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0b3e84c9153cd3902ec8d71012602e36d14f3143 | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 12:00 EST, 19 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:06 EST, 20 December 2012 . Belgium is considering a significant change to its decade-old euthanasia law that would allow minors and Alzheimer’s sufferers to seek permission to die. The proposed changes to the law were submitted to parliament on Tuesday by the Socialist party and are likely to be approved by other parties, although no date has yet been put forward for a parliamentary debate. 'The idea is to update the law to take better account of dramatic situations and extremely harrowing cases we must find a response to,' party leader Thierry Giet said. Contentious: Belgium was the second country in the world after the Netherlands to legalise euthanasia in 2002 but it applies only to people over the age of 18 (picture posed by models) The draft legislation calls for 'the law to be extended to minors if they are capable of discernment or affected by an incurable illness or suffering that we cannot alleviate.' Belgium was the second country in the world after the Netherlands to legalise euthanasia in 2002 but it applies only to people over the age of 18. Socialist Senator Philippe Mahoux, who helped draft the proposed changes, said there had been cases of adolescents who 'had the capacity to decide' their future. Campaign: Tony Nicklinson, who suffered from locked-in syndrome, lost a legal battle for the right to be helped to end his life when he chooses earlier this year. He died at his Wiltshire home just days after the High Court judgement . He said parliamentarians would also consider extended mercy-killing to people suffering from Alzheiner’s-type illnesses. Euthanasia was allowed to an Alzheimer’s patient for the first time in the Netherlands last year. In Belgium, some 1,133 cases -- mostly for terminal cancer -- were recorded in 2011, about one percent of all deaths in the country, according to official figures. A seriously ill prisoner serving a long jail sentence this year became the first inmate to die under Belgium’s euthanasia laws. | Proposals submitted to parliament by Socialist Party .
They are likely to be approved by other parties later .
Includes 'incurably ill' minors 'capable of discernment'
Parliament also asked to include Alzheimer's patients . |
0b3eca054ee7cce5f2bcaddb741a01d57f739892 | (CNN) -- It's bad enough to be sick and miserable. But adding insult to injury for many a patient is having to hack through a veritable jungle of often-confusing paperwork to make health insurance claims. Dr. Val Jones is part of a practice in Virginia that has lowered its fees and quit taking insurance. Consumers' frustrations with health insurance paperwork are well-known. But it's also a frustrating tangle for doctors and their staffs. AC360° correspondent Tom Foreman has a report about one innovative practice that has decided to take on the insurance paperwork monster -- by completely avoiding it. Dr. Val Jones joined a small practice, DocTalker Family Medicine in Vienna, Virginia, where the doctors do not even take insurance. They charge a simple, relatively low fee for each service. That's it. The doctors at DocTalker grew tired of seeing patients struggle with baffling insurance paperwork while both their health and wealth were on the line. "They don't know why they're getting these questions asked," Jones said. "They don't know what the forms mean. And ... their compensation is dependent on it." This innovation has been good news for Carol "Yogi" Yogan of McClain, Virginia. She said she broke her wrist ice skating, and her insurance company initially told her that her injury would not be covered. After persistent effort, she eventually convinced them otherwise. The company paid. But Yogan is certain without her dogged efforts, her claim would have been forever lost in the "paperwork jungle" of the insurance trade. Watch Yogan's struggle with bureaucratic red tape » . Yogi Yogan has pretty much lost all faith in insurance companies. She has enough insurance to cover a catastrophic illness, but for routine care, she's now going to that nearby fee-for-service medical office where Jones works. "It's seamless," Yogan said. She knows precisely what she is getting and what it costs. Jones does not believe the insurance industry set out to cultivate the paperwork jungle. She thinks it just grew over time. But now that it is there, she suspects they are making so much money off of it, that there is no real incentive to clear it up. Former insurance industry executive Wendell Potter agrees. He said one way insurers make money is by allowing confusion to reign. "And people often just give up," Potter said, "and don't pursue payment when a claim has been denied or been paid inappropriately or not adequately. And the same is true with doctors and hospitals." He believes billions of dollars are at stake. The insurance industry, while acknowledging the existence of the paperwork jungle, denies it is a trap for extra profits. Robert Zirkilbach is with a national trade association for insurers called America's Health Insurance Plans. "The health insurance industry is one of the most regulated industries in America, and particularly at the state level there are all kinds of requirements of information that needs to be provided to patients in paper and through the mail," Zirkilbach said. But he adds, insurers are just as worried as customers about the confusion that causes. "We agree that reform is needed. In fact, that's why we've been working very hard to develop reforms to make the system more efficient," Zirkilbach said. AC360° correspondent Tom Foreman contributed to this report. | Practice in Virginia has lowered and simplified its fees and quit taking insurance .
Patient frustrated with insurance paperwork thrilled with new method: "It's seamless"
Ex-insurance industry executive says confusion, paperwork help generate profit .
Industry spokesman counters that they're trying to make system more efficient . |
0b3f609a4165849e011f6cc1c53091ba6d407094 | By . Larry Fleisher, Associated Press . Gennady Golovkin was a hit in his first appearance at Madison Square Garden. If Golovkin has his way, he will get another attempt at fighting in the big arena against another Madison Square Garden regular - Miguel Cotto. Golovkin easily retained his WBA middleweight championship on Saturday night, stopping Australia's Daniel Geale at 2:47 of the third round in front of 8,572 fans. Belting performance: Gennady Golovkin celebrates his knockout win against Daniel Geale in New York . Game over: Golovkin knocked Australian boxer Geale out in the third round at Madison Square Garden . 'It's the biggest name that will get in the ring with him,' said Tom Loeffler of K2 promotions. 'That's our target. Miguel had a victory. He and Gennady Golovkin would be the biggest fight in the Garden and it's a unification fight.' 'I want to fight him next and prove to the world without a doubt that I'm the best middleweight in the world,' Golovkin said about Cotto, who has fought nine times at Madison Square Garden. 'That is very important to me.' Seven weeks after Cotto stopped Sergio Martinez in the 10th round for the WBC middleweight title, Golovkin was even more impressive. Golovkin improved to 30-0 with his 17th straight knockout and 27th overall, giving him a knockout rate of 90 percent - the highest in middleweight history. Next up: The Kazakh now wants to face WBC champion Miguel Cotto in a middleweight unification bout . he end came with a series of shots in the corner late in the third. After taking a shot from Geale, Golovkin struck with a right hand to the nose and followed with a left hand. That sent Geale to the canvas and referee Michael Ortega stopped the fight. 'It was a big step fighting in the arena and I'm happy to be performing for the fans,' Golovkin said. 'I was patient in the first round and part of the second. This is my style but once I figured him out, I was able to attack aggressively. I knew it was a matter of time. 'It was difficult to time Geale because he was coming in and out,' trainer Abel Sanchez said. 'Gennady hit him with a perfect left-right (combination) and the fight was over.' By the time Golovkin finished off his 11th title defence, Geale had already been bloodied in the right eye. That came about midway through the second round. 'I don't think there's anyone at 160 who can go 12 rounds with Gennady,' said Geale's trainer, Gary Shaw. 'I think that knockout streak will go on for a long time. Golovkin also nearly won the fight early in the second round. Less than 30 seconds into the round, Golovkin used a combination along the ropes that caused Geale to fall down. That came after Beale slipped with 18 seconds remaining in the opening round and that round inadvertently went four minutes. Geale (30-3), a former unified middleweight titleholder lost for the second time in three fights. He also lost to England's Darren Barker last August in Atlantic City, New Jersey. 'Golovkin's really quick and I think I fell into a couple of his traps,' Geale said. 'I was disappointed in myself. Things were going right early on. I guess that's what happens when you relax a little bit. I got caught.' Close call: Bryant Jennings beat Mike Perez by split decision in a co-featured bout . Rough justice: Perez's trainer Adam Booth claimed his man won the fight by three rounds . In the co-featured bout, Bryant Jennings (19-0) won a controversial split decision over Mike Perez (20-1-1) in a WBC eliminator heavyweight fight. Jennings became the mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight championship vacated by longtime champion Vitali Klitschko in December and his next fight will be either Bermane Stiverne or Deontay Wilder. 'He wouldn't trade with me,' Jennings said. 'I wanted him to stand in there with me and fight. I was expecting the inside pressure and it didn't happen.' Judges Glenn Feldman and Joe Pasquale had Jennings winning by scores of 114-113 and 115-112, respectively. Tom Schreck had Perez winning by a 114-113 margin. Perez wound losing a point with about a minute and a half remaining in the 12th after withstanding an early flurry by Jennings. He punched Jennings over the break in the ropes and referee Harvey Dock deducted a point . 'Mike was terrific,' trainer Adam Booth said. 'He won this fight clearly by three rounds. The referee took it away from him.' Challenge: Jennings will now face Bermane Stiverne or Deontay Wilder for the WBC heavyweight belt vacated by Vitali Klitschko . | Gennady Golovkin beat Daniel Geale to retain WBA middleweight belt .
Kazakh boxer now wants to face Miguel Cotto in unification bout .
Cotto holds the WBC middleweight title after beating Sergio Martinez .
Bryant Jennings beat Mike Perez by split decision in a co-featured bout .
Jennings will now face Bermane Stiverne or Deontay Wilder for the WBC heavyweight championship belt in December . |
0b3fb3f6fe11362ace77b35d5a270edcf5159a80 | A suspected Nazi war criminal died in Philadelphia overnight Tuesday, just hours before a U.S. court ruling cleared the way for him to be extradited to Germany to face trial. Johann Breyer, 89, died at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital of unknown causes, according to James Burke of the U.S. Marshals Service. On Wednesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Rice granted the U.S. government's request for an extradition certification "based on Breyer's role as a Nazi 'Death's Head Guard,' in the murder of 216,000 European Jews at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau death camp" and one other location from 1943 to 1945. "As outlined by Germany, a death camp guard such as Breyer could not have served at Auschwitz during the peak of the Nazi reign of terror in 1944 without knowing that hundreds of thousands of human beings were being brutally slaughtered in gas chambers and then burned on site," Judge Rice said in court documents released Wednesday. He was facing 158 counts of contributing to murder, one charge for each trainload of European Jews who were forcibly deported to Auschwitz, in southern Poland, between May and October 1944, according to court documents. Breyer's attorney was not immediately available for comment Wednesday. An exact extradition date had not been set. Breyer was arrested in Philadelphia last month and held without bail. He was awaiting the extradition hearing when his health deteriorated and he was transferred to the hospital on Saturday. He had lived in the United States since the 1950s, most recently with his family in a red brick row house in northeast Philadelphia. The U.S. case against Breyer dates to the 1990s, when federal authorities sought to strip him of his U.S. citizenship, arguing that Nazis were not eligible. Breyer maintained his citizenship, however, after he was able to establish that his mother was born in Pennsylvania and returned to Germany before World War I. After World War II, Breyer migrated to the United States in 1952 and claimed citizenship as a displaced person. Authorities alleged that he admitted to serving as a guard but deliberately made false statements to minimize his role in the Holocaust. Philadelphia man accused of war crimes as Nazi death-camp guard . Owner of art collection suspected to contain Nazi loot dies . An extraordinary story of Holocaust defiance . | Alleged Nazi war criminal Johann Breyer, 89, died overnight Tuesday .
Hours later, a federal judge granted a United States' request for his extradition .
Breyer, an accused guard at a Nazi death camp, faced 158 counts of contributing to murder . |
0b40c6061cfd6a745886150c46eb75a7f43b4efa | Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- California's Senate has voted down a measure that would have banned plastic bags at grocery stores. The new ban was rejected by a 21 to 14 vote late Tuesday. The ban would have included grocery stores, convenience stores and drugstores. The California Assembly passed the legislation in June. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had said he would have signed the measure into law, the Los Angeles Times reported. Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club encouraged Californians to contact their state senators to push for the measure. The group Heal the Bay produced what it calls a "mockumentary," narrated by actor Jeremy Irons, called "The Majestic Plastic Bag" that charts the life of a plastic bag. The video is on YouTube. The measure had its opponents, too. The American Chemistry Council criticized California Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, who proposed the bill. "Assemblywoman Brownley's inflammatory comments are obviously intended to distract public attention from the substance and dire consequences of Assembly Bill 1998," the group said. "Her proposed legislation to ban plastic grocery bags in California ... is bad for the economy and bad for the environment: It will eliminate several hundred California manufacturing jobs and dismantle existing plastic bag recycling programs." According to its website, the chemistry council represents companies that "make the products that make modern life possible, while working to protect the environment, public health, and the security of our nation." In this case, that includes plastic bags. Brownley said she was disappointed with the vote. "This is a sad day for California," Brownley said. "Communities across the state were waiting for the state to adopt a uniform, statewide ban on single-use bags before they adopt their own ordinances. The state failed them." Brownley has been fighting to reduce plastic bag waste for three years, calling single-use bags "an unnecessary scourge that blows like urban tumbleweeds into every corner of the earth." Her bill gained support from the California Grocers Association, which decided to back the bill after Brownley agreed to subject all stores that sell groceries to the ban. CNN's Adam Blank contributed to this report. | NEW: Lawmaker who proposed bill is disappointed .
Bill passed state Assembly in June .
Groups supporting and opposing the measure are speaking out .
Governor says he would have signed it into law, LA Times reported. |
0b4141b3d8df066e6374b02568fae58d5177164c | By . Pam Spurr . Dr Pam Spurr says that the majority of diets fail due to emotional niggles that trigger over-eating . If you're used to munching your way through a pack of biscuits because you're stressed, angry, or upset and you just want something to soothe you, you're in good company. Studies suggest 70 per cent of us go through phases of emotional eating. Not only does it leave you feeling guilty but emotional eating plays a large part in our falling off the diet-wagon. A major study into why 90 per cent of diets fail found the vast majority ditched their good intentions due to emotional issues and niggles. Although plenty of diets provide good nutritional information, if they don't address managing tricky emotions they're bound to fail. Picture this: you've stuck to correct portion sizes and healthy foods but had a long day, you're stuck in traffic, the children are fussing plus you have stacks to do. The delights of a slab of creamy chocolate play across your mind and you stop to buy a great big bar. Your temporary emotional relief evaporates almost instantly as you think 'there goes my diet.' In interviews for my new book The Emotional Eater's Diet I was struck how emotional eaters seem to fall into four 'profiles'. Identifying your profile is a first step towards . eating to fuel your energy needs and not to feed your emotional needs . Answer honestly to discover the profile you’re most . like: . Are you most likely to . emotionally eat when: . A Angry with someone else or myself . B When stressed and feel I can’t cope . C When feeling I’m not 'good enough'/self-doubt . D When I’m reminded of a painful experience/episode/event like divorce . If you’re feeling neglected or . undermined what’s your most likely reaction? A Inwardly I feel angry being treated like this . B I 'stress' over why they’re behaving that way . C It makes me struggle to feel good about anything the rest of the day . D I feel as I always feel – life’s tough for me . If you could change one . thing about your emotions what would you choose? A I'd stop feeling so much anger . B I'd sort out feeling so stressed . C I'd dump my feelings of insecurity . D I'd block out painful feelings from the past . Dr Pam Spurr says that in order to successfully lose weight we need to identify what kind of emotional eaters we are . What's your biggest fear when . you must face someone about an issue? A I won’t be able to control my temper . B I just keep worrying about how to do it . C I'll back down because I'm no good at conflict . D It'll be too painful to face them . When you emotionally eat what’s . most likely to go through your mind? A Angry feelings about being so weak . B If I wasn't so stressed I wouldn't be snacking . C How I'd love to have someone to lean on at that moment . D That I don't care about upsetting myself over potentially gaining weight . Make a note of how many As, Bs, Cs and Ds you chose. Check your relevant profile but it's extremely beneficial to look through all the profiles. Dr Pam Spurr says that emotional eating can be triggered by a number of different things. From stresses at work to feeling insecure, she says the biggest step to preventing it is identifying it . Mainly As: The Angry Eater Profile . Feeling angry towards others or situations, or turned in towards yourself, is probably key to your emotional eating. Try these: . Mainly Bs: The Stressed Eater Profile . Feeling unable to cope with stress is probably central to your emotional eating. Try these: . Mainly Cs: The Insecure Eater Profile . Dr Pam's book, The Emotional Eater's Diet gives details on how to combat emotional eating - for life! Feelings of insecurity and not being 'good enough' are likely to play a big part in your emotional eating. Try these: . Mainly Ds: The 'Emotionally Wounded' Eater Profile . Your answers suggest you've found it hard to heal past hurts and long-standing, unhappy feelings underlie your emotional eating. Try these: . Of course some people have a mix of answers and in this case it's helpful to look at all the advice for the four different profiles. Identifying your Emotional Eater Profile is one piece of the puzzle. In my book I cover many other key topics to overcoming your emotional eating including your personality traits, emotional life, upbringing, relationships, well-being, appetite control techniques, metabolism boosters and more. The Emotional Eater's Diet by Dr Pam Spurr, New Holland Publishers, £6.89, available at amazon.co.uk . Dr Pam Spurr is on twitter @drpamspurr . | Dr Pam Spurr says that the majority of diets fail due to emotional eating .
To diet successfully we need to establish what emotions cause us to snack .
Take her quiz to discover what kind of emotional eater you are .
Accept you're entitled to your feelings and 'own' your anger. This anger tells you a situation needs to be sorted.
Record angry thoughts with a dictaphone/voice activated app. Listening back helps you understand these feelings, get them out of your system and choose an appropriate response.
Now plan steps towards changing/solving what angers you.
Challenge your negative belief system there's always someone/something to blame. The 'finger of blame' doesn't point to solutions!
Begin to take a 'stuff happens' attitude.
When angry 'think in ink', putting pen to paper, devise ways to approach the person you're upset with.
Devise your own motto like: I won't let anger eat me up because then I'll emotionally eat!
When angry and feeling the impulse to emotionally eat take a brisk five-minute walk - even if at work go back and forth briskly to the staff toilet. Remind yourself the issue you're angry about isn't worth it.
Start saying 'no' to extra responsibilities. By cutting responsibilities you give yourself a better chance of de-stressing.
Delegate as much as possible - many stressed-out people feel they have to do-it-all.
Challenge your stressy' thinking - is this something you really need to stress about? Could you face it in a calm manner?
Change your inner voice to one that repeatedly says it's going to be fine.
Emotional stress causes physical tension to build. Subconsciously you're aware of this physical tension which feeds your cycle of stress. So do regular stress-busting exercise plus calming meditation.
Oxytocin, the emotional bonding hormone, combats stress so get lots of hugs and physical affection from your partner, family, children, etc.
Let go and live a little as many stressed-out people forget having fun is a fantastic stress-antidote. Go to a comedy night, have a picnic, meet up with friends, etc.
Head off potential problems that cause you stress like allowing extra time to get out the door in the morning, to meet deadlines, etc.
When tempted to emotionally eat take five minutes to look through photos of your last relaxing holiday or fun time with family and friends to calm you.
Be aware of the emotionally draining 'disease-to-please' where insecurities mean you're always aiming to please others.
List your three best qualities where you can see them many times a day – focus on these.
Don't believe the myth that everyone else feels confident - many don't but they fake it to make it. 'Faking it to make it' can boost feelings of security.
Insecure people remind themselves of recent failures instead remind yourself of when you coped well with something.
Get more secure about expressing your feelings/beliefs/attitudes with the '3 Ps': plan what you want to say, Practice it so you feel confident, Put it into action.
Switch off your negative inner voice that says you're 'useless”, etc. Challenge it each time it starts.
Stop taking things personally like, e.g., your manager's criticism of a piece of work as about you as a person.
When tempted to emotionally eat ring that person who always makes you feel better about yourself for a reassuring chat.
If harbouring painful memories from past trauma or difficulties get professional help - it's never too late to start the healing process.
If you don't want formal help there are support groups for many different issues. You'll feel better knowing you've started this journey.
Dump the belief that you're not 'worth' the bother of professional help. You are!
Start believing that it's okay to open up to people you trust.
For some much of letting go of past pain is believing it's 'okay' to do so. Give yourself permission to say you can live life more happily from today.
Ring fence new issues that you will face more positively from today. Don't allow them to be clouded by negative feelings from your past.
When tempted to emotionally eat remind yourself you're getting stronger every day and make it your motto that your past won't dictate your present or future. |
0b42196204ae88f1306c87682b7864e309a377a7 | San Salvador, El Salvador (CNN) -- Buried underground about 30 miles from El Salvador's capital city, police made a staggering find this week: 213 grenades. Investigators described the arsenal uncovered Tuesday as "anti-tank grenades" -- the kind of weapons only members of the military are allowed to use in the Central American country. Key questions remain after the discovery: Who hid the grenades there? And how were they planning to use them? Authorities say they suspect the stash is yet another sign that Mexico's brutal Zetas cartel has extended its reach. And members of the military could be involved, they said. "According to our investigations, these have been sold to Zetas drug traffickers in Guatemala and Mexico," Salvadoran Attorney General Luis Martinez told reporters. "And we are going to investigate this. And also we are going to see where they came from." Authorities have asked the United States for assistance with their investigation into the weapons' origin. Police said the grenades, buried about 4 feet underground, were manufactured in China and the United States. Los Zetas known for 'complete absence of scruples' CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report. | Police say they found 213 anti-tank grenades buried underground .
They suspect the stash is connected with a cartel, possibly Mexico's Zetas .
The grenades were manufactured in China and the United States, police say . |
0b4479c97771b6e1aae963c3f2ffa4148c24b330 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 16:02 EST, 14 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:09 EST, 15 March 2013 . A family has released video footage that shows a grandfather who was allegedly left to die in the back of a police van, while police officers waited nine minutes to revive him. Lenny McCourt lost consciousness in the cramped cage after being arrested for being drunk and disorderly at his home in Seaham, County Durham on 11 September 2010. The 44-year-old had been pepper sprayed twice during his arrest and was taken to Peterlee police station. Scroll down for video . Anger: The family of Lenny McCourt have released CCTV footage of his death after claiming police officers took too long to resuscitate him . Lenny MCourt's family called him a 'gentle giant, who loved all of his family' Relatives of Mr McCourt have made the 'heartbreaking decision' to release the CCTV footage after the Durham Police officers involved did not face action, despite failing to administer immediate CPR. Mr McCourt's sister-in-law Tracey McCourt, 47, said: 'Lenny could be here today if one of the police officers had done their job and tried to help him. 'It's clear from the CCTV that it took them more than five minutes to take his cuffs off and nearly ten minutes before they try and give him CPR. 'They are trained in first aid but if they aren't going to use it, or even try and get help, what is the point? 'They have a duty to protect the public and they just stood there with their hands on their hips while Lenny lay dying.' Collapse: Mr McCourt is in a bad way soon after exiting the police van . Mr McCourt lost consciousness in the cramped cage after being arrested for being drunk and disorderly at his home . Last November, an inquest at Crook Coroner's Court ruled that Mr McCourt died of heart disease precipitated by the stress of the events of the day and excess alcohol. Coroner Andrew Tweddle ruled his death was by misadventure. The death of Mr McCourt, grandfather to Reece, eight, and father to Toni, 27, and Launzie, 21, came as a huge shock to the family. Tracey, who is married to Lenny's brother Gene, 49, said: 'We were all devastated, we still are. 'He was a gentle giant, who loved all of his family. He had five brothers who he adored. He didn't deserve to die alone in a police van.' The family has released the footage as their own way of gaining justice after they felt let down by the police. Incapacitated: The 44-year-old had been pepper sprayed twice during his arrest . 'People need to see this to show what is really happening when people are in custody,' Tracey, a factory worker, said. 'The way you see the custody sergeant who can't get to the phone quickly enough to phone for an ambulance explains that he wasn't alive. 'Lenny was pronounced dead at 5.42pm but the first family member didn't find out about it until 11.50pm - that's appalling. A Durham police spokesman said the inquest found no officer had acted unlawfully . 'It's disgusting how we have been treated, the whole process is a disgrace. 'I'm a rational person but when you see the people who are there to protect us failing to do that, I struggle to accept it. "The more people that know about this, the better. 'It's a very tough video to watch, but the police are in a position of power and they need to be brought to account.' The Independent Police Complaints Commission detailed a catalogue of failures by police, including officers waiting about nine minutes before trying to resuscitate Mr McCourt. One officer was given a final written warning and another quit the force over the incident . PC Richard Clark, of Durham Police, was given a final written warning after a disciplinary panel found his actions on the day Mr McCourt died constituted gross misconduct. Special Constable Jeanette Horlock, resigned from the force. A Durham police spokesman said the inquest found no officer had acted unlawfully. The force's head of professional standards, Superintendent Darren Ellis said: 'Since this tragic event we have reviewed our policies and procedures regarding the safe transportation of people taken into custody. 'We have also looked at our policies and procedures for ensuring all relevant officers and staff continue to receive appropriate first aid and refresher training.' | Lenny McCourt's family has released CCTV footage of his death .
They claim he was left to die by police officers .
Police watchdog said there were a catalogue of failures . |
0b4552e922d90a415c66da031820ff3a8814e08f | Lord Mandelson warned the party leadership not to demand the resignation of Nick Clegg as the price of joining forces . Ed Miliband should prepare for a Coalition with Nick Clegg, according to Labour heavyweight Peter Mandelson. The former business secretary said the party should not make the same mistake as 2010 when it refused to contemplate having to do a deal with the Lib Dems to stay in power. Lord Mandelson warned the party leadership not to demand the resignation of Mr Clegg as the price of joining forces. The Labour peer said: ‘In 2010 some senior Lib Dems said a precondition of a viable deal with Labour was Gordon Brown’s departure. ‘Gordon did eventually agree to stand aside in the autumn, but I don’t think it would be any more appropriate to say who their leader should be than it was for them to do so in 2010.’ Lord Mandelson also said it was too early to contemplate a deal with the SNP – warning that many in the party would find it too ‘difficult to stomach’. He said: ‘There is talk of a coalition with the SNP, rather than or in addition to the Liberal Democrats – I just think it is far too early to contemplate that, and who knows how they will do on the day.’ The Labour peer insisted that preparing for a Coalition did not mean he thought Mr Miliband was on course to fall short of a majority at the next election. He said it was ‘not defeatist to consider the different scenarios in which we can get the Tories out’. Speaking to the Guardian, he said: ‘Labour has to be careful about two things – it must not appear tribal or exclusive in its politics and it must not repeat its 2010 lack of preparation.’ He added: ‘Ed Miliband is an intelligent and adaptable person. If Labour is ahead on seats I am sure he will want to give it his best shot.’ The former Cabinet heavyweight – the First Secretary of State under Gordon Brown – said Labour and the Lib Dems would be able to iron out its differences. He said: ‘Where there is a will there is a way, but it will be harder to scramble something together at the last moment if there has been no thinking through beforehand.’ Lord Mandelson added: ‘Achieving greater fairness and protecting those most in need would be relatively easy to agree between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, as would the position on Europe, while the harder issues would be reducing the financial deficit and long-term debt. ‘We cannot achieve anything we want without economic growth and policies to achieve that will have to come first. Security against terrorism would also have to be hammered out.’ Lord Mandelson (left) was the First Secretary of State under Gordon Brown and served in the Cabinet with Ed Miliband (right) Mr Miliband should consider how Labour could form a coalition with the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, said Lord Mandelson . He said Labour under Gordon Brown had failed to prepare properly for Coalition. The peer said: ‘Some of us certainly contemplated beforehand what would happen if we lost our overall majority in 2010, but we did nothing about it, and during the weekend after polling day we had to make up in 48 hours what we had failed to do in the previous three months. ‘No real attempt had been made to get on working terms with the Liberal Democrats. ‘Gordon Brown had good personal relations with Menzies Campbell and Vince Cable, and he talked to them regularly – a relationship that continued in the weekend of talks in 2010. But he was not on the same terms with Nick Clegg. ‘We were rapidly trying to make up for lost time. Gordon asked me to lead the Labour coalition talks [and] though I doubted the post-election arithmetic would add up I gave it all we had. ‘But it was all too makeshift. If we had been serious the talking should have started long before, as I suspected it had informally between the Liberal Democrats and the Tories. For them, the chemistry fell into place quite quickly. We were fighting a losing battle.’ | Mandelson warned Labour not to demand resignation of Nick Clegg .
Labour peer said party needed to prepare for Coalition negotiations .
He also said it was too early to contemplate a deal with the SNP . |
0b455b6978112961a0ae32a78c460ed82ec6b42d | By . Hayley Peterson . PUBLISHED: . 09:59 EST, 29 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:32 EST, 29 July 2013 . The FBI rescued 105 teenagers over the weekend who were forced into prostitution in the largest child sex trafficking sting in U.S. history, which encompassed 76 cities, the agency said Monday. The youngest child rescued was 13 years old, the FBI said. The raids resulted in the arrests of 150 'pimps' involved in the sexual exploitation of both adults and children, said Ronald Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s criminal investigative division. Scroll down for videos . FBI agents went undercover and met girls in hotel rooms to identify victims of child sex trafficking . According to the FBI, 60 percent of the children rescued were in foster care or group homes when they ran away . Alex, now 21, was a victim of child sex trafficking before she reached out to the FBI for help. He case is not related to the weekend raids . The FBI said 60 percent of the children rescued were in foster care or group homes when they ran away. 'With no way to survive on their own they are lured into a life of being trafficked for sex,' Hosko said. Girls are enticed into the sex trade with compliments and offers of making money 'and then they are trapped in this cycle that involves drugs, it involves physical abuse, it may involve torture... so that they are tied to the pimp,' he said. Hosko added: 'Commonly they don't see law enforcement as their friends' but rather as a threat of arrest. The largest numbers of children rescued were in San Francisco, Detroit, Milwaukee, Denver and New Orleans. To identify victims of sex . trafficking, agents went undercover in major cities and posed as . men looking for sex. They also used Backpage, a website that is used to sell girls for sex. Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, announced that the agency has rescued 105 children who were forced into prostitution in the U.S. FBI agents used Backpage, a website that is used to sell girls for sex, to identify victims of prostitution . FBI agents are pictured making an arrest during weekend sting . Alex, now 21, was a victim of child sex trafficking . Alex left home at the age of 16 and was sucked into prostitution because she couldn't afford to eat. 'At first it was terrifying, and then you just kind of become numb to it,' she told the FBI. 'I felt empty. You are at the bottom of the bottom. And you have nobody to go to... for help or for a hug. There’s nobody.' After two years on the streets, Alex reached out to the FBI, which helped her get back on her feet and arrested the 'pimps' involved in trafficking her - Sacramento residents Tynisha Marie Hornbuckle and Tamrell Rena Hornbuckle. As a result of their crimes, Tynisha was sentenced to 15 years in prison and Tamrell was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Alex has since earned her high school diploma and she plans to attend college. Offering her advice to other victims of child sex trafficking, she said, 'They can take everything from you; your voice, your freedom, they can take your fight and will, your everything. But you cannot ever let them take your heart; you have to always keep fighting.' 'Many . times the children that are taken in in these types of criminal . activities are children that are disaffected, they are from broken . homes, they may be on the street themselves,' FBI Acting Executive . Assistant Director Kevin Perkins said. 'They are really looking for a . meal, they are looking for shelter, they are looking for someone to take . care of them.' Overall, 47 FBI divisions took part in the raids, dubbed 'Operation Cross Country VII,' along with more than 3,900 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers and agents representing 230 separate agencies. Taking place over the course of three days in 76 cities, it is the largest ever enforcement action against child sex trafficking in the U.S.The suspects who were arrested will likely face both federal and state charges of trafficking. Since 2003, the FBI has rescued more than 2,700 children from sexual exploitation, according to the agency. The previous rescue operations have resulted in the convictions of 1,350 suspects and the seizure of more than $3.1 million in assets. 'Child prostitution remains a persistent threat to children across the country,' Hosko said. The Justice Department estimates that nearly 450,000 children run away from home each year, one-third of whom will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. That was the case with Alex, a woman who left home at the age of 16 and joined a prostitution ring because she couldn't afford to eat. In a video posted to the FBI's website on Monday, . Alex, now 21, says life as a child prostitute was 'terrifying.' Alex said she left home at the age of 16 and was sucked into the sex trade because she couldn't afford to eat . A woman is arrested in connection with 'Operation Cross County' in Atlantic County, New Jersey . Several arrests are made in connection with child sex trafficking. The Justice Department estimates that nearly 450,000 children run away from home each year, one-third of whom will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home . 'At . first it was terrifying, and then you just kind of become numb to it,' she said. 'Not like an alter ego but just like a different person, you . put on a whole different attitude - I felt empty. You are at the bottom . of the bottom. And you have nobody to go to... for help or for a hug. There’s nobody.' After two years of sexual exploitation, Alex contacted the FBI for help. The information that she provided helped the agency nab two pimps and rescue several other victims. Alex has since earned her high school diploma and she plans to attend college. Without the help of the FBI, she said she 'probably would have ended up dead.' Offering her advice to other victims of child sex trafficking, she said, 'They can take everything from you; your voice, your freedom, they can take your fight and will, your everything. But you cannot ever let them take your heart; you have to always keep fighting.' 'Bad things happen, worse things than what have happened to us, all over the world, and people seem to keep going through it and living on and living life,' she added. 'The important thing is to try and turn every negative into a positive and make something good out of it.' An unidentified suspect is arrested for alleged involvement in a sex trafficking scheme . An undercover agent leads a victim of sex trafficking into a hotel room, before bringing in other law enforcement officers . | The rescued children were between 13 and 17 years old .
60 percent of the children rescued were in foster care or group homes when they ran away and were sucked into the sex trade .
The FBI raids, dubbed Operation Cross Country, took place over three days in 76 cities .
It is is the largest ever enforcement action against child sex trafficking in the U.S. |
0b4734299bd2efab61b768ea01f26fce743c1485 | By . Wills Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 15:05 EST, 14 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:55 EST, 14 January 2014 . A couple who took their children out of school so they could have their first family holiday in five years risk being jailed after refusing to pay fines introduced under controversial new laws. Stewart and Natasha Sutherland will appear before Telford Magistrates' Court tomorrow after they took their three children to the Greek island of Rhodes during the school term. The couple were given an initial fine of £360 after the family of five went away for seven days at the end of September, but were unwilling to pay. The penalty then doubled to £720 because they did not pay the fee within 21 days. The Sutherland family: (left to right) Sian, 13, mother Natasha, Keane, six, father Stewart and daughter Rhiannon, 15 on holiday in Rhodes . Now the week-long break could cost the couple up to £2,000, while they also face the prospect of a three-month prison sentence. The family booked the holiday in October 2012, before the new guidelines were put into force on September 1 least year. Before they went away, the couple were warned they each risked a £60 fine for taking their six-year-old son, Keane, and their daughters Sian, 13, and Rhiannan, 15, on the break. Mr Sutherland, 39, who works for the Ministry of Defence Guard Service, said, the family struggle to fit in a regular holiday and were desperate to get away. ‘It’s like a revolving door in our house - I come in from work and my wife goes out.' he said. ‘We haven’t been able to get leave in the school holidays at the same time for five years, and we desperately needed a family break. Paradise: The family of five went to the Greek Island of Rhodes, a destination popular with British tourists . ‘I work in a sensitive job where . staffing levels have to be maintained - there’s been a recruitment and . overtime ban and it’s been impossible to arrange summer leave that fits . in with the rest of the family. ‘I . know how important education is - but there’s a bigger picture. Family . time is important, too, and the children’s behaviour and schooling has . improved massively since our holiday together.’ The amendments to school attendance regulations ended a policy which let schools grant up to 10 days leave a year for family holidays. Headteachers now are not obliged to give pupils leave during term time, expect in 'exceptional circumstances.' Now, according to Section 444 of the Education Act, 1996, parents are legally required to send their children to school on a regular basis, and failure to do so can land them a fine or prison sentence. Youngest: Their six-year-old son Keane was taken out of Donnigton Wood Primary School in Telford . Mr Sutherland added ‘I informed the school after the summer holidays that we were taking the children out for six days. At that point, I wasn’t even aware of the new legislation. ‘We had a letter back warning that as the time off was not authorised we could be fined, but the holiday was already booked and paid for - what could I do? ‘I’ve since become aware that other parents just lie and tell the school their kids are ill, but I was upfront from the outset and raise my children to be honest. ‘I’ve even heard of local schools . advising parents to say their children are sick to avoid getting fined. What kind of lesson does that teach them - that it’s OK to lie and be . deceitful?’ The couple are . arguing that the education authority has no appeal process and they have . no choice but to go to court to have their say. Older children: Their daughters Sian, 13, and Rhiannan, 15, both attend Sutherland Business and Enterprise College in Telford . Mr Sutherland said: ‘This is not about the fine or the cost of the holidays outside of school term, it is about the principle. I could not have holiday any other time. ‘We spoke to the school attendance officer and things looked hopeful that the fines would be quashed. ‘But the next day we had an email back saying once a fine had been issued, it couldn’t be withdrawn. ‘I asked the attendance officer to put herself in our shoes - the kids go back to school and their friends ask where they’ve been over the holidays. ‘They have to say 'nowhere, my dad was working. The local authority issues a penalty notice to parents who fail to ensure their kids attend school. It equates to £60 per child, rising to £120 if it's not paid within 21 days. After 28 days, if the fine remains unpaid, the local authority is required to begin legal proceedings in a magistrate's court. The couple are being prosecuted under Section 444 of the 1996 Education Act, subsections one and eight.The two parts refer to a parent's failure to secure regular attendance at school of registered pupil. If a child of compulsory school age fails to attend the school regularly, his parent is guilty of an offence. If the parent knows that his child is failing to attend regularly at the school and fails without reasonable justification to cause him to do so, he is guilty of an offence. If a person is guilty to any of the above offences they are liable on summary conviction with punishments ranging from a fine to a three-month prison sentence. The guidelines apply to all state-funded schools. 'I told the attendance officer they were trying to deprive children of having a holiday and I was told I’d deprived them of six days education and should feel guilty. ‘We are their parents; it should be up to us. I have no concerns over any of my children or their level of education. They are all in the top sets, and we believe quality family time is just as important as schooling. ‘We are bringing our children up to value their education, we know how important it is, but we are being punished for three things, because we work full-time, the fines are double because we are married, and finally because we were honest enough to tell the school the truth about the holiday instead of simply saying the kids were ill.’ Kay Burford, attendance support team leader for Telford & Wrekin Council said the new legislation is clear and any time off is disruptive to a child’s education. She said: ‘Our policy supports new legislation which makes it clear that head teachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. ‘Leave in term-time which results in significant absence from school is disruptive to the child’s education and has a detrimental impact on attainment. There is no automatic right to any leave or holiday in term time. The regulations clearly make the point that the headteacher has the final decision as to whether to authorise the leave or not. ‘The Telford & Wrekin Council LA Policy Statement has been developed within the context of the national and local priority of raising the educational achievement and attainment of pupils. The Government has renewed appeals to parents not to take their children out of school during term time.’ A Department for Education spokesman said: 'Poor attendance at school can have a hugely damaging . effect, and children who attend school regularly are nearly four times more . likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs than those who are regularly absent. 'That is why we have given schools more power to tackle . poor attendance and allowed them to intervene much earlier. We have also . increased the amount parents can be fined for unauthorised absences and cut the . amount of time they have to pay. 'Parents should never simply discount a possible penalty . notice from the cost of a cheaper holiday, because this is a criminal offence . and when doing so they are always risking prosecution' | Stewart and Natasha Sutherland will appear at Telford Magistrates' Court .
Couple refused to pay initial £360 fine after holiday at the end of September .
They booked the holiday for their three children before guidelines came in .
Penalty then doubled to £720 because it was not paid within 21 days .
Now the week-long break could cost up to £2,000 and pair could be jailed .
Under new rules, children can only take days off for holiday in 'execptional circumstances' |
0b47dc2b784a165f6bbad6a3b58b0233ea2c5552 | A furious bidding war for the Hollywood film rights to the British publishing phenomenon of the year has broken out – even before the book has been released. Us by David Nicholls is already the most hotly awaited novel of the year. His last book, One Day, sold an astonishing five million copies - including two million in Britain alone - after its publication in 2009. The first ever glimpse of Us will be revealed in this weekend’s Mail on Sunday, with an exclusive 8,500-word extract in a special issue of You magazine. It sets up the plot of a couple and their teenage son touring Europe as they attempt to salvage their crumbling marriage – a storyline that was inspired by Nicholls’ own experience of promoting One Day five years ago. Hotly awaited: Us by David Nicholls (pictured) has been the object of a bidding war even before it's release . Booksellers expect huge demand for the novel, which is predicted to top best seller lists around the world when it is published by Hodder & Stoughton on September 30 – and now Mail Online can reveal that Russell Crowe is among the Hollywood A-listers locked in a battle for the film rights. One Day was adapted into a film in 2011 starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess as lovers whose relationship was charted on the same date over several years. Nicholls last night confirmed to MailOnline that there was interest in a film version of his new novel. ‘Yes, there has been talk about that. Of course I would love it to have another life like One Day.’ Gladiator star Crowe is reported to want to both produce and star in the adaptation. A leading British film producer said: ‘I am putting in for the book and so is everybody else I know. There is a great deal of interest in it and some of Hollywood’s biggest stars including Crowe believe it could be the ideal vehicle for them.’ Smash hit: One Day sold five million copies . Another industry source said: ‘A number of production companies are already taking an active interest.’ Explaining that a film is inevitable, the source added: ‘It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.’ In Us, middle-aged scientist Douglas Peterson is married to Connie, who was once the love of his life. Now, though, it appears their marriage is all but over. In one last attempt to rekindle their love they take a trip across Europe with their rebellious teenage son Albie in tow. The book follows the mismatched trio on their adventures in Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Venice, Florence, Sienna, Madrid and Barcelona. Each destination on the trip triggers a memory of happier times - and all three members of the family must question whether they have a future together. Experts believe the story will have widespread appeal and could be a break-out hit among older audiences - like Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which starred Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, and Bill Nighy. One insider said: ‘You have got three brilliant lead characters and it’s a perfect film for an older demographic.’ Sources close to the book say Nicholls has told interested parties he doesn’t even want to sit down for detailed talks until October. He is known to have a close working relationship with BBC Films, the Corporation’s feature film division, and another collaboration with them is a distinct possibility. Nicholls has just adapted a big screen adaptation of Far From The Madding Crowd for the BBC which stars Carey Mulligan and will be released next year. Friends say Nicholls is unlikely to adapt the film himself following what is said to be his unhappy experience on the 2011 adaptation of One Day. The movie took a respectable $70 million at the box office but some fans were unhappy with the casting of Hathaway as the book’s Yorkshire heroine. Young love: One Day was adapted for the big screen in 2011, starring Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway . Although not yet published, Us has already been recognised with a place among the 13 books on the Booker Prize longlist - unlike Martin Amis, who missed out with his new novel The Zone Of Interest. Nicholls’ fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the shortlist on Tuesday to see if Us has been chosen as one of the final six. | Mail on Sunday to exclusively release first glimpse of David Nicholls’ Us this weekend – with major 8,500-word extract .
Russell Crowe and Hollywood directors battle it out for film rights before novel is even published .
New book expected to break all publishing records on September 30 after previous novel sold 5 million copies .
Be the first to read David Nicholls’ brilliant new book – get The Mail on Sunday this weekend for your exclusive extract in You magazine . |
0b480ec31522a905b2284a4287833ae408374c76 | (PEOPLE.com) -- A "devastated" Simon Monjack told PEOPLE his wife Brittany Murphy did not overdose on drugs and did not suffer from an eating disorder. "These rumors that she was anorexic? It's crazy -- she was slim, but that was her natural physique," Monjack told PEOPLE. "This is what's killing all of us? How did it happen? Her mum, myself and her family -- we want to know why we lost our baby." During a sometimes tear-filled interview, an exhausted Monjack, 39, who hasn't slept since his mother-in-law found his wife collapsed in the bathroom early Sunday, said all he knows is what doctors told him at the hospital: She died of cardiac arrest, but they won't know details until after an autopsy. (A coroner's spokesperson said the results could take up to six weeks, for toxicology reports to be final.) "My initial reaction to the autopsy was -- they're going to cut her open -- I couldn't bear it," Monjack said, weeping. "That would break her mother, but we realized we needed to know. I look forward to getting the results." He added that his wife of three years did suffer from a heart murmur (mitral valve prolapse), which can cause fatigue, dizziness and irregular heartbeats -- but is generally not life threatening. Murphy didn't require medication to treat it, says Monjack. But on Saturday, he said, his wife was ill, resting in bed all day suffering from laryngitis, which the actress treated with herbal tea, ginger and lemon. "She was on herbal remedies that wouldn't speed up her heart," Monjack said. "There was nothing here that could endanger her; there was prescription medication in the house for her female time and some cough syrup. That was it." Asked point-blank if a drug overdose was a possible cause of death, Monjack replied, "I can get rid of that one right now," he said. Last Saturday, the couple just relaxed in bed, watching three movies as Murphy prepared to cast her vote as a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. They ordered Brittany's favorite takeout -- Thai food -- and ate soup prepared by Murphy's mother, Sharon, who has lived with them for 3½ years. "She was tired and a little sad because she was sick," Monjack said about Brittany. "She wore her pink Beverly Hills Hotel robe and monkey pajamas. We saw It's Complicated, Public Enemy and The Princess and the Frog. The couple were joined by Murphy's companion, a pet Maltese named Clara, a Christmas gift last year from Monjack that Murphy named after her favorite silent screen star, Clara Bow. "One of the saddest things is that Clara has looked everywhere for Brittany and can't find her," said Monjack. Monjack, a photographer, first met Murphy on a photo shoot when she was 13 after she moved to Hollywood with her mother, Sharon. They began dating after being reintroduced at Murphy's 28th birthday party and married a year later. "So many people have their views of us, but they never met us or sat down with us," he said. "I'm not perfect, but I don't think anyone is ... I am feeling beyond devastated. I was in love with Brittany and Brittany with me." The couple had plans for 2010: Brittany would continue to work, but she wanted to get pregnant. "She was an only child," said Monjack. "She wanted a baby. Her big dream next year was to have a child, and we talked about how he or she would look. She'd say, 'They'd better have your eyes and lips and my hair.' " But Monjack did concede his wife was trying to get heavier. "She tried to gain weight but had one of those metabolisms -- a high metabolism -- but enjoyed food as much as anyone. I wish I could show all the receipts from the take out restaurants," he said. "We are faced with this ridiculous reality that people out there believe she felt, 'Oh, poor me, I'm fat, I'm thin.' Brittany didn't see beauty as a physical thing, which I'm bloody lucky for," he said with a laugh. "I know there was a disparity in how we looked and I'm no movie star, but she always saw the person." Monjack said he has been upset by some of the published reports. "It's horrible -- the death of a beautiful young woman, a Hollywood icon; it has to be explained. It just can't be a tragic accident," he said, trying to explain the headlines. "We don't want to accept that a beautiful young wife and daughter woke up one morning and died a tragic death." But he's most worried about his mother-in-law. "I don't know if she will ever recover, and I know when she reads all this nonsense about her son-in-law and her deceased daughter, her heart is breaking. She has lived with us and saw the love and support. I hope she stays -- I can't imagine my life without Sharon -- she's my link to Brittany." Monjack said Brittany's family arrived in town Monday and that funeral plans are pending. © 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Simon Monjack dialed 911, and watched medics attempt to revive his wife .
