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fe36622fb4b9570e690aca60d97b36f983ac747d | Former Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg has signed a three-month contract to promote Indian football across the world. Ljungberg, who retired in 2012 after ending his playing career in Major League Soccer, has signed the deal with the Indian Super League. 'When this opportunity came up I was really excited to be involved,' Ljungberg said. Deal: Former Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg has agreed to promote the Indian Super League . Smiles: Ljungberg has agreed a three-month deal with the Indian Super League . 'Indian football is a growing market and this is a great opportunity for me to take my knowledge of the English Premier League over to India to help launch the league.' The 37-year-old played for Arsenal between 1998 and 2007, scoring 73 times in 339 appearances. He also won 75 Sweden caps, netting 14 times. Legend: Ljungberg played for Arsenal between 1998 and 2007, scoring 73 times in 339 appearances . Tackle: The former Sweden international (left) will travel the world promoting the new Indian Super League . | Ljungberg signs three-month deal to promote Indian football .
Former Arsenal star says he is 'really excited' by the opportunity .
Ljungberg played 339 times for Arsenal, scoring 73 goals . |
fe36b5531a873f233fe81de4e82ee3cdcb468784 | (CNN) -- On the face of Saturday's qualifying results, Ferrari's hopes of closing the gap on the all-conquering Red Bull at the Italian team's home grand prix seem as distant as they have most of this season. Fernando Alonso will start Sunday's race at Monza fifth on the grid, and a place behind teammate Felipe Massa, while Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber will have the front row to themselves. Alonso, 46 points behind Formula One championship leader Vettel, had appeared to make up ground on the German in the morning practice session but qualifying did not go to plan. The Spaniard had hoped to use "towing" tactics behind Massa to boost his lap times, but the Brazilian got too far ahead in the third session and ended up setting a faster pace. F1 interactive: Explore Monza . Alonso was heard complaining on his team radio, "Felipe is too far away!" -- and then reportedly called his crew "idiots," though he said it was actually "geniuses." However, the two-time world champion later downplayed the incident and insisted he was happier this weekend than after the previous race in Belgium, where Alonso qualified ninth and Massa 10th. "Here at Monza the slipstreaming strategy is often used: having a car three to four seconds ahead of you allows you to gain a few tenths and for that I must thank Felipe, especially in Q3 when I came up behind Vergne's Toro Rosso and he waited for me," Alonso, Alonso, who won the race for Ferrari in 2010 and McLaren in 2007, said on his team's website. "The radio messages have been misunderstood, as is often the case when you don't experience something first hand: the word 'genius' refers to the fact that we could have got out before Rosberg had gone by on his quick lap, but this should not raise any doubts about the impeccable job from the whole team. "Today, we were able to run competitively in all three sessions and get closer than ever before to the rear wings of the Red Bulls. For the first time, there are not so many cars between them and us." Nevertheless, Alonso's best time of one minute 24.142 seconds was well adrift of Vettel's 1:23.755, while Webber clocked 1:23.968. Vettel is seeking his third victory at Monza, having won there in 2008 with Toro Rosso and again in 2011 on the way to his second of three consecutive world titles. "We didn't expect to be so strong here, with both cars on the front row," he said after earning his fourth pole this season. "We've had years where we've had a good car, but not a car that's competitive in low downforce trim, so in that regard we did our homework." Nico Hulkenberg, whose Sauber is powered by a Ferrari engine, provided the surprise of the day as he clinched third place on the grid in 1:24.065. "I didn't expect that after a very difficult Friday," said the German, whose teammate Esteban Gutierrez qualified 17th but will start a place higher following Adrian Sutil's penalty. "Yesterday we struggled a lot with the car and the guys have done a fantastic job turning it around to give me such a competitive car today." While Hulkenberg boosted his chances of a best finish since placing eighth in Malaysia in March, Mercedes boss Ross Brawn lamented his team's worst qualifying performance this season. Lewis Hamilton missed final qualifying for the first time in 67 races, and will start 12th on the grid after his run of four successive pole positions ended in miserable style. Nico Rosberg was back in sixth, having missed most of the morning practice due to hydraulics problems. "That was our worst qualifying session of the year," Brawn said. "With the standards we set ourselves, that makes this result a real disappointment." Hamilton refused to blame Sutil for the incident that cost the Force India driver a three-place penalty, demoting the German to 17th as punishment for impeding the British driver as he tried to set a timed lap. "I just didn't get a lap together in Q2 today and it's hugely disappointing, not just for me, but also for the team and I can only apologize to them as we had a quick car today," said the 2008 world champion, who won the race last year while at McLaren. "I came off at Parabolica on my first run which damaged the car and it was a downward spiral from there really." Daniel Ricciardo, who will replace his fellow Australian Webber at Red Bull next season, bounced back from a difficult Friday by qualifying seventh for Toro Rosso -- his teammate Jean Eric Vergne was 10th. McLaren's struggles continued, with Sergio Perez eighth and 2009 world champion Jenson Button ninth. Kimi Raikkonen's title hopes receded even further as the Finn was back in 11th for Lotus, with teammate Romain Grosjean 13th. | Fernando Alonso will start fifth on the grid for his Ferrari team's home race in Italy .
Spaniard was beaten by his teammate Felipe Massa, who qualifies fourth .
Championship leader Sebastian Vettel wins pole in Red Bull 1-2 at Monza .
Last year's race winner Lewis Hamilton misses Q3 and will start back in 12th . |
fe36c26c1518e21d8d6bae7dd4839a8ae59d3526 | (CNN) -- Apple says it has fixed a glitch that was causing apps downloaded from its online store to crash this week. "We had a temporary issue that began yesterday with a server that generated DRM code for some apps being downloaded," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said. "It affected a small number of users. The issue has been rectified and we don't expect it to occur again." "DRM" stands for "digital rights management," the system that gives a user access to copyrighted content. Users who had trouble launching an app can delete and download it again, Muller said. The problem came to light Wednesday when Marco Arment, the creator of mobile app Instapaper, blogged and tweeted that an update to that app was crashing and fading to black immediately after people downloaded it. He documented more than 100 apps that also appeared to be having the same problem, including "Angry Birds," Huffington and GoodReader, before saying it was getting too hard to keep up with complaints that were coming in. In the interim, GoodReader had issued a 24-step procedure to work around the problem. The glitch was impacting apps for the mobile operating system that runs iPhones and iPads as well as apps for Macs. | Apple says Friday a glitch causing apps to crash has been fixed .
Problem was noted by creator of the app Instapaper .
Users can delete, then re-install, affected apps . |
fe3729e274d3bbe3550c17b4f1bc3e16f82b71b5 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:02 EST, 7 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:02 EST, 8 January 2014 . A free-style skier has been killed in an avalanche close to the Colorado resort his grandfather founded in the 60s. Tony Seibert, 24, was killed on Tuesday morning as he skied with three others, who were injured in the avalanche. The champion skier was in a region of the mountains just outside the ski resort boundary, when he was caught in the wave of snow. Scroll down for video . Fatal: Freeskier Tony Seibert was killed in an avalanche near Vail resort . Colorado Avalanche Information Center had said the region was at 'considerable risk' earlier in the day, warning skiers that 'cautious route finding' was essential. High winds and heavy snowfall are . believed to have contributed to the avalanche, which started along a . tree ridge near the mountain pass first founded by Mr Seibert's . grandfather in the 60s. First reports of the avalanche came in at about noon, and the injured skiers were rescued shortly after. 'This is an incomprehensible loss' Chris Jarnot, chief operating officer of Vail Mountain, said according to ABC 7. 'I want to acknowledge how integral the Seibert family is to the fabric of our community; their contributions to Vail date back to Vail founder Pete Seibert, Tony’s grandfather.' Experienced: Tony Seibert was consistently placed in professional ski contests . Heritage: Tony's grandfather Pete Seibert was behind the creation of Vail resort . The 24-year-old had recently starred in Climb to Glory, a documentary about the 10th Mountain ski troopers that his grandfather had served with in the Second World War. Tributes to the University of Colorado graduate poured in on his sister, Lizzie's, Facebook page. Many . said they would remember his smile, and one said: 'He will always hold a . special place in this valley, and in your heart. go out there and ski . for him'. The former top . ranked USSA alpine racer turned his focus to freeskiing when he was 15, . and was consistently placed in competitions for professional halfpipe . and big mountain competitions. The . three other skiers with him, who have not been named, are being treated . for minor injuries after being caught in the same avalanche. Deadly: The avalanche on East Vail Chutes flattened trees when it hit on Tuesday morning . Loss: Friends paid tribute to Tony, whose grandfather had helped found Vail resort . They were all skiing in the region known as the East Vail Chutes, which is considered suitable for experienced skiers only. Vail resort describes the chutes as . an extremely steep, avalanche prone bowl that drains down to "Interstate . 70 or to East Vail",' ABC 7 reported. Mr Seibert's death was the second fatality in Colorado this winter, and the fifth nationally. The region around Vail is said to be treacherous, with several deaths in the east over the past two decades,according to the Denver Post. | Tony Seibert, 24, died as avalanche hit back country route .
Free-style skier was in region known for its treacherous conditions . |
fe375bdce16cc3d0a005bdc95ed53d6df84c47ea | By . David Kent . French striker Loic Remy has held talks with Liverpool and Arsenal over a summer move, according to a source close to the player. Former Marseille man Remy is contracted to QPR until 2017 but spent last season on loan at Newcastle, with the 27-year-old impressing during a Premier League campaign of mixed fortunes for the Magpies. VIDEO: Scroll down to see Arsene Wenger on why Loic Remy was spotted at the Emirates . Wanted man: Loic Remy has held talks with Arsenal and Liverpool . Spectator: On-loan Newcastle striker Loic Remy was in Bacary Sagna's box to see Arsenal beat West Brom . Arsenal have long been linked with Remy while Liverpool are seeking to bolster their squad ahead of a campaign in which they will face the added demands of Champions League football, having clinched second place in the Premier League during a season in which they had no European distractions. Goal machine: Remy netted 14 times in 24 starts for Newcastle . Remy, who . has been selected in France's World Cup squad, watched from the stands . as Arsenal beat West Brom at the Emirates Stadium on May 4. However . Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger denied he or anyone from the club had . asked him along to the game, saying at the time: 'I hope he paid for his . ticket! I did not invite him.' | Premier League big guns jump to the front of the queue for Frenchman .
Remy smashed 14 goals in 24 starts for Newcastle on loan this season .
Forward still has three years remaining on his contract with QPR . |
fe37c49e6c7c2a563fcfc462bc6ef3bb32cb9b59 | A pizza shop robber was snared by police after they found a threatening note he had given to employees indented on toilet paper inside his home. Eric Frey, 29, tried to rob Michael Maria's Pizza in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, on Saturday by handing an employee a note written on toilet paper that read: 'I have a gun. Give me $300.' Police arrived before Frey could leave because an employee hit a panic button. Eric Frey, 29, from Uniontown, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged with the attempted robbery of a pizzeria after police found the message 'I have a gun. Give me $300' indented on a newly-opened toilet roll in his home . The suspect told the employee and police that he was made to rob the store by another man who said he was going to shoot him if he didn't return with money. But when police searched his apartment they found a newly-opened toilet paper with the message indented on another sheet. They also found a black pen nearby matching the ink he used. According to the criminal complaint against Frey, a large bearded man standing in a nearby alleyway had coerced him into robbing the store. When police turned up to search his home, he said: 'Let's go. I don't have anything to hide.' Officers then found the toilet paper linking him to the crime. They then entered his kitchen and found a can of pop he had used to smoke marijuana, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune. Frey was charged with attempted robbery and robbery, attempted theft and theft, possession with attempt to deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He has four unrelated drug cases pending and was placed in the Fayette County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bond. Online court records don't list an attorney for Frey. Officers also found a black pen next to the roll with the same ink used to write the threatening note . Frey initially told employees outside Michael Maria's Pizza in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, that he was being told to rob the store by a man threatening to shoot him. But his story unraveled after police found the toilet roll . | Eric Frey, 29, entered Michael Maria's Pizzeria in Uniontown, Pennsylvania .
He then handed an employee a note that read: 'I have a gun. Give me $300'
At the time he said he had to rob the store because he was threatened .
Claimed that a bearded man would shoot him if he didn't leave with money .
However his story unraveled when police searched his home and discovered the note indented on another sheet . |
fe381006838520a8fb39ae1ccebb3cf7d63237b0 | David Miasik, 45, a pub pest who stalked a barmaid Claire Edwards. Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court heard how he picked on the wrong woman, because her other job was as a policewoman . A stalker who fabricated a relationship with a barmaid at his local pub picked on the wrong woman it seems - as her other job was as a policewoman. David Miasik, of Cwmdare, near Aberdare, South Wales, was obsessed with part-time barmaid Claire Edwards, bombarding her with 'disturbing' messages begging her to speak to him. The 45-year-old even told his family they were an item, and when they thought the 'couple' had split up, they contacted her to urge her to get back together with him. But Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates' court heard that when she quit her job as a barmaid to concentrate on her career as a CID detective constable she reported him to her police bosses. Magistrates were told that she received Facebook messages from someone calling himself 'Licentious Dave'. Det Con Edwards said she looked up the meaning of licentious as 'promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters'. The court heard it was from Miasik telling her that he loved her - and begging her to speak to him. Prosecutor Shelly Hopkins told the court: 'She found the messages to be disturbing. 'He appeared to have a lot of information about her and her life and things of that nature. 'She was very upset at this - she felt vulnerable. 'She thought that if he knew that much information about her he could know her home address.' The court heard she only knew him as 'Dave' - a regular at the Belle View pub, in Cwmdare, South Wales - who was 'quiet, awkward and a loner'. Mrs Hopkins said: 'She was frustrated, concerned and alarmed at his behaviour and did not know where the fixation with her came from.' Miasik was arrested for harassment after Det Con Edwards reported his behaviour to senior officers. The court heard she only knew him as 'Dave' - a regular at the Belle View pub - who was 'quiet, awkward and a loner' Miasik, of Cwmdare, near Aberdare, South Wales, was given a 12-week suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to harassment by Merthyr Tydfil magistrates . He was given a 12-week suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to harassment at Merthyr Tydfil magistrates. He was made the subject of an indefinite restraining order not to contact Det Con Edwards. | David Miasik, 45, was 'obsessed' with part-time barmaid Claire Edwards .
He sent her messages saying he loved her and begging her to speak to him .
But he was arrested after she reported him to her senior officers . |
fe38232821254624c97c82471584b784fc255711 | A federal agent who sent topless pictures of himself to the woman at the center of the Petraeus and General Allen scandals was told to 'stay the hell away' from the investigation but took it upon himself to 'nose around', it was revealed today. After receiving a half dozen harassing emails from an anonymous account - but later linked to Petraeus' mistress Paula Broadwell, Jill Kelley, the Florida woman who served as a volunteer social liaison officer at the Tampa military base, contacted a male FBI agent that she knew and had previously worked with. During a prior exchange, when the agent was trying to establish a friendly relationship with the married mother-of-three, he sent her shirtless photos of himself adding to questions over his true intention behind going above-and-beyond his work duties to help her with the threats. Because he was not a part of the cybercrime unit at the FBI nor did he have any training regarding electronic threats, he was never assigned to the case once he brought it to the agency's attention yet he still felt it necessary to involve himself. New scandal: A federal agent was pulled off the investigation into David Petraeus's illicit contact with Paula Broadwell when the agent reportedly became obsessed with Jill Kelley, another woman involved in the probe . The New York Times reports that an unidentified senior official said that the agent's superiors 'told him to stay the hell away from it, and he was not invited to briefings'. The FBI declined to identify the agent, . who is now under an internal investigation by the agency's Office of . Professional Responsibility. Shortly thereafter, the agent was barred from the case over concerns that he 'might have grown obsessed with the matter,' the Wall Street Journal reports. Even . after he was prohibited from involvement in the case, the agent, described as Right wing, decided . to contact Republican congressman David Reichert about the . matter because he assumed that the investigation had . stalled. Reichert then told fellow Republican Rep. Eric Cantor. Revealed: The investigation into anonymous emails sent to Kelley led FBI officials to David Petraeus's affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell . The Times says that the agent's 'worldview' made him believe that the issue was being kept quiet to help President Obama, as the entire investigation took place in the months leading up to his re-election. He complained that senior FBI officials were going to 'sweep the matter under the rug,' the FBI learned. What the agent didn't know was that . investigators had traced the harassing emails back to accounts used by . Broadwell, David Petraeus' 40-year-old married biographer. Jealous: Broadwell sent Jill Kelley, far right, threatening emails warning her to stay away from Petraeus. Pictured with Kelley is her husband, Scott, and Holly Petraeus . Social liaison: Mrs Kelley and her surgeon husband Dr Scott Kelley are fixtures at social gatherings among top officers in Tampa . Party host: Kelley, 37, is a volunteer who organizes social events for military families in the Tampa area. She often hosts the events at her million-dollar Bayshore Boulevard home . In one of the emails, Broadwell . accused Kelley of touching 'him' underneath a table and another email . asked if Kelley's husband was aware of her actions, according to the . newspaper. Kelley, 37, is a volunteer who . organizes social events for military families in the Tampa area. She . often hosts the events at her million-dollar Bayshore Boulevard home, . which is located only a couple miles from MacDill Air Force base, where . Petraeus was leader of the U.S. Central Command. 'The Kelley mansion became the place to be seen for coalition officers,' according to the Tampa Bay Times. Kelley's . husband, Dr. Scott Kelley, is a highly sought-after surgeon who . specializes in a rare type of minimally invasive surgery to cure cancer . of the esophagus. Since the . Kelleys have been in Tampa, one or both have been subjects of lawsuits . nine times — including an $11,000 judgment against them that originated . in Pennsylvania, according to the Tampa Bay Times. September 6, 2011: . David Petraeus was unanimously appointed to be the head of the Central Intelligence Agency after spending over 37 years in the military. November 2011: . Petraeus allegedly began his affair with Paula Broadwell, a former Army reservist and doctoral researcher who was writing a biography of Petraeus. May 2012: . The FBI first officially knew that Paula Broadwall was sending threatening emails to Jill Kelley, . a family friend of Petraeus. There is no indication that Kelley had any . sort of romantic affair with Petraeus, but the threatening nature of . the emails from Broadwell suggest that she felt threatened in some way . by Kelley's close connection to Petraeus. End of Summer 2012: . Knew for months: Attorney General Eric Holder learned of the investigation at the end of the summer . Broadwall's affair with Petraeus is . thought to have formally ended in July, though it was not until the end . of the summer that the FBI realized it was Petraeus emailing . Broadwall because he had been using a Gmail account established under a . pseudonym for their personal communications, some of which was sexually . explicit in nature. At an unspecified date at the end of the summer, the FBI investigators notified the Attorney General's office- and Attorney General Eric Holder . himself- because they needed the authority to interview Broadwall and . Petraeus. In telling the AG, investigators were clear that they were . looking into the possibility of pressing criminal charges against . Broadwell for either her threats against Kelley or any illegal action . that stemmed from the communication with Petraeus. September 2012: . Broadwell was first interviewed at some point in September, when she admitted to the affair and turned over her computer. October 2012: . In mid-October, Republican Representative David Reichert was . told of a national security investigation involving Petraeus by an . unidentified FBI informant. Reichert then forwarded that tip to Eric Cantor, the House Majority leader and the one of the most powerful Republicans in the country, on October 27. Republicans: Rep. David Reichert (left) heard . about it from an FBI informant and then forwarded that tip to Eric . Cantor (right), the House Majority leader . The week before the Election, late October 2012: . From . there, the circle began to widen as Petraeus himself was interviewed . the week before the Election, during which he admitted the affair but . said that he was not the one to give Broadwall the classified documents . that investigators found on her computer. She echoed that statement during her second interview with investigators on November 2. FBI and justice department officials then . discussed their findings for three days, deciding that they did not have . sufficient evidence to charge either Broadwall or Petraeus on a . criminal level. Intelligence: Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was the one to tell the White House the day after the election . Election Day, November 6, 2012: . At 5pm on Election Day, they told Director of National Intelligence James Clapper . about their investigation, and he waited until Wednesday evening to . tell White House officials that Petraeus was considering resigning. Thursday November 8, 2012: . It was not until Thursday that President Obama . was informed, and he met with Petraeus that day but did not immediately . accept his resignation, waiting until Friday to let the disgraced . General quit. In the hours before Petraeus' public announcement on Friday, the circle drastically widened and Senator Dianne Feinstein, head of the Senate Intelligence Committee learned of the plan. She . contacted Petraeus and asked him whether he thought it was truly . necessary for him to leave his post. Citing his belief in leadership . coming from the top-down, he said it was the best thing for him to do. | Jill Kelley contacted an FBI friend when she received harassing emails .
The male agent had previously sent her shirtless photos of himself .
He wasn't trained in cybercrime issues and was banned from the case but still involved himself by leaking word of the investigation to Congressman . |
fe3828bd6830428a06cdb2700f2ea7777e34fb32 | By . Lillian Radulova For Daily Mail Australia . Almost three years ago Vlatka Dragic spontaneously quit her job and drove to Queensland where she started her own personal training business . At 25-years-old, Vlatka Dragic found herself spontaneously quitting her job and driving to Queensland with a friend, in search of warmwe weather and a healthier lifestyle. Sick of the daily nine-to-five drudge, the Croatian-born beauty left her high-end career as an account manager for various supermarket brands and spent months in the sunny state desperately struggling to find employment. Now, the 27-year-old from Biggera Waters is getting ready to compete professionally in the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion competition in Las Vegas after being crowned the Australian bikini champion in Queensland earlier this year. 'I did a double degree in business marketing and human marketing in Melbourne after high school and then I emailed the company I wanted to work for and I got an interview straight away and started working the next day,' Ms Dragic told Daily Mail Australia. 'I thought that's what I wanted to do and I liked it at first, but everyday working from eight to six and then driving three hours everyday to and from work - I had enough. I wanted to live in a tropical state where it was always sunny and get involved in fitness.' The 27-year-old, who has a double degree in business marketing and human marketing, used to work as an account manager for various supermarket brands in Melbourne . Since moving to Queensland, Ms Dragic has not only become a healthier version of herself, but spends all her time inspiring others to do the same. She's launched her own personal training business, written the Fitness Model Bible Ebook, made appearances across magazines and media and even been lucky enough to find her partner Andrew, a muscle model, who she plans to marry next year. But there is a lot of hard work ahead for the fitness model, who will battle it out against 150 other professional models from around the world for the $30,000 prize in the WBFF competition in the next few months. Now Vlatka is getting ready to compete professionally in the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion competition in Las Vegas after being crowned the Australian bikini champion in Queensland in April . The competition, which will focus on her muscle tone and separation, means that Vlatka is on a strict 12-week diet and has to drink four litres of water a day . 'I was never really overweight, but I was chubby. I wasn't toned,'Ms Dragic said of her transformation. 'We have to have really good muscle tone and muscle separation for the competition, which is really hard to get and involves 12 weeks of strict dieting. 'So all my meals are measured I have to eat specific fruits, I can't have any spices or sauces or fizzy drinks or artificials - because that way your body looks different - and I have to drink over four litres of water a day.' The fitness model posted this picture to her Facebook page to show how her body appears depending on her diet and the level of her exercise plan . Ms Dragic also offered a few words of advice for others hoping to work their way to a fitter lifestyle and a healthier body. 'Start exercising and make sure you do weight training and cardio. If you want to get toned, it's essential to be on a high protein diet because you need to feed your muscles for them to grow,' she said. Vlatka said that her move to Queensland also led her to meet her fiance Andrew, a muscle model who travels with her overseas . | Two years ago, Vlatka Dragic quit her high-end job as an account manager and drove to Queensland .
Now, she is about to compete professionally in the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion competition in Las Vegas .
The 27-year-old has also launched her own successful personal training business and written an ebook called the Fitness Model Bible . |
fe383c074517541629bc69521ddcb95973b96fd8 | (CNN) -- A man set himself on fire Tuesday outside the court in Norway's capital, Oslo, where Anders Behring Breivik is on trial over terrorist attacks last summer that killed 77 people. "We don't know much about his motives, but he set himself alight outside the courthouse. Police were quick to put the fire out, and he has now been taken to hospital," Unni Groendal, head of media for Oslo police, told CNN. Police said in a statement released later Tuesday that the man was a Norwegian citizen from a foreign background. He has severe injuries, but they are not life-threatening, the statement said. He is expected to have surgery early Wednesday. "It is still unclear what the motive was for his action. He can currently not be questioned by police," the statement reads. A police spokesman earlier dismissed reports that the man had tried to force his way through the cordon outside the district courthouse. Norwegian daily newspaper VG reported that several court employees ran out with water bottles to pour water over the man. Video posted on the VG website shows the man running toward the court building with his hat and jacket on fire. Police officers then pull off his clothing and try to extinguish the flames as he lies on the ground. He was given first aid treatment on site. The incident happened about 1:45 p.m. local time (7:45 a.m. ET), according to Norwegian TV channel TV2. Breivik is on trial on charges of voluntary homicide and committing acts of terror in the July 22 attacks. He admits carrying out an attack on a youth camp on Utoya Island and a bombing in Oslo that killed eight people. He boasts of being an ultranationalist who killed his victims to fight multiculturalism in Norway. Experts' assessment of Breivik's sanity will be a factor in determining what punishment he receives if convicted. Sentencing options could include imprisonment or confining him to a mental facility. Friday's court session was disrupted when the brother of one of those killed threw a shoe toward Breivik, hitting one of his defense lawyers. This week, the court is hearing testimony from some of those injured during Breivik's gun rampage on Utoya Island. CNN's Per Nyberg contributed to this report. | NEW: The man is a Norwegian citizen with a foreign background, police say .
NEW: The man suffered severe injuries and will have surgery Wednesday, police say .
NEW: Police say the man's motives for setting himself afire remain unclear .
Anders Behring Breivik is on trial on charges of committing acts of terror and voluntary homicide . |
fe38748831c4f20880ed51c0c87e7ba67753be47 | By . Jason Groves . PUBLISHED: . 19:31 EST, 14 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:50 EST, 14 June 2013 . A lawyer for the Leveson Inquiry who had an affair with Hugh Grant’s barrister played a significant role in the inquiry, Lord Justice Leveson admitted last night. The judge had initially suggested that Carine Patry Hoskins played only a minor role in his inquiry, carrying out work that was ‘largely mechanical’. But, following revelations that she was paid £218,000 for her work between July 2011 and November 2012, he came under pressure to reveal more about her role. Affair: Celebrities' barrister Mr Sherborne and Mrs Patry Hoskins, a . member of Lord Justice Leveson’s legal team, claim their relationship . did not start until after the inquiry . In a letter to the Tory MP Rob Wilson, . the judge said she had also played a key role in drawing up lines of . questioning used by the inquiry’s lead counsel Robert Jay, as well as . questioning witnesses herself, reviewing witness statements and . researching areas of the law. However the letter said nothing about her role in drawing up the so-called Rule 13 letters outlining the inquiry’s criticisms of the Press before the report was published. Lord Justice Leveson insists the conclusions of his report were his alone. But Mr Wilson said the revelations would underline public concern about whether the Leveson Inquiry’s findings could have been compromised by an affair between Miss Patry Hoskins, a married mother of two, and David Sherbourne, a barrister representing Mr Grant and other celebrities campaigning for regulation of the Press. Miss Patry Hoskins, who became known as the ‘woman on the left’ during the televised hearings, was junior counsel in the team led by Mr Jay. She went on holiday to the Greek island of Santorini with Mr Sherbourne in August last year – while the inquiry was being conducted. Lord Justice Leveson admitted that the barrister had in fact had a significant role in the inquiry . The pair claim they simply discussed the ‘possibility of a future relationship and decided against it’. They say they changed their minds later and became a couple after the inquiry ended in December. Mr Wilson said: ‘We now learn that Carine Patry Hoskins did indeed provide important legal advice to the Leveson Inquiry, and dealt with witnesses and made assessments of the evidence on behalf of the inquiry. This must have had some bearing on the inquiry’s work, whether she had a formal input into the drafting of the report or not. ‘It would be completely inappropriate for someone to carry out these important tasks for an impartial public inquiry while developing such close personal relations with one of the parties’ barristers to the point that they went on holiday together to contemplate an affair. Holiday together: The pair went on a break to the island of Santorini (pictured) in Greece . ‘I am very surprised that Lord Justice Leveson has not already taken the many opportunities available to him to make this clear.’ In his latest letter, Lord Leveson again denied that Miss Patry Hoskins influenced his final report. He said she had ‘no input into the conclusions or recommendations in the report itself’. In April last year Miss Patry Hoskins told people at the inquiry she was helping to draft the Rule 13 letters, which set out criticisms of the Press across 120 pages that appeared largely unchanged in the final report later in the year. The letters were sent to newspaper editors in mid-August, when Miss Patry Hoskins claims she was contemplating an affair with Mr Sherbourne. Lord Justice Leveson’s latest letter makes no reference to her work in this area, focusing on her work in the early stages of the inquiry. He has previously said she merely ‘assisted in the largely mechanical exercise of collecting and organising the evidence to support the generic criticisms’ set out in the letters. | Judge initially suggested that Carine Patry Hoskins played only a minor role .
She was paid £218,000 for her work between July 2011 and November 2012 .
Hoskins had an affair with Hacked Off lawyer David Sherbourne .
Leveson now says she had also played a key role in drawing up lines of .
questioning used by the inquiry’s lead counsel Robert Jay . |
fe38ccbb9abf1754bf8afe6fd0ca1d15770222ba | At least 20 terror suspects have had their British passports torn up on national security grounds to stop them entering the country, it emerged today. In the last two years alone Home Secretary Theresa May has stripped British citizenship from 16 individuals considered to pose a threat to the UK. Rules in place for a decade allow ministers to act to revoke passports in a bid to target the so-called ‘enemy within’. Two men stripped of their British citizenship in 2010 - Bilal al-Berjawi and Mohamed Sak - had links to Somalia's al-Shabaab militant (pictured) The Home Office today defended the policy from claims it was equivalent to ‘medieval exile’, insisting the British citizenship was ‘a privilege not a right’. Officials said that from 2002 to September last year 20 citizens were stripped of their passports. A report by the Bureaux for Investigative Journalism, published in The Independent today, suggested the number is 21, of which only two have successfully appealed. At least five of the 16 to lose their citizenship under the coalition were born in Britain, the report said. One man had lived in the UK for five decades. A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Citizenship is a privilege not a right. The Home Secretary has the power to remove citizenship from individuals where she considers it is conducive to the public good. An individual subject to deprivation can appeal to the courts.’ Home Secretary Theresa May, who has revoked 16 passports since 2010, insists British citizenship is a privilege not a right . However, concern has been expressed that after losing British citizenship suspects have been targeted, and in some cases killed, in US drone attacks. Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem deputy leader, is to write to Mrs May about the scale of the threat posed to Britain. ‘There was clearly always a risk when the law was changed seven years ago that the executive could act to take citizenship away in circumstances that were more frequent or more extensive than those envisaged by ministers at the time,’ Mr Hughes told The Independent. Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes is demanding the powers be reviewed . ‘I’m concerned at the growing number of people who appear to have lost their right to citizenship. I plan to write to the Home Secretary and the Home Affairs Select Committee to ask for their assessment of the situation, and for a review of whether the act is working as intended.’ Two men involved - Bilal al-Berjawi, a British-Lebanese citizen, and British-born friend Mohamed Sakr, who also held Egyptian nationality – travelled to Somalia in 2009. They are said to have become involved with Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, which has links to al-Qa’ida. Both rose to senior positions in the organisation. They were stripped of their British nationalities by Mrs May in 2010 and were killed in separate US airstrikes. Saghir Hussain, Sakr’s former UK solicitor said: ‘It appears that the process of deprivation of citizenship made it easier for the US to then designate Mr Sakr as an enemy combatant, to whom the UK owes no responsibility whatsoever.’ Gareth Peirce, a leading human rights lawyer, said the use of the powers ‘smacked of medieval exile, just as cruel and just as arbitrary’. Read more: . British terror suspects quietly stripped of citizenship… then killed by drones . | Home Secretary Theresa May insists British citizenship is a 'privilege, not a right'
At least five to have passports revoked on national security grounds were born in Britain .
After losing citizenship, some have been targeted and killed in US drone attacks . |
fe38d5d372db18f0e1f3da68b66c55ca419fe1a2 | He was a basketball-loving kid from the Midwest who turned into a jihadi-fighting terrorist in Syria -- and then died there. Exactly what spurred Douglas McAuthur McCain's metamorphosis remains murky. But while his radicalization and death have stunned loved ones back home, his actions abroad have raised fears that other Americans may follow suit. Here's what we know about the 33-year-old man who died while fighting for ISIS, the radical militant group that has captured swaths of Iraq and Syria and spawned major concerns in the United States: . U.S. on alert amid new claim of American killed in Syria . He grew up in Minnesota . McCain grew up in the Minneapolis suburb of New Hope, his friend Isaac Chase said. The two lived in the same New Hope apartment building and became fast friends. "When I first moved here, I didn't know anyone, so I went to the park and I would see him and his brother and a bunch of other people playing basketball, and he asked me if I wanted to play," Chase said. "We just hung out pretty much from 10 o'clock in the morning all the way until nighttime. We'd just play basketball and talk. ... He was an older guy that I looked up to. He was actually a good dude." Chase remembers McCain as a nice, quiet young man, but one who was looking for purpose in life. When Chase joined the Air Force in 2007 and served in Iraq, McCain was impressed that his friend was making something of his life and wanted to do the same, Chase said. But after learning that McCain died while fighting for ISIS, which is trying to establish an Islamic state across Iraq and Syria, his friend was bewildered. "It just hurts a little bit knowing that if he was over there and I was over there at the same time, we would've been going against each other," Chase said. "That's what hurts the most because he was a good person, and I just don't understand why anyone would do anything to the U.S." His family is stunned . And he was raised by good parents, Chase added. He said McCain's mother attended church regularly, while the father is deceased. Ken McCain described the nephew he knew as "a good person, loved his family, loved his mother, loved his faith" -- the latter being a reference to Christianity he practiced before his conversion to Islam several years ago. Opinion: When Americans leave for jihad . The family wasn't alarmed by his conversion. But McCain's Facebook posts sympathetic to ISIS got relatives' attention, the uncle said. "We are devastated, and we are just as surprised as the country is," Ken McCain said of the news his nephew had become a jihadi in Syria. But not every family member believes Douglas McCain joined ISIS, a group with tactics so brutal even al Qaeda has disowned it. "We're from Chicago. We grew up in Minnesota," his cousin Kenyata McCain told CNN affiliate KARE. "He's not a terrorist. That's crazy." "His religion was very important to him, but those people -- the ISIS people -- they don't represent what my cousin's beliefs are or were at all." Kenyata McCain -- who said Douglas commented about her sons growing up on a Facebook photo a few days before his death -- wondered if her cousin may have gotten caught up in the wrong crowd. "Why was he in Syria? ... What kind of people was he hanging around? I feel like maybe it was the people he was hanging out with because that's not who he is. He's not ISIS," she said. Spent time in California, Sweden, Turkey . Douglas McCain didn't take a straight path from Minnesota to Syria, from Christianity to an extreme brand of Islam, from "good person" to accused terrorist. Physically, he moved around some as well. That includes time in Southern California, where he attended San Diego City College, according to spokesman Jack Beresford. At the beginning of this decade, McCain also spent time in Sweden. An acquaintance of his in that Scandinavian nation, Kevin Tornstrom Kohlin, remembers him as "a really good basketball player" and a "fun guy who spread a lot of good energy." "I never noticed him giving any bad energy, at all, to anybody," Kohlin said from Vasteras, Sweden. "Everybody who met him, of those I know, remember him the same way." McCain appeared to have no problem with anyone's religion -- including that of Kohlin, who is Christian. While all his stops aren't publicly known, uncle Ken McCain did say that his nephew was in Turkey when he last touched base with him a few months ago. Not coincidentally, Turkey borders Syria. From hip-hop dancer to jihadist: How dad tracked down son in Syria . U.S. government had been monitoring him . McCain had several run-ins with local law enforcement in Minnesota since 2000, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. These include arrests for disorderly conduct, speeding, driving after revocation, theft by swindle and giving an officer false information. And in 2003, he paid a $250 fine after pleading guilty to having marijuana in a motor vehicle, according to court records. Still, these were minor issues, certainly not matters of national security. In the early 2000s, though, Douglas McCain did come to the federal government's attention, according to a U.S. official. He was associated over the years with numerous people who authorities were watching -- including one from Minnesota who ended up dying in Somalia while fighting as a jihadi -- the official said. But there was no indication that McCain was involved in anything nefarious during his time in the Midwest. Things changed, though, as the years went by. U.S. counterterrorism investigators had been looking into his activities for some time before his death, a U.S. official said. McCain was on a list of Americans who are believed to have joined militant groups and who would be stopped and subjected to additional scrutiny if he traveled. It's not clear when McCain got on that list. Moreover, U.S. authorities did not learn that he was in Turkey until he was already there, according to a U.S. official. How and why he moved on to Syria, how and why he became a jihadist and joined ISIS, befuddles those who knew him back in the United States. Some clues about his final days, weeks and months may lie in a Twitter account reported to be that of McCain's. A June 9 message read: "I will be joining you guys soon." He followed up the next day, "I'm with the brothers now." Then came this perhaps telling retweet, on June 26: "It takes a warrior to understand a warrior. "Pray for ISIS." Who is the ISIS? How ISIS is overshadowing al Qaeda . | Retweet from McCain's purported account refers to warriors; says "pray for ISIS"
Cousin says McCain commented on a photo of her sons just before his death .
The Minnesota-bred McCain died while fighting for the radical militant group ISIS in Syria .
The U.S. government had tracked McCain, but didn't know he had traveled to Turkey . |
fe3900bd8cc34b96f544b502718a5e452af59abc | Karen Buck has received a complaint from one of her constituents after sending him an Eid card despite the fact that he is not a Muslim . A Labour MP has infuriated one of her constituents by twice sending him a card celebrating an Islamic festival even though he is not a Muslim. Karen Buck, a key aide to party leader Ed Miliband, admitted that her staff went through the electoral register picking out people with ‘Islamic’ names – a practice that could be in breach of the Data Protection Act. Rustom Irani, 52, who was born into the ancient Iranian faith of Zoroastrianism, first complained when he received an Eid card from her in 2009. The Westminster North MP apologised and promised him it would not happen again – but then she sent him another greeting to mark the Islamic feast day at the beginning of the week. Mr Irani, a businessman from Maida Vale, West London, said the Labour politician’s use of his personal information raised data protection concerns. ‘I was born a Zoroastrian,’ he said. ‘I’m not anti-Islamic, it’s just that I’m not Muslim. Clearly they have just looked up my name.’ Miss Buck told Mr Irani in 2009 that the 7,000 cards she sent out that year to mark Eid – which celebrates the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting – were intended only for Muslims, although she confirmed at least two other recipients had complained. ‘My offices have no special access to data on resident’s religion,’ she wrote. ‘We made an error on the basis of your surname being an Islamic one. ‘For this I again sincerely apologise. The vast majority of the cards sent out via surnames on the electoral register were sent to Muslim households and were welcomed.’ Following a complaint by Mr Irani, Miss Buck was warned by the Information Commissioner’s Office in 2010 that she had probably breached the Data Protection Act and should not send any more Eid cards to constituents ‘merely on the basis of an assumption about their names’. Scroll down for video . Karen Buck, who is Parliamentary Private Secretary to Ed Miliband, got a complaint from the same man in 2010. On that occasion she was warned that she had likely breached data protection rules . Mr Irani, whose name is of expatriate Zoroastrian origin, said: ‘The mistake shouldn’t have been made again.’ Miss Buck, who is Mr Miliband’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, said she believed constituents welcome the Christmas, Eid and Rosh Hashanah [Jewish New Year] cards she sends each year. But Tory MP Philip Davies said: ‘The idea that you can win elections by this kind of vacuous, politically correct, cynical tactic is wrong. ‘I rather hope that elections are determined by what you believe in and what you do for your local community. I think many Muslims will find this approach to win votes rather patronising.’ | Karen Buck sent Eid card to male constituent named Rustom Irani .
Mr Irani complained because he is not a Muslim, and follows Zoroastrianism .
He says the same thing happened in 2010 when he also wrote to complain . |
fe39740c9a83e1936ab165cfbd9ac6f3e2a203fb | (CNN) -- A lifetime may be too short to recover from the loss of a child, let alone just a year. Nicole Hockley knows this. Adam Lanza shot dead her 6-year-old son, Dylan. Her wounds are still raw. And the release Wednesday of the 911 calls to police after Lanza charged into Sandy Hook Elementary with an assault rifle was like rubbing salt on those wounds. "I have no desire whatsoever to hear the slaughter of 26 people, including my 6-year-old boy. And I can't imagine why anyone else would want to hear that as well," Hockley told CNN. She absolutely did not want a judge to release the recordings of the December 14 massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, that claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and six teachers. After the release, media organizations struggled with how to handle the material. Some news outlets, including CNN, opted to air portions of the recordings, including a 911 call from a school secretary, one from a teacher and one from a janitor. Other news organizations decided not to use any of the material directly, instead describing some of the recordings in news coverage without airing or posting any of the contents. Hockley says she'll do her best to avoid hearing the voices describing the horror of that day, of gunfire popping in the background. But she's afraid of happenstance. "I don't know if I'm going to turn on the radio one day, or turn on the TV one day, or be Googling on something and just happen to come across them by accident," Hockley said. Bringing back memories . Parents of the murdered students were able to leverage the law to prevent the release of the crime scene photos from that day. But some of them are upset they couldn't hold back the 911 recordings. The Associated Press had requested they be made public in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. Scenes of grieving parents on the day of the shooting are still vivid in the mind of Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Now that the call recordings are out, he's concerned about the pain they'll cause. "I think the tapes bring back those memories," he said. But the appeals judge, who upheld the decision to release them, didn't really have a choice, he said. Judge Eliot Prescott was afraid that holding them back would "fuel speculation about and undermine confidence in our law enforcement officials." The good in the bad . Cristina Hassinger, who lost her mother to Lanza's bullets, agrees with Prescott's decision -- despite her personal anguish. Hassinger's mother, Dawn Hochsprung, was the school principal. She was confronting Lanza when he gunned her down. Hassinger believes that knowing is better than not knowing. The calls belong to the American public, she said. And they can help the country deal with future shootings. "They don't belong to the victims' families, painful as they may be, and there is nothing on the recordings that violates the victims' privacy," Hassinger said. "The public has the right to know." Psychologists divided . Psychologists were divided on how to handle the calls. Judy Ho frowns on their release, particularly the effect they might have on children who hear them. "There are computers everywhere. Even if you have parental control, kids can get past that and listen to these tapes themselves," she told CNN's Don Lemon. She fears the exposure will trigger post-traumatic stress disorder, even in people who have no connection to the school or its community. But clinical psychologist Jeff Gardere believes that the pain of reliving those moments will help people process the trauma. "I think listening to these tapes, of course, will open old wounds. But sometimes you do have to open them in order to clean them out." Neil Heslin purposely used the recordings to reopen his own. "I had felt it was something that I needed to do, that I wanted to do," he said. "Just to know. Jesse was my son. I brought him into the world." Jesse died at Lanza's hands. "You can only try to imagine what it's like to lose a child," Heslin said. "And unless you've lost a child, you can't imagine. The best description I can give is it's like losing a leg and an arm ... and not being able to hold yourself up or support yourself." Heslin got to spend just six short years with his son before Jessie was lowered into the ground. And this holiday season will be especially tough for his family. Heslin plans to take down a Christmas tree he set up with Jesse after Thanksgiving last year. They planned to decorate it in a few days. They never did. CNN's Pamela Brown and Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report. | Nicole Hockley lost her son Dylan, 6, in the Newtown shooting .
She opposed the release of the 911 call recordings and fears hearing them by chance .
Other victims' loved ones support the release; they want the public to know .
