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0cb4fca7982fab35cec6d24993634b5b151dbf24 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . It has long been said it's possible to die from a broken heart - and now scientists say the phenomenon can also be triggered by the shock of natural disasters. They have discovered the stress of hurricanes and earthquakes can trigger a condition known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Also known as broken heart syndrome, this is where the heart muscle becomes temporarily enlarged and weakened. Scientists have discovered that natural disasters such as tornadoes (the aftermath of the one that hit Joplin, Missouri, is pictured) can trigger a condition called broken heart syndrome . Researchers found that disaster areas such as Joplin - where this tornado struck in 2011 - had higher rates of the potentially fatal condition that year . It is often triggered . by extreme physical or emotional stress – for example, being in a car . accident or losing a child or spouse, say the U.S. researchers. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy got its name because the abnormal shape of . the heart resembles a Japanese octopus fishing pot (tako=octopus, . tsubo=pot). Previous research has linked broken heart syndrome to natural disasters, including . the 2004 earthquake in Japan. Now, scientists at the University of Arkansas have studied catastrophies in the U.S. They found dramatic spikes in cases of broken heart syndrome in two states after major natural disasters, suggesting the stress of disasters as a likely trigger. They identified 21,748 patients diagnosed with cases of broken heart syndrome in 2011 using a nationwide hospital discharge database. After mapping the cases by state, Vermont and Missouri emerged as having the highest rate of cases, with 380 cases per million residents in Vermont and 169 per million in Missouri. A distraught woman in Banda Aceh after the Asian tsunami in 2004. Researches say broken heart syndrome is triggered by stress and causes the heart muscle becomes temporarily enlarged and weakened . Most states had fewer than 150 cases per million residents. New Hampshire and Hawaii had the lowest rate of the disease that year. The rate of broken heart cases in Vermont in 2011 was more than double most other states. This was the same year that Tropical Storm Irene pummeled the state with heavy rain and wind, causing the most devastation Vermont has experienced since the Great Flood of 1927. Similarly, researchers found broken heart syndrome at a rate of 169 cases per million in Missouri in 2011, the same year a massive tornado ripped through the state's town of Joplin, demolishing neighborhoods and killing at least 158 people. 'Despite the seemingly increasing number of natural disasters we have, there is limited data about how it might affect the heart,' said Dr Sadip Pant, lead investigator of the study. Vermont, which fell victim to Hurricane Irene in the same year, also had one of the highest rates of takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Image shows flood damage in Quechee, near White River Junction . 'Our findings suggest two disasters, one in Vermont and one in Missouri, might have been possible triggers for the clustering of takotsubo cardiomyopathy cases in these regions.' Patients with broken heart syndrome often complain of chest pain and shortness of breath, symptoms that mimic those of a heart attack, which can delay diagnosis. While broken heart syndrome typically resolves within a month or two, in the acute scenario it can result in serious complications such as heart failure, life-threatening arrhythmias and stroke. Previous studies by the same group found that as many as one in four patients with broken heart syndrome have some form of arrhythmia and one to seven per cent suffer cardiac arrest. Many patients are diagnosed once doctors see there are no blockages in the artery, or imaging reveals changes in the shape of the heart that are characteristic of broken heart syndrome. Because natural disasters occur . more frequently in some parts of the country, residents in these regions . may have adapted to and experienced less stress during such . occurrences. A woman caught up in the 2003 Xinjiang earthquake, which destroyed the Chinese town. While broken heart syndrome typically resolves within a month or two, in the acute scenario it can result in serious complications such as heart failure, life-threatening arrhythmias and stroke . However in places such as Vermont, where natural disasters are . relatively rare, people may be more susceptible to extreme stress when a . disaster hits particularly hard. 'By and large, it is a very reversible form of cardiomyopathy, but in the acute phase, these patients need to be monitored closely to be sure they are stable and to prevent and manage problems,' added Dr Pant. 'It's also something that emergency doctors and medical personnel need to be aware of as they are often on the frontlines seeing patients after disaster strikes. The authors add that different people's threshold for stress may also affect rates of takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Gravestones tumbled over at cemetry at Jiganji temple in Ojiya, northern Japan after strong earthquakes in 2004. Rates of broken heart syndrome rose there shortly afterwards . Episodes are thought to be driven by the sympathetic response and surges of adrenaline in the body, similar to the well-known fight-or-flight reaction. This leads to depressed function of the apex and middle segment of the heart and increased contractility of the base producing a balloon-like appearance. 'It's a perfect example of our brain-heart connection,' said Dr Pant. 'The emotional stress we have in our brain can lead to responses in the heart, and not much is known about this condition.' The research was presented at the American . College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session. | Stress of natural disasters triggers takotsubo cardiomyopathy .
Also known as broken heart syndrome, causes heart muscle to enlarge .
U.S. researchers found dramatic spikes in cases of broken heart syndrome in two states after major natural disasters in 2011 - Vermont and Missouri . |
0cb5187928d9e05b1f527b34ac9c7dca5f4d3ecc | By . Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 13:08 EST, 16 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:08 EST, 16 November 2012 . Do Americans associate old age with telltale physical signs like wrinkles and crow’s feet? Or do they believe that passing a certain age defines a person as ‘over the hill’? According to a new study, neither – a person is defined by how old they act, and how independent they are. For instance, consumers who can no longer shop for themselves, complete housework, or drive their cars are considered ‘old,’ the study claims. Independence is an important marker of age and strongly related to a person's 'ability to drive, shop, and cook for themselves' According to the new study by Oregon State University researcher Michelle Barnhart, activities that define one’s independence are the most important markers of age. In much of America, a person’s independence is closely tied to their ability to drive, shop, and cook for themselves. Because of these unwritten adages, those who are too feeble to carry shopping bags or operate their vehicle are looked at as someone in their twilight years. To conduct her research, Ms Barnhart conducted in-depth interviews with consumers in their late 80s, as well as their caregivers and family members – often the subject’s adult children in their 50s and 60s. Michell Barnhart of Oregon State University. Her new study looks into how perceptions of aging are changing . She found that the Baby Boomers, who are aging themselves, did not wish to be seen as old, but often treated their own parents as ‘old people’ – not allowing them to exercise independence where they could and assuming they’re scatterbrained as well as slow. Because of this, she writes that conflicts are ripe to occur between the parents, who don’t see themselves as old, and their adult children, who do. Ms Barnhart notes that those in their 80s and 90s are often dealing with negative connotations of old age. ‘Almost every stereotype we associate with being elderly is something negative,’ she said, ‘from being “crotchety” and unwilling to change to being forgetful.’ One woman she interviewed, ‘Abbie,’ is 89. When her adult daughters drove her to a routine doctor’s appointment and accompanied her into the exam room, the doctor addressed her daughters and wouldn’t talk to Abbie. Ms Barnhart claims that society tends to marginalize those who are advanced in years, rather than valuing them for their wisdom . At later appointments, Abbie told her daughters to remain in the waiting room while she was meeting with her physician. Ms Barnhart writes that part of the problem with ‘old age’ is that society tends to marginalize those who are advanced in years, rather than valuing them for their wisdom. ‘Unless we change the way we view old age, the generation younger than the boomers will treat them the same way as soon as they show a few more wrinkles, or seem a bit shaky on their feet,’ she said. Her full study will be published in the April 2013 edition of the Journal of Consumer Research. | Study from Oregon State University says that once an ‘elderly’ person cannot shop or drive for themselves, they are considered to be in ‘old age’
Also looks at how those who have reached ‘old age’ are marginalized by society .
Study looked at people in their 80s and 90s and found that even their adult children treated them differently because of their advanced age . |
0cb575df1782efe0c4f4031b635300164f71d217 | Roger Federer finally appeared on court in Lille in a major boost for Switzerland ahead of their Davis Cup final against France starting Friday. Federer hadn't trained since his withdraw from Sunday's ATP World Tour Finals in London, where he told the crowd he wasn't 'match fit' to take on Novak Djokovic. The world No 2 was unable to recover from his epic three-set semi-final win against his Swiss team-mate Stanislas Wawrinka the night before in which he saved four match points before claiming victory in a tie-break. Roger Federer hits the court in Lille where Switzerland will take on France in the Davis Cup final . Federer hadn't hit a ball since his semi-final victory over fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in London . But the 17-time major winner, for whom the Davis Cup title is a notable absentee on his long list of achievements, was well enough to hit-up for the first time since then on the clay courts of the Pierre-Mauroy de Villeneuve-d'Ascq stadium. Federer appeared in good spirits, smiling throughout a hit-up which lasted about 30 minutes with the Swiss No 4 Michael Lammer after forgoing an earlier designated slot in the early afternoon. Wawrinka and the remainder of the Swiss team trained for about two hours in the afternoon with team coach Ivo Warner and captain Severin Luthi. Federer shakes hands with Swiss coach Ivo Werner at the Pierre-Mauroy de Villeneuve-d'Ascq stadium . Federer is yet to confirm if he will be fit to take on the first singles rubbers in Lille on Friday . Federer is yet to confirm whether he will take his place in the opening singles matches on Friday against a team including Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Julien Benneteau and Gael Monfils. But if he gives Luthi the nod he will be certain to line up for either the first or second singles match with Wawrinka, the current world No 4, taking the other slot. 'I'm making some progress,' he said on Tuesday. 'But I know I don't have a month ahead of me to get better. I need to get better quickly. I'm trying whatever I can.' Swiss captain Severin Luthi (left) arrives on court with Federer for an evening training session . Federer chose not to attend an afternoon session with the rest of his team-mates . World No 2 Federer hit up with Swiss No 4 player Michael Lammer (right) While the French side has admirable depth, the Swiss rankings drop off significantly after their top two with Marco Chiudinelli world No 212 and Lammer ranked 508th. Federer and Wawrinka trained separately despite insisting during a team press conference together on Tuesday that their differences, arrising from Federer's wife Mirka calling Wawrinka a 'crybaby' from the stands on Saturday, had been resolved. 'We had a conversation after the match,' Federer told reporters after the pair reportedly had a 10-minute spat in a gym after the match. 'Everything is totally relaxed.' Wawrinka added: 'It has become a big deal but for us, it's nothing. It took us five minutes to talk about that.' Federer (left) laughs during a press conference on Tuesday with Wawrinka (right) Wawrinka trained in the afternoon in the absence of Federer after the pair clashed on Saturday . Wawrinka is fit to take on the French on Friday and hopes Federer lines up alongside him . Wawrinka gestures towards Federer's supporters on Saturday . Federer's wife Mirka is alleged to have called Wawrinka a 'cry baby' before a point was played . Federer (centre) and Wawrinka (second right) both insist they have put their clash behind them . VIDEO Swiss spat not our concern - Tsonga . | Roger Federer returned to the training court on Wednesday evening .
The Swiss world No 2 clashed with team-mate Stanislas Wawrinka during and after their ATP World Tour Finals semi over comments from his wife .
Federer and Wawrinka trained separately in Lille, where they'll face France .
Federer hadn't hit a ball since his tie-break win over Wawrinka in London .
He's yet to confirm if he'll be fit to play in first singles rubbers on Friday . |
0cb71bf637f81edc2e877255f025d195793c6fb0 | Black clouds, spectacular lightning strikes and howling thunder have rolled across Sydney, signalling an end to a glorious weekend stretch of hot, sunny weather. The weather turned quickly on Monday afternoon as apocalyptic-looking clouds descended on the city - and more is expected along Australia's east coast over the next 24 hours. It comes as hilarious footage emerged of a woman reacting to a huge lightning strike during a storm - and went viral after it was uploaded to YouTube. When Mother Nature put on a dramatic display last week over Newcastle, north of Sydney, the woman couldn't contain herself, shrieking as she ran inside for cover. Scroll down for video . Ready for action. A cameraman gets set to record the wild weather across the harbour city . Getting a head start on the commute? The weather turned quickly from bright and sunny to dark and stormy . Spectacular lightning was seen across Sydney on Monday afternoon . Sydney streets are clogged with traffic this afternoon as the storm clouds roll across the city . An eerie build-up beyond the city as a swirl of clouds seems to swallow up the last of the day's sunlight . Sweeping through. The view from an apartment block as the dark clouds move in as a severe storm cell prepares to hit Sydney for the second time in 24 hours . Lightning strikes are being posted on social media as Sydney suffers a second series of thunderstorms in less than 24 hours . In her post, Locke Hart, says that 'lightening (sic) hits the house 4 doors down from me ultimately causing an electrical fire. Thank goodness for our fire fighters tho! 'What wacky weather today! Yeah I sound like a sissy, but I thought it was kind of funny lol.' Up to 10,000 homes were blacked out as a result of the late Sunday storms which swept through northern New South Wales. A number of fires are also burning across the state after being sparked by lightning strikes. Scroll down for more video . Australia's east coast is bracing for more storm activity in the next 24 hours and storm watchers best beware, as a woman in Newcastle proved that sometimes getting too close, can be a health hazard . More than 10,000 homes were blacked out as a result of the late Sunday storms which swept through northern New South Wales . A number of fires are also burning across the state after being sparked by lightning strikes . The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) reports that it is battling 90 blazes so far, 47 of which are deemed out of control. Most were caused by lightning strikes late on Sunday that followed scorching temperatures in Sydney and around the state, NSW RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd said. The Bureau of Meteorology reported that the unsettled conditions were being caused by a slow-moving low-pressure trough, with forecast of storms in southern and western parts of the state. Peter Zmijewski, senior meteorologist at Bureau of Meteorology, told Daily Mail Australia that the high temperatures were not unseasonal but because of the changing seasons. He said: 'This time of the year it’s a transition in the season and there are a lot of adjustments going on, this is why we can experience very hot and cold in the same day.' The November to January temperature outlooks indicate a warmer than normal season for both daytime and night-time temperatures across most of Australia. 'There's a build up of heat due to the clear sunny days which has allowed heat to build,' said Weatherzone meteorologist Kim Westcott. 'The heat is slowly moving ahead of a slow pressure trough.' 'It's not unusual, it's the summer pattern arriving and we have a lot of moisture in the air,' said Ms Westcott. According to the Weather Bureau, this time of the year it’s a transition in the season and there are a lot of adjustments going on, this is why Australians can experience very hot and cold in the same day . Up to 10,000 homes were blacked out by the fierce Newcastle storm on Sunday . The Bureau also states that 'the Pacific Ocean has shown some renewed signs of El Niño development in recent weeks'. 'Above-average temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean have warmed further in the past fortnight.' | Storm watcher freaks out as lightning strikes .
Sydney battens down the hatches as a second severe storm hits inside 24 hours .
More severe weather conditions expected along the east coast .
Fire and rain sparked by Australian spring heatwave . |
0cb73f8590648d72ef0ca809c1df72026952fa6e | Editor's note: The staff at CNN.com has recently been intrigued by the journalism of VICE, an independent media company and Web site based in Brooklyn, New York. VBS.TV is Vice's broadband television network. The reports, which are produced solely by VICE, reflect a very transparent approach to journalism, where viewers are taken along on every step of the reporting process. We believe this unique reporting approach is worthy of sharing with our CNN.com readers. Brooklyn, New York (VBS.TV) -- Most people are never really alone. Living here in New York, we're constantly surrounded by others. Even in the state's biggest wilderness, the Adirondacks, you can't get more than 15 miles or so from civilization. Similar levels of population density can be found in most of the lower 48 states. So when we heard about Heimo and Edna Korth, a couple who live 150 miles above the Arctic Circle and 60 miles from their nearest neighbors, we had to go meet them. The Korths reside in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, an area about the size of South Carolina in the northeast corner of the state. It is bordered by the Beaufort Sea on the north and Canada's Yukon to the east. There are other people living in the refuge -- Inuit in Kaktovik and the Gwich'in of Arctic Village -- but as far as we know, the Korths are the most isolated humans in the area. They live in the most remote location in America and sustain themselves by hunting, fishing and trapping. They've lived like this for more than 30 years, raising a family in the process and all the while dealing with grizzly bears and temperatures that dip as low as minus-50 degrees Fahrenheit. Their home turf is inhospitable in the truest sense of the word. See the rest of Heimo's Arctic Refuge at VBS.TV . As much as Heimo Korth truly is the Final Frontiersman, he's no Luddite. He uses lots of modern tools: guns, the radio, a satellite phone, a chainsaw and, most important, a gasoline-powered snow machine (a snowmobile in recreational terms) to check his miles of traps. In the wake of the BP spill, the refuge has received renewed attention from the "drill, baby, drill" crowd, which refuses to ever let a good crisis go to waste. Their claims that the refuge is uninhabited will ring particularly hollow after you watch the above video and catch a glimpse inside the Korths' lives. They are, after all, Americans and seem to be doing their own thing in their own time, which is perhaps the most American activity of all. Still, we didn't set out to make a documentary about the politics of oil drilling. That's boring and has been done a million times already. What we wanted was to tell the story of a pair of the last Americans who use well-honed skills to survive solely off the land, skills that we are losing at our own peril. The Korths supplement their myriad abilities with the benefits of oil-based products and machines. They understand the necessity of oil. We all do. | Heimo and Edna Korth have lived isolated life for 30 years, raising family in wilderness .
In an area the size of South Carolina, their nearest neighbors are more than 60 miles away .
VBS visits Korths, calls area one of most inhospitable environments in North America . |
0cb75b30a65ee53257896fb11d36af941b1cf274 | By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 11:33 EST, 18 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:31 EST, 18 November 2013 . Lisa Fairpo, 36, of Withernsea, East Yorkshire, is accused of plotting to kill her husband for his life insurance . A shopaholic wife plotted to murder her husband because she was on the brink of bankruptcy and hoped he would to take out £750,000 life insurance, a court heard. Lisa Fairpo, 36, texted her husband offering to pay for the maximum cover the day after the hired hitman was told the deal to kill her estranged husband, Andrew Burr, was still on, Hull Crown Court heard today. Mother-of-two Mrs Fairpo, of Withernsea, East Yorkshire, gave her husband of eight years the number of a life insurance broker, and when he rang him on her instructions he joked: 'I think my wife is trying to kill me,' the court was told. The murder, which was planned for June or July this year, never went ahead because the would-be hitman, Maikel Ward, 42, walked into a London police station in April and said he couldn't go through with it, it was alleged. Ward said he had come to his senses and wanted to stop someone else carrying out the hit. He said he had been told he would be paid £10,000 to stab - rather than shoot - his victim to make him suffer, the court heard. Today Fairpo was accused of conspiring to murder her estranged husband in what was the first day of a retrial held because the jury in the first trial held in September could not reach a verdict. Opening the case against Fairpo, prosecutor Mark McKone said that she and her lover Darren Wilson plotted to kill Mr Burr so they could collect his life insurance of up to £750,000. Defendant: Fairpo is a 'shopaholic' who was 'on the brink of bankruptcy', Hull Crown Court heard today . He said Fairpo was a 'shopaholic' with 'massive debts' who was on the brink of bankruptcy and could not get credit. Mr McKone added: 'She had another positive reason for . disliking her husband: Andrew Burr had punched Lisa Fairpo in her eye and blinded her. 'If that was not bad enough, she had a medical illness with . her other eye and there was a risk of being blinded.' The court heard that Fairpo had been with Mr Burr for 13 years and had a daughter with him, but she never took his surname. Mr McKone said Fairpo was having an affair with loan shark Darren Wilson, 45, who had offered the hitman £10,000 to carry out the killing with a knife. Estranged husband: Andrew Burr, 37, from Hull, was the intended target of a murder plot, it was alleged . He said Wilson had already been found guilty of conspiracy to murder Mr Burr while hitman Ward had admitted the conspiracy, and it was now up to the jury to decide whether Fairpo had been 'in on it' too. The court heard how Mr Burr had no idea about what his wife was planning, but that when she was arrested she told police: 'I know what this is about.' She told officers she had separated from her husband and didn’t love him, but had been on holiday with Wilson and discussed doing something to her husband to teach him a lesson for his having punched her in the eye. Hitman who lost his nerve: Maikel Ward, 42, was lined up to kill Mr Burr but then gave himself up to police, the court heard . The prosecutor said that Fairpo, who met Wilson when she fostered his son for four years, was primarily motivated by the insurance money. He said: 'The prosecution says she must have agreed to pay the life insurance to someone as without it Darren Wilson could not have afforded to pay Maikel Ward £10,000 to carry out the killing. 'The prosecution does not have to prove a motive, but the prosecution says that Lisa Fairpo’s primary motive was financial.' Ward told the police Darren Wilson had offered him £10,000 to kill a painter and decorator, but he did not know his name. He said Wilson wanted it done with a knife rather than a gun because he wanted the victim to suffer, the jury heard. Mr McKone said: 'Her husband had jokingly asked her if she was going to get Wilson to kill her and she replied "yes” as a joke.' Mr McKone said the case only emerged when the real hitman, Maikel Ward, walked into a London police station and revealed the plot in April this year. He said he owed Wilson £1,500 for a debt he could not repay. He did not know who was to be killed, only that the victim was a painter and decorator. Mr Burr is a painter and decorator. Mr McKone said Fairpo told police although she was separated from her husband, she still saw him every day and he was a good father. He said she told police she did not hold her eye injury against him because she received so much in benefits as a result. Fairpo denies conspiracy with Darren Wilson and Maikel Ward to murder Andrew Burr between 1 January and 13 April this year. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Lisa Fairpo, of Withernsea, East Yorkshire, 'was on brink of bankruptcy'
Hull Crown Court hears she plotted to have Andrew Burr, 37, stabbed .
Fairpo told Mr Burr to take out maximum life cover, even offering to pay .
Her lover Darren Wilson, 45, has already been found guilty of conspiracy .
Would-be hitman Maikel Ward, 42, has already admitted conspiracy to kill .
Fairpo denies conspiring with Wilson and Ward to kill the father of her child . |
0cb7f462064356ab32db64427a8cfab7dca71389 | (CNN) -- World No. 2 Novak Djokovic was on track to defend his Dubai Tennis Championship title when torrential rain, thunder and lightning halted play in Saturday's final against Mikhail Youzhny. The Serbian led 7-5 2-0 when the heavens opened on the desert emirate and flooded the court, and after a long delay it was decided to resume play on Sunday afternoon. Top seed Djokovic won a topsy-turvy first set in 63 minutes as there were five breaks in serve overall, then rain forced a half-hour delay. He was 30-15 up in the third game against the Russian seventh seed when the weather intervened again, and umpire Mohamed Lahyani ruled that the court was too wet for further play. Workers tried to clear the water, but to no avail. Djokovic is seeking to avenge his semifinal defeat by Youzhny at the World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam a fortnight ago and claim his 17th ATP Tour title. Youzhny lost to Robin Soderling in the Dutch final after suffering a hamstring injury, leaving him with five career titles. Meanwhile, world No. 7 Elena Dementieva will face fellow Russian Alisa Kleybanova in Sunday's final of the inaugural Malaysian Open as she seeks to win a third title this year. Top seed Dementieva defeated Austria's Sybille Bammer 6-3 6-1 in her semifinal on Saturday, while Kleybanova beat Japan's Ayumi Morita 6-4 6-1. | Novak Djokovic leads Mikhail Youzhny 7-5 2-0 in Dubai Tennis Championship final .
World No. 2 must wait until Sunday to complete successful defense of his title .
Russian seventh seed Youzhny beat Serbian in Rotterdam semifinals two weeks ago .
Elena Dementieva will face fellow Russian Alisa Kleybanova in Sunday's Malaysian Open final . |
0cb800d08045e64bdd01417ab9dadd52a75b87c3 | Six of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s senators are reportedly plotting to vote against him when it comes to the softening of Australia’s race hate laws. The senators are in favour of a proposed bill, put forward by Family First senator Bob Day, that weakens the Racial Discrimination Act by removing the words ‘insult’ and ‘offend’ meaning no one can be prosecuted for insulting or offending someone over their race, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Mr Abbott backed down on plans to water down the Racial Discrimination Act in August last year after controversial changes to the act had been discussed for over six months. He was ridiculed by the opposition, ethnic leaders, the public and his own party over his u-turn. Scroll down for video . Six of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s (left) senators are reportedly going to vote in favour of Family First senator Bob Day's (right) bill which proposes softening the Racial Discrimination Act . Mr Abbott first announced he wanted to reform section 18C of the act when journalist Andrew Bolt was found to have breached the act with a Herald Sun column. The political commentator fell foul to 18C for an opinion piece questioning the motives of lighter-skinned Aboriginal people. The amendments would have scrapped a prohibition on offending, insulting or humiliating individuals based on race. It’s now emerged that half a dozen of his senators still want the act reformed and are willing to cross the floor to make it happen. The Sydney Morning Herald says West Australian senator Chris Back, Queensland Liberal National Party senator Ian Macdonald and South Australian senator Sean Edwards are all in favour of voting to soften the race hate laws. Journalist Andrew Bolt breached the race hate act with a Herald Sun column he wrote . Known supporters of Family First’s proposed bill also include Liberal senators Cory Bernardi, Dean Smith, Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm and senator Linda Reynolds . Attorney-General Brandis has previously said Australians have a 'right to be bigots' when defending his proposed changes to the law. However, the repeal of 18C, which was an Abbott government election commitment, has been widely criticised as a watering down of protections against racism. Section 18C of the act makes it unlawful to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people because of race, colour or national or ethnic origin. West Australian senator Chris Back wants the race hate laws softened . Queensland Liberal National Party senator Ian Macdonald also believes Australian's should be allowed to insult and offend people over their race, according to how he has indicted he will vote . South Australia senator Cory Bernardi speaking is a known supporter of softening Australia's race hate laws . Senator Linda Reynolds believes the law prevents 'free speech' rather than protects people . More than 5500 submissions flooded into the Attorney-General's office following the release of draft laws in March 2014. Only a handful were released publicly but the majority reportedly opposed the changes. Last year, the PM admitted the proposed changes to section 18C of the act had 'complicated' relations with ethnic groups. Coalition backbenchers joined the opposition, and Labor leader Bill Shorten says that's why the 'deeply unpopular' changes have been ditched. 'What is clear ... is that the Attorney-General has been rolled by his cabinet,' Mr Shorten told reporters. The government had been humiliated and embarrassed by the proposal, he said. 'This has been a dreadful waste of national energy,' the opposition leader added. The Australian Greens have also repeatedly questioned the motive behind the changes to the law. South Australian senator Sean Edwards has also reportedly announced he's in favour of changes to the law . | Six of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's senators will vote against him .
They reportedly support Family First senator Bob Day's proposed changes .
Day wants the words 'insult' and 'offend' removed from the Racial Discrimination Act .
Means offending or insulting individuals based on their race would be OK .
Abbott backed down on softening the law last year amid racial tensions . |
0cb8c975bd8a0477496bcb5389a67ab9bfdcbd76 | Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thailand's army chief said the military -- one of Thailand's most powerful institutions -- would not step into the current political crisis, saying that the country's laws were enough to confront deadly protests that have punctuated a three-month power struggle. In a televised address, Gen. Prayuth Chanocha said the military did not want to exacerbate an already volatile situation. "If we use full military force, there is no guarantee that the situation would return to normalcy," he said, in an address widely seen as a signal to the Thai public. "The current conflict has spread wider than in 2010," he said, adding that the political impasse had more complicated conditions and involved more disparate groups. "The military does not want to use weapons and forces against our own Thai (people)," he added. "Under the current situation, constitution laws are perfectly effective. If there is a continuation of a loss of life, the country will fall." War of words . Meanwhile, Thailand's rival factions continued their war of words. Protest leader and former deputy prime minister, Suthep Thaugsuban, warned that his rivals in the red-shirted United Front (UDD) were planning a coup. "At the UDD rally they also discussed the possibility of a separatist movement, dividing Thailand into two," Suthep said. "But we have never entertained this notion. We are fighting to keep Thailand united as one. They can rally around the 'red flag' but we will continue to salute our tricolor flag." At the "war drum" rally on Sunday, Jarupong Ruengsuwan, the Pue Thai Party Leader, said that violence threatened to escalate. "Let me leave a warning to all people and to those who want to harm the country and the People of Thailand that Thais own 10 million guns in this country," he said. "Whoever wants to insult the power of people, they will see." On Tuesday, violence simmered in the capital Bangkok where police said a series of blasts and gunfire took place in the early hours of the morning near Lumpini Park. Two people received minor injuries in the incident, police said. Attacks condemned . Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Sunday condemned weekend attacks that killed four people -- three of them children -- and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice. A six-year-old-girl, a four-year-old boy and a woman of about 40 died when a bomb exploded at an anti-government rally outside a shopping mall in the Ratchaprasong area of Bangkok, the Erawan Emergency Center reported. The children were siblings. The 22 wounded included a pre-teen boy who was in critical condition, said Lt. Gen. Paradon Patthanathabut, Thailand's national security chief. On Saturday night, a 5-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet when attackers opened fire on an anti-government demonstration in eastern Trat province, police Col. Jirawut Tantasri said. Another 34 were wounded, he said. Patthanathabut said police think the two incidents are connected. "We believed that there is an element which is armed and prone to use violence mean to achieve their goal." What's behind the Thai unrest? The deaths were the latest to punctuate three months of protests against the Shinawatra government. In a statement issued Sunday night, Yingluck said her government "will not tolerate terrorism" and would prosecute the killers "without exception." "I would like to ask all sides of the political divide that we may see things differently and there are many ways to express those differences," Yingluck said. "But the use of violence that lead to deaths are not the civilized way of the living." Protests to continue . Both the Ratchaprasong and Trat demonstrations were organized by the opposition People's Democratic Reform Committee, which vowed to continue protests despite the attacks. On its Facebook page, the movement called for supporters to donate blood at hospitals that were treating the wounded from the Ratchaprasong bombing. "Although we have lost several friends in these attacks, I would like to insist that we follow our course of peaceful, unarmed, and nonviolent demonstrations," party leader Suthep said in a statement on the Facebook page. "We are on the right course. We are fighting the good fight. Please carry on as we have." In Trat, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) east of Bangkok, Jirawut said the girl who died was eating noodles with her grandmother when two cars passed the demonstration of about 1,000 people. The attackers threw grenades from the first car while the occupants of the second began shooting into the crowd, he said. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement Sunday condemning the violence and calling for it to end. He "urges the parties to respect human rights and the rule of law, prevent any new attacks and engage in meaningful dialogue toward ending the crisis and advancing reform," the statement read. He added that he is ready to "assist in any way possible." Calls for change . The People's Democratic Reform Committee has called for the democratically elected Yingluck to be replaced with an unelected "people council," which would see through electoral and political changes. Yingluck is the brother of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and now lives in exile. Yingluck's critics accuse her of being a proxy for her brother, who was convicted of corruption charges in 2008 and sentenced to prison in absentia. Yingluck's government was largely stable until her party attempted to pass a controversial amnesty bill in November, sparking the current wave of protests. The bill would have nullified Thaksin's corruption conviction and allowed him to return to the country. Also Sunday, a group of protesters called the Red Shirts joined in the protesting. Between March and May 2010, thousands of opposition protesters known for the color of their shirts occupied parts of the shopping district in central Bangkok. For the most part, the Red Shirts were supporters of Thaksin. They wanted the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and a new general election. In 2011, up to 30,000 Red Shirts descended on the same area, this time demanding a thorough investigation of a deadly government crackdown that May, along with the release of protest leaders, some of whom had been held in jail on terrorism charges for months. On Sunday, the Red Shirts gathered in Nakhonratchasrima, about 100 miles from Bangkok. There were about 3,000 protesters in the mostly peaceful protest, according to Paradon. The Red Shirts encouraged the government to prepare in case it needed to set up an exile office in the northern or northeastern parts of Thailand. The leaders of the protest asked members in each province to set up and train their own people in security techniques and be prepared for prolonged protests. CNN's Kocha Olarn reported from Bangkok; Ashley Fantz and Matt Smith reported and wrote from Atlanta. | NEW: Thailand's army chief says military will not step into current political crisis .
The death toll from Sunday's bombing rises after a 6-year-old girl dies .
Dozens are wounded in attacks on anti-government protesters over the weekend .
U.N. secretary-general offers to help "in any way possible" |
0cb9186c7b1f3f99095c8895e97ffed31a319398 | Troubled former England football maestro Paul Gascoigne has said he can overcome the demons which saw him admitted to hospital in a drink-fuelled stupor. The ex-Tottenham Hotspur favourite, whose legacy on the pitch has been overshadowed by alcohol and drug attractions since retiring a decade ago, was treated in hospital in Dorset when he suffered a relapse last week after spending the previous seven months clean. Gascoigne, 46, known as Gazza, told the Sunday Mirror he did not want sympathy or pity - and was determined to stop drinking for good. Scroll down for videos... Care: Gascoigne is pictured having a cigarette at Poole hospital at the weekend but says he will recover . Troubled ex-England star Paul Gascoigne says he can overcome his alcohol addiction . He said: 'I know I can overcome this. I am an alcoholic so I am taking one day at a time, but I will get there.' Gascoigne said he turned to drink after being served with an eviction notice on his flat in the up-market area of Sandbanks, Poole. He said people had been leaving alcohol on his doorstep in the weeks leading up to his latest 'blip'. He told the newspaper: 'Up until a few weeks ago, I was doing great. 'I have an illness and I had a bad moment. Now I want to make sure it doesn't happen again.' Since retiring from football, Gascoigne has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and has described how, when he hit rock bottom, he was snorting cocaine and drinking a litre of gin a day, which left him delusional and afraid to leave his room. Worry: Gascoigne has struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction since retiring as a footballer . The former England hero went public about his continuing battle with addiction in 2009, telling BBC Radio 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire he had been clean of drink and drugs for four months, taking part in the 12 Steps Programme and attending Alcoholics Anonymous. Other high-profile incidents involving alcohol included being sacked as manager of Kettering in 2005 after he was accused of being drunk at games. He also appeared at the scene of the stand-off between the police and gunman Raoul Moat in 2010. Arriving in Rothbury, Northumberland, Gazza claimed he was a friend of Moat and said he had brought him ''a can of lager, some chicken, fishing rod, a Newcastle shirt and a dressing gown''. But he is still remembered by fans of the clubs he played for - including Newcastle United, Lazio, Rangers, Everton and Middlesbrough - for his brilliance on the pitch. He starred in midfield for Terry Venables' England side during Euro 96, where his virtuoso goal against Scotland was topped off with an equally memorable celebration. Six years earlier he was seen crying on the pitch after being booked in the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup against West Germany, the booking making him unable to play in the final. Back: Paul Gascoigne arrived home after five nights at Poole hospital after being admitted in a drunken stupor . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Paul Gascoigne was admitted to a Dorset hospital in drink-fuelled stupor .
Ex-Tottenham midfielder suffers from alcoholism and drug addiction .
The 46-year-old told the Sunday Mirror he did not want sympathy .
He is determined to stop drinking for good and say he 'can overcome this'
Gascoigne says he will take it 'one day at a time' to recover his alcoholism . |
0cba0c3408dc40b0c5da5dff5c65a4c90c484acd | By . Mia De Graaf . 'Stitched up': Nawal Msaad, 27, from north London, claims she did not know where the money came from when she agreed to carry €20,000 to Istanbul . A young British student accused of smuggling cash in her knickers to fund jihadists fighting in Syria today said she had been 'stitched up' by her friend. Nawal Msaad, 27, was caught with the stash of €20,000, the equivalent of £15,830, in rolled up notes as she prepared to board a flight to Istanbul from Heathrow, jurors have heard. The Old Bailey was earlier told she agreed to be a 'trusted courier' for her close friend Amal El Wahabi, also 27. The money was to be taken to Turkey at the request of El Wahabi’s husband Aine Davis, who was known as Hamza and had joined fighters in war-torn Syria, the court heard. But she was stopped by police after the cash - which had been hidden inside her in a condom - fell out into her pants. Taking to the witness box at the Old Bailey in tight light pink trousers, a white sleeveless shirt and pink strappy high heel shoes, Msaad insisted she had never meant to smuggle cash abroad to bankroll terrorism. And she accused her friend and co-defendant El Wahabi of 'stitching' her up by not telling her where the money had come from. Her defence barrister Naeem Mian asked her: 'It was put to you that in effect you have been stitched up by her, what do you say to that?' Msaad said: 'Well, she wasn’t completely honest with me about where the money came from. And so I do get that feeling, I’m not going to deny that - the feeling that I have been stitched up.' Msaad, of Holloway, north London, and El Wahabi, of north west London, both deny funding terrorism. Msaad, who was born and raised in London and studying human resource management at London Metropolitan University in Aldgate, said she has known her friend since their school days at Holland Park School. She admitted having a 'soft spot' for her friend, but said they are not very close. And she vehemently denied ever trying to smuggle cash to extremists fighting in Syria, which is in the midst of a bloody civil war. Speaking so softly that the judge had to repeatedly ask her to keep her voice up, she flatly denied the charge against her. Mr Mian asked her: 'Between 13 and 16 of January 2014 were you concerned in an arrangement to make money available for the purposes of terrorism?' She replied: 'No'. He added: 'Did you suspect that the €20,000 given to you by El Wahabi may have been for the purposes of terrorism?' She again replied: 'No'. Her barrister said: 'Were you ever told or did you ever suspect that Aine Davis, otherwise known as Hamza, was or may be involved in terrorism.' She replied: 'No' and also said she had no idea the cash might have come from drug dealing and crime. She added: 'I had no intention to smuggle money into Turkey.' On January 16 this year Msaad set off for Heathrow airport for the three-day trip but when she approached the departure gate she was stopped by police. She said she was going for a 'short break', was buying gold for her mother and had €20,000 'around me'. She was later arrested. Davis allegedly left London in July last year to pursue the jihadist cause but had maintained regular contact with his wife, with whom he has two young sons. The 30-year-old, who was also born in London with roots in Gambia, converted to Islam six or seven years ago, it is alleged. Accusation: Msaad (left) claims she thought the €20,000 was for her school friend and co-defendant Amal El Wahabi (right) to start a new life abroad with her husband and children. Msaad was arrested at Heathrow . Msaad said El Wahabi originally said she had a job for her and that she would be paid €1,000 if she did it. She told jurors she was 'curious' and originally thought it might be a hairdressing job. El Wahabi texted her friend and said 'I asked you because I trust you' but later said she 'can’t explain' the job by phone, the court heard. But El Wahabi later told her it was to courier around €10,000 (£7,900) or 'maybe more' to her husband who she was going to travel abroad to live with, along with their two children. Msaad said she believed the cash was for a new house as the family were setting up home abroad. She later had a phone call with Davis on January 13 who asked her to bring €20,000 (£15,800) over. Msaad told the court: 'I asked "how much?" He said 20 bags - a bag is €1,000 in slang.' Asked if she had any concerns about travelling with such a large amount of cash on her, she said: 'It is a lot of money, it’s a big responsibility. 'I just didn’t want to lose their money. I was a bit worried.' But she insisted she didn’t think she was doing anything illegal. Denial: Msaad spoke at the Old Bailey to deny funding terrorism and said she has never held extremist views . She said: 'I asked him "Are you allowed to bring that amount of money over?" 'The way he sounded was really reassuring. He said "It’s fine, you can bring that amount of money", I had no reason to doubt him.' She admitted she had never asked where the cash came from, but thought it to be Davis’ savings. Msaad, whose family come from Morocco, said she is a Muslim who prays and fasts on Ramadan, but 'wouldn't say my family is particularly religious. I wouldn't call myself religious'. And she denied that she was very political or had ever viewed extremist, jihadi literature. She told the court: 'I would say I'm not more or less than the average person is interested in politics. 'However, I'm sensitive to the situations that are going on in the world, I don't turn a blind eye to anything. 'I'm sympathetic towards situations, but I don't dedicate any of my time towards politics.' The trial was adjourned until 9.30am tomorrow morning. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Nawal Msaad, 27, was caught at Heathrow with €20,000 bound for Istanbul .
Claims she didn't know where money was from, denies funding terrorism .
Accused school friend and co-defendant Amal El Wahabi of 'stitching' her up .
Msaad 'thought the money was for El Wahabi to move abroad with husband'
Claims she thought it would be used to buy a house with their children . |
0cba6b8bb42625bae49cd8ea60336e63e19b611c | New research sheds fresh light on the deadly toll of tobacco showing the an astonishing two-thirds of smokers will die early from smoking-related health issues. The new Australian research, published by BMC medicine, showed that doctors had a low estimate of smokers who die from their habit and that the actual figure was roughly 67 per cent. The earlier you put your cigarettes out permanently, the better your chance of avoiding those illnesses. New research shows smoking is even more deadly than guessed, and that only 10 cigarettes a day can double a smoker's risk of fatal disease . 'The relative risks of adverse health effects increase with increasing intensity of smoking,' said the study,' 'measured by the amount of tobacco smoked per day, and with increasing duration of smoking.' Smoking can lead to elevated risk for at least 13 different cancers. The Washington Post reports that 10 cigarettes a day will double the smoker's risk of death while a pack quadruples the numbers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 42.1 million Americans smoke cigarettes, a habit which remains the number one cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. At least one in five of the country's 480,000 annual deaths can be tied to smoking. 'We knew smoking was bad, but we now have direct, independent evidence that confirms the disturbing findings that have been emerging internationally,' Emily Banks, the study's co-author and a researcher at the Australian National University, said upon releasing the findings. Smoking remains the top preventable cause of disease and death in the United States . The study examined a pool of more than 200,000 people. And more than just the obvious health impact, there's a financial burden as smokers run up about $6,000 more annually in health care costs and productivity than their smoke-free counterparts for their employers. Smokers tend to require an average of 40 per cent more in health care costs, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. There have been multiple initiatives to get smoker to quit, from banning smoking in bars and restaurants and parks to tax hikes. Its estimated that about 30 per cent of adults below the poverty line smoke with only 16 per cent of those at or above that level taking up the habit. | The new Australian research, published by BMC medicine, showed that doctors had a low estimate of smokers who die from their habit and that the actual figure was roughly 67 per cent .
