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London (CNN) -- A long-lost picture of Britain's King Edward VIII reveals the monarch's portrait was "edited" after his abdication to show his replacement, King George VI. Edward VIII posed for popular periodical "The Illustrated London News" in 1936, ahead of his planned coronation. But when the monarch stepped down before he was officially crowned, artist Albert H Collings recycled the image, painting over Edward's face in an early version of the "airbrushing" familiar to today's magazine readers. "We tend to think of it as a modern thing, but this just shows it has been going on forever," said Illustrated London News chief executive Lisa Barnard. "I suppose the thinking was that the original would never be seen, so no one would ever know," she told CNN, adding, "editors have always had to be resourceful -- news changes, and they have to change with it. "We found a note of how much the artists were paid for the portraits -- hundreds of pounds, which was a lot of money at the time -- and the magazine would not have wanted to waste that." The alteration came to light following the discovery of a proof copy of a special coronation edition of the magazine. When images of the coronation that never happened were published in British newspapers, one eagle-eyed reader noticed the striking similarity between the unknown painting of Edward VIII, and the image of George VI, which was published in a later issue of the periodical. Barnard said the portrait was not the only item from the unpublished Edward VIII coronation special to be recycled. "They were able to reuse some of the more general articles for the George VI coronation issue, and some other pictures of the coronation robes were also 'edited' to show George VI -- again, the artist just changed the heads. "Days after the abdication was announced, the magazine put out a special 'abdication and accession' edition, and they ran a whole essay which had been due to run in the coronation issue as a tribute to Edward VIII, and which became, in effect, a eulogy." It is thought the magazine's editor Sir Bruce Ingram was tipped off days before the abdication that the coronation issue might not be needed. In a page of notes attached to the proof copy and dated December 3, 1936 -- a week before the official announcement -- he has written a list of alterations and revisions needed "if Ed. VIII abdicates." "It is a sign of a smart editor, thinking on his feet and making the most of what they had," Barnard told CNN. Edward VIII became King on the death of his father, George V, in January 1936 but reigned for less than a year before stepping aside on December 11 to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. His younger brother, George VI, who had never expected to become King, was named as his successor. The story of the new monarch's struggle against a debilitating stutter in the early days of his reign was chronicled in the Oscar-winning movie "The King's Speech." | Rediscovered picture of King Edward VIII reveals portrait was reworked as King George VI . Painting was commissioned for use in coronation issue of "The Illustrated London News" Edward VIII reigned from January to December 1936 but was never crowned . Monarch abdicated in order to be allowed to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson . | 5dc9f8809f78913e646493208e4ad4034f8dad21 |
(CNN) -- Federal authorities have arrested a third man they said was linked to the September kidnapping of a Georgia teenager. In a press release Wednesday, the FBI said it arrested 28-year-old Tony Maurice Graves on Friday on a charge of conspiracy to kidnap. The agency said Graves, along with 29-year-old Wildrego Jackson, who was arrested nearly a month ago, were involved in abducting 14-year-old Ayvani Perez on September 17 in Clayton County. Also wanted in connection with Ayvani's abduction was 40-year-old Juan Alberto Contreras-Rodriguez, a Mexican national that authorities busted in a 2012 anti-drug trafficking raid. He is currently being held on immigration-related charges, according to the FBI. According to a federal affidavit, the 36-hour drama began with two armed men demanding money and jewelry from Ayvani's mother. When the mother did not comply, the men took Ayvani, the affidavit said. The same men later returned the girl unharmed to her aunt's house in Conyers, Georgia, the affidavit said. It remains unclear whether the abduction was random. Phone calls abductors made to Ayvani's family demanding ransom and drugs allowed authorities to trace their phone records, which they said led to Jackson's arrest the next day. Authorities have not detailed how the men were arrested. | NEW: A third man is arrested in connection with kidnapping of 14-year-old girl . Ayvani Perez was taken from her home at gunpoint on September 17 . The girl was returned unharmed, with kidnappers getting nothing in return . | 6f37f2b25051f975f279b0025b2d6cbcf4227461 |
By . Freya Noble . and Daniel Mills . Haunting footage has been released of the moment a Gold Coast home become a sickening crime scene with animal blood scrawled on a garage door and a car set alight during the early hours of Tuesday morning. The grainy security footage, filmed from a fixed CCTV camera across the street, is the best hope police have of identifying those responsible for the early morning attack on the Hazel Court home at Arundel. Despite it's poor quality and a lack of light, the video manages to show at least two people loitering at the front of a garage door presumably scribbling the message: 'Whers (sic) my money? Tik Tok!' in cat's blood. The silhouetted figures make it difficult to pinpoint exactly how many people are in the footage but police have confirmed it is more than one. Scroll down for video . In the rear of the image, at least two people can be spotted loitering in front of the garage door where it is presumed a message is being scrawled in cat's blood. The silhouettes are lit up by the flame which is later used to throw into the car parked right to the right of the screen . A burst of bright light fills the screen the moment the flame is thrown at the car . The culprits can then be seen moving towards the car holding a flame fueled by an accelerant, before throwing it inside. The car is quickly engulfed in flames before the footage ends with it still burning. A Queensland police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the pivotal moments of the film are at 2.17am and 2.19am in real time where the footage starts and car is set alight. 'At 2.17am you can clearly see people in front of the double garage door, and to the right you can see the small black square which is the car later set set alight.' Detectives have described the grisly slaughter of the cat, and the message which it was used to write, as 'abhorrent.' The RSPCA has offered its own $5000 reward to anyone that offers up information that leads to an arrest. A 19-year-old man was taken into police custody on Tuesday but released without charge. A message was left on a garage door at a Gold Coast home in the early hours of this morning while their car was set on fire . Senior Sergeant William Lithgow from Southport Station told MailOnline the incident appears likely to be an ongoing matter with the occupants. 'It's not a random act, the home was targeted specifically,' he said. The cat had been 'decapitated and otherwise dismembered', though the animal did not belong to residents at the home, Senior Sergeant Lithgow said. 'Police are continuing to investigate and the occupants are cooperating.' RSPCA Queensland CEO Mark Townend confirmed that no missing animal report had been filed but investigations in to the owner of the animal were ongoing. 'At the moment there is no lost report for a cat of that description.' 'It is microchipped but the data unfortunately is linked to a few owners back.' Rhonda Gibson, who lives a few doors down from the targeted house on Hazel Court in Arundel, said the Gold Coast suburb is usually very quiet as most of the residents are either retired or young families. 'It's a really quiet area and there's lots of retired people in the area.' 'Nothing much ever really happens here.' When news that a cat had been mutilated a few houses down reached the Gibsons, as cat owners they were very upset. Residents were seen cleaning the horrific graffiti off their wall alongside their burnt car . 'Of course that makes you feel ill, but thankfully it wasn't our cat,' Mrs Gibson said. She also said residents in the house next-door to the targeted home told her they felt the force of the fiery car when the explosion rattled their windows and shook their home. There had been no previous trouble in the street, and the residents of the house involved were not known to Mrs Gibson or her husband. Residents and neighbours were woken by a loud explosion around 2.45am and police found the severely mutilated cat near the burning vehicle. The cat's head was left at the front door of the house. People thought to be the homeowners were seen cleaning the graffiti off the garage door later on Tuesday morning. Detective acting Inspector Greg Aubort said the occupants were disturbed by the message. However, he would not say whether they had an idea who was responsible or if there were likely to be organised crime links. 'We're interviewing the occupants and looking for motives of any persons of interest that might be involved,' he told said. Police were called to the Arundel address after reports of an explosion . Insp Aubort said given the nature of the incident, police were eager to catch the culprits as soon as possible. 'It's an abhorrent attack on an animal,' he said. 'I think any case where you have the intentional killing or maiming of an animal is a disgusting act and we'll certainly be looking to prosecute those responsible to full extent of the law.' RSPCA Queensland has offered a $5000 reward to help catch those responsible for the incident. 'They cannot get away with this,' CEO Mark Townend said. 'This is one of the worst acts of animal cruelty that the RSPCA has seen.' Mr Townend said he feared the offender would strike again. 'It's a stepping stone to violence against people,' he said. Investigations are ongoing and anyone with information have been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. | CCTV shows at least two people loitering outside garage of Arundel home at 2.17am Tuesday . Movements show message being scrawled on garage, before car torched . Witnesses urged to come forward, RSPCA has offered a $5000 reward . Neighbour Rhonda Gibson said she was shocked to hear of the incident in such a 'quiet area' A threat scrawled in the animal's blood was painted on a garage door . Police describe the grisly incident as 'an abhorrent attack on an animal' | 7cbc6f5e5f1b3e3048e40c15a75dbad283a43760 |
By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 06:28 EST, 16 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:35 EST, 16 April 2013 . Apple is believed to be about to start manufacturing the iPhone 5S, the latest version of its hugely successful handset. Foxconn, the Chinese manufacturer that has made previous versions, is believed to have been hiring 10,000 workers a week since March for the production lines that will produce it. The handset is expected to go on sale in the autumn, and Apple is also believed to be developing a cheaper version. Customers queue up to purchase the iPhone 5 smartphone at the Apple flagship store on George Street in Sydney, Australia. The firm is believed to be preparing to unveil the next version in the summer. Apple's next two iPhones had already been designed before Steve Jobs died in October 2011, it has been claimed. At a meeting with the San Francisco . district attorney, George Gascón, who is keen to cut phone thefts in the . region, Apple's liaison officer Michael Foulkes is reported by the San . Francisco Examiner to have said the designs for the next two phones . 'preceded Tim Cook [being chief executive]'. 'We have been very busy recently as we will start mass-producing the new . iPhone soon,' a Zhengzhou-based Foxconn executive told the Wall Street Journal. The company has more than 1.4 million workers in China, according to the report. It typically . adjusts staffing according to the electronics production cycle, for . which demand usually picks up in the second quarter after a . traditionally slow start to the year. The . new model is believed to look identical to the current iPhone 5 but . include a faster processor and updated camera, according to online . reports. It will also run iOS 7, a major new version of Apple's iPad and iPhone software being overseen by Apple's Sir Jonathan Ive. Earlier this month it was reported Apple had hit major delays with its flagship iOS software due to a radical new look and feel. Experts say engineers have had to be pulled from its Mac software group so the new version can be finished in time for a rumoured summer launch. Sir Jonathan was given responsibility for the software earlier this year after the company fired Scott Forstall in a move believed to be related to the firm's huge problems with its Maps app. 'What I've heard: iOS 7 is running behind, and engineers have been pulled from OS X 10.9 to work on it' said John Gruber of the Apple blog Daring Fireball. He also claimed engineers working on the project had been given special handsets. 'Word on the street is that iOS engineers with carry privileges all have some sort of polarizing filter on their iPhone displays, such that it greatly decreases viewing angles, thus making it difficult for observers to see the apparently rather significant system-wide UI overhaul.' Leaked photo? This image purports to show the . case of the new iPhone 5S. Published by French website Nowhereelese.fr, . the differences in internal attachment points suggest an update . to the latest Apple phone . The claims echo those made by Peter Misek of investment bank Jeffries earlier this year, who said Apple will begin making a new iPhone model in March for an expected launch in June or July. Mr . Misek predicted that iPhone sales could begin to drop as customers . anticipate the arrival of the next model, but he nonetheless said he . expects around 44 million to ship in the quarter to March. 'As . word of the earlier production schedule starts to spread, we believe we . could see a slight slowing of demand CQ1 in anticipation of the new . product launch and Apple will likely start curtailing channel . inventory,' he was quoted as saying by StreetInsider. 'Therefore . we tweak down our CQ1 iPhone shipment estimate from 48M to 44M, which . is still well above widespread fears of shipments in the mid-30Ms.' The . analyst's prediction of a summer launch date for the 5S is a . reiteration of claims he made last month, when he said he expects the . new phone to ship in various colours and with improved battery life. On . rumours of an entry-level iPhone, Mr Misek claimed Apple could release a . low-cost device made of polycarbonate with no 4G Long Term Evolution . (LTE) capability. The . speculation seemed to contradict comments made by Phil Schiller, . Apple's marketing chief, who recently told Chinese newspaper the . Shanghai Evening News that 'despite the popularity of cheap smartphones, . this well never be the future of Apple's products.' | iPhone 5S is expected to go on sale later this year . Apple also rumoured to be developing a lower cost iPhone made from plastic . | b2475cf5f278ad926fd2a522fc601b8ff39e9424 |
By . Daniel Miller . PUBLISHED: . 11:35 EST, 12 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:28 EST, 13 July 2013 . Hollywood is bracing itself for one of its most disappointing months in recent memory after a series of big budget productions have bombed at the box office. This summer has seen fierce competition at cinemas with over 20 films boasting budgets of $100 million (£66million) or more fighting to fill the seats. Top of the flops appears to be Disney's $225 million 'The Lone Ranger' which despite starring roles for Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, only brought in $29 million on it's opening July 4 weekend. Scroll down for video . Bombs away: Disney's $225 million 'The Lone Ranger' starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer brought in a disappointing $29 million on its opening weekend . It followed a disastrous opening for Sony’s $150 million 'White House Down' which garnered a paltry $25 million on the weekend of June 28. And there are serious concerns over Guillermo del Toro's $180 million sci-fi monster romp 'Pacific Rim' which is expected to open at around $30 million this weekend. 'R.I.P.D.', the Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds thriler about a team of undead police officers is projected to pull in less than $15 million, despite a hefty $130 million production budget. White House Down had a disappointing opening weekend and R.I.P.D. is not projected to open with a boom . There are concerns for Guillermo del Toro's $180 million sci-fi monster romp 'Pacific Rim' which is expected to open at around $30 million . And even the normally reliable Dreamworks production house could be left with a stinker as 'Turbo', a $135 million family film about a snail with dreams of speed, is also expected to do badly when it opens on the same weekend. It's a far cry from July 2012 when the last in the Christopher Nolan Batman series 'Dark Knight Rises' puled in $168 million. The Lone Ranger($225m) $29m . White House Down($150m) $25m . Pacific Rim ($180m) $30m (Projected) R.I.P.D.($130m) $15m (projected) 'Turbo', ($135m) $30m (projected) But according to the report on thewrap.com there are some encouraging signs on the horizon. Sony’s $80 million 'Grown Ups 2 starring Adam Sandler is expected to bring in between $40 million and $45 million . And Fox's X-Men spin-off 'Wolverine', starring Hugh Jackman is projected to draw a healthy $70 million when it opens on July 26. Tinseltown VIPs will be hoping the dreadful JUly wil prove to be mearly a blip between record-breaking grosses in May and June from the likes of 'Man of Steel' and 'Monsters U'.August will begin with opening weekends for Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg's 'Two Guns', 'The Smurfs 2', 'Elysium, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, 'We’re the Millers,' 'Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters' and 'Planes'. | Johnny Depp's $225 million 'The Lone Ranger' pulls in just $29 million on opening . It follows disastrous opening for . Sony’s $150 million 'White House Down' August is looking encouraging with a raft of potential blockbusters to come . | b0feaa0fe0c07a81ca715ae7c26af3657dadf82e |
Fung Dang was left with a bitter taste in her mouth when she received a receipt calling her 'stupid' at Three Williams cafe in Redfern . A Sydney cafe owner is giving away free coffee to all customers after one of his waiters called a patron 'stupid' on a receipt. Glen Bowditch, who owns Three Williams in inner-city Redfern, said he was 'gutted' and that the incident had the potential to destroy his business . Customer Fung Dang was left with a bitter taste in her mouth when she received the bill at the end of her meal on Sunday and found 'for the stupid customers' itemised on her receipt. 'Three Williams cafe think their customers are STUPID!' she wrote on Facebook. 'If you are interested in having breakfast and waitresses talking behind your back, then this is the perfect place to kick start your day! 'If it wasn't for your "STUPID CUSTOMERS" your business wouldn't be flourishing!' Mr Bowditch said the waiter Charles Oehlrich had been fired and added the cafe was offering all customers free coffee today to make up for the incident. 'We're doing that on the basis of making our regular customers more aware of the situation and the fact that we don't operate like that,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'A one-off incident and somebody who works one shift a week has the power to put down a business and shut down a business at the end of the day. Glen Bowditch, who owns the inner-city Redfern cafe (pictured), said he was offering all customers free coffee today to make up for the incident . 'It's one silly comment one person wrote and the owners have no control over.' Waiter Charles Oehlrich has been fired . Mr Bowditch said he felt sorry of everyone involved. 'This is my business, I've got money on the line,' he said. 'A million dollar café could be shut at any moment.' The waiter Charles Oehlrich said he wrote the comments on the bill because he was angry the customers had made a mistake on their order and sent their food back to the kitchen. 'I was pissed off. Those things happen in kitchens, you say stupid stuff at times and for some reason I put it on the bill,' Mr Oehlrich told The Daily Telegraph. 'I take full responsibility. I'm the one that deserves to be fired and so I have been.' Ms Dang said she did not get her order wrong and simply asked for extra scrambled eggs. Three Williams replied to Ms Dang's review on Facebook and gave their 'sincerest apologies'. 'This is unacceptable. The person in question has been dealt with,' they said. 'We pride ourself on great service and this is as shocking to us as it was to you.' The cafe then offered Ms Dang a $100 voucher to make amends. | A waiter at the cafe called Fung Dang 'stupid' on her bill on Sunday . The unhappy customer took to Facebook to express her disgust . Three Williams says the man responsible for the slur has been sacked . The cafe issued an apology to Ms Dang via the social media site . | 1615bd2d5f4436046023a720abe9c2f42bd96436 |
By . Damien Gayle . UPDATED: . 08:18 EST, 11 August 2011 . Police took revenge on dozens of riot looters last night as they kicked in their front doors and hauled them into the street. Riot officers armed with battering rams descended on a string of properties as they looked for pay back over the chaos that swept the country. The officers collared one suspect at a home in Brixton after receiving a tip off that he had been involved in the disturbances. He is likely to be the first of hundreds more who are brought to justice as a huge public backlash grows against the troublemakers. How does it feel? A suspected looter is paraded through the street and bundled into a police van after his home in Brixton was raided last night . Brought to justice: The suspect is pulled from his front doors while officers rummage through his home in search of looted goods . The police action came as the rioters' reign of terror seemingly evaporated into the night. Just as the first bursts of violence . in Tottenham came from nowhere, so the trouble unexpectedly receded. Contributory factors may have included the fact that police forces . throughout the nation were braced for action with as many blue uniformed . bodies as they could put on the street; 16,000 in London alone. Perhaps . the three deaths in Birmingham yesterday prompted a rethink by some. And with the arrest . figures in London alone up to 888 perhaps there were just too few . rioters and looters to cause the same level of disturbance. But . with no serious incidents overnight, simply a procession of charged . rioters trudging through overnight court sittings, the lull in violence . begs the question: Is the worst over? Upmarket: Police officers prepare to carry out a raid on a property on the Churchill Gardens estate in Pimlico, London last night . He means business: A riot office with steely stare carrying a battering ram strides down the street, and right, bashing down a suspect's front door . On Wednesday youths had rampaged through Manchester's . city centre, turning it into a war zone, and boasted that the government had . lost control of the cities. They pledged to continue as long as they . could. And even if they do get caught, they . are not afraid of the consequences, with one telling BBC Radio 4's Today . programme: 'What are they gonna do? Give me an Asbo? I'll live with . that.' London remained relatively calm on Tuesday evening thanks to a mammoth police presence, but looting and thuggery . continued in Birmingham and Liverpool, and broke out for the first time . in Manchester, Nottingham and Gloucester. Regional . forces, seemingly caught on the back foot after donating hundreds of . riot officers to help the Met regain control of the capital, struggled . to contain hundreds of yobs who took to the high streets to loot. Police, open up: Officers rush through the doorway of the flat in Pimlico where looted goods were suspected of being held . Gotcha: The suspect us lead away in handcuffs followed closely behind by another suspected looter from the riots in London on Monday evening . But the Met . pledged that policing numbers would remain at an unprecedented high for . the second night in a row, leaving forces elsewhere without crack teams . trained for public disorder as they saw 16,000 police on the streets. Scotland Yard today said that 888 . people had now been arrested in connection with violence, disorder and . looting in the capital, with 371 charged. On Wednesday a police source told Mail . Online that while there were no early reports of trouble in the capital, . there will remain a 'higher . more visible police presence on the streets'. 'The . policing will be widespread across the capital,' he added, 'and as we . have done on previous nights we will be concentrating on areas where we . have the most concerns.' Bounty: Police officers show off goods recovered from the raid, including a pair of Nike shoes and Hugo Boss clothing including jeans, shirts and a coat . Police carry suspected stolen goods - including Hugo Boss shirts (right) from the building . Haul: A Hugo Boss bag costing £285 is recovered by police on Churchill Gardens estate in Pimlico . In . Manchester, where rioters rampaged through the central . shopping district, burning and looting shops and fighting running . battles with police, police said they were making no special . preparations. Greater . Manchester Police said that they were not expecting a second night of . violence in the city, but did concede that there would be more police on . standby than were available to commanders last night. A source said: 'There's not a lot . happening. It's raining here at the moment and we're doing our rain . dance and hoping they [the rioters] will keep away. 'We have certainly got more officers . tonight than last night, but whether they are out or not is another . matter because there's nothing happening.' Enforcers: Police prepare to raid a home in Brixton as the round-up of riot suspects continued . However, . rioters quoted by BBC Radio showed a terrifying sense of impunity about . their role in the violent clashes that gripped the heart of the city . last night. 'Why are you going to miss the opportunity to get free stuff,' one asked a reporter during the unrest last night. 'The government are not in control because if they were we wouldn't be able to do it would we?' The young looters told the Today . programme that they were unconcerned about being caught and did not . expect that they would have to suffer as a result of their crimes. Tough: Riot police hold a man to the ground after he was found drunk outside a pub on Eltham High Street in London, last night . Standing watch: A line of police officers stand on Eltham High Street in London last night as riots across the capital died down . Surrounded: Riot police make a circle around a group of local people who has gathered outside a church in Eltham last night . 'This will be my first offence,' continued the young miscreant. 'I've not been in trouble before so I'm not really bothered. 'I'll get a caution. The prisons are full.' The Metropolitan Police's Deputy . Assistant Commissioner, Stephen Kavanagh, said some of his officers were . disappointed with the sentences handed out so far to looters. He . told BBC Breakfast: 'That has been personally raised by me and others, . and the commissioner I know has also raised it, so we will move through . those issues and I am confident we will get the support of the courts.' Lockdown: Riot police frisk people on a street in Croydon, south London . Courts flooded: At the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London rioters were charged through the night, in scenes that were repeated across the country . He said the huge policing presence on the streets would continue for another night, and would then be reviewed. He added that more than 100 arrest warrants were being executed this morning. Elsewhere in the country, police were confident they would be able to keep control of the streets. West Midlands Police, responsible for . maintaining order in three areas where lawlessless broke out last night . promised that there were enough officers to protect communities. In Birmingham, three men out on the . streets to protect their community were tragically killed after a rioter . hit them with a car, while in West Bromwich and Wolverhampton youths . ran amok. In a statement . published on the force's website, Chief Constable Chris Sims promised . that 600 specially trained riot officers would be deployed across the . region. Pitched battles: Mounted police outside the Arndale Centre in Manchester's main shopping district last night. The city was gripped by violence as youths looted and pillaged shops . All leave for West Midlands officers . has been cancelled and the force has, where possible, suspended other . operations, Mr Sims said. Nottinghamshire . Police is also deploying more officers tonight after Nottingham was . rocked by civil disorder that saw a mob firebomb a police station. A . spokesman for the force told MailOnline that they had not sent any . officers to help with the policing effort in London and that they had . been given operational support by South Yorkshire police. She . said that the force were 'more than prepared' for any outbreaks of . violence but added that intelligence indicated the city would be quieter . tonight. In Gloucester, a dispersal order . covering areas where violence broke out will come into from tomorrow and . last until February 11, 2012. The . order is being introduced in response to an increase in groups behaving . in an anti-social way and intimidating local residents and shoppers. 'The . order allows police or Police Community Support Officers to direct any . groups of two or more to leave the area for 24 hours when they believe . the behaviour of the group is likely to result in members of the public . being harassed, alarmed or distressed,' a force spokesman said. 'Dispersal . orders provide us with an effective tool which we can use at our . discretion to ensure that those who intimidate others can be ordered to . leave an area and receive a strong punishment if they ignore the order.' Earlier today, the police were given the green light to use water cannons with 24 hours' notice. David . Cameron, the Prime Minister, said that plans had been put in place to . deal with the disorder using water cannons - making it the first time . they would be used on the streets of mainland Britain. The comments were seen as U-turn on . what Home Secretary Theresa May said earlier this week when she ruled . out the use of water cannons. The 'softly softly' approach has been shelved and police will finally be given the backing to come down hard on offenders. 'Police are already authorised to use . baton rounds and we agreed at Cobra that, while they are not currently . needed, we now have in place contingency plans for water cannons to be . available at 24 hours' notice,' Mr Cameron said in a speech outside . Downing Street this morning. 'Whatever resources the police need they will get. What ever tactics they feel they need they will have legal backing to do so.' Mr . Cameron insisted the 'fightback' by police was succeeding today after a . fourth night of rioting across the country. He said a 'more robust . approach' by Scotland Yard last night had prevented a repeat of the . worst trouble. The PM said . it was 'simply not acceptable' that violence was taking place and had . spread to Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham overnight. | Youth paraded through the street and bundled into police van . Nike trainers and Hugo Boss jeans recovered from Pimlico flat . Quiet night across the capital as riots die down . | 1f7c2dbbac54617c6844619211dbbd4ef4d67ff5 |
By . Mary Greene . On 10 May 1814 - 200 years ago today - two boys made an escape attempt from their boarding school in Brentford. 'Dixon Sr & Price ran away at 4 o'clock this morning,' one of their schoolmates confided to his diary, suitably impressed. 'They put on the best clothes, borrowed some money and dropt from the window... It was not till supper that Morris (the schoolmaster0 was told that they had gone to Eton - There was a great jaw all day about it - They came back at bedtime.' A new exhibition at the V&A will showcase the inner thoughts of teenagers over the past 200 years . The young diarist was 14-year-old Raleigh Trevelyan, whose journal makes painful reading. His miscreant classmates were regularly beaten. 1 June 1813: 'Mitford and Rudge flogged,' he noted for posterity. 18 June: 'Heard from Mama. Had my neck washed.' Raleigh's diary, on loan from Wigan's Edward Hall archive, is the oldest in a new display of childhood and teenage diaries at the V&A Museum of Childhood, and some entries burn with a boyish sense of injustice. 23 September: 'Had a parcel & Mr M made me open it before him and stole some of the things,' he wrote indignantly. 'So while he was reading the paper I tried to take it from him so he threatned [sic] to flog me. I mean to take things of his to make up for what he has stolen from me.' Fortunately there were holidays to look forward to. Arriving home in London from his school in Middlesex in July 1813, young Raleigh found his family, 'All in a bustle packing for Ramsgate.' It was a scratchy homecoming though: 'Did not get to sleep till near 4 in the morning on account of the fleas.' It took more than 25 hours travelling by sailing barge from London to Ramsgate without any wind... but then there were donkey rides, crabbing, the shock of seeing a man drowning and the thrill of seeing a shipwreck towed in. The new exhibition will explore the minds of teenagers across two centuries . Sadly, less than a year later Raleigh is sent home sick from school. 24 May 1814: 'Took some rhubarb, castor oil and a saline draught for a head ake,' he complains, before taking a dose of red medicine two days later. He doesn't sound well; the doctor comes to bleed him with six leeches. The final pages of the diary show traces of blood. Raleigh died not long after. 'It's not clear what he died of, but it's a tragic end to a short life,' says archivist Alex Miller. Most of the diaries come from the Great Diary Project Archive, which started from a collection of more than 1,500 rescued by historian Irving Finkel from house clearances, donations, on eBay or wherever they might turn up. In his day job at the British Museum, he specialises in ancient Mesopotamian script. That explains Finkel's fascination with a 1940s wartime diary partly written in code by an anonymous teenage girl, which surfaced at a car boot sale. 'It's very rare to find a normal diary written in code,' he says. He was determined to crack it. 'Because I work with ancient scripts, I wasn't going to let myself be beaten by a schoolgirl!' It appeared to be a simple substitution code, employing characters from other alphabets, including Greek. 'She must have got them from an encyclopaedia. You can see from the fluency that it was second nature - from which I deduced that she probably used the code with her friends.' He cracked the code with the word banana. 'There are few words in English with that pattern. She used to go dancing with GIs who treated the girls to banana splits.' It seems she used the code to describe her glamorous mother's activities as a prostitute. Other teenage diaries capture that moment on the cusp of being a grown-up. Gill Caldwell illustrated her diary in 1952, when she was 14, portraying herself as a St Trinian's schoolgirl with a hockey stick and a cigarette in a holder. She devoted a whole page to King George VI's funeral, and that night went to see a film of the funeral procession. 'It was terrific, but two and a half hours was quite enough! My behind was quite sore,' she said. Timelessly, schoolgirl diaries record innocent crushes on oblivious boys. In 1937, Joan Hall from Surbiton, who started her diary when she was almost 15, obsessed over every fleeting glimpse of a boy who wore glasses. 8 November: . '"There are few words in English with . that pattern. She used to go dancing with GIs who treated the girls to . banana splits." It seems she used the code to describe her glamorous . mother's activities as a prostitute' 'Saw Glasses. I do like him, yet I don't know if he likes me.' And the following day, segueing seamlessly from puppy love to domestic science: 'Passing my darling G - I came late with a saddlebag bulging, a music case on my handlebars and a satchel on my back... In cookery we did the Irish stew, which came out like water, plus water, mixed with water... Miss B actually thought that Joyce and I were going to eat it too.' One of the Great Diary Project researchers is Laura Barnicoat, and her own grandmother Veronica Hadwen's diary makes up part of the archive. At 12, Veronica was expelled from boarding school for reading Gone With The Wind. By 1947, as a man-mad 17-year-old living in Cornwall, her diary included sketches of her new wedge sandals and 'sensational' new platform shoes. A diary entry for April that year describes a flirtation with a Desert Rat returned from the war. 'The Desert Rat was affectionate to put it mildly - he says he's 36 and also has decided to remain a lone wolf for good, that is unless I decide to marry him - is this a proposal? Perhaps - anyway he thinks I'm beautiful which is something.' She seems to have had a racy time on a holiday in Dublin the following month. 'Brian, I think, is slightly in love with me, or of course it may just be Irish blarney... As a rule, I don't like being kissed but Fintan's kisses were very pleasant... I left him feeling utterly knocked over. He is of course quite the most unsuitable person I could find...' He certainly was, as he had TB and she had only met him that morning. Even the most mundane diaries are a resource for historians of the future, says Irving Finkel. 'When I was a child, a new diary was a standard Christmas present. They belong to a handwritten world that is vanishing. Blogging is no substitute. Most of us think our own lives are uninteresting to anyone else, but imagine if we had hundreds of diaries from Shakespeare's time today!' The Great Diary Project, V&A Museum of Childhood, from 17 May. www.thegreatdiaryproject.co.uk. | A new V&A exhibition will showcase 200 years of journals . The exhibit will crack the codes and secret messages written in them . The exhibition opens on 17th May at the V&A . | c450d0736feeef5a9e411fd60722c6b41e2a49fc |
Deciding where to place a Wi-Fi router at home to minimise signal blackspots is a fine art. But a physicist has attempted to tackle the problem by mathematically working out the optimum position for a router. He studied how walls and reflections affected signal strength and concluded that, as common sense might suggest, there’s just no beating the centre of a house for router location. Jason Cole at Imperial College London simulated Wi-Fi router locations (shown above in the diagram of Mr Cole's flat). He found that the best location, as common sense might suggest, was in the centre of a home. He had grown frustrated after finding blackspots in his flat . The 'complex' research was carried out by Jason Cole, a PhD physics student at the John Adams Institute at Imperial College London. Wi-Fi signals use very low intensity radio waves. Whilst similar in wavelength to domestic microwave radiation, the intensity of Wi-Fi radiation is 100,000 times less than that of a domestic microwave oven. The type of radiation emitted by radio waves (Wi-Fi), visible light, microwaves and mobile phones has been shown to raise the temperature of tissue at very high levels of exposure - but that's much higher than what people are subjected to on a regular basis. This is called a thermal interaction, but researchers are divided as to whether the radiation we receive daily can cause damage. The UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) has been monitoring the safety of Wi-Fi. It says people using Wi-Fi, or those in the proximity, are exposed to the radio signals it emits - and some of the transmitted energy in the signals is absorbed in their bodies. However, the signals are very low power. Sitting in a Wi-Fi hotspot for a year results in receiving the same dose of radio waves as making a 20 minute mobile phone call. Frustrated at finding numerous Wi-Fi blackspots around his flat, Mr Cole turned to mathematics to find out how he could improve his internet connection. The detailed research can be seen in his initial study and a more in-depth follow-up. Using something known as the Helmholtz equation, which can resolve physical problems in both space and time, Mr Cole simulated his flat in a program called Matlab. In the simulation he mapped out his flat and then created a virtual router and computer. He then tested out what happened to the router’s signal when it was placed in different locations around his flat. He found that, when confined to one side of the flat, the waves were hindered not only by walls and closed doors but also when they went around corners. This, he says, is because the signal loses strength when it bounces off objects. ‘I suspected that the thick Victorian walls were absorbing the radiation or scattering it away from my computer,’ Mr Cole tells MailOnline. ‘I found an equation which approximates the behaviour of high-frequency electromagnetic waves such as Wi-Fi, and tried to solve it by placing a virtual router in the floor plan of my flat. ‘After crunching numbers for a few minutes I was able to generate maps of Wi-Fi signal strength inside the flat, showing poor signal near my computer. ‘I can now test putting the router in different positions to improve the situation.’ Walls, doors and corners were found to greatly decrease signal strength (shown). Mr Cole found there was no substitute for direct line-of-sight to the router, especially when it was place at one side of his flat. The simulations were created in a program called Matlab . In order to get the best signal strength around a home, Mr Cole says nothing beats placing the router at the centre (simulation shown). While he has yet to test the simulations in real life yet, some commenters on his website suggested he tape an antenna to a robot vacuum cleaner . By showing how weakened the signal can be when it moves across the flat, Mr Cole found that no matter where his router was placed at one side of the flat, there would always be blackspots elsewhere. Instead, he suggests that the only solution to ensure as few blackspots as possible is to place the router in the middle of the flat. ‘It turned out that the model I developed was very sensitive to every little detail, so it was difficult to say other than the common sense advice: direct line-of-sight to the router is best,’ he explains. ‘There is also some reflection of the signal around corners, but engineers tell me reflections are bad too. ‘In my case, the best position was as central as possible, preferably near open doorways.’ He says he hasn’t tried any physical tests of the simulation yet, but has been given suggestions by commenters on his website. ‘Some inspired online commenters have suggested taping an antenna to a robot vacuum cleaner and letting it sniff around the flat,’ he says. ‘There have been many other helpful comments which will no doubt improve the methodology in the future, and a surprising number of people asking for an app to test their own houses or offices, so there's plenty of work to do.’ | Jason Cole at Imperial College London simulated Wi-Fi router locations . Through complex equations he proved the centre of a home was the best place for optimum connection . He had been frustrated by blackspots in his flat when accessing the internet . Walls, doors and corners were found to greatly decrease signal strength . His simulation found there was no substitute for line-of-sight to the router . While he has not tried the simulation in the real world yet, he tells MailOnline some people have suggested 'taping an antenna to a robot vacuum cleaner' | ff08341b814498aa43a8068426df3d07aa4e396e |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 16:54 EST, 25 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:18 EST, 26 March 2013 . The immigrant grandfather who won the $338 million Powerball jackpot has revealed that he will buy his wife 'whatever she wants' with the money. Pedro Quezada, 44, appeared at a New Jersey Lottery press conference in Lawrenceville on Tuesday afternoon to talk about his shock at the massive payout, and what he intends to do with it. Mr Quezada, who moved from the Dominican Republic 26 years ago, was joined by his wife Ines Sanchez, a Mexican immigrant, at the podium and spoke through a translator to address the media. 'I will help those in need,' he vowed in Spanish, adding that he was planning on buying 'a good car - the one I like'. Joy: Pedro Quezada, the winner of the Powerball jackpot, talks to the media during a news conference . He said he would no longer be working at the bodega he has owned in Passaic, New Jersey for seven years, and will insist that his 23-year-old son, who runs the store, will quit the job as well. 'With all those millions, would you allow your children to work in a store like that?' he said. Mr Quezada, who has another son, 15, and three daughters, aged five, 10 and 17, joked that he would continue to pay the lottery despite his huge winnings. But he said he was also wary of people around him who may want to take advantage of his new-found riches, and declined to give the name of his hometown in the Dominican Republic. Winners: He was joined by his wife Ines Sanchez, center, to talk about their plans for spending the money . Excitement: He said his wife, who is a Mexican immigrant, could have 'whatever she wants' with the money . Kind-hearted: Quezada said he has not decided on the specifics, but hopes to help people in need . 'You have to be careful, some people aren't good people,' he said. '[My life] has to change because it's so much money, but it will not change my heart.' He was vague about where he plans to go next, but said he might buy property in New Jersey, the Dominican Republic or Mexico. Mr Quezada, who has lived in Passaic since moving to the U.S. as a teenager, also detailed the moment he discovered he had the winning ticket. He had previously been caught celebrating on camera after learning about his win at Eagle Liquors. 'The store is located on the way to my . deli store so when i saw the commotion outside I figured maybe the . winning ticket was purchased there, so that's why i stopped,' he said. 'When the gentleman checked, he said, "Congratulations".' Only when he saw himself and his wife on television did he realise it was real, he said. His . wife, to whom he has been married for nine years, said she thought her . 'heart wanted to come out of my chest' when her husband called her with . the news. 'I had no words,' she said. 'All I can say is I feel very happy because God has blessed us with this prize.' If . Mr Quezada takes the winnings as a lump sum, it will come to $152 . million after taxes. Federal tax is 25 per cent of the payout, and the . state gets another six per cent. The moment of discovery was captured by the swarms of media gathering in the store. 'We . won! We won! We're not gonna be poor anymore!' he told his mother as he . spoke on the phone in Spanish after discovering the massive win, the New York Post reported. 'I can't believe it. I'm overwhelmed. I was praying so much for this,' he added to the Daily News. Celebration: Mr Quezada said he will be quitting work, buying a new car and helping the community . Riches: If he chooses to take a lump-sum payment, Mr Quezada will get $152 million after taxes . Shock: Powerball jackpot winner Pedro Quezada is pictured with his wife, Ines Sanchez, and their daughter after discovering he had won the $338 million prize on Monday . Stunned: The bodega owner and 44-year-old father of five discovered he had the winning ticket in the shop . He said he hopes to help people with the money, and his son said his father will continue to work. 'He's going to stay here doing what he loves to do,' Casiano Quezada told The Star-Ledger. Quezada, who lives in a shabby third-floor apartment on a block next to a highway, began working in a factory after arriving in the U.S. 26 years ago. In . 2006, he opened his own bodega, which is run by his son Casiano, 23. But he chooses to play the lottery at Eagle Liquors because he never . applied for a license. Casiano . told the Post that he was working at the bodega when his father called . with the good news - but that he initially didn't want to close the . store because he didn't want to lose business. Joy: His son, Casiano Quezada, smiles while talking to members of the media inside Apple Deli Grocery . Change ahead: Quezada (pictured with a friend) runs the bodega, which his father has had for seven years . Worker: After the win, the younger Quezada didn't want to shut the store because of losing business . Devoted: Casiano Quezada closes early on Tuesday. He said his father will continue working despite his win . Neighbours . added that the family, including Quezada's wife of 10 years, Ines . Sanchez, were rarely seen, and they assumed it was because they worked . so much. Eladia Vazquez, who has lived across the . street from Quezada for the past 25 years, described the coupe as 'quiet and not overly . talkative' but sensed that they seemed to be working all the time. 'This is super for all of us on this block,' she said. 'They deserve it because they are hardworking people.' Quezada's wife Ines added: 'We're hardworking people. We always struggled.' Quezada said he had not yet decided what to do with the money but knows 'I'm going to help a lot of people, whatever they need'. He has three daughters, aged five, 17 . and 10, and two sons, a 15-year-old and 23-year-old Casiano. He also has . five brothers and two sisters. Joy: His wife, Ines Sanchez, spoke in Spanish as she told media they hope to help others with the money . Life-changing: Quezada is pictured on the phone to relatives as he shouts that he's a millionaire . Ecstatic: He is pictured running from the store after discovering he has just won $338 million . He has been given about 10 liens totaling more than $25,000 between 1998 and 2011. He . learned of his mega win after going to Eagle Liquors. One sister, Paula . Quezada, 32, told the Post she had joked with him that he should check . his lottery numbers. Richard Delgado, who lives down the . block from Quezada's building, said the man was 'a hard worker, like all . of us here. We all get up in the morning and go to work.' Mr Delgado said he got up Sunday . morning and was going to take his dog for a walk when he heard the radio . announce the Powerball results. 'When I heard there was one winner . and it was in New Jersey, I immediately went and checked my tickets,' Delgado said. 'I wanted to be that guy.' Proud: Store employee Pravin Mankodia stands outside Eagles Liquors in Passaic, N.J., where he sold the winning $338 million Powerball ticket that was claimed by a New Jersey resident . Winning location: The owner of the store will win $10,000 for selling the winning ticket . Store owner Sunil Sethi, who will . receive $10,000 as the seller of the winning ticket, said he's proud to . have sold it. He said he was contacted by lottery officials on Monday . with the news. 'Very exciting - unbelievable,' Sethi, who has owned the store for eight years, told the New Jersey Star-Ledger. 'He (or she) don't have to work no more. If he is living in Passaic, he's definitely moving out.' He said that his store must be one of the luckiest in the area as last year they sold a ticket worth $156,000, he said. 'It feels awesome, we feel so lucky.' The prize - $338.3million - is the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history. Powerball . said on its website that the grand prize jackpot has now been reset to . an estimated $40 million or a lump sum cash amount estimated at $25 . million for Wednesday's next drawing. Announcement: Carol Hedinger from the New Jersey lottery has revealed there is just one winning ticket . Waiting game: No one had won the Powerball jackpot since early February, when Dave Honeywell in Virginia bought the winning ticket and elected a cash lump sum for his $217 million jackpot . No one had won the Powerball jackpot . since early February, when Dave Honeywell in Virginia bought the winning . ticket and elected a cash lump sum for his $217 million jackpot. The . largest Powerball jackpot ever came in at $587.5 million in November. The winning numbers were picked on two different tickets - one by a . couple in Missouri and the other by an Arizona man - and the jackpot was . split. Nebraska still holds the record for . the largest Powerball jackpot won on a single ticket - $365 million. That jackpot was won by eight workers at a Lincoln meatpacking plant in . February 2006. View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com. | Pedro Quezada, 44, owns a bodega near the liquor store where he bought the ticket in New Jersey town called Passaic . Quezada, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, has five children . Powerball drawing of $338million is fourth largest in lottery's history . | 7e691b956d5a3d3bec2136afd77c201b140dd16a |