Psychologists say the release can help or hurt family members and others . |
fe3b09c6d507a3a5ec70209e87048f7cbfa8ca2d | More than a week after a raid on an al Qaeda stronghold in Yemen to free hostages, an American captive, who was not rescued, appears in a video, begging into the camera for his life. In the recording recently posted by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, also known as AQAP, the terror group threatens to kill Luke Somers, if Washington does not meet its demands. AQAP member Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi, who reads a statement, does not say what the demands are but claims that the U.S. government knows them. Somers also gives a short statement asking for help and identifying himself. "My name is Luke Somers. I'm 33 years old. I was born in England, but I carry American citizenship and have lived in America for most of my life," he says. Somers, a photojournalist, fell into the hands of kidnappers in September last year. He missed being saved in a raid last week by U.S. and Yemini special forces that freed eight hostages. The raid was planned after al Qaeda militants were spotted transferring the hostages into pickups, "chained and covered in blankets," according to a website associated with Yemen's defense ministry. Militants drove them to a cave over 65 miles away from the town of Hajir al-Saiyer. U.S. and Yemeni special forces outfitted with night visors embarked on the mission about four miles from the cave. They encountered the kidnappers nearby; a gun battle ensued, and the forces killed all seven abductors. They also freed eight chained up hostages, who told them that militants had moved five more hostages, including Somers, to another location. The Yemeni account did not mention the U.S. Special Forces, but a U.S. official confirmed their participation. CNN, at the request of the government, delayed reporting the information about the raid, so as not to endanger the search for Somers and the other hostages at that time. More on detained Americans . | A U.S. and Yemeni special forces raid last week freed hostages but not the American .
Luke Somers is a photojournalist who was captured in September 2013 .
Special forces planned the raid, when AQAP militants were seen transferring hostages .
The militants had split the hostages into two groups two days before the raid . |
fe3b5ca8d7e583b91e903e51e142292cd812d0c4 | (CNN) -- Actress Natasha Richardson died of injuries caused by blunt impact to the head, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Thursday. Natasha Richardson fell on a beginners' ski slope in Canada. The death was ruled an accident, the office said. Paramedics dispatched to help Richardson minutes after she fell on a Canadian ski slope Monday were turned away and did not have a chance to check her injury, the ambulance service director told a Toronto, Canada, newspaper. Richardson -- a film star, Tony-winning stage actress and member of the famed Redgrave acting family -- died two days later in a New York hospital from a head injury suffered at a Quebec resort about 80 miles northwest of Montreal. Yves Coderre, operations director for Ambulances Radisson, told Toronto's The Globe and Mail newspaper on Wednesday that his company sent an ambulance to the slopes at Mont Tremblant Ski Resort after a call from the ski patrol. "They never saw the patient," Coderre said. "So they turned around." Watch how brain injuries can be hidden » . Coderre did not say who sent the ambulance away. Efforts by CNN to reach Coderre have been unsuccessful. A resort spokeswoman said a statement was being prepared in response to the latest report. An earlier statement from the resort said a paramedic from its ski patrol "arrived on the scene within minutes" after Richardson, 45, fell during a lesson on a beginners' trail. The ski patrol paramedic "did not find any visible sign of injury," it said. "As standard protocol, the ski patrol insisted Ms. Richardson be transported to the base of the hill in a rescue toboggan," it said. "Once at the base of the hill, Ms. Richardson was advised by staff to consider seeking additional medical attention which was declined." The resort's statement said Richardson, accompanied by her instructor, returned to her hotel but about an hour after the fall was "not feeling good," the statement said. Another ambulance was later called to the hotel, where paramedics found her conscious, but she "wasn't in good shape," Coderre said. Richardson was taken to a local hospital before being transferred to Hopital du Sacre-Coeur in Montreal. From there she was transferred to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. She and her husband, actor Liam Neeson, have two children, Michael and Daniel. Her family issued a short statement Wednesday night acknowledging her death. "Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time." Richardson is a member of acting royalty. Her grandfather, Sir Michael Redgrave, was a famed British actor. Her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, is an Oscar-winning actress, and her father, late director Tony Richardson, helmed such films as "Look Back in Anger," "The Entertainer" and the Oscar-winning "Tom Jones." Watch a review of her career » . Richardson's uncle Corin Redgrave, aunt Lynn Redgrave and sister Joely Richardson are also noted performers. Natasha Richardson won a Tony for her performance as Sally Bowles in the 1998 revival of "Cabaret" and earned raves for her Blanche DuBois in a 2005 production of "A Streetcar Named Desire." She was scheduled to perform in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" this year, after a January benefit performance of the show. Broadway dimmed its lights Thursday evening in tribute to Richardson. | NEW: Medical examiner rules Natasha Richardson's death an accident .
Ambulance crew was turned away, company official tells newspaper .
Richardson died two days after falling on ski slope .
Richardson initially showed no sign of injury, resort statement says . |
fe3c02a5adf8a35c0d45a19718b23d6ffa8d1cfe | (CNN) -- Sepp Blatter's controversial comments about racism in football are the latest in a long line of incidents that have embarrassed the FIFA president in the past decade. From matters such as accusations of financial mismanagement and corruption at world football's governing body, to his infamous declarations on homosexuality, women footballers, marital infidelity and sporting slavery, the 75-year-old is rarely out of the headlines. Blatter, now in his fourth and final term of office, has vowed to clean up FIFA's image but his legacy will forever be tainted by his public outbursts. CNN takes a look at some of his more memorable statements, and the controversial moments of his reign as head of one of the planet's most powerful organizations. Blatter: There is no on-field racism in football . | FIFA president sparks anger by declaring that racism is not an on-pitch problem .
Sepp Blatter has a history of causing controversy with his public comments .
World football's ruling body has been tainted by charges of corruption during his reign . |
fe3dc9010eac39c96571ac6cf0406333b626b2ab | A sheet of blotting paper used on the armistice document that brought about the end of the First World War has emerged for sale for £30,000. The sheet carries the inky signatures of military leaders Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, First Sea Lord, and Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the French leader of the Allied forces, who had been sent to France in November 1918 to thrash out a peace deal with the Germans. After four days of tense negotiations conducted in two railway carriages deep in the heart of the French countryside, a historic truce was reached. The blotting paper (left) was picked up by Captain John Marriott (pictured right) after military leaders had thrashed out a peace deal with the Germans to end the First World War . Top brass from all sides signed the armistice, which was aimed at restoring peace to the world after four years of bitter fighting. Captain John Marriott, Admiral Wemyss' naval assistant during the negotiations, was acutely aware of the significance of the peace deal. After the document had been signed, the quick-thinking captain picked up the scrap of paper which had been used to blot the signatures of the dignitaries and pocketed it. Later, Admiral Wemyss wrote on the paper: 'This blotting paper was a signature of armistice with Germany 5 am 11/11/18/ in the Compiegne Forest. R.E. Wemyss.' Two days before the deal was struck, Capt Marriott wrote a poignant letter to his wife Margaret describing the negotiations. He wrote: 'Here we are out in the middle of a lovely forest on a beautiful day. The Boche is in a similar train about 200' off & we await the reply to our armistice terms which have gone to Germany. 'We had 2 meetings y'day & I have never seen a more miserable lot of men, I feel they know the game is up and are terrified of Bolshevism. 'They say they are very hungry in the Country & badly in need of everything. Blotting paper used on the historic armistice document that brought about the end of the First World War has emerged for sale for £30,000. It was picked up at the armistice signing by Captain John Marriott (fourth from left) 'War is a Godless business and I do so hope we shall finish it all by Monday. We shall be here possibly till then but one never knows anyhow, after this business we are off home again. 'It is a historic meeting this without a doubt & I shall never forget it, please God we pull it off & as far as I can see I think we shall...' A blow-by-blow account of the talks written by Capt Marriott has also come to light, revealing the moment he was tasked to call George V with news of the armistice. He wrote: 'At 5.a.m. orders were issued to cease hostilities at 11 a.m. afloat, ashore and in the air. 'I was told by Admiral Wemyss to ring up BUCKINGHAM PALACE and inform HIS MAJESTY; the line was dreadful and I must have been cut off about 30 times but finally got Charles Cust and informed him. I also told 10 Downing Street. 'We then had a glass of port and went for a walk in the Forest which was wonderfully soothing after our busy night.' Two days before the deal was struck, Capt Marriott wrote a poignant letter (pictured) to his wife Margaret describing the negotiations . Capt Marriott's family has decided to sell the blotting paper along with the letters to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Experts say they could fetch £30,000 when they go under the hammer in a Bonhams auction. Luke Batterham, an expert from Bonhams, said: 'John Marriott was a naval captain who was present at the signing of the armistice in France in November 1918. 'The negotiations took several days and Capt Marriot was there throughout. 'The war had been raging for four years and Capt Marriot was very much aware of the significance of the armistice. 'After the document had been signed he picked up the blotting paper which had been used and took it with him as a souvenir of the moment. 'It really is a remarkable item. It is a wonderful record of an incredible moment in history. 'During the talks he somehow found the time to write a very poignant letter to his wife Margaret describing everything going on around him. 'He captured in words the huge significance of the armistice. 'These documents come to us directly from Capt Marriott's family and they will be of great interest to anyone interested in military or 21st century history. 'It is incredible the stories that can be held within one piece of paper.' The armistice was signed at 5am on November 11, 1918, after Germany had requested to enter peace talks. It was signed by Marshal Foch and Admiral Wemyss on behalf of the Allies. The German delegates who signed it were politician Matthias Erzberger, army major General Detlof von Winterfeldt, Count Alfred von Oberndorff of the Foreign Ministry and Captain Vanselow of the Imperial Navy. After signing the agreement Admiral Foch declared: 'This is not a peace. It is an armistice for twenty years'. The Second World War started twenty years and 65 days later. The auction will take place in London on October 1. The armistice between the Allies and Germant was known as the Armistice of Compiègne after the place where it was signed in the French countryside. It went into effect at 11am on November 11 1918 marking victory for the Allies. There were 35 terms including the end of hostilities, withdrawal of troops to behind their own borders, the exchange of prisoners and the promise of war reparations. It also included the disposition of German warships and submarines. The armistice - largely written by the French Marshal Ferdinand Foch - ended fighting, but it took a further six months of negotiations to conclude the peace deal, the Treaty of Versailles. The armistice brought an end to the First World War and came into effect at 11am on November 11, 1918 . But Foch considered the Treaty to be 'a capitulation, a treason' believing only the permanent occupation of the Rhineland would grant France sufficient security against a revival of German aggression. He is repored to have said: 'This is not peace. It is an armistice for 20 years' as the Treaty was being signed. The Second World War started twenty years and 65 days later. Many have argued that the Treaty may have helped sow the seeds for the Second World War because its terms caused such anger within Germany. Years later, Adolf Hitler was voted in to power, promising to rip up the document. | Blotting paper was used on document that brought end to First World War .
It carries the signatures of military leaders after they met in November 1918 .
Historic truce was conducted in two railway carriages in French countryside .
Captain John Marriott picked up the scrap of paper and pocketed it .
His family decided to sell it to mark centenary of the outbreak of the war .
It could fetch as much as £30,000 when it goes under the hammer in London . |
fe3deef3555867597c7459fdfc1de65b322daba2 | The tanking Russian economy seems to be doing little to encourage President Vladimir Putin to repair relations with the West. In fact, Putin is slipping deeper into a revisionist Cold War mindset, sending the worst East-West standoff in decades into a potentially more dangerous phase. With Russia's economy on the verge of collapse, Putin could have used his annual marathon news conference on Thursday to show flexibility over Ukraine and to raise the prospect of relief from Western sanctions. But instead, in powerful rhetoric, he dug in, comparing Russia to a "bear" that the United States and its allies are determined to chain down before ripping out "its teeth and claws." His comments solidified a cycle of escalating confrontation and recrimination which will see the year end with U.S.-Russia relations at their lowest point since the fall of the Soviet Union. And there is no sign that things will improve in 2015. That's a problem for President Barack Obama, who is holding a year-end press conference on Friday at which global issues like the tension with Russia will likely come up. Obama would rather concentrate on foreign policy crises elsewhere. Though Russia is not the Cold War superpower it once was, it can't be ignored: It has 1,600 deployed nuclear warheads and casts a huge geopolitical shadow in Europe. Moscow can also thwart U.S. foreign policy goals vital to Obama's legacy in Iran, the Middle East and beyond. The White House responded to Putin's news conference by saying that Putin's "revisionist narrative" was troubling "but utterly unconvincing." "President Putin has repeatedly attempted to shift blame of the conflict in Ukraine and the internal problems that Russia is experiencing away from his own policies," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. Obama, meanwhile, risked further irking the Russian leader by signing a bill that gives Obama the power to impose new sanctions on Moscow, though he does not plan to do so right away. Despite Putin's defiance, the White House is convinced that U.S. and European sanctions on Russia, combined with steep drops in the price of oil, are sending the economy into a tailspin that Putin can't ignore. Western officials hope that will persuade Putin that the price of his annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in Ukraine is now too great. They reason the economic crunch could turn Russia's middle classes against Putin despite his current popularity, or prompt oligarchs cut off from Western banks to force his hand. As panic hit Russia's financial markets this week, the central bank was forced into a hurried intervention to hike interest rates to 17 percent and the government stepped in amid fears of a disastrous run on the banks. This stemmed the bleeding but the ruble has still lost more than 50% against the dollar this year, leaving the Kremlin in a bind. "They are between a rock and a hard place," said Jason Furman, chairman of President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisors, adding that the Russian economy was "on the brink of crisis." But there is a chance that Putin could respond not by offering concessions, as the West hopes, but by stoking nationalism and shows of Moscow's military power not seen since the Cold War. Trying to prove it's still a global power, the Kremlin has sent its warplanes and ships to test NATO defenses. Sweden expressed outrage last week, saying a Russian military plane with its transponder turned off narrowly missed colliding with a Scandanavian airliner. Moscow denied the incident. Russian officials, meanwhile, are accusing the West of plotting regime change in Moscow. Despite rising tensions, some of Obama's critics, like Republican Sen. John McCain, want him to supply arms to Ukraine, a step the administration fears would not much help forces vastly outnumbered by Russia's military. "The argument that I hear from the administration is that we don't want to provoke Vladimir Putin. That is just Orwellian... history will judge this administration incredibly harshly," McCain told CNN in an interview. "The only thing that will dissuade Vladimir Putin from what he is doing is when coffins come back to the families in Russia." The administration is concerned that imposing more U.S. sanctions unilaterally could fracture the united front with Europe, which has much greater exposure to the Russian economy. Europe has generally been more reluctant to maintain sanctions than Washington, and some experts believe one Russian tactic could be to pull back forces from Ukraine's border and back peace talks between Kiev and separatists to further soften European resolve. U.S. officials and western Russian experts are also anxious about Putin's state of mind. People who have met and studied him argue that his strategic choices are distilled from a worldview that insists the West is depriving Russia of its rightful role as a great power. "We are concerned that the frame just doesn't seem to track with events on the ground," said a senior administration official. "That's one of the reasons why world leaders do continue to reach out and talk to appropriate Russian interlocutors," the official said. "It is a matter of concern." In a phone call in March, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Obama she questioned whether the former KGB agent was in touch with reality. He is "in another world," she said, according to the New York Times. Fiona Hill, a Brookings Institution scholar and author of an acclaimed book on Putin, says the Russian leader's anti-Western instincts have hardened since he returned to the Kremlin as President in 2012. "Putin projects onto us the kind of actions he would take — believing that the CIA Cold War operations are still in place. He understands the world from a different vantage point. He is acting within that on the assumption that we are at war." Obama, already beset by foreign policy problems, has no desire for a new Cold War and says Russia's actions are simply not in its own interests. But the world looks a lot different to Moscow. "This insistence that Russia is headed in a disastrous direction, that Putin needs to recognize that and reverse course implies an expectation that at some point, Putin will realize that and give in to the West's pressure over Ukraine" said Matthew Rojansky of the Wilson Center. "He has sent implicit and explicit messages to the West that that is not going to happen." Along with sanctions, the West hopes another, more personal tactic will break Putin's resolve -- depriving him of the recognition he craves of the world stage. Putin left the G20 summit in Brisbane last month after he was given the cold shoulder by many world leaders in a nation still mourning 28 Australians among the dead when a Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down over rebel-held Ukraine in July. "I think they are getting the message," the senior official said. "Putin got it very clearly. His body language was quite clear." | Putin's annual press conference spikes tensions .
Russian leader doubles down despite economic crunch .
Obama under pressure at home to take harder line . |
fe3e432d211b007f1dddd3028fc59d7a1d54c096 | (CNN) -- Even though Hurricane Irene has been downgraded to a tropical storm, its powerful winds and drenching rain continue to pose danger to people who venture into it, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Sunday. People should "stay inside, stay safe," FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate told CNN's "State of the Union" program. "For a lot of folks, the danger still exists. We still will have trees coming down, heavy rain, strong winds." Hundreds of thousands of people have lost electrical power, and it will take time to get it all restored, Fugate warned. "I think some people will get power back rather quickly, but other people, it's going to be days," he said on the NBC program "Meet the Press." In addition, Fugate said anyone evacuated in the storm that made landfall twice -- first in North Carolina on Saturday and again in New Jersey on Sunday -- should avoid returning to their homes until floodwaters have receded and emergency crews have cleared fallen trees and downed power lines. "Don't go back yet. Let local officials give you the all clear," Fugate said. | Fugate says the storm remains dangerous even when downgraded .
Some people could face a loss of power for days, he says . |
fe3ec1ec3f7925045a46a6f489779925dc68bedd | PUBLISHED: . 17:15 EST, 14 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:23 EST, 14 October 2013 . All construction came to an abrupt halt at the new $1.2 billion San Francisco 49ers showcase stadium after a delivery truck driver was crushed early Monday by a bundle of rebar being unloaded from his truck. Police, firefighters and state workplace safety officials are investigating the Santa Clara, California incident, which was the second deadly workplace accident on the site in less than four months. The 61-year-old Vacaville, California resident was severely injured by the heavy mass of steel bars as an ambulance rushed him to a local hospital, where he died. Tragic: On the ground is the bundle of rebar that presumably rolled off a 61-year-old driver's truck as he delivered it to the new San Francisco 49ers stadium. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead . ‘We are deeply saddened to confirm that the driver has passed away as a result of his injuries,’ spokesman Jonathan Harvey said. The man was an employee of Gerdau Ameristeel's Napa Reinforcing Steel facility, a subcontractor on Levi Stadium, said Gerdau Ameristeel spokeswoman Kimberly M. Selph. In a statement, the 49ers said their ‘sincerest thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and co-workers affected by this tragedy.’ Again: The 61-year-old Vacaville man was the second worker to die at the Santa Clara site of the new $1.2 billion stadium . The Santa Clara stadium is replacing Candlestick park, which lies about 40 miles to the north. It will be known as Levi’s Stadium. Construction is slated to be finished in July, and crews have been working in high gear to meet that deadline. Officials say the accelerated work plan involves a highly coordinated scheme to maximize efficiency and avoid delays. Construction firm investigators also were on-scene Monday, to see what could have been done to prevent what is now the second deadly accident at the site. An elevator mechanic, 63-year-old Donald White, was killed at the stadium June 11 when he was struck by a counterweight while working in a shaft. var nbcLP={};nbcLP.aRandomNumber=Math.floor(Math.random()*10000);nbcLP.currentPageLoc=encodeURIComponent(window.location.href);nbcLP.currentSiteLoc=encodeURIComponent(window.location.host);nbcLP.defaultWidth=634;nbcLP.defaultHeight=367;nbcLP.cmsID="227682911";nbcLP.vidPid="0wyE3zZx5BMs";nbcLP.vidSec="TK";nbcLP.vidSubSec="TK";nbcLP.vidFrame=document.getElementById("nbcLP227682911");nbcLP.vidFrame.style.border="none";nbcLP.vidFrame.width=nbcLP.defaultWidth;nbcLP.vidFrame.height=nbcLP.defaultHeight;nbcLP.vidFrame.scrolling="no";nbcLP.vidFrame.src="http://www.nbcbayarea.com/templates/nbc_partner_player?cmsID="+nbcLP.cmsID+"&videoID="+nbcLP.vidPid+"&width="+nbcLP.defaultWidth+"&height="+nbcLP.defaultHeight+"&sec="+nbcLP.vidSec+"&subsec="+nbcLP.vidSubSec+"&turl="+nbcLP.currentSiteLoc+"&ourl="+nbcLP.currentPageLoc+"&rand="+nbcLP.aRandomNumber; . Jinxed? The $1.2 billion 49ers stadium is being built to replace Candlestick park and will be known as Levi's stadium. In June, a 63-year-old elevator installer was also killed at the site . White worked as an elevator mechanic for more than 40 years and was employed by Schindler Elevator Corp. The $1.2 billion stadium project is expected to open its doors just in time to host the 50th Super Bowl, in 2015, in the heart of the Silicon Valley. The airy, open stadium would have the largest lower bowl in the league, ensuring the 68,500 fans are close to the action. The construction costs are being paid by $800 million in seat and luxury box sales, along with a 20-year, $220 million naming rights agreement with Levi Strauss and Co. announced in May. 'We are deeply saddened to confirm that the driver has passed away as a result of his injuries,' spokesman for the construction company Jonathan Harvey said Monday. Here, the growing structure can be seen over a fence . | The 61-year-old Vacaville, California man was pronounced dead early Monday after the heavy steel rods rolled over top of him .
63-year-old Donald White was killed in June while installing an elevator . |
fe3f37c61f79903412c57683071968011edd66a9 | (Oprah.com) -- Many years ago I had a blind date in a mediocre Chinese restaurant with a dour tax attorney with whom I was hopelessly mismatched. There seemed no possibility of common ground until he proudly informed me he was an officer of some organization of mycologists. Perhaps whatever passion there was in this man lay in mushrooms rather than law or human relationships. I told him I had collected mushrooms once myself. In fact, it was one of my most purely happy early memories. Oprah.com: How do you find love? I was 7 or 8, and my favorite aunt, Rose Wallman, who often borrowed me from my parents because she was childless, came to take me for an afternoon mushrooming expedition in Forest Park, New York. Aunt Rose was equipped with a basket from Woolworth's and a copy of "The Little Golden Book of Mushrooms". I was thrilled to go foraging with her because I had been reading the Heidi books and it seemed like something Heidi would do, even though Aunt Rose and I were not in the Alps. Forest Park was as close as you could come to a real forest in the borough of Queens. Aunt Rose, as much a neophyte mycologist as I was, delighted me by appearing to rely on my judgement in matters of life and death. We would spot a mushroom and consult "The Little Golden Book", searching for a matching illustration. Mushroom or toadstool? would be the question. (At this point in my narrative, the tax attorney interrupted me with a withering pronouncement: "There are no toadstools -- only toxic mushrooms." "To me at 8, they were toadstools," I said firmly, and shortly afterward went home alone.) To continue my story, anything we both designated "mushroom" would be promptly picked. By the end of the afternoon we had gathered quite a variety; golden and in various shades of brown, they lay nestled in Aunt Rose's basket with clinging bits of moss and pine needles. The tax attorney told me he did not necessarily eat the rare specimens he collected; my aunt, however, was planning to sauté the whole lot in parsley butter but said she could not take the responsibility of inviting me to share the feast. All evening I worried about her, until the phone rang. Aunt Rose had not only survived but reported to me that the mushrooms were delicious, and ever since I have regretted not sampling that dish seasoned with a bit of danger. Oprah.com: What Oprah knows for sure about adventure . I thought of Aunt Rose quite often after I bought a small cabin in Vermont on the edge of the woods. She would have been pleased that I finally had my own Forest Park, complete with deer, moose, porcupines, and a mythical bear or two. Where my lawn ends, there are wild apple trees and blackberry brambles. In the fall after it rains, I'm likely to find boletes in the garden. My friends and neighbors up there are experienced mushroom hunters who wisely collect only what they're absolutely sure of and eat everything they gather. Strings of dried mushrooms hang from the rafters of their kitchens. If you're out driving with them, they're likely to stop the car to harvest giant speckled pheasant's backs jutting from dead elms along the roadside or the slightly phosphorescent shaggy manes that show up at night, luminous in the headlights. I've heard tales of giant puffballs, big enough to serve six, and of certain outcroppings of morels in hillside cow pastures. If you ask, "But where exactly do you find your morels?" you won't get an answer -- such secrets are respected by all -- but you will get an invitation to come to dinner and try some. Oprah.com: How to throw a stress-free dinner party . I went to the Strand bookstore in New York City and bought an enormous illustrated tome on mushrooms, which I hauled up to Vermont. It was full of Latin names and stern warnings and symbols representing degrees of edibility. I studied the picture of the lovely white mushroom known as the angel of death, learned how to make spore prints on paper towels, and felt properly nervous but still eager to proceed. Finally I went off to the woods without my mushroom bible, which was far too heavy to carry. I was a middle-aged city dweller still unaccustomed to being alone in the woods, and sometimes I thought I had to be crazy as I scrambled down the ravines and over fallen tree trunks and wrenched my sneakers out of oozing mud. If I broke my leg, who would find me? Perhaps days would pass before my friends started inquiring, "By the way, have you heard from Joyce?" And once I was rescued and was asked, "Why did you take such a foolish risk?" The truth would be somewhat ridiculous: "Because I wanted chanterelles." Oprah.com: 11 ways to ruin a summer vacation . I'd been told they grew everywhere in Vermont, and even for a beginner like me, the delicious little saffron trumpets were easily identifiable. Like a child, I wanted there to be chanterelles in my part of the woods. I found only three or four of them that first day, growing out of rotted logs, but still it was a victory. I brought them home in a strawberry box and put them in an omelette after double-checking them with the book. In the following days, I went farther afield and brought home a few more, saving them up until I had enough to cook with pasta. I liked the way the urge to seek them cleared out my mind, brought purpose and suspense to my rambles; I thought of nothing in the woods but of spotting a few dots of cadmium yellow in last year's dead brown leaves. One day, wandering contentedly in circles, I completely lost my way. I headed toward the sunlight and found myself in a strangely familiar place that turned out to be my neighbor's yard. There was a lone chanterelle growing in his driveway. With a twinge of guilt, I picked it. Oprah.com: Comfort food gets a healthy makeover . My city cat had come to Vermont with me; I'd kept her in the house for fear of losing her to coyotes, but finally she made her escape through some torn screening. I ran after her, tearfully calling her name, but she melted into the woods. As I walked back to the house, I found myself in a stand of birches near the road, only a few yards from my door -- the ground was covered with small yellow trumpets, more than I'd ever hoped to see in one spot. They'd been hiding in plain sight -- like the cat, as it turned out. She materialized on the porch at five the next morning, ravenously hungry and full of fleas. So thanks to her I have my own secret place, filled with the mysterious bounty of the forest. I can only guess at what makes the chanterelles so abundant there. Is it the particular amount of sunlight filtering through the trees, the birch bark and decaying limbs on the ground mixed with just the right proportions of maple leaves and pine needles? My chanterelles come back year after year. Like all miracles, it's nothing measurable. Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2011 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | The author discovered the passion and risk of picking mushrooms as a child .
Mushrooms are something she has carried with her into adulthood .
Living in Vermont, she can grow, pick and cook with mushrooms . |
fe3f8b78ed452d8027323c479d6391476e43f72e | By . Joe Bernstein . England midfielder Adam Lallana will celebrate his call-up into Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad by sealing a £20million move to Liverpool this week. It is a massive boost for Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, whose side have an outside chance of winning their first title since 1990 when the Premier League season reaches its climax on Sunday. Lallana celebrated his 26th birthday on Saturday by choosing to join the Rodgers revolution at Anfield despite interest from other clubs. On the move: Adam Lallana is hoping to seal a £20m move to Liverpool as early as next week . Southampton believe the fee represents fair value for a player who progressed through their respected youth academy, and all sides see sense in wrapping up the move before the England players report for manager Hodgson’s pre-World Cup training camp in Portugal on May 19. Hodgson names his 23-man squad plus seven standby players for Brazil on Monday and Lallana is certain to be included. Liverpool will hope Lallana’s imminent arrival is a lucky omen as they face Newcastle at Anfield on Sunday afternoon - two points behind leaders Manchester City, who face West Ham at The Etihad. Man with the plan: Brendan Rodgers (right) is preparing to launch a spending spree this summer . In: Lallana looks a certainty for Roy Hodgson's 2014 World Cup squad which is selected on Monday . Due to City’s superior goal difference, Manuel Pellegrini’s side need only a draw to be champions for the second time in three seasons. Liverpool would finish top if they won and City lost. Regardless of the outcome of the title race, the signing of Lallana marks the start of a bold summer of spending by Rodgers to ensure his team are strong enough to compete in both the Premier League and Champions League next season. Owner John W Henry has promised Rodgers, who will be delighted to land Lallana so early, £60m plus any money he makes on sales. Talent: Lallana could be lining up alongside Luis Suarez (left) and Daniel Sturridge next season . Spend: Rodgers claims Liverpool have got to do everything they can to stay in the top four for the foreseeable future . Rodgers said about his planned revamp: ‘Teams have spent the money trying to get into the top four and can’t get in. For us now, we’re in it. Now we’ve got to do everything we can to stay in.’ Lallana’s departure from Southampton is likely to be followed by manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is wanted by Spurs. Teenage defender Luke Shaw, who also has an outside chance of being in England’s World Cup party, is being hotly pursued by Manchester United and Chelsea and will seek talks about his future after his club’s final game of the season today, against Manchester United. Tempted? Mauricio Pochettino could face the Southampton exit door with Tottenham interested . Wanted: Luke Shaw is a target for Manchester United and could also leave Saints this summer . | Adam Lallana could seal a £20m move to Liverpool next week .
Southampton star will also be selected in Roy Hodgson's 2014 World Cup squad .
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers hoping for a summer spending spree .
Luke Shaw could follow Lallana out of Southampton . |
fe3f92fb4a62d4004df8ff3e2d23116befcf1819 | (CNN) -- The Tunisian government declared a curfew Tuesday in eight governorates, including the capital city of Tunis, in an attempt to quell violence after protests that included radical Islamists. The 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew was announced by the Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry "in the wake of violence carried out by criminal groups against establishments of sovereignty and public and private property," a prime ministry communique said, according to the official Tunis Afrique Press. The curfew is to be observed in the governorates of Tunis, Ariana, Manouba, Ben Arous, Sousse, Jendouba, Monastir and the Ben Guerdane delegation in the governorate of Medenine, it said. Medical and night-shift workers are exempted. The announcement came hours after the offices and archives of the public prosecutor were set ablaze, Tunis Afrique Press said. The news agency, citing the Interior Ministry, said 97 people had been arrested since Monday night after rioting by "criminal groups" in the capital. "According to a ministry's press statement, these groups destroyed and set ablaze public properties, attacked police stations and assaulted policemen and citizens," it said. "These groups include Salafis and persons with criminal records." Salafis are ultraconservatives. The North African country touched off the Arab Spring by ousting Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who was replaced by a moderate Islamist government. Ben Ali has remained in exile in Saudi Arabia since the January 2011 uprising that forced him from office. He is being tried in absentia in the deaths of dozens of anti-government protesters during the revolt. Ben Ali already has been convicted in absentia and sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a 1991 case in which 17 servicemen were accused of plotting a coup against his regime. | Dawn-to-dusk curfew follows unrest, torching of government offices .
Government blames "Salafis and persons with criminal records"
The curfew is imposed in eight governorates, including the capital .
Uprising in Tunisia set off 2011 'Arab Spring' |
fe3f982aac6dbd7c5f3834f533ba369440084a47 | (CNN) -- Renee Zellweger looks different than she did 10 years ago. Big deal—who doesn't? Maybe she had plastic surgery. Maybe a little lipo, too. Or maybe her new look, at 45, is truly courtesy of her living a healthier, happier life away from the constant media glare, as she reportedly told People Magazine. Considering how mean-spirited some of the response has been since Zellweger showed up at the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards much slimmer than we remembered, who could question the effect time away from the vitriol can have on a person? Kelly Wallace: Why so quick to pick apart Zellweger's looks? Zellweger only spoke with People after the huge fuss the media made about that Elle event, she said, because "the folks who come digging around for some nefarious truth which doesn't exist won't get off my porch until I answer the door." I would think the real headline is "Public dissatisfied about Renee Zellweger's happiness." Because that's all she talked about: being happy. At peace. The face and body we associated with her for all these years was, in her words, a byproduct of having "a schedule that is not realistically sustainable and didn't allow for taking care of myself." Makes sense to me. I can't tell you how many former NFL players I have come across who look nothing like the men I saw on the field—significant weight loss, clean-shaven, hell, just being clean for a change. And dare I say healthier. It is possible for people to change without going under the knife. And it is possible to be happy in your own skin, even if you do opt for plastic surgery. More than 15 million cosmetic procedures were performed in 2013. I think it's safe to assume not all—if any—were done on Zellweger. In fact, it's downright hypocritical for anyone in a country that has been known to spend $1.4 billion a year on over-the-counter teeth-whitening products to get bent out of shape if someone does change his or her appearance. Face it, we're all nipping and tucking in our way. Our sense of what is beautiful has been redefined by a diet of Photoshopped images -- and 45-year-old actresses who feel they must nip and tuck and not look their age in order to be cast. Those who dare to not join in may be called "less classically beautiful" in the eyes of The New York Times, who tried to pin such a slight on Viola Davis, the star of "How To Get Away With Murder." I was reminded of the slight in the show's most recent episode as Davis' character removed her wig, fake eyelashes, and makeup on camera. There she was completely untouched for the world to see. And the fact that doing so is considered "brave" says more about our culture's warped sensibilities than Davis' beauty. Of course, the backlash over Zellweger's new look has little if anything to do with her. For some reason, we want her to answer for something that at the end of the day is none of our business. We want to know why her face appears different, why her signature puffy cheeks are gone. Unfortunately, that she says she is now happy and taking care of herself does not resonate. We apparently want her to say she had plastic surgery. Tell me: Who's the superficial one here? | LZ: Many buzzed that Renee Zellweger looked different when she appeared at Elle event .
LZ: Who doesn't change in 10 years? She says she's happier. Why isn't that enough for us?
He says a country that spends billions on cosmetic surgery is not in a position to judge .
LZ: To try to meet media's beauty standard, we all work on appearance . |
fe406c9e4d7d9564f5a85940d5c15871aeba2057 | (CNN) -- After 116 years, it seems the Olympic movement has finally embraced equality. For the first time in the history of the quadrennial Summer Games, every one of the 204 competing nations at London 2012 is represented by both male and female athletes. World stars such as heptathlete Jessica Ennis, swimming sensation Missy Franklin and sprinting champion Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce enjoy media profiles which rival those of their male counterparts. Coupled with the historic decision to allow female athletes from Qatar and Saudi Arabia to compete at the Games for the first time, it shows how far the Olympic movement has come since the Amsterdam Games of 1928. Food, glorious food: Olympic athletes' extreme eating habits . That was when women were given the chance to become Olympians for the first time. You would think those ground-breaking first champions would be world-renowned for their pioneering efforts. But you would be wrong. Just take the remarkable case of Betty Robinson -- one of the forgotten female heroes of track and field. "She's not terribly important anymore," past president of the International Society of Olympic Historians, Bill Mallon, told CNN. "She probably had a little bit of influence back then as the first woman to win a gold medal in track and field, but she was very little-known. "Women's track and field was not very popular in the U.S. at that time and she didn't get a whole lot of publicity, so she was overshadowed." Recordbreakers, medals and Phelps: The numbers behind the 2012 Olympics . That she is so forgotten is remarkable given her astonishing life. Imagine Usain Bolt had taken up sprinting just four months before his world-record-smashing run at the 2008 Olympics. Now imagine the Jamaican star was just 16 years old when he wowed the world in Beijing, and you begin to get an idea of what American schoolgirl Robinson achieved 84 years ago. Robinson, of Riverdale, Illinois, dashed to 100 meters gold wearing a skirt and vest, an outfit a million miles from the skintight speed suits worn today, in just her sixth competitive race. Yet that victory was just the start of her most extraordinary story. Can Usain Bolt make Olympic history? In April 1931, three years after that historic win, Robinson was involved in a plane crash over Chicago. Having being discovered on the roadside by a passerby who took her for dead, Robinson was bundled into the trunk of a car and driven to a mortuary. After the error was eventually spotted, she remained unconscious for seven weeks, but her injuries were so severe she was unable to compete for three and a half years. Even when she returned to the track, the damage to Robinson's leg meant she was unable to crouch in the starting blocks. No matter. Robinson still managed to run in the 4 x 100m relay at the 1936 Berlin Games. Eight years after bursting onto the Olympic scene, Robinson ran the third leg of the relay for the U.S team, helping them win gold under the watching eye of Adolf Hitler and Germany's Nazi rulers. The German quartet, which qualified fastest for the final in a world-record time, were disqualified after dropping the baton. For Robinson it was a remarkable rise, fall and rise, made all the more unfathomable when you consider she was only discovered as an athlete when one of her school teachers spotted her running to catch a train. Four track meets and six races later, Robinson was an Olympic champion and a joint world record-holder. "She ran her first race that we know of in March 1928," Mallon said. "She was a natural talent. She finished second in that race behind U.S. record-holder Helen Filkey. In the second race she ever ran she tied the record for the 100m, which got her to the Olympic trials where she finished second." Despite her landmark medal, Robinson's low-key profile was at odds with her achievements both during her life and since her death from cancer in 1999. The crash which damaged her leg also robbed her of her peak years. When she should have been cementing her position as the world's fastest woman, Robinson watched other sprinters assume her mantel. "In 1932 Babe Didrikson (a gold medalist in hurdling and the javelin at the Los Angeles Games of 1932) came in and evolved into the big name and pushed everyone else onto the sidelines," said Mallon. Robinson's athletic honors may not have brought her the fame and fortune her modern-day equivalents enjoy, but it did not diminish her passion for the sport she had left such an indelible footprint on. "She married and raised a family," Mallon said. "She stayed involved in track and field with the Amateur Athletics Union in the U.S. doing timekeeping at meets and she did some public speaking as well." Perhaps Robinson's relative anonymity is a saddening, if inevitable consequence of the passing of time. "It's a shame," said the American historian. "In Britain people know about gold medalists like Bradley Wiggins and Steven Redgrave, but I could tell you about athletes from the 1920s or 30s who most of the British public wouldn't know about." So when the women's 100m champion is crowned at the London Games on Saturday, it is unlikely the champion or the vast majority of the 80,000 crowd in the Olympic Stadium will have the faintest idea who Robinson was. But, by crossing the line first in Amsterdam all those years, ago, she guaranteed her place in the history books, even if it's not on the front page. | Betty Robinson won women's 100m gold at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam .
It was the first Olympics where women were allowed to compete .
Aged 16, Robinson became the first women's track and field gold medal winner .
The Illinois native almost died in a plane crash but returned at 1936 Berlin Games . |
fe406fc23701933e79e74a4a77b324499d969c40 | Mattias' baby picture sits prominently on the Mosquera family's mantel in their home in Teaneck, New Jersey, his tiny hand wrapped around his mom's index finger. The first moments of a baby's life are always filled with photographic milestones. From the cutting of the umbilical cord to the first mother-child portrait to bringing a little one home, there's typically a camera close by to document every step. On most mantels, those framed memories would grow: from the first day of school to high school prom, to cap and gown and beyond. But for Mattias, it's just the one. At just 7 hours old on July 9, 2014, Mattias passed away surrounded by his parents, grandparents, 4-year-old sister and Domenica Comfort, one of many photographers who have taken it upon themselves to document stillborn and terminal babies' precious moments after birth. "She took the time to photograph his little hands, his little feet, his hair, his ears, everything about him," Maria Cecilia Mosquera, Mattias' mother, said of Comfort. "...All his beautiful little features, which in the seven hours he lived, I didn't have time to fully appreciate." It's a sad fact that tens of thousands of families in the United States each year mourn an infant whose life was measured in hours, or less. Approximately 26,000 babies in the United States each year are stillborn, according to the National Institutes of Health. Another 11,300 babies in the United States, on average, die each year on the day they're born, according to a report from Save the Children. And that's not counting a pregnancy miscarriage rate of 15% to 20%. When Maria Cecilia was about 20 weeks pregnant, she and her family found out Mattias had Trisomy 18, a chromosomal condition with which fewer than 10% of newborns survive to their first birthdays. Mosquera stumbled upon the idea of remembrance, or bereavement, photography on an online support group for moms carrying babies with poor prognoses. From there, she was connected to Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a national organization that connects parents who are losing or have just lost a baby to photographers, free of charge. "I treasure each and every photo as the seven hours we had with him, we can never get back -- except through these photos," Mosquera said. 'Beauty and blessings' Photographer Sandy Puc' co-founded Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep with Cheryl Haggard after Haggard and her husband called Puc' in February 2005 to take black-and-white portraits of them cradling their dying 6-day old son. "That night was the worst night of my life," Haggard said, in a statement published on the site. "But when I look at the images, I am not reminded of my worst night. I'm reminded of the beauty and blessings he brought." The two women realized that other families in that situation may want tangible, photographic portraits of their babies as part of the bereavement process -- and to reference years down the road. Now, their organization is in 40 countries with approximately 11,000 photographers. "The bottom line is you know you're giving the family something priceless: a tool to use to heal," Puc' said. "It's anything but macabre; it's very beautiful and moving." Todd Hochberg of Evanston, Illinois, has been photographing perinatal loss for 17 years and is considered a pioneer in the field. His work helped set the tone for organizations like Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. "It literally changed my life in 45 minutes," Hochberg said of his first session. He started as a medical photographer in the hospital to capture surgeries for educational publications and corporate communications, but soon was drawn to the human stories of the NICU. "I meet families at the most difficult time," Hochberg said. "It is not a portrait of a dead child, but rather this incredible unfolding story of love and loss." Hochberg says it's important to note that these images aren't intended to frighten but to inform and validate an experience that is often upsetting for the parents and their family. "The most difficult picture often becomes the most important one for them. And it doesn't mean it's pleasant," he said. Facing grief . With any mode of grief, what works for one family might not work for another. Hochberg said he hopes his photos help destigmatize miscarriage and infant loss and challenge the assumption that the parents' grief must be less because they didn't have much time to get to know their child. He also wants to encourage grieving families to talk about their loss and not sweep it under the rug because of dated societal constraints. Rana Limbo, who helped found the bereavement organization Resolve Through Sharing, says this is important to note for any family or friend of someone who is going through this situation. "Some people incorrectly equate length of life with level of relationship with a child," she said. Limbo said that women who experience a miscarriage form relationships with their babies at the very earliest stages of pregnancy. But they are often reluctant to talk about them. "Because they presume that others will not understand these deeply felt emotions, they choose to keep the loss to themselves," she said. So if you know someone who has miscarried or lost a very young child, how do you talk to them about it? Limbo suggests calling their baby by name if one was chosen and to use the term, "I remember" in sharing one's memories of the baby. Also, she said, never try to find the silver lining with "at least" phrases like "at least you know you can get pregnant." An open ear opens the door for as little or as much conversation as the parents' want to share at that time, Limbo said. "You can open the door with, 'Tell me more' or 'I think about you all the time.' 'Tell me how you are,'" she said. How to help . Limbo said that if you know a friend or family member going through this, do NOT: . • Try to explain or rationalize what happened: "God must have needed another angel in heaven," or "It was nature's way." • Start any sentence with "At least." • Not mention the baby. • Use the parents' story as a springboard for your own: "Well, when my sister had a miscarriage, she..." Or "When I was pregnant..." • Talk more than you listen. • Be silent. | Remembrance photography is offered to families to help cope with the grief of a lost baby .
Todd Hochberg is a pioneer in the field of perinatal bereavement photography .
Do not equate the baby's length of life with the level of the relationship, one expert says .