Smoking can lead to elevated risks of at least 13 different types of cancer .
One in five U.S. deaths is tied to smoking, the country's number one preventable cause of death and disease . |
0cbac4105031ab76a31f39c09bf3242f8fc150a2 | (CNN) -- Two Finns and one Austrian believed to have been kidnapped by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula last December in Yemen have been released, the Finnish government said. The three had been abducted in Sanaa, Yemen, in December, the Finnish foreign ministry said. The Finns, identified as Leila and Atte Kaleva, and the Austrian, Dominik Neubauer, were freed and were safe in Austria. "In view of the circumstances, they are in good condition," the foreign ministry said. "The long deprivation of liberty, however, is a traumatic experience both for those abducted and for their loved ones." The governments of Finland and Austria worked together to achieve the captives' release. Details of the kidnappings were "murky, but it looks like they were kidnapped by AQAP militants under the protection of tribes," a Middle Eastern diplomat told CNN. The diplomat spoke of condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media. | 3 people kidnapped in Yemen in December are freed .
They were believed to have been kidnapped by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula .
Two of the freed captives are Finnish, and one Austrian . |
0cbb7b04e5d9221ae2b2a1a517acfbf715592a9c | By . Nathan Klein . PUBLISHED: . 08:23 EST, 14 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:42 EST, 14 March 2014 . Singer Christine Anu is working on a brand new music track - and using the rhythm of Australian's heartbeat for the one-of-a-kind production. In an Australian first, the 43-year-old My Island Home singer has partnered up with Heart Research Australia (HROz) and Metamucil to create the new song, and remind people of the importance of maintaining low cholesterol levels in the process. By placing a single index finger against the specially designed heartbeat pod, the device is able to listen to the user’s heartbeat before translating it into a unique music track. Promoting a healthy heart: Singer Christine Anu will make a new music track using the rhythm of Australians heartbeats . Christine said she has always been conscious about her cholesterol levels. 'As an Indigenous Australian, I have had to monitor my cholesterol my whole life as I fall into a high risk category,' she said. 'The heartbeat pod initiative is a great way to get Australians to listen to their hearts, and serve as a reminder at the importance of maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. 'I can’t wait to hear the different heartbeats of Australia and use them to release a music track with all proceeds being donated to Heart Research Australia.' HROz recently approved psyllium husk fibre supplement Metamucil to help lower cholesterol when consumed as directed on the label, in conjunction with a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Chief executive officer Floyd Larsen said: 'What people don’t realise is that cholesterol levels may be lowered with a healthy nutritious diet low in saturated fat and high in fibre.' The pop singer gained popularity with the release of her song My Island Home in 1995 and has won several ARIA Music Awards. Pop singer Christine Anu has teamed up with Heart Research Australia and Metamucil to promote low cholesterol for Australians . Christine Anu, 43, is looking forward to making a one-of-its-kind Australian-first music track using the rhythm of Australians heartbeats . | Christine Anu is using Australians heartbeat in new music track .
The Australian-first initiative is to promote lower cholesterol levels .
She partnered with Heart Research Australia and Metamucil for the initiative . |
0cbc7adbb39a333f2af98db19cf6d5c83bef6cbc | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:15 EST, 23 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:21 EST, 23 August 2012 . A disgraced Minnesota politician who had oral sex with a 17-year-old boy in a rest-stop dropped his re-election bid on Wednesday, admitting to what he called an 'obvious tragic embarrassment.' Rep. Kerry Gauthier, 56, had declared he would stay in the race in a statement released at 1pm yesterday despite party leaders and Republicans wanting him out, but he U-turned just hours later. The 56-year-old said he had been going back and forth about running 'every 20 minutes for a week' before making the decision, which he claims was not influenced by Democratic leaders pressing him to withdraw. Disgraced: Rep. Kerry Gauthier, pictured, dropped his re-election bid on Wednesday, admitting to what he called an 'obvious tragic embarrassment' 'I changed my mind,' he said. 'Too much. It's just too much.' Gauthier also said that he overdosed on muscle relaxants last week, leading to hospitalisation, in an effort to kill himself. He'd earlier issued a statement saying he has been in recovery from chemical dependency for 30 years with one relapse. Gauthier's decision to withdraw his re-election bid came after . Democratic leaders, from Gov. Mark Dayton on down, urged the first-term . lawmaker to step aside so the party could field another candidate in a . reliably Democratic district. Caught: Police revealed that a Minnesota's Representative Kerry Gauthier had a sexual encounter with a 17-year-old boy . Democrats need to gain at least six House seats to take control of the chamber, a top goal in November, and the last thing they needed was the possibility of losing what was thought to be a safe seat. State election officials have said Gauthier can't be replaced on the ballot, which would mean a write-in campaign for a replacement that would be much more difficult to win. But Democrats said earlier this week they were looking at legal avenues to replace Gauthier on the ballot if he dropped. Gauthier's initial decision to stay in the race, announced in an interview with Northland's NewsCenter in Duluth, drew widespread condemnation from fellow Democrats. Dayton said the move would be 'destructive' for Gauthier's reputation, his district, his party and the state. 'I think it's just something that goes beyond the morals of Minnesotans - to solicit on Craigslist sex with a minor and do it in a public area, publicly owned area, as a state legislator, and come back to the parking lot with his clothes disheveled,' Dayton told reporters at the Capitol. 'It's not about whether it's a same-sex or a heterosexual act. It would be the same if it were the same circumstances involving a heterosexual individual.' Police say Gauthier admitted having oral sex with the boy on July 22 after the first-term lawmaker from Duluth advertised on Craigslist for 'no strings attached' sex. Police declined to charge him because the boy was older than 16, the legal age of consent, and no money was exchanged. Earlier, Gauthier apologized for the incident in a statement posted online by the Duluth News Tribune.'I am sorry for the hurt this has caused my family, friends and my constituents. I know I made a mistake and am determined to make amends as best I can,' he said. Minnesota House Minority Leader Paul Thissen said in a statement to the Duluth News Tribune that he was 'deeply disappointed' with Gauthier’s conduct before the politician withdraw his ballot. 'The . conduct was wrong and no one in the DFL House caucus condones the . behavior,' he said. 'I expect he will address these issues publicly and . soon.' 'Too much': Rep. Kerry Gauthier, pictured, dropped his bid claiming running was 'too much' Previously, Republicans lobbied for his resignation. 'I believe we have given Rep. Gauthier and the Democrat caucus a respectful amount of time to address this situation on their own,' House Speaker Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, said on Friday. 'Rep. Gauthier’s actions are not becoming of a member of the House of Representatives, and today I am calling on him to resign from the Legislature.' Mr Gauthier was treated for shortness of breath following the public investigation of his interactions with a 17-year-old teen he met on Craigslist. The two met for a rendezvous on July 22 at the Thompson Hill rest stop around 11 p.m. The Duluth News Tribune reported that a state trooper happened upon the pair after a report of 'suspicious activity.' Police reports of the incident reveal . that Mr Gauthier put out an ad for an encounter on Craigslist and the . 17-year-old responded. The . two walked to a wooded area behind the rest stop pavilion for five . minutes, where they engaged in oral sex and touching, police records . show. Bipartisan: House Minority Leader and fellow Democrat Paul Thissen, left, as well as House Speaker and Republican Kurt Zellers, right, have condemned Mr Gauthier's actions . A trooper approached Mr Gauthier on his way back from the encounter. 'It was at that time I noted his zipper was open and part of his shirt was hanging out. I asked him why his zipper was down and he said he didn’t know,' the officer wrote in his police report. 'I told him to zip it up and leave. The male seemed nervous.' Then, the trooper said, he saw the teen. 'He stated that he had met an older man at the rest area after corresponding with him in a response to a Craigslist ad,' the trooper wrote. The teen told the police that his parents were unaware of his sexual orientation and begged them not to tell his family of the incident. Both men said the interaction was consensual and there was no money exchanged. The teen also told police that he lied about his age, telling Mr Gauthier he was 18 years old. 'I think it’s a private matter and I don’t need to talk about it,' Mr Gauthier said to the Duluth News Tribune following the explosive investigation. 'It was at that time I noted his zipper . was open and part of his shirt was hanging out. I asked him why his . zipper was down and he said he didn’t know. I told him to zip it up and leave.' State Trooper . No charges were pressed against the representative as the age of consent is 16 in Minnesota. Gauthier told TV station his unwillingness to accept he is gay led him to the sex act in the rest-stop. He said he is getting counseling. He also said he feels badly for the teen and wouldn't talk specifically about the incident to protect the boy. 'I can change my behavior, but I cannot change the fact that I am a gay man, and have known this since my college days. I simply must act like a mature gay man would act, and not as the incident portrays me,' the network quoted him as saying. Gauthier said he won't attend a Friday special session to vote on a flood relief package after his district was one of the hardest-hit by June flash floods. Gauthier had pushed hard for state aid until he dropped out of public view when the scandal hit last week. 'I just think it would be a distraction for the city to get what it needs from the special session,' Gauthier said. Sen. Roger Reinert, a Democrat who shares a district with Gauthier, said the withdrawal was 'absolutely the right decision.' Reinert said Gauthier's presence in the campaign threatened to drag down Democratic attempts to win control of the Legislature. He said the scandal reinforced negative stereotypes of gay people, and could hurt an effort to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot banning gay marriage. Republican leaders called on Gauthier to resign immediately from his legislative seat, but Democrats did not make that request. Dayton said his signed agreement for the special session with top Republican and Democratic legislative leaders would preclude a House vote on Gauthier's conduct because it limits the scope of the special session. A spokeswoman for the GOP House caucus had no immediate comment. Duluth firefighter Erik Simonson launched a bid as a write-in Democratic candidate for Gauthier's seat Tuesday. Duluth City Councilor Jay Fosle also has filed paperwork to run as a write-in candidate. Republican Travis Silvers already is on the ballot. | Representative Kerry Gauthier was found engaging in oral sex on July 22 .
Found teen on Craigslist after advertising for 'no strings attached' sex .
Withdrew bid for re-election Wednesday after calls from both parties to resign .
Charges were dropped because sexual encounter was consensual .
Gauthier said he tried to kill himself last week over the 'tragic embarrassment' |
0cbc9a825ec3355284ef954b9a33512be7c0b7f4 | (CNN) -- They lined up hundreds strong to touch the dirt. Some fell to their knees, clutching the gritty stuff as though it were a long-lost child. Others lifted it to their lips to savor a taste of the home they left behind decades ago. Exiles -- who face never returning to Tibet as long as it is under Chinese rule -- stood on Tibetan soil this week, fulfilling a desire that has burned within since they fled westward across the Himalayas. Only, this week, they were able to do it in Dharamsala, the Indian hilltown that functions as the de facto capital of the refugee community. The display was the work of New York artist Tenzing Rigdol, 29, who clandestinely trucked in sacks containing 22 tons of dirt from Tibet to Dharamsala to construct his installation. He did not want to disclose details of the soil's journey, fearful of the repercussions of the act of smuggling. All he would say is that it was a "complicated process that took 17 months." Rigdol then spread the dirt over a stage the size of a basketball court and called it "Our Land, Our People." He invited Tibetans to walk on his dirt, write on it or pick up a microphone to express themselves. He knew it could never be the same as actually returning to Tibet, but perhaps, he thought, it would spark a sliver of that feeling. He thought of his father on Wednesday when the installation opened and people lined up, many overwhelmed with emotion. The only wish his father had was to see Tibet one more time. But he fell ill in 2007 and died. A father's unfulfilled wish drove his artist son to create something that would allow the displaced to be able to "return" home again. And others like him, who were born outside of Tibet, to finally feel native earth they have never had under their feet. "There are so many like my father who wanted to return," Rigdol said. "And many more who have never been to Tibet." Tenzin Dorjee, 31, remembers receiving cell phone texts at 4:30 in the morning when his excited friend first came up with his idea. The message was so long that it got broken into three. "He was saying he had this idea to transport a large amount of soil from Tibet," Dorjee said. "I was blown away. My first reaction was: how is that possible?" But then Dorjee began visualizing the project and how much of an impact it was sure to have on Tibetan exiles. "The implications," he said, "seemed historic." Known as the "roof of the world," Tibet is a remote Buddhist region governed by Communist China. Beijing claims its sovereignty over Tibet goes back centuries and views the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, as a separatist. About 150,000 Tibetans live in exile, a majority of them in Dharamsala, according to their governing body. The Dalai Lama set up residence there after Chinese forces crushed a 1959 Tibetan uprising. The Dalai Lama summoned Rigdol to his residence after the opening of the installation Wednesday, Rigdol said. Rigdol carried with him some of the Tibetan dirt. Using his index finger, the Dalai Lama, wrote Tibet in the dirt and blessed the soil. Meanwhile, monks in their flowing maroon and saffron robes queued up, as did parents holding babies. "It was very exciting," said Tenzing Geche, 22, a monk who was a baby when his family left Tibet. He touched the dirt and felt a connection like no other. "I felt I was back in my own country," he said. Tenzing Tfuengue, 17, has never been to Tibet -- he was born and raised in India. He has longed to go to Tibet, feel the air there, drink the water, see the land that possesses his soul. "Today, (Rigdol) made it a little bit possible," Tfuengue said. For Lhadon Tethong, 35, a Canadian visiting family in Dharamsala, the installation was bittersweet. It was completely inspiring at one moment and in another, as she watched elderly Tibetans fall to the ground, sadness overcame her. "I am normally better with words than this," she said, unable to complete her sentence. There was no overt political statement in Rigdol's art, but some Tibetans hoped it would inspire resistance to Chinese rule. China blames Tibetan unrest on the exiled community. But no matter the consequences, Rigdol's art will carry on. The installation will stay up until Friday. But when it closes, Tibetan exiles will be allowed to take some of the dirt with them, a reminder always of the land they long to see. | Tibetans who long to see their homeland were able to touch native soil again .
Artist Tenzing Rigdol smuggled the soil in sacks from Tibet to India .
The dirt was spread on a stage so Tibetans could walk on it .
Rigdol's father died without ever seeing Tibet again . |
0cbcd46b01aa6b8ff1cd7ee02623f251ededf4d3 | A Texas woman claims she was forced to give birth alone in jail during a horrific night in solitary confinement nearly two years ago, and that her baby died because of it, according to a federal lawsuit filed this week. Nicole Guerrero alleges in legal documents that "Wichita County denied (her) access to reasonable medical care ... ignored her obvious signs of labor and constant requests for medical assistance, failed to conduct a physical examination ... when she began to display obvious signs of labor, left (her) unattended in a solitary cell while she was obviously in labor, failed to transport (her) to the hospital for safe delivery, which ultimately caused (her) to deliver her baby alone in the solitary cell, and resulted in (her) suffering severe and likely permanent, physical and psychological injuries." Wichita County isn't talking about the case. "We are prohibited (from talking) about pending litigation in Texas because we are representing the county in this case," said Wichita County District Attorney Maureen Shelton. The lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas, names as defendants Wichita County, the Sheriff's Office, registered nurse LaDonna Anderson, and Correctional Healthcare Management, Inc., Anderson's employer. Here's what Guerrero says happened, according to court documents: . She was arrested on drug possession charges on June 2, 2012. After visiting her doctor for an infection on June 11, while still in custody, Guerrero says her doctor told her she was 8½ months pregnant. According to the legal complaint, once Guerrero was returned to jail she experienced severe pain and cramping. She said she was checked out by the nurse on duty, identified in court documents as Anderson, late on the night of June 11. Anderson determined at that time Guerrero was not in labor, according to the legal documents. The complaint then detailed a night spent in solitary confinement, during which Guerrero claims she tried to get medical attention throughout the night and into the early morning hours as her pain worsened, but that she was ignored by Anderson and the guards on duty. Finally, Guerrero said, around 5 a.m. on June 12, a detention officer walking by her cell helped her deliver the baby. The court filing said the baby was not breathing when it was born and that the umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck. Guerrero says in court papers that no CPR was performed on the baby and that it was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Guerrero alleged she was still kept in solitary confinement, without medical help, after the baby was taken away. Guerrero's lawsuit accuses Anderson and Correctional Healthcare Management of medical malpractice. Her attorney Rick Bunch said Wichita County and Sheriff David Duke violated her due process rights under the 14th Amendment by depriving her of access to reasonable medical care, according to CNN affiliate KFDX. CNN contacted the Wichita County Sheriff's Office, Anderson and Correctional Healthcare Management several times requesting comment, but did not receive a response. | Texas woman says she was forced to give birth alone in jail .
Nicole Guerrero says her baby died because of negligent birth .
Lawsuit names Wichita County, the Sheriff, the nurse on duty .
Complaint details horrific night of pain and suffering . |
0cbd0764173a82aa0e0e6190c5c1940c8f814d63 | Media mogul Sumner Redstone has reportedly been spending time with the baby that his girlfriend adopted on her own. The 90-year-old billionaire was not a part of his girlfriend Sydney Holland's adoption of a baby girl in June but apparently he has become a part of the child's life. Holland, who is less than half her boyfriend's age as she recently turned 42, has been bringing her daughter to Redstone's Beverley Hills mansion. Happy couple adopting: Billionaire Sumner Redstone's 42-year-old girlfriend Sydney Holland, is adopting a child, Alexandra Red. Her name was inspired by his . That isn't his only connection to the little girl, as Holland used him as inspiration for her name: Alexandra Red. 'Sydney spends a lot of time at Sumner’s home, so when she is there, she brings the baby with her. It is her child, and he is not involved in bringing her up,' a source told The New York Post. People who have seen Holland toting the baby around town are now speculating that perhaps he is the girl's father since she has red hair. 'Could the baby be Sumner's biological child?' an unidentified source wondered to the newspaper. Redstone has two children from his first marriage, though they are both in their 60s, making them old enough to be the adopted daughter's grandparents as opposed to her hypothetical step-siblings. Sumner Redstone: Worth $4.7 billion, Mr Redstone is 91st on the Forbes rich-list. He is the majority shareholder in the National Amusements theater chain, CBS Corporation, Viacom, MTV Networks, BET, and the film studio Paramount Pictures . Age is just a number: Sumner's daughter Shari (left) is nearly 20 years older than his girlfriend Sydney (right) For her part, Holland has been very publicly clear that the adoption process was something she knowingly went into alone. 'I recently adopted a baby on my own, and I am very excited to experience both the joys and challenges of motherhood.' Redstone celebrated his 90th birthday in May with a lavish L.A. party where Tony Bennett performed for a crowd including Mark Wahlberg, Danny DeVito and Tom Cruise. Now a nonagenarian, he’s reportedly worth $4.7billion, making him Forbes’ 91st richest person in the world. | Couple are 48 years apart in age .
Redstone is worth $4.7 billion and 91st on Forbes rich-list .
Baby called Alexandra Red and arrives in weeks . |
0cbe0f11d95a1cbc861c0fd325790da96edfb2a3 | By . Simon Jones . Alberto Moreno is poised to join Liverpool after appearing for Sevilla against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup in Cardiff on Tuesday. Liverpool will pay around £16million for the exciting left-back, and midfielder Suso could be going the other way as part of the deal. Meanwhile, Pepe Reina has completed his £2million move from Liverpool to Bayern Munich. VIDEO Easy come, easy go: Scroll down to watch Liverpool's Spanish transfer prospects . Liverpool-bound: Sevilla's defender Alberto Moreno (left) vies with Benfica's Uruguayan defender Maxi Pereira . The Spanish goalkeeper, who spent last season on loan at Napoli, has signed a three-year deal with the German champions. He is expected to be the back-up to Manuel Neuer at the Allianz Arena next season. On the move: Spanish keeper Pepe Reina has agreed a transfer from Liverpool to Bayern Munich . | Spaniard will play for Sevilla in Super Cup tie with Real Madrid .
Liverpool will pay £16million for the left-back after the game in Cardiff .
Midfielder Suso could be going the other way as part of the deal . |
0cbec1bbdbb646bd3bc94a6a246a047f1d75c3d9 | Bollywood star Gauahar Khan was slapped by a man in the audience at a TV competition she was presenting after he took offence at the clothes she was wearing. Akil Malik, 24, reacted after seeing the model wearing a short dress while she hosted the grande finale of singing competition Raw Star at Film City in Goregaon, Mumbai. The 24-year-old then got out of his seat and threatened to assault her live on television. Gauahar Khan looks visibly upset after being slapped by a man in the audience at a TV competition she was presenting after he took offence at the clothes she was wearing while hosting singing competition Raw Star . The man, Akil Malik, told police that Khan, as a Muslim woman, 'should not have worn such a short dress' Malik told the Mumbai police: 'Being a Muslim woman, she should not have worn such a short dress.' According to The Independent Malik was arrested and charged with molestation under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code. Exactly how Malik managed to get close to Khan remains a mystery as security during the song competition was extremely tight. Despite crowds of 2,500 and 250 guards being present in the studio, Malik was about to break through a cordon and confront Khan as she was being escorted from the venue. Despite crowds of 2,500 and 250 guards being present in the studio, Malik was about to break through a cordon and confront Khan as she was being escorted from the venue; despite being shaken by the incident she returned to the set an hour later to continue filming . Bolllywood stars Ms Khan, left, Isha Sharvani and Hussain Kuwajerwala pose for a photo during a press conference to announce musical 'Zangoora - the Gypsy Prince . Khan was left shaken by the incident, but returned to the set an hour later to continue filming, according to local reports. Malik is expected to appear in Boriwali Court today. For more on the story click here. | Gauahar Khan was presenting singing competition Raw Star in Mumbai .
When a male audience member took offence at her clothing .
The 24-year-old threatened to assault her live on television .
As a Muslim woman, Khan should not have worn a short dress, he said . |
0cbf2c8691e9748dfc25a0b76a09d3157a85ef24 | A fire stoked by strong winds swept through a three-story house early Sunday, killing five people along with a 6-week-old baby. The Essex County prosecutor's office said the fire started about 6 am in the single-family home a few blocks north of Route 280. The cause is under investigation. The victims were identified as 79-year-old Alice Horton; 20-year-old Breiona Love, 6-week-old Lanore Carter-Love; 56-year-old Randy Horton and 60-year-old Ronnie Horton. First responders: Firefighters carry the body of a victim from a burned three-story, single-family house in East Orange, New Jersey, on Sunday . Victims: Five people, ranging in age from six weeks to 78 years, were killed in an early morning fire at the house . It wasn't immediately known which of or how the victims were related. One female resident escaped and was rescued from the roof of the house, according to news reports. Her name was not released. Christopher Weiss, deputy chief of the East Orange Fire Department, said the home is in a neighborhood of structures that date back to the late 19th century. 'It's one of the oldest neighborhoods in East Orange,' he said. 'Historically, we've had a lot of serious fires here.' Weiss said the fire had collapsed the back of the house. One person living in a house next door escaped safely. He told 1010 WINS of the female resident that had been rescued from the roof of the house 'She had heavy smoke and fire starting to come from the windows in her area, but fortunately we were able to get to her.' 'I lost my mother-in-law; I lost my niece; I lost my cousin. This ain’t right,' a woman said to the radio station. The New York Post reported that a man who was allegedly the father of the infant said yelled 'My baby, my baby! I lost my baby!' The North Jersey Region of the American Red Cross said it was helping two families displaced by the fire. Three volunteers responded to provide emotional support and emergency assistance. Four members of the two families were provided assistance in the form of temporary lodging, food and clothing, the agency said. Evacuate: One female resident escaped and was rescued from the roof of the house, according to news reports. A firefighter is seen here searching through the home's windows . Wreckage: Christopher Weiss, deputy chief of the East Orange Fire Department, said the home is in a neighborhood of structures that date back to the late 19th century . Ruins: Weiss said the fire had collapsed the back of the house . | A fire swept through a three-story house early Sunday, killing five people along with a 6-week-old baby .
The victims were identified as 79-year-old Alice Horton; 20-year-old Breiona Love, 6-week-old Lanore Carter-Love; 56-year-old Randy Horton and 60-year-old Ronnie Horton .
The Essex County prosecutor's office said the fire started about 6 am in the single-family home a few blocks north of Route 280 . |
0cc0269fcf9c5b6cc84f1df7146908ce4ba5773c | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 21:13 EST, 21 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:06 EST, 22 February 2013 . Little more than ten years ago, they were barely known and barely used. The only people who really knew of their existence were military experts who used them for secretive surveillance missions. But following a decade of conflict fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, drones have become an essential and controversial tool for the U.S. military. Operators - who you imagine are rather fond of computer games - sit in offices in New York and Nevada and direct the unmanned, missile-carrying planes to their next targets. Secretive: Military drones have massively increased in popularity over the past decade. But there are now very real fears that they could be used by government's domestically. This is a German Mikrokopter . Controversial: President Obama signed a new law last year which opens up the possibility of police forces in the U.S. using drones. This image shows just how small some of them could be . As well as being used for spying, they are increasingly used to kill. And with an alarming accuracy. But with their popularity booming under the liberal-leaning President Obama, there are now very real concerns about their use on a more domestic level. In February last year, Obama signed a law directing America's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow drones to fly in American airspace by September 2015. As reported by National Geographic, they could be used for patrolling borders for illegal immigrants, hunting for criminals and even maintaining crops. A number of police forces in the U.S. have already shown an interest in using drones, with some likely to carry face-recognition software. Lethal: Drones have been used heavily by President Obama in Afghanistan to spy on targets and kill enemy fighters. This is an MQ-9 Reaper, armed with laser guided missiles . Future: A whole new fleet of drones, such as this one pictured, are currently being designed by aviation companies as well as government and university researchers . This has already caused a storm of opposition from across the political spectrum over the effecton personal privacy. And if they become a regular fixture in the U.S, then it seems increasingly likely it is a matter of time before they are introduced into the skies of the UK. In the past decade drones have become a must-have weapon for the most advanced militaries in the world. Back in 2002, when America and the western world was looking down a barrel of conflict in some of the most dangerous and inhospitable locations on Earth, just 200 military drones were in use by the U.S. military. But, with the U.S. and UK fighting mobile enemies in a variety of locations, drones increased dramatically. The U.S. military has now deployed more than 11,000. And it is not just the U.S which is using them. More than 50 countries have drones, including China, Iran and Israel. Concerns: A number of police forces across the U.S. have already taken a keen interest in drones. This Seattle police officer shows off a drone recently, before the city's mayor banned their use by officers . Way forward: This Dragonflyer X6 helicopter was another drone owned by Seattle police before privacy concerns prevented them from being used . As well as saving money, they also save lives. Instead of sending pilots into war zones, military commanders can instead send an unmanned drone which is controlled thousands of miles away from danger. This has led some defence experts to suggest that within a generation they could replace most manned military aircraft. Talking point: Many of the images of drones used in this piece were first published in the March issue of National Geographic magazine, pictured . But it is now looking increasingly likely that drones will be deployed more domestically. A whole new fleet of drones are currently being designed by aviation companies as well as government and university researchers. And, perhaps frighteningly, some are just the size of a hummingbird. Following the law signed by Obama, it emerged recently that American authorities are increasing the number of licenses for surveillance drones. The FAA announced earlier this month that it had issued 1,428 permits to domestic drone operators since 2007, which is far more than were previously known. The permits have been issued to police, universities, transport departments and at least seven federal agencies for devices from unarmed Predators drones to model airplanes. The FAA estimates that as many as 10,000 drones could take to the skies by 2020. But this has sparked opposition in the U.S from across the political spectrum with many concerned about the effects of drones on personal privacy and government intrusion. Lawmakers in 15 states are already looking at plans to restrict drone use in their airspace amid concerns over spying. Earlier this month the mayor of Seattle even ordered the city's police to abandon its plan to use drones after protests from residents and privacy campaigners. | Unmanned drones have become President Obama's weapon of choice in war .
But fears are growing over their use on a domestic level .
Police forces in U.S already keen to deploy drones to catch criminals .
Campaigners across political spectrum left worried about personal privacy .
Images published in this article were first published in the March edition of National Geographic magazine . |
0cc1922056d969b090b3e0a0b64c2ade332feea3 | When Jack Nowell was told by Stuart Lancaster and his medical staff he risked being exposed as a one-trick pony if he didn’t undergo surgery, the young Exeter Chief hardly had a leg to stand on. Following five years of playing with pain in his left knee because of a chronic condition developed as a teenager, things got so bad that muscle started to wither and opponents began to take note. The 21-year-old has enjoyed a new lease of life following surgery which has finally enabled him to deliver a pain-free performance on two legs instead of one. Exeter full-back Jack Nowell has undergone surgery on a knee injury that had been causing him problems . England coach Stuart Lancaster had warned Nowell that he could turn into a one-trick pony without treatment . ‘I’ve had a patellar tendinitis problem since I was 15,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘It was a big problem but I just cracked on hoping it would go away. It never did. ‘Being a youngster you think no-one will notice but with the amount of analysis that goes on now it was only a matter of time before I was sussed out. It was getting pretty obvious. ‘I got to the end of last season and the physios and Stuart just said, “There’s no way you can carry on like this”. ‘I could feel a massive difference straight away (after surgery). I’m over the moon with how it’s gone. It’s made a massive difference.’ Nowell, pictured training with the England squad at Pennyhill Park, is now back fit after his operation . The England man in action for his country during the Six Nations match against Wales in March 2014 . His performances after making his comeback caught Lancaster’s eye, with England’s head coach calling him into the squad for the autumn series. ‘He said he’d been impressed by how quickly I’d recaptured my form,’ Nowell said. ‘That was good to hear from him. ‘It’s been an incredible year but hopefully there’s more to come. Every player in England has an eye on the World Cup.’ | Jack Nowell played for five years with a chronic pain in his left knee .
Opponents started to notice the injury and he was targeted because of it .
Nowell has now had surgery on the problem and is back fully fit .
His target now is to make Stuart Lancaster's England World Cup squad . |
0cc2b17a3272ca42c0e8e291745e3bc15601aa6f | The NFL announced some major changes to their performance-enhancing drug policy earlier today that will likely have a huge impact on the league's players. Under the new rules, players who test positive for banned stimulants during the offseason will not be suspended once regular season play commences, and will instead be referred to a substance abuse program. The league will also begin testing for human growth hormone starting next month. Fail: Wes Welker (above) was suspended by the league after tesing positive for amphetamine during the offseason . The NFL also lifted three players' suspensions under this new policy, among them Denver Broncos star and former New England Patriot Wes Welker, who tested positive for amphetamine during the offseason. A source told CBS Sports this was due to the wide receiver's usage of Adderall during the Kentucky Derby. He and the two other suspended players, Dallas Cowboys defensive back Orlando Scandrick and St. Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey, will return to the field this weekend, having sat out just two games of their four-game suspension. Back in action: Welker (left), Dallas Cowboys defensive back Orlando Scandrick (middle) and St. Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Baile (right) had their suspensions lifted and will return to play this weekend . The league and union are also nearing an agreement on changes to the substance abuse policy. This new policy does get strict when it comes to some penalties however, laying out much harsher suspensions for players who test positive for any banned substance or stimulant during the season. According to CBS News, use of a diuretic or masking agent will result in a two-game suspension, steroids, in-season use of stimulants, HGH and other banned substances gets a player a four-game suspension, and any evidence of an attempt to manipulate a test is a six-game suspension. Second violations will result in a 10-game ban, and a third violation is at least a two-year suspension. This all comes as the league is under heavy scrutiny in the wake of two abuse scandals involving stars Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson. Many are upset with the punishments these two received, feeling the NFL was too lenient. Problem players: recent abuse scandals involving Ray Rice (left) and Adrian Peterson (right) have put the NFL under increased public scrutiny . Video of Rice punching then-fiancée Janay Palmer went public last Monday, and Peterson was indicted on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child on Friday for an incident in which he hit his son with a switch back in May. Rice has been indefinitely suspended from the NFL and had his contract terminated by the Baltimore Ravens, while Peterson, who was sidelined by the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, has now been suspended by the team. | The NFL announced a few major changes to their performance-enhancing drug policy earlier today .
Under the new policy, usage of banned stimulants in the offseason will not be penalized with game suspensions .
The league will also start testing for human growth hormone .
Three players, including Wes Welker, had their suspensions lifted immediately as a result of the new policy, and will play this weekend . |
0cc3ab74dd50f50a7500714854770a3cd40d12bb | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:06 EST, 20 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:10 EST, 21 September 2012 . Adrienne Maloof has been granted a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband, Dr. Paul Nassif. The plastic surgeon, 50, was ordered by the court on Wednesday to stay at least 100 yards away from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 51, and their children, TMZ reports. The couple have three boys - nine-year-old Gavin and twins, Christian and Collin, six - from their nine year marriage. It's getting ugly: Adrienne Maloof's estranged husband Dr Paul Nassif has been order to stay away from her and their three children . He must also keep away from the family home and the children's school. Maloof was awarded temporary custody of their children the same day after she accused her ex of being violent toward their children, claiming that he had 'slapped' and 'choked' them. Court documents reveal he is now being investigated by the L.A. Department of Children & Family Services over the claims. According to Radar Online, the couple's marriage counsellor Dr Charles Sophy submitted a sworn statement to the court. It read: 'On Sunday, September 16, 2012, Adrienne called and told me about an incident involving Paul and the children that occurred on Thursday, September 13, 2012. Specifically, Adrienne told me that Paul and the children were in the car when Paul became angry in response to Collin kicking Christian's seat, and that he tried to hit the kids while they were all in the car.' Dr. Sophy interviewed the children with their parents' permission, adding: 'All three children appeared anxious and fearful. They are reluctant to share the details of what happened.' For sale: Adrienne has put her marital home on the market in the wake of her bitter split . Expensive taste: The home is on the market for $26million . He continued: 'I further learned that . prior to my meeting with the children on Tuesday, a referral was made . to the Department of Children and Family Services. I feel that DCFS is . capable of determining the safety and risk issues to be mitigated and . ensuring the children's safety and health.' Nassif denies being violent towards his children and his legal team saying they were 'blindsided by the allegations.' His lawyer Lisa Meyer has referred to the accusations as 'gamesmanship'. Nassif had applied for custody of the . children and for the judge to order Maloof to leave the family mansion . so her could move back in, but his request was denied. A court hearing will take place in early October to determine if the temporary restraining order and custody arrangement will be made permanent. Over the top: The property features in her reality show, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills . Plenty of room to move: The French chateau-style estate features 8 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms . Maloof has also put her marital home . on the market for $26 million. It is unclear if her ex is aware of her . decision to sell the mansion. The . pair purchased the property, which featured in the reality show, in . 2004 for $12.7 million and she is now looking to make a rather large . profit on it. The 20,000 sq. ft. French chateau-style estate features 8 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. The couple are understood to have a pre-nuptial agreement in place and Maloof, whose fortune is said to total $300 million, is said to be confident it will protect her family fortune. She is the only daughter of billionaire entrepreneur George J Maloof Sr. Her myriad of business interests include the various holdings of Maloof Companies, of which she is co-owner - notably the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, the basketball team Sacramento Kings, development company Maloof Productions, and record company Maloof Music. Looking for a profit: The couple bought the mansion in 2004 for $12.7 million . | Dr Paul Nassif 'being investigated by Department of Children & Family Services' |
0cc3cb4e0a7efc2fed7dd6bd50fa6e2098acab1d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:41 EST, 16 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:21 EST, 16 April 2013 . Two brothers both lost a leg in the Boston Marathon bombings and were among the 183 injured and up to 10 victims who had a limb torn off. Liz Norden said one of her sons called her from his ambulance to say, 'Ma, I'm hurt real bad.' Her sons, both roofers and graduates Stoneham High School, went to the race to watch one of their friends compete in Monday's race. They were among the 183 injured, 23 of whom are still listed in critical condition Tuesday morning. As many as 10 had limbs amputated. There were nine children, the youngest of whom is just 2-years-old, among the wounded. An 11-year-old boy had shrapnel tear into his leg and a nine-year-old girl lost a leg. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Mother Liz Norden, with her two sons Paul and JP, who each lost a leg below the knee during the attack . Anguished mother, Liz Norden, is comforted by Jim Casey, the uncle of her two sons who each lost a leg in the explosions at the Boston Marathon . Brothers Paul and JP Norden were at the marathon to cheer on a friend when they both were blasted with shrapnel. They were rushed to different hospitals where they had to each had to have a leg amputated . Norden raced to the hospital and soon learned that her sons had each lost a leg from below the knee. 'I’d never imagined in my wildest dreams this would ever happen,' she told the Boston Globe as she struggled to compose herself, surrounded by family members. 'I have two sons in two different hospitals,' she told NBC News. 'I am just so heartbroken.' Her sons were standing next to Martin Richard, 8, who was among the three killed. Martin's six-year-old sister lost a leg. Horror: Another good Samaritan and emergency workers come to Sydney's aid. Syndey cheated death before after surviving a serious car accident in 2011 . Another of the gravely wounded is 11-year-old Aaron Hern, whose mother, Katherine, was competing in the race. The boy, from Martinez, Calif., had been looking forward to the family trip to Boston. Hewas standing on the street as his father was on the bleachers as they waited for her to finish. 'He . was waiting for his mom to go through the finish line to take pictures . of her and shortly before she got there, the bomb went off,' family . friend Janene Sides said. Shrapnel tore into his leg, seriously wounding the sixth grader whose 12th birthday is in a couple of weeks. 'Dad was up on the bleachers looking down and the crowd got chaotic and he found him lying down,' Sides told ABC News. Emergency . responders quickly applied a tourniquet. Aaron's father was separated . from him and his parents did not immediately know which hospital their . child had been rushed to. Aaron is expected to stay in the hospital for one week. Among the 183 injured is 11-year-old Aaron Hern, who was with his dad when the bomb went off. He was watching his mom run when the shrapnel tore into his leg . Aaron Hern is seen here with his mother, Katherine, who was nearing the finish line when the bombs went off. Shrapnel flew into Aaron's leg as he stood on the street . Kevin Corcoran was with his wife and . teenage daughter when the bombs went off. His wife, Celeste, lost both . of her legs and his child was badly wounded, the New York Daily News said. 'Terrorism ripped apart our family,' his brother, Tim Corcoran, said at a vigil at the the hospital. 'He is an emotional mess,' Tim Corcoran said of his brother. 'His wife just lost both her legs. His daughter almost died.' Csilla Schneider said her 24-year-old . brother, who also lost his legs and became the subject of a gruesome . photo that was shot as he was being led from the scene in a wheelchair. Mom Celeste Corcoran, here with her daughter Sydney and son Tyler, lost both her legs in the terror attack. Sydney was seriously wounded by shrapnel, according to a relative . Husband Kevin Corcoran is 'an emotional mess' after witnessing his wife lose both her legs and his daughter nearly die . LeAnn Yanni, suffered open leg fractures and her husband, Nick, a pierced ear drum were recovering Tuesday at Tufts Medical Center . 'We were about 10 feet from the finish line. It was quite loud,' LeAnn told the Today show. Nick said, 'People were on the ground. A lot of broken limbs – I think I saw a guy with no limbs at all.' Nicole Gross, 31, was behind a fence with her husband, Michael, waiting for her mother to finish when the explosions detonated. According . to a family friend who did not want to be identified, Michael Gross . posted on his private Facebook account that his wife, a personal trainer . at a Charlotte Athletic Club, has compound leg fractures. Nicole Gross, 31, is covered in dirt and blood and looks on in shock as she is surrounded by a scene of carnage. Gross, a personal trainer from Charlotte, N.C., suffered compound fractures in her legs . Nicole Gross, seen here with her husband Michael, and mother Carol Downing. Nicole and Michael were in Boston to watch Carol race in the marathon . The chief of emergency services at Massachusetts General said he had never seen such horrific injuries in his 25 years of experience. 'This is what we expect from war' Doctors described treating injuries more commonly seen in the battlefield. Some patients had up to 40 pieces of shrapnel inside of them. 'I've never obviously been in combat, . but people I've trained with have been and this is as close as I can . imagine it would be,' said Dr. Vivek Shah who had just finished . competing in the race when the two bombs went off. 'Just, basically piles of victims. Everything I saw was a traumatic amputation, basically.' Shah, . an orthopedic surgeon at New England Baptist Hospital in Roxbury . Crossing, Mass., said he saw injuries along the sidewalks on Boylston . Street. 'In all my medical training, I have not seen things that I saw. Everything was traumatic,' Shah told ABC News. Dr. George Velmahos, a trauma surgeon, at Massachusetts General Hospital said this afternoon, he saw, 'completely mangled and shredded limbs. We found spiked points in many - - like nails without heads. 'The EMTs deserve praise for getting them here so fast. Another couple of minutes and some would be dead. The EMTs distributed the patients in a way that no one hospital would be overloaded.' His colleague, Alasdair Conn, chief of emergency . services, said, 'This is something I’ve never seen in my 25 years here . . . this amount of carnage in the civilian population. This is what we . expect from war.' There are 29 patients at Massachusetts General, eight of whom are in critical condition. Dr. Michael Epstein, who works in the . emergency department at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said . at least 24 victims were in their care. The injuries ranged from eardrum . damage to those with life-threatening injuries, with some suffering . 'extensive damage', he added. Brigham and Women's treated 31 patients, many of whom had orthopedic wounds. Five victims are still listed in critical condition as of Tuesday morning. The youngest patients were taken to Boston Children's Hospital. Seven have been discharged with two remaining in critical condition. There were also nine patients at Tufts Medical Center. Destruction: Witnesses are describing how twin bomb blasts turned the 26th mile of the Boston Marathon into a war zone . A man comforts an injured woman on the sidewalk at the scene of the first explosion on Boylston Street near the finish line of the Boston Marathon . Witnesses have described how twin bomb . blasts turned the 26th mile of the Boston Marathon into a war zone, . littering the final stretch of the race with disembodied limbs, wounded . runners who lost their legs, and a lone shoe with flesh still in it. 'There were people all over the ground,' said Roupen Bastajian, 35, a state trooper from Smithfield, RI, who had just finished the race. 'We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs,' he said, helping victims while still wrapped in his post-race heat blanket. 'In 28 years, this is definitely the worst I've seen,' Boston Fire Department District Chief Ron Harrington told NBC News. 'Bodies and body parts. Blood all . over. A little boy lying in the street. A young woman in her twenties. Both dead. It was mayhem. I saw two people with arms hanging loose, and . one without a leg. Helping hand: An official rushed an injured girl away from the scene of the explosions at the Boston Marathon . The homemade explosives were believed to have been made using pressure cookers and metal ball bearings, designed to look like discarded trash and placed inside black dufflebags. Initial . tests showed no use of C-4 or other high-grade explosives, suggesting . that the packages detonated in the attack were crude explosive devices, . federal law enforcement officials said. The . two detonated explosives were packed with metal objects and placed low . to the ground, which could explain why so many victims lost feet, calves . and ankles in the horrific explosions. Massachusetts . General Hospital trauma surgeon George Velmahos said today that a variety of . sharp metal fragments were extracted from victims, including pellets and . nails. 'The experience has been overwhelming; …we’re suffering emotionally for what happened to the people of Boston and many others,' Velmahos said . | The brothers, both roofers, were watching friend run the marathon .
