id
stringlengths 40
40
| article
stringlengths 48
15.9k
| highlights
stringlengths 14
7.39k
|
|---|---|---|
fd2c7afbbfe32930228b64e20f7bf324990b548c | Seeing any professional athlete up close and personal always makes you feel that bit more insignificant. And pudgier. But seeing 20-odd American soccer players in the flesh makes you wonder if you are in fact a part of the same species. They are, quite simply, awesome-looking. Kyle Beckerman, the Real Salt Lake star, is 32 but looks 10 years younger and more like a surfer dude than a defensive midfielder thanks to a fine head of dreadlocks. Think Cobi Jones at Coventry City circa 1994. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan has come a long way from his first club, South Carolina Gamecocks . You were expecting Beckerman to finish each sentence with ‘narly’ but this is a player who can boast three appearances at last summer’s World Cup so he is to be respected. Some of the younger members of Jurgen Klinsmann’s experimental squad resembled Hollister models just as much as strikers or defenders. But Brad Guzan, well, he definitely looks like a goalkeeper. Big bald head. Big mushy nose. Big, big hands. The Illinois native has come a long way from his first club, South Carolina Gamecocks, to reach the point where he is now first-choice with Aston Villa. Not that he feels like a true No 1. ‘I don’t know, I don’t know if I’ll ever feel like one,’ the 30-year-old said pitchside at Aviva Stadium. ‘Being in the Premier League, being with the national team, you are constantly trying to prove yourself. When you get complacent, that’s when you lose the spring in your step. It’s always about moving on. 'For me, it’s trying to prove week in week out that I am justifying the manager’s selection. So for me, I don’t necessarily look at myself as a No 1. I want to improve my own play and then justify the manager’s selection. And you do that by playing well, making saves in any way you can.’ Focused Guzan refuses to take it for granted being No 1 for club and country . He dislodged Shay Given at Villa Park and with his club-mate likely to feature in a much-changed Republic of Ireland starting XI, they will be on opposing sides. The competition for places hasn’t soured the feeling between the two men. ‘You’re fighting for playing time but our relationship has been very good, both on and off the pitch,’ Guzan insisted. ‘For me, I’ve been very fortunate to work with him for so long now, his resume speaks for itself, what he’s done, not only at club level but at international level. ‘It speaks volumes for him as a professional.’ And Roy (there was always going to be a question about Roy), what’s it like working with him? ‘Obviously he’s a passionate guy who wants to win so for the past couple of months now, working with him at Villa, he brings that intensity, brings that passion to training and into matches and that’s what you want within a training ground.’ Goalkeeper Guzan and United States head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, left, speak to the media . Guzan has certainly impressed his assistant manager at club level, so much so that Keane described the American as a ‘real man’ and one of the few ‘personalties’ left in the game. ‘Yeah! I mean, listen, football is a man’s game, you have to be able to take the good with the bad and the bad with the good,’ he continued. ‘I’ve always said I’m very fortunate to be in the position I’m at, coming from America, starting in MLS and now being able to play in the Premier League, week in and week out. ‘I’m very lucky and you don’t take any of that for granted. Today is an another example of that, being able to represent your country is an honour. ‘So it’s always nice when you hear kind words but at the same time you’re always looking to get better and improve, and to help your team.’ Spoken like a true pro. | Brad Guzan unsure whether he'll ever feel like a No 1 .
The goalkeeper has been in sterling form for Aston Villa .
Guzan says he has a good relationship with Shay Given . |
fd2d27d7ffde19c97fe88d1be6536af546c7360f | Washington (CNN) -- A federal appeals court has certified the largest class-action employment lawsuit in U.S. history, in a long-standing dispute against retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. over alleged gender bias in pay and promotions. The divided 6-5 ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday allows the combined multiparty litigation to move ahead to trial, where a decision against the company could result in billions in damages. The Arkansas-based chain of stores has the option of appealing Monday's ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court for review. At issue is whether more than a million current and former Wal-Mart employees can band together in their claims of discrimination, which they say has occurred over the past decade, at least. The plaintiffs allege that women were paid less than, and were given fewer opportunities for promotion than, their male counterparts. They seek back pay and punitive damages against the world's largest retailer. The lawsuit alleges that the company's "strong, centralized structure fosters or facilitates gender stereotyping and discrimination." The workers bringing suit also say women make up more than 70 percent of Wal-Mart's hourly work force but in the past decade made up less than one-third of its store management. The suit was first filed by Betty Dukes, a store greeter in Pittsburg, California, along with five of her co-workers in 2001. "It has taken a very long time, and a tremendous amount of work, but it looks like we're finally going to get our day in court," Dukes said after the ruling was announced. "That's all we've ever asked for." "We disagree with the decision of the sharply divided 6-5 court to uphold portions of the certification order, and are considering our options, including seeking review from the Supreme Court," Wal-Mart said in a statement. "We do not believe the claims alleged by the six individuals who brought this suit are representative of the experiences of our female associates. Walmart is an excellent place for women to work and fosters female leadership among our associates and in the larger business world." The federal appeals court concluded that there was enough merit in the claims to proceed to trial on a class-action track. Since the lawsuit was filed, both sides of the dispute have held so-called discovery hearings, in which preliminary testimony was taken to establish facts. Judge Susan Graber of the appeals court said that although "the size of this class action is large, mere size does not render a case unmanageable." The company has protested the size of the class action, which it called "historic" in scope, saying it would be too onerous to litigate. The company has more than 3,400 stores in 41 regions. Declaring class-action status for the lawsuit raises the financial and judicial stakes considerably, since more individual plaintiffs can now join, and creates greater potential liability for the company being sued. In federal courts, such certification must generally follow well-established principles to ensure that it does not become so large as to be impracticable and allows the parties to fairly represent the common interests of the larger class of plaintiffs. "Wal-Mart tries to project an improved image as a good corporate citizen," said Brad Seligman, a Berkeley, California, lawyer representing the female workers. "But no amount of [public relations] is going to work until it addresses the claims of its female employees." Wal-Mart has been accused in separate lawsuits of discrimination against African-American truck drivers and workers with disabilities. In 2001, the company settled 13 lawsuits by paying out $6 million. Beyond this particular suit, most workplace discrimination lawsuits fail to reach a court for resolution, according to data compiled by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 2003, when the Wal-Mart litigation was in its preliminary court stages, about 27,000 sex discrimination claims nationwide were resolved administratively by the EEOC, little changed from the prior decade. More than 57 percent -- 15,000 claims -- were ruled administratively to have "no reasonable cause," and those usually were dismissed. Just over 10 percent were judged to have merit, resulting in a total of $94.2 million in settlements, or $34,200 on average per case, according to the data, which include all such claims, not just those involving Wal-Mart. The current case is Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (04-16688) | NEW: "Walmart is an excellent place for women to work," company says .
Lawsuits say company paid women less and promoted them less .
Hundreds of thousands of current, former works can band together in lawsuit .
A decision against world's largest retailer could cost billions . |
fd2d3c0180e96848a467f003517b412f5b08c13d | They were alleged to have called it quits when Nico Jackson wasn't invited to her mother Carole's recent birthday bash in the Caribbean. But Pippa Middleton put rumours of a split with her handsome boyfriend to rest when the pair attended the British Heart Foundation's Roll Out The Red Ball fundraiser hand-in-hand on Tuesday evening. Also in attendance was her brother James Middleton and his partner Donna Air, with whom Pippa seemed extremely close to at the event, held at The Park Lane Hotel in Piccadilly, London. Scroll down for video . Doing her bit: Pippa Middleton walked the red carpet at the British Heart Foundation's Roll Out The Red Ball fundraiser at The Park Lane Hotel in Piccadilly, London on Tuesday night . Happy together: Pippa quashed rumours of a split by attending the charity gala hand-in-hand with her long-term boyfriend Nico Jackson, who she hadn't been pictured with since last year . L.K. Bennett Fern Suede Point Toe Courts . Lady in red . Visit site . Wow, who’s this lady in red? It’s Pippa Middleton at the British Heart Foundation fundraiser, of course, and she’s got our pulses racing in this striking scarlet floral lace dress styled with matching suede stilettos. The nearly-royal went all out to support the Roll Out Red Ball fundraiser in aid of the charity with her head-to-toe scarlet style hit, accessorising the elegant lace dress with a pair of suede stilettos from her and The Duchess of Cambridge’s go-to brand when it comes to footwear, L.K. Bennett. The elegant shoe, cloaked in smooth scarlet suede for a luxe finish, oozes classic elegance with its pointed toe and vertiginous heel, set to lift any outfit from a dress such as this to a pair of skinny jeans. And the best part is that the patent leather version is on sale for $175 – but not for long since Pippa’s just worn them, so hurry up and nab your pair now! If you're after a similar pair for less, then take a peek at the style edit below which crosses the whole spectrum in terms of price, starting from Jaclyn Smith's $14.99 pair to Gianvito Rossi skyscraper heels at $660. Gianvito Rossi patent leather pumps . Visit site . Jaclyn Smith Tori Pump . Visit site . Michael Antonio Latanya . Visit site . Jessica Simpson Malia pumps . Visit site . Red pointed toe patent leather heels . Visit site . The 31-year-old, who is an ambassador for the charity, wore a striking scarlet lace dress by CH Carolina Herrera to attend the important event with a matching slick of ruby lipstick and heels. Carrying a box clutch and accessorizing with a wide diamond bracelet, the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge wore her brunette locks in delicate curls which framed her pretty features. Pippa arrived on the arm of her handsome boyfriend Nico Jackson, with whom she hadn't been pictured since last year. The pair have been pursuing a long-distance relationship after he moved to Switzerland for work. Fancy seeing you here: The couple were joined at the event by Pippa's brother James Middleton and his girlfriend Donna Air . Family first: The couple, who have been dating for two years, spent the best part of the evening with Pippa . Loved up: She arrived on the arm of her partner, Nico, who looked incredibly dapper . Don't let go: The couple held tightly onto each other's hands as they made their way into the event . Tight squeeze: James, Donna, Pippa and Nico just about managed to fit into a taxi home together afterwards . Bonding: Donna and Pippa appear to have struck up quite the friendship . Future sisters-in-law: The women are extremely close and could one day become family . Ladies first: Nico seemed happy to let Pippa lead the way . Say cheese: The couple were happy to smile for photographer before heading into the venue . Once inside, Pippa caught up with her James and Donna, who wore an exquisite ice blue lace gown by Nevena London and heels. Hosted by BHF celebrity supporter, Mollie King of The Saturdays, the inaugural Roll Out The Red Ball started with a champagne reception for 200 guests, followed by a three course meal. Entertainment on the night includes a performance by a very special guest comedian, music and dancing, as well as an auction packed full of money-can’t-buy experiences and luxury items. Special guests: Hosted by BHF celebrity supporter, Mollie King of The Saturdays, the inaugural Roll Out The Red Ball started with a champagne reception for 200 guests, followed by a three course meal . Lady in red: The pretty brunette turned heads in her floral lace dress . Heartfelt: Pippa talks about the importance of the charity on the BHF's website, saying: 'I was shocked to learn that nearly three times more women die from coronary heart disease than breast cancer' Adding: 'I’m passionate about raising awareness amongst women of this killer disease and I look forward to working with the BHF to highlight to women the risks of heart disease and importantly, how they can reduce them' Dress code: Donna got the lace frock memo and also wore bright red shoes . Cute couple: James and Donna linked arms as they made their way into the venue . Rare PDA: James nuzzled romantically into the side of Donna's face as they posed for pictures . Perfect fit: The duo cut a fine pair as they enjoyed their night out together . Mollie said: 'I’m honoured to be hosting the Roll out the Red Ball in aid of the British Heart Foundation. It is such a fantastic charity which is very close to my heart. 'My grandfather sadly died of heart disease. The BHF has already made vital discoveries in the prevention and treatment of heart and circulatory conditions but there is still so much work to be done.' Mollie's dress had an extremely plunging neckline which showed off her assets and a sheer skirt detail which saw under a peplum waist. Extreme cleavage: Mollie King of pop band The Saturdays showed off her incredible figure in a plunging black dress which had a sheer skirted detail . Big moment: Mollie is hosting the important event - it's a matter close to her heart as her grandfather sadly died of heart disease . All that glitters... Lady Victoria Hervey arrived at the event fresh soon after performing in television show, The Jump, in Innsbruck, Austria . Backless beauty: Sportswoman Louise Hazel, made it to the final of the reality show and showed up to offer her support . Double trouble: Made In Chelsea's Oliver Proudlock arrived with girlfriend Emma Louise Connolly . Made In Lovesville: The reality star planted a big smacker on Louise as they made their big entrance . Showing off flawless golden skin, Mollie drew attention to the red belted detail on her dress, with a slick of scarlet lipstick. Pippa talks about the importance of the charity on the British Heart Foundation's website, saying: 'I was shocked to learn that nearly three times more women die from coronary heart disease than breast cancer. 'I’m passionate about raising awareness amongst women of this killer disease and I look forward to working with the BHF to highlight to women the risks of heart disease and importantly, how they can reduce them.' Hollywood glamour: Former Hollyoaks actress Ali Bastian wore her charity's trademark red colour . Fary tale: Classical singer Natalie Coyle also arrived wearing a green ball gown . A-listers: (L to R) Elizabeth Emanuel, Stuart Watts and Sonique stepped out to raise awareness . Working it: TV and radio presenter Lizzie Cundy shimmered in a Pia Michi number . Guest list: Richard Farleigh (L) and Duncan Bannatyne (R) were also present . Liquid refreshment: Michelle Keegan looked like she couldn't wait to pour herself a glass of wine . The ladies were in excellent company on the night with appearances from The Jump stars Lady Victoria Hervey and Louise Hazel. Classical singer Natalie Coyle also arrived wearing a green prom-style dress, while former Hollyoaks actress Ali Bastian wore her charity's trademark red colour. Talented soprano Natalie opened the event with a performance of a selection of classical opera tracks and pieces from much-loved musicals. Made In Chelsea's Oliver Proudlock appeared to be feeling the love as he planted a big smacker on girlfriend Emma Louise Connolly's lips. Fashion designer Elizabeth Emanuel and Sonique stepped out to raise awareness, as did Dragon's Den star Duncan Bannatyne. Cute as a button: James and Donna made eyes at each other as they posed on the red carpet . Guest of honour: Charity ambassador Pippa took pride of place at the sit-down dinner . Having a ball: Proudlick looked like he was having a great evening at the plush event . Sitting pretty: Lady Victoria Hervey wowed in a sparkly silver dress . Lady in red: Mollie was the bell of the ball in red lipstick and and a scarlet and black gown . | Duchess of Cambridge's sister attended The British Heart Foundation's Roll Out The Red Ball fundraiser on Wednesday night .
James Middleton's girlfriend Donna Air was also in attendance .
Pippa quashed rumours of a break-up by arriving hand-in-hand with boyfriend Nico Jackson .
Couple hadn't been pictured together since last year . |
fd2d99bcf5b810016b75605a9b31552bf5c5d55b | Watching your weight does not include eating large bowls of pasta. But if you thought such things were off the menu, you might want to think again. Makers of the spiralizer — a new kitchen gadget that is taking America by storm — claim you can create nutritious, very low-calorie, low-carb ‘pasta’, ‘noodles’ and ‘rice’ from everyday fruit and vegetables, in less time than it takes to peel a spud. According to U.S. food bloggers, this magic machine can spin a simple courgette into a generous bowl of ‘spaghetti’ in a flash. Spiralize a sweet potato and in minutes you’ll apparently get a filling portion of ‘rice’ with just half the calories and carbs of regular basmati. Scroll down for video . Kitchen magic: The spiralizer turns fruit and vegetables into noodles in less time than it takes to peel a spud . So, of course, I was keen to try it, not least because with two children — Stanley, 12, and Florence, seven — I’m always looking for ways to add fruit and vegetables to their diet without any dinner-table histrionics. It seems that spiralizing still has some way to go before it catches on here, however. My local cookware shops in Surrey, and even the Lakeland website, drew a blank. I eventually found one — a Spiralite, by Spiralz — online, for £25 on Amazon, including free delivery. Three days later the lightweight, dishwasher-proof machine arrived, with three confusing-looking interchangeable blades. But six simple step-by-step instructions later, I was ready to crank the handle. To begin, I pressed the legs of the machine down firmly on a flat surface to allow the suction cups on to hold it in position. Next, I had to choose what to spiralize. Firm fruit and vegetables work best, which means that berries, citrus fruits and avocados are out. Carrot, sweet potato and pear are all good choices but courgette is a favourite, as it creates such delicious ‘pasta’. Oodles of noodles: Mandy's first attempt was courgette spaghetti . Simply impale your vegetable between the spiked disc and the slicing blade — pushing it forward with one hand while turning the handle at the back of the machine with the other — and you’ll be quickly rewarded with a neat tumble of veggie ‘spaghetti’. No chopping or coring is required. My first recipe attempt, then, was courgette spaghetti, a favourite on websites because of its low calorie content — a 125g portion of raw courgette spaghetti contains 21 calories and less than 4g of carbohydrate, compared with 346 calories and 64g of carbohydrate for normal spaghetti. One large peeled courgette, put through the spiralizer, makes enough for one person. After blanching the spirals for a minute or two in boiling water — you can salt them if you wish — I drained them and plopped on a generous dollop of our family’s home-made bolognese sauce. My children were nodding eagerly until, roughly five minutes after serving, their meals began to bleed. Courgettes, it seems, have an exceptionally high water content of roughly 95 per cent, and once they were sitting on a plate that moisture was released, turning dinner into more of a bolognese soup. Undeterred, my next challenge was a spiralized ‘noodle’ stir-fry — one large carrot, a medium courgette and half an onion per person, spiralized and stir-fried with four beaten eggs and a splash of soy sauce to make four 150-calorie meals. Although hungry, the children were now sceptical. But Florence was first to pronounce it a success: ‘Mum, this is gor-geous,’ she cooed, before they both cleared their plates. Just like the real thing? Dieticians says that carbs should not be competely cut from our diets . The next day I was practically aglow with ideas. I began with breakfast: ribbons of pear with a blob of Greek yoghurt, a sprinkle of walnuts and a dash of honey — around 170 calories in total. For lunch I tried something lighter — a raw salad of half a beetroot with a large raw carrot, half a courgette and half a cucumber ‘noodles’. In just under 15 minutes I had whizzed them through the blade, leaving the two beetroot until last as — be wary — they spatter slightly. I splashed on some balsamic dressing and it tasted fresh and zingy — and all with just 140 calories. Florence and Stanley now demanded spiralized suppers. Their favourite treat is curly fries, so I tried to make them with sweet potato. Leaving the potatoes unpeeled for extra fibre, one medium potato made enough for one person. I splashed the freshly made coils with olive oil and baked them in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.Unfortunately, the finer edges of the springs burnt too quickly while the coiled parts remained underdone. Another disaster. Next I found the recipe for sweet potato ‘rice’, which requires chopping the spiralized potatoes in a food processor until they resemble rice grains. I fried a few cloves of chopped garlic and half an onion before adding my sweet potato rice and poaching it in chicken stock for two minutes. A quick sieve and I had an orange-coloured ‘risotto’. It tasted delicious. Best of all, it contained only 107 calories and 25g of carbohydrates per portion (compared with 183 calories and 37.5g carbs in basmati). But is it really prudent to remove significant amounts of carbs from a family’s diet? Seeing spirals: Mandy tries out the spiralizer on beetroot, carrots, courgette and cucumber . Dietitian Vanessa Hattersley says: ‘It’s definitely not a good idea to eliminate carbohydrates from the diet entirely, as they are a food group that provides us with a range of important nutrients. ‘That said, many of us do tend to overload our plates with pasta, rice, bread and potatoes when they are on offer. A well-balanced meal should be a quarter protein, a quarter carbohydrate and half fruit and vegetables, so the spiralizer could play a really useful role in redressing the nutritional balance in a carb-heavy diet.’ There is very little room in the back of my cupboards for yet another faddy gadget to gather dust. But I think this little gizmo may just have earned a permanent place on my kitchen counter. Video courtesy Inspiralized.com . | The spiralizer turns fruit and veg into low-carb 'pasta', 'noodles' and 'rice'
This new gadget is taking America by storm .
Mandy Francis tried to create family friendly meals using this nifty device .
However experts warn we shouldn't eliminate carbs from our diet entirely . |
fd2db627fae9e2ace4b909567d0f111843d96eac | (CNN) -- The last of more than 12,000 California prison inmates who were on a hunger strike ended their protest Thursday morning, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said. Inmates in several prisons were demanding an end to long-term solitary confinement and a halt to what is known as the "debriefing" policy, in which inmates are required to provide information on prison gangs to get out of solitary. The Corrections Department issued a statement saying all the hunger strikers were taking state-issued meals and that the department will "continue to implement the substantive reforms in California's Security Housing Units that we initiated two years ago." Prisoners on solitary confinement are held in the security housing units. In July, the department said more than 300 inmates had either been transferred from those units back to the general population or were taking part in a program to gradually return them there. California governor seeks $315 million for prison fix . The hunger strikers had other demands, including warmer clothing, better mattresses and better food. The statement from officials did not say if there were any changes in those areas. As of Wednesday, there were 100 inmates on hunger strike. Forty of those had been on strike since the start of the protest, on July 8, Corrections Department spokeswoman Dana Simas said. The other 60 had joined at various times. The strike's leaders were in the maximum-security prison at Pelican Bay, near the Oregon state line, but inmates in other lockups were encouraged to add their own demands. The department said it was pleased that the strike was called off before any inmates became seriously ill. | Some California inmates had been on hunger strike since July .
All inmates are taking meals again, the Corrections Department says .
Reforms to solitary confinement procedures will continue, it says . |
fd2deacaa33ef4d5ee001e2071b97eb1daad0b32 | Paris (CNN) -- France's two presidential contenders continued to battle over the country's undecided voters Thursday, after sparring over the economy in their one head-to-head debate ahead of Sunday's runoff vote. In a combative televised debate Wednesday night, President Nicolas Sarkozy and challenger Francois Hollande focused on the economy, social issues and immigration. But despite the trading of personal insults, neither landed a killer blow, leaving both candidates keen to seize the advantage in the last two days of campaigning. Centrist candidate Francois Bayrou announced Thursday that he would vote for Hollande, but urged his supporters to vote with their conscience. Both candidates hope to pick up a share of the 9% of votes that went to Bayrou in the first round. Sarkozy, of the center-right UMP party, was to hold a rally in the southeastern city of Toulon Thursday, while Hollande, of the center-left Socialist party, addressed supporters in the southwestern city of Toulouse. The economy and immigration have been at the heart of campaigning, with France struggling to overcome with low growth and 10% unemployment. In his opening salvo Wednesday night, Hollande said he would be the president of unity, justice and recovery. "I want to unite all the French. ... It is in this way that we will recover our confidence," he said. Sarkozy's response was to highlight the imminent danger in which he sees the country. "We are not in a crisis, but among many crises," he said. In a direct appeal to the country's undecided voters, he then said: "Unity is when we talk to the people of France, not just to the left." He also accused Hollande of favoring union members over the general public interest, and said with his opponent as president there would be "more taxes and more debt." Hollande in turn attacked Sarkozy on divisions in the country, saying he has split the population. In one of several testy exchanges, he also accused Sarkozy of cronyism. "You appointed your close colleagues everywhere, in all the ministries and regional government. If I understand correctly, you appointed them everywhere," he said. In response, Sarkozy, who is trailing in opinion polls, questioned his rival's grasp on the truth. "Can I finish my sentence? What you are saying now is a lie. It is slander. You are nothing but a little slanderer," he said. Accusations of dishonesty again came to the fore in another exchange. "What is extraordinary about your answers is that whatever happens in France, you are happy, although the French are clearly not," Hollande said. "What you are saying is a lie," Sarkozy responded. "When you say I don't care about my responsibilities, that is a lie." Hollande, who in campaigning has sought to paint Sarkozy as more interested in looking after a wealthy elite than the common people, stressed his own commitment to social justice. "I will be the president who believes in justice, because we are living through a difficult crisis, which is hitting those who work the hardest, who have less money," Hollande said. "I want justice to be the foundation of all the decisions that we make." On immigration, Sarkozy repeated his position that France has too many immigrants to be able to provide the necessary jobs and housing. "France is an open country; I know myself where I am from. But we have welcomed in too many people, we have to reduce the number of those that we allow in, not because we do not love them," he said. He said France has always had very generous social benefits but immigration should be halved. Hollande agreed that economic immigration should limited, but was quick to say that Sarkozy is responsible for higher rates of immigration to France over the past 10 years, as interior minister for five years before becoming president. The two rivals have been competing to reach out to the 6.5 million voters who supported the third-place candidate in the first round of voting, the right-wing National Front leader Marine Le Pen. In the April 22 balloting, Hollande received 28.6% of the vote, slightly ahead of Sarkozy's 27.2%. Le Pen, who has called for sharply curbing immigration, received 18% of the vote. Speaking to CNN affiliate BFM-TV Thursday morning, Marine Le Pen said: "I got the impression that (Hollande) played his role as expected -- but of course you know perfectly well my fundamental opinions on socialism, and my total disagreement with it." She added, "Nicolas Sarkozy was not clear in his strategy. We see that he has a strategy that is quite varied ... from day to day. We don't know any more what his position is." Le Pen said Tuesday she would not back either candidate and would leave her voting slip blank on Sunday. She told supporters to vote "with your soul and your conscience." Socialist party leader Martine Aubry praised Hollande's performance in the debate. "He had the stature, he stayed on course, he knew where he was going, he held true to his values," she told French network TF1. "He put morality in the center of everything ... justice at the heart of France, and bringing together all of the French people." Jean-Francois Cope, of the UMP party, was equally appreciative of Sarkozy's performance. The debate exposed the rivals' very different characters, he told TF1, allowing voters to see "on one side, Nicolas Sarkozy, because of his maturity, his experience, of the competence of someone who for five years has carried on his shoulders and guided our country through a period of crisis, and Francois Hollande on the other side, hesitant, and naturally -- same as anyone who has difficulty with the subject -- arrogant." Wednesday's debate was the only head-to-head encounter for the two rivals. Paris voter Dominique Templier, 57, said she had already decided whom to back -- and the debate didn't change her mind. "They both stood their ground and I didn't hear anything new, and I don't have the feeling that it did much for those who are still making their minds up about Sunday's vote," she said. Olivier Poulizac, 26, said he found the discussion of the economy unenlightening because it lacked depth. "I had the impression that both of them were lying, so it's difficult to decide," he said. "I don't think there was a real winner in the debate and I don't think it's changed much for those who are still undecided." Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who received about 11% in the first round, will hold a rally in Paris Friday. He has already urged his supporters to back Hollande. Under French election rules, campaigning will end at midnight Friday. Voters go to the polls Sunday. If elected, Hollande would be France's first left-wing president since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995. Sarkozy has been president since 2007. CNN's Saskya Vandoorne, Anna Prichard, Rachel Ramsay, Basil Yousuf and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report. | NEW: Francois Bayrou says he's backing Hollande, tells supporters to vote with their conscience .
Nicolas Sarkozy says his rival will raise taxes and create more debt .
Francois Hollande says the president has caused divisions and helped the elite .
The pair have two days of campaigning left before French voters go to the polls Sunday . |
fd2e206210cb9f0485028a18c34ac24780bc66fb | By . James Andrew for the Daily Mail . There is a new game being played at Fulham this season and it’s called ‘Felix bingo’. The concept is simple, guess the starting XI before boss Felix Magath names his side for the game. And with 25 players used already this season it’s easy to see why it’s a game with no winners, which includes the German manager. VIDEO Scroll down for Magath: Players not committed are welcome to leave (Archive) Changes: Felix Magath has used 25 players so far this season... it's no wonder Fulham haven't won yet . Not clicking: The draw against Cardiff compounded Magath's misery at Craven Cottage on Saturday . He has made multiple changes in every game this season — but is yet to find a winning formula. Players have started matches one week and not made the bench the next. And after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Cardiff, Magath admitted he is waiting for Monday's transfer deadline to pass before he can know for sure which players he will have to work with and from there he can figure out his best XI. So it is easy to see why Fulham remain second bottom of the SkyBet Championship after five games. The former Bayern Munich boss is quick to point to the major overhaul of his squad this summer, with 13 new arrivals and 17 players departing, leaving Scott Parker as the only survivor who played regularly last season. And the changes do not stop there, with Magath targeting three additions to his squad in the final hours of the transfer window, after failed £12million experiment Kostas Mitroglou went back to Olympiacos on loan. Despite Magath believing promotion is still possible, their slow start to the season could cost Fulham a quick return to the top flight. Leader of men: Scott Parker is the only man who played regularly last season who has featured so far . Delight: Cardiff players celebrate with Kenwyne Jones after his equaliser . Changes to the squad were long overdue and the promotion of six players from last season’s FA Youth Cup final side has to be applauded. But at the moment whichever 11 players are handed a starting place, the team does not seem to be gelling. There were glimpses in the first 45 minutes on Saturday that things were coming together and a lot of the football was easy on the eye as Tim Hoogland gave Fulham the lead. But they remain vulnerable to being outmuscled and they lacked the strength and experience to see the game through as Kenwyne Jones scored his fourth goal of the campaign to earn Cardiff a point. Only Parker and big-money signing Ross McCormack have experience of playing in the Championship and that lack of knowhow in a demanding division is costing Fulham. Championship experience: But £11m man Ross McCormack still hasn't scored this season in the league . Magath remains defiant and insists he is not just the right man for Fulham — but also the only man. But poor results inevitably lead to unrest in the stands and the fans are not happy with the way things are going. Magath was met with a chorus of boos — not for the first time this season — from pockets of the Craven Cottage faithful at the final whistle. As a Fulham fan myself, the decline in the last 18 months has been very difficult to watch. In the end relegation was almost a relief as we were put out of our misery. Four years is a very long time in football, and the days when European heavyweights such as Juventus, Shakhtar Donetsk and Hamburg were put to the sword by Roy Hodgson’s side as Fulham reached the 2010 Europa League final are now just a memory. Struggling to adapt: A slide down the divisions isn't off the cards... Reality for Fulham is a side that is struggling to adapt to life outside the top tier and the only joy this season has come from beating Brentford in the Capital One Cup. The feeling is things could get worse before they get better at Craven Cottage. Magath cannot be blamed for relegation last season, but now this is his squad and he cannot hide from the position Fulham are in. Whether he is the right man to lead Fulham into this new era remains to be seen. But his first job must be to settle on his best side or the slide down the divisions will continue quicker than their rapid assent 17 years ago. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEKEND . Nottingham Forest's win over Sheffield Wednesday kept Stuart Pearce’s side top of the Championship. Any pre-season disagreements between Pearce and owner Fawaz al-Hasawi over the sales of Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow to Newcastle have been put to one side. And Henri Lansbury’s goal gave Forest a 1-0 win at Hillsborough against a Wednesday side who had not lost in the league this season. Top performers: Nottingham Forest kept up their unbeaten start with a 1-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday . WHAT'S CAUGHT MY EYE . Andre Gray scored 30 goals for Luton to fire them into the Football League and he proved his class by scoring his first Championship goal for new side Brentford as they beat Rotherham for their second win of the season. Peterborough maintained their unbeaten away record in the league at Colchester with an impressive 3-1 win. Posh lost Britt Assombalonga to Nottingham Forest but are doing OK without him. MK Dons like playing the Red Devils. Having shocked Manchester United with a 4-0 win in the Capital One Cup midweek, Karl Robinson’s side beat Crawley, a team with the same nickname, 2-0. | Fulham have used 25 players so far this season... they can't gel .
Drew 1-1 to Cardiff on Saturday and still haven't won in the Championship .
Scott Parker only regular from last season who is starting .
Lack of Championship experience is costing the Cottagers . |
fd2f06d9abf8502b65a4b4c5f81c62551892d780 | Not content with being one of the leading makers of activity trackers, leaked materials suggest Fitbit is now taking aim at the smartwatch market. According to The Verge, the California firm is working on a wearable device dubbed Surge, which is set to be released by the end of the year and will cost $250 (£155). In addition to tracking calories, steps, and elevation - similar to existing Fitbit models – the Surge will have a built-in GPS tracker, heart rate monitor and show smart notifications on the wearer's wrist. The FitbitSurge is expected to go on sale by the end of the year and cost $250 (£155). It includes GPS, heart rate monitors and a sleep tracker. The wearable will additionally track steps, calories, distance and elevation – like current models (pictured) - but leaked materials state it is designed for more serious athletes. This means it will directly compete with the high-end sports watches, as well as low-end basic trackers, and as a result has been labelled by The Verge as a 'superwatch.' The details were revealed in marketing materials leaked to website's Chris Welch by a ‘tipster’. Release date: By the end of the year . Price: $250 (£155) Colours: Black, grey and orange . Features: GPS tracking . PurePulse heart rate monitor . Pedometer and altimeter . Smart notifications and music controls . Sleep tracker and silent vibrating alarm . Wireless syncing to the Fitbit app . Other features of the wristband include a more advanced sleep tracker, and a silent alarm that wakes wearers up using vibrations. Current FitBit models track runners using the GPS on a connected phone. It was rumoured that the Californian firm would release a standalone heart rate monitor called PurePulse, but this technology is now expected to be built into an upcoming device. This is expected to provide real-time workout data, and statistics - including heart rate, calories, steps, pace, elevation and distance - will sync wirelessly to a smartphone via an app. And the leaked reports revealed the watch will be available in black, grey and orange. FitBit is also said to be on the verge of launching two other, similar devices, called FitBit Charge and FitBit Charge HR. Other features of the wristband include a more advanced sleep tracker, and a silent alarm that wakes wearers up using vibrations. Current FitBit models track runners using the GPS on a connected phone (pictured) It was rumoured Fitbit would release a standalone heart rate monitor called PurePulse, but this technology is now expected to be built into an upcoming device. It is expected to provide real-time workout data, and statistics will sync wirelessly to a smartphone via an app (pictured) These were revealed in a patent application, filed earlier this year, which detailed a wearable device called FitBit Charge that includes, among other features: ‘Pedometers; altimeters; devices for displaying [and] measuring, time, date, steps taken, calories burned, distance travelled, floors climbed, active time, elevation, altitude, speed, pace, hours slept, quality of sleep, heart rate, routes, navigational information, and weather information.' The application also continued that Fitbit's patented devices will link to phones to 'control volume and notify users of incoming calls or messages.' This suggests the devices will feature ‘smart’ notifications, including call and text notifications, on the wrist, and will let wearers control music from their wrist – in a bid to take on smartwatches. FitBit is also said to be on the verge of launching two other, similar devices, called FitBit Charge and FitBit Charge HR, according to a patent application filed earlier this year. The current Fitbit Flex is pictured . | The Fitbit Surge is expected to go on sale by the end of the year .
It is being cited as costing $250 (£155) and includes GPS tracking .
Other features include a heart rate monitor and sleep tracker .
The wearable will additionally track steps, calories, distance and elevation .
Leaked marketing materials state it is designed for more serious athletes .
Surge is one of three new FitBit devices, including Charge and Charge HR . |
fd2f0c1fdca6265cc788ec7d983bdd459f5b8411 | By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 08:26 EST, 16 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:23 EST, 17 October 2012 . Facebook has turned off its controversial tag suggestions feature for users in Europe, in a move that campaigners will hail as a victory for privacy. The social network tool took biometric information provided when users tag friends' faces in photos to make suggestions on the correct tags for future images. But the company was heavily criticised when it introduced the feature and automatically opted-in all users in Europe last June without formally announcing its arrival on the site. Scroll down for video . Backtrack: Facebook has been forced to turn off its automatic tag suggestions feature that used facial recognition technology to recognise the faces of people pictured in photos uploaded to the site . Privacy campaigners were particularly disturbed since Facebook allows photographs to be published on its site without the express permission - or even knowledge - of those pictured. With the facial-recognition feature activated on the site, this meant in essence that those uploading photos were handing the personal biometric information of those photographed over to the company. The removal of the feature and the forced deletion of all the biometric data will be a blow to the company which is under intense pressure to find new ways to convert its vast hoard users' personal information into cash since it was floated on the stock market earlier this year. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO: The decision will be a blow to the company which is under pressure to find new ways to rake in more money . Responding to the removal of the . feature, Nick Pickles, director of privacy campaign group Big Brother . Watch, said: 'Users need to be in control of what happens to their data . and it’s absolutely right this applies to people’s pictures on Facebook . in the same way as their written personal information. 'The wider issue is not just about people opting-in to use the technology, but how you regulate something when often the person in the photo might not be aware their photo has even been uploaded. 'Facial recognition has the potential to undermine people’s privacy far more dramatically than most existing technology, with ever more creative uses finding ways to track us and target us.' Facebook was forced to carry out a review of the controversial feature's introduction after a wave of anger about potential data protection issues. It announced last month that it would suspend the feature across Europe and erase all the biometric facial-recognition data it has collected thus far from users on the continent by October 15. European regulators have ordered Google to clarify its new privacy policy and make it easier for users to opt out of it. France’s National Commission on Computing and Freedom led a European investigation into Google’s new unified policy, which replaced 60 individual policies for its search, email and other services and regulates how it uses the personal data it collects. CNIL's president Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin said the company had 'three or four months' to make the revisions, otherwise 'authorities in several countries can take action against Google'. Google responded that it is reviewing the commission’s report but that it believes its policy respects European law. The current row revolves around Google's decision to pool of anonymous user data across Google services. For Google, this is a big advantage when selling online ads. Google and other large internet groups like Facebook provide free services to consumers and earn money from selling ads that they say are more closely targeted than traditional TV or radio campaigns. The move followed a review by Facebook . Ireland of the degree to which the social networking site had . implemented recommendations made in an audit of the social networking . site by the Irish Data Protection Commission last December. That report assessed Facebook Ireland’s . compliance with Irish Data Protection law and by extension EU law. The . aim is to re-introduce the tag feature in the future, but with new . guidelines and different forms of notice and consent. Billy Hawkes, the Data Protection Commissioner for Ireland, said last month the tool would only return to the site if Facebook agreed with the department on the 'most appropriate means of collecting user consent'. He praised the multi-billion pound company for 'sending a clear signal of its wish to demonstrate its commitment to best practice in data protection compliance.' Mr Hawkes says Facebook should make users more aware of what happens to their personal data to increase control over privacy settings. Mr Pickles added: 'It may be possible in future to find a way to use facial recognition on Facebook in very limited circumstances. 'However, given the challenge of securing consent from both the person uploading the photo and the people in the photo being scanned, it may be practically impossible to secure an adequate level of consent. 'What must not happen is the consent requirement be watered down because it proves difficult.' | Decision taken following probe by the Irish Data Protection Commission .
Campaigners had warned against personal biometric information being given to the company without the permission of those pictured . |
fd2f455e0d11249a6c02c4e2705ecf6843ed3f7f | (CNN) -- A 19-year-old Mississippi man was charged with capital murder Tuesday in the death of an African-American man who died after allegedly being beaten by a group of white teens and run over by a truck, authorities said. Deryl Paul Dedmon, 19, of Brandon, Mississippi was also charged by a grand jury with hate-crime enhancement in the murder of James Craig Anderson, said Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith. The indictment alleges that Dedmon killed Anderson while in the commission of committing felony robbery, Smith said in a statement. Anderson's family, however, is asking state and federal officials not to seek the death penalty in the case. Relatives of Anderson, who died shortly after receiving his injuries on June 26, sent a letter with their request to Smith, saying the family is opposed to the death penalty partly for religious reasons. The indictment against Dedmon alleged Anderson was targeted because of his race. Dedmon's arraignment has yet to be scheduled, Smith said. Federal authorities have joined the local investigation, and both authorities are determining "the appropriate venue for the prosecution of any remaining suspects," Smith's statement said. "All options are being considered and with each passing day, more evidence is being gathered," Smith said. The death of Anderson, 48, occurred early June 26 in Jackson, allegedly at the hands of white teens who, after a night of partying and drinking, decided to go looking for black people to assault, law enforcement officials have said, quoting one of the suspects in the case. Watch: Incident caught on video . Anderson's death drew national attention after CNN first reported it and aired exclusive surveillance video of the killing, captured by a parking lot security camera in a Jackson suburb. Smith, the district attorney, has called it "vicious" and a "premeditated hate crime." The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the death as a possible federal hate crime and assisting local prosecutors. The killing has also prompted several large marches and prayer vigils in Jackson, a city of about 175,000 people. A second teen, John Aaron Rice, 18, was initially charged with murder, but a judge reduced the charge to simple assault because Rice was not believed to be driving the vehicle used to kill Anderson. However, Hinds County prosecutors have said they plan to seek indictments against Rice for murder and a hate crime, and will seek indictments against other teens who were at the scene. The district attorney's office has not officially commented on the family's request for no death penalty in the case. Last week, the Anderson family filed a wrongful death suit against all seven of the white teens alleged to have been present at the beating of Anderson that immediately preceded him being run over by the truck. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nationally recognized organization based in Montgomery, Alabama, that opposes racism and intolerance, joined the lawsuit. In addition to Dedmon and Rice, the lawsuit names five other teens as taking part in the incident: Sarah Graves of Crystal Springs; Shelbie Richards of Pearl; and William Kirk Montgomery, John Blaylock and Dylan Butler, all of Brandon. None of the five has been arrested or charged. Anderson, a line worker at a Nissan plant, sang in his church choir, according to the family's attorney, Winston J. Thompson III. He leaves behind his partner of 17 years. Attorneys for Dedmon and Rice have not responded to requests for comment from CNN. During a recent bond hearing, Dedmon's attorney told the court he saw nothing to back up the "racial allegations." A civil trial can proceed at the same time as a criminal case, but often the civil case is delayed pending the resolution of a criminal trial. While a criminal case is pending, a defendant in a civil case may need to invoke the Fifth Amendment. Authorities believe Dedmon led and instigated the attack, which took place after a night of drinking in largely white Rankin County, outside Jackson. The gang of teens climbed into Dedmon's green truck and a white SUV and drove 16 miles to the western edge of Jackson. They would have seen Anderson immediately as they exited the highway, officials said. He was standing in a hotel parking lot just beyond the exit ramp. On the videotape obtained exclusively by CNN, the group of teens is seen pulling into the parking lot and stopping where Anderson is standing, although he is just off camera and not visible. The teens can then be seen going back and forth between their cars and Anderson. Witnesses told authorities this is when Anderson's beating took place, as the teens yelled racial epithets, including "white power." Authorities allege Dedmon and many of the other teens pummeled Anderson repeatedly as he crumpled to the ground, although this is not visible on the tape. After the beating, some of the teens left and others got into the green Ford truck. At this moment, Anderson becomes visible on the tape as he staggers into view and walks toward the truck. "Defendant Dedmon drove the F-250 out of the parking lot and turned right onto Ellis Avenue," the lawsuit says. "Just as Dedmon turned right, his headlights shone directly on Anderson, who, having been severely beaten, was stumbling in a grassy area near the motel's entrance. Dedmon accelerated, drove onto and over the street curb, and struck Anderson with the front of the F-250." Shortly afterward, Dedmon allegedly boasted and laughed about the killing, according to statements some of the teens made to detectives. "I ran that n----- over," he allegedly said in a phone conversation to the teens in the other car. The proceedings of the case are taking place in the Hinds County courthouse, where in 1994 Byron de la Beckwith was convicted in the notorious killing of civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963. CNN Special Investigation Unit's Drew Griffin and Scott Bronstein contributed to this report. | Deryl Paul Dedmon, 19, is also charged with a hate-crime enhancement .
James Craig Anderson, 48, who is black, was beaten by a group of white teens .
Anderson, a factory worker who sang in a church choir, was also run over by a truck .
