id
stringlengths 40
40
| article
stringlengths 48
15.9k
| highlights
stringlengths 14
7.39k
|
|---|---|---|
0e08cae0df009793b6f98539d6ec975432fedabb | By . Brendan Carlin . PUBLISHED: . 16:13 EST, 6 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:13 EST, 6 July 2013 . David Cameron faced a damaging Cabinet revolt last night over his plans to go ahead with the £42 billion High Speed 2 rail link. Well-placed sources claimed that Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has vowed to kill off the project on the grounds that it will damage the environment. The Prime Minister has made the vastly ambitious scheme, linking London and the North with 225mph trains, a symbol of his commitment to investing in the nation’s future. Elaborate plans: Fears over damage to the environment and mounting costs is creating growing opposition to HS2 . But in recent weeks, the plan has come under increasing criticism, with even former Labour Business Secretary Peter Mandelson warning that it could be an ‘expensive mistake’. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Mr Paterson and one other Tory Cabinet Minister have expressed doubts about the plan. A well-placed Tory insider said: ‘Owen’s view is that he will subject it to such tough environmental tests that he will kill off the whole thing. ‘He does not like HS2.’ Threat: The Cheshire countryside where the proposed HS2 link between London and Manchester may run . The huge project is expected to destroy 135 acres of ancient woodland – sparking promises from Ministers last week that soil from the woods would be transplanted to new sites. But a second Tory Cabinet Minister has privately sounded the alarm over the enormous bill, which has already risen by nearly £10 billion since original estimates. The Minister told friends last week: ‘When we’re trying to cut public spending and make ends meet, HS2 doesn’t add up. If we are going to spend billions of pounds on rail infrastructure, surely it should be on improving existing lines.’ Tension: Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, right, has reportedly vowed to kill off the project which David Cameron has made a symbol of his investment in Britain's future . The Cabinet doubts about the project, which will slice through Tory heartlands, emerged as Labour support for it began to crumble. Lord Mandelson claimed last week that the previous Labour government’s plans for the line had been based on flawed estimates and said all political parties ‘should think twice before binding themselves irrevocably to HS2’. Last weekend, Alistair Darling, the former Chancellor, revealed he was now an ‘HS2 sceptic’.But Mr Paterson’s office denied last night that he had ever vowed to kill off the project. Sources close to the Environment Secretary confirmed he was ‘not a fan’ of HS2 but said he had merely promised MPs in the constituencies affected that proper environmental tests would be applied. | The huge project is expected to destroy 135 acres of ancient woodland .
Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is challenging Cameron over plans . |
0e09d7e425ad511e041399dd098175a1849abb89 | By . Sarah Harris . Parents should tell their children they love them every day to help make them more ready for learning at school, according to new advice from head teachers. Families often assume their sons or daughters feel loved but they need to hear the words frequently to boost their self-esteem. They should also praise youngsters by repeating phrases such as ‘you are learning fast’, ‘that was a kind thing to do’ and ‘keep working on it, you’re nearly there’. Parents should tell their children they love them every day to help make them more ready for learning at school, according to new advice from head teachers (file picture) The recommendations are contained in a leaflet, Your Child’s Wellbeing: A Short Guide For Parents, issued by the school leaders’ union, the National Association of Head Teachers and the Family Action charity. But education campaigners have condemned the advice as ‘nanny state meddling’, insisting that parents do not need ‘patronising’ reminders from head teachers about how to speak to their children. The leaflets are being distributed to NAHT’s 28,500 members who will share them with parents at their schools. They are the fifth in a series produced by the NAHT and Family Action, with other topics covering literacy and numeracy and speaking and listening. The latest top tips for parents include trying to be a ‘positive role model’ by not shouting or swearing in front of children and establishing boundaries to help them ‘feel safe’. They should praise their child’s efforts as well as achievements, for example telling them they’ve done well for trying hard and that it’s okay to make mistakes. When their son or daughter does something wrong, they should ‘tell them, but focus on their action and how to do better next time’. A section on raising self-esteem adds: ‘When things are difficult help your child to see it as part of life and learning and that it happens to all of us. Teach your child not go give up and to keep trying. Bernadette Hunter, NAHT president, said: 'If children feel happy and healthy at home then they come into the classroom free from worries and ready to learn' (file picture) ‘Listen to your child and show them you value their views and opinions.’ Other tips include encouraging children to eat a balanced diet, bake and help prepare family meals and exercise vigorously for at least 30 minutes each day. The leaflet suggests getting out and about as a family, playing tag in the park or going on a bike ride together. Saying ‘well done’ will encourage children to ‘learn that taking on challenges and making mistakes is an essential part of learning’. Under ‘emotional well-being’, it adds: ‘Tell your child that you love them every day’. But Chris McGovern, a former head teacher and chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said that ‘99.9 per cent of parents’ don’t need that reminder and ‘instinctively’ say such things. He said: ‘Head teachers need to trust parents more. Mostly parents don’t need that sort of advice. It’s nanny state, it’s interfering, it’s patronising and it’s unnecessary. ‘It’s almost discouraging parents from following their natural instincts and doing what’s right. By saying ‘we’re taking over’, you’re going to undermine parents and probably damage the children. ‘It’s yet another example of the State or the profession’s failure to understand that people don’t need to be told the obvious. It’s distrustful in that sense.’ But Bernadette Hunter, NAHT president 2013-14, said: ‘Modern life is so highly pressured for parents that it can be easy to forget to do the little things that can make a real difference to a child’s self-esteem. ‘For instance, sometimes we assume our children know that we love them but children need to hear the words. - ‘Listen to your child and show them you value their views and opinions' ‘If children feel happy and healthy at home then they come into the classroom free from worries and ready to learn. I believe parents are the best partners schools can have in helping pupils make the most of their education.’ She added: ‘The leaflet tells about the importance of helping a child persevere with tasks and reassuring them that it is ok to make mistakes. Trying out some of the suggestions can go a long way to giving children a sense of wellbeing which will give them a good starting point for school life.’ David Holmes, chief executive of Family Action, said: ‘If the practical advice in this simple leaflet makes a parent pause just for a second and reflect on the wellbeing of their child then it will have done a good job.’ * Three-quarters of 1,018 parents surveyed by the NAHT believe that introducing ‘too much change into schools too quickly’ damages their children’s education. | Parents also advised to be 'positive role models' and to lead by example .
Advice by National Association of Teachers and Family Action charity .
Recommendations featured in new leaflet to be distributed to parents . |
0e09e19e28ad37e904397f7a1532a893a0e6f56e | Things turned ugly during a closely fought high school basketball game in Texas when members of the crowd unveiled provocative signs proclaiming 'White Power.' Fans of home team Flower Mound flashed the offensive signs during their heated triple-overtime victory over rivals Plano East on Friday. 'We thought it was racist,' said a Plano East student athlete who was at the game and asked not to be identified. '(The sign) said 'white power,' and we were shocked.' Fans of home team Flower Mound flashed the offensive 'White Power' signs during their heated triple-overtime victory over rivals Plano East on Friday night . Witnesses said the incident happened late in the game when both student sections were hyped up as the scoring lead switched several times. But the Plano East athlete remembers a specific moment when it got very raucous in the gym. 'Our student section started pointing at the sign,' the player told WFAA8. 'That's when it clicked into everyone's mind… 'Whoa... what are these guys doing?' And the teachers came and took the signs down.' The student said the signs were held up for 30 seconds before teachers rushed to remove them. However the provocative gesture was photographed and shared on social media by angry players and fans. Flower Mound's coach Eric Littleton responded on Twitter to the image of the sign saying it was 'unacceptable' 'This is ridiculous,' tweeted one Plano player. 'I thought we passed the racial stage of society.' Witnesses claim racial slurs were also directed at players during the game, especially after a player had been injured. Angry Plano students also told a local TV station that someone urinated and defecated on their team's bus, although neither team has confirmed it. Flower Mound's coach, Eric Littleton, responded on Twitter to the sign describing it as 'unacceptable.' 'As head coach at FMHS I offer our full voice apology. I will pursue this fully. No place for this,' he tweeted. The Lewisville Independent School District, which oversees Flower Mound, has promised a full investigation. 'I want to be clear that this type of incident — however it has been perceived — has not and will not be tolerated in LISD,' Interim Superintendent Kevin Rogers said in a statement. 'We have always had high expectations for our more than 53,000 students and hold them to those standards both in and outside of the classroom.' | Fans of home team Flower Mound flashed the offensive signs during their heated triple-overtime victory over rivals Plano East on Friday night .
Witnesses said the incident happened late in the game when both student sections were hyped up as the scoring lead switched several times .
The signs were held up for 30 seconds before teachers rushed to remove them - enough time for a photo to be taken and shared online .
Flower Mound's coach Eric Littleton responded on Twitter to the sign describing it as 'unacceptable' |
0e09fe4df80fa741e6d25702c43e0669077586a7 | DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- The United Arab Emirates has refused to grant a visa to a female Israeli tennis player, preventing her from competing in the Sony Ericsson World Tennis Association Tour in Dubai, the WTA said in a statement Sunday. The UAE has refused to grant a visa allowing Shahar Peer to compete in Dubai. Shahar Peer would have been the first Israeli athlete to participate in a professional sporting event in the UAE, CNN Sports correspondent Pedro Pinto said. The UAE has no diplomatic ties with Israel. Peer told CNN on Sunday evening she was "very, very disappointed" to be denied access to the tournament. "Any player that qualifies should attend, and I was prevented," she said from Israel. "I'm glad the WTA support me. A red line was crossed for every athlete in the world -- politics should be kept separate from sports." The governing body of women's tennis said it was "deeply disappointed" that Peer was being denied entry to the country hosting the tournament, but it did not cancel the competition, which began Sunday. The move runs counter to WTA policy, which says no player should be barred from competing in a tournament for which she has qualified. Dubai could lose its membership in the WTA tour next year over the ban on Peer, according to WTA rules. That would mean professional players could compete only in exhibition matches in Dubai, the results of which would not count in pro rankings. Government officials in Dubai have not responded to CNN's request to comment over their refusal to allow Peer to compete in the event. "Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament, and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right," said Larry Scott, chairman and chief executive of the tour. Watch Scott express disappointment » . "Following various consultations, the tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week, pending further review by the tour's board of directors." The patron of the Dubai Tennis Championships is Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Makhtoum. Two million dollars in prize money is on the line. Al-Makhtoum told CNN in 2004 that Dubai would accept Israeli students to a school dedicated to students from the Middle East who are talented at sports. In 2003, Dubai hosted World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings, which Israeli government officials attended. The Israeli flag -- among other member states' flags -- is still part of a globe monument in Dubai. Peer, 21, is ranked 48th in the world among female tennis players. She was allowed to compete at the Doha tournament in Qatar last year, where she received a warm welcome, according to Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz. Qatar, another Gulf Arab state, froze diplomatic ties with Israel after Israel's military offensive in Gaza last month. Peer downplayed the political undertones of her participation in last year's Doha tournament, telling Haaretz that she didn't come to Qatar "to help the politics of course." But she added that if her playing in the tournament "can help for peace or anything, I'd be really happy." Scott said the tour will "review appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer" as well as "appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament." Peer was advised Saturday by tournament and WTA officials of the denial of her visa while she was participating in a tournament in Pattaya, Thailand, according to a WTA statement. The Dubai Tennis Championships runs through February 28. | NEW: Shahar Peer, female Israeli tennis player, says she's "very, very disappointed"
United Arab Emirates refuses to grant a visa to Peer .
Peer needed the visa to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships .
World Tennis Association unhappy, says move runs counter to its policy . |
0e0a65dd894fac8d7a521f13c13743f2d2fa4fb2 | On the eve of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley, the Detroit Lions have suspended CJ Mosley and sent him home. The 31-year-old defensive tackle has received a fortnight’s suspension for conduct detrimental to the team and an unspecified violation of team rules. The back-up is nevertheless considered one of the leaders in Detroit’s No 1 ranked defense and has played every game this year, recording 2.5 sacks. His absence will likely mean a greater workload for Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. Caraun Reid and Jason Jason should see increased snaps too. CJ Mosley pictured on the bench during the game against the New Orleans Saints in Detroit last Sunday . Rookie safety Jerome Couplin has been promoted from the practice squad to fill Mosley’s roster spot. With a bye next week, Mosley will also miss the week 10 game against the Miami Dolphins. Now in the his tenth NFL season, this is Mosley’s second year in Detroit, but he will become a free agent at the end of the season. Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell (front left), alongside a number of his players, speaks to the crowds at Trafalgar Square during the NFL Fan Rally on Saturday . | Mosley has been sent back to Detroit for conduct detrimental to the team and an unspecified violation .
The 31-year-old DT is considered a defensive leader .
His absence will mean more snaps for Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley .
The Lions (5-2) face the Atlanta Falcons (2-5) ahead of bye weeks for both teams . |
0e0a7c28a2def0616225dfc02cf4cb0fbce9236a | When Jason Collins pulls on his No. 98 Brooklyn Nets jersey, he's not just representing a basketball team. As the first openly gay player in major U.S. sports, he's also paying tribute to Matthew Shepard, the victim of one of the most infamous hate crimes in recent American history. Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, was beaten to death in 1998. "I was very fortunate to speak with Matthew's mother, Judy," Collins told CNN's "Unguarded with Rachel Nichols." "She had some great advice I don't think she would mind me sharing. Typically I like to keep private conversations private but her message was: 'Let the haters hate. Just keep living your life and keep going out there and being yourself.' " It's a powerful message and it's proving effective -- earlier this week Collins' No. 98 jersey became the best-selling in the NBA. Not bad when you consider that Collins -- who had been without a team after coming out at the end of last season -- has only signed a 10-day contract with the Nets. "It's really cool to see the support that's out there," he said. "It's cool to see that people are going out there and buying the jersey and wearing it with pride. "So I hope that continues and I'll keep wearing the jersey and keep going out there and trying to do my job." Collins has been doing his job since making his NBA debut in 2001. He spent seven years with the New Jersey Nets, the former name of his current employer, before going on to play for Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards. The center's first game of 2014 couldn't have gone any better. The 35-year-old played 10 minutes during a 108-102 win at the Los Angeles Lakers -- his hometown team -- and was given a warm ovation by the Staples Center crowd. The reception he received is an indication of Collins' newfound prominence. Since coming out in a cover story for an issue of Sports Illustrated in April 2013, he has become part of a band of high-profile U.S. athletes who have gone public about their homosexuality -- and they have been supporting each other. U.S. international Robbie Rogers, who plays for Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, announced he was gay two months before Collins. After telling the world about his sexuality, Collins went to Rogers for advice on how to handle the media. NFL prospect Michael Sam revealed he was gay this month after completing his college career. If drafted by a franchise, he will become the league's first openly gay player. "I've met some other athletes who are in the same position as I am," explained Collins. "We're sort of like a fraternity just trying to help each other, just trying to keep inspiring each other, whether it be Robbie Rogers or Michael Sam, the list goes on and on. "And it's really great to you know hear each other's stories and keep inspiring each other to work," added Collins, who was a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama at the State of the Union address in January. A free agent since July, Collins' determination to get back in the NBA was such that he went on a five-mile run the morning before his trip to the House of Representatives. "I've grown so much as an individual, I've come across so many great people, great organizations, heard so many great stories, inspiring stories," he said. "I feel like with my actions I've had a positive impact on someone else's life." While Collins' return to the NBA has been a success, it could well be short-lived. His temporary contract means he could be out of the league again by the end of next week, but he remains hopeful of extending his professional career. "You know anything can happen -- anything's possible," he said. "You continue to work hard, that's what I did over the past 10 months ... Always having that positive mindset that good things will happen if you prepare for it. "It's the same environment. Everything is the same. Like I said before, 12 years in the NBA, not a problem, not an issue. Year 13, not a problem, not an issue, same old, same old." For the man who is changing the face of the U.S. basketball, Collins is convinced everything looks just like it did before. | Jason Collins is the first openly gay player in major U.S. sport history .
Collin's has played in Brooklyn Nets wins since signing a 10-day contract .
He is one of a group of high-profile athletes to have come out in recent times .
Robbie Rogers announced he was gay last year, Michael Sam recently came out . |
0e0b300d2ae49eb4667cc31150f114a7e5198c7a | (CNN) -- Turkish giants Galatasaray have announced a deal to bring Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba back to European football following a short spell in China. The 34-year-old striker, who is currently on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, joined Shanghai Shenhua seven months ago. "An agreement has been reached with Didier Yves Drogba of Shanghai Shenhua football team, starting from the second half of 2012-2013 season for a 1.5 year period," the Turkish club announced on its official website. The club announced that Drogba is to be paid $13.5 million for the 18-month period, with an additional bonus of $20,000 for each match played. The forward left Chelsea for China last June, a month after helping the Londoners win their first European first Champions League title. His arrival marks the Turkish club's second significant signing this month after Dutchman Wesley Sneijder joined the 18-time champions from Italians Inter Milan. Drogba, who had wanted to go on loan to Chelsea to keep fit for the Nations Cup, is currently preparing for Ivory Coast's final Group D game against Algeria on Wednesday as the West Africans seek to win the tournament for the first time since 1992. Along with former Blues teammate Nicolas Anelka, the Ivorian failed to settle in China amid reports of unpaid bonuses, with both strikers now set to return to Europe. This is despite the fact that Anelka had agreed a two-year contract with Shenhua which reportedly earned him over $300,000 a week, while Drogba was believed to have signed an even more lucrative deal. Anelka, who is a 1998 World Cup winner, is currently in Italy as he seeks to negotiate a move to join reigning champions Juventus, which the club says will be for an initial five-month period with a view to a longer deal. "Nicolas Anelka continued his medical ahead of a proposed transfer to Juventus," the club said on its official website on Monday. "The French forward underwent a series of tests yesterday at Turin's Istituto di Medicina dello Sport and continued with further assessments this morning at the city's Clinica Fornaca di Sessant." Now 33, Anelka briefly worked as a player-coach at Shenhua following the dismissal of coach Jean Tigana but is now looking to play in Serie A for the first time in his career. The departure of two marquee signings will represent a major blow for the standing of Chinese football, which has sought to improve its image after a number of match-fixing scandals in recent years. Founded in 1994, China's first professional football league boomed in its early years until fans fell away after a match-fixing and gambling scandal. Despite attempts to clean up the sport, one of the country's leading referees -- Lu Jun, who officiated at the 2002 World Cup -- was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail in 2012 for his role in fixing matches. During their time with Shenhua, Drogba and Anelka could only help the team finish ninth in the 16-team Chinese Super League. Recently training with his first senior team, Paris Saint-Germain in France, Anelka will boost the offensive options of the Serie A leaders, with Spaniard Fernando Llorente due to join in the summer from Atletico Bilbao. In a separate development on Monday, the Turin club was handed a series of bans and fines following the aggressive behaviour shown to referee Marco Giuda after he refused to award a late penalty in Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Genoa. Coach Antonio Conte was handed a two-game touchline ban and a $13,500 fine by Serie A officials, while defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini were handed two and one-game bans respectively. Club president Giuseppe Marotta was suspended from carrying out of any his functions until 18 February for challenging the officials in an "intimidating and insulting manner in their dressing room". "Juventus are fined 50,000 euros ($67,250) for failing to control fans who spat in the faces and on the clothes of officials as they left the pitch," added the statement by Serie A's disciplinary body. | Turkish champions Galatasaray announce deal to sign Drogba from Shanghai Shenhua .
The Chinese club look set to lose Nicolas Anelka as well as he undergoes a medical at Juventus .
Italian side fined by Serie A officials on Monday for "aggressive behavior" shown towards referee Marco Giuda . |
0e0b866000039c418c1ea49eed702e24745c842b | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 06:08 EST, 10 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:36 EST, 10 October 2013 . A transgender conman who pocketed £130,000 by tricking more than 100 people into buying shares in a fake company has been jailed for five years. Frances Harris, 74, of Brighton, East Sussex, who was previously known as Frederick, persuaded investors to plough their savings into an investment opportunity backed by multi-millionaires. She used the names of rich businessmen to lure in people, who were then sold shares in a bogus company called The Golden Age Project - which she claimed was based in Spain, but did not exist. Jailed: Frances Harris, who was born a man (left) but lives as a woman (right), was sentenced to five years after being found guilty of fraud, money laundering and fraudulently claiming £27,000 in benefits, police said . By the time investors realised they . had been deceived, the company had closed down. Harris was the leader in . the con, supported by a couple who helped launder the money . through accounts. Graham Lewis, Rosemary Nye and Harris set up Rest . Assured Property Services in 2010 and sold timeshare apartments by . phone. Victims paid a fee they were told was needed before a sale could . be completed. Around 100 people lost their life . savings. Harris was also convicted of using his dead sister Pamela’s . passport to illegally claim £27,000 in benefits - despite her dying . around 50 years ago. Harris, who has breast implants, . gained £130,000 from the scam but his accomplices - husband and wife . team Rosemary Nye and Graham Lewis - raked in more than £700,000 between . them. Lewis, from Haywards Heath, was jailed . for four and a half years for four offences of fraud by false . representation and eight offences of money laundering. Nye, also from Haywards Heath, was . sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years for one . offence of fraud by false representation and five offences of money . laundering. Huge scam: Frances Harris (left, pictured in her police mugshot) and her co-defendants, Graham Lewis (right), 50, and Rosemary Nye, 52, both of Haywards Heath, contacted victims by telephone between 2009 and 2010 . People across the . country reported losing a total of at least £500,000 which has never . been recovered, a police spokesman said. Sentencing: Frances Harris, who has breast implants, gained £130,000 from the scam . Defending Harris, Nicholas Fooks, said . his client could not complete the full physical change to become a . woman because they had cancer. He said: ‘He cannot complete the . physical change from a man into a woman… The prison is trying its best . to protect him but it’s impossible to protect him 24 hours a day.’ The court heard that mother-of-two Nye . and Lewis used the profits to go on a honeymoon to Dubai, as well as . buy lavish gifts and fund their child’s driving lessons. Defending Nye, Andrew Jefferies QC, . said she only took part in the dishonesty because of her links to Lewis, . who she is now separated from. ‘She believed his background was in . business,’ she said. ‘It was all plausible. She paints a pathetic . figure.’ Jai Patel, defending Lewis, admitted he was the key person . behind the cruel scam. Harris was jailed for five years at . Lewes Crown Court yesterday. Lewis was jailed for four-and-a-half years, . and Nye was handed a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to carry . out unpaid work. Sentencing the trio, Judge Shani . Barnes said they had a ‘disregard’ for who they deceived. She added: . ‘Frances Harris, you were the head of this. It was executed like . professionals. It was a sophisticated and long-term fraud.’ Detective Constable Julie Beckwith, of . the Sussex Police Major Fraud Unit, said the offences came to light in . 2010 when people across the UK started contacting police to say they had . been defrauded. 'It was executed like professionals. It was a sophisticated and long-term fraud' Judge Shani Barnes . Officers soon realised that Sussex was . the centre for the operation. She said: ‘The defendants were operating from their addresses and at one point during the 2010/11 operation they were also using a rented office space in Crawley, essentially for receipt of mail. ‘We do admire the five victims, one of . whom was from Sussex, who were called by the prosecution and gave . compelling evidence at the trial which helped show the jury the evil way . in which they were defrauded. ‘This case is a salutary reminder to . everyone, especially the more elderly in our communities, not to be . taken in by cold callers on the phone. Do not ever agree to anything . there and then. Check it out, using legal advice, family and friends to . help. | Frances Harris persuaded investors to plough savings into investment .
Sold shares in a bogus company which he claimed was based in Spain .
By the time investors realised they had been deceived, firm had closed .
She was born a man but now lives as a woman and has breast implants . |
0e0bf8dd47884ac3b4db2f0b7cf9cc4173704b34 | (EW.com) -- The 2012-13 TV season is already a month old and, as expected, returning favorites have remained just that — favorites. Naturally, this year's best comedy winner at the Emmys remains in the Top 5 (way to go, Cam!), while Shonda Rhimes' trusty medical drama is still fighting the good fight for ABC. But how are all those new shows faring opposite the veterans through the first four weeks? Here's the top (and low) rated dramas through Oct. 21 and what they are averaging in the uber-important adults 18-49 demographic. (New shows are bolded and cancelled ones are crossed out). Remember, each ratings point equals 1.3 million viewers. 1. Sunday Night Football (NBC) 7.7 rating/19 share . 2. Modern Family (ABC) 5.8/15 . 3. The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 5.7/18 . 4. Sunday Night Pre-Kick (NBC) 5.6/15 . 5. The Voice (NBC) 5.1/13 . 6. Grey's Anatomy (NBC) 5.0/13 . 7. NCIS (CBS) 4.5/13 . 7. The Family Guy (FOX) 4.5/11 . 9. The Voice Tuesday (NBC) 4.5/13 . 10. The OT (Fox) 4.4/13 . 11. Revolution (NBC) 4.3/11 . 11. Football Night in America (NBC) 4.3/12 . 13. Two and a Half Men (CBS) 4.1/12 . 13. Once Upon a Time (ABC) 4.1/10 . 15. 2 Broke Girls (CBS) 4.0/10 . 15. Glee (FOX) 4.0/11 . 15. The Simpsons (FOX) 4.0/10 . 18. The X Factor Wednesday (FOX) 3.9/11 . 19. How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 3.8/11 . 20. NCIS:Los Angeles (CBS) 3.7/10 . 20. New Girl (FOX) 3.7/10 . 22. X Factor Thursday 3.3/10 . 22. Person of Interest (CBS) 3.6/10 . 24. Criminal Minds (CBS) 3.5/9 . 24. Elementary (CBS) 3.5/10 . 26. Revenge (ABC) 3.4/8 . 26. Mike & Molly (CBS) 3.4/8 . 28. Survivor: Philippines (CBS) 3.3/10 . 29. American Dad (FOX) 3.1/7 . 30. The Middle (ABC) 3.0/9 . 31. Go On (NBC) 2.9/8 . 31. The Office (NBC) 2.9/8 . 33. Amazing Race 21 (CBS) 2.8/7 . 33. CSI (CBS) 2.8/8 . 33. Bones (FOX) 2.8/8 . 33. 60 Minutes (CBS) 2.8/7 . 33. Suburgatory (ABC) 2.8/7 . 38. Bob's Burgers (FOX) 2.7/7 . 38. Vegas (CBS) 2.7/8 . 40. Mindy Project (FOX) 2.6/7 . 41. Castle (ABC) 2.5/7 . 46. Scandal (ABC) 2.5/7 . 41. The New Normal (NBC) 2.5/7 . 41. Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) 2.5/6 . 45. Cleveland (FOX) 2.4/7 . 45. Private Practice (ABC) 2.4/7 . 45. Parenthood (NBC) 2.2/6 . 45. Nashville (ABC) 2.4/7 . 45. Dancing with the Stars (ABC) 2.4/6 . 50. The Last Resort (ABC) 2.3/7 . 50. The Mentalist (CBS) 2.3/6 . 50. Law & Order: SVU (NBC) 2.3/6 . 50. 666 Park Avenue (ABC) 2.3/6 . 56. Dancing with the Stars results 2.4/6 . 56. Grimm (NBC) 2.2/7 . 58. The Good Wife (CBS) 2.1/5 . 58. The Neighbors (ABC) 2.1/6 . 60. Shark Tank (ABC) 2.0/7 . 61. Raising Hope (FOX) 1.9/6 . 61. Football Night in America Pt. 2 (NBC) 1.9/5 . 63. Ben & Kate (FOX) 1.8/5 . 64. Chicago Fire (NBC) 1.7/5 . 64. Guys with Kids (NBC) 1.7/5 . 64. Up All Night (NBC) 1.7/5 . 67. Blue Bloods (CBS) 1.6/5 . 68. Saturday Night Football (ABC) 1.5/5 . 68. 30 Rock (NBC) 1.5/5 . 68. CSI: NY (NBC) 1.5/5 . 68. Fringe (FOX) 1.5/5 . 73. Animal Practice (NBC) 1.4/5 . 73. America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC) 1.4/4 . 73. 20/20 Friday (ABC) 1.4/4 . 73. Dateline Friday (NBC) 1.4/4 . 77. Mob Doctor (FOX) 1.3/3 . 77. Arrow (CW) 1.3/4 . 79. Notre Dame Football (NBC) 1.1/4 . 79. Made in Jersey (CBS) 1.1/4 . 79. Fox College Football 1.1/4 . 79. Vampire Diaries (CW) 1.1/3 . 83. 48 Hours (CBS) 1.0/3 . 84. Beauty and the Beast (CW) .9/2 . 84. Rock Center with Brian Williams (NBC) .9/3 . 84. Supernatural (CW) .9/2 . 84. SVU Saturday (NBC) .9/3 . 88. Saturday Night Football Pregame (ABC) .8/3 . 89. Chicago Fire Saturday (NBC) .7/2 . 89. Grimm encore (NBC) .7/2 . 91. America's Top Model (CW) .6/2 . 91. Crimetime Saturday (CBS) .6/2 . 91. Hart of Dixie (CW) .6/2 . 95. Revolution Saturday (NBC) .5/2 . 95. Emily Owens MD (CW) .5/1 . 95 90210 (CW) .5/1 . 98 Gossip Girl Monday (CW) .4/1 . 98. Oh Sit! (CW) .4/1 . 100. Nikita (CW) .3/1 . 100. LA Complex (CW) .3/1 . See the original story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Some of the favorite TV shows so far are returning ones .
"Sunday Night Football" is the top rated show .
None of the new shows cracked the top 10 . |
0e0c32874d3d48a4276ac4430d238006c6424288 | (CNN)Looks like tens of thousands of music lovers should be "in the mood for a melody." Billy Joel, the Piano Man himself, will be headlining this year's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, the gigantic gathering in Manchester, Tennessee. British folk rockers Mumford & Sons, electronic superstar Deadmau5, rapper Kendrick Lamar and British indie rockers Florence + the Machine help round out the headline acts. Other notable performers include My Morning Jacket, Slayer and Earth, Wind & Fire, as well as Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant with his new band, the Sensational Space Shifters. The full lineup is now listed on the festival's website after being released last night in a distinctly 2015 way. Fans called into a toll-free number to receive a name of one of the bands to share on social media using the #bonnaroo hashtag. The four-day festival, now in its 14th year, runs from June 11-14 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, about 60 miles southeast of Nashville. Tickets go on sale Saturday. | Billy Joel will headline this year's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival .
The festival will run from June 11 to 14 in Manchester, Tennessee . |
0e0c58a088898008f0ad23486b5e99a419027504 | The Tories will not pledge to keep the defence budget at the Nato target of 2 per cent of national income after the election. David Cameron and George Osborne are expected to fend off pressure from right-wing Conservatives and military top brass to avoid cuts. Insiders say the party’s election manifesto will instead pledge only to maintain the armed forces’ headcount and spending on equipment. At least they've still GOT boots: A European Leadership Network report published today warns the UK's defence budget is likely to fall to 1.88 per cent of GDP – its lowest level in 25 years . A report published today will warn that the defence budget is likely to fall to 1.88 per cent of GDP – its lowest level in 25 years – and below the Nato target. It will suggest that friendly nations should ‘share the burden’ of defence when a threatening Russia is increasing its military budget by 33 per cent. MPs have said the twin threats from Vladimir Putin and Islamic State make for the ‘most dangerous’ period in 20 years. The report from the European Leadership Network, a London-based think-tank, says defence spending will fall from £36.4billion last year to around £35.5billion in 2015/16. The percentage of national income spent on the military would drop from 2.07 per cent to 1.88 per cent. The report offers a preliminary analysis of defence spending in 14 Nato member states and found only Estonia will hit the 2 per cent target in 2015. Six will increase their military expenditure but they still will not meet the mark. Another six countries are expected to cut defence spending in 2015, including the UK, Germany, Canada, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria. The report warns that ‘burden-sharing is becoming a necessity, not a choice’, as none of the Nato countries – with the exception of the US – have the ‘funding or the domestic support to fully modernise their militaries’. They also cannot ‘comprehensively develop their individual defence capacity’. It concludes: ‘More defence cooperation among allies is the only realistic way forward.’ Britain, for example, has been forced to rely on other Nato countries to search for suspected Russian submarines off the Scottish coast after the Government scrapped sea patrol planes. The report said: ‘One would have to assume that the UK will not follow through on some important equipment purchases at all, or will significantly scale back on the number of some aircraft and naval platforms currently slated for purchase.’ This could include the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, the biggest and most powerful Royal Navy surface warships, and fighter planes. Ian Kearns, co-author of the report, said: ‘This preliminary analysis of 2015 defence spending decisions in Nato shows the credibility of any European pillar of the alliance is being further undermined. Despite the rhetoric about events in Ukraine being a game-changer for European security, the reality looks more like business as usual.’ Sir Gerald Howarth, a former defence minister, said it would be ‘utter folly’ if the 2 per cent target was not maintained. ‘With all that is going on in the world, not least in Russia, it has got to be a really serious election commitment,’ he said. ‘Surely the last century has taught us the lessons of not being prepared. ‘President Putin understands strength, not weakness and at the moment we risk being seen as weak.’ He called for less money to be spent on overseas aid: ‘By not committing to 2 per cent it will reinforce the fact we are diminished and we are diminishing ourselves further. We can transfer the extra money we are spending on overseas aid on defence.’ 'Putin understands strength': Russian President Vladimir Putin at a memorial service in Moscow. Amid increasing tensions with the West, Russia is increasing its military budget by 33 per cent . Rory Stewart, chairman of the Commons defence committee, said: ‘If we drop below the 2 per cent Nato target, Putin will interpret it as a sign of weakness – Russian actions in the Ukraine show that Putin is exploiting what he perceives as lack of conviction. ‘It should be a manifesto commitment from all the parties. We need to have a very honest conversation with the public. The world is more dangerous than any time in the past 20 years.’ Asked if Britain was ready for a war with Russia, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: ‘Nato is getting ready – that is the point of the commitment to the high readiness task force and the defence expenditure. ‘Getting other countries up to 2 per cent is equally important.’ | Report today warns defence budget is likely to fall to 1.88 per cent of GDP .
It finds only Estonia will hit Nato's 2 per cent defence budget target in 2015 .
Britain was forced to rely on allies in hunt for Russian subs off Scots coast . |
0e0c9d6f540659d8c0a1d0004d6b565549def2af | There was widespread outrage among UEFA delegates at their meeting ahead of the FIFA Congress when the £16million outlay on Sepp Blatter’s vanity project film was discussed. The European representatives were aghast that Blatter should commit so much money — more than the annual turnover of most of UEFA’s national associations — to the FIFA history film United Passions, which was launched at the Cannes Film Festival last month. When Sports Agenda first revealed the sum Blatter had agreed to put into the project — against staff advice — Zurich claimed the true figure was far lower. Under fire: FIFA president Sepp blatter has been criticised by UEFA delegates . But financial director Markus Kattner, who rubber stamped the decision without the knowledge of a number of FIFA executive committee members, confirmed it was £16m this week. Kattner added that it was agreed at the 2009 Congress and included in FIFA’s 2010 financial report as a World Cup budget entry. But it is understandable that representatives from FIFA’s main decision-making committee knew nothing about this increasingly murky affair when their independent audit overseer Domenico Scala acknowledged it was a ‘single line entry’ without a purpose being specified. Spilling the beans: FIFA's finance administrator has confirmed the £16m sum used to make the film . FIFA will have to spend upwards of £1million on sending blood and urine samples from World Cup drugs tests to Switzerland after Rio’s poorly-equipped laboratory had its accreditation removed. World Anti-Doping Agency president Sir Craig Reedie will hold talks in Rio on Saturday to make sure preparations for a new lab for the 2016 Olympics are on course. Brazil Games chief Carlos Nuzman has invited Reedie to dinner, making sure it did not clash with the England game. Craig pointed out it would not be a problem as he is Scottish. Sepp Blatter has easily seen off all challengers to his FIFA presidency but UEFA chief Michel Platini is playing a canny game. Platini, whose FIFA election contention has shifted from definitely not to maybe, is wisely keeping options open to see how far Blatter’s reputation is tarnished from the Qatar scandal and the fall-out from Brazil’s shambolic World Cup preparation. Keeping his options open: Michel Platini with Blatter on Wednesday . Meanwhile, the criticism by David Gill, who rarely speaks in public, of Blatter’s ridiculous claims of racism against the British press is seen as a clear sign of him emerging as a candidate to be the next UEFA president. Both the BBC and ITV will have backdrops of Copacabana Beach and Sugarloaf Mountain from their purpose-built Rio broadcasting positions. The BBC facilities are bigger and no wonder, as they have sent 272 personnel to Brazil compared to ITV’s 123. Meanwhile, Sky Sports administrator Brendan Henry is considering bringing home two of Sky Sports News’s four crews in Brazil after FIFA barred non rights holders from pre-match access to World Cup stadiums. Delayed: England's journey from their hotel to the training base is becoming a nightmare . England’s journey from their hotel to their training base must be causing concern. First predicted to take 20 minutes, the eight-mile trip initially took 39 minutes, then 45 and on Wednesday lasted 55 minutes, with the extra delays blamed on protests on the Copacabana. There have been no signs of the priority lanes promised to the FA, while there is no chance of a rebellious Rio public observing the Olympic lanes that must be installed for the 2016 Games. A 2016 spokesman said lane details were under discussion. Things are no better in Sao Paulo, where FIFA executive committee members endured four-hour journeys from the airport and saw delegates bussed in at 7am yesterday to avoid the traffic chaos. Perhaps they may now be looking forward to the World Cup in Qatar, where all stadiums are in a 75-mile radius. Charm offensive: James Milner and team-mate Phil Jagielka have met fans . It may all go pear-shaped in Manaus on Friday, but the FA charm offensive has continued through the week in Miami and up to the eve of the team travelling to the Amazon city, with England players Phil Jagielka and James Milner staging a meet and greet with fans at a hotel near the team’s Royal Tulip base. | FIFA president sanctions massive outlay on vanity film project .
Drugs-testing at World Cup to cost authorities another £1m after Rio lab has its accreditation removed .
England's commute to training becoming a cause for concern . |
0e0d64fbb3556ff6777e7b3c379c54b4eca26a51 | Australian air strikes against terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq are helping check the militants' momentum, a senior defence chief says. Australian super hornets have contributed more than 180 sorties since operations against militants began in October as part of an international mission to disrupt and degrade IS. More than 100 munitions have been deployed by super hornets against 44 targets, destroying 36 and damaging a further six. Australian super hornets (pictured) have contributed more than 180 sorties since operations against militants began in October . Australian air strikes against terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq are helping check the militants' momentum . Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral David Johnston says IS is coming under immense pressure from Australian led airstrikes . During ground operations, Australian Special Forces are training local Iraqi soldiers in counter-terrorist tactics, co-ordinating air-strikes and managing dozens of improvised explosive devices. Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral David Johnston says IS is coming under immense pressure. 'The militants' momentum has been checked since the air campaign commenced,' he said in a statement on Saturday. Last month, an Australian F-18 Super Hornet military plane discovered a clandestine network of bunkers occupied by the Islamic State in northern Iraq, giving rise to an enormous airstrike and the death of over 100 militants. The plane, fitted with regular and heat-seeking night cameras, located the concealed bunkers and tunnels in a hillside at Kirkuk, before groundforces and 20 aircraft lashed the area. Last month, an Australian F-18 Super Hornet military plane discovered a clandestine network of bunkers occupied by the Islamic State . Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft refuels from during an Operation Okra mission in Iraq . Humanitarian supplies are loaded onto a Royal Australian Air Force C-130J Hercules in preparation for an airdrop. Apart from the offensive operations, Australian Defence has also provided mass amounts of aid . 'Within days a subsequent multi-national airstrike involving 20 aircraft attacked 44 targets, complimented by a large-scale ground operation that was led by the Kurdish security forces, that rapidly entered that area, cleared it of the remaining ISIL militants, and with some reporting indicating that over 100 ISIL fighters were killed in those clearance operations,' Vice-Admiral Johnston said in a statement. Apart from the offensive operations, Australian Defence has also dropped over mass amounts of food, water, tents, and blankets to Iraqi civilians. | Australian super hornets have contributed 180 sorties against insurgents .
More than 100 munitions deployed by super hornets against 44 targets .
Australian Special Forces are training local Iraqi soldiers in counter-terrorist tactics .
Australian Defence have also dropped mass amounts of food, water, tents, and blankets to Iraqi civilians . |
0e0e0f6d86365f11ce031ad7bafbfe395a0dac8e | They emerged as a novel way for the rich and famous to expand their homes, but now 'mega basements' are set to be outlawed in one of Britain's wealthiest areas. The London borough of Kensington and Chelsea has become the first local authority in the country to introduce restrictions on controversial subterranean developments. Basement extensions several storeys below the ground have become increasingly popular in some of the capital's most expensive neighbourhoods as home-owners attempt to increase their living space without infringing strict planning controls. They have led to the creation of what are known as 'iceberg homes', with the extra space earmarked to accommodate private cinemas, spas and swimming pools. Scroll down for video . A private pool and adjoining leisure deck in the basement of . the houses at Wycombe Square in Kensington. However, the days of plush 'mega-basements' may be numbered in the desirable London area . Jon Hunt, founder of the estate agents Foxtons, and Hans Rausing, heir to the Tetra Pak fortune, were said to be among those to have sought permission for basement extensions in the capital in recent years. The trend has gathered pace in the last decade. The likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Nicole Kidman and Roman Abramovich have all extended underground. However, doing so comes at a premium. Last August, millionaire hedge fund boss Reade Griffith was order to pay £800,000 to create a huge two-storey underground basement below his two adjoining Kensington townhouses. He received the unprecedented levy from Kensington and Chelsea Council when he was granted planning permission for the extension, which houses a swimming pool, spa and 'treatment area'. The basements have drawn repeated complaints from neighbours about noise and dust. File picture . A view overlooking the rear of the property showing work in Kensington, London. File picture . In 2001 there were just 46 planning applications for basement developments in Kensington and Chelsea, rising to 450 last year. The council said they have also increased in size, with two and three-storey basements 'not uncommon'. They have drawn repeated complaints from neighbouring residents about noise and dust. Now after a two-year process, Kensington and Chelsea council has announced that a Government planning inspector has given the green light to its proposals to curb the scale of subterranean development. Actress Joan Collins hit out at her neighbours' basements in upmarket Belgravia - many of whom she said hardly even use their homes . Basement extensions will still be permitted but the new rules will restrict how far they can stretch under a garden, limit them to a single storey in most cases and ban developments under listed buildings altogether. Council cabinet member for planning policy Tim Coleridge said:'Basements have been the single greatest planning concern our residents have expressed to us in living memory. 'Many have experienced years of misery from noise, vibration, dust and construction traffic. 'Two years ago we started drafting a policy to try and strike the right balance between addressing our residents' concerns and the genuine need for people to expand their homes. 'It hasn't been easy and basement developers have aggressively opposed us every step of the way. We are delighted that the inspector agrees that we have got it right while at the same time praising us for our extensive public consultation. 'This ruling is a victory not only for the council but also our residents who have been overwhelmingly supportive of what we have been trying to do.' The new guidelines are set to be formally adopted at the next full council meeting in January. Actress Joan Collins expressed the outrage of many earlier this year, hitting out at her new neighbours in upmarket Belgravia - many of whom she said hardly even use their homes. The Dynasty actress, 80, told a residents' magazine: 'It's really sad. I find it shocking that people are digging down to put in swimming pools and bowling alleys when they only live here for two or three months of the year.' Queen guitarist Brian May also took umbrage at building work near his Kensington home. Writing online last month he said: 'Kensington used to be a nice quiet decent place to live... now it's becoming a hellhole'. Well-heeled residents have started to hit back - in June of last year Pamela, Countess Listowel, joined 57 other resident in Camden in lodging an official objection to basement plans on her Victorian street. | Kensington and Chelsea has introduced restrictions on developments .
Controversial basements often contain cinemas, pools and even ball rooms .