'Ma, I'm hurt real bad,' one of them told their mother from his ambulance .
Among the seriously wounded is .
11-year-old Aaron Hern, who had shrapnel tear into his leg while he .
waited for his mother to finish .
Man watched his wife lose both her legs and daughter gravely wounded .
Three victims, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed .
183 victims were injured, with as many as 10 having lost a limb .
Nine children were wounded, two of whom had their legs amputated .
Victims range from 2 to 71 years old .
Patients had as many as 40 pieces of shrapnel inside them .
'This is what we .
expect from war' one doctor said . |
0cc4a3502eb9b5420e74d38af84964e66c909965 | By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 03:49 EST, 13 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:02 EST, 13 May 2013 . A row has broken out between academics at two Oxford University colleges after a professor said a planned student accommodation block would spoil the views from his rooms. Jonathan Bate, provost of Worcester College and world-renowned Shakespeare expert, has complained that Exeter College's building would be 'overbearing, out of scale and out of character', and would 'obliterate' views from his rooms. However the Rector of Exeter College, Frances Cairncross, has hit back at Professor Bate, saying the accommodation is desperately needed for less well-off students and adding: 'We do not feel that colleges should go out of their way to deprive undergraduates of affordable accommodation.' The Provost of Worcester College, above, has asked his students to object to Exeter College's planned student block . Oxford academics Jonathan Bate, left, and Fiona Cairncross, right are at loggerheads over proposed building . An architect's drawing of how the proposed Exeter College accommodation block would look . The spat began when Prof. Bate sent an email to his students suggesting they oppose Exeter College's plans to build a four-storey block on the former Ruskin College site that would house 90 students. Prof. Bate, a governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company and board member of Princeton University Press, says he, as well as students, Fellows and staff were 'horrified' at Exeter's plans for 'the sensitive western end' of the proposed building that was far too high. He told MailOnline he that his email suggesting students lodge online protests to Exeter's plans was in response to a query from his college's Junior Common Room asking how and on what grounds they might object. The professor's email criticised the 'excessive elevation of the proposed building at the end of the site that overlooks the orchard and our accommodation, and the inappropriately garish and intrusive materials proposed for its roof and upper level', according to the Oxford Student. He said if the undergraduates complained,it would 'help us to reduce the level of intrusiveness upon the College - something for which thousands of students in future generations will thank you.' Representatives from Worcester College took part in talks before the planning process began but no agreement was reached. There were two public consultations and a third especially for Worcester, as well as several meetings with Prof. Bate which resulted in Exeter agreeing to lower the roof line and use different cladding materials. However the academic is still unhappy with the plans that Exeter submitted to Oxford City Council 10 days ago. Worcester College's orchards are more than 700 years old and Professor Bate says they will be overshadowed . Needs more space: Historic Exeter College is short of rooms for undergraduates in the city centre . Prof Bate, 54, whose Grade I-listed lodgings are set in 26 acres of Grade II-listed grounds with a lake, objected to the fact that the new building would overlook Worcester's 700-year-old orchard. And he is also concerned that views from his lodgings towards the eighteenth century Radcliffe astronomical observatory would be ruined, according to the Daily Telegraph. He told MailOnline: 'What we want Exeter to do is step down the end of the building, to bring its height into line with our building next door and to avoid overshadowing the historic orchard so much. 'This would require them to reposition eight student rooms on the lower level elevation facing the road, so they wouldn’t actually lose any accommodation.' But Exeter's Ms Cairncross said that her historic college had the worst student accommodation in the city and urgently needed more rooms for undergraduates who could not afford to rent privately. She told MailOnline: 'We have already reduced the height to meet Worcester’s concerns. 'Any further reduction will mean the loss of 14 student rooms – and that means 14 of our students each year will have to rent on the very expensive private market in Oxford instead of having subsidised College accommodation. 'The rooms are “mini-bursaries” and we need them to reassure families who are not well off that they can afford to send their children to Oxford. That is why they matter so much.' She added: 'We have been on our very constrained site since 1315 and are desperately short of student housing, especially for our third years.' Economist Ms Cairncross said Exeter had 147 student rooms on its city centre site and 320 undergraduates, with further housing on the Iffley Road, an arterial road leading out of the city. Students at Exeter College have come out in support of their rector and her plans. Edward Nickell, president of Exeter's Junior Common Room, said: 'Never mind a b***** college orchard, 2nd and 3rd year Exonians don't even get rooms! 'Worcester have ducks and lakes, while at Exeter we're bottom in Oxford for living costs satisfaction.' | Worcester College provost Jonathan Bate opposes Exeter College's plans .
He says proposed student block is 'out of scale' and will 'obliterate' his view .
Exeter rector Frances Cairncross says historic college needs more space .
Plans for four-storey block submitted to Oxford city council 10 days ago . |
0cc67a6314ab68e3d06337807613acb60e7662cc | (CNN)When fields get plowed, diamonds don't usually pop up. That's unless you're visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. That's where Dean Filppula, an offshore steward from Shreveport, Louisiana, found a yellow 2.01-carat diamond last week. It's finders, keepers at the state park's 37-acre search field, which is named for an ancient eruption that littered the area with gems. The area, which became a state park in 1972, is the only public site in the world where -- for a small fee -- you can dig for diamonds and keep them. The sparkling wedge-shaped stone is about the size of an English pea, park interpreter Waymon Cox said in a news release. It's the largest stone of the 20 found this year, he said. "More than half an inch of rain had fallen two days before his visit, washing loose soil from the surface of the diamond search area, and, no doubt, uncovering the large, yellow gem," Cox said. "Anyone could have found it, but Mr. Filppula was in the right place at the right time." Filppula, who plans to sell the diamond, named it the Merf Diamond after his mother's initials. It's not clear how much Filppula will get for the diamond, and park officials aren't trained to appraise them, according to the park website. But Oklahoma Tara Clymer found a 3.85-carat diamond in 2013 and sold it last year for $20,000. A CNN 50 states pick: Crater of Diamonds . Before Filppula's find, park staff had plowed the area to bring more diamonds to the surface for visitors to find. The 40.23-carat Uncle Sam, the nation's largest diamond, was found in 1924. The "perfect" 3.03-carat Strawn-Wagner diamond was found in 1990, and a man discovered the white 6.19-carat Limitless Diamond in April. The park stretches for more than 900 acres along the Little Missouri River, but the hunt in the diamond field is the big draw. More than 75,000 diamonds have been discovered there since farmer John Huddleston discovered gems on what was then his property in 1906. | A Louisiana man finds a 2-carat diamond in an Arkansas state park .
Crater of Diamonds is the only public diamond search site in the world . |
0cc687f15f35b98af1ace489b0938ae133577997 | (CNN) -- After stints as a guard in the jails of Washington, D.C., and on the streets of post-Katrina New Orleans, Stephen Tyrone Johns had settled in to a job he liked at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, family members said. Security officer Stephen Johns reportedly opened the door for the man police say was his killer. "It seemed to be kind of laid-back -- it didn't seem to be that dangerous," Leroy Carter, the stepfather who helped raise Johns since he was 3, told CNN affiliate WUSA-TV in Washington. "He had wanted to be on the Metro Police force or places like that, but I would have rather him been where he was. "But it just backfired." Johns, 39, was shot and killed while on duty Wednesday -- allegedly gunned down by an 88-year-old white supremacist who stepped into the museum with a rifle and began firing. Johns is remembered by friends and family as a "gentle giant" -- he stood 6 feet 6 inches, according to Carter. And he lived up to the moniker to the very end. One of his last acts was reaching out and opening the door for the man who shot him, police said. Watch museum officials pay tribute » . James von Brunn, an outspoken Holocaust denier who had served six years in prison for a 1981 kidnapping attempt, was shot and wounded by Johns' fellow officers. He remained in critical condition Thursday at George Washington University Hospital. Johns, a six-year veteran of the museum's security staff, was a resident and native of Temple Hills, Maryland. In the hours following the shooting, friends and co-workers repeatedly remembered "Big John" for his quiet, friendly nature. "To look at him initially he was very intimidating," said Alan Burkee, a friend and former co-worker at the museum. "But he was very shy. ... He had a great demeanor -- very pleasant, very courteous to all the visitors that came in and the staff that worked there." Friends said Johns was an avid Washington Redskins fan and loved to travel, but lived just 10 minutes away from where his mother and stepfather raised him. He had an 11-year-old son, Stephen Jr., and recently had remarried, according to friends. "He was a pretty great guy," Stephen Johns Jr., known as "Little Stephen" to family, told WUSA. "He was always there for me when I was down or sad." Carter had picked up Stephen after school to tell him the news of the shooting, and the two were on the way to the hospital when Johns died. Steve Maritas is organizing director with the International Union of Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America -- of which Johns was a member. He said the way Johns and his fellow officers responded Wednesday saved lives -- and it flies in the face of the stereotype of the run-of-the-mill security guard. "If that was the case, there would have been 50 people shot yesterday," said Maritas, whose organization represents more than 30,000 officers nationally and about 5,000 in the Washington area. "These guys are very highly trained, highly paid officers. It's not like they're just there wearing a uniform." Johns had worked for Wackenhut Security Inc. since 2003. Maritas said Johns and his colleagues trained for days like Wednesday -- when years of safety and quiet give way to a sudden burst of terror. "Hopefully, you'll never have to use your gun," he said. "But you get a situation where you get a crazy guy like this -- it happens within two or three seconds." For Carter, there will always a clear reminder of the stepson he raised as his own. Little Stephen, he said, looks and acts just like his father did at that age. Carter said he takes comfort knowing that the roughly 2,000 people visiting the Holocaust museum at the time of the attack were able to walk away unharmed. "That guy wouldn't have stopped until he was stopped," Carter said. | Stephen Johns was prison guard, worked in New Orleans before museum .
"Gentle giant" opened door for the man accused of killing him, police say .
Security guard, 39, loved Washington Redskins, traveling .
Eleven-year-old son says dad was "a pretty great guy" |
0cc7a96f019f5fdfc6230458271c19dc1f64c8c2 | NBC's Nancy Snyderman has been told to 'take some time off' after she broke her Ebola quarantine to visit her favorite soup restaurant. The 62-year-old medical correspondent was ordered to avoid all human contact for 21 days as doctors treated her cameraman Ashoka Mukpo after he contracted the deadly virus in Liberia. Despite this, Dr Snyderman and her team visited the Peasant Grill soup restaurant in New Jersey, sparking fears that Ebola could spread further. Scroll down for video . NBC medical correspondent Nancy Snyderman has been released from her Ebola quarantine but will not return to work until November . Witnesses claimed the physician and broadcaster wore sunglasses with her hair in a ponytail as she pulled up outside the restaurant and a man dashed in to grab the order, according to TMZ. After three weeks, the doctor and her team's quarantine is over, but, instead of returning to the nation's screens, the doctor has been sent home until at least November. A statement from NBC said: 'While in Liberia Dr Nancy and her team delivered first class, first-hand reporting from the front lines of this tragic and monumental story. Their subsequent departure from Monrovia, their return to the U.S. and period of quarantine has been a challenging time. 'We have encouraged them – and they have agreed – to take some time off with their families and friends to help restore some normalcy to their lives. We very much look forward to their return next month.' The statement added that the network were relieved to say that Dr Snyderman and the rest of the crew were 'healthy and symptom-free'. After being put in isolation because her cameraman contracted the deadly Ebola virus, Dr Snyderman came under criticism for breaking her quarantine to visit her favorite soup restaurant in New Jersey . Witnesses claimed the physician and broadcaster wore sunglasses with her hair in a ponytail as she pulled up outside Peasant Grill (pictured) In a televised interview yesterday, Ebola survivor Mr Mukpo gave his first interview in which the journalist revealed he believed 'something isn't right' about his receiving top notch medical care in America while thousands suffer in Africa, some with no treatment at all. Mukpo told NBC News that he's massively thankful for everything that helped him survive, but he remains careful not to celebrate too soon. 'For me to kind of know that I got sick, and then was so fortunate to receive the kind of care that I got, when so many people have nothing even approximating slightly that kind of care, it's a heavy feeling.' The 33-year-old, who was deemed a 'tulku' — or reincarnated Tibetan Buddhist lama — as an infant clarified that 'guilt' is not the 'right word.' 'But it — it just feels like something isn't right about that,' Mukpo told NBC. The Rhode Island native also detailed to interviewer Kate Snow the physical pain he endured while fighting off Ebola, which continued even as he prepared to finally head home. 'There's definitely some physical effects of this that I think are gonna last a while. But I can feel my strength coming back every day,' he said. 'There was a period of time that I was quite sick. And, you know, I was laying in a hospital bed and had no strength. Had various pains. And — and just all kinds of fun stuff going on in my body.' Going home at last: Ebola survivor Ashoka Mukpo, an NBC freelance cameraman, poses with his father, Dr. Mitchell Levy and his partner Helen Finlay after being discharged from a special unit at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska on Wednesday . High spirits: Mukpo said he's feeling much better since being declared Ebola-free, but admitted he's got a heavy heart thinking about his privileged level of care compared to the victims he left behind in Liberia . First interview: Muko spoke out on television for the first time Wednesday and detailed his struggle against Ebola and his experience as one of the few Americans who've been treated in the U.S. Thanks to a blood transfusion from Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly and the experimental anti-viral brincidofovir, the fun has just about stopped. However, Mukpo won't admit to any regrets. 'It's not something that I will look back on and say, you know, it was the wrong decision to do,' he told NBC. 'But it's also important to keep yourself safe. So, I mean, it's hard to call Ebola a learning experience. But I think that I'm gonna walk away from this with some important lessons for the future.' Ashoka Mukpo's battle against Ebola officially ended Tuesday as the NBC cameraman tested negative for the deadly virus for the third consecutive day. 'Just got my results. 3 consecutive days negative. Ebola free and feeling so blessed,' the 33-year-old tweeted from his Nebraska hospital bed. Mukpo announced his good news along with a tweet of support to infected Dallas nurses Amber Vinson and Nina Pham as Pham's condition was officially upgraded to 'good.' 'Still thinking about those nurses. Look forward to the day you two get news like this too...,' he wrote before signing off Tuesday evening. Thanking his caregivers: Mukpo is greeted by Biocontainment Unit nursing director Shelly Schwedhelm after being discharged from a special unit at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha . Lots of love: Mukpo is seen here with his father Dr. Mitchell Levy after being discharged. Mukpo, who contracted the virus while working in West Africa, is the second patient to be successfully treated for Ebola, according to the hospital . University of Nebraska Medical Center's Angela Hewlett MD, left, Phil Smith MD, center, and Shelly Schwedhelm speak to the media regarding Mukpo on Wednesday. Hospital officials had said Tuesday that Mukpo's blood tested negative for the virus . The Nebraska Medical Center said Tuesday afternoon that Ashoka Mukpo's blood tested negative for the virus. He will be allowed to leave a biocontainment unit Wednesday. Mukpo said in a statement that recovering from Ebola 'is a truly humbling feeling.' For the second day in a row, Mukpo heaped on the praise, thanks and answers to questions so many have had since he was admitted to the specially-equipped ward October 6 after contracting Ebola in Liberia. 'I fought and won, with lots of help. Amazing feeling,' he gushed. The knowledge that there's no more virus in my blood is a profound relief. I'm so lucky. Wish everyone who got sick could feel this.' Mukpo made sure to acknowledge his fellow Americans still fighting their battles against Ebola. Scarier times: Here, Mukpo is seen being wheeled into the Nebraska hospital after flying back to the U.S. from Liberia October 6 . When Ashoka Mukpo was just 8 months old, his father - Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche - announced that the boy was a 'tulku' - the reincarnation of a Tibetan Buddhist Lama. Mr Mukpo later traveled to Tibet, where he was enthroned and honored as the ninth reincarnation of Khamnyon Rinpoche, 'the Mad Yogi of Kham.' A further twist in the cameraman's life: Trungpa, who is considered his father, is not his biological dad. His biological father is actually Mitchell Levy - a Jewish doctor from New York who was Trungpa's personal physician - whom his mother Lady Diana Mukpo was sleeping with at the time. When Ashoka Mukpo was just 8 months old, his father - Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche - announced that the boy was a 'tulku' - the reincarnation of a Tibetan Buddhist Lama . The 33-year-old Mr Mukpo remains a Buddhist. But, despite his wild family history and divine lineage, he has rejected the path of a monk. Instead, he chose a life working for nonprofits and has said his calling is to help alleviate suffering in the world. After his father Trungpa died in 1987, his mother married his biological father, Dr Levy and moved to quiet suburban Providence, Rhode Island. Mr Mukpo's father was a hard-drinking, womanizing Buddhist luminary who founded the first Buddhist monastery in the West and taught the likes of Davie Bowie, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and Joni Mitchell in the 1960s and 70s. Chögyam Trungpa was known for his wild, hedonistic Tantric parties that were fueled by drugs, booze and sex. He frequently seduced and slept with his students - claiming that it would help them on their path to enlightenment. Mukpo's girlfriend Helen Finlay had traveled to Nebraska Medical Center, where Ashoka is being treated, along with his parents Dr Mitchell Levy and Lady Diana Mukpo (left) He died at age 48 in 1987 from complications from extreme alcoholism after founding the Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery in Galloway, Scotland, and the Shambhala Mountain Center outside Boulder, Colorado. His mother is Lady Diana Judith Mukpo, born Diana Pybus, the daughter of a wealthy London lawyer. She attended Benenden School, an all-girl's boarding school in Kent, England, where she is thought to have been a contemporary of Princess Anne and Baroness Manningham-Buller, former Director General of MI5. In December 1968, aged 15 and on her Christmas break from Benenden, Diana met 28-year-old Chögyam Mukpo, or Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche as he was known as a lama, at the Buddhist Society in London’s Eccleston Square. In the documentary Tulku, she recalled the first time she laid eyes on the monk, saying: 'I felt like I'd known him for lifetimes. Just immediate, instantaneous lifetime connection. and the rest is history.' She later sneaked out of her boarding school stole into his hotel room that night. She later recalled that she had been hoping that she would end up in bed with him when she introduced herself. Trungpa, who had been having sex since age 13, obliged. Trungpa had traveled to Britain in 1963 on a scholarship to study at Oxford University after fleeing the Chinese occupation of Tibet, and shortly before meeting Diana, he had been teaching David Bowie about Buddhism. In 1970, Diana, just 16 and the Tibetan guru, aged 30, ran away to Scotland to marry. The sensational story of the lawyer's teenage daughter who ran away to marry a monk nearly twice her age became front page news. | Nancy Snyderman has been released from her 21-day Ebola quarantine .
She caused outrage by visiting favorite soup restaurant while in isolation .
Instead of returning to screens, she has been told to 'take some time off'
Under fire medical correspondent will not be back on NBC until November .
Cameraman Ashoka Mukpo gives first interview since cleared of Ebola . |
0cc7b2f94f5e1e81b6d885ccc48962d9d0b7dadc | British detectives hunting for missing Madeleine McCann are looking for two German-speaking men whose computer-generated images will be broadcast on special TV appeals this week. Scotland Yard says the un-identified men were seen in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz at the time when Madeleine, then aged three, went missing on May 3, 2007. Witnesses told Portuguese police who originally investigated the case that they saw two German-speaking men at the resort that day, but little or no importance was placed on them at the time. Now British detectives are keen to trace the two individuals to establish if they are connected to Madeleine’s disappearance or to eliminate them from the investigation, a Scotland Yard spokesman said. Scroll down for video . Moving: The McCanns during their Crimewatch interview to be broadcast tomorrow. They say they are hopeful . Fateful: The reconstruction will show Maddie's last game of tennis with her father before she went missing in 2007 . It will also show the moment she was taken from her holiday bed in Praia da Luz in Portugal six years ago . The E-Fit (Electronic Facial Identification Technique) images of individuals based on eyewitness reports will be broadcast on Crimewatch on BBC1 at 9pm. Similar appeals will be made on Dutch programme Opsporing Verzocht (Investigation Required) on Tuesday night, and on the German version of Crimewatch, Aktenzeichen XY . . . Ungelost (Case Files XY . . . Unsolved) on Wednesday night, as Madeleine’s parents make an international appeal for information. Kate and Gerry McCann, both 45, will fly to Munich on Wednesday to make a live appeal from the studios of Aktenzeichen, which is watched by five million viewers. A spokesman for the German programme said: ‘The reviewing and analysis of all available information has led to new insights and leads that, for the first time, point to Germany. Aktenzeichen shows the photofits of two men, who apparently spoke German, and to whom little or no importance was previously attached.’ The McCanns previously visited Germany in 2007 to make an appeal because a high number of German tourists were in the Algarve region when Madeleine went missing. Missing: Maddie with her younger siblings, twins Sean and Amelie, who are now eight . The latest mugshots will also be shown on Dutch TV as the two ‘German speakers’ may have been talking Dutch, as the two languages are often confused, said a police source in the Netherlands. Tomorrow’s Crimewatch programme will feature a dramatic reconstruction of the moment Madeleine went missing, giving the most detailed sequence of events ever made public that led to her disappearance from the holiday apartment where she was sleeping. The reconstruction – which includes Mr McCann’s 6pm tennis lesson when Madeleine acted as ballgirl – will be accompanied by a moving interview by presenter Kirsty Young with Kate and Gerry McCann. They talk about how much they miss Madeleine, who would be ten today. They will make a live appeal for members of the public to come forward with information. In a statement, the McCanns said: ‘We are greatly encouraged by new information coming to light, with the pieces of the jigsaw now fitting together. Kate and Gerry McCann will fly to Munich on Wednesday to make a live appeal on TV to five million viewers . The tennis match reconstruction is based on this image, which Maddie's parents distributed in a bid to find her . ‘We are really hopeful that the appeal on Crimewatch will bring further evidence which will take us a step closer to finding Madeleine.’ The Met refused to comment on whether the two men they were looking for were German-speakers, but a family friend said that detectives were on the ‘brink of a breakthrough’. The Met officer leading the investigation, Detective Inspector Andy Redwood, will make a live appeal for information on the programme. This image was released of what Maddie might look like now. The McCanns said they feel a step closer . Since Scotland Yard began reviewing the case in 2011, detectives have interviewed 442 people in 30 different countries and have drawn up a list of 41 potential suspects. Officers are pursuing 4,920 lines of inquiry, of which 2,123 had been ‘completed’.’ Detectives now believe that their ‘timeline’ holds the key to discovering what happened to Madeleine. Det Insp Redwood said: ‘Our work has significantly changed the accepted version of events and it has allowed us to highlight very specific appeal points. ‘I hope that when the public see our investigative strands drawn together, it will bring in new information that moves our investigation forward.’ | Scotland Yard were aware of the two men when Maddie went missing in 2007 .
They were dismissed but the investigation team now want to find them .
E-fits of the suspects will be broadcast on Crimewatch on Monday at 9pm .
Similar appeals will be made on Dutch and German television next week .
Kate and Gerry McCann will fly to Munich to make live appeal on Wednesday . |
0cc9a620c53eac715ae3630f9d1d06fd4b19e0fd | By . Nina Golgowski . PUBLISHED: . 18:34 EST, 4 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:53 EST, 4 August 2012 . Recovering: Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., seen in 2008, is receiving treatment at a facility in Arizona after collapsing at his home in Washington, D.C. two months ago . Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is suffering from debilitating depression and even collapsed at his home in Washington two months ago it’s been revealed after his office and family's near eight weeks of silence. Offering new detail into her husband's secretive leave of absence, the Illinois Congressman's wife reveals his inpatient evaluation for depression and 'gastrointestinal issues' while dispelling rumours he tried to commit suicide. ‘Jesse told his father he was so exhausted, he couldn’t take another step,’ Sandi Jackson recalled to the Chicago Sun-Times of the moments before her husband's collapse on June 10. ‘I was in Chicago, when Jesse —who was . at home in Washington, D.C., collapsed,’ she told the paper. ‘His . father, Rev. Jackson, called him on the phone and felt he didn’t sound . right. She said that . contrary to the rumours, her husband did not try to kill himself and was . not being treated for alcohol or drug addiction. 'No, no, none of that is true,' she said. The . Chicago Democrat and son of civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson . has since June 10 been off the job for nearly eight weeks. Throughout that time, his office has . released little information, and only revealed his whereabouts a week . ago, when Jackson was transferred to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. In . that announcement, Jackson's office said he was undergoing 'extensive . inpatient evaluation for depression and gastrointestinal issues.' Stressful time: The timing of Jackson's medical leave raised flags coming during an ethics investigation into his possible connections to the scandal-clad former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich . Investigation: Blagojevich, left of then-Senator Barack Obama and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, was arrested on federal corruption charges with Jackson accused of raising money for him in exchange for Obama's vacated Senate seat . 'His collapse was D-Day for us,' his wife told Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed, adding that her husband had become 'completely debilitated by depression.' The congressman's father and his brother Yusef took him to George Washington hospital, she said. 'He called and told me not to worry, but it was obvious he was suffering from a form of depression,' Mrs. Jackson said. 'So Yusef took him at my suggestion to the Sierra Tucson Treatment Center in Arizona, where they specialize in mental health.' She said it was there that a question arose about whether the depression could be 'due to a lack of nutrients' and linked to a 2004 procedure he underwent to help him lose weight. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., are considering that possibility, she said. 'They are now trying to find out if his depression, which has not yet been diagnosed as a bipolar disorder, is connected to the weight-loss surgery. We don't know,' she said. 'Jesse is now gaining weight and eating and feeling better in that sense, but he is still very depressed.' Help: His father Rev Jesse Jackson, pictured, decided his son didn't sound right, prompting him to take him to the George Washington Hospital . Treatment: The Illinois representative is receiving treatment at the Sierra Tucson Treatment Center in Arizona, pictured, after first transferred to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota . The timing of Jackson's medical leave has raised questions, in part because Jackson is facing an ethics investigation in the U.S. House connected to imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that Jackson was involved in discussions about raising money for Blagojevich's campaign in exchange for the then-governor appointing him to President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. Jackson was not charged and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Days before Jackson's office announced his leave, a fundraiser and family friend also involved in the probe, Raghuveer Nayak, was arrested and charged with unrelated medical fraud charges. Depression: Seen here in 2004, it's the same year he underwent a procedure to help him lose weight which doctors say could be behind his recent depression, due to a resulting lack of nutrients . But Mrs. Jackson said her husband's family and staff had already decided to impose a news blackout at the start of his treatment 'to enable him to heal,' and she said her husband isn't aware of Nayak's arrest. 'He doesn't know anything about the indictment,' she said. Sandi Jackson could not say when her husband might return to work. 'I fully expect him to return to work, but not a day before the doctor says it's OK. That's the word we are waiting for,' she said. | Wife Sandi Jackson dispels rumours husband tried to commit suicide and is receiving drug treatment .
Illinois Congressman has been out of office for nearly eight weeks .
His office has remained tight-lipped over his whereabouts .
Medical leave comes during ethics investigation over then-Senator Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat . |
0cc9c8272078e0f868920254060d369b8114038a | Jessica Silva has been found guilty of manslaughter for the stabbing death of her estranged drug-using partner following years of abuse. Ms Silva, from Marrickville in Sydney's inner-west, lay down in the dock and began screaming and crying after the jury delivered their verdict following five days of anxious waiting. Ms Silva was accused of stabbing James Polkinghorne, 28, up to five times outside her family home in Marrickville in Sydney's inner west on Mother's Day in 2012. Scroll down for video . Jessica Silva leaving NSW Supreme Court after being found guilty of manslaughter for the stabbing death of her estranged partner following years of abuse . The 24-year-old pleaded not guilty to murder on the basis of self defence, with the Supreme Court hearing she had suffered years of abuse at the hands of her boyfriend of four years. Over the course of her trial, Silva repeatedly broke down as the court was played phone conversations in which her estranged partner abuses and insults her, before threatening to 'cave her face in'. In one text sent to Silva on the day he was stabbed, Mr Polkinghorne wrote: 'I hope your mother gets poisoned by the flowers that you give her and you get gang raped.' Ms Silva claims that Mr Polkinghorne attacked her outside her family home, fighting with her brother and father while she ran inside. She claims he punched her and ripped her pants before she retrieved a knife to defend herself with, stabbing him up to five times, reported 9 News. Mr Polkinghorne died later from wounds to the back and shoulder. The court found her not guilty of the murder of Mr Polkinghorne but guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. The 24-year-old pleaded not guilty to murder on the basis of self defence, with the Supreme Court hearing she had suffered years of abuse at the hands of her boyfriend of four years . Minutes before the jury came back into court the 24-year-old was crying and hugging supporters as they became increasingly distressed by the news that a verdict was to be delivered. Ms Silva's father allegedly told Mr Polkinghorne's mother 'I will never forgive you', telling her that she 'could have stopped this'. Silva, who has been on bail throughout the trial and has been sitting next to her lawyer, was then asked to step into the dock for the first time. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that a jury of seven men and five women were not able to reach a unanimous decision on Ms Silva's guilt. Judge Clifton Hoeben gave the jury further instructions before they returned with their verdict for the 24-year-old. After the jury left the room, Justice Clifton Hoeben said he would be considering a large 'spectrum' of sentences for Silva from non-custodial to custodial. 'I have a completely open mind,' he said. He said Silva's bail should be continued before she returns to court for sentencing in February. The crown said the case was 'not a popularity contest' and no matter what Mr Polkinghorne had done while he was alive, disputes were not solved by force. But Silva's barrister, Gregory Scragg, said all she had ever wanted was for Mr Polkinghorne to stop hurting her. At the time of his death, Mr Polkinghorne was the suspect in another murder case, reported The ABC. Evidence from the murder investigation of Nikolas Argiropoulos was used as evidence in Ms Silva's trial. Her trial heard recordings of a series of frantic phone calls she made to her brother Miguel in the hours before Mr Polkinghorne died. Ms Silva arrived at court on Thursday morning after five days of waiting for a jury verdict . , Minutes before the jury came back into court the 24-year-old was crying and hugging supporters as they became increasingly distressed by the news that a verdict was to be delivered . Ms Silva was accused of stabbing James Polkinghorne, 28, up to five times outside her family home in Marrickville in Sydney's inner west on Mother's Day in 2012 . According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Polkinghore texted Ms Silva on Mother's Day calling her a 'f---ing slut', saying she deserved to be raped and threatening to come over to smash up her parents' house. 'He reckons he's gonna come and kill me, right now,' Silva says in one call to her brother Miguel. When Miguel tells her to call the cops, an increasingly distressed Silva replies: 'Why do you think I don't tell them so he can bash me up all the f***ing time. I'm sick of it ... and I don't know what to f***ing do any more.' 'Is there anyone we can f***ing contact ... to get him killed or something?' she asks, later adding: 'Don't worry I'll f***ing stab him myself'. When Mr Polkinghorne arrived outside the family home that night, Miguel told the court he was 'screaming and carrying on' and that his sister was afraid for her and her family's life. When Miguel went outside with his sister in an attempt to calm the situation, he alleged Mr Polkinghorne came quickly towards him. 'He tried to punch me. I think when I put my hand up, and he broke my finger,' Miguel added. Jessica Silva reportedly used this knife to stab her ex-boyfriend to death . Mr Polkinghorne was allegedly carrying this pipe on him when he went to Jessica Silva's house on the night of his death . This image shows the alleged drugs that were on Mr Polkinghorne on the night he died . Moments later, the two men were on the ground with Mr Polkinghorne on top, grabbing Miguel near his throat, the court heard. 'Was he screaming out, `I'm going to get you, you f***ing c*** ... I'm going to kill youse (sic)'?' defence barrister Gregory Scragg asked. 'Yeah,' Miguel replied. It wasn't until their father came outside to help wrestle Mr Polkinghorne to the ground that he saw blood everywhere and noticed the 28-year-old had a gash to his head, the court heard. Miguel said his sister was the only person he saw with a knife that night. She allegedly stabbed him four or five times to the back, shoulder and head and he died on the road while Miguel and Ms Silva's father restrained him. In the weeks before Mr Polkinghorne's death, Miguel told the court the 28-year-old had become increasingly paranoid from the drug 'ice'. 'The drugs had gotten to him really bad.' | Jessica Silva was accused of murdering her estranged partner James Polkinghorne in 2012 by stabbing him up to five times outside her home .
Ms Silva pleaded not guilty to the charges and on Thursday afternoon NSW Supreme Court found her guilty for the lesser charge of manslaughter .
The court heard her Mr Polkinghorne had been abusive and had attacked Ms Silva and her family outside their home before she stabbed him .
Mr Polkinghore texted Ms Silva calling her a 'f---ing slut', saying she deserved to be raped, and threatening to smash up her parents' house .
In the weeks before his death he had become increasingly paranoid after taking ice .
The 24-year-old was crying and hugging supporters as she waited for a verdict and became increasingly distressed .
Ms Silva lay down in the dock and screamed after the jury delivered their verdict after five days of waiting .
Her bail will continue before her sentencing in February next year . |
0ccb903b3e03a7098730323649fc5139c1b37166 | Iconic: Thirty years ago this month, influential teen magazine Just Seventeen launched and after its untimely close in 2004, Stylist magazine have paid tribute . Thirty years ago this month influential teen magazine Just Seventeen landed on newsagents' shelves. With its hunky cover stars (Ronan Keating in a lilac satin shirt is just one example), sex tips and informative advice pages for girls who might have 'gone too far behind the bike sheds', J17, as it came to be known, was the best thing about Wednesdays. The publication folded in 2004 after losing a third of its readership, but Stylist.co.uk have paid tribute to the magazine that defined our teenage years (and beyond) with a brilliant open letter this week ... "Dear Just Seventeen, we know you won't read this now that you're gone, but we owe you a thank you. We only spent a few years together, but I'll never forget them. When we met, we weren't 'just seventeen' at all. We were barely 13, stuck in small towns and dreaming of more. All we remember of our first encounter was that we were quickly smitten. With your advice (yes to backcombed hair, no to sensible shoes), celebrity gossip and knowledge of all things boy-shaped, you were like the most popular girl at school… except you actually wanted to hang out with us. Every Wednesday we would hot-foot it to the newsagent and hand over 70p and revel in your company. The shop shelves were filled with other teen mags, but they were never as cool as you. OK, . so you had a fondness for Terry from East 17. But you also introduced . us to Keanu Reeves, The Smashing Pumpkins, Damon Albarn and River . Phoenix. Although, as we learned from real life stories such as, 'Suspended For Loving Keanu', it's important to keep your celebrity . crushes in perspective. While other mags swooned over 90210 heartthrob Jason Priestley, you leaned towards bad boy Luke Perry who was much hotter. Best friend: 'With your advice (yes to backcombed hair, no to sensible shoes), celebrity gossip and knowledge of all things boy-shaped, you were like the most popular girl at school' You championed outsiders and made us feel slightly less of one. You didn't flaunt flashy clothes or . expensive make-up, but taught us how to make a banana face scrub - . utilised pre-school disco. And when he still didn't ask us to dance, you . helped us with 'Make Him Yours With Zero Effort'. You . taught us boys (aka boyfs) were fun - but friends were better. And you . talked about sex a lot, which we didn't always quite understand but we . still read and stored away for future knowledge. But . despite our infatuation, in the end, it was us who dumped you for a . glossier, more experienced crowd. Although, they were never as fun as . you. A few years later, you shortened your name to J-17, and only came out once a month. Helpful advice: You taught us boys (aka boyfs) were fun - but friends were better. And you talked about sex a lot, which we didn't always quite understand but we still read and stored away for future knowledge . Teenagers were growing up fast and suddenly didn't feel the need for your sassy thinkpieces and cool quizzes. We feel sorry for them today with their Snapchat, they haven't had your knowing hand to guide them away from mistakes and towards self-confidence. We hoped we'd meet again when we were older and working on a magazine. But in 2004, you went away forever. followed by those other teen titles Sugar, Smash Hits and More!. We still miss you, but at least we've got Luke Perry. " To read the full article, which includes a piece by Just Seventeen's launch editor, David Hepworth, and new advice pages by agony aunt and uncle Anita Naik and Nick Fisher, visit Stylist's website. | Launched in 1983 but closed in 2004 after circulation fell by a third .
Cover stars included Ronan Keating, Madonna and Mandy Smith .
Stylist.co.uk pays tribute to the magazine that 'defined our teenage years' |
0ccc268cb5ed0f73245a763c063c0ffb6711d081 | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 11:44 EST, 2 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:05 EST, 3 April 2013 . An abused dog was left tied to a rock next to rising creek water, it has emerged. The dog was spotted clinging to life next to the creek in north east Pennsylvania on Saturday. Passer-by Wyatt Erb spotted the Labrador mix as he walked with his wife. He immediately jumped into the Newshaminy Creek, in Bristol Township, and saved the dog. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Horrific: This abused dog was left tied to a rock next to a rising creek . Holding on: The dog was spotted clinging to life next to this creek in north east Pennsylvania on Saturday . He told NBC News: 'The leash was actually hooked to a stone in the ground. It’s not something the dog could have done by itself.' Police officers have said his actions saved the dog's life. Sergeant Thomas Gaffney of the Bristol Police Department said: 'She would have drowned more than likely if the water got high enough.' Detectives say the dog suffered from years of abuse and also had a tumour on one of her legs which was never treated. Lifesaver: Wyatt Erb spotted the dog as he walked with his wife. He immediately jumped into the creek to save the dog . Grim: Police believe it was the dog's owner who tried to kill her by tying the pet up inside the creek . Sgt Gaffney said he believes it was the dog's owner who tried to kill her by tying the pet up inside the creek.Detectives are now hunting for the owner of the dog. The dog, which is between the ages of 8 and 11, also suffered from an eye infection and was extremely emaciated. She will be taken to an animal shelter later this week and will soon be available for adoption. | The dog was clinging to life next to a creek in north east Pennsylvania .