Monjack said it had been a regular day until Murphy's mother called for his attention .
Monjack said he and and Murphy were planning to have a child in 2010 .
A final autopsy report may take up to six weeks, a coroner's spokesperson said . |
0b4896ef719db1e82f796fd46bc4a9b44765ad30 | By . Mike Dickson . Follow @@Mike_Dickson_DM . It was much like any other Monday at Holywood Golf Club, though a few more people than usual were lingering around what they call Rory’s Corner. That is probably selling it a bit short. For this is a mini-museum in the immaculately refurbished clubhouse that pays tribute to its most famous son, who on Sunday was crowned Open champion at Hoylake. Somehow they now need to find space in the shrine to McIlroy’s career for a replica Claret Jug to go alongside that of the US Open trophy, his Ryder Cup golf bag, MBE medal and the picture of him winning the World Under-10 Championship. VIDEO Scroll down the watch The Open Championship: Final Round . Aloft: Rory McIlroy holds the Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship at Hoylake on Sunday . Sealed with a kiss: Rory McIlroy finally gets his hands - and lips - on the Claret Jug . VIDEO The Open Championship: Final Round . Young champion: McIlroy grew up playing at the Holywood Golf Club in Northern Ireland . Yet, nobody was getting carried away here, not even down in the pleasant town he calls home, nestled by Belfast Lough, where the only signs of celebration were montages of the local hero in the hardware store and estate agent’s window. Back at the club, members reminisced not just about the young Rory but the whole McIlroy clan who, over three generations, have become deeply woven into its fabric. Jimmy Curtis was a close friend of Rory’s grandfather, Jimmy, who worked the cranes at the Harland and Wolff shipyard. ‘We were in the club’s snooker team together and we got our picture in the paper because all seven players were called Jimmy,’ recalled Mr Curtis, the team’s only survivor. Jimmy McIlroy died suddenly after his retirement, leaving three sons - Brian, Colin and Gerry, the latter the father of Rory who also worked behind the club bar. Chip out: McIlroy in the rough during his fourth round at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club . Lead from the font: The Northern Irishman finished the week on -17, two shots clear of his nearest rivals . Colin and Gerry are both up on the board as past club champions, as is a 16-year-old Rory. Past president Barry Dobbin showed the area by the bar where Rory, aged just two, would chip balls with a tiny club. ‘He was quiet and very well mannered - a nice boy,’ said Dobbin. ‘He was already good at seven and his father wanted him to join. I proposed him but the problem was that at the time the minimum age limit was 12. 'We had to change the club’s constitution to allow him to join, but it was a very close vote.’ A legacy of that was the large number of schoolchildren playing competitions there yesterday. ‘It seems to be a magnet for young golfers now,’ added Dobbin. ‘We also have a lot more Americans visiting here. They want to see where Rory came from and a few have become overseas members.’ Winner: Rory McIlroy has won his third Grand Slam at the age of 25, becoming only the third to do so . Embrace: The champion celebrates with his mum after securing the win at Hoylake on Sunday . Club general manager Paul Gray was the professional when the future superstar was just learning the game. ‘At eight Rory’s technique was very polished and by 13 he was probably better than me, to be honest,’ said Gray. ‘He used to come and play pro-ams with me, and I will always remember a shot he played at the Hilton course at Templepatrick that suggested he would be something special. ‘There was a fierce wind blowing across the hole and the pin was tucked away. He hit this four-iron from about 200 yards and somehow got it to hold its line to get to within a couple of feet. ‘It was the sort of shot that told you he would be outstanding - it was just a question of how good.’ Others, like his father, clearly felt the same, which is why some placed long-term bets on the young McIlroy to become Open champion by 26. One of them, Wilbur Walker, is said to have collected £25,000 after Sunday and, with the subject of his foresight returning to Belfast on Monday, had cause for a huge celebration. Eyed up: McIlroy trying to maintain a six-shot lead going into the final day . 1989: Born on May 4 in Holywood, Northern Ireland. 2005: Plays in his first professional European Tour event as a 16-year-old at The Forest of Arden. In July, shoots a course-record 61 on the Dunluce links at Royal Portrush. 2007: July - Shoots opening round of 68 in the Open at Carnoustie, the only bogey-free round of the day. Goes on to tie for 42nd and wins Silver Medal as leading amateur. September 18 - Turns professional. October - Finishes third in his second pro event, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The following week, he secures his card for the 2008 season by finishing joint fourth at the Open de Madrid. 2008: September 7 - Takes a four-shot lead into the final round at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland but bogeys the 18th to tie with Jean-Francois Lucquin, who goes on to win in a play-off. Finishes the season in the top 100 of the world rankings and ranked 36th on the European Tour Order of Merit. November - Finishes second in the UBS Hong Kong Open, helping him become the youngest player ever to make the top 50 in the world rankings. 2009: February 1 - Wins first professional title at the Dubai Desert Classic by one shot from Justin Rose. November - After finishing second to Lee Westwood in the Race to Dubai, enters the world's top 10 for the first time. 2010: May 2 - Secures first PGA Tour win with victory in the Quail Hollow Championship. His final-round 62 is a new course record. Becomes the firstplayer since Tiger Woods to triumph on the PGA Tour prior to his 21st birthday. July 15 - Shoots 63 on the opening day at St Andrews to lead the Open. Rounds of 80, 68 and 69 see him finish joint third. October 4 - Wins a crucial half point against Stewart Cink to help Europe win the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor. 2011: April 10 - Takes four-shot lead into final round of the Masters at Augusta but shoots a closing 80 to finish tied 15th. June 19 - Wins US Open at Congressional by eight shots for his first major title. 2012: March 4 - Wins the Honda Classic in Florida to claim the world number one ranking, although he later loses it to Luke Donald. June - Misses the cut in the defence of his US Open title. Finishes a lowly 60th in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham the following month. August 12 - Lands the US PGA title at Kiawah Island, winning by eight shots. September 30 - Having almost missed his singles match due to a timekeeping issue, McIlroy beats Keegan Bradley as Europe recover from 10-6 behind on the final day to win the Ryder Cup at Medinah. October/November - Second place at the BMW Masters in Shanghai is followed by third place at the Barclays Singapore Open as McIlroy wins the Race to Dubai with two events remaining. November 25 - Wins the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, beating Justin Rose by two shots after five closing birdies. 2013: January 14 - Signs a multi-year sponsorship deal with Nike, reportedly worth up to £156million. March - Walks off course in second round of Honda Classic, telling reporters he was 'not in a good place mentally'. His management company later issue a statement saying he was suffering from toothache. June - Bends a club out of shape in frustration in the final round of the US Open at Merion, finishing 41st. July - Labels his own play as "brain dead" after missing the cut in the Open at Muirfield. September - Sets up his own management company, Rory McIlroy Inc, prompting a legal battle with former company Horizon Sports. December - Wins first tournament of year in Australian Open. 2014: May - Wins BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after starting the final round seven shots behind. Five days earlier had called off wedding to Caroline Wozniacki after invitations had been sent out. July 20 - Wins third major title by two shots in the Open, leading from start to finish at Royal Liverpool. Pressure: McIlroy saw his lead cut as the day went on but he still managed to go on and claim the Claret Jug . Centre of attention: Dustin Johnson of the USA hits one out the rough during the final round at Hoylake . | McIlroy grew up playing golf at Holywood Golf Club in Northern Ireland .
The club has created a mini-museum of memorabilia called Rory's Corner .
McIlroy won the Open Championship at Hoylake on Sunday .
He is a treble Major winner after 2011 US Open and 2012 US PGA triumphs .
Club members and McIlroy's father placed large bets on him winning Open .
McIlroy's grandfather, father and uncles all played at Holywood Golf Club . |
0b48e1926c03510dafd2398e8bb607f3fdb85e9e | (CNN) -- Even at the age of 82 the work ethic still burns bright in Arnold Palmer, the man who inspired a generation of baby-boomers to take up golf and whose support of the British Open proved pivotal for its future success. The elite of world golf gather at Royal Lytham and St. Annes this week on the 50th anniversary of Palmer's crushing victory at Scottish links course Troon in 1962 -- and "The King" still exerts a significant influence on the sport he once dominated. "I would like to be remembered for bringing golf to a worldwide audience," Palmer told CNN. "Players today have no boundaries." As part of golf's "Big Three," Palmer helped pioneering player agent Mark McCormack take the sport around the globe in the 1960s, capitalizing on the ever-growing reach of television. Why U.S. golf has a healthy future . The tournament Palmer still proudly hosts in the last week of March, at his Bay Hill course in Florida, attracts a stellar international lineup and was won this year by Tiger Woods. He is a very hands-on host, making sure the course is in top condition and appearing daily on the television coverage of the event. This year, he suffered a health scare after leaving the TV tower on the final day -- a blood pressure problem, according to his family -- and could not give out the prizes as has been tradition. But Palmer has made a full recovery and now, half century on from his second British Open triumph, the spotlight has again fallen on his trailblazing achievements. A leader of men . When he first played golf's oldest tournament in 1960, it had fallen out of favor with American pros. Ben Hogan in 1953 was the last from the U.S. to win it, and only three entered in 1959 -- put off by the long journey and comparatively low prize money on offer. Again there were only three Americans in the 74-man field at St. Andrews, one being the legendary Gene Sarazen -- still playing late into his 50s on a lifetime exemption dating back to his 1932 success. Palmer failed to emulate Hogan's triple-major feat, falling one shot short of Kel Nagle following earlier victories at the Masters and U.S. Open, but he returned to the UK the next year and claimed the coveted "Claret Jug" at Royal Birkdale. Palmer had already won his third Masters crown before romping to victory at Troon in 1962. "I got it going in the final round and it was very enjoyable," he told CNN. Ever modest, Palmer's margin of victory over Nagle was six shots and he was a remarkable 13 strokes clear of third place. His 1961 exploits had inspired a young Jack Nicklaus to make his British Open debut at Troon, and the "Golden Bear" won it for the first time in 1966 -- two years after compatriot Tony Lema also triumphed at St. Andrews. By then Palmer had been represented by McCormack for several years, and their partnership helped changed the face of golf and modern sports. Famous deal . McCormack was a Cleveland attorney, only a year older than Palmer, and they famously struck their deal in 1960 with just a handshake. McCormack had seen his client's potential, and the increased television coverage of golf was extending his appeal to a wider audience. "He was very smart. He was a motivator and went after it, and that was something I enjoyed," recalled Palmer. McCormack later persuaded Nicklaus and South Africa's Gary Player to join Palmer at his International Management Group (IMG) and the "Big Three" was born, popularizing golf worldwide in a series of made-for-television events. But Palmer held a very special place in the affections of the golfing galleries and it is easy to see why with his attacking play and flamboyant style. He was the first golfer to attract his own special following -- "Arnie's Army" -- diehard fans who surrounded every green to cheer him on, win or lose. Woods in his pomp had a similar fan base decades later, but Palmer was the first and he appreciated their support. "They only encouraged me to continue to do the things I was doing and gave me the confidence I needed," he said. Charismatic star . But it was not only his fine play which drew them in. He had that "something" -- an aura, charisma combined with good looks. A hitch of his tightly fitting pants followed most shots, and his stylish outfits made him stand out from the average pro. "It was not something I really planned," Palmer admitted. "I liked a sharp crease in my slacks, my shoes polished to shine, while my shirts were conservative with a straight collar. "It was a style I stuck with for most of my career." Intentional or not, it has proved popular. GQ Magazine named him one of the "50 most stylish men of the past 50 years" and Esquire had him in a list of the "75 best-dressed men of all time." Golfers are rarely remembered for their fashion sense, usually the exact opposite, but the outfits he wore in 1962 have been recreated for a new range of Arnie Apparel. Palmer wanted promising PGA Tour player Ryan Moore to don the outfits -- "I took a particular liking to him when he won the U.S. Amateur, a very polite young man" -- and he has got his wish. Moore has won once on the lucrative U.S. calendar, in 2009, but if he can achieve a fraction of Palmer's achievements in golf, he will count himself lucky. Seven major wins, 62 in all on the PGA Tour, not to mention his later exploits on the Seniors circuit -- which he more than any other golfer helped publicize and give legitimacy to the idea of golfers aged 50 plus still competing at the top level. Endorsing success . With the business acumen of McCormack promoting his off-course activities, Palmer lent his image to a host of products and services, becoming the first sportsman to show that income from commercial endorsements could outstrip prize-money earnings. "Mark was very good at marketing," Palmer said, and where he led, others were quick to follow. With the "Big Three" dominating golf, McCormack branched out into other sports such as tennis and then into the world of showbiz. He even marketed a papal tour of Britain in 1982. By the time McCormack died in 2003, IMG was the most powerful sports marketing company in the world and had Woods as its star client. Palmer's own commercial activities have helped him amass an estimated $675 million fortune, which is still growing despite his retirement from competitive golf in 2006. He is proud of his legacy on and off the course, and is optimistic for the future, particularly with golf winning inclusion to the 2016 Olympics in Rio. "We will see more Third World countries participating. I think that's important, and we will see interest getting to the point when we can rival soccer and tennis," he predicted. Palmer may well get his wish, but he has already forged his place in golfing history as a true trailblazer. | This week marks 50th anniversary of Arnold Palmer's second victory at British Open .
Palmer's support of British major helped popularize the tournament internationally .
American's partnership with agent Mark McCormack changed the face of sports .
Palmer shows no sign of easing up at the age of 82 . |
0b4956026095ef21f3b143bca63df938339c2534 | West Ham have pulled out of a loan deal for 19-year-old AC Milan striker M'Baye Niang. The striker was chased by Everton, Tottenham and Arsenal 18 months ago while at Caen. The France Under 21 international became the San Siro club’s second youngest scorer in history, but a dip in form and Milan’s disastrous season saw him shipped off to Montpellier on loan in January. VIDEO Scroll down to see what was left of Niang's Ferrari in the aftermath of the crash . Wanted: M'Baye Niang (left) is in talks with West Ham over a £250,000 loan deal from AC Milan . He returned at the end of this season having been in trouble and handed a suspended jail term for his involvement in a hit-and-run accident earlier in the year. Niang is available for a fee of around £4million. Experience: Niang's parent club AC Milan are interested in loaning the forward out once again . Trouble: Niang was handed a suspended jail term for his involvement in a hit-and-run accident earlier this year . | West Ham had been looking at taking the striker to Upton Park on loan .
19-year-old has attracted interest from Everton, Tottenham and Arsenal . |
0b497855bedaa97dbff17228f409efc39176508e | Penny Nadal (left) is suing a care company after her daughter Lisa Conisbee (right) suffered horrific facial injuries when her wheelchair rolled down a steep hill . A mother is suing her disabled daughter's carers after her wheelchair rolled 200ft down a steep hill and crashed into a main road. Lisa Conisbee, 27, who suffers from cerebral palsy, received horrific facial injuries after her chair rolled down the hill before hitting a kerb and throwing her into the road. Two carers had pushed her to the top of Skinners Hill, in Rushden, Northamptonshire, where they waited for a bus while out on a day trip. It is believed the brakes on her wheelchair may not have been applied as they were waiting, allowing it to roll down the steep incline. Her mother Penny Nadal, 53, is now taking legal action against Olympus Care Services - claiming her daughter’s carers forgot to apply the brakes to the wheelchair. Ms Conisbee - who was left with a scar above her eye and several cuts and bruises to her face - took two months to recover after the fall on April 23 last year. Yesterday, her teaching assistant mother said her daughter, who also suffers from spinal problems, epilepsy and partial blindness, was 'lucky to be alive'. She said: 'To say I am absolutely appalled and angry is an understatement. 'My daughter was placed in the carers’ hands to be looked after and you have to have an understanding of trust. 'I feel betrayed that this has happened to Lisa and just want to understand exactly how it could happen. Injuries: Ms Consibee, 27, suffered horrific facial injuries following the fall on April 23 last year and took two months to recover . Scarred: Ms Conisbee, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was left with a scar above her eye and several cuts and bruises to her face following the incident . Ms Conisbee took two months to recover from the fall in April last year . 'My daughter has suffered her whole life and this will leave a lasting mental scar. 'Trust has to be earned with my daughter and she always felt safe in her wheelchair but this incident has left her traumatised. Before: Lisa in a picture taken three years ago, before her accident. She lives in a specially adapted bungalow with 24 hour care . 'If a vehicle had been coming the other way she could have been killed. 'I don’t believe the brakes could have been applied, otherwise she would never have rolled down the hill. 'Since the accident she has been very quiet and subdued and is nowhere near as happy as she used to be. 'She has even said things like "don’t let them tip me out" when getting in her wheelchair. 'It is just awful. I just think that somebody has to be held accountable.' Ms Conisbee lives with other people in a specially adapted bungalow in Wellingborough with 24-hour care. Ms Nadal, who has two other daughters Kerry, 29, and Leanne, 22, lives nearby with her husband Marc, 56. Olympus Care Services - which is owned and run solely by Northamptonshire County Council - has denied liability. Specialist law firm Irwin Mitchell are . now investigating allegations the carers left Ms Conisbee unattended . without the brakes on. Personal injury lawyer Sophie Davies . said: 'This is a truly shocking incident and if Lisa’s wheelchair had . collided with oncoming traffic we could be talking about an entirely . different outcome. Two carers had wheeled her to the top of Skinners Hill (pictured), in Rushden, Northamptonshire, where they waited for a bus while out on a day trip . 'Lisa has suffered enough through life as she has battled through various disabilities and learning difficulties. 'The family put their trust in the care providers to ensure Lisa could have a safe and fun day out but sadly it seems as though this was not the case. 'The worst part of this for Lisa is the psychological outcome rather than the physical injuries. Olympus Care Services - which is owned and run solely by Northamptonshire County Council - has denied liability and an investigation is currently ongoing . 'To Lisa her wheelchair is a safe place to be and in her mind carers are safe people to be with, but this trust has been shattered and she is forced into yet another setback in her life. 'We need to investigate why Lisa was left unattended and why she was allowed to roll down a slope.' A spokesman for Olympus Care Services said: 'For legal reasons we are unable to comment on this particular case, however, we take any matters of safeguarding extremely seriously and ensure that all incidents are investigated thoroughly and independently.' | Lisa Conisbee received horrific facial injuries after chair rolled down hill .
Her two carers had pushed her to the top of the hill to wait for a bus .
It is believed brakes may not have been applied allowing it to roll down hill .
Lisa, 27, was left with a scar above her eye and took two months to recover . |
0b4ba244773f342b3ddd31f60661a3ab2f97aa85 | They are the far-from-dapper dads who are taking the internet by storm, thanks to an assortment of socks with crocks, Hawaiian shirts and short shorts. Fashion Dads, a new account on Instagram, may have been more appropriately called Fashion Dags, but it's still become the must-stop profile of the week. Created by Ashley Hesseltine - author of the blog Witty + Pretty - and her friend Travis May, the pair decided it was a great way to show the questionable - but so normal - outfit choices of some fathers, while simultaneously poke fun at style bloggers who take their job way too seriously. 'We were talking about our own dads' ridiculous outfits and were like, ''We should create an Instagram account for this'',' Hesseltine told the Today show. Scroll down for video . Red hot: New Instagram profile 'Fashion Dads' has quickly become the must-stop online destination this week . Stylish: The account is a hilarious look at the clothes so many dad come to wear . Strike a pose: But the profile also pokes fun at the selfies, poses and hastags featured on fashion blogs . Trendy: The creators say anyone with a dad will be able to relate to the pictures . Nice one: The Instagram is quickly expanding as more people send in snaps of their own 'Fashion Dads' 'We started with pictures of our own dads then people started submitting them.' Then the idea came of using the profile as a send-up of ubiquitous fashion blogs. 'It's to showcase ridiculous dad fashion in a satirical fashion blogger style,' Hesseltine added. 'We think everyone with a father can relate.' Vacation wear: The pictures are combined with hilarious hashtags like #PassionForFashion #IfYouGotItFlauntIt and #BaeCaughtMePosing . Edgy: Some photos, like this one, also feature funny photos . Risque: The Instagram parody account features fashion-forward 'fathers on fleek' Really?: Most of the photos are genuine and not a parody . Matching: The profile pokes fun at certain fashion trends, like sneakers or loafers with baggy jeans . The account, with more than 45,000 followers and an average of 2,000 favorites per post. The pictures are combined with hilarious hashtags like #PassionForFashion #IfYouGotItFlauntIt and #BaeCaughtMePosing. Posts feature awkward outfit choices like sneakers, polo shirts or cut-off jean short . | New Instagram account already has 45,000 follows .
Both a celebration of 'father fashion' and a ridicule of style blogs .
Each photo paired with a hashtag like #BaeCaughtMePosing . |
0b4c40a243f1ed165bedca8d942a1476c836ad77 | What may have seemed like a funny prank to a group Australian guys on holiday in Canada - could get the larrikins in hot water with authorities. After two days of partying, three of the lads decided to pull a stunt on a mate who had passed out on the sofa at the two-storey house they were staying in while on their overseas jaunt. The video footage of the unconscious man being thrown from a balcony has sparked so much outrage over the wreckless antic that the footage has been taken down from Facebook and YouTube. Scroll down for video . After two days of partying, three of the lads decided to pull a stunt on a mate who had passed out on the sofa at the two-storey house they were staying in while on their Canadian break . After getting him out on the balcony, the guys have a bit of trouble lifting his limp body over the railing with one saying 'I can't lift his leg though its f*****g heavy' The Live Leak website reports that rumours are circulating that the police are investigating the contentious gag. 'Our mate Snowy passed out half naked on the couch after a 2 day bender,' LiveLeak reported a friend as saying. 'He needed a wake up, so we threw him off the second story balcony of our house into the snow.' The footage shows the camera man coaxing some of the guys to join in on the stunt by gesturing with has hand before saying to one of them: 'come give us a hand son.' One bloke decides to follow them saying 'that's such a good idea' as they make their way over to the couch where their oblivious mate, dressed only in shorts, is passed out sitting upright. One guy grabs both of his legs while two others grab an arm each and start to drag him from the lounge room to the balcony door as the cameraman follows them while incessantly giggles. The video footage of the unconscious man being thrown from a balcony has sparked so much outrage over the wreckless antic that the footage has been taken down from Facebook and YouTube . But they manage to pull him up when one of the guys says 'three, two, go' before throwing from the two -story height into the snow . The guy doesn't move at first but then slowly pulls himself up onto his elbows and rolls a little bit down the hill much to the delight of his mates watching from above . After getting him out on the balcony, the guys have a bit of trouble lifting his limp body over the railing with one saying 'I can't lift his leg though its f*****g heavy.' But they manage to pull him up when one of the guys says 'three, two, go' before throwing him from the two-storey height into the snow. The guy doesn't move at first but then slowly pulls himself up onto his elbows and rolls a little bit down the hill - much to the delight of his mates watching from above. | Aussie boys throw unconscious mate from a two-storey balcony .
Group of guys were on two-day bender on holiday in Canada .
The stunt was filmed and has caused outrage on social media .
Facebook and YouTube took down the video footage .
It has been rumoured that police are investigating the prank . |
0b4c5d8029b6f1cf91391336fde58bf4f5739f85 | (CNN) -- When President Barack Obama said recently that "we don't have a strategy yet" to defeat the Islamic State -- also known as ISIS or ISIL -- many people were scandalized. Columnists attacked him for what they said was his admission of a deep failure. His own staff had to run around defending and explaining what he said. It was seen as a terrible blunder. Maybe it was. Or maybe it wasn't. The truth is that 13 years after the September 11 attacks, the United States does not have an effective strategy for dealing with radical Islamists and their deep commitment to waging war against us and against our civilization. Much like the man who has a hammer and therefore assumes every problem is a nail, our bureaucracies have tried for 13 years to redefine the problem into something they are comfortable dealing with. Two long, bitter wars -- Afghanistan is now the longest war in American history, four years longer than the American Revolution and almost three times the length of American participation in World War II -- have not made America and its allies safer. The emergence of the Islamic State, as the terror group calls itself, is a further reminder that the analysis and predictions of the intelligence community, the military and the State Department have often been just plain wrong. Islamic State controls vast regions in two countries and has substantial military equipment. It is not just a new problem in nation-state relations. Whether to engage it inside Iraq or Syria is not the key question. Instead, the most important aspect about Islamic State is that it is a vector for attracting, training and preparing foreign terrorists from all over the world. Islamic State comprises 10,000 potential terrorists from more than 50 countries. Estimates vary widely on how many Americans have gone Syria to join ISIS and other extremist groups. Some officials say dozens have gone; House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers says "hundreds." At least one of them, from Minneapolis, was recently killed. Why it took Obama so long to address his no ISIS strategy comments . More than 500 potential terrorists are believed to have traveled from Great Britain to join ISIS. It's believed that the two American journalists were beheaded by the same man, and experts believe he is from England. British Prime Minister David Cameron has begun to recognize the depth and power of the terrorism crisis. He is proposing a series of major legal changes in Britain to eliminate would-be terrorists from British life. There will be even more draconian laws proposed in the near future if this conflict escalates. We are facing a new kind of crisis in the rise of radical Islamists who spread their ideology worldwide through the Internet and through human networking. It is a global phenomenon and the analytical models and strategic patterns that have worked with nation-states will simply fail when applied to the Islamic State and its fellow terrorists in Hamas, Boko Haram, Libyan militants, Yemeni jihadis or any other group. We need a new analysis with new language and new strategies that relate to defeating a viral system that spreads across national boundaries. We're better off with a president who doesn't have a good strategy and knows he doesn't than with a president who has a bad strategy but thinks he has a good one. For most of his administration, the president was firmly in the latter category, so his recent epiphany marks an improvement. If there is a silver lining in President Obama's disastrous foreign policy, it has been in awakening Americans and perhaps even the President himself to the need for a profound rethinking of our approach to radical Islamism. | Critics pounced when President Obama said "we don't have a strategy yet" to defeat ISIS .
Newt Gingrich: But it's true -- 13 years after 9/11, we don't have strategy for defeating extremists .
Gingrich: We need a new strategy toward a whole new breed of extremists .
He says it's better if you have no good strategy and know it than to implement a bad one . |
0b4d1899e847ac511cef1f9b1e6580a626c4e801 | By . Tom Latchem . He's spent his career playing despicable characters - a rapist in Doctors, a homophobe in Hollyoaks, an abusive boyfriend in Casualty, and now Ross Barton, Emmerdale's womanising crook. But Michael Parr couldn't be happier. 'I think it's better to play baddies,' says the 27-year-old St Helens-born actor. 'They're always in the thick of the action and you get all these wicked things to say and do.' As Emmerdale's resident bad boy Ross, he's had his fair share. Ross arrived in the village a year ago, attacking Laurel Thomas and stealing her car. Since then he's been shot in a drug-gang dispute, bungled a robbery with corrupt cop Donna Windsor, and is now falling for her. Michael Parr insists that, in real life, he doesn't live up to his bad boy character . 'Ross is great to play – he's someone you love to hate,' says Michael. 'And even though he does horrible things, now and then he has a lighter side. 'The lines they give me are absolute gold dust. I don't know what it is about me that gets me chosen for these roles. I think I have a menacing stare that puts the wind up people – that's all I can put it down to.' New York or Dubai? I go to New York all the time because my mum's family come from there.Curry or pizza? Pizza. I had one last night, and the night before, and the night before that - seriously! Beer or spirits? G&T in the summer, but lager the rest of the time. Pub or club? At 27 I already feel I'm older than everyone else in clubs, so I'm becoming a pub person.Oasis or Nirvana? My first album was Nevermind by Nirvana. I like walking with aggressive music, like rock and hip-hop, in my headphones.Designer clothes or high street? I prefer plain clothes to labels.Football or boxing? I did Thai boxing for years and love watching pretty much any kind of martial art. In real life, Michael couldn't be more different from his on-screen character. After graduating from drama school aged 21 and while auditioning for acting roles, he worked as a teaching assistant in special needs schools in London. 'Some days it could be the hardest job I've ever done, but it was also incredibly rewarding,' he recalls. 'When you see the children are learning, and you're growing very fond of them, no other job can compare. I think I was a positive role model,' Michael says proudly. 'I'm still in contact with some of them and write job references for them. 'But they made more of an impression on me! The main thing I took from it is to never feel sorry for myself again. Lots of them had problems at home, so coming to school was a major issue, but they were still excited to be there. It gave me another outlook on life.' But Michael's main goal was always acting and after landing minor roles in other TV soaps and dramas he beat off dozens of rivals for the part of Ross. It came just in time for his biggest fan to see him perform in a major soap. 'My grandma sadly passed away at Christmas, but it meant she got to see me on screen and she had the ultimate bragging rights at church,' he smiles. Michael's acting success is even more remarkable given that he's dyslexic. 'I've always got by,' he says. 'Reading scripts is fine. But if you asked me to do a presenting job, reading an autocue, I just wouldn't have a hope.' He says his hectic schedule leaves little time for romance. 'I've had girlfriends, but nothing too serious as at the moment I'm so busy at work! But never say never...' | Michael Parr always plays the bad guy - from a rapist to a homophobe .
In real life he insists that he doesn't live up to this bad boy image .
Here he discusses his role working with children with special-needs . |
0b4dd22336ccd2c610fbd440c26e81b26e28f624 | (CNN) -- The FBI is analyzing an audio recording that might give more clues about Michael Brown's shooting. Federal investigators have obtained the audio and are questioning the man who says he inadvertently recorded audio of gunfire at the time Brown was shot by Ferguson, Missouri, police on August 9, the man's attorney told CNN. It could be the newest piece in the larger puzzle of exactly what happened in the moments before the 18-year-old's death. The man, who wants to remain anonymous, was talking to someone on a video chat service and happened to record the conversation, his attorney Lopa Blumenthal said. A quick series of shots can be heard on the recording, followed by a pause and then another quick succession of shots. "At the time he didn't even realize the import of what he was hearing until afterwards and it just happened to have captured 12 seconds of what transpired outside of his building," said Blumenthal. The man lives near the site of the shooting and was close enough to have heard the gunshots, she said. Forensic audio expert Paul Ginsberg analyzed the recording and said he detected at least 10 gunshots -- a cluster of six, followed by four. "I was very concerned about that pause ... because it's not just the number of gunshots, it's how they're fired," Blumenthal told CNN's Don Lemon. "And that has a huge relevance on how this case might finally end up." She said she learned of the recording late last week from a mutual friend. "I had to get his consent before I could reach out to the FBI," Blumenthal said. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the tape and has asked the FBI for confirmation of their interview with the man who made the recording. The meaning of the pause . It's difficult to prove from the audio why the pause took place or whose narrative it supports. Attorney Chris Chestnut said he was surprised by the gap in shots. "It's the pause that gives most concern in a police shooting, especially with an unarmed victim, because at this point Mr. Brown is defenseless -- he has no weapon," said Chestnut, who represented the family of Jonathan Ferrell. Like Brown, Ferrell was an unarmed African-American man who was shot and killed by a white police officer. But if the gunfire heard on the audio is indeed from the Brown incident, the pause doesn't automatically suggest wrongful intent by the officer. "To be fair, there could be other explanations for that pause," said attorney Van Jones, co-host of CNN's "Crossfire." "Maybe the officer will say, 'Well, I fired and he kept advancing, so I fired again.' " Witnesses and a friend of Officer Darren Wilson have given conflicting accounts of what led up to Brown's death. Dueling narratives in Michael Brown shooting . Dorian Johnson, who was walking with Brown at the time of the shooting, said the officer shot Brown once by the police car and again as he ran away. According to Johnson, Brown was struck in the back and then turned around and put his arms up as the officer kept shooting. But a woman who identified herself as a friend of Wilson called in to a St. Louis radio show last week with what she said was the officer's version of events. The caller, who identified herself only as "Josie," said Brown taunted the officer and charged at him. Her account matches what Wilson has told investigators, a source with detailed knowledge of the investigation told CNN. An autopsy showed Brown had six gunshot wounds, all in the front of his body. Will autopsy shed any light on what happened? Key witness speaks out . Ferguson police said Brown allegedly robbed a convenience store shortly before the shooting. And reports that his friend Johnson had a criminal record that includes lying to police has put Johnson's credibility in question. In 2011, Johnson was arrested and accused of theft and lying to police about his first name, age and address. Johnson said Monday night he doesn't understand why some are questioning his credibility. "I see they bring up my past, my history, but it's not like it's a long rap sheet," Johnson told Lemon. "This one incident shouldn't make me a bad person." Michael Brown's funeral: Hope, tears and a call for social change . Complete coverage . CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin, Tina Burnside, Julian Cummings and Greg Botelho contributed to this report. | A forensic audio expert says at least 10 shots are fired in the recording .
Lawyer: The FBI questioned a man whose audio might contain the Michael Brown shooting .
The audio was recorded during a video chat with a friend .
CNN cannot independently confirm whether the shots heard were from the Brown incident . |
0b4eece915906e2bc97a7dc4325c2fa246e47484 | By . Paul Bentley . and Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 06:53 EST, 12 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:09 EST, 12 June 2013 . As England’s cricketers prepared for a pre-Ashes match on Saturday, Australian captain Michael Clarke appeared on the big screen and told the crowd: ‘Remember to drink within your boundaries.’ But perhaps his advice would have been better directed at the professionals in the changing rooms. Just a few hours later, Australian batsman David Warner attacked England’s rising star Joe Root, 22, during a drunken scuffle in a Birmingham city centre bar after he took offence at the green and gold comedy wig he was wearing. England beat Australia in the competition’s opening match at Edgbaston – a warm-up before next month’s Ashes. Scroll down for video . Altercation: Australian David Warner, pictured left with partner Samantha Williams, has been dropped after an alleged fight with England's Joe Root, right . Night out: Both players were believed to be in this Walkabout bar in Birmingham on Saturday night . After enjoying the weekend sunshine and posing in town with fans, young England players Root, Steve Finn and Stuart Broad headed out to Walkabout – an Australian-themed bar. There they met Warner, who was out drinking with five of his Australian teammates. At about 2am, a ‘slaughtered’ Warner confronted members of the squad and CCTV footage shows him throwing a punch at Root, striking him in the chin with a ‘glancing blow’. Australian Clint McKay managed to drag Warner away, while England’s Stuart Broad protectively put his arms around Root. Warner was apparently mortified when he woke up the next morning, phoning Root to apologise for overreacting. At the bar: Root poses with fan Adam Wilbourn during his night out at the Walkabout on Saturday . He later picked up the group’s bar tab to try to make amends for his outburst. Teacher Ashley Fox, 25, from Stourbridge, West Midlands, was at the bar on Saturday night. He said: ‘We were having a laugh with Stuart Broad and Joe Root on the dancefloor. ‘They were in good spirits and Root even bought me a drink. They seemed to be having a good time. Star: But opening batsman Warner could miss the Ashes after courting more controversy . ‘I saw it kicking off and a punch was . swung but it was just a bit of a glancing blow. The two teams had been . goading each other all night. 'I never expected it to boil over like it did. You would expect two professional teams to behave.’ Staff said Warner had been drinking at Walkabout in the evenings ever since the team arrived in Birmingham last week. A barman said: ‘On Thursday I was serving him Jagerbombs [shots of Jagermeister liqueur combined with Red Bull] and vodka Red Bulls. ‘He had quite a few. He was downing them on Saturday night as well. He was pretty slaughtered.’ Warner was dropped from the Australian . team after a crisis meeting yesterday morning. He now faces a . disciplinary hearing for bringing the game into disrepute with . ‘behaviour unbecoming to a representative player’. A spokesman for Cricket Australia . said: ‘Warner was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with an England player in the early hours of Sunday morning. ‘Team management have stood down Warner pending the outcome of the hearing.’ West Midlands Police said officers were not called to deal with the alleged assault. Relaxed: Root showed no signs of having been in a fight during practice at the Oval in London today . Face-off: The alleged fight came after England beat Australia in a Champions Trophy game at Edgbaston . BODYLINE - THE ROW WHICH SPARKED A DIPLOMATIC CRISISEngland captain Douglas Jardine devised arguably the most controversial of all cricket tactics to combat the great batsman Donald Bradman during the Ashes series of 1932. His bowlers - in particular Harold Larwood - repeatedly bowled fast, short deliveries which bruised the Australian batsmen. The tactic sparked an international outcry and a row which reached governmental levels. BOTHAM/CHAPPELL - TWO FIERY FIGURES WHO COULD NEVER GET ALONGTensions ran high when England star Ian Botham and Australian firebrand Ian Chappell clashed in a Melbourne hotel in 1977. Supposedly Botham repeatedly asked Chappell to stop criticising England, before throwing a punch. The pair were pulled apart but continued to trade insults for years, with Botham saying of Chappell: 'As a human being, he is a non-entity.' PONTING RUN-OUT - AUSTRALIAN CAPTAIN SNAPS ON LIVE TVAustralian captain Ricky Ponting was feeling the pressure during the 2005 Ashes series, and he finally snapped when he was run out by England substitute fielder Gary Pratt at Trent Bridge. As he left the field Ponting screamed and swore up at the England dressing room, accusing them of using a specialist replacement. England won by three wickets. SNOW JOKE - ENGLAND BOWLER ATTACKED OVER AGGRESSIVE PLAY . England bowler John Snow was warned . for short-pitched bowling after striking Australian batsman Terry Jenner . on the head during the 1970-71 Ashes encounter in Melbourne. Snow was . jostled by a fan and had bottles thrown at him before captain Ray . Illingworth led England from the field in protest. They eventually . returned to win by 62 runs and regain the Ashes. LILLEE'S METAL BAT - AUSSIE STAR ATTEMPTS TO BEND THE RULESDennis Lillee walked out with a controversial metal bat in the middle of the 1979 Ashes test in Perth. Although it was clearly a publicity stunt and did little to boost Lillee's batting, the bat provoked a furious reaction from England captain Mike Brearley and led to a lengthy discussion over its legality by the umpires before the match was allowed to continue. | David Warner dropped for Champions Trophy match against New Zealand .
Accused of punching Joe Root in Birmingham bar during row over a wig .
Incident comes just a few weeks before start of crunch Ashes series . |
0b4f25312be4b0531ace1c3b7958b5af1d91fad9 | Twins who had to be resuscitated moments after being born ten weeks prematurely have finally recovered enough to go home. Parents Mark and Hayley Steabler, both 31, today described the terrifying moment they watched as a team of 11 medics battled to save their newborns at Tyneside District Hospital. Since then siblings Jack and Erin Steabler have battled conditions such as a bleed on the brain, and heart and lung problems, but have now gone home after nearly four months. Scroll down for video . Home: Mark and Hayley Steabler, both 31, are back at home with twins Jack and Erin Steabler, aged four months, after the pair were caught in a desperate struggle for life after being born ten weeks premature . Fight: Mr Steabler described how he watched a team of 11 medics working to get baby Jack to breathe just seconds after he was born, saying he was 'terrified' Holding on: After being resuscitated the babies then battled through conditions including bleeding on the brain, and heart and lung problems . Mr Steabler said: 'I remember seeing doctors just working on Jack, trying to get him breathing again, and I just felt terrified. 'We didn't know what was going to happen to either of them, and that's the worst feeling in the world.' Mark's wife, Hayley, 31, suffered no complications during her pregnancy and during her 20-week scan the couple were told they would be having twins. But at 30 weeks, Hayley suddenly went into labour and was taken to South Tyneside District Hospital. Mark, of Blackfell, Washington, said: 'They had hoped to transfer us to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, but there was no time and she underwent an emergency Caesarean Section. 'They brought in a team of medics from the RVI. There were about 10 or 11 of them all in theatre with us ready to help.' Tiny: Mrs Steabler was told at 20 weeks she was having twins, but at 30 weeks she suddenly went into labour, and was rushed to Tyneside District Hospital (Erin pictured) Desperate: Doctors had hoped to Mrs Steabler to Newcastle Royal Infirmary, but there was no time, so instead a specialist team of 11 was brought to her (pictured, Jack in his incubator) Stable: After they started breathing again Jack (pictured), who weighed 3lb 5oz and Erin, weighing 2lb 5oz, were transferred to Newcastle and spent several more months receiving specialist treatment . Seconds after they were born, Jack weighing 3lb 5oz and Erin 2lb 5oz, the team realised the babies were not breathing properly and began trying to resuscitate them. Mark said: 'Hayley and I didn't know what was going to happen. Because they were so small we knew they would have problems breathing by themselves. We'd had no sleep and were shattered.' Both children were put on ventilators to help them breath and transferred to the University Hospital of North Tees where they spent the next two months in special care. Jack had suffered a bleed on the brain while Erin had problems after she vomited blood. The pair were then transferred up to the RVI where they spent another month before finally being allowed home just a few weeks ago. Mark said the pair, now four months old, are slowly starting to recover. Recovery: Jack has a heart murmur which will require surgery, and Erin is being tube fed, but both are now back at home and on the road to recovery . He said: 'Jack does have a heart murmur which means he will need an operation in the future. He also has to have some scans this week to keep a check on any concerns about blood on the brain. 'Erin is on a feeding machine 24 hours a day at the minute. Obviously the last few months have been a lot of work for us. Because there are two of them, it's double the worry.' Mark, an insurance investigator, has been forced to take time off work, while Hayley is currently on maternity leave from her job as a manager for a plumber's merchant. Now, Mark, along with some work colleagues, is planning to take part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in a bid to raise money for the RVI's Tiny Lives appeal. To donate to the appeal click here or Text TBTU50 £5 to 70070. | Mark and Hayley Steabler, both 31, told they were having twins at 20 weeks .
At 30 weeks Hayley went into labour and gave birth to twins Jack and Erin .
Jack was born weighing just 3lb 5oz while Erin weighed 2lb 5oz .
Had to be resusciated, suffered bleeding on the brain and heart problems .
But pair have are now recovering at home after months in special care . |
0b4f2f1ee7c893ae0c1e0373b84b3ace03a113e9 | Climate change could bring about the greening of Greenland by the end of the century, scientists predict. Today only four indigenous tree species grow on the island, confined to small areas in the south and three quarters of the world's most most sparsely populated country is covered by a barren ice sheet. But by the year 2100 swathes of verdant forest could be covering much of its land surface, potentially changing the landscape and making life difficult for arctic animals, according to experts. Climate change could bring about the greening of Greenland by the end of the century, scientists predict. Today only four indigenous tree species grow on the island and three quarters of Greenalnd is covered by a barren ice sheet but this could change by the end of this century, scientists warned . 'Greenland has...the potential to become a lot greener,' said lead scientist Professor Jens-Christian Svenning, from Aarhus University in Denmark. 'Forest like the coastal coniferous forests in today’s Alaska and western Canada will be able to thrive in fairly large parts of Greenland, for example, with trees like sitka spruce and lodgepole pine.' He said: 'It will provide new opportunities for the Greenlanders.' The research showed that with expected levels of warming, a majority of 44 species of North American and European trees and bushes would be able to thrive in Greenland. Many species could already grow in small numbers in Greenland today, according to the analysis published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. While images like this one might make it seem unlikely, scientists have predicted that Trees found in Alaska and western Canada will be able to thrive in fairly large parts of Greenland, providing new business opportunities for islanders . One reason for the island’s lack of current greenery is the slow speed at which forests expand by themselves. Computer simulations show it could take more than 2,000 years for Greenland’s indigenous trees to spread to every area blessed with a suitable climate in 2100. Despite this handicap, a key species such as the Arctic dwarf birch could be established over more than 400,000 square kilometres - an area almost the size of Sweden - by the end of the century. The transformation would alter Greenland’s ecosystem, leading to the loss of Arctic animals and plants. On the other hand there could be significant commercial possibilities linked to forestry, agriculture and tourism. A species such as the dwarf birch (pictured) could be established over more than 400,000 square kilometres - an area almost the size of Sweden - by the end of the century, according to the scientists . But humans could play an active role in the greening of Greenland by helping to speed up the spread of new plant species, says Prof Svenning. 'People will often plant utility and ornamental plants where they can grow,' which he believes is in our human nature.' He said: 'Such plantings could get a huge impact on the future Greenlandic nature as a source of dissemination. This certainly has positive aspects. A warmer Greenland would also be much more vulnerable to invasive species, he added. 'If imports and planting of species will take place without any control you may get a very chaotic and Klondyke-like development,' Professor Svenning warned. If temperatures do rise as predicted and Greenland develops forests, the transformation is likely to alter the island's ecosystem, leading to the loss of Arctic animals and plants. An iceberg off the eastern coast of Greenland is pictured . | Aarhus University research predicts forests similar to those found in Alaska and western Canada could thrive in parts of Greenland by the year 2100 .
The scientists said that if temperatures rise as predicted, 44 species of North American and .
European trees would be able to thrive in Greenland .