Prosecutor plans to seek indictments against other teens allegedly involved . |
fd2f4b0a0d2e7b0b54ec1598b5cc0ed7774ec106 | By . Sara Smyth . PUBLISHED: . 19:12 EST, 30 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:05 EST, 1 October 2013 . Siren: Glamorous style icon Kelly Brook is a fashion inspiration aged 33 . THEY say fashion is a young person’s game, but many of us hang our heads in shame at the memory of the outfits we chose in our teens and 20s. Now research has shown we become comfortable with our personal style only at the age of 33. Before then, a lack of confidence or even trying too hard means many of us end up wearing clothes we will regret. The study by M&S and Oxfam’s Shwopping Initiative shows women are least confident in their fashion choices aged 24. It proved that inexperience led to fashion faux pas, with 40per cent saying they made most of their fashion blunders as teenagers. That’s not to say the regrettable outfits were thrown away- 25per cent went on to reuse the outrageous outfits as fancy dress costumes. And even with a strong sense of personal style, only 38per cent of us like and wear half the clothes in our wardrobe. Rather than buying selectively, 48per cent sad they regret buying items of clothes just one week after they take them home. Social media sites are now the port of call for fashionistas looking for inspiration, with 11per cent using Facebook and Instagram to learn about current trends and 21per cent of men following celebrity profiles for advice. Fashion-forward: Looking fabulous at 33, Katherine Jenkins has a distinct personal style . But the sites can also be a reminder of fashion disasters from the past, with 45per cent saying they have ‘de-tagged’ Facebook pictures because they’re embarrassed about the outfit they are wearing. And a further 15per cent ‘de-tag’ photos because they don’t want to be seen in the same outfit twice. Flares, shoulder pads and shell suits top the list of fashion disasters from the past that people have held onto. Clothing choices differed between the sexes, with 40 per cent men wearing whatever is easy and comfortable and 33 per cent of women trying too hard to fit in with trends regardless of whether they suit them. What to wear: 38 per cent of us only wear half of the items in our wardrobe. Flares, shoulder-pads and shell-suits are the questionable items people tend to hold on to . | People comfortable with their style at 33, study by M&S and Oxfam shows .
Women least confident about their fashion choices aged 24, with 40 per cent of fashion blunders made in teens, the study claims .
45 per cent of people have 'de-tagged' pictures of themselves on Facebook because they are embarrassed of their outfit choice in photo .
Only 38 per cent of people wear half the clothes in their wardrobe .
Flares, shell-suits and shoulder-pads most popular items people hold on to .
As part of its One Day Wardrobe Clear Out Shwopping event on Thursday 3rd October, M&S is asking the nation to ditch the bin and ensure their unwanted clothing choices can have a second life by Shwopping in-store to receive a £5 money-off voucher when they spend £35 or more on fashion . |
fd31501fbcd31111b2b4fd817ffc67eb3a87cfa3 | Taking a wrong turn into a lake would usually require an embarrassed call to your insurer. Not so if you're driving the Panther, which can switch from car to boat in just 15 seconds. The amphibious vehicle, which can hit speeds of 80mph-plus on land and up to 45mph in water, is the brainchild of Californian manufacturer WaterCar. Founder Dave March set-up the company back in 1999 with the aim of shattering the world record for the fastest amphibious vehicle. Drive on water: The Panther, created by Californian manufacturer WaterCar, can go from car to boat in 15 seconds . In demand: The $155,000 (£96,000) amphibious vehicle has an 18 month backlog of orders . And in 2010 he did exactly that when WaterCar's Python model reached a top speed of 60mph (52 knots) on water. The Python was never sold to the public due to its high production costs, but a new model - The Panther - went on sale in July 2013 and the company now has an 18 month backlog of orders. The Panther costs $155,000 (£96,000) and features a lightweight chromoly steel chassis and fibreglass hull, as well as a hydraulic off-road suspension which retracts the wheels in under eight seconds. Off road: The Panther reaches speeds of 80mph on land and 45mph in the water . And the car comes equipped with a 3.7 litre V6 engine - meaning that when it comes to speed, it's more than a match for it's more traditional sea-fairing companions. Its unique amphibious nature has made it a must-have status symbol and WaterCar have received an influx of orders from the super-rich, including Silicon Valley billionaires and the crown prince of Dubai - who is reported to own several. WaterCar spokesman Michael March, 30, said: 'We have sold cars to some of the wealthiest and powerful people imaginable. Development: A 2010 model, The Python, could reach up to 60mph in the water, but was too expensive to produce for public sale . Lifestyles of the rich and famous: Orders have been placed by everyone from the Crown Prince of Dubai to Silicon Valley billionaires . 'You never know who is sending in a deposit until we begin building the car for that somebody and realise who they are. 'Most requests have been colour schemes that match personal helicopters, mega yachts, luxury cars, county colors, and even just plain and subtle so that nobody would even know the car is amphibious.' The Panther is fully customisable - meaning the buyer has control over everything from hull colour to paint, interior, dashboard, gauges, steering wheel and seats. March added: 'The best part about the Panther is it drives better than most boats on water and can travel more places on land than most cars. 'Make it match the chopper': Super-rich clients have requested paint jobs to match their mega yachts, helicopters and luxury cars . Multi-talented: The Panther 'drives better than most boats on water and can travel more places on land than most cars', says WaterCar . 'The design process has not been easy. There are no books and there has been little to no research on amphibious technology. There have been thousands of attempts at amphibious vehicles but we have literally had to start from nothing. 'I'd say the biggest problem we faced was getting a car meant for land to plane on water like a boat. That is no easy task. 'It has taken much longer than anticipated but it feels amazing. We set out to design and build an amazing vehicle and we have done just that. There is no other vehicle in the world like it.' | Vehicle created by Californian manufacturer WaterCar .
Previous model, The Python, reached 60mph but was too expensive to produce for sale to the public .
Super rich from Crown Prince of Dubai to Silicon Valley billionaires and unnamed celebrities have placed orders . |
fd327a182e4383d685242efe244f530cb2d6b31e | ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Stephen Plumlee started feeling dizzy and nauseated shortly after his flight from Sarasota, Florida, landed in Atlanta, Georgia. He was wheeled off the plane by paramedics, but instead of being taken to a hospital emergency room downtown, he was treated in the atrium of the busiest airport in the world. The AeroClinic joins a growing field of easy-access medical facilities found in pharmacies and retail outlets. The AeroClinic, a new retail medical facility, offers quick, inexpensive care to travelers and some of the airport's 55,000 employees. "We're kind of the stop in between the hospital during your travels," said Dr. Dominic Mack, chief medical officer for the clinic. The AeroClinic joins a growing field of easy-access medical facilities found in pharmacies and retail outlets around the country. You could say it falls somewhere between the newer, small clinics and the larger full-service after-hours clinics that have been around for many years. For about $80, a patient can be treated by a doctor or physician assistant for a minor acute illness such as strep throat, upset stomach or headache. That was the reason behind Derrick Gross' visit. The medical sales representative lives in Atlanta, but travels at least three days a week. He says he's too busy to see a regular doctor, and when he saw the sign while passing through the airport, he decided to make an appointment. Gross spent about 20 minutes with physician assistant Sabrina Jackson going through a battery of tests to try to determine the source of his headaches. Health Minute: Airport clinic gives travelers a health-care alternative ». He received a supply of ibuprofen when the tests revealed no obvious medical problems. "I took a chance by coming here today and I'm satisfied," Gross said. He agreed to follow up with his primary care physician. Mack said he treats a lot of patients like Gross. "You have 250,000 passengers who come through Atlanta Hartsfield every day, and people are sick. What they do is delay their care or they don't get their care at all." Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. surgeon general and frequent flier, sees the need first hand. "I've traveled almost 40,000 miles in the last month and I know there are a lot of people who spend time in airports and a lot of people don't get the care they need," he said. As a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Satcher believes the concept of a quick-care health facility inside an airport is a good one so long as patients continue to have contact with a primary care physician at home. He serves on the board of directors for The AeroClinic and is one of the privately held company's original investors. He wants potential patients to understand the restrictions of a facility such as The AeroClinic. "This is not the place to go when you're having chest pains. ... (But) obviously, if you have a minor illness this is an opportunity to seek care while you're traveling and not have to wait until you get back home." The clinic's 12 staffers also offer preventive care including physical exams, routine vaccinations and monitoring of chronic diseases. The facility accepts some insurance coverage. In the fall, The AeroClinic, will open a second facility in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, airport. The staff plans to offer flu shots at mobile kiosks in the airport concourses. For now, travelers must go out of the airport security zone to reach the facility. Stephen Plumlee didn't mind the inconvenience. "I was so out of it, I didn't know what was happening. But everyone has been very helpful." After he rested for a couple of hours and recovered from the nausea, an imbalance in his inner ear was diagnosed. He was given medication to help him cope with the flight home and sent on his way. "This has been good," concluded Plumlee. "It's been fine to be able to do it in the airport, not have to go to some other part of the city and find my way back." E-mail to a friend . Judy Fortin is a correspondent with CNN Medical News. | New retail medical facility offers care to Atlanta airport travelers, employees .
Treatment available for minor acute illnesses such as strep throat, headache .
Physical exams, vaccinations, monitoring of chronic diseases also offered . |
fd332e1929ad44fa5d436987a247a8f399c7bbc1 | The hottest property in the hardest game today is the young man from Bolton, England who was the poster boy for British Olympics ten years ago. Amir Khan out-shone the neon glare of the fabled Las Vegas Strip on Saturday night. So brilliantly did he bedazzle the much-respected three-time world champion Devon Alexander that this neon city which craves thrills and excitement is clamouring to see his name back in lights here soon. VIDEO Scroll down for Amir Khan: Hype about my chin is b******* . Amir Khan (left) throws a punch on his way to victory against Devon Alexander in Las Vegas on Saturday . Khan never looked in trouble and kept Alexander on the back foot with a punches in bunches . Khan celebrated at the final bell but Alexander knew he was a beaten man after the 12 rounds . The billion dollar question is whether the next time his fresh face appears on those giant electronic screens it will be alongside the glowering features of Floyd Mayweather. There was no dissenting, not even by the most chauvinistic Americans, that the statement Khan delivered, as promised, was powerful enough to merit a mega-fight with the pound-for-pound king of the ring next year. Even without the exclamation mark of a knock-out. Khan’s up-and-down journey from a silver medal in Athens to a performance in Vegas as golden as those preposterous shorts he wore in the MGM Grand Garden has burnished a new crown jewel in British boxing. The time has come for the nation to unite behind his utterly valid claim for a shot at ultimate glory. Britain has been radically divided in its feelings about this warrior for Anglo-Islamic relations. For those who have doubted or resented him, now is the moment to relent. Amir Khan, in the week of his 28th birthday, has grown into a cause for patriotic celebration. He has catapulted himself into the elite company of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao at the summit of the most talent-packed division in boxing. To be a welterweight at this point in fistic history is to be confronted by a veritable host of world-class fighters, if they will meet your challenge. That has to be put to Mayweather if he retracts this weekend’s promise to give Pacquiao and the world the mega-fight after which they have been hungering for years. If he is not the first alternate for Mayweather’s next fight, then Khan must assume that his performance damaged his own chances as drastically as it hurt Alexander’s fighting pride. Khan lands a left hand square on Alexander's chin on his way to a dominant performance . Khan's speed was once again his biggest asset as he left the former world champion dazed and confused . Alexander lands a rare shot on Khan during a fight he struggled to show his attacking prowess . Khan and Alexander go head to head early in the fight but only one man would go on to take control . Mayweather reneged on a promise made a year ago to engage with Khan, whose legendary promoter Oscar De La Hoya said: ‘Now I can understand why Floyd doesn’t want to fight Amir. I wouldn’t have wanted to fight him after watching this.’ In unison with the other 7,767 in the arena, De La Hoya was on his feet not only cheering Khan but standing to applaud a virtuoso with his talents in full artistic flow. The speed has always been phenomenal. Now the ring-craft has been perfected by long hours in the gym with his latest trainer, Virgil Hunter. The balance – not only of feet and movement but in understanding when to attack without unnecessary risk – has been drilled into the completion of the gladiator package. De La Hoya said: ‘Not only did he win virtually every round against a highly technical southpaw boxer – which is very complicated to achieve – but he showed why he would be big trouble for Floyd.’ For the record I gave Alexander only a sympathetic share of the eighth round, his best and in which he managed to land three or four solid left hooks. That was the one occasion Khan wavered from the game plan devised by Hunter, who said: ‘ He was great and he corrected that mistake almost at once but it marks him down to 9.9 out of ten for briefly losing focus.’ Alexander was berated in his corner but the truth was he had no solution to the puzzle posed by Khan . Khan lands a right hand on Alexander (left) and celebrates with promoter Oscar de la Hoya (right) Time and time again, Khan was first with the jab as he opened up a healthy lead over Alexander . Khan showed a new-found patience as he timed his shots to perfection to bewilder Alexander . Khan pictured at the post fight press conference after his emphatic win over Alexander in Las Vegas . DAVID HAYE: As predicted, an amazing, disciplined and punch perfect performance by Amir Khan against a world class fighter. CARL FROCH: Really easy win for Khan, not many expected such a one sided whooping! Well done kid. RIO FERDINAND: Well done @AmirKingKhan on a polished mature schooling of Alexander! Whos next???? MICHAEL OWEN: Great win for @AmirKingKhan earlier this morning. Top class, let's hope he goes on to unify the division. The three official judgements varied narrowly either side of my 120-109 score-card. Alexander was beaten beyond a quibble, saying: ‘I couldn’t get my punches off. I couldn’t land on him. I couldn’t do all the things we had worked on in training camp. He is very fast.’ So quick that when he really accelerated into lightning combinations from all angles the punches were a blur in the eyes of those at ringside. Alexander did not detect them at all until they thundered against each side of his head. All that prevented a stoppage was Alexander’s courageous willingness to keep taking those blows – and the embarrassment to himself that came with them. Alexander was previously a two-weight world champion but Khan made him look ordinary in Las Vegas . Khan lands a right hand on the button as the Brit showed why he is one of the best in the world . Khan celebrates his victory which earned him the WBC Silver welterweight title (right) Fundamental to Hunter’s blueprint was the left hook off Khan’s jab, over Alexander’s right lead. Such was the precision as well as speed of Khan’s punching that those hooks landed with what must have been sickening monotony. There were Khan converts all around the Grand Garden. They believed when he said: ‘I’m getting better as I get older. And wiser. And my best years are still ahead of me'. Suddenly, those of us who have been saying for some time that he has real chance of inflicting Mayweather’s first defeat found allies in abundance. Whisper it, please, in case Mr Money is eves-dropping. If Mayweather was watching, as he said he would, he will have had plenty of food for thought as he went off to his favourite burger bar on the Strip. King Khan is on his way to greatness. All aboard the roller-coaster – even the naysayers who have been reluctant to forgive him being stopped by Danny Garcia – ‘I’d love to avenge that defeat if I get the chance’ - and who still want to see Kell Brook knock him out, if that fight happens in Britain. Love him or not,the tickets are worth every dime. Because with this young man it is a ride with never a dull moment. | Amir Khan was a class above Devon Alexander with a dominant showing .
The Bolton welterweight won almost every round at the MGM Grand .
Alexander had no answer to his opponent's speed and skill .
Khan will now hope to face Floyd Mayweather in May back in Las Vegas . |
fd33350122488d6a2ce5d8df2f738621e4a0aa90 | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 09:39 EST, 16 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:56 EST, 16 January 2013 . A major cyber-attack that has been stealing information from high level government computers around the world since 2007 has been discovered. Kaspersky Labs, which made the discovery, said in addition to diplomatic and governmental agencies of various countries . across the world, Red October also targeted research institutions, . energy and nuclear groups, and trade and aerospace targets. The firm even said the malware was used to infiltrate smartphones of government workers to electronically steal information. The full extent of the Red October operation is revealed in this infographic, showing how it has hit countries across the globe . The main objective of the attackers was . to gather sensitive documents from the compromised organisations. This included geopolitical intelligence, credentials to access classified . computer systems, and data from personal mobile devices and network . equipment. Overall, Kaspersky said over 7 terabytes, or 7,000GB data has been stolen. The primary focus of the campaign was targeting countries in eastern Europe. 'Former USSR Republics and countries in Central Asia were targeted, although victims can be found everywhere, including Western Europe and North America', said Kaspersky Lab, an antivirus software firm which made the discovery. 'The main objective of the attackers was . to gather sensitive documents from the compromised organisations, which . included geopolitical intelligence, credentials to access classified . computer systems, and data from personal mobile devices and network . equipment,' Red . October, which has been active since at least 2007, appears to collect . files encrypted with software used by several entities from the European . Union to Nato. Kaspersky said Red October also infected smartphones, including iPhones, Windows Mobile and Nokia handsets. It . is believed to be still operating, although since the research was . published, the attackers are believed to have started dismantling the . system to protect their identities. 'The project started in October 2012, we received a suspicious executable from a partner,' Vitaly Kamluk, Chief Malware Expert at Kaspersky Lab told MailOnline. 'We checked and began to understand what we had was quite massive - we found 1,000 different files in a few weeks, each of them a personalised email.' Mr Kamluk said the attacks were highly customised. 'There are a very limited number of machines, around 1,000 around the world, but every target is carefully selected.' 'We extracted language used and found Broken English was used, with Russian words thrown in, such as Proga, commonly used among Russian programmers. 'However, we are not pointing fingers at Russia - just that Russian language has been spotted. 'It could be any organisation or country behind this, it could be nation states or a private business or criminal group. One of the fake emails used to infect computers . Red October is a malware attack. Initially the malicious code was delivered via e-mail . as attachments (Microsoft Excel, Word and, probably PDF documents) which . were rigged with exploit code for known security vulnerabilities in the various applications. Intended targets received personalised correspondence based on gathered intelligence on individual people (an example is on the right). These attacks comprised of two major stages: . Initial infection: Right after the victim opens the malicious document on a vulnerable system, the embedded malicious code initiates the setup of the main Red October software on the machine. This handles further communication with the master servers run by the hackers, and can survive the computer being restarted. Spying: Next, the system receives a number of additional spy modules from the hacker's server, including modules to handle infection of smartphones - the team said iPhones, Windows phones and Nokia handsets were seen on the network. The specific modules are customised for each mobile depending on the infomration the hackers wanted. The main purpose of the spying modules is to steal information. All gathered information is packed, encrypted and only then transferred to the Red October command servers. Other modules were designed to target files encrypted using a system known as Cryptofiler - an encryption standard that used to be in widespread use by intelligence agencies but is now less common . The campaign, identified as 'Rocra', short for 'Red October', is currently still active with data being sent to multiple command-and-control servers, through a configuration which rivals in complexity the infrastructure of the Flame malware. Kaspersky's research indicated there were 55,000 connection targets within 250 different IP addresses. Most infection connections were found coming from Switzerland, followed by Kazakhstan and Greece. 'There is senstitive geopolitical information being stolen, which is very valuable,' said Mr Kamluk. Kaspersky estimate there were 20-30 developers working full time on this, and all were 'very experienced programmers'. 'Over the course of the last five years, we believe several terabytes of data was stolen - it's massive. 'Since we published the report, we have seen some of the servers are no longer responding.' The firm is now working with law enforcement agencies to shut down the remaining servers. Red October, which is named after the . Russian submarine featured in the Tom Clancy novel The Hunt For Red . October, also has what Kaspersky Lab called a unique 'resurrection' module that hid in Adobe Reader and Microsoft Office programmes that . allowed the attackers to regain access if the virus was discovered and . removed. | Researchers say the cyber attack has been in operation since 2007 - and is still running .
Operation described as 'massive' and has stolen 'several terabytes' of data .
Security firm which discovered the attacks claims there is 'strong technical evidence the attackers have Russian-speaking origins'- but say a private firm or rogue nation could be behind the network.
Targets included diplomatic and governmental agencies of various countries .
across the world, research institutions, .
energy and nuclear groups, and trade and aerospace firms . |
fd333b2bd1e4dd732582d1ddbb6a3dff0fc34386 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:18 EST, 3 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:18 EST, 3 May 2012 . A teenage girl with Down's Syndrome had her dream come true thanks to her fellow high school students when she was crowned prom queen. Carolann Nunez, a Special Olympics gold medalist, had always wished for the honor at Americas High School in El Paso, Texas. Her friends went into overdrive with her campaign - making posters, tweeting voters and reminding fellow students on Facebook. Dream come true: Carolann Nunez, who has Down's Syndrome, was crowned prom queen at her Texas school by fellow students . Her father Michael Nunez told ABC7: 'Carolann has dreamed of being prom queen for years and years. She's watched Disney movies with prom queens getting crowned. Carolann bought a pink dress covered in sparkles for the special event last Saturday evening and took her father as her date. After she received her crown and sash, the teenager had her winning dance with prom king Brian Contreras, to loud cheers from the crowd. She then ran to hug her father. Carolann told the TV station: 'My parents helped me make a dream come true.' Delighted: Miss Nunez wore a pink dress to the special dance on Saturday evening . Prom king: Brian Contreras said Carolann was a worthy winner because she was so friendly to other students at Americas High School . Fellow students said she was the ideal candidate for prom queen because Carolann was always so friendly and chatty to everyone she met in the school halls. Mr Nunez added: 'Thank you to the student body. Their . caring and acceptance of Carolann has just been fantastic. All the . thanks in the world goes out to them for making her dream come true.' | Carolann Nunez had overwhelming support from fellow students at Americas High School in Texas . |
fd336df26a632d3f4a9100fbef64a77267d7f550 | Britney Spears arrived at the X Factor auditions in Kansas City today looking perfectly demure in a white floral frock. But the singer lost her composure just moments after stepping out from her black SUV, stumbling in her platform peep toe heels. The 30-year-old panicked as she struggled to maintain her balance, but thankfully narrowly avoided falling over. Careful! Britney Spears stumbled as she arrived at the Sprint Center for X Factor auditions in Kansas City . Nervous? Britney flashed a smile as she stepped out from her car but narrowly avoided a fall moments later . She went on to greet fans outside the Spirit Centre and later joined her fellow judges L.A. Reid and Demi Lovato inside. There was a notable absence on the panel however - Simon Cowell missed the audition after coming down with bronchitis. Smile! The star looked a little on edge as she later faced press and the fans . Fan frenzy: Britney, who was joined by Jason Trawick, signed autographs as she made her way inside . The mogul arranged for Louis Walsh, who works on the UK X Factor, to fly the US to cover him. Simon convinced bosses at the Fox . network that Louis was the best person for the job due to his vast . experience on the British show and immediately arranged a £160,000 . round-trip by private jet to cover for him at auditions today and . tomorrow. Simon hopes to have recovered in time for the next auditions in San Francisco on June 16. Happy: From the get go Louis was immediate hit with his fellow judges . Centre of attention: Britney is literally surrounded by fans as she enters the auditorium . Someone's being naughty! It looks like L.A. is winding the girls up as Demi sticks her thumb down and Britney protrudes her bottom lip in jest . Last month, Britney sparked fears for her wellbeing as she dramatically walked out of filming. It has since been reported that . American pop princess is suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity . Disorder, but is unable to take medication for it because it interferes . with other tablets she takes for her mental health issues. X Factor veteran: After British X Factor judge Louis Walsh swooped in at the ninth hour to replace an ill Simon Cowell during the Kansas City auditions, his fellow American judges Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, and L.A. Reid were all impressed . Old friends: Britney met Louis when she appeared on the UK version of the talent show . Very close: Fiancé Jason Trawick appears to act as Britney's bodyguard and is present at all times . Britney famously suffered a breakdown in 2007 and shaved all her hair off. The mother of two young sons then admitted herself to a clinic. Her well-being and fortune is . currently under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears and her . fiancé, her former agent Jason Trawick. Let them eat cake! Simon Cowell replacement Louis Walsh, Britney Spears, and Demi Lovato all helped celebrate L.A. Reid's birthday yesterday in Kansas City . Mellow in yellow: Demi teamed her summery frock with rock chick accessories including a leather jacket . Joining the circus: Louis Walsh is a substitute judge for Simon Cowell, who is said to be too ill to attend Kansas . | UK judge Louis Walsh replaced ill Simon Cowell on panel . |
fd3408237cbb4bc1f7cc4a2c23af04ea481e4373 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 14:30 EST, 23 May 2012 . A white supremacist has been convicted in a 2004 bombing that injured a black city official in suburban Phoenix, but his identical twin brother was acquitted. The federal jury Friday stopped short of finding Dennis Mahon guilty of a hate crime among his three other charges. The 61-year-old twins from Illinois were on trial for six weeks as dramatic testimony came from the bombing victim and a female government informant dubbed a 'trailer park Mata Hari' by defense attorneys. Split sentence: Daniel Mahon (left) was acquitted of his one charge while his twin brother Dennis Mahon (right) was found guilty on three charges for a 2004 bombing . The jury found Dennis Mahon guilty of three charges in the bombing but found Daniel Mahon, also a white supremacist, not guilty of the one charge he faced: conspiracy to damage buildings and property by means of explosives. The verdict came nearly eight years to the day since the Feb. 26, 2004, bombing that injured Don Logan, who is black and was Scottsdale's diversity director at the time. Logan was hospitalized for three days and needed four surgeries on his hand and arm. The bombing also injured a secretary. Logan told The Associated Press that the verdict was bittersweet for him. 'It's not illegal to be a racist but it is illegal to act upon that racism, especially when you injure people,' he said. 'This, to me, is a hallmark case that reached that racial discord, that hate.' Dennis Mahon was found guilty of conspiracy to damage buildings and property by means of explosives; of malicious damage of a building by means of explosives; and distribution of information related to explosives. 'Trailer park Mata Hari': A courtroom sketch shows the ex-stripper-turned federal informant Rebecca Williams, 41, who wore revealing clothes and sent racy photos to gain Dennis Mahon and his brother's trust . He faces between seven and 100 years in prison at his May 22 sentencing. Both brothers had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges. During the trial, prosecutors argued that the Mahon brothers bombed Logan on behalf of a group called the White Aryan Resistance, which they say encourages members to act as 'lone wolves' and commit violence against non-whites and the government. Prosecutors played surveillance tapes of the brothers referring to Logan in racial slurs and a voicemail that Dennis Mahon left at the diversity office just months before the bombing in which he angrily said: 'The white Aryan resistance is growing in Scottsdale. There's a few white people who are standing up.' Defense attorneys said that someone working for the city of Scottsdale was a likelier candidate because Logan's job made him unpopular. They also heavily criticized the use of 41-year-old Rebecca Williams as an informant, giving her the 'trailer park Mata Hari' nickname — a reference to the Dutch exotic dancer who was convicted of working as a spy for Germany during World War I. Victim: Don Logan, Scottsdale's diversity director at the time, was injured along with a secretary when the bomb detonated in his hands but was decided as not a hate crime . Williams, an attractive ex-stripper herself, was recruited by the feds to implicate the twin brothers. She moved into the same Oklahoma campground with a government-issued trailer, talked like a separatist and sent them racy photos of herself to win over the men's confidence over a five-year period. As the trial of Dennis and Daniel Mahon drew to a close, defense attorneys argued that the government's conduct was outrageous and that her actions amounted to sexual entrapment. The real Mata Hari: The Dutch exotic dancer, whom Williams has been named after by the defense, was executed by France in 1917 for spying on Germany . But during closing arguments late Tuesday, prosecutor Michael Morrissey told the jury that the hiring of the informant - identified in court records as Rebecca 'Becca' Williams - was 'entirely permissible and necessary' to the investigation of the 61-year-olds. 'There was no use of sex to obtain evidence,' he said. Among the information Williams gathered from Dennis Mahon was him telling her that the bomb used on Logan was a 1-by-5-inch pipe bomb, a fact that investigators never released publicly and that prosecutors said proved that Mahon was guilty because only the bomber could have known it. The brothers are accused of sending a package bomb in 2004 that maimed Don Logan, a black man who was the diversity director for the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale at the time. Logan, 54, was hospitalized for three days after the bombing and needed four operations on his hand and arm. Morrissey said the Mahons were believers in 'racial terrorism and violence as a way to accomplish their goals.' Logan testified Friday, choking up as he recalled the chaos after the bomb went off in his hand and describing how he frantically ran down a hallway before kneeling down, hearing a secretary scream and looking down to see blood dripping on the carpet. 'I heard a pop that sounded like a gunshot and everything slowed down,' he said. Logan said that every time he's been in court he tried to make eye contact with the Mahons, but that they never would look at him. But he noticed that they were watching him with intensity when he re-enacted the bombing during testimony. Scene: Dennis and Daniel Mahon were arrested at their home in David Junction, Illinois (pictured) in 2009, on separate charges . 'It was almost like they were getting off on me sharing that moment when they sent their prized gift and it detonated,' he said. Logan worked personally with the Justice Department to have prosecutors seek a hate-crime finding from jurors, which would have required whatever prison term Mahon gets to be longer. He said that when he speaks to U.S. District Judge David Campbell at the sentencing, he'll ask that Mahon spend the rest of his life behind bars. 'Dennis Mahon is a danger to any community, and to me, he doesn't deserve to be out,' Logan said. Williams, who is 20 years younger than the Mahons, said agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives recruited her after they worked with her brother, himself an informant, to infiltrate the Hells Angels motorcycle gang. At the time, Williams testified, she was about to be evicted from her trailer and needed the money. She received a total of $45,000, including expenses, and said she was promised $100,000 upon the Mahons' conviction. On the move: The Mahon brothers were living in Tempe in the months before the 2004 bombing, but relocated to Catoosa, where the Feds sent their informant . Investigators had her pose as a separatist who was fleeing an arrest warrant and was interested in learning about Aryan resistance and how to make a bomb so she could use one on a child molester she knew. The story was a fabrication designed to get the brothers to open up about the Scottsdale bombing. Williams also gave the Mahons at least two racy photos — one that showed her in a black leather vest, fishnet stockings, chaps and a Confederate flag bikini bottom, along with a note that read: 'Thought you'd love the butt shot.' Another photo showed her in a white bikini top, a grenade hanging between her breasts, as she posed in front of a pickup truck and a swastika. Williams testified last month, wearing a gray pantsuit with a dress shirt buttoned up to her neck and black high heels, her long, dark hair pinned up. Under tense cross-examination, she acknowledged previously being an exotic dancer and became bashful when asked whether she knows how to use her body around men. During closing arguments, defense attorney Deborah Williams accused the government of acting like a 'pimp' to get the Mahons talking. 'What you have in Dennis Mahon is a loud-mouth — sometimes drunk ... and looking for the attentions of a younger woman who throws herself at him, and she works him like she once worked a pole,' Deborah Williams said. 'And of course he fell for it.' The defense attorney also referred to footage of the informant covering up a video camera with a towel after a naked Dennis Mahon got into her hotel bed. Prosecutors said Rebecca Williams gave him a foot rub; the defense attorney said that was ridiculous. 'The whole investigation was scripted around sex, sex and more sex, from the grenade between the breasts to the sleeping with him,' Deborah Williams said. Judge David Campbell urged jurors to exercise particular caution when considering Williams' testimony, since she was paid for her involvement. The Mahons, who were living in the Phoenix area at the time of the bombing, but left days afterward and were arrested in 2009 in Davis Junction, Illinois, are charged with various explosives-related offenses, including conspiracy to damage buildings and property. | Dennis Mahon faces seven to 100 years in prison after found guilty of three charges .
Bomb victim Don Logan called verdict bittersweet .
Ex-stripper testifying was recruited by government to implicate twins .
Sent them racy photos including one showing a grenade hanging between her breasts .
Defense argued government's undercover operation amounted to sexual entrapment .
Prosecutor rejects argument: 'There was no use of sex to obtain evidence' |
fd34728be4827a65fcb1c9c5b34fc36e5e6a67a7 | (CNN) -- Malmo hosts fantastic events throughout the year that make the most of the outdoors and reflect the city's enthusiasm for music. Here are some of the best. Malmo Festival kicks off every year with a massive crayfish party. BUFF Film Festival (March) There are about a dozen film festivals held annually in Sweden, the birthplace of master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. But BUFF is the only one specializing in movies for children and young people. Held in Malmo's Old Town, the festival screens roughly 100 films from around the world. Various seminars and discussions are also held during the festival. Malmo Festival (August) The city pulsates with life during this eight-day outdoor culture extravaganza that's been going strong for nearly a quarter of a century. Music is the big draw, attracting some 1.5 million to Malmo every August. Hundreds of live acts fill the city with sounds of classical music, heavy metal and everything in between. If you aren't busy dancing the night away, you'll want to take in the film screenings, comedy shows and theater performances staged during the festival. The best part about the festival? It's absolutely free. The revelry kicks off with a massive crayfish party in the city's main square. Bring your own crayfish and a mood to party. Rainbow Festival (September) Malmo is transformed into a sea of color during this week-long festival. Colorful flags fly proudly during Regnbagsfestival, a celebration of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender pride. Malmo throws a vibrant festival, staging parades, live music, film screenings and drag shows around the city. Oktoberfest (September-October) Beer flows endlessly and the beat goes on at nightclub Slagthuset during Oktoberfest. The club, located behind Central Station, is the biggest in Malmo and all of Scandinavia for that matter. The celebration is smaller than what you'll find in Munich but the crowd is no less energetic. With three dance floors, get ready to get your groove on. Shop Window Sunday (November-December) 'Tis the season for holiday cheer. Malmo puts on a lively round of performances during the holiday season. The countdown to Christmas starts with Skyltsondag (Show Window Sunday) -- the day when the city's shopkeepers vie for the most attractive Christmas window display. Take in a concert or join in the traditional Swedish celebration of light in Stortorget, the city's main square. To really get in the spirit, grab some skates and hit the free rinks in Stortorget and Folkets Park. | If you love music, don't miss the Malmo Festival held every August .
The BUFF Film Festival for kids is a great family-friendly event .
Hit the city's free ice skating rinks to get in the winter holiday spirit . |
fd34a83d4f569e0bac1d6cd03a99b0e6c73f5945 | By . David Mccormack . PUBLISHED: . 08:19 EST, 23 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:52 EST, 23 July 2013 . An elderly man is lucky to be alive after foolishly attempting to drive his low slung $75,000 Corvette through extremely dangerous floodwaters in Arizona. The incident happened on Sunday morning after a storm rolled through the Phoenix area bringing half an inch of rain and heavy runoff from nearby mountains filled the usually dry wash. While most drivers turned around when the saw the approaching waters, the unidentified man attempted to keep driving his sports car but ended up getting carried downstream. Scroll down for video . An elderly man is lucky to be alive after attempting to drive his Corvette through floodwaters in Arizona on Sunday . The man and his prized 2013 limited 60th anniversary edition Corvette were washed nearly a mile down a flooded wash before they got stuck . The man and his prized 2013 limited 60th anniversary edition Corvette were washed nearly a mile down a flooded wash before they got stuck. Witnesses describe seeing the car - almost totally submerged - floating under a bridge before traveling another 40 yards and stopping by a tree. ‘He stood on that tree until the water subsided enough where they could walk him out,’ local resident Marissa Creager told Fox 10. A spokesperson for rescuers Phoenix Fire Station 8 said the man was fortunate to have escaped with his life. The sports car was carried about a mile down a flooded wash before stopping by some trees where it continues to sit . Prized possession: The man's 2013 limited 60th anniversary edition Corvette is ruined following his run in with the floodwaters . 'He's very lucky his car stayed upright, he's very lucky his car hung up on a tree, because the circumstances could have been very different for him,' says Phoenix Fire Capt. Jeff Schripsema. Authorities said they rescued several motorists who became trapped in their vehicles on Sunday as they tried to drive through the floodwaters. No injuries were reported. An unknown number of homes in an area of western Scottsdale were inundated, officials said. The downpour prompted the shutdown of . U.S. 60 in Tempe. State Route 88 northeast of Apache Junction and state . Route 238 west of the Pinal County community of Maricopa were also . closed. Waterlogged: A man and woman sit in a truck flooded by rain waters in Apache Junction, Ariz., Sunday . On Saturday, southeast Tucson experienced flash flooding from a storm that brought about three-fourths of an inch of rain. The storm led to several downed electric power lines in Tucson and two water rescue efforts. A woman in her 40s who was under a Tucson bridge was swept away into a wash by floodwaters. The woman was able to get out of the water on her own and was then taken to a hospital. In a separate incident, three children . who were playing in a wash that wasn't running became trapped on a sand . island by a rush of flood waters. The children, ages 8, 10 and 12, were . rescued. Under water: Crews work to drain the water after a storm caused flooding on U.S. 60 in Tempe, Ariz., Sunday . | The unidentified man is lucky to be alive after getting caught up in dangerous floodwaters on Sunday .
But his prized 2013 limited 60th anniversary edition Corvette - valued at $75,000 - is ruined after getting washed downstream for a mile . |
fd34e0006a1c2e8e5ad4f4587285dd6299c3f518 | By . Ryan Gorman . A Saturday morning JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas was diverted to Detroit after a belligerent passenger lunged at a flight attendant in front of his horrified family. The unidentified male is shown in a passenger video shouting at the crew member as his children plead with him to stop and another person can be seen trying to hold him down. He was yelling in a foreign language and did not speak English, a passenger told WABC, so no one had any idea what he was upset about. Scroll down for video . Out of control: This man shouted at a flight attendant before lunging at him as his children begged him to stop . The 6.40 a.m. flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport was in the air for about an hour when the disruption occurred, according to a passenger who gave the footage to the network. He appeared to be in a heated argument with his family before others aboard the sleepy plane became involved. The man only became more irate, and was banging on seats while gesturing at a flight crew member trying to calm him down. But the effort had the opposite effect, and the man lunged at the flight attendant as his children shouted in horror. ‘Dad, dad, stop it,’ they begged. Cuffed and taken away: The man was then moved to the back of the plane before being taken to a Detroit-area hospital by police . Their father was instead handcuffed by the flight crew and led away. The irate passenger attempted to wriggle free as he was pushed down the aisle by three attendants the back of the plane. The captain then made the snap decision to offload the man in Detroit, where he was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. ‘Due to a customer issue, the captain elected to divert to Detroit this morning in an abundance of caution,’ the airline said in a statement. There were no further incidents, and the flight resumed after a few hours. The passenger remains in police custody. It is not clear what charges he may face. Also not clear is whether drugs or alcohol played a role. | The flight left John F Kennedy International Airport at 6.40 a.m.
An argument erupted after the plane was in the air for about an hour .
It was diverted to Detroit and the man taken away in handcuffs . |
fd34f6e7cee4fef7272bc3420d08f3bda27895da | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:24 EST, 2 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:45 EST, 2 November 2012 . Foul-mouthed parrot Beaky is being given etiquette lessons because his language is too rude for prospective pet owners . A foul-mouthed parrot that can’t be re-homed because it swears so much is having etiquette lessons. Abusive Beaky has been stuck at an RSPCA rehoming centre since he was abandoned because his language is too rude for prospective pet owners. The bird picked up the cluster of expletives from his previous owner and regularly blasts passersby as 'a*******' by calling them 'stupid'. His language has become so bad that staff at RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre in West Malling, Kent, have now called in an animal behaviour expert to improve his etiquette. The specialist has begun a course of reward training where Beaky is given a treat every time he says a good word and gets nothing when he says a swear word. An RSPCA spokeswoman said: 'We are doing reward training with Beaky so he learns what to say and what not to. 'Every time he says a pleasant word like “hello” we will give him a reward and when he says a naughty word we do not. 'We are looking for a new owner who can continue his etiquette training. 'Beaky is an intelligent and playful bird who is a good mimic. 'Unfortunately, this talent means that he picked up some rather colourful language from his previous home. He has quite a vocabulary and will certainly be a challenging house guest.' The RSPCA said only people with experience and knowledge of exotic birds are wanted to re-home them. Scroll down to watch video . Reward training: Beaky is given a treat if he says a good word and nothing if he says a bad word . Beaky was taken in by the RSPCA after his owner became too ill to care for him. His species is Chattering Lories, a forest-dwelling parrot found in North Maluku, in Indonesia. RSPCA spokesman Calie Rydings said: 'Beaky enjoys the company of people although he may bite at first until he has formed a bond with someone. 'He has always lived in a cage but may adapt to living in an aviary. If kept in a cage, he should be allowed out for safe flying time every day.' Now watch the video . | Beaky was taken in by RSPCA after his owner became too ill to care for him .
But his abusive language means no one will adopt him .
Beaky is now undergoing 'reward training' to learn better manners . |
fd353509f83d4c09467ea87d9fa98fa56d395b13 | The onesie may have proved a fashion phenomenon, with celebrity fans including everyone from TV presenter Amanda Holden to boy band One Direction. And the latest evolution of the all-in-one garment is promising to revolutionise business travel for millions of men around the world. US-based property developer Jesse Herzog has created a one-piece suit – a radical design he calls a ‘Suitsy’ - and which he says is perfect for stepping off the plane and straight into the business meeting. Scroll down for video . US-based property developer Jesse Herzog has created a one-piece suit – a radical design he calls a ‘Suitsy’ Mr Herzog, a property developer from San Francisco, invented the item which features a jacket, shirt and trousers all in one piece. He says he came up with the design after feeling that traditional suits weren’t able to offer a suitable amount of comfort, particularly during long business flights. Describing the garment as ‘the lovechild of a business suit and a onesie’, Mr Herzog says the design is a ‘revolution in apparel for the modern gentleman’ adding: ‘Imagine looking professional but feeling like you're in pyjamas.’ It features fake shirt cuffs which are attached to the ends of the jacket sleeves to give the impression of a complete dress shirt worn underneath. Mr Herzog, a real estate developer from San Francisco, invented the item which features a jacket, shirt and trousers all in one piece . The Suitsy features fake shirt cuffs which are attached to the ends of the jacket sleeves to give the impression of a complete dress shirt worn underneath . The garment is fastened with a zip which is hidden behind the shirt buttons . It is fastened with a zip which is hidden behind the shirt's false buttons. ‘The idea came from sitting at my desk at work and just thinking “Wouldn’t it be nice to look professional but feel as comfortable as I am on my couch at home?"’ Herzog told Yahoo Travel. The item is not yet on sale, but Mr Herzog is appealing for donations on crowd-funding website Betabrand in order to begin production. ‘We hit our initial target: 2,400 people voted for it,’ Mr Herzog said. If enough people order the suitsy online in the next 30 days, Betabrand will produce the garment. Describing the suitsy as ‘the lovechild of a business suit and a onesie’, Mr Herzog says it is a ‘revolution in apparel for the modern gentleman’ adding: ‘Imagine looking professional but feeling like you're in pyjamas’ Mr Herzog, a property developer from San Francisco, says he came up with the design after feeling that traditional suits weren’t able to offer a suitable amount of confort, particularly during long business flights . The Suitsy is not yet on sale, but Mr Herzog is currently trying to raise money for production by offering prototypes for $283.50 (£176) The cost of the item is currently $283.50 (£176). Listing the reasons as to why he feels the garment will prove popular, Mr Herzog said it was comfy and easy to wash, noting that it doesn’t need to be pressed, and that it’s made of wrinkle-resistant fabric. He also said that it was easy to pack into a suitcase and insists that the design is so good that ‘no one will guess you’re wearing what is essentially a fancy jumpsuit’. Herzog says he considered, and rejected, adding a belt, a tie, and shoes to the Suitsy. ‘As we mature, we can’t wear sweats on planes,’ Herzog says. ‘So it helps to look professional — especially if you’re traveling for work. And this suits that purpose very well, pun intended.’ | Garment has been created by US property developer Jesse Herzog .
Mr Herzog said traditional suits weren't comfortable to work and travel in .