A passer-by spotted the Labrador mix and jumped into creek to save its life . |
0ccc42764a603809f5549ca5664ccc716b44863a | By . Steve Doughty, Social Affairs Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 18:30 EST, 9 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:47 EST, 10 June 2013 . Doing it alone: In parts of the North of England, 75 per cent of families are headed by a single parent. Most of them are mothers . A million children are growing up in ‘men deserts’, living without a father and rarely meeting an adult man, a study of family breakdown said yesterday. It said the continuing increase in the number of lone parent families means that in some areas three out of four families are headed by one parent. Their children, most of whom are growing up without fathers, lack the influence of men not only at home but also in the other key areas of their lives, the report from the Centre for Social Justice said. In particular few ever meet men at school. One in four of all primary schools has no male teacher and four out of five have fewer than three, it found. The report described the impact of family breakdown as an ‘emergency’ and said that the response of politicians of both Left and Right has been ‘feeble’. It urged David Cameron to ‘get a grip’. The findings are potentially embarrassing for the Prime Minister because the Centre for Social Justice is the brainchild of Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who launched it in 2004 shortly after being deposed as Tory leader. Its director Christian Guy said: ‘For all of the promises the Conservatives made in opposition, hardly anything has been done to resist the tsunami of family breakdown battering the United Kingdom.’ The study, Family Breakdown: The State Of The Nation, said numbers of lone parent families are rising by 20,000 a year and will reach a total of two million before the next election in 2015. Some areas are dominated by single parent families, it found. In one area of Sheffield, Manor Castle, 75 per cent of households with dependent children are lone parent families. In Liverpool Riverside, Birmingham Ladywood and Bidston and St James in Birkenhead, the level is more than 70 per cent, and in 15 other places more than 60 per cent. In all, 236 localities have more than 50 per cent of homes with children headed by a sole mother. Male figures: On top of a million children having no worthwhile contact with their fathers, the lack of male primary school teachers is adding to the crisis in male role models . Founder: Iain Duncan Smith launched the Centre for Social Justice in 2004. Its report said David Cameron needs to 'get a grip' on the situation . League Table: The report said the lack of male role models is a national crisis but that parts of the North of England are the worst-off . The report said half of all children . now being born will not grow up with both their birth parents and that . in all a million children have no worthwhile contact with their fathers. It . added: ‘Lack of male role models in many young lives is further . compounded by the dearth of male teachers within state primary schools. Money matters: Single parent households are costing taxpayers £46 billion a year . Although . these trends are nationwide, they are particularly pronounced in our . poorest communities where two thirds of all young adolescents have seen . their parents part.’ It said the costs of family break-up were ‘devastating’, adding that children from broken families are 50 per cent more likely to do badly at school, struggle to make friends, find it difficult to control their behaviour, or to overcome anxiety and depression. The report estimated the cost of family break-up, including the price in benefits for state support of families without work, at £46billion a year, or £1,541 for each taxpayer. It projected that the bill will rise to £49billion by 2015. The main engine of family break-up, it said, is the spread of cohabitation. ‘It is the instability of cohabiting couples rather than a surge in divorce rates that is fuelling the disintegration of the UK family,’ the report said. ‘Since 1996, the number of people cohabiting has doubled to nearly six million. Cohabiting parents are three times more likely to separate by the time a child is aged five than married couples.’ Since the election Mr Cameron has failed to act on his pledge to give a tax break to married couples. He has, however, promoted same-sex marriage even though there was no mention of the subject in the Tory manifesto or the Coalition agreement. | Number of single-parent families rising by 20,000 each year .
Areas of Sheffield, Liverpool and Birmingham have largest amount of single parents .
Children from broken homes 50 per cent more likely to struggle at school .
Family break-ups are costing taxpayers £46 billion a year . |
0ccc44524a08ad2606fa8847884e2b89f2957a6f | By . Chris Wheeler . Follow @@ChrisWheelerDM . Manchester City are close to tying up a £6million deal for Willy Caballero after the Malaga goalkeeper flew into the country on Monday. Cabellero, 32, is expected to undergo a medical before completing his move to the Premier League champions. The Argentine, who worked with City boss Manuel Pellegrini at Malaga, will come in as No 2 to England goalkeeper Joe Hart following Costel Pantilimon’s move to Sunderland on a free transfer. Determined: Caballero wants to oust Joe Hart as Manchester City's No 1 goalkeeper . Safe hands: Caballero keeps out a shot from Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez (right) during a La Liga clash . Time to strengthen: City boss Manuel Pellegrini is busy adding to his squad ahead of the new season . It is understood that the fee for Cabellero could rise to £10m based on appearances and the club’s success during his time at the Etihad. He becomes City’s third signing of the summer following the arrivals of midfielder Fernando from FC Porto and Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna. The club’s priority remains a central defender, however, and it seems increasingly like that Pellegrini will move for Roma’s Mehdi Benatia if his first-choice, Eliaquim Mangala of Porto, continues to stall over a move. New boy: France defender Bacary Sagna has already joined City on a free transfer from Arsenal this summer . Target: Pellegrini could move for Roma's Mehd Benatia (pictured) if he fails to sign Eliaqium Mangala from Porto . | Goalkeeper Caballero will provide competition for Joe Hart .
Manuel Pellegrini worked with the Argentine during his time in La Liga .
The deal could rise to £10million depending on appearances and success .
No 2 keeper Costel Pantilimon left City for Sunderland this summer .
Bacary Sagna and Fernando have already moved to the Etihad .
Pellegrini will target Roma's Mehdi Benatia if he cannot sign Eliaquim Mangala from Porto . |
0ccc596a430104060ee303b1bfcb5f5ea6e04f7c | It is a rare - and brutal - example of nature at work. A powerful golden eagle swoops on an unsuspecting Sika deer, digs in its claws in and tries to drag its prey away. These images, captured by zoologists in a nature reserve the remote Lazovsky region of southeast Russia, show a particularly audacious attack which sees the eagle fell an animal several times its own size. Swoop: This golden eagle soars in and sinks its claws into a Sika deer . Dig in: The powerful bird starts to lift the panicked animal from the ground . Lift-off: The eagle spreads its wings before lifting the deer from the ground . Although the golden eagle is notorious . for its bold hunts, and have been caught attacking coyote and even a . young bear, experts believe this is the first documented attack on a . deer. The three frame show just two seconds of action, and were taken accidentally by scientists researching the endangered Siberian tiger in 2011. The pictures, and a description of the event, were published in this month's Journal of Raptor Research. Linda Kerley, of the Zoological Society of London, found the shots during a routine equipment check. After discovering the astonishing photograph, Ms Kerley and her colleagues found a carcass which they believed to be that of the unfortunate deer just yards away. She said: 'It's the first time I've seen anything like it. It's rare for golden eagles to snatch up deer. 'I . saw the deer carcass first as I approached the trap on a routine check . to switch out memory cards and change batteries, but something felt . wrong about it. 'There were no large carnivore tracks in the snow, and it looked like the deer had been running and then just stopped and died. Impact: In this shot the eagle makes contact with the deer . Drag: The bird can then be seen digging its claws in and starting to drag its prey away . Endgame: The eagle then drags the deer out of shot to make its meal . 'It was only after we got back to . camp that I checked the images from the camera and pieced everything . together. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I've been assessing deer causes of death in Russia for 18 years, this is the first time I've seen anything like this.' Dr . Jonathan Slaght, from the Wildlife Conservation Society - which works . with the Zoological Soceity - said: 'The scientific literature is full . of references to golden eagle attacks on different animals from around . the world, from things as small as rabbits. 'Their regular prey - to coyote and deer, and even one record in 2004 of an eagle taking a brown bear cub.' 'In this case I think Linda just got really lucky and was able to document a very rare, opportunistic predation event.' Golden eagles are one of the most widespread birds of prey in the world, and live in areas of Europe, Asia and North America. They . are renowned hunters, capable of killing prey much larger than . themselves with their deadly talons. The birds weigh 12lbs, have an 8ft . wingspan and can fly at speeds in excess of 100mph. Sika deer can grow to weigh more than 300lbs, but the victim of the pictured attack was not fully-grown. Messy end: The remains of the deer were found two weeks after the attack, near where the shots had been taken . | Vicious bird of prey attacks unsuspecting prey from behind .
Then drags the terrified beast away to be eaten .
Amazing shots were captured by scientists in Lazovsky, Russia .
Zoologists believe it is the first time such an attack has been photographed . |
0ccc9268c0a54cf43584de98af541af339196e36 | By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:27 EST, 14 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:21 EST, 14 September 2012 . An Oklahoma man has pleaded guilty in the strangling deaths of his ex-girlfriend and her four young children. Joshua Durcho, 29, avoided the death penalty by his guilty plea on five counts of first-degree murder, entered on Friday in El Reno, Oklahoma, for the brutal slayings of his 25-year-old former lover and her family. Durcho had strangled Rust and then killed her children because he feared they could testify against him. He then stacked the children's bodies in a bathtub partially filled with water in Rust's apartment. Brutal: Summer Rust and her children - 3-year-old Evynn Garas, 4-year-old Teagin Rust and 7-year-old daughters Kirsten and Autumn Rust - were killed in the family's El Reno, Oklahoma apartment in January 2009 . Durcho was charged with first-degree . murder for the January 2009 strangling deaths of Rust, 25, and her children - 3-year-old Evynn Garas, 4-year-old Teagin Rust and . 7-year-old daughters Kirsten and Autumn Rust. Prosecutors said Durcho also sexually abused the 7-year-old girls. Rust was killed after an argument with Durcho because she threatened to call . police on him when he refused to leave her apartment. After he killed the mom, he feared the children could serve as witnesses against him, so he methodically killed the little ones and left their bodies in the apartment, where they were discovered on January 12, 2009. Guilty: Joshua Durcho (pictured in July) has pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend and her four children . The victims' family appeared in court on Friday to hear the plea and offer their forgiveness to Durcho. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole, a deal that family members agreed to. 'The death penalty wouldn't have made . me feel any better than him being locked up forever,' said Rhonda Rust, . stepmother of Summer Rust, the woman who was killed. Tragedy: 7-year-old twins Kirsten (left) and Autumn (right) Rust were sexually abused before they were murdered . Little angels: Rust's son 4-year-old Teagin (left) and 3-year-old Evynn Garas (right) were also killed . Crystal Franklin, the grandmother of . 3-year-old Evynn, said the plea brings 'closure to part of my life. But I have the . rest of my life to remember this terrible tragedy.' 'I never got to hear what she wanted . to be when she grew up,' the grieving grandmother added. In court, Franklin . spoke directly to Durcho, who was weeping and had trouble standing at . times. 'I do forgive you and may God be with you,' she said. One of Durcho's defense attorneys, . John Echols, said Durcho met with family members privately before the . hearing. Cut short: Rust and her four children in an undated photo . He said Durcho apologized to them, but said he does not . remember much of what happened the day of the killings. He told police that on that fateful January night in 2009, he had blacked out with his hands around Rust's neck. 'Everyone in the victims' families felt this was a better resolution,' Echols said. Jury selection for Durcho's trial had been set to begin Monday and prosecutors had sought the death penalty. Last month, Dr. Shawn Roberson, a . forensic psychologist with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and . Substance Abuse Services, testified that Durcho's mental functioning was . 'at the low borderline range.' Nonetheless, a judge rejected claims that Durcho is mentally disabled and ineligible for the death penalty. Oklahoma . law bars death sentences if a defendant meets the state definition of . mental retardation, which includes an IQ of 70 or below and 'significant . limitations in adaptive functioning,' the real-life communications, . self-care and work and social skills people need to live independently . and function safely and appropriately. In addition, the onset of mental . retardation must occur before the age of 18. Roberson said Durcho has been . administered four IQ tests since he was 11 years old and scored between . 72 and 78 on the tests. The most recent tests were administered in 2009 . and 2010, and Durcho scored 72 on both. Happier times: The four siblings smiling as they celebrate Christmas in 2008, weeks before they were murdered . Mourning: Rhonda Rust (left) - the step-mother of murder victim Summer Rust - and Crystal Franklin (right), the grandmother of murder victim Evynn Garas weep in court for their lost family members . | 25-year-old Summer Rust and her four children were strangled to death in 2009 .
Seven-year-old twin daughters were sexually abused before they were murdered .
Joshua Durcho, 29, has apologized for the crime but says he does not remember much of what happened the day of the killings .
Family of the victims say they forgive the murderer .
Durcho sobbed in court on Friday hearing testimony from the family . |
0ccd0342228ccb89562b73c678f62ad54b15b4cf | Beau Biden has defended the judge who decided to let an heir to the du Pont family agree to a plea deal after being charged with sexually abusing his young daughter. Biden, the Vice President's son who is in his second term as Delaware Attorney General, wrote a letter supporting Superior Court Judge Jan Jurden and her decision to allow Robert H. Richards IV to admit to fourth degree rape and register as a sex offender but not serve any time. Her decision prompted outrage after she supported the move by writing that the heir, who just turned 48 yesterday, 'would not fare well' in prison. Wading in controversy: Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (pictured here in February 2013) has written a letter defending the plea deal offered to a wealthy heir who sexually assaulted his young daughter . 'This was not a strong case, and a loss at trial was a distinct possibility,' Biden wrote in his letter to The News Journal. 'In recognition of the weakness of the . case, the assigned prosecutor offered a plea and sentence recommendation . that guaranteed the defendant would be required to register as a sex . offender, participate in court-ordered sex offender rehabilitation . therapy and to have no contact with the victim and any other child under . the age of 16. Support: Biden wrote a letter defending the decision handed down by Judge Jan Jurden (pictured) 'A loss at trial would have rendered any of these restrictions impossible.' The ruling was made in 2009 but the case came back to the forefront when Richards' ex-wife Tracy filed a lawsuit to seek damages. In the suit, she detailed the how Richards allegedly sexually assaulted their daughter four times over the course of nearly two years from the time the girl was 3-years-old. In her lawsuit, Tracy charges that he . penetrated his daughter with his fingers while masturbating, and . subsequently also assaulted his toddler son as well. It . has not been revealed how much compensation Tracy Richards is seeking . from her ex, who is unemployed and living off his trust fund. He is the great-grandson of Irenee du Pont, the patriarch in the family of chemical barons. On Sunday, it was revealed that Judge . Jurden originally sentenced Richards to spend eight years behind bars . but then substituted the hard time for probation and the other . stipulations. Judge Jurden was issued a security detail when activists started threatening her over the case. Biden argued that in spite of her . controversial ruling, the judge 'exercised sound discretion based solely . on the merits of the case before her.' Horrific: Robert Richards IV (left) accepted a plea deal over sexually abusing his daughter when she was 3-years-old, but his ex wife Tracy (right) has now accused him of also sexually assaulting their son . 'The defendant did not make a statement to police, although he made an ambiguous apology to the victim's mother. A conviction would have required 12 jurors to find unanimously, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the crime had occurred,' Biden wrote. Richards has never faced any charges relating to the alleged abuse of his son, but is currently on probation for the abuse against his daughter, who is now 11. The lawsuit claims that he entered her bedroom at night while she slept and penetrated her with his fingers while masturbating, said the lawsuit, which includes documents from the criminal case. Abuse of the children occurred at both of Richards' homes, including the 5,800-square-foot Greenville, Delaware mansion that he paid $1.8million for. Abuse of the children occurred at both of Richards' homes, including the 5,800-square-foot Greenville mansion that he paid $1.8 million for, pictured . Family name: Robert Richards IV (right) is the unemployed great-grandson of Irenee du Pont (left), the patriarch in the family of chemical barons . Richards, who is 6'4 and about 250 . pounds, told the girl 'to keep what he had done to her a secret,' but in . October 2007 she told her grandmother, who informed Tracy Richards, the . lawsuit said. The girl was taken to her pediatrician, whom she told about the abuse, and New Castle County police arrested him that December. The proven abuse of his daughter and alleged assault of his son has caused his children 'long-term injuries,' the lawsuit filed Tuesday said, perhaps including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual dysfunction and shame. His daughter also has 'repressed memories of some instances of the abuse she suffered,' and if the son was abused, the same is true with him, the suit said. With medical treatment, the lawsuit said, those memories will likely 'begin to surface.' 'Making matters worse this self-admitted rapist and child abuser has not paid a single penny to these children for his crimes. There is no provision whatsoever for them for their future after they turn 18,' said Attorney Thomas Crumplar, who is representing Tracy Richards. | Delaware Attorney General Biden has written a letter supporting the judge who made a controversial call .
Robert Richards, great grandson of chemical baron Irenee du Pont, was charged with fourth-degree rape of his young daughter but was spared jail .
Judge Jan Jurden said that Roberts, 48, 'would not fare well' in prison .
Biden has now said that she made the right decision because it would be difficult to find Roberts guilty in trial because of the 'weakness' of the case .
Shocking details about the offense and an alleged assault on his infant son have emerged in a lawsuit brought about by his ex-wife Tracy .
Richards is an unemployed heir living off his multi-million dollar trust fund . |
0cce249dcdae3b3e435c94f29c3856e6a2b1ed3a | By . Luke Mcilveen . A teenage thug who stabbed a partygoer - then urged a gang of friends to kick and stamp on him as he lay dying - has been jailed for a minimum of 15 years. Jimmy Connors, 17, was high on cocaine when he plunged a kitchen knife into Joe Walker, 23, outside a party in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Connors led a pack of 12 who chased Mr Walker onto grassland, plunged a knife into his back and then stood back while the thugs repeatedly kicked and stamped him. Jimmy Connors (left) was high on cocaine when he knifed Joe Walker (right) outside a party in Sheffield . Apparently pleased with his work, Connors walked away 'elated, happy and proud' of what he had done. He was found guilty of murder after a trial and today jailed for a minimum of 15 years at Sheffield Crown Court. Mr Justice John Griffith Williams said: 'Although you were only just 17-years-old when you murdered Joe Walker, I am satisfied that your reputation was such that people were frightened of you. 'And it is not surprising that people were frightened of you because you went out that night armed with a knife which you were clearly prepared to use.' The court heard Joe Walker (above) had been defending his friend who was punched and racially abused before Connors and the gang turned on him . The court previously heard that Mr Walker, of Sheffield, had been at a party in the city last September along with his friend Dennis Patterson. The trouble began when Mr Patterson went outside for a cigarette, the court heard. Mr Patterson told jurors he was attacked by a man outside the house after he was subjected to abuse from the other side of the road. The unprovoked attack left him with a broken nose and he went back into the house bleeding. Jade West, also at the party, said she . heard the argument from an upstairs bedroom and testified that Mr . Patterson had racist abuse hurled at him. The gang of thugs led by Connors chased Mr Walker to grassland nearby and pinned his arms back before knifing him . Ms West told the court she told Mr Walker about the attack, who replied he 'wasn't having people hitting his friend' and rushed outside to defend him. Mr Patterson said: 'Connors was shouting abuse at Joe, effing and blinding, and Joe ended up hitting him once. It knocked him back. 'The defendant then pulled a blade out from his trousers. It was a big kitchen knife, about eight inches.' Mr Walker was then chased by Connors and his gang down a pathway into a grassy area near the house, where the stabbing happened. Ms West said she saw Mr Walker's arms being held back, and she screamed for help. After Mr Walker was knifed she said she heard the defendant tell him: ‘You’re not going to do nowt now you’re laid out’. 'I saw Joe staggering and holding his side,' she said. 'His eyes were flickering. I didn’t know what was happening at first. He didn’t look like Joe at all.' Mr Walker died from massive internal bleeding soon after the attack . 'I was shouting for help. My phone battery was dead so I couldn’t ring an ambulance. That’s when someone came down and tried to give him mouth-to-mouth and she rang an ambulance.' The blade had severed an artery, causing severe internal bleeding, and Mr Walker died a short time later from his injuries. Mr Justice Griffith Williams said he was satisfied on the evidence that Joe Walker was not the sort of person to use 'gratuitous' violence. He said: 'Joe Walker must have been very frightened indeed [when you chased after him]. 'When you caught up with you stabbed him in the back, and not content with that you stood there when the others attacked him. 'Your immediate reaction was to boast about what you had done.' The judge lifted a reporting restriction banning the media from identifying the killer, who it emerged first started appearing before the courts when he was aged just 12. Jurors heard that the year before the fatal knife attack, Connors was handed a youth rehabilitation order for carrying an offensive weapon, an extendable baton, in a public place. Other previous convictions include burglary, car theft, possession of cannabis and theft from vehicles. In a statement, Mr Walker's parents Patrick Walker and Karen Foulstone, said: 'Nothing will ever take away the pain and heartache we feel, nor will it bring back our son. 'People need to think twice about carrying and using knives. It only shows their weaknesses. 'We are still numb from Joe’s death. Our lives have been turned upside down and the loss of Joe is difficult to describe. 'At home there is silence no laughing or joking - just tears and photographs of happier times.' | Jimmy Connors, 17, knifed Joe Walker, 23, at party in .
Sheffield .
Connors and pack of 12 chased Mr .
Walker onto grassland .
He stood back while the thugs repeatedly kicked and stamped on him .
Connors said to victim: ‘You’re not going to do nowt now you’re laid out’
Killer had been before courts for serious crimes since the age of 12 . |
0cce9837422fc69b55374e1985d78702c0e085a3 | (CNN Student News) -- January 27, 2012 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . Davos, Switzerland; Slovakia . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. | The daily transcript is a written version of each day's CNN Student News program .
Use this transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary .
The weekly Newsquiz tests students' knowledge of stories covered on CNN Student News . |
0cd06ecbb1eaf661ff2f694a7eebdba944d69da3 | By . William Turvill . Hotel guests not keen on leaving large concierge tips might want to consider staying at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel - where one member of staff will only ask for a dog biscuit for their service. Catie Copley, a black labrador who trained as a guide dog before transferring to the hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, is thought to be the world's first canine concierge. The 68lb dog has been a full-time employee at the hotel for more than ten years – and even has her own email address and business cards. Scroll down for video . Catie Copley, of the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, is thought to be the world's first concierge dog . Catie has held down the job for ten years, and now has her own business cards and email address . Trained as a guide dog, Catie was deemed unfit for her first job when diagnosed with eyesight problems . Catie, who will be 13 years old . this year, originally trained at the Guide Dog . Association for the Blind, in New York. However, she was deemed unfit for the job after she was diagnosed with mild eyesight problems in her final visits with the vet. The dog sought a career change and this came about when the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel hired her as a concierge. Suzanne Wenz, of the hotel, said: ‘Catie's main job is to make people happy and greet guests in the lobby. ‘She's an important part of the hotel's team and gets on with her colleagues.’ Catie may prove a more affordable concierge for guests than others - merely asking for a dog biscuit as a tip . The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel opened in 1912 and employed Catie following a refurbishment in 2004 . When Catie's not working at the hotel, she lives with fellow concierge, Joe Fallon (pictured), 47 . The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel opened in 1912 and employed Catie following a refurbishment of the hotel in 2004. ‘We wanted the hotel to be a home away from home for our guests so we decided to bring Catie in as a concierge,’ Ms Wenz said. ‘What's better than having a dog to welcome you to your stay here? ‘Guests love Catie. In fact, she gets more comments than any other staff member at the hotel.’ The dog has become so popular that guests call three months in advance to book a walk with her . Mr Fallon said of his colleague: 'Catie is the most famous dog in Boston. People recognise her when you take her for a walk - I have been stopped by many passers-by' The dog has become so popular that guests call three months in advance to book a walk with her. And the best-selling product at the hotel's gift store is a replica toy of Catie. When Catie's not working at the hotel, she lives with fellow concierge, Joe Fallon, 47. He said: ‘Catie is the most famous dog in Boston. People recognise her when you take her for a walk - I have been stopped by many passers-by.’ As Catie nears retirement, she has started training a younger model - a three-year-old black labrador named Carly Copley - to take on her job when she leaves. Ms Wenz said: ‘Carly's learning from the best - she is almost like Catie's PA.’ As Catie nears retirement, she has started training a younger model - a three-year-old black labrador named Carly Copley - to take on her job when she leaves . Ms Wenz said: 'Carly's learning from the best - she is almost like Catie's PA' | Catie Copley has worked at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel for ten years .
The 68lb black labrador originally trained as a guide dog in New York .
Catie has her own email address and business cards and is now thought to be the most famous dog in Boston, Massachusetts . |
0cd1388e3e9bb4712f57578d8843da98178711e1 | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 06:50 EST, 15 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:49 EST, 15 August 2013 . A prisoner waiting for his case to be heard in court landed himself in even more trouble when he tried to snatch a police officer's gun from her holster. Robert Lewis Bridges III, 24, has been in jail since February charged with four crimes in connection with a burglary. But he will face an additional two charges when he finally gets his day before a judge after attempting to grab the .40-caliber gun from a Deputy at the Hillsborough County Court, Florida. Dramatic CCTV footage taken from court cameras shows the moment Master Sgt Tracey Wallace managed to prevent Bridges from grabbing her weapon. Scroll down for video . Desperate lunch: Robert Lewis Bridges III is pictured leaping up from the bench at Hillsborough County Court, Florida, and making a grab for Sgt Tracey Wallace's gun . Audacious attempt: Handcuffed Bridges uses both hands to try and grab the .40-caliber gun from the Sergeant's belt . Defence: But the quick thinking officer is prepared for Bridges's attack and manages to slap his hand away from her holster . The footage shows Bridges and two other prisoners sat on a side bench waiting for their case to be heard by Circuit Judge Martha Cook, when Master Sgt Wallace walks across the courtroom in front of them. Despite being shackled and handcuffed, Bridges manages to leap up from the bench and attempts to grab the gun from Sgt Wallace's belt holster with both hands. But the quick thinking officer manages to evade Bridges lunge slapping his hand away from her belt. Two other officers then rush to her aid and pin Bridges down before he is led away to a holding room. Help: As the sergeant briefly tussles with Bridges, two other officers rush to her aid . Thwarted: Sgt Wallace looks on as her two colleagues restrain the man, pinning him down on the bench . Drama: Bridges is led away to a holding cell as fellow inmates and court officials look on . Sgt Wallace said after the incident that she was prepared the audacious attempt at grabbing her gun because she had spotted bridges eying up her holster. Sheriff’s office spokesman Detective Larry McKinnon told NBCMiami: 'Her quick thinking and defensive actions, along with the type of equipment that she had on her belt, and of course with the other deputies restraining, we feel prevented a really tragic incident in that courtroom. 'When he pounced, she was already predisposed to react because she saw that he was acting strangely.' Bridges has already been in jail since February charged with burglary, third degree grand theft, obstructing or opposing an officer and tampering with electronic monitoring equipment. But he has now been charged with battery on a law enforcement officer and depriving an officer of means of protection following the courtroom drama. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Robert Lewis Bridges III tried to grab the .40-caliber gun from officer's belt .
Quick thinking Sgt Tracey Wallace slapped his hand away from the weapon .
The incident, in front of a busy Florida courtroom, was captured on CCTV . |
0cd1a07921b454cc339f80f0df0cca1e41f70669 | Eliaquim Mangala has spoken of the difficulty he had staying fit while waiting for his £31.9million move to Manchester City to go through. City made Mangala the most expensive defender in the history of British football on Monday after finally agreeing terms with FC Porto and an investment company who owned 33 per cent of his economic rights. The 23-year-old agreed personal terms and passed a medical on a visit to Manchester last month, but has been training on his own since returning from the World Cup and a brief holiday while he waited for his future to be resolved. VIDEO Scroll down to see Eliaquim Mangala score with cheeky back heel volley . Chuffed: Eliaquim Mangala poses with a Man City shirt following his move to the Etihad Stadium . Patient: He has admitted that it was hard to stay fit as he waited for the move to go through . ‘I am happy now because I will be able to start a new adventure,’ said Mangala in his first interview with City’s club website. ‘I will be able to train again. It was good to be on holidays but after a time I started to find the time quite long. ‘I went on a run every day and trained in the gym. Holidays are great but if the time is too long, it is difficult to come back. I think that I will need a bit of time in order to be 100 per cent but it is normal – it is like those who returned to training last week, but I will work hard in order to be 100 per cent as soon as possible. ‘I am really very happy to be part of the team and I will work hard because we have lots of goals and it is very important to start to work as soon as possible.’ Mangala is determined to add to his medal collection in Manchester after winning league titles in Portugal and Belgium with Porto and Standard Liege. And he promised City fans that he will bring a winning mentality to Manuel Pellegrini’s team. Pricey: He became the most expensive defender in British football history following move from Porto . Acquisition: The defender played for Porto for three seasons before signing for Manuel Pellegrini . ‘When I am on the pitch, I always give everything from the first to the last minute,’ he added. ‘I am the kind of player that comes on the pitch to win. I am not giving away anything, I always fight until the end and I hope that we will win quite a lot of titles this season. ‘I am quite a fast defender. I am good in challenges, good in the air. I have the ability to score goals and have done so in the past few seasons. I won’t score 10 goals-a-season but for a defender I get my share from set-pieces. ‘I am motivated because to be part of a team like City I have already proved that I have a certain value, but I will not stop trying to improve. ‘To be part of a squad is good but like everybody else I want to play and it will be down to the manager to make his choice. I will work hard to try to have a spot in the starting XI but the most important is that the team win the games, win titles. It is my main goal: work in order to help the team to win as many titles as possible.’ Manchester United and Chelsea were also linked with Mangala but the France World Cup defender admits that he was impressed by City’s success in recent years and the fact that they made the most effort to bring him to English football. ‘City is a big team in England and they proved it again this year by winning the title,’ he said. ‘Then it is the team that showed me the most interest. I had the opportunity to talk with the manager and the football director and it is also important to have some guarantees when you move to a new club. I had this opportunity to talk and I liked what they said so I signed with City. ‘The squad is great so it will allow me to progress again. I am also someone who likes to win titles and I know that with the squad we have we can do great things.’ Partner: Mangala is set to form a central defensive partnership with City captain Vincent Kompany . Follow on: He will join former Porto team-mate Fernando, who joined the club earlier in the summer . Challenge: And he will be fighting for his place against Martin Demichelis . Mangala is expected to form a first-choice central defensive partnership with City captain Vincent Kompany but he will face competition from Martin Demichelis. Pellegrini also has Dedryck Boyata and Karim Rekik at his disposal, although Matija Nastasic and Micah Richards are expected to move on. ‘Vincent Kompany and Martin Demichelis are two players who possess great experience,’ said Mangala. ‘Vincent is the captain of Manchester City and the Belgium national team, Demichelis has enjoyed a great career. He played for Bayern Munich and he is now at Manchester City and has a big experience behind him. ‘They are players that I can look at and from whom I will learn a lot. They will have lots of advice for me regarding what they have already experienced. It will help me to progress and I am sure that everything will be fine. They are players that have lived through a lot of big moments and have a big experience so it can only be beneficial for me.’ Mangala joins his former Porto teammate Fernando at the Etihad after the Brazilian midfielder moved for £12m earlier this summer. He also becomes the fourth Frenchman on City’s books, joining Bacary Sagna, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy at the club. He added: ‘I was with Bacary Sagna during the World Cup so we had the opportunity to talk. There are quite a lot of French players and Fernando, who I was in touch during all the preparation because I came here earlier. ‘I had the chance to talk with him and there are some players that speak Spanish and I understand a bit of that language so I think it will be quite quick for me to settle in. The most important thing is to have a good understanding on the pitch and to all go in the same direction.’ | Mangala speaks of difficulty in staying fit as he waited for Man City deal .
Frenchman became the most expensive defender in British football history .
The 23-year-old completed his move from Porto for £31.9million on Monday .
He has been training alone since returning from World Cup with France . |
0cd1b7e6b17a9a884868ab8fb281719b6413c6d7 | By . Luke Garratt . A First World War bomb killed two construction site workers when it exploded 100 years after being fired at a Belgian battlefield. The bomb had laid dormant for a century at an industrial site in the former area of Flanders battlegrounds, killing two and injuring two more. Johan Lescrauwaert of the Ypres prosecutor's office confirmed that the armament from the 1914-1918 war exploded near the workers, but did not say whether it was a shell or a grenade. Emergency personnel remove evidence near a covered body after a World War One armament exploded in Ypres, Belgium . It was not confirmed whether the bomb was a grenade or a shell, but it has been confirmed that it killed two and injured two more . The circumstances were unclear because there was apparently no digging at the site - the usual cause of such accidents . Every year the battlefields in western Belgium throw up hundreds of armaments from the Great War, and most are destroyed without incident by a special Belgian army bomb squad. In a nearby city, the army was completing the destruction of over 800 gas canisters. More and more unexploded shells are discovered every year in the areas in and around the former Flanders field battleground . Evacuation works are the common cause of exploding the dormant shells, as the heavy machinery used in the process can jostle the delicate armaments back to life, although this case was peculiar because no digging took place . The Flanders battlefields cover dozens of cities where allies clashed with German forces for most of the war. Earlier this year, members of the bomb disposal unit managed to disarm an unexploded shell at a construction site in Ypres, Northwestern Belgium. Also earlier this month, a large amount of ammunition from the First World War was discovered on the border of the West Flemish municipalities of Passchendaele and Moorslede, for which the Belgian bomb squad is still working to clean up the site . Earlier this month members of the bomb disposal unit in Ypres, Belgium, were lucky as they managed to evacuate and disarm a WWI-era bomb before it exploded . The unexploded bomb from January 2014 was found during similar evacuation works to the ones that caused a bomb to explode this month . | Armament was disturbed and exploded evacuation works at the site .
Killed two and injured two, all construction workers working in the area .
This area of Belgium is rife with unexploded bombs from the Great War .
It is the former Flanders battleground where many shells were fired . |
0cd227a31483e4b662cf0205e81fe8753ee54d2a | By . Sophie Jane Evans . Action: Obese children have been taken away by social workers after being overfed by their families, a survey has revealed . Obese children have been taken away by social workers after being overfed by their families, it has been revealed. The super-size youngsters were placed in care across the UK amid fears their weight was wrecking their health. One child had a Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement of 35 - the equivalent of a six-foot man weighing 19st. It comes as an increasing number of parents give in to their children's cravings for unhealthy food - a phenomenon known as 'killing with kindness' In the past year alone, five British children have been taken from their . families because of overfeeding, according to a survey by the Sunday Express. These include two in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, one . in Oxfordshire, one in Salford, and one in Hounslow, London. And the year before, five other obese youngsters were placed in care in Sheffield, Portsmouth, Lincolnshire, Slough and Harrow, London. Professionals say families' gross over-eating can be one of the factors that leads to their children being taken into care. A social worker told the Sunday Express: 'Only in extreme cases would we take a child into care just . because of their weight as we would seek to work with the family to . improve their eating habits.' Britain's child obesity epidemic - which has seen hospitals deal with nearly 1,000 children in the past three years - is now thought to cost the NHS around £4.2billion every year, according to estimates put forward by the Royal College of Paediatrics. Warning: In 2006, ex-Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson (left) warned that health chiefs would consider removing children from their families if they became super-sized, risking their health . Alarmingly, children as young as . ten months old have been admitted to hospital because they are . dangerously overweight, according to figures released in October. Portsmouth . Hospitals NHS Trust revealed that during the past year, doctors . have found themselves having to treat a ten-month-old baby for obesity – with a . one year old also being referred to Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust as a . result of her weight. And a staggering 45 youngsters aged 17 or under have had fat-fighting operations on the NHS in the past five years, according to Conservative MP Priti Patel. However the true . scale of the problem is likely to be much higher, as less than a third . of hospital trusts have released information about the number of young . children whose weight has spiralled out of control. As well as being overfed, many overweight youngsters have also been fed a high-fat, sugary diet. In 2006, ex-Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson warned that health chiefs would consider removing children from their families if they became super-sized, therefore risking their health. The first reported case was an eight-year-old girl in Cumbria, who became so obese that she was forced to wear size 16 clothes. She was taken into care in 2007 weighing a staggering 10st. A Department of Health spokesman said England has one of the highest rates of obesity in the western world, but health professionals and voluntary groups are working together to help individuals 'improve their diet and lifestyles'. | Super-size youngsters taken away by social workers after being overfed .
One child had a BMI of 35 - the equivalent of a six-foot man weighing 19st .
Comes as an increasing number of parents give in to children's cravings . |
0cd2355ae7f7f63ff49607310673fdfe4d03ada8 | She may be generous and polite, but police in Oklahoma City say that will not save a robbery suspect they're calling the 'tipping bandit' from prison. Investigators are appealing to the public for help in apprehending a woman who is accused of robbing the same Subway eatery at gunpoint twice less than a week apart. According to police, during the first stick-up in mid-January, the female suspect walked up to a clerk at the Subway at 6900 North May Avenue, pulled out a handgun and demanded that she hand over all of the cash from the register. Scroll down for video . Caught on video: Surveillance cameras inside a Subway eatery in Oklahoma City captured a woman dressed in black pulling a gun on a cashier and demanding she hand over all the cash . Repeat offense: The January 28 incident that was caught on camera came less than a week after the robber held up the same eatery and left a $1 for the Subway staffer working the counter . Before the robber fled with money in hand, she dropped a dollar bill in the tip till with the words, 'This is for you.' The banknote in question has been seized as evidence by police, reported News9. The Subway staffer in the incident quit a short time later. About a week later, on January 28, the unidentified woman returned to the same fast-food restaurant. Surveillance cameras inside were rolling as the woman walked up to the counter, leveled a black pistol at a worker and ordered her to hand over all of the cash. After being handed a wad of bills, she retreated, but not before thanking her victim. Crime scene: Both robberies took place at this Subway on North May Avenue last month . No witnesses: On both occasions, the woman waited until all the customers had left . The perpetrator was described a heavyset African-American woman who was last seen wearing baggy pants and a black hooded shirt with a distinctive white design on the front . Police say the second time around the suspect did not leave a tip. The first robbery was not captured on film. The perpetrator was described as a heavyset African-American woman who was last seen wearing baggy pants and a black hooded shirt with a distinctive white design on the front. Police say on both occasions, the woman waited until all the customers had left. Anyone with information about the suspect is being asked to call Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. | A woman is suspected of robbing the same Subway eatery in Oklahoma City twice less than a week apart in January .
Police say she left $1 bill in tip jar for cashier telling her, 'this is for you'
During second robbery, the armed suspect didn't leave a tip but told fast-food worker 'thank you' |
0cd26d326c9295865d534b7cf5d064863103b86a | An adult son of southern Nevada rancher and states' rights advocate Cliven Bundy said he spent a night in a southern Utah jail after sheriff's deputies accused him of resisting arrest when he appeared in a justice court for an unrelated code violation summons. Ryan Bundy, 42, said on Wednesday that a judge in Cedar City freed him without bail and set a court date in March on the misdemeanor resisting charge and a misdemeanor case of interfering with an animal control officer that Bundy thinks stems from 2013. 'Interfering with what? I didn't understand it,' Bundy said. He said he pleaded not guilty to both charges. Night in jail: Ryan Bundy, the son of southern Nevada rancher and states' rights advocate Cliven Bundy, spent a night in a southern Utah county jail after sheriff's deputies accused him of resisting arrest . Resisting authority: Cliven Bundy's home and melon farm in Bunkerville hosted a tense standoff last April between well-armed backers of the ranching family and federal agents trying to round up Bundy cattle from public land in a grazing fee dispute . The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the animal control officer case stems from allegations that Bundy improperly removed a horse that had been impounded after it was found loose near Cedar City Regional Airport. Bundy was booked into jail on Tuesday after scuffling with deputies and telling them he wouldn't be arrested, Iron County sheriff Sgt. Nik Johnson said. Bundy, a rancher and former construction company owner, said the summons was for a code violation relating to a vehicle parked on property he owns in the southern Utah county of Iron County. He said he now lives in Bunkerville, Nevada, about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Bundy's family home and melon farm is in Bunkerville. It was the scene of a tense standoff last April between well-armed backers of the ranching family patriarch and federal agents trying to round up Bundy cattle from public land in a grazing fee dispute. Federal Bureau of Land Management agents withdrew, and Cliven Bundy became a symbol for resisting authority. Another Bundy son, Cliven Lance Bundy, 34, is jailed in Las Vegas and faces two to eight years in Nevada state prison at a Clark County District Court hearing February 4 after having been dropped from a court diversion program for violating probation. Lance Bundy pleaded guilty February 2013 to felony burglary and weapon theft charges but had remained out of prison while he was enrolled in the drug user counseling and diversion program. In jail: Another Bundy son, Cliven Lance Bundy, 34, is jailed in Las Vegas and faces two to eight years in Nevada state prison at a Clark County District Court . | Ryan Bundy, 42, spent a night in jail after deputies accused him of resisting arrest when he appeared in a court for an unrelated code violation summons .
Bundy allegedly improperly removed a horse that had been impounded after it was found loose thereby 'interfering with animal control officers'
'Interfering with what? I didn't understand it,' Bundy, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, said .
Bundy was booked into jail on Tuesday after 'scuffling with deputies and telling them he wouldn't be arrested'
Cliven Bundy is a southern Nevada rancher and states' rights advocate also known for resisting authority .