The transformation would alter Greenland’s ecosystem, leading to the loss of Arctic animals and plants . |
0b4fa6b8693648696369e581a09f926398342b13 | By . Claire Bates . PUBLISHED: . 04:04 EST, 19 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:32 EST, 19 October 2012 . Codylily Parkin was rushed to Rotherham Hospital after she was misdiagnosed at a NHS walk-in centre . A four-year-old girl was left fighting for her life hours after medics at an NHS walk-in centre sent her home claiming she was suffering from a minor infection. In fact Codylily Parkin was suffering from a diabetic attack and had to be placed in a medically induced coma in an intensive care unit after her brain swelled dangerously. Her shocked parents say her life was saved by a quick-thinking emergency paramedic and hospital doctors at Rotherham General Hospital and Sheffield Children’s Hospital. The walk-in centre who have been criticised by two coroners over recent incidents. Mrs . Parkin said: 'We could have lost our daughter that day due to the utter . incompetence of the staff at that walk-in centre.We’re so lucky not to . be in that situation. 'Codylily . had displayed a classic array of symptoms that should have been spotted . but they weren’t and that could have proved a fatal mistake. 'Two . nurses have been suspended and I’m told that they won’t return to work . until they have received extra training, but that’s not really enough in . my eyes.' Just a few hours before her collapse . Codylily was taken by her dad parents to an NHS Wallk-in Centre in . Rotherham town centre suffering from breathing difficulties, an . insatiable thirst and whitening of her tongue. Four days earlier her GP . had diagnosed vaginal thrush. Medics at the walk-in centre then diagnosed Codylily with oral thrush and she was sent back to the family home in Rotherham. Later the same day on September 15th, the little girl began suffering from confusion and vomiting and an emergency paramedic was called. Codylily's father took her to Rotherham Walk-In Centre suffering from breathing difficulties, an insatiable thirst and whitening of her tongue . As soon as the paramedic arrived he said Codylily was slipping into a diabetic coma and she was rushed to hospital suffering from severe diabetic ketoacidosis. She was placed in an induced coma before being transferred to Sheffield Children’s Hospital ten miles away. She returned to Rotherham Hospital two days later and was allowed home on September 20th. Codylily now faces a lifetime of insulin dependence because of the diabetes. Mrs Parkin paid: 'The paramedic said straight away ‘She’s slipping into a diabetic coma’. We need to get her to hospital. We weren’t even aware she was diabetic but we were distraught. 'I’ve been told to take it further because there have been a number of inquests carried out as a result of people being sent home with and incorrect diagnosis, and I intend to.We’re so lucky not to be in that situation. 'Throughout her treatment doctors were talking about our treatment at the Walk-in Centre.' Care UK, who operate the centre have . apologised.In a statement Sheila Roberts, from the company , said: 'We . have apologised to Codylily’s family for the distress caused to them and . acknowledged that care in this particular case fell below the normal . high standards expected at the walk-in centre. In May the centre missed an opportunity to save the life of 12 month old Lewis Mullin, pictured her with mother Jodie Conlay . 'We have conducted a full review of the circumstances surrounding Codylily’s attendance at the Rotherham walk-in centre. 'This review was triggered by the notification of Codylily’s admission to hospital and both nurses involved were immediately suspended from duty, which is normal practice for us when a clinical investigation takes place. 'The investigation included an internal audit of both nurses’ clinical performance, reviewing the consultation and written statements from the nurses involved. 'The review was underway before Mrs Parkin contacted the walk-in centre and we felt it important that the investigation was completed before replying, so that we could inform Codylily’s parents of the findings and outcomes. 'A letter has been sent to the family and steps have been taken to minimise the risk of a recurrence, including further training for both nurses.' In May Rotherham Coroner Nicola Mundy said the centre missed an opportunity to save the life of 12 month old Lewis Mullins, from Maltby, Rotherham, who was suffering from chicken pox and breathing difficulties. He was sent home and died from complications. In June staff at the centre were criticised by Sheffield coroner Chris Dorries over the death of superfit kick boxer Mark Mason,36, from St Helens. He had been unable to eat or drink for a week, had diarrhoea, could not walk unaided and went in unable to breathe. He was not referred to hospital and was found dead the next day from swine flu. After both cases the centre claimed it was improving training and communications. | 'We could have lost our daughter because of the incompetent staff', says mother .
Girl slipped into diabetic coma just hours after she was sent home from NHS walk-in centre with 'oral thrush'
The centre has been criticised by two coroners this year . |
0b4fc0d8af580f682dbfd0c2a2dfa27106b49c21 | By . Chris Greenwood . PUBLISHED: . 14:00 EST, 30 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:55 EST, 31 December 2012 . A retired civil servant strangled his long-term partner before hanging himself over the Christmas holiday. Judith Brierley, 67, was found dead in the bedroom of the home she had shared with Kim Matthews, 62, by concerned relatives. The body of Mr Matthews, who ran a local allotment association, was hanging from the bannister in their terraced house Ealing, West London. The horror was uncovered by Mr Matthews’ brother who broke into the £550,000 property when he could not reach the devoted couple by phone. Concern: Police were called to this leafy Ealing cul de sac after concerned relatives failed to hear from the couple over Christmas . Detectives said there is no evidence . that anyone else was involved in the murder of Mrs Brierley at the home . the couple had shared for more than 30 years. It is understood that the childless . couple both suffered from depression and the tragedy may have taken . place shortly before Christmas. Neighbours in the quiet residential . street described the couple, both retired civil servants, as ‘joined at . the hip’ and said they ‘lived for each other’. One said they always handed out Christmas cards on December 24 but came around early this year for the first time. She said: ‘We got our Christmas cards . from Kim and Judith early this year. Usually they deliver it on . Christmas Eve but this year they delivered it around the first week of . December. ‘A lot of the neighbours remarked upon . it. Now I wonder what that meant. My heart just goes out to their . family and the neighbours. We are a very close knit community.’ Describing how the tragedy was . discovered on Friday, one said Mr Matthews’ brother and son broke into . the house after failing to reach the couple by telephone. He said: ‘I went over and spoke to the . nephew who had come with his dad. I asked if they were OK and he said, . 'No, it is a suicide.’ Grim discovery: Police found the bodies of Judith Ann Brierley, 67, and Kim Matthews, 62, in the home they shared in Ealing, west London . ‘I said are you sure and he said yes, . he is hanging from the banisters. I asked where Judith was and he said . she was in the house too. They were absolutely devastated. ‘Kim's brother said he hadn't been able to contact them for two days before Christmas Eve, he was quite concerned about them. ‘He was adamant they were in the house, he wasn't going to go away until he had got into that house. ‘It was dreadful to hear that door break and know what happened. I can't take my eyes off the house, it is so sad.’ Residents said the couple were extremely private but always said hello when were often seen out walking together. Another neighbour said: ‘They were . just a lovely couple, they were obviously very devoted to each other. They were a bit like loners – they lived for each other. ‘It is so sad to hear about their deaths, I haven't slept since I heard the news.’ A post mortem examination found Mrs . Brierley was strangled with a ligature. There were no suspicious . circumstances around Mr Matthews death. Det Chief Insp Matt Bonner, who is leading the inquiry, said there is no evidence that anyone else was involved. He said: ‘While we continue to keep an . open mind in relation to this investigation, we believe this to be an . isolated incident with no third party involvement. ‘I would like to express my condolences to the families of Kim and Judith at this very sad time.’ | Relatives discovered bodies of Judith Ann Brierley, 67, and Kim Matthews, 62 .
For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details . |
0b503d0706ecca5e8f21b962dff9872b84eedaf5 | ANTIOCH, California (CNN) -- A bone fragment found near the northern California home of kidnapping and rape suspect Phillip Garrido could add another chapter to the twisted tale. Cases of missing girls Ilene Misheloff, left, and Michaela Garecht now linked to Garrido investigation. On Tuesday, authorities will try to determine whether the bone is human and whether it connects Garrido, 58, to any crimes beyond the alleged kidnapping and imprisonment of Jaycee Lee Dugard, who went missing in 1991 at age 11. Investigators said they found the bone on a neighbor's property in an area to which Garrido had access. Crews were using cadaver dogs to search the property, said Jimmy Lee, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department. Investigators are looking into other cases that may involve Garrido, giving hope to parents including Sharon Murch, whose daughter, Michaela Garecht, was abducted at age 9 in 1988. "I leaped up yelling, 'Oh, my God.' I was, of course, joyful for Jaycee herself, but my first thought was 'please, God, let Michaela be with her,'" she said. "I was very high for a while. I was very low for a while." Watch Murch describe the cases' similarities » . Garrido kidnapped Dugard in 1991 in South Lake Tahoe, California, fathered two daughters with her and held her captive in a well-hidden backyard compound, authorities said. Watch aerial view of backyard compound » . Garrido and his wife, Nancy, face 29 felony charges, including rape and kidnapping. Both have pleaded not guilty. Watch what investigators say about bone fragment » . Dugard has begun the process of getting to know her mother again, said her stepfather, Carl Probyn. "She's doing good," Probyn told CNN's Larry King on Monday. "She's with a group and they're taking care of her and they're getting adjusted." Dugard is with her mother at an undisclosed location along with a team of psychologists and law enforcement officers, he said. He has not seen or spoken to his stepdaughter. The last time he saw her was 18 years ago, when he watched helplessly as she was kidnapped at a bus stop near the family's home. See photos of Dugard's living conditions » . FBI special agent Chris Campion, lead federal investigator in the case, said Dugard's mother, Terry Probyn, was "ecstatic" her daughter was found. "When I called her she was beside herself with joy, and I was present when she was reunited with Jaycee," he said. "It was a very emotional scene. Both of them were just overjoyed to be with each other again. There's going to be a period of adjustment, no doubt, but they're doing very well at this point. And the two daughters are probably as happy as Jaycee is to be part of this family, as well." Police in Hayward, California, are trying to determine whether Garrido is linked to the 1988 kidnapping of Michaela Garecht, said Hayward police Lt. Chris Orrey. Garecht and Dugard were of similar age and appearance, both were abducted in daylight, and a sketch of a suspect resembled Garrido, Orrey said. There are differences, as well, but she declined to elaborate. The similarities in the cases, the fact that Dugard was found close to home and comments from neighbors make Murch think her daughter could have been on Garrido's compound. "I understand that a few years ago, one of the neighbors called in and said that there were girls being kept in the backyard. ... She said that there were a number of girls that came and went, but that there was a core group of five," Murch said. She hopes her daughter was among them. In Dublin, California, police were looking into whether Garrido was connected to the 1989 disappearance of Ilene Misheloff who was 13 when she was abducted, investigators said. Garrido was convicted of kidnapping and raping Katie Callaway Hall in 1976. He was released after serving 10 years of a 50-year sentence. He was labeled a sex offender and put on lifetime parole. Garrido abducted Hall after she agreed to give him a ride to a supermarket. He took her to a mini-warehouse in Reno, Nevada, where he raped her. She managed to escape soon afterward. "I can't imagine what Jaycee is going through. He had me for eight hours. He had her for 18 years," Hall said. During those years, according to Garrido's own writings, he began to feel remorse for things he had done. The revelations came in documents obtained by CNN that Garrido delivered to an FBI office in San Francisco, California, just days before he was arrested in the Dugard case. The writings were a two-part manifesto in which he discussed the "Origin of schizophrenia revealed." In the second part of the documents Garrido detailed his struggle with sexual urges in "Stepping into the light." He confessed his past aggressive sexual impulses, but said he is no longer that man. Watch interview with Garrido » . Garrido also wrote that he could control minds with sound and could help others before they committed violence. Dugard apparently led an outwardly unremarkable life. Customers of Garrido's printing company, Printing for Less, knew her as "Allissa." "She was always having a very pretty smile on the face," said Deepal Karunaratne, who had real estate brochures printed. "She comes and talks to me and was always smiling. She was a very pretty girl, a very pretty young lady." Garrido even used a picture of Dugard to promote his printing company, customer Cheyvonne Molino said. "About 10 years ago, when he started printing our cards, he was looking for business," said Molino, who runs an auto wrecking yard with her husband. "He would leave your cards with his cards and her picture -- blonde hair, blue eyes, beautiful young lady. She was on everyone's card." Dugard's two daughters -- 11-year-old "Angel" and 15-year-old "Starlet" -- attended birthday parties and loved the TV show "Hannah Montana." The media "made it seem like these little girls were living like wolves or jungle kids in the backyard dungeon. Perhaps that's it, but they didn't give that visual to me," Molino said. Two weeks ago, the girls attended a birthday party for Molino's daughter. "They were polite," Molino said. "They were well-mannered." CNN's Ed Lavandera, Patrick Oppman, Paul Vercammen, Dan Simon and Mallory Simon contributed to this report. | Police check two other cases for connection to alleged kidnapper Phillip Garrido .
Jaycee Dugard was held captive for 18 years by sex offender, police say .
Dugard, her daughters reunite with Dugard's mother, stepfather says . |
0b5070d6b0a6ba5fc0e3aab8d02b61715760ec7c | By . Greg Stutchbury, Reuters . Openside flanker Michael Hooper has been elevated to the Australian rugby team’s captaincy after hooker Stephen Moore was ruled out for the season due to a knee reconstruction. The 22-year-old Hooper had been widely expected to take the role after Moore tore his anterior and medial cruciate ligaments in his left knee in the opening minute of the Wallabies’ 50-23 victory over France in Brisbane on Saturday. Hooper, who had been appointed by coach Ewen McKenzie as one of his two vice-captains before the three-test series with France, led the side at Lang Park when Moore limped off. On the ball: Michael Hooper looks for support during Australia's victory over France on Saturday . Quick hands: Hooper rides a tackle from Yoann Huget before passing to team-mate Nick Phipps . 'It’s a massive honour to captain your country and I’m confident Michael has all the right leadership qualities to lead this team moving forward,' McKenzie said in a statement. 'I couldn’t have been more impressed with his performance on the weekend after Stephen went down, so we know the added responsibility won’t impact the high-level of play we all expect from him each week.' Hooper is McKenzie’s fourth test captain since he replaced Robbie Deans in the job less than a year ago. He dumped Queensland Reds captain James Horwill on the end of season tour last year and replaced him with loose forward Ben Mowen. Down and out: Stephen Moore receives treatment before limping off against France (below) Mowen was not considered for the squad this season, having elected to pursue his rugby career overseas at the finish of the ongoing Super Rugby season. Moore then held the job for less than a week and his first test in charge lasted less than a minute, prompting Australia’s media to call the job a ‘poisoned chalice’ for players selected to the role. Moore’s injury revives grisly memories of 2012, when Horwill (hamstring), then replacements David Pocock (knee) and Will Genia (knee), were blighted by serious injuries after being appointed to the role by former coach Deans. | Openside flanker led side after Moore limped off against France on Saturday .
Hooper is coach Ewan McKenzie's fourth test captain .
Moore ruled out for season after tearing knee ligaments . |
0b51aac1e696436a3e8db8832383acadb01e41ad | Summer 1938, Europe stands on the brink of war, and Paris is a city on the edge. Nazi spies, shadowy assassins, alluring double agents and a Hollywood movie star caught in the middle stalk the back alleys and bustling bistros of the French capital. This is the setting for Alan Furst's "Mission to Paris." The best-selling author has made a career of capturing the classic cloak-and-dagger days leading up to World War II, bringing the era to life like a literary version of "Casablanca." In Furst's 12th and newest novel, now in bookstores, Austrian immigrant-turned-Hollywood film star Frederic Stahl arrives in Paris to shoot a movie. The political warfare unit of the Third Reich, the "Ribbentropburo," has other plans. It tries to bully Stahl into becoming its "agent of influence" in a growing propaganda war against the French. Stahl, a classic leading man in the mold of Cary Grant, turns the tables, signing on as amateur spy for the United States and taking a dangerous assignment behind enemy lines. From there the action crisscrosses the continent from Berlin to Budapest, briefly visiting Morocco, but the "City of Light" remains at the center of this espionage adventure. Starting with "Night Soldiers" in 1988, Furst has achieved international success as the master of the historical spy novel. His 2008 book, "The Spies of Warsaw," is being made into a TV miniseries for the BBC. He appears poised for a repeat of his past success with "Mission to Paris." CNN recently spoke to the author by phone from his Long Island, New York, home. The following is an edited transcript: . CNN: What led to your fascination with this pre-World War II time period? Alan Furst: In the 1930s there were so many different conflicts going on between the British, the French, the Russians, the Germans, the Spaniards, the Romanians and so on. The intelligence services for all these countries were all battling during what was a very difficult political time. I wanted to read a panoramic spy history of the '30s, and when I went out looking for it, I discovered there was no such thing. I was astonished. So I thought, "Well, I'll write it." Where I got the arrogance to do that, I don't know. I couldn't believe no one had written about this. It seemed so exciting and interesting and various. The people who had written about it wrote from such incredibly, violently different angles, whether it was fighting in Spain or street demonstrations in France or the purges in Moscow. There was a lot going on, and all of it in its way was important because the politics of the next century was being sorted out. I thought I'd found gold. CNN: Paris really comes to life in your books; you must have a special affinity for the city. Furst: When I started writing these novels, I was living in Paris in the late 1980s. I do have an affinity for the city as it was in the '30s. It's changed a lot in recent years. I used to have an apartment there. I lived there full time for about eight years. If you live somewhere that long, you really get to know it by osmosis. It really becomes part of you. I love Paris for the million reasons that everybody loves the city. It's an incredibly romantic and beautiful place. I hate to say this, but things have changed in the last three or four years. Notre Dame is white now. They steam cleaned it. Instead of this medieval, sooty, dark, mysterious thing rising into the night sky, now it's kind of a nice limestone cathedral. They've done a lot of stuff like that in Paris now. They don't let you smoke in the cafes anymore -- on and on and on. The Paris of that time period was an incredible place. It was the central city on earth of idealism, of romance, of dreams, of possibilities, of beauty in many ways, of great food, great wine, staying up all night; what could be bad? CNN: All of your books feature a scene at the Brasserie Heininger, a restaurant in Paris. How did you come up with this signature? Furst: It's in every book. The bullet hole in the mirror next to table 14. It's fiction. It's not true. Now there is a brasserie where I say the Brasserie Heininger is in the books. It's called Brasserie Bowfinger, but it looks nothing like the brasserie I describe in the books. Many readers have figured out where it is, and they go there and ask for table 14 and make the maître d' mad because there is no table 14, there is no mirror and there's no bullet hole. For me it's a touchstone in my books. I love the story, I repeat it every time, but in every book the characters see it differently. Nobody sees that brasserie the same way. They all have their own opinion. Sometimes it's important to the plot; sometimes it's not. It's like the Parisian moment when a lot of things come together. The way the French and the Parisians like to enjoy themselves. There's no music that plays there. The music is the plates, the clatter of the forks and knives, the talk, laughter, people smoking, perfume; it's a wonderful experience, quite different from eating other places. CNN: A number of your characters resurface from book to book, but you almost always create a new protagonist. Why is that? Furst: This is a series with changing lead characters. What I discovered is I don't like to repeat lead characters because one of the most pleasurable things in a book to me is learning about the lead. Who is he or she? What do they like? How are they going to function in this book? Are they brave or cautious? What's their romantic situation? I think that's a great thing for the reader. I decided that what I had to do in order to get different angles on this material you had to have people in different vocations. So the lead in "Spies of the Balkans" is a cop, and he sees things like a policeman sees things. Where as in "Mission to Paris," you have a Hollywood movie actor, an émigré, and he sees things a completely different way. In an earlier book, you had the French military attaché in Warsaw, and he had his own responsibilities and obligations, and he saw life from that perspective. If you're a writer like I am, it's the best thing because it forces you to work. CNN: What do you want your readers to take away from your novels? Furst: These are novels of consolation. I am not trying to teach anyone a lesson. Now, they happen to be about a certain period in the political history of the West. If something is resonant to you, that's fine. There's plenty that's resonant to me, but I have yet to ever stick my elbow in a reader's ribs and say, "See that's just like now." But having said that, there are things that are just like now, and I've got to tell you that "Mission to Paris" has an awful lot of just like now. The kind of political warfare they had then is a lot like the kind of political warfare going on now. There's a lot of propaganda, a lot of manipulation, a lot of trying to destroy people's reputations, a lot of lowdown tough stuff. I think most Americans don't like it, but it's the way the game is played, and it hasn't changed. That's the way the game was played in the 1930s. I haven't changed anything, not one thing to make it sound more like what goes on today. I was amazed when I discovered what was going on back then. I didn't know that it went on to that level of sophistication. CNN: You've described your novels as one very long book with 12 chapters to date. How many more books or chapters do you have planned? Furst: Let me put it this way, I don't plan to retire. What would I do, become a brain surgeon? I mean a brain surgeon can retire and write novels, but a novelist can't retire and do brain surgery or at least he better not. I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I'm a writer. I live it and breathe it. God made me this way; it's not my fault! I don't complain too much. Really, I feel very privileged to live the way I do and make a living as I have. Not everybody can do that. Read an excerpt from "Mission to Paris" | Alan Furst, known as the master of the historical spy novel, has a new thriller, "Mission to Paris"
'"Mission to Paris" features an actor/spy caught up in pre-World War II intrigue .
Paris is a recurring locale in Furst's novels .
"There are things (from the 1930s) that are just like now," Furst says . |
0b554eeacaaa2f903df9870cd4f643ee90209b2d | Washington (CNN) -- To understand how messed up Republican politics are these days, examine two votes in Congress this week that demonstrated the level of GOP dysfunction amid the confusing dynamics of an election year in Washington. On Tuesday, House Speaker John Boehner and 27 other Republicans voted to allow the federal borrowing limit to increase, joining nearly unanimous Democratic support to pass the debt-ceiling measure over the opposition of the other 199 GOP members. The next day, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and 11 GOP colleagues voted with the Democratic majority to reject an attempted filibuster of the same legislation by fellow Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Minutes later, all 12 of the GOP senators who helped defeat the filibuster bid voted with Cruz and the rest of the Senate Republicans against final approval of the debt-ceiling plan, which passed anyway due to unanimous Democratic support. In other words, Republican leaders in Congress sided with Democrats to push through legislation opposed by most of their colleagues. In the Senate, they then voted against the proposal that their earlier support ensured would pass. Senate passes debt-ceiling plan in blow to tea party . Election year politics . Here's the really strange part -- it all makes sense, at least in the context of a divided Republican Party less than nine months before congressional elections in which every House seat and 36 of the 100 Senate seats will be contested. The situations in the House and Senate differed in specifics but shared a common root -- more extreme conservatives foiled plans by GOP leaders to avoid a politically damaging showdown over the debt ceiling while still registering Republican opposition to increased federal borrowing. According to public statements, nobody wanted another debt-ceiling stalemate like those of the past three years that unsettled financial markets and caused the first downgrade of the U.S. credit rating in 2011. A recent CNN/ORC International poll found that 54% of respondents would blame congressional Republicans for a failure to raise the debt ceiling, while 29% would blame President Barack Obama and 12% would blame both. Fresh memories of public blame for the 16-day government shutdown in October also motivated Republican leaders to try to steer clear of another standoff. However, conservative disdain for anything smelling of more federal borrowing -- especially in an election year -- torpedoed Boehner's efforts to forge a compromise that would include some deficit-reduction provisions. Boehner's dilemma . His final attempt was to tack on a politically popular proposal that repealed cuts to military pensions in the recent budget agreement. When Boehner's caucus rejected it, the Ohioan decided to violate his own rule by holding a vote on a "clean" debt-ceiling plan with no accompanying spending cuts, which passed on Tuesday because of strong Democratic support. The House result offered McConnell a face-saving chance to avoid any Senate Republicans from having to vote for the debt-ceiling measure. He and other GOP leaders urged their colleagues to let Democrats pass the House version while Republicans opposed it, but Cruz's filibuster bid meant that at least five GOP votes would be needed to prevent another Washington impasse. In a dramatic moment Wednesday on the Senate floor, McConnell and fellow GOP leader Sen. John Cornyn of Texas cast the two votes needed to reach the threshold of 60 to overcome the filibuster attempt. Other GOP colleagues then changed their votes to provide some political cover, but the damage was done. Both McConnell and Cornyn -- longtime conservatives considered Obama's harshest Senate foes -- face primary challenges from further to the right this year. Shortly after Wednesday's votes, the campaign of McConnell's primary opponent in Kentucky, tea party conservative Matt Bevin, highlighted how the senator helped defeat the filibuster against the debt limit measure. Boehner says 'never mind' on immigration . Political pragmatism . Some GOP colleagues praised Boehner and McConnell for putting party welfare ahead of personal political risk. "It was a very courageous act, especially Sen. McConnell, who we all know is in a very tough race," said GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona, one of the Republicans who changed his vote to help overcome the filibuster bid. "He's the elected Republican leader and it's up to him to cast the right vote." Fellow Republican Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska said the debt-ceiling issue had to be resolved to prevent harmful financial and political fallout. "That's just the reality," he said. "You can deal with it with 60 votes or a majority, but at the end of the day, you had to deal with it." Cruz was unapologetic, attacking his fellow Republicans and Democrats as unresponsive to the rising federal debt. "Today was a classic victory for Washington establishment interests, and the people who lost today were the American people," he said. As expected, Democrats offered a different assessment. "A real civil war" "It is encouraging that some of my Republican colleagues seem to be regaining their grip on sanity this week," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said before Wednesday's votes, while fellow Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri told MSNBC that Republicans have "a real civil war on their hands." "They have rigid ideologues that are pushing a very narrow agenda, a very narrow view of what America is, and then they've got a lot of Republicans that are not that extreme, and they're in a big battle right now," she said. "And you see it every day around here." To CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger, Cruz put his own agenda of appealing to the tea party right ahead of the GOP leadership's strategy. She noted he did the same thing to cause last year's government shutdown by trying to link federal spending to efforts to dismantle Obama's signature health care reforms, which conservatives detest. Republicans still smarting from that defeat "are looking at Ted Cruz today and going, 'Oh my God, didn't you learn the lesson of the government shutdown?'" Borger said, adding that "it's about him." CNN's Dana Bash, Ted Barrett and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. | Republican leaders seek the best of both worlds in election-year politics .
On the debt ceiling, they wanted to oppose an increase they knew was needed .
The goal was to avoid the ire of conservatives by getting Democrats to pass it .
Resistance by the tea party wing forced GOP leaders to take politically risky steps . |
0b560f1384bd3f8664af03c6c28cdd06bdcff3b3 | A mother-of two shed an incredible four stone in just six months to look ship-shape for when her Navy commander husband came home. Determined Michelle Dalgleish, 31, from Plymouth, set herself a challenge of losing a few pounds while her other half was serving on the HMS Argyll. But when Lieutenant Commander Grant Dalgleish, 35, stepped ashore he barely recognised his wife because of her staggering weight loss. Scroll down for video . Michelle Dalgleish from Plymouth before the weight loss at 13st 13lbs (l) and after, at 9st 11lbs (r) She welcomed home her service husband Grant after losing more than 4st in weight . During Grant's six-month deployment in the Caribbean and North Atlantic, the full-time mother slimmed from a size 16 to a size 10 without telling him what she was doing. Shocked Grant stepped off the ship at Plymouth Docks on Thursday and saw his drastically slimmer wife for the first time. Michelle said: 'I was really nervous while I was waiting for him, but obviously really excited too. 'He had no idea what I had been up to, and he's always said he loved me no matter what my size was. 'I had a skirt on so he could see my legs, but when I took my coat off he was absolutely gobsmacked. 'He couldn't believe it. He kept looking at me and saying "I can't believe it, I can't believe it".' Michelle says she decided to do it because with two children she wanted to be healthy and have more energy . Proud Grant added: 'Our Facetime sessions were only with the kids so I never actually saw her while I was deployed. 'It explains a lot. I was absolutely shocked when I first saw her as I walked off the ship. 'I love my wife whatever size but to see her 4st lighter is quite remarkable. It's a remarkable achievement. I seriously had no idea.' Michelle put on weight while she was pregnant with Poppy, now 13 months, a sister to Harrison, four. She decided to slim down again just before Grant was deployed in June, and three days later joined Slimming World with a goal to lose two stone by Christmas. But after ditching the rounds of toast and fatty foods her weight dropped away, and she revised her goal to three stone - and then four stone. Over the six months she slimmed down from 13st 13lbs down to 9st 11lbs. 'I decided to do it because with two children I wanted to be healthy and have more energy,' Michelle said. 'When I was pregnant with Poppy my BMI wasn't great so my main aim was to get to a healthy BMI. 'After pregnancy you have to give yourself some time before you start trying to lose weight - your body needs to be ready for it after a baby. 'With Harrison I did it too early, but I knew I was practically going to be a single mum for six months while Grant was away so I needed to be fit. 'But I had a big motivation in not telling him and for it to be a surprise. Before I didn't want to buy clothes and didn't want to have pictures taken. 'The feeling of putting on clothes and actually thinking you look okay is great. I'm so happy.' Breakfast - A bowl of Coco Pops followed by toast and jam . Lunch - Soup with four rounds of toast . Dinner - Chicken nuggets and chips . Snacks - Biscuits and a cup of tea . Breakfast - Fruit and yoghurt . Lunch - Egg on toast or spaghetti on toast . Dinner - Homemade spaghetti bolognese, steak and chips or a roast dinner . Snacks - Apple and banana . Michelle Dalgleish and her son Harrison reunited with her husband Lieutenant Commander Grant . Grant says Facetime sessions were only with the kids so he never actually saw Michelle while deployed . 'I love my wife whatever size,' says Grant, 'but to see her 4st lighter is quite remarkable' | Lieutenant Commander Grant Dalgleish, 35, was on six-month deployment .
Wife Michelle, 31, from Plymouth, set herself a challenge of losing weight .
Mother-of-two increased target from two to four stone after diet success .
Slimmed from a size 16 to a 10 and went down from 13st 13lbs to 9st 11lbs .
When Grant stepped ashore on Thursday he was 'absolutely gobsmacked' |
0b56c1f070cd19b82c464278aa4958a572cfa878 | (CNN) -- This is the time of the year when NBA executives may get a little religious, praying that the ping pong balls in Wednesday's NBA draft lottery fall in their favor. Nobody may be praying harder than Michael Jordan, whose Charlotte Bobcats is the losingest team in NBA history. The Bobcats ended the season with a record of 7-59 and finished with an all-time worst .106 winning percentage. For the lottery, the league assigns ping pong balls to the worst performing teams. The poorer a team performed in the season, the more balls it gets. The idea is to help the team get first dibs in the draft and pick up a promising player. The Bobcats' dismal distinction means it will have a 25% chance of getting the top pick in Wednesday's draft lottery -- and the greatest chance at picking Kentucky's all-world big man Anthony Davis. Davis, a 6-foot-10 power forward who led Kentucky to a NCAA national championship this year, is believed to be the top prospect for any team who wins the first pick in the NBA draft. Last year's big winner was the Cleveland Cavaliers, which won the first pick despite having the second best odds of getting it. The draft lottery, which determines the order of the first 14 teams drafting in the June 28 draft, will be held in New York Wednesday night and will be televised. Here are the odds of getting the first pick for the 14 teams in the draft lottery, according to the NBA: . 1. Charlotte, 25% . 2. Washington, 19.9% . 3. Cleveland, 13.8% . 4. New Orleans,13.7% . 5. Sacramento, 7.6 % . 6. New Jersey, 7.5% . 7. Golden State, 3.6% . 8. Toronto, 3.5 % . 9. Detroit,1.7% . 10. New Orleans,1.1% . 11. Portland, 0.8% . 12. Milwaukee, 0.7% . 13. Phoenix, 0.6% . 14. Houston, 0.5% . | NBA draft lottery is to be held Wednesday night .
The lottery determines the order of the first 14 teams drafting in the June 28 draft .
The idea of the lottery is to help poor teams pick up promising players . |
0b5750efa4aa7e2a39866ed95b5e17c836e6afc0 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:09 EST, 19 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:43 EST, 19 March 2012 . Support: A series of leaked emails reveals Asma al-Assad's support for her husband . Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of the Syrian president, told a friend in a leaked email that she was the ‘real dictator’ in the family. Mrs Assad, 36, appears to show no misgivings about the regime’s brutal crackdown against dissenters, according to the latest extracts from her private emails. She praises a speech by her husband for conveying a sense of being ‘very strong, no more messing around.’ And she even makes light of the president’s reputation, joking in one exchange with a friend about domestic relations: ‘As for listening - I am the REAL dictator, he has no choice.’ Mrs al-Assad is often portrayed as an unwitting partner to her husband as he conducts a campaign of violence against many of his own people. But the string of emails sent to her husband as well as friends and family members, shows she is, in fact, fully behind his policies. In one message to a family friend she refers to a speech her husband had made describing it as 'very strong, no more messing around'. And she even changed the wording of a viral joke email, to make fun of the people of Homs - the city at the centre of the uprising where the United Nations estimates thousands have been killed. She had received the email - with the subject line 'Student who obtained 0% in exam' - from her husband. But before she forwarded it on to her father and two other family members she changed the wording to read: 'A really bright Homsi student'. In another email her father, Harley Street cardiologist Dr Fawak Akhras, compared the Syrian government's assault on Homs to Britain's reaction to the riots last summer. Mrs Assad, who has three children, grew up in leafy Acton. Although Muslim, she went to a Church of England school, where friends called her Emma. After studying computer science and French literature at King’s College, London, she worked as a banker at JP Morgan in the Nineties when she started secretly dating Bashar, the nerdy former eye doctor being groomed to succeed his despotic father in Syria. Bashar took power in 2000 amidst hopes he would relax the regime and dismantle the network of security forces. But despite many promises, there have been few real changes. The collection of around around 3,000 emails from the private accounts of the couple were obtained by opposition activists who have released them to the media. In one sent to her husband on December 28th she shows she is fully aware just how serious the threat to his regime had got. 'If we are strong together, we will overcome this together .... I love you.' 'We will overcome this together': Despite the killing and oppression of his own people, Bashar al-Assad's wife is standing by him . Although they do not use each others' real names, experts say they are certain the emails are genuine and that the true identities are beyond reasonable doubt. Other emails revealed how, as the fighting in Syria raged, Mrs al-Assad was mainly concerned with how to get around international sanctions that prevented her from shopping online. ‘I am absolutely clueless when it comes to fine jewellery,’ she wrote to her cousin while awaiting a delivery of gold, onyx and diamond-encrusted necklaces being made for her in Paris. In another email she oragnises a delivery of new furniture through a Dubai shipping company. Meanwhile in Syria government forces clashed with gunmen in an upscale neighborhood of the capital Damascus - home to embassies and senior officials - in one of the worst confrontations in the tightly-controlled city center in the country's yearlong uprising. The pro-government reports said the clash left three 'terrorists' and a member of the security forces dead. It said one of the attackers was captured and three security troops were wounded. Shocking violence: Syrians have been left reeling after several bomb attacks in the country's capital . Damascus . Investigators inspect the blast scene outside a damaged building following a car bomb in Syria's second largest city of Aleppo . Shocking violence: Syrians were left reeling after the dramatic blasts at security buildings in the heart of the troubled country's capital Damascus. Damascus has been largely free of the daily shootings and deaths reported across the country since the uprising against Assad began in March last year. But the capital has witnessed several major bomb attacks targeting security facilities, most recently on Saturday. The government blames 'terrorists' for the bombings but the opposition says that the regime itself may be carrying them out to discredit the uprising. The new fighting shows that rebels can still strike in the heart of the capital despite successful government offensive in the past weeks in the suburbs of Damascus, in the central city of Homs and the northern region of Idlib. Supplies: Rebels of the Free Syrian Army, who have sought refuge in the . mountains close to Al-Janoudia village, in Idlib province in northern . Syria, pass food and other supplies to comrades across a river . Defiant: Syrian rebels have set up check-points and road blocks in the north of the Idlib region . Syrian authorities claim the opposition is made up of 'terrorist' groups carrying out a foreign conspiracy. An activist in the capital said the Monday morning clashes occurred near the Political Security Directorate building. He said the clashes were followed with raids by security forces who were searching for the attackers. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of activists throughout Syria, said 18 of Assad's troops were wounded in the clashes. It described the clashes "as the most violent of its kind and closest to security centers in Damascus since the revolution began." The rebel Free Syrian Army, which includes thousands of army defectors, have claimed responsibility in the past for attacks against regime forces. The group's leader, Col. Riad al-Asaad, refused to comment on the fighting in Damascus when contacted by The Associated Press by telephone. "This is a sensitive military matter that we cannot comment about," he said from Turkey. On Saturday, three suicide bombings in Damascus killed 27 people. Two of them also targeted government security buildings. On Sunday, an explosion killed two and wounded 30 in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's largest. Arms deliveries to Syria surged almost 600 percent from 2007 to 2011 compared with the previous five years, a leading think tank said on Monday, with Russia supplying the bulk of the country's weapons. The report underlined how Moscow has continued to supply Syria with firepower while the United States, European Union and others have imposed arms embargoes in response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's bloody crackdown on unrest. World powers have been unable to stop more than a year of bloodshed in Syria, a country that sits on the fault lines of several regional and ethnic conflicts. Recent army gains against rebel positions have not succeeded in quelling the violence and no negotiated settlement is in sight. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)said Russia had supplied 78 per cent of Syria's weapons imports during the past five years, contributing to a 580 per cent increase in the volume of arms imports by Syria. 'The transfer of arms to states affected by the Arab Spring has provoked public and parliamentary debate in a number of supplier states," said Mark Bromley, senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. 'However, the impact of these debates on states' arms export policies has, up to now, been limited.' Global arms transfers in the period rose by almost a quarter. The five largest importers were all Asian states, with Asia and Oceania accounting for 44 percent of purchases, followed by Europe at 19 percent, the Middle East at 17 percent, the Americas 11 percent and Africa 9 percent. India was the world's single largest importer of arms, accounting for 10 percent of the total, followed by South Korea, Pakistan, China and Singapore. China, the largest recipient of arms during the previous 2002-2006 period, fell in the rankings due to increased domestic production. SIPRI uses a system which attempts to measure volume rather than the financial value of weapons transfers. It does this by using a methodology which intends instead to represent the transfer of military resources. | Asma al-Assad, 36, joked about the people of Homs as troops slaughtered thousands in rebel-held city .
Tells her husband: 'If we are strong together, we will overcome this together .... I love you'
Fighting reported in upmarket district of Damascus following bomb attacks . |
0b576a64c5481cedf5102a926ace5a6044f0c96d | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 15:06 EST, 11 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:05 EST, 12 August 2013 . You would be forgiven for thinking nobody could have walked away from this horrific crash. But 21-year-old Ashley Locker only suffered a broken arm and cuts and bruises after his silver MG ZR car ended up wrapped around a tree last Thursday morning in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The force of the impact meant Mr Locker was catapulted into the back of the car, still strapped in to his seat. But at 6ft 3in tall and weighing 18st, rescuers said his bulk was one reason he survived. Lucky escape: The wreckage of Ashley Locker's silver MG ZR after the crash in Scarborough, North Yorkshire . It was feared that both of his arms were broken and he may have suffered neck and spinal injuries, but his family said he escaped with only one broken arm, a wounded foot and cuts and bruises. His mother, Gill, 48, said: ‘He broke his right arm in two places and has had plates and screws put in. He also had an open wound on his foot which needed 11 stitches. Bruises: At 6ft 3in tall and weighing 18st, rescuers said Mr Locker's bulk was one reason he survived . ‘But other than that it was just cuts and bruises. He was very lucky. The fire service cut him out. The air ambulance was on stand-by in case he had internal injuries. 'He was not trapped for very long. The front seat snapped in half and he was flung into the back seat. He still had his seatbelt on. He is a big strong lad and the ambulance woman said that helped too. He is 6ft 3in and 17 or 18st. 'We did not know anything at first. We just knew he had been taken to hospital. We felt sick when we saw the pictures of the car. We just thought he was very lucky. He is just happy he is still here.’ The accident happened just after 7:15am on Thursday on Cross Lane - a couple of miles from the home of Mr Locker, who has two sisters and has been driving for around two years. He was released from hospital on Friday night and is recovering at home. ‘It's a big thank you to the emergency services,’ his mother added. ‘We are just so relieved and thankful.’ Mr Locker was still not up to speaking about his ordeal, but said on Facebook, on which he listed himself as working for Scarborough-based McCain Foods: ‘Think I have to be one of - if not the luckiest person alive. Thanks for all the messages and sorry to all you that worried.’ | Ashley Locker only suffered a broken arm and cuts and bruises .
Silver MG ZR car crashed into tree last Thursday in Scarborough .
Force of impact catapulted him into back of car, still strapped in .
But rescuers say 21-year-old's bulk was one reason he survived . |
0b589ac3a1772e2fa852d0d257a506f492955456 | By . Sophie Jane Evans . PUBLISHED: . 11:04 EST, 15 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:20 EST, 15 December 2013 . Students at a top primary school have had their SATs results ripped up following allegations of cheating. Dorrington Academy in Birmingham had been on course to become one of the country's highest performing primaries. But the school has been dropped from this week's national league table after at least one Year 6 student was accused of cheating in the nationwide exams. Scandal: Dozens of students at Dorrington Academy (pictured) in Perry Bar, Birmingham, have had their SATs results ripped up following allegations of cheating. The ruling was made by the Department of Education . All of the pupils will now see their results annulled following a ruling by the Department for Education. Today, headteacher Loretta Barratt - who has been in charge of the school in Perry Bar for six years - said she was 'devastated' by the decision. 'It should have been the best year we ever had. But someone, for their own reasons, has not allowed that to happen,' she said. 'We had the most phenomenal cohort of pupils. We were meant to be celebrating becoming an outstanding school. High-performing: The 700-pupil school had previously been on course to become one of the UK's top primaries . Maladministration: Headteacher Loretta Barratt has refused to give any details about the alleged cheating . 'I am devastated, the staff are devastated. It has been a very difficult time.' The 700-pupil school - which teaches children aged between three and 11 - is one of just 25 across the UK to have fallen foul of exam watchdogs at the Standards Testing Agency (STA) this year. Stunned parents were informed of the ruling - which has affected dozens of 11-year-old children - two weeks ago. However, both the school and the STA have refused to give any further details about the alleged cheating. Miss Barratt, 49, said: 'I have been instructed by the legal department that I cannot say any more. 'At the end of the day, we have dealt with it. We have appointed an external invigilator to oversee exam procedure. Bad practice: The school is one of 25 in the country to have fallen foul of exam watchdogs this year . 'As a manager of this school, I am going to make sure the integrity of future procedures takes place. 'I am hell-bent on ensuring that happens. To that end, everything will be moderated externally.' Chairman of governors Lorraine Gumbs, added: 'Of course it's a shock - you don't expect your results to be annulled. 'Parents have been fine and been kept informed. I've had no comeback.' However, some parents claim they are yet to be informed of the allegations. Dawn Daisley, 41, whose daughter Jessica attends the school, said: 'I've not heard a thing about this. Nothing been said to us, I'm a little disappointed. 'But if they have put new measures in place then it shouldn't happen anymore.' Parent Ake Obi, 38, added: 'I'm unhappy to hear this. I'm not comfortable with this information.' It is the second bombshell parents have had to face this year after deputy headteacher Tim Caddick resigned for 'personal reasons' in July. And earlier this year, Miss Barratt described the school as having previously been in an 'appalling' state. In a statement to an employment tribunal hearing into a former employee's grievance, she said: 'The school had been 10 years behind in progress and teaching methods and standards had been appalling. 'Half the staff had left and a high percentage of parents had withdrawn their children.' A spokesman for the Department for Education refused to reveal the nature of the cheating allegations, but said: 'The number of schools where results have been amended or annulled due to maladministration this year is consistent with previous years. 'It illustrates that the majority of schools administer the tests rigorously. 'Instances of maladministration that lead to the annulment or amendment of children's test results are rare, but completely unacceptable.' | Students at Dorrington Academy have had their SATs results annulled .
At least one Year 6 pupil has been accused of cheating in nationwide exams .
School is among 25 to have fallen foul of Standards Testing Agency this year . |
0b5b6bce6ada50af63dbd363ffab9d3ed46502b9 | Michael Schumacher is 'waking up very slowly' following the skiing accident which left him with horrific brain injuries, it emerged today. The news of his slow recovery was passed on by the Schumacher's 15-year-old son Mick, a kart-racing driver. The 45-year-old is being treated at home after spending six months in a medically-induced coma following the accident in Meribel, France, in December last year. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Schumacher in action during his Ferrari days . Formula One legend Michael Schumacher (left) is 'waking up very slowly', his son Mick, 15, (right) has revealed . Kart-racing driver Mick (pictured) told French F1 commentator Jean-Louis Moncet that things are going 'at a slow pace' French F1 commentator Jean-Louis Moncet told Europe 1 radio station: 'I saw his son and he told me that Schumi is waking up very slowly; very slowly. 'Although things are going at a slow pace, he has a lot of time, I would say he has his whole life in front of him to get back on track.' Moncet, 69, also cast new light on the manner in which Schumacher was injured when he struck a rock during the fall. 'The problem for Michael was not the hit, but the mounting of the Go-Pro camera that he had on his helmet that injured his brain,' said Moncet. Moncet confirmed that Schumacher was still 'fighting' at his Swiss mansion, where he is being cared for in a purpose-built medical suite. The seven times world champion returned to his home with his wife and children two months ago after being discharged from a rehabilitation clinic in Lausanne, Switzerland. Michael Schumacher and Mick attending the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix in Monte-Carlo in 2010 . Schumacher spent time in the rehab clinic after coming out of his medically-induced coma following the accident, which left him with catastrophic brain injuries. Updates on his condition have been few and far between. After he was moved home, Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm said there was a 'long and difficult' road ahead. Former Ferrari boss Jean Todt visited Schumacher last month, saying: 'What's important is that he lives and that his family is with him. We really believe that things will get better. He needs time and to be left alone. Accident: Schumacher, pictured with wife Corinna, suffered severe brain injuries after a ski accident in December last year and was put in a medically induced coma . 'In the past weeks and months, he has made progress in relation to the severity of his injury,' said Todt, now president of the International Automobile Federation. 'But a long and hard road is in front of him. Hopefully things will improve. His family is close to him. He needs time and peace.' Schumacher is being cared for by a team of 15 experts at his home. It is understood he remains immobile and unable to speak. His care is estimated to be costing his family 100,000 pounds per month. At the end of the year his father Rolf is moving from his home in Germany into a specially constructed residence built for him in the grounds of the 35 million pound Schumacher mansion at Gland, on the shores of Lake Geneva. Mick has been tipped to follow in his father's footsteps in his own motorsport career. The 15-year-old finished runner-up at the world championships in France last month, before coming second again in the German junior kart championships last week. Having raced under the surname of Betsch, his mother Corinna's maiden name, Mick Schumacher adopted the name Mick Jnr this season. Last month he spoke of his intention to pursue a career in the sport, saying that it was 'only the beginning'. | Schumacher's son Mick passed on the news about his father's condition .
Told commentator Jean-Louis Moncet that things are going at 'slow pace'
Moncet said mounting of 'Schumi's' Go-Pro camera caused brain injuries .
45-year-old injured in skiing accident in France in December 2013 .