October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. |
fe408b28a812ab4d68e393b41c1df3d598c5f54f | The sound of metal hitting the floor echoed through the hallways of the childless elementary school. It was an empty clip from a gun, fallen to the ground. "That sound should be imprinted in your brain," Zach Hudson, co-founder of Defensive Tactics Solutions, told the educators in the audience. "That is the sound of survival. That is the sound of opportunity." That, Hudson said, is the best time to attack a shooter if one enters the school or classroom. On a recent Saturday in Lake Mary, Florida, Hudson and his partner, Mike Friedman, conducted a free active shooter self-defense workshop for teachers and school staff members. Since the deadly school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, last year, school security plans have included arming teachers, adding police officers and armed security guards, changing how schools are designed and adding bulletproof backpacks and whiteboards to schools. In the new school year, some educators are taking it upon themselves to be prepared for the unthinkable. What really makes schools safer? The self-defense trainers, both parents, believe that workshops like this one should be mandatory for educators. "You got to make sure you get those fire drills in every year," said Hudson, who was a CNN Hero in 2012 for his work with senior citizens. "Fire drills are important, don't get me wrong, but guess what, kids aren't dying in fires. They're dying because they are being shot. That's the truth, and that's the threat." They passed out a pocket-sized active shooter reference guide published by the FBI (PDF) that says people have three options when an active shooter enters a location: run, hide or fight. "Fight as a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger," it says. This course offered guidance on how to escape or take cover but focused most of its four hours on how to fight and disarm an attacker -- something few educators have ever considered how to do. "It's very sad that we have to go through this kind of training to know how to protect our kids," said Marsha Taylor, a teacher of 25 years who works with young children. The protection exercises started with a fake gun pointed at the educators. "It takes the fear out of it," Hudson said. Participants were taught how to grab the barrel and point it away while holding the slide so the handgun cannot fire. Parts of the workshop were similar to a self-defense classes, where participants learned how and where to hit and the best position to stand when approaching an attacker. "You have eight weapons," Friedman told the class. "Two hands, two elbows, two knees, two feet." The educators of all ages practiced how to use those body parts on pads held by the instructors; they were encouraged to make every strike fueled with aggression and anger. "We don't need to be armed with a weapon -- a gun per se," said Frank Taylor, a day-care owner who took the class. "But if we have knowledge of how to use our bodies and our surroundings, than that in itself is the best form of arming ourselves." The tactics and strategies were tailored toward a school setting, instructors said, and part of the workshop focused on the school and classroom setup. Teachers were told which ordinary items found in a classroom might be used as weapons -- for example, throwing a stapler at the shooter or using it to hit an attacker in the temple. If scissors were available, educators were told to aim for the eyes. "Who cares how you incapacitate?" Friedman said. "Just attack the attacker. That's the mind set." Teachers lessons' in heroism and healing . In the school's hallway, educators got a detailed lesson in how to run from the sound of bullets. " 'Cover' means that whatever you are behind will stop a bullet," Hudson explained, urging them to run from cover to cover. When told to hide, Hudson reminded the group that if they aren't seen, they're less likely to be shot. The workshop ended with a "bad guy" with a gun entering the classroom. The educators were taught how to find the room's "blind spot": a place where they won't be seen when the shooter entered the room. It was also the best position, the trainer said, to use the element of surprise if they needed to disarm the shooter. A shooter, of course, that these educators wanted to prepare for but never hope to encounter. "In addition to us providing exceptional education for the students, first and foremost, they have to be protected," Taylor said. "If they're not safe, then it doesn't matter what we do from an educational standpoint." | Some Florida educators recently took self-defense training in case of a school shooting .
Instructors say guides on how to hide, run or fight should be mandatory for teachers .
Teacher and trainee: "Students, first and foremost, they have to be protected" |
fe408b6f0055bbac6706c36c0f01f375a193b5cc | (CNN) -- Occupy London protesters who have been camped outside the landmark St. Paul's Cathedral for the past four months lost their court bid to avoid eviction Wednesday in a decision made by London's Court of Appeal. Last month, the High Court ruled in favor of the City of London Corporation, the body that runs London's financial district, which applied for an eviction order after the protesters failed to abide by a previous order to pack up the camp. The Occupy London group then filed an appeal against the ruling at the Court of Appeal. Wednesday, the three judges of the court refused them the permission to appeal. Michael Paget, the lawyer representing the Occupy London group, said the group doesn't intend to file another legal challenge. "The occupy message has been heard and will continue to be heard. It has made a difference and will continue to make a difference." The activists, who set up camp outside the cathedral October 15, had been protesting against corporate greed and economic inequality. Many of the tents set up by the Occupy activists around St. Paul's are on what the corporation designates as a public road. St. Paul's suspended its own legal action against the activists in November, after a number of senior cathedral figures resigned over the threat to evict them. "Peaceful protest is a democratic right but the camp is clearly in breach of highway and planning law," said Stuart Fraser, policy chairman for the City of London Corporation." I would call on protesters to comply with the decision of the courts and remove their tents and equipment voluntarily right away." | Last month, the High Court ruled in favor of the group that wanted to evict .
The Occupy London group then filed an appeal .
The three judges of the court refused them the permission to appeal . |
fe412cea4de3eb4cc71f7c15f1f04b201156258e | BBC chiefs accepted yesterday that producers had made a huge mistake in a children’s programme by claiming that Florence Nightingale was ‘racist’. Historians had accused the corporation of ‘insulting’ her memory by dramatising a scene showing the nurse – famous for her work in the Crimean War – discriminating against a black colleague, Mary Seacole. Horrible Histories featured a sketch in which Miss Nightingale rejects four job applications from Jamaican-born Miss Seacole, saying the work was only ‘for British girls’. Scroll down for video . Wrong: BBC chiefs accepted that CBBC's Horrible Histories wrong to suggest that Florence Nightingale (right, the lady with the lamp) turned down colleague Mary Seacole (left) for not being British . A formal complaint was made by the Nightingale Society, a collection of historians who seek to promote knowledge of her contribution to nursing. One member, Professor Lynn McDonald, wrote in the Daily Mail in August how political correctness had led to Miss Nightingale being smeared. Originally broadcast as part of the hit children's CBBC history show, the sketch also appeared on the BBC's Learning Zone, an educational, online resource for children. The romantic image of Florence Nightingale (left) caring for wounded soldiers in the Crimea and (right) the lady with the lamp in old age . Viewers saw the actress playing Miss Nightingale say: 'The nursing corps was for British girls. You're from Jamaica' to which Seacole responded: 'Me father was from Scotland.' The Seacole character was also seen saying: 'Four times me tried to join Old Lamp-Face's nurses in the Crimean War, and four times she said no.' Yesterday The BBC Trust, the corporation’s governing body, ruled that the two-minute, 34-second clip’s ‘depiction of Florence Nightingale in relation to racial issues was materially inaccurate’. The Committee said that programme-makers should have done more to make it clear that it was not Miss Nightingale herself who rejected Seacole. Seacole had, in fact, gone to Crimea to start her business and didn't ask once for a job. Florence Nightingale (left) with her pet owl (in a drawing done by her sister Parthenope) and Mary Seacole (right) whose role in the Crimea has been overplayed according to her biographer. Seacole never nursed in a hospital, did not start a nursing school, never wrote books or articles on nursing. She never did anything to rival Nightingale's truly pioneering work to improve healthcare . The reality is that she went to Russia in the spring of 1855 to set up a provisions store that sold luxury items (such as tinned lobster) to officers, and a restaurant and bar where they could dine and drink champagne. It was hardly fare for rank and file soldiers. Rather than ministering to the sick and wounded, Seacole's main work by day was food preparation. It said that viewers of the clip, which also showed the pair jostling, 'would be likely to receive the overall impression that Florence Nightingale had acted towards Mary Seacole in a racially discriminatory manner'. It said that given Miss Nightingale's 'significant stature' in modern British history, the allegation required 'compelling proof'. Members of the committee: Former Coronation Street executive producer David Liddiment (left) and Sonita Alleyne (right) are among the six trustees on the BBC's Editorial Standards Committee . The Committee concluded that the sketch breached guidelines on accuracy, saying: 'Given the seriousness of any imputation of racism, the relative recency of Nightingale's life...the immensity of Nightingale's contribution to modern nursing and her significant stature in modern British history, the Committee felt it was incumbent on the programme makers to ensure that there was sound evidence upon which to base any suggestion that she had acted in a racially discriminatory manner in a Learning Zone clip. 'It appeared to the Committee that an allegation of such gravity against a person such as Nightingale required compelling proof. In the Committee's view, the programme makers had provided no such evidence.' It said that it was not trying to suggest limiting 'the range of comedic or dramatic devices' used in history content for children. 'However in this very specific instance, making a charge of racism was very serious.' It added: 'The Committee felt in considering this particular clip and this issue, especially given that it appeared in the Learning Zone, it was important for a clear and rigorous adherence to fact, even within the context of the audience expectations for the format of Horrible Histories.' Children's comedy Horrible Histories began in 1993 as a series of books, written by Terry Deary, before being adapted into stage productions and a CBBC TV show. A BBC spokesman said: 'We note and accept the findings of the ESC. The intention of this Horrible Histories sketch was never to undermine the reputation of such an important historical figure like Florence Nightingale, but to open up a discussion of some of the attitudes of the time. 'The Learning Zone has withdrawn the sketch from their website and the episode of Horrible Histories will not be repeated in its present form.' | Show taken to task by BBC's own Editorial Standards Committee .
Committee ruled that the sketch breached editorial guidelines on accuracy .
Suggested, wrongly, that Miss Nightingale turned down Mary Seacole for not being British .
Seacole never applied for a job as she went to Crimea to start a business . |
fe41b71d66864299676b78b22db9eb4cb7016c22 | The World Cup final can be the best occasion of a footballer's life, or the worst if they crumble under the pressure. Germany and Argentina contested the climax to the 2014 tournament, with Mario Gotze scoring a stunning late winner to win it for Joachim Low's side. Here, Sportsmail's Martin Keown, the ex-England and Arsenal defender, rates all of the players involved in the match. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Fans go wild in Berlin as Germany beat Argentina 1-0 . Crucial: Mario Gotze celebrates scoring the goal that won Germany the World Cup against Argentina . Leader: Jerome Boateng was superb in the World Cup final . Ouch: Manuel Neuer clatters into Gonzalo Higuain in the second half... he still earned his team a foul . GERMANY . MANUEL NEUER - 7 . Didn’t have much to do in the first half. Dangerous challenge on Higuain. Presence helped put off Messi when through on goal. PHILLIP LAHM - 7 . Partnership with Muller good again. Intelligent and economical with his passing. Timed his tackles and interceptions perfectly. JEROME BOATENG - 8... STAR MAN . Did well. Saw the danger early and put his body on the line. Only one with real pace in the German back line. Suited central role. MATS HUMMELS - 6 . Outpaced by Messi time and time again. Had a good tournament but struggled against the runners from deep . BENEDIKT HOWEDES - 6 . Very high tackle and was maybe a tad fortunate just to get a yellow. Exposed by his side’s high line. Also missed good chance with header near end of the first half. Booked. Great chance: Benedikt Howedes missed a fine chance to open the scoring for Germany with a header . Leader: Bastian Schweinsteiger did a fine job in stemming the flow of the Argentine attacks . BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER - 7.5 . Made very important interceptions. Crucial role in stemming the Argentina runs from deep. Booked. CHRISTOPH KRAMER - 5 . Fleeting appearance. Unlucky to have that clash of heads. Did OK before that but was a huge call to pick him. Not sure I would have. Unlucky: Cristoph Kramer had to go off after picking up a head injury in this challenge . THOMAS MULLER - 8 . Boundless energy down the right-hand side but delivery needed to be better at times. Movement, as ever, was incredibly intelligent. TONI KROOS - 7 . Quite quiet but still had chances to score. Plays longer balls than the rest of their midfield and that gave Germany variety. MESUT OZIL - 6.5 . Looked up for the game, worked hard off the ball. However, didn’t do enough in possession in final third. Commendable: Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil worked hard for his team on Sunday night . Experience: Miroslav Klose lead the line well at the Maracana . MIROSLAV KLOSE - 7 . A bit quiet. He’s a finisher and was too reliant on everybody else bringing him into the game. Didn’t have legs to keep up. SUBSTITUTES . ANDRE SCHURRLE (for Kramer 29, 6.5) Impact player normally but did job well on the left-hand side. MARIO GOTZE (for Klose, 88) The best moment of his life. MANAGER . JOACHIM LOW – 7 . Not the right call to hand Kramer his full debut. You were waiting for his Plan B but not sure there really was one. TEAM AVG - 6.8 . Best moment of his life: Mario Gotze's technique was superb... it was a superb touch . Motivator: Joachim Low has been superb tactically all tournament . ARGENTINA . SERGIO ROMERO - 7 . Looked very good and made a couple of smart saves, particularly in the first half. Dealt well with crosses, too. A commanding figure. PABLO ZABALETA - 7.5 . Got forward well and made a few vital interceptions. So important for Argentina and also made decent ventures forward. MARTIN DEMICHELIS - 6.5 . Was hanging on at times, just about making the right decisions. Had just enough pace to get by. Good for him that Klose isn’t fast. EZEQUIEL GARAY - 6.5 . Much quicker than Demichelis so provides a good balance. Not really troubled but dealt well with what was thrown at him. Organised: Martin Demichelis and Ezequiel Garay were solid at the back for Argentina . MARCUS ROJO - 7 . Another player with real pace. Didn’t go forward very much but awkward to beat. It’s not easy marking Muller. JAVIER MASCHERANO - 7 . No-nonsense performance. Would tackle his grandma. Was around the referee at every opportunity. Booked. LUCAS BIGLIA - 7 . He linked the defence and front players. That meant he covered a lot of ground and was very calm on the ball. ENZO PEREZ - 6 . Quieter than he was against Holland, when he impressed me a lot. Part of the hard-working midfield. Gave away no space. Wasn't his day: Lionel Messi was encouraging for the South Americans, but couldn't quite lead them to victory . LIONEL MESSI - 7.5 . Troubled Germany by running at them. Worked hard and came very deep for the ball. Poor miss early in second half. GONZALO HIGUAIN - 5.5 . Missed such an easy chance — scored a harder one against Belgium. Should have timed run better for disallowed goal, too. Opener? Higuain thought he scored for Argentina in the first half, but he was yards offside . Fluffed his lines: The Napoli striker also scuffed his shot wide with just the goalkeeper to beat early on . EZEQUIEL LAVEZZI - 7 . Has such pace. Is so direct and made yards every time he got the ball. Superb cross for disallowed goal. Blow to lose him injured. SUBSTITUTES . SERGIO AGUERO (for Lavezzi 46, 6). Looked fired up, desperate to make impact. Booked. PALACIO (for Higuain 77, 6). No real impact. GAGO (for Perez 86). MANAGER . ALEJANDRO SABELLA – 8 . Sabella set his team up to be so much better organised than Brazil. Deserves credit for that. His team more dangerous. REFEREE . NICOLA RIZZOLI (Italy) — 7 . Big call not to send off Howedes. Didn’t notice him too much, which is a good thing. Was very firm withMascherano, who is difficult to referee as he is so mouthy. ATTENDANCE: 74,738 . Father figure: Alejandro Sabella speaks to his players during extra-time . Off at half-time: Argentina missed Ezequiel Lavezzi's pace . | Jerome Boateng's pace at the back was crucial for Germans .
Mario Gotze scores winner with neat volley in 113th minute .
Germany win fourth World Cup at the Maracana .
Higuain missed two great chances to score for the South Americans . |
fe41bc47a2e0b7532d2a57a37a4fe1caf648f4fb | By . Alex Gore . PUBLISHED: . 08:10 EST, 22 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:58 EST, 22 December 2012 . Suicide: An inquest heard Paul McCaffrey was found hanged at his Royal Hospital School home in Holbrook, after losing his job . A teacher hanged himself at a £30,000-a-year private school after being sacked for alleged heavy drinking, an inquest heard. Paul McCaffery, 46, lost his job as assistant director of music at the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, Suffolk, in January this year. He was given notice to leave his house at the 680-pupil school by the end of the Easter holidays. Maintenance staff found Mr McCaffery, who had taught at the school for 20 years, hanging in his staff accommodation on March 29 after a friend got no reply the previous evening. The inquest in Ipswich heard Mr McCaffery was sacked for 'alcohol related' issues. His appeal against dismissal was turned down by headteacher Howard Blackett. Mr McCaffery's brother Philip said after the hearing that the teacher had been accused of being drunk at a Christmas dinner last year when he had simply fallen off his chair while pulling a Christmas cracker. He added that his brother's death could have been averted and demanded and apology from the school, which he claimed still had questions to answer. Recording a verdict of suicide, Suffolk Coroner Dr Peter Dean said: 'Concerns were raised about his response to losing his job, which was a very significant part of his life, and it is clear that losing his job meant losing his home.' A post-mortem found the cause of death to be compression of neck structures. Toxicology tests also found a raised alcohol level. The inquest heard that an assessment carried out by a mental health crisis team in February, did not find Mr McCaffery to be at risk of suicide. But the inquest heard how he had earlier been complaining of anxiety attacks and was prescribed beta-blockers by the school's doctor. Dr Dean said: 'The family said had they known more they would have taken further steps. We can't be certain that even if they had all the information this tragedy could have been averted. Historic: Royal Hospital School opened in 1715 and has fees of up to £30,000-a-year for boarders . 'The school went through a process they felt they had to go through. They shared some information but some things they couldn't share because of patient confidentiality. It was a difficult decision for the school to take about a valuable member of staff. 'It does appear beyond reasonable doubt, Paul intended the consequences of his actions and I record a verdict that Paul McCaffery took his own life.' Dr Dean said he would be writing to the school to remind them of the need 'to look at all aspects of vulnerability' when making decision about staff. He said: 'Clearly it was a hard decision for the school but we need to raise the awareness - that is not to imply any liability on the school's part.' Mr McCaffery's brother Philip said after Thursday's inquest at the IP-City centre in Ipswich that there were still questions that needed to be answered by the school and he would be seeking a meeting with the school's trustees - Greenwich Hospital. He said: 'I think Paul's death could have been averted. If I had all the information to hand I don't think Paul would be dead now. Hanged: Maintenance staff found Mr McCaffery dead in his staff accommodation at the school . 'The school had pre-conceived ideas about Paul having drinking problems which clouded his dismissal. I'm disappointed nobody from the school apart from the doctor attended today. There's a big void of answers the family is still seeking. 'Looking back, he didn't have a drink problem, he had mental health issues. The school could have kept the family better informed without breaking patient confidentiality. 'I want the school to apologise and admit more could have been done. He was a larger-than-life character and loved by so many, including parents and pupils. He has helped so many people to achieve their goals, not just in music but in life.' The school, founded in 1715 to educate the sons of seafarers, has boarding fees of £29,937-a-year, which are heavily discounted for the children of Royal Navy personnel. Nobody from the Royal Hospital School was available for comment. | Paul McCaffery had also been told to leave his Royal Hospital School home .
Inquest heard he was sacked for 'alcohol related' issues and lost his appeal .
His brother wants an apology from the £30,000-a-year boarding school .
He said it should have kept the family informed about his 'mental health'
Coroner said school has no 'liability' for Mr McCaffery's suicide . |
fe422346f9bf3c7e6cf3960397c095978e210281 | (CNN) -- In his strongest words to date, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, tried to quash talk that he would allow another government shutdown if he becomes Senate majority leader next year. "Of course not. Remember me? I am the guy that gets us out of shutdowns," McConnell told CNN in an exclusive interview Wednesday. "It's a failed policy," he said of shutdowns. Earlier this month, Politico reported that, if selected majority leader, McConnell plans to tell the president to accept bills reining in the administration's policies or veto them and risk a government shutdown. Last year's government shutdown was hardly a popular event, and McConnell's Democratic opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes, pounced on the story. "Senator Gridlock's shutdown promise will hurt Kentucky small businesses," screamed a Grimes campaign press release. McConnell opposed the last shutdown, fueled by a strategy from his fellow Republican Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to only fund the government by defunding Obamacare, which passed the GOP-led House but had no chance in the Senate. The shutdown backfired on Republicans, and after the government reopened, McConnell made clear he did not intend to go through it again, citing a Kentucky saying on the Senate floor: "There's no education in the second kick of a mule." Still, McConnell is vowing to try to roll back Obama regulations that Republicans loathe, especially EPA rules on coal that Kentuckians see as harmful to their coal-rich economy. He says he plans to do that, if the GOP takes control of the Senate in the midterm elections, by attaching those changes to spending bills as they move through Congress. "One of the powers of Congress is to direct spending, and we've had an abuse of bureaucracy across the board. It's been particularly bad here in Kentucky with EPA and the coal industry, that needs to have some directions from Congress," McConnell told CNN. "The reason Harry Reid won't allow votes on coal in the Senate is he is afraid it will pass, in other words it would actually pass with Democratic votes. We're going to have those kind of votes next year if I'm majority leader," said McConnell. He again underscored he has no intention of taking that strategy all the way to a government shutdown -- noting he is often the veteran legislator who comes in at the last minute negotiate a way out with Democrats. "I'm the guy that's gotten us out of the shutdowns that some of our members have pushed us into in the past," said McConnell. But he also cautioned, "That does not mean that you should send the president a total blank check with no restrictions at all on how the money is spent." | Mitch McConnell says shutdowns are "failed policy"
Election foe in Ky. says he would allow them to occur .
McConnell hopes to become Senate majority leader . |
fe428b38fc801a1f949a7efef16aabdb589b6297 | A man who claims to suffer from an extremely rare condition in which he was born with two penises has penned a memoir titled Double Header . A man who claims to suffer from an extremely rare medical condition in which he was born with two penises has penned a tongue-in-cheek memoir titled Double Header. The 25-year-old anonymous author shot into the limelight in January after he uploaded pictures of his genitalia to Reddit using the username DoubleD*ckDude. Despite going public about his extra appendage the openly bisexual man - apparently blighted by a syndrome known as diphallia - refuses to reveal his identity because he says life would 'never, ever be the same.' 'The best way and easiest way to explain it is like this: If Superman revealed to the world he was Clark Kent, he would never ever be left alone,' he told Rolling Stone magazine. He continued: 'If I went public and on camera, from that moment on I'd be the guy with two dicks, not me. 'The butcher at the grocery store would know . . . I'd get asked to take them out and show them to people randomly. That's not a cool idea if you ask me.' In his new 76-page tell-all, the man talks about the highs and lows of living with diphallia. The condition - where a boy is born with two fully-functioning penises, each capable of operating independently - affects around one in every six million boys in the U.S. Most have one genital removed at an early age, but the man behind Double Header did not. His mother had suffered two miscarriages before his birth in the summer of 1989 and was 'terrified' that surgery could result in another premature death. The man revealed on Reddit that he was glad his parents decided against intervention, adding: 'Besides the ego boost it . really makes a person feel special knowing there is likely no one else . like you alive right now.' He also said his family were supportive during his 'hellish' teenage years, reassuring him that he was 'unique' and not a 'freak show'. The . man, believed to be American, previously revealed in an 'Ask Me Anything' thread . that he has one pair of testicles which split into two fully-formed . penises that are individually able to achieve erection and climax. The unnamed man, who now has a boyfriend after being in a bisexual polyamorous relationship with a man and woman, explained that he could urinate or ejaculate simultaneously. In his new memoir he details how having diphallia has led to a range of sexual encounters with more than 1,000 men and women. He told Rolling Stone that sometimes he likes to 'surprise' his bed partners, which doesn't always go well and women are always more judgmental than men. He claims that heterosexuals have also been curious enough to take part in encounters. He added that having an extra penis has opened him up to orgies, as he can use both at the same time, with two different lovers or the same person. When Reddit users asked him about his most memorable sexual encounter he detailed an act involving six other people - three women and three men. Posted on forum: The anonymous man spent six hours answering questions after he posted this photograph on Reddit of his penile duplication earlier this year . One of the only downsides of his condition, he said, was that it means his prostate gets full of seminal fluid that has to be released every few days. When he was younger a urologist would perform the procedure, which involves reaching inside his anus and pressing on the prostate, but he said he can clear it himself now or has his boyfriend do it. The man says that coming out about his unusual anatomy has allowed him to connect with other people feeling lonely and lost. He hopes that his new memoir - printed with the pen name Diphallic Dude - will encourage readers to embrace body acceptance. 'With so much negativity in the world, the ability to bring something positive to the table is a great feeling,' he added. | The anonymous author shot into the limelight earlier this year after he uploaded pictures of his genitalia to Reddit .
Despite going public about his extra appendage, he says he will 'never' reveal his identity because life would 'never, ever be the same'
'If Superman revealed to the world he was Clark Kent, he would never ever be left alone,' he explained .
The bisexual man claims to have slept with more than 1,000 men and women . |
fe4293a2d9150986e00e6cf87716d1b0427697d1 | Nigel Farage will appear on a 'rip-roaring' Gogglebox special . UKIP’s Nigel Farage is to appear in an ‘alcohol-fuelled’ Gogglebox special. The party’s leader was filmed sitting on the sofa with the TV review show’s posh couple Steph and Dom for a Gogglebox spin-off, Channel 4’s chief creative officer Jay Hunt has revealed. She told Radio Times that the show would be a ‘rip-roaring alcohol-fuelled watch,’ adding: ‘He gets p***** with them, but they also give him a grilling.’ The documentary, entitled At Home With Steph And Dom, will be broadcast next year. Gogglebox, featuring a regular group of opinionated friends and families discussing the week’s TV shows, has been a surprise hit for the broadcaster. She said that Channel 4 was now the 'alternative mainstream'. Mrs Hunt added: ‘We have found in Gogglebox an array of characters that people have taken into their hearts – they just love them. Gogglebox is my take on the week. We have a show that feels unmissable.’ She said: ‘When Channel 4 launched it was an outsider channel that represented voices that weren’t heard elsewhere. ‘We are still trying to talk to lots of people in the country and reflect Britain back to itself, we do it with a slightly different perspective.’ The former controller of BBC1 said that she was a 'conspicuous woman in an industry that is still dominated by men'. She said of some of the criticism which has been directed against her: 'You have to take it on the chin, but of course it hurts. You become inhuman if you're not affected by people being critical and it should give you pause for thought. It always gives me pause for thought.' Hunt, who earned £497,000 in 2013, defended her salary, saying: 'We are commercially funded. 'We don't take public money. In the nicest possible way, my salary is set by the board. And I think you need to talk to them about that.' The party leader will join posh couple Steph and Dom on a Gogglebox spin-off to be broadcast next year . | UKIP leader was filmed for a Gogglebox spin-off to be broadcast next year .
Channel 4 boss says show will be 'rip-roaring alchol-fuelled watch'
But party leader will also get a 'grilling' from the TV review pair . |
fe42d5f1a14c0475ca10be01be2dae52742b4d6c | Israel has been accused of promoting racial segregation by introducing 'Palestinian-only buses' from today after complaints were apparently made by settlers that mixed buses are a security risk. The Transport Ministry said the two new bus lines, which will run between the occupied West Bank and Israel, is an improvement in the service but rights groups described the move as racist. The left-wing Haaretz daily newspaper reported the ministry opened the lines after Jewish settlers complained of the dangers of having Palestinians on regular buses. A soldier walks in front of a bus destroyed in a suicide bomb attack in 2003. Jewish settlers apparently complained to officials that mixed buses were a 'security risk' The buses, operated by the Afikim company, have been introduced for the thousands of Palestinians who travel between the West Bank and Israel for work. Jessica Montell, director of the B'Tselem rights group, said on Army Radio: 'Creating separate bus lines for Israeli Jews and Palestinians is a revolting plan. 'This is simply racism. Such a plan cannot be justified with claims of security needs or overcrowding.' The new lines have been advertised in Palestinian villages, according to Ynet. The Transport Ministry said the move will 'improve public transport services for Palestinian workers entering Israel' and replace pirate buses charging them 'exorbitant prices'. 'The Ministry of Transport has not issued any instruction or prohibition that prevents Palestinian workers from travelling on public transport in Israel nor in Judea and Samaria,' it said, referring to the West Bank. 'Furthermore, the Ministry of Transport is not authorised to prevent any passenger from using public transport services.' Rights groups, however, voiced concern that Israeli police at checkpoints in the West Bank would remove Palestinian passengers from regular bus lines and order them to use the new ones. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said all Palestinians returning to the West Bank would be searched for stolen property, describing this as a routine Israeli precaution. An Israeli soldier views the identification cards of a Palestinian doctor at a check point. Rights groups have voiced concern that Israeli police will remove Palestinian passengers from regular bus lines at check points . He said he did not know whether and how this might affect Palestinian travel on regular buses. Herzl Ben-Zvi, mayor of the Karnei Shomron settlement, said the new lines 'answer the needs of all passengers - Palestinians and settlers' because they would relieve overcrowding on buses in the area. But a driver told Ynetthat that Palestinians will be 'asked to board their own buses'. He added: 'Obviously, everyone will start screaming "apartheid" and "racism" now. 'This really . doesn’t feel right, and maybe (the ministry) should find a different . solution, but the situation right now is impossible.' Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and maintains a network of roadblocks in the territory. Palestinians seek the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, for a future state - a claim supported by most world powers, which view the settlements as illegal. | Settlers apparently complained that mixed buses were a security risk .
Two bus lines will transfer Palestinian labourers from West Bank to Israel .
Rights groups have accused Israel's Ministry of Transport of racism .
But officials say the buses will ease pressure on the transport network . |
fe42dcfa2d73e94d3c550d5a698c4b0add89c2ec | Having tipped Brazil to win the World Cup I must say their opening performance against Croatia was an anti-climax that highlighted vulnerabilities, particularly in defence. The brightest thing about Thursday evening from the hosts’ point of view was the extraordinary home support, as I saw close up. To watch the match I made a three-hour journey through some of the worst traffic I’ve ever seen into the mountains above Rio de Janeiro, to share the occasion with two former Manchester United team-mates, Da Silva twins Rafa and Fabio. Rio in Rio: Rio Ferdinand (centre) with former team-mates Rafael and Fabio plus friends watching Brazil-Croatia . They had a big crowd of family and friends around to watch the game, 25 people in one room, including six kids. When the first note of the national anthem played, every single person stood up, held on to each other with something approaching fervour, and then absolutely belted out the anthem, every word of it as if their lives depended on it. Never mind the hairs on the back of my neck, I had a chill down the spine being part of that. It was the most extraordinary demonstration of what the World Cup means to these Brazilians. The game is in their DNA and not just those among them who are footballers. Then the game started and everyone watched in silence, nervous as it remained scoreless through the first 10 minutes and then shocked as Croatia took the lead. At that point Rafa said to me, quite dryly: ‘If it stays like this, you won’t be going back down to Rio tonight. It’ll be mayhem down there if we lose.’ A great leveller: Neymar celebrates after equalising for Brazil against Croatia . The room was quiet, despondent, but it didn’t stay like that as Neymar equalised and then Brazil went on to win. They were lucky, frankly. The penalty for 2-1 was an absolute joke. There was no way whatsoever that should have been a penalty. The most generous interpretation was that it was a dubious decision. The ref was conned, in my view. I hope for the sake of the tournament that it wasn’t an early sign that poor officiating could spoil things. Croatia started well and deserved to be ahead. The Brazil back four were visibly uncomfortable with the ball being crossed into the area. Against better teams and better strikers I fear they are going to have problems. As attacking full backs, Dani Alves and Marcelo are right up there among the best in the world, but as pure defenders, let’s just say they’re not at the same level. As for the rest of Brazil’s team, I don’t get what Paulinho’s purpose is in there. What's his purpose? Paulinho (right) isn't a ball winner or a creator and it isn't clear what he brings to Brazil . He’s not a ball-winner who breaks up play. He isn’t a creator. I’d have Ramires in way ahead of him. Luiz Gustavo and Oscar were the best performers for me. Neymar was relatively quiet by his own standards, even if he scored twice. That’s the mark of a really great player, doing not much then contributing something significant when it matters. After the final whistle we went outside to play foot-volleyball on the twins’ full-size beach volleyball court. Rafa and I were beaten by Fabio and a mate of theirs, who plays for Vasco da Gama. A whole new ball game: Ferdinand (right) plays beach volleyball with the Da Silva twins and a friend . I got back to Rio late, and there were still umpteen impromptu matches being played all along the beach. There are people everywhere in football shirts — Brazil, Colombia and Chile especially. But those people aside, it’s odd. There’s no other sign a World Cup is unfolding around us. No billboards. No posters. No VIP traffic lanes. Just people, in love with football. | Brazil's victory over Croatia was an anti-climax .
Ferdinand watched the match with Fabio and Rafael da Silva .
Brazil were lucky to win and vulnerable defensively .
There are no billboards or posters in Brazil, just people who love football . |
fe430429f80e2eec0ad1cb0ac021711640d1cffe | By . Lucy Osborne . A child rapist who abused his stepdaughter from the age of eight and sent her threatening letters from prison is back on the streets after a legal blunder. His victim Jo, now 43, said she fears for her and her daughter’s safety, knowing the paedophile ‘could be round the corner’. The former nurse, who does not wish to give her surname, said: ‘He will come for me, he has made that clear.’ Released after blunder: Keith John Williams, 57, was compared to serial killer Fred West by a judge after he carried out a series of child rapes. He was released this week after serving 15 years following an MoJ error . Keith John Williams, who was handed six life sentences 15 years ago, was deemed too dangerous for open prison in November. Threats: Jo, now 43, fears for her and her daughter's safety, knowing the paedophile could be 'around the corner' He was not due to appear before the Parole Board again for another two years. But the 56-year-old had to be given a second hearing six months later after a case worker failed to show his lawyers a victim statement. At the hearing on Thursday, the Parole Board decided to release him. His stepdaughter said she has no idea how the board’s view can have ‘changed this dramatically’. The serial rapist, who waged a campaign of abuse against his victims over two decades, continued to contact Jo and her stepbrother from jail. He made tormenting phone calls as recently as 2011 and sent menacing letters saying such things as ‘see you soon’ and ‘this isn’t over’. Despite such behaviour he was granted parole in 2012, meaning he was allowed out of prison to work during the day and sometimes overnight. But the former pub landlord broke his parole terms by staying overnight with his daughter, next-door to the mother of a young girl, Jo was told by the Parole Board. When he was moved from his open prison to a closed one in November Jo, who runs a support group for abuse victims, was relieved to hear Williams was no longer roaming the streets. But due to the procedural error, a fresh hearing had to be arranged – and she had to endure the whole process again. The Parole Board apologised for the ‘heartache’ of having to wait for the results of another hearing, but after its decision to release Williams this week, Jo said: ‘Something has gone seriously wrong here. If this human error hadn’t have happened, he would still be locked up. ‘A paedophile can’t have changed this dramatically in just six months. In November they said he was too dangerous for open prison. Now he is roaming the streets. It’s outrageous.’ Jo, who lost so much weight after learning her stepfather was in an open prison she dropped four dress sizes, added: ‘I don’t understand how someone who is so obviously still a danger is allowed to walk free. He is a monster, not a man. ‘The damage he caused me will last a lifetime … Sentences for paedophiles and rapists like him should reflect that. He has essentially served just two years for each of his victims.’ During his trial, Williams was compared to serial killer Fred West (pictured). He attacked his victim in bars he used to run . Jo’s MP, Heather Wheeler, said last night that the case was a ‘catalogue of errors’, adding: ‘It was absolutely clear when it came up at the last parole meeting that he should not be released. But now a simple error in the paperwork has changed all that … this shouldn’t be able to happen.’ Fellow Tory MP Priti Patel said: ‘His victims, along with the public, will struggle to understand how justice has been served having been released following such sickening crimes.’ Jo told the Mail: ‘It should be the rapists and paedophiles who have to fight for their rights, not the victims.’ She was raped and attacked repeatedly by Williams and some of his friends, between 1979 and 1985, at the family’s South Derbyshire pub – two minutes from where she now lives. Her stepfather, who was convicted of abducting a 14-year-old girl in 1976, left after having an affair and Jo told no-one of the abuse. But as she was getting her life back on track, Williams returned to the town and she broke her silence. Other victims came forward and in 1999 he was jailed for five rape charges and one of indecent assault. On his release Williams will not be tagged, but is banned from parts of Leicestershire and Derbyshire. A prison service spokesman said: ‘The [Parole] Board considers a range of factors that are likely to contribute to a reduction in risk, including behaviour and progress in custody.’ | Keith John Williams given five life sentences in 1999 for string of child rapes .
He was turned down for parole last year after board found he was not safe .
But a blunder by government officials meant he got a second hearing in May .
This time the parole board reversed its decision and freed the paedophile .
His victim blasts decision insisting he is still dangerous and threatened her . |
fe430e52e3ba554ab9c549fac2d110ab42ad594e | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Wendell Potter knows a little something about the health care industry's practices and is not afraid of to speak out as the health care reform debate heats up around the country. Wendell Potter once was a vice president in the public relations department for insurance giant Cigna. The former vice president of corporate communications at insurance giant Cigna, who left his post, says the industry is playing "dirty tricks" in an effort to manipulate public opinion. "Words matter, and the insurance industry is a master at linguistics and using the hot words, buzzwords, buzz expressions that they know will get people upset," he told CNN Wednesday. Now a senior fellow on health care for the watchdog group Center for Media and Democracy, Potter writes a blog on health care reform. He is focusing on efforts to defeat legislation supporting a government health care plan -- something he supports. In early July, Potter testified before the Senate Commerce Committee, telling senators that "I know from personal experience that members of Congress and the public have good reason to question the honesty and trustworthiness of the insurance industry." Potter described how underwriters at his former company would drive small businesses with expensive insurance claims to dump their Cigna policies. Industry executives refer to the practice as "purging," Potter said. "When that business comes up for renewal, the underwriters jack the rates up so much, the employer has no choice but to drop insurance," Potter had said. In an e-mail to CNN, Cigna spokesman Chris Curran denied the company engages in purging. "We do not practice that. We will offer rates that are reflective of the competitive group health insurance market. We always encourage our clients to compare our proposed rates to those available from other carriers," Curran wrote. But now, Potter is back in Washington at the invitation from Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-New York. He is questioning insurance companies' public relations tactics -- and says some of the questions from town hall meetings are familiar. Watch more on the health care reform debate » . "People talk about the government takeover of the system ... that's a buzz term that comes straight out of the insurance industry," he said. A Cigna spokesman would not comment directly on Potter's accusations. Instead, the company released a written statement saying officials agree that health care reform is needed. But the statement went on to say that officials don't see how a government-sponsored plan can accomplish that. But Potter's concerns fall right in line with the Democrats' strategy of hitting insurance companies hard this summer. Republicans argue that insurance companies aren't solely to blame for the health care crisis, noting that many of their constituents are perfectly happy with the current system. The Democratic Party is also dealing with a group of fiscally conservative members known as "Blue Dogs" who are worried over the high costs of the health care plans being bandied about. Slaughter says that the concerns over a government option may be set up to "try and protect one industry" -- referring to the health insurance industry. Potter insists he has no agenda -- just a deep passion for the issue. "This is hard to do. It's scary to do something like this. I don't think I'm any more courageous than anybody but I feel I had to do this." Potter also has said he decided to resign in 2007 after Cigna's controversial handling of an insurance claim made by the family of a California teenager, Nataline Sarkysian. The Sarkysian family made repeated appeals at news conferences for Cigna to approve a liver transplant for the 17-year-old, who had leukemia. Cigna initially declined to cover the operation, then reversed its decision. Sarkysian died hours after the company's reversal. CNN's Jim Acosta and Bonnie Knapp contributed to this report. | Wendell Potter is a former vice president at insurance giant Cigna .
Potter says insurance companies use key buzzwords as scare tactics .
Potter also testified on his company's practice of 'purging'
Cigna spokesman denies claims that the company engages in patient purging . |
fe432afbf22166e0ce992a30603f8aa9f54e3ab6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Dramatic dashcam video has revealed the moment police officers saved the life of a six-year-old girl who was being savagely attacked by two vicious pit bulls. Zainabou Drame has been put in a medically-induced coma after the two dogs ripped off most of her jaw and tongue as she played with her brother outside their Cincinnati, Ohio home on Wednesday. The video shows one police officer jumping out of a patrol car before it had come to a stop before running towards the animals with his weapon drawn. When one of the pit bulls turns on him, the officer opens fire, but both animals run into another yard off camera. All three officers then shot at the dogs, who were killed. Scroll down for video . Rescue: A police officer can be seen on dashcam video jumping from a moving patrol car to save a six-year-old girl as she was attacked by two pit bulls. The girl is now in an induced coma . Attack: The officer can be seen drawing his gun at the dogs, left, while officers are pictured standing over the little girl's injured body, right, after the dogs were shot dead. The animals ripped off most of her jaw . The footage, first shared by WLWT, shows one of the officers standing over the girl as ambulances arrive to assist - before she is carried off on a stretcher. Zainabou had been playing with her nine-year-old brother outside their house when the dogs latched onto her face and dragged her along the suburban street. Her horrified brother Moustapha yelled for their mother Tanina Drame, who tried to beat off the dogs with a baseball bat. The pit bulls only let go when shot at by police. 'It started biting on her shorts and pants. It tripped her over and the dogs started chewing all over her face,' Moustapha told WCPO. 'I got scared when I saw it and then I started crying. Then I started calling mom.' Taken to safety: Footage shows Zainabou Drame being carried to an ambulance on a stretcher . Zainabou was rushed to hospital where she is listed in a serious but stable condition. WLTX reported she has been placed in an induced coma, with authorities 'cautiously optimistic' she will survive the unprovoked attack. Police said Zainabou was playing with a group of friends on Aquadale Lane about 6pm Wednesday when the dogs, which lived with their owner in the neighborhood, chased her and attacked. Upon hearing calls for help, the little girl's mother, who was inside her home, ran to the street with a baseball bat and beat the dogs. The family's dog Cappuccino also ran to the little girl's aid. It wasn't until police arrived that the pit bulls released the girl. Officers distracted the dogs before shooting them dead. 'It’s . really indescribable and something no person should ever have to see and . something we’ll never forget,' Cincinnati Police Officer Kyle Strunk said. Victim: Zainabou Drame, six (pictured left and . right) is in an induced coma after being mauled by two vicious pit bulls . outside her Ohio home on Wednesday night. The animals ripped off most of her jaw and tongue . 'I saw the brown dog, which was the bigger of the two dogs and he had . the girl’s head in his mouth. He was slinging it around, thrashing his . head back and forth with her in his mouth.' A day after the attack, police . arrested the dogs' owner, 24-year-old Zontae Irby. He is yet to be . charged in relation to the dog attack. However, following a police search of his home, Irby was charged with weapons under disability, drug abuse and drug trafficking. He is also being held on a . $75,000 bond. SPCA of . Cincinnati crew seized a third pit bull owned by Irby. Operations . Director Mike Retzlaff said dog owners have a responsibility to keep . their animals under control. 'The people that are owning them in . these cases don't take the proper time with them, training them, just . making them good citizens and therefore they're going to be in the . headlines,' Retzlaff told FOX19. Shocked: Moustapha Drame (left) yelled for his mother Tanina Drame (right) when his sister was being attacked; Tanina Drame and the family dog Cappuccino (left) tried to rescue the little girl . Distraught: Zainabou Drame's family (pictured) said they could barely recognize the little girl after the attack as most of her face had been mauled by the dogs . Meanwhile little Zainabou's family haven't left her side, faced with the possibility she may never talk normally again. Responsible: The owner of the two Pit Bulls, 24-year-old Zontae Irby (pictured) was arrested Thursday . 'The . Pit Bulls had my grandbaby by the face and they were dragging her up . the street,' Zainabou's grandfather Leslie McElrath told WCPO. 'My dog (Cappuccino) and her momma beat those dogs off my baby. That is how she is still alive.' Zainabou's father, Abdou Drame, said he could barely recognize his daughter's mauled face. 'When I see her, I cannot handle it because it's so bad. All the face gone,' he said. Gina Tyus, Zainabou's aunt, described her niece's injuries as 'gruesome'. 'Both . the dogs, one on each side, latched onto her face and ripped her jaw . almost completely off. It was broken to the point where you could . actually pull it away from her face,' Tyus said. She . said doctors had to remove Zainabou's tongue which was barely attached. One of her eyes was sewn shut . because the muscle below it was no longer working. 'It is painful to go in (the hospital) to see your six-year-old niece basically fighting for her life,' Tyus said. 'She is lying there - her face is swollen almost beyond recognition. I thank God she is still here.' Scene: Zainabou Drame was attacked outside her home on the 2900 block of Aquadale Lane in Westwood, Cincinnati (pictured) on Wednesday night . Appalling: Police shot dead Zontae Irby's two dogs which mauled Zainabou Drame while Hamilton County SPCA took away a third Pit Bull (pictured) he also owned . var p = new anv_pl_def(); p.config = {}; p.config.width = 640; p.config.height = 360; p.loadVideoExpressV3('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|1000011|SPS'); . | Zainabou Drame was mauled outside her Cincinnati, Ohio home on Wednesday evening in an unprovoked attack .