Cilven Bundy's other son Cliven Lance Bundy is currently in jail in Las Vegas for violating his probation tied to felony burglary and weapon theft . |
0cd2be80b17c1d67ff3424e7b1f9ba34d4469034 | By . Aap . Members of the notorious Brothers 4 Life gang will face court next month over a range of shooting charges. NSW detectives last week arrested Nazir Akbari, 28, who is accused of shooting a man, 30, and a woman, 22, who were in a car parked outside a Wentworthville swimming pool, in Sydney's far west, in July 2013. One of the shots hit the driver's door and grazed the man's leg, police allege . Akbari, who is already in jail on other matters, was charged with discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, among other charges. Three men who are alleged supporters of the Brothers For Life gang leave Burwood court following a brief appearance by a gang member who is charged with the attempted shooting of a man as he sat in his car outside Wentworthville public swimming pool a year ago . An alleged supporter of the Brothers For Life gang holds his fingers up as he leaves Burwood Local Court on Monday July 14 after one member of the gang's Blacktown, Sydney chapter appeared on a charge of the attempted shooting of a man in Sydney's west in July last year. Six members of the same gang are due to face court in relation to a home invasion in Penrith in October last year, in which a man was threatened and his dog shot and wounded . NSW Police made dawn raids and swooped on addresses in western Sydney following a series of shootings and gun crimes, placing several men in custody. A 28-year-old man was charged at Long Bay Correctional Centre last week and appeared briefly in Burwood Court on Monday, July 14 after which the men (pictured) left the court, allegedly supporters of the accused . His shooting matter was briefly mentioned in Burwood Local Court and he will reappear before the same court on August 25. He did not appear via video link. Six other members of the Brothers 4 Life Blacktown chapter were also charged on Monday with new offences over a home invasion in October 2013. Police allege the gang forced their way into a home in Castlereagh, in Sydney's greater west, threatened a man in his bedroom, shot his dog and fired several shots into the floor. The 26-year-old victim escaped and the dog recovered from its injuries. Police arrest a member of the Brothers For Life gang in a 2012 dawn raid in Sydney. Following recent investigations by detectives of the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad (MEOCS) under the ongoing Strike Force Sitella, police have arrested 20 people and laid more than 250 charges . Police have charged a member of the ¿Brothers for Life¿ Blacktown faction with an attempted shooting outside the public swimming pool on Dunmore Street, Wentworthville (pictured) in western Sydney in July last year. Police say that at around 9.15pm on July 25, 2013, a 30-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman were seated in a black Mazda MX5 when shots were fired, grazing the man's leg . Crack down: NSW police have undertaken a major crackdown on the Brothers For Life gang (gang symbol, pictured) following shootings across Sydney. Detectives from the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Gang have arrested 20 people on hundreds of charges under ongoing Strike Force Sitella . Farhad Quami, 31, Mumtaz Quami, 29, Navid Khalili, 25, Fazal Bari, 24, Mobin Mirzaei, 22 and Jamil Quami, 22, are facing multiple charges including discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and serious animal cruelty. Their matters appeared before Burwood Local Court on Monday and will be back in court on August 25. The men are also already behind bars and did not appear via video link. Two men, with tattoos on their neck and arm, were in court, apparently in support of the Brothers For Life members. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Brothers for Life gang members have appeared in court on firearms charges .
Case of one man, 28, appeared at Burwood for an attempted shooting .
Police allege he shot at a man parked outside a swimming pool in western Sydney in July last year .
Six men due to appear on charges of a home invasion and shooting and wounding a man's dog have been remanded in custody . |
0cd484f58d6ec1873d685aec7f73fa641ed180e1 | By . Wills Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 06:57 EST, 22 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:12 EST, 22 October 2013 . The number of white children being born in Washington D.C. has risen by 34 per cent, showing the capital is going through a baby boom. New figures released by the US Census Bureau suggested the number of infants and toddlers under the age of five has grown in the district by five per cent up to 39,000. The statistics also highlighted the number of children aged between five and 13 had risen by seven per cent, but teenagers older than 14 were declining. Baby boom: The number of white infants and toddlers being born in Washington D.C. has risen by 34 per cent . The rise among white infants and toddlers is being attributed to new parents in their 30s and early 40s. Demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institution told the Washington Post a similar phenomenon is occurring in urban centres such as Manhattan, where young white professionals have settled and established lives before marriage and children. He said: 'They came for the bright lights of the city, and started dating and mating.' The drop in teenagers was blamed on families leaving the city before their sons or daughters started high school. The District’s baby boom is spiking not only in neighborhoods that have long attracted families, such as the suburban-like Upper Northwest or family-friendly Capitol Hill. Babies and toddlers are often seen on city streets near downtown neighborhoods such as Logan and Dupont circles. Places like Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights are predominantly filled with young, single adults and have been responsible for most of the capital's growth over the past decade. | US Census Bureau figures show rise in infants under five being born .
Number of children aged between five and 13 also increased .
Drop in those over the age of 14 as families leave city before high school . |
0cd698da9202b6cab9b7e37b730282036c18ab27 | Jerusalem (CNN) -- British journalist Paul Martin was released without charge Thursday, a month after Hamas officials arrested him in Gaza, his lawyer and the British Foreign Office said. Martin was at the British consulate in Jerusalem, the Foreign Office said. His family said they expect him to fly home to London over the weekend. Ahmed Yousef, an adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, said the decision to release Martin was made as a "good will gesture" and was in response to the many calls they had received to let him go. Yousef said many lawmakers, press organizations, and even South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu had been communicating with Hamas about his release. Martin is a documentary maker who has worked for the BBC, ITN, and other broadcasters, and reported for the British newspaper The Times. He was arrested February 14 by Hamas on suspicions he was involved with Israeli espionage activity. Hamas initially detained Martin for two weeks, but extended his detention for 15 more days. Officials from Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, suggested at the time of Martin's arrest that he had been communicating with a Palestinian affiliated with the rival Fatah movement and whom Hamas had accused of collaboration with Israel. Yousef said in the end, Hamas did not have enough evidence to push the case further. He said Martin, who also holds a South African passport, had been declared persona non grata in Gaza and that it would be "dangerous for him to come back." Martin's wife, Anne, said the family was "extremely relieved" at her husband's release. "Paul is an experienced and highly regarded foreign correspondent with 30 years' experience," she wrote in a statement. "He is an innocent man who went into Gaza to testify in the trial of a Palestinian whom he had interviewed for a documentary. Paul has maintained his innocence throughout this ordeal." As Martin was leaving Gaza, a reporter asked him about the Hamas allegations. Martin replied, "Ridiculous, ridiculous," before closing the door of the car and driving away. British consular officials had been allowed to visit Martin while he was jailed and the British Foreign office had publicly called for his release. The Tel Aviv Foreign Press Association had also called on Hamas to release Martin, asking the group "to respect the rights of every journalist on assignment, to work without fear of being arrested." Before Hamas took over Gaza in 2007, the kidnapping and abduction of foreign journalists was a frequent occurrence as part of the factional warfare in the territory. Since that time, no foreign journalists have been abducted. BBC journalist Alan Johnston was being held by another group in 2007, and was released shortly after Hamas took power. Palestinian journalists are subject to various forms of restriction and intimidation by authorities in Gaza, but Martin's case was the first time Hamas had arrested a foreign journalist. | British journalist Paul Martin freed without charge by Hamas after month-long detention .
Martin was arrested in February on suspicion of espionage .
Adviser to Hamas PM said decision to release Martin was "good will gesture"
Hamas spokesman said group did not have enough evidence to push case further . |
0cd753e89bd0864d0cfb3fa61b0928a3bae86785 | Mexico City (CNN) -- A clandestine mass grave found near Mexico City may hold the answer to what befell 12 youths who were kidnapped from a bar in the capital back in May. Federal investigators swarmed a ranch east of Mexico City on Thursday, where they confirmed that at least seven bodies had been found, and that two arrests were made near the location. A lawyer representing the families of five of the missing, however, told CNNMexico that he received a call from a source who said the bodies of the youths may be found there. The lawyer did not reveal his source. The apparent kidnapping of the 12 youths from an after-hours club called Heavens shocked residents of Mexico City, who for the most part have been spared from the violence seen in other areas. The lawyer, Ricardo Martinez, said his source told him there were 13 bodies found at the ranch, possibly in two mass graves, one that held the remains of the males, and the other, the females. Mexico City's attorney general on Thursday said there was one grave so far that was being investigated. Officials have not confirmed the identities of the bodies, and CNN could not independently confirm the claims of the attorney. Martinez said that a suspect in the disappearance of the youths led authorities to the ranch. Families of missing haunted by mystery . Mexico City Attorney General Rodolfo Rios said investigators were taking DNA samples to identify the remains, which could take several days. The site where the bodies are found is the town of Tlalmanalco, in the state of Mexico, about 30 miles east of Mexico City, the state-run Notimex news agency reported. Local, state and federal police were all at the scene. A gang was involved in the mass disappearance, officials have said. The May 26 incident at the after-hours bar jolted the capital city, given it took place in daylight on a Sunday morning. Video footage shows a gang of about 17 people arriving in eight vehicles at the fashionable Zona Rosa district, according to authorities. The owner of the bar, a co-owner and two bar employees have been arrested in the case. CNNMexico's Veronica Diaz and Juan Pablo Mayorga contributed to this report. | Authorities have found a clandestine mass grave near Mexico City .
A lawyer believes the bodies could be linked to a bar disappearance .
12 youths were disappeared from a Mexico City bar in May .
Officials say it could take days to identify the bodies . |
0cd78ad5d5ddc6963f5b08e0dd917d1c8c524d95 | Nigel Farage faced fury from Jewish community leaders today after he formed a pact with a Polish MEP whose party leader has been accused of denying the Holocaust to get EU funding. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was 'gravely concerned' by Ukip's deal to accept a member of the Polish Congress of the new Right (KNP) into its grouping in the European Parliament. Robert Iwaszkiewicz's decision to join the Eurosceptic EFDD (Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy) group headed by Mr Farage means it has enough members to increase its funding and standing in the parliament. Ukip leader NIgel Farage has come under pressure after his party was joined in an EU grouping by Robert Iwaszkiewicz . But Mr Iwaszkiewicz has been criticised for joking about hitting women and his party's leader has questioned whether Hitler knew about the Holocaust and suggested women are less intelligent and should not vote. Today Board of Deputies vice president Jonathan Arkush said the KNP should be 'roundly rejected' and described Mr Farage's welcoming of Mr Iwaszkiewicz in order to get money as 'beyond belief'. He said: 'Robert Iwaszkiewicz belongs to an extremist party whose leader has a history of Holocaust denial, racist remarks and misogynistic comments. 'Extremists and racists should be roundly rejected, not embraced. Even France's far right Front National rejected the (KNP) as being too extreme. 'For Ukip to choose such a figure as Robert Iwaszkiewicz as a bedfellow, apparently for money, is beyond belief. 'Nigel Farage now has some very serious questions to answer. He has placed in issue the credibility of Ukip.' But Mr Farage said his party needed to do deals to make sure its voice was heard and insisted he would not work with extremists. 'I have found nothing in this guy's background to suggest he is a political extremist at all. He has joined our group to save us,' he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One. 'All of us in the European Parliament have to make compromises to make sure that our voice is heard. I want us to have our voice, I want us to have a group, but I will not do it at any price. 'If it came to a decision that do we cast Ukip into the outer darkness of a non-attached group here or do a deal with a known prominent extremist in Europe, I would not do that deal.' Asked about the MEP's reported comment that there were 'quite a few wives around who'd be brought back down to earth' if their husbands hit them, Mr Farage, said: 'I think that comment was a joke'. But he added: 'I've never met him, I've never spoken to him.' As the row erupted, Mr Farage insisted he had never met or spoken to Mr Iwaszkiewicz . KNP leader Janusz Korwin-Mikke has been described as one of the most controversial figures in Polish politics, but Ukip emphasised that Mr Iwaszkiewicz was joining the group in a personal capacity. The EFDD was thrown into disarray last week when one its members, a Latvian MEP, quit. Groupings need to have at least 25 MEPs from seven different countries. If the group had disbanded it would have meant a loss to Ukip of about 2million euros a year in funding for its MEPs and Mr Farage would have got less speaking time in the parliament. Michael Dugher MP, Labour's shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said: 'Here are UKIP forming an alliance with a far-right party in Europe that denies the fact that millions were murdered in the Holocaust, in order to keep receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds from the European Parliament. 'This shows once again that UKIP do not share the values of decent working people in Britain.' However Rabbi Shneur Zalman Odze, a former Ukip MEP candidate, said: 'Robert Iwaszkiewicz was the only Polish member asked to join the EFDD Group. The only comment he made on Hitler was that he was an evil man who should have been executed. 'Korwin-Mikke is not a member of the EFDD group. 'Both UKIP Party and EFDD Group abhors and rejects any scent of anti-Semitism. As a Jewish rabbi, I was number four on the UKIP North West MEP candidate list, and I can assure you in my many years in UKIP I have never once experienced any anti-Semitism. 'All groups in the European Parliament have very odd bedfellows, for examples, the Tories are part of a pan European party aECR with Islamist AK Party of Turkey, Labour are in a Group with homophobes from Croatia. The Greens were recently led by MEP Danny Cohen-Bendit with very odd views on child sexuality. 'The rules to get Group speaking time and funding are set by the European Parliament, not by Ukip.' | Robert Iwaszkiewicz's has joined Eurosceptic EFDD group led by Farage .
Move means it has enough members to increase funding and standing .
Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was 'gravely concerned' by deal .
NIgel Farage forced to insist he has never met or spoken to Iwaszkiewicz . |
0cd7c3ecc20554b0ab6584b8d675ca63f1aa454d | It takes just a few hours for a virus to spread through an office building, hotel or healthcare facility, according to a new study. U.S. researchers found that when they contaminated a single doorknob or table top with a 'tracer virus' it spread within two to four hours. Their findings showed 40 to 60 per cent of workers as well as visitors were infected after touching objects in the building. U.S. researchers found that it took just two to four hours for a virus to spread through an office, hotel or healthcare facility after a doorknob or table top was contaminated . However, scientists found that using disinfectant wipes containing quartenary ammonium compounds (QUATS) reduced the spread of the virus by 80 to 99 per cent. In the study, researchers used tracer virus bacteriophage MS-2 which mimicked the nasty stomach bug norovirus, as it is similar in shape, size and is similarly resistant to disinfectants. Norovirus, known as the winter vomiting bug, is the most common stomach bug in the UK and is highly contagious. As part of the new study, the virus was placed on one or two commonly touched surfaces like a door know or table top at the beginning of the day in office buildings, conference room and a health care facility. After various time period between two to eight hours the scientists sampled 60 to 100 fomites, surfaces capable of carrying infections organisms and found that within two to four hours 40 to 60 percent of the foimites were contaminated with the virus. Foimites included light switches, bed rails, table tops, countertops, push buttons, coffee pot handles, sink tap handles, door knobs, phones and computer equipment. Norovirus, sometimes known as the winter vomiting bug, is the most common stomach bug in the UK. The virus is highly contagious. It can affect people of all ages and causes vomiting and diarrhoea. There's no specific cure for norovirus, so you have to let it run its course. It's usually mild and shouldn't last more than a couple of days. The period from when you're infected to when you start to show symptoms (the incubation period) usually lasts between 12 and 48 hours. You may be infectious to other people during this time. Although having norovirus can be unpleasant, it's not usually dangerous and most people make a full recovery within a couple of days without having to see their GP. Source: NHS Choices . When employees were provided with wipes containing QUATS disinfectants and told to use at least once daily, the number of fomites on which the virus was detected was reduced by 80 per cent or more. Professor Charles Gerba, of the University of Arizona in Tuscon, U.S., said: 'Within two to four hours between 40 to 60 per cent of the fomites sampled were contaminated with virus. 'The results shown that viral contamination of fomites in facilities occurs quickly, and that a simple intervention can greatly help to reduce exposure to viruses. 'Using disinfecting wipes containing quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATS) registered by EPA as effective against viruses like norovirus and flu, along with hand hygiene, reduced virus spread by 80 to 99 per cent.' The research was presented at the the 54th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), an infectious disease meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Researchers used a 'tracer virus' similar to norovirus, and found that using disinfectant wipes containing quartenary ammonium compounds (QUATS) reduced the spread of the virus by 80 - 99 per cent . | It took just two to four hours for a virus to spread through a building .
Researchers contaminated a doorknob or tabletop with 'tracer virus'
Tracer virus was similar to winter vomiting bug norovirus .
After two to four hours 40 to 60 per cent of workers were contaminated .
Workers given wipes containing special disinfectant QUATS compounds .
Wipes containing QUATS reduced the spread of the virus by 80 per cent . |
0cd7ed6e4ef42294dfb7dd5d755eea710bd8418c | Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea has said that Typhoon Bolaven, a powerful tropical cyclone that pounded the Korean Peninsula last week, killed 48 people in the country and left more than 21,000 homeless. The storm also injured more than 50 people and destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of crops, according to a report published Monday evening by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The secretive, militaristic North Korean regime has repeatedly asked for food aid from international aid organizations as it struggles to feed its own people after suffering extensive famines during the 1990s. Employees from humanitarian groups that operate inside North Korea have described severe malnourishment on a large scale. A deal earlier this year for the United States to ship food aid to the country fell apart after the authoritarian regime in Pyongyang went ahead with a controversial rocket launch. North Korea already experienced widespread devastation in late July from heavy rains and flooding. KCNA said the extreme weather resulted in the deaths of at least 169 people and left more than 200,000 homeless. The United Nations World Food Program called it an emergency and organized for emergency food aid to be delivered. North Korea then took the unusual step of releasing footage of the devastated areas, showing houses submerged and farmlands destroyed. The damage caused by Bolaven last week has now added to the woes of the North Korean population. The storm also resulted in at least 15 deaths and widespread disruption in South Korea as it swept up the side of the Korean Peninsula. CNN's K.J. Kwon contributed to this report. | The storm destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of crops, North Korea says .
The reclusive regime already struggles to feed its people .
The U.N. organized emergency food aid for the country last month after flooding .
Typhoon Bolaven also killed at least 15 people in South Korea . |
0cd889c359c68fab8451c6314f69db6715d70ec7 | (CNN) -- No American family embodies mainstream Republicanism more than the Bushes, noted a New York Times article this year. For three generations, Bush men have occupied towering positions in the party pantheon, and the party's demographic and ideological shifts can be traced through the branches of the Bush family tree: from Prescott, the blue-blooded Eisenhower Republican, and George H.W. Bush, the transitional figure who tried and failed to emulate the approach of the New Right, to George W. Bush, who embodied the new breed of tax-cutting, evangelical conservatism. Indeed, the Bushes' metamorphosis from genial centrism to deep-fried conservatism has both anticipated and reflected the party's trajectory. But now, Jeb Bush, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, seems to be bucking the trend. He is seeking to return the party to its ideological moorings -- toward the centrism of his grandfather. Even before the GOP's ignominious defeat in November, Jeb was offering tough love to his party, suggesting that Republicans stand up to Grover Norquist and craft a bipartisan compromise to reduce the deficit significantly. But will Republicans listen? There are many reasons to believe they won't. Prescott was a Manhattan investment banker who called himself a "moderate progressive." In the 1952 primary between conservative presidential candidate Sen. Robert Taft and moderate Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Prescott chose Eisenhower -- and became the president's favorite golf partner. Prescott rode Eisenhower's coattails into the Senate, where he focused on urban renewal, spearheading the 1954 Housing Act. An early proponent of the line-item veto, he received national recognition as an advocate of fiscal responsibility. Prescott's son George H.W. left for West Texas in 1948 when Texas was still a one-party state. But change was afoot in the South, and by the time H.W. ran for U.S. Senate in 1964, he encountered a flourishing Texas Republican Party that had recently elected its first U.S. senator by attracting hordes of conservative Democrats. But the new rank-and-file Republicans were nothing like the Connecticut Republicans he knew -- or even like those in the Houston suburbs. Biographer Richard Ben Cramer imagined H.W.'s vexation at this new breed of Texas Republican: . "These ... these nuts! They were coming out of the woodwork! They talked about blowing up the U.N., about armed revolt against the income tax. ...The nuts hated him. They could smell Yale on him." Recognizing that his 1964 primary campaign would need to be more Goldwater than Rockefeller, he ignored the social problems Prescott had addressed. "Only unbridled free enterprise can cure unemployment," H.W. asserted, contending that government bore no responsibility for alleviating poverty. Though he lost, he began the transition to Sunbelt conservatism that would make him (barely) acceptable to Ronald Reagan as a running mate. But he never fully evolved: He famously reneged on his "no new taxes" pledge. His son George W. would complete the transition. George W.'s first major legislative accomplishment as president was the enactment of a massive $1.6 trillion tax cut. He rode roughshod over the green-eyeshade types to pass a massive tax cut. When it produced runaway deficits, he accepted Dick Cheney's argument: "Reagan taught us that deficits don't matter." In adopting Sun Belt conservatism -- sometimes clumsily -- George H.W. and George W. anticipated the Republican Party's ideological shift. Hence, in evaluating Jeb's prescriptions for fiscal responsibility, today's Republicans should recall the Bushes' past political palm reading. Politics is about addition, not subtraction. Every year, as Republicans maintain the electoral coalition that responds to their platform, they face an inevitable subtraction from their base. That's because unyielding stances on taxes and deficits practically guarantee that young voters will continue opposing them, and the (older and whiter) constituencies who favor them shrink as a percentage of the electorate. Republicans who believe they can continue to win with their current coalition are like rats who believe they can outrun a treadmill. As the nation approaches $16 trillion of debt and grapples with the baby boomer retirement, young voters will grasp that every dollar spent on entitlement programs is a dollar paid by already-strapped young workers. That may well push young voters to support the party with the most credible deficit-reduction plan. According to 2012 exit polls, 60% of young voters (aged 18-29) supported President Barack Obama. Young voters also made up a slightly larger share of the electorate than they had in 2008. This is a huge problem for Republicans for three reasons. One, people tend to vote with higher frequencies once they hit their 30s. Two, generational cohorts tend to stick with the party they supported in their formative years. And most obviously, young voters are more likely to be around to vote in the future. If it were just about math, Jeb could convince the party to adopt what polling shows are clearly winning positions. But as the work of scholars Gary Miller and Norman Schofield suggests, it's not a linear equation: It's about momentum and intensity within the Republican coalition. That's because the newest entrants to a party's electoral coalition are usually its most robust -- and the hardest to roll in intraparty skirmishes. For Republicans, it is the mostly white and older tea partiers, who block electorally beneficial positions on taxes. The next newest entrants to the coalition are Christian conservatives, many of whom also strongly oppose tax increases. Fiscally conservative and socially progressive Rockefeller types are the oldest group, but they've been leaving the Republican Party for decades. Whereas many of them supported Republican congressional candidates in the 1970s, far less did by the 2000s. So while this group is the easiest to persuade of the need for adjustments (indeed, many already share Jeb's views), they hold the least sway in the party. What does all this mean? American parties since the Civil War have periodically shed the coalition elements that are most distant from their activist base. While Jeb's prescriptions are in the party's long-term interest, they will be difficult to execute, given the strength of the party's coalition members. Can Jeb sway a resistant party base? It's quite possible: His family's odyssey has reflected the party's shifts for 50 years, and he's uniquely positioned to convince his peers. If Republicans listen, it will constitute a return to their roots -- and a reckoning with demographic reality. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jeff Smith. | Jeff Smith: No American family embodies Republicanism more than the Bushes .
Smith: Jeb Bush, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, may be bucking the trend .
He says Jeb Bush advocates for fiscal responsibility and standing up to Grover Norquist .
Smith: If GOP can return to its more centrist roots, then it has a chance to win more voters . |
0cd88bad249842865f16b69ba2503deafacff3c0 | A former TV pitchman in Utah with a history of running afoul of the law was charged Tuesday with two federal misdemeanors by prosecutors who say he chased a barn owl in flight on his motorized paraglider. Dell 'Super Dell' Schanze is accused of knowingly using an aircraft to harass wildlife and pursuing a migratory bird, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Utah. The charges come after a federal investigation into an online video that surfaced last year and appeared to show a paraglider near Utah Lake kicking a soaring owl and boasting, 'I kicked an owl butt.' Under fire: Dell 'Super Dell' Schanze is accused of knowingly using an aircraft to harass wildlife and pursuing a migratory bird, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Utah . Prosecutors say the 45-year-old Schanze's flight happened in February or March of 2011, and would constitute a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. No hearings were immediately scheduled in the case, and no attorney was listed for Shanze. He could not be reached for comment. The harassment charge carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a $100,000 fine, while the other charge could lead to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. It also calls on Schanze to forfeit his paraglider. Schanze is known in Utah for his over-the-top personal style and the shrill, hyperactive TV commercials that advertised his one-time Totally Awesome Computers retail chain. He shut down the stores in 2006 amid sinking sales and legal troubles. In the years since, he has run for political office, including a Libertarian bid for governor. Familiar faceL Schanze is known in Utah for his over-the-top personal style and the shrill, hyperactive TV commercials that advertised his one-time Totally Awesome Computers retail chain . Caught on camera: Here footage apparently shows Schanze chasing a wild bird on his motorized paraglider . Criminal history: He was previously arrested in Oregon in connection with a jump off the 125-foot-tall Astoria Column and said outside the jail the government was stifling his creativity . Shanze's paragliding has run afoul of the law before. In 2006, he was charged with disorderly conduct after flying low near Interstate 15 at rush hour. He kissed the feet of a fan who paid his $300 fine in the case. Five years later, he was arrested in Oregon in connection with a jump off the 125-foot-tall Astoria Column and said outside the jail the government was stifling his creativity. He's also had other legal troubles, including a 2005 conviction for lying to officers after prosecutors said he brandished a gun at Draper residents angry that he'd sped through their neighborhood. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail four years later, after police stopped him for weaving in and out of traffic. Prosecutors say his children weren't wearing seatbelts and Schanze was carrying a loaded gun in his fanny pack without a permit. | Dell 'Super Dell' Schanze, 45, is known in Utah for his over-the-top personal style and the shrill, hyperactive TV commercials .
He is accused of knowingly using an aircraft to harass wildlife and pursuing a migratory bird . |
0cd99d7ebadebe3da6fd3264376c3111dab0dea7 | These are the pictures shown to a jury of a British student accused of joining rebel forces in Syria - posing for photos with machine guns and a tank in the war-torn country. David Souaan, a student at Birkbeck College, London told a court he only held the weapons because he 'wanted to look cool' and that the photographs were just to keep as 'trophies'. He allegedly visited Syria to fight last year and was planning to return there when he was stopped and arrested at Heathrow Airport in May. Photographs of David Souaan (pictured) brandishing weapons have been shown to jurors at the Old Bailey . In one picture presented to the court, Souaan was shown on top of a tank and holding a machine gun . A mass of pictures, videos and documents found on his phone and computer showed Souaan's 'extremist sympathies', the prosecution claimed, but he says he never had a weapon himself. The 20-year-old insisted he only went there for two nights in December last year to help retrieve his 82-year-old grandfather's belongings after he fled with just the clothes on his back. Pictures of the student with a range of guns were just to keep as 'trophies', jurors at the Old Bailey were told. Souaan said his grandfather's house had been destroyed in the war and he had been forced to flee to Urfa, in Turkey. David Souaan, who allegedly joined rebel forces in Syria, said he only posed for pictures with guns to look 'cool' It was during a visit to Turkey that the elderly man persuaded Souaan's father to collect his property from his home town of Deir ez-Zor, in Syria. The defendant said: 'My father told me that he is going to travel so I told him, "let me come with you" because in a sense although there was a guarantee from my father it would be safe, I was still worried about my father. I still wanted to go to give him support.' Asked if he also wanted to go for himself, he replied: 'In a sense, yes. I did want to go for myself, just to see how the town looks like.' Souaan was quizzed about a series of pictures of him posing with a variety of different guns during the trip. He said: 'I thought it was interesting and I wanted to show it to my brother as well. 'There is no specific reason but for me, at the time, it seemed interesting. It was something new.' His lawyer Ali Bajwa QC asked: 'Why so many of you posing with weapons or firearms?' Souaan replied: 'Because at the time when I was there I felt something like I wanted some trophy - the photos. 'As the teenagers say nowadays, it looks "cool". So that was the reason.' He insisted that while he was in the Free Syrian Army-held town he never had a weapon himself and nor did his father or any of the people responsible for keeping them safe. The Birkbeck College student told the court how his father was Syrian Muslim and his mother was Serbian Christian. He described to jurors how his family had become wealthy after his father set up a successful construction business in Serbia but maintained strong family ties to Syria. David Souaan told a court he only held the weapons because he 'wanted to look cool' and that the photographs were just to keep as 'trophies' A mass of pictures, videos and documents found on his phone and computer showed Souaan's 'extremist sympathies', the prosecution claimed, but he says he never had a weapon himself . Souaan studied at an international school in Serbia because he wanted to go to university abroad. He was given a three-year student visa and began studying global politics and international relations at Birkbeck College in London, living in halls of residence. But after he arrived in London for his first term of university on October 6 last year he said he was 'lonely' and did not make many new friends. The court heard how the devout Muslim exchanged loving texts with his Christian Serbian girlfriend who had gone to Miami to study. Souaan, a student at Birkbeck College (pictured), London, told the Old Bailey that he never had a weapon himself . She called him by his pet name 'little panda' and he told her he loved his 'little sweetie' 'more than anything in the world'. Asked to describe his first term, Souaan said: 'I would describe my feelings as mixed. I was looking forward to coming to London, attending university, it was a new experience. 'I would say it was fine but I was feeling a little bit lonely.' Souaan denies a charge of preparing for terrorist acts in Syria. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Student David Souaan, 20, is accused of joining rebel forces in Syria .
Prosecution says pictures on his phone show 'extremist sympathies'
But he says he never had a weapon himself and only posed to look 'cool'
Photographs of student with guns were just to keep as 'trophies', he says .
Souaan denies a charge of preparing for terrorist acts in Syria . |
0cdaadcae33d868f50c96df821c34aea3c03ff76 | By . Martin Robinson and Ray Massey . PUBLISHED: . 11:04 EST, 12 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:41 EST, 13 March 2013 . Supermarkets have sparked a forecourt price-war by slashing up to 4p a litre at the pumps. Motoring groups welcomed the cuts - worth up to £2 per fill-up - but said that the supermarkets had been until now trailing rivals who'd already started undercutting them over the past fortnight ago. The price-cut moves by Sainsbury, Asda and Tesco also came as campaigners urge the Chancellor ahead of next week's Budget to abandon a planned 3p a litre hike planned for September - or even announce a cut. Price battle: Sainsbury's has cut the cost of fuel from today, with Asda and Tesco following suit . Sainsbury's sparked the price war by announcing that from today petrol prices at the company's 279 forecourts will dip by 4p a litre, with diesel being reduced by 3p a litre. Asda then responded by announcing it would be cutting its petrol by up to 3p a litre and its diesel by up to 2p a litre, adding that drivers would pay no more than 134.7p a litre for petrol and 141.7p a litre for diesel. And Tesco then jumped in with a 3p drop at its 496 forecourts. Latest petrol price figures show the cost of filling up is continuing to put the squeeze on motorists, going up by another 5p a litre in February alone. This increase added £2.50 to the cost of a typical 50-litre refill, or £3.50 to fill up a Ford Mondeo. A family with two petrol cars is now spending £10.62 a month more on fuel than at the beginning of the year. Average UK petrol prices stand at . around 137,08p a litre, following a surge that started in the second . week of January when the price was 132.01p. Since the start of 2013, diesel pump prices have increased from around 140p a litre to 143.96p. The AA welcomed the move. AA head of public affairs Paul Watters said:'This is a substantial fall, worth £2 a tank of petrol, and fairly reflects the drop in wholesale costs which started in late February. 'However, many non-supermarket fuel stations started undercutting supermarket prices a fortnight ago.' He said: 'Drivers will very much welcome Sainsbury's move which gives respite after the third 8p-or-more pump price surge in the past 12 months. 'The response of other supermarkets, hopefully passing on the full drop in wholesale costs and not just where they feel they need to, will dictate the extent of this potential boost to family budgets.' On the rise: The graph shows how prices had dropped in the final months of 2912 but have jumped again in January and February . Whitewash? The Office of Fair Trading said sharp rises in fuel prices was caused by increases in tax and not price-fixing by oil companies . In January motoring groups accused the Office of . Fair Trading of ‘a whitewash’ yesterday after the watchdog ruled out a . full inquiry into petrol prices. The OFT, which launched a probe last year, claimed there was no evidence drivers were being ripped off. For years motorists have complained that pump prices soar when the price of crude oil rises, but fail to drop if it then falls. George Osborne is coming under mounting pressure to order a fuel duty freeze in this month’s Budget, as experts warned prices were spiralling out of control. Pressure: George Osborne is being advised to freeze duty on fuel as experts warn prices are going to soar . Tory MPs are urging the Chancellor to cancel a 3p-a-litre rise in fuel duty planned for September. Motoring organisations warned that families could not take much more, following a 6p rise in fuel prices since the start of the year. Conservative MP Robert Halfon has dubbed fuel duty a ‘toxic tax’ and said action to bring it under control was now more important than raising the income tax threshold, which has been the Coalition’s top tax priority. ‘This Government has . done more than almost any other in recent times to reduce the cost of . fuel but we need to go further... in the long term, when the financial . conditions allow, to actually cut fuel duty,' he said. ‘When . fuel duty goes up it’s not just a tax on fuel because food prices go . up, bus prices go up, it crushes businesses, it crushes families, it’s a . disincentive to work because people can’t afford to drive to work.’ Last week it emerged that the poorest car owners are being forced to shell out more than a quarter of their ready cash to keep a vehicle on the road. Typically, a poor household will spend £44 a week on motoring expenses out of a total seven-day budget of £167, according to the RAC Foundation. Of this, a total of £16 is used to buy petrol or diesel and £8.30 goes on insurance. This means the most hard-up 10 per cent of car-owning households are having to put at least 27 per cent of their disposable income towards owning and running a vehicle. Rising costs: The average 5p a litre increase in February added £2.50 to the cost of a typical 50-litre refill . By contrast, motoring costs only represent about 12 per cent of the disposable income of the wealthiest car-owning households. RAC Foundation director Stephen Glaister said: 'These figures should shock Chancellor George Osborne, with some households mired in transport poverty. 'We already knew transport was the single biggest area of household expenditure bar none. But this spending breakdown just for car-owning households is not normally available. It lays bare the truth about the extent of transport poverty in the UK.' | Sainsbury's announced reductions first before Asda and Tesco followed suit .
It comes after months of rises with 5p alone added in the past month .
Chancellor being urged to scrap 3p-a-litre fuel duty rise in upcoming budget . |
0cdae9415cf3a79393962140578c598237bb0688 | Six singles have agreed to legally tie the knot with a total stranger for Married at First Sight, a new reality series. Billed as an 'extreme social experiment,' the show will follow the stories of three newlywed couples paired up by four experts: All applicants were evaluated by a sexologist, a spiritualist, a psychologist and a sociologist, who narrowed down hundreds of possible matches. In the premiere, which airs tonight on the FYI network, the participants will meet their future spouses for the first time - as they walk down the aisle. Scroll down for video . Taking the plunge: Jamie Otis and Jason Carrion, both 27, are two of the strangers who tie the knot on Married at First Sight, a new reality series . One cast member says she took the plunge after struggling to find a man ready to commit. 'In . New York City, I feel like the guys are primarily just players until . they’re hitting their late 30s,' Jamie Otis, a 27-year-old nurse from Harlem, told the New York Post, adding, 'It’s tough to find guys who are serious.' Jason Carrion, a 27-year-old EMT . from Brooklyn, also looks for love on the series, which is based on a Danish program of the . same name. Perfect strangers: Monet, 33, and Vaughn, 30, are also part of the 'extreme social experiment' Love is blind: Cortney, 26, and Doug, 31, are two others preparing to marry people they've never met . The . men and women, ages 26 to 33, are all from the Tri-State Area. After . several weeks of married life, each couple must decide whether to stay . together. Other cast . members include Cortney Hendrix, a 26-year-old makeup artist who performs in a . burlesque troupe, Monet Bell, a 33-year-old product development manager, Vaughn Copeland, a 30-year-old field service technician, and Doug Hehner, a 31-year-old . commercial sales rep and lifeguard. Sexologist . Dr Logan Levkoff, one of the specialists featured on the show, . confirms that each union is 'a real marriage — not just one made for . television' in an interview with Jezebel. Matchmaker, matchmaker: Dr Pepper Schwartz, Greg Epstein, Dr Logan Levkoff and Dr Joseph Cilona paired up three couples who marry sight unseen . 'This experiment seeks to determine whether social science can play a role in marital success,' she says. 'If we can offer a new way to find a connection (and a long-lasting one), imagine the possibilities!' Australia's Nine Network has confirmed to Daily Mail Australia it is planning a local production of the series. Here comes the bride: Jamie Otis prepares to meet her groom . Well groomed: Vaughn Copeland suits up for the big day . No sweat: Doug Hehner meets his bride at the altar . | Married at First Sight, a new reality series documenting the 'extreme social experiment,' airs tonight on the FYI network .
All applicants were evaluated by a .
sexologist, a spiritualist, a psychologist and a sociologist, who .
narrowed down hundreds of possible matches . |
0cdb2775a3bcdc6baedb45cd69bca36e569d189a | COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CNN) -- After flying through the night for seven hours aboard Air Force One, nobody would blame President Obama for being at least slightly groggy when he arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, for a quick four hours to make the final pitch for Chicago to host the 2016 Olympics. Michelle Obama's speech in Copenhagen focused on her roots in Chicago and her father's battle with MS. Maybe that explains why the president seemed to snag the silver medal while first lady Michelle Obama, who's been in Copenhagen a couple of days, clearly took the gold with an emotional speech focused on her family's roots in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and her late father's battle with multiple sclerosis. "Sports were a gift I shared with my dad, especially the Olympic Games," Obama said in her portion of the U.S. delegation's final presentation to the International Olympic Committee. "Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad's lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis and others for their brilliance and perfection. "But I never dreamed that the Olympic flame might one day light up lives in my neighborhood," she said. "But today, I can dream, and I am dreaming of an Olympic and Paralympic Games in Chicago that will light up lives in neighborhoods all across America and all across the world." The mention of the Paralympic Games was significant because a good bit of Obama's speech tugged at the heartstrings by focusing on how her father was diagnosed with MS in his early 30s, leaving him nearly unable to walk. She spoke in a halting voice about how he kept getting sicker but still taught her how to play sports while propping himself up on crutches. "My dad was my hero. And when I think of what these games could mean to people all over the world, I think of people like my dad, who face seemingly insurmountable challenges, but they never give up." Watch as the president and Mrs. Obama speak in Copenhagen » . IOC members will be voting Friday; results will be announced after 12:30 p.m. ET. "I think Chicago could not have made a better presentation. Now it's up to the IOC," President Obama said. "Only thing I'm upset about is I followed Michelle, which is never good." Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley also did some lobbying. "We want to share our city with the world," Daley told IOC members. "You have my commitment that Chicago will work every day for the next seven years to be an Olympic city that you and the world will be proud of." The president gave the final word, saying that after moving around the world as a child, he finally settled in Chicago. "I came to discover that Chicago is that most American of American cities, but one where citizens from more than 130 nations inhabit a rich tapestry of distinctive neighborhoods," Obama said. "Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. presidential election," he told IOC members. "Their interest wasn't about me as an individual. Rather, it was rooted in the belief that America's experiment in democracy still speaks to a set of universal aspirations and ideals. "There is nothing I would like more than to step just a few blocks from my family's home and with Michelle and our two girls welcome the world back to our neighborhood. At the beginning of this new century, the nation that has been shaped by people from around the world wants a chance to inspire it once more." | Obamas in Copenhagen making a pitch to bring 2016 Olympics to Chicago .
First lady talks about her roots on Chicago's South Side, father's battle with MS .
"I am dreaming of an Olympic and Paralympic Games in Chicago," she said .
