facing justice," police spokesman Cmdr. Ian Lafreniere told reporters Monday at the Montreal-Mirabel International Airport, where the suspect's plane touched down in the company of half a dozen officers. "This is not the end of the investigation," Lafreniere said. Authorities accuse Magnotta of dismembering Lin and mailing one of his hands and one of his feet to Canadian politicians. Police link Vancouver body parts to Montreal dismemberment suspect . Police also believe Magnotta filmed the death and dismemberment and posted the video to the Internet. They have said the video shows Magnotta engaged in sexual acts involving body parts and also includes evidence of cannibalism. The Canadian government worked with Montreal police, the Quebec Prosecution Service and German officials to bring about Magnotta's extradition, officials said. Berlin police arrested Magnotta at an Internet cafe where he was browsing articles about himself. An employee of the cafe recognized him and flagged down a carload of German police trainees. The arrest ended an international manhunt that began after the body parts were mailed. Authorities have said they believe Magnotta killed Lin on May 24 or 25, posted the video, then flew to France on May 26. He was thought to have boarded a bus to Berlin on June 1 while police were searching for him in Paris, Berlin prosecutors have said. The sick fascination with a death video . The case began when a caller complained to police about a strong smell coming from an alley behind Magnotta's Montreal apartment building, Lafreniere has said. Investigators found a torso stuffed inside a suitcase. The same day, officials at Canada's Conservative Party headquarters received a package addressed to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper that contained a foot. Officials later intercepted a package addressed to the Liberal Party that contained a hand. DNA tests showed both were Lin's, Lafreniere has said. The victim's head is still missing. A gay porn actor, stripper and escort, Magnotta was well known to animal rights activists online, who accused him of killing kittens and using the carcasses in sexual acts. Authorities have said they were looking into the animal-abuse allegations and also examining possible links to other crimes. CNN's Paula Newton contributed to this report. | NEW: Luka Rocco Magnotta denies all the charges against him, Quebec prosecutors say .
He faces first-degree murder and other charges in the death of a Chinese student .
Police believe Magnotta filmed the death and dismemberment of Jun Lin .
Magnotta did not fight extradition from Germany to Canada . |
fd21ac6352a79deaa055b766db98e5ed81c1f6c1 | David Cameron today came under pressure over reports the NHS faces a £2billion financial black hole. The Prime Minister was challenged over reports of a cash shortage in the health service in England which is heaping pressure on staff and putting care at risk. NHS managers warned the service is ‘experiencing some of the most pressured times of its existence so far’. Scroll down for video . David Cameron told the Commons that the efficiency savings needed in the NHS were on track . The NHS's secondary healthcare budget in England, which includes money for hospital and mental health services, is £78 billion. But analysis of figures from the health regulator Monitor suggest that in 2015-16 there will be a funding gap of £5.1 billion. Even after all realistic efficiency savings are made there will still be a deficit of £1.6bn for 2015-16, according to the BBC analysis. In the Commons today, Mr Cameron insisted the NHS is on track to make £20 billion in planned efficiency savings. He told MPs: ‘The estimates being made today are being made on the basis that we have set challenges for the NHS in terms of making efficiencies. ‘They have met those efficiency challenges every single year under this Government and that money has been ploughed back into better patient care in our NHS.’ Labour's Andy Burnham said the NHS's finances were on a 'knife-edge' But Labour said that the health service's finances are on a ‘knife-edge’ as a result of the controversial NHS reforms. Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: ‘David Cameron chose to put NHS finances on this knife-edge when he wasted £3 billion on a damaging re-organisation and clawed back a further £3 billion to the Treasury in recent years. That is why the NHS is in a such a fragile financial position.’ Christina McAnea, head of health at the union Unison, said: 'The prospect of a further £2 billion cut in the NHS budget is a real blow for patients and staff. ‘The Government can't expect staff to plug this hole in NHS funding by cutting pay and conditions even further. ‘Starving NHS budgets further will have a significant and noticeable impact on patient care, staff training and hospital infrastructure. ‘The NHS is already under strain because of rising demand and the high cost of expensive drugs and treatments.’ The NHS Confederation, which represents health organisations across England, called for a 10-year funding settlement for the NHS to protect NHS funding in real terms for the next decade. Chief operating officer Matt Tee said: 'There is no doubt that the health service is experiencing some of the most pressured times of its existence so far. 'What we really need is for the NHS to have some certainty about the funding it will get in future years, so health service leaders can plan most effectively with their populations how to deliver the right services, in the right places, for the best value.’ A Department of Health spokesman said: 'The NHS is on track to make £20 billion savings this Parliament and we are confident that it will continue to make the savings necessary which will be reinvested to front line care to meet the rising demands of our ageing population.' | Prime Minister insists efficiency savings in the health service are on track .
Watchdog Monitor warns of shortfall even when cutbacks are made in NHS .
Labour warns the finances of the NHS are now on a 'knife-edge'
NHS Confederations says it faces the 'most pressured times of its existence' |
fd21f0bdd5f29e96e49c6abbbeb4911f68865036 | By . Daniel Miller . PUBLISHED: . 03:31 EST, 29 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:30 EST, 30 June 2013 . Nelson Mandela wrote a will on a single sheet of A4 paper in which he asked to be buried on a remote hillside in his ancestral home of Qunu, it has emerged. The former South African president, 94, remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital in Pretoria where he has spent the last 21 days being treated for a lung infection. In January 1996, while still serving as president, Mr Mandela reportedly drew up a rudimentary will in which he asked for a simple burial close to the village where he grew up on the Eastern cape. Scroll down for videos . Burial wishes: Former South African leader Nelson Mandela reportedly drew up a will on a piece of A4 paper asking to be buried in his ancestral homeland . He said that while he would be happy with a state memorial service in Pretoria he wanted to buried in the family plot with just a simple headstone to mark the site of his grave. The South African Mail and Guardian reported a long-standing family friend as saying: 'He never gave death a great deal of thought, but he never wanted anything fancy'. Despite the fact that sales of Mr Mandela's book Long Walk To Freedom, and artworks bearing his name, had earned him millions in royalties his will was reportedly presented on a single sheet of A4 paper. Homeland: Mr Mandela asked to be buried under a smile stone marker on a remote hillside in Qunu . Wishes: South African President Nelson Mandela's house in Qunu. According to family friend the anti-apartiied leader 'never wanted anything fancy' Women prepare food on an open fire ahead of a wedding taking place on Saturday near former South African President Nelson Mandela's house in Qunu . According to South Africa's national broadcaster SABC, the question of Mr Mandela's final resting place has this week sparked a bitter family feud. Mr Mandela's oldest daughter, Makaziwe, and 15 other family members have pressed a court application to get Mr Mandela's grandson to return the bodies of three of Mr Mandela's children to their original graves in Qunu. The grandson, Mandla Mandela, acknowledges having reburied the three bodies 13 miles away in the Mvezo village, where he plans to create a Mandela shrine, hotel and football stadium. Mandla Mandela has until tomorrow to respond to the court filing, reports said. Feud: Mr Mandela's oldest daughter, Makaziwe (left) has gone to court to get Mr . Mandela's grandson Mandla (right) to return the bodies of three of Mr Mandela's . children to their original graves in Qunu . Nelson Mandela built his retirement home in Qunu and was living there until his repeated hospital stays which started at the end of last year. The anti-apartheid leader attended the burial of his son at the family plot in Qunu in 2005, and it was widely expected that the leader himself will be buried there. But his grandson exhumed the bodies of Mr Mandela's three children and moved them to nearby Mvezo, which is the former president's birthplace and the grandson holds authority as chief. Eldest daughter Makaziwe and other Mandela family members want the family bodies returned to their original graves in Qunu, according to the reports. Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose with South African President Jacob Zuma and his wife Tobeka Madiba Zuma, today. The U.S. President is due to meet with members of Mr Mandela's family . Today U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are due to meet with family members but they will not visit Mr Mandela in hospital. 'Out of deference to Nelson Mandela's peace and comfort and the family's wishes, they will not be visiting the hospital,' the White House added in a statement. Yesterday Mr Mandela ex-wife said his condition had improved. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela told reporters: 'I'm not a doctor but I can say that from what he was a few days ago there is great improvement'. Ms Madikizela-Mandela pleaded with the media to 'understand the sensitivities and the feeling of the family' | Anti-apartheid leader drew up will in 1996 while still serving as president .
Question of where he is to be buried has sparked a bitter family feud .
Obamas due to meet with Mr Mandela's family members today . |
fd22654a7a3f41d2f8b877a7d8ec9baffd9cf775 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- Have at least $68,000 to spare? If so, you may be in the running to join an exclusive group of individuals who have had their complete genome sequenced. Bidding for an eBay auction for whole genome sequencing service begins at $68,000. Starting Friday, the non-profit X Prize Foundation and private firm Knome are auctioning a whole genome sequence on eBay. The highest bidder will walk away with a full readout of their gene map, along with a complete interpretation of their genetic details. Hopes that genome sequencing will help usher in a new era of individualized health care have been rising ever since the first human genome sequence was completed in 2003. The genome is a map of all the DNA in the human body. It serves as a blueprint for physical and behavioral traits as well as susceptibility to diseases. If genetic sequencing can be made more widely accessible, it has the potential to have a profound impact on health care, said George Church, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School who worked on the Human Genome Project. The auction will run for 10 days and bidding begins at a cool $68,000. Proceeds will go to the X Prize Foundation, an educational institute that provides cash incentives to encourage innovation. The launch of the auction on Friday coincides with DNA Day, which marks the day when the double helix structure of DNA was discovered as well as the completion of the first human genome sequence. There are about 1,600 known genes that influence an individual's health and the health of their offspring, according to Church, who is also a co-founder of Knome. Besides identifying risk of diseases, sequencing can also determine an individual's potential reaction to certain drugs and pick out those that may be ineffective or even toxic. He believes personal genomes eventually will be integrated into preventive care one day. But genomics today is like the personal computers in the 1970s. Would you pay to have your genome sequenced? How much? Send us an iReport with your views . "This is a time of rapid transition where tools are being developed and people are deciding whether they want to be early adopters or not," he told CNN. For now, complete human genome sequencing is still out of reach for most consumers. Cambridge, Mass.-based Knome charges $99,500. The company has attracted at least 20 customers since it was started in 2007. The winning bidder will be invited to attend a roundtable discussion where Knome's scientists will review the winner's analysis. The winner also gets a private dinner with Church. To be sure, the cost of technology has fallen rapidly from the $3 billion it cost to sequence the first human genome in 2003. But it's still cost prohibitive to incorporate complete sequences into medical research and care. Genomics plays a critical role in the move towards personalized medicine, according to MaryAnn Guerra, executive director of the life sciences prize group at X Prize. But the cost of technology is limiting wide-range research studies which could help shed more light on how to interpret genetic information. "If we can drive this technology to be at a price point where you can do more studies and apply it more broadly, the more the data will have an impact on individuals," she told CNN. In the aim of speeding up the sequencing process and lowering costs, X Prize is offering $10 million to the first team to successfully sequence 100 human genomes in 10 days for $10,000 per genome or less. However, predicting disease is a tricky business, and there is still much to be understood, researchers say. Recent studies suggest that many diseases are the result of variations of several, rather than just a single, gene. Much more research needs to be done before genetic testing can be applied to personalize medicine, according to David Goldstein, who heads the Center for Human Genome Variation at Duke University. "Right now we need to understand how the genome of patients is changed in disease," he said. "We don't understand how genomes of people with epilepsy or autism or schizophrenia differ. We are still at the research phase." | Bidding for auction of whole genome sequencing begins at $68,000 .
Launch of auction on Friday coincides with DNA Day .
Personal genomics may transform health care, but costs still prohibitive .
Much more needs to be done to unravel mystery of genome, experts say . |
fd233bf5d4c0852000d2d5306850881764b004c3 | Despite her half-brother, Conor, splitting from Taylor Swift last month, Kick Kennedy has revealed that she is still a big fan of the country music star. The 24-year-old political scion told Town&Country: 'Taylor’s sweet, and so catchy I can’t believe it. I can’t get her songs out of my head.' She was snapped at her family's compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, wearing a selection of laid back styles for the December issue of the magazine. Seal of approval: Despite her half-brother, Conor, splitting from Taylor Swift last month, Kick Kennedy has revealed that she is still a fan of the country music star . Kick, who is an aspiring actress is . the only daughter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer and . the niece of President John F. Kennedy, and his first wife Emily . Black. She explained that being a member of America's most famous political dynasty can often bring unwanted attention. Dreamy setting: The photography shoot took place at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts . Country idol: Kick rocked a laid back look for the magazine shoot . 'People . ask me, "What’s it like being a Kennedy?" Maybe it’s the temperature . of the water, but I’m just like, "I have no idea." 'When I see my face . or name in the tabloids, I get a knot in my stomach. It’s just not me – . it’s reading something that’s not real,' she explained. Kick spent the summer supporting her half-brother following his mother's suicide in May. Reflecting: Kick said that this sunner was 'rough' following the news of Mary Kennedy's suicide . Mary . Kennedy, 52, hanged herself in a barn by the family's Westchester . County home amid bitter divorce proceedings after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won temporary custody of Conor and his three siblings. On-off romance: Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy split last month . Describing the chain of events, Kick, who is currently based in California, said: 'It . was a rough summer. Back in April, before Mary died, it seemed like . things were slowing down in my life. 'L.A. has a lot going on for an . actor. But if you’re not happy, you’re not going to be taking advantage . of any of it.' Kick said at the time that Taylor was . also a great source of strength for her half-brother, telling New York . Magazine: 'Whatever makes Conor happy makes me happy. I love Taylor; . they're pretty cute together.' Last month Ted Kennedy Jr, also gave 22-year-old Taylor his seal of approval. He revealed that the singer has grown close to Robert F. Kennedy’s widow, Ethel, his grandmother. 'She’s a very open person…to people . of all generations. 'As I just said, she’s a very welcoming person and . she and Taylor have a genuine friendship. 'They . love spending time together. They really like spending time with one . another and, you know, they’re fascinated by each other,' Ted told Ok! magazine. When asked if Ethel listens to Taylor’s music, Ted answered affirmatively: 'Yeah, she does. Of course!' The December issue of Town&Country, now on newsstands nationwide. | The political scion was photographed at her family's compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, for Town&Country magazine . |
fd249974254786202c92a4ec0133c34859122a2b | West Ham are exploring the possibility of signing Shakhtar Donetsk striker Facundo Ferreyra. The 23-year-old Argentine is unsettled at Shakhtar owing to the growing unrest in Ukraine. Wantaway: Ferreyra (right) is unsettled at Shakhtar owing to the current political climate . London calling: West Ham are closely monitoring Ferreyra's situation . Newcastle, Sunderland and QPR have also been offered the chance to take him on loan with view to a permanent deal. He has an Italian passport so would not need a work permit. West Ham aim to complete Carl Jenkinson's signing from Arsenal also. | West Ham keeping tabs on striker Facundo Ferreyra's situation .
Argentine is unsettled at Shakhtar due to political unrest in Ukraine .
Ferreyra holds an Italian passport so would not need a work permit . |
fd24d17f4f88dcb83d5d47858177567e27c3a92a | Senior Tory MPs mocked a former minister’s striking leopard-print outfit behind her back at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday. Cheryl Gillan, the former Welsh Secretary, was called to ask David Cameron about plans for the controversial HS2 high-speed rail line, which she bitterly opposes. As she spoke, Keith Simpson, parliamentary aide to Foreign Secretary William Hague, was heard to make roaring noises while clawing the air like a big cat. Mocked: Cheryl Gillan's outift is targeted by fellow Tory MPs during Prime Minister's Questions yesterday . Former education minister Tim Loughton appeared to join in, prompting colleagues seated on adjacent benches to collapse in laughter. Health Minister Anna Soubry was also seen scratching at the air, and Government whip Anne Milton joined in the merriment but then leant across to pat Mr Simpson on the arm and advise him to stop. The joke appeared to be directed at Mrs Gillan’s choice of clothes, but also reflected colleagues’ boredom with her focus on the Government’s HS2 project. Since leaving the Cabinet in David Cameron’s last reshuffle, she has asked about little else. Guffaw: Mrs Gillan the former Welsh Secretary, was called to ask David Cameron about plans for the controversial HS2 high-speed rail line, which she bitterly opposes. She has spoken about little else recently . The mockery risks exacerbating claims that senior Tories are too prone to behaviour and remarks that could be seen as sexist. However Mrs Gillan’s office said she had been aware of what was going on behind her but was ‘not particularly bothered’. Mr Simpson’s boss, Mr Hague, had to apologise last week after being seen to mutter ‘stupid woman’ at a Labour MP who raised questions about donations to his office. And David Cameron once told Labour front bencher Angela Eagle to ‘calm down, dear’ during a rowdy session of Prime Minister’s Questions. | MPs make claw gestures behind Cheryl Gillan's back as she asks question .
