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fdd2a1d8d23c9e8edb79fbefbc1ac4613e53dd0a | Washington (CNN) -- Consider tonight's speech by President Barack Obama to be the antidote to his now-infamous comments two weeks ago that his administration lacks a strategy for combating ISIS in Syria. The beheadings of two Americans -- journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff -- have propelled ISIS into the center of the American public consciousness. The group is no longer a distant, local threat, but an immediate threat to American lives. Obama knows he must now give a comprehensive answer to this threat. Is ISIS a threat to the U.S.? First, he will need to explain to Americans to what degree ISIS threatens U.S. national security. The administration's current assessment is that, for now, it is principally a threat to the region, as well as to American diplomats, soldiers and other personnel based in Iraq. However, the U.S. intelligence community believes ISIS also threatens U.S. interests outside the region, including in the U.S. homeland. Gingrich: 10 questions for Obama on ISIS . Intelligence officials tell me that while ISIS is focused on strengthening the Islamic state, or caliphate, in Syria and Iraq, this does not mean its aspirations end there. ISIS is believed to be encouraging the many foreigners now fighting for it (including about a dozen Americans) and other sympathizers to carry out attacks in the West when they return home. When I asked Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last week whether ISIS is a threat to the U.S. today or some day down the road, he said the administration doesn't have the luxury of making that distinction. "We can't take a chance, Jim, on saying, 'Well, let's technically define this -- is it a real threat today or tomorrow, or is it going to be in six months?' " Hagel said. "That's the way the threats don't work in little, neat boxes and emanate on our time frame. They emanate on their time frame. We know they're a threat. We know they're brutal. We know that they are, as I've said, as others have said, something that we've never seen before." What's Obama's strategy? Second, the President will need to lay out in detail his strategy for dealing with ISIS. This follows another confusing rhetorical moment for the White House. Obama is open to airstrikes on ISIS . Officials including the President now say the goal is "degrading and destroying ISIS," but only after the President indicated last week that his goal may be simply to make ISIS a more "manageable" threat. Now that the goal is to defeat ISIS, exactly what steps will the President order to accomplish that? Sources tell CNN he is "open to" ordering airstrikes inside Syria. And Hagel told me in our interview that the Pentagon has already presented him with military options to do so. Kerry: 'Broad coalition' of nations will help fight ISIS . We also now know that the President is asking for so-called Title X authority to arm and train Syrian rebel groups. However, the President has said, and will likely repeat tonight, that military action alone will not accomplish his goals. He needs an international coalition, particularly involving regional states directly involved in the conflict. He needs a more inclusive government in Iraq. And he needs a continuing and broad humanitarian mission to serve the many Iraqis and Syrians that ISIS is driving from their homes, starving and murdering. Kerry's mission: Mideast buy-in for anti-ISIS efforts . How long will this fight last? Finally, Obama will need to explain to Americans how long and how intense this new war will be. He campaigned on ending the long American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Until very recently, his administration continued to emphasize that Americans are war-weary and that the administration was loathe to bring the nation back to war, short of very direct threats to U.S. interests. Remember the administration's -- also infamous -- mantra "Don't do stupid stuff" as the driving force of the President's foreign policy. Now, the President is taking the nation back to war. For how long? How costly will it be? As a candidate in 2007, he famously called Iraq "a dumb war." Why won't this war be dumb? Opinion: Could Obama's plan against ISIS spark backlash? Round-up: Did Obama sell his ISIS strategy? | Beheadings of two Americans put ISIS into Americans' consciousness .
Obama must explain to public the threat ISIS presents .
The President must also lay out what his strategy is for eliminating the ISIS threat . |
fdd316667333d217c63f7db5a5c6cce8f88d43fb | By . Lucy Waterlow . PUBLISHED: . 12:44 EST, 8 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:52 EST, 8 July 2013 . She spends most of her time dressed down in sportswear in her role as a tennis coach but her son's victory at Wimbledon has given Judy Murray the opportunity to unveil her inner glamour goddess. The 53-year-old wore a green leaf print dress to Downing Street today as she joined Andy at a celebratory reception with Prime Minister, David Cameron, to mark his historic grand slam win. She showed off her slender legs with the short hemline and further elongated her figure by wearing black high heels. Date at Downing Street: A beaming Judy Murray going to No 10 in a green mini dress . Summery: The 53-year-old showed off her slender legs in the short dress . Congratulations: Prime Minister David Cameron invited Andy Murray and his family to No 10 to mark his historic win . Perhaps Mrs Murray was dressed to impress the PM with her skimpy outfit as when asked how the PM was after she left No 10, she replied: 'gorgeous.' The night before, Mrs Murray fitted this description herself as she attended the Winner's Ball in a £1680 floor-length glittering gown by British designer Jenny Packham. Winning transformation: She dressed down in jeans for yesterday's match but has since giver her wardrobe a glamorous make-over . Dressed to impress: Judy wore a £1680 Jenny Packham dress to the winner's ball . Proud parents: Judy and her ex-husband Will embrace their son on the dance floor . She told the BBC after her son's victory that she didn't normally wear dresses but she would make an exception in the light of his success. She said: 'I've just been selecting my dress for the champions' ball and I've never worn a long dress in my life before. But I will be tonight, with great pride.' The mother-of-two hasn't stopped beaming . since her son defeated world number one Novak Djokovic yesterday - . achieving his childhood dream and becoming the first Brit to lift the . trophy in 77 years. Support: A more casually dressed Judy had been on the edge of her seat during the tense final . Emotional: She was in tears as her son clinched victory . Delight: But she hasn't stopped smiling since as here she is congratulated by Ronnie Wood . Once a professional player herself, she yesterday wept as Murray snatched victory from the Serbian. The proud mother said she was an 'emotional wreck' following his win but added: 'I feel very proud of him.' 'This is the thing he has talked about winning since he was a little boy playing tennis and of course it was a dream that has suddenly become a reality for him,' she added. It's not the first time Mrs Murray has seen one of her off spring crowned champion at Wimbledon. In 2007 her other son, Jamie, won the mixed doubles. She said the results were testament to both her son's hard work. 'We've got a Wimbledon singles champion and a Wimbledon mixed doubles champion from a little club in Dunblane,' she said. .I've a picture in the house of him and Jamie, aged two and three, with their little racquets and Wimbledon T-shirts. They're absolutely immersed in their sport, they're tennis geeks, and now they've both got Wimbledon titles.' She added: 'It just goes to show there's nothing wrong with dreaming, there's nothing wrong with believing; and anything's possible.' | Proud mother joined her champion son at No 10 reception .
She dressed in green leaf print mini dress .
53-year-old said PM David Cameron was 'gorgeous' |
fdd3fd8fa226ebbb866076f644680ffbeceff70b | When it came to booking an affordable getaway this summer, the Spanish sun was beckoning for many Britons. Majorca and Ibiza were revealed as the most popular destinations last season, up 68 per cent and 46 per cent from last year, respectively, according to a survey by UK travel organisation Abta. Celebrity party hotspot, Ibiza attracts high-profile guests (and performers) to its white sand beaches, including girl-group The Saturdays and Made in Chelsea's Cheska Hull. Ibiza was named one of the most popular summer holiday destination for Britons, says survey from Abta . Bookings to Ibiza were up 46% from last year, while trips to Majorca were up a staggering 68% . Celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Made in Chelsea's Cheska Hull are big fans of the Spanish islands . Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Majorca is the largest island in Spain's Balearic Islands archipelago . Heiress Paris Hilton is also a fan of the Balearic Islands, particularly of Ibiza's Ushuaia Beach Hotel. Italy was also a popular pick, thanks to 'great-value hotel deals'. Florence in particular benefited from visits from celebrity guests last season, including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West who were married in the Tuscan city in May. Turkey, Greece, Malta, and Morocco were also top choices for holidaymakers, while bookings to Brazil were down given the high prices sparked by the World Cup. The survey revealed that Italy was also a popular choice for holidaymakers due to it's 'great-value hotels' Kim Kardashian and Kanye West also love Italy - the pair wed in Florence in May of this year . Roman holiday! Due to an unstable political climate in Egypt, travellers opted for destinations closer to home . Trips to Egypt also fell because of the political climate, according to a survey by travel company lowcostholidays. When it came to long-haul trips, favourites included Orlando, Florida, Mexico, Dubai, and the Caribbean, with all of these destinations showing increases of more than 100 per cent from summer 2013. Tim Buckman at lowcostholidays said: 'We had a great summer and bookings for October half-term and winter-sun holidays are looking strong with the Canaries, Egypt, Orlando, and Dubai currently booking well.' 'Next summer, we predict that Greece and Turkey will benefit from further growth and Crete and Tunisia will be popular destinations due to new flights from across the UK making them more accessible.' | Majorca and Ibiza revealed as summer's most popular destinations .
Bookings to the Balearic Islands up by 68% from summer 2013 .
Italy also a popular pick for travellers thanks to 'great-value hotel deals'
Turkey, Greece, Malta and Morocco proved popular choices as well . |
fdd458ff5e98ed80c2f31addf9525a21f71c5290 | A woman has gone missing today from a ferry which set sail from Britain for France. Belongings were discovered in a cabin on board the Brittany Ferries vessel Mont St Michel after it had docked at Caen in northern France having left Portsmouth, Hampshire. A spokesman for the ferry company said that an alert had been raised and the Coastguard had launched a search in the English Channel for the missing passenger. Ferry: Belongings were discovered in a cabin on board the Brittany Ferries vessel Mont St Michel (above) The spokesman said: ‘When last night’s overnight sailing from Portsmouth to Caen (operated by our ship Mont St Michel) docked at its destination this morning, an unattended bag, passport and other personal effects were discovered in a cabin, suggesting that a female passenger may be missing. ‘The alert was raised and we are now co-operating with French and British police as well as HM Coastguard who are co-ordinating a search in the English Channel.’ No details of the passenger have yet been released. Northern France: The woman's belongings were found after the ferry had docked at Caen (pictured) Hampshire port: The woman went missing from a ferry which set sail for France from Portsmouth (above) A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: ‘We can confirm a report of a missing female passenger from a cross-Channel ferry has been referred to police. 'Officers are making initial enquiries to confirm the identity of this person. We'd like to thank Brittany Ferries for its co-operation.' The Mont St Michel, named after the popular town in Normandy, France, carries up to 2,200 passengers and has more than a mile of vehicle space - enough room for more than 800 cars. Constructed on her started in the Netherlands in June 2001 and she was launched in March 2002. Her maiden voyage from Caen to Portsmouth was in December 2002. She has a length of 570ft (174m), beam of 93.5ft (28.5m), service speed of 22 knots, crew of 135, 774 berths, 224 cabins, 419 reserved lounge seats and a power of 21,600kW. | Belongings found in cabin on board Brittany Ferries vessel Mont St Michel .
Docked at Caen in northern France having left Portsmouth, Hampshire .
Coastguard launches search in English Channel for missing passenger . |
fdd4afa0d36ebd6e575465a6543fcac25d2f3047 | (CNN) -- A wildfire jumped a road in central Florida, scorching homes and wiping out trees as it charred more than 1,900 acres, a fire official said Sunday. Some 24 structures in Marion County had been burned by what's being called the Hopkins Prairie Fire, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Susan Blake. Ten of those buildings were homes, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service. The blaze around Ocala National Forest was 80% contained as of early Sunday evening, Blake added. About 100 local, state and federal firefighters were on site. Video from CNN affiliate WCJB showed ground smoldering, with most trees singed or felled, even as a few somehow still stood tall. One picture posted on the Marion County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page featured little more than the frame of what appeared to be a charred trailer obliterated by the blaze. Another depicted a home in Sportsman's Haven -- newly purchased with a new roof in the plans -- that had been reduced to ash and rubble, spare some of its concrete walls. The fire caused the partial closure of State Route 19, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Marion County includes the county seat of Ocala and sits south of Gainesville. No injuries tied to the wildfire have been reported. A fire line has been set up around the blaze, and crews are optimistic about the situation, said Blake. | A wildfire burns 24 structures, including 10 homes, in Marion County, authorities say .
Images show some buildings reduced to rubble, beyond their frames or concrete walls .
The blaze prompted the partial closure of State Route 19 in central Florida .
The fire was 80% contained early Sunday evening, a forest service spokeswoman says . |
fdd4ead930251855a0c5a970a23606a1d0f9ddaa | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 05:51 EST, 12 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:39 EST, 12 April 2013 . It may not be as physical as sports such as American Football and Ice Hockey. However, that didn't stop this enormous brawl from breaking out during a baseball game last night. The huge bench-clearing bust-up took place during a game between Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. Fight: A huge bench-clearing bust-up took place during a match between Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres last night shortly after Dodgers' Zack Greinke, left, pitched the ball towards Carlos Quentin, right . Trouble: After Greinke pitched the ball towards Quentin it smashed into his left shoulder . Aggressive: After Greinke appeared to say something, Quentin then charged towards him sparking the massive brawl . Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke pitched the ball towards Carlos Quentin but it smashed into his left shoulder. The slugger started walking toward the . mound and, after Greinke appeared to say something, Quentin then charged towards him. Both . players then wrestled with each other before hitting the ground. Up to 100 players and staff from both sides quickly rushed in, trying to separate the . pair. When they were finally pulled apart, . Quentin was led off the field by a teammate and Greinke walked off toward . the Dodgers' dugout. Unhappy: The brawl was sparked following this confrontation . Anger: Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke pitched the ball towards Carlos Quentin but it smashed into his left shoulder. This resulted in Quentin charging into Greinke . Out of control: As the two players wrestled with each other, players from both teams ran onto the field . Crazy: Quentin and Greinke quickly hit the floor as the brawl developed . Both players have a well documented . history with each other. Greinke has hit Quentin twice with pitches . when they were in the American League. Speaking to the Miami Herald, Quentin . said: 'I've been hit by many pitches, for the amount I have been hit . and my hitting style, I'm going to repeat: I have never reacted that . way.' Greinke said he never intended to hit Quentin. 'He always . seems to think that I'm hitting him on purpose, but that's not the . case.' However, even after the initial brawl, the teams again began fighting. Wild: The crowd could be heard frantically cheering as the two teams battled with each other . Chaos: The fight resulted in staff from both benches running onto the field . Dramatic: This image shows just how chaotic the brawl became . Bench-clearing: Players and staff from both teams ran from all corners of the ground to join in the brawl . After the teams started going back to . the dugouts and bullpens, Dodgers' player Jerry Hairston Jr. came running across the . field yelling and pointing at someone in the San Diego dugout. He quickly had to . be restrained. Players from both teams again emptied the benches and went running to the scene of the trouble. Quentin, Kemp and Hairston were eventually ejected from the game and play resumed after a delay of about 15 minutes. Fury: Los Angeles Dodgers' Jerry Hairston Jr. is restrained after the brawl started up again . Confrontation: Los Angeles Dodgers players stand in front of the San Diego Padres dugout during the brawl . Help: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke is attended to by the team trainer Sue Falsone as manager Don Mattingly looks on during a break in the fighting . Worrying: The fight resulted in players rushing from the benches . Following the game, it was announced that Greinke had broken his collarbone. The right-hander joined the . Dodgers as a free agent in the off-season and signed a massive $147 million, . six-year contract. However, the anger had not subsided when the players left the field. Frustration: Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp, left, confronts San Diego Padres' Carlos Quentin, right, in the tunnel following the game . Worked up: Matt Kemp, left, and San Diego Padres' Clayton Richard, right, have their hands on each other in the tunnel . Assistance: A police officer arrives to break up the confrontation in the tunnel . Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp confronted Quentin in the tunnel out of Petco Park following . the game. Other players again joined in to try and prevent the brawl . breaking out again. Los Angeles eventually went on to a 3-2 victory. | Brawl involved players from Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres .
Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke broke his collarbone during the brawl .
Trouble between players also flared in tunnel following game . |
fdd4fb81173b7b05a94cce9e2bcc03397805c640 | By . Tim Shipman . Set back: Cameron now has no hope of passing the legislation for a vote on EU membership before the next Queen's Speech after 245 peers voted to halt it . A bill to enshrine a European referendum in law was described as a ‘dead parrot’ last night after Labour and the Lib Dems united to block it. Nearly 250 peers voted to halt the Bill – backed by David Cameron – which would guarantee a nationwide in-out vote on EU membership in 2017. Peers passed two amendments to the legislation, effectively guaranteeing that it will run out of time in this Parliamentary session. Arch Eurosceptic MP Bill Cash echoed a Monty Python sketch in pronouncing its demise. He said: ‘As I understand it from the House of Lords, the European Union Referendum Bill is now, in effect, a dead parrot.’ Mr Cameron has vowed to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with Brussels before holding a referendum in 2017. But he could not introduce government legislation because of Lib Dem opposition. Instead, No10 backed a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Tory MP James Wharton, which was passed in the Commons after Labour and the Lib Dems abstained. Labour leader Ed Miliband has refused to make his position on the Bill clear but Labour and Lib Dem peers tabled 73 amendments to the Bill, many of them frivolous, to kill it off. Peers voted by 245 votes to 158 to amend the wording of the question that would be put to voters in the referendum. Eurosceptic: Bill Cash compared the Cameron-backed legislation for a vote on EU membership in 2017 to the collapsed, unfixable car in Monty Python's renowned 'dead parrot' sketch . Spoof: Shopkeeper Michael Palin and customer John Cleese discuss a Norwegian Blue parrot, used as a euphemism for the death of British culture . The change was backed by 67 Liberal Democrats, 138 Labour, 30 crossbench and just three Conservatives. EU red tape is costing British jobs and has imposed ‘unjustified’ blockages on cheap energy from shale gas, David Cameron said yesterday. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Prime Minister complained that ‘overwritten’ employment directives were driving employers away from the UK. He also said that failure to back shale gas exploration in Europe would cause businesses and investors to ‘head elsewhere’. The opportunities it presented could be undermined if the EU imposed unnecessary regulations. They also passed a second amendment that would require an impact assessment on the potential consequences of an EU exit. The change means the European Union (Referendum) Bill will have to go back to the Commons for further consideration. Since Private Member’s Bills can only be debated on Fridays, there is now no prospect of the legislation going through before the next Queen’s Speech. Lord Hill, Conservative Leader of the Lords, accused Labour and the Lib Dems of ‘yet another U-turn’ on their position on an EU referendum. ‘Having accepted this Bill in the House of Commons, they are now trying to kill it in the Lords,’ he said. A No10 source said the Tories would try to get another MP to reintroduce the legislation in the Commons in the next session of Parliament. | Nearly 250 peers voted to halt Bill for 2017 EU membership referendum .
Eurosceptic Bill Cash cited Monty Python sketch to mock PM-backed vote .
Means change will have to go back to Commons for further consideration .
Now no prospect of legislation passing before next Queen's Speech . |
fdd4fcc60f46280e5b9c5f1495f5601f9db1a9a1 | By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 09:28 EST, 23 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:01 EST, 24 August 2012 . Domestic violence campaigners plan to burn copies of the best-selling book Fifty Shades of Grey on a bonfire - because they claim it celebrates abuse. It is feared the themes of sadomasochism in the raunchy trilogy by E.L. James will create a new generation of violent men, according to campaigners. Clare Phillipson, director of Women in Need in Sunderland, has launched a campaign titled Fifty Shades of Abuse which aims to stage a mass-burning of the books. Campaign: Clare Phillipson has launched a campaign titled Fifty Shades of Abuse which aims to stage a mass-burning of the books . Flame of fury: The charity plans to burn the books in a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night . The charity has placed wheelie bins outside its head office for people to place copies of Fifty Shades in before the books will be burned in a huge bonfire on November 5. Miss Phillipson has dismissed suggestions that a book bonfire has echoes of fascism. She said: 'Fiction shapes our culture. This series of books are a passport for abusive men thinking their actions of abusing women is justified. 'What we are planning to do could be interpreted as having fascist connotations. 'I’m not a Nazi but I believe we must turn this dangerous fiction into ashes. 'The manipulation exercised in Nazi Germany in the 1930s is an example of the power of propaganda. 'They voted for Hitler who fooled them into believing he was the right man to lead a country. Demonstration: Campaigners claim the books will create a generation of violent young men . Dark undertones: The charity has denied the planned book burnings has fascist connotations reminiscent of Nazi Germany . 'I’m not leading a moral crusade against erotica. Fifty Shades is a classic tale of abuse.' During the infamous book burnings in Nazi Germany, 'un-German' novels that did not complement the values of the country under Hitler’s fascist rule were destroyed. Up to 25,000 books were burned by the Main Office for Press and Propaganda of the German Student Association on May 10, 1933. Miss Phillipson has been working with abused women and violent men for more than 30 years and thinks the popularity of Fifty Shades is 'a step back' in society. She added: 'We also have to think of . the impact the popularity of this book is having on the next generation . of young men and women who are maturing sexually. Making a million: Fifty Shades author E.L. James posing with one of her best-selling titles . Fifty Shades of Grey has sold more than 5.3million copies in Britain, making it the best-selling book in the UK since records began . 'A teenager reading the book could think love is about healing a psychopath, or being forced into a confidentiality contract on the first date, or training in the gym because their sex lives are going to be so violent their bodies need to be toughened. 'It’s vile, disgusting and dangerous.' Fifty Shades of Grey has sold more than 5.3million copies in Britain, making it the best-selling book in the UK since records began. And more than 40m copies of the trilogy have been sold worldwide. A spokesperson for its publishers Random House said: 'The Fifty Shades trilogy is a work of romantic fiction. 'The sex scenes in the book are entirely consensual with the woman being a willing participant.' | Campaigners fear book's sadomasochism themes will create a generation of violent men .
Demonstrators plan to burn the books in a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night . |
fdd5036955b45f107b7f65453a33bdee2fdab824 | Events company Secret Cinema has said it will hold a simultaneous screening of an as-yet unannounced film in London, Rome and San Francisco on Sunday to "protest against censorship." Secret Cinema has not specified what has prompted its move. But its announcement follows the decision by Sony Pictures this week to cancel the release of its movie "The Interview" after a cyberattack and threats against moviegoers from a group of North Korea-backed hackers. Critics have slammed that decision as caving to hackers and muzzling free speech. Washington outraged over Sony decision . The Secret Cinema screening is being held in partnership with the global free speech campaign group Article 19. "Secret Cinema passionately believes in the freedom to create and is looking for partners to join them in hosting a screening that will happen simultaneously across the globe," a Facebook page created for the event says. "The film, for the moment is secret. "Please come dressed in a dark suit, and bring a small gift for a stranger." Any proceeds raised from the London event -- to be held at an as-yet undisclosed location in the capital's east -- will go to Article 19, Secret Cinema said. Tickets go on sale Friday. The company urged anyone else around the world who wants also to hold a screening to get in touch. Balloon activists vow to send copies of 'The Interview' "The Interview," which stars Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy with a plot that involves a plan to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. U.S. officials say they think the attack on Sony was ordered by North Korea's angry leadership. North Korea's government has denied responsibility for the crippling hack, even as its state news agency applauded it as a "righteous deed." North Korea deep into cyberwarfare, defector says . Three U.S. movie theaters -- the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Dallas-Fort Worth, the Plaza Atlanta Theatre and Cleveland's Capitol Theatre -- planned to screen "Team America: World Police" instead of "The Interview." But Paramount Pictures canceled that, too, the theaters said. A spokeswoman for Paramount declined to comment. Released a decade ago, "Team America: World Police" used puppets to lampoon Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, memorably featuring him singing about his loneliness at the top of the despotic state. | Secret Cinema announces a simultaneous screening in London, San Francisco, Rome .
The screening is being held "to "protest against censorship," Secret Cinema says .
Sony canceled plans to release "The Interview" next week after a cyberattack, threats .
Secret Cinema has not yet disclosed what film will be shown . |
fdd54472833e9ff051a42735a589868fe0357df0 | By . Nick Pisa . You wouldn't think hitmen could miss from almost point-blank range, but two would-be assassins on a motorbike made a complete hash of it. Their intended victims cheated death despite the gunmen unleashing a hail of bullets after their guns jammed in a terrifying ambush in the southern Italian city of Reggio Calabria. Shock footage of the attack was released by Italian police on its . Facebook site after an investigation of almost two years eventually led . to the arrest of the alleged shooters. Scroll down for video . Ambush: The pillion passenger draws a pistol to shoot one of the Italian businessmen just leaving a shop in Reggio Calabria . Escape: The intended victim distracts the would-be assassin by attempting to push away the gun . Shooting: The motorbike rider fires at one of the targets as he falls over then runs off down the street . Hail of bullets: One of the gunmen fires into the shop where the other businessman has fled for safety . The suspects, named as Antonino Pricoco, 40 and Giole Mangiola, 29, were held despite a 'wall of silence' from the victims - businessmen Filippo Nocera and Francesco Barreca. They both refused to cooperate with detectives and reveal any details of a possible motive which is believed to be a feud over an unpaid 3,000 euro debt. Footage from CCTV installed on a next door building, shows the two hitmen approaching on a powerful motorbike, wearing helmets to conceal their identity. As they pull up outside a shop, the pillion passenger can be seen drawing a pistol. One of the businessmen tries to initially knock away the gun while the . other target dives back inside the shop for safety. Moment of terror: The motorbike roars along the pavement towards the intended victims who is casually walking back to the shop . Lucky: The pillion passenger aims at the businessman but misses and his gun jams . Running off: Shots are fired at one of the intended victims who escapes by hiding by a car then fleeing the scene . Both hitmen then . start firing wildly into the building and down the road as one target falls over then . runs off. A passing car is seen stopping, then . reversing away from the scene at high speed, while innocent passers by dived for cover. The incident lasted no more than 20 . seconds before both hitmen roared off into the night leaving their . intended victims shaken but unhurt after it emerged that both guns had . eventually jammed. The city is the heartland of the local mafia known as the 'ndrangheta. which is said by police to be one of the . most lucrative and powerful organised crime networks in the world, . making billions of pounds a year from drug trafficking, gun running and . extortion . Police said the two men were tracked down after 'high tech investigations' involving intercepted telephone calls and bugging devices, during an exhaustive two-year inquiry following the attempted double murder in March 2012. Suspects: Antonino Pricoco, 40, left and Giole Mangiola, 29, were arrested after a two-year investigation . Police said the feud had begun after Nocera's brother, Giuseppe, had allegedly failed to pay both gunmen the 3,000 Euro outstanding balance for a motorbike. An argument had led to a fight between them which 24 hours later evolved into an alleged attempted double murder. Pricoco and Mangiola, who were arrested in dawn raids on their homes, are now in custody facing charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm. A police spokesman said: 'This was a difficult investigation because of the wall of silence that we had from the intended targets and their associates. 'The arrests were only made after the result of a long and complicated investigation involving telephone intercepts and the motive was finally uncovered which led us to both men. 'The footage of the incident is shocking - it resembles something from a Playstation game - and both men were lucky to escape with their lives as the weapons both jammed at the time of the shooting.' | Intended victims saved by jammed guns as they fled from would-be assassins .
'Wall of silence' by businessmen who refused to cooperate with police .
Police issue CCTV film of attack after two-year probe leads to arrests .
'Footage resembles something from a Playstation game' says officer . |
fdd5524316f4f4fb91464b381b8a13ac05918375 | (CNN) -- President Barack Obama was trying to make a broader point when he uttered "ISIL is not Islamic," but the four-word phrase could still come back to haunt him. Critics on Twitter quickly fired off on the President for making the assertion, with many noting that ISIL in fact stands for the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant." (CNN refers to the group by the acronym ISIS in its news reports. The group recently started calling itself the Islamic State). In full context, here's what Obama said in his prime-time speech Wednesday night: . "ISIL is not 'Islamic.' No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL's victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state; it was formerly al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria's civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognized by no government nor by the people it subjugates." "ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple, and it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way." Transcript: President Obama's ISIS speech . The reaction on Twitter was swift: . Others had different reactions: . Obama outlines strategy: Airstrikes in Syria, more U.S. troops . | President Barack Obama argued that ISIL does not represent Islam .
In his remarks, he said: "ISIL is not Islamic"
But critics pointed out that ISIL stands for 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" |
fdd608afbc63b6d5316674ec6661497ba383941d | By . Alasdair Glennie . PUBLISHED: . 09:44 EST, 21 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:08 EST, 21 October 2013 . Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc has been branded an ‘idiot’ for apparently revealing the winner of the Great British Bake Off on Twitter. The 63-year-old Frenchman was criticised by viewers who said he had ‘ruined’ the BBC2 show ahead of tonight’s final. He eventually apologised after he was publicly criticised by several current and former contestants, including this year’s favourite Ruby Tandoh – and then performed a U-turn and insisted he didn’t know who’d won after all. Spoiler: Chef Raymond Blanc tweeted clues to who he believed would win GBBO... before backing right down . The Michelin-starred chef Mr Blanc upset Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood, right, with his tweet . It’s still unclear whether Mr Blanc . does have any inside knowledge – but if you don’t want to risk him . spoiling your enjoyment of tonight’s show, you might want to turn away now. Mr Blanc kicked off the row by telling . his 84,868 Twitter followers: ‘The Great British Bake Off. Not much . skills, female tears. And a winner so thin who makes me doubt her love . for great cooking, baking.’ Within half an hour, the chef’s message had . been retweeted more than 70 times. Miss Tandoh, one of the three . finalists, was quick to hit back, writing: ‘“female tears”?! and what . has anyone’s size got to do with it? i don’t care if you’re a patisserie . king - don’t be an idiot.’ Many Twitter users assumed Mr Blanc’s . message referred to the 21-year-old student and former model, who is the . slimmest contestant remaining in the competition and who has been . criticised for a string of tearful performances. Furious: Finalist Ruby Tandoh, 21, branded Raymond Blanc an 'idiot' after he gave clue about the show's winner . Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood expressed his surprise in a sarcastic tweet of his own . ‘Wow Raymond have you seen the winner already???’ he wrote. However, show sources denied Mr Blanc . had any access to the results and the chef, whose Oxfordshire restaurant . Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons has two Michelin stars, quickly backtracked, . blaming his poor English for the confusion. He said: ‘Ok, sorry guys, I was a grumpy Frenchman this morning. I don’t know who has won #GBBO, but can’t wait to find out...’ He added: ‘It seems my tweet was not written how it was meant to. Frenchman writing English! ‘I’m sorry I do not know who the . winner is. Apologies if I upset people this morning. I would like to . congratulate you on a show. Best Rb xx’ Angry reaction: GBBO judge Paul Hollywood and finalist Ruby Tandoh hit back at the French chef on Twitter . The three Bake Off finalists: Kimberley Wilson, Ruby Tandoh, and Frances Quinn (left to right) The Bake Off final was filmed in June, . but contestants and production staff are under a strict contractual . obligation to keep the winner’s identity a secret. Yesterday, former contestant Mary-Ann . Boermans – a finalist in 2011 – said: ‘I don’t know if he is just . guessing or he does know but it is disappointing. ‘It takes the magic out it. The show . is all about the excitement, and knowing spoils it. It is like someone . saying Snape killed Dumbledore before you have read the [Harry Potter] . book.’ Bookmaker William Hill has Miss Tandoh . as favourite to win tonight’s Bake Off, with Kimberley Wilson a close . second and Frances Quinn an outsider at 6-1. | Michelin-starred chef, 63, gave strong clues to winner of hit baking show .
Judge Paul Hollywood and contestant Ruby Tandoh both hit back at him .
One Twitter user replied to Mr Blanc saying: 'You've ruined this for millions'
Later, the contrite Frenchman wrote: 'Sorry, I don't know who has won'
The final of the BBC2 baking competition will be shown tomorrow night . |
fdd61aafc980149aa21a324a6a61c6e0cfd26ce2 | Judge Peter Ross has blasted the UK Border Agency for handing out 170 bogus workers . Border chiefs have been blasted for ‘catastrophic’ failures over a £500,000 scam that allowed more than 170 bogus Pakistani workers and their relatives to illegally enter Britain. A senior judge branded it a ‘scandal’ that the discredited UK Border Agency had handed out so many work permits to a company which even its own inspector warned was a front for a massive immigration racket. The firm, Techsense UK, claimed it had lucrative IT contracts with private and public sector giants including Microsoft, BT and the NHS – even though a single phone call would have exposed this as a fraud. Bosses told officials that they needed staff from their sister firm in Islamabad, Pakistan, to work in highly-skilled £40,000-a-year jobs at their plant in Milton Keynes. But many of those who travelled to the UK on false pretences actually got jobs in fast food restaurants and stacking shelves in supermarkets. In a highly unusual move, the judge hauled a senior border official into court to explain the scandal and accused the Home Office of attempting to cover up the fiasco to ‘spare their blushes’. It is the second time in a week that the now-defunct Border Agency has been condemned by the courts over shocking failures. Last Thursday, a vicar suspected of running Britain’s biggest sham marriage racket walked free last week after his £1million trial dramatically collapsed as a result of ‘serious misconduct’ by the former Home Office agency. Two disgraced public servants, since suspended from duty, are facing criminal charges themselves after the case of Ugandan-born clergyman Reverend Nathan Ntege, 54, was thrown out of court. The latest criticism from the judiciary is a huge embarrassment for the Home Office and raises urgent questions about the state of the nation’s beleaguered immigration controls. Scroll down for video . Furious Judge Peter Ross said the agency was guilty of a ‘catastrophic failure to check the material provided’ by Techsense UK. He said: ‘It is a scandal that no one checked with the organisations that were supposedly contracting with Techsense UK. Many of them were in the public sector. It would have been so easy but everything was just taken on the nod. ‘The applications kept coming time and time again. This was a company apparently growing exponentially and no one thought: “Hang on”.’ Home Secretary Theresa May brought the under-fire Border Agency back under the Government's control . Incredibly, a Border Agency official who visited the Islamabad office placed the company on a ‘watchlist’ because he feared it was a front for an immigration racket. But staff who were responsible for overseeing permits for Techsense UK were never alerted. The judge said: ‘[The inspector] went to the Islamabad office and realised there was something seriously wrong, that this company was going to lose half its workforce to the UK and there didn’t even appear to be that number of people there go start with.’ ‘Why when the company was placed on a so-called watchlist did no one bother to tell the case workers?’ Techsense UK was set up by Pakistani nationals Rashid Ghauri, 42, and Ali Junejo, 35, both of Milton Keynes, supposedly to contract IT work for other firms, Oxford Crown Court was told. The pair submitted letters and emails to the Home Office claiming ‘partnerships’ with organisations including the NHS, Microsoft and IBM. In fact, this so-called proof was actually welcome messages they had received for signing up to services on those companies’ websites and the contracts did not exist. Despite this, the company was classified as ‘low-risk’ by the Home Office and awarded a licence to grant certificates of sponsorship – a significant step in someone being awarded a work permit. Between 2009 and 2012, the UKBA handed out 117 certificates to Techsense UK. This led to 55 three-year visas being issued to people travelling from Pakistan supposedly to work for the loss-making company. Prosecutors estimated that more than 120 family members were also granted visas to join them – making a total of at least 175 Pakistani nationals brought here illegally. UKBA officials made two visits to the company’s offices in Milton Keynes and one to the plant in Islamabad, Pakistan, but no-one verified the existence of the supposedly lucrative IT contracts. Ghauri and Junejo, the company directors, are estimated to have made at least £500,000 between them by selling the work permits for up to £4,500 each. Border chiefs have been blasted for ‘catastrophic’ failures over a £500,000 scam that allowed more than 170 bogus Pakistani workers and their relatives to illegally enter Britain . The pair may have got away with their duplicity had it not been for a separate tax investigation by HM Revenue and Customs which uncovered the scam. Judge Ross also criticised the Home Office for failing to disclose vital information to the prosecution until the last day of the trial – jeopardising the entire case. He said: ‘Whether it was to spare blushes or simply as a means of efficiency I don’t know.’ The Border Agency’s head of sponsorship unit, George Shirley, was hauled into the witness box to explain the debacle. He said the unit had ‘tightened up its checks’ on companies. Ghauri was jailed for six years for fraud and money laundering and Junejo was imprisoned for six-and-a-half years. The judge said: ‘You sought what was a wholly fraudulent application for a licence to grant sponsorship agreements, so that people who would not otherwise be entitled to enter the UK would come in to the UK and inevitably were able to stay here after. This was about making money.’ The UK Border Agency, which was axed last year after a series of scandals and replaced with UK Visas And Immigration and Immigration Enforcement. The UK Border Force was created after being hived off from the agency in 2012. | Top judge said number of bogus work permits handed out was a 'scandal'
Judge Peter Ross said Border Agency was guilty of a 'catastrophic failure'
Agency gave work permits to a firm used as a front for an immigration racket . |
fdd665a58e0a6f9e04d5b59877893b000999a9f9 | By . Nazia Parveen . PUBLISHED: . 03:40 EST, 10 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:37 EST, 12 May 2013 . Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell has started dating a South American mother of two as he awaits trial for child rape. Blanca Fouche, 31, from Chile, said she had admired the actor, who plays mechanic Kevin Webster, ‘for a long time’. The pair have tried to keep the relationship secret but Miss Fouche confirmed she had been seeing Le Vell, who is accused of a string of sex offences, for a few weeks. Blanca Fouche: The 31-year-old is said to have met the actor after she moved to a house close to where he lives . Dating: The South American mother-of-two, seen left, confirmed she is dating Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell, 48, seen right near his home in Manchester . Miss Fouche, whose Facebook profile . says she works in a school and was once engaged in 2009, met the actor . when she moved in with a friend a few doors from his home. They have been dating for a few weeks and regularly meet at his home or The Railway, his local pub in Hale, Manchester. Le Vell – who has played Kevin Webster . in the ITV soap for the past three decades – split from his wife of 25 . years, Janette Beverley, two years ago. Miss Fouche said: ‘I’ve liked him from a distance for a long time. ‘I’ve been seeing him for a few weeks. I always go to his place and I’ve been to the pub with him. ‘We’ve held hands and walked down the . street, we’ve been careful, but we’ve not been hiding. It’s just that . there’s been no photographers here. I don’t want to say anything that . might upset him. He’s told me not to say anything.’ Friendship: 'We've been careful, but we've not been hiding,' Ms Fouche said of her relationship with the actor . Over the past few weeks Le Vell has . let Miss Fouche borrow his car while she moved house and the pair have . been affectionate in public. Miss Fouche added: ‘I go to his house . or we meet up in The Railway. He has a lot of friends. He’s a lucky man. I don’t want to say anything that will upset Michael.’ The actor declined to discuss their relationship, saying: ‘She’s a neighbour and a friend. That’s all I’m going to say.’ Le Vell, 48, faces trial in September . after being charged with 19 child sex offences – six counts of raping a . child, six counts of indecently assaulting a child, and seven counts of . sexual activity with a child. The 19 alleged offences all relate to one . complainant and all took place between 2001 and 2010. He ‘vigorously’ denies the claims. Soap star: The 48-year-old actor has played mechanic Kevin Webster on Coronation Street since 1983 . Le Vell, whose real name is Michael . Turner, is on bail on condition he surrenders his passport, does not . contact named witnesses and does not have unsupervised contact with any . child under 14. The father of two has not yet entered a . plea but has stated publicly he is innocent and will fight the . allegations through the courts. He was first arrested in September 2011 . and questioned, but the matter was later dropped. This year the Crown Prosecution . Service said it was in the public interest to charge him with 19 . offences after a review of evidence. Le Vell, who last appeared in the Street on February 8, will not be seen in any more episodes until the trial is over. He split from his wife a few months . before the allegations were first made in 2011. He married childhood . sweetheart Miss Beverley in 1986 after they appeared together in . Coronation Street. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Blanca Fouche, 31, is dating Michael Le Vell, 48, who plays Kevin Webster .
She lives just a few doors away from him and confirmed they are dating .
Mother-of-two said: 'He's told me not to say anything' |
fdd6da8756a3343c8982fc285c0075dc73abfeda | By . Richard Hartley-parkinson . PUBLISHED: . 10:27 EST, 26 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:52 EST, 26 February 2013 . Patricia Davies was sacked after pupils complained of inappropriate behaviour . A science teacher sacked for performing a lewd act in front of her class has failed in her bid to have her dismissal overturned. Patricia Davies, former assistant head of science at Willingsworth High School in Tipton, West Midlands, was accused by pupils of simulating male masturbation using a broomstick as a prop. The demonstration came as she taught them about the production of static electricity by friction. She has protested her innocence, insisting she had fallen victim to a conspiracy or whispering campaign. However, Appeal Court judges said her dismissal was not unfair, ruling in favour of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Miss Davies was given a final warning over the incident in 2005 after 'a number of statements either in double figures or approaching double figures' were received by the school from pupils who said they had witnessed her demonstration. She was sacked in 2006 for alleged misconduct and the council accepted that the broomstick allegation had weighed the balance against her. Miss Davies campaigned to prove she was unfairly treated and that the final warning should have been treated as 'a nullity'. Her hearing before an employment hearing lasted 24 days, racking up huge legal costs. But today, Lords Justice Mummery, Lewison and Beatson ruled unanimously that, as the final warning was on her record when she was sacked and Miss Davies's appeal against it had been aborted, Sandwell was entitled to take it into account. Judges at the Court of Appeal found that her dismissal was not unfair . The court upheld an employment tribunal's decision that the warning had been issued in good faith and that her dismissal was 'within the range of reasonable responses' open to the local authority. Miss Davies had earlier argued that records showed she had in fact been teaching Hooke's Law of Elasticity on the day in questions. She also said that school registers indicated that two of the pupils who made statements condemning her were in fact absent from school at the time. The school had viewed the children's evidence as overwhelming but she argued the finding against her and the final warning were 'obviously wrong'. | Claims she was teaching children about Hooke's Law of Elasticity .
Employment tribunal lasted 24 days before it went to appeal .