Schumacher still 'fighting' in purpose-built medical suite at Swiss mansion . |
0b5bea5f3952729031c825aeaac713b42665cf40 | (CNN) -- A roadside bomb killed 11 people in Afghanistan, including three election workers, authorities said Sunday. The blast occurred in Samangan province late Saturday night after polls closed. A mini bus carrying a group from a polling center to their homes hit a roadside bomb, said Sediqullah Aizizi , a spokesman for the provincial governor. The victims had just finished the counting and other work at the polling center when the blast occurred, he said. Before the roadside bomb, violence marred Saturday's runoff between former Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani. The Afghan Interior Ministry said 46 people were killed on election day, including civilian and security forces. READ MORE: Voting ends in Afghan presidential election . | The blast occurred in Samangan province late Saturday night .
Victims had just finished the counting and other work at the polling center . |
0b5ca1d9b4f081ef7fc2022bfd0ecfce3c0eed19 | A dashboard camera captured the horrifying moment a valet smashes a £30,000 Ford Mustang into a concrete wall after he accidentally slammed his foot down on the accelerator rather than the brake. The video shows the driver carefully negotiating his way into an underground parking lot in Dubai, when the car suddenly gains speed and crashes into the wall straight ahead. The mustang's owner Antoine Adams, 43, says his 'dream car' is now crushed, with a broken engine, damaged front suspension and blood all over the interior from where the driver hit his face. Scroll down for video . The Ford Mustang is now crushed, with a broken engine, damaged front suspension and blood all over the interior from where the driver hit his face . Footage from the dashboard camera shows the valet driver approaching an underground parking lot . But Mr Adams, a Dutch expat who works for an oil and gas company, told 7 Days in Dubai that he bears no grudge towards the valet who drove his car into the wall. 'I don't blame the driver at all,' he said. 'He just made a mistake and I forgive him. He accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake.' He added: 'My wife was a bit upset at first but then I told her not to worry about materialistic things and that the driver's safety was more important.' The valet was taken to hospital with injuries to his face, but has since been released and is now recovering. The car suffered extensive damage to its front, which the valet service has promised to pay for . The car steadily approaches the underground parking lot, before suddenly gaining speed . The manager of the valet service, who was named just as Ibrahim, said the driver is doing 'okay' and suffered just 'minor injuries'. 'We have had accidents with our valet drivers before – but nothing as big as this,' he added. The manager said the company's insurance will repair all the damage to Mr Adams' car, no matter how extensive. As the valet accidentally presses the accelerator instead of the brake, the car shoots forward . Footage shows the car smashing into a wall, with the bonnet crushing on impact . He said: 'We will take care of all the damage. And we will give him a car to use in the meanwhile. If he wants a Lamborghini or Ferrari, we will give it to him. He can keep it until he's satisfied.' Ibrahim went on to say that Mr Adams was a 'complete gentleman' when he found out about his mangled car. 'He [Adams] was more concerned about the driver's life than materialistic things,' he said. Mr Adams, 43, a Dutch expat who works for an oil and gas company, said that he bears no grudge towards the valet who drove his car into the wall . The £30,000 Ford Mustang before it was crushed when a valet hit the accelerator instead of the brake . The valet service manager said Mr Adams was a 'complete gentleman' when he found out about his car . | Footage shows the car suddenly speeding up as it heads to a parking lot .
Antoine Adams says his 'dream car' is crushed and has a broken engine .
Valet is recovering after being taken to hospital with injuries to his face . |
0b5e0903ffaf6865179831dd19b23e6ac619020c | By . Jaymi Mccann . PUBLISHED: . 14:13 EST, 17 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:13 EST, 17 March 2013 . A London academy has become the first school in Britain to introduce a 10am start after research showed that teenagers do not fully wake up until mid-morning. Headmistress of the UCL Academy, Geraldine Davies, allows children to arrive at 10am but to leave at 5.30pm. She argues that the school, which has been open since September, is already seeing positive results. Pioneer: The UCL Academy opened six months ago and introduced a 10am start after research showed that teenagers perform better later in the day . She told The Sunday Times: ‘Youngsters are turning up alert and ready to learn and are focused and engaged in lessons. ‘We have no hard data on exam results yet, since we have only been open six months, but the aim is to rigorously review the effects. Pupil and teacher surveys have so far been positive.’ There have been calls to expand the project across Britain after research from the school’s sponsors, University College London, Oxford and Harvard showed that teenagers are predisposed to go to bed later and waking between 9am and 10am. This pattern, named the adolescent ‘time shift’, continues until the body clock starts to change at the age of 21. Pupils at the school, which is the first in the UK to be sponsored by a university, have had a positive response, with some adding that they are able to eat a nourishing breakfast and read through lessons before school starts. Biologically predisposed: The study shows that teenagers are more receptive and involved in classes when they have had a later start to the day . Academics in America have shown that forcing teenagers to wake up before the body clock tells them to can stunt their academic growth. A 2011 study involving 19-year-olds from the US air force found that those who started classes at 850am instead of 7am achieved higher results in their exams. Oxford professor, Russell Foster and former head teacher Paul Kelley are set to present a paper on the research later this year. Kelley said that he believed schools across the country should start later as they: ‘improve learning, but the sleep deprivation from enforced early starts has an effect on kids' mental health.’ | The UCL Academy introduced the later start when it opened in September .
This comes after research shows that teens don't wake up before 10 .
Pupils have been more alert and engaged in lessons, according to the school . |
0b5e72eecf69b3bb4fa2261b4078035282632c0b | (CNN) -- Iran's supreme leader has expressed mixed feelings about his president's recent diplomatic inroads with the United States. On Saturday, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised President Hassan Rouhani for diplomatic efforts he made during his trip over a week ago to the United Nations in New York. "We support the government's diplomatic moves and consider them to be important. We also support what happened during the visit," Khamenei said according to the official Fars News Agency. During his stay, Rouhani was well-received and struck up a markedly more conciliatory tone than his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The visit ended with a historic, ice-breaking conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama, who phoned Rouhani. It was the first time presidents of the two countries had spoken since 1979, and the tone was agreeable. But Khamenei felt uncomfortable with aspects of the trip, he said in a speech at a graduation ceremony for army officers in Tehran. "Some of the things that took place during the trip to New York were not quite desirable," the official Fars News Agency quoted him. They were "inappropriate," Iran's English language broadcaster Press TV reported him saying. Part of the trip "wasn't proper," Khamenei said in a post to his official English language Twitter account. U.S. official: Obama, Rouhani discussed fate of 3 Americans . It was the first time the supreme leader, who is the ultimate holder of power in Iran, commented publicly on Rouhani's trip. He had no harsh words for his president, but he did for the United States. "We are optimistic about our dear government's diplomatic delegation, but we are pessimistic about the United States," Khamenei said according to Fars, before officers and soldiers who stood lined up at attention holding their weapons. "The U.S. government is untrustworthy, egotistical and illogical and breaks its promises," he said. He accused Washington of kowtowing to Israel and bending to its wishes. Curbing enthusiasm . The breakthrough phone call between Obama and Rouhani was met with enthusiasm in the United States and elsewhere in the West, but less so with Israel's leadership. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to the U.N. General Assembly podium on October 1 to attempt to curb it. He accused the new Iranian president of being a "wolf in sheep's skin" who was still seeking to obtain a nuclear weapon. Kerry: U.S. is not being played by Iran . Western leaders have expressed optimism about Iran's more moderate tone under Rouhani, whose recent comments have raised hopes that a deal could be struck over the Middle Eastern nation's nuclear program. But Netanyahu urged world leaders not to be duped by Rouhani, calling him a "loyal servant" to the Islamic regime, which he said "executes political dissidents by the hundreds" and jails them by the thousands. Netanyahu says he would talk to Rouhani . "It's not hard to find evidence that Iran has a nuclear weapons program," Netanyahu said. "It's hard to find evidence that Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapons program." Iran has long insisted that it is only interested in developing nuclear energy technology and has no intention of constructing nuclear weapons. Nascent hope . Khamenei's comments Saturday follow a wave of new optimism in Iran about relations with the West. News of the call between Obama and Rouhani has spawned hope of a diplomatic breakthrough, and it has lifted the mood of many Iranians. U.S. holds out prospect of some sanctions relief . From bakery to barber shop, cafe to carpet store, Iranians stroll through Tehran with a renewed step, uplifted by how their newly elected president seeks something remarkable after decades of cold war-like relations between their country and the West. "I just feel it. It's not like I've seen anything, but I feel it," said retiree Syed Ali Akbar. "It's the best thing to do. We've been hurting ourselves for years." International economic sanctions against Iran have strained day-to-day living there, making essential goods such as medicine expensive and hard to come by. That punishment has taken a toll. "The sanctions have hurt us. Prices have gone up. There are things you can't find," said Hossein Mohamadi at the Barbari Bread Shop. To many Iranians, Rouhani has seemed to be really advancing the "hope and prudence" slogan he used during his campaign to become president in June, posturing as a centrist and reformer against hardline conservative thinking that characterized Ahmadinejad. But Rouhani has also met with criticism at home for his diplomatic tone toward the West. Upon his arrival back in Tehran, a detractor threw a shoe in his direction. It is an extremely insulting gesture. Opinion: Be cautious with new, smiley-faced Iran . CNN's Ben Brumfield wrote and reported from Atlanta; Shirzad Bozorgmehr reported from Tehran; CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali, Michael Martinez and Tom Watkins contributed to this report . | Iran's supreme leader appears to have mixed feelings about president's diplomatic inroads .
Rouhani's visit ended with a historic conversation with President Obama .
It was the first time the supreme leader commented publicly on Rouhani's trip .
Khamenei's comments follow a wave of new optimism about U.S.-Iranian relations . |
0b5e92457fa892d1d2e8187487398c5329913386 | Another top Iranian official weighed in Wednesday about the tensions brewing between his country and the United States, the latest salvo in the war of words over the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. "We have always stated that there is no need for the forces belonging to the countries beyond this region to have a presence in the Persian Gulf," Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said Wednesday, the semiofficial Fars News Agency reported. "Their presence does nothing but create mayhem, and we never wanted them to be present in the Persian Gulf." His statement is the latest rhetoric stemming from Iran's threat last week to close the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The strait, the only outlet from the Persian Gulf, is a critical shipping lane, with 17 million barrels of oil per day passing through in 2011, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency. Iran threatened to block the strait if sanctions were imposed on its oil exports. France, Britain and Germany have proposed sanctions to punish Iran's lack of cooperation on its nuclear program. Cmdr. Amy Derrick Frost, spokeswoman for the U.S. 5th Fleet based in Bahrain, responded at the time, "Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated." Answering a reporter's question Wednesday about the closing of the strait, Vahidi said, "The security of the Strait of Hormuz is one of the issues that Iran is concerned with, and the Islamic Republic has been maintaining this security." He emphasized that Iran is a regional power and will always protect the strait. "Of course the enemies try to exaggerate this issue in order to secure weapons sales to the countries of this region," he said. Vahidi said a number of observers from other countries had been present during Iran's recent military exercises in and around the strait, and suggested that Iran could hold joint maneuvers with neighboring countries, Fars said. Iran warned the United States on Tuesday not to return a U.S. aircraft carrier group "to the Persian Gulf region." Maj. Gen. Ataollah Salehi, commander of Iran's army, said his country "will not adopt any irrational move, but it is ready to severely react against any threat," the Islamic Republic News Agency said. U.S. officials rejected the warning. The commander spoke at the Port of Chabahar in southern Iran, as forces held a military parade the day after Iran ended naval drills in the region, IRNA reported. The USS John C. Stennis, part of the U.S. Navy's fleet in the region, moved last week from the Persian Gulf into the North Arabian Sea as part of what the 5th Fleet called a preplanned transit. Iran said the ship's movement in relation to Iran's naval exercises showed that the United States "understood" that Iran's maneuvers were not "suicidal or aggressive," but rather about Iran protecting its own "interests and power." But Western diplomats last week described the naval drills -- which, according to Iranian officials, included test-firing missiles -- as further evidence of Iran's volatile behavior. Iran's naval exercises began in the strait and also included waters in the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean up to the Gulf of Aden, according to IRNA. After Tuesday's warning from Iran, a Pentagon spokesman issued a statement saying "deployment of U.S. military assets in the Persian Gulf region will continue as it has for decades." The United States has had forces in the Persian Gulf since World War II. Its ships sail through the Persian Gulf frequently, many on their way to and from the 5th Fleet's headquarters in Bahrain. The 5th Fleet's area of responsibility covers about 2.5 million square miles, including the Persian Gulf, which the Navy also refers to as the Arabian Gulf; the Red Sea; the Gulf of Oman; and parts of the Indian Ocean. | Iran's defense minister speaks out over U.S. warship .
The Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are critical areas .
The United States has had forces in the Persian Gulf for decades . |
0b5edf14e2dae07632088a5cbb556e38493d523c | By . Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:19 EST, 10 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:19 EST, 10 December 2012 . A couple's big day was thrown into chaos on Friday when a drunken wedding crasher began shouting obscenities and chucking beer cans at guests, police said. As the bride and groom exchanged vows during the picturesque beachfront wedding on Florida's Marco Island, 22-year-old Bradley John Stiner was allegedly intent on disrupting the ceremony. Police said that Stiner first ran back and forth behind the altar trying to draw attention to himself. Busted: Bradley John Stiner, pictured in his mugshot at left and behind the wheel of a boat at right, was charged with disorderly intoxication following his arrest on Friday . The Naples Daily News reported that as he was ignored, his methods became more bold when he began shouting obscenities at the wedding party. Stiner was also heard shouting: 'Hey tourists, get off my beach, I'm local.' As a final insult, Stiner allegedly threw unopened beer cans at the wedding party, striking several people - including the best man. By then, some of the wedding guests had had enough, and chased him away. Others called the police. When officers caught up with Stiner . elsewhere on the beach, he said he had the right to be on the there as a . 'taxpaying citizen.' Picturesque: The wedding was held on Florida's Marco Island . The Daily News reported that he also claimed he was a veteran who deserved to do 'whatever I want.' Stiner has served in the U.S. Navy, according to his Facebook page. A police report said that Stiner was so intoxicated that he had trouble standing without swaying back and forth. He was arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication. Stiner also faces a misdemeanor battery charge in the beer can tossing after the best man said he would press charges, the Daily News reported. Behavior: Stiner reportedly told officers that he was a veteran who can do 'whatever I want' | Bradley John Stiner, 22, arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication .
Police said he tried to disrupt ceremony by running behind the altar and shouting obscentities .
He also faces a battery charge after allegedly throwing unopened beer cans at wedding guests - including the best man . |
0b5efe6892457a87f15de5521efae6a5e1328ea3 | By . Jason Groves . Ed Miliband is making 'unforced errors' that are leaving Labour 'in difficulty', a senior MP warned last night. Tom Watson, who was Labour's deputy chairman until last year, said Mr Miliband's controversial decision to pose for pictures holding a copy of the Sun newspaper last week was a 'serious mistake' that had damaged the party, particularly on Merseyside. He hit out at the Labour leaders aides, saying that members of the Shadow cabinet were 'worried' about the performance of the team paid to advise him, following a series of recent errors, such as failing to identify the Labour leader while campaigning in the town, and having embarrassing photographs taken while trying to eat a bacon sandwich. Tom Watson MP has said Labour leader Ed Miliband is making 'unforced errors' that are leaving the party 'in difficulty' Mr Miliband, who boasted of standing up to Rupert Murdoch during the phone-hacking scandal, attempted to mend fences with the media mogul in the run-up to the next election by posing with a World Cup souvenir edition of the Sun newspaper. He was forced to apologise for the decision less than 24 hours later following a ferocious backlash from his own MPs, shadow ministers and activists, and the resignation of a councillor in Liverpool where many people still boycott the newspaper in protest at its coverage of the Hillsborough disaster. Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott also criticised the decision – and said Mr Miliband should take responsibility for it himself. He told Sky News: 'I wouldn't do it, right, but the leader has to make a judgement about many things. His judgement was, on balance, to do what he did. No doubt advisers give advice, but you can't keep blaming advisers. Labour leader Ed Miliband eats a bacon sandwich at New Covent Garden flower market in London . 'At the end of the day, the leader must make a judgement, and he'll be judged on his judgements. I wouldn't have done it.' But Mr Watson said Mr Miliband's media advisers were making 'elementary blunders' and should be sacked unless they can 'lift their game'. He told BBC Radio Five's Pienaar's Politics show that the Labour leader was 'very badly advised' to pose for the Sun picture. 'It was his ultimate responsibility to do it but I just cannot believe that the paper ended up his office and someone ended up taking a photograph of him and it ended up of the internet,' he said. 'The people around Ed, you know, they're not Civil Servants. They are very powerful political people. They carry a lot of power in the Labour Party. 'A lot of Labour Party members raise funds to pay their very good salaries. And to make such elementary blunders like this - in the week that the Hillsborough inquests were taking place - I think is a problem and I'm sure there will be a lot of Shadow Cabinet members who are sort of holding their counsel on this but they are worried about the way Ed's office operates. 'They've either got to sort of lift their games or move on and get people who can do the job, in my view.' | Tom Watson said holding a copy of the Sun was a .
'serious mistake'
Miliband was forced to apologise less than 24 hours later .
Former Deputy PM John Prescott also criticised the decision . |
0b604c6f92dae9e5c1620f085ee73c8c27c1b9b6 | The bloodthirsty killers of Islamic State are trying to ‘hijack’ the Arab world and ‘drag us back to the Dark Ages’ through social media, Queen Rania of Jordan believes. During a powerful address to the Abu Dhabi Media Summit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the 44-year-old monarch spoke out against the horror videos of decapitated prisoners being promoted by ISIS on Twitter and Facebook. 'A minority of irreligious extremists is using social media to rewrite our narrative and hijack our identity,' Queen Rania said. 'That's what ISIS is doing to the Arab world and all of us'. Scroll down for video . Powerful: Queen Rania told the Abu Dhabi Media Summit that 'a minority of irreligious extremists is using social media to rewrite our narrative and hijack our identity' Anger: The monarch, 44, said that the images that ISIS promote on social media should make every Arab 'seethe' and warned moderates who are silent on the issue are complicit in ISIS' success . Hatred: Rania said that beating ISIS with 'a bullet' was not enough. She explained how Osama Bin Laden was killed, but supporters of his ideology fight on . Referring specifically to the videos of beheadings, the Queen said: 'These images don't represent me anymore than they represent you. 'They’re alien and abhorrent to the vast majority of Arabs – Muslims and Christians. And they should make every Arab across this region seethe. 'Because they're an attack on our values as a people and on our collective story. This is their version of the Arab world’s story, their plot, their narrative, their heroes, and the rest of the world is listening and watching.' Queen Rania also said the 'silence' of moderate Arabs made them complicit in ISIS' success, adding: ‘At the heart of the assault is an ideology.‘And if you think you can defeat an ideology with a bullet, think of what happened when Osama Bin Laden was killed.' Queen Rania explained: ‘Sure he died, but his legacy is an even stronger, more twisted extremist movement.’ 'We must create a new narrative and broadcast it to the world. Because if we don’t decide what our identity is and what our legacy will be, the extremists will do it for us.' Queen Rania urged people in the region to post their own positive 'profile picture of our Arab world' on social media sites. Primitive: Images such as these, which shows the mass beheading of Syrian soldiers by Jihadi John and his execution squad throw the image of the Arab world 'back to the Dark Ages' She also highlighted education and job creation as being the key to thwarting the extremists. Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) now controls large swathes of those two countries as Britain and the US leads a coalition of countries carrying out airstrikes to slow the terrorist advance. Hundreds of photos and videos have been posted on social media, showing the atrocities committed by the terrorist group, including mass executions, crucifixions and the beheadings of kidnapped British and American journalists and aid workers. Queen Rania concluded: ‘We either develop our region, or we let others dismantle it – find solutions to the challenges, or watch the challenges avalanche; harness the tools to drive the Arab world forward in the 21st century, or let others use those tools to drag us back to the Dark Ages.’ More than 600 people are attending the 5th edition of the Abu Dhabi Media Summit to discuss the future of the media in the Arab world and beyond. | The 44-year-old monarch was speaking to the Abu Dhabi Media Summit .
She said images posted by ISIS are 'alien and abhorrent to vast majority of Arabs' and should make 'every Arab seethe'
Queen said silence of moderates made them complicit in ISIS' success . |
0b63de0e583d8a0ff5218a8154202cd7898bf73b | The Thai government has labelled 65 provinces as disaster zones as residents struggle to cope with winter temperatures of 15C (59F). In the North of the country a cold snap has seen the mercury drop as low as 1C (34F) in rural areas, with towns and city shivering in temperatures of 14C. The Government is now handing out free warm clothing and winter blankets to chilly residents, and any province which has more than three consecutive days of sub 15C temperatures can apply for emergency funding. In the province of Chiang Mai six districts have been declared 'disaster zones' as temperatures have been below 15C for more than three days (file picture) One 51-year-old man has been killed as a result of the sudden heat drop. Doctors believe he died from the cold weather and rain as he had fallen asleep in the tent after getting drunk. In the northern Nakhon Phanom province, governor Adisak Thep-art said 10 out of 12 districts have been declared disaster zones with some 100,000 people suffering. So far, 20,000 residents have received winter aid. Maha Sarakham province in the northeast has also been swept by the cold spell, brought about by an area of high pressure drifting across from China, with up to 200,000 Maha Sarakham residents in danger. Several thousand people are expected to suffer because of the 'cold snap', and one man has died after falling asleep drunk in a tent in the rain (file picture) Frost has also been seen for the third time this year on top of Thailand's tallest mountain peak Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai, a province where six districts have so far been declared as disaster zones. According to the Changrai Times the frost temperature was recorded at -1.4 degrees Celsius, while the overall temperature has dropped sharply by 6-8C, with temperature in downtown Chiang Mai province recorded at 14.3C. During a weekly cabinet meeting today, members were briefed on plummeting temperatures in Thailand’s upper parts and the villagers’ lack of warm clothes and blankets. | Parts of Thailand declared disaster zones after mercury dips below 15C .
Government officials are handing out free blankets and warm clothing .
National new agency report frost has been seen for the third time this year . |
0b641e0524533968e5759c146d4c55447438176d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 09:11 EST, 5 April 2012 . A state investigation has found no . evidence of child abuse by a Kennedy heir who tried to take his newborn . son from a maternity ward, a family lawyer said today. Attorney Robert Gottlieb said Douglas . Kennedy, son of the late Senator Robert F Kennedy, received a letter from . New York's child protection agency declaring that a report of child . abuse had been determined to be unfounded. On January 7, he tried to take the . newborn boy from the maternity ward at Northern Westchester Hospital in . Mount Kisco, more than 30 miles from Manhattan. Nurses objected, and the . hospital reported the incident to the state. Charges: Douglas Kennedy, pictured with wife Molly and their son Bo, or 'Boru', was charged over the fracas . The Office of Children and Family Services investigated after Kennedy was charged with child endangerment in February. Susan Steele, an agency spokeswoman, said today by email that confidentiality laws prohibit her from commenting. Gottlieb said the agency's . investigation is separate from the criminal prosecution and doesn't . negate the endangerment charge against Kennedy, but he hopes prosecutors . will take it into consideration. 'It is our fervent hope that the . Westchester district attorney will continue to evaluate this case, and . we remain hopeful that the DA will ultimately dismiss that charge,' he . said. Hospital: Douglas Kennedy is shown in security footage trying to take his newborn son for a walk outside . 'Attack': A figure shown falling over in the corridor is said to be a nurse kicked in the crotch by Mr Kennedy . Gottlieb said the probe covered the hospital encounter and a home visit. 'They investigated everything,' he said. He said the agency's finding was 'the first glimmer of reason that has surfaced in this case since it erupted in the press.' The finding has nothing to do with charges of physical harassment against Kennedy stemming from the same encounter. One nurse says Kennedy twisted her arm as she tried to keep him from leaving with the baby, and another says he kicked her. Anna Margaret Lane and Cari Maleman . Luciano told MSNBC they were involved in a vicious scuffle with the 44-year-old after he tried to get in a lift with his son. Scene: The altercation happened at the Northern Westchester Hospital in suburban New York on January 7 . Kennedy, 44, has said he was . protecting the child as the nurses tried to grab him. ‘We kept saying to him: “We need to . step out of the elevator, we need to get the baby to your room”,’ Ms . Luciano said, adding that Mr Kennedy replied: ‘I don't have to listen to . you. It's my child.’ Mr Kennedy claims that as he was . leaning against a door to back out of the maternity ward, a nurse came . toward him, he lifted his left knee and it came into contact with the . nurse to protect his son. That . nurse, Ms Luciano, fell backwards and Ms Lane then accused Kennedy of . twisting her arm. But Mr Kennedy denies this. He returned the baby to . the maternity ward rather than go outside. ‘I . still have pain in my arm,’ Ms Lane told MSNBC. Ms Luciano added: ‘I . wanted to make sure the baby was safe and secure and he brought his leg . up and kicked me. I went flying through the air.’ Fox . News reporter Mr Kennedy, who is married to Molly, is the son of late . politician Robert ‘RFK’ Kennedy - brother of former president John ‘JFK’ Kennedy. RFK was fatally shot in 1968. ‘It is sickening to think that our . simple desire to take our son outside for fresh air has been warped into . a charge of child endangerment,’ Douglas and Ethel Kennedy said in a . statement. Lucian Chalfen, spokesman for the . district attorney, wouldn't comment. Douglas Kennedy, a reporter for Fox . News, is due in Mount Kisco Court on April 12. Mr Kennedy is the . 10th child of Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy, a U.S. senator, Attorney General and presidential . candidate assassinated in June 1968 in Los Angeles, California - five . years after the death of his brother JFK. | Douglas Kennedy, 44, was trying to take baby Bo outside for fresh air - but 'wasn't allowed'
Involved in scuffle with nurses at New York hospital .
Charges of endangerment and physical harassment still pending . |
0b642df8e7297a3cba07b198dfcc2d5a20dad916 | By . Sophie Jane Evans . A Jamaican-born lollipop man has been sacked after calling a black council colleague 'King Kong' and 'monkey' during a row. Jon Seymour, 46, started arguing with the unnamed official after he asked him to lower his voice as he spoke on the phone at Camden Town Hall in London. He claimed he had been trying to arrange a refund because a parking meter had swallowed £4 of his change when the man 'interrupted his conversation'. Dismissed: Jon Seymour has been sacked after calling a black council colleague 'King Kong' and 'monkey' Scene: Mr Seymour, 46, started arguing with the unnamed official after he asked him to lower his voice as he spoke on the phone at Camden Town Hall (pictured) in London. He claimed the man had 'interrupted' him . This led to a heated argument, during which Mr Seymour used 'aggressive' language, including the words 'King Kong' and 'monkey', before being escorted from the building by two security officers. Mr Seymour, who had worked as a lollipop man for 20 years, was instantly dismissed by Camden Council after a disciplinary hearing ruled he had committed gross misconduct. But despite handing in his pole and uniform, he has insisted he was not being racist and has vowed to appeal against the dismissal. Mr Seymour, from Kentish Town, North London, said today: 'It was not racial. He was getting all angry so it was like he was acting like he . was a big strong gorilla, so that's why I called him King Kong. Job: During his career, Mr Seymour had helped children cross the road outside Carlton Primary School (above) in Kentish Town. But he was instantly dismissed by Camden Council after committing 'gross misconduct' 'My mum is black, I'm black. It is not being racist. It was nothing to do with his colour. No one looks like King Kong. 'I apologised to him and we shook hands after, but Camden wanted to take it further for some reason.' Following the incident in King's Cross last July, the council arranged an internal disciplinary hearing. Vow: Despite handing in his pole and uniform, he has insisted he was not being racist and has vowed to appeal against the dismissal . It ruled that that Mr . Seymour, who had helped children cross the road outside Carlton Primary School in Kentish Town, was in . breach of the town hall's code of conduct for staff. An internal report seen by the Evening Standard, said: 'All witnesses confirmed Mr Seymour used the words "King Kong" and "Monkey".' Louise . McBride, who chaired the hearing, said: 'I am satisfied, on the basis . of the information obtained during the investigation, that this . complaint is upheld on the basis that your behaviour was both physically . and verbally aggressive and threatening and that you used insulting . language.' But Mr Seymour has claimed he will launch an appeal against the decision, saying: 'I'm not going to leave it lying. I want people to know what Camden is about.' He added: 'I think what they did to me was wrong. I've been there almost 20 years and never had a warning. I haven't had any problems with anyone else.' If successful, the appeal would see a group of . councillors set up a panel to look into the case. Camden . Council spokesman Steve Shawcross said the row had been a 'potentially . physical altercation' which had been 'aggressive in nature'. Mr Seymour's conduct had been filmed on CCTV and this evidence formed part of the disciplinary process, he said. The . council said in a statement: 'Camden has a code of conduct which sets . out how staff are expected to behave towards the public and other . members of staff. 'We can confirm that a member of staff was dismissed from the council for gross misconduct. 'We are unable to comment further at this stage as the dismissal may be subject to an appeal to elected members.' | Jon Seymour, 46, started arguing with black official at Camden Town Hall .
Said he had been trying to arrange refund from parking meter via phone .
But council worker asked him to be quiet - 'interrupting his conversation'
Mr Seymour then used 'aggressive' language, including word 'King Kong'
He had helped children cross road in Kentish Town, London, for 20 years .
But he has now been sacked by Camden Council after 'gross misconduct' |
0b6475c6d4ec236e1c18ffdac5300fda6a3dfff9 | Halloween has long been the biggest day of the year over on Today, with the morning show team always devoting much time and energy to their costumes, and this year was no different as the anchors got to show off their comedic chops as classic characters from the long running NBC variety show Saturday Night Live. Even better, the costume department was able to just run upstairs at 30 Rock and grab the same costumes and wigs worn by many of the performers from the actual skits, which provided for some striking likenesses between the actors and anchors. Scroll down for video . The gang's all here: The anchors of Today show off their Halloween looks (left to right) Willie Geist and Tamron Hall (Spartan cheerleaders); Natalie Morales and Peter Alexander (Mary Katherine Gallagher and priest); Al Roker (Blues Brothers); Julia Sweeney and Matt Lauer (Pat); Jenna Bush Hager, Savannah Guthrie and Meredith Viera (Mom jeans); Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford (Wayne and Garth); Lester Holt (Blues Brothers) The perfect cheer: Willie Geist and Tamron Hall (above) showed off their dance moves as The Spartans, the spirited duo first played by Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri . Mirror Image: Geist and Hall looked nearly identical to Oteri and Ferrell (above) Kicking things off live from New York was actual SNL player Kenan Thompson, doing a cold open appropriate for morning viewers as he delivered the weather as Al Roker. From there, the Saturday Night Live credits got reworked, introducing the Today team in a manner just like the SNL cast, as they hailed cabs, hopped on the subway, and, in the case of Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford, guzzled wine. Then came the skits. The newest kids on the block, Willie Geist and Tamron Hall, gave America Today's take on the very spirited Spartan cheerleaders, complete with a cheer and some carefully choreographed moves to the 90s dance classic that is C + C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)." Live from New York: The show even did their own version of the SNL title credits to kick things off . Superstar: Natalie Morales (above) got her Catholic school girl on as the very theatrical Mary Katherine Gallagher, a character made famous by Molly Shannon, with a little help from Peter Alexander as a priest . Diva's debut: Morales and Alexander did good work getting down the look and feel of Shannon's debut performance as Gallagher in 1995 with guest host Gabriel Byrne (above) Cheri Oteri and Will Ferrell they were not, but the two certainly had their moves down. And boy were they spirited. Speaking of spirited, Natalie Morales proved to have endless energy as she bounded out after Willie and Tamron as the very theatrical and dramatic Mary Katherine Gallagher. Joined by a dapper looking Peter Alexander, forced into the thankless role of playing the largely silent priest, Morales jumped, stretched and patted her pits just like Molly Shannon first did when she debuted the crazy Catholic school girl almost 20 years ago. Wine's world: The Pinot loving ladies from the show's fourth house, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb (above), proved to be pretty excellent drag kings, dressing up as Garth and Wayne, the basement dwelling rockers first played by Mike Myers and Dana Carvey . Double take: The ladies bore a striking resemblance to the original duo of Myers and carvey (above) It's Pat: Matt Lauer (above) dressed up as the lovably androgynous Pat, and even got a visit from the lady who created the character, Julia Sweeney (above) The morning show's resident sommeliers, Gifford and Kotb, stepped up to the plate next, and proved to be pretty impressive actors as they delivered a remarkably good performance as basement dwelling Queen aficionados Garth and Wayne from Wayne's World. And in her torn jeans and black wig, Gifford almost looked identical to the original Wayne, Mike Myers. Al Roker and Lester Holt followed the ladies, and while they didn't get to do much acting they did get to belt out a tune as they dressed up, and sang, like The Blues Brothers, the R&B duo created by Dan Akyrod and the late John Belushi. Even better, Akyrod sent in a video giving the duo his blessing. Mom's here: Jenna Bush Hager, Savannah Guthrie and Meredith Viera (above) showed off their derrieres as the ladies from the Mom jeans commercial, originally played by funny ladies Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph . The original: Rudolph, Dratch, Fey and Poehler in the original commercial (above), which aired in 2003 during the show's Mother's Day episode . Then, for what seemed to be the finale, Matt Lauer came out as Pat, the androgynous beauty first played by Julia Sweeney, who was also on hand to do a little skit with Lauer. This marks a long running tradition of Lauer doing drag on Halloween, having previously dressed up as Pam Anderson, Jennifer Lopez and Paris Hilton. The show had one big surprise however, and ended on a very, very high note, when new moms Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager pulled up at the end of the segment in a van and got out to reveal the final costumes of the day - the ladies from the Mom Jeans commercial. Memories: Lauer, as Pat, dreamed of one of Lauer's former drag costumes, Lauer as Pam Anderson . Fiercesome foursome: Morales, Alexander, Geist and Hall kept things going for another hour on Today's Take . Surprise appearance: Dennis Haskins even showed up to reprise his Saved by the Bell role as Mr. Belding (above) The commercial, which first premiered on SNL back in 2003 during the show's Mother's Day episode, was written by Tina Fey, and starred Fey, Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph showing off a new style of jeans that features pleats and a 9-inch zipper. An applique vest comes complimentary with each purchase. Hager and Guthrie, who were wearing the wigs from the original sketch, were joined by another mom too to round out their group - Meredith Vierra. The three even filmed their own version of the commercial. Everyone gets involved: Even the production team got in the Halloween spirit, dressing up as Conheads . Dancing in the street: Savannah really got into the spirit of her character, making her exit by exiting out of a minivan . Masterpiece theater: Lauer and Sweeney reenacted one of Pat's classic sketches . Following that reveal, there were more bits from the team, with Dennis Haskins showing up at one point in character as Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell to host a mock talent show that featured Geist and Hall doing another bit and Morales falling into some boxes and delivering one of Coach Taylor's famous Friday Night Lights monologues as Gallagher. Haskins last appearance on the show came in 2013 on the same day his former Bell costar Tiffani Thiessen was also a guest, an appearance that became memorable after the two had a very awkward exchange on the air when Haskins asked to say hello to a visibly disinterested Thiessen. Darling derrieres: Hager, Guthrie and Viera took some time to show off the junk in their trunk . And there's more: Hager, Githrie and Vierra also filmed a commercial just like the original Mom Jeans ad . Social media response to this year's costumes was almost universally positive, with Twitter and Facebook users showing a particular affinity for the ladies looks as well as Mr. Geist's cheerleader. And while not exactly panned, people had little to say about Roker and Holt's take on The Blue Brothers. Not weighing in yet, though sure to do so soon, are current and past members of Saturday Night Live. Also staying quiet on social media were past Today anchors. Guess that's why they call it the blues: Lester Holt and Al Roker (above) sang and danced as The Blues Brothers . No shade: Holt and Roker had the classic Blues Brothers suit down (above) While also paying tribute to their friends, the Today move to do SNL costumes may have also been an attempt to give some press to the struggling show on a day when the morning show, which is having its own problems with viewership, is guaranteed to have one of their biggest audiences of the year. Now in its 40th season, SNL has been having some trouble bringing in viewers, with the show's recent episode featuring former cast member Bill Hader marking an all time ratings low for the program. The show will no doubt get some help this weekend however thanks to big name host Chris Rock and even bigger named musical guest Prince. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . | The anchors of Today did an impressive job portraying classic Saturday Night Live characters on their Halloween episode Friday .
Highlights included Natalie Morales as Molly Shannon's Mary Katherine Gallagher and Willie Geist and Tamron Hall as the Spartan cheerleaders .
Matt Lauer dressed in drag, possibly, as the androgynous Pat, and was visited by Julia Sweeney, who originally played the character .
Also impressive were Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford who played Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World, and looked just like the boys .
The best costumes came courtesy of Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hager and Meredith Viera, who were the moms from the Mom Jeans commercial .
The move by Today to remind viewers of SNL's former greatness may have well been a ploy to help the show as its ratings have sunk to record lows . |
0b656a724fee00bd58bb982c8ff786bdb58ca51b | As some of the biggest stars in the world, One Direction are used to be inundated with fan mail. But despite receiving over 700 handwritten notes in just over a fortnight, these boys seem unaffected by their fans' adoration... because these are just the wax figures. Madame Tussauds in Blackpool have revealed that they have been overwhelmed with love letters for the wax stars, who took up residence earlier this month. Undeterred by the fact that these are neither living nor breathing versions of their idols, Directioners have been posting fan mail in their droves to the wax museum. Wax letter: Madame Tussauds in Blackpool have been inundated with fan mail for One Direction . Seeing double: The boy band's wax figures took up residence at the Blackpool attraction earlier this month . The letters have been turning up in the boys' clothing as fans leave behind their love notes after posing for photographs with the group. One letter was found in Harry’s blazer and another was hidden in Louis’s back pocket. Harry has received the most letters with 311, while Niall has been the second most popular so far with 193 notes. Madame Tussauds Blackpool has tasked Guest Experience Host and One Direction fan, Clarissa Croft with handling the letters, and ensuring they’re passed safely on to the boys themselves. Love notes: 'Harry' has received the most fan mail with 311 . 'It’s been surprisingly emotional handling all these love letters from fans,' Clarissa says. 'I absolutely love the band myself, so I know how much One Direction means to them. These guys are the ultimate teenage crush. 'We made the decision to collect the letters to show the fans that they’re support is appreciated and to let the band know how loved they are. 'We’re delighted that the boys are in Blackpool and Directioners have the opportunity to come and meet the boys’ figures face-to face.' Remi Ryles, aged nine from Stoke-on-Trent who took the chance to hand deliver her letter, said: 'I love One Direction so much. I brought in my own letter and gave it Niall, he’s my favourite.' Starstruck: Remi Ryles, aged nine, hand delivered her letter to One Direction at Madame Tussauds . The quintet of wax figures sit casually together on a school-style double bench where fans can sit right beside them. Wearing clothes donated by the boys, their smart casual style comes across in the fully themed One Direction room in the heart of the attraction. Each band member gave two sittings to help create the figures. The talented Madame Tussauds studios team took hundreds of precise measurements, examined their skin tones, eye colour and matched up hair swatches to ensure total accuracy. A team of 40, including sculptors, moulders, hair stylists, colourists and wardrobe experts worked flat out for four months to create the figures which each cost £150,000 to make. Guest Experience Host and One Direction fan, Clarissa Croft with handling the letters, and ensuring they’re passed safely on to the boys themselves . | Boy band took up residence at Madame Tussauds in Blackpool this month .
Harry has received the most love notes with 311 .
Handwritten letters have been found tucked into the wax figures' pockets . |
0b67c5baa0f36682ba592cc23538468a5714d5de | By . Charles Sale . Follow @@charliesale . Former Tory treasurer Lord Jonathan Marland has emerged as a strong contender for the vacant Premier League chairmanship. Marland had discussions about the role before corporate financier Anthony Fry, who has stood down for health reasons, was appointed in April 2013. But Marland then had too many other business and political commitments, including being the Prime Minister’s trade envoy. These have now eased, leaving the Tory peer able to devote the number of days required for such a crucial football role. And Marland has both the stature and character to gain the respect of the 20 clubs in the top flight. Next in line? Lord Jonathan Marland is in the running to take the Premier League chairmanship . Marland made a late challenge to Giles Clarke in 2009 for the chairmanship of the England and Wales Cricket Board but withdrew before the vote, not having had enough time to win support around the counties. He had been particularly scornful of the ECB’s handling of the rift between Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores. The PL panel, led by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck, tasked with finding Fry’s successor are waiting until chief executive Richard Scudamore shows he’s fully fit to resume duties after major heart surgery before selecting a second chairman in two years. Former Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe is another name being linked with the PL chairmanship. Saints alive! Former Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe (C) has also been linked with the position . Even Geoffrey Boycott is now on Twitter, although its immediate response capability is rather lost for Boycs as he dictates his tweets for his more techno-savvy daughter Emma to post. .............................................................................. The word at the Old Trafford Test was that Giles Clarke will stand down as chairman of the ECB, with Yorkshire’s Colin Graves his most likely successor. However, the Clarke camp insists he wants to carry on, even after the county-influenced departure of close ally, ECB chief executive David Collier. Graves says he hasn’t thought about the chairmanship, and he may not want to leave Yorkshire having invested so much time and money into the county. .............................................................................. The FA intend to prioritise certain international tournaments in future so PL clubs know well in advance when players are needed. The PL are for once supportive of an FA policy. The clubs say the problem in the past has been the lack of information from the FA as to when players will be called up. THIN SKINNED ALLOTT . Paul Allott, mediocre presenter of Sky Sports’ Cricket Writers on TV, is ill-suited to host a show about media comment on the sport judging by his furious reaction to one sentence of negative opinion about his Lancashire board role — which also conflicts with his Sky job. Thin skinned: Sky presenter Paul Allott took exception to a question about his role on the Lancashire board . Sports Agenda reported relegation-threatened Lancashire members’ concerns that director of cricket Mike Watkinson reports on cricket matters to his close friend Allott. So when he spotted your columnist in a Lancashire VIP area during the Old Trafford Test, he demanded that security were called to remove me in such an exaggeratedly aggressive manner that even his son told him to calm down. Allott refused to accept that I had been invited into the hospitality area by one of his fellow board members until confirmed personally. Later, at an Old Trafford reception for the media, when Sports Agenda attempted to defuse the situation by asking for a quiet word with Allott, Lancashire’s equally preposterous chairman Michael Cairns said that couldn’t happen as the club lawyer wasn’t present. If Allott hadn’t been so busy enjoying himself in the Old Trafford hospitality boxes or trying to eject your columnist last Friday evening, he would have saved himself from an embarrassing altercation with fourth Test match referee Ranjan Madugalle the following morning. Embarrassing: Allott's suggestion to bring in the boundaries was given short shrift by Ranjan Madugalle (L) Allott, concerned that the drainage fiasco would continue to postpone play, went to see Madugalle to ask for the boundary ropes to be brought in. Allott was given short shrift as that option had been discounted the previous night — no changes can be made to the size of the playing area once the match has started. CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… . | Lord Jonathan Marland is a contender to become the next Premier League chairman - while Rupert Lowe has also been linked with theposition .
Geoffrey Boycott leaves his tweets for tech-savvy daughter Emma to post .
Rumour has it that Giles Clarke will stand down as ECB chairman .
Sky presenter Paul Allcott didn't take kindly to a question over his role on the Lancashire board - while Test referee Ranjan Madugalle didn't take kindly to Allcott's suggestion of bringing in the boundaries . |
0b68189da4d861a6363cd5fc267122e44bf7775d | (CNN) -- The mother of a missing toddler on Monday was arrested in connection with an alleged theft from one of her friends, Florida authorities said. Monday's arrest of Casey Anthony, mother of missing 3-year-old Caylee Anthony, was her second relating to the theft case and her third since the child disappeared three months ago. The latest charges -- passing a forged check, fraudulent use of personal identification and petty theft, according to an arrest affidavit released by the Orange County Sheriff's Office -- related to a theft from Casey Anthony's friend Amy Huizenga, authorities said. Anthony and her missing daughter have garnered national headlines and served as fodder for nightly crime shows, which show pictures of the wide-eyed toddler during their coverage. Watch Nancy Grace with the latest on the arrest » . Caylee disappeared in mid-June, and her mother waited nearly a month before reporting the disappearance, authorities said. Since then, evidence has mounted that Caylee is dead, authorities said. Anthony was first arrested on July 16 after she told detectives lies about her daughter's disappearance, according to police. She was charged with child neglect, making false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation. While out on bail, Anthony on August 29 was arrested on suspicion of forgery, fraudulent use of personal information and petty theft related to the Huizenga case. She remained in jail until early September, when her $500,000 bail was posted anonymously. Police have labeled Anthony a "person of interest" in the case of her missing daughter. Anthony initially said she didn't immediately report her daughter missing because she was conducting her own investigation. Later, she told police she gave Caylee to a baby sitter. But investigators said they soon learned that the address she gave them was an apartment that hadn't been occupied for months. | Mother of missing 3-year-old Caylee Anthony charged with theft .
Arrest is her second relating to alleged theft from friend .
Authorities: Casey Anthony waited nearly a month before she reported girl missing .