Item is worn like a mechanic's overalls and fastened with a hidden zip . |
fd353eb4a0edaae2da1456c382b6646321d50bde | (CNN) -- George Sodini, the man who killed three women and wounded nine others before killing himself Tuesday at a Pennsylvania fitness center, showed in his writings typical characteristics of a mass murderer, experts say. George Sodini failed at every relationship but couldn't blame himself, experts say. "What distinguishes the mass murderer who takes his own life afterwards from the person who just commits suicide is the externalization of blame," said James Alan Fox, a Northeastern University professor of criminal justice and author of six books on mass murder. "If you blame yourself for your problems, then maybe you direct your violence inwardly. If you blame other people for your failures, like Sodini did, you go after those people." Sodini's blog vents his frustration and rage at the lack of relationships and sex in his life, and he blames all women for letting him down. Although Sodini expressed intense hatred for his brother and father, "it also didn't surprise me in this case that he made some derogatory comments about his mother," said Dr. J. Reid Meloy, a forensic psychologist and clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. "A lot of times, when there's this level of hatred against women, there's also a very antagonistic relationship with the mother, but it gets shifted onto other women." Watch what Sodini reveals about himself on video » . Sodini did not target specific women who had hurt him but all women, Fox said. "He had an issue with women who were not giving him the time of day -- all these young, beautiful, attractive, healthy, fit women at the health club," Fox said. "And so he specifically chose the health club, not just some random spot, to go after the people he blamed." Mass killers feel that they have been victimized and that their actions are justified, Fox and Meloy said. "They've been victimized by someone at work, by someone in the family, by the world in general; they've been dealt a bad hand," Fox said. "And ... they feel at the very end they can stand up -- with a gun -- and restore that power imbalance. They often see the gun as the great equalizer. "This act, this final act of murder, is a way to leave this world feeling some degree of satisfaction of, in the end, being the last one to have the best and last laugh," Fox said. See a timeline of mass shootings since 2005 » . "The concept here is really, really hard for most people to grasp, and that is the sense of entitlement, that 'I have a right to murder all of these women because of my personal frustration,' " Meloy said. "It's absolutely astonishing that a person can come to that mind-set." Neither expert treated Sodini, but both noted that Sodini's act, like most mass murders, was anything but spontaneous. "His blog is a striking example of how mass murders are planned, relatively carefully planned, over the course of days, weeks or, in this case, months," Meloy said. "There's this myth that mass killers just snap and go berserk and suddenly, without warning, shoot indiscriminately," Fox said. "Well, he had been thinking about this for some time. He had originally planned to commit the mass murder in January [but] 'chickened out,' as he said. But this shows a lot of methodical planning, thinking." That hesitation, as well as his possible hesitation on the day of the killings, is unusual, Meloy said. "Typically, as these guys are doing it, they have no ambivalence," he said. "The have made the decision to maximize casualties and to also kill themselves, as he did." Often some humiliating event "starts the clock" and sets long-laid plans in motion, Meloy said, but he didn't see evidence of such an incident in the hours or days before Sodini's rampage. "These guys are very narcissistically sensitive, meaning that the kind of insult or slight that you or I would just fluff off, these guys will ruminate and think about it and do that for long periods of time," Meloy said. Sodini was not a bad-looking man; he was intelligent and had a good job, so his failure to attract women must have had something to do with his behavior, Meloy said. But Sodini couldn't see that. "He had difficult and unhappy and unsuccessful relationships with everybody," Fox said. "What he was never able to do was to see that perhaps the problem was him. Maybe there's a reason why everybody rejects him, no one wants to be close to him. Maybe it's something about his own personality. "But mass murderers don't look at things that way. If they saw themselves as being the culprit, perhaps they would just commit suicide. But no. Everyone else is to blame." | George Sodini's writings reveal typical characteristics of mass killers, experts say .
Shooter shifted blame for self-induced problems onto others .
Mass murderers feel violence is appropriate response, psychologist says .
Attack was result of meticulous planning, not a spontaneous outburst . |
fd3552ff8be352d39dfd8a8882a3ebafb8da593e | It may not have made the final cut of Hollywood's history, but a film historian says major American film studios collaborated with Nazi Germany in the lead up to the Second World War. From investing in German rearmament to editing out references to crimes being committed against Jews, studios including MGM, Paramount and 20th Century Fox failed to stand up to Hitler, Ben Urwand claims. 'I want to bring out a hidden episode in Hollywood history and an episode that has not been reported accurately,' the Harvard scholar said. Cancelled: A movie adaptation of the political novel and theater show It Can't Happen Here was dropped . Although other film historians dispute his claims, Urwand believes that Hollywood studio chiefs were happy to work with Nazi censors to change or cancel productions so that they could keep access to the German film market. From 1932, Nazi laws meant studios could have their licenses revoked if they produced films, shown in Germany or abroad, that were considered offensive to Germans. In his book, The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact with Hitler, Urwand said that Hollywood was happy to bow to Hitler's demands. 'Collaboration: it's not my . word or invention. I got it from materials from both sides. It's the . word that's regularly used to describe their relationship,' the 35-year-old told the Guardian. He added that the German head of MGM spoke of the 'satisfying . collaboration on both sides' to the press. Movie critic: Historian Ben Urwand has researched the reach of Nazi influence on Hollywood before the war . Protest: Goebbels ordered Germans to disrupt screenings of the film All Quiet on the Western Front, above . MGM also invested in German rearmament to get around currency export restrictions, the historian said. Urwand believes that filmmakers not only wanted to continue working during the build up to the war, they also thought Hitler may win the war and wanted to safeguard the future of their businesses. MGM, Paramount and . 20th-Century Fox did not leave Germany until mid-1940. But even . after Hollywood started making anti-Nazi films, it . continued to erase reference to the Jews because studio chiefs, including Jewish refugees, wanted to 'avoid special pleading on their . behalf'. Urwand said studio bosses could not claim ignorance of the atrocities being carried out against the Jews because they had been forced to fire Jewish employees. 'Hollywood is collaborating and the . Nazis are having the final say on several important movies that would . have exposed what was going on in Germany,' he said. He added: 'I wouldn't want what I write to be generalisable about Jews, but specific Jews in the movie business made decisions to work with Nazi leaders.' Urwand, whose Jewish grandparents went into hiding in the war, added: 'It was [Jack] Warner who personally ordered that the word “Jew” be removed from all dialogue in the 1937 film The Life of Emile Zola"." Censor: Propaganda minister Goebbels talks to the Hitler Youth in Berlin in 1935 . He told the New York Times Warner's studio was the first to invite Nazi officials to Los Angeles to suggest cuts. Warner was also said to have taken a cruise on Hitler's old yacht in 1945, where he discussed post-war business opportunities, Urwand claims. The historian found a letter from January 1938 in which a 20th Century Fox worker was asking Hitler about his views on films. The letter was signed 'Heil Hitler'. Studios were also visited by a Nazi consultant, who would demand edits to films seen as being anti-German. There are also instances of whole films being dropped, like the 1936 MGM movie It Can't Happen Here, which showed democracy winning over fascism. War years: MGM is one of the studios Urwand says collaborated with Nazi Germany . The film, based on Nobel laureate Sinclair Lewis's novel, was banned over 'fear of international politics' and the potential of boycotts abroad. Nazi meddling in Hollywood has been well documented, even at the time. A headline in Newsweek in 1937 read: Long Arm of Hitler Extends to Hollywood Studio. Urwand however, has looked at how much Hollywood bent to accommodate Hitler's wishes. He claims that Nazi interference in the film industry began with the release of All Quiet on the Western Front in 1930, when Joseph Goebbels told protesters to set off stink bombs and release mice in the movie theaters. Carl Laemmle, the Jewish German-American head of Universal, then agreed to cuts. Hitler was said to have enjoyed films such as Mutiny on the Bounty and The Lives of a Bengal Lancer. He also liked Mr Smith Goes to Washington, because it showed democracy in a poor light. And while he is said to have liked Laurel and Hardy, Hitler was not keen on Charlie Chaplin's portray of him in The Great Dictator, according to the Guardian. Screen test: Hitler was not amused at Charlie Chaplin's performance in The Great Dictator . However, rival historian Tom Doherty claims that U.S. commerce department files show that rather than working with the Nazis, MGM had been advised to invest in armaments to get around currency being blocked. 'I don't see sinister, greedy . monsters. I see people trying to cope with this bizarre anomaly and . negotiate in a way that made sense to them,' the author of Hollywood and HItler: 1933-1939, said. Others have highlighted how the same studio heads who complied with Nazi censorship also paid for a spy ring. 'The moguls who have been castigated for . putting business ahead of Jewish identity and loyalty were in fact . working behind the scenes to help Jews,' Steven Ross, of the University of Southern California, said. | Ben Urwand says film industry failed to stand up to censorship .
MGM invested in German rearmament to get around export restrictions .
Movies could have exposed atrocities, Harvard scholar believes . |
fd365a17e5aa7c78cc5e9a81c135d4b4947c942e | A couple whose £200,000 yacht sank in an Atlantic storm have spoken for the first time about their dramatic rescue from the raging seas. Lisa and Len Rorke described the terrifying moment they leapt for their lives as huge waves threatened to wash them away. Back on dry land, they now face financial ruin after revealing that the vessel was not fully insured for their ill-fated ocean crossing. Leonard and Lisa Rorke, pictured, with Dexter their dog on dry land after their dramatic rescue 900 miles off Bermuda in the Atlantic . Former primary school teacher Mrs Rorke, 49, said: ‘We really are up the creek without a paddle.’ She added: ‘We are so grateful to be alive, but we have lost everything. The yacht was our home and now it is gone.’ The trip was supposed to have been the start of a new life for the Rorkes, who were planning to sail around the world with their Jack Russell terrier Dexter. The pair, married for seven years, said they had no fears about crossing the Atlantic when they set out on April 12 along with crew hand Arieh Worthalter. But their dream trip almost came to a terrifying end when their 50ft yacht the Blue Pearl sank about 900 miles from Bermuda. Lisa and Len Rorke's dream trip almost came to a terrifying end when their 50ft yacht the Blue Pearl sank about 900 miles from Bermuda . The three ship wrecked passengers Leonard and Lisa Rorke and Arieh Worthalter were eventually rescued when US coast guards picked up their distress call. The British-registered tanker Tilda Kosan, pictured, carrying a cargo of propane gas to Mexico, reached them two hours later. The pair, from Oundle, Northampton, were nine days into a 3,000-mile journey between the Turks and Caicos islands and the south of France when conditions turned treacherous. After the seven-year-old boat was battered for two days by 30ft waves, the trio and the dog were forced to leap into a life-raft. ‘I knew we were in trouble when I saw Dexter’s dog bed go floating by,’ said Mrs Rorke, who taught children for 27 years. ‘He looked at it as well and you could see he knew something was up,’ As the water flooded in, she grabbed food, water and survival gear, leaving jewellery and other mementoes behind. ‘That was our life, our home and here it was going down. Everything we owned was on the boat and we were losing it,’ she said. Lisa Rorke says an emotional goodbye to the crew on board the Tilda Kosan, the vessel that came to their rescue after their ship sank in the Atlantic . With the boat almost submerged, Mrs Rorke – who is just 5ft 2in tall – mistimed her jump as she leapt into the wildly tossing life-raft. She ended up partially in the water before she was hauled out by 29-year-old Belgian Mr Worthalter. They then activated a radio beacon to pinpoint their position, as the craft was tossed around on the raging sea. ‘It was like being in a washing machine’, said Mr Rorke. Eventually US coast guards picked up their distress call and the British-registered tanker Tilda Kosan, carrying a cargo of propane gas to Mexico, reached them two hours later. The 351ft ship was pitching so violently that its captain Nino Dionisio feared the group would be sucked underwater before they leapt on to steps dangling down from the deck. After disembarking from the Tilda Kosan, an emotional Leonard and Lisa Rorke head for dry land in Bermuda . Mr Rorke said they were insistent that three-year-old Dexter was also rescued. ‘If he had gone in the water I would have gone in after him,’ said the South African-born former detective. The group were dropped off in Bermuda on Monday, where Mrs Rorke said an emotional farewell to the 13 Filipino crew, wearing the blue boiler suit that each had signed under the words, ‘It was an event we will never forget’. She is now hoping to be reunited in the UK with her daughters Cara, 21, and Zoe, 19. But the couple must now face the fact that they have no full cover. As they had only owned the boat for seven months, maritime insurers would only offer a third party premium – which does not cover a sinking. | Couple face financial ruin after revealing yacht that sank was not insured .
Len and Lisa Rorke describe terrifying moment they leapt for safety in raging Atlantic .
Pair and crew hand were rescued by British registered gas tanker 900 miles off Bermuda . |
fd366e9c7b35df2404248cca1c5c344e38b0d7c1 | By . Margot Peppers . PUBLISHED: . 17:38 EST, 19 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:03 EST, 19 December 2013 . The Rich Kids of Instagram have already inspired an upcoming reality show, and now they're set to be immortalized as characters in a published novel. According to the Rich Kids of Instagram Tumblr page, author Maya Sloan has penned a 'dishy and hilarious tale about the intersecting lives of the world's most extravagant, unapologetically uber-rich teenagers'. The book, which can be pre-ordered on Barnesandnoble.com for $18.50, is set to be published in July 2014. Novel idea: According to the Rich Kids of Instagram Tumblr page, author Maya Sloan has penned a 'dishy and hilarious tale' about the 'uber-rich teenagers' on the popular voyeuristic blog . Lifestyle: The book will follow the lives of teens who are 'not your typical well-to-do brats' According to a description of the novel, it follows the lives of teens who are 'not your typical well-to-do brats. 'These "kids" drive Ferraris, fly to their weekend getaways in private jets, and post self-indulgent photos of themselves online as frequently - and as wantonly - as they blow wads of cash,' it reads. Splash in the ocean: A 'rich kid' speeds down an inflatable slide into the sea off a suitably luxurious boat . Jet set: 'These "kids" drive Ferraris, fly to their weekend getaways in private jets, and post self-indulgent photos of themselves online,' reads a description of the book . Bragging rights: The popular blog attracts around 850,000 visitors a month, and has been the inspiration for an E! TV series that is apparently in the works . Buy it: The book, which can be pre-ordered on Barnesandnoble.com for $18.50, will be published in July 2014 . 'Not to mention that they're more involved in sex, drugs, and power plays than most people twice their age.' Rich . Kids of Instagram is a compilation of photos taken from the Instagram . feeds of wealthy youngsters, showing them relaxing on beaches, driving . in luxury sports cars and cradling huge bottles of champagne. The popular blog attracts around 850,000 visitors a month, and has been the inspiration for an E! TV series that is apparently in the works. The high life: Lazy days by the pool in the summer sun is a key perk to a big bank balance . Opulent bath: This snap was captioned: 'Dom and Moet bottles in the bath. AMEX gold too' Flying in style: Many of the Rich Kids proudly share snaps of their private jets . Home at last: This user described the seen as 'Sunday BBQ', even though there is no food in sight . Rather than focus on the real-life . teens and twenty-somethings featured on the blog, the novel will be a . fictional interpretation of their extravagant lives. 'Rich Kids of Instagram revolves around a core group of spoiled young people,' reads the description. 'From a Southern Belle poultry-empire heiress to a media mogul's driven daughter and an old-money rifle heir with a Mayflower legacy; to a nouveau riche outsider who is thrust into the members-only universe of the .1per cent, with scandalous results.' | The novel by author Maya Sloan is set to be published in July 2014 . |
fd368f738ad319808150a9996d107d3965a4662d | Worthington allegedly asked police if they were familiar with 'that movie Avatar?' after his arrest . Aussie actor slapped with a desk ticket and released . By . Jade Watkins . PUBLISHED: . 17:13 EST, 24 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 22:57 EST, 24 February 2014 . The photographer accused of kicking Lara Bingle during a scuffle outside a New York bar on Sunday claims that the model attacked him first. Paparazzo Sheng Li's defence lawyer Ron Kuby says the 26-year-old lashed out at his client when he tried to take her picture, according to news.com.au. Speaking in Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday during Li's arraignment, Kuby said that Worthington then approached his client and punched him in the face four times. 'She attacked me': The photographer accused of 'kicking' Lara Bingle says model sparked scuffle and reveals that her partner Sam Worthington punched him in the face four times . 'Ms. Bingle was the one that attacked him,' Kuby said. 'She claims that Mr. Li was following her for four hours and then runs up and kicks her in the shins. In what world does that make any sense?' 'He was on the job taking pictures and Ms. Bingle got upset and ran half way up the block and attacked him. 'Her large famous boyfriend ran up and punched him four times in the face and Worthington doesn’t even get charged.' Relocation: Sam and Lara are currently staying in New York for what is thought to be a long period of time . Meanwhile, court papers state that Li allegedly tried to purposely trip the model up in an effort to get her picture. 'The defendant followed her on a public street for approximately four hours, kept getting in her way as she was walking down the street and was trying to trip her, which caused her to fear for her safety,' they state. The incident, which saw both Worthington and Li arrested, occurred outside the Cubbyhole bar in the West Village. Serious: The couple have been dating since last year but there have been rumours that they married in secret earlier this year . Speaking out: Lara posted this quote from Amy Poehler on her Instagram page on Tuesday . During the scuffle, Sam was said to have referred to Bingle as his 'wife', yelling at the photographer, 'you kicked my wife.' However, a friend of Lara's told the MailOnline on Monday: ‘He would have been speaking figuratively. They are definitely not married, as far as I know.’ Several reports earlier this year suggested that the couple had secretly married in Western Australia ahead of a romantic trip to the Maldives. Protective: The photographer claims that Worthington punched him four times in the face . They have since been seen wearing matching rings on their wedding fingers. Before Worthington was taken away in a police car following his arrest on Sunday it is said that the actor asked officers if they knew 'that movie Avatar?' New York Police Department Lieutenant John Grimpel confirmed Worthington's arrest on Sunday, New York time. He told the Daily Telegraph: 'It happened at 5.30pm this evening. 'The photographer kicked Lara and then Worthington punched him causing the photographer to have lacerations to his nose. So in love: Sam and Lara have been virtually inseparable since they began dating last year . 'He has been charged with assault. He punched the photographer.' Worthington was later issued a desk ticket and released, while Li was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and harassment. MailOnline have contacted both Bingle's and Worthington's spokespeople for a comment. This is Worthington’s second run-in with a photographer - he was arrested and pepper sprayed in Atlanta in 2012, following an argument outside of a restaurant. Several people who witnessed the attack on Sunday (New York time) took to Twitter to describe the scene. 'Pretty sure I just saw Sam Worthington getting arrested in Greenwich Village. Definitely in a cop car. Ok. #nyc #samworthington @OmiScott,' wrote @MiriamEliseMP. Sharing the love: Lara posted this snap of the pair together on Valentine's Day . 'Just saw Sam worthington and Sara (sic) bingle get in physical fight with paparazzi outside cubby hole... Cops just got here,' tweeted @harrisonjobe. Meanwhile, @eemmmmaa wrote: 'Just saw Sam Worthington get arrested. Hashtag New York moment.' The Cubbyhole, is a popular gay bar located in the West Village of Manhattan. Worthington and his Australian model girlfriend have been in New York since the beginning of Fashion Week where they attended a number of shows together. They were photographed strolling hand-in-hand through the city on Friday looking very much in love with the pretty blonde smiling widely as she paused to gaze into her Avatar beau’s eyes. Lara last week told social media followers that she hopes to relocate to the Big Apple permanently saying she was in NYC and 'here to stay!' Don't you know who I am? Following his arrest, Sam was said to have asked police officers if they knew 'that movie Avatar?' A spokesperson later confirmed to MailOnline that she is looking to spend more time there. Last month the Cotton On Body designer told Woman's Day magazine that she wasn't happy living in Australia because she and Worthington 'don't get any peace'. 'Sydney's my home but I don't like it,' she said. 'I can't even go to the supermarket without getting papped (snapped by paparazzi). I don't like the attention.' | Worthington allegedly asked police if they were familiar with 'that movie Avatar?' after his arrest .
Aussie actor slapped with a desk ticket and released . |
fd36a3b4edaba08de69309fc237959aa6a57ad87 | Jailed: Conman John Boy Hamer, 40 targeted the elderly by knocking on their doors claiming they were missing tiles on their roofs . A builder who duped pensioners out of hundreds of pounds for repair work he never carried out was caught after one of his victims spotted him - enjoying a game of bingo. Conman John Boy Hamer, 40, of Talke, Staffordshire, targeted elderly people, some in their 90s, by knocking on their doors claiming they were missing tiles from their roofs. Between December 2012 and June 2013 he accepted £580 up front for the repair work but then disappeared. Police issued an arrest warrant after his victims reported his scam and he was finally caught when an 85-year-old man, whom he had conned, saw him at his local bingo club. Yesterday Hamer was jailed for five years after conspiracy to commit fraud, theft, fraud, four breaches of an anti-social behaviour order and failing to surrender to bail. Sentencing him at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, Judge Paul Glenn told him: 'Your victims were highly vulnerable. 'Your convictions illustrate on a quite regular basis that you target the elderly and vulnerable.' The court head police captured Hamer after he bumped into one of his victims at a Hanley bingo hall in Stoke-on-Trent. Officers tracked him down through his bingo membership details after the OAP recognised him at Gala Bingo. Two weeks earlier he had paid him £230 for repairs to his roof - only for Hamer to take the money and never carry out the work. Prosecutor Fiona Cortese said: 'The 85-year-old man recognised Hamer as the defendant banged past him, knocking into a female. 'The defendant was traced through his bingo membership details. 'Hamer had visited his home after claiming he had bought the property next door. 'He said roof slates were dislodged, agreed the £230 fee for the work, and then went with him to a cash machine. 'The defendant took the money and put it in his pocket. The defendant said he was going to get some tools to start the work. He left and did not return. 'The victim was very disappointed to have been taken for a fool.' Gamble: Officers tracked him down through his bingo membership details after the OAP recognised him at Gala Bingo in Hanley, Stoke . The court heard an 87-year-old woman who paid Hamer £100 for roof repairs only for him to disappear when he asked her to fetch a pen. He also tried to con a 90-year-old man but he refused to pay £35 for repairs to three tiles. Police arrested Hamer at his home in 2013. Officers seized £120, his Gala Bingo membership and several mobile phones which put him in the areas at the times the offences were committed. Joanne Wallbanks, defending, said: 'He would like the victims to know that he is extremely sorry.' Hamer was also handed a three-year driving ban because he used vehicles to commit the offences. Trading standards officials have now urged residents to make sure they get at least two quotes before having work carried out to their homes. Trading standards leader Gill Heath said: 'We strongly advise people to never go along with suggestions from doorstep traders about home improvement work or repairs. 'Residents should obtain quotes from at least one reputable trader if work is needed. 'People should politely refuse if a doorstep trader says work should be done and call the police if they feel threatened.' | John Boy Hamer scammed money from elderly residents and disappeared .
He claimed their roofs needed fixing and then took their deposits .
Police captured Hamer whe victim spotted him playing a game of bingo . |
fd36cff663ef22deee919f239f26ca1af2843084 | (CNN) -- A multiagency search is under way for the killers of two U.S. citizens in northern Mexico, according to Chihuahua state officials. A girl stands at the coffin of Mormon church leader Benjamin LeBaron in Chihuahua State. Benjamin LeBaron, 32, and his brother-in-law, Luis Widmar, in his mid-30s, were beaten and shot to death after armed men stormed into their home in Galeana on Tuesday morning. The killers have yet to be identified, but the case seems to be connected to local drug lords, said Arturo Sandoval, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general's office. Sandoval said a note was found on LeBaron's body, but he could not confirm the contents. Local media reported that the note indicated the slayings were in retribution for the capture of 25 drug suspects in a nearby town. LeBaron's younger brother, Eric, was kidnapped in May and returned unharmed after a week. The incident prompted LeBaron to become a nationally recognized anti-crime activist who moved the local community to take a stand. "There are no leaders here, or we are all leaders," LeBaron's brother, Julian LeBaron, told CNN television affiliate KINT in El Paso, Texas. "If they kill my brother another three will take his place, and if they kill us, another hundred will take their place. We are not giving up. No way." The LeBaron brothers belonged to the "Community of LeBaron" in the Municipality of Galeana, a township founded by ex-communicated Mormons. | Benjamin LeBaron and his brother-in-law are shot dead in their home .
The killers have yet to be identified, but the case seems tied to local drug lords .
Local media: Slayings retribution for capture of drug suspects in town nearby .
LeBaron was a nationally recognized anti-crime activist . |
fd36d4f599a06aa99a8a4b1d8cebefca0dd71ce3 | (CNN) -- The Arctic as we know it may soon be a thing of the past. Musk ox in the Arctic check the spread of shrubs to the High Arctic, but promote grass growth. That's the message from Eric Post, lead scientist of a new report into the effects of climate change on life in the Arctic. Published in "Science" magazine, Post and his team of international scientist conducted the study during the fourth International Polar Year that ended in 2008. "It seems no matter where you look -- on the ground, in the air, or in the water -- we're seeing signs of rapid change," said Post in a press statement. The report found that flora and fauna of the Arctic are responding in various ways to the region's changes in climate over the last 150 years, and more recently the 20 to 30 years where seasonal minimal sea ice coverage has declined by 45,000 square kilometers per year. With the decline in sea ice and snow, animals usually seen at lower latitudes are being found in more northerly regions, including red foxes that have been displacing native Arctic foxes. View the gallery of Arctic life affected by climate change » . The report found that some native Arctic species have also benefited from climate change, including wild reindeer on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. With less snow cover and a longer growing season, these non-migratory reindeer have taken advantage of the increased plant abundance, with the result that reindeer populations and their ability to reproduce are up, while mortality is down. But other animals are not adapting well to rising temperatures and the effect on delicate ecosystems. Migratory caribou in low Arctic Greenland and elsewhere are declining in number as they have not been able to keep their calving season in synch with changes in plant growth. With the decline in caribou comes a knock-on effect to native Inuit hunters, according to the report's authors. Hotter summers could result in more insects and parasites that prey on the caribou, which could then also reduce the annual caribou harvest by local indigenous peoples. "Inuit hunters at my study site in Greenland have all but given up on hunting caribou there. What will be the next component to disappear from their traditional lifestyle, a lifestyle that has worked for thousands of years?" said Post. Iconic Arctic animals dependent sea ice, including Pacific walrus, ringed seal, hooded seal, ivory gull, narwhal and polar bear, are faring especially badly, said the report. The researchers found that polar bears and ringed seals, both of which give birth in lairs or caves under the snow, lose many newborn pups when the lairs collapse in unusually early spring rains. These species may be headed for extinction, said the report. | New study on Arctic changing temperatures finds dramatic changes to region .
Conducted during Fourth International Polar Year that ended in 2008 .
Some animals and plant life benefiting from rising temperatures .
Dramatic decline in sea ice threatening iconic species like polar bear . |
fd36deefafcdaf2839e9027557498cea8ba862b8 | (CNN) -- Slow-moving Tropical Storm Isaac continues to drench the central Gulf Coast region. Heading into Thursday, thousands of people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were under states of emergency. Get the latest Isaac updates on CNN.com's live blog . A summary of the latest situations in each state: . Louisiana . -- New Orleans on Wednesday declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew. -- Tulane University has canceled classes for the rest of the week and will resume on Tuesday after Labor Day, according to the university's website. -- Louisiana State University, in Baton Rouge, will be closed through Thursday, the school said on its website. -- Entergy officials said they are taking one of their nuclear power plants west of New Orleans offline. -- State government offices were closed Wednesday and will remain closed Thursday. -- New Orleans City Hall will reopen next Tuesday. -- The U.S. Geological Survey said that the Mississippi River flowed backward for nearly 24 hours on Tuesday. -- The new $165 million Seabrook Floodgate at the north end of the Industrial Canal was closed for the first time for a storm event. -- Fifty-six parishes have issued emergency declarations. -- Seven parishes announced mandatory evacuations in their jurisdictions. -- Plaquemines Parish officials issued a curfew until sunrise Wednesday. -- The Department of Corrections has moved prisoners from coastal parishes to state prison facilities. Open Story: Isaac makes landfall . -- Bus and street car service in New Orleans, and Amtrak and Greyhound service to and from the city have been shut down. -- President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency, and federal aid is on the way. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency is in charge of recovery operations, and more than 5,000 National Guard troops have been activated. -- The Louisiana National Guard has deployed 48 boat teams and 13 communications teams. -- New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu did not issue an evacuation order but called for people outside the city's protective levees to leave. -- The city's pump stations have backup generators ready in case of electrical outages. -- Crews have been evacuated from oil production platforms and drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. -- The Coast Guard has closed the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico and will not respond to water emergencies until after the storm passes. -- Cargo terminals within the Port of New Orleans have ceased operations. -- The Texas A&M-Louisiana Tech football game, originally scheduled for Thursday in Shreveport, has been postponed until October 13. -- The New Orleans Saints football team moved its practices to Cincinnati. -- Gov. Bobby Jindal is skipping the GOP convention in Tampa, Florida, because of the storm. Florida . -- Coast Guard air crews were searching for a missing person who had been using a personal watercraft off the coast of Pensacola. -- Isaac caused minor damage as it skirted South Florida. -- Thirty members of the Florida National Guard were activated, the governor's office said. -- Aircraft at six military bases were relocated, the Defense Department said. Mississippi . -- All low-lying areas in Hancock County are flooding, according to local emergency management officials . -- There is "quite a bit of flooding" in Pass Christian, Harrison County emergency management said. -- There are more than 49,000 customers without power, according to utility companies. -- More than 2,100 people are in shelters in the state. -- Truckloads of water, generators and food were staged and ready for distribution. -- Two gas station owners were arrested for price gouging. The attorney general's office said it has received almost 160 calls related to gas price complaints. -- The president declared a state of emergency for southern Mississippi and ordered federal aid. -- Residents can call 211 for information on shelters, assistance and transportation. -- Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in parts of Hancock and Jackson counties. -- Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport has closed. -- A hurricane warning is in effect for the entire coast. -- About 1,500 National Guard troops have been deployed. -- Gulfport authorities ordered the port cleared of cargo vessels. -- More than 80,000 sandbags had been distributed. -- The Department of Environmental Quality asked residents to report any sightings of oil or oily material to 1-800-424-8802. Alabama . -- Some 3,000 customers were without power, according to Alabama Power. -- A tropical storm warning is in effect for the entire coast. -- Authorities are warning of strong winds, high water and storm surges. -- Gov. Robert Bentley ordered an evacuation of parts of Baldwin and Mobile counties. -- Residents in low-lying or flood-prone areas are urged to leave voluntarily. -- Mobile's airport reopened Wednesday afternoon. Share your videos and images of Isaac . | Louisiana: 56 parishes under state of emergency .
Florida: People are ordered to evacuate parts of downtown Pensacola .
Mississippi: There are reports of flooding in Hancock and Harrison counties .
Alabama: Authorities warm of strong winds, high water and storm surges . |
fd373c9fd17373a169d8417d70b5e0e042609831 | By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 07:33 EST, 4 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:43 EST, 4 January 2013 . A sexy blackjack dealer who helped bring down married Congressman Anthony Weiner when she revealed they had a nine-month 'sexting' relationship has apologised on his Facebook page for exposing him, it emerged today. Las Vegas croupier Lisa Weiss left a message below a picture of Weiner with his wife Huma Abedin and young child saying she was sorry for causing his family family pain. Weiner had been married for less than a month when he started flirting heavily with the casino worker in August 2010 in a relationship that saw him send her more than 220 sexy texts and Facebook messages. 'Sorry for any pain I caused you': Las Vegas Croupier Lisa Weiss (left) has apologised to ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner (right) for exposing his lewd sex messages in a scandal that forced him from office in 2011 . Regret: Miss Weiss left a message below a picture of Weiner with his wife Huma Abedin and young child saying she was sorry for causing his family family pain . In June 2011, Miss Weiss, 42, agreed to go public and become the first woman named of six who the Republican admitted to sending lewd messages and photos in a scandal that forced him from office. Writing on his Facebook page, Miss Weiss said: 'So great to see you back! Your wife and son are beautiful! 'Please let me apologize again for any pain I caused your (sic) or the beautiful Huma... it was unintentional... I still think you are our liberal hero and we need you back in politics!!' A picture of the Facebook page was posted on www.buzzfeed.com today. In an explosive interview with RadarOnline that contributed to Weiner's downfall, Miss Weiss revealed a sexually charged Facebook conversation in which he discussed his 'package' with the croupier, who invited him to Las Vegas for a sexual encounter. Weiner started by saying: 'Ridiculous bulge in my shorts now. wanna see?' Explicit: In an explosive interview that contributed to Weiner's downfall, Miss Weiss revealed this lewd Facebook conversation in which he makes grotesque references to his genitals . Disgraced: Weiner resigned on June 16, 2011, after pressure from his own party . To which, she replied: 'Yea! can u send a pic?' He then said he would 'take a quick pic,' before adding: 'It wont go away. and now im taking pics of it. making me harder still.' At one point Weiner even asked whether his social networking pen pal gave 'good' oral sex. On March 16, he wrote: 'You give good head? She responded:'I’ve been told really good...and i love doing it.' Weiner replied: 'wow a jewish girl who sucks (bleep)! this thing is ready to do damage.' Miss Weiss, a former Democratic Party . worker, said she had attempted to contact Weiner in the wake of the . infamous 'crotch shot' picture on Twitter. The scandal broke after Weiner sent a link with a photo of his crotch to a 21-year-old college student in Washington state, but it inadvertently appeared briefly on his public Twitter profile. Accusations: Other women, including porn star Ginger Lynn (pictured), later emerged to say they had exchanged sexual messages with Weiner . He initially denied that he had sent the message and said his account had been hacked. However, five days later, when more pictures and a second woman emerged, he admitted to sending inappropriate messages to women before and after his marriage to Ms Abedin, who was pregnant when the scandal broke. Miss Weiss said at the time: 'I wanted him to know that I had no intention of coming forward and our past was going to be kept hush hush. 'But he was a dog and didn’t return my messages. I discovered that Anthony is a bad man.' Other women, including porn star Ginger Lynn, emerged to say they had exchanged sexual messages with Weiner. On June 16, 2011, after pressure from his own party, Weiner resigned from Congress. Last month, Weiner returned to Twitter for the first time since the scandal when he sent a message just hours after Barack Obama's re-election was confirmed. The former U.S. representative from New York sent out a link to a video appeal on behalf of the Rockaways, the coastal region of Queens which is part of his old congressional district. The YouTube clip features footage of the devastation wrought on the area by Superstorm Sandy. While the timing was obviously determined above all by Sandy, the fact that it came at the very start of the new political cycle may be no coincidence. The next big election in New York will be next autumn's race for mayor of New York City - a position which Weiner was widely expected to seek before his resignation. | Lisa Weiss writes: 'Great to see you back! Your wife and son are beautiful!'
Weiss went public about their 'sexting' relationship while he was married .
Other women also claimed he sent them crude messages and pictures .
Weiner was forced to resign in June 2011 after pressure from his own party . |
fd37841250c59d314c7d1282b88d795e59c1f030 | By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 18:55 EST, 1 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:55 EST, 1 February 2014 . Shot: Derrick Moye was shot chasing down a thief who stole his girlfriend's purse, he is expected to survive the attack . A second person in as many weeks has been shot by purse snatching . thieves in Philadelphia. Derrick Moye, 24, was shot in the chest Friday while chasing down a thief who . stole his 23-year-old girlfriend’s purse as they left his North Philadelphia . apartment just before midnight. Two suspects are in custody, he is expected to . survive. A 26-year-old woman was shot to death while walking with her . mother last week when she struggled with a thief trying to snatch her purse, . police have yet to link the two incidents. Rasheed Hall, 26, and Clinton Brown, 20, were arrested shortly . after the latest incident in which police said Mr Moye was shot trying to . retrieve his girlfriend’s purse while running after Mr Brown. The girlfriend, who has not been identified, told Fox 29 about the . terrifying encounter. ‘He just grabbed it and took my . money out and dropped my bag,’ she said, . adding the thief made off with $300. Mr Hall then jumped out from behind a building about a block away . and shot Mr Moye as he gave chase, police said. ‘He shot him, jumped out of nowhere,’ she recalled adding ‘I was thinking about death. I was shocked, I didn't know . what to do.’ The scene: Police say the heroic boyfriend was shot by Rasheed Hall after Clinton Brown stole the purse . Searching for clues: Investigators picked the scene for clues well into the early morning, cops snagged the two suspects 30 minutes after shooting only a few blocks away . Police found the two men, along with a third person, nearby about . 30 minutes later, according to reports. Both suspects were charged with aggravated assault, robbery, theft . and other charges, records showed. Investigators are now looking into whether the incident is related . to a shooting last week that killed Amber Long. Ms Long was walking through the Northern Liberties neighborhood with . her mother when two thieves accosted them, one stealing the mother’s purse and . another trying to take hers. Amber Long (right) was shot dead in front of mother Stephanie Long (left) by street robber after she would 'not let go' of purse worth just $14 . The young woman was shot dead while trying to fight the mugger . off, police have yet to find any suspects. ‘On the surface, they . look very similar,’ police lieutenant George McClay told Fox 29.’Could we get . lucky? I hope so. That was a terrible crime. I'm hoping we can correlate the . crimes together, but we're nowhere close to that yet.’ Attempts by MailOnline to reach a police spokesperson were not successful. Mr Moye appears to have been more . fortunate than Ms Long, authorities say he is improving and expected to make a . full recovery. ‘He came to my rescue,’ said his . girlfriend. ‘I'm real grateful for that.’ | David Moye, 24, was shot in the chest by Rasheed Hall while running after Clinton Brown, police said .
Mr Brown is alleged to have stolen Mr Moye's girlfriend's purse, causing him to give chase until the shooting .
Both suspects were collared 30 minutes after the incident and face a litany of charges, Mr Moye is expected to make a full recovery .
Amber Long, 26, was shot dead while trying to fight off a purse snatcher, police have not said if the two shootings are related . |
fd38a96deeefc9b4a8dc2bb5cd828ee3907752b7 | Six months after she was freed from the "house of horrors" where Ariel Castro held her captive for 11 years, Cleveland kidnapping victim Michelle Knight is speaking out. In an exclusive interview with Dr. Phil McGraw scheduled to air Tuesday and Wednesday, Knight describes a moment when Castro trapped her in a room and tied her up with an orange extension cord. "I was tied up like a fish," she said, "an ornament on the wall." An excerpt released by the "Dr. Phil" syndicated talk show Monday shows Knight sitting cross-legged on a couch and drawing a U-shape in the air with one finger as she describes how Castro hung her by her feet, neck and arms. Knight also says Castro taped her mouth shut with duct tape, according to another excerpt posted on the show's YouTube channel. And she tells McGraw she once picked a lock to try to escape, drawing an ominous warning from Castro: "Now you're gonna be punished." Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were freed from Castro's Cleveland home in May, drawing national attention to the horrific case. The dramatic rescue came after neighbors heard Berry's cries and broke down a door. "It's astounding to me that she had the strength that she did," McGraw told "Anderson Cooper 360." "She says that she was referred to as the unbreakable one. She fought him every step of the way." McGraw said Knight was chained around the neck and waist with a motorcycle helmet on her head. She was left there for days at a time, Mcgraw said, adding that Knight told him she couldn't lie down because the chain was too short. So she would just lean and wait until she passed out from fatigue. Knight told McGraw, though, that she didn't always fight back, at least not at first. She said she was in shock after being taken and all she could do was cry and beg him to let her go back to her son. He threw money at her. "He was obsessed with prostitutes and also he thought I was a 13-year-old prostitute," she said in the interview. "When he found out my real age he got mad." Knight, 32, was 21 years old when she was reported missing in 2002. In August, Castro was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,000 years after he pleaded guilty to 937 counts, including murder and kidnapping. He committed suicide in his prison cell in September. Before the women's rescue, Knight's disappearance generated less publicity and attention than the kidnappings of Berry and DeJesus, and a level of mystery still surrounds her case. But since their rescue, Knight hasn't shied away from speaking out. "After 11 years, I am finally being heard, and it's liberating," she said in a powerful statement at Castro's sentencing describing the abuse she endured. "You took 11 years of my life away, and I have got it back. I spent 11 years in hell, and now your hell is just beginning," she told Castro. "I will overcome all this that happened, but you will face hell for eternity." When crews demolished the 1,400-square-foot house where Castro held them captive, Knight was there, handing out yellow balloons to onlookers. She said she was at the demolition site in part to remind relatives of abducted children that all is not necessarily lost. "I want the people out there to know -- including the mothers -- that they can have strength, they can have hope, and their child will come back," she said. Since their release, accounts have depicted Knight as someone who cared for the other victims during their captivity while also enduring great suffering herself. A family friend of one of the victims said this year that Castro used Knight as his main "punching bag." The friend said Castro hit Knight with a variety of objects, including hand weights. She has suffered vision loss, joint and muscle damage, and other problems from her time in captivity. According to an initial incident report obtained by CNN, Knight said she became pregnant at least five times while in Castro's home. When that happened, she told investigators, Castro "starved her for at least two weeks, then he repeatedly punched her in the stomach until she miscarried." Knight said Castro ordered her to deliver Berry's child, according to a police source familiar with the investigation. "What's most incredible here is that this girl who knows nothing about childbirth was able to deliver a baby that is now a healthy 6-year-old," a police source said. | Michelle Knight says Ariel Castro thought she was a 13-year-old prostitute .
Cleveland kidnapping victim says she was tied up like "an ornament on the wall"
Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were kidnapped and raped by Castro .
Castro committed suicide in his prison cell in September . |
fd38ee133a7b039d1eeace3f3b32604b7dcb8a02 | Newcastle have made provisions for Papiss Cisse and Cheick Tiote returning from international duty in Africa in light of the Ebola outbreak. Cisse and Tiote have been representing Ivory Coast and Senegal respectively during Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers this week. And with the deadly virus having killed more than 4,000 people in West Africa, United manager Alan Pardew says precautions have been taken for their players. Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote has been playing in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for the Ivory Coast . Papiss Cisse (R) is another player returning from Africa who will be monitored by Newcastle's medical staff . Manager Alan Pardew says the club would be naive not to take precautions following the Ebola outbreak . ‘We'd be naive not to have concerns,’ he said. ‘We have a strategy for when they return and making sure they and their families are taken care of. ‘They're essential to us and our doctor has looked into the problems that might arise and also protection for them and to make sure we do our very best to help them.’ There has been a suggestion that January’s finals in Morocco could be postponed should the virus not be contained. Pardew runs his players through their paces ahead of Newcastle's Premier League clash with Leicester . New signing Remy Cabella (C) runs with the ball as the team prepares to return after the international break . Moussa Sissoko (C) laughs with Assistant Manager John Carver (2L) during the training session . And Pardew added: ‘That's something that will play out as we go along. That kind of decision is a big, big one and I'm sure the countries will make that rather than club managers. ‘It's something to be concerned about and we have to be on our guard.’ Tiote was part of the Ivory Coast side which won 2-1 away to DR Congo on Saturday before losing 4-3 against the same opponents on Wednesday. Cisse, meanwhile, drew 0-0 with Tunisia in Dakar before losing 1-0 in the return fixture. Holland keeper Tim Krul makes a save with his feet as Newcastle players practice shooting . Sissoko (R) intercepts the ball from Facundo Ferreyra (L) during the practice session . And Pardew, whose side remain in the bottom three and face Leicester on Saturday, went on: ‘The two boys who travelled to Africa are not back yet but reports are that they're both well. ‘We're pleased about that, particularly for Cheick who had a tough game and Ivory Coast were down to 10 men for most of the second half. ‘We'll have be careful with him. It'll just be a warm down for him. Tactically it's difficult for all the managers but we'll try and cram in as much as we can on Friday before the game. ‘Of course it's a worry when you've got players such a long way away, you're just looking at your phone hoping no messages come thorough that are negative. We've been lucky this time around.’ VIDEO Newcastle players must react - Shearer . | Ebola virus outbreak has killed thousands in West Africa so far .
Cheick Tiote and Papiss Cisse have been playing for Ivory Coast and Senegal respectively in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers this week .
Newcastle have taken medical precautions over their return in light of the outbreak of deadly virus Ebola .