Sacked in 2006 for alleged misconduct when she was on a final warning . |
fdd743049055483c843174e71bd1306b5cdc8a7f | This brings new meaning to the term fast food. Frightening footage has surfaced of a fridge toppling off the back of moving ute and skidding across the path of oncoming traffic on a bustling highway in Brisbane. The dash-cam vision, which comes from Ipswich road, begins with traffic moving down a busy thoroughfare on a cloudy day. Scroll down for video . The dash-cam vision begins with traffic moving down a Ipswich road in Brisbane on a cloudy day . A fridge topples off the back of moving ute and skids across the path of oncoming traffic . After passing a road-sign, the fridge plunges over the back of the tray and slides across the road, forcing quick thinking drivers to swerve out of its path. The video was uploaded to YouTube on Thursday by Angelilina Lulu, who has uploaded several other dash-cam videos to her account. According to the Department of Transport and Main Roads for Queensland, any vehicle carrying a load must secure the load so it won’t move or fall from the vehicles while driving. Loads must be restrained using an appropriate restraint method so they will not eject into the path of traffic or pedestrians. Failing to secure the load properly can result in a fine or, for a serious breach, a prosecution in court. The quick thinking drivers are forced to swerve out of the path of the fridge . According to the Department of Transport and Main Roads, drivers can be prosecuted for failing to properly secure a load on a moving vehicle . In 2010, a fridge fell off the back of a lorry truck in Britain, crushing a grandmother to death. Susan Russell, 54, was cycling to work when the nine-ton fridge slipped from the vehicle and fell on her, killing her instantly in Hull, East Yorkshire. Lorry driver Mark Smith, 47, from Bradford, had only placed two safety belts around the industrial appliance that should have been held in place by dozens of straps. | Footage has surfaced of a fridge slipping off the back of moving ute .
The fridge falls into the path of oncoming traffic and skids across the road .
The dash-cam vision was filmed on Ipswich road in Brisbane . |
fdd790da2953ae0c74f72418bd8b231e07efcd79 | (CNN) -- North Korea is one of the world's most mysterious and secretive states, regarded as a political pariah and at bitter loggerheads with its neighbor South Korea. Few people are allowed past its tightly-sealed borders but footballer Ryang Yong-Gi, who was born and raised in Japan by a loyally North Korean family, is in a privileged position when it comes to entering and exiting. The 31-year-old is captain of top Japanese club Vegalta Sendai, and also plays for the national side of North Korea -- which in the past has faced allegations of mistreatment of its sports teams after major events. "My number one hope is for North and South Korea to become united," he told CNN's Human to Hero series. "I think it will contribute to the development of the country in many ways. I think it will open up new possibilities beyond soccer and sports." A hero to football fans in both Japan and North Korea, Ryang symbolizes the unique power of sport to break down boundaries despite deep-seated differences. He does not talk about politics with his North Korean teammates -- "They ask me about cars or soccer magazines I have with me" -- but his own views have been shaped by his upbringing, in which he had to gain acceptance in two very different societies. The Korean community in Japan has an uneasy relationship, at best, with the indigenous population, amid a perpetual state of mistrust on both sides. Ongoing tensions over disputed territory -- a small group of islands situated between Japan and the Korean peninsula -- has ratcheted up the political rhetoric and fueled prejudices. But not only has Ryang won respect for his footballing feats, helping his team from J-League division two also-rans to top-flight championship contenders, he has also achieved cult status, regardless of his background. "I think 90% of the Vegalta's supporters don't care about whether he is North Korean or Japanese," local businessman Shuichi Kanno, a loyal club fan, told CNN. Legendary player . "We feel he loves the team. He is a legend and his story should be remembered, even after he retires," he added. Ryang, who has been with the club since 2004, admitted he was initially apprehensive about the reaction of fans. "I wondered if people would cheer me, a North Korean, but once I was on the team and started playing, I felt l like I was being supported a lot," he said. "The fans love this team, their local team, and they support me as a part of the team, maybe even more so than to other members." Watch: Chasing North Korea's football team . Born in 1982, Ryang grew up in the city of Osaka with Korean parents, who are second generation immigrants to Japan. Japan occupied the Korean peninsula from 1905 to 1945. Well over half a million Koreans who came to Japan during that troubled period stayed after World War II ended, including Ryang's grandfather. The subsequent Korean War led to two bitterly divided states in the North and South, and Korean immigrants left in Japan also split into separate communities. Strict loyalty . One of the consequences was special North Korean schools, where the DPRK's flag could be seen flying in the playground, with portraits of leaders such as Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on the classroom walls. Strict loyalty to that regime is engendered, and that is the education that Ryang received up until high school when, thanks to his sporting and academic achievements, he entered the mainstream Japanese university system. But the limited range of sporting opportunities in his early schooling also played an inadvertent role in his subsequent professional career. "My father introduced me to football when I was two or three years old," he recalled. "Then I went to North Korean schools where only football was available, and myself and other students would play from morning to night -- so in that sense, I think I was blessed." Ryang was also blessed with a formidable talent and, on leaving education in 2003 found his place in the Vegalta Sendai squad, then playing in the J-League second division. It was not long before international recognition arrived -- though not for Japan ("I have never thought about it") but through his upbringing and family ties, for North Korea. Representing his country in Macao, Ryang scored in a 2-0 win over South Korea in the semifinals of the East Asia Games. Winning acceptance . He admits his enthusiasm to impress, to win acceptance as an "outsider" got the better of him as he charged around the pitch in his midfield role. "I played in a reckless manner. I felt the need to impress so they would invite me again to play in the national team." Ryang did impress enough to secure further call-ups, one of a small cadre of Japan-based players with a similar background, who represent North Korea. He was top scorer as North Korea won the 2010 AFC Asian Challenge Cup, and also took part in a successful qualification campaign for that year's 2010 World Cup finals. But it is in club football in the highly competitive J-League where he has made the biggest impression, with Vegalta emerging as challengers for the first division title in recent seasons. Ryang has been an ever present and key member of the side, but it was the shattering events of March 11, 2011 -- when an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan -- which firmly cemented him as a fan favorite. Sendai was near the epicenter of the quake and Ryang was out driving when it hit. "I thought my tires had gone flat or I had driven over the curb, but the shaking continued and I saw the windows of shops shaking too," he recalled. "I knew it was a bad one and rushed home to see my wife." Earthquake disaster . Ryang and his heavily pregnant wife spent the night sleeping in their car, fearful of further damage to buildings in an urban landscape that suffered severe wreckage. In the aftermath of the disaster, Ryang and his teammates made frequent visits to affected areas to lend support. The performances of the team also boosted morale, eventually finishing fourth in the J-League with Ryang providing inspiring captaincy, . Kanno, a restaurant owner in the coastal town of Kesennuma which was heavily hit by the tsunami, said Ryang and his teammates made all the difference in those terrible times for the area. "During the tsunami year, Vegalta and his play gave us an energy, whether they won or lost," Kanno said. "We are so grateful that he led the team to fourth in the league that year. "We also would like to thank him that he has stayed with our team despite getting good offers from other teams (in the J-League)." Ryang's international career has involved intermittent trips to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, where he joins up with the domestic based players. It is seen as one of the most secretive setups in world soccer, due to the DPRK government's isolationist policies. Affluent lifestyle . However, aside from their interest in the trappings of the affluent lifestyle in Japan, Ryang said his teammates were well acquainted with the action from major football leagues such as the English Premier League and Spain's La Liga. "Their in-depth knowledge of famous players demonstrates to me that they do watch a lot of soccer on television," he revealed. So when North Korea qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, drawn to play mighty Brazil in the first group match, it's safe to say they would have known all about Kaka and Robinho and their teammates. Ryang missed out on selection for the tournament, though he trained with the squad as cover. Despite his personal disappointment, he describes North Korea's narrow 2-1 defeat by the five-time world champion Brazil team as his "most memorable match, a moving experience." That match was a high point -- but North Korea's World Cup ended in embarrassment, losing 7-0 to Portugal and then 3-0 to the Ivory Coast. The squad and head coach Kim Jong Hun were reportedly publicly humiliated by government officials on their return home, though in August 2010 soccer's world governing body halted its investigation into the claims after failing to find enough evidence. In a statement on its official website, FIFA described the allegations as "baseless." Role models . Ryang had starred in North Korea's lifting of the AFC Asian Challenge Cup in the World Cup year, contributing goals from midfield ("every goal felt amazing") and also helped the team retain the trophy last year. 2012 was also to prove his most successful season at club level, with Vegalta Sendai finishing second in the league, beaten to the title by Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the closing stages of the season. Despite being in the autumn of his career, Ryang has entertained no thoughts of retiring and retains a real love for his sport. "Soccer is part of my life, and it's also my job and I never get tired of it," he said. His role models are players such as Andres Iniesta of Barcelona and former Serbian great Dragan Stojkovic -- both attacking midfielders in his mold. Ryang admits that Stojkovic, who is now manager of J-League side Nagoya Grampus, was his hero from boyhood days: "I've always admired him." Like Stojkovic, Ryang has assumed a captaincy role with his club and takes his responsibilities incredibly seriously. "I need to have a strong presence in the team, and I also need to be trusted by other players," is his philosophy on leadership. "I make sure that I run the most, try to stay in the game all the time and make a big effort to change the outcome." He might be a dogged hard worker on the pitch, but off it he does indulge in a passion he shares with many football stars. "I love cars. I do not have any favorite model, but when I am allowed to test drive one, I love it instantly and end up buying it," he says. "As I am not a player blessed with speed, I tend to drive a fast car. Everyone tells me I drive fast and rough." CNN's Chie Kobayashi contributed to this article. | Ryang Yong-Gi is a Japan-born footballer who represents North Korea .
The 31-year-old plays for J-League side Vegalta Sendai .
He led the team to second place in standings last season .
He also aided relief efforts after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan . |
fdd81dda2e523f8de92026ada9e83a3986e7b36f | By . Damien Gayle . and Sian Boyle . If you packed a cardigan for a day out yesterday, you might be able to leave it behind today. Temperatures are forecast to peak at a rather warm 20C (68F), right on cue for Bank Holiday Monday. Yesterday glorious sunshine sent the average UK temperature creeping up from a cool 12C (54F) earlier in the week to 18C (64F) in many parts of the country, including Aberdeen, while Bristol enjoyed highs of 16C (61F). Families flocked to the coast in Brighton and Dorset, while roads were gridlocked in Llandudno, North Wales, as day trippers made their way home from the seaside resort. Scroll down for video . Two-and-a-half-year-old Beck Colman, cools off from the May Bank Holiday Sunshine with an ice cream on Great Yarmouth Beach in Norfolk . People punting on the River Cam in Cambridge, enjoying the Bank Holiday sunshine . Holly Lush joined thousands across the UK, flocking to the British coast. The 27-year-old lapped up the sunshine on Great Yarmouth Beach in Norfolk . Figures from Asda suggested the . sunshine inspired a wave of impromptu barbecues, with sales of sausages . and equipment expected to triple those of April. The fine weather was not evenly spread, however, according to a forecaster from the Met Office. 'Large . swathes of England, Wales and southern parts of Scotland had good . spells of sunshine but further north and west there was thicker cloud . producing outbreaks of rain,' he said. 'Today . there is likely to be an east/west split with the best sunshine in . the south-eastern parts of England from London up to Lincoln, and . temperatures will reach 20 or 21C (68-70F).' Outbreaks of rain from the west to the east are expected to arrive in the evening and could carry on into Tuesday. Yesterday, . with no work till Tuesday and clear blue skies and temperatures nudging . the mid teens in the South and East, children and adults were out . playing in the parks and flocking to the coasts. A cavalcade of narrow boats descended on the Little Venice Canal in Paddington, London to make the most of the weather . Dozens of boats lined the waterways, bearing bright bunting as passers-by stopped to enjoy the spectacle . But . it wasn't quite yet warm enough for serious sunbathing and, although . there were ice creams aplenty, many were still taking precautions with . hats and jackets. In . Bournemouth, East Sussex, children were out playing by the sea, building . sandcastles and dipping their toes into the still chilly waters despite . a stiff breeze. Bursts of . colour blanketed Kent, meanwhile, as powdery blue carpets of bluebells . shone in almost celestial light of the glorious early morning sun. Photographer . John Turp snapped the plants, which have been voted Britain's . favourite, in two locations near his home in the county. 'I . was fortunate to stumble across some bluebells outside of Woodchurch by . accident,' he said. 'They inspired me to find more and I visited the . Hucking Estate a week late and found this beautiful carpet of flowers. 'I love how the almost unnatural blue stands out against the woodland green.' Boaters enjoyed winding their way along the Canal and through north London . Sheffield's Peace Gardens bask in the sunshine, as dozens flock to the pretty city centre spot to make the most of the warm weather . 'I love how the almost unnatural blue stands out against the woodland green.': John Turp photographed these bluebells in bloom near his home in Kent . A couple take a ride in a kayak, enjoying meandering along the River Cam in Cambridge . But the change in weather, while almost universally welcome, has come with warnings. Nature lovers have begged holidaymakers not to get too close to huge but harmless basking sharks which are moving close to beaches on the West Country coastline. The docile monsters of the deep, which can reach 30ft in length and weigh up to eight tonnes, drift round just below the surface with their vast 4ft wide jaws wide open as a net to catch millions of microscopic plankton, their staple food. Shark fins have been spotted cleaving the water, with this spring's first sightings close to the shore at Porthcurno and near Mount's Bay in Penzance, Cornwall. Today wildlife tour operator Marine Discovery, based in Penzance, urged excited and curious holidaymakers to take great care when they spot basking shark cruising lazily in shallow water. 'We're now getting into the time of year when basking sharks can be found feeding off the Cornish coast and it's fantastic to see them,' said a spokesman. 'But it's important to remember that they need to be approached carefully so as not to disturb their natural behaviour. 'If a shark thrashes its tail and dives or stops feeding and dives, then it is likely you have disturbed it. If this happens learn from the mistake and try not to repeat it.' Carla Pietersen, three, from Wiltshire, enjoys a paddle on Bournemouth beach. She was joined there Lily and Holly Bell, two and one respectively, from Herefordshire . Sand between the toes: Jude Adams, three, and his sister Seren, eight months, enjoy the sun on Bournemouth beach . In Bristol people enjoyed an interactive temporary art installation, the Park and Slide project in the city centre . Meanwhile, in Cambridge, university officials have urged students to boycott a notorious annual booze-up today in the city's Jesus Green park. 'Caesarian Sunday' attracts thousands of students every year who dress up and play drinking games. But locals and visitors have been upset as the historic riverside park has been left littered with rubbish, empty bottles and vomit. After years of complaints university officials are calling on students to shun today's event. A University spokesman said: 'The Colleges will be asking students preferably not to attend but if they do to be considerate of others and avoid any behaviour which may cause offence.' The three-day forecast: Temperatures will increase tomorrow, but a band of rain moving in from the west will gradually cover the country and sit there for the rest of the week . But with a fine afternoon and evening expected, it may be difficult to dissuade Britons from making the most of the springtime sun. Calum McColl, a forecaster with the Met Office, told MailOnline that for much of England and Wales 'there's some good weather to be had.' Although cloud is still overshadowing central and northern parts of the country, many inland areas will enjoy temperatures of up to 15C even as far north as Sheffield. The best of the sun will be in the South and the East, particularly around coastal areas, which will nevertheless be slighter cooler under the influence of the sea breeze. Overnight the clear skies over these areas will lead to a frost and a chilly morning, but May Day bank holiday temperatures tomorrow will then increase up to 18C in London and surrounding areas, with much of the rest of the country also enjoying a 'pretty good day'. However, rain will start moving into western parts over the course of the day, bringing with it colder temperatures and heavier cloud cover. 'There's a little bit of a change coming into western areas,' said Mr McColl. 'There is a band of rain coming through.' By Tuesday, rain will advance across much of the country, with summery weather holding out only in the far west, in an outlook that looks likely to persist for the rest of the week. | Britain basks in temperatures reaching the mid-teens and clear skies across the South and East .
Families hit the beaches on bank holiday outings, even as stiff breezes make for lower temperatures by the sea .
Temperatures are forecast to peak at a rather warm 20C (68F), right on cue for Bank Holiday Monday .
However rain is forecast to return in the West and will spread across the country for the rest of the week . |
fdd8dc9327197c8c819986aef79b59d68e00556c | The owners of a run-down Disney-esque theme park are hoping for a fairytale ending in their search for a passionate buyer willing to part with $560,000 to restore the tourist attraction to it's former glory. Shane and Karen Hay put the iconic Fantasy Glades theme park, in Port Macquarie, NSW, on the market after six years of trying to restore and modernise the amusement park for a new generation. Fantasy Glades, set in two hectares of bushland, was home to Snow White's cottage, Cinderella's castle (complete with drawbridge), and a dragon cave, and ran for 35 years before shutting in 2002. Scroll down for video . Theme park Fantasy Glades in Port Macquarie, NSW, is up for sale for $560,000 . Fantasy Glades was built by a family of little people- George and Rosemary Whitaker and their children . The theme park was created by George and Rosemary Whitaker, who had dwarfism, along with their children and Rosemary's parents, and opened in 1968 out of a desire to build their own fairy tale. After changing hands several times, the Hay's bought the property at 44 Parklands Close, Port Macquarie, in 2009 as a 'semi-retirement plan' after falling in love with the theme park. 'We wanted to bring it back to life, and it was a matter of bringing it into the new age to make it digital and more modern,' Shane Hay told Daily Mail Australia. 'My father was a builder and he was going to help us but he passed away and unfortunately we have to move on,' he said. Fantasy Glades has deteriorated over the years, vandalised by graffiti and attacked by natural elements, and is now a shadow of the park it used to be. Cinderella's castle was one of the many highlights of Fantasy Glades (above in it's heyday) The castle, which is owner Karen Hay's favourite attraction, has deteriorated since the park closed in 2002 . The inside of the castle has been vandalised by broken windows and grafitti (above) Many of the windows have been broken by rocks, and rotted wood and faded paint now feature heavily around the theme park. In the theme park's heyday, thousands of excited families streamed into the tourist attraction to spend time in fairy tales brought to life. Mr Hay said that he and his wife both have fond memories of Fantasy Glades, and his wife's favourite attraction was the chapel and Cinderella's castle. 'How would you like to live in and enjoy this idyllic situation, there is more than enough room to build the home of your dreams and take advantage of the unique ambiance that this property has to offer,' says the ad on Gumtree. Original signs for the theme park advertised for some of the attractions including the Witch's Cottage (right) The mini-chapel featured tiny pews and was inscribed with Rosemary's favourite bible verse, Psalm 23 . The Hays wanted to modernise the attractions at Fantasy Glades for a new generation . Popular attractions included Snow White's cottage- complete with dwarves and beds-, the Old Lady who lived in a Shoe, the Crooked House, a monorail, Humpty Dumpty, Little Red Riding Hood's Grandmother's House, and many others. 'My wife always wanted to do it up, and we'd like to see it sold to someone who will preserve the heritage,' he said. The couple had made plans to import modern dinosaur figures, to add to the original figurines, which have now been sold and are being kept in storage. While Mr Hay said that the couple are realistic about needing to sell, and cannot hold onto the property forever, they would ideally like the potential buyer to be passionate about the site and interested in restoring it. Snow White's cottage featured dwarves and beds for the characters to sleep in . Snow White's Diamond Mine was a walk-through mine with a series of animated show-scenes . Snow White's cottage was a miniature replica of the house where Snow White and the Seven Dwarves . 'We've had a fair amount of interest, and some from local groups who would like to use it as a community site for gardens and sculptures,' he said. The ad on Gumtree has had 28,000 hits, and close to 5,500 people have joined the Facebook page in support of keeping Fantasy Glades open. 'Port Macquarie really needs something like this. I'm sure there's someone out there, someone younger than us,' said Mr Hay. The theme park is up for both cash and trade, with the ad indicating that up to $210,000 in trade will be accepted. While the Hay's hope that someday their prince will come- and that he'll bring along $500,000 with him- the property is still on the market, offering some lucky potential buyer a modern fairy tale in the making. The theme park operated for 35 years before being closed in 2002 . Mr Hay said that he hopes the new buyer will respect the theme park's heritage and restore it's glory . Close to 5,500 people have joined the Facebook page in support of keeping Fantasy Glades open . | Port Macquarie's iconic Fantasy Glades is up for sale for $560,000 .
The theme park opened in 1968 and was created by a couple with dwarfism .
Fantasy Glades shut in 2002 after 35 years as a popular tourist destination .
It featured Snow White's cottage, Cinderella's castle, and a dragon cave .
Shane and Karen Hay bought the property with dreams of modernising it .
After six years they have decided to sell it due to health problems .
It is now run-down and vandalised by graffiti and broken windows .
They hope that someone who is passionate about restoring it will buy it . |
fdd92d215e4569916138b5a5c8235aa9b90e1047 | By . Linda Massarella . PUBLISHED: . 13:27 EST, 12 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:31 EST, 13 June 2012 . Rihanna and Chris Brown are doing little to discourage rumours of a reconciliation. The two pop superstars partied at the same club at the same time for the second time in as many days, leaving within minutes of each other. Quick step: Rihanna seen leaving club Avenue in New York... minutes after her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown . Video has emerged of Chris and Rihanna leaving Avenue nightclub in New York. TMZ reported the pair . were in the club together for around 30 minutes and Brown spent some . time with the Rude Girl singer at her table. The way they were: Rihanna and Chris were a star couple, until he was charged with assaulting her in 2009 . Sitting . in different booths, the couple still 'kept a close eye on each other' - . and Brown sent her over two bottles of Ace of Spades Champagne. A video surfaced today of the pair leaving the club minutes apart. The lovelorn pair have been linked . together several times already this year, after it emerged that they had . recorded songs with each. And of late wherever Rihanna is, . Brown isn't far behind, as they party at birthday celebrations and . nightclubs in West Hollywood. The sighting comes after another sign . that Rihanna is paving the way for a reconciliation with singer Chris , . as the raunchy singer reportedly invited the singer to attend a . basketball game party on Saturday with her family. The singer and Brown joined her family - including grandfather Lionel Braithwaite on Saturday at an intimate gathering at Jay-Z's New York club 40/40 to watch the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics. A source told The New York Post: 'Rihanna arrives first in a yellow cab, with her family and friends, and was escorted to a private room. 'Brown arrived a little later and joined her and her family.' The pair have been spotted together often in recent weeks. Not a good look: Chris Brown attends a meet-and-greet an an exhibition for his new art collectibles, Dum English, at Toy Tokyo in New York City today . Coincidence? Chris seen at the the Dum English Exhibition Opening at Opera Gallery in New York yesterday . On Saturday night, however, it seemed the two were more than just friends. They were allegedly sitting together . on the same couch, rooting for the Heat. Brown's girlfriend, model . Karrueche Tran, was not there. Asked about reconciliation rumours, a rep for Brown told the MailOnline: 'Chris is very happy in his relationship with his girlfriend, Karrueche Tran.' Meanwhile, sources told The Post Rihanna’s management is calling the rekindled friendship the 'Chris Brown issue.' 'Everyone in the business assumes she and Chris are getting back together, and it is only a matter of time before they’ll be more public about it,' the source told the newspaper. Skittish: Rihanna was seen going into a party last night in New York . 'It’s . like she is testing the water — first they work on music together, then . they hang out in a friendly way, so the public won’t be completely . shocked when they step out together publicly.' Brown infamously left the Barbadian pop singer bruised and bloodied after assaulting her ahead of the Grammys in 2009. There is also a tug of war at Roc Nation over the final say on what she is doing. 'But everyone agrees they can’t control Rihanna and can’t stop her seeing Chris, no matter how much they fear the negative public reaction will be. 'It means she probably won’t release another album this year, for fear of a backlash.' | Video emerged of pair leaving club within minutes of each other .
His rep says Brown is 'very happy in his relationship with Karrueche Tran' |
fdd95d08a9196695fa87f030f6b483dfac4c1d23 | (CNN) -- Miley Cyrus is back on track after a severe allergic reaction put the pop star in the hospital. The 21-year-old is scheduled to resume her previously postponed "Bangerz" tour in August after being forced to hold off on the remaining performances due to her illness. Cyrus' new U.S. lineup features nine stops: seven shows to make up for the ones that she missed, plus an additional two concerts for fans in Pittsburgh and Chicago. Fans who purchased tickets to her April 7 concert in Charlotte, North Carolina; the April 16 show in St. Louis; and the April 15 show in Kansas City, Missouri; will receive full refunds and be able to purchase tickets to her rescheduled dates -- on August 6, August 10 and August 12, respectively -- starting May 2. Those who purchased tickets to her April concerts in Uniondale, New York; Philadelphia; Nashville; and Louisville will be able to use them for admission to her August shows in those locations. The "Wrecking Ball" songstress was initially put out of commission in early April with a flu-like illness, which caused her to pull out of her Charlotte show. Yet after being prescribed the antibiotic Cephalexin her health woes only grew worse; an allergic reaction to the drug left Cyrus hospitalized for more than a week, according to a statement from her representative earlier this month. By April 25 she seemed back to her old self. If her Instagram photos are to be believed, pancakes were a part of her recuperation. Cyrus' next "Bangerz" stop will be Amsterdam, as she kicks off the European leg of her tour on Friday. | Miley Cyrus has rescheduled her postponed U.S. tour .
She's added in two new stops to the calendar .
The performances are set for early August .
She had to postpone April concerts due to an allergic reaction . |
fdd9f115b5bab77f419b10769e011c7af13077a2 | By . Ryan Gorman . and Jessica Jerreat . Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice arrived Thursday morning to court holding wife Jenay Palmer's hand and pleaded not guilty to assaulting her earlier this year in an Atlantic City casino. Rice was captured in February on security camera footage dragging his then-fiancée Janay Palmer's body into an elevator. They have since married despite the Super Bowl champion being charged with third-degree aggravated assault. He was indicted the day before their wedding for knocking her unconscious. Scroll down for video . Facing the judge: Baltimore Ravens football player Ray Rice, second from left, and his attorney Michael Diamondstein stand during Rice's Thursday arraignment . A united front: Baltimore Ravens football player Ray Rice holds hands with his wife Janay Palmer as they arrive Thursday at the Atlantic County Criminal Courthouse in Mays Landing . The not guilty plea came despite prosecutors offering Rice a plea deal that would not involve him serving jail time, the Baltimore Sun reported. First time offenders in New Jersey are also permitted to enter a diversionary program that would allow him to avoid further court appearances and keep his record clean, the Rutgers alum's lawyers told the paper. Rice spent hours filling out the paperwork to enter the program despite not yet being given the green light by prosecutors, the paper said. Authorities' blessing is needed to go that route. He was offered probation an court mandated anger management in his plea deal, and prosecutors did not signal to the paper whether they would allow him to take part in the diversionary program. 'There are guidelines which suggest a crime of violence may be rejected if the prosecutors doesn't consent to the application,' an official said, adding that the offer already made is 'consistent with other plea offers in similar cases.' Rice's attorney's plan to appeal if he is not allowed into the program. Seeking help: An attorney for Rice says the footballer and his new wife are happy and having counseling . The not guilty plea comes only one month after the controversial couple was married. They had been planning the . wedding for a couple of weeks, according to TMZ, but news of the . ceremony drew criticism from fellow American footballers. Buffalo Bills linebacker Brandon . Spikes claimed on Twitter the wedding was an attempt by Rice 'to save his image'. The . 27-year-old was arrested over allegations of domestic violence on . February 15 after an incident at the Revel Casino and Hotel in New . Jersey. If found guilty he could be sentenced to three to five years in prison. Rice's attorney, Michael . Diamondstein, described footage of his client dragging Palmer as . 'authentic but incomplete'. 'We . deny that he committed an aggravated assault. We don't think the law . would support that [he did]. And we just ask the public to reserve . judgment until all of the facts are out,' Diamondstein told ESPN. He added that the couple, who have a young daughter together, were 'happy and in counseling'. Backing: The Baltimore Ravens have defended Rice, seen here with Janay, and says he will remain on the team . Rice's . team has also released a statement backing their player, which read: . 'We know there is more to Ray Rice than this one incident.' Team . owner Steve Bisciotti added that Rice, who in 2012 signed a five-year . $35 million contract with the Ravens, will continue to have a future . there. The indictment, first reported by the Press of Atlantic City, came after the couple both declined medical treatment at the Revel but security video made the allegations hard to look past. Diamondstein . said last month he hoped that after an investigation, 'the matter turns . out to be little more than a misunderstanding'. Neither man was immediately able to be reached by Mail Online for comment. | The couple arrived for Thursday's court hearing holding hands .
They were married one month ago only hours after Ray Rice was indicted for third-degree aggravated assault .
He is accused of striking and dragging Janay Palmer at Atlantic City hotel earlier this year . |
fdda9cb261dc9907054b224638c0ca0b8f426be9 | By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 12:52 EST, 7 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:57 EST, 7 April 2013 . North Korea today released a bizarre video of their military dogs attacking an effigy of an enemy minister and again threatened to attack their neighbours. The animals savage a model of South Korean defence minister Kim Kwan-Jin in the propaganda clip shown on state television. In the video, the military dogs can also be seen jumping through a flaming hole as they are put through their paces in training. Scroll down for video . Dogs of War: The animal mauls an effigy of South Korean Defence Minister Kim Kwan-jin during a military drill. The bizarre propaganda video was released by North Korea's official news agency . Military drill: The dog mauls the dummy in a bizarre propaganda video shown on North Korean state television . Military threat: A dog from the North Korean army leaps through a flaming hole in a bizarre propaganda video . It was released as the US delayed an intercontinental ballistic missile test planned for next week amid fears it will be misinterpreted by Pyongyang. British foreign secretary William Hague today warned of the 'danger of miscalculation' by Kim Jong-un's regime which has worked itself up into a 'frenetic state of rhetoric'. In the new propaganda video troops can also be seen using the South Korean defence minister's face as target practice. At the very end of the clip the effigy is destroyed with a rocket launcher. It is unclear when and where the video, released by North Korea's official news agency KCNA, was filmed. An unidentified soldier warns that they are ready to attack their neighbour as soon as the order is given. 'On . the Korean peninsula, it is not a matter of whether we will have a war . or not but whether it will take place today or tomorrow,' he said. 'This . is a situation like being on the eve of a big explosion. Every minute, . every second counts. We are right now set to march, once the order is . given.' The claim follows weeks of ever-increasing threats from the pariah state who claim to have missiles capable of hitting the US. War preparations: A dog completes a jump on a military assault course in North Korea . Attack threat: After threatening a nuclear strike, Kim Jong Un's regime are now warning they will set their dogs on South Korea . For Kim Jong Un: The soldiers say they are ready to attack South Korea in the odd propaganda tape . Attack dogs: The animals maul an effigy of the South Korean defence minister . Training: North Korea's 'weapon' in training. It is unclear when or where this video was shot . | Dogs maul an effigy of South Korean defence minister Kim Kwan-Jin .
The animals jump through a flaming hole in the latest propaganda video to be released by Pyongyang .
Footage released as US delay missile test next week to avoid further heightening tensions . |
fddad33bc3dc86ba1288bdbda3761f03e89ed84c | By . Jason Groves . PUBLISHED: . 18:41 EST, 14 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:41 EST, 14 September 2012 . David Cameron has issued an appeal for party unity – as a poll revealed his rival Boris Johnson would make a far more popular leader. The Prime Minister used a speech to a private Tory fundraising dinner to warn that voters always punished divided parties. A source at the annual Carlton Club dinner on Thursday night said the Prime Minister told senior Tories that the party ‘must not go back to the bad old days’. Rivals: David Cameron has issued an appeal for party unity - as a poll revealed his rival Boris Johnson would make a far more popular leader . His decision to speak out on the issue underlines growing concern within Tory high command about discontent with both the Coalition and Mr Cameron. But his discomfort increased last night with the release of a poll showing London Mayor Mr Johnson was now a far more popular choice to lead the country. The YouGov survey for the Guardian said that Mr Johnson was the only serving politician in Britain to enjoy a positive approval rating with the public. Mr Johnson’s net positive rating of 25 contrasted sharply with Mr Cameron’s rating of minus 18. Ed Miliband fared even worse with a rating of minus 29, while Nick Clegg’s rating was minus 52, just ahead of the Chancellor George Osborne. The highest rated Coalition minister was Foreign Secretary William Hague, with a rating of minus one. Mr Johnson’s popularity has soared in the wake of the Olympic Games. Many Tories believe his optimism, Euroscepticism and belief in cutting taxes could prove a winning formula. Some Conservative MPs now openly describe themselves as ‘outriders’ for Mr Johnson and are hatching a plot to help him return to the Commons to enable him to stand for the leadership. Mr Cameron’s call for unity came just hours after reports that 14 Conservative MPs have written to Graham Brady, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, demanding a leadership contest. Popular: The highest rated Coalition minister in the poll was Foreign Secretary William Hague, with a rating of minus one . Under Tory rules a contest is triggered if 15 per cent of the party’s MPs write letters to Mr Brady calling for the leader to go. The reported 14 letters remain well short of the 46 needed to trigger a leadership contest. But thanks to a quirk of the rules, they remain on file indefinitely, meaning that Mr Cameron could face a ‘drip, drip’ build-up of discontent. Tory sources say this month’s Cabinet reshuffle has ‘greatly increased’ unhappiness with Mr Cameron at Westminster. A study yesterday revealed that there are now only 24 Tory MPs on the backbenches who have not rebelled against the Government. | PM used a speech to a private Tory fundraising dinner to warn that voters always punished divided parties .
New poll shows the London Mayor is now a far .
more popular choice to lead the country . |
fddb2e6373665fc6cf8632d32370c015cb3691fb | By . Mark Duell . The two people who died after being struck by a freight train at a level crossing in apparent suicide pact were today named as an elderly married couple who lived nearby. Peter Smith, 80, and Betty Evelyn Smith, 79, were killed instantly just before noon yesterday near the Allenby Estates unmanned level crossing close to their home in Cherry Willingham, Lincolnshire. The couple were said to have walked onto the railway line in the village near Lincoln, straight into the path of the 60mph freight train - ignoring the warning horn sounded by the driver of the engine. Scroll down for video . Level crossing: The scene where a couple died after being hit by a train in Cherry Willingham, Lincolnshire . Probe: Officers and rail workers at the scene of the incident where British Transport Police are investigating . Their family said in a statement . released through police today: ‘We are deeply saddened by our loss and . we would now like to ask for privacy while we come to terms with what . has happened.’ British . Transport Police said its officers were working to establish the full . circumstances of the incident, which is currently being treated as . non-suspicious. Witnesses . told how the train driver sounded the horn for at least a minute on the . approach to the crossing. This morning a floral tribute was placed close . to where the tragedy occurred. Neighbours . of the couple paid tribute to the ‘beautiful’ and ‘devoted’ couple who . had lived in the village for over 50 years – adding that they had both . seemed very happy and in good health. Mr Smith was said to have been a postmaster, who retired after a car crash 20 years ago, while Mrs Smith had never worked. Joyce . Garner, 94, who lives two doors down from the couple’s home, said: ‘I . just can’t believe it. They used to have dogs up until a few years ago . and I would see them walking them every day. Remembered: This morning a floral tribute was placed close to where the tragedy occurred in Lincolnshire . ‘Peter had to retire early from his . job as a postman more than 20 years ago after a car crash, but Betty was . always in the garden and he would try and help where he could.’ Margaret . Elkington, 81, who has lived on their road for 38 years, added: ‘They . seemed to be such a happy couple. They would catch the bus into Lincoln . every Monday and Saturday. ‘I . spoke to them on this last Monday about the weather while they waited . for the bus and they were fine. They had a daughter but they didn’t . speak about her very much.’ Neighbour . Jack Haggar, 83, said: ‘They were very pleasant but a family which kept . themselves to themselves. Peter and Betty always stopped to speak. It . has come as a terrible shock.’ Local butcher Derek Wilkinson, 59, said he had known the couple for 50 years. He . added: ‘Peter and Betty were very private people and they’d lived in . the village for as long as I can remember. They were regular customers . of mine and came in every week. Response: East Midlands Ambulance Service workers attended and both people were pronounced dead . Further back: Emergency services worked to put up screens to shield local schoolchildren from the scene . ‘Peter . would come in and buy their Sunday roasts and their meat for their . midweek meals including chops and sausages. Peter used to do the . shopping. I think that they will both be very sadly missed.’ The . Rail Accident Investigation Branch has been informed and the Central . Lincolnshire Coroner is expected to open inquests in the next few days. The . train - which was heading for Immingham Docks in North Lincoln - was . brought to a halt at a second level crossing in the village and just . 600ft from a secondary school holding its sports day. Emergency . services worked to put up screens to shield the schoolchildren from the . scene, and staff had to arrange for pupils to take alternative routes . home. The user-worked . crossing consists of a 12ft wide metal gate. Drivers have to ring . through to the main signal box for clearance to open the gates and cross . but pedestrians can walk across via a stile. East . Midlands Ambulance Service pronounced both people dead at the scene. Passenger services between Lincoln and Grimsby were halted for three . hours before resuming later in the afternoon. Stoppages: Services between Grimsby and Lincoln have been affected and parts of the line have been suspended . Investigation: The incident just before midday is being treated by British Transport Police as 'non-suspicious' Stop Look Listen: Signs warning members of the public to take care near the level crossing in Lincolnshire . Local . resident Tony Pick, 68, a retired civil engineer, said yesterday: 'I . came back home just seconds before the ambulances arrived and it was . then I noticed a body lying 100 yards down the track. 'It . was an elderly woman as far as I could tell. It's very shocking as you . don't really get anything like this happen around here. It is a quiet . area.' Plumber Mark Daykin was working 200 yards from where the initial impact is said to have happened. 'We are deeply saddened by our loss and we would now like to ask for privacy while we come to terms with what has happened' Family of Peter and Betty Evelyn Smith . He . said: ‘I was working with my boss and we heard the train beep. The . driver really gave it the whole horn. We went down to the foot crossing. It looked as though the impact had been there. ‘There . were no emergency services there yet and we walked further down the . line towards the railway bridge where there was blood on the track. ‘It . looked as though the train carried on further down the line. We left . when the fire service arrived and said it wasn't a very nice scene down . there.’ And former military . policeman Mike Barker, 67, said: ‘I was out for a walk when I heard the . sirens and then we saw the freight train on the level crossing. ‘An . ambulance was already there. We heard that two people had been killed . further down the line towards Lincoln and this is where the train ended . up. Freight train: East Midlands Ambulance Service attended but both people involved in the accident were pronounced dead at the scene in Lincolnshire . Disruption: Services between Grimsby and Lincoln have been affected and parts of the line have been suspended . Location: The incident happened just before midday at the footpath near this level crossing (file picture) ‘There is a school and . two old people's homes on the street and it can take quite a while to . walk across the crossing if you're not fit.’ A BTP spokesman said yesterday: ‘Our officers are currently in attendance at a level crossing in Croft Lane, Cherry Willingham, where two people have been struck by a train. The incident was reported to BTP at 11.57am on July 9 and colleagues from Lincolnshire Police are also on scene. ‘Medics from the East Midlands Ambulance Service are in attendance and both people have been pronounced dead at the scene. Officers are now working to establish the full circumstances of the incident, which is currently being treated as non-suspicious.’ Cherry . Willingham, a village of around 3,600 people, is around four miles east . of Lincoln. It does not have a train station, but sits on the railway . line between Lincoln and Market Rasen. The Smith couple lived in a bungalow on a road with an average house value of £200,000. Recent . official safety figures revealed that the number of deaths from . trespass and suicide on the railways rose from 278 to 300 in 2013/14 - . the highest annual figure recorded. It . is thought that this number would have been even higher but for the . partnership, recently renewed for another five years, between Network . Rail and Samaritans. | Peter Smith, 80, and Betty Evelyn Smith, 79, were killed instantly yesterday .
Incident happened close to their home in Cherry Willingham, Lincolnshire .
Couple 'walked onto railway line, straight into the path of the freight train'
Family 'deeply saddened and coming to terms with what has happened'
For confidential .
support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local .
Samaritans branch or click here . |
fddbbdf1c9df594f0b945487af73971e90ff5d83 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Urgent laws are needed to protect children from online porn, a web regulator has warned. Pornography websites should have to carry out age checks before granting access to video and images, online video regulator Atvod said. The Authority for Television on Demand said laws should be changed to protect children from seeing adult material on the internet. The Authority for Television on Demand, said laws should be changed to protect children from seeing adult material on the internet . Research for Atvod found that 6 per cent of children aged 15 or under had accessed an adult website over the course of a month, the BBC reported. Some 5 per cent of visitors to adult sites were under 18, and one website alone, Pornhub, was visited by 112,000 boys in the UK aged between 12 and 17. The figures support the Daily Mail’s Block Online Porn campaign that wants internet service providers to automatically block adult content unless a household opts in to accepting it. The statistics were uncovered after the online habits of 45,000 desktop computers and laptop users were monitored over a month, with volunteers reflecting a cross-section of the population. The issue of children accessing online pornography was so urgent that it was ‘critical the legislation is enacted during this Parliament’, Atvod said. Atvod already forces pornographic websites based in the UK to carry out age verification checks before customers can view explicit photographs or video . It called for sites that did not comply with legislation to carry out age checks should be forbidden from processing payments from British customers. Atvod already forces pornographic websites based in the UK to carry out age verification checks before customers can view explicit photographs or video, the BBC said, by requiring valid credit card details or personal information that can be checked. But it said the vast majority of online pornography was downloaded from overseas businesses, over which it has no control. Atvod wants all adults sites to request a licence that would only be granted if age checks were in place, with payment processors not allowed to handle fees for for services from UK citizens to unregistered sites. Atvod chief executive Pete Johnson told the BBC: ‘We're a very substantial market and to access the money that's flowing from the UK would be quite a powerful incentive to introduce restrictions.’ An Atvod spokesman added: ‘The material that appears on the free services is placed there by the paid services to attract customers to sign up to subscriptions. ‘As long as the paid service placed content on a free service without age verification it would be in breach of its licensing conditions and so would not be able to access funds from the UK. ‘We're not saying this will stop all children seeing all pornography online. ‘But our argument is that even if you reduce the number of children who are accessing hardcore pornography online by 10 per cent, that would be a significant win.’ | Online video regulator Atvod calls for urgent change to the law .