They have soared in popularity for rich residents with limited space . |
0e0e6bde6266608419cad749698285c72cce9688 | US Secretary of State John Kerry has been fined for failing to shovel snow outside his home after a major winter storm hit America's north east. City officials hit the one-time candidate for president with a $50 penalty for not clearing the sidewalk outside his mansion in Louisburg Square, Boston. The fine was handed to the globe-trotting 71-year-old after a blizzard dumped two feet of snow on his city this week. US Secretary of State John Kerry has been fined for failing to shovel snow outside his home after a major winter storm hit America's north east . City officials hit the one-time candidate for president with a $50 penalty for not clearing the sidewalk outside his mansion in Louisburg Square, Boston (pictured) Boston Mayor Martin Walsh had vowed to crack down on anyone who left the sidewalks in front of their homes and businesses buried in snow. Officials tagged Kerry with a $50 fine at 9:45am on Thursday for failing to clear up on the Pinckney Street side of his home, it has been reported. Kerry was in Saudi Arabia earlier this week attending the funeral of King Abdullah with President Obama. It was one of 210 snow-removal citations issued on Thursday, the Boston Herald reported. The newspaper said another resident reported the un-shovelled snow to the Inspectional Services Department and that the official who dealt with the case 'did not know' that it was Kerry's mansion. Kerry's spokesman Glen Johnson told the Boston Globe that Kerry will promptly pay the fine. He said shovelers finished clearing the sidewalk late Thursday morning. Clean-up: In Massachusetts a man uses a snow blower in a bid to clear the roads in the aftermath of Juno . Worrying outlook: A forecast shows snow engulfing large swathes of New England towards New York and Northern Michigan on Friday . The Herald carries a statement from Kerry's office which read: 'Diplomats — they’re just like us. Secretary Kerry was working overseas while the blizzard packed a wallop back home, and unfortunately his snow removal company misconstrued yellow hazard tape along the sidewalk — put up to warn of falling snow and ice overhead — as police tape and thought that part of the sidewalk was off limits. 'Once they understood they were allowed to enter the area the contractors finished the sidewalk late (this) morning. The snow has all been shoveled now, the Secretary will gladly pay the ticket, and let’s hope this is the last blizzard of the year.' But forecasters have warned that New England is expected to be hit with storm-force winds and up to 18 inches of snow today. A heavy storm warning has been issued for Maine and parts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts north of Boston from this morning through to Saturday night. Residents have been told to travel only in emergencies. The National Weather Service said drifting snow driven by strong winds could make travel life-threatening. Efforts to clear the 3 feet of snow that fell earlier this week have been put on hold. | Officials fine John Kerry for failing to clear snow from outside his mansion .
US Secretary of State hit with $50 penalty despite being out of the country .
71-year-old was in Saudi Arabia when huge snowstorm hit the north east .
Spokesman says he will promptly pay the fine and snow is being cleared . |
0e0ee624c9f156cc5309428e8eca62661cf129f6 | (CNN) -- The midterm elections are a week away. Control of the Senate will be decided by a handful of close contests that remain competitive in the final days. In an era of narrow majorities in the upper chamber, just one or two races can make all the difference in terms of who will be in control. Most experts are predicting that Republicans will gain the Senate, though there are a few outliers, like my colleague at Princeton University, Sam Wang, whose statistical models have been showing that Democrats can still be victorious. In the coming days, here are six campaigns to watch. In each of these states Republicans are holding their ground by connecting their opponent to President Obama while Democrats strike back by reminding voters of extremism in the GOP. Four of the states have incumbent Democratic senators who are waging close races for re-election. In the other two, the retirements of senators, one a Democrat and one a Republican, have created an opportunity the two parties are contesting. North Carolina: This is a Senate race that has been extremely expensive, with the national parties pouring money into advertising based on the view that this one can go either way, and it's close. Incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan is a Democrat who voted for President Obama's health care program and who has faced a tough challenge from Thom Tillis, a businessman who pushed back the tea party candidate in the Republican primary. Hagan, who had been expected to keep this seat, has made some mistakes along the way, such as skipping a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting to raise campaign funds, something that was a no-no in her home state, where the military is a cherished institution. Superstars from each party have made appearances for the campaign—Hillary Clinton for Hagan and Rand Paul for Tillis—trying to boost their competitive edge. Outside groups and the National Senatorial Republican Committee are pouring money into Tillis' campaign, smelling the potential for a real upset. President Obama's drive to increase African-American turnout is key for the Democratic strategy. Republicans are continuing to hammer away at Hagan by criticizing her party for how the White House has handled the Ebola epidemic and ISIS. Politics: How the 'war on women' is changing . Colorado: This is a state that makes Democrats very nervous. A recent poll by a Democratic company reported that this race is a deadlock, a disappointment to Democrats who thought they were safely in the lead. Their hope was that Sen. Mark Udall would be able to capitalize on the demographic trends—such as the expanding population of Latino-Americans—that have been building a solid base for the party, allowing President Obama to win in both the 2008 and 2012 elections. But recent polls have shown that Rep. Cory Gardner is doing much better than expected, including with female voters. This in itself has caused Democrats great concern, because Udall has made his opponent's position on women's issues the major focus of his campaign. "Congressman Cory Gardner's history of promoting harsh anti-abortion laws," explained the narrator in one of his ads, "is disturbing." Alaska: Freshmen Democrat Mark Begich is scrambling to keep his seat. From the start, this has been one that was always going to be tough for Democrats to retain. Begich barely won in 2008 in this Republican state, and he has suffered repeatedly from being connected to President Obama's unpopular presidency. Begich was also accused of allowing a misleading advertisement that suggested Attorney General Dan Sullivan had responsibility for a mistake that allowed a sex offender to go free and commit another sex assault and killings. Right now, Sullivan is enjoying a growing lead. Arkansas: Even with the Clinton machine rallying to his side, Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor has been struggling against GOP Rep. Tom Cotton, a veteran and Harvard graduate who has been hammering away at Pryor for his ties to President Obama, a common theme on the campaign trail. A recent article in The New York Times showed how Democrats face a number of big demographic challenges in what was once a solid Democratic state, like the massive growth of population in the conservative exurbs. One new poll shows that Cotton is ahead by 49% to 41%. Pryor has also made a number of embarrassing mistakes, including being unable to come up with an answer to a question asked of him during a campaign rally about how the White House was handling Ebola. In this state, voter turnout will be absolutely key. Democrats are counting on high levels of spending on ground operations and a surge of African-American voters to bring them to victory. Georgia: Despite a series of setbacks, such as the leak of a revealing campaign memo, Michelle Nunn has been putting on a strong campaign against businessman David Perdue to capture the seat held by retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss, a Republican. Democrats are going to need Georgia if they are going to keep control of the Senate. While this election might result in a runoff in January, Nunn has been doing a good job overcoming the negative sentiment associated with President Obama by hitting hard against her opponent's record in the private sector, using some of the same kinds of attacks that were used against Mitt Romney on issues like outsourcing. Perdue has struck back by saying that the Democrat doesn't really understand "what it takes to create jobs and create economic value," which he says he does through his work with the retailer Dollar General. Of course, Nunn's beloved family name also helps. Iowa: The right-wing state senator Joni Ernst has rattled the electorate with a controversial campaign that many thought would never work. While the GOP expunged tea party candidates in most of the primaries, Ernst was one of the exceptions. Bidding to take the seat held by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat, Ernst turned heads with an ad boasting of her experience castrating hogs, saying she would do the same in Washington to cut government spending. "Mother. Soldier, Independent leader," reads the sign on her campaign bus. Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley—who has received the support of Democrats like Michelle Obama—is having trouble stopping Ernst in the polls. Begala: Candidate's gun remarks should scare us . There are a few other races, such as in Kansas, where the outcome remains uncertain and each party is pouring in as much money and manpower as they can in the final few days to swing states their way. Election night should be interesting, as we'll see if Democrats can somehow defy the historical trend of the party of the White House doing poorly in midterms, or whether Republicans lock up control of Congress and give President Obama two more years of gridlock as he finishes his term. | The outcome of six races could determine whether the U.S. remains in Democrats' hands .
Julian Zelizer: Democrats citing GOP extremism; Republicans cite Obama's performance .
In four of the states, Democratic incumbents are seeking to win re-election .
Zelizer: Can White House reverse historical pattern of midterm losses? |
0e0f7590434192033091150e79ecfb37c7c97f5b | By . Mark Shand . During my years as a conservationist, I have witnessed many shocking sights: elephants hacked to death for their ivory; rhinos butchered for the supposed healing properties of their horns; and tigers ensnared in vicious traps so that their body parts can be harvested as a cure for impotence in parts of China and South-East Asia. I thought I’d seen just about every example of man’s inhumanity to his fellow creatures. But even I was shocked by the news that Copenhagen Zoo has shot dead a perfectly healthy young giraffe named Marius. Not only shot him, but dissected his corpse in front of an audience of zoo visitors, including many young children. In a final insult, his dismembered body was fed to its resident pride of lions. Marius the giraffe was killed at Copenhagen Zoo yesterday after he was deemed 'surplus to requirements' Keepers shot the infant with a bolt gun before dissecting his body in front of a crowd including children . This came soon after reports that Longleat, one of the Britain’s most-visited safari parks, had killed six of its lions, including a lioness and four of her cubs, apparently because of overcrowding in the enclosures. Employees were said to have wept when they heard what had happened to their beloved animals when there was no obvious reason for them to have been killed. Before the cull was reported at the weekend, no explanation had been given for the lions’ absence when Longleat reopened after a long winter break. There was a sense of wanting to keep the cull quiet. Yet Copenhagen Zoo seems almost to have revelled in the publicity. After Marius had been given a last meal of rye bread, then shot with a bolt gun, the three-hour spectacle of his rather public dissection began. Thousands more watched via the internet. The zoo’s spokesman Tobias Stenbaek Bro declared that he was ‘proud’ the children had been given an unrivalled opportunity to gain ‘huge understanding of the anatomy of a giraffe’. Meanwhile, the zoo’s scientific director, Bengt Holst, defended the execution, claiming that Marius had been ‘surplus to requirements’. The killing took place despite and offer from Yorkshire Wildlife Park to take the young male in . After the autopsy Marius was fed to the lions, with staff calling the procedure part of the 'circle of life' By this, he meant Marius had been declared too closely related genetically to the other giraffes in its breeding programme. To prevent inbreeding, it had been told by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) that if it kept him, there was a danger of inbreeding and so poor Marius had to go. This was all presented as a regrettable, but ethical necessity. The decision to turn this elegant animal into cat food was justified as part of the ‘cycle of nature’. Yes, it is true that lions eat giraffes in the wild and we shouldn’t shy away from that. But a bolt-gun to the head in a zoo is very far from nature. Marius’s dismemberment on a cold concrete floor at Copenhagen Zoo is all the more hard to bear since his death could have been entirely avoidable. The zoo had apparently ruled out castration because it requires sedation, a high-risk procedure for giraffes as they risk breaking their necks when they drop down unconscious. Neither, according to the zoo, was contraception possible for the females with whom Marius was likely to come into contact, since this can damage a female giraffe’s internal organs. Marius’s fate seemed sealed. Then, at the very last minute, an offer to save him was made by the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which has a state-of-the-art giraffe house and capacity for an extra male. This was rejected by Holst, who argued that any such space should be reserved for a ‘genetically more important’ giraffe. That Holst should reject their offer left Marius’s would-be saviours understandably ‘saddened’ and presumably mystified — as was the rest of the world. Why did the zoo go ahead with the slaughter regardless? And what were the parents of those children taken to watch the subsequent autopsy thinking? Do children really need to see a giraffe’s insides to appreciate what a miracle of natural engineering such a creature represents? The only lesson I can imagine most children taking away from such an experience is that zoo keepers are only one step away from butchers. We are so very fond of animals in this country that many of us will find ourselves asking why Marius had to die in the first place. As the cull of lions at Longleat suggests, this is a problem that faces zoos all over the world. Will Travers, president of the Born Free Foundation, describes this as the ‘dirty secret’ of many zoos and wildlife parks. Last month, Marius the giraffe was killed, chopped up and fed to lions at Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark . Indeed, at the Copenhagen Zoo there have been previous culls of bears, tigers and zebras, according to one Danish newspaper. Put simply, it is that their breeding programmes are often all too effective. As Longleat has admitted, a recent increase in pregnancies had led to a 40 per cent increase in the number of cubs. With all that youthful energy, keepers noticed ‘excessive violent behaviour’ within their enclosure. In 2011, a whistle-blower at Knowsley Safari Park on Merseyside released images of carcases of animals left to rot by bins after being shot. There is no suggestion that Longleat is similarly irresponsible, but there is no escaping the fact that, like Copenhagen and all zoos, it sometimes breeds more of a particular species than it can realistically keep. In blaming a ‘recent increase in pregnancies’, Longleat seem almost to imply that circumstances were beyond their control, but theirs is a strictly controlled population of lions, so who else but the humans in charge can be blamed for any increase in their lion population? We must also question why zoos are breeding such animals in the first place. There is no question that they are often involved in invaluable conservation work. For example, Bedfordshire’s Woburn Safari Park has been successful in preserving the rare and beautiful Pere David deer, which were virtually extinct in their native China. Breeding programmes which produce too many offspring are to blame for extra culls (Marius circled) The news of Marius' demise came just a day after it was revealed a lioness and four of her cubs were put down at Longleat (pictured are lions and cubs from the same pride) But when it comes to animals such as lions, what is the point of breeding them when there is no realistic chance they can ever be released back into the wild because they are so used to being fed by their human keepers that they would be unable to fend for themselves? The same is true of elephants. There are seven specimens of this magnificent species at Copenhagen Zoo, which boasts that its Asian elephants are kept in a grand enclosure and house designed by the renowned architect Norman Foster. They say the architecture provides ‘these magnificent animals with a stimulating environment’. I have never been to Copenhagen Zoo, but it apparently occupies a site of only 27 acres and, since elephants range huge distances — sometimes hundreds of miles — in the wild, it is clearly anything but a natural environment for them. Those who defend zoos argue that they make such animals accessible to people who might otherwise never get to see them. But is our natural human desire to gawk really sufficient reason to imprison them in habitats and conditions so far from those in which they should live out their lives? And then to cut them into pieces in front of small children? I will never forget the experience of taking my daughter to London Zoo when she was eight years old. The visit was swiftly cut short when she began crying at the sight of the animals in their cages. I can only imagine her trauma had she witnessed the recent events in Copenhagen and at Longleat. The Safari park, built in the ground of Longleat House, Wiltshire (pictured), said a 'population increase' which lead a rise in violent behaviour was behind the decision to put the animals down . These travesties of all that is natural are even more unfortunate given that London is about to host an international summit on conserving endangered species, due to start this Thursday. It is a vital opportunity to address the illegal trade in wildlife parts, which is worth an estimated £12 billion a year. The fate of Marius and the Longleat lions reminds us that we must also look to the welfare of those species supposedly being protected in zoos much closer to home. Animals are not here for our entertainment, to be made into trinkets or to be killed on a whim to ‘educate’ a group of schoolchildren. Surely we should be teaching children that animals are worth more alive than dead. Otherwise what hope is there for the future of the species that are rapidly disappearing from our planet. Mark Shand is chairman of Elephant Family, a charity that campaigns for the conservation and welfare of Asian elephants and all animals that share their habitat. | Marius the giraffe was killed at Copenhagen Zoo yesterday .
It was also revealed a lioness and her cubs were put down at Longleat .
Mark Shand says success in breeding animals can lead to culls .
Here he asks: Why are we breeding animals like lions in the first place? |
0e0fc592a73079468329a7ed5b132711ae1cc992 | Ben Stokes smiles as he contemplates a reputation as the wild child of English cricket that not even early displays of rare class have enabled him to shed. Last winter saw the extremes of a maiden Test century in the toughest of circumstances in Perth and a broken wrist suffered while punching a locker in frustration for a man who was once sent home from a Lions tour in disgrace. It is the more positive side of a gifted cricketer who should be at the forefront of the England team for the next 10 years that Alastair Cook and Peter Moores want to see as they begin their build-up to February’s World Cup. Stokes is hoping to be an integral part of the England squad for next year's World Cup . Ben Stokes celebrates scoring a century in the third Ashes Test in Perth last year (left) after a cool innings . First ODI - November 26, Colombo (9am BST) Second ODI - November 29, Colombo (4.30am) Third ODI - December 3, Hambantota (9am) Fourth ODI - December 6, Colombo (4.30am) Fifth ODI - December 10, Pallekele (9am) Sixth ODI - December 13, Pallekele (4.30am) Seventh ODI - December 16, Colombo (9am) Stokes joined England at Loughborough on Tuesday for a three-day training camp ahead of their one-day tour of Sri Lanka later this month and insisted that the self-inflicted indiscretions that have hindered his progress are a thing of the past. ‘I now know you can’t let emotion get the better of you,’ said the all-rounder who guided Durham to the Royal London Cup last summer. ‘Everybody knows I lost my temper easily when I was a kid and tended to look away from the game itself. Now I can manage that to make sure I’m getting the best out of myself.’ The locker incident, which came in Barbados as Stokes struggled to end a run of low scores, cost him his place at the World Twenty20 and at the start of a summer where he failed to nail down a regular place in all formats. But he insists it was not a symptom of a bigger problem for a 23-year-old who has invited comparisons with Andrew Flintoff as much for his off-field habits as for his exciting all-round performances on it. Stokes shows his feisty side by getting involved with Brad Haddin (right) earlier in the Ashes Test in Perth . The all-rounder kicks the ground in frustration during the second Test against India at Lord's . Batting . Tests 6 Runs 279 Highest score 120 Average 25.36 Hundreds 1 . ODIs 21 Runs 260 High score 70 Average 16.25 339 Fifties 1 Strike rate 76.69 . T20Is 7 Runs 49 High score 31 Average 12.25 Strike rate 128.94 . Bowling . Tests Wickets 22 Best bowl (inns) 6/99 Best bowl (match) 8/161 Average 32.90 5wkt inns 1 . ODIs Wickets 20 Best bowl 5/61 Average 31.40 Economy rate 5.86 . T20Is Wickets 0 Economy rate 11.50 . ‘That incident was totally from wanting to do so well,’ said Stokes. ‘It wasn’t like I had lost my mind and become a psycho. It was completely my own fault, but I never want to lose my emotion. I now know that I shouldn’t punch lockers. It’s just about dealing with failure in the right way. ‘Mind you, the opposition could be scared of me, thinking, "I don’t want to get on the wrong side of him." I could just give them the "psycho" eyes then! I don’t think angry is the right word to describe my attitude but sometimes I have been overly competitive. When I don’t do what I want it can become frustrating.’ It will be a more grown up Stokes, he insists, who is about to embark on a prolonged spell of one-day cricket he hopes can help England upset the odds at the World Cup in Australia and his native New Zealand. Not least in his attitude to the prospect of the arrival of his second child. His partner Clare is expecting their daughter on February 21, just two days before England face Scotland in Christchurch where Stokes was born and bred before his family emigrated for Cumbria when he was 12. Stokes struggled with the bat for England in summer - here he is caught by India's Suresh Raina in the third ODI . It provides a quandary that Stokes has a mature approach to. ‘If I can get back and the baby comes at a time when it doesn’t affect the cricket I will do but I don’t want to miss any big matches,’ he said. ‘We have talked about it and Clare completely understands my job and the situation. She actually said ‘if we tell our daughter you missed her birth because you were playing for your country I reckon she will think that’s quite cool’.’ That match in Stokes' old home town will see him come face to face with his county captain Paul Collingwood, who this week rejoined the Scotland coaching staff. ‘I’ve played with him for a long time and he’s a great captain and coach but it will be nice to beat them and rub it in his face,’ smiled Stokes. More mature, perhaps, but clearly still with a competitive sense of mischief. The all-rounder jumps for joy (centre) as Durham win the Royal London One Day Cup final at Lord's . Investec, the specialist bank and asset manager, is the title sponsor of Test cricket in England. Visit investec.co.uk/cricket or follow @investeccricket. | Ben Stokes has a reputation as the wild child of English cricket .
All-rounder made his name with Ashes century for England .
However, he struggled with the bat during the summer against India .
Infamously broke his wrist punching a locker in Barbados . |
0e107fad0c86ff5a2b5b095e7e6e7772b2d2ddc7 | Arsenal fear Aaron Ramsey is set to be out for at least four weeks after suffering a hamstring injury against Leicester City on Wednesday night, but remain hopeful Alexis Sanchez will recover quickly from a knee injury. Ramsey lasted only nine minutes before succumbing to a third hamstring strain of the campaign - with Mathieu Flamini taking the 24-year-old's position. Speaking of Ramsey's injury after Arsenal's 2-1 Premier League win against Leicester, Arsene Wenger said: 'I cannot say it is not a worry, It is not good news.' Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey (right) lasted just nine minutes after coming on a substitute on Tuesday . Ramsey (left) was replaced by Mathieu Flamini after pulling his hamstring for the third time this season . Arsenal fear Ramsey (centre) could be out of action for at least four weeks . Middlesbrough (February 2) Crystal Palace (February 21) Monaco (February 25) Everton (March 1) QPR (March 4) West Ham (March 14) The Gunners moved back above Tottenham and Manchester United, who host Burnley on Wednesday evening, with an edgy victory over bottom club Leicester, which saw both Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez pick up injuries. It was far from an all-conquering display Wenger's men as they aimed to recover from defeat in the north London derby, but they looked comfortable leading 2-0 at half-time before allowing a spirited comeback from the Foxes. Arsenal look to have avoided a double injury blow, however, as star man Sanchez is expected to miss no more that one game and even that would be as a precaution. The 26-year-old started the midweek clash at the Emirates, after returning from a hamstring injury, but hurt his left knee and was under-par until he was replaced on 68 minuted by striker Olivier Giroud. Arsenal face a double blow after Alexis Sanchez (pictured) and Ramsey suffered injuries vs Leicester . Sanchez (top) injured his knee following a collision with Leicester defender Matthew Upson . The incident came following a tackle by Leicester defender Matthew Upson, that left the 26-year-old nursing his knee with ice once he was substituted. After the game, Sanchez later delivered a cryptic tweet hinting that his injury may have been more than a 'knock' as Wenger claimed. 'Sometimes the love for the game and anxiety to be on a football pitch works against you,' he tweeted. The Chile international had missed the Gunners' previous two Premier League games against Aston Villa and arch-rivals Tottenham, and it is unclear at the moment if he will now be available for their FA Cup fifth round home clash against Championship leaders Middlesbrough on Sunday. Jack Wilshere looks set to return to Arsenal's matchday squad this weekend for their FA Cup fifth round match against Middlesbrough. The English midfielder has been out for three months with an ankle injury. Sanchez's (right) departure after 68 minutes won't bring Gunners fans a whole lot of joy given his prolific form . | Arsenal fear Aaron Ramsey could be out for a month with hamstring injury .
Ramsey came off during Arsenal's 2-1 win against Leicester City .
Alexis Sanchez also came off in the second half with a knee injury .
Gunners hopeful that Sanchez's injury isn't as bad as first feared .
Jack Wilshere expected to feature in matchday squad for FA Cup match against Middlesbrough . |
0e10b891ff0db21568d68790693f95ad2ab63702 | By . Snejana Farberov . Good Samaritans: Debbie and Chico Jimenez, he founders of a ministry in Daytona Beach, Florida, have been fined and threatened with jail for serving up meals to the homeless in a public park . A Florida couple who have been feeding the homeless in a Daytona Beach park for the past year were slapped with fines and barred from offering any more meals to the needy. Until last week, Debbie and Chico Jimenez, the founders of Spreading the Word Without Saying a Word Ministry, have hosted communal meals every Wednesday at Manatee Island Park. But on May 7, Daytona Beach Police descended on the site of the gatherings, giving a $300 fine each to Debbie and Chico for breaking a local law that prohibits private individuals from feeding a crowd without a permit. Law enforcement officials also warned the couple that they could face jail time if they continue serving home-cooked meals to more than 100 homeless people at the park. The husband and wife were given 10 days to either pay the fines or go to court, but Mrs Jimenez, 52, a retired auto parts store manager, says she and her husband are preparing for a legal battle. ‘The police don’t like it. But how can we turn our backs on the hungry? We can’t,’ she told NBC News. Scroll down for video . Last supper: The Jimenezes posted on YouTube a video showing their final feeding session at Manatee Island Park last Wednesday . Good works: The retired couple have been feeding more than 100 people every week at the park for the past year . Besides the Jimenezes, police officers fined four volunteers who were on hand last Wednesday to help the couple serve up hotdogs and macaroni salad to dozens of people, including children. Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said Mr and Mrs Jimenez had been warned a week earlier to stop throwing their so-called 'birthday parties' for the homeless at the park after nearby residents complained about vagrants relieving themselves on the ground and stumbling around drunk. ‘We have an ordinance that says when people want to perform acts of kindness or charity that they must coordinate with our local social service agencies,’ the police chief told the station. However, the Jimenezes contend that no one ever told them to stay away from the park. ‘We've been down there a year, and the police have been around and not one of them has ever said one word,’ Chico Jimenez said. ‘This time, the police said we are creating more homeless people by feeding them in the park, that we are enabling them by giving them one meal in a week. Does that make sense to you? It’s so crazy.’ They'd been warned: Daytona Beach police say the husband and wife had been told a week before the crackdown to stop serving up food to a crowd of people, which against the law . Clampdown: An officer who showed up at last week's feeding, labeled by the Jimenez couple as a 'birthday party,' told their volunteers that they need a permit . Mr Jimenez, 60, a retired construction manager, has been documenting their charitable work – and their struggle against local police - in videos and online posts. Last week, he shared on YouTube a clip of their final feeding session last Wednesday, which depicts police officers arriving at the park and confronting him and his volunteers. ‘You’ve got to have permits,’ an officer could be heard saying. The tale of the devoutly Christian couple barred from feeding the hungry has gone viral, drawing intense interest from national media outlets. On his Facebook page, Mr Jimenez wrote Tuesday that he and Debbie have interviews lined up with The Today Show, Fox News' Greta Van Susteren and Aljazeera America. The husband and wife team do not plan to shut down their ministry any time soon. Questionable behavior: Police have been receiving complaints from local resident about homeless people relieving themselves in the park and walking around drunk . In a status update this morning, the 60-year-old Mr Jimenez asked their supporters to let them know if there is a building available for them to resume their feeding sessions. ‘Instead of feeding every Wednesday, God is opening the door to feed every day,’ the man wrote. Besides offering home-cooked meals, the couple have been accepting donations toward clothing, hotel rooms and bicycles for their vagabond friends. Daytona Beach is one of a dozen cities across the country that have been clamping down on haphazard feedings of homeless people in public parks – a controversial practice which many believe causes more harm than good in the long run. Defiant: Debbie, 52, and Chico, 60, are prepared to go to court and they intent to continue serving home-cooked meals to those in needy in a different venue . Officials in Daytona Beach say that what the Jimenez couple do not take into account is that their ‘birthday parties’ may attract sex offenders, criminals and other undesirable elements to a public park intended for the use of families, kids and dog owners. But the husband and wife told The Daytona Beach News-Journal they believe that the city does not want them to feed the needy because it means fewer of them would seek help from government agencies, which rely on the homeless for funding. | Retirees Debbie and Chico Jimenez have been hosting weekly feeding sessions for homeless in Manatee Island Park in Daytona Beach for a year .
Police say serving food without a permit to large crowds in a public place is against the law .
The Jimenezes, who founded a Christian ministry, have been posting videos of their feedings on YouTube to promote their charitable endeavor . |
0e10c84d4d6c7ee71550005aa63a3eb833c21441 | Editor's Note: Voting is under way for the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year. The winner will be announced at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," which airs Thanksgiving night, November 25, at 8 p.m. ET. See the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010 and and cast your vote. Selena Gomez came of age in the spotlight, and now the young actress and singer advocates for children as UNICEF's youngest goodwill ambassador. Gomez, 18, has also been involved with CNN Heroes since 2008, when she served as a presenter at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute." She recently sat down with CNN Heroes producer Allie Torgan to talk about the Heroes campaign and her humanitarian work. Below are excerpts from that interview. Allie Torgan: Why did you decide to get involved with UNICEF? Selena Gomez: I started working with them for the Trick-or-Treat campaign [a fundraiser where children go door-to-door to collect money on Halloween], and I ended up falling in love with what they do. There's 24,000 children that die a day from preventable causes like malaria, not getting enough food, dirty water, and UNICEF's goal is to make that number zero. They asked me to be their ambassador, so I help them out as much as I can. Torgan: Tell me about your recent mission trip to Ghana. Gomez: UNICEF chose Ghana because of its high child mortality, so we got to see exactly what UNICEF is doing to provide healthy clean water, education, and protect these kids from preventable diseases. I got to see firsthand, and I got to help out myself. It was a really humbling experience for me. I remember a 14-year-old and his friends going to each village, telling everybody how they wanted an education. You think about how many kids hate school here and how much they just wish they didn't have to go to school. You know, I was one of those kids. I complained all the time about having to do homework and I wanted to go out and play, and these kids are begging for school. ... It was so powerful. It makes you more aware of how fortunate you are. There was this little kid playing with a bunch of plastic bags that he wrapped string around, and it was a soccer ball. That's all he needed. And you think about all the Game Boys and all the things that kids "need" to be entertained here. It was all about simplicity with them. I loved being around them. It got me excited to help more. Torgan: Do you think your work is having an impact with kids here in the U.S.? Gomez: I am very blessed to have a lot of fans, and basically my goal is to use my voice to educate them on all of these things. Kids want to help. You just need to tell them how. And you just need to encourage them. Torgan: How would you describe a hero? Gomez: A hero to me would be someone that truly believes in something. The passion and the drive of wanting to make the world a better place, or to help out and to contribute in some small way, that's a hero to me. Torgan: Back in 2008, you were a presenter at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," and you helped honor Maria Ruiz, who helps children in Juarez, Mexico. What was that experience like, and what did you think of her? Gomez: She was so amazing, and she was so sweet. She takes clothes and food across the border, and you could tell that everything that she does, she does because she wants to. But then that night was about her, and I loved that. It was a very good moment. This award show is by far my favorite. It was so cool to see these people that help out and really genuinely care about everything they do. I loved it. I cried so many times, and I met some amazing people, and the whole time I was just very grateful to just be there. I'm looking forward to going again. | Actress and singer Selena Gomez is also UNICEF's youngest goodwill ambassador .
She is also the spokeswoman for the organization's Trick-or-Treat campaign .
Gomez on visiting Ghana: 'It makes you more aware of how fortunate you are' |
0e11949583870a50345f98ff4fbb79c0f963acdf | A young woman who lost her leg to cancer had a new knee joint created using her left foot - which was then attached backwards. Jordon Moody's bone cancer meant her thigh had to be amputated - with her lower leg then moved up in the place of her thigh. The 22-year-old from Hull, East Yorkshire, now has her foot in the place of her knee, but rotated 180 degrees. This leaves her toes twisted backwards and her heel at the front - providing the most natural 'downwards' angle to how a normal knee bends. She is now waiting to be fitted with a new artificial lower limb, which will be attached to the joint created from her foot. Scroll down for video . Jordon Moody, 22, lost part of her left leg to bone cancer. She now has her left foot in the place of her knee, but rotated 180 degrees. This leaves her toes twisted backwards and her heel at the front, creating the most natural 'downwards' angle to how a normal knee bends, ready for a prosthetic to be attached . She needed the radical surgery after her bone cancer returned for the second time. She underwent the op at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham in July and is now adapting to life with her new limb . Miss Moody needed the operation after being diagnosed with bone cancer for a second time. She had been studying performing arts in New York when doctors first discovered she had the disease in her thigh. She stayed in America for the next year, undergoing chemotherapy and an operation to remove the tumour. After being given the all-clear, she returned to England to the home she shared with her parents and two sisters. But during a visit to her godmother in Germany last year, she suffered excruciating pain and was rushed to hospital. Miss Moody's bone cancer meant her thigh had to be amputated - with her lower leg then moved up in the place of her thigh. The 22-year-old from Hull, East Yorkshire, now has her foot in the place of her knee, but rotated 180 degrees. This leaves her toes twisted backwards and her heel at the front - providing the most natural 'downwards' angle to how a normal knee bends. She underwent the surgery at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham in July and is adapting to life with her new limb. She is now waiting to be fitted with a new artificial lower limb, which will be attached to the joint created from her foot. She flew back to England and was taken to St James's Hospital in Leeds for more tests where doctors confirmed the cancer had returned and she was facing the amputation of her leg. The 22-year-old said: 'The pain was worse than ever and I just couldn't move it. 'It was so scary, especially in light of the fact that the more times you get cancer, the less likely chemotherapy is going to work. 'In all honesty, you just have the fear that you are going to die. 'It's there in the back of your mind all the time.' Doctors then told her she could either have a leg completely amputated or undergo the rotationplasty. She underwent the surgery at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham in July and is now adapting to life with her new limb. She is now waiting to be fitted with a new artificial lower limb, which will be attached to the joint created from her foot. Miss Moody said: 'At first after the surgery, it was awkward-looking so it was a real shock. 'It took some getting used it but now, it seems totally normal to me. Miss Moody, pictured with her parents, Ivory and Lieca and her sister, Tanika, is now waiting to be fitted with a new artificial lower limb, which will be attached to the joint created from her foot . 'They told me they could get rid of my thigh and use the bottom part of my leg to replace the top part and my foot would become my knee. 'They would have to turn it 180 degrees because of the way the foot bends so it would bend the same way as a knee. 'It was really hard to hear. 'When they told me I had an option to keep my leg, this wasn't what I wanted to hear.' Miss Moody said: 'It seemed like I would have a better quality of life as I could have a prosthesis fitted. 'I have been on crutches since I had the first operation so it's been a couple of years now. It is hoped Miss Moody will be walking unaided again before Christmas . 'That's my main way of getting around and I use a wheelchair. 'Hopefully, before Christmas, I will be walking unaided again.' She added: 'I've always been independent and I hate to feel dependent when I'm in a wheelchair or having to use the walking aids. 'There's not so much going out now but I will be able to walk unaided if I get a prosthesis so that's my aim now. That's my goal.' Mr Lee Jeys, an orthopedic oncology surgeon at the Royal Orthopedic Hospital, Birmingham, carried out Miss Moody's procedure. He said: 'Jordon had already had treatment in America for a thigh tumour and unfortunately we needed to remove the whole of her thigh bone. 'Instead of leaving her without a leg, we connected her shin bone to the remaining thigh bone, creating a knee joint from her foot. 'The idea of the operation is where we turn the foot around and move it up, so Jordon could have a below the knee prosthesis. 'Otherwise she would have had to have an amputation and would have been left with no leg at all. 'It is very technical surgery and I perform it about three a year- usually on young patients. 'The aim of the surgery is so the patients can walk, and in clothes will look completely normal. 'Of course, out of clothes it looks a little unusual but we do it to offer patients the best functionality they can. Most patients will eventually be able to walk unaided.' Miss Moody is supporting Stand Up To Cancer, the joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, to find out more visit the website here. | Jordon Moody's bone cancer meant her thigh had to be amputated .
The 22-year-old's lower leg was then moved up in the place of her thigh .
Now has a new knee joint made using the foot from her left leg .
This has been rotated to 180 degrees, leaving her heel at the front .
This provides a natural angle most similar to how a normal knee bends .
Jordon is supporting the Stand Up To Cancer fundraising campaign . |
0e11ac4ce66dec0462b1fb7ed12364a30d702bf2 | By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 08:23 EST, 20 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:39 EST, 20 November 2013 . Overgrown with weeds and coated in cobwebs and dust, this tumbledown house and garage packed with rusty cars became a rotting monument to a by-gone age when it was abandoned by the owner. Packed with rusty gadgets and gizmos, the remote property, dubbed the 'Hoarder's House', has remained largely untouched since its owner left around two decades ago. Since then the former home, on the outskirts of Droitwich, Worcestershire, has been left to crumble, visited only by the odd vandal or thief, and adventurous urban photographers eager to catch a glimpse of the house where time stood still. Abandoned: Overgrown with weeds and coated in cobwebs and dust, this tumbledown house has become a rotting monument to a by-gone age . Left to rot: A cream Citroen DS, with its shattered windscreen and crumpled bonnet - is a sad shadow of its former self . Lone wolf: This magazine featuring Wolf from 1990s TV show Gladiators has survived in surprisingly good condition . According to neighbours, owner David Godfrey Howells moved out of . the property several years after the death of wife Ida in 1990. Since . he left the main house, filled with a number of obsolete appliances and dated mementoes from a bygone era, it has slowly turned to ruin, while his collection of cars has rusted away or been subjected to vandalism. Despite . apparent efforts to deter trespassers - including signs warning of '24 . hour CCTV' and a boarded front gate - most of the once-desirable . cars have been smashed beyond repair. Keep out: Despite apparent efforts to deter trespassers most of the once-desirable cars have been smashed beyond repair . Back to nature: An eerie carpet of green moss and mould now covers this once impressive motor . Stuck record: An old record player has been left propped against this dilapidated car . Relics: An early model of a digital phone, and a crumpled board game based around Stanford University in California have been left to rot . The garage resembles something of a car graveyard, where classic models, including once pricey sports cars, have turned into battered shells over the years. A cream Citroen DS, with its shattered windscreen and crumpled bonnet - is a sad shadow of its former self, while others have had their number plates, badges and even petrol caps removed and taken as trophies by thieves. A once bright red Jaguar, an orange DAF 55 and the sad remains of a Triumph 2000 stand silently, as other vehicles have become covered in a green carpet of moss and mould. Reading matter: Old books have been scattered across the farmhouse, including the remains of an autobiography written by Falklands veteran Simon Weston . Scrap heap: The garage resembles something of a car graveyard, where classic models, including once pricey sports cars, have turned into battered shells over the years . Kitchen nightmare: The house's kitchen is covered with rust and filled with old bottles, while what looks like old bedding has been dumped outside the property . The main house and its outbuildings also contain a range of fascinating relics from the past - although the buildings themselves are barely standing. One photo shows a 1993 News of the World TV supplement featuring Gladiator 'Wolf' from the prime time Saturday night TV show on its covers - remarkably well-preserved despite years exposed to the elements. Other mementoes dot the site, such as old tape and record players, an early digital phone and even an antiquated electric lawn mower. Blank tape: This vintage reel-to-reel player was once at the forefront of technology . Lost soul: This pair of battered old shoes were left behind by the house's former owner around 20 years ago . Neighbours are not sure exactly why . Mr Howells left the property, which was believed to have once been a . milk farm, to fall into ruin. However, . they said the farm was regularly visited by local youths - who they . believe are responsible for the majority of damage to the property. 'I think he moved on after Ida died so maybe he wanted to make a fresh start with the new woman? 'I'm surprised he just left all those things behind - especially the cars. 'Maybe the memories they held were too strong for him. Plaything: This discarded toy Army vehicle was found littered alongside the crumbling . Tyred out: A lonely car tyre is slowly being taken over by vegetation . Hard work: It would take even the keenest gardener to clear up the overgrown grass surrounding the house with just this abandoned lawnmower . One neighbour said: 'From what I heard . he upped and left quite quickly - I don't think they went that far but . the house has been empty for years. 'It's a shame really because all these things could have gone to museums or been lovingly cared for by collectors. 'As it is, they've just been left to rot - or the local kids have smashed them up for a bit of fun.' The neighbour believed Mr Howells still owned the property - inherited from his father Alfred - and was not aware it had ever been sold on. Houses nearby in the remote Worcestershire countryside can fetch up to £500,000. Forgotten: An old beer shandy bottle still contains some liquid, while this old leather boot has cracked and warped after exposure to the elements . Remnant: This aged hard hat sits on top of a mould-coated car . Sad song: It is not known if this toy guitar belonged to the owners of the house, or was left behind by a local teenage trespasser exploring the property . Do you know what happened to Mr Howells and where he ended up? Contact us at [email protected] . | Former home on the outskirts of Droitwich, Worcestershire, has been left to crumble .
Farmhouse was abandoned two decades ago by owner David Howells after the death of his wife .
Ruined property is packed with old appliances, while garage filled with rusting sports cars . |
0e11fa921c4d4e9f0ddea2e559855b90b0f1a13d | Henryville, Indiana (CNN) -- Big news in Henryville, Indiana, had been that the coach of the high school boys' basketball team was stepping down at the end of the season. The Hornets are the pride of this small Indiana town a few miles up Interstate 65 from Louisville. That was before Friday when killer storms ripped through the area. One day there was a community here. The next, there was none. "What we know is we've got complete destruction. We're going to deal with it the best we can," Sgt. Jerry Goodin of the Indiana State Police told CNN affiliate WISH-TV. Goodin was sure the community would rally, come together and claw its way back to what it once knew to be normal. Saturday, as rescuers still scoured for survivors, the stunned people of Henryville mourned what they lost and gave thanks for what they still had. Steve Kloepfer lives in Chelsea, just east of Henryville. Friday, he watched on television as the storms drew near. "I saw it from the radar it was getting close, so I walked down the driveway and saw it coming through the woods," Kloepfer told CNN affiliate WHAS. He got in his truck and drove south about a mile to "let it blow through." He returned to a new, grim reality. A tornado destroyed his house and the the home shared by his aunt and uncle, Terry and Carol Jackson. They were missing along with their 4-year-old grandchild. Later, their bodies were discovered in a field, covered in debris. They were among the 14 who died in Indiana. Dozens killed in waves of storms . About 2,000 people live in Henryville, known as the birthplace of Colonel Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame. Many in this town know each other through the high school and elementary school, housed on one campus. Friday afternoon, not all the students were able to leave because their parents were not at home. Elementary School Principal Glenn Riggs huddled with 40 students in the offices. And prayed. Saturday morning, a girder jutted skyward from the wreckage of the school. Across the street, a yellow school bus that only hours ago had taken children home lay off its chassis, slammed into a building as though it were a toy tossed by a child. Considering the damage, people at the school should have been hurt, Riggs figured. "It's a blessing. We praise God," he said. Aerial images of Henryville Saturday were devastating: the guts spilled out from buildings, debris littering open fields and trees felled like dominoes. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels got up in the sky to survey the misery himself. Lucky it wasn't worse, he thought. "We're not unfamiliar with Mother Nature's wrath out here in Indiana," he said. "But this about as serious as we've seen it in the years I've been in this job." Joe Sullivan, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said the tornado that swept through the area was an EF-4 -- meaning it had sustained winds of between 166 and 200 mph, putting it in the top 2% of all tornadoes in terms of strength. It went for 52 miles and was roughly 150 yards wide, he added. People driving on Indiana Highway 60 Friday got a perfect view of the monster twister barreling through town. Lawrence Smith, a reporter with WDRB, saw the tornado hurtling straight toward him. The video his station was able to get was incredible, he said. So was the experience. Smith ran into a convenience store for cover as the funnel drew closer. "We waited for it. The building shook, the lights went off. The noise was incredible," he said. "It passed right by in front of us." A gas station across street was leveled, as was a nearby apartment complex. Chad Hinton captured the tornado from his truck as he drove home to nearby Borden. He had never quite seen anything like it. Adrenaline pulsed through his veins. "It was a huge powerful force," he said, recalling the thundering noise. The hail and rain bore down on his truck. He felt lucky to be what he estimated as two miles off the twister's track. He thought about the people who were right in the middle of it. In Salem, another town near Henryville, a little girl with blond hair and blue eyes was found alone in a field. No one knew how she had gotten there; they just knew she needed help. The 20-month-old toddler was taken to hospital and intubated to help her breathe, said Clark County Sheriff's Department Maj. Chuck Adams said. She was later flown about 35 miles southeast to Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, where she was in critical condition Saturday night, said Brian Rublein, a spokesman for Kosair. Someone had called to identify the girl, and by Saturday night several extended family members were on hand. But her immediate family -- her parents, 3-year-old brother and 2-month-old sister -- were all killed in the storm, according to Rublein. As uncertain as the toddler's fate was, she was a glimmer of good news amid the sorrow. Another child, a 9-year-old boy from Henryville, is missing. Adams said that the boy's whereabouts have been unknown since twisters hit. With power out, authorities relied on thermal radar imaging and search-and-rescue dogs to try to find him. Others waited for loved ones at Henryville's St. Francis Xavier Church, which became a meeting point for frantic residents looking for loved ones. The message on the church's answering machine summed up the community's fears: . "Hello, this is Father Steve. I'm sorry to let you know we do not have any detailed information ourselves on people. They are consolidating information at the fire station. However, there is no way of contacting the fire department through normal channels because the phone lines are down. All I can say is pray for your friends and family." CNN's Susan Candiotti reported from Henryville, Indiana, and Moni Basu reported from Atlanta. | NEW: The family of a toddler found in a field are dead, a hospital spokesman says .