International Olympic Committee will announce winner after 12:30 p.m. ET. |
0cdb307cb5ff9b00da47b6667f732811c758bf7f | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 10:17 EST, 22 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:44 EST, 23 August 2012 . The parliamentary head of Angela Merkel's party has warned that crisis-wracked Greece has 'no room for manoeuvre' ahead of talks this week between the German chancellor and the Greek prime minister. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is due . to visit Berlin on Friday before heading to Paris for talks with French . President Francois Hollande the next day. According to Greek media, Samaras . will discuss extending a deadline for Greece to make budget cuts in return for its next slice of aid . while stopping short of making a formal request. Warning: Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, right, is expected to discuss extending the deadline for Greece to make budget cuts. But German MP Volker Kauder, left, says Greece has 'no room for manoeuvre' The Financial Times reported today that Samaras would ask for two more years to make the demanded cuts. But Volker Kauder, parliamentary group leader of Merkel's conservative bloc, told Der Spiegel weekly: 'The Greeks have to stick to what they have promised. There is no room for manoeuvre, either in terms of time or substance. 'That would be yet another agreement broken. That's exactly what led us to this crisis.' Greece's debt stands at more than 300 . billion euros ($372 billion), and its economy is struggling through a . fifth year of recession with unemployment above 23 percent. In an interview published today, Samaras insisted . that Athens doesn't want more money from creditors, but made clear it . would like more time to enact reforms and spending cuts. He vehemently rejected the suggestion . that it might be better for Greece to leave the 17-nation euro and . bring back its former currency, the drachma. Showdown: Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is due to visit Berlin for talks with German chancellor Angela Merkel, right, on Friday before heading to Paris for talks with French President Francois Hollande, left, the next day . That, he told Germany's mass-circulation Bild daily, would result in 'a catastrophe for Greece' and economic collapse. Samaras pledged before coming to . power to seek a two-year extension to the deadline for implementing . unpopular cuts demanded in exchange for two massive international aid . packages worth 240 billion euros that are keeping Greece afloat. But delays in implementing reforms . and austerity measures have fueled impatience in Germany - the largest . single contributor to the bailouts - and other eurozone countries. German officials and lawmakers have . made clear they're in no mood to grant significant concessions, and . speculation has grown that Greece will have to leave the euro. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs the eurozone finance ministers' meetings, was due in Athens today. 'Let me be very clear: we are not asking for extra money,' Samaras was quoted as telling Bild. 'We stand by our commitments and the . implementation of all requirements. But we must encourage growth, . because that reduces the financing gaps. 'All we want is a little "air to . breathe" to get the economy going and increase state income,' Samaras . added, without specifying any timeframe. 'More time does not automatically mean more money.' Asked whether Greece needs a second . debt writedown following one carried through earlier this year, Samaras . replied: 'that has never been discussed.' Some German politicians have talked . openly in recent weeks about the possibility of Greece leaving the euro, . and the vice chancellor, Economy Minister Philipp Roesler, has said . that the idea of a Greek exit has 'lost its horror.' Difficult times: Greece's debt stands at more than 300 billion euros, and its economy is struggling through a fifth year of recession with unemployment above 23 percent. This picture shows a view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon in Athens . But Athens insists the country must . remain in the euro - something which opinion polls have shown the vast . majority of Greeks want. Asked by Bild whether a return to the . drachma would be better, Samaras replied that 'the consequences would . be a catastrophe for Greece.' 'It would mean at least five more . years of recession and push unemployment above 40 percent,' he was . quoted as saying. 'A nightmare for Greece: economic collapse, social . unrest and an unprecedented crisis of democracy.' Auditors from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund -- known as the Troika -- will release a report in mid-September on Greece's progress towards achieving the required austerity. According to Der Spiegel, this report will call for Athens to slash 14 billion euros ($17 billion) from its budget over the next two years, 2.5 billion euros more than originally demanded. Der Spiegel said the extra cuts were needed because planned privatisations were not shaping up to be as lucrative as hoped and tax revenues were falling short of forecasts as Greece struggles through its fifth year of recession. Kauder reiterated that Europe should strive to keep Greece in the eurozone, but stressed that the Troika report would be the basis for further decisions. 'We should do everything to stick together. When the first difficulties appear, you don't throw the children out of the house. I am going to wait to see what the Troika says,' Kauder said. | Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is due .
to visit Berlin on Friday before heading to Paris for talks with French .
President Francois Hollande .
According to Greek media, Samaras .
will discuss extending a deadline for Greece to make budget cuts in return for its next slice of aid .
But Volker .
Kauder, parliamentary group leader of Merkel's conservative bloc, said Greece had to stick to promises and could not break more agreements .
In an interview published today, Samaras said 'Let me be very clear: we are not asking for extra money' |
0cdccbb13ca1dc1f1e8910137171c4a19b8a0da3 | Seven players are set to make their Test debuts when Australia and New Zealand meet in Brisbane on Saturday. The match is the second part of a double-header which will get the 2014 Four Nations Series under way at the Suncorp Stadium. Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens, denied the services of 11 players through injury and unavailability, has named four debutants in his starting line-up in Wests Tigers prop Aaron Woods, Penrith winger Josh Mansour, South Sydney centre Dylan Walker and Sydney Roosters forward Daniel Tupou. Australia head coach Tim Sheens calls to his team during a training session before the Four Nations . Aaron Woods of the West Tigers is tackled by the Cronula Sharks defence during an NRL contest . Josh Mansour of the Penrith Panthers tries to keep possession in a NRL match against the St George Dragons . Dylan Walker of the Sydney Rabbitohs runs the ball during the round NRL match with the Sydney Roosters . G Inglis (South Sydney); J Mansour (Penrith), M Jennings (Sydney Roosters), D Walker (South Sydney), D Tupou (Sydney Roosters); D Cherry-Evans (Manly), C Cronk (Melbourne); A Woods (Wests Tigers), C Smith (Melbourne, capt), S Thaiday (Brisbane), B Scott (Newcastle), R Hoffman (Melbourne), G Bird (Gold Coast). Replacements: R Farah (Wests Tigers), A Guerra (Sydney Roosters), J Papalii (Canberra), C Parker (Brisbane). Daniel Tupou, who could make his Test debut for Australia on Saturday, scores a try for the Sydney Roosters . New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney (left) watches over proceedings in training before the Four Nations . Sydney Roosters centre or second rower Aidan Guerra, who played for Italy in the 2013 World Cup, is also set to make his Australian bow after being named on the bench. North Queensland prop forward Jason Taumalolo and teenage Penrith winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak are the new faces for the Kiwis, although the latter's inclusion is subject to a fitness test on a foot injury picked up in training this week. 'Dallin is an exciting young prospect, who we think will play many Tests for the Kiwis in the future,' said New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney. Teenage Penrith winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak will have to recover from a foot injury to make his Test debut . North Queensland prop forward Jason Taumalolo could make his Test debut in Brisbane against Australia . 'He's brought a lot of youthful energy to the camp this week but we'll have to wait and see how his foot mends up.' Kearney has named former Wigan scrum-half Thomas Leuluai at hooker in the absence of the suspended Isaac Luke while utility player Lewis Brown is set to end a three-year absence from the international scene after being included on the bench. 'I feel like this group has a good balance about it and we've certainly trained very well over the last couple of days, so you can feel the combinations starting to come together,' Kearney said. England's Grand Final referee Phil Bentham will be in charge of the Trans-Tasman clash while Australian Gerard Sutton will be in the middle for the opening game between England and Samoa. P Hiku (Manly), J Nightingale (St George Illawarra), S Kenny-Dowall (Sydney Roosters), D Whare (Penrith), D Watene-Zelezniak (Penrith); K Foran (Manly), S Johnson (New Zealand Warriors); J Bromwich (Melbourne), T Leuluai (New Zealand Warriors), A Blair (Wests Tigers), S Mannering (New Zealand, capt), K Proctor (Melbourne), J Taumalolo (North Queensland). Replacements: L Brown (Penrith), G Eastwood (Canterbury Bulldogs), M Taupau (Wests Tigers), T Harris (Melbourne). | Rugby League Four Nations Series begins this weekend in Brisbane .
England face Samoa in the tournament opener on Saturday afternoon .
Australia then take on New Zealand in the double-header, with seven players set to make their Test debuts across the two sides . |
0cdd88c91f7cd6935a15d84889b444bae7ba7bff | (CNN) -- J.K. Rowling still has some tricks up her sleeve. The "Harry Potter" author is returning to the world of wizards that made her famous, but it's not going to be with a new book -- and it's not going to feature The Boy Who Lived. J.K. Rowling revealed as secret author of crime novel . Instead, Rowling is going to make her screenwriting debut with a movie centered around one of Harry Potter's textbooks, "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them," and the sojourns of its author, Newt Scamander. According to Rowling, she became intrigued with the idea after a proposal from studio Warner Bros. The author says in a statement that the studio (which shares a parent company with CNN) approached her "with the suggestion of turning 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' into a film," which she thought could be interesting, but wasn't excited to see handled by another writer. After inspiration struck for what she could do with the story, she says she ended up pitching her own plot. "Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt," Rowling says. "As hard-core 'Harry Potter' fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favorite characters from the 'Harry Potter' series, Luna Lovegood." Not just J.K. Rowling: Best-selling female authors with male monikers . But while "Fantastic Beasts" pulls inspiration from the "Potter" universe, Rowling is very clear that this movie isn't a prequel or a sequel of that franchise, which ended with 2011's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." Instead, with the project being "set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for 17 years," Rowling says it should be considered "an extension of the wizarding world. The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the 'Harry Potter' books or seen the films, but Newt's story will start in New York, 70 years before Harry's gets under way." J.K. Rowling penning 'Harry Potter' encyclopedia . According to Warner Bros., "Fantastic Beasts" will be the first in a planned series of films. In addition to the new franchise, Warner Bros. Entertainment has also entered into an "expanded creative partnership" with Rowling, which will cover projects like video games, digital initiatives and tourist attractions. For Warner Bros., this has to be a day of celebration. All told, the eight films produced based on Rowling's best-selling books have earned more than $7.7 billion worldwide, which by 2011 helped it edge out "Star Wars" as the top-grossing film series ever. | J.K. Rowling will make her screenwriting debut with a wizarding movie .
It'll be based on one of Harry Potter's textbooks .
Studio Warner Bros. says it's the first in a film series . |
0cddf0b550a7243fac488744ee4b26a2f77de3a3 | A British man - who was a long-time resident of Australia - has been found dead in a ditch with his throat slashed, wrapped in plastic, and his feet and hands bound. The man has been identified as 60-year-old Robert Kelvin Ellis who was a resident of Sanur, Badung police officer Komang Suartana said. Bali police local crime division head Detective Wisnu Wardana said the body was found about 8am local time on Tuesday and was already in a state of decay. A 60-year-old man was found dead in a ditch with his throat slashed, wrapped in plastic, and his feet and hands bound . Balinese police take evidence from Robert Kelvin Ellis from Sanglah Hospital . The body Mr Ellis, 60, was found in a rice field on Tuesday morning local time by residents . Mr Ellis also sustained bruises to his face and torso. Det Wardana also said they had the man's passport and he was living in Bali. Locals found the 60-year-old's body in a trench at the edge of a rice field that was far from any houses in the village of Sedang, in Bali's south. It was tied and wrapped in plastic and bedding. Police guard the villa Mr Ellis shared and his Indonesian wife, Noor Ellis . Flowers were seen being delivered to Mr Ellis' widow at the coastal area of Sanur - south-east of Denpasar . An Australian man in his 40s has been found dead on the holiday island of Bali, Indonesia . January 4: A Queensland mother and daughter, Noelene and Yvana Bischoff die on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali, from a rare form of food poisoning . June 9: Cairns man John-Paul Lipscombe, 53, dies of a suspected asthma attack as he was setting out to climb Indonesia's Mount Rinjani volcano . September 4: Noosa man Peter Maynard, 45, goes missing from his accommodation on Nusa Lembongan, off Bali; a section of his surfboard is handed in on September 6 . September 5: A respected boardmaker on Queensland's Gold Coast, Geoff Moase, 48, dies while surfing off Sorga Beach in Lombok, Indonesia . October 21: Robert Kelvin Ellis, 60, found with his throat slashed, wrapped in plastic and dumped in a Bali rice field . 'There was a wound in his neck. The neck was almost cut entirely,' Detective Wardana told reporters. 'We suspect that there has been physical violence to the body.' Police say Mr Ellis' Indonesian wife, Noor, reported him missing and has identified him from a photograph. She was yet to make a positive identification at the morgue. Detectives have found a mat at the crime scene, which they believe was used to move Mr Ellis' body, as well as money and a mobile phone. Ida Bagus Putu Alit, head of forensics at Sanglah Hospital, confirmed the injuries, saying an autopsy found bruising on the man's face, and three open wounds in the neck. 'The fatal wounds were caused by sharp-object violence,' he said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs for comment. Mr Ellis' body was found in a rice field near the village of Sedang, north of Bali capital Denpasar . | The body of Robert Kelvin Ellis was found about 8am local time in Bali .
Mr Ellis was found in a field with his throat slashed and wrapped in plastic .
He also had bruises to his face and torso, and had his hands and feet tied .
Balinese police said the British man was living in Sanur, south of Denpasar . |
0cdfa4205fda7df696b3f8729a4102baa6149738 | He sees you when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake. But Santa Claus didn't spot the secret camera that was set up to film him as he delivered presents to one young American boy and his family. Seven-year-old Evan readied the small device to capture what happened in his living room once everyone had gone to sleep on Christmas Eve. Christmas miracle: Seven-year-old Evan, right, can't believe what the camera captured after he went to sleep . The next morning, after presents were opened, he and his family gathered around the computer to see whether Santa Claus had visited - with a second camera recording Evan's face as he watched. A clip of both videos - played alongside each other - was posted online by a member of Evan's family. The video starts with Evan's older brother setting up his GoPro camera in the empty living room. The seven-year-old becomes increasingly doubtful when nothing appears as the camera speeds through hours of footage from the room. Hidden camera: Evan's brother (left) sets up the device in the family living room on Christmas Eve . Jingle bells: The boy's face lights up as he hears what sounds like hooves and footsteps on the roof . Magic: Evan's eys are fixed on the screen as a kitchen light switches on and a cloud of smoke appears . One family member suggests that perhaps the camera didn't capture anything, while another says that Santa Claus needs to be sure that everyone is asleep. But then Evan hears the distant jingle of bells and stomp of reindeer hooves. He looks around excitedly and claps his hands - in disbelief that Father Christmas is so close. And just as his family start saying that maybe it was only sound that was captured, the man in the red suit appears in a burst of magical smoke. The man in the red suit: The seven-year-old squeals with delight as Santa Claus steps into the living room . Snack time: He giggles with his family as they watch Father Christmas munch on cookies left out for him . Wish list: With a click of his fingers, Santa makes the presents appear under the tree in a cloud of sparkle . Evan squeals with delight as he watches Santa enjoying the milk and cookies left out for him. Santa then turns towards the Christmas tree and snaps his fingers - making an impressive pile of perfectly-wrapped presents appear in a cloud of sparkle. Just after Evan remarks that Santa Claus hasn't noticed the camera, the man turns to face the camera, snaps his fingers, and the screen goes dark. The seven-year-old can hardly contain his glee - high-fiving his family and talking excitedly about what he just saw. He adds that he hope Santa doesn't put them on the naughty list for filming him. Caught: Santa turns to face the camera and waggles his finger at Evan after spotting the hidden camera . Delighted: After the screen goes black, Evan turns to his family and claps his hands with glee . Mission accomplished: The seven-year-old turns around and high-fives his family, celebrating a job well done . | Seven-year-old Evan sets up a small camera to film the room overnight .
After opening presents the next day, he and his family watched the footage .
Another camera captures Evan's face as he sees the magic unfold . |
0ce32c448a219bbf09cb843b30079418fcbc8e32 | By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:51 EST, 3 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:00 EST, 3 May 2013 . A dying, paralyzed shooting victim who couldn't speak, intentionally blinked his eyes to identify a photo of his attacker for authorities, prosecutors have said in the opening statements of the suspect's murder trial. Defese lawyers in the trial of alleged killer Ricardo Woods say blinking cannot be considered consistent, reliable evidence. Over the next few weeks, jurors will be asked to decide whether Woods killed David Chandler, of Cincinnati. Incident: David Chandler, left, identified, 34-year-old Ricardo Woods (right), who has now been charged with murder, felonious assault and weapons counts and faces up to life in prison if convicted . Paralyzed and hooked up to a . ventilator, David Chandler was two weeks from death when police arrived . at his hospital room to question him about the person who shot him. They . wanted to know if he could identify a suspect, and they had a photo to . show him. Chandler was unable to communicate . except with his eyes as he lay in bed attached to myriad tubes and with a . brace around his neck. His eyes opened barely more than a slit at . times; he was instructed to blink three times for yes and twice for no. One detective quizzed him, and another videotaped his responses. Chandler . didn't respond with blinks to every question in the 17-minute video, . and there were solo blinks. But triple blinks came in response to . repeated questions asking if he knew the shooter and whether the person . in the photo was the culprit. Legal experts say such cases - while not unheard of - are unusual, and dying identifications relying on gestures rather than words are often not used in trials because of concern over reliability or differing interpretations. But some have been used in murder cases around the country that have ended in convictions. Suspect: Ricardo Woods is led out of the courtroom last year after the murder trial was postponed . Police . asked Chandler to blink three times for yes and twice for no to a . series of questions in the interview, said Assistant Hamilton County . Prosecutor David Prem. Chandler also blinked yes to indicate . that he knew the gunman and that his name began with the letter O, Prem . said. O was a street name that Woods sometimes used, the prosecutor . said. Prem told jurors that when they view the video, they will clearly see that Chandler knew what he was doing. 'You are going to see how he was struggling to get it right,' Prem said. The motive for the shooting, the prosecutor said, was that Chandler owed Woods money for drugs. Chandler was a drug user who had . bought drugs many times from Woods but had gone to an area near Woods' home the night of the shooting with two friends to buy drugs from . someone else. Chandler was shot about 20 yards from Woods' home and in an area known for drug deals, he said. Familiar: Woods reportedly knew the victim through drug deals . Prem said that while neither of the . men in the car with Chandler could clearly identify the man who shot . him, one heard a voice yelling Chandler's name. Defense attorney Wendy Calaway . insisted that Woods did not shoot Chandler and is 'an innocent man who . found himself in a perfect storm of misinformation and . misidentification'. Calaway said Chandler had stolen drugs from dealers . previously. 'He had many enemies,' Calaway said of Chandler. He had received threats and was . considered a 'snitch' who informed on drug dealers to police, according . to Calaway. Police decided before their investigation was completed that . Woods was the shooter and never followed up on any other leads, Calaway . said. Calaway also focused on the blinking . identification, saying that while doctors were able to establish a 'rudimentary' communication system with Chandler, 'his blinks were . inconsistent and sporadic'. Law: Judge Beth Myers of Hamilton County Common Pleas Court ruled at an earlier hearing that jurors could see the videotape, saying she found the blinks reliable . He only blinked in response to doctors' commands about 50 percent of the time, she said. Both sides are expected to call . medical experts to testify about the ability of someone in Woods' condition to understand and respond to questions. Other witnesses expected to be called . include a priest who was a friend to Chandler and gave him money before . the shooting, Prem said. A man who was in jail with Woods will testify . that Woods told him that he didn't mean to kill Chandler but that he was . angry that Chandler owed him money for drugs and was trying to buy . drugs from someone else, Prem said. The judge has said that the trial could take up to three weeks. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | David Chandler was left paralysed after he was shot and could only communicate by blinking .
Defense lawyers for Ricardo Woods say information gleamed from a dying man's blinks cannot be considered reliable . |
0ce3360c7a3448abbc8b78fc63afc1857e9365d2 | By . Graeme Yorke . Massimiliano Allegri is on the verge of being named as the new coach of Juventus, according to reports in Italy. Gazzetta dello Sport and Turin-based sports newspaper Tuttosport report on Wednesday that the former AC Milan tactician has agreed a two-year deal with the Serie A champions to replace Antonio Conte. VIDEO Scroll down to Watch the moment Antonio Conte announces he is leaving Juventus . Italian job: Allegri spent four years at AC Milan after making his name at Cagliari . Three and easy: Juventus cruised to a third successive Serie A title last season . Conte, who was under contract with Juve for a further season, surprisingly stepped down on Tuesday just one day into the Bianconeri's pre-season preparations. The 46-year-old Allegri has been out of a job since being dismissed by Milan in January, with the Rossoneri in the midst of a nightmare season when they trailed Juve by as many as 30 points. The difficult campaign at Milan does not appear to have damaged the coaching prospects of Allegri, who joined the San Siro outfit in 2010 after two successful seasons in charge of Cagliari. Stepping down: Former Juventus midfielder Conte is expected to become the next Italy manager . VIDEO Antonio Conte leaves Juventus . The Tuscan-born tactician led the Rossoneri to the Scudetto and the Italian Super Cup in 2010-11, his first season in charge, and was voted by his peers as 2011's Serie A coach of the Year. Conte led Juve to a third consecutive title in the 2013-14 campaign, the first time the club has achieved the feat since a five-season title run in the 1930s. He is widely expected to become Italy's new coach. Cesare Prandelli resigned after the Azzurri exited the World Cup at the group stage in Brazil. | Massimiliano Allegri set to become new Juventus manager .
Former AC Milan boss Allegri will sign a two-year deal .
Antonio Conte resigned on Tuesday after winning three successive titles .
Conte is expected to take over as the new Italy manager . |
0ce3b5db05a86d553cb278a804f305f4a4790df8 | Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard has been named as an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust to help motivate disadvantaged children to read. The 36-year-old is the author of Frankie's Magic Football series of children's books and has always been a keen supporter of the National Literacy Trust - while also being Chelsea's 'Reading Star' in the charity's programme last year. Lampard will reprise his role as Reading Star at the Etihad Stadium where he will talk about his favourite books and set reading challenges via an online video. Frank Lampard poses with his favourite books after being named National Literacy Trust ambassador . The veteran midfielder arrives for a friendly against Hamburg in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday . The former England international said: 'I am delighted to take up the role as an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust and help to further their work in supporting disadvantaged children across the UK to discover the joy of reading and develop their literacy skills. 'Reading should be a pleasure no matter what age you are, and Premier League Reading Stars is a proven way of getting children to enjoy books. The former England midfielder will be Manchester City's 'Reading Star' this season . Lampard was Chelsea's Reading Star last term and is the author of a series of children's books . 'It's very easy for young people to get distracted by computer games and television but the importance of getting children to enjoy reading was the inspiration behind my own books. 'Whether you're reading with your kids or just enjoying a good book on your own it's a wonderful experience and one of life's great pleasures.' | Frank Lampard is the author of Frankie's Magic Football children's books .
Manchester City star has been named National Literacy Trust ambassador .
Former Chelsea midfielder will reprise his role as 'Reading Star' at Etihad . |
0ce47253edcb361d7bf513b78a46051903c10a62 | By . Matt Chorley and Tamara Cohen . PUBLISHED: . 07:27 EST, 1 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:47 EST, 1 November 2013 . Millions of families could benefit from a crackdown on water bills, as David Cameron tries to seize back the cost of living agenda. Ministers will announce a package of measures to shake up the market next week, to ensure customers get a ‘good deal’. While households have no choice over their water supplier, it is expected to include more discounts or ‘social tariffs’ for pensioners and the low paid. This would also help reduce the soaring burden of bad debts – worth around £1.6billion a year – which firms currently add to the water bills of other households. Bills: David Cameron, pictured on a visit to the M4 outside Cardiff today, has ordered ministers to draw up action on water charges . Unlike energy firms, whose prices are . hiked every year by the Big Six firms, annual water bills, currently an . average of £388 per family, are set in advance by industry regulator . Ofwat. But water firms have been criticised . for using legal loopholes to avoid £1billion of corporation tax, and . paying millions of pounds in bonuses to their executives during last . year’s hosepipe ban. The move comes as Labour leader Ed . Miliband called for the water industry to be ‘scrutinised’ to ensure it . is not ripping off customers. The coalition has been stung by claims it has failed to act on easing the squeeze on family finances, with Mr Miliband taking the lead with his promise to freeze gas and electricity bills for two years if he wins the next election. But today Number 10 insisted Mr Cameron ‘wants to see household costs coming down’ and targeting the water industry will be the next stage. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has already offered water customers in the South West a £50 rebate to tackle historically high bills. However, the new action to be set out by Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is likely to offer help to customers across England with the details expected to be agreed this weekend. Mr Cameron’s official spokesman said: ‘Clearly the Prime Minister wants to see household costs coming down. ‘There will be some progress next week which Defra will be doing on the water industry and water bills.’ The government had already taken . action to freeze council tax bills, limit rail fare rises and cancel . increases in the cost of MoTs, he added. Water . watchdog Ofwat is preparing to block an eight per cent rise in charges . demanded by Thames Water for next year, which would add an extra £28 to . the average bill. The No.10 . spokesman added: ‘The Prime Minister wants regulators there to look at . the industries they regulate and make sure that they are as robust and . delivering what they need to deliver for customers. ‘The Prime Minister realises that families are hard-pressed. He wants to see prices brought down across the board.’ Options being considered include making social tariffs for the poorest customers compulsory, capping fare rises to an amount linked to inflation and cutting the bad debt caused by customers who refuse to pay which adds £15-a-year to every bill. Costs: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is to rush out action to limit water bill rises in an attempt to take back control of political debate over the cost of living . Details of the action on water bills are expected to be announced in the middle of next week, with Downing Street denying it had been caught on the hop by Mr Miliband. Chancellor George Osborne signalled the government's plans in a speech last month when he said: 'There are important improvements we can make to the scale of energy and water bills, the cost of housing, the fees paid for everyday financial services, the expense of rail and road travel. 'These are a burden on families – and we are doing everything we can do to reduce their cost – with more to come this autumn.' But Mr Miliband appeared to steal a march on the government yesterday with his warning that the industry could not escape scrutiny at a time when families are struggling to make ends meet. Warning: The government actions comes after Labour leader Ed Miliband said the water industry should be next to face more scrutiny . ‘I think we should be looking at all markets to make sure they are working properly and that includes the water industry,’ he told the Western Morning News yesterday. ‘Some people will say this is an anti-business agenda. I think it is a pro-business agenda that you have got to reform markets that are not working properly. ‘I think the water industry is something that should be scrutinised to make sure it is working properly and make sure it is working properly for the benefit of consumers, because I know concerns have been raised. ‘I'm proud Labour is championing this agenda and I think it is consistent with believing what a market economy can do, and water is part of that.’ A Defra Spokesperson said: 'The Government is working across the board to reduce the cost of living and help hardworking households who are feeling the pinch. 'We want to ensure customers get a good deal from the water sector and will be setting out our approach next week.' Maria Eagle, Labour's shadow environment secretary said: 'David Cameron has never shown any interest in rising water bills and has wasted three years doing absolutely nothing to address the impact on already over-burdened family budgets. 'More than two million households, over one in ten, now spend more than five per cent of their income on water according to the regulator and customers in Britain face some of the highest bills in Europe. 'Yet David Cameron still refuses to require water companies to introduce a social tariff to help those who are struggling, even though only three companies have introduced such a scheme under the current voluntary arrangement. 'That’s why Labour will use the forthcoming Water Bill legislation to require all water companies to participate in a national affordability scheme and review whether there is a need for a tougher regulatory regime.' It comes after figures this week showed the squeeze on family budgets has lasted for four years and shows no sign of coming to an end, grim new figures revealed today. Disposable incomes have remained almost unchanged since the end of the recession, with the return to economic growth having little impact on ordinary people’s spending power. Instead bills for life’s essentials like housing, energy and petrol have dramatically eaten into incomes, and now account for more than 27 per cent of all spending. The Office for National Statistics warned the economic position of households ‘remains under pressure’. Disposable incomes grew even when Britain was plunged into recession in mid-2008, but have remained ‘broadly flat’ since the summer of 2009, despite the economy growing by 4.2 per cent since then. In particular big rises in energy bills have had a devastating impact on families. | Defra drawing up plans to tackle water charges to be unveiled next week .
Number 10 desperate to get back on the front foot after energy charges row .
Measures expected to include more discounts for pensioners and low paid .
Water bills rose by average of 3.5% this year but wages are up by only 1% . |
0ce48ddf3f5cc17700dd3f5ab13f0ed42b30895e | (CNN) -- For nearly 30 years, one man has dominated Egypt. Hosni Mubarak, 82, has survived would-be assassins and ill health, crushed a rising Islamist radical movement and maintained the peace with neighboring Israel that got his predecessor killed. His government's continued observance of the Camp David accords with Israel is the cornerstone of what peace has been achieved in the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict. Following the revolt that toppled Tunisia's longtime strongman, demonstrators in the streets of Cairo are standing up to riot police and chanting, "Mubarak, Saudi Arabia is waiting for you." Experienced observers say it's the most most significant challenge to his rule yet. It's far from clear, however, that the demonstrators have the support or the coordination to bring down the man critics have called Egypt's last pharaoh. "He's been in power a very long time, and he is very wily," said Juan Cole, a Middle East historian at the University of Michigan. "He's developed all kinds of techiniques for dealing with opponents that have proven relatively successful." But longtime observers of the region say the stability Mubarak has purchased has come at the cost of entrenched poverty and repression in the Arab world's most populous nation. "Egypt is a broken country," Fawaz Gerges, a professor of Middle Eastern relations at the London School of Economics, told CNN. "It used to be the jewel of the Middle East. It's the capital of its cultural production." But now, Gerges said, "Egyptians have no outlets. They don't feel that they have a sense of hope for the future." Mubarak was a Soviet-trained pilot who was chief of staff of Egypt's air force during the 1973 Mideast war. The early success of Egyptian pilots against Israel made him a national hero, and then-President Anwar Sadat made him vice president in 1975. Six years later, Sadat died in a hail of gunfire at a military parade, killed by Islamic militants from within the army's own ranks after he took the dramatic step of making peace with Israel. Upon assuming office, one of Mubarak's first acts was to declare a state of emergency that allowed barred unauthorized assembly, restricted freedom of speech and allowed police to jail people indefinitely. He has made extensive use of those powers in the ensuing decades. The Egyptian army put down riots by disgruntled police officers in 1986, and he threw an estimated 30,000 people in jail when jihadists carried out a string of attacks on tourists. "He pretty much wiped them out," Cole said. "It's not an accident that they were in Afghanistan instead of Egypt." And the government has also penetrated opposition movements so thoroughly that "If five people sit down to plot something, the fifth person writes a report to Hosni Mubarak about it," he said. The result is "a regime that has very little legitimacy, but presents itself as something there's no point in trying to change," said Nathan Brown, a professor of Middle Eastern politics at George Washington University in Washington. But Brown said the January 14 overthrow of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia after 23 years in power, has changed the thinking of many in the region. "I think what the events in Tunisia did was take that sense that nothing could ever change and lead a few people to question it," he said. Mubarak has headed off a similar movement before, in 2005, when Egyptians mounted large-scale protests to demand fundamental and widespread reform. He intimidated the leaders of the officially banned but tolerated Muslim Brotherhood, harassed middle-class demonstrators and managed to pick off the leadership of those protests, Brown said. But the current movement "has no real leadership, so it can't be decapitated the same way," he said. "If Mubarak decided tomorrow, 'I'll sit down and engage with you,' it's not clear who that 'you' is." Mubarak won four terms as president in elections that were considered formalities. His fifth, in 2005, was Egypt's first multi-party presidential vote, but it was widely criticized as a "sham," Cole said. Meanwhile, the country's economy stagnated for the first 20 years of his rule. Development has picked up in the past decade, fueled by a move away from state control and by billions in tourist dollars, but its gains have been "very unevenly distributed." About 40 percent of Egyptians currently live in poverty, Gerges said. The aging autocrat has escaped at least two assassination attempts, including a close call in 1995 when Islamic militants opened fire on his motorcade at a pan-African conference in Ethiopia. And in recent years, he has had several bouts of illness but has never picked a vice president. He is widely believed to have anointed his son Gamal as his successor, but no formal announcement has been made. In 2003, he collapsed while delivering a televised speech to the Egyptian parliament -- returning later to blame his illness on the flu. He had back surgery in Germany in 2004, returning in 2010 to have his gall bladder removed. He has largely withdrawn from public view in recent years and has not addressed his country during the current crisis, Brown said. His situation is being closely watched overseas, particularly in the United States. In the past decade, Egypt has been major player in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and it contributed troops to the U.S.-led coalition that drove Iraq out of Kuwait in 1991. It gets about $1.3 billion in military aid from Washington every year, second only to Israel, and has received nearly $30 billion in economic aid since 1975, according to State Department figures. But it opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 -- and while sticking with Camp David, Egypt's ties with Israel amount to a "cold peace," Cole said. President Barack Obama noted Thursday that Mubarak has been "very helpful on a range of tough issues," but he said he has pushed the Egyptian leader to take steps toward reform. "You can see these pent-up frustrations that are being displayed on the streets," Obama said. He urged the Egyptian government to avoid resorting to violence to put down the demonstrations, adding, "I think it's very important that people have mechanisms in order to express legitimate grievances." Brown said Mubarak probably has to endorse some political form to survive. But he will have to do it "extremely carefully, so it's not seen as a desperate measure of last resort." Cole said Mubarak could bow to one of the protesters' demands and lift the state of emergency. "Egypt does have a fairly liberal constitution and it does enshrine a lot of rights in it," he said. "But it's just a piece of paper. It's sidestepped by the emergency." If lifted, "The judges and the courts in Egypt are very feisty, and they will take on the government." He could also hold a free and fair presidential election this year, "but it's asking a lot," Cole said. But Gerges said the Middle East has seen "the barrier of fear" removed since the events in Tunisia. "Arabs really no longer feel terrified of the security apparatus, regardless of whether Mubarak remains or goes," he said. "We're going to have a new era of politics." | Hosni Mubarak has held power since 1981 .
A 30-year state of emergency has aided his rule .
He now faces widespread demonstrations after Tunisia's revolt .
The uprising removed the "barrier of fear," one analyst says . |
0ce5d709452a6809c734a1e3c9b6c64e79270a40 | Washington (CNN) -- The smell of exhaust from idling cars fills up the Capitol parking lot. Congressional aides have their engines revved -- ready to whisk their bosses to train stations and airports as soon as they cast their last vote. It's a familiar scene when Congress is getting ready to leave town, especially for an extended period. But this time the race for a six-week respite feels different. There is bipartisan consensus that the United States is now at war with ISIS and that Congress should be a part of the decision-making process on how to deal with that, by passing a new authorization for military force. Bill Clinton: U.S. has proven it can't win an Iraq land war without Iraqis . But Congress took off to go campaign full time to try to keep their jobs rather than staying to do their jobs. "There is broad agreement in the country that this ISIS group is a threat," Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pennsylvania, told CNN. "So why not stay and debate it and not go home if your constituents believe it's a threat?" we asked. "I don't disagree," Fattah replied. "I'm prepared to vote yes. So I'm not ducking any vote." "It's ridiculous," Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colorado, said a few minutes later. "As if there is not enough to do and it's not just the war issues, it's immigration reform, ENDA (Employment Nondiscrimination Act) -- it's a number of different bills that have been filed that have bipartisan support," Polis said. It is true that rank-and-file House members, especially those like Fattah and Polis who are in the minority party, don't have much choice but to follow the schedule leaders lay out. Still, as we weaved through the slew of waiting cars to talk to lawmakers before they left, it was striking -- but not surprising -- the way blame was tossed around. Republicans blamed the Democrat-controlled Senate. "The problem is that we have a do-nothing Senate," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said. Republicans also blamed the president. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-North Carolina, said he'd be glad to vote for a new use-of-force authorization against ISIS. "I wish the President would ask for one," Hudson said. Obama: ISIS threat against U.S., allies 'doesn't frighten us' Democrats noted that leaving now has become a tradition to help the House, where Republicans are a majority. "The House of Representatives runs every two years, and for many, many years the House has adjourned for the month of October." Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri said. Some senators were openly appalled that colleagues were heading home. Freshman Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska, had publicly urged her colleagues to stay, to no avail. "We need to be here we need to debate this issue," Fischer told us. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is on the ballot in November, but hers is a safe seat. Going home to campaign is not her first priority. "My job is to be in the Capitol working for the people of Maine and the American people and that's where I think we all belong now," said Collins, standing in the Capitol parking lot, pointing to the dome. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, who won his big primary fight earlier this year and should face an easy reelection in November, had a trademark pithy synopsis. "We seem to be more worried about who runs the place than how the place runs," he said. Ultimately, all the lawmakers who complained and called it important to stay got in their cars and left, too. There's no reason to stay -- there are no more votes until after the election. Fresh act: 87-year-old felon Edwin Edwards wants back in. CNN's Adam P. Levy contributed to this report. | Congress leaves D.C. to campaign full-time, with no vote yet on ISIS .
Republicans Democrats for not vote, Democrats blame Republicans .
Some members of Congress are openly appalled that their colleagues left town . |
0ce68518abdcf0fe839ee2ddd79343f8c9960aea | (Mental Floss) -- 1. Flower-Flavored PEZ® . There are some foods that people would eat only if they were stranded on a deserted island. No, that's not a typo. Although it would be equally disgusting, we're talking about flower, not flour. Introduced in the late 1960's, flower-flavored PEZ was designed to appeal to the hippie generation -- complete with a groovy, psychedelic dispenser. But even in the decade of free love, no love could be found for the flavor power of flower. Floral scents make for great perfume, but nobody eats perfume, and apparently, there's a reason why. The flower version flopped, and became the next addition to PEZ's long and disturbing list of flavor failures. Since its introduction in 1927, the company has also sold (however briefly) coffee, licorice, eucalyptus, menthol, and cinnamon flavors. 2. 'I Hate Peas!' For as long as children have been shoving Brussels sprouts under mashed potatoes and slipping green beans to the dog, parents have been hunting desperately for a way to end the vegetable discrimination. Finally, in the 1970's, American Kitchen Foods, Inc. came to the rescue (or at least tried) with the release of "I Hate Peas!" Since kids love French fries so much, the company decided that disguising peas in a fry-shaped form was a sure-fire way to trick tots into getting their vitamins. Not a chance. Children all over America saw through the ruse. After all, a pea is a pea is a pea, and the name of the product was more than apropos, no matter what it looked like. There were other thinly disguised vegetables in the company's "I Hate" line, but kids hated those, too. 3. Reddi-Bacon . Any company smart enough to bless mankind with sprayable whipped cream -- the sort that promotes direct-to-mouth feeding -- has got to know a thing or two about immediate gratification. But sadly, the makers of Reddi-wip® were unable to meld their keen understanding of human laziness with one of processed meat. They figured, if you're cooking breakfast in the morning and you've got a hankering for bacon, why dirty up a pan you'll only have to clean later? The solution: foil-wrapped Reddi-Bacon you could pop into your toaster for piping-hot pork in minutes. It seemed perfect for the busy 1970's household, and what's more, the stuff actually tasted pretty good. Too bad the absorbent pad intended to soak up the dripping grease tended to leak, creating not only a fire hazard, but also a messy (if not totally ruined) toaster. Ultimately, the product lasted about as long as it took to cook; the company scrapped it before it went to market nationwide. 4. Coffee-flavored JELL-O® . In 1918, the makers of JELL-O introduced a new flavor: coffee. Its release was ostensibly based on the logic that, since lots of people like to drink coffee with dessert, they'd be game for combining the two after-dinner treats. Not the case. The company soon realized if anyone wants dessert coffee, they're going to have a cup of it. In fact, if anyone wants coffee at all, they're going to have a cup of it. Not surprisingly, this realization came about the time they yanked the product off the shelves. All in all, it hasn't harmed the company too much. At least they learned their lesson, right? Wrong. Cola-flavored JELL-O was sold for about a year starting in 1942, and for a brief while, the clear, wiggly dessert was sold in celery and chocolate flavors, too. 5. Heublein's Wine & Dine . In the mid-1970's, Heublein introduced Wine & Dine, an upscale, easy-to-make dinner that included a small bottle of vino. How refined. How decadent. How confusing. Consumers knew Heublein for their liquor and wines, so how were they supposed to know the wine included in Wine & Dine was an ingredient for the pasta sauce? Hasty consumers who didn't read the directions closely ended up pouring the contents of the bottle into a nice glass and getting a less-than-pleasant mouthful of salted wine. 6. Funky Fries . While Americans aren't always fond of the French, they do love their French fries. In 2002, hoping to follow the success of Heinz's new "kiddie" ketchup versions (in green and purple), Ore-Ida introduced Funky Fries: chocolate-flavored, cinnamon-flavored, and blue-colored French fries. An awful lot of money was sunk into the product, but after a year of marketing, consumers still found the idea funky -- in the bad way. Funky Fries were pulled off the shelves in 2003, and images of blue fries with green ketchup were once again relegated to the world of Warhol-esque pop art. 7. Pepsi A.M. Creating a super-caffeinated soda worked well for the makers of Red Bull, but not for the folks at Pepsi. With 25 percent more caffeine than a cup of Joe, PepsiCo introduced the cola-flavored product in 1989, only to discover that most people just couldn't bring themselves to drink soda with their cornflakes. For those who wanted a Pepsi in the morning, regular Pepsi did just fine, thankyouverymuch. Pepsi A.M., like the coffee-flavored Pepsi Kona before it, was scrapped after just a few months. 8. Gerber Singles . At some point in time, almost every adult has tasted baby food and discovered that the stuff isn't half bad. But that doesn't mean people want to make a meal out of it. For some reason, Gerber had to learn that lesson the hard way. In 1974, the company released Gerber Singles, small servings of food meant for single adults, packaged in jars that were almost identical to those used for baby food. It didn't take long for Gerber execs to figure out that most consumers, unless they were less than a year old, couldn't get used to eating a pureed meal out of a jar -- particularly one depressingly labeled "Singles." Baby food for grown-ups was pulled from the marketplace shortly after its birth. E-mail to a friend . For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved. | There are some foods that Americans refuse to eat .
Failed to sell: Funky Fries with chocolate, cinnamon-flavored fries .
Coffee or celery-flavored gelatin desserts .