Research found 6% of under-15s had accessed an adult website in a month .
One website alone, Pornhub, was visited by 112,000 boys aged 12-17 . |
fddc131e8686007b5c4fae372d57423c4d9ff6de | (CNN) -- Apple was slow to act against the booming counterfeit industry in China and other Asian countries, according to cables obtained by WikiLeaks. The technology giant eventually organized a team in March 2008 to curtail the explosion of knockoff iPods and iPhones, according to an electronic memo from the Beijing embassy dated September 2008. Yet, three years after Apple moved to crack down on widespread counterfeiting and put pressure on China, progress has been slow. Gadget piracy isn't a high priority for the Chinese government, the U.S. reports and experts say. Members of Apple's recently formed global security team were recruited from Pfizer after they executed a series of crackdowns on counterfeit Viagra production in Asia, the report says. John Theriault, formerly Pfizer's security chief and, before that, a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, leads Apple's global security unit. Don Shruhan, who worked for Theriault at Pfizer, is now a director on Apple's security team in Hong Kong. Shruhan told the Beijing embassy official that his group at Pfizer spent five years planning raids on counterfeit drug rings, the cable says. He said he's "afraid" of the volume of imitation Apple products being produced in China and about the inexperience of Apple's lawyers in dealing with Chinese authorities, the report says. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment. A Pfizer spokeswoman, who declined to comment on personnel matters, said the company has a strong global security team to handle the increase in counterfeit medicine worldwide. WikiLeaks, a group that publishes private government documents, posted tens of thousands of previously unreleased U.S. diplomatic cables last week. The reports from the Beijing embassy detailing Apple's piracy crackdown were unclassified, but many were described as "sensitive" and "not for Internet distribution." In December, Apple said it removed an application from its mobile store that let people browse WikiLeaks documents from their iPhones "because it violated developer guidelines." The company suggested that the app broke laws or could be harmful to people, but many free-speech advocates cried censorship, as they have in the past when Apple has pulled apps. The fresh WikiLeaks documents shed new light on Apple's struggles with intellectual-property theft in China, but the subject hasn't completely flown under the radar. Last month, international news media were rapt after discovering that China is home not only to fake Apple gadgets but also to imitation Apple stores, which had many of Apple's signatures. The Chinese government ordered two of the five unofficial stores to close because they had not secured proper business permits, but a spokesman for China's Kunming government defended the others, saying they sell authentic Apple merchandise, according to Reuters. Apple owns and operates four stores in China. The three in Beijing and the one in Shanghai are Apple's highest trafficked and top grossing stores in the world, Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's financial chief, said in an earnings call in January. But the hunger for Apple products is insatiable there. That's why stores have begun to sell the products without Apple's permission, while others are hawking cheaper, lower-quality gadgets that are aesthetically similar and bear the chic Apple logo. China's Guangdong province, the country's most populous region, has become a hub for manufacturing and selling counterfeit Apple products, two of the newly surfaced cables say. The Foxconn Technology Group, which assembles products for Apple, operates factories in Guangdong. Workers typically smuggle parts from the facilities in order to make replicas, said Lilach Nachum, an international business professor for Baruch College in New York who travels frequently to Asia. It's the cost of doing business in China, where many American companies go for inexpensive labor and efficient industrial plants, she said. "Not to go to China is not really an option," Nachum said. "Companies cannot afford to do that. No one can afford to do that." China's counterfeiting ring is responsible for supplying India with fake Apple products, the 2008 cable says. In raids, Indian officials uncovered shipments that had moved from China through Hong Kong, the report says. Apple's early plans to go after counterfeiters, according to a cable, involved first targeting offending retailers and street vendors; next, Apple would work with police to raid manufacturing facilities; and finally, the company would pursue online resellers. The plans closely resemble Pfizer's successful strategy, the cable says, citing Shruhan, the Apple director. "Shruhan said that low-profile retail raids are a good option for Apple, a company that wants to stay away from too much publicity surrounding this issue," the cable says. Theriault, Shruhan's boss, briefed Steve Jobs, then CEO, on the plans in 2008, the cable says. But Apple is having limited success. In countless stores and at tables setup on streets, merchants purporting to sell iPods, iPhones and iPads at deeply discounted prices are prevalent, said Wini Chen, a student in San Francisco who recently returned from studying abroad in Beijing. "They'll say, 'Yeah, we have iPad. We'll give you a really good deal,'" Chen recalled from her shopping trips. "If I really want to buy a knockoff Apple product, I could probably do that in 15 minutes." Chinese officials readily cooperated with pharmaceutical companies on their raids, but that hasn't translated to software, as Microsoft has discovered, or electronics, as Apple is learning, said Nachum, the professor. Whereas a defective pill could cause sickness or death, a shoddy iPod has less dire consequences. Apple had planned to strengthen its case with the government by arguing that defective batteries could blow up and injure people, and that lost tax revenue could have a significant economic impact, the cable says. The arguments weren't very effective. China's government declined to investigate a facility in March 2009 that was manufacturing imitation Apple laptops because it threatened local jobs, says a cable dated April 2009. A different arm of China's government scrapped plans for a raid on an electronics mall in the Guangdong province because it could have driven away shoppers, the cable says. CNN's Katie Glaeser contributed to this report. | Apple is faced with mounting counterfeiting of its products in China .
The company recruited from Pfizer's security team after its success, U.S. cables say .
Despite efforts, Apple's plans have had limited success . |
fddc1c10546239348a6474f63624b153629da9b4 | It can be tricky to know how much money to save from one month to the next, especially when balancing budgets and having to pay out for unexpected bills. But a new service takes the hassle out of this by securely tracking your spending habits and automatically saving a small amount for you each week. Named Digit, the service only transfers what it thinks you can afford and adjusts this amount accordingly to help you easily build up a nest egg. Each time a Digit account is opened and linked to a bank account, the service automatically sets up a savings account for that user (pictured). Once or twice a week, Digit transfers money from the bank to the Digit savings account based on how much money the user has, and how much they’ve been spending recently . Digit was designed in San Francisco and connects to bank accounts to analyse income and spending. Each time an account is opened and linked to a bank account, Digit automatically sets up a savings account for that user. Once or twice a week, Digit transfers money from the bank to the Digit savings account based on how much money the user has, and how much they’ve been spending recently. Digit securely and anonymously connects to bank accounts and analyses income and spending. Each time an account is opened and linked to a bank account, Digit automatically sets up a savings account for the user. The website uses 256-bit bank-level security, and doesn’t store bank login details. A user’s information is anonymised, encrypted and securely stored and all funds held within Digit are insured up to a balance of $250,000 (£162,750). This is typically between $5 (£3) and $50 (£32) but is never more than the user can afford. Over time, the service uses a built-in algorithm to learn more about the user’s spending habits and adjust payments accordingly. And if the user ever needs extra money, they can transfer it back at any time for free. To transfer money, users just need to send Digit a text and they will release the funds back to the account. ‘Digit automatically figures out when and how much is safe to save based on your lifestyle,’ explained the firm. ‘Digit doesn't require you to figure out an arbitrary amount to transfer every month. ‘We believe so strongly in our math and the ability to safely identify money you don't need that if we overdraft your account we'll pay the fee.’ Accounts can be accessed and managed using the mobile site or desktop dashboard. Transfers are typically between $5 (£3) and $50 (£32) but are never more than the user can afford. Over time, the service uses a built-in algorithm to learn more about the user’s spending habits and if the user ever needs extra money they can transfer it back at any time for free using text (pictured) In terms of security, Digit uses 256-bit bank-level security, and doesn’t store bank login details. A user’s information is anonymised, encrypted and securely stored and all funds held within Digit are insured up to a balance of $250,000 (£162,750). Digit supports more than 2,500 banks and credit unions but is currently only available in the US. The firm said it is hoping to expand internationally in the future, however. If a user wants to close a Digit account they email the service and any remaining funds in the Digit account is automatically transferred back to the original checking account on the next business day. Accounts can be accessed and managed using the mobile site or desktop dashboard (pictured). Security-wise, Digit said it uses 256-bit bank-level security, and doesn’t store bank login details. A user’s information is anonymised, encrypted and securely stored and all funds held are insured up to $250,000 (£162,750) | Digit connects to a US bank account and analyses income and spending .
It uses 256-bit bank-level security and doesn’t store login details .
Digit regularly transfers money from the account to the user’s Digit savings .
This is typically $5 (£3) to $50 (£32) based on what the user can afford .
It does this by tracking spending and learning the user’s habits over time .
Money can be transferred back at any time and the service is free .
Currently only available to US customers but hoping to roll out service worldwide . |
fddcbbce6eccbcff4397f350ceb273be25962a72 | A new Catholic women's initiative rolled out by the Vatican is at the centre of a storm of criticism over a video starring a 'sexy blonde'. The Internet promotional video, featuring blonde Italian actress Nancy Brilli, came under such ridicule that it was quickly taken down, it has been reported. In the clip, the 50-year-old, dressed in a blue top, asks her viewers how often they ask themselves 'Who are you? What do you do? What do you think about yourself as a woman?' A new Catholic women's initiative rolled out by the Vatican is at the centre of a storm of criticism over a video starring a 'sexy blonde' The Internet promotional video, featuring blonde Italian actress Nancy Brilli (pictured), came under such ridicule that it was quickly taken down, it has been reported . But the video soon sparked criticism from around the English speaking world. 'What were they thinking at the Vatican?' wrote Phyllis Zagano of Hofstra University in the National Catholic Reporter. 'Aside from the obvious - sexy sell has long gone by the boards in developed nations and is totally unacceptable in predominantly Muslim countries - the fact of the matter is that highlighting a stereotypical spokeswoman is not the way to ask for women's input.' The women's initiative came courtesy of Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi whose office launched the #lifeofwomen crowd-sourcing scheme just before Christmas. It was rolled out in a bid to promote an inaugural meeting this week aimed at studying women's issues. Women were invited from around the globe to send in a 60-second video of their lives for possible inclusion in a montage to be screened at the 'big meeting of cardinals and bishops'. The English version of Brilli's promo was taken down, though the Italian remains on the ministry's website, Associated Press reports. The women's initiative came courtesy of Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi whose office launched the #lifeofwomen crowd-sourcing scheme just before Christmas . Women were invited from around the globe to send in a 60-second video of their lives for possible inclusion in a montage to be screened at the 'big meeting of cardinals and bishops' Critics noted that the women the Vatican might most want to hear from - those suffering from poverty, violence or war - might not have a smart phone at hand to send in a clip . Critics noted that the women the Vatican might most want to hear from - those suffering from poverty, violence or war - might not have a smart phone at hand to send in a clip. Others pointed out that the two-week deadline - at the height of the Christmas holidays - worked against any widespread response. The working paper for the Pontifical Council of Culture's plenary assembly on 'Women's Cultures: Equality and Difference' speaks about opening the church's doors to women so they can offer their skills 'in full collaboration and integration' with men. It denounces plastic surgery as a form of 'aggression' against the female body 'like a burqa made of flesh.' And it acknowledges that the church has for centuries offered women 'ideological and ancestral left-overs.' In the end, some 250 videos were sent in with a number of them coming from activists advocating for women's ordination. Consuela Corradi, a sociologist at Rome's Catholic Lumsa university, was one of 15 women who advised Ravasi on the initiative. She complained that criticism of the video was unfair. 'If we had chosen an ugly woman, would that have changed the message? I don't think so,' she said. She said the women consultants were entirely responsible for penning the working document, with no interference from the ministry, though she said their document was trimmed for length. | The women's initiative was rolled out by a Vatican office before Christmas .
Women from around world were asked to send in short video of their lives .
Some were to be used in montage screened at a meeting of cardinals and bishops .
But a clip featuring blonde Italian actress Nancy Brilli was taken down .
It came after the Internet promotional video was ridiculed by some viewers . |
fddd3d78135f82e0458fa8c694f07509058944d4 | (Beijing, China) (CNN) -- The mood at the 120th anniversary of Chairman Mao Zedong's birthday is relatively muted, by Chinese standards. No spectacular fireworks, no big parades, as would have been expected during Mao's three-decade rule. But the Chinese remembered Mao properly. In Beijing, a big crowd solemnly gathered in the marble and granite mausoleum containing Mao's embalmed body. Chinese president and Communist party chief Xi Jinping attended the 9 a.m. ceremony along with China's top leaders. More elaborate rituals were conducted in Mao's hometown of Hunan province. "There have been big meetings and academic symposiums discussing Chairman Mao's life and achievements," said a retired cadre in Hunan, who declined to be identified because he is not authorized to talk to the media. "In (Mao's birthplace) Shaoshan, they reopened the just refurbished Chairman Mao museum. Tourists from all over China are also flocking in to visit his birthplace. Chairman Mao's relatives are also in Shaoshan to take part." Many Chinese still admire Mao and most of his policies. They are considered "leftists" or conservatives because they oppose liberal-thinkers and reformists who in China are deemed rightists. Xiong Bao, 25, believes the celebration is necessary. "As the founding father, I think he deserves this, but I don't think it's necessary to make it too big," he said. "Nowadays, the whole nation is calling for thrift, so it's fine as long as it's low key." Even though he was born after Mao's death, Xiong says he has read Mao's writings extensively. "I respect his thought. It was his advanced thoughts that enabled the Chinese to win the revolution," he said. For decades, Mao had been revered as the infallible "Great Helmsman" and "Great Leader." But Mao's mystique had been fading since his death in September 1976 at the age of 82. Over the years, through official pronouncements, books, and media accounts, Mao's human frailties and mistakes have been pointed out, casting aside the nurtured belief of his infallibility. Many books have been published, in and out of China, criticizing Mao and his policies. Officially, Mao is considered 70% correct and 30% wrong. "He is credited for the Liberation (in 1949) and is blamed for the mistakes of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution," said the retired cadre. Yi Shunhan, 38, is not impressed with the Mao anniversary. "I don't really care about it. It doesn't have much impact in my life. I personally think his faults outweigh his achievements," he said, citing the Cultural Revolution, famine, and lag in technology development as Mao's personal failures. "The Great Leap Forward was one of his biggest failures," he added. "How many people died of that?" The Great Leap Forward, launched by Mao in 1958, was intended to skip several stages in building a new communist China and catch up with Britain's economy in 15 years. But it led to economic recession, poor harvests and widespread famine in which tens of millions of people died. The Mao-initiated Cultural Revolution swept China from 1966-76, pushing "class struggle" to get rid of old institutions and Mao's political enemies. The political movement careened out of control, led to massive political purges, deaths and destruction. Chinese leaders who took power after Mao have reversed many of his policies. Instead of pursuing "class struggle," they are now pushing for modernization, reform and opening up. Mao's pedestal may have been lowered. His once ubiquitous visage is now relegated as just one of the iconic images on T-shirts and posters, along with those of Che Guevarra, Hello Kitty and the Giant Panda. Still, The Global Times, an official state newspaper, called attempts to negate Mao as "childish wishful thinking," citing that Chinese people today still live under the great impact of Mao. Mao's fading image endures, because it remains a part of the glue that holds the Communist nation together. "Hunan people still admire and respect Chairman Mao," said the retired cadre from Mao's birthplace. Bai Yan, 28, sees a need to remember Mao. "It's an opportunity to learn about him and Chinese history. It's an opportunity for young people to learn about what took place in China in the past." CNN's Feng Ke contributed to this story. | Mao Zedong's 120th anniversary in China is more muted .
Chinese have mixed feelings on Mao's legacy .
Mao's mistakes have been publicized through books and pronouncements . |
fdde66a045714f0f916c2289d3e1d14e7880992c | By . Daily Mail Reporters . 'Cruel': Lauren Bush, 17, allegedly taunted an autistic boy and filmed it on her cell phone . An autistic boy who allegedly endured months of abuse at the hands of two girls he called his friends said he wants the charges against them dropped. Lauren Bush, 17, and another girl, 15, allegedly kicked the 16-year-old boy - a fellow classmate at Chopticon High School in Morganza, Maryland - in the groin, held a knife to his throat and tried to get him to have sex with his family's dog, all while they recorded him on their cell phones. They also forced the boy to walk on a frozen lake, causing him to fall into freezing water several times while they did nothing to help, and on another occasion, they shaved off his eyebrows, according to records. Still, the boy - who has only been identified by his middle name, Michael - considers Bush and the 15-year-old girl, who was his girlfriend, to be his friends. 'It really makes me upset that my parents want to see them in jail,' he told the Washington Post. 'Because I really like them.' He said the girls never intended to kill him - even when they held a knife to his neck and led him to a frozen lake and persuaded him to fetch a basketball on the ice. Minutes later, he fell through the ice and screamed, but the girls did nothing to help, he said. Afterwards, they wouldn't allow him to ride with them and he returned home wet. 'They put me in the trunk,' he said. 'They didn't want to get the interior wet.' His parents, however, said they want Bush to be tried as an adult. Scroll down for video . Scene: Bush, her fellow defendant and their victim are students at Chopticon High School in Morganza, Maryland. The cruelty only stopped when a fellow student heard about the videos and told officials . 'My son is a staunch defender of his . tormentors; it’s embarrassing,' his father told the Post. 'He may be more disabled than I . convinced myself that he was and maybe more lost than I realized. That's . something I am going to have to deal with on a later day. Right now, I . am trying to get justice for him and others like him.' He added: 'Many of the attacks occurred . at our home. If they hadn't been caught, I think they would have killed . him or all of us.' Michael told the Post he started going . out with the younger girl last year after wooing her with notes, and . that both of the girls knew he was autistic. He tried to cover up the treatment, but his parents knew something was wrong when money started vanishing from his account, and it turned out he was taking the girls out every weekend. The concerned parents called the school when their son returned home without any eyebrows - but officials said students weren't bullying him for the look - and eventually banned the boy from going out with the girls when his bank balance continued to dwindle. Then on March 10, . sheriff's deputies confiscated the younger girl's phone and both were arrested. Their cruel treatment was uncovered after a fellow student heard about the videos and told school authorities. Bush, 17, was charged as an adult with first-degree assault, false . imprisonment and child-pornography solicitation, and faces up to 80 . years in prison if convicted. She has been on house arrest, but on Monday she reported to state juvenile detention center for several . weeks of psychological evaluation, the Post reported. The . Bushes hope the tests prove she should be tried as a juvenile, not an adult. Donna and Larry Bush claim the boy is far smarter than the girls and that they never intended to seriously harm him. They insist their daughter is remorseful. The 15-year-old was charged as a juvenile and earlier this month, she pleaded . guilty to second-degree assault and displaying an . obscene photograph. She remains in a juvenile detention center. Sheriff Tim Cameron told ABC7 that the allegations leveled against the girls are among the most disturbing he has dealt with in his career. Police say the girls have admitted to videotaping the incidents, but officials are still trying to figure out why. 'Who . could harbor this ill will to do something so completely heinous?' said . Cameron. 'I don't know. It's hard to fathom, really.' Video: Two Maryland teens admit to assaulting boy with autism . | Lauren Bush, 17 and another unnamed 15-year-old recorded the assaults against the autistic 16-year-old victim on their cell phones .
Footage 'shows them force him to walk on a partially frozen pond and they refuse to help when he falls through the ice several times'
Local sheriff described the harassment as among the most disturbing he had dealt with in his career .
The boy insists that the girls were not trying to hurt him - but his parents are insisting that the case should be pursued .
Bush has been charged as an adult and could face 80 years behind bars . |
fddec4aa7f286a58cde4238350e79f46636fa383 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Every day, five U.S. soldiers try to kill themselves. Before the Iraq war began, that figure was less than one suicide attempt a day. A U.S. soldier patrols the streets of Baghdad in January. The dramatic increase is revealed in new U.S. Army figures, which show 2,100 soldiers tried to commit suicide in 2007. "Suicide attempts are rising and have risen over the last five years," said Col. Elspeth Cameron-Ritchie, an Army psychiatrist. Concern over the rate of suicide attempts prompted Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, to introduce legislation Thursday to improve the military's suicide-prevention programs. "Our troops and their families are under unprecedented levels of stress due to the pace and frequency of more than five years of deployments," Webb said in a written statement. Watch CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre on the reasons for the increase in suicides » . Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, took to the Senate floor Thursday, urging more help for military members, especially for those returning from war. "Our brave service members who face deployment after deployment without the rest, recovery and treatment they need are at the breaking point," Murray said. She said Congress has given "hundreds of millions of dollars" to the military to improve its ability to provide mental health treatment, but said it will take more than money to resolve the problem. "It takes leadership and it takes a change in the culture of war," she said. She said some soldiers had reported receiving nothing more than an 800 number to call for help. "Many soldiers need a real person to talk to," she said. "And they need psychiatrists and they need psychologists." According to Army statistics, the incidence of U.S. Army soldiers attempting suicide or inflicting injuries on themselves has skyrocketed in the nearly five years since the start of the Iraq war. Last year's 2,100 attempted suicides -- an average of more than 5 per day -- compares with about 350 suicide attempts in 2002, the year before the war in Iraq began, according to the Army. The figures also show the number of suicides by active-duty troops in 2007 may reach an all-time high when the statistics are finalized in March, Army officials said. The Army lists 89 soldier deaths in 2007 as suicides and is investigating 32 more as possible suicides. Suicide rates already were up in 2006 with 102 deaths, compared with 87 in 2005. Cameron-Ritchie, the Army psychiatrist, said suicide attempts are usually related to problems with intimate relationships, but they are also related to problems with work, finances and the law. "The really tough area here is stigma. We know that soldiers don't want to go seek care. They're tough, they're strong, they don't want to go see a behavioral health-care provider," Cameron-Ritchie said. Multiple deployments and long deployments appear to exact a toll on relationships, thereby boosting the number of suicide attempts, she said. Traditionally, the suicide rate among military members has been lower than age- and gender-matched civilians. But in recent years the rate has crept up from 12 per 100,000 among the military to 17.5 per 100,000 in 2006, she said. That's still less than the civilian figure of about 20 per 100,000, she said. The "typical" soldier who commits suicide is a member of an infantry unit who uses a firearm to carry out the act, according to the Army. Post-traumatic stress disorder also may be a factor in suicide attempts, Cameron-Ritchie said, because it can result in broken relationships and often leads to drug and alcohol abuse. "The real central issue is relationships. Relationships, relationships, relationships," said U.S. Army Chaplain Lt. Col. Ran Dolinger. "People look at PTSD, they look at length of deployments ... but it's that broken relationship that really makes the difference." To reduce suicides, the Army said it is targeting soldiers who are or have been in Iraq for long periods and teaching them to notice signs that can lead to suicide. That training came too late for Army Specialist Tim Bowman. The 23-year-old killed himself in 2005 after returning from Iraq. "As my family was preparing for a 2005 Thanksgiving meal, our son Timothy was lying on the floor, slowly bleeding to death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound," said his father, Mike Bowman, in testimony to a House Veterans' Affairs committee hearing in December. "His war was now over." He said veterans return home to find an "understaffed, under-funded, under-equipped" Veterans Affairs mental health system. "Many just give up trying," he said. E-mail to a friend . | Average of 5 soldiers per day tried to commit suicide in 2007, Army figures show .
Sen. Jim Webb introduces legislation to improve care for soldiers .
Army psychiatrist says soldiers must overcome stigma of treatment .
Psychiatrist: "We know that soldiers don't want to go seek care" |
fddf4516feff3517d782abbf354172e2a585fc52 | Burlington, Vermont (Travel + Leisure) -- On a recent afternoon along Church Street in Burlington, Vermont, young aspiring actors recited passages from Shakespeare's Henry V as jugglers, break-dancers, and blowers of didgeridoos displayed their skills nearby, creating a visual and aural cacophony. Just another day in a thriving college town -- this one happening to be home to the University of Vermont. There are notable distinctions between college towns and other American cities. In the student-centric spots, bicycles seem to outnumber cars. Affordable restaurants serve up authentic cuisines from all around the world. The streets are densely packed with businesses, making for a highly pedestrian-friendly environment. Nature is usually accentuated: the shimmering Lake Champlain, backdropped by a sawtooth silhouette of peaks, forms the western edge of Burlington. Madison, Wisconsin, is situated on an isthmus between two lakes that draw hordes of hikers and bikers. Boulder, Colorado, is an outdoor enthusiast's dream. And don't forget the bars. Each of these locales offers plenty of opportunities for imbibing, many of them ideal for both people-watching and soaking in the scenery. It's hard to beat sunset cocktails at Austin's Oasis, where tiered decks jut from a 450-foot-high cliff over Lake Travis. These attractions are mainly geared toward the students, naturally, but they can be readily enjoyed by those with no homework assignments or college connections. After all, few sports experiences can top the rafter-shaking raucousness in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, during a Tar Heels basketball game. Many schools benefit from world-class art collections in glittering facilities designed by marquee architects; Chapel Hill's Ackland Art Museum, featuring a wing by Polshek Partnership, tempts visitors with Warhols, Titians, and Dalís in a way that many university-less cities cannot. The performing arts also abound. Most campuses host an array of dance, theater, and performing arts to rival a season at Lincoln Center. Not to mention rock. This fall, for instance, the Boulder Theater, near the University of Colorado, will host the Psychedelic Furs, Aimee Mann, and Dinosaur Jr. So, as students zip up their backpacks for a return to the classroom, it's a good time for any traveler to pack up a trunk and visit one of these bustling campus locations. Just don't count on peace and quiet if you go to bed early. Oxford, Mississippi (University of Mississippi) On autumn Saturdays when Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is packed with 65,000 whooping fans, it may be tough to associate Oxford with anything but football. But in a place named for a scholarly English city and that is home to William Faulkner's columned retreat, Rowan Oak, paperbacks take precedence over quarterbacks, especially at Square Books. Its tens of thousands of volumes include autographed copies of works by southern authors like Eudora Welty. When not reading, residents pedal the city's fast-growing network of bike trails. "I was surprised to learn Mississippi could be so progressive," says Kevin Stuart of Oxford Bicycle Company. Local taste: Act the southern gentleman on the upstairs porch at City Grocery by ordering a "Just North of South" bourbon mojito. Olympia, Washington (Evergreen State College) State capitals and colleges fit together seamlessly in a number of locales (see Austin and Madison). Olympia nicely mixes buttoned-up government workers and dreadlocked students. It's hard to miss the Capitol Campus -- you can see the legislative building's sandstone dome from almost anywhere in the city. Take a guided tour, and then stroll through the lovely conservatory and gardens. Every Earth Day, the Procession of the Species parade, with participants colorfully dressed as birds, turtles, killer whales and more, weaves through downtown -- near where Harlequin Productions draws theatergoers to its unconventional shows at the State Theater. Local taste: Though vegetarians are plentiful in Olympia, shellfish fans are, too; find them slurping Fanny Bays, from the British Columbia bay of the same name, at the Oyster House. Charlottesville, Virginia (University of Virginia) The music scene was fertile here B.D.M.B -- that is, before the Dave Matthews Band, which formed in Charlottesville in the early 1990s. These days, alternative rock, country, and reggae acts -- as well as, of course, jam bands -- get crowds moving at the Charlottesville Pavilion, the Paramount Theater, and even Scott Stadium, where U2 arrives in October. But the best performances may lurk along the brick sidewalks of the postcard-perfect downtown, in tiny venues like Miller's, a former drugstore that's now known for jazz and blues. When the music's over, be sure to get a good look at the Thomas Jefferson -- planned campus and explore a Blue Ridge Mountain trail. Local taste: Matthews, who was born in Johannesburg, might enjoy the "boerie burgers" at the Shebeen, a South African restaurant. Austin, Texas (University of Texas) Texas's retro-stylish capital prides itself on turning out offbeat characters -- Willie Nelson and Matthew McConaughey, for starters. But for something truly batty, check out the Ann Richards/Congress Avenue Bridge, where 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats hang out -- quite literally. At dusk, from March through October, they flap off to chase insects. Viewed from a lawn below next to Lady Bird Lake, the swarm will blot out the sunset. Austin, the so-called live music capital of the world, turns into a music fanatic's dream each March during the SXSW festival. Local taste: Go for some Texas barbecue at the low-key Artz Rib House, where for $16.99 you can get messy with a full rack of baby-back ribs. Sip alfresco drinks and take in the sunset at Oasis, where tiered decks jut out from a 450-foot-high cliff over Lake Travis. Burlington, Vermont (University of Vermont) College towns don't get more scenic than Burlington, where a 7.5-mile bike path on old railroad beds provides wind-riffled views of Lake Champlain. It's understandable, then, that outdoor activities figure prominently here. Rent a kayak from Umiak to explore bays fringed with pines, or hike Burrow's Trail to the summit of nearby Camel's Hump, whose bald-faced 4,083-foot summit offers living-map panoramas. Local taste: Dine on local delicacies at the Green Room, which offers locavore favorites like Vermont lamb braised with green peppercorns. Boulder, Colorado (University of Colorado) In a town that always pops up on "healthiest cities in America" lists, bike trails are abundant and outdoor options are endless. The Wild West begins along Baseline Road in Boulder, in the foothills of the Rockies known as the Flatirons, for their sharply angled faces. Rent climbing shoes from Neptune Mountaineering, whose in-store museum features dozens of ice axes and an early pair of Rossignol skis. Local taste: The Chautauqua National Historic Landmark, built in the 1800s as a Methodist retreat, now serves up salmon with salsa verde on a wraparound porch. The on-site summer-camp-type cottages provide eagle-eye views toward the flatlands. Berkeley, California (University of California) If coffee shops define a good college town, Berkeley has the competition beat. Some host bands, others show art, many sell fair-trade blends, and most offer a space where it's okay to relax for hours. "It's kind of a universal hangout place, not just for professors and students," says Erik Hvezda, a barista at Brewed Awakening. Many residents prefer the crackle of vinyl to MP3s; pick up some LPs at the well-stocked Amoeba Music on Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley's festive commercial strip. In the heart of campus, the 61-bell carillon provides the tunes atop 307-foot Sather Tower, which also offers stunning panoramas of San Francisco Bay. Local taste: For brunch, fit in with the crunchy crowd by ordering a tofu scramble at Venus. For some local suds, stop in for pints at the festive Pyramid Brewery. Ann Arbor, Michigan (University of Michigan) If a town's name references trees, it's a good bet nature will figure prominently. At the lush, 123-acre Nichols Arboretum, gravel paths wind past blazes of yellow, pink, and white peonies and the occasional reclining student. The "Arb" is also frequently the setting for Shakespeare stagings. Slake your thirst amid more flora at Dominick's, whose garden is ideal for enjoying any of the 10 local microbrews on tap. Local taste: Apart from the various Wolverines sports teams, the pride of Ann Arbor is Zingerman's Roadhouse, where the rooftop vintage neon sign reads "Really Good American Food." And that's what you'll get, of every type, from New Mexican chiles to oysters from Apalachicola, FL. Madison, Wisconsin (University of Wisconsin) Like oases in deserts, college towns in the Midwest can be refreshing splashes of hustle and bustle amid the plains. The Wisconsin capital squeezes cafés, art galleries, and the César Pelli -- designed Madison Museum of Contemporary Art onto an invigorating pedestrian-only thoroughfare. In warm weather, the museum's roof is the setting for concerts and films. Elsewhere are found lively neighborhood block parties, like the Atwood Summerfest, which annually offers rock bands on multiple stages. And there's no shortage of aquatic fun: the city is located on an isthmus between a pair of glittering lakes. Local taste: L'Etoile Restaurant is the region's slow-food mecca. Chapel Hill, North Carolina (University of North Carolina) Yes, there's a fine clutch of Georgian classroom buildings around a shaded, picturesque quad, but during the winter months, everyone's attention is fixated on the Dean Dome, home to the powerhouse Tar Heels basketball team. Come November, tickets that haven't been snapped up by students are available to the public. Die-hards check out the 8,000-square-foot, year-old Carolina Basketball Museum, which doubles as a de facto shrine to alum Michael Jordan (old jerseys included). Still, nothing beats game time, says ticket director John Miller: "It's really just electric." During the off-season, browse for art at Red Window, owned by Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former senator John Edwards. Local taste: Though the building's a flyspeck, the long lines of cars at the drive-through window of the Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen testify to the restaurant's celebrated sweet tea and fried chicken. Planning a romantic getaway? Don't miss Travel + Leisure's guide to the World's Most Romantic Hotels. Copyright 2010 American Express Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. | If coffee shops define a good college town, Berkeley has the competition beat .
Check out the Carolina Basketball Museum -- also a shrine to Michael Jordan .
Hang out at the Ann Richards/Congress Avenue Bridge, with 1.5 million bats . |
fddf70df9943e250123ae4752146f99ad2cc5ed6 | (Budget Travel) -- For years, Budget Travel has been advising readers to rent short-term apartments whenever they plan to spend more than a few days in expensive cities like Paris and New York. Short-term apartment rentals can help travelers save money on both lodging and meals, while providing a more authentic experience. Regardless of recent headlines concerning new rules -- or supposed new efforts to enforce old rules -- for short-term rentals, we still endorse the option as a smart, fun and safe way to stay. While there may be new implications for owners seeking to rent out their properties in these cities, renters themselves face no possibility of fines or problems of any kind with the local authorities. "There's nothing illegal that the traveler is doing when staying in a vacation rental," says Carl Shepherd, chief development officer of direct-from-owner rental specialist HomeAway. "None of these cities have any penalties for renters." The announcements of lawmakers and housing officials seem to imply otherwise, hinting that because some home owners may technically be violating unenforced local ordinances by renting out their properties, renters are somehow guilty by association. The truth is that based on years of precedent -- and the fact that restrictions are vaguely worded and that the municipalities involved are uninterested or incapable of enforcing them -- the risks encountered by renters are extremely minimal. So fear not. Arm yourself with our 6 tips for safer, smarter rentals, and read on for specific advice about Paris, San Francisco and New York. Budget Travel: World's weirdest hotels . PARIS . Here's the deal: Late last year, city officials started to enforce a 2005 law that restricts owners from renting their properties for periods of less than one year. Citing a lack of affordable housing in the central city -- always a popular topic among voters, and, yes, this began in a run-up to elections -- Mayor Bertrand Delanoë ordered a local housing agency to warn some of the estimated 38,000 offenders that they were violating the law by renting flats for shorter spans. How many warning letters did the housing authority send out? As of midsummer 2010, about 25. "For the moment," says one property owner who prefers to remain anonymous, "any enforcement of this law is minimal to the point of being invisible." If enforcement efforts are ever ramped up substantially, short-term rentals could be harder to come by in Paris. Even though no owners have been hit with the maximum €25,000 (more than $32,000) fine for violating housing regulations, the possibility of such a fine will probably be enough to turn some short-term listings into long-term rentals. Bottom line: In Paris, there has been no noticeable drop-off in owners posting short-term apartment rentals. At last check, homeaway.com listed an all-time high of 1,605 properties in Paris. Budget Travel: The coolest small towns in America . SAN FRANCISCO . Here's the deal: San Francisco's obscure, long-ignored law prohibiting rentals of less than 30 days is nearly 30 years old, but few people thought about it until news arose about crackdowns on tourist rentals in other cities. Rather than inquire as to the legality of such rentals, the city has traditionally preferred to subject owners to the local 14 percent hotel tax, bringing in millions annually that would not have been raised had the properties been occupied year-round by owners or long-term renters . For the sake of the city budget, there's an obvious incentive to keep ignoring the ordinance. NEW YORK CITY . Here's the deal: Of the trio of cities, New York is the only one to actually pass new rental legislation. As in Paris and San Francisco, the primary target is not the small-time owner who rents out a place from time to time. Instead, the focus is on "illegal hotel" operations: large-scale attempts to convert residential apartments intended for permanent occupants into travel accommodations. So how will the law be enforced, and exactly what rental scenarios will be deemed illegal when the rules become effective as of May 1, 2011? No one's entirely sure. Budget Travel: Confessions of... A Disney cast member . State Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, the cosponsor of the bill, was quoted as saying, "Somebody who is going away on vacation and once in a blue moon rents the apartment is probably not going to be affected by this." Probably. That's right: Even the bill's cosponsor can't say exactly how the law will play out. Nominally, the purpose behind the legislation is to provide more affordable housing for city residents and to protect travelers from sketchy quasi hotels. But the law might not have become a reality had it not been for the lobbying of hotel and motel associations -- which obviously compete with vacation rentals, and which would obviously benefit if travelers turned away from short-term rentals en masse. Among all the confusion and uncertainty, one thing is clear: Travelers want their vacation rentals. In the second quarter of this year, HomeAway recorded a 104 percent increase in inquiries for New York City apartments compared with the same period in 2009. Budget Travel's Meg Zimbeck contributed to this report. Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2010 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc., all rights reserved. | Renting a short-term apartment in cities like Paris and New York City can cut back expenses .
Though some cities have passed laws prohibiting short-term rentals, renters face no penalty .
Even with new laws, short-term vacation rental inquiries in New York City increased . |
fde00ab9b9fc235889dc2c4bb5c6c216811ac23f | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 11:44 EST, 23 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:38 EST, 24 October 2012 . Employment minister Mark Hoban vowed to press ahead with resetting benefit claimants . More than half of people claiming Incapacity Benefit have been judged fit for work, ministers said today. Checks carried out to assess people being moved onto a new benefit revealed thousands were able to carry out at least some work. The Department for Work and Pensions said new claims for the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) showed that 54 per cent of people assessed could do some work, while 46 per cent were eligible for the benefit. The figures, for the quarter to February, also showed that one in four of those assessed were put in a group given unconditional support as they were too ill or disabled to work. Those found fit for work will be helped through initiatives like the Work Programme to find a job. ESA replaced Incapacity Benefit in 2008. Employment Minister Mark Hoban said: ‘We know that many people with disabilities or health conditions want to work and that the old Incapacity Benefit system simply wrote them off to a lifetime on benefits. ‘We are determined to carry on improving the assessment so those who are too unwell to work get the financial support they need, while those who can work get the help they need to get a job. ‘With annual independent reviews and by working with medical experts and charities, we have substantially improved the Work Capability Assessment process, which is resulting in a fairer system.’ | Incapacity Benefit is being replaced by Employment and Support Allowance .
54 per cent of claimants for the new ESA were found able to apply for a job . |
fde019a60df92e0fb36f84e45beee97f428c5bf7 | By . Suzannah Hills . and Leon Watson . Preacher: The guide was written by Samir Khan who was killed by U.S. airstrikes in Yemen . A bizarre 'must-read' English language manual for Westerners wanting to become a terrorist has been published by Al Qaeda, it emerged today. The glossy 16-page guide includes rules that recruits must follow as well as recommendations on how to cope with the hardships and dangers of life as a jihad. It includes everyday advice on taking showers, camping and how to avoid difficult questions - but also suggests new recruits target the U.S.. The guide was written by Samir Khan, an American who served as the top propagandist for the Yemen-based branch of Al Qaeda, who was killed by US Hellfire missiles during a drone attack. He died in September 2011, along with the U.S.-born radical cleric Anwar al Awlak. It starts by saying: 'For those Muslims coming from the West, this is a must read document as it includes an invaluable information which will enable them to appropriately understand the importance of their role in the scale of this battle and provide them with a visibility to aptly choose their next step.' The first section of the guide is titled 'cleanliness' and states: 'In some cases, you will be staying with a few brothers in a tight room or house. 'In order to avoid unnecessary problems, encourage yourself and your brothers to clean the room(s) on a regular basis. As for yourself, a daily shower is ideal but not possible in many cases.' Khan then goes on to offer advice on how to cope with the life of a jihad. He says: 'If you feel terrified close your eyes and imagine yourself inside paradise. Think of your hoor [virgins] that are awaiting you as well as meeting the prophets.' Another section urges Western recruits to stay on their home 'sand, rocks or grass' and attack 'America in its own backyard'. The guide continues: 'The effect is much greater, it always embarrasses the enemy, and these types of individual decision-making attacks are nearly impossible for them to contain.' Bizarre: The front page of the jihad manual Expectations Full written by Samir Khan . The guide includes a section on bringing your family to jihad training with terrorists . Khan states: 'In al-qa’idah, we don’t care about the size of your muscles, how fast you run, how strong your legs are and so on - although these things will be strengthened - but we put a special focus on "lasting long" and outdoing the enemy in patience. 'In short, prepare for the worse, and hope in the best.' The manual, which also praises cleanliness, says secrecy is one of the pillars of modern day jihad, advising recruits not to reveal their place of birth to other jihadists and to refrain from asking them too many questions. The guide also urges 'brothers' to attack America. Pictured here is the Brooklyn Bridge in New York . On involving family members in acts of terrorism, it says: 'If you have a family that you want to bring to jihad, it may or may not be possible depending on the logistics of the mujahideen. 'In Yemen for example, it's extremely difficult to bring your wife and kids to live amongst the mujahideen. In other lands, this may not be a problem. 'So if you know that the land you are going to is tight on this, then what you can do is bring your family to the land, but keep them in a city where they will be safe and protected by friends. Samir Khan was a top figure in Al Qaeda in Yemen, where soldiers pictured above are still regularly fighting Al Qaeda-linked militants in the southern province of Abyan . Al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, pictured in Afghanistan . 'You don't want to risk them being captured by the murtadeen and witnessing them getting raped and tortured in order to extract information about you.' The manual also gives a quick guide to camping: 'Living outdoors will be the most difficult of bases to stay in. In some bases, it won't be too bad since the mujahideen will erect tents and there might be some basic comforts. 'It is possible though that there will be incidents were none of this will be available and you will have to sleep on sand, rocks or grass. They may or may not have blankets and sleeping bags available. 'As for the weather, you should do some research into the country before arriving as to what it’s like during the day and night, especially in deserts, mountainous regions and forests. 'You will want to wear your boots/sneakers/sandals most of the time in the outdoors, but you should get used to taking it off everyday or at least every 3 days to avoid running into foot problems. 'A brother in Afghanistan sticked to taking his boots off every 3 days but didn’t do a good job of washing his feet thoroughly; after some time, he developed a strange foot disease where his small toe was pushed underneath his foot. 'After that, he could no longer walk. Take good care of your feet and wash them properly.' | 'Must-read' guide to jihad written by terrorist who died in September 2011 .