Alan Pardew's Magpies face Leicester on Saturday in a bid to escape the Premier League relegation zone . |
fd39f25fee8ed4118da3f71cbf2b59f8fa394030 | By . Lizzie Parry . PUBLISHED: . 05:02 EST, 26 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:55 EST, 26 October 2013 . A new father was forced to deliver his baby son at home when his partner woke to discover she had gone into labour in her sleep. Sarah Pearson woke at the couple's home in Barnsley on October 13, telling partner Graeme Smith she 'felt something weird'. But by the time the 25-year-old realised what was happening baby Charlie was ready to make his appearance in the world. Surprise arrival: Sarah Pearson woke up to find she was in the final stages of labour leaving partner Graeme Smith to deliver their new son Charlie at the couple's home . The couple had visited Barnsley Hospital just hours earlier when Sarah's waters broke. But midwives, having checked her over, told them to return in 24 hours. In anticipation of the arrival of their firstborn, the couple headed home to get some sleep. But their nap was cut short when Sarah, an art student, woke to find she was already in labour and her baby's head was crowning. False alarm: Miss Pearson and Mr Smith went to Barnsley Hospital the day before Charlie arrived, after Miss Pearson's waters broke. Midwives told the couple to return in 24 hours . Checking to see what the 'wierd feeling' Sarah was experiencing was, Mr Smith, 22, discovered he could see his son's head. The DJ said: 'We had a couple of hours sleep and . then Sarah woke me saying "what's that? It feels weird" and when I . looked there was a head sticking out. 'I . phoned the midwife who told us to ring for an ambulance and while we . were waiting a woman on the phone was talking me through everything, . what to do and to get towels and things. 'She was saying "are you sure it's a head?". I said yes I'm sure, it's got hair on it. 'We . kept wondering where the ambulance was and the woman on the phone said . we had plenty of time and they would be here soon. The next thing we . knew Charlie was out.' When paramedics arrived they found little Charlie, who weighed 6lbs 15oz, curled up in his mother's arms. Mr Smith said praised Miss Pearson for her bravery in giving birth without any pain relief. He said despite his initial fears, the birth which took about half-an-hour, went well. He said: 'I was a little bit scared . but your instincts kick in, I didn't actually do a lot, Sarah did all . the work I just cleaned him up when he came out made sure the cord was . okay. 'Sarah did really well and I'm very proud of her for doing it without pain relief or anything like that.' | Sarah Pearson woke in the final stages of labour telling boyfriend Graeme Smith she 'felt something weird'
The couple had visited hospital after her waters broke but were sent home .
Little Charlie arrived within half-an-hour weighing 6lbs 15oz . |
fd3a2050c9f745aaae72f521781e70b03eda63ae | (CNN) -- Fueled by hot, dry conditions, a wildfire near Flagstaff in northern Arizona grew to 10,000 acres, city officials said late Monday. The blaze spread so quickly, it caught some locals off guard. Flagstaff city spokeswoman Kimberly Ott said the source of the fire was an abandoned campfire. The Schultz Fire ignited late Sunday morning, shutting down part of U.S. Route 89 and causing the Coconino County Sheriff's Office to evacuate at least 748 properties, including two residential neighborhoods, an animal shelter and the Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments. The sheriff's office is recommending that nearby residents put together evacuation kits. "It's something that unless you've lived through it, I don't think you can imagine," evacuee Patti Vorhees told CNN affiliate KTVK as she packed up her pets and left. "You literally take your prescriptions, your animals and the clothes on your back." The Red Cross has set up a shelter at Mount Elden Middle School in Flagstaff. The Coconino County website says the U.S. Forest Service and several fire departments responded with about 300 firefighters, eight air tankers and five helicopters to put out the blaze. A Type One Incident Management Team also was sent to the scene. The U.S. Fire Administration website says that's a self-contained team of 35 to 50 highly trained personnel deployed to manage incidents of "national significance." High winds in the area Sunday didn't help. The winds both stoked the flames and caused emergency crews to ground the air tankers for 5 1/2 hours Sunday afternoon. CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said gusty southwesterly winds, from 20 to 30 mph, will blow through the area through Tuesday, then calm by Wednesday morning. There's a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the area beginning on Thursday, Morris said. Government fire spokesman Eric Neitzel told CNN affiliate KPHO that higher humidity and lower temperatures overnight allowed firefighters to "make some good progress on the line" and protect structures. KTVK's website, www.azfamily.com, says authorities shut down part of Highway 89 Sunday because of visibility issues, as the Schultz Fire was producing a huge plume of smoke that could be seen for miles. But by Monday morning, Neitzel told KPHO the cooperative overnight weather, including calmer winds, were making the smoke "[lay] down ... so you don't see the big tower of smoke." The Schultz Fire was the second large wildfire to break out in the Flagstaff area this weekend. The Hardy Fire started early Saturday afternoon. But the Hardy Fire is much smaller, at 300 acres, and firefighters have been able to contain 30 percent of it. The Flagstaff Fire Department initially had ordered evacuations of two neighborhoods and the Cococino Humane Society because of the Hardy Fire, but those evacuation orders have been rescinded, said the Coconino County website. | NEW: 10,000 acres burned in northern Arizona .
At least 748 properties evacuated, including homes, animal shelter and 2 national monuments .
Red Cross has set up a shelter at a middle school .
A lesser wildfire, the Hardy Fire, also struck Flagstaff area this weekend . |
fd3a958d97be8d9f0f28bbbbb7a9eee21666ea5f | (CNN)Vice presidential ear whispers. Awkward actor-singer chin grabs. And who could forget the belly grab-cheek smooch that rocked the Internet? It's enough to make you ask: What in the world has happened to personal space? Or, in the case of the Internet, you make fun. There's John Travolta kissing not actress Scarlett Johansson -- as in the original incident from Sunday's Academy Awards -- but Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un or the Statue of Liberty. Then there's Travolta holding "Frozen" star Idina Menzel's chin and being urged to "Let her go ... let her go!" "Today's word. #Travolta - (verb) - To touch (meaning) - For example, I like to travolta your cheeks," Twitter user @IamMrTex wrote Tuesday. Of course, invasions of personal space aren't anything new. It's been more than 20 years since "Seinfeld" brought us the "close talker," and it was old news even then. But all the jokes aside -- and there were plenty -- there is a serious side to this. Take a look at these photos, and a theme emerges. There's Travolta grabbing Johansson, who received an even more invasive grab at the 2006 Golden Globes, when designer Isaac Mizrahi actually grabbed her breast on the red carpet while checking out the construction of her dress. Then there's Biden gripping the shoulders of Stephanie Carter, the wife of the new U.S. defense secretary, last week. That image evoked memories of former President George W. Bush's awkward shoulder massage of German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the 2006 G8 summit. Though the notion of cultural space varies with culture, Americans are undisputed champions for a large personal zone, argues University of Massachusetts, Amherst psychology professor Susan Krauss Whitbourne. And although they make might for laughs by violating the unspoken rules of personal space in such egregious ways, Travolta, Biden and others are demonstrating a cultural disregard for women, she said. "Breaking those zones shows a lack of respect," she said. "It's a way of showing your power." Don't argue that it happens to everyone, columnist Barbara Ellen wrote in the Guardian. "Even though it happens to some males sometimes, it happens to females all the time," she said. "Try to imagine the White House situation with the roles reversed -- Stephanie Carter gripping Biden's shoulders; or, to even things up, Hillary Clinton or Angela Merkel doing the grabbing and whispering," she said. "It's implausible to say the least." The power plays do happen among men but take on a different cast. There's a whole field of research into the "power handshake" -- who stands where and does what -- that elevates a simple, quiet greeting into proxy chest thumping. And then there's trying to escape when one latches on a party, author Mark Mason wrote in the Spectator this week. "There's a particular breed of alpha who displays his credentials by standing unnervingly close to you, his face just a few inches from yours, eye contact maintained for what seems like centuries," he wrote. "Some of them even avoid blinking," he said. "Or is that just how it feels?" | Personal space gaffes by John Travolta, Vice President Joe Biden make for new memes .
But the incidents belie a more serious message, a psychologist says . |
fd3aa469c9c17a738fbd0782e00284cd79b2af06 | By . Inderdeep Bains . PUBLISHED: . 05:18 EST, 23 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:19 EST, 23 July 2012 . A six-year-old public schoolgirl has died from head injuries after a mantelpiece collapsed in the family home. Ambulance crews and medics were unable to save Isabella Pritchard - known as Bella - after being called to the house in Burkes Road, Beaconsfield on the afternoon of Saturday July 7, just days before the end of the school year. Bella, who attended the £10,275 a year Maltman's Green School for Girls in Gerrards Cross, was rushed to Wexham Park Hospital where she was later pronounced dead. Tragic: Bella Pritchard, 6, died from her head injuries after a mantelpiece collapsed at the family home in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire . Her family are being supported by police family liaison officers and have asked for privacy. Thames Valley Police said the incident is not being treated as suspicious and are continuing their investigations into the tragedy. An inquest was opened on Thursday July 12. Det Insp Sharon Hill, from Amersham CID, said: 'This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with Bella’s family who have been receiving specialist support from a family liaison officer. 'We continue to investigate the circumstances of her death and are working with our partners at Buckinghamshire County Council and Trading Standards.' Bella's classmates wore her favourite colour pink in the last week of term in tribute to the 'very special girl' who had an 'infectious love of life'. Joanna Pardon, headmistress of the school, said: ‘Everyone at Maltman’s Green School was in shock over the last few days of term after hearing the news of Bella’s tragic death. ‘She will be remembered for her wonderful smile, her laughter and her deeply caring gentle nature.’ The tragedy happened in the picturesque town of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, in the family home . A view of Burkes Road, Beaconsfield, where the tragic incident took place on Saturday July 7. It is not known who lives in the house pictured. | Isabella Pritchard - known as Bella - pronounced dead in hospital after the tragic incident at the family home in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire .
Youngster died just days before the end of the academic year at £10,275 per year Maltman's Green School . |
fd3aa7caaffbe508d2d5a2677ba965647e6ff2e0 | By . Lucy Crossley . A youth club gifted a Banksy artwork has been offered £1million for their piece because it comes with a rare letter from the mystery artist. The painting, called Mobile Lovers, had appeared overnight on a plank of wood screwed to a wall close to the Broad Plain Boys' Club in Banksy's home town of Bristol. The struggling club hoped that by selling the piece they would be able to remain open. However, the artwork was removed by the city council, who maintained they owned the wall, and put on display in Bristol. Scroll down for video . Open to offers: A boys' club gifted this Banksy artwork has been offered £1million for their piece because it comes with a rare letter from the mystery artist . But the artist, whose identity is shrouded in mystery, waded in to the row by writing a letter to Dennis Stinchcombe, who runs the youth club, giving him his 'blessing' to do what he felt was right with the art. Mr Stinchcombe now says he has had offers in the region of £1 million for the piece - with bidders from across the globe hoping to get their hands on the painting of two lovers entwined in an embrace while checking their mobile phones. Some art critics have said the man in the painting resembles former Prime Minister Tony Blair. 'We have had big offers from as far away as Beverly Hills,' he said. 'But I am concerned about choosing an appropriate auctioneer and one which is respectful of the work. Confirmation: The artist waded in to the row by writing a letter to Dennis Stinchcombe, who runs the club, giving him his 'blessing' to do what he felt was right with the art . 'I seen Banksy be critical of some of these auctions for the types of his art they sell so you have to be sensitive. 'For now it is in the gallery for everyone to see but we are hoping to pin down an auctioneer this week some time. 'Some of the offers we have had have . been in excess of £1 million and the letter we have from Banksy is also . thought to be very rare. 'It’s all great news for the club and . we hope to sell it for as much as possible to settle our finances and . secure our future over the next few years at least.' The painting was first discovered at the club in St Jude’s, Bristol, on April 15 after Banksy posted a picture of the new design on his website. Funding: Mr Stinchcombe said the sale of the piece would safeguard the club (pictured) as well as help fund other youth projects in the area . Popular: A couple joke around next to the Banksy artwork, painted onto a wooden board bolted to the wall . The cash-strapped youth group, who needed to find £120,000 just to stay open after struggling due to the recession, insisted Banksy wanted them to have it and planned to sell the work to fund the future of the club. They removed the artwork to protect it from vandals and put it on display inside the club. However, Bristol City Council said it was not '100 . per cent sure of the ownership' of the wall the artwork was attached . to, and days later removed the piece with the support of police. It was put on display at Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery while its ownership was decided and more than 10,000 people viewed it over the Easter weekend alone. But on May 6 Mr Stinchcombe received the letter from Banksy, who gave the cash-strapped boys club permission to sell it. The following day the city's Mayor George Ferguson received a similar letter from Banksy confirming it was genuine. Row: Bristol City Council said it was not '100 per cent sure of the ownership' of the wall the artwork was attached to, and days later removed the piece with the support of police . Safe keeping: Before the artwork was taken by the council, the club had removed it from the wall and positioned it inside to protect it from vandals . The artist had written: 'I don't normally admit to committing criminal damage but seeing as it looks like charges won't be brought anytime soon you have my blessing to do what you feel is right with the piece. 'I'm a great admirer of the work done at the club and would be chuffed if this can help in some way.' After confirming the origin of the letter, Mr Ferguson tweeted: 'Just received confirmation by #Banksy that note to #Bristol Broad Plain Boys Club is authentic. Great to have a clear resolution. 'As far as I'm concerned it [the artwork] now belongs to the club as I'd agreed once confirmation received from Banksy. Resemblance: Some critics of the piece have suggested the man in the painting looks like former Prime Minister Tony Blair . 'I've received confirmation by #Banksy that note is authentic & 'Mobile Lovers' can go to the #Bristol Broad Plain Boys Club :-)' It is thought the letter from the artist has helped significantly increase the value of the artwork which was initially estimated to be worth up to £400,000. Mr Stinchcombe said the sale of the piece . would safeguard the club, which has been running for more than 100 . years - offering activities such as boxing and other sports, for future . generations, as well as help fund other youth projects in the area. Mr Ferguson said the painting was currently still on display at the museum, and that visitors who had come to view the artwork had raised £2,000 for the club. 'This has been a wonderful Bristol story and typical Banksy mystery,' he said. 'I had agreed with Dennis at the club, after they had removed it from the wall of the adjacent council depot, that it was best that we took care of the picture and displayed it to enable people to view it while we waited to hear Banksy’s intentions. In the meantime it has resulted in us raising over £2,000 in donations for the club. 'I shall be delighted to hand over the picture to the Boys’ Club once we’ve ticked all necessary boxes when it comes to the proper legal process. 'We shall be planning the handover of the picture and assisting the club in any way we can in their ambition to raise maximum funds through its sale. In the meantime it will remain on display in Bristol.' UK-based street artist Banksy is known worldwide for his stencils which . often carries political messages or questions about society. Despite his worldwide fame and his artwork selling for thousands, his true identity remains a secret - leading to a network of myths surrounding him and it is rumoured that his own parents don't know what he does, believing him to be an unusually successful painter and decorator. There is also the suggestion that Banksy is actually a collective of artists and doesn't exist at all. Banksy's refusal to reveal himself may have started simply to avoid prosecution for what could be described as acts of vandalism. However by remaining anonymous he has created an air of mystery which has helped him to become one of the most successful artists of his generation. He has allegedly been photographed in the past but has always been wearing a mask or hood. In 2008 he was reportedly 'unmasked' as Robin Gunningham, a former public schoolboy from Bristol with a passion for art. At the time Banksy's agent refused to confirm or deny the story. Banksy then wrote on his website:'I am unable to comment on who may or may not be Banksy, but anyone described as being 'good at drawing' doesn't sound like Banksy to me.' Fans had hoped he would finally reveal himself in his spoof 2010 grafitti film Exit Through The Gift Shop - he did appear in the film however he was heavily pixellated. His most famous artworks include Naked Man - a lover hanging out the window of his mistress - and Balloon Girl, which he has created several versions of across London including Hackney and the South Bank. Banksy's top sellers include: . | Painting Mobile Lovers appeared on a wall outside Broad Plain Boys' Club .
Bristol club hoped to sell the painting but it was removed by city council .
Council said it owned the piece and displayed it in Bristol Museum .
Banksy then wrote to club chiefs saying they could do what they wanted with the painting of a couple embracing as they check mobile phones .
Dennis Stinchcombe who runs club says he has been offered £1m for piece .
Money will pay to keep struggling club open and fund other youth projects . |
fd3ab949a64550b07d15bc3432eac90e53ef6670 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:07 EST, 17 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:34 EST, 17 January 2014 . A woman who was found guilty of growing 21 cannabis plants in her bedroom is suing police for allegedly wrecking her house during a raid. Julia Rawson, 59, of Richmond, Sheffield, claims she was growing the plants, which could produce cannabis with a street value of £21,000, to use as a pain relief from a brain tumour. She was handed a nine month jail term suspended for 12 months after pleading guilty to growing the 21 seedlings when she appeared in court. Julia Rawson, 59, from Sheffield, is suing South Yorkshire Police for allegedly wrecking her home during a raid. Officers found 21 cannabis plants in her bedroom when they executed a warrant to search her property . Ms Rawson claims 16 officers ransacked her house during the raid in September 2012. She says they ripped out her bath and toilet and smashed ornaments leaving a repair bill of £31,000 . However, she has since been embroiled in a lengthy dispute with South Yorkshire Police after she made a county court claim for compensation. The spinster claims the presence of cannabis plants did not justify the actions of police . officers, who she says ripped out her bath and toilet, causing her home . to flood and ceilings to collapse. She claims the damage caused during the raid at her former house in Intake, Sheffield, has left her with a £31,000 repair bill. Officers raided her home in September 2012 after receiving a tip-off from Crimestoppers that she was a firearms dealer who was trying to sell a cache of four handguns and ammunition. However, when police searched her property they found no evidence of guns but instead discovered the factory of cannabis plants germinating in a . bedroom. She claims 16 officers ransacked her home, destroying furniture and smashing ornaments, in their fruitless search for firearms. Police discovered 21 cannabis plants in the bedroom of the property in Intake, Sheffield, when they carried out the raid. In papers supplied to county court, Ms Rawson described officers involved as ¿pack animals¿ . She . said: 'They completely wrecked my house. They were throwing things out . of upstairs windows, smashing ornaments to make sure nothing was hidden . inside, and they removed the bath and toilet without turning off the . water, so the place flooded and the ceilings came down. 'I lost . everything - they put their feet through my sofas, they had no respect . for anything.I had a brain tumour at the time and still do, and this has . made me very ill. 'If they had checked out their so-called . intelligence first, they would have realised I have never been in . trouble with the police before - and I am certainly not a firearms . dealer.' Julia Rawson, of Sheffield, is suing South Yorkshire Police for allegedly wrecking her home during a raid. Officers found 21 cannabis plants in her bedroom when they executed a warrant to search her property . South . Yorkshire Police denies liability and a spokesman said: 'Civil . proceedings brought by Ms Rawson are ongoing and the force denies . liability. 'South Yorkshire Police and the office of the Police and . Crime Commissioner have written to Ms Rawson on several occasions . following her complaint about the search, executed in September 2012. 'Ms Rawson’s complaint is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Force’s Professional Standards Department.' | Julia Rawson, 59, claims officers ripped out her bath and toilet in the raid .
She says police 'ransacked' her home and caused £31,000 worth of damage .
Officers discovered 21 cannabis plants growing in her bedroom . |
fd3adde0dc3d0c36fc32b0b9989c69bf372add78 | (CNN) -- The technology industry often finds itself pontificating about the future, but the busy news cycle this year gave us plenty to discuss. Very influential tech pioneers died; cyber-security cost companies billions of dollars; and trends in electronics and on the Web provided new tools and created new challenges. Smartphones and tablets each grew so immensely this year that we decided to give them their own mobile year-in-review list. As for future talk, there were plenty of bold, futuristic initiatives that did not quite bear fruit this year. The seeds of Hewlett-Packard's mobile strategy, Google's plans for Motorola post-acquisition, Intel's 3-D silicon transistors and mobile payment systems like Google Wallet were planted this year. But those stories were left off of this list because their products did not reach a mass market in 2011. Look for those to make big splashes in 2012. These 10 stories in 2011 had a huge impact that could resonate for many years: . 1. Steve Jobs dies . From humble middle-class roots to running the most valuable tech company in the world, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was powerful and revered. His death on October 5 after a long battle with cancer made waves around the world. Public grieving could be seen outside Apple's hundreds of stores, where fans left flowers, candles and written notes of tribute. His authorized biography by Walter Isaacson, which came out in November, instantly became a bestseller. At Apple, Jobs helped create the personal computer industry, and built a team that worked with him to design mega hits like the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. He also found time to lead Pixar Animation Studios, the "Toy Story" creator that the Walt Disney Co. paid $7.4 billion to acquire in 2006. The fast-paced tech industry halted for a moment after Jobs' death this year, prompting business and world leaders to speak publicly about his impact. It may never be the same after. 2. Social media's role as a tool for protestors . Much praise was heaped on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube after they played a role in the Arab Spring, a series of protests in the Middle East that started late in 2010. Use of social networks to spread the word about demonstrations persisted this year, especially in the Egyptian uprising that toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak. In London, participants in riots used BlackBerry Messenger. Micro reports from Occupy Wall Street and other U.S. protests frequently popped up on Twitter. Perhaps in a nod to those events, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said onstage at his conference this year, "We exist at the intersection of technology and social issues." 3. Hackers . The Guy Fawkes mask, a stark white symbol of political upheaval, can be seen at many Occupy protests, but the accessory from the movie "V for Vendetta" was adopted earlier by an online group called Anonymous. Members of the loosely organized group emerged from the Internet underground this year with a series of politically fueled computer attacks on churches, e-commerce and banks. A sister group called Lulz Security staged its own hacks before quickly vanishing. After Sony's online networks had been hacked, researchers discovered a file planted on one of its servers containing the Anonymous chant, "We are legion." The word "hack" was so ingrained in people's vernacular after all of these incidents that it became a catchphrase anytime a site was down or an account password had been stolen. 4. Tablet market gets dozens of new entrants . The decade-old tablet PC market received a jolt with new products this year, sparked by the massive success of Apple's iPad. Electronics makers tried to figure out whether consumers were looking for tablets or just iPads. Google, with its Android tablets, and Research in Motion, with the BlackBerry PlayBook, were not pleased with the answer. Amazon.com may have cracked the formula with its $199 Kindle Fire. It has been selling about a million devices each week since it debuted in November. Hewlett-Packard only managed to attract meaningful sales to its TouchPad when it ran a $99 fire sale to clear inventory. 5. Facebook and partners add 'frictionless' sharing . What do you call it when someone you know finds out something about you without you telling them? Facebook calls it "frictionless," and companies that have implemented the feature, including some music-streaming services and news publishers, have found a great promotional vehicle. Still, many are opposed to their private reading habits being broadcast instantly to their Facebook pages. Zuckerberg is convinced people will continue publishing more about themselves online each year -- now, whether they actively choose to or not. 6. Patent wars . The biggest names in mobile, including Apple, Google, HTC, Microsoft, RIM and Samsung, have engaged in a giant game of patent Risk. These companies have filed lawsuits and countersuits in countries around the world to seek licensing agreements or block the sale of rivals' products. Google has said that its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility was to gain the phone maker's stockpile of patents. Check with your local government about whether you can legally buy a Galaxy Tab in stores this week. 7. Google+ . People are spending more of their time on social networks than searching the Web. In other words, more Facebook and less Google. So Google created its own Facebook-like environment in Google+. Users can share photos and browse friends' updates. Google+ got off to a promising start, but Facebook has had a long lead. Google asserts that its social network is key to the future of the company. That's a big bet. 8. Apple becomes the most valuable company in the world . When Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he said the company was weeks away from bankruptcy. Over the next decade, he orchestrated a masterful turnaround that culminated in Apple briefly becoming the world's most valuable company by market capitalization. Exxon Mobil has reclaimed a sizable lead, but that shouldn't undermine how effective Apple has been in creating a lust for gizmos. The ultra-thin iPad 2 has done gangbusters, and the iPhone 4S, with Siri, has introduced voice-command services to a wider audience this year. 9. IBM's Watson beats human champs on 'Jeopardy!' At times, the Watson computer, built by IBM, failed to understand some nuances of the English language, prompting mocking laughter. However, as the world had learned when IBM's Deep Blue defeated chess champion Gary Kasparov, computers aren't clueless. Watson proved that two smart men, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, were no match for banks of servers running artificial-intelligence software. 10. Spotify and Facebook take on digital music . With iTunes and iPod, Apple had a strong formula for dominating the digital music industry. Amazon and Google haven't made a dent. But Spotify has proved itself as a worthy opponent in Europe, and after years of negotiations with the record labels, it finally hit U.S. shores this year. Facebook Music, a page that shows what friends are listening to, has helped introduce wider audiences to on-demand streaming services like Spotify, MOG, Rdio and Rhapsody. | In 2011, perhaps no news story was bigger than the death of Steve Jobs .
Social media was used heavily to organize protest around the world .
Mysterious hacker groups rose to prominence in 2011 . |
fd3b37bc2543aa1c5c63ff60a86e07c4ce93f156 | Chelsea are 20 games without defeat this season but Nemanja Matic will never again be deceived by the illusion of a long unbeaten run. The pain remains fresh from the time when Benfica did not lose until the 29th and penultimate game of the Portuguese season — and still did not emerge with the title. Porto finished one point better off in a season when Benfica were also beaten in the Portuguese Cup final and lost to Chelsea in the Europa League final. Nemanja Matic (right) fights for the ball with Connor Wickham during Chelsea's game against Sunderland . Matic has received plaudits for his impressive performances in holding midfield for Chelsea this season . ‘We lost three titles in two weeks,’ recalled Matic. ‘It was very hard to take. These things happen only one season in a thousand years. We played well the whole season and were unbeaten for so long. It shows you can never be certain of anything. ‘If we want to win the league we must continue like this until the end. Even if we’re top and unbeaten with two games to go we must not believe we’ve won it. We must not stop until the title is ours. We must fight and at Chelsea I believe we are ready for that.’ Having dropped two points at Sunderland on Saturday, the Barclays Premier League leaders are now six clear of champions Manchester City as they move into a congested December fixture list, starting at home to Tottenham on Wednesday. Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas have taken so much of the credit for Chelsea’s best-ever start but those inside the camp know the contribution of Matic has been immense. His midfield power provides the platform for others to sparkle and it is a role he relishes, even though he was a creative No 10 before being converted by Benfica boss Jorge Jesus into the position made famous at Stamford Bridge by Claude Makelele. Matic (centre left) appears with Tottenham's Harry Kane (centre right) ahead of the release of game 'The Crew' Matic (top) vies for the ball with West Brom's Saido Berahino during a Premier League match in November . ‘I’m happy to be asked about Makelele,’ said Matic. ‘That means I must be doing something right. Makelele is just a legend; one of the best players in the history of Chelsea. I know what I can do. I work really hard and the people will have to decide if we compare. This is my job. ‘The defensive midfielder has to win the ball and give it to the attacking players to create the game. We all do what we have to do in the game. We are happy like this. ‘I used to play as a No 10 before I was tall like this. But in this team? No, the others are better than me. I will stay where I am, in defensive midfield.’ Matic has travelled far since he was released by the academy at Red Star Belgrade. ‘I was there almost five years and one day they said there was no space for me and I had to move,’ he said. Matic (right) was a No 10 before Jorge Jesus turned him into a holding midfielder at Benfica . Matic is flattered by the comparisons between himself and former Chelsea holding midfielder Claude Makelele . From Serbia’s most famous club he dipped briefly into Serbia’s lower leagues and, six months later, at 18, signed for Kosice in Slovakia. ‘I was young and alone there,’ said Matic. ‘I didn’t know the language. I didn’t have friends and family and things like this have made me stronger.’ Legend has it, Red Star thought he was too frail, but Matic has filled out his 6ft 4in frame to become a muscular force to match his father Dragan, once a combative central midfielder in the Yugoslav second division. ‘I have seen some of his games on video cassettes but I’ve told him it was not good football, you can (pass) the ball back to the goalkeeper,’ smiled Matic. ‘I cannot speak to him about football because he is never happy with my game. If I do something great, he doesn’t see this. He only picks up on my mistakes. ‘He watches all my games on TV in Serbia, with his friends and after the game he will send me a message if we win: “Congratulations, but…”.’ Matic (right) not only lost out on the Portuguese title after 28 games unbeaten at Benfica, but they also lost to Chelsea in the Europa League final in the same season (pictured) Matic is comforted by now team-mate Branislav Ivanovic after the Europa League final in May 2013 . Tough-love roles change when it comes to his younger brother Uros, who has followed a similar path via Kosice and Benfica and now plays for NAC Breda in Holland. ‘He has quality but he needs to work a lot,’ said Matic. ‘I tell him to work hard and fight for his position. He needs to do better if he wants to go to a better level.’ Hard knocks have made Matic the midfield warrior he is. He faced rejection at youth level and again when Chelsea signed him in 2009, only to let him leave for Benfica 18 months later as a makeweight in the David Luiz deal. ‘To be honest it was not easy,’ he said. ‘Everybody was asking why I was back, but I wanted to show I had quality to play for Chelsea in the Premier League. When I first came, I was very young, and now I’m 26 and it is a big difference. I have lots of experience. ‘At Benfica, I played in the Champions League, I fought every year for the title and these things have made me stronger. I did good work in Benfica. I always fought for a position with the big players and this has made me better.’ Since his return to Chelsea in January, he has become one of the pillars of a team comfortable with the challenge of stretching their unbeaten run into the New Year and beyond. ‘You can say the record is putting pressure on us but I would rather have it this way than lose,’ said Matic, who has only lost four times in 42 Chelsea appearances. ‘I want to win every game. We are only interested in winning. It will be difficult to go through the whole season — we have many games to play against very good teams — but anything is possible. We know our qualities and what we can do. Maybe we can lose. Maybe we can remain unbeaten. ‘Let’s see. It depends only on us. If we win every game we are going to be champions. We know that is going to be hard but we are ready to fight.’ Nemanja Matic was appearing at a photo-shoot with a crew of fans to celebrate the launch of The Crew, a revolutionary new action-driving game from Ubisoft, out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. | Nemanja Matic was at Benfica when they missed out on the title .
They were unbeaten until their 29th game, but still didn't win the league .
Now at Chelsea, he won't be deceived by the illusion of an unbeaten run .
Matic is flattered by the comparison between him and Claude Makelele . |
fd3b7d30a33f97776f8cbcadf19454c25647b13e | New York Police Department officers are letting minor crimes slide in the wake of the murder of two cops shot while on duty in Brooklyn just over a week ago, claim sources within the department. An unnamed NYPD supervisor told the New York Post that his officers are writing significantly fewer summonses and 'probably only making arrests when they have to - like when a store catches a shoplifter.' 'I'm not writing any summonses. Do you think I'm going to stand there so someone can shoot me or hit me in the head with an ax?' one cop told the Post. Scroll down for video . NYPD officers are letting minor crimes slide in the wake of the murder of two cops shot while on duty in Brooklyn just over a week ago, claim sources within the department . 'I'm concerned about my safety. I want to go to home to my wife and kids.' A union mandate requiring that two patrol cars respond to all police calls – introduced following the shootings of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu – has also contributed to slower response times to non-emergencies. The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association's directive is creating a manpower shortage that is delaying response times to crimes such as burglaries and car crashes to as much as four hours, according to the paper. Tensions between police, the city's elected leadership and residents have been heightened since the December 20 slayings of two police officers by Ismaaiyl Brinsley. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was booed on Monday by the newest members of the NYPD as he delivered a speech at the academy graduation ceremony. Several boos could be heard at Madison Square Garden as de Blasio took the podium in front of 884 newly-minted cops. Booed: New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was heckled and booed as he spoke at the NYPD academy graduation ceremony at Madison Square Garden on Monday . Mayor de Blasio ignored the boos and thanked the new recruits for their service to the city of New York . At least one cadet could be heard shouting 'traitor!' the New York Post reports. Then, when de Blasio remarked that the new officers would be confronted with problems they didn't make, someone from the crowd shouted, 'You created them!' The heckler was met with applause and cheering. The incident shows that mistrust has taken hold even among the NYPD's newest officers. On Saturday, hundreds of cops turned their backs on de Blasio as he spoke at the funeral for Officer Rafael Ramos, one of two NYPD cops gunned down by a fanatic who was enraged about recent police brutality cases - including the death of Staten Island resident Eric Garner. The Mayor has come in for sharp criticism from the police union after expressing sympathy for protesters who took to the streets in the wake of a grand jury's failure to indict the NYPD cop who allegedly put Garner in a chokehold. At least one of the new NYPD academy graduate shouted 'traitor!' as the mayor took the podium in front of 884 newly minted cops . Tense: The Mayor (left) and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton (second from left) stood on stage with police union president Patrick Lunch (second from right) - who has said de Blasio has 'blood on his hands' Thousands of friends and family members filled Madison Square Garden - along with the nearly 900 recruits . In a speech following the grand jury decision, de Blasio, whose children are half-black, recounted how he told his teenage son Dante how to deal with the police and that he might be discriminated against by the NYPD. Patrolman's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said de Blasio had 'blood on his hands' in the death of Ramos and his partner Officer Wenjian Liu, who were assassinated on December 20 as they sat in their squad car in Brooklyn. Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said on Sunday that the strife between de Blasio and the rank-and-file officers is likely to last 'for some time.' City Hall and the Patrolman's Benevolent Association are in the midst of rancorous contract negotiations that are set to go to arbitration - further exacerbating the strife. The Mayor and Lynch - his most outspoken critic - came face-to-face on Monday when they posed together for a photo for an award that the PBA gives out for the top squad sergeant from the graduating class. Lynch's son Kevin is among the graduating class. | NYPD officers are letting minor crimes slide in the wake of the murder of two cops shot just over a week ago .
An unnamed supervisor said his officers have been writing significantly fewer summonses .
They 'probably only making arrests when they have to - like when a store catches a shoplifter,' he said .
A union mandate requiring that two patrol cars respond to all police calls has contributed to slower response times to non-emergencies . |
fd3bbf318ca050ac40fbca5c377c2a9d540d1afb | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A New Jersey mother has given birth to a baby boy in a nail salon after going for a pedicure and foot massage after she was already in labor. Anna Rubinstein, 35, was not concerned about her son arriving any time soon when she went to Eden Nails in Glen Rock because she had been in labor for 42 hours when her daughter was born. But baby Damien had other ideas. Mrs Rubinstein, from Emerson, was having a foot massage on Wednesday afternoon when her water broke - and the little boy was born within minutes. Proud parent: Anna Rubinstein, 35, gave birth in a New Jersey nail salon on Wednesday after assuming the labor would take longer because her first child had taken more than 40 hours to be born . New addition: Baby Damien, pictured, was born within minutes of his mother's water breaking . 'There are so many old wives' tales out there and one of them is there are cetain points on your feet that if you massage them in a certain way you're going to go into labor,' she told News 12 New Jersey. 'Apparently it's not such a wives' tale anymore.' She initially told salon employees who wanted to call for an ambulance that she had plenty of time. With the help of staff, Rubinstein went to the bathroom and her husband Sergei arrived in time to deliver his son, which he called 'the best feeling in the world'. 'Bonding moment': Her husband Sergei arrived at the salon just in time to help deliver his son . Relief: Isabel Valdez, pictured, had been massaging Rubinstein's feet when her water broke . An employee, Nancy Wang, told the New Jersey Record that Rubinstein's nails weren't even dry. 'The ambulance came just as she had her little boy,' Wang said. 'There was blood everywhere.' The proud parents were surrounded by women working in the salon, including one customer who happened to be a nurse and Isabel Valdez, who had been giving Rubinstein the massage. 'I was really glad because the baby was OK,' she told News 12. 'I was so happy to be there.' After the birth, an ambulance arrived and took the Rubinsteins, including their three-year-old daughter Danica, to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. Scene: Staff at Eden Nails helped Rubinstein, who delivered a healthy boy on the bathroom floor . Speaking to News 12 and smiling, Mrs Rubinstein apologized the salon, where she has been a regular customer since it opened five years ago. 'Guys, I'm very sorry that we had a baby in . your salon,' she said. 'Hopefully you will take me back.' The salon said its considering marketing the foot massages to mothers who want a quick labor. | Anna Rubinstein, 35, thought she had plenty of time to get beauty treatments because her first labor had taken 42 hours .
But baby Damien had other ideas and was born within minutes of her water breaking during a foot massage at the New Jersey salon .
Mrs Rubinstein's husband was on hand to help deliver his son .
The healthy baby boy and his parents were then taken to hospital .
Salon worker: 'Her nails hadn't even had time to dry' |
fd3bf3f7422924bff2889e13a5cc5ce02e5758c6 | By . Mia De Graaf . and Ashley Collman . PUBLISHED: . 16:06 EST, 28 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:16 EST, 29 December 2013 . Authorities say the man suspected of killing a police officer in a Tupelo, Mississippi bank robbery last Monday has been killed trying to carry out another heist in Arizona. According to ajc.com, the agency made the connection late Sunday and announced that the bank robber subject of a nationwide search was shot and killed outside a Phoenix bank yesterday. His name was not released. On exiting the bank the man encountered a police detective and shots were fired, CNN reported, it is not believed the detective was wounded. The new and final development in the case came just hours after the FBI announced that the man was a serial bank thief and had attempted a robbery just hours before his fatal heist in Mississippi. Twice in one day: The same man suspected of robbing a Bancorp South bank in Tupelo, Mississippi is being tied to a bank robbery that happened just hours earlier in Atlanta, Georgia . Not scared: The man is filmed walking up to the teller to demand money but is ultimately unsuccessful in robbing the bank . Wanted man: Police had a reward of $100,000 on the suspect, who is believed to now be dead . Surveillance footage showe the same . suspect entering a Bank of America branch in Atlanta, armed with a . semi-automatic handgun and wearing a black ski mask. In a wanted poster, the suspect was described as 5-foot-8 to 6 feet tall with a slender build. Police first started chasing the suspect on Monday when he conducted a robbery at a BankcorpSouth branch two states away in Tupelo, several hours after the Atlanta incident. When . the man failed again to get money from the teller, he decided to rob a customer using an ATM and that's when police intervened. A BancorpSouth surveillance screen shot from Monday of a man holding up the bank with a handgun . Cpl Kevin Gale Stauffer, 38 and fellow officer Joseph Maher, 27, tried to stop the suspect and an accomplice as they were leaving in a grey sedan. Both officers were shot by one of the suspects, but Cpl Stauffer was killed. Officer Maher was injured and taken to North Mississippi Medical Center for treatment but was able to leave by Friday. Killed and injured: Cpl Kevin Gale Stauffer (left) and fellow police Officer Joseph Maher (right) were shot by the two suspects as they fled the Tupelo bank in a car. Cpl Stauffer died while Officer Maher was treated for non life-threatening injuries . CCTV . footage released to the public, showed one of the . suspects in a convenience store wearing khaki trousers, white Converse . trainers, a long-sleeved jacket and a blue ski mask. A team of more than 100 law enforcement staff worked over Christmas Day and Boxing Day to trace the gang. Police . previously released a surveillance image of another 'person of . interest; wearing a hoodie at a convenience store just minutes before . the Tupelo robbery. Tupelo Police Chief Bart Aguirre spoke at the vigil, praising Cpl Stauffer, who worked for the department for eight years. The FBI set a reward for information from $152,000 to $162,500 . Authorities have released a photograph of a man in a hoodie at a convenience store shortly before the robbery . Cpl Stauffer, a 38-year-old father of two, was laid to rest Friday in a ceremony attended by policeman from accross the South. On . Christmas Day, a candlelit vigil was held in the town centre for Mr . Stauffer, a combat veteran of the Louisiana Army National Guard with . whom he served a tour in Iraq. Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton praised Cpl Stauffer, who 'made the ultimate sacrifice for his community' Grieving wife Beth Stauffer told WTVA-TV: 'I have my moments. But, I'm at peace with Gale because I know he died doing something he loved. 'The way he was at work as a leader is what he was like at home. His mother, Debbie Brangenberg, thanked . the dozens that attended the memorial service on Wednesday, saying the . strength of the community keeps the family strong. She added: 'Everybody has been so wonderful to us through this week. 'And, the overwhelming love and support that this community has given us has helped us make it through.' Memorial: Dozens attended a candlelit vigil in Tupelo, Mississippi on Christmas Day for the father-of-two . Shaken: Members of the community also held a silence for Officer Joseph Maher, 27, who was also shot by the suspects and remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition . | FBI believe the wanted man has now been shot dead while trying to carry out another heist in Arizona on Saturday .
Authorities announced that the man suspected of killing a police officer in a bank robbery in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Monday tried to rob a bank just hours earlier in Atlanta .
After failing to rob the bank in Atlanta, the man drove two states away to Tupelo and still couldn't get a teller to give him money .
Police intervened when the suspect and one other were driving away from the Tupelo branch, and one of them shot both responding officers .
Cpl Kevin Gale Stauffer, an Iraq war veteran, was killed and fellow Officer Joseph Maher was injured .
Cpl Stauffer was laid to rest on Friday - the same day Officer Maher was allowed to leave the hospital . |
fd3c1dc357e6dbd9e1d3bd6426b72974a10ec2a2 | (CNN) -- A year ago, few outside of Wasilla, Alaska, had ever heard of Levi Johnston. All that changed last summer when Gov. Sarah Palin accepted the Republican vice presidential nomination. On "Larry King Live" on Wednesday, Levi Johnston talks about his relationship with the Palin family. Soon after she entered the national spotlight, it was learned the conservative governor's teenaged daughter, Bristol, was pregnant with Levi's baby. The Johnston-Palin family saga has been in the news ever since. In a "Larry King Live" exclusive interview Wednesday night, Johnston, along with his mother, Sherry, and sister, Mercede, talked about baby Tripp, why he's not seeing much of his son, what his legal intentions are and the Johnstons' ambiguous relationship with the Palins. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: . Larry King: How are you handling all of this attention? Levi Johnston: We've got people camped outside the house and in front of my sister's school and that kind of thing. It's pretty crazy. King: Are you surprised at it? Johnston: I lived back in a small town. So I mean I never thought that would ever happen to me. And when she [Sarah Palin] finally told, everybody that Bristol was pregnant and stuff, I didn't think it was going to get this rough. King: Did the Palin family seem close-knit? What was it like for you dating in the atmosphere of the governor's daughter? Johnston: They always treated me like a son. They were real nice to me. And I thought of her [Sarah Palin] as like my second mother. You know, Todd was always a great guy and helped me out with a lot of things. King: When it began to be sexual and romantic [with Bristol], did the governor know? Johnston: You know, I'm not sure. That's a question I can't really answer. But, you know, I think... King: What do you think? Johnston: You know, she says she [didn't] know. But I don't know. I think she'd probably know, you know? Watch Levi Johnston's interview with Larry King » . King: What about her husband? Do you think he knew? Johnston: I would think so. King: Where did sex occur? In their house? Johnston: You know, Larry, that I'm a gentleman. And I don't kiss and tell. So I don't think that really matters. King: You said you practiced safe sex most of the time, right? Johnston: Right. King: We know that one time that didn't happen. Were you surprised at the pregnancy? Johnston: A little bit, yes. It came as a bit of a shock. King: How did you tell Sarah? Johnston: We went over there and we had one of Bristol's friends over there. And we all kind of sat down on the couch and we ended up telling her that way. King: What did she say? Johnston: She was shocked. I mean she probably didn't really know what to say. No mother wants to hear that her her daughter is pregnant at 18 years old. King: When the baby, Tripp, was born, was there ever a thought that you would not be the active father of that child? Johnston: No. King: So what happened? Johnston: I don't know what happened. I think somewhere along the lines, we just weren't hitting it off anymore and... King: But they won't let you see your kid? Johnston: No. I can go over there and see him. But it's kind of an uncomfortable thing for me to go over there. You know, I want to be able to take him and do that kind of thing, go do the father thing with him and I can't. King: Why can't you? Johnston: You know, I'm not sure. King: Do you have a lawyer? Johnston: No. King: Why not? Johnston: We're not in a big fight with the Palins. I still like the family very much. I think we can work things out. I don't think either one of us want to go to lawyers and try to fight for custody and stuff like this. King: But then why can't you take your baby for a weekend? Johnston: I don't know. King: But you're not interested in finding out legally why you can? Johnston: I am. If it keeps going like this, I think we're going to have to. ... King: Now, [upon] further reflection, you might have a lawyer? Johnston: Yes, I do. King: OK. So are you afraid that saying you have a lawyer might anger the Palins? Johnston: I don't want to stir anything up ... King: When was the last time you saw Tripp? Johnston: A couple weeks ago. King: Do you call the house to see how he is? Johnston: Yes. I call and check up on him every once in a while. And, you know, she [Bristol] keeps the talk short, you know. But I do check up on him. King: She [Bristol] seems to be really ticked. Is there something you did? Johnston: That might be the case, but I don't see what it would be. King: In other words, you have no idea why she's angry? Johnston: No. I think it has a lot to do with her and my sister. She [Bristol] doesn't trust who she hangs out with. King: Have you spoken to the governor? Johnston: I haven't talked to her for quite a while, actually. King: Well, wouldn't you want to know what part she's playing in not letting her daughter see your son? Johnston: Yes, that would be nice. I mean, my dad talks to Todd a lot. And after we did that first interview with Tyra [Banks], he hasn't -- he hasn't called, you know. And they just pretty much blew us off. So it's just getting worse. King: Is there any chance the two of you could get together again? Johnston: You know, I don't see that ever happening. I just hope that we can come to an understanding and become friends and raise this baby together. King: We told the Palin camp that Levi Johnston would be our guest tonight and asked for a comment. We got this response today from Megan Stapleton, the Palin family spokesperson: "Bristol is focused on going to college, raising Tripp and advocating abstinence." [Levi's mother and sister join the interview] . King: All right, Sherry, What do you make of all of this? Sherry Johnston, Levi's mother: It's a whirlwind. I still haven't grasped my whole mind around all this. King: Were you mad at the pregnancy, angry? Sherry Johnston: No. No, I wasn't. King: Why not? Sherry Johnston: He's talked about babies a lot since him and Bristol has been together. And he's always been playing with kids. And I've always wanted to be a grandma ever since mine grew up, so ... King: What went wrong, do you think? Sherry Johnston: I'm still trying to figure that out. King: Do you think you might have been in the equation, Mercede, since Levi said that Bristol didn't like you? Mercede Johnston, Levi's sister: I'm not too sure. I think it's a big part because of my friends. But I don't understand why. King: What kind of friends? Mercede Johnston: Friends that have previously dated my brother, they still talk. And there's kind of a jealousy issue between her and my friends. King: Somebody is not letting your son see your grandson. You've got to go somewhere with that. Sherry Johnston: Well, that's what we're all trying to find out, what to do. King: Have you contacted them? Sherry Johnston: Not personally. I have talked to Bristol, seeing if I could take Tripp, come over and get him, bring him to the house. But that hasn't happened. King: What did she say? Sherry Johnston: She said that she would call me back. King: And didn't? Sherry Johnston: No. King: Do you have a guess as to why they're being this way? Sherry Johnston: I don't know. Things started changing different, I would say, I noticed in November. Things were starting to chill down, not getting as friendly and I'm not sure [why]... King: Now, he says you do have a lawyer? Sherry Johnston: Yes, we do. We want to keep this on the lowdown and, you know, not start trouble. But, obviously, if things don't change, that's our next action when we get back ... King: An e-mail question from Russell in Wilson, Oklahoma, "Levi, how much child support do you have to pay each month?" Levi Johnston: I'm not doing any child support right now until we go to court. I have everything my boy needs back home: diapers, toys, everything. King: Sherry, in December, shortly before Tripp's birth, you were arrested on drug charges, right? What is the status of that case? Sherry Johnston: I can't go there right now. When I have my day in court, then I would love to be able to set the record straight. There's a lot of misconception out there, but I can't go any further than that right now. King: And you're through with high school, right? Or aren't you? Levi Johnston: No, I haven't taken my final test, no. King: Are you going to do that? Levi Johnston: Yes. | Levi Johnston tells Larry King he is uncomfortable going to visits to see son .