Mockery risks exacerbating claims Tories are prone to apparent sexism .
Ms Gillan's office insists she was 'not bothered' by her colleagues' jibes . |
fd24f2f819af8d218e65273bc73f951f2a42e7f1 | She is always pushing the envelope when it comes to her fashion choices, and Emma Stone certainly cut a cool figure during Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards. The 26-year-old looked absolutely striking in a dramatic black gown that featured a long sheer black train that highlighted her lean legs. The actress kept her neckline free from jewelry but did add some earrings in the shape of diamond florets. Scroll down for video . Hollywood glamour! Emma Stone looked absolutely striking in a dramatic black gown that featured a long sheer black train . The star, who is nominated in the best supporting role category for her performance in Birdman, had her red locks pulled into a neat bun. She completed her look with a shade of bright red lipstick. Her flawless makeup accentuated her glowing complexion and radiant skin tone. Understated elegance: The 26-year-old, who is nominated in the best supporting role category for her performance in Birdman, had her red locks pulled into a neat bun . Christian Dior Couture . Click to check out the full collection! Visit site . So awards season rolls on with both the Producers' Guild and Screen Actors' Guild Awards this week end. But of the two it's the SAG Awards that always pulls the big A-list crowd which means tonnes of glamour and red carpet gowns to obsess over. It was, as ever, a high octane affair with the great and the gorgeous pulling out all the stops. Emma Stone was part of the winning cast of Birdman and took her inspiration from a Gothic sensibility. And while she wore a completely sheer dress by Christian Dior, she kept it respectable with a long line tuxedo jacket on top. Going see through has its risks but if worn like this with strategically placed opaque panels, it can be a sophisticated way to do 'sexy'. Emma's gown is couture so isn't available to buy online but we have found some fabulous dresses that will help you recreate the look in the real world. Find some similar styles at Asos or grab a total bargain at Missguided, adding high heel sandals and a flash of red lipstick to complete the look. Religion sheer maxi dress at Asos (now reduced to $99.49) Visit site . AQ/AQ Viva maxi dress at Revolve (now reduced to $137) Visit site . Missguided sheer maxi dress . Visit site . Jarlo Juliet maxi dress with sheer skirt at Asos (now reduced to $66.33) Visit site . Her performance in Birdman has earned her two Screen Actors Guild nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor and win for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. The redhead, who is dating her The Amazing Spider Man co-star Andrew Garfield, will face off against Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), Meryl Streep (Into the Woods), Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game) and Naomi Watts (St. Vincent) in her category at the SAG awards. Alejandro González Iñárritu's dark comedy Birdman, which centres around a washed up actor who attempts to reinvent himself as a director, has featured prominently during awards season so far. Pretty in diamonds! The actress kept her neckline free from jewelry but did add some earrings in the shape of diamond florets . Sexy! Emma's dress featured a long sheer train that highlighted her lean legs . Perfection! Her flawless makeup accentuated her glowing complexion and radiant skin tone . Michael Keaton scooped the Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes and the film has been nominated in a whopping nine categories at the Academy Awards. On Saturday, the Emma kept a low profile as she made a quick stopover in New York City, the night before jetting off to Los Angeles for the star-studded ceremony. Meanwhile, Emma has revealed she knew she wanted to be an actress from a young age and persuaded her parents to let her follow her dream thanks to a PowerPoint presentation. She told the New York Times: 'I made a PowerPoint presentation for my parents when I was 14... all about why I should be an actor. 'I never wanted to do anything else, from 7 on. It wasn’t a flight of fancy.' Sophisticated! The star oozed old Hollywood glamour as she posed for pictures . Top honors! Emma's performance in Birdman has also earned her a nomination and win for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture . We won! Emma was hugged by Michael Keaton as they headed to the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture . So grateful! The star got emotional as she spoke to the audience and thanked everyone . Oops! Naomi Watts stumbled over the floor-sweeping sheer skirt of Emma's dress as he made her way to the podium . The cast: From left, Andrea Riseborough, Emma, Amy Ryan, Naomi Watts, Edward Norton and Michael Keaton pose in the press room with the award . Group shot: Emma stands in the middle of Michael Keaton and Jared Leto as they pose backstage . Starring role: Emma stars in Birdman as Michael Keaton's daughter Sam Thomson . Triumphant! Eddie Redmayne was named best actor for The Theory of Everything . Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture . WINNER: Birdman . Boyhood . The Grand Budapest Hotel . The Imitation Game . The Theory of Everything . Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role . WINNER: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything . Steve Carell, Foxcatcher . Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game . Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler . Michael Keaton, Birdman . Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role . WINNER: Julianne Moore, Still Alice . Jennifer Aniston, Cake . Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything . Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl . Reese Witherspoon, Wild . Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role . WINNER: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash . Robert Duvall, The Judge . Ethan Hawke, Boyhood . Edward Norton, Birdman . Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher . Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role . WINNER: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood . Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game . Emma Stone, Birdman . Meryl Streep, Into the Woods . Naomi Watts, St. Vincent . Winning film: Michael Keaton's movie Birdman scooped Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture; he missed out on an individual gong . TELEVISION . Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series . WINNER: Downton Abbey . Boardwalk Empire . Game of Thrones . Homeland . House of Cards . Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series . WINNER: ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK . Big Bang Theory . Brooklyn Nine-Nine . Modern Family . Veep . Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series . WINNER: Kevin Spacey, House of Cards . Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire . Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones . Woody Harrelson, True Detective . Matthew McConaughey, True Detective . Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series . WINNER: Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder . Claire Danes, Homeland . Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife . Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black . Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey . Robin Wright, House of Cards . Another gong: Julianne Moore has swept the awards shows so far for her role in Still Alice; she continued her run at the SAGS . Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series . WINNER: William H. Macy, Shameless . Ty Burrell, Modern Family . Louis C.K., Louie . Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory . Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family . Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series . WINNER: Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black . Julie Bowen, Modern Family . Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie . Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep . Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation . Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries . WINNER: Mark Ruffalo, The Normal Heart . Adrien Brody, Houdini . Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: His Last Vow . Richard Jenkins, Olive Kitteridge . Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo . Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries . WINNER: Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge . Ellen Burstyn, Flowers in the Attic . Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honourable Woman . Julia Roberts, The Normal Heart . Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful . | Birdman wins Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture . |
fd251730b308c12c19e46e2c02e7fe0b6b558e9c | By . Lydia Warren . A decomposed body found off a rural road in upstate New York 30 years ago has finally been identified as belonging to an aspiring model who vanished as she headed to New York City. The body found by a hunter in Shelby, New York in October 1983 has now been identified as Shari Lynne Ball, a 20-year-old woman who disappeared after leaving Boca Raton, Florida. After the body was found, it was badly decomposed and could not be identified so was buried beneath a tombstone reading 'Jane Doe'. But cold-case investigators, working with local authorities, requested that the body be exhumed from its grave in October last year and compared with samples in the National DNA Database. Found: Shari Lynne Ball, pictured, vanished in 1983 as she traveled from Florida to New York to pursue a modeling career. A body found four months later in upstate New York has now been identified as hers . There was a match; Ball's mother had provided a sample in 2005, the Sun Sentinel reported. Ball was just 20 when she left her home in Boca Raton on June 27, 1983 and told relatives she was heading north to pursue a modeling career. Two days later, she called a friend from a truck stop in Ashland, Virginia - the last time anyone heard from her. Four months later, in October 1983, a hunter discovered a body in Shelby, Orleans County, New York - nearly 400 miles northwest of New York City, and more than 1,300 miles from her Florida home. But with the body so badly decomposed, she could not be identified, and Ball was declared legally dead in 1988, as her family continued to wonder what had happened to her. Police say they suspect foul play may have been involved in her death, but could not provide further details. Locator: A map shows the distance between where she was last seen and where her body was found . Investigators have traveled to Ball's mother's house to notify her in person that her daughter's body had been found, Lt. Kevin Reyes with the New York State Police told the Sentinel. 'It did give her closure in knowing that she does know exactly what has happened to her daughter... as opposed to it being a mystery,' he said. Records show that Ball's mother, Nancy, had first called police on the night she left before calling again in October 1983, saying no one had seen her daughter for months. But a report was filed saying no foul play was suspected because she was an adult who had left of her own accord. It also noted that Ball and her mother had difficulties in their relationship. Reyes said detectives will now try to establish a timeline of events leading up to her death and start interviewing people who knew her. 'Similarities': Christopher Wilder's name has been mentioned although not directly linked to the case, investigators said. Wilder was known as the Beauty Queen Killer for murdering beautiful women in 1984 . He added that the name of one serial killer had been brought up - Christopher Wilder, who became known as The Beauty Queen Killer, for killing and raping women in Florida in 1984, and one of his victims was raped and stabbed in upstate New York. He was killed in a confrontation with police in April 1984. 'The name has been brought up, but we have no evidence as of yet to link this individual to this disappearance,' Reyes said of Wilder. Ball was 20 years old, white, 5ft4, 100 . pounds, with hazel eyes and blonde hair and was also known to use the . name of Timmerman when she disappeared, police say. Anyone who knew her or who may be able to provide information is urged to contact New . York State Police at 585-344-6210. | Shari Lynne Ball, 20, disappeared in 1983 after leaving Boca Raton, Florida and telling her family she was going to New York to be a model .
She called from a truck stop in Virginia - but was never heard from again .
A decomposing body was found in upstate New York 4 months later but could not be identified, so was buried with the name Jane Doe .
Cold-case investigators exhumed it last year and discovered that it matched a DNA sample given by Ball's mother .
Investigators are now trying to piece together her last days . |
fd251ba331cd462cf318ddaed209dbb94dbec342 | By . Jonny Singer . Follow @@Jonny_Singer . Ronald Koeman saw his Twitter following explode on Monday after being announced as Southampton manager. The 51-year-old, who replaces Mauricio Pochettino on a three-year deal at the club, has seen over 100,000 people follow him in the last three days, the majority of them since his appointment. Koeman tweeted: 'My account has clearly exploded! And has now even exceeded 300,000 followers #unbelievable! Thank you all for following me.' Main man: Southampton appointed Ronald Koeman (centre) as manager on a three-year-deal on Monday . In the hotseat: Koeman moves to Southampton after leaving Dutch outfit Feyenoord last season . The former Feyenoord boss becomes the second current Premier League manager on twitter, joining Swansea's Gary Monk. Pepe Mel, who left West Brom after a short spell last season, also used the social media site. But while Monk has only a modest 21,000 followers, and Mel has 131,000, Koeman has seen his account grow rapidly since being linked with Saint Mary's. Last Saturday he reached 100,000 followers and on Friday he tweeted to celebrate passing 200,000. On Monday evening, following a day of intense media coverage, the Dutchman has now topped 300,000. Tweeting bosses: Swansea's Monk (left) is the only current manager with Twitter after Mel left West Brom . Optimistic: Koeman will hope his managerial reputation will expand in the same was as his online presence . Koeman, who won the European Championship with Holland and the European Cup with PSV in 1988 and with Barcelona four years later as a player, has also managed Ajax, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, Valencia and AZ Alkmaar. | Koeman becomes the second tweeting manager in the Premier League .
Sees his followers spike to 300,000 after appointment .
3 days earlier he celebrated passing 200k, and only had 100k last Saturday .
Koeman has replace Mauricio Pochettino on a 3-year deal . |
fd25465e76771371fc99d683aa4e032d19f74bbb | After being slapped with hefty airline fines in the past, savvy travellers are embracing mobile devices to check in for flights. A new report by travel search engine Kayak has found that two in five passengers (42 per cent) have incurred an average of £51 in airline charges because of issues with traditional paper travel documents. As a result, almost a third (32 per cent) are now choosing to ditch printed boarding passes in favour of smart devices and airline apps. Scroll down for video . There's an app for that: Almost a third of passengers would prefer to check in for flights using mobile devices . The most common issue which affected 14 per cent of passengers was lost boarding passes, followed by the 12 per cent with forgetting to print their boarding passes altogether. These problems are followed by the 11 per cent of people who didn’t have the opportunity or means to do so. For six per cent of people, the print quality of their self-printed boarding pass hindered their journey. Currently several budget airlines charge for the replacement of documents, with Ryanair demanding as much as £15 if you arrive at the airport without your printed check in documents, and £70 for checking in at the airport. Some 57 per cent of travellers believe that airlines fines over forgotten or lost boarding passes are unfair. Of those surveyed, 44 per cent said they prefer digital check-in as they worry about forgetting a printed boarding pass. Similarly, 35 per cent say that they would be more likely to lose a printed copy of a boarding pass than their smart device. Pay the price: Two in five passengers have been hit with heft airline fees following problems with traditional printed travel documents . For 38 per cent of travellers, digital check in is simply more convenient than the hassle of printing, and with 23 per cent of regular travellers admitting to not owning a printer, it isn’t surprising. For a further third (36 per cent) of people, environmental concerns lead them to prefer paperless check in methods. The desire to move away from traditional printed airport check in methods entirely towards digital only would be welcomed by 36 per cent of travellers. The digital revolution doesn't stop once you've boarded the flight. 29 per cent of guests would rather check in to their hotel using their smart phone too. Loella Pehrsson, Regional Managing Director UK, Ireland & the Nordics of Kayak said: 'In today’s fast-paced world remembering to print and keep track of boarding passes and reservations can be an inconvenience to travellers, especially when they have a device in their pocket which can do the job for them. 'Consumers rely on their smart devices in every area of their lives and travelling is no different.' The report by polled 1,000 travellers who make more than two return flights a year. | Two in five UK travellers have had to pay airline fines in the past .
32% say they now prefer to check in using smart devices and airline apps .
Most budget airline charge customers to re-print boarding passes . |
fd257fca7b6a5091d446999e73fca2f0e72ca97a | Editor's note: Simon Johnson, a former International Monetary Fund chief economist, is a professor at MIT Sloan School of Management and a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Peter Boone is chairman of Effective Intervention, a UK-based charity, and a research associate at the Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics. They run http://baselinescenario.com/, a global economy Web site. Simon Johnson, above, and Peter Boone say the U.S. could be in for a long period of virtually no growth. (CNN) -- Euphoria returns! Who could have guessed that Bank of America stock would rally 70 percent the week it learns the Feds are demanding new capital equal to nearly half the bank's market capitalization? The ongoing grim news -- on rising unemployment, continued (albeit slower) economic decline, and ordinary working Americans being hammered on all sides -- is being ignored by stock and commodity markets. Is America now back on track for growth? The answer to that is almost surely no. Rising stock markets don't necessarily mean a sharp recovery is under way. Consider the case of Japan in its first lost decade of the 1990s. After falling 63 percent from its peak in late 1989, the Nikkei staged a 32 percent rally in one month. It then remained volatile but around the same level for nearly 10 years -- because the return on assets and capital investors could earn proved so low throughout that economy. During the 1990s, Japan's banking system was burdened with bad loans that kept eating into profits and its nonfinancial companies had excess capacity that had to be wound down; these problems were made worse by a decline in the working population. The initial excess of capital, supplemented by high ongoing savings from households and corporations, kept interest rates low. Throughout this period the price/earnings ratio on stocks ranged from 30 to 50 (it's 51 today), compared with 15 to 20 in Europe and the United States. The logic was simple: With so little return available on all assets, local investors were willing to pay up for stocks even if the dividends were a paltry 1-2 percent. Does this sound familiar? We think so. The current rally in stocks marks one clear success -- the fear of a systemic collapse due to loss of confidence in our financial system has subsided. This is good news, and an important achievement of President Obama's team. However, our "turning Japanese" phase may just have begun. The "stress tests" that were just completed do not mark the renewed health of our banking system. We still have 22 percent of Americans with houses worth less than their mortgages, and there are parallel problems for commercial property and other sectors. Many bankruptcies are yet to come. Most publicly traded large homebuilders are deep in debt, yet they are burning cash and waiting to see if -- magically -- the two-year stock of unsold housing can somehow disappear. We've barely begun to downsize our auto industry, and the parts suppliers and dealers that go along with it, to reflect the lower level of consumer spending and scarcer availability of credit for the future. All of this is also true across much of Europe. In essence, Europe and the United States both are saddled with zombie banks (which don't really lend), zombie corporations (which don't grow), and a decline in the relative size of the working population (as more people try to retire). This "Japanese" scenario can persist for many years. The biggest risk now is that the Federal Reserve and the Treasury try to re-leverage our way out of a Japanese-style prolonged recession by flooding the economy with cheap credit -- like they did in 2002, but to an even greater degree. Cheap government finance for powerful banks is a great cocktail for re-election; running stress tests that weren't really stressful is a good indication this is where policy is heading. This time the money won't come from consumers (or from China, as it did after 2002); it will be American and European central banks providing funds and our governments running massive budget deficits. If this is the strategy, the next crisis will be even more traumatic. Budget deficits over 10 percent of Gross Domestic Product and trillions of dollars of new loans to the banks from the Federal Reserve are recipes for hyperinflation and, if the Fed and Treasury don't pull away the punch bowl soon, sharply increasing inflation is very much in the cards. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Simon Johnson and Peter Boone. | Johnson, Boone: Stocks are rallying as if economy is out of the woods .