Tells recruits to embarrass America by attacking it 'in its backyard'
Gives advice on how to 'bring your wife and kids' to training .
Highlights importance of cleanliness when living in a 'tight room or house' |
fde09210480b0fa0cedaa99f76461b270c4521ff | Four people have been charged with murdering an albino woman in Tanzania and cutting off her legs and an arm for black magic rituals. Zawadi Magindu was killed at Nyamalulu village in the north western Geita region of the African country in November 2008. The four people accused of killing the 22-year-old have pleaded not guilty with a hearing set to continue next week. The trial is the first of its kind to be held in the Geita region where six albinos were killed and three wounded between 2007 and 2012, according to police data (file picture) Public prosecutor Ezron Mwasimba said: 'We have gathered compelling evidence against the accused persons including from members of the bereaved family who had identified them.' The trial is the first of its kind to be held in the Geita region where six albinos were killed and three wounded between 2007 and 2012, according to police data. The charges come as members of Tanzania's albino society prepare to hold nationwide protests next week to call on the government to take more action to stop such attacks. There are fears of more murders ahead of an election later this year because of the risk that some politicians could turn to witchcraft to improve their chances. The demonstrations have been triggered by the abduction and suspected murder of two albino children in the past two months. One-year-old Yohana Bahati was snatched by armed men from his home in the northwestern Geita region earlier this month and his body found days later with his limbs severed. A four-year-old albino girl was abducted in December by an armed gang from her home at Ndami village in Mwanza region. She is still missing but 14 people have now been arrested. Albino children at a recreational hall in Mwanza, Tanzania, on January 25, 2009 ©Tony Karumba (AFP/File) At least 75 albinos, who lack pigment in their skin, hair and eyes, have been murdered in Tanzania in the past 15 years, according to U.N. figures, many hacked to death and body parts removed to make spells that witch doctors claim bring good luck. Witch doctors will pay as much as £50,000 for a full set of body parts from an albino, according to a Red Cross report. Albinos face attack in many parts of Africa, but kidnappings, attacks and killings are more common in Tanzania and the government last month announced a nationwide ban on witch doctors to try to stem the violence. United Nations human rights officials have voiced concerns that despite the number of murders, trials are rare with only five successful prosecutions since 2000. The Tanzania Albino Society called on the government to speed up prosecutions. 'We would like to see those who are convicted for murdering people with albinism hanged to deter others from carrying out such acts, but that is not happening,' said the group's chairman Ernest Kimanya. Albinism is a congenital disorder which affects about one in 20,000 people worldwide, according to medical authorities. It is more common in sub-Saharan Africa and affects an estimated one Tanzanian in 1,400. | Zawadi Magindu was murdered in Geita region of Tanzania six years ago .
Four people are now going on trial charged with killing the 22-year-old .
The trial in Mwanza city is the first of its kind to be held in the Geita region .
Six albinos killed and three wounded in the region between 2007 and 2012 . |
fde0ad35daf94eb0946898a26c8e8e095a8cd29b | Beijing (CNN) -- A day before the Nobel committee honors an imprisoned Chinese dissident with its peace prize, China ratched up the rhetoric calling the award "an interference" in its internal affairs. "The Nobel committee has to admit they are in the minority," said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Thursday. "The Chinese people and the overwhelming majority of people in the world are against this." "This is not an issue of human rights; it is an issue of interference of internal affairs," she said. China has responded furiously since the Nobel committee announced its Peace Prize winner on October 8. Officials have repeatedly called Liu Xiaobo -- currently serving an 11-year sentence for "inciting subversion" -- a common criminal and the award a Western plot against China. "Liu Xiaobo broke Article 105, a crime of instigating the subversion of state power," Jiang said Thursday. "He went beyond general criticism of the state." "Developing country to country relations should follow certain principles," she added. "I think the Norwegian government should give careful thought to this." Meanwhile, several foreign news websites -- including CNN and BBC -- appeared to be blocked in mainland China Thursday. Also, Amnesty International said it had received report that Chinese diplomats in Norway have been pressuring Chinese residents into joining anti-Nobel demonstrations when the award ceremony is held Friday. However, the human rights group did not say how it learned of this, only offering that it has been "informed by reliable sources." Several nations have indicated they will not attend the ceremony in Norway. The Nobel committee, which said it had sent out 65 invitations to embassies in Oslo, counted 19 countries that had declined so far -- including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iraq and Iran. It is unclear, officially, how China's stance has affected nations who have said they are not attending the award ceremony. But some have speculated that some nations are not attending the ceremony in an effort not to offend China or complicate business relationships it has with Beijing. Russian officials have said they are not going to attend the ceremony because its ambassador has a previous commitment. An official from the United Nations said the U.N. is not going to attend the ceremony, but said that is not unusual. The U.N. was not formally invited and usually does not attend the ceremony unless someone from the organization wins the award, the official said. Despite the Nobel committee's announcement that Iraq will not show up at the ceremony, an official said that might not be true. Labeed Abawi, Iraq's deputy foreign affairs minister, said officials had not yet decided if they would attend the ceremony. -- CNN's Jo Kent, Richard Roth, Jomana Karadesh, Matthew Chance and Steven Jiang contributed to this report . | China has responded furiously since the peace prize was announced .
It has called the award a Western plot .
Some international news websites are inaccessible in mainland China .
Several nations have said they will not attend Friday's ceremony . |
fde0d0edd5e8069f6baa51a5a04c112a888a2143 | When it comes to choosing what stories we like to click on when browsing news websites it seems we really are drawn in by tales of crime and scandal. According to new research from the University of Bristol, people who read online news websites love to find out about the latest exploits of their favourite celebrities or read up on the latest fashions. Yet they are not so enthusiastic when it comes to reading about politics or the economy. Celebrity matters: Online news readers are more interested in finding out about famous people like the Duchess of Cambridge, left, and Kim Kardashian, right, than matters of politics or the economy . When the researchers from the University of Bristol looked at the most clicked news stories on the Australian site News.com.au they discovered that those containing the words 'woman', 'sex', 'girl', 'porn' and 'mum' were most popular. While stories containing the words 'nsw', 'australian', 'flood' and 'queensland' were least likely to be clicked on . You can now see what weird and wonderful videos are being watched right now by people across the United States using YouTube's trend map. The map shows the most popular clips and can even filter by cities, age ranges and gender. It can also tell you whether a video is being shared a lot, or viewed a lot. Go to youtube.com/trendsmap to explore the trending videos. The study by researchers from Bristol University's Intelligent Systems Laboratory looked at which stories . were placed in the 'top stories' and 'most popular' feeds on a variety . of news websites including the BBC and New York Times to find out what . makes readers want to click on a story. The research, led by Nello Cristianini, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, identified the most attractive keywords, as well as the least attractive ones, and explained the choices readers made. When the researchers from the University of Bristol looked at the most clicked news stories on the Australian site News.com.au, for example, they discovered that those containing the words 'woman', 'sex', 'girl', 'porn' and 'mum' were most popular. While stories containing the words 'nsw', 'australian', 'flood' and 'queensland' were least likely to be clicked on. For Forbes readers, stories containing 'richest', 'app', 'best' and 'worst' were more likely to be clicked on. Whereas stories containing the words 'share', 'stock' and 'dividend' were less popular. The researchers found that using 'sentimentally charged language' and skewing towards entertainment and crime seemed to attract the most clicks. The most popular words from the Forbes news website are shown in pink, with the least popular in black. Forbes readers clicked on more stories containing the words 'app', 'richest', 'worst' and 'best'. They were less interested in stories that contained the words 'stock' and 'share' and 'dividend' The team examined 14 different sites . over an 18-month period to build up a model of what readers of each . publication prefer to read. They looked at which stories were published on the home page and which were among the most read. News . articles were more appealing when the language used was more subjective . - readers preferred tabloid articles to those of the BBC, the study . found. Articles that were about 'public . affairs' and featured the word such as 'elections', 'the economy', . 'business' and 'politics' didn't perform as 'non-public affairs' articles. These non-public affair stories typically covered topics such as disasters, crime, fashion and weather. But according to Popsci, the study did . not take into account other factors that might make a reader want to . read a particular news story online. Popular: Stories about dramatic weather seemed to grab the attention of readers according to the study . Turn off: But stories about politicians, such as Boris Johnson (pictured), and public affairs proved unpopular with online readers . Researchers didn't consider what photographs were used on the home pages and didn't compare demographics of the readers of different websites. Professor Nello Cristianini, who led the team of researchers, said: 'We found significant inverse correlations between the appeal to users and the amount of attention devoted to public affairs. 'People are put off by public affairs and attracted by entertainment, crime, and other non-public affairs topics.' | A study by the University of Bristol looked at what makes us click .
It found that celebrity stories were more popular than politics or economics .
Using 'sentimental' or subjective language appears to attract readers . |
fde0e9f9650473737b41fd7260baefd443566aa4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:52 EST, 25 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:52 EST, 25 December 2012 . A kickabout in the park might leave many dads suffering after their exertions, but it could have deadly consequences for toddlers – according to EU officials. Toy footballs now have to be stamped with a warning that they are a choking hazard for the under-threes, despite the balls being bigger than an adult’s head. The brightly coloured plastic balls with a circumference of 25in – just under the size used in the Premier League – come with the caution: ‘Warning! Not suitable for children under three years. Choking hazard.’ Danger: Toy footballs now have to be stamped with a warning that they are a choking hazard for under-threes, according to EU regulations . One manufacturer, Bellco Sports, which sells tens of thousands of its £1 balls every year in high streets all over the UK, confirmed it has had to comply with the EU regulations and brand them with the warning. The balls bear the CE mark, which stands for Conformité Européene – translated as European Conformity – to show that they comply with EU legislation and are passed as meeting ‘harmonised levels of safety’. Corner shop boss Jamal Hasan, from Hackney in east London, said he had ‘no idea’ that the balls came with a health and safety warning. He said: ‘I sell hundreds of these balls every year, usually to parents with toddlers who are just learning to kick a ball. Caution: Brightly coloured plastic balls with a circumference of 25in must come with the caution: 'Warning! Not suitable for children under three years. Choking hazard' ‘Nobody has ever pointed this out to me before and obviously parents have never complained because there is no way a child could choke on something bigger than its own head.’ Jo Bird, 38, from Hackney, who has a two-year-old daughter called Lili, said: ‘My daughter loves them – she’s had all the different colours and likes nothing better than kicking them across the park. ‘When I saw the health and safety warning I had to do a double take. I don’t see how it is physically possible for her to choke on a ball that’s bigger than her own head. In fact, it’s bigger than my head.’ | Balls with circumference of 25in must be marked 'Choking hazard!'
Manufacturer Bellco Sports confirmed it had to comply with the rules . |
fde0fd9f7a9475fc5acbdbabef2206fd6d68fb6b | Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- "Indescribable" violence rippled through the Libyan city of Zawiya on Friday, according to a witness who said pro-government forces gunned down peaceful protesters there. The witness said battalions of forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi attacked protesters with mortars and machine guns as they were demonstrating in the city's Martyrs Square, and they assaulted an ambulance, killing its occupants. "We buried nine people so far," the witness said. "The attack was indescribable. Direct gunfire was opened on people." It was unclear who controlled the city. People in Zawiya, west of Tripoli, and "their public leadership have secured and took control over the city from the armed terrorist elements," state TV reported. Libyan government spokesman Majid al- Dursi told CNN that "Zawiya has been captured, Zawiya has been liberated." However, the witness said protesters retained some control inside the city, which security forces were surrounding. "They (Gadhafi's forces) haven't been in control and they never were in control," said one rebel fighter, who said his forces lost seven men in fighting in Zawiya on Friday, versus what he said were some 20 casualties among government fighters. Referring to Gadhafi, he said, "All the man has left is his lies." By late Friday, the situation was quiet, he said. "However, we're surrounded by three areas -- the east, the west and the south." At least 15 people died and 200 others were wounded in the city, according to one doctor, who said there was "a river of blood" at the hospital where the wounded were being treated. "The situation is very bad," he said, adding that the facility was short of medical supplies. It was not clear if the casualties at the hospital were wounded during the Martyrs Square confrontation. The doctor said the wounded started arriving at the hospital Friday morning, and most of the wounds were from gunshots. In the capital city of Tripoli, security forces aboard flatbed trucks shot tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds of protesters who had formed after Friday prayers in the Tajura neighborhood, witnesses said. Government officials would not allow CNN into Tajura, whose outskirts were patrolled by a heavy security presence. Security forces were searching cars along the Corniche, a main street in the city. Protesters had said they were hoping to march from the Corniche to the center of the city but were unable to do so. Witnesses said anti-government protesters hid journalists in abandoned buildings and helped move them from location to location so that they could report firsthand in safety. Near Green Square, in the center of the city, anti-government protesters emerged from a mosque to find pro-government supporters outside. Police intervened and fired shots in the air to head off a confrontation, ushering the anti-government protesters back into the mosque for their safety. In the eastern city of Ras Lanuf, meanwhile, forces loyal to Gadhafi fought with opposition members Friday, opposition fighters and commanders said. Thuds could be heard in the distance, indicating heavy fighting around the city itself. "It's a war," said CNN's Ben Wedeman, in Ras Lanuf. "The protests are now over." He described seeing truckloads of people "organizing themselves in a rather haphazard way" and headed toward the front with no command-and-control structure. "It's complete chaos, really," Wedeman said. Such clashes have spurred throngs of people to flee the country. The number of people trying to leave the country has declined in recent days, however, as heavily armed government forces have intensified their presence at the Tunisian border and on roads leading up to it, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday. "We are concerned that the presence of the forces and the large drop in evacuees could mean that people are being prevented from leaving," said Sybella Wilkes, a spokeswoman for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Roughly 15,000 people had been crossing the border every day, but that number plunged to fewer than 2,000 per day on Thursday and Friday. In all, 200,000 people have fled Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration, which has been working with the U.N. refugee agency on mass evacuations. Meanwhile, a doctor on the northwestern town of Misrata said it was attacked by forces loyal to Gadhafi. The assailants fired at doctors and ambulances, the doctor said. "We are holding our city, we are trying to protect our city," the doctor told CNN Friday morning. "We are doing our job in the hospital and trying to treat everybody. This morning, they shot at our ambulances. One of them exploded ... they shot at our doctors." At least 40 people were killed in the city and 300 wounded, the doctor said. While CNN has staff in some cities, the network cannot independently confirm reports for many areas in Libya. CNN has gathered information through telephone interviews with witnesses. Musa Ibrahim, a spokesman for Gadhafi's regime, has denied reports of attacks on peaceful protesters and military installations. In an interview late Friday, Gadhafi's son Saif Gadhafi told CNN that reforms will not begin until "militias" in the east have been defeated. He called international efforts to persuade his father to give up power "a big mistake," and said his father remains a popular figure in the country. "Even if we were to hold tomorrow an election, my father would win with a big majority," he said. Gadhafi's aerial attacks have prompted the West to step up discussions about imposing a no-fly zone over the country. U.S. military and diplomatic officials have said enacting a no-fly zone would be complicated and risky, and international support is not strong. "If it's ordered, we can do it," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said earlier this week, but imposing a no-fly zone "begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defenses." The United States is exploring a "full range" of options, Obama said Thursday. Analysts said the Iraq war has prompted nations to be more cautious. "We went into Iraq with a very dubious understanding of the situation on the ground," Christopher Hill, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, told CNN. "So I think there is some concern about whether refugee reports are entirely accurate in a sort of macro sense." He added, "I think what the president is trying to do is to try to build diplomatic support and see where we can go with this. And I think it would be highly problematic if he just jumped into something." The Arab League has rejected international intervention, saying Libya is facing "an internal affair that is decided by the people and their governments." But the league cannot ignore the suffering of civilians and would consider the imposition of a no-fly zone in coordination with the African Union if fighting were to continue, said Hisham Yousef, chief of staff of the Arab League. The protests have left more than 1,000 people dead and many more injured, according to the United Nations. Libya's ambassador to the United States has estimated that the death toll was about 2,000. The United Nations has proved to be a sore point for the Libyan government. On Friday, . the United Nations said it was studying Libya's request to install a more loyal diplomat as its ambassador. A letter from Libya's government asked that former Foreign Minister Ali Abdussalam Treki be approved as its envoy. Treki would replace Mohamed Shalgham as ambassador in New York. Shalgham and his deputy, Ibrahim Dabbashi, have denounced Gadhafi and requested that he stop leading Libya. A separate letter from Libya to the United Nations demanded that Shalgham and Dabbashi be denied the right to speak for Libya. In emotional scenes last week, the New York-based ambassadors were hugged by fellow ambassadors after the Libyans criticized Gadhafi and pleaded in the Security Council chamber for international assistance to the country. U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said the situation "is complicated" and that the world body's legal office was looking into the dueling diplomats' situation. The International Criminal Court said Thursday that Gadhafi and some of his sons and advisers are under investigation for alleged crimes against humanity. Venezuela's president has said Gadhafi is receptive to the idea of an international commission coming to the country. The two heads of state spoke this week. "I consulted with him. I asked him if he was willing to accept a commission of countries," Hugo Chavez said on state-run VTV Thursday night. CNN's Nic Robertson, Ben Wedeman, Jill Dougherty, Catherine E. Shoichet and Salma Abdelaziz contributed to this report . | NEW: "They never were in control" of Zawiya, a rebel soldier says .
A doctor reports casualties in Zawiya; "indescribable" violence, a witness says .
Tear gas and rubber bullets are used in Tripoli, witnesses say .
Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi clash with fighters in eastern Libya . |
fde18af8d73618301dcd8cdfe21999a7132ff4a7 | (CNN) -- The U.S. distributor of an Australian film about a group of Aboriginal women soul singers has apologized for a DVD cover which critics have labeled sexist and racist. "The Sapphires," a feel-good hit in Australia, told the story of an all-women Aboriginal soul group in the 1960s who overcome racism at home to forge a successful career. But the cover art for the U.S. release of the DVD, distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment, has drawn a storm of criticism for the way it relegates the film's four Aboriginal women actors to the background, their skin tones rendered a muted blue, and places the white male actor who plays their manager in the foreground. The manager is played by Irish actor Chris O'Dowd, the best known of the film's actors, who has a rising profile in Hollywood on the back of performances in hits including "Bridesmaids." On the cover of the Australian release of the DVD, O'Dowd receives equal prominence with his co-stars, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Miranda Tapsell and Shari Sebbens. Anchor Bay Entertainment said in a statement that it "regrets any unintentional upset" caused by the DVD, which was released in the U.S. Tuesday. "New cover art is being considered for future replenishment orders," the statement said. The cover art had sparked a social media backlash and drawn nearly 17,000 signatures to an online petition urging Anchor Bay Entertainment to repackage the film. The petition, started by Melbourne woman Lucy Manne, quoted a London-based film blogger MaryAnn Johanson, who had written about the film's marketing: "Movies about women are rare enough. Movies about black women are even rarer. And now we're gonna pretend the movies about women, whatever their color, aren't even about them at all?" The original Sapphires -- the singers whose real-life story inspired the film -- also entered the fray, writing to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a powerful civil rights lobby group in the U.S., to boycott the American release of the DVD, Melbourne's The Age newspaper reported. O'Dowd also weighed in to the debate about the cover art. "It's ridiculous, it's misleading, it's ill-judged, insensitive and everything the film wasn't," he wrote, in a tweet that was later deleted. But others felt the anger over the cover art was misplaced. Karl Quinn, national film editor for Australia's Fairfax Media, wrote that the campaign over the cover art was "misguided," arguing that leveraging O'Dowd's profile was "unquestionably the best shot the US distributors have of finding an audience for 'The Sapphires'." The film's producers, Rosemary Blight and Kylie du Fresne, thanked Anchor Bay for its apology, saying in a joint statement that they hoped that the film's marketing materials would reflect its themes. "It has always been our hope that the film would play a part in building mutual respect and understanding between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples of Australia,'' they wrote. | The U.S. DVD cover art for an Australian film about Aboriginal soul singers has been criticized .
The image places the Aboriginal actors in the background, while foregrounding the white lead .
The U.S. distributors have apologized for the image .
Some said the criticism was unjustified, as the white actor was the film's best known . |
fde231e603277440179e7fc30b12914e121ef1c9 | By . Lydia Warren . Last updated at 4:11 PM on 30th January 2012 . A woman who paid legal fees for convicted killer Joran van der . Sloot, calling herself his 'guardian . angel', has resigned from the case. Mary Hamer, from Lake City, Florida, wrote a bizarre resignation letter saying she accepted defeat in the case, which found him guilty of murder. Van der Sloot admitted to strangling Stephany Flores in May 2010 after she found out about his suspected involvement in the disappearance of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway in 2005. 'I will fight no more': Dr Mary Hamer, 55, paid legal fees for convicted killer Joran van der Sloot - but has written a letter saying she has 'resigned' from his case . The 24-year-old killer was sentenced to 28 years behind bars earlier this month. Throughout the Peruvian case, divorced radiologist Hamer had protested his innocence and shelled out around $100,000 to cover his legal fees. The letter, obtained by Radar Online, is addressed to President Obama, Peruvian president Ollanta Humala, the Flores family and Natalee Holloway's mother Beth. It says Hamer 'accepts defeat' in the case, adding: 'The U.S. government & Peru have won the battle.' Killer: Joran Van der Sloot was found guilty of murdering Stephany Flores in 2010 after she found out about his suspected involvement in another disappearance . Victims: Flores, right, was strangled by van der Sloot after she found out about his suspected involvement in the disappearance of U.S. teen Natalee Holloway, left . 'I, Mary Hamer officially and formally am resigning from my spiritual . and civil rights advocacy work on behalf of Joran van der Sloot,' she writes. She . also voices her fears the killer will die of a drug overdose or be . murdered in jail, and that she will 'hold the Peruvian and US . governments responsible if Mr. van der Sloot dies during his 28 year . sentence'. Dear President Obama, President Humala, Beth Holloway, the Flores family, the Media & Joran Van der Sloot: . I, Mary Hamer officially and formally am resigning from my spiritual . and civil rights advocacy work on behalf of Joran van der Sloot. The U.S. government & Peru have won the battle. I lose. I accept defeat. I have fought fervently on behalf of Joran Van der Sloot with NO results. I have sacrificed my life’s savings & I am now poor. I have risked death threats. Joran did Not commit murder. Joran committed Manslaughter with Stephany Flores' provocation. Joran had PTSD Diminished Mental Capacity & He was in a state of Self-Defense from years of a destroyed Self-esteem. I will fight No more forever. Thank you. Respectfully & Humbly, Mary Hamer, M.D. U.S.A. She adds: 'I have sacrificed my life's savings and I am now poor. I have risked death threats.' The . letter re-iterates her belief that van der Sloot did not kill Flores, . rather he committed 'manslaughter with [her] provocation' after . suffering from 'years of destroyed self esteem'. It has previously emerged the killer had written to Hamer asking for more funds and claiming he . loved her. Hamer told Anderson Cooper in an . interview earlier this month she trusts van der Sloot and believes he is . innocent - and denied he is playing her. She said: 'I still don't know who killed Stephany Flores. There are too many unanswered questions.' She claimed that the only reason he confessed to killing Ms Flores was because he was scared for his family's safety. Van der Sloot was transferred to the . high security Piedras Gordas facility in Lima . after criticism conditions where he was being held were too . comfortable. He reportedly enjoyed access to girlfriends while there. Since then, he is said to have deteriorated after he was placed in solitary confinement. An insider told RadarOnline.com: 'His health has suffered and he is not doing well there. Joran blames the food and the water, he says that he is depressed and feeling weak all the time.' 'I will fight no more': In the letter, Dr Mary Hamer says she has spent her life savings on legal fees for the case and received death threats . 'Guardian angel': Van der Sloot had previously written to Hamer, who paid $100,000 towards his legal fees, asking for more funds and saying he loved her . Dr Hamer told RadarOnline.com: 'I am very worried about his deteriorating health. I am terrified and I feel powerless to help.' The Dutch citizen met Stephany Flores, 21, in a casino in Lima in May 2010. He took cash and credit cards from her before fleeing to Chile, where he was caught two days after her decaying body was found. He confessed to the 'cruel' murder, telling police he became enraged after she found out about his suspected involvement in the Holloway case. Ms Holloway, 18, from Mountain Brook, Birmingham, disappeared on Aruba in May 2005 during a high school graduation trip. Van der Sloot was arrested over her disappearance, but never charged. | Dr Mary Hamer paid $100,000 towards convicted killer's legal fees .
Joran van der Sloot sentenced to 28 years behind bars for murder of Stephany Flores in 2010 .
In letter Hamer says she 'will fight no more' |
fde2d177971987af2f5b841185500cdfe771c83e | By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 05:24 EST, 27 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:44 EST, 29 November 2012 . A dentist is facing up to five years in jail after she admitted sending a text message at the wheel as she knocked down and killed a dog-walker. Kay Nolan, 45, had pulled over in a lay-by to compose the message on her mobile phone but had set off again by the time she pressed ‘send’. As she did so, she ploughed into Stuart Mather, 60, a grandfather who was walking his Scottish terrier, Hamish. Kay Nolan, left, knocked down and killed Stuart Mather, right, while sending a text message in June last year . Both Mr Mather and his dog were then hit again by the car behind Nolan. Mr Mather was taken by air ambulance to hospital but died later. His dog also perished. Nolan, who works as a dentist at a . practice near Burnley, had been facing a charge of causing death by . dangerous driving – which carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence. But on the day she was due to stand . trial by jury, lawyers allowed her to plead guilty to the lesser charge . of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving. The charge carries a minimum sentence of 15 months and a maximum of five years. Last night the family of the victim were too upset to speak about the tragedy. 'It sends out the wrong message that taking and destroying lives on roads is treated leniently' But Richard Coteau, of road safety . charity Brake, said: ‘Brake believes it is inappropriate to prosecute . someone whose bad driving has killed or seriously injured for “careless” driving, because if you have killed or maimed through your bad driving, . your actions were by definition dangerous. ‘Brake is very concerned that fewer . and fewer road death cases are being prosecuted under the charge of . causing death by dangerous driving. ‘This means that in many cases people . who kill through their bad driving are receiving unduly low sentences . that do not reflect the harm they have caused, do not act as a deterrent . and send out the wrong message that taking and destroying lives on . roads is treated leniently.’ The tragedy occurred at 5.20pm on June . 6, 2011, as Nolan was on her way home to the village of . Thornton-in-Craven near Skipton, North Yorkshire. Mr Mather, a Campaign for Real Ale . member who had two sons and three grandchildren, was taking Hamish for . his regular walk. Nolan, in her silver Honda Jazz car, pushed the button . to send her text message as she drove down the road. Police said her . car then hit Mr Mather and his dog, who were both then hit again by a . Vauxhall Astra travelling behind. No one in either car was injured but . Mr Mather suffered horrendous injuries and despite the efforts of medics . at Royal Blackburn Hospital, he later died. Nolan was charged last January with . death by dangerous driving but Robert Elias, prosecuting, told Preston . Crown Court on Monday that the Crown Prosecution Service had decided to . accept her guilty plea to the lesser charge after discussions with Mr . Mather’s family. Nolan, who has no previous convictions, will be sentenced on December 17. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Stuart Mather was hit by a car that was being driven by Kay Nolan as she was sending a text message. It also incorrectly stated that Miss Nolan was pulling out of a layby in Higham when in fact it was Padiham. And also that Miss Nolan had a collision with a Vauxhall Astra. Nor did Miss Nolan send a text seconds after the collision with Mr Mather. | Kay Nolan killed Stuart Mather and his dog, Hamish, in June 2011 .
She admitted death by careless driving and faces up to five years in prison .
Had pulled over to write message but didn't hit send until she was driving . |
fde345eb6f2a96ccd7fc2d84dba616284007bfd7 | By . Claire Bates . PUBLISHED: . 09:21 EST, 17 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:39 EST, 17 December 2012 . A dying toddler who drove down the aisle at his parents' wedding in a remote controlled car has started potentially life-saving treatment - just in time for Christmas. Brave Charlie Harris-Beard was best man for his father Joe when he tied the knot with his mother Fiona last month. He delivered the rings and smiled for pictures with guests. The couple, both 30, brought their wedding forward after Charlie was given just weeks to live by medics who were treating their son for acute myeloid leukaemia. New hope: Aston Villa fan Charlie with his big sister Ellie-Louise, mother Fiona and grandfather . Fiona with her son in hospital (left) and on her wedding day last month (right). The wedding was brought forward after doctors said Charlie had weeks to live . But despite the odds of survival being stacked against him, Charlie has been given fresh hope after being given the go ahead to take part in the trial of a revolutionary new drug. Last week he started Aurora Kinase treatment, a drug which is administered over 72 hours every 21 days via intravenous infusion. The drug is intended to inhibit cancer growth by blocking the enzymes which cause cancer cells to grow. If the treatment is successful, it could pave the way for Charlie to undergo radiotherapy treatment in the future. Today Mrs Harris-Beard said: 'If this goes well is would give a partial remission which would then mean that he can have radiotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. 'The hope is that in the end we will be able to get rid of the cancerous cells. I don't want to say it will be a cure, because I want to take every day as it comes. 'None of this would have come about without Cancer Research UK, it is a treatment that is only available abroad - they helped bring it to the UK. 'It's very hard, especially at Christmas, I want our daughter to have a normal Christmas but with the treatment we haven't had a chance to even go shopping for presents yet.' Charlie Harris-Beard acts as best man during the wedding of his parents Fiona and Joe. Pictured also with his sister Ellie-Louise . Special day: Charlie with his father (left) and arriving in his car with the rings (right) The family hope Charlie will have recovered enough from his treatment to be allowed home in time for Christmas but if not they will spend the day in Birmingham Children's Hospital with their battling son. Charlie, from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, was first diagnosed with aggressive myeloid leukaemia on Easter Sunday last year. In October he underwent a ground-breaking transplant using stem-cells from an American baby's umbilical cord. But weeks later doctors told his parents . they could do nothing more to help him and said he had just weeks to . live. However, they never gave up hope and started ringing hospitals all . over the world to see if there were any pioneering treatments that . might help Charlie. Family photo: Couple Fiona and Joe (centre) with daughter Ellie-Louise, son Charlie and Charlie's Godfather Phil Senior . 'He's touched a lot of people's hearts': Charlie . before his family found out he was ill (left) and in hospital during . treatment (right) Mr Harris-Beard said: 'We hope and pray that they can do . something out there. It’s a long shot but we’re trying to still keep . going and see if we can find something. 'To find out the cancer had returned was absolutely devastating but we can’t give up. 'We will keep going and keep trying to find something. We’re trying to put as many smiles on his face as possible.' For more information on Charlie's fight visit https://www.facebook.com/Cords4Life . | Charlie is suffering from acute myleoid leukaemia. Doctors told his parents last month he only had months to live .
They moved forward their wedding so their son could be best man .
Charlie is now taking part in a drug trial in an attempt to stop cancer growth .
His mother said if the treatment goes well it could give the toddler partial remission . |
fde3469bfcaf93746a9e39dbda7a32046afa3bdf | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:11 EST, 20 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:08 EST, 20 August 2013 . Robin Roberts is supposed to be in 'paradise,' taking a little time off from her Good Morning America duties for some rest and relaxation. But the 52-year-old anchor, who is on vacation in Maui, Hawaii, looks far from relaxed. Photographed with her family and friends on the golf course of her ocean-side resort, the morning television anchor seemed worried and pensive yesterday. Vexed on vacation: Robin Roberts looked worried yesterday while on vacation in Hawaii, getting some R & R from her Good Morning America duties . But despite her worried expressions, Ms Roberts appears to be 'feeling the Aloha spirit,' as she tweeted last week. And this weekend, she added: 'Just another day in Maui paradise. A blessed Sunday to all. XO' The television host, who had a bone marrow transplant last September as treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), has been busy relaxing on the beach, playing tennis and dining along the beautiful waterfront. After receiving a bone marrow transplant . from her older sister and enduring several rounds of intense . chemotherapy, Ms Roberts went into recovery and recorded the entire process . for her viewers. Worrisome: Photographed with her friends and family on the golf course of her ocean-side resort, the 52-year-old seemed worried and pensive yesterday . Social Sunday: But despite her worried expressions, Ms Roberts appears to be 'feeling the Aloha spirit,' as she tweeted from her vacation . Serious expression: Despite her apparent worries, Ms Roberts, who had a bone marrow transplant last September as treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), has been busy relaxing with friends . Ms Roberts, who triumphantly returned to work in . February and has a memoir that is set to be released in 2014, left New York for her rest and recuperation trip on August 11. The journalist accepted a Peabody Award . for her ABC documentary Robin's Journey that followed her battle with . the rare blood disease. Held . at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City in May, Robin took to the . stage to accept her prestigious honour at the 72nd Annual Peabody . Awards. During her acceptance speech, which received a standing ovation, she noted that the date marked a very special anniversary. Happy on twitter: Ms Roberts, who triumphantly returned to work in February, left New York for her rest and recuperation trip on August 11 and has been looking happier on social media during her Hawaii vacation . '[It] is eight months to the day since my transplant. So technically, I'm eight months old today.' In the award-winning documentary, Ms Roberts shared the intimate stages of her bone marrow transplant, from pre-treatment to her 'all clear' moment. Her sister, Sally-Ann Roberts, was the journalist's blood marrow donor, and also attended the awards ceremony. Opening up to The Hollywood Reporter, Robin said that it was 'very weird' for her to go from journalist to subject as Good Morning America chronicled her treatment and recovery. | Luckily the 52-year-old Good Morning America host perks up for some Twitter pictures . |
fde35306c22d6f6791dfba177191cd1acc5638bb | By . Pa Reporter . Pakistan succumbed to their lowest one-day score in five years as a pathetic 102 all out helped Sri Lanka claim a seven-wicket victory in the series decider in Dambulla. The tourists were badly let down by their batsmen as they were dismissed for their worst total in Sri Lanka in 32.1 overs, with just three batsmen reaching double figures and only Fawad Alam showing any sort of resolve in his 38 not out. Thisara Perera took four lower-order wickets but Pakistan's batsmen only had themselves to blame for their calamity before Sri Lanka comfortably knocked off the runs with a whopping 178 balls to spare, thanks to Tillakaratne Dilshan's unbeaten 50, as they clinched the series 2-1. High five! Sri Lanka players celebrate after sealing a 2-1 one-day series victory over Pakistan . Seventh heaven: Tillakaratne Dilshan hit an unbeaten 50 to help Sri Lanka win by seven wickets . Not good enough: Pakistan players leave the field after their lowest one-day total for five years . Read em and weep: The total of 102 was Pakistan's worst ever one-day total against Sri Lanka . Their task was made ever so slightly easier as heavy rain meant the contest was reduced to 48 overs per side and Sri Lanka's victory target narrowed down to 101. Dilshan settled into his stride with three crunching fours in the second over as Sri Lanka's opening stand put on 46 to all but ensure the win. Upul Thranga, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were all dismissed but Dilshan led the way, taking Sri Lanka past their victory target in the 19th over with his ninth four that also brought up his half-century. But Sri Lanka were earlier grateful for the type of implosion only usually reserved for Pakistan, who chose to bat after winning the toss. Bowled over: Thisara Perera took four low order wickets s Pakistan capitulated in dramatic fashion . One man team: Fawad Alam was the only Pakistan batsman to reach double figures . Hat's off! Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga dives to take a catch to dismiss Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal . Dhammika Prasad removed openers Sharjeel Khan and Ahmed Shehzad, and Pakistan had lost their top three batsmen before the eighth over when Lasith Malinga had Mohammad Hafeez trapped in front by an inswinger that would have gone on to clip leg stump. Pakistan's efforts were further undermined when captain Misbah-ul-Haq found himself well short of his ground after attempting a quick single - with Angelo Mathews' throw from point condemning his opposite number to the third run-out in his last seven innings. Umar Akmal's needless slash to mid-on gave Perera the first of his four scalps, while Shahid Afridi fell in characteristic fashion, caught on the off-side aiming a big heave off Seekkuge Prasanna. Champions! Sri Lanka captain Angelo Matthews (C) celebrates with his teammates and the trophy . An hour's rain delay meant Sri Lanka had to wait to polish off their opponents but there was to be no wag in the tail from Pakistan, with Fawad left stranded following a resolute 73-ball innings that contained three fours. It was Pakistan's lowest total in an ODI since they crumpled to 75 all out against the same opposition in Lahore in 2009 and ultimately handed victory to Sri Lanka. It’s not too late to play MailOnline Fantasy Football… There’s £1,000 to be won EVERY WEEK by the highest scoring manager . CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… . | Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by seven wickets to win one-day series 2-1 .
Pakistan's paltry 102 was their lowest one-day total for five years .
Thisara Perera took four wickets for Sri Lanka while Tillakaratne Dilshan scored 50 not out .
Fawad Alam was the only Pakistan batsman to reach double figures . |
fde36ac96cbb2c3f72579ae35c42b76056b25757 | Nigel Farage said he blamed a 1988 advert on the high number of youngsters attending university. He added that Britain should look at legalising drugs including heroin . Millions will remember Maureen Lipman’s TV character Beattie praising her grandson when he ‘got an ’ology’. But the TV advert from 1988 has been blamed by Ukip leader Nigel Farage for encouraging a generation to study for what he considers to be worthless degrees. The BT commercial shows Miss Lipman being told her grandson has failed almost every subject in his GCSEs – but passed sociology. Clearly relieved, she tells him: ‘You got an ’ology, you’re a scientist.’ The Ukip leader said: ‘We have got a lot of people getting ’ologies, and I think the way we have demeaned the idea of people learning skills and trades, is just stupid. I blame Maureen Lipman for the whole thing. ‘I think we are sending too many youngsters to university. We are encouraging people to go and get degrees, in many cases not particularly good degrees.’ The comments were made just after Mr Farage said that he believes the war on drugs has been lost and Britain should look at legalising them - including heroin. The UK Independence Party leader made the highly controversial claim that Portugal, where drugs were decriminalised 12 years ago, may have a ‘more enlightened’ approach. He said in a television phone-in that he ‘hates drugs’, has never taken them, and has experience of the damage they can do to young people’s lives. But he believes the current laws criminalising users are ineffective, and would back a Royal Commission to look at alternatives including that in Portugal and some American states. ‘I personally think that the war on drugs was lost many, many years ago and that the lives of millions of people in Britain are being made miserable by the huge criminal element that surrounds the illicit drugs trade and I do think that Portugal does show us that perhaps there is a better, more enlightened way to deal with this’, he said. ‘I’m not pro-drugs by the way, as someone with teenage children, and I’ve seen fairly close to hand the damage that drugs can do to young people. Of the television advert, pictured, Farage said: 'We have got a lot of people getting 'ologies, and I think the way we have demeaned the idea of people learning skills and trades, is just stupid. I blame Maureen Lipman for the whole thing' ‘So I hate drugs, I’ve never taken them myself, I hope I never do, but I just have a feeling that the criminalisation of all these drugs is actually not really helping British society,' he told a Telegraph phone-in. ‘I think we should look at it and if ever there was a subject where we needed a genuine Royal Commission – not to kick it in the long grass – but a genuine Royal Commission to examine Portugal, to examine perhaps what has happened in one or two states in America and in Switzerland, this subject would be it.’ Mr Farage admitted these were his personal views, and not Ukip policy, saying: ‘This is one subject where I differ strongly from my party’. In Portugal , drug users are allowed a 10 day supply, which the law states can include a gram of heroin . He was asked by a viewer about . Portugal, where police and courts no longer pursue people for buying or . possessing small amounts of drugs. They . are allowed a 10 day supply, which the law states is a gram of heroin, . two grams of cocaine, 5g of cannabis and up to a gram of ecstasy or . amphetamine. Anyone with these drugs in higher quantities is treated as a dealer and charged in court. Those caught with drugs within these limits must report to a ‘warning commission on addition’ which can send them to rehab if they are deemed to have a problem. Experts are divided on how well this has worked, with no big increase in drug use as some had predicted, but no substantial drop either, and in some years deaths from drugs been high. Prime Minister David Cameron, pictured today in Devon, has rejected calls from MPs to consider decriminalisation . Dr Manuel Pinto Coelho, President of the Association for a Drug Free Portugal, declared last year that decriminalisation, which treats drug taking as an illness rather than a crime, had ‘not worked’. Mr Farage expressed his support, earlier this year, for Nick Clegg who said following a visit to Columbia that Britain needed to look at alternatives to prohibition. The Ukip leader said in February: ‘The fact is our current approach to drugs is neither practical nor effective. I strongly believe in promoting individual freedom – but I also strongly believe in reducing the public harm caused by drugs. ‘As a parent as much as a politician, I say we have to accept that current policy has not achieved the reductions in crime or consumption that we'd hoped for.’ David Cameron and Theresa May shot down calls from the Home Affairs Select Committee for a royal commission on drugs in 2012. Mr Cameron said at the time: ‘I don't support decriminalisation. We have a policy which actually is working in Britain. Drugs use is coming down, the emphasis on treatment is absolutely right, and we need to continue with that to make sure we can really make a difference. Also, we need to do more to keep drugs out of our prisons. ‘These are the government's priorities and I think we should continue with that rather than have some very, very long-term royal commission.’ | BT advert features Maureen Lipman praising grandson on his 'ology'
'We are sending too many youngsters to university,' UKIP leader said .