The tornado that hit southern Indiana had winds between 166 and 200 mph .
The storm demolished a school campus, but no one there was seriously hurt .
Henryville residents mourned what they lost and gave thanks for what they still had . |
0e127fe0ff1338247d2f34226d2e498584f61290 | Forty two shots at goal. That was the incredible total registered by Brentford as they blew Blackpool away. Forty two. Four of them went in and 14 of them were on target, including a hat-trick from Jon Toral. Just why is it they are sacking Mark Warburton at the end of the season again? Still their soon-to-be-former manager kept alive chances of promotion to the Premier League, having only guided them up from League One last season, with this obliteration. Brentford striker Jon Toral jumps for joy after he completed his hat-trick in the 89th minute of the game . Toral is congratulated by team-mate Jonathan Douglas after he opened the scoring for Brentford . Brentford: Button, Odubajo, Dean, Tarkowski, Dallas, Douglas (Saunders 62), Diagouraga, Peleteiro Ramallo (Smith 66), Pritchard, Toral, Gray (Long 62). Subs not used: Craig, McCormack, Bonham, Yennaris . Goals: Toral 16, 18, 89, Gray 52 . Blackpool: Lewis, McMahon, Aldred (Delfouneso 25), Clarke, Hall, Dunne, Perkins, Rothwell, O'Hara (Oliver 39), Davies (Ferguson 53), Madine. Subs not used: Parish, Telford, Cameron, O'Dea . Sent off: Dunne . Ref: Andy D'Urso . Att: 8,765 . Owner Matthew Benham claimed he had the long-term interests of the club at heart when he made the decision axe Warburton after this campaign. He may live to rue that largely unpopular choice if Warburton’s replacement fails to work the same miracles with this set of players. After 16 minutes of constant pressure they took the lead. A slick passing move - one of many - ended with Jonathan Douglas in plenty of space inside the box on the left and he could have shot himself but passed into Jon Toral to poke in. Two minutes later and Brentford were two ahead. This time they found space down the right and Andre Gray crossed deep to Toral to head in completely free at the back post for his second of the night. Blackpool’s first-half penalty area was heavily patched up with sand, but it made the Seasiders no more at home as Brentford poured forward with waves of attack. Gray should have put Brentford three ahead when he ran through on goal with time and space, but Blackpool goalkeeper Joe Lewis was out quickly to block. Brentford goalkeeper David Button celebrates following Toral's opening strike at Griffin Park . Brentford's Andre Gray scores his side's third goal of the night despite the attention of Connor Oliver . When Blackpool’s Charles Dunne was shown a straight red card for a lunge on Jota a minute before the break, it was hard to imagine a worse half of football for one side. Predictably, seven minutes into the second half the home side went three ahead when Gray saw a spectacular volley saved but collected the rebound and beat the keeper via the right post. Alex Pritchard had a vicious shot saved from inside the box on the right and Gray had another go, turning a defender and getting a shot away which was again kept out. Blackpool manager Lee Clark (right) shouts some orders on the sideline as his side suffer yet another loss . Granted, Blackpool are an embarrassment to the division, rock bottom and already 12 points adrift of safety. But no team, however much a gulf in class between the sides, should be so cut open in one match. As the game rolled on it became more like a training ground affair; an attack versus defence drill. Warburton threw on two more forwards - Tommy Smith and Chris Long - for shooting practice. But it was Toral who completed the rout, and his treble, with a close-range finish in the 89th minute. Deservedly, Warburton’s name rang from the stands as the final whistle blew. | Jon Toral grabs brace in space of three first-half minutes for Brentford .
Charles Dunne was sent of for Blackpool, who remain rooted to the bottom .
The Spaniard, who is on loan from Arsenal, completed his hat-trick in the 89th minute .
Andre Gray also netted for Mark Warburton's side, who maintain an interest in the promotion push . |
0e131b87c791e7f3acccc3817f12d6f947ac05d2 | Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday tried to douse a political firestorm over the deadly assault on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya, saying she's responsible for the security of American diplomatic outposts. "I take responsibility," Clinton told CNN in an interview while on a visit to Peru. "I'm in charge of the State Department's 60,000-plus people all over the world, 275 posts. The president and the vice president wouldn't be knowledgeable about specific decisions that are made by security professionals. They're the ones who weigh all of the threats and the risks and the needs and make a considered decision." But she said an investigation now under way will ultimately determine what happened at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, where Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed on September 11. "I take this very personally," Clinton said. "So we're going to get to the bottom of it, and then we're going to do everything we can to work to prevent it from happening again, and then we're going to work to bring whoever did this to us to justice." VP debate left unanswered national security questions . The attack took place in the eastern Libyan city that was the cradle of that country's 2011 revolution. Obama administration officials initially blamed a mob inflamed by a U.S.-produced movie that mocked Islam and its Prophet Mohammed, but later said the storming of the consulate appears to have been a terrorist attack. With criticism growing, Vice President Joe Biden said during last week's vice presidential debate that the White House did not know of requests to enhance security at Benghazi, contradicting testimony by State Department employees that requests had been made and rejected. After the debate, the White House said the vice president did not know of the requests because they were handled, as is the practice, by the State Department. Fact Check: Benghazi security . "In the wake of an attack like this, in the fog of war, there's always going to be confusion," Clinton said. "And I think it is absolutely fair to say that everyone had the same intelligence. Everyone who spoke tried to give the information that they had. As time has gone on, that information has changed. We've gotten more detail, but that's not surprising. That always happens." She added, "What I want to avoid is some kind of political gotcha or blame game." "I know that we're very close to an election," Clinton said. "I want to just take a step back here and say from my own experience, we are at our best as Americans when we pull together. I've done that with Democratic presidents and Republican presidents." Her remarks drew a quick response from three Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee, including ranking member John McCain. Clinton's statement of responsibility was "a laudable gesture, especially when the White House is trying to avoid any responsibility whatsoever," the Arizona senator said in a joint broadside with Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. However, they added, "The security of Americans serving our nation everywhere in the world is ultimately the job of the commander-in-chief. The buck stops there." Stevens, State Department computer expert Sean Smith and security contractors Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods died in the Benghazi assault, which State Department officials now say was the work of dozens of armed men. Clinton also described a desperate scene in the State Department during the hours of the attack, as staff tried to find out what had happened. "This was a many-hour ordeal that we were all involved in, and I was deeply concerned as you would obviously assume, to hear about an attack," she said. Not only was the picture coming out of Libya murky, but also, "Then we couldn't find Ambassador Stevens, and we were trying desperately to figure out what happened to him and to Sean Smith and to the others who were there." Actress sues filmmaker . Clinton said her mission now is to make sure such an attack will never happen again, and also to ensure the work of American diplomats won't be stopped even in dangerous areas like Benghazi. "We can't retreat. We have to continue to lead. We have to be engaged," she said. "We can't hang out behind walls." She said Stevens, who came to Benghazi on a cargo ship to start building ties with rebel leaders during last year's revolt, "knew that more than anybody." Special forces assessed security at Benghazi . Two ex-SEALs died protecting others . U.S. beefs up diplomatic security . | "What I want to avoid is some kind of political gotcha or blame game," Clinton says .
"I take this very personally," she says .
Diplomats need security but "can't hang out behind walls," she adds . |
0e131caaf7f76f28f28041b6b94b3df822122f1e | By . Lee Moran . PUBLISHED: . 07:23 EST, 20 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:33 EST, 20 June 2012 . A Catholic bishop busted cavorting on a beach with a scantily-clad beauty has claimed she is just 'an old friend' and insisted he is still 'devoted to God'. Argentine Fernando María Bargallo, 59, was left red-faced after footage emerged of him swimming and cuddling with the blonde at a secluded luxury Mexican hideaway. He initially denied it was him in the video, but later admitted he does play a starring role, and is now under investigation by the Vatican. Scroll down to see video... Old friends: Argentine priest Fernando María Bargallo, 59, was left red-faced after footage emerged of him swimming and cuddling with the blonde at a secluded luxury Mexican hideaway . Busted: Bargallo with the mystery blonde (left) and in his normal clothes (right) Casual: The Bishop initially denied it was him in the video, but later admitted he does play a starring role, and is now under investigation by the Vatican . He could now face being sacked from his post as Bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Merlo-Moreno, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. Bargallo said he recognised the 'recklessness' of his behaviour and the 'ambiguity' of the film, which he claimed was taken in 2011. But he has insisted that the woman was a 'very old friend' who he has known 'since I could reason'. He said: 'The photographs are, in effect, from an encounter in Mexico where I coincided for various reasons, two years ago, with a friend from my childhood.' Just friends: He has insisted that the woman was a 'very old friend' who he has known 'since I could reason' Helping: Bargallo is also head of the Cáritas Latinoamérica organisation which helps the development of impoverished people across the continent . Measures: He could face being sacked from his post as Bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Merlo-Moreno . He said there were other people there, who did not appear in the images, and he had a strong relationship with the woman's family, La Nacion reported. But he has not responded to questions as to who funded the lavish trip to the Puerto Vallarta resort on Mexico's Pacific coast. Bargallo is also head of the Cáritas Latinoamérica organisation which helps the development of impoverished people across the continent. Silent: But he has not responded to questions as to who funded the lavish trip to the Puerto Vallarta resort on Mexico's Pacific coast . | Argentine Bishop Fernando María Bargallo red-faced after footage emerges .
Initially denied he was in video, but later admitted he played starring role .
Now under investigation by the Vatican and could be de-frocked . |
0e132876d5ec184dd4014b393f74abdff4a82448 | By . Steve Doughty . PUBLISHED: . 06:30 EST, 10 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:26 EST, 10 May 2013 . The Church of England was mired in a sex abuse scandal yesterday after a former choirboy alleged he was groomed and drawn into a sexual relationship by a senior cleric. Eli Ward said he was first singled out by the Dean of Manchester, the Very Reverend Robert Waddington, at the age of 11 and was then a close companion of his over a five-year period. The allegations made in public by Mr Ward for the first time yesterday led to suggestions of a cover-up over the Church’s response following complaints to bishops in 2003. Victim: Eli Ward was repeatedly molested by David Waddington while a choirboy at Manchester Cathedral . But the former Archbishop of York, . Lord Hope of Thornes, who at the time oversaw the Manchester diocese, . said he did not tell police and social services because Church rules . then did not require it and because the Dean was dying of cancer. Mr Ward, now 40, said he was sleeping . in the Dean’s bed by the time he was 13 and by his mid-teens was . spending almost every weekend and many nights at the cleric’s house. He . went with him on holidays to Cornwall, the Lake District, Paris and the . South of France. The abuse started when Mr Waddington . began the grooming process in 1984 and ended after suspicions were . raised in the Manchester diocese in 1989, Mr Ward told the Times . newspaper. In 2004, Dean Waddington, who had by then retired, was . stripped of his right to lead Church services by Lord Hope but no . information was passed on to police or social services. The Dean died in . 2007. Yesterday Lord Hope said: ‘I . strenuously deny, and am obviously disappointed at, the suggestion that . myself or my team at the time would have acted negligently in this or . any other safeguarding matter. ‘There is no automatic legal obligation on the Church to refer allegations by adults to the police or social services. Scandal: Former Archbishop of York Lord Hope, left, was told of child sex abuse allegations against Dean of Manchester Robert Waddington, right, but did not report them to the police . ‘In considering whether children would . be at risk from Robert Waddington I decided under these guidelines that . this would not be the case given his serious ill health following . cancer surgery. The following year I revoked Robert Waddington’s . permission to officiate.’ Lord Hope added: ‘I am deeply aware of . the pain caused to any victim of child abuse, especially at the hands . of a trustworthy person within the Church.’ Mr Ward’s lawyers have now made a personal injury compensation claim against the Dean and Chapter of Manchester. He said that until last year he . thought he could deal with the memories but then he felt ‘there’s . something drastically wrong with me and I then started to scream very . loudly that I needed help.’ Mr Ward said he came from a poor background in Salford and joined the cathedral choir in Manchester at the age of seven. Four years later Dean Waddington, a . former headmaster and then the most senior education official working . for the Church’s parliament, the General Synod, arrived in the city. He . said the Dean showed him special favour, helping him with his homework, . picking him up in his car to take him to choir practice, asking him out . to tea and taking him for days out. He asked Mr Ward’s mother if the boy . could stay with him overnight. The room in which the boy slept had a . large poster of a horrifying painting by 16th century artist Hieronymus . Bosch, which gave him nightmares. Cathedral: Waddington targeted Manchester choirboys as well as pupils at an Australian boarding school . Mr Ward said: ‘He turned round to me . one day and said, “Would you rather stay in my room? Is that painting . too scary for you?” and of course I said yes.’ Mr Ward began sleeping in the Dean’s bed, where eventually hugs became kissing. He said that sexual contact began . after he was distressed over a break-up with a girlfriend. He said he . felt obliged to perform sexual acts when the Dean asked: ‘Do you love me . this much?’ Mr Ward told the Times he had now . broken off contact with his own family. He said: ‘I have no relationship . with my family now because I asked severe, strong questions of my . family: why did you let it happen? I was the boyfriend of a monster – so . what does that make me?’ Mr Ward said that he was told by the Dean that if questioned by the Press he should lie about what was going on. After a senior cathedral official did . begin to inquire about the relationship, the Dean told Mr Ward to quit . the choir in 1989 and he did so. He last saw the Dean on his wedding . day, when the Dean conducted the ceremony. Mr Ward later told his wife . about the abuse. ‘As soon as I told her, our relationship split like an . axe,’ he added. The Right Reverend Paul Butler, the . head of the Churches National Safeguarding Committee, said: ‘As a Church . we will always apologise for past systems that let down the vulnerable . and offer support to anyone whose life has been affected. Today we have . robust safeguarding policies in place.’ | Robert Waddington, former Dean of Manchester, attacked several boys .
Archbishop of York David Hope twice told of child sex abuse allegations .
Stopped Waddington from taking services but did not report it to police .
Lord Hope 'absolutely denies' cover-up but admits making mistakes .
Victim Eli Ward waives anonymity to describe his abuse nightmare . |
0e1383b6effd501211f348971c14509356a1140a | (CNN) -- Jockeyed by a man who'd never ridden it in a race, Animal Kingdom made a late charge Saturday to win the 137th edition of the Kentucky Derby. The colt's owners tapped John Velazquez to ride Animal Kingdom earlier this week, replacing jockey Robby Albarado after he got hurt while riding another horse. Velazquez is a racing veteran, but his best finish in 12 previous Kentucky Derby tries had been second in 2001. He had been slated to ride this year's pre-race favorite, Uncle Mo, until that horse was forced out after developing a gastrointestinal illness. "It was a loss for Robby, and a win for me," a bittersweet Velazquez told NBC in an interview broadcast throughout Churchill Downs after the race. "I'm very proud (of Animal Kingdom)." The colt entered the Derby at 20-1 odds, starting from the outside from the No. 16 gate. It stayed in the back of the pack -- behind front-runner Shackleford, which ended up in fourth -- before pushing ahead around the final turn to cruise to a clear victory. The Kentucky-bred 3-year-old had run only a handful of races prior to Saturday, none of them on dirt. "He's just kind of a magnificent animal," said Graham Motion, the trainer for Animal Kingdom. "This is an amazing horse, a very special horse." Two horses with much better 9-1 odds -- Nehro and Mucho Macho Man -- finished second and third, respectively. The latter was trained by Katherine Ritvo, who overcame a debilitating heart condition and was trying to become the first woman to train a Derby winner. The pre-race favorite, Dialed In, was never a factor. The wide-open race took place in front of 164,858 people, the most ever to attend the nation's longest continuously running annual sports event, a track official announced. The 19 horses and their riders broke shortly after 6:30 p.m., all galloping around the 1.25-mile dirt course in hopes of taking home a $2.17 million purse. According to the derby's website, more than $22 million was bet at the track -- topping last year's $21.5 million, with neither figure including many millions more wagered at sites outside Louisville. The derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown, considered the most coveted achievement in thoroughbred racing. It is followed by the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York. Animal Kingdom will now try to join the last horse to win all three -- Affirmed in 1978. CNN's David Ariosto contributed to this report. | Animal Kingdom, jockeyed by John Velazquez, entered with 20-1 odds .
The jockey was supposed to ride favorite Uncle Mo, until that horse dropped out .
A record 164,858 spectators attended Saturday's race in Louisville .
The derby is the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown . |
0e13aa95dc73f6d9bffeb47e7dd4b0ce14703b6c | Malky Mackay is the outstanding favourite for the Wigan Athletic job with an appointment expected to be made soon. The former Cardiff manager has been out of the game since he was sacked from the South Wales club last Christmas and is currently under investigation by the FA after Sportsmail revealed details of offensive texts exchanged between the Scot and his former head of recruitment at Cardiff Iain Moody. Now, however, Mackay looks set for a way back after positive dialogue with Wigan chairman and owner Dave Whelan. Malky Mackay is the favourite to become the new manager of Wigan Athletic despite an ongoing investigation by the Football Association into offensive text messages exchanged with Iain Moody . Whelan said: 'I believe he deserves a fair hearing. 'We’ve had over 20 applications and started interviews on Tuesday. Hopefully we can make an appointment before the game this weekend against Middlesbrough. 'It’s an important job and I don’t like to mess around when I think I’ve got the right person. 'All the fans in Wigan, they all have total trust in me. Because I have one thing in my heart, that is Wigan Athletic. So they have trust in me and I would say to them all, you can trust me on this one. I have investigated every single aspect I can, I think Malky has been so unlucky. 'He has done a little bit wrong and has apologised for it. But to all fans, I want them to trust me. This gentleman is in my opinion exactly the man we are looking for. It is awful when you have to sack a manager, I had a terrible week last week, it hurt me a lot because he (Rosler) is such a nice guy. 'Football is a cruel game, I am sure Malky has found the little thing he did wrong, he has had plenty of stick for it.' It is understood that Mackay and Whelan have already met and that the Wigan owner has been impressed by the 42-year-old’s plans for the club. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan said he believes Mackay 'deserves a fair hearing' Mackay led Cardiff to a Carling Cup Final and from the Championship in to the Barclays Premier League during his time there. The Welsh club were never in the bottom three of the Premier League on his watch but went down once he was replaced at the start of the year by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, the former West Ham, Norwich and Celtic defender’s reputation hit rock bottom earlier this season when Sportsmail revealed texts between him and Moody contained racist, sexist and homophobic material. He could still be charged by the FA – something that could cause a problem for Wigan – but it is thought the Association are struggling to discipline him under the terms of its own rules because the texts were deemed to be private. Mackay is under investigation over alleged offensive text message sent to Iain Moody (left) when they worked together at Cardiff City . Uwe Rosler was sacked as Wigan manager last week following a poor start to the season . Wigan captain Gary Caldwell has said he would back Mackay if appointed. He told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT: 'Oh yeah. I know Malky from playing with him for Scotland and he’s a great guy, and a stand-up, honest man. I would have no problems working with him and no problems at all speaking to him. 'He’s done a great job since he’s been a manager. He’s had that experience of promotion with Cardiff and we want people at the club who know how to get success and get us back to where we want to be, and that’s the Premier League.' | Malky Mackay is the favourite for the vacant Wigan job .
The former Cardiff manager is currently subject to an FA investigation .
Sportsmail revealed offensive text message exchanged with his former head of recruitment Iain Moody when at Cardiff .
Chairman Dave Whelan said Mackay deserves a 'fair hearing'
Wigan captain Gary Caldwell said he would have 'no problems' with him . |
0e1400b444859c8870366eba6854eaff15f4f311 | (CNN) -- Beef from Brazil is on Iranian dinner tables. An Iranian-built hospital treats patients near Bolivia's capital. Iranian-funded factories dot the Venezuelan countryside. Iran has forged hundreds of agreements with Latin American nations and pledged billions of dollars to fund them. More deals could be in store this week as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad embarks on a trip that starts in Venezuela on Sunday and includes stops in Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador. Well before the Iranian leader's arrival in Caracas, his plans for a Latin America tour grabbed global attention as tensions grow between many Western powers and Iran over the nation's nuclear program. "As the regime feels increasing pressure, it is desperate for friends and flailing around in interesting places to find new friends," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Friday. But analysts say Ahmadinejad's visit is the latest step in a longstanding, calculated effort to shore up support in the region. As Iran strives to improve its image, get around stiffening sanctions, dampen America's global influence and secure a stronger foothold in the United States' backyard, relationships with Latin American countries have become increasingly important. Iran's state-run Press TV described cooperation with Latin American nations as one of the "top priorities of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy" in a recent article about this week's trip. "Iran has an extremely active diplomatic move afoot," said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs in Washington. 'Cultural ties' Last month, a film portraying the life of Mary and the birth of Jesus from an Islamic point of view beamed out over international airwaves -- in Spanish. The movie was the first program aired on HispanTV, according to a report in the Tehran Times. And the target audience was thousands of miles away from the government-sponsored broadcasting hub in Iran's capital. At a ceremony marking the station's official launch last month, HispanTV's managers said the new Spanish network aims to paint a true picture of Iran and link the Islamic republic with Latin America. Other Spanish-language channels are "not independent and only serve the interest of the United States and certain allies," said Mohammed Sarafraz, director of Iranian broadcasting's world service, according to Press TV. "It's all about cultural ties between Iran and the Spanish-speaking community," network manager Ali Ejaredar told a Press TV reporter. Online previews of upcoming programming include videos showing scenic stretches of the Iranian countryside, bustling marketplaces and Persian calligraphy. An analyst on one program criticizes Western imperialism, saying "five countries cannot decide the destiny of the world." A guest on another show slams U.S. immigration laws. Spanish-language headlines on the network's website last week described Israeli spies, foreign intervention in Syria, a report that Japan plans to "disobey" U.S. sanctions against Iran and an allegation that airport security screening machines in the United States cause death. Stephen Johnson, who directs the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, compared Iran's efforts to use the media to improve its image abroad to the U.S.-government-funded Voice of America radio network. "They're taking a page out of our playbook," he said. Despite Iran's overtures, there are still rifts to overcome, Johnson said. Some high-profile missteps have accompanied Iran's increasing forays into Latin America, he said. A requirement that female employees wear the hijab at an Iran-funded hospital in El Alto, Bolivia, drew criticism from local officials. Uruguay's foreign minister condemned statements by an Iranian ambassador who told reporters in the South American country that figures saying that millions died in the Holocaust were false. Last year, Iran received the lowest ranking out of nine countries in the Latinobarometro public opinion survey, based on interviews of more than 20,000 residents in 18 Latin American countries (not including Cuba). Only 25% of those surveyed said they viewed Iran as "good" or "very good," while 72% said they viewed the United States positively. "I think with Iran, it's a question of trust as to what are they up to, and what are their nuclear objectives," Johnson said. Ahmadinejad's 'direct, personal role' Experts say Iran has been building relations in Latin America for decades. Cuba was one of the first countries to recognize Iran's government after the 1979 revolution. Fidel Castro made his first official visit to Iran in 2001. But efforts to forge new business deals and bolster diplomatic efforts have intensified since Ahmadinejad's tenure as president began in 2005. "He's presided over a really significant expansion of Iranian ties across Latin America. ... Ahmadinejad himself has played a very direct, personal role in that process," said Steven Heydemann, who researched Iran's alliances as part of his work as senior adviser for Middle East initiatives at the United States Institute of Peace. And it's no coincidence that Venezuela will be Ahmadinejad's first stop on his trip to the region -- his sixth as president. Despite their cultural differences, the two nations have found significant common ground: both are among the world's top crude oil exporters, and their leaders have become strong allies united by a fierce opposition to what they view as U.S. imperialism. Even as he announced last week that Ahmadinejad's visit would go ahead as scheduled, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez slammed the United States, saying that "tensions in the Persian Gulf have been growing in recent hours because of Yankee pressures," state-run VTV reported. British warship to deploy to Persian Gulf . Venezuela and Iran already have signed more than 270 accords, including trade deals, construction projects, car and tractor factories, energy initiatives and banking programs. Flights began traveling between Caracas and Tehran as the relationship blossomed. In addition to the numerous deals with Iran under his government, the Venezuelan president has helped the Islamic republic forge relationships with other members of the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas, an eight-nation regional bloc Chavez founded. Ahmadinejad's visit comes as those countries continue efforts to craft regional trade and political deals without Washington's influence. "The countries of Latin America are saying to the world that they have sovereignty and independence. They are not subordinate to the dictates of the international polices of the United States," said Nicmer Evans, a political science professor at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas. And now, with the specter of increased U.S. and European sanctions looming, Iran has an even deeper need to reach out, he said. "The visit by Ahmadinejad to Venezuela and the rest of the countries reinforces on Iran's part that they are not isolated. They are demonstrating it publicly," Evans said. On a practical level, analysts say Iran is likely looking for financial options. "It's clear that Iran is being really hammered by the sanctions, and I think that what they're really looking for in Latin America is to develop ways to blunt the effects of the sanctions, particularly with the establishment of financial institutions that will allow them to move their money," said Doug Farah, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center. Washington's worries . But when it comes to Iran, the U.S. State Department says there is no room for new deals. "We are making absolutely clear to countries around the world that now is not the time to be deepening ties -- not security ties, not economic ties -- with Iran," Nuland, the department's spokeswoman, told reporters Friday. Officials in the United States and other Western nations have ratcheted up sanctions against Iran several times since a November report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said the Iranian government was developing the technology needed to build a nuclear weapon. Last month, U.S. President Barack Obama announced sanctions against Iran's central bank. Iran: Nuclear reactor is weeks from operating at full capacity . Several Venezuelan institutions have also faced U.S. sanctions for dealings with Iran. Venezuela's state oil company, PdVSA, faced U.S. sanctions last year over fuel shipments to Iran. And the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned an Iranian-owned bank in Caracas in 2008. Some U.S. government officials and Washington analysts allege that Iran could be using new business relationships and energy deals with Latin American countries as a cover for more illicit projects, such as training Hezbollah militants and developing nuclear weapons. "Iran and its Bolivarian allies (Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Ecuador) in Latin America are systematically engaged in a pattern of financial behavior, recruitment exercises and business activities that are not economically rational and could be used for the movement and/or production of (weapons of mass destruction) and the furthering of Iran's stated aim of avoiding international sanctions on its nuclear program," Farah wrote in a May 2011 report for the U.S. Defense Department. Latin American leaders have repeatedly stressed that any partnerships with Iran have peaceful purposes. Venezuelan officials made light of U.S. worries in a government statement describing one new Venezuela-Iran partnership in 2008: "atomic" bicycles made at a new national factory. "The bicycles are known as 'atomic,' in an ironic sense, as a response to the United States' constant attacks of Venezuela for its exchanges with Iran and the supposed transfer of uranium from our country to the Islamic nation," Venezuela's information ministry said in a statement accompanied by photos of Chavez riding one of the bikes outside the factory. Smoke and mirrors? The realities of the relationships between Iran and its Latin American allies are difficult to decipher, analysts say, because despite the large number of agreements trumpeted, information about the projects is often hard to come by. "Half of them evaporate. They simply are forgotten. They don't become operational," said Birns of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Heydemann, of the United States Institute of Peace, said some of the deals may be "smoke and mirrors." "There's often a lot less happening than the volume of activity would lead you to believe. But it is the case that we have seen these substantial increases in trade relations. ... That's not an illusion," he said. With so many unanswered questions, U.S. officials will be keeping a close eye on this week's trip, said Johnson, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It's not an existential threat to the United States," he said, "but Iran's activities (in Latin America) are something that they're watching because of what they could develop into, not because of what they necessarily are today. There's a lot we don't know about them." Journalist Osmary Hernandez in Caracas and CNN's Gustavo Gonzalez and Arthur Brice in Atlanta contributed to this report. | President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins a four-nation Latin America tour .
The trip is the latest step in a longstanding effort to shore up support in the region .
Analyst: "Iran has an extremely active diplomatic move afoot"
Iran recently launched a Spanish-language television network . |
0e147677fd94e9c381e03060d5f7997bcbe67fb6 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- The first child in Britain known to have been screened as an embryo to ensure she did not carry a cancer gene was born Friday, a spokesman for University College London told CNN. Genetic screening allows lab-fertilized embryos to be tested for genes likely to lead to later health problems. Her embryo was screened in a lab days after conception to check for the BRCA-1 gene, linked to breast and ovarian cancer. People with the gene are known to have a 50-80 percent chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer in their lifetimes. British newspapers have dubbed the girl the "cancer-free" baby. "This little girl will not face the specter of developing this genetic form of breast cancer or ovarian cancer in her adult life," said Paul Serhal, a consultant at University College London Hospital and Medical Director of the Assisted Conception Unit. "The parents will have been spared the risk of inflicting this disease on their daughter. The lasting legacy is the eradication of the transmission of this form of cancer that has blighted these families for generations." Yet not everyone is thrilled with the idea of testing embryos for genes that could cause health problems later in life, a process known as preimplanatation genetic diagnosis. "This is not a cure for breast cancer," said Josephine Quintavalle, co-founder of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, which describes itself as group that focuses on ethical dilemmas related to reproduction. What do you think about testing embryos for gene defects? "This is simply a mechanism for eliminating the birth of anybody (prone to) the disease," she said. "It is basically a search-and-kill mechanism." She opposes the procedure because embryos found to carry disease-causing genes often are discarded. She says that is essentially murder. "They will be destroyed," she said. "They will never be allowed to live." Doctors in Britain and elsewhere increasingly test embryos for genes that are certain to cause illnesses such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington's Disease. What's different about the girl born Friday is that she is the first infant known to have been tested in Britain as an embryo for a gene that is merely likely -- not certain -- to cause disease. In the United States, geneticists are free to test for any condition for which they can develop a probe -- and they're free to look for genes that are certain to cause diseases as well as genes that merely may pose problems later in life. Quintavalle opposes any form of in-vitro fertilization where embryos are "killed," she said. But she is particularly troubled by the idea of screening an embryo for the BRCA-1 gene because carriers of the gene do not always develop the disease, and the disease is not always fatal. "The message we are sending is: 'Better off dead than carrying (a gene linked to) breast cancer,'" she said. "We have gone very much down the proverbial slippery slope." Peter Braude, one of the top British experts on the genetic testing of embryos, said he understands the ethical objections but focuses on the benefits. "There has always been a vociferous group in opposition," he said. But "there are people who can benefit and I think they should be allowed to do so." In fact, he argues that the procedure actually prevents abortions because it takes place on a three-day old embryo in a lab. Only embryos that lack the defective gene are implanted. "I don't think you can equate eight cells in a dish to an embryo or a child," said Braude, head of the department of women's health at the King's College London School of Medicine. For many couples, the alternative to testing an embryo is to conceive a child naturally and test the fetus weeks or months into a pregnancy. Some couples opt for an abortion when such testing reveals a defect. Diagnosing an embryo genetically typically involves fertilizing an egg with a sperm in a lab, testing the resulting embryo and implanting it in the mother if no defects are found. Braude agrees that testing for diseases that may not be fatal -- or may not manifest themselves for decades -- raises thorny ethical questions. "How serious does it have to be before you throw away an embryo?" he asked. "Are you prepared to throw away a 16-week embryo for Huntington's, which will not manifest until age 40?" In Britain, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority determines the conditions for which geneticists can test. It has approved testing for more than 60 conditions since it was established in 1990. The authority approved testing for the BRCA-1 gene in 2008. Dr. Mark Hughes, who founded a genetics clinic in the United States, said he likes the idea of an authority that regulates what tests can be performed -- the system in place in Britain -- but believes that parents who want to test for genetic abnormalities should be allowed to do so. At his Genesis Genetics Institute in Detroit, Michigan, Hughes carries out about two tests a month for BRCA-1 or BRCA-2, a related gene. "The couple is the best one to be making these decisions, because they live with these diseases," he said. "When it hits your family over and over again, many couples are saying: 'Enough of this. Let's prune this out of our family tree forever.'" He rejects the notion that parents will use genetic testing to remove all imperfections from children. "You can get up on your high horse and say people are looking for perfect children, but let's give these families more credit," he said. "They just want one that has a fighting chance of not having a disease." Hughes said he doubts genetic screening will ever be used to test all babies. That's partly because it costs the equivalent of about $11,755 -- 8,000 British pounds -- to screen embryos. It's also because the process is very complex. "It's gotten easier to do now than it was 19 years ago," when Hughes did his first test for cystic fibrosis, he said. "But it has not exploded, not burst onto the medical field like some technologies do. "No one would use these technologies for a trivial reason. It's too much effort," he said. "Not just the money -- it's so many hoops to jump through for a couple that would prefer to make their baby on vacation rather than in a clinic." | "Cancer-free baby" born; baby girl is first in UK to be screened for cancer gene .
Embryo was screened to check she didn't carry gene linked to breast, ovarian cancer .
Ethicists criticize screening for genes that could cause later health problems .
Doctors say cost of screening makes it unlikely all embryos will ever be tested . |
0e149a1ef50bceefe74fc0b64ec0707dd3c2d9c4 | Police say man regularly raped the three boys at his home in Troy, Ohio . Two other men have been arrested on rape charges related to what authorities say was the prostitution of a ten-year-old boy by the Troy man . By . Rachel Rickard Straus . PUBLISHED: . 05:29 EST, 16 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:30 EST, 16 March 2012 . The man, 39, pictured, who Mail Online is not naming to protect the identity of the children, has been charged with raping his adopted children . An Ohio grand jury has indicted an adoptive father on charges he raped three boys in his care. Police say the investigation began with an undercover detective, part of a state task force, talking online with the man, who said he would arrange sex with a ten-year-old boy. The 39-year-old man from Troy, Ohio, was arrested on February 24, and the Miami County grand jury action followed. Police Captain Chris Anderson said between ten and 15 of the 31 grand jury charges carry potential sentences of up to life in prison for the man. Police have said the man regularly raped the three boys at his home in a quiet residential neighbourhood of ranch homes in Troy, a small city 90-minute drive west of Columbus. He had three adopted children and was in the process of adopting a fourth child. School officials said the man had recently withdrawn the three children from school, saying he would home school them. The man is being held at the Miami County jail on $800,000 bond, the sheriff’s office said. Two other men - Jason Zwick, 29, from Beavercreek and Patrick Rieder, 31, from Dayton - were arrested earlier on rape charges related to what authorities say was the prostitution of a ten-year-old boy by the Troy man. The FBI has said forensic experts will study laptop computers, files, a video camera and other items seized from the adoptive father’s home to try to learn whether there are any more suspects or victims. Patrick Rieder, 31, left and Jason Zwick, 29, right, are both accused of having sex with the adoptive father's 10-year-old son . Ohio authorities have said they’re investigating a private adoption agency that helped place the children with the man. If Ohio Department of Job and Family Services investigators find serious procedural violations, the state could take actions including revoking the license of Action Inc. Several messages left at Action’s office in Dayton haven’t been returned.Ohio and Texas family services officials have been communicating with each other on the children’s adoption from Texas. The 10-year-old boy was allegedly taken by his adoptive father to Patrick Reider's home in Dayton, pictured, where he was allegedly raped . Texas officials have said it appeared proper procedures were followed, including background checks on the adoptive father. Troy police have said they don’t know of any past criminal activity by the man. The man first was certified as a foster parent in Ohio’s Miami County in 2005. Action Inc. has been certified by Ohio for more than a decade. | Police say man regularly raped the three boys at his home in Troy, Ohio .
Two other men have been arrested on rape charges related to what authorities say was the prostitution of a ten-year-old boy by the Troy man . |
0e155647bd28caa05b2882b5acf13f4c091c20e0 | It has been a tourist attraction for thousands of U2 fans since 1987. But the tree that adorned the cover of the band's album, Joshua Tree, is now a shadow of its former glory. The revered landmark died in 2000 and collapsed into a mound in California's Mojave Desert. Now it has apparently been deliberately vandalized and is missing a limb. Scroll down for video . Vandalized: This is a picture a fan took of the band's famous Joshua Tree apparently hacked by someone . 'Iconic': The tree, which died in 2000, appeared on the cover of U2's 1987 hit album Joshua Tree . A fan discovered the situation during his annual hike to the tree near Darwin, California, with his dog on Sunday. Going by the name Hwy 190, the fan wrote on a U2 message board: 'I’ve been visiting U2’s Joshua Tree in the California desert for nearly 20 years now the Mojave is my home. 'This past Sunday, I made my proverbial yearly hike out to the Tree with my dog to reminisce only to find that some hack and I do mean hack, decided it was a bright idea to take a hacksaw to one of the Tree’s limbs - evidently to remove an inch thick cross section as a souvenir. 'I won’t even elaborate as to how pathetic this is. Let’s just say It was a good thing I didn’t happen upon this ignorant low-life degenerate in his course of action. 'In short, leave the damn Tree alone, so that future fans can enjoy it. Left alone, the Tree will be there for many, many decades to come.' It stood in the Mojave Desert of California and was picked by the band to represent their American experience . Collapsed: Although it fell in 2000, many fans still pilgrimage to the site . Tributes: Signs adorn the tree. The fan who discovered the vandalism believes somebody took a piece home . The image of the tree was shot by photographer Anton Corbijn, who traveled with the band for three days in December 1986 trying to find the right spot for a photo. The album was designed to represent their band's experience of America. It is billed as the record that sealed their worldwide success, with record-breaking sales across the world. Some of their best-selling songs were featured on the album, including With Or Without You, and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. The group landed Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Group Rock Performance that year. | Fan trekked to the tree in Mojave Desert on Sunday, it is missing a limb .
It became famous after album photo shoot in 1987, tree died in 2000 .
U2's album Joshua Tree is credited with securing their global success . |
0e15579e7fe426d8041440644a622447c1c3d794 | Under pressure: RBS, led by chief executive Stephen Hester, pictured, is set to be hit by a £150m fine over market rigging . Royal Bank of Scotland is set to be . fined about £150million for participating in market manipulation . offences similar to those engaged in by Barclays, it has been revealed. Sources . said RBS has admitted guilt of offences similar to those committed by . Barclays' traders, though at RBS they were more isolated and less . serious. And today, as more . revelations trickled out about the unfolding scandal, the bank's chief . executive Stephen Hester said he will not take a bonus this year . following problems experienced by the company’s NatWest bank. The news comes after a sacked RBS trader accused his bank bosses of colluding with staff to rig the financial markets to maximise profits in an explosive set of court documents revealed today. The . bank is thought to have accepted that it will probably have to pay . about half as much as the £291 million in fines imposed on Barclays, . according to the Times. Any settlement with the various regulatory authorities is thought to be several months off, the Times said. Stephen . Hester, the CEO of RBS, will now face the same tough questions that . have bombarded his Barclays counterpart Bob Diamond, who has come under . increasing pressure to resign in the wake of the scandal. Barclays . agreed on Wednesday to pay a record $453 million fine to US and British . regulators for attempting to manipulate the London Interbank Offered . Rate in 2005-08. Britain's . banking woes deepened today as the Financial Services Authority said it . had settled with four banks - Barclays, RBS, HSBC and Lloyds - after . finding evidence they mis-sold products to protect small businesses . against a rise in interest rates. Compensation . could run into the hundreds of millions of pounds, lawyers have said, . although Lloyds said the cost for it would not be material. The . FSA said from 2001 to date, banks sold around 28,000 interest rate . protection products to customers, although it did not did not say how . much it would cost the banks. Guilty: RBS admitted guilt for offences similar to those committed by Barclays' traders, though at RBS they were more isolated and less serious . A string of mis-selling cases has . rocked the financial services industry for over two decades and banks . are already likely to pay upwards of £9 billion in compensation for . mis-selling loan insurance. The Libor mis-selling scandal is . expected to draw in many banks globally, but Diamond has found himself . first in the firing line after U.S. and British authorities fined . Barclays $450 million on Wednesday for manipulating the London interbank . offer rate (Libor). Under fire: The Libor mis-selling scandal is expected to draw in many banks globally, but Barclays boss Diamond has found himself first in the firing line . Prime Minister David Cameron said . Diamond - who was running the investment banking arm Barclays Capital . when the rigging occurred in 2005-2009 - and other bosses had some 'big . questions to answer'. Britain also called in the fraud squad to investigate possible crimes. 'Politicians . have already been baying for blood and calling for the head of Bob . Diamond, especially as he was in charge at BarCap at the time,' said . Stephen Peak, manager of the Henderson UK Alpha and European Absolute . Return funds and a shareholder in the bank. 'We . feel that the Barclays board will instinctively wish to resist this, as . Diamond is clearly the architect and leading light of Barclays, but . feel that the pressure may be too great.' Earlier, Tan Chi Min, a former head of delta . trading for RBS’s global banking and markets division in Singapore, . alleged that managers at RBS condoned collusion between its staff to set the . Libor rate artificially high or low to maximise profits. He . named five staff members he claims made requests for the Libor rate to . be altered and three senior managers who he said knew what was going on. He also says the practice 'was known to other members of [RBS]’s senior management'. Mr . Tan, who was eventually sacked for gross misconduct, worked for RBS . from August 2006 to November 2011and alleges that senior members of . staff knew about Libor fixing, and that the behaviour started while Fred . Goodwin was chief executive . During his dismissal case he accused Brevan Howard, one of Europe's largest hedge funds, of asking RBS to change the Libor rate. He accused the fund of telephoning the bank on in August 2007 asking if they could change the bank's Libor submission. Investigation: The ex-RBS employee alleges that senior members of staff knew about Libor fixing, and that the behaviour started while Fred Goodwin was chief executive . Banks submit their rates to Thomson . Reuters which then calculates the Libor rate and distributes it on . behalf of the British Bankers' Association. The fund was not named in the court case and was not being sued for any wrongdoing. Tan alleged that it was in fact common . practice among senior RBS employees to make requests to the bank's rate . setters as to the appropriate Libor rate. In . the court papers filed in New York as part of a class action, Mr Lin . also implicates hedge fund bosses who have given thousands of pounds to . the Conservative Party. It . is claimed that hedge fund Brevan Howard asked RBS to fix financial data . by making false submissions. The fund donated £10,000 to the Tories and . spent £3,542 on flights for George Osborne to attend a conference in . 2008. RBS said it was confident of mounting a successful defence against Mr Tan’s claims. | RBS boss Stephen Hester says he will not take a bonus in the wake of the scandal .
RBS admit guilt of offences similar to those committed by Barclays' traders .
The bank is thought to have accepted .
that it will probably have to pay about half as much as the £291 million .
in fines imposed on Barclays . |
0e155f0c689a50056851a1bbc6e8ee5caa397d64 | Cambridge, New Zealand (CNN) -- Cambridge, New Zealand is a small, picturesque town of just 18,400 inhabitants. The last time there was a royal visit here was a generation ago, in 1953, when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip came just after the Queen's coronation. Locals still talk about that moment in local history, but now they have the next chapter. Excitement about this weekend's visit by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was on full display in the pretty high street. Every other shop had been decorated with bunting and royal paraphernalia. It was as if everyone had rummaged through their drawers looking for anything royal or just UK-related and turned it into a display. There was mannequin wearing a Union flag apron and a tea cozy on her head; tea caddies, tea cups, tea pots; umbrellas, ornamental London phone boxes and buses. There was even a tattered guidebook from Windsor Castle. Acoustic Mexican wave . The night before the visit, excitement reached fever pitch. People started camping outside the town hall. By dawn Saturday, the pavements were lined with well-wishers. People had come from as far away as New Zealand's capital, Wellington. By lunchtime, the population of the town had doubled. When we approached them with our camera, they cheered -- in fact if anything happened, they cheered. One teenager said she was a republican but had come here because of her mother who was a big royal fan. Both got in the spirit of things with matching tiara hair grips. There's always an eery calm before the royals actually turn up. The roads are cleared, security is locked down and then there is a pause before you hear -- then see -- police outriders. Suddenly, the royal limo is right there before you. Cue: scream. It's inverted "Bieber fever," mums and daughters -- but with the mums shouting. In Cambridge, the royal convoy did a loop through the town and there was an acoustic Mexican wave as the cheers followed them. As the couple pulled up at the town hall and got out, the cheers erupted into screams ... then a huge boo, which was odd. Turns out a van had blocked the crowd's view but was quickly moved on, allowing the screams to resume. The Duchess hasn't been to New Zealand before and she wanted to meet as many people as possible, so "walkabouts" have been built into the schedule. Republican to royalist . At the Cambridge Town Hall, after meeting dignitaries and paying their respects at the war memorial, The Duke and Duchess crossed the road to the now heaving crowds. "I was here at half past two in the morning," said one lady. "But this was an opportunity that I was not prepared to let go by any means of the imagination. I was going to be here come whatever." After less than an hour, the royal visit was over. I spotted the royalist mother with her republican daughter. "How did you cope?" I asked. "I know you were quite excited beforehand." "I was, I went all gooey," she said. "Completely lost it but the good news is, I think I have converted my daughter to a royalist." I put that to the daughter who said: "Yep. He shook my hand." "That's all it takes?" I asked and she said; "Yep." This royal tour must be sending shudders through the spine of the New Zealand republican movement. But we won't know what real impact it has had until the whirlwind is over, the window displays are back in the drawers and New Zealanders have had a proper chance to consider whether the Cambridges are people they like to see -- or would like to reign. | The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George are visiting NZ and Australia .