They say that's premature, and we could be in for a long period of stagnation .
Japan's economy suffered for years from similar problems, they say .
Johnson, Boone: We have zombie banks and zombie companies . |
fd258fea9fdfef9a404168596a0114b7ff84a98b | Leon Osman may be a steady, yet unspectacular performer on the field for Everton, but the same can't be said for his rapping skills. The 33-year-old performed his own rendition of Will Smith's 'Boom! Shake the Room' at his testimonial dinner on Saturday night and it proved to be a big hit with the guests in attendance. Osman, who has spent over 14 years at Goodison Park, was joined by the likes of Toffees legend Kevin Kilbane and former Everton player Nick Chadwick, with many of the current squad also expected to be in attendance. Everton Leon Osman gets into the swing of things as he raps Will Smith's classic hit Boom! Shake the Room . Osman is handed over a tambourine as the guests enjoy his rapping skills . Osman has a smile on his face as he enjoys his testimonial dinner on Saturday night . Osman has made over 300 appearances for Everton since turning professional in 2000 . Everton legend Kevin Kilbane was among the guests in attendance for Osman's testimonial dinner . Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle - 'Diamond Lights' Ian Wright - 'Do the Right Thing' Paul Gasciogne - 'Geordie Boys' & 'Fog on the Tyne' Andy Cole - 'Outstanding ' The dinner party was held at the Rum Warehouse at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool, with the proceeds from the night going to Claire House and Make-a-Wish Foundation. Osman has already had his testimonial match, with Everton drawing 1-1 with Porto at Goodison Park in August. The veteran midfielder remains an integral part of the Everton squad, making nine appearances in all competitions this season, as Roberto Martinez's side currently sit ninth in the Premier League after 10 games played. | Leon Osman has been at Everton for over 14 years .
The 33-year-old had his testimonial dinner on Saturday night in Liverpool .
Osman produced an impressive rendition of DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith's hit song 'Boom! Shake the Room'
Everton legend Kevin Kilbane was among those in attendance . |
fd259d0d7d18a280b373b4e857a476889d47d218 | (CNN) -- As a Nigerian, and as somebody who has been blessed with a top-tier education, the idea that teenage girls could be snatched from their school in northeastern Nigeria is particularly chilling. I was born and raised in England but spent some of my childhood in Enugu, in the southeastern part of Nigeria. I studied at Oxford University and Columbia University, and my thirst for knowledge made journalism a natural choice. I wouldn't be working as a CNN reporter today if it wasn't for the fact that my parents fled Nigeria during the Biafra War and my mother, despite losing my father in a car accident, sacrificed everything to send me to good schools in England. Girls in Chibok, Nigeria, now have to decide between staying alive and getting an education. Aside from the nearly 300 school girls who were kidnapped in April, 56 boys at a boarding school were also recently killed. This is particularly heart-wrenching because I've always believed education is freedom, especially for children in northeastern Nigeria whose education will be the only chance they have at eventually escaping poverty like my parents did. However, the unyielding presence of Boko Haram has meant that education has become a choice between life and death. And parents, who are naturally more concerned about their children living to see another day than anything else, have stopped sending their children to school. Kidnappings are not just limited to Boko Haram's antics in the northern part of Nigeria but are widespread throughout the country. Every Christmas, Nigerians who live in the Western world often travel back to Nigeria for the holidays. The sheer presence of so many foreigners often means an sharp uptick in the number of ransom kidnappings. Whenever I return to Nigeria, I follow sharp instructions from my mother not to tell too many people I'm coming back, not to announce my arrival ahead of time, and not too stay in one place for too long. We've become even more cautious after my uncle was kidnapped three years ago. He was living between London and Dublin at the time and returned to Nigeria to visit family. One evening, as he was pulling into my grandmother's compound, kidnappers sneaked in behind him on foot. They knocked on the window to his car, and as soon as he rolled down the windows, they hit him over the head, took over his vehicle and drove him five hours through the night. It was by miracle that the car they used broke down. The kidnappers -- and my uncle -- were were stranded. They panicked and let him go. For a very long time, he was afraid to ever go back to Nigeria. When my uncle shares that story, people aren't necessarily as shocked as you might expect. The first thing people ask him is not, "Oh my goodness, you were kidnapped?" but rather "Who did you tell you were coming back to Nigeria?" This is a country where no one is immune from the rife practice of hostage taking and if you travel to Nigeria, the onus is on you to stay safe. If the Nigerian President's cousin can be kidnapped and the finance minister's mother can be held hostage, then anyone else can be, too. For that reason, I've always tried to avoid traveling back to Nigeria alone, especially during Christmas. I simply won't do it. And when I am there, the idea of going out after dusk alone is inconceivable. Every time my mother tells me, "You need to go to Nigeria this year," I often look for any excuse to get out of it. It pains me to admit that because I cherish my memories of going to school in Nigeria and the chances of anything happening to me -- though possible -- I hope are unlikely. Although I'm not in Nigeria physically right now, the story about these girls has haunted me from day one. Whenever I read headlines about the missing schoolgirls, there's always this feeling of guilt that hovers over me. It's hugely unfair that I live comfortably in a first world country, in a nation that affords me the freedoms and luxuries that I can't imagine living without and those girls, whose only wish is to get an education, have to live in a constant state of fear. That's their life every single day, and had my parents not made the sacrifices they did, that could easily have been my life too. My heart bleeds for them. | Zain Asher: Girls in Nigeria "now have to decide between staying alive and getting an education"
Kidnappings are common throughout Nigeria, from which her parents fled during the Biafra War .
Her uncle was kidnapped three years ago . |
fd2635a5f62a4bb255ed526d98292ecf29b01e05 | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 11:25 EST, 1 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:49 EST, 1 October 2013 . It's a job that's meant to take just four minutes a day, but even that can feel like a drag. Now, one company has made a 3D printed toothbrush tailored to an individual's teeth that promises a thorough clean in just six seconds. The Blizzident doesn't look like a conventional toothbrush - in fact, it resembles a mouth guard. Instead of brushing, the device is placed on the surface of the teeth and the user bites on the device. Scroll down for video . The Blizzident (pictured) does not look like a mouthguard with bristles. It is placed on the surface of a person's teeth and allows the user to bite on the device and grind their teeth to clean them. Some of the 400 bristles are visible . They then grind their teeth to clean them, instead of using a motion associated with conventional brushes. The company uses a 3D model of an individual's teeth created using an impression or scan made by a dentist to print the device, which costs around £122. The device itself is made of plastic and contains 400 soft bristles as well as slits for dental floss. The bristles are soft and tapered as well as being tailored to teeth to brush along the gumline at a 45 degree angle so that users brush their teeth by biting and grinding for around six seconds. By biting the brush using what dentists call the 'modified bass' technique, users clean the gingival sulcus - the space underneath the gum line - particularly well as well as 'cleaning all other surfaces perfectly,' according to the company. The unusual brush has 400 bristles set at a 45 degree angle to clean below the gum line - and every tooth surface - when a user grinds their teeth and bites on the device in quick succession. The handle of the brush is a floss dispenser and there are small slots so floss so that the device cleans in-between teeth too . To clean teeth throughly, a user must bite and release the device quickly 10 to 15 times, which creates a 'vibrating, jiggling upwards, downwards and slightly circling movements', according to the firm. The resulting 'sub gingival bass technique' is easy to achieve using the tailor-made device but is difficult to master using a conventional handheld brush. Users of the Blizzident should also grind their teeth with their mouths closed to brush according to the 'fones' technique to clean the top surface of their molars, the company said. To clean teeth throughly, a user must bite and release the device quickly 10 to 15 times, which creates a 'vibrating, jiggling upwards, downwards and slightly circling movements'. It also has a little brush in the centre (pictured in the circle) to clean a user's tongue . The website says: 'Because you are brushing all your teeth . at the same time, you are brushing extremely quickly. You brush all the . difficult-to-reach and inter-dental regions without even having to think . about it.' There are slits for dental floss that users can route through the innovative brush so they are 'perfectly positioned for an individual's inter-dental regions' so that when they bite and grind, they are flossing at the same time. The handle of the brush also doubles as a floss dispenser, while there is also an in-built tongue cleaner, that scrapes bacteria off the tongue while the brush is in use. The company claims that six seconds of brushing time with the Blizzident is equivalent to a three minute clean with a conventional toothbrush, which relies on a user's brushing technique . The company claims that six seconds of brushing time with the Blizzident is equivalent to a three minute clean with a conventional toothbrush, which relies on a user's brushing technique. While the device is expensive, at around £122, compared to manual toothbrushes, it has 400 bristles, which is roughly 10 times as many as an ordinary toothbrush, leading the company to claim it lasts 10 times longer - or roughly one year. While the device expensive compared to manual toothbrushes, at around £122, it has 400 bristles, which is roughly 10 times as many as an ordinary toothbrush, leading the company to claim it lasts 10 times longer - or roughly one year . | The Blizzident brush contains 400 soft, tapered bristles as well as slits for dental floss designed to fit an individual's teeth .
The device is personalised from impressions of a patient's teeth made by dentists and is then 3D printed and costs over £120 .
It can brush all of an individuals' teeth in just six seconds if they use a 'bass and tones' technique, the company claims . |
fd26f12bf776eb21055ef8af20308d92fe7d75e8 | By . James Nye . For some Republican politicians the real star of Tuesday evenings State of the Union address was not the president but Willie Robertson - star of the hit A&E reality series Duck Dynasty. A whole stream of star-struck GOP house members, including one-time vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan, seemed to go out of their way to get Robertson, 41, and his wife Korie to pose for smiling selfies. Sporting his trademark Stars and Stripes bandana and untucked white shirt, Robertson was in high demand the minute he arrived in the Capitol building - despite cutting an unusual figure on such a prestigious occasion. Powerful friends: Duck Dynasty television show star Willie Robertson and his wife Korie (L) talk with U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) (R) in the visitor's gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives . Feted guests: Duck Dynasty's Willie Robertson, center and his wife Korie, talk with Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington . As he was seated in the visitor's gallery of the chamber, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan traveled up from the floor to meet him and get himself an all important selfie with Duck Commander CEO. Important: Duck Dynasty's Willie Robertson, center and his wife Korie, pose with Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Capitol Hill . Even veteran Republican Senator John McCain waved up at him from the floor. Asked how it felt to be one of the big attractions of the evening, Robertson told The Daily Caller: 'It was awesome.' 'I don’t know,” he went on. “I think it’s the beard.' But it wasn't all Republicans who wanted a piece of Robertson. Democratic . Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Rep. Steve Israel approached . Robertson after the speech, telling him he 'just wanted to say hello.' The son of controversial star Phil Robertson was invited to the State of the Union by Rep. Vance McAllister from Louisiana, who won election with the reality TV family’s support. Among those who posted pictures of themselves with the star were the junior United States Senator from Louisiana David Vitter, who admitted that 'My kids are impressed I get to see one person tonight, and it's not President Obama or Speaker Boehner,' - in reference to Willie Robertson. Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski also posted a picture of herself and Willie while North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer uploaded a picture of his wife Kris beaming alongside the Duck Dynasty star. Smile: South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham poses for his picture with Willie Robertson and his wife Korie - after Graham offered her his ticket to the State of the Union on Tuesday . Reality star: Texas Rep. Joe Barton makes sure he has the most treasured item of the evening for most Republicans - a selfie with Willie Robertson and his wife Korie . Star Struck: Senator David Vitter said that his children couldn't be more impressed if he met President Obama or Speaker John Boehner as he posted this picture of Willie Robertson to Twitter . Warm up: U.S. Representative for Georgia, Tom Graves said that meeting the Robertson's was the perfect way to start the evening before the president's State of the Union address . U.S. Representative for Alabama, Martha Roby also posted a picture as did U.S. Representative for Georgia, Tom Graves and Texas Rep. Joe Barton. Willie 'Boss Hog' Robertson invitation was announced by Vance McAllister on Twitter before the State of the Union. Indeed, Representative McAllister pointedly said in a statement that he looks forward to 'bringing some diversity to our nation's Capitol', with the invitation of the younger Robertson, despite the huge controversy his father created last year. 'I'm happy to announce that my friend, constituent & small business owner @williebosshog will be attending tonight's #SOTU as my guest,' McAllister tweeted - including the younger Robertson's Twitter handle and the "#SOTU" hashtag, or search term, for the State of the Union address. Robertson's wife Korie, who also appears on the show, was given a guest ticket to the speech by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who tweeted a photo of himself with the couple. Graham, a Republican, is up for re-election this year. Robertson, 41, is a son of 'Duck Dynasty' patriarch Phil Robertson, who was temporarily suspended from the hit show by cable television network A&E last month for making anti-gay remarks in a magazine interview. Other quotes in the interview were criticized as racist. U.S. Representative for Alabama, Martha Roby was seemingly ecstatic to meet Willie Robertson and his wife Korie . Famous: Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski made sure to post this picture to Twitter of herself and the Duck Dynasty star . Happy: North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer uploaded a picture of his wife Kris beaming alongside the Duck Dynasty star . Phil Robertson's suspension sparked a national debate over tolerance and religion, with several Republican politicians and conservative figures coming to his defense. The patriarch, who never apologized for his remarks, was reinstated after fans protested and big-name corporate sponsors stuck by the show. Willie Robertson is the chief executive officer of Duck Commander, a family-run business that specializes in duck-hunting gear and whose family's life is the subject of "Duck Dynasty," which averages about 8 million viewers per episode. The show is in its fifth season. CEO Robertson supported and endorsed McAllister in November during the Louisiana politician's successful campaign in a special election for a vacant congressional seat in the Pelican State's Fifth District. | Star of controversial reality series Duck Dynasty was greeted at State of the Union by Republican politicians all keen to pose for a picture .
Was invited as a guest to the keynote address by newly elected Louisiana Representative Vance McAllister .
Senator Lindsey Graham invited Robertson's wife Korie too .