Johnston first tells King he hasn't gotten a lawyer, then later says he has gotten one .
Johnstons say relationship with the Palins have turned frosty, not sure why .
Levi's sister, Mercede, talks about her turbulent relationship with Bristol Palin . |
fd3c60f12c84acf143dd3e0eb7b58f84888204b8 | New research has found that as humans we all have a tendency to look on the bright side of life . If you are struck down by the winter blues, take heart, for things will soon start to feel better. Not only is spring on the way, but new research has concluded that as humans we all have a tendency to look on the bright side of life. A large study of languages spoken across the globe revealed that optimism is ingrained in human nature. Scientists from Australia and the US studied the 100,000 most-common words used in the world’s ten most-spoken languages. Using mathematical analysis, they found that no matter their culture, people are far more likely to use positive words than negative ones. The study, which looked at the most popular words used in newspapers, books, films, the internet and on the Twitter social media site, found that humans have a natural tendency to look at life with a cheerful slant. Dr Lewis Mitchell, from the University of Adelaide, said: ‘Happiness is obviously important, but tough to define and measure. ‘We want to be able to do this in a data-driven, open-source way, so that both the public and policymakers can consult these metrics on a daily basis, as they might interest rates or stock tickers.’ He added: ‘It doesn’t matter whether it’s English, Spanish, Russian or Chinese ─ the words that make up our languages are universally biased towards positive emotions.’ The researchers analysed the 10,000 most spoken words in each of ten languages - English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Indonesian, Chinese, Korean and Russian. They asked native speakers to rate whether those words were ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ on a 1 to 9 scale. The results, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last night (Monday), revealed a positive slant in the way in which humans communicate, no matter the language. The study of languages spoken across the globe revealed optimism is ingrained in human nature. File photo . Even though all ten languages were positively biased, there were some differences between them - Spanish and Portuguese were the ‘happiest’ and Chinese, Korean and Russian were the ‘saddest’. The research provides evidence which backs up the ‘Polyanna hypothesis’ which holds that the human subconscious naturally leans towards optimism. It also explains previous research which shows that people often expect too much out of life. For example, we know that around 50 per cent of marriages end in divorce, but even people who have had a number of failed marriages continue to tie the knot again. This tendency, which psychologists call the ‘triumph of hope over experience’, means we also tend to think we will live longer and be more successful than average, and underestimate our likelihood of having cancer. | Scientists studied the 100,000 most-common words used in ten languages .
Looked at popular words used in books, films, the internet and on Twitter .
Found people are far more likely to use positive words than negative ones . |
fd3c6f70b1dfe19ee7db4899519630bcf4277fdb | Former Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola believes his old club have improved considerably as a result of 'clever' summer spending. Chelsea, boosted by the signings of Spain duo Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, are the early favourites for the Barclays Premier League after winning their opening three games. Costa, a £32million buy from Atletico Madrid, has been an instant hit with four goals in three games while former Arsenal midfielder Fabregas, £30million from Barcelona, has also shone. Good business: Diego Costa has hit the ground running after joining Chelsea . Zola said: 'I think it was very clever the way they used their money. They have a strong team, in every position they are very good. 'The quality of the football has been made better and I believe that Fabregas has a lot to do with that. 'Chelsea look like they will be one of the teams to beat - but the Premier League is long and the tough moments will come.' Zola was speaking at the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester where he was part of a panel discussing the summer's transfer business around Europe. Midfield maestro: Cesc Fabregas has been in fine form since his switch to Stamford Bridge . Statistics produced by marketing firm Prime Time Sport to accompany the talk underlined the spending power of the Premier League. For the first time, combined spending by English clubs topped the one billion euros mark (£800.5million). Of those, Manchester United spent the heaviest, with their £157million new signings including club record £59.7million transfer Angel di Maria. Zola believes United had to play catch-up but is unsure whether it will pay off. Record buy: United splashed £59.7million on Argentine Angel di Maria . The Italian, 48, said: 'Only time will tell. Obviously the intentions are good, they know the competition in this country is big. 'They wanted to make sure they had the quality in the squad to face the challenge. 'Manchester United want to make sure they are competitive in the next few years. 'The potential is there but football can be affected by many things. I hope for Manchester it will go well.' Yet while United's transfer spending may be eye-popping, Prime Time's figures also reveal that the club - despite the departures of Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley - still boast the highest number of homegrown players in the Premier League with seven. Speaking out: Gianfranco Zola has had his say on the summer transfer activity . Arsenal and Aston Villa both have six, Liverpool and Newcastle five while QPR, Hull and Sunderland have none. United's seven are Ben Amos, Jonny Evans, Tyler Blackett, Rafael, Darren Fletcher, Jesse Lingard and Adnan Januzaj. Former United assistant boss Mike Phelan has said he feels the club have lost some of their identity with the £16million sale of academy graduate Welbeck to Arsenal. But Zola hopes manager Louis van Gaal will still give opportunities to those who have come through the system. He said: 'Van Gaal is the type of manager if he has a good young player, he will play him. 'He is known for that. The young players will have to raise their standards but the quality of the players they have bought is high.' Perfect fit: Mario Balotelli has all the attributes to be a big hit at Liverpool, according to Zola . Another player to have moved in the recent transfer window is Zola's former protege Mario Balotelli. Balotelli, the controversial striker who played under Zola for Italy Under-21s, joined Liverpool from AC Milan for £16million. Zola said: 'I believe Mario technically and tactically is the perfect fit for Liverpool. 'I think it will depend a lot on Mario's attitude towards it. 'I think it is very important for him. I believe it is a massive opportunity for him to make a step forward in his career and his knowledge of football. 'I hope Mario takes the chance very well and Liverpool can have a lot of benefit from it.' | Blues legend says his old side have got value for money this summer .
Zola says Manchester United's spending spree is a massive gamble .
Italian reckons Mario Balotelli is perfect fit for Liverpool after Anfield move . |
fd3c9810d0c9dc9749926d0ecd1120ec6280cea2 | Two men have been knocked unconscious after they were set upon by a group of men outside a Melbourne pub. Police say two women were dancing at licensed venue, Penny Black, on Sydney Road, Brunswick when they were approached by a man who tried to force their heads together to make them kiss. The pair's boyfriends have come to their aid and had an argument with the man before he was ejected by security. Scroll down to video . Two men are set upon by a group of men who violently punch and beat them outside a Melbourne pub . When the group left the venue at closing time at around 1.20am, the two men were confronted by a group of men, including the man who was ejected. Police say the two men were assaulted by the group, knocked unconscious and then kicked in the head. Police released the violent footage of the attack that took place in a back street where the group of seven men violently punched and beat the two victims. The Reservoir men, aged 21 and 23, were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. When the group left the venue at closing time at around 1.20am, the two men were confronted by a group of men who knocked them unconscious . Police say two women were dancing at licensed venue, Penny Black, on Sydney Road, Brunswick when they were approached by a man who tried to force their heads together to make them kiss, he was then ejected after the pair's boyfriends intervened . The Reservoir men, aged 21 and 23 (pictured) were taken to hospital with facial fractures, concussion and broken teeth . Nine News reported the pair had suffered facial fractures, concussion and broken teeth. Detective senior constable Bryan Strangman said the two men were quite traumatised by the assault. 'It's very unexpected, very cowardly,' he said. Police are now looking for the group of men, believed to be of middle eastern appearance and in their 20s and are urging anyone with information to come forward or call Crime Stoppers. | Two men bashed unconscious by a group of men outside a Melbourne pub .
Police say two women were approached by a man while dancing, who tried to force their heads together to make them kiss .
Their boyfriends went to their aid and the man was kicked out by security .
A group of men then waited outside for the two men and violently attacked them . |
fd3cb92065d158db72311e572996832d9bd41858 | Three years since he passed away, Steve Jobs' spirit still lives on in the offices and corridors of Apple headquarters in Cupertino. The late entrepreneur's office on the fourth floor even has his name on the door and the interior is just as he left it, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. 'He stood for innovation, for the simple, not the complex. All of these things are still deep in our company,' said Cook in an interview for PBS. Scroll down for video . Steve Job's office on the fourth floor of Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, still has his name on the door and the interior is just as he left it, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook (pictured) Cook added he was shocked when the Apple co-founder offered him the position of chief executive in 2011. He said he doesn't want to deviate from Jobs' strategy to 'only enter areas where we can control the primary technology.' 'I have wanted desperately to continue his legacy and the Apple I deeply love,' he said. Cook added 'I literally think about him every day...[he] is in my heart. His spirit will always be at the foundation of the company.' Tim Cook (left) said 'I literally think about him every day...[Steve Jobs (right)] is in my heart. His spirit will always be at the foundation of the company' Steve Jobs died in 2011, but his spirit lives on in the corridors of Apple headquarters (pictured) in Cupertino . The comments were made during an interview on 'The Charlie Rose Show' which will be aired in the US on Friday night and again on Monday on PBS. Despite knowing he was dying, Steve Jobs worked for more than a year on the products that he believed would safeguard the company's future. He also fought hard to get plans approved for a spaceship-style company headquarters in California. Jobs had a part-time job working for Hewlett Packard at the site when he was 13 and he ensured Apple bought the land when it became available. He also oversaw the development of the delayed iCloud project, which allowed Apple users to store their music, photos and other documents remotely and masterminding updated versions of the iPod, iPad, iPhone and MacBooks. The co-founder ensured that at least four years’ worth of products are in the pipeline, according to Apple sources. Reports also suggest Jobs wanted to design an Apple car before he died. Jobs reportedly told the Times' John Markoff, during a meeting prior to his death, that he wanted to 'take on Detroit.' During the interview, Cook also spoke about claims the firm is able to access user's content in the wake of the iCloud hacking scandal. He said reports of the NSA had backdoors into Apple servers were untrue - telling Charlie Rose 'We would never allow that to happen, they would have to cart us out in a box before we did that.' He said: 'We're not reading your email, we're not reading your iMessages.' The chief executive also took aim at Google in the interview, although refused to name them. 'If they are making money by collecting gobs of personal data, you should be worried,' he said. The first part of Cook's interview covered Apple TV. Rumours of an all-in-one Apple TV set, that will broadcast live shows, has been on the cards since 2011 - but another launch event has passed without it making an appearance. Cook revealed that TV is an area the firm continues to have great interest in, but admitted 'if we're really honest, it's stuck back in the seventies.' 'The hardest decisions we make are all the things not to work on,' Cook told the chat show host. 'There's lots of things we have interest in, but we know we can't do everything great.' Despite knowing he was dying, Steve Jobs worked for more than a year on the products that he believed would safeguard the company's future. He also fought hard to get plans approved for a spaceship-style headquarters . Earlier this year, reports claimed Apple's plans to take on TV with a gadget capable of showing live TV had been delayed until next year. Apple engineers working on the gadget were told not to expect it to launch until 2015, and the delay was blamed on cable companies refusing to carry out deals with the technology giant . | Steve Jobs' untouched office still has his name on the door, Tim Cook said .
'He stood for innovation, for the simple, not the complex. All of these things are still deep in our company,' added Cook in an interview .
Cook spoke of claims the firm is able to access user's content in iCloud .
He said reports the NSA had backdoors into Apple servers were untrue . |
fd3cc9ebe82730af01c06add10b5a2dbf67da773 | By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 16:54 EST, 2 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:48 EST, 3 March 2014 . In true Hollywood fashion, the Academy Awards on Sunday promised a cliffhanger finale to the tight race for best picture Oscar between favorites 12 Years a Slave and Gravity and a big gamble on rain and the red carpet. After three days of heavy downpours soaked parts of the red carpet along Hollywood Boulevard, workers removed the plastic tenting and unwrapped the golden Oscar statues hours before hundreds of movie stars in designer dresses and tuxedos begin arriving for Hollywood's biggest night. And while it was still drizzling outside the Dolby Theatre as TV crews from around the world went live from Hollywood, organizers were confident that the most glamorous of red carpet shows would go off without a hitch. They did, however, keep a bunch of umbrellas on hand. Scroll Down for Video . Busy: Preparations are readied ahead of the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles . Unlike the stormy hosting of Seth MacFarlane last year, this Oscar show with host Ellen DeGeneres has a deliberately safe vibe of cheery song-and-dance. The nimble and amiable DeGeneres is expected to return the broadcast to more traditional territory. Many of the night's biggest categories, too, seem to hold little chance for surprise. The well-established favorites include Matthew McConaughey, Cate Blanchett, Lupita Nyong'o and Jared Leto. Each comes into Oscar Sunday having won a parade of awards over the last few months, including honors at Saturday's Spirit Awards. The night's biggest question mark won't come until the very end. The historical drama 12 Years a Slave, the 3-D space spectacle Gravity and the con-artist caper American Hustle are vying for best picture in the night's closest contest. Watch Video Here: . Final checks: Members of the media take positions on the red carpet ahead of the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California . Gravity is expected to lead the ceremony in total awards, cleaning up in technical categories like visual effects and cinematography. Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron is considered a lock for best director for seamlessly marshalling new digital technology to render the lost-in-space drama. He would be the first Latino to win the category. While the global hit easily topped the other eight best-picture nominees at the box office, the lower budget, less widely seen 12 Years a Slave is believed to have a narrow edge for the academy's top honor. Combating the downpour: Staff hurriedly clear the water away from the red-carpet in preparation for this evenings Oscars . Though voters last year chose entertainment over history lesson (Ben Affleck's Argo over Steven Spielberg's Lincoln), many see Steve McQueen's brutal adaptation of Solomon Northup's memoir as a landmark film difficult to watch but impossible to overlook. ABC, which is telecasting the ceremony, hopes the drama of the best-picture race will be enough to entice viewers. The show last year drew an audience of 40.3 million, up from 39.3 million the year before when the silent-film ode The Artist won best picture. After three days of heavy downpours soaked parts of the red carpet along Hollywood Boulevard, workers removed the plastic tenting and unwrapped the golden Oscar statues hours before hundreds of movie stars in designer dresses and tuxedos begin arriving for Hollywood's biggest night. And while it was still drizzling outside the Dolby Theater as TV crews from around the world went live from Hollywood, organizers were confident that the most glamorous of red carpet shows would go off without a hitch. They did, however, keep a bunch of umbrellas on hand. Frontrunners: Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett Aattended the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, and the actors did not leave empty-handed - taking home the best actor and actress gongs respectively . Favorite: Matthew McConaughey is thought to be the front-runner to take home the prize for Best Actor for his work in the AIDS drama Dallas Buyers Club . This year's Oscars celebrate what is widely regarded as one of the most high quality years in film and performances in recent memory. The president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, called it the best line-up 'in the last decade or so.' That means that awards are likely to be scattered widely as the 6,000-plus members of the Academy seek to reward as many films as possible with the famed golden statuettes. While British director Steve McQueen's brutal slavery drama 12 Years a Slave is the presumed frontrunner for best picture, Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron's groundbreaking space thriller Gravity lurks just behind. And there could be an upset for the night's top honors. 'I feel more comfortable putting my chips on '12 Years a Slave' just because there is more historical basis for doing so,' said Scott Feinberg, awards analyst at The Hollywood Reporter. 'But at the same time there is no denying that there is great enthusiasm for other movies.' Among those is 1970s crime caper American Hustle from director David O. Russell, which scored 10 nominations. The Wolf of Wall Street: Leonardo DiCaprio is nominated for his sixth Oscar for his portrayal of a corrupt, cheating investor in Martin Scorcese's hit movie . For the second year in a row, Russell has achieved the rare feat of having his actors nominated in all four acting categories. Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street, a tale of financial greed and excess, has also been a hit with audiences and critics. A total of nine films are competing for best picture, including Somali piracy thriller Captain Phillips, the adoption drama Philomena, the heartland comedy Nebraska, the computer-age romance Her, and the AIDS activist biopic Dallas Buyers Club. But the Academy could also make history this year if it chooses 12 Years a Slave for best picture. It would be the first time that the top film honor goes to a movie by a black director in the 86 years of the Oscars. Potentially historic: Lupita Nyongo holds her award for best supporting actress and director Steve McQueen holds his award for best director for 12 Years a Slave at the 2014 Independent Spirit Awards on March 1, 2014 in Santa Monica, California . On Saturday, the real-life story of free man turned plantation slave Solomon Northup gained more momentum by sweeping the Independent Spirit Awards, a show that recognizes movies made on small budgets. It scored five wins out of seven nominations, including best feature film. The Spirit Awards also bestowed honors on the frontrunners for all four acting races for the Oscars, which may yield few surprises on Sunday. Cate Blanchett won best actress at the Spirit Awards for her portrayal of the disgraced socialite in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine. Matthew McConaughey took best actor for his role as the unlikely AIDS activist in Dallas Buyers Club, for which he lost some 50 pounds (23 kg) and his co-star Jared Leto won best supporting actor. Ensemble: Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence in a scene from American Hustle - one of the leading contenders for Best Picture Oscar . Bright lights: Actress Jennifer Lawrence attends the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards while Jared Leto (right) is the hands-down favorite to take home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work on Dallas Buyers Club . Also on Saturday, newcomer Lupita Nyong'o won best supporting actress for her role as hardworking slave Patsey in 12 Years a Slave but she faces a challenge at the Oscars from Jennifer Lawrence as the loopy housewife in American Hustle. Sunday's show caps an unusually long awards season extended by weeks by the Winter Olympics and fatigue was evident. 'Yeah, I'm a little bit tired today,' Blanchett said on Saturday, adding 'but I'm full of adrenaline, whatever happens, it's a very exciting place to be.' The Oscars show will feature homages to movie heroes and The Wizard of Oz on its 75th anniversary. U2 and Pharrell Williams will be among the performers for best original song. Among the presenters will be Hollywood power couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as well as Sidney Poitier on the 50th anniversary of his best actor win for Lilies of the Field, the first Oscar in that category for an African American. | Days of heavy rains gave the Oscar's red-carpet a soaking on the morning of the ceremony .
Hollywood royalty expected to enjoy sunshine as they parade down the carpet ahead of this evening's ceremony .
Gravity and 12-Years a Slave front runners for Oscar success . |
fd3d840a73322a318c149bf4e10d67e44739ffdd | Sex Pistols front-man Johnny Rotten - real name John Lydon - urged voters to ignore Russell Brand . Veteran punk front-man Johnny Rotten has urged youngsters to ignore Russell Brand – and make sure they get out and use their vote. The Sex Pistols lead singer, who once claimed to be the antichrist who wanted to ‘destroy passers-by’, said Brand was a 'b**hole'. Rotten, also known by his real name John Lydon, said: ‘If you don’t vote, you don’t count. It’s only a century ago that none of us had the right to vote and we don’t want to go back to that route.’ The 58-year-old refused to say who he supported, adding: ‘I’m very wary of tagging my name on to supporting any of those phoney b*****ds, but don’t be like Russell Brand.’ The remarks, to the Cheltenham Literature Festival, come after Mr Brand sparked controversy after calling on voters to ignore the upcoming election. The Hollywood star and comedian told the BBC: 'Don't bother voting. Stop voting stop pretending, wake up, be in reality now. Why vote? We know it's not going to make any difference.' He added: ‘It is not that I am not voting out of apathy. I am not voting out of absolute indifference and weariness and exhaustion from the lies, treachery and deceit of the political class that has been going on for generations.’ Brand said Mr Lydon's experience at state school ‘seemed to primarily be the installation of a belief system that placed his generation and class at the bottom of an immovable hierarchical structure’. But Mr Lydon urged people dissatisfied with politics to take their grievances to their local council. ‘Go to town hall meetings and give them f***ing hell,’ he said. ‘I’m not being flippant. If you don’t start locally you’re not going to change the world.’ It is not the first time Mr Brand’s comments have been criticised in public. Former Home Secretary David Blunkett said the comments were likely to further entrench people’s anger with politicians. He pointed to figures showing that ‘older people, wealthier people, better educated people, engaged people’ are most likely to vote, which ‘young people, poor people, badly educated people’ are the least. As a result politicians of all parties ‘fear alienating’ the more engaged, while choosing to ‘ignore’ those who do not bother voting, placing them instead in the ‘firing line’ for spending cuts. ‘Paradoxically the more those who are not engaged are ignored, targeted under the austerity programme and dismissed, the more alienated and disillusioned they become. Politicians they say "don’t give a damn about us".’ The Commons anti-sleaze watchdog has warned that the under-30s are particularly disenchanted, raising fears for the voter turnout in the future. But Mr Brand is not the only public figure to reveal that they had lost faith in the political process. Veteran former BBC presenter Jeremy Paxman revealed he failed to cast a ballot in a recent election because he was unable to choose between rival candidates. Comedian Russell Brand said people should not bother voting because there was a revolution coming . Former Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman said he once decided not to vote because the choice was so 'unappetising' Writing in the Radio Times, Mr Paxman said: ‘In one recent election, I decided not to vote, because I thought the choice so unappetising. ‘By the time the polls had closed and it was too late to take part, I was feeling really uncomfortable: the person who chooses not to vote – cannot even be bothered to write ‘none of the above’ on a ballot paper - disqualifies himself from passing any comment at all.’ But Paxman was heavily criticised by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg for setting a bad example. Mr Clegg said: ‘He’s a guy who gets paid £1million or thereabouts, paid for by taxpayers, he lives off politics and he spends all his time sneering at politics.’ | Punk frontman once claimed to be antichrist who would 'destroy passers-by'
Rotten, real name John Lydon, said: 'If you don’t vote, you don’t count'
58-year-old's remarks come after Brand urged people to reject democracy .
Brand said: 'Stop voting stop pretending, wake up, be in reality now' |
fd3e539598429f93c48caf861c2771282fbd0a5c | By . MailOnline Reporter . A father has been left outraged after his ten-month-old baby's grandfather doused her in freezing water as part of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Reggie Stiller posted a video online as part of the viral charity stunt where he doused himself - and his 10-month-old granddaughter Aria - with the freezing torrent. The baby's father, Claude Dalcour, from Houston, who is in the midst of a divorce from the child's mother, said he was disgusted by his former father-in-law's actions and that he should know better. Scroll down for video . Grandfather Reggie Stiller doused himself and his ten-month-old grand-daughter Aria as part of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, much to the outrage of the child's father . The little girl was drenched by the freezing water in the clip which was posted on Facebook. One stranger reportedly sent the link to the video to child services . Father Claude Dalcour told WTSP: 'I was shocked. Everybody I know was pretty much shocked and appalled.' Mr Dalcour said he contacted the police, adding: 'It's not his child, it's my child.' The grandfather does not appear to have been charged with any crime. Mr Stiller had today deleted his social media pages. The video has been shared on Facebook more than 20,000 times and led one stranger who viewed it to contact family services. It is not clear whether the agency will investigate. One outraged viewer Monique Nicole wrote: 'The fact that he just dumped ice cold water on the baby which could traumatize, cause shock or result in aspiration of water might be a factor of danger...' Another wrote LaTanya Haynes posted: 'I don't like my grandchildren to even cry!.....Shame on you B******!' Mr Dalcour, pictured with his estranged wife and right with his baby girl. He said he had contacted police after his ex-father-in-law involved the 10-month-old in an ice bucket challenge . | Reggie Stiller doused himself - and his 10-month-old granddaughter Aria - with the freezing bucket of water .
The baby girl's father said: 'Everybody I know was pretty much shocked and appalled'
A stranger who saw the video online contacted Texas department of child services . |
fd3e7160fedf39c0ef1a9522ecf5455d2f3c572b | (RollingStone.com) -- Before the curtain rose for "American Idiot" at Manhattan's St. James Theater last night, an announcer listed the house rules and then added, "By the way, the role of St. Jimmy will be played by Billie Joe Armstrong." The subsequent shrieking was likely the loudest ever for a Broadway stand-in. Green Day's buildup to the 'breakdown': A look back at the punk trio's career . It was an impressive Broadway debut for the Green Day frontman, whose character is an evil influence on the punky protagonist Jesus of Suburbia (played by John Gallagher Jr.) It was also a rare opportunity to see Armstrong in the role: He is filling in for Broadway vet Tony Vincent (who is on short leave for a family matter) for eight performances, the last one of which happens Sunday night. His lines were few, but the 38-year-old fell naturally into the flow of the choreography, and of course, he gave inimitable, passionate performances of his own songs ("Homecoming," "She's a Rebel," "Last Night on Earth," and "Know Your Enemy.") 'American Idiot' musical: Meet the show's rocker cast . Armstrong appeared 30 minutes into the show, atop a moving staircase, where he howled the "1-2-3-4" count-off during "St. Jimmy." The applause was deafening as he sang the first lines: He strutted down the stairs, grabbed his crotch during the thrashing breakdown, and joined the rest of the cast in their choreographed moves, shooting them up with heroin. As the track's final note was struck, he grasped hands with Gallagher, and remained in the position for a full minute, to huge applause. Video: Green Day on 'American Idiot' "It turns out he's a really good actor," Michael Alden, a fan in his early twenties, told Rolling Stone after the show. "He actually danced. There was choreography, and I believed his character." Since the musical (which is based on the 2004 Green Day album of the same name, which itself sold five million copies and won a Grammy for Best Rock Album) debuted in April, Billie Joe has promoted it tirelessly, once surprising the audience with a short Green Day set, performing with the cast on Monday Night Football and appearing on local New York television. "These people were on a stage singing my songs -- it was kind of like being invited to your own funeral," Armstrong told "Rolling Stone" after witnessing the play last spring. "It blew me away." Peter Travers reviews 'American Idiot' Playing St. Jimmy amounts to Armstrong's biggest show of support yet for the show, which last week played to half-full houses. (Last night appeared to be sold out.) He was respectful of the role, and seemingly intent on not overshadowing the cast -- he never broke character or sang numbers outside of his role. Still, he brought 20 years of stage experience to the role. He stood on a television during "Know Your Enemy," making his trademark bug eyes and pantomiming a gun to his head, and ripped off his shirt during "The Death of St. Jimmy" (revealing plenty of chest tattoos) as the cast crowded around him until he fell backward into their arms. After the full-cast bow (Armstrong didn't take his own), the curtain reopened while the full cast held acoustic guitars. Armstrong picked the opening notes to for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," taking the full first verse -- typically, the cast trades lines -- then left rest of them to the actors. Afterwards, the audience spilled onto 44th Street and a massive mob waited for Armstrong to emerge (he eventually did, but went straight to his car.) "It was surreal to see [Armstrong] singing what he wrote up close and personal," 19-year-old Natalie Kolbo said outside. "From the first moment he was there, I was in awe." Copyright © 2010 Rolling Stone. | Green Day singer kicks off eight performances as St. Jimmy in the struggling musical .
The "American Idiot" musical is based off the album, which won a Grammy for Best Rock Album .
"He actually danced. There was choreography, and I believed his character," fan says . |
fd3eb4adf0a9cb11f2abb698c994235476eb4a00 | Children of the 80s will stand in awe that a working hoverboard is finally a reality, but is it stable enough for skateboard legend Tony Hawk to master? Turns out the answer is yes, though even Hawk took a bit to find his comfort zone on the board. Hawk showed off his moves in a new video showcasing the new technology from California company Arx Pax. Hawk showed off his moves in a new video showcasing the new technology from California company Arx Pax . The Ride Channel reports that the hoverboard tech 'relies on magnets, which means the hoverboard can, for the time being, only hover over non-ferrous materials' The device basically works on magnetic surfaces but the company hopes to ideally get it working in other areas . The Ride Channel reports that the hoverboard tech 'relies on magnets, which means the hoverboard can, for the time being, only hover over non-ferrous materials.' 'Right now, what we have is essentially the Model-T [of hoverboards],' said This is a proof of concept. And because we made this big leap in efficiency, we are able now to do what other folks couldn’t do on a conductive material like aluminum or copper. As we optimize this system, ideally we’ll be able to go on other surfaces.' Greg Henderson. Once used to the technology, Hawk was able to ride the 90-pound board up and down the studio's pipe and even pull off a few tricks . Hawk managed to perform a number of tricks though the board wasn't the easiest to ride . Once used to the technology, Hawk was able to ride the 90-pound board up and down the studio's pipe and even pull off a few tricks. And while it wasn't the easiest device to ride, the fact that it exists at all is cause to celebrate. That a working hoverboard exists at all should please children of the 80s . | Hawk showed off his moves in a new video showcasing the new technology from California company Arx Pax .
Device weights 90 pounds and operates on magnetic surfaces .
Once used to the device, Hawk was able to ride the board up and down the studio's pipe and even pull off a few tricks . |
fd3f2d846cf0f19f41f6d3633fcba9bbecad9978 | Buenos Aires (CNN) -- Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was released from a Buenos Aires hospital Sunday, days after undergoing surgery there, state media reported. Doctors operated on Fernandez on Tuesday to remove a blood clot on the surface of her brain. "The president is in very good spirits and due to her excellent recovery she will be released from the hospital," government spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro told reporters. The state-run Telam news agency reported that Fernandez left the hospital Sunday afternoon. Last weekend, doctors diagnosed Fernandez, 60, with a subdural hematoma and said she needed to take a month off of work. On Sunday, doctors said she must follow strict rest for 30 days and avoid air travel. A subdural hematoma is a blood clot on the brain's surface beneath its outer covering, called the dura. Often, in people over 60, a brain trauma can cause the blood vessels in the brain to tear and blood to clot. According to Argentina's constitution, the vice president assumes the presidency temporarily in the president's absence. CNN's Jose Manuel Rodriguez reported from Buenos Aires. CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet reported from Atlanta. | Spokesman: "Due to her excellent recovery she will be released from the hospital"
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner underwent surgery Tuesday .
Last weekend doctors diagnosed her with a subdural hematoma . |
fd402bf6f896d42557c729f6882c9c9895c646ce | House Speaker John Boehner announced Thursday that Pope Francis will address a joint meeting of Congress in the fall. He'll be the first Pontiff to do so. Boehner made the announcement at his weekly press conference, then issued a statement of thanks that the pope had accepted his invitation. The joint meeting of the House and Senate wil be convened on Sept. 24. Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued an 'open invitation' to Francisin March 2014 . SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . HOLY CONGRESS: Pope Francis will become the first Pontiff to address a joint meeting of Congress in September . COMING TO THE EAST COAST: On Wednesday the pope held his weekly 'general audience' in the Vatican, and thousands showed up . Six million people turned out in Manila to worship at a Mass celebrated by the pope during his visit last month to the Philippines . 'Whether inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, who cared for all of God’s creation, or by St. Joseph, protector of the church, Pope Francis has lived his values and upheld his promise to be a moral force, to protect the poor and the needy, to serve as a champion of the less fortunate, and to promote love and understanding among faiths and nations,' Pelosi said then in a statement. Both Pelosi and Boehner are Catholics, although the top cardinal at the highest court in the Holy See has declared that Pelosi forfeited her right to take Communion because of her pro-abortion views. Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke said Canon 915 states that Catholics who are stubbornly contrary 'in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.' Pope Francis has scheduled his first papal visit to the United States this fall, with stops in Washington, New York and Philadelphia. In New York he will address a general session of the United Nations. President Obama plans to greet him at the White House. Throngs of Roman Catholics are expected to clog streets in all three cities to hear him speak. Last month in Manila, 6 million of the faithful came to a Mass the pope celebrated during his visit to the Philippines, which is 86 per cent Catholic. There are 78.2 million baptized Catholics in the United States, or about a quarter of the population. Catholicism is America's most prevalent religious denomination. House Speaker John Boehner announced on Thursday that Pope Francis will address a joint meeting of the US Congress on Sept. 24 . SPEAKER'S DUTY: Boehner greeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2011 before he spoke to Congress, and 'Bibi' is scheduled to return on March 3 . Like John Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is a Catholic – but the top cardinal at the Vatican's highest court says she can't receive Communion because she's pro-abortion . The pope 'will become the first leader of the Holy See to address a joint meeting of Congress,' Boehner's statement said. 'It will be a historic visit, and we are truly grateful that Pope Francis has accepted our invitation.' 'In a time of global upheaval, the Holy Father's message of compassion and human dignity has moved people of all faiths and backgrounds,' the speaker said. 'His teachings, prayers, and very example bring us back to the blessings of simple things and our obligations to one another.' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell added that 'the American people look forward to hearing Pope Francis’ call to love our neighbors and to find new and creative ways to meet the pressing needs of those who exist on the fringes of society.' 'From the slums of Buenos Aires to St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis is moving the hearts of millions and inspiring a new generation with an engaging and compelling style.' The last U.S. papal visit came in 2008 when Pope Benedict XVI visited Washington and celebrated Mass at Nationals Stadium, a baseball park that seats nearly 42,000. | The pope is planning to visit Washington, Philadelphia and New York City during his first papal visit to the US in the fall .
Historic speech will be on September 24 .
House Speaker John Boehner announced the plan on Thursday during his weekly press conference .
The pope has accepted an 'open invitation' first extended 11 months ago . |
fd404009630b3c98a21ed2996e88faac34d2059f | A Connecticut teacher who repeatedly had sex with one of her teenage students in her car threatened to fail him when he tried to break off their affair, police have said. Danielle Watkins, who is married with two young children, also sent the 18-year-old nude pictures during their eight-month relationship and supplied him and a friend with marijuana, cops said. The 32-year-old teacher, who taught English at Stamford High School, turned herself into authorities in Stamford on Thursday and has been charged with sexual assault, among other charges. The affair was revealed when the teen told a school counselor about their relationship in June. The counselor then alerted the Department of Children and Families and the Board of Education. 'Affair': Danielle Watkins, pictured left and in her mug shot right, allegedly had an eight-month sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student. She also allegedly provided him with marijuana . The boy waited until he had finished classes before going to authorities because, when he previously tried to call off the affair, Watkins said she would fail him and accused him of seeing someone else. The pair allegedly had sex numerous times in her car as it was parked off school property during school hours, The Courant reported. Watkins, a teacher for nine years, also allegedly bought marijuana for him and a 15-year-old friend - whom she also taught - and let him drive her car while knowing he did not have a license. Her two students smoked the drug during school hours, sometimes on school grounds, the older boy told police. On June 26, three days after telling the counselor about the affair, he went to Stamford Police to make a statement about the relationship. The 15-year-old boy also gave a statement to police. Family: Watkins, an English teacher who allegedly threatened to fail the boy when he tried to break off their relationship, is pictured with her husband and one of their children . On June 27, police officers pulled over Watkins' car and inside they found marijuana and a cell phone, which contained evidence she had sent naked photos of herself to the boy. Lt. Diedrich Hohn, in charge of the . case, told MailOnline that she was 'hostile' and 'verbally . combative' during the search. As cops pulled her over, she had tried to hide her cellphone under the . passenger seat, he said. Watkins allegedly exchanged more than 2,000 text messages and hundreds of phone calls with the teenager. On Thursday, she was charged her with sexual assault and sale of marijuana in regard to the first victim and sale of marijuana and risk of injury to a minor in connection with the younger boy. She was released on $100,000 bond and she is scheduled to appear in court July 31. Scene: She met him at Stamford High School in Connecticut, pictured, but is now on administrative leave . Superintendent Winifred Hamilton said Watkins has been placed on administrative leave until the investigation is complete. 'We are aware of the allegations,' Hamilton said. 'We take these issues very seriously and always act to protect the welfare of our students.' Address records show Watkins, lives with a man, Jermaine, whom she is believed to be married to. Facebook images suggest they have two children together. She was also . arrested earlier this year in her home town of Norwalk after . prescription pills were found in her car after a minor accident. Neighbors say the married mother-of-two then went into rehab. | Connecticut teacher Danielle Watkins 'had an eight-month affair with one of her students and sent him nude pictures of herself'
She 'supplied him and his 15-year-old friend with marijuana'
The boy told a counselor about the affair - but only after the school year had ended 'because Watkins had threatened to fail him if he dumped her'
She turned herself into cops on Thursday . |
fd4075f5545fa0288ae16f4c533cc7034f6ca5fe | By . Alex Finnis for MailOnline . A married driving instructor has been caught cheating on his wife - after photos taken on a traffic camera of him kissing one of his pupils went viral in China. Hsin Sung, 43, from Foshan in southern China's Guangdong Province, thought he was safe from prying eyes as he parked his red Volkswagen in an underpass and embraced his student. But he had no idea the traffic camera would catch him in the act - and that those photos would then end up all over China's social networking sites. Scroll down for video . There's no licence for this! Hsin Sung is caught cheating on his wife with a pupil by a traffic camera . His wife T'ian was just one of millions who came across the photos online. One user of China's social media website Weibo, named as YiMinSun3, said: 'Not only is he cheating on his wife, he's cheating on his bosses too.' She added: 'It must be pretty nice work to get paid for doing that sort of thing.' And another Weibo user, LuHsin, commented that the young woman was using the wrong driving stick. Busted! Mr Sung thought he was safe from prying eyes after driving into an underpass . Ssecond pair of eyes: This traffic camera helped wife T'ian find out about her cheating husband's acts . The shamed driving instructor admitted to it being him in the photos, but claimed he was just trying to 'comfort' the student, saying that she had just failed a test. 'Yes, it's me on the film and this has caused me a lot of trouble with my wife. But my student was very upset and I was trying to help her regain her confidence. It was just to comfort her. That's all, I promise,' he said. Managers from his driving school were furious that the road traffic surveillance video ended up being leaked to the internet, damaging the reputation of their company, and have made a formal complaint. And the way the pictures emerged also angered some Chinese internet-users. One, identified as SyingTsou, said: 'The only people with access to this video are government officials. It's pretty sick that they spy on people and then release the footage for fun.' | Hsin Sung, 43, from southern China, was caught by a traffic camera .
His wife T'ian was one of millions who saw the viral photos online .
Mr Sung claims he was just trying to comfort the student after failed test . |
fd41050f15c4e5b81494ee785c3497a2b2f1ab3a | By . Pa Reporter . Burnley's return to the Premier League begins with a tough opener against Jose Mourinho's Chelsea at Turf Moor. Sean Dyche will hope to make a statement in tonight's game, as will Mourinho, whose side go into the match as strong favourites. With a newly promoted team on show, as well as a number of big name summer signings to analyse, the Monday night football fixture is set to be an intriguing affair. Here is everything you need to know about Burnley's clash with Chelsea; from team news and provisional squads to betting odds and Opta stats. Burnley vs Chelsea (Turf Moor) Kick-off: Monday 8pm - Sky Sports 1 . Odds (subject to change): . Burnley 8/1 . Draw 7/2 . Chelsea 2/5 . Referee: Michael Oliver . Managers: Sean Dyche (Burnley),Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) Head-to-head league record: Burnley wins 36, draws 16, Chelsea wins 28 . Team news . Burnley . Burnley make their return to the Barclays Premier League with a virtually fully-fit squad. Only striker Sam Vokes, who ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in March, definitely misses Monday's clash against Chelsea at Turf Moor. Ready to go: Burnley's summer signing Lukas Jutkiewcz (right) will hope to make his debut . Summer signings Lukas Jutkiewicz, Michael Kightly, Steven Reid, Marvin Sordell and Matt Taylor will hope to make their debuts. Provisional squad: Heaton, Trippier, Lafferty, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Wallace, Marney, Ings, Kightly, Jones, Taylor, Sordell, Reid, Jutkiewicz, Gilks, Long, Barnes, Hewitt, Arfield. Chelsea . Jose Mourinho will keep Thibaut Courtois and Petr Cech guessing on which goalkeeper will start Chelsea's Barclays Premier League clash at Burnley on Monday night. Striker Didier Drogba is expected to shake off an ankle problem to be passed fit for action, with Diego Costa and Fernando Torres also in contention. Provisional squad: Cech, Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luis, Terry, Cahill, Zouma, Ivanovic, Ake, Mikel, Matic, Ramires, Fabregas, Van Ginkel, Oscar, Willian, Salah, Hazard, Moses, Schurrle, Torres, Costa, Drogba. New kid on the block: Thibaut Courtois is expected to challenge Petr Cech to become No 1 goalkeeper . Key match stats (supplied by Opta) Burnley lost their only previous opening weekend fixture in the Barclays Premier League (0-2 to Stoke in Aug 2009). Jose Mourinho has seen Chelsea win on all five opening weekends that he has been manager. In fact, the Blues are unbeaten since 1998/99 on the opening day, winning 13 of 15 games (D2). Burnley lost both games against Chelsea during their only previous Premier League season (2009/10). Head boy: John Terry pounced to head home eight minutes from time at Turf Moor when Chelsea last met Burnley in January 2010, a game the Blues would win 2-1 . Chelsea have won more points than any other team on the opening weekend of Premier League seasons (47). Cesc Fabregas has scored in each of his two Premier League appearances against Burnley. Chelsea allowed the joint-fewest shots on target against them in 2013-14 (122; along with Man City). Burnley allowed fewer shots on target against them than any other team in the Championship last season (159). Chelsea have conceded just 10 goals in their last 23 Premier League matches. Only Sunderland’s Vito Mannone (77.4 per cent) had a better save percentage than Petr Cech (76.9 per cent) in the 2013-14 Premier League. VIDEO Chelsea our biggest danger - Tueart . | Danny Ings will look to continue his fine Championship form in the Premier League .
Fixture to be shown live on Sky Sports' MNF .
Both sides will be out to make a statement .
Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa among Chelsea signings to make debuts .
Didider Drogba could return from ankle problem for the Blues .
Thibaut Courtois and Petr Cech to be kept guessing on starting role .
Sam Vokes only casualty for Burnley having been out since March .