Casey Anthony is "person of interest" in disappearance, authorities say . |
0b6899d58e1d595644c7b2a1caf7acc46df5b23c | Buying the wrong bombs, mislaying anti-aircraft missile systems and gifting Germany a property portfolio have led the Ministry of Defence to rack up losses of £1.58 billion in the past two years, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Previously unseen accounts for 2012-13 show that the MoD has written off huge sums of taxpayers’ money after an array of stores losses, accounting errors and what are categorised in the department’s figures as ‘fruitless payments’. The wastage came at a time when the Government was insisting that it needed to sack thousands of Service personnel to balance the books. Figures obtained by this newspaper reveal that in the last financial year the MoD’s bookkeepers were apparently incapable of accounting for £33.6 million in funds allocated for military purposes. A note in the accounts describes a lack of information over the whereabouts of the money – leading to the ‘write-off of unsupported balances’. Documents also show that while the MoD was axeing historic regiments and withdrawing iconic ships and aircraft from service, it was simultaneously giving to Uzbekistan a fleet of 50 Leyland DAF four-ton trucks worth £450,000, and counter-terrorism training equipment to Pakistan worth £294,000. According to the accounts, the biggest giveaway of all in 2012-13 was handing back the barracks and buildings in Germany which had been in British possession. The documents state that this cost the MoD £1.5 billion in impairment charges. The figures also reveal that hundreds of troops benefited from a clerical error in the wages department. They were overpaid about £640,000 and there are no plans to recover the excess payments. Similarly the MoD has written off £527,000 for missing anti-aircraft missile parts, £743,000 after the disappearance of lightweight field generators, £390,000 for lost kit in Canada and £277,000 for purchasing bombs which no longer suited their training requirements. Among the so-called ‘fruitless payments’ is £1.6 million for towing HMS Astute after the submarine ran aground off the Isle of Skye, and £393,000 paid to landowners and catering contractors following the late cancellation of military exercises. 'Fruitless payment': The Royal Navy submarine HMS Astute... before it ran aground off the Isle of Skye, racking up costs of £1.6million . Defence sources stressed last night that such payments were inevitable given the requirement to change planning schedules due to unforeseen circumstances. The MoD accounts also include a list of payments categorised as ‘claims waived or abandoned’. Among these is a £413,000 bill for security at a G8 summit, the £1.5 million overpayment of tax by the department to HM Revenue & Customs and £417,000 to settle a dispute over computer services at the Defence Academy in Swindon. Waste: Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy condemned the MoD's 'multi-million pound mistakes' Last night, Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy said: ‘This incompetent waste will come as a shock to a country angry at defence cuts. ‘Multi-million pound mistakes come at a time of mass sackings of service personnel and defence equipment being scrapped. ‘People will wonder how the Government can lose expensive items of equipment. Ministers should minimise waste and prioritise protection for those who serve and their families.’ The MoD has also incurred several constructive losses over the last two financial years, though defence sources insist that these payments, such as the cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 intelligence gathering aircraft at £3.7 billion, the early withdrawal of the Harrier aircraft at £1.2 billion and the retirement of five Royal Navy vessels at £513,000, will save money in the longer term. The MoD said: ‘The figure of £1.5 billion in the accounts reflects the reduction in the value of the German estate as a result of the decision to withdraw UK forces from Germany earlier than planned. This is not the cost of returning personnel and their families by 2019, which will actually save the taxpayer £240 million per year. ‘The vast majority of write-offs are not items lost or wasted but occasions where we have sold off or scrapped redundant military equipment or gifted equipment to another country. ‘Gifting to countries often prevents the UK military having to get directly involved and thus saves the British taxpayer. ‘For the first time, the MoD has a balanced budget and the Armed Forces have a fully funded ten-year Equipment Plan of some £160 billion.’ | Ministry of Defence could not account for £33.6million allocated for military purposes .
MAIL ON SUNDAY reveals vast sums written off as 'unsupported balances'
Wastage at time when defence services axed to 'save money'
Costs include hand-back of German barracks at £1.5billion and recovery of one submarine that ran aground at £1.6million . |
0b68c1d5a83a162374e4c14d748da2994af9a346 | (CNN) -- Perched on a sofa in her West London apartment, Eve Branson recounts early memories of her son Richard. Disciplining him, it seems, was delicate business. "He was like a ball of fire as a little boy," the 90-year-old told me. "Like a thoroughbred. You didn't want to pull the reins too hard and spoil him, spoil his adventures and his madness but you had to pull a little bit." His single-mindedness began to reveal itself when he was just three or four, she recalls. Branson ran off and hid at a local farmer's house after a strong reprimand. "Eventually someone rang to say 'We've got a little blue-eyed boy here? Does he belong to you?' Gosh was I relieved." Now, her son has a knighthood, is worth more than $5 billion according to Forbes and is one of the world's most able -- if eccentric -- entrepreneurs. But what was the secret to such success? Does tough love breed success or is support and encouragement key to raising tomorrow's tycoons? I set out to answer these questions in a series of interviews with the mothers of sports stars, tech pioneers and rockers and discovered they had many traits in common. Branson, it seems, was not the only budding businessman with a mind of his own. Maye Musk, mum of PayPal magnate Elon, has a similar story. The South African model and nutritionist laughs nervously as she recalls the time she left a young Elon Musk behind at home for misbehaving while taking her other children to visit their cousins. It was a 20 minute drive away or four hours on foot, she says. Just as she was leaving Musk says her son turned up out of nowhere. "I saw this tiny little boy, just past toddler stage, coming down the sidewalk. It was Elon. He'd walked there! I was horrified." Now aged 42, her son has revolutionized the world of e-commerce and electric vehicles through his companies Paypal and Tesla. And just like Branson, who soon aims to make passenger space travel a possibility, Musk is taking on the final frontier: with a contract from NASA for his firm Space X to transport orbital cargo. Maye says her each launch leaves her "anxious and shaking and sick," with relief finally coming with success. It's a reaction Judy Murray can sympathize with. Murray has raised two successful children, both of whom hold Wimbledon titles. Older son Jamie is a doubles champion while her youngest is the singles title holder Andy. When Andy Murray clinched the Wimbledon title last year, the first Briton to do so in 77 years, his mother couldn't look. "I buried my face because I knew the cameras would be on me." Murray, herself an accomplished tennis player and coach, introduced her sons to the sport as a way of keeping them busy, but never expected her family name to make the sport's hall of fame. "As eight and nine year olds they were exceptionally good tennis players...but when I saw Andy holding the trophy, I just thought "I can't believe it," she says. Judy Murray has been accused of being pushy but says people "make assumptions because they don't know me. "I've heard Andy and Jamie being asked that before and they say 'my mum never pushed us.' That's why they are still doing what they are doing, because they love what they are doing." Another famous son inspired by his parent's passion is Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. The child of two computer programmers and maths aficionados, Berners-Lee grew up in a household of calculus before bedtime. His 90-year-old mother Mary-Lee shows me a sketch drawn by a family friend on holiday one year depicting a young Tim and three siblings in animated conversation; the word "Noise" scribbled above their heads. "I used to think my children were terribly well behaved but when I look back at this I realize it wasn't always so," she says. She recalls evenings around the dinner table, when the family would try and solve maths problems. If his parents were unable to crack it, Tim Berners-Lee would step in, she told me. "It was all terribly good fun." But good mothers don't always choose the conventional path: Jo Wood, who raised her three kids while on tour with the Rolling Stones, felt it important to educate them on life as a rocker's offspring. Describing the moment she offered her son and daughter cocaine and cannabis, respectively, Jo says she felt "like a lioness showing her cubs the world and what was out there." Did that make her a bad mother? "Luckily it didn't backfire," she says. Now a grandmother, Wood has fond memories of the days she spent on the road with her family and the Stones. "I used to love it. We'd just pack up and it was like we were all going on an adventure." And in many ways Wood was a mother figure to the whole band. "I loved Charlie for his wonderful cold sense of humor, and of course I loved Ronnie, Keith has a special place in my heart and Mick, you never know where you stand with him. One minute he can be fabulous and then next he'll ignore you." Wood credits her kids, art dealer Jaimie, singer Leah and youngest son Tyrone, with helping her through the breakdown of her marriage. She is now runs her own beauty brand and says "my kids kept me sane through all of my hard times," she says. "They'd call me up and make sure I wasn't alone. They'd take me clubbing. And just like the other famous mothers I met she concludes: "My kids are great. I know I wouldn't be the same without them." More from Nina dos Santos: The European Union needs a new vision . Read more: How to rebuild trans-Atlantic ties . Additional reporting by James Frater and Hazel Pfeifer . | Nina dos Santos sits down with women who've raised some of the world's business and sporting leaders .
Judy Murray, Eve Branson, Mary-Lee Berners-Lee and Maye Musk share their memories .
The moms reveal similar stories from their chidren's childhood, and fears as they grew up . |
0b69f9be3b89cc7d780c54eb8da63a8d835a8062 | By . Lydia Warren, Hayley Peterson and Katie Davies . PUBLISHED: . 13:26 EST, 18 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:58 EST, 18 May 2013 . The gunman who held hostage 21-year-old Hofstra University student, Andrea Rebello, who later died in the police gun battle has been identified by police as Dalton Smith - a known criminal who was wanted for absconding parole for robbery. Police revealed the identity of Smith, 30, of Hempstead, today and revealed a warrant was put out for his arrest on April 25. He had been found guilty of robbery in the 1st degree and had an extensive criminal background going back to 1999 with multiple convictions for theft and assault. Robbery: Dalton Smith was today identified by police as the man who was carrying out a robbery on a sorority house in Uniondale when Andrea Rebello was shot dead . He also spent time in prison and was convicted again for handling contraband goods while behind bars. He was shot by police on Friday after what appears to be an attempted robbery on Rebello, her twin and their friends. Reports say the man shot Andrea Rebello as she pleaded for her life. The 30-year-old followed the sisters, Jessica and Andrea, Jessica's boyfriend John Kourtessiss and another student called Shannon Thomas back to the girls' California Avenue sorority house from the popular student bar, McHebes, according to the New York Post. The gunman reportedly targeted the students after seeing them spending large amounts of money in the drinking spot to celebrate the end of the school term. Around 2.20am he allegedly peered through the window in his ski mask and knocked on the door before forcing himself in and taking the group hostage. Raiding the home he shouted: 'I saw you at the bar drinking. I know you have more money than this!', according to police sources quoted in the Post report. He made the twins remain but told Thomas to leave and withdraw money from an ATM machine - warning her he would shoot her friends if she tried anything. While away from the home she called 911. As police arrived neighbors said they heard blood-curdling screams and what sounded like a woman pleading for her life. Victoria Dehel, who lives four doors down told the New York Times that she heard shouting. At first is sounded like 'a bunch of drunk college students,' she told the Times. 'And then the screaming just got worse and worse and worse. And then we heard thuds, like five bangs,' she said. Dehel said she and her boyfriend stepped onto their porch and they could hear what sounded like a woman pleading for her life, just as police cars raced down the street. 'I turned to my boyfriend and I said, 'I think someone just got murdered'. It was awful,' she said. '[Police] drew their weapons and went inside,' neighbor Frank Pugliese, 19 told the Post. “She was pleading for her life. You could tell she was scared. It . was a surreal moment . . . She was pleading — her voice was trembling . and she yelled, ‘No, no!’ ” Victim: Andrea Rebello (right), has been shot dead by a masked intruder during an invasion of the home she shares with her twin sister Jessica (left). The suspect was also shot dead at the scene . Loss: The twins reportedly lived at the home just a block from campus with more of their sorority sisters . Horror: It is unknown at this time whether Rebello's twin sister witnessed the killing, but police confirmed that her sister had remained in the home while another girl was allowed outside . Smith is believed to have held them on the second floor. Thomas told the 911 dispatcher that he had a silver handgun pointed . at her friend's head in a bedroom, NBC reported. The dispatcher passed the information to police and less than a minute later, Nassau . County police officers reached the home. When they arrived, shots went off. A law enforcement source told the New York Post it appeared the suspect killed Rebello and the police then killed him but this timetable of events was still being verified. 'We . don't know [the suspect's] motive at this time but it appears to be a . robbery,' Chief Rick Capece said in a press conference on Friday. Anthony Kourtessiss said his son was being questioned by police last night and Jessica was 'inconsolable'. 'It’s a terrible situation,' he told the newspaper. '[Jessica] was very upset, inconsolable right now.' Scene: Officers guard the area leading to the white house, background, where the shooting broke out . Scene: She was home with two other girls and a male when the break in took place around 2.30am . Rebello was a member of the Beta Sigma Phi . sorority and lived with six of her sorority sisters at the home, including her sister. Students . flocked to Twitter to express their grief at the killing, with many . writing 'R.I.P' messages to Andrea and sending her twin sister their . best wishes and prayers. A private vigil was held at the Hofstra Student Center last night and it was announced today that her funeral will take place on Wednesday. Rebello's father, Fernando, was too distraught to discuss the incident outside the family's home in Tarrytown, New York, yesterday. 'It's my daughter, my baby daughter,' the landscaping company chief told the Journal News outside the home he shares with wife Nella. 'She was so beautiful. I'm so confused. 'I don't know what to do,' he added. Her godmother told the newspaper: 'It's just too tragic'. Andrea was . a junior at Hofstra studying Public Relations and Sociology and had attended Sleepy Hollow High School alongside her sister. 'I'm 100% Portuguese and have an identical twin sister so I guess that makes me kind of unique?' she wrote on her blog. Principal Carol Conklin-Spillane said the girls were 'a set' and Andrea was devoted to her family who are close to other members of the Portuguese community in the area. 'She had a devotion to family and sense of purpose and of opportunity,' she said. Photographs . on her Facebook page show the girl as a popular student who enjoyed . hanging out with friends and her twin sister, while her blog documents . her cooking hobby. Neighbors said their house had a vegetable garden and the twins would sometimes drop off the produce. 'They brought me some vegetables from their garden. They’re very nice people. They’d do anything for you,' Harris Bank told the New York Post. Her funeral will be held at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Sleepy Hollow and will be officiated by the Rev. Osvaldo Franklin, of Our Lady of Fatima in Yonkers, who gave the twins their first communion. He said they helped with Mass for several years after that. Sisters: Jessica and Andrea Rebello, pictured, remained in the home while another girl was allowed out to collect money from an ATM. The girl called police immediately and they arrived minutes later . Popular: Photographs on Facebook show Andrea, a junior at Hofstra, enjoying nights out with friends . Break in: Police said that the masked, armed intruder knocked on the front door before forcing his way inside the home and holding the friends, including Andrea (left), hostage . Distraught: Hofstra University students gather near the house where the girl and an armed intruder were killed . Sadness: The suspect and the girl were both shot after police arrived at the Long Island home . Authorities said Andrea's twin sister is now with their family. On Friday morning, Hofstra University . President Stuart Rabinowitz released a statement condemning the shooting . as a 'senseless act of violence'. 'The Nassau County Police have . notified us that early this morning a Hofstra student was killed during a . tragic crime which took place in a rental house off campus,' the . statement read. 'The police investigation is ongoing, . and we do not yet know all of the relevant details. What we do know is . that a young member of the Hofstra family has been taken from us in a . senseless act of violence.' Home: The victim lived at the home which is just a block from the university campus with sorority sisters . Campus: The private university, on Long Island in New York, has nearly 13,000 students . Friday was the last day of exams . for students at the university and graduation is being held on Sunday, . but Rabinowitz added that the ceremonies would go ahead as scheduled. 'The accomplishments of our graduates . must be recognized, and together our community will heal and find the . strength to move forward,' he said. Hofstra University is a private . college on Long Island, New York. Nearly 13,000 students attend the . university, which is about 25 miles east of New York City. | Andrea Rebello, a junior at Hofstra, was shot dead at 2.20am on Friday in her Uniondale sorority house .
A masked male intruder, today named as Dalton Smith, was also shot dead .
The victim's twin, Jessica, was also held hostage along with her boyfriend .
Police were alerted when their friend Shannon Thomas was allowed out to get cash from an ATM and immediately called the authorities .
Smith allegedly shot Rebello as police arrived at the property .
Smith had three previous convictions for robbery and one for assault, there was a warrant out for his arrest after he absconded parole in April . |
0b6a0f500da758b6574e23e4435a6e28cd186ed1 | Steven Gerrard is haunted by that momentary slip three matches from the end of last season which pulled the Anfield turf out from under Liverpool as Premier League champions-elect. Given time to reflect plus the priceless gift of hindsight, his most vital loss of footing can now be seen as his stumbling failure nine years earlier to drive through a transfer to Liverpool’s opponents on that fateful April afternoon. Chelsea, who capitalised on that rare Gerrard error to both defeat Liverpool and deflate their title challenge, had made a £32million bid for him in the summer of 2005. Steven Gerrard checks his studs after slipping against Chelsea at Anfield last season . Gerrard lifts the European Cup in 2005 after the greatest night of his professional career . That came just six weeks after he captained Liverpool to the greatest comeback in Champions League final history, that epic victory over AC Milan from 3-0 down in Istanbul. Liverpool instantly rejected Chelsea’s offer. But Gerrard, although still only 25, was already suspecting that if he was ever to win a Premier League title it would have to be with a different team. Sadly, he has been proved right. In fact the drama and emotion of that astonishing night on the banks of the Bosphorous had brought him only temporary relief from that sense of foreboding, which had been nagging at him since Liverpool finished 30 points off the pace the preceding season. So he asked for a transfer. Coming from a very local hero, that request was perceived as heresy by the Liverpool faithful and they took to burning replicas of his shirt in the streets. As the protests reached a crescendo their Stevie G relented. Instead of insisting on his right to join the then-reigning League champions at Stamford Bridge, he signed a new £100,000 a week contract. The rest, as we always say, is history. Except that for Gerrard it is not historic. Since 2005 he and Liverpool have won just one FA Cup and one League Cup – and still no Premier League medal for this valiant war-horse for whom the championship of England has been the Holy Grail since he signed for the club round the corner from his house at the age of eight. Nor is he likely to get one now. Chelsea, in that time, have won their first Champions League, four FA Cups, one League Cup, the Europa League once… and that Premier League title which Gerrard so covets, not once but twice. John Terry lifts the Premier League trophy in 2010 - it is an honour that has eluded Gerrard . Right now they lead the championship race by more points than Liverpool can remotely hope to retrieve and Gerrard is in his Last Chance Saloon, with the light fading. Ah, what might have been. Perhaps a life in English football would have been impossible for him, given how threatening the passions on Merseyside would have remained had he left the club for which he was born to play. But for whatever reason he let his heart over-rule his head, these subsequent nine years have been overflowing from midfield with his commitment to a great club striving to recapture the glory days, and last season so close to doing so. This has become a story of uplifting self-sacrifice in this age when footballers change clubs as often as their socks. Loyalty, however, is oft rewarded by a kick in the head. Gerrard (left), Glen Johnson (centre) and Jordan Henderson on the bench at the Bernabeu . The 34-year-old was also among the subs against Stoke on the 16th anniversary of his Liverpool debut . Gerrard was left out of what might well have been his last huge night in that hallowed red shirt – last month’s Champions League match at Real Madrid. Then he was dropped on his 16th anniversary of becoming a Liverpool player . At 34, this one-club servant finds himself embroiled in turmoil as to whether Liverpool want to contract him to end his career with them – or if even he would prefer now to cash in on his last legs with a move to somewhere like the booming US soccer market. Again, emotions are coming to the boil on Merseyside. The Liverpool skipper celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Leicester on Tuesday . Players past and present are urging him to stay. The fans are petitioning the board to extend his contract. And one of the outstanding players of his generation - the dyed-red Liverpool man who told true-blue Chelsea that he couldn’t quite bring himself to ‘jump off the cliff’ - finds himself back on the precipice. This time with the ground crumbling beneath his feet. Let us hope he makes a happy landing. If the Premier League title is not to be, that is the least Steven Gerrard deserves. Gerrard (third right) poses with fellow Liverpool greats (from left) Ron Yeats, Roger Hunt, Ian Callaghan, Phil Thompson, Phil Neal, Alan Kennedy, Alan Hansen, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher and youngsters Raheem Sterling and Jordan Rossiter, with Ian Ayre and Brendan Rodgers at the front . Pele and Ali are The Greatest - long may they last . Muhammad Ali posts a smiling selfie and declares himself fit and well to keep up the good fight against Parkinson’s. Pele reports himself back in the game after a spell in hospital. The Greatest Of All Time and the Greatest Footballer Ever… long may they last. The selfie posted by Muhammad Ali to demonstrate that he is getting better . Back to the Future - it's 1-0 to the Arsenal . To the Arsenal, one-nil. What is going on with the team that couldn’t hold on to a dog lead this season, until now. Is it back to the future? Back to the days when one goal was invariably enough for the Gunners? Perhaps not. The answer now seems to be scoring so late – as Alexis Sanchez did to beat Southampton on Wednesday night – that they only have to defend their lead for a minute or two. Alexis Sanchez (left) smiles after scoring Arsenal's only goal against Southampton . | Steven Gerrard asked Liverpool for a transfer in 2005 .
However, he opted out of a move to Chelsea at the last minute .
Since then Liverpool have won one FA Cup and one League Cup, while Chelsea have won the Premier League twice (among others)
Muhammad Ali and Pele are on the mend .
Like the old days, it's a case of 1-0 to the Arsenal . |
0b6a9111cb3c3f18ac00e72b3969082d2d9761f8 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:10 EST, 8 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:30 EST, 9 September 2013 . More than a thousand former members and officials of Boy Scouts of America gathered this weekend to create a Christian-based alternative to the BSA. Its goal is to counter what the new groups says is the 'moral free-fall' of the nation, and 'raise a generation of faithful husbands, fathers, citizens and leaders,' organizers told the national inaugural convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The move comes in response to the Boy Scouts of America’s recent repeal of a restriction that denied membership to youth based on sexual orientation, which will take effect at the start of next year. New group: Over 1,200 disgruntled former Boy Scouts of America officials descended on Nashville, Tennessee this weekend, in order to launch a new, 'Christian-based' alternative to the BSA, as it voted earlier this year to lift its ban on gay members . Christian centered: Trail Life USA is the culmination of months of planning and prayer following the Scouts¿ decision this summer to permit openly homosexual members, turning its back on more than 100 years of being biblically straight . 1,200 people from across the United States met for a two-day conference to select the name, logo and uniforms of the new organization, now called Trail Life USA. The group has captured widespread attention because of its other mission — to provide a robust alternative to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Cofounder John Stemberg says the organization will have a 'prominent faith component' and become a 'masculine outdoor program to raise young men.' 'Most of us are coming from a highly-structured environment that has 103 years of culture and language and program and symbols… and we are starting from scratch,' he told NBC. Decisions: This weekend members decided on a name and a logo for the new activity group . At the opening session, John Stemberger, chairman of the board of Trail Life USA, teased the crowd saying he would not be surprised if there were 'spies' from Grapevine, Texas — BSA’s home base — in the audience. Trail Life USA’s name, drawn from more than 300 options, was carefully vetted and is intended not to be political or controversial, organizers said. 'Trail' refers to a pathway and being outdoors, but also symbolizes the passage of life, where there are moral choices, and right and wrong paths, said Mr. Stemberger. 'Our whole life is about the trail, both in the outdoors and in the journey of life as believers,' he said. 'So Trail Life is a way of life that is centered on following Christ in the outdoors.' Founder: John-Stemberger began Trail Life USA in response to the Boy Scouts of America's decision to allow gay youths to remain in the scout movement . Organizers also unveiled the new Trail Life USA logo: It features a circle with a sun, mountaintops with a path, and a male figure with a hand extended over his head, beckoning others to follow. Mr Stemberger, who founded OnMyHonor.net in response to BSA’s vote in May that reversed the organization's long-standing ban on openly gay youth among its ranks, says the organization will become 'a program that we believe will be stronger, safer and more principled in every way.' He told NBC in July that, while the new organization would allow gay members, it would not permit them to 'flaunt' their sexual orientation. 'There is not going to be any kind of a witch hunt in our organization for people and what their sexual orientations are,' he clarified. We’re going to focus on sexual purity not sexual orientation.' Zach Wahls, an LGBT activist, Eagle Scout, and founder of Scouts for Equality, was saddened by the departure of so many families from the BSA. He also questioned Trail Life USA’s intentions of allowing gay members. Changes: Boy Scouts of America announced earlier this year that it is lifting the ban . on gay members and thus allowing anyone regardless of their sexual . orientation to enjoy the benefits of the youth programme . Angry: The decision, which still denies adults from serving as Scout . leaders, has upset conservative groups who believe that . gays should not be allowed in the BSA at all . 'You still cannot discuss sexuality . within the BSA,' Mr Wahls told NBC. 'That hasn't changed and that will . not change, and so, it's really a distinction without a difference that . they're trying to make here.' 'Scouting is for all young men,' Mr Wahls said. Trail . Life USA will be inclusive of boys, regardless of religion, race, . national origin or socioeconomic status, and accept boys who are . experiencing same-sex attractions or gender confusion. However, . it will not admit youth who are open or avowed about their . homosexuality, and it will also not admit boys who are not 'biologically . male' or boys who wish to dress and act like girls. The . new organization is modeled after the American Heritage Girls, an . 18-year-old organization that is 'Christ-centered' and is 'seen as an . alternative to Girl Scouts,' according to the group's website. Adult . leaders of Trail Life USA will be Christians who sign a statement of . faith and submit to background checks. Both boys and adults will be . required to adhere to a code of conduct. The . goal is to 'become the premier organization that honors God and builds . some great young men,' Mark Hancock, one of the board members told The Washington Times. | 1,200 gathered this weekend to choose the name and logo of the new organization .
Formed in response to gays being allowed in the Boy Scouts of America .
New Trail Life USA group aimed at young Christian men .
Gays will be allows in new group so long as sexuality is not 'flaunted' |
0b6bb4b4dafd81a7634b41c67bd13d57c7aa3cdc | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A Brazilian circus performer has died after falling 35 feet on stage after an acrobatic stunt went horribly wrong in front of a live audience. Video from the Circus Tihany Spectacular recorded the moment that Wilson Gomes Barreto, 28, missed his jump and plummeted to the ground during a high-flying maneuver called the Russian Litter. The accident occurred in Londrina in southern Brazil - about 350 miles west of São Paulo. Scroll down for video . Horrific: Footage from a circus performance in Brazil shows Wilson Gomes Barreto, 28 (center) falling to his death . Barreto can be seen lying in the center of the stage as his co-stars run to get help from medical personnel . Tragic: Wilson Gomes Barreto, 28, died two days after his fall. He was conscious after his horrific tumble and complained only of a broken elbow . The video shows two swinging carriages carrying acrobats higher and higher at the sides of the stage moments before the deadly accident. Then, suddenly, Barreto can be seen falling onto the stage. Medics rush over to help him and an entire medical crew surrounds him before the lights on stage are cut. Odiario.com reports that Barreto was conscious and only complained of a fractured elbow directly after the fall. Additionally, a doctor from the local hospital was on hand and immediately attended to him. However, he took a turn for the worse when his brain began to swell two days later. He died of his injuries on May 19, said the Ringmaster of the circus. He said the acrobat jumped from the wrong angle of the swinging carriage and missed his target. Richard Massone, the producer of the circus, maintains that the act is safe. He said Barreto's death was the first serious accident in the history of the performance. | WARNING: Graphic content .
Wilson Gomes Barreto, 28, died two days after the horrifying tumble . |
0b6d193bf92ada19ceca3bb9c4bd7e93887944dc | Comedian Eddie Izzard issued a plea to Scotland ‘please don’t go’, becoming the latest celebrity to warn against backing independence. Izzard admitted he found the launch of the new slogan ‘intimidating’ after being subjected to online abuse when he announced he would stage a fundraiser for the Better Together campaign. Singer David Bowie, tennis ace Andy Murray and broadcaster Andrew Marr have previously been targeted online by ‘cyber nats’. Comedian Eddie Izzard today issued a plea to Scots not to leave the United Kingdom . Speaking ahead of the fundraiser, . Izzard said he is expecting more foul-mouthed abuse than when cutting . his comedy teeth on the streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow. ‘It's . quite a tricky thing because you guys are quite intimidating,’ he . said. ‘Obviously if there are people who are politically against it, . that is quite intimidating. ‘I am going into politics. I'm running for office in 2020 so I am more up to speed on this, but it's a tricky old thing.’ He . said he remains ‘positive’ about the Scottish people and its . Parliament, which he thinks should have as many powers as Scots want it . to have. He contrasted the . ‘blood and death’ of the border wars of history with the united spirit . of Team GB, recalling Scottish tennis ace Andy Murray's Olympic gold . winning victory which he watched in the back of an Edinburgh taxi. ‘It . wasn't me, an Englishman, saying look there's a Scotsman,’ he said. ‘It . was just that we are British, and he was winning, and it was us, and I . think that is beautiful. ‘If . you look back at the history of what used to happen between the Scots . and the English, the war and the blood and the death, I think it is . beautiful that we have got to this position of being together.' The event marked a stepping up of the Better Together campaign after polls narrowed in recent days . Izzard joined activists making telephone calls to undecided Scottish referendum voters at Teviot House part of Edinburgh University . Izzard went on: ‘I am an Englishman called Edward, and . there are a few Edwards that have had a history at Bannockburn and in . the Braveheart film. ‘But I . am an Edward who ran eight marathons with a Scottish flag. I ran to the . top of Arthur's Seat here in Edinburgh, and I've also played nearly . every major town and city in Scotland up to and including Shetland. ‘I've run the whole of the UK and I didn't find a difference when I got to the border of Scotland. ‘I . do want to do honour to the Scottish people. When I watched Braveheart I . was in tears and I was rooting for the Scottish people.’ He . appeared alongside former Chancellor Alistair Darling as the No . campaign stepped up its drive to woo voters, amid growing concern that . the polls have narrowed I recent weeks. Izzard . pledged to keep his jokes apolitical at the Better Together fundraiser . at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre tonight, but said he is expecting some . heckling. ‘You've got to . realise that I am transvestite so I've already had a lot of negative . things said to me over the years in the street, so nothing in politics . can happen which is worse than that,’ he said, bearing his nails painted . with the British and European flags. ‘It's . a political statement, British European transvestite, and if you're a . Scottish transvestite you can have the same nails and it will still . work.’ Better Together leader Alistair Darling joined Izzard at the event to launch the slogan: 'Scotland, Please don't go!' Izzard will be joined on stage by local comedian Andy Todd, author of the satirical book Fat Minister's Question Time. Todd said: ‘The referendum is a serious issue but that doesn't mean we can't make jokes about it. ‘With months of campaigning behind us and five months still to go, it's easy to lose track of the issues as each side goes over them again and again and again. ‘A good joke is like a firework. It cuts through everything and makes even the most jaded sit up and listen. ‘The referendum is a decision for the people of Scotland but its impact doesn't stop at Gretna. ‘It's right that people in the rest of the United Kingdom make their feelings known. ‘They might not have a vote but they have a voice and it should be heard.’ Families and businesses would face soaring costs in an independent Scotland regardless of what currency is adopted, it was warned yesterday. New research by one of the country's largest firms yesterday cast severe doubt on the SNP's plans for separation and predicts rising costs, higher taxes and deep public spending cuts. A three-month study commissioned by Weir Group from experts at Oxford Economics said the economy 'could succeed' after the referendum in the event of a Yes vote, but it could take around 15 years to achieve. It added that whatever currency is used, Scottish companies are 'likely to face higher funding costs post-independence'. Changing currency could mean 'substantial one-off costs for business, amounting to around £800million'. This is along with 'ongoing transaction costs on businesses and households of around £500million per year'. But it added that even if a currency union with the UK is agreed, it would lead to either higher taxes or public spending cuts of around £9billion a year to meet strict debt ratio requirements. Weir Group is the latest in a number of huge employers - including Standard Life, Lloyds Bank, RBS and Scottish Widows - who have raised concerns about the economic impact of separation. Research yesterday showed that the firms who have expressed alarm over independence employ a total of 50,000 Scots. Weir Group chief executive Keith Cochrane said: 'As a political document, the Scottish Government's White Paper paints a picture of independence as being a risk-free option with only potential benefits. 'However, voters should be aware that what they are being asked to say Yes to carries substantial risks to our economy and therefore to the quality of life of millions of people. The costs of independence are guaranteed but the benefits are uncertain.' Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: 'The Weir Group is an important company in Scotland. I actually welcome their contribution to the debate. 'I am looking forward early next month to meeting senior management and staff to discuss these very issues and I hope to reassure them on some of the points they have made.' Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said that with some of Scotland's biggest employers raising 'legitimate concerns' about the economic impact of independence 'the SNP can no longer be so dismissive over their warnings'. Former chancellor Alistair Darling, leader of the pro-UK Better Together campaign, said: 'Yet again, it is clear from a company employing hundreds of Scots that being part of the UK is good for jobs here and it keeps down costs for families in Scotland. 'Risks to our economy and quality of life' | Star announces plan for fundraising to bolster Better Together campaign .
Appeared at event in Edinburgh with ex-Chancellor Alistair Darling .
Admitted he was 'intimidated' by likely abuse from nationalists .
Weir Group strikes blow to Yes campaign with warning on tax . |
0b6d5cf34240aea1a6c8c6ff09ff5c91d0de6cfb | (CNN) -- Old and new diplomacy clashed in the flare-up between Egypt and the United States over the arrest and interrogation of Bassem Youssef -- considered the "Jon Stewart of Egypt" -- who skewers politicians of all stripes on his popular TV show, El Bernameg. In the world of traditional diplomacy, governments had more control over what was said about them and by whom. As the Egyptian and U.S. governments discovered the hard way, that control is long gone in the world of 21st century diplomacy with its 24/7 social media and powerful nongovernmental voices. When Youssef, accused of insulting President Mohamed Morsy and Islam, was summoned for questioning by the Morsy-appointed prosecutor general, this latest repressive action by the Muslim Brotherhood government sparked an international outcry. The response from the United States came in two forms. First, the State Department expressed "concern" about Youssef's detention, citing it as "evidence of a disturbing trend of growing restrictions on the freedom of expression" in Egypt. Then, Jon Stewart mounted an eloquent -- and humorous -- defense of Bassem Youssef and freedom of expression through that well-known diplomatic channel, "The Daily Show." In a commendable act of public diplomacy, i.e., engaging with the people and not just governments, someone from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo tweeted a link to "The Daily show." After all, the program addressed a current issue in Egyptian politics, with a humorous message about shared values between Egypt and America, such as freedom of expression. Failing to see the humor in the situation, the Egyptian government and the Muslim Brotherhood struck back. The presidential office tweeted a stern reprimand to the U.S. Embassy: "It's inappropriate for a diplomatic mission to engage in such negative political propaganda." Faced with the choice of appeasing the Egyptian government or defending freedom of speech and dissent -- as practiced by Bassem Youssef and Jon Stewart -- the U.S. Embassy in Cairo chose the former, and shut down its Twitter feed. This decision, reportedly made by Ambassador Anne Patterson, not only violated what the United States allegedly stands for -- the rights of citizens to criticize and hold their governments accountable -- but also displayed a stunning ignorance of how Twitter and, well, the Internet work. Once something is out on Twitter, it's out. Shutting it down will not expunge it, and will only blow up into a negative story. That is exactly what happened. Within minutes of the shutdown, Twitter was flooded with condemnation of the U.S. government for caving to Muslim Brotherhood pressure and failing to defend basic freedoms. Although the embassy feed was reactivated within an hour, reportedly at Washington's request, the stories and tweets about the shutdown lingered. That the reinstated embassy feed deleted all tweets about the Youssef case reinforced the sentiment already prevalent in Egypt that the United States sides with Morsy over the Egyptian people. In one act of traditional diplomacy, trying to appease the host government, the U.S. Embassy undermined the good will earned by the nontraditional diplomacy of Jon Stewart. As a television host, Youssef exemplifies "soft power," or the power to influence others through attraction. Other spinoffs of "The Daily Show" in Afghanistan and Iran, among other places, are adopting not only Stewart's smart and biting humor, but also core American values such as free speech. In our brave new world, where governments and citizens alike are held up to scrutiny of 24/7 media and social media, and where private-sector television shows can wield more influence than governments, walking the walk as well as talking the talk has never been more important. The United States cannot present itself as the defender of free speech when it suppresses free speech. In removing the tweets about Bassem Youssef and Jon Stewart, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo undercut its own soft power. Who in Egypt will listen the next time an embassy official talks about the importance of free speech or free media? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Cynthia Schneider. | Bassem Youssef, the "Jon Stewart of Egypt," was arrested for mocking Egypt's president .
Cynthia Schneider: In the world of 24/7 social media, old and new diplomacy clashed .
She says U.S. Embassy should not have closed its Twitter feed after a rebuke from Egypt .
Schneider: The U.S. must defend free speech, including its actions on the Internet . |
0b6e0ef993caeb1339d44a888cb0e6e8ebae8212 | By . Alex Ballard . Girls as young as nine described their ideal woman as a ‘pretty’ blonde who dresses provocatively to attract men, according to shocking new research. A group of 13-14 year-olds revealed that she would wear ‘tight’ tops, expose her bra straps to get attention from men and have expensive clothes. Asked to describe her, they used words such as a 'whore' and 'slutty' and said she would be promiscuous. More worryingly, an even younger group - aged between nine and 11 - said a woman should be ‘interested in guys’ and ‘snobby’. And when asked to draw their ideal woman, almost every girl from both groups produced a thin, blonde and white figure - even those children of non-white ethnicity. Controversial: Miley Cyrus has been criticised for being a poor role model for young girls due to her 'twerking' antics during performances . The findings came as researchers studied body image issues among young girls. Professor Niva Piran of the University of Toronto asked two groups of girls aged nine to 11 and 13-14 to draw ‘the ideal woman’. The younger children unanimously depicted a blonde, blue-eyed girl with expensive clothes, high heels and 'tight' clothes. The older girls drew a similar looking woman, describing her as promiscuous and stupid but physically attractive. Presenting the research at an international conference on body image at the University of the West of England in Bristol, Prof Piran said: 'What happens between the two groups is that the older girls start policing other women. 'They want to look like that but say she is stupid. So they are demoting themselves with this ideal. They are even uncomfortable in their own ideals. Their ideal woman was a double-edged sword.' She added: 'What we see is a constant failure to accept diversity, so we have a lot of work left to do.' Other speakers at the conference noted the negative influences of social media on how young people viewed their body image. Professor Ann Frisen of the University of Gothenberg examined the effects of cyber bullying on teenagers by studying a group of 15 year-old girls and boys. The girls admitted they feared being criticised for their looks and strongly desired admiration from people online, even if they are strangers. Cleancut: According to the study, Keira Knightley, pictured here watching the ladies' singles final at Wimbledon, is not the type of woman young girls aspire to become . Prof Frisen said: 'They are opening themselves up to such nasty comments, making themselves so vulnerable because they want so much to have someone post something complimentary or flattering. 'It’s worth the risk to them.' Most girls admitted they were cruellest to other girls while teenage boys said they feared posting photographs of themselves online in case they were called 'gay' by their peers. Jon Brown, head of sexual abuse programmes at the NSPCC, said: 'What we see with studies like these is that children don’t feel they can be themselves. 'We’ve noticed a significant increase in the number of children calling Childline and talking about the pressure they feel to look a certain way. 'Some of them say they don’t want to be seen in public because they’re too upset. It’s really very worrying considering they’re meant to be enjoying their childhoods. | Study reveals 13 and 14 girls say their ideal woman would be promiscuous .
Group of 9-11 year-olds think women should be 'interested in guys'
Researchers say failure to accept diversity is driving force behind findings .
NSPCC chief Jon Brown brands scenario as 'very worrying' |
0b6e1cfeb7b530016e0d090f5d64eb60baad7395 | Steven Gerrard has named his best Liverpool XI of players he has played alongside, including the likes of Luis Suarez, Xabi Alonso and Jamie Carragher... and, of course, himself. In an interview with GQ magazine, the Reds captain and legend also named the likes of Fernando Torres, previous skipper Sami Hyypia and Javier Mascherano in the team. Making up the numbers were keeper Pepe Reina, left-back John Arne Riise, right-back Glen Johnson, and midfielder Dietmar Hamaan. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Steven Gerrard's emotional message to Luis Suarez . Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has revealed his best XI to have played alongside him at Anfield . Goalkeeper Pepe Reina made it in between the sticks in Gerrard's best XI he's played alongside . Gerrard selected Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia as his central defensive partnership . While current Liverpool and England defender Glen Johnson was selected at right-back . And former left-back John Arne Riise was picked in the left-back berth by his former skipper . 4-3-3: Pepe Reina; Glen Johnson, John Arne Riise, Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher, Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler, Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres . Gerrard also declared that he considers Jose Enrique to be the worst-dressed player currently at the club, saying that the Spanish full-back has 'actually got himself down as a bit of a style icon, but it all just goes wrong for him.' And he revealed that his signature dish in the kitchen is a 'a little goat's cheese pasta number', as well as his greatest interest outside of football being golf. Naturally, the Liverpool legend also admitted that he would like to manage the club one day, but did surprisingly he is currently reading Roy Keane's book! Gerrard is set to return to the starting line-up as the Reds are set to face Chelsea in the Premier League's lunchtime kick-off on Saturday. Gerrard selected Javier Mascherano (left) and Xabi Alonso to play alongside him in central midfield . The first of his front three was Liverpool legend and former England forward Robbie Fowler . And he also picked Fernando Torres, who left the club for Chelsea in 2011 . Rounding off Gerrard's team is Luis Suarez, who left the club for Barcelona during the summer . | Steven Gerrard selects Luis Suarez and Jamie Carragher with him in XI .
Reds captain also includes Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres and Sami Hyypia .
Named best XI to have played alongside him at Liverpool during his career .
Gerrard also reveals that he is currently reading Roy Keane's autobiography .
Liverpool skipper has been linked with a move to MLS side Toronto FC . |
0b6e69829d6288f63f06e3886b7d2bb537c4e991 | LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's family and about 200 of their closest friends gathered on a hill Thursday evening for their final farewell to the pop singer, who died 10 weeks ago. Thursday's service for singer Michael Jackson began 90 minutes past the announced start time. Jackson's burial may lay to rest some of the mystery and controversy that erupted with his sudden death on June 25. His large family was divided over where the superstar's final resting place should be, but matriarch Katherine Jackson settled on a crypt inside the well-guarded and ornate Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, California. Thursday's service began 90 minutes past the announced start time, leaving dozens of celebrities -- including Elizabeth Taylor -- waiting in their seats for the 26 cars carrying the Jackson clan to arrive. Gallery: Invitation for Jackson's service » . It began with Jackson's five brothers -- each wearing a single sequined glove -- carrying his flower-covered bronze casket onto the outdoor stage among six large bouquets of white lilies and white roses, along with green topiaries. His three children, led by daughter, Paris, 11, placed a crown atop their father's coffin, which a family spokesman said it was "to signify the final resting place of the King of Pop." Jackson's children, parents and siblings took their seats in the front row, while his nieces and nephews filled several rows of white chairs behind them. After an opening prayer by Pastor Lucius Smith, soul music legend Gladys Knight sang the gospel hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow." Clifton Davis sang "Never Can Say Goodbye," a hit he wrote for The Jackson 5 -- the group that featured a young Michael and his brothers. What was said by Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, and others who took the lectern is not publicly known, because the family barred news cameras from the ceremony. A family statement issued afterward said close friends and family, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, spoke "spontaneously to celebrate Michael's life." News helicopters hovering above captured video from a distance, but without sound. Watch media cover Jackson funeral » . Lisa Marie Presley, one of Jackson's former wives and the daughter of Elvis, attended the service, according to the family statement. It did not mention Debbie Rowe, Jackson's second wife and the mother of his two oldest children. Macaulay Culkin, the "Home Alone" actor who spent time with Jackson during his Neverland Ranch days, was there with his girlfriend, actress Mila Kunis. Actors Corey Feldman and Chris Tucker were also seen arriving for the service. Motown founder Berry Gordy, who gave Jackson and his brothers their first big record deal, and Quincy Jones, who produced Jackson's "Thriller" album, were there. Music producer Teddy Riley, who helped with Jackson's 1991 "Dangerous" album, attended. The guest list included TV executive Suzanne de Passe, who produced a miniseries about Jackson's family, and Kenny Ortega, who was producing Jackson's comeback show. Thomas Mesereau, the lawyer who successfully defended Jackson in a child molestation trial, sat just behind the Jackson family. When the hour-long service ended, his brothers lifted Jackson's casket for a final time to carry him inside the Great Mausoleum, where he was placed in his crypt at 9:43 p.m. PT (12:43 a.m. ET Friday). The family statement said it was "his final resting place." The family and friends then drove to an Italian restaurant eight miles away, in Pasadena, California, for "a time of celebration." The massive mausoleum, the final resting place for Clark Gable, Carole Lombard and dozens of other celebrities, is normally open to tourists, though the public is denied close access to crypts. Security guards, aided by cameras, keep constant vigil over the graves and crypts, which are surrounded by a world-class collection of art and architecture. The Forest Lawn Web site boasts that the mausoleum, which draws its architectural inspiration from the Campo Santo in Italy, "has been called the 'New World's Westminster Abbey' by Time Magazine." Visitors will see "exact replicas of Michelangelo's greatest works such as David, Moses, and La Pieta" and "Leonardo da Vinci's immortal Last Supper re-created in brilliant stained glass; two of the world's largest paintings," the Web site says. Jackson's burial was delayed by division among family members, though Katherine Jackson would make the final decision, brother Jermaine Jackson recently told CNN. He preferred to see his youngest brother laid to rest at his former Neverland Ranch home, north of Los Angeles in Santa Barbara County, California. That idea was complicated by neighbors who vowed to oppose allowing a grave in the rural area -- and by Jackson family members who said the singer would not want to return to the home where he faced child molestation charges, of which he was ultimately acquitted. The mystery of where Jackson would be buried became a media obsession in the weeks after his death. After his body was loaded onto a helicopter at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center hours after his June 25 death, it stayed in the custody of the Los Angeles County coroner for an autopsy. It was only later disclosed that Jackson's corpse was kept in a refrigerated room at the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn cemetery until his casket was carried by motorcade to downtown Los Angeles for a public memorial service in the Staples Center arena. Again, speculation about Jackson's whereabouts grew when the media lost track of his casket after his brothers carried it out of sight inside the arena. It was only recently confirmed that it was taken back to the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn while awaiting his family's decision. Though Thursday's interment may settle one Jackson mystery, a more serious one remains. The coroner announced last week that he had ruled Jackson's death a homicide. A summary of the coroner's report said the anesthetic propofol and the sedative lorazepam were the primary drugs responsible for the singer's death. Los Angeles police detectives have not concluded their criminal investigation and no one has been charged. | Jackson's three kids, led by daughter, Paris, placed a crown atop their father's coffin .
Clifton Davis sang "Never Can Say Goodbye," a hit he wrote for The Jackson 5 .