Robertson, 41, is a son of 'Duck Dynasty' patriarch Phil Robertson, who was temporarily suspended from the hit show by cable television network A&E last month for making anti-gay remarks . |
fd275d54a5bea6cccf371b22afb1f8c53715fa2e | By . Talal Musa . PUBLISHED: . 09:23 EST, 31 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:26 EST, 31 August 2012 . Zombies. They're the 'thing' these days, aren't they? Movies, TV, video games. The walking dead are everywhere. It's no surprise, then, that many modern-day zombie offerings lack that killer suspense...after all, we've all seen it all and played it all before, right? Wrong. Because that's where ZombiU comes in - a revolutionary first-person horror game built from the ground up to take full advantage of the Wii U's GamePad. London is plagued with zombies and survivors are few and far between. Your job is to stay alive for as long as possible. Dead good: the zombies are smart and will attack in packs if you're too noisy . And thanks to the GamePad controls, staying alive has never felt, well, more alive. It acts as a number of things. First and foremost it's your satchel. With a click of a button the game zooms out from first person and you use GamePad's screen to equip / use items. This works brilliantly as it forces you to take your eyes away from the main TV screen - giving you a sense of vulnerability never before experienced in games of this nature. Of course, zombies can still attack you while you check your supplies. The controller also acts as a lock pick and an infrared scanner. With the scanner, you can use the GamePad to scope out a room - any objects of interest appearing highlighted. What's scary is that if there is a ghost in the room (yes, there are ghosts, too) your scanner reading goes all fuzzy. One boss battle was so scary, in fact, that I had to stop playing - much to one of the developer's amusement. Another cool touch is that when you die, your character turns into a zombie and you take control of another survivor. If you run into your old character - you can kill it and get back all your ammo. This feature is set to play a big part in the game's online multiplayer component. Graphically, it's not a huge step up from current gen. There's a silkiness to the visuals that both Xbox and PS3 don't have, but textures and lighting seem very similar indeed. Barren land: You'll have to survive London, like you've never seen it before . Zombies look fantastic and charge at you unpredictably. They all look different, too. Which makes a change from the 'I just killed that guy...again! Why won't you die!' feeling so often associated with so many games of the genre. They're also very clever (for the undead, anyway). They will scramble over desks and burst through doors to get at you. Plus, their behaviour will be directly influenced by how you approach combat. Go in all-guns-blazing and it will attract more zombies to your location. With that in mind, there are some points where you'll just want to use melee weapons - an axe - for example, to take them down with minimum of noise. With games like this, there's always going to be a controversial twist. ZombiU's 'shock factor' is that one of the levels reportedly sees you killing the undead inside Buckingham Palace. So, is it looking like the title worth buying a Wii U for? A dead cert. Follow Talal on Twitter: Mooseygamer and on Facebook: Daily Mail Games. | Use GamePad controller to look through your bag, pick locks and use scanner .
When you die, you die! (and turn into a zombie)
Reportedly features controversial level battling zombies inside Buckingham Palace .
Graphics on the same level as current gen . |
fd2766289e9e2ff27fb3c7a721a6bccb2bf8631e | (CNN) -- Forget planking, it's time to get "Persieing." The latest World Cup craze, currently exploding on social media, pays homage to Netherlands striker Robin van Persie. Photos of the Manchester United forward's acrobatic headed equalizer against world champions Spain in Friday's 5-1 win has gone viral. Van Persie nodded delicately over Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas while seemingly suspended in mid air to register one of the goals of the tournament. Now Twitter is awash with soccer fans the world over recreating his "Flying Dutchman" pose. Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren posted his tribute after a thumping win for Louis van Gaal's team, but the craze caught the imagination of both old and young. This baby can barely walk, but it didn't stop him saluting Van Persie's wonder strike. Not only was it a brilliant goal, it was also one that sparked a collapse from the World Cup holders. After going in front thanks to a Xabi Alonso penalty, Spain fell apart after Van Persie's equalizer, going on to lose 5-1. It meant Spain conceded more in its opening 90 minutes in Brazil than in its last 10 games at World Cups and European Championships combined. Spain's captain and goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, was only 40 minutes away from besting legendary Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga's record of 517 minutes without conceding during World Cup matches. | Dutch striker Robin van Persie sparks new social media craze "Perseing"
Man Utd striker's acrobatic opening goal against Spain strikes chord with fans .
Supporters across the globe recreating his acrobatic pose . |
fd27e41ec077ef228c4dc583bc3324834a731da6 | Hot yoga has become the one of the most fashionable forms of exercise, with a celebrity following including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Coleen Rooney. Pouring with sweat from contorting their bodies into difficult positions in sweltering heat, it's devotees swear it improves flexibility, aids weight loss and can even relieve the symptoms of common ailments like depression and arthritis. But now, one doctor warns it could have an ugly side effect: thread veins. Madonna (left) and Gwyneth Paltrow (right) are both known to be fans of hot yoga, which doctors now say could cause thread veins . Coleen Rooney used hot yoga to get back in shape after her second child (she is pictured left leaving a hot yoga class in Liverpool) and Andy Murray (right) started hot yoga six years ago to improve his flexibility . The news comes after U.S. research dispelled one myth about hot yoga, finding people who practiced the craze didn't burn any more calories or work harder than than in regular yoga. Dr Peter Finigan, Medical Director at Dr Newmans Clinic and a specialist in thread vein removal, says the number of patients he has treated for thread veins whose hobby is hot yoga has gone up by 25 per cent year on year. He said: 'Hot yoga is definitely an exacerbating factor in making facial thread veins more obvious. As the body temperature rises, blood vessels dilate allowing blood to flow near the surface of the skin to help cool it down.' He added: 'Two years ago, we didn’t treat any patients who did hot yoga. One patient had recently qualified as a hot yoga instructor and had developed more facial thread veins over the 18 months that she had been teaching.' He advised hot yoga fans to limit the number of sessions they do per week. And it's not only hot yoga that can bring about thread veins, the unsigthly red or purple wiggly lines that develop as we age and our skin and blood vessels become less elastic. They can come about from washing in either very hot or cold water. This causes the blood vessels in the skin to dilate or clamp shut – which over time can trigger thread veins – as the skin flushes as it reacts to cope with the extremes in temperature. Dr Finigan said: 'I would advise patients against washing in extremely hot or cold water for a prolonged period of time, which I would say is about 15-20 minutes, on a regular basis.' Hot yoga . Washing in very hot or cold water . Facelifts . Fillers and rhinoplasty . Hormonal changes due to pregnancy, or liver disease . They are also a common side effect of facial fillers and rhinoplasty - or nose reshaping – as the skin reacts to the 'trauma' of the injection or the procedure. Dr Finigan said: 'We have a key number of patients who regularly have fillers, who come and see us to have their thread veins removed – usually once a year – as they reappear when the fillers are injected.' 'It's a vicious circle because they want to have the fillers to plump out the creases in their face but then they get thread veins.' Much of the increase has been parallel to the general rise in people having fillers. According to Whatclinic.com, demand for dermal fillers in 2013 increased by 93 per cent in the UK. As a direct consequence, Dr Newmans Clinic has seen a rise of 15 per cent amongst patients, usually women aged 35 or older, seeking treatment for thread veins after having dermal fillers. Procedures such as facelifts can result in thread veins - and as they tend to appear around the temples and in front of the ears - they are a clear giveaway that the person has had the procedure. In this instance, the thread veins are caused by a reaction or irritation of the skin. Dr Finigan added: 'Thread veins are a recognised side effect of facelifts, and they can reoccur due to the traction of the skin over time.' While the majority of patients Dr Finigan treats are women, he is now seeing some children in the clinics who want to get rid of a specific type of thread vein called a 'spider naevi'. Thread veins are unsightly red or purple wiggly lines that develop as we age and our skin and blood vessels become less elastic . Hot yoga is the new fashionable exercise - but sweltering in a room heated up to 43°C could cause thread veins, as heat causes blood vessels to dilate which allows blood to flow near the surface of the skin . This is a red dot with tiny thread veins coming out of it, usually found on the the face, hands and shoulders. 'We see a handful of children at each clinic throughout the year, who have spider naevi treated' he said. 'However, the majority of patients are adults. Some patients have an underlying cause such as hormonal changes due to pregnancy, or liver disease – but some people just get them.' 'We tend to treat more women than men, but this is probably due to women exposing these areas more than men.' Dr Finigan treats thread veins and spider naevi using 'thermocoagulation'. This uses microwave technology to heat fine blood vessels and destroy them quickly, without scarring. They can also be treated using laser treatment or sclerotherapy. This treatment uses a tiny needle (smaller than a sewing needle) to inject a solution (scelerosant) that causes microscopic damage to the cells lining the vein. The vein gradually shrinks and disappears over a period of about eight weeks. | Gwyneth Paltrow, Coleen Rooney and Andy Murray swear by hot yoga .
Thread vein specialist Dr Peter Finigan says it makes them worse .
This is because in hot temperatures the blood vessels dilate .
Blood flows nearer to the surface of the skin, causing thread veins .
Other unusual causes include washing in very hot or cold water .
Says number of patients who perform hot yoga and need thread vein treatment has gone up by 25 per cent each year . |
fd2847a54a06202e21fa21f97d53e3ea71bf9ca6 | Casablanca, Morocco (CNN) -- A moderate Islamist party claimed victory in Morocco's first parliamentary elections since constitutional reforms this summer. The Justice and Development Party (PJD) won 107 of the 395 seats, Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui said Sunday. The next biggest winner was the Istiqlal Party, also known as the Independence Party, with 60 seats, the Interior Ministry's website reported. The number of parties involved in Morocco's multiparty system means it was unlikely a single party would win a majority of the seats, so a coalition government would have to be formed. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered her congratulations Saturday "on the successful completion" of the elections. "The United States stands ready to work with the new parliament and the people of Morocco to strengthen the rule of law, raise human rights standards, promote transparent and accountable governance, and work toward sustained, democratic reform," she said. Turnout in the North African country was 45%, the Interior Ministry said Friday. The National Democratic Institute -- which had 41 accredited observers from 21 countries that went to over 200 polling stations on Friday -- said in a news release that the elections "were conducted transparently." The voting process was described as "technically sound" and "without fear of tampering or procedural violations." But one institute member, Canadian Liberal Party leader Bob Rae, also pointed to the turnout and a number of invalid and spoiled ballots as negatives. "Seeing the number of people who actively spoiled their ballots as well as those who did not participate, it is clear that the path to real change will take more effort and time," Rae said. Lise Storm, senior lecturer in Middle East Politics at the University of Exeter in England, said Friday that the outcome might signal whether the population is happy with the monarchy or not. The more votes for the PJD appear to indicate a desire for greater change, she said -- as opposed to votes for the bloc of traditional loyalist parties, which would suggest voters favor the status quo. Under the new constitution, approved by referendum in July, both Parliament and the prime minister have greater powers, while the monarch's sway has been slightly lessened. The changes mean the prime minister must now be chosen from the party that wins the greatest number of votes -- which, based on the preliminary results, would be the Justice and Development Party -- rather than King Mohammed VI selecting his own nominee for the job. The reforms came after thousands of Moroccans took to the streets to demonstrate earlier this year, inspired by what became known as the Arab Spring. The youth-based February 20 Movement called for jobs and an end to corruption its members say stems from royal cronies. Analysts say economic reform is needed to create more jobs for the country's young people, particularly many university graduates who are unemployed. Journalist Aida Alami contributed to this report. | The Islamist Justice and Development Party wins more seats than any other party .
Observers call the election transparent .
Hillary Clinton congratulates Morrocans on the "successful" elections .
Constitutional reforms were approved by referendum in July . |
fd28844cbc622a3e0fa571aeac5b0d02525bb303 | (CNN) -- It was a winter weather tale as old as, well, modern time: car vs. the snow plow. "There's our friend and our nemesis, the plow. Ugh," said David Bradley, whose car was buried Wednesday by a plow clearing streets in Toronto. Forty-five minutes later, he was still trying to dig out his car from a fierce snowstorm that paralyzed parts of the United States and Canada, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and stranding thousands more. Similar scenes were playing from Wisconsin to Michigan, from Kansas to Texas, as thousands began digging out from a storm that began Sunday as a blizzard in the Great Plains. By Wednesday, it was a significant snowmaker over the Midwest and New England, causing headaches for some commuters. Warming climate could mean bigger blizzards, less snow . Deaths and destruction . The storm's toll was still being tallied in deaths and damage as remnants of the storm hit portions of New Hampshire and Maine early Thursday morning. A winter storm warning was in effect until 5 p.m. ET, with up to 10 inches of snow in the interior regions of Maine and eastern New Hampshire, according to the National Weather Service. As it marched on, officials said at least seven people were killed. In hard-hit Kansas, there were at least six storm-related deaths: two siblings who died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator, three people in fatal vehicle accidents and an elderly woman who died of hypothermia sweeping snow off her steps, Gov. Sam Brownback said. A seventh person died when a roof collapsed in hard-hit Woodward, Oklahoma, Mayor Roscoe Hill said. At the height of the storm, about 100,000 Kansas City Power and Light customers were without power, the company said. But Wednesday, roughly 10,000 were without power. A snow emergency was declared in Milwaukee through Thursday morning to keep cars from parking on zones where snow plows and emergency vehicles take priority. Up to 17 inches of snow fell in portions of Milwaukee. In the dark, Simon Alcarac was shoveling snow, trying to meet Milwaukee's 11 p.m. deadline to move his car to a nearby elementary school parking lot or face a hefty tow bill from the city. "I prefer to go walk two blocks, three blocks than pay $200 to get it out" of impound, he told CNN affiliate WTMJ-TV. A number of school districts, senior centers and churches in New Hampshire and Maine were closed Thursday, while some school districts in Kansas, Illinois and Michigan remained closed. Travel troubles . Airlines were rebooking passengers in Chicago late Wednesday after the snow forced the delay or cancellation of more than 100 flights, according to the airport. The storm was making itself felt on air travel in the Northeast on Wednesday evening, where airports in Boston, New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia were all showing delays. At LaGuardia Airport in New York, the FAA said departing flights were delayed by as much as an hour and 28 minutes. Airlines called off about 500 U.S. flights Wednesday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.com. The website doesn't distinguish, however, the reason for each cancellation. Cleaning up . In Chicago, Willie Johnson advised caution when clearing heavy, wet snow off sidewalks and driveways. "Take your time because this kind of snow they call heart-attack makers," he told CNN affiliate WLS-TV. "I mean, it will kill you." Others left the shoveling for later, opting instead to break out the sleds. "I love it," said John Harris, grinning from ear to ear in his Notre Dame stocking cap. "This is Chicago. This is what it should be like." In Texas, some people had to resort to unconventional tools to get the job done. CNN iReporter Julie Swift of Plainview, Texas -- where 2 or 3 inches fell -- said she used a plastic school chair. "The guy was shoveling next door for an older lady. I thought he had a real shovel," she said. "But he had a lid to a big plastic tub. That was funny." Outside Bradley's Toronto house, the din of shovel hitting concrete broke the early morning quiet. "I have not made tremendous progress," said Bradley, an elementary school hall monitor. "I'm almost to my car." CNN's Steve Almasy and Tina Burnside contributed to this report. | A winter storm warning is in effect in portions of Maine and New Hampshire .
Ten inches of snow predicted in the interior regions of Maine, the weather service says .
There are six storm-related deaths in Kansas and one in Oklahoma .
A snow emergency has been declared in Milwaukee . |
fd28fbf68e67a957d0c66ee6aa3525b47c957c56 | By . Mail online Reporter . A Texas father and son were killed Friday when their twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed and caught fire. Authorities have identified the pair as Lawrence Liptack, 51, and son, Landon Liptack, 10. Authorities say the plane crashed near Bowie Municipal Airport in North Texas at about 3:44 p.m., though a full investigation has yet to be completed. Authorities have identified the victims of the crash as Lawrence Liptack, 51, and son, Landon Liptack, 10 . The duo's plane went down and burst into flames one mile from a Texas airport . Initial reports said there were three people on the plane, but the FAA has now confirmed there were only two aboard, reports NBCDFW. A Texas father and son were killed Friday when their twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed and caught fire. Authorities have identified the pair as Lawrence Liptack, 51, and son, Landon Liptack, 10. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation . Safety Board have yet to determine a cause for the crash but will investigate the crash site. ABC 13 reports the victims were the husband and son of Manvel High school principal Charlotte Liptack. The pair have been identified as the husband and son of principal Charlotte Liptack . On Friday, Alvin ISD released a statement regarding the deaths. 'This . evening, an unthinkable tragedy impacted the Alvin ISD Community. Manvel . High School Principal Charlotte Liptack lost her husband and son in a . plane crash that occurred to the northwest of Fort Worth around 4:00 . p.m. this afternoon,' it partly read. 'As we all know, Mrs. Liptack has given her life to . meeting the needs of her students in Alvin ISD. At this time, the most . important thing we can do for Mrs. Liptack is keep her in our thoughts . and prayers and allow her time to focus on the needs of her family.' | Pair identified as Lawrence Liptack, 51, and Landon Liptack, 10 .