Adults didn't eat up baby food for big people . |
0ce75e350d1bcf5c6742740cdd3bafe17a084f9f | (CNN) -- The first anniversary of the Egyptian revolution is today. Egyptian society and the forces in Egypt are in a state of anticipation. World media has its cameras and correspondents in Cairo and major cities around the country. But many Egyptians wonder if the revolution amounted to nothing more than a military coup. It has been a year since the eruption of the first Egyptian revolution that stunned the world and ended 30 years of authoritarian, oppressive and corrupt rule by Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's last pharaoh. Mubarak ended up in jail along with his sons and his regime's major figures, with stories of their unimaginable corruption, brutality and looting surfacing ever since. But since then, most Egyptians have become angry and frustrated with the performance of the Military Council -- comprising more than a dozen elderly generals -- that has taken control. Egyptians, political forces and revolutionaries accuse the Military Council of being accomplices with the remnants of the Mubarak regime and of refusing to enact real reform, to the point of actually waging a counter-revolution. Egyptians have been enraged by the brutal suppression of peaceful demonstrations that followed the revolution, and in the arrests, humiliations and even killings of protesters. The Military Council is still controlling the state media and the political scene. Western governments and human rights organizations are expressing their dismay, with Human Rights Watch reporting killings and brutal attacks, some of them sexual, on protesters. The council is the Old Guard, desperately trying to preserve the military's long-standing privileges and special status. The military has been running Egypt since 1952 -- with rulers such as Gen. Mohammed Naguib, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat, Mubarak and Marshal Tantawy coming from its ranks. The military has dominated Egypt's modern political scene, with members serving as presidents, prime ministers, Cabinet ministers, governors, party elites, heads of the security services, ambassadors, heads of many companies, and even ministers of culture and the media -- in a true Orwellian fashion. The military institution in Egypt consumes more than 25% of the government expenditure and owns about 30% of the national economy. The United States has given Egypt a hefty military aid package of billions of dollars for nearly three decades. Egyptians respect their armed forces, but are desperate for a civil state where human rights, rights of minorities, and accountability and transparency are guaranteed. They do not want another pharaoh-like president coming from that institution. Egyptians have been asked to commemorate the special occasion of the revolution's first anniversary by taking to the streets Wednesday, wearing black in mourning of the deaths of hundreds of the revolution's martyrs. But some political forces refuse to call it a celebration -- they say the revolution is not finished and their demands have not been met. Demonstrators have already started to pour into Tahrir Square. Activists are calling for the immediate transition of power from the Military Council to a civilian council, or even an interim caretaker. Now, after bringing down the Mubarak regime and his notorious State Security apparatus, Egyptians have broken the fear barrier and believe there is no turning back. Will they stun the world again, with Egyptian Revolution, Part II? Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter. Join the conversation on Facebook. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Aladdin Elaasar. | Wednesday marks one year since the revolution ending 30 years of Mubarak regime .
Aladdin Elaasar: Egyptians are bitter about Military Council's own oppressive rule since then .
Military has brutally repressed demonstrations, he writes; arrested, even killed protesters .
Elaasar: Activists now want the immediate transfer of power to a civilian council . |
0ce883068dd79e01248c1daa0f8106dfb9d7c591 | Manchester United will make a decision about the option to buy Radamel Falcao in April and not in the next few days. Reports in Spain have indicated United will rubber-stamp the Colombian's permanent move from Monaco next week but United's purchase option is at end of the season. Manchester United will make a decision about the option to buy Radamel Falcao in April as planned . The Colombian latched on to Michael Carrick's header to score during the draw away at Stoke . The 28-year-old has scored three goals this campaign. Falcao latched on to Michael Carrick's flick from a corner during the draw away at Stoke on New Year's Day. And there is a belief inside Old Trafford that they are beginning to see the sort of quality promised to them when the former Monaco striker signed on deadline day in September. While Falcao impressed, Louis van Gaal wasn't overly pleased with his side's defending at Stoke. ‘I think Stoke were closer to the victory with the ball on the post, and the first chance from Diouf was also not a little chance,’ conceded Van Gaal. ‘So they had two major chances and we didn’t create so much in spite of the time and space. ‘But it’s more difficult because we are not so tall. (Steven) Nzonzi is taller and Crouch is taller, so it’s not so easy. The opponent is always taller than us.’ There had been suggestions that Louis van Gaal was ready to make a decision on Falcao in the coming days . | Radamel Falcao is on a season-long loan at Manchester United .
United will make a decision over a permanent move from Monaco in April .
Reports in Spain indicated they are ready to decide in the coming days . |
0ce89ccdf39d3fdb8bae817fa94ac7eded8ecfed | (CNN) -- Uncertainty over the fate of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was further compounded Saturday by reports that two men whose names matched those on the passenger manifest had reported their passports stolen. Malaysian authorities apparently did not check the stolen documents on an international law enforcement agency database, CNN has learned. After the airline released a manifest of the 239 people on the plane, Austria denied that one of its citizens was on the flight as the list had stated. The Austrian citizen was safe and sound, and his passport had been stolen two years ago, Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Weiss said. Similarly, Italy's foreign ministry confirmed that no Italians were on the flight, even though an Italian was listed on the manifest. Malaysian officials said they were aware of reports that the Italian's passport was also stolen but had not confirmed it. On Saturday, Italian police visited the home of the parents of Luigi Maraldi, the man whose name appeared on the manifest, to inform them about the missing flight, said a police official in Cesena, in northern Italy. Maraldi's father, Walter, told police that he had just spoken to his son, who was fine and not on the missing flight, said the official, who is not authorized to speak to the media. Maraldi was vacationing in Thailand, his father said. The police official said that Maraldi had reported his passport stolen in Malaysia last August and had obtained a new one. U.S. law enforcement sources, however, told CNN they've been told that both documents were stolen in Thailand. Still, the missing passports raised concerns about the possibility of terrorism. A law enforcement official Saturday told CNN that various U.S. government agencies were briefed about the passports. The names of the persons whose passports were stolen have been circulated and checked, the official said. There's nothing at this point to indicate foul play on their part. The National Transportation Safety Board announced late Saturday that a team of its investigators was en route to Asia to help with the investigation, the agency said. "They will be positioned to offer U.S. assistance," the NTSB said of the team, which also includes technical advisers from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration. Plane bore painters, pilgrims, others from around the world . FBI help . The FBI is ready to send agents to Asia if requested by the Malaysian government, but no agents have been sent yet, U.S. officials familiar with the issue told CNN on Saturday night on condition of anonymity. Earlier Saturday, an official said FBI agents were heading to the area. U.S. authorities have not ruled out terrorism -- or anything else -- as a cause of the airliner's disappearance. CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director, was told by sources at Interpol, which keeps a database of lost or stolen travel documents, that the stolen Italian passport was in the agency's database. The reportedly stolen Austrian passport was not. Malaysian authorities apparently did not check Interpol's database, sources told Fuentes. "Interpol's database has 39 million records of stolen travel documents at the present time," he said. "One billion passengers a year board international flights where there's no inquiry made of that database. So it leaves an opening." Referring to the stolen documents, Fuentes added, "You wonder who was using it? What were their motives? Were they using it to check luggage in that matched the tickets, and maybe the luggage contained explosives? So, it's a great concern when people use false documents to board international aircraft." Traces of oil spotted near area plane lost contact . A U.S. intelligence official said authorities had established "no nexus to terrorism yet although that's by no means definitive. We're still tracking." Malaysian authorities reiterated during a news conference that they are not ruling anything out regarding the missing aircraft. In the United States, Fuentes said, passports are routinely checked against the Interpol database. "Even in the United states, we have a tremendous problem with our documentation, our driver's licenses," said Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the U.S. Department of Transportation. "Everything can be forged and faked here. We certainly have a problem with that as well. But that's why you have the various checklists to check against and had they been identified as stolen passports ... there was a way to flag them in advance. That's what is disturbing, as it apparently wasn't checked." China mystery . Schiavo also expressed surprise that two potentially stolen passports may have been used to board the flight. "It's rare that you have one stolen passport, much less two stolen passports on a flight. It's starting to look like more than a coincidence," she said. She added it was especially surprising given the destination of the flight was Beijing. "American citizens have to have visas ... and you can't get on board the plane without showing the visa," she explained. "For a stolen passport, stolen two years ago -- these visas only last for a certain amount of time. So, did they (the authorities) not check? Did Beijing not clear or have to issue a visa? There are a lot of questions about these passports because the destination was Beijing." First officer was transitioning to 777-200s . Safest part of flight . No one is sure what happened to the plane. Air traffic controllers lost track of it after it left Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, on its way to Beijing on Friday. The plane was cruising during what experts consider to be the safest part of the journey when it vanished. Greg Feith, a former investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, said there were multiple scenarios of what could have gone wrong, including structural problems with the wings or fuselage. "Of course, you also have to look at in that part of the world and around the world there is still a potential for a terrorist act or an intentional act that could have rendered the airplane incapacitated," he said. He added: "Whatever happened, happened very quickly. For them to have lost two-way radio communication with (air traffic control), two-way radio communication with the company, and to lose any kind of radar data with ground control facilities means that the airplane was compromised in a very quick manner and it may have been well beyond the control of the crew to keep the airplane under control and make any kind of emergency distress call or emergency landing." How a jet goes missing . CNN's Hada Messia in Rome, Jim Sciutto in Washington, Shimon Prokupecz and Pamela Brown contributed to this report. | NEW: The NTSB is sending a team to Asia to be "positioned to offer U.S. assistance"
Sources say 1 of 2 stolen passports used on flight was on law enforcement database .
Malaysian authorities did not check passports on Interpol database, sources say .
The stolen passports raise concerns about the possibility of terrorism . |
0ce9e862ad8326ebe83177875dd2b35e95be4a10 | By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 13:15 EST, 4 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:20 EST, 4 September 2012 . A mother whose nine-year-old daughter was kidnapped, raped and slashed to death in South Dakota 22 years ago has raised enough money to attend the convicted killer's execution. Tina Curl, 50, appealed for help last month after she was unable to afford the 1,400-mile road trip from her home in Lake Luzerne, New York to South Dakota for Donald Moeller's execution. After news coverage of her predicament, donations flooded in from as far away as Chicago and Alaska, and she has now raised the $4,000 she needed to drive and stay in Sioux Falls. Looking for closure: Tina Curl, pictured with her husband Dave, has raised $4,000 to travel from New York to South Dakota to watch the execution of the man who killed her nine-year-old daughter . But as well as generous donations from strangers, Curl also received an onslaught of negative comments telling her to move on and seek help. 'Everybody wants to put me down because I want to be there to see the execution,' Curl said. 'Unless you've walked in my shoes, don't judge me. Don't tell me what you would do if it happened to you. You don't know until it happens to you.' Moeller, who murdered Curl's daughter Becky O'Connell in 1990, will be executed with lethal injection between October 28 and November 3. But with the exact date of the death unknown - the warden will give 48 hours notice - Curl and her husband also needed money to cover motel costs for the week. Murderer: Donald Moeller, left, kidnapped Becky O'Connell, right, as she was on her way to a convenience store in 1990. He raped and repeatedly stabbed her, and she died from a sliced throat . Missed: Curl, pictured with Becky, will start the 1,400 mile journey to the prison at the end of October . They also needed help with gas money as Curl needs to travel by car as she suffered a heart attack and quadruple bypass in May 2003, is registered disabled and cannot fly. Her husband Dave, who was not Becky's father, has been out of work for a year. A neighbour helped Curl set up an online PayPal account and open a fund at a local credit union. Any money she does not spend on the trip will cover unpaid bills from O'Connell's funeral, she said. 'I have waited 22 long years for this,' Curl told ABC News. 'He watched her die and I am going to watch him die.' 'The sooner they get him strapped . down, the better I’ll feel,' she added to the Argus Leader last month. 'I’ve been preparing for the day for 20 years. I’d been thinking he’d . die from health problems.' Death sentence: Moeller will be put to death between October 28 and November 3 in Sioux Falls . Guilty: Moeller, now 60, repeatedly tried to overturn the conviction but now his lawyer said the killer accepts the execution as the consequences of his actions . Her daughter, Becky O'Connell, vanished on May 8, 1990 when she went to a . convenience store a block from her home in Sioux Falls. Moeller grabbed . her as she walked along the busy intersection. The youngster's naked body was found . in a ditch in Lincoln County, South Dakota the next morning; she had . been raped and stabbed and died after her throat was slit, according to . court documents. Moeller, now 60, was found guilty in 1992 and . sentenced to 25 years in prison for the rape charge and death by lethal . injection for the horrifying murder. Donald Moeller has repeatedly tried . to overturn his death penalty after it was set in 1992. In 1996, the . South Dakota State Supreme Court agreed he did not get a fair trial. Loved: Tina said the death would not bring her closure for her daughter's death but would help her heal . But when he was retried a year later, the verdict remained the same - death. Moeller said through his attorney that he accepts the execution as the consequences of his actions. Before the murder, he had a criminal . history including sex abuse and the use of a knife against women and a . 13-year-old boy. On the day he killed Becky, he had a meeting with his . parole officer. The Curls plan to leave New York by car on October 25. | Tina Curl moved to New York shortly after murder of her daughter in 1990 .
Donald Moeller, 60, will be executed between October 28 and November 3 . |
0cea5385d29b1915e1cbae0e1db4c9da96b51184 | Guilty: Calliope 'Ope' Saaga from Sartoga Springs, Utah, admitted to taking money families had 'scrimped and saved' for a 2012 band trip that never happened . A travel agent who was paid $360,000 to organize a high school marching band's trip to Hawaii faces 20 years in prison - because he pocketed the fee and spent it on a 47-day trip to Las Vegas. Calliope 'Ope' Saaga from Sartoga Springs, Utah, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to taking the money families from Willard High School in Missouri had 'scrimped and saved' for. The 40-year-old, who worked for Present America Tours LLC, was supposed to book plane tickets, lodging, transportation, meals, tours and insurance for more than 300 students and chaperones on the 2012 trip. Instead he used the funds - wired to him $30,000-a-time by the band's boosters - for gambling, flights and his personal lifestyles. Under an agreement, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and an order or restitution, according to the Springfield News-Leader. Julie Germann, a Willard school board member who was at the hearing, told the paper: 'I was hoping he would turn around just once and look at us and acknowledge who he stole from. There were kids and families that scrimped and saved for this opportunity.' Chris Church, who was thew band's director for 32 years added: 'The kids and the parents and the families in Willard want justice, want restitution and want to see that this man never does this again. 'Until everything is finalized, you're still holding your breath. That was a lot of money for these families.' Saaga, had previously set up a number of Willard band trips and had built a good working relationship with the school. Germann said he was 'a delightful person to work with' and wondered what happened in his life to make things go so wrong. Throughout the process, he temporarily 'lulled' the band's boosters into suggesting his trip was being planned on schedule. Following the hearing, he was released on bond until the next hearing which is expected in two or three months. Victim: The 40-year-old was supposed to pay for flights, travel, lodging, meals and insurance for Willard High School in Missouri (pictured). Instead he used the money for a trip to Las Vegas . Hearing: Saaga was released on bond after pleading guilty to wire fraud and is scheduled to appear in court again in two or three months. He could face 20 years in prison . | Calliope 'Ope' Saga took the money from Willard High School, Missouri .
Was supposed to organize the 2012 trip, but used funds for gambling .
Also used the cash wired to him by boosters for travel and lifestyle .
'Lulled' them with emails suggesting the trip was going to schedule .
The 40-year-old from Utah did not acknowledge the families in court .
Was released on bond and will be sentenced in two to three months . |
0ceabf11ca6ff93a06ca2ad30f8cff11533df931 | By . Lawrence Conway . PUBLISHED: . 05:20 EST, 18 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:22 EST, 18 June 2012 . The five U.S. cities with the highest violent crime rates are revealed in new FBI statistics released at a time when strained budgets are forcing police layoffs. No other city in the country, with more than 100,000 people, had a worst rate of serious offences than Flint, Michigan. The second highest violent crime rate was recorded in Detroit, also in Michigan, followed by St Louis, Missouri; Oakland, California; and Memphis, Tennessee. Troubled: An excess of guns on the street mean Flint in Michigan had the highest violent crime rate in the U.S. last year, according to FBI figures for the year after 20 police were axed from the city's force . FBI data for 2011 showed there were 2,392 incidents of violent crime in Flint which has a population of around 102,000. That same year, there were just 1,246 violent crimes in all 10 of the safest cities in America - which in total have 13 times as many residents as Flint. Flint Mayor Dayne Walling told MSNBC: 'There are too many guns on the street and it’s easy for individuals with evil motives to take another human being’s life.' The city where unemployment runs at 18.9 per cent and which experienced 52 murders last year lost 20 of its 140 police officers in 2010. Struggle: Detroit, Michigan where there were 344 murders last year, according to FBI data, faces high unemployment and poverty rates, while the city's police budgets are being cut . The money saving move reduced the presence of police officers in the street and affected how quickly the force could respond to crime. The far larger city of Detroit in the . same state recorded the second highest rate of violent crime in the U.S . last year with 21.4 offences per 1,000 people - just behind Flint's . rate of 23.4. 1. Flint, Michigan: . Violent crimes per 1,000: 23.4Population: 102,3572011 murders: 52Unemployment rate: 18.9 percent2. Detroit, Michigan: . Violent crimes per 1,000: 21.4Population: 713,2392011 murders: 344Unemployment rate: 19.9 percent . 3. St Louis, Missouri: . Violent crimes per 1,000: 18.6Population: 320,4542011 murders: 113Unemployment rate: 11.7 percent4. Oakland, California: . Violent crimes per 1,000: 16.8Population: 395,3172011 murders: 104Unemployment rate: 15.6 percent5. Memphis, Tennessee:Violent crimes per 1,000: 15.8Population: 652,7252011 murders: 117Unemployment rate: 11.1 percent . The city of more than 710,000 people is one of the country's poorest with almost a third of people living in poverty and a 19.9 per cent unemployment rate. There were 344 murders committed in the city last year, up 11 on 2010, but an 18 per cent cut Detroit's police budget will see 380 posts lost. The tightening budget will also see 'Virtual Precincts' introduced with police stations closing from 4pm to 8am and people told to report non-emergency crime to a call centre instead of 911. The third highest violent crime rate city of St Louis, Missouri experienced 18.6 incidents per 1,000 people in 2011. There were also 113 murders recorded last year in the city of 320,000 where the unemployment rate runs at more than 11.5 per cent. The number of murders fell from 144 in the previous year - but the violent crime rate went up by 1.1 per cent over the same period and St Louis robbery rate is the fifth highest in the country. Despite the high crime rate St Louis Police Department has faced big budgets cuts and may need to have 100 less officers patrolling its streets. Oakland, California has historically been one of the state's the most crime-ridden cities and its violent crime rate last year of 16.8 per 1,000 people is the fourth highest in the U.S. The number of murders committed in 2011, 14 more than in 2010, and the city had the ninth-highest murder rate in the country two years in a row. Oakland city council member Desley Brooks wants to add $11million to the city's police budget, acknowledges increasing violent crime was a problem. She said to MSNBC: 'We cannot ignore that we have had an increase in violent crime, and so we cannot continue to do the same thing the same way and expect that it’s going to be a different result.' Ongoing issues: Oakland, California has long been one of the state's the most crime-ridden cities and its violent crime rate last year of 16.8 per 1,000 people is the fourth highest in the U.S . The FBI crime report revealed that overall the U.S. experienced a four per cent drop in reported violent crime, year on year. The findings were is based on information collected from 14,009 law enforcement agencies across the country. Another city that defied that the national trend of declining crime rates in major U.S. cities last year was Memphis, Tennessee. Its violent crimes rate per 1,000 people increased, from 15.4 to 15.8 with murders going from 89 in 2010 to 117 in 2011 and 100 more aggravated assault cases. The unemployment rate went 1.2 percent over the 12 months and the with the city facing a £45million budget deficit its mayor A C Wharton Jr has refused to rule out police officer redundancies. Potential cuts: Main Street trolleys at night in the city of Memphis, Tennessee which had the the fifth highest violent crime rate in the U.S. last year, including 117 murders . | The worst five cities had 730 murders last year, according to the new FBI stats .
Flint, Michigan had highest violent crime rate in 2011, while Detroit, Michigan was second .
Last year after 20 officers were axed from Flint's police force and Detroit's law enforcement budget was cut by 18 per cent . |
0ceda2e6f999339fe5dc986cfe01724eab6504cc | Tall, slender and beautiful, fashion models appear to have it all. But as these shocking images show, maintaining lovely looks can take a horrifying toll on health. And at the Lenny show at Rio de Janeiro Fashion Week, the scale of the problem became clear, as models strutted down the runway with just skimpy bikinis to spare their blushes. Proving that thin doesn't mean healthy, one model's buttocks seemed to be lacking in muscle tone - which some industry insiders say could be the result of skipping workouts and staying slim by eating very little. Less than toned: A model on the Lenny Niemeyer catwalk during Rio de Janeiro Fashion Week was slender but lacked muscle tone in her buttocks and thighs . 'It's . no secret that a bad diet, little rest, no exercise, caffeine and . smoking is not good for our bodies,' adds Sheldon Stringer, personal . trainer and owner of Urban Fitness Islington in London. 'The . main cause of cellulite is simple: a bad diet of fatty foods married . with long periods of not eating and dehydration or lack of water intake. 'A lot of people also . rely on other stimulants and sometimes even substitute food and water . for these stimulants. This will also lead to diminished muscle tone and . also promotes the development of cellulite. 'In . the case of these models, the stress of having to look their best, not . eating to try and remain slim and working long hours with little or no . rest, will result in cellulite build up as seen in these pictures. 'Due . to the lack of nourishment caused by their bad diets and their intense . schedules, their muscle mass is compromised as their bodies are starving . most of the time, which results in flabby or flat muscles.' Slender: The Lenny show saw numerous very thin girls take to the catwalk . The . new pictures come in the wake of revelations that models stay 'Paris . thin' by eating tissues and outrage caused by River Island's use of what . seemed to be a size zero model in its latest campaign. The tissue allegations appeared in . the memoirs of veteran fashion journalist Kirstie Clements, who was . sacked from her role as editor of Australian Vogue last May. According to Clements, she once spent three days on a shoot with a model but didn't see her eat a single meal. By the end of the trip, said Clements, the model was so exhausted and weak from lack of food, she could barely keep her eyes open. She also revealed that many starve themselves for days on end, endure regular stints on hospital drips and eat tissue paper in order to feel full. 'You know how you read interviews where models insist that they eat a lot? Not true,' added Clements. 'The only way they can get that thin is to stop eating. They eat tissue paper to stave off the hunger pangs – literally ball it up and eat it.' | Model appeared on the catwalk during the Lenny show in Rio .
Slack muscles of models said to be result of poor diet and no exercise . |
0cef4a3a729d9f21bace81dc1f8d96695831e675 | By . Daniel Miller . PUBLISHED: . 13:44 EST, 18 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:41 EST, 19 July 2013 . Rupert Murdoch has backtracked on secretly-recorded claims that police probing the illegal payments scandal were 'totally incompetent' Rupert Murdoch yesterday condemned the police inquiry into phone hacking as ‘excessive’ and ‘disproportionate’ and said it had ‘gone on too long’. The media tycoon condemned the way journalists have been subjected to dawn raids that have ‘terrified’ their families and been made to wait for up to 18 months to hear if they would be charged. The News Corp boss voiced frustration with the Scotland Yard investigation in two letters yesterday to House of Commons home affairs and culture, media and sport select committees. He was asked to explain himself after he was secretly recorded in March saying – when he met News of the World and Sun journalists arrested over allegations of phone hacking and paying public officials – that the police investigation has been ‘totally incompetent’. A transcript revealed that he had described the treatment of journalists who had been arrested as a ‘disgrace’. In a letter to Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs committee, Mr Murdoch admitted he had used the ‘wrong adjectives’ to describe his frustration. But he added: ‘I do question whether, over the last two years, the police have approached these matters with an appropriate sense of proportion, and with regard for the human cost of delay. The last time: Mr Murdoch memorably addressed the culture select committee in July 2007 . My own view is that it has been more . than thorough, indeed it has in some respects appeared to be excessive. My view is that this has gone on too long.’ - When . they appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday, six . journalists were told they will stand trial at the Old Bailey over . alleged corrupt payments to public officials. They . are Chris Pharo, 44, Jamie Pyatt, 49, John Edwards, 49, and Nick . Parker, 52, all from The Sun, ex-News of the World journalist Lucy . Panton, 38, and Tom Savage, 38, of the Daily Star Sunday. Pressure: Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of News Corporation, was asked by MP Keith Vaz to explain his recorded comments criticising the police . | Media mogul had been recorded telling staff police were 'totally incompetent'
He was responding to demands from MPs to explain his comments .
Upset over staff arrested in dawn raids and 'left in limbo' for a year and a half .
Described hacking probe as 'the biggest inquiry ever, over next to nothing'
Detectives trying to get access to recording to 'assess the full contents'
Culture select committee votes to ask Murdoch to address it again . |
0cefe8591ae0099592887e410d7f6ea0b03403f6 | For the first time, evidence of frankincense being used in the elaborate burials of Roman Britain's elite has been discovered. Archaeologists have been able to prove that the religious resin was used by wealthy Romans, who settled in areas of the country, including London and York, more than 1,700 years ago. The sweet smelling substance, which was more valuable than gold for millennia, was found on skeletal remains and plaster body casings dating back to the 3rd and 4th centuries. Frankincense (pictured), one of the gifts carried by the Three Kings in the Christmas story, was used in elaborate burials in Roman Britain more than 1,700 years ago, according to new research . The discovery shows that even while the Roman Empire was in decline, the precious resin was being transported to its furthest northern outpost for use in funerals of high ranking individuals. Until now, evidence for the use of resins in ancient funerary rites has rarely come to light outside of Egypt. The discovery was made by carrying out molecular analysis of materials previously thought to be of little interest – debris inside burial containers and residues on bones - which looked like mere dust. Chemical analysis carried out on 49 burials in Dorset, Wiltshire, London and York revealed traces of the southern Arabian sap from the Boswellia sacra tree, on four of them. Another 10 contained evidence of other resins from the Mediterranean and northern Europe. It’s the first time archaeologists have been able to prove that Frankincense was used by Romans who settled in Britain. Traces of the resin were found inside the coffin of a wealthy Roman woman who was buried in the fourth century AD in London, or Londonium as it was known. Her silt-filled coffin is shown left and bust, right . Frankincense comes from the resinous sap from a unique family of Boswelia trees. Only one, Boswelia sacra, produces the highest grade of frankincense, also known as ‘true’ or ‘commercial’ incense. Careful incisions are made in the tree at key times of year, and the sap slowly pours out. Once the sap dries and hardens it is ready to be used. To release its scent the frankincense is either burned or smouldered over hot coals. Classical texts claim that the aromatic, antimicrobial substances were used as a practical measure to mask the smell of decay, or slow decomposition during the often lengthy funeral rites of the Roman elite. But it was Frankincense’s ritual importance that justified its transportation from one end of the Empire to the other. Seen both as gifts from the gods and to the gods, resins were thought to purify the dead and help them negotiate the final rite of passage to the afterlife. Rhea Brettell, a student at the University of Bradford, explained: ‘Archaeologists have relied on finding visible resin fragments to substantiate the descriptions of burial rites in classical texts, but these rarely survive. ‘Our alternative approach of analysing grave deposits to find the molecular signatures of the resins - which fortunately are very distinctive - has enabled us to carry out the first systematic study across a whole province.’ The resins were only recovered from burials of higher status individuals, identified from the type of container used, the clothing they were wearing, and items buried with them. Professor Carl Heron from the university said: ‘It is remarkable the first evidence for the use of frankincense in Britain should come from such seemingly unpromising samples, yet our analysis demonstrates that traces of these exotic resins can survive for over 1,700 years in what others would reject as dirt.’ Classical texts mention these aromatic, antimicrobial substances as being used as a practical measure to mask the smell of decay or slow decomposition during the often lengthy funeral rites of the Roman elite. The resin was also presented to the baby Jesus by the Magi (illustrated) One of the frankincense-impregnated coffins contained the remains of a noble woman, who was laid to rest with expensive jewellery. The rich young lady was buried in a sarcophagus in the fourth century and her remains were discovered near Spitalfields Market in the City of London in 1999. Dr Rebecca Redfern, of the Museum of London, which is home to the remains, said: ‘This eye-opening study has provided us with new and amazing insights into the funerary rituals of late Roman Britain. The research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, mentions resins from three different plant families, including pistacia from the Mediterranean or the Levant, Pinaceae from northern Europe and Boswellia (frankincense) from southern Arabia and eastern Africa. The Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and Israelites all used frankincense as part of their religious ceremonies. It was extensively used in burial rituals as an embalming material, an offering to the departed, and a means to cover the odour of the dead body. The Roman emperor, Nero, burned an entire year’s harvest at the funeral of his favourite mistress and the resin of course featured in the Christmas Story, which is where many westerners recognise it from. Frankincense comes from the resinous sap from the Boswelia sacra tree (pictured) and the sap is extracted by making careful incisions in the tree's bark . | Experts at the University of Bradford analysed Roman coffins and bones .
They found traces of Frankincense on four of the 4th century caskets .
It's the first time archaeologists have been able to prove that the religious resin was used by wealthy Romans who lived and died in the UK .
Study shows resin was transported during declining of the Roman Empire .
Ritual importance and practical burial properties justified the long journey . |
0cf099bb537e7e00848d123f208c0d8760cf0a60 | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 08:30 EST, 16 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 11:43 EST, 16 January 2014 . A fifty-seven stone 'gentle giant' died following a five-hour battle to dismantle part of his home to get him to hospital. Popular former wrestler Clive Carpenter, 61, who went by the name Car-gantula, was taken ill on Christmas Eve during the fire service strike, died following a rescue operation to free him. The operation involved four ambulances arriving at his home in a quiet cul-de-sac in Dover, Kent, and nine paramedics working together to try to get him out of the house. Paramedics had to allegedly place Mr Carpenter into a specialist larger-size ambulance outside his house . He died in hospital on Boxing Day, two days after the rescue operation. Clive, a divorcee who lived alone, had diabetes and had not been out of his house for three years, according to neighbours. His next door neighbour Geraldine Rudge, 63, who was friends with Clive for more than 30 years, explained how the wrestler's daughter Beverley called 999 for help. She said the first 999 call was made at 5pm on Christmas Eve and he arrived at hospital at 10.20pm that evening - more than five hours later. She said: 'He was not feeling too good, so his daughter Beverley called the ambulance. She had called round to see him. 'The paramedics weren't happy with his breathing so they wanted to take him into hospital but unfortunately, because he was so big, they had to call for a specialist ambulance.' Clive was a professional wrestler during the 1980s and fought household names of the sport . The rescue team, which didn't involve firefighters as they were on strike, went inside the three-storey townhouse where they found Clive lying on the floor in the lounge. Mrs Rudge said: 'He was lying on the floor, he couldn't sit because he was so big. They lifted Clive onto a specialist board, it wasn't a normal stretcher. 'It was like the sort of thing you see in a mountain rescue operation. 'It had a sling and a harness attached to it which helped keep Clive in place on the board so he didn't fall off of it. 'He was a lovely bloke, smashing. Everybody in the neighbourhood knew him' Clive Carpenter's neighbour, Geraldine Rudge . 'But they had to get him down a small flight of stairs which lead from the lounge to the front door. His son Scott was sawing off the banisters to widen the area. 'They also had to remove some panels from either side of the stairway so they could get him out of the house. It just wasn't wide enough because of Clive's size. 'He was lifted over the stairs and then carried out to an ambulance. There were nine ambulance workers involved.' Mrs Rudge, who was with Clive's two children Beverley, 41, and Scott, 36, when the tragedy happened, said the paramedics had to place him into a specialist larger-size ambulance outside his house. Mrs Rudge said she believed the popular man died of heart failure. Clive was a professional wrestler during the 1980s and fought household names of the sport, such as Big Daddy, all over the world. But when he retired his weight began to gradually increase. Mrs Rudge added: 'He was already a big guy but when he finished wrestling he became larger and larger. He tried to get help, but he loved his food. He was happy. 'He struggled to move about, he couldn't leave the house. It became worse over the past five years. 'I used to see him every day for a chat and bring him shopping.' She said he was diagnosed with diabetes about five years ago and last left the house three years ago. Paying tribute to her friend, Mrs Rudge hailed him as a 'gentle giant'. She added: 'He was a lovely bloke, smashing. 'Everybody in the neighbourhood knew him. He loved his fishing but hadn't gone out to do that for a long while.' | Clive Carpenter had diabetes and 'had not been outside for three years'
Nine paramedics tried to free him from home and take him to hospital .
His son allegedly had to saw off bannisters to make room for him .
Clive, 61, was a professional wrestler during the 1980s . |
0cf0aedc278206923515ba880b337e9ae2dacb6d | (CNN) -- A fugitive accused of stealing $2 million from an armored truck he was driving and killing his partner was caught early Tuesday in Florida, according to the FBI. Kenneth Konias Jr., 22, was arrested in Pompano Beach by the FBI, the Broward Sheriff's Office and a South Florida Violent Crimes Task Force. He had been on the run since the robbery and homicide almost two months ago, according to FBI spokesman John Gillies. Between $1.3 million and $1.5 million was recovered with him, along with two guns, the FBI reported. Konias is believed to have shot his partner, Michael Haines, in the head February 28 before stealing cash from the Garda armored vehicle in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to a criminal complaint, a witness heard a gunshot coming from an armored truck carrying deposits about 1 p.m. ET. Surveillance video shows the vehicle in the parking lot where the shot was heard. The truck was later discovered under a Pittsburgh bridge by the company's employees and two detectives. Haines was dead inside the vehicle, authorities said. Last month, Pittsburgh police discovered about $24,000 at Konias' grandmother's grave site and more than $200,000 at his parents' home. Konias is accused of criminal homicide, theft of the victim's gun and robbery of the cash inside the armored vehicle. | NEW: Between $1.3 and $1.5 million was recovered with him, the FBI reported .
Konias was found in Pompano Beach, Florida .
Police found money at his grandmother's grave, parents' house .
Kenneth Konias Jr. was accused of shooting partner, stealing cash . |
0cf1cef25d8f95061aa771a19ddb00a104f637c3 | By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 06:10 EST, 24 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:39 EST, 24 January 2014 . Spy: 8,000 hidden cameras like this one photograph the cars on Britain's roads 26 million times every day . Police are recording 26million images of motorists every day – an increase of 61 per cent since 2012, it emerged yesterday. Senior officers say the system is invaluable in preventing and solving serious crime and terror attacks. But civil liberty campaigners warn that it is intrusive and lacks oversight. The images are taken on a network of around 8,000 automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras across the UK. In 2012, 16million images were recorded every day by cameras – many of them unmarked – which are positioned on motorways and A and B roads. Each time a vehicle passes, a camera takes a picture of the vehicle’s numberplate and another of the front of the car, including the driver’s face. The cameras are operated by individual police forces but the records are stored on a national database of 17 billion images, used by police and intelligence services to track criminals. However, it also contains the records of innocent motorists, showing a detailed map of their daily journeys. Police refuse to reveal the locations of the cameras, saying to do so would undermine the effectiveness of the system. It is thought that by 2018, between 50 million and 75 million pictures of vehicles will be taken every day. The network of cameras is already so extensive that it allows police forces to track where vehicles have gone every single day. Pictures can be checked against the Police National Computer and used by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in the battle against crime. The first cameras were installed in Britain on the M1 in 1984 to spot stolen vehicles. By 2005, the number of cameras had increased to 2,000 and there are now more than 8,000. As well as fixed cameras, police forces use mobile units - with more than 100 in London alone. Nick Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch, said the technology is being secretly rolled out without the public's knowledge. 'ANPR is a classic example of a very intrusive technology being rolled out with zero public debate. Tracked: The Government archive of 17 billion images works out as nearly 500 pictures of every one of the 36 million cars on Britain's roads . 'The public hasn't been given even the most basic information about what information is being recorded, how long it is kept or who is able to access it. 'When you consider the system allows every journey to be tracked, down to the second, and for someone to search through the entire log of when your car was scanned and where, it is without doubt an extremely intrusive system. 'How many people would have said yes if they had been asked to install a device on their car so the police could monitor their journeys? Yet this is exactly what ANPR technology allows. Secret camera: More Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras are expected to be rolled out over the next five years . 'It is a total failure of law and oversight if this massive yet secretive expansion of ANPR systems is legal.' Julian Blazeby, from the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: 'Given the nature of ANPR it is understandable that some will be concerned about how this data is used. 'ANPR has only ever been for the prevention and detection of crime as well as locating vulnerable people with the intent of preserving life. 'It has saved lives, brought serious, violent offenders to justice and is used in the detection of would-be terrorists. It’s not about tracking every vehicle’s journey – which is an exaggeration of ANPR’s capabilities. 'Currently we have an average of 7,750 active cameras within any seven day period and an average daily read of 26 million. 'However an increase to 50 or 75 million is not anticipated at this time and there are no current plans for a mass roll out of ANPR cameras. 'The database consists of approximately 17 billion records. This data is owned by the chief officers of law enforcement agencies who act as data controllers.' Police forces want to share the information harvested by the cameras with countries across Europe. A spokesman for the Home Office said: 'ANPR is a vital tool and we support its use where it is legitimate and proportionate. 'We have created a new, independent post of surveillance camera commissioner to help oversee this. 'These cameras may only be located where there is an identified need to detect, deter, and disrupt criminality. Any new ANPR camera deployment will also require a privacy impact assessment.' | A network of 8,000 cameras photograph cars on Britain's roads every day .
Government has a database of 17 billion images stored for up to two years .
Pictures taken by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras used to fight crime - but privacy campaigners have voiced concerns .
By 2018, up to 75 million pictures of vehicles will be taken every day . |
0cf1d6a1f25ed58aa78ef72dc9f5e34565953037 | By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 07:54 EST, 16 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:48 EST, 16 July 2013 . A video apparently showing a Western man abusing a young Korean woman has sparked outrage across the country after it went viral on the internet. The 78-second clip shows a young Western club-goer with an American accent grabbing the woman around her face before repeatedly poking her in her mouth and nose while a third person films it. After poking the woman in nose, the man then can be heard shouting: 'I see a booger' while his friend eggs him on, saying: 'Dude, make her eat it.' Disturbing: This image grab from a video uploaded to YouTube shows a Western man grabbing a young Korean woman by the face as she tries to push him away . Abuse: But despite the woman's protestations, the man continues to force her face towards the camera . The two men can then be heard laughing as he pushes his finger in to her mouth at the unnamed nightclub in South Korea. They then continue to abuse the girl by telling her she is disgusting and tells her she needs plastic surgery 'like every other little Korean'. The woman, who appears to be worse-for-wear, apparently tells the man to leave her alone and tries to push him away. Cruelty: The Western man then continues to poke her in the face while telling the person filming: 'I can see a booger' who then replies: 'Dude, make her eat it' Shame: The Korean woman tries to push the man away as he tells her she is 'disgusting' and should have plastic surgery 'just like every other little Korean' But he continue to harass her by grabbing at her face and body until she eventually manages to get free and leaves. The video quickly went viral after it was uploaded to YouTube and embedded on the Korean Web portal Jagei.com on June 8 and has been covered by the South Korean press. The publicity has sparked a widespread debate over the way Western tourists treat women while visiting South Korea. Ill-treatment: The woman eventually manages to get out of the man's grasp and walks away . | The 78-second-long clip was apparently filmed in a nightclub in South Korea .
It shows a Western man grabbing the face of a young Korean woman .
He pokes her while telling her she's disgusting and needs plastic surgery .