An Afghan man has confessed to shooting dead two American soldiers who were training him as a police officer in an attack which took place three years ago. In a chilling and candid account, the unidentified man said he had waited until Sergeant . Aaron Smith and Private First Class Brandon Owens had taken off their body armour before calmly gunning them down in Wardak Province, central Afghanistan. His confession . comes just a day after four American soldiers were gunned down by Afghan . police at a checkpoint in a similar incident. The latest in a spate of so-called green-on-blue attacks. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Confession: This unidentified man said that while he was being trained as a member of the Afghan Local Police in October 2009, he killed two American soldiers during an insider attack . Proof: The man was wearing his blue Afghan police uniform (pictured) when he carried out the attack and he was picked up by the Taliban shortly after, who helped him hide out in Pakistan for the following three years . Shot dead: The unidentified Afghan man who spoke to CNN admitted . that he killed Aaron Smith (left) and Brandon Owens (right) on October . 2, 2009 . Two British troops were also killed at a checkpoint at a different base in the south of the country on Sunday. Speaking from inside a Taliban . controlled village the man said: 'The Americans went inside . the nearby school for a break. While the number of soldiers being killed or injured by roadside bombs is falling there have been a growing number of incidents involving Afghan police or soldiers opening fire on coalition troops. So far this year at least 51 servicemen have been killed in so-called 'green on blue' attacks compared to a total of 35 last year. While the Taliban are often quick to . claim responsibility for the killings, intelligence sources believe most . are actually carried out by 'lone-wolves' who have personal grievances against . foreign troops. U.S. Col Todd Collins said: 'The Taliban lie and we know they lie we think they overstate their influence on their tragic incidents. 'We think somewhere around 25 per cent are insurgent related to some degree.' The attacks are referred to as . green-on-blue due to the colour of the coalition uniforms used by . American and British troops and the blue outfits worn by the Afghan . Local Police force. Chief spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, Brig-Gen Gunter Katz said: 'What we identified was that most of them were caused by personal grievances and stress situations. 'Those isolated incidents don't reflect the overall security situation in Afghanistan. 'As we speak 500,000 soldiers and policemen are working together to contribute to a more secure and stable Afghanistan.' 'They took off their body armour and . put their weapons down. At that moment, I thought it was the right time . so I took my gun and shot them.' Admitting to the 2009 incident that left the two soldiers dead and three others injured, the man told CNN that he did so because he took issue with the way that Americans were treating his people. He . said that he decided to kill the two men on October 2 'because . Americans were oppressing people in my country. They were burning copies . of the holy Koran and disrespecting it'. Shortly after the attack, the . unidentified Afghan man, who is a father of two, says that he was . captured by the Taliban. After he told his captors that he had killed . Americans, the Taliban took him to Pakistan where he was 'welcomed very . warmly like a hero'. The man is now back in Afghanistan after his Taliban captors decided that it was safe enough for him to return. 'They . said Americans were not everywhere like they used to be. The Taliban . had brought security and I should return home,' he said. So far in 2012, NATO reported that there had . already been 51 coalition deaths because of so-called green-on-blue . attacks, and as a result the Afghan Local Police training scheme would . be paused temporarily while the admission criteria were re-evaluated to . weed out possible attackers. The unidentified Afghan solider seems confident that the attacks will continue because the hatred is still there. 'I know they will increase, I know more people will do what I did,' he said. Those words are even more provocative in the wake of this weekend's killings. Four American soldiers were killed on Sunday in Kabul, and their identities have not been released. Married father-of-two Sergeant Gareth . Thursby, 29, and Private Thomas Wroe, 18, were shot dead in the south of . Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, on Saturday. Tributes: Married father-of-two Sergeant Gareth . Thursby, 29, and Private Thomas Wroe, 18, were shot dead in the south of . Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, yesterday . The . men were killed at a checkpoint when a man dressed as a local Afghan . policeman pretended to be injured so they would help him, defence . sources said. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: . 'I was saddened to hear of this cowardly act by a man wearing an Afghan . local police uniform, which has taken the lives of two brave British . soldiers. 'All of our . thoughts are with the families of Sergeant Gareth Thursby and Private . Thomas Wroe. They gave their lives protecting Britain's national . security, helping to make sure that Afghanistan never again becomes a . haven for international terrorism.' Sgt Thursby, who had completed tours of duty in Kosovo and Iraq, was nicknamed Bull because of his strength and confidence. His . commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Stenning, said: 'He was . admired and deeply respected by his soldiers and peers for his . soldiering skills, physical strength and forthright honesty. Utterly . professional, his standards were legendary.' Horror: Two British soldiers were gunned down by a man in an Afghan police uniform (file photo) Guard: Earlier this week, two Marines were killed and several more wounded at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan . He . added: 'I heard just a few weeks ago that he had told his platoon to . call him Dad during the tour. That is how he saw himself; a father . figure for 30 men and women involved in gruelling operations in . Helmand.' Third fatality: Lance Corporal Duane Groom, 32, from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, died on Friday after his vehicle hit a roadside bomb . Private Wroe, who joined the Army in September 2010, was praised for his professional skills and positive attitude. His . company commander, Major Finlay Bibby, said: 'His confidence, sense of . humour and ever present smile made him hugely popular and fun to be . with.' The MoD said . the deaths were unrelated to the attack at Camp Bastion which killed . two US Marines. Those attackers had automatic rifles, . rocket-propelled grenade launchers and suicide vests. Besides destroying . six Harrier jets, they demolished three refuelling stations and damaged six . aircraft hangars. The Taliban claimed responsibility for . that attack, saying it wanted to avenge Muslims insulted by an . amateurish film that mocked the Prophet Muhammad - and because Prince . Harry is on the base. The Prince, who turned 28 on Saturday, . is set to start flying Apache missions this week, and his deployment is . not planned to be shortened after the attack. This is his second tour . in Afghanistan. The latest deaths bring the number of . members of UK forces to have died since operations began in Afghanistan . in October 2001 to 430. They came during a bloody few days in the . war-torn country. At least one Afghan police officer . turned his gun on Nato troops at a remote checkpoint in the south today, . killing four US service members before escaping, Afghan and . international officials said. VIDEO: International Security Assistance Force confirms insider attacks . | Sergeant . Aaron Smith and Private First Class Brandon Owens were shot dead in 2009 . Afghan man confesses to the killings claiming he took issue with the way that Americans were treating his people . His confession comes after increasing number of green-on-blue attacks forced NATO to suspend Afghan Local Police training . Four American soldiers killed on Sunday and two British soldiers shot dead at checkpoint in Afghanistan on Saturday . Intelligence sources believe most attacks are being carried out by 'lone-wolf' individuals NOT the Taliban . | 7c966463996d086b8d96d31889eaa35979f6d60f |
By . Chris Wheeler . Follow @@ChrisWheelerDM . Manuel Pellegrini has warned that Manchester City will be 'the team to beat' this season and aims to make at least one more new signing before it kicks off next month. The Chilean led City to a Premier League and Capital One Cup double in his first season in England, and is determined to build on his success. City have already brought in goalkeeper Willy Caballero, defender Bacary Sagna and midfielder Fernando, and hope to add £32million FC Porto centre-back Eliaquim Mangala before facing Arsenal in the Community Shield. Speaking ahead of the opening game of City's US tour against Sporting Kansas City, Pellegrini said: 'The squad isn’t finished and we will have until the end of the window to make our moves. VIDEO Scroll down to watch City rocked by Negredo injury . Champions: City won the Premier League last season in Pellegrini's first campaign in charge . We're top dogs: Pellegrini says Manchester City will be the team to beat this season . Feeling hot, hot, hot: Manchester City have been training in 110-degree heat in Kansas City . 'We have options to change things, if . we need another one or not. It’s very important though to see what we . have in these matches – maybe one will go out but we have more than a . month to decide. 'This year maybe will be difficult but I think everyone knows that Manchester City will be the team to beat. 'There . are six strong teams who want to win the title but we have a trust and a . lot of good players who can do the same this season as they did last. 'One . of our targets is to do well in the Champions League. Last year was the . first time we got to the last 16 but we are confident we will do better . this year.' Pellegrini . knows that rivals Manchester United will pose a greater threat under . Louis van Gaal after a dismal season under his predecessor David Moyes. Scorcher! New Manchester City signing Willy Cabellero gets ready for training . Ball control: Jesus Navas (left) passes to Javi Garcia during training in Kansas City . Heat: The players look visibly tired and drained from the sheer scale of the warmth in Kansas City . He added: 'Of course I think that United will have a different season to now to the one which they had last year. 'Van . Gaal is a very experienced manager who knows what it is like to work at . big clubs so we will have another important team trying to win the . Premier League. 'What will happen in the future of United we don’t know, but they will be strong this year.' The . City boss confirmed that striker Alvaro Negredo has had an operation on . his right foot after fracturing a metatarsal in last Friday's friendly . against Hearts. Negredo, who had been linked with a move away from the Etihad before the injury, will be out for at least two months. 'Alvaro . had the surgery today on his broken foot and he will be a big miss for . our squad because he is an important player for us,' said Pellegrini. Sidelined: Alvaro Negredo, pictured in action against Hearts, will be out for three months . | Pellegrini wants more signings ahead of City's Premier League defence . Man City begin tour of US with game against Sporting Kansas City . The squad trained in searing 110-degree heat on Tuesday . City will also play Liverpool, AC Milan and Olympiacos on their US tour . Pellegrini confirms Alvaro Negredo will be out for three months . | b04382b176bcba9127bc2bddba748bf8a928b7c0 |
(CNN) -- Anyone who has been deceived by a punchbowl at a party, or a diet-busting cake, will recognize the value of knowing exactly what you are eating. A new pocket scanner promises to deliver that power by giving the user an instant breakdown of alcohol, sugar, or calorie content before they consume. The USB-shaped 'SCiO' device was launched through a Kickstarter campaign earlier in the week and reached its target within 24 hours, with devices available for as little as $149. The product of Israeli start-up Consumer Physics, it uses spectrometry to read the "molecular fingerprint" of an object, shining near Infra-Red light on it which stimulates the molecules and then records their reactions. An accompanying app then displays the nutrient values on a smart phone, measuring fat, protein and carbohydrate levels to the milligram, as well as overall quality. This underlying technology has been industry standard for decades in quality control of oil, sewage or chemicals. But SCiO is the first portable spectrometer for consumers, and offers far greater versatility of application. The product, developed by engineers from leading institutions such as MIT and Harvard, has been tested in live demonstrations with high accuracy. The final product will be sent to backers this year. "The first application is for consumers interested to know the nutritional value of what they're eating", Dror Sharon, CEO of Consumer Physics, told CNN. "I often meet people who don't know what's in cheese, fruit and vegetables and have a hard time discerning what they should eat. "I think this can be empowering if people want to change their intake, whether for medical reasons or training, and can be educational in teaching us to make better nutritional choices." Uses do not end with food. Apps are available to analyze medicine or the health of houseplants. SCiO could be a protective tool for clubbers keen to check if their drink has been spiked, or patients to see if their pills are as advertised. The device could be applied to the environment as well as consumed objects -- an athlete could scan their track or field in order to optimize its playability. Sharon acknowledges the device has limitations, suggesting it can identify elements between "0.1% to 1%" of the overall chemical makeup, and that it would need to be more robust to be an effective guide for allergy sufferers. The sensor can also be disrupted by interference such as packaging. Yet hand held spectrometry still represents a long sought-after breakthrough for the industry. "The challenge has always been calibration that works for different materials", says Dr Bryan Curtiss, molecular scientist and head of technology at spectrometry firm ASDI. "What they've done is quite an ingenious approach as the device only measures the spectrum, and then applies calibration (in the algorithm cloud) and sends results, so the lab system and software have been centralized." The success of the Kickstarter campaign indicates a substantial market, and addresses a genuine need says Quantified Self technologist Maarten Van Braaben: "This is answering a question as food checking has never been automated well, and this offers a less tedious process." SCiO will have rivals in this new marketplace. Canadian company TellSpec will launch their own hand held spectrometer this year, focused on food, while calorie sensing wristbands such as the HealBeGoBe are also close to market. Van Brabben foresees further innovation with the technology. "If you could have the same spectrometry analysis through the camera on your phone that would be a popular concept, and I think it's not far off, perhaps two or three years." Consumer Physics are providing a 'maker kit' for developers to use their technology in any form they wish, and Sharon hopes they can become as ubiquitous as smart phones with billions in circulation. | New device allows users to check the nutritional value of food . SCiO, which was funded by Kickstarter, can detect if a drink has been spiked . It can also be used to analyze medicine contents or the health of houseplants . In two or three years people may be able to analyze food content via their smart phones . | 419aa9bcbe9837ab539471ffefd24bb7b22fb427 |
L'AQUILA, Italy (CNN) -- Rescuers worked into the early morning hours Tuesday in hopes of finding survivors of a powerful earthquake that ripped through Italy's mountainous Abruzzo region, killing scores of people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. People cue in line to receive aid in L'Aqulia following Monday's earthquake. Tearful survivors, many of them clad in pajamas and blankets, watched as bodies were pulled from the rubble in the medieval city of L'Aquila, about 120 km (75 miles) northeast of Rome. The quake killed more than 150 people, L'Aquila's fire department said late Monday. Nearly 24 hours after the quake hit, authorities were still unsure how many people remained trapped in the wreckage. "We think maybe 70 to 100," said Francesco Rocca, a spokesman for the Italian Red Cross. "We still don't know the exact number. This is why we are still working very, very hard at the moment." Another body was found in the rubble of a student dormitory early Tuesday morning, and at least five other students were believed inside. But aftershocks hindered rescuers early Tuesday, and they have asked for additional equipment and expertise from Rome, authorities at the scene told CNN. Italy's Civil Protection agency reported at least 1,500 injured and 50,000 without shelter. "I can say there's hardly a building which was left without some sign of what has happened in the historical center of L'Aquila," Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said during a visit to the stricken region. "All the public buildings have been affected." Berlusconi said 4,000 people were working on the rescue effort. Civil defense officials said they are prepared to house up to 30,000 people, but many of those displaced have gone to hotels. Of the 150 dead, about 100 bodies have been identified, the officials said. Monday's earthquake was about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, the USGS said. About 10:20 p.m. (8:20 p.m. GMT) Sunday, a 4.6-magnitude earthquake hit northern Italy, about 55 km (35 miles) southeast of Bologna, the agency said. That earthquake's depth was 6.4 km (4 miles). The quake is the deadliest to strike Italy in decades, and the first major temblor to strike the country in almost seven years. Joshua Brothers, an American missionary, told CNN that the quake "sounded as if a 747 (jet) was actually coming in to land." "That was the first thing that was on my mind," he said. The quake left stone buildings in heaps, with rubble spilling over parked cars and into alleyways. Frightened residents rushed into the streets, many of them bringing luggage with them, Brothers said. See images of the destruction » . "If you look along the way, there are many palazzi that are cracked, walls have fallen in on some of them," he said. Watch Brothers describe devastation » . L'Aquila's hospital was damaged as well, forcing doctors to evacuate the most seriously hurt. Agostino Miozzo, the director-general of Italy's Civil Protection agency, called it "a disaster on a huge scale." iReport.com: 'The house shook for such a long time' The magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck at 3:32 a.m. (1:32 p.m. GMT Sunday), Italy's . Berlusconi declared a state of emergency and canceled a trip to Russia to oversee the rescue efforts. Three significant aftershocks -- ranging from magnitude 4.3 to 4.8 -- shook the area within six hours of the quake, unnerving residents further. See a map showing the epicenter » . The earthquake followed less than six hours after another quake hit the northern part of the country, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Seismic activity is not uncommon in Italy, which is sandwiched between the European and African tectonic plates, and USGS geophysicist Amy Vaughan called the region geographically "complex." Learn more about how earthquakes are measured » . In 1997, an earthquake killed 10 people in the Umbria region, left tens of thousands homeless and seriously damaged monuments and artwork, including the town of Assisi's famed Basilica of St. Francis. About 17 years before the Umbria quake, a 6.5-magnitude temblor in southern Italy killed 3,000 people, according to the USGS. Pope Benedict XVI was praying for the "victims, especially the children," killed in Monday's quake, the Vatican said, according to Italian news agency ANSA . CNN's Paula Newton, Hada Messia and Diana Magnay contributed to this report. | About 50,000 people without shelter, Italy's Civil Protection agency says . Italian prime minister: Tents being provided for quake survivors . People rush into streets, many buildings in L'Aquila destroyed . 6.3-magnitude quake strikes northeast of Rome . | cd24959490e0053da4f200bd64587b8369514619 |
(CNN) -- The General Services Administration -- already under scrutiny for excessive spending -- spent $7.7 million over the past four years to transport hundreds of employees who work full-time from their homes to various government conferences and meetings across the country, according to records released this week by the federal agency. The GSA is currently reviewing its so-called "virtual employee" program as part of a top-down review of all of its practices. The GSA made headlines this year after a scathing inspector general's report showed that it spent $823,000 on a 2010 conference in Las Vegas. Reports and video clips of the lavish conference sparked taxpayer indignation over the wasteful spending, the resignation of the GSA's top leaders and a congressional investigation into the agency's spending practices. Since then, reports of more wasteful spending at the government agency have surfaced. GSA spends $268,000 on one-day event . GSA paid for cooking classes . Employee says GSA spent millions on relocation . The GSA released details of its virtual employee program this week acting on a request from congressional investigators. CNN also requested the information more than two months ago through the federal Freedom of Information Act. The GSA hired 379 virtual employees in an effort to save money by freeing up office space and reducing the agency's carbon footprint. Under the program, the employees were not supposed to travel excessively. But the GSA's records show that about 60% of the virtual employees traveled to conferences and meetings, mostly flying cross-country. It's not clear how the virtual employees' travel costs compare with the travel costs of other GSA employees who work at designated offices. Amid the congressional investigation, the agency has clamped down on all travel. "Under the new GSA leadership, the agency has instituted rules to ensure that there is a strong business case for employees who work from home," a spokeswoman said in a statement. "It has to be cost-effective and create savings. GSA has also placed stringent controls to drastically curb spending on travel, conferences and events for all employees, including those who work from home full time." CNN requested details of the GSA's virtual employee program after discovering that one of the employees assigned to the agency's Kansas City, Missouri, office, was working from his home in Honolulu. The business development specialist made 13 trips from Honolulu to the mainland United States in 2011 and 2012, racking up $32,694 in travel costs, according to the records. The GSA told CNN earlier this year that he had traveled nine times, with travel costs totaling $24,221. The agency's most frequent traveler was a project manager from Leawood, Kansas, who traveled to New York a total of 58 times in 2011 and 2012 at a cost of more than $99,000 to manage a construction project, the records show. The employee, who had been assigned to the GSA's office in Washington, D.C., is no longer working for the agency, and no additional details are available, a GSA spokeswoman said. The records also show that another virtual employee living in Miami and based out of the Washington, D.C., office racked up $143,881 in travel costs over four years. Another employee traveled back and forth from his home state of Washington to his District of Columbia office at a cost of $64,104. In June, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, requested details about the cost of the GSA virtual employee program. That followed disclosures that 95 virtual employees, including 12 in supervisory positions, spent nearly $750,000 in travel costs between October 2010 and June 2011. On Monday, GSA Associate Administrator Rodney Emery informed Issa that all agency officials have been given "more guidance on when a full-time telework agreement is appropriate, how to measure potential costs or savings under development, and details on a more rigorous approval process." The GSA said its clampdown on travel and conferences has saved $11 million over the past four months. "Under the new leadership, travel costs for GSA employees including those who work from home is at its lowest in four years," the agency said. "With stringent spending controls in place, the agency expects to realize millions more savings." The General Services Administration, which has more than 12,600 employees and a $26.3 billion budget, is a relatively obscure federal agency that handles government real estate and other non-military procurement. Watch Erin Burnett weekdays 7pm ET. For the latest from Erin Burnett click here. | General Services Administration is under scrutiny for its lavish spending . The issue came to light after report found it spent $823,000 on Las Vegas conference . Congress is investigating its spending practices . GSA says recent clampdown on travel, conferences has saved $11 million . | 2c8607e11211197a3a77d9f174245e5f940283d0 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:08 EST, 29 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:16 EST, 29 August 2012 . France's Hollande has promised to wage war on unemployment . The French government is offering to pay most of the salaries of tens of thousands of young people hired next year, as part of President Francois Hollande's promise to wage war on unemployment. France's unemployment rate is 10 per cent, but 22.8 per cent for those under 25 - an imbalance that many European countries are struggling with. French employers are especially reluctant to hire young people because restrictive labour laws make it very hard for companies to lay off employees. In addition, many industries require a series of often unpaid internships before landing a full-time job or only offer very short-term contracts for those just starting out. Under the plan, unveiled at a cabinet meeting Wednesday, companies that hire a person between 16 and 25 for at least a year will only have to pay as little as 25 per cent of the salary. The government hopes to create 100,000 of these 'contracts for the future' next year and another 50,000 in 2014. It has promised to continue paying its share of the employee's salary for three years. 'We are waging a battle for jobs,' Hollande told cabinet ministers, according to government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem. 'It's the No. 1 challenge of our mandate.' The government will give preference to . young people hired from poor urban or rural areas that have been hit . hardest by rising unemployment. Attempts by previous governments to tackle surging youth unemployment have sparked protests like the one pictured above in Marseille in 2006 . Certain sectors will also be favoured, such as medicine and digital or green technology. The proposal needs to make its way through parliament, but Hollande's Socialist Party has a solid majority there and the issue was a major campaign promise. Hollande has staked his credibility on driving down unemployment and encouraging growth, all while meeting strict budget deficit targets. It's unclear whether he can manage all three - especially since the economy's fate is largely tied up with Europe's wider debt crisis and the wellbeing of its neighbours. An entrepreneur's association immediately panned the idea. 'The jobs for the future are only a Band-Aid, if a necessary Band-Aid, in the face of a government that every day shows itself more incapable of overcoming the difficulties our country is confronted with,' said Guillaume Cairou, president of the Club of Entrepreneurs and CEO of strategy consultancy DIDAXIS. 'How can they not see that this cost is extremely high for the government, even while we should be reducing our deficit?' The government estimates that the programme will cost 2.3 billion euros (£1.8 billion) next year. While France has so far dodged investor concerns that have driven borrowing costs high in Spain and Italy, many economists say its day is coming. While the sheer size of its economy - the eurozone's second-largest - has insulated it, they insist that its declining competitiveness will eventually force it to make the kinds of tough reforms its neighbours are facing. | French premier vows to reverse 10% unemployment . Young people face worst of crisis with nearly one in four out of work . 'Contracts for the future' will see government pay up to three quarters of salaries for those aged 16 to 25 . | d5594261e5c03ea921751ac954212a70d340490c |
By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 02:41 EST, 26 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:10 EST, 28 June 2013 . At least 27 people have been killed after gangs armed with knives attacked a police station and a local government building in a remote region of western China today, according to state media. The Xinhua agency said mobs in the Xinjiang region - home to a large Muslim Uighur minority - set upon buildings in the township of Lukqun at around 6am local time, stabbing people and setting fire to police cars. Nine police officers and security guards and eight civilians were killed before police opened fire on the attackers, leaving 10 dead, regional Communist Party officials told the agency. Restive: Violence erupted in the remote western Xinjiang region, where there were protests in 2009 (pictured) after riots pitting Muslim Uighurs against ethnic Chinese left nearly 200 dead (file photo) The reported unrest in the region was the deadliest since July 2009, when nearly 200 people were killed in riots pitting Uighurs against ethnic Chinese in the region's capital Urumqi. The reasons for today's attacks were not immediately clear. Many Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language, chafe at what they call Chinese government restrictions on their culture, language and religion. China says it grants Uighurs wide-ranging freedoms and accuses extremists of separatism. Xinjiang is ruled by China's Han ethnic majority. It has been the scene of numerous violent incidents in recent years. The report said three rioters were seized, and that police pursued fleeing suspects, though it did not say how many. A further three people were injured in the unrest today, Xinhua said. The state media report has not been independently confirmed. Information is tightly controlled in the region, which the Chinese government regards as highly sensitive and where it has imposed a heavy security presence to quell unrest. However, forces are spread thin across the vast territory and the response from authorities is often slow. An official reached by phone at the press office of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau, the region's police, told the Associated Press she had only seen news of the violence on the Internet and had no information. Other officials at the county's propaganda department and police said they also had no details. Calls to the region's government spokeswoman, Hou Hanmin, rang unanswered. Reported deaths: The Xinjiang region borders Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and has been the scene of numerous violent incidents in recent years . Violence: The reported scenes in Xinjiang today were the deadliest since the 2009 riots, which saw Uighurs taking to the streets in the capital Urumqi to voice their anger (seen in a file photo) An overseas Uighur activist said the conflict was triggered by the Chinese government's 'sustained repression and provocation' of the Uighur community. Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Germany-based World Uyghur Congress, urged the international community to pressure China to 'stop imposing policies in Xinjiang that cause turmoil'. China often accuses overseas Uighur activists of orchestrating violent incidents and obscure militant groups sometimes take responsibility, with little or no evidence to prove claims on either side. | Mobs stabbed people and and set fire to police cars, state news agency said . Killed 17 people before police shot dead 10 of the attackers, said Xinhua . Unrest said to have erupted at 6am local time in restive Xinjiang region . Remote western region is home to a large Muslim Uighur minority . | 3ea406c97941302f148fcb755bd9f45febdcadda |
Two teenagers have been arrested after a video emerged showing them chasing, punching and body-slamming a mentally challenged man as he screamed for mercy. The boys, aged 13 and 14, were arrested by police in New Castle County, Delaware on Saturday, and authorities have said more arrests could be made, Fox29 reported. The 86-second footage, which was posted to YouTube, shows a group of teenagers chasing the 26-year-old victim outside an apartment complex in Brookside Park as he shouts: 'Leave me alone!' One boy swings at the man, repeatedly punching him, before picking him up and throwing him to the ground on at least two occasions. Scroll down for video . Attack: The victim (in gray) can be seen trying to stop the youths from attacking him in the shocking footage . Violent: One of the boys picks the man up before throwing him to the ground. Others can be heard laughing . Hurt: The man, who can be heard groaning, had to be treated at hospital afterwards for injuries . The boys then crowd around the man - while one teenager who is filming the attack on his cellphone nears the man to get a closer shot as he writhes on the floor. Later footage also reveals them continuing their attack in a wooded area, Fox29 reported. Again, they body slam him and throw him into some water as they can be heard laughing. The victim can be heard crying, while a female voice says: 'You guys are so mean to him.' In another attack, as one of the group mocks the man, he can be heard saying: 'What did I do?' The man was taken to hospital and treated for injuries from the attack and later released. Cruel: As the group surround him, one of the teenagers (with the backpack) is more concerned about getting a close-up snap of the victim than helping him. Two teenagers have now been arrested . The man's family said they are sickened by the footage. They said he suffers from Williams syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. The disorder leaves sufferers with an intellectual disability, heart defects, slight stature and distinctive facial features, including a flat nasal bridge. Sufferers are often extremely friendly. 'He's not doing too good,' his godmother Debra Jackson told CBS3. 'He's ashamed about it happening, he’s embarrassed.' She added that the man had thought the teenagers were his friends. Authorities said they believe the video, which was posted to YouTube before going viral on social media sites including Instagram and Twitter, appears to be several weeks old. They are continuing to investigate the incident and expect more arrests to be made. Concern: The victim's godmother and sister said that he is ashamed and thought the teens were his friends . The teenagers who were arrested have been charged with offensive touching, assault on a vulnerable adult and third-degree conspiracy, the Delaware News Journal reported. Both have been released on a $2,500 each and have been ordered to have no contact with the victim. One of the teens who was in the video told CBS3 Eyewitness News that he helped file a report. 'The right thing to do was call the cops,' he said, without revealing his identity. 'If you beat up a mentally disabled person, you should be locked away for good.' See video below . | Boys, 13 and 14, were arrested on Saturday 'for attacking Delaware man in footage that was then posted to YouTube' Shocking video 'shows them chasing the man, punching him and body slamming him as he yells for them to stop' The man has Williams syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder that leaves sufferers with distinctive facial features and an extremely friendly nature . | 2ce9f56f8d88228879bd8b972f132c1a527b97a8 |
By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 07:41 EST, 8 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:11 EST, 8 August 2013 . A frustrated television viewer called 999 because she couldn't find the movie she wanted to watch. The Sky subscriber dialled the emergency services number to lodge a complaint when she couldn't find a particular film on the channel's movie box service. Police say this is just one example of numerous ridiculous calls made to 999 which waste operators' time and prevent them from dealing with real emergencies. Which emergency service do you require? Police today highlighted time-wasting calls to 999 (stock image) Other examples include a concerned mother who called 999 because her daughter's hamster got stuck under the floorboards, while another called because her son’s radio-controlled helicopter had crashed on a nearby shop roof and they needed help to retrieve it. South Yorkshire Police say up to one-third of the 999 calls they receive should never have been made in the first place. Superintendent Adrian Moran, the force’s officer in charge of communications said: 'These might sound amusing but there is a serious point to this. 'While we are distracted with answering these calls we are not attending to other more important calls from the public which potentially could put lives at risk and reduce the service we provide and our response to incidents. 'Ridiculous': In one time-wasting phone call, a woman dialled 999 because she couldn't find the film see wanted to watch on Sky TV (stock image) 'If it is clearly not a police matter do not use us a directory inquiry or advice service. We will and regularly do prosecute callers who repeatedly abuse the 999 system. 'The simple message is you should only call 999 in an emergency when a crime is in progress, a suspect is nearby or life is in danger. For all other matters use the non-emergency number 101.' Other time-wasting calls the force has received include a neighbour complaining a couple next door were making love loudly with the windows open while a shopper dialled 999 because because a store would not exchange a pair of shoes she had bought. Another parent even called 999 to ask if police officers could attend her home because her son would not eat his breakfast. Operators also regularly received drunken phone calls from revellers asking for a taxi home. Control room computer: Police say each call delays genuine callers receiving need urgent help (stock image) | South Yorkshire Police claim up to a third of the 999 calls they receive should never have been made in the first place . They include a woman who couldn't find the film she wanted on TV and a mother who wanted police to tell off her son for not eating his breakfast . | df12cf37bd59d3fa8072e974d4cc6f3b207dfb9c |
(CNN) -- Tashard Choice recently had a great opportunity to pick up a nice present for his 3-year-old nephew. The Dallas Cowboys running back went up to Michael Vick after a game and asked for his autograph. Well, that kind of blew up in his face. Here he was, just trying to do a nice thing for a child, and people get all crazy upset, just because Vick plays on the other team. In a sign of the times, Choice even felt it necessary to apologize on Twitter. Here's hoping that if you go out to get a sports memorabilia gift this holiday season you deal with a lot less criticism. But you might feel some heat. After all, there are some cool items, but they can be pricey, especially if someone like Vick signs his name to them. We'll help you sort through the many sites that sell sports items and point you toward a few things we might even include on our wish list. It's understandable why Choice's nephew wanted Vick's signature. He's one of the hottest athletes in the country right now, likely leading Philadelphia to the NFL playoffs. If you hunt around the internet, you can find several sites selling a jersey, even one selling one he wore during his college career. The most popular jersey would be the one he wears now, No. 7 for the Philadelphia Eagles. Or you could go for the autographed Eagles' jersey. That one is $592 at Fans Edge. Or you could save a little coin and get one from the Falcons (the team he played for until he went to prison for his role in a deadly dogfighting operation) for the sale price of $125. Want a less controversial quarterback? Tom Brady's New England top is $760 in blue and $1,049 in white. If the person you are buying for digs historical baseball moments, he or she might like a ball autographed by pitcher Armando Galarraga and the umpire who cost him his perfect game, Jim Joyce. The grace each showed after Joyce's blown call is an example of sportsmanship most fans will talk about for years. One ball, $573. It's a souvenir commemorating a moment that hadn't happened before and probably won't again. While neither of those men seem likely candidates for the Hall of Fame, Andre Dawson is one of the all-time greats and is part of the 2011 class that will be enshrined in Cooperstown. He was widely admired by all baseball fans during his 21-year career. You can get an autographed Cubs replica jersey at Tristar Productions for $259. (You'll have to pay extra to get it in a frame.) One of the most exciting moments of the sports year -- at least for U.S. soccer fans and even bandwagon fans -- came at the World Cup, when in its final group game the United States needed a goal to move into the prestigious round of 16. All-time leading scorer Landon Donovan pounced in the last minute, sending bars and offices across the country into scenes of pandemonium. SportsMemorablia.com has a few autographed photos of Donovan and his teammates celebrating what is one of the signature moments in U.S. men's soccer history for $263. Hockey fans will long remember the exciting Olympics men's final, won by Canada when Sidney Crosby scored in overtime. NHL Auctions has some Team Canada jerseys, including one signed by Ryan Getzlaf ($229). If you want one, bid soon, as that auction ends Monday. NASCAR fans are fiercely loyal. But if you are giving to someone and you don't know who his or her favorite driver is, you probably can't go wrong with a Jimmie Johnson die cast. Johnson won his fifth consecutive championship this season and die casts are cool small-scale replicas of the cars used in races. If you go to Johnson's Team Lowe's site, there are many cars to choose from, including cars from previous years and cars with the various color schemes used throughout the year. Want something that might make a cool addition to the home office or the man cave? Consider seats from stadiums that met their demise. For instance a pair of seats from old Yankee Stadium will cost you $1,500 at Steiner Sports. Steiner also has seats (or parts) from the Meadowlands and Wrigley Field. But let's go big. Say you have a blank check, and the fan who has almost everything. Well, Babe Ruth collectibles are some of the most sought after sports items on the planet. Sports Memorabilia offers five bats from the Sultan of Swat at $125,253 (and 50 cents). They were used in games at the time he was being sold from the Red Sox to the Yankees and making the transition from pitcher to right field. If that price is too steep, the company offers a store model bat for just $964. Still too much? They also have a Babe Ruth card by Topps from 2009 for $17. While we're at it, everyone loves a good sports movie. Look how much bank the film "The Blind Side" took in at the box office. So, while it may not qualify specifically as "sports" memorabilia, you could also buy a prop or costume from the hit film. Premiere Props in El Segundo, California, offers more than 100 items from the film, including a green Crusaders jersey worn by Quinton Aaron for $799.99. His stunt double's uniform is just $599. Other items range from $14.99 to $1,599. | Sports paraphernalia is more than just the Topps baseball card these days . You can buy autographed jerseys, photos, even costumes from sports films . If you have the cash, you can have your own Babe Ruth bat for around $126,000 . | 4e27461ce187a22596f75c1d6a8cd995342f1e18 |