FAA still investigating the cause of the crash .
Duo identified as husband and son of Texas principal Charlotte Liptack . |
fd293fe7e51b57834a68db7e53e67c85739ca240 | By . Matt Chorley and Tim Shipman . PUBLISHED: . 08:58 EST, 18 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:39 EST, 19 November 2012 . Tory MP David Davis today called for two votes two national votes - one to approve a list of powers for the UK to seek to seize back and then an in-out poll once they had been negotiated . David Cameron has made a series of phone calls to other EU leaders ahead of crunch talks this week aimed at preventing Brussels budget growing even larger. The Prime Minister is under increasing pressure to secure a freeze in spending from Tory rebels, the Labour party and the voting public. But he faces an uphill struggle after it emerged EU officials have begun plotting to secure a budget deal without Britain. The Prime Minister today insisted Brussels had to stop 'picking the pockets' of the public amid reports that EU officials and diplomats are in talks on the legal and financial viability of agreeing a new seven-year budget amongst the 26 member states excluding the UK. Downing Street said the Prime Minister 'has been hitting the phones this weekend, speaking to several European partners as we continue to work constructively to find a deal on the EU's multi-annual budgetary cycle'. His spokesman said Mr Cameron had spoken to his counterparts in France, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. Speaking at the CBI conference in London today, Mr Cameron said challenging the EU's spending made him a 'good European'. 'I make absolutely no apologies for standing up strongly for Britain in Europe on some of our priorities,' the PM said. He said in the UK pay and benefits had been frozen and budgets cut, and Europe had to do the same. 'I . don't think it makes you a bad European because you want a tough budget . settlement in Europe. I think it makes you a good European. I think I . have got the people of Europe on my side in arguing that we should stop . picking their pockets and spending more and more money through the EU . budget, particularly when so many parts of the European budget are not . well spent.' The Prime Minister has pledged to . renegotiate the UK’s relationship with Brussels and then put that deal . to the public. He is expected to use a speech before Christmas to say . that would involve a referendum after the next election. David Cameron told business leaders at the annual Confederation of British Industry conference that tackling Brussels spending made him a 'good European' But Mr Davis warned that voters would . not believe him because he reneged on a ‘cast iron’ pledge to hold a . referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. ‘Nobody believes it and why should . they?’ he told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show. ‘The British public have . been promised a referendum by the three major parties, and every single . one has not delivered. The public feel they’ve been lied to – they won’t . believe any more promises on referendums.’ If a referendum were held on the UK's membership of the European Union, how do you think you would vote? 56% - Vote to leave . 30% - Vote to remain . 14% - Don't know . Source: Opinium/The Observer . Mr Davis demanded two referendums: One . to win public backing for a shopping list of areas where Britain wants . to renegotiate, the other to either approve the deal that is thrashed . out or to leave the EU. And he insisted Mr Cameron pass legislation before the next election to ‘put this in law’. Mr Davis, said: ‘There’s going to be a referendum, . whoever’s in power in the next five years, because the British public . will demand it – they won’t put up with it anymore.’ He added today that he was prepared to bet ‘a large sum of money’ on the UK being out of the EU within a decade if the government was unable to secure major changes on the relationship with Brussels. In a speech at London's St Stephen's Club, the former home secretary called for all justice and home powers to be repatriated permanently along with control over immigration and employment legislation. The Prime Minister is under fire on several fronts over Europe last night, facing waves of criticism from Tory . rebels, Ed Miliband and voters over his approach to Brussels. CBI President Sir Roger Carr added to . the pressure today, with a warning that calls for withdrawal from the . EU risk 'isolation' which put trade deals in danger. Speaking . at the opening of the CBI annual conference, Sir Roger said: 'Whatever . the popular appeal may be of withdrawal, businessmen and politicians . must keep a bridge firmly in place. Call for reform: Ed Miliband said eurosceptics are right on many issues, including the European Union budget, immigration and state aid . Mr Miliband said Mr Cameron should be concentrating on 'building alliances' to secure reforms in the EU . 'As countries of Europe bind together in pursuit of salvation, we in the UK must work harder to avoid the risks of isolation.' As . Mr Cameron prepares to . attend crunch talks on the EU budget this week, it was reported that EU . officials are trying to strike a deal without Britain which could see . the Brussels budget rise. ‘People are looking, both in national . capitals and in Brussels, for a solution at 26,’ an official told the . Financial Times. ‘It is being looked at from a financial and legal point . of view.’ Mr Cameron has said he is willing to veto any budget deal which he thinks is not in Britain's interest. But Ken Clarke, the Europhile minister without portfolio, warned the stance would mean the EU ignored the EU entirely. 'If . you turn up saying ‘we’re not going to agree to anything come what . may’, which the hard-line people would love him to say, all that happens . is they’ll take no notice of us,' he told BBC Radio 4. Without . agreement on a seven-year deal, the EU would proceed on year-by-year . budgets which would cost even more, Mr Clarke added. 'What . we’re proposing is a freeze for seven years. That’s much tougher than . anything we’ve suggested so far for British public spending. And that’s a . good starting point. It gives us a position in negotiations.' Business Secretary Vince Cable backed the PM the Prime Minister to argue the UK's case for a real-terms freeze in the EU budget in a 'forceful way' Mr Cameron is under pressure to hold to a freeze, after 53 Tory rebels backed a Commons motion last month calling for a real-terms cut in EU spending. Mr Davis, a leading right-winger, warned that the public believes Mr Cameron has lied to them . about the prospects of a referendum. He spoke out as a new poll showed that the public overwhelmingly wants him to take a much tougher line with Brussels. And in another assault, Labour leader . Mr Miliband will call for sweeping reforms of the EU budget in an . attempt to win over eurosceptic voters. Mr Cameron is preparing to demand the . EU budget rises by no more than inflation when he attends a summit this . week, defying his MPs who want to see the budget cut in cash terms. But in a blow to Mr Cameron’s credibility, a ComRes poll found that 66 per cent of voters want the budget cut. The PM has said he thinks the UK . should stay part of the European Union. But the poll found that 58 per . cent think Britain should withdraw if powers cannot be restored to . Westminster – a view that is shared by at least ten members of the . Cabinet. Some 43 per cent want to pull out of . the EU regardless and one in four Tory voters is considering voting for . the UK Independence Party which advocates withdrawal. Mr Cameron will . come under further pressure today when Boris Johnson says he must veto . the ‘amazing’ demands of the European Commission for a 5 per cent rise . in spending. To make matters worse for Mr Cameron, . he is now facing a Labour leader keen to convince voters that his party . is no longer an uncritical admirer of Brussels. Ed Miliband used a speech today to . call for reforms to how EU money is spent. He said: ‘For more than . three decades our membership of the European Union has seemed to be a . settled question. Not any more.’ He argued Mr Cameron is the wrong . man to reform Brussels because the growing euroscepticism of the Tory . party has made it impossible for him to build alliances with other EU . countries. ‘Many of our traditional allies in . Europe clearly think that Britain is heading to the exit door,’ he said. ‘I will not allow our country to sleepwalk toward exit because it . would be a betrayal of our national interest. ‘We cannot afford to use up our energies and alliances on negotiations that will not deliver.’ A Tory source said: ‘Ed Miliband and the Labour Party have zero credibility on negotiating in Europe. ‘They gave up half our rebate and got . nothing in return, and approved inflation-busting increases in European . spending at every opportunity.’ Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable said Mr Cameron was right to argue the UK's case for a real-terms freeze in the EU budget in a 'forceful way'. He said: 'The budget proposals are unacceptable. I support the hard line, but that does not mean I am anti-Europe - quite the opposite.' | 56 per cent would vote for Britain to leave the European Union in a referendum, opinion poll finds .
Prime .
Minister David Cameron heads to Brussels on Thursday for negotiations on .
new budget, having pledged to use UK's veto if necessary .
Tory minister Ken Clarke says freeze demand is only a 'starting point' for negotiations .
Labour leader Ed Miliband says Britain needs to take a 'hard-headed' approach to issues such as the EU Budget, immigration and state aid .
CBI President Sir Roger Carr warns against Britain's policy of 'isolation' threatening trade deals with the continent . |
fd294093bd9ca253b8bb5bcd1ff14c057a9604aa | Extramarital dating websites expect a 25 per cent surge in traffic today . Christmas strains and Seasonal Affective Disorder are among factors behind the annual outbreak of cheating . One in five Brits suffers from depressive psychological condition S.A.D . By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 08:20 EST, 7 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:03 EST, 7 January 2013 . If you've had an uncomfortable festive season punctuated by rows, then watch out! Today is the day people are most likely to start an affair - and the tensions of the Christmas period are partly to blame. Traffic on married dating websites shoots up by 25 per cent on 7 January, new research has revealed. Exciting: The thrill of an illicit affair can prove to be too much of a temptation for some, especially after a stressful Christmas, with sites such as illicitencounters.com reporting a 25 per cent surge in new members . What's more, Christmas tension isn't the . only factor leading people astray, with the survey also pinpointing Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D) - a . psychological condition that can lead to depression - as one of the root causes of adultery. With more than one in five Brits believed to suffer from the condition, effects can include withdrawing from husbands and wives, as well as feeling dissatisfied with life. 'The beginning of the year is seen by many people as a new dawn and a time to start afresh,' says Marilyn Stowe, Senior Partner at Stowe Family Law - the UK's largest family law firm. 'The effect of the December break shouldn’t be underestimated either. 'When there are already difficulties within a household, Christmas can become an exhausting, miserable slog, which ratchets the pressure up to unbearable levels. 'Come January, something has to give.' Caught out: Golfer Tiger Woods (left) cheated on Swedish wife, Elin, with a string of women, while Jude Law famously had an affair with his children's nanny while dating Sienna Miller . As a result, many look outside their relationships for a fling or distraction to take their mind off marital problems. But, says psychotherapist and relationship counsellor, Mark Maitland, playing away can have a devastating effect on your marriage. 'Most relationships don't survive an affair,' he warns. 'The betrayal is damaging to the intimate bond [between partners] causing a wound that never really heals.' 'If you’re thinking of cheating on your partner it’s a clear sign that you need to have a long, hard think about your relationship,' adds Katie Fox, relationship expert at sex toy website, bondara.co.uk. 'Why do you want to cheat? Is it purely sexual attraction to another person who isn’t your partner or do you have romantic feelings for them? 'If the love is gone from your relationship and you’re looking for a sexual and romantic relationship with someone else then it’s time to think about whether it’s time to end things and move on. 'Splitting up with someone is always hard but cheating on them will only make things more complicated and painful when they eventually find out.' Worried that he's not being entirely truthful about his new colleague? Harley Street sex and relationship expert Louise Van der Velde, a TV regular who has provided relationship advice on ITV1's Lorraine and Channel 5's Tricia shows, reveals the top five things to look out for. 1. Intuition: You instinctively know they are behaving differently and something is not right with the relationship.2. Dressing differently: The cheating partner takes much more care over their appearance - dressing more provocatively and, if female, pays far more attention to make-up and hair.3. Changing sexual behaviour: This can go one of two ways: they go off sex completely with their regular partner or, occasionally, they want MORE sex at home because the affair makes the cheat more sexually active.4. Becoming hard to reach: You can't get in touch with the cheat on the phone and they change their passwords to their social media sites and mobile phone.5. Spending more time in the office: They spend more time at work or are increasingly busy with other engagements. Louise's new book, Decent Proposal, £8, is available from amazon.co.uk . | Extramarital dating websites expect a 25 per cent surge in traffic today .
Christmas strains and Seasonal Affective Disorder are among factors behind the annual outbreak of cheating .
One in five Brits suffers from depressive psychological condition S.A.D . |
fd294973f0b2225a6954b2c14049806d3d14db6b | By . Daniel Miller . A British woman who gave birth to a baby girl while awaiting trial in a notorious Pakistani prison has been sentenced to life for attempting to smuggle 63kg of heroin out of the country. Khadija Shah, from Birmingham, was pregnant with her third child, when she was arrested at Islamabad airport in May 2012 after the drugs, worth an estimated £3.2 million, were found in her luggage. The 26-year-old gave birth to daughter Malaika while in custody. Her Lawyer said the baby, now 16-months-old, will remain with her in prison. Plight: Khadija Shah, from Birmingham, gave birth to baby Malaika, while awaiting trial in a Pakistani prison after being arrested at Islamabad airport in May 2012 . Shah's other children, a five-year-old . boy and a four-year-old daughter, have been returned to Britain while . Malaika has spent her entire life behind bars. Last year Shah, who had faced the possibility of the death penalty, said Malaika was the only thing keeping her sane as she waited to find out if she would be given the death penalty. 'If Malaika was not here, I would be crazy because things are very hard,' she told Vice at the time. 'She keeps me strong.' 'I . am still breastfeeding,' Mrs Shah said. 'Every three months Prisoners . Abroad give me some money for basic food items and Pampers for the baby, . who I keep clean. 'She likes to play with empty wrappers of food items. I usually try to keep our surroundings clean, too.' The mother and baby are being held at Adaila jail in Rawalpindi which holds some of Pakistan's most dangerous terrorists. Crowded: A file picture shows Pakistani prisoners and their children in a cell at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi . Notorious: Adaila jail in Rawalpindi holds some of Pakistan's most dangerous terrorists . They currently share a cell with six to eight other women. But now she has been convicted she will be moved to another barrack with other convicted female prisoners. According to her lawyer, the conditions in Adiala are about as bad as it can get in South Asia. The food consists primarily of bread and soup and there have been several reports of epidemics breaking out. Attorney . Shahzad Akbar said Shah was arrested at Islamabad Airport in 2012 for . carrying 63 kilograms of heroin in two suitcases. He . said Shah was set up by a friend, whom he named as Imran Khan. He said . Khan brought her along with her other two children, then aged 4 and 5, . to Pakistan for a visit of several weeks, lavishly bearing all the . expenses to gain her confidence. Shah, 26, gave birth to daughter Malaika while in custody. Her Lawyer said the baby, now 16-months-old, will remain with her in prison . He said: 'On her return to the UK, Khan gave her two suitcases for his friend whose daughter was getting married. 'She never knew heroin was concealed in the bridal clothes.' Akbar said he will appeal the verdict. 'I am hopeful that I can get justice for her'. The . legal charity Reprieve has raised concerns over Shah's case and are . demanding that Britain review the £5million it has given Pakistan since . 2010 to fight drug smuggling. Maya Foa, a director of Reprieve said: 'This is a terrible outcome for Khadija and her baby Malaika,' The . British government 'must ensure that Khadija gets the urgent assistance . she needs to appeal her sentence so that her baby doesn't grow up . behind bars,' Foa said in a statement. 'As . happens in hundreds of cases, she was used as a drugs mule without her . knowledge, and yet is facing life in a Pakistani prison,' Foa said. The statement said Pakistan hands down 'excessively harsh sentences ... to vulnerable, exploited women such as Khadija.' Due to its proximity to Afghanistan, where much of the world's opium is grown, Pakistan is a drug transit route. Authorities . frequently announced the arrest of both Pakistanis and foreign . nationals at airports. Drug cartels also use sea routes. | Khadija Shah was pregnant when she was arrested at Islamabad airport .
The 26-year-old gave birth to daughter Malaika while in custody .
Her Lawyer said Malaika, now 16 months old, will remain with her in Prison .