Prince William and Catherine visited the small town of Cambridge Saturday .
By lunchtime, the town's population had doubled as people gathered to see them .
There were scenes of screaming and one well-wisher described going "all gooey" |
0e16f336da07d2718e2b9e91c956ba100d227b57 | By . Mike Jaccarino . PUBLISHED: . 20:37 EST, 18 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:36 EST, 19 January 2013 . An elderly Pittsburgh man was killed - and his automobile incredibly split into two halves - when he plowed his fast-moving car into a pole in the downtown section of the city Friday morning. 'It looks like a horrific accident,' Pittsburgh Police Commander Eric Holmes reportedly said following the crash. 'You can tell it was quite an impact.' An autopsy on Donald Fox, 80, was scheduled for Saturday, but authorities told Triblive.com after the accident that the deceased driver might have experienced a medical event at the time of the accident. Inbound: Driver Donald Fox, 80, was reportedly driving on Penn Lincoln Parkway en route to downtown Pittsburgh before he exited and crashed into a pole . Causes probed: Local police are looking into whether Fox had a medical event of some kind in the moments prior to and during the accident . Light rail: The accident occurred at 10:40am on Liberty Avenue in the well-populated downtown Gateway area of Pittsburgh . Fox reportedly hails from the Banksville neighborhood in the western section of Pittsburgh, and was headed into the city when the crash occurred. 'I'm just shocked,' Eric Damon told Triblive.com of the accident's aftermath. 'I never saw that before.' Damon, a 34-year-old who hails from Lower Burrell, was reportedly working on the 19th floor of the nearby Gateway 4 building when he looked out his window and saw Fox lying motionless in the street. Triblive.com cited police sources in saying that Fox was ejected from his vehicle after impact. No one else was injured in the crash, which reportedly occurred around 10:40 a.m. Friday near the Gateway T Station on Liberty Avenue. The Gateway T Station is a well-populated stop on the city's light rail network. Street view: A look at the actual area near the Gateway T Station where Fox fatally crashed his vehicle Friday morning . Police probe: Authorities are looking into whether Fox bumped another vehicle as he existed the parkway on to Liberty Avenue . Shocked: Witnesses working in downtown Pittsburgh said they were shocked to see Fox's motionless body, ejected from the vehicle, lying on the street . Liberty Avenue, a busy street in the heart of Pittsburgh's downtown area, was closed near Stanwix Street while police probed the accident's aftermath. Fox was reportedly traveling on the Penn Lincoln Parkway, when he exited at a rapid rate of speed on to Liberty Avenue. Police told Triblive.com they were also exploring the possibility that Fox hit another vehicle before hitting the pole. Fox was taken to UPMC Mercy, Uptown, where doctors pronounced him dead at 11:08am, a spokesman for the Allegheny County Medical Examiner‘s Office reportedly said. | Donald Fox, 80, had a medical issue of some sort in seconds before Pittsburgh crash on Friday morning .
'I'm just shocked,' said a witness to the tragedy's aftermath . |
0e17219242f562b21a3312ee1b1588334daa870f | (CNN) -- Almost a year has passed since Tiffany Hartley's husband was shot and killed while on a personal watercraft on Falcon Lake, which sits on the border and is shared between Texas and Mexico. Now she has sued the State Department, the Justice Department and the FBI in an attempt to get answers about what happened that day and why no one has been brought to justice in the killing of David Hartley. It is believed that he was shot by members of the Zetas drug cartel, but no one has been arrested or even named as a suspect in his death. With the help of Judicial Watch, an organization dedicated to investigating corruption, Tiffany Hartley filed the three freedom of information act lawsuits Friday. "We are just requesting information, anything regarding our case," she told CNN affiliate KRGV on Monday. "It's a disgrace that as a wife and as a victim who was there, to not release anything." David Hartley's mother, Sue Hartley, said the family was desperate for any information from the investigation. "I think they've shut the door on finding David. I'm still begging for help," she said. Tiffany Hartley spoke Monday after testifying at a congressional field hearing in Brownsville, Texas. She recounted the story of how, ahead of a move back to Colorado from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, the couple decided to enjoy Falcon Lake one last time. The crossed the lake on their Sea-Doo personal watercraft into Mexican waters, to the submerged ruins at Viejo Guerrero. It was on their way back to the U.S. side of the lake that armed men started shooting at them, she said. David Hartley was shot in the head, and Tiffany Hartley was unable to retrieve his body as the bullets kept coming. "It's only by the grace of God that I am here today," she testified. Her information requests to the government agencies were simply an attempt to get information that she wasn't getting from investigators on either side of the border. A Mexican investigation to look for the body and find the killers dried up after the lead investigator was found decapitated. Early on, authorities surmised the couple had stumbled into the middle of a drug transaction, as the area is widely known as a Mexican drug cartel's stomping ground. Zapata County Sheriff Sigi Gonzalez said there were reports of fishermen on the lake being warned away from the Mexican side as long as a year before Hartley's shooting. Gonzalez, who patrols the Falcon Lake area, testified that he knew the names of people who were possibly among the shooters and had information on where the orders to shoot came from. Unfortunately, he said, Mexican officials have not moved forward with anything. "The men who murdered David are right across the river. They aren't in Afghanistan; they aren't in Iraq. They're in our own backyard. The cartel members are taking over Mexico, and they are killing anyone who gets in their way," Tiffany Hartley said. | Tiffany Hartley is suing for information about her husband's death .
David Hartley was killed on the Mexican side of Falcon Lake last year .
The widow testified at a Congressional field hearing . |
0e1796cdd8e44053f2cd425f2ab7109cb81cebc5 | By . Carl Markham, Press Association . Striker Diego Costa hopes his impressive start to his Chelsea career is a good omen for the club. The Brazil-born Spain international took his tally to four in three matches after his £32million move from Atletico Madrid with two in the frenetic 6-3 win at Everton. Costa's goals helped his former side to the Spanish title last season after he got off to a rapid start with 10 in eight successive wins from the off. Twelve months on Costa shows no signs of slowing down despite the hamstring problems which disrupted the end of his campaign. VIDEO Scroll down for Mourinho: Very happy with Diego Costa, very unhappy with Everton . Off to a flyer: Diego Costa celebrates scoring Chelsea's final goal in their 6-3 thriller against Everton . Perfect start: Costa compares Chelsea's unbeaten start to Atletico Madrid on their way to the La Liga title . 'We have started really well and it is always good to have a great start,' he said. 'Last year we did the same and now this year too. 'It is nice to score goals but for me the most important thing is the team wins but I am happy I scored and helped the team win. 'Our team is a great team, it is really important to achieve great things and I am really happy to be here.' Costa scored in the first minute - after just 35 seconds - and the last, in between which were sandwiched efforts from Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic and Ramires in addition to a Seamus Coleman own goal. Kevin Mirallas, Steven Naismith and, against the club he left in the summer, Samuel Eto'o made it 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3 respectively but Chelsea always just kept one step ahead. 'It was nice to score my first goal (for the club) because on this ground it is always difficult, although the most important thing is we got three points,' said midfielder Matic. Solid return: Costa's opening three Premier League matches have brought four goals . 'This season we play better, we have more goals in us, we are more confident in attack - we scored six goals which is not easy. 'It was very good for people who bought tickets for the game as they saw nine goals, which is good for football and the Premier League. 'If every game was like this I'd be happy but the coach will show us where we made mistakes.' The coach in question, Jose Mourinho, has many examples to show them on Monday morning after expressing his dissatisfaction with how they defended. But he also gave them some credit for the way they attacked clinically. 'We have scored nine goals in two Premier League games against teams in the top five last season,' he said. Opened account: Midfielder Nemanja Matic celebrates his first goal in a Chelsea shirt . 'The quality of our football was fantastic: every time we had the ball we were aggressive. 'I prefer to win 6-0 playing fantastic football, defensively and offensively, but I want the team to play the way we did, I want them to be positive but not make defensive mistakes.' Everton manager Roberto Martinez will have a whole DVD of errors to show his shell-shocked squad with their defensive confidence in tatters after conceding 10 goals in three matches. The Spaniard admits fear has crept into their game and he will have to work hard to stop it. 'We started the game very uncharacteristically for us,' he said. 'We didn't have that defensive intensity and focus you have to have, especially with a team like Chelsea, and then we were chasing the game. Not totally impressed: Jose Mourinho took issue with his Chelsea side's defending at Goodison Park . Unfocussed: Roberto Martinez said Everton lacked intensity at the start and had to chase the game . 'We were very good going forward, I don't think there will be many teams who will score three goals against Chelsea this season, but we were too soft with our defending. 'Every time the ball was around our 18-yard box we had a real fear of it ending up in our net. 'We now have conceded in three games and that is not like us at all. We kept 15 clean sheets last campaign. 'We need to work and focus. It is not the technicality of conceding goals, it is the feeling. 'That is something we need to change. Our attacking play was phenomenal and we need to bring that confidence into our defensive play.' It's not too late to play MailOnline Fantasy Football… There's £1,000 to be won EVERY WEEK by the highest scoring manager . | Chelsea beat Everton 6-3 at Goodison Park in a thriller .
Diego Costa opened scoring against after 34 seconds .
The Spaniard added his second - Chelsea's sixth - in the 90th minute .
Former Atletico Madrid star now has four Premier League goals . |
0e17a5bac1104cc59649551b0587157d82b893a5 | U.S. authorities are not required to release any internal National Security Agency communications it had with Internet giant Google Inc. after a 2010 cyber attack in China, a federal appeals court ruled Friday. At issue was a Freedom of Information Act request from a private group over the suspected collaborative relationship between the public and private entities. The NSA said disclosure of any communications -- even with outside companies -- would threaten government information systems. The agency had given the Electronic Privacy Information Center a so-called "Glomar" response, in which the government refuses to confirm or deny the existence of any requested records. EPIC, a privacy and civil liberties group, made the FOIA submission weeks after the January 2010 cyberattack on Gmail accounts, primarily targeting Chinese human rights activists. Google quickly changed its server encryption protocols following the digital attacks, and a top company official publicly stated its engineers were "also working with the relevant U.S. authorities." A federal judge eventually sided with the NSA and Google, and the three-judge federal panel has now affirmed. "The existence of a relationship or communications between the NSA and any private company certainly constitutes an 'activity' of the agency subject to protection" from public disclosure, said Judge Janice Rogers Brown. "Moreover, if private entities knew that any of their attempts to reach out to NSA could be made public through a FOIA request, they might hesitate or decline to contact the agency, thereby hindering its Information Assurance mission." Brown was backed by Judges Brett Kavanaugh and Douglas Ginsburg, all named to the bench by Republican presidents. The court noted past precedent giving the government leeway in deciding which information it wishes to share with the public. "In reviewing an agency's Glomar response, this court exercises caution when the information requested implicates national security, a uniquely executive purview," said Brown. "NSA need not make a specific showing of potential harm to national security in order to justify withholding information." The Glomar precedent refers to a 1970s incident, where the CIA refused to discuss a ship under its control, allegedly used to secretly salvage a Soviet submarine which had sunk. EPIC now has the option of asking the Supreme Court to hear its free-speech appeal. The group says despite Friday's legal setback, it has several other similar, pending lawsuits against the agency. Lawyers from EPIC had argued the collaboration between Google and the federal agency -- which conducts global electronic surveillance -- was widely reported in the national media. The private group said the agency thus had a responsibility to locate records that could be disclosed." The military's top officer warned last year of the "substantial" and complex threat to the U.S. from foreign cyberattack. "We've got to come to a place where those threats are diminished, if not eliminated," then-Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said in January 2011. "I would never go in, certainly in any area of warfare, into details on threats except to say they are substantial. We are focused on them." Mullen, who retired last fall, said that cyberspace is a lawless terrain. "The threat from China is significant," Mullen said. "There are other threats out there that we see routinely. ... It is an enormously complex and critical area that all of us need to understand a lot better and do a lot more about." The case is EPIC v. NSA (11-5233). | Federal appeals court affirms protection of communications between Google and NSA .
NSA said disclosure would threaten government information systems .
Cyberattack is serious threat says former chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff . |
0e185bd935f05e6645e3d853a7672ec3464c31b9 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:01 EST, 24 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:29 EST, 25 September 2013 . A toddler was mauled to death by at least five pit bull mix dogs in California on Monday while he was in the care of his uncle and grandmother, authorities say. Two-year-old Samuel Eli Zamudio was found severely injured with bite wounds in the backyard of his uncle's home in Colton, California around 5:30 p.m. Relatives said they heard no cries or screams from the baby, whom they suspect had entered the backyard through a window of the home. 'We found him outside,' Erica Vega, 23, told the San Bernardino Sun. 'He was dead, he was naked, he was dirty and his neck and face was bitten.' Scroll down for video . Two-year-old Samuel Eli Zamudio was found severely injured with bite wounds in the backyard of his uncle's home in Colton, California . Vega, who was at the home at the time of the attack, was Zamudio's future godmother. Officers responded to the house on the 700 block of West Citrus Avenue after receiving a 911 call reporting that someone had been killed by a dog. The boy was transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, where he died at 6:07 p.m. Police have arrested the boy's grandmother, 42-year-old Eusulia Zamudio, and his uncle, 23-year-old Marco Zamudio, on charges of child endangerment. Vega said the boy's parents had dropped . him and his 7-year-old brother off at the home around 3 p.m. and then . left to go to work. The brothers were playing video games in a bedroom when the toddler wandered off. There were at least 10 pit bull mix dogs (not pictured) at the home, including several that were kept inside . There were at least 10 pit bull mix dogs at the home, including several that were kept inside. San Bernardino City animal control officers seized five dogs and three puppies from the home, according to the San Bernardino Sun. Samuel Zamudio is the second toddler in as many days to die from a pit bull attack. A toddler in Arizona was killed yesterday after getting in the middle of a fight between three pit bulls. Two-year-old Daniel was staying with a babysitter in Gilbert for the weekend with his siblings when the fight broke out around 11am . The 28-year-old babysitter attempted to pull her dogs off of the boy, and was also injured. | Two-year-old Samuel Eli Zamudio was .
found severely injured with bite wounds in the backyard of his uncle's .
home in Colton, California around 5:30 p.m.
Relatives said they heard no cries or screams from the baby, whom they suspect had entered the backyard through a window of the home .
Police have arrested the boy's .
grandmother, 42-year-old Eusulia Zamudio, and his uncle, 23-year-old .
Marco Zamudio, on charges of child endangerment . |
0e188a8f5f928e11c504ee73d175ebf72689ce24 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 9:40 AM on 2nd March 2012 . A Kentucky woman has been jailed for life without parole for killing an expectant mother and ripping her unborn baby . from her womb. Kathy . Coy, 34, was handed the sentence after admitting to the brutal murder of Jamie Stice, 21, on the grounds of mental illness in a plea deal which allowed her to avoid the death sentence. Ms Stice's son, Isaiah Allen Stice Reynolds, survived the horrific attack although he was born five weeks premature and lives with his father. Guilty: Kathy Michelle Coy, seen here at an earlier hearing has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering Jamie Stice, 21, in a horrific plot to cut out her unborn baby from her body to claim as her own . Coy, dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit and shackled at the hands and feet, did not speak during the sentencing held today. She showed no reaction as deputies led her from the courtroom after the hearing. Warren Circuit Judge John Grise said the word evil is used even for small disagreements or disputes, and is overused by attorneys and judges. 'Here, however, was evil at work,' Grise said. Remembered: Stice's baby was five weeks premature . Prosecutors said Coy had befriended . Stice on Facebook and used a stun gun to subdue the pregnant woman last . April after luring her out of the house by saying they were going . baby-supply shopping. Police said after Coy stunned Stice, . she slit her wrists, cut the baby from her body and took the baby, a . uterus, ovaries and a placenta to a local hospital. The umbilical cord was still attached, police said. Coy, who has children of her own . living with other relatives, initially told police she gave birth to the . boy, then said she bought him for $550. In statements to the court and after . the sentencing, Stice's family and friends were torn between condemning . Coy and celebrating a murdered woman they called the 'Little Angel Mom'. Her cousin, Carolyn Miracle, said Jamie Stice had been 'ready to be a mommy' when she was slain. Kathleen Smith, the paternal grandmother of Isaiah, looked directly at Coy as she read a statement saying, . 'If you knew Jamie, you couldn't help but love her.' Smith then lashed out at Coy, who closed her eyes. 'The death penalty would be too merciful for you,' Smith said. Miracle said her family was . devastated by Jamie Stice's death, with her uncle unable speak about it . and others still haunted by the loss of the expectant mother. Miracle said her aunt, Jeannie Stice, had 'her heart stomped on' by Coy. Miracle baby Isaiah, pictured here visiting his mother's grave with his father James Reynolds, survived being snatched from his Jamie Stice's womb . 'Kathy Coy decided she would play God . and took our Jamie from us,' Miracle said. 'There's no amount of time . you can give Kathy Coy that would be enough. There is a higher court that will judge Kathy. The victim's mutilated body was found off a dirt road in southern Kentucky on April 14, a day after she had been seen leaving her home with Coy. Police arrested Coy at a local hospital after she had arrived with the infant but showed no signs of having given birth. Psychologist Eric Drogin testified . briefly before the plea was entered last month. Mr Drogin said he met with Coy recently and that she suffers from a . mental illness. Left for dead: Jamie Stice, 21, was eight months . pregnant when she was attacked and her mutilated body was found in woodland. James Reynolds, right, and Stice were no longer together when she was murdered . After . killing Stice and stealing the baby boy, Coy drove to the home of a . friend and said she had given birth to the baby. The . friend told troopers that Coy was in a car, wearing no pants and . sitting on the placenta while holding the baby, who had grass on him. The friend called for an ambulance . after helping to clean the baby and taking a picture of the newborn. Police searched Coy's home and . computer, finding links to two pregnant women on her Facebook page. Investigators found one of the women unharmed, but couldn't find Stice. Police would later find a stun gun and two knives believed to be used in the attack. 'I . then asked Ms Coy if that baby was Jamie Stice's,' Kentucky State . Police detective Chad Winn had said at an earlier hearing. 'She answered . "I don't know," I was alarmed by this.' Heartbreak: Jamie's tearful sister Angie, left, and mother Jeannie, right, being hugged by their attorney, pictured at court last month, have been left devastated by the murder . Coy eventually led detectives to a wooded area off a dirt road, where the victim's remains were located. Jamie Stice's body was found face down on the ground, disemboweled with her hands tied behind her back the next day. Mr Winn told reporters last month that Coy, who has two children of her own, had faked pregnancies and was obsessed with the thought of having a baby. In . further testimony heard last spring, the detective said that Coy had asked her . teenage son to help her commit murder but when he refused she said she . was just joking. She had told people she was pregnant and had been hatching a plan for months, it was alleged. She even stole a sonogram photo to help back her claim. Mentally ill: The killer was previously married to Shannon Coy, pictured centre. She was already a mother of two when she killed Ms Stice, having a daughter and a son from previous relationships . She even stole a sonogram photo to help back her claim. ‘She was desperate to prove to everybody that she was pregnant, and I . guess nobody believed her,’ said Ms Stice's friend, Ashley Reeder. ‘So I think she did this to show everybody that she was going to have the baby when it really wasn't her baby,’ she told NBC. Her neighbours in Bowling Green were all taken in by Coy’s baby scam. ‘She has been telling everyone that she was pregnant and we had no reason not to believe otherwise,’ said Darla Mueller. 'The miracle in the whole thing is that the baby made it,' Winn said of Jamie Stice's baby. Jamie Stice's 29-year-old brother Eric Stice: 'It's . heartbreaking, heartbreaking. We'll just make sure Isaiah . has the best life we can offer him. We owe that to my sister.' | Kathy Coy, 34, pleaded guilty in a deal that spared her the death penalty .
Jamie Stice's, 21, body was disembowelled, her throat and wrists were slashed .
Stice's family say baby Isaiah is now thriving after violent, premature birth .
Coy, with the baby still attached to Stice's placenta, tried to claim the baby as her own . |
0e18f603775fbfa5dc4bffdf1a53def4970e0e83 | Many women are understandably anxious about starting to breastfeed. But Chloe Pullen admits she was slightly more worried than most, after her daughter Rose was born with two fully formed front teeth. Most babies start teething at around six months, but Rose astounded nurses and midwives at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff with her pearly white incisors. Scroll down for video . Rose Pullen, 25, woke up from a Caesarean to find her newborn daughter Rose Esme was born with two fully-formed white incisors on her lower gum . Rose Esme was born with two teeth - but they were removed when she was three days old in case she choked on them . Mrs Pullen, 25, from Pantmawr in Powys, Wales had a Caesarean so was under general anaesthetic for her daughter's birth. When she came round, her husband Daniel told her their daughter had been born with teeth. She said: 'The midwives had never seen a baby with teeth before. 'Everybody came to the ward to see her – you could tell it was rare,' she told Wales Online. Teeth that a child is born with are known as natal teeth. Doctors say they occur in about one in every 2,000 to 3,000 babies. They usually develop in the lower gums and have little root structure, meaning they are often wobbly. Mrs Pullen, who also has a two-year-old son Thomas, said she and her husband were so surprised by their daughter's appearance that they sent a picture of them to their friends and family. She said the incisors looked like normal teeth, only smaller. And luckily, breastfeeding didn't hurt as much as she had expected. 'I was worried about breastfeeding her but it didn't hurt,' she said. 'I could not actually feel her teeth.' It turned out that Rose is not the first baby in the family to be born with gnashers - the family later learned her grandmother was also born with one front tooth. Rose's teeth, which were in the middle of her lower gum, were removed three days after she was born . This is often the case with natal teeth because if they are loose there is a danger of the child choking on them. They can also injure the baby's tongue when it is breastfeeding and can cause a breastfeeding mother pain. Rose had to be fed with bottled milk until the teeth were removed, but Mrs Pullen could resume breastfeeding again after that. She is still expected to grow a full set of baby teeth. Her mother added: 'I was given a little toothfairy box at her baby shower and I never thought I would be using it so soon - especially for Rose before her older brother Thomas.' Teeth that a child is born with are known as natal teeth. They occur in about one in every 2,000 to 3,000 babies. They usually develop in the lower gums and have little root structure meaning they are often wobbly. They are not usually well formed but can injure the baby's tongue when it is breastfeeding and can cause a breastfeeding mother pain. Natal teeth are often removed shortly after a baby is born because if they are loose there is a danger of the child choking on them. These teeth are not usually associated with any other medical problems. There is no known explanation for them other than that a child is more dentally developed. 'I was given a little toothfairy box at her baby shower and I never thought I would be using it so soon' said Mrs Pullen, who decided to keep daughter Rose's teeth in a jar as a souvenir . | Chloe Pullen woke up from Caesarean to be told her daughter had two teeth .
Baby Rose's teeth were fully formed - but were removed after three days .
These 'natal' teeth can be loose - so must be removed in case baby chokes .
Mrs Pullen, 25, resumed breastfeeding her daughter after the removal .
She and her husband have kept Rose's first teeth in a jar as a souvenir .
Doctors say natal teeth occur in one in every 2,000 to 3,000 babies . |
0e194a799611bc5e14761aa58bca8975de7940b7 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- The oldest known surviving copy of the New Testament gets the modern touch Thursday when parts of it go online for the first time. The full manuscript of the Codex Sinaiticus will be online a year from now. The British Library plans to begin publishing the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century text handwritten in Greek, on its Web site. The Gospel of Mark and the Book of Psalms go online Thursday. The full manuscript is to be online in a year. Translations of the Codex Sinaiticus have long been widely available, but publishing images of the manuscript online will let anyone see pages that, until now, have been viewed in detail mainly by academia. As the Web site becomes operational, it will show photographs of each page of the text, with links to translations in English and German. There will also be a search function. "It contains the earliest complete copy of the New Testament," said Scot McKendrick, the head of Western Manuscripts at the British Library. While the Codex contains all of the New Testament, it also includes part of the Old Testament and originally contained the entire text of the Christian Bible. The manuscript also includes the Apocrypha, 14 disputed books of the Old Testament that are usually omitted from the Protestant Bible. It also includes two early Christian texts: the "Epistle of Barnabas" and the "Shepherd of Hermas." The library announced plans three years ago to digitize the 1,600-year-old book, a tough job since pieces of the manuscript reside in four countries. "It was a challenge, but it was ... also very exciting," said Juan Garces, the curator of the project. Photographers took digital pictures of the text in United Kingdom, Russia, Germany and Egypt to put the entire manuscript online. "It unites something that belongs together," he said. The complete text once was housed at the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai, Egypt, before it came to the attention of a German scholar, Constantine Tischendorf, in the 19th century. He took parts of it to Germany and Russia. The British Library later bought several hundred pages from the Russians. Digitizing the text is a windfall for scholars, but the main goal was to make the Codex available to everyone. "It makes it accessible, and it opens up to anyone who can access it via the Internet," Garces added. Eventually, the manuscript will be translated into Russian and modern Greek. "The user will come to the Web site and will be able to look at images of each page of Codex Sinaiticus, will be able to zoom in and out and look around the page and see the page lit in standard light." Garces said. | British Library plans to publish world's oldest surviving Bible online .
Codex Sinaiticus contains all of New Testament, part of Old Testament .
Web site will have photographs of pages, search function . |
0e19c1704b8f8124c8b40661e0e717bc486f2bca | BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- Saad Hariri is poised to follow in his father's footsteps and become Lebanon's next prime minister, a position he said he "will not shy away from." Saad Hariri said he will discuss taking the position of Lebanon's prime minister with his allies. "I will discuss it with my allies," the pro-U.S. Sunni lawmaker told CNN. "You know, I didn't win this election by myself. My allies had a big role to play in winning for the 14th of March (coalition). And I think it will only be fair and obvious that we talk, me and my allies ... and then after that, if I have to do it, I will not shy away from it." Hariri is the head of the "March 14" coalition, which retained its control over Lebanon's government this week despite a strong challenge from a Hezbollah-dominated alliance. Hariri said he hopes to accomplish what his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, never had a chance to do before he was killed in 2005. "He accomplished in his assassination the sovereignty of Lebanon, the independence of Lebanon," Hariri said. "And I want to accomplish what he always dreamt of Lebanon being. "I think he would want me to do what's good for Lebanon, do what would unite the Lebanese people, and ... concentrate on the economy and the security and stability of Lebanon." The elder Hariri was killed in a massive bombing in February 2005 that also left 22 others dead. An ongoing United Nations investigation has found indications of Syrian involvement in the assassination of the popular statesman, but Syria has denied any role. His death triggered massive protests that eventually led to the withdrawal of Syrian forces, ending Syria's occupation of Lebanon. Saad Hariri said Sunday's vote "was about Lebanon" and not its precarious position between its alliances with Western countries and its Arab neighbors. "The people who went on the 7th of June voted for Lebanon first," he said. "It's not about the West; it's not about Iran; it's not about Syria. It's about we as Lebanese, what we want from this new parliament and from this new government that's going to come." Hariri ruled out an independent peace track with Israel, sticking by his previous assessment that Lebanon will be the last country to sign a peace deal with the Jewish state. "We will follow after the Arab initiative," he said. "You see, the Arab initiative includes many countries for the peace process, and Lebanon will come as we see fit." Israel fought a war against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon three years ago that is widely regarded as having empowered the Shiite militia, which claimed victory in the six-week conflict. Some analysts had feared that a Hezbollah victory in this week's parliamentary elections would have heightened tensions in the Middle East, particularly because of the estimated 30,000 rockets pointed at Israel from southern Lebanon, all under the control of Hezbollah militants. Hariri met Tuesday with President Carter, who is in Beirut with more than 200 international observers monitoring the election. Shortly before that meeting, Hariri said the United States will play a key role in the effort to attain peace in the Middle East. "I think the biggest turning point in this peace process is what the United States will do," he said. "The United States has a big role to play, and if it plays it in the right way, if it plays its role like it should play it, then we will have peace in the region. They should pressure both sides to move forward -- whether the Palestinians and the Israelis, whether the Syrians and the Israelis -- and I'm sure we'll get there." After the victory of Hariri's coalition, the next step for Lebanese lawmakers will be to elect a speaker of the parliament. Then, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman will ask someone -- presumably Hariri -- to form a government. In Lebanon, the presidency is reserved for Maronite Christians, the speaker of parliament is always a Shia Muslim, and the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim. That system was created to balance power among Lebanon's three main religious groups. | Saad Hariri hopes to finish what his father, Rafik Hariri, never had a chance to do .
Hariri's coalition retained control this week despite challenge from Hezbollah alliance .
Hariri: U.S. will play a key role in efforts to attain peace in the Middle East . |
0e1ae892a589599bc3095192a3d891ce17eeb71c | By . Chris Wheeler . Follow @@ChrisWheelerDM . Louis van Gaal is unlikely to get carried away by the fact that Manchester United touched down in England with the Guinness International Cup in their possession. The Dutchman is experienced enough to know that victories like the one over Liverpool in the final in Miami might score a few points with the supporters but are worth very little else. There are far bigger tests to come. However, the manager he defeated at the Sun Life Stadium believes the new United boss might still be in for a rude awakening when the new Premier League season starts a week on Saturday. VIDEO Scroll down for Louis van Gaal closely supervising Manchester United training . Looking good: Wayne Rooney scored in the win over Liverpool in Miami . Brendan Rodgers warned that Van Gaal will not have experienced the type of intense competition inherent to English football during his spells in charge at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Ajax, in countries where one or two clubs routinely dominate. Van Gaal has won titles at all three clubs in Spain, Germany and Holland. But Rodgers believes he will have a battle on his hands to add the Premier League to that list. ‘I think he’ll find the competition in this league will be different to any other league that he’s worked in,’ said the Liverpool boss. ‘In a lot of the other leagues, there are one or two teams and those are the teams that are expected to win. Silver lining: Darren Fletcher and Rooney celebrate with the Guinness International Champions Cup . Ajax (Sept, 1991) The Dutch powerhouses had won only one of the previous six league titles but Van Gaal, in his first managerial post, went on to win a hat-trick of titles, a Champions League trophy and a UEFA Super Cup. Barcelona (July, 1997) Taking over from Bobby Robson, Van Gaal won two back-to-back league titles and a Copa del Rey. AZ Alkmaar (July, 2005) Alkmaar had established a reputation as a solid, mid-table club. Van Gaal mounted a title challenge in his first season and after an 11th-placed blip in 2007-08, won their first title in 28 years. ‘This is a league where the top team plays the bottom team and on any given day you can lose. ‘I think the competition will probably take him by (surprise), and that’s from foreign managers I have spoken to over the years. 'I’ve worked closely with foreign players, and that real physical competitive nature will be different to anywhere else he’s worked before.’ Liverpool certainly did their best to emphasise the point in Miami. Steven Gerrard put them ahead from the penalty spot and last season’s runners-up could have been more goals to the good before United hit back to win 3-1 with second-half strikes from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard. It means Van Gaal won all five games on tour, albeit beating Inter Milan on penalties. When Rodgers’ comments were put to the United boss, he responded with the smile of a man who knows what to expect. All together: Juan Mata is mobbed by his teammates after his goal . VIDEO Van Gaal wants reinforcements . Touching down: Louis van Gaal arrives back in Manchester after winning in America . ‘That’s why I’m here,’ said Van Gaal. ‘OK maybe he is right because I have to experience that, but I was also in Spain and in my first year I won three titles. In Germany I won two titles. If I win one here, we will all be happy.’ Asked the value of winning the tournament, he replied: ‘Nothing. It’s nice for the fans in the USA — also at home — that we beat Liverpool. It’s not our favourite opponent, I think, for Man United fans. We’ve given a lot of pleasure to these fans and that’s very important. ‘Of course it is better to win in pre-season than to lose. But the most important game is Swansea at home in the first game, that’s the one we have to win.’ As well as managing two top clubs in close proximity to one another, Van Gaal and Rodgers also work under American owners. Although the Northern Irishman spoke of his respect for his new rival and his belief that United will be title challengers again this season, he still believes Van Gaal’s predecessor David Moyes was let down by the Glazers during his ill-fated season in charge at Old Trafford. ‘I think there were a lot of things at Manchester United that were not seen by many,’ said Rodgers. ‘David had to go in and where I felt for him is that he thought he was getting time. He signed a long-term deal and thought he had that longevity. It just shows you. You have to win games and hopefully then you get the chance. That’s where I’m very fortunate here. I’ve got brilliant owners. I’ve been clear in terms of how I’ve wanted to work and I’ve been able to work.’ Warning: Brendan Rodgers says Louis van Gaal will find managing Manchester United tough . Asked if United can emulate Liverpool by recovering from a seventh-place finish to challenge for the title again, Rodgers said: ‘I think it will be a totally different mindset. Domestically, for the last 20 years they’ve been champions 13 times. So they already have something in place. When I came to Liverpool, we were eighth at the time and the club was nearly going out of business, so it’s totally different. ‘The United players will be disappointed with where they finished last year, of course. With the quality they have, they will want to push on.’ | Manchester United beat Liverpool in the final of the International Champions Cup in America .
Brendan Rodgers thinks Van Gaal will find the strength of the Premier League different to anything he has experienced .
Van Gaal believes he has the experience to help United . |
0e1b63e01786ea4702979f40c647dae87e4ad6ba | By . Katy Winter . and Naomi Greenaway . Eat your heart out Demi Moore, Madonna and J Lo, there's a new cougar in town - and she's out done all of you by dating a man 60 years her junior. And what's more, as these pictures show, he's not bad looking either. Ninety-one-year-old great-granny Marjorie McCool has been dating 31-year-old Kyle Jones for five years. And in case you're wondering, the couple, who appeared on ITV's This Morning, have a rampant sex life, and a good one at that.Scroll down for video . Kyle Jones, 31, with Marjorie McCool, 91, who appeared on This Morning via satellite from Pennsylvania . 'The sex is great!' Kyle told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby as the presenters visibly struggled to keep a straight face. When the hosts tried to unpick Kyle's attraction for his great-granny girlfriend, Kyle from Florida, explained, 'Everyone has their thing that they like. It's hard to explain what visually attracts me to Marjorie, but I like the platinum hair, I like the skin, I like the features.' 'If wanted cheerleaders, I would have cheerleaders – you have to go for what you’re attracted to. But the attraction is definitely physical,' he added. If you're wondering, as host Schofield did, whether Marjorie is up to the task of satisfying a young healthy red blooded male, fear not. 'Sweety, I can put my leg up on his shoulder. I’m not kidding. I have pictures to prove it,' she confirmed. ‘I get good loving and lots of attention,’ she added, but admitted at first she was surprised by his attention. ‘I’ve often dated younger men but not that much younger,' she said via satellite from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, where the 91-year-old lives. Kyle and Marjorie stroll along arm-in-arm in Pittsburgh . Even though the pair get it on regularly, their relationship isn't exclusive. 'I don’t really mind, I did at first but I got over it,' said Marjorie of their arrangement. 'I’m the oldest and feel privileged. It’s odd for a woman this age to have such a younger guy and it’s thrilling.' Kyle said, ‘We have a very physical relationship. We talk on the phone every now and then, but it’s very sexual. We’ve been out a couple of times but generally it’s very physical.' When Philip asked bluntly whether they just meet up to have sex, Kyle replied, ‘It sounds so dirty when you put it that way. But that’s accurate.' One downside for Kyle is that the families are often suspicious. But the couple confirm Marjorie has no money and deny he has any financial motivation. Kyle Jones, 31, says he has never dated a woman his own age, shares a tender kiss with Marjorie McCool, 91 at a local park . 'Often their kids don’t like me and we can’t change that,' he said. 'I often get accused of being some kind of vulture. People think it's linked to inheritance, but not at all.' The other issue Kyle faces, is that his lady lovers are often nearing the end of their lives. 'When I went back to Florida, three of the . women I had been seeing there were no longer with us,' he said. 'I don’t believe in karma . but I could walk outside and get hit by a car so generally it's not something I think about. 'I’ve never wanted kids. I’m not against the idea of being with one women but I haven’t found someone who’s stopped me in my tracks. But that doesn't prevent Kyle from taking his granny girlfriends home to meet his mum. ‘Mums OK with it,' he said. 'At first she thought it was phase, but however many years later she now thinks, "That’s just Kyle".' Kyle, who says says that he always been attracted to older women, has even taken girlfriend Marjorie McCool, 91 (L) home to meet his mother Ceceila Jones (R) Kyle, who's previously appeared on TV across the pond said, 'Everyone's brain is wired differently, some guys prefer blondes, some brunettes, some like other guys - I like old ladies.' The call centre worker was just 18 when he first acted on his attraction for older women and began a sexual relationship with a 50-year-old. Now Kyle uses dating websites to find women as well as chatting them up in his daily life. He said: 'Most of the time, the average age I go for is between 60 and 80. 'Whenever I'm trying to speak to an older woman, the first reaction I get is 'you're way too young'. 'I find persistence is good so I tell them it'll be fun.' As well as Marjorie, 91, (left) Kyle is currently dating, Anna Reimol, 67, (right) and another three older women . Despite a 60 year age gap, the couple say they have an excellent and active sex life . In 2009 he met great-grandmother Marge - short for Marjorie - in the bookstore where she was working and asked for her number. Marge, who had been single for 37 years since splitting with the father of her six children, agreed to go on a date. She said: 'In the beginning I got jealous of his other women but he keeps coming back to me and tells me I'm the best. 'The physical side of our relationship is wonderful. I amaze myself, he amazes me. There's nothing better. Kyle mother Ceceila, (R) says she has realised that her sons preference for older women like Marjorie (L) is more than a phase . 'I wear sexy outfits to bed. I try to keep my bra on though because I don't have much left. 'My family consists mostly of boys, and they don't really care - what I do is my business. 'Their ages are 71, 63, 61, 52 and 50. 'When people see us out together they probably think that he's my son, or maybe even a grandson. I have grandsons older.' And while many of the women he dates can't believe such a young man would find them attractive, Kyle is adamant he does. He said: 'Often, the things women are so self-conscious about is what I'm into. I like the neck lines and wrinkles. 'Women worry about their boobs sagging but I think the natural hang looks great. I'm really not a fan of plastic surgery. 'I don't like to say gray, I'm a fan of platinum hair. I prefer it natural.' Kyle's mother, Ceceila Jones Clark, 50, said: 'I think a lot of children have crushes on their teachers, so it didn't strike me as strange. 'I really wasn't sure if that was something that he was going to stay with or if it was just a cougar phase some young men go through. 'However, later when I saw the kind of women he was spending time with I knew it wasn't a phase.' | Kyle Jones and Marjorie McCool appeared on This Morning to talk about their five-year relationship .
Kyle had first sexual experience with a 50-year-old aged 18 .
Claims he has always been attracted to older women .
Currently dating five women aged over 60, including Marjorie, 91 .
Says they have an active and satisfying sex life .
Often takes girlfriends home to meet his mother, 51 . |
0e1bc14edf50679d80b8aec2db4b6d7f01a62f5d | The strong military presence which surrounded England's arrival in Rio on Sunday continued as Roy Hodgson's squad headed off for their first training session in Brazil. With their World Cup opener against Italy now just five days away, captain Steven Gerrard and his team-mates travelled to the Urca military base on Monday morning to step up their preparations. The Three Lions, who left the Royal Tulip Hotel on their team coach, were followed by a large contingent of soldiers in an armoured vehicle. On guard: Military personnel keep watch as the England squad board their coach for training . Leading the way: Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson (right) takes his players towards the team coach . Time to go: England players including Jack Wilshere (sixth from left) head off for their first training session in Brazil . Positive sign: Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (left) was seen walking without a knee brace after injuring himself against Ecuador last week . On patrol: Three armed guards escort England players to training on Monday . The ultra-cautious approach mirrored the scenes on Sunday as Hodgson's men entered their hotel for the first time. A . host of military personnel lined up to watch over the 23 Premier League . stars and it was exactly the same as Wayne Rooney and Co departed for . their session under the shadow of Sugar Loaf mountain. England . will be put through their paces in the Brazilian heat for the first . time in a fully open session, before taking part in closed work-outs on . Tuesday and Wednesday. Hodgson . and his players will then fly to Manaus on Thursday, where they will . train in the jungle-like conditions they can expect against Cesare . Prandelli's side on Saturday night. You and whose army? Brazilian military personnel line up in front of the England coach outside their hotel . Keeping watch: Soldiers follow England's coach to the Urca military base in Rio . Picturesque: England's team coach makes its way towards the Urca military base . No risks: The England team coach heads for the Urca military base with a high-profile military escort . | England were greeted by a large military presence on arrival in Rio .
Roy Hodgson's squad will train at the Urca military base .
Players were greeted by soldiers as they boarded their team coach .
A military vehicle followed the England squad to their first session in Brazil .
The Three Lions face Italy in their World Cup opener on Saturday . |
0e1cc521ca2f98cdc7324d6a97f18f4e817cfe08 | The widow of a Florida cardiologist is inconsolable after thieves ransacked her Fort Lauderdale home and slit the throat of her beloved dog. When 69-year-old Elaine Vasquez came home just after noon on January 21, she found her back door had been smashed open. When police arrived to investigate, they followed a trail of blood to a closet where the body of Mrs Vasquez's dog, Papi, was found hanging. Devastated: Elaine Vasquez, pictured right with Papi, was inconsolable when she heard the dog had been killed . Connection: Elaine Vasquez with her late husband, Erwin, who owned the dog . A bloodied knife was found in the hallway, and the words 'You next' had been scrawled into the grandmother's front door. When Mrs Vasquez was told that Papi had been killed she was devastated. The dog had belonged to her husband, Erwin Vasquez, who died in 2010. Family friend Sandra Lozano, who works at the free Light of the World clinic Mrs Vasquez's husband had set up, was shaken by the incident. 'What kind of people could do that?' she said to the Orlando Sentinel. 'We were all moved because we knew how much Papi meant to Elaine. He was Erwin's dog, and her connection to him.' 'She babied that dog like she babied her grandchildren,' Ms Lozano added. As well as killing one of the grandmother's dogs, thieves ransacked every room, according to a police report. Mrs Vasquez was at a loss as to why she had been targeting, saying 'I don't know who hates me.' Break in: Police found Elaine Vasquez's home ransacked and her dog hanging in a closet with its throat slit . Inseparable: Cardiologist Erwin Vasquez, who died in 2010, with Papi at Oktoberfest . Several items were reported stolen, but details have not been released about what was taken. Neighbors reported seeing a white SUV near the single-storey home near the time of the break in. Mrs Vasquez's daughter, Lisa Miceli, said her mother had also reported seeing a suspicious car outside her home on December 31. | Elaine Vasquez's Florida house had been ransacked and a trail of blood led police to a closet where the dachshund's body was hanging .