The girl's mother and family dog tried to rescue her before police arrived on the scene and shot dead the two vicious dogs .
Most of Zainabou's jaw and tongue were ripped off and doctors had to sew one eye shut .
She is in a stable condition but will require major surgery .
The dogs' owner, 24-year-old neighbor Zontae Irby, was arrested . |
fe436d78a524a63f061a25977117d7fabe1383ba | Marvin Travon Hicks, 47, of Palmdale, California, was convicted of second-degree murder on Friday . A man who led police on a high-speed chase while high on PCP before slamming his car into another and killing a two-year-old girl has been found guilty of murder. Marvin Travon Hicks, 47, of Palmdale, California, was convicted of second-degree murder on Friday in the DUI pursuit crash that ended with the death of 2-year-old Madison Ruano. Madison had been considered a ‘miracle’ child by her parents after she survived being born severely prematurely at 25 weeks and weighing less than two pounds. Jurors had found Hicks guilty of several felony counts including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI causing injury in April, but were unable to reach a verdict on the murder count. A different jury deliberated for just three hours on Friday before finding Hicks guilty of second-degree murder. According to the official report, police started pursuing his vehicle after he ran a red light on Sierra Highway on December 6, 2012. Authorities say he then weaving between cars going at speeds over 100 mph and even drove briefly on the wrong side of the road in an attempt to avoid authorities. It was at that point that Hicks drove his black Toyota straight into the blue Lexus driven by Madison’s mother Tina Ruano, 37. Both the woman and child suffered massive trauma to their upper body and were immediately taken to the hospital. 'Miracle' child: Madison Ruano died after the blunt force trauma from the December 2012 crash disconnected her spinal cord and she was pronounced dead at hospital . Under the influence of PCP and alcohol: Photographs from the scene show the front of Hicks' car was completely totaled and he had a difficult time standing as he was pulled by police from his vehicle . The blunt force trauma from the crash disconnected Madison’s spinal cord and she was pronounced dead at Antelope Valley Hospital, reports KTLA. Photographs from the scene show the front of Hicks' car was completely totaled and that he had a difficult time standing as he was pulled by police from his vehicle. According to court testimony, Hicks was under the influence of PCP and alcohol at the time of the crash. Records show he had a long history of drunk and reckless driving, including convictions for driving under the influence and misdemeanor hit and run dating as far back as 1995. Madison's family described the toddler as being a 'precious little light to ALL who encountered her' Hicks now faces 21 years to life in state prison and will be sentenced on October 10. A memorial page on Facebook set up by Madison's family describes the toddler as being a ‘precious little light to ALL who encountered her.’ It describes how she managed to survive, despite being born nearly three months early and at only 1 pound and 14 ounces. By the time Madison left the hospital, she was a healthy four pounds, much to the relief of her parents. ‘We know that Madison is now in the arms of our dear Lord, Jesus,’ the page reads. ‘We are thankful for her life and the short time that we had her with us.' Hicks drove his black Toyota straight into the blue Lexus driven by Madison’s mother Tina Ruano in December 2012 . | Marvin Travon Hicks, 47, of Palmdale, California, has been convicted of second-degree murder .
During a DUI pursuit in December 2012 he crashed into another car and killed 2-year-old Madison Ruano .
Hicks was under the influence of PCP and alcohol at the time of the crash and had to be pulled from his vehicle by cops .
He now faces 21 years to life in state prison .
Madison had been considered a 'miracle' child by her parents after she survived being born severely prematurely at 25 weeks . |
fe43c3d362685a1a534cf5eb987b87c5732c9912 | (CNN) -- Brazil turned on the style to defeat their South American rivals Chile 3-0 on Monday and set up a World Cup quarterfinal against the Netherlands. The five-time world champions, who showed little of their usual dazzling play during the group phase, sent an ominous warning to their rivals as they comprehensively outplayed Chile in Johannesburg, with Juan, Luis Fabiano and Robinho all on target. "We have to improve in all sectors of our play, but it was a nice game against Chile," Brazil coach Dunga told AFP. "We have already said we are trying to play the open football which everyone wants to see. The players did well and we got forward a lot. Dutch outclass Slovakia to reach quarters . Brazil, who welcomed playmaker Kaka back from a one-match ban, took the lead after 34 minutes from a straightforward corner routine. Right-back Maicon crossed for central defender Juan, who rose above the Chilean defense to power his header into the net. Brazil's second goal, four minutes later, was more characteristically Brazilian in its style and execution. Robinho carried the ball down the left flank before squaring to Kaka, who cushioned a pass into the path of Luis Fabiano, who rounded the goalkeeper and scored. The third goal, after 60 minutes, stemmed from a swift counter-attack, with Ramires charging down the center with the ball and passing to Robinho, who curled his finish around the goalkeeper. Chile, who reached the semifinals on home soil in 1962, struggled to break down a well-drilled Brazilian back line and were restricted to half chances for Humberto Suazo and Jorge Valdivia. Robinho came close to adding a fourth when he was released down the right, but his low shot was tipped around the post by goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. The victory was Brazil's eighth in a row over Chile, who became the first South American side to go out of the tournament. Brazil will play the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in Port Elizabeth on Friday, July 2. "We know the Netherlands are a very difficult team to beat and they are very able technically, they play their football like South Americans," said Dunga. Meanwhile, the president of the French Football Federation Jean-Pierre Escalettes said he will resign following the country's disastrous World Cup showing. France, the 1998 winners and 2006 runners-up, were eliminated in the group stage after collecting just just one point and scoring one goal in a campaign marred by infighting. "After a weekend of reflection during which I consulted my elected colleagues and those close to me, I have decided that I must resign," Escalettes said in a statement on the federation website. | Brazil beat Chile 3-0 in Johannesburg to reach World Cup quarterfinals .
Juan, Luis Fabiano and Robinho all score for the five-time winners at Ellis Park .
Brazil will meet the Netherlands in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on Friday, July 2 .
Escalettes resigns as president of French Football Federation after poor World Cup campaign . |
fe43f050c262cca2f2169c66d2edb0ddd49cae1f | An 84-year old man was just trying to cook shrimp for his 70-year-old girlfriend when he accidentally burned down her house leaving four of her pets dead. A year later, having put the incident behind them, he received a letter telling him that his girlfriend was suing him. Only she wasn't. John Pyron of Fort Worth, Texas, was informed that Cecilla Ellison had filed a lawsuit against him for $152,926 plus interest for damage to her home in the 2012 cooking fire. John Pyron accidentally burned down his girlfriend's house while cooking shrimp for a dinner party. The couple and her dog made it out alive, but unfortunately her two cats and two birds did not . A year after the fire, Cecilla Ellison (left) was as shocked as Pyron (right) when a letter arrived stating that she was suing him for damages. The couple now live together with Ellison caring for Pyron who has health issues . 'I guess I was just stunned. I was in shock. I said, 'My God, what's going on?'' Pyron told NBC 5. But Ellison hadn't filed the suit and was just as shocked as Pyron, who has since moved in with her. Far from opponents locked in a hostile legal battle, Ellison now cares for him as he has health problems. 'I don't know what I'd do without her,' he said. The 2012 fire erupted during an August 18, 2012, dinner party at Ellison's house when Pyron poured water into an outdoor fish cooker, lit the fire underneath it and went to get the shrimp. Within minutes he realized both the cooker and the house were on fire. Efforts to put out the blaze failed and the Ellison's home was destroyed. Both she and Pyron escaped unharmed, as did her dog, but her two cats and two birds died in the blaze. Ellison filed an insurance claim with State Farm, and the company paid to put her into a temporary rental property and to repair the damage. Damage to the house was total, but Ellison's insurance company, State Farm, had put her in temporary accommodation and paid to repair the damage. After several months she was able to move back in . After several months she was able to move back into her home. But a year later the letter arrived in the mail specifically naming her as the plaintiff and Pyron as the defendant in the legal action. Neither of them could believe it, and Ellison wondered who was signing her name. It turned out that suit had been filed by State Farm in Ellison's name in a legal process known as 'subrogation', where insurers seek reimbursement when they believe someone else is at fault and should pay for damages. In this case, State Farm accused Pyron of leaving the fryer unattended. Pyron had his own insurance at the time through Farmers, which is providing his attorney free of charge to fight the case. The policy he had at the time covers him up to $300,000 – more than enough to cover the claim. While filed in their names, the lawsuit is actually between the two insurance companies and not Ellison and Pyron. Neither company wants to actually foot the bill for the damage. On paper the lawsuit names Ellison and Pyron as the plaintiff and defendant, but in reality it is their respective insurance companies fighting over which should pay the damages . 'When is it going to end? What's it going to cost me? Will I live long enough to see it?' said Pyron (right) While in the end Pyron probably won't have to pay for the damages, and Ellison technically won't receive a penny, both of them feel anxious to be caught in the middle. 'It's a mess,' Ellison said. They worry constantly about the lawsuit, which has been delayed five times since it was filed in May 2013 in Tarrant County District Court. 'When is it going to end? What's it going to cost me? Will I live long enough to see it?' said Pyron. State Farm declined to comment on the case, but Farmers released a statement: 'We are working diligently to secure all the relevant information necessary to properly defend our customer and hope to resolve this matter soon.' Worse than the stress of the lawsuit, Ellison's homeowner's insurance rocketed to $1,000 per month from $1,200 per year. Not being able to afford the higher rate she is forced to go without coverage. | John Pyron, 84, of Fort Worth, Texas, accidentally set fire to Cecilla Ellison's house in August 2012 while cooking shrimp .
The resulting blaze destroyed her home and four of her pets perished, but the couple put the incident behind them and now even live together .
They were shocked to receive legal papers stating that Ellison was suing him for $153,000 plus interest in damages .
It turned out that Ellison's insurer, State Farm, filed the suit against Pyron's insurer, Farmers, as neither wants to cover the cost of the claim .
The couple worry about the suit constantly, and Ellison's insurance costs rocketed forcing her to go without coverage . |
fe4458b82b2850f4f348525e878ca9c976e12e9d | By . Keith Gladdis . PUBLISHED: . 16:01 EST, 3 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:25 EST, 4 May 2013 . Disgraced: Stuart Hall has been accused of giving his mansion to his wife to protect his fortune . Serial sex offender Stuart Hall has been accused of giving his mansion to his wife to protect his fortune from compensation claims made by his victims. The former It’s A Knockout presenter is being sued by at least six women in relation to harm and injuries they suffered at his hands. But the Daily Mail can reveal that in the weeks before he admitted his guilty plea the 83-year-old transferred the ownership of his £2million Cheshire mansion into the name of his wife. Last night it was claimed the move could be an example of ‘asset stripping’ by the broadcaster to stop his victims from making claims against his fortune. Alan Collins, a solicitor from Pannone is representing more than 50 victims of Jimmy Savile in their compensation claims against his estate and the BBC. He is now representing six of Hall’s victims who want to sue him for compensation. Mr Collins is also considering taking action against the BBC on their behalf. He said: ‘Hall’s admission of guilt means we will be able to pursue these cases expeditiously on behalf of our clients. ‘Victims often live with the memories of the abuse hidden away at the back of their minds for years and it is particularly brave of such victims to come forward and face those memories.’ But he condemned the fact Hall had transferred the ownership of his home before his admission of guilt. Mr Collins said: ‘We see this kind of cynical move all the time, it’s really horrible. It is hugely problematic and it often happens in this sort of case. ‘Victims have enough on their plate already having to deal with such a horrible personal tragedy and a criminal court case. Home: Hall has been registered as the joint owner of his red brick mansion in Wilmslow with his wife Hazel, 75, since at least 1981 . ‘Then when they try to get their little bit of justice in the civil courts they find they are getting a second dose of injustice.’ Hall has been registered as the joint owner of his red brick mansion in Wilmslow with his wife Hazel, 75, since at least 1981. But his name was removed from the title for the property registered at the Land Registry on February 22, 2013 making Hazel the sole owner. There is no mortgage listed on the property. Only two weeks earlier Hall had protested his innocence to the allegations of sexual assault on the steps of Preston Crown Court. Sign over: Hall pictured with his wife in 1979 . Then, just weeks after safely moving his property into the name of his wife, Hall changed his plea and said he was guilty of indecently assaulting 13 girls. Mr Collins warned the change in ownership will make it difficult for his victims to make a financial claim against Hall because there is no guarantee he will be able to pay any compensation awarded. He said: ‘Very often we find houses being transferred, moneys being sent overseas, you name it and it’s done. It’s then very difficult to unravel because quite often we have to go to the High Court to get a freezing order to stop it. 'The victims will have to convince a judge the money has been transferred simply to defeat a civil claim.’ He also warned there was very little victims could do to stop their abuser from securing their financial position until they have been found guilty in a criminal court. He said: ‘Victims are prevented from taking any action to protect their own positions because it might compromise any prosecution. 'A common defence practice in criminal trials is of the defence to accuse the victim of making up allegations to try to get “at my client’s money”. ‘Mr Abuser can often be given advice telling him that if he goes down he is probably going to get sued by the victims therefore it might be a good idea to “arrange your affairs”. ‘In this case the victims have a cast iron case to bring against Stuart Hall but if he has transferred all his assets he will turn around and say “sorry, but I can’t pay you”.’ Liz Dux of Slater & Gordon is representing another 50 victims of Savile in their claims for compensation against his estate and the BBC. Admission: Hall pictured outside court yesterday . She said moving the ownership of a property into the name of a spouse makes it less attractive for solicitors to want to take up a civil claim. She added: ‘If someone is suing a litigant in person it is normal that you would look into their means before you would make a decision whether or not to prosecute. ‘You have to make a very practical decision because whilst you might win you might never be able to enforce the judgement.’ According to friends, Hall’s wife of 55 years, Hazel, is standing ‘rock solid’ behind him. They say she is determined to protect her two children Francesca, 52, and Danny, 50, and their four grandchildren. A source said: ‘It’s been tough on everyone but the family are being very supportive of him.’ In his biography Hall claims it was Hazel who ‘fell for’ their home in Wilmslow and he ‘arranged a purchase on the spot’. Hall’s lawyers last night failed to respond to inquiries from the Mail about the home ownership transfer. | Shamed presenter handed over Cheshire mansion to wife Hazel .
It was claimed it could be an example of 'asset stripping' by presenter .
Solicitors representing more than 50 of his victims taking legal action . |
fe451d4cb17b48d4136bcbf3cfe2e1c49d7c19e6 | By . Sophie Freeman . A new study has found women who drink three sugary drinks a week increase their risk of suffering breast cancer . Women who have more than three sugary drinks a week may have an increased risk of developing breast cancer, a study has found. Researchers found that the more sugary drinks consumed by the women in their study, the greater the density of their breasts - a known risk factor for cancer. Dense breasts have less fatty tissue and more of the gland tissue that makes and drains milk as well as supportive tissue that surrounds the gland. Women with dense breasts have a higher risk of developing cancer because there are more cells that can become cancerous. Their cancers are also more likely to be missed because any areas of abnormal tissue are harder to spot during mammogram screening. Lead author of the study, Dr Caroline Diorio from Laval University in Quebec, said: ‘We know that worldwide consumption of sugar has increased and the findings of this study show what effect that type of diet could have on breast density, one of the strongest indicators for breast cancer risk.’ For the study, 1,555 women - half of whom were pre-menopausal and half of whom were postmenopausal - answered a questionnaire about how often they drank sugar-sweetened fruit juice and fizzy drinks. A serving was 355ml, about the size of a normal can of fizzy drink. Their breast density was then measured through mammogram screening. Dr Diorio said: ‘Among all women, those who had a sugary drink intake of more than three servings per week had a mean of 29.6 per cent in breast density but those who did not drink this type of drink had a mean of 26.2 per cent in breast density. ‘An increase of about three per cent in breast density is not negligible in terms of breast cancer risk. ‘By comparison it has been shown that healthy women at high risk of developing breast cancer who received (the breast cancer drug) tamoxifen for four-and-a-half years had a reduction of 6.4 per cent in breast density, and it has been observed that tamoxifen can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 30-50 per cent in high-risk women.’ Experts believe sugar can enhance cell growth, and therefore the density of breast tissue. Women with dense breasts have a higher risk of developing cancer because there are more cells that can become cancerous . It’s thought that sugar can enhance cell growth, and therefore, density in breast tissue. Dr Diorio concluded: ‘Considering the worldwide increase in sugar consumption and all the health problems it is related to, it is important to continue research on this subject and begin to inform the public about the adverse effects of sugar consumption.’ The study was published in the journal BMC Public Health. A new piece of research at the University of Illinois has found IVF drugs do not cause breast or gynecological cancers . Fertility drugs do not trigger cancer in women trying to get pregnant, says new research. A US study of almost 10,000 women suggests hormonal drugs and other medication do not raise the overall risk of breast, ovarian and womb cancers. The exception is women who remained childless despite having drugs called gonadotrophins as part of IVF treatment. But experts believe the extra risk is caused by underlying health problems responsible for the infertility. Debate has raged about whether IVF drugs may cause cancer because they stimulate hormones linked to the disease, especially breast cancer. A new study looked back at 9,892 women treated for infertility between 1965 and 1988 at five US centres, and followed them for 30 years for data on cancer. Altogether 749 breast cancers, 119 womb cancers and 85 ovarian cancers were found. Using a popular fertility drug called clomiphene was not linked with breast, womb or ovarian cancers. A small number of women treated with the drug for at least a year had a 69 per cent higher risk of breast cancer, but only 31 women fell into this category. Experts said current guidelines recommended just three to six months of treatment. Dr Bert Scoccia from the University of Illinois, Chicago, presented the data today at the Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in Munich. He said the results were ‘generally reassuring’. There was a higher cancer risk for women treated with newer fertility hormones known as gonadotrophins who remained childless. But, said Dr Scoccia, only 13 women were in this category and it was likely the increased risk was caused by their severe infertility ‘rather than that of drug usage.’ Richard Kennedy general secretary of the International Federation of Fertility Societies, said ‘Cancer risks of drugs used to stimulate egg production have been evaluated in a number of national studies and not found to significantly increase the risk, other than that which relates to the underlying risks in this patient group. ‘This study does not change the current recommendation to patients that the risks are low but that clomiphene should generally not be used for more than 12 cycles.’ The study based on 30 years of research found 'little evidence' women treated using conventional fertility hormones for ovarian stimulation increased the long-term risk of breast and gynecological cancers. Pictured is breast cancer cells under the microscope . | Researchers at Laval University in Quebec found the more sugary drinks women consumed the greater the density of their breasts .
Sugar is thought to enhance cell growth therefore increasing breast density .
Dense breasts have less fatty tissue and more gland tissue increasing the number of cells that have the potential to become cancerous .
Study found cancers are more likely to be missed because abnormal tissue is then harder to spot on a mammogram .
Separate study found IVF drugs don't cause breast or gynecological cancers . |
fe452b8b6501718baab0a1d44e1bcd82ebc0ceeb | By . Ashley Collman and Michael Zennie . PUBLISHED: . 14:13 EST, 26 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:16 EST, 26 September 2013 . A Florida police officer who forced a young woman to lift her shirt and shake out her bra during a routine traffic stop has been suspended without pay for one day. The punishment was handed down to Lakeland Police Officer Dustin Fetz Wednesday after video of the May 21 traffic stop of Zoe Brugger sparked outrage in Lakeland and across the country. Despite search tactics that the State's Attorney called 'highly questionable' and 'demeaning,' the a Lakeland police investigation found that Fetz didn't violate the department's strip-search policy. He was technically suspended not for making Miss Brugger shake out her bra, but instead for not using his microphone to record audio during the traffic stop - or for several previous stops he made, according to the Lakeland Ledger. Scroll down for video . Pulled over: Lakeland Police Officer Dustin Fetz pulled over Zoe Brugger for a broken headlight, and was convinced that she was hiding drugs - which prompted the strange search . Contraband: After being pulled over for a broken headlight in Lakeland, Florida, Zoe Brugger had to shake out her bra twice while the police officer searched for drugs - an action that State Attorney Jerry Hill calls 'highly questionable' and 'demeaning' Shake down: Officer Fetz didn't find any drugs on Brugger, or in the car . Excruciating: At the end of the search, Brugger says that the officer told her 'I'm done scaring you, and now you can go home' Miss Brugger, who had given birth to a . baby boy just days earlier, can be seen crying as she lifts her shirt . in dashcam video of the traffic search. Officers found no evidence of . drugs or other illegal substances when they pulled Miss Brugger and . boyfriend Larry Fields over this spring for having only one working . headlight. Brugger told ABC Action News that Fetz 'made me go through the whole humiliating ordeal with shaking my bra out, right there in the middle of this parking lot on Beacon Road.' When no drugs appeared, Fetz 'told me that he was taking me to Bartow jail for driving on a suspended license and that they had an x-ray machine there and they were definitely going to find what I had hidden inside of me,' Brugger said. Brugger was driving on an invalid license, which was enough reason to arrest her. But Fetz didn't. Instead he asked to search the vehicle, and when the couple relented, he searched it anyway. Another office who showed up as backup considered the search improper. Fetz broke another rule during the stop by leaving the audio off in the dash camera. If the audio had been turned on, 'there would be little to no speculation as to what occurred during that traffic stop,' said State Attorney Investigator Mike Brown. At the end of the stop, Fetz told Brugger 'I'm done scaring you, and now you can do home,' she told The News Herald. After the incident, she filed a complaint and notified the State Attorney's Office. Bold: Brugger, left, had just returned from picking up her boyfriend from work. He was in the car the whole time Officer Fetz searched Brugger . State Attorney Jerry Hill called for an investigation and wrote a critical letter to the Lakeland Police Department saying that the search was 'highly questionable' and not only 'demeaning' but 'ineffective and possibly dangerous.' He cited the fact that, if Brugger had been concealing a weapon, asking her to shake out her bra would have just given her access to that weapon. Fetz, on the other hand, told investigators that the search method 'is a known technique that is used by some LPD officers though he can't recall formally being trained to use it. 'Looking back on the incident (Fetz) recognizes that he was overzealous in his attempt to locate illegal drugs or contraband in the car,' Brown said. Fetz was put on a four day suspension with pay during the investigation and returned to work on June 18. The Lakeland Police Department will now be conducting their own investigation of the incident, in order to determine whether or not to terminate Fetz. 'This department does not condone the alleged actions as have been reported in recent days and any officer proven to be involved in this type of behavior will be dealt with accordingly, including possible termination,' Lakeland Police Chief Lisa Womack said in a statement. | Zoe Brugger was pulled over for a broken headlight, when the officer suspected there were drugs in the vehicle .
Officer Dustin Fetz asked Brugger to twice shake out her bra to see if she was hiding anything .
Brugger filed a complaint and sent a letter to the State Attorney's Office .
The State Attorney has investigated the issue and the Lakeland Police Department is starting their own investigation . |
fe4618a21f46806670b70a06f8bfd2c088d61f6f | PESHAWAR, Pakistan (CNN) -- As a little girl, Maria Toor Pakay would beat up boys. Maria Toor Pakay has overcome unusual adversity to rank among the world's top 100 squash players. Now, she dispenses of anyone who takes her on within the walls of a squash court. Pakay, 18, is Pakistan's No. 1-ranked women's squash player. But what makes her story remarkable is that she hails from the country's tribal region of South Waziristan. The region, along the border with Afghanistan, is home to the Taliban. There, suicide attacks are a way of life. And the militants, bent on imposing a strict form of Islamic law, punish girls who attend school -- let alone play sports. "They have no future," Pakay said. "They spend their entire lives in four walls in their home. Their ability is destroyed." But Pakay wasn't like most girls growing up. She sported a buzz cut and mixed with the boys. "If someone argued with me, I used to beat them up," she said. "I wanted them to obey me all the time." Her father, Shams-ul-Qayum Wazir, knew early on that his daughter was different. "I didn't want her talent to go to waste," he said. "If I would've kept her in the village, all she could do was housekeeping." Watch Pakay talk about her life's mission » . So, Wazir packed up the family and moved to Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province. Here, Pakay picked up the racquet and swatted down the competition with ease -- first winning the Under-13 championship, then the Under-15, then the Under-17. In squash, players take turns hitting a ball to the front wall of a court, until one misses. Pakay, it turned out, rarely did. "I thought nobody could beat me," she said. "From the beginning when I played squash, I thought I could be a world champion." Today, despite the lack of a sponsor and few resources, Pakay has gone pro -- and is ranked 91st in the world. Her father's sacrifice, she said, made her success possible. "I think I have a great father -- so broad-minded," she said. For his part, Wazir -- a teacher -- was more circumspect. "I sacrificed because I want to promote a message of peace," he said. "If the tribal people pick up a racquet instead of a gun, there would be peace." | Maria Toor Pakay, 18, is Pakistan's No. 1-ranked women's squash player .
She hails from the country's tribal region of South Waziristan, home to the Taliban .
There, militants impose strict Islamic law, punish girls who even attend school .
Despite risks, lack of a sponsor, Pakay has gone pro, is ranked 91st in the world . |
fe467dd88dc1759d8a749d96f7ade68d2ff8128b | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 07:28 EST, 19 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:28 EST, 19 April 2013 . Two young women found dead in mysterious circumstances are feared to have fallen victim to a deadly batch of party drugs nicknamed 'Dr Death', police revealed today. Oil rig worker Rachel Clayton and her partner Emma Speed were discovered at their home in Macclesfield earlier this month after a friend went to check up on them. It was initially believed that the women, who had been carrying out renovation work, may have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning, but that possibility was soon ruled out. Now toxicology tests have revealed that the victims had PMA, a drug similar to ecstasy, in their system at the time of their death. Casualties: Rachel Clayton, left, and Emma Speed, right, died after taking a dangerous party drug . The discovery has prompted urgent warnings over the dangers of the drugs, as a 34-year-old men found dead in a caravan in Macclesfield in February also had traces of PMA in his body. 'While we would always urge people not to take any illegal substances, I am particularly keen to emphasise the dangers and potentially life threatening consequences of PMA,' said Ruth Purdie of Cheshire Police. 'We have now had three deaths in Cheshire which appear to be linked to the drug and therefore I feel I have a duty to warn people about the potentially fatal consequences taking this drug can have. 'It is our duty to join up with our colleagues in the health service and make as many people as possible aware of the risk this drug poses and to do all we can to ensure no one dies and prevent further heartache for any more families. 'If anyone has any information about who is supplying this drug across Cheshire I would urge them to contact police or Crimestoppers anonymously so we can respond to this potential risk and take them off the streets.' Killer: PMA, known as 'Dr Death', has been linked to a number of deaths of young people in recent months . Earlier this year, the sudden deaths of 20-year-old Charlotte Woodiwiss and four young men were also linked to a deadly batch of PMA. The drug is often shaped like a Love Heart, and is known as 'Dr Death, 'Pink Ecstasy', 'Mitsubishi Turbos' or 'Pink McDonalds', although its scientific name is para-Methoxyamphetamine. The pills are the same size and shape as an ecstasy tablet, are usually pink or white and often have the letter 'M' printed on them. It is sold to clubbers for as little as £3 a pill - dealers claim it offers a similar high to ecstasy, but it is five times as strong and can cause the body temperature to rise dangerously. In addition, because it takes effect relatively slowly, revellers sometimes take multiple pills to speed up its effect. Investigation: Police outside the house in Macclesfield where the couple were discovered on April 7 . Janet Clowes, who sits on Cheshire Council, said: 'The risks from taking potentially contaminated and unregulated drugs are very high. 'If you are concerned about someone you know who may be at risk or want help for yourself there are a number of services in Cheshire East which can help. 'You can access free confidential advice and information as well as the different types of treatment options that are available to you.' Ms Clayton, 34, and Ms Speed, 30, were found inside their terraced house on April 7 by a friend who had a key to the home. The former was on a short break from her job working on an oil rig in the North Sea, and had been proudly showing off her new Volkswagen Scirocco. She had recently posted on Facebook: 'Home tomoz thank didily I'm becoming a recluse after 3 weeks in the North Sea' [sic]. In a statement Ms Clayton's parents Malcolm and Sue said: 'Rachel enjoyed life to the full. She was a special daughter and was very family orientated. We will miss her greatly.' Ms Speed's family said: 'She had a good heart and would do anything for anyone.' | Rachel Clayton, 34, and Emma Speed, 30, found dead earlier this month .
Toxicology tests reveal they had taken PMA, a drug similar to ecstasy .
Police warn about dangers of 'Dr Death' after it is linked to string of deaths . |
fe468ddd7c29275cd3f7d66ddc5cb44b890ba0c5 | A reptile store owner was arrested Thursday in Quebec, Canada, more than a year after his 100-pound snake escaped and killed two young boys. Jean-Claude Savoie's lawyer confirmed his arrest, but said authorities had not yet pressed charges and it's still unknown what crimes he may face. Usually, police can only hold a suspect for 24 hours without an arraignment. It was on August 5, 2013 that Savoie's best friend's two young sons Connor, 6, and Noah Barthe, 4, were killed during a sleepover at his apartment, located above his shop Reptile Ocean in Campbellton, New Brunswick. Scroll down for video . Arrested: Jean-Claude Savoie (left) was arrested on Thursday, more than a year after his best friend's two sons Connor, 6 (center) , and Noah, 4 (right) were killed by a snake he owned . Scene: The two young boys were sleeping over at Savoie's house above his reptile store in Campbellton, New Brunswick on August 5, 2013 when the snake escaped . Killer? Savoie previously posted this picture of an African rock python to his Facebook, which may or may not be the 100-pound specimen which strangled the young boys to death . That night, Savoie's 14-foot African rock python escaped from its enclosure and crawled into the building's ventilation before dropping on top of the sleeping boys, and attacking them with a fatal squeeze. Savoie's lawyer Leslie Matchim said Thursday that the arrest didn't come as a surprise, considering the year-long investigation. However, she says her client was previously informed that charges wouldn't be pressed when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police wrapped up their investigation in July. 'After they sort of recanted that position and announced that in fact the investigation was ongoing, then … I can't say that I’m surprised that we're at the point we're at today,' Matchim told CBC. Animal lovers: Connor and Noah were the two sons of Savoie's best friend Mandy Tracertin, who posted the following pictures of them playing around in his store to Facebook . Little helpers: This picture posted to Connor and Noah's mother's Facebook page shows them cleaning out an enclosure for large reptiles at the store . While charges have not been announced yet, there's a strong chance that they will be related to the boys' deaths as opposed to violations against the store. Savoie's store was discovered to be unlicensed, but the Department of Natural Resources decided not to proceed with charges on those counts. Those issues would have also been the responsibility of the local province - not the RCMP. At the time of the tragic incident, MailOnline spoke to a reptile expert briefed by police who said that the snake had escaped from its enclosure before and was 'an accident waiting to happen'. 'This was preventable, if the snake had been kept safe and secure,' Bry Loyst, curator of the Indian River Reptile Zoo in Ottowa, told MailOnline. The two boys spent the day with Savoie and his son, swimming, barbecuing and playing with animals at a farm. Connor and Noah were the sons of Savoie's best friend Mandy Trecartin. A reptile expert previously told MailOnline that the snake could have been attracted to the two boys because of the scent of animals on their bodies. 'Sadly, the snake could have mistaken them for a food item, which they weren't',the owner of Little Ray's Zoo in Ottowa said at the time. In a tragic twist of fate, the two boys would have usually spent Saturday and Sunday with their dad - but he was out of town on a trip to Boston. Change of plans: The boys usually spent Saturday and Sundays with their father - but he was out of town the night they were killed . | Jean-Claude Savoie was arrested in Quebec, Canada on Thursday .
Arrest comes nearly a year and a half after his best friend's two sons were killed by one of his snakes .
Connor, 6, and Noah Barthe, 4, were spending the night at his apartment when African python escaped and strangled them . |
fe4707085f2b3ae4e6ac794cb13bfad37058894c | By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 10:56 EST, 24 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:35 EST, 24 December 2013 . These pictures show a flock of swans making the most of flooding in Worcester. Following heavy rainfall yesterday and overnight, the river Severn burst its banks - with river water surging through the town centre. But these inquisitive birds saw an opportunity to explore and paddled their way through Worcester's streets. Family day out? A group of swans make their way down the flooded River Severn in Worcester today . Leading the way? One intrepid bird breaks away from the pack to eye-up some railing which usually stand at the water's edge . In the first photograph, five swans can be seen making their way down the flooded river. Then, with a certain amount of caution, a few of the animals carefully make their way over a metal fence which usually marks the water's edge. They then have a gander at a sign post and even some bins. Later, at least forty swans can be seen exploring round the red brick buildings in front of Worcester church. Let's go! After careful consideration, the animals paddle over the submerged railing and into the streets of the town centre . Exploring the streets: The flock of swans make their way through the streets of the town, perhaps using the signpost, right, for directions . According to reports, the town saw between 20 - 30mm of rainwater fall throughout Monday. Yesterday, the Met Office issued yellow warnings in Worcestershire for rain, strong winds and flooding on the river Severn. Three flood warnings and six flood alerts were issued for the county. The extreme weather was expected to last throughout today with the river predicted to reach six metres at Diglis House, Worcester town centre. Taking in the sights? One swan swims past a bin. Between 20 -30mm of rainwater fell in the town overnight, with the Met Office flood warnings across the county . | Flock of swans paddle through the streets of Worcester after the river Severn burst its banks .
Between 20-30mm of rain fell in the county yesterday, with the Met Office issuing warnings for rain and strong winds . |
fe47109b31b47ed816a7bb1a3f00f008d6e699d0 | America’s Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson cut a despondent figure on Friday as he offered a downbeat assessment of his team of crocks. ‘We are dropping like flies, we really are,’ he said. Just over a month to the match at Gleneagles, and it is looking like the Americans will need a hospital ward rather than a team room. Dustin Johnson is definitely out as he tries to put his life back together. Tiger Woods, with his myriad of fitness issues, is a sad caricature of the player who ruled the world. Preparing for a storm: Tom Watson knows that his USA team will be underdogs without so many of their stars . Hurting: The one-great champion admits his physical condition is nowhere near where it needs to be . Jason Dufner’s sad defence of the US PGA Championship ended painfully after just eight holes on Thursday and he is adamant that he will not be seen anywhere near a golf course again until he sorts out two bulging discs in his neck. World No6 Matt Kuchar, the highest-rated American in the world rankings, is another who did not make the starting line-up at Valhalla because of a bad back. Just to put the tin lid on matters, Steve Stricker, who has been selected as a vice-captain but could still make the team, judging by his fine play at this tournament, is fighting a sore hip. No defence: Jason Duffner quit his US PGA Championship defence after just eight holes . Down and out: Dustin Johnson will also miss the Ryder Cup as he takes time away from the golf course . Indeed, the only man who looks fully fit is the captain himself, still sprightly at 64. For a proud man like Watson, of course, it is no laughing matter. ‘I’ll be honest, it’s anyone’s guess who will be playing for us right now,’ he said. The only certainty is that the beleaguered Americans will start as massive underdogs at the Perthshire course on September 26 to 28. | America likely to be missing several major stars at Gleneagles in September .
Tiger Woods looks badly injured during US PGA Championship .
Dustin Johnson and Jason Duffner both out of team with injuries .
Top-ranked American Matt Kuchar also doubtful with back injury . |
fe47478dd19b880dfbc35b8a3dc77a3de5831683 | Chinese police destroyed £21 million of counterfeit designer goods today in a lavish publicity stunt aimed at showing the world they are cracking down on the illegal trade. Fake wine, cigarettes, handbags and cosmetics were all thrown on a fire in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. But authorities have a long way to go - a recent UN report revealed a staggering 75 per cent of all fake goods seized worldwide from 2008 to 2010 were primarily from China. Fake: Chinese police destroyed £21million of counterfeit designer goods today in a lavish publicity stunt aimed at showing the world they are cracking down on the trade . Destroyed: China is the largest source of counterfeit goods, according to a UN report . Most of the counterfeit trade sourced from East Asia ends up in the United States and Europe. A high percentage of items are purchased on the internet. Shippers sometimes route deliveries through . ports in the Middle East or Africa to avoid detection by customs. Most counterfeits fall into four categories: CDs and DVDs; accessories, watches and footwear; tobacco products; and textiles. Gucci handbags retail between £500 -£3,390 in stores. But fake versions can be picked up for around £15-£30. Rayban sunglasses usually sell for £100, but they fake reproductions can be bought for as little as £4. London boroughs and county councils prosecuted 372 people for the sale of counterfeit electrical goods in 2009. That figure dropped to 245 last year. In the past four years there has been a . six-fold increase in the number of counterfeit electrical goods seized . in the UK in the last four years, according to a report. The value of seized counterfeit . electrical items has risen from £2,614,783 in 2009 to £15,725,462 in . 2012, according to figures obtained by The Co-operative Electrical from . local councils and Border Force, the arm of the Home Office responsible . for border control operations. The World Customs Organisation also said . the booming industry accounts for some two per cent of world trade . despite it being considered a 'soft' form of crime. The UN report stated that counterfeit goods accounted for one third of the organised crime in East Asia and the . Pacific is worth approximately $90bn (£58bn). Most counterfeits fall into four categories: CDs and DVDs; accessories, watches and footwear; tobacco products; and textiles. Counterfeit commerce over the Internet . has soared in the past couple of years, turning what had been an . irritant to businesses into a serious competitive threat. Last year an entire city in China literally shut up shop when nearly all . of its stores closed after it was falsely reported that officials were . planning a clampdown on the sale of counterfeit products. Officials in Shenyang city were forced to beg store owners to reopen after 95 per cent of shops remain closed. The online rumour sparked fears that . the local council needed to get more revenue and had ordered taxmen to . come down hard on shop owners. Western countries have often complained China is woefully behind in its effort to stamp out the trade, although it has started to crack down. Domination: Nearly 75 percent of counterfeit products seized worldwide from 2008 to 2010 were made in east Asia, and China was the primary producer . In July 2011, the Chinese government concluded a nine-month enforcement drive, leading to the arrests of more than 9,000 suspects in connection with the seizure of £34 million worth of counterfeit products . In November police arrested 73 people suspected of manufacturing and selling almost 1 million fake luxury bags in China. The Ministry of Public Security said . police seized more than 20,000 fake Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Coach bags . and closed 37 sites where the forgery ring made or sold the bags. Police said the ring sold more than 960,000 bags and exported many to the United States and Middle East. The ministry said that police in . southern Guangdong province uncovered the forgery ring in January 2012 . and that Chinese agents worked with U.S. customs and immigration . officials in the case. It said authorities seized assets . worth 5 billion yuan (£52million), including unsold counterfeit goods, . production equipment and bank accounts. Another series of raids took place in July 2012 across 190 cities - the products seized were valued at £117 million. More than 2,000 people were arrested and 1,100 facilities were destroyed. | UN report: China is the largest source of counterfeit goods in the world .
Police destroyed the goods in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province .
Most counterfeit trade ends up in the United States and Europe . |
fe479eb50f3cf691e898ea96ff47b8fc05bfe6e9 | By . Sarah Griffiths . Many scientific discoveries - especially those made in relation to our vast universe - are immediately heralded as amazing. But two astronomers have admitted they find the universe 'disappointing' after discovering it is smoother and flatter than first thought and have even compared it to an underwhelming holiday. Nonetheless, their research challenges the widely accepted cosmological model of the universe and could lead to a rethink of what it is made of and how it evolved into the stars and galaxies we see today. Two astronomers have admitted they find the universe disappointing after discovering it is smoother and flatter than first thought. They studied distribution of hot gas associated with galaxy clusters in two supercomputer simulations with different cosmological models (pictured) Astronomers Professor Chris Collins and Dr Ian McCarthy from Liverpool John Moores University were comparing recent measurements of the cosmic background radiation and galaxy clusters in two independent studies when they found the universe is flatter and smoother than previously thought. Professor Collins said: ‘Have you ever booked a holiday to Switzerland expecting to trek the Alpine mountain ranges only to be disappointed by ending up walking the flat countryside of Holland? ‘Similar disappointment was felt when Dr McCarthy and I conducted an experiment to measure the number of large massive clumps in the Universe, called clusters of galaxies.’ He explained that in some ways the findings were ‘a discouragement’ but they persevered anyway. ‘Science is at its most interesting when prediction and experiment disagree and so although our cosmic landscape is smoother than we thought, this may mean we need to re-think bits of our cosmological theory and such progress is good for science in the long run. ‘Although the perceived wisdom was that we would find lots of big clusters, in fact, when we looked, the Universe did not live up to our expectation and we found far fewer of these really huge structures than expected.’ Sorry Switzerland! Professor Collins compared the discovery to an underwhelming holiday in the Swiss Alps (pictured). 'Similar disappointment was felt when Dr McCarthy and I conducted an experiment to measure the number of large massive clumps in the Universe, called clusters of galaxies,' he said . Cosmic background radiation is at the heart of the Big Bang theory of how the Universe was formed. In 1965 scientists discovered the electro-magnetic waves that bombard the Earth continuously from all directions at harmless microwave frequencies. The radiation that arrives at our planet has been cooled to only 2.7°C above absolute zero as it traverses deep space as the universe expands, meaning that in the distant past the temperature would have been much hotter. This led scientists to conclude that the universe had a hot origin – the so-called Big Bang – nearly 14 billion years ago. To measure the temperature variations in the cosmic background radiation, the Planck Surveyor satellite was launched in 2009 by the European Space Agency (Esa). It found that the tiny fluctuations in temperature slowly grow over time, eventually forming the stars and galaxies we see today. Cosmic background radiation is at the heart of the Big Bang theory of how the Universe was formed . Because the radiation began its journey when the universe was only 380,000 years old, these measurements provide vital information about its composition. The cosmic census provided by Planck is remarkably precise, giving scientists accurate estimates of the age of the universe – which is thought to be 13.82 billion years old - and the amount of dark matter and dark energy. The universe is thought to be almost 32 per cent dark matter and 68 per cent dark energy. Interestingly, it has been found that Planck is also sensitive to the largest gravitationally bound structures called clusters, which contain thousands of individual galaxies and large amounts of dark matter. And it has found fewer clusters than predicted based on the cosmic background radiation cosmological analysis. Professor Collins and Dr McCarthy’s studies confirm the ‘Planck-cluster problem’ which says that there are many fewer massive clusters in the universe than expected. ‘We already knew that the number of clusters found by the satellite was lower than expected and we have now tested this by analysing a new carefully constructed independent survey of some 1,000 clusters over a large area of the sky using X-rays rather than microwave radiation,’ Professor Collins explained. ‘Our findings confirm that the number of clusters is about a factor of two below the prediction based on the Planck cosmic background radiation analysis.’ In a separate study, Dr McCarthy and his PhD student Amandine Le Brun examined the detailed statistical properties of the cosmic background radiation and arrived at the same conclusion. Explorer of the cosmos: The Planck Surveyor satellite (pictured) was launched in 2009 by the European Space Agency (Esa) to measure the temperature variations in the cosmic background radiation, which holds the key to unlocking the secrets of how the universe formed . Cosmic background radiation is at the heart of the Big Bang theory of how the Universe was formed. In . 1965 scientists discovered the electromagnetic waves that bombard the . Earth continuously from all directions at harmless microwave . frequencies. The . radiation that arrives at our planet has been cooled to only 2.7 degrees . above absolute zero as it traverses deep space as the universe expands, . meaning that in the distant past the temperature would have been much . hotter. This led scientists to conclusion that the Universe had a hot origin – the so called Big Bang – nearly 14 billion years ago. To . measure the temperature variations in the cosmic background radiation, . the Planck Surveyor satellite was launched in 2009 by the European Space . Agency (Esa). Dr McCarthy said: ‘We’ve taken a completely different approach to previous studies, by comparing the predictions of state-of-the-art supercomputer simulations with the results of sophisticated statistical analyses of the cosmic background radiation. ‘The comparison itself is quite straightforward and avoids any potential issues having to do with identifying clusters and measuring their masses.’ The discrepancy in the predicted and observed number of massive clusters strongly suggests that either the detailed survey by Planck is not correct, or else that the model itself is flawed in some way. If the model is flawed, one exciting possibility is that the deficit of galaxy clusters is pointing to an important contribution to the energy budget – or composition - of the Universe by massive neutrinos, which are ghostly particles that weakly interact with normal matter. Particle physicists have long argued that neutrinos may have non-zero mass, but laboratory experiments have only managed to place relatively weak bounds on what the size of the mass is. Dr McCarthy plans on carrying out large-scale simulations that include the effects of massive neutrinos on cluster formation. | Astronomers studied the distribution of hot gas associated with galaxy clusters to come to their conclusion .