Notorious Adaila jail holds some of Pakistan's most dangerous terrorists . |
fd296bce0a6c7ff23e055290593c0d49ba6e48cb | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 03:43 EST, 12 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:22 EST, 12 May 2013 . A sex offender teacher was spotted acting in EastEnders by his former pupils, it was claimed today. Rob Turner, 39 - a former music teacher who admitted sexual activity with a young girl at Basildon Crown Court in Essex four years ago - was on the popular BBC soap for one episode as an extra. Turner was sacked from the programme after he was seen appearing with stars such as Adam Woodyatt, who plays Ian Beale, and Cheryl Fergison, who played Heather Trott, reported The Sun. Sex offender: Rob Turner, 39, of Essex, was on the popular BBC soap for one episode as an extra in 2011 . He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and given a suspended one-year jail sentence in 2009 after being charged with ten counts of sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 17. Turner, of Leigh-on-Sea, who was sacked as a teacher, is still on the register and each year is seen by authorities. He told The Sun: ‘I believe EastEnders had a complaint. They hit the panic button.' The revelations of his 2011 appearance come as the fallout . continues at the BBC from child sex scandals involving the corporation’s . late former DJ Jimmy Savile and veteran broadcaster Stuart Hall. An EastEnders spokesman said a complaint was made about Turner by a viewer, before the show contacted his agency. He then confirmed the conviction when asked about it by the agency, she said. The spokesman told MailOnline: ‘Rob Turner . appeared as an extra in one episode and as soon as EastEnders were made . aware of the allegations we immediately stopped working with him. Popular BBC soap: Rob Turner, 39 - a former music teacher convicted of sexual activity with a young girl at Basildon Crown Court in Essex four years ago - was on EastEnders for one episode as an extra (file picture) Queen Vic: A spokesman for EastEnders said its supporting actors are booked through agencies that have undergone 'an approval process with the BBC'. The show's landmark, The Queen Victoria pub, is pictured . 'EastEnders books supporting artists through agencies that have undergone an approval process with the BBC. 'I believe EastEnders had a complaint. They hit the panic button' Rob Turner . 'EastEnders was not notified prior to Mr Turner's appearance of his conviction and had we known, we would not have employed him. 'EastEnders has the highest safeguarding procedures in place for any child working on the show, which are held up across the industry as best practice. 'Every young person has a chaperone with them at all times and at no point could anyone be left alone with a minor.' | Rob Turner was convicted in 2009 of sexual activity with a young girl .
But 39-year-old Essex actor was on BBC soap as extra in 2011 scene .
EastEnders did not know of his conviction before he was on show . |
fd29c8bb53c70df511cae1111c9fe874610a4789 | (CNN) -- For those craving to look like the young rock star fashionistas lighting up the Billboard charts, copycat fashion blogs may be the cure. As Nicki Minaj sassily questions people trying to steal her style in her popular song, "Saxon," "Did you copy that, copycat?" Female musicians of all genres have long been regarded as fashion icons, and today's music scene is no exception. Lady Gaga, Minaj, Katy Perry and even wild child Ke$ha are inspiring trends tending toward the outrageous -- and people are looking for some outrageous in their life, it seems. "What I love about Nicki Minaj's style is that she is not afraid to push the envelope," says Niki Schwan, one of Minaj's stylists. "She is less concerned with what people 'will think' and more focused on how she is feeling at that moment -- how she wants to be seen for that event, rather than dressing for what she thinks people will want to see her in. I love that she has almost encouraged and used hair and makeup as an accessory." Want to wear a kaleidoscope of color like Minaj? Start with the hair. According to Schwan, wig sales, especially the bright color variety, are booming. "Nicki never takes herself too seriously, which makes this outlandish fun style really approachable," Schwan says. "She incorporates tons of humor into her style, and is fearless in her approach, which I think people really admire and appreciate as an artist, a woman and a rising icon." The fashions of rising icons aren't far from becoming your own street style reality. While copycat fashion isn't a new trend, the clothing inspiring these trends can feel unattainable or impossible. Fortunately, "impossible" doesn't exist for blogger Anna Nguyen. An interior design graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Nguyen, 27, is the founder of Style with Anna. "I love taking a crazy Lady Gaga outfit and translating it to daywear," Nguyen says. "It looks great on stage, but most of us aren't on stage. This way, you can channel your own inner Lady Gaga." Based out of Irvine, California, Nguyen is no stranger to celebrity fashion. She began her blog two years ago to prove a point: The interior designer also knew as much about dressing people as she did staging a living room. Because of her own obsession with Lady Gaga's fashion, Nguyen says she began posting "How to Dress Like" female musicians and celebrities. Then came a flood of e-mails asking "Can you do a Ke$ha post, too?" and other similar requests. As someone who loves to dress other people, Nguyen jumped on the challenge of copycat fashion. Nguyen has the mind of a designer. In a matter of minutes, she can analyze an outrageous outfit and translate it into something appropriate for the workplace, or even a design for a room. She builds collages of different components she finds, and soon, Nguyen has composed an accessible version of a rock star ensemble. For example, if Lady Gaga is wearing an outfit covered with feathers, Nguyen recommends finding a cool feather necklace to add some funk to your wardrobe. If an outfit completely mystifies you, just look at the fabric or material and base your search on that, Nguyen says. So what does Nguyen see as the drive behind all the requests she receives for her popular "How to Dress Like" posts? "It's fun to change up everyday style," Nguyen says. "It takes the focus off everything else going on in the world. We can use what we already have in our closets and funk it up, even just with accessories, to express ourselves. People want something to be inspired by." If you're cautious about wearing Gaga or Ke$ha swag in the workplace but still want to emulate a style icon, try for something that fits your tastes, Nguyen says. "For the average fashion-inclined person, Beyonce has a sophisticated style that is calm enough to translate to the normal working world," Nguyen says. Although a Lady Gaga fan, Nguyen doesn't neglect other musicians in the name of being one of Lady G's "little monsters," the nickname given to Gaga fans. Under the Styles and Trends section, there are "How to Dress Like" collages for a multitude of artists and celebrities, and even a section for men under Fashion for Guys. However, some female rockers and songsters already wear styles that are easily attainable. Even if "teenage dream" queen Katy Perry attempts to be elusive, you can simply Steal Her Style with Linda Paiste's blog. A fan of the band Paramore, Paiste wanted to create a website to show her appreciation, but not just another fan site. Paiste was also a fan of lead singer Hayley Williams' style -- it was fun, edgy and accessible. She didn't think her first site, Hayley Fashion, would gain popularity so quickly. Today, nearly 14,000 people a day stop by Hayley Fashion, with 7,000 glancing at Steal Her Style as well. The latter has more than 60,000 unique visitors a month. "I never expected it to be a big thing," Paiste says. "Then, I started receiving e-mails from other people saying, 'I wish there was a site like this for Katy Perry,' and I thought, 'I could do that.' So, I made a site for everyone, something that is all-encompassing." A community of contributors built up around the newly formed Steal Her Style, which focuses only on female musicians, as well as Hayley Fashion. People e-mailed her regularly with "found" outfits. The three most popular artists on Steal Her Style are Katy Perry, Cassadee Pope of Hey Monday and Sierra Kusterbeck of VersaEmerge, but there are numerous posts about other musicians as well. While some visitors to the site are stopping by for ideas about their own style, others are looking for where to buy exact items worn by their favorite musicians. "It depends on the person," Paiste says. "Katy Perry has a stylist, so all of her outfits are really well put together. It's just looking at what she wears to help pull together your own look. With bands, you can buy what they're wearing at stores like Hot Topic. They are things that anyone can buy and anyone can wear." Posts about outfits seen on stage translate easily to affordable jewelry, T-shirts, jeans and jackets, usually with links to where they can be found. By keeping up with popular artists, Paiste also has an eye on evolving trends. According to Paiste, the "hipster" look is ever present, from Minnetonka fringe boots and moccasins to SpiritHoods, animal-inspired hats. Without the current music scene, Paiste questions if something like SpiritHoods would have caught on. Copycat style is a sense of fashion all its own and to attain it, some people take things a step further: enlisting the help of a personal shopper. When clients approach Bloomingdales' personal shoppers to help build up their wardrobes, they already come with inspiration. "Clients will comment about a trend or style worn by a celebrity," Marian Goodman, vice president of personal shopping, says. "The studded shoes and platforms from Burberry and Sam Edelman have been popular." "Clients are inspired by celebrity style and they will then 'adapt' those trends to fit into their own lifestyle. Copycat fashion is its own trend, especially when it comes to accessories." Just like the blogs that help you adopt your own copycat look, artists and celebrities wear a myriad array of styles that provide a springboard for personal inspiration. "With artists like Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga and Rihanna in the forefront of the entertainment spotlight, there is a wide-open door to express yourself through your style and fashion," Schwan says. "It is accepted and encouraged, and ultimately inspired by these types of icons, who are each different from one another, yet each the same in that they are not afraid to express their style and brand through what they wear." | Musicians like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha influence fashion trends .
Rock singers often wear clothing that can be purchased at stores like Hot Topic .
Copycat blogs allow you to bring musician-influenced style into your wardrobe . |
fd29e8ead5deab7fa228ffef7c8030db0f6de1b4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:15 EST, 3 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:12 EST, 3 October 2013 . Speaking the truth: Leah Remini, pictured today, is set to testify against the Church of Scientology . Actress Leah Remini will testify against the leader of the Church of Scientology in a multi-million dollar harassment lawsuit filed against the religious organisation. The 43-year-old Dancing With The Stars contestant left the church earlier this summer and has since spoken out against Scientology. She will give a deposition in a lawsuit filed by the wife of a former executive in the church where it is claimed that members were subjected to investigations and intimidation tactics under the rule of David Miscavige. Monique Rathbun, married to . ex-Scientology executive former church Marty Rathburn, filed the lawsuit . in August this year, which includes a restraining order against Mr . Miscavige. ‘She has been . subjected to numerous, aggressive attempts to intimidate her. 'She has . been targeted at home, at work, and anywhere else that she happens to . be,’ RadarOnline report the lawsuit states. ‘She . has been harassed, insulted, surveilled, photographed, videotaped, . defamed, and humiliated to such a degree as to shock the conscience of . any decent, law-abiding person.’ Ms . Remini will leave her deposition on October 15th in Los Angeles, Mrs . Rathbun’s attorney confirmed to Scientology watchdog website The . Underground Bunker. Ms Remini, who starred in hit sitcom King . of Queens for nine years, is believed to have left the organization as . she is against its policy of barring members from questioning the . authority of Scientology leader David Miscavige, . The rift is said to have begun at the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in 2006. Ms Remini . allegedly asked about Miscavige's wife Shelly's absence from the event, . causing former head of the Scientology Celebrity Center Tommy Davis to . berate her. According to a blog by ex-Scientology member Mike Rinder, Davis said: 'You don’t have the [bleeping] rank to ask about Shelly.' Miscavige's . wife has not been seen in public for six years, which led to Ms Remini . filing a missing person’s lawsuit earlier this summer. Celebrity endorsement: Remini, who starred in King of Queens with Kevin James for nine years, was one of Scientology's most recognizable faces . Misgivings: Remini reportedly began to question the Scientology movement when she was berated for asking a question about the whereabouts of the wife of leader David Miscavige (left) at the wedding Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (right) LAPD closed the case on the same day after stating Mrs Miscavige had been safely located. Appearing . on Ellen Degeneres' chat show last month, Ms Remini, who is one of the . contestants on Dancing With The Stars, spoke more seriously about her . decision to leave the religion. 'My . mother and I got involved when we were really young so it was all we . really ever knew,' she said, before explaining that after her 'eyes were . then opened' she could 'no longer be affiliated' with the religion. Ahead . of one of her performances on DWTS, Remini said, ‘The church is looking . for me to fail so they can say to their parishioners, ‘Look what . happens when you leave.’ ‘ . ‘They’re waiting for me to fail.’ In July, Remini released a statement seemingly confirming her break from the institution. 'I . wish to share my sincere and heartfelt appreciation for the . overwhelming positive response I have received from the media, my . colleagues, and fans from around the world. 'I am truly . grateful and thankful for all your support.' Family: Remini with her husband Angelo Pagán and daughter Sofia Bella at a Hollywood benefit in 2012 . Lives of the rich and famous: The celebrity Scientology center in Los Angeles where meetings include followers Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Juliette Lewis . Leah Remini is one of the most . recognizable faces of Scientology which boasts a wealth of celebrity . members including Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and Juliette . Lewis. In the past, . Remini, who starred in the movie Old School and had bit parts in Friends . and Cheers, has been an avid defender of the religion. In an interview with CNN, she said of Scientology's critics: . 'If somebody is going to get turned off about something because of what . they read or heard, then that person's not smart enough to even enter a . church. 'If you're really against something, then know what you're against.' Remini promoted the launch of a Hollywood museum backed by Scientology, named the 'Citizens . Commission on Human Rights Psychiatry: An Industry of Death'. A key . component of the Scientology movement is its stand against psychiatry. Remini, . who was born in Brooklyn, New York, has been involved in the church for . around 30 years after her mother joined in the 1970s. She . married her King of Queens co-star Angelo Pagán in 2003 and the couple . have a nine-year-old daughter Sofia Bella. The family lives in Los . Angeles. | Actress Leah Remini left the Scientology earlier this year .
Referred to the church 'wanting her to fail' on Dancing With The Stars .
The actress's family was investigated by church, sources told New York Post .