69-year-old inconsolable over death of dog that had belonged to her cardiologist husband . |
0e1e33051f7d782d2643d645eff67157c37370a7 | By . Sarah Michael for Daily Mail Australia . When Carmen Waters took her dog for a walk with her boyfriend on Sunday, she thought it was just like any other weekend. She didn't even think twice when her boyfriend Kane Thomas pointed out a plane flying past with a banner saying 'CARMEN WILL YOU MARRY ME?' 'I looked up and saw and thought "Oh look there's banner, maybe someone's proposing," not even thinking,' Ms Waters told the Daily Mail Australia. Kane Thomas and Carmen Waters got engaged in Mona Vale in Sydney's northern suburbs on Sunday . Mr Thomas, 25, proposed to Ms Waters, 21, with a plane and sky banner . 'I even saw the name Carmen and thought "That's a coincidence" but didn't think it was for me. 'Then I turned around and he was down on one knee.' Ms Waters, a 21-year-old childcare worker from Mona Vale in Sydney's northern beaches, said she was in complete shock – especially when she realised their friends and family were in on the surprise and were waiting nearby. 'I said yes – obviously – then he made a phone call, and my family and his family were waiting around the corner and they all came over,' she said. 'Everyone was really excited and emotional. Mr Thomas had been trying to propose for weeks but kept having to cancel his grand gesture because of rainy weather . The couple met at a party and have been together for four years . 'Then as we were standing there like 100 dolphins swam past - it couldn't have been more perfect.' Mr Thomas, a 25-year-old concrete pumper, had been trying to propose at the Mona Vale Headland Reserve for weeks but had to cancel three times because of rainy weather. Last month Sydney experienced its wettest August in 16 years. 'It was the first sunny day in ages so apparently he rang everyone and was like "It's on, it's today!"' she said. Mr Thomas and Ms Waters were taking their dog Gypsy for a walk at the Mona Vale Headland Reserve when he popped the question . Their family and friends were waiting around the corner, and ran out to surprise Ms Waters after she said yes . 'I can't believe everyone can keep secrets from me this well, that makes me worried!' Ms Waters said she was so surprised because she thought she would be able to tell when Mr Thomas was planning to propose. 'I honestly thought I would have some sort of sign, I know him so well I thought he wouldn't be able to keep it from me,' she said. 'I didn't think we'd be doing a day-to-day thing, but we were just doing something we always do.' Later in the day the couple (pictured centre and second from right) celebrated their engagement with friends . Ms Waters described Mr Thomas as 'the perfect boyfriend' After the proposal the couple, who met at a party almost four years ago, took plenty of photos with their friends and family before going out to lunch in Manly. There was also a second surprise in store – Mr Thomas had organised for all their friends to celebrate the engagement at a nearby pub that afternoon. 'He is the perfect boyfriend and I've been living with him for three years and I can still say that,' she said. 'He's amazing, my parents absolutely adore him, he just treats me like I'm a princess.' The couple are planning to get married on October 31 next year - their five-year anniversary - somewhere on Sydney's northern beaches. | Kane Thomas, 25, from Mona Vale on Sydney's northern beaches, proposed to girlfriend Carmen Waters, 21 .
As they were walking their dog in a park a plane banner flew past in the sky .
Mr Thomas kept having to postpone the proposal three times due to Sydney's rainiest August in 16 years . |
0e1e81b1d3f131c0724ed526dbe02c1b3c4b1a21 | Giancarlo Stanton has agreed to an eye-popping contract extension worth $325 million over 13 years with Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins, the most lucrative deal in U.S. professional sport. It means the 25-year-old two-time All Star will earn more than $50,000 every time he bats for the Florida team and over the span of the deal, will make $2,853.88 an hour. 'This is a landmark day,' Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria told MLB.com by phone on Monday. 'I'm happy for the city. I'm happy for him. And I'm thrilled for baseball. Star: Giancarlo Stanton has agreed to an eye-popping contract extension worth $325 million over 13 years with Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins, the most lucrative deal in U.S. professional sport . 'We have a player who is committed to us, and we've committed to him for the life of his career. The deal includes a no-trade clause and Stanton, who is aged 25 and led the National League (NL) with 37 home runs last season, can opt out after six years, Loria said. The mind-boggling move more than triples the previously biggest contract reached by the Marlins -- $106 million spread over six years for Jose Reyes in 2012. The deal also exceeds the previous MLB record of $292 million over 10 years agreed by Miguel Cabrera with the Detroit Tigers in March. 'It's great for this franchise and the city,' said Loria. 'Besides being a terrific athlete, he's a first-class young man. I've loved watching him play, but I love this kid. He's just a special young man.' There will be an official announcement at the Marlins' ballpark on Wednesday, according to the report on the league's website. A second-round pick by the Marlins in the 2007 MLB Draft, Stanton is one of the most feared power hitters in baseball and, despite playing his home games in the spacious surrounds of Marlins Park, has blasted 154 career homers. Wealth: It means the 25-year-old two-time All Star will earn more than $50,000 every time he bats for the Florida team and over the span of the deal, will make $2,853.88 an hour . He led the NL in slugging percentage (.555) for the 2014 season, finishing with a .288 batting average when his season ended prematurely after he was hit by a pitch in the face by Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers. Stanton earned his first NL Silver Slugger Award and became the first Marlins player to win the Hank Aaron Award, which recognizes the top offensive performer in each league and is voted on by fans and a panel of Hall of Fame players. According to MSN sport, he could buy NHL franchise the New Jersey Devils, who are valued at $320million. 1: Giancarlo Stanton - Miami Marlins - $355million over 13 years . 2: Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers - $292million . 3: Alex Rodriguez — New York Yankees — $275million over 10 years . 4: Alex Rodriguez — Texas Rangers — $252million over 10 years . 5 (tie): Robinson Cano — Seattle Mariners — $240million over 10 years . 5 (tie). Albert Pujols — Los Angeles Angels — $240 Million over 10 years . (Source: The Richest) Shamed: Alex Rodriguez, who was suspended from the MLB last year following an investigation into use of prohibited substances, features twice on the list . | He will earn more than $50,000 every time he bats, if he plays every game .
Is the equivalent to just shy of $18,000 for every inning - at bat or in the field .
Deal exceeds Detroit Tigers' $292million 10-year offer to Miguel Carbrera .
Over the span of his 13-year contract, he will earn $2,853.88 per hour . |
0e1ee68ea729ec1ab625fc03c13ce778e0f27d6f | (CNN) -- Chevron filed an appeal with Ecuador's National Court to review a ruling that it must pay billions of dollars in damages for oil pollution in the Amazon rain forest. In addition to the $8.6 billion ruling, the court said that Chevron must publicly apologize to Ecuador, and if it fails to do so, the fine will be doubled to nearly $18 billion. The ruling Chevron is appealing was handed by an Ecuadorian appeals court on January 4, nearly a year after the panel received the case, the state-run Andes news agency reported. The case stems from claims that the company had a detrimental impact on Amazonian communities where it operated. Chevron says it has filed the appeal with Ecuador's National Court of Justice. "Throughout the course of this litigation, judges corruptly operating in concert with the plaintiffs' lawyers have created, rather than corrected, injustice," Hewitt Pate, Chevron vice president and general counsel, said Friday. Chevron's appeal is the latest in 19 years of litigation between Amazon residents and Texaco, which was later purchased by Chevron. At the time of the January ruling, Chevron said the appeals court decision "is another glaring example of the politicization and corruption of Ecuador's judiciary that has plagued this fraudulent case from the start." The company alleges that reports and evidence against it were fraudulent, and that bribes and corruption led to the original decision against it. "Chevron does not believe that the Ecuador ruling is enforceable in any court that observes the rule of law. The company will continue to seek to hold accountable the perpetrators of this fraud," the company said in a statement. When an Ecuadorian court handed down the original ruling last year, both Chevron and the Amazonian residents appealed. Chevron argued the verdict was the product of fraud and the plaintiffs said the size of the award was too small in comparison to what would be needed to do a real clean-up. The case, Aguinda v. ChevronTexaco, was originally filed in New York in 1993 on behalf of 30,000 inhabitants of Ecuador's Amazon region. The suit was eventually transferred to the Ecuadorian court and Ecuadorian jurisdiction. The lawsuit alleges that Texaco used a variety of substandard production practices in Ecuador that resulted in pollution that decimated several indigenous groups in the area, according to a fact sheet provided by the Amazon Defense Coalition. According to the group, Texaco dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic waste into Amazon waterways, abandoned more than 900 waste pits, burned millions of cubic meters of gases with no controls and spilled more than 17 million gallons of oil due to pipeline ruptures. Cancer and other health problems were reported at higher rates in the area, the group says. Chevron says Texaco was partnered with an Ecuadorian oil company when it operated in Ecuador, and that it spent $40 million on remediation efforts to clean up roughly one-third of the sites in which it worked -- an amount reflective of its 37% share of the oil-producing consortium with Petroecuador. It says its cleanup efforts were certified and approved by the Ecuardorian government and blames Petroecuador for any ongoing pollution at sites where it was the sole operator, according to documents on the Chevron website regarding the lawsuit and its history of operations in the South American country. | Chevron's appeal continues 19 years of litigation .
The fine will double if Chevron does not apologize, an appeals court has ruled .
The company says the case is fraudulent .
It does not believe the ruling is enforceable . |
0e1ff8c1687aefcf5c0e502d307ecacb20104933 | By . Steve Doughty . UPDATED: . 18:03 EST, 29 December 2011 . Taxpayers are funding aid to Brazil even though it has become richer than Britain, Whitehall officials admitted yesterday. Millions has been handed over in development aid in recent years despite the rapid rise of Brazil to the top rank of world economies. And money is still going to the Latin American powerhouse in the week it was revealed to have overtaken Britain in the world’s economic league table. Good times: Brazil, famous for its carnival in Rio de Janeiro (pictured), overtook Britain in the world's economic league table . The continuing aid to Brazil comes against a background of deepening criticism of the Coalition’s foreign aid plans and its determination to keep raising spending on development in supposedly poor countries. David Cameron and his ministers are pledged to raise aid spending, currently worth £9billion a year and 0.57 per cent of national income, to 0.7 per cent. Aid spending went up by £1.24billion in the last financial year alone. Yet money continues to be poured into wealthy and fast-growing countries such as India, and even aid to China, second in the world economic league, was ordered to come to an end only this year. Much of the money which does go to genuinely poor countries is said by some analysts to be soaked up in corruption or pointless projects. Brazil was this week listed as sixth in the world economic league table by the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The City think tank found that the country’s economy will produce more than $2.5trillion this year, pushing ahead of UK economic product, which will be just under the $2.5trillion mark. According to figures on the website of the Department For International Development, £13.6million worth of taxpayer-funded development schemes for Brazil remain ‘operational’. They include a scheme to work up environmental projects billed at almost £9million, another to ‘improve flexibility, agility and responsiveness in the implementation of DFID regional objectives’ worth more than £1.2million, and unidentified schemes costing more than £2.4million. DFID officials said yesterday that the spending was ‘historic’ and included projects dating from the 1990s, and that they were listed as remaining in operation only because of ‘an IT error’. But they acknowledged that taxpayers’ money is still going in aid to Brazil, in the form of a £730,000 ‘large emerging economies programme’ to ‘develop a shared agenda and promote global poverty reduction objectives.’ This project, DFID said, is to be wound down ‘at the earliest opportunity’. Tory MP Douglas Carswell said the figures showed the ministry was ‘not about helping economies to grow’. He added: ‘Aid spending is more about the commitment of DFID officials to expanding their own budgets than helping economic growth. Powerhouse: Brazil has been listed as sixth in the world economic league table by the Centre for Economics and Business Research . ‘If we really wanted to help economic growth in poor countries we would do it through free trade and cutting tariffs.’ Robert Oxley, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘The international aid budget is full of too many contradictions like this. Why should British taxpayers fund aid programmes in an economy bigger than our own?’ ‘DFID should cut its subsidies to countries who don’t need it and focus on helping the world’s poorest. It’s no surprise that the Brazil has leapfrogged the UK’s economy when ours is still tied down by red tape and plagued by interfering politicians.’ In March, ministers announced the end of development aid to 16 countries considered no longer to need it. They included China, Russia, Vietnam, Serbia and Iraq – but Brazil was not mentioned. A DFID spokesman said: ‘These are old projects in Brazil, most of which date back to the 1990s.’ Population - 62,262,000 . GDP - $2.253 trillion (based on 2011 estimate) Currency - Pound sterling . Area - 94,060sqm . Known for - Castles, The Beatles, The Monarchy . Famous people - William Shakespeare, Sir Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, The Queen . Big events - London 2012 Olympics . Population - 190,732,694 . GDP - $2,172 trillion (based on 2011 estimate) Currency - Real . Area - 3,287,597sqm . Known for - Football, carnivals and The Amazon . Famous people - Pele (footballer), Paulo Coelho (lyricist and novelist) Andreas Pavel (inventor of the Walkman) Big events - Football World Cup in 2014 . | Millions handed over in development aid in recent years .
Money still going to 'operational' projects in the Latin American powerhouse . |
0e20179f3ea218ccc192a3234e6cad90100cf531 | (CNN) -- The European Union has launched a fact-finding mission to determine the causes of the August war between Georgia and Russia, an EU spokeswoman said Tuesday. Heidi Tagliavini, a Swiss dipomat, will head the investigation into what started the Georgian conflict. The eight-month inquiry will examine the facts of the conflict in regard to international law, humanitarian issues and human rights, said the spokeswoman, who did not give her name because she was not allowed to speak publicly. Investigators will also assess the basis for all accusations made regarding the conflict, the spokeswoman said. Heidi Tagliavini, a Swiss diplomat and former United Nations special representative for Georgia, will head the mission, the spokeswoman said. The mission began its work Monday and was due to finish July 31, 2009, ending with a report to the EU, the U.N. and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the spokeswoman said. Georgia launched a campaign against South Ossetia, a Russian-backed separatist territory, on August 7. The following day, Russian tanks, troops and armored vehicles poured into South Ossetia and another breakaway Georgian territory, Abkhazia, advancing into Georgian cities outside the rebel regions. The two sides blamed each other for starting the conflict and have made accusations of ethnic cleansing. Moscow has since recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent regions. | European Union launches mission to determine causes of Georgian conflict .
Heidi Tagliavini, former U.N. special representative for Georgia, heads probe .
Georgia and Russia blame each other for starting the conflict . |
0e204f2fdd774dfa1d7a49dee47ee46cdfe8476e | Petra Kvitova won a thrilling match against Angelique Kerber to earn the Czech Republic their third Fed Cup title in four years in Prague. Straight-sets victories for Kvitova and Lucie Safarova over their German opponents on Saturday left the Wimbledon champion knowing a repeat in the opening match on Sunday would be enough. There was nothing straightforward about this one but after two hours and 57 minutes Kvitova prevailed 7-6 (7/5) 4-6 6-4 to reclaim the title the Czechs won in 2011 and 2012. The Czech Republic team celebrate with their coach Petr Pala after winning the Fed Cup on Sunday . Germany's team stand and applaud their opponents after receiving their runners up trophies . Having pulled back from 2-5 to win the opening set, Kvitova also trailed in the decider but won six of the last seven games before clinching victory on her fourth match point. It was an up-and-down contest throughout, and Kerber fought hard to stay in the match having been 3-0 down in the second, but ultimately to no avail. Kvitova told fedcup.com: 'It was an amazing match from both of us. It was a very big fight. Angie played so well and I'm just glad that I did it.' Petra Kvitova sealed the 3-0 final win with a three-set win coming from behind in both sets she eventually won . Angelique Kerber stretches to return a ball during an excellent display, but it wasn't quite enough for Germany . Asked how the achievement compared to her Wimbledon final hammering of Eugenie Bouchard, the 24-year-old added: 'This is on the highest spot for sure. 'I never had these emotions this year. Wimbledon was totally different, I was playing so well. Here it was really up and down and it was really difficult to be positive.' Kvitova is overcome by emotion after winning the final point to seal her country their third title in four years . Kerber and her team-mate Julia Georges show their disappointment after losing in the final . Â . | Petra Kvitova beats Angelique Kerber in three sets to seal 3-0 final win .
Kvitova fought back from 5-2 down in the first set to take it on a tie-break .
Kerber won the second set, but Kvitova again fought back to win decider . |
0e206912c1720b2994ad10f1526263733b40a70e | By . Louise Eccles . UPDATED: . 09:25 EST, 13 June 2012 . Murder victim: Leroy James, pictured aged nine, bled to death from a single stab wound after a playground fight . A boy of 14 was stabbed to death only 500 yards from a police station which was busy preparing for closure. Leroy James died in front of friends on a sunny afternoon following a playground argument. But as the teenager lay slumped against a wall in a pool of blood, officers were packing up their belongings at the station, which is being shut as part of cutbacks. If the officers had not been preparing to leave, at least some of them are likely to have been on patrol in Enfield, North London. Last night a local officer admitted that the station's closure meant officers had been 'distracted'. He said: 'It is a tragedy, but it is even more tragic that he was killed so close to a police station. 'That station was already in its transition phase for closure. 'It was working at half mast and the offices had been stripped bare. 'It is inevitable that the cuts will have an impact on our ability to police these communities. This is an example. 'Some of the police officers might have been out on the streets policing rather than busy packing if it was not being closed.' Leroy was killed on a basketball court at Ponders End Recreation Ground, in Enfield, North London, on Wednesday afternoon as children as young as nine played close by. A post-mortem found the schoolboy died from a single stab wound. Last night two boys, aged 14 and 15, were last night arrested on suspicion of his murder. Family tragedy: Left, grieving Leroy James senior is comforted today as he visits the scene where his 14-year-old son, right, was stabbed to death. Two boys were last night arrested on suspicion of his murder . Murder investigation: A forensics tent is set up . in Ponders End Recreation Ground close to a park, right, and some flats . following the killing on Tuesday . Leroy James Snr watches as police conduct a search outside Ponders End Recreation Ground searching for clues into his son's killing . A forensic officer, right, searches a playground near where Leroy James was found dying by police. Friends had been laying flowers at the scene since the youngster was killed . Leroy was the youngest of ten teenagers killed in the capital this year. The nearby A10 retail park, . including a branch of Tesco, suffered extensive looting during the . rioting last week. Five . officers are still based at the police station, located opposite the . recreation ground, which serves as a main meeting point for teenagers in . the neighbourhood. By . tomorrow, the station will have closed altogether. It has not been open . to the public for some time but is a base for neighbourhood patrols. Instead, officers will occupy desks in council buildings or shops. Yesterday, residents said the neighbourhood was rife with gangs who 'have got no fear any more'. Stabbed: Tributes were being paid on Facebook to Leroy James in an area of London hit by rioting last week . A police officer stands by the scene where Leroy James was knifed to death last night. The site has been cordoned off while forensic officers investigate . 1. January 19: Wing Juan Ho, 18, fatally stabbed in the chest at his home in Finsbury Park, north London. 2. January 20: Schoolboy Kasey Gordon, 15, stabbed yards from the gates of Park View Academy school in Tottenham, north London. 3.January 24: Student Ezekiel Amosu, 17, chased into the path of a bus by a gang in Walthamstow, east London. 4.January 29: Daniel Graham, 18, repeatedly stabbed near East Dulwich station, south London. 5. April 10: Schoolboy Negus McClean, 15, stabbed to death in Edmonton, north London . 6. May 11: Temidayo Fuwad Ogunneye, 15, fatally stabbed in Camberwell, south London . 7. June 6: Business studies student Nana Darko-Frempong, 18, shot dead in a drive-by shooting near his home in Tulse Hill, south London . 8. July 1: Schoolboy Yemurai Kanyangarara, 16, of Belvedere, south east London, had his throat slashed in nearby Welling . 9. August 15: Kelvin Chibueze, 17, from Croydon, fatally stabbed after a party in Ilford . 10. August 17: Leroy James, 14, knifed to death in Enfield . One . theory is Leroy was killed thanks to a 'territorial gang' dispute, . which meant a boy from Edmonton, with an N9 postcode, should not have . been 'hanging in EN3'. Roxy Bagun, 19, who lives next to the park, said: 'They had the guts to do it right in front of a police station.' Last night Leroy's heartbroken father, also called Leroy James, suggested that his son my have been lured to his death. He . said his son's friends had used the BlackBerry Messenger instant . messenging service to invite him to the park on Wednesday afternoon. Mr James, 41, said: 'I know they were sending BlackBerry messages yesterday telling him to come to the park.' The . scrap metal worker choked back tears as he said: 'He was my only son. I . am just trying to keep the faith at the moment. He was funny, always . playing jokes.' Mr James insisted Leroy, a keen footballer, had always steered clear of gangs and never carried a knife. Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode said officers had 'no intelligence' that the killing was gang-related. She . said he was in the park with half a dozen friends when he got into 'an . altercation' with at least one other boy and was stabbed to death. Police forensics work on the scene where Leroy James, 14, was stabbed to death . | Leroy James is the tenth teenager to be murdered in London this year .
Police station just 500 yards from murder scene is closing due to cutbacks .
Residents say area rife with gangs who 'have got no fear any more'
Two boys, aged 14 and 15, arrested on suspicion of murder . |
0e2073c1b5ac4ece1ef68bbbdcc4a88457b08d6d | Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Moammar Gadhafi's military machine pounded the western city of Misrata again Tuesday as France and Britain called for beefed-up NATO airstrikes to stop such attacks on the Libyan people. Witnesses reported heavy shelling in central Misrata, besieged for weeks and the scene of some of the worst fighting in the Libyan conflict. At least 10 people were killed and 30 others wounded in the heavy shelling, a doctor operating in two central clinics told CNN. The doctor, identified only as Dr. Hakim for safety reasons, said medical teams are exhausted from treating the wounded. Rebel fighter Moaath al-Misrati told CNN the shelling came after rebels killed several of Gadhafi's snipers. "We are expecting a ground offensive by the Gadhafi forces any time now," he said. The witnesses said all telephone communications, including mobile service, had been cut. British Foreign Secretary William Hague and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe both called Tuesday for NATO to get more aggressive in Libya, and a rebel leader issued a plea for the international community to carry out the U.N. Security Council resolution of March 17, which calls for "all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack" in the North African country. Hague told reporters in Brussels, Belgium, that "a huge amount has been achieved in Libya, but clearly there is more to be done." Juppe said NATO needs to fully embrace the role it accepted -- to protect Libyan civilians from Gadhafi's forces. "NATO wanted to take charge of the military operations, we accepted it," Juppe said on France Info radio. "It has to carry out its role today, which means to prevent Gadhafi from using heavy weapons to bombard the population." Specifically, Juppe mentioned the attacks on Misrata, where on Monday at least five civilians -- including two toddlers, a 75-year-old man and an Algerian worker -- were killed and more than 20 people wounded in mortar attacks, according to witnesses. In Benghazi, Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, the deputy chairman of the Transitional National Council, issued an "urgent statement" calling on the international community "to intervene and stop the massacres that Gadhafi promised in Misrata, and to implement the UN resolution in any possible means." Ghoga told CNN that the opposition has submitted a wish list of military equipment to Qatar and France. He said the list was compiled by rebel military leaders and he didn't know exactly what was being requested. Last week, when asked by CNN's Reza Sayah which countries were providing rebels with weapons and training, Ghoga said, "We are in communication with our brothers in Qatar and also with our brothers in the Egyptian republic and with our friends in Italy and France." He indicated in the interview that the weapons were on their way to Libya. Meanwhile, Libya's most high-profile defector flew from Britain to Qatar Tuesday for talks on how to break the deadly impasse in his nation. Former Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa flew to the Qatari capital, Doha, to meet with government officials and Libyan opposition leaders ahead of the first meeting Wednesday of the Libya Contact Group, formed in London last month and charged with implementing United Nations resolutions. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will also attend. In a news conference in Benghazi, Ghoga did not explicity reject the idea of opposition leaders' meeting with Koussa in Doha, but said such a meeting was "not on the agenda." In an earlier interview with the BBC, Koussa had expressed concern that the situation in Libya was spiraling downward into a grinding war, in the mold of the conflict in Somalia. Koussa, who fled Libya last month and sought safe haven in Britain after resigning his post in Gadhafi's regime, urged all parties to avoid plunging Libya into a civil war. "This will lead to (much bloodshed), and Libya will be a new Somalia," Koussa told the BBC. Koussa, a longtime Gadhafi confidant and a former Libyan intelligence chief, also told BBC, "The solution in Libya will come from the Libyans themselves through discussion and democratic dialogue." did not explicitly reject the idea of meeting with Libya's held a press conference on Tuesday and when asked if the opposition would be open to a meeting with Moussa Koussa - Libya's former Foreign Minister - in Doha, the Deputy Chairman of the Transitional National Council did not explicitly reject the idea. He told reporters a meeting with Moussa Koussa in Doha "was not on the agenda." An African Union attempt at forging peace fell flat when Ghoga and fellow rebel leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil rejected it on grounds that it did not provide any solutions to violence against the Libyan people. Gadhafi had agreed in principle to stop hostilities and allow outside forces to help keep the peace, his government and African Union mediators said Monday in a joint statement after a meeting in Tripoli. The African Union plan announced Monday did not address whether Gadhafi will step down, nor is it binding. According to the memorandum detailed by Ramtane Lamara, the African Union's commissioner for peace and security, the plan had four elements: . -- An immediate end to all fighting . -- Libyan authorities' cooperation "to facilitate the diligent delivery of humanitarian assistance" -- The protection of foreign nationals in Libya . -- The start of talks involving various Libyan authorities, including opposition figures, with the aim of setting up "an inclusive transition period" to adopt and implement "political reforms necessary for the elimination of the causes of the current crisis." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday that Washington is still "waiting to get a full readout" from participants in the African Union's peace mission in Libya. "We've made it very clear that we want to see a cease-fire," Clinton said. But she said there also must be, among other things, a resumption of water, electricity and other services to Libyan cities that have been "brutalized by Gadhafi's forces." She also reiterated the U.S. position that Gadhafi needs to step down from power. Ghoga, the Transitional National Council's deputy chairman, on Tuesday said rebel forces were "fighting in the direction of Brega" from the western gate of the "completely liberated" city of Ajdabiya. "Gadhafi's forces still have some elements in Brega," he told reporters. "We added more security personnel to protect the oil fields in the city because the regime is trying to strand us economically." "The situation in Tripoli is very dire," Ghoga continued. He said fuel and food there were depleted "because all fuel is being for the Gadhafi forces' need(s)." Ghoga also claimed that "thousands of demonstrators" opposing the regime were arrested in the capital and that "a large number of them were executed in the Saladin military academy," but didn't provide further details. CNN could not independently confirm those claims. He added that on Monday, "there was a massive demonstration in Fashloum in Tripoli, and the majority were hiding their faces, fearing arrest." CNN's Amir Ahmed, Reza Sayah and Ben Wedeman contributed to this report . | NEW: Leading rebel official calls on international community to help Libyan civilians .
At least 10 killed in Misrata shelling, doctor says .
France and Britain call for intensified NATO attacks .
Ex-Foreign Minister Koussa flies to Qatar ahead of an international meeting . |
0e208346b8622b537d48ffe30ad5f815d6a206ff | Russia is about to start tapping into a huge source of diamonds that could supply the world market for the next 3,000 years. Scientists estimate there are 'trillions of carats' lying beneath a 35million-year-old asteroid crater in Siberia - more than ten times the global stockpile. The Kremlin has known about the reserves under the 62-mile-wide impact zone since the 1970s. But it has kept it a secret until now because it was already reaping big profits in what back then was a heavily controlled market. In the money: An aerial view of the 35-mile-wide Popigai Astroblem crater in eastern Siberia which contains 'trillions of carats of diamonds' The Soviets had also been producing various artificial diamonds for industry which proved a lucrative enterprise. Government officials finally gave scientists from the nearby Novosibirsk Institute of Geology and Mineralogy permission to lift the lid on the crater's hidden gems in a meeting with journalists over the weekend. The official news agency, ITAR-Tass, said the diamonds at the site, known as Popigai Astroblem, are 'twice as hard' as the usual gemstones, making them ideal for industrial and scientific uses. According to The Christian Science Monitor, . the institute's director, Nikolai Pokhilenko, told the agency that the new . source would cause a radical shake-up in the precious stones market. Lucrative industry: These diamonds, weighing over 50 carats each, were found in Russia's Yakutia mine, which has been rich resource for the country, but nothing compared to the new one . Russia's lucrative diamond industry was fuelled in large part by the colossal mine at Mirny, above, in Yakutia, which produced immense profits for the country. Operations started in the 1950s when scientists discovered a huge diamond deposit at the site, some 4,300km from Moscow. In the following half century, the mine yielded diamonds worth at least $17bn (£10bn). The pit shut down 11 years ago due to dwindling yields and safety issues. The Russian state diamond company Alrosa later began mining underground, but this is far more expensive and came during the financial meltdown. The new source at Popigai Astroblem makes Mirny look like a mere rabbit hole and will bring a much-needed revival to the industry. 'The resources of super-hard diamonds . contained in rocks of the Popigai crypto-explosion structure are by a . factor of ten bigger than the world's all known reserves,' he said. 'We are speaking about trillions of carats. By comparison, present-day known reserves in Yakutia (a Russian mine) are estimated at one billion carats.' The stones at Popigai are known as 'impact diamonds' which result when an object like a meteor strikes an existing diamond deposit. They are also unique, which will make them even more sought-after in high-precision scientific and industrial markets. Pokhilenko said: 'The value of impact diamonds is added by their unusual abrasive features and large grain size. 'This expands significantly the scope of their industrial use and makes them more valuable for industrial purposes.' Diamond production was booming in Russia in 2007 when output reached $1.35billion, 98 per cent of which was exported to Belgium, Israel, South-east Asia and the USA. But the bottom fell out in 2009 when polished diamond production fell to an unprecedented low of US$350 million during the economic crisis. With world markets starting to show signs of resilience, this may explain why Russia has chosen now to reveal its hidden treasure. | Supply under 35million-year-old impact zone is ten times bigger than global reserves .
Kremlin discovered the site in the 1970s but kept it a secret until now to exploit tightly controlled market .
Diamonds at Popigai Astroblem in Siberia are 'twice as hard' as normal, making them ideal for high-precision scientific instruments and industry . |
0e20abd054b7edf93ff3f1161c3d7221de3f85f9 | By . Sarah Michael For Daily Mail Australia . They came from different worlds – she a former premier's daughter who grew up on Sydney's eastern suburbs and he a long-time drug user living in a halfway home in Sydney's west. But Harriet Wran, 26, and boyfriend Michael Lee, 35, were united by their abuse of the highly-addictive drug ice. The pair had reportedly been together for just two weeks when they, along with 29-year-old Lloyd Haines, allegedly entered Daniel McNulty's Redfern unit on Sunday and stabbed him to death in a botched $70 drug deal. Scroll down for video . Charged: Michael Lee (green jumper, left) and Harriet Wran (right) are both accused of taking part in the murder of Daniel McNulty . Police tape covers Mr McNulty's apartment on Walker St in Redfern where he was allegedly stabbed to death on Sunday . The drug ice is commonly bought and sold in the housing commission block on Walker St in Redfern . Police will allege Wran knocked on the door of unit B30 at the notorious Walker St housing commission block, as Lee and Haines waited wearing balaclavas and armed with two knives and a stonemason's hammer. Investigators will claim Lee and Haines had stormed McNulty's apartment once before, and again burst into the unit on Sunday where Haines demanded 'Where is it?'. Wran, a self-confessed ice addict, told police she was 'numb on ice' desperate for a hit when she went to suspected drug dealer Mr McNulty's unit and was 'frozen' with fear during a fight which saw Mr McNulty killed and a second man, Brett Fitzgerald, wounded on his neck. In the time leading up to the alleged murder Wran was sleeping rough in Sydney's inner-city Surry Hills and Redfern, a source said. Lee, who police say has a long history of drug abuse, lived in a halfway house in Fairfield in Sydney's western suburbs. One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said she had seen a woman come and go from the house in past month but could not confirm that it was Wran because she only saw her in the dark. Used syringes are strewn across the ground outside the apartment block in Sydney's inner-city . Police will allege Wran knocked on the door of unit B30 at the notorious Walker St housing commission block on Sunday, as Lee and Haines waited wearing balaclavas and armed with two knives and a stonemason's hammer . The neighbour, who has lived next door for just over a year, said new people were always moving in and out of the home. She added that residents of the house had knocked on her door 'covered in blood' after a fight, asking for detergent to wash their clothes and police had also knocked on her door to question them about disturbances. Other neighbours said men were 'coming and going all the time' and they usually left early in the morning and returned late at night. Meanwhile Wran, heiress to her late father and former NSW premier Neville Wran's multi-million dollar estate, was living off a Centrelink payment of $560 a fortnight and had been on the dole since as early as 2012. Following Wran and Lee's arrest at Liverpool train station on Wednesday the fact they came from separate worlds was again made clear. Ex-premier's daughter Harriet Wran is 'addicted to ice' and had been living rough in the weeks before a man was stabbed to death in run-down Sydney unit . The home of Jill Hickson, Harriet Wran's mother, in Woollahra in Sydney's eastern suburbs. Sources say Harriet ran away from the home following her father's death in April . The halfway house in Fairfield in Sydney's west where Michael Lee lives . During a brief court hearing on Thursday, Wran was represented by a team of lawyers including high-profile defence barrister Winston Terracini SC, who has successfully argued the innocence of many defendants in high-profile murder cases. Mr Terracini appeared in Liverpool Local Court on her behalf on Thursday where he did not apply for bail and said Wran would plead not guilty to the charges of murder, attempted murder and break and enter. Meanwhile Lee was represented by Legal Aid lawyer Gary Anderson, who also appeared in court on his behalf and did not apply for bail. Both are due to reappear in court on October 8. Wran started high school at all-girls private school Ascham in Edgecliff in Sydney's eastern suburbs. In Year 9 she moved to a different private school, Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School (SCEGGS), in inner-city Darlinghurst and graduated there in 2006. In 2007 she began a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Sydney. Neville Wran died in April this year. He is pictured here with his wife Jill and his two children, Harriet and Hugo . Full from grace: Wran is seen leaving Cabramatta police station on Thursday morning in a grey police forensics suit . Harriet Wran (pictured with her brother Hugo), 26, was questioned by police in Cabramatta over a stabbing murder that happened in Redfern on Wednesday . Support: Wran's mother Jill Hicks (left) arrives in Sydney from Brisbane after her daughter was charged with murder. Wran is being represented by high profile lawyer Winston Terrancini SC . A friend, who wished to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia she used drugs including cocaine and ecstasy while at university but she became more focussed when she started working as a producer at Foxtel's Weather Channel. 'It really surprised me she had fallen off the rails because she seemed to have herself sorted out when she got a producer job at The Weather Channel,' he said. 'She partied pretty hard at uni but it was just pills and coke. 'But when she got her job she was really career focussed and worked very long hours.' By 2012 Wran was sharing a rented flat in Hunters Hill with another man. Her landlord said large groups of men would visit the house often during both the day and night, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Police came to the property to arrest the man she was living with three months after she moved in. The landlord said when he inspected the property it was dirty and looked like a 'crack den' with pipes and cigarettes strewn around. Ms Wran (right) was by her father Neville's bedside when he died in April this year at he age of 87 . Glamorous life: Photographs of Harriet show her in more carefree times before drug addiction took over her life . Wran had been on a days-long drug binge before the killing and had been living rough in Sydney's inner suburbs . Following her alleged murder charge other friends have described her as a 'good person'. 'Harriet was and still is, to the best of my knowledge, a kind, intelligent, thoughtful, insightful and caring woman,' another friend told Daily Mail Australia. 'I know nothing of her recent involvements and reserve my assumptions till proper proceedings have taken place.' It is understood Ms Wran had a drug problem for years and was in recovery, but suffered a relapse shortly after her father's death. At the time she was living in the family home in Woollahra but she ran away. Her father Neville Wran was one of Australia's most celebrated politicians. The Labor Party icon was the New South Wales Premier from 1976 to 1986 - he died on April 20 this year, aged 87. Harriet Wran was by her father's side when he died in April. She and younger brother, Hugo, accompanied their mother Jill to the public memorial at Sydney Town Hall. But his death would spark a bitter family battle over the estate; which included a $10 million mansion in Woollahra, as well as multi-million-dollar properties in Woolloomooloo, Palm Beach and the Yarramalong Valley. Stabbed to death: Daniel McNaulty suffered two wounds during the attack on Sunday night . A second man (pictured), 42, was stabbed multiple times in the attack and he remains in St Vincent's Hospital in a stable condition . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Harriet Wran, 26, is daughter of former NSW premier Neville Wran .
She is charged with murder over a double stabbing in inner Sydney .
Her co-accused and boyfriend Michael Lee, 36, was a long-time drug user who lived in a halfway house in Sydney's west .
Harriet's father Neville Wran was premier of NSW from 1973 to 1986 .
He died in April and she read at his state memorial service . |
0e20eeba826bbbb1418d012ca67fc7cdcd8888a1 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:01 EST, 24 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:42 EST, 24 July 2012 . TV beauty Liza Irizarry is suing Selita Ebanks over claims the Victoria's Secret supermodel broke her nose in a catfight at a Miami nightclub. Telemundo model Irizarry, 34, says she was punched in the face after greeting Ebanks' boyfriend, former BET host Terence J, with a kiss on the cheek. She claims a drunken Ebanks told her 'don't be kissing my man' and struck her on the nose. Scroll down for video . Claws are out: Telemundo presenter Liza Irizarry (left) is suing Selita Ebanks (right) over claims the Victoria's Secret supermodel broke her nose in a brawl at a Miami nightclub over Ebanks' boyfriend Terence J . 'I went to swing back — that's when all her friends jumped in. I felt hair pulling and fists coming at me,' Irizarry said in an interview in her lawyer's Manhattan office. The fight, which broke out at 5am in Miami’s Dream nightclub last November, was broken up by one of Irizarry's male friends. It was only the following morning when she realised the extent of her injuries. 'I was in so much pain,' Irizarry, of the Bronx, told the New York Daily News. 'My pillow was covered in blood.' Days later, she had surgery for a complex nasal fracture. 'Don't mess with my man!': A drunken Ebanks allegedly punched Irizarry in the nose after reacting furiously when the Telemundo model greeted Terence J (left) with a kiss at the Dream nightclub in Miami last November . She said: 'I'm so angry, because she thinks she can get away with anything. Me saying hello to someone doesn’t give you the right to hit me.' Irizarry will be filing for assault and battery in Hudson Superior Court and is seeking damages for pain, suffering and medical bills. According to her lawyer Edward Steinberg, Miami police have not arrested Ebanks even though Irizarry filed a report and sent officers her medical records. Ebanks’ lawyer, Paul Rothenberg, says his client said the 'claims are baseless'. 'In so much pain': Irizarry claims she woke the next day with blood all over her pillow after suffering a complex fracture of her nose. She is claiming damages from Ebanks for pain, suffering and medical bills . In an interview earlier this month, Ebanks told how she was head over heels in love with actor Terence J, who this year has starred in Think Like A Man and Sparkle as well as taking up a new position at E! News. 'We’re just happy to be in love and be a part of each others lives,' she said. The Cayman-born model, who played a phoenix in Kanye West’s 2010 video, has worked for high fashion brands Neiman Marcus and Ralph Lauren, and appeared in magazines such as the Sports Illustrated and Vogue. She is best known for her work as one of Victoria Secret's 'Angels' from 2005 to 2009. Video: 'We're in love': Selita Ebanks on boyfriend Terence J . | Telemundo beauty Liza Irizarry 'punched in face by drunken Selita Ebanks'
Ebanks reacted angrily when Irizarry kissed boyfriend Terence J on cheek in Miami nightclub . |
0e2168b78cc9fbf40dac93a7a21795f5d5db8f3a | (CNN) -- Pat Folsom, 54, knows the importance of preventive medicine. As a health care worker, she goes for scheduled checkups. So when she went in for a routine dental exam last year, she didn't expect more than a cleaning, maybe a filling. But her dentist found something more serious. "She told me I had a lesion on my cheek and that it needed to be checked," Folsom said. "After a lot of tests, they found it was oral cancer." Folsom was surprised. "I thought surely this was a mistake. I never smoked, I never drank heavily, and I never had a family history of this. How could this be?" she asked. About 34,000 new U.S. cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year, and the numbers are rising, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. Although oral cancer has primarily been a man's illness, affecting six men for every woman, the foundation says that over the past 10 years, that ratio has become two men to each woman. The foundation attributes the rise to the increase in the number of women who smoke and drink excessively, because both tobacco and alcohol trigger oral cancer. But there is another factor. In some cases, women are being found to have oral cancer caused by HPV, or the human papillomavirus (version 16). Different versions of HPV are present in most cases of cervical cancer. Like cervical cancer, in oral cancer cases, the virus is transferred through sexual activity. Watch more on the HPV-oral cancer link . Based on recent data, the Oral Cancer Foundation believes in people under the age of 50, HPV may even be replacing tobacco as the primary cause of the spread of oral cancer. Folsom was shocked when she heard her cancer contained HPV cells. "I said, 'What? How is that possible?' " she exclaimed. "But doctors told me that it might have been caused by something I did, years and years ago. It could actually show up later and cause the cancer." MayoClinic.com: Mouth cancer . HPV causes irregular cells to multiply, The virus thrives in a moist, dark environment, said Dr. Youssef Obeid, a prosthodontist and director of Obeid Dental in Bethesda, Maryland. Prosthodontists specialize in tooth replacement, jaw restructuring, disease and injuries to the mouth. "The mouth is a perfect place for it to grow." By transferring the virus during oral sex, it stays in the mouth and causes lesions. Many eventually turn cancerous. "It's something we are very much aware of and look for, especially in women," he said. Folsom was lucky. Her dentist caught the cancer before it spread, a fact that Folsom attributes to her biannual checkups. When found early, oral cancer patients have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate. A good dentist will look for possible signs of oral cancer by checking the cheeks, the tongue, the tonsils and the larynx for possible lesions, says the American Dental Association. "That's why we ask the patients simple things, to move your tongue, move it sideways, stick your tongue out, say ahhh," Obeid said. '"We want to get a good view of the mouth." MayoClinic.com: HPV infection . Since Folsom's cancer was diagnosed in March 2008, she's undergone surgery and has had about four months of radiation. She is still in rehabilitation to help her chew and open her mouth wider. She uses a mouth exerciser that helps her stretch the muscles that were affected by her operation. She also went through rehab when she broke her collarbone after her radiation treatments, because her bones had become so brittle. "It just snapped one day," she said with a shrug. "That's part of the side effects from the radiation. It affects your bones." Her other side effects are minor. She constantly has dry mouth and carries water with her everywhere. She avoids anything spicy or acidic, because it can sting the area where the cancer was removed. She lost almost 50 pounds after the surgery because she couldn't eat. In some ways she considers the weight loss a good thing because it also reduced her high blood pressure and she was able to drop that medication. "For everything, there is a blessing," she said. Although Folsom is cancer free now, she said she is considering enrolling in a trial that uses a form of the HPV vaccine to prevent patient's oral cancer from recurring. MayoClinic.com: Chewing tobacco: Not a safe alternative to cigarettes . "It's been a long road to recovery. But I am very fortunate. I've had great treatment and great care," she said. "But the most important thing is I want women to be aware of oral cancer and make sure they don't ignore a sore in their mouth, or pain. It could be something," Folsom said. "And it needs to be checked out. That checkup can save your life." | About 34,000 new U.S. cases of oral cancer diagnosed annually; numbers are rising .
Chief factors are excessive smoking and drinking .
Human papillomavirus also sometimes a cause .