Farage said that he 'blames' Lipman for 'the whole thing'
Also said Portugal's decriminalisation of heroin may be 'more enlightened'
Suggested UK laws are ineffective and called for a Royal Commission . |
fde3c013511c424a3b1b7199e1cc5664523475b0 | (CNN) -- Kimberley Locke knows a thing or two about singing competitions. "American Idol" finalist Kimberley Locke is the new co-host of "Gospel Dream." Having placed third during season two of "American Idol" -- just behind winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken -- the singer is back in reality show action as the new co-host of "Gospel Dream." The Gospel Music Channel's talent search is going into its fourth season, and Locke joins fellow host Mike Kasem (son of Casey Kasem) and the judges -- gospel artist J. Moss, Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams and industry executive Mitchell Solarek -- on the show. Locke has worked steadily since she first burst onto the "Idol" scene in 2003. She has modeled, served as a spokesperson for plus-sized clothier Lane Bryant and Jenny Craig and appeared on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club." All the while, she has continued to pursue her music. Her "8th World Wonder" was a big hit, making the Top 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts. She's had three dance chart No. 1s. Locke recently spoke with CNN about the "Gospel Dream," life after "American Idol" and the one reality show she really wants to appear on next. CNN: How did you get involved with "Gospel Dream?" Kimberley Locke: Funny enough, I've been wanting to do more hosting, and I had been talking to my manager about it. They contacted me out of the blue, and I was like "Oh, I put it out to the universe, and here it is." CNN: Are you a gospel music fan? Locke: I am a gospel music fan. Of course I grew up in the church singing gospel music. I don't listen to as much as I used to, but I used to sing in a girl a cappella group and that's how we started, performing in church. CNN: Why do you think so many performers in the music industry come out of the church? Locke: I think a lot of people become stars in their church. ... The church environment is so supportive. When you are first starting out and learning how to sing in front of an audience, that's the kind of audience you want to be in front of. Even if you mess up and you sound horrible, they kind of let you stand there and collect yourself while the pianist keeps playing. Then they plow through it with you. That's a part of the business, a professionalism that really comes in handy when you get to this level. CNN: You've had some experiences with singing competitions. How is "Gospel Dream" different? Locke: It's different in that the contestants are very focused on where they want to be and the type of music they want to sing. When you are on "Idol," you are forced to fit into all of these different genres you may or may not want to do and you may or may not even be familiar with them. The "Gospel Dream" contestants' direction is really clear and defined, so they are picking songs that really speak to them on a personal level. Watch Locke talk about the show » . CNN: How has life been for you post-"Idol?" Locke: Life has been great post-"Idol." So many opportunities, so many things I would have never imagined. Things that I didn't even associate with singing, like modeling, hosting, being a spokesperson, owning a restaurant. It just opened so many doors. CNN: You were a plus-sized model and spokesperson for Lane Bryant, but now you are way too small to do that. Locke: That really opened me up to bond with my fans. I tell people I'm still a big girl at heart. CNN: When is your next album coming out? Locke: I just started working on the next album. We are in the very preliminary stages of putting together the concept of the record and we just compiled a bunch of songs to start listening to. CNN: Are you planning on doing any other reality shows? Locke: I'm not really a big reality show fan. I did "Celebrity Fit Club" because there was a purpose behind that in my wanting to lose weight. There is only one reality show I really, really want to do, and that's "Dancing With the Stars." I want to be on that show because then I'd lose the extra 10 to 15 pounds I want to lose. | Singer Kimberley Locke finished third during season two of "American Idol"
She is co-hosting the fourth season of the talent competition "Gospel Dream"
Locke has worked steadily since "Idol" as a spokesperson, host and performer .
She says she'd like to appear on "Dancing With the Stars" |
fde47564c646d8e78f93358430dd8c21cc340e71 | In the moments after Liverpool’s 3-2 victory at Norwich last April, Brendan Rodgers crowned Raheem Sterling as the best young player in European football. Sterling had scored twice and laid on another for Luis Suarez in a thrilling win at Carrow Road, increasing Liverpool’s lead over Chelsea to five points and six over eventual champions Manchester City. ‘Raheem is arguably the best young player in European football at the moment,’ claimed Rodgers after his exhilarating performance. ‘If he doesn’t win PFA Young Player of the Year it is ridiculous.’ Negotiations over a new Liverpool contract for Raheem Sterling have been going on for some time . Sterling's representatives are trying to get the best deal possible for their client . They've been sitting round the table trying to thrash out terms on a deal for the next five years . A month later Eden Hazard, four years his senior, won the award after scoring 14 times in 35 appearances in the Barclays Premier League for Chelsea. Hazard will soon sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge after agreeing, in principle, to a five-year deal worth £200,000 a week. So what is Sterling, promoted to England’s squad for the World Cup last summer and the recipient of the European Golden Boy award in December, really worth? Unfortunately there is no set formula. By amortising Sterling’s current valuation in the transfer market - say, for example, £35m - over the period of his proposed five-year contract, he could make a fairly solid case to be paid £7m a year (£134,000 a week). Liverpool’s offer is a long way short of that. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists there is a 'wonderful' offer on the table in front of Sterling . Sterling will be laughing all the way to the bank as he can expect a huge pay rise with his new deal . An alternative is for the club’s managing director Ian Ayre to ask around and build a picture of the salaries commanded by some of Europe’s best young players. For instance should Sterling, 20, earn more than Paul Pogba, the ‘Mona Lisa of football’, according to his bellicose agent Mino Raiola? Pogba has scored 18 goals in 80 appearances in Serie A for Juventus and earns £70,000 a week, but he plays in a country that no longer has the same commercial pull as the Premier League. More than Luke Shaw, who joined Manchester United for £28m last summer from Southampton and is paid £120,000 a week at Old Trafford? Shaw is still only 19 and his form has dipped markedly. Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard is set to pen a new Chelsea deal worth around £200,000 a week . Hazard has also been taking his time over talks on ha new contract to extend his stay in the Premier League . Certainly more than Wilfried Zaha, who signed a contract worth £40,000 a week when he returned to Crystal Palace following his disappointing spell at Manchester United. How about Martin Odegaard, the 16-year-old Norwegian who opted to sign for Real Madrid last month and is commanding £1m a year net at the Bernabeu? As much as Philippe Coutinho, who committed his future to Liverpool on February 2 by signing a contract, laced with incentives, worth more than £60,000 a week? The problem when you ask around in football about players’ salaries is that everyone, in the words of one agent, ‘puts a bit of VAT on them’. On that basis, these figures may not be accurate. To put Sterling’s career in England into context, two of the best young talents in Brazilian football earn around £10,000 a month each at Fluminense. Kenedy, a 19-year-old winger at Flu, and Marlon Santos, a defensive midfielder at the same club, are two of the most promising players in Brazil’s Serie A. How much is Sterling worth if Luke Shaw (above) is on £120,000 a week at Manchester United? Brazilian Philippe Coutinho (centre) has committed his future to Liverpool on a new deal . In the recent South America Under 20 tournament in Uruguay, Kenedy came to prominence when he scored a beauty for Brazil against Venezuela. Like Sterling, he belongs in the special talent category. If Kenedy and Marlon make it in to the national team, they will soon be heading to the Premier League for the really big bucks. Sterling is operating in a different environment, a place where money talks for the top talent in the English game. Sterling’s progress has been so rapid, speeding past various milestones in his young career, that he is now in a position to become the highest-paid young player in Europe. The problem for any club, even for an institution like Liverpool, is that when players are put on a pedestal the club becomes a hostage to fortune. Comparisons have been made with Sterling and Paul Pogba as two of the biggest young talents in Europe . Kenedy (left) will rake in the big bucks if he continues to develop and makes his way to the Premier League . Everybody appears to be in agreement that this is one of the most talented young players in the game. Liverpool’s offer, as Rodgers revealed in a briefing before Tuesday's Premier League clash with Tottenham at Anfield, is ‘wonderful’ and ‘incredible’. That is certain to be the case, but Sterling, who missed the game with Spurs though injury, is entitled to wait. Age is a constant theme in the negotiations with frequent reminders that Sterling is only 20. Look at it from Sterling’s position at the negotiating table and he will be entitled to remind Liverpool that he will be in his 26th year by the time this contract ends. He is in a strong position, particularly because he still has an ace up his sleeve in the form of the incoming television deal. If Sterling opted to run down his contract at Anfield, by the time the next round of negotiations with his agent takes place, the numbers swilling around the Barclays Premier League will be on their way up again. Whatever happens, this is a golden age for Sterling. Sterling will be in his 26th year by the time his new contract comes to an end so he must plan ahead . Sterling, celebrating an FA Cup goal against Bolton, has nine in all competitions this season . | Raheem Sterling's contract talks have been going on for some time .
He has a 'wonderful' offer on the table, according to Brendan Rodgers .
Sterling's representatives are fighting for the best deal for the 20-year-old .
He has been a Liverpool player since leaving QPR in 2010 .
Luke Shaw at Manchester United is on £120,000 a week .
Eden Hazard is set to sign a new Chelsea deal worth £200,000 a week . |
fde522ef7556ed1db2a45bca1e9d13765389728a | (CNN) -- Self-help author and speaker James Arthur Ray announced Thursday that he is postponing all of his scheduled events through the end of the year after the deaths of three people in a sweat lodge session he led. "In the days following the terrible accident, I struggled to respond in the right way," Ray wrote on his Web site Thursday. "This is the most emotionally wrenching situation I've ever faced, and it's now clear I must dedicate all of my physical and emotional energies to helping bring some sort of closure to this matter. That means helping the authorities and the families get to the bottom of what happened." Three people died after spending time in the sweat lodge near Sedona, Arizona, on October 8. Nearly 20 others were injured. Two were pronounced dead shortly after they arrived at a hospital, and a third died October 17 after being hospitalized since the incident. Ray wrote last week on his site that he would keep going with his programs "despite considerable criticism" because his work is "too important" not to continue with it. But in his blog Thursday, he said he now will devote all of his time to assisting authorities in their investigation. "For that reason, I'm postponing all the events I had planned for the remainder of 2009. These events will be rescheduled as soon as possible in 2010 -- once the essential work that must be done on the Sedona tragedy has been completed," Ray wrote. A homicide investigation has begun, law enforcement officials have said. Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh said October 15 that the sweat lodge was meant to be a "spiritual awakening" exercise for participants in Ray's Spiritual Warrior program. According to a description of the program on Ray's Web site, participants would learn to "carve out [their] own destiny and quickly develop the strength and determination to live it" as they experienced "a new technologically enhanced form of meditation that creates new neurological pathways, allowing you to experience powerful whole-brain thinking (this one's gonna knock your socks off)." Each participant paid $9,695 to attend the program at the Angel Valley Retreat Center. One of them was Beverly Bunn of Texas, who described a scene of horror and confusion inside the sweat lodge, a dome-like structure covered with tarps and blankets. Hot rocks and water inside created steam. "Everybody was throwing up everywhere. There was spitting going on. ... People were so disoriented, they were screaming at one point," she said. "I saw all of these people lying around and mucus coming out of their nose and mouth and eyes rolled back in their heads." Bunn said the sauna-like conditions sickened several of the people inside. "They were yelling and yelling, yelling at this man because he was so disoriented that he actually started crawling into the pit with the hot rocks." Native Americans used sweat lodges in spiritual and physical purification ceremonies. Ray is widely known for programs that claim to teach people how to create wealth from all aspects of their lives: financially, mentally, physically and spiritually. He has appeared on various national programs in the United States, including CNN's "Larry King Live." | Three people died after spending time in Arizona sweat lodge this month .
James Ray: "I must dedicate all of my ... energies to helping bring some sort of closure"
He is postponing all scheduled events through end of the year .
Law enforcement officials say homicide investigation has begun . |
fde569c3dbc7aa6cdb8a4095e846edb11e5724a9 | By . Sarah Johnson . PUBLISHED: . 14:09 EST, 24 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:45 EST, 25 September 2012 . A baker who stole 11 tons of flour from his employers and sold it on the cheap has avoided jail. Julian Owen, 46, and his accomplice Gary Beswick, 47, responsible for transporting the £3,569-worth of flour, were handed suspended jail terms. The pair, who initially pleaded not guilty to theft, were said to have taken advantage of Owen’s position in a joint venture without their employer knowing. A baker stole 11 tonnes of flour from his employers (pictured) and sold it on . Julian Owen (pictured left) and Gary Beswick (right) were handed suspended sentences after they pleaded not guilty to theft . Mr Owen ordered the flour, which could have made . 18,200 loaves of bread, on the company . accounts, but it never arrived at the bakery. Russell . Gibbon, who took over the family business eight . years ago, said that he did not suspect anything at first as Mr Owen ran . the bakery well and had a ‘job for life’. Mr Owen was eventually found out when he went on holiday and the bakery was running short of flour. Mr Gibbon, 52, said invoices were coming in and he found out that someone had been picking up flour on a regular basis from the supplier, Hovis. Julian Owen and his accomplice were discovered after he went on holiday and the bakery (pictured) was running short of flour . After confronting his employees, Owen ‘got a bit heated’ and walked away from the business. Defence . counsel for Mr Owen, Steven Thomas, said the theft caused little harm to . the business and the offence happened over a short period of time. Mr Beswick, representing himself, described the crime as a ‘silly act’ and not something he would normally do. Judge Rhys Rowlands said the pair devised a scheme to order ‘significant quantities’ of flour, breaching the trust put in Owen by his employer. Mr Owen received a sentence of eight months in prison suspended for two years, while his accomplice Beswick was handed 6 months, suspended for the same period. The crooks will each have to pay £1,750 in compensation to the bakery, plus £750 prosecution costs and carry out 300 hours of unpaid work. Mr Gibbons added: ‘At the end of the day, I think he was very silly. He had a job for life and was on good money, a company phone and pretty flexible working hours,’ ‘It’s quite upsetting to be deceived. I was let down by somebody I trusted, he let down the company down, he let himself down and it was just a shame it happened.’ | Julian Owen and his accomplice Gary Beswick were handed suspended sentences .
The pair were discovered after Mr Owen went on holiday and the bakery ran short of flour .
They will have to pay £1,750 in compensation and carry out 300 hours of unpaid work . |
fde5e4179379232421c797d2c374aee7b253ca67 | (CNN) -- Thousands of people across the world railed against corporate power, grinding poverty and government cuts Saturday as the Occupy Wall Street movement spread to the streets of Europe, Asia and Australia -- and took a particularly violent turn in Rome. Firefighters battled a blaze at an Interior Ministry building near Porta San Giovanni in Rome, the main gathering site of the Italian protesters taking part in the Occupy movement Saturday, said eyewitnesses who reported seeing a Molotov cocktail thrown near the building. A spokesman for Mayor Gianni Alemanno, who condemned the violence, confirmed 70 people were injured, 40 of them police officers. No arrest numbers were available late Saturday. Police said hundreds of anarchists in Rome moved in where peaceful demonstrators had gathered as part of the global Occupy movement. The anarchists -- some wearing ski masks and belonging to a group termed "Black Bloc" -- torched cars, broke windows and clashed with police. "It's been completely hijacked by these violent factions, and the police are nervous, and the situation is very tense," Barbie Nadeau, a Newsweek correspondent, told CNN. "I myself saw at least -- I would say -- a dozen people who probably needed some hospitalization or some care -- some stitches certainly." Two police officers were seriously injured and two young men lost parts of their hands in explosions when protesters torched cars, she said. In London, protester Peter Vaughn, reflecting the mood of many in the crowd there, said people criticized financial institutions that have "gambled away our money." "We're giving people a real voice against a government that just ignored us," he said. One protester in Belleville, France, referring to the country's leaders, said government isn't listening to the people and dialogue with them is impossible. "You are not listening to us, whatever we do, however we vote, however we demonstrate. It does not give any result. Quite the opposite, as poverty and austerity plans continue. So we can't go on like this so we are getting out and showing ourselves," he said. The protests spread amid the growing financial crises for several Western countries. Finance ministers with the Group of 20, meeting in Paris, pledged Saturday to take "all necessary actions" to stabilize global markets and ensure that banks are well capitalized. Europeans turned out amid debt troubles and austerity plans in Greece, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Germany. United for Global Change -- the central site for the movement organizing worldwide protests -- said 951 cities in 82 countries were to take part in the demonstrations after online organizers called for a worldwide rally. More than 10,000 demonstrators of all ages gathered peacefully in Madrid's spacious Plaza de Cibeles on Saturday and than walked uphill to Puerta del Sol. The "May 15 Movement" started five months ago to the day over austerity measures and high unemployment. Some demonstrators said they felt Spain's protest had gone global and that the world had joined the movement started in their country. The newspaper El Pais said tens of thousands of protesters turned out in Barcelona. Around the world, protesters marched, listened to speeches, and displayed banners reading anti-corporate slogans, including the now ubiquitous "we are the 99%," "Banks are cancer" and tax the rich 1%." The vandalism that erupted in Rome angered peaceful protesters. There were car fires and masked people breaking windows at banks and stores, where many thousands faced a large police presence. Firefighters were working to contain the blaze and the tensions calmed down in the evening hours. But the echo of Molotov cocktails could be heard and a lingering cloud of black smoke could be seen, Nadeau told CNN. In Germany, police used pepper spray on two protesters who crossed beyond police lines. Still, the demonstrations across the world were peaceful overall, inspired by the protests in the United States. In London, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange spoke to demonstrators. The demonstrations are contained to an area in front of St. Paul's Cathedral. There have also been three arrests, two for assault on police. "What is happening here today is a culmination of greed that many people all over the world have worked towards from Cairo to London," Assange said. Tens of thousands demonstrated in German cities, witnesses said. Peaceful protests with a festive atmosphere blended with a mood of anger toward big business, where demonstrators carried signs saying "Goldman Sucks," "Eat Cash," "People should not be afraid of their government," and "The government should be afraid of their people." "They are stealing our rights," one banner read at a demonstration of several thousand people in Madrid. Canadians turned out in Toronto, with placards jutting up from a crowd saying "Arrest the 1%" and "Stop ignoring the youth, we are your tomorrow." A sign on a dog said "99% against (corporate) fat cats." Retired businessman Wong Chi Keung, in Hong Kong, said, "We should not let the banks get away with being big bullies." Debbie Chen works for a group protesting against Apple's treatment of its workers in China. "As the world's most valuable company they earn the lion's share while the workers on the production line earn only 1% of the selling price of an iPhone. We hope there can be more even distribution of profits," she said. About 200 people marched through Tokyo carrying various signs, including "No More Nukes and "Free Tibet." The crowd included children jumping and skipping behind the adults. Some protesters wore costumes -- including a giant panda. "I'm here because young Japanese people are suffering for losing their jobs, but not many speak out their issue to the public," said Kesao Murakami. "I really want young people to appeal forcefully to the public saying, 'We are in trouble.' " In the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, about two dozen people -- some wearing masks -- gathered near the U.S. Embassy. "We wanted to show that the American regime, its system of imperialism needs to be destroyed," said Rudi Daman, leader of the International League of Peoples' Struggle. The group urged its chapters to stage a global day of action against "imperialist plunder, repression and war." Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney joined rallies against "corporate greed" as protesters aligned themselves with the global movement. "Our protests are to show our solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and also protest various problems -- from indigenous issues in this country to government problems," said Alex Gard, one of the Melbourne organizers. "We know we have it better than the protesters in the States ... but there are still problems in this country." Organizers urged protesters to bring sleeping bags and other soft items to sleep on. "I've heard people say they plan to be there for days, even months," Gard said. Organizers worldwide started social media pages on Facebook and Twitter devoted to "October 15" — #O15 on Twitter — urging protesters to join the global call for protests. The worldwide movement is galvanized by the Occupy Wall Street movement started last month as a backlash against the economy and what demonstrators say is an out-of-touch corporate, financial and political elite. Occupy Wall Street organizers say they are inspired by the Arab Spring that led to the toppling of regimes in Tunisia and Egypt. The founding movement in the United States has spread to other major cities in the nation. CNN's Junko Ogura, Kathy Quiano, Per Nyberg, Laura Perez-Maestro, Al Goodman, Livia Borghese, Erin McLaughlin, Diana Magnay, Ben Brumfield and Tim Schwarz contributed to this report . | 70 are injured in Rome clashes .
The predominantly peaceful protests are inspired by Occupy Wall Street .
Julian Assange addresses the crowd in London .
Calls for the protests began on Facebook and Twitter . |
fde5f42bd7492f5c717fe5213887a1b5ae21d172 | By . Richard Arrowsmith . Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel claims that nothing less than winning the Premier League will be good enough for incoming manager Louis van Gaal next season. The Dutchman is expected to be confirmed as David Moyes' replacement next week and will be tasked with returning the club to former glories after a dismal season ended with a seventh place finish. While returning to play Champions League football would be a step in the right direction for Van Gaal, Schmeichel insists the 62-year-old will set his targets higher. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Rio Ferdinand back Van Gaal to be a success . Dutch master: Louis van Gaal (C) will want to win the Premier League in his first season at Manchester United . Great Dane: Former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel insists Van Gaal will aim higher than a top four finish . 'The club needs a strong man to steer us back up,' he said. 'We have finished seventh, so the top four is a good target to set yourself for next season. But Van Gaal will not want to accept the top four - he will try and win. Case for the defence: Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels (2L) would be a great signing . United are expected to dip heavily into the transfer market as the new manager attempts to rebuild a squad capable of challenging, with Schmeichel believing two players who have been linked to the club - Toni Kroos and Mats Hummels - would be excellent signings. 'United have got [Phil] Jones, [Chris] Smalling and [Jonny] Evans but going by what the media are saying, Hummels is a target,' he told the Daily Express. 'That's a good starting point to bring him in. He has good leadership skills and he is a fantastic defender. He's someone we've been looking at for a couple of years and he's been heavily connected with United.' German engineering: United have been repeatedly linked with a move for Bayern midfielder Toni Kroos (R) A central midfielder is also seen as a priority and Van Gaal is expected to follow up his predecessor's interest in Germany international Kroos. 'We need to bring in a midfielder -- players like Toni Kroos who has been mentioned for a long time and he would be a great addition. 'We need players that can install or restore the confidence in the club and squad as well.' | Louis van Gaal will target winning the Premier League in his first season at Manchester United, says Peter Schmeichel .
Dutchman is expected to be confirmed as United's next manager next week .
Former goalkeeper has backed the signings of Germany internationals Mats Hummels and Toni Kroos . |
fde6024f3aea2f00fdb6c6447bbb6a0ced28a285 | CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Key Illinois Democratic legislators are circulating a letter urging support for the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was arrested this week on federal corruption charges relating in part to the selection of President-elect Barack Obama's successor as a U.S. senator. Barack Obama says he has never spoken with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the vacant Senate seat. State Rep. John Fritchey, head of the House Civil Judiciary Committee, sent the letter Thursday asking Democratic colleagues to say by Friday whether they support a move for impeachment and would like to be added as a co-sponsor of legislation. Blagojevich also is a Democrat. "Faced with a significant budget shortfall, a national recession, and a vacant United States Senate seat, we cannot afford to allow Illinois to operate without effective leadership in the [Illinois] executive branch," said the letter, also signed by Reps. Thomas Holbrook, David Miller and James Brosnahan. "Simply put, it is imperative to replace Gov. Blagojevich as soon as is practicable." The letter said the impeachment filing was being prepared, and the lawmakers said they expected the process -- the state House would bring charges against Blagojevich and he would be tried by the state Senate -- would take "a matter of weeks rather than months." The lawmakers' move coincided with increasing calls for Blagojevich's resignation. President-elect Barack Obama called again Thursday for Blagojevich to step down, saying the embattled governor can no longer effectively serve the people of Illinois. Watch as Obama says Senate seat belongs to the people » . "I hope that the governor himself comes to the conclusion that he can no longer effectively serve and that he does resign," Obama said, speaking before announcing his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Obama said he was as "appalled and disappointed as anyone" by the allegations against the Democratic governor, and said he was confident his staff was not involved in the alleged scandal. Federal officials said Blagojevich was looking to sell or trade Obama's open seat in the U.S. Senate. Obama said he had never spoken to the governor on the subject, adding he was confident that "no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat." He had asked his staff to gather the facts of any contacts with the governor's office about the vacancy, he said. "This Senate seat does not belong to any politician to trade. It belongs to the people of Illinois, and they deserve the best possible representation," he said. "They also deserve to know that any vacancy will be filled in an appropriate way so that whoever is sent to Washington is going to be fighting for the people of Illinois." Earlier Thursday, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said she is prepared to go to the Illinois Supreme Court to have Blagojevich declared unfit to serve if he does not resign. Explainer: Federal complaint against Blagojevich » . "Obviously the easiest way for us to move on in the state of Illinois is for Gov. Blagojevich to do the right thing for the people and to resign," she told CNN's "American Morning." She added, "If he fails to, the two other options are obviously the Legislature moving forward on impeachment, or I have the opportunity to actually go to our Illinois Supreme Court and ask them to declare, basically, that our governor is unable to serve," she said. In that case, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat, would become acting governor, she said. Madigan said she won't wait long to take action. "We would like a signal from the Legislature if they're going to move forward on impeachment proceedings. ... I think there are obviously numerous members of the Legislature calling for impeachment proceedings," she said, noting that the Legislature, which is adjourned, will meet Monday to discuss the possibility of holding a special election for Obama's successor. Fritchey, in the letter to Democratic lawmakers, commended Madigan's willingness to go to the Supreme Court, but said "both the duration as well as the outcome of such a proceeding are inherently uncertain and speculative." Watch what was in the complaint against Blagojevich » . "We would also note the comments of the attorney general indicating her support of impeachment proceedings as an appropriate course of action at this time," the letter said. Quinn said at a news conference earlier Thursday that the governor had lost the confidence of the people. "I think the governor has one duty right now and that's the duty to resign," he said. Should he became governor, Quinn indicated he might lean toward appointing a successor to Obama's seat, saying an election would be expensive and time-consuming. "Time is of the essence for all of us in America right now, to make sure we get our economy on the straight path to recovery," he said. Blagojevich -- who is free on his own recognizance -- returned to work Wednesday, his 52nd birthday. He has not commented on the charges, but his lawyer, Sheldon Sorosky, told reporters Tuesday night that his client "feels he didn't do anything wrong." Sorosky said, "He hopes the people of Illinois have faith in him, because he will be vindicated." White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said Thursday that President Bush believes the governor's arrest marks a "very serious situation," and he believes the charges are "astounding." Some details of the alleged scandal became clearer Wednesday, as a law enforcement official close to the investigation identified Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. as the person referred to in the federal criminal complaint as Senate Candidate 5. Of the six candidates mentioned in the complaint, Candidate 5 is the only one whom Blagojevich said engaged in discussion through an emissary about possibly raising money for the governor in exchange for the Senate position. Jackson firmly denied wrongdoing at a Wednesday news conference. "I reject and denounce 'pay to play' politics and have no involvement whatsoever in any wrongdoing," he said. "I did not initiate or authorize anyone at any time to promise anything to Gov. Blagojevich on my behalf. I never sent a message or an emissary to the governor to make an offer, to plead my case or to propose a deal about a U.S. Senate seat. Period." The law enforcement official said there was no evidence -- other than the governor's taped remarks -- that Jackson or others on his behalf ever approached the governor in an improper way. The official also emphasized that no conversations with Jackson were picked up on bugs or wiretaps, and there is no evidence that he was aware of anything improper. According to the complaint, Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris -- who was also arrested Tuesday on federal corruption charges -- were "conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits" for Blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a U.S. senator to replace Obama. Federal investigators also allege the two were trying to have Chicago Tribune editorial board members fired by leveraging state assistance to the parent company of the newspaper, the Tribune Company, in its sale of Wrigley Field. Explainer: Illinois governor is in hot water » . The governor and his chief of staff are also accused of sullying other areas of state business: trying to rescind $8 million of state funds to Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital because the hospital's chief executive officer had not contributed $50,000 to Blagojevich, and expecting a highway contractor to raise $500,000 in contributions in exchange for money for a tollway project. "Because of the unimaginable allegations that were in the federal complaint, it really calls into question absolutely everything that the governor has authority to do," Madigan said Thursday on CNN's "Situation Room." She said she had spoken to the governor only once this year, and perhaps not at all last year. Watch whom Blagojevich has considered » . "That sounds incredible, because I do serve as attorney general, so I'm the lawyer for the state, but we've been well aware for years that there are problems with this governor and so I haven't had anything to do with him," she said. She did not elaborate. Quinn said earlier this week that he had not spoken to the governor since summer 2007. Blagojevich and Harris are each charged with a count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and a count of solicitation of bribery, authorities said. iReport.com: Do you trust your leaders? The count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the count of solicitation of bribery carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. CNN's Ed Henry and Ed Hornick contributed to this report. | Illinois legislators circulate letter to garner support for impeachment .
Barack Obama repeats call for Gov. Rod Blagojevich to step down .
President Bush believes the charges against Blagojevich are "astounding"
Illinois attorney general says resigning is "right thing" for governor to do . |
fde6100e2cf5f01d7836a5154a155582318efeb7 | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Nearly a year after surviving a plane crash in South Carolina, disc jockey Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein was found dead in his New York apartment Friday afternoon, his publicist said. He was 36. Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein was one of two people who survived a 2008 plane crash in South Carolina. "The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear," his publicist, Jenni Weinman, said in a statement confirming the performer's death. "Out of respect for his family and loved ones, please respect their privacy at this time." Goldstein was found unconscious and unresponsive in his lower Manhattan apartment Friday afternoon, New York police said. The cause of death would be determined by medical examiners, but "there is no criminality suspected at this time," a police statement reported. Goldstein and Travis Barker, the drummer for rock band Blink-182, were the only survivors of a September plane crash in South Carolina that left both critically injured. Four others aboard the plane were killed when the Learjet skidded off a runway during takeoff from Columbia. Watch more about his career » . "Daily I live with the guilt and grief of what happened that night, what I saw, who was lost and why I was spared," he wrote in a December post on his Web site. "I have no words to express the pain that comes with knowing four people died, while I lived." In addition to spinning beats at clubs and festivals, Goldstein was known for dating reality-TV star Nicole Richie and singer-actress Mandy Moore. "I am absolutely heartbroken," Moore said in a statement. "For those of us lucky enough to have known him, Adam radiated a contagious exuberance for life and also personified the very definition of a true friend. To say that he will be missed beyond words is an understatement. My heart goes out to his loved ones." iReport.com: DJ AM "bridged communities" At the time of his death, he had been working on an MTV show about drug addiction that had been scheduled to debut in October. Goldstein himself had been a crack cocaine addict who said he wanted the show to help others recover. CNN's Denise Quan contributed to this report. | Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein was found unconscious in his apartment .
There is no criminality suspected at this time," police say in statement .
"The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear," Goldstein's publicist says .
He was one of two survivors of a September plane crash in South Carolina . |
fde67d6c5cd1cbbaf8d0ab3143c2320aa023ca33 | Like mother, like daughter, so the saying goes and Jane and Kristy Lowe are certainly proving it to be true. Thier family, from Sheffield, South Yourkshire, had suffered years of heartbreak but it seems their fortunes are finally changing after both mum and daughter landed modeling contracts on the same day. The pair were both signed by DK Model Management last month after a spell of bad luck, which included Jane, 47, having her skull smashed to pieces when she was hit by a bus. Jane Lowe, 47, was seriously injured by a bus in 2010 but is now a model and so is her daughter, Kristy, 20 . Kristy Lowe, 20, scooped a top modelling contract helping to end her family's run of awful luck . Since 2009, the pair from Sheffield, South Yorks, also endured a close family bereavement and discovered husband and dad Steve had throat cancer, causing nearly five years of misery for the family. Kristy, 20, said: 'It comes after a lot of bad luck, but we have come through it and everything has changed. 'It’s all a bit of a shock, and none of my friends can believe it. 'It just doesn’t happen to normal people, or so we thought. We always considered ourselves an unlucky family but we have survived and that is a great piece of luck.' After competing in the Miss South Yorkshire contest, Kristy, an interior design student at Northumbria University, scooped the award on February 14 at the Hilton hotel in Sheffield, following a series of grueling rounds. Then she was approached by DK Model Management, who offered her a modeling contract, despite having already unknowingly approached Jane earlier in the evening. Like mother, like daughter: Jane and Kirsty strike a pose together . Jane, a mortgage processor, said: “We couldn’t believe it when we realised we had both been asked. They had no idea we were related, I’d just been there to support Kristy. 'I’d never imagined doing anything like that before. They were looking for more mature models, and they asked me if I was interested. 'I’ve done shoots wearing office wear, casual, dressed up and gym wear, and there’s a chance Kristy and I could end up doing something together.' It's a big turnaround for Jane, who was hit by a First Mainline bus in March 2010 while crossing the road in Sheffield city centre. After being thrown 40 feet into the air and landing on the side of her head, doctors feared she would not survive, and she had to have a titanium plate fitted into the right hand side of her face. Jane said: “It was a single decker bus which knocked me down. It was a matter of seconds and I had the phone to my ear but I don’t remember anything else. 'I was looking to the left and I thought it was one-way so I didn’t see the bus, and the driver didn’t think to slow down. 'He’d only just set off and had only gone about 40 yards and he was travelling at around 40mph. 'The next thing I knew I was in hospital, and everything hurt.' During the accident, Jane’s front tooth punctured her lip and the bone in the whole left side of her face was smashed into thousands of tiny fragments. She was also left with a fractured pelvis and cheekbones, yet she suffered no internal injuries. She said: 'I looked like I’d had a stroke, and they had to completely rebuild the side of my face. 'Afterwards I couldn’t dress myself or bend at all and I had to have a wheelchair for the first few weeks. 'The work they did on my face is incredible. Even if you look at me close up, you can’t tell what I went through.' In 2010 Jane was crossing a road in Sheffield when she was hit by a bus. She had to have extensive work done to repair the bones in her head and face. Jane and Steve, a 47-year-old detective sergeant, went to the Miss South Yorkshire pageant to support Kristy during the final last month, along with sister Samantha, 17. After being scouted in a nightclub in Newcastle, she impressed judges at the final during the eco, fitness and ball-gown rounds. Kristy said: 'I was out on a night out with my friends when I was approached. It’s not the sort of thing I would usually do as I’m not a very confident person but I gave him my details and then got an email through a few days later. Kristy Lowe, 20, has already been crowned Miss South Yorkshire this year . 'I soon realised they focus on so much more than just looks, like being fit and healthy and having a personality. 'I was a bit skeptical at first but I have never met a nicer group of girls and we had so much fun. 'All of them were so nice and they were all screaming and shouting for me when I won. I never even expected to get to the final round and to win it was amazing.' Kristy has automatically secured herself a place in the Miss England contest in June, as well as looking forward to a part-time modeling career. She said: 'I can’t believe it. I now spend my weeks doing photo shoots! 'The whole thing has been a massive confidence booster for me, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m really looking forward to doing some modeling as I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.' DK Model Management is a commercial agency, which specialises in providing models of all ages for magazine and TV adverts, and promotes products rather than fashion. Kathy Holdsworth, managing director of DK Model Management, said: “I actually saw Jane before I saw Kristy because she was there on the evening of the Miss South Yorkshire final. 'She is very slim and attractive and she had a lovely dress on. 'I was one of the judges and the minute I saw Kristy I knew I wanted her to win, but you just don’t know what the others are thinking. I was delighted when she was announced as the winner. 'It was only when I saw Kristy with her parents that I realised they were related. The whole family are such delightful people and this could not have happened to a nicer family. 'I couldn’t believe that half of Jane’s face was made of titanium. It was hard to even see the tiny scars, the surgeon must have had incredible skill. 'When Kristy’s father told us of the terrible time the family have had, where they have suffered three blows in a row, I was so delighted that following all of this, the family now had a great reason to celebrate, and I had gained two lovely new models.' Better times: Mum Jane, 47 and daughter Kristy, 20, are now both models and hope they can work together. | Mother, Jane, 47 was hit by a bus in 2010 and had face reconstructed .
Family suffered a death and husband diagnosed with throat cancer .
Daughter Kristy, 20, was crowned Miss South Yorkshire .
Immediately offered a top modelling contract .
Jane was then scouted in the crowd and also offered a modelling job .
Kristy is now heading to compete at Miss England in June .
Mum and daughter hope to work together in the future . |
fde6e3d1199b3676416899419567d4719c54ef54 | (CNN) -- In designing modern and sustainable buildings in the United Arab Emirates, architects are taking cues from an ancient Arabic design tradition. A high-tech shading system running up the facade of the Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi was inspired by "mashrabiya," latticed screens commonly seen in Islamic architecture that diffuse sunlight and keep buildings cool without blocking light. "Not allowing the sun to land directly on the skin of the building, causing overheating and glare, was a very simple concept," said Abdulmajid Karanouh, the buildings' architect. "And that's why using the mashrabiya, inspired from the past and inspired by nature, was a no brainer." Wrapping around most of the 25-story buildings' sides, the screens are arranged as an array of repeating geometric patterns and are computer-controlled to respond to the sun's movement, unfolding like an umbrella when the sun hits them. The screens fold closed and the automated mechanism shuts off each day after the sun goes down. The north sides of the buildings never receive direct sunlight and are left unshaded by the screens. In Abu Dhabi, solar rays can heat the outside surface of windows up to 90 degrees Celsius, (200 degrees Fahrenheit). By shielding the glass from the sun, the screens keep the buildings cool, reduce glare and let in diffused natural light. Using this method, the buildings require less artificial lighting and 50% less air conditioning. With the desert sun beating down on the cities in the Gulf, solar energy is an important environmental factor in its cities. But desert dust and sand make photovoltaic panels less practical than one would expect in this part of the world. Karanouh says even a thin layer of dust can reduce the efficiency of solar panels by nearly half, and proper maintenance means regular cleaning using water jets pumping fresh water, a scarcity in an arid country like the United Arab Emirates. "You might find that you are spending so much energy to desalinate the water and get it to where it needs to be and then clean the panels, you'll find out that that energy may equate or even exceed the energy that you get out of the photovoltaic panels," he said. In Qatar, the Doha Tower, a striking cylindrical building, was designed along the same lines; it is covered entirely in a latticed screen that uses a multi-layered pattern constructed of aluminum and glass. Both structures were named as best buildings of 2012 by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats, which recognizes sustainable architecture. The United Arab Emirates is not normally thought of as a leader in combating climate change -- it has one of the highest levels of carbon dioxide emissions per capita in the world, according to the World Bank -- but Abu Dhabi has in recent years drawn attention for its innovative renewable energy building projects. Most notable is Masdar City, its much-hyped, planned city that is still being constructed, It was originally slated as being a carbon neutral area but now aims for environmental sustainability. The area has green features like a 10 megawatt solar power plant and a 45-meter-tall wind tower that helps regulate air temperatures in the public square by controlling air movement. | In the United Arab Emirates, architects are taking cues from an ancient Arabic design tradition.
A shading system on the facade of the Al Bahar Towers was inspired by latticed screens.
The screens are computer-controlled to respond to the sun's movement.
Doha Tower in Qatar, a striking cylindrical building, was designed along the same lines. |
fde6f3628a05ceff8bfdbb4a66a4b89b5b08a464 | A 34-year-old Julliard graduate leaped to her death from a 16th floor Manhattan apartment Thursday and in the process very nearly took a man passing by on the street below down with her. Samantha Cohn, who made a living as a Pilates instructor, took her own life around 10am. Seconds earlier, 59-year-old Matt Kovary passed by the very spot where the brunette beauty's body slammed into the sidewalk along Broadway. Perished: Brunette beauty Samantha Cohn plummeted to her death from a Manhattan apartment building Thursday and nearly too down a pedestrian passerby along with her . A police officer guards the section of sidewalk where Samantha Cohn fell . 'I thank God for sparing me because I would be dead too,' Kovary told the New York Post. 'I heard a loud explosion. It was right behind me.' There lay Cohn, who witnesses said was wearing her workout clothes, dead and crumpled in a pile. 'The sight was so horrific. She was just at my feet. She almost took me with her,' Kovary said. Cohn's suicide reportedly came after some recent bouts with mental health issues. In April, the former dancer reportedly disappeared for a week. 'They found her in the hospital, supposedly for heat exhaustion,' doorman and witness Jacques Tassy told the Post. 'When she came back, she seemed different. She wasn’t smiling as much.' A woman charged with checking in on the unwell woman from time to time arrived at the building just half an hour after the suicide and wept when she learned the victim was Cohn. Kovary called the woman's death senseless: 'All she needed were friends or someone to talk to,' he told the Post. In the U.S.: If you are . contemplating attempting suicide, there are people who can help. Call . the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) In the U.K.: For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch . 'I went to church twice and prayed to God to save her soul. I could have been dead': The Pilates instructor and Julliard dancer jumped from this building in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Seconds before, 59-year-old Matt Kovary passed the spot where she smashed into a sidewalk along Broadway and heard what he called an 'explosion' right behind him . | Samantha Cohn jumped from a building on Manhattan's Upper West Side on Thursday morning and nearly crushed Matt Kovary .
The Julliard graduate was a Pilates instructor with a love of fashion .
Kovary said she fell 'at his feet' and it sounded like 'a loud explosion' |
fde74237c2a2d896ce038ffba2de5d44d6c34039 | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 10:03 EST, 1 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:01 EST, 1 April 2013 . Grieving daughters have been left distraught after their father's wedding ring was apparently stolen from his dead body while he lay in hospital. Police have launched an investigation into the loss of Clive Thatcher's ring from the Bristol Royal Infirmary in February. His relatives have accepted that they are 'not going to get it back' - but say they are adamant that the same horror must never be allowed to happen to anyone else. Theft: Clive Thatcher, pictured, apparently had his wedding ring removed from his finger after his death . Mr Thatcher died aged 78 on February 24, after a two-week spell in hospital following a fall at his home in the Bristol neighbourhood of Southville. His daughters tried to remove his wedding ring at the time, but were unable to do so because his hands were so swollen. However, when an undertaker went to the hospital to pick up Mr Thatcher's body, the ring had gone missing. The family also claims that around £5 in cash vanished from the locker besides the pensioner's hospital bed. 'The ring was stuck on his finger because his fingers were swollen,' his daughter Gloria Bond said. 'We managed to get another ring off, but not that one. 'When I arranged the funeral they asked if he still had any jewellery on him and I said about the ring on his wedding finger. She told me that when he was brought back they would be in touch for us to pick them up straight away because they didn't like to keep anything like that. 'They rang me on March 8 and told me they had Dad there but that he didn't have the ring on his finger. My jaw just dropped and I couldn't actually speak.' Probe: Officials at the Bristol Royal Infirmary are currently investigating the upsetting incident . Mrs Bond's husband Gerald said that after Mr Thatcher died, a nurse put some tape around the ring to stop it slipping off his finger. He added: 'We are not worried about the cost of the ring - we know we are not going to get it back because it has probably been melted down now, we are more concerned about it happening to other people. 'It is quite distressing that someone took the ring off someone's finger after they had died and basically pinched it.' Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they were aware of the alleged incident, adding: 'Investigations are currently ongoing and we are working to establish the whereabouts of the item concerned.' The University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said they were taking the incident 'extremely seriously'. Chief nurse Helen Morgan said: 'We are extremely sorry to hear about the Thatcher family's distressing experience. 'We are taking this matter extremely seriously and appreciate that this is a very difficult time for them. 'We are working with the family and our staff to investigate thoroughly and will share our findings with them once the investigation is complete.' | Clive Thatcher, 78, died at Bristol Royal Infirmary in February after a fall .