Lukas Jutkiewicz and Michael Kightly among possible Clarets debutants .
Burnley back in Premier League for first time since 2010 . |
fd4132476cb0cfcb00bd9ccc58fb991124300c97 | In stark contrast to the bellicose gesturing that has haunted relations in the recent past, North and South Korea took conciliatory steps in each other's direction Friday. Both sides will halt the harsh rhetoric, they agreed at a bilateral meeting on the heavily militarized border that divides them. They hope that this and other agreements will serve to build trust between Pyongyang and Seoul, Kim Kyou-Hyun, a high South Korean security official, said after the meeting wrapped up. Pyongyang has been particularly irked by joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, and would like them to cease. The next ones are scheduled for later this month, and the North views them as a prelude to an invasion. Last year, Pyongyang's threatening rhetoric reached alarming levels during the exercises, heightening tensions in the region. Last week, the North threatened that if February's maneuvers went forward, it would back out of planned visits between members of Korean families separated from one another since the civil war in the 1950s. But, on Friday, they agreed to let them go forward. The reunions of about 200 people -- 100 from each country -- are scheduled to take place between February 20 and 25 at a resort on the North's side of the border. They coincide with the planned military exercises. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the countries to build on the momentum that will be generated by their agreement to hold family reunions. "Tension between the two Koreas has been high and inter-Korean relations have remained strained for far too long. As such, this important development is a step in the right direction," Ban said in a statement Friday. He encouraged both sides to continue high-level engagement and take further steps to build confidence and trust. Trust us . So far, South Korea and the United States have rejected the North's calls for this year's joint drills to be called off. In September, North Korea canceled a previous round of family reunions with only a few days' notice, accusing Seoul of souring ties between the two countries. Officials from the North told the delegation from the South on Friday that it feels the military exercises and the humanitarian issue are connected, Kim said. The South rejected that connection in principle but asked the North for its trust in working out tensions over the joint military exercises. The North agreed to this. Both sides also decided to hold another meeting at a future date, Kim said. The current talks at the Panmunjom Peace House came at the suggestion of the North and took place Wednesday and Friday. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Seoul on Thursday, where he met with South Korea's President Park Geun-hye. He reiterated Washington's stance that the United States will not accept a nuclear armed North Korea and criticized a lack of progress by Pyongyang on this issue. Kerry visited Beijing on Friday, in part to talk with Chinese leaders about their influence over Pyongyang. | U.N. leader urges countries to advance high-level engagement .
Both sides will cut the harsh rhetoric, a South Korean official says .
South Korea asked the North for trust in handling a poignant issue that divides them .
The North agreed, and made a gesture of good will to back it up . |
fd41d12c6d4a85e628e0f42326c00075dc9985d1 | A convicted felon is suing television host Maury Povich after claiming that watching his seven-year-old daughter 'being exploited' on his tabloid talk show caused him to develop suicidal thoughts. Alan Griffin, an inmate at Columbia Correctional Institution in Lake City, Florida, was watching 'Maury' (or 'The Maury Povich Show') on a prison television when his only child, Lanique, came on-screen. During her appearance, Lanique - who was broadcast in the December 2010 episode alongside Griffin's ex-wife, Sherilitra Nash - spoke about her father and his status as an attempted murderer. The youngster's 'exploitation' reportedly caused Griffin such 'great emotional shock, grief and shame' that he developed suicidal thoughts and was placed in a 72-hour mental health hold. Host: A convicted felon is suing television host Maury Povich (pictured) after claiming that watching his seven-year-old daughter 'being exploited' on his tabloid talk show caused him to develop suicidal thoughts . The felon - who has been in prison since 2002 for sexual battery, as well as second-degree attempted murder - was also forced to undertake a year of psychiatric counseling,TMZ reported. Now, Griffin is suing 75-year-old Povich, his production company and NBC for $100,000 each, claiming that he never gave his consent to have his daughter appear on the long-running show. 'Seeing my seven-year-old daughter on this broadcast was a great emotional shock, grief, shame, and embarrassment because the topic of the program was myself,' he said in a filed handwritten lawsuit. He added that the following day, he suffered from 'suicidal thoughts which derived from seeing his only child being exploited' by Povich. This caused him to be put under suicide watch for three days. Prison: Alan Griffin, an inmate at Columbia Correctional Institution (pictured) in Lake City, Florida, was watching 'Maury' (or 'The Maury Povich Show') on a prison TV when his only child, Lanique, came on-screen . Show: The youngster's 'exploitation' on the show (pictured) reportedly caused Griffin such 'great emotional shock, grief and shame' that he developed suicidal thoughts and was placed in a 72-hour mental health hold . According to prison records, Griffin, who filed the lawsuit on December 17, 2014, has 'Lanique' tattooed on his left shoulder. Details of his crimes and sentence remain unknown . Since its first airing in 1991, 'Maury' has covered an array of issues, including teenage pregnancy, adoption, paternity test results, makeovers, obesity and domestic violence. On March 26, 2013, the show was renewed for three years until 2018. | Alan Griffin, convicted attempted murderer, was watching TV in prison .
Seven-year-old daughter, Lanique, appeared on Povich's show 'Maury'
During episode, Lanique spoke of her father and his status as a felon .
Griffin claims her appearance caused him 'emotional shock and shame' |
fd41dd0ebee0577a218308cd81ce4c6426caf960 | By . Mail Online Reporter . The boys and girls of TV reality show TOWIE are having a whale of a time filming their summer specials in Marbella this week. The Spanish port is known for its glamorous residents and visitors and is the perfect place for the Essex group to show off their seaside wardrobes, as well as the beach bodies they have been working so hard on for the last few months. Their holiday style is not for the fainthearted: super-sized sunglasses, tiny bikinis and towering heels are the norm for this group of overdressed and overexcitable television stars. But if you fancy channelling Jessica Wright and friends on your next Easyjet jaunt here are some style lessons to take note of... Scroll down for video . Here comes summer: The cast of reality show TOWIE have landed in Marbella to film their summer special . Chloe Sims (left) and Dani Armstrong (right) both chose neon two-pieces for an early episode . Jessica Wright (left) chose a coral halterneck and Grace Andrews (right) rocked a yellow sunshine design . Part-time banker Jasmin Walia, who has returned to 'Marbs' for the second year, chose a teeny coral style . Dani Armstrong (left) and Georgia Kousoulou (right) like to go for the more is more approach to detail on their swimwear . Lydia Bright (left) and Lauren Pope (right) don't go with the OTT Towie flow and instead opt for simple, Seventies style patterned one-pieces . Elliott Wright and Chloe Sims in designer shades and matching megawatt smiles . Ricky Rayment and Jessica Wright didn't take a minimal approach to dressing for the heat . Charlie Sims and Ferne McCann showed off a bit of leg and Zoolander pouts . Patterns and piles of fabric are on trend for Dani Armstrong (left) and Jessica Wright (right) Gemma Collins wore a customised version of a £55 kaftan from her own range . Partners in fashion crimes Bobby Cole Norris and Harry Derbridge braved half-size budgie smugglers . | Reality show is filming summer specials in the Spanish town of Marbella .
The cast have been dressing up to party on yachts and at VIP beach bars .
Blinging swimwear and heels on the beach are the norm for the girls .
Bobby Norris and Harry Derbridge have braved tiny half-width trunks . |
fd427786af6b175f36ba16fff52394f4916e2e4f | By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 09:36 EST, 12 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:24 EST, 12 March 2014 . Nestled deep in the Western Australian bush is a species of tiny jumping spider that takes part in an elaborate and colourful dance. The dramatic-looking peacock spiders appear to be getting ready to attack, but this colourful display is designed to attract a mate. It is similar to peacock birds, where the species of spider gets its nickname from, and the ritual is a rare sight to be caught on camera. Scroll down for video . The tiny 4.5mm spider is also known as the Maratus avibus. The males' abdomen is made up of blue, red and green eye-catching flaps, pictured. These rare images were captured by biologist Dr Jurgen Otto near Esperance in Western Australia . Peacock spiders can only be found in Australia, and . this particular species - Maratus avibus - is only found at one . location, near Cape Arid, Western Australia. When a male peacock spider senses a . female it begins the mating ritual by lifting its legs and flashing . its stomach in a sequence that looks like a dance routine. The . females carefully study the colouring, vibrations and movements of the . male to make sure the potential suitor is healthy and the correct . species to mate with. Once . he has mated, he will repeat this dance with as many females as he can . find and Maratus spiders can have multiple partners at one time. These images were captured by biologist Dr Jurgen . Otto and friend David Knowles near Esperance, Western Australia. The tiny 4.5mm spider is also known as the Maratus avibus. The males' abdomen is made up of blue, red and green eye-catching . flaps. Dr Otto, 48, said: 'The reason they have such elaborate flaps or fans is simply to appear attractive to a female. 'Only the male possess these flaps and he displays them to the female during a brief courtship dance. It is similar to what happens with birds of paradise or peacocks. 'The . males do not discriminate between the females of different species and . will display their bright bodies to females that belong to other . species.' Dr Otto, 48, said: 'The reason they have such elaborate flaps or fans is simply to appear attractive to a female. Only the male possess these flaps and he displays them to the female during a brief courtship dance. It is similar to what happens with birds of paradise or peacocks' When a male peacock spider senses a female it begins the mating ritual by lifting its legs and flashing its stomach in a sequence that looks like a dance routine, pictured . Peacock spiders can only be found in Australia, and this particular species - Maratus avibus - is only found at one location, near Cape Arid, Western Australia, marked at A . Peacock spiders can only be found in Australia, and . this particular species - Maratus avibus - is only found at one . location, near Cape Arid, Western Australia. When a male peacock spider senses a . female it begins the mating ritual by lifting its legs and flashing . its stomach in a sequence that looks like a dance routine. The . females carefully study the colouring, vibrations and movements of the . male to make sure the potential suitor is healthy and the correct . species to mate with. Once . he has mated, he will repeat this dance with as many females as he can . find, and Maratus spiders can have multiple partners at once. The females carefully study the colouring, vibrations and movements of the male to make sure the potential suitor is healthy and the correct species to mate with. Once he has mated, he will repeat this dance, pictured, with as many females as he can find and Maratus spiders can have multiple partners at one time . Dr Otto, from Sydney, Australia, did not even know the spider, pictured, existed before he discovered it in October: 'There are many unnamed species in this group, some of these are already known to a few scientists or photographers but they have not yet been named' It was first thought the flaps, pictured, helped the spiders glide. They were initially nicknamed gliding spiders, but research ruled this out . Dr Otto, from Sydney, Australia, did not even know the spider, pictured, existed before he discovered it in October: 'There are many unnamed species in this group, some of these are already known to a few scientists or photographers but they have not yet been named.' 'I am certain there are many others in existence that nobody has ever seen, but . the design on the spider's abdomen looks like two birds facing each . other - which made experts choose the name 'avibus', meaning 'birds.'' The tiny, colourful spiders all come . from the Maratus genus of arachnids, and are members of the Salticidae . family of jumping spiders. It was first thought that the colourful stomach flaps were used to help the jumping Maratus spiders glide. As a result, they were initially . nicknamed gliding spiders. However, research has ruled this out and the . display is thought to be mainly for mating. | Peacock spiders are so small you could fit ten of them on a fingernail .
The abdomen of the male peacock spiders is covered in colourful flaps .
Males dance and display these colours in an attempt to attract a mate .
They display these colours to females of their own, and other, species .
They're found in Western Australia and this species only lives in Cape Arid . |
fd430b256b4810d3b8352157ead7960bbff86ee7 | Waiting for my shipmates to arrive, I sprawl on the deck of Nomad, a 37ft yacht, and look across the water from Gosport to Portsmouth. With a backing track of halyards clinking against masts in the marina, and the sea reflecting the sun’s evening rays, it is hard to believe this is England. Exhilarating: Sailing boats navigating the Isle of Wight in blustery but sunny weather during Cowes week . I’m here for a five-day yachting course with Nomad Sailing, a training centre run by RYA-certified instructor Jim Barden and his sister, Lou. The pair abandoned their day jobs in 2008 to teach full-time, and lead shore-based theory classes in London and the South-East, as well as practical courses on the Solent. Families can learn with Nomad en masse ahead of a Mediterranean flotilla holiday. Ahoy! Instructor Lou Barden offers a student the benefit of her experience on one of Nomad's courses . My fellow mariners include a sailing novice from Poland, a boat-owning barrister from Eastbourne and a human resources manager from Essex. What do we have in common? Little, besides our love of the sea. But we don’t waste time on small talk: before long we’re rubbing sun cream into one another’s backs and sharing grisly details of our love lives. Instructor Jim is equipped not just with limitless knowledge, but a buoyant personality. It’s high fives all round when we get something right. Leaving Gosport bright and early on the first day, we practise our manoeuvres and then sail across to the Isle of Wight. There’s great satisfaction in navigating your way using a chart, pencil, plotter and compass. The boat is rigged with a state-of-the-art GPS system, but the RYA insists we learn the manual methods. It’s a challenge - one false tidal calculation can leave you washed up for hours. Sundowner: The sunset at Poole Harbour, where the Nomad moors up for the night . We sleep on Nomad each night, and take turns cooking. In Yarmouth, I conjure up a spag bol. The barrister delivers his verdict - the carrots should have been chopped smaller - before Jim takes us ashore to Salty’s, a packed sailors’ bar where dancing on the tables is compulsory. We journey on to Poole, where we moor up against the sea wall and sleep to the smell of fish and chips, then the pretty market town of Lymington, and over to Cowes, where preparations for the regatta are in full swing. Sail away: Sailing boats compete in Cowes Week (left); boats moored up in Lymington's pretty harbour (right) We even sail breathtakingly close to the toothy Needles. The trip proves a great opportunity for a whistle-stop tour of English seaside towns, and the hard work of our daytime sails is balanced with chilly swims, ice cream and boozy evenings. The highlight is our night sail, using nothing but lights to guide the way. My heart thumps as we slip the lines at dusk and chug from Lymington into an empty sea. ‘In one minute you should see a green buoy to starboard, flashing every four seconds,’ the skipper calls from the chart table, as the crew peer through binoculars. The line on the horizon where the sea meets the sky is indistinguishable in the dark, and it feels as though we’re floating on air. Practical courses with Nomad Sailing (01424 461185, www.nomadsailing.co.uk) run between March and November, from £245 per person. Price includes food and accommodation. | The Solent is a great place to learn to sail - but warm weather always helps .
Courses cover a full range of skills, including how to navigate in darkness .
Students - who can be from all walks of life - live and sleep on their yacht . |
fd433f2f6bf6371b9bb50bfa329279541f4ef327 | The son of a flamboyant Soho nightclub boss dubbed the ‘king of the booze cruise’ has been charged with his murder after allegedly stabbing him in a drunken row. David West, 70, a self-styled ‘lord’, died of a single knife wound at his £2.5million Mayfair home on Friday. The divorced father of three, who bought the title ‘Lord of the Manor of Hollesley’ on eBay, worked closely with his son, also called David West, 44. Nightclub owner David West, centre, was found stabbed to death at his home in Mayfair on Friday night . Police were called to a building where the men lived in adjacent flats at 6pm on Friday. West Jr was arrested nearby and is due to appear at Westminster magistrates’ court today. Yesterday friends paid tribute to the man dubbed ‘king of the booze cruise’ who made millions flogging £1-a-bottle wine and cigarettes to coaches of Brits. The cockney, known for his £5,000 Italian pink suits, mullet haircut and crocodile skin shoes, rose from barrow boy to head a £100million empire and once tried to sue David and Victoria Beckham for slander for saying he was not welcome at their World Cup party despite paying £100,000 for a ticket. West said they did not want him at the 2006 ball, banned him from carrying a mobile phone and told him his pink suit was against the dress code. A High Court judge threw out the case, however. A year later, he hired barrister Cherie Blair to fight the public smoking ban – then a flagship policy of her husband Tony Blair’s government. The prime minister’s wife was taken to West’s erotic nightclub Hey Jo, named after his 21-year-old girlfriend Joanna Dudzik – who he lavished £400,000 on, then took to the High Court to try to curb her spending. Mrs Blair’s tour of the £4million club, with its explicit decor, ‘bondage booth’ and waitresses dressed as nurses, caused a sensation. The flamboyant man's 44-year-old son, also called David West, was charged with his murder on Saturday night . A post-mortem examination revealed that a single stab wound was the cause of Mr West's death . David West, pictured in a pink suit with his Bentley, owned a popular Mayfair nightclub and restaurant . Traces of polonium-210 were later found in the club after two ex-KGB agents wanted for the murder of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko visited in 2007. West, from Romford, Essex, started as an East End market trader before he and his wife Kathy opened greasy spoon cafes in Belgium and Calais. His firm, EastEnders, became part of Europe’s largest British-owned cash-and-carry group – with its own wine label, The Dogs B*******. His 30-year marriage failed in 1999 when he took up with a 23-year-old French blonde, quickly followed by a series of young girlfriends. West admitted trawling Russian bride websites and at one stage shared his flat with three Estonian girls. He ran a talent firm, a restaurant called Abracadabra and a Mayfair lapdancing club, Puss In Boots. He also owned 4 Star Hostel, a women’s guesthouse near Piccadilly Circus, and gentlemen’s club Mandy’s. Last night his business associate Harry Barnett, 72, who was friends with West for 60 years, said: ‘I can’t believe it. They were very close. Dave lived with his dad all his life, apart from when he was married. The pensioner, originally from Romford, Essex, started his career as a market trader in the East End of London . The 70-year-old's son, also called David West, has been charged with his murder and is due in court on Monday . He owned Mayfair night club HeyJo (pictured) and the Abracadabra restaurant, both located on Jermyn Street . ‘It’s his other son, James, I feel for now. He is in bits. He’s lost his dad and his brother in one hit.’ At his home in Brentwood, Essex, West’s youngest son James said: ‘We want to keep it a private matter.’ West once said of his children: ‘I gave them some money – enough to start their own businesses – and waved them off. ‘They drive the flash cars and wear all the trendy designer gear, but I have to hope we’ve brought them up right. The best thing in the world would be for me to see them making a go of a business. It’s all I ever wanted, and it’s all I’ve ever done.’ Last night friends remembered West online. Mickey Helliet said: ‘Really going to miss him, a real character.’ Jelena Gauthier said: ‘Such a gracious host, flamboyant man and a playful soul.’ Alex Mills, who starred in The Apprentice last year, tweeted: ‘Terribly sad news.’ As well as HeyJo (pictured) he also is believed to have owned a gentleman's club called Mandy's . Mr West lived in a three-bedroom house in Ormond Yard, where police and paramedics were called on Friday . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | David West, 70, died of a single knife wound at his £2.5million home .
The divorced father of three worked closely with his 44-year-old son .
Also called David West, he was arrested following death on Friday .
Friends have paid tribute to flamboyant nightclub owner . |
fd4366d1258f49b5b913d1630e5f972d4a249596 | Stem cells can be used to heal the damage in the brain caused by Parkinson's disease, according to scientists in Sweden. They said their study on rats heralded a 'huge breakthrough' towards developing effective treatments. There is no cure for the disease, but medication and brain stimulation can alleviate symptoms. Parkinson's UK said there were many questions still to be answered before human trials could proceed. Scientists have found stem cells can heal the damage to the brain caused by Parkinson's disease. The actor Billy Connolly (pictured) was revealed last year he has been diagnosed with the condition . Researchers said their study on rats using stem cells (pictured) heralded a 'huge breakthrough' towards developing effective treatments for the condition . The disease is caused by the loss of nerve cells in the brain that produce the chemical dopamine, which helps to control mood and movement. Comedian Billy Connolly revealed last year he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The Scottish actor, 71, was diagnosed by a doctor in a hotel lobby, who spotted that his gait suggested he was showing early signs of the illness. In the new study, to simulate Parkinson's, Lund University researchers killed dopamine-producing neurons on one side of the rats' brains. They then converted human embryonic stem cells into neurons that produced dopamine. These were injected into the rats' brains, and the researchers found evidence that the damage was reversed. There have been no human clinical trials of stem-cell-derived neurons, but the researchers said they could be ready for testing by 2017. Malin Parmar, associate professor of developmental and regenerative neurobiology, said: 'It's a huge breakthrough in the field [and] a stepping stone towards clinical trials.' A similar method has been tried in a limited number of patients. It involved taking brain tissue from multiple aborted foetuses to heal the brain. Clinical trials were abandoned after mixed results, but about a third of the patients had foetal brain cells that functioned for 25 years. Using embryonic stem cells may be preferable, as it is easier to get hold of the large numbers of cells needed for transplant by growing them in the laboratory. But Parkinson's UK has said there are still questions that must be answered before human trials can proceed. The disease is caused by the loss of nerve cells in the brain that produce the chemical dopamine, which helps to control mood and movement . It also opens up the possibility of using less ethically charged sources of stem cells, such as those made from adult tissue. The charity Parkinson's UK said the research 'could be a stride towards clinical trials in people with Parkinson's'. Its director of research and development, Arthur Roach, said: 'This important research is a key step along the way in helping us to understand how stem cells might shape future Parkinson's treatments. 'There are important potential advantages of these cells over the foetal-derived cells used in past cell transplantation work. 'This study could be a stride towards clinical trials in people with Parkinson's but there are still many questions that need to be answered before this development can be tested in people with the condition.' | Scientists at Sweden's Lund University have hailed study a 'breakthrough'
Found stem cells can heal the damage caused by Parkinson's disease .
Parkinson's UK said there remain many questions before human trials . |
fd44423a6d8f89f849b4897ae5fac0a15670e400 | By . Hannah Ellis-petersen . PUBLISHED: . 16:00 EST, 5 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:00 EST, 5 October 2013 . Overweight, badly dressed and with fragile mental health, operatic singer Jonathan Antoine was vulnerable when he stepped on to the stage at Britain’s Got Talent last year. As he faced the judgment of Simon Cowell – and millions of viewers – there were fears he would endure the same fate as Susan Boyle, who suffered a breakdown after the pressures of the show. But instead, the 20st teenager overcame his demons and began to blossom. His depression lifted and he now credits the show with rescuing him from suicide. Road to recovery: Since finding fame, Jonathan Antoine, pictured with singing partner Charlotte, has lost 4st in weight and battled back from depression . Since he and singing partner Charlotte Jaconelli came second in the talent contest, his mental and physical health have been transformed. ‘Britain’s Got Talent pretty much saved my life,’ says Jonathan, 18. ‘Before then I was suicidal and so depressed that I was self-harming. ‘I’d dropped out of sixth form and my parents wouldn’t leave me alone at home as they thought I’d try to take my own life. I felt so low it is almost impossible to describe. It was like I had nothing to live for – it was the darkest period of my life. ‘But everything changed from the moment I went on the show. I was elated. Suddenly everything seemed different. When you’re depressed, it’s impossible to see a way out, but I now had a purpose.’ Jonathan’s problems began when he started being bullied at school. ‘I’ve been overweight for as long as I can remember and I stood out because of my size,’ he recalls. ‘Kids can be really horrible and they would pick on me about my weight. It really damaged my confidence, and while I tried not to let it show, I think that led to my depression. Being bullied just sucks the life out of you.’ Life-changing moment: Jonathan and Charlotte as they auditioned for Britain's Got Talent - where they eventually ended up in second place in the finals . By the time Jonathan was 14, his low self-esteem had escalated into depression. ‘I shut myself off from the world and lived in my own head,’ he says. ‘I’ve always felt different from everyone else and I felt cut off and excluded. I didn’t tell anyone how I felt – I just kept pushing it down inside me.’ But suppressing his distress only deepened the condition. In 2010, Jonathan began self-harming. ‘I’d cut the skin on my arms and stomach as I hated myself and was angry at myself for even existing. It was also a way of making the emotional pain a physical pain, which seemed somehow easier to deal with.’ Things grew even worse in 2011 when he moved to a new private school to study for A-levels and was suddenly thrown into a new social mix, with a heavier workload and longer days. By November that year, the stress became so much that Jonathan suffered a nervous breakdown. ‘Everything just overwhelmed me,’ he says. ‘I felt more out of place than ever and was under pressure to be something different. ‘People there kept telling me to cut off my hair and change how I looked. I think that’s what pushed me to that darkest point where I couldn’t cope with anything any longer. ‘There were times I was so low I tried to end it. I never ended up in hospital but had deep cuts and my self-harming intensified. I was cutting myself almost every night as a form of release, almost to remind myself that I really existed.’ He dropped out of school and confessed his problems to his parents. ‘It was only then, after all those years, that I ended up spilling out all my thoughts and feelings – the first time I had openly come out as depressed,’ admits Jonathan. ‘My parents were amazing. They helped me through it and once they knew I was suicidal, they never left me home alone.’ They also took him to Loxford Hall psychiatric unit in Ilford, Essex, where he began seeing a psychiatrist, who also prescribed the antidepressant Prozac. ‘I saw a few different psychiatrists, then found one I clicked with. At first I was in such a state I couldn’t even form sentences as the emotions were so strong, but after a while I felt able to speak about everything. He got me immediately and we just talked.’ Dynamic duo: Music has put Jonathan on a healthier path and he is due to release his second album with Charlotte later this month . As Jonathan was battling through the bleakest period of his life, his best friend Charlotte, 18, asked him to audition with her for Britain’s Got Talent. The pair had been inseparable at West Hatch High School in Chigwell, Essex, since being put together to sing in music class aged 14. Charlotte had applied for the TV talent show before they left secondary school and had only just heard back from the producers. Yet rather than Jonathan’s depression proving a barrier to appearing on TV, it had the opposite effect. ‘By then I had given up caring about anything, so I had no reason to turn it down,’ he says. ‘My parents thought I shouldn’t do it as I was in such a bad place but I was so low I had nothing to lose.’ It proved to be a life-changing decision. ‘From the first moment we stepped out in front of Simon and the crowds, it didn’t feel real. We were both numb with nerves, but when we started singing and the crowd started cheering it was like this warmth filled up inside me.’ Their song – a cover of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli’s duet The Prayer – wowed the judges and the duo stormed through the heats to reach the BGT final, where they were runners-up to performing dog act Ashleigh and Pudsey. Jonathan and Charlotte soon recorded their first album, Together, for Simon Cowell’s label Syco, and it reached No 5 in the British charts. Their second, Perhaps Love, for Sony Music will be released on October 14. But in the middle of all that, rather than shrinking under the pressure of fame and public exposure, Jonathan found himself. ‘When I got on the show, the more information that I let out about me, the real me, gradually it actually helped me cope with my own depression. For the first time I had to face it head-on and couldn’t just hide away in my room as I had when I dropped out of school. ‘I felt overwhelmed and initially it was terrifying. Being in front of the camera, especially as I’ve always been self-conscious, was horrifying. But you do get used to it and oddly enough, it turned into a sort of therapy for me. ‘I haven’t had any serious episodes of depression since I’ve been on the show. When I get the thoughts that once brought me to such a horrible place, I just tell myself that they don’t matter. ‘I stopped therapy eight months ago as my psychiatrist and I discussed it and decided it was time to stop, though he’s still there for support if I need him. I’m still on Prozac but will come off it eventually.’ Jonathan has also dropped from 20st to 16st. ‘I signed up with WeightWatchers last year, but I didn’t take it seriously until this April – now I’ve lost 4st. ‘I never felt pressure to lose weight from people in the music industry but I wanted to do it for myself. I feel much better within myself and will keep going. ‘I don’t have an ideal size in mind – I just want to be healthy.’ He adds: ‘I look back now at my depression and ask myself what I was doing – there’s no need to hurt yourself or feel so sad. ‘Things really can get better. My story is proof of that.’ | Britain's Got Talent runner up suffered from severe depression .
Jonathan Antoine credits the talent show with saving his life .
Singer, aged 18, lost 4 stone going down from 20st to 16th . |
fd445a3adef2bb174f91d05b7ddf3f58891a9f4c | By . Tim Shipman . Overhaul: Education Secretary Michael Gove will outline a radical overhaul of GCSEs which will do away with low pass marks and force pupils to take extension papers to get the best grades . Education Secretary Michael Gove today abandoned his ambitious plans to scrap GCSEs, admitting his radical reforms were a 'bridge too far. He instead unveiled an overhaul of the existing exam system, doing away with low pass marks and forcing pupils to take extension papers to get the best grades. The tougher GCSEs will involve single, harder exams at the end of two years of studying, replacing modules at the end of almost every term. But he said the idea of axing GCSEs in favour of new English Baccalaureate Certificates in core academic subjects was 'one reform too many at this time'. And a plan to only allow a single exam board per subject has been dumped, despite previously arguing it was essential to prevent boards 'dumbing down' standards to get more business from schools. Mr Gove told MPs in the Commons: 'I have decided not to make the best the enemy of the good.' He originally wanted to introduce EBCs in England in English, maths, science, foreign languages, history and geography. But the Liberal Democrats opposed the idea of a 'two tier' exam system and imposing rules on exam boards risked falling foul of EU law. Government lawyers advised that the plan would have been allowed in a few subjects – but setting up monopolies across the board would have led to exam boards suing the Government if they were put out of business. Labour;s Stephen Twigg, the shadow education secretary, said: 'The words "GCSE" and "fiasco" seem to be indelibly linked under this Government. This is a humiliating climbdown.' The Mail revealed last year that Mr Gove planned to abolish GCSES and bring back O-levels in core subjects along with a practical CSE-style exam. But Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who had not been briefed on the plans, demanded that all pupils should sit the same exam. He said he did not like the original plan, which he described as 'a two-tier system where you tell one set of kids you are not bright enough to proceed'. And he praised Mr Gove for changing his plans after a consultation. 'He's quite rightly listened and he's going to make a statement today which I think will show parents and teachers that we are as ambitious as ever as a coalition Government for higher, better standards. 'But at the same time to make sure the approach is broad-based, not too narrow, so it encompasses lots of subjects and not just a narrow focus on some of them, and also doesn't already reinvent the wheel,' he said on his LBC radio phone-in. Scroll down for video . Intervention: Mr Gove planned to abolish GCSES and bring back O-levels in core subjects along with a practical CSE-style exam but Lib Dem intervention scuppered the plans . A deal was thrashed out last autumn that would have seen new exams in English, maths and other core subjects. But Mr Gove and his Lib Dem deputy David Laws abandoned the plans after deciding they were an unworkable compromise. Instead, . Mr Gove will today publish a national curriculum for pupils at 16 and . use a statement to the Commons to outline plans to improve GCSEs. Under his proposals, GCSE pass marks – . which can be as low as 30 per cent in some subjects – will be raised so . they are based on the level of knowledge pupils in other countries are . expected to achieve. GCSEs will also have fewer . ‘bite-sized’ questions – blamed for grade inflation – proper essays in . English and history, fewer resits and more restrictions on texts in . exams. Nick Clegg said he had blocked a 'two tier' exam system . Extension papers will also be introduced for pupils expected to achieve top grades, particularly in maths and the sciences. Mr . Gove will issue instructions to exam watchdog Ofqual today and they . will draw up the tougher GCSEs, which will begin for pupils starting . their studies in September 2015. They . will sit the exams in 2017 – one year earlier than planned. Mr Gove is . also tearing up rules for judging success in schools to ensure that . teachers are forced to help pupils of all abilities. Insiders . say the current system of judging how many pupils get five GCSEs graded . A* to C, including English and maths, encourages schools to make . students sit ‘junk’ exams in easy subjects to boost grades. In . future, schools will be judged on the percentage of pupils passing . English and maths and a points system for a pupil’s best eight results – . which must include at least three core subjects such as science, . history, geography and languages. The rethink came after the Commons Education Committee said standards could be raised by improving GCSEs rather than scrapping them. A source close to the committee said: ‘We said that we weren’t convinced that the GCSE brand was broken. ‘It was right to say that exams at 16 needed reform, with a crackdown on resits but you can send a message about grade inflation without coupling exam reform with market reform. I’m glad it seems they have listened.’ Former schools minister Nick Gibb insisted Mr Gove had 'taken the right decision'. 'There is a determination for an aged-16 qualification, the GCSE will be rigorous, it will be on a par with the best in the world,' he told BBC Radio 4. 'There's agreement right across the political spectrum - Labour, Liberal, Conservatives - that there has been grade inflation over the years in the GCSEs and one of the reasons for that has been the competition between exam boards for a market share of scores. 'The plan now is for Ofqual to be rigorous in ensuring we don't have that grade inflation and of course this thing will be kept under review. 'And if the exams board don't reform the way they conduct themselves and start to maintain standards from year-to-year and against the international competition - that's the new objective that Ofqual has, they will now be looking around the world at the best exams and comparing those with the qualifications we have in this country.' | Education Secretary Michael Gove will outline radical overhaul of GCSEs .
Had planned to rename the exams and introduce single exam boards .
But Gove's plans were scuppered when Lib Dems expressed opposition . |
fd44af2d60ee61e893a0f8dd563cfc2651114986 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 08:27 EST, 10 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:36 EST, 10 November 2013 . These pictures show the full glory of the British countryside in autumn, with the leaves of the trees displaying a dazzling mixture of red, brown, green and golden hues. They were taken near the town of Keswick in Cumbria, just north of Derwent Water, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake, both in the Lake District National Park. But in the town of Alston, 36 miles northwest of Keswick close to the Cumbrian border, heavy snowfall this weekend left the area covered in a thick blanket of snow covering hills, fields and solitary houses. Nature's easel: Autumn colours blanket the countryside near Keswick in Cumbria . Looming threat: While Keswick enjoys picturesque autumn scenes, snows have hit the town of Alston further north in Cumbria . These beautiful images were taken near the town of Keswick in Cumbria, just north of Derwent Water, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake, both in the Lake District National Park . Around three inches of snow covered the Cumbrian fells as well as areas of County Durham yesterday, causing chilly temperatures and chaos on the road. Snow ploughs cleared the roads and gritters were out in force as drivers battled to manoeuvre through the snow. At the Hartside Cafe in Hartside, near Alston, Cumbria, outside tables and chairs were covered thick in snow. Gloria Clarkson, 50, a general assistant at the Hartside Cafe, struggled to sweep the snow away from the cafe. She said: 'There is quite a bit of snow here, it's over your feet! 'I saw a car with snow on the roof on my way to work and I said, 'Oh my goodness', I was shocked. Then it started to snow again.' 'Cars were having to drive really slowly and I heard a wagon had overturned. This is the first time we have had snow here in Alston since last January or February. 'It is really cold and I think there will be more to come.' Winter is coming: A blanket of snow covers the fields and hills of Hartside, in Cumbria this weekend as the winter weather hits this weekend . Travel chaos: A snow plough clears roads near Alson, Cumbria, after heavy snowfall this weekend . Snow dog: Teal has fun playing in the thick snow in Hartside, Cumbria this weekend . Tonight will be chilly with clear spells and patchy mist for a time across eastern parts of England and Scotland at the start of the night but cloud and rain across Northern Ireland, Wales and south-west England will spread east across most places over the course of the night. Some heavy bursts of rain are expected across western and northern areas. Easternmost counties of England are expected to stay largely dry with some patchy frost forming although cloud will build before dawn. It will also be very windy across northern and western Scotland and exposed areas in the north-east. Tomorrow rain will continue to spread east and south during the day bringing some further heavy outbreaks in places, becoming drier behind the rain as it clears with the chance of some bright or sunny spells for a time, especially in the north and west. Scotland may see some strong south-westerly winds. Brisk: Although chilly, much of the country enjoyed bright sunshine and clear skies today. Pictured are rowers on the River Ouse in York . Tonight will be chilly with clear spells and patchy mist for a time across eastern parts of England and Scotland . On Tuesday, any lingering rain across south-east England will clear to leave much of England and Wales dry and bright but rather chilly. Scotland and Northern Ireland will see scattered showers in mainly western areas that may fall as hail in north-west Scotland. It will be drier across eastern Scotland with only the odd shower getting across. Strong or even gale force winds are expected across northern Scotland. On Wednesday, it will be another largely dry day for much of England and Wales with some sunny spells. Showery rain will spread in from the north-west across parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland as the day continues bringing the risk of some heavy bursts with hail and thunder expected in western Scotland. These showers will gradually make their way across north-west England and north Wales as the evening progresses. Past glory: Vintage sports car enthusiasts spend the weekend powering their way up a 2,126ft fell in the Lake District . The event is part of an annual pilgrimage to Honister Slate Mine. It features racing cars from the 1920s and 1930s . More than 100 vintage vehicles scaled Fleetwith Pike in Cumbria in adverse weather conditions . Off-road: Participants were spattered with mud thanks to heavy rainfall on the route . Spectators line the route to see these important relics of automotive history . | Stunning photographs show picture-perfect autumnal scenes in Keswick, Cumbria today .
But in the same county thick snow blankets the countryside in Alston, the highest elevated town in the country .
Tonight will be chilly, with mist across eastern parts of UK and heavy rain in the west and north . |
fd45071f31ae20c7b25eaabc8c22afcebbc748ad | By . John Hall . Fear: Jodie Marsh received up to five letters a week from stalker Joseph Mafwenke . A man who bombarded glamour model Jodie Marsh with letters and photographs of his penis faces prison after being found guilty of stalking. Joseph Mafwenke, 38, left Miss Marsh fearing for her life after sending hundreds of letters and photographs to her home address in Brentwood, Essex in an attempt to win her affection. Today a jury at Basildon Crown Court took just 30 minutes to find Mafwenke guilty of a stalking campaign that lasted from November 2012 until September last year. Mafwenke’s bizarre actions included sending Miss Marsh, 35, doctored images of the pair having sex and strolling hand in hand. During the trial Miss Marsh said she feared she could be kidnapped, raped or even murdered. That fear forced the glamour model turned bodybuilder to move out of her home in the hope of escaping Mafwenke's letters. Mafwenke was eventually arrested after Miss Marsh spotted him staring into a window at her old house when she arrived back in the neighbourhood to visit her family last September. Although that had not met at that point, Miss Marsh recognised Mafwenke from the photographs she had been sent. Mafwenke, of Crawley in West Sussex, denied the claims by arguing that an interview Miss Marsh gave to Zoo magazine suggested she wanted a boyfriend. He told the court: 'I wanted to try my chances with her.' In court Miss Marsh gave evidence from behind a screen so she would not have to face the defendant. At one point she broke down in tears when confronted with letters that had been sent to her home address. The letters initially arrived at a rate of once or twice a week, before increasing in volume to one a day. 'Straight away, I knew it was not normal fan mail, the letters would say things like 'you will be my wife', 'we will be together', 'you will have four children', 'we are meant to be together', Miss Marsh said. 'The way it was said, it was like it was a given that it would happen,' she added. Miss Marsh said the letters, which included pictures of a naked Mafwenke Photoshopped on top of her, left her 'really scared'. Scroll down for video . Miss Marsh said she 'feared for her life' when she received the letters - some of which had been photoshopped to show her having sex with Mafwenke. He also sent her pictures of his penis, jurors heard . The former glamour model, who is now a bodybuilder, said she initially told police not to take any action in case it 'tipped Mafwenke over the edge.' He would send up to five letters a week to Miss Marsh the court heard . 'He would send photos of himself, at first he was fully clothed then the photos turned explicit and he sent pictures of himself naked and photos of his penis and erect penis,' she said. 'That was really upsetting. It was really disgusting - not something that I would want to see.' 'I was left nervous, thinking about what he might do in the future... I was worried that he was mentally unstable,' Miss Marsh added. She told the court she had initially asked police not to take any action in case it encouraged Mafwenke to escalate his stalking campaign. Miss Marsh in a 'no make-up selfie'. Mafwenke sent the bodybuilder letters saying he 'loved her' and 'wanted to have four children' with her . Miss Marsh pictured this month in a selfie with her pet pug. The court was told Mafwenke was inspired to send letters to the television personality after seeing her in a Zoo magazine article . - Jodie Marsh . Asked by the Crown what she feared could happen, Miss Marsh said: 'I thought it might be rape, murder, kidnap. In my line of work, you don’t think anything is too far-fetched.' The frequency of the letters then increased to up to five per week with the mail being sent by recorded delivery. One letter said: 'I love you and the way you are alone... I plan to have four babies with you in married life. Thank you for I make it happen.' 'Our time is now to have our childrens,' another read. The court heard Mafwenke also made . 'calculations' using his date of birth and Miss Marsh’s to work out . whether they would be happy together. When questioned in court Miss Marsh, pictured in training, said she never responded to any of the messages . Convicted: Mafwenke, who was arrested outside Miss Marsh's former home in Brentwood, was found guilty of stalking at Basildon Crown Court (pictured) Talking about the letters, Miss Marsh said: 'I honestly thought he was deluded. I did not think he was mentally stable.' Miss Marsh told the court she had never responded to the letters and only accepted recorded mail as much of the post she received for work was delivered that way. Mafwenke, who appeared in the dock wearing a blue and white striped shirt and black trousers alongside his Swahili interpreter, had pleaded not guilty to stalking Miss Marsh at an earlier hearing. He did not react as the guilty verdict was read out and was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at Basildon Crown Court in May. | Joseph Mafwenke, 38, sent model Jodie Marsh, 35, explicit photographs .
Sent pictures of his penis and doctored images of the pair having sex .
Sent up to five letters a week telling bodybuilder 'you will be my wife'
Mafwenke now faces prison after being found guilty of stalking .
Miss Marsh told court she feared for her life during bizarre campaign .
Said she feared she may have been raped, kidnapped or murdered . |
fd455c3458f64cc1afa78345f2af23c8bd0185ca | An unusual planet, six times the size of earth, that is located 40 light-years outside our solar system, has been found to have a 'water-rich' atmosphere that has a strange 'plasma form' of water, scientists have said. Japanese astronomers examined the atmosphere of the alien planet using specialist cameras with a blue filter to observe planetary transits of super-Earth Gliese 1214 b. The research team said that while its atmosphere is water-rich, the planet is not habitable like our Earth, as it has atmospheric temperatures that reach 280 degrees Celsius. An unusual planet, six times the six of earth, that is located just 40 light-years outside our solar system, has been found to have a 'water-rich' atmosphere that has a 'plasma form' of water, astronomers have said. Here is an artist's rendition of a transit of GJ 1214 b in blue light. The blue sphere represents the host star GJ 1214 and the black ball in front of it is GJ 1214 b . While the planet's atmosphere contains water, it is still dramatically different to the Earth's . The scientists from the National Astronomical Observatory in Japan had set out to determine whether the planet has an atmosphere of water or hydrogen and used Subaru Telescope's two optical cameras with a blue transmission filter to study the scattering of light from the planet. They then combined their findings with previous observations in other colours to conclude the atmosphere contains 'significant' amounts of water. Principle investigator Norio Narita, told Space.com: 'As the temperature and pressure are so . high, water is not in a usual form (vapor, liquid, or solid), but in an . ionic or plasma form at the bottom the atmosphere - namely the interior - . of Gliese 1214 b.' The alien planet, which is located some 40 light-years away from our solar system in the constellation Ophiuchus, orbits a cooler star than our sun. Artist's rendition of the relationship between the composition of the atmosphere and transmitted colours of light of an alien planet. Top: If the sky has a clear, upward-extended, hydrogen-dominated atmosphere, Rayleigh scattering disperses a large portion of the blue light from the atmosphere of the host while it scatters less of the red light. As a result, a transit in blue light becomes deeper than the one in red light. Middle: If the sky has a less extended water-rich atmosphere, the effect of the Rayleigh scattering is much weaker than in a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere. Bottom: If the sky has extensive clouds, most of the light cannot be transmitted through the atmosphere . But it is around 70 times closer than the Earth to its sun and makes its journey around the low-mass star once every 38 hours. As is is so close, temperatures on the huge planet can reach a staggering 280°C or 540° Farenheit, but it is the planet's density that is surprising. While Gliese 1214 b is six times as large as earth, it is less than three times in width to be as big as a planet in between the size of Earth and Neptune. Dr Narita said: 'At high pressure and high temperature, the behaviour of water is quite different from that on the Earth.' While astronomers believe water is an essential ingredient for Earth-like life on a planet, and Gliese 1214 b has plenty of water, Dr Narita does not not think it is habitable because of its close orbit. 'Although water . vapour can exist in the atmosphere, liquid water - namely oceans - would . not exist on the surface of this planet. So unfortunately, we . do not think this planet would be habitable.' As the planet does not have a solid surface, it is difficult to estimate the height of the atmosphere, but the scientists think it could be around 30km - around three times deeper than our Earth's. They also believe plasma water could be hidden inside the planet but are unsure if they will ever be able to find the high pressure ices inside the super-Earth that they suspect are there. The unusual planet was originally discovered as part of the MEarth Project, which tracks over 2,000 low-mass stars. | Japanese astronomers examined the atmosphere of the alien planet using specialist cameras with a blue filter .