MINDEN, Nevada (CNN) -- Fellow aviation enthusiast Sir Richard Branson said Wednesday he was worried that rescuers had found no sign of his friend, adventurer Steve Fossett, who disappeared two days ago after taking off from another friend's desert ranch. Fossett poses after accepting his induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame on July 20, 2007. However, the billionaire president of Virgin Atlantic also was optimistic that Fossett -- whom he calls "a tough old boot" -- will surface soon. "If he's landed and he's not too badly hurt, he's the one person in the world who will be mentally and physically equipped to get out of it," Branson said. Rescuers began looking again Wednesday for Fossett. Search organizers at the Minden-Tahoe Airport, just south of Carson City, Nevada, said they expect the wind will not hamper search efforts, as it did Tuesday. See a map of the area » . "The winds have cooperated much more today, so that will allow the helicopters -- the three being dispatched out here today -- to fly much closer to the ground to get a better look at what's going on," said 1st Sgt. Chuck Allen, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Public Safety. Five planes being used in the search will be able to cruise at about 1,000 feet, the spokesman said. The California and Utah wings of the Civil Air Patrol joined the search Wednesday, said Maj. Cynthia Ryan of the Nevada Civil Air Patrol. She is leading the rescue effort. One of the search planes is equipped with ARCHER, a modified version of the Navy's hyperspectral imaging technology. To use it, search-and-rescue personnel input such information as the shape, size and color of what they are looking for, and imaging equipment compares those parameters with what it sees on the ground. "It can see as little as 10 percent of the target and extrapolate from there," Ryan said. Helicopters or ground searchers can follow up on anything of possible significance, she added. Though there were no signs of Fossett on Tuesday evening, searchers and friends remained optimistic that the eclectic adventurer was safe. "We're confident if his plane only sustained minor damage that he's strong enough to survive the elements," Allen said. Fossett, 63, was in a single-engine Bellanca Super Decathlon when he took off at 9 a.m. (noon ET) Monday in good flying conditions from hotel magnate Barron Hilton's Flying M Ranch in Nevada, Ryan said. A world-record-holding pilot, yachtsman and balloonist, Fossett is an accomplished sportsman who knows how to handle himself in the wild. In addition to skippering flights and voyages around the globe, Fossett has competed in cross-country skiing competitions, the Iditarod Sled Dog Race and the Ironman Triathlon. He also swam the English Channel and ran in the Leadville Trail Run, a 100-mile foot race through the Colorado Rockies. He has prevailed in the past after experiencing complications during a flight, once walking 30 miles for help after making a forced landing, Ryan said. Branson -- whose Virgin Atlantic company has sponsored some of Fossett's attempts to shatter world flight records -- said Tuesday that Fossett's track record suggests "we'll get some good news soon." Watch as Fossett's plane is described » . "Steve is a tough old boot. I suspect he is waiting by his plane right now for someone to pick him up," Branson said in a written statement. "The ranch he took off from covers a huge area, and Steve has had far tougher challenges to overcome in the past." Branson struck a more cautious tone Wednesday, saying he was "obviously worried" that Fossett may be injured because he was wearing a watch capable of emitting an emergency distress signal. If Fossett were OK, Branson surmised, he would have been able to activate the manually operated signal. However, he added, "If anyone's going to end up walking back up [to] the ranch and apologizing for pranging the Hiltons' plane, it's likely to be Steve Fossett." Though Ryan was optimistic that Fossett will be located, she noted the challenges facing the rescue mission -- namely a 600-square-mile swath of desert, covered with sagebrush and deep ravines, and swept by tricky wind conditions that confounded Tuesday's aerial search. "It's a very large haystack," she said. "And an airplane is a very small needle. No doubt about that." Fossett was supposed to return to the Hilton ranch, about 30 miles south of Yerington, Nevada, at noon (3 p.m. ET) Monday. The search began six hours later, Ryan said. Fossett did not file a flight plan, but one is not required on flights using visual navigation. When he left, he had four to five hours of fuel for flight, Ryan said. "Steve took off toward the south and was going to fly southbound, looking around for some dry lake beds for some plans he had for the future," Ryan said. Those plans, she said, involved testing a vehicle in an attempt to set a world land speed record. Fossett was in Sparks, Nevada, last month preparing a jet racer to break the land speed record at Bonneville Flats in northwest Utah. Ryan said Tuesday that authorities were analyzing information from radar intelligence to track Fossett. There has been no sound detected from the plane's emergency locator radio beacon, which goes off if there is a hard impact. In 2005, Fossett piloted the first nonstop, solo flight around the world without refueling. Virgin Atlantic sponsored the plane, the GlobalFlyer, which Fossett used a year later to break the world's flight distance record, traveling almost 26,000 miles in 76 hours and 43 minutes from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, to Bournemouth, England. He made an emergency landing during that flight after electricity on the aircraft failed over Shannon, Ireland. His goal had been to land at Kent International Airport in Manston, England. In 2002, he achieved the first solo balloon flight around the world, traveling 20,626 miles in 14 days. He's credited with 115 world records or world firsts, and holds official world records in five sports, according to his Web site. In a interview with CNN last year, Fossett said his favorite record-breaking feat was the 2002 solo balloon flight. "We had to really upgrade the technical capability of balloons, and the flight was much more difficult than I'd ever imagined it would be. I tried six times over the course of six years before succeeding," he said. See Fossett's adventures via land, sea and air » . Asked how long he'll keep going, Fossett answered, "I imagine that when I'm 80 years old and sitting in a wheelchair that I might do something like take a remote control airplane and try and fly it around the world. I plan to be setting and breaking records indefinitely." Fossett was born in Jackson, Tennessee, and grew up in California, where he attended Stanford University, graduating with a degree in economics in 1966. After earning an MBA at Washington University in St. Louis, he became a commodities broker and launched in 1980 the Chicago-based securities company Lakota Trading, the income from which he used to fund his adventures. He and his wife of almost four decades, Peggy Viehland, have no children. E-mail to a friend . | Searchers say weather will let 5 planes, 3 choppers "get a better look" Friend Sir Richard Branson "worried" there has been no sign of Fossett . Aircraft combing rugged terrain in western Nevada for Fossett and his plane . Fossett made first solo, nonstop, non-refueled airplane trip around the world . | 727baa2ae6d7da9ab9564d7751584382e81ad105 |
(CNN) -- Jason Derulo has a message for fans worried about his breakup with Jordin Sparks: "Everything is cool." The "Talk Dirty to Me" singer did an interview with a Twin Cities radio station on Thursday and initially did not want to address reports that he had split with the season 6 "American Idol" winner. The pair were first linked romantically three years ago and have been open about their adoration. But Derulo, 25, confirmed that the pair are no longer together. He said that they will remain friends and that all is well. "Yeah, everything is cool, man," he continued. "It's not a bad situation. You know, it's not one of those kinda things." There was no hint of trouble when the couple strolled the red carpet at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. After Sparks, 24, appeared in the video for Derulo's song "Marry Me," had many fans expecting a proposal soon. In August, Derulo told E! News he planned on popping the question to Sparks "when the time is right for sure." | Derulo confirmed the breakup during a radio interview . He said the pair will remain friends . Fans had expected the pair to get engaged . | acc6576067efe4b2204b6bd2b2010b59bb819af3 |
WINNENDEN, Germany (CNN) -- A gunman dressed in military gear killed 15 people Wednesday in a shooting spree in Germany, police said. German shooter Tim Kretschmer, 17, targeted females during his rampage. Tim Kretschmer, 17, began his rampage at a school where he used to be a student in Winnenden, a small town about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Stuttgart. Most of the victims at the school were female -- eight female students, three female teachers and one male student, said Heribert Rech, interior minister for Baden Wuerttemberg region. Rech said: "They were completely taken by surprise. Some of the victims still had their pens in their hands." Kretschmer opened fire in three first floor classrooms, including a physics lab where a teacher was found dead behind her desk, Rech told a news conference. Rech said police arrived in minutes. "This speedy intervention means they prevented further escalation of events." The shooting at the Albertville-Realschule Winnenden school began around 9:45 a.m. (0845 GMT) and lasted about two minutes. Student Louis Schweizer was in class when he heard the gunshots. "When I came out, I saw the shell casings lying around everywhere," he said. His sister, Lisa Schweizer, also heard the shots. "It is a tragedy," she said. "One of my teachers was killed." Another student told CNN: "We heard that someone was inside shooting. Then we also saw a teacher who had blood on his hands because he wanted to help a female teacher who sacrificed herself for a student -- she stood in front of a student to protect her." Read how students jumped from windows to escape . Fifteen-year-old Natta lost a long-time friend. "She was a very good friend of mine from soccer, and I knew her since we were four years old and it's very hard," she said. Kretschmer did not shoot wildly, Rech said, contradicting earlier police statements, but hit most of his victims in the head. As the first police arrived at the school, he fled and killed a person working in a hospital nearby, then hijacked a car, taking the driver hostage. He drove towards the nearby town of Wendlingen, but the car crashed on a sharp bend, Rech said. The driver escaped and called police as Kretschmer ran away and towards a car salesroom in Wendlingen where he shot a salesperson and a customer, Rech said. Watch the gunman's deadly route » . "Police officers in civilian clothes opened fire and shot several times. The perpetrator tried to escape and was shot at least once in the leg. ... A little later he was found dead," he added. It was not clear if he died from injuries received in the police shootout or if he committed suicide. Regional police chief Erwin Hetger said police thought he had killed himself. Kretschmer was on the loose for three and a half hours after the incident began, police said. Watch more about the shootings » . German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was "inconceivable that within seconds school students and teachers have been put to death by this terrible crime." "It is a day of mourning for the whole of Germany," she said in a televised statement. Police did not know the motive for the shooting spree, CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reported from Winnenden. "No one seems to have an explanation for why this happened," he said. "Police officers have heard that this young man didn't cause much of a buzz, wasn't someone who was negative or known for violence. They have no idea why he did all this." Police raided his parents' home later and found they had a collection of 14 guns. The pistol used in the killing was part of the father's collection, authorities said. German gun laws are fairly restrictive and require owners to control access to them. Do you think the gun control issue is taken seriously enough? Rech said the guns were legally owned by Kretschmer's father who is a member of a gun club. At least seven people were injured in the shootings -- five people in Winnenden and two police officers in Wendlingen -- police spokeswoman Renate Roesch added. She was unable to say how serious the injuries were. Six teenagers from the from the school shooting were transported to the Waiblingen hospital with undisclosed injuries. One of those patients has already been released from the hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman. The families of the dead have been informed and are receiving counseling, Roesch said. About 1,000 students attend the school where the killings began. Map of the area » . Authorities sealed off the town of Winnenden and launched an intense manhunt for the gunman after the school shootings. Police said the man was about 1.80m (5'11") and heavily armed. "It is a small town, an idyllic town," said Frank Nipkau, the editor in chief of Winnenden Zeitung newspaper. "The town people are devastated and they can't understand why this is happening in this town." Security at German schools has been an issue in the past. In November 2006, an 18-year-old former student strapped explosives to his body and went on a rampage at a middle school in western Germany, shooting and wounding six people -- most of them students -- before killing himself. In July 2003, a 16-year-old student shot a teacher before taking his own life at a school in the southern German town of Coburg. iReport.com: 'Fear and confusion' in German town . A year earlier, 18 people were killed when an expelled student went on a shooting spree at his school in eastern Germany. Another European country, Finland, is planning to toughen firearm laws after two school shootings there left 20 people dead. Those incidents occurred in November 2007 and September 2008. Finnish news reports on Wednesday said an Interior Ministry working group has issued a proposal calling for age 20 as the minimum age for handgun ownership and 18 as the minimum for rifles. The proposal will be circulated among legislators. -- CNN's Katy Byron, Diana Magnay, Frederik Pleitgen, Nadine Schmidt and Ivan Watson contributed to this report. | NEW: Victims of gunman's rampage at German school are mostly female . NEW: Police unsure if Tim Kretschmer died from police wounds or killed himself . Police: Three teachers, 9 students among 15 people during 3-hour killing spree . Chancellor Angela Merkel: "It is a day of mourning for the whole of Germany" | 6a27a9a3307651eae1765f57253aae1727ea0892 |
By . Louise Boyle . and Associated Press . A man convicted as a teenager in the slaying of a special education teacher in 2000 has been released from prison after his murder conviction was overturned on DNA evidence. Lorenzo Montoya, 29, pleaded guilty on Monday to being an accessory in the killing of Skinner Middle School teacher Emily Johnson, then 29, in Denver, Colorado. He was sentenced to ten years in prison but was immediately released because he had already served 13 years and seven months of his life sentence. Four of those years, he spent in solitary confinement. His defense attorney Lisa Polansky told MailOnline today that Montoya 'had no hard feelings' and 'was one of the most gracious people she had ever met'. Scroll down for video . Lorenzo Montoya, 29, hugs his mother outside a Denver court on Monday after his murder conviction was overturned. Montoya was wrongfully convicted of murder at age 15 and spent 14 years in jail . Lorenzo Montoya is hugged tightly by his mother on Monday as he is freed from a Denver prison after 14 years for a crime he didn't commit . Lorenzo Montoya, 29, (pictured fourth left with his family on Monday) was freed after his murder conviction was overturned on DNA evidence after he served 14 years . The lawyer said: 'He's not angry. That's not how he wants to be.' She described the moment Montoya walked out of court as him 'being like a kid all over again'. She said that he had been told about the Internet but was now learning all about it. Montoya planned . to move away from Denver and bad influences from his youth, complete . his GED and learn a trade. Ms Polansky added: 'He's thinking about what he wants to do when he grows up.' Montoya had always denied killing Ms . Johnson or stealing her car but admitted to going for a joyride in the vehicle the following day. Ms Johnson, 29, was beaten to death at her home by Nicholas Martinez, then 16, when he stole her brand-new Lexus. The following day, Montoya, then 14, along with others in the neighborhood, took a ride in the car which Martinez told some people he had bought and to others admitted he had stolen. Montoya was brought in for police questioning over the stolen car in the company of his mother. When she left the room, a detective aggressively hounded the teenager, Ms Polanksy said today, forcing a confession. Montoya's police statement was disallowed at his murder trial. However Montoya, then 15, was convicted of murder and other charges and sentenced to life without parole in an adult prison. He spent four years in solitary confinement. Lorenzo Montoya was arrested aged 14 (pictured left) and later convicted of the murder of special education teacher Emily Johnson, 29 (pictured right) who was found brutally beaten to death in her home in 2000 . The teenager was convicted after the . prosecution convinced the jury that a sneaker print and a Bronco jacket . found in the house belonged to Montoya. However forensic testing carried out by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, at the request of Ms Polansky and her team at the Center For Juvenile Justice, found no DNA belonging to Montoya on either item. Ms . Polansky took on Montoya's case free of charge in 2011 and brought it . back to court by arguing that his initial lawyer had failed him. The 29-year-old was cleared on the new DNA evidence. Montoya . decided not to opt for a new trial, which could have taken several . years to come to court, and took the DA's offer of a guilty plea to . accessory to murder. The . victim's family asked for privacy but have previously said that if Ms . Johnson was alive, she would want Montoya to have a second . chance. Martinez was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Mr Montoya with his defense attorney Lisa Polansky who worked on his case free of charge since 2011 to have him exonerated . | Lorenzo Montoya, 29, was exonerated in the murder of special education teacher Emily Johnson, then 29, in 2000 . He pleaded guilty on Monday at the Denver court to being an accessory to the killing but was released on time served . Montoya was 14 when Ms Johnson was beaten to death inside her home . He was convicted at 15 and spent 14 years in jail including four years in solitary confinement . His lawyer told MailOnline today that her client had 'no hard feelings' and 'was one of the most gracious and thankful people she had ever met' | adf432d32a2b12c487b818cacea488840fa0354f |
London, England (CNN) -- A letter written by Adolf Hitler in 1931 expressing hope for a "truly cordial relationship" between Britain and Germany was sold Tuesday, fetching £9,600 (about $14,400) at an auction. The buyer was not identified and no details were released about the transaction, in line with policy at Bonhams' auction house in London. The one-page letter was addressed to Sefton Delmer, a British journalist, in which Hitler expressed hopes of a new friendship between the two countries to replace the "unhappy war-psychosis" that existed after the First World War: . Hitler wrote the letter 16 months before he became chancellor and seized power in 1933. In the letter he said: "I hope... that out of this crisis a new readiness will grow up in Britain to submit the past twelve years to a reappraisal. I should be happy, if as a result of this the unhappy war-psychosis could be overcome on such a scale as to permit the realization of the truly cordial relationship between the British and the German peoples so eagerly desired by myself and my movement. "For I believe that the crisis now breaking in on us can only be solved by the closest political collaboration of those nations who see in the re-establishment of a natural European balance of power the first precondition to dealing with those great world problems under which Britain too suffers today." Andrew Roberts, the British military and political historian, said the letter was a classic example of Hitler trying to lull Western democracies into a state of appeasement. Roberts said Hitler was saying there were underlying interests between Britain and Germany and that he wrote many such letters. "He refers to 12 years which would make it 1919, the year the Versailles Treaty was signed... appeasement was his central message until the outbreak of war. Sefton Delmer would not have been taken in by any of this," said Roberts. Auctioneers at Bonhams in London said the letter has remained in Delmer's family until now but they could not release the name of the person selling it. Delmer was the Berlin correspondent of the Daily Express at the time when Hitler wrote the letter. He was born in Berlin and spent the first 15 years of his life there before his family were expatriated to the U.K. He is reported to be the first British journalist to interview Hitler, who he later described as a rather ordinary-looking man with hair that had been arranged too carefully. | Hitler letter sells for almost £10,000 at an auction in London . Hitler wrote the letter 16 months before he became chancellor and seized power in 1933 . Andrew Roberts: "Appeasement was his central message until the outbreak of war." Delmer was the Berlin correspondent of the Daily Express . | 7216bceabb8fcd2f1700ad5c81592c68c8dd782f |
When President Barack Obama said that U.S. strategy to combat the terror group ISIS could follow the models of strikes in Yemen and Somalia, it drew a swift rebuttal from some top Republicans. Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona took to the Senate floor Thursday to say the administration's tactics in both of those countries had not succeeded and would be even less effective when used against ISIS. "That is so disturbing, to think that a strategy against ISIS would be the same as against al Qaeda in Somalia and Yemen," said McCain. "Yes, we have been killing with drones. But we have by no means defeated them," he said. He was responding to Obama's speech Wednesday night: "This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years." Another Republican, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, told CNN Thursday that not only had the administration's strategy in Yemen and Somalia come up short, but also that it was not the right template to apply to Syria. "ISIL poses a risk very different from the risk posed by terrorists in those two countries," Rubio told CNN, using an alternate acronym for the militant group. "ISIL is a terrorist group, but it has insurgent elements to it. They are working with people on the ground. They control territory. They've got funding, and they carry out military-style operations. They pose a much different risk." CIA: ISIS can 'muster' between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters . But the White House defended the comparison, saying that there have been some successes against both groups, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and Al-Shabaab in Somalia. "There is still more work to do in those countries. But what has been put in place is a counterterrorism strategy that has succeeded in degrading the threat, and making those organizations less capable of threatening the American people," said spokesman Josh Earnest. "In both of those situations, the President has selectively and strategically brought American military might to bear in support of those ground troops to mitigate and counter the threat." Over the past few years, the amount of territory that extremists control in Yemen and Somalia has indeed been rolled back. And several terrorist leaders in both countries have been killed by American strikes, including Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Godane, and AQAP's No. 2, Said Ali al-Shihri, and top propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki. A frightening, far-reaching new world of terror threats since 9/11 . But Thomas Joscelyn at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies maintains the fight against AQAP has been no success story. "AQAP is still planning attacks against the U.S. homeland," Joscelyn said. And the group's top leadership is still mainly intact, he said. "Naser al-Wahishi, who was groomed by Osama bin Laden to run an al Qaeda branch, has in fact been the emir with that organization for years now. He is still in place," he said. "Many of his top lieutenants are still in place, including the chief theologians and the chief military officers." Boehner hits Obama for ruling out boots on the ground . Also still at large is AQAP's master bomb-maker, Ibrahim al-Asiri. He is believed to be behind the nearly successful printer-cartridge bombs placed on American-bound planes in 2010, and the underwear bomb on a plane to Detroit in 2009. "There's concern now he may be sharing his bomb-making technology with jihadist groups in Syria," said terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank. Carrying out air strikes against ISIS could be even more difficult than against AQAP and Al-Shabaab, because while the governments of Somalia and Yemen have complemented American airstrikes by deploying ground forces against extremists, the U.S. has no such partner in Syria's government. And according to Cruickshank, ISIS fighters are more inextricably mixed in with civilian populations in Iraq and Syria. But he added that military action against extremists can be successful, even if it does not produce total victory. "The more you can shrink the space they can operate, the more you can take out training camps so they can't provide bomb-making instructions to Western recruits, you're clearly then limiting their ability to plot terrorist attacks against the West." Still, he warned, "It's going to be a long time before that capability to theoretically plot attacks against the West is going to be wiped out." Kerry: U.S. not at war with ISIS . | President Barack Obama said he'd model ISIS attacks on Yemen, Somlia strikes . Top Republicans have countered those efforts haven't been big successes . The White House defends the strategy and the comparison . | 52f8bc6473acfacee5a5af59d0d80ace734b896a |
(CNN) -- Police in Michigan responded Saturday to two shootings near university campuses, including one that left a Michigan State student dead. Dominique James Nolff, 20, of Middleville, Michigan, was pronounced dead Saturday morning of multiple gunshot wounds from Friday night's incident at an off-campus apartment, according to East Lansing police. An unnamed 20-year-old, also attending Michigan State University, was treated at Sparrow Hospital for a single gunshot wound and released. The incident does not appear to have been a random act, police said. Michigan State expressed its condolences and said counseling was available. Authorities in Big Rapids, 125 miles from East Lansing, took into custody a man suspected of shooting a Ferris State University student Saturday morning in an off-campus apartment. The victim was taken to a Grand Rapids hospital and later released, the school said. The shooting occurred at Venlo Place apartments in Big Rapids, the university said. | Michigan State University student dies hours after shooting . Student at Ferris State injured in another incident . Suspects were still being sought in both shootings . | c6d01d081699f740351f9e5391d23ba135af503d |
By . Hannah Ellis-petersen . PUBLISHED: . 16:02 EST, 14 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:02 EST, 14 September 2013 . Nicky Clarke (pictured here with girlfriend, Kelly Simpkin) has admitted to his past as a heroin addict, saying the troubled time was the worst of his life . He has styled the tresses of scores of celebrities and Royals, from Princess Diana to the Duchess of York. And he still counts the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie among his clients. But behind Nicky Clarke’s perfectly preened locks and boyish charm, he has been hiding a dark secret. ‘It’s my biggest regret, and it horrifies me even now, but I have been in rehab for heroin addiction,’ he admits. ‘This is the first time I’ve ever spoken about it. ‘It was a very short period of my life and I went in with a small but regular heroin habit that I had for a year. I am sickened when I look back.’ The £500-an-hour hairdresser, who since his early 20s has become as famous as the celebrity clientele of his Mayfair salon, developed his addiction while embroiled in the New Romantics music scene of the 1980s. He was part of a crowd that included Boy George and Steve Strange, who both almost died from drug addiction years later. Though his years in the spotlight have been punctuated with accusations of infidelity and links to prostitutes, it is this brief dalliance with drugs that he laments the most. It was only after his then wife, Lesley, threatened to ‘kick me out or call the police’ that Nicky was forced to face his demons. But 27 years later, it is a subject that he still struggles to speak of. He has not even confessed to his grown-up children, Harrison, 27, and Tellisa, 24. Nicky, 55, says: ‘I was secretive about it because they were very young children at the time,’ he says. ‘Harrison had just been born. I had a picture of him with me almost as a newborn that I kept with me while I was in rehab. ‘Mine had been a very private habit, it was small but regular. I never mainlined heroin [he smoked or snorted it] – I can’t bear all that dirt. ‘I was there for ten weeks and they gave me nothing, so I had to go cold turkey. I absolutely hated being there. ‘I was silent and huddled for a week. I felt like my life was being taken over because everything you do becomes psycho-analysed, and I just had to get out of there. The celebrity hairdresser found fame in the 80s after opening his Mayfair salon in London . ‘When people came out they would go to those narcotics anonymous meetings. I went to about four and I hated it. It was a lot of euphoric recall, and it was so not me. ‘I never touched it ever again but I can’t erase the past. Just remembering the smell made me feel sick.’For a man who has lived his life in the public eye, it is hard to believe he was able to keep this dark chapter of his life buried for so long. Clarke’s life story makes colourful reading. His relationships were played out in public, as were the break-ups. However, it was his affair with prostitute Natalie Springer that generated his most vitriolic press coverage – and signalled the end of his relationship with millionaire interior designer Kelly Hoppen, who now stars on Dragons’ Den. Five years on from the furore, the stylist says he still has the ‘utmost respect’ for his ex-girlfriend, the so-called ‘Queen of Taupe’. ‘It might seem odd after everything that was reported but I have fond memories of my relationship with Kelly. I’m not someone who remembers the bad times, so all I will say is that I think she is brilliant.’ The prostitute, however, he concedes was a mistake. ‘Aah yes, I will admit I wasn’t thinking in the best sense when I turned to a prostitute and yes, maybe you could call it a moment of madness,’ he says, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Though he is refreshingly honest in his answers, he talks of the incident with a noticeable lack of remorse. ‘It certainly isn’t going to go down as one of my best decisions and I’m not going to sit here and ask for sympathy because, let’s be honest, I did do it.’ Royal favourite: Nicky Clarke styled the tresses of the late Princess Diana in the 80s, and more recently The Duchess of Cambridge . The hairdresser still counts Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie among his most well known customers . His main gripe with the story lies not with the accusations – ‘the bulk of which are true’ – but with what he says are smaller inaccuracies in Miss Springer’s account of their brief liaison. ‘The thing I was most annoyed about was that it said I had Primark sheets,’ he says laughing. ‘I certainly don’t have any bed linen from there, I’ve never been to Primark in my life.’ He may laugh it off now, but it was not the first time his infidelity had led to a painful break-up. An affair with model Susie Bick led to the collapse of his marriage of 20 years to Lesley Clarke. She was so devastated that she suffered a nervous breakdown. ‘To an outsider it may look like I was a serial adulterer,’ Clarke admits. ‘But I don’t think that is the case. When Lesley found out we tried to make it work for three or four months, but the damage was done.’ Clarke maintains a relationship with Lesley, though it is somewhat unconventional, with the pair living four doors away from each other in St John’s Wood, North London. They have remained ‘great friends’ despite his betrayal. Lesley is the powerhouse behind the £50 million Nicky Clarke brand and still has joint control of the empire. Another one of his long term clients is TV presenter Selina Scott, pictured here with the hairdresser in the 1990s . He admits he wouldn’t be where he is today without Lesley. So successful was the brand they built that the hairdresser spent much of the early 1990s dividing his time between his Mayfair salon and Buckingham and Kensington Palaces – a long way from the small council flat in Elephant and Castle, South London, where he grew up. ‘I was doing mostly the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, and the Duchess of Gloucester. I did Princess Diana as well, though only a couple of times,’ Clarke recalls fondly. ‘There was one particular time where Princess Diana was going to Pavarotti in the Park and I went to Kensington Palace. It was when Sarah and Diana were very close and going to the event together, so I did both of them. Diana was just lovely, very friendly, and we were laughing and joking and she even made me a cheese sandwich. She was just very charming.’ While he is still privy to the salon confessions of the rich and fabulous – Cate Blanchett, Sharon Stone and Elizabeth Hurley are all recent clients – the millionaire stylist claims to have put his philandering behind him and has remained loyal to girlfriend Kelly Simpkin for more than four years. At 31, Kelly is 24 years his junior. She was a trader in the City before she joined Clarke’s salon as a trainee hairdresser and later became his personal assistant. Their love, he says, grew out of that friendship. However, the relationship is far from blissful, as the couple have been forced to grapple with Kelly’s worsening health issues. She was recently diagnosed with lupus, an auto-immune disease that has left her with crippling arthritis and constant exhaustion and she can now only work in the salon part-time. And his own brush with serious illness in January this year, when he was diagnosed with a ‘grapefruit-sized cyst’ on his liver, gave Clarke a rare time for reflection. After a major operation to remove the mass, he was put on a strong course of antibiotics that caused him to lose a stone in weight. ‘The medicine just stopped my appetite and I was drained of all my energy – I felt like an old man.’ It was a ‘frustrating’ reminder of his own mortality for a man who has worked flat-out since the age of 17 and professes to have ‘done the hair of all the major divas of this world’. But despite his wild past and celebrity credentials, there is still an endearing humility to Clarke. ‘I’m still just the son of an electrical engineer who grew up in a council flat on the Old Kent Road,’ he says, getting up to leave. ‘Yes, there has been some stuff I would like to rewind or erase from my past. ‘But there have been so many moments in my life, for example when I’ve been kneeling over a bath washing Elizabeth Taylor’s hair or even when I just walk into the salon, where I can hardly believe the life I’ve had. ‘I am so grateful for everything. Life really has been good to me.’ | Hair stylist to the stars reveals heroin addiction which led him to rehab for the first time . Mr Clarke tells how his ex-wife threatened to 'kick him out or call the police' because of drug demons . In spite of chequered past hairdresser says 'life has been good to me' | f77c07f1f06e502d7659b6f140edd2c00bec1669 |
A mother who claimed her three-year-old daughter was killed in a hit and run incident outside their Florida home has been charged with murder. Maryann Schwartz told police her child, Yeliani, had been run over in the parking lot outside their apartment, but a medical examiner said the girl had died from blunt trauma. Yeliani was also described as being malnourished and both she and her two-year-old brother, who is now in protective custody, were covered in bruises. Arrested: Maryann Schwartz has been charged with murder over the death of her three-year-old daughter . Claims: Schwartz, pictured left in court, told police her daughter was run over and killed by an unknown vehicle . Schwartz had been arrested on Wednesday over child abuse charges relating to her son, but the first-degree murder charge in connection with Yeliani's death was added late last night. The 22-year-old had told police she didn't see her daughter get run over, but claimed that Yeliani had been hit by a vehicle at about 9.30pm on Friday. She called 911 while on her way to the hospital, and was told to pull over and wait for emergency responders. When her daughter was examined at hospital however, doctors said her body was too cold to have fitted with the mother's time frame of events. Highway patrol officers became suspicious of her story, and detectives brought in to work on the case said Yeliani had died in 'suspicious circumstances', according to an incident report seen by the Orlando Sentinel. A report by a medical examiner found the child had died from blunt-force trauma, but it was unable to confirm if the injuries came from being hit by a car. Charges: Schwartz, center, was originally arrested for child after bruises were seen on her surviving child . Schwartz's son was put into protective custody, and three children belonging to her housemate, Vanessa Morales, were put in the care of a relative after police searched the apartment the women shared. 'There were bruises on the children that concerned us and led us to think there was possible physical abuse that occurred,' Kristin Gray, of the Department for Children and Families, said. Hospital staff had contacted the sheriff's department to say Schwartz's son had 'multiple bruises on his body that were not consistent with normal child activities', Local 6 reported. Morales, who is currently allowed only supervised visits with her children, was arrested on Wednesday for unrelated charges after allegedly driving on a suspended license. | Doctors claim girl's body was too cold to have died when Maryann Schwartz said she did . Schwartz's two-year-old son taken into protective custody over claims that he was covered in bruises . | 51cf39c5c96bd42d1e4226fa4ee4fcba68f8f4df |
FIFA has rejected an appeal by Luis Suarez and the Uruguay Football Federation (AUF) against his four-month ban from all football activities for biting an opponent. The appeal was lodged against the sanctions imposed on the Liverpool striker by FIFA's disciplinary committee for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini. They included a nine-match international ban plus a 100,000 Swiss franc (£66,000) fine. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Ten of the most shocking World Cup moments . Banned: Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez bit Italian Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup in Brazil . Attack: Suarez now looks set serve his full four-month ban for the bite on the Italian defender . VIDEO Suarez appeal rejected . FIFA head of media Delia Fischer told a . news conference in Rio de Janeiro: 'The FIFA appeal committee has . decided to reject the appeals lodged by both the Uruguayan player Luis . Suarez and the Uruguayan FA, and to confirm the decision rendered by the . FIFA disciplinary committee on June 25 2014 in its entirety. 'The terms of the decision taken by the FIFA appeal committee were communicated to the player and the Uruguayan FA today (Thursday).' Both the player and the AUF can make a further appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Fischer . added: 'The relevant decision is not yet final and binding, i.e. an . appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport is still possible by the . player and/or the Uruguayan FA, subject to certain conditions.' The . disciplinary committee's initial decision took into account there had . been no remorse from Suarez, and the fact it was the third time he had . been involved in biting an opponent. After lodging his appeal, Suarez did then issue a formal apology to Chiellini and vowed never to bite anyone again. The . player was sent home from the World Cup in disgrace and faces being out . of club football until the end of October, during which time he will . not be allowed to train with a club. FIFA has confirmed that the ban . will not stand in the way of any transfer to Barcelona, who are close to . agreeing a deal with Liverpool, nor of Suarez having a medical at a . prospective new club. | Uruguay striker was banned following bite on Italy defender during World Cup group stage . He has since been linked with a move to Barcelona from Liverpool . Should the transfer go through then Suarez would miss the first two months of the La Liga season . | d22499770be9c1367d80d7328c44c320ce43d528 |
By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 09:21 EST, 23 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:43 EST, 23 September 2013 . Apple has smashed its own records by selling nine million iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C handsets during the first three days - working out as 125,000 an hour, on average, or around 2083 a minute. The tech giant also announced that 200 million devices are now running the iOS 7 software, despite download problems and divided opinion. Last year's iPhone 5 sales topped five million during its opening weekend in September 2012, yet only one handset was available - as opposed to this year's two - and it wasn't sold in China from launch. Apple sold nine million iPhone 5S and 5C, pictured, handsets during the first three days they were on sale. Last year's iPhone 5 sales topped five million during its opening weekend in September 2012, yet only one handset was available - as opposed to this year's two - and it wasn't made available in China immediately . Both new phones went on sale around the world from 8am on Friday and fans queued for days in London, pictured, Berlin, Beijing and Australia to be among the first to get their hands on the devices. However, demand was so high that some stores allocated all their stock before the shops officially opened . Hackers from German-based group Chaos Computer Club have become the first to hack into the new iPhone 5S. A developer nicknamed Starbug created a copy of a print using a photograph and a homemade latex duplicate. Following the launch, Apple shares rose more than 5 per cent to $493.47 in early trading on Monday. This makes up in part for the loss the company suffered after the phones were unveiled at the start of September. When Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 a year ago, it sold more than 5 million in the first three days after its launch. 'This is our best iPhone launch yet―more than nine million new iPhones sold―a new record for first weekend sales,' said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. 'The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we’ve sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5s, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly. 'We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone.' An Apple statement added that remaining iPhone 5S orders will shipped 'in the coming weeks.' Within hours of the devices going on sale, handsets were appearing on eBay for three times their retail value - around £2,000. Handsets were also reportedly being sold on the street outside shops with significant markups. 'It's a great number,' said Colin . Gillis, an analyst with BGC Partners. 'We have been saying they will be . selling every 5S they can make and it looks like that is the case.' Other figures in the Apple release claim iTunes Radio - a streaming service only currently available in the U.S - has reached 11 million unique listeners with the most listened to song being 'Hold On, We’re Going Home' by Drake. The tech giant also announced that 200 million devices are now running the iOS 7 software, that features the new Control Centre pictured, despite download problems and divided opinion . The iPhone 5C handset, pictured, costs £469 for 16GB and £549 for 32GB when bought outright. The 16GB iPhone 5S handset costs £549 up to £709 for 64GB. Contract prices vary . Both new phones went on sale around the world from 8am on 20 September and fans queued for days in London, Berlin, Beijing and Australia to be among the first to get their hands on the devices. However, demand was so high that some stores - including those in Liverpool and Cardiff - allocated all its stock before the shops officially opened. Reports then came in that the official Apple store, as well as a number of third-party retailers, had sold out of the high-end iPhone 5S model. Before the launch, the BBC discovered several networks admitted stock 'was severely limited in the UK', and predicted many customers would be disappointed. The handset will cost £469 for 16GB and £549 for 32GB when bought outright. 4-inch Retina display. Five colours: green, blue, yellow, pink, white. A6 processor - same as the iPhone 5. The battery is slightly larger than it was on the iPhone 5. It has the same 8-megapixel rear camera and a new FaceTime HD camera as the iPhone 5. Supports 'more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world.' Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 . The 16GB handset will cost £549 up to £709 for 64GB. 4-inch Retina display. Three colours: gold, silver and slate. A7 chip is twice as fast as the iPhone 5. Built-in fingerprint scanner with Touch ID unlocks the phone and can be used for purchases. Dual-flash LED camera with 28-megapixel panoramic photos. The iPhone 5S has 10 hours of talk time and 250 hours of standby. Although pre-orders for the 5C model began on 13 September, Apple did not allow the 5S to be reserved in advance. An . unidentified network spokesman told the BBC they had been sent 'crates . and crates' of the 5C, but were being 'drip fed' the more expensive 5S. O2 is only selling the phones online, although customers can test demo models in stores. A spokesman said this is the first time O2 has had to put its stock completely online because of the shortage. Vodafone admitted not all of its stores across the country would have the phone on the day of launch. An employee shows the the backside of a new Apple iPhone 5c, right, and iPhone 5s, which launched today and saw thousands of people waiting in line to buy them outside Apple stores across the globe . Sources at U.S. networks added that they have received significantly fewer handsets than expected, too. One told AllThingsD: 'We will have grotesquely unavailable inventory'. Another . complained of 'extremely disappointing shipments from Apple, ' yet . didn't think it would be a problem in the States because the iPhone 5C . will be more popular.' Reviews of Apple's new handsets have been mostly positive, but the prices of both were criticised before the launch for not being low enough to attract new customers. Critics also claimed the addition of the fingerprint scanner was merely a gimmick, yet this was not enough to put customers off from buying them. | More than nine million handsets were sold during the first three days . This is almost double the opening weekend sales of its iPhone 5 . Figures also suggest 200m devices are now running the iOS 7 software . | f90a1098e9da2c986ba89d6ced0bb7aab3267112 |
By . Gerri Peev, Matt Chorley and Alan Roden . PUBLISHED: . 01:36 EST, 23 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:19 EST, 23 April 2013 . Scotland could end up ‘like Panama’ if it gains independence but keeps the pound, George Osborne has warned. The Chancellor said it was ‘unlikely’ the rest of the UK would want to enter a currency union with a separate Scotland. A devastating 118-page Treasury paper sets out the economic realities of independence. Scroll down for video . Damning: George Osborne, pictured in Glasgow yesterday, said he could veto any plan to share the pound with an independent Scotland as the deal could be risky, which would be a huge blow to Alex Salmond should he win the 2014 referendum . Scottish banknotes would disappear if voters back independence and opts to continue using the UK pound, the Treasury warned . The country could use sterling with . Westminster’s permission, Mr Osborne said, but would not have any say . over the Bank of England or macro-economic policy, which influences . currency. ‘We can say no to a currency zone, a . euro-style arrangement between two foreign governments,’ he told BBC . Radio 4’s Today programme. ‘Scotland could go on using the pound . rather like Panama uses the American dollar, but it would have . absolutely no control at all over its currency or its macro-economic . framework.’ Countries do use foreign currencies without consent, he said, ‘but it’s a very, very difficult option’. Mr Osborne launched the Scotland Analysis paper on Currency and Monetary Policy, in the Glasgow Trades Hall . Mr Osborne and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, ruled out a euro-style currency zone in which Scotland could opt-in to using the pound . The reference to Panama raises the . spectre of a scandal in the 1690s, when Scotland tried to colonise part . of the country, resulting in thousands of deaths. Seven years later, a . bankrupt Scotland agreed to the Act of Union. Mr Osborne also warned that England, . Wales and Northern Ireland would not tie themselves ‘to the economic . policies of what would have become a foreign government’ or to an . economy ‘very dependent’ on oil and finance. Mr Osborne said in Glasgow: ‘Why would . 58million citizens give away some of their sovereignty over monetary . and potentially other economic policy to five million people in another . state? ‘Let’s be clear – abandoning current arrangements would represent a very deep dive indeed in to uncharted waters.’ Backing: Former Chancellor, Labour's Alistair Darling, says that Osborne is right and that the SNP cannot promise to keep the pound . Should Scotland become independent in . the 2014 referendum, and want to use the pound, it would have to submit . economic plans to the UK before its administration in Holyrood, he said. He went on: ‘The conclusion is clear – . the pound we share works well. The saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, why . fix it?”, but I say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t break it”.’ Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond . accused Westminster of ‘sabre-rattling’. He said: ‘This is a Tory . Chancellor trying to scare people in Scotland, trying to stop them . voting for independence. ‘But the day after a resounding “yes” vote in the referendum . . . he will sing an entirely different tune. It’s in everyone’s interests to have a currency area after . independence.’ The Treasury gave four options facing . an independent Scotland: forming a UK currency union; joining Sterling . with no control over policy; joining the euro; or a separate Scottish . currency. Mr Osborne also warned that Scotland could have to take on large amounts of national debt. But Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney claimed ‘the UK as the successor state is obliged to hold on to all of the debt’. Charles Kennedy, former Lib Dem leader . and spokesman for the pro-Union Better Together campaign, said the SNP . had showed it was ‘ill-prepared and ill-informed . . . about the . ramifications of independence.’ Future: The economic stability of an independent Scotland, based at Holyrood in Edinburgh (pictured) could be impacted if the UK Treasury withdraws the pound . | Treasury report says that sharing pound will have 'significant risks' for UK . Chancellor may veto deal if Scotland votes for independence in 2014 . Warns Scotland could end up like Panama if using pound without controls . Alistair Darling: 'SNP Government cannot promise to keep the pound' | d414298596b84d36caccd73970d7feb24ef4be84 |