When undertaker collected body his wedding ring had gone missing .
Police and hospital launch investigation into apparent theft . |
fde74f7491d6f2761227c4949b0dddeb9971ac6e | (CNN) -- A federal judge has stayed what would be the nation's first military execution since 1961, saying the U.S. soldier -- who was convicted of rape and murder two decades ago -- should have more time to pursue a federal appeal. Pvt. Ronald Gray has been on the military's death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, since 1988. A court-martial panel sitting at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, unanimously convicted him of committing two murders and other crimes in the Fayetteville, North Carolina, area and sentenced him to death. Last month, the Army said Gray was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection December 10 at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. But in an order issued November 26, U.S. District Judge Richard Rogers of Kansas said that a stay is necessary so Gray can pursue his federal appeal. Rogers ruled on a motion filed by Gray's attorneys, who asked for time to challenge the legality of his convictions and sentence. Government attorneys have asked Rogers to reconsider his decision, saying that Gray seeks a stay "apparently based on the premise that at some point he will identify a new legal issue or discover new evidence" upon which to appeal and that Gray "continues to delay unnecessarily." Gray has had ample time to appeal, the Justice Department attorneys said. In a response filed Tuesday, Gray's defense attorneys point out that the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in March 2001, and "since then, it has taken the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice and the Office of the President over seven years to approve as final Private Gray's sentence of death. The significant constitutional issues presented on the face of Private Gray's case ... have obviously troubled the decision-makers, as evidenced by the years they had his case under advisement." President Bush approved Gray's death sentence in July, making it final, defense attorneys write in the filing. Inmates sentenced to death in state and federal courts are given a year to file federal appeals after their death sentence becomes final, they claim, and members of the military under death sentences should receive the same consideration. "Private Gray is seeking federal habeas court review for the first time and he has not delayed commencing this action," defense attorney Thomas Bath wrote. "In fact, until the president approved his death sentence, there was no action available." Gray was convicted of raping and killing a female Army private and a civilian near his post at Fort Bragg. He also was convicted of the rape and attempted murder of another fellow soldier in her barracks at the post. Military and civilian courts both found Gray responsible for the crimes, which were committed between April 1986 and January 1987. Gray pleaded guilty to two murders and five rapes in a civilian court and was sentenced to three consecutive and five concurrent life terms. The general court-martial at Fort Bragg then tried him and in April 1988 convicted him of two murders, an attempted murder and three rapes. Bush's July action, the Army said in a statement at the time, followed "completion of a full appellate process, which upheld the conviction and sentence to death." Members of the U.S. military have been executed throughout history, but just 10 have been executed with presidential approval since 1951 under the Uniform Code of Military justice, the military's modern-day legal system. The Army has also sought Bush's authorization to execute another condemned soldier, Pvt. Dwight Loving, who was convicted of killing and robbing two cab drivers in 1988. The last U.S. military execution was in 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged for raping and attempting to kill an 11-year-old Austrian girl. Bennett was sentenced in 1955. The U.S. military hasn't actively pursued an execution for a military prisoner since President Kennedy commuted a death sentence in 1962. Nine men are currently on military death row. CNN's Mike Mount contributed to this report. | U.S. soldier should have more time to seek federal appeal, judge says .
Pvt. Ronald Gray has been on death row for 20 years .
He was convicted of two murders and other crimes in North Carolina .
Gray had been scheduled for execution December 10 . |
fde776b3fbcd59393f5e19b7699648de33b69363 | By . Tom Mctague, Mail Online Deputy Political Editor . Beautiful parts of the county are being 'gutted' by second home owners pricing young families out of the area, Nick Clegg claimed today. Mr Clegg said parts of the Lake District and the South West were being 'filleted' by wealthy families who were driving up house prices by snapping up second homes in the countryside. The Deputy Prime Minister said he was looking at measures to cap the number of holiday homes that are blamed for destroying picturesque towns and villages. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg this morning said holiday home owners had 'gutted' beautiful areas of the country like Cornwall and the Lake District . Lib Dem MPs have led calls to limit the number of second homes in an area or force families to get planning permission to turn a permanent home into a holiday getaway. There have also been calls to hike council tax on second homes. The Coalition has so far only given councils the power to remove the council tax discount on second homes, which ranged from 10 per cent to 50 per cent. At a press conference this morning - called to unveil a manifesto promise to ring-fence education funding 'from cradle to college' - Mr Clegg was asked whether there would be an election pledge on tackle the blight of holiday homes. The Deputy Prime Minister said: 'It’s a huge problem in parts of the South West and the Lake District. 'And we’ll constantly look at we can make sure, yes, people who want to come and invest in the community and create a holiday home are not barred from doing so, but that we don’t have this problem of the whole community being filleted. Gutted. 'With no prospect of youngsters finding a home they can call their own. One of the ways out of this, difficult though it is in beautiful parts of the country, is to build more homes on the scale we need.' Villages like Wells next the Sea in Norfolk are luring second-home buyers looking to escape the city. But this can drive up property prices, forcing local families out . Nick Clegg spends at least one holiday a year in his wife's family home in the tiny Spanish village of Olmedo, near Valladolid. He also has a share in his family's 20 room ski chalet in Switzerland's Klosters ski resort - the Alpine playground of the Royals. The traditionally-designed lakeside villa – built by Mr Clegg’s Dutch grandfather - is worth an estimated £7million. The Deputy PM also has use of a grace and favour country house, which is usually reserved for the Foreign Secretary, near Sevenoaks in Kent. Chevening was built in the 17th Century and has 115 rooms to entertain guests at the taxpayers expense. On top of these options Mr Clegg owns a £1.5million townhouse in South West London - just a stone's throw from the Thames - and rents a two-bedroom flat in Sheffield. The Lib Dem leader also announced the party will fight the next general election on a promise to protect education spending from children’s earliest years to the time they go to college. Mr Clegg said that extending the existing 'ring fence' on schools spending to cover the whole of the education budget from the ages of two to 19 would cost an additional £10 billion a year, rising annually with inflation. 'Liberal Democrats will protect the full education budget, from the cradle to the college,' Mr Clegg told the Westminster news conference. 'Money invested in our children is the best investment of all because education can really transform lives. We believe education should be properly funded because education is the very core of a liberal society.' Mr Clegg would not be drawn on whether it would be a 'die-in-the-ditch' commitment for the Lib Dems in any future coalition talks. He said the party would spell out how it would be funded closer to the time of the general election next May. 'My challenge to Labour and the Conservatives is if you are not going to do this, what are you going to cut? Are you going to cut money to colleges? Are you going to cut apprentices? Are you going to cut help for toddlers? 'I think it would be unimaginable for us as a country, having made these steps, to reverse them.' Mr Clegg has promised a regular 'drumbeat' of policy announcements over the summer as his shattered party tries to rebuild support following its hammering in last month's European and English local council elections. Mr Clegg also announced plans to protect the education budget 'from cradle to college' during the next Parliament. But the Lib Dem leader could not say how he would fund the £10 billion pledge. The move is designed to win back support lost over the failure to honour his 2010 election promise to scrap tuition fees . David Cameron and Nick Clegg sparked fury in China after meeting Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in 2012 . Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg this morning risked a fresh diplomatic rift with China after defending his decision to meet Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama - while also attacking the country's human right's record. His controversial intervention, at his monthly press conference this morning, came on the first morning of a three-day visit to London by China's Premier Li Keqiang. Mr Clegg said he had 'no regrets at all' that he met the Dalai Lama with David Cameron in 2012. He said: 'There’s nothing in the diary for the Dalai Lama to be met by either myself or David Cameron again, but I would be more than honoured to meet him again. 'We’ve always recognised that Tibet is part of China and we equally recognise the Dalai Lama’s very important role as a highly-respected religious leader – I would hope that I can meet someone of his distinction some time in the future, but there are no government plans to do so right now.' Mr Clegg also insisted the Government drive to increase trade with China would not stop minister criticising its human rights record. He said: 'We remain deeply concerned about the very large scale abuses of human rights that still occur.' The Lib Dem leader meanwhile used the opportunity to rubbish Tony Blair's claim that the current chaos in Iraq was not linked to the 2003 invasion. He said: 'For me it’s just self-evidently not the case that you can claim that what’s happening in Iraq, never mind any other country, is separated from a massive military invasion of that country just 11 years ago. 'I find it a really peculiar reading of history that you can overlook an international invasion of another country and say it has nothing to do with the predicament that the country finds itself in now.' Mr Clegg also announced that his party will fight the next general election on a promise to protect education spending from children's earliest years to the time they go to college. He said that extending the existing ‘ring fence’ on schools spending to cover the whole of the education budget from the ages of two to 19 would cost an additional £10 billion a year, rising annually with inflation. ‘Liberal Democrats will protect the full education budget, from the cradle to the college,’ Mr Clegg said. ‘Money invested in our children is the best investment of all because education can really transform lives. We believe education should be properly funded because education is the very core of a liberal society.’ | Deputy PM says South West and Lake District face a 'huge problem'
Says young families are being priced out of their home towns .
Reveals he is looking at measures to limit the number of holiday homes .
Clegg has use of a grace-and-favour country home in Kent as Deputy PM .
Lib Dem leader's family also own a luxury ski chalet in Switzerland .
He also goes on holiday every year to his wife Miriam's home in Spain . |
fde7dace4d12d8e8a755d4a85218dae2bba1b4a4 | Olympic champion Ian Thorpe has bared his soul in an interview with British journalist Michael Parkinson. Thorpe, who will be part of Network Ten's Commonwealth Games commentary team this month, recently sat down with Parkinson to discuss his career, family and personal life. Australia's most decorated Olympian has just overcome a physical and mental battle following complications arising from shoulder surgery that almost cost him his arm. 'Are you gay?' No question was off-limits for British journalist Michael Parkinson when he sat down with former Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe for an interview that went to air Sunday night. Superhuman! Known as the the Thorpedo during his stellar career, Thorpe smashed 22 world records and along the way won five gold, three silver and one bronze Olympic medals . Parkinson said Thorpe's decision that no question was off limits was brave and says he examines the good times and the bad of the Australian swimming legend. 'His fight against depression offers a unique insight into the darker side of celebrity and success,' Parkinson said in a statement released by Ten. 'What fascinates me most about Ian is that apart from the very beginning of his career, he never seemed to enjoy and celebrate his success. 'Ian Thorpe has always been near the top of my list to interview. 'Not many athletes can claim to be the best of all time. Ian can.' A good get! 'Ian has always been near the top of my list to interview,' Parkinson said . Parkinson is renowned for not being afraid to ask the tough and sometimes uncomfortable questions. Some of the British journalist's most memorable moments includes the time that boxer Muhammad Ali squared up to him for calling him Cassius Clay instead of by his Muslim name, and when former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham let slip her nickname for husband David was Golden Balls. Former British Primer Minister Tony Blair also spoke about the time that his father-in-law had asked permission to smoke cannabis in front of him, while his chat with Hollywood A-lister Meg Ryan made for uncomfortable viewing when she appeared moody and unresponsive and asked for the interview to be wrapped up. Straight talker: Parkinson, pictured with his wife Mary, is renowned for not being afraid to ask the tough and sometimes uncomfortable questions . Known as the the Thorpedo during his stellar career, Thorpe smashed 22 world records and along the way won five gold, three silver and one bronze Olympic medals. He has also won 11 World titles and 11 (10 gold, one silver) Commonwealth Games medals. Thorpe first retired in November, 2006, aged 24, and then made an ill-fated comeback in 2011 when he failed to make the Australian team for the 2012 London Games. Ten has announced it will air the TV special, Ian Thorpe: The Parkinson Interview, on Sunday, July 13, at 6.30pm. New role: Thorpe will be part of Network Ten's Commonwealth Games commentary team this month . | No question was off limits for Parkinson in the tell all interview .
Thorpe has just overcome an illness that almost cost him his arm .
'He has always been on my list to interview,' Parkinson says .
The swimmer has one bronze, three silver and five gold Olympic medals . |
fde80ab3da0395ab03676603d097c9f8203c9c80 | Director Cameron Crowe's latest star-studded film isn't due out until May and it's already being deemed a flop by Sony Pictures executives, hacked emails reveal. The romantic comedy - which still doesn't have a title - has big Hollywood names attached. It stars Bradley Cooper as a military contractor who falls in love with an Air Force officer played by Emma Stone. Rachel McAdams, Alec Baldwin, Bill Murray, John Krasinski and Danny McBride have all signed on to play supporting characters, as well. Scroll down for video . Panned by Pascal: Sony Pictures boss Amy Pascal, (right) wrote that she's expecting a flop from 'Almost Famous' director Cameron Crowe's new film, hacked emails reveal . Sony executives hate it, Gawker reports. 'It's a wrap. There is no more to do. People don't like people in movies who flirt with married people or married people who flirt - specific plot points,' Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal writes in a terse email. e film, shouldn't expect to rake in much profit. 'We have this movie in for a lot of dough and we better look at that,' Pascal writes. Her assessment of the movie - which was formerly called 'Deep Tiki' - was based on a series of test screenings that Sony did with audiences in New York City and Huntington Beach, California - a Los Angeles suburb. Pascal believes that even red-hot names like Bradley Cooper (left) and Emma Stone (right) can't save the film from a problematic script . 'Scores are same as last time and way way worse in ny,' Pascal writes. In the film industry, making movies is a financial gamble. Some are blockbusters, some are box office flops that don't break even. It seems Pascal is anticipating that Crowe's new film will be a flop before it's even released. And she believes the problem boils down to a weak script. 'The satellite makes no sense/The gate makes no sense,' she says referring to scenes in the film. 'I'm never starting a movie again when the script is ridiculous. And we al (sic) know it. I don't care how much I love the director and the actors. It never. Not even once. Ever works.' Crowe's last film was 'We Bought a Zoo' which enjoyed decent box office success and a mixed critical reaction. However, the director has had a history of major hits in the past - including 'Jerry Maguire,' 'Almost Famous,' 'Say Anything' and 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High.' | Cameron Crowe's new film is due out in May, but in a hacked email, Sony exec Amy Pascal predicated it would flop .
Pascal's email says the film fared poorly with test audiences .
The as-yet-unnamed romantic comedy stars Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone - but also features Rachel McAdams, Alec Baldwin and Bill Murray . |
fde8933f2f77b66924e13554fe6a6b5e2fc25257 | Alan Pardew has told Arsenal fans to lay off Arsene Wenger and believes they should be grateful for all he has done at the club. The Newcastle boss insists that only Sir Alex Ferguson has achieved more in the Premier League era because Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho ‘hasn’t done enough yet’. Pardew goes so far as to say that the Emirates Stadium should be renamed in honour of Wenger. Arsene Wenger has been in charge of Arsenal since 1996, leading the club to multiple trophies and titles . Wenger endured dog's abuse at Stoke station following the Premier League defeat last weekend . The Arsenal boss is under increasing pressure after he was abused by his own supporters at a railway station following last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Stoke, a result that left Arsenal sixth in the table and 13 points behind leaders Chelsea. But Pardew, who faces Wenger in Saturdays tea-time kick-off, said: ‘The incident at the train station was totally disrespectful. I think 99 per cent of Arsenal fans would have been ashamed of that and we could get the backlash of it. They will want to show how much they love him. ‘That stadium should be named after him. The job he did in that move across (from Highbury), when they had all that debt and he had to be very careful with the transfer budget — it was a miracle that he kept them in the Champions League. ‘I think everyone at Arsenal knows he’s done a magnificent job. For me, he’s the second best manager in Premier League history (behind Sir Alex Ferguson). Jose (Mourinho) hasn’t done enough yet.’ Pardew suggested that the club should rename the Emirates Stadium in honour of their longest-serving boss . Pardew said Wenger is the second best manager in Premier League history - better than the Special One . The incomparable Sir Alex Ferguson takes the title as the best boss, according to the Newcastle manager . Wenger has found an unlikely ally in Pardew, the man he once shoved in a heated touchline fracas. They clashed at Upton Park in 2006 when Pardew’s West Ham scored a late winner against the Gunners, but the pair are now the longest-serving bosses in the top flight. And Pardew added: ‘I’ve had one run-in with Arsene, but otherwise he’s been fantastic. I have nothing but respect for him and I’ve always enjoyed watching his teams.’ Arsenal and Newcastle are only separated by goal difference and an away victory would intensify the scrutiny on Wenger and his position, despite them making it through to the Champions League knockout stages for the 15th consecutive season after Tuesday’s 4-1 win at Galatasaray. But Pardew, who survived calls for his own sacking earlier in the season, admitted: ‘Arsene knows that instant results are massive, even for someone who has been in the position as long as he has. All of us managers are on a six-game, seven-game period with the media and social media. We have to accept that.’ Wenger and Pardew clashed on the touchlines while the former was boss at the Boleyn Ground in 2006 . The pair shake hands a year later during a frosty moment with Pardew now managing Charlton . Over time, it looks like the duo have grown rather fond of one another as this picture, taken in April, shows . Pardew, though, hopes Wenger was cheered by Newcastle’s 2-1 victory over Mourinho’s Chelsea, meaning Arsenal’s unbeaten ‘Invincibles’ tag from the 2003-2004 campaign remains intact at least for another season. ‘I imagine Arsene might have had a glass of wine after that game,’ said Pardew. ‘When you have that tag you don’t want to lose it to anyone. ‘But we can only worry about us, it was a tremendous performance against Chelsea and the players can be proud. ‘We’re on a good run but this is a difficult one because Arsenal away has not been a happy hunting ground for us. They have given us a thumping and on one occasion it was an embarrassing scoreline (7-3, in 2012). ‘The games at our place have been a lot closer and we hope this one is a lot tighter as well.’ | Newcastle boss Pardew says Wenger is the second best manager in Premier League history .
Sir Alex Ferguson gets Pardew's vote as top boss, while Jose Mourinho 'hasn't done enough yet'
Pardew was shocked at the abuse Wenger received from furious fans at Stoke station after Arsenal's loss at the Britannia .
'The incident at the train station was totally disrespectful. I think 99 per cent of Arsenal fans would have been ashamed of that,' he said .
He feels Newcastle may bare the brunt of a Gunners backlash on Saturday .
Pardew goes on to say that the Emirates should be renamed in honour of their longest-serving boss . |
fde912e8d7f5ec9ecc0e463416e45f27fdb0ecb0 | London (CNN) -- In 2011 the Italian movie Habemus Papam depicted a pope struggling with his own conscience, who takes the outrageous decision of stepping down. The fact that this event took place Monday in Rome went probably well beyond everyone's imagination. Pope Benedict's resignation was unexpected and it struck Italy like a bolt out of the blue. The influence of what happens in the Holy See on Italy is much stronger than on any other country in the world and it is due to both historical and geographic reasons. Read more: Pope Benedict XVI's resignation explained . Nevertheless, whether and how the vacuum of power provoked by Joseph Ratzinger's announcement will affect Italy's economic situation is difficult to see at the moment. On Monday, Italy's 10-year government bond yields reached a new peak. Can the Pope's resignation be considered responsible for that? The answer seems to be negative, since an increasing trend, which has more to do with the uncertainty surrounding the forthcoming parliamentary elections, had been already observed during the past two weeks. Read more: Too tired to go on, Pope Benedict resigns . It is undoubtedly true that Benedict XVI's stepping down surprised Italian politicians. Votes from Catholic believers seem to be distributed over the three main competitors (Bersani's Democratic Party, Berlusconi's People of Freedom and Monti's coalition) and uncertainty over their reactions might exacerbate the tones of the campaign, now in its two last weeks, since the three parties might be willing to appease as many Catholics as possible. Watch more: The Pope's German roots . Nevertheless, the Pope's resignation does not seem likely to bring about major consequences over the financial and economic situation of the country. In the short run, the forthcoming elections of the new successor of St Peter will attract a huge number of pilgrims from all over the world. The tourism industry, one of the most important assets for the Italian economy, is not immune from the crisis and data recently released by the National Observatory on Tourism show that the number of foreign visitors to Italy decreased, in the period January to October 2012, by 6.2% over the same period in 2011. Rome will soon get the unusual status of "city of the two popes" (since Joseph Ratzinger will still be living in the Vatican, after a period in the detached Castel Gandolfo's residence) and that might look appealing to foreign tourists. However religious tourism is generally characterized by big numbers but low expenditures: Therefore, a revived wave of pilgrimages to Rome might not be enough to boost Italian tourism. Whether the smoke coming out from St Peter's chimney will be "white" or "black" for the Italian economic recovery is not immediately clear. This "inter-regnum" period will definitely increase uncertainty in the political competition, but not enough to again raise fear in global financial markets towards Italy. Read more: Surprising standards for the next Catholic leader . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Davide Tentori. | Tentori says religious tourism is generally characterized by big numbers but low expenditures .
The Pope's resignation was unexpected and struck Italy like a bolt out of the blue, writes Tentori .
The tourism industry, one of the most important assets for Italy, is not immune from the crisis . |
fde91645c9fdc8162c03c7053d4511802673a306 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A drug used as a cancer treatment has been found to slow the progression of a fatal lung disease significantly. Scientists from Southampton General Hospital discovered that nintedanib makes a dramatic difference to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The condition, which affects mainly men and former smokers, causes inflammation and scarring of the lung tissue. Sufferers have an average life expectancy of between three and five years, with 5,000 deaths and 5,000 new cases every year. The drug nintedanib was previously used to treat cancer and has been shown to slow the progress of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis . Nintedanib works by blocking the chemical signals that activate the disease by creating excess tissue and scarring and causing breathing problems. The two studies, led by Professor Luca Richeldi, a consultant in respiratory medicine at Southampton General Hospital, compared the breathing capacity of 638 people with IPF who used the drug with 423 who took a placebo. Breathing capacity is measured by the amount of air a person can expel after their deepest breath, which is seriously affected in IPF sufferers. Researchers found that the decline in the breathing capacity of patients taking nintedanib was cut by around half over the two studies. The drug is now likely to be licensed worldwide within the next year, and avail-able to patients in the near future. Researchers hope that the drug will be licensed to treat IPF within the next twelve months (picture posed by model) Professor Richeldi said: ‘The impact of this study cannot be overstated. These are exciting results and mean nintedanib has the potential to offer patients a new direction in treating this aggressive disease.’ He said: 'The prognosis for patients with IPF is worse than many cancers and cases are increasing by 5,000 a year in the UK alone, so the need for new, targeted and more effective treatments has never been greater. 'Nintedanib specifically targets some key molecular pathways known to be involved in IPF, which gives us a much clearer insight into how the body works and how we might be able to further develop treatments. He added: 'We expect an advance use programme to begin in Europe before next summer, so the drug may become available to at least some patients within the next few months.' Researchers based at Southampton General Hospital (pictured) conducted the ground-breaking clinical study . | 5,000 people are diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis each year .
People diagnosed with IPF have a life expectancy of between three and five years .
Nintedanib has been shown by researchers to slow the disease progression . |
fde918818c29a17e41da92b63ea2e383fecfb993 | By . Nazia Parveen and Rebecca Camber . Last updated at 11:16 PM on 13th February 2012 . Attack: Gary Hindley, 56, leaves Thames Magistrates' Court today after being given a 12-week suspended sentence . The parents of a six-year-old girl who lost her ear when she was savaged by a dog reacted with fury yesterday after its owner was spared jail. Gary Hindley, 56, walked free from court after being handed a 12-week suspended sentence and ordered to pay just £350 compensation for the ‘sustained and horrific attack’ in which his Staffordshire bull terrier bit off most of her right ear. Yesterday the victim’s parents described the sentence as an insult. The little girl was testing her Christmas presents – a telescope and binoculars – on a family day out to Epping Forest, Essex, with her parents and younger brother when the attack happened on January 21. Yesterday, in a statement read to Thames Magistrates’ Court, the mother said: ‘The dog was on my little girl, standing on her, with his head buried into her. ‘My daughter was screaming, “Get it off, get it off”. I came round the back and tried to grab it but I couldn’t get it off. I threw myself over her body trying to do everything in my power to protect her. My daughter was screaming and I was trying to grab the dog around the middle but it was pure muscle and I could not move it.’ The dog only let go when her husband punched it. As the dog was pulled back, it sank its teeth into his wife’s scalp and ripped her hair out. After the two-minute attack the child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was taken to hospital suffering head and neck injuries. Scene: The girl's family were testing out a telescope she had been given for Christmas in Pole Hill, Chingford (pictured), when the Staffordshire Bull Terrier struck . Scene: A PCSO patrols close to where the Staffordshire Bull Terrier attacked the girl on January 21 . Escaped jail: Hindley leaves the court today with his face covered after he avoided a prison sentence. He was ordered to pay the girl £450 compensation as part of his punishment . She has since undergone cosmetic surgery and faces further operations to reconstruct her ear. District Judge Robert Roscoe . admonished Hindley, who lived near the scene of the attack, for . vanishing after giving the girl’s father a false address. Hindley, . unemployed, who had only had the 16-month-old pet for four months, . handed himself into the police the following morning. Yesterday he was given a 12-week jail . sentence suspended for two years. He was banned from owning any animal . for ten years after admitting allowing his dog to be dangerously out of . control in a public place and causing injury. He was ordered to pay £350 in . compensation and £100 court costs. He must carry out 200 hours of unpaid . work and wear an electronic tag. The judge also ordered that the dog, named Buddy, be destroyed. Judge Roscoe told Hindley: ‘You were . not doing your duty to protect other people in the park and it resulted . in a sustained and horrific attack on a child.’ But outside court, the girl’s father . said: ‘Where is the deterrent? Where is the justice? How is this going . to stop it happening again, it’s an absolute insult. ‘My six-year-old daughter screams in pain for an hour every day while we’re changing her dressing. ‘If he had a knife in his hands and . used it on my daughter, he would have been locked away for a long time. What is the difference to what he did with his dog?’ Probe: A couple talk to Police Community Support Officers as they investigate the mauling in Chingford, Essex. Today Hindley escaped jail . Find: Dog walkers Patrick and Joan Young of Stanford-le-Hope who think they may have discovered part of the girl's ear . | Gary Hindley, 56, given a 12-week suspended jail sentence .
Staffordshire Bull Terrier will be destroyed after mauling girl who was visiting park to test out a new telescope .
Parents desperately tried to fight dog off as it attacked child in front of her three-year-old brother . |
fde95e75d88ac9ef90343e5362bd2c48df22660c | By . Richard Spillett for MailOnline . Crowds watched in horror as an escapologist misjudged his act, leaving him dangling upside down by a single burning rope. Antony Britton was wriggling out of a strait-jacket suspended by burning ropes during a performance in Bradford, West Yorkshire when the accident happened. The daredevil didn't realise that high winds would speed up the time it took the flames to burn through the ropes, meaning he had to dislocate his shoulder before being lowered to the ground. Scroll down for video . Antony Britton was trying to escape from a strait-jacket when high winds meant flames burnt through two of the ropes suspending him faster than expected . Mr Britton was performing at the Escape for Life event earlier this month, which was planned to raise money for a multiple sclerosis charity World Multiple Sclerosis. He was attempting to escape from a strait-jacket as he hung, suspended upside, from three burning ropes. But the crowds who had gathered for the event were left shocked when the fire burned through two of the ropes too quickly. Mr Britton was left suspended by just one rope and was lowered to the ground after dislocating his shoulder. He said: 'The ropes burned through too quickly. I can usually count on 60 seconds before the first rope burns through, but it was more like 45 seconds, which was too fast. 'The second rope went after 60 seconds and the third would have been another 30 seconds before that burned through. Antony Britton pictured with the remains of his burning ropes after the event in Bradford earlier this month . Mr Britton initially hung from three burning ropes but was left dangling by one after two were quickly destroyed . He added: 'I had to pop my right shoulder . to get free more quickly and the safety team were all for lowering me . before I'd got out of the strait jacket, but I was determined I was . going to do it.' The stunt is the latest accident Mr Britton has been involved in and he previously burned himself performing a similar trick. In 2012, a burning rope he was suspended from snapped midway during his show and set his trousers on fire. Friend Mark Walker said Mr Britton was still happy the event raised money for a good cause and is already planning his next trick. He said: 'I have known Antony for many years and I always said he had a screw loose, but Escape for Life hits the awareness hard and gets the message across loud and clear.' Mr Britton was performing for crowds at Bradford's City Park when the accident happened . | Daredevil Antony Britton planned the risky stunt for a charity event .
He was set to escape from strait-jacket suspended from burning ropes .
But strong winds meant the ropes burned more quickly than expected .
Mr Britton was left with burns and dislocated shoulder but is unfazed . |
fde983f1a51d42199b54b469881673f489808c69 | (CNN) -- The MotoGP race due to be held in Japan next month has been postponed until later in the year in the aftermath of Friday's earthquake and tsunami. The 9.0-magnitude quake caused cracks on the track and damaged spectator seats at the circuit in Motegi, to the north of Tokyo. In a statement on their official website, the sport's governing body confirmed that the motorbike world championship race would now take place in October. It is the latest in a list of sporting fixtures to be affected by the recent disaster in the Asian country, where there are also fears of a radiation leak from several explosions at a nuclear plant. Japan's sporting schedule hit in aftermath of quake disaster . On Monday it was confirmed that the World Skating Championships, scheduled to take place in Tokyo this month, had been postponed until further notice. The Japanese Football Association, meanwhile, said that no J-League football matches would take place in March, and added that the national team's upcoming friendly games could also be abandoned. Japan is continuing to experience aftershocks from the quake which has already claimed the lives of thousands of people and left many more homeless. The 18-race MotoGP season will now begin in Losail, Qatar on March 20. It is the second year in a row that the Japanese round has had to be rescheduled. The 2010 race was also postponed from April to October following the volcanic ash crisis in Iceland that prevented competitors and spectators from flying to the Far East. The opening race in the 2011 Formula One championship has already had to be cancelled this year. The season-opener in Bahrain was called-off amid ongoing political unrest and protests in the country, and the first grand prix will now take place in Melbourne on March 26. | After Friday's earthquake and tsunami the MotoGP race in Japan is postponed .
Although not serious, there was some damage to the race track in Motegi .
Second year in a row race has been re-scheduled after volcanic ash crisis in 2010 .
Japanese round of world motorbike championship will now be held on October 2 . |
fde98cbab90dfd1ce204f23fca10f601501b89ce | California users of STD dating site PositiveSingles will receive a total of $16.5 million in damages after the site shared their personal information despite the promise of confidentiality, authorities say. The verdict was rendered in the amount of approximately $15 million in punitive damages and $1.5 million of compensatory damages to California users of the site under the California Legal Remedies Act, according to a Business Wire. A lawsuit alleged that the site's registration page states that the site, marketed toward people with sexually transmitted diseases, is '100% confidential' and that it does 'not disclose, sell, or rent any personally identifiable information to any third party organizations.' PositiveSingles: California users of STD dating site PositiveSingles will receive a total of $16.5 million in damages after the site shared the personal information of its users despite the promise of confidentiality . However, BBC reports, that PositiveSingles' parent site -- SuccessfulMatch -- runs a series of other dating sites and SuccessfulMatch used the photos and personal information of PositiveSingles users on many of its subsidiary dating sites such as MeetBlackPOZ, ChristianSafeHaven, AidsDate, and HerpesinMouth. Though the site promised privacy, it turns out PositiveSingles was one of more than a thousand different sites placing user information -- including their STD status -- into a single database making it available to almost anyone. The suit also stated that '[SuccessfulMatch] fraudulently and deceptively failed to disclose that profiles created through PositiveSingles.com could be viewed on Defendant's affiliate sites.' Sites: PositiveSingles users had their profile information funneled to sites like HIVDatingOnline, ChristianSafeHaven, AidsDate, and HerpesinMouth . An investigation into the site's privacy policy and terms of service began in 2011 when three individuals who posted their profiles on PositiveSingles noticed their profiles showed up on more than 50 dating websites without their permission or knowledge, according to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Many of the sites featuring the user's profiles were marketed toward different demographics than those mentioned in the user's profiles. BBC reports that the plaintiff who filed the suit acknowledged that after completing the site's registration page, a link to its terms of service was provided which did state that information about STD statuses may be shared with other sites. However, the plaintiff suggested that few members ever read the fine print and Daily News reports that SuccessfulMatch used this loophole to publicize the personal information of users with infections, such as HIV, herpes and syphilis by making them available to almost anyone after funneling the information to SuccessfulMatch. Demographics: Many of the sites featuring the user's profiles were marketed toward different demographics than those mentioned in the user's profiles . | PositiveSingles, a dating site marketed toward those with STD's, must pay $16.5 million in damages .
It funneled user information to a single database making it available to almost anyone .
PositiveSingles' parent site, SuccessfulMatch, distributed user information to sites like MeetBlackPOZ, ChristianSafeHaven, AidsDate, and HerpesinMouth .
The site is said to have blindsided users who they knew wouldn't read the fine print . |
fde9b21616f14e8a18e01afb97940bfba189f6e4 | (CNN Student News) -- March 23, 2012 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . France . Abu Dhabi . Wisconsin . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. | The daily transcript is a written version of each day's CNN Student News program .
Use this transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary .
Use the weekly Newsquiz to test your knowledge of stories you saw on CNN Student News . |
fde9b33ff00fe46206cb668de390f2dd17f79fa2 | An environmental advocacy group backed by hedge fund tycoon Tom Steyer is set to unleash a seven-state, $100 million offensive against Republican "science deniers" this year, a no-holds-barred campaign-style push from the green billionaire that could help decide which party controls the Senate and key statehouses come November. The Steyer-backed outside group, NextGen Climate, has billed itself as a progressive, pro-environment counterbalance to the wealthy oil and gas industry -- as well as the primary foil to the pro-business Koch brothers and their well-funded conservative donor network. The outfit, launched last year by the San Francisco billionaire, has already pledged to spend heavily this midterm year in Iowa to assist the Democratic Senate nominee Bruce Braley, and in Florida, where Gov. Rick Scott is facing a difficult re-election fight against Democrat Charlie Crist. Steyer's 2014 map now includes Senate races in Michigan, New Hampshire and Colorado as well as governor's races in Maine and Pennsylvania, home to two of the most endangered Republican governors in the country, Paul LePage and Tom Corbett. "This is the year, in our view, that we are able to demonstrate that you can use climate, you can do it well, you can do it in a smart way, to win political races," said Chris Lehane, the longtime Democratic consultant advising Steyer. Lehane and NextGen political strategist Sky Gallegos revealed their 2014 strategy Wednesday in a briefing with reporters in Washington. 'Pro-climate action' vs. 'anti-science' Absent from their list of 2014 targets: must-win Senate races for Democrats in conservative-leaning states such as Arkansas, Alaska, North Carolina, Louisiana and Kentucky. That's because Democrats on those ballots have expressed support for the Keystone XL pipeline, the coal industry, offshore drilling or hydraulic fracturing -- all nonstarter issues for environmentalists. Instead, Lehane said the 501(c)4 group will play in races that feature a stark choice between "pro-climate action" candidates -- all Democrats -- and "anti-science" Republicans who have questioned the veracity of climate change or supported the interests of the oil and gas industry. GOP candidates in the NextGen cross hairs -- Scott in Florida, Terri Lynn Land in Michigan, Scott Brown in New Hampshire and Cory Gardner in Colorado -- hew closely to the "Republican troglodyte brand," Lehane argued. "They are anti-immigrant, anti-women, anti-science," he said. "It's a tough brand to win elections around." The group said that climate can be successfully used as a wedge issue -- Lehane framed it as a moral clash between "right and wrong" -- to boost turnout among Democratic voting groups that tend not to show up in midterm election years, specifically young voters, Hispanics and African-Americans. As in the Virginia governor's race last year -- when Steyer spent nearly $8 million on a campaign to disqualify GOP nominee Ken Cuccinelli with a combination of TV, mail and field operations -- the efforts will extend beyond the TV airwaves and include what they call "nano-targeting" to tailor messaging to discrete voting groups. "We are not some super PAC that's going to come in, throw up some ads and leave," Lehane said. "You can come into these states and really run a total campaign." Focusing on hyper-local issues . Lehane said the effort, which is budgeted at around $100 million but could grow, will focus attention on hyper-local issues -- such as drought in Iowa or flood insurance costs in Florida -- that could influence voter perceptions in key pockets of each state. Pollution-related health concerns such as asthma and clean drinking water hit home for lower-income voters, he said. It wasn't lost on reporters that the NextGen map featured multiple states that figure prominently in presidential races -- Iowa, New Hampshire and Florida among them. Lehane said that was by design. "Almost all of these states align with being really important presidential states either in the primary process or the general election," he said, promising that Steyer will be active throughout the 2016 campaign. When the 2016 presidential primary campaigns lurch into overdrive next year, NextGen will continue to call attention to turnout-driving local issues -- and on attacking Republican candidates. Steyer has already funded an ad in Florida attacking Sen. Marco Rubio, one of many possible GOP White House aspirants, as a tool of oil lobbyists. "We look forward to a conversation with the Rubios of the world," Lehane said of the group's 2016 plans, without revealing specifics. The outside air cover should come as welcome news to Democratic candidates in their target states who are drowning in a flood of TV ads from conservative groups such as the Koch-endorsed Americans for Prosperity. But the campaign may put some Democrats in a bind. In Colorado, for instance, Lehane said NextGen will attack Gardner by showcasing his support for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and the adverse health effects of natural gas extraction on suburban communities. But the strategy could force Democratic Sen. Mark Udall to take a definitive stand on a divisive state issue that pits the business community against environmentalists, an important slice of the Democratic base. Meanwhile, the state's Democrat governor, John Hickenlooper, has been cautiously supportive of the gas industry as a revenue and jobs creator. Charges of hypocrisy . As the founder of the hedge fund Farallon Capital Management, Steyer made part of his fortune from investments in fossil fuels, including foreign coal investments, which has prompted charges of hypocrisy from the Koch-affiliated groups he's fond of condemning. "Tom Steyer's investments at Farallon have lined his pockets with millions of dollars from the foreign coal industry," said James Davis, a spokesman for Freedom Partners, the Koch-backed political network. "Now he wants to burden the American people with new energy regulations to protect his current green energy investments. He's already attempting to buy the votes of Senate Democrats on Keystone, which will cost America thousands of good-paying jobs. Surely the media will call him out on the hypocrisy of his claims." Lehane said Steyer ordered his investments be diverted from coal and tar sands when he stepped down from Farallon in 2012 but was not aware if he had investments in other energy sectors. But the primary difference between Steyer and conservative mega-donors, Lehane said, is that Steyer is not personally profiting from his political efforts. "He is giving all the money away," he said. "He doesn't have stand to gain some economic benefit by spending money that translates into his own personal economics." Lehane added, "We are spending a drop in the big oil bucket as compared to the fossil fuel industry, especially the Koch brothers. All Tom is trying to do is try to balance and level the playing field. We are never going to have as much money as the other side." | Billionaire's environmental group is targeting Senate, governors' races .
Focus is on races with contrast between pro-environment vs. "anti-science" candidates .
Critics accuse Tom Steyer of hypocrisy, saying he made his money on fossil fuels . |
fdea794d5eff76c9c4af5f535c0ee602a5ef23b0 | Washington (CNN) -- Microsoft and Google are getting help from other tech companies in their fight to release more information about government surveillance orders, which companies say is their First Amendment right to provide. On Monday, Microsoft and Google were joined by Yahoo and Facebook in asking the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to allow them to make public aggregate data listing the number of court-ordered records requests, including those made for criminal and national security investigations. The companies, in court filings made with the surveillance court, portrayed the government's attempt to block them from publishing more detailed data as a version of prior restraint, infringing their right to exercise their First Amendment rights. The move seeks to set a high bar for the government to stop publication, akin to the Nixon administration's failed attempt to stop newspapers from publishing the Pentagon Papers. According to the companies' court filings, the data isn't classified, but the government seeks to prevent publication on national security grounds. They argue there are ways for them to tell their customers more about the government's requests, with broad statistics every six months, without compromising individual security investigations. The companies argue that they are acting to correct the public record on national security requests they are compelled to obey. They cite disclosures by Edward Snowden, a fugitive former National Security Agency contractor who says he leaked thousands of documents on government surveillance, which has led to erroneous news stories, the companies say. All say they do not allow the government direct access to their computer servers. Google in its filing says, "Notwithstanding Google's complete denial, the revelations about the scope of the NSA activities, and false or misleading stories about Google's alleged involvement in such activities, have continued unabated and continue to cause substantial harm to Google's reputation and business." The other companies also said their businesses were being harmed by not being allowed to provide more information. In the court filings, the companies are asking to publish how many government data requests are for content and how many are for so-called metadata, which includes information such as the sender and receiver of e-mails and phone calls, and the time and date when they are sent or made. Google and Microsoft also asked to make oral arguments on the legal fights; Google asked that the court, which normally conducts its proceedings in secret, allow arguments open to the public. James Clapper, director of national intelligence, has said the agency plans to publish broad data on criminal and national security surveillance requests. But that data wouldn't show requests made to each company. The legal tussle came as the technology company officials went to the White House as part of a new "working group" focusing on transparency. The Obama administration has defended the NSA's surveillance activities, saying they are necessary to prevent terrorism and protect national security. But President Barack Obama has acknowledged the need for greater transparency and invited companies to help come up with new ways to disclose more. Microsoft and Google first made their request to publish surveillance data in June and then spent the last few months negotiating with the government. After failing to reach an agreement, the companies got permission from the surveillance court to make new legal filings. The deadline for those filings was Monday. The Justice Department declined to comment on the case. | Microsoft, Google seek OK to tell customers what information NSA has gotten .