They compared their findings that the universe if flatter than thought to an underwhelming Alpine holiday .
Their research challenges the widely accepted model of the universe and could lead to a rethink of what it is made of and how it evolved .
Back to Mail Online home .
Back to the page you came from . |
fe47d773b02f55f34af4c8fca95a9aa6e0339f31 | The village shop and post office at the heart of Britain's 'most desirable community' has gone on the market for £750,000. Cerne Abbas, in Dorset, was voted the most sought-after village in the country thanks to its proximity to outstanding schools, welcoming country pubs and its quality of housing. Now, for the first time in more than 30 years, the popular village stores and post office, with a spacious six-bedroom home wrapped around it, has gone up for sale. The village shop and post office at the heart of Britain's 'most desirable community' has gone on the market for £750,000 . The shop in Cerne Abbas, Dorset, has a weekly turnover of £10,000 and comes with a spacious six-bedroom property . Cerne Abbas Stores has been at the heart of the community for over 250 years, with the current owners Andrew and Gerry Farrow moving to the village in 1984. In 1993, villagers showed their community spirit, raising £12,000 in just three days to stop the shop going bankrupt when Mr Farrow was faced with rising debts from improvements he was forced to make to meet hygiene regulations. Mr Farrow, who used to work as an accountant in London, and his wife saved the village post office in 2006 when he took over as sub-postmaster after the previous one retired. The quaint double-fronted shop has thrived since and now has a turnover of about £10,000 a week. Estate agents Savills ruled the Dorset village, which has a population of about 800, the most attractive village in Britain to prospective buyers. Andrew Farrow (pictured) and his wife Gerry are selling Cerne Abbas Stores after more than 30 years of ownership . The quaint double-fronted shop has thrived and would be perfect for someone looking to escape the rat race, estate agents Christie & Co say . Jonathan Southgate, of estate agents Christie & Co, said: 'The village shop has been in the same spot, in the same building for 250 years. It really has been a staple of the community. 'The couple who own it are looking to retire. 'This gentleman originally moved from the home counties and that's who we think this would appeal to - somebody who is fed up with the rat race and wants a slice of country life with a business that will support that. 'This business would be perfect for a husband and wife team or two families coming together. 'It's a really pretty village, it was voted most desirable village and it's had many accolades over the years. It's a really lovely place to live.' As well as the shop, the accommodation goes over three floors and has six double bedrooms, a family bathroom, a shower room and a separate bathroom. Cerne Abbas, which has a population of about 800, was ruled the most attractive village in Britain to prospective buyers . 'Desirable' Cerne Abbas is also well-known for its 180ft chalk giant figure on a nearby hill . Mr Farrow, 65, said: 'There are various things in the community that are focal points and we are the main one. There's also three pubs and a tea rooms. 'It's not a big village but it's got a lot of facilities and it's a tourist destination. 'I think that's why the shop has survived so well. We stock what the customers want and make sure they leave with a smile on their face. 'We also open seven days a week so we get trade from other nearby villages. 'But my wife wants me to do other things now, and I want to. I've just finished my second honours degree and advanced French exam and feel it's time for a change. 'I think it needs a fresh pair of eyes and enthusiasm to make the store even better.' Cerne Abbas, near Dorchester, appears in Thomas Hardy's novels as Abbots Cernel and has a 13th century church as well as the ruins of a Benedictine abbey. The village is also well-known for its 180ft chalk giant figure on a nearby hill. | Village shop and post office in 'most desirable' village goes on the market .
Property in quaint Cerne Abbas, Dorset, is up for grabs for £750,000 .
Buyer will get Cerne Abbas Stores and a spacious six-bedroom house .
Village was ruled the most sought-after community in Britain by Savills . |
fe47ff5375b3cabfd0cd8fd7e97bce6f574b34e2 | (EW.com) -- The weekend of July 4th is a time for doing American things: grilling, watching fireworks, ignoring zoning restrictions and setting off your own fireworks. But shenanigans are tiring, you know? The sun will give you a sunburn. The grill will make your clothes smell like smoke. We at EW much prefer to test our endurance in other ways, mostly by watching TV. There's a whole set of marathons on for the weekend, some highly publicized (can you make it through three straight days of The Walking Dead?), some obscure and ready for love (a marathon of the animated Transformers series, which is surely better than seeing the new movie in theaters). We've compiled a list from Friday through Sunday below. Trust us, this is way better than a weekend at the beach. Note: All listings are ET . MULTIPLE DAYS . The Walking Dead, AMC . 9 a.m. July 4 -- 9 p.m. July 6 . Bonus points if you don't turn into a zombie after downing four straight seasons. Batman (1966), IFC . 6 a.m. -- 5:15 p.m. July 4 and July 5 . Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na... Masters of Sex, Showtime . 6 p.m. -- 12 a.m. July 4 and July 5 . Make sure you're all set in time for the sexy show's second season. American Ninja Warrior, Esquire . 6 a.m. -- 6 p.m. July 4, 9:30 a.m. -- 5:30 p.m. July 6 . Two whole days of sitting on your couch thinking "nah man, I could totally make that jump." EW: Summer TV Swaps: 10 July Series to Try If You Like.. NCIS, USA . 6 a.m. -- 8 p.m. July 4, 9 a.m. -- 12 a.m. July 6 . Subconsciously, you already knew there would be a NCIS marathon from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 4 and another from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. on July 6, 2014. The NCIS marathon is a cycle embedded in the natural movements of the world, as certain as rhythm of a heartbeat or the migration of the swallow. FRIDAY, JULY 4 . BBQ Pitmasters, Destination America . 6 a.m. -- 4 p.m. A marathon designed to make you feel bad about how bad you are at barbecuing. Keeping Up with the Kardashians, E! 7 a.m. -- 2 p.m. This marathon does not last as long as it took Kanye to edit that wedding photo. America: The Story of US, History . 7 a.m. -- 7 p.m. Catch up on all you forgot from high school. The Twilight Zone, SyFy . 8 a.m. -- 8 p.m., then 12 a.m. -- 4 a.m. July 5 . Three hours in, Rod Serling will replace the voice of your internal narration. Star Trek: The Next Generation, BBC America . 8 a.m. -- 6 a.m. July 5 . Three hours in, Patrick Stewart will replace the voice of your internal narration. Dirty Jobs, Animal Planet . 9 a.m. -- 4 p.m. No word on whether animals will be the ones performing said jobs. Food Paradise, Travel Channel . 9:00 a.m. -- 7:00 p.m. In the words of Liz Lemon, "I want to go to there." The Andy Griffith Show, TVLand . 9 a.m. -- 9 p.m. Is today's world too exhausting for you? Then retreat back into the beautiful rural North Carolina of yesteryear, where nothing will hurt you. The Real Housewifes of New Jersey, Bravo . 9:35 a.m. -- 3:16 p.m. Is today's world too exhausting for you? Then retreat back into the beautiful rural New Jersey of yesteryear where nothing will hurt you. Oh, never mind. Just watch the show. Transformers, Hub . 11:00 a.m. -- 7:30 p.m. Beginning with "Transformers Rescue Bots," continuing through "Transformers: The Animated Movie," and ending with "Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising." Is the last one even a logical title? Who cares, you're an inventor! Awkard., MTV . 11:34 a.m. -- 6 p.m. Like, OMG. If you watch old episodes over again, will Jenna choose a different guy? Independence Day, Encore . 12 a.m. -- 1 a.m. July 5 . This isn't a TV show, per se, but it is a full day of WILL SMITH FIGHTING ALIENS. WELCOME TO EARTH. Sex and the City, E! 2 p.m. -- midnight . Your day will consists entirely of segues and bad puns. Oprah: Where are they now? OWN . 6 p.m. -- 2 a.m. Includes an all-new episode with Geraldo, Terry McMillan, and "the shark attack survivor." SATURDAY, JULY 5 . Undercover Boss, OWN . 10 a.m. -- 4 p.m. Pitch for an episode: Oprah goes undercover on her own network. EW: 'The Walking Dead': Norman Reedus promises a 'badass' season 5 . Will & Grace, WeTV . 10 a.m. -- 8 p.m. Karen, Jack, Grace, Will. #obviouspowerrankings . Ridiculousness, MTV . 12 p.m. -- 10 p.m. Midway through an episode of this clip show, gesture at your TV and say, "What is this [insert show name]?" Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy, History . 1 p.m. -- 7 p.m. Includes episodes titled "Larry Is Amish," "Larry Becomes Statuesque," and "Naked Cowboys & Reptile Wrangling." Life with La Toya, OWN . 4 p.m. -- 2:00 a.m. July 6 . In some way, this is the perfect complement to the show above. We're not sure why, but we just feel that way. Deadliest Catch, Discovery Channel . 4 p.m. -- 3 a.m. July 6 . Don't eat crab cakes for a day in advance to avoid feeling guilty about the brave men who risked their lives for your appetizer. Web Soup, G4 . 10 p.m. -- 5 a.m July 6 . The barrage of viral videos will be more comforting if you watch while actually eating soup. SUNDAY, JULY 6 . The Lord of the Rings, TNT . 9 a.m. -- 9 p.m. One does not simply sit through all three movies back to back (unless you watch TNT all day, which isn't that difficult). Ray Donovan, Showtime . 12 p.m. -- 12 a.m. If you don't watch this, Liev Schreiber will show up at your house and personally "fix" the situation. I Love the 2000s, VH1 . 12:40 p.m. -- 11 p.m. Halfway through 2003, a sudden thought hits you: "I'm old." You stare blankly at the screen, wondering what led you to this point. 2004 begins to play. There's no turning back. The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Kandi's Wedding, Bravo . 4 p.m. -- 10 p.m. Catch up with Kandi Burruss in advance of the finale, which features her actually walking down the aisle (finally). Naked and Afraid, Discovery Channel . 4 p.m. -- 3 a.m. July 8 . For best results, switch to this right after the I Love the 2000s marathon. Just as you feel emotionally naked and afraid of your future, the contestants will be running around the wilderness with no clothes on. Futurama, Comedy Central . 4:24 p.m. -- 12:30 a.m. Good news, everyone! See the original story at EW.com. TBS will air a week of 'Seinfeld' to honor the show's 25th anniversary . Adam Richman's 'Man Finds Food' postponed indefinitely . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | There are plenty of shows to watch during the holiday weekend .
The shows are on basic and premium cable .
Everything from old school "Batman" to "Masters of Sex" |
fe4819b4a1e1bf0678e2b39cdf7a157cc8c9ffba | PARIS, France (CNN) -- France is sending four state police units to its overseas department of Guadeloupe after a month of sometimes violent demonstrations, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said Thursday. French gendarmes face-off against Guadeloupe protesters. "The pillaging ... the violence against people, are not tolerable and will not be tolerated," Alliot-Marie told the French radio station RTL. "It's no longer simply a question of containing the protests. ... This mission of honor will continue to be undertaken, but we also have to fight against the violence." French President Nicolas Sarkozy planned to meet with elected officials from overseas departments, including Guadeloupe, Thursday afternoon, his office announced. A general strike over low wages and living conditions in the Caribbean island has included demonstrations and clashes with police. At least one civilian has been killed in the riots, officials said. Hospitals and emergency services continue to function and the main international airport is open, but petrol stations, schools, and most businesses -- including supermarkets and car rental offices -- are closed, the British Foreign Office said in a travel advisory. Hotels are open, but the strike is causing daily cuts to electricity and water supplies, the Foreign Office said. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Thursday he is ready to approve a compromise that would give nearly a €200 ($254) monthly supplement to workers in Guadeloupe with low-paying jobs. "This crisis is serious, and profound, but it's not new," Fillon said, adding that it's linked to "the lifelessness of the economy in the Antilles, aggravated by the global economic crisis." Sending supplementary police forces is justified, Fillon said, because "we cannot accept what has happened" in the department. He was referring to the attacks on businesses, the roadblocks in the streets and above all, the death of the civilian, who he said was a union leader. Agence France-Presse identified the victim as union representative Jacques Bino. He was shot dead Tuesday night when he drove past a roadblock manned by armed youths in the city of Pointe-a-Pitre. His car was hit three times by shotgun fire, prosecutors told AFP. Three police who accompanied emergency services trying to help the dying man were lightly wounded, officials said, according to AFP. Speaking with RTL on Wednesday, one demonstrator denied he was fanning the flames of unrest. "We have always called for calm," Elie Domota, leader of the Coalition against Exploitation, said. "We have told the young people to go to their homes and continue to protest peacefully, but the police yesterday beat protesters and called them racist names, so the situation escalated." CNN's Alanne Orjoux in Atlanta, Georgia, contributed to this report . | French police reinforcements being posted to Guadeloupe .
Island wracked by a month of sometimes violent protests over living conditions .
Protest leader denies encouraging violence .
Guadeloupe is French overseas territory . |
fe48241cb7c9a773b54a6e61816c568f85e8cc06 | Billed as a battle of two of England’s most talented No10s but Farrell was picked at inside centre, robbing fans of a direct battle. Sam Peters assesses their performances. KICKING . Farrell: tactical kicking heavily criticised in the autumn. No improvement. Cipriani: more variety than any other English player. Kicked too long, too often. GAME MANAGEMENT . Farrell: not as influential at inside centre but still an excellent communicator. Cipriani: More disciplined these days but struggled to put his stamp on the game. Danny Cipriani (right) is hauled down as Owen Farrell tries to get to grips with the Sale Sharks fly half . DISTRIBUTION . Farrell: Low error count is why England coaches regard him so highly. Cipriani: Confidence to try the outrageous ... just not yesterday. DEFENCE . Farrell: Strong, but rocked by a thunderous Viliami Fihaki charge. Cipriani: Better but still missed a couple of tackles. Farrell (centre) celebrates with his Saracens team-mates after his crossed for a crucial try . | Danny Cipriani started at fly half for Sale Sharks against Saracens .
Owen Farrell, however, lined up at inside centre .
Charlie Hodgson donned the No 10 jersey for the European clash .
Farrell scored a try as Saracens clinched a 19-15 victory . |
fe4833f949ee818e06facecea437954c4fb71312 | (CNN) -- Bayern Munich's momentous season continued on Saturday as they beat Freiburg 1-0 at the Allianz Arena to secure a new points record in the Bundesliga. Despite making 10 changes from the side which thrashed Barcelona 4-0 in the Champions League semifinal first leg on Tuesday, Jupp Heynckes' still came out on top to record their 14th straight league win. Xherdan Shaqiri scored from a free kick in the 35th minute to give Bayern 84 points for the campaign, three more than the record set by Borussia Dortmund last season. "I had warned my team about Freiburg before the game.They have developed very well over the last few years and that was a tough bit of work," Heynckes said. "But compliments to my team, they were very professional and very clever." Watch: CNNFC . Bayern, who wrapped up a 23rd league title earlier this month, play Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League semifinal on Wednesday. Borussia Dortmund also followed up a stunning midweek performance against Real Madrid with a win, beating Dusseldorf 2-1. Jurgen Klopp's side, who take a three-goal advantage into Tuesday's second leg Champions League tie at the Bernabeu, remain 20 points behind Bayern and eight points ahead of Bayer Leverkusen. The Bundesliga's third-place side posted a 1-0 home win against Werder Bremen. Stefan Kiessling 35th-minute spot kick secures Sami Hyypia's side a spot in next season's Champions League. Fourth-placed Schalke play Hamburg on Sunday. Wolfsburg notched up a second successive league victory beating Moenchengladbach 3-1 to move up to 10th in the table. At the foot of the table, Greuther Fuerth's relegation was confirmed on Saturday after 16th-placed Augsburg beat Stuttgart 3-0. Relegation-threatened Hoffenheim also won on Saturday, beating Nuremberg 2-1 to keep their survival hopes alive. | Bayern Munich beat Freiburg 1-0 to overtake league points tally set by Dortmund in 2012 .
Bavarians now have 84 points from 31 games and stretch winning streak in league to 14 .
Second-placed Dortmund also win away at Dusseldorf . |
fe483da1edab87ed25a0bbfee30aaf70d1915734 | By . Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 10:03 EST, 18 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:20 EST, 18 September 2013 . America is the world's strongest military super power. Its vast and sophisticated armed forces are trained to handle anything from home security to the Iraq war with a moment's notice. But in case anybody had forgotten that, the US Air Force has refreshed our memories - by dropping a 2,000lb bomb worth $24,000 on a miniature pirate boat. Wielding power: A laser-guided GBU-10 targets the mini pirate ship at a training range in the Gulf of Mexico . Floating silently in the Gulf of Mexico on September 4, the boat looked far from threatening. But metres away, a B1 was creeping into the air, armed with a laser-guided GBU-10. Originally designed for the Cold War, the GBU-10 was touted as one of the most lethal weapons the Force could wield against Russia. However, it was not used until 1998 fighting Iraq. Ballistics experts have spent the last few years focussing on the weapon; tailoring it for modern-day use. The $23,700 bomb (£15,000) blasted the toy into cinders as another bomber and a fighter aircraft zoomed menacingly around. It was a demonstration to show how even their biggest bombs can obliterate small water-borne objects. Blast: The exploded boat was sent flying in pieces as the $24,000 bomb plunged into the sea . The pilots also dropped a 500lb GBU-54 bomb and five other explosives. Proudly displaying the images on their media page, the Air Force Dyess Air Base explained this tactic would be useful if targeting real-life pirate ships. The stunt sparked a torrent of jokes on Twitter. One person tweeted: 'Overkill defined'. Another said: 'This image is today's Americaniest thing'. And one man joked: 'Yay! Good guys win!' | Laser-guided GBU-10 built for Cold War dropped on toy in Gulf of Mexico .
Bomb worth $24,000 used to show big weapons can target small objects . |
fe4859f525dce6ababa8783f39e70eaf5dcf384e | By . Amanda Willliams . A speeding motorist who killed a cyclist as she wheeled her bike across a pedestrian crossing has escaped punishment - because there was no 'official' road sign saying he was in a 30mph limit. Michael Campbell, 40, had been accelerating at up to 49mph in the 30mph zone when he mowed down businesswoman Jaye Bloomfield, 44, in Manchester city centre. He was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Campbell was not charged after it emerged that instead of a standard 30mph sign, contractors had left a red 'unofficial' speed limit sign on the road - which he had not seen. Michael Campbell, who killed a cyclist as she wheeled her bike across a pedestrian crossing has escaped punishment, because there was no 'official' road sign saying he was in a 30mph limit . According to prosecution teams, Campbell would have been unaware he had to legally slow down, and so charges could not be brought. Had he been charged and convicted, he could have faced up to 14 years in jail. Ms Bloomfield’s family have revealed they are suing Campbell following an inquest into her death. The driver had been accelerating at up to 49mph in the 30mph zone when his car mowed down businesswoman Jaye Bloomfield, 44 . Ms Bloomfield, from Whalley Range, Manchester was a planning technician but had recently completed a college course and she was in the process of setting up her web design business. Ms Bloomfield had tired the knot with her partner of eight years Gemma Godden, 37, in a civil ceremony in August 2012 and the couple were making plans to celebrated their 'paper' anniversary. Ms Godden said: 'Jaye would often cycle to work but if it was a longer distance we would drive. She was a keen cyclist and always cycled with a helmet.' The tragedy occurred on August 3 last year when Jaye was cycling on the slip road heading from Princess Road in Manchester onto the Mancunian Way. Motorist Matthew Collier said: 'I stopped at a pelican crossing and a number of pedestrians went across. I saw Jaye and from my recollection she was pushing her bike with her feet across it, straddling the bike. 'Just before the lights changed I saw a car on the right coming around the corner. 'I commented to my wife that the car was going quite fast. Shortly after we heard a loud bang and when we looked over we saw some debris on the road and I thought maybe someone had been hit.' His wife Sharon added: 'I saw Jaye come across. I remembered her because she had electric blue shorts that you could see under her clothes. We saw a silver and black car come around at an exceedingly high speed. 'At the time we were not sure if it was the silver or black car that hit and we didn’t know it was Jaye. She had gone over at a normal walking pace.' Another witness Noor Abu spoke to Campbell moments after the incident and said: 'He was in a shock. I told him to take it easy. 'He had his head in his hands and was sat on the floor. He was kind of mumbling although I could not make anything out from what he was saying.' Campbell, who had been driving a Seat TDI, told the inquest: 'At the roundabout I looked right and there was nothing coming so I merged to the left. 'I could see the pedal cyclist under the bridge going the same direction as me. It was just a glance. The traffic lights were green so I accelerated. Scene: The tragedy occurred on August 3 last year when Jaye was cycling on the slip road heading from Princess Road in Manchester onto the Mancunian Way (pictured) 'I heard something hit the car and thought it had come from above. I immediately stopped in the middle of the road and looked to my left and saw someone in the road. I ran to the person, confused. 'I did not notice the red sign. It was saying 30mph on the roundabout but on the way to the motorway I thought it was 50. I don’t think that sign was very visible.' Ms Bloomfield suffered fatal head and chest injuries and died at the scene. Senior investigating officer Ian Beaumont told the Manchester inquest: 'We understand the Seat Leon TDI to have been travelling at around 41-49mph which is in excess of the 30mph speed limit. 'But I understand that the driver did not see Jaye. Damage: Campbell was not charged after it emerged that instead of a standard 30mph sign, contractors had left a red 'unofficial' speed limit sign on the road - which he had not seen . Error: The inquest was told the official 30mph sign was due to be erected at this location. The mangled railings can be seen in this photo where the crash happened . 'The CPS had a consultation and as a result of that they determined no further action against Mr Campbell would be taken in response to the matter. They deemed there was no realistic prospect of conviction in this case.” 'There should be a sign indicating the speed limit but this was incorrectly placed by contractors. There was no specific sign to indicate the speed limit was 30mph. 'The pedestrian crossing is placed in the middle of the motorway essentially. It isn’t meant for cyclist but for the movement of pedestrians.' The inquest was told the official 30mph sign was due to be erected. Tributes left at the scene to the 'passionate cyclist'. Ms Bloomfield had married her partner of eight years Gemma Godden, 37, in a civil ceremony in August 2012 and the couple were making plans to celebrated their 'paper' anniversary . Recording a narrative verdict Manchester Assistant coroner Fiona Borrill said: 'I shall be writing a letter to Manchester City Council to find out when the signs will be in place and what progress has been made in respect to this improvement. I am looking to find a time scale.' After the case in a statement, Ms Godden said: 'I have lost the partner I loved and wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I miss her every day as do her family and friends. 'We both loved cycling but this terrible accident once again highlights the dangers cyclists face from motorists driving at speed. 'I urge drivers to respect the speed limit. If the driver who hit Jaye had been driving at 30mph or below as he should have been, he would almost certainly have seen her and been able to stop. 'I want police to clamp down on speeding drivers and I want drivers to realise that cyclists are all someone’s loved one. Please look out for cyclists and give them space on the roads.' The family solicitor Carol Jackson from Manchester law firm Pannone said, 'We are advising Gemma as to the possibility of a civil action against the driver of the car.' | Michael Campbell, 40, hit pedestrian Jaye Bloomfield, 44, in Manchester .
An inquest heard he'd been driving up to 49mph in a 30mph zone .
No charges were brought against him because area did not have proper sign .
Prosecutors said Campbell .
wouldn't have been aware he had to slow down .
Had he been charged and convicted, he could have faced up to 14 years jail . |
fe48b9b2e4f83bd6d5c8ce04e1b574ddfa67574c | Feedly, the Web-content app that got a surge of new users when Google announced it was pulling the plug on its Reader service, is making a play to inherit even more. On Wednesday, the company announced it's rolling out Feedly Cloud, creating a one-click way for Google Reader users to migrate to Feedly, and a new, stand-alone desktop version of the service. Like Google Reader, which will shut down July 1, Feedly pulls content from various websites into a customizable feed. "With the release of Feedly Cloud, Feedly today transitions from a product to a platform," the company said in a blog post. Since Google announced it was shutting down Reader in March, Feedly's user numbers have already tripled from 4 million to about 12 million, a spokesman told CNN. The main drawback for many prospective users has been that Feedly has primarily been a mobile app, unlike Reader, which users accessed mainly on the Web. In March, Google said that while Reader had many loyal users, its popularity had been waning. It hadn't seen a significant update since 2011, and many of its social features were stripped as the company began pushing users to Google+, its social network. According to the blog post, Feedly Cloud already is processing more than 25 million feeds daily. There are multiple third-party apps attached to it, allowing users multiple options as to how they can set up their RSS feeds. An RSS feed processes posts from blogs and websites and pulls them all together in one place in a standard format. Publishers like RSS (rich site summary) because it allows users to subscribe, theoretically putting every new post in front of them automatically instead of relying on the user to check in for new content. Feedly said that a stand-alone version has been one of the more requested new features since the news broke of Google Reader's demise. Previously, plug-ins or extensions would let users of browsers such as Chrome and Firefox access a version of Feedly, but even those patched-together versions weren't available to users of popular browsers such as Opera and Internet Explorer. Feedly Cloud will be available Wednesday to visitors to Feedly's website. | Google Reader will be shut down July 1 .
Feedly makes a bid to inherit more Google Reader fans .
The Feedly app has tripled to 12 million users since March . |
fe490e3444f8b3d965c11a88218fd4d99f88c1f7 | Ruling: A Muslim woman has been allowed to enter a plea without removing her full-face veil (library image) A Muslim woman has been allowed to appear in court as a defendant and enter a plea without removing her full-face veil. The woman, who denied a charge of witness intimidation, had previously been told by Judge Peter Murphy that she would have to show her face to enter a plea so she could be conclusively identified. The same judge today backed down and allowed her to enter the dock to plead not guilty while wearing a niqab at Blackfriars Crown Court. Judge Murphy will give directions on Monday as to whether the woman can stand trial while wearing a veil that shows only her eyes. The woman, from east London, who cannot be identified for legal reason, had argued that she was unable to remove the face covering in the presence of men for religious reasons. But compromise was met today when a female police officer, who saw . her face when she was photographed after her arrest, had a private . viewing with her in a room at the court. The officer then swore on oath that it was the same woman. Judge Murphy said: 'I would be satisfied for the officer giving evidence, having seen the defendant backstage so to speak in a private setting, saying she could identify her.' The defendant's barrister, Susan Meek, argued that she had a right to wear the veil during today's proceedings and her trial in November under Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which safeguards religious beliefs. She also highlighted the 'tolerant' approach taken to Islamic dress in the UK. Ms Meek said: 'She is entitled to wear it in private and in public. 'That right to wear the niqab also extends to the courtroom. 'There is no legislation in the UK in respect of the wearing of the niqab. 'There is no law in this country banning it.' She added that the same rules would apply to witnesses or victims of crime who appeared in court. She . also pointed out that the defendant's only active participation in her . trial would be giving evidence, if she does so, and suggested the jury . would be able to make a judgment based on her answers and body language . despite the veil. Ms Meek added: 'Ultimately it's the choice of the defendant if she wishes to wear it. 'If . she chooses to remain with her face veil on when giving evidence that . is something she will no doubt be spoken to about by the judge in front . of the jury. Hearing: The woman, who appeared before Blackfriars Crown Court, pictured, was charged with witness intimidation . 'To ask her to remove it, if that is the court's opinion at the end of it, what consequences follow? A court order and proceedings of contempt? Is that right and fair?' The defendant today pleaded not guilty to charges of intimidating a witness in Finsbury Park, north London, in June. She will appear back at Blackfriars Crown Court on Monday at 11am, ahead of her trial due to take place on November 4. After the woman had entered her not guilty plea, Miss Meek and Judge Murphy continued to debate the wearing of the veil for the trial. Judge Murphy pondered whether the wearing of a veil could affect the jury 'to a significant degree by them being unable to see her reaction to questions being put'. Miss Meek said: 'Whether the jury would find it more difficult is really where the question begins. 'Jurors could look at her body language and eyes to evaluate her character.' 'There is always going to be a photo of her. 'The jury could be shown that.' On Tuesday, Muslim students were banned from wearing religious veils into a college because of fears regarding security. Teenagers at Birmingham Metropolitan College were told to remove any items of clothing covering their faces so they are 'easily identifiable at all times'. The French caused controversy back in 2011 around the world when they moved to ban women from wearing the burkha in public. Politicians moved to ban the veil because they argued it was a security risk and said it was a social hindrance. The . law - which sparked protests in Pakistan - was brought into effect in . 2011 under the leadership of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy. British politicians are also no stranger to controversy surrounding the burkha. In . 2006, former Labour Foreign Secretary Jack Straw sparked outrage when . he said he had ask Muslim women to remove their veils when talking to . them in his constituency surgery. Three . years ago Conservative MP Philip Hollobone tabled a private members' bill which would have made it illegal for anyone to cover their face in . public. However, the bill . fell by the parliamentary wayside following claims that bringing in such . a law could be in breach of the Equality Act. | 21-year-old, from East London, facing charge of witness intimidation .
Judge Peter Murphy previously said she couldn't enter a plea until she removed her full-face veil .
Today at Blackfriars Crown Court he agreed to let female police officers who took custody pictures of her confirm her identity .
Judge said he will give directions on Monday whether she will have to remove the veil for trial . |
fe49196118614f6db77378c1030aa50a4336fc2d | Jose Mourinho learned a lot in Paris. Not on Tuesday night, necessarily, but a year ago. It was in this fixture in the previous campaign that this Chelsea team began to take shape. David Luiz made a mistake that got Paris Saint-Germain back into the game; Petr Cech was unconvincing in goal. Mourinho corrected both of those perceived flaws in the summer and on Tuesday night those changes paid off. Thibaut Courtois, who has taken Cech’s place as first choice goalkeeper, was quite outstanding and kept Chelsea in the match. Luiz, sold to PSG for £50million, appeared to lose Branislav Ivanovic for Chelsea’s goal. His extraordinary fee made the signings of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas possible and one imagines they will have greater influence on the outcome when these teams reconvene on March 11. Branislav Ivanovic slides on his knees after scoring the opening goal of the last 16 Champions League clash . Serbia international Ivanovic wheels away in celebration after scoring his fifth goal of the season . Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani (right) celebrates after cancelling out Ivanovic's first-half opener . Cavani looks to the sky after scoring past Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the 54th minute . PSG (4-3-3): Sirigu 6.5; Van der Wiel 6, Marquinhos 5.5, Thiago Silva 6, Maxwell 6; Verratti 6.5; David Luiz 6.5; Matuidi 6.5; Lavezzi 6.5 (Pastore 81), Ibrahimovic 6.5; Cavani 7 . Subs not used: Douchez, Camara, Bahebeck, Digne, Rabiot, Kimpembe . Goal: Cavani 54 . Booked: Van der Wiel, Verratti . CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois 7.5; Ivanovic 6, Cahill 5.5, Terry 7, Azpilicueta 6.5; Ramires 6.5, Matic 7; Willian 6 (Cuadrado 79), Fabregas 7 (Oscar 83), Hazard 6; Diego Costa 6 (Remy 81) Subs not used: Cech, Filipe Luis, Zouma, Drogba . Goal: Ivanovic 36 . Booked: Ivanovic, Fabregas . Referee: Cuneyt Cakir 6 . Costa and Fabregas were both recovering from spells out of the team and were below par. In three weeks’ time it may be a different story. It will need to be because while this was a job well done, nobody should think a draw and an away goal amount to a guarantee for Chelsea against the champions of France. It needed Courtois to be at his very best, and Chelsea to weather a second-half onslaught in which PSG found a fresh level of menace, before the sides could shake hands, honours even. By then, Chelsea were more than acquainted with the danger posed in that second leg. Edinson Cavani’s 54th-minute equaliser was not the half of it. PSG ran out 3-1 winners here last year and could have done so again had Courtois, and others, not been at the top of their game. This PSG side cannot be underestimated, no matter what the history books say about the record of French teams in England. Having lost heavily a year ago, a 1-1 draw is to be respected. Yet an away goal at Stamford Bridge will make for a very tense night, and Laurent Blanc’s team are more than capable of it. Cavani was a constant threat and while Zlatan Ibrahimovic has never scored against a Mourinho defence, he caused enough problems to suggest the continuation of that run cannot be presumed. He should have won the tie deep in added time when a cross by Blaise Matuidi found him at the far post. His header was directed into the dirt and reared up to force the final intervention from Courtois, tipping it around for a corner. There were other saves, equally spectacular. He had earlier kept PSG at bay with an outstanding low stop after Ibrahimovic had broken free of his guards. The ball came out to Ezequiel Lavezzi but this time Cesar Azpilicueta came to the rescue, making excellent ground to clear his line. PSG were certainly a different proposition after half-time. It had not been the most thrilling opening 45 minutes, in all truthfulness. In the 11th minute, a cross from Cavani was headed powerfully goalwards by Matuidi, but parried with both hands by Courtois. From the next attacking phase, Matuidi crossed to Ibrahimovic, whose header was again kept out by the Belgian. Chelsea then regrouped and it was not until the 33rd minute that Paris came close again. On this occasion it was a desperately poor touch by Ramires that conceded possession and set up a PSG counter-attack. Azpilicueta took no chances offering up the corner and, from it, Lavezzi’s delivery was met by Cavani at the near post, Courtois’ stunning reflexes equal to the challenge again. The Parc des Princes bristled with anticipation yet it is in Chelsea’s nature to prick balloons and four minutes later PSG were behind. Ivanovic receives a hug from Chelsea team-mate Nemanja Matic after putting his side in the lead . Ivanovic rises above PSG's defence to give his side the lead in the 36th minute . It was a goal remarkable for doing entirely without forwards, wide men or even hard-running midfielders. A set-piece had broken down but not left the danger zone and John Terry sprinted out to the left to recover the loose ball. He whipped in an early cross, flicked on by his central defensive partner Cahill and falling to right back Branislav Ivanovic, who lost Luiz. As is his style in important games, Ivanovic seized the moment and directed a deft header past goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. It was very clinical, very Chelsea. They had to defend much the same way, as Paris upped the tempo after half-time. Mourinho will be upset at the goal, though, which came after a Matuidi cross was poorly read by Cahill, pulled out of position, allowing Cavani a free header from his favourite place on the edge of the six-yard box. It was the one occasion on the night when Courtois was rendered powerless. For Luiz, playing his first game against his former club, the match was a mixed bag. Deployed in midfield in place of the injured Thiago Motta, he had a dust-up with Costa, took one from Fabregas, gave plenty back, will be disappointed with the goal, but pleased with his growing influence on PSG’s build-up play after half-time. For a defender, he has an excellent range of passing, but not always the best sense of danger. One imagines Mourinho will still feel he got the best of that £50m transaction. David Luiz watches on as former Chelsea team-mate Ivanovic heads towards goal . PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu was unable to stop Ivanovic's header from hitting the back of the net . This may go down as the earliest parking of a bus in the history of European football, close to two hours prior to kick-off when Chelsea’s vehicle managed to get stuck in the Parc des Prince tunnel and was abandoned. Mourinho stomped off, face like thunder, and sent out a team in that image. This was a growl of a performance at times, brooding, occasionally irritable, but resolute. Not that PSG were wholly different. They recognised Eden Hazard as the danger and swarmed around him, committing fouls. Costa copped it, too. The striker, as is his instinct, met fire with fire, leaving a foot in here and there and bristling with physical defiance as PSG sought to close him down. Fabregas was hit hard and took his frustration out on Luiz. He had got away with a verbal warning and then Costa intervened, pulling Luiz’s hair on the sly and needlessly upping the ante just at the moment Chelsea should have been beating a respectful retreat. The professionals all love that spiky attitude but in this of all competitions, Costa’s grumbles and rumbles could return to haunt his club. If referee Cuneyt Cakir from Turkey had seen it, there could have been damaging repercussions. Still, all’s well that ends well. Ivanovic scored the opening goal of the match after Gary Cahill flicked on a John Terry cross . Courtois looks on as Cavani's strike hits the back of the net at Parc des Princes . PSG midfielder Marco Verratti was booked by Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir for a reckless challenge on Eden Hazard . Zlatan Ibrahimovic tries to hold off Chelsea defender Cahill during the first leg of the Champions League clash . PSG captain Thiago Silva is challenged by Chelsea ace Diego Costa during the first half . Ibrahimovic's free-kick goes flying over the crossbar, while Chelsea's wall attempt to block the PSG striker's effort at goal . Cesc Fabregas speaks to Luiz while PSG defender Marquinhos approaches Costa . Costa appears to pull Luiz's hair during a brief confrontation during the European tie . Chelsea striker Costa pushes Luiz away as the pair clash during the Champions League match . Chelsea new boy Juan Cuadrado replaces Blues team-mate Willian in the 79th minute . Jose Mourinho comes on to the pitch to congratulate his players after the final whistle . The Portuguese tactician shakes hands with Chelsea goalscorer Ivanovic at full time . Mourinho shakes hands with Luiz, the player he sold to PSG for £50million during the summer, after the final whistle . Ibrahimovic speaks to Mourinho on the touchline after the 1-1 draw, the pair worked together during their time at Inter Milan . Chelsea captain Terry greets former Blues team-mate Luiz before kick off . PSG stars such as Ibrahimovic (far left on back row) and Cavani (far left on front row) pose before the last 16 fixture . The Chelsea team bus got stuck as it tried to turn into the Parc des Princes car park before the match . Ibrahimovic penned '805 million names' on to his boot to show his support for United Nations World Food Programme . Chelsea boss Mourinho shares a joke with his opposite number Laurent Blanc ahead of the last 16 encounter in the French capital . Blanc whispers into Mourinho's ear before taking his seat in the home dugout at Parc des Princes . David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson were among those in attendance at Parc des Princes to watch Chelsea take on PSG . Beckham and Ferguson were all smiles as they spoke prior to Chelsea's European showdown with PSG . Former Manchester United manager Ferguson speaks to UEFA president Michel Platini before taking his seat . Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy (far left), Beckham and singer Carla Bruni take their seats before the match in Paris . | Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic opened the scoring in the 36th minute to give his side the lead at the interval .
Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani cancelled out Ivanovic's opener in the 54th minute .
Jose Mourinho's side take small advantage back to west London due to the away goal rule .
Chelsea host PSG in the second leg of the Champions League last 16 clash on March 11 .
David Beckham, Sir Alex Ferguson and Michel Platini were in attendance at Parc des Princes . |
fe491f7326d414a7797eb84189c3df1624dfa3ad | Chelsea have been drawn with Russian side Zenit St Petersburg in the last 16 of the UEFA Youth League. Manchester City will face Schalke, Arsenal take on Atletico Madrid and Liverpool play Benfica in the first knockout round of the Under 19 competition. Unlike the Champions League, all four English representatives remain in contention. The draw for the quarter-finals was also made in Nyon, with Arsenal and Chelsea on a collision course if they win their last 16 ties. Defending champions Barcelona will face Anderlecht, Ajax take on Roma, Real Madrid play Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk play Olympiacos in the other ties. Benfica vs Liverpool . Ajax vs Roma . Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal . Real Madrid vs Porto . Shakhtar Donetsk vs Olympiacos . Anderlecht vs Barcelona . Manchester City vs Schalke . Chelsea vs Zenit St Petersburg . Matches provisionally scheduled for 17/18 and 24/25 February. QUARTER-FINAL DRAW . Ajax/Roma vs Manchester City/Schalke . Chelsea/Zenit vs Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal . Benfica/Liverpool vs Shakhtar/Olympiacos . Anderlecht/Barcelona vs Real Madrid/Porto . SEMI-FINAL DRAW . Barcelona/Anderlecht/Real Madrid/Porto vs Benfica/Liverpool/Shakhtar/Olympiacos . Man City/Schalke/Ajax/Roma vs Chelsea/Zenit/Atletico/Arsenal . The UEFA Youth League trophy in front of a screen showing the 16 teams left in the competition . Liverpool's Jerome Sinclair celebrates scoring in their Europa League matchday six win over Basle . Dominic Solanke celebrates scoring for Chelsea in their Youth League win over Sporting Lisbon . Arsenal's Stephy Mavididi celebrates scoring in their Youth League win over Galatasaray on matchday six . City advanced through the group phase with a 100 per cent record, a set of results that included a 6-0 thrashing of Bayern Munich, and they now take on the German side that finished second to Chelsea in Group G. The Blues finished on level points with Schalke, the side who eliminated them last season, and now have home advantage in the last 16 against Russian side Zenit. Arsenal, who came second to Anderlecht in their group, face a tricky looking trip to Madrid to take on Atletico. Liverpool, who qualified for the knockout phase thanks to a dramatic win over Basle on the final matchday, travel to Portugal to take on Benfica. | Chelsea will play Zenit St Petersburg in Last 16 of UEFA Youth League .
Arsenal face a trip to Atletico Madrid in the first knockout round .
The two London clubs are on a collision course in the quarter-finals .
Manchester City will host Schalke, who finished second to Chelsea .
Liverpool go to Portugal to take on Benfica . |
fe495789959f93dade17222c85c28030d0113f6f | A group of Nazi hunters says it has identified 76 men and four women - many of whom may still be alive - who ran mobile death squads killing thousands of Jews during the 1930s and 40s. The Simon Wiesenthal Center claims to have identified dozens of former members of the Nazi death squads, and says it is now pushing the German government for a formal investigation. The centre's top Nazi hunter, Efraim Zuroff, said that his research is so solid that he last month sent the German justice and interior ministries a list of 76 men and four women he has identified as having served in the so-called Einsatzgruppen, adding that he is demanding those still living face charges. Victims: The Einsatzgruppen are known to have rounded up and shot Jews in the opening salvo of the Holocaust before the Nazi concentration camp system was properly established . The Einsatzgruppen - made up of primarily SS and police personnel - followed Nazi Germany's troops as they battled their way eastward in the early years of the war. They are known to have rounded up and shot Jews in the opening salvo of the Holocaust before the Nazi concentration camp system was properly established. According to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Einsatzgruppen had killed more than a million Soviet Jews, as well as tens of thousands of other people, by the spring of 1943. 'In the death camps the actual act of murder was carried out by a very small number of people - the people who put the gas into the gas chambers. But the actual act of murder in the Einsatzgruppen was carried out individually,' Zuroff said. Find: The Simon Wiesenthal Center's top Nazi hunter, Efraim Zuroff (pictured), said he is now pushing the German government for a formal investigation . 'Almost every person in the Einsatzgruppen was a murderer, a hands-on murderer,' he added. Zuroff said he narrowed down the list of possible suspects by choosing the youngest from a list of some 1,100 with dates of birth known to his organization. It is estimated that there had been about 3,000 members of the death squads. All 80 of those on his list would now be elderly if still alive, born between 1920 and 1924, Zuroff said. 'Time is running out,' he said in a telephone interview from Jerusalem. 'Something has to be done.' Because of Germany's strict privacy laws, the Wiesenthal Center has been unable to confirm exactly where the suspects live. But Zuroff said that task, and determining whether the individuals are still alive, should be relatively easy for police or prosecutors. He added that his office is willing to assist in any way in coming up with evidence or other details. 'The hope is that as many as possible will be alive, but there's no guarantee obviously,' he said. 'But every person alive today is a victory of sorts.' The Einsatzgruppen - made up of primarily SS and police personnel - followed Nazi Germany's troops as they battled their way eastward in the early years of the war. Pictured, SS leader Heinrich Himmler inspects . Germany's Interior Ministry had no immediate comment but the Justice Ministry said it had passed the details of the letter to the special federal prosecutors' office that investigates Nazi-era crimes. The head of that office, Kurt Schrimm, told the AP he hasn't yet received the new information. A handful of Einsatzgruppen members were tried and convicted after the war but most have gone unpunished. Schrimm has said, however, they could now be prosecuted under new German legal theory that service in a Nazi unit whose sole purpose was murder is enough to convict someone of accessory to murder - even without evidence of participation in a specific crime as had previously been required. | Simon Wiesenthal Center claims to have identified dozens of former Nazis .