When found early, oral cancer patients have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate . |
0e23054428e8371125f0fa5b00bbbf58898784ee | (CNN) -- Entertainer Michael Jackson died after being taken to a hospital on Thursday having suffered cardiac arrest, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. A Los Angeles fire official told CNN that paramedics arrived at Michael Jackson's home after a 911 call. Paramedics took Jackson, 50, from his west Los Angeles home Thursday afternoon to UCLA Medical Center, where a team of physicians attempted to resuscitate him for more than an hour, said brother Jermaine Jackson. He said the famed singer was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. PT. An autopsy is scheduled Friday, he said. Results are expected Friday afternoon, according to Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles coroner's office, who also said Jackson was unresponsive when he arrived at the hospital. Fire Capt. Steve Ruda told CNN paramedics were sent to a west Los Angeles, California, residence after a 911 call came in at 12:21 p.m. Law enforcement officials said the Los Angeles Police Department Robbery-Homicide Division opened an investigation into Jackson's death. They stressed there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing but that they would conduct interviews with family members and friends. CNN Analyst Roland S. Martin spoke on Thursday with Marlon Jackson, brother of Michael Jackson. "I talked to Frank Dileo, Michael's manager. Frank told me that Michael last night was complaining about not feeling well. He called to tell him he wasn't feeling well. "Michael's doctor went over to see him, and Frank said, 'Marlon, from last night to this morning, I don't know what happened.' When they got to him this morning, he wasn't breathing. They rushed him to the hospital and couldn't bring him around." "Janet Jackson is grief-stricken and devastated at the sudden loss of her brother," Kenneth Crear, her manager said. "She is ... flying immediately to California to be with her family." Michael Jackson, the music icon from Gary, Indiana, was known as the "King of Pop." Jackson had many No. 1 hits, and his "Thriller" is the best-selling album of all time. Watch why Jackson is "as big as it gets" » . Jackson was the seventh of nine children from a well-known musical family. He is survived by three children, Prince Michael I, Paris and Prince Michael II. Watch Jesse Jackson share memories » . Jackson's former wife, Lisa Marie Presley, said she was "shocked and saddened" by Jackson's death. "My heart goes out to his children and his family," she said. At the medical center, every entrance to the emergency room was blocked by security guards. Even hospital staffers were not permitted to enter. A few people stood inside the waiting area, some of them crying. iReport.com: Your Michael Jackson tributes . Video footage shows a large crowd gathering outside the hospital. Some of Jackson's music was being played outside. The sounds of "Thriller" and "Beat It" bounced off the walls. Kingston: Jackson "a legend" » . Outside Jackson's Bel Air home, police arrived on motorcycles. The road in front of the home was closed in an attempt to hold traffic back, but several people were gathered outside the home. Sharpton: Jackson "was a trailblazer" » . Along with his success Jackson had some legal troubles later in his career. He was acquitted of child molestation charges after a well-publicized trial in Santa Maria, California, in March 2006. Prosecutors charged the singer with four counts of lewd conduct with a child younger than 14; one count of attempted lewd conduct; four counts of administering alcohol to facilitate child molestation; and one count of conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment or extortion. CNN's Alan Duke contributed to this report. | NEW: Marlon Jackson: Manager said doctor was at Michael's home Wednesday night .
NEW: Jackson said he wasn't feeling well Wednesday, brother says .
Former wife Lisa Marie Presley "shocked and saddened" by death .
Jackson pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. PT, says brother Jermaine Jackson . |
0e23162e5711abf2dbe938900eca25172ca332bb | Real Betis midfielder Alfred N'Diaye was quick to act and cradle a young fan to safety from the wreckage after the collapse of a fence in the stands of Osasuna's El Sadar Stadium. The on-loan Sunderland star was on hand immediately after the incident caused during celebrations for the home side's opening goal after 12 minutes through Oriol Riera. Elated fans for the relegation-threatened host went into raptures after the strike before spilling onto the pitch when the fence gave way. Despite eventually winning 2-1, Osasuna couldn't escape the drop due to result elsewhere and will join Betis, who were already relegated before this week's fixtures, and Real Valladolid in the Spanish second division next season. Supported: Real Betis's on-loan Sunderland midfielder Alfred N'Diaye carries a young fan from the wreckage . Spilling over: Police officers and medical staff restore order after the railing collapsed at Osasuna . Collapse: Play was suspended after a barrier fell during Osasuna's La Liga match against Real Betis . Relegation battle: Officials at the Pamplona ground ensured all was safe before restarting play . The collapse at Pamplona added drama to an already nail-biting final day of La Liga action. Play was halted for more than 30 minutes when the barrier tumbled to the ground following . Osasuna's early breakthrough before fans spilled on to . the pitch. Around 40 were treated on site for minor complaints and 10 . were taken to hospital but none suffered serious injury, according to . the local Red Cross. When play restarted the hosts doubled their lead almost immediately through Javier Acuna but their winning was only one part of their bid to add another year to their 14 spent in the top-flight. Their delay forced the Spanish professional league (LFP) to extend the halftime breaks in the other three games . involving relegation-threatened sides until the second-half restart in the Osasuna-Betis match. Collapse: An Osasuna supporter is helped by a medic after a fence broke at at El Sadar . No serious injuries: 40 fans were treated on site while 10 were taken to hospital with minor complaints . Elated: Osasuna players celebrate Riera's opening goal after 12 minutes that sparked the collapse . Not enough: Despite winning 2-1, Osasuna couldn't avoid relegation . In control: Police and security line the area of the stadium that was damaged . Valladolid, . who were promoted in 2011-12, went down following a 1-0 home defeat by . Granada, who along with Almeria and Getafe avoided the drop. Almeria . drew 0-0 at home to fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao and Getafe beat Rayo . Vallecano 2-1 in a bad-tempered clash between the two Madrid clubs which . ended in a mass brawl. Betis finished in 20th and last place with 25 . points from 38 matches, Valladolid were 19th on 36 and Osasuna 18th on . 39, a point behind Almeria and Elche. Getafe finished in 13th with 42 . points and Granada in 15th on 41. Atletico Madrid won their first La . Liga title in 18 years on Saturday thanks to a 1-1 draw at second-placed . Barcelona in a thrilling climax to the campaign. | Real Betis's N'Diaye was on hand when fans fell onto the ground during celebrations for Osasuna's opening goal at El Sadar Stadium .
About 40 fans were treated on site and 10 were taken to hospital .
No-one was seriously injured when the fence behind the goal gave way .
Osasuna beat Betis 2-1 but couldn't escape relation from La Liga .
They will join Real Valladolid and Betis in Spain's second division . |
0e24c5d0aa952d920cc7636ea96888ec279d5cfc | (CNN) -- The superheroes of "The Avengers" are more assembled than they are apart. After Joss Whedon's ensemble epic dominated most of 2012, this year's more singularly focused films didn't seem to resonate as well. We asked our readers to vote for their 10 favorite films of 2013, and while the usual suspects make this list -- including Iron Man and Thor -- it's a fiery young woman who seals the top spot. The cynical will smirk at the number of sequels and tentpoles that are counted among readers' Top 10, but just because moviegoers can enjoy a good action flick -- such as "Fast & Furious 6" -- doesn't mean they can't appreciate the nuance of something such as "12 Years a Slave." If you missed our voting period, feel free to play along in the comments. Tell us your top 10 favorite films of the year. | CNN readers voted for their 10 favorite films of the year .
This year's superhero movies don't make it into the top three .
Instead, the favorite film of 2013 is based on a young adult franchise . |
0e2634192c3007d600e03a6036fe4f3ca92dcad0 | This baboon wasn't monkeying around, it just wanted a ride. Jericho the horse looked less than impressed by the unwanted passenger as he tried to enjoy a lazy afternoon in the sun at an animal sanctuary in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. Nevertheless, patient Jericho gave the cheeky primate a reasonable ride around the grounds of Monkeyland and Birds of Eden, much to the amusement of onlookers. All aboard: Jericho the horse looks rather unimpressed by the baboon who has hitched a ride on his back . Come on up: A baboon gestures to a fellow primate to climb on to Jericho's back and tour the grounds . That's the spot: The baboon uses Jericho's rump to seemingly scratch an itch during the ride . How about a lift? The baboon makes friends with Jericho, left, and right, appears to be grooming the horse . The cheeky primate played jockey on Jericho's back and even rolled around, seemingly using the horse to scratch an itch. Monkeyland, which opened in April 1998, bills itself as the world's first free roaming multi-specie primate sanctuary and aims to rehabilitate and free previously caged primates. | Jericho the horse gives baboon a tour of the animal sanctuary grounds .
The baboon tries to entice a fellow primate up to take a ride .
While on tour the baboon uses the horses back to scratch itself . |
0e27b19535823bfa2035c0055dd923442ad21e39 | By . Will Stewart and Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 07:07 EST, 26 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:57 EST, 28 March 2012 . A Moscow oligarch whose attempted killers were allegedly fingered by the banker shot in London has claimed Russian 'terrorism' has arrived on Britain's streets. Alexander Antonov spoke out in support of German Gorbuntsov, 45, now in a coma after being gunned down in a suspected contract killing attempt last Tuesday. Shortly before the attack the wounded banker had given evidence implicating his own associates in an earlier mafia-style assassination bid against Mr Antonov, a key figure in the Converse Bank empire. Coma: German Gorbuntsov (left) was repeatedly shot outside a block of flats near Canary Wharf in an attempted assassination. There are now also fears for the safety of Larisa Gorbuntsov (right) who flew to her husband's bedside in London . At one point, the Russian authorities . regarded Mr Gorbuntsov as a possible suspect because of an alleged . $106million debt owed by Mr Antonov to Gorbuntsov. Yesterday, 61-year-old Mr Antonov claimed that he and Mr Gorbuntsov had 'normal' and even 'friendly' relations. 'He was not a part of the . assassination attempt. He had some information about how it was . prepared, and wanted to pass it on, that's it,' he said. Asked why Mr Gorbuntsov had been . targeted, he said: 'Perhaps because the people who did it were very . scared of this information getting publicly known, specially given that, . as I understood, German was adamant in his decision to make it public. 'So they went as far in the centre of . the legal world - I consider London to be the capital of the legal world . - in prime time, to carry out this slaughter.' He stressed: 'My personal attitude to . it is that it simply beggars belief, it beggars belief. How can you sort . business issues by such methods? It is terrorism. It is simply . terrorism. Shooting: German Gorbuntsov, 45, was attacked on the Isle of Dogs close to Canary Wharf . 'But I think the fact that it happened . in London does give hope to believe that Russian and British law . enforcement systems would together discover who did it, and get the . b******s.' Asked if he agreed that the two men . named by Mr Gorbuntsov to Russian prosecutors - Pyotr Chuvilin and Sergei . Mendeleyev - as being behind the Mr Antonov assassination attempt, were . indeed involved. 'I'm scared to give the positive . answer to that, is it up to the investigation and the court to establish . it. But they can be somewhere there. Nearby. ' Asked if Russians were behind the crime, he said: 'I agree.' Asked whether he would now feel safe coming to London, he said: 'Well, what do you do? You've got to keep living. ' Gun blast: German Gorbuntsov is pictured here being carried into ambulance after being shot in Canary Wharf . Gorbuntsov's testimony appeared to give the missing link in establishing who ordered the attack against Antonov. Gorbuntsov's lawyer Vadim Vedenin has . admitted in the Mr Antonov case that his client was initially 'suspected in . organising this attempt on his life', because he was present at the . meeting where property claims to the Antonov family were talked about . and where the Antonovs were threatened. 'This is true, he was present there, . we do not deny it. But still he is not in anyway related to the attempt . on his life itself.' Alexander Antonov, father of former Portsmouth FC owner Vladimir Antonov, lost the use of an arm after a 2009 assassination bid in Moscow. Three Chechen men were convicted of attempted murder and sent to prison on long sentences a year later, but police never identified the mastermind. The same gang was convicted of killing Ruslan Yamadayev, rivals to hardman Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya's Kremlin-backed president. Ex-Russian MP Yamadayev was gunned down in his car close to the British Embassy in Moscow in September 2008. His brother Sulim, a Kadyrov enemy, was shot dead in Dubai in March 2009 by men using a gold-plated pistol. In November 2006 Russian dissident Alexander . Litvinenko (pictured above) was murdered in London. British . prosecutors have named his fellow ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoy as the . main suspect in his poisoning with radioactive polonium-210. However, the Russian authorities have repeatedly refused to send him to face trial in the UK.' The lawyer stressed: 'He clearly said he had nothing to do with the attempt on Antonov's life.' It has also emerged Mr Gorbuntsov was preparing to claim political asylum in Britain for himself and his family. The financier's business visa, which had allowed him to live here legally since 2008, expires next year. It is thought the 45-year-old feared he would be forced to return to Russia and into the clutches of his many enemies. He said recently: ‘If I go back to . Russia, they will kill me.’ Last night Mr Gorbuntsov was under armed . guard in hospital after being hit up to six times. With . the would-be assassin still on the loose there were fears for the . safety of Mr Gorbuntsov’s wife Larisa, 46, and son. Mrs Gorbuntsov flew . to London to be at her husband’s bedside while their 25-year-old son . Vladislav is seeking a visa to come to Britain. Scotland . Yard yesterday appealed for a taxi driver who may have witnessed the . shooting to come forward. Mr Gorbuntsov was shot after being dropped off . by taxi at his apartment block next to Canary Wharf on Tuesday evening. The . banker, who had been at a business meeting in Bishopsgate in the City . earlier that evening, hailed the hackney carriage at 7pm. He had just . stepped out of the car at 7.30pm when he fell in a hail of bullets. The . hooded gunman, described as white, 6ft tall and slim, fled on foot. A . young blonde woman, reported to be Mr Gorbuntsov’s mistress and the . mother of his second child, was at his side as emergency services . arrived. Mr Gorbuntsov's lawyer also said the banker had been planning to submit a . political asylum request to stay within days. A successful asylum claim . would have helped him fight off attempts by Moldova to extradite him on . allegations of embezzlement. There . was also an apparent financial wrangle with state-controlled Russian Railways, . whose president is an ally of Vladimir Putin. An estimated £415million . was allegedly not repaid after being deposited by the business into a Moscow bank . whose ownership later passed to Mr Gorbuntsov and his associates. | German Gorbuntsov, 45, was seeking political asylum in the UK .
He feared he would be forced back into the clutches of enemies in Russia .
There are fears for the safety of his wife Larisa, who is at his bedside .
The financier's would-be assassin remains at large . |
0e27e4e505a3e380844c02f162e8a72a76966a7a | (CNN) -- Ugandan authorities did not initially detect an Ebola outbreak because patients weren't showing typical symptoms of the lethal virus, the nation's health minister told CNN on Sunday. Patients had fevers and were vomiting, but did not show other typical symptoms like hemorrhaging, Health Minister Dr. Christine Ondoa said. A team made up of personnel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ugandan health ministry and the World Health Organization early Monday were in Kibaale, a district in the midwestern part of the landlocked central African nation, WHO said in a statement. Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, also is involved in setting up an "isolation center" at Kibaale's hospital. National health authorities say the outbreak has infected at least 20 people, of whom 14 have died. Nine of the deaths were from a single household in the village of Nyanswiga, according to WHO. A medic who was treating victims is among the dead, Ondoa said. Officials are trying to determine the extent of the outbreak, CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said Sunday. The Atlanta-based organization was sending about five people to join a group of CDC staffers who are permanently based in Uganda, according to the spokesman. "These outbreaks have a tendency to stamp themselves out, if you will, if we can get in and ... stop the chain of transmission," he said. Ondoa described the Ebola-Sudan strain detected as "mild" compared to other types of Ebola, noting that victims' lives can be saved with intervention. The cases have emerged in Kibaale, where a national task force had been mobilized in an effort to combat the outbreak. As of early Monday in Uganda, two people with the virus remained hospitalized in stable condition, said WHO. One was a 38-year-old woman who'd attended to her sister, the medic who died, and another was a 30-year-old woman who participated in the burial of one of the other victims. The Ebola virus is considered a highly infectious disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, with symptoms that include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, measles-like rash, red eyes and at times bleeding from body openings. Health officials urged the public to report suspected cases and avoid contact with anyone who has contracted the virus and to disinfect the bedding and clothing of an infected person by using protective gloves and masks. Officials also advised against eating dead animals, especially monkeys, and to avoid public gatherings in the affected district. Given these precautions, WHO said in its statement that it would not recommend any travel restrictions to Uganda because of the Ebola outbreak. An explainer on Ebola . CNN's Nick Valencia, David Ariosto, Nana Karikari-apau, Jennifer Deaton and Miriam Falco contributed to this report. | NEW: WHO and CDC experts are in Kibaale near the outbreak's center, WHO says .
The lethal Ebola virus left at least 14 people dead in midwestern Uganda this month .
Patients did not show some typical symptoms, the health minister says .
The Ebola virus is considered a highly infectious disease spread through direct contact . |
0e2834fbb34cf9a3d6237fd43fd2871317e67a5c | Callous thieves who stole Christmas lights from a charity-run children's hospice were being hunted by police. The heartless duo jumped out of a white van before slashing the wires and ripping down the garden decorations at Julia's House in Poole, Dorset, . The theft was only discovered when staff at the hospice, which cares for children suffering from terminal illnesses, arrived for work the next morning. Scroll down for video . This is the moment that the callous thieves stole the Christmas lights from the garden at charity-run Julia's House in Poole, Dorset . Police have appealed for help in tracing the duo after branding their crime 'despicable' The crime was caught on CCTV and police are now hunting the pair responsible. Emma Shepherd, head nurse at the hospice, said: 'We are all so shocked that someone could steal from a children's hospice. 'We have children attending a sessions and staying this weekend and they will now miss out. 'Many of our children have sensory challenges or difficulties with their sight, but they can all see and enjoy lights.' The hospice has been inundated with donations of Christmas lights and decorations, including from AFC Bournemouth footballer Harry Arter since the theft on Tuesday night. Do you know the heartless pair? email [email protected] . The hospice has been inundated with donations of Christmas lights and decorations after the theft . PC Garry Weston, of Dorset Police, said: 'We know that a small light-coloured car or delivery van pulled up outside the hospice and a man got out of the passenger seat and walked toward the grounds of Julia's House. 'The van left the scene and the offender was seen to walk into the grounds of Julia's house before leaving carrying the lights. 'This was a despicable crime on a hospice which offers day and respite care for children with life-limiting illnesses.' The Grinch who stole Christmas cash: Thief caught on CCTV taking money which was going to be spent on children's Christmas party . A career criminal, nicknamed 'the Grinch,' was behind bars after being caught on CCTV stealing money raised for a children's Christmas party. Andrew Woodrup, 35, snatched more than £300 collected by a community centre to fund the celebration and buy each child a small gift. Heartbroken volunteers, who discovered the theft, feared they would have to cancel the annual event at Burnley Wood Community Centre in Burnley, Lancashire, for up to 50 children. Woodrup, who has clocked up more than 100 previous offences, had only just been released from prison when he carried out the raid on November 26. The CCTV footage shows him prowling around the centre before helping himself to two money boxes in the main office. Andrew Woodrup,35, was starting a 26 week prison sentence for stealing more than £300 raised by a community centre in Burnley, Lancashire, to fund a children's Christmas party. He was caught after being recognised from the CCTV footage . Jobless Woodrup, who started breaking into houses at 13 and was hooked on drugs by 15, was jailed for 26 weeks at Pennine Magistrates Court after admitting theft. Magistrates' heard that he was identified through CCTV footage and footprints that were left at the scene. When he was arrested he initially claimed not to remember committing the offence, before later owning up. He has now written an apology to the centre and claims he wants to repay the stolen money. Mark Williams, defending, said Woodrup of Burnley, had lost his methadone prescription and lapsed back into taking heroin. Speaking after the sentence, centre volunteer Karen Heseltine, 48, said: 'Anybody who steals is bad enough, but to steal from your own community and the local children is absolutely disgusting. 'He is like the Grinch who came in and stole Christmas from the kids.' Thanks to an urgent appeal the community have managed to raise enough money for the party to go ahead as planned. | Thieves targeted the lights in the garden of Julia's House in Poole, Dorset .
Pair slashed the wires and ripped down the decorations before fleeing .
The hospice cares for children suffering from terminal illnesses .
Theft discovered when shocked staff arrived for work the next day . |
0e29e9cf2a08c4b35ba840bde03b0537e3821a74 | (CNN) -- Pop star Ke$ha has checked into a 30-day treatment facility for an eating disorder. "I'm a crusader for being yourself and loving yourself, but I've found it hard to practice," she said in a statement provided by her rep Friday. "I'll be unavailable for the next 30 days, seeking treatment for my eating disorder to learn to love myself again exactly as I am." Ke$ha, whose full name is Kesha Sebert, is featured on "Timber" with rapper Pitbull. The song is number two on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. She also starred in the MTV reality show, "My Crazy Beautiful Life." The show gives an inside glimpse into her personal and professional challenges. In a tweet on New Year's Day, she talks about upcoming changes. "Cheers to this year being the best year ever," she tweeted. " 2014 gon be the year of truth and freedom." The singer and songwriter is 26. CNN's Rachel Wells contributed to this report . | She'll be at the treatment facility for 30 days .
Ke$ha's full name is Kesha Sebert .
She is featured on "Timber," which is number two on Billboard's Hot 100 . |
0e29f07a663f8c20309758d749c7fb698f3a1b78 | One minute, Colin Patterson was watching TV. The next, he saw pianos flying through the air in the shop where he works as an explosion tore through the building. "They flew off the ground," said the piano technician, who also lives in the building in Manhattan's East Harlem. He told CNN affiliate WABC that he crawled through the rubble and managed to escape unharmed. At least four people were killed in the massive explosion and fire Wednesday that leveled Patterson's building and the one beside it. Nine people remained missing hours after the blast, city officials said. Firefighters were still frantically picking through rubble in search of survivors. Authorities say they think a gas leak was to blame, but they haven't determined an official cause yet. The massive explosion and fire leveled two five-story apartment buildings. At least 63 people were reported injured. More fatalities appeared likely. Fire officials reported that two survivors suffered life-threatening injuries. Near 116th Street and Park Avenue, once the heart of New York's large Puerto Rican community, about a dozen firefighters tore at two-story-high mounds of bricks in a search for survivors from the two buildings, which housed a piano store and an evangelical church in addition to apartments. As gas and electric utility workers tore up pavement in an effort to shut gas lines, people gathered in the streets, many crying. "This is a tragedy of the worst kind," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "because there was no indication in time to save people." Call about gas leak proceeded blast . Con Ed spokesman Bob McGee said the utility received a call reporting a gas leak around 9:13 a.m. The call came from a resident at one of the newer buildings on Park Avenue. The utility dispatched a truck two minutes later, but it arrived after the explosion, the spokesman said. Edward Foppiano, the utility's senior vice president of gas operations, said the cause of the blast was being treated as a gas leak, though there was no evidence of that yet. A routine service check, involving a truck with special equipment, detected no gas leaks on February 28, he said. Foppiano said one of the buildings had a gas leak in May 2013, which was repaired the following month. A building department official said one of the two Park Avenue buildings that collapsed received a city permit last year for the installation of 120 feet of gas piping. The work was completed last June. In 2008, owners of the adjacent building, which also collapsed, were fined for failing to maintain vertical cracks in the rear of the building. The condition was not reported as corrected to the buildings department. There were a total of 15 units in the two buildings, officials said. Building department records detailed a litany of violations, dating back decades, for one of the collapsed buildings, including a lack of smoke detectors, blocked fire escapes and faulty light fixtures. The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates pipeline explosions, said it was sending investigators to New York. The mayor told reporters that the report of the gas leak, which he said came about 15 minutes before the explosion, was "the only indication of danger." Longtime resident, public safety officer among victims . Marisela Frias, 44, tried unsuccessfully to call her 67-year-old aunt, Carmen Tanco, a second-floor resident of one of the collapsed buildings for more than two decades. Frias called and called her aunt's cell number but got no answer, she said. "Always she answers right away and if she misses it because she didn't get to in time, she calls me right back," Frias said. "Calling nonstop and it goes straight to voice mail, which never ever, ever, ever in my years -- and I'm 44 -- of knowing her, ever cannot get ahold of her. ... All I want to know is she's OK." Later Wednesday, Frias told CNN that her aunt had died in the blast. Another one of the victims was a public safety officer at Hunter College, the school said on its website. "We are sad to report that, in an explosion that destroyed two buildings in East Harlem this morning, we have lost a member of the Hunter family. Sgt. Griselde Camacho, a public safety officer at Hunter since 2008, who worked in the Silberman School of Social Work building, died in the explosion," the statement said. "Our hearts go out to Griselde's family at this terrible time." The name of the other person who died in the blast was not immediately released. The injured included two FBI agents who were in the vicinity of the explosion, said New York FBI spokesman Chris Sinos. The injuries were not life-threatening. Blast shook Manhattan for blocks . One woman tried in vain to find her husband, Jordy Salas, who may have been on the second floor of one of the collapsed buildings. She fainted and was taken to a hospital. "We're expending every effort to locate each and every loved one," de Blasio told reporters at the scene. "Hopefully we'll find that some of them are in other parts of the city and have just not been located yet." Neighbors: Blast sounded like a bomb . Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said responding firefighters barely missed the blast. "If we were here five minutes earlier we may have had some fatalities among firefighters," he said. "Not being here may have saved some lives." A new problem complicated search efforts Wednesday night, as a sinkhole in front of the collapsed buildings stopped firefighters from accessing some of the wreckage. "Heavy equipment, required to remove additional debris, cannot be brought to the scene unit the sinkhole is mitigated," the New York Fire Department said. "That mitigation is in process and will likely take several hours." Clouds of dark smoke rose over the largely residential area of redbrick tenements and small businesses after the explosion, which some residents said sounded like a bomb. Hundreds of firefighters responded, many spraying water on the roaring blaze from ladders. Metro North commuter rail service was suspended as debris from the explosion landed on the elevated tracks across the street, authorities said. Service was restored later Wednesday, with trains running at reduced speed near the blast site. "I heard a big explosion," said a resident who identified herself as Angelica. "I didn't know what was going on. ... My neighbors came banging on my door, telling me to get out. I guess they were evacuating the building. And I couldn't get out. My door was jammed. Everything on my windowsill fell. I guess the impact of the explosion jammed the door as well." She added, "It was extremely loud. I couldn't even explain it to you, if I could. It was just so loud. It woke me out of my sleep. That's how loud it was." Molley Mills, who lives nearby, said at the time of the explosion her building rumbled as if the subway was passing beneath it. "I went outside my terrace and there was smoke pouring out," she said. The New York police bomb squad responded to the scene, according to a law enforcement source. Once a predominantly Italian neighborhood, the stretch of East Harlem saw a large influx of Puerto Ricans in the 1950s. It went on to be called Spanish Harlem. In the 1990s, many Mexican immigrants began to move into the area, which has been gentrified in recent years, with many mom-and-pop shops replaced by restaurants and bars. CNN first learned of this story via Twitter. | At least nine people are unaccounted for hours after the blast, city officials say .
A woman tells CNN her aunt was among the victims killed .
A sinkhole in front of the buildings complicates search efforts .
At least 3 people were killed in the blast, which leveled two apartment buildings . |
0e29fe4ef8d4632fe22edf858ade5b6ba7e3b4ec | (CNN) -- A toddler was found sleeping in a parked car outside a Connecticut bar early Saturday, hours after police discovered her allegedly intoxicated and incapacitated mother sleeping inside the bar. Shortly before midnight Friday, Bristol police officers responded to a call about an intoxicated woman sleeping at City Sports. The woman, identified as 22-year-old Kelsey James, was taken to Bristol Hospital for treatment and evaluation, according to a Bristol police press release. More than five hours later, James was lucid and asked hospital staff about her 2-year-old daughter, police said. Police officers obtained a description of James' car, which was parked in the City Sports parking lot. Police found the toddler sleeping in a car seat. The child was taken to Bristol Hospital for evaluation and was being held for Connecticut child welfare authorities, police said. James, a Bristol resident, was arrested Saturday and charged with risk of injury to a minor and leaving an unsupervised child in a motor vehicle. She was released on a $50,000 surety bond for appearance in Bristol Superior Court on September 2, police said. Attempts to reach James for comment were unsuccessful. Should the government step in to prevent hot car deaths? On Wednesday, the Connecticut medical examiner ruled the death of a 15-month-old boy who was left in his father's car in July a homicide. The cause of Benjamin Seitz's death was hyperthermia because of environmental exposure, the state medical examiner said. On July 7, Kyle Seitz was supposed to drop his son off at day care in Ridgefield, Connecticut, but the dropoff never occurred, his wife, Lindsey Rogers-Seitz told CNN last month. Seitz drove to work, and at the end of the day, picked Ben up at day care, only to realize he was not there. That was when Seitz found his son in the car. He rushed the child to the hospital, but Ben had died. No criminal charges have beeen filed in the boy's death, but state prosecutors said the investigation was continuing. Benjamin Seitz's death came in the wake of the June case of 22-month-old Cooper Harris, whose death after being left in a hot car in Georgia drew international attention. | Police say mother was in bar while daughter slept in car .
The child is taken to a Connecticut hospital for evaluation .
Mom faces two charges . |
0e29ff26a3cca8bb82bef8769618640ed0391a1c | By . Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:40 EST, 4 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:17 EST, 4 June 2013 . Ohio State University President Gordon Gee announced his retirement and is downplaying the impact that his controversial comments about Roman Catholics at rival school Notre Dame had on his decision. The 69-year-old Gee cited his age, major upcoming planning changes at the university, his desire not to lose the university provost to another job along with the remarks as he explained why he is leaving. The comments that likely had a very large impact on his decision to leave were recorded at a meeting last year, where he was heard saying that Notre Dame was never invited to join the Big Ten conference because the university's priests were not good partners, joking that 'those damn Catholics' can't be trusted. In trouble: Ohio State University president Gordon Gee was heard in a recording joking that the priests at Notre Dame University 'can't be trusted' and that's why they were never accepted into the Big 10 conference . Gee acknowledges he is facing what he calls headwinds. Gee calls himself a 'quirky' person . who decided it was best to leave quickly- making his exit next month in . the middle of summer. Ohio State trustee chairman Robert . Schottenstein says Gee's decision is not about a letter trustees sent . him in March ordering him to watch his public remarks or about any . dwindling support on the board. At the fateful conference which was . held last December, Gee also took shots at schools in the Southeastern . Conference and the University of Louisville, according to the recording . of the December meeting of the school's Athletic Council that The . Associated Press obtained under a public records request. The university called the statements inappropriate and said Gee is undergoing a 'remediation plan' because of the remarks. Gee apologized in a statement released to the AP. All about football: Notre Dame (pictured) are rivals with Ohio State both because of skill and their proximity . 'The comments I made were just plain wrong, and in no way do they reflect what the university stands for,' he said. 'They were a poor attempt at humor and entirely inappropriate. There is no excuse for this and I am deeply sorry.' Gee, . who has taken heat previously for uncouth remarks, told members of the . council that he negotiated with Notre Dame officials during his first . term at Ohio State, which began more than two decades ago. 'The . fathers are holy on Sunday, and they're holy hell on the rest of the . week,' Gee said to laughter at the December 5 meeting attended by . Athletic Director Gene Smith and several other athletic department . members, along with professors and students. 'You just can't trust those damn Catholics on a Thursday or a Friday, and so, literally, I can say that,' said Gee, a Mormon. The . Big Ten had for years courted Notre Dame, but the school resisted as it . sought to retain its independent status in college football. In . September, the school announced that it would join the Atlantic Coast . Conference in all sports except football. It also agreed to play five . football games each year against ACC teams. In the recording, Gee referred . specifically to dealing with the Reverend Ned Joyce, Notre Dame's . longtime executive vice president, who died in 2004. 'Father Joyce was one of those people who ran the university for many, many years,' Gee said. Gee said the Atlantic Coast Conference added Notre Dame at a time when it was feeling vulnerable. 'Notre Dame wanted to have its cake and eat it, too,' Gee said, according to the recording and a copy of the meeting's minutes. Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown called the remarks regrettable, especially the reference to Joyce, 'who served Notre Dame and collegiate athletics so well and for so long.' Gee contacted Notre Dame's president, the Reverend John Jenkins, to offer an apology that was accepted, Brown said Thursday in an email. Ohio State trustees learned of . 'certain offensive statements' by Gee in January, met with the president . at length and created the remediation plan for Gee to 'address his . behavior,' board president Robert Schottenstein said in a statement. Comments . by a university leader about 'particular groups, classes of people or . individuals are wholly unacceptable,' Schottenstein said. 'These . statements were inappropriate, were not presidential in nature and do . not comport with the core values of the university.' Irish spirit: The Notre Dame mascot is a fiery leprechaun who symbolizes 'the fighting Irish' Gee . has gotten in trouble before for offhand remarks, most recently during a . memorabilia-for-cash and tattoos scandal that cost football coach Jim . Tressel his job. Tressel had known about allegations that players were . trading game paraphernalia for money and tattoos but didn't tell the . university. Gee was asked in . March 2011 whether he had considered firing Tressel. He responded: 'No, . are you kidding? Let me just be very clear: I'm just hopeful the coach . doesn't dismiss me.' Tressel stepped down three months later. In . November 2010, Gee boasted that Ohio State's football schedule didn't . include teams on par with the 'Little Sisters of the Poor.' An . apologetic Gee later sent a personal check to the real Little Sisters of . the Poor in northwest Ohio and followed up with a visit to the nuns . months later. Offending the Church: In the recording, Gee took a swipe at the former Notre Dame Vice President Rev. Ned Joyce who died in 2004 (left). He has since contacted Notre Dame's president Reverend John Jenkins (right), to offer an apology that was accepted . Last year, Gee apologized for . comparing the problem of coordinating the school's many divisions to the . Polish army, an off-the-cuff remark that a Polish-American group called . a 'slanderous' display of bigotry and ignorance. In 1992, in a moment of frustration . over higher education funding, Gee told a student newspaper reporter, . 'the governor's a damn dummy.' Then-Gov. George Voinovich laughed it off . and the two became allies in the push for more education dollars. Gee has one of the highest-profile resumes of any college president in recent history. He . has held the top job at West Virginia University, the University of . Colorado, Brown University and Vanderbilt University. He was Ohio State . president from 1990 to 1997, and returned in 2007. He earns about $1.9 . million annually in base pay, deferred and performance compensation and . retirement benefits. | Ohio State University president was overheard at a conference taking a swipe at the rival school's religious heritage .
Notre Dame is a Catholic school while Ohio is a public state school . |
0e2bc4374366bcb159a488d6e02bb662b1cfc46f | An experimental drug could help millions of women across the world combat cellulite . An experimental drug could help combat the dreaded cellulite that plagues millions of women across the world, new research has revealed. A trial carried out in the U.S. by Auxilium Pharmaceuticals has shown a 'significant improvement' in the appearance of 'orange peel' skin on the thighs and buttocks of the women taking part. Cellulite is a term to describe lumpy, dimpled flesh on the thighs, buttocks and abdomen, and is most common in adolescent and adult women. The new study could provide a ray of hope for those women left feeling self-conscious by the condition, which is not serious but can be unsightly. There are currently no treatments for cellulite in the U.S. that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The study involved 150 women between the ages of 18 and 45. Each participant received up to three treatment sessions of the drug Xiaflex (CCH) or a placebo. The treatment sessions were around 21 days apart and up to 12 injections were administered into the dimpled skin on the buttock or thigh. The findings revealed 68 per cent of those women receiving the high to mid dosage of the drug reported being 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with their cellulite treatment. That compared to just 34 per cent of the patients given the placebo. Cellulite is a localised metabolic disorder of tissue under the skin. It affects between 85 to 98 per cent women, of all ethnicities. The condition can involve the loss of elasticity or shrinking of collagen cords, called 'septae', that attach the skin to the muscle layers below. When fat in cellulite prone areas swells and expands, the septae tether the skin, which causes surface dimpling characteristic of cellulite. Xiaflex works by targeting and breaking those collagen tethers with the goal of reducing the skin dimpling and potentially resulting in the smoothing of the skin. Adrian Adams, chief executive and president of Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, said: 'We continue to be encouraged by the promising and positive results of our program. 'We believe these data establish proof of concerpt for CCH as a potential treatment for cellulite and enable Auxilium to pursue our development and regulatory strategy to most efficiently and effectively advance this exciting program. 'We look forward to initiating a planned Phase 2b clinical trial in the second quarter of 2015.' A trial carried out by Auxilium Pharmaceuticals in the U.S. tested the drug Xiaflex on a study-group of 150 women aged 18 to 45. Of those receiving high to mid doses, 68 per cent reported being 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with their treatment. Pictured is a diagram showing the difference between normal skin and cellulite . James Tursi, chief medical officer of the company, added: 'These data have exceeded our expectations, demonstrating statistically significant improvements in cellulite as measured by both physicians and patients. 'These are challenging endpoints and ones that we believe are critical in the context of regulatory consideration. 'We are continuing to analyse these exciting data and will be gathering key opinion leader and regulatory input and look forward to publishing and presenting our findings in peer-reviewed venues in the future.' Despite multiple therapeutic approaches for the attempted treatment of cellulite, there are no FDA-approved treatments and little scientific evidence that any current treatments are beneficial. Xiaflex is a medicine manufactured from biological sources, that already has FDA approval, as well as approval in Europe, Canada and Australia for the treatment of Dupuytren's contracture - a progressive hand disease that prevents the patient from straightening and properly using their fingers. It is also FDA approved to treat men with curvature of the penis, a condition known as Peyronie's disease. | U.S. firm Auxilium Pharmaceuticals trialled the drug Xiaflex on 150 women .
Cellulite is suffered by 85 to 98% of women who have passed puberty .
It is a term used to describe lumpy, dimpled flesh on thighs and buttocks .
68% of women receiving high to mid dose of the drug during the trial reported being 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with the treatment . |
0e2c461651d7daa70ccc01b50846185e533d3f4e | By . Nazia Parveen . PUBLISHED: . 20:26 EST, 5 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:45 EST, 6 March 2013 . Distress: Frances Raftery, 71, said the email she received telling her she was excluded from the NHS protest rally was 'disgusting' A former NHS worker has been excluded from a protest rally to fight the closure of her local casualty unit because she supports UKIP. Frances Raftery, 71, contacted a campaign group to say she would be attending their meeting to help them challenge changes to local NHS services. The widowed grandmother revealed she was a UKIP member, but was left ‘incredibly distressed’ when she received a response making it clear she would not be welcome at the meeting, being held last night. Karen Reissmann, campaign co-ordinator of Save Bolton Health Services, told Mrs Raftery the group represented ‘multi-cultural’ Britain and was ‘not for scapegoating any part of the community for the problems in the NHS’. Her letter added that they had members ‘across the political spectrum. But concerns have been raised that we do not want to be used by a party that has had no contact in any of our activities in five months we have been in existence’. The controversy is the latest involving claims of discrimination against UKIP members. Last year Rotherham Council was widely criticised for removing three Eastern European children from their foster parents after social services discovered the couple belonged to the anti-EU party. Mrs Raftery, a retired teacher who previously worked in the laundry at the Royal Bolton Hospital where A&E services are under threat, said the response she received was a racist slur against UKIP. ‘I have lived in the same area for most of my life and myself and all of my children and grandchildren have been treated at the hospital at some point during their life,’ she said. ‘I am not racist, regardless of what this group feel about UKIP and I wanted to attend because I am concerned as a local resident. Their response to my courtesy email has been disgusting. ‘If we live in a multi-cultural society then am I not part of that society and should I not be allowed to attend meetings to help protect our local NHS services? ‘Instead I have felt like I have been excluded because of my political beliefs. The fact that I am a UKIP member should not mean my voice is not heard.’ Protest: Mrs Raftery had worked in the laundry at Royal Bolton Hospital where A&E services are under threat . UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: ‘This is another example of the appalling discrimination against UKIP members in the Labour-dominated North of England.’ Deputy leader Paul Nuttall added: ‘The inference in the letter is that we are a racist party, but that is totally untrue. The attitude smacks of the same sort of ill-informed prejudice that led to the Rotherham couple having foster children taken away. ‘The proposed closure of Bolton A&E is a matter that affects local people whatever their political persuasion and it should not be an issue in the protest.’ Bolton West Labour MP Julie Hilling said: ‘It is a great pity when any local protest is politicised in this way. ‘The real issue is the cuts being imposed by the Coalition government. We need all of the community of Bolton to save our much loved and much needed services.’ Miss Reissmann, a former mental health nurse, said: ‘No one has been banned from any group. I passed on concerns that had been raised with me and wanted to let Mrs Raftery know what our group stood for.’ Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, which is trying to save £20million, recently attracted controversy after it stood accused of fiddling figures to mask the numbers of patients dying needlessly. | Frances Raftery, 71, contacted Save Bolton Health Services campaign .
Co-ordinator said group represented 'multi-cultural Britain'
'We do not want to be used by a political party,' she added . |
0e2ce5de6d7737cf1f55513d04ef69e6e8cbfa62 | Chris Froome's stance on riding the 2015 Tour de France could be softening after he initially hinted at a reluctance to ride the race. The 2013 winner was absent when the route for next year's race was announced last month and suggested he may skip the Tour to instead target May's Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana, which begins in August. It seems inconceivable that Team Sky would allow its best rider to skip the sport's most high-profile race next July and one in which Froome would be among the favourites, but his comments put his participation in doubt. British cyclist Chris Froome's stance on riding the 2015 Tour de France could be softening . Froome abandoned the 2014 Tour with a broken hand and fractured wrist following three crashes in two days . But, in an end of year interview with the Team Sky official website, Froome suggested he wanted to lead the Tour once more. 'Looking to next year, my key goal is just returning to good condition and being at the front of a race again,' the 29-year-old said on teamsky.com. 'That's a really big motivation for me. Whether it's the Tour or any other race, it's what I love doing. 'I love racing and being able to compete at the front - to be with a team of guys who you enjoy being with, and who you work together well with. 'That's what gets me through the winter when I'm riding those long hours on my own.' Froome abandoned the 2014 Tour with a broken hand and fractured wrist following three crashes in two days. He responded by finishing second in the Vuelta to Alberto Contador. After a period of rest and recuperation in which he got married and was able to reflect on 2014, Froome is now keen to resume training for 2015. Froome celebrates on the podium after winning The Tour de France in Paris in July 2013 . 'I'm actually really hungry to start training again and keen to get back going,' added Froome, who will once again spend the winter training in Keny, South Africa and Monaco. 'The Tour was a disappointment but I've still got a few victories I can be happy about this year. 'Also finishing the Vuelta off in such a decent way, after having all the setbacks - that for me was probably more important than anything else. 'It means I'll be able to go forward into next year without starting from a negative position. I can go in with a clean slate and give it my best shot. 'I think the biggest point of the year for me were the first few stages of the Tour. Starting up there in Yorkshire was something I'll never forget. It was massive and an incredible experience. 'Coming in as the previous winner and having that home support was huge. 'In terms of performance and satisfaction, I think the Vuelta was definitely the one. It left me with the best feeling.' | Team Sky's Chris Froome won the 2013 Tour de France .
Froome abandoned the 2014 Tour with a broken hand and fractured wrist .