MEXICO CITY (CNN) -- A moderately strong earthquake rocked Mexico City on Friday afternoon, shaking the earth in the sprawling capital. People in Mexico City stream into the street as a magnitude 5.7 earthquake hits. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at magnitude 5.7, and placed the epicenter near the city of Puebla, about 85 miles southeast of Mexico City. It hit at 2:24 p.m. local time. The Mexican seismological service measured the quake at 5.9. People in the city reported the earth and buildings shaking. Thousands of panicked people streamed into the streets as stopped cars snarled traffic. Parts of the city were without electricity Friday afternoon but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Earthquakes are a frightening experience for the 20 million residents of Mexico City, where thousands of people perished in a massive quake in 1985. The city, built on volcanic ash and clay, is particularly vulnerable to temblors. Aldo Pontecorvo of the humanitarian agency World Vision said the shaking lasted about 20 seconds. It came out of nowhere and "without any warning," said Pontecorvo, who said he was in his office when the quake struck. Earlier this month, a moderate earthquake was measured off the coast of Mexico's western Baja California peninsula. | U.S. Geological Survey measures quake at magnitude 5.7 . Thousands of panicked people stream into the streets . No immediate reports of injuries or damage . 1985 earthquake killed thousands in Mexico City . | 789c4bec886eaa4f0f913fc6e51147ff9f53752f |
(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Ester continued to intensify after sweeping across the Philippines over the weekend, leaving at least one person dead and 15 others missing, authorities said. A 17-member crew on board a freighter was hit by the storm -- also known as Typhoon Dianmu -- and 14 of the members were still missing Monday, according to the Phillippines National Disaster Coordinating Council. Three of the 17 were located -- one dead, and two others alive. A 13-year-old boy was also reported missing after being swept away by a strong current while swimming in the Santa Clara River, the disaster council said. More than 200 families from a community in the northern province of Bulacan were evacuated Sunday, and nearly 150 of them were still housed in shelters Monday, the council said. The storm was expected to strengthen as it headed to China and complicate the response to flooding cause by heavy rains in recent weeks, according to the country's national meteorological agency. Ester was expected to approach the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday before making it's way to northeast China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the meteorological agency. | Ester grows in strength after hitting the Philippines . At least one person was killed by the storm . Fifteen more remain missing . | 4fdae002dd489912f10b0b4852b40ca1cca5bb2d |
Support for a huge, $1.1 trillion spending bill funding every corner of government, faded Wednesday as liberal lawmakers erupted over a provision that weakens the regulation of risky financial instruments and another that allows more money to flood into political parties. At the same time, conservatives remain unhappy that the bill fails to bar President Barack Obama's immigration actions, and a key conservative grassroots organization lobbied its allies on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to vote against the legislation. The measure also took a blow when House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement demanding that the changes to 2010 Dodd-Frank regulation of complex financial instruments known as derivatives and a provision sharply hiking limits on donations to political parties be taken out of the bill. Her support, and the votes of her Democratic colleagues, is crucial to passing the measure, as are the votes of Tea Party Republicans who feel their being shafted by GOP leadership in the House. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday following a House GOP caucus meeting that Republicans and Democrats had agreed on a $1.1 trillion spending bill to avoid a government shutdown and delay a politically-charged struggle over President Barack Obama's new immigration policy until the new year . A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said the provisions were part of bipartisan trade-offs and said they would remain in the bill. The 1,603-page measure was unveiled late Tuesday and its provisions will be scrutinized in advance of a House vote Thursday. The House plans to vote first on a three-day extension of the current continuing resolution the government is operating on to give the Senate and the president time to act on the broader legislation. The government will otherwise shut down tomorrow at the stroke of Midnight, less than 24 hours before Congress plans to recess until next year. The White House said on Wednesday morning that it hadn't read the entire omnibus bill, but it was generally 'pleased' with the provisions it had reviewed. Still, the spokesman for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue would not commit the president to approving the legislation if it arrives on his desk. 'I'm confident there are gonna be some things in here...that we're not gonna like, and we'll have to sort of consider the whole package before we make a decision about whether or not to sign it,' White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. It's unclear how shaky the bipartisan coalition backing the omnibus bill is, but the alternative is to keep the government running on autopilot until Republicans seize full control of Congress next year or allow it to undergo it second shutdown in 14 months. Nonetheless, top Democrats were lining up to vote against the measure on Wednesday. 'I'm not going to support it. I've already found lots of provisions that are against the public interest,' Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen said. 'I find it surprising that some people are threatening to shut down the government in order to extract big benefits for big banks at the expense of consumers and taxpayers,' he said. Conservatives were angry, too, and Heritage Action, the grassroots arm of leading conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, came out against the measure today. 'Why in the world would we want to lock in federal spending through next September that reflects the priorities of the Democratic Senate that voters just thoroughly repudiated last month?' California Rep. Tom McClintock said. 'Why in the world would we want to so greatly weaken our position to insist on the complete defunding of the president's unconstitutional act [on immigration] in the next session of Congress?' Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, pictured above at a press conference on Capitol Hill today, and conservatives defected on voting for the spending bill today, putting a government shutdown back in play if Congress doesn't at least pass an extension to the current continuing resolution the government is operating off of by the stroke of Midnight tomorrow . The compromise spending bill would permit virtually the entire government to operate normally through the Sept. 30, 2015, the end of the fiscal year, with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security. Funds for that one agency will run out again on Feb. 27, when Republicans are expected to try to use the expiration as leverage to force Obama to roll back a decision suspending the threat of deportation for an estimated 5 million immigrants living in the country illegally, while providing work permits and eventually making them eligible for benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Boehner told fellow Republicans at a Wednesday morning party meeting that the immigration 'fight will be done at the end of February when the troops, when the cavalry comes,' a reference to the upcoming GOP takeover of the Senate. The White House said today that even then it doesn't believe that GOP leaders will follow through on their promise to conservatives to stick it to Obama by adding language to a DHS funding bill that would block Obama's actions. 'I would be surprised if Republicans take the position that they are going to withhold funding from border security, from people conducting criminal background checks, from other elements of our federal government that are critical to Homeland Security just in protest over the president taking an executive action,' Obama's spokesman told reporters today. A GOP staffer familiar with the conservative strategy told MailOnline last month, however, that border patrol and other critical enforcement agencies in DHS would be deemed essential if it underwent a partial shutdown and would therefore remain open. That understanding has fueled conservatives lawmakers' willingness to hold funds for the department hostage until Obama relents and signs legislation barring his own executive actions on immigration. They would prefer, however, if the entire federal government were funded for only the first two months of the new year so that Congress has more leverage over the president when it comes time to renegotiate an appropriations package. Their irritation with the current package was further exacerbated when they learned that it contained $948 million for the Unaccompanied Alien Children program - an $80 million increase from the fiscal year before. That money will go toward making sure the Health and Human Services Department has enough money in the upcoming year to feed and house illegal immigrant children who travel to the U.S. from Central America, as they are required do by law, until they are turned over to the proper authorities. Conservatives are unhappy about the increased allocation for HHS because a bill the House passed over the summer hinged additional resources on the inclusion of language tying Obama's' hands on immigration. Now, they say, the Obama administration will get the money it requested and it will have no incentive to act in ways that decrease the stream of unaccompanied minors showing up at the U.S. border with Mexico seeking amnesty. The omnibus bill directs significantly less money to HHS overall than the earlier legislation, House leadership has pointed out, and substantially fewer dollars were allotted to the effort than the the president asked for. The compromise legislation adheres to tight budget caps negotiated previously between the White House and Republicans, freezing agency budgets, on average. It also includes several provisions to fulfill Republican policy objectives, including significantly weakening new regulations that require banks to set up separate affiliates to deal in the more exotic and riskier forms of complex financial instruments called swaps. But some top Democrats, including Appropriations Committee member Nita Lowey of New York, supported the provision, and party leaders didn't appear to try too hard to knock it out. The measure is laced with trade-offs. Democrats won budget increases for the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Republicans won a big cut to the Internal Revenue Service budget and a smaller cut to the Environmental Protection Agency. Democrats blocked the most ambitious attempts by Republicans to thwart Obama administration regulations on greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming, and on clean water; Republicans won a new concession exempting many agricultural projects from clean water rules and an old one boosting exports of coal mine equipment. GOP leaders distributed a lengthy roster claiming wins on spending cuts and policy and claimed significant support among the rank and file. 'I think we won on policy, the budget numbers are lower than I ever thought it would be,' Rep. Richard Hudson said. The overall spending measure touches every part of government, from a provision to ease standards on school meals that were supposed to go into effect in 2017 to funds to restore the iconic Capitol Dome. Proponents of campaign finance reforms decried a provision slipped in at the last minute that would sharply increase limits on the amount that an individual may contribute to various national political party accounts each year. Those limits would rise from $32,400 to $324,000 for donations to finance parties' national conventions, election recounts and headquarters buildings. That means individuals could give $648,000 in a two-year campaign cycle, with a married couple capped at almost $1.3 million for an election cycle. 'It is only millionaires and billionaires who can give these huge, corrupting contributions,' said campaign finance activist Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21. Another provision drawing fire would allow pensions to be cut for current retirees covered by some economically-distressed multiemployer plans, part of a package agreed to unexpectedly Tuesday after secretive talks. | Liberals erupted over provisions that weaken the regulation of financial instruments and raise the cap on donations to political parties . Conservatives remain unhappy that the bill fails to bar President Barack Obama's immigration actions . The House will vote on the omnibus bill and a three-day extension of the current continuing resolution on Thursday . The White House said on Wednesday morning that it hadn't read the entire omnibus bill, so it couldn't commit the president to signing it . | ef9aed5f0646624495fc2b1318bbdb8552b2384a |
(CNN) -- The FBI has begun a preliminary inquiry into allegations by the CIA that Senate staffers obtained unauthorized access to classified documents related to the agency's now-defunct post-9/11 interrogation program, according to people familiar with the matter. The CIA's charges, made in criminal referrals to the Justice Department, are in contrast to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein's accusations last week that the agency spied on computers used by committee staffers at a CIA facility to investigate the Bush-era interrogation program. The committee staff has produced a 6,300-page report on the program, which critics say violated prohibitions on torture and exceeded legal guidance from the Justice Department. But the report remains in limbo, awaiting a declassification review by the CIA, which has disputed some of Senate findings. The unusual dispute has raised tensions between the agency and lawmakers charged with overseeing the agency's activities. Feinstein is usually one of the intelligence community's staunchest allies in Congress. Justice Department officials have tried to avoid getting drawn into the fight, and some lawmakers have questioned whether it is appropriate for Justice, as an agency in the executive branch, to probe a dispute between legislators and another agency. The FBI's preliminary inquiry is intended to determine whether a full-fledged investigation is warranted, people familiar with the matter said. McClatchy Newspapers first reported the FBI inquiry. CIA Director John Brennan has disputed Feinstein's accusations. Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations last week, he said "when the facts come out on this, I think a lot of people who are claiming that there has been this tremendous sort of spying and monitoring and hacking will be proved wrong." Documents that prompted the dispute relate to an internal review by former CIA Director Leon Panetta and, according to the agency, were intended to help summarize material it was providing to the committee. The documents were plainly labeled as for internal use and were not supposed to be reviewed by the committee. Feinstein said Senate staffers found the documents in the course of their work that were put in the computer system either on purpose by a whistleblower or perhaps in error, and that they corroborated some of the committee's findings that the agency now says it disagrees with. She said committee staff routinely sees such documents and didn't violate any classified restrictions. Dean Boyd, a CIA spokesman, said in an op-ed published in USA Today that the agency acted properly after it discovered Senate staffers may have accessed and retained sensitive documents stored in a CIA computer network. "These documents were privileged, deliberative, pre-decisional executive branch material that implicated separation of powers concerns," Boyd wrote. "Because we were concerned that there may have been a breach or vulnerability in the CIA local area network on which CIA stored these documents, CIA information technology specialists were asked to conduct a limited review to determine whether these files were located on the side of the CIA network the committee was authorized to use. That review appeared to confirm the committee's unauthorized access to the documents." | Preliminary inquiry over CIA allegations Senate staffers obtained unauthorized access to documents . Senate committee chair, in turn, accused CIA of spying on panel's computers . Senate Intelligence Committee was reviewing CIA documents for report on interrogation program . | 894ef04c4db5b53345968458b4ef98d6285aede1 |
Washington (CNN) -- Close to 20 inches of snow piled up at the nation's capital as a blizzard pounded mid-Atlantic states Saturday, cutting power to hundreds of thousands in the region in what the president referred to as "Snowmaggedon." Snow was falling from southern Indiana eastward to New York City, Washington, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the New Jersey coast. President Obama kept to his busy Washington schedule amid the swirling flakes, and ditched "the Beast" -- his souped-up Cadillac limousine -- for an armored, four-wheel drive Chevy Suburban capable of trudging through the several inches of snow. Despite plowing and shoveling, the continuous snow made for a slippery White House driveway. Before the 15-vehicle presidential motorcade pulled out of the driveway headed to the Capital Hilton for Obama's speech to democrats, one of the emergency vehicles lost traction and slid into an SUV. No one was in the car at the time. Flights canceled, highway crews mobilized . About 19.5 inches of snow fell at American University in Washington over two days, and was on track to possibly break a record. The capital received 28 inches of snow in the "Knickerbocker Storm" of January 27-28, 1922. The blizzard has left hundreds of thousands of customers from Virginia to Pennsylvania without power, utility companies said. As of 12 p.m., Dominion Virginia Power had restored electricity to 101,000 of 207,000 customers who were without power Saturday morning, the company said. In Maryland and Washington, more than 104,000 Pepco customers were in the dark, the utility company said. The majority, or 81,324, live in Montgomery County, Maryland, and 9,587 live in Washington, according to Pepco. In Philadelphia, a reported 26.7 inches had fallen at the airport by 1 p.m., the National Weather Service said. "We are getting absolutely clobbered this morning with snow," said Steven Steingard, a lawyer who lives in suburban Philadelphia. "We have about a foot already and they say it will continue for 10 to 12 hours more." The storm also may produce a record snowfall for Baltimore, which has 21 inches of snow so far, according to the National Weather Service. Virginia snowman is taller than a house . In College Park, Maryland, snow-laden power lines drooped onto branches, causing power failures. One city resident, Ben Hampton, told CNN he could could hear electrical transformers popping. Annapolis, Maryland, had 18 inches of snow by Saturday. State officials at the briefing said 2,400 pieces of equipment were trying to clear highways. The state also was relying on 300 National Guard members to help with ongoing weather trouble. Check on traffic and road conditions . More than 750 personnel are clearing roads in Washington, Mayor Adrian Fenty said. But the heavy, wet snow has even trapped some plows, Washington Department of Transportation director Gabe Klein said. Flights were canceled at Washington-Baltimore area's three main airports and at Philadelphia International Airport. Amtrak has canceled many trains in and out of Washington, and Greyhound has been halted until 1 p.m. Sunday, Klein said. Check on flight delays . On Friday, a weather-related accident in Virginia's Wythe County left two dead, state police said. A father and son stopped on a shoulder to help injured occupants of a disabled vehicle. Minutes later, a tractor-trailer jackknifed and struck their van while trying to avoid hitting the disabled car. The father and son died at the scene, state police said. Virginia state police said the accident was one of many crashes and disabled cars reported. Winter storm warnings were in effect from southern Indiana eastward to New York City and south to North Carolina, with blizzard warnings for Washington, Delaware and the New Jersey coast. Are you snowed in? Share photos and videos . Delaware Gov. Jack Markell declared a state of emergency Friday night and ordered all vehicles off the roads by 10 p.m. ET. Forecasters were predicting that the mountains of West Virginia and Maryland, west of the nation's capital, would receive the most snow -- possibly 3 feet. CNN's Greg Morrison, Suzanne Malveaux and Angela Fritz contributed to this report. | NEW: Hundreds of thousands without electricity from Virginia to Pennsylvania . NEW: Flights canceled at Washington-Baltimore area airports, as wells as Philadelphia's . NEW: 26.7 inches reported at the Philadelphia, airport by 1 p.m. Delta joins Southwest, Amtrak in canceling services in the affected region . | 01898581a1e7b543016027b303aaf0c8d0a2cb27 |
By . Jamie Mcginnes . PUBLISHED: . 02:48 EST, 22 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:48 EST, 22 June 2012 . A small town has united in grief at the horrific death of a six-year-old boy sucked into a wood chipper. Jeffrey Bourgeois died . after getting pulled into the machine while helping his father on a . landscaping job one morning during his school holiday in Salem, Connecticut. The boy was putting a branch . into the industrial-sized chipper when it yanked him when . his father Scott, 39, momentarily turned his back. Tragic: Jeffrey Bourgeois, six, was killed after being pulled into a wood chipper while on his school holiday . The family has been helped to cope with their loss by the community of Salem, a town with fewer than 4,000 residents, in the form of cash and meals. Erin Cummings, who lives near the scene of the accident in Salem, told the Hartford Courant: 'It affected the whole community so much. It was just so tragic.' Mrs Cummings is helping to organise a picnic for the whole community to support the family, which is taking place tomorrow. Food and items for an auction were donated by local people and businesses. All proceeds will go to a fund set up for the Bourgeois family. Mrs Cummings added: 'It's really amazing to see how people have responded. Accident: Jeffrey Bourgeois was putting a branch in . the chipper when it yanked him in while he helped his . father on a job at a Salem home, pictured . 'This is to give the family some peace of mind, so they don't have to worry about how to pay their bills and can focus on healing and family.' In the week after Jeffrey's death in April, thousands of people gathered on Salem's town green for a candlelight vigil to pray for the boy and his family. Speaking shortly after Jeffrey died, Lieutenant J. Paul Vance, spokesman for Connecticut state police spokesman, said the accident was so horrific that counsellors had to be immediately called to the scene. 'The little guy was apparently trying to help his dad,' he said at the time. 'It's a very tragic and difficult scene for everybody.' The Bourgeois family live just half a mile from where the accident happened. Jeffrey was a first-grader at Salem Elementary School, where he was honoured in its newsletter with a 'Caught Being Good' award in December. He, his two older siblings and their mother Corinne also enjoyed running in road races. Salem First Selectman Kevin Lynden said Jeffrey's death was 'a very, very sad day for our Salem residents'. He added: 'This was a Salem family, very good family in town, a well-known family.' Scene: The accident happened at a home in Brookside drive, Salem, a town of fewer than 4,000 residents in Connecticut . Horrific: Jeffrey was helping his dad . on a landscaping job when he was sucked into the industrial-sized . chipper (file photo) | Jeffrey Bourgeois died while helping his father on a landscaping job while on his school holiday . Small town of Salem, Connecticut, rallies to family . | af5241f473adcb6431d660277a8e8a2b1b909fea |
(CNN) -- A pair of blasts in Lebanon, the magnitude of which have not been seen since the 1980s, is raising fears of heightening sectarian tensions. The two powerful explosions ripped through neighborhoods near mosques in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday. At least 27 people died and 600 were wounded in the bombings, Lebanese Red Cross head George Kettanah said. State media reported that the toll could be much higher. The death toll of these explosions is high compared with the political assassinations that have occurred in the past eight years in Lebanon, but the bigger fear is that civilians could become targets anywhere in the country. While the motive for the attacks was unclear, the state-run National News Agency said they appeared to target mosques run by imams with ties to Syrian rebels. Lebanon has been the scene of increasing sectarian violence recently, including battles between supporters and opponents of the regime in Lebanon's neighbor to the east, which is currently torn by a bloody civil war. Interactive map: Syrian civil war isn't just about Syria . The first blast occurred near the Sunni al Taqwa mosque, the National News Agency said. The second occurred minutes later near al Salam mosque, another Sunni mosque that is close to the residence of acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati, as well as Samir Al-Jisr, a Sunni member of parliament, and the former head of the country's Internal Security Forces, Ashraf Rifi. Rifi is despised by Hezbollah and Lebanese politicians friendly to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It was unclear whether any of those figures were targets of the attack, but the news agency said the mosques' two Salafist sheikhs were unharmed. Mikati is not in Tripoli, the National News Agency reported. The second blast produced a crater 5 meters (16.4 feet) across and damaged six nearby residential buildings, the news agency said. More than 60 cars were incinerated, the news agency said. Eyewitness video posted to YouTube purporting to be of the al Taqwa blast showed thick smoke, flames and what appeared to be burning vehicles. Another video posted to Facebook showed a large plume of smoke rising into the air near what is said to be the mosque site. CNN could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the videos. Mikati issued a statement via Twitter condemning the bombings. "We urge our children and brothers in Tripoli to practice self-restraint, and we pledge to them that we will always stand by them, especially during these critical times," he said. "Tripoli and its residents he will prove once again that they are stronger than the conspiracy and will not allow the strife to undermine their resilience and their faith in God and the homeland," the acting prime minister tweeted. Tammam Salam, the man designated to become Lebanon's next prime minister, cut short a private trip to Greece after the explosions. "The crime of Tripoli is further evidence that the situation in Lebanon reached a very critical stage and requires us to be on high alert on the political, national and security levels in order to eradicate the internal strife, and we have to deal with the political decisions in the country with the highest degree of national responsibility," he said in a prepared statement. The U.S. Embassy in Beirut also condemned the violence and called on Twitter for "calm & restraint." Hezbollah also condemned the attacks, saying in a statement that the explosions were part of a "criminal scheme aimed at sowing seeds of strife among the Lebanese." Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group, is active in southern Lebanon and has been sending its fighters to Syria to help the government there. A car bombing in a southern suburb of Beirut this month rocked a Hezbollah stronghold, killing at least 22 people and injuring hundreds. CNN's Nada Husseini contributed to this report. | At least 27 dead, 600 wounded in blasts, official says . PM designate says "the situation in Lebanon reached a very critical stage" Acting prime minister, U.S. Embassy in Beirut call for calm . The explosions struck Friday near two mosques . | 5edec8f6770f82db71740b77dc20cdaf5db3a25a |
Vladimir Putin blasted the West today over Ukraine after angering the German chancellor by turning up late for a summit in Milan with world leaders. Angela Merkel cancelled a session with the Kremlin strongman last night after Putin was delayed arriving at the talks, which include David Cameron. Putin had travelled from Belgrade where he was given a hero's welcome. German chancellor Angela Merkel initially cancelled talks with Vladimir Putin at a world leaders summit in Milan after the Russian president turned up late . Putin and Merkel at the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting; Putin made it clear there was little progress with Russia and the West sharply divided over solutions to the Ukraine crisis, which has cost more than 3,600 lives . A tense late night two and a half hour bilateral between Russian-speaking Merkel and German-speaking Putin was eventually rescheduled after a welcome dinner at the two-day ASEM summit of European and Asian leaders. Putin's spokesman made clear there was little progress with Russia and the West sharply divided over solutions to the Ukraine crisis, which has cost more than 3,600 lives in six months. Dmitry Peskov said: 'There are still serious differences concerning the origin of Ukraine's internal conflict, as well as the root causes of what is currently happening.' Mr Peskov said some Western leaders displayed 'incomprehension' over Ukraine and refused to accept 'reality'. He said: 'Unfortunately, some participants at breakfast demonstrated complete unwillingness to understand the reality in southeastern Ukraine. 'Indeed the talks are difficult, there are plenty of disagreements, plenty of incomprehension. Putin shakes hands with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko before the talks began . Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko speaks with Merkel and prime minister David Cameron . 'But at the same time they are going on, there is an exchange of opinion.' Merkel contends that Russia is holding back peace by failing in a promise to pull out its troops. A ceasefire agreement thrashed out last month in Minsk was 'first and foremost' Russia's responsibility to implement, she told the Russian leader. Putin was today meeting Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko over the crisis and said 'peace and stability in Ukraine, it is the only thing we expect'. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov assured Czech leaders that Moscow had no intention of invading Ukraine, said Czech president Milos Zeman. It was the first time Cameron has met Putin since Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot out of the skies above Ukraine, in an act the West blames on rebel fighters backed by Moscow. Putin was delayed after attending a military parade in Belgrade where he received a heroes welcome . Serbian onlookers wave the Russian flag as they cheer during the military parade . Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte admitted he had an 'emotional' confrontation with Putin over the tragedy. All 298 passengers on board were killed - 153 of them from the Netherlands. Rutte said: 'I have just spoken to President Putin in Milan and demanded maximum cooperation in resolving the MH17 disaster. 'It is an emotional subject and of course I am angry at all parties who have made it impossible to start work in at the crash site. 'But it's now up to us to reach our goal. I'll use every opportunity to highlight the issue.' A mass funeral was held in Ukraine yesterday for 21 unidentified soldiers killed during the conflict . On Monday four Dutch experts returned to the crash site in pro-Moscow rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, but Dutch officials, including Rutte, have lamented the lack of proper access to the wreck site. Dutch forensic experts called off their search of the area in early August because of the ongoing fighting between Kiev and pro-Russian separatists. The summit was also on edge over a Putin threat to cut gas supplies to the EU if energy-starved Ukraine is found to siphon off supplies from a pipeline transiting its territory. 'There are major transit risks,' Putin said ahead of the meeting. Meanwhile, a mass funeral was held in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, yesterday for 21 unidentified soldiers killed during the conflict. After a brief service the deceased were taken out of town and buried in lines next to one another. | German chancellor Angela Merkel cancelled a meeting with Vladimir Putin . Putin turned up late to summit of world leaders after military parade . He said there was still 'serious differences' over the Ukraine crisis . | 0586d8dbdd6e8d9880ad1be8460694fcec8ddc5d |
US President Barack Obama showed how important the World Cup has become to Americans - watching his country's Group G clash with Germany from his private jet. Obama was flying from Maryland to Minnesota while the USA were playing the crucial fixture, and made sure not to miss a thing with the match broadcast live to Air Force One. Scroll down for video . Flying high: Obama watched the game from his airplane as USA progressed to the knockout rounds . Flying high: Obama watched the game from his airplane as USA progressed to the knockout rounds . New fans: 'Soccer' has seen an explosion of popularity during the tournament both in the US and Brazil . Only goal: Thomas Muller's strike meant defeat for the United States but they qualified nonetheless . VIDEO Germany and USA celebrate in Recife . Jurgen Klinsmann's team lost to a Thomas Muller strike but still qualified for the knockout stages courtesy of a better goal-difference than Portugal. This World Cup has captured the imagination of the American public.Over 15,000 supporters packed a fan park in Chicago for the team's last game, against Portugal, which also received the largest ever TV audience for an American World Cup game. Jurgen Klinsmann, the former Germany player managing the USA, wrote a letter for all Americans to print out asking for time off to watch the game. New York governor Andrew Cuomo responded by granting the whole of New York state permission to extend their lunch breaks to watch the game. USA have reached the second round for the second consecutive World Cup, after finishing ahead of England in their group in 2010. Adopted nation: Klinsmann's print-out letter designed to be handed in by American's at their workplaces . Permission: New York governor Andrew Cuomo responded to Klinsmann's request on twitter . Frustration: Fans in California can not believe their eyes as the USA fall behind to Germany . Celebration: Team USA's official twitter posted a photo of the squad after they qualified . Relief: Obama discusses the match with a White House advisor, as his country scrape through to the last 16 . | President flying across America during USMNT's final group game . Obama watches the match with White House advisors . USA lose 1-0 to Gemany but still progress out of group . Brazil 2014 has seen huge rise in 'soccer' in America . | ec0a388ee967744ce5851b97c1ed07d9178ba320 |
London (CNN) -- CNN International was named News Channel of the Year at the Royal Television Society Awards in London late Wednesday, beating off competition from the BBC and Sky News. The network's treatment of stories over the past year -- including the intensifying conflict in the Middle East, elections in the U.S., Egypt, Russia and France, the transition of power in China, economic turmoil in Europe, riots at South African mines, extreme weather, the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations -- won the votes of the jury at the UK-based media society. Tony Maddox, Executive Vice President of CNN International, said: "The determination and fearlessness of our reporting is an immense source of pride for me, and this award is testament to those qualities. "To be recognized by our peers in this way is also a great honor. Professional journalism has a more important role than ever in today's changing world, and the succinct, powerful coverage we've delivered underlines that value to our audiences." CNN International was also nominated for Best News Coverage -- International, for its coverage of the Syrian Uprising. The work of Arwa Damon and her team, smuggling their way into the besieged city of Homs to deliver a picture of the acute suffering endured by those trapped there, and Nick Paton Walsh's exposure of the destructive power of the Assad regime in Aleppo were among the many standout stories CNN brought to world's attention. Meanwhile Pedro Pinto received a nomination for Specialist Journalist of the Year, following a series of exclusive interviews with the likes of Jose Mourinho, Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as his work exploring racism in football -- including an extraordinary one-on-one with FIFA president Sepp Blatter. The Royal Television Society (RTS) is Britain's leading forum for television and related media. The RTS Television Journalism Awards celebrate creative and excellent journalism in UK news and current affairs, both by organizations broadcasting in the UK and by companies that supply UK news broadcasters. CNN's win at the RTS awards is the latest honor in a year which also saw the network recognized for its outstanding storytelling efforts at the Foreign Press Association Media awards, where the network won three accolades, as well as at the recent EPPY awards where CNN Digital scooped four categories. | CNN International wins "News Channel of the Year" at Royal Television Society Awards . Recognized coverage of year's biggest news stories including Syrian conflict, U.S. election . Follows earlier recognition at Foreign Press Association awards and EPPY awards . | e9e818afb5d6456a5089d3018fcd224555b3de83 |
The career of Philip Fenton is hanging in the balance after the Irish Turf Club confirmed it will launch its own investigation in the aftermath of the Irish trainer being found guilty of possessing banned anabolic steroids. Cheltenham Festival-winner Fenton, 49, was fined 6,000 euros on Thursday and ordered to pay costs of 4,200 euros after a County Tipperary court handed down a eight guilty verdicts for possessing unlicenced animal remedies. Among them was 1kg of Nitrotain, enough for 250 doses. The court was told it was hard to find a more potent a source of Anabolic Steroids. Philip Fenton's career is hanging in the balance after the Irish Turf Club confirmed it will launch an investigation . Horse trainer Fenton (left) and solicitor Ken Molan arrive at Carrick-on-Suir District Court on Thursday . Nitrotain contains Ethylestranol which improves muscle mass and stamina and toughens bones in horses. Also found was a 20ml bottle of Ilium Stanabolic, containing the performance-enhancing Anabolic Steroid Stanozolol as well as prescription only medications without the necessary paperwork. Ministry of Agriculture vets found the illegal drugs in a cardboard box covered by a horse blanket in a ‘horse spa’ close to Fenton’s medicine store in a raid in January 2012. As he left the hearing in Carrick-on-Suir, Fenton said only that he was considering an appeal against the verdict but he could face interview by Turf Club Officials by as early as next week. Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan said: ‘No horses have tested positive but that fact that Anabolic Steroids have been found is a very serious matter. ‘We will want to move this forward as quickly as possible.’ Trainer Fenton was found guilty of possessing banned Anabolic Steroids and his career remains precarious . An attempt by Fenton’s legal team to have the case dismissed because protocols has been breached during the investigation was dismissed by Judge Timothy Lucey. Fenton, a former amateur jockey, has been training since 2004. His biggest win in Britain came when Dunguib landed the Cheltenham Festival Bumper in 2008. He also won the Irish Hennessy Gold Cup with Last Instalment at Leopardstown in February. The pair were part of a three-horse team that Fenton ran at last season’s Festival but only after the horses had been tested by BHA officials. Fenton’s case follows a similar fine being handed down to Irish National winning trainer Pat Hughes earlier this month after he was also sound guilty of possessing illegal substances including Anabolic Steroids. The cases have cast a dark cloud over Irish racing. The Anabolic Steroids involved are the same used by disgraced trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni in the case which heaped shame on Sheik Mohammed’s Godolphin operation last year. | The Irish Turf Club confirmed it will launch its own investigation . Philip Fenton was found guilty of possessing banned Anabolic Steroids . Irish trainer was fined 6,000 euros and ordered to pay costs of 10,000 euros . | 225a5078004cda927b38ea3b3854861594c65c6c |
By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 08:12 EST, 12 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:22 EST, 13 December 2012 . Amsterdam's today became the first city in the Netherlands to ban students from smoking marijuana at school. The city's mayor Eberhard van der Laan introduced the law after school chiefs complained about pupils turning up to classes high after rolling up outside the grounds. Marijuana is widely available in Holland as, although it is technically illegal, police can't prosecute people for possession of small amounts. The Netherlands' relaxed drug policy means some youngsters are turning up to classes stoned, prompting a ban of its use near schools (file picture) But it has also had the unwanted side effect that Dutch children are frequently exposed to the drug in public areas. City spokeswoman Iris Reshef says schools have always forbidden pot, but found it difficult to enforce the policy when students smoked on or near campus and challenged administrators to do anything about it. 'It's not really what you have in mind as an educator, that children would be turning up for class stoned, or drunk either for that matter,' she said. 'But it has been a problem for some schools.' Tolerance: Amsterdam is known for its 'coffee shops', where marijuana can be purchased and smoked (file picture) After a change in national law, the city will now be able to declare as of January 1 'no toking zones' - areas like schools and playgrounds where weed-smoking is forbidden by law. The move is closely paired with a decision by the new government to ditch plans for a national 'weed pass' that would have blocked tourists from buying marijuana. That was a measure years in the making, and greatly desired by southern cities such as Maastricht that have been flooded with dealers from Belgium and Germany who drive across the border to buy weed in bulk. Marijuana has been tolerated in Holland for decades, attracting many tourists who travel there to enjoy the drug . But the weed pass was opposed by Amsterdam, where drug tourists are not generally seen as causing many problems. Last month, Van der Laan proclaimed that coffee shops would stay open for tourists after all. In a letter Wednesday, he noted that one in three tourists who come to Amsterdam try marijuana while they're here, more than previously estimated. After several decades of the tolerance policy, Dutch marijuana usage rates are in the middle of international norms, higher than those in neighboring Germany, but lower than those in France, Britain or the United States. | Netherlands' relaxed drug laws exposing children to the drug . Mayor passes law as some schools have problem with pupils high in class . Move comes after Holland allows tourists to continue using the drug . | ae86ad931b34bca05090447e0b50e3124298d7a8 |