Guests included Elizabeth Taylor, Lisa Marie Presley and Macaulay Culkin . |
0b6eca0eb025ce71c7ecaab87c2d0a01dfb05b1a | What do you do on long flights, watch a movie, read a book, or try to get some sleep? Paul Williams takes jaw-dropping images of the landscape unfurling below him. His impressive series of pictures capture a rare view of Australia only viewable from thousands of feet in the air. Some of the sights include a 'desert footprint' in the Western Australian wheatfields, a fried-egg shape between Broome and Perth and what looks like a human sperm - which Paul has entitled 'desert seed'. This image looks like a human sperm, and Paul has named it Desert Seed. The picture was taken somewhere between Broom and Perth . Red planet: Mr Williams captured this stunning image somewhere between Alice Springs and Perth . The Rotherham-born 34-year-old is a producer and director at the BBC Natural History Unit so is used to traversing the globe in search of impressive natural wonders. But his in-transit images, shot with a Canon EOS 7D, make for a remarkable gallery of an untamed continent. He explains: 'As a director for the BBC Natural History Unit, I spend a lot of time flying around the world, and it isn't long before I've exhausted all of the onboard movies. This stunning image of the Australian coastline was taken somewhere between Broome and Perth . Fields resemble crazy marble paving from the skies over Australia. Mr Williams took this picture somewhere between Alice Springs and Perth . Lava flow? Mountains resemble the debris from a volcano from the air. This photograph was shot somewhere between Broome and Perth . Paul Williams took the images to kill time while flying around the world for his BBC natural history job . 'To keep myself occupied I make sure that I always have my camera with me, and I think carefully before choosing my seat. 'I check out the path that the flight might take, consider which side will give me the best view, what time of day and where the sun will be, and most importantly make sure that I am as far away from the wing as possible - my favourite seat is a couple of rows from the back. 'My favourite continent to fly over is Australia. 'The sky is usually cloudless offering a clear view, it's often sunny and it's always spectacular. Purple haze: This impressive natural wonder was photographed somewhere between Broome and Perth . A naturally formed desert footprint in the Western Australian wheatfields . Mr Williams took this aerial image of downtown Perth and the Swan River while aboard a commercial flight . This mock lunar landscape was captured on camera somewhere between Broome and Perth . 'It's like flying over the surface of Mars and I find myself captivated by the vivid expressions of the underlying geology, . I find myself captivated by the vivid expressions of the underlying geology. The patterns of red and orange, dry lake beds and giant sand dunes.' He added: 'Australia is one of the oldest and most stable continental landmasses, the mountains have been worn down, much of the soil has been blow away, and with little vegetation able to survive in the arid red centre it reads like a living geological map. 'The folds and layers of the ancient sediments stretch out on one enormous flat canvas, dissected by ribbon-like rivers such as the Murchison, the countries second longest. You can fly for hours without seeing any sign of human life, but then slowly the landscape evolves. This image was taken somewhere between Alice Springs and Perth and provides a rare snapshot of Australia from above . Fields and farms captured from the air, somewhere between Broome and Perth . This image could be molten lava, or it could be the surface of a leaf. But it is actually the Australian landscape captured from the skies by photographer Paul Williams . Mr Williams has called this image Desert Paintpot. It shows quarries in western Australia's wheatbelt and was taken while the photographer was flying for his job with the BBC . 'I recently flew from Alice Springs to Perth and as the red desert waned, the vast angular blocks of the wheat belt came into view, like a yellow chequer board stretching to the horizon. 'It covers 155,000 square kilometres, larger than the whole of England and only where ancient lakes are found does the land remain untamed. Scattered across this patchwork of monoculture are thousands of abandoned old quarries, like paint pots, some blood red, others yolk yellow. 'As Perth drew closer the fields became smaller and houses started to appear, clustering closer and closer until I reached the modern world, the towering metropolis of downtown Perth on the banks of the Swan River." This could be a golden sculpture or parchment. But it is actually a farm near Perth photographed from the air . A fried egg shaped quarry captured from the skies between Broome and Perth by Rotherham-born Mr Williams . Since 2003, Paul has worked on a range of high profile TV series including, Life In Cold Blood, Life, and How Earth Made Us. He has filmed around the world, from remote arctic valleys and the craters of active volcanoes, to isolated pacific islands. He is currently filming across Asia and Australia for the upcoming BBC 2 series Lands of the Monsoon. Paul is passionate about conservation and works as a freelance photographer and writer helping to raise awareness of the issues that he encounters during his travels. | Natural landscapes in the shape of a fried egg, a foot and a human sperm spotted in Australian wilderness .
BBC producer Paul Williams took the photographs while traveling to work on Natural History programmes .
He says that he prefers taking the pictures to the in-flight movies on his travels and chooses his seat carefully . |
0b6f3e53fbac87f079ca4f89884e272e5ed981c8 | PUBLISHED: . 10:09 EST, 20 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:45 EST, 20 May 2013 . Residents living in a luxury apartment block will not have to go too far to enjoy a little greenery - after a garden was attached to the outside of the building. The block, in Central Park, Sydney, is home to the world's tallest 'vertical garden' - a living tapestry of plants, flowers and vines stretching 500ft high. The two dozen green wall panels that cover the building, some as high as 16-storeys, have been filled with over 100,000 plants. Garden in the sky: This building in central Sydney is home to the world's tallest 'vertical garden' - a living tapestry of plants, flowers and vines stretching 500ft high . Unusual: The two dozen green wall panels that cover the building are as high as 16-storeys and hold over 100,000 plants . The eye-catching installation was . designed by French botanist Patrick Blanc in collaboration with Paris-based . architects Ateliers Jean Nouvel. In . addition, residents on levels 29 to 33 of the complex's east tower have . their own cantilevered 'Sky Garden' that juts from the facade. All . of the plants and flowers in the vertical gardens are carefully . maintained by a special hydroponic system, which automatically waters them. Cantilevered: In addition residents on levels 29 to 33 of the complex's east tower have their own cantilevered Sky Garden that juts from the facade . Eye catching: The installation was designed by French botanist Patrick Blanc in collaboration with Paris architects Ateliers Jean Nouvel . Watering: All of the plants and flowers in the vertical gardens are carefully maintained by a special hydroponic system, which automatically waters them . Mr Blanc specialises in plants from . tropical forests and is known as the modern innovator of 'green . wall' vertical gardens. Vertical gardens are believed to have been invented by Professor Stanley Hart White at the University of Illinois in 1938. But Mr Blanc is credited by some with helping to modernise and develop the style. | The panels - which are 500ft high - create the world's tallest vertical garden .
All .
of the plants are watered and fertilised using a hydroponic system .
Some residents even have .
their own cantilevered 'Sky Garden' |
0b6feb67a624e8bd81b9fdf37650531a842d3499 | By . Peter Campbell and Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 13:43 EST, 20 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:31 EST, 21 November 2012 . The UK's most revered technology entrepreneur, known as 'Britain's Bill Gates', has denied masterminding a £3billion accounting cover-up as a bitter row with his former bosses at Hewlett Packard intensified today. Dr Mike Lynch made more than £500million by selling his home-grown software firm Autonomy last year in a £7.1billion deal but now the American company has wiped £5.5billion ($8.8bn) off its value. HP boss Meg Whitman blames ‘accounting improprieties’ by 'certain former Autonomy employees' for the £3billion loss, accusing Lynch and others of 'lying' to them by inflating revenues and profit margins for at least two years before the deal was struck. But Dr Lynch denies the claims and says that the 300 auditors HP had poring over their books would have picked up any problems. Tonight he ruled out legal action against those making the claims and pointed the finger at HP. Row: British technology guru Dr Mike Lynch (left) denies his company orchestrated a £3bn accounting cover-up when he sold his Autonomy company to Meg Whitman's (right) Hewlett Packard last year . Appearing on Sky News, he told Jeff Randall: 'HP was once a great company. If that business can get back to its core and fix itself then I think Autonomy will have a good future. HP needs to stop trying to deflect attention away from itself.' After the write-off, HP's shares dropped to $11 yesterday - down 12 per cent - the lowest level for HP in a decade. Dr Lynch, 47, who is a non-executive director of the BBC and adviser to David Cameron, could now face a criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office and today said he was furious about the claims levelled at him and rejected them all. He lives in a £6millon Grade II-listed Georgian manor house in Suffolk, with eight bedrooms and five bathrooms, and sits in 70 acres of grounds with private woodland, paddocks, a swimming pool, four cottages and a lodge. Home: Mike Lynch owns the £6million Grade II listed Loudham Hall in Suffolk . Luxurious: The handsome house has eight bedrooms and five bathrooms . Grand: The mansion has 70 acres of grounds with private woodland, paddocks, a swimming pool, four cottages and a lodge. 'The figures are just mad. Things would have to have gone pretty badly wrong to justify writing $8.8bn,' Dr Lynch said in his rebuttal. 'It . is utterly untrue. We reject this as utterly untrue. Everything we did . we gave correctly to the auditors and was correctly noted by the . auditors. 'I don't . understand how you can write-down this amount and say somehow this was . all caused by something you didn't notice when you did due diligence . with 300 people. It would have been kind of a big elephant to miss.' According to HP, evidence of an accounting cover-up was . apparently revealed to them by a former Autonomy executive whistleblower within the last . six months. It has already been passed to financial prosecutors on both . sides of the Atlantic. Lynch has 'flatly rejected' the accusations and said he was 'shocked' but confident he would be absolved of any misdeeds . He left HP after Autonomy missed budget forecasts and says that Autonomy has been mismanaged since his exit. Tech giant: Hewlett-Packard, based in Palo Alto in California, has taken a £5.5billion hit after accusing staff at Autonomy - a British company it purchased last year - of cooking the books to increase its company value . Dr Lynch is on the BBC's executive board and said today that it had spoken to him and would not ask him to resign as a non executive director. A spokesman told MailOnline: 'The BBC has spoken to Dr Mike Lynch regarding the allegations made against his company in the media. We note that the company has denied the allegations. 'We have not asked Dr Lynch to step down from his role as a BBC Non-Executive Director. We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops and will take any further action should it become necessary.' HP also said it would also . ‘aggressively pursue’ individual Autonomy executives to recoup financial . damages for its shareholders. The allegations come six months after . Dr Lynch walked away from the business he founded after he fell out with . management, insiders say. New Yorker Meg Whitman is arguably . America's most successful businesswoman with a CV littered with jobs . at some of the world's biggest companies. The . mother-of-two is the fourth wealthiest woman in California with a net . worth of $1.3billion, mainly built up while serving as eBay’s chief executive . from 1998 to 2008. In that . time she started with 30 employees and boosted it to 15,000 staff . within a decade, drawing in an incredible $8bn in annual revenues. Previously . she had worked at giants like Walt Disney, DreamWorks, Procter & . Gamble and Hasbro before joining Hewlett Packard on an annual salary of . $1 - but also around $16million of stock options and other perks . including a company plane. She . also attempted a political career and in 2010 shattered the record for . the biggest spending candidate in any U.S. election in history. She . splashed out a staggering $119 million of her own money in her failed . bid to succeed Arnold Schwarzenegger as California’s next Republican . governor. By shelling out . another $15 million from her hi-tech fortune , she surpassed the $109 . million spent by New York mayor Michael Bloomberg on his 2009 . re-election campaign. Her track-record in business is hallmarked with her reputation for her determination in driving companies to success. When he started a . software company in his garage in 1996, Mike Lynch could not have dreamt . he would one day sell it for more than £7billion. Those who knew . him well say that Lynch is intelligent driven, and ambitious, and . predicted the sale of Autonomy, which netted him just over half a . billion pounds, would not be the last that we would hear of Dr Lynch. Little . were they to know that he would reappear as he did yesterday, with the . allegations levelled by Hewlett Packard throwing him back into the . spotlight. After he was born in County Tipperary in Ireland in . 1965 to a fireman and a nurse, Lynch’s family moved to Chelmsford, Essex . while he was still a child. There Mike showed early signs of his fierce intelligence, and won a scholarship to the nearby private school Bancroft’s. He . went on to study physics, maths and biochemistry at Christ’s College, . Cambridge, before opting to spend the next years of his life in . academia. It was the miracle growth of Autonomy that earned him the title ‘Britain’s Bill Gates’. He was given an OBE in 1996 and a year later was appointed to the BBC executive committee as a non-executive director. He . lives in a Grade II listed Georgian manor house in Suffolk, although it . is not known whether he has a family at the massive home.The £6m estate has 70 acres of grounds and is surrounded by private woodland. Autonomy rose from humble beginnings . in 1996 to become a darling of the City and a member of the FTSE 100 . index of the UK’s biggest companies. It was seen as a great success story . of British innovation, providing computer programs that processed large . amounts of data to thousands of small businesses. Software giant Oracle says it had the chance to buy Autonomy but decided it was incredibly over-priced, its founder Larry Ellison has said. The world's sixth richest man said Mike Lynch approached him with a deal but he balked at the proposed $6bn value. 'We looked at the price and thought it was absurdly high,' he said a month after HP did the deal. It then turned into a war of words between him and Dr Lynch, who said: 'If some bank happened to come with us on a list, that is nothing to do with us.” But Oracle then declared it was 'another whopper from Autonomy CEO Mike Lynch.' The statement went on: 'Either Lynch has a very poor memory or he’s lying. 'Some bank did not just happen to come to Oracle with Autonomy "on a list." The truth is that Mr. Lynch came to Oracle, along with his investment banker.' To further embarrass Lynch, Oracle then released a slides detailing Autonomy’s financial health they had received. Ten years after founding the firm, . Irish-born and Cambridge-educated Dr Lynch was awarded an OBE. HP’s chief executive Meg Whitman, was not in charge when it bought Autonomy. Former HP boss Leo Apotheker led the acquisition of Autonomy and in his two years in charge the company's share valuedropped by 45 per cent, with a big dip when they completed the deal. She issued a strongly worded . statement about the affair. She alleged that ‘some former members . of Autonomy’s management team used accounting improprieties, . misrepresentations and disclosure failures to inflate the underlying . financial metrics of the company, prior to Autonomy’s acquisition by . HP’. She added: ‘These efforts appear to . have been a wilful effort to mislead investors and potential buyers, and . severely impacted HP management’s ability to fairly value Autonomy at . the time of the deal.’ Miss Whitman has passed details of the . financial cover-ups to the UK’s Serious Fraud Office and its US . equivalent, the Securities and Exchanges Commission, ‘for civil and . criminal investigation’. Although she refused to name the . executives who were likely to be questioned, she said ‘a senior member . of Autonomy’s leadership team came forward [with the details] following . the departure of Mike Lynch’. It is thought to be unlikely that any financial cover-up would occur without the knowledge of Dr Lynch. A PR company acting for Dr Lynch . yesterday issued a statement saying he was ‘shocked to see this . statement today, and flatly rejects these allegations, which are false’. It added: ‘HP’s senior management has also been closely involved with running Autonomy for the past year. ‘It took ten years to build Autonomy’s . industry-leading technology and it is sad to see how it has been . mismanaged since its acquisition by HP.’ The SFO refused to comment on whether it would launch an investigation. Watching the drop: Traders at the New York Stock Exchange today as Hewlett-Packard stock suffered a huge decline after it accused Autonomy staff of misleading the company about its finances . | Dr Mike Lynch sold his company Autonomy to Hewlett Packard for £7.1bn .
A year on HP has written off billions of Autonomy's value .
They claims the company cooked its books to inflate the sale price .
Matter has been reported to the authorities in America and the UK .
Lynch slams 'false' allegations and says it is down to poor HP management .
BBC have spoken to Dr Lynch and will not ask him to leave their board . |
0b7006f5f15b894af1f78ae7c2ce570bb4de2c8a | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:47 EST, 19 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:12 EST, 19 June 2013 . The defendants in a father-son prostitution case were acquitted of sex trafficking Wednesday but found guilty of laundering millions of dollars and of promoting prostitution, leading at least one of their 'happy hookers' to weep for her pimps. Three self-described prostitutes took the stand as character witnesses during the trial, all of whom described Vincent George Sr. and Vincent George Jr, their admitted pimps, as caring men who took good care of them. The verdict means the two men, though cleared of charges they coerced the women into their sex business, could face up to 15 years for laundering millions of dollars through music recording and car service businesses. Desiree Ellis, a prostitute who testified that she and Vincent George Sr. would fight but then make up--and even called him a 'teddy bear' on the stand--was seen being comforted after the mixed verdict had been read. Torn: A friend comforts Desiree Williams, one of the 'happy hookers' who testified the father-son pimp duo took excellent care of her, after a mixed verdict was read Wednesday . 'Happy hookers': Self-proclaimed prostitutes Danielle Geissler (left), Heather Keith (center) and Desiree Ellis (right) have testified in defense of their alleged pimps, a father-and-son duo . The men's supporters in the courtroom initially cheered the verdict, but the gallery fell silent when Manhattan Judge Ruth Pickholtz announced convictions against the Georges. The pair showed no emotion aside from slight smiles as they were led back to jail in handcuffs. The father and son had faced up to 25-year terms on the sex-trafficking charges. Despite the mixed verdict, District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. called the outcome a victory. 'The goal of the prosecution was to dismantle a criminal enterprise from top to bottom,' he said. 'That goal has been achieved with the Georges. ... There is no fairy tale ending for these defendants.' Family affair: Father and son pimps Vincent George, Sr. and Jr. were acquitted on sex trafficking charges but found guilt of laundering millions of dollars and of promoting prostitution . Mixed victory: Howard Greenberg, pictured, defense lawyer for the father and son pimps and attorney David Epstein called the mixed verdict a victory . Defense attorneys - who called the . women working for their clients 'happy hookers' - also claimed victory, . adding that they planned to appeal the convictions. The verdict 'recognizes that people . have free will and the right to make choices whether or not you like . those choices,' David Epstein, the son's attorney, said of the . prostitutes. The loving relationship between pimps . and prostitutes 'was vindicated,' Epstein added. 'It's a moral victory . as well as a legal one.' Still in trouble: The pimp duo now faces up to 15 years in prison for money laundering . No complaints: Desiree Ellis is one of three self-proclaimed prostitutes who testified for Vincent Sr and his son George Vincent Jr. She called Vincent Sr. a 'teddy bear.' After Wednesday's verdict, she was seen being comforted . Home is where the pimp is: Desiree Ellis shows a picture of what she says is her house in Allentown, PA, a home she shares with the Georges and some of the other girls . Prosecutors had alleged the . prostitutes made as much as $500,000 a year for the Georges but got only . a few dollars a night themselves and had no bank accounts or property. They were threatened with beatings when they didn't bring in as much . money as expected or were late to check in, according to wiretap . conversations played at trial. 'Bring me my (expletive) money right now and get your ass back to work,' the son said to one woman. The women painted a different . picture, saying they were treated to nice cars, vacations in Florida and . affection from their pimps. Some lived together as 'family' in a house . in Allentown, Pa., about 90 miles from New York, and drove in to the . city at night to turn tricks for $300 a night, they said. One witness, Heather Keith, has . Vincent George Jr.'s nickname, King Koby, tattooed on her neck. She . testified she was a drug-addicted 19-year-old stripper from upstate. He . moved her to Allentown and helped her beat a cocaine habit, she said. Witness: Danielle Geissler, 31, strode into the Manhattan courtroom to take the stand last Tuesday in the trial of the father of her child, who also doubles as her pimp . Keeping it classy: Geissler, dressed in a conservative tan pantsuit accessorized with a large cross dangling from her neck, described Vincent George Jr as her sweetheart and 'daddy,' and said that she was in love with him . 'I would say that I make my own choices,' said Keith, now 26. 'I am not a dumb person. I know what I'm doing.' Another witness, 24-year-old Desiree . Ellis, dismissed allegations that Vincent George Jr. abused her, calling . him a 'teddy bear.' She once thought about leaving him. But once at a bus station, she changed her mind and asked if she could . come back to their 'family.' He welcomed her with open arms. 'We kissed,' she said. 'We made up. We had a love session.' Carrying on: Heather Keith, who is eight months pregnant with another man's child, also defended the two men for whom she worked . Marked woman: Keith has a tattoo with George Jr's street name, 'King Kobe,' which the prosecutors suggested was a sign that she was the pimp's property.George Jr has now been cleared of sex trafficking charges . | Vincent George Sr. and Vincent George Jr. found guilty of money laundering and promoting prostitution .
They stood accused of exploiting five women for money, but were cleared Wednesday of sex trafficking charges .
Three of the 'wife-in-laws' took to the stand during the trial to defend their relationship with the men and at least one became weepy in the wake of the verdict .
The Georges could face up to 15 years in prison at July 8 sentencing . |
0b70266e3fcbb70115312f86ded5be89f3902738 | When artist Nicky Philipps last turned her hand to painting royalty, Prince Harry complained his hair was ‘too ginger’. And Prince William, his brother pointed out, had rather too much hair. But the Queen, being a model of discretion, is not on record expressing her views on this portrait. Artist Nicky Philipps' portrait of the Queen was commission for the Royal Mail's commemorative collection, left, and the £1.28 stamp is taken from a 2000 portrait by artist Sergei Pavlenko, right . The collection of six commemorative stamps dedicated to the Queen . The silver hair, fine robes and jewellery may well escape Her Majesty’s scrutiny, but any reaction by the 87-year-old to the quizzical look on her face will have to be left to speculation. The monarch’s image was painted by Miss Philipps for a 1st class stamp to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. The specially commissioned artwork was unveiled by the Royal Mail yesterday, along with five other stamps featuring a collection of portraits of Her Majesty. Appropriately enough, the cost of the first class stamp is 60p. The 88p stamp is taken from a 1954 portrait by artist Pietro Annigoni, left, and the 2nd class stamp taken from a portrait by artist Terence Cuneo . The £1.88 stamp is taken from a portrait by artist Richard Stone, unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery in 1992, left, and the 78p stamp is taken from a portrait by artist Andrew Festing, right . The oil painting is the result of three sittings with the Queen in the Chinese Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace last year. In 2009 Miss Philipps painted both Prince William and brother Harry but the end result received mixed reviews. Harry later said he was ‘more ginger in there than I am in real life’, while the painting was described by one critic at the time as ‘amateurish’. Royal Mail chief executive Moya Greene . said: ‘Royal Mail is proud to mark the occasion of Her Majesty The . Queen’s Coronation by commissioning a painted portrait. Nicky Philipps' portrait of Prince William and Prince Harry - the first painted of the pair - received mixed reviews when it was unveiled in 2010 . 'This is the first time in our history we have done so. ‘The Queen’s image is one of the most recognisable in the world and we are delighted to bring this portrait along with five others together in a special stamp set to mark the 60th anniversary of her Coronation.' The other stamps feature work by Terence Cuneo in 1953, Pietro Annigoni in 1955, Richard Stone in 1992, Andrew Festing in 1999 and a 2000 artwork by Russian-born Sergei Pavlenko . | The Royal Mail have released a set of commemorative stamps .
It includes a specially commissioned portrait by artist Nicky Philipps .
First time in Royal Mail history they have commissioned painting . |
0b703cb1d77c57b1ac4e1d0b4e1a255a3b2875b8 | (CNN) -- A struggling German soccer team is offering a refund to its fans who traveled to another city to watch it suffer a 4-0 loss. Cottbus are second from the bottom of the German Bundesliga. More than 600 Energie Cottbus supporters saw their team suffer its sixth loss in seven games when it received a 4-0 drubbing Friday at the hands of another team, Schalke. Cottbus are second from the bottom in the German Bundesliga's ranking and is in danger of being relegated to a lower league at the end of the season. The team posted a Web statement Saturday headlined, "Sorry, Energie Fans!" In it, the team said its players "did not manage at any time to stand up to a high-class opponent with our particular qualities of passion, dedication and one-on-one duels." "Certainly one can lose at Schalke," the team manager Steffen Heidrich said in the statement. "Nevertheless we did not put up enough defense against the class of the individuals of this opponent." The team said it will announce details in the coming weeks of how fans can receive a refund on their admission ticket. "I welcome the apologetic gesture of the team to its fans," Heidrich said. "Real compensation must actually be given in the coming matches." CNN's Ben Brumfield contributed to this report. | More than 600 supporters watch their team suffer its sixth loss in seven games .
Energie Cottbus are second from the bottom in its league's ranking .
The team will announce details of how fans can receive a refund on their ticket . |
0b71b166e2b4c97c620e010e48e819f79db83c89 | Thousands of people are being evacuated from the area around an active volcano in the Philippines after the country's seismology agency issued an alert saying a hazardous eruption could happen "within weeks." Mount Mayon, which towers over the city of Legazpi in the central Philippines, has shown "a noticeable escalation of unrest," the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a bulletin late Monday. Molten lava and volcanic gas are making the mountain's crater glow red, it said. Are you there? Share your photos, videos if you can safely . The agency raised the alert level to "critical" for Mayon, which is famed for its near-perfect conical shape. Critical is the agency's third highest alert level after eruption and imminent eruption. Authorities in the region of Albay responded Tuesday by launching efforts to relocate more than 10,000 people from a 6-kilometer radius around the volcano, the official Philippines News Agency reported. The seismology agency said 39 rockfalls, caused by breaches of a bulging lava dome at the volcano's summit, had been detected over the course of Monday. It also said low level volcanic earthquakes had been recorded. The raised alert level "means that Mayon is exhibiting relatively high unrest and that magma is at the crater and that hazardous eruption is possible within weeks," the agency said. Lava from volcano threatens to cut off community on Hawaii's Big Island . Previous deadly eruptions . Situated on the island of Luzon, about 330 kilometers (205 miles) southeast of Manila, Mayon is one of the world's most active volcanoes. Since 1616, the imposing stratovolcano has erupted 47 times, with many of the explosions causing deadly mudflows and ash falls. In 2013, five climbers died when they were hit by falling rocks thrown up by a particularly violent blast. The volcano's most devastating eruption took place in 1814, killing at least 1,200 people. | Seismology agency: Mount Mayon has shown "a noticeable escalation of unrest"
It raises the alert level to "critical," saying an eruption could happen within weeks .
Authorities in the region begin evacuating more than 10,000 people from the area . |
0b7283e3cf58672774bd66764a6c089aa616145a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A high school cheerleader whose dad secretly filmed her in her bedroom and the bathroom has revealed that she has forgiven him - and even encouraged her mother not to file for a divorce. Michaela Smith, from Pell City, Alabama, was just 15 when she saw a red flashing light between her trophies in her bedroom in April 2011 and realized it was a camera. Investigations revealed that her father, Michael Smith, had filmed her on four separate occasions and stashed the images on his computer. He was jailed for a year. Now Michaela, who is 18, has spoken out as she receives the Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Achievement Award, which honors student-athletes who have overcome hardship, on Monday. Ordeal: Michaela Smith, a high school cheerleader in Alabama, has said she forgives her father for recording her in her bedroom and in the bathroom - a crime that saw him locked up for a year . Even though she was initially distraught that her father had recorded her, she said she has since learned to forgive him because the experience has allowed her to help other victims. 'I lost my innocence that day,' Michaela, who does not believe in sex before marriage, told AL.com. 'I realize it was horrible but it was a necessary price . in order to help my father and to use this experience to help others. That sacrifice has created positive changes in so many other people.' Now that he has been in prison, he realizes what he has done wrong, she said. 'Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom . for us to make a change and that is what happened to my father,' she . said. 'I am so thankful for the year he spent in prison because it truly . saved his life.' Michaela also described her horror when she changed from her church clothes into a more comfortable t-shirt - and saw the camera flashing. Her mother was also in the room and said she immediately feared the worst, but tried to cover up her bad thoughts, for Michaela's sake. Support: Her mother Rhonda, left, walked out on her father when they discovered he had been filming Michaela, but she has not divorced him and they still attend the same church . 'I said something like I put it up there while I was cleaning and didn't know how to shut it off,' Rhonda said. 'I didn't want to worry her.' But she told her other daughter, Janet, who asked a friend adept at computer forensics for help and pictures of Michaela were later found on her father's computer. He was arrested in April 2011 and indicted the following November. 'This man was supposed to protect me from all the bad in the world,' Michaela said. 'He put that camera in my room and had been using it to look at me for months. I've never felt so destroyed.' Ahead of the incident - when her mother was struggling to cope with her father's drinking - Michaela had told her mother that she didn't want her to get a divorce. 'Families are supposed to stick together,' she said. 'Marriages are not easy. A man and wife should stay together. They made a promise to God. There is always counseling and help if things get bad.' But her mother wishes she had stayed with her gut instinct and divorced him. Still, she remains married to him and they attend the same church. Forgiving: Michaela said that she realizes her father had hit rock bottom and is aware of how much he hurt their family. She said she is thankful for the incident because it has allowed her to help other victims . Moving on: Michaela, pictured with fellow cheerleaders, missed a lot of school amid the stress of the case but has maintained a solid GPA and now hopes to attend Auburn following her senior year . Michaela said she never blamed her mother for staying with her father, calling her 'the best thing in my world'. As the case dragged on, Michaela struggled to eat or sleep and rarely attended school. Her father had been bailed out by wealthy relatives, and she lived in fear she would see him. After her father was sentenced, she started therapy and realized that she could take her bad experiences and use them to help others at church groups, youth groups and after school. Her father was released from prison last March but if he tries to speak with her, he will be sent back. This arrangement could change with Michaela's consent - but she said she is not ready yet. He told AL.com that he had long struggled with an addicted to pornography and regretted how it had destroyed his family. He said he had not watched it since his wife and daughter left him three years ago. His daughter said she is now looking forward to attending Auburn and perhaps studying social work. | Michaela Smith was just 15 when she spotted a camera recording her after she undressed in her bedroom .
It emerged that her father, Michael Smith, had recorded her on four occasions and he admitted to having a pornography addiction .
He was sent to prison and Michaela said it 'saved his life'
She said she is grateful for the experience because it has allowed her to help other victims . |
0b73014f6307ff70cb385cc75b2a25f5a5b86474 | When a Florida mom was browsing her Facebook, she came across a post from the local police department, trying to identify a shoplifting suspect. She saw the teenager had been caught on camera stealing $670 worth of Playstation controllers from a Target in Casselbury. Then on closer inspection, she realized it was her own son. She then marched into 18-year-old Joel Brown's room at 1am on Wednesday, woke him up and called the police. CCTV footage: Joel Brown's mother was browsing Facebook when she noticed her son was the robbery suspect police were looking to identify in Casselbury, Florida . Sgt. Chris Pamatian told WESH-TV: 'She didn't wait till morning. She took care of it right then.' Officers then arrived and found him wearing the same FILA sweatshirt he was wearing during the alleged robberies. Brown was then arrested. Police said they recovered five of the controllers, but several had already been sold to area GameStop stores. Brown is being held at the Seminole County Jail on a $2,000 bond. He has been charged with retail theft and shoplifting. Pamatian said it was unusual for officers to receive tip-offs from mothers. Caught: She walked into the 18-year-old's room at 1am on Wednesday and called the police straight away. Officers then arrested him after they arrived and found him wearing the same Fila sweatshirt (mugshot right) Recovery: Police said they retrieved five of the controllers stolen from the Target, but several had already been sold to GameStop stores in the area . | Joel Brown's mother was browsing social media in Casselbury, Florida .
She then noticed her son was pictured in an appeal as a robbery suspect .
The woman stormed into his room at 1am and called police immediately .
They arrived and found him wearing the same sweatshirt .
Youngster was charged with retail theft and booked into a county jail . |
0b7344fc70c5dfee2f05cdd83876f15b9e8c3761 | At first glance, these images may look other-worldly, but they actually show everyday materials such as glass and foam - and each one are winning entries in a photo competition designed to show the beauty of engineering. Other entries include a kaleidoscopic swirl of a neural network, ribbons of crystals unfolding like sheets of wrapping paper and a photo showing the look of relief on the faces of villagers in Malawi after their local well was repaired. The University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering photo competition shows the breadth of research going on at one university alone. The University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering photo competition shows the breadth of research going on at the university. This is the winning image by Indrat Aria. It shows free-standing graphene foam, which is made by growing layers of graphene on the surface of a porous metal foam skeleton, which was the dissolved so that only the foam remains . Along with three main winners, the Zeiss-sponsored competition had two extra categories this year: a prize for images taken using an electron microscope and a Head of Department’s prize for the photo or video with the most innovative engineering story behind it. The first prize was awarded to Indrat Aria, for his image entitled Asteroidea Electrica, which shows free-standing graphene foam, made by growing layers of graphene on the surface of a porous metal foam skeleton. The skeleton is then carefully dissolved so that only the graphene foam remains. Second prize went to PhD student Yarin Gal for his image of extrapolated art, extending past the edges of paintings to see what the full scenery might have looked like. He used the PatchMatch algorithm on the frame of Van Gogh's painting Starry Night to extrapolate its contents (pictured left). A pretty image of graphene flowers by Mari Ijäs is pictured . This image shows pulsed laser deposition, which was used to apply a metal layer to a glass slide. The technique is used for creating structures that induce thermal and electrical conduction across the surface of an insulator. The image was captured by Jonathon Parkins using an optical microscope . As it’s electrically conductive, highly porous and lightweight, graphene foam could be used in applications such as chemical sensing, energy storage and ultra-lightweight structures. Dr Aria used an electron microscope to take the image and then applied artificial colours to it. Second prize went to PhD student Yarin Gal for his image of extrapolated art, extending past the edges of paintings to see what the full scenery might have looked like. He used the PatchMatch algorithm on the frame of Van Gogh's painting Starry Night to extrapolate its contents. Third prize went to undergraduate student Anthony Rubinstein-Baylis, for an image he took while on his gap year in rural Malawi. The Electron Microscopy Prize was awarded to Tanvir Qureshi for his image of a bridge forming in self-healing concrete. A sample was collected from the cement’s self-healing zone, where flower-like bridges effectively expanded and healed the cracks . Undergraduate student Anthony Rubinstein-Baylis took third prize in the competition for an image he took while on his gap year in rural Malawi. In it, a group of people crowded around a broken village well and await the one person who can help - Francis the engineer (centre) In it, a group of people crowded around a broken village well and await the one person who can help - Francis the engineer. Despite a lack of formal training, Francis took water to scores of local villages through ingenuity and hard graft. He jumped down the well and quickly sorted the problem – the rope had simply fallen off the pulley – restoring order so the day could carry on as normal. The Electron Microscopy Prize was awarded to Tanvir Qureshi for his image of a bridge forming in self-healing concrete. A sample was collected from the cement’s self-healing zone and put under a microscope, where flower-like bridges effectively expanded and healed the cracks. Worldwide, a significant amount of money is currently being spent on the repair and maintenance of existing concrete structures, although its demand is increasing. This image shows an array of diffractive lenses imaged using a dark field optical microscope. Each lens is composed of hundreds of metallic nanostructures, which scatter light at specific wavelengths . In this picture the invisible has been made visible. A web of carbon nanotubes are bundled together and integrated in a matrix. The carbon nanotubes were synthesised in a continuous gas phase process and the picture shown is a snapshot of this. The image is a negative . Bottom-up growth of nanostructures is a fascinating area of nanoscience. This image shows Zinc Oxide nanowires grown on a graphite flake during thermal chemical vapour deposition, and has been coloured using Photoshop . Considering the growing concrete demand, environmental concerns, and the longevity of built infrastructure, suitable self‐healing technology adaptation in cement concrete is becoming a highly sought after technology. The Head of Department’s prize went to Andrew Payne for his video of the rise and fall of liquid crystal ‘mountains’. He made a video from a collection of images taken at one-second intervals. It shows the slow growth of liquid crystal structures under the influence of an alternating electric field, and their rapid collapse as the field is reversed. Entrants, including students, professors and other staff, were told that the images they entered may be ‘beautiful, fascinating, intriguing, amusing, or possibly all of these things’. The images were judged by experts at Zeiss, and Cambridge professors including Dame Ann Dowling, Dame Dowling is the first female President of the Royal Academy of Engineering. ‘We continue to be blown away by the beautiful images produced by our students and researchers for this competition,’ said Philip Guildford, Director of Research for the Department. ‘But more than just pretty pictures, these images also show how engineering is helping to solve problems, big and small, all over the world. While our winners were judged to be the best of this year’s entries, we received more than 250 diverse, beautiful and meaningful images.’ A color-coded map shows the output of a deep neural network applied at each point in the image. Deep neural networks have recently enabled breakthroughs in machine vision, speech processing and translation, but some of their properties still are not well-understood. This research is a small part of the effort to understand why they work . Here, researchers from the Fibre Optic Sensing Research Group and the Cambridge Centre for Smart infrastructure and Construction (CSIC) supervise the installation of the innovative fibre optic instrumentation into the lining of one of one of Crossrail’s sprayed concrete tunnels during its construction. The picture was taken 131ft (40 metres) below ground level . | University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering photo competition shows breadth of research at the university .
As well as the top three prizes, there were two for microscopic images and showing an innovative engineering story .
First prize was awarded to Indrat Aria, for 'Asteroidea Electrica' showing free-standing graphene foam .
Other entries include a kaleidoscopic swirl of a neural network, ribbons of crystals unfolding like sheets of wrapping paper and a photo showing the look of relief on the faces of villagers in Malawi after their local well was repaired . |
0b747b157c80ec2f2c2176f04f46c446eed2aea5 | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 11:29 EST, 3 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:53 EST, 3 October 2013 . A TV news station was flooded with complaints during an afternoon broadcast after showing male genitals behind the show’s anchor. Ceskatelevize - one of the Czech Republic’s main broadcasters - started its 4pm broadcast with presenter Daniel Takac apparently unaware of the blunder. But newsroom journalists can be seen laughing in the background before the phallus is replaced by a picture of a green vegetable. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . Shocking: A TV news station was flooded with complaints during an afternoon broadcast after showing a male's genitals on a monitor behind the show's anchor . A spokesman for the channel said: 'The image was actually part of a documentary, but we should have been aware of timing and not had that particular scene playing when we went on air. 'It was a silly mistake.' That may not impress regulators however who say that such images are banned on day time TV and warn that the broadcaster may face a severe fine once the investigation is complete. In August the BBC was forced to apologise after . broadcasting a picture of Prince William with a doodle of comedy . glasses, a moustache and a penis drawn on his head. Mistake: An image of Prince William with a penis, comedy glasses and a moustached drawn on his face was broadcast on BBC Breakfast this morning . The . unusual picture of the Duke of Cambridge was broadcast as part of a . trailer used on BBC Breakfast for a feature on musical theatre group . Barbershopera. The clip, was taken from the group's comedy song I Could Have Married Kate. The BBC apologised and said that editors failed to spot the offending picture. But live TV can be a cruel mistress as reporter Siobhan Riley found out after she unwittingly drew a shape resembling a large penis on a Tuesday evening bulletin. The unfortunate – if hilarious - incident happened during a live news report on ABC12 which covers the mid-Michigan area. Riley was using an onscreen map to show viewers an area in the center of Saginaw blighted by construction work when she drew the undeniably phallic shape. The clip of Riley’s dodgy drawing quickly went viral. Siobhan Riley unwittingly drew a shape resembling a large penis on a Tuesday evening bulletin on ABC12 . Riley was using an onscreen map to show viewers an area in the center of Saginaw blighted by construction work when she drew the undeniably phallic shape . Tipping point? Neither Riley nor the TV station have commented on the incident . | Ceskatelevize is one of the Czech Republic’s main broadcasters .
Presenter Daniel Takac was apparently unaware of the amusing situation .
Newsroom journalists can be seen laughing in the background . |
0b74f694e057a564258dc55d8276cf426a63e84a | Take a rusty old boat, a few smoke bombs and a rather anticlimactic sinking. Put them together and, believe it or not, you have an art project that is judged to be worth £50,000 of taxpayers’ money. Artist Simon Faithfull bought the 24ft Brioney Victoria on eBay for £75. He lit smoke bombs to make it look as if it was on fire, then opened its valves, filling it with water. As it sank, he dived into the sea. And the point of this performance? The boat had been fitted with underwater cameras, which will film for a year as it grows into an artificial reef off the Dorset coast. Footage will be sent to a phone app so people can watch live, and will later be made into a film. Scroll down for video . Dramatic display: British artist Simon Faithfull leaps from the side of the concrete fishing boat as it begins to sink off the coast of Weymouth, Dorset. He set off smoke bombs to make it look like the vessel was on fire . The REEF project will cost £120,000, nearly half funded by the Arts Council. The rest will come from European Union grants. Mr Faithfull, 48, the half-brother of singer Marianne Faithfull, said: ‘A boat that was at the end of its life is now starting a new one.’ REEF was commissioned by Fabrica and Photoworks, groups supported by the Arts Council. It cost £80,000 to sink the boat and consult marine experts, of which £32,000 came from the Arts Council. An extra £40,000 will be spent on exhibitions in Brighton and France, of which the Council will pay half. The boat has been fitted with five underwater cameras which will record the 12-month journey of the ‘dead’ boat being brought back to life in the form of an artificial reef for marine life. The footage will be streamed live and a film will eventually be made and shown at art exhibitions. But the project has been slammed by some after it emerged that nearly half of the £120,000 spent on the project has been funded by the British taxpayer through grants from the Arts Council. It was commissioned by Fabrica and Photoworks, two arts organisations in Brighton supported by the Arts Council.The remaining cost has come through European Union arts grants. Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: 'Taxpayers struggling with rising bills will be baffled that they’ve been asked to pay to sink a boat in the name of art. 'If this project was worthwhile then private investment should have been sought. This sort of wasteful spending by unaccountable quangos and local authorities has to come to an end.' Going under: The ship dips below the waves. Five underwater cameras have been attached to the vessel to document the 'dead' ship's journey over the next year as it becomes an artificial reef for marine life . The project, called REEF, has taken three years to come to fruition because of the level of planning and consultation from marine experts required. Mr Faithfull, who is the half-brother of singer Marianne Faithfull, said: 'The idea was to take a boat and send her on a short journey to the bottom of the sea. 'I bought the concrete hull of a disused boat on eBay then added a concrete wheelhouse so it replicated a working boat. We had very strict permissions and the boat was stripped of anything that could potentially be harmful. 'I was on board the boat and we set up pyrotechnics to look like a fire so it looked like the boat was in trouble. 'Then I opened the seacocks and let water into the boat. As it went down I dived off to symbolise abandoning ship. He explained that the boat has been rigged with five cameras that transmitted the sinking and will continue to transmit live for the next year so people can see it transform into a reef. The cameras will broadcast to a mobile app for a year and the film will eventually be shown at exhibitions in Brighton, Calais and Caen in France. Of the £120,000 that the project cost, £80,000 went into buying, building and towing the boat and consulting with marine experts. Of that money, £32,000 was funded by the Arts Council with the rest being met by grants from Interreg, a scheme funded by the European Regional Development Fund to encourage European projects to work together. A further £40,000 will be spent on exhibitions in Brighton, Caen and Calais, half of which will be met by the Arts Council and half by Interreg. Creative family: Simon Faithfull, pictured left, is the half-brother of singer Marianne Faithfull, pictured right earlier this year. One of his recent art projects involved him walking through a burning plane . Laurence Hill from Fabrica, one of the main backers of the project, added: 'Eventually there will be an exhibition at Fabrica with an edited version of the film we took of the sinking. 'In was an amazing success and a real relief after all the planning that has gone into it. It was a relatively expensive project because of all the experts involved in it. Mr Faithfull’s recent art projects have involved films of him walking through a burning plane and walking across the sea bed. He also sent a chair to the edge of space beneath a weather balloon in the name of art. | Artist Simon Faithfull bought a disused concrete boat on eBay .
He dramatically scuttled the vessel off the coast of Weymouth, Dorset .
Five cameras attached to the ship will record 'dead' boat over the next year .
Film will be made of the vessel becoming an artificial reef for marine life .
Nearly half the £120,000 art project was funded by the taxpayer . |
0b75681a4ba09185986222bc10c66d2122839ec7 | (CNN) -- As the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of the potential increase of dengue fever and other climate-sensitive illnesses, Japan saw an almost-seven decade streak of being dengue fever-free end. In the past week, at least 55 people have become ill with dengue fever, confirming fears that the fever, last seen in 1945, is back. The cases have one thing in common -- those affected all appear to have visited Yoyogi Park, one of Tokyo's largest outdoor spaces, and all have complained of mosquito bites. Following fumigation last week, the health ministry and Tokyo metropolitan government trapped and analyzed about 100 mosquitoes from the park and, found strains of the virus, prompting authorities to close large parts of the park as of Thursday afternoon. This week, two models, Saaya, 20, and Eri Aoki, 25, who were filming for "King's Brunch," a variety show, in the park, were struck down with the virus, the Nikkan Sports newspaper reported. The dengue outbreak in Japan has seen victims from the age of 10 to those in their 70's. While most people recover within a week, the disease can create discomfort and and can, in rare cases, cause death. The disease, which is mainly transmitted by a type of mosquito (Aedes aegypti), is found in tropical and subtropical climates worldwide. Symptoms include fever, severe headache, rashes and pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain. Harrowing experience . By all accounts, contracting dengue fever is a harrowing experience. Chris Dwyer, formerly of CNN and now a Hong Kong-based communications consultant, contracted dengue while on vacation in Malaysia in July. Back in Hong Kong after a few days, Dwyer found himself unusually lethargic in the afternoon. The following day he had a fever and a temperature, which got progressively worse. "By the onset of that evening I had appalling pain in my joints, really achy, weak limbs and just a sense that I wasn't well at all," he said. "This was unlike anything else, it was so debilitating." Eventually, he was admitted into hospital and eventually recovered. where he was put on a drip while doctors monitored his liver and white blood cell count. "As far as I understand it I was lucky... there are other symptoms that I've heard are pretty gruesome," he said. Worldwide problem . While dengue fever is not transmitted human to human, the Japanese health ministry said that domestic mosquitoes could have picked it up from people infected abroad. Almost half the world's population lives in high-risk countries, the WHO says. Last year, Singapore suffered a sweeping epidemic, which saw four die of the disease and over 12,000 become infected. Takeshi Kurosu, an assistant professor at Osaka University's Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, said that the Tokyo outbreak was most likely imported into the country by an infected individual, who then transmitted it to domestic mosquitoes. "Probably one person who was infected outside Japan went to (Yoyogi) park," he said. "It's possible that there was an infected mosquito (transported to Japan) in a bag, but the patient numbers indicate that it was likely an infected person." He says that it is likely that there have been previous, small and undiagnosed outbreaks in Japan before, but this one was flagged by a doctor who had experience spotting the symptoms of the virus. To date there have been no fatalities in the Japanese outbreak, and Kurosu is confident that the virus can be contained. "It will (most likely) be controlled. It will be autumn soon and this type of mosquito can't survive the cold weather." Climate-linked spread . The disease is on the rise, and over half of the world's population live in dengue endemic areas. The Japanese outbreak comes as a WHO conference examining the links between health and climate change warned of the risks of infectious diseases like malaria and dengue which are strongly influenced by climate. Higher humidity and temperatures mean mosquitoes can survive longer, increasing the likelihood for transmitting diseases and being able to travel to a wider geographic range. "Vulnerable populations, the poor, the disadvantaged and children are among those suffering the greatest burden of climate-related impacts and consequent diseases, such as malaria, diarrhea and malnutrition, which already kill millions every year," said Dr. Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director-General, Family, Women's and Children's Health in a press release. "Without effective action to mitigate and adapt to the adverse effects of climate change on health, society will face one of its most serious health challenges." Kurosu agrees that climate change is a factor, giving rise to longer periods that infected mosquitoes can survive. Adverse conditions, such as drought, however, can also impede the spread of the disease. Drought in parts of India this summer has denied the mosquitoes the water that their larvae need to develop, leading to "extremely low" numbers of dengue cases this year, the Times of India reported. Urban centers affected worst . Kurosu says, the primary cause of the spread of dengue fever is linked to population movement and the rapid urbanization of developing countries, the majority of which are in the tropical zone most often affected by dengue fever . There is no cure for, and no vaccination against, dengue fever, The disease can develop into a "potentially lethal complication" called severe dengue, also known as dengue hemorrhagic fever. The WHO estimates that there are over 50-100 million cases of dengue worldwide each year, although a new study says the true number may be four times as high as that appraisal. Study suggests new approach to dengue fever . 5 myths about mosquito bites . | Japan facing first outbreak of dengue fever in almost 70 years .