Video sparked outrage across South Korea after being uploaded to YouTube . |
0cf2c303c60b5b9b650394e6bba05743e2c8893c | Herman Cain brushed off sexual harassment claims brought against him in the 1990s that he says were later dropped as 'baseless,' as he said of one of the women: 'I don't even remember her name.' The 2012 presidential hopeful today revealed why one of two female employees accused him of sexual harassment while he was head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. However, Cain came under fire for changing his story, stating in an interview with Fox News that a settlement was paid to one of the accusers. But in an earlier interview, the former Godfather's Pizza CEO said he knew of no such settlement. Scroll down for video . Under the microscope: Herman Cain appeared on Fox News Monday night to talk about the details of the sexual harrassment allegations brought against him . Denial: Herman Cain says he 'never sexually harassed anyone' while he was at the National Restaurant association . Meanwhile, he has labelled . allegations of sexually suggestive behaviour revealed in a Politico . report that threatens to trip up his run for Republican presidential candidate as 'false accusations'. The report alleged the women signed agreements with the group that gave them five-figure financial payouts to leave - but it allegedly barred them from discussing this. Neither woman was identified. 'I've never sexually harassed anyone and . I was falsely accused while I was at the National Restaurant . Association,' GOP presidential candidate Mr Cain told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren yesterday. Face off: Hermain Cain talked about the sexual harassment allegations tonight in an interview with Fox News's Greta Van Susteran . Denial: The GOP presidential candidate, pictured today, has labelled allegations of sexually suggestive behaviour revealed in a Politico report as 'false accusations' 'If the Restaurant Association did a settlement I wasn't even aware of it and I hope it wasn't for much because nothing happened.' 'She was in my office one day, and I made a gesture saying - and I was standing close to her - and I made a gesture saying you are the same height as my wife'- Herman Cain . Mr Cain told Fox News that . he remembered one incident where a female worker in her late 30s or early 40s . was upset with a gesture he made. ‘She was in my office one day, and I made a gesture saying - . and I was standing close to her - and I made a gesture saying you are the same . height as my wife,’ he told Van Susteren. ‘And I brought my hand up to my chin saying: “My wife comes . up to my chin”. And that was put in (the complaint) as something that . made her uncomfortable,' he said - reported the Washington Examiner. Mr Cain said that he recused himself as CEO of the National Restaurant Association after the first claim was filed, a claim which was later found to be 'baseless,' he said. He added: 'I have no idea who’s egging this on, who's on this witch hunt, but I am convinced - and my staff and I are is convinced - it's intended to distract us.' Married: GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain is pictured with his wife Gloria, who rarely makes public appearances with her husband . The report was based on anonymous . sources and what it said in one case was a review of documents describing the allegations and the resolution. 'Liberals are terrified of Herman Cain. He is a strong conservative black man... they are terrified of strong, . conservative, black men' - Ann Coulter . Republican commentator Ann Coulter told Fox News: 'Liberals are terrified of Herman Cain. He is a strong conservative black man... they are terrified of strong, conservative, black men.' But Politico's Jonathan Martin, who co-wrote the story, said the allegations include 'verbal and physical gestures'. 'In one case it involved, I think, inviting a woman up to a hotel room of Cain's on the road,' Mr Martin told MSNBC. Backing: Republican commentators Ann Coulter, left, and Rush Limbaugh, right, have criticised the report. Ms Coulter said: 'Liberals are terrified of Herman Cain. He is a strong conservative black man' But Mr Cain said he has never travelled with either of the accusers. In addition, his campaign said the allegations were not true and were an unfair attack. '(It's) an unconscionable, racially . stereotypical attack on an independent, self-reliant conservative black - . because for him that behavior is not allowed' Rush Limbaugh . 'Inside-the-Beltway media have begun to launch unsubstantiated personal attacks on Cain,' his spokesman JD Gordon said. 'Dredging up thinly sourced . allegations stemming from Mr Cain's tenure as the Chief Executive . Officer at the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, political . trade press are now casting aspersions on his character and spreading . rumours that never stood up to the facts.' Republican commentator Rush Limbaugh said on his talk show the report was 'an unconscionable, racially stereotypical attack on an independent, self-reliant conservative black - because for him that behavior is not allowed'. Outsider: Cain has launched an unconventional campaign that last week saw him campaign in Alabama, which will not vote until way into next year . Mr Cain - a self-styled outsider . relatively new to the national stage - is facing a new level of scrutiny . after a burst of momentum in the GOP race. He's been steadily at or near the top . of national surveys and state polls, . competitive with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. 'The . story has been floating around for a long time, but (I) don’t know any . of the details,' Republican consultant Sal Russo told the Washington . Post. 'I have heard it both ways about whether it was anything egregious. So (we) have to wait and see.' The results of a poll by Iowa's respected Des Moines Register newspaper underline extreme shifts among Republican base voters. They gave Representative Michele Bachmann, an ultraconservative congresswoman from neighboring Minnesota, a victory in the Iowa straw poll in August - but quickly deserted her, leaving her to sink to the second tier of candidates. That happened after Texas Governor Rick Perry entered the race, shot to the top, then watched his support collapse after weak debate performances. Now it's businessman Mr Cain's turn at the top. Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and a venture capitalist who lost the nomination in 2008 to Senator John McCain, has been holding steady in the polls at about 20 to 25 per cent support. Saturday evening's poll results showed Cain at the head of the pack, with the support of 23 per cent of respondents. Mr Romney came in just behind him at 22 percent. Texas Representative Ron Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican, placed third at 12 per cent, followed by Mrs Bachmann at 8 per cent. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told the Washington Post ex-president Bill Clinton's campaign 'survived this and much worse'. But Concerned Women for America president Penny Nance said: 'I think Herman Cain needs to directly answer the question. 'Early in my career I resigned from a trade association for the exact same reason and with no financial settlement,' she told Politico. 'I simply found another job.' The former pizza company executive has . been pointing to his long record in business to argue that he has the . credentials needed to be president during a time of economic strife. In its report, Politico said it . confronted Mr Cain early on Sunday outside of the CBS News Washington . bureau, where he had just been interviewed on 'Face the Nation.' 'I am not going to comment on that,' he told Politico when asked about one of the woman's claims. When asked if he had ever been accused . of harassment by a woman, Politico said he responded by asking the . reporter, 'Have you ever been accused of sexual harassment?' He had previously predicted that he would face character assassination throughout his campaign. 'They're going to come after me more viciously than they would a white candidate,' Mr Cain told the Washington Examiner in May. 'To use (black Supreme Court justice) Clarence Thomas as an example, I'm ready for the same high-tech lynching . that he went through - for the good of this country.' A message seeking comment from Peter . Kilgore, the National Restaurant Association's . chief legal counsel, was not immediately returned. 'I have never sexually harassed anyone, let's say that. Secondly, I've never sexually harassed anyone, and yes, I was falsely accused while I was at the National Restaurant Association - and I say falsely, because it turned out, after the investigation, to be baseless. The people mentioned in that article were the ones who would be aware of any misdoings, and they have attested to my integrity and my character. It is totally baseless, and totally false, never have I committed any sort of sexual harassment.' | Cain reveals he gestured to a woman she was the same height as his wife .
Right-wing backers claim it's a 'racist' attack on a 'strong black man'
Allegations related to when he headed National Restaurant Group in 1990s .
Politico claims women accepted five-figure payouts to leave organisation .
Republican presidential candidate faces heavier scrutiny as popularity grows .
Campaign team claims reports amount to 'unsubstantiated personal attacks'
Herman Cain predicted he would face 'high-tech lynching' back in May . |
0cf2db4ce96f8aeb91bf08ba9f9cadf6c44936fd | By . Daily Mail Reporter . If you thought it was hard getting out of bed on this chilly Monday morning, spare a thought for Steve Keeley. The Good Day Philadelphia reporter had a not-so-good start to his day, almost getting wiped out by a snow plow on live TV. The seasoned professional was doing a story on the storm that battered the east coast today from Salem County, New Jersey. Keeley walked to the side of the road to show viewers the conditions when snow plow train charged on by, one of which came within striking distance, reports myfoxphilly.com. Scroll down for video . Calm before the storm: Good Day Philadelphia reporter Steve Keeley starts off his morning broadcast in a typical fashion . It's behind you! Suddenly a snow plow sweeping the roads comes up behind him . Eep! Oblivious to what's happening behind him, Keeley continues with his live weather report . Engulfed: The wall of snow hits Keeley hard and starts throw the cameraman backwards . Fox Philadelphia reporter Steve Keeley almost taken out by snow plow . The presenter was suddenly hit with a wall of snow, which completely engulfed him. But, despite the slamming, he did not falter in his broadcast and just kept on speaking. It was a far cry from the reaction in the studio, with anchors Sheneille Jones and Chris Murphy screaming out, worried about his safety. Later in the show, Keeley made light of the incident. 'You know, I've spent my whole time here, ever since the invention of YouTube, I have done everything I could to avoid being a YouTube star, and I think that hit will be on YouTube,' he said. He also joked that a reporter from a rival TV station was driving the plow. After the storm: Steve Keeley dusted himself off and kept on reporting. It was live, afterall . His response: Keeley lated Tweeted about his run-in with the snow plow . Keeley then joked about the incident on Twitter, writing a note about his dramatic morning. 'From plows to cows ... they're just kicking snow on us not throwing a ton at us at 50 MPH' he posted. Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29 . | Good Day Philadelphia and Fox 29 reporter Steve Keeley was doing a live broadcast on the east coast storm from Salem County, New Jersey .
Standing on the side of a road in Woodstown, he was oblivious to a snow plow train approaching .
Keeley was slammed by a wall of snow but was not injured .
He continued with his weather report without falteringly . |
0cf2ecf24970bfc0716ddb165d1d4963e8762b23 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 05:11 EST, 10 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:46 EST, 10 August 2013 . Gas and electricity bills could rise by 10 per cent before winter, households have been warned, despite energy companies enjoying £3.3bn profits since the last election (file picture) Energy bills could soar by up to 10 per cent in the next couple of months, households have been warned. The announcement came in the same week it was revealed Britain's big six energy companies have enjoyed a £3.3billion windfall in profits since the election. Price comparison website energyhelpline.com has warned energy companies could be looking at increasing rates between five and 10 per cent before the winter months, which means the average household bill could rise by up to £142. The website's director Mark Todd said: 'There are clear indications that energy price rises are close. 'I would not be surprised if they are announced within the next two months. In fact you could describe the energy market as a volcano about to erupt. 'The lava may soon descend on consumers across the country wiping out their household budgets.' The Daily Express has reported the news comes after British Gas warned increases were 'inevitable' and nPower said it was 'indisputable' that energy costs were rising. Mr Todd said: 'We know from experience, when one supplier announces price rises, others follow and in the last three years these have come in the summer and autumn. 'It may be mere coincidence, but there are distinct advantages of introducing a price rise before the cold weather hits as the increased rates kick in as gas and electricity usage rises.' On Friday the Daily Mail reported how . Britain’s big six energy companies have enjoyed a £3.3billion windfall . in profits since the election - while consumers’ bills have soared by . £300 a year. Labour said the figures show that David Cameron has not done enough to crack down on profiteering by gas and electric firms. Since 2009, Britain’s Big Six energy . companies (British Gas, E.ON, EDF, npower, Scottish Power and SSE) have . been required to report to regulator Ofgem on their annual profits for . generating and selling power. Between them, they supply 98 per cent of households in Britain. Price comparison website energyhelpline.com has warned energy companies could be looking at increasing rates between five and 10 per cent before the winter months . Labour’s new research shows that the total profits (earnings before interest and taxation) of the Big Six energy companies increased from £2.158billion in 2009 to £2.219billion in 2010, £3.867billion in 2011, and £3.737billion in 2012. This represents a total windfall in profits of over £3.3billion since 2010. According to Ofgem’s latest Electricity and Gas Supply Market Indicators, the typical domestic dual fuel bill now stands at £1,420 a year, compared to £1,105 in May 2010 when David Cameron became Prime Minister. But Angela Knight, chief executive of Energy UK, said: ‘This is a disappointing and inaccurate bashing of an industry which brings heat and light to 27million homes and business, pays billions each year to the Exchequer and creates employment for over 600,000 people. ‘If a company is to stay in business it has to make a profit. And the more a company has to invest then it has to make more profit to do so.' | Price comparison website warns price hike could be on the way .
Households warned bills could increase by up to 10 per cent before winter .
Britain's big six energy companies seen £3.3bn profits since last election . |
0cf312366d47e2037f2a2f327af15acc076ccc21 | (CNN) -- A Texas coroner declared the death of an adopted Russian boy accidental, prompting Moscow to demand a complete report from U.S. officials. Max Shatto, 3, who was adopted from Russia, lived in Texas with his adoptive parents. He reportedly died on January 21. Russia's Foreign Ministry expressed concerns over the ruling about his death, saying it did not receive the information from U.S. officials, but from the media. It asked the United States to provide Russian consular representatives the relevant forensic documents, including a death certificate. "We presume that this is not a final conclusion of the investigation. Still expect from the U.S. authorities -- both Texas and federal, including the U.S. Department of State -- the most complete information on the progress and results of the inquiry," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. A medical examiner in Ector County determined the death was caused by a laceration of a small bowel artery due to blunt trauma to the abdominal area, said District Attorney Bobby Bland. After Texas boy's death, Russian official continues call for ban on adoptions . The bruising was consistent with a "self-inflicted" injury, according to Bland. Toxicology reports were negative and there were no substances found that could have contributed to the child's death. The sheriff's office said it is conducting more investigations with other agencies. The boy's death drew international attention after a Russian government child advocate said that the boy was "killed" or "murdered." At a news conference last week, Children's Rights Commissioner Pavel Astakhov said he tweeted those words based on the initial reports he received about the death. He acknowledged he may have spoken too soon. Still, he wants his country to ban all international adoptions of Russian children. The boy's death aggravated U.S. State Department efforts to push through more than 500 adoption cases in which American families have already begun the process to adopt a Russian child before Moscow in December passed a law banning adoptions of Russian children by Americans. Families in limbo after adoption ban . That law bans adoptions by Americans ostensibly because of documented cases of abuse by adoptive parents. But others say the Russian move is in retaliation for a U.S. law that places restrictions on Russian human rights abusers. Americans adopted close to 1,000 Russian children last year, according to State Department figures. Though the number has been dropping in recent years, Russia remains the third most popular foreign country -- after China and Ethiopia -- for U.S. foreign adoptions. | Russia's Foreign Ministry expresses concerns over the ruling about his death .
It asks the United States to provide Russia with the relevant forensic documents .
Max Shatto, 3, who was adopted from Russia, lived in Texas . |
0cf3e8bd130f83305d53c4a886136e95fd4ba696 | By . Martin Scurr . PUBLISHED: . 07:35 EST, 27 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:03 EST, 27 August 2013 . Three years ago I underwent the menopause at the age of 50, shortly after losing my dear sister to breast cancer (she was just 50). I started to experience hot flushes, night sweats and high anxiety but was reluctant to take HRT because of the family history of cancer — my mother also died from the disease aged 64. As an alternative, my chemist recommended red clover with isoflavones and green tea. Since my first tablets a few months ago my periods have returned and I am starting to feel myself again. But could a herbal remedy have such a profound effect — or have my periods come back due to me overcoming my grief? J. Lipman, Surrey. Herbal way to happy: There are several supplements on the market which mimics the effect of the body';s natural oestrogen . The symptoms of the menopause can be extremely debilitating — and I’m sorry to hear of your distress and bereavement. The symptoms — such as hot flushes — occur because of lack of production of the female hormone oestrogen by the ovaries, which have reached the end of their reproductive life and are gradually shutting down. The changing hormone levels may affect the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that acts as the body’s thermostat, and send it out of kilter. Your decision to avoid hormone . replacement therapy, which is very effective at easing these symptoms, . was wise given your strong family history of breast cancer. There is . much evidence that some, if not most, breast cancers are stimulated by . the presence of oestrogen, and HRT consists mainly of this. Popping pills: Taking herbal supplements could have a positive effect . You ask whether the restoration of your monthly cycle and the dramatic resolution of your unpleasant menopausal symptoms are down to the herbal remedy and the easing of your grief. Given that it’s three years since your menopausal symptoms started, I suspect it’s the remedy rather than the psychological change that has been at work. The remedy has had an instant and powerful oestrogen-like effect, stopping the hot flushes and restoring your cycle, as well as having a magical reaction on your mood. There are several such natural substances available, and we refer to them as gonadomimetic — meaning that they mimic the effects of your own natural oestrogen. My concern is that in terms of cancer risk, we do not know for certain that such preparations are any safer than taking HRT. There is a view that if these products are natural, or herbal, then they must be safer. But there have been no large-scale trials to address that specific issue. I have real concerns over the safety of this compound. If the oestrogen-like substances in the red clover are strong enough to relieve the symptoms of the menopause so effectively, then there is a possibility that these compounds may also raise your risk of cancer. You must consider this matter very carefully given your family history, despite the great benefit you have obtained. There are non-oestrogen alternatives to HRT, including lifestyle measures (some evidence suggests that regular, gentle exercise such as swimming can reduce the hot flushes) and medication options. Some antidepressants may also decrease hot flushes and improve mood, and the drugs gabapentin (an anti-epilepsy drug) and clonidine may also ease the episodes. Perhaps now is the time for an appointment with your GP to discuss your concerns and treatment options. I was diagnosed years ago with a slow heart rate, but have recently found that I feel very tired in the mornings — it takes me around an hour or so to get going. Is my heart condition to blame for my dreadful fatigue? Alan Cockayne, by email. You are describing, I believe, a condition called sick sinus syndrome or sinus node dysfunction. The sinus node is the natural pacemaker of the heart: it sets the rate. You have not stated how old you are, but ageing of the cells of that area of the heart muscle may result in this timer becoming unreliable (this condition is more common in the over-70s), and the heart rate can become slower. The condition, which is fairly uncommon, results in not enough blood being pumped around the body, triggering symptoms of light-headedness, breathlessness, fatigue or palpitations. In your case, these episodes seem to particularly strike at night, which is why you are feeling so tired in the morning. Diagnosis involves a 24-hour or even a seven-day ECG (an electrocardiogram, which measures the electrical activity of the heart). It’s also important to look for any easily treatable causes — for instance, certain medications can affect heart rhythm. You tell me in your longer letter that you are taking a small dose of amlodipine for high blood pressure. This is one of a group of medicines called calcium channel-blockers, which may affect heart rate and, therefore, be exacerbating your symptoms. (There are alternative medications for your blood pressure that won’t adversely affect the sinus node and it’s important to discuss this point with your GP.) One option for a slow heart rate is to have a pacemaker implanted. While this helps reverse any fainting or light-headedness in most patients — important for preventing falls — it may not have such a beneficial effect when the main symptom is fatigue, as in your case. And as there are potential complications from such surgery, including infection or bleeding, the decision to have a pacemaker fitted is more complicated and involves carefully weighing up the risks and benefits. Once the sinus node starts to deteriorate, it tends to continue doing so. For that reason I believe you should be having periodic reviews by a cardiologist — and every time you are seen, the correlation between your symptoms and the ECG recordings should be re-evaluated. Fork off: Modern westerners eat too much meat . When my children went to school, the . headmaster insisted they had swimming lessons from the first day. ‘No . one ever died from not learning French,’ he would say. But there was . another important message schools could have been passing on: the . importance of healthy living, or rather, healthy eating. However, this just wasn’t given any thought in those days. The . decades have passed and I am now a grandparent and I think about this a . lot. My patients, as a group, have aged with me, and many are suffering . the ravages of coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and . stroke. And I find myself constantly wishing that 30 years ago I’d been . as enlightened about healthy eating as I am now. Medical . men like me spend a lot of time seeking out the nooks and crannies of . science to see what can be applied to the quest for the better health of . our patients, as well as those close to us. But sometimes the answer is . closer to home — in the kitchen. I recently attended a fascinating . evening at Kew Gardens in London to learn more about the health benefits . of eating less meat. They . were not advocating ditching meat altogether — this was not a push . towards vegetarianism — but a careful, balanced look at why it can be a . good thing to eat less meat and more plant-based foods. Since . the days when I was at school the world population has doubled, and now . 70 per cent of land throughout the world is given over to agricultural . use to grow crops to feed animals. The result is we are over-eating the . foods — meat and dairy products — that are least good for our health . and the environment. In my . childhood, the biggest treat at the end of the school holidays was to . have chicken for dinner: it was special and we called it ‘The Last . Supper’. Yet, thanks to mass production, by the time I was at university . even we impoverished medical students bought chicken by the bucketload. The . experts at Kew argued there could be much benefit to be gained from . tweaking the balance of what we eat, little by little, to ensure that at . least two-thirds of the food at each meal comes from plants — . wholegrain carbohydrates, nuts, beans, lentils, fruit, vegetables and . plant-based alternatives to dairy foods, including soya. Meat, . fish, eggs, and dairy foods can be a third — or less — but of better . quality. In this way we reduce the intake of bad types of fat, have a . lower incidence of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer, and place . less burden on the resources of the world. But . how can we achieve this change? It has to begin with education, and . this means teaching human biology and nutrition, instructing children . about food, the relationship to future health and how to develop good . eating habits. Let’s do it. | Dr Martin Scurr gives advice on herbal help for menopause . |
0cf437d15b4186811daef3cf5292f21a909e693d | Queen Letizia looked the picture of elegance on Spain's national day today. She wore a fitted dark teal dress in tweed fabric with matching earrings, shoes and a clutch bag. Her hair was blow dried into a straight style and she wore dark eye makeup with a soft lip. The Spanish Queen, 42, held her daughters' hands as the trio arrived for a military parade marking Spain's National Day in Madrid. Scroll down for video . Leading ladies: Spanish Queen Letizia (C) and her daughters Princess Leonor (R) and Princess Sofia (L) Letizia's hair was blow dried into a straight style and she wore dark eye makeup with a soft lip. Her teal drop earrings matched her dress . Family: Letizia with Leonor (R) and Sofia (L), as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (C) and Defence Minister Pedro Morenes walk behind . Princess Leonor, 8, and Princess Sofia, 7, wore angelic white dresses with ornate print in blue and red, with ruffles. They had their blonde hair braided at the side. Husband and father, King Felipe VI, 46, joined the girls dressed in smart, traditional military attire complete with sash, hat and gloves. He had left his well-groomed salt and pepper stubble unshaven. A goat, the mascot of La Legion, an elite unit of the Spanish Army, marched in front of the tribune where the Royal family sat and watched. Princess Leonor was amused. At one point during the patriotic event King Felipe VI and Sofia seem oblivious as Leonor pointed something in the sky out to mother, Queen Letizia. Later, the Royal couple held an official reception at the Royal Palaces where they met with foreign officials and diplomats. Yesterday, the newly crowned King of Spain was joined by his father former King Juan Carlos during an air show of the Spanish Air Force Base in Madrid. Picture perfect: Felipe (L) and Letizia (R) chat with their daughters shortly after an army parade marking Spain's National Day . What's up sweetheart? Letizia cups daughter Leonor's chin as if to check how she's doing . Look up, mum! King Felipe VI and Sofia seem oblivious as Leonor points something out to mother, Queen Letizia . National day: The military parade marked Spain's National Day in Madrid today . A goat, the mascot of La Legion, an elite unit of the Spanish Army, marches in front of the tribune . Spain's national day is held annually every October 12. It is a national holiday that commemorates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's first arrival in the Americas, a day also celebrated in other countries. Since 2000, it has also been Spain's so-called Day Of The Armed Forces. To commemorate it, there is a parade performed by the military, which also typically features a display by the Spanish Air Force's aerobatics team. It is chaired by the King and usually held in Madrid. An array of officials including foreign diplomats and members of the autonomous governments are invited to attend. Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI at the Royal Palaces, as Letizia greets guest Michelle Jenner (r) King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia greet diplomats during an official reception held by the Royal couple at the Royal Palace . Letizia, Princesses Sofia and Leonor, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Felipe . King Felipe today, saluting as he inspects the guard of honour at the Spanish National Day military parade . King Felipe VI and his father former King Juan Carlos during an air show of the Spanish Air Force Base yesterday . | Spanish Queen Letizia looked graceful in a dark teal tweed dress with matching shoes today .
Daughters Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia wore blue and red dresses and had their hair braided .
Along with King Phillipe, the Royal family attended military parade marking Spain's National Day in Madrid . |
0cf4d18c4f626f98d654363783ce70dc91e24a90 | The former Baywatch star is back in action, but this time instead of rescuing swimmers from the water, he's saving you from your pesky cough. In a new advert for Bronchostop cold medicine, David Hasselhoff makes a special appearance - in an attempt to help take the 'hassle out of coughs.' 'Have you ever had a scenario where you were unable to decide if your cough was dry or chesty?' the presenter questions at the start of the video. 'I know I have.' The former Baywatch star is back in action - this time, helping cold sufferers battle their pesky coughs . In a new advert for Bronchostop, David Hasselhoff makes a hilarious special appearance . 'Well now, Bronchostop has taken the hassle out of coughs - ' he begins. At this point, he is cut off by The Hoff himself who steps into the frame. 'Did someone say Hasselhoff? I'll take it from here.' Together, David helps the presenters to explain the benefit of the Bronchostop brand and its various cold remedies on offer. 'It relieves any kind of cough,' he concludes. 'We've literally taken the hassle out of the hoff.' Or, er, cough. 'I love taking the #hassel out of life... now I can have the #hassel taken out of my cough... #NoHuskyHoff #HassleOutOfCoughs' he Tweeted following its release. 'Bronchostop has taken the hassle out of coughs,' the presenter begins by sharing . David then interrupts, boasting that he can take the 'hassel' out of 'the hoff' | Former Baywatch star now acting as spokesperson for Bronchostop .
Makes a special appearance in commercial for the UK cold brand .
In humourous advert, David claims to take the 'hassel' out of coughs . |
0cf5ab3f649e9d91628bdf330d2dc17721d38792 | The BBC lavished nearly £7million on consultants last year – but has refused to say what they did for the money. The bill follows a promise made by BBC boss Tony Hall to rein in spending on external management ‘experts’. A freedom of information request revealed that the consultancy bill for the 12 months to May 2014 was an improvement on the £10.4million the BBC spent the previous year. The BBC has spent nearly £7million on consultants last year, despite director general Tony Hall, pictured, promising to rein in spending . However, that bill was considerably higher than the £5million it spent the year before that. The BBC said some of the money covered the auditing of its annual accounts, but would not disclose how the rest was spent. ‘We are legally obliged to use external organisations to audit our accounts', said a spokesman. Conservative MP Philip Davies has called for the corporation to be more transparent about how they spend their money . ‘On occasion, just like any other large organisation, we also use external companies for specialist services - this saves the BBC millions of pounds because it is cheaper than employing permanent, full-time staff to carry out work which would only last a short period. However, MPs said the Corporation has a duty to do explain where its fees have gone. ‘If they want to be feather-bedded by a licence fee, they need to be transparent about how they spend it,’ said Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire. The BBC added that it uses a competitive tender process to choose which firms to hire. Lord Hall has in the past faced accusations of ‘cronyism’ after he handed a £600,000 management consultancy contract to a friend. In 2013, he appointed Suzanne Heywood to lead a two-month McKinsey review into making the corporation a ‘simpler place to work’. Lord Hall worked with Lady Heywood, who is married to Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy, at the Royal Opera House before he joined the BBC as director-general. In 2013 he told MPs that he would not be ‘an easy ride’ for consultants, and pledged to cut back on contracts with firms like Deloitte, Accenture, McKinsey & Co, and KPMG. ‘I want to reduce the amount of money that we pay on consultants, I really do. I am not an easy ride when it comes to consultants,’ he said. | FoI request revealed the BBC spent £7million on consultants during 2014 .
But the corporation refused to say what they did to earn their money .
Follows promise by director general Tony Hall to rein in external spending .
MPs say the BBC has a duty to explain where its licence fee is spent . |
0cf66b646e9b32076513c050edf32a799200c3c2 | Washington (CNN) -- 45 years ago, while on patrol in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, Dennis Joyner was suddenly faced with his own mortality. He never heard the explosion that destroyed his legs and left arm, but be clearly saw what had happened to his body. "Let me die" -- was his immediate reaction. But it was his sergeant who reminded him of his family and all he had to live for. On Sunday in Washington, Joyner was able to thank Sgt. Ed Reynolds as he looked out on the only memorial to honor the living disabled veterans of America's wars. The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, located just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, was dedicated Sunday in a ceremony that focused on life after war and the many sacrifices disabled veterans still make. President Obama spoke at the ceremony of the cost of war and the painful legacy it leaves behind. "Each of you endured a moment that shaped the arc of your lives and that speaks to our debt as a nation," Obama said. "It was the moment that binds each of you forever, that moment of realization that life would not be the same." Joyner, who served in the 9th Infantry Division, was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his service. While recovering, and learning how to function in his new body, Joyner worried about how his family would react. "I can't image the fear, the terror, that must have been in my family's hearts and minds that day they received a telegram explaining the severity of my injuries," Joyner told the audience at the memorial's dedication. "Trying to think of what to say seeing me for the first time, minus three limbs." The memorial was designed as a space for disabled veterans and those they love to find quiet reflection. A ceremonial flame hovers over a reflecting pool, surrounded by granite and glass walls and a grove of trees. "What we gave, what our families gave, and what we continue to give, will be forever remembered here in our nation's capital," Joyner said Sunday. "We are not unique in our story, we are just one example of the thousands of lives affected by the lifelong disabilities that are the terrifying consequences of war." Those consequences weigh heavily on the recent maneuvering of U.S. military operations in the fight against terrorist group ISIS. The President's refusal to send ground troops to the Middle East was echoed in his comments Sunday. "Let's never rush into war, because it is America's sons and daughters who bear the scars of war for the rest of their lives," he said. "Let us only send them into harm's way when it's absolutely necessary. And if we do, let's always give them the strategy, the mission and the support that they need to get the job done." Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald and veterans advocate and actor Gary Sinise -- who played the character of Lt. Dan in the movie "Forrest Gump" -- also spoke at the ceremony. A long journey . Lois Pope was visiting the Vietnam War memorial when she was first struck by the need for a special place to honor disabled veterans. Pope saw a veteran in a wheelchair struggling to lay flowers on another veteran's grave. "That was the catalyst that sent me on this 16-year quest to build this memorial so that our nations disabled veterans could earn the respect and the recognition that they so deserve," Pope said. In 1998 Pope joined forces with Art Wilson, who was the national adjutant for Disabled American Veterans at the time. The two worked with former VA Secretary Jesse Brown to make the memorial a reality. "Until this day, this very day, we have not remembered those who lived and whose lives were forever changed by the sacrifices they made in uniform," Wilson said at the ceremony. "Without their stories and the experience of their loved ones, we as a people cannot know the cost of war." 9 simple ways you can help veterans . Life after battle . For disabled veterans, the end of active military service is not the end of the battle, said Pope. "The cost of war does not end when guns are silenced, for every day disabled veterans continue to battle with their physical and mental disabilities." Obama also underscored that not all veterans' injuries are visible. "No matter what war you served in -- and whether they called it 'shell shock' or 'battle fatigue' or the '1,000-yard stare' or post-traumatic stress -- you know that the unseen wounds of war are just as real as any other, and they can hurt just as much, if not more." "You are not alone" Although the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has recently admitted to mismanaging the care of veterans, the President emphasized the government's responsibility to provide care and support. "When our wounded veterans set out on that long road of recovery, we need to move heaven and earth to make sure they get every single benefit, every single bit of care that they have earned, that they deserve," he said. Obama also spoke of the responsibility ordinary citizens have to honor the sacrifice that veterans have made. "If they're hurting and don't know if they can go on, we need to say loud and clear, as family and friends, as neighbors and coworkers, as fellow citizens, and as a nation: You are not alone," Obama said. "If you're an American, and you see a veteran -- maybe with a prosthetic arm or leg, maybe burns on their face -- don't ever look away," he said. "Do not turn away. You go up and you reach out, and you shake their hand, and you look them in the eye and you say those words every veteran should hear all the time: 'Welcome home, thank you. We need you more than ever. You help us stay strong, you help us stay free.'" | The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial was dedicated Sunday in Washington .
President Obama emphasized the cost of war, his commitment to caring for vets .
Co-founders Lois Pope and Art Wilson have worked on the project for 16 years . |
0cf6e4cd58c55277a1504880a1bf3e515d7f86a2 | The Food and Drug Administration are reviewing what establishments should be forced to display calorie counts on their menus, with the idea that many people - ordering at a diner, for example - would pass on that bacon double cheeseburger if they realized it had 1,000 calories. The food industry is closely watching what the FDA will chose to include in their new menu labeling rules, which are due out this year. Grocery stores, convenient stores, movie theaters and airplanes are under review - and many aren't happy about it. Non-restaurant establishments have lobbied hard for exemption, which has lead to a delay in the release of the rules. Calorie count menus, which have been commonplace at establishments like McDonalds (pictured) since 2008, look set to be expanded into a whole new line of places that serve prepared food . The FDA believes people would order healthier if they were more aware of the calories in each menu item . FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told Congress earlier this month that writing the rules has been 'much more challenging than expected'. The agency issued proposed rules in 2011 but has faced pressure to revise them to exclude retail outlets like grocery and convenience stores. The FDA has sent the rules to the White House, meaning they could be released soon. The restaurant industry pushed for menu labeling and helped it become law as part of health overhaul in 2010. Chain restaurants that operate all over the country wanted the federal standards because of an evolving patchwork of state and local laws that require calorie labeling and could have forced those outlets to follow different rules in different locations. Not all restaurants are happy with menu labeling, though. Pizza restaurants, led by delivery giant Domino's, say it doesn't make sense to force their franchisees to order expensive new menu boards when few people walk into their brick-and-mortar outlets. They argue for putting the information online. The pizza companies say there are more than 34 million ways to order a pizza, and they need more flexibility on labeling than other restaurants. Against: Domino's are one of the main establishments fighting the would-be rules, claiming it is intellectual for them to overhaul their menu boards when rarely do people actually order food over-the-counter . Supporters of the rules say pizzas are no different from sandwiches or other foods that have a variety of toppings. The rules will only apply to restaurants with 20 or more outlets, so independent eateries are exempt. Bakeries, coffee shops and ice cream parlors are all expected to be included if they have enough stores to qualify. But alcohol won't have to be labeled in any of those places under the proposed rules. The FDA proposed exempting it. Perhaps the most unhappy with the rules that the FDA proposed in 2011 were the supermarket and convenience store industries were . The agency proposed requiring those stores to label calories for prepared foods on menu boards and displays. The restaurant industry has pushed for those outlets to be included, arguing that many of them are promoting their prepared food sales and directly competing with restaurants. Nutrition advocates have also called for those stores to be included, saying that a rotisserie chicken labeled with a calorie count at a restaurant should also be labeled at the grocery store takeout next door. Same with baked goods like muffins, pies or loaves of bread. Target: Movie theaters are among those most likely to display their calories under the FDA rules, with their snacks often being so unhealthy . The supermarket industry estimates it could cost them a billion dollars to put the rules in place — costs that would be passed on to consumers. Along with convenience stores, the supermarkets say the ever-changing selection at salad bars, deli counters and other prepared food stations would make it difficult and costly to nail down accurate calorie counts and constantly update signs. Both industries argue that the law is intended for restaurants and not for them. They say the labeling rules will be much easier to put in place at restaurants with fixed menus. 'The cost of compliance for a convenience store is different than a one-time cost to McDonald's,' says Lyle Beckwith of the National Association of Convenience Stores. Movie theater chains lobbied to be exempt and appeared to win that fight when they were exempted in the 2011 proposed rules. But nutrition groups are lobbying to include them in the final rules, especially because movie treats can be so unhealthy. Nutrition lobbyist Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest says many people don't realize they are eating a day's worth of calories when they stop by the movie concessions counter and grab a large popcorn and extra-large soda. Vending machines will also display signs indicating the calories of each treat . 'If a company is going to serve you 2,000 calories and call it a snack, the least they can do is tell people how many calories are in it,' Wootan says. Passengers will most likely be able to purchase food calorie-blind in the air and on the rails. Along with movie theaters, airlines and trains were exempted from the proposed labeling rules in 2011. The FDA said that it would likely exempt food served in places where the 'primary business activity is not the sale of food' and that don't 'present themselves publicly as a restaurant'. That also includes amusement parks, sports stadiums and hotels, unless restaurants set up in those places are part of a larger chain. Vending machines will be required to have labels, but the industry — comprised mostly of smaller operators — is asking for flexibility in how they are required to post them. Eric Bell of the National Automatic Merchandising Association says the group estimates the rules could cost operators up to $42,000 a year, which he calls a "huge burden" on those small businesses. | New menu labeling rules set to be released by the Food and Drug Administration later this year .
Grocery stores, convenient stores, movie theaters, diners, vending machines and airplanes are under review .
All would need to display calorie counts for any prepared food offered on menu boards .
Non-restaurant establishments have lobbied for exemption .
Domino's have argued they should not have to change their menu boards because rarely do people actually come into a store to order pizza . |
0cf70c08556ff33a6a20a6038c98f7f5948ffb3c | ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI preached and greeted well-wishers Sunday, three days after breaking his wrist in a fall. The pope celebrates mass with his broken wrist in plaster. He held the text of his speech in his uninjured left hand, then circulated among the crowd who came to hear him in Romano Canavese, pictures from the northern Italian town showed. The 82-year-old pope had surgery on his right wrist after he fell Thursday night, spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN on Friday. The pope is "learning" to live with his cast, Lombardi told Vatican Radio. The most painful aspect of the incident for Benedict is having to give up writing by hand, which he had intended to do frequently during his annual vacation Italy's Val d'Aosta region, Lombardi told the official Vatican station. "I know that here, too, in the Ivera region, many families are facing economic hard times due to a lack of work," he said, referring to the now-defunct Olivetti typewriter manufacturer in the region. "Dear friend, do not be discouraged," he added, according to Agence-France Presse. "Providence always helps those who do the right thing and seek justice; it also helps those who think not only of themselves, but also think of those in worse situations than their own." | Pope preaches and greeted well-wishers, three days after breaking his wrist .
Benedict XVI had surgery on his right wrist after he fell Thursday night .
Most painful aspect for pope is having to stop writing by hand, spokesman says . |
0cf74875b9fddf7e0c96fe743d9c4f0990be02ab | By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 03:34 EST, 13 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:34 EST, 13 September 2012 . The benefits of breast cancer screening programmes far outweigh the risks, according to research. Screening saves thousands of lives - even though it also results in many women wrongly being told they have tumours. All women aged 50 to 70 are offered breast X-rays, or mammograms, for free on the NHS every three years. Effective: The benefits of breast cancer screening programmes far outweigh the risks, according to researchers . But recently the effectiveness of this screening program has been called into question, with several high-profile scientists claiming they cause more harm than good. Now a study has concluded that the benefits of the X-rays far outweigh the risks - which can include healthy patients needlessly having to undergo distressing surgery or chemotherapy. Scientists from Queen Mary University, London, calculate for that for every 1,000 women having regular screening for 20 years, nine lives will be saved. Around 1.6million women regularly go for the X-rays in Britain so this works out as 14,400 lives being saved over two decades. But the academics also calculate that out of the same 1,000 women having screening, four would be wrongly diagnosed and possibly made to have breasts removed or chemotherapy. Only last month, two prominent American academics accused one of the world’s biggest breast cancer charity of ‘duping’ women by overselling the benefits of scans. The Department of Health is currently overseeing an independent review into the NHS screening program and the results are expected to be published later in the autumn. This particular study, published in the Journal of Medical Screening, looked at existing research involving five million women from various European countries. It concluded that for every two women saved by the scans, one would be wrongly diagnosed. Professor Stephen Duffy, of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine at Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, part of Queen Mary, University of London, said: ‘This is the only comprehensive review of the results of breast screening services in Europe. ‘It reports results from screening millions of women, and confirms that the screening services are delivering the benefits expected from the research studies conducted years ago. 'In particular, it is good news that lives saved by screening outweigh over-diagnosed cases by a factor of two to one.’ In a joint statement responding to the research, Chris Askew of Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Baroness Delyth Morgan of Breast Cancer Campaign, said: ‘This hugely detailed, impressive piece of work supports the widely held view that breast screening saves lives by helping to detect breast cancer early. ‘In England, an independent panel is conducting its own review of all the evidence underpinning the breast screening programme. We hope it will provide further clarity to women on the effectiveness of the breast screening programme.’ Last month Professor Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin of the U.S. Center for Medicine and the Media at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice accused a charity of giving women false hope over screening. They claimed the charity, called Susan G Komen for the Cure, was using ‘Oscar-winning’ tactics to dupe women into having the X-rays. | Screening saves thousands of lives - but also results in many women wrongly being told they have tumours .
All women aged 50 to 70 are offered breast X-rays, or mammograms, for free on the NHS every three years .
Study concludes benefits of X-rays far outweigh risks . |
0cf79adee93372405700ea92c4a0a8860749c4a0 | (CNN) -- The alleged victim in a 1977 sexual assault case against director Roman Polanski has filed court papers seeking dismissal of the charges against him. Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski has lived in exile in France since fleeing the United States in 1978. The woman's declaration seeking dismissal was filed Monday in Los Angeles, California, in connection with Polanski's efforts to have the 31-year-old case dismissed. Polanski, 75, has lived in exile in France since fleeing the United States in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse. Polanski admitted to having sex with a 13-year-old girl, and an arrest warrant against him remains in effect. In her declaration, Samantha Geimer said, "I am no longer a 13-year-old child. I have dealt with the difficulties of being a victim, have surmounted and surpassed them with one exception. "Every time this case is brought to the attention of the Court, great focus is made of me, my family, my mother and others. That attention is not pleasant to experience and is not worth maintaining over some irrelevant legal nicety, the continuation of the case." Geimer, who has spoken publicly about the case before, including a 2003 appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live," added, "I have survived, indeed prevailed, against whatever harm Mr. Polanski may have caused me as a child." She chided the district attorney's office for not dismissing the case earlier and for "yet once again (giving) great publicity to the lurid details of those events, for all to read again. True as they may be, the continued publication of those details cause harm to me ... I have become a victim of the actions of the District Attorney." The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office had no immediate response to Geimer's declaration. Lawyers for the Oscar-winning film director filed a motion for dismissal of the sex offense case against him in December, citing what the defense called "extraordinary new evidence" of "repeated, unlawful and unethical misconduct" by the Los Angeles district attorney's office and the judge in Polanski's case. The December motion also argued that Polanski should not be required to return to the United States to appear in court for the dismissal motion to be considered. In her declaration, Geimer said if Polanski cannot appear in court, she will do so to seek dismissal. "My position is absolutely clear," she said. Polanski's motion for dismissal is scheduled for a hearing on January 21. Polanski, a native of Poland, won the Academy Award in 2003 for his Holocaust drama, "The Pianist." Among his other films from earlier in his career are "Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown." His first wife, actress Sharon Tate, was murdered by the Charles Manson family in 1969. | Motion filed to dismiss a 31-year-old sex offense case against Roman Polanski .
Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in 1978 .
Director lives in exile in France after fleeing the United States . |
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