Yahoo, Facebook join request before Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court .
Companies say not reporting the information violates First Amendment rights . |
fdeaa52ddbf6ef0f552d3b2e150593428771a862 | Though melanoma and other skin cancers are some of the most common in older people, it is extremely rare to see them in toddlers. But Matt and Michelle Prebble found out the hard way it can still occur, when their two-year-old daughter Frankie was diagnosed with a melanoma. 'Everyone was in shock,' Michelle told Daily Mail Australia. 'We saw her surgeon on a Monday and he wanted to operate the next day.' Scroll down for video . Frankie Prebble, here with dad Matt, was just two years old when she was diagnosed with a melanoma . The Cancer Council of Australia state that two in three Australians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer by the time they are 70, but it is extremely rare for anyone under 4 to be diagnosed. What started off as a small red spot 'the size of a pin-head' on Frankie's arm last year, quickly developed into a larger mark setting off alarm bells. 'It started growing and we thought okay, this is a bit unusual', Michelle, from Perth in West Australia, said. From there a trip to the GP and a follow-up appointment with a dermatologist put Frankie on the fast-track to having surgery in April of this year. 'She had one surgery and it came back as a spitzoid melanoma,' Michelle revealed. Frankie then had to undergo a second surgery to create more of a buffer around the site where the tumor was. And although Frankie did take a little while to recover from the surgery, she's fighting fit now. Mum Michelle Prebble (left) and dad Matt (top right) were shocked by the one in five million diagnosis . The youngster had to undergo two surgeries to completely remove the melanoma and now has rigorous and regular check-ups . 'It took a couple of months for everything to settle down, her arm was quite swollen and the scar was quite red,' her mum said. Wanting to put a 'positive spin' on the experience for their daughter, Matt and Michelle Prebble named the scar her 'brave mark' and taught Frankie how to care for the sore on her own. 'She puts her own little gel on there twice a day', Michelle revealed. Following the procedures Frankie now requires regular and extensive check-ups and screenings, something she may have to undergo for the rest of her life. A check up two weeks ago put Frankie in the clear, however her parents are awaiting more tests from overseas to find out more information about the tumor. For now, the two-year-old has to undergo lymph node tests and skin scans every three months, plus has had one PET scans so far and will require another later in the year. Frankie's parents discovered a tiny red mark on her arm last year and were lucky enough to catch it early . Frankie's parents said they still have many questions about how their daughter got the disease so young . Although Frankie has healed well from her procedures the Prebbles still have 'a lot of questions hanging over our heads.' 'We want to know why a two-year-old is presented with such a diagnosis, it's obviously not sun-related as she's only two,' Michelle revealed. Frankie's surgeon was Dr Mark Lee, who works out of the St John of God Hospital in Subiaco. Dr Lee told Daily Mail Australia that patients like Frankie are 'unique and confronting' but also particularly puzzling as there must be another cause for the cancer besides sun exposure. 'There's no family history with Frankie, there's nothing that we can really put our finger on at all, it's a big mystery,' he said. Despite these rare instances, Dr Lee said the occurrence of such cancers in young people in West Australia is on the decline, and that's a positive for the nation as a whole. 'It suggests that the sun0-smart message is getting through in Australia', he said. Dr Lee also spoke to the ABC, telling them that while his young patient is cancer-free now, she will need to keep a close eye on things as she gets older. 'It doesn't mean we rest on our laurels. We still need to follow her up very closely, probably lifelong, since she's had something so early', he said. Michelle said there's no way her melanoma could have been sun-related as Frankie is so young . This weekend Matt is taking part in the Ride to Conquer Cancer and has already raised $7000 . The Prebbles were lucky to catch their daughter's melanoma early, but that's not the case for all people diagnosed with what can be a devastating disease. However the ABC reported there are six new drugs which have been approved for Australian clinical trials, described by Dr Lee as 'very exciting'. Keen to assist research in the area, Matt is taking part in the Sun Super Ride to Conquer Cancer this weekend in Perth - which entails completing a gruelling 200 kilometre bike ride. He's already raised over $7000 and hopes that some of the funds can contribute towards researching some of the rarer forms of cancer, like Frankie's. The Prebbles also shared their experience following a breakfast at the weekend, held by the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in West Australia, a centre that along with Melanoma WA has been of great assistance to Frankie and Prebble family this year. The Prebbles hope the funds raised can go towards research for rare cancers like the one Frankie had . | Frankie Prebble was diagnosed with a melanoma in April of this year .
Her parents took her to the doctor when they noticed a red spot on her arm .
Frankie underwent two surgeries to remove the melanoma .
She now undergoes regularly and rigorous tests and scans .
Matt and Michelle Prebble were shocked by the rare diagnosis .
They are now raising funds to help cancer research . |
fdeb173b5059f5542e360c1feb315d4d25c34f1c | Everton manager Roberto Martinez hailed Romelu Lukaku as being 'back to his best' after the striker convincingly won his heavyweight contest with Manchester City's £32million defender Eliaquim Mangala on points. Lukaku, criticised this season for some lacklustre performances, was too quick and strong for his rival on a number of occasions and was the catalyst for a stirring Everton comeback against the champions. The Belgian – signed for £28million from Chelsea in the summer after a successful loan spell at Goodison Park - twice outpaced Mangala to nearly score, forced the City defender into a yellow card with another strong run and by the end the centre-half was panicky enough to nearly concede a penalty against Phil Jagielka, and then let Steven Naismith free for the equaliser that saw Everton salvage a 1-1 draw. Romelu Lukaku was denied by a Joe Hart's legs when he raced through down the right in the first half . Lukaku was a handful for both City defenders, here tussling with Argentine Martin Demicheli . Roberto Martinez hailed Lukaku as being back to his very best after the draw with City . Lukaku, 21, said after his FA cup goal against West Ham in midweek that he had asked Martinez to play more direct football to help his game. And the Everton boss was happy enough with his centre-forward on Saturday. 'Romelu is a player who needs to be at his physical best because of the power and pace in his game,' said Martinez. 'He can't contribute by just being half-fit and after the World Cup he wanted to make himself available even when he wasn't fully 100 per cent. The equaliser from forward Naismith on Saturday saw Manchester City lose ground on league leaders Chelsea . Fernandinho, celebrating with Sergio Aguero, put Manchester City in front at Goodison Park n Saturday . The Brazilian midfielder was unmarked in the six-yard box to flick a header into the bottom corner . 'Now he feels strong and can work for the 90 minutes. He proved in the races with Mangala and Martin Demichelis that he is strong. He would score in that position against Joe Hart nine times out of 10 but on this one the goalkeeper made a very good save. Romelu was full of character and responsibility. He looked back to his very best.' Mangala is finding his first season in English football but boss Manuel Pellegrini went through the same thing with Demichelis last season. 'We will analyse all the performances with the players but I hope people remember Demichelis had criticism last season and he became a very important player for us,' said the City manager. | Everton drew 1-1 with Manchester City at Goodison Park on Saturday .
Roberto Martinez said that striker Romelu Lukaku was back to his best .
The Belgium international got the better of City defender Eliaquim Mangala .
The pair cost their clubs a combined £60m (Lukaku £28m, Mangala £32m) |
fdeb1ac8be563f2857d152b9ea9d1658b1320654 | HOOVER, Alabama (CNN) -- Nine-year-old Kyle Graddy looked out across a minor league baseball diamond for the first time in his life and pondered the possibility of his own death. Kyle Graddy, who has a peanut allergy, enjoys his first pro baseball game. Exposure to peanuts can be deadly for Kyle, who took advantage of a peanut-free night hosted by the Birmingham Barons in June to enjoy his first pro baseball game. "I break out all over my arms and my neck, and it makes it hard for me to breathe," Kyle said, describing his symptoms. "And it could cause death or something." It was hardly an American boy's traditional ballpark initiation. But Kyle seemed to take it all in stride. He's among an estimated 1 percent of all U.S. children who have allergies to peanuts, according to the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Among both children and adults, at least 120 U.S. deaths are blamed on peanut allergies each year. Direct exposure to peanuts or peanut-tainted products could throw Kyle into what doctors call an anaphylactic reaction, when the body's immune system overreacts, triggering the release of chemicals such as histamines that can lead to a range of conditions, from hives to life-threatening airway constriction. Doctors are trying to solve the mystery of why peanuts are deadly for Kyle and other food allergy sufferers. To minimize the threat, the Barons power-washed Regions Park stadium for several consecutive days before the game to get rid of any peanuts or their remnants, spokesman Justin Rosenberg said. All peanuts or related products were removed from the facility's vendor booths. Watch as Kyle attends his first pro baseball game after the stadium undergoes thorough preparations » . Under the threat of rain on a muggy evening, the Graddys -- including Kyle's parents and two younger sisters, Amelia, 7, and Karlin, 4 -- took their seats in the center of the stadium where basketball legend Michael Jordan chased his baseball dreams 15 years before. Despite the team's promise of providing peanut-free food at vendors' booths, Kyle's mother, Barbara Graddy, packed her own munchies just to be safe. Along with a treasured red baseball cap, Kyle wore his EpiPen, the auto-injector -- dangling from a hook on his pants. If he has a severe reaction to peanuts, Kyle would use an auto-injector to give himself a shot of life-saving epinephrine, said Dirk Graddy, Kyle's father. "I don't think he lives in fear of dying or anything. It's important for him to know the seriousness of it, if he lets his guard down." Many might think that baseball games -- the subject of well-known song lyrics about "peanuts and Cracker Jack" -- would be among the most dangerous places for people with peanut allergies. But child food allergy specialist Dr. Robert Wood of Johns Hopkins Children's Center says the danger for older children with peanut allergies at stadiums is low. "In the open air, it's actually very rare to have enough exposure to cause any sort of reaction." More at risk, Wood said, are younger children ages 2 to 4 "who are crawling around on the floor, picking up peanut shells." The Graddys have been fighting peanut allergies since Kyle and his sister Amelia were diagnosed in 2004. A frightening episode at Amelia's preschool sparked the family crisis. "It was scary, because she had put her hand in a bowl of M&Ms and then rubbed her eye," Amelia's mother said. "Eventually, her eye was swollen shut. It looked like she had been punched." Soon it became clear that the Graddy kids would have childhoods a little bit different than those of other kids. "At first I was just really scared," Barbara Graddy said. "I was afraid they were going to die at school. There was just such an uncertainly." Eventually she reached out to experts online and in the medical community surrounding their hometown of Auburn, Alabama. Now she leads an allergy support group. From then on, Kyle and Amelia would bring their lunches instead of eating school food. They would ask classmates' parents not to send their children to school with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or any food that could be tainted with peanut products. They would always keep an auto-injector nearby, along with an emergency inhaler for asthma attacks, because they also suffer from asthma, which is common among children with food allergies. A 2008 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that food allergies are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. Although experts don't know what's causing the increase, scientists are researching about a dozen supported theories that might solve the mystery, Wood said. The most popular, the hygiene theory, "says we live in too clean an environment and that the less our immune systems are exposed to germs or bacterial byproducts, the more" prone they are to allergies, he said. Other theories, he said, involve nutritional factors such as increased exposure to peanuts early in the diet, food processing or vitamins. One theory says low vitamin D may be behind the cause. "In reality, it probably is a variety of things over the past 10 or 20 years in the environment that has led to this increase," Wood said. "Quite promising" immunotherapy studies are in very early stages, Wood said. They involve giving patients the proteins of foods they're allergic to, orally or under the tongue, until they are desensitized. "There are clearly a majority of patients who can be desensitized to a certain point and at least some patients who appear to be completely cured of the allergy after going through these treatments." Meanwhile, the Graddys are hopeful that Kyle's and Amelia's allergies will disappear as they enter adulthood, but that doesn't happen very often, experts say. The family is thinking about venturing out for another baseball game -- this time, at a stadium with peanuts. Dirk Graddy is talking about loading up the minivan and trekking to see the minor-league Biscuits play in nearby Montgomery. "Yes, we might risk it," he smiled, "as long as people aren't throwing peanuts." | Kids with deadly food allergies enjoy rare peanut-free ballpark .
At least 120 people die each year in the United States from peanut allergies .
Food allergies are becoming more prevalent worldwide, CDC says .
Doctors developing theories to explain increasing prevalence of food allergies . |
fdeb23c8c07d89ea0763992a6e26683c27d99d27 | CCTV images capture the moment a public-spirited van driver pulls over for police motorcyclists - only to face punishment for straying into a bus lane. Daniel Wiggins pulled in to allow five police motorcycle-riders to pass as he drove his Peugeot van through south-west London earlier this year. But he was left stunned when he was later told he would have to pay a fine of more than £500 for driving in a bus lane. CCTV images show the moment van driver Daniel Wiggins pulled in for a cavalcade of five police motorcyclists . The painter and decorator was left furious after his conscientious actions landed him with a huge fine . His shock turned to anger when CCTV images sent to him showed his van only entered the restricted lane as the bikes passed him on his right-hand side. The problem was made all the worse when he failed to receive the letter ordering him to pay the fine, meaning his vehicle was later clamped. He was left facing a £512 fine to prevent bailiffs towing the vehicle, money he had wanted to spend on a holiday. Mr Wiggins, of Surbition, south-west London, told The Sun: 'What was I supposed to do? Not let the police through? It's all a complete joke.' Kingston council originally told Mr Wiggins he was too late to appeal, but finally agreed to refund the fine after the pictures were published yesterday. Earlier this year, it emerged that drivers are now paying £135million a year to offences caught on spy cameras in bus lanes and box junctions. Motoring organisations say the figures - up nearly 20 per cent on the previous year - show councils are targeting drivers to balance their budgets. Mr Wiggins was keeping to the road before he spotted the police riders in his wing-mirror and pulled in . He was originally told he was too late to appeal the fine and even faced having his vehicle towed . The CCTV cameras spot those guilty of straying into bus lanes, blocking box junctions or committing other infringements. Penalties can be as high as £130 and only a tiny fraction are quashed on appeal. Sarah Rice of the RAC said of the figures: 'It really does look as though motorists are being used to raise revenue for cash-strapped councils. ‘Cameras need to be set up fairly and signed clearly so that drivers are not unduly punished for minor errors just to generate more money for the authorities. Motorists are generally law abiding and want to obey the rules.' London drivers bear the brunt of the fines and were penalised 850,000 times in 2012/13 compared with 797,000 the year before. Another blunder saw driver Jonathan Palgrave, of Lincolnshire, fined £60 for driving in a bus lane in Sheffield, a city he has never visited. The 32-year-old's kit car was accidentally mixed up with a council roadsweeper after authorities in the Yorkshire city confused a 'B' with an 'E'. | Daniel Wiggins allowed the cavalcade to pass him in south-west London .
He was fined for driving in the bus lane, but didn't receive letter about action .
Painter-decorator only found out about the issue when he was clamped .
Authorities told him he would have to pay £512 savings to keep his vehicle .
Council finally agrees to refund amount after CCTV proved what happened .
Figures show motorists now pay £135million a year for the offence . |
fdeb507572aefc3ccff123e5c2d438b3c07c50e9 | (EW.com ) -- Is this the face of a beautiful prima ballerina who burns for her beautiful brother — and yearns for revenge against her equally beautiful mother? Lifetime thinks so. EW can confirm that 26-year-old Rose McIver will star as Cathy in "Petals on the Wind," the network's upcoming sequel to its hit adaptation of V.C. Andrews's "Flowers in the Attic." McIver will inherit the role from Kiernan Shipka, who played Cathy from ages 12 through 15 in the first film. The novel on which Petals is based picks up immediately where Flowers leaves off, covering a sequence of events that take place over the course of 12 years; Lifetime's movie version will take a different approach, beginning a decade after the events of the first movie. (Which is a good thing, since it means viewers will be spared scenes of Sally Draper seducing a 40-year-old man.) McIver, a New Zealand native, may be known best to American audiences as Vivian Scully on Showtime's "Masters of Sex" or Tinker Bell on ABC's "Once Upon a Time." As her Facebook page notes, McIver also used to study ballet and jazz dance — which may come in handy when playing dancer-turned-teacher Cathy. She joins returning "Flowers" cast members Heather Graham and Ellen Burstyn, who will reprise their roles Cathy's wicked mother and grandmother, respectively. See the original story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | McIver will star as Cathy in "Petals on the Wind"
The Lifetime film is the sequel to their version of "Flowers in the Attic"
Heather Graham and Ellen Burstyn will return in the sequel . |
fdeb532beaa3d5260fa53fc61290d82cb54e0ce3 | (CNN)Boko Haram's murderous tactics have descended to a new barbaric low. Last Saturday, a bomb strapped to a schoolgirl exploded in the center of Maiduguri in Borno state, killing at least 20 people. Then, on Sunday, two girls simultaneously blew themselves up in a market in Potiskum in Yobe state, killing three and injuring more than 40. It is clear that girls as young as 10 are being lined up as suicide bombers to further Boko Haram's cause. And these new bombings come as Boko Haram has also caused outrage around the world with its indiscriminate massacre of innocent men, women and children in the towns of Baga and Doron Baga. Indeed, new photographs obtained by Amnesty International show the devastation of more than 3,700 homes, local shops, local churches and their local schools. Nothing, it seems, is sacrosanct. Daniel Eyre, Nigeria researcher for Amnesty International, said this was the "largest and most destructive" Boko Haram assault his organization has ever seen. The Nigerian government estimated 150 people were killed, but some widely reported private estimates put the figure as high as 2,000. Days earlier, on January 4, 40 boys and young men, ages 10 to 23, were abducted from a village in the Nigerian state of Borno. This willful destruction of even the most innocent of lives destroys any illusion that Boko Haram will try to shield any civilian, however young or however frail, from its attacks and killings. As a result, this year is poised to be a year of infamy that could exceed the horrors of the last one. In November, for example, at least 120 people were killed in a bomb attack on a central mosque in Kano, the principal city of northern Nigeria. A few weeks earlier, the terror group kidnapped at least 97 people, including many children, during raids on villages in Borno state. When earlier in the year they invaded the northern village of Izghe, Boko Haram militants went door-to-door, killing any man, woman or child they came across. And perhaps most infamously, last year some 220 girls were abducted from Chibok by Boko Haram. Sadly, there has been no news on their whereabouts, meaning none of these families know whether their daughters are safe. No one knows if his or her daughter has been married off, raped, violated or even whether she is alive or dead. Every waking hour remains a nightmare for these families. Boko Haram's ever more violent and ever more vicious abuse of children as weapons of war -- as victims, as slaves and as suicide bombers -- must be addressed, because the threat is only likely to grow. After all, the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, who has a $7 million bounty on his head, was seen last week in a video praising the jihadists who killed 17 people in the Paris attacks. The Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium has described Shekau as a "religious intellectual, yet also a gangster and vigilante as well as a mad leader." With all this in mind, I am urging the international community to step up its pursuit, exposure and surveillance of Boko Haram and to do more to coordinate action against their cross-border incursions into Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and other countries. Following the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, a special initiative for children was launched -- the safe schools plan. It was in response to the news that children, fearful of further terrorist attacks, had been staying away from school. The idea behind this is admirable -- the notion of safe schools and a universal call for every child to have the right to education, free of fear and intimidation. This plan is being put into place, and steps are being taken to fortify and guard schools, to improve security and to create a line of communication between schools and police and army. These new initiatives are backed by the Safe School Guidelines, passed by the United Nations to stop the use of schools as military targets and to ensure that they are havens free from exploitation by terrorist groups. Just as hospitals are regarded as protected under international law, so should schools. While better fortifications will of course not ultimately stop the carnage if a terrorist group is hellbent on an attack, the deterrent effect of enhanced security measures offers at least a first line of defense. And it also sends the important message to parents that everything possible is being done to make schools safer for their children. Over the last few weeks, $23 million has been raised for safe schools from the international community, and in the last few days the United States and Britain have announced further help for the initiative. But we are calling on all aid agencies to support this innovative plan, one that could, if applied round the world, help children worried about the threat to their schools, in countries from Pakistan to Lebanon. It is hard for many of us in the West to imagine what it is like to be scared even to travel to school, yet too many children around the world confront that fear every day. It is time for that to change. | Gordon Brown: Boko Haram's tactics have hit a new barbaric low .
Boko Haram's abuse of children is growing more vicious, he says . |
fdebbd142cd403070f9e7962c90cd6fd5128c99a | (CNN) -- The arrest and strip-search of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, accused of visa fraud, has sparked questions about the complex, murky system of diplomatic immunity. "There's a lot of subjectivity on this stuff," says CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. Khobragade's lawyer, Daniel Arshack, says his client is entitled to diplomatic immunity and can't be prosecuted under U.S. law, CNN's Indian sister network IBN reported. But the State Department says Khobragade's consular immunity does not cover this kind of crime. Now, Khobragade has been moved to India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations -- where, Indian officials say, she may get full diplomatic immunity. The rules involved are laid out by the State Department in a guidance document for law enforcement and judicial authorities. "Most of these privileges and immunities are not absolute, and law enforcement officers retain their fundamental responsibility to protect and police the orderly conduct of persons in the United States," the document states. Members of consular posts, such as Khobragade at the time of her arrest, do not have the same level of immunity as those who work at diplomatic missions. Consular officers have some immunity involving official acts, but their "personal inviolability" is "quite limited," the document says. They may be arrested and detained for alleged felonies, and may be prosecuted for misdemeanors. Their families have no immunity of any kind. Determining what distinguishes an official act from a personal one is often not cut-and-dry. "No law enforcement officer, State Department officer, diplomatic mission, or consulate is authorized to determine whether a given set of circumstances constitutes an official act.," the document states. "This is an issue which may only be resolved by the court with subject matter jurisdiction over the alleged crime." A consular officer who is charged may argue that the allegations involve official acts. If the court agrees, the case must be dismissed. Khobragade is accused of submitting false documents to obtain a work visa for her female housekeeper, paying her less than the amount stated. It's unclear whether she'll argue that the alleged act would be in the performance of her official duties, rather than personal. Some personnel within diplomatic missions wouldn't have to face such questions. Diplomatic agents, who have the highest level of immunity, "enjoy complete personal inviolability, which means that they may not be handcuffed (except in extraordinary circumstances), arrested, or detained," the State Department document says. "Diplomatic agents also enjoy complete immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the host country's courts and thus cannot be prosecuted no matter how serious the offense unless their immunity is waived by the sending state." In most cases, these kinds of issues are resolved through negotiations, Toobin says. "The courts rarely get involved. Because the countries have a lot of connections to each other, there's a lot of interest in both sides in resolving it without recourse at the courts." | U.S. authorities accuse Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade of visa fraud .
Her consular immunity does not cover this kind of crime, the U.S. says .
Her attorney argues that she has diplomatic immunity .
There's "a lot of subjectivity" on such matters, CNN legal analyst says . |
fdebc1c87e5ed29a22418d16b6536916c8f2e94e | A football mascot has lost his job after nearly two decades - because he became 'too thin' after losing weight to combat type 2 diabetes. Lenny Berry, 59, has dressed up in character for Bradford City FC since 1994. But after he shed seven stone bosses told him his figure ‘no longer matched the original concept’ of the mascot 'City Gent'. The character - based on a former chairman - is rotund, teams a club strip with a bowler hat and briefcase, interacts with fans at matches and appears at charity functions. Weight off his mind: Lenny Berry lost his job as Bradford's mascot because he was not fat enough . But Mr Berry has now finished his duties after he was diagnosed with diabetes and dropped to ten stone. Mr Berry has dressed up in character for Bradford City FC since 1994 but when he lost weight, club bosses told him he 'no longer matched the original concept' of the mascot 'City Gent' The club offered him a 'Sumo-style' suit to get round the problem, but the life-long Bradford City fan refused. Mr Berry, of Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, said: ‘I'm absolutely gutted. I am a grown man and this is something I have cried over. I used to have supporters chant things at me, like “who ate all the pies?” ‘I used to get them going and then grab my belly. I play the part of the mascot though, through my face and my eyes. I've always had a good rapport with fans. ‘I've been through the Bradford City fire. I've been through everything down there. I don't want the club getting hurt, I love the club. If you cut me open I'd be claret and amber. ‘It's not the team and it's not the club, but I am disappointed with the way it's been dealt with. ‘Over the years I've done a lot of fundraising. I've taken part in mascot races and other events. ‘I will still be at Bradford City as a season-ticket holder, but it is really sad.’ Mr Berry has been a Bantams' fan since the age of seven and started working at the club selling cushions aged 14. In 1994 he took over as the mascot City . Gent, a large character modelled on former club chairman - the late . Stafford Heginbotham. However, the textiles worker said he received a letter from the club about his future in the role in mid-July. Glory days: Berry in happier times when performing his mascot duties . Happy fan: Berry at last season's Capital One Cup final . He said: ‘In a meeting I asked why it wasn't brought up six years ago when I first lost the weight. They said they knew about my health issues. ‘Obviously I've lost a lot of weight. I . used to be 17 and a half stone, whereas I'm now around ten and a half. I . lost it in about 18 months after I found out I had diabetes.’ Club director Roger Owens said the . issue of club mascots had been discussed during a board meeting and it . had agreed ‘action needed to be taken’. He . said: ‘In the case of The City Gent, the main issue was his physical . appearance, which was much changed from the original concept of the . then-chairman, the late Stafford Heginbotham, who styled the City Gent . on himself. Having a belly-full: Berry, right, with Paul Gascoigne in 1997 . Director Roger Owens said: 'The main issue was his physical appearance, which was much changed from the original concept of the then-chairman, Stafford Heginbotham.' Image shows Mr Berry before he lost weight . ‘We agreed that action needed to be taken. It was also agreed that Lenny be formally contacted, by letter, to put our various points to him and to suggest that the club obtain a Sumo-type suit with character head piece to represent the Gent. ‘The Football League had told us at the . time of the League Two Play-Off final that only animal or human mascots . were now appropriate if they wore an anonymous headset. Ditched: Bradford have axed Berry and will make do with just one mascot - Billy Bantam . ‘Lenny was given a deadline to respond, which was extended and then not complied with by our meeting on Friday. ‘Lenny advised me that he would cease his role as City Gent with immediate effect. ‘The board has now decided that as we are adequately covered by Billy Bantam and that the City Gent name lives on in the excellent club fanzine, we will not replace The City Gent as a mascot.’ Mr Owen added: 'I had also explained to Lenny that he would cease to be part of the mascots match-day ground tour because of the size of his suit and as such he would cease to be paid and have his taxation affairs dealt with by the club. 'Lenny asked about the continuation of his appearance at charity events and he was told that these would cease as the club had not been given a full fix on his activities and we cannot have possible conflict. 'At that point Lenny advised me that he would cease his role as City Gent with immediate effect.' | Lenny Berry, 59, has been the mascot 'City Gent' since 1994 .
He dropped from 17 stone to 10 stone after being diagnosed with diabetes .
Was told that he 'no longer matched the original concept' of the mascot known as the 'City Gent' that wears a bowler hat and carries a briefcase .
Was offered a Sumo suit but refused it and left the job . |
fdebd3b76b2151473b79bfd5ecb917cc70210d62 | Editor's note: Bryan Batt, who plays the closeted art director Salvatore Romano in the Emmy award-winning cable TV series "Mad Men," has acted in nine Broadway and nine Off-Broadway productions, such as "Sunset Boulevard," "Beauty and the Beast," "Jeffrey" and "Starlight Express." Batt, who is 45, has been acting for 23 years. He spoke to CNN.com about being an openly gay actor. "We have to work toward acceptance on all levels," says actor Bryan Batt, who is openly gay. (CNN) -- There was once a time when the revelation of one's homosexuality in Hollywood was thought to be a career-killer. Now, out gays and lesbians such as TV host Ellen DeGeneres and pop singer Clay Aiken are featured on the cover of People magazine. There are also more gay characters on prime-time television shows than ever before. But even with greater acceptance by the mainstream public, is coming out still a big deal? To shed light on the issue, CNN recently spoke to Bryan Batt, 45, about his experience as an openly gay actor in Hollywood. CNN: Has being openly gay affected your career? Batt: I came from the stage; much of my experience has been on the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage. Being gay never really posed a problem. In the Broadway community, it's always been a little more accepted. There's something different with film acting and TV acting. You're in someone's home -- it's more intimate. When I look at someone, I really don't care about whom they're sleeping with or what they're doing. I'm thinking they either have talent or no talent. But people are really obsessed with wanting to know about the ins and outs of people's private lives. It's still like high school. Batt plays both straight, gay roles » . CNN: When did you come out? Batt: My real Broadway break was in "Starlight Express." At that time, I was toying with [coming out]. It's harder to live a lie than to try to hide your natural instincts and your natural longings just to conform to what other people think you should be. I've heard of people doing it in Hollywood. It's a very sad and difficult choice. I think it's a personal journey, and I think people on their own time will figure it out. Clay Aiken is still really very, very young; he has to deal with his own issues. Thank God, when it was my time, no one was pushing me; no one was trying to force me. It was on my own terms intimately with my mother and brother. It went wonderfully. My mother said, "No matter what, you're my son. I'm going to love you." Not one of my family or friends turned their back on me. I was fortunate, but it was still a very difficult thing to do, and I was fearful. Afterwards, it was like the heaviest weight was taken off my back; all those years worrying for nothing. But not everyone is as lucky; some people are shunned and kicked out of their homes and families, which is criminal. Just this year, I was asked to host a fundraiser for The Point Foundation, a wonderful group that provides full college scholarships to gay and lesbian students of merit who have suffered such treatment by their families and cannot afford tuition and the necessary funds for higher education -- an inspiring organization. I only told my mother and my brother after I was cast in "Jeffrey," a play by Paul Rudnick that was the first AIDS comedy. I said to myself, if I get this, I've just got to sit down and talk with my family. My partner and I have been together 19 years, and that was the same time he told his parents. A good parent knows; they love and accept. What most good parents want for their children is for their child to be happy and healthy and be good contributing members of society. CNN: Are there barriers to what openly gay actors can do today? Batt: It's just like any prejudice, once you let go of any prejudice they all have to go. They're not based on facts, just on stereotypes. I really think yes, there might be some homophobia in Hollywood, but it's based on what will sell. Hollywood is a huge industry, a multibillion-dollar business. If actors who are gay will get ratings and will sell, they will get cast. There are always going to be people who look at people who are different and who disapprove [of them] either through fear or through ignorance. We have to work toward acceptance on all levels. How long ago were the civil rights movement and the women's movement? And, still today, women don't make the same amount of money as men do for doing the same job. CNN: What's your view of the character you play, Salvatore Romano, in "Mad Men"? Batt: The character basically is clearly gay to a 2007 audience, but no one in the world of 1960 is suspicious whatsoever. What a great role to play. This season, I'm married. I get stopped all the time on the street, and I get asked, "When is your character coming out?" What is he coming out to in 1962? I asked to get married this season. I thanked [series creator] Matthew Weiner, and he said, "You asked." It provides another wonderful level to the character. That is what happened then and unfortunately still happens today. [In a recent episode, the "Gold Violin,"] the scene with my wife, it was just so poignant and painful, someone said to me that what she loved about the episode was that we clearly did love each other. We were like the gold violin, we were beautiful but we just didn't make music . CNN: What would you like to see Hollywood do? Batt: Continue to reward good work and put positive role models out there. The one thing about "Brokeback Mountain" -- it was a beautifully filmed and acted film depicting a tortured relationship. The reason I thought the movie was so great is people walked away thinking, "Why couldn't they just be together?" The more positive or interesting the portrayal of gay and lesbian characters, the better. They should show people who are living their good, healthy, responsible, productive lives as role models who just happen to be gay. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the subject. | Actor Bryan Batt, who's openly gay, plays a closeted man in TV series "Mad Men"
Homophobia that still exists in Hollywood is based on what will sell, Batt says .
He believes positive, interesting portrayals of gays and lesbians are beneficial . |
fdec36fadc705c047bdf8d98d5bf24e5b6d51012 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:25 EST, 30 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:04 EST, 30 July 2013 . Former Labour minister Denis MacShane has had his court case for fiddling his expenses delayed until after his summer holiday, it emerged today. Magistrates said they were 'mystified' by the decision to put off the case until after he returns from his pre-booked break on September 4. The former Europe Minister has been charged with false accounting after prosecutors said there was enough evidence to bring a case over suspicious claims worth £12,900. Former Labour MP Denis MacShane has been charged with false accounting over parliamentary expenses claims . The 65-year-old was given permission not to appear in court today to face a charge of false accounting over his expenses claims. His lawyers told Westminster Magistrates' Court they needed more time to make progress with his case. But Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle said he was 'a little mystified' that yesterday another district judge had granted permission for the former Rotherham MP not to appear, but adjourned the case until September 10. He said: 'There must be a large amount of paperwork that the solicitors need to go through. I'm a little mystified that the decision has been made and I can't look behind that decision.' MacShane is accused of false accounting over alleged fraudulent claims of £12,900 for research and translation services. Prosecutors announced earlier this month that he would face one count of false accounting following claims that he had faked receipts. Today the court was told that he has a . pre-booked holiday from late-August until September 4, and that his . legal team had asked for the case to be adjourned until after that date. MacShane was Europe minister in Tony Blair's government, when Jack Straw (left) was Foreign Secretary . Prosecutor . William Hayes said that his solicitors had written to the court on July . 19, mentioning 'the gravity and complexity' of the matter, and . explaining the difficulty the team would have to 'make progress' by . today. MacShane quit the Commons last year, after 18 years as MP for Rotherham. Prosecutors accuse the former outspoken MP of fraudulently charging taxpayers for research and translation services. Announcing the decision to press charges earlier this month, Malcolm McHaffie, of . the Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘This charge . relates to fraudulent claims with a total value of £12,900. The charge . is of false accounting, contrary to the Theft Act 1968. ‘It is alleged that Denis MacShane claimed expenses for research and . translation services carried out by a company that did not carry out . that work. Denis MacShane now stands charged with a criminal offence and . has the right to a fair trial.’ In a statement, MacShane said: ‘I am disappointed at the CPS decision . but as the matter is now in the hands of the court, I will be making no . further statement.’ Denis MacShane was born in Glasgow in 1948 and was educated at the independent St Benedict's School, in Ealing, before reading history at Merton College, Oxford. He worked for the BBC from 1969 to 1977. He was policy director of the International Metal Workers' Federation from 1980 to 1992. He served as an MP for Rotherham from 1994 until his resignation last year. During this time he served under the Labour Government, including a period as Minister for Europe from 2002 until 2005. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Former Europe minister has been charged with false accounting .
CPS has decided there was 'sufficient evidence' to proceed against him .
Magistrates left 'mystified' by decision to delay case until September . |
fdec5b4dbe010ba269c9bf0fd61223841c678f6a | Iraqi families have paid as much as £1,200 to secure the safe release of their sons, who were being held captive after ISIS militants decided pigeon breeding was un-Islamic. The militants released a dozen men, aged between 16 and 22, who were taken from their homes in the eastern province of Diyala earlier this week. They had originally captured 15 pigeon breeders, but had executed three, a security official said. Scroll down for video . ISIS militants captured 15 pigeon breeders, and killed three, in the eastern province of Diyala, Iraq, after deciding bird breeding is against Islamic religion before it takes time away from worshipping Allah . Farmer Abu Abdullah said he had paid a £1,200 ransom to secure his 21-year-old son's release . Abu Abdullah, a farmer, told NBC News he had managed to get the money together after borrowing from family. Others had handed over jewellery to secure their sons' release. Mr Abdullah revealed his son had been severely beaten and warned not to keep pigeons again. Pigeon breeding is a popular hobby in the region, but it is said to be frowned upon by extremist Islamist fighters because they believe it is a distraction from worshipping Allah. Mr Abdullah, 52, said he was standing beside his son when ISIS militants stormed the family home and kidnapped his son. He said: 'I asked them why and they said: "He is not following the real Islam, he must be punished for being a pigeon breeder. This habit is taking him away from worshiping Allah." 'I begged them again to know where are they taking him, what are they going to do to him. They said he is going to be taken to be judged according to the Islamic Sharia. 'They pushed me, and when my son tried to stop them from pushing me they beat him. Then they put him inside the car and left.' It comes after ISIS militants bound and blindfolded men before throwing them off the top of a 100ft tower block for 'homosexual crimes'. Shocking video footage showed the men falling to their death in Raqqa, Syria . A masked Islamic fighter used a handheld radio to read aloud the 'crimes' committed by the homosexual men . Video footage then showed the men being pushed off the top of the tower block and falling to their death . He said the militants also scoured the house for pigeons before rounding up the birds, dumping them in bags and burning them. The news comes after it was revealed that ISIS extremists executed 13 teenage boys for watching the Asian Cup football match between Iraq and Jordan last week. The young football fans had been caught watching the game on television in the Iraqi city of Mosul, which is controlled by the Islamic State. The teenagers were rounded up and publicly executed by a firing squad using machine guns, according to anti-ISIS activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently. ISIS now controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq, having taken over a considerable amount since last year . The small activist group said the teenagers were rounded up by militants in the Al-Yarmouk district of Mosul after 'breaking religious laws' by watching football. It came just days after ISIS released a video showing two men being thrown off the top of a tower block in Raqqa, Syria, for being gay. A masked Islamic State fighter announced the charges against the accused using a small handheld radio, before declaring them guilty of engaging in homosexual activities. He said they should be punished by death, in accordance with Islamic State's radical interpretation of Sharia law. The men were then bound and blindfolded before being pushed off the 100ft tower block to their death. | ISIS militants reportedly captured 15 pigeon breeders in Diyala, Iraq .
Security official claims that three of men - aged 16 to 22 - have been killed .
Families paid ransoms in money and jewellery to secure sons' release .
Extremists said to have taken bird breeders as it is 'against Islamic region' |
fded046ccb5954adf3f332a772d5fc96a2091294 | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 06:53 EST, 28 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:12 EST, 28 November 2013 . When your local pub is refurbished you might expect a few new leather chairs, polished bar and a lick of paint. So former regulars of the Red Lion in Mayfair might be surprised to see it now has an indoor swimming pool, five bedrooms and eight bathrooms. The disused pub has been transformed from a dingy drinking establishment to a luxury home – worth £25million. Luxury: This is the dining room of Red Lion House, a £25million home in Mayfair which has been converted from a pub . Rare: The home boasts a roof terrace overlooking the wealthy district of Mayfair . Conversion: The whole of the building was demolished apart from the old facade of the former pub . Gone: The popular Red Lion pub was shut down in 2009 and the building is now back on the market . Cladding: Much of the building is now covered in aluminium leaves intended to imitate a nearby Virginia Creeper tree . It was closed down in 2009 and sold . to developers who began a major renovation project in the style of the . Channel 4 programme Grand Designs. Much . of the building was demolished, but the Red Lion’s original facade – . now painted a pristine white – is still part of the home.Architects . designed two subterranean levels, more than doubling the site’s area . from 4,200sqft to 9,500sqft. They . even clad a large expanse of the property’s walls in 4,080 folded . aluminium leaves which mirror the real Virginia creeper climbing the . opposite building on Curzon Street. And . while drinkers may have jostled for a seat on a Friday night in the . old pub, its new occupants will be spoilt for choice thanks to four . reception rooms and two roof terraces. Pool: Two new storeys built below ground include a subterranean swimming pool, pictured . Marble: Two of the eight bathrooms contained in the home, which is one of the priciest currently on the market in Britain . Entertainment: The home cinema room at Red Lion House, which will cost 250 times the average British home . Relaxation: One of four reception rooms in the home; planning permission was granted by Westminster council despite estate agents' doubts . Room with a view: The lucky new owner will be able to look over Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels . Keeping fit: The in-house gym is another feature of the extra space built below ground . The . home, now called Red Lion House, still has a bar in the underground . part of the building – which also boasts a cinema, gym and swimming . pool. Marketed by estate . agent Wetherell, the property is within close reach of 26 . Michelin-starred restaurants and a number of five-star hotels. It also . includes underfloor heating, a bespoke kitchen and a maid’s bedroom. Peter . Wetherell, managing director of the estate agent, said the pub ‘went . downhill over the years’, adding: ‘It is a prime example of what you can . do by taking a piece of real estate and transforming it into a fine . home. ‘It is also a bit of a mystery from the outside, and having a roof terrace is rare – you don’t see many of these in Mayfair.’ The £25million price tag makes Red Lion House 150 times more expensive than the average property sold in England and Wales. Fixtures and fittings: The kitchen and casual dining area in the home, located in an area beloved of the international super-rich . Pastel hues: One of the five bedrooms in Red Lion House, designed by architects Squire and Partners . Work: A desk and sofa dominate this office space in the home, which could prove a fruitful work environment for the millionaire who buys it . Going for a dip: The steps which lead into the underground pool below the property . Suite: Another bedroom in the unique property being sold by estate agent Peter Wetherell . Garden: One of the roof terraces is covered in greenery with a wall of plants and several pots . Expansive: The home will be perfect for an oligarch looking to settle in to the luxury London lifestyle . Chillaxing: The sofa area of the house next to a coffee table and fireplace . Bath: The radical re-design of the house was praised by planners who said the building was 'striking' Sought-after: The unique property is likely to attract a fierce bidding war from ultra-wealthy buyers . | Red Lion pub shut down in 2009 and the whole building was demolished apart from the facade .
It has now been turned into a luxury family home and has gone on the market for £25million .