Investigators believe the 80 individuals are former Einsatzgruppen members .
Top Nazi hunter, Efraim Zuroff, is now pushing for a formal investigation .
The Einsatzgruppen killed tens of thousands of Jews in the 1930s and 40s . |
fe495c71d658576db90e946e30b3007f1020688a | LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A pressurized cylinder exploded at Universal Studios on Sunday, injuring two firefighters as they tried to fight a blaze that began earlier in the day, Los Angeles authorities said. The fire destroyed buildings and movie sets at Universal Studios on Sunday. Eight other firefighters were injured in the fire, which was expected to be contained by 4:15 p.m. (7:15 p.m. ET), said Ron Haralson, an inspector with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The explosion occurred about 2:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. ET) near the video vault of the Universal Studios back lot. The vault was damaged. The fast-moving, early morning blaze destroyed several movie sets and the King Kong exhibit. Even so, officials still planned to go ahead with the 2008 MTV Movie Awards show at the site -- just north of downtown Los Angeles, adjacent to the Universal Studios theme park. "The areas we are utilizing for our production were unaffected and the 2008 MTV Movie Awards will go on as planned. We're working closely with authorities to make sure everything operates smoothly," an MTV spokesman said in a statement. The awards show will bring a parade of A-list stars to the park's CityWalk area. According to MTV's Web site, celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Sarah Jessica Parker, Justin Timberlake and Robert Downey Jr. likely will attend. Universal Studios officials planned to resume normal business hours Monday, including the studio tour. The fire destroyed an area called New York street, which includes movie set-style buildings designed to look like the cityscape of New York City. Hours after the blaze was reported, the roughly two-block area appeared charred and resembled a "disaster movie," said Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge. LaBonge said he could see the smoke from his Silver Lake home Sunday morning. "It looked like a bomb had exploded," he said. Watch choppers try to douse the fire » . The blaze began around 4:45 a.m. (7:45 a.m. ET) and was contained initially by 9 a.m. Throughout the morning, large plumes of black smoke rose as the fire burned the vault containing hundreds of videos, said Ron Meyer, chief operating officer of Universal Studios. "Fortunately, nothing irreplaceable was lost," Meyer said. "The video library was affected and damaged, but our main vault of our motion picture negatives was not." The set of "The Changeling," a film recently directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie, was "completely destroyed," Meyer said. Another area called "Courthouse Square" also was destroyed, Meyer said. Numerous movies have been shot in that area, including several scenes of the 1985 hit "Back to the Future," Meyer said. And two of the eight locations used by the CBS series "Ghost Whisperer" were affected, he said. Fire inspectors had not determined what caused the blaze, said Los Angles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman. There were no reports of filming at the time of the fire. | NEW: Three firefighters suffer minor injuries battling blaze, official says .
Blaze destroys "King Kong" exhibit, damages video vault, officials say .
Area looks like "disaster movie," Los Angeles city councilman says .
Broadcast of MTV Movie Awards won't be affected, representative says . |
fe49c97ca82d71f9030cf58bbd310842075fc9e0 | A Connecticut mother was left red-faced with embarrassment and then burning with rage after her four-year-old son was banned from a doughnut shop for asking if a lady was pregnant on Tuesday. Rebecca Denham said when her son mistakenly asked a customer in Monroe's Doughnut Inn on Monday if she was carrying a child - she was understandably mortified. However, the next day when they tried to walk back in, they 'were screamed at in front of the door,' said Denham. They said her son, Justin Otero, was not 'allowed in here' because he 'is rude.' Scroll Down for Video . Children say the darndest things: Justin Otero was banned from his local doughnut shop for asking the wrong question to a lady who was not pregnant . Recalling her inquisitive son's error on Monday, Denham said that when the woman said 'no' to being pregnant, her son said sorry but she was suitably shocked. 'My response was 'Oh my goodness, I'm so embarrassed, I'm so sorry', Denham said to WFSB. Seriously? Rebecca Denham has said that now she has calmed down she will no longer be spending any more money at the doughnut store in Monroe, Connecticut . No more food: The doughnut shop has banned the 4-year-old for his question to a lady who was not pregnant . The lady in question even said it was okay, but the managers at the Doughnut Inn apparently did not see it the same way when they tried to walk in on Tuesday. 'She said, 'he's not allowed in here,' and I looked around, and said, 'him?' and she said 'yeah, he's rude',' Denham said to WFSB. Leaving the store to take their money elsewhere, Denham has said she has tried to explain the situation to her son and that he 'sort of' understands. 'Some people, unfortunately are quick to pass judgment, and therefore we will take our money and business elsewhere,' Denham added. | Inquisitive Justin Otero, 4, asked the woman at the Doughnut Inn in Monroe, Connecticut .
His mother was first embarrassed but is now outraged at his treatment . |
fe4a2e0cd9af588b6ae5d29140206e85408cc65b | New mothers who choose not to breastfeed are at double the risk of suffering depression, warn researchers . New mothers who choose not to breastfeed are at double the risk of suffering depression, warn researchers. It is thought they are missing out on vital hormones released during breastfeeding that improve the mother’s mood. Around one in seven new mothers suffer postnatal depression that is more serious than the ‘baby blues’ within 14 weeks of giving birth. Currently one in four women in the UK does not attempt to breastfeed – one of the worst rates in the world – despite evidence showing breast milk protects babies against health problems and confers health advantages in later life. A new study shows new mothers who gain the best protection against depression are those who always planned to breastfeed their babies and are able to do so. They are half as likely to be depressed than those who decide against it during pregnancy – who carry a twofold higher risk as a result. However, the study shows those most at risk are women who planned to breastfeed but are unable to. They are four times more likely to be depressed than women who intended to breastfeed and succeeded. Researchers in the UK and Spain believe more psychological and practical support is needed for women who have difficulties breastfeeding, and fail to do so. Dr Maria Iacovou, one of the authors from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Sociology, said: ‘Breastfeeding has well-established benefits to babies, in terms of their physical health and cognitive development; our study shows that it also benefits the mental health of mothers. ‘Lots of mothers and babies take to breastfeeding pretty easily. But for many others, it doesn’t come naturally at all. For these mothers, having someone with the training, the skills, and perhaps most importantly the time to help them get it right, can make all the difference. ‘However good the level of support that’s provided, there will be some mothers who wanted to breastfeed and who don’t manage to. ‘It’s clear that these mothers need a great deal of understanding and support; there is currently hardly any skilled specialist help for these mothers, and this is something else that health providers should be thinking about.’ The study shows those most at risk are women who planned to breastfeed but are unable to. They are four times more likely to be depressed than women who intended to breastfeed and succeeded . The study published in the journal Maternal and Child Health (must credit) surveyed women who had almost 14,000 babies in the Bristol area during the 1990s when their children were two, eight, 21 and 32 months old. They also examined whether or not the women suffered depression during their pregnancy so they could take into account previous mental health conditions. Their study found that mothers who planned to breastfeed and who actually went on to breastfeed were around 50 per cent less likely to become depressed than mothers who had not planned to, and who did not, breastfeed. Those who planned to breastfeed, but who did not go on to breastfeed, were more than twice as likely to become depressed as women who didn’t want to and four times more at risk than those who succeeded in breastfeeding. This link was found to be most pronounced when the babies were two months old but much smaller by the time they were eight months or older. Dr Iacovou said it was likely that breastfeeding mothers were less depressed because of the beneficial effects of certain hormones released during the process, which are known to have an antidepressant action. ‘This is a biological effect’ she said. ‘But it seems likely to be a psychological thing also affecting women who want to breastfeed and find they can’t. ‘The public health message urging women to breastfeed is strong so if women choosing to do so find they can’t, the feeling of failure could be very depressing. ‘We should be sympathetic towards these women and understanding about their higher risk of depression, so their friends and family can support them,’ she added. The researchers were from Cambridge University, Queen Mary University of London and the University of Seville in Spain. | One in seven new mothers suffer postnatal depression within 14 weeks .
Currently one in four women in the UK does not attempt to breastfeed .
Those most at risk are women who planned to breastfeed but are unable . |
fe4a3f236a807404a2e7ea5a84a2523b9258153e | She's gone to greater lengths than most to find the secret to eternal youth, embarking on torturous diets and extreme beauty treatments to keep the years at bay. But such dedication seems to be taking its toll on Anna Friel who looked startlingly gaunt on the red carpet this week. The 37-year-old actress’s hollow face and painfully thin frame were in stark contrast to the fuller figure and dimpled cheeks she showed off at a film premiere several years ago. Anna Friel looked startlingly gaunt as she arrived at the documentary premiere (right) on Monday compared with the fuller figure and dimples she had at another film premiere in 2005 (left) This week she covered up in a jumper in the chilly weather to attend a London screening of World Wide Fund For Nature's environmental documentary which she stars in. Earlier this year Miss Friel told how she had adopted a crash diet in a bid to stay youthful-looking, which involved replacing solid food with 12 cups a day of a cocktail of maple syrup, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. She said: ‘I feel so much better and my skin has really benefited. ‘If you’re vain, as you get older you start thinking, “I’ve got to do everything I can to save my skin”. 'I've tried everything.' Also dubbed a ‘master cleanse’, Miss . Friel was reported to have undergone the diet for two months and would . have been consuming less than 600 calories a day. The actress was attending the screening of the World Wildlife Fund short film that she stars in . Miss Friel, best-known for her roles in Brookside and US TV series Pushing Daisies, has also confessed to having regular £600 ‘vampire’ facials, which involve taking blood from the arm and re-injecting it into areas of the face affected by wrinkles. She also spends another £490 on a . cryoderm treatment which uses a machine shaped like a hairdryer which is . run gently over skin in a massaging motion using a high frequency . electric field which heats the skin, stimulating the production of . collagen and improving muscle tone. Miss Friel attended the screening with her eight-year-old daughter Gracie from her relationship with Harry Potter actor David Thewlis. She is currently dating actor Rhys Ifans, 46, of Notting Hill fame. World Wide Fund for Nature sees Miss Friel highlight her quest to protect Africa’s oldest national park, Virunga, from the threat of oil exploration. | Anna Friel looked startlingly gaunt at a premiere on Monday .
Appeared much thinner than the dimples and fuller figure she had in 2005 .
Known for enduring tortuous diets and extreme beauty treatments . |
fe4a79f5aafb93f263c4067597ff161d03bf1dbf | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 09:21 EST, 30 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:27 EST, 30 January 2013 . Colombia may decriminalise the use of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, as part of its plans to tackle social problems caused by its widespread drug problems. The proposal by Justice Minister Ruth Stella Correa could replace laws which ban cocaine and marijuana, although people are not prosecuted for possessing small amounts. Politicians are considering the legislation as a way to curb both drug use and trafficking in the country. Illegal high: Ecstasy and other synthetic drugs may be decriminalised in Colombia after changes to the law were proposed . The nation has long been a major exporter of drugs, although cocaine production has dropped significantly in recent years, and has suffered countless murders and widespread political instability as a result of the powerful cartels who control the incredibly lucrative cocaine trade. However, it also suffers from rampant drug abuse within its borders. Colombia's Ministry of Health reports that the consumption of drugs in Colombia's largest cities is increasing, with heroin addiction a particular concern. Last year former Justice Minister Juan Carlos Esguerra said: 'It is indisputable that there are concerns in Colombia over the advancement of drug addiction in schools and universities. A narcotics policeman alongside cocaine seized in the port of Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca department, Colombia. The country has a history of drug exporting but internal drug use is now becoming a major problem . Esguerra added that Colombia had gone from being a 'producer country to a consumer' in recent years. Ms Stella Correa's comments followed a meeting with a commission set up to scrutinise the government's drug policies over the last 10 years. The noted liberal highlighted that the nation's Constitutional Court had already criticised charging people carrying small amounts of marijuana and cocaine. A Colombian child sniffs glue on the streets of Medellin, the former power base of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. Heroin use in particular is a growing cause of concern in urban areas. 'The new statute to be presented to the Congress during this mandate intends to make this authorisation concrete, but broadening it to include synthetic drugs into what is defined as the personal dose', she told Colombia's National Radio. It is a stark contrast to Colombia's recent hardline approach to the drug problem, with laws that penalised possession and consumption. A spokesman for the country's Green Party supported the plans. They said: 'The problem in Colombia is a problem with soft drugs: marijuana and cocaine. 'The curse of drug trafficking depends fundamentally on cocaine and the decriminalisation in the world will end this business,' senator Roy Barreras told Caracol Radio station. However, critics say that decriminalising the personal use of synthetic drugs will only make the debate more complicated. And some argue the 'synthetic' definition could be applied to heroin, a growing problem in urban areas such as Cucuta, Medellin, Bogota, and regions such as the Coffee Region and the municipality of Santander de Quilichao in the Cauca department. Last week, Colombia's president Juan Manuel Santos said the nation needed to reassess the 'war on drugs'. | Justice minister wants possession of small amounts decriminalised .
Colombia softened its stance on personal use of cocaine and cannabis .
Proposal is an attempt to tackle nation's growing internal drug problem . |
fe4ae0db4a86ee83353993371b452f257aa42520 | A pensioner couple branded trespassers in their own home by a High Court judge claim they have been left homeless after they were kicked out by council bailiffs. Janet and Michael Beech, aged in their 60s, were ejected from their family's home of 47 years in Druids Heath, Birmingham, at 10.30am on Monday morning. They planned to spend two nights at the nearby Best Western Metro Maypole Hotel, at a cost of £100. There is, they stress, nowhere to go after that. 'We will be homeless': Michael and Janet Beech outside the home in Druids Heath, Birmingham, that they were evicted from on Monday morning. They say temporary accommodation offered by the council is unsuitable . Temporary hostel accommodation offered by the local authority is unsuitable, they insist. But the council maintains it has offered the couple alternative properties of a 'suitable' size. 'This is killing me,' said Mr Beech, 65, as he queued at the council's Northfield housing office hours after the eviction. 'I'm 65 and don't want this. I just want to be left alone.' Mrs Beech, 62, said: 'We will be homeless, and that makes me angry. We have been shown no kindness.' The eviction is the heartbreaking final chapter in a long, bitter court battle that, claims Mrs Beech, has cost £200,000 - a £90,000 cost to the council and the rest in the Beechs' legal aid fees. Heartbreaking: Mr and Mrs Beech embrace each other in the front garden of the council property where they have lived for the past seven years . The average price of a house on their road, Tilshead Close, is just £72,0000. Mrs Beech's mother and father, Norman and Rita Warren, moved to the three-bedroom council house in 1967. Mr Warren died of a heart-attack some years ago and seven years ago the Beeches moved in to care for Mrs Warren, a dementia sufferer who passed away in 2010. When Mrs Warren signed away her tenancy, the couple were left with no legal right to stay at the address. However, they took court action, claiming a city council housing officer exerted 'undue influence' to encourage Mrs Warren to sign away the tenancy. The officer was cleared of any wrongdoing by the High Court last year and that decision was upheld at the Court of Appeal. The judge, Sir Terence Etherton, dubbed the couple trespassers with no right to stay. Taking a last look at her home, where they left their beloved cat Leo behind, Janet said: 'My dad is turning in his grave. He wouldn't have taken this. 'The council has shown no spirit of kindness. They have admitted we are good tenants. Our gardens have always been beautiful, but not now. We just couldn't face working them.' The saga has taken its toll on Mrs Beech and her husband, a former welder, who suffers from emphysema. Their only child lives in London. 'It's the stress,' said Mrs Beech. 'I feel sick and just can't sleep. Now I'm beginning to get angry, very angry. Our belongings are being stored in three garages, but my husband's too ill to lift anything. 'Someone has offered to let us rent a property in the same area, but it's not ready yet. It needs refurbishing. The council offered a place at a hostel, but that's no good to us.' Mr Beech said: 'The bailiff was just doing his job. He wasn't menacing or nasty, but we were broken hearted. 'We need to live close by. Someone's looking after the cat, but we need to go every day to see to him. Leo was completely lost when all the furniture was taken out.' Sad: Mrs Beech is comforted by a neighbour after she and her husband were kicked out by council bailiffs . The legal row centres on a visit to Mrs Warren by a council housing officer in February, 2010, when she signed a notice to quit her home. Last year judge Mr Justice Keith granted the council a possession order. And he threw out claims there should have been a formal assessment of Mrs Warren's mental capacity before she signed. 'I'm very disappointed in the way the judges think,' added Janet. 'It's like they're talking about a number instead of people. The comments are very harsh.' A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said: 'This case went to court six months ago where the judge found for Birmingham City Council. 'Demand for social housing in Birmingham is extremely high and our challenge is to match properties with the needs of people on our waiting list. 'Mr and Mrs Beech have been offered alternative properties of a suitable size.' | Janet and Michael Beech were evicted at 10.30am on Monday morning .
They say they have nowhere to go and will stay for two nights at a hotel .
Birmingham City Council insist they have offered them temporary housing . |
fe4b6f6f994021f45c1570ee8f7b3954597864a8 | (CNN) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter met Sunday in Damascus, Syria, with Khaled Meshaal, the exiled leader of Hamas' political wing, a Hamas official said. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, left, walks with Jimmy Carter north of Damascus on Sunday, December 14. The five-hour meeting ended late Sunday and covered several issues, including Cpl. Gilad Shalit -- an Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas since June 2006, the official said. Carter previously met with Meshaal in April. In that meeting, the Hamas leader promised Carter that the group would allow Shalit to send a message to his parents, Noam and Aviva. Carter also asked Hamas to release Shalit, Meshaal said after the former president's visit, but the request was rejected. Watch report on Carter's meeting » . Hamas said Sunday it will soon release a statement about the latest meeting between Carter and Meshaal. Carter's series of meetings with top Hamas officials in April garnered condemnation from the U.S. and Israeli governments. They criticized him for engaging in diplomacy with a group that both governments consider a terrorist organization. How the incoming Obama administration will receive Carter's meetings with Hamas remains to be seen. During his visit in Syria, Carter also visited the Saint Taqla convent in the city of Maalula, north of Damascus, with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. CNN's Cal Perry contributed to this report in Beirut, Lebanon. | Hamas says five-hour meeting ends late Sunday in Damascus, Syria's capital .
Carter's appeal for release of Israeli solider captured in 2006 is rejected .
U.S., Israeli governments criticized previous meetings between Carter, Hamas . |
fe4d01dfc7fefaf607cf9f843c1383958d1c63f7 | Despite its poverty and isolation, . North Korea has poured resources into a sophisticated . cyber-warfare cell called Bureau 121, defectors from the . secretive state revealed as Pyongyang came under the microscope for . a crippling hack into computers at Sony Pictures Entertainment. North Korea has consistently denied it was behind last months attack and subsequent leaks but U.S. officials announced on Wednesday that the hack indeed originated from the Hermit Kingdom. That means Bureau 121 is back in the spotlight in a major way as the world awaits more details in the coming days about how the unprecedented studio take-down was orchestrated and what U.S. authorities plan to do in response. Powerful weapon: Jang Se-yul is a defector who trained as one of North Korea's 'cyber warriors' in the country's Bureau 121 hacker cell. He says the North Korea's hackers can launch powerful attacks on the country's enemies . Defectors from the North have said Bureau 121, staffed by . some of the most talented computer experts in the insular state, . is part of the General Bureau of Reconnaissance, an elite spy . agency run by the military. They have said it is involved in . state-sponsored hacking, used by the Pyongyang government to spy . on or sabotage its enemies. Pyongyang has active cyber-warfare capabilities, military . and software security experts have said. Much of it is targeted . at the South, technically still in a state of war with North . Korea. But Pyongyang has made no secret of its hatred of the . United States, which was on the South's side in the 1950-53 . Korean War. Military hackers are among the most talented, and rewarded, . people in North Korea, handpicked and trained from as young as . 17, said Jang Se-yul, who studied with them at North Korea's . military college for computer science, or the University of . Automation, before defecting to the South six years ago. Speaking to Reuters in Seoul, he said the Bureau 121 unit . comprises about 1,800 cyber-warriors, and is considered the . elite of the military. 'For them, the strongest weapon is cyber. In North Korea, . it's called the Secret War,' Jang said. One of his friends works in an overseas team of the unit, . and is ostensibly an employee of a North Korean trading firm, . Jang said. Back home, the friend and his family have been given . a large state-allocated apartment in an upscale part of . Pyongyang, Jang said. 'No one knows ... his company runs business as usual. That's . why what he does is scarier,' Jang said. 'My friend, who belongs . to a rural area, could bring all of his family to Pyongyang. Incentives for North Korea's cyber experts are very strong ... they are rich people in Pyongyang.' North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits an outpost at Mount Osung Defectors from the North have said Bureau 121, staffed bysome of the most talented computer experts in the insular state,is part of the General Bureau of Reconnaissance, an elite spyagency run by the North Korean military . Slowly advancing: Here, a North Korean student works at a computer terminal inside a computer lab at Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang. The nation is increasingly online and according to defectors they harbor hackers to attack South Korea and their perceived enemies in the West . Despite its poverty and isolation,North Korea has poured resources into a sophisticatedcyber-warfare cell called Bureau 121, defectors from thesecretive state revealed as Pyongyang came under the microscope fora crippling hack into computers at Sony Pictures Entertainment . A U.S. government source said investigators had determined that North Korea was behind a cyberattack on Sony Pictures as the studio pulled all plans to release its comedy, The Interview, about an assassination attempt on the North Korean leader. Hackers who said they were incensed by the film attacked Sony Corp last month, leaking documents that drew global headlines, and now they have forced an apparently unprecedented change of plans for a major movie release. The United States may officially announce that the North Korean government was behind the attack in the near future, the U.S. government source said. 'The Interview' had been set to debut on December 25, Christmas Day, on thousands of screens. 'Sony has no further release plans for the film,' a Sony spokeswoman said when asked whether the movie would be released later in theaters or as video on demand. Earlier in the day Sony canceled next week's theatrical release, citing decisions by several theater chains to hold off showing the film. Sony came under immediate criticism for the decision. 'With the Sony collapse America has lost its first cyberwar. This is a very, very dangerous precedent,' Tweeted former Republican House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich. He said the hackers in Bureau 121 were among the 100 . students who graduate from the University of Automation each . year after five years of study. Over 2,500 apply for places at . the university, which has a campus in Pyongyang, behind barbed . wire. 'They are handpicked,' said Kim Heung-kwang, a former . computer science professor in North Korea who defected to the . South in 2004, referring to the state hackers. 'It is a great . honour for them. It is a white-collar job there and people have . fantasies about it.' The technology news site Re/code reported on earlier this month that . Sony intends to name North Korea as the source of the attack. But when asked about the Re/code report, a Sony spokeswoman said . no announcement from the studio was coming. The company declined . comment on Thursday. Sony Pictures, a unit of Japan's Sony Corp, is the . distributor of 'The Interview,' a forthcoming comedy featuring . a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North . Korea has described the film as an 'act of war'. Last year, more than 30,000 PCs at South Korean banks and . broadcasting companies were hit by a similar attack that . cybersecurity researchers widely believe was launched from North . Korea. Months later, the South Korean government's online presence . was targeted, with the president's website defaced with a banner . reading 'Long live General Kim Jong Un, president of . reunification!' Under the threat of terrorist attacks from hackers and with the nation's largest multiplex chains pulling the film from their screens, Sony Pictures Entertainment took the unprecedented step of canceling the Dec. 25 release of the Seth Rogen comedy 'The Interview.' The cancellation announced Wednesday was a startling blow to the Hollywood studio that has been shaken by hacker leaks and intimidations over the last several weeks by an anonymous group calling itself Guardians of Peace. A U.S. official said Wednesday that federal investigators have now connected the Sony hacking to North Korea and may make an announcement in the near future. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to openly discuss an ongoing criminal case. Taken down: A poster for the movie The Interview is carried away by a worker after being pulled from a display case at a Carmike Cinemas movie theater Wednesday in Atlanta . Sony said it was cancelling 'The Interview' release 'in light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film.' The studio said it respected and shared in the exhibitors' concerns. 'We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public,' read the statement. 'We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.' Seemingly putting to rest any hope of a delayed theatrical release or a video-on-demand release Sony Pictures spokeswoman Jean Guerin later added: 'Sony Pictures has no further release plans for the film.' A movie theater worker sweeps rain water under a poster for the movie The Interview at the AMC Glendora 12 movie theater in Glendora, California The fallout from the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack that began four weeks ago exploded Tuesday after the shadowy group calling themselves Guardians of Peace escalated their attack beyond corporate espionage and threatened moviegoers with violence reminiscent of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 . Sony has said it stands by the makers of The Interview, a comedy about two journalists - James Franco and Seth Rogen - recruited by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un . Neither attack was particularly sophisticated, but South . Korean authorities said North Korea was to blame, even though . 'hacktivist' groups - online activists who hack high-profile . targets in order to spread political messages - first appeared . to claim responsibility. Those attacks used rudimentary but effective malware which . security researchers later dubbed DarkSeoul. Also known as the DarkSeoul Gang, the hackers have been . involved in a five-year spree against South Korean targets, . according to a report last year by computer security firm . Symantec, which estimated the group included 10 to 50 hackers . and described it as 'unique' in its ability to carry out . high-profile and damaging attacks over several years. Some security experts have cast doubt on North Korean . involvement in the attack on Sony, citing the publicity-seeking . hacktivist style of the attacks. However, the use of an unknown . name by the group behind the Sony attacks, 'Guardians of Peace', . is similar to previous attacks by the DarkSeoul gang. It remains unclear if the DarkSeoul gang are outsiders . working on behalf of North Korea, or some of Pyongyang's troops . in the isolated country's own 'cyber army'. Base of operations? According to Tech Times, a defector has stated that North Korea keeps a hacker cell here, at this hotel in Shenyang, China . | Military hackers are among the most talented, and rewarded, people in North Korea .
They are handpicked and trained from as young as 17-years-old .
One defector revealed the Hermit Kingdom's 1,800 cyber-warriors are soldiers in what they call the Secret War .
Also known as the DarkSeoul Gang, the hackers have been involved in a five-year spree against South Korean targets .
Experts warn Pyongyang has active cyber-warfare capabilities and may have aimed them at Sony as vengeance for the film The Interview .
Sony Pictures December 25 release under the threat of terrorist attacks from hackers . |
fe4d669d2af9cbfc91c55c871185db72eb6d8c50 | By . Rachel Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 06:23 EST, 9 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:15 EST, 10 April 2013 . There is a secret and steadily growing number of Britons that live as prisoners in their own home. They are so obese they cannot leave their house, and in some cases, even their own bedroom. Now the subject of a new Channel 5 series, Big Body Squad follows the lives of those who are so large they cannot carry out everyday tasks, as well as the expert help they draft in. Scroll down for video . Trapped: Denise Ecclestone requires constant care so husband Eddie (pictured) has drafted in expert help . Denise's husband Eddie gets well needed respite from his caring role when Linda and Andrea (pictured) visit each day . For the first time in history, obesity is killing more people than malnutrition. Around 15 million Britons are obese and it is estimated that this will cost the UK a staggering £27 billion by 2016. There are currently 800 purpose-built . big body ambulances in the UK and the number is steadily rising, . costing the UK taxpayer millions each year. Other . services touched on in the show include specialist shoe-makers who are . now catering to the those with fat ankles and feet as well as companies . who are using military science to develop extra strong harnesses and . hoists to mobilise those who cannot move themselves. At 40 stone, Denise Ecclestone, 50, who lives in Tamworth in the West Midlands hasn't left her house for seven years and has been confined to one room for the past 12 months. She requires a constant supply of oxygen because of the pressure the excess weight places on her body. 'The weight went on when I damaged my spine and it started to crumble,' says the former nurse and mother of three. 'I became very depressed when I felt that everything was being taken away.' Luckily however, Denise's husband Eddie has fought for her to have specialist care and now, instead of receiving staff chosen by the local council, she receives £1,300 a month to pay for carers she interviewed and chose herself. Teenager Callum is waging war on his waistline at a specialist residential camp int he North of England . Working out: Callum is put through his paces as he endeavors to reduce his 35 stone weight . Each day two female carers, Linda and . Andrea, visit Denise to give her a full body wash to prevent infections . developing which could could further compromise her health. It is also a . break for Eddie, who admits that caring for his wife is stressful at . times. Later in the programme, viewers meet 17-year-old Callum, who at 35 stone has embarked on a residential course open to NHS and private patients. Run by weight management consultant Professor Paul Gately, the course aims to change attitudes towards food and exercise. Callum's aim is to lose 20 kilos by the end of his stay. He gained weight when his grandmother died just before he started secondary school. His increasing waist size became the butt of bullies' cruel jokes and so a vicious circle of overeating began. Around a third of British children are now obese and roughly 300 British children are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes each year, a disease once only associated with middle-aged adults. Carol Davies is so overweight she cannot get to the hospital without specially-trained paramedics equipped to deal with obese patients . Big business: Steve Burton (centre, back) and his team work to get overweight people where they need to be . Viewers also meet Carol Davies, 52, who has not left her second-floor flat for a year since she hit 20 stone. Previously very active - enjoying swimming and walking - she quickly gained the weight after tearing a ligament in her foot. She too relies on her husband Steve for everyday care, but needs to visit hospital for a check-up and he is unable to carry her down to the ground floor. Thankfully, specially-trained ambulance worker Steve Burton and his team are drafted in and use their cutting-edge equipment to manoeuvre Carol down the narrow flights of stairs to an ambulance that has been designed to transport even the most obese patients. Big Body Squad airs on Tuesdays on Channel 5 at 8pm . | With 15 million obese Britons, condition will cost the UK £27bn by 2016 .
Number of ambulances for obese patients has risen by 35% since 2009 .
New programme follows those such as 40-stone Denise Ecclestone, who has not left her house in seven years and requires 24 hour care .
Big Body Squad airs on Tuesdays on Channel 5 at 8pm . |
fe4d9a3a82aaa87f4542317b7d8d4d7e3cafbd8a | (CNN) -- World Oceans Day, June 8, arrives this year at a time when people are especially focused on the safety of waters threatened by the Gulf oil disaster. Yet it is also a time when more people are committing to work to preserve the oceans than ever before. Among them is Roz Savage, who last week completed the third and final leg of her effort to row across the Pacific Ocean. Savage was one of dozens who took part in the Mission Blue cruise in April, organized by the nonprofit group TED to develop a strategy to save the oceans. In her talk on the Mission Blue cruise, taped before the final leg of her Pacific journey, Savage estimated that her trip across that ocean required more than 8,000 miles of rowing, spending 312 days on her own in a 23-foot rowboat. Savage is the first woman to row solo across the Pacific, from the West Coast of the United States to Papua New Guinea. (Maud Fontenoy rowed a shorter route from Peru to Polynesia in 2005.) Learn more about the "Mission Blue Voyage" Once a management consultant based in London, England, Savage says she knew from day one that the career wasn't right for her. But she didn't get serious about making a change until she was in her mid-30s. "I sat down one day and wrote two versions of my own obituary, the one that I wanted, a life of adventure, and the one that I was actually heading for which was a nice, normal, pleasant life, but it wasn't where I wanted to be by the end of my life." Watch a revealing look at the oceans' glory and shame . She wound up competing in the Atlantic Ocean rowing race, from the Canary Islands to Antigua, a 3,000-mile run. "Sure, I had wanted to get outside of my comfort zone, but what I'd sort of failed to notice was that getting out of your comfort zone is, by definition, extremely uncomfortable. And my timing was not great either -- 2005, when I did the Atlantic, was the year of Hurricane Katrina. There were more tropical storms in the North Atlantic than ever before, since records began. And pretty early on those storms started making their presence known." All four of her oars broke before she reached the halfway mark -- and Savage was forced to improvise using a boat hook and other equipment on the boat. The Mission Blue Voyage was a product of undersea explorer Sylvia Earle's 2009 TED Prize wish "to ignite public support for a global network of Marine Protected Areas, hope spots large enough ... to restore the blue heart of the planet." The Galapagos cruise attracted leading scientists and celebrities such as Glenn Close, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jackson Browne, Edward Norton, Elizabeth Banks, and Chevy Chase -- and resulted in $15 million in pledges to protect the seas and advocate for new policies. In her talk making the wish, Earle pointed out that in the past 50 years, 90 percent of the big fish in the oceans have been consumed and nearly half of the ocean's coral reefs have disappeared. Less than 1 percent of the ocean is protected from destructive fishing, and Earle believes the seas will go into irreversible decline unless a much larger portion -- some experts say as much as 30 percent -- is protected. Earle said the world needs to act swiftly to protect what she calls "the blue heart of the planet that basically keeps us alive." A filmmaker explains how he became fascinated with sea creatures . In Savage's view, the environmental problems the world faces don't result from the big incidents such as the Exxon Valdez or the Gulf oil disaster. "Mostly it's been an accumulation of bad decisions by billions of individuals day after day and year after year. And, by the same token, we can turn that tide. We can start making better, wiser, more sustainable decisions. And when we do that, we're not just one person. Anything that we do spreads ripples. "Other people will see, if you're in the supermarket line and you pull out your reusable grocery bag. Maybe if we all start doing this, we can make it socially unacceptable to say yes to plastic in the check-out line. That's just one example." Watch other talks from Mission Blue . Savage's first effort to cross the Pacific ended in failure in 2007 when her boat capsized three times in 24 hours and she was rescued -- against her wishes. The next year, she completed the first leg, to Hawaii, but only after nearly running out of water. She managed to meet up with the crew of the "Junk Raft," a boat made mostly of plastic water bottles that Savage said was built to call attention to "the North Pacific garbage patch, that area in the North Pacific about twice the size of Texas, with an estimated 3.5 million tons of trash in it, circulating at the center of that North Pacific Gyre." Earlier on that voyage, Savage said, the crew had caught a mahi mahi and found that its stomach was full of plastic. Savage wrote this post for CNN.com after her Pacific journey was completed: . In the couple of months since this TEDTalk was recorded, I have rowed 2,000 miles from Kiribati to Papua New Guinea in the third and final stage of my Pacific crossing, becoming the first woman to row solo all the way across the Pacific. During those two months the ocean has suffered new assaults -- notably the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but also smaller insults, as I have witnessed with my own eyes. On a beautiful calm day, with sunlight glinting off the waves, it is heartbreaking to see a plastic bottle floating on the water. Even thousands of miles from land, the ocean wilderness is no longer pristine. Mankind's impact is felt everywhere. When I have been alone for a long time at sea -- sometimes over a hundred days without seeing another human -- this evidence of our carelessness is especially jarring. There are times when I feel ashamed to be a human being, and feel obliged to apologize to the small community of fish that congregate beneath my boat for the mess we have made of their home. And it doesn't impact just the fish. Oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth, and are an integral part of our weather systems, climate control, and food supply. How can we have a healthy planet -- or healthy bodies -- if we don't have healthy oceans? I row across oceans to inspire people to take action on environmental issues. Something the ocean has taught me is that any challenge, no matter how huge, can be tackled if you break it down into little steps. Crossing the Pacific has taken me about 2.5 million oar strokes. One stroke doesn't get me very far, but you take all those tiny actions and you string them all together and you get across 8,000 miles of ocean. You can achieve almost anything, if you just take it one stroke at a time. And it's the same with saving the oceans. On a day like Oceans Day, when we feel part of a huge global community, it's easy to believe we can change the world. But there will be other days when maybe we feel alone, and that anything we do as individuals won't really make a difference -- that it's just a drop in the ocean. But every action counts. We all have it in our power to make a difference. In fact, we're already making a difference -- it's just up to us to decide if it's a good one or a bad one. Every time we say no to a plastic bag or refuse to drink bottled water, it matters. If I can row 8,000 miles to make a point about the state of our oceans, then you can do your part too. Start by going to http://ecoheroes.me/ and log a single green deed that you are going to do today, Oceans Day, to help save our seas. We have a lot of work to do, but the longest journey starts with a single step -- or oarstroke. | Roz Savage gave up a career as a management consultant to seek adventure .
She rowed in a race across the Atlantic and then completed a three-leg journey across Pacific .
Savage spoke on Mission Blue Voyage, which sought to accelerate efforts to save the oceans .
She said environmental damage results from bad decisions made by billions of people every day . |
fe4de16782c997b1fa97534d488ed00e95451e40 | A Canadian nun was abducted by a gang of armed kidnappers in the early hours of Saturday while working as a missionary in Cameroon. Fears are growing for Sister Gilberte Bissiere, as it was revealed that the gunman targeted the 80-year-old and two Italian priests, but left African religious workers behind. The group had been part of a Catholic mission to help improve water supplies and provide medical help to those with HIV and Aids. Kidnapped: Sister Gilberte Bissiere, from Canada, was abducted along with two priests in Cameroon . Armed forces in Cameroon are said to be trying to find the kidnappers, but officials have not said who was behind the abduction of Sister Gilberte and priests, Giampaolo Marta and Gianantonio Allegri. 'Doors were broken towards midnight by unknown people and the religious were taken away. We do not know where they are,' Bishop Philippe Stevens said. 'The act is not yet claimed but we imagine who is behind this kidnapping,' the Bishop, who is based in Maroua where the kidnapping took place, added. An unidentified priest from Vicenza told Vatican Radio the kidnappers seized Sister Gilberte, but left nuns from Cameroon. Vatican Radio said officials had not ruled out involvement by Islamic fundamentalist group Boko Harem. The terror group has warned Cameroon to stay out of its fight with the Nigerian . military, threatening to carry its war for an Islamic state . into the neighboring country. Pope Francis is said to be aware of the kidnapping and released a statement saying he 'hopes for a rapid and positive solution to the affair'. Abducted: Gianantonio Allegri, left, and Giampaolo Marta, right, are among the kidnap victims . Mission: Vicenza Bishop Beniamino Pizziol, center, with Father Gianantonio Alllegri, right, and Father Giampaolo Marta, left, during a mass near Maroua in Cameroon . Italy has cautioned against travel to the area, which is 20 miles from the border with Nigeria because of the risk of 'kidnappings due to presence of jihadist elements coming from Nigeria'. The priests were assigned from the Vicenza diocese in northern Italy. No one has claimed responsibility, diocese officials said. Father Gianantonio had written to his home diocese last month saying local authorities had advised him to travel with a police escort, the Catholic News Agency reported. 'Even if on the surface you do not notice anything in particular that is alarming, it is palpable in our feelings and our conversations,' he wrote in the letter dated March 12. | Canadian Sister Gilberte Bissiere was taken along with two Italian priests .
Terror group Boko Harem could be behind kidnapping, officials say . |
fe4de72653351bcc8a503a34c40afa0cb2844327 | (CNN) -- John Cossman's friends call him cancer's iron man. He's had more than 90 radiation treatments and 200 chemo treatments since being diagnosed with head and neck cancer eight years ago. The cancer has spread to his right lung, his right arm and his brain. Four years ago, he ran out of treatment options -- every available form of chemo had been used. If he wanted to live, he'd have to enter clinical trials. "How long do I have here?" he asked his doctor. "With treatment, two years," the doctor responded. "Without treatment, six months." Now, Cossman, 61, is sitting in a doctor's office, ready to undergo a CT scan that will determine if his cancer is being kept in check. He's on his fourth clinical trial. Three times, he's heard bad news. He tries not to think about that as he slides into the giant machine that envelopes his body. He thinks instead of his wife and 13-year-old daughter, adopted from China. Life offers too much to give in. "I will know when there's not a whole helluva lot of time left. And I don't feel that way right now. ... If what I'm doing can help somebody down the line, then it's worthwhile." Holding disease at bay . Cossman is one of 16 patients with progressive forms of cancer currently taking part in a study of a developmental drug by the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Cerulean Pharma. The company hopes to add another 20 patients to the trial in laboratories in Arizona, California and New Mexico. The test drug is in the second phase of a three-phase process that takes years before the Food and Drug Administration even considers whether to bring the drug to market. Cossman is one of the tens of thousands of people worldwide enrolled in drug trials. According to ClinicalTrials.gov, there are more than 96,500 trials under way in 174 countries. Cossman learned of drug trials through his oncologist --"otherwise, I'd know nothing about them." He wants to make others "aware of head and neck cancer, and that clinical trials are available," he says. "People need to be aware, though, that they are rolling the dice." In this case, the chemotherapy drug, known as CRLX101, is placed inside nanoparticles -- tiny particles just slightly bigger than molecules -- that are delivered intravenously every two weeks to patients. The hope is that the nanoparticles target the cancer and release chemotherapy inside the tumors while shielding healthy tissue from the toxicity of chemo, says Oliver Fetzer, the president and CEO of Cerulean. By doing that, the drug homes in on the tumors and, at the same time, patients can maintain a decent quality of life. "You want to see how long you can actually hold the disease at bay," Fetzer says. Adds John Ryan, Cerulean's chief medical officer: "The true measure of success in oncology is extending the length of time someone stays alive." Yet this drug is far from market. The FDA can put a stop to a clinical trial at any moment if unexpected safety issues arise. "We keep in touch with the FDA constantly throughout the clinical trial," Ryan says. "There's a constant interchange with the FDA, particularly with respect to the safety of the drug and anything unexpected." It takes about nine years for an oncology drug to go through the necessary clinical studies to FDA approval, said Dr. Kenneth Kaitin, director of The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, an independent nonprofit research group. According to a 2007 study by the center, a drug company spends about $1.3 billion per approved product, a figure that includes costs of failed test drugs. When the test drug is for cancer, the patients have very aggressive forms. Success is often measured in small steps. "What you're normally looking at in this patient population, if you can keep it at bay for two months, you are actually doing quite well, because the patients are so far along" with cancer, says Fetzer. "It's a rule of thumb at best, because every disease is different, every patient is different." 'I went through every type of chemo' It started with a lump in his throat eight years ago. Cossman thought it would go away. His doctor diagnosed it as head and neck cancer -- a surprise to Cossman because he's never been a heavy drinker or smoker. He underwent 36 radiation and chemo treatments over 2½ months. He survived on a feeding tube for six months. The next three years would be cancer free. But in June 2005, a tumor popped up in his right lower lung. Chemo and radiation began again. The tumor was eliminated, yet a spot showed up again about a year later. "You get to a point where they can't radiate the lung any more." He still has breathing problems from the radiation to his lung. One chemo treatment clogged up his tear ducts. Another created a rash all over his body. "By June 2006," he says, "I went through every type of chemo that's been approved for head and neck cancer. The chemo would either stop working or the side effects would be more detrimental to my health." His option: Die or enter clinical trials. The first study kept his tumors -- by that time he had four -- in check for about five months. To remain in a trial, tumor growth has to be limited to 20 percent. A scan showed 22 percent growth. "You can't immediately go from one study to another. You have to be washed out for 30 days of chemicals and radiation." In his second study, he developed a tumor on his right arm. He soon was having vision problems and started losing his hair. The man who had already endured so much was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In December, he underwent surgery to remove it. His third study earlier this year did not work. "You hold your breath, hoping that it's working. Then, when the CT scan comes back and it shows the tumors are growing, it's really frustrating." "Do I get depressed? Yes. But do I want to give up? No," he says. So Cossman entered his fourth study this summer, the trial by Cerulean Pharma. Fighting on . Dressed in a medical gown, Cossman awaits the CT scan. He's gently glided into the large tube. The tests take just a few minutes. He doesn't look for sympathy. He has no complaints about what he's been dealt. In fact, he celebrates life because "it's been good to me." His little girl was 5 when he was diagnosed. She's now 13. He says far too few cancer patients who could be eligible for trials are aware of them. He wants others who are suffering to be more proactive -- to ask their doctors about all their options. Slowly, he emerges from his CT scan. The waiting for results begins. He heads home. He tries not to get his hopes up. His phone rings after a few hours. On the other end of the line, his doctor delivers the best news he's had in more than a year. His cancer has grown at a rate of 11 percent, enough to remain on the study. Yet the good news is only temporary. A few weeks later, blood shows up in Cossman's bladder and a new tumor is found on his back. His doctor advises getting him off the study. Cossman hopes to enter a new one soon. "You're always on a roller-coaster when you have cancer. You have some successes and a lot of failures." Does he still have the fight to live? "Definitely," he says. CNN's Jarrett Bellini contributed to this report. | John Cossman has been battling cancer for eight years .