By . Martin Allen . PUBLISHED: . 19:01 EST, 26 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:12 EST, 29 January 2014 . Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen returns with the latest instalment of his new weekly column for MailOnline Sport. The former Gillingham boss does not hold back with his views on current issues in football. In this week's column, why controversial Stan Collymore was right to make a stand over Twitter abuse, young Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford will thrive on loan at Derby and David Moyes will be given time to rebuild at Man United. CONTROVERSIAL COLLYMORE . There is no doubt, in days gone by, that Stan Collymore has got himself into some very tricky situations. However, I believe he is a fantastic broadcaster – very knowledgeable, well-researched, at times controversial yet eloquent – and nobody deserves the abuse that he has received on Twitter. Taking a stand: Stan Collymore suspended his Twitter account during the week in protest at abuse . I also don’t feel it gives people the right to have a go at him just because of his past. I used to be on Twitter until one night, sat at the front of the Notts County team bus on the way home from a win at Tranmere Rovers, a few of their supporters – and it was only a few – started giving me dog’s abuse. ‘Sign up here to the party when Allen dies,’ one said. ‘Let’s hope he gets cancer,’ another added. And there were a couple of others of that nature. Abuse: Collymore spoke out after receiving a torrent of abuse on the social networking site . Demand for action: Collymore said Twitter should do more to block offensive messages . I finally arrived back, absolutely seething and wanting to drive back up to Liverpool to find them. I awoke the next morning and cancelled my account, relieved to be free of the hassle and the stress it caused. Twitter can be fun, and I hope Stan doesn’t stop getting behind the keyboard with his controversial and strong views. If it wasn’t for people like him life would be boring. THE BIGGEST SIGNING OF THE TRANSFER WINDOW? The best piece of business in the transfer window so far involves a Chelsea player – but forget Juan Mata. Derby County have signed 20-year-old centre-forward Patrick Bamford on loan from the Blues. Big future: Patrick Bamford celebrates scoring for Derby County at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. The young striker is on loan from Chelsea . Watch out for this young man. With his pace, body frame and finishing he reminds me of a young Fernando Torres. He’s done a fantastic job at MK Dons in League One in the first half of this season, scoring 17 goals in 30 games. Top form: After scoring 17 goals in 30 matches for Milton Keynes Dons in his previous loan spell, Bamford has started with two in three games for Derby . And Bamford has already scored twice in three games, coming off the bench for Steve McClaren. They say promotion to the Premier League is worth £120million. If Bamford starts firing this master swoop from McClaren could be worth a fortune. MOYES BACKED NO MATA WHAT . It’s heartening to read that Sir Alex Ferguson has assured David Moyes that his job is safe at Manchester United and that he will be the man to rebuild the club. After the League Cup semi-final defeat to Sunderland he would have been looking over his shoulder, worrying and wondering. And with constant speculation in the media and on social networks about his future, he would not have slept and will be feeling very uncomfortable. Backing: David Moyes will be given time to mould Manchester United in his own image, according to his predecessor Sir Alex Ferguson . On top of the strains and stresses of recent results, he’s been pictured flying all over Europe looking to find players that will make a difference. Their squad is nowhere near the standards we have seen at Manchester United over recent years and is poor in comparison to Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal. Fightback: Moyes was delighted to welcome Juan Mata into his squad after signing him for £37million from Chelsea last week . Signing Mata would definitely not have been his priority, when they already had the attacking options of Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie combined with Adnan Januzaj and Danny Welbeck. It is a very handy forward line with many different options. But the spine of his team desperately needs two centre-backs and two central midfield players and a clear-out of the old school who are walking around saying ‘we didn’t used to do this’ or ‘we didn’t used to do that’ in training. NOTHING SURPRISES ME IN THIS MAD WORLD OF FOOTBALL… . Everton’s Bryan Oviedo breaking two bones in his leg against Stevenage brings back some horrible memories for me. One of my former MK Dons players Paul Mitchell – who was a dedicated, hard-working, conscientious central midfielder – was involved in a fairly innocuous tackle, 10 yards in front of my technical area, playing at Notts County back in 2007. Horrific: Phil Jagielka holds the leg of Bryan Oviedo after he sustained two broken bones in his leg during the FA Cup fourth round tie with Stevenage Borough on Saturday . It was clear instantly, as his leg dangled from his knee down like a piece of wet spaghetti, that Mitch had a serious problem. It’s a horrible feeling as a manager when one of your players suffers a bad injury. I remember sitting there, not bothered about the score or the rest of the game. I felt sick and just wanted to leave. When I finally got to the hospital in Nottingham at half-past-six a top orthopaedic surgeon had been called specially, such was the damage. Long lay-off: Oviedo was carried off on a stretcher and ruled out until the end of the season . He looked at the results of the x-ray, spoke to Mitch then called me aside. He informed me the impact of the injury, from the bottom of his heel, through his ankle and into his shin, was very similar to the head-on car crash victims he usually deals with. Mitch was only 27, but he would never play again. I gave him the job of scouting our opposition and analysing our own team performances at MK Dons. Soon after I left to go to Leicester he was appointed chief scout before being head-hunted at Southampton where he is now head of recruitment. It was a bit of a disappointing . weekend in the FA Cup for the underdogs, but the magic of the FA Youth . Cup was there for all to see last week. My . nephew Freddie Grant, who just turned 17, captained Oxford United’s . youth team against Cardiff on a cold and windy Wednesday night at Didcot . Town’s Loop Meadow stadium. Complete control: Cardiff's youngsters thought they had the game won when Tom Burridge (third left) scored a free-kick to put them 3-0 up . Comeback is on: But Oxford mounted a fightback to 2-3, with Josh Ashby (centre) converting a penalty for the first . At 3-0 up, it looked like a straightforward evening for Premier League Cardiff against my nephew’s League Two side. Oxford . looked well and truly out of it. But then, they scored twice and . suddenly hysterical parents were screaming and shouting from the . terraces urging their sons on. Each goal scored by both teams sent all 10 outfield players up celebrating by the corner flag like a scene from WrestleMania. So close: Oxford's Josh Ashby struck the underside of the bar in the 89th minute . When . Oxford struck the underside of the bar with a shot in the 89th-minute . but the ball didn’t go in, the sighs of relief from the mum sat next to . me supporting her Cardiff son was a sight to be treasured. Cardiff . went through 3-2 – and I’ve got to thank the Cardiff player’s mum for . sharing her bag of Quality Street with me throughout the game. I left there a very proud uncle, wondering whether one day Freddie might make the big step up. Scrap: Cardiff's Tom James (right) and Oxford's James Roberts battle for the ball . | Broadcaster was right to question why Twitter doesn't tackle abuse . On loan goal machine Bamford is similar to a young Torres . Mata signing was a good start as Moyes looks to rebuild United . Magic of the FA Youth Cup found at Didcot . | 4cc92ee136a01605a7af32c7ea2db67f8313a112 |
By . Ap . and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:44 EST, 18 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 21:09 EST, 18 March 2014 . Two Utah men removed from their Boy Scout leadership positions after a viral video showed them toppling an ancient rock formation pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges Tuesday and avoided jail time. Initially, the two men were charged with felonies. Glenn Taylor, 45, and David Hall, 42, appeared in Utah's 7th District Court to enter their pleas under a deal with prosecutors. The two men from Highland were sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to pay fines and restitution, which has not yet been determined. State prosecutors are still trying to put a price on the amount of damage caused last October to the mushroom-shaped sandstone pillar in Goblin Valley State Park, which park officials said had been standing for much of human history, if not longer. The formation was estimated to be about 170 million years old. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Guilty: Boy Scout leaders Glenn Taylor (left) and Benjamin Hall each received probation for destroying an ancient rock formation in Utah . Freedom: David Hall (left) and Glenn Taylor (right) avoided jail time for destroying an ancient rock formation in Utah . Deal: Attorney Scott Card (left) brokered the deal for the two former Boy Scout leaders that will is likely to also include a hefty fine . A video shot by Hall and posted on YouTube shows Taylor dislodging the formation at Goblin Valley State Park in central Utah that's filled with thousands of the pillars called 'hoodoos.' Hall, Taylor and a third man were seen cheering and high-fiving after the formation toppled. The men claimed it might have been ready to fall and kill a visitor. Both were later stripped of their Boy Scout positions. Scott Card, an attorney for Taylor, told the Salt Lake City Tribune that the restitution will be thousands of dollars and will go toward putting up signs in the park to warn others against damaging the formations. Both men were originally facing felony mischief charges. If Taylor and Hall meet the requirements of their probation, the offenses will later be removed from their records. The alleged cameraman: Dave Hall has been charged with aiding criminal mischief . Accused: Glenn Taylor has been charged with tipping over the rock while his son and friend cheered him on . Park officials . have said the rock formation had been standing for much of human . history, if not longer. The central Utah park is dotted with thousands . of the eerie, mushroom-shaped formations. 'We are taking it seriously,' Blackwell said. 'It's been an interesting case, mostly because of the attention it's garnered.' Caught on camera: Glenn Taylor was filmed pushing the 'loose' rock in Goblin Valley State Park . Destroyed: The massive rock, which had been in place for 20 million years, crashes to the ground beneath . Celebration: Glenn and Dylan Taylor high-five while the cameraman, Dave Hall laughs . Blackwell . said any defense asserting the goblin-shaped rock was ready to tip over 'would need to have a lot of expert testimony, and it would probably go . both ways.' The round-shaped rock, which was pushed off a natural pedestal, weighed thousands of pounds, he said. 'I . understand why the state brought felony charges - it's a definite . deterrent effect,' Taylor's lawyer, Scott Card, said when his client initially was charged with a felony, 'but I believe it's . an overcharge. We will be defending Mr. Taylor in court.' The two men faced up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. The rock formations at Goblin Valley State Park in Utah are thousands of years old, formed by the erosion of the material around the base of the rock . Showing off: Glenn Taylor, a Boy Scout leader, flexes his muscles after forcing the rock from its perch . | Glenn Taylor and David Hall initially were charged with felonies for destroying the formation in Utah's Goblin Valley State Park . Taylor and Hall were both stripped of their leadership roles with the Boy Scouts . A judge is yet to determine how much the men will have to pay in restitution . | 585a723089d53ba6e846d4d2de0339e830dad382 |
By . Arthur Martin . One of the thugs who killed ten-year-old Damilola Taylor has been sent back to prison for a third time. Ricky Preddie, 25, has been recalled to custody after police allegedly found a stolen motorbike at his bail hostel. Preddie served just four years of an eight-year sentence imposed in 2006 after he and his brother Danny stabbed Damilola in the leg with a broken bottle as the schoolboy walked home from a library in Peckham, south London, in November 2000. Back in Jail: Ricky Preddie (left), who killed schoolboy Damilola Taylor by stabbing him in the neck with a broken bottle, has been recalled to prison after being charged with handling stolen goods . Habitual offender: Preddie has already breached his parole terms twice having only served half his 8-year jail term for the manslaughter of Damilola . Last night Damilola’s father Richard, 64, called the justice system an ‘embarrassment’. He said: ‘Preddie has proved he cannot be rehabilitated. He should now stay in prison. ‘If he had been jailed for life for killing my son in the first place, we wouldn’t have this prison merry-go-round. ‘What will it take before the . Probation Service realises he is hooked on a life of crime? I hope they . act before it is too late.’ Preddie was first released in . September 2010, but recalled to custody in March 2011 after returning to . Peckham from his west London bail hostel in breach of his licence . conditions. Then in October 2011 he beat up . another prisoner, but a Parole Board hearing on December 23 decided he . should be released on January 25, 2012. He lasted just 16 days before being . taken back to prison for again violating his parole by going to areas he . was banned from and visiting friends from his old gang. He was let out in July 2012, which . means he has lasted just five months on early release before being . hauled before the authorities again. South Western Magistrates’ Court, . south London, heard on Monday that police found him in possession of a . red Suzuki motorbike worth £800 that had been stolen in a burglary. Anger: Damilola's father Richard, 24, says that Preddie should never have been released from prison after what he did to his son . Preddie – who was sporting a bandage . over his left ear, which had been hacked off in a prison fight – pleaded . not guilty to handling stolen goods. He was remanded in custody and will stand trial on February 6. Police said he was charged with the latest offence in December. The Ministry of Justice said: ‘The re-release of serious offenders is directed by the Parole Board. ‘They will be subject to controls and if they fail to comply they can be returned to prison.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Ricky Preddie has appeared in court on suspicion of handling stolen goods and has been sent back to jail . Police found a £800 motorbike in his bail hostel, which had been taken in a burglary . He has been released twice before after stabbing Damilola in the neck with a broken bottle in 2000 . Damilola's father Richard says that Preddie should never have been released . | 458a1a963c3e0ded36b8c06a4be0a09550dc47ff |
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Large explosions and the sound of jets over Tripoli Thursday night indicated NATO has likely increased the intensity of its air strikes on Moammar Gadhafi's key command and control military sites. CNN's Fred Pleitgen, reporting from Libya, heard at least three major explosions. The alliance has issued a new warning to Libyan civilians to stay away from military areas, foreshadowing plans for attacks on targets seen as strategically significant in stopping the government's attacks against civilians, a NATO military official said Thursday. The next phase will largely involve increased air strikes on key Gadhafi command, control and communications sites in and around Tripoli, although targets in other areas could be hit as well, said the official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. NATO now has the use of armed U.S. Predator drones at its disposal. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates disclosed that the drones saw their first use in Libya Thursday, but poor weather forced them to return. Unmanned aerial vehicles offer more precise targeting, because their low-flying capability allows for better visibility, "particularly on targets now that have started to dig themselves into defensive positions," Gates said. The Predators bring "capabilities to the NATO commander that they didn't have before," he said. President Barack Obama approved their use. Rebels, who have complained that NATO was not being aggressive enough to protect civilians, said Thursday they had gained control of a key border crossing into Tunisia. The crossing at Wazen, Libya, could prove key to access to the city of Nalut, under siege by Gadhafi's forces for the past month. Thousands have fled the fighting through Wazen to the nearby Tunisian town of Dehiba, where temporary camps have been set up for the displaced. The Tunisian state-run news agency, TAP, also reported the rebel takeover of Wazen after early morning fighting. About 100 forces loyal to Gadhafi, including a high-ranking officer, fled across the border into Tunisia, said Mohammed Ali Abdallah, spokesman for National Front for the Salvation of Libya. He said the rebels detained 14 members of Gadhafi's forces. TAP reported that 13 Libyan officers have been detained by Tunisian military authorities. Also Thursday, a third ship chartered by the International Organization for Migration made its way back from the besieged city of Misrata to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi in the east. More than 1,000 rescued migrants were on board, as were the bodies of photojournalists Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, killed in Misrata on Wednesday, the organization said. The ship also repatriated the body of an Ukrainian doctor. Several banners were displayed as the Ionian Spirit docked late Thursday in Benghazi. One read: "We feel for the families of the deceased, your blood was mixed with us in Misrata and with your loss you shared with us the price for freedom." Another said, "US and UK with your loss, you shared with us the price of freedom." Hondros was American and Hetherington had dual British and U.S. citizenship. Twenty rebel fighters stood in military formation as the vessel arrived. The reported rebel takeover Thursday of Wazen comes at a time when many are questioning whether a military victory over Gadhafi is possible. France and Italy announced Wednesday that they will send military officers to Libya to advise the rebels. After a similar announcement by the British government Tuesday, French government spokesman Francois Baroin said a "small number" of French troops was being sent to advise the rebels' Transitional National Council. French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet has ruled out sending ground troops to fight alongside the rebels. "This is a real issue that deserves an international debate," he said, adding, "We are working within the framework of the 1973 resolution," a reference to the U.N. resolution that authorized action in Libya. "You cannot please everyone all the time," he said. Italy will send military advisers to train the rebels in self-defense tactics, Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maurizio Massari announced. Britain said its contingent of military officers will be sent to Benghazi to serve in an advisory role. The team will work with the Transitional National Council to help the opposition improve its military organizational structures, communications and logistics, the British Foreign Office said. It will also help deliver aid. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday she has recommended that Obama authorize the U.S. government to send up to $25 million in non-lethal commodities and services to support Libyan rebels, including the Transitional National Council. On Thursday, Clinton urged more patience from critics of the anti-Gadhafi campaign, noting that "it is always a temptation in any conflict to (want) a resolution quickly." "The opposition that rose up spontaneously was not a trained militia," she noted. The "vast majority" of insurgents "had never participated in (any form of military) activity before." Clinton said Washington has "a lot of confidence in NATO" and is pleased with the performance of America's allies in the conflict. In Libya, rebel spokesman Jalal al Gallal called Wednesday's announcements by France and Italy "positive." "We are pleased with the results, and I think it's a prelude to more cooperation," he said. "The more advisers we have on the ground, the better coordination we'll have on the battlefield." At least 27 people have been killed and 142 have been injured in Libya this week, according to an opposition spokesman who wanted to be identified only as Mohammed for safety reasons. Among them were the two acclaimed photojournalists. Hondros and Hetherington, who was nominated for an Oscar for a gritty and harrowing documentary about the Afghan war, both died Wednesday in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Misrata. Mohammed said rebels have "annihilated" Gadhafi forces and have defeated snipers in the city in the past few days. Three loyalist tanks remain on Tripoli Street, he said. CNN could not independently verify his claims. The city's hospital has reported nine deaths and 68 injuries. CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report. | Sound of jets, explosions heard in Tripoli . U.S. Predator drones take flight in Libya . Thousands have fled fighting in western Libya through the border crossing in Wazen . A third chartered ship arrived in Benghazi, carrying bodies of two photojournalists killed in Misrata . | 11510e9d38c40cb51b527cef61b426259c34f132 |
Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin is often referred to as having one of the world's most frightening airport runways. And these holidaymakers who were enjoying a day at the beach in the Caribbean certainly found out why. The airport, while being the second-busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean, has a runway of just 7,152 feet in length - and it is located right next to the beach. Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin is known to have the world's scariest runway . Tourists can stand right against the fence along the runway's perimeter, across the street from a local beach . Though sufficient for small or medium-sized jets, large carriers fly extremely low over the nearby beach, often only just clearing the perimeter's fence. The video begins as the plane prepares to take off and sunbathers emerge from the water at Maho Beach for a closer look at the JetBlue Airbus A321. The video begins with three brave individuals attempting to hold on as the plane accelerates . Unfortunately, one tourist cannot withstand the blast and is catapulted backwards toward a concrete path . The woman landed headfirst against the beach's wall as passersby raced to her side to help . Several daredevils are then seen holding onto the wire fence that separates the airport runway from the local sandy beach. As the plane begins to accelerate, the sand and dirt kicks up, causing a literal whirlwind among the several brave tourists who are attempting to hang on. Just a second later, one of the remaining two still holding onto the wall is blasted into the air, away from the fence and into a concrete footpath just feet from the fence itself. | Passersby in Saint Martin attempt to hold onto fence while jet accelerates . The airport has what is called one of the world's most dangerous runways . One tourist found this out first hand, as jet blast launched her into the air . | 72c8e28987d417ba1ee819ed160d6d24e6ea2f53 |
By . Meghan Keneally . UPDATED: . 18:16 EST, 15 December 2011 . President Lyndon Baines Johnson was sworn in as the 36th president of the United States- just hours after President John F. Kennedy had been publicly assassinated- on board Air Force One, surrounded by press and photographers. But no one thought it important to actually record where the plane stood at the exact moment of the transition of power. Now, 48 years later, historians have finally taken the time to determine the precise location of the plane on the tarmac of the Dallas, Texas airport. Swearing in: President Lyndon Baines Johnson took his oath of office on Air Force One in the Dallas airport . Accuracy: Air Force One is the centre plane in this photo taken at Love Field Airport on November 22, 1963, just hours after JFK was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. (See box below for more details) The scene: This archival shot shows the location of Air Force One (centre) when President Johnson was sworn in. The hearse that carried President Kennedy's body is even seen below the plane's tail . The photo above is one of six slides donated to the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas by airport employee Noel Cook. This is the widest shot of the batch, and shows three planes sitting on the tarmac on that historic afternoon. The centre plane is Air Force One, which the Kennedys flew into Dallas that morning. The plane to the left is Air Force Two, used by Mr Johnson when he arrived in Texas just before the Kennedys that morning. The third plane, on the right, is the Pan Am plane used by the press. When looking at the close-up of Air Force One, viewers can see a white box-like object below the tail of the plane: that is the back of the hearse that brought President Kennedy's body to the airport from Parkland Hospital. Photo: Noel Cook Collection/Courtesy The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza . The search began last year when a Congressman that represents neighboring districts suggested that some type of historically commemorative marking be placed at the location of the plane to insure that the event is remembered. The site is historic after all, as President Johnson was one of only five presidents to take his oath of office outside of Washington. (The others were George Washington, Chester Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge.) Dallas Love Field Airport is due for major renovations, so it would be easy enough to construct a marker to distinguish the historic spot. The prospect, surprisingly, left airport officials stumped. No one thought to dig through the archives to ascertain the spot until Representative Dan Branch suggested it last year. Nearly a year of on-and-off research . later, the spot has been determined using photographs taken by . a Federal Aviation Authority employee who was working on that fateful . day. The worker, Noel Cook, . climbed up on to the roof of the terminal and took photos of the plane . once everyone had gotten on board for the swearing-in ceremony. Moments before: President John F. Kennedy was the second U.S. president (to Abraham Lincoln) to be killed while in office . Mr Cook donated his film to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, located in the portion of the former Texas School Book Repository where Oswald fired his three shots at the president, in the 1999 though he did not expect them to be of any relevance. 'He kept apologizing over and over, . saying, “I know they’re not very good,”' the museum’s curator Gary Mack . told The Dallas Morning News. 'And . I kept assuring him that all pictures were important; you don’t know . what researchers in the future will be interested in,’ Mr Mack . continued. Mr Mack turned . over scans of Mr Cook’s slides to the architects who are in charge of the Love . Field Airport construction, and Jonathan Massey, the principal architect . for Corgan Associates, took over. No indication: Air Force One arriving at Love Field Airport with President Kennedy on board hours before he was shot . Breaking news: Kennedy's death caused headlines and much confusion initially, and AP wire reports were the first to confirm the death. The incident caused the longest period of uninterrupted news on television until 9/11 . Times have changed: A recent photo of Dallas Love Field runway 13L shows how the area looks different from 1963 . ‘I crawled all over the roof with my camera and tripod, holding up the photo to get things to match up with the way things are now,’ Mr Massey told The Dallas Morning News. Massive construction on the airport since 1963 caused quite a few impediments to his angled view, but finally he figured out where the plane stood. Then the next layer of details arose when he had to figure out where exactly President Johnson was standing on the plane. That led to conversations with the archivists in charge of the Boeing . 707 used during President Kennedy’s time, which is now on an Air Force . base in Ohio, which lead to hours pored over the original floor plans, . and breaking down witness accounts and photos of President Johnson’s . swearing-in ceremony. After measuring out the tiniest details- like the 18 inches he allotted . for each of the passenger rows- Mr Massey had found the X that marked . the historic spot. Sombre arrival: The body of President Kennedy is removed from the plane at Andrews Air Force base in D.C. President Johnson was standing at 96 . degrees, 50 minutes, 49.85 seconds of west longitude and 32 degrees, 50 . minutes, 42.22 seconds of north latitude when he was sworn in. Though . the architects have not yet determined how they will memorialise this . exact location- FAA restrictions limit the options given that the runway . is still in constant use- they at least now know where to look when . thinking back to that day. Number 36: President Johnson was sworn into office in the cabin of Air Force One in 1963 . Historians are thinking of other ways that the city can plan ahead to tastefully embrace the event that has long marred Dallas' past. In preparation for the 50th anniversary in 2013, the city is proposing a refurbishment of Dealey Plaza, the road where the presidential motorcade was driving as President Kennedy was shot. Organizers plan to host a large event there on the anniversary, and are hoping to raise $2.2million for the road’s restoration. 'I don't want to interpret for anyone the events, whether there was a conspiracy or not,' said Willis Winters, who works in the design and construction office of the Dallas park and recreation department. 'What I do want to achieve is that Dealey Plaza is in pristine condition so that when millions of people come there, they're going to see a well-restored site — not peeling paint, broken light fixtures and broken-up side walks,’ Mr Winters told The Los Angeles Times. In the past, the city has almost shunned its association with the shooting, with some citizens feeling a sense of guilt that they let an extremist go about his evil plan with no safeguard. Formal ceremonies on the November 22 anniversary have been avoided in the past, with the city sometimes saying that it is at the request of the Kennedy family. The lack of festivities has not . stopped the tourists from coming to the city to pay homage, however, as . the Sixth Floor Museum hosted 330,000 visitors in 2010 from 133 . countries. The past fifty . years have come with significant change to Dallas, and many of the . people who were there that day have greyed, died, or moved away. New leader: President Johnson (center) meets with Martin Luther King Jr. (left) during his presidency . The city is now becoming less and less of a cowboy-hat-and-big-hair-city and is being branded more as an urban metropolis, in fitting with the fact that it is now the fourth largest city in the country. 'Dallas is still scarred and wounded,' Sixth Floor Museum executive director Nicola Longford said to The LA Times. 'For Dallas, this is an opportunity to look back and not ignore it, to move through it and be inspired,’ Ms Longford continued. November 22, 196312.29pm Central Standard Time: The presidential motorcade turns onto Dealey Plaza in Dallas. The open-top limousine has a driver and security guard in the front row, Texas governor John Connally and wife Nellie Connally in the middle row, and President John F Kennedy and wife Jaqueline in the back row. 12.30pm: Witnesses testified that three shots were fired. The famous video recording of the event filmed by onlooker Abraham Zapruder shows that first Kennedy clutches his chest and seems to gasp before another shot hits his head. Governor Connally is also hit. Mrs Kennedy immediately begins climbing towards the back of the vehicle, apparently in an effort to grab part of the President's skull which flew back after he was shot. The Connallys reported that Mrs Kennedy said 'I've got his brains in my hand!' 12.33pm: Shooter Lee Harvey Oswald exits the Texas School Book Depository, where he fired the shots from a sixth floor window. 12.38pm: The presidential limo arrives at Parkland Hospital. 1pm: President Kennedy is pronounced dead. A Catholic priest had been found and he performed his last rites. Doctors said that while they tried extremely hard to save his life, the wounds were too great by the time he arrived in the hospital. 'We never had any hope of saving his life,' said Dr. Malcolm Perry. 1.15pm: Oswald shoots and kills police officer J.D. Tippit while he is on the run. 1.33pm: White House press secretary Malcolm Kilduff entered the area of the hospital where the press had gathered and made a brief statement confirming the President's death, as caused by a gunshot wound to the brain. 1.50pm: Oswald is arrested inside the Texas Theater movie house where he went in an effort to evade capture. 2.00pm: President Kennedy's body was brought to Air Force One. 2.38pm: Lyndon Baines Johnson was sworn in as the country's 36th president on board Air Force One, standing next to Mrs Kennedy who continued to wear the blood-stained pink skirt suit that she had on earlier. 3.01pm: FBI director J. Edgar Hoover writes a memo saying that the President's killer had been captured. 6pm Eastern Standard Time: The plane arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington. President Kennedy's casket and Mrs Kennedy leave first before President Johnson makes a brief statement on the tarmac. 'This is a sad time for all people....I will do my best; that is all I can do. I ask for your help and God's,' he said. 7.05pm CST: Oswald is charged with the murder of Officer Tippit. 11.26pm: Oswald is charged with the murder of President Kennedy. Two days later, November 24, 1963 . 11:21am: Television cameras catch nightclub owner Jack Ruby shoot Oswald in the basement of the Dallas Police headquarters. | President John F Kennedy shot in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963 . Historians figure out exactly where President Johnson stood while taking oath of office on Air Force One . City prepares to do large-scale commemorative event on 50th anniversary, so plans for refurbishment projects are under way . | 855d59c64818a4d4d12112f6a4b752cde5e100d4 |
(CNN) -- When they're not hunting bad guys, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has designed a smartphone application for concerned parents. Child ID, the first mobile app made by the FBI, provides parents with a place to keep information about their children handy in case of an emergency. Parents can create separate entries for each kid, complete with photos, height, weight and other descriptive details. Then if a child disappears at the shopping mall, for example, a parent can quickly reference the info from her phone when filing a report to police. The app also has buttons for calling 911 or the national missing children hotline, as well as for transmitting the data about a lost child over the Internet. For anyone skittish about creating dossiers of their family within software conceived by the feds, the FBI lists an "important note" stating: "the FBI (and iTunes for that matter) is not collecting or storing any photos or information that you enter in the app." The data is kept in the device's memory and only transmitted when using the app for sending a report, the FBI says. Child ID debuted Friday as a free download for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch owners. The FBI plans to release versions of the program for other phones later, the government agency said in a statement. While the FBI is a newbie when it comes to building mobile apps, several other U.S. federal agencies have already released applications. The Internal Revenue Service, the Office of Personnel Management, the State Department, the Transportation Security Administration and the White House all have apps. Many are listed on USA.gov. The U.S. government seems to favor Apple's mobile platform for many of its software releases. Aneesh Chopra, the White House's technology chief, told the blog Switched two years ago that he uses a BlackBerry for work and an iPhone as his personal device. | The FBI released its first iPhone app on Friday . Child ID allows parents to catalog profiles of their children in case they go missing . The app is available as a free download for iPhone and iPod Touch owners . | eb48b97b0979174f4e72b961675fda8ca01a563d |
Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) -- A five-hour killing rampage in Brazil's southeastern city of Campinas that left 12 people dead is being investigated amid claims it may have been sparked by the earlier death of a police officer. The 12 victims were gunned down in several separate incidents on the outskirts of the city, in what Brazilian media said appeared to be execution-style killings. Authorities say they are looking into all possibilities, including whether the killings were gang-related. But they also say the timing and location of the shootings add weight to a theory that they were revenge killings carried out by police. The slayings occurred between Sunday night and Monday morning, just hours after an off-duty military police officer, Arides Luiz dos Santos, was killed fighting off an attempted robbery at a gas station. According to Brazilian media, in one of the cases, a car pulled up, its occupants told children to go inside and then opened fire. Hundreds of angry residents took to the streets to protest the killings. They attacked buses, burning three of them. Police have stepped up their presence in Campinas, located about 50 miles northwest of Sao Paulo, to prevent further violence. The latest deadly incidents come as Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup in June. None of the venues for the soccer tournament is in Campinas. However, fans from around the world are expected to flock to nearby Sao Paulo, the country's financial and business hub. Hooded men . Fernando Grella Vieira, the secretary of public safety for Sao Paulo, said Tuesday that the civil and military police "will not rest" until they have found those responsible for all 13 deaths in Campinas. No possibility is being ruled out during the investigation, he said on a visit to the city. "These are intolerable crimes and I can guarantee that the police will not rest until we solve these deaths and arrest the perpetrators," he added. Grella said it was too early to comment on suspicions raised by witnesses of the alleged involvement of military officers in 12 of the killings. But he stressed that he does not tolerate abuse or crimes committed by state agents. Nine of the victims died in two separate incidents, according to the state-run Agencia Brasil. Hooded men reportedly used pistols to shoot the victims, aged between 17 and 30, in the head. The remaining three were killed in separate attacks, the news agency said. At least six of the victims had a criminal background, with offenses including drug trafficking, murder and auto theft, the news agency cited Licurgo Costa, director of the Judiciary Police department, as saying. Victims 'hit in the head, chest or abdomen' The chief of the Civil Police's homicide division, Devanir Dutra, told CNN affiliate TV Globo that the police will take accounts from at least 20 witnesses beginning Wednesday. "Let's start with the relatives and friends of the victims," he said. According to Dutra, two people were injured and remain hospitalized in Campinas. They may be summoned by the police as witnesses. Dutra said that the number of shots fired signaled executions. "They (the victims) were hit in the head, chest or abdomen," he said. One hypothesis being examined by the Civil Police is rivalry between drug gangs, he said. CNN's Shasta Darlington reported from Sao Paulo and Marilia Brocchetto from Atlanta, while Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. | Police "will not rest" until they find those behind killings in Campinas, official says . Authorities are looking into all possibilities, including whether it was a police revenge attack . 12 people were shot dead, hours after an off-duty officer was killed in an attempted robbery . Angry residents took to the streets and set buses on fire to protest the killings . | 9ec718ddb5a513538d144d774387daed3691ef84 |
In the end the gloves came off, and Adrian delivered the knockout blow. West Ham and their charismatic goalkeeper are up for the FA Cup. After two games and 210 minutes, a sending-off and 20 penalties, three of which were missed, Sam Allardyce and his team have been rewarded with place in the fourth round and a trip to Ashton Gate to play Bristol City, second in League One, at the end of the month. They can think about that later. VIDEO Scroll down for Sportsmail's Head to Head: Enner Valencia vs Romelu Lukaku . Keeper Adrian scored the winning spot kick in the 9-8 penalty shootout to send West Ham through to the FA Cup fourth round . Enner Valencia opened the scoring for West Ham after being played through by Andy Carroll in the second half . Everton winger Aiden McGeady (centre) was sent off early in the second half for a second bookable offence . Substitute Kevin Mirallas gave Everton a lifeline with a superbly struck late free-kick that left the West Ham keeper with no chance . Romelu Lukaku reaches for the skies after giving 10-men Everton the lead in extra-time following excellent work from Mirallas . Substitute Carlton Cole (right) came on to equalise for the Hammers in extra-time and send the game into a penalty shootout . West Ham (4-1-2-1-2): Adrian 8, Jenkinson 6, Tomkins 6, Collins 7.5 (Cole 6.5, 111'), Cresswell 6.5, Noble 6.5, Song 6 (Nolan 6, 16'), Downing 6, Valencia 7, Carroll 7, Jarvis 5.5 (Amalfitano 6, 96'). Subs: Vaz Te, O'Brien, Jaaskelainen, Burke. Booked: Nolan . Goals: Valencia 56', Cole 113' Everton: Robles 7, Coleman 6, Jagielka 6, Stones 5, Baines 6, Besic 5.5 (Mirallas 6, 77'), Barry 5.5, McGeady 4, Naismith 6, Barkley 6 (Oviedo 6, 76), Lukaku 7. Subs: Kone, Garbutt, Alcaraz, McAleny, Griffiths. Booked: McGeady (red), Mirallas, Barry, Robles . Goals: Mirallas 82', Lukaku 97' Referee: Neil Swarbrick . Ratings by Sam Cunningham at Upton Park . Wembley, along with the memories of 1964, 1975 and 1980 is a still long way off, not that you would know it by the way West Ham’s players celebrated this incredible night at Upton Park. When Adrian smashed the decisive spot-kick past his opposite number Joel Robles, he set off on the predictable celebration by a corner flag where his West Ham team-mates finally caught up with him. They have put a smile back on the face of the FA Cup. Sometimes you have to say to hell with the quality and think about the drama at a game like this. West Ham fans were lapping it up. They could easily have gone out after the introduction of Kevin Mirallas, who was thrown on in the 67th minute to save this game for Everton when they were down to 10 men. He almost turned match-winner, scoring a magnificent curling equaliser after 82 minutes and then drawing a massive circle inside the West Ham penalty area to supply Romelu Lukaku seven minutes into extra-time. The Belgian forward scored and then it was all about survival for Roberto Martinez and his Everton team. They almost made it over the line but Andy Carroll’s contribution to this third-round victory should not be underestimated. The big man set up the Hammers’ opening goal after 51 minutes with a teasing through ball for Enner Valencia to scramble beyond Everton keeper Robles. When Martinez’s team went down to 10 they looked done. Aiden McGeady, their most creative player in the first half, was the one dismissed after bringing down Mark Noble in the 56th minute and earning a second yellow. West Ham attacking coach Teddy Sheringham (right) watches as Alex Song practices his shooting ahead of the game . Roberto Martinez (left) and Sam Allardyce speak before the game after the Hammers boss accused his counterpart of not being flexible . West Ham striker Carroll hits the post with a close range header after a mistake from Everton defender John Stones . The Hammers frontman found himself sharing a seat with supporters after having to jump the advertising hoardings . Carroll is given a helping hand back on to the pitch by a group of laughing Everton supporters . Everton and England youngster Ross Barkley (right) is scythed down by West Ham defender James Tomkins . Everton's highly rated defender Stones (right) takes the ball beyond West Ham playmaker Stewart Downing . Carroll of West Ham takes the ball down on his chest but the England international was starved of service in the fist-half . Steve Naismith (2nd left) gets a shot away under pressure from West Ham's Mark Noble (left) and Song (right) Valencia races on to Carroll's pass and fires across the goal to open the scoring for West Ham after the interval . Everton keeper Joel Robles can only watch as Valencia's shot passes him into the bottom left corner . Valancia rises to his feet and wheels away in search of Carroll to thank his West Ham team-mate for the assist . West Ham team-mates rush to congratulate Valencia after taking the all-important lead at Upton Park . Everton forwards Naismith and Lukaku begin the inquest after West Ham take the lead . 51min Enner Valencia opens the scoring with a well-placed finish into the bottom corner. 56min After hacking down Matt Jarvis 16 minutes earlier, Aiden McGeady picks up a second booking for sliding in on Mark Noble and is sent off. 82min Substitute Kevin Mirallas bends a superb free-kick from a tight angle past Adrian to level. 97min Romelu Lukaku’s close-range prod gives Everton the lead after great work from Mirallas. 107min Mirallas darts into the box and knocks the ball beyond James Tomkins before jumping over the West Ham defender’s leg. It’s a clear dive, but referee Neil Swarbrick awards a free-kick. 113min From a cross, Tomkins’ knock-down is converted by Carlton Cole and it’s all square again. 118min Tomkins and Mark Noble almost come to blows after Lukaku nearly scores a late winner for Everton, the Belgian pouncing on a botched clearance from Tomkins. 120min West Ham nearly snatch a last-gasp victory when Valencia finds Cole in the area. Cole tumbles, pokes out a leg and shoots but the ball rolls agonisingly wide. By BOB TREASURE . Yet into extra-time we went and West Ham responded to Lukaku’s goal with the introduction of substitute Carlton Cole. The big man Carroll met the challenge at the far post and Cole scrambled the 113th-minute equaliser beyond Robles. After that, the entire stadium patiently waited for penalties. On the sidelines the Everton coaching staff linked arms and Steven Naismith and Seamus Coleman celebrated in the centre circle as the penalties were despatched. On they went, with Everton’s magnificent 3,000 travelling fans celebrating each of their strikes after Naismith had missed their second. Lukaku, Leighton Baines, Brian Oviedo, Gareth Barry, John Stones, Phil Jagielka and Coleman matched them, with Stewart Downing missing for the Hammers. Then Robles was forced to take their 10th penalty because Everton were a man down. He took a run-up that would have rivalled a seam bowler, winding himself up and smashing the ball against the bar with an effort that was way off beam. That was the cue for Adrian, who was roared on by an increasingly expectant group of West Ham fans behind the goal in the Bobby Moore Stand who demanded a hero. They got one when he scored, beating his compatriot Robles easily to set up the trip to Ashton Gate. What a night that was. Defeat, even in this cruel manner, will provoke further questions about Martinez’s ability to lead this team. Yes they are out of the FA Cup because of the uncertainty of a penalty shootout, but they have lost six and drawn two of their last eight games. Their last win was against QPR on December 15, when they beat Harry Redknapp’s side 3-1 at Goodison Park. Martinez has had a charmed life in this competition, somehow earning a replay when Lukaku — who now has five goals in five matches against West Ham — equalised in then 90th minute at Goodison Park. Two years ago Martinez had his hands on the FA Cup when Ben Watson’s 90th minute header won it for Wigan on that incredible day at Wembley. Here Mirallas’s remarkable impact after coming on for the desperately disappointing Ross Barkley, stirred the emotions of Everton’s supporters. What a tribute to the group who travelled to see their team recover from Valencia’s 51st-minute goal. At that moment this Everton team looked resigned to be going out. The Hammers, wearing their curious purple shirts for the FA Cup, were in control when Carroll slipped Valencia through. McGeady begins his walk to the touchline after being sent off for a second bookable offence . Substitute Mirallas strikes a sensational free-kick to bring Everton back into the game on 82minutes . Hammers keeper Adrian dives in vain as to Mirallas' free-kick sails past him into the top corner . The Belgum international wheels away after his free-kick looks to continue Everton's impressive record at Upton Park . Mirallas tries to get the visiting fans onside as Everton begin their incredible comeback . Gareth Barry turns away after referee Neil Swarbrick dishes out a yellow card for the midfielder's foul on West Ham striker Carroll . He held off the challenge of Everton defender John Stones and finished nicely beyond Robles. That appeared to be that. When McGeady, who had been booked in the first half, was sent off in the 56th minute, Martinez was preparing himself for an uncomfortable post-match inquest. Instead he was talking of pride and bemoaning the footballing gods for Everton’s third-round exit courtesy of this latest round of shootout roulette. The reality, alas, is that his team are back on the ropes. Lukaku repeated his heroics from the first game by getting on to Mirallas' cross to give Everton the lead in extra-time . The Belgium international prodded the ball home following excellent perseverance from international team-mate Mirallas . Lukaku is reported to have dedicated his goal to his friend Junior Malanda who tragically died in a car accident . Cole prods home a low cross to equalise for West Ham in extra-time and send the game towards a penalty shootout . The Hammers forward high fives with captain Kevin Nolan after bringing his side back level . Everton players look nervous as they line up to watch a thrilling penalty shooutout . West Ham keeper Adrian made the first save in the shootout by denying Naismith to give his side the advantage . Adrian stepped forward to take what was the final spot kick to score past his Everton opposite Robles . The West Ham keeper ended the game as a hero after scoring the winning spot-kick to set up a fourth round clash with Bristol City . | West Ham defeated Everton on penalties in their FA Cup third round replay at Upton Park on Tuesday . Enner Valencia opened the scoring for the Hammers in the second half after being played through by Carroll . Toffees winger Aiden McGeady was sent off shortly after the goal for a second bookable offence . Substitute Kevin Mirallas equalised for 10-men Everton with a superb free-kick late in normal time . Romelu Lukaku got on the end of Mirallas' cross to give Everton the lead for the first time during extra-time . Substitute Carlton Cole equalised for West Ham and came within inches of scoring a last minute winnerp . The Hammers won the penalty shootout 9-8 after keeper Adrian scored the winning spot kick . The winners will now play Bristol City in the FA Cup fourth round on the weekend of January 24-25 . Click here to read Sportsmail's interview with West Ham goalkeeper Adrian . | 9caea797113b583b5ab74990ea22db63d14c2f99 |