The house boasts and underground swimming pool and gym and is clad in delicate aluminium leaves . |
fded32ab942ed12a9dc74fa26328e03b0e9160ee | By . Liz Hull, Rosie Taylor and Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 12:06 EST, 22 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:04 EST, 24 July 2012 . Dressed in period costume, seven-year-old Karl Doran is pictured at the museum where he was crushed to death. The youngster died after falling from the trailer of a steam-powered traction engine which was being driven by his father at an open-air museum. He would ride the rear of the machine in period costume as his dad drove around the museum's grounds. Heartbreaking: Karl Doran died after falling from the trailer of a steam-powered traction engine. He would ride the rear of the machine in period costume, pictured, as his dad drove around the museum grounds . Karl, who lived in Darlington, had been enjoying a ride on the vintage vehicle being driven by his father Phillip Doran, 41, when the accident happened. Emergency . services arrived at Beamish museum, near Stanley, County Durham, just . before 3pm but Karl, who had suffered serious head injuries, died at the . scene. Fatal accident: A vintage steam engine at Beamish. The passengers' faces are obscured as they were not involved in yesterday's tragedy . His father, a museum volunteer, was taken to hospital suffering from shock immediately after the incident but has since been able to speak to police. DCI Victoria Fuller, who is leading the . joint police and health and safety investigation, said today: 'We are treating this as a tragic . incident and are working with our colleagues in the Health and Safety . Executive to establish the exact circumstances. 'We have already spoken to a number of witnesses but need to speak to . some key people who may have been on a bus or tram which passed the . traction engine around the time of the incident which occurred at around . 3pm.' Karl and his father, both steam enthusiasts, were frequent volunteers at . Beamish. Mr Doran was driving the steam traction engine along a road adjacent to the railway line in the museum grounds when the incident happened. A post mortem examination carried out last night confirmed that Karl's death was due to a head injury. Richard Evans, the museum director, said today: 'We continue . to support the joint investigation and offer our deep condolences to . Karl’s family.' The . award-winning museum, which has working trams and other old fashioned . machines driving around its grounds, was packed with families enjoying . the good weather and the first weekend of the school holidays. Tragedy: Emergency services at Beamish Museum in Stanley, . County Durham, yesterday. Karl's father was driving the steam traction engine along a road adjacent to the railway line when the incident happened . It was immediately closed and evacuated after the accident. Tragic: Little Karl Doran died from serious head injuries after falling from the trailer of a steam-powered traction engine . Inspector Stephen Dowdle, of Durham Constabulary, said yesterday: ‘A seven-year-old boy had been involved in an incident with a steam traction engine and trailer and had been pronounced dead at the scene. ‘He appeared to have suffered serious head injuries. ‘The engine driver was taken to . hospital suffering from shock. He will be spoken to by police at an . appropriate time and is being treated as a witness. ‘Detectives and road policing officers are at the scene to establish exactly what took place.’ Police were carrying out a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive, he added. The . museum, whose full name is the Living Museum of the North, opened in . its current form in 1970 and preserves life as it was in 1913. Its . thousands of objects and original, replica and relocated buildings are . based on the early 20th century, late Victorian period and the . Industrial Revolution of 1825. They include a replica town, village, . railway station and farm which helps preserve traditional and rare . livestock breeds, as well as a mid-19th century drift mine. The . museum has won several awards, including the Sandford Award for . Heritage Education 2011 and Living Museum of the Year in 2000, 2002 and . 2004. In 1986 it was named British Museum of . the Year and the following year was crowned European Museum of the Year. Its supporters include Art Council England and the Heritage Lottery . Fund. Horror: Paramedics were called to the museum (file picture) just before 3pm yesterday. Karl . was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering head injuries and his father Philip was taken to hospital suffering from shock . Staff in period costume and visitors can get around using a steam railway, tramway, wagonway and old buses. Last night hundreds of Facebook users paid tribute to the boy on the museum’s page on the social networking website. Anna Barker wrote: ‘Such awful news for all involved. Thoughts to the little boy and his family and also to the staff at Beamish who are such a close-knit community.’ Lisa Caroline Dixon added: ‘Such a tragic accident. Thoughts of deep condolences go out to his family, friends, all those involved and the evacuated visitors today who must all be deeply devastated. Stephen Coulthard said he had seen the boy on the engine earlier in the day and described the death as ‘tragic’. Kenny Flint Snr wrote: ‘Such a sad, sad day. A young lad doing something he must have really enjoyed, being involved and around steam engines. R.I.P little man our thoughts go out to your family and friends.’ Catherine Lundy said: ‘Very sorry to hear about this awful event at such a beautiful place of interest. Thoughts are with the family.’ Any witnesses are urged to contact Durham Police. | Karl Doran, from Darlington, fell from the trailer of a steam powered traction engine at Beamish museum .
He suffered serious head injuries and died at the scene while his father was treated for shock . |
fdeda3b3cce486b52708844299cd7a0ff4820472 | By . Claire Ellicott . PUBLISHED: . 19:12 EST, 11 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:34 EST, 13 February 2013 . Factsheet: The RSPCA has a factsheet advising families to put out scraps of food in the garden to feed hungry foxes. But experts have desccribed the advice as 'irresponsible' Experts have condemned the RSPCA as being ‘very irresponsible’ for advising families to put out scraps of food in the garden to feed hungry foxes. The astonishing suggestion emerged just days after a baby boy had his finger bitten off by a fox that attempted to drag him out the door of his home. The RSPCA guidance offers ‘cheese, boiled potatoes, raw chicken pieces, bread and table scraps’ as suitable foods in answer to the query ‘How can I help foxes living in the area?’. It adds that providing food ‘could help and even give you a chance to watch them’. The leaflet, entitled ‘Living with foxes’, and designed to be printed off the internet, recommends ear plugs for residents who are tired of hearing foxes shrieking in mating season. It also includes a section about how to deter foxes. The suggestion to provide food appears very different from comments by the charity after the attack on five-week-old Denny Dolan in Bromley, South-East London. A male fox tried to snatch him away by dragging him out of the door by his hand. His mother Hayley Cawley fought the animal off and doctors had to reattach his left ring finger after the fox bit it off in the attack last week. On Sunday, the RSPCA appeared to discourage feeding, saying: ‘It’s extremely unusual for foxes to attack young children or anyone. ‘It’s not typical fox behaviour at all. Foxes will come closer to a house if there are food sources. Then they can become quite bold, but they usually do back off and run away when there’s people around.’ However, the leaflet continues to be available online. Last night, pest control expert Peter Crowden warned: ‘If you feed foxes, they will be encouraged to go into people’s homes in search of more food. You shouldn’t feed foxes in your garden. ‘They will come closer and closer to get food. When your novelty of feeding them wears off, that’s when they will start entering houses. ‘The RSPCA are very irresponsible for issuing this advice. Advice: The leaflet, entitled 'Living with foxes', encourages residents to wear to wear earplugs to avoid hearing foxes shrieking in mating season . ‘People are encouraged to feed them and you see people feeding them out of their hands in their lounges. But foxes are wild animals and they will stay wild animals. If you want to feed wild animals, go to the zoo.’ Mr Crowden said fortnightly rubbish collections were responsible for swelling fox numbers in populated areas. ‘Councils should be cleaning the streets and getting rid of rubbish. That’s the only way to prevent the numbers growing,’ he said. National Pest Technicians Association chief executive John Davison said foxes coming into homes is a problem people have created. He said: ‘You will get one fox and two or three people are putting food out, even trying to get it to take from their hand, and the fox gets used to people and will stray into properties if it thinks there’s food. ‘It’s a problem we humans have created, it’s not the fox’s doing.’ Injured: The advice is still available despite an attack on five-week-old Denny Dolan . The RSPCA has recently come under increasing criticism for its seeming transition from an animal welfare organisation to a political organisation intent on prosecuting fox hunting. Last night the RSPCA said: ‘We would encourage people to use humane deterrents and to make sure there is no food source available if foxes are coming into their gardens and they are concerned. ‘The factsheet referred to makes it clear that the most humane and long-term solution is to discourage foxes from your garden by removing or preventing access to what attracts them – however some people are determined to feed wild animals in their garden. ‘As stated in the factsheet the RSPCA often get asked about foxes, including what food they eat, as well as what risks foxes pose or how they can be deterred from gardens. The factsheet deals with each of these issues. ‘To be clear, the RSPCA does not encourage or endorse the feeding of foxes.’ | RSPCA leaflet 'Living with foxes' is designed to be printed off the internet .
It says that providing food to foxes 'could give you a chance to watch them'
The advice is available despite a fox attack on a baby in Bromley this week .
Experts have condemned the RSPCA as 'very irresponsible' |
fdedb6e8573118febc381855c50804f8749f4a2d | Two riders have been disqualified from the Vuelta a Espana after an astonishing altercation in which they traded blows from their bikes during an uphill climb. Russian Ivan Rovny and Italian Gianluca Brambilla had been involved in an early breakaway during the pivotal 160.5km stage 16 from San Martin del Rey Aurelio to La Farrapona. And simmering tensions reached a head as the leading group approached the climb towards San Lorenzo, about 40km from the finish, when Tinkoff Saxo rider Rovny appeared to try and put his arm around Brambilla. Trouble brewing: Tensions that had been building right through the 16th stage came to a head when Ivan Rovny (third right in yellow) tries to put his arm round Omega Pharma Quick-Step rider Gianluca Brambilla . Lashing out: The two riders then started to exchange blows as other riders in the leading pack watched on . Fist fight: Rovny and Brambilla exchange blows at close quarters as the leading group roll on at speed . Still going: The pair continued to trade blows for the best part of a minute as they negotiated an uphill section with about 40km of the stage left . Swerve: Rovny is forced into the centre of the road as other riders are forced to take evasive action . Face off: Rovny and Brambilla continue to exchange glares and words as the race continues . The Omega Pharma Quick-Step rider took exception and swung his arm back in retaliation, sparking a fist-fight as other competitors looked on in amazement. Race officials took a dim view of the incident and disqualified both from the race just a few minutes later. Brambilla's Omega Pharma Quick-Step team confirmed on their Twitter feed that their man had been thrown out of the race and added that Rovny had also been expelled. Brambilla reacted with exasperation as officials broke the news to him from a safety car, raising his arms up in the air. Rovny dropped back out of the main pack when told the news. Alberto Contador won the stage ahead of Briton Chris Froome, extending his overall lead. Rolling on: Spain's Alberto Contador claimed the 16th stage to increase his overall lead . | Ivan Rovny and Gianluca Brambilla came to blows from their saddles during the 16th stage of the Vuelta a Espana .
Simmering tensions boiled over on an uphill section with about 40km to go .
Both riders were disqualified from the race .
Alberto Contador won the stage ahead of Briton Chris Froome . |
fdeddc9dccc27c59d7afc2b0756060ba02d3cc9d | (CNN)The suspected Islamist terrorists who had a shootout with police on Thursday in Verviers, Belgium, have ties to ISIS-linked cells in other European countries, a senior Belgian counterterrorism source told CNN on Friday. The two suspects who died in the shootout are believed to have fought with ISIS in Syria, the source said. Another man was captured but hasn't revealed any information. There also was a dire warning: Not all the terrorists in the cell have been rounded up, according to the source. Belgian police have taken out part of the terror network plotting an attack in Belgium, but they have not yet taken down every component of it, the source said. There is fear others may try to avenge the two men. Authorities investigating the aftermath of the raid in which the men were killed found materials used to make bombs, including chemicals for the powerful explosive TATP, but the suspected terrorists had yet to assemble those weapons. They also had grenades. Cell members had discussed attacking police in wiretapped phone conversations, but Belgian investigators still did not know what they were intending to target for sure, the source said. The discovery of police uniforms after the raid suggested the possibility they may have been trying to gain access to sensitive sites. The source characterized the cell as one with organized structures, a logistical support network and links back to Syria and Iraq. Belgium is one of the nations participating in airstrikes in Iraq, and officials are concerned this plot is ISIS "pivoting" to launch attacks on the European countries involved in the military action against their troops in Iraq. "I think one of the things that's happening is we're seeing something that's surprising me. That is the pivot of ISIS," Philip Mudd. a former CIA counterterrorism official and a CNN analyst, said. "Just last summer, we were talking about how quickly ISIS was taking over geography. For a terrorist group to turn around in six or eight months and start training people for operations in Europe is remarkable." In the raid in Verviers, a city of about 56,000 people, police approached three suspects as they carried large duffel bags outside of a former bakery that might have been their lair, a Western intelligence source told CNN. The suspects immediately opened fire with multiple weapons, prosecutors' spokesman Thierry Werts said. Police returned fire; two gunmen were killed and another was arrested, federal prosecutor Eric van der Sypt said. That raid turned up four Kalashnikovs, handguns, bomb-making materials and police uniforms, van der Sypt said. Van der Sypt refused to name the two killed in Verviers, but said "we have a pretty good idea" who they were. Answering reporters' questions, the prosecutor would not comment on reported plans by the suspects to abduct or behead any victims. The Belgian counterterrorism source said Belgian authorities had asked the CIA for help in finding the director of the plot, a Belgian who was in Greece. Neither the CIA nor Greek officials were able to locate the man. He is described as a key link to ISIS in Syria for the terror cell and once fought there. The two men killed in the shootout were among more than a dozen people rounded up in across-the-country raids designed to stop a group's allegedly imminent attack -- a plot to kill Belgian police in streets and stations -- van der Sypt said earlier Friday. The alleged plotters -- including the two people killed Thursday night in a battle with police in Verviers -- were confronted in 12 raids across Belgium from Thursday into Friday, Sypt said. "Could have been hours, certainly no more than a day or two" before terror attacks were to begin throughout Belgium, van der Sypt told reporters of the alleged plot. Besides the two killed, 17 have been arrested in the investigation -- 13 in the Belgium raids and four others in France, including two who were detained while trying to cross from France into Italy, van der Sypt's office said. Investigators haven't found any links between the alleged Belgium plot and last week's Islamist terror attacks that killed 17 people in Paris, the prosecutor said. But the Belgium raids come amid fears of ongoing terror threats in Europe -- as many as 20 terror cells with 120 to 180 people may be ready to strike in France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, a Western intelligence source told CNN. Thursday night's raids were a dramatic culmination in a chain of Belgian police investigations into an alleged terror cell that included people who had fought in Syria, van der Sypt said. The U.S. intelligence community knew for weeks of the plot in Belgium and was sharing critical information with Belgian authorities, several U.S. officials told CNN. The officials wouldn't say precisely what they knew, how much they knew, and when they knew it. There is concern those details could signal other militants planning other potential attacks. One U.S. official told CNN's Barbara Starr the entire "developing plot was being monitored and watched." The official said, "We were aware. We were tracking this," and added, "'There is a high probability other attacks were being planned" before the plots were disrupted by the raids. A European security source told CNN that Belgian authorities arrested two men returning from Syria over the weekend and interrogated them, then decided to act quickly. The United States was aware of the timing of the Belgian moves, U.S. officials said. Verviers is a little off the beaten path in eastern Belgium, the last stop before open fields and forest. Like many European towns, it's densely built. People live close together. The whole city must have heard the explosions and the gunfight, according to resident Frederic Hausman. "I can hear it. Everybody can hear it," he said. "In this little city, everybody heard the sound." From his window, he could see police firing assault rifles at a nearby house. Hausman recorded the assault on the house and posted it on YouTube. The two who were killed were of North African descent, the Western intelligence source said. Verviers is home to many people with Moroccan roots, according to a study by the nearby University of Liege. Immigrants make up more than 11% of the population, with the largest contingent from other European countries. Moroccans are the next-largest group. Verviers is about 69 miles (111 kilometers) east-southeast of Brussels and 200 miles (322 kilometers) northeast of Paris. The raids came as authorities monitored people returning from Syria, said Werts, the prosecutors' spokesman. Police had arrested, questioned and searched Neetin Karasular, a Belgian suspected arms dealer allegedly aligned with ISIS and suspected of providing weapons to Amedy Coulibaly, the man who attacked a Paris kosher supermarket. Karasular knew Coulibaly's wife, Hayat Boumeddiene, who is also a terror suspect in France. Karasular's lawyer Michel Bouchat said his client was facing local firearms charges and had no connection with any jihadi groups or terror plans. In the process, police turned up names that solidified their suspicions about known persons, the Western intelligence source said. Last weekend, they arrested two more men at the Charleroi airport -- as they returned from Syria -- squeezed them for information then decided to act quickly, the source said. "The investigation made it possible to determine that the group was about to carry out major terrorist attacks in Belgium imminently," Belgian prosecutor spokesman Werts said. Authorities believed the suspects in Thursday's gun battle had been providing documents and weapons to men returning from Syria, the intelligence source said. A senior Belgian counterterrorism official told CNN that the alleged terror cell is believed to have received instructions from ISIS. Belgium is putting 150 troops on standby for deployment in light of the increase in the country's terror threat level, Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon said Friday. It has not been determined where they will be deployed, he said. The threat level will stay at three (with four being the highest) for one month, Prime Minister Charles Michel told CNN affiliate RTL. "It is a way to mobilize all forces to raise security," added. In France, police also made at least 12 arrests Friday in the probe of last week's slayings of 17 people. Additionally, two people suspected of involvement with the alleged Verviers suspects were detained while trying to cross from France into Italy through the Frejus tunnel, a spokesman for Belgium's federal prosecutor's office said Friday. Belgium is asking France to extradite those two, said the spokesman, who would not disclose the suspects' names or nationalities. In neighboring Germany, police in at least two cities arrested men they accuse of supporting jihadis in Syria. These suspects did not appear to be planning homegrown attacks, German authorities said. The fear of terror was already high in Western Europe after the bloodbaths in France that followed multiple threats of attacks from ISIS -- the Islamist group fighting to establish what it calls its Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria -- and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. AQAP has claimed responsibility for the Paris slayings. Men claiming to be ISIS terrorists and speaking French promised new attacks in France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, in an online video found on Thursday. ISIS has said it would lash out at European countries participating in bombardments in the Middle East. More than 3,000 Europeans have left to fight in Syria in recent years. Authorities have long warned that those fighters could return and carry out attacks at home. British intelligence has also warned another Islamist group in Syria was planning "mass casualty attacks against the West," an apparent reference to the Khorasan group. The Belgian raids came against the background of a terror trial of dozens of men suspected of recruiting jihadists or trying to go to Syria to fight. An Antwerp court was to return verdict this week but postponed it due to the Paris attacks. CNN's Mariano Castillo, Richard Greene, Margot Haddad, Catherine E. Shoichet, Dheepthika Laurent and Jim Sciutto contributed to this report. | Officials believe this is a new strategy from ISIS to organize attacks on nations in airstrike coalition .
Counterterrorism official tells CNN that terrorists killed in Belgium raid had ties to ISIS .
U.S. sources tell CNN that they knew of planned attacks and shared information with Belgians . |
fdee129a89a72a8dc6eb4e820a4db22523a7015c | By . Sarah Michael . and Louise Cheer . Melbourne's Crown Casino is chasing a Chinese VIP gambler who lost almost $8 million over two weeks. James Packer-owned Crown has initiated action in the Supreme Court of Victoria to get back its money from Zhao Li, who has allegedly neglected to pay back the millions he splurged in 2011. Court documents filed on Friday state the casino gave Mr Li a $6 million line of credit in July 2011 under the condition any debt would be repaid within 20 days. Melbourne's Crown Casino is chasing Chinese national Zhao Li for an alleged $8 million gambling debt . The documents also claim Crown extended the high-roller's credit by millions of dollars on multiple days after Mr Li began his 13-day splurge on October 19, 2011. On October 24 Mr Li successfully applied to increase his credit limit to $8 million, and on October 29 he extended it again to $10 million. On October 31 Crown allowed the man to increase the limit to $13 million on the condition it was paid back that day, according to court documents. On Tuesday November 1 – Melbourne Cup Day – he requested $8 million in credit and ended the day allegedly owing the casino $6,895,632. Between October 19 and November 11 Crown issued five credit markers with the amount owed, which the defendant signed acknowledging the debt. He has not paid back this debt and it has now increased to almost $8 million due to interest, according to the Statement of Claim. Court documents state Mr Li is 'ordinarily resident in China' but also list an address for the Chinese national in the Melbourne suburb of Balwyn North. Lawyers acting for Crown claim the debt has gone unpaid despite 'repeated requests'. A spokeswoman for Crown declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. Address: Zhao Li is believed to have been living at this house in Balwyn North, Victoria . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Melbourne's Crown Casino lawyers filed Supreme Court action on Friday .
Chinese national Zhao Li splurged millions over 13 days in 2011 .
The casino extended his credit by millions of dollars on multiple days .
Court documents say debt has gone unpaid despite 'repeated requests' |
fdee1fda9011a59ecf249ef911635b30f49d120e | Violent crime in the United States fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2011 with murder, rape and robbery all going down, although crime remains a serious problem in many urban areas, the FBI said on Monday. The report of all crimes reported to police nationwide showed slightly more than 1.2 million violent incidents nationwide, while property crimes hit a nine-year low. Compared with 2010, the new figures show violent crime down 3.8 percent overall. Property crime was down 0.5 percent. Among violent incidents reported to police, murders were down about 0.7 percent, robberies dropped 4 percent, aggravated assaults declined 3.9 percent, and forcible rapes were down 2.5 percent. Despite the positive trend, crime remains a serious problem in many urban pockets riddled with gangs, drugs, and poverty. There were 14,612 murders last year, on average one every 36 minutes. That's a small decline from 14,722 in 2010, but it's a decrease of nearly 17 percent from a decade ago. Most victims were male and in cases where race was known, 50 percent were black and 46 percent were white. Statistics showed 514 murders in New York and 431 in Chicago. Guns were used in two thirds of the nation's murders last year, 41 percent of robberies, and 21 percent of aggravated assaults, the report showed. The closely watched Uniform Crime Reports do not include explanations for the consolidated figures, and the FBI does not comment on the data. However, criminologists point to a variety of factors for the continuing decline in overall violence. They cite a more settled crack cocaine market, an increase in incarcerations, an aging population, data-driven policing, and changes in technology that include a big increase in surveillance cameras. James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University, said crime has continued to decline from a peak in the 1990s but now is decreasing at a slower rate. "I call it the limbo stick effect," Fox said. " You can only go so low. You're never going to get down to zero crime." The FBI crime statistics differed from a telephone crime survey released by the Justice Department early this month. That report actually showed crime increasing last year, but attributed the change to a jump in simple assaults. Fox said many of those assaults described to interviewers were non-injury pushing and shoving incidents not reported to any law enforcement agencies. He also noted the increase that the Justice Department reported was from an all-time low in the crime rate the previous year, suggesting crime is entering a low level where police officials hope it will stay for some time. | Crime still falling from 1990s peak but decreasing at slower rate, expert said .
Murder, rape, and robbery decline in 2011, property crime hits nine-year low .
Violent crime remains a problem in many urban areas, according to FBI statistics .
Murders decline slightly year-over-year, but down sharply from a decade ago . |
fdee27e0cdd1f3e58eeb94d1975364018b19eb29 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said missile strikes in Pakistan will continue in an effort to root out al Qaeda members. Robert Gates testifies Tuesday before a Senate panel. He was wearing bandages from surgery he had on his arm. Gates spoke to the Senate Armed Services Committee in his first comments to Congress as President Obama's defense secretary. In response to a question from committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, Gates said the strikes will continue to target terrorists who have based themselves across the border from Afghanistan. "Let me just say, both President Bush and President Obama have made clear that we will go after al Qaeda wherever al Qaeda is. And we will continue to pursue this," Gates said. Asked by Levin whether Pakistan is aware of this continued pursuit, Gates replied simply, "Yes, sir." Seventeen people were killed Friday in two missile strikes in the ungoverned tribal area of Pakistan. A government official and two military officials said they were U.S. attacks. They were the first such strikes since Obama took office Tuesday. The tribal region of Pakistan has seen a sharp spike in the number of aerial attacks carried out by unmanned drones. The United States has the only military with drones operating in the area. In 2008, there were 30 suspected U.S. missile strikes in Pakistan, based on a count by CNN in Islamabad. Gates opened his comments with a clear message that Afghanistan is at the top of his to-do list. In one of the clearest indications of the military planning for adding troops, Gates outlined a deployment of two brigades by spring and the third by late summer. Read Gates' prepared testimony (PDF) Additional troops, even if available to deploy, could not be added until later this year because it would take that much time to build out the required infrastructure in Afghanistan to support the troops, Gates explained. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, who was instrumental in pushing for a troop surge in Iraq, warned that a troop increase in Afghanistan may not achieve the same results. Gates himself noted that increased military presence must be accompanied by non-military solutions if progress is to be made in the war. When Gates arrived for his testimony Tuesday, he wore bandages on his left arm and had his suit jacket draped over his left shoulder. He had surgery Friday after tearing his biceps tendon while trying to attach a snow plow blade to his tractor. Regarding withdrawal from Iraq, Gates said the military is planning various options, with the quickest withdrawal being the 16-month period -- ending in May 2010 -- outlined by Obama when he was running for president. "We are working on a range of options for the president," he said. Among them is "essentially a completion of the work of the brigade combat teams and a transition to an assist-and-advisory role beginning at 16 months and proceeding further forward." Under a recently approved agreement with Iraq, the United States is required to have all troops out by the end of 2011. Even after that, however, Gates indicated that a continued role of some kind is likely. "As our military presence decreases over time, we should still expect to be involved in Iraq on some level for many years to come, assuming a sovereign Iraq continues to seek our partnership," he said. "The stability of Iraq remains critical to the future of the Middle East, a region that multiple presidents of both political parties have considered vital to the national security of the United States." Gates also acknowledged that some decisions he had decided to put off when he was Bush's defense secretary are now back on his plate, especially the budget. "As I focused on the wars these past two years, I ended up punting a number of procurement decisions that I believed would be more appropriately handled by my successor and a new administration. Well, as luck would have it, I am now the receiver of those punts, and in this game there are no fair catches," Gates noted. "While this will undoubtedly be a long and difficult fight, we can attain what I believe should be among our strategic objectives: an Afghan people who do not provide a safe haven for al Qaeda, reject the rule of the Taliban, and support the legitimate government that they elected and in which they have a stake," Gates said. | Defense secretary says efforts to root out al Qaeda in Pakistan will continue .
Robert Gates says greatest military challenge is Afghanistan .
Two more brigades planned for Afghanistan by spring, a third by summer, he says .
Gates says military working on range of options for withdrawing troops from Iraq . |
fdee7699ad58f7d24bb9e1a455f078cc5d8570e8 | By . James Salmon . PUBLISHED: . 13:06 EST, 10 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:50 EST, 11 February 2013 . Changes: Barclays boss Antony Jenkins is to scrap the company's tax avoidance unit in a bid to move away from the bank's scandal-hit past . Barclays is to shut down a controversial unit used to slash tax bills in a bid to ‘shred’ the legacy left by former boss Bob Diamond. Critics last night welcomed the move but baulked at the idea that the lender has had a ‘Road to Damascus moment’ over its ethics. Barclays, which is fighting to salvage its reputation after a string of scandals, will unveil the plans after its financial results tomorrow, when it counts the cost of its wrongdoing. It is expected to slash up to 2,000 ‘casino bankers’ at its investment arm Barclays Capital as part of a shake-up. But in its most eye-catching bid to convince the public that it is improving its culture, it will also announce the closure of its structured capital markets business. This secretive division helps companies avoid tax through a network of offshore tax havens and was previously run by its highest-paid banker Roger Jenkins. But it has also been used by Barclays to cut its own tax bill in the UK, heaping pressure on ordinary households to bridge the £32billion annual shortfall in HM Revenue & Customs’ coffers. Last year it was ordered by the Treasury to repay half a billion pounds after being caught out using two ‘aggressive’ loopholes to avoid paying tax. Barclays chief executive Antony Jenkins will describe the activities of its tax-avoidance arm as ‘legal’ but ‘incompatible with our purpose’, pledging ‘a new approach for a new era of banking’. In the closest the bank has come to admitting widespread tax avoidance, he will admit that in some cases the unit ‘relied on sophisticated and complex structures, where transactions were carried out with the primary objective of accessing the tax benefits’. He will say: ‘We get it. The old ways weren’t the right way to behave nor did they deliver the right results – for banks themselves or for wider society. Job cuts: The move will see some 2,000 investment banking jobs axed by the firm . ‘There must be a new approach for a new era of banking. Banks that fail to change will become failing banks. My message is Barclays is changing.’ The move comes amid fresh accusations that Barclays helped clients avoid tax on an ‘industrial’ scale. In a Panorama investigation aired on BBC One tonight, a former insider will claim that the small team of 100 staff at the structured capital markets unit would share huge rewards from the profits of tax avoidance deals. Scandal: The closure is part of Mr Jenkins' drive to 'shred' the legacy left by former boss Bob Diamond who resigned following the bank's £290 million Libor rigging settlement last year . ‘Some tax restructuring is common in a lot of banks, and there’s nothing wrong with it. The issue is they turned it into an industry within the bank.’ The tax avoidance arm was run by Roger Jenkins, a former boyfriend of supermodel Elle Macpherson, who made as much as £40million a year before leaving the bank in 2009. Mr Jenkins, 57, is also one of several current and former Barclays executives being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office and the City watchdog over fees paid to Middle East investors during the financial crisis. Campaigners welcomed Barclays’ decision to close its tax avoidance arm but said it needed to be accompanied with a reform of the system to make it harder for companies to dodge tax. Robert Oxley, from the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Companies shutting down controversial units might ease public anger but it doesn’t solve the problem of our broken tax system. Until it is reformed the public will remain deeply unhappy when they see companies able to exploit relief and loopholes simply not open to the rest of us.’ Chief executive Mr Jenkins admitted to the banking commission of MPs and peers last week that the overhaul of his bank amounted to ‘shredding’ the legacy left by his predecessor Mr Diamond. He admitted that an ‘aggressive’ and ‘self-serving’ culture had developed under the American. Barclays last night said it paid its fair share of tax in the UK, having paid £300million of corporation tax on profits of £1billion in 2011. | Antony Jenkins is to announce the moves on Tuesday .
They are an attempt to move the bank away from its scandal-hit past .
The bank's annual results will also be released . |
fdeeb0f5552821e204466b66d427788b6a44dfcc | By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 05:01 EST, 14 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:53 EST, 14 September 2012 . A Good Samaritan who saved a stranger was surprised to find that he had in fact done it before eight years previously. Christopher Manacci had stopped to help Gerald Gronowski and his 15-year-old son with their flat tyre, when a truck came hurtling towards them and hit Manacci’s car, blocking both men from harm. Recovering from the shock, the two men discovered that nurse practitioner Manacci had come to the aid of Mr Gronowski once before, when he had been injured in a fishing accident eight years earlier. Good Samaritan: Christopher Manacci came to a stranger's aid, only to find out he had already saved him once before . The miraculous event occurred last Saturday when Christopher Manacci had been driving in Auburn Township, Ohio and saw a van by the road struggling with a flat tyre. ‘I dropped my wife off and decided that I’d bring him a can of Fix-a-Flat for his tyre so he could make it to a gas station,’ Mr Manacci told Fox8 News. Stopping to help them with their broken down car, Mr Manacci had parked his car next to Mr Gronowski's. The trio had just begun assessing the damage to the tyre when it happened. Lucky strike: The stretch of road in Auburn where Mr Gronowski and his son were saved from being hit by a DUI driver thanks to the fortunate parking of Mr Manacci . Crashed: Christopher Manacci's Lexus was less fortunate . Out of nowhere, a truck came towards the men at high speed and went straight into Mr Manacci’s Lexus. ‘The truck went up on the . two left wheels and the right wheels were off the ground when it missed . us by a few feet,’ Mr Gronowski told Cleveland.com. ‘If the truck had not hit the other . car first it would have hit us. We could have been killed. And if it . missed us, it could have killed someone else.’ Thanks . to Mr Manacci’s car, no one was hurt in the accident and as the shock . began to settle Mr Gronowski recalled another incident eight years . earlier when a man with the same profession had come to his aid. Scene: Mr Manacci shows the Auburn township road where the truck came towards himself, Mr Gronowski and Mr Gronowski's son . ‘I told the story about how I was fishing and I got a triple hook embedded deep into my hand,’ Mr Gronowski said. ‘I was in a lot of pain and my son . asked if anyone was a doctor and this guy paddles up in a kayak. 'He was a . nurse practitioner and he surgically removed the hook from my hand. Chris looked at me and said, “That was me.”’ Mr . Manacci calls it a blessing ‘You just never know what the day brings . you and you never know, you never know what small thing you will do that . will result in a miracle,’ he said. The driver of the truck was taken to a nearby hospital and later charged with Operating Vehicle while Impaired. | Christopher Manacci saved Gerald Gronowski twice in a decade .
Eight years ago the nurse practitioner surgically removed a fishhook from Mr Gronowski's hand .
This time a lucky parking saved both their lives . |
fdef114a36a3dd310f93153aa630488d666544a2 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:09 EST, 7 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:24 EST, 7 February 2014 . British expats living abroad would get their own MP under Liberal Democrat plans to make the Commons ‘fairer’. Nick Clegg’s party has drawn up proposals for vast overseas constituencies covering Africa, Europe and North America represented by jet-setting MPs. The Deputy Prime Minister also wants to see the voting age lowered to 16-year-olds, a special seat for the Commons Speaker and allowing two people to be a joint MP as part of a job-share. The House of Commons would be bolstered by MPs from around the world under plans drawn up by the Liberal Democrats . There are more than 1million Brits living in Spain, who could get their own MP in the Commons . Many European countries already have seats in Parliament for nationals who have moved abroad. France has six seats spread across Europe, two in America, two in Africa and one for Asia and Oceania. There are 2.2million UK citizens living in EU countries alone, including 1million in Spain, 330,000 in France, 329,000 in Italy and 107,000 in Germany. Under plans expected to be approved at the Lib Dem spring conference next month, the party will examine ‘the viability of overseas constituencies such as those used in some other European countries’. A Lib Dem spokesman said: ‘British citizens can already vote when they move abroad for up to 15 years, but their votes are counted in the constituency [in which] they used to reside. ‘This would create separate constituencies in Parliament for the representatives of these voters.’ Nick Clegg's party is expected to approve the policy at its spring conference next month . The package of measures, dubbed Power to the People, will also include introducing the Single Transferable Vote system for electing MPs and councillors, lowering the voting age to include 16 and 17-year-olds and creating a Speaker’s Seat ‘so that the electorate in the parliamentary constituency from which the Speaker is drawn are not disenfranchised’. The Lib Dems will also propose allowing two people to stand for election to the Commons ‘on a job-share basis’. The idea has previously been backed by Tory MP Sarah Wollaston who said last year: ‘It is time to start looking at how it can be made to work. Ultimately, voters would decide. ‘They may well take note of job sharers in other professions, who between them often deliver far more than a full-time equivalent.’ | Nick Clegg's party to draw up plans for seats like other EU countries .
Lib Dems also want voting at 16 and two people be an MP as a job share . |
fdef39f086f1f0cd03f5930cf7e289b40bcc1261 | A British skier has fallen hundreds of metres to his death in the French Alps. The man in his mid-30s was descending the north face of the Tour Ronde in the French Alps when it's thought he lost one of his ski's and slid down a 'couloir' - a narrow gully with a steep gradient. He was skiing down Mont Blanc - near Chamonix - with four of his friends, who immediately alerted the rescue services after the accident. Unfortunately, he had died instantly. Tragedy: The British skier was descending the north face of the Tour Ronde (pictured, file photo) when it's thought he lost one of his ski's and fell down a gully . A police spokesman said: 'He was with friends. He fell in a couloir and fell and slid a total of about 400 metres, not vertical. 'An investigation into the accident is underway.' He added: 'The conditions are dangerous. People must pay attention to the weather bulletins and the conditions.' The man's body was retrieved by helicopter. The four other skiers made their own way back to Chamonix. La Tour Ronde, located on the French-Italian border between the Col Du Geant and Mont Maudit, rises to a height of 3,792 metres. The north face is considered a difficult and dangerous descent reserved for highly experienced mountaineers. It has been a deadly season in the Alps. Also on Friday a 46-year-old French woman was killed in an avalanche in Valloire in the Savoie region. Accident: He was skiing down Mont Blanc (pictured, file photo) with four of his friends who alerted the rescue services of the accident - but he died instantly . While in Austria, a doctor from Northern Ireland was killed in a skiing accident last week. And Dr Siobhan O'Connor, an experienced skier in her 50's, crashed while skiing down a steep section of the mountain. On January 5, two young US ski team hopefuls were killed in the Austrian Alps. Ronnie Berlack, 20, and Bryce Astle, 19, were caught in an avalanche. At least 10 more people have been killed this season in the Alps in avalanches and other accidents. | He allegedly lost one of his skis descending the Tour Ronde's north face .
Dangerous section of Mont Blanc is reserved for most experienced skiers .
He died after sliding down a 'couloir' - a narrow gully with a steep gradient .
Avalanches and other accidents in Alps have killed at least 10 this season . |
fdef56851d5a77f907cb7328ce6b13300b78e7d9 | (CNN) -- Troops in the southern Philippines early Sunday took advantage of martial law to hunt down those believed responsible for last week's killings there. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared martial law in the southern province of Maguindanao after 57 people were killed in politically motivated violence. Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, deputy of operations for the Eastern Mindanao command, told CNN on Saturday that searchers have made arrests and recovered firearms and vehicles from a clan implicated in the killings. He said local residents welcome the deployment of the troops. "We need this because we do not want those who perpetrated the crime to slip out of the province. And we may be having a hard time catching them," he said. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said martial law -- under which police can make arrests without a warrant -- went into effect at 9 p.m. Congress would have to approve any extension beyond 60 days. Brawner said the measure was invoked to impose peace on the region after the unrest, which led to troops being mobilized. "Life is to resume normally and martial law is established to prevent new violence, with troops on the ground monitoring any possible violence breakout," he said. "But the civilian government will be running the affairs of the province, not a military governor." Military police have detained three brothers and their father on suspicion of involvement in the unrest: Akmad Ampatuan, the vice governor of Maguindanao; Anwar Ampatuan, the mayor of Sherif Auguak, Maguindanao's capital; and Zaldy Ampatuan, governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the patriarch, became ill and was hospitalized after he, too, was taken in. "Local government will function, it will prevent armed groups from wreaking havoc ... and it will allow the officials search and find the guilty parties," Brawner said. Security forces on Friday searched the home of Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay and son of the provincial governor of Maguindanao, according to Brawner. Authorities say Andal Ampatuan Jr. directed the Nov. 23 politically motivated killings. Weapons were found in the house, Brawner said. On Tuesday, Philippine authorities charged Ampatuan and other suspects with 25 counts of murder in the killings. Still more suspects were taken into custody Friday. The Philippine military is investigating its own forces in connection with the case as well, Brawner said. The National Bureau of Investigation has moved a third witness to Manila for questioning, the Philippines News Agency reported Thursday. "At the moment, we are interviewing the witness so that we would know what he knows about the incident in Maguindanao," NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said. The witness claimed to have been at the site during the massacre. "He is very vital," Mantaring said. "From what I know ... he knows a lot of information regarding the incident." Among the victims in the massacre were the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao. He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan, the father of the accused mayor, saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself. Witnesses and local officials have blamed the younger Ampatuan, a longtime ally of the Philippines president and a known warlord. They said the killings were an attempt to block Mangudadatu from challenging him in the May gubernatorial election. Also killed were a dozen journalists who had accompanied the women. Group: Philippines most dangerous country for journalists . Asked why martial law was imposed 12 days after the killings, Cabangbang said authorities "were trying to build a case -- a tight case" against suspects. "But it is taking long to build a case, so I think the government gave us a free hand in arresting those who are suspects, and allowed us to search, even without warrant. So we really need this declaration of state of martial law." Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines. The Maguindanao massacre, however, is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history, according to state media. Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao, which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation. Suspicion fell on Ampatuan after a government construction vehicle was found at the hastily dug mass grave that held the bodies of the massacre victims. CNN's Talia Kayali contributed to this report. | Searchers make arrests, recover arms from a clan implicated in massacre .
Martial law follows killings of 57 last week in Maguindanao province .
Several members of powerful Ampatuan political family detained .
Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. directed killings, authorities say . |
fdf0c29c5bd68f0125289786a114c03b7ea7a48c | (EW.com) -- We're not messing with you: ABC is canceling "Mind Games." Effective immediately, the freshman drama series starring Christian Slater and Steve Zahn as psychologically manipulative problem solvers will be pulled from the network's schedule. Repeats of Sunday night freshman drama "Resurrection" will air the next two Tuesdays at 10 p.m. instead, then "Celebrity Wife Swap" will take over the slot starting April 15. "Mind Games" debuted five weeks ago and has performed lousy in the ratings, the last episode averaging only 2 million viewers and a 0.7 rating among adults 18 to 49. For Slater, it's been rough sledding on broadcast TV these past six years. "Mind Games" was his fourth TV show since 2008 and only one has made it to a second season (Fox's "Breaking In," which still didn't make it to a standard 22 episodes). See the original story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | The freshman drama has been pulled .
It has not performed well in the ratings .
It's Slater's fourth show since 2008 . |
fdf10b71b62018e3bf24b8d3bad1a95f444d2592 | (CNN)Grammy-award winning rapper Macklemore and fiancée Tricia Davis are expecting their first child in May, the couple announced Saturday. The couple shared the news in a YouTube video after rumors surfaced Friday of the pregnancy in gossip column Page Six. "Today the media speculated about some big news in our life. So we decided to share it with you ourselves," the couple said in a video posted Saturday on the YouTube account of Macklemore's musical partner, Ryan Lewis. The video shows Davis undergoing an ultrasound with Macklemore, nee Ben Haggerty, at her side. It ends with a slide announcing the due date: May 2015. Within hours of the video being posted, hundreds of comments congratulating the couple had poured in. | Macklemore and fiancée Tricia Davis expecting first child in May .
Video shows personal moments in ultrasound room . |
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