WHO says climate change could lead to an increase in the prevalence of the disease .
Carried by mosquitoes, dengue is a debilitating illness and can be fatal . |
0b75de5563b0e54e05122f88a1a768d85aa4c3e7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Ap . The United States is planning to deploy about 150 soldiers for military exercises to begin in Poland and Estonia in the next few weeks, a Western official said Saturday. The exercises would follow Russia's buildup of forces near its border with Ukraine and its annexation last month of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said earlier this week that the U.S. is looking for ways to reassure its NATO allies of its strong commitment to collective defense. Exercises: The U.S. already has two warships docked in the Black Sea capable of launching a missile-defense system . Russia: The U.S. wants to reassure its allies that it is committed to defending against a threat from pro-Russian forces (pictured) in the Ukraine . The Pentagon's press secretary, Rear Adm. John Kirby, said in a statement Friday that American officials are considering a range of additional measures to bolster air, maritime and ground readiness in Europe. Ground exercises in Poland and Estonia would last about two weeks but such exercises would continue on a rotating basis off and on over time, the official said, and other locations in Eastern Europe would be considered. The official was not authorized to discuss the plan by name because it has not been made final and requested anonymity. No specific date for the deployment of an Army company, which usually consists of 150 soldiers, has been set but an announcement was expected next week, the official said. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says 'there's an entire range of possibilities and measures that are being considered . Kirby's statement about additional measures didn't offer specifics. 'Some of those activities will be pursued bilaterally with individual NATO nations. Some will be pursued through the alliance itself,' he said. On Thursday, Hagel met at the Pentagon with his Polish counterpart, Tomasz Siemoniak, and told reporters that they had identified new areas of military-to-military cooperation, including special operations forces, air forces and additional military exercises and training, as part of their discussion of closer defense ties. 'There’s an entire range of possibilities and measures that are being . considered,' Hagel said on Thursday in a joint . news conference with Siemoniak. 'Rotational basis of training and exercises are always part of that.' Unstable: Ukrainian troops killed three pro-Russian fighters who attacked a National Guard base in the Ukraine . Three additional Russian militants were killed in a gun battle near the eastern Ukrainian town of Slavyansk . In an interview with The Washington Post, Siemoniak said the decision to deploy U.S. ground forces to Poland had been made on a political level and that details were being worked out, the newspaper reported. 'The idea until recently was that there were no more threats in Europe and no need for a U.S. presence in Europe any more,' Siemoniak said, speaking through an interpreter during a visit Friday to the newspaper. 'Events show that what is needed is a re-pivot, and that Europe was safe and secure because America was in Europe,' he continued. | The U.S. plans to deploy about 150 troops for military exercises in Poland and Estonia in the next several weeks .
The exercises are in response to Russia's build-up of forces along the Ukrainian border .
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the U.S. is considering a range of possibilities to assure NATO allies that the U.S. is committed to a collective defense against Russia . |
0b76bc9c4711d8711eb2b133d40ce4ad0ded3101 | (CNN) -- From E!'s strange "Fun Facts" to Diane Keaton's Girl Scout song, the Golden Globes delivered plenty of bizarre and wonderful moments in addition to an awards show. Here are some of our favorites. For those unable to see the content on a mobile device, please click here. | Rambling speeches among most interesting Golden Globes moments .
Hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler did not disappoint . |
0b76e72cc8c72b53ae56fad21effb2bf324a7adb | (CNN) -- Severe weather's assault on middle America continued Tuesday, as tornadoes and thunderstorms pulverized communities and claimed at least six lives in Oklahoma and Kansas. Twisters also brewed in Dallas and several northern Texas counties, according to the National Weather Service, with at least one tornado reported on the ground. There was no rest for the weary and grieving. Joplin, Missouri, where 124 died in a tornado Sunday, was briefly under a tornado warning late Tuesday, but it was later lifted. Still, the city braced for high winds. Two motorists died when an uprooted tree slammed into their van in Stafford County, Kansas, according to the state adjutant general's office. The deadly string of tornadoes that rampaged through central Oklahoma killed at least four people, injured dozens and destroyed homes and vehicles, officials said. Canadian County, Oklahoma, Sheriff Randall Edwards told CNN a large tornado that crossed I-40 near El Reno destroyed residences and caused a gas leak at an energy plant west of the state capital. Four people died in the county, said Cherokee Ballard, spokesperson for the state medical examiner. The twister injured motorists on I-40 and U.S. 81, Canadian County Emergency Management Director Jerry Smith said. There were reports of property damage in the area. El Reno city spokesman Terry Floyd said 20 workers were injured at a drilling rig. Police and fire crews are searching for a missing 3-year-old old child in Piedmont, northwest of Oklahoma City, according to an emergency services worker who asked not to be named because she was not authorized to speak to the media. "Our town is totally leveled," she said. "All you can find now is debris and foundations," said the emergency services worker, her voice cracking with emotion. "We're still searching for survivors. We'll be here all night." Another tornado was seen at Chickasha, about 40 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. It later reached Newcastle, before pushing through Moore and Norman, suburbs of Oklahoma City. The National Weather Service warned residents and I-44 drivers to take precautionary action. About 1,200 people packed a shelter in Newcastle, a bedroom community near Oklahoma City, during the storm, said City Manager Nick Nazar. "That saved lives." "We have been extremely lucky," he said. "Minor injuries so far." About 100 people were displaced, and 50 homes were rendered uninhabitable, Nazar told CNN. Two or three businesses were damaged, as was an elementary school. Statewide, at least 60 people were hurt and nearly 58,000 homes lost power, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. The tornado that passed through Chickasha also damaged several other communities, including Newcastle. "It came right past the store," said Chickasha AutoZone employee Nathaniel Charlton. "They had a little debris thrown across the parking lot. It was on the ground, but it wasn't bad." Sirens went off about 20 minutes before the storm pushed through, Charlton told CNN. State officials received reports of damaged businesses in Chickasha. "This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," the National Weather Service said during the storms. No tornado damage was immediately reported within Oklahoma City's borders. Some employees at the weather agency's Storm Prediction Center in Norman briefly took shelter as a tornado approached, a spokesman told CNN. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin cited the storms' intensity. "We're still not out of the woods yet," she told CNN's Anderson Cooper as strong storms moved across her state Tuesday evening. First responders were heading toward communities that have reported damage to homes, Fallin said. Randy McCown, administrator at First Baptist Church of Piedmont, said the church was operating as a shelter for residents. CNN Oklahoma City affiliates broadcast images of funnel clouds that dumped rain as they moved into more populated areas. KWTV broadcast images of destroyed and damaged homes in El Reno. The University of Oklahoma, based in Norman, on Tuesday afternoon suspended classes at its three campuses. At Norman's Tarahumara Restaurant, which specializes in Mexican food, all 20 employees showed up for work, though none of the customers did for nearly two hours preceding the storm's arrival, said manager Juan de Leon. As the storm struck at about 5:45 p.m., he and the wait staff watched news programs on the restaurant's 10 television sets in fear, he said. But when it hit, they were unimpressed. "Just rain," said de Leon in a telephone interview. "It looked like normal rain." Hail was mixed in, but the bits of ice were nothing special, "little bitty ones," he said. Two hours later, he said, the restaurant had filled up and it was business as usual. Tornado watches were in effect Tuesday evening in Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas. In anticipation of the severe weather, American Airlines canceled 126 arriving and departing flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, spokesman Ed Martelle told CNN. Operations were suspended late Tuesday afternoon at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. A tornado was reported Tuesday in the Texas community of Bedford. The tornado that struck Joplin on Sunday killed at least 124 people, authorities said Tuesday, making it the deadliest single U.S. tornado since modern record-keeping began more than 60 years ago. CNN's Dave Alsup, Matt Smith, Tom Watkins, Phil Gast, Dana Ford, Rick Martin, Sean Morris and Joe Sutton contributed to this report. | Tornado warning lifted in Joplin, Missouri .
A young child is missing in Oklahoma city .
Two are killed during Kansas storms .
1,200 people jam into shelter in Oklahoma City suburb . |
0b7754c25239e33fd9ad90f173ed4355cc5ac29c | A 19-year-old medical student has died while undergoing liposuction - a prize for winning her local beauty competition. Catherine Cando, a part-time glamour model, was crowned winner of the Queen of Duran beauty contest, in Ecuador. Miss Cando, who won the competition in October last year, was showered with prizes, including a new Aveo car 2015, a smart tablet - and a free course of cosmetic surgery treatment. Scroll down for video . Catherine Canto died earlier this month after undergoing liposuction treatment in her native Ecuador . The treatment was a prize for being named Queen of Duran, a beauty contest in her home town . After winning her title, Miss Canto had hoped to work in tourism projects, as well as 'social assistance programmes' for children and seniors, as well as in animal protection . Miss Canto put off the treatment as she felt she didn't need it - despite judges in the competition recommending she lose a bit of weight. She told local media she had decided to exercise to lose the supposed excess weight instead. But it seems others were keen for her to undergo the surgery. Her brother Daniel Zavala, 24, told local media: 'Before having the surgery, she received a lot of calls from the surgeon trying to persuade her to do it, but she kept saying no. 'She was thinking about letting someone else have it as a freebie but eventually she agreed to have it just get him off her back.' According to Ecuadorian newspaper El Telegrafo, she eventually underwent the procedure at a private clinic on January 10 - with tragic consequences. But instead the teenage beauty queen died on the operating table, after allegedly being pressured into undergoing liposuction . Exactly how and why Miss Canto (left) died remains unclear, with further examinations ordered to ascertain cause of death . Mourners at Miss Canto's funeral, which was held just months after she was named winner of the beauty contest . The surgeon who carried out the operation has now been arrested to prevent him leaving the country . Lawyer Carlos Reyes Izquierdo said: 'I was told she had died of a brain oedema. 'But the clinic staff told her relatives that she had died of a cardiac arrest. 'I have ordered cytological and pathological examinations to find out what exactly happened. 'However, it can be presumed as negligence because there has been no support from doctors who have failed to explain anything about the case. 'The doctors in question have been arrested to prevent them from leaving the county.' The tragic death follows that of Brazilian model Pamela Nascimento, 27, who also died during liposuction surgery in 2011. The cause of her death was registered as hypovolemic shock, where severe blood loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the body. The perils of cosmetic surgery have also been in the headlines more recently, with Andressa Urach, 27, runner-up in the 2012 Miss Bumbum competition, ending up in intensive care after her surgery wounds became infected. Miss BumBum runner-up Andressa Urach ended up in intensive care after cosmetic surgery went wrong . Facebook- Proyecto Farras . | Medical student put off the treatment because she felt she didn't need it .
Catherine Canto told local media she would exercise to lose weight .
But brother claims surgeon persistently called her to get her to agree .
The surgeon at the private clinic has now been arrested . |
0b77b550117267e8ded27d7a7a051e669a7dcd40 | (CNN) -- Last week Germany levied a fine against Google for one of the biggest wiretapping violations in history. The fine? Less than $200,000. Google's net profits in 2012? More than $10 billion. Imagine a driver of a fancy car caught for speeding and then asked to pay a nickel. Google got off easier. Over several years and in countries around the world, Google drove cars with cameras mounted on the roof through communities and residential neighborhoods. Google said that it was gathering images to improve its "Street View" mapping program. But Google was also secretly collecting information about Internet access points in private homes and intercepting personal communications across wi-fi networks. A privacy official in Germany had suspected that this was happening, but was repeatedly reassured by Google that it wasn't. When the official actually removed the hard drive from a Google vehicle, the true story came out. Investigations were launched in more than a dozen countries. "Street View" became "Spy-Fi." The Canadian privacy commissioner determined that the company had obtained medical records and financial records, private e-mails and passwords. In the United States, a group of attorneys general levied a $7 million fine against the company, after federal agencies in Washington failed to act. Google apologized, stopped collecting the wi-fi data (but not the location data) and promised to improve its privacy practices. Last week, the German official who triggered the original investigation announced the 145,000-euro fine, almost the largest amount allowed under European law, though insignificant for a company the size of Google. The public official was clearly unhappy about the outcome and told The New York Times, "As long as violations of data protection law are penalized with such insignificant sums, the ability of existing laws to protect personal privacy in the digital world, with its high potential for abuse, is barely possible." As the public concern about privacy is increasing, the failure of public agencies to take forceful action is becoming a problem. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission announced important settlements with Facebook and Google back in 2011, but it has been reluctant to take any meaningful enforcement action since. Even after Google consolidated all of the data from across its 60 plus services last year into one data policy to "rule them all," the FTC remained silent. The Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation of Street View but levied only a $25,000 fine, even less than the amount in Germany, and that was for Google's obstruction during the investigation. Increasingly, Internet companies are advocating "self-regulation" and weak-willed politicians are telling users, "check your privacy settings, be careful what you post." In other words, you are on your own. That is terrible advice coming from those who know that users can do little to protect their data. User data is gathered surreptitiously, few users have the ability or time to know how it is collected, and even good privacy policies change quickly. It was only Mr. Casper's persistence that made it possible to challenge Google's data collection practices. It would have been impossible for those whose wi-fi communications were intercepted to know that their data was gathered by Google, let alone enforce privacy rights against the company. That is why it is important for officials to pursue investigations, enforce laws and impose significant penalties when warranted. The failure to enforce privacy laws is bad not only for Internet users, but also for smaller companies and innovative firms that are developing services that comply with privacy law. The success of "Privacy by Design," and other new approaches, depends on countries enforcing their laws. If they see their larger competitors get away with cutting corners, the message will be that they, too, can ignore the laws. This will lead to a vicious spiral that governments must avoid. In Europe, governments recognize the need to update and strengthen privacy laws. Efforts are under way to improve privacy protections. That will help consumers and Internet users all around the world as companies adopt better safeguards for personal data. In the United States, President Obama has called for a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights and recommended the adoption of new privacy law. It is a good, forward-looking proposal that builds on existing law and addresses a key concern of Internet users today. Another proposal now in California would give Internet users the right to know the information private firms collect about them. It is a clever approach to privacy that does not restrict data collection; it simply makes companies more accountable to users. But it is not easy to enact new laws, particularly when large companies have so much influence over the political process. Still, there are many public officials who must share the frustration of Mr. Casper. Privacy protection without enforcement is no protection at all. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Marc Rotenberg. | Marc Rotenberg: Germany levied small fine on Google for gathering people's private info .
Fine was less than $200,000. Google made $10 billion in 2010. Fine has no teeth, he says .
Public agencies failing to strengthen laws on companies that threaten privacy, he says .
Rotenberg: Proposed Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights a good step toward enforcement . |
0b78be7e188b3f2466e9a907384ef74c8fd280ae | By . Karolos Grohmann, Reuters . Opponents of FIFA President Sepp Blatter should run against him instead of merely criticising his decision to go for another term at the helm of world soccer's governing body, Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said on Friday. Watzke also told Reuters in an interview it would be best not to hold the 2022 World Cup in the desert state of Qatar. The 78-year-old Blatter, who has been in charge of FIFA since 1998, announced this week he would run for a fifth term despite mounting criticism over alleged corruption and FIFA's decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. Hans-Joachim Watzke says that Sepp Blatter's critics should stand against him or keep quiet . UEFA president Michel Platini has decided not to run against Blatter who is standing for a fifth term . Blatter, who will be 79 when the votes are cast next June, confirmed his candidature for another term as president in a recorded interview at the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester this week. 'We have to be a bit careful with criticism here,' said Dortmund's Watzke. 'If there are people out there who consider a fifth term as too long or that he is too old for this position then they should run against Blatter.' European soccer boss Michel Platini was seen as a potential rival to Blatter but he opted not to run against him next year. The only other declared candidate is the former FIFA deputy secretary general Jerome Champagne but he may withdraw now that Blatter has declared his interest. Sepp Blatter has come under fire for FIFA's decision to play the 2022 World Cup in Qatar . 'Otherwise I would be a bit more reserved with criticism,' said Watzke, who has not hidden his opposition to FIFA's decision to award the World Cup to Qatar. FIFA is now considering staging the tournament in the winter due to the soaring summer temperatures in the Middle East with European clubs not relishing the prospect of a disrupted league competition that year. 'That (date) needs to be discussed internally but it is a problem,' said the 55-year-old Watzke. 'My opinion is that it would be best for all if the World Cup would not take place in Qatar.' Sepp Blatter had promised that his current term would be his last but will stand again in June, aged 79 . | Borussia Dortmund CEO says there is too much criticism without action .
Hans-Joachim Watzke believes critics should run against Sepp Blatter .
Blatter has announced he will stand for a fifth term next June .
However Watzke adds that 2022 World Cup should not be in Qatar . |
0b7a83bf0d1f093220ba88e5d934d3cd864be72b | By . Sophie Jane Evans . PUBLISHED: . 08:56 EST, 14 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:06 EST, 14 September 2013 . A RAF Hawk jet taking part in a training exercise has crashed after hitting a goose. The plane, carrying an instructor and student pilot, was practising a forced touchdown when it ran into the path of the unlucky bird. It overshot the runway and smashed into a barrier, before landing in a safety net. Crash: The Hawk, carrying an instructor and student pilot, was practising a forced touchdown when it ran into the path of a goose . Unlucky: The unfortunate bird caused the plane to overshoot the runway and smash into a barrier, before landing in a safety net . The crash, which has incredibly left both instructor and pupil unscathed, happened at Mona airfield in mid-Anglesey at 10.50am yesterday. The strip, which is used by trainee pilots, is based at Valley RAF station a few miles away - the same base where Prince William worked as a rescue helicopter pilot until this week. The Hawk T1 plane, powered by a Rolls-Royce turbofan engine, is used by trainee pilots to practise takeoffs and touchdowns. It first entered service with the RAF in 1976, both as an advanced flying-training aircraft and a weapons-training aircraft. Today, the all-metal, low-wing aircraft is used at the Valley base for fast-jet pilot advanced flying training. It is also used by RAF Aerobatic Team and the Red Arrows. A Defence Ministry spokesman said: 'The aircraft was carrying out a practice forced landing. When on the runway, it hit a bird and went into the barrier.' It isn't the first time a stray animal has caused an aircraft potentially deadly problems. In 2010, a plane crashed after an escaped crocodile wreaked havoc on board - killing a British co-pilot and 19 others. The small plane was thrown off balance by a stampede of passengers trying to avoid the reptile. Training: The Hawk T1 plane, powered by a Rolls-Royce turbofan engine, is used by trainee pilots to practise takeoffs and touchdowns . Scene: The crash, which incredibly left both instructor and pupil unscathed, happened at Mona airfield in mid-Anglesey (pictured) at 10.50am yesterday . | RAF Hawk jet was practising a forced touchdown at Mona airfield in mid-Anglesey at 10.50am yesterday .
It overshot the runway and crashed into a barrier after hitting a goose .
Both instructor and pupil escaped unscathed . |
0b7cf639b7af543e29f7a183b0939f3da84aa7eb | By . Jaymi Mccann . PUBLISHED: . 06:19 EST, 23 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:19 EST, 23 May 2013 . Jailed: Wendy Nichols stole more than £1.5 million from her employers to fund her luxury lifestyle . A crooked financial controller who lived in a mansion owned by Carol Vorderman has been jailed after she stole £1.5 million from her employers to fund a life of luxury. Wendy Nichols, 49, siphoned cash from company accounts and used it to pay for flash cars, foreign holidays and even plastic surgery for herself and one of her daughters. The mother-of-two rented a palatial apartment at Sloblock Hall, a £5 million country mansion in North Somerset owned by TV presenter Carol Vorderman. Northampton Crown Court heard Nichols also bought her daughters plush BMW cars, paid for them to go to a private boarding school and splashed out on a £200,000 flat for one of them. Nichols - who turned up to court wearing a figure-hugging dress - covered her tracks by altering records and using the name of an ex-employee to authorise fraudulent transactions. Between 2006 and August 2012 she stole a total of £1,537,608 from Logistex, based in Kettering. She pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to theft and false accounting and on Wednesday she was jailed for five-a-and-a-half years. Jailing Nichols, Judge Richard Bray told her she had breached the trust of her employer, where she had worked for ten years. He said: 'You used your position to defraud your employer over a period of six years. 'It is amazing to me that this was not detected sooner. The money was spent on the most blatant luxuries.' Landlord: Nichols siphoned £1.5million from her employers and lived in Carol Vorderman's £5million mansion in Somerset . Elizabeth Gooderham, prosecuting, said Nichols was rumbled when the financial director at her firm noticed an unusually large transaction and traced it to her personal account. Further investigations revealed dozens of similar deposits from company funds. Mrs Gooderham told the court: 'The money was being spent on regular trips to department stores, holidays to New York, Dubai and Tenerife and cosmetic surgery for Nichols and one of her daughters. 'She bought her daughters a BMW Mini and BMW X3, she also paid for them to go to a private boarding school and bought one of them a flat in Glasgow which cost more than £200,000. 'It was an extravagant lifestyle not borne out by someone on a salary of between £50,000 and £60,000.' Convicted: Nichols bought BMW cars, a flat in Glasgow for her daughter, and luxury holidays with the money she stole . Maxine Krone, defending, said Nichols felt she had 'created a monster' during the thefts, and had initially intended to pay the money back. She added: 'She is ashamed of herself and of the breach of trust.' Mrs Krone said Nichols had arrived in court with her suitcase already packed as she fully expected a prison sentence. Speaking after the case, Det Con Andy Hewitt, from Northamptonshire Police, said: 'The next stage will be for a Proceeds of Crime hearing, to see if some of the money can be recovered.' A date for the hearing has yet to be set. Lawyer Julie Vickers, speaking on behalf of Logistex, said: 'Wendy Nichols was employed by Logistex for almost ten years and held a senior financial management position. 'We placed our trust in her in a role that required honesty and professionalism. 'At no time in that period did we have reason to doubt the integrity and trust we placed in her. 'It is therefore with great disappointment that we have discovered the theft. Guilty: Nichols pleaded guilty in Northampton Crown Court. the defence said that she felt ashamed of what she had done . 'She breached the trust we placed in her by systematically stealing money from the company over an extended period of time. 'As soon as the theft became known to the company we moved quickly to resolve the problem and Wendy Nichols was removed from her position. 'Logistex remains financially robust.' | Wendy Nichols, 49, siphoned £1.5milion from company accounts .
Used the cash to buy BMW cars, luxury holidays, flats and plastic surgery .
Between 2006 and August 2012 she stole a total of £1,537,608 from Logistex .
She has pleaded guilty, and said that she is 'ashamed' of what she has done . |
0b7f53fdda8af39346742a5931ffe3b006f1d009 | By . Harriet Arkell . Wearing a battered denim jacket and with her long hair unbrushed, Cressida Bonas cut a glum figure as she walked through London's West End this morning. Pictured for the first time since news of her split from Prince Harry, her boyfriend of two years, was confirmed, the 25-year-old kept her head down as she bought a takeaway fruit drink. The dancer, who is currently working for a marketing company in Soho after graduating from dance school, is now said to want to concentrate on her career. Scroll down for video . Cressida Bonas looked glum as she walked in London the day after her split from Prince Harry was confirmed . Miss Bonas had rings under her eyes and appeared tired as she walked through central London this morning . Single again: The dancer kept her hands in her pockets as she went to a West End cafe to buy a fruit smoothie . The end of her relationship with the Prince, who will be 30 in September, came after rumours that it has become strained in recent weeks. US magazine People claimed that Miss Bonas had become 'too needy' for the royal, but friends of the couple denied that, saying it was 'very much an amicable' split and that the couple had parted as friends. A friend of theirs told the Mail: 'Cressida has decided she wants to focus on her career and Harry is really keen that she is allowed to get on with her life. ‘He is furious at this suggestion that the split was in any way because she was relying too much on him. Cressida is one of the most independent people he knows.’ Miss Bonas graduated from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in Greenwich, and is now said to be working out which career path to follow. Wearing a black dress, black tights despite the heat, and a hoodie under her denim jacket, she looked lost in her thoughts this morning. Friends said it was 'very much an amicable split', with both Miss Bonas and Prince Harry keen to stay friends . The famously relaxed dance school graduate wore a denim jacket and messy hair as she visited a London cafe . All over: Prince Harry and his girlfriend Cressida Bonas have broken up after a two-year relationship . Lost in thought: Miss Bonas was introduced to Prince Harry by Princess Eugenie in the summer of 2012 . Another friend said that the couple's split might turn out to be temporary, as happened with Kate Middleton and Prince William before they got engaged. The friend said: 'Cressie is only 25 and pretty young for her age at that. Prince Harry will be 30 this year and is at a different stage in his life. 'He is incredibly fond of Cressie, and understands that she wants to do something with her life and with her career before she considers settling down. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if they got back together in a few months' time.’ Going it alone: Reports that the couple had split because Miss Bonas was 'too needy' were denied by friends . Hoping for a text? Miss Bonas kept her iPhone close at hand as she left the central London cafe today . Her ex-boyfriend and Prince William are believed to be heading to Tennessee this weekend to attend the wedding of their close friend, Guy Pelly. He is marrying American-born Lizzy Wilson and is said to have asked the princes to be ushers. Prince Harry and Miss Bonas met in the summer of 2012 after being introduced by Princess Eugenie, and their relationship appeared to have stepped up a gear earlier just a month ago, when they appeared together at a charity engagement in Wembley - the first time Miss Bonas attended an official engagement with the prince. Royal sources quashed speculation of an imminent engagement after the couple were seen embracing at the event. But friends of Miss Bonas suggested that her wealthy family had held a summit to discuss the possibility of a royal wedding. When Prince William and his girlfriend of four years, Kate Middleton, were pictured looking grumpy at the Cheltenham festival in March 2007, it was obvious something was up. A few days later William, then 25, was pictured at a nightclub near his barracks in Bournemouth in a pose that suggested he was groping a young Brazlian clubber, Ana Ferreira. The writing was on the wall, and the prince and his university sweetheart took their last outing together at the end of March, to an Oxfordshire pub with their friends, the Van Cutsems. William and Kate looked glum as they left a nightclub in London in January 2007, weeks before they split . By the time Kate flew out to Dublin with her mother on 3 April, it was all over. Devastated, she threw herself into the reason for her visit: attending an exhibition with her mother, followed by a tour of the National Gallery of Ireland. Her former boyfriend, however, chose to cope differently. He went out to Mahiki nightclub where fellow revellers said he jumped onto a table, shouted 'I'm free', and then did a Peter Crouch-style robot dance. News of their split broke the next day. Definitely single: This picture of Prince William and Brazilian reveller Ana Ferreira, left, was taken in Bournemouth nightclub in March 2007 . Determined not to let her heartbreak show, Kate was pictured attending numerous parties, including a roller disco where she was pictured in yellow hotpants. She was also seen in bunny ears at a DVD launch party. William soon realised where his heart lay, and in June invited Kate to a party at his barracks. She spent the night with him, and a month later attended the concert in honour of Princess Diana as William's guest. Three years later, during which time Kate was dubbed 'Waity Katey', they got engaged, and they married on 29 April 2011. | Miss Bonas looks solemn as she walks through the West End this morning .
News of her split from Prince Harry was confirmed by friends last night .
The former couple were introduced by Princess Eugenie in summer 2012 .
The 25-year-old dancer is now said to want to concentrate on her career .
She graduated from dance school and now works for Soho marketing firm .
Prince Harry is said to be flying to US at weekend for Guy Pelly's wedding . |
0b7fa365738df31b604c7bf87f8cb426901d1fc2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Known collectively as the BLT, Baloo the bear, Leo the lion and Shere Khan the tiger have forged an unusually strong bond and are the only bear lion and tiger in the world who live in the same enclosure. Considering that they would be mortal enemies if they ever were to meet in the wild, it is stunning to see their unique and genuine friendship in these intimate pictures. Rescued 13-years years ago during a police drugs raid in Atlanta, Georgia, the little family were only cubs at the time at barely two months old. Scroll down for video . Best of friends: Leo, Baloo and Shere Khan nuzzle up together at their enclosure inside the Noah's Ark Sanctuary in Georgia . They had been kept as status symbol pets by the drug barons. Delivered to the Noah's Ark Animal Rescue Centre in Locust Grove, Georgia, the decision was made to keep the youngsters together, because of their budding rapport. 'We could have separated them, but since they came as a kind of family, the zoo decided to keep them together,' said Diane Smith, assistant director of Noah's Ark. 'To our knowledge, this is the only place where you'll find this combination of animals together.' The only time they have ever been separated is when Baloo needed an operation to remove a harness that had been left around one of his paws. Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary . Unique sight: The three apex predators are the only lion, bear and tiger that live together in the entire world . Rescued to live together: The three friends were discovered at the age of two months after a police raid on a drug dealer 13-years-ago . Bond: The three brothers spend their days at Noah's Ark Animal Rescue Centre in Locust Grove, Georgia . It had become infected and during his surgery, Leo and Shere Khan became extremely agitated as they waited the return of their buddy. Living with the zoo's founders for more than a decade, Shere Khan, Baloo and Leo live in a high-tech habitat were the public can now witness first hand their touching friendship. 'We didn't have the money to move them at first,' said Diane. 'Now their habitat is sorted and they have been moved away from the children's zoo areas where the public couldn't really get a good look. Hey there: Shere Khan approaches Baloo the bear to say hi in their enclosure . Best friends: Baloo and Shere Khan enjoy the closest relationship of the three . Best buds: Baloo and Shere Khan confirm their life-long friendship at their sanctuary . Playtime: The three animals relax during a day in the Georgia heat . Say cheese: Leo, Baloo and Shere Khan pose up for a family portrait in the morning sun . 'It is possible to see Baloo, who is a 1000lb bear, Shere Khan, a 350lb tiger and Leo, who is also 350lbs, messing around like brothers. 'They are totally oblivious to the fact that in any other circumstance they would not be friends.' Handled by Charles and Jama Hedgecoth, the zoo's owners and founders, the three friendly giants appear to have have no comprehension of their animal differences. 'Baloo and Shere Khan are very close,' says Diane. 'That is because they rise early, and as Leo is a lion, he likes to spend most of the day sleeping. Predators: Leo and Shere Khan provide a very rare and unusual sight as the pose for a wonderful portrait . Youngsters: Thirteen years ago Baloo, Leo and Shere Khan were just cubs and did not know that nature never intended them to meet or be friends . Rough and tumble: Leo and Shere Khan practice their fighting skills - just for fun, mind . What is it? Shere Khan and Baloo look very confused by the blue ball in their pen, while Leo seems totally uninterested . 'It is wonderful and magical to see a giant American Black Bear put his arm around a Bengal and then to see the tiger nuzzle up to the bear like a domestic cat. 'When Leo wakes up the three of them mess around for most of the day before they settle down to some food.' Surprisingly for three apex predators with the power to kill with a single bite or swipe of their paw, they are very relaxed around each other. 'They eat, sleep and play together,' said Jama. 'As they treat each other as siblings they will lie on top of each other for heat and simply for affection. 'At the moment they are getting used to their new habitat. 'Shere Khan is being quite reticent about the move, but Baloo, the bear is very good at leading him on and making him feel comfortable and safe.' BLT: The three friends have only spent hours apart - when Baloo needed to have an urgent operation . Spending their days together: Baloo, Shere Khan and Leo will spend the rest of their days together in the luxury of their $15,000 enclosure in Georgia . Quit messing around: Leo looks on as Shere Khan draws an irritated response from Baloo - reminding him that he is the largest of the three . Explaining that the three 'brothers' have always seemed to share a unique bond, Charles said: 'Noah's Ark is their home and they could not possibly be separated from each other. 'You just have to remember who you're dealing with when you are with them though. 'It's when you forget that these fellows are wild animals that you get yourself in trouble.' The trio's new habitat cost an estimated £15,000 and had to be constructed carefully, in order to accommodate its occupants. Jama said: 'The clubhouse had to be very sturdy for the guys, because they all sleep in it together,' She added: 'We had to include a creek, because the tiger and the bear both like to be in water.' | The three very unlikely friends were rescued from a drug dealer 13-years ago and have been inseparable ever since .
The North American brown bear, tiger and lion would never come into contact in the wild .
The three apex predators have formed their own special family at Noah's Ark Animal Rescue Center in Georgia .
Live in their own specially designed enclosure and spend the whole day nuzzling up to each other for comfort . |
0b80ce53fcf3191702716904d317f3d080e9c531 | Washington (CNN) -- Ron Paul supporters were never that trusting of his son, Rand Paul. To ardent Ron Paul legions who energized his bid for the presidency around his libertarian principles, Rand Paul reflected a corrupt, business-as-usual political system -- one that asked people to compromise their beliefs in the quest for power. They saw Ron Paul, a former Texas congressman, rising above that until this week when Rand Paul, the Kentucky senator who is viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2016, blazed his own path toward their hearts and minds. He appealed to civil libertarians at their core by challenging the White House nominee to head the CIA, and pushing the Obama administration to clarify -- not once, but twice -- its policy on targeting Americans in counter-terror operations with lethal force. He threw the faithful a healthy portion of red political meat with a 13-hour filibuster over John Brennan, who was confirmed to the CIA post on Thursday. Brennan was President Barack Obama's chief counter-terrorism adviser. Rand Paul highlighted his dissatisfaction with the response of the administration to his question of whether it could use a drone to kill Americans on U.S. soil. The issue resonates with both libertarians on the far right and liberals on the far left by challenging what they consider to be excessive government powers. In particular, Paul sought clarity that only a war enemy -- even if a U.S. citizen -- could be targeted. His Senate marathon amounted to a libertarian clinic. He quoted libertarian thinkers, emphasized the infallibility of the Constitution and elevated the drone discussion. And Ron Paul devotees noticed. "I think this definitely scored him some points," said Gary Franchi, the former chair of the Revolution PAC. "I was getting a lot of messages from people saying 'Wow, Rand is stepping up.' People were really positive about it." "You have to give credit where credit is due and when someone does something that is clearly fighting for the people's liberty, then regardless of how you feel about that person, you have to take notice," Jordan Page, an ardent Paul supporter and musician for the campaign said. "Rand, these days, is the lone senator standing up against injustice." During the 2012 campaign, Ron Paul wielded great of influence among a small, but fervent, group of supporters. That passion turned into a fundraising operation that even establishment Republican candidates envied. When Ron Paul withdrew from the Republican race, more establishment members of the party saw Rand Paul as the inheritor of his father's following. Many in the Ron Paul movement challenged that assumption. Then Rand Paul began to speak shortly before noon on Wednesday. "I rise today to begin to filibuster John Brennan's nomination for the CIA. I will speak until I can no longer speak. I will speak as long as it takes," he said. Blogs dedicated to the liberty movement, a nickname for the Ron Paul campaign, began to blow up with posts about the filibuster. Radio shows dedicated to Ron Paul scrapped their original programming and covered Rand Paul live. And the hashtag #standwithRand, a tag that has long been used by libertarian supporters of Rand Paul, began to trend worldwide. As the hours ticked by, Rand Paul's image among Ron Paul supporters began to change. Even those who ardently opposed Rand Paul during his father's 2012 campaign for president began to soften. "I was skeptical of Rand Paul from the beginning," said John Bush, a radio host and event organizer for the 2012 Ron Paul campaign. "I appreciate what Rand Paul did last night and I think it sent a very strong message. I have a much higher opinion of him than I did before." The distrust of Rand Paul stems from Senate votes and decisions he made during the 2012 campaign. In particular, Ron Paul supporters have pointed to Rand Paul's support of Israel and use of economic sanctions, which they see as overstepping the bounds of American power, as a few of the many reasons they were skeptical of the junior senator from Kentucky. "The reason why Ron Paul got such a following was because he was pillar with his principles," Mike Salvi, a Philadelphia-based Ron Paul organizer said during the 2012 campaign. "I don't see that in Rand." Distrust deepened when Rand Paul endorsed Mitt Romney for president last July. Many Ron Paul supporters were still angling for influence at the Republican National Convention and were appalled at the decision. They felt the senator betrayed his father, cementing long held skepticism. "Mitt Romney was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Chuck Suter, a Ron Paul supporter who organized events for the presidential campaign. Suter, who supported Rand Paul throughout Ron Paul's presidential campaign, said that the Romney endorsement was incredibly difficult to defend. He said he took heat from outspoken Ron Paul supporters. Suter said that Rand Paul's filibuster provided some vindication. "What last night did for me was it affirmed everything that I had done even when it was hard for me to go out and defend Rand when he endorsed Romney," Suter said. "Last night was the shining jewel of what Rand Paul is all about, to play politics where his father may have not." Hammered by conservatives on Twitter to #StandWithRand, a number of more establishment senators streamed into the Senate to relieve Paul of his speaking duties and support his cause. They included Sen. Marco Rubio, who many see as the frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination and someone who Ron Paul supporters view as anointed by the establishment. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the personification of "establishment" to many Paul supporters, also took part. To many Paul supporters, that sort of high-profile backing was icing on the cake. "Everybody use to say there is no point in working with the GOP because of the mindset that there is no way that you can get Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio to stand on the ... floor like that," Suter said. "Last night changed things." And although Paul has said he won't make a decision about a 2016 race until next year, his prolonged filibuster has warmed the mood among once doubtful libertarians. "I wouldn't mind if Rand Paul was president," said Bush, a voter who said he isn't sure he even support the idea of the presidency. "It would certainly be better than Marco Rubio or Mitt Romney or any of the other goons that the GOP will put up for the nomination." | Rand Paul's 13-hour filibuster helped him gain respect from father's 2012 supporters .
Ron Paul's supporters were distrustful of his son, who they see as the establishment .
Blogs and media that supported Ron Paul voiced support for Rand Paul during filibuster .
Some Ron Paul supporters who were wary of Rand Paul say they're changing their mind . |
0b80d000be0bd21e06be5f3f819d3b77bf388424 | (CNN) -- More than 30 years ago, 6-year-old Etan Patz vanished from a Manhattan street on his way to a school bus stop. His parents never saw him again. The case riveted millions. It also changed the country. Patz investigation a 33-year-long roller-coaster ride . "It awakened America," Ernie Allen, president and chief executive officer of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, recently told CNN. "It was the beginning of a missing children's movement." Thursday, Pedro Hernandez, a former Manhattan stock clerk who once lived in the same neighborhood as Etan, was arrested in connection with his death. The Patz case was the first of several high-profile cases that catapulted concern about missing children to the forefront of national consciousness. Basement search for Etan Patz clues ends . Just weeks after Etan disappeared in May 1979, an attacker abducted the first of more than 20 children to be kidnapped and killed in Atlanta, stirring fear until police arrested a suspect two years later. In another case that made headlines, in 1981 someone abducted 6-year-old Adam Walsh from a Florida shopping mall and killed him. The cases received increasing news coverage in a fast-changing landscape that saw a proliferation of media outlets with growing interest in compelling visual images -- such as a heart-rending photo of a smiling child or video of parents pleading for their child's safe return. Overheard on CNN: Face on milk carton chipped away at our innocence . The actual number of children who were kidnapped and killed did not change -- it's always been a relatively small number -- but awareness of the cases skyrocketed, experts said in recent interviews that shed light on the issue of missing children. "Interest in the situation exploded," said Marc Klaas, whose 12-year-old daughter, Polly, was kidnapped and strangled to death in a 1993 case that also received intense news coverage. "It really pulled the lid off of America's dirty little secret, the fact that children are being victimized in large numbers," he told CNN in April. The cases also stoked fear, sparked awareness and prompted change from politicians and police. In 1984, Congress passed the Missing Children's Assistance Act. That led to the creation of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. President Ronald Reagan opened the center in a White House ceremony in 1984. It soon began operating a 24-hour toll-free hotline on which callers could report information about missing boys and girls. Police officers also started to respond more quickly to reports of missing children, experts said. After Etan disappeared, investigators tried what was then a novel technique to try to find him: They put his face on thousands of milk cartons, a technique that would become more common in the next few years. Relatives and authorities also put the images of missing children on billboards and fliers distributed by mail. Those more assertive efforts eventually led to the AMBER alert system, which broadcasts news about missing children on TV, radio, the Internet, mobile phones, lottery tickets and highway signs. That system has helped save 554 children, the federal government says. Most of them were recovered after the first-ever White House Conference on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children in 2002. Before the dramatic increase in awareness of crimes against children in the 1980s, only a few high-profile cases grabbed the public's attention. Klaas points out that in 1873, after a 4-year-old Philadelphia boy named Charley Ross disappeared, authorities produced the first missing-child flier. The 1932 disappearance and killing of Charles Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of the world-famous aviator, attracted worldwide attention. It resulted in the Lindbergh Law, which permitted federal authorities to chase kidnappers across state lines. Even before the Etan Patz case, groups were working in the 1970s -- largely out of the spotlight -- on the issue of missing children. They advocated tougher rules in cases of children who were abducted by relatives, said Joel Best, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware. Children abducted by relatives, runaways, and abductions by strangers are the three classifications of what came to be repackaged and rebranded by activists as "missing children" in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he said. "The missing children's movement was the outgrowth of an earlier child-snatching movement," Best said. Runaways comprise the largest number of the missing children, he said, and while there are few abductions by strangers, those "emotional, wrenching stories" make an impact. Best spoke last month, after police dug up parts of a basement in an unsuccessful attempt to crack the case. So did Lisa Cohen, author of "After Etan: The Missing Child Case that Held America Captive." She said the Etan Patz case galvanized media-saturated New York. So did his photo, which Cohen called a "beautiful" shot made by his photographer father, Stan. "A picture is worth a thousand words," she said. Cohen said people empathized with the angst of Stan and his wife Julie -- seen by TV viewers and newspapers readers as normal, intelligent and wise people. The case never ended, the story was never over, and the news outlets never stopped covering it. "It started a ball rolling," she said. "There was a real momentum." Barbara Friedman, associate professor of University of North Carolina's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, has said such "heinous crimes are always newsworthy" and "have been reported in the press for as long as there has been a press." "As media became more plentiful and visual in the 1980s, child abductions and child murders allowed for the kinds of images that are at once intimate and universal -- like school photos and grieving families," Friedman said. "The use of milk cartons as another form of media to locate missing children was a way to bring the issue into the family space -- the breakfast table -- heightening awareness as well as anxieties." Etan's family and Adam Walsh's parents have been particularly media savvy, she said, as they kept their cases front and center before the public and law enforcement. "They were strategically and actively engaged in cultivating their attention. And in the age of the 24-hour news cycle, there were more reporters looking for substantive news stories and more space to fill," she said. The case raised consciousness but also stirred fear. "I think it ended an era of innocence in this country," Allen said. "Parents around the nation saw how it happened and thought, 'But for the grace of God, my child.' " | NEW: New York police say a man has been arrested in the death of Etan Patz .
The case was the first of several high-profile missing children cases .
Etan's photo was posted on milk cartons, a new idea at the time .
Abductions by strangers are rare; runaways are much more numerous . |
0b8122cda9b71ad90c51a06ce3fe2126d5584704 | New York (CNN) -- Forget Punxsutawney Phil's predictions. The words "Play ball!" are the most dependable sign that spring has arrived in America. Finally, baseball season is here. Maybe because it is an outdoor game, with a schedule stretching across three seasons. Maybe because it is a child's game played by men, bridging the different times of our lives. But the start of the baseball season is always greeted with relief, a sign of rebirth and hope, that this year appropriately coincides with Easter. Winter is over. The bleak time has been survived. And slowly but soon the familiar rhythms of life will reassert themselves. This, as it's referred to in the film "Bull Durham," is the church of baseball, open to all. It is a sport more appropriately known as a pastime, "the national pastime." The pace of the game is part of its charm -- meditation and strategy interspersed with furious action. The sounds of the game are the background track to summer. As a sport played without a clock, a baseball game occurs out of time. It could theoretically go on forever. The past is always present in baseball -- it is "a haunted game," as Ken Burns' documentary "Baseball" intones, with typically perfect pitch. The best players of today compete not just with the players in their league, but the best players of all time. Statistics are the unlikely portal to this bit of metaphysics. Fans can compare players of different eras and dream up their own all-time all-star team. This is another reason to love the game: Baseball can inspire young fans to see the fun in math and history. I am a Yankees fan, first minted in 1979, looking up at a poster of Ron Guidry, Willie Randolph and Greg Nettles -- meaning that I waited 17 years to see them return to World Series-winning form. It was a case of bad timing: I stayed true when just about everyone my age in New York was rooting for the Mets in their championship 1986 season. This takes not quite as much character as remaining a Chicago Cubs fan, but it's somewhere in the same ballpark. Now with the Yankee players of the legendary late 1990s teams reaching the twilight of their careers, I am not expecting to win our division this year, let alone see the World Series. But with the start of the new season, a blank slate in front of us, the possibility exists, and that in itself is liberating. As much as I love the Yankees, I love the game of baseball more. Which is why I always harbor a secret hope on opening day that the long-suffering Cubs fans will finally get to see a World Series win in their antique jewel of a ballpark, Wrigley Field. I want to see baseball tradition and fan faith rewarded. Even when the Yankees' archrivals, the Boston Red Sox, won their 2004 World Series after 86 years of waiting, I quietly cheered, because New England fans had waited long enough and deserved some deliverance. The love of the game comes first. These are a fan's notes before opening day, a rambling love letter to a game that still surprises me with how much I miss it in the offseason. None of these thoughts or emotions is entirely original, but they are from the heart. The church of baseball has many hymns, from Ken Burns' epic "Baseball," to films like "The Natural" and "Field of Dreams," to books like "The Boys of Summer." Sports columnists like Red Smith, Jim Murray and Shirley Povich captured enduring moments in the newspapers of their day. But the finest tribute, to my eyes and ears, came from the typewriter of Bart Giamatti, the one-time president of Yale and Red Sox fan, who died of a heart attack at the age of 51, just 154 days into his tenure as the commissioner of baseball: "It is designed to break your heart," he wrote. "The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." But this is the beginning of the season. The knowledge that "this too will pass" takes away none of the thrill that comes with new beginnings. There are green outfields and long summer days ahead of us. The story of this season is about to be written and we will all get to be witnesses. Finally. Again. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Avlon. | The start of the baseball season coincides with Easter this year .