By . Kieran Gill . Follow @@kie1410 . World Cup winner Joachim Low says he will remain Germany manager for the 2016 European Championship in France. There was speculation Low would follow captain Philipp Lahm's lead after Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, despite his contract being extended before the tournament. But Low has told the German Football Federation he is here to stay. Assistant manager Hansi Flick, however, has stepped down to become a technical director for DFB. VIDEO Scroll down to see Germany captain Philipp Lahm retiring from international football . Staying: Joachim Low will lead Germany in the 2016 European Championship in France . Belief: Low (right) speaking to Mario Gotze before the substitute scored the World Cup final winner . Congratulations: Low and Gotze embrace after the final whistle as Germany are crowned champions . BORN: Germany, February 3 1960 (age 54) 1994-1994: FC Winterthur (youth) 1994-1995: FC Frauenfeld . 1995-1996: VfB Stuttgart (assistant) 1996-1998: VfB Stuttgart . 1998-1999: Fenerbahce . 1999-2000: Karlsruher SC . 2001-2001: Adanaspor . 2001-2002: FC Tirol Innsbruck . 2003-2004: FK Austria Wien . 2004-2006: Germany (assistant) 2006-NOW: Germany . MANAGERIAL HONOURS . Vfb Stuttgart: DFB-Pokal (1996-97) FC Tirol Innsbruck: Austrian Football Bundesliga (2001-02) FK Austria Wien: Austrian Supercup (2003) Germany: World Cup (2014), World Cup bronze (2010, 2006), European Championship runner-up (2008), European Championship bronze (2012) 'At the . moment, I can think of nothing more beautiful than to continue working with this . team to lead them to the European Championships in France, to develop the team and the individual players further,' Low told the DFB website. 'I am as motivated as I was on the first day at the DFB. We celebrated a gigantic success in Brazil, but there are still other goals we want to achieve. 'The 2014 World Cup was a highlight for all, but it was not a conclusion.' Low took time off after winning the World Cup, adding to suspicions he was considering his position. This, however, was simply to come to terms with his emotions, he insists. Low will be forced to continue without Flick as his No 2, but the 54-year-old refuses to be rushed into finding a replacement. 'Also for Hansi Flick, Brazil was not the conclusion,' added Low. 'As sports director of the DFB, he will be in the future in a different function.' Low, who joined the DFB in 2004 and became manager in 2006, will also take time to consider his next skipper. Bayern Munich midfielder Lahm unexpectedly retired internationally five days after leading Germany to their World Cup win, telling Low his decision the morning after the final. 'I could not have wished for a better captain,' says Low, 'he did an outstanding job influencing, leading and present the team. 'I regret that he will not return but I accept and respect his decision.' Germany and Argentina play a friendly rematch in Duesseldorf on September 3 four days before Low's men face Scotland for Euro 2016 qualifying. Out with a bang: Lahm (centre) retired from international football after winning the World Cup with Germany . Champions! Lahm with the trophy in Rio de Janeiro (left) and at Germany's victory parade in Berlin (right) | Joachim Low ends rumours of quitting as Germany manager after World Cup win, and says he is 'as motivated as the first day at the DFB' Low says he needed days off to gather emotions - not to consider leaving . Assistant manager Hansi Flick steps down to become DFB technical director . Captain Philipp Lahm retired internationally five days after beating Argentina . Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in World Cup final at Maracana in Rio de Janeiro . Low's contract was extended before the tournament in Brazil began . | 63487c2ec3d51b20617b8422ca6d5a5ae163f97c |
British passengers told of their terror today after their flight home was forced to make an emergency landing due to loss of cabin pressure. The Jet 2 flight LS516 started to rapidly descend just an hour after departing from Paphos, Cyprus, to Newcastle last night. The plane dropped thousands of feet in minutes, while oxygen masks were deployed for passengers. Terror: Jet 2 flight LS516 started to rapidly descend just an hour after departing from Paphos, Cyprus, to Newcastle last night. Above, the plane drops thousands of feet in minutes, while oxygen masks are deployed . The aircraft was forced to divert to Sofia Airport in Bulgaria, where emergency crews were waiting on the tarmac. Passengers then had to spend the night in the Bulgarian capital, before boarding an early replacement flight to Newcastle this morning. Today, Vicki Standing, who was travelling home after a two week holiday in Paphos, said the experience had left her 'shaken up'. “It was really scary, I was shaking and I felt sick,' said Ms Standing, who was joined on the flight by her parents Jan, 60, and Neil, 67, and her two sons, Thomas, 14, and three-year-old James. Response: The aircraft was forced to divert to Sofia Airport in Bulgaria, where emergency crews were waiting . Flight: The Jet 2 plane was forced to make an emergency landing due to loss of cabin pressure (file picture) 'I said to my my oldest son "there is something wrong here". My ears were popping and we were losing altitude. 'Then the seat belt signs came on, but there was no turbulence. The next thing I remember is hearing the word emergency and that made me panic. 'I thought we were crash landing. Everyone’s mask deployed apart from mine. I clawed at it until it came down. 'It was about five minutes of not knowing what was happening. I spent the five minutes cuddling my youngest son and holding the mask to his face. If he didn’t have it on he may have gone unconscious. Diversion: Passengers were forced to spend the night at Sofia Airport (above) following the emergency landing . 'After five minutes were up, we must have reached 10,000 feet. It is like something you see in movies, I didn’t think it would happen to us. 'It kind of spoiled my holiday a little bit, but it gave us something to talk about.' Ms Standing, from Darlington, said she and the other passengers had been forced to wait at Sofia Airport for around seven-and-a-half hours before boarding the replacement flight. 'We got to the airport at half past seven, their time, and did not leave until three o’clock in the morning,' she said. 'My dad is scared of flying and he was getting chest pains just thinking about getting back on the flight home. We had to get a different flight which was sent from Manchester. 'Everyone was chatting a lot about it. People were saying there was a man on board in his twenties who had to be hypnotised and take medication to fly. 'They were saying he refused to get back on a flight again and they had to get him back to Newcastle by not flying. 'A lot of people were shaken up.' Maxine Reed, who was also travelling on the Jet 2 flight, said: 'They lost cabin pressure. The oxygen masks fell down for us and we landed in Sofia for safety measures. 'The plane’s altitude dropped. The plane was nearly full and there was kids on board. Home: The traumatised travellers then boarded a replacement flight to Newcastle Airport (above) this morning . 'I had a flashing thought of "this is it". They let us know what was happening as soon as it was stabilised. 'We were taken in to terminal and separated from other passengers so we didn’t need to clear security again. We got back to Newcastle at about 5am this morning.' A Jet 2 spokesman said today: 'Flight LS516 from Paphos to Newcastle diverted to Sofia Airport yesterday afternoon as a precautionary measure due to a technical issue. 'The aircraft landed safely and passengers returned to Newcastle on a replacement aircraft early this morning. 'We would like to apologise to passengers for any inconvenience this may have caused.' | Flight LS516 was travelling from Paphos, Cyprus, to Newcastle last night . Started to rapidly descend just hour into flight after loss of cabin pressure . Plane dropped thousands of feet in minutes, while oxygen masks deployed . Diverted to Sofia Airport, Bulgaria, where emergency crews were waiting . Today, passengers said experience had left them feeling 'shaky and sick' A Jet 2 spokesman has issued an apology to Britons on traumatic flight . | 506f2bf3d51236dafe76e0b2bd79a0c6917f1f92 |
People who meet their sexual partners through dating apps are more likely to catch an STI, new research suggests. The study found the risk is higher for those who meet people through apps than for those who meet sexual partners online or in bars and clubs. In the last few years, smartphone apps - such as Tinder and Grindr - have become increasingly popular ways to meet potential sexual partners. People who meet sexual partners through phone apps are more likely to have an STI, study finds . They allow registered users to use their smartphones’ GPS to locate and network with other users in the vicinity. Grindr, which was one of the first such apps, accumulated 2.5 million new users in 2012, and in 2013 reported that it had six million users in 192 countries. But, the research, which was published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, revealed they are not without their downsides. Researchers collected data on 7,000 gay men attending a sexual health clinic in Los Angeles between 2011 and 2013. All of the participants provided information about their drug use and how they find sexual partners. A third revealed they meet sexual partners in person only, 30 per cent said they use a combination of person-to-person and online dating and 36 per cent said they use smartphone apps. People who meet sexual partners through apps are more likely to have chlamydia (pictured) and gonorrhoea but they are no more likely to be HIV positive or to have syphilis . The results also showed the apps tend to be favoured by the under-40s and by well-educated men of white or Asian ethnic backgrounds. One theory is that smartphone . apps make it easier to meet potential partners more quickly than online . or more traditional methods, thereby boosting the chances of anonymous . and riskier encounters. Men who use them were also found to be more likely to use recreational drugs. The researchers analysed the results of these men’s sexual health checks and found those who used smartphone apps to hook up were more likely to have common STIs than those who met people in bars or clubs. They were also more likely to have sexually transmitted infections that were men who met sexual partners online. Overall, smartphone users were 23 per cent more likely to be infected with gonorrhoea and 35 per cent more likely to be infected with chlamydia. However, methods of approach made no difference to the likelihood of infection with either HIV or syphilis. The study authors wrote: ‘Technological advances which improve the efficiency of meeting anonymous sexual partners may have the unintended effect of creating networks of individuals where users may be more likely to have sexually transmissible infections than other, relatively less efficient social networking methods.’ They added: ‘Technology is redefining sex on demand. Prevention programmes must learn how to effectively exploit the same technology, and keep pace with changing contemporary risk factors for [sexually transmitted infections] and HIV transmission.’ | People who meet sexual partners on apps are more likely to have an STI . They're 23% more likely to get gonorrhoea, 35% more likely to get chlamydia . But, they are no more likely to be HIV positive or to have syphilis . | c184090beca94fd5a1a779e5abe0de74def36459 |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A car bomb exploded Friday morning in Spain's northern Basque region, killing a police officer inside the vehicle, officials said. Police investigate the vehicle destroyed by a car bomb in Spain's Basque region. Spain's Prime Minister blamed the attack on the Basque separatist group ETA, although there was no warning call before the explosion, as often happens in ETA attacks. The car exploded at 9:05 a.m. (3:05 a.m. ET) in an open-air parking lot in the Basque town of Arrigorriaga and damaged five other cars. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, and police moved in to investigate. The Spanish national police officer killed was Eduardo Puelles, said the new Basque regional president, Patxi Lopez. "ETA showed us the road to pain," Lopez said on national TV. "We will show them the road to prison." The officer was a senior figure in the fight against ETA and the explosion was caused by a limpet bomb placed underneath the car, officials told CNN partner station CNN+. A limpet bomb is one that is stuck to the underside of vehicle. Arrigorriaga is about 30 miles south of the largest Basque city of Bilbao. ETA's last fatal victim was a businessman who was shot dead in the same region last December. "My stance to stop ETA is unbreakable, so that people in the Basque country and Spain can live in peace, to halt this barbarity," said Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, after the attack. ETA is blamed for more than 800 deaths in its more than four decades of fighting for Basque independence. The European Union and the United States list it as a terrorist group. ETA has threatened Lopez, who is a socialist and the first non-nationalist Basque president in 30 years. He has also vowed to stop the group. There are about 600 ETA members or suspected members in Spanish jails and 150 others in French jails, authorities in both countries have told CNN. | Car bomb explodes in northern Spanish city of Arrigorriaga . Basque president: Victim a national police officer named Eduardo Puelles . Official: Explosion was caused by a limpet bomb placed underneath the car . Arrogorriaga in Basque region at heart of long-running separatist campaign . | 13c489438d218d411dcfceaee225979df4c97c50 |
(CNN) -- Win Tin, a founding member of Myanmar's National League for Democracy who was jailed for 19 years for political activism, has died at Yangon Hospital. He was 85. A National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesperson told CNN Win Tin was admitted to Yangon Hospital three weeks ago with a kidney problem. One of Myanmar's most prominent dissidents, Win Tin was a journalist and writer who joined with Aung San Suu Kyi during her campaign in 1988, according to Nyan Win, the current spokesperson for the NLD. He was arrested in 1989 by Myanmar's military rulers, who feared the strength of the pro-democracy movement. "Immediately after his arrest, U Win Tin was kept without food and sleep for three days," Suu Kyi wrote about his imprisonment. "It appeared that the interrogators wished to force him to admit he was my adviser on political tactics, in other words, that he was my puppet master." "A man of courage and integrity, U Win Tin would not be intimidated into making false confessions," she added. Win Tin continued to push for democracy even while in prison, penning a letter to the United Nations that resulted in additional jail time. Despite his key role as a political leader, Win Tin's personal life was largely solitary. After he was released in 2008, he told CNN that he was a "vagabond" with no family or children because he had given his life to the fight for democracy in Myanmar. While he struck an optimistic note about the progress that had been made in his country after his release, he noted there was still a "tremendous amount of work to be done." "He was a great pillar of strength," said Nyan Win. "His demise at this important political juncture of transition is a great loss not only to the NLD but also to the country. We are deeply saddened." | Myanmar political activist and National League for Democracy founding member Win Tin has died at 85 . He was arrested in 1989 by country's military rulers and was not released from jail until 2008 . Win Tin lived alone, saying he forsook a family to devote his life to the fight for democracy . | 0650ac1fe9ccbdc84c6bbd81609a270ba3dc0665 |
This brazen picture shows fraudster Nicholas Wayne Lowe relaxing on a sun lounger catching some rays holding up a wad of 500 Thai Baht bills to the camera. The snap, released by the South Australia Court Registry, reveals an insight into the sort of lifestyle the former public servant was living before he was caught stealing $1.135 million from the Victims of Crime Fund. At the latest court hearing on Wednesday Lowe, who headed up an embezzlement ring that swiped the cash over a period of four years, was told by Judge Paul Muscat at the District Court that he will be swapping the silver service he was used to for plastic service, reports The Advertiser. Nicholas Wayne Lowe is seen here pictured holding a huge wad of cash while on holiday in Thailand . The judge added: 'They enjoyed themselves at the expense of the Victims of Crime fund ... there’s simply nothing (here) but sheer greed, luxury and excess.” The court heard how a junior Crown Solicitor’s Office clerk discovered the conspiracy Lowe's wife Andrea, a former employee of MP Jennifer Rankine’s, deleted an incriminating email chain. She has pleaded guilty to one count of impeding an investigation and was due to be sentenced today. Lowe, 31, stole the cash between October 2008 and August 2012 and employed his family and friends in the lucrative scheme. Lowe appeared at Adelaide District Court yesterday and was told he would be sentenced by December 5 . The former clerk in the Crown Solicitor's Office pleaded guilty on May last year to 26 aggravated counts of dishonestly dealing with documents. In the four years he personally pocketed $491,200 share of the $1.135 million illicitly obtained by the fraud group, reports The Advertiser. The court heard how the other men involved in the fraud racket were Lowe's family and friends who he asked 'want to make some money?' and said all he needed to use was their names to make the false claims. Lowe worked at the Crown Solicitor's Office in Adelaide when he committed the crimes between 2008 and 2012 . The other defendants- James Peter Moore, Steven and Travis Langston, Kane Peter Dominey, Andrew John Soliatis and Daniel Stephen Almstetter- each pleaded guilty to one or more counts of the same offence, reports The Advertiser. After the false claims were made Lowe would then approve and issue to them and when they were cashed half was given back to Lowe. Judge Muscat gave Soliatis, Almstetter, Moore and Steven Langston suspended jail sentences on the condition of good behaviour at Wednesday's hearing. Dominey and Travis Langston were also bailed to be sentenced in two weeks on November 19 . Lowe was remanded in custody until December 5. | Nicholas Wayne Lowe is seen posing with a huge wad of cash on holiday in a picture released by the South Australia Court Registry . He is seen relaxing at a holiday resort in Thailand showing off a wedge 500 Baht bills while relaxing on a sun lounger in sunglasses . The 31-year-old stole more than $1.135 million from South Australia Victims of Crime Fund over four years . The corrupt public servant pleaded guilty to 26 counts of dishonest dealing with documents last year . After the latest court hearing Lowe was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on December 5 . | d35387adc897a5df8b14531c6ef2ebce835bbf9c |
By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 03:32 EST, 21 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:15 EST, 21 March 2013 . It sounds like a scene from an episode of the popular and long-running cartoon The Simpsons. A defendant called Bart Simpson, appearing in court in front of a judge called Mr Burns. However, this isn't a fictional case but a real-life trial which took place at Warwick Crown Court this week. Bizarre: A defendant called Bart Simpson, appearing in court in front of a judge called Mr Burns at Warwick Crown Court . Company Director Barton Simpson, 56, stood trial in front of Mr Recorder Burns at Warwick Crown Court on Monday. He was spared jail after admitting that he carried a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver in his luggage while catching a flight at Birmingham airport in May last year. Mr Burns sentenced Simpson to a 12-month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay £800 costs. The defendant was flying to Croatia when he put his bag through an X-ray machine which detected the weapon. He told police the gun, which he inherited from his father, was a 'curio' and that he had forgotten it was in his holdall. Stars: Bart Simpson and Mr Burns are long-running characters in The Simpsons . Andrew Wilkins, prosecuting, said . Simpson normally kept the revolver at his home in Eccleshall, . Staffordshire and realised his mistake almost immediately. 'He put his hands to his face and hesitated before he then went through the personal metal detector,' the lawyer said. 'The reason he said he had it with . him, and there is no reason to disagree, was that he was having work . done on his flat while he was travelling and did not want it to come . into the hands of the decorator.' Mr Wilkins said Simpson had intended . to leave the gun locked in his car, but he was distracted because of . circumstances including the deaths of a friend and of his son, a serving . soldier. Mr Burns told Simpson: 'It was a very stupid thing you did. You must be punished for it, but I think you can be dealt with by way of a community order.' A court worker said: 'It's a bizarre . coincidence that Bart Simpson is actually on trial in front of Mr Burns . but it'll proceed as any other criminal case would. 'There were some eyebrows raised when the court list was published.' The fictional Bart Simpson is the main character in the popular, long-running animated television series The Simpsons. He is the eldest child and only son of Homer and Marge. Charles Montgomery 'Monty' Burns, often referred to as Mr Burns, is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He is the boss of Bart's father Homer. | Barton Simpson appears before Mr Recorder Burns . Admitted taking an antique gun into an airport . | 483c63e66d787daeb55b7ddbc6786ffcb4df9abb |
By . Mike Larkin . UPDATED: . 18:56 EST, 24 December 2011 . Since the break-up of her short-lived marriage to basketball journeyman Kris Humphries times have been tough for Kim Kardashian. And her declining popularity looks set to receive a further blow after animal rights group PETA launched a billboard campaign slating the star's love of fur coats. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians favourite has regularly been spotted wearing such jackets this year, despite already being chastened by the group, who named her their worst dressed person of 2010. Blasted: Animal rights group PETA have attacked Kim Kardashian for her love of fur coats in a billboard advert . And in the emotive ad the group . has a cute picture of two fox cubs, with the statement: 'Kim These . babies miss their mother. Is she on your back.' In addition to the adverts, he animal rights organisation has also blasted the 31-year-old on their website. PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said: 'Kim knows that animals on fur farms are beaten, electrocuted, and often skinned alive. 'We've explained it to her, and she's watched a video expose that was filmed inside fur farms. 'When Kim is ready to put an end to . her relationship with fur, PETA will be happy to take her discards and . donate them to the homeless.' Fur-lover: Kim wore this black fur number to a charity event in New York in October . She's at it again: The reality television personality also donned fur on two other occasions that same month . Ironically she turned out to support a PETA campaign poster AGAINST fur which featured her sister Khloe earlier this year. She posed with her sister next to the 2008 Fur? I'd Rather Go Naked picture in 2008, after her younger sibling stripped off for the charity. It is the second time in recent days the Kardashians have been involved in a fashion flare-up. It was claimed the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights had criticised the family for using Chinese sweatshop labour to produce their fashion lines. However the group's executive director Charles Kernaghan later spoke out to say the allegations could not be proved, that he had been speaking about conditions in the country in general, and that his words had been twisted. He did speak out again last night to say: 'If Ms. Kardashian has found a way to overcome the iron-fisted repression under which the Chinese workers are forced to toil, then that would be huge news and worthy of tremendous applause. 'But unfortunately, based on our concrete experiences investigating factories in China and elsewhere, the chances are about one in a million that Ms. Kardashian has found a way to push back against the Chinese authorities and guarantee that her employees will be afforded their most basic, internationally recognized workers' rights.' The Mail Online contacted Kim's representative, but have yet to receive a comment. Bottoms up: Kim Kardashian no doubt enjoyed a celebratory drink to toast her sister's PETA campaign poster in 2008 . | Human rights chief claims chances of Kardashian Chinese fashion factories enforcing human rights are 'one million to one' | f56b22d1cc36943911be7200f7611bcc0b7dd6f8 |
DNA results have finally revealed the genetic make-up of the impossibly cute yet oddly shaped half-dog Pig. Turns out Pig the Dog is mainly a Boxer, Chow Chow and American Staffordshire Terrier, AL.com reported. But it also has some Portuguese Water Dog, Alaskan Klee Kai, Scottish Deerhound, Lakeland Terrier and Maltese. 'I felt like a cartoon character with my head crooked sideways going, "huh?"' Pig's human, Kim Dillenbeck, told AL.com. 'I don't see any of those close to her by appearance.' 'Everybody thought Akita,' added Dillenbeck, who lives in Helena, Alabama. 'I was was thinking something like a smaller dog, but I was wide open. Scroll down for video . DNA results have revealed that Pig the Dog is mainly a Boxer, Chow Chow and American Staffordshire Terrier . She also has some Portuguese Water Dog, Alaskan Klee Kai, Scottish Deerhound, Lakeland Terrier and Maltese . Pig has shot to fame since her cute looks and odd shape hit the Internet . Pig's human, Kim Dillenbeck, says the pooch is still growing . 'I've never seen her mother's personality,' Dillenbeck told AL.com. 'Pig has all these interesting traits, and there are so many breeds out there. 'With that tail and all that hopping, maybe rabbit?' 'Pig is her own breed,' Dillenbeck added. 'To me, she is just one in a million. As much as I can see her potential in all these breeds, she is still just Pig.' Dillenbeck adopted Pig, who was born with significant physical issues, during a trip to Atlanta to see her sister. 'I met some of her neighbors who came over for Christmas breakfast, and after hearing about Pig, we all went to her house,' Dillenbeck said. Owner Dillenbeck says a lot of her friends thought Pig was an Akita before the DNA test . Pig has some health issues, including missing ribs, incorrectly rotated joints and damaged vertebrae . Pig the Dog enjoys a ride on the back of her human's truck . 'Pretty quickly, I decided to be her mother because she probably wouldn't live,' Dillenbeck told Al.com. 'We assumed that by now, she would be suffocating under her own organs, or something like that, because of her shape.' Pig, who was born in the wild, was taken in along with her sisters by a woman who heard her barking, Al.com reported. Dillenbeck told Al.com Pig has multiple health issues, including missing ribs, incorrectly rotated joints, and damaged vertebrae. Pig just loves to swim on hot summer days in Alabama . Snooze: Pig goes down for a nap . Despite her size as a 'half-dog,' Pig, who is 8 months old months old, could still get bigger. 'She's not fully grown,' Dillenbeck told Al.com. 'She's still gaining weight. At this point, she has the potential to gain another 20 pounds, and that would probably kill her.' Though Dillenbeck said she is not sure about Pig's future, she's happy to have her in her life. 'I'm the lucky one. She makes me laugh every day,' she said. Pig takes her human to a pet store to buy her some supplies . Pig rests up after a long day of being awesome . | Pig is famous for her half body and impossibly cute looks . Now DNA results have revealed her genetic make-up, which includes Boxer, Chow Chow and American Staffordshire Terrier . She also has some Portuguese Water Dog, Alaskan Klee Kai, Scottish Deerhound, Lakeland Terrier and Maltese . | cec0ed904f476460e33abb6b63baf54390a9e07d |
(CNN) -- Four journalists for The New York Times, including two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Shadid and MacArthur "genius grant" recipient Lynsey Addario, are missing in Libya, the newspaper said Wednesday on its website. Editors at the paper said they had last been in touch with the journalists Tuesday morning, U.S. Eastern time, according to the report. It said the newspaper received secondhand information that "members of its reporting team on the ground in the port city of Ajdabiya had been swept up by Libyan government forces." However, the newspaper has been unable to confirm those reports, Executive Editor Bill Keller said on the newspaper's website. "We have talked with officials of the Libyan government in Tripoli, and they tell us they are attempting to ascertain the whereabouts of our journalists," Keller said. "We are grateful to the Libyan government for their assurance that if our journalists were captured they would be released promptly and unharmed." A battle raged Wednesday in Ajdabiya between government troops and rebels. Bob Christie, senior vice president for corporate communications at The New York Times Co., said Wednesday that the Libyan government told the newspaper it was unaware of the journalists' whereabouts. "They've told us they have a lot of prisoners and that they're processing them" and suggested that the four could turn up in that process, Christie said. Libyan government forces said Wednesday that they have no information about where the journalists may be and that, if they were picked up by the Libyan military, they would be returned to Tripoli. The newspaper identified the journalists as Shadid, its bureau chief in Beirut, Lebanon, and two-time Pulitzer winner for foreign reporting; Stephen Farrell, a reporter and videographer who was kidnapped by the Taliban and rescued by British commandos in 2009; and Tyler Hicks and Addario, photographers who have covered the Middle East and Africa. "Their families and their colleagues at The Times are anxiously seeking information about their situation, and praying that they are safe," Keller said. Addario, a freelancer based in India, recently won a MacArthur Fellowship -- known as a "genius grant" -- for her photography around the world. In an e-mail Monday to CNN correspondent Ivan Watson, Addario called the Libya story "one of the most dangerous" of her career. The e-mail said, "qaddafi's forces heading back east, and the rebels are surrendering along the way...so exhausted. this story has been one of the most dangerous i have ever covered. getting bombed from the air and by land." Addario's husband, Paul de Bendern, told CNN that his wife travels to conflict zones because they're powerful stories. He was anxious to see his wife's return. "It's very difficult. We're here, we're waiting. I want my wife back," said de Bendern, who is bureau chief in New Delhi, India, for Reuters. "Lynsey is a very smart woman, funny and brave," he added. "She's very passionate about what she's doing. ... She tells the world of these important things with the beauty of her photography." While working as a foreign correspondent, Shadid was shot in the shoulder by the Israeli Army in Ramallah in spring 2002. Farrell routinely reports from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Before joining The New York Times in 2007, he worked for the Times of London. In April 2004, he was kidnapped while on assignment in Iraq. Hicks, a staffer for the paper, is based in Istanbul and has served as an embed in Afghanistan. In a 2004 interview with the StarNews of Wilmington, North Carolina, Hicks described how he felt about his job: "Covering conflicts is a very rewarding experience because you can bring attention to global issues. When I'm working and a photograph appears in The New York Times, I always remind myself of who is seeing that photograph" and the number of people it may have reached, he said. "That is when I can go to bed at night and feel good about what I have done that day." Hicks and Addario are both from Westport, Connecticut. CNN's Tommy Evans in Brega, Libya, and Ivan Watson, Tom Cohen, Tom Watkins and Michael Martinez contributed to this story. | The Libyan government says it has no information on the four . One of the missing journalists e-mailed Monday about the danger in Libya . The New York Times has been in touch with the Libyan government . The missing journalists include one who was kidnapped by the Taliban in 2009 . | 2ba84b163430ffc9e0c14dffa0398c08d98d8776 |
On CNN's "State of the Union," CNN host and chief national correspondent John King goes outside the Beltway to report on the issues affecting communities across the country. This week, King traveled to Peoria, Illinois, to explore how the recession is hitting the blue-collar town hard. Chris Guynn says he's grateful that his wife has a full-time job while he studies for life after Caterpillar. PEORIA, Illinois (CNN) -- Suddenly, this city's motto rings hollow: "It's Better Here" doesn't match the mood in a place where the recession hit late but is now hitting hard. "I just felt, I thought I couldn't lose with this company" is how Chris Guynn described his motivation for moving his wife and two children to Peoria from Las Vegas, Nevada. There was a job waiting at Caterpillar, the 80-year-old heavy equipment giant, and "It was a company that you could just retire with, great pension, retirement, 401 and so on." Guynn is one of 20,000 workers Caterpillar will shed by the end of the first quarter of 2009, a decision the company announced this week. The company says the job cuts are necessary because of a decline in orders that it attributed to the U.S. and global recession. Now, Guynn is enrolled at classes at Central Illinois College, grateful his wife has a full-time job at a local call center, and was nervously waiting to find out not if but when his last day would be. That shoe dropped Friday, when 814 employees at the Mossville plant who had gotten notice that they would be let go arrived at work to learn that this was their final day. Watch how one family tries to cope with layoffs » . There was more bad news: On Friday, Caterpillar announced that it is eliminating an additional 2,110 jobs at three Illinois plants to match production with falling demand. To visit Peoria is to meet the faces behind the numbers: rising new claims for unemployment benefits and the rising state and national unemployment rates. Guynn follows the news and knows that a major economic stimulus package is being debated in Washington. Guynn is skeptical when he hears that politicians are looking to spend more than $800 billion, yet he does voice faith in the new president who calls Illinois home. "I believe he's going to help it out," Guynn said in an interview at the college. "Everyone is worth giving that chance to. ... I want to give him a fair shot. I know it's not going to happen overnight, but I'm willing to see what he's going to do." Still, Guynn acknowledges that not all anxious workers are as patient. ''I mean, it was basically left to him, you know, he didn't really do it, in my opinion, but it's his problem now." As President Obama works to meet those high expectations and deal with mounting conservative criticism of his approach, Guynn is hoping his classes eventually land him a new career as a crime lab technician. "I'm 36 years old. I've waited many years to get back into school, but finally I'm doing it. This is the perfect time. ... I'm not happy to get laid off, but at the same time, I'm looking to further myself with a better career." Christy Williams' choices are starkly different. She is a single mother of five young children, ranging in age from 5 to 14. Not having a second income to help cushion the blow of losing her job at Caterpillar adds to the stress, something Williams vows to keep hidden from her children. To that end, she waited until the end of her two-week notice period before telling them Mom would suddenly be spending more time at home. "I don't let them see that I'm stressed out about things," Williams told us as her two youngest watched television in a lower-level family room of her Peoria home. "I waited. I didn't tell them right away. The two 5-year-olds, I didn't think they would understand what that meant anyway. So I just waited until I was done working, and then I said, 'Things are going to be a little bit different. I'm going to be home in the morning, you know, when you go to school and when you get home from school.' And we've just kind of gone that route." Williams, who worked as an administrative assistant, had never been laid off. She has a four-year college degree and initially was optimistic that she would quickly find work. Now, with about 10 weeks of unemployment benefits left and a bleak job market, Williams is getting more nervous and keeping an even more watchful eye on the family budget. "Just everything in general has been, had to be cut back," she says. "I really went into it thinking I would have a much easier time finding a new job. Looking for something, I thought it was going to be easier for me than it has been." Williams shrugs when asked how the politicians in Washington could help her as they debate an economic stimulus package and says she is beginning to compromise in her job search, looking for openings in retail sales or other positions that would pay her less than at Caterpillar but allow her to keep up with the mortgage and feed her children. "I'm very nervous," Williams said. "I'm very nervous of what will be available, and every day on the news, there's more layoffs that are being shown, in our town as well as the nation." Williams said she has no advice for President Obama and Congress, but she is watching "now more than ever." On the floor of one of Caterpillar's giant assembly plants, however, Jim Lierle is quick with a warning that lawmakers looking to help blue-collar workers like him might think again about one idea gaining steam in Congress. The House and Senate versions of the legislation include "Buy American" clauses that direct the stimulus money to American made goods and services. On the surface, that should help Caterpillar, whose giant earth movers and other heavy equipment would be in demand if billions are spent on highway and other infrastructure problems. But there is a reason the recession hit late here: Half or more of Caterpillar's business is tied to overseas exports, and only recently has the global slowdown caught up with the squeeze many American manufacturers were already feeling at home. If Congress mandates "buy American," Lierle echoes Caterpillar management in worrying other countries will retaliate with trade sanctions, and the company's exports will dip even more. "We're worldwide," Lierle said during a walk on the factory floor in East Peoria. "I don't know why our government wouldn't support us, too. ... We've got to have that market. We've got to have it. Fifty percent of these tractors will go overseas. We can't lose that. If we lose that, we're gonna go down." Watch Jim Lierle discuss situation at Caterpillar » . His 39 years at Caterpillar protect Lierle from the current plan to shed 20,000 jobs, but he knows many of the workers who are gone, or who will be let go over the next couple of months, and worries that a way of life in blue-collar industrial towns like Peoria is coming to an end. Like many, Lierle hopes a new administration in Washington will help bring an economic turnaround. But he is more reserved than many here when it comes to rating the new president. "I respect the rank, but the man has to earn respect from me," Lierle said. "I don't give respect. They have to earn it. And so far, I haven't seen a whole lot that anybody's earned. ...I'm not going to judge the man yet. I'll see what he does. Give him the benefit of the doubt. See what he comes up with. The way he's talking, he's made a lot of promises. It's gonna be hard to fulfill all those promises. And he's sure not gonna do it in the first six months. "I've got a lot of patience," Lierle said. "I've been married for 36 years. I've got a lot of patience." | Global market means job cuts hit Peoria later than other parts of the U.S. Caterpillar, a large employer in Peoria, is cutting 20,000 jobs worldwide . One employee's wife has full-time job; he's attending classes for second career . Another employee, a single mother of five, has nothing to fall back on . | fe390b49aec2c3a07bdcb31f7267c6036ee758f3 |
(CNN) -- "It's time to talk to Cuba." Fidel Castro is not in power, but he's still a big part of Cuba. He welcomed the U.S. delegation. That frank assessment from Rep. Barbara Lee, D-California, has resonated loud and clear from the island of Cuba -- 90 miles from the southernmost point of Florida -- to the halls of Congress. For the first time in nearly 50 years, relations between the two nations, which have a history steeped in tension, have seemed to ease a bit. That was apparent this week as a delegation from the Congressional Black Caucus traveled to the communist country on a fact-finding mission, with plans to deliver a report to the White House. Watch CNN's Ed Hornick discuss the story » . "Our purpose was to see if there were preconditions on the Cuban side. We heard that there were no preconditions," Lee said Wednesday. "And, in fact, we wanted to find out if they were interested. We have to remember that every country in Latin America, 15 countries, have normal relations with Cuba. ... We're the country which is isolated." Watch Lee discuss her visit to Cuba » . But even more significant were the meetings the group had with Cuban President Raúl Castro and with his brother and predecessor, 82-year-old Fidel Castro, a controversial political and social figure. President Obama has said he is in favor of changing the relationship with Cuba. The $410 billion budget Obama signed in March makes it easier for Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba and to send money to family members on the island. It could also allow the sale of agricultural and pharmaceutical products to Cuba. Three provisions attached to the omnibus spending bill loosened restrictions enacted by former President Bush after he came to office in 2001. Analysts see the lawmakers' trip and Obama's campaign rhetoric as a way for the new administration to start thawing relations with Cuba before the Fifth Summit of the Americas. The summit will bring together the U.S. president and 33 other leaders from the Western Hemisphere in mid-April in Trinidad and Tobago. Watch more on the lawmakers' meeting » . It's a point that Fidel Castro seemed to hint at. In a letter published Tuesday in the online version of Granma, a state-run Cuban newspaper, Castro wrote that an unnamed caucus member told him "he was sure that Obama would change Cuba policy but that Cuba should also help him." "I value the gesture of this legislative group," Fidel Castro wrote. "The aura of [the Rev. Martin] Luther King is accompanying them. Our press has given broad coverage of their visit. They are exceptional witnesses to the respect that U.S. citizens visiting our homeland always receive." U.S. citizens are allowed to visit Cuba, an island shrouded in a virtual blackout to the U.S. and other parts of the world, but must apply for special licenses to do so. Though it is illegal, some citizens travel to a country like Mexico or Canada and then into Cuba. Not everyone is eager for change. Cuban-American members of Congress, in particular, have voiced outrage over the easing of relations. Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez, who was born in Cuba, doesn't want to see changes to the embargo. "Having tourists on Cuban beaches is not going to achieve democratic change in Cuba," Martinez has said. New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat and Cuban-American, said in a recent speech that the Cuban government is "pure and simple a brutal dictatorship. ... The average Cuban lives on an income of less than a dollar a day." Fidel Castro led the 1959 revolution that overthrew Cuba's Batista dictatorship. The United States broke diplomatic ties with the nation in 1961. The next year, the U.S. government instituted a trade embargo. Both policies remain in effect. Interactive: A look at the Fidel Castro's life » . The State Department, per its Web site, officially recognizes the country as "a totalitarian police state which relies on repressive methods to maintain control. These methods, including intense physical and electronic surveillance of Cubans, are also extended to foreign travelers." Although Castro was credited with bringing social reforms to Cuba, he has been criticized around the world for oppressing human rights and free speech. Lee said she hopes the meeting in Cuba this week will help open diplomatic channels between the two nations. "It's time to change our direction in our foreign policy. The president is doing a phenomenal job in the world, reshaping America's image and role in the world," she said. "So we want to make sure that we have the proper information to make recommendations to the president, our secretary of state and our speaker with regard to U.S. policy toward Cuba." Interactive: Learn more about Cuba » . Though the current stance of the U.S. government toward Cuba fits well with an older generation of Cuban-Americans who despise Castro, not all are of that mind-set. Namely, members of a younger generation see great benefits of opening trade and direct tourism between the United States and Cuba. Jessica Rodriguez, who owns Cuba de Ayer restaurant in Burtonsville, Maryland, is part of that younger generation looking to change the views of her community. "I think it would be good to open up some of those doors. I have so many customers who say, 'Oh, I'd like to go to Cuba.' And I say, 'Me too.' " "I think it would be great for the world to see Cuba for itself," she added. Some Cuban-Americans like Tessie Aral, owner of a Miami, Florida, travel agency that specializes in trips to Cuba, see the financial benefits of lifting the travel ban. "I think a lot of Americans are going to want to travel to Cuba because it's been the forbidden fruit for so long," Aral said. "For our country to tell us which country we can travel to, I think that's just archaic." Others in Congress see opening greater relations with Cuba as vital to the United States. A group of senators and other supporters unveiled a bill March 31 to lift the 47-year-old travel ban to Cuba. "I think that we finally reached a new watermark here on this issue," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota, one of the bill's sponsors. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, another sponsor of the bill, issued a draft report in February that said it was time to reconsider the economic sanctions. Lugar is the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Nonetheless, there is more political and diplomatic work to be done before restrictions on travel and trade could be lifted. Though it's a first step, Lee sees it as a crack in the proverbial ceiling. "We went to Cuba to listen to Cuban officials to make sure that we had the information and the facts that were necessary to bring back and at least let our administration know what we believe is possible." CNN's Jim Acosta, Arthur Brice and Elise Labott contributed to this report. | Members of Congressional Black Caucus met with Cuba's Castro brothers . Lawmaker says "it's time to talk with Cuba" and ease travel, trade restrictions . President Obama has said he is in favor of changing the relationship with Cuba . But some members of Congress are against relations opening . | e2916a3e3101e7fa16f479b14ea6d846c61ed3ee |