He turned to clinical trials to stay alive after regular treatment options ran out .
He underwent his fourth clinical study this summer; he's one of 16 people in the study .
Before FDA approval, a drug goes through yearslong testing . |
fe4e1e9373bcd3b3f8066dc975c9db1c8f654b16 | Football fans are rallying behind a football player who was resigned to his team after being cut so he could keep his health insurance and pay for his four-year-old daughter's cancer treatments. Defensive tackle Devon Still, 25, was cut from the roster of the Cincinnati Bengals two weeks ago, but the team did bring him on to the practice squad instead, meaning he would still get paid and receive his health insurance. And now, fans are showing their support in a very big way, by making his football jersey the fastest-selling in team history. Scroll down for video . Tragedy: Cincinnati Bengals player Devon Still was resigned to the team so her could pay for his daughter's cancer treatments . Supporting their man: Fans, and fellow players, have now rallied behind Still (No. 75 above) by making his jersey the fastest-selling in team history . The Bengals have said all proceeds from the sale of Still's jersey will go toward pediatric cancer research, according to Fox 29. It's not just fans either, as even competing teams are showing their support by snapping up some of their rival's shirts, with the Bengals thanking the New Orleans Saints for buying 100 jerseys earlier this week. The support from the Bengals - which included allowing Still to miss last Sunday's game in Baltimore - comes after he was out of six games last season for injuries to his elbow and back. Speaking with Bengals.com, he explained: 'They said if I keep working on my physical... and mentally prepared myself to focus on football then they can move me back up to the roster so I am not all the way out of the loop... Just them sticking by me through this whole time, they understand exactly what I am going through. It is a blessing I am on this organization.' The move means that he will receive a weekly salary of $6,300, will have to travel less, and get to spend more time with Leah, who is being treated in Philadelphia. Brave little girl: Leah Still (above) has stage 4 pediatric cancer . Ever since Leah's diagnosis, Still has shared images on Instagram showing her dancing in the hospital and grinning as she headed back for her fourth round of chemotherapy a few weeks ago. The proud father, who is engaged, has also shaved his head in support of his daughter, who has lost her hair to her treatment. Still's daughter has stage IV pediatric cancer. | Devon Still, 25, of the Cincinnati Bengals, was resigned after being cut to pay for his four-year-old daughter's cancer treatments .
Now fans and even rival teams have shown their support for the defensive tackle by buying his jersey, which is now the fastest-selling in team history .
The Bengals are donating all proceeds from the sale of Still's jersey to pediatric cancer research . |
fe4e6266e2868cf61513fee7c3e4a8f172d9f87d | The children of the late billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife have claimed that trustees allowed him to drain their $210 million trust to prop up his struggling newspaper, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Jennie Scaife, 51, and her brother David Scaife, 48, said in court documents filed in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania last week that they were told at least $90 million would be left to them. But when the Scaifes - who were also left nothing in their father's will - checked the trust's balance after his death on July 4 this year, they learned that it was completely empty. In court documents, they accuse his three trustees of allowing their banking and oil heir father to use the trust as 'his own personal bank account' and to cover the Tribune-Review's losses, even though it was their duty to preserve funds for them, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Emptied trust funds: Richard Mellon Scaife, the owner of the Tribune Review newspapers who died in July, used millions of dollars from his children's trust to keep the publications afloat, they have claimed . They are demanding an accounting of spending and a hearing is scheduled in the case for December 17. He left nothing to the pair in his will, which split the funds of his other trusts - estimated to be in the billion-dollar range - between his two foundations, the Sarah Scaife Foundation and the Allegheny Foundation. The trust in dispute was the only one that did not give him full control over how the assets were used. It was set up in 1935 by their grandmother, Sarah Mellon Scaife, who said that it should be used for his 'welfare' but that any amount left over should go to his 'issue'. If he did wish to use it, the trustees were expected to weigh up his interest with the interests of his children, the Post-Gazette reported. Broken promises: Scaife's son David Scaife, pictured left, said in his petition that he was told he and his sister Jennie Scaife, pictured right, would be left at least $90 million in the trust . From 2000 to 2004, Scaife took $130 million for the Tribune-Review and much of that sum came from the trust, according to the petitions. Then in 2002, he took out $19.5 million from the trust and then in 2004, he took out $18 million. They claim that in 2005 the trust contained $210 million and by the end of 2007, its balance was $140 million. David Scaife's petition says that the trustees assured him in 2008 that other funds were being used for the newspaper, and that there would be $90 million left for him and his sister. Attorneys told the Post-Gazette that if a trust is usually significantly emptied, the children might be asked to sign a waiver allowing it - but this did not happen in this case. In his petition, David Scaife called the newspaper as 'a waste of trust assets'. Family fortune: Sarah Mellon Scaife, pictured in 1955, set up the trust fund in 1935 and intended for it to be passed down to her son's children, they claim in their petitions which were filed last week . Michael J. Hussey, an associate professor of law at Widener University in Chester, who is not involved in the case, said that they might have a cause of action. He said they could seek to recover the money from their father's estate that they think should have saved for them. The executor of Scaife's estate, Yale N. Gutnick, disputes the children's claims. Gutnick is one of the trustees, along with Scaife cousin James M. Walton and PNC Bank. They will now have to convince the judge that they should not have to detail the trust's spending. | Jennie Scaife, 51, and her brother David Scaife, 48, claim that trustees let their father use their trust to keep the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review afloat .
They say they were promised at least $90 million on his death .
But after he passed away on July 4, they discovered it was empty .
They were also not named in his will . |
fe4eb00f6f46225142947f4719ee4d550b1676fc | If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be Superman, this incredible footage will give you a fair idea. A team of internet video producers have created a stunning visual montage of Superman soaring through the suburbs of LA in America. They attached a GoPro camera to a flying drone and then combined the footage with a few staged scenes and some digital wizardry to create the three minute, 17 second clip. Scroll down for video . Ready for action: The three minute, 17 second clip starts with Superman getting ready to go on a mission . Mission: Superman decides to return a lost GoPro camera to its rightful owner . And he's off: The footage then captures Superman soaring into the air on his way to return the camera . Digital wizardry: The clip was created by a three-man team from Corridor Digital who attached a camera to drone and then combined the footage with some staged scenes and technical trickery . It follows Superman on a mission to return the lost GoPro camera to its rightful owner. But on his trip, he gets waylaid, having to take down two armed criminals and rescue Lois Lane from a burning building before he can finally deliver the item to its stunned owner. The three-man team behind the video - Sam Gorski, Niko Pueringer and Jake Watson - specialize in dreaming up sci-fi action YouTube videos through their company Corridor Digital. Under fire: Superman's mission is then interrupted by two gun-wielding baddies. While the weapons are real, the gun fire was added afterwards . Fighting crime: Superman then takes out the criminals one by one . After tackling the baddies, Superman continues on his mission. The Corridor Digital team added Superman's arms during editing . Superman to the rescue: The superhero then comes across a burning building and a women screaming for help . Dramatic: Superman then sweeps Lois Lane into in arms before taking her safety. The team used a green screen to film Lois 'flying' with Superman' 'Thank you Superman': He then places a very grateful Lois Lane safely on the ground before soaring off to continue his mission . They used the drone to capture footage of Superman soaring through the air and then added the superhero's arms while editing. But the scenes where Superman takes down the baddies and rescues Lois Lane were filmed by one of team who had attached the GoPro cameras to his head. The two lots of footage were then combined with a few digitally-created explosions added along the way. Final destination: Superman spots the house of the camera's owner and comes in to land . Mission completed: He then hands the camera's stunned owner Sam Gorski, who is one of the Corridor Digital team, his GoPro back . Changing perspectives: Sam Gorski takes his camera back and catches a close-up glimpse of Superman on film . Superman then soars off into the air to help others in need - leaving a huge crater in his wake . | A three-man team from an internet video company created the clip .
They attached a GoPro camera to a drone to capture aerial footage of LA .
It was then combined with staged scenes and added digital wizardry .
The end result shows 'Superman' on a mission to return a lost camera .
Clip captures him soaring through the air, fighting baddies and rescuing Lois Lane before finally returning the camera to its owner . |
fe4f1d1c76c5ccb8d8867a7788182208684ab32b | Men who drink at least two cups of tea a day could slash their risk of prostate cancer by more than a third, according to new research. Regular tea drinkers were 37 per cent less likely to develop a tumour than those who drank it less than once a week. But there was no benefit from coffee, according to scientists at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, where the latest study was carried out. Regular tea drinkers were 37 per cent less likely to develop a tumour than those who drank it less than once a week . Nearly 40,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year in the UK and 10,000 men die from it - the equivalent of more than one an hour. The risks increase with age, with men over 50 more likely to develop a tumour, and there is a strong genetic element to it. As with some other types of cancer, diet is thought to be a key factor in the development of the disease. But there has been conflicting evidence on the role of popular beverages. Last year, for example, a study at Glasgow University found heavy tea drinkers were more at risk of the disease. The study showed that drinking coffee had no benefits in preventing prostate cancer . It tracked the health of more than 6,000 male volunteers over a period of 37 years and found those consuming over seven cups a day had a 50 per cent higher risk of prostate cancer than moderate and non tea drinkers. But the researchers stressed they could not be sure if tea really was a risk factor, or if drinkers lived to ages where cancer was more common. In the latest study, the Maastricht University team compared 892 men diagnosed with prostate cancer with a similar number who were in good health, studying their dietary and drinking habits. The study was carried out on a population of men in the US, where coffee is much more popular. Only one in five volunteers drank at least one tea a day, compared with nearly 60 per cent when it came to coffee. But the results, published in the journal Cancer Causes Control, showed two or more teas a day appeared to have a powerful anti-cancer effect, while coffee had none. The study did not examine how tea might help to prevent prostate tumours but previous investigations have found it contains disease-fighting chemicals, called polyphenols, that may protect vital tissues and organs against an invasion of cancerous cells. A 2010 study discovered women drinking just one cup of tea a day were ten per cent less likely to suffer ovarian cancer. In a report on the latest findings researchers said: 'This is further evidence that tea consumption may be a modifiable exposure that reduces the risk of prostate cancer.' | Regular tea drinks 37 per cent less likely to develop a tumour .
Study carried out by scientists at Maastricht University in the Netherlands .
Nearly 40,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year in the UK . |
fe4f3422044f005573b82bd120b47c5a4e9c500b | (CNN) -- Though Sir David Frost doesn't see his 1977 interviews with former President Richard Nixon as "an intellectual 'Rocky' " -- in the words of "Frost/Nixon" playwright and screenwriter Peter Morgan -- he does agree that the sessions had their "adversarial" moments. David Frost's interviews of Richard Nixon were some of the most watched programs of their time. Particularly, he told CNN, when the topic turned to the Watergate scandal. "By halfway through the second day [of the interviews], we had got to the point that we had hoped to get to," he said. "And then it was a point of going further and trying to get more than we had really expected." Nixon famously let down his guard, a moment depicted in in "Frost/Nixon," the new Ron Howard-directed film starring Frank Langella as Nixon and Michael Sheen as Frost. "I'm saying when the president does it, that means it's not illegal," Nixon said during the interview, cementing his ignominy. In some ways, the interviews were an odd topic for an award-winning play (and, now, well-reviewed and Golden Globe-nominated movie). Frost and Nixon mostly sat together talking. There were no punches thrown, no fiery explosions, just conversation -- if occasionally contentious conversation. The sessions in raw form ran more than 28 hours, which was edited down to four 90-minute broadcasts. But in another sense, what happened had as much suspense as a heavyweight title bout, and "Frost/Nixon" sets up the interviews by showing two men on undesired paths. Frost, the interviewer, was hoping to rejuvenate a career in decline; Nixon, the ex-president, was hoping to repair his shattered image in the aftermath of Watergate. Watch Frost talk about the interviews » . Neither figure could have predicted the face-off. Frost was a golden boy in the 1960s, the host of BBC series such as "That Was the Week That Was" and "The Frost Report," satirical shows that gave such figures as John Cleese their start. Nixon had mounted an incredible political comeback from his 1960 presidential loss and 1962 California gubernatorial loss to be elected president in 1968 -- and re-elected in a tremendous landslide in 1972. More than 30 years later, Frost remembers Nixon as a surprisingly awkward figure who, upon once discussing what they'd done the previous evening, asked the host, "Did you do any fornicating?" "It was amazing to discover how ... hopeless he was at small talk," Frost told CNN. "I mean, here was this incredible professional politician, a great pro. And he'd never learnt small talk." But Nixon could also be a charmer, he added. "For 20 minutes at his house ... my girlfriend and I saw a carefree Nixon," he recalled. "For this 20 minutes, the curtain just lifted," and Nixon showed them a guest room where Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev stayed, brought out caviar he'd been sent by the Shah of Iran and asked for a Henry Kissinger impression. "He was really carefree for 20 minutes, and then, just towards the end ... the screen came across again." The former president, who died in 1994, has been portrayed as a Shakespearean character -- often along the lines of Iago, King Lear or Richard III, depending on the performer -- in any number of projects, from Robert Altman's 1984 "Secret Honor," which starred Philip Baker Hall as Nixon, to Oliver Stone's 1996 film "Nixon," in which Anthony Hopkins played the lead role. Frost once characterized him as "a living enigma," a term he comes back to. "He was the most fascinating man," he said. "I mean, an enigma. There's never been anyone who was such an enigma in the Oval Office. ... Someone has to be pretty fascinating, pretty enigmatic, pretty Nixonian to keep one fascinated for 28¾ hours." The original Frost/Nixon interviews are now available on DVD, and Frost has been pleasantly surprised at the public's interest. "We've found that people are so interested in this film that they want to see, again, the original DVD of the Watergate [interview], so we've done that," he said. "[The interviews] develop in the way of a whodunit. And you can see the texture change. In the first half ... you can see him saying 'no' to everything and not admitting a thing and then [me] pushing him further." Of course, "Frost/Nixon" is a work of fiction. Many reviewers have made much of a scene in which a drunken Nixon makes a late-night phone call to Frost, an event that never happened. But the real Frost is pleased with how it all came out. "There is 10 percent of fiction in the film, which no doubt improves the film. But what they got, they got ... absolutely right." CNN's Atika Shubert and Doug Ganley contributed to this article. | Sir David Frost conducted marathon interview sessions with Richard Nixon in '77 .
Broadcasts of interviews were closely watched, particularly Nixon on Watergate .
Sessions form backbone of new film "Frost/Nixon," based on hit play .
Frost remembers Nixon as "hopeless at small talk," shrewd in other ways . |
fe4f52b557ecdfc2c45d1688a49f5dd92750ab76 | By . Ian Parkes, Press Association . Jenson Button concedes his years of experience have taught him to be 'massively relaxed' about his Formula One future. Ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Button is currently in limbo as he waits for McLaren's top brass to make a decision on the team's driver line-up for next season. Out of contract in a few months' time, Button faces the prospect of his 15-year run in the sport coming to an end. In the balance: Jenson Button's Formula 1 future is uncertain beyond the 2014 season . In the driving seat: Driving his McLaren, Button tours in free practice at Monza ahead of the Italian Grand Prix . Rumours of McLaren attempting to poach Fernando Alonso or Sebastian Vettel, despite both being tied to their respective contracts with Ferrari and Red Bull, have been rife of late. Button, however, takes it all in his stride as he said: 'I've been racing in F1 for 15 years. You go through a lot in your career, you hear a lot of b*******. 'Initially it's annoying, but then you're like 'you know what, I've been here before, been in this situation before, heard it before'. 'So you just get on with your job, and I love racing in Formula One. 'Every time I jump in a car I do the best job I can - and it doesn't matter who it's for or where it is - I do the best for myself, the team and the fans. 'That's not going to change because you never do a half-hearted job, you always do the best you can, you want to beat your team-mate and you want to beat every single guy out there. 'Nothing changes, just the length of time you have available to fulfil your dreams. 'So I'm massively relaxed. I'm always relaxed.' Thinking it over: Despite being contracted to Ferrari, Fernando Alonso has been linked with a shock return to McLaren where he he left under a cloud following a turbulent 2007 season . Proven champion: Current world champion Sebastian Vettel has also been linked with a McLaren move . In a recent interview Button remarked if he had 'to retire at the end of the year, then so be it'. It is the first time he has mentioned the word 'retirement', although claims there was a reason on this occasion. 'When you're asked the question (about his future) so many times you've got to say something different else it gets boring,' said Button. 'Not for you guys, but for me it gets boring. I'm so bored of answering the same questions. 'I said if I wasn't racing at the end of the season, so be it. That's what I said. 'If I'm not racing, so be it. I can't do much about that, but it's not that I'm getting ready because I definitely don't want to retire for many years.' With regard to McLaren's overtures towards Alonso, Button is far from concerned given the Spaniard is contracted to Ferrari through to the end of 2016. McLaren Group CEO Ron Dennis recently stated he is a man who respects contracts, and with Alonso saying he is keen to remain at the Maranello marque, the rumours appear groundless. Button added: 'That doesn't change my cause at all. It doesn't change anything because he was always staying at Ferrari.' | Jenson Button is in last year of his McLaren contract .
Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel linked with moves to Woking outfit .
Button has no plans to retire and is relaxed over his future in Formula One . |
fe4fb54a0f3a86d423c660b4e7a486beb6d23b0a | A Second World War re-enactment has brought Dad's Army back to life just as hype over the wildly popular TV show's film adaptation begins to build. The annual Pickering Wartime and 1940s Weekend is running this weekend, with some of its participants bearing an uncanny resemblance to two of the beloved characters from the classic British comedy - Lance-Corporal Jack Jones and Commander Chuck Mainwaring. Wartime and history enthusiasts dressed as British, German and U.S. soldiers sent Pickering Showgrounds, in Yorkshire, back in time to celebrate everything 1940s in a surreal recreation of Britain during the Second World War. The festivities today included an Eastern Front re-enactment, set in Autumn 1942 as the German troops invaded the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa, and a Western Front battle re-enactment - complete with sound effects and pyrotechnics - of the 1944 liberation of Europe. Scroll down for video . Two men dressed as British army officers at today's re-enactment bore a striking similarity to Dad's Army characters Lance-Corporal Jack Jones (left) and Commander Chuck Mainwaring (right) Left, Phil Rushby from north Wales dressed as a member of the U.S. 101st Airborne, and right, Joe Newton, 12, dressed as a Second World War U.S. soldier . A group of men pictured marching dressed as U.S. soldiers at the annual re-enactment event in Pickering . William Walker from Grimsby dressed as a member of a U.S. Shore Patrol . A Russian T34 tank is manoeuvered into position at the Pickering Wartime and 1940s Weekend . A group of re-enactors sit at a mock canteen and coffee table at Pickering Showgrounds . Andrew Fawcett pictured is a spitting image of a British Airborne soldier . Two men dressed as German soldiers sit around a fire and cook breakfast on a misty morning . Jean Cook, Joyce Grey and Julia Story came dressed in authentic 1940s period clothing . John Howard, 26, from Manchester, dressed as a soldier from the U.S. 101st Airborne, complete with a recreation grenade and pistol . Although the original Dad's Army TV series featured no women in leading roles, in the new film actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has been lined up to play a glamorous journalist. The remake will begin shooting this month in Yorkshire and has been picked up by Universal Pictures, which means that it will be distributed worldwide. Toby Jones – who appeared in The Hunger Games – will play Captain Mainwaring, with Love Actually star Bill Nighy taking on the role of Sergeant Wilson. Starring alongside them will be Michael Gambon as the frail medic Godfrey, Tom Courtenay as Jones and Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison – who will play Private Pike. The bumbling teenager was originally played by Ian Lavender, who at 68 is the only one of the original cast still left alive. Frank Williams who played the Reverend Timothy Farthing, the vicar of St Aldhelm's Church, joined the programme in the second series and is going strong at 83. The film will be directed by Oliver Parker, whose previous projects include a remake of St Trinian’s, and produced by Damian Jones, whose credits include The Iron Lady. Along with the cast list, a few details about the film’s plot have been released, revealing that the remake will be set in 1944 near the end of the Second World War, when morale among the Home Guard is low. The journalist played by Catherine Zeta-Jones proceeds to set the Home Guard’s pulses racing when she is sent to Walmington-on-Sea to write about their attempts to root out a spy. A participant drives a 1940s-style jeep through the display area at the annual event in Pickering, North Yorkshire . A group of men dressed as German soldiers stand at attention. The event was filled with hundreds of military and history enthusiasts . A group of men, dressed as Russian soldiers, prepare their T34 tank with supplies and mock ammunition . Even the Pickering train station joined the festivities. Pictured are a group of re-enactors buying coffee at the train station's mock canteen . Left, Annie Andrews, 29, from Derbyshire, and right, Kerry Barker from Barnsley, both wearing authentic period clothing . A statement detailing the new film's plot outline explains: ‘Their new mission to patrol the Dover army base is a great chance to revive spirits and reputation, that is until glamorous journalist Rose Winters arrives to write about their exploits, putting the local women on red alert. ‘MI5 then discover a radio signal which was sent direct to Berlin from Walmington-on-Sea. ‘There’s a spy on the loose! The outcome of the war is suddenly at stake, and it falls to our unlikely heroes to stand up and be counted.’ Dad’s Army ran from 1968 to 1977 and attracted 18million viewers at its height, with the original cast making their own film in 1971. Left, actor Clive Dunn pictured in character as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones, and right, Arthur Lowe on the set of Dad's Army as Captain Mainwaring . Actor James Beck (pictured) played the character of Private Joe Walker in the beloved TV series . The cast of Dad's Army, featuring from left to right: Arnold Ridley (Private Godfrey); Clive Dunn (Corporal Jones); Arthur Lowe (Captain Mainwaring); Ian Lavender (Private Pike); John Laurie (Private Frazer) and John Le Mesurier (Sergeant Wilson) during an 1977 episode . So far fans have been skeptical about the remake, with Adam Ward writing on Twitter yesterday: ‘You can’t remake Dad’s Army. Oh please don’t ruin one of our greatest ever comedy shows.’ Paul Oscroft added: ‘Unbelievably great British cast for the new Dad’s Army film – but still dubious about a remake.’ But producer Mr Jones has promised that the film will remain faithful to the spirit of the original show, which is considered a classic of British comedy. The film will be a comeback for 45-year-old Zeta-Jones, whose career has taken a back seat recently while she sought treatment for bipolar disorder. Ian Lavender played Private Pike in the original series (pictured left), while John Laurie (pictured smoking a pipe) played Private James Frazer. Both are pictured on the set of the original TV series . The cast of Dad's Army, pictured in 1970, pose for a publicity photo at Shepperton Studios . | Second World War re-enactment in Pickering, Yorkshire, brings beloved Dad's Army characters back to life .
The annual event saw hundreds of people turn Pickering Showgrounds into a surreal and stunning 1940s scene .
Festival included full battle re-enactments, with recreations of the 1944 liberation of Europe and Russian campaign .
Participants appeared to be inspired by beloved Dad's Army TV series, of which a film remake has been announced . |
fe4fbf0e42e36f7a0379cc0750c0e2be19ab5ad3 | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Most New Yorkers and visitors to Times Square know of The Naked Cowboy. The Naked Cowboy is part of the scenery at New York City's Times Square. For the past 10 years, he's the guy you've seen on the sidewalk, with the great body, strumming his guitar and singing, dressed in a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and underwear -- and nothing else, even in the dead of winter. As a native New Yorker, I will admit that at times, it has been my guilty pleasure to walk or drive by The Cowboy to see if he can bear the elements. To my amazement, he's always there and pretty naked -- in rain, sleet, snow, heat or bitter cold. I've even taken pictures. Watch The Naked Cowboy in his natural habitat » . Well, it seems that Mars Inc., the makers of M&Ms, also knows about Robert Burck (The Cowboy's real name). Burck sued Mars this week for $6 million in federal court in New York. The allegations: trademark infringement under the Lanham Act and violation of his right of publicity under New York Civil Rights Law §51, arising from a video billboard for M&Ms. The video ad depicts an M&M frolicking around New York, in what kind of looks like Times Square, in what kind of looks like The Naked Cowboy's outfit -- briefs and nothing more than a smile. There have been plenty of jokes about the lawsuit, and I'm especially fond of the ones found on The Wall Street Journal Law Blog on Thursday, such as: . All jokes aside, I think he may have a case. In order for him to show trademark infringement, The Naked Cowboy has to be trademarked; has to prove that Mars, without his consent, infringed upon the trademark; and has to show there's a "likelihood of confusion" between his trademark and the allegedly infringing mark -- in this case the naked M&M. To state a claim under New York's civil rights law, Burck has to show that Mars used his name, portrait or picture for purposes of trade or advertising, and without his written consent. Surprising to some -- at least to me -- The Naked Cowboy's name and likeness are in fact registered trademarks owned by Burck. According to the complaint, Burck has licensed The Naked Cowboy name and/or likeness to companies for the purposes of advertising and endorsement. Mars, Inc., had no immediate comment. His character is part of the USA Network's "Characters Welcome" campaign; he appeared in a music video for the song "Rockstar" by the multiplatinum artist Nickelback; and he's featured singing in the video game "True Crime: New York City at Times Square." He also has appeared in several movies and television programs, including "Starship Dave," "Survive This," "Mulva: Zombie A** Kicker," "Steve Harvey's Big Time," "New York Minute," "Creature Feature," "Lonely Planet," "Troma's Edge," "American Icon" and "The Howard Stern Show." He even appeared in a Chevrolet commercial that debuted during Super Bowl XLI. And this isn't the first time a pseudo-celebrity (sorry Cowboy) has sued and won. Remember Vanna White? She was awarded $403,000 when Samsung used a robot, wearing a blond wig, jewelry and a dress, that turned letters on a game board similar to White's role on "Wheel of Fortune," the TV game show. Still laughing? I'm not. At the end of the day, this lawsuit may be the end of the era of the "naked" cowboy. I predict he will be able to afford some very nice duds. E-mail to a friend . | The Naked Cowboy, aka Robert Burck, registered his trademark .
He has filed a federal lawsuit against Mars Inc., the maker of M&Ms .
His suit seeks $6 million . |
fe4ff77135ac4eb39821adb9c8cccdaef64b6678 | (CNN) -- Count by count, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales on Wednesday admitted to gunning down 16 civilians in a 2012 rampage through two villages near his outpost in southern Afghanistan. Bales pleaded guilty to more than 30 criminal charges, including 16 premeditated murder counts, in a hearing before a military judge. He admitted to slipping away from his outpost in southern Afghanistan and going on a house-to-house killing spree in two nearby villages in March 2012, a massacre that further strained ties between American troops and their Afghan allies. The move spares the 39-year-old Bales the prospect of a death sentence in the killings. But he was unable to offer the judge, Col. Jeffery Nance, an explanation for his actions. "I've asked that question a million times since then. There's not a good reason in the world for the horrible things I did," Bales replied, according to Drew Mikkelson of CNN affilliate KING, who was tweeting from the courtroom. Wednesday's hearing was held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma, Washington. Both Nance and Lt. Gen. Robert Brown, commander of the Army's I Corps, have approved the plea agreement, said Lt. Col. Gary Dangerfield, a spokesman for the installation. Bales now faces life in prison, but a jury of four officers and two enlisted personnel will decide whether he will have a chance at parole, Dangerfield said. Nance set sentencing for August 19. "Sergeant Bales has been waiting for the day that he can accept responsibility for what he has done -- the day that he can give, hopefully, some sense of peace to the people who are the victims of this tragedy, to his own family and to the soldiers who are still serving in Afghanistan," defense attorney Emma Scanlan said after the hearing. "That has been his purpose from the beginning, and that remains what he wants from this." In addition to the murder counts, Bales pleaded guilty to six counts of attempted murder, seven of assault and the use of illicit steroids and alcohol, but pleaded not guilty to a charge of obstruction of justice. Bales is a member of the Army's 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, an element of the 2nd Infantry Division. His attorneys have said the service made a mistake in assigning Bales to another combat tour despite evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury suffered during a combat tour in Iraq. In the penalty hearings, Scanlan said the defense also will argue that Bales' problems were also fueled by drugs and alcohol provided by Special Operations troops at his outpost before the killings. "We know all of those things to be true, as does the government," Scanlan told reporters after the hearing. "You take that with somebody on their fourth deployment and the stresses of combat, and we get in some parts of the situation we are in today." But Scanlan added, "There's no justification" for the massacre. "He doesn't have one, and neither do we." Lawyer: Specials ops troops gave accused killer alcohol, steroids . U.S. and allied troops invaded Afghanistan in 2001 in response to the September 11 al Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington. The invasion quickly routed Afghanstan's ruling Taliban, which had allowed al Qaeda to operate from its territory, but the Taliban regrouped and have mounted a guerrilla war against the allied-backed government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai ever since. More than 2,200 Americans and nearly 1,100 allied troops have been killed since the war began in October 2001. Nearly 15,000 civilians have died since 2007, the United Nations reported in February. The United States plans to remove combat troops from the country by the end of 2014. CNN's Barbara Starr and Devon Sayers contributed to this report. | NEW: Bales hopes plea will bring peace to victims, comrades, lawyer says .
Bales now faces life in prison; a decision on parole will come in August .
He admitted to 16 Afghans and wounding several more in a house-to-house rampage .
The March 2012 killings further strained ties between the United States and Afghanistan . |
fe502e5977fabcff3346ceb9f9ea59757f402ac6 | You could blame weeds, trees, and grasses if you start itching, sneezing, coughing, and wheezing this fall. But the usual suspects aren't the only triggers. A host of household items -- candles, chemicals, stuffed animals, and spices -- may be the real culprits. From blue jeans buttons to limes to teddybears, allergy triggers come in many ways, shapes and forms. "Many homes are filled with irritants, and if there's a high enough count of an irritant, you'll react," says Christopher Randolph, M.D., an allergy expert and professor of pediatric immunology at Yale University. Here, a rundown of 11 sneaky suspects -- and how to stop them from bothering you. Candles . You can't be allergic to essential oils -- which make candles smell like autumn leaves or dune grass -- but their odors can inflame your nasal cavities, according to James Wedner, M.D., chief of allergy and immunology at the Washington University School of Medicine. "People with nasal allergies have a natural increased sensitivity, so they're likely to get a runny nose or watery eyes around candles," he says. "To the person with the sensitive nose, it's no different than cigarette smoke." What to do: If you're very sensitive, avoid candles altogether. But if you love the smell and want to use them at home, buy candles that have few ingredients and feature just one scent, such as pumpkin. By a process of elimination you may be able to pinpoint which scent or ingredient bothers you. (Smoke from candles can also be an irritant, though that usually comes from snuffing it out; open a window or blow out the flame outside.) If you have a bad reaction to a scented candle, getting some fresh air should make you feel better. Perfume . Fragrances can contain hundreds of chemicals that are mostly untested on humans, Wedner says. When those chemicals bond with the essential oils in perfumes and are then sprayed into the air, sensitive people may take offense. Sneezing, congestion, and headaches can be the result. What to do: Kindly ask your colleagues to go easy on their favorite fragrances, and bring a portable fan to keep your area as scent-free as possible. If the thought of not wearing a fragrance leaves you blue, stick with body creams and moisturizers that have light scents. These are less likely to irritate you. Soaps and detergents . You think it's the chemicals in cleaning products that make you itch? Surprise: "The majority of skin sensitivities are caused not by the cleaning agent but by a perfume additive," Wedner says. "And nearly every soap now has some sort of plant in it to make it fancy -- roses, elderberries, etc. The skin can respond with irritation, and give you a rash." Read more on how to identify a rash . What to do: Buy organic or specially marked soaps; look for "no additives," "nonscented," or "phthalate-free" on the label. Phthalates are chemicals that help improve texture, but they've been linked to allergic reactions; products that contain them may have "diethylphthalate" or something similar on the label. Dove, Tide, and Ivory all offer low-irritant products, as do many organic brands. If fabric softener seems to be giving your skin fits, try using a sheet of aluminum foil in your dryer instead; this trick will get rid of static cling. Or use a scent-free, no-additive version, like Seventh Generation Free & Clear Natural Fabric Softener. If you're in a public laundromat, wash and dry towels first, which will soak up the residue left behind by previous users. Then be sure to use that same washer and dryer to clean and dry your clothes. Stuffed animals . Dust mites living in mattresses and pillows are a huge allergy trigger. Roughly 15 percent of the population is allergic to these microscopic bugs. Encasing mattresses and pillows with impenetrable covers and cases is a useful step, but it's not enough. The mites also love kids' favorite furry toys. What to do: Wash, dry, then repeat ... and use very hot water. "Toys should be washed at 140 degrees, which will ensure that the mites are killed," Randolph says. After they're clean store them on a shelf, not on the bed. What to do with the nonwashable toys? Every two to three weeks put them in a plastic bag in the freezer for a couple of hours, which will also kill the mites. Carpeting . You may love the feel of carpeting under your feet, but mites find it just as attractive. "Even if you vacuum constantly, you've still got mites," Wedner warns. What to do: Remove wall-to-wall carpeting -- who doesn't like a beautiful wood floor? -- and use small rugs that can be washed in hot water monthly. "And keep the humidity below 50 percent" with your central air system or a dehumidifier, Randolph says. "Dust mites thrive in humidity." Read more on how to allergy-proof your house . Spices . They add nuance and zing to a variety of dishes, but there's no getting around spices' origin: pungent plants. For some people, eating the spices made from these plants leads to a just little sniffling. For others, it may cause itching, swelling, and even burning of the lips. What to do: Avoid the spices more likely to cause trouble: coriander, poppy seeds, pepper, dill, paprika, cumin, and saffron -- which, in broad strokes, means Indian and Middle Eastern food. If you're not sure which spices bother you, record what you've been exposed to each time you have symptoms and look for the common denominator. Need help planning an allergen-free Halloween? Read on for some tips . Christmas trees . A word to the wise before the holidays: Mold grows fast on Christmas trees. "When you put that tree in a bucket of water, invisible mold grows almost immediately," Wedner says. "Most people are allergic to or irritated by mold spores." What to do: Try a fake tree. Can't live without a real one? Ask when it was cut down before you buy it; trees that were cut weeks in advance are already ripe with mold. Then, starve it of water and keep it for as short a period as possible. Mold grows on houseplants, too, so keep them on the dry side. Wall paint . The solvents and synthetic resins used in paint often lead to itchy eyes and headaches. Oil-based paints are a particular problem because they can continue releasing chemicals even after they dry. What to do: Keep windows open as often as possible and allow fresh air to circulate for four weeks after painting, no matter what kind of paint you use. "Once it has dried -- and I mean really dried, weeks later -- the odor goes away, and you won't have a problem," Wedner says. If possible, use latex paint, which emits less gas than oil-based kinds due to its water base. By the way, there isn't any real latex in latex paint, so if you're allergic to latex gloves the same won't apply to the paint. What about paint with low levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds)? They spew fewer chemicals into the air and are less smelly than regular paints. But that doesn't mean they won't bother you. To find these paints, look for the "Green Seal" certification mark on the label. Alcohol . An actual allergy to alcohol is quite rare, but being allergic to the grains and additives used in liquor is not: wheat or the preservative sulfur dioxide could cause a rash or a stuffy nose. New York City allergist Wellington Tichenor, MD, founder of the information site Sinuses.com, also blames grains like corn, barley, and rye, as well as fruit flavorings. Wine and beer may create problems, too. What to do: Stick with grain-free liquors like potato vodka, rum (made from sugar), and tequila (the agave plant). Skip all flavored liquers. And if sulfite preservatives in wine bother you, red wine tends to have fewer preservatives than white. Also, look for wine labeled "sulfite-free" (it won't stay fresh for long). And remember that anything with carbonation (like a wine cooler) increases the likelihood of an allergic reaction, Tichenor adds. Blue jeans buttons . The buttons on your jeans are probably made with the metal nickel -- a rash trigger for up to 20 percent of women. A nickel rash near your waistline is usually itchy, red, and sometimes blistery. What to do: Take your pants to a tailor and have her replace the nickel buttons with plastic ones (another metal might also cause irritation). A second option: Coat the button with clear nail polish, a remedy found to be effective in a recent St. Louis University study. Just be aware that nail polish itself may lead to a rash if you're sensitive to it. Lemons and limes . Limonene, a zesty compound in lime and other citrus fruits, gives many people watery eyes and a burning sensation in the nose, Wedner says. It might even irritate your skin, whether you touch it or eat or drink products containing limonene. What to do: If you get a rash, treat it with topical hydrocortisone creams used for bug bites and poison ivy. Skip the lemon or lime wedge with your drink or salad, and look out for lime in salad dressings, desserts, and marinades (it's used in numerous dishes). Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 . | Household items such as candles, wall paint, carpet may cause allergy symptoms .
Dust mites live in bedding and stuffed animals, irritating 15 percent of Americans .
Mold can grow on Christmas trees, household plants causing allergic reaction . |
fe503ef5aa3ec057b7796cc208b966484cfd872f | Liverpool fans are about to find out if it's mere coincidence that Daniel Sturridge's injury has triggered a run of poor form, or whether the 25-year-old striker really is the most important player at Anfield, ahead of Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard. Sturridge is due back on Sunday against QPR after a thigh injury controversially picked up on England duty at the start of September, with Liverpool facing Real Madrid three days later. And the facts are these. Before Sturridge's injury, Liverpool had won two of their three matches and scored six goals. A win ratio of 66 per cent and goal average of two per game. Daniel Sturridge is set to return from injury for Liverpool at QPR this weekend . Sturridge has been out of action since sustaining an injury while on England duty in September . The striker scored Liverpool's winner in their opening-game victory against Southampton at Anfield . Since his lay-off, Liverpool have won two of seven games and scored only eight goals despite signing Mario Balotelli from AC Milan for £16million. A win percentage of 28.57 per cent and goal average of 1.14 per game. No wonder Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is so looking forward to his England striker's return. 'Daniel is obviously a top talent whatever part of the game he comes into. And it helps to have his pace especially when you are 1-0 up and the opposition has to come at you,' says Rodgers, whose unhappiness with the way England handled his player's recovery time is well-documented and opened a sore between club and country that shows no sign of healing. The exploits of Luis Suarez last season and the hype surrounding Sterling since the World Cup has helped people forget it could be Sturridge who is the key man at Liverpool. Raheem Sterling scored on the opening day (left) but has struggled to recapture his form of last year . Mario Balotelli has struggled since his £16m move to Liverpool from AC Milan in the summer . He scored 21 times in 26 Premier League starts last season and his influence didn't stop there. A shooting accuracy of 49.41 per cent underlines his composure in front of goal in addition to his undoubted pace, movement and dribbling skills. Half of those shots on target resulted in goals. Particularly impressive is the number of opportunities he creates. Last season, he made 29 chances in league games. In the three matches he played this season, he scored once, had five other shots and created three chances. Without him, the form of Sterling, Philippe Coutinho, Balotelli and Rickie Lambert has diminished with Jordan Henderson having to work overtime to be a creator as well as a midfield general. Balotelli has scored just one goal for Liverpool, in the Champions League against Ludogorets and missed this chance against Everton . Rickie Lambert has started just two games for Liverpool since his £4m move from Southampton . He is integral to Rodgers staying true to Liverpool's pass-and-move philosophy. Around 75 per cent of Sturridge's passes in the opposition half are accurate, impressive given the close marking he receives. Gerrard, who has played with a few decent strikers in his time, has said of Sturridge: 'His movement is fantastic. As a midfielder when you look up, you want to see one of your forwards coming in to feet for the easy option and you want to see one on the shoulder of the defence and in between the two centre halves.' Is it too simplistic to say Sturridge's imminent return will spark Liverpool into a revival and recapture last season's form when they nearly won the league? It is a lot to rest on one player's shoulders but the Kop will hope Sturridge will show straight away just how badly he's been missed. Daniel Sturridge (centre) posted this picture on Instagram of him in his younger days . Sturridge's stats at Liverpool since the start of the 2013/14 season, provided by Opta . | Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge set to make return from injury against QPR on Sunday .
Sturridge has been out since beginning of September .
Mario Balotelli has so far failed to fill Sturridge's boots following a £16m move from AC Milan .
Balotelli admits that he plays better alongside another striker .
Brendan Rodgers' side won two of first three games with Sturridge in side .
Liverpool lost three times while the England centre forward was injured . |
fe5067f4481fe2ec441f16fd7685404c0524159f | By . Jennifer Madison and Mark Duell . UPDATED: . 00:05 EST, 30 June 2011 . It was the moment that America's most controversial and outspoken right- wing voice found himself surrounded by New York's liberal elite. Glenn Beck, 47, fought back tears after a 'public lynching' he suffered with his wife and daughter at an outdoor film when cinemagoers turned on him. But what really happened is still under question, with one witness today claiming it was blown out of proportion and his . family was left alone. Scroll down for video . Family time: Glenn Beck (centre) snapped on Monday in Bryant Park during its Summer Film Festival, which he attended with wife Tania and daughter Hannah . Public insults: Beck said a nearby moviegoer kicked wine on his wife Tania (centre left) shortly after they arrived . The outspoken presenter, whose radio show was streamed on internet channel GBTV, said he was with his wife, Tania, and daughter Hannah. They were watching Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 . Steps at Bryant Park's Summer Film Festival, where hundreds of moviegoers lay out . for shows. But his security detail was forced to intervene when nearby patrons made a pronounced effort to show he was unwelcome. Mr Beck claimed 'hateful' people kicked wine on his wife and hurled insults. However Lindsey Piscitell, 25, contacted a magazine to say . she was sat with several friends behind Mr Beck and disputed his version of events. She said his family was left 'completely alone, and for the most part he . was too' - adding that the wine glass incident was 'a complete . accident'. But a Twitter account under her name said: 'F*****g #a*****e @glenbeck is siting next to me at Bryant park movie night #getthef**koutofmycity'. Another comment made under her user name on a blog, according to The Blaze, said: 'We were very civilized, apologised for the incident, and gave them some napkins. we were of course VERY happy that it happened'. Sticking it out: The host (bottom right) with his wife and daughter, who sat through the entire movie . Mr Beck recalled: 'We got there about 7:00. And it was a . hostile situation. Somebody kicked a cup of wine . intentionally onto my wife's back. 'As . my daughter and my wife went to go and use the restroom... on the other . end of the park, some guy stood up and and pointed his fingers at them . and said: "We hate conservatives here!"' 'I was told a lot last night how much New York hates people like me... These people were some of the most hateful people I have ever seen' Glenn Beck . 'I was told a lot last night how much New York hates people like me,' he said, comparing the scene to a public lynching. 'I swear to you I think, if I had . suggested, and I almost did, "Wow, does anybody have a rope? Because . there’s tree here. 'You could just lynch me." And I think there would . have been a couple in the crowd that would have.' Mr Beck said his security team was worried the incident could have easily spun out of control, had he not kept calm. 'My security detail was talking this morning that had we reacted poorly the whole thing could have just gone up,' he said. Divisive: Beck said, 'I was told a lot last night how much New York hates people like me' 'These people were some of the most . hateful people I have ever seen,' he said. 'You can take pictures of me and make me into a monster; say whatever you want but please leave my family out of it' Glenn Beck . 'All I wanted to do was go . out on a blanket with my family and have dinner in the afternoon sun and . sit around.' He refused to leave despite the public taunts, but made a swift exit just . before the credits rolled, prompting the crowd to break out in applause. 'When the movie was just . about over my wife and I got out because it was hussle,' he said. 'We . didn't leave... because I have a right to watch a movie and enjoy a . movie with my family in the park.' But he was most distraught by the public taunts directed as his daughter and wife. Distraught: Beck took to the airwaves on Tuesday for an emotional re-telling of the incident . 'People were taking pictures of my family,' he said of images that later circulated online. 'His family was left completely alone, and for the most part he was too' Lindsey Piscitell, sitting behind Mr Beck . 'You can take pictures of me and make me into a monster; say whatever you want but please leave my family out of it,' he said. Ms Piscitell contacted New York Magazine to say his family was left 'completely alone, and for the most part he . was too' - adding that the wine glass spilling incident was 'a complete . accident'. She told New York Magazine: 'It was his security detail that seemed to . be unnecessarily prickly with the crowd, scolding myself and my friends . for acrobatics and other harmless activities taking place.' A Bryant Park spokesman told AM New York he heard of no incident report filed regarding Mr Beck and the 20-year-old event is 'usually civil'. Mr Beck is due to host his last show on Fox News on Thursday afternoon. See video here . | Controversial broadcaster was watching The 39 Steps .