And the 29-year-old could still race in next year's Tour . |
0e2da8fc9df75d5635740d8bd5e360b54105377e | Britain's children are ballooning in size and perhaps no one is more aware of this than Paul Wibberley, a school uniform specialist based in Merseyside. He is now selling size 26 school skirts to children as young as 11 and blazers with a 56 inch chest. ‘Nearly all of my suppliers are offering increased sizes and they’re providing larger and larger sizes with every season,’ he said. His shop is featured in the latest episode of the Big Body Squad, Channel 5’s series about how Britain’s bulging waistline is spawning a whole new industry of services for those who are so large they need specialist help. Paul Wibberley runs a successful school uniform business in Merseyside but he has noticed a worrying trend in sales of plus-sized clothing . Mr Wibberley shows the camera quite how large the waist of a pair of 'sturdy fit' trousers can be . For the first time in history, obesity is killing more people than malnutrition. Around 15 million Britons are obese and it is estimated that this will cost the UK a staggering £27 billion by 2016. Services touched on in the series include specialist shoe-makers who are catering to the those with fat ankles and feet as well as companies who are using military science to develop extra strong harnesses and hoists to mobilise those who cannot move themselves. And in the latest episode, the issue of school children as young as five being offered plus-sized clothes is explored. With one in three children now classed as obese and 140,000 so large that they reach the adults recommendations for adult weight loss surgery, larger fitting garments are big business. In 2001, Mr Wibberley’s shop only supplied two sizes of uniform - ‘slim fit’ and ‘regular fit’ - but now ‘slim fit’ no longer exists and has been replaced by ‘sturdy fit’. Sturdy fit trousers are elasticated and their leg length and waist are in different proportions to normal trousers. Their . waist size is for children two years older than the leg length, meaning . that trousers designed for a ten-year-old will have a waist for that . of a 12 year-old. This style goes up to a staggering 50 inch waist. A recent study has shown the extent of children's growth over the past 35 years. The data will be used to create a new generation of clothing to fit the nation's taller and wider youth . The best-selling skirt on offer at the shop starts at a ladies size 10 and goes up to 26. Mr Wibberley says he has sold the biggest sized skirt to girls as young as 11. And on the day of filming, the shop assistant sells a blazer with a 40 inch chest to an 11-year-old girl. Now, 40 per cent of customers at the uniform shop opt for sturdy fit. Five years ago Mr Wibberley also brought in real adult clothes for children as young as 11. This means he is now able to provide blazers for men with a 42 inch going up to a 56 inch chest. Uniforms as large as 3XL are already an established part of sizing in the shop but Mr Wibberley believes that to keep up with the growing demand for larger uniforms, companies will soon be offering 4XL. Ironic: Uniformed sportswear is now catering to supersize teens who need clothes for PE lessons. Currently the largest size is XXXL, but Mr Wibberley believes it will go up to XXXXL next year. Kerry Taverner, an NHS weight management advisor in the area, is concerned about the rapidly rising number of overweight customers frequenting Mr Wibberley’s shop: ‘Around 70 per cent of parents are unaware their children are overweight. ‘When I see sizes like [the ones in this shop] I find it worrying and definitely, something needs to be done. ‘Culturally, when we see someone who is overweight, they fit in much more now than a few years back.’ But Mr Wibberley isn’t the only person offering children larger fitting clothes. Clothing chains have been forced to rip up their sizing system for children to reflect the fact youngsters are now taller, wider and heavier than ever. A new template for those aged four to 16 has been devised for retailers to reflect the major changes to body shapes over the last few decades. Six of the country’s biggest children’s fashion chains – Marks & Spencer, Next, George at Asda, Tesco, Monsoon and the Shop Direct group – are now using the guidleines. Full body 3D scans were carried out on 2,885 youngsters across the country to produce the updated size regime. The last time a comprehensive survey of children’s shapes was carried out was by the British Standards Institution in 1978. The figures were compiled by Shape GB, a collaboration between retailers, several academic bodies, clothing size experts Alvanon and scanner experts. Girls of 11 were found to be on average four inches wider around the waist, while boys are generally bigger through the waist and chest. Research has shown that over 80 per cent of obese children today will go on to be obese adults. Childhood obesity costs the capital alone £7 million a year and if these children do not lose weight it is estimated they will costs the taxpayer £110 million in adulthood. | School uniform specialist Paul Wibberley has seen kids' waists balloon .
Now offers 50 inch waist trousers and size 26 skirts to 11-year-olds .
Believes XXXXL size will be brought in next year to cater for growing teens .
Features in Channel 5 documentary Big Body Squad about supersized UK .
Big Body Squad airs on Tuesdays at 8pm on Channel 5 . |
0e2deb73fb393c6e5b7f7e38e7146f307e8332a8 | By . David Kent . Lionel Messi wasn't smiling at the end of the World Cup final but he's making up for it now. The Argentina star posted a holiday snap with glamourous girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo, with the happy couple beaming away on the Italian island of Capri. Roccuzzo was in Brazil cheering her partner on the way to winning the Golden Ball award, even if his side lost the final to champions Germany. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Messi scoring goals for Argentina . Embrace: Lionel Messi (left) and girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo (right) on holiday on Italian island of Capri . Family selfie: Messi (left) with Roccuzzo (right) and their son Thiago (centre) take a photo on holiday . Heartache: Messi and Argentina were defeated 1-0 after extra-time by Germany in the World Cup final . VIDEO Messi in sensational form for Argentina - highlights . Picture perfect: Messi was pictured shopping at Dolce & Gabbana with his girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo . Centre of attention: The Barcelona superstar and his girlfriend engaged in a spot of late-night shopping . Messi has yet to join up with club side Barcelona for pre-season training. The Catalan giants' next friendly sees them take on French side Nice on August 8. Meanwhile, Barca new boy Jeremy Mathieu revealed his delight at joining the club from Valencia. He said: 'The club knows how I play and I'm simply here to offer quality. 'Barca are the best club in the world and coming here is a great opportunity for me. I'm very proud to be here in Barcelona.' New man: Jeremy Mathieu says he is 'delighted' to have signed for Spanish giants Barcelona . Unveiling: Mathieu was presented at the Nou Camp on Thursday following his move from Valencia . | Messi posted a picture on Instagram with his girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo .
Roccuzzo was in Brazil cheering on Messi as he won the Golden Ball .
Messi and his Argentina side lost in the World Cup final against Germany .
Barcelona forward is yet to return for pre-season training with club . |
0e2f2a6ade80fdca2f3f9a83e741aa499b351a72 | A grieving mother has received a handwritten apology from Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt after doctors failed to spot her son's cancer for six months. Musician Lee Wyatt was just 25 when he died of bowel cancer in 2010 after being repeatedly misdiagnosed during almost six months of visits to his GP practice. Suffering abdominal pain and struggling to eat, the DJ and music producer from Denton, Greater Manchester, was initially prescribed painkillers after being told he had pulled a muscle while playing tennis. Linda Wyatt (left) holds a picture of her son Lee (right) who died aged 25 after being repeatedly misdiagnosed. She has since received a handwritten letter from the Health Secretary to apologise . He was also given iron tablets after it was found he was severely anaemic and it was suspected that he had an ulcer. Fears that Mr Wyatt had cancer were finally confirmed in December 2008 but a scan failed to detect the illness had already spread to his liver. This led to him having a 14-hour operation at Stepping Hill Hospital to remove his bowel, spleen and part of his pancreas. An independent oncologist looking into the case has since found the operation was 'inappropriate and excessive'. Last year Mr Wyatt's mother Linda, 56, received an out-of-court settlement of £10,000 after a joint action against Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and the Windmill Medical Centre, in Denton, for alleged medical negligence. Now the heart-broken mother has received a letter from Mr Hunt in which he says he has raised the case with health regulators. 'Dear Ms Wyatt, . Thank you for your letter. I have replied formally but I wanted to reply personally to say how sorry I was to read about what happened to Lee. It is totally unacceptable to get a cancer diagnosis wrong so many times. Nothing I say will make up for the sadness of what happened, but I would like to apologise to you on behalf of the government and the NHS for what happened. 'There is much excellent care in the NHS but still too many things like this that go wrong. We are doing a number of things to improve the quality of cancer diagnosis, but your request shows there is much more work to be done. 'Once again I am sorry for what happened. Yours sincerely, Jeremy Hunt.' The first page of Mr Hunt's letter expressed how sorry he was to hear of her Ms Wyatt's son's death and apologised on behalf of the Government and the NHS . He goes on to add that there is 'much more work to be done' in improving the NHS, before personally signing off 'Jeremy Hunt' A formal response from the Health Secretary (pictured) also pledged to pass on Ms Wyatt's concerns as a formal complaint to the NHS should she wish to do so . In a handwritten letter, Mr Hunt said: 'It is totally unacceptable to get a cancer diagnosis wrong so many times. 'Nothing I say will make up for the sadness of what happened, but I would like to apologise on behalf of the government and the NHS for what happened.' He signs off: 'Once again I am so sorry for what happened.' Ms Wyatt is now calling for people to be tested for cancer before any other illnesses, if they suspect they have symptoms. She urged: 'This is about finding justice for Lee. He put his trust in doctors and he was let down. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured left) said it was 'totally unacceptable' to get Lee Wyatt's (right) cancer diagnosis wrong 'so many times' 'I don't think bowel cancer was considered because of his age. Just because you don't fit that criteria, trivial things are ruled out, but lives could be saved.' Stockport NHS Foundation Trust expressed sympathy with the family. A spokesman said: 'In the time since, our MRI scanners have been upgraded and we believe lesions could be correctly classified with far greater confidence.' The Windmill Medical Centre declined to comment. | Musician Lee Wyatt was 25 when he died of bowel cancer in 2010 .
He was repeatedly misdiagnosed during six months of visits to a GP .
Struggling to eat, he was given painkillers and told he'd pulled a muscle .
Last year his mother Linda received an out-of-court settlement from NHS .
She has now received a handwritten letter from the Health Secretary . |
0e2f3174d450a1adc662898382d9d46ec3acd65c | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:15 EST, 22 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:40 EST, 22 February 2014 . A Russian prankster risked a grisly death scrambling to the top of a pole above a bridge in St. Petersburg as it opened over the river before somehow managing to give security guards the slip. The man was first pictured standing on a low section of the city's Palace Bridge close to the water level after apparently climbing onto it from a boat while it was in its closed position. But as a ship approached along the River Neva, the bridge was raised up to allow it to pass, hoisting the man high into the sky. Daredevil: A man lights a flare while sitting on a pole on Palace Bridge in St Petersburg as it split open to allow a ship to pass . The man successfully scrambled to the top of Palace Bridge in St Petersburg and lit his flare before somehow managing to escape security guards . Risk: The man wearing a white hood sits at the top of the pole just before lighting his red flare . As the bridge is being raised open, the man then begins to scramble along the pole where he is spotted by crowds and someone shouts: 'See, the top man!' After making it to the top he hangs upside down by his legs and lights the red flare which he holds up for around ten seconds. Security guards were said to be 'outraged' after the man then simply disappeared into the night. It is not clear whether he escaped by jumping into the river. The man was first pictured standing on a lower section of the bridge before it was raised up to allow a ship to pass . Dicing with death: The man crawls up the side of the pole as the bridge is raised high into the air . After reaching the top of the pole he sets light to the fare and holds it up for around ten seconds . A crowd of onlookers gasped as the man waved the flare before somehow managing to escape security guards . Escape: The bridge guards were reportedly 'outraged' after the man successfully managed to give them the slip . | The man is hoisted into the air as Bridge opened for an approaching ship .
He manages to scramble to the top of the pole where he hung upside down .
Waved flare for around ten seconds before disappearing into the night . |
0e2fcc0dab8f564546efaf63e008b115da900755 | By . Alex Greig . PUBLISHED: . 20:45 EST, 28 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:47 EST, 28 November 2013 . A Canadian woman has been denied entry into the United States by a Customs and Border Protection agent because she was hospitalized for depression in 2012. Ellen Richardson, who is paraplegic, went to Pearson airport to fly to New York City, where she was to embark on a Caribbean cruise.The agent who refused Richardson entry cited the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 212, which denies entry to people who have had a physical or mental disorder that may pose a 'threat to the property, safety or welfare' of themselves or others. Refused: Ellen Richardson was looking forward to a 10-day Caribbean cruise but a U.S. border agent refused to let her fly to the States because of a 2012 hospitalization for depression . Holiday cancelled: Ellen Richardson never made it to New York from Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada . According to The Star, the agent gave Richardson a document that said 'system checks' has uncovered details of her hospitalization and that she would need special clearance before being allowed entry into the States. Richardson is now left wondering how the agent had access to her private medical records. She had organized her cruise with about 12 others and paid $6,000 for the 10-day vacation. 'I was so aghast. I was saying, "I don’t understand this. What is the problem?"' Richardson told the Star. 'I was so looking forward to getting away... I’d even brought a little string of Christmas lights I was going to string up in the cabin.' Border control: Canadian officials want to know how a U.S. border protection agent had knowledge of a citizen's medical history . Private: Richardson is now wondering how the agent had access to her personal medical records . As a disabled person, Richardson cannot easily re-book her holiday, which takes a lot of planning and organization. In addition, she does not qualify for a refund for her trip because her insurer, Ingle International, does not cover clients who are denied boarding. According to the Star, in order to receive clearance to travel to the U.S., Richardson would have to examined by one of only three doctors in her native Toronto whose assessments are accepted by U.S. Homeland Security. Richardson has long suffered from mental illness. In 2001, she became paralyzed from the waist down after attempting suicide by jumping from a viaduct. Author: Richardson documented her struggle with depression in a book published in 2009 - but the security agent cited only a 2012 episode of depression as the reason she was denied entry to the U.S. Richardson has detailed her battle with depression in a book, Hope for the Heavy Heart: For the War-Weary and the Heaven-bent, but it was published before her 2012 hospitalization. Despite this, she has traveled to the United States on three separate occasions since 2001, and no security agent has made mention of the attempt. The security agent who refused her entry to the States on Monday also seemed unaware of the suicide attempt, mentioning only Richardson's 2012 hospitalization. The Star reports that Richardson, who has a master's degree in counseling, is on medication that has helped her depression and sees a psychiatrist regularly.Police were not involved in her 2012 episode of depression and Canadian officials are concerned about the U.S. agent's apparent ability to access medical records.MP Mike Sullivan told the Star that he will be 'demanding to know how this happened.'Richardson has instructed her lawyer, David McGhee, to investigate what she is calling a 'breach of privacy' as well as discrimination. | A Canadian woman has been denied entry to the U.S. by a border agent who cited a 2012 hospitalization for depression .
Ellen Richardson, a paraplegic, had planned a $6,000 cruise departing from New York .
The agent said she could 'pose a threat to herself or others' based on the 2012 hospitalization .
Richardson wants to know how the agent had access to her personal medical information . |
0e3098328f18822244a5a07232a284990da888b6 | Sarah Cullen, 25, was found guilty of shaking Cash Bell to death in Omaha in February 2013 . A former nanny convicted of killing a baby that was in her care has been sentenced to 70 years to life in prison. Sarah Cullen, 25, was found guilty of shaking Cash Bell to death in Omaha in February 2013. Investigators say Cullen gave different accounts of how the baby was injured. She will be eligible for parole after she serves 35 years and sobbed in court as she addressed Cash’s parents. 'If there's anything I could do to take the pain away and bring it on myself I would,' Cullen said. 'I'm so sorry I'll never forgive myself and never expect anyone else to either.' The jury was not able to hear about Cullen's previous abuse of children while at previous day care jobs, but the judge was allowed to use the information for sentencing purposes. Cash's mother, Ashley Bell, asked the judge to send Cullen to prison for life. 'A person capable of committing cold blooded murder and isn't phased doesn't deserve to get out of prison,' Bell explained in court, reported KMTV. 'We held our baby as he died in our arms. She’s completely heartless.' It took an Omaha jury four hours . to convict Cullen of child abuse resulting in death in the . February 2013 killing of Ashley and Christopher Bell's infant son, Cash. On February 28, 2013, reported the Omaha World Herald, . Christopher Bell and his wife, Ashley, left for work leaving their . perfectly healthy, cooing and giggling son in their baby sitter's care . as usual. Cash Bell (left), died in Omaha in February 2013. Sarah Cullen, 25, (right) was found guilty of shaking him to death. Investigators say Cullen gave different accounts of how the baby was injured . The . Bells told investigators at Douglas County Sheriff's Office that at . about 9.15am, Mr Bell had returned to the Southwest Omaha home to pick up . a check book he had left behind. In . the report he recalled how he had noticed his son lying face down in a . Pack-N-Play with labored breathing and so had rolled the baby onto his . back. Not wanting to disturb him, he had not picked him up. Ms Cullen did scoop up the sleeping . baby, however, and stepped out the front door holding him as Mr Bell pulled out of the driveway to leave. Soon after her employer's departure, . Ms Cullen claims she became worried about the baby's breathing and . called her boyfriend in a panic. By the time he arrived at the house, . she had already administered CPR unsuccessfully and the pair rushed to the . emergency room. Despite a helicopter transfer to Children's Hospital & Medical Center, Cash was unable to recover. Five days later, the infant died from what the autopsy report later described as head fractures resulting in brain hemorrhage. Ashley Bell walks into an Omaha courtroom with her husband, Christopher, by her side in March . Cash's mother, Ashley Bell, asked the judge to send Cullen to prison for life . The . Bells told investigators at Douglas County Sheriff's Office that at . about 9.15am, Mr Bell had returned to the Southwest Omaha home to pick up . a check book he had left behind. The infant's blood vessels burst and blood pooled in his eyes. He was blind and likely deaf. When the Bells were notified . by the doctors that their son had suffered irreparable brain damage, . they made the heart-rending decision to take him off the ventilator. 'A . person capable of committing cold blooded murder and isn't phased . doesn't deserve to get out of prison' Cash Bell's mother Ashley . Over the course of several . interviews, . Ms Cullen gave Chief Deputy Marty Bilek and his team, three divergent . accounts of how Cash might have been injured to such an extent. Initially, . she claimed ignorance and suggested that he may have hit his head when . she took him to say goodbye to Mr Bell. Later she blamed the fracture on . a fall from his baby swing. Finally, she admitted that at around 8am she had tripped on the stairs and Cash had dropped onto the tile floor. In . the course of the trial, it has emerged that the Bells hired Cullen not . knowing that she had been fired from a day care center for being too . rough with the children. Cullen’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Matt Miller, insisted that his client's actions were accidental. At . one point, Miller drew shocked gasps from the audience when he . suggested that Christopher Bell harmed his son when he turned him over . on his stomach. Omaha World Herald reported that before . the hearing was adjourned, one of the jurors approached Judge Mark . Ashford with an unusual request: could they talk to Mr and Mrs Bell? After . getting the go-ahead from the presiding judge, the four female members . of the panel came up to the Bells and embraced them one by one. ‘We’re so grateful,’ Ashley Bell said as she gave each juror a hug. | Sarah Cullen, 25, was found guilty of shaking Cash Bell to death .
The four-month-old baby died in Omaha in February 2013 .
Cullen sentenced to 70 years in prison . |
0e310c1eb77789a0453970be8328dd9adad3f07e | By . Dan Bloom . and Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 01:20 EST, 24 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:45 EST, 24 January 2014 . Desirable suburban areas with sky-high house prices suffer from a disproportionate number of burglaries, a survey of household thefts has revealed. Chorlton, in Greater Manchester, home to a large number of upmarket shops and bars, has more burglaries than anywhere else in Britain, with almost one in 20 people saying they have suffered a home invasion. Herne Hill and Muswell Hill, well-heeled suburbs of London where the average house price is more than £600,000, came second and third on the list of the country's top 20 burglary hotspots. Scroll down for the full list and Video . Burglary capital: London had the highest rate of burglaries with 12 out of the 20 worst areas . Hotspots: All of the top 10 postcodes were in cities, but 20th-placed was in Buckinghamshire . A spokesman for MoneySupermarket.com, which compiled the figures, said that burglars like to target wealthy areas as homes there are more likely to have desirable objects to steal. Its staff examined more than three million insurance quotes for burglary over the course of a year, noting where and when people declared they had been burgled before. The M21 postcode was the worst-hit with 45.2 claims per thousand people, or one in 22. SE24, in south London, was close behind - followed by the leafy north London suburb of Muswell Hill, home to middle-class icons like opera singer Lesley Garrett. Low crime: The area with the lowest number of burglaries was Basingstoke in Hampshire . More than half the postcodes on the . top 20 list were from London, including trendy neighbourhoods in the . east of the city such as Dalston, Hackney and Stoke Newington. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, the number 20 spot was taken by a clutch of sleepy towns in Buckinghamshire. Out . of all 20 postcodes featured on the list, all but three have house . prices which are higher than the national average of £176,000, according . to data from property website Zoopla. Suburban: But Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester is the UK's worst burglary hotspot . Some relatively rural areas proved to be the safest spots in Britain - the Hampshire towns of Basingstoke, Chandler's Ford and Havant topped a list of the postcodes with the fewest burglaries. Bideford in Devon, the East Riding of Yorkshire and beauty spots on the Scottish coast were also listed among the least crime-ridden areas. Kevin Pratt, from MoneySupermarket, said: 'While the M21 postal district in Manchester is the country's most notorious burglary claim hotspot, it is London that dominates the top 20 rankings. 'But just because somewhere is named a claim hotspot, it doesn't actually mean the area in question is not a nice place to live. 'Thieves often target areas with wealthy residents and desirable properties where the rewards are potentially greater or quieter areas where they think there is less risk of being caught red-handed.' 1. M21 Chorlton-cum-Hardy; Barlow Moor, Manchester - average house price £238,000 - 45.2 insurance claims per 1,000 people . 2. SE24 Herne Hill; Tulse Hill (part), London - £638,000 - 41.8 . 3. N10 Muswell Hill, London - £674,000 - 40.9 . 4. RM8 Dagenham; Becontree; Becontree Heath, London - £188,000 - 35.9 . 5. N2 East Finchley; Fortis Green; Hampstead Garden Suburb (part), London - £795,000 - 34.5 . 6. L18 Allerton; Mossley Hill, Liverpool - £242,000 - 33.3 . 7. L22 Waterloo, Liverpool - £155,000 - 32.6 . 8. N18 Upper Edmonton; Edmonton (part), London - £245,000 - 32.3 . 9. UB6 Greenford; Perivale, London - £310,000 - 30.9 . 10. SE27 West Norwood; Gipsy Hill (part), London - £381,000 - 30.5 . 11. B73 Boldmere; New Oscott; Wylde Green, Birmingham - £241,000 - 29.5 . 12. E8 Hackney Central; Dalston; London Fields, London - £443,000 - 29.4 . 13. DN2 Intake; Wheatley; Wheatley Hills, Doncaster - £116,000 - 28.7 . 14. N20 Whetstone; Totteridge; Oakleigh Park, London - £651,000 - 28.0 . 15. E9 Homerton; Hackney Wick; South Hackney; Hackney Marshes; Victoria Park, London - £382,000 - 27.8 . 16. N11 New Southgate; Friern Barnet; Bounds Green; Arnos Grove (part), London - £398,000 - 27.7 . 17. N16 Stoke Newington; Stamford Hill (part); Shacklewell; Dalston (part); Newington Green (part), London - £502,000 - 27.7 . 18. LS16 Adel, Bramhope; Cookridge; Eccup; Far Headingley; Holt Park; Ireland Wood; Lawnswood; Moor Grange; Tinshill; Weetwood; West Park, Leeds - £257,000 - 27.6 . 19. B24 Erdington; Tyburn, Birmingham - £142,000 - 27.6 . 20. HP10 High Wycombe; Flackwell Heath; Handy Cross; Hedsor; Loudwater; Penn; Tylers Green; Wooburn; Wooburn Green; Wooburn Moor, Buckinghamshire - £452,000 - 27.3 . | One in 22 people in Chorlton, Greater Manchester, claimed on insurance .
Several districts in London close behind in list by Moneysupermarket.com .
A group of sleepy villages in Buckinghamshire also made the list . |
0e312fe573c19b98621179c00430af942eedc8e7 | The spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone this summer stemmed from one traditional healer’s funeral where 14 women were infected, experts have claimed. Scientists have studied the blood of recent victims and believe the funeral, in mid-May might have acted as a ‘super-spreader’ event. They say this is comparable to a case in 2003 in a hotel in Hong Kong where one doctor from China who had SARS infected nine other guests. These in turn spread the virus within the city and to other countries such as Canada and Vietnam. Scroll down for video . Scientists sequenced the virus found in 78 patients treated in the Kenema Government Hospital, pictured, in northern Sierra Leone close to the borders with Guinea and Liberia . The New York Times reports that the funeral took place in the diamond-mining community of Koindu. This lies near Guéckédou in neighbouring Guinea where the outbreak is believed to have started in December. The newspaper reports that the healer was known for treating a ‘mysterious illness’ which then turned out to be Ebola. Although this had already been the suspected cause, the New York Times reports that it was confirmed by geneticists at the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. They are understood to have sequenced the virus found in 78 patients treated in the Kenema Government Hospital in northern Sierra Leone close to the borders with Guinea and Liberia. The research was published in the journal Science. The spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone this summer stemmed from one traditional healer’s funeral where 14 women were infected, experts have claimed . The New York Times reports Dr W. Ian Lipkin from Columbia University as saying: ‘It’s frightening that a single event could catalyse a whole outbreak, but that’s what it looks like happened. He added that the research was a ‘really nice piece of work’. Experts also discovered that the West African strain of Ebola was different from the one that has been circulating in Central Africa, thousands of miles away, since the mid 1970s. But the newspaper reports that the two ‘probably diverged as far back as 2004’. The study’s co-author Dr Pardi C. Sabeti, a geneticist at Harvard, said in that time it may have been circulating in forest animals including bats and apes. But she added that ‘it could have been circulating in humans for 10 years with little or no notice.’ As of August 26, 422 people have died of Ebola in Sierra Leone while the outbreak has claimed the lives of 1,552 people across West Africa . Scientists say the research is helpful as tests to diagnose Ebola and vaccines being considered are based on the Central African strain. It means a current diagnostic test may not provide a clear positive if a patient had a ‘low viral load’ in the early stages of an infection, the newspaper reports. The news comes a day after it was revealed that Ebola had spread to a fifth nation in West Africa. A case of the deadly virus has been reported in Senegal, making it the first time a new country has been hit by the outbreak since July. As of August 26, 1,552 people had been confirmed dead from Ebola in four countries - Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. Liberia was the worst affected with 694 deaths; 422 people have died in Sierra Leone; and 430 in Guinea, where the virus emerged at the start of the year. Nigeria has now recorded six deaths. | Experts believe spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone came from one funeral .
14 women infected at funeral for one traditional healer near Guinea border .
Event may have acted as a 'super-spreader' according to US scientists .
Funeral took place in Sierra Leone diamond mining community of Koindu .
Geneticists traced outbreak by sequencing virus in 78 hospital patients . |
0e32a4823ff58e69db165b886acc09d93f35ae30 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 10:31 EST, 13 October 2011 . A cargo ship which spilled hundreds of tons of oil remained perched on a New Zealand reef today, as locals descended on a nearby beach to scavenge from the vessel's washed-up load. Salvage crews are still debating whether the remaining fuel on the Liberian-flagged Rena can be pumped from the ship before it breaks up. And as rescue crews tried to stabilise the ship, local residents in Tauranga, New Zealand, have been spotted inspecting the containers of cargo and surveying the disaster from the shore. Assessing the damage: Two residents walk along the beach inspecting the washed-up cargo from the Rena vessel in Taurange, New Zealand today . Surveying the scene: More locals flock to the shore where containers from the Rena washed up . Further inspection of the washed-up cargo showed the beach littered with thousands of part-cooked meat patties from one of the Rena's containers . But anyone hoping for a valuable haul from the stricken vessel would have turned up disappointed - as the Rena mainly shed thousands of partly-cooked burgers on to the sand. The ship itself is being slowly battered to pieces by pounding waves, with rescuers needing to stabilise the Rena before any oil transfer can start. Environmentalists have warned of a disaster for wildlife if all the ship's 1,870 tons (1,700 metric tons) of oil and 220 tons (200 metric tons) of diesel is allowed to spill into the ocean. Crews attempting to start the salvage effort have also been hampered by the severe structural damage sustained on the vessel. Other items from the containers washed up in Tauranga, New Zealand included these deer skins . As another container washed up on the beach at Mt Maunganui, New Zealand, rescuers were trying to get near the vessel to transfer away its oil . Meanwhile, several of the 88 containers that have fallen off its deck had washed ashore by Thursday, and authorities confirmed one container that toppled overboard contained a hazardous substance. However, an official said it should not pose a major threat. Heavy seas had kept salvage crews away from the 775-foot (236-meter) vessel for days, but a break in the weather allowed three team members to be winched aboard the Liberian-flagged Rena, which ran aground Oct 5 on Astrolabe Reef, 14 miles (22 kilometers) from Tauranga Harbour on New Zealand's North Island. Clean up: Soldiers work to clear away the oil spill from the beach in Taurange, New Zealand, as environmentalists warned of a potential wildlife disaster . In trouble: Rescuers have been unable to properly reach the ship due to the severe structural damage it has suffered . Mystery: Investigators have so been unable to explain how the vessel managed to perch itself on the New Zealand reef, as the ship remains in danger of spilling more oil and containers . Ewart Barnsley, spokesman for Maritime New Zealand which is managing the emergency response, said the salvage crew found oil hoses and pumps for transferring fuel largely undamaged aboard the ship. They also concluded that the ship was safe to work from. Barnsley said a barge was moored nearby to receive oil, but a decision on when that transfer might start would not be made before Friday. Marine New Zealand salvage manager Bruce Anderson said the vessel needed to stop moving before the oil could be pumped out and it apparently had. 'While this is good news, we shouldn't get too excited,' Anderson told reporters. 'We already had a complex project to start with; it's even harder now that we've sustained damage aboard this vessel,' he said, referring to recent structural cracking. A vertical crack in the ship runs around the entire vessel - meaning the ship is now only held together by its internal components, said Steve Jones, another spokesman for Maritime New Zealand. 'The reality is the vessel could break up at any point,' Jones told The Associated Press. Six vessels have been mobilized to intercept the drifting containers and other debris in the water. There were 1,368 containers on board, 11 of which contained hazardous substances, Maritime New Zealand said. One of the hazardous containers is among those that have fallen overboard, Jones said. Agency spokesman Nick Bohm said the . container held alkyl sulfonic acid, which can be harmful in its original . state, but becomes less toxic when diluted with water. The whereabouts . of that container are unknown. Some . of the contents of containers that had washed ashore were strewn across . the coastline on Thursday, including thousands of meat patties that . littered the sand. The . ship's 44-year-old Filipino captain was charged Wednesday with operating . a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk and was . released on bail Wednesday at Tauranga District Court. Potential disaster: An aerial view of the stranded cargo vessel Rena shows the boat listing to one side and patches of oil leaking from its storage tanks . Clean-up: A shag covered in oil is helped by wildlife veterinarian Dr Brett Gartrell and Aimee Forster at the wildlife rehabilitation facility in Tauranga, New Zealand . Concern: The size of the oil spill from the Rena can clearly been seen in this image . The ship's second officer appeared in the same court Thursday on the same charge. Judge Robert Wolff made orders suppressing publication of the defendants' names for the sake of their personal safety. If convicted, each could face a fine of up to 10,000 New Zealand dollars ($7,800) and 12 months in prison. Their next court appearance is Oct. 19, when authorities say more charges are likely. The government has demanded to know why the ship crashed into the well-charted reef in calm weather, but the vessel's owner, Greece-based Costamare Inc., has given no explanation. On Thursday, Costamare released a statement apologizing for the incident and said it was investigating how the ship could have run aground. | Thousands of burger patties litter beach in Tauranga, New Zealand .
Stranded vessel on verge of being broken up by waves .
Salvage efforts hampered by severe structural damage to boat . |
0e32b6ae74a80a0709aad6ebb0975207fd383d1a | Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger was on thge receiving end of an offensive tweet from a right-wing loner . A 21-year-old Nazi sympathiser has been jailed for sending a 'grossly offensive' anti-Semitic tweet to Liverpool Labour MP Luciana Berger. Garron Helm send a tweet showing a Holocaust-era yellow star superimposed on the MP's forehead with the hashtag 'Hitler was right'. When police searched Helm's home they found Nazi memorabilia including a flag bearing the SS symbol and material from British extreme right-wing group National Action. Helm referred to himself online as The Noble Wolf and used a Twitter account called Aethelwulf, which translates from Old English as Noble Wolf. But in reality Helm was an immature loner who found friends online in extremist groups. He pleaded guilty to sending an offensive, indecent or obscene message and was sentenced to four weeks in jail – though he is expected to serve half of this. Liverpool Magistrates Court heard that Helm sent the tweet in a state of 'anger and political frustration' in the early hours of August 7. The message showed Miss Berger with the Star of David on her head. The tweet called the MP a 'communist Jewess' and read: 'You can always trust a Jew to show their true colours eventually.' Miss Berger, MP for Liverpool Wavertree, was described in court as being 'deeply shocked by the entire incident and the link to National Action, which she knows to be an extremist group'. District Judge Andrew Shaw described Helm's actions as calculated and 'extremely abusive and upsetting'. He added that the Nazi paraphernalia found in his house showed his true motivation for sending the tweet. Helm referred to himself on-line as The Noble Wolf and used a Twitter account called Aethelwulf, which translates from Old English as Noble Wolf . Mark Ellis, defending, described Helm, of Merseyside, as a loner with a troubled past. The court heard that Helm was one of 11 children but the family had broken apart after his father died in a work accident and his mother had a mental breakdown, leaving him with no one to turn to except extremist 'friends' online. Helm, who was expelled from college in Southport earlier this year, accepted the message was fundamentally wrong. He also sent a handwritten letter of apology to the MP. As well as the jail sentence, Helm was ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge to Miss Berger after the judge upgraded the offence to one considered racially motivated. | Loner Garron Helm, 21, sent tweet to Jewish politician Luciana Berger .
Tweet showed Holocaust-era yellow star superimposed on MP's forehead and '#Hitler was right'
Helm referred to himself as The Noble Wolf and used Twitter account called Aethelwulf .
Helm's family fell apart after father died and mother had a breakdown .
Helm sent a written apology to Berger and paid her £80 victim surcharge . |
0e3434b3bd538c471c2162984e7df58f0314ba2d | By . Daniel Mills for Daily Mail Australia . A mobile phone belonging to a maths tutor charged with sexually assaulting his underage clients may help police identify up to 40 possible victims of the 66-year-old. Police have uncovered evidence which could suggest that Quy Huy Hoang could have come in to contact with more than the six children he has has been accused of sexually assaulting between 2007 and 2014. Up to 40 Images of underage boys and girls have allegedly surfaced on his phone which police seized during a dramatic arrest outside his Greystanes home, in Sydney's west, earlier this month. Scroll down for video . A 66-year-old maths tutor was arrested on his doorstep in Greystanes on Tuesday morning . The man was charged with sexually assaulting five of his young clients aged between 5 and 7 years old . The handcuffed man up against the police van before being taken to the station to be charged . After the man answered the door and words were exchanged between him and the two officers he attempted to walk back inside the house when a male officer stopped him by grabbing his shoulder and putting on the handcuffs . So far six of his alleged victims - the latest a seven-year-old girl - have been identified by police but now they are ramping up their investigation in the search for more. Child Abuse Squad commander Detective Inspector Peter Yeomans said the priority for police was now tracking down the rest. 'Police are endeavouring to locate or identify the children within the mobile phone in order to identify further offences,' he said. Each of the clients were aged between five and seven when the assaults occurred during private tutoring sessions from his Greystances home and elsewhere across Sydney. It is understand he advertised through word of mouth and perhaps in local Vietnamese newspapers. The latest line of inquiry comes following dramatic footage released by police this month during Mr Hoang's arrest where he was promptly handcuffed and and locked away in the back of a police van to be taken to Merrylands police station. The State Crime Command's Child Abuse Squad Detectives charged the man with numerous child sex offences including two counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child under 10 years (under authority), two counts of aggravated indecent assault (victim under 16 years) and four counts of aggravated act of indecency (victim under 16 years). The charges are in addition to a number of similar charges preferred against the man last month. In court, detectives will allege the man sexually assaulted five children - two boys and three girls aged between five and seven - all of whom were clients of his mathematics tutoring business. The offences are alleged to have occurred at various locations throughout Sydney between 2007 and 2014. The man was refused bail and scheduled to appear in Fairfield Local Court today. The offences are alleged to have occurred at various locations throughout Sydney between 2007 and 2014 . He was taken to Merrylands police station and charged with numerous sexual assault charges . The Child Abuse Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate crimes against children, including sexual assault, physical abuse and serious cases of neglect. The squad works in partnership with the Department of Family and Community Services and NSW Health, with specialised tri-agency teams based at metropolitan and regional locations throughout NSW. Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page. Reports can also be made to the Child Protection Helpline on 132 111. Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. People should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Police ramp up investigation against 66-year-old Quy Huy Hoang .
The Vietnamese maths tutor is charged with sexually assaulting six underage clients .
The search is on for up to 40 under age victims he may have come in to contact with .
He was dramatically arrested on his doorstep in western Sydney this month .
He was charged with sexually assaulting five of his students .
The clients were two boys and three girls aged between 5 and 7 years old .
Offences alleged to have occurred at various Sydney areas between 2007 and 2014 . |
0e34784d387c12ccb2ff9f8d71c339c261fa0cb1 | By . Bianca London . They say that honesty is the best policy - particularly in loving relationships. But when it comes to matters of dress size, it seems that for women at least, truth is a dirty word. A new survey has revealed that almost half of women admit to hiding their true dress size from their partners, friends and colleagues. The latest research revealed that a third admitted to telling colleagues fibs when it came to their vital statistics, with 77 per cent of women wishing they were a size smaller. Nearly half of British women lie about their dress size to friends, colleagues and partners after failing to slim down for summer . Just eight per cent of women polled were happy with their measurements this summer and it was a svelte size 12 that topped the charts as the most desired shape. And ladies across the UK aren’t just twisting the truth about their dress size - 60 per cent even admit to inflating their bosom by at least one cup size. Busty 34D, or DD, topped the poll as the most longed-for bra sizes. And as Brits strip down to summer dresses and vest tops in the summer months, sales of the 2 Sizes Bigger Bra by George at Asda, who carried out the survey, have risen by 162 per cent as women attempt to boost their assets. Women claim bra size 34DD, like Tyra Banks, is the perfect measurement . Women consider size 12 - which Kim Kardashian and Nigella Lawson wear - the ideal . And the porky pies don’t stop there - women are also lying about their shoe size. Of the women polled, 78 per cent over a size seven admitted to shrinking their shoe . size to their other half and friends, with size five being seen as . ‘perfect’. George at . Asda spokesperson, Fiona Lambert, said: 'At George, we know that a . woman’s dress size is a personal matter and a topic which many shoppers . may not wish to discuss with others. We say: give yourselves a break, ladies. Does anyone apart from you really care what your dress or shoes size is? You're simply condemning yourself to a lifetime of presents you'll have to sneakily swap for a size bigger. Men are going to be even MORE confused! Ladies across the UK aren't just twisting the truth about their dress size as 60 per cent admit to inflating their bosom by at least one cup size . | Women tell lies about their dress size after failing to slim down .
Sixty per cent admit to boosting their bust size to their partner .
Twenty-seven per cent of women in the UK claim to be a size 12 .
A busty 34DD topped the poll as the most longed for bra size . |
0e34b614320d8a3f3e3d31832057af0fc8681c8a | BBC Children in Need has kept £87.7million stashed away in its investment portfolio instead of giving it directly to charity, its latest accounts reveal. The charity, which has raised more than £600million for youngsters in the UK since 1980, is preparing to launch a fresh appeal to viewers next month. But some donors may be surprised to discover it does not give the money directly to good causes. Scroll down for video . Charity accounts reveal £87.7million invested in portfolios which the BBC will be handed out once they assess the impacts of other projects (pictured, charity mascot Pudsey and show host Terry Wogan) Children in Need has £87,705,000 invested in a range of portfolios, up from £81.2million last year. Another £2.2million is sitting in its bank accounts, up from £864,000 last year. The accounts reveal it paid £9,000 in fees to fund managers and made £893,000 in investment income. Its latest charity drive will include a series of celebrity-endorsed fundraising campaigns, and with the profits of a recently released BBC recording of the Beach Boys track God Only Knows, is expected to raise more than £20million. The money is used to help charities that support disadvantaged and disabled children around the country. Yesterday, the BBC insisted all of the money it raises is given to charity, but said it does not release all of it at once so it is able to measure the impact of its donations and ensure funds are being put to good use. A spokesman said: ‘This money is not simply cash. It has been allocated to projects working with disadvantaged children and young people throughout the UK. ‘In line with standard grant-making practice we do not typically release the full grant upon successful application from projects but rather over a three-year period on a quarterly basis so we can monitor projects to ensure that they continue to comply to the terms and conditions of the grant.’ In 2008 the BBC faced the prospect of an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office after keeping more than £100,000 which should have been given to charity. The BBC is about to launch a fundraising drive, with sales of Beach Boys track God Only Knows set to raise £20million (pictured, One Direction, Pharrell, Kylie Minogue and Chris Martin who feature on new single) The broadcaster admitted staff knowingly withheld money meant for causes including Children in Need and Comic Relief. The scandal emerged after auditors carried out an investigation into the BBC’s phone-voting systems. The cash was generated by callers voting after phone lines had closed on about 20 shows, believed to include Eurovision and Fame Academy, between October 2005 and September 2007. They were still charged for their calls, typically around 25p a time, but the cash went into the bank account of BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial arm, rather than the charities. An internal audit showed that a number of workers in Audiocall, part of BBC Worldwide, repeatedly kept money back. It has now been passed on, with interest. The BBC has said the ‘small number’ of staff involved face disciplinary action. In 2006 TV viewers were warned against giving money to the BBC’s Children in Need appeal. An independent watchdog said donating to the charity is ‘a bad idea’ because of its huge administration costs – £2.4million out of a total of £33million raised at the time. Intelligent Giving said money is swallowed up by the need for two sets of bureaucrats: those who run the charity and those in charge of the organisations to which it gives money. | Charity also has £2.2million in its accounts up from £900,000 last year .
Spokesman said money being temporarily held and would be given away .
In 2008 BBC faced investigation after keeping £100,000 of charity money . |
0e34cd20213d97f521a26d49863019fd1c55ef07 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 14:13 EST, 25 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:06 EST, 26 April 2013 . An infant’s risk of developing autism could be determined by looking for problems in the placenta at birth, scientists revealed today. Researchers at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and the University of California in Davis say their findings will allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment for the developmental disorder. One in 100 Britons are estimated to have autism, while one out of 50 children are diagnosed with it in the U.S. each year - but this diagnosis is usually made when the children are aged three or four. Newborn: The best chance for intervention is when the brain is most responsive to treatment in the first year . This causes problems because the best chance for intervention is when the brain is most responsive to treatment in the first year of life, according to the researchers at both universities. Dr Harvey Kliman of the Yale School of Medicine and scientists at the MIND Institute of UC Davis have studied abnormal placental folds and abnormal cell growths known as trophoblast inclusions. The scientists have found that these are key markers to identify newborns who are at risk for autism. Dr Kliman and his team examined 117 placentas from infants of at-risk families - those with one or more previous children with autism. The at-risk placentas were compared to 100 control placentas. The at-risk placentas had 15 trophoblast inclusions, while none of the control placentas had more than two, according to the findings published today in the Biological Psychiatry journal. Study: Researchers at Yale University (pictured) in New Haven, Connecticut, and the University of California in Davis say their findings will allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment for the developmental disorder . Dr Kliman said a placenta with four or more trophoblast inclusions suggests an infant will have a 97 per cent probability of being at risk for autism. 'Regrettably, couples without known genetic susceptibility must rely on identification of early signs or indicators that may not overtly manifest until the child’s second or third year of life' Dr Harvey Kliman, Yale University . Until now the best early indication of autism risk has been family history – with couples having a child with autism being nine times more likely to have another child with the disorder. Dr Kliman said: ‘Regrettably, couples without known genetic susceptibility must rely on identification of early signs or indicators that may not overtly manifest until the child’s second or third year of life. ‘I hope that diagnosing the risk of developing autism by examining the placenta at birth will become routine, and that the children who are shown to have increased numbers of trophoblast inclusions will have early interventions and an improved quality of life as a result of this test.’ | Study by scientists at Yale University and University of California in Davis .
They say findings will allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment for autism .
Best chance for intervention is when brain is most responsive in first year . |
0e34df68072c96d9287425bb251a7f94765ea4c9 | With the holiday toy shopping season here in full swing you may want to think twice about a couple of the items that may be on your child's list. That's because toy-related injuries are on the rise according to a new report. A study published in the latest edition of Clinical Pediatrics shows the injury rate has increased almost 40% in the United States. That's looking at statistics from emergency departments collected between 1990 to 2011. Over 3 million children were treated in emergency departments for a toy-related injury. In 2011 alone, that translates to a child getting hurt every 3 minutes. A little over half of the injured is a young child under the age of six. Researchers found the number one toy causing the problems for kids are ride-on toys like foot-powered scooters. "We know that's an underestimate," said Dr. Gary Smith. He's the lead researcher on the study and the Director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "We know that those numbers are increasing. So it's a call to action. We really do have a lot more work to do to provide safe toys for children" When asked about the study's limitations, Smith says it "only look(s) at children treated at American hospital emergency departments." Missing are the numbers from urgent care centers and doctors offices, or those that don't seek any medical care at all. Toy-related deaths were also left out of the study database. Most injuries are not that severe according to the latest numbers from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Smith emphasizes that depending of the age of the child, there are different types of injuries for different. "For younger children, kids under 5, they spend most of their time in the home, and so it's toys found indoors, in the home, that are the major source of injury." For children under 3, it's choking hazards. Toys with small parts are always a causes for concern for the little ones. And recalled toys can be a problem. Smith suggests you check Recalls.gov to make sure the toy you are picking out is not defective. As for older adolescents, foot-powered scooters or "kick" scooters are a major source of injury. With the introduction of the Razor scooter in 1999, these light-weight, foldable two-or-three-wheeled toys quickly became popular and they also quickly became a bulk of the increase in toy-related injuries according to researchers. If you do chose to buy your child a scooter this holiday season, Smith suggests parents buy a helmet as well. He also tells parents to talk to the child about playing in an area that is far away from car traffic. And if the child is under 8, make sure there's an adult to watch over them when they play. These are the same guidelines the Razor scooter company suggests on its own website. The company also suggests riders use elbow and kneepads. | Study: Toy-related injury is rising in American children treated at U.S. emergency departments .