Since July 2013, the Curiosity rover has travelled just over 23,300ft (7,100 metres) on the surface of Mars at an average of about 1,310ft (400 metres) per month. But if a new Nasa project comes to fruition, future rovers could carry a small helicopter with them that could cover half a kilometre in just a single day. The vehicle would perform daily flights to scout the surrounding area on Mars much faster than possible for ground based rovers. Scroll down for video . Nasa scientists in California are testing a concept Mars helicopter (illustration shown). The small device would be launched to the red planet with another rover. It would scout locations ahead for the rover to travel to and explore. And it would be able to travel much greater distances than the rover . The concept is currently being tested by scientists at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. It is designed to provide an alternative to the slow, methodical progress required by rovers in order to avoid obstacles and plot a safe route across the red planet. Nasa's unnamed next generation rover, predicted to launch in 2020, will carry on exploring the Red Planet, with upgraded hardware and instruments to examine Mars' rocks - and it will possibly even take this Mars helicopter design with it. The rover will assess the potential of the environment for humans to live in one day and search for signs of Martian life. It will identify and collect a collection of rock and soil samples, which it will be able to send back to Earth intact, unlike the powdered samples collected by the current rover. Dr Charles Elachi, director of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has previously said that collecting a rock sample and bringing it back to Earth is Nasa's top priority. Scientists are particularly interested in the samples so they can understand the hazards posed by Martian dust and demonstrate how oxygen can be created - details important to consider for human missions to Mars and the future colonisation of the planet. The rover marks the next major step in fulfilling President Obama's challenge of sending humans to Mars in the 2030s. The vehicle envisioned would be composed of a small cube with rotor blades on the top. It would weigh 2.2lbs (1kg) and measure 3.6ft (1.1 metres) across from the tip of one blade to the other. While the design is still very much in a concept stage, the vehicle would likely have a camera to ‘scout out’ areas ahead and help a rover on the surface move faster. On the top of the helicopter would be a solar panel to power it during the day, and keep it operational during the night. Each time it took flight on a daily basis, it would fly for about two to three minutes before landing on the ground again. ‘If our rover was equipped with its very own helicopter that could see over the tall object in front of us, it would allow us to make decisions much more efficiently, on which we’d command the rover,’ explained Mike Meecham, Mechanical Engineer at JPL, in a video detailing the concept. Although Mars has just three eighths of Earth’s gravity, he explained that it isn’t necessarily easier to fly on Mars - because the atmosphere is so thin. Once you lose Earth’s dense atmosphere, the rotor blades would need to spin faster or be bigger, or the helicopter lighter than one on Earth, in order to fly. Each day the helicopter could fly for up to three minutes and cover half a kilometre away from the rover (illustrated). But it will have to contend with difficult conditions on the red planet including a thinner atmosphere in order to repeatedly take off and land . The vehicle envisioned would be composed of a small cube with rotor blades on the top. It would weigh 2.2lbs (1kg) and measure 3.6ft (1.1 metres) across from the tip of one blade to the other. Nasa has been testing a prototype (shown) in a vacuum chamber on Earth . ‘There is the challenge of the very low density of the atmosphere, and there’s the challenge of keeping the whole mass of the system small so that we don’t overwhelm the lift capability of this system,’ said Dr Bob Balaram, a roboticist at JPL involved in the design of the helicopter. ‘It has to be autonomous in terms of being able to fly and maintain stable flight, and then, this system has to repeatedly take off and land on natural rocky terrain like you see out here. And then, the other one is that it has to survive the harsh environment.’ Nasa has already built a full scale mock up of one of the helicopters they might consider flying on Mars, which they have been testing in a vacuum chamber on Earth. They have found that the rotors need to spin at about 2,400 rotations per minute to provide enough lift for two to three minute flights of about half a kilometre. But it is the landings that will be the riskiest part of the mission every day. Curiosity infamously had ‘seven minutes of terror’ in the time between entering the Martian atmosphere and landing on the, but Dr Balaram said the helicopter would have its own ‘seven seconds of terror’ every day. When the concept would be completed however, or whether it could be part of Nasa’s 2020 Mars rover mission, is not yet known. But the design does at least provide an intriguing proposal for future missions to the red planet. Curiosity infamously had ‘seven minutes of terror’ in the time between entering the Martian atmosphere and landing on the red planet (illustration of 'Sky Crane' landing shown), but Dr Balaram said the helicopter would have its own ‘seven seconds of terror’ every day . | Nasa scientists in California are testing a concept Mars helicopter . The small device would be launched to the red planet with another rover . It would scout locations ahead for the rover to travel to and explore . And it would be able to travel much greater distances than the rover . Each day it could fly for up to three minutes and cover half a kilometre . But it will have to contend with difficult conditions on the red planet . Nasa has not revealed when the helicopter could go to Mars . | 63ddd04007de09e4b0d9573c248c624fcac6c36a |
CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- A man suspected of murdering a doctor in Chicago, Illinois, is trying to skirt the U.S. justice system by fleeing to the French island territory of St. Martin, according to prosecutors. Dr. David Cornbleet, a dermatologist, was murdered in his Chicago office in October, 2006. "He's doing everything possible to protect himself," said Bernie Murray, chief of criminal prosecution for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Illinois. "At the end of the day, he's making a mockery of both French law and United States law." After fleeing to St. Martin, Hans Peterson, 29, turned himself in to French authorities and allegedly confessed to murdering Dr. David Cornbleet in October, 2006. Jon Cornbleet, Dr. Cornbleet's son, said he has seen a four-page confession in which Peterson admits to attacking and killing David Cornbleet in his Chicago office. Despite the alleged confession, Peterson is beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement. As a French national on French soil, he cannot be sent to the United States for trial, according to a 2002 extradition treaty between the two countries. The United States, by contrast, is allowed to extradite U.S. citizens to France, under the treaty. U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Dick Durbin, both of Illinois, sent letters to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking for help extraditing Peterson. In response to the senators, the State Department wrote it "will continue to make every effort with the government of France to see that justice is served in this case." Sens. Durbin and Obama also wrote the French government requesting extradition. French Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Francois Rivasseau, responded "the French government will not be able to extradite Mr. Peterson." "French laws provide in that case for trial on French territory by French justice," he said in a statement. Murray of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office said he favors extradition over a French trial because he believes French laws are more lenient. He said a life sentence there is only 22 years. In Illinois, Murray said, murder is punishable by a minimum of 20 years in prison and possibly much more. "It goes up to 60 or 80 or 100 years, possibly life, possibly the death sentence, depending on the facts surrounding the crime," Murray said. Hoping to persuade the French to extradite Peterson, Murray and the Cornbleet family said they would not seek the death penalty in the case. There is currently a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois. According to the victim's son, Jon Cornbleet, Peterson first met Dr. Cornbleet in 2002 when he was living in Chicago and went to see him for an acne problem. His father prescribed a popular acne medication, which, according to Jon Cornbleet, Peterson said made him impotent. It is believed this is the only time the two met before the night of the murder. Peterson's father, Dr. Thomas Peterson, said his son was an "okay kid who had a little depression." He said his son took just two pills, but that the acne medication made him psychotic. Dr. Cornbleet's daughter, Jocelyn, found his body in his office. "I could see on the second closed door that there was blood across it," she told CNN. "I knew that somebody had killed him." Jon Cornbleet said his father was stabbed more than 20 times. For months, the case went unsolved, even though authorities said there was DNA evidence at the scene. Then, over the summer, investigators got a tip from a U.S. Marine on leave from Iraq. The Marine said a friend told him, "I think my former roommate killed someone." The Marine reached out to the Cornbleets through a posting they had made on myspace.com and also contacted Chicago police. He told the Cornbleet family Peterson was living in New York around the time of the murder. The family believes Peterson drove from New York to Chicago, killed Dr. Cornbleet, and then drove back to New York, reportedly telling friends he had "completed his mission." The Cornbleet family said video surveillance from Dr. Cornbleet's office building shows Peterson entering and leaving the premises on the night of the crime. Using the Marine's tip, DNA evidence and the surveillance video Chicago police got a warrant to arrest Peterson. But before they could track him down, Peterson fled to St. Martin. So far, Peterson has yet to be charged with a crime. He is being held in jail on the French Island of Guadeloupe. The French government did not return CNN's phone calls for this story. Jocelyn and Jon Cornbleet said they will continue to fight for his extradition. "We're gonna go until there's absolutely nothing more we can do," Jocelyn Cornbleet said. "'Til we get justice." E-mail to a friend . | Hans Peterson suspected of a murdering a Chicago dermatologist . He fled to St. Martin, a French territory, before police could question him . Because he is a French national, the government won't extradite him . The victim's family and U.S. senators from Illinois lobby for extradition . | 70a8ed311d8abf9324501837dee24f5010162f81 |
(CNN) -- The Band Perry has stepped in to help with expenses to bury a mother and eight children who were killed in a house fire in Greenville, Kentucky. The offer follows news that only two family members -- the father, Chad J. Watson, and an 11-year-old girl -- survived the fire Thursday morning. The country trio's representatives contacted the Watson family and offered to take care of all the expenses, Watson family friend Pam Burden said. The group also offered to pay hotel expenses for family members staying near the medical center where the two are being treated, she said. "I don't know why The Band Perry reached out to the family other than they are just very gracious," Burden said. "The family doesn't have any personal connection to the band before now." The Band Perry's publicist, Brian Bumbery, confirmed the group's offer. Watson is listed in critical condition, and his daughter is in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Burden said. The mother was identified as 35-year-old LaRae Watson. The eight children who died in the fire ranged in age from 4 to 15. Investigators have ruled the fire accidental, according to Kentucky State Police. "It appears that an electric baseboard heater located in a bedroom ignited some nearby combustibles," it said in a statement. Greenville is a small city, with a population of just 4,300 and a median income of $39,000. As news of the group's offer spread, hundreds of people posted messages of gratitude on the band's Facebook page. "I'm a volunteer firefighter here in Muhlenberg County and I want to thank you for your generosity and support you have given to the Watson family," wrote Willam Michael Vick. "You guys are truly amazing." The Band Perry, made up of siblings Kimberly, Neil and Reid Perry, burst onto the country music scene in 2010 with their self-titled debut album, which spawned the hit single "If I Die Young." The group released its sophomore album "Pioneer" in 2013. The band is set to perform Sunday as part of the Super Bowl XLVIII pregame show in East Rutherford, New Jersey. CNN's Kevin Conlon contributed to this report. | The Band Perry will pay for burial costs for nine people killed in a house fire, publicist says . The mother, LaRae Watson, and eight of her children, ages 4 to 15, died Thursday . The father, Chad Watson, and an 11-year-old girl are being treated for injuries . Authorities say the cause of the Kentucky fire appears to be accidental . | f6202ca076b41454047dc80233c190b5e42729b6 |
(CNN) -- Accused enemy combatant Ali al-Marri was served with an arrest warrant Tuesday and transferred out of U.S. military custody for the first time since 2003, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri was a student at Bradley University in Illinois when he was arrested in 2001. Al-Marri's initial court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday. Defense Secretary Robert Gates released the Qatari man to the U.S. Marshals Service in preparation for the hearing. On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the Obama administration's request to dismiss al-Marri's challenge of the president's unilateral authority to detain him indefinitely and without charges. The high court ruled that al-Marri's case was rendered moot by a decision to indict him on federal conspiracy charges. The court's ruling means there is no resolution of the larger constitutional issue of the president's power to detain people accused of terrorism and other crimes in the United States. The decision by the Obama administration to criminally charge al-Marri after he spent seven years in custody -- more than five years in virtual isolation in a Navy brig in Charleston, South Carolina -- is the latest twist in the ongoing legal saga of the only remaining "enemy combatant" held in the United States. Al-Marri had been accused of being an al Qaeda "sleeper agent," but until the indictment had never been charged with a criminal or terrorism-related offense. The 43-year-old man will be sent at some point to Peoria, Illinois, to face a criminal trial. President Obama last month ordered a prompt and thorough review of the "factual and legal basis" for the continued detention of al-Marri. He subsequently issued a presidential memorandum ordering Gates to facilitate al-Marri's transfer, saying it was "in the interest of the United States." Since his initial arrest on credit card fraud charges in December 2001, al-Marri -- a legal resident of the United States -- had remained in "virtual isolation in the brig," his attorneys said. They were suing the government to improve his jail conditions and were challenging the constitutionality of his detention. The Pentagon asserts al-Marri had trained at a terror camp in Afghanistan, met al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and "volunteered for a martyr mission," according to a government filing with the Supreme Court. | Ali al-Marri due to appear in court on Tuesday; he's charged with conspiracy . Last week Supreme Court dismissed al-Marri's challenge of presidential authority . Al-Marri, a U.S. resident originally from Qatar, has been in custody for 7 years . He's accused of being a "sleeper agent" for al Qaeda who trained at terror camp . | 27639bd507d10216b2143c2557315e7c65293820 |
(CNN) -- "This is Norway checker," echoed the voice through the scrambler. "I have a good stop for you in Stavanger." Nobody on the outside world could have known what she meant. But inside Bletchley Park, a World War II code-breaking enclave in the English countryside of Buckinghamshire, 18-year-old Ruth Bourne had discovered a vital piece of intelligence. Working alongside thousands of other women to decipher encoded German signals sent between Nazi generals, Bourne's discovery meant passing on the information to her superiors to assess whether this was another piece of the decryption puzzle. Read more: Code-breaking Enigma machine goes under the hammer . With every room named after a country that had been toppled by the Nazis, and each machine christened as one of its towns, Bletchley Park's simple yet effective checking system proved crucial in the defeat of Hitler's regime. A culture of secrecy . Far from being a group of experienced decoders, however, the estate's recruits mainly consisted of young teenage military personnel, a smattering of crossword whizzes who had been able to complete The Daily Telegraph's puzzle in less than 12 minutes, and numerous 18-year-old girls plucked from their quiet home towns. "It was the middle of the war when I received a call saying I was to go into war work to support Britain's efforts from home," explains 88-year-old Margaret Bullen, a machine wire operator who served from 1942 until the end of the war. "A letter from the Foreign Office then arrived saying I had an interview -- but I had no idea what it was for, and two weeks later, I was told I'd be off to Bletchley." Read more: Enigma machine sells for world record price . "Before starting work we were told to sign the Official Secrets Act, which was a rather frightening experience for someone as young and naive as I was," says 90-year-old Becky Webb, who joined the war effort at age 18 in 1941. "I had no idea how I'd comply with it!" But compliance was the only option, making these three young women -- Webb, Bullen and Bourne -- fierce guards of the country's anonymous decoding history for several decades. Indeed, it wasn't until some thirty years later that Bletchley's long maintained shroud of secrecy began to lift, after the publication of "The Ultra Secret" -- a tell all book from former RAF officer Frederick W. Winterbotham, who later became an Ultra supervisor. The 1974 expose revealed how Ultra intelligence had been used to intercept communication behind enemy lines and disseminate vital information to Britain and its allies. Though Winterbotham was accused of embellishing and aggrandizing his role in the tale, without his account, the real story of what went on inside the UK's code-breaking operation may never have been known. Read more: 70-year-old coded war message found attached to pigeon . "It sounds strange that we knew so little about what was going on, but that was how it was," reflects Bullen. "I was sent to live with a couple who were ordered to take me in because of the war. They never once asked me what I was doing there--nobody did--not even the local village workers who'd serve us coffee at the café on our lunch break, in spite of the fact a group of 18-year-olds had suddenly arrived in this little hamlet," she explains. "I only heard the name Colossus--the machine I was working on--some three decades after the war ended, and it wasn't until I later visited Bletchley Park that I said: 'this is where I worked, this is what I did!'" While Winterbotham's revelations sent shock waves through the secretive decryption community, lifting the lid on what really happened inside the park ensued slowly and sporadically, with the bulk of the information being released in the early 2000s. "I'm delighted that we can discuss our time there now that everything has come out, and I give talks on the subject whenever I'm asked," enthuses Webb. "I've given 97 to date!" Silent heroines . For many of the young women at Bletchley, though, the removal of the clandestine veil came too late, with the majority of workers' parents having passed away before the decryption effort became public knowledge. Bourne, an 18-year-old naval recruit who was sent to one of the park's expansion locations in Eastcote -- on the outskirts of London -- was one of many who was never able to tell her loved ones about her contribution to the war. "You led two lives there," she recalls. "One life was in A Block, where you ate in the canteen, and talked about boyfriends, and getting trains to London, and where to find black nylon stockings." "B Block was where we worked, surrounded by high walls, barbed wire and two naval marines guarding the place. If you could make your voice heard over the noise of 12 Turing Bombe machines, that was the only time you would speak about work -- but you never would," she explains. "I never knew what any of my coworkers were doing, and vice versa, and my parents never knew a thing of it." After the Nazi regime fell in 1945, many of Bletchley's women returned home, while others stayed involved with the military's work. Bourne was given work as a wire destroyer: desoldering the many cables that had been painstakingly connected during intelligence operations throughout the war, while Webb was sent to the Pentagon to paraphrase translated Japanese messages for transmission to officials. "Upon leaving Bletchley, we really had no skills whatsoever," remembers Bourne. "Apart from how to keep a secret!" And that secret was very nearly never told, especially after the original estate was due to be knocked down some 23 years ago, with houses and a supermarket planned to be built in its place. Preserving Bletchley . It was in May of 1991that Bletchley's fortunes changed, after a small local committee gathered a group of veterans at the park to say a final farewell to the historic location. But the group became determined to turn it into a heritage site after hearing the astounding stories of so many code-breakers, engineers and members of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WREN) who worked at the park during the war. The Bletchley Park Trust was formed the following year, and from then on, regular reunions and exhibitions at the estate have enabled its former workers and inhabitants to share stories that were on the precipice of being lost forever. Winterbotham's book might have been the first time that story of the World War II code-breakers entered the realm of popular culture, but it certainly wasn't the last, with TV drama "The Bletchley Circle" proving popular in both the UK and United States earlier this year. With a second series on its way, and exhibitions at the Trust attracting visitors from around the globe, the world's fascination with the once elusive Bletchley Park shows no sign of slowing. The culture of secrecy that once threatened Bletchley from being all but erased from the history books has well and truly ended. The National Museum Of Computing at Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, UK unveils its "Women in computing" exhibit. | Bletchley Park was the home of British code-breaking during World War II . The National Museum of Computing based at the Bletchley estate launched a new exhibit on women in computing . Bletchley's fascinating history only became public several decades after the war ended . Women made up majority of the 10,000 people who worked at secret code-breaking operation . | 4262f9ca1047753cb560a80560effbd1eb0f1b9b |
Two hours before the official results of the French presidential elections, no Paris visitor could ignore that a historical political change was about to happen. Down Paris' Left Bank boulevards, throngs of flag-waving young and not-so-young people were flocking towards the Socialist headquarters near the National Assembly. Cyclists were ringing their bells, cars blowing their horns and François Hollande's sympathizers chanting "Victoire!" Nicolas Sarkozy had just canceled a planned celebration at Concorde and the place, where the guillotine once stood, was alarmingly quiet and deserted. However, as is traditional in presidential elections, France waited for the traditional countdown at 8 p.m. sharp to see the face of their next president and to start celebrating or commiserating. With 51.7% of the votes, the Socialist candidate François Hollande won a neat victory, albeit not a large one. His first few hours as president struck a different tone to Sarkozy's victory in 2007. He addressed the nation from Corrèze, his regional bastion in the heart of France,and his speech was then followed by accordionists playing "La Vie en Rose." He then hopped in a modest-looking car to reach the nearest airport and fly to Paris to go straight to the Bastille where 100,000 people waited until after midnight to hear him speak again. No flashy restaurant on the Champs Elysées, no celebrities behind him, no cortege of expensive cars: Hollande appeared as Mr. Normal from the first few minutes of his election. Here lies perhaps the key to his election. Unlike the rest of Europe, where governments collapsed under the euro crisis's burden, the French didn't sanction Sarkozy for his management of the financial crisis, which in fact many consider good. They ousted Sarkozy on his personality. In the last five years, they had grown to detest the man even more than his policies. The TV debate which traditionally puts the two candidates against each other just before the second round of the elections and which was followed by 18 million people showed the two men's strikingly different styles. Sarkozy appeared as the never-ending attacker who always tried to push his rival into mistakes. Hollande looked a much calmer presence who excelled both in ducking blows and holding his ground. If the street celebrations lasted till dawn in the streets of France, however, the honeymoon shouldn't last very long for Hollande, who was already on the phone to German chancellor Angela Merkel an hour after being elected. His task is immense. First, he must reassure the markets while pushing for a growth pact alongside the already negotiated fiscal pact. He may not even wait for the traditional week before the official handover to start his presidency. His agenda for the next few days and weeks looks extremely busy. On May 17, Hollande must meet President Obama in Washington. The two men have never met and Hollande is an unknown entity in the U.S. The following two days, on May 18 and 19, Hollande will attend the G8 at Camp David and then on to the NATO summit in Chicago, where the French president will announce the earlier withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan, an announcement which should not please the U.S. administration and Nato allies. In France, the next hurdle will come in a month when the newly elected president will ask the French to give him a clear majority at the National Assembly. A large majority would give the Socialist government room for maneuvering and real legitimacy when dealing with other European partners. At the Bastille yesterday, Hollande stated very clearly his intent to spear a new anti-austerity movement in Europe and the world at large. The challenge is momentous. He must first convince Merkel to let the ECB play a bigger part in the euro's recovery. Will Hollande succeed where Sarkozy failed? It is possible, after all. Merkel and Hollande may belong to two different political families; this detail alone never derailed the formidable entente between Mitterrand and Kohl. Besides, Hollande doesn't need being convinced that Germany is France's most important ally. In 2007, Sarkozy very openly snubbed Merkel, by looking instead towards the U.S. and Britain. Only circumstances made him reconsider. Merkozy was never a natural duo. At home, Hollande will start by making a few symbolic gestures: lower the retirement age from 62 to 60 for a fraction of the workforce, specifically those who started working in their mid-teens; he will raise students' scholarships; and stop the haemorrhage of teachers in the education sector, in his eyes, the most important battleground in France and the key to its future. These decisions are not going to deepen the public deficit much; they will however go a long way to signify that Sarkozysm is now extinct. And it is precisely what a majority of French people want to hear at present. | Francois Hollande appeared as Mr. Normal from first few minutes of his election, says Agnes Poirier . She says French didn't oust Sarkozy over financial crisis; they ousted Sarkozy on his personality . Hollande faces big challenge: firstly in parliamentary elections in a month when he seeks majority . He doesn't need to be convinced that Germany is France's most important ally, Poirier says . | 3b77d2324455e4e55a78452a05b96ebda03893bc |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- It was a night for neon pink bow ties and words like "disaster" and "monstrosity." It was not the night, however, to be Paris Hilton, Mike Myers or Uwe Boll. Paula Einstein, Rebecca Marcotte and Kelie McIver do a parody of "Dancing Queen" to open the show. The 29th Annual Golden Raspberry Awards honored the worst film achievements of the year in a small theater in Hollywood on February 21. The night opened with a parody of the "Mamma Mia" song, "Dancing Queen," and ended with "Love Guru" being named worst picture. "It wasn't just the economy that tanked, so did the qualities of the movies being offered," Razzie founder John Wilson told CNN several weeks before the show. "I would suggest putting away all sharp [instruments] before putting the DVDs in your machine." Paris Hilton and Mike Myers came out on top -- or bottom -- for the awards. Hilton earned both the worst actress and worst supporting actress awards for her roles in "Hottie & the Nottie" and "Repo: The Genetic Opera." She was also awarded worst screen couple for her on-screen time with her co-stars Christine Lakin and Joel David Moore. Razzie host Gretchen Enders said that "Hottie & the Nottie" was "a vanity production in the worst sense... Hilton, who served as executive producer, has no one to blame but herself." Hilton's film had a budget of $2 million but only earned about $27,000 at the box office. "Under Obama's new plan, they wouldn't even have to pay taxes," Wilson deadpanned. Myers added worst actor to the "Love Guru" worst picture and worst screenplay Razzies. To save anyone else from having to watch it, Wilson shredded a DVD copy of the film on stage. Parody films "Disaster Movie" and "Meet the Spartans," each nominated in five categories, came away empty-handed. However, that doesn't mean the Razzie foundation thinks they were worthwhile. "When you invest the kind of money that a mainstream, big-budget star film requires, you want some insurance that your investment is going to come back to you. So... you're going to do what worked before," Wilson said. "Financially that may make sense, but in terms of the audience's enjoyment, surprise or appreciation of what you're doing, it doesn't work." Enter "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," this year's winner of the worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel award. "A fourth installment of a beloved franchise, but this one found itself loved by almost no one," hosts Katsy Chappell and Josh Thoemke said. The approximately 740 voting members of the Raspberry Foundation also found Pierce Brosnan's singing voice sorely lacking. His role in "Mama Mia" earned him the worst supporting actor award. "An actor who could not sing, should not sing and arguably did not sing, in a role he should not have accepted," Razzie hosts Chip Dornell and Kelie McIver said about the former James Bond. But perhaps the biggest "winner" of the night was Uwe Boll. Recipient of the worst director award, the foundation also recognized his lifetime work with the worst career achievement award. Boll is the "worst living director on Earth," Wilson told CNN. Boll had a sense of humor about his Razzie success. He sent in a video rejection speech from a fake set of Darfur, Sudan, saying the Razzies had ruined his life and he would never be back. The Razzie team is already predicting next year's nominees. A few to watch out for: "Hannah Montana," "Friday the 13th" and "Bride Wars," -- the last of which has already grossed more than $50 million. "It's kind of like watching a train wreck, isn't it?" Wilson said. | Razzies honor worst film achievements of the past year . Mike Myers, Paris Hilton each won three Razzies . "Indiana Jones" won worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel award . | 7650417c7eb49c274436c0b1736b27e33df183d4 |
By . Kerry Mcdermott, Mark Duell, Amanda Williams and Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 06:55 EST, 12 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:20 EST, 13 November 2012 . Police who found a body in woodlands after searching for a missing 19-year-old hairdresser have charged her boyfriend with murder. Amelia Arnold disappeared from the home she shared with Jack Wall, 22, and their young daughter in Stevenage last Wednesday. After a police appeal, unemployed Wall handed himself into the town’s police station on Sunday, where he was charged with murder. Probe: Jack Wall (left), 22, of Stevenage, was charged by officers investigating the disappearance of Amelia Arnold (right), 19, who was last seen on Wednesday . Searching for clues: A police car and forensics tent outside Amelia's home in Stevenage, Herts, today . Later yesterday, a body - believed to be . Amelia’s - was recovered from undergrowth in woods of Travellers Lane, . Hatfield, 10 miles away from her home. Wall is due to appear at Hatfield Remand Court this morning. Another man Joseph Potter, 41, from Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, was arrested on Saturday and charged with . perverting the course of justice. He was remanded in custody at Hatfield Remand Court yesterday. Formal identification and a post mortem are to be carried out. A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Police said: 'Amelia’s family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.' Miss Arnold, 19, a hairdresser . originally from Horam, East Sussex, moved to Hertfordshire at some point . between 2008 and 2010, and attended the Sir Frederic Osborn School in . Welwyn Garden City. She is believed to have been working . as a hair stylist at The Works salon in Stevenage. Disappearance: The missing girl, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, has not been seen since Wednesday . A body, believed to be that of Amelia's, has been found ten miles away from her home in woodlands . DCI Redfearn had earlier appealed . directly to Wall to present himself to police, saying: 'If you are . reading this, please go to Stevenage or your nearest police station to . speak with officers.' Witnesses who may have seen suspicious . activity at the address between Wednesday and Friday are also being . asked to come forward. Mr Redfearn said: 'We’ve been speaking . with residents in Hadrian’s Walk but I would like to hear from anyone . who has been in the area between these times and believes they may have . seen or heard any suspicious activity to make contact with police. 'We would also like to appeal to . anyone who may have witnessed anyone acting suspiciously in a white . Citroen Berlingo, registration R389 VDP, in the Stevenage area since . Wednesday.’ Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | A body, believed to be . missing Amelia Arnold’s, was recovered from undergrowth in woods of Travellers Lane, . Hatfield . Jack Wall, 22, handed himself in to police and was arrested Sunday morning . Local 41-year-old man also arrested in connection with the investigation . | e5464a90fa77f44330d1770b078886d394982004 |
A prceless horde of artefacts has been recovered from the site of the first ancient naval battle ever discovered. The find - including helmets, weapons and ancient bronze battle rams - has been rescued from the seabed off the Sicilian coast where they had lain undisturbed for more than 2,000 years. They are the remnants of The Battle of the Egadi Islands - the last clash from the first Punic War - which pitted the Romans against their enemies the Carthagnians and propelled the Romans to Europe-wide domination. Turn back time: Researchers study a rusted helmet that was discovered in the depths of the sea . It looks a little battered! The remnants of a battering ram were amongst the horde of artefacts found . A tablewear jug (left) and amphora-bottle (right) were rescued from the seabed off the Sicilian coast where they had laid for more than 2,000 years . Experts say the finds - which were scattered over some five kilometres and submerged beneath up to 100 metres of sea - represent the first ancient naval battle site ever discovered. British archaeologists hailed the find a 'major discovery' and are now leading the efforts to survey every inch of the nautical battlefield. Jon Henderson, an underwater archaeologist at the University of Nottingham, has been using cutting edge technology aboard a ship aptly titled Hercules to survey the battlefield. He said: 'There has never been an ancient whole battle site discovered before, which is quite surprising when you consider how important sea power is in the Mediterranean. 'It is a major discovery. This is the first major naval battle between the Romans and the Carthagnians. Because the Romans won they were set on the road to Empire and control of the Mediterranean. 'The historical significance is huge, but what is so important is that we are finding battle sites because of changes in underwater technology. 'We are at the cusp of an exciting range of new discoveries.' The finds, including this anchor, were scattered over some five kilometres and submerged beneath up to 100 metres of sea . British archaeologists hailed the find a 'major discovery' and are now leading the efforts to comb the seabed for more . On March 10th, 241BC, the two ancient heavyweights clashed in a huge naval battle off the coast of Sicily. The two powers had been warring for more than 20 years, as the Romans battled for a foothold in the all-important Mediterranean sea. While the Carthagnians were much more powerful on the water, the cunning Romans lay in wait trapping the Carthaginians and blocking off their sea route in a sudden victorious attack. Up to 50 Carthagnian ships were sunk in the bloody attack, killing up to 10,000 men. Around 70 more ships were captured along with their crews, while the rest fled. A project to find the lost battlefield was set up 10 years ago by the Soprintendenza del Mare in Italy and RPM Nautical Foundation. But underwater mapping of the battlefield has just begun. The project has already uncovered some prized artefacts. So far some 11 bronze battering rams used by ships to pummel each other have been fished out of the water, along with bronze helmets and armour. Dr Jon Henderson has been using cutting edge technology aboard a ship to survey the ancient battlefield . So far researchers aboard the ship have found some 11 bronze battering rams used by ships to pummel each other have been fished out of the water, along with bronze helmets and armour . The Battle of the Aegates Islands in 241 BC was a naval battle fought between the fleets of Carthage and the Roman Republic during the First Punic War. It was a victory for the Romans that would lead to their domination in the years to come.Rome lacked a fleet — the ships it had possessed had been destroyed in a previous battle. Yet their enemies, the Carthaginian forces, did little to capitalise on this, allowing Rome to restore its strength and build a new stronger fleet. When the Carthaganians heard about this, they prepared their fleet for battle, and sailed to the Aegates Islands. The Romans sailed out to meet them - but not before stripping their vessels of sails and masts to give them an advantage in rough sea conditions, . By ramming into their enemy's ships and destroying half of the fleet, the Romans won a decisive victory. It was the last battle in the First Punic War, which had raged for 20 years as the two powers fought for supremacy over the western Mediterranean Sea. Dr Henderson said: 'Prior to this project just three bronze rams were known to exist in the whole Mediterranean, and now we have 11, so it is a major change in terms of the amount of physical information we now have about this battle. 'Some scholars had thought that ships were no longer ramming each other and that the rams were just for show. 'But we have found bits of the enemy ships in some of the rams so it's very likely they were ramming each other.' Experts plan to cast the rams and use them to reconstruct what the ancient ships would look like. Archaeologists had spent years scouring the shallow waters off the island of Levanzo, just west of Sicily, searching for the infamous battlefield. But they only finally discovered the site after hearing stories told by old Sicilian divers that ancient lead anchors were lying on the seabed, off the Egadi Islands. Professor of pre-history and Soprintendenza del Mare, Professor Tusa said: 'The stories these divers told led me to speculate where this battle might have taken place. 'To prove my hypothesis I carried out a series of dives and discovered 50 anchors. Local fishermen brought up a bronze helmet from the same area and together with the discovery of the first ram my hypothesis became theory.' The area is so rich in archaeological finds that experts believe it could take decades to fully survey and analyse the data from this site. The artefacts are now being analysed at the University of Nottingham. Dr Henderson said: 'For the first time archaeologists have recovered finds in context from the site of an ancient naval battle. 'We can now begin to say something about the fittings and equipment present on ancient warships and indeed what would have been taken into battle. 'It's exciting because we now have archaeological data to add to interpretations which were wholly based on iconographic representations and the ancient literary accounts.' | Remnants found from Battle of Egadi Islands - last clash of first Punic War . Pitted the Romans against their arch-enemies the Carthagnians and propelled the Romans to Europe-wide domination . 11 bronze battering rams used by ships to pummel each other have been fished from Sicilian coast, along with bronze helmets and armour . | 79eb5e081fd91faf84944d224967551421d64911 |
(Health) -- After zooming from one end of the mall to the other, don't you deserve a quick bite? Of course. Does it have to be greasy fries, gooey cinnamon buns, or some other equally fattening, sodium-loaded calorie bomb? No way! Believe it or not, you can eat healthy while you tackle holiday errands. Check out our delicious, nutritious picks. Asian Grilled Salmon on Brown Rice (P.F. Chang's China Bistro) This salmon-and-asparagus entrée won top honors because it's "a simple, wholesome dish with real foods," says David Katz, M.D., director of the Yale Prevention Research Center. Our experts applauded P.F. Chang's for including brown rice -- a great source of fiber -- on their menu. And salmon's omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve memory (you don't want to forget anyone on your list!). Omega-3s also help reduce inflammation in the body and may help lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Since one order contains enough for two servings, split it with a friend -- you'll save money and calories. Serving size: 6 ounces, or ½ of entrée Calories 230; Fat 12g (sat 2.5g); Protein 17g; Carbohydrate 14g; Fiber 2g; Sodium 300mg . Health.com: America's top 10 healthiest fast food restaurants . Moroccan Chicken Salad (California Pizza Kitchen) You won't get bored munching on this salad. Dressed with a champagne vinaigrette (ooh la la!), it contains loads of flavorful veggies (avocado, beets, red bell peppers, roasted butternut squash, romaine lettuce) and even fruit (dates and dried cranberries). "You're eating the rainbow here," says dietitian Ellie Krieger, R.D. "You'll get a wide array of antioxidants like beta carotene from the squash and anthocyanins from the beets." And protein-rich chicken and egg plus 7 grams of fiber make this a super-satisfying dish. The salad may be high in total fat, but a fair amount of it comes from the avocado, which is chock-full of healthy, monounsaturated fats. Serving size: 1 (½-portion) salad Calories 412; Fat 27g (sat 4g); Protein 12g; Carbohydrate 30g; Fiber 7g; Sodium 309mg . Health.com: 25 diet-busting foods you should never eat . Chicken on Flatbread with Hummus Artisan Snack Plate (Starbucks) This snack or light lunch has a mix of veggies (grape tomatoes, carrot and cucumber sticks) and protein (chicken and hummus), which keeps you energized. Our experts commended Starbucks overall for adding healthy options like this one to their menu. Serving size: 1 snack plate Calories 250; Fat 9g (sat 0g); Protein 17g; Carbohydrate 27g; Fiber 5g; Sodium 520mg . Roasted Eggplant, Spinach, and Feta Multigrain Pizza (Uno Chicago Grill) This veggie pizza boasts a full roster of good-for-you ingredients and a crust made mainly with whole-wheat stone-ground flour. "Unlike other fast-food pies, this one is relatively light on sodium," says Frances Largeman-Roth, R.D., Health magazine's senior food and nutrition editor. But stick to just two or three slices, then take the rest home or share it with a friend. Serving size: 1/3 of (10½-inch) pizza Calories 290; Fat 11g (sat 3.5g); Protein 13g; Carbohydrate 37g; Fiber 6g; Sodium 400mg . Health.com: Easy pizza recipes under 400 calories . Mayan Chicken Harvest Rice Bowl with Brown Rice (Au Bon Pain) Slow-cooked chicken with spices served over brown rice and topped with a field-green salad? Not your typical mall fare. Our panel thought this was a creative mix of lean protein, veggies, and whole grains. "It's a very complete meal," Katz says. It has a bit more calories than some of our other picks, so make it your main meal of the day. One thing the panelists didn't care for: the addition of partially hydrogenated oil. However, the amount is small enough that the company can still claim the dish has zero grams of trans fat. Serving size: 1 bowl Calories 510; Fat 13g (sat 3g); Protein 27g; Carbohydrate 72g; Fiber 4g; Sodium 870mg . Broccoli Beef with White Rice (Panda Express) Here's a Chinese dish that won't leave you bloated: The sodium content is decent for food-court Asian fare, which tends to be higher in salt than other cuisines. The inclusion of super-nutritious broccoli deserves special mention, Katz says. The experts just wish Panda Express offered brown rice. Serving size: 5.4 ounces broccoli beef and ½ serving white rice Calories 340; Fat 4g (sat 1g); Protein 14g; Carbohydrate 60g; Fiber 3g; Sodium 740mg . Health.com: 25 surprisingly salty foods . 6-Inch Veggie Delite with Swiss (Subway) No need for portion control here: "You can eat a whole sandwich for not many calories or fat grams," Krieger says. That means you can afford to top it with cheese and light mayo. The "9-grain wheat bread" is a bit deceiving, though. While our panelists praised the fact that it contains barley, flaxseed, and millet, the bread isn't truly whole-grain (the first ingredient is enriched wheat flour). Serving size: 1 (6-inch) sandwich Calories 330; Fat 12g (sat 4g); Protein 12g; Carbohydrate 45g; Fiber 5g; Sodium 540mg . Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (Panera Bread) Chicken, almonds, and sesame seeds make this salad a protein-rich lunch. "I love that the textural crunch from the almonds makes it more satisfying," Krieger says. A few qualms: "Romaine lettuce is the only vegetable," she says. The reduced-sugar dressing also contains high-fructose corn syrup and preservatives. Serving size: 1 salad Calories 400; Fat 20g (sat 3.5g); Protein 31g; Carbohydrate 31g; Fiber 3g; Sodium 810mg . Health.com: The 50 fattiest foods in the states . Snack Size Fruit and Walnut Salad (McDonald's) This light bite will help hold you over until you get home. Our experts were impressed that you can get delicious fresh fruit (sliced apples and red grapes) and low-fat vanilla yogurt at a fast-food chain, but wondered why the walnuts have to be sweetened. Serving size: 1 salad Calories 210; Fat 8g (sat 1.5g); Protein 4g; Carbohydrate 31g; Fiber 2g; Sodium 60mg . Soft Serve Chocolate Frozen Yogurt (TCBY) If you're craving something sweet, this fro yo is a better choice than a giant cookie. It's rich in calcium and contains seven live active cultures -- healthy bacteria that can help aid digestion. Just remember, it is dessert, so don't overdo it! Serving size: 4 ounces (about ½ of a small size) Calories 110; Fat 1.5g (sat 1g); Protein 4g; Carbohydrate 23g; Fiber 3g; Sodium 90mg . Copyright Health Magazine 2010 . | Asian grilled salmon on brown rice from P.F. Chang's China Bistro wins top honors . Try the Roasted Eggplant, Spinach, and Feta Multigrain Pizza from Uno Chicago Grill . For a quick bite, eat the McDonald's snack size fruit and walnut salad . | 8b7397e0fb585e682eaf92ef23c35785d9b3de59 |
Washington (CNN) -- Is the clock ticking on gun control? While support for many gun control policies remains high in the wake of the horrific shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, polls conducted over the past few weeks suggest that three-and-a-half months after the tragedy, public backing for major new gun laws overall appears to have dropped significantly. A CBS News survey released earlier this week indicated a 10-point drop in the public backing of stricter gun laws, from 57% immediately after the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, in December when a heavily armed gunman killed 20 young students and six adults, to 47% now. That poll was in line with a CNN/ORC International survey released last week that indicated a nine-point drop in the percentage of Americans who favor major restrictions on guns or an outright ban on gun ownership, from 52% following the shootings to 43%. Opinion: Did we learn nothing from Newtown? Other polls have shown changes within their sampling error but in the same downward direction. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released in mid-March showed support for stricter gun laws moving from 54% to 52%. That two-point margin was within the survey's sampling error. And a Fox News poll released last week indicated majority backing -- but some slippage -- in support for specific proposals like banning assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips. "Opinion on gun control was fairly steady over the past few years, but seemed to spike after the Connecticut shootings," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "The big question is whether support for major new gun laws has simply dropped back down to that previous level or whether the slide will continue even further." So what's causing the drop in support? The surveys, including CNN's, offer clues. Despite emotions, little happens legislatively after mass shootings . "Support for stricter gun control has fallen dramatically among two groups -- older Americans and people who live in rural areas," Holland said. "In the immediate aftermath of the shootings in Connecticut, the number of rural Americans who supported major gun restrictions rose to 49% but now that support has dropped 22 points. Support for stricter gun laws dropped 16 points among Americans over 50 years old in that same time." The new polls suggest that federal lawmakers pushing for gun control might have waited too long to act. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced late last week that he would move ahead on a bill that would expand background checks for gun sales and stiffen gun trafficking penalties when the Senate returns from the two-week recess it's currently taking. While national polling indicates extremely strong support for background checks, Reid's bill could face a very tough go of it in Democrat-controlled Senate, let alone the GOP-dominated House. | Public support for new gun measures has fallen dramatically since Newtown massacre . Support spiked after elementary school shootings but has dropped by double digits since . Largest drop in support was among older Americans and those who live in rural areas . | b04a43f19194e62c901d32b8d9c3335d6f155cf6 |