John Avlon says the church of baseball is open to all .
Avlon: Return of baseball is a reliable sign of spring and a moment to savor . |
0b8256478df52ab82826017a468b816cb03268df | Braddock, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- In 2001, I came to Braddock, the poorest town in Western Pennsylvania, to serve the community's severely disenfranchised young people by starting an employment and GED program. Their lives were the embodiment of what happened to Braddock and this region: chaos through abandonment. However, tough times and severe hardship are nothing new. It's been this way for decades. Once one of the most important steel manufacturing centers in the world, Braddock -- what's left of it -- solemnly affirms one of the great economic maxims of our society: socialism for the rich, and capitalism for the poor. Since the massive banking bailout of 2008, I have often wondered what Braddock would be today, if 35 years ago, the U.S. government also channeled hundreds of billions of dollars (and trillions in guarantees) to save the steel industry, the hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs it produced and the families it sustained. Instead, places like Braddock were allowed to descend into decades of disorder, poverty and desertion. Braddock went from a prosperous community of 20,000 residents, to a shattered town of fewer than 3,000 today. Braddock looks every bit the deserted battlefield it truly is: 90 percent of our town's people, buildings, businesses, and homes are gone and what remains, bears witness to the torment. In 2005, those same young people I was privileged to work for helped elect me mayor. Senseless homicides long lost their ability to shock, so I began to tattoo the dates of the killings on my arm as a living document of our collective loss. Upon taking office, we set out to help reinvent Braddock through diverse solutions ranging from effective policing and the arts, to urban agriculture and youth employment. Today, buildings have been saved and repurposed. We farm for organic produce from formerly overgrown land, and can offer full summer employment for our youth. Perhaps most importantly, no dates have been added to my forearm in over 20 months. However, at the start of my second term as mayor, we have decades of work ahead and we'll never come close to replacing what's been taken. As the saying goes, we're not looking for a handout, but a hand up and the chance to ameliorate three decades of socioeconomic unraveling. Towards those ends, the stimulus, known as American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, has been a true fiscal balm, especially since our community's hospital, and largest employer, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center announced it would be shutting Braddock Hospital later this month, taking jobs along with our residents' access to health care. CNN iReport: Share your thoughts on the State of the Union . Braddock received $250,000 in stimulus funding for the EPA compliance upgrade of our sewer system and $30,000 that enabled us to hire an additional 30 young people this past summer who would have otherwise been unemployed. Without question, these stimulus funds were a needed infusion of resources. However, I believe the greatest promise of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 remains untapped and now represents an unprecedented opportunity for growth and renewal. In Braddock and in the surrounding areas, we have an abundance of quality, shovel-ready projects that range in complexity and scope from small-scale urban farming, and retrofitting a now-vacant 300,000 square foot hospital, to a $300 million-dollar repurposing of a former steel mill site into a green enterprise zone of economic redevelopment. Investments like these will not only help reinvent communities like Braddock, but will also foster a boom in job creation and long-term growth. These and similar projects across the country represent but a tiny fraction of the resources spent to save feckless bankers and Wall Street from their own unchecked greed and hubris. Perhaps equally important, I believe this kind of investment will help restore a sense of social justice that is completely absent in today's public debates. Consider the absurd juxtaposition of rescued banking executives defending multi-million-dollar bonuses, to our community at over 30 percent unemployment, widespread abandonment, and pervasive poverty while losing the area's only hospital and access to medical care. The explanation of this circumstance is as simple as the contrast is stark: one got capitalism and the other, socialism. Basic fairness and equity demand that the color of your collar should not dictate if you receive a bail-out or get bailed on. For Americans living in places like Braddock, I believe the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is perhaps the last, best chance to help overcome the injustice and harm that the decades steeped in a laissez-faire orthodoxy have wrought. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Fetterman. | For decades, Braddock, Pennsylvania, has been in decline as it lost jobs and people .
Mayor John Fetterman says the population shrank from 20,000 to fewer than 3,000 .
He says stimulus plan has helped reverse the tide in the old steel town .
Fetterman: Government bails out Wall Street while allowing Main Street to suffer . |
0b8258bdc59016f68d2e17f289dbc434b7cfbe38 | Indianapolis (CNN) -- Let's just come out and say what a lot of people are thinking this Super Bowl weekend: Indianapolis? Really? Hard-core fans who blow wads of cash every season to get their championship tickets punched want to know: Has the NFL reached a point when this iconic face-off between our national gladiators can be hosted by any team city? Even a cold-weather, landlocked, midsize burg surrounded by corn and guided by a mysterious force called "Hoosier Hospitality"? Because, sorry sports fans, let's be real: This ain't New Orleans, Miami or Southern California -- or any of the sunshiny February playgrounds that have dominated location choices for 45 years. This is smack in the heart of "flyover country," where many fans of the New England Patriots and New York Giants have never before dared to venture. You can picture them trying to locate the home of the Indianapolis Colts on a map, saying, "It's in one of those 'I' states, like Iowa, Idaho or Illinois." There's no need to mince words. Indy natives have heard it all before: "Nap-town," "India-no-place." "Hoosiers," as Indiana residents call themselves, are used to being underestimated, and they often take advantage of the benefits of low expectations. (Full disclosure: The author is an Indiana native, but, like many of his kind, he is unable to explain the origin of the word "Hoosier.") After decades of strategizing, planning and selling the city to NFL team owners, Indy says it's ready to host Super Bowl XLVI. "It's the pinnacle," said former Mayor Bill Hudnut, who started the campaign rolling in the early '80s. Without a doubt, preparations have transformed the town's look and feel. The community has poured hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars and corporate coin to build new hotels, spruce up landscaping and resurface miles of streets. As a result, a sea of Patriots blue, Giants blue and Colts blue has been flowing through the downtown area -- now dubbed Super Bowl Village. More than 300,000 have walked through the neighborhood in the past week, officials said. Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy told CNN affiliate WRTV-TV that the city is putting "its best foot forward." The fans are "going to be pleasantly surprised," he said. There's more to Indy than the Super Bowl . Restaurants, hotels and the village all surround Lucas Oil Stadium -- creating a compact, walkable Super Bowl district that veterans say is unique to almost all previous venues except perhaps New Orleans. "I think the setup here is fantastic," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told WRTV. Streets have been renamed Raiders Road, Chiefs Avenue -- one for each NFL squad. "Mike Epps and Snoop Dogg are coming in tonight!" a fan shouted to a friend wearing a Giants jersey. Buildings are draped with majestic, gigantic multistory banners, and the street signs are adorned with the ubiquitous face of Madonna, the Super Bowl halftime headliner . Parlor games? "Oh no, here we go," say local skeptics -- eyes rolling. "This is the part where the media elite play that tired parlor game that comes up every time Indiana takes the national stage." Does Indianapolis have to prove anything by hosting the game? Is this about some kind of cornfed inferiority complex that Hoosiers have been trying to shake for decades? "We're not about that," said Dianna Boyce of Indianapolis' Super Bowl host committee. "We let our actions speak louder than our words." It's all a little shocking for those who remember what this neighborhood was like 30 years ago. There wasn't much here. For workers at the old brick-walled Hurst's HamBeens building on McCarty Street -- a stone's throw from the stadium -- there were no bars or nightspots for hanging out after quittin' time. "You could count the number of restaurants on one hand," Boyce said. "You just didn't come downtown to have fun back then." In the old days, Indianapolis meant the "brickyard" -- the Indianapolis 500, said Tom Griswold, longtime co-host of the Indy-based syndicated radio program "The Bob & Tom Show." "But after the arrival of Peyton Manning, now they say 'the Indianapolis Colts.' " The image of Manning's face looms large on a building-size Papa John's banner in Super Bowl Village. Fourteen years after Manning joined the Colts, Americans are indeed talking about the $90 million quarterback. Specifically, they're talking about his neck. Manning's recovery from neck surgery -- perhaps the most talked about neck in the history of sports -- threatens to overshadow Sunday's game, which will feature Manning's brother Eli as quarterback for the Giants. Most people know the injury forced Peyton Manning to sit out the Colts' entire season, resulting in two wins and 14 losses -- a stinking record after 2010's 10-6 season. Now the Colts face an epic decision about whether to pay Manning a $28 million bonus to stay on the team or to cut him loose as a free agent. Has Manning played his last game with the Colts? Indianapolis had its own epic decision to make in the early '80s. At the time, the city had no NFL team. Yet Hudnut, then the mayor, greenlit construction of a $77 million-domed football stadium. Indy was putting out bait to lure the NFL. "Stones of steel," said a fan who recalled the story while walking through Super Bowl Village on Tuesday. "It took guts." Before the stadium was finished, the Colts had agreed to move from Baltimore to Indy, triggering a generation of hatred among the Maryland city's fans over the "theft" of their storied franchise. It was a major step toward using sports to crank up Indy's status and economic standing. Soon the city was hosting NCAA basketball's Final Four and the NBA All-Star Game. "Gradually in the '80s and '90s people who knew the city regarded Indianapolis as quite a town -- even though people who didn't know Indy still thought of it as a brickyard and a cornfield," Hudnut said. Fast-forward to Sunday when perhaps more than 112 million people will watch the NFL world championship "taking place in little old Indianapolis," said Griswold, the radio host. Mission accomplished. The hosting seems to be going well so far -- thanks in part to unusually warm temperatures in the low 50s at a time when it's usually a few degrees above freezing. "We're loving it. I had to get out here in the village and see everybody!" Boyce said. "Outstanding" was how Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne described the weather for WRTV. "Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves," Wayne said, a year after a freak cold snap put a damper on events surrounding the Dallas Super Bowl. "I haven't heard one bad complaint." In 1982, Detroit opened the door to cold-weather Super Bowl hosting. New York is scheduled for 2014. "Our plan was to eventually get into the rotation for future Super Bowls," Hudnut said. "Let's get through the first one, first," the NFL's Goodell told WRTV. "I think the hospitality and the way they have done this will reflect very well on Indianapolis going forward." Talk of the town . The village -- a $12 million, three-block, "family-friendly festival" with shops and restaurants -- has been built not just for Sunday, but for the future. "After the fans have long gone, other people are going to be able to come in and use this space for decades," Boyce said. Meantime, Boyce said she expects Indy to demonstrate the spirit of "Hoosier Hospitality." "We're a friendly folk," she said. "People say hi to you when you walk down the street. It's all the time, not just when the Super Bowl is here." What's getting the most attention? The zip line is the talk of the town. For $10, you can climb the zip line's 95-foot tower, attach yourself to a metal cable and fly 80 feet above the crowd to another tower 650 feet down the street. "It's the new version of the bungee jump," one woman said. Fans reported the wait last Sunday for the zip line was seven hours. That's almost as long as TV's Super Bowl pregame show. Homeless complaints . But not everyone in Indianapolis is awaiting the big game. Justin Baranowski, 33, a homeless man from California, said, "Starting at the end of last week the police started pushing us away from certain areas that we're allowed to be in," including the Super Bowl Village. Authorities insist officers aren't cracking down because of the game, but they said police are working with private organizations to help get the homeless into shelters. "We're not moving anyone against their will," said Marc Lotter, spokesman for Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard. The city is sharing its Super Bowl gravy with needy segments of the community. A neighborhood without a grocery store now has a food cooperative thanks to private and NFL funds, Boyce said. Another area received a 20,000-square-foot community youth center, including a gym, classrooms and weekly programs such as cooking, fitness and finance. Hosting this game is "a step of a higher level than we've ever taken before," Hudnut said. "We had to prove that we could be major league." So what's next for Indy? A Democratic or Republican national convention may not be out of the question, he said. And what about Sunday? "The best sign of success will be that the city doesn't become the story," Griswold said. "The story needs to be about the game. I honestly think the best report would be people saying that 'the game was great and -- oh yeah by the way Indianapolis was really nice. I had a really good time.' " | Indianapolis is hosting its first Super Bowl as the Giants take on the Patriots .
City officials set Super Bowl goal almost 30 years ago .
More than 300,000 are visiting downtown area dubbed Super Bowl Village .
Initial NFL hosting reviews are positive a year after cold snap marred Dallas Super Bowl . |
0b830b181a6e35fe16262ba7e8ce0b60c9a3ee6c | By . Sara Nathan . and Michael Zennie . PUBLISHED: . 19:54 EST, 24 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:57 EST, 27 December 2013 . Eliot Spitzer and his wife Silda, who stood by him after he admitted to spending thousands on high-class prostitutes, are calling it quits after 26 years of marriage. Rumors have long circulated that the Spitzers were no longer a happy couple but they waited until Christmas Eve to formally announce that they were ending their marriage. The couple released a statement to MailOnline after Spitzer, 54, was pictured slipping into the home of 31-year-old Lis Smith, a press secretary who worked on his failed bid for New York City Comptroller. The former governor, who resigned in 2008 after he was fingered as 'Client-9' in a federal bust of a high-class escort ring, was seen twice last week arriving at Smith's Soho apartment, taking her to a candle-lit dinner, then disappearing back upstairs. Silda Spitzer stood by her husband Eliot's side as he admitted to using high-class prostitutes and resigned in 2008. The couple announced their marriage is over on Christmas Eve . Eliot Spitzer, left, has been seen at the apartment of Lis Smith late at night then leaving before dawn last week. She worked as Spitzer's campaign spokeswoman during his failed bid for New York City Comptroller . 'We regret that our marital relationship has come to an end and we have agreed not to make any other public statement on this subject,' Spitzer family spokeswoman Lisa Linden said in a terse statement released on Tuesday night. It is unclear whether the couple is already divorced or whether they are planning to divorce. Ms Linden would not elaborate on the statement. Multiple reports indicate that the Spitzers have been living apart for some time. Mrs Spitzer was also noticeably absent from the campaign trail this past . year. Spitzer . has repeatedly refused to comment on his personal life and says he is . only staying at his parents' apartment because they are in poor health. The couple have three grown daughters together: Elyssa, 23, Sarabeth, 20, and Jenna, 18. Spitzer and his wife Silda stayed married for five and a half years after the scandal that cratered his meteoric political career. It's unknown whether the timing of Silda and Eliot's split has anything to do with the his relationship with Miss Smith going public. A friend of the new couple told MailOnline: 'The relationship began long after Eliot and his wife were living separately and it was not a secret to any of their friends or family. Different public appearance: Lis Smith and Eliot Spitzer (seen here during his failed campaign for comptroller) made their first outing together on Christmas since news of their affair broke . Smith, left, worked on Spitzer's campaign and . then jumped over to work for Bill De Blasio after Spitzer lost in the . primary. Silda Spitzer, right, was not seen on the campaign trail for . her husband . Lis Smith, pictured on Sunday at a media event as part of Bill De Blasio's Transition Team, has been having late-night meet-ups with Eliot Spitzer which could well have cost her her job . 'It's sad to see lots of outright lies . about Lis and her career - Lis is an incredibly smart and dynamic woman . who is at the top of her profession and is universally respected. 'She's dealing with this well and is looking forward to getting on with her career and life.' The New York Post snapped pictures of Spitzer arriving around 10pm two nights in a row last week, then leaving before dawn. The disgraced politician was seen dashing from the building shortly before 6am before hopping in a cab a few streets away. On one occasion, the pair walked together from the apartment to a nearby restaurant, the cozy French bistro Le Pescadeux. The manager of the restaurant told the Post . that the couple were regulars, adding: 'The first time I saw Spitzer, I . didn’t know if he was Eliot Spitzer or Anthony Weiner. Those two are . like the same exact guy.' Spitzer and his alleged girlfriend Lis Smith were seen slipping into the romantic French bistro Le Pescadeux last week for a late-night dinner before heading back to her nearby apartment . After the romantic meal, the couple were seen entering Miss Smith's apartment building together. Miss Smith joined De Blasio after Spitzer lost in the September primary. She has also served as the spokeswoman for the Mayor-elect during his transition. The Daily News reports that Miss Smith is a frontrunner to become De Blasio's press secretary after he is formally sworn in. In 2012, she led the 'rapid response team' on President Obama's reelection campaign. A former colleague of Miss Smith's told MailOnline: 'Lis is one of the best political operatives in the country and her private dating life is not going to change any of that. Her accomplishments stand on their own.' Miss Smith refused to directly comment about whether or not she is in a relationship with . the disgraced former Governor. Spitzer has been named as a possible . presidential candidate before a federal investigation revealed him as . 'Client 9' of Emporer's Club VIP, which ran $1,000-an-hour call girls. | Eliot and Silda Spitzer married in 1987 and have 3 adult daughters .
Announcement comes days after it was revealed Spitzer is dating press secretary Lis Smith, 31 .
Smith started seeing Spitzer, 54, after she worked on his failed New York Comptroller bid this fall .
Mrs Spitzer stood by former governor after he admitted he used high-class prostitutes .
Miss Smith worked for De Blasio's general election campaign and is a frontrunner to be the mayor's spokeswoman . |
0b83f1301137408aa034803da08264a60642c02d | It's been called a "cure for rejection-letter fatigue." Amazon on Thursday released new details about the success of its program for authors who want to self-publish on its Kindle e-reader devices. The company, which unveiled a suite of new e-readers and tablets at a press conference in Southern California on Thursday, says 27 of the top 100 Kindle books were created using a system called Kindle Direct Publishing. That system allows authors to bypass traditional publishers and instead deal directly with Amazon, which claims to be able to publish their books digitally "in hours." The authors receive 70% of the royalties from the sale of these books. And some of them are doing quite well. "Most of my months are six-figure months," said Hugh Howey, a 37-year-old Florida author whose "Wool" series of digital books was highlighted by Amazon. "It's more than I ever hoped to make in a year." The company says some authors, including Theresa Ragen, who appeared in a promotional video during the Amazon event, have sold hundreds of thousands of books. During the event Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos displayed a quote from Kathryn Stockett, author of best-selling novel "The Help," in which she lamented being rejected dozens of times before a publisher accepted her. "What if I had given up at 15? Or 40? Or even 60?" she was quoted as saying. "The thing that occurs to me," Bezons said, according to a live blog, "is how many authors did stop after 40 rejections? How many great manuscripts are sitting in a drawer somewhere?" The fact that so many self-published books have been successful in Amazon's ecosystem highlights what other writers say is a trend toward success in digital self-publishing, which is offered also by companies like Apple and Barnes & Noble, in addition to Amazon. This comes despite evidence that many self-published e-book authors make very little money. A 1,007-person survey earlier this year found "DIY authors" make $10,000 a year on average, and half of them make less than $500 a year, according to a report in The Guardian. Still, the system does work for some. "Fact is that authors no longer need a publisher," Bernard Starr wrote at The Huffington Post. "And more and more writers are awakening to the realization that if you are not a high-profile author who can command large sales, a traditional publisher will do little for you beyond editing and printing your book." For Howey, author of the "Wool" series, the direct-publishing platform has opened up a life he never imagined was possible -- one where he is paid to write full-time. Without the Amazon platform, the books might not have been published at all. Howey never promoted the first edition of "Wool," a dystopian series about a group of underground people who get all of their information about the outside world through a single, digital screen. He didn't think it would sell. Then in October 2011, he said, his sales jumped from from dozens to thousands. "I was taking screenshots and posting them on Facebook," he said of the moment when the books started appearing on Amazon's top-100 lists. (The compilation "Wool Omnibus Edition" is currently ranked No. 193 in the Kindle store, although it was listed in Amazon's press conference as being in the top 100, where it has appeared before). "I was kind of bewildered by the whole thing." Howey used to work as a bookseller and yacht captain. Now his story has been optioned by the director Ridley Scott, according to news reports. New York publishers have approached him about book deals, he said, but he wants to continue to self-publish so he maintains rights to his work. "The stigma is gone," he said of self-publishing in digital formats. "Publishers will pick up a self-published work if it does well. Readers are really just interested in good stories." | Amazon: 27 of 100 top Kindle books are self-published .
One such author says he makes six figures per month .
The Kindle Direct Publishing system gives authors 70% royalties .
Amazon on Thursday released new line of e-readers and tablets . |
0b84274e139b9ad1a77c155d3331e0b0ab3cf7fa | By . Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 03:07 EST, 27 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:45 EST, 27 December 2012 . Osama Bin Laden's daughter-in-law is a longstanding supporter of the Royal British Legion and wears a poppy along with her husband on Remembrance Sunday. Zaina Bin Laden, 56, from Cheshire, who is married to the Al Qaeda boss' son Omar, has said the charity is a 'big part of her life' and it shouldn't matter who she is married to. She is to renew her membership of her local branch in Moulton, Cheshire, next week. Zaina Bin Laden, 56, left, pictured at her Cheshire home and right with her husband, has donated money to the Royal British Legion for at least five years . Omar Osama bin Laden, right, and his wife Jane Felix-Brown, now known as Zaina, who is a keen member of the Royal British Legion . Zaina has donated money to the services charity for at least five years. She told the Sun newspaper: 'Whoever my father-in-law was, a good cause is a good cause. Charity is a big part of my life.' Zaina, who has in the past received . death threats due to her relationship, said she does not visit her local . club but helps with fundraising. Zaina - known previously as Jane Felix Browne - told of how she and 31-year-old Omar - whose mother is the terror leader's first wife Najwa - wear poppies on Remembrance Day. She met her husband in 2007 on a trip to Egypt's pyramids and married him a month later. Omar, whose middle name is Osama, has always insisted he had no contact with his father since before the 9/11 attacks of 2001 . Zaina converted to Islam before she wed Omar, who is her sixth husband and 25 years her junior. She defended her support of the legion saying it shouldn't matter who she is married to. A grandmother of at least five children, she told the newspaper: 'This is a . cause deep in my heart and it doesn’t matter who I am married to.' Omar, whose middle name is Osama, has always insisted he had no contact with his father since before the 9/11 attacks of 2001. At the time of his father's death in 2011 it was reported Omar denounced his father's killing as 'criminal'. It was also reported he branded his father's burial at sea a humiliation for his family, though the views expressed on a website were never authenticated. The couple attempted to have a baby through IVF but the former British pole dancer who carried their child, Louise Pollard, who went on to be a PA in London, miscarried twins for the couple in 2010. A military source told the Sun: 'The Legion can’t deny her membership purely on the basis of her surname — that would be discrimination. But many members will be appalled.' | Zaina Bin Laden has donated money to services charity for at least five years .
Husband's mother is the Al Qaeda's leader first wife Najwa . |
0b843c646f493292bdf60cf4b87c6a3b305ec2f1 | (CNN) -- Carrie Underwood continued her reign over the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday night. The platinum-selling singer and former "American Idol" champion took home the country music ceremony's top honor, video of the year, for her hit "See You Again." It was the fifth time Underwood snagged the award and her third win in a row. Before accepting her buckle, Underwood performed "Somethin' Bad," her duet with fellow country superstar Miranda Lambert, who won female video of the year for her tune "Automatic." Lambert's husband, singer and "The Voice" coach Blake Shelton, scored in the male video category for "Doin' What She Likes." Shelton was also on hand to present Cassadee Pope with the breakthrough video of the year for "Wasting All These Tears." Shelton mentored Pope on "The Voice," and when she won, an overwhelmed Pope asked, "What do I do?" to which Shelton joked, "still coaching you." Other winners included Florida Georgia Line, who won duo of the year for "Round Here" and collaborative video of the year with Luke Bryan for "This Is How We Roll." Bryan and Lionel Richie also won the CMT performance of the year awards for "Oh No/All Night Long." But the night belonged to the many performances of the evening. Florida Georgia Line, Bryan and pop singer Jason Derulo teamed up for a mashup of their respective hits "This is How We Roll" and "Talk Dirty," while R&B star John Legend, Jennifer Nettles and Hunter Hayes performed a specially arranged version of Legend's No. 1 hit "All of Me." Kacey Musgraves and Lee Ann Womack paid a performance tribute to Alan Jackson, who was honored for his 25 years in the industry with the first CMT Impact Award. Actress Kristen Bell hosted the awards show in Nashville. | Carrie Underwood won again for video of the year .
Country stars team with other musicians for mashup performances .
Alan Jackson was honored with the first CMT Impact Award . |
0b84d59af80862f46fbcf868acd57eeb0b41e36f | A former aide to then-presidential candidate John Edwards testified Tuesday he helped cover up Edwards' affair with a campaign videographer. The scheme, according to Andrew Young, included him claiming he was the father of Rielle Hunter's child to protect Edwards. Young is the star government witness against Edwards, who is accused of using hundreds of thousands of dollars from 101-year-old heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon and another donor to conceal his affair with Hunter. The candidate asked him to allow Hunter to move in with his family in North Carolina after newspapers began looking into a possible affair in the campaign, Young testified. The woman lived with the family three months and expected others to dote on her, Young said. "She could go shopping at Neiman Marcus, but she couldn't go to grocery store," said Young. More serious was Young's description of how money was allegedly funneled beginning in late 2007. Young, the first witness in the trial, said Mellon was an enthusiastic supporter who apologized for not being able to give the campaign more than $1 million. Mellon made personal checks out to her interior decorator, who would write checks that would end up in the account of Young and his wife, the witness told jurors. Hunter eventually moved to a gated community and the money was used to pay $2,700 monthly rent and purchases of furniture, television and a BMW, Young said. Hunter also was given a credit card bearing a different name. Prosecutors say Edwards broke federal law by accepting about $725,000 from Mellon and more than $200,000 from Fred Baron, a now-deceased Texas lawyer who was his finance chairman. The money was used to pay for Hunter's living and medical expenses, travel and accommodations to keep her out of sight while he made his second White House run in 2008, prosecutors say. Edwards is accused of concealing the money from the public and the Federal Election Commission, which polices political contributions, by filing false and misleading campaign disclosure reports. Young is testifying for the prosecution under a cooperation agreement with the hope that he won't be prosecuted. Young, who has not undergone cross-examination, also testified that Edwards made a disparaging comment about his mistress after she called to say she was pregnant. "She was crying, she was distraught, and she needed to speak with Mr. Edwards immediately," Andrew Young told jurors about his conversation in 2007 with Hunter. "I said, 'Somebody better be pregnant or dying. She said, 'nobody's dying,' " Young recounted. He said he told Edwards about Hunter's pregnancy. Young quoted Edwards as replying that, " 'She's a crazy slut' and there's a 1-in-3 chance it was his child." Reporters located a pregnant Hunter at a Cary, North Carolina, grocery story in December 2007 and two men came to his house, Young said. "They knew about affair between Ms. Hunter and Mr. Edwards and they wanted to ask me about it," said Young. The cover-up, according to Young, began the next day when he got a call from Edwards. Edwards proposed that the campaign's account of an affair would be between two staffers -- Hunter and Young, the latter testified. Eventually, all parties agreed to the plan, with Edwards thanking his aide. "We had been lying a great deal, but also what he was saying rang true, we believed in the causes," Young said. "I wanted my friend to be president. Being friends with the most powerful person on Earth, there's benefits for you, your family." Edwards admitted his affair with Hunter in 2008, after his presidential ambitions foundered. In 2010, he admitted that he was the father of Hunter's daughter. "This affair was a gamble with exceedingly high stakes," prosecutor David Harbach told jurors during Monday's opening statements. "If the affair went public, it would have destroyed any chance to become president, and he knew it. Two of his most enthusiastic supporters happened to be wealthy, and he knew that, too. He made a choice to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars. He made a choice to break the law." Young also testified Tuesday that Hunter was upset because Edwards wouldn't return her calls. "If I don't talk to him immediately, this is over. I'm tired of living a lie. I'm going to go public," Hunter said, according to Young. Edwards indicated that Hunter needed to be kept on an allowance, said Young. "$5,000 a month was the typical amount, but there were a couple of times where we gave $12,000 a month," said Young. According to Young, Edwards tried to distance himself from the Mellon money of which he was aware while he was interested in becoming U.S. attorney general in a new Democratic administration. "He said he couldn't know about any of this in case he had to be sworn in for attorney general," Young said. Young is the author of "The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down," in which he accuses Edwards of using money from his benefactors to maintain his relationship with Hunter. The defense argues that the money Edwards received from Mellon and Baron was for personal reasons: to protect Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, who was dying of cancer, and his family from public humiliation. Edwards has said his actions were wrong but insisted that they were not illegal. "This was a fall from grace," defense attorney Allison Van Laningham told jurors. "It was that humiliation he was trying to avoid all along." Edwards could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of all six felony and misdemeanor counts against him. Seven of the 16 jurors, four of whom are alternates, are women. Edwards' lawyers wasted no time attacking Young's credibility, starting with their opening statements Monday. Van Laningham alleged that Young consulted with three other witnesses about testimony after the witness list was released three weeks ago and portrayed him as a greedy staffer who has said Edwards is his ticket to the top. Van Laningham also pointed out that Young had his own affair, a one-night stand with a campaign employee. Experts say the government faces an uphill battle to convict Edwards in a legal field riddled with loopholes. The former senator refused a plea bargain to misdemeanor charges that would have given him a few months in prison but would have allowed him to keep his law license. His wife, Elizabeth, died of cancer in December 2010. The pair had separated after Edwards acknowledged the paternity of Hunter's child, but Edwards was at her bedside when she died. Jurors also heard voice mails of calls between Edwards and Young. In one excerpt, the candidate tells Young he should tell his wife about the situation. And a January 2008 call by Edwards made a reference to Hunter, according to Young: . "Just wanted for all of you, including her, to know that I'm thinking about you." | Ex-aide Andrew Young testifies he helped cover up John Edwards' affair .
Young tells about Edwards' response to the new his mistress was pregnant .
Edwards is accused of using campaign contributions to hide his mistress .
A donor said she thought Edwards would be "savior of America," Young testifies . |
0b8584efd26ecdb15d2ef37dd96cb109d7e88684 | By . Luke Garratt . PUBLISHED: . 14:05 EST, 7 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:08 EST, 8 March 2014 . Hayley Brown, 41, from Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire, who was sentenced for her Turkish property scam that targeted British investors . A con woman who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds out of British investors in a Turkish property scam has been jailed. Hayley Brown, 41, of Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire, conned her victims into shelling out large amounts of money, with one losing around £600,000 as a result of the scam. One 80-year-old farmer who was seduced by Brown's scheme claimed that he would have to work for the rest of his life as a result. Brown denied the ten offences of fraud, three of obtaining a money transfer by deception, and two of using a false document with the intent to deceive, between March 2006 and July 2009. She was jailed for four years after being convicted at Leeds Crown Court. An investigation found that £1.2 million was allegedly paid to Brown in the belief that property investment would follow. In a separate case, she was jailed for . five years after admitting two accounts of firearms offences, including . the possession of a disguised firearm in the form of a taser made to . look like a mobile phone, and the possession of a canister of 'CS type . gas', a prohibited weapon. Paul . Reid, prosecuting, said Brown's activities were 'thoroughly dishonest' and that she promised potential investors excellent returns on . properties in the Bodrum area of Turkey. Hayley Brown would convince people that she was investing money that they gave her in rental properties in Bodrum, Turkey . She would take her 'investors' on all expenses paid tours of their rental properties, but would not allow them inside, claiming that people were living there . The investors were seduced by the incredibly low investment prices, thinking they were getting a great deal on investments . Investors were 'seduced into parting with their money' by low purchase prices. They paid her and she told them she had bought properties in their name. They would receive rent income and, after three years, would have the option of renewing the arrangement, selling them, living in the properties or continuing to rent them out. Brown often paid for them and their families to stay in expensive hotels in Turkey and took them on tours of properties. They were told they could not go inside the actual properties because they were occupied by people paying rent, people came away feeling reassured. However, when rental income began irregular and they did not receive the returns they had been promised, investors instructed Brown to sell the properties, they were given excuses about why the proceeds had not materialised. They were shown false bank statements and forged official documents claiming to show money had been received by her, ready to be passed on. Mr Reid said: 'Many have received little or none of the original outlay, let alone the promised returns by way of rental income. 'Some are owed tens of thousands or, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of pounds. 'Throughout, this defendant has acted thoroughly dishonestly, to the extent of falsifying a number of documents. 'Hayley Brown has never been given permission to work in Turkey. She has never paid tax in Turkey. 'There are no properties we are aware of registered in her name in Turkey. 'She has produced forged documentation. She has lied consistently and persuasively. 'She has paid money to some people but that's a facade to keep the thing going. 'What she has been doing is financing her personal lifestyle.' Brown claimed after she was arrested in November 2009 she had millions of pounds invested in Turkish bonds and earned between £300,000 and £400,000 a year. Brown was sentenced before a jury at Leeds Crown Court, for two separate cases that were heard at different times . She was handed four years for her charges involving the investment scam at Leeds Combined Courts centre, as well as a further five years for breaking weapon laws . She 'dreamed up' millions of pounds supposedly invested in banks, including in Cyprus, but 'none of that money ever materialised'. Brown also forged e-mails between her and bank officials about transfers of large sums of money. Mr Reid said: 'There is a web of duplicity and fraud and straightforward dishonesty running through everything this defendant does.' Sentencing her to nine years in prison, Judge Guy Kearl QC said: 'You deceived investors into thinking they owned properties and they were receiving rent. 'You attacked the counsel throughout the trial and accused them of lying in the witness stand. You know particularly well who was lying in this case. Brown was from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, and had, according to the prosecutor, never worked or paid taxes in Turkey . 'The effect you have had on others ought not to be under-estimated. The fraud you've committed is breathtaking.' Dc Graham Duncan, of Humberside Police, said: 'Victims invested large sums of money in the anticipation of purchasing property. 'Several investors were taken on all expense paid trips to Turkey where they would be shown, from a distance, various properties which they believed they had purchased. 'The Humberside Police investigation involved extensive enquiries throughout the United Kingdom and overseas with the assistance of the Turkish authorities. 'Brown clearly used the funds to support her lifestyle with no consideration as to how her selfish actions would impact on other people, who put their trust in her. 'The financial and emotional impact on the victims in this case has been considerable and i hope that this sentence brings some closure to them.' | Hayley Brown of Cleethorpes conned victims in Turkish property scam .
She got people to pay her to invest in Turkish property .
Took investors on all expenses paid tours of their investments .
Would pay rent income to investors out of the money she made .
When dividends stopped investors became suspicious and she was caught .
She was sentenced to four years at Leeds Crown Court .
Also got five years on separate charges of owning a disguised weapon . |
0b86ea6d98c3a8038ebb31dd6e35a58357ebf583 | NEW YORK (CNN) -- The pilot who landed a crippled US Airways jetliner on the Hudson River thought there would have been "catastrophic consequences" if he tried to make it to a nearby airport, a National Transportation Safety Board official said Saturday night. US Airways Flight 1549 remained in the icy Hudson River on Saturday. Instead, pilot Pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger decided to ditch the plane in the Hudson River close to vessels moving about the water "to improve chances of recovery," NTSB board member Kitty Higgins said. It was the first time the public heard comments from Sullenberger and first officer Jeffrey B. Skiles describing Thursday's emergency landing. Skiles was flying US Airways Flight 1549, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, when he noticed a flock of birds less than 90 seconds after the plane had taken off from New York's LaGuardia International Airport, Higgins said. In an instant, the plane was rocked by loud thuds and both engines went out, Higgins said. Watch the plane hit the water » . "He commented on the formation, and he said the next thing he knew, the windscreen was filled with birds. There was no time to take evasive action," Higgins said. Sullenberger took control of the aircraft while Skiles began complicated procedures to try to restart the engines, Higgins said. Sullenberger thought the plane was moving "too low, too slow" to risk returning to LaGuardia through the maze of buildings. Nor did Sullenberger think the powerless aircraft could make it over the densely populated New Jersey area to Teterboro, Higgins said. "There could be catastrophic consequences if we didn't make it," she quoted Sullenberger as saying. Watch CNN's Lisa Sylvester report on the pilots » . City officials, passengers and aviation experts have lauded Sullenberger and the flight crew for their handling of the landing and also praised first responders who acted quickly to minimize passengers' injuries in below-freezing temperatures. All 155 people on board the plane survived. "These are both very experienced pilots. They knew what they had to do," Higgins said. Neither Sullenberger nor Skiles attended the news conference. Earlier in the day, the NTSB revealed the content of communications between the cockpit and controllers at LaGuardia in the brief period during which the incident unfolded. "This is cactus 1549, hit birds, we lost thrust in both engines," Sullenberger told controllers at approximately 3:27 p.m. Thursday. "We're turning back towards LaGuardia." Controllers immediately began preparations to clear a runway for an emergency landing, but less than a minute later, Sullenberger reported that the aircraft wouldn't make it, Higgins said. The last communication from the plane to controllers, Higgins said, was the pilot saying, "We're gonna be in the Hudson." Watch a former pilot tell how to water-land a plane » . Higgins also quoted two of the flight's attendants, who were in jump seats at the front of the aircraft when they heard a loud thud shortly after takeoff. "It was a sound that neither one of them had ever heard before," Higgins said. "They said all the engine noise ceased. They described it as complete silence, like a library." Efforts to raise the jetliner from the river proved successful late Saturday, as cranes lifted it clear of the water about 11:30 p.m. ET following several hours of work by crews in frigid conditions. Video from the scene showed the right side of the aircraft with the engine intact but its covering mangled. It was not clear visually whether the damage was from an in-flight incident or from the landing impact. Investigators planned to tow the plane on a barge to an undisclosed location for their examination. Watch water wash over the plane » . Searchers using sonar think they have found the left engine on the river bottom. Divers will try to confirm the finding, Higgins said. Watch workers begin the retrieval process » . The flight data and cockpit voice recorders -- both crucial to determining exactly what happened Thursday -- remained on the aircraft, which was still largely submerged in the Hudson River but was secured to moorings. Strong currents and cold water thwarted divers' efforts to retrieve the recorders from the tail section of the jetliner, Higgins said. Also Saturday, authorities released audio and transcripts of two 911 calls from people who said they saw that the plane was in trouble. Listen to callers report plane in the river » . One caller said he saw the plane descend and reported hearing a loud noise shortly after the aircraft took off. "Oh, my God! It was a big plane, I heard a big boom just now. We looked up, and the plane came straight over us, and it was turning. Oh, my God!" a man calling from the Bronx told a 911 operator at 3:29 p.m., three minutes after the plane left LaGuardia. Minutes later, at 3:33 p.m., a woman called 911 and reported seeing the plane in the water. "A plane has just crashed into the Hudson River," she told an operator. "A US Air big DC-9 or -10 has crashed into the Hudson River. ... Oh, my gosh!" CNN's Mike Brooks, Jeanne Meserve, Richard Davis and Mike Ahlers contributed to this report. | NEW: Crews hoist US Airways Flight 1549 from icy Hudson River .
Pilot said aircraft was flying "too low, too slow" to risk returning to airport .
Plane in air less than 90 seconds when collision occurred .
One engine in river, one still attached, investigators say . |
0b872a9d8b2c3c6115300587e2f4bae206d5629c | By . Snejana Farberov for Mail online . and Louise Boyle . Punished: Andrea Chisholm, 54, was sentenced to one year in prison for aiding and abetting wrongfully obtained public assistance . A Minnesota woman who once claimed to be Scottish nobility has pleaded guilty to illegally collecting welfare payments while living in a mansion. Andrea Chisholm, 54, accepted responsibility for aiding and abetting wrongfully obtaining public assistance. She admitted in court Tuesday she signed welfare applications that were inaccurate and resulted in her collecting more than $60,000, but told the judge they were filled out by her husband, 62-year-old Colin Chisholm III. Her plea agreement calls for one year and one day in prison, with credit for 142 days already served. ‘It’s appropriate that Andrea Chisholm spend time behind bars for cheating the public of welfare dollars,’ County Attorney Mike Freeman said. ‘Her husband’s case remains open, as it appears he was a bigger player in defrauding the public as we heard in Andrea’s testimony today.’ The presiding judge also ordered the defendant and her husband, who at one time called themselves Lord and Lady Chisholm, to pay restitution, Minnesota Star Tribune reported. The self-proclaimed aristocrats allegedly collected more than $167,000 in fraudulent medical and food-stamp claims in Florida and Minnesota while living in a $1.6million lakefront mansion in the Minneapolis suburb of Deephaven. They also owned a $1.2million yacht in Florida and had millions of dollars in their bank accounts, according to prosecutors. Large-scale fraud: The so-called 'Lady Chisholm' and her husband, Colin Chisholm III (right), 62, are accused of collecting more than $167,000 in fraudulent medical and food-stamp claims for seven years . Payback: The defendant (right) and her husband (left), who is headed for trial, will be forced to pay restitution . Dynasty: According to their company website, the couple trace their roots to Clan Chisholm in Struy, Scotland . There is no word yet if Andrea Chisholm will testify against her husband, who has a pretrial hearing set for September 10. Prosecutors claimed the Chisholms ran a seven-year scam while owning a six-bedroom palatial home on the shore of Lake Minnetonka, a beach property in Florida, a $30,000 Lexus and $3million in undeclared funds. The family’s web of lies began unraveling, according to officials, as investigators tightened the net around them, forcing the couple to flee to the Bahamas along with their seven-year-old son and their dog. According to the criminal complaint filed in February, the Chisholms applied for more than a dozen forms of medical assistance, welfare payments and food stamps, first in Minnesota and then in Florida. Living the dream: The couple moved into this sprawling lakefront property on Lake Minnetonka in 2008 . Lap of luxury: The seemingly destitute couple not only owned a $1.2million yacht but also a $30,000 Lexus . Lady Chisholm had her prenatal care for the couple's son in 2006 paid for by the state while claiming to be destitute. Colin Chisholm did not declare that he ran a broadcasting business, while Lady Chisholm kept mum about being the owner of a dog kennel which breeds elite Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. According to the website for their company Strathglass Kennel, the couple trace their roots to the Clan Chisholm from the small village of Struy in the Scottish Highlands. Mr Chisholm is listed as the president and CEO of TCN Network, a satellite TV company serving the Caribbean. More than $1million flowed through accounts he controlled as part of that company, a criminal complaint stated. The couple were living with Lady Chisholm's mother in Minneapolis when they first applied for welfare in 2005. However, for the next two years, they resided on their Florida yacht, and later at a beach property in the state, none of which was ever declared, investigators claim. In April 2007, the Chisholms came back to Minnesota and filled out forms for more benefits. Side business: 'Lady Chisholm,' pictured with her husband and son, kept mum about being the owner of a dog kennel that breeds Cavalier King Charles Spaniels . In March 2008, they moved into a luxury home in Deephaven with Andrea’s grandparents Eloise and Francis Heidecker. Francis died in February 2009 at age 94 and by September of that year, the Chisholms were evicted from the home. They immediately moved to another Deephaven home on Lake Minnetonka with stunning waterfront views. The home, built in 1909, has six bedrooms, five bathrooms and stretch to 5,800 sq ft set on 1.6 acres, according to property records. None of these details were declared on welfare forms - nor the fact Andrea Chisholm had power of attorney and controlled the finances of her elderly grandmother. | Andrea Chisholm, 54, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting wrongfully obtained public assistance .
The self-described Scottish noblewoman 'Lady Chisholm' told the judge her husband, Colin Chisholm III, filled out the bogus welfare applications .
The couple lived in a lakefront home, owned a $1.2million yacht and ran a kennel raising elite Cavalier King Charles spaniels .
The Chisholms collected $167,000 in food stamps and medical claims, prosecutors said . |
0b87ec4046ccf2178c82a7bf8814e479e8a637f7 | (EW.com) -- "Hello, Brooklyn!" Barbra Streisand called out to her hometown's swanky new Barclay's Center early on in her three-plus hour concert. The last time she did a solo show in Brooklyn, she told the cheering crowd, was when she was 8 and singing on a stoop on Pulaski Street. Remember that, she asked her brother who was in the audience? (In case you're wondering, he scored good seats, not great.) She looked singularly Streisandly, in a shiny black number that had enough sheer to show off those famous legs. "You like the dress?" she asked the crowd. "Good! Donna Karan!" She complimented a member of the audience who must have been wearing a souvenir shirt. "Did you buy it in the shop?" she asked. "It's cheaper online." In other words, not much new material to be had tonight. But who wanted it? Certainly not concertgoers Katie Couric (who spent the intermission on her cell phone trying to find her friend's seat), Michael Strahan, or Jill Zarin (clad in a very Stevie Nicks-meets-Pucci ensemble). Despite waking up with a cold ("I'm drinking chicken soup" she told the crowd of what she was sipping in her mug that sat next to — of course — a vase of roses), Streisand impressively powered through "Enough is Enough," "Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered," and "Don't Rain on My Parade." Sometimes her voice sounded strained, but more often the rasp worked for her. Her tribute to composer Marvin Hamlisch, who recently passed away, managed to be extremely touching, even as she read scripted lines off a teleprompter. She honored him with a mashup of "The Way We Were" and the completely awesome and underappreciated theme to Ice Castles. Who knew Marvin Hamlisch wrote that? Also, look out for the roses, Lexie! When Barbra wasn't singing or sipping chicken soup, there were other people to keep our ears busy. A lot of other people. First, Il Volo came out to remind us that Il Divo doesn't have the monopoly on young Italian tenors. Then hottie trumpet player Chris Botti came out and jammed with the drummer. Finally, Streisand's son Jason Gould showed up for some awkward banter ("She likes to touch my hair," he told the audience) and a solo song. Yes, Jason Gould got to sing a solo song to thousands of people, though I'm not entirely sure he'd make it through Hollywood week on American Idol. "I am so proud of him," beamed his mama. Fans got to ask questions and we now know that Barbra likes smooth and all natural peanut butter, instead of chunky and chemical-filled. Other than that, she repeated her already-used "I hope no one tells [Mitt Romney] how to get to Sesame Street or Pennsylvania Avenue" line. She also told the crowd she doesn't sing Yiddish songs. Come on, there's only so much of Brooklyn she can embrace. See the original article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Barbra Streisand three-plus hour concert took place at Brooklyn's new Barclay's Center .
She wore a shiny black number that had enough sheer to show off those famous legs .
Streisand powered through "Enough is Enough" and "Don't Rain on My Parade"
Her tribute to composer Marvin Hamlisch, who recently passed away, was extremely touching . |
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