Remini joined the Church of Scientology as a young child in the 1970s . |
fd2a4235d3564287c536fdd3082abcd6dfaa09a9 | A retired church worker has revealed how John F Kennedy took her virginity during a debauched 18-month affair while she was a teenage White House intern. Mimi Alford says she felt powerless to resist the late U.S. president as he pulled her into ‘Mrs Kennedy’s room’ and seduced her on his wife’s bed. Other claims in her newly published autobiography include that he made her inhale a sex drug during a party at Bing Crosby’s ranch and coerced her to perform a sex act on an aide while he looked on. Alleged affair: Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, left, and Mimi Alford, right, as a . teenager when claims she had an 18-month affair with the leader . When she thought – wrongly – that she . was pregnant by the president, that same aide arranged for her to see an . abortion doctor, even though abortion was illegal at the time. Mrs Alford’s claims are the most in-depth account of their liaisons so far published. They reveal how Kennedy never kissed . her and ignored her whenever his wife was around. She never even called . him ‘Jack’, always addressing him as ‘Mr President’ – even when they . were in bed together. Their affair began in the summer of . 1962, lasting until Kennedy was assassinated the following November. Mrs . Alford, then just 19 years old and with the maiden name Beardsley, had . begun a job in the president’s press office. After meeting Kennedy she . says he asked to give her a personal tour. Personal stories: Mr Kennedy reached out to Miss Alford following the death of his infant son Patrick Bouvier Kennedy with his wife Jacqueline (pictured), whom he shared received letters of remorse with . With his staff drinking cocktails just . down the corridor, she claims he led her into Jackie Kennedy’s room . where he took off her clothes without saying a word. When she momentarily resisted his . advances, Kennedy asked: ‘Haven’t you done this before?’, to which she . replied: ‘No.’ He continued anyway, she says, adding: ‘On the ride home, . it kept echoing in my head, I’m not a virgin any more.’ Mrs Alford, now a 69-year-old . grandmother, also tells of a party at the ranch of Crosby. When a . reveller passed around a tray of sex drug amyl nitrate, she writes that . the president asked her if she wanted to try it. ‘I said no,’ she recalls, ‘but he just . went ahead and popped the capsule and held it under my nose. I ran . crying from the room.’ As to why she allowed the affair to . happen, she admits: ‘The fact that I was being desired by the most . famous and powerful man in America only amplified my feelings to the . point where resistance was out of the question.’ Published: Miss Alford's new book, Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath, provides a never-before told story of life in the White House with the president as his mistress . Alford, who ironically went to the same Miss Porter's school as JFK's wife Jackie, described Kennedy as 'playful', the sex as 'varied and fun' and said he could be 'seductive and playful'. She said they spent a lot of time 'taking baths' and that if they spent the night together, she would wear his own soft-blue cotton nightshirts. But she also revealed complications in the relationship, saying they never kissed, and that she was often subjected to a 'waiting game' where she was told to stay in her hotel until he called for her. There is also a dark undertone to some of Kennedy's actions in the book, such as when he 'forced' her to sniff amyl nitrate, commonly known as poppers, during a Hollywood party at Bing Crosby's desert ranch. She said: 'I was sitting next to him in the living room when a handful of yellow capsules - most likely amyl nitrate, commonly known as poppers - was offered up by one of the guests. 'The president asked me if I wanted to try the drug, which stimulated the heart but also purportedly enhanced sex. 'I said no, but he just went ahead and popped the capsule and held it under my nose. He didn’t try it himself. This was a new sensation, and it frightened me. I panicked and ran crying from the room.' She also tells of how JFK asked her to 'take care' of his friends Powers who 'looked a little tense' while they were swimming in the White House pool. 'It was a dare, but I knew exactly what he meant. This was a challenge to give Dave Powers oral sex. I don’t think the president thought I’d do it, but I’m ashamed to say that I did... The president silently watched,' she said. During the October 1962 Cuban Missile . Crisis, where the U.S. and USSR had a nuclear stand-off, he reportedly . told her that: 'I’d rather my children red than dead.' And . Alford, then Mimi Beardsley, also tells of how she erroneously believed . at one point she was pregnant with JFK's child, and another moment of . when her lover reached out to her following the death of his infant son . Patrick Bouvier Kennedy. 'Best friends': Dave Powers, pictured with JFK in 1963, and alone in the Cabinet Room in 1962. The new book claims the former President 'dared' Alford to perform sex acts on Mr Powers while he watched . She wrote: 'I had never seen real grief in my relatively short life. He invited me upstairs, and we sat outside on the balcony in the soft summer evening air. There was a stack of condolence letters on the floor next to his chair, and he picked each one up and read it aloud to me... Occasionally, tears rolling down his cheeks, he would write something on one of the letters, probably notes for a reply. But mostly he just read them and cried. I did, too.' Alford said she saw President Kennedy for the final time at The Carlyle hotel in Manhattan on November 15, 1963, just a week before his assassination in Dallas. At this point she was due to be married to her college sweetheart, Tony Fahnestock. 'He took me in his arms for a long embrace and said, "I wish you were coming with me to Texas." And then he added, "I'll call you when I get back." I was overcome with sudden sadness. "Remember, Mr President, I’m getting married." '"I know that," he said, and shrugged. 'But I’ll call you anyway.'" | Former White House intern Mimi Alford says JFK 'took her virginity'
Ex-President 'told her to perform sex acts on his friend while he watched'
Claims he made her take drugs, never kissed her and played 'waiting games'
The former church administrator thought she was pregnant with JFK's child . |
fd2a48c2add88dd561a4e2292b5a71430a1d337d | Shark attack: Adam Strange was attacked at Muriwai Beach on Aucklands west coast of New Zealand . Police fired 20 shots at a great white shark as they tried desperately to save a father killed while swimming off a beach yesterday. Adam Strange, 46, an award-winning film and TV director, waved and called for help as the shark dragged him underwater only 200 yards from hundreds of beachgoers. Police and lifeguards launched a frantic rescue effort as about four other sharks joined in the attack off Muriwai Beach, north of Auckland, at around 1.30pm. The father of one lived locally and was known to the traumatised young lifeguards who joined the fight to save him. Pio Mose was in a group fishing on rocks near the beach when he saw a ‘huge’ shark attack the lone swimmer 50 yards from where he was standing. ‘All of a sudden we saw the shark fin and next minute, boom, attack him and then blood everywhere on the water,’ said Mr Mose. He said the man appeared to struggle with the shark before it swam away – and then it, and others, came back. Mr Mose called the police on his mobile while a friend ran for help. He said: ‘He was still alive. He put his head up. We called him to swim over the rock to where we were. ‘He raised his hand up and then while he was raising his hand we saw another attack pull him in.’ Mr Mose said that as blood filled the water, three or four more sharks arrived. The fishermen were forced to watch as the shark carried the man’s body out to sea. ‘It’s awful – like a nightmare. I was shaking, scared, panicked.’ Scroll down for video . Police in inflatable rubber boats shoot at a shark off Muriwai Beach in New Zealand as they attempt to retrieve a body following a fatal shark attack . At least three sharks are believed to have been involved in the attack . Mr Mose, who said he had never seen . sharks before despite fishing in the area for three years, added: ‘All I . was thinking was I wanted to jump in the water and help, but I didn’t . want to get attacked, too.’ Police rushed to the scene and . officers in a helicopter guided another on board a rubber boat to where . the 12ft to 14ft shark was swimming near the victim. He then fired around 20 shots into the . water, witnesses said. It was unclear if the shark had been killed. Inspector Shawn Rutene said he could not confirm whether the shark that . was shot, and which ‘rolled away’ as a result, was involved in the . initial attack. Predator: It is thought Mr Strange was attacked by a great white shark . He refused to say if it was attacking Mr Strange at the time. Police took 30 more minutes to retrieve his body. Adventure lover Mr Strange had worked . all over the world, according to his website. His short film Aphrodite’s . Farm was in ten major festivals and last year won the Crystal Bear . award for best short film at the Berlin Film Festival. He had also been a finalist at the London International Awards. His wife Meg was last night being comforted at their home, not far from the beach. His family, some of whom live . overseas, said in a statement Mr Strange was a ‘glorious’ person, a . ‘great father, husband and friend.’ Grief: There were emotional scenes at Muriwai Surf Lifesaving Club after the fatal attack . Volunteer lifeguard service chairman Tony Jago said the victim's family was 'very upset', left, after police spoke to media about the attack, right . Scene: Muriwai beach was closed in the wake of the attack on Wednesday . Police said the swimmer was about 200 metres from shore when he was attacked . The great white: Attacks on humans are often cases of mistaken identity . | Adam Strange, 46, attacked at Muriwai beach near Auckland today .
Shark up to 14ft long pulled him under the water .
More sharks drawn to the attack as police fired shots in rescue attempt . |
fd2b85497c833d0d8f9be159b6f9b709234968c4 | (CNN) -- A week ago, on feel-good Super Bowl Sunday, TV viewers in the U.S. state of Michigan were subjected to a racist campaign ad sponsored by former Representative and now-Senatorial candidate Pete Hoekstra. The ad, which suggests that his opponent, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, spends too much government money, shows an Asian woman riding a bicycle in a landscape of rice paddies. "Your economy get very weak. Ours get very good. We take your jobs," says the native Californian actress in a mock Chinese accent while addressing "Debbie Spend-It-Now." Hoekstra also appears, saying at the end, "I approve this message." Public condemnation ensued, with demands for an apology and the ad's removal. It's not the first time that China, or any connections to China, have been used to stoke fear this U.S. election season. In early January, a group in support of Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul released a campaign ad slamming then-candidate Jon Huntsman, the former ambassador to China. The "China Jon" ad showed Huntsman speaking Chinese and wearing a red tikka on his forehead (a sacred mark associated with Hinduism) and questioned his adoption of girls from China and India. "Jon Huntsman: American Values?" the ad asks, calling him "The Manchurian candidate," "Weak on China?" with ostensibly Chinese music in the background. Paul denounced the ad, telling CNN he had no control over his supporters' actions. Then on Thursday, a U.S. Marine sergeant was found not guilty of hazing Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, who committed suicide last April in Afghanistan. A Marine Corps report revealed that Lew had been beaten by his superiors with sand poured in his mouth for falling asleep while on duty. Another Marine was sentenced to 30 days in jail and demoted; a third faces court-martial over the death. Lew's case along with that of Pvt. Danny Chen, who was found dead in October from an apparent suicide, have spurred Asian American members of Congress to demand hearings on hazing in the military. Chen, the only Chinese American soldier in his unit in Afghanistan, was called "gook," "chink" and "dragon lady," forced to crawl on gravel while fellow troops threw rocks at him, and made to shout instructions in Chinese to fellow troops (no one else in his unit spoke Chinese). The Asian American civil rights group OCA has met with Pentagon officials to demand better treatment of Asians in the military. Against all of this, Jeremy Lin, a Harvard grad and the NBA's first U.S.-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, has vaulted himself to stardom. On Saturday, Lin led the Knicks to their fifth straight victory. His 109 points in his first four starts this past week have surpassed Allen Iverson's to become the most by any player since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976. Read about Linsanity vs. Tebowmania . For those who've been following the campaign ad controversies as well as the Lew and Chen cases, Lin's meteoric rise has been a much-needed sign of hope. But the conversations on Facebook, in bars and living rooms are as diverse as the Asian American community itself. Some are pumped up about seeing an Asian face next to Kobe Bryant's or moved by Lin's public devotion to Christianity. Others are analyzing Lin's academic and athletic prowess and thinking about the role model he'll be for their children. Jeremy Lin: The NBA's breath of fresh air . Lin himself has been candid about the racism he's encountered along the way. "It's a sport for white and black people," he told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2008. "You don't get respect for being an Asian-American basketball player in the U.S. ... I hear everything. 'Go back to China. Orchestra is on the other side of campus. Open up your eyes.'" Read how Lin has a shot at basketball immortality . Unfortunately, success doesn't stamp out racism. Minutes after Lin's breathtaking career-high 38-point performance against the LA Lakers Friday night, FoxSports.com national columnist Jason Whitlock tweeted "Some lucky lady in NYC is gonna feel a couple inches of pain tonight." After condemnation by the Asian American Journalists Association, he tweeted an apology, acknowledging that he had "debased a feel-good sports moment. For that, I'm truly sorry." Almost exactly a decade ago, some of us remember similar knocks against a certain 7'6" new kid on the block. USA Today ran a column by Jon Saraceno in 2002 saying, "the [Rockets] franchise could wind up with egg foo yong all over its face" and "What happens the first time a bona fide NBA strongman, say Shaquille O'Neal, whacks [Yao Ming] in the chopsticks?" Just this past week, a Manchester United fan, Howard Hobson, was banned from matches for three years and fined 200 pounds (US $315) for cursing and making monkey sounds at Stoke City's Kenwyne Jones, who is from Trinidad. To be fair, Lin and other minority athletes today have not been subjected to the level of racism that African American sports pioneers faced before them. Jesse Owens was a great American athlete who prevailed despite being born into an officially and unofficially racist society. The African American track star, who had to live in off-campus segregated housing at Ohio State University, went on to win four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany, much to the dismay of Adolf Hitler. Three-quarters of a century later, there are those who want to leave race out of the equation altogether and embrace minority athletes, actors and other pioneers for their skills alone rather than their skin color. "Many people want the debate to end," says Laurens Grant, the director and producer of "Jesse Owens," a forthcoming PBS documentary. "But the debate isn't settled. It won't end until there's more opportunity." Many of us have been lucky enough to escape the burn of bullying and racism. We might have walked through our schoolyards without hearing taunts from fellow students. We might have gotten the promotions we deserved at work. Our perfect American English may have averted giggles and impatience. We may have served in the armed forces without being treated any differently from fellow troops. And we might have been lucky enough to escape the perpetrators of hate crimes, like the laid-off Detroit autoworkers who in 1982 beat Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, to death with a baseball bat after his bachelor party because they were bitter about competition from Japanese carmakers. Such xenophobic sentiment gets eerily stirred up by ads like the ones attacking Sen. Stabenow and Jon Huntsman. Hopefully one day, Americans of Asian descent will no longer be seen as foreigners, economic competition or anything less than equal Americans. Until then, race matters, whether we like it or not. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ling Woo Liu. | China -- and connections to it -- have been used to stoke fear in U.S. election, Liu writes .
Two deaths have spurred Asian American lawmakers to demand hearings on hazing in military .
Against all of this, Jeremy Lin has vaulted himself to stardom, Liu writes .
He is the NBA's first U.S.-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent . |
fd2b884d6d4e9e130ac53c9b80284af01d83df57 | By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 20:47 EST, 6 December 2013 . Thousands of cancer patients are being denied urgent tests by their GPs, figures show (file picture) Thousands of cancer patients are being denied urgent tests by their GPs, figures show. Family doctors are typically referring fewer than half of all victims for fast-track appointments that are meant to ensure they have the best chance of survival. Campaigners say some patients with bowel cancer – one of the most common forms – have been back to their GP two or three times before being diagnosed, having initially been told they have irritable bowel syndrome. The figures are revealed in league tables, published yesterday by NHS England, which rank surgeries by diagnosis and treatment for cancer and some other illnesses. Government guidelines state that all patients suspected by their GP of having cancer must be referred for an urgent appointment with a hospital specialist within two weeks. But the data shows that in one practice, 1 Marine Parade, in Lowestoft, Suffolk, only 6 per cent of patients were sent for these fast-track consultations. At the Apollos Surgery in Birmingham only 7 per cent were referred within two weeks, while at the A. S. Khan surgery in Field Road Walsall it was 7.7 per cent. But there were 18 practices where 100 per cent of patients had been given appointments within two weeks. None of the GP surgeries with the worst figures was available to comment. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the figures showed ‘unacceptable variation’ across the country. ‘Every single patient in the NHS has a right to the very best care,’ he added. Shocking: At 1 Marine Parade, left, in Lowerstoft, Suffolk, only 6 per cent of patients were sent for fast-track consultations. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, right, said there was 'unacceptable variation' across the UK . The figures also suggest that thousands of patients who have suffered strokes or mini-strokes are not being prescribed blood-thinning drugs by their GPs to prevent them happening again. In the worst practices, 40 per cent of stroke victims were not being given this medication. The number of knee replacements and cataract removal have fallen to their lowest level for five years, figures showed yesterday. Campaigners say thousands of the elderly are being denied vital treatment to improve their quality of life due to NHS rationing. Figures from Dr Foster Intelligence, which analyses performance across the Health Service, show the number of cataract removals dropped from 327,210 in 2010-11 to 321,957 last year. Decline: The number of knee replacements and cataract removal have fallen to their lowest level for five years . The numbers of patients receiving a new knee, because of arthritis or a break, fell slightly, from 82,122 in 2011-12 to 81,572 last year. Steve Winyard, head of campaigns at the RNIB, formerly the Royal National Institute for the Blind said: ‘It is scandalous that some commissioners continue to restrict access to cataract surgery through the use of arbitrary thresholds, and that they do so without a robust evidence base and without being able to demonstrate that they will not harm patients.’ | Doctors are referring fewer that half of victims for fast-track appointments .
Some bowel cancer patients forced to return to their GP two or three times .
In one practice, only 6 per cent of patients sent for urgent consultations .
Due to an error by the Care Quality Commission, an earlier version of this article mistakenly reported a low referral rate to the Field Road Surgery in Walsall. In fact this was the A. S. Khan surgery in Field Road. |
fd2b9cf00410ae0fa0aedd6fb1ab172f4410c64a | Kenyan Dennis Kimetto has set a new world record by completing the Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds on Sunday. The 30-year-old knocked 26 seconds off the previous record of 2:03:23 set by his compatriot Wilson Kipsang in the same race last year. Another Kenyan, Emmanuel Mutai, finished second and was also quicker than the previous best in 2:03:13. Kenyan Dennis Kimetto crosses the finish line in front of the Brandenburg Gate after completing the Berlin marathon in a new world record time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds on Sunday morning . Kimetto set a very quick pace from the start in perfect marathon-running conditions and shaved 26 seconds off the previous best time, also set in Berlin last year . Kimetto poses with the Kenyan flag after his record-breaking run in the German capital . 1. Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) 2:02:57 WR . 2. Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai (Kenya) 2:03:13 . 3. Abera Kuma (Ethiopia) 2:05:56 . 4. Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor (Kenya) 2:06:39 . 5. Eliud Kiptanui (Kenya) 2:07:28 . 6. Franklin Chepkwony (Kenya) 2:07:35 . 7. Levy Matebo (Kenya) 2:08:33 . Ethiopia's Abera Kuma finished third in 2:05:56. All the times are as yet unofficial. The race in German capital saw some 40,0004 runners from 130 nations compete in perfect clear conditions. Kimetto, the pre-race favourite, set a scintillating pace from the starting gun and broke away with a group of six others after about 20km. With four kilometres remaining, he pulled clear from Mutai after the Kenyan pair had earlier shaken off another compatriot, Geoffrey Kamworor. 'I feel good because I won a very tough race,' the soft-spoken Kimetto told reporters. 'I felt good from the start and in the last five kilometres I felt I could do it (break the record).' Kimetto's compatriot Emmanuel Mutai (right) crossed the line in second and also beat the previous best . The Berlin marathon drew just over 40,000 runners to the streets of the German capital . 1. Tirfi Tsegaye Beyene (Ethiopia) 2:20:18 . 2. Feyse Tadese (Ethiopia) 2:20:27 . 3. Shalane Flanagan (U.S.) 2:21:14 . 4. Tadelech Bekele (Ethiopia) 2:23:02 . 5. Abebech Afework (Ethiopia) 2:25:02 . The tall Kimetto was by no means unknown and had provided evidence of his class at the distance with wins in Tokyo and Boston last year. He had promised to attack the record in Berlin if conditions allowed and on Sunday he could not have hoped for better weather. With temperatures hovering around eight degrees Celsius at the start and gradually inching warmer as the race progressed, the Kenyan stayed in the lead group from the beginning and was always positioned near the front. One runner was dressed as the popular German wheat beer brand Erdinger as they completed the course . Runners assembled on the starting line with the iconic Brandenburg Gate in the background . The last pacemakers stepped aside at around 30 kilometres as the Kenyan trio gradually broke clear. Mutai twice attempted to attack but Kimetto stayed strong and made his own move at the 38km mark, with his compatriot soon dropping some 20 metres behind. With the iconic Brandenburg Gate in full view, Kimetto powered through the final stretch to clock a world best, with Mutai second 16 seconds behind, and Ethiopian Abera Kuma overtaking a fading Kamworor late on to claim third. Ethiopia were successful in the women's race, however, as Tirfi Tsegaye Beyene edged out her compatriot Feyse Tadese in a time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 18 seconds. | Kenyan Dennis Kimetto completed the Berlin Marathon in a new world record of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds on Sunday .