Foot-powered scooters account for most of the increase in the injury rates from 1990 to 2011 .
At Recalls.gov, adults can check whether a toy is recalled or defective . |
0e395adcec176244c67820284ab5d69593035053 | Phil Neville has revealed that Manchester United were 'really interested' in signing Blaise Matuidi when his contract was running out last season. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder shone against Chelsea on Tuesday night and provided the cross for Edinson Cavani to head home the equaliser. Neville, who worked under David Moyes at Old Trafford, admitted in an interview with BBC's 5 Live that United attempted to sign the Frenchman. Manchester United were 'really interested' in signing PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi (centre) last season . Phil Neville (left) worked under David Moyes at Old Trafford when they wanted to sign the Frenchman . He said: 'We wanted to sign him. We'd heard his contract was running out and we were really interested in him. 'Then he signed a contract with PSG, which was obviously something we weren't happy with. 'We were looking at it at Man Utd last year to inject a little bit of energy. He runs from box to box and he carried the team forward simply through his energy on that left channel'. Matuidi joined PSG from Saint-Étienne in 2011 and has now established himself as one of the best midfielders in world football. With United lacking midfielders and being forced to play Wayne Rooney deeper - the PSG player would be a perfect fit for Louis van Gaal's side. The Frenchman set up Edinson Cavani's equaliser against Chelsea and celebrates with the goalscorer . The combative midfielder would be the perfect fit for United's depleted and struggling midfield . | Phil Neville has revealed Manchester United wanted to sign Blaise Matuidi .
The midfielder ended up signing a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain .
The former United full back worked with David Moyes at Old Trafford .
READ: Matuidi delighted to have the fear factor back at PSG .
Click here for all the latest Manchester United news . |
0e398152e8bf4665280d21d7d8123597a4d5d1e7 | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 11:57 EST, 16 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:06 EST, 16 January 2013 . A British soldier has died in hospital from wounds suffered in combat in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said today. The serviceman, from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, was wounded in fighting in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand Province on Monday. He was flown back to the UK for treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, but died earlier today. His next of kin have been informed. Heavy toll: The soldier's death takes to 440 the number of UK service members who have lost their lives since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001 . The soldier’s death takes to 440 the number of UK service members who have lost their lives since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001. Major Chris Boryer, the Task Force Helmand spokesman, said: 'It is my solemn duty to report the death of a soldier from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment who has died as a result of wounds sustained whilst on duty in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand Province. Brave: The serviceman, from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster¿s Regiment, was wounded in fighting in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand Province on Monday (pictured: a soldier from the same regiment) 'The thoughts and prayers of everyone . serving in Task Force Helmand are with his family and friends at this . extremely difficult time.' The soldier is the second British serviceman to be killed in Afghanistan in 2013. Sapper Richard Reginald Walker, 23, - from 28 Engineer Regiment attached to 21 Engineer Regiment - was killed in a 'green-on-blue' insider attack by a suspected member of the Afghan National Army (ANA) in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on January 7. | From 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment .
Wounded fighting in Helmand Province on Monday .
Died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham .
He is 440th soldier to die in Afghanistan since 2001 . |
0e3aadfcb73a5c6eade726a7a4555ee945ea8344 | (CNN) -- People along the Texas coast were leaving home or planning to evacuate Thursday as Hurricane Ike churned toward them, slowly intensifying on its march west. Forecasters say the storm could slam into the Texas coast -- south of Galveston -- as a powerful Category 3 storm late Friday or early Saturday. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations were planned or underway in at least seven coastal counties. Aransas County, on the eastern coast of Texas, has ordered a mandatory evacuation of all nonessential government employees, becoming the latest county in the state to urge residents to flee. In Galveston, city officials ordered mandatory evacuations for part of the island town beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday. The rest of the town will be under a voluntary evacuation order. Only residents will be required to evacuate on the western end of the island. Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas defended that, saying current models call for Galveston to be hit with winds and rain only equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane. "We do not intend to evacuate Galveston Island," she said. "It's the last thing we want to do. Our job is to protect lives and property, [and] right now we feel that sheltering in place is the best action for our citizens to take." Farther up the Gulf Coast and closer to where the National Hurricane Center predicts a direct hit, Brazoria County ordered a mandatory evacuation to begin at 8 a.m. Thursday. Some other Texas localities have ordered mandatory evacuations, while others have left the decision to depart up to residents. As of 5 a.m. ET Thursday, the Category 2 storm -- with top sustained winds near 100 mph -- was about 620 miles east of Brownsville, Texas, and about 285 miles southeast of the Mississippi River, the hurricane center said. Track the storm » . Hurricane-force winds extended out up to 115 miles from the storm's center, and tropical storm-force winds extended out up to 255 miles forecasters reported. About 15,000 residents were leaving Galveston's Brazoria County Wednesday after a mandatory evacuation order was issued at 10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET) governing one ZIP code -- 77541 -- and residents throughout the county with special needs. Galveston City Manager Steve LeBlanc issued a warning to residents of the city's West End, citing forecasters' estimates that the area could get tides of 6 feet above normal if the storm arrives there. The West End is the area of Galveston most susceptible to flooding, LeBlanc said. Other Brazoria residents were being allowed to remain as of 6 p.m. ET. In Matagorda County, southwest of Galveston, officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for all areas except the cities of Bay City and Van Vleck. The evacuation must be completed by at 6 p.m. (7 p.m. ET) Thursday. Galveston is likely to experience a high tidal surge, officials said, urging people living in low-lying areas or mobile homes to get out soon. "One of the things that the public has to understand if they decide to stay, there will be a period of time during this storm when they will absolutely be on their own," Brazoria County Sheriff Charles Wagner said. "There will be no medical services; there will be no fire department; there will be no law enforcement, groceries, gasoline, drugs, electricity." The center issued a tropical storm warning from the Mississippi River's mouth to Cameron, Louisiana, and a hurricane watch from Cameron to Port Mansfield, Texas, about 60 miles south of Brownsville. Tropical storm warnings mean winds of 39 to 73 mph (63 to 118 kmh) are expected within a day, and a hurricane watch means winds of 74 and higher are expected within 36 hours. "Hurricane Ike is now in the Gulf of Mexico and making its approach toward our coast," Gov. Rick Perry said in a statement. "The next few days will be crucial for residents to follow the direction of local leaders and to take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their families." Perry put 7,500 National Guard members on standby this week, his office said, and issued a disaster declaration for 88 counties. About 1,350 buses, several ambulances and paramedic buses were available to support evacuations. The vehicles were positioned near Houston, Matagorda County, Nueces County and Victoria County, the governor's office said. President Bush declared an emergency in the state, making federal funds available for the state to prepare for the storm. Corpus Christi officials also began the evacuation process for residents with special needs, supplying buses to transport them out of town. Voluntary evacuations were issued in San Patricio and Victoria counties and parts of Jackson County, according to the governor's office. More than 1,300 inmates from the Texas Correctional Institutions Division's Stevenson Unit in Cuero were being evacuated to facilities in Beeville and Kenedy, Perry's office said, and 597 were transferred from the substance abuse Glossbrenner Unit in San Diego, in south Texas, to Dilley. Naval air stations in Texas also began to prepare for Hurricane Ike's expected arrival. Naval Air Station Kingsville was to begin moving about 50 aircraft to El Paso, San Antonio and Fort Worth on Wednesday afternoon, the public affairs office there said. Naval Air Station Corpus Christi will also move about 75 aircraft to other Texas locations, its public affairs office said. Evacuations appeared to have saved lives in Cuba when Ike slammed into the island. Four deaths were reported from the storm, according to the Cuban government. The Cuban Civil Defense brought buses or trucks to take people to shelters. See the damage from the storm » . Cuban state television reported that two people were killed when they tried to remove an antenna, The Associated Press said. One man died when a tree crashed into his home, and a woman died when her home's roof collapsed, according to the AP. The storm shredded hundreds of homes and caused some dilapidated buildings in Havana's older areas to collapse, the AP reported. Watch as winds and waves pound Cuba » . The United States, which provided $100,000 in emergency aid to communist-run Cuba through private aid agencies after Hurricane Gustav hit the island August 30, said Tuesday that it was considering additional emergency aid for Cuba because of Ike. Also, the United States said it will lift restrictions on cash and humanitarian assistance sent to Cuba for the next 90 days. The move will allow nongovernmental organizations to provide assistance and cash donations. The storm pounded Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos chain, putting a strain on the British territory's tourism industry. Watch houses lie in heaps on Grand Turk » . Flooding and rains from Ike's outer bands have been blamed for 70 deaths in Haiti. Watch the devastating aftermath » . CNN's Mike Mount contributed to this report. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. | NEW: Ike could swell to Category 3 when it hits Texas coast Saturday .
Mandatory evacuations ordered for residents with special needs in one county .
Hurricane-spawned tornado causes damage in Key Largo, Florida .
Texans in low-lying areas and mobiles homes urged to get out . |
0e3b117811b66ac0ff778e285ddfacf556f14563 | By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 11:18 EST, 10 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:18 EST, 10 January 2013 . Throwing snowballs at lions does not sound the safest - or kindest - way to enjoy yourself. But when the animals are contained in a zoo enclosure and you are firing down on them from behind a safety barrier - it is a little easier to be brave. These lions certainly looked less than pleased when they were pelted with snow by laughing visitors, including children, at Hangzhou Zoo in Zhejiang Province, eastern China. Helpless: The two lions cowered together as snow was hurled down into their enclosure by the crowd above at Hangzhou Zoo in Zhejiang Province, eastern China . Bullying: A group of visitors - some just children - bombarded the lions with snow from the side of the pen . Frightened: The lioness, clearly scared, ducks down as snowballs fly past her . The attack was reportedly launched by one young man, who began to take aim at the big cats with a barrage of snow and ice. The attack clearly frightened the helpless animals, with the lioness swiftly taking cover under a wooden plank. The male line used a tree trunk as cover, with both eyes fixed on the visitors, as the missiles rained into the enclosure, ChinaSmack.com reports. The man apparently laughed as he hurled the snow, with a group of other visitors, including a number of children, also starting to take aim at the lions. Debris: The lions look at the ground as fragments of snow and ice land around them . Glare: The two lions look furious as they continued to be targeted (left) while the lion later took a direct hit to his head (right) Fierce: the lion finally loses his temper and lets out a furious roar at their tormentors . One of them used large chunks of snow and threw them down with all of his strength, according to the website. The frightened lions took shelter together in the corner of their pen as they tried to escape the new onslaught. The male lion roared in anger at his tormentors as they began to stroll away. Sadly the lions were not the only animals to be pelted with snow, with some of the crowd also pelting the zoo's alpacas, monkeys, a giraffe, a tiger and other creatures. | Helpless lions take cover as group - including children - hurl snow at them .
Attack 'launched by young man who laughed as he pelted animals'
Other animals at the zoo in Hangzhou, eastern China, were also targeted . |
0e3ca020179f6151aad1898bf0d9417522f4d5d9 | (CNN) -- Four goals from Cristiano Ronaldo laid the foundation for a thumping 6-2 win for Real Madrid over Sevilla on Saturday. The win keeps Madrid's slim chances of overcoming leaders Barcelona alive, reducing the gap between them and their rivals to five points. Although Josep Guardiola's team can restore their eight-point lead with a win over Espanyol on Sunday evening. Sergio Ramos opened the scoring for Madrid after 22 minutes before Ronaldo weighed in with his first of the night nine minutes later, with Kaka adding a third before half-time. Alvaro Negredo pulled one back for the home side on the hour mark but three Ronaldo goals in the space of ten minutes shortly afterwards killed any hopes of a revival stone dead. Negredo bagged his second of the night with six minutes remaining but it was the Portuguese winger's night as his fourth goal saw him move one ahead of Lionel Messi's league goal tally of 32. In the earlier La Liga matches, Roberto Soldado scored twice as Valencia beat Real Sociedad 3-0. All goals came in the first half -- Soldado scoring in the 17th and 37th minutes while Brazilian Jonas Goncalves netted after 25 minutes. The win consolidates Valencia's grip on third place although Villarreal can reduce the gap from six to three points with a win over Mallorca on Sunday. Seventh-placed Atletico Madrid lost 3-0 to Malaga who recorded their fourth successive win in La Liga thanks to goals from Jose Salomon Rondon on the half-hour mark, followed by a Julio Baptista header five minutes later before Enzo Maresca added the third six minutes before the final whistle. Athletic Bilbao defeated Levante 3-2 as they continue their quest for a Europa League spot next season. Bilbao surged into a three goal lead after little more than a hour played with goals from Gaizka Toquero, David Lopez and Fernando Llorente. But Levante staged a late comeback banging in goals in the 77th minute (Christian Stuani) and in the 86th minute courtesy of Victoriano Nano to set up a tense climax, but the home side held on to claim the three points. Getafe gave their supporters hope that they might avoid relegation after a 2-0 win over bottom side Almeria. Goals from Adrian Colunga and Pedro Rios lifted them out of the relegation zone and up 15th place with 40 points. Racing Santander looked to have ensured their survival in La Liga after a 3-2 win over second-from-bottom Hercules. Giovani dos Santos opened the scoring for Santander in the 14th minute before Sendoa Agirre equalized for Hercules five minutes before halftime which ushered in a frantic passage of play. Giovani restored Santander's advantage a minute later, before Tiago Gomes made it 2-2. Henrique capped a madcap five minutes with a header in stoppage time and ultimately sealed the win for Santander. An injury-time penalty by striker David Barral saw Sporting Gijon salvage a 2-2 draw in their match against struggling Deportivo La Coruna. | Real run riot as Ronaldo bags four goals to move ahead of Lionel Messi's league goal tally .
Madrid reduce deficit with Barcelona to five points until Sunday night at least .
Win over Espanyol at Nou Camp will restore Barcelona's eight-point cushion . |
0e3dfb06062e0fdf985ce403154af8b86ec0aa47 | (CNN) -- Despite being recently branded a "rotten apple" by AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi, Mario Balotelli was treated to a rapturous reception on his return to the northern Italian city. With votes at stake in the Italian elections -- La Stamp estimates the signing of "Super Mario" could be worth 400,000 votes as Berlusconi attempts a political comeback -- his new boss' blunt assessment was quickly forgotten as the former Italian prime minister sanctioned a $30 million deal to sign Balotelli. His transfer ends the striker's whirlwind two-and-half-year stay with English champions Manchester City, during which time a litany of dust-ups have allowed Balotelli to become a caricature of the modern playboy footballer -- sporting talent and tabloid cult hero rolled into one. One of his final acts as a City player was a training ground brawl with team manager Roberto Mancini, pictures of which were sprawled across newspapers. In the aftermath of the dust-up, Balotelli's teammate Carlos Tevez offered to counsel the 22-year-old striker. When Tevez, infamous for refusing to come off the substitutes bench during a match last season and subsequently going AWOL for three months, is doling out advise, it might be to seriously consider where your career is headed. Having signed a four-and-a-half-year deal, Balotelli's future now lies back in Milan, where he rose to prominence with AC's city rivals Inter between 2006 and 2010. Myriad stories -- both mythical and true -- surround Balotelli, who recently unveiled a head of bleach-blonde hair ahead of a match between second-place City and Arsenal. There's the one about Balotelli driving into a women's prison, or the time he reportedly threw darts at youth team players out of a training ground window -- not to mention the impromptu bonfire which burned down his bathroom hours before he became the face of a firework safety campaign. Or Balotelli being stopped by police for having thousands of pounds in a bag on the passenger seat of his car. His alleged response when inquisitive officers asked why he was carrying such a huge amount of cash was to say: "Because I'm rich." Outrageous talent . City showed admirable patience with their mercurial marksman, hoping he could consistently produce the form which saw him spearhead Italy's run to the final of Euro 2012. Balotelli endured a tempestuous relationship with former Inter coach and current Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, but in Mancini, also a one-time coach of the Italian international at the Nerazzurri, he found a staunch ally, though the City manager used the striker with increasing sparsity. It's this mix of lashings of outrageous talent, outlandish behavior and childish ill-discipline -- Balotelli has already picked up six red cards in his fledgling career -- which have made him a gold mine for newspapers. Vincent Pericard is one former player who has experienced the high of being at a leading club and the low of languishing in the game's lesser leagues. Born in Cameroon, Pericard was raised in France -- representing his adoptive country at under-21 level -- before he was snapped up by Italian giants Juventus as a teenager. A bright future was predicted for the striker, but after leaving Juve in 2002 he moved to England and spent a decade slowly falling through the leagues. He made five appearances for sixth-tier club Havant & Waterlooville before retiring from football in 2012, aged just 29. Since quitting the game, Pericard has set up Elite Welfare Management, a business aimed at helping foreign players settle within the English game. "The organization is the sum of my own experiences," the former Stoke City and Portsmouth player told CNN. "We want to stop players wasting their talent. We should support and understand what makes him behave the way he does, instead of judging him and saying he is a lunatic or he is not bothered," added Pericard, referring to Balotelli, who is of Ghanaian heritage and was born in Perugia and raised by an adoptive family in Brescia in northern Italy. "All the problems relate to the social side of being a human being and how you interact with other people and how you interact with a new culture and how you adapt to it." Football clubs are experts when it comes to keeping a player in peak physical condition, but Pericard is convinced the game has room for improvement when it comes to addressing issues of mental well-being. "A player spends 80% of his time outside of the club's supervision and only 20% inside of the club," continued the Frenchman. "It is one thing to look at how a player is physically, but the mental well being of a player is just as important. It can be the difference between teams going up, getting relegated or reaching the Champions League. "The mind plays a massive part in a player's development and performance and this is something clubs need to tap into if they want to increase their chances of winning." The view that talent alone is not enough is one which is widely supported by sports psychologists. That is an approach not lost on five-time European champions Liverpool. As part of a new philosophy adapted by manager Brendan Rodgers, -- appointed at Anfield in June last year -- the club recruited Dr Steve Peters, who helped hone the minds of Britain's all-conquering Olympic cyclists. "It is absolutely vital that young players are given support right from the start," said Rebecca Symes, Sport Psychologist from British organization Sporting Success, who argues the amount of psychological support available to footballers decreases as they progress into the first team. The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), a body which represents the interests of soccer players in England and Wales, was not available for comment when contacted by CNN. "The transition from an academy into a senior squad is a really significant time," continued Symes. "I don't think enough emphasis is put on providing support to players during this transition and then throughout their professional career. "While the access to support is a lot better compared to 10 years ago there is a lot of work still to do, especially in football." With clubs in England's top division receiving unprecedented levels of income -- the recent sale of EPL television rights domestically and internationally is set to generate more than $8 billion according to British media reports -- Symes sees no reason why mental health professionals should not be given a higher profile at clubs. "Don't get me wrong there is some great work being done by organisations such as the PFA; Sporting Chance Clinic and the like. But appropriately qualified internal backroom staff fully integrated within a club is essential." Breaking into a top-flight team can transform a young player's life as they are exposed to the pressures of a voracious 24/7 media and experience a level of financial wealth which they previously would have probably only dreamed of. While sudden monetary gain itself might not destabilize a player, an inability to manage their finances in the long term might, suggests Dan Abrahams -- a sports psychologist specializing in football. "I think its more having a capacity to deal with the wealth which comes to them," said Abrahams. "Over time, if you're not doing that, it can create pressure. "The club needs to produce a culture of excellence," added Abrahams. "The five Cs -- culture; confidence, commitment, cohesion and caring. "Many people would baulk at the last one. They might become multimillionaire footballers, but the only way they get there is if they have emotional and intellectual support." After a career which shares some parallels with that of Balotelli, what advice would Pericard -- with the benefit of hindsight -- offer to the Italian? "To seek help and accept help that will allow him to fulfil your potential and play until 35 and maybe be the best player in the world," he answered. "With everything surrounding him, that is not going to happen. Accept the help that people are giving. Please accept it". Over to you Mario. | Mario Balotelli returns to Italy joining AC Milan from Manchester City .
Balotelli recently brawled with City manager Roberto Mancini .
Italian international striker joined City from Italian club Inter Milan .
Balotelli has been sent off six times in his career . |
0e3e281fde434a9fc914cb61f064a75887828e97 | London (CNN) -- Let's play spot the villain. On Monday, a group of children from Stalham Academy in Norfolk, UK, received an unexpected message in their Christmas sermon. The Reverend Margaret McPhee, a trainee vicar, shared with them the simple truth that Santa Claus doesn't exist. The real meaning of Christmas, she said, wasn't Santa, Barbie and Xboxes. It was about the birth of the baby Jesus and the light that he brought to the world. Parents were hyperbolically outraged. One posted on Facebook that McPhee had "put me off taking my children to church just in case something else gets said." This was the second such incident this month. A few weeks ago, when Father Dennis Higgins, a devoted, octogenarian Catholic priest, dared to -- shock horror -- tell children the truth at church, a local headmaster by the name of Brendan Hickey intervened. "I want to reassure all Year Three pupils at St. Anne's, and their parents, that I have personally spoken to Father Christmas and told him about what has happened," he lied. "He was sorry to hear about the confusion and has promised me that he will arrange for his elves to write to each of the children and reassure them that he will definitely be coming to visit them this Christmas." So who are the real villains here? Father Dennis, Rev. McPhee and their inconvenient truth-telling? Or Hickey and the disgruntled parents? In my view, anybody in their right mind will side with the clergy. Over recent decades, Santa worship has got out of hand. Rather than a light-hearted part of festive make-believe, it has become an elaborate con that many parents insinuate into their children's lives. A British mother, Laura Cole, made the headlines when she filmed her children crying after writing them a note -- ostensibly from Santa -- saying that they would not receive any "lovely presents" this year because they were on the big bully's "naughty list." One of the children was eight years old. And he still fell for it. This may be an extreme example, but it reflects the extent to which most children have been conned. It has become standard practice for parents to pretend to be in contact with Santa by letter and telephone before Christmas. These days, almost every parent in Britain puts out a glass of sherry "for Santa" and mince pies "for the reindeer" on Christmas eve, before consuming them as the children sleep, to create the illusion that Santa "has visited." A similar tradition flourishes in the United States and elsewhere. A mother I know even told her son that a shooting star was Santa coming to deliver presents on his sleigh. Another example of the depth of the deception came earlier this month, when a small girl called Natalie asked a Pentagon spokesman at a news conference if he was "tracking Santa." The answer, believe it or not, was yes: the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) has a website claiming to monitor Santa's progress using their advanced detection systems over Christmas. That's just a bit of fun, of course, and harmless in its way. But in the context of the Great Santa Deception, it takes on a different hue. Is it really right that children should believe that this stuff is, so to speak, gospel? It's madness. Somehow, parents have gone beyond the light-hearted Santa of decades past, and are intent on manipulating their children into actually believing that he exists. The energy and forethought that some people expend on Santa propaganda is astonishing. And who is Santa, anyway? A blend of Turkish, Scandinavian, English and north European folklore -- some of it Pagan and some of it Christian -- popularized in the 1930s by a Coca-Cola advertising executive (with the unlikely name of Haddon Sundblom). Don't get me wrong: I have no problem with the Santa ritual as a sort of game, allowing children to believe or disbelieve as they like. But messing with your kid's reality -- that stinks. What's wrong with it, I hear you ask? What possible harm could it do? Isn't it all a bit of festive fun, that makes children's Christmas more special? Well, there are several problems with the cult of Santa. Firstly, the man is a lie. Quite literally, a big, fat lie. And selling lies to your children isn't a good thing, unless in exceptional circumstances. In fact, I'd go so far as to call it an abuse of trust, especially if you use it to frighten your kids into "being good." Secondly, propagating the Santa myth is profoundly cynical. At the heart of the con is the tacit belief that the world is not magical enough on its own, that it has to be sexed up with a Santa. From this point of view, explaining the truth about how shooting stars are formed would be boring, and revealing that the presents come from mummy and daddy would be a downer; kids need to believe in a fantasy figure if they're going to have a magical Christmas. How jaded! Surely it is far more awe-inspiring, not to mention instructive, to explain that a shooting star is a speck of spacedust bursting into flame up as it plummets through the Earth's atmosphere. Surely it is more meaningful to understand that your parents have bought you presents with love, rather than outsourced the job to an elderly man with a team of elves and reindeer behind him. Lastly, Santa has become the icon of materialism. Presents are a significant part of Christmas, but we can all agree that they should have more to do with togetherness and goodwill than with imaginary old men and booty. Now, I'm not religious myself, but it doesn't take a genius to make the correlation between the decline of organized religion in recent decades, and the rise of the Santa movement. It seems like if you remove formalized faith from children's lives, it must be replaced by an equally powerful belief in something else. God may be dead -- but Santa lives. If my kids were going to believe in anything, however, I'd much rather it was God than Santa. At least there is a long, rich tradition behind God. At least He is synonymous with a complex moral and ethical code. At least He can offer some kind of genuine spiritual solace to those that believe in Him. Unlike that villainous old red-belly. READ: Sick kids fly to North Pole to see Santa . | Several priests have recently told kids that Santa Claus isn't real .
Parents lash out at "killjoys" ruining the spirit of Christmas .
Jake Wallis Simons says it's all very well to have it as a make-believe tradition .
Many parents now go too far in fooling their kids into believing in him, he says . |
0e3e309e428810b17e85cc7c9515f7e45f1f140d | A jealous husband who tried to strangle his nurse wife to death in front of patients in the intensive care unit where she worked has been jailed for 15 years. Royston Jones, 39, attempted to murder Claire Jones at Nevill Hall hospital in Abergavenny, south Wales, after becoming convinced she was having an affair. Her colleagues bravely managed to stop the attack by pulling bare-chested Jones off his victim, ignoring his untrue claim that he was armed with a hand grenade. Caught on camera: This was the moment bare-chested Royston Jones walked through Nevill Hall hospital in Abergavenny before attempting to strangle his wife to death . Royston Jones, right on the day of the attack, tried to murder Claire Jones, left, after becoming convinced she was having an affair . Father-of-three Jones, of Blaenau Gwent, left Mrs Jones, 35, his wife of 14 years, unconscious after the attack on September 5 last year. She was taken to the A&E unit at the hospital, where she was treated for a swollen neck and throat, elbow and back injuries. Jones, who threatened to kill his wife after she moved out of the marital home in early 2014, was convicted of attempted murder by a jury at Newport Crown Court. Sentencing Jones at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Eleri Rees, the Recorder of Cardiff, said Jones drove to the hospital after taking mephedrone. 'You headed straight for her, saying "you have done it now",' the judge said. 'Consultant Edward Curtis saw you outside the locked door of the unit. 'You barged your way through the doors after a nurse who had just entered. Dr Curtis instructed staff to call police and followed you. 'He saw you on top of Claire strangling her. Her face was changing colour and you were saying the words "kill" or "die". Jones (picturerd) was convicted of attempted murder by a jury at Newport Crown Court . 'Dr Curtis bravely engaged in a monumental struggle with you. You kneed Dr Curtis with considerable force.' Nurses were able to drag Mrs Jones away to a side room as 15 stone Jones grappled with Dr Curtis on the floor, the judge said. But Jones leapt to his feet, forced his way into the room and renewed his attack. Dr Curtis managed to loosen one of Jones' arms so his victim could slip to the floor, where she was dragged away again by colleagues. They took her to a side room and barricaded themselves in as Dr Curtis continued to restrain Jones, assisted by hospital porters. 'It took five men to control your movements,' the judge said. 'You threatened to bite them saying you had hepatitis and said you had a hand grenade. 'This was a high dependency unit with six very ill patients being cared for. They were exposed to the most frightening and shocking scene.' Jones was 'jealous, possessive and aggressive' and convinced his estranged wife was in another relationship, Michael Jones, prosecuting, previously said. 'He had his hands around her throat and there's no doubt he was trying to kill her by strangling her,' the prosecutor said. 'Other members of staff tried to pull him away. He was too strong, however, and continued to try to kill her.' Representing Jones, Hilary Roberts said the attack was due to his client's use of mephedrone and said he had no memory of the attack. 'He behaved under the influence of drugs,' Mr Roberts said. 'He is as horrified as everybody else at the story that unfolded through the trial and was graphically told by witnesses. 'The defendant fully and truly apologises for everybody for his behaviour. He is mortified at what he has done. 'He has no memory of these events and he cannot conceive himself forming an intention to harm her, let alone to kill her.' Father-of-three Jones, pictured on the day of the attack, left Mrs Jones, 35, his wife of 14 years, unconscious after the attack on September 5 last year . Mrs was taken to the A&E unit at the hospital, pictured, where she was treated for a swollen neck and throat, elbow and back injuries . The court heard Jones appeared before magistrates in August last year and was sentenced to a community order and supervision for battery on Mrs Jones. After being arrested for attempting to murder his wife, Jones told officers 'when I get out I will finish it properly'. The judge imposed a restraining order banning Jones from contacting his wife, including electronically. Speaking after Jones' conviction, Detective Inspector Leigh Mears, of Gwent Police, said: 'This was both a very frightening and disturbing incident in a place that is supposed to be a place of safety - a hospital. 'We must acknowledge the bravery of staff at Nevill Hall hospital - colleagues of the victim - for stepping in as they did, which undoubtedly prevented further serious harm to the victim. 'We would like to reassure anyone who is experiencing any form of domestic abuse that they are not on their own and there is help and support there for you. There is no justifiable excuse for committing domestic abuse.' | Royston Jones was convinced that wife Claire Jones was having an affair .
The 39-year-old attacked the nurse at Nevill Hall hospital in Abergavenny .
Bare-chested Jones also claimed that he was carrying a hand grenade .
The attack only ended when colleagues of Mrs Jones bravely intervened .
Cardiff Crown Court told he drove to the hospital after taking mephedrone .
Nurse's face was 'changing colour' as she was being strangled, court told .
Jones was convicted of attempted murder and has been jailed for 15 years . |
0e3ef05a4582161a911e3bc5ccdd9fb1acc69348 | Defence bosses were last night embroiled in a censorship row over a British soldier’s highly critical book about the war in Afghanistan. The MoD was accused of being paranoid as it made a last-ditch attempt to block publication of a damning study of Britain’s military campaign in Helmand. The 13-year conflict has cost 448 British lives – most of them after Tony Blair ordered troops into the volatile Taliban stronghold in May 2006. Dr Mike Martin (pictured in fatigues above) speaking to an Afghan villager in Helmand Province. Dr Martin served as a Captain in the Territorial Army when he was commissioned to write his book . MoD chiefs actually commissioned . Oxford-educated Territorial Army captain Dr Mike Martin to write about . the mission as part of his PhD. But . his criticism of intelligence blunders and the failure of commanders to . understand the conflict is said to have embarrassed officials. Now . the MoD has asked for the damning account to be pulped, claiming it . breaches the Official Secrets Act and uses classified material uncovered . by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, which Dr Martin and his publisher . deny. As a result, the 31-year-old author has quit the military in disgust after serving for ten years. Dr Martin interviewed 150 people for his book using fluent Pushtun, the local dialect in the Helmand Province . He . is now pushing ahead with the publication this month of An Intimate . War: An Oral History Of The Helmand Conflict 1978-2012. He spent six . years researching conflict in the province, starting with the Russian . involvement in the Seventies. The . row will fuel speculation that Defence Secretary Philip Hammond is . paranoid about criticism of the MoD. But the book has been praised by . senior military figures and MPs. Major . General Andrew Kennett, who commanded Dr Martin’s unit, said: ‘I think . he has done the Army a great service by writing this.’ Labour . defence spokesman Kevan Jones said: ‘Clearly Philip Hammond’s culture . of paranoia extends to trying to ban books, which is extraordinary.’ Dr Martin (pictured above) explained to the Ministry of Defence that material contained within the book was already in the public domain . General . Sir David Richards, the recently retired head of the Armed Forces, who . commanded international forces in Afghanistan between 2006-07, said the . book was ‘quite simply, the book on Helmand’, adding: ‘I sincerely wish . it had been available to me when I was ISAF Commander in Afghanistan.’ Dr Martin said: ‘I have been forced to resign. I was employed as a . constructive critic and I strongly believe that the Army needs reform.’ His . MoD-funded doctorate was awarded in February 2013 and he told officials . he planned to turn it into a book, with proceeds going to military . charities. But the MoD sat on the manuscript for 14 months, only raising its complaints in February. Dr . Martin said he sent the PhD to the Army and the MoD before it was even . awarded, adding: ‘I told them that I was going to be converting this . into a book. There’s no difference in the content, just the style. British troops boarding a Chinook helicopter in Helmand in 2009 because traveling by road had become so dangerous . The book is highly critical of the naivety of British and American commanders about they way they dealt with the local tribes . In total, 448 British lives have been lost in Afghanistan, including (from top row left to right) Sergeant Nigel Coupe, Corporal Jake Hartley and Private Anthony Frampton, with (bottom row left to right) Private Christopher Kershaw, Private Daniel Wade and Private Daniel Wilford. An inquest heard that the six soldiers were killed when a bomb destroyed their vehicle in Helmand . Dr Martin (pictured above left) was one of the only people in the British army who could speak fluently with locals in Helmand . Dr Martin said he was forced to resign from the Army because of the controversy surrounding his book . Dr Martin conducted 150 interviews in Helmand using the local dialect of Pushtu . Retired Chief of the Defence Staff Sir David Richards praised the book claiming 'I wish it had been available to me' while commander in Afghanistan . Dr Martin claimed that military commanders failed to understand that the Afghan conflict was primarily a tribal civil war . Dr Martin's book - An Intimate War: An Oral History of the Helmand Conflict - details the region's troubled history from 1978 to 2012 . ‘I . heard nothing until February when they said, “You can’t run it”. So I . resigned my commission and we have restarted the print run.’ Dr Martin, from East London, accused MoD officials of trying to protect the reputation of Britain and its US allies. His . book argues that Nato’s ISAF troops failed to understand they were . getting involved in a tribal civil war, rather than a fight against the . Taliban. He said: ‘We often . made the conflict worse, rather than better. This was usually as a . result of the Helmandis manipulating our ignorance.’ Dr . Martin, who conducted 150 interviews in Pashtu, the local language he . speaks fluently, said: ‘The book demonstrates how outsiders have most . often misunderstood the struggle in Helmand and how, in doing so, they . have exacerbated the conflict and made it more violent.’ He and publisher Hurst denied including classified intelligence material in the book. Repeated written requests for clarification on national security breaches were ignored by the MoD, they said. Hurst . managing director Michael Dwyer said: ‘I don’t know why the MoD opposed . it. They said it was something to do with Wikileaks and classified . material so we stopped the print run but when we asked them to elaborate . they refused. I think they’re just embarrassed.’ Yesterday the MoD denied claims it had tried to block the book using the Official Secrets Act. A statement on the MoD's website said the Army accepted classified documents referred to in the book were from public sources so the final decision not to approve publication was not based on the act. It said: 'The MoD is not in any way attempting to prevent the book's publication. 'The Army simply decided that it was inappropriate for a serving officer to publish a book that is so heavily critical of the Army, the MoD and our allies. 'The existing policy on publication of books and articles by serving military personnel is clear and exists to ensure that our operational security and the personal security of our people is protected. It is also designed to protect the hard won reputation of the Armed Forces.' A number of books critical of the campaign have faced MoD censorship. An entire print run of Dead Men Risen, an account of the deployment of the Welsh Guards to Helmand in 2009, was pulped on the ground of national security. The MoD eventually erased 50 words from the manuscript. In November, Defence Secretary Mr Hammond was branded 'paranoid' over claims he banned his Labour opposite number from sitting next to one of Britain’s top military chiefs at a dinner. He was accused of ensuring that organisers of an Armed Forces charity dinner tore up their seating plan to separate Shadow Defence Secretary Vernon Coaker from Sir Stuart Peach, the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff. His aides denied Labour's claim. But he has also been criticised for blocking off-the-record briefings from senior military officers to MPs. An MoD spokesman said: 'The MoD has a strong record of learning from previous campaigns and encourages its officers to challenge existing norms and conventional wisdom. 'However the publication of books and articles by serving military personnel is governed by well-established policy and regulations. When these are breached the MoD will withhold approval.' Former TA captain Dr Mike Martin’s book says Britain failed in Helmand because political and military leaders ‘mischaracterised’ the conflict. His work argues that the Taliban were not the ‘main drivers of violence’. Instead, conflict was driven by Helmandi individuals, including local politicians and tribal chiefs, and their personal motivations. It is therefore more of a civil war between clans than a clash between the ‘good’ government of Afghanistan and the ‘bad’ Taliban. In one example, he says that in 2008, the district governor of Nad-e Ali asked British officers to drive the Taliban from the village of Shin Kalay. The village elders appeared pleased, and drank tea with the soldiers. Publisher Michael Dwyer said he intends launching the book as planned despite the objections of the Ministry of Defence . But the so-called Taliban were a tribal militia raised by the elders to keep out the district police, who had been raping young boys and stealing. Unfortunately, the British had entered the village with 20 Afghan policemen. It later emerged that the district governor was from the same tribe as the police and a different one to the village elders. Furthermore, the villagers had evicted the district governor in the 1980s when he had then been the chief of police under the communists. Dr Martin said: ‘The British had a very simplistic understanding of the conflict – an understanding that did not chime with how the Helmandis themselves saw the conflict. The insurgency narrative ... meant we often made the conflict worse, rather than better.’ Dr Martin insists it is vital to learn lessons from the war, launched in 2001 to topple the Taliban, as Britain prepares to end its involvement at the end of the year. Critics have accused Nato of becoming bogged down in Afghanistan because Western leaders had only a ‘primitive understanding’ of its population, tribal culture and geography. Both General Sir Nick Houghton, the Chief of the Defence Staff, and his recently-retired predecessor General Sir David Richards have flagged up British failures when troops were sent to Helmand in May 2006. | Author 'forced to resign' from the Army after Ministry of Defence pulled support for controversial book .
Dr Mike Martin was one of only a handful of soldiers who could speak Pushtu fluently .
Afghan conflict has so far claimed 448 British lives .
Retired British general said he 'wished' he had this book while commanding in Afghanistan . |
0e3f2fa30b711144fd8e49dedd6c248542a9083c | New York (CNN) -- Thousands of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators deluged New York on Thursday, a show of strength in the movement's original home that was echoed nationwide as part of a "mass day of action." Scores were arrested in New York, and several police officers were reported injured, as protesters fanned out across the city moved toward Foley Square in Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. By early Thursday evening, many had crossed the bridge -- the same place where more than 700 had been arrested last month -- chanting, "This is what democracy looks like -- This is what America looks like," according to the New York movement's official Twitter feed. This time, they marched in the pedestrian walkway, not blocking the roadway. Nearby, pro-Occupy slogans were projected onto one side of the Verizon Building. Those in New York were not alone. Like-minded activists also took to the streets in all corners of the nation -- from Miami to Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon, to Boston -- marking two months since the activist effort aimed at the nation's wealthiest 1% began in Manhattan. Roundup of protests across the country . "I think the numbers have increased dramatically today," said New York protester Jo Robin. "Particularly after the raid, our message is being broadcast all over the world." The group twice squared off against riot police in Zuccotti Park, where they'd been evicted two days earlier. They'd also engaged in several confrontations with police, leading to scores of arrests. That includes 64 protesters -- wearing T-shirts with the figure "99%" prominently featured -- arrested at an early evening sit-in on Centre Street near Foley Square in lower Manhattan, a police spokesman said. (Earlier, police spokesmen and protest organizers had said -- incorrectly -- that 99 people were arrested in this same incident.) In total, police said around 8 p.m. that a total of 245 people had been arrested around the city. During a late afternoon press conference, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that at least seven police officers were hurt Thursday during exchanges with protesters. Five of those officers were injured when a unidentified liquid was thrown on their faces, Kelly said, adding that the officers experienced a burning sensation and required hospitalization. And a 24-year-old police officer was injured when a star-shaped glass object was thrown at him, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters during a visit to Bellevue Hospital Center where the officer was being treated. It is not clear how many demonstrators have been injured during the clashes. Overheard on CNN.com: Some tire of Occupy protesters . CNN and CNN affiliate New York One broadcast images of the exchanges, including video of one man -- whose face appeared to be covered in blood -- sitting near police who wielded shields and batons. Authorities constructed barricades at Zuccotti Park, in front of the New York Stock Exchange and along Fifth Avenue in an apparent attempt to keep demonstrators off the roads and on pedestrian walkways. Residents and workers near the New York Stock Exchange were required to flash identification cards as police cordoned off the area amid concerns that demonstrators would try to disrupt trading. Earlier in the day, protesters lifted metal barricades that ringed Zuccotti Park, a former home-base for the movement, defying authorities and blocking traffic. Bloomberg said the day's protests had "caused minimal disruptions to our city," he asserted that some demonstrators had "deliberately pursued violence." In Lower Manhattan, CNN iReporter Alvaro Perez shot video showing protesters being pulled away by police, including one woman who appeared to be dragged by her jacket and backpack. "I don't want to speculate on what happened in advance of that," police spokesman Paul Browne said of the incident. He said the "big picture" of how police have handled demonstrations has so far been mostly positive. "People were able to get to work" and "protesters were able to protest," Browne added. Occupy roundup: Movement marks 2 months . Earlier, on CNN's "American Morning," Howard Wolfson, a New York City deputy mayor, vowed, "We'll make sure, if people want to peacefully protest, they have the right to." But, he added, "if people break the law, we'll have to deal with that." "If they attempt to enter a building they're not allowed in, that's breaking the law. If they want to express their concerns about Wall Street, that's totally fine," he said. While the city has come under fire from protesters and other critics for arrests and removing protesters from Zuccotti Park, Wolfson insisted that "we had to act" to stop illegal activity, such as drug use, and to eliminate fire hazards. "This is a place where we honor the First Amendment," he added. Still, the ouster from Zuccotti Park did not appear to stifle the New York protest effort. The group tried to sum up its intent on a Twitter post: "Enough of this economy that exploits and divides us. It's time we put an end to Wall Street's reign of terror and begin building an economy that works for all." The Occupy movement, likewise, showed few signs of abating elsewhere in the United States. In cities such as St. Louis, Milwaukee and elsewhere, thousands responded to the "day of action" plea. And as in New York, some of those ended up behind bars after refusing to heed law enforcement officers' calls to move. The next highest arrest figure was in Los Angeles, where 25 people were arrested early Thursday and another 25 were arrested later in the day, Officer Andrew Neiman said. Bail was set at $5,000 for those detained, he added. In Portland, police reported 48 people arrested in three separate incidents. That includes 25 taken into custody on the east end of the Steel Bridge, nine inside a Wells Fargo bank and 14 in and around a Chase Bank. In the latter incident on Thursday evening, Sgt. Pete Simpson said that police used pepper spray to get individuals to move off a street and from the path of a commuter rail line. Another 21 were issued citations for blocking Las Vegas Boulevard in that Nevada city, Las Vegas police officer Bill Cassell told CNN, while Atlanta police arrested eight for blocking a roadway. There were also arrests in other places, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. And in Denver, District Attorney Mitchell Morrissey announced Thursday that three men now face felony charges -- including inciting a riot and assaulting a police officer -- for their alleged actions while clashing with authorities during Occupy Denver protests. CNN's Josh Levs, Mary Snow, Brian Vitagliano, Steve Kastenbaum, Eden Pontz and Rob Frehse contributed to this report. | NEW: A total of 50 are arrested in two incidents in L.A., an officer says .
A total of 245 people are arrested in New York, according to police .
48 are arrested in 3 incidents in Portland, Oregon, say police .
N.Y. authorities say that at least 6 police were hurt while on duty . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.