Family 'insulted' and wine was 'kicked over his wife'
But woman sitting nearby says it was 'accident'
However her Twitter page called him a 'f******g a*****e' |
fe506b2d662e78f6adad9e672b88c0deb9546144 | By . Ap Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:12 EST, 18 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:55 EST, 19 July 2013 . As most of the country sees the hottest days yet this summer, people - and animals - of all stripes do whatever they can to keep things cool. Thankfully, there are cooler temperatures in sight for the Midwest, so creatures like the Brookfield, Illinois zoo's African lion will no longer have to take their meals in the form of frozen meat pops. The Northeast, also in the grip of a heat wave that just won't quit, will chill out by the weekend as cooler air moves in from Canada and gives man and beast a much needed break. Scroll down for video . Chilling: With temperatures in the 90s, 7-year-old African lion Isis is given a meat pop at the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois to help her stay cool . Braying for relief: A race horse cools off after training at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois Thursday as temperatures hit the 90s there as in much of the country, though relief is likely on the way this weekend . Grrreat idea: A sloth bear cub at the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois finds relief in the form of a frozen treat Thursday . But with relief may come some new threatening weather as severe thunderstorms could accompany the falling temperatures. As things finally cool off late Saturday, isolated but powerful thunderstorms could drench the already reeling Northeast. Until then, the New York region has another day in the 90s to look forward to. Look for sweet relief on Sunday, when the mercury isn’t predicted to rise above 90 for the first time in a week. The largest heat wave of the summer has stagnated over large regions, bringing sizzling temperatures and little hope of relief without rain, a growing possibility for some hard-hit areas as the weekend approaches. Splashing into home: Mackay Lynch gets wet at SUNY Orange Baseball camp in Middletown, New york Thursday . Sweltering: A polar bear beats the heat at Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois on Thursday. The week-long heat wave gripping much of the U.S. is likely to end by this weekend . Too cute: 15-month-old Eleanor Schiller cools off in an inflatable pool Thursday, July 18, 2013, in Brainerd, Minnesota . Splish splash: Deondria Harris of Milwaukee smiles as water is dumped on her head at the Splash Pad in Regner Park in West Bend, Wisconsin on Thursday evening . Cut to the chase: A woman in Harlem, New York gets right to the point in an effort to stay hydrated in the 90-plus degree heat that will linger in the Northeast through Saturday . Becky Stap of Pine Bush, New York sprays herself with a hose after using water from the hose to cool off a cow at the Orange County 4-H Showcase at Bergin Farm in Slate Hill, New York on Thursday . Shocker: Tillman Churchman of Horicon reacts as a bucket of water is dumped over his head at the Splash Pad in Regner Park in West Bend, Wisconsin on Thursday. The Midwest can finally expect relief by Saturday . Most states in the U.S. had at least one region where the temperature hit 90 degrees Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, though the worst heat was in the Midwest to Northeast. Humid air just made it all feel worse, with heat indexes in some places over 100. It was hot enough to buckle highway pavement in several states. Firefighters in Indianapolis evacuated 300 people from a senior living community after a power outage knocked out the air conditioning. The state of Illinois opened cooling centers. The Environmental Protection Agency said the heat was contributing to air pollution in New England. Finally: The dome of heat choking the Midwest and Northeast will likely be pushed out by cooler air from Canada starting Saturday . With a price: As temperatures fall, serious thunderstorms could strike much of the South and Northeast by Saturday . Working hard: Vendor Robert Llambelis tries to keep cool on Thursday near Brooklyn's Barclays Center. The area should see relief by Sunday at the latest . Sonja Mason of St. Paul stands beneath one of the water falls at Upper Landing Park in an effort to stay cool. The Midwest will start to see relief from the week-long heat wave Friday . Staying positive: Friends Grace Greenwood and Alex Place, both of Arlington, Virginia, leap into a water sprinkler for a 'high ten' during the heat wave at the Washington Monument in Washington, DC on Thursday . Too hot: Amalio Medina sits in front of his un-air conditioned shop in the midday heat, Thursday, July 18, 2013, in Philadelphia . Officials are blaming hot weather for at least one death. A 78-year-old Alzheimer's patient died of heat exhaustion after wandering away from his northern Kentucky home Tuesday in temperatures that rose to 93 degrees. In New York City, where it was 96 degrees, sidewalk food vendor Ahmad Qayumi said that by 11 a.m., the cramped space inside his steel-walled cart got so hot that he had to turn off his grill and coffee machine. ‘It was just too hot. I couldn't breathe,’ he said, turning away a customer who asked for a hamburger. ‘Just cold drinks,’ he said. Two young men wade near the base of the fast-falling Minnehaha Falls, Thursday, July 18, 2013 in Minneapolis where temperatures hovered near the mid-90's amid a continuing heat wave . Waiting it out: A woman fans herself with a magazine in the subway below Brooklyn, New York's Barclays Center Thursday as temperatures soared Thursday . All ages: Maria Guevara, 66, stands under a fountain as water hits her during a warm day caused by a heat wave, Thursday, July 18, 2013, in Union City, New Jersey . Amid the heat, officials in . Washington D.C.'s Maryland suburbs worked to keep a failing water main . from cutting off hundreds of thousands of people, just when they needed . it most. People in Prince George's County were asked not to run their . faucets, water their lawns or flush toilets to keep the water system . from emptying during emergency repairs. Firefighters . in southern California faced brutally hot — but dangerously dry — . conditions as they battled a wildfire outside Palm Springs that had . already consumed seven homes. New . Mexico and parts of Texas turned out to be rare outposts of cool air . Wednesday — but not without trouble of their own: heavy rains prompted . flood watches and warnings in some areas. More than five inches of rain . fell in 24 hours in Plainview, north of Lubbock, according to the . National Weather Service. Javier Soler, 20, of West New York, New Jersey flips his head back as water from a fountain runs off his hair during a heat wave, Thursday, July 18, 2013, in Union City, New Jersey . Double duty: Salesman Hyper Rosado cools off in between customers during the afternoon heat at Appliances R Us, Thursday in Philadelphia . Hussein Hayari, owner of Appliances R Us in Philadelphia. An excessive heat warning was again in effect for the Philadelphia region with highs in the high-90s . At the World Trade Center reconstruction site in New York City, workers building a rail hub dripped under their hardhats, thick gloves and heavy-duty boots. Some wore towels around their necks to wipe away the sweat. ‘We're drinking a lot of water, down under by the tracks, in and out of the sun all day — very hot,’ said carpenter Elizabeth Fontanez, of the Bronx, who labored with 20 pounds of tools and safety equipment strapped to her waist. Since the heat wave began, she said she has been changing shirts several times during her shifts. | Animals and man do what they can to chill out as a week-long heat wave continues to grip Northeast and Midwest .
Cooler air from Canada to move in by Saturday and end heat wave .
Severe Thunderstorms could come quickly follow . |
fe506d36ded0b799515e3d772c8d6120fc5a73fd | (CNN) -- Former Liberian President Charles Taylor should receive an 80-year sentence for his conviction for aiding and abetting war crimes in neighboring Sierra Leone's civil war, the chief prosecutor in the international court case recommended Thursday. "Should the trial chamber decide to impose a global sentence, 80 years' imprisonment would be appropriate," said a signed statement by Brenda Hollis, chief prosecutor for the Special Court for Sierra Leone, according to the court's press and outreach officer. "The recommended sentence is appropriate to reflect the essential role that Mr. Taylor played in crimes of such extreme scope and gravity," said the prosecutor's report. "It also reflects the critical and unique contributions Mr. Taylor made to the crimes. But for Charles Taylor's criminal conduct, thousands of people would not have had limbs amputated, would not have been raped, would not have been killed. Further, the recommended sentence provides fair and adequate response to the outrage these crimes caused in victims, their families and relatives, the Sierra Leonean people and the world at large." Last week's landmark ruling by the international tribunal was the first war crimes conviction of a former head of state by an international court since the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders after World War II. Prosecutors, however, failed to prove that Taylor had direct command over the rebels who committed the atrocities, said Justice Richard Lussick of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. A three-judge panel issued a unanimous decision that Taylor, 64, was guilty on all 11 counts of the indictment against him. The judges found him guilty of aiding and abetting rebel forces in a campaign of terror that involved murder, rape, sexual slavery, conscripting children younger than 15 and mining diamonds to pay for guns. There is no death penalty in international criminal law, and Taylor would serve out any sentence in a British prison. Taylor's lawyer, Courtenay Griffiths, suggested the trial was politically motivated. He claimed his client's conviction was "obtained on tainted and corrupted evidence" based on the testimony of witnesses from Sierra Leone who were paid to appear in court. Griffiths portrayed Taylor as a legitimate leader who aided rebels in a neighboring nation. Those rebels, not Taylor, should be held accountable for their actions, the lawyer contended. U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay noted that Taylor can appeal the verdict, and it could be overturned. That said, she called his conviction "immensely significant," saying it sends out a message that even the most powerful are not above the law. "This is undoubtedly a historic moment in the development of international justice," she said. "A former president, who once wielded immense influence in a neighboring country where tens of thousands of people were killed, mutilated, raped, robbed and repeatedly displaced for years on end, has been arrested, tried in a fair and thorough international procedure." Taylor has been a pivotal figure in Liberian politics for decades after he overthrew the regime of Samuel Doe in 1989, plunging the country into a bloody civil war that left 200,000 dead over the next 14 years. After he was forced out of office under international pressure in 2003, he lived in exile in Nigeria, where border guards arrested him in 2006 as he was attempting to cross into Chad amid international pressure. That culminated in his trial, which began in 2007 at the special court for Sierra Leone in The Hague, Netherlands. U.N. officials and the Sierra Leone government jointly set up the tribunal to try those who played the biggest role in the atrocities. The court was moved from Sierra Leone, where emotions about the civil war still run high. Prosecutors accused Taylor of financing and giving orders to Revolutionary United Front rebels in Sierra Leone's civil war that ultimately left 50,000 dead or missing. His support for the rebels fueled the bloody war, prosecutors said. Fighters included teenagers forced to kill, rape and plunder placed under the influence of drugs to provoke violent behavior. Witnesses testified about grisly violence by the rebels during the conflict, including shooting and disemboweling pregnant women and children. Sometimes, rebels asked people if they wanted long sleeves or short sleeves. The former meant hacking off hands; the latter, forearms. Taylor becomes the first former head of state since Adm. Karl Doenitz, who became president of Germany briefly after Adolf Hitler's suicide, to be convicted of war crimes or crimes against humanity by an international tribunal. Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was tried by an international tribunal but died before a judgment was issued. The International Criminal Court has charged Laurent Gbagbo, the former Ivory Coast president, with crimes against humanity. It also has a warrant out for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who, so far, has been able to elude arrest. CNN's Bill Mears contributed to this report. | NEW: Thousands would have been spared but for Charles Taylor's role, prosecutor says .
The former Liberian president was convicted last week of war crimes charges .
There is no death penalty in the case; Taylor would serve time in a British prison .
Taylor aided fighters in a civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone . |
fe5094868f3f749651e35145667f8a9a45fcfa12 | By . Jason Groves . PUBLISHED: . 17:56 EST, 17 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:56 EST, 17 November 2013 . Probe: David Cameron's inquiry into union antics has been lambasted by Unite directors . Militant union bosses last night warned their members not to ‘collaborate’ with a government inquiry into the use of bully-boy tactics in industrial disputes. David Cameron ordered the probe into Unite’s tactic of sending mobs of demonstrators to protest outside the homes of company directors. But senior Liberal Democrats voiced concerns, saying they would not allow the review – which they insist will also examine tactics used by some companies – to become an exercise in ‘union bashing’. Unite’s political director Jennie Formby described the probe as ‘nothing more than a Tory election stunt which no trade unionist will collaborate with’. Her comments suggest that members who assist the inquiry will be seen as collaborators – a loaded term often used to describe those who helped the Nazis during the war. The TUC also dismissed the inquiry as ‘politically driven’. Sarah Veale, head of employment rights at the union, said: ‘It is a completely disproportionate response to one or two instances. ‘It is really quite disgraceful that the Government is pretending that there is a real public interest concern here.’ The inquiry was launched after the Daily Mail revealed the true nature of the so-called ‘leverage tactics’ used by Unite during the bitter dispute at the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland. Unite targeted the directors of the plant’s owner Ineos, staging a demonstration with a giant inflatable rat outside one executive’s home. One director said he had feared for the safety of his wife and his two young children after 30 Unite protesters descended on his drive in the school holidays. Dispute: Unite's political director Jennie Formby has blasted the review as a 'Tory election stunt' Unite general secretary Len McCluskey has always denied any intimidation or bullying on the part of the union. But Mr Cameron said a review was needed to examine whether the law needs tightening to prevent intimidation. Unsure: Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said he would not back a clampdown . Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said it was right to investigate ‘quite unpleasant examples of intimidation against fellow workers and against management’. ‘First of all we need to examine the facts and then to see whether the law needs changing,’ he said. The review by Bruce Carr QC, a leading industrial relations lawyer, will investigate the issue of ‘leverage’ tactics, as well as the impact of such disputes on the critical national infrastructure. Mr Carr will head a three-strong panel, with a representative each from employers and unions. He is expected to report back in six months. A source close to Vince Cable said the Lib Dem Business Secretary had insisted the review also examine ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by some companies, including blacklisting suspected troublemakers. Nick Clegg also insisted the review would look at ‘irresponsible behaviour by the unions and by business.’ But Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander was explicit that the Lib Dems would not back a clampdown on unions. He said: ‘If there are measured, sensible, prudent reforms that could help to improve the industrial relations landscape yet further, I’d be up for that. What I’m not up for is a bunch of union-bashing.’ However, Tory sources said the ‘main focus’ of the review would be on the activities of the unions. The row over Unite’s behaviour has been acutely embarrassing for Labour leader Ed Miliband, who is heavily reliant on the union’s cash to keep Labour afloat. And former Grangemouth employee Stevie Deans is at the centre of a controversy over allegations Unite tried to rig the selection of a new candidate for the safe Labour seat. Meanwhile First Minister Alex Salmond yesterday condemned the review as a ‘foolish and irresponsible’ political manoeuvre. Tactics? A panel will look into groups such as Unite, led by Len McCluskey, and tactics they are accused of using . The Labour Party leadership ‘approved’ Unite’s political activities in Falkirk, according to a leaked report. In a formal response to allegations of vote-rigging in the safe Labour seat, Unite said the party was ‘well aware of Unite’s political strategy activities in Falkirk and approved of it’. The union has been accused of signing up people as Labour members without their knowledge in a bid to rig the selection of a parliamentary candidate. The leaked document reveals that the Labour inquiry made a series of devastating findings against Unite, including there was ‘no doubt that members were recruited in an attempt to manipulate party processes’. Ed Miliband has repeatedly refused to publish the party’s dossier on the affair. Unite denies any wrongdoing. | Jennie Formby, Unite political director, blasted it as a 'Tory election stunt'
Senior Lib Dems also spoke out against the 'union bashing exercise'
But Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude insists the inquiry is necessary . |
fe50a599cc2ce59685019f3b09850edd966d6fa5 | The White House repeatedly declined on Tuesday to offer legal justification for President Barack Obama's forthcoming executive order calling off deportations for certain classes of illegal immigrants. Repeating a statement from the president over the weekend, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters today that the executive branch would offer an explanation for its actions after Obama had made his announcement . Obama himself had suggested multiple times that he could not go around Congress to freeze deportations because the president is not a 'king'' or an 'emperor' - remarks his spokesman was reminded of today by ABC News' Jon Karl. The Obama administration official wouldn't say if Obama stood by that statement yet indicated in his response that since the president said that, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security had reviewed the law and come to the conclusion that there are unilateral actions the president can take. Scroll down for video . White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters today that the executive branch would offer an explanation for its unilateral immigration actions after President Barack Obama had made a formal announcement . He would not reveal the results of that review to reporters, fearing that it would tip them off to the contents of the president's upcoming declaration. According to reports, Obama's executive order, which could come as early as Friday, will cover roughly 5 million illegal immigrants who were either brought to the U.S. as children or have young children living in the U.S. The anticipated measures are seemingly outside the legal boundaries that President Obama, who is a constitutional lawyer by trade, set for himself in remarks on multiple occasions in the past. During a February 2013 Google Hangout an immigration activist asked him what authority he had to keep families from being 'broken apart' until Congress passed immigration reforms. Obama told him: 'This is something that I have struggled with throughout my presidency. The problem is, is that I’m the president of the United States, I’m not the emperor of the United States. My job is to execute laws that are passed.' In 2010 he explained at a Univision town hall, 'I am president, I am not king,' and therefore he could not personally issue a stay of deportation for 8 million immigrants who would be eligible to stay in the U.S. if comprehensive immigration reforms were enacted by Congress. 'I can’t do these things just by myself,' he said to the chagrin of immigration activists. In September of last year, Obama told then-Univision host Jose Diaz-Balart that he couldn't expand his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to the parents of illegal immigrants because that would fall into a gray area legally. 'If we start broadening that, then essentially I’ll be ignoring the law in a way that I think would be very difficult to defend legally,' Obama said. 'So that’s not an option.' But that's exactly what the president is gearing up to do now, sources familiar with a 10-point plan Obama is considering told Fox News last week. He may also enlarge DACA to include illegal immigrants of any age who were under 16 when they were brought to the U.S. Currently the executive order requires them to have lived in the U.S. since June 2007 and be under be under the age of 31. The aggrandized rule would allegedly bump the cut-off date up to January 2010. President Obama is pictured here during a meeting with his national security and public health teams today at the White House. Seated to Obama's far left is Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, one of Obama's top immigration advisers. The White House said today that a review conducted by Johnson and Attorney General Eric Holder found that Obama has the authority to make some changes to the immigration system . Earnest today refused to comment on the rumors and suggested that the president may not have even received DHS' recommendations for action yet. The president was so busy during his trip to Asia last week, Earnest said, that he didn't really have time to think about immigration reform. Grilled by Karl about what had changed since Obama asserted that the didn't have the authority to shield additional groups of illegal immigrants from mandatory removal proceedings, Earnest said that not only had the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security assured the president of his authority, the political climate had shifted. At the time Obama made those claims, comprehensive immigration reform was still being debated by Congress, Earnest explained. The Senate passed that legislation in 2013 but the House did not, he noted, and now there's little to no chance that Republicans in the lower chamber will take up immigration legislation in the near future, creating an opening for Obama to issue his own measures. Confronted with the argument that Republican leadership in the House was refusing to allow a vote on the president's preferred immigration reform legislation long before Obama's comments last fall, Earnest again pointed to the recent of the law by administration officials whose departments handle immigration. The dodge came after the president himself refused over the weekend to share the legal rationale for his actions. Obama was asked about the perceived flip-flop during a press conference in Brisbane, Australia on Sunday. The president claimed at that time that his 'position hasn’t changed' since his 2010 remarks. 'When I was talking to the advocates, their interest was in me, through executive action, duplicating the legislation that was stalled in Congress,' he stated, referencing the Univision town hall. 'And getting a comprehensive deal of the sort that is in the Senate legislation, for example, does extend beyond my legal authorities. There are certain things I cannot do. There are certain limits to what falls within the realm of prosecutorial discretion in terms of how we apply existing immigration laws.' Obama said the White House had been working with the Office of Legal Counsel to determine what he could in fact do and has been advised that it is within his administration's authority to take such actions such as 'reallocating resources and reprioritizing since we can’t do everything.' 'And it’s on that basis that I’ll be making a decision about any executive actions that I might take,' Obama stated, before claiming as he has many times before that this entire debate would cease if Congress would 'pass a bill I can sign on this issue.' That law would should include a solution that 'solves our border problems, improves our legal immigration system, and provides a pathway for the 11 million people who are here working in our kitchens, working in farms, making beds in hotels. 'Everybody knows they’re there, we’re not going to deport all of them,' he pointed out. 'We’d like to see them being able, out in the open, to pay their taxes, pay a penalty, get right with the law. 'Give me a bill that addresses those issues -- I’ll be the first one to sign it and, metaphorically, I’ll crumple up whatever executive actions that we take and we’ll toss them in the wastebasket, because we will now have a law that addresses these issues.' In reviewing Obama's previous remarks, the Washington Post 's fact-checking division ruled that the president had in fact changed his position on executive authority to act on immigration over the years, despite claiming that he hadn't. The misleading statement earned him a mild slap on the wrist and one of the publication's upside down Pinocchios. | Obama's spokesman told reporters today the executive branch would offer an explanation after Obama's formal announcement .
He noted that since Obama's previous statements his legal advisers had indicated that there are some actions he can take unilaterally .
The president also changed his calculus because House Republicans refused to pass comprehensive reforms, he said .
At a press conference on Sunday Obama said he is able to reallocate resources and reprioritize deportation 'since we can’t do everything' |
fe50b9e1858170307706f843f572f344e41b279a | By . Anna Hodgekiss for MailOnline . Hopes of a breakthrough in the fight against Ebola have been raised by the 100 per cent successful treatment of monkeys with the deadly disease. The experimental drug ZMapp cured the animals even when administered five days after infection, while they were displaying severe symptoms. All 18 rhesus macaques made a complete recovery, in contrast to three other untreated monkeys that quickly fell seriously ill and died. Scroll down for video . Nicotiana benthamiana, the plant from which ZMapp is derived. New research shows the experimental drug ZMapp cured the monkeys even when administered five days after infection . ZMapp is a blend of three laboratory-made antibodies designed to neutralise the virus. Two U.S. doctors given the drug after they were infected with Ebola while working in Liberia subsequently recovered. But it is not known whether they were saved by the drug or just lucky. About 45 per cent of those infected in the current outbreak have survived without treatment. At least two other patients treated with ZMapp have died, possibly because help got to them too late. The new research, published in a special report on Nature journal's website, provides hard evidence that the drug works and can be highly effective. A team of scientists led by Dr Gary Kobinger, from the Public Health Agency of Canada, wrote: 'ZMapp exceeds the efficacy of any other therapeutics described so far, and results warrant further development of this cocktail for clinical use ... 'We hope that initial safety testing in humans will be undertaken soon, preferably within the next few months, to enable the compassionate use of ZMapp as soon as possible.' The news follows a warning from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa could eventually claim more than 20,000 victims. Latest figures show 1,552 deaths from the 3,069 cases reported so far. A Liberian health worker spraying disinfectant outside a house before entering and removing the body of a man believed to have died from the Ebola virus in Monrovia. Latest figures show 1,552 deaths from the 3,069 cases reported so far . ZMapp is being used to treat William Pooley (left) the first Briton to contract the virus while working as a nurse at a remote health centre in Sierra Leone and (right) Dr Abraham Borbor, was being treated with ZMapp but lost his battle with Ebola this week. He was the deputy chief medical doctor at the country's largest hospital . Ebola, belonging to the family of 'filoviruses', ranks alongside Marburg virus as one of the world's deadliest infections. Fatality rates in previous outbreaks have been as high as 90 per cent. It kills by overwhelming the immune system and sending the body into shock as blood pressure drops to dangerous levels. Currently there are is no approved vaccine or post-exposure treatment. Management of the Ebola outbreak in Africa has been confined to palliative care and physical attempts to prevent transmission. The development of ZMapp and its success in treating advanced stages of Ebola infection was described as a 'monumental achievement' by Professor Thomas Geisbert, from the University of Texas, writing in Nature. He added: 'The next crucial step will be to formally assess its safety and effectiveness. Testing the latter is clearly difficult, because intentional infection of human subjects in clinical trials is not possible.' Researchers claim the Ebola virus disease (EVD) is rapidly and continually mutating, making it harder to diagnose and treat. A study of the initial patients diagnosed with the virus in Sierra Leone revealed almost 400 genetic modifications. And it could be detrimental not only to current treatments, but also to future vaccines that are in the works. The team of researchers, led by the Broad Institute in Massachusetts and Harvard University, analysed more than 99 Ebola virus genomes. These were collected from 78 patients diagnosed with Ebola in Sierra Leona in the first 24 days of the outbreak. Their findings, reported in the journal Science, could have important implications for rapid field diagnostic tests. The team found more than 300 genetic changes that make the 2014 Ebola virus genomes distinct from the viral genomes tied to previous Ebola outbreaks. They also found variations in the genome sequence indicating that, from the samples analysed, the outbreak started from a single introduction into humans, subsequently spreading from person to person over many months. The treated monkeys were exposed to a lethal level of Ebola virus before receiving three doses of ZMapp starting three, four and five days after infection. The treatment reversed Ebola symptoms including excessive bleeding, rashes, and liver damage. Three weeks after they were infected, no trace of the virus could be detected in the animals' blood. Untreated monkeys all succumbed to the virus by day eight after infection. One drawback of the research was that it used a version of the virus different from the Guinea strain responsible for the current outbreak, which was not available at the time. But the scientists went on to show that ZMapp blocks replication of the Guinea strain in laboratory tests. Dr Alain Kohl, from the Medical Research Council/University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, said: 'What needs to be done next is assess against how many strains and species of the virus it can act. Clinical trials in humans are not possible so some questions will go unanswered. At present too few people have received the drug to allow conclusions about efficacy and treatment timings, though in emergency situations it is at least one potentially useful option.' David Evans, Professor of Virology at the University of Warwick, said: 'All animals survived and had undetectable viral loads 21 days post-infection. This is an extremely encouraging result for a virus which has an incubation period of two to 21 days in humans and for which no vaccine exists. 'These results do not prove that the healthcare workers who received ZMapp and recovered did so due to the therapy. Others who also received ZMapp succumbed to the virus. 'Distinguishing between correlation and causation will require analysis of the clinical data on viral loads before and after therapy was administered. Nevertheless, the results are encouraging.' Professor Martin Hibberd, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: 'This looks to be a very well designed study with better than expected results, which give great hope for future clinical trials. 'I hope the team can receive sufficient funding to undertake these clinical trials straight away as this is by far the most advanced potential treatment option available to my knowledge.' What is Ebola virus disease? Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness, with a death rate of up to 90 per cent.The illness affects humans as well as primates, including monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees. How do people become infected with the virus? Ebola is transmitted through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In Africa infection in humans has happened as a result of contact with chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead in the rainforest. Once a person becomes infected, the virus can spread through contact with a sufferer's blood, urine, saliva, stools and semen. A person can also become infected if broken skin comes into contact with a victim's soiled clothing, bed linen or used needles. Men who have recovered from the disease, can still spread the virus to their partner through their semen for seven weeks after recovery. Who is most at risk? Those at risk during an outbreak include: . What are the typical signs and symptoms? Sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. That is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function and internal and external bleeding. The incubation period is between two and 21 days. A person will become contagious once they start to show symptoms. When should you seek medical care? If a person is in an area affected by the outbreak, or has been in contact with a person known or suspected to have Ebola, they should seek medical help immediately. | All 18 rhesus macaques treated with the drug made 'complete recovery'
Animals were cured even when given the drug five days after infection .
Monkeys not given the experimental drug quickly fell seriously ill and died .
ZMapp is blend of three lab-made antibodies designed to neutralise the virus .
Two U.S. doctors given the drug after contracting Ebola later recovered .
Experts warned today the disease is mutating rapidly . |
fe50e140cd5927dcb63c76ec99209249718e63ab | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 07:31 EST, 15 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:55 EST, 15 January 2014 . Catherine Jenkinson-Dix spent thousands out of the school budget . A school headmistress has come under fire for spending thousands of pounds worth of school funds to go on an 'educational trip' to California with an assistant during term-time . Catherine Jenkinson-Dix, 51, and assistant Damien Whales jetted to San Diego despite there still being one week left of term at Ely College in Cambridgeshire. The academy school claims the £2,500 trip to a High Tech High (HTH) teaching facility was aimed at learning about ‘project-based learning’. But one anonymous staff member said the week-long trip was a 'scandalous waste' of school funds and claimed the research could have been carried out online. In a letter to the local newspaper the whistleblower wrote: 'Staff at Ely College are outraged that the principal and one of her assistant principals went to San Diego during the last week of term - costing thousands out of the school budget. 'The trip was to investigate project-based learning - information which can be gained from the internet. 'A scandalous waste of the school’s money.' School governors said the trip 'provided a great return on its investment' and similar ones would be arranged in future . School governors however said the trip . 'provided a great return on its investment' and more similar ones would . be arranged in future. Assistant principal Mr Whales, 35, said the journey was well worth the money. He said: 'The visit completely changed our view of how best to adopt project-based learning at Ely College, and clarified which aspects we need to focus on to ensure our students gain as much as theirs do. 'It was an incredible experience that has had a significant impact on my professional development, not least because of the students we met. 'If we can help our young people become as self aware, motivated and ambitious as those we met at HTH, we will have succeeded.' One anonymous staff member said the week-long trip was a 'scandalous waste' of school funds . Chair of governors Ben Gibbs said: 'Having seen how inspired both Catherine and Damien are after their trip, I am completely satisfied that the visit has provided a great return on our investment. 'I am encouraging the college to arrange further visits to other leading schools and to develop partnerships which broaden our horizons and improve our students’ experience.' In 2011 Ely College was dubbed 'Britain’s strictest school' after Ms Jenkinson-Dix handed out 717 detentions in four days. Students were punished for wearing excessive make-up, eating between lessons and carrying mobile phones. At the time she said: 'This is fundamental in preparing them for their future careers, where they certainly would not get away with being rude, dressing inappropriately and chewing gum.' | Academy school claims the £2,500 trip to a High Tech High teaching facility was aimed at learning about 'project-based learning'
Staff member said week-long trip was a 'scandalous waste' of school funds .
Whistleblower claimed the research could have been carried out online . |
fe512e2fc3e9d92129c6bdad21448eb9fa12350d | The nine-day-old baby who died after being given infected feed through a hospital drip was a twin and his brother is still in hospital, it emerged yesterday. Yousef Al-Kharboush died on Sunday after contracting a deadly bacterial infection from the intravenous fluid at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. His father, Raaid Hassan Sakkijha, yesterday told of his agony at seeing his son suffer. He called for the contaminated feed blamed for his son’s death to be withdrawn from production so no other children would fall victim to the same fate. New tragedy: A second baby fed on a contaminated drip died today, ten days after nine-day-old Yousef Al-Kharboush died in the premature unit at St Thomas' Hospital in London . Hours after he spoke out, it emerged . that three more babies had been infected – bringing the total number of . vulnerable infants struck down with blood poisoning to 21 across ten . hospitals in England. This is despite the pharmaceutical company that . manufactured the product, ITH Pharma, insisting on Thursday that there . was ‘no reason’ for any more families to be concerned because the rogue . batch had been withdrawn. At a pre-inquest review at Southwark . Coroner’s Court yesterday, Mr Sakkijha described his agony at watching . as his tiny son deteriorated and then died last Sunday. His surviving . baby, Abdullilah, remains in hospital. Officials confirmed a baby at Peterborough City Hospital has tested positive test for Bacillus cereus . A baby at Basildon Hospital in Essex has a suspected case of the bug which has not been confirmed . ‘My son has just died and I . don’t want more children to die,’ he said. ‘If you look at Yousef, he . was dying because of this product. If you could see Yousef, he was . suffering. He died because of this.’ The twins were placed on life . support after being born eight weeks premature at St Thomas’ on May 23. But Yousef, who weighed just 1lb 9oz at birth, fell seriously ill on May . 30 when infected with the bacterium bacillus cereus, apparently as a . result of being given the contaminated feed. He died two days later. Mr . Sakkijha, who also has two older children aged seven and ten, asked . health officials whether investigations into the contamination would . consider if any children could be affected when they grow older. ‘How do we know that the solution will not affect babies at a later stage, maybe after one or two years?’ he said. ‘How can you guarantee this will not happen? Is that part of the investigations?’ He said he hoped that the inquiries into his son’s death would save other children. ‘I . was hoping to hear this product would be completely stopped from . production until they make sure that ... no other babies are being . contaminated,’ he said. Karen Hamling, the managing director of . London-based firm ITH Pharma, said further batches would not be supplied . until investigations are complete. ‘We are co-operating with all of our . regulatory bodies because we want to ensure something like this never . happens again,’ she told the hearing. It was announced yesterday that . three new cases of infection had been found at Stoke Mandeville . Hospital in Buckinghamshire, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in . London, and Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. The Whittington Hospital, London, (left) is one . of the six hospitals affected by the infection. The . trust in charge of Brighton General Hospital (right) said all three of . the babies infected were responding well to treatment . The trust in charge of the Chelsea and . Westminster hospital (left) has reported four cases while Addenbrooke's . hospital in Cambridge (right) said the two babies infected have responded well to treatment . | Nine-day-old Yousef Al-Kharboush died at London's St Thomas' hospital .
He was among the 21 babies infected by a suspected bug in drip-fed food .
Yousef has a twin brother who is fighting for his life .
His grieving parents met hospital chiefs today at start of review into death .
Father makes plea for no other children to go through pain of his son .
Yousef was born eight weeks premature and had twin, review hearing told . |
fe51ee35784a4e2ccd02e11efaac9850cc1d4c14 | Despite being told that he is free to leave, Manchester United keeper Anders Lindegaard appeared to make a point that he wants to stay at the club. The reserve stopper posted an artistic Instagram picture of himself standing in the Old Trafford tunnel looking towards the sky with a caption reading: 'Follow the light #Loyalty #manchesterunited #mufc #oldtrafford'. The Denmark international was signed from Norwegian club Aalesunds FK in 2010 but has failed to seriously challenge David de Gea for the No 1 jersey - and is yet to start a game in any competition this season. Anders Lindegaard appeared to pledge his loyalty to the club with this picture from the Old Trafford tunnel . The Denmark international has been told he can leave the club after failing to challenge David de Gea (R) The 30-year-old has not started a game for Manchester United in any competition this season . With new manager Louis van Gaal keen on bringing former Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes to the club, Lindegaard's days in Manchester appear numbered. Valdes has been training with United's first team as he recovers from a long-term knee injury and could complete a move as a free agent within weeks. The 32-year-old was originally on the verge of a deal with United's north-west rivals Liverpool, but had a pick of clubs including Bayern Munich before choosing the Red Devils. With Lindegaard not inspiring Van Gaal's confidence, the Dutch boss believes Valdes' experience would make him an excellent deputy for De Gea. Victor Valdes (3L) sits alongside Manchester United players to watch the 1-1 draw with Chelsea . The former Barcelona keeper is widely expected to join United as a free agent after recovering from injury . Meanwhile, Lindegaard was revealed as the only one of 18 United players who chose not to watch Real Madrid's recent 3-1 El Clasico win against Barcelona. 'We went to the Lowry, we had a screen so I could watch the second half and 17 players of 18 were there,' Van Gaal explained. 'I have never experienced that before. We have a lot of Spaniards! 'I won’t tell you which one wasn’t there.' However, Sportsmail understands the Danish goalkeeper was the player who chose not to join his team-mates. | Anders Lindegaard posted image of himself at Old Trafford with #loyalty .
Denmark international has failed to challenge David de Gea for No 1 spot .
Former Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes is expected to sign for the club . |
fe51fd148bf0a0523e058e7bb760c5b0edb2a90c | Ben Ford is a big bear of a man. Big beard, big hands, big build. By his own admission he is 'the spitting image' of his father Harrison Ford, and thinks his dad would be his size if he hadn't spent much of his life on a Hollywood diet. Both men love to eat. Ben loves nothing better than to cook huge macho meals. He's big on meat. Big on barbecues. Big on potatoes. In fact his new book Taming The Feast, with its instructions on how to build a barbecue from scratch, is possibly the most macho cookbook ever written. Scroll down for video . Ben loves nothing better than cooking huge macho meals . We're at Ben's restaurant, Ford's Filling Station, in LA. The menu has years of experience behind it and a secret ingredient of homeliness he says he inherited from his mother, former cheerleader Mary Marquardt. Ben wants a new generation of men to get out there and barbecue for a crowd. 'I want to inspire people who've done it before and give them something more. Most of the recipes in the book are for eight to ten people, and I have great memories of sitting around big tables with lots of food and a little too much to drink. I wanted to reproduce those experiences.' Ben, at 46, is the eldest of Harrison's four children (two by Mary, two by his second wife, screenwriter Melissa Mathison). His parents' 14-year marriage fell apart when Ben was about 12, just as Harrison was starting to make it as an actor; for most of Ben's childhood his father was a carpenter. In the past Harrison has blamed his split with Ben's mother on his new-found fame, and it was while he was going through that first divorce that he met his second wife. Harrison Ford with his first wife Mary Marquardt (Ben's mother) in 1977 . Their marriage lasted 18 years before he met Calista Flockhart, who played Ally McBeal, in 2002 and they married in 2010. Ben says that his father and Calista often come to his restaurant with Calista's 13-year-old son Liam – Harrison loves the food – and they all get on very well. 'But there weren't so many celebrity friends when my parents were together,' he adds. 'As the eldest son I missed out on the fun. My father was doing a lot of carpentry back then, and he only started to find success as I was becoming a teenager. Dad was always fixing up the house, and he'd often take me to building sites, show me the floor joists, how everything fitted together. Seeing how meticulous he was at his craft has stayed with me as a chef. 'As you might expect from the life-changing times when he became Han Solo in Star Wars, my parents split up. But I had a wonderful stepfather in Bob Becker, who was a director of shows like Dallas and Knots Landing and loved to cook. I feel like I got the best of it, it was a good situation.' Ben with his father and stepmother Calista Flockhart . Harrison's career began to take him all over the world – he's in England at the moment, of course, shooting the new Star Wars film; he broke his left leg on set last month – but Ben says the two were never estranged. 'My father was definitely around when I was growing up. He was a constant, and he likes to cook too. I gave him a copy of my book for Father's Day, so I hope he's cracked it open and is experimenting for summer, but it's difficult for people to enjoy food in Hollywood. I'm a much bigger version of my dad, so I understand what it takes for him to look like he does. I cook all the time. He doesn't.' Ben grew up wanting to play baseball professionally until a serious knee injury put paid to his dreams and he switched careers at a time when chefs thrived on a culture of aggression in the kitchen. 'It was hard at first,' he says. 'I had a couple of instances where I had to work for tough, belligerent chefs. It's fiercely competitive if you're working anywhere worth its salt. It takes a particular kind of muscle, which is something I find a lot of satisfaction in because not everyone can do it. You're on your feet 14, sometimes 16 hours a day, six days a week. It's a lot of sacrifice.' It certainly takes its toll on the personal life. 'Yes,' he nods wearily. His first marriage to TV news producer Elizabeth Winkler produced a 13-year-old son, Ethan, and he has four-year- old Waylon from his happy second marriage to Emily, who works in his restaurant business. Growing up with a famous parent can open doors but it can also create a lot of pressure. 'I found it more difficult than rewarding at times,' he admits. Ben's cookbook, Taming the Feast contains some of Ben's most manly meaty recipes . 'You want to be one of the guys you're working with, but sometimes that was hard for me. Also there was less trust in my commitment to the profession. People thought, "He doesn't need it as much as the next guy." It has its advantages too. It would be silly to shun the attention. But when I was younger I felt unworthy of that attention.' Ben says he'll always remember when his father first started making money and they had a fancy holiday in Hawaii. He saw a whole pig being cooked on the beach and it was a pivotal moment for him. A whole roasted pig is now one of his signature dishes. He got his passion for roasting when he came to visit his father shooting Raiders Of The Lost Ark at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. 'They were shooting so many films there at that time. Wandering around the sets would be fun, there was James Bond and Pink Panther. At weekends we always seemed to go to someone's home, never to a restaurant, for a Sunday roast. I watched everything.' Ben was one of the first to offer whole-animal cuisine – now in vogue – at his first restaurant back in 1999. He was also one of the first restaurateurs to employ foragers, who gather wild ingredients from hedgerows and woods, which is ultra-chic in LA right now. But none of it would have happened, he says, without his mother's cooking. 'When I was growing up my mum would make a simple roast chicken but it was the best I've ever had. I still can't reproduce it after 28 years of trying. She still makes the roast chicken,' he says sadly. 'She has MS and it's progressive.' At times it's seemed as though the nurturing force of his mother's chicken has got the family through her health crisis. 'Food is more of a nurturing force in my mother's house than in my father's. My mum is a very special person. She and my father are still friends. That she was able to stay friends for her children says how special she is.' I get the impression that however competitive Ben is, he doesn't ever want to make a roast chicken better than his mother's. Taming The Feast, Simon & Schuster, £20. | Ben Ford is a successful chef with a top restaurant in LA .
Harrison Ford often visits Ben's restaurant .
His latest cookbook is full of meaty macho feasts . |
fe5224632a3178c5f8570d299f0bbc5e6e357423 | By . Ashley Collman . A Washington mother who was told her daughter died in a car accident over the weekend, got a shock of relief when she went to examine the young woman's body on Wednesday and realized it wasn't the 24 year old. Lori Baker was told by a police chaplain Monday that her daughter died in Spanaway on March 14 when a soldier driving a pick-up truck hit her crossing the street. At the time, Baker asked to see her daughter but was told it was a 'bio-hazard' and that she would have to wait for the body to be released to a funeral home. Scroll down for video . Bad news: Authorities in Pierce County, Washington told Lori Baker (left) on Monday that her 24-year-old daughter Samantha Kennedy (right) had been killed in a car accident in Spanaway . So Baker went on with the funeral preparations, writing an obituary and the painful process of informing family - including her 7-year-old granddaughter Abigail - that she had died. Baker went to Mt View Funeral home in Lakewood on Wednesday with her sister when the body was finally realeased by the medical examiner. 'My sister went in with me holding my hand and we both screamed at the same time, it’s not her!' Baker told KIRO TV. Her shock quickly turned to outrage when the weight of her premature mourning washed over her. You can't see her: When Baker asked to see her daughter, the medical examiner said no because it was a 'bio-hazard'. She had to wait for the body to be released to a funeral home and that's when she realized the victim wasn't Kennedy . Inked: The medical examiner identified the car crash victim's body as Kennedy using descriptions of the young woman's tattoos her friends gave . 'How can you go around telling people their kid is dead without proof?' Baker asked. The body was later returned to the medical examiner's office and properly identified as 25-year-old Jane Aubrey Peterson. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office released a statement following the misidentification Wednesday, explaining the mix-up. The medical examiner was contacted by friends of Kennedy after the crash, who believed the victim was their friend since she had been missing for a few days. One of her friends described a tattoo Kennedy had and the medical examiner matched it on the victim's body and identified her that way. While the medical examiner's office does use more precise ways of identifying dead bodies, such as through fingerprinting, dental records and DNA, they are not used unless necessary because they 'are time-consuming,expensive and create delays that are burdensome on families'. Still missing: Lori Baker (right) says she's had sporadic contact with her daughter since she left the home at age 16. Kennedy is still missing and Baker is now aiding in the search . Lori Baker pictured with some of her other children . 'In most cases, identification can be resolved by driver's licenses and family identification of distinctive features, such as tattoos.' However, the medical examiner says they will be adjusting their practices in light of this incident. 'I don’t think anyone did anything wrong. It was a simple misunderstanding,' Dr Thomas Clark told the News Tribune. 'The appropriate response is to adjust your policies and practices to ensure something like this does not happen again. We are reviewing the circumstances and will adjust our practices.' Meanwhile Samantha Kennedy is still missing. Baker says she's been in sporadic contact with her daughter since she left home at the age of 16, but is now aiding in the search for the missing woman. 'I still don’t know where my daughter is, but at least I know she’s not the one who was killed,' Baker said. 'I’m really relieved.' | A police chaplain told Lori Baker that her 24-year-old daughter died in a car crash on March 14 .
The medical examiner identified the body of the crash victim by matching the description of one of Kennedy's tattoos .
Friends of Kennedy called authorities reporting her missing and gave a description of her tattoos .
Baker asked to see her daughter but was told she had to wait until the body was released to a funeral home .
On Wednesday, Baker went to see the body and realized it wasn't Kennedy .
The victim has since been identified as 25-year-old Jane Aubrey Peterson .
Kennedy is still missing . |
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