The time was 26 seconds quicker than the previous record, set in the same race last year .
Another Kenyan, Emmanuel Mutai was second in 2:03:13 .
Ethiopia's Abera Kuma finished third in 2:05:56 .
Over 40,000 runners competed in race which finished in front of the iconic Brandenburg Gate . |
fd2bc769ff8145239a7a8d763bfd026e457ce49d | For Iris Grace Halmshaw, the world was a lonely place. The autistic five-year-old struggles to speak, is unnerved by other children and is frequently thrown into panic by the world around her. She fills her days with painting, and is so talented that her works sell for as much as £1,500. But nothing could quite relieve her isolation. Until, that is, a cat called Thula came along. Scroll down for video . Purrfect companion: Iris Grace Halmshaw gets to work on a painting, while Thula - in the red harness she wears for walks - looks on . The pair are now inseparable – and Iris's parents credit the gentle Maine Coon with helping their little girl become more tactile and affectionate, as well as influencing her already much-acclaimed works of art. The home-educated youngster has been producing astonishing Monet-style landscapes since she was three, when mother Arabella Carter-Johnson devised art sessions to help her with her daughter's concentration and speech. But since Thula arrived, Miss Carter-Johnson and her husband Peter-Jon Halmshaw say they have noticed Iris adding brush strokes which resemble a cat's eyes or nose. Initially, they thought it was just a coincidence, but now believe Iris is expressing her love for Thula through her painting. Inseparable: Iris's parents credit the gentle Maine Coon with helping their little girl become more tactile and affectionate . All that painting is tiring! After their busy day the pair cuddle up in bed. Iris's mother said she noticed her daughter adding brush strokes which resemble a cat's eyes or nose . The home-educated youngster has been producing astonishing Monet-style landscapes since she was three . 'When Iris is painting, Thula is told by her to 'sit cat' if she jumps up on to the table,' said Miss Carter-Johnson. 'She stays there watching Iris with great interest, occasionally wanting to play with the brushes, but mostly just patiently watching.' And the pair's bond doesn't end there. Thula is at Iris's side for every part of her life, right down to her bathtimes, when she will even share a shampoo and soak. When the family go out in the car, Thula will sit on Iris's lap, and she is more than happy to don her red harness and go for a walk on her lead. Miss Carter-Johnson, 33, said: 'Ever since we came home with this precious, magical kitten, she has been casting a spell over Iris. It was as if they were old friends from the day they met' The pair's closeness is having an effect on Iris's relationships with others, too, and her parents find it easier to encourage her to speak when Thula is around. After researching the benefits of animal therapy for autistic children the couple had tried introducing Iris to horses, dogs and even other cats with no success – but everything fell into place when Thula came to live with the family in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, in February. Within weeks, the kitten was helping to soothe the little girl in times of stress. Miss Carter-Johnson, 33, said: 'Ever since we came home with this precious, magical kitten, she has been casting a spell over Iris. It was as if they were old friends from the day they met. 'Thanks to Thula, new doorways to communication and emotions are opening and Iris is happier than ever before.' Carefree: Iris was diagnosed with Autism and her parents wanted to find out what she loved to do . At just three years old, Iris created a real buzz in the art world and was selling prints for as much as £295 . | Iris Grace Halmshaw, five, created a buzz in the art world at three years old .
A private collector bought two of her original works for £1,500 each .
Autistic youngster struggled to speak as other children unnerved her .
But her pet cat Thula has relieved her isolation and they are inseparable .
Her parents noticed Iris adding brush strokes which resemble a cat's eyes . |
fd2bd8bb4d1d75e9c27f0b7b39f7c5e700448f74 | By . John Drayton . David Baddiel has branded Gary Barlow's new World Cup song 'rubbish' ahead of this summer's tournament in Brazil. The comedian, who released the classic Three Lions with the Lightning Seeds and Frank Skinner back in 1996, isn't keen on Barlow's Greatest Day, which will feature former England striker Gary Lineker. Speaking to The Sun about the new version of the Take That hit, Baddiel said: 'A cover of Greatest Day? That's a bit rubbish because it means they've given up, doesn't it? Three Lions: David Baddiel, pictured in 1998 with Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie and Frank Skinner, has labelled Gary Barlow's World Cup song 'rubbish' 'And is it just people called Gary doing it? Gary Barlow, Gary Lienker,' joked the 49-year-old. 'what about Gary Neville? Is it called "We're All Called Gary"?' Baddiel believes Three Lions, which reached No 1 in '96 and again two years later when it was re-released and tweaked for France '98, is the ultimate football song. 'There's no other song fans have reacted to in the same way. It's hard for anyone else to do one as it'll be compared to Three Lions.' Michael Owen, who earned global fame at the 1998 World Cup, and former England boss Glenn Hoddle will also feature on the song for this year's tournament. Hitting the high notes: Gary Lineker (right) is set to feature on Gary Barlow's (left) World Cup song . | David Baddiel released the classic Three Lions song with Frank Skinner and Lightning Seeds .
Comedian isn't keen on Gary Barlow's Greatest Day which features former England striker Gary Lineker .
Song has been released ahead of this summer's tournament in Brazil . |
fd2c525b19442a039efc95ecc515a5a8ee4ad970 | (CNN) -- Investigators have arrested a third suspect in the killing of a prominent doctor near Houston, Texas. Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez was found dead at his ranch last month, police say. The Texas Rangers arrested Misael Sotollo, 18, Tuesday evening in a Houston apartment, the Austin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Sotollo and two others -- brothers Cristobal Galvan Cerna, 23, and Moises Galvan Cerna, 18 -- are charged with murder in the death of Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez. Bail has been denied for all three, according to authorities. The doctor was chief of the critical care section at Houston's Methodist Hospital and "a pulmonary medicine leader," according to the hospital system's Web site. Gonzalez was found dead August 22, after deputies responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress at his weekend ranch, in a rural and isolated area outside Bellville, Texas, authorities said. Bellville is about 50 miles west of Houston. The suspects were already at the home when the Gonzalez family arrived around noon, law enforcement officials said. The doctor was able to enter his home and obtain a handgun in an attempt to defend himself and his family, authorities said. Gunshots were exchanged, and the doctor died at the scene, they said. Also wounded in the shooting was ranch hand Noel Galvan Cerna, who worked for Gonzalez and is the brother of two of the men in custody in the killing. Sotollo is their cousin. An officer responding to the Gonzalez home on the robbery report was met by vehicles leaving the location, Austin County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Paul Faircloth said, and a person in one vehicle fired on the officer. Neither the officer nor his patrol car was struck, and the officer did not return fire, Faircloth said. The officer was able to provide a detailed description of the vehicles, he said. The officer found Gonzalez' wife and toddler unharmed inside the home. | Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez found shot to death at his ranch on August 22 .
Police say Gonzalez arrived at the rural home to find suspects already there .
He was able to get his gun from the house but died in ensuing gunfire, police say .
Ranch hand was injured in the attack; the suspects are his brothers and cousin . |
fd2c52a38b18f16a2a0c505ac60a2f166e98b4ad | (CNN Student News) -- December 16, 2010 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Washington, D.C. • Boston, Massachusetts . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're seniors at Tulare Union High School, and you're watching.... ENTIRE GROUP: ...CNN Student News! Woo! CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Want to thank my seniors for that very energetic introduction. I'm Carl Azuz. This is CNN Student News. And in our penultimate program of 2010, we present some perspectives on privacy. But first though, we're headed to Washington, D.C. First Up: Senate Tax Vote . AZUZ: 81 yays; 19 nays. So, the tax cut plan passes in the U.S. Senate. This is the compromise that President Obama and Republican leaders came up with that would extend a series of tax cuts for another two years. Yesterday, the Senate approved the plan which would cost more than $850 billion. Now though, it has to go through the House of Representatives. Some of the Democratic members there aren't happy with parts of this plan, so this is not a something that is set in stone. Oil Spill Lawsuit . AZUZ: The U.S. government is filing a lawsuit over this year's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The suit is aimed at BP and eight other companies who were involved in the spill. When he made the announcement yesterday, Attorney General Eric Holder said "we intend to hold them fully accountable for their violations of the law." The lawsuit, which accuses the companies of failing to prevent or control the spill, is one of nearly 80 suits that are all being combined together. CEO Meeting . AZUZ: And a meeting brings together politics and big business. President Obama got together yesterday with the heads of 20 of America's biggest companies, including Google, American Express and PepsiCo. Here, you can see the president walking to the meeting at Blair House just across the street from the White House. He said the goal was to find ways to boost the economy and increase hiring. The group talked about energy, taxes and trade with other countries. One CEO who was at the meeting said he hoped it would provide the opportunity to figure out some plans to help the economy. Shoutout . JOHN LISK, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! Which of these ships was involved in the Boston Tea Party? If you think you know it, shout it out! Was it the: A) Dartmouth, B) Merrimack, C) Mayflower or D) Pinafore? You've got three seconds -- GO! The Dartmouth was one of the ships involved in the Boston Tea Party. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Boston Tea Party Anniversary . AZUZ: That famous protest happened 237 years ago today. A group of colonists disguised themselves as Native Americans, went on ships in Boston Harbor, and dumped hundreds of chests of tea overboard. What they were protesting against was the British Tea Act. Remember, the American colonies were controlled by Great Britain back then. Some colonists were angry about the taxes being created by the British government. The British parliament was furious about the Boston Tea Party and set up more laws in Boston. All of this helped to eventually lead to the American Revolution. Shoutout Extra Credit . MICHELLE WRIGHT, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for a Shoutout Extra Credit! Who is the founder of Facebook? You know what to do! Is it: A) Bill Gates, B) Shawn Fanning, C) Steve Jobs or D) Mark Zuckerberg? Another three seconds on the clock -- GO! Zuckerberg started the social networking site when he was a student at Harvard University. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout Extra Credit! Person of the Year . AZUZ: That was back in 2003. In 2010, Mark Zuckerberg is TIME Magazine's person of the year. TIME is owned by Time Warner, the same company that owns CNN. Other people who were considered for this year's award: the Chilean miners, the Tea Party movement, and the founder of WikiLeaks. TIME said that it chose Zuckerberg because his social networking site has had a huge impact on how we communicate and do business. The magazine pointed out that Facebook has linked one-twelfth of the entire world into a single network. If Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest country on the planet. What You Share Online? AZUZ: Nearly half of all Americans have a Facebook account. We know a lot of you do. When you post something online, even if it's meant to be private, there's a good chance it can end up being public. I talked with some Atlanta-area teens and their parents recently about how much privacy they expect to have when they log on. (BEGIN VIDEO) AZUZ: As far as phones go, and sharing your numbers, how many of you expect your numbers to remain private? And have you ever gotten a text or a call from a number you didn't recognize? GROUP: Yes . ADAM VRTIS, STUDENT: But that's normally from someone that's given my number to someone else, not that I approved it. So, never mind, hand goes down! KATHERINE THORNBURGH, STUDENT: I tell my friends not to give away my phone number, but it still happens. AZUZ: These suburban Atlanta teenagers may want their phone number to be private, but I found their expectations were very different when it comes to the internet. Do you expect what you post online to be private? VRTIS: No, I don't. AZUZ: Why not? VRTIS: Everyone sees it, the internet. It's the world wide web; everyone can get to it. I'm pretty careful about what I put on it. HANNAH GALT, STUDENT: I know nothing's really private. AZUZ: So, how does that affect what you post on Facebook? GALT: I don't say anything that I don't want anyone to hear. AZUZ: It's a caution instilled by their parents. How much privacy do you give him on Facebook? LORI VRTIS, PARENT: Very little. If they do want privacy, they can get a journal, they can write in it, keep it in their desk drawer. I will never read it. But when you're posting something that everyone can look at, I'm going to look at it also. KAREN THORNBURGH, PARENT: Anything you're willing to put out there in a written form, be willing to stand up in front of the whole high school and announce this. ARIA GALT, PARENT: Well, I teach in a school, so we deal with a lot of these issues each day. And so, I sometimes talk about situations that I've encountered at work and hoping that maybe something would be learned from those as well. AZUZ: And while all three students said they'd texted something they wished they could take back, they were far more reserved in their internet behavior, largely because of their parents' involvement. JOE VRTIS, PARENT: Professing the ignorance of it and not monitoring it, I think you're setting yourself up for failure as a parent. I think the kids definitely need guidance. (END VIDEO) Career Connections . AZUZ: It's time for another edition of Career Connections. Our own Tomeka Jones joins me here. Tomeka, I hear you're focusing on the investigative side of journalism today. TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: That's right, Carl. Amber Lyon is an investigative reporter and correspondent for CNN. Before she started working here, she moved to Central America to help improve herself as a journalist. Amber credits her mother for helping her decide what career path she wanted to take. And she says she's successful because she has a passion for journalism and knew she couldn't fail at it. (BEGIN VIDEO) AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The reason I love being a journalist is that you can really make a huge difference in society. A video, I say, can say a million words. General assignment is more you do the breaking news, the quick-turn stories that feed the daily news. They're very important. You'll find a lot more general assignment reporters than you ever will investigative reporters. Investigative is more like, we find one issue and maybe spend sometimes an entire year looking into it and getting down to the bottom of it. It's more documentary style. One thing you'll have to learn in news more than anything is that, how can you make your story different, how can you get the public's attention? My whole goal with Backpack Reporters is to be able to bring them on stories with us. Let them experience the story, kind of, we're going to be taking a journey and I'm going to bring you with me. So, with the backpack, I look at it as, okay, I'm going to throw on my backpack and come with me; we're going to go on a journey to find the story. And I just try to make it really intimate with viewers so that they can connect to it. A lesson to everybody, whether you're a journalist or any other type of career, is be willing to take risks. Because if you're truly passionate about it, follow your passion and success will follow, and it will pay off in the end. (END VIDEO) Promo . AZUZ: We've been making Career Connections all semester. Now, we want to hear from you. Students, go to our blog at CNNStudentNews.com. Tell us what careers have sparked your interest. And teachers, check out the CNN Teachers' Lounge and share how you address careers in your classrooms. The blog, the Teachers' Lounge: they're both at CNNStudentNews.com! Before We Go . AZUZ: Before we go, we've got a tail that takes a long time to tell. Say, 25 years. That's how long Misty here has been around. That would make her 175 in dog years. And if the folks at the record books can confirm that, she will officially be the oldest dog in the world. Misty's owner has to provide the proof, and that includes the seven years before he adopted her. Goodbye . AZUZ: You know, the part of her life that he mist-y. Hey, at least we didn't make a joke about an old dog needing to walk with a cane-ine. Or about Misty being the mutt of a bunch of jokes? We'll roll over and try again tomorrow. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz. | Examine some of the stories making headlines in Washington, D.C.
Find out why TIME Magazine named Facebook's founder the Person of the Year .
Investigate the career advice offered in our latest Career Connection .
Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today's featured news stories . |
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