Super-Earth Gliese 1214 b is located just 40 light-years outside our solar system and while it has water, it is thought to be uninhabitable .
Scientists from the National Astronomical Observatory in Japan said the planet is around 70 times closer than the Earth to its sun . |
fd45d9fe8839b8491b254c4701a34375e47fba8e | By . Mark Duell . A university is probing claims that some of its Muslim students are enforcing segregation between men and women, it emerged today. Leicester University spoke of its concerns over photos showing hand-written signs requesting that male and female students sit in separate areas at a public talk by the university’s Islamic Society. The meeting - which discussed God’s existence - was addressed by Islamic speaker Hamza Tzortzis, who speaks at various campuses and was involved in controversy at another university last month. Talk: The meeting - which discussed God’s existence - was addressed by Islamic speaker Hamza Tzortzis (pictured), who speaks at various campuses and was involved in controversy at another university last month . As reported by MailOnline, University College London banned his Islamic Education & Research Academy group from its campus after the organisation tried to segregate men and women during a debate. The latest incident in Leicester saw A4 sheets of paper attached to an entrance door with the words ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ and arrows pointing in opposite directions, reported the Daily Telegraph. The University of Leicester Islamic Society’s website also said in a separate notice that meetings are open to the public, but it has ‘segregated seating for brothers and sisters at all co-attended events’. Leicester University officials told the Daily Telegraph that they would investigate the signs in the photos and ensure that nobody will be forced to sit apart in the future - unless it is their preference. A spokesman for Mr Tzortzis’s group said genders were sometimes informally segregated at events. Worries: Leicester University spoke of its concerns over photos showing hand-written signs requesting that male and female students sat in separate areas at a public talk by the university’s Islamic Society . But he added that signs did not intend to ‘enforce’ separation - and that there were rarely any problems if non-Muslims chose to ignore the advice on where to sit. 'It is a little bit of a storm in a . teacup. It is down to a bit of a . misunderstanding about the way that Islam is perceived' Islamic Education & Research Academy spokesman . ‘It is a little bit of a storm in a teacup,’ he told the Daily Telegraph. ‘It is down to a bit of a misunderstanding about the way that Islam is perceived.’ Last month the segregation of men and women at the UCL event was halted only when one speaker, U.S. scientist Lawrence Krauss, walked out. Ignoring the jeering audience, he told an organiser: ‘Either you quit the segregation or I’m not interested.’ He objected after three people were removed from the room because they complained when they were told that only men or couples were allowed to sit at the front, with single women at the back. He returned when staff allowed men and women to mix. The public debate between atheist Mr Krauss and Greek Islamic convert Hamza Tzortzis was on the subject of ‘Islam or Atheism: Which Makes More Sense?’ UCL later issued a statement saying the iERA would not be allowed to hold events on its grounds again. Audience . member Dana Sondergaard wrote on her Facebook page: ‘After watching . three people be kicked out of the auditorium . . . Dr Krauss bravely . defended his beliefs of gender equality.’ The iERA later claimed the women had segregated themselves through choice. | Photos showed hand-written signs directing male and female students .
Asked that they sat separately for talk by university's Islamic Society .
Leicester University probing claims and intends to ban segregation .
Meeting on God's existence addressed by speaker Hamza Tzortzis .
Last month the speaker's group caused segregation concerns at UCL . |
fd45f41286b97fa3510aa7705e94c01d593fc3b1 | Toyota has been forced to recall 885,000 cars to fix a problem which could see drivers' airbags activated at random. One of the models which needs repair is the Camry, which is the best selling car in the United States, having already sold 318,990 cars so far this year. The fault is caused by a water leak in the air conditioning unit which could cause water to seep into other parts of the car causing circuits to short and unexpected malfunctions to occur. Popular: The Toyota Camry, above, is America's most popular car. Almost 319,000 have been sold in the US this year but its is one of Toyota's models that have now been recalled . Toyota said that the airbag control module is one area which could be affected with the safety device becoming 'disabled or could inadvertently deploy'. In a few cases the power steering function could be disabled, they said. As well as Camrys made in the last two years, any models of the Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, and Venza which were made in 2012 and 2013 are also being recalled. Of the massive number which need fixing, 847,000 are in North America with the in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. According to Toyota, they have received news of two minor injuries being caused by the faults, but there have been no crashes due to the error as yet. Sporty: More than 50,000 versions of the Toyota Avalon have been sold in the USA this year. Those which were made in 2012/13 have been recalled . Problematic: The auto manufacturer has recalled Camrys, Venzas (pictured) and Avalons, as well as their hybrid counterparts, in the U.S. that were built from 2012 onwards . The Japanese car company have already issued two major recalls in recent months, asking for the return of around around 2.2 million vehicles. In September, the company called back around 780,000 Lexus and Rav4 models. That was a second recall of the same models after an initial call back in 2012 did not fix problems with the cars suspension systems. Could emit smoke: Engineers make final checks to . vehicles at a plant in Ohira village, northern Japan. The company have had to issue recalls for more than 2 million cars in the past in recent weeks . Last month, they also recalled 615,000 Sienna minivans in the US after a problem with the gear box was discovered. Analysts said the recalls could have an impact on its reputation with the customers. A statement on the car maker's American site, said: 'Owners of the involved vehicles will be notified by first class mail to return their vehicles to a Toyota dealer for the repair.' Recall totals: How Toyota's faulty models sold in the US and Europe this year: . AVALON - N/A . CAMRY - 30,497 . VENZA - 3,124 . AVALON - 53,795 . CAMRY - 318,990 . VENZA - 29,187 . | The Camry, which is the most popular car in America, has been recalled .
Fault in air-con unit means leaking water could cause malfunctions .
Two incidents of injuries caused by the fault already reported . |
fd465ffdc19baedfd5509e2c290c7ecb87d6b087 | Former Fulham manager Felix Magath has bought a one per cent stake in Rangers and wants to have a key role in the future of the ailing Ibrox club. Magath, who was sacked by the Championship outfit in September, purchased the shares late last year, and it is understood he has held discussions with one of the groups vying for control of the club. The 61-year-old has no interest in returning to the dugout but rather sees a role for himself as technical director at the club's Murray Park training complex where he can oversee the work with future Rangers talent. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Will Felix Magath implement his Fulham vision at Rangers? Manager Felix Magath pictured in the dugout during his time in charge of Fulham last year . Rangers beat Dumbarton last time out with Dean Shiels (right) wrapping up a 3-1 victory at Ibrox . On Friday, Magath refused to answer questions when asked about his stake in the club. He said: 'I don't want to comment on my stock dealings, that's private. 'I spent the Christmas holidays in London and actually visited someone in Glasgow but I don't want to comment on whether there has been talks with the club either.' Magath gestures at a press conference held during his spell as manager of Bayern Munich in 2006 . Rangers caretaker boss Kenny McDowall also refused to comment on suggestions that Magath may soon be reporting for duty. 'I don't think that will be my decision on whether he comes in or not,' he said. 'I've got a job to do and I'm just carrying on with it.' Despite his poor spell at Fulham, Magath remains widely admired in Germany for his work at several clubs, having won the Bundesliga title twice while in charge of Bayern Munich and once as boss of Wolfsburg. | Felix Magath is keen on a role at the fallen Scottish giants .
German Magath was sacked by Championship side Fulham last September .
The former Bayern chief has no intention of returning to the dugout . |
fd466f91f1e6244b851a31e29776212c15163093 | It is common knowledge that illicit drugs are bad for your health, but a new series of GIFs show the devastating toll that controlled substances take on people battling addiction. The GIFs are part of a project titled Faces of Addiction, which has been put together by Rehabs.com - an educational organization dedicated to raising awareness of substance abuse. Unlike the more common before/after photos, these GIFs allow the viewer to follow the gradual physical decline of more than a dozen men and women. Scroll down for video . Startling change: In 1997, this woman was arrested for possession of methamphetamine (left). In 2013, she was photographed for another mugshot looking much older than her 59 years . The project includes 13 unnamed individuals who have been arrested over the years on various drug charges involving methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin or pain pills. 'The pursuit of a drug habit can cost these people everything – their friends and family, their home and livelihood. And nowhere is that impact more evident than in the faces of addicts themselves,' states the website. The shocking effects of drug abuse on display here run the gamut from open sores and skin lesions to missing teeth to severe facial wasting heralding premature aging. The statement posted on the site points out that beyond the direct effects of substance abuse, people suffering from addiction often fall into a ruinous pattern of self-neglect because taking care of one’s health and appearance becomes secondary to obtaining drugs at any cost. Ravaged: The 'before' booking photo taken in 2009 (left) shows a heavyset, ruddy man with a beard. Five years later, his toothless mouth like a crumpled origami and his lined are cheeks sallow and sunken . 'The consequences of addiction can remain etched in their very skin for years,' the project states. One of the GIFs focuses on a woman who begins her journey down the path of drug addiction in 2004 as a relatively fresh-faced 33-year-old. A decade later, she emerges as a withered, prematurely aged 43-year-old with a glass eye and sores on her forehead. Striking: This 43-year-old woman was arrested on a charge of drug paraphernalia possession. Ten years later, she has a glass eye and sores on her bedraggled face . Blink of an eye: This is what happened to a 23-year-old pain pill addict over the course of a single year . It is hard to believe that this woman arrested on a drug paraphernalia charge is only 31 years old . Empty shell: A 32-year-old man arrested for selling methamphetamine appears to be twice his age, his teeth missing and his nose shattered . The mugshot on the left was made in 2009. The 31-year-old alleged heroin addict was booked into jail again earlier this year (right) More than 14 years of cocaine use turned this 64-year-old addict into a wrinkled old man . Drug use is often accompanied by self-neglect, as exemplified by this 24-year-old drug suspect . The series Faces of Addiction was created to show the physical transformation of people suffering from substance abuse . Breaking bad: In a matter of four years, this 44-year-old man accused of cooking meth appeared before a camera with his face covered in open sores . Premature aging: This woman, age 52, was arrested for possession of cocaine. The 'before' photo was taken in 2004, and the 'after' in 2013 . Addicts often suffers from skin lesions and open sores that do not heal. This woman is only 30 years old . A 32-year-old man arrested for selling methamphetamine appears to be twice his age, his teeth missing and his nose shattered. One of the more shocking sequences in the series involves a 46-year-old addict arrested for possession of cocaine. The 'before' booking photo taken in 2009 shows him as a heavyset, ruddy man with a full beard. Five years later, he is a shell of a man, his toothless mouth like a crumpled origami and his lined cheeks sallow and sunken. An equally startling transformation occurrs in a female addict, who at age 59 looks to be in her 70s . The GIF shows her wasting away over the course of 16 years, losing most of her teeth and hair, with every inch of her face lined and creased. Perhaps one of the more eye-opening examples of the ravages of drugs involves a 23-year-old woman arrested for possession of painkillers. Over the course of a single year, the woman was arrested at least six times, Her latest booking photo taken this year shows her disfigured by open sores covering her forehead, nose and chin. A disclaimer on the page notes that the photos ‘do not necessarily show the direct result of drug abuse or addiction. ‘Rather, they depict the physical deterioration of individuals who have been involved in repeated arrests, and serve as a startling visual timeline – with appearances profoundly altered as a consequence of life impacted by drugs or drug-related crime.’ Rehbas.com is committed to helping people dealing with substance abuse find treatment programs around the country. In 2013, more than 24million people reported that they had abused illicit drugs or prescription pills in a single month, according to the site. | The GIFs are part of a project titled Faces of Addiction, which has been put together by Rehabs.com .
All the people in the series have been arrested on various drug charges involving methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin or pain pills . |
fd46bd9e51d79b3db29919def14331e603a8e254 | This group of excitable youngsters need to learn to pick their battles after they started a snowball fight with a group of firefighters and ended up completely soaked. Footage has emerged online showing a gang during Britain's latest cold snap causing trouble in what is believed to be Leeds. The video shows a firefighter standing on a boat about to use a giant hose when a cheeky teenager on a bridge above throws a snowball that hits him on the head. Scroll down for video . Catalyst: A boy on the bridge (top left) throw as a snowball, which is just about to hit a firefighter directly on the head (bottom right) Fired up: The man starts his high-pressure hose on the boat as the group of boys crowd together on the top left of the screen . Gotcha! The litres of water start flying over the bridge and on top of the culprits as a member of the public looks and laughs at what is happening . Drenching: In a fight that lasts almost a minute, a boy is forced to hide behind a pillar while water goes onto him and his friends . His friends then try to hit the member of the emergency services with even more snowballs. But within seconds the victim turns on the pump on his hose and starts shooting water up at the offenders, leaving them drenched through. Meanwhile the video, taken by a bystander, captures the laughter of the crowd watching as the boys get their comeuppance. | The video was filmed in Leeds during the current snowy weather .
A firefighter is hit in the head with snowball so turns on his high-pressure hose and soaks the culprit and his friends . |
fd46f3baa59137fdfd829bdfa12dca8ca3459136 | By . Meghan Keneally . PUBLISHED: . 16:27 EST, 21 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 00:56 EST, 22 March 2012 . Police were called to a Texas highway early on Sunday morning because concerned citizens saw a young boy riding his bike alongside cars and trucks. They then discovered that the boy was running away from a very dysfunctional home. The seven-year-old boy, whose name has not been released, eventually told police where he lived and they escorted him back to his home where they spoke with his mother, Tamara Ruth Whitt, and her father, Edgar Dale Whitt. Not only were they allegedly abusive to the boy and his two siblings, but they were also believed to be involved in an incestuous relationship with each other. Father and daughter: Edgar Dale Whitt, left, is the father of Tamara, right, and he also allegedly fathered a child with Tamara . During their talk with the responding officers, the Whitts said that the seven-year-old, along with his five-year-old and two-year-old siblings, had all been in straitjackets. ‘They didn’t know how he got out,’ the police report states. A continued investigation into the family suggested that Edgar, 54, and Tamara, 26, had a sexual relationship and were the parents of the two-year-old boy found in the Howard County home. Sheriff Stan Parker confirmed to MailOnline that while Tamara was the mother of all three children, Edgar was the father of only the 2-year-old. ‘I've really never seen anything like this before in Howard County,’ Mr Parker said. Dangerous at night: Concerned citizens called police after they spotted a 7-year-old boy riding his bike on Highway 87 at 1.36am on Sunday . The . Whitts have lived in the Big Spring area, about five hours drive . west of Dallas, for just two years. This makes it difficult for police . officials to collect a detailed family history. The children have all been taken into the custody of Children's Protective Services. Both Tamara and her father were charged with child endangerment, and he was also charged with prohibited sexual conduct with a descendant, which is a second-degree felony. They are now in Howard County Jail and the case has been handed over to the District Attorney’s office. | Texas boy found biking down highway at 1.36am .
Running away from abusive home where his mom 'made young children wear straitjackets'
Two-year-old boy 'was result of mother's incestuous relationship with her dad' |
fd4716e2ac654343a9e5a3764917d56af966dfcf | By . Riath Al-Samarrai . Follow @@riathalsam . Michael Laudrup has confirmed he will join Qatari club Lekhwiya on a one-year contract, indicating it might be the last position of his illustrious career in football. Sportsmail revealed on June 22 that the Dane had agreed all terms with the Middle Eastern club following meetings in Qatar and London. Now he has completed his return to management after a five-month absence following his sacking from Swansea in February, taking over at the Qatari champions from former Marseille boss Eric Gerets, who left last in May. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Laudrup explain bizarre decision to join Qatari club Lekhwiya . New adventure: Michael Laudrup has been appointed as the new coach of Qatari club Lekhwiya . The 50-year-old said: ‘I’m heading into my last phase as a coach. But whether Lekhwiya will be my last or second-last team remains to be seen. 'And I don’t know it the phase will stretch over two, three or four years. The answer is blowing in the wind.' Good times: Laudrup won the League Cup in his time at Swansea . Laudrup was initially a huge success in Wales, winning the Capital One Cup in his first season and leading the club to a ninth-place finish in the Barclays Premier League. But his spell turned sour the following summer when a huge row erupted over transfers. Issues over the quality of his training sessions later surfaced before he was replaced by Garry Monk in February, with the club struggling to juggle their domestic and Europa League commitments. | Former Swansea manager agrees deal with Lekhwiya .
Laudrup takes over at Qatari champions from former Marseille boss Eric Gerets .
Laudrup won League Cup with Swansea in first season . |
fd47412ec9ac8ca460eba837beedbb9a541829e7 | Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi officials on Tuesday released security camera video of two weekend bombings that killed at least 155 people -- the deadliest attacks in the capital in more than two years. One video shows cars traveling around a traffic circle on Haifa Street in central Baghdad Sunday morning before a huge blast in front of the Justice Ministry. The impact shakes the camera and its view is obscured by clouds of smoke. Another camera shows the dozens of charred cars covered in debris from the other blast, as two fires burn nearby. Baghdad Gov. Salah Abdul Razzaq showed the videos at a news conference held under a blown-out ceiling at the second bombed building. He also announced that the Baghdad provincial council on Tuesday voted for the resignation of the interior minister and the Baghdad commander -- the two men in charge of Iraqi security forces in the capital. Razzaq said the attacks killed 155 people and wounded more than 500. Other officials had put the death toll at 160. The deaths include 20 children, two Interior Ministry officials said Tuesday. They said an earlier report that said 30 children packed on a minibus were among those killed was based on an erroneous police account. The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group for al Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement released Tuesday. The authenticity of the claim could not be immediately verified, but it appeared on a Web site frequently used by the group. Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz said he believes al Qaeda in Iraqwas behind the attack. "In my personal estimate or assessment, what I can tell you, I can see the imprint of al Qaeda, which is the enemy of Iraq and the enemy of all humanity," Aziz said through a translator Tuesday. The Islamic State of Iraq also claimed responsibility for nearly identical truck bombings that struck the Foreign and Finance ministries on August 19, killing at least 100 and wounding hundreds more. One of the bombs Sunday exploded outside Baghdad's governorate building, the other outside the Justice Ministry. The bombs detonated in quick succession about 10:30 a.m., officials said. See photos from the deadly explosions . Plumes of smoke billowed from the sites as victims fled, some with blood streaming down their faces. The streets were strewed with debris, including charred cars and chunks of concrete. Other government buildings in the area were heavily damaged. The blasts sparked questions about Iraq's security and national elections planned for January. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who visited the scene shortly after the explosions, said holding the elections as scheduled would send a strong message to the attackers. "The cowardly attack ... should not affect the determination of the Iraqi people from continuing their battle against the deposed regime and the gangs of criminal Baath party, and the terrorist al Qaeda organization,'" al-Maliki said in a written statement. U.S. President Barack Obama called the attacks an attempt to derail progress in Iraq, and pledged to work closely with the country as it prepares for elections. Obama spoke with the prime minister and President Jalal Talabani to express his condolences and reiterate U.S. support. The August attacks led to tightened security in Baghdad, including the addition of blast walls and security checkpoints. Two years earlier, three truck bombings killed hundreds in Qahtaniya, in northern Iraq. Sunday's attacks were the deadliest on Iraqi civilians since those blasts in August 2007. Iraqis are supposed to go to the polls in January, but passage of an election law is needed first. Late Monday, Iraqi leaders reached tentative agreement on a draft of such a law. U.S. and Iraqi government officials say the election is a vital step in Iraqi efforts to solidify a democratic system in the post-Saddam Hussein era. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh, Mohammed Jamjoom, Saad Abedine and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report . | Two blasts in Baghdad over the weekend killed more than 150 people .
One video view shows cars traveling around a traffic circle before a huge blast .
Another camera shows charred cars covered in debris from the other blast .
Sunday's attacks were the deadliest on Iraqi civilians since August 2007 . |
fd47d82f27c3f74151c97c306fdedccbe352c97a | A giant mystery sea creature is thought to have been spotted in the turquoise waters of one of New Zealand’s most idyllic bays. A huge unexplained wake can be seen in a Google Earth image of Oke Bay, in the Bay of Islands, an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the country's North Island, captured by satellite at about 11.30am on January 30. Engineer Pita Witehira, who spotted the wake while on Google Earth researching for his holiday home, told Daily Mail Australia the wake could have been left by a creature around 12 metres in size. A long swirled wake was spotted on Google Earth in Oke Bay, part of the Bay of Islands in New Zealand . Pita Witehira said the wake could have been left by a creature around 12 metres in size . Mr Witehira, from Hamilton, New Zealand, said: ‘The Native Maori would call this a "Taniwha" ('Troll') as it appears not to be a whale and it is far too big to be a shark. It is moving too fast and turning too sharply to be a whale.’ Mr Witehira also ruled out that a boat was the cause of the wake because there is no white froth like normal wakes created by motors. ‘I spotted it about a week ago. We have some property near Oke Bay and I’m about to build a beach chalet up there, I zoomed down and found that,’ he said. ‘It’s way too wide for a shark and way too long… It’s got to have a lot of weight under the water to create that kind of drag.’ Engineer Pita Witehira spotted the wake while on Google Earth about a week ago . When compared to the white wake that a motoriesd boat in the area makes it is clear to see they are very different . Oke Bay has a quite white sand beach and the water stays shallow for around 40 metres ‘with a sudden deep drop into the bay’. ‘There is a lot of undergrowth in the deeper parts of the Bay,’ Mr Witehira explained. The unusual sighting comes after an aerial photograph appeared to show a giant crab that was at least 50ft-wide lurking in shallow water in England. The incredible image, shared online in October, could soon have visitors flocking to the seaside town of Whistable, in Kent, in the hope of catching Britain's biggest crab. While some insist it is proof of 'Crabzilla', others argue that the shadowy figure is nothing more than an unusually-shaped sandbank - or is simply a playful hoax. In October an aerial photograph appeared to show a giant crab that was at least 50ft-wide lurking in shallow water in England . | Engineer Pita Witehira spotted a large unexplained wake about a week ago .
He was looking at Oke Bay, in the Bay of Islands, an area on the east coast of the Far North District of New Zealand's North Island .
It wasn't caused by a boat because there is no white foam from a motor .
Mr Witehira also doesn't think a shark or whale could have caused it . |
fd47da2bfddbc14e43ccade273cd4c79231bcf0b | By . Ben Spencer . and Tania Steere . Tesco was last night accused of undermining farmers by promoting foreign lamb during the peak British season. The supermarket chain currently has an offer on New Zealand lamb. But furious sheep farmers say British lamb is now at its best and most abundant – so there is no need to stock foreign lamb at all, let alone cut prices. The National Farmers Union accused Tesco boss Philip Clarke of breaking a promise made less than 18 months ago, at the height of the horsemeat scandal, to sell as much home-grown meat as possible. The New Zealand lamb offer has led the National Farmers' Union to accuse Tesco boss Philip Clarke, pictured, of breaking a promise to sell as much homemade meat as possible . Last night Tesco was selling two 300g packs of New Zealand lamb chops for £6 – a saving of around 30 per cent. New Zealand leg steaks were also on offer, with a 270g pack usually priced £4 available at two for £7 or three for £10. However, at the Tesco store the Mail visited, British lamb was available only in the premium Finest range. NFU President Meurig Raymond said: ‘Our members are upset and quite angry that when their product is at its very best, and at its most abundant, Tesco is actively marketing foreign produce. British lamb can never be better than it is in July. There is no reason at the moment to price-promote lamb from the other side of the world.’ The Government has been trying to persuade consumers and retailers to buy fewer imports and more home-grown food – both in order to support agriculture and to end our reliance on unreliable foreign supply chains. We import 40 per cent of our food, and then Environment Secretary Owen Paterson told a farming conference in January: ‘As British farmers and food producers you know that we grow some of the best food in the world here. It is up to all of us – farmers, food manufacturers and the Government – to take action.’ UK farmers export 100,000 tons of lamb a year – more than a third of the total they produce – mostly to Europe where it is seen as a premium product. Yet retailers import 100,000 tons, mostly from New Zealand. Mr Raymond said he was not against imported lamb but saw no reason to promote foreign lamb at a time when the British product was at its best . In the winter months, New Zealand lamb is generally seen as a better product because the meat comes from younger animals. In spring and summer, however, farmers see no reason to import meat. Mr Raymond said: ‘I am not against imports – consumers need choice and at certain points of the year we can see that personal taste might mean that retailers prefer to stock other products. But when our lamb is at its best, we can see no reason to promote foreign lamb above our own.’ A Tesco spokesman said the supermarket plans a half-price promotion on British lamb soon – but could not give a start date. ‘We sell more British lamb than any other retailer, and we are proud to sell and promote British lamb to our millions of customers right across the UK,’ he said. ‘We know it is a great product and we want to ensure that we sell it in large volumes when it is at the peak of its season. ‘This season we expect to sell more British lamb than ever before and over the next few weeks we are running fantastic half-price promotions on British lamb in our stores. ‘We are delivering on our commitment to strengthen our relationships with British sheep farmers through our Tesco Sustainable Lamb Group, which currently supports around 200 farmers. We are proud of our work together to bring great quality, affordable British lamb to our customers.’ | Tesco accused of undermining British farmers by promoting foreign lamb .
Supermarket chain currently has offer on 600gm of New Zealand lamb for £6 .
National Farmers Union angry as British lamb at its best in month of July . |
fd480d10028093f91f6438e58fd51ce9fc3c9c3e | (CNN) -- Gun control supporting candidates facing tight races for governor in Connecticut and Maryland are the beneficiaries of a last-minute ad buy from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg's group, Independence USA PAC, is supporting pro-gun control candidates like Democratic Gov. Dan Malloy in Connecticut and Democratic Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown in Maryland, both of whom are locked in tight races to lead their states. Gun control is a "simmering issue" in these states, said Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser. Historically, the PAC has donated to both Democrats and Republicans supporting "common sense" gun control in an attempt to stave off the gun lobby and tie pro-gun candidates to the National Rifle Association. In Connecticut, the group hopes that support for gun control will emerge as a salient theme for voters in the wake of the state's Sandy Hook massacre in December 2012, where 20 young children and 6 adults were shot and killed at an elementary school. The newest ads there target Malloy's opponent, Republican challenger Tom Foley. "The NRA praises Tom Foley, calling him pro-gun," a voice in a new Connecticut ad says. "No wonder. The NRA opposes comprehensive background checks. And Foley promised he'd sign a bill to weaken them, undermining our gun safety laws." The Foley campaign did not immediately return CNN's request to respond to Bloomberg's efforts. This is the second ad buy in Connecticut in the past week: Television watchers also might have noticed another gun control ad which launched Friday from the group. Loeser said these ad buys represent an attempt to make sure gun control stays on the agenda in these states. "The public safety bills that were passed in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre -- which have overwhelming support -- are an issue for discussion," Loeser said. "One of the things that Independence USA is able to do is help highlight issues particularly in expensive media markets like New York City that might otherwise get swept under the rug." The group has plans to spend $1.7 million in the state in its support for Malloy, who signed a gun control law in 2013 which expanded background checks and banned sales of some weapons like the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, which was used in the Sandy Hook massacre. Foley took a stand against Malloy's measures in an August gubernatorial debate, calling his moves "grandstanding" and "overreaching." He has also said he would repeal Malloy's gun control legislation. Four years ago, Malloy narrowly fended off Foley by less than one percentage point in their 2010 battle for the governor's office. The candidates are tied in the most recent poll from CBS/New York Times/YouGov. In Maryland, Brown holds a substantial lead over his opponent, Republican Larry Hogan. But the race has drawn the attention of national headliners: Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has stumped in the state for Hogan, while top Democrats like President Obama and the Clintons have appeared for Brown. Bloomberg -- a noted philanthropist and media magnate boasting a net worth of $34 billion -- has pledged to spend $25 million through his political action committee to raise awareness on gun control across the country. Shortly after the Newtown shootings, he made a sizable donation to Americans for Responsible Solutions, a fundraising group run by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The former congresswoman survived gun wounds to her head after an attempted assassination attempt in January 2011. With polling places officially open in Connecticut and Maryland in just a week, Bloomberg's group is focused on Election Day. "We take these elections one at a time," Loeser said. | Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is making ad buys.
His group, Independence USA PAC promotes pro-gun control candidates .
Democratic Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy has supported expanding background checks .
His opponent, Republican Tom Foley, has called his gun control moves "grandstanding" |
fd483e6d91f93cc5b9fa25a1d0157deec3b01cc0 | By . John Greechan . Great Britain's Elena Baltacha has lost her battle with cancer at the age of just 30. The former British tennis No 1, who was diagnosed with cancer of the liver just a matter of weeks ago, died in the early hours of Sunday morning. The sports star’s agents confirmed Baltacha had lost her fight, while her husband Nino Severino said he was ‘heartbroken beyond words’. VIDEO Scroll down for Former British number one Elena Baltacha dies aged 30 . Tragic loss: Elena Baltacha has died aged 30 after fighting against liver cancer . Side-by-side: Team GB's Baltacha at the Olympic Park in 2012 with Andy Murray and Anne Keothavong . In a statement released on behalf of . her family, her agents, Eleanor Preston and Faye Andrews, said: ‘It is . with deepest sadness that we bring you the following news — Elena . Baltacha died in the early hours of Sunday, May 4, of liver cancer. She . was 30 years old. ‘Elena, . who always went by her nickname Bally, was diagnosed with liver cancer . in mid-January 2014, two months after retiring from professional tennis . and just a few weeks after marrying Nino Severino, her long-time coach . and partner. Partners: Miss Baltacha's husband and coach Nino Severino said he was 'heartbroken beyond words' Battle: Baltacha, who was born in Kiev, was diagnosed with liver cancer in March . 1983 Born August 14 in Kiev, Ukraine. 1997 Plays . first match on the ITF junior circuit in February, spending four years . in the junior ranks before playing her last tournament at that level in . the 2001 junior US Open. 2000 Competed for Scotland in the Commonwealth Youth Games, winning silver in the women's team event.2001-02 Diagnosed with liver condition, primary sclerosing cholangitis, at the age of 19.2002 June - Reached the third round of Wimbledon after entering the tournament on a wild card for the second consecutive year. 2003 Underwent surgery relating to her liver condition, which put her career on hold.2005 Reached . the third round of the Australian Open, beating Katarina Srebotnik and . Stephanie Cohen-Aloro.2007 March - Returned to action after a frustrating spell out with a prolapsed disc, which required surgery in 2006.2010 January - Equalled her best-ever performance at the Australian Open by reaching the third round. August - Participated in the main draw of the US Open for the first time in her career, reaching the second round. September - Attained her highest-ever singles ranking of 49.2011 May - Progressed into the second round of the French Open. August . - Repeated her best-ever showing at the US Open by reaching the second . round after opponent Jamie Hampton was forced to retire after collapsing . on court. 2012 Represented . Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics in both the singles and . doubles events, making her first appearance on July 28 as she beat Agnes . Szavay of Hungary before falling in the second round. Took time off . following the Olympics to have surgery on a foot injury.2013 November 18 - Announced her retirement from tennis on November 18. December 8 - Married long term coach and boyfriend Nino Severino.2014 January - Diagnosed with liver cancer.May 4 - Died peacefully at home from the disease in the early hours, with Severino at her side. ‘Despite a . determined battle against the disease, she passed away peacefully at . home with her husband Nino by her side and surrounded by friends and . family.’ Mr Severino said: . ‘We are heartbroken beyond words at the loss of our beautiful, talented . and determined Bally. She was an amazing person and she touched so many . people with her inspirational spirit, her warmth and her kindness.’ The . Lawn Tennis Association sent their condolences late on Sunday night, . issuing a statement on their website reading: ‘Today British Tennis . mourns the loss of one of our own. ‘The . news of the death of Elena Baltacha, one of the shining lights of . British women’s tennis of recent generations, is devastating to everyone . who has ever had the privilege to know her, play against her, or call . her a friend or team-mate. ‘It . leaves a huge hole within our sport. Bally gave new meaning to the word . “fighter”. She fought tirelessly during her career against opposition . on court, and never gave in to the struggles she endured off it. ‘Forever remembered for her relentless determination, unbelievable . drive and a will-power that never ceased to amaze us, it was a pleasure . to watch Bally develop into a world-class player and become an . outstanding role model for everyone in the game.’ LTA . Head of Women’s Tennis Iain Bates said: ‘Today we have lost a shining . light from the heart of British tennis — a true role model, a great . competitor and a wonderful friend. We have so many special memories to . cherish, but this leaves a gaping hole for everybody in both British and . women’s tennis, and words simply cannot express how saddened we are by . this news. ‘All our thoughts are with Nino and the rest of Elena’s family. We will miss you Bal.’ The . news of her passing will come as a huge shock to the tennis community, . not least compatriot Andy Murray, who had already pledged to take part . in a ‘Rally for Bally’ in a bid to raise funds for cancer research next . month. Eighteen-time Grand . Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski . were among those who had signed up to the star-studded event. Tennis talent: The Ukrainian-born Scot has died at 30 weeks after marrying her coach, Nino Severino . Achievements: Baltacha won 11 singles titles, made the third round of Wimbledon in 2002 and was part of Great Britain's Fed Cup team for 11 years . Baltacha, . who topped the British women’s rankings for an astonishing 10-year . stretch, was born in Kiev but spent her formative years in Scotland, . where father Sergei played football for both St Johnstone and Inverness. Her mother, Olga, was an Olympic athlete and her brother, also Sergei, played for St Mirren. Brave: Baltacha had vowed to fight the disease with 'everything I have' after her diagnosis in January . Laura Robson: 'Impossibly sad. Forever a teammate. Sweet dreams Bally.' Billie Jean King: 'Saddened to hear about Elena Baltacha's passing. My fondest memory w/Bally was sharing a wonderful chat when we met the Queen at @Wimbledon.# . Martina Navratilova: 'So sad to hear of Elena Baltacha's passing - my thoughts are with her family and loved ones, gone much much too soon...' Caroline Wozniacki: 'So sad to hear about Elena Baltacha! RIP! Thoughts go out to her family and loved ones' Ana Ivanovic: 'So sad to hear about Elena. Tragic. My thoughts and prayers are with family... #RIPBally.' Victoria Azarenka: 'RIP Elena Baltacha...My thoughts and condolences to her family! what a tough loss for tennis world.' Kim Clijsters: 'So sad to wake up to the terrible news of Elena passing away! RIP Bally! Thinking about her loved ones ...' Petra Kvitova: 'Just woke up in Madrid. So sad to hear the news about Elena Baltacha :( RIP.' Chris Evert: 'Rest in . Peace, beautiful Elena Baltacha...No words...Thoughts and prayers...' Sabine Lisicki: 'Such tragic news with Elena Baltacha. Battling cancer and passing away at only age 30... #RIP' Annabel Croft: 'Just woken up to the sad news about Elena Baltacha passing away - We won't forget her fighting spirit. Far too young.' David Ferrer: 'RIP Elena Baltacha, a hard blow for tennis.' | Elena Baltacha has lost her battle with cancer of the liver aged just 30 .
The former British tennis No 1 died early on Sunday morning .
Baltacha, also known as Bally, was diagnosed with liver cancer in January this year, two months after retiring from playing tennis .
The Lawn Tennis Association said: 'British Tennis mourns the loss of one of our own'
Andy Murray, Martina Navratilova, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski have signed up for Rally for Bally, an event to raise funds for cancer research .
Baltacha topped the British women's rankings for 10 years . |
fd4858a01ac686611a3c0896d80d80efdab7436b | When it comes to booking a cruise, the myriad choice of ships can leave holidaymakers feeling overwhelmed. Now a cruise company has produced an infographic that explains the options on offer, along with some staggering cruise-related facts. Cruise1st's graphic has been released to coincide with the final episode of ITV's The Cruise . Ship. The four-part documentary goes behind the scenes on board the passenger ship Royal Princess, which was launched last June by the . Duchess of Cambridge. Royal seal of approval: The Duchess of Cambridge launches the Royal Princess ship in June last year . The infographic reveals that a record 1.79 million British holidaymakers took a cruise in 2013 and 21.7 million people worldwide plan to book a trip this year. Passenger figures have risen by 21 per cent in the past five years and the average cruise lasts 7.2 days. The Caribbean is the top destination, followed by the Mediterranean and Europe. Far-flung destinations in Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, Asia and South America are also a hit with travellers. Passengers . said they enjoyed cruising because it offered value for money, . ‘amazing’ destinations, fine dining, and meant that they could travel . far but only had to unpack once. They . also like the fact that the ships were a 'floating resort for all' and . they could choose to do little or a lot on their trip. Cruise giant: Royal Caribbean International's Allure of the Seas is the world's largest cruise ship . Floating resort: Allure of the Seas is as big as three and half football fields and nearly four times longer than Big Ben clock tower . The majority of modern cruise ships are at least twice the size of the Titanic but the so-called ‘megaships’ tower above the competition, carrying over 6,000 passengers on board. At 362 metres, Royal Caribbean International's Allure of the Seas is the world’s largest cruise ship, equal to . three and half football fields and nearly four times longer than Big Ben . clock tower. Weighing a staggering 225,300 tonnes - the equivalent of 9,000 warrior army tanks - it can carry 6,296 guests and 2,384 crew, has 2,700 rooms, and required 158,503 gallons of paint . to decorate it. If the ship's electrical cables were laid end to end, they would stretch from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Juneau in Alaska. Famous vessel: Cunard's ocean liner Queen Mary 2 is longer than the Eiffel Tower and weighs the equivalent of 21,200 double decker buses . Costly: Smaller luxury cruise ships such as Silverseas' ship Silver Whisper cater to a more 'exclusive' clientele and offer longer itineraries to exotic ports . Next up are the mainstream cruise . ships, such as Cunard's ocean liner Queen Mary 2, which is longer than the Eiffel Tower . and weighs the equivalent of 21,200 double decker buses. The . graphic reveals that the famous ship once carried the first U.S. copy . of J.K. Rowling’s book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince across the . Atlantic in a locked steamer trunk. The smaller . luxury cruise ships, such as Silverseas' ship Silver Whisper, cater to a more 'exclusive' clientele and offer longer itineraries to . more exotic ports. Silver Whisper carries 382 passengers, weighs the equivalent of 175 Boeing 747 jumbo jets and just pips the Statue of Liberty when it comes to length. Finally, the relatively small adventure vessels, such as Windstar Cruises' ship Wind Spirit, are usually sail-powered and frequently visit out-of-the-way destinations that are inaccessible to larger ships. The Wind Spirit is slightly longer than Nelson's Column at 110 metres long, carries 148 passengers and weighs the equivalent of 3,800 average family cars. Travelling light: Windstar Cruises' ship Wind Spirit can visit out-of-the-way destinations that are inaccessible to larger ships . | Record 1.79 million British holidaymakers took a cruise last year .
Passenger figures have risen by 21 per cent in past five years .
Caribbean is top destination, followed by Mediterranean and Europe .
'Megaship’ carries over 6,000 passengers and weighs 225,300 tonnes .
Has 2,700 rooms, and required 158,503 gallons of paint to decorate it . |
fd485b171b9857ea7cdd8c17c2a6e64b041b25e0 | By . John Stevens . Last updated at 8:04 AM on 29th December 2011 . First the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year shortlist didn’t feature a single woman. Now the corporation has caused controversy by including a member of the fairer sex who is not even human among the 12 females on its ‘Faces of 2011’ list. Giant panda Sweetie, also known as Tian Tian, was listed on the BBC’s website as the female face of December, after she made headlines when she was moved to Edinburgh Zoo from China with a male panda to breed. Tian Tian, who arrived at Edinburgh Zoo with Yang Guang - or Sunshine - on December 4 has been named as one of the BBC's Faces of 2011 . She joined 11 other notable names including shot U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Pauline Pearce – dubbed the heroine of Hackney after she was filmed standing up to rioters in north London – and Libyan Iman al-Obeidi, who burst into a press conference to reveal she had been gang-raped by Colonel Gaddafi’s officials. Also featured was chart-topping singer Adele.] . But the BBC has defended its decision to name Sweetie among the 12 women in its Faces of 2011 as 'a light-hearted addition' to the list. The furore comes after, the BBC came under fire last month after its shortlist for the Sports Personality of the Year award did not include any women. MPs accused the BBC of 'ignoring women's achievements' in 2011 by choosing an all-male shortlist. A group of female MPs wrote to director general Mark Thompson, saying: 'This bias has led to a number of outstanding sporting achievements by women being entirely disregarded.' Worthy: Pauline Pearce (left) told looters they made her feel 'ashamed to be a Hackney person', while Gabrielle . Iman Al-Obeidi came to the world's attention after she told a press conference she was sexually assaulted by up to 15 men while held custodyby colonel Gaddafi's men . January: Gabrielle Giffords The US congresswoman was shot in the head when a gunman went on the rampage during an event in tucson Arizona. Six died in the attack.February: Adele She became the first living artist to achieve two top-five hits simultaneously in both the album and singles charts since The Beatles.March: Iman al-Obeidi The 29-year-old Libyan burst into the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli to tell the assembled foreign media that she had been beaten and gang-raped by 15 members of Gaddafi's forces during a two-day ordeal.April: Sarah Burton The Macclesfield-born creative director of the Alexander McQueen fashion house created Kate Middelton's wedding dress.May: Nafissatou Diallo The 32-year-old immigrant from Guinea, who worked as a hotel maid, accused the head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, of sexually assaulting her and trying to rape her at New York's Sofitel Hotel. June: Jelena Lecic London-based Croatia who was the face of a blog purportedly written by a gay woman in Syria - but it was a hoax.July: Princess Charlene Former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock married Prince Albert of Monaco - apparently after having had to be persuaded not to call off the weddingAugust: Pauline Pearce The 'Heroine of Hackney' who told looters they made her feel "ashamed to be a Hackney person". September: Rebecca Leighton The nurse was accused of - and cleared of - murdering three patients with a contaminated saline drip. She spent six weeks in prison before being released without charge.October: Duchess of Alba One of Spain's richest and flamboyant women, the Duchess of Alba, married again at the age of 85 to Alfonso Diez Carabantes, who is 24 years her juniorNovember: Corporal Kelsey de Santis The US Marine from Virginia, made a YouTube appeal to actor and singer Justin Timberlake to take her to the Marine Corps Ball in Richmond, Virginia. He said yes.December: Sweetie One of two pandas on loan to Edinburgh zoo for ten years at a cost of £600,000 per year. Zoo bosses are hoping that they will reproduce. In response to the inclusion of Sweetie . on the list, Labour MP Stella Creasy said: 'Whilst we all love a good . panda story, in a year when Christine Lagarde became head of the IMF, or . Helle Thorning-Schmidt became prime minister of Denmark or even the sad . death of Amy Winehouse, its frustrating the BBC couldn't think of 12 . human female faces who have made the news this year. 'These lists aren't meant to be serious . but coming so soon after the lack of women from their Sports Personality . of the Year award it does seem as if the BBC hasn't noticed the wide . and varied contribution women make to public life.' A BBC spokeswoman said: 'Including Sweetie (Tian Tian) as one of the annual headline makers was a light-hearted addition to the list, and this isn't the first time it has featured a non-human. In 2009, Benson the Carp, a much-caught giant fish, was August's entry on the male list and last year Peppa the Pig was on the female list for April.' The bears were brought to Scotland from China in the hope that they will produce cubs. Sweetie's inclusion has caused a stir on Twitter, with many users suggesting alternative names for '£realwomenoftheyear'. One user of the site, who tweets under the name campaigner, wrote: 'I'm rather torn over £pandagate. These things are never just black or white.' The article was written up by freelance reporter Bob Chaundy, who told the Guardian the list was put together by BBC editors. Responding to the debate, which sent the Twitter hashtag #pandagate trending, Chaundy tweeted: 'I didn't choose the BBC women faces of the year subjects, just wrote them. Two black eyes from wife though. Pandamonium!' Twitter users also complained at the selection of women came to prominence simply because of high-profile weddings, such as Charlene Wittstock who married Prince Albert of Monaco, and the Spanish billionaire the Duchess of Alba. And the worth of a place on the list of a US marine who used YouTube to ask Justin Timberlake to take her to the Marine corps Ball, as Corporal Kelsey de Santis did, has also been called into question. Unsurprisingly the Face of April was connected with the Royal wedding, but while the UK version of the BBC's list had Sarah Burton, the woman who designed The Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress, as the entry for that month, worldwide audiences were offered the more recognisable figure of Pippa Middleton, whose worthiness of a place on the list many may also doubt. | Furore comes after Corporation did not include a single woman on shortlist for Sports Personality of the Year . |
fd48aaae98bf8340ebb2f0741f9cb808b5fa42e7 | The fourth teenager fighting for survival after being shot in the head in the Marysville school shooting has died, bringing the final death toll to five with just one survivor. Andrew Fryberg, 15, has clung to life for 15 days since his brother-like cousin Jaylen Fryberg fired a bullet into the back of his head at point-blank range. His girlfriend Zoe Galasso, 14, died at the scene in Marysville-Pilchuck High School's cafeteria, where 15-year-old Jaylen also turned the gun on himself on October 24. The four remaining victims were rushed to hospitals nearby in Everett, Washington, but only one - Andrew and Jaylen's 14-year-old cousin Nate Hatch - was upgraded from a critical condition to serious. Scroll down for video . Tragic: Andrew Fryberg (left) has died 15 days after he was shot in the head by cousin Jaylen Fryberg (right) Gia Soriano, 14, was taken off life support two days later on October 26. On October 31, Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, also succumbed to her injuries. Tonight, the Fryberg family issued a statement from the ward at Harborview Medical Center to reveal that Andrew's wounds were too grave to overcome. 'We express our thanks for the amazing support from the community, as well as from everyone around the world that have been praying for us all through this tragic event,' the family said. 'We also want to say a special thank you to all the amazing staff that have cared for our son and brother here in the pediatric intensive care unit at Harborview. 'Our family is overwhelmed with the love and care that has been provided to our loved one during this time and you all will forever hold a special place in our hearts. 'But we also ask that you respect our privacy at this time of our deep loss.' Horrific: Andrew, 15, (left) had been in a critical condition in hospital since the attack in Marysville-Pilchuck High School on October 24, when his cousin Jaylen, also 15, killed Andrew's girlfriend Zoe Galasso, 14 (right) Emotional: Andrew's family thanked the community for their support at this time during their 'deep loss' Victims: Gia Soriano, left, and Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, both 14, died days after the attack from gun wounds . Andrew, Jaylen and Nate all grew up together in the Tulalip Tribe, one of the biggest and most successful Native American settlements in the United States, about 30 miles from Seattle, Washington. Nate, the only one shot in the jaw rather than the back of the head, was upgraded from critical to serious condition days after the shooting and is now recovering in Harborview Medical Center, where he has been able to walk and communicate with people. It has emerged Jaylen lured the victims - his five closest friends - to the same table in the cafeteria at an early lunch break by texting them. The group, who friends and family described as inseparable, had celebrated their homecoming dance together days before, and posed for smiling photos arm-in-arm. Only survivor: Nate Hatch was the only one of the group to overcome his injuries to a serious, not critical, state . Lured his victims: Jaylen texted his five closest friends saying to meet him in the cafeteria where he shot them . Community shaken: Gabby Soriano, cousin of Gia, is embraced by her mother Gay by a tribute wall . The Tulalip Tribe: Jaylen, Andrew and their cousin Nate Hatch - the only survivor - were tribe members . But tweets posted on Jaylen's Twitter feed in the run-up to his cold-blooded attack revealed a temper and underlying sense of frustration. It is still not known what led him to open fire, but theories include the suggestion that he was infuriated by an allegedly racist comment made during a football match. Jaylen, a popular player on the school's football team, got in a fight with teammate which resulted in his suspension. It was days after he returned to play that he unleashed his attack. Friends and relatives have refuted another theory that he was crushing on Andrew's girlfriend Zoe, although many maintain that could be a reason. | Andrew Fryberg, 15, was the only teenager still fighting for life 15 days after his brother-like cousin opened fire in Marysville-Pilchuck High School .