Desperate times, desperate measures. This is the moment an NFL fan cuts a bathroom line mid-match and gets punched in the face. Instagram user idabchicago filmed the incident at Soldier Field stadium in Chicago on Thursday night. The unidentified Dallas Cowboys supporter - wearing a blue hoodie in honor of his team - tries to skip his way to a urinal before getting caught by an angry fan from the opposing team. Scroll down for video . Fight club: This is the moment an NFL fan cuts a bathroom line during a match and gets punched in the face . The Chicago Bears were up against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. As the fight erupts, other people join in and the jeers get increasingly loud. A bathroom attendant takes the role of referee, trying his best to break things up. However, he's unable to stop the Dallas Cowboys supporter from getting hit. Heated: Instagram user idabchicago filmed the incident at Soldier Field stadium in Chicago on Thursday . Caught on camera: The unidentified Dallas Cowboys fan - wearing a blue hoodie in honor of his team - tries to skip his way to a urinal before getting caught by an angry fan from the opposing team . Team effort: As the fight erupts, other people join in and the jeers get increasingly loud . Blow: As his jaw is punched by a man off screen, the Dallas Cowboys fan falls back against a wall with a surprised expression on his face . As his jaw is punched by a man off screen, he falls back against a wall with a surprised expression on his face. The room is filled with cheers. Despite suffering the blow, the man's mood was no doubt boosted by the fact his team won 41 - 28. | Instagram user filmed the incident at Soldier Field stadium Thursday night . The Cowboys went on to beat the Bears 41-28 . | 78631728585256dfb758e3d84c97cea5e12a9942 |
By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 12:32 EST, 19 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:40 EST, 19 July 2013 . Two collectors from California have put Schindler’s List up for auction on eBay - and are asking for bids starting at $3million. The move to put the precious historical document - which is one of four known copies of the list - on the auction website has sparked controversy with many believing it should have been given to a museum. The document, which is being sold by a private owner in Israel and is only available . for local pick up, is the only copy of the list ever to be sold on the open market. Remarkable: Schindler's list contains the names of about 800 Jews that were saved by German businessman Oskar Schindler -- Scroll down for the complete list . Calling the document ‘a piece of history that has inspired many,’ the listing . by auction promoters Eric Garvin and Gary Zimet guarantees the list’s authenticity – it was sourced . from Itzhak Stern, Schindler’s accountant played by Ben Kingsley in the . award-winning film. The document can only be collected in Israel 'for security' and to give the . winning bidder the opportunity to personally inspect it, Garvin told MailOnline . Garvin and Zimet are collectors from California with a history of headline-grabbing auctions through their company Auction Cause and are hoping for the document to sell for millions beyond the reserve price. The two chose ‘the . world’s marketplace’ because there are billionaires and . wealthy celebrities using the site. Garvin told the New York Post. The two collectors hope to earn at least $5 million . from when the auction ends after 10 days, he added. ‘Using . eBay offers the widest audience and the most opportunity to bid, as . opposed to a traditional auction house,’ Garvin added in comments to . MailOnline. For sale: Collectors have put an original copy of 'Schindler's List' up for auction on eBay . The quiet savior: Oskar Schindler saving a thousand Jews from the Holocaust only became widely known because of a book and a movie about his actions . Nightmarish: A young man checks numbers tattooed on the arms of Jewish Polish prisoners coming from the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp . The other three known . copies are in museums – with two in Israel and one in the United States . Holocaust Museum – and that is where many believe this copy should also . go. ‘Donate it to a museum,’ said one Twitter user. ‘Surely this should be donated to a museum,’ said another, echoing the sentiments of several people across the internet. Several others expressed unhappiness with the auction, one person even tweeted ‘if you’re still wondering about the world you live in… Schindler’s list is being sold on e-bay [SIC]. Say no more.’ All bidders must be pre-qualified, with the winner to pay a $10,000 deposit via PayPal and work out how to send the rest offline, according to the listing. They made it into a movie: Actors Liam Neeson and Ben Kingsley on the set of Schindler's List . Doomed: Prisoners at the Buchenwald concentration camp, one of many across Europe responsible for the near-extermination of European Jews by the Nazi regime . Explaining that he understands why people believe the list belongs on display in a museum instead of for sale online, Garvin said that many people with collections of ‘fantastic items’ choose to share those items with a greater audience. ‘It would not surprise me if it ends up in a museum… I think that would be fantastic,’ said Garvin. The list originated from German . Industrialist Oskar Schindler. During World War II, Schindler made it . his mission to keep his Jewish employees from oppression and death at . the hands of the Nazis. Schindler even bribed officials with cash and lavish gifts to keep them away. Extermination: A prisoner at the Dachau concentration camp, where more than 30,000 Jews were killed during the Holocaust . The Theory and Practice of Hell: Eugene Kogon, Holocaust survivor, wrote a book on the psychological torture the SS imposed on Jews in concentration camps . Over six million Jews were persecuted, tortured and murdered at concentration camps across Europe as part of the 'Final Solution' by the Nazi regime by the end of World War II, according to the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, with victims included Gypsies, the disabled, Poles, Russians and others. The dead ranged in age from babies to the elderly. His . efforts were adopted into both a book and movie, the latter of which . starred Liam Neeson and won seven Academy Awards, including best picture . and a best actor nod for Neeson. Previous auctions staged by Auction Cause include a date with Scarlett Johansson – the . $19 million reserve was not met, a selling of the Harry Reid/Rush . Limbaugh letter which fetched $2.1 million and a $200,000 David and . Victoria Beckham cocktail reception. | The auction has a $3million reserve price, but sellers expect millions more . The documents can only be picked up locally in Israel 'for security' Online reaction to the auction has been less than positive . | 98e03e222aa2e2a626a4b753509bd1427e8e5a86 |
(CNN) -- One member of the Grammy award-winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo garners praise for more than just his rhythm. iReporter Lulis Leal saluted singer Thulani Shabalala for his dedication in building the Umuzi Kababa Performing Arts Center in Umgababa, South Africa. "His community performing arts center helps provide a safe haven to many high-risk neighborhood children with nowhere to go after school and nothing to do to occupy their time," she says. "The center promotes traditional Zulu singing and dancing and gives children a sense of pride and inspiration for a better life." This photographer, who's married to the musical group's manager, Mitch Goldstein, has known Shabalala for more than 20 years. The two filmed an iReport video to highlight Shabalala's efforts to empowering children in this small community with music and art. CNN spoke with Shabalala about his effort to create the center and his hope for the future. CNN: What inspired you to start building the Umuzi Kababa Performing Arts Center? Shabalala: In sing with the group, I saw a need. I saw the people who support our music and felt like we had to do something for the people. My father (Joseph Shabalala, founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo) has been trying to build a school for kids. He said it was going to be very easy for me since it's not too far from where I live. I saw the kids there. Some of them don't have money to go to school or even for food. I felt I should give back to the community. We have done some of the things for the community but I wanted this to be personally coming from me. CNN: How has the center evolved? Shabalala: I started working in 2009. The area had a broken house with no windows and no doors. There was nothing. I had to build the stage starting from scratch. So far, we have done a number of things. We've hosted workshops. We've done a month-long celebration for women and children. And we've had a ceremony with artists: Ladysmith Black Mambazo sang, and my brother's group sang as well. CNN: What has been the response from the community? Shabalala: Parents come and thank me. Kids are always around playing. CNN: How can others help? Shabalala: Through this work, we started a (non-governmental organization). If there are people who want to reach out and help the kids now, we are going to send children to go to school. We've already made a website for anyone who wants to help send kids to school. What are you doing to Impact Your World? We want to hear your story about how you or someone you know is making a difference in the lives of others. Go to CNN iReport for details. | Grammy-award winning singer builds a community center from scratch in South Africa . Photographer, singer document Umuzi Kababa Performing Arts Center's progress . Thulani Shabalala: I ... felt like we had to do something for the people . | 381c0536dfdf2f36da052bb478377a458206ad20 |
A family seeking compensation for a cancelled easyJet flight were outraged after the airline sent their solicitor a foul-mouthed email. An employee wrote the note to lawyers acting for father and daughter Chris and Megan Dickson, who were claiming a payout. Sent from the company’s head office, it explained that the family’s request had been rejected. Chris and Megan Dickson were left outraged after easyJet sent their solicitor a foul-mouthed email when they attempted to claim compensation for a cancelled flight . But astonishingly it concluded: ‘Based on the aforesaid, we decline your client’s claim for compensation and that is our final statement regarding this case mother*******.’ Mr Dickson, 52, from Falkirk, Stirlingshire, said he was ‘astounded’ when his lawyer informed him of the response. He made the claim after a flight he intended to take with 16-year-old Megan was cancelled at the last minute. The pair had planned to travel home via Edinburgh after a visit to London in June. But they were forced to spend an additional night in the capital after the flight was cancelled – apparently because of air traffic control strikes in France. Mr Dickson, a health and fitness development manager, managed to claim expenses for the unplanned overnight stay from easyJet, but consulted lawyers about claiming compensation as well. He enlisted the help of Nick Parkinson, a solicitor at Flight Delays, who contacted easyJet in a bid to claim compensation and ask why the flight was cancelled. The email sent to Mr Dickson's solicitor concluded with abusive language. Pictured: How it may have looked . However when lawyer Nick Parkinson contacted easyJet to ask why air traffic control strikes in France would affect an Edinburgh-bound journey, he received the abusive reply. Mr Parkinson said: ‘They said they will not pay out because the reason it was cancelled was because of an air traffic control strike in France. But we thought, what has that got to do with the flight from London to Scotland? ‘We told them their response was vague, and asked them to explain it properly. It was a standard letter asking simple questions. They didn’t answer any of the questions. The response was dismissive, very evasive.’ He added: ‘Airlines can be difficult to deal with, but we’ve certainly never had a response like that before. Mr Dickson was shocked and appalled that they wouldn’t give a straight answer, let alone the abuse.’ EasyJet has now been forced to apologise after an employee made the remark in an official email to a lawyer (file picture) Mr Parkinson said the firm was now considering issuing court proceedings. He said he had received a call from easyJet this morning in which the airline confirmed it was now going to respond to the letter properly. Mr Parkinson added: ‘They said they’ve done a full investigation and want to resolve it. We were right to ask the questions.’ EasyJet has apologised for the email and revealed that the member of staff who sent it has been sacked. A spokesman said: ‘EasyJet is shocked by how anyone could represent the company in this way. The airline confirmed the employee who sent the email to Mr Dickson's lawyers had been dismissed (file picture) 'The individual was immediately dismissed as soon as we had investigated the matter. We can only apologise to the recipient and assure them that this isn’t how we treat customers.’ The news comes as easyJet passengers face fresh disruption, with the company’s French cabin attendants planning to walk out over the Christmas period in a dispute over their pay and schedules. EasyJet spokesman Francois Bacchetta confirmed that the airline was expecting to cancel less than half its flights from French airports between 12:01am on Christmas Day and 11:59pm on Boxing Day. EasyJet apologised to passengers and said it will issue a final cancellation list on Christmas Eve once it has final details from the SNPNC and UNAC cabin crew unions. Passengers on the affected flights will be contacted and offered a full refund or the opportunity to rebook at no cost, the airline added. | Email sent to lawyers acting on behalf of passengers contained swear word . Chris and Megan Dickson claiming compensation after flight cancellation . Instructed solicitors to act on their behalf, who received abusive response . EasyJet confirmed employee had been dismissed and apologised for email . | 3e5ae68697a315561d923829a04a0fc06054e99f |
By . Ashley Clements for MailOnline . Follow @@Ashley_Clements . Jurgen Klopp believes that German midfielder Marco Reus will be staying at Borussia Dortmund for 'years to come'. Reus has been linked with a move away from Dortmund throughout the summer as the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United reportedly line-up moves. However, Klopp told german television channel ZDF: 'I have a really good feeling about Marco Reus. Not going anywhere: Marco Reus (above) will be staying at Borussia Dortmund, according to Jurgen Klopp . 'He will be with us for some years.' The 25-year-old recently made his return to first team action after being sidelined for two months with an ankle injury before the World Cup 2014. Dortmund suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen at the start of their Bundesliga season on Saturday after the league's fastest ever goal and another deep in stoppage time. In charge: Klopp (centre) believes Reus will be staying at Dortmund for 'some years' Winger Karim Bellarabi took nine seconds to score the opener for the visitors with Dortmund below par despite the return of Reus. Stefan Kiessling scored the visitors' second goal in stoppage time to secure victory with Bellarabi pouncing on an Erik Durm mistake to set up the forward. | Jurgen Klopp reveals Marco Reus will be staying at Borussia Dortmund . Dortmund boss says he has a 'good feeling' about Reus . Dortmund suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen on opening day of Bundesliga season . | cdc1029ed3a1fe35036ca0c88bebbbf964f26fd8 |
By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 03:44 EST, 5 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:52 EST, 5 March 2014 . BBC sports presenter Gabby Logan called Andy Murray 'the moodiest most miserable b******' she has ever met during a talk with students . Gabby Logan has branded Andy Murray the ‘most miserable b******’ she has ever met. The TV presenter was joking with an audience about her experience interviewing him at last summer’s Olympics. He was in such a foul mood after losing the mixed doubles final that she just wanted to tell him to ‘cheer up’. The BBC sports presenter said: ‘I was a big fan. Then at the Olympics he had just won a silver with Laura Robson and he was the moodiest, most miserable b****** I’ve ever met in my life, because he only won a silver.’ She added: ‘If I wasn’t on live telly I’d have gone “cheer up”.’ Defeat in the doubles final came the same day he had been beaten Roger Federer in the men’s singles final to win Olympic gold. The following year Murray became the first British man in 77 years to win Wimbledon, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. The former gymnast, who is married to ex-rugby player Kenny Logan, may come across as motherly and mild, when coaxing contestants onto the diving board in ITV’s Splash! – but it seems she has a sharp tongue on her, too. During the talk at Leeds Trinity University, Mrs Logan, 40, also poked fun at marathon runner Paula Radcliffe about the time she stopped to relieve herself during a race, saying: ‘One guy tweeted and said “my wife thinks Paula’s dress is nicer than yours”. So I showed Paula and she p***** herself. Again.’ And she joked about footballer Ryan Giggs’s affair with his sister-in-law and mocked former England star Gary Lineker for becoming a ‘crisp salesman’. Speaking about her fellow BBC presenter, she said: ‘A lot of people don’t see Gary as a footballer any more, they see him as a crisp salesman… sorry, they see him as a broadcaster.’ Her spokesman said: ‘These quotes clearly formed part of a humorous speech.’ The Splash! TV presenter admitted she and her husband worry that Lois, who is eight, could develop body image issues as she grows up. Mrs Logan represented Wales in rhythmic gymnastics but was forced to retire from the sport aged 17 due to sciatica. Gabby Logan said he she had not been on live TV she would have told Andy Murray to cheer up . Laura Robson (right) and Andy Murray (left) display their silver medals during a ceremony at the end of the London 2012 Olympic Games mixed doubles tennis tournament . She kept a diary during her teenage years and admitted that she wrote about feeling uncomfortable with her changing body once she hit puberty. Mrs Logan who co-presented Olympics 2012 for the BBC alongside Clare Balding, made her comments in a wide-ranging interview in which she spoke about the importance of healthy eating in her family and being able to recognise hunger. Mrs Logan said: ’I would never want my daughter to think she had to eat less of something. We talk about over eating, about how that’s not good, to eat more than you need to. All in good jest: Gabby Logan also poked fun at Gery Lineker and Paula Radcliffe during the talk . ‘But at the same time you can give those messages without it being about body image, it’s about health again. It all comes back to health as opposed to being svelte or fitting into your jeans.’ Mrs Logan, who is married to Kenny, 41, said: ‘I was always aware, when you do gymnastics you’re always in a leotard – you can’t be any more, the next thing is being naked. And so you’re very aware of your body so when I hit puberty I didn’t want to change.' Mrs Logan has now joined a Tesco healthy eating campaign called Eat Happy. | The TV star was speaking to students at Leeds Trinity University . Presenter said she'd have told him to 'cheer up' if it had not been live TV . She also poked fun at Paula Radcliffe and Gary Lineker . | c0b503903a8f8906edb74f83f54633d88c81d91e |
Lille are weighing up a move for Sunderland’s unsettled striker Jozy Altidore. The USA international has failed to start a Barclays Premier League game this season. Lille see Altidore as a potential replacement for Liverpool loanee Divock Origi, who will head back to his parent club at the end of the current campaign. Jozy Altidore is keen to leave Sunderland after an underwhelming spell with the Wearside outfit . Altidore (right) played for the USA in the 4-1 defeat to the Republic of Ireland in midweek . Divock Origi was bought by Liverpool from Lille for £10m, but loaned back to the Ligue 1 side . The 25-year-old is desperate for first-team football and could leave the club after his move to Wearside last summer. But Sunderland will want to recoup much of the £7million they paid AZ Alkmaar for his services. The Ligue 1 outfit, who are currently 14th in the table, are third in Everton's Europa League group. | Altidore hasn't played a Premier League game for Black Cats this season . He is not part of boss Gus Poyet's plans and wants to leave the club . Lille will lose Liverpool loanee Origi at the end of the season . And the French club see Altidore as a tailor-made replacement . | 703fed10a664a5ce300b308998c7d306e66d6b6a |
Kate Moss could soon be partying in the Highlands at a hotel owned by the man behind royal favourites Mahiki and Whiskey Mist, it has been reported. Kate's model-turned-nutritionist bestfriend Rose Ferguson, whose daughters were bridesmaids at the star's wedding to Jamie Hince, is said to be set to host her birthday bash at the high-end Craigellachie. Other A-listers claimed to have been invited to the 19th Century Scottish retreat next month, include Liam and Noel Gallagher, the Times reported. The high-end Craigellachie Hotel is reportedly set to host a birthday party next month for Kate Moss's model-turned-nutritionist bestfriend Rose Ferguson . Kate Moss (pictured left) could be partying in the Highlands at the hotel owned by Piers Adam (pictured right), the man behind royal favourites Mahiki and Whiskey Mist . A-listers including Liam Gallagher (pictured left) and Noel Gallagher (pictured right) are reported to be on the guest list . The hotel is owned by millionaire entrepreneur Piers Adam, whose exclusive London nightclubs have been frequented by Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Mr Adam, who was Guy Ritchie's best-man at the film wedding to Madonna, bought the Craigellachie in October last year after he fell in love with the 28-bedroom mansion while visiting with his father three years ago. Following the purchase, he is said to have spent up to £3 million refurbishing the traditional fishing and hunting lodge, built in 1893, to its former glory. The hotel's general manager Kevin Smith told the Times they have 'a lot of famous faces booked for next year.' Mr Adam's famously offered Prince George a lifetime membership to his Mayfair venue Mahiki following his birth in July 2013. Adam's also owns a ski chalet-themed club, Bobo's Schloss, with business partner Nick House and Prince Harry's schoolfriend Thomas van Straubenzee close to Kensington Palace. | Kate Moss's bestfriend is reportedly hosting a party in the Highlands . Rose Ferguson is said to be holding her birthday bash at Craigellachie . Guest are said to include Liam and Noel Gallagher . Piers Adam who owns royal favourites Mahiki and Whiskey Mist owns the Craigellachie . | a9ea392d0b638f7c9fa5bd69b466ba0cbfe21fc7 |
Brendan Rodgers has boldly predicted Liverpool will be serious title challengers next year and wants a trophy this season to kick-start their push. Liverpool have started to show glimpses of the form that saw them compete with Manchester City last year and go into Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Bolton having lost just one of their last 15 matches. A number of the signings Rodgers made last summer — Alberto Moreno, Lazar Markovic and Emre Can — have started to make a difference and the manager believes that augurs well. Brendan Rodgers has boldly predicted Liverpool will be serious title challengers next year . Rodgers said that once the signing made in the summer gel they will compete for the Premier League crown . Rodgers is adamant they will leave their inconsistencies behind in 2015-16 and wants to see his squad collect silverware. ‘The reality was with so many changes we were not going to win the league this season. We’ll be ready to challenge for the title next year,’ said Rodgers, who ruled Daniel Sturridge out of a return to action against Bolton. ‘This year was about targeting the top four and the cups. This squad has Premier League-winning capabilities. 'We have young players who can grow. A win in the cup would provide greater stimulus. You need ready-made quality as well, but this was the year for players to adapt and settle. Come the summer the period of integration will be complete and we can compete like we did last year for the title. Rodgers shakes hands with Jose Mourinho during their recent Capital One Cup clash at Anfield . Raheem Sterling in action against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield . ‘We’ve shown in the last 13 or 14 games the restructuring of the team to make us a creative threat is there. If it continues, and we can add one or two, then we’ve got the foundation to challenge.’ Rodgers hopes to keep Glen Johnson, whose contract runs out in the summer and said in November he wouldn’t ‘go crawling’ to the club for a new deal. The 30-year-old right back could return from a thigh problem against Bolton and Rodgers said: ‘He is happy to work with the club to find a solution to stay. He loves being here.’ Meanwhile, Parma president Ermir Kodra has said they were ‘very close’ to signing striker Mario Balotelli earlier this month. Glen Johnson's contract expires in the summer and he is yet to agree a new deal . Parma president Ermir Kodra said they were ‘very close’ to signing striker Mario Balotelli earlier this month . | Brendan Rodgers says Liverpool will be title contenders next season . He insisted the summer departures made that impossible this season . But Rodgers claimed that when the new signings gel they will be back . | fb06f2c7ea15c2b8fb02e4bb250c6894315de195 |
By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 07:32 EST, 9 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:53 EST, 9 March 2014 . Held back: Graham Stuart said white working-class parents that their children are held back at school because the television is constantly on in their homes . A Conservative MP has told white working-class parents that their children are held back at school because the television is constantly on in their homes. Graham Stuart said that youngsters from poorer families are being overtaken in school by pupils from ethnic minorities because these children worked harder. The privately-educated MP for Beverley and Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire said parents should turn off their televisions, blaming a constant stream for stopping children from being able to concentrate on their homework. Mr Stuart is chairman of the Commons education committee, is currently investigating the 'underachievement' of white working-class children, and the reasons behind this - including the impact of their homes and families, and what can be done to improve their educational outcomes. The MP makes his own two children finish their homework before they are allowed to sit down in front of the TV. 'I am not trying to demonise people who leave the telly on if they do not know how damaging it is because no one tells them and [if] they do know know how important two hours' extra homework every fortnight is,' he said, according to the Sunday Times. Mr Stuart added that poor white . children are falling behind some pupils from ethnic minorities, and said . that being able to do homework without the distraction of the . television would help youngsters improve their grades. He . said that children from poor immigrant families, who live in 'dire' housing outperform some disadvantaged British children because they work harder. Improvement: Mr Stuart said that being able to do homework without the distraction of the television would help youngsters improve their grades . However, Mr Stuart's remarks, made as he took evidence as part of the education committee's investigation, were criticised by fellow committee member Labour MP Chris Williamson. The Labour MP for Derby North said that Mr Stuart's views on television demonstrated 'how cut off these privileged members of the Conservative party are'. He added that the children's struggles were down to a lack of opportunity. | Graham Stuart said white youngsters from poor families were being overtaken by children from ethnic minorities . MP said TV stopped children from concentrating on their homework . Education committee chairman was taking evidence on underachievement of white working-class children . | af44c8656aa9240a863a55d6af5e04e5d73d0257 |
Gary Lineker believes it is 'essential' Arsenal sign a new striker during the transfer window if they want to challenge for major silverware. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is refusing to panic buy a replacement for Olivier Giroud, who has been ruled out until the New Year with a broken tibia. Giroud's injury has limited Wenger's striking options to Alexis Sanchez, who is more effective as a winger, and the inexperienced Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell. Pain game: Olivier Giroud looks set to be out of action until the new year with an ankle injury . Lukas Podolski can play up front but has been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium, while another possibility, Theo Walcott, is sidelined with a knee problem. Former England marksman Lineker believes Wenger must add firepower to his squad before the transfer window closes on Monday. 'Arsenal needed to sign a forward whether Giroud was injured or not,' said Lineker, who was speaking as part of Walkers' 'Do Us A Flavour' campaign. In the goals: Giroud scored Arsenal's equalizer against Everton at the weekend . 'Now that he's injured it's essential for them really if they're to compete for major titles . 'Forward is one position where they needed to strengthen. You could say in midfield too, but particularly up-front. 'If they could add a player who could guarantee 25-goals a season that would be hugely beneficial to them. 'Arsene has showed a lot of faith in Giroud and he's a good player who will score goals, but he's not hugely prolific and lacks a bit of pace to be that.' Taking his chance: Arsene Wenger could decide to use Joel Campbell instead of buying a striker . Sanchez operated as lone striker in Wednesday night's 1-0 victory over Besiktas and rewarded Wenger's faith by opening his Arsenal account with a goal that secured the Gunners' place in the Champions League group stage. However, Lineker shares a widely-held belief that the £35million signing from Barcelona is better suited to a wider role. 'Striker isn't Sanchez's natural position, he prefers it out wide, certainly on the right-hand side of a three,' Lineker said. Stepping up: Wenger believes new signing Alexis Sanchez can play in a more forward role . 'I'm sure he can play striker because he's a terrific player, but I'm not sure it brings out the best in him. 'He's better when he's facing people and going at them, rather than having his back to goal.' Sanchez was superb against Besiktas with a glaring second-half miss failing to devalue an energetic performance full of desire and commitment. | Olivier Giroud has been ruled out until the beginning of next year . Arsene Wenger says he is unlikely to buy a replacement in this window . Gary Lineker says Arsenal must buy a replacement if they want to win anything this season . | 6c6c514853d87867b88847dbabd78058be55f8f5 |
An artist makes incredible delicate and detailed pieces of art just by walking over fresh snowfall. 55-year-old Simon Beck walks miles in the snow to make these incredible pieces that only last a day before being covered by a fresh snowfall. The artist from Bracknell, Berkshire walks over layers of fresh snow with nothing but an expedition compass and a pair of snowshoes to create his slope styling art. The orienteering map designer, finds spaces in between lodges and mountains at ski resorts to create these masterpieces. Scroll down for video . Glacial beauty: Simon Beck walks miles in the snow to make these incredible artworks that only last until they are covered by a fresh snowfall . Intricate: The artist can walk up to 40km over 10 hours to indulge in his passion for snow art . He creates large, mathematical patterns that have varying effects when viewed from different angles and as the day progresses, his creations take on new aspects. He typically makes his mind-blowing designs in France, where he lives during ski season, and documents them afterward with awe-inspiring photographs. Mr Beck said: 'Most of the time I travel round the Alps and hike up mountains, aiming to be on the summit at sunset for good photos. My feet are in a bad way but if I can keep my weight off the front of my feet things are not too bad. 'Often I am copying designs I have found, like crop circles or well-known mathematical figures, or repeating designs I have made earlier but failed to get good photos of. 'Some designs I am commissioned to do require a lot of study as to the best way to create it, and this process can take several hours.' Shapes in the snow: Skiers stop to take a look at one of Mr beck's creations. He uses a compass and measuring tape to plot his course . Vortex: The artist creates large, mathematical patterns that have varying effects when viewed from different angles and at different times of the day . Snow shell: He first plans out the pattern on graph paper, then surveys the site and judges where the major points of the design should be, and starts at one of those points . The artist favours level, untracked site with a uniform snow depth of about nine inches of powdery snow . Pole star: To spread the word, the artist has written his Facebook page in the snow above the design . Mr Beck first plans out the pattern on graph paper, then surveys the site and judges where the major points of the design should be, and starts at one of those points. From the centre he calculates the distance to the other points and walks out and back from the centre to the other points, using either pace counting or a measuring tape to determine the number of steps he needs to take. Each piece is composed of a series of lines, geometric shapes, or arcs and curves, which he shades in to fill in the pattern. It takes him about 10 hours on average to complete a piece and he estimates that he's walked more than 40km to complete some pieces, which only last until the next heavy snowfall. The artist favours level, untracked site with a uniform snow depth of about nine inches of powdery snow to make sure his art looks best in photographs, which he takes from either an aircraft, summit or a ski lift. Mountainside: Mr Beck copies designs he finds, like crop circles or well-known mathematical figures . Ever decreasing circles: The artist takes the aerial pictures from either an aircraft or a ski lift . Epic: The artworks are created during the ski season, when Mr Beck relocates to France . The orienteering map designer, finds spaces in between lodges and mountains at ski resorts to create the masterpieces . Mr Beck, 55, from Bracknell in Berkshire, poses next to one of his artworks . | Berkshire resident Simon Beck can spend 10 hours and walk 40km to create a single design . The mapmaker creates them in France, where he lives during ski season, and takes beautiful photos . Simply planning the intricate designs can take hours for the 55-year-old from Berkshire . | 9f927f99425b528ccce9ce517adedf9b2a5b2e23 |
Mexico City (CNN) -- Police have captured a man they allege is one of the main producers of methamphetamine for Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, authorities said. Police detained Jaime "JH" Herrera in Culiacan, Sinaloa, said Eduardo Pequeno, the head of the anti-drug department of Mexico's Federal Police. Authorities seized roughly $2 million worth of methamphetamine during his arrest, Pequeno said. Herrera was arrested Monday, as a result of intelligence work by federal police, Mexico's ministry of public security said. Herrera, 43, is a fugitive in the United States, where he is wanted on several criminal counts, the ministry said, without giving further details. Authorities trace his alleged criminal history to 1996, as a dealer of synthetic drugs in Los Angeles, and the following year began to produce methamphetamine in his hometown of Culiacan, where he carried out operations until 1999, the ministry said. Herrera moved his operations closer to the United States, to the border town of Tijuana, before returning to Culiacan by 2002, the public security ministry alleges. At this time, he began working for the Sinaloa cartel, led by one of the world's most wanted drug traffickers, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. By that time, there was a shortage of chemicals for the production of methamphetamine, which led Herrera to branch out directly to Colombian traffickers, as well as to suppliers in China and Guatemala, the ministry alleges. He is accused of transporting the drugs to the border area with a fleet of three planes and using ground routes to smuggle the drugs to Los Angeles, the ministry said. Following his arrest, he told authorities that he moved several tons of drugs into the United States between 2008 and 2009, the ministry said. CNNMexico.com contributed to this report. | NEW: An official says authorities seized $2 million worth of methamphetamine . Suspected methamphetamine producer Jaime "JH" Herrera is detained in Sinaloa state . He is also wanted for alleged trafficking in the United States, government says . | 754e7b88fcca04d7907ede400155706c6a961cc5 |
They are the much-coveted jetset jobs that see men and women fly around the world to exciting destinations. But working as cabin crew certainly comes with its trials - especially with the unusual requests often made by airlines. From a minimum arm reach to jungle training and even an enforced single relationship status, airlines often demand the most unlikely situations and skills of their employees. Scroll down for video . Qatar Airways air staff are required to have a minimum arm stretch of 84 inches while on tip-toes . To apply for a much-coveted job with luxury Gulf carrier Qatar Airways, flight attendants must have a minimum arm stretch of 84 inches while on tip-toes, presumably to reach the overhead lockers. The same airline was the subject of controversy just a year ago after it was reported that female cabin crew must remain unmarried for the first five years of their contract. The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) launched a campaign against the airline over its demands about marriage and pregnancy. The airline reportedly warns women who fall pregnant that they cannot be guaranteed ground staff jobs. Qatar came under fire for reportedly not allowing air stewardesses to marry in their first five years of the job . Akbar al Baker told Reuters: 'If you come to seek employment with Qatar Airways we give you a document that these are the rules and regulations, if you as a mature individual accept those conditions, then you shouldn’t complain.' He added: 'You know they have come there to do a job and we make sure that they are doing a job that they give us a good return on our investment.' MailOnline Travel has contacted Qatar Airways for further comment on the policy. That's not the only bizarre - and sometimes seemingly unnecessary - requirement made on future air stewards. Air stewards working for TAM airlines in Brazil are required to undergo a strict Amazon jungle training . For instance, Brazilian airline TAM require air staff to undergo intense Amazon jungle survival training. It makes sense. Over half of the country is covered in rugged rainforest and if an aircraft had to make an emergency landing among the trees, cabin crew need to be prepared. In fact, the country's government require any airline based in the country to offer this kind of training. According to Airline Reporter, TAM's course is undertaken by cabin crew in a section of rainforest behind their training centre, and includes instructions on using debris to build a makeshift lavatory. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic cabin crew - male and female - must attend a 'groom school' at the airline's base in Crawley, near Gatwick Airport, to learn the company's staunch rules on appearance, which includes a minimum make up requirement. 'Stewardesses must wear mascara, blusher and red lipstick,' Grooming Manager Mim Allgood told the Daily Mail. EasyJet crew Emma Murry and Claudia Jackson sit in one of the engines of an Airbus A319 at Belfast airport . 'The boys are allowed to use clear mascara and wear make-up - like to cover up a spot - as long as you can't tell.' The airline has its own shade of lipstick - Upper Class Red by Bare Minerals, which exactly matches the uniform. 'The girls can pick any red from any brand and they needn't spend a fortune. Nails should be red too, or smartened with a French manicure or pale pink polish.' AirAsia also has its own unusual requests, asking for cabin crew applicants only aged between 20 and 28 with excellent eyesight. AirAsia advertises for staff aged between 20 and 28 years old who will not be allowed to wear glasses . However, applicants are assured they will be allowed to wear contact lenses if needed, but no glasses. EasyJet air stewards do not have such strict rules, but the safety requirements on their website stipulate that applicants must be able to tread water for at least a minute. Ryanair stops short of that but asks that all cabin crew are 'able to swim well'. They also request that stewards are between 5ft 2inches and 6 ft 2inches height 'with weight in proportion'. Like Qatar, Emirates requires that cabin crew have an arm reach of just less than 84 inches while standing on tiptoes. Virgin Atlantic cabin crew - male and female - are required to attend a 'Groom School' to hone their immaculate appearance . British Airways' Alice Kennedy who works as a member of the Gatwick cabin crew team . British Airways underline the importance for its cabin crew to look preened at all times.They request that tights are 10 or 15 denier in black, or nearly black, shirts well ironed and crisp, and nail polish must be red or very pale natural shades. Amy James, Head of Worldwide Cabin Crew, told : 'We expect our crew to look the part and uphold high uniform standards, both in the air and on the ground. British Airways' uniform is one of the most distinctive and our customers immediately recognise our crew when they step on board.' According to one poster, apparently recruiting cabin crew in Thailand, AirAsia requires air stewards to be aged between 20 and 28, university educated and with a minimum height of 5 ft 3 inches. Those who fall short by an inch can reconcile themselves with the fact that they still make the Ryanair minimum height. | Qatar airlines request cabin crew have an arm stretch of 84 inches . Brazilian airline TAM train their flight attendants in jungle survival skills . Meanwhile, easyJet staff must be able to tread water for at least a minute . | 9745f0cd8bd9c252378b5a51d36bdcdde362aaa9 |
Pope Francis has told members of the Italian Mafia they will be welcomed by the Roman Catholic church if they repent their sins and give up organised crime. The Pontiff told an audience of pilgrims and anti-crime activists at the Vatican that they would be free to join the church, if they promised to stop 'serving the cause of evil'. Many of those gathered to hear the Pope had come from the diocese of Cassano allo Jonio in the southern Calabria region, home to the 'Ndrangheta, the mainland Italy equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia. Pope Francis arrives for a special audience at the Vatican with pilgrims and anti-crime activists from the southern Calabria region, home to the Italian Mafia . He told his audience: 'Open your hearts to the Lord. The Lord is waiting for you and the Church will welcome you if your willingness to serve good is clear and public as your choice to serve evil was.' Last June, Pope Francis travelled to Calabria, where he accused organised crime groups of practicing 'the adoration of evil' and said Mafia members had excommunicated themselves from the Church by their actions. His visit to the region last year came after he promised to meet the father of a three-year-old toddler, Nicola 'Coco' Campolongo who was shot dead alongside his grandfather in the town of Cassano allo Ionio. The murders were apparent mafia assassinations over money and the discovery of their bodies in a burnt-out Fiat Punto sent shockwaves through Italy. The Pope greets a baby at the Vatican as he arrived to address an audience. He told them that the Italian Mafia will be welcomed by the Roman Catholic church if they repent their sins and give up organised crime . Pope Francis told the audience: 'Open your hearts to the Lord. The Lord is waiting for you and the Church will welcome you if your willingness to serve good is clear and public as your choice to serve evil was' During his visit to Castrovillari prison, the Pontiff met Coco's father, who was serving time in prison alongside the toddler's mother for drug crimes when their son was killed. It was here that he also denounced the 'Ndrangheta for what he called its 'adoration of evil and contempt for the common good.' 'Those who go down the evil path, as the Mafiosi do, are not in communion with God. They are excommunicated,' he warned. The Pontiff told pilgrims and tourists in St Peter's Square that he and his top aides would be starting a spiritual renewal retreat until Friday in Arricia, a suburb of Rome. The 'Ndrangheta, which makes most of its money from drug trafficking, has spread from Calabria to northern Europe and North America. A 2013 study by Demoskopia, an economic and social research institute, estimated the 'Ndrangheta's annual turnover at some 53 billion euros in 30 countries, equivalent to about 3.5 percent of Italy's total official economic output. It has been much harder for investigators to combat than the Sicilian Mafia because its structure is more lateral than hierarchical and its tightly-knit families are harder to penetrate. Last month 163 people were arrested in a major police crackdown on the 'Ndrangheta with 1,300lb of drugs also seized. Italian police arrest members of the notorious 'Ndrangheta mafia gang- said to be the most powerful crime organisation in the country . The Pope's message to the mafia comes as he announced he would be leaving the Vatican for a few days alongside his advisers to work. He said he would be 'correcting the many defects that we all have.' The Pontiff told tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists in St Peter's Square that he and his top aides would be starting a spiritual renewal retreat. Until Friday morning, they will spend time listening to reflections, meditating and praying in Ariccia, a suburb of Rome. | The Pope has urged the Italian Mafia to give up a life of organised crime . Told Mafia members that they could join church if they repent their sins . Audience members had come from the Italy's southern Calabria region . Area is home to 'Ndrangheta, the mainland equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia . Last year the Pope visited the region saying Mafia members had excommunicated themselves . | fbdd95d2f0df5db9a63932165f33370ecc8ce0c9 |
The Django Unchained actress who claims she was harassed by 'racist' LAPD officers used the N-word and declared that she knew her rights because she played a cop on TV after being handcuffed and detained, MailOnline can reveal. In between sobs and hysterics, Danièle Watts said: 'I know my rights, I played a cop on TV and I know that when someone asks for ID you aren't required to give it to them.' The new audio file, recorded by one of the officers on the scene and released exclusively to MailOnline by a law enforcement source, reveals the moment that police slapped handcuffs on Miss Watts after she walked away from an officer who asked to see her identification. MailOnline can also reveal that of the three officers who showed up to the scene, one is Hispanic, one is a woman and the third - LAPD Sergeant Jim Parker - is openly gay. Scroll down for exclusive audio . Sgt Jim Parker (center) has defended his handling of the Danièle Watts case - saying that she is barking up the wrong tree if she think she was discriminated against. Sgt. Parker revealed he is openly gay and says one of the officers on the scene is Hispanic (right) and the other is a woman . 'I played a copy on TV!' Daniele Watts, who has accused the LAPD of harassment, played police cadet Angela Mullen in the Showtime comedy 'Weeds' Miss Watts has repeatedly claimed that she didn't need to show her identification to officers who were called to a CBS lot in Studio City, California, last Thursday. When cops cuffed her, she claimed she knew her rights because of her acting experience. Miss Watts played police cadet Angela Mullen in eight episodes of the Showtime comedy 'Weeds' in 2012. Her other acting credits include Coco in the 2012 film 'Django Unchained' and Laura Jackson in the FX show 'Partners.' In the audio recording, Miss Watts sobs after being cuffed. An officer can be heard trying to calm her down. She tells him through tears: 'You're not the one in handcuffs, you're not the one who's