His girlfriend Zoe Galasso, 14, and gunman Jaylen, 15, died at the scene .
Gia Soriano and Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, died days later in hospital .
Nate Hatch, Andrew and Jaylen's cousin, only one to survive his wounds .
Andrew's family thanked neighbors for support during their 'deep loss' |
fd48ba955ad2503611dc538cbd09fd12a0461ec5 | (CNN) -- Soccer star Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field playing for Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, is able to breathe without a ventilator and respond to questions, according to the hospital treating him. The 23-year-old collapsed at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane stadium in London during an English FA Cup quarterfinal game and was treated by paramedics on the pitch. He was subsequently taken to the London Chest Hospital where he has been in a critical condition since Saturday evening. But a joint statement released by the hospital and Bolton on Monday evening said Muamba's condition had marginally improved. Soccer star Muamba still 'critical' after on-pitch collapse . It read: "Fabrice Muamba is continuing to show signs of improvement this evening. "He is currently able to breathe independently without the aid of a ventilator. He has also been able to recognize family members and respond to questions appropriately. "These are all positive signs of progress. However, his condition remains serious and the medical staff in intensive care will continue to monitor and treat him." Muamba was born in Zaire but was brought up in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He moved to England when he was 11. He represented England at under-21 level and has played for English Premier League side Arsenal, as well as Birmingham City, before moving to Bolton in 2008 for a fee of £5 million ($8 million). He collapsed after 41 minutes of the last eight tie against Tottenham, with players from both sides urging medical assistance straight away. Fears for stricken soccer player Muamba's recovery . Stunned supporters looked on as he was treated on the field while reports in the UK press claimed it took two hours for Muamba's heart to start beating normally again. Referee Howard Webb abandoned the match after consultation with players and managers from both sides. Bolton's Premier League game with Aston Villa, scheduled for Tuesday, has also been called off. Muamba's manager Owen Coyle has regularly visited the hospital where he is being treated, as have players from Bolton and other Premier League clubs. Spanish club Real Madrid carried shirts that read "Get well soon Muamba" before their draw with Malaga on Sunday, and Coyle said the player's family were grateful for all the support they had received from around the globe. "The message is the good will, the prayers from everybody, they are so thankful and they want to put that on record -- to say 'keep up the prayers, thanks for all the support,' " the Scot told reporters. "They have been inundated as we all have, both in the football community globally and family and friends. People are taking a genuine interest and a real concern with how Fabrice is doing. "It's a difficult situation but the family are bearing up as well as they can. They themselves are very positive people. Players pray for Muamba's recovery . "You look at what Fabrice has been through in life already and you can tell that he is a fighter. He has such a fantastic smile and that's what we all want to see again." Muamba's wife Shauna took to Twitter on Monday to say: "All your prayers are working people thank u so so much. Every prayer makes him stronger. " There have been other cases of players collapsing during soccer matches. Motherwell's Phil O'Donnell suffered heart failure during a 2007 game against Scottish rivals Dundee United and died on the way to hospital. The most high-profile tragedy of this kind came when Cameroon international Marc-Vivien Foe collapsed during a Confederations Cup semifinal against Colombia in 2003 and died in hospital. There have been two similar incidents more recently in Spain, involving Sevilla's Antonio Puerta in 2007 and Espanyol's Daniel Jarque in 2009. | Soccer star Fabrice Muamba showing signs of improvement after cardiac arrest .
Bolton player collapsed during a match against Tottenham on Saturday evening .
Muamba able to breathe without ventilator and respond appropriately to questions .
Hospital treating the 23-year-old say long-term prognosis will remain unclear for some time . |
fd48fa07b7b1c754d3f25cb152ca2df335686efb | LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The famed Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California, is filled to capacity on a Wednesday night, and it's only 8:30 p.m. What kind of star could bring out this kind of crowd -- and at such an L.A. early hour? Zee Avi posted her songs on YouTube and attracted the interest of a record label. How about a Malaysian Internet sensation with a debut album that was released one day earlier? Such is the buzz around Zee Avi, a 21st-century chanteuse in the most literal sense. Her spot-on Billie Holiday phrasing and honey-sweet voice would have had her entertaining in a café in the 1930s. In this era, she was discovered on YouTube by an indie rocker -- Patrick Keeler of the Raconteurs -- and is on Jack Johnson's record label, Brushfire, which has partnered with Monotone Records to produce her. Avi's set of engaging acoustic offerings included an enthralling cover of Interpol's "Slow Hands," and was delivered with self-assurance and poise. In an interview two days earlier, she credited her parents and grandfather for inspiring her love of music -- sometimes through karaoke. "Got to love that," she says. Avi, 23, also acknowledges the influence of her native Malaysia, which kept her open to new ways of thinking. "It's a big melting pot of different cultures. We get a good mix of East and West," she says. Watch the video of "Bitter Heart" » . Her love of music -- and of the Malay melting pot -- is reflected in her debut album, "Zee Avi" (Brushfire Records). The album, which was released mid-May, fuses early 20th century American standards with modern sounds on songs such as "Kantoi" and "Just You and Me." CNN spoke to the singer-songwriter just before the album's release. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: You can hear influences on your album from a wide range of artists and eras, from Billie Holiday to Cat Power. How did all of that find its way to you? Zee Avi: Music is universal. With the media and the Internet you can gain access to everything. By listening to many different types of music it gives me many ways to fuse it with my own [ideas] and then I play whatever comes naturally to me. CNN: How did you develop a love for music and develop your particular style? Avi: I think if it's in your blood, it's in your blood. If you love golf, then you would find which wood is good for this and which putter is good for that. It's a passion altogether. Same with music. CNN: What made you want to put those songs on YouTube? Avi: One of my friends missed my first gig. I played my first [original] song "Poppy." He's a poet and a writer and I wanted his feedback because I respect his work. So he said to send the song over to him. I didn't know [how to send it], but I did have this webcam on my dad's laptop and one of those call center headsets. So I ended up putting it on YouTube and he watched and I said, "OK, I'm going to delete it now." He said, "No, let it nest there and see what happens." I remember I got one comment and I was so happy (laughs). Then I put my second video up and got three comments. It just went on from there. CNN: And you got a call from Monotone Records. Avi: One of the guys who worked there messaged me on YouTube. He said, "Hey, we represent White Stripes, M.I.A., the Shins" ... and I went "gasp-gasp-gasp." He said they were interested in talking to me. Next thing I knew we had a rough draft of the recordings. CNN: What would you be doing right now if there was no Internet? Avi: What would ["Leave Britney alone!" YouTuber] Chris Crocker be doing right now? (huge laughs) Before the music thing happened, I wanted to study creative writing and philosophy. When I put these songs on YouTube I certainly never meant it to be a marketing tool. I had no expectations of [what it became]. CNN: Musically, the album is almost wistful, but darkness permeates the lyrics. Avi: Everybody has that side of their personality that they don't show anybody. Music is my outlet for that. I also have a positive side -- let's not be a wet blanket. It's not my intention for a song to be [overly] emotive or anything like that. Velvet Underground's "Who Loves the Sun" plays a very important part in how I write songs. That song is very ironic. If you're singing along to that song, you're singing this happy melody but you're actually singing about someone with a broken heart. It's sarcasm too, in a way. It's made such an impact on me, like the fact that you can do that [with songwriting]. CNN: Where does the darkness come from? Avi: Most of my songs are about relationships, and as anyone knows relationships aren't always sunshine and rainbows. Even when it's good sometimes it's bad. I try to capture the reality of it. It can be a fairy tale, but it doesn't always end up happily ever after. Fine -- prince marries princess and they live happily ever after. But what's "after"? CNN: As a self-described woman of simple pleasures, how are you dealing with this new whirlwind lifestyle? Avi: If there's one thing my parents have taught me it's to stay grounded. I always keep that in mind. Whatever success I achieve ... I'm grateful. But I don't expect anything from it. | Zee Avi posted her songs to YouTube, developed following .
Singer combines voice of '30s chanteuse with 21st-century world .
One way she found love of music: karaoke . |
fd493eef14861a2342b7e587e3ace3e0392d9598 | By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 05:21 EST, 26 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:09 EST, 26 December 2013 . A majestic flotilla of 94 yachts sailed out of Sydney Harbour today for the 69th Sydney to Hobart race. Skippers have been warned of gale-force winds over the weekend and an especially challenging and unpredictable run to the Tasmanian capital. Jessica Watson, the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe solo at the age of 16, is aiming to become the youngest female sailor to win at the age of 20. Scroll down for video . On your marks: An aerial view of the Sydney to Hobart race leaving Sydbey Harbour today . She has already competed in the race taking part in 2011 and is aboard Perpetual Loyal. The supermaxis, including defending champion Wild Oats XI and its local challenger Perpetual Loyal, are expected to sail up the mouth of the Derwent River sometime on Saturday. The remainder of the fleet are forecast to face winds of 40-60 knots and waves of up to 12 metres early on Sunday just as they enter the notoriously volatile Bass Strait. However, a repeat of the major storm that sank five yachts and killed six sailors in 1998 is unlikely. A majestic flotilla of 94 yachts sailed out of Sydney Harbour today for the 69th Sydney to Hobart ocean race to Tasmania . Challenging: Skippers have been warned of gale-force winds over the weekend during the gruelling race . The race is on: The Nikata team is seen during the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2013 in Sydney . While the bigger boats, including the super maxis, should be finished before the bad weather hits, the smaller and slower boats might have problems with the large seas. The international competition has been boosted by 12 boats from the Clipper Round the World Race, which for the first time is including the iconic ocean classic often referred to simply as 'The Hobart', as part of its 40,000 nautical mile, 11-month race. The Sydney to Hobart is a sporting staple of the festive season in Australia with the race start being held during the lunch break of the first day of the fourth Ashes test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. While the bigger boats, including the supermaxis should be finished before the bad weather hits the smaller and slower boats might have problems with the large seas . The flotilla of 94 yachts sail out of Sydney Harbour today for the 69th Sydney to Hobart ocean race which is one of the most challenging in the world . Perpetual Loyal, Wild Oats XI, Beau Geste, Ragamuffin, and Wild Thing teams are seen during the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race . The Beau Geste team is seen during the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2013 at sea, in Sydney Harbour . High seas: A fleet sail at the start of an annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race on December 26 . Wild Oats XI holds the race record of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds set last year and is attempting to win the race for a record-equalling seventh time. There were 94 starters in this year's race, including 22 from outside Australia. 'Treacherous conditions as far as the winds and the waves go,' Bureau of Meteorology official Andrew Treloar said at the final pre-race weather briefing Thursday. Vicky Ellis, of Bristol, England, was at the helm of the yacht Switzerland, which was in 58th place and about 25 nautical miles behind the leaders early Thursday evening. Exhilarating: Balance leaves Sydney Harbour just after the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race . Ninety-four boats are taking part in this year's 69th edition of the 628 nautical mile blue water race . Several yachts head out of Sydney Harbour just after the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race to Tasmania . She's the only woman skipper in the Clipper race and one of two in the Sydney to Hobart. Ellis said in a telephone interview that Switzerland needed to make up ground after being slow at the start. 'It's going very well now, but it wasn't one of our better starts,' Ellis said. 'But the yachts we are overtaking now are bigger than us, so I hope we'll be moving up overnight.' Perpetual Loyal, Wild Oats XI, Beau Geste, Ragamuffin, and Wild Thing teams are seen during the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race . Team members of Midnight Ramble ride the rails as they leave Sydney Harbour just after the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race . The fleet moves away from the start line during the 2013 Sydney to Hobart race in Sydney, Australia . Yachts battle it out in Sydney Harbour as they sail towards the Tasmanian state capital of Hobart along one of the most dangerous stretches of water . Noting the bad weather forecast for late Saturday, Ellis said: I'm hoping we'll be finished by then.' The race to Hobart covers 628 nautical miles, or 723 miles. The fleet moves down the southeast coast of the Australian mainland, then across the often treacherous Bass Strait to the island state of Tasmania. The final portion of the race sees the fleet move up the Derwent River and to Constitution Dock in Hobart, the Tasmanian capital. Perpetual Loyal skipper Bell flew in American navigator Stan Honey, who masterminded the 2011 line honors win of Bell's previous boat. Another crew member on Bell's yacht this year is 2012 London Olympics laser gold medalist Tom Slingsby, the Australian who was strategist on the winning Team Oracle USA boat at this year's America's Cup. | Skippers have been warned of gale-force winds over the weekend .
The race to Hobart covers 628 nautical miles, or 723 miles .
Defending champion Wild Oats XI expected to finish on Saturday .
The fleet moves down the southeast coast of the Australian mainland then across the treacherous Bass Strait . |
fd49dcfc0a95197d1f86e887e76af4861d86ebba | A Department of Homeland Security employee who was unmasked in August as a radical black nationalist who publicly called for an all-out war against with the white race is no longer employed by the agency, it was revealed today. Ayo Kimathi, an acquisitions officer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement handling small businesses, was placed on administrative leave four months ago after it was revealed that he has been using his website, WarOnTheHorizon.com, to advocate for the mass murder of Caucasians. The site includes descriptions of an 'unavoidable, inevitable clash with the white race.' Kimathi is black. Good riddance: Ayo Kimathi finally left his job as acquisitions officer . for Immigration and Customs Enforcement some four months after it . was discovered that he has been moonlighting as an advocate for a race . war . Hate speech: Kimathi, who is black, operates the website War on the Horizon, which includes descriptions of an 'unavoidable, inevitable clash with the white race' On Wednesday, DHS spokesperson Gillian Christensen confirmed to National Journal that Kimathi left the agency December 6. She would not specify, however, whether he resigned or was fired, citing privacy policies. 'This is welcome but long overdue news,' said Josh Glasstetter, of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which exposed Kimathi's double life over the summer. 'DHS had known for months about Kimathi's promotion of violence. Some of his coworkers reportedly feared for their own safety. Regrettably, DHS only took action after we publicized his activities.' Kimathi was hired by DHS in 2009, and last year he drew an annual salary of more than $115,000. On the side, the federal employee has been running a website criticizing whites, gays, those of mixed race, and blacks who integrate with whites. In his lectures and speeches, some of them available on YouTube, Kimathi heaped abuse on President Obama for his support of gay rights, calling him a ‘goddamn f***** mulatto.’ The SPLC in August reported on Kimathi's role in operating the radical web portal. Hostile: A former manager at DHS said that 'everybody in the office is afraid' of Kimatha . 'At this point in history, whites worldwide are threatening the existence of every Black man, woman, and child on Earth,' one passage on the site read. 'Since we are the most valuable people . alive and there is no need for this planet’s existence without us, it . is time for us to prepare for the international war for Black survival.' Kimathi, . who calls himself 'the irritated Genie,' received permission to launch . the site after falsely telling his supervisors at the DHS that War on the . Horizon was set up to sell concert and lecture videos. Author: Kimathi wrote a book under the pen name the Irritated Genie of Soufees on the subject of the effeminization of the black male by whites, which retails on Amazon for more than $756 . ‘He called it simply WOH, never saying that WOH stood for War on the Horizon,’ the report stated. DHS spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said in a written statement that the agency ‘does not condone any type of hateful rhetoric or advocacy of violence of any kind against anyone.’ The Alabama-based SPLC said in its report that Kimathi's site declares: ‘in order for Black people to survive the 21st century, we are going to have to kill a lot of whites – more than our Christian hearts can possibly count.' A former manager at DHS reportedly told SPLC that 'everybody in the office is afraid of him,' adding that his co-workers have expressed concerns that one day, Kimathi would bring a gun 'and go postal.' His hate-filled rhetoric aside, however, Kimathi’s ex-supervisor described him as a ‘suave’ professional with a ‘commanding presence’ who excelled at his job advocating for small business owners. The radical activist appears to have a long list of enemies, among them Rev. Al Sharpton, Lil Wayne, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, dubbed by him ‘Colon,’ and the long-deceased FBI director ‘Gay Edgar Hoover.’ Besides preparing members of the black . race for war on whites, Kimathi also has been going after gays and . lesbians, while accusing the US government of pursuing a secret agenda . of trying to ‘effeminize’ the black male as a way of destroying the race. In a lengthy blog post that was uploaded on the radical site November 1, the writer accused the Obama administration of pressuring Lincoln University and other historically black colleges to promote homosexuality to student body - or risk losing their funding. In September, another post addressed the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of black teenager Trayvon Martin. The author of the foul-mouthed communique referred to the defendant as a 'zionist smallhat' while calling the victim 'Brother Trayvon.' Firebrand: Besides running the website, Kimathi also has been giving lectures and speeches advocating for a war of whites and homosexuals . Anti-gay: Lomathi lambasted President Obama for his support of LGBT community in 2009 speech . Harsh words: Kimathi said he was disillusioned with Michelle Obama for wearing a 'lingerie'-style dress on the cover of People magazine . A book on the subject titled ‘War on the Horizon: Black Resistance to the white-sex Assault,’ which was apparently written by Kimathi under the pen name the Irritated Genie of Soufees, retails on Amazon for more than $756, the Huffington Post reported. In a particularly incendiary video from August 2009 posted on his YouTube page, which was unearthed by the site Mediate, Kimathi delivered a racially charged and homophobic speech blasting President Obama as a' goddamn f***** mullato' for his efforts to extend rights to members of the LGBT community. Dressed in a gold-colored African garb with an amulet around his neck, Kimathi raged against Obama, whom he repeatedly called 'f**' and 'miserable, low-life, scum-dwelling product of the Europeans’ for his decision to designate June 2009 as National LGBT Pride Month. List of enemies: Rev. Al Sharpton (left), Oprah Winfrey (center) and Colin Powell(right) are among the black leaders that Kimathi considers traitors to their race . Kimathi also did not spare the first . lady, saying that he had started out admiring Michelle Obama as an . articulate black woman, but was later disillusioned with her after . seeing the cover of People magazine that featured the mother of two . sporting a pink lacy dress with a V-neck, which he labelled 'lingerie.' ‘Damn, these crackers got us! They got a f***** and a sister who's out of control, and they're embarrassing us around the world,' he cried. | Ayo Kimathi worked as acquisition officer for DHS dealing with small businesses since 2009 .
Report by Southern Poverty Law Center in August revealed Kimathi operates radical site called War on the Horizon .
Kimathi was suspended with pay pending review; earned more than $115,000 last year .
'In order for Black people to survive the 21st century, we are going to have to kill a lot of whites,' site declares .
Former supervisor at DHS said Kimathi's co-workers were afraid of him .
Kimathi opposes gay rights and integration between races; considers prominent leaders like Colin Powell and Oprah Winfrey his enemies . |
fd4a3cbb43225440c2af87d989b9afd46609354c | (CNN) -- When I have spare time, one of my favorite ways to be of little-to-no use to society is going on Wikipedia and harnessing the power of the "Random Article" button. It's basically magic. You click it and it pulls up just one entry from among tens of millions. And sometimes it even has facts! Wikipedia's unofficial motto: "Sure ... what that guy wrote." As the name implies, when you click for a random article, you never know what you're going to get. It's random. But it's always the start of a fascinating ride down the giant time-wasting wiki wormhole where, as you click on more and more associated articles, an hour later you find you've somehow gone from, say, learning about electromagnetic radiation to reading up on Guns N' Roses. And then you eventually leave the wormhole because your brain has gone far too long without porn or cat videos. So, anyway, this week, for a little change of pace, instead of writing about a trending topic in social media, I'm going to click the "Random Article" button just once and write about the very first thing that pops up. No matter what it is. Because, you know, if it's on Wikipedia, it matters. Sort of. OK, here we go. "Give me a click, Vasily. One click only, please." (click) And our topic is: Jiri Ondracek! According to Wikipedia, Ondracek is a 24-year-old professional ice hockey player from Havirov, Czech Republic. Which is nowhere near Pittsburgh. I looked it up. You're welcome. Now, if you're not a hockey fan, please don't turn away. I promise I won't make this all about sports. The whole point of exploring random articles is to see where the wormhole takes you on the Web, to learn about new things and hopefully not end up watching a Nickelback video on YouTube. (The horror. The horror.) So let's learn! A quick visit to his team's website doesn't reveal anything overly interesting about Ondracek other than the fact that he's a forward who's 185 centimeters tall and weighs 82 kilograms. I'm an American so, clearly, I have no idea what the hell that means. For all I know he's 5 feet 3 inches and built like a Buick. Or as they call that on Internet dating sites: "Curvy." So, I used Google's metric converter and learned that he's actually about 6 feet tall and weighs roughly 180 pounds. Which sounds just about right for a real professional hockey player. By contrast, I played one season of club hockey my freshman year in college, but was 5 feet 9 inches and built like a malnourished fifth-grader. So I quit, took up sleeping in as my new club sport and decided to concentrate on pork rinds. I became: "Curvy." But back to Ondracek. His current team hails from the town of Zlin, which is in the southeastern part of the Czech Republic. It's OK. You're allowed to not know where it is. So do look at that map. And maybe even plan a visit. Zlin actually sounds rather interesting. In 2007, New York Times writer William Shaw called Zlin "an architectural gold mine" and mentioned that people used to joke about it being "a piece of America, somehow misplaced here in the Czech Republic." The architectural history of Zlin has roots in America, and dates back to the larger vision of a local shoemaker in the early 1900s. His name was Tomas Bata and, according to the article, he made several discovery trips to the United States, and even toured Ford factories to learn more about the intricacies of mass production. Bata came away from his visits to America with big ideas (and probably high cholesterol), and set forth to not only mass-produce his shoes, but to also mass-produce buildings specifically designed to enhance the lives of his workers. Schools. Housing. Hospitals. Maybe even a Denny's and a VD clinic. Just the basics. But Bata wanted to do it in style. So, the article says, he enlisted the help of some of Europe's most radical architects. "Tell me, Sven. What do you envision for the hospital?" "No walls. Just fresh air. And we'll surround the exterior with open flames to symbolize the warmth of healing." "Right. How about just a fancy door." Eventually, Bata's dream fizzled, but most of the buildings made it through the great wars and are still intact today. Thus, the "architectural gold mine." Though, if you're Ondracek, Zlin is probably just some place where you now play hockey. Nothing more. And that brings us right back where we started. The "Random Article" button. We began with a relatively unknown Czech hockey player and ended up learning about how an enterprising shoemaker influenced the architecture of an entire city -- just a short example of the wiki wormhole. And the best part: No Nickelback! (Warning! Do not click this.) | "Apparently This Matters" is CNN Tech's weekly skewed look at social media .
This week, Jarrett Bellini dives down the wormhole of Wikipedia's "Random Article" tool .
Czech hockey player Jiri Ondracek was the random page .
What followed? Czech history, metric equations and, gladly, no Nickelback . |
fd4a4bc15a32551306a9ed798ea3f395c53756d9 | (CNN) -- The Iranian president on Tuesday likened the anti-government protests during Sunday's observances of Ashura to "a theater play by the Zionists and the Americans," the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency said. "The Iranian nation has witnessed many plays of this kind: a play ordered by the Zionists and the Americans, who had purchased the tickets to this play and were the only audience of this play," IRNA quoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying. Ashura is the major Shiite Muslim holy day. It marks the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, as a martyr. Shiites commemorate the death of Hussein each year, climaxing on Ashura -- the 10th day of the month of Muharram -- after a 40-day mourning period. Read more about the protests in Iran . Ahmadinejad strongly criticized the positions taken by U.S. President Obama and the British government, IRNA said. The news agency quoted the president as saying he had "advised" the two countries several times, but "they insist on experiencing humiliation." The British ambassador to Iran, Simon Gass, was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday "to receive Iran's complaint regarding that country's interference in Iran's internal affairs," the semi-official news agency Fars reported. Ari Larijani, the speaker of Iran's parliament, also slammed Britain and the United States on Tuesday for condemning the government crackdown Sunday on the protesters. Larijani said authorities should mete out "the harshest punishment" to protesters who disrupted Ashura observances. Addressing lawmakers, Larijani said the protesters had insulted Imam Hussein. He urged officials to "arrest offenders of the religion and mete out harshest punishments to such anti-revolutionary figures with no mercy." An Iranian media blackout had made it difficult to verify accounts of the weekend's violence, but videos that found their way west depicted bloodied and, in some cases, apparently dead protesters. Are you there? Share your stories, photos and videos . In one video, posted on the Web site YouTube on Tuesday, green and white police trucks rush into crowds of protesters in Tehran. The demonstrators scatter in all directions, but one truck drives into a crowd trapped in a narrow street with a wall on one side and parked cars on the other. The camera follows the truck as it backs away, but a person briefly can be seen crumpled in the street where the truck had been. When the camera returns to the spot, another police truck drives over the person. Other protesters rush to the downed person's aid, but it was not clear whether that person was killed. CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the video, or another one obtained by CNN that shows a woman who was reportedly killed when hit by a car driven by members of the Basij, the Iranian paramilitary group. The video shows protesters transfering her body from a clinic near where she was killed to another hospital to keep her remains out of reach of security forces. Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, Tehran's chief prosecutor, said Tuesday that seven people were killed in the Ashura riots Sunday. The toll makes them the bloodiest since June, when protests over the disputed presidential election that gave Ahmadinejad a second term left at least eight dead. The Iranian government has denied that its security forces killed anyone. One of those reported killed was Saeed Ali Moussavi, the nephew of Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi. Moussavi's movement says the nephew was shot to death. Dolatabadi said that one of those killed was fatally shot and that the case is under investigation, but he did not identify the victim. He said most of the seven deaths occurred after the people were struck with "hard objects or due to similar causes." Mir Hossein Moussavi's Web site said the nephew was killed in the demonstrations by a shot to the heart. But IRNA said that the bullet came from a "terror team" and that other such teams were operating in Tehran. It did not offer further details. The Mehr semi-official news agency quoted security forces Tuesday as explaining that the nephew was standing on a street at midday Sunday when he was "assassinated by firearm by the occupants of a passing vehicle, and died because of the delay in taking him to the hospital. "He died of severe bleeding on the way to the hospital. Efforts to identify the culprit or culprits continue." IRNA disputed an account on the reformist Web site Parlemannews, which said the nephew's body had disappeared. It said the government is holding the body and four others for autopsies. The delay meant the dead could not be buried within 24 hours, as Islamic custom dictates. Iran Deputy Police Chief Ahmad Reza Radan and Tehran Police Chief Azizollah Rajabzadeh denied that their forces had killed anyone. In fact, they told the semi-official Islamic Students News Agency, their forces fired no weapons and weren't even carrying firearms. In many cases, opposition media reported, government security forces prevented observances of Ashura. Police arrested hundreds of people, including prominent figures. Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi said Monday that Iranian intelligence officials had detained her sister, dentistry professor Nushin Ebadi. IRNA, Fars and other state news agencies said there would be a pro-government march on Wednesday afternoon. | Ahmadinejad: Ashura protests are "theater play"
He blames conflict on Zionists and Americans .
At least eight people killed in protests; security forces deny killing anyone .
Opposition lawmaker's nephew among reported victims . |
fd4aa495dc34ec11a7c2e85aa4f3cdd09fd9fe65 | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 05:29 EST, 26 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:30 EST, 26 December 2012 . Plans to allow grands prix and motor races to be held on UK roads are being considered by Government ministers. Towns in Cumbria, Cornwall and Kent have all expressed an interest in holding road races with proposals to scrap laws that require race organisers to get special dispensation from Parliament to hold a event being drawn up. Under the proposals, which will be revealed in a formal consultation, plans for road races would only have to be approved by local authorities. Proposals: Scenes like this could be coming to a street near you with the Government considering changing the law to make it easier to hold races and grands prix on UK streets . Current laws require a suspension of the 1988 Road Traffic Act for a race to be held on a public highway. Speed limits would be legally lifted under the plans. Should the move be agreed, towns and cities in the UK could follow the lead of cities such as Valencia and Monte Carlo which famously hold races on the Formula 1 calendar. Towns in west Wales, Cornwall, Kent, Cumbria and the East Midlands are all understood to have expressed an interest in holding events, with Cheltenham hoping to hold an environmentally friendly race. It is thought that races could generate as much as £40million for local economies over five years, according to a study by Sheffield Hallam University and commissioned by the Motor Sports Association. Established: European cities such as Monte Carlo ad Valencia already famously hold glamorous Formula 1 races on their roads . The UK currently holds its annual Formula 1 race at Silverstone but no such events are currently held on the country's roads. The last major road race held in the UK was the Birmingham Superprix more than 20 years ago. Britain has a long association with motor racing with its first major race held in Bexhill-on-Sea in 1902. The town still recognises its association with the sport with signs on its outskirts that herald it as the 'Home of British Motor Racing'. That event was used to promote the town and it is hoped that the new laws would allow areas to attempt to do the same. Former Road Safety Minister Mike Penning told The Daily Telegraph: 'The public should have the flexibility to decide how they use their roads, in the interests of the local community and local businesses.' The Motor Sports Association say that the events would be fully regulated and insured. | Plans are being drawn up to allow races to be held on UK roads .
The plans would see the 1988 Road Traffic Act relaxed .
Towns across Britain have already expressed an interest in holding events . |
fd4b512011018dece5ff26c7c4541ff2607a5753 | Mourners said a solemn farewell to slain journalist Marie Colvin as her family, friends, and colleagues gathered Monday to remember a woman they say gave a voice to those who could not speak for themselves. Colvin, 56, an Oyster Bay, New York, native and veteran correspondent who worked for London's The Sunday Times, was killed last month in Syria while trying to get her shoes so she could escape a shelling attack in the besieged city of Homs, her paper reported. "She was an outstanding reporter, she went all over the world, she covered a lot of wars," Sunday Times Editor John Witherow told reporters after her funeral service. "She took tremendous risks and what she did she thought was very important." Security Council addresses Syria crisis . Asked about the challenge of retrieving Colvin's body, Witherow said it took about a week and a great deal of diplomacy. "It was incredibly hard getting her body out of Homs because they kept shelling, they wouldn't let any kind of humanitarian aid in there, they wouldn't let ambulances take it out," he said. Neil MacFarquhar, a New York Times correspondent who had dinner with Colvin in Beirut the night before she went into Syria, said Colvin felt compelled to report from Homs despite the dangers and the fact that the Syrian government has not allowed foreign journalists to report from there. "She knew there was a story in Homs, there was a terrible siege going on," MacFarquhar said. "She was determined to get in however she could." Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, prime minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, said his people have a deep admiration for the reporting Colvin did during the Sri Lankan civil war. "We really lost a friend," he said. Colvin lost an eye in 2001 during a grenade attack in Sri Lanka. "We consider that a symbol of her devotion to her work and her passion for oppressed people," Rudrakumaran said. Colvin, a Yale graduate, was killed alongside French journalist Remi Ochlik in the attack. Also attending the funeral were News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, former Assistant Secretary of State James Rubin, and Jeremy Bowen, Middle East editor for BBC news. | Marie Colvin, 56, was killed last month during the shelling of Homs, Syria .
"She was an outstanding reporter ... she covered a lot of wars," John Witherow says .
The Tamil people admire her reporting Colvin during the Sri Lankan civil war, an official says . |
fd4b7245d0e94884228b1ee3c120c65a4be59c22 | By . Elliott Bretland . Follow @@EllBretland . Al Arabi manager Dan Petrescu has claimed Barcelona star Xavi has agreed to join his side. The former Chelsea defender insists the Spain international has already signed a pre-contract agreement with the Qatari club. According to reports in Romania, the 34-year-old could earn just over £6million a season should the move go through. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Xavi hit the bar in a recent Spain training session . On the move? Barcelona star Xavi (right) has agreed to join Qatari club Al Arabi according to Dan Petrescu . Claims: Former Chelsea man Petrescu, pictured during his time with Dinamo Moscow, is managing in Qatar . Speaking to Digisport, the former Romanian international said: 'Xavi signed a pre-contract with Al Arabi. There were probably other offers from other teams.' The midfielder has spent his entire career with the Catalan giants but it seems his time at the Nou Camp is coming to an end with Al Arabi seemingly in the driving seat to sign him. | Xavi has agreed to join Qatari side Al Arabi, according to manager Dan Petrescu .
The former Chelsea defender insists he has personally spoken to the Spain international .
Reports in Romania suggest Xavi could earn around £6million a season . |
fd4b8b67b704dcbb8bddea100d9c96981a4f01f4 | (CNN) -- The facts: On August 27, 1891, a passenger train jumped the tracks on a tall bridge near Statesville, North Carolina, sending seven rail cars below and about 30 people to their deaths. The legend: On the wreck's anniversary, the sounds of screeching wheels, screaming passengers and a horrific crash might still be heard. You might also see a uniformed man with a gold watch. Shortly before 3 a.m. Friday, on the 119th anniversary of the Bostian Bridge train tragedy and at about the same time, between 10 and 12 ghost hunters were on that approximately 300-foot long span. They were hoping to hear the sounds of the crash, and perhaps see something. Instead, a real Norfolk-Southern train -- three engines and one car -- turned the corner as it headed east to Statesville, about 35 miles north of Charlotte, authorities said. The terrified "amateur ghost watchers" ran away, back toward Statesville, trying to cover the nearly 150 feet to safety, said Iredell County Sheriff's Office Capt. Darren Campbell. All but two made it. Christopher Kaiser, 29, of Charlotte, was struck and killed, said Campbell. A woman who witnesses say Kaiser pushed to safety fell about 30 to 40 feet from the trestle and was injured. Her name and condition were not known Friday night. She was being treated at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. "There was no way out, said Campbell. "They almost made it." The engineer of the train, which was traveling at its customary 35 to 40 mph, hit the horn and "stopped as fast as he could," Campbell said. Campbell, 38, is from the area and has heard all the stories, although he said he knows of no one who has ever seen or heard the "ghost train." On the 50th anniversary of the Bostian Bridge incident, a woman said she witnessed it all again. In 1991, hawkers sold T-shirts and other memorabilia, and there were an estimated 150 people waiting for the train, according to the Charlotte Observer. There are occasional reports of railroad crossing arms dropping without cause, Campbell said. The ghost trip on the anniversary has become an annual tradition of sorts. A woman who did not want to be identified, but who was part of the group of onlookers, told CNN affiliate WCNC, "We were there looking for what people say happened. You hear the train wreck or hear people screaming. We were just watching." Kaiser's mother said the family was too distraught to talk about the incident, WCNC said. Campbell said most of the ghost hunters, who were from out of town, have been interviewed. Many fled because they were trespassing on railroad property, he said. Campbell said there were no patrols near the bridge early Friday. Although the investigation is continuing, Campbell said the incident appears to be an accident. At least two blogs that cover the phenomena, N.C. Ghost Guide and CreepyNC.com, detail the 1891 wreck's legend. While accounts vary somewhat, the man with the gold watch reportedly was first seen on the first anniversary. According to CreepyNC.com, Hugh K. Linster was a baggage master for the Asheville-bound train that crashed into Third Creek that August of 1891. "Hugh Linster never made it to retirement," the blog reads. "His body was found in the wreck having been killed immediately upon impact with a broken neck." One year later, a group of people at the bridge said they saw a man in a railroad uniform, holding a watch. He vanished before their eyes, legend has it. | "Ghost train" hunter killed by train near Statesville, North Carolina .
Group was on Bostian Bridge, site of 1891 tragedy .
Legends sprang up after 30 people killed in wreck . |
fd4be1ad02d6fc618b55e26ffdd5c0b76761b43f | (CNN) -- Las Ramblas rumbled. The foundations of La Sagrada Familia began to shake. Camp Nou was silenced. A shadow cast itself across the city as the sun dipped beneath the stands. Amidst the rising tension a diminutive figure rose. He bent down, tied his laces and strode forward. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Those sat around the amphitheater rose in celebration, the enemy shrunk back into their skins, the victory was already assured. As Lionel Messi placed his feet onto the Camp Nou turf you could see a visible chill go down the spine of each and every Paris Saint-Germain player. Leading 1-0 and with a place in the semifinals of the Champions League within touching distance, PSG looked set to produce one of the most remarkable results of the competition. A 2-2 draw in last week's first leg appeared to have given Barcelona the edge in a tie which the Catalan club was expected to breeze through. But when Javier Pastore shook the very foundations of one of Europe's greatest bastions, a cloud began to descend upon manager Tito Vilanova and his ailing players. Barcelona might be 13 points clear at the top of La Liga, but this was not a performance which engendered confidence. Suddenly there was doubt, anxiety, even fear. And then in a matter of minutes, everything had changed. Order had been restored. Just nine minutes after Messi's introduction, Barcelona was level as the French resistance wilted under the wizardry of the game's most talented attacking force. The four-time World Player of the Year has scored 57 times this season, but just his mere presence was enough to unnerve his opponents. A 1-1 draw was enough to take Barcelona through on away goals after the two teams finished level at 3-3 on aggregate. But it could have been so different had the French side taken the chances afforded to them during a frantic opening 45 minutes. Ezequiel Lavezzi wasted the most clear-cut opportunity, racing onto Zlatan Ibrahimovic's through ball only to fire straight at the onrushing Victor Valdes. Lucas Moura forced Valdes into a sharp save when he headed Ibrahimovic's cross towards goal as the visiting side began to turn the screw. The French league leaders continued to look threatening and it came as no surprise when it finally grabbed the initiative five minutes after the break. Once again it was enigmatic Ibrahimovic who created the opportunity, threading the ball through to Pastore. The Argentine playmaker took the ball in his stride before lashing home a left-footed effort which left Valdes with no chance. But no sooner had the ball hit the net than a certain somebody was already preparing to make a grand entrance. As Messi began to warm-up on the sideline, the crowd responded. Suddenly, the fear and anxiety which had gripped those adorned in the blue and red of Barcelona began to dissipate. His entrance onto the pitch with 28 minutes remaining seemed to breathe new life into a Barcelona side which had failed to produce anything of note in front of goal. But with Messi, albeit not a 100% Messi on the field, the home side began to tick and within nine minutes of his introduction it was level. Inevitably it was the Argentine who made the difference, jinking his way past two white shirts before rolling the ball in for David Villa, who laid it off for Pedro to rifle home. That goal sealed Barcelona's place in the semifinals for the sixth consecutive year and defender Gerard Pique believes his side ran out worthy winners. "I think Barca has shown a lot of quality in the six years and I think we deserve it again to be in the semifinals," Pique told Sky Sports. "Paris St-Germain is very strong with good quality but I think we deserved it. "In the first leg we deserved a little more and tonight we're very happy to have qualified. "It doesn't matter if he's a little bit injured he can change everything. "We are very proud and lucky to have him in our side. He's our reference as a striker - he can score, he can pass he can do anything and everything." PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti added: "I thought we played well. We caused Barca problems, but Messi is a fantastic player and can find a solution for his team even when not fully fit." In the night's other game, Bayern Munich produced a hugely impressive performance to book its place in the last four courtesy of a 2-0 win over Juventus. Leading 2-0 from the first leg, Bayern eased past the Italian side thanks to goals from Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro. Bayern, which lost in the final to Chelsea in Munich last year, joins Bundesliga rival Borussia Dortmund in the semifinals. It is the first time two German clubs have made the last four of the competition in the same season. And winger Arjen Robben, who was denied a goal of his own by the woodwork, is keen to avoid Jurgen Klopp's side in the next round. "If you win away 2-0 in Turin here I think that's an amazing result because they are unbeaten for I don't know how many games and they are so strong at the back," Robben told Sky Sports. "Even more, if you dominate the game in the second half as we did, it is a great performance. "We would like to be kept apart from Borussia Dortmund in the semifinals but we don't have a choice and it comes out how it comes. "It going to be a big one and the semifinals have maybe the four best teams at the moment." Bayern will now compete in their third semifinal in four years, but it must do without Mandzukic in the first leg with the Croatia star set to serve a one-game ban. Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes Bayern's extra experience was a key factor in the outcome of the tie. He told Sky Sports: "The big difference between them and us is experience. I was even more impressed tonight than in Munich. "In the first leg we did not give our all, but tonight we did and still there was nothing we could do. I think Bayern can win the Champions League." | Barcelona claims 1-1 draw against PSG to qualify for semifinals .
Barca progresses on away goals after teams finish level at 3-3 on aggregate .
Bayern Munich eased past Juventus 2-0 in Turin .
Last year's runner-up Bayern won 4-0 on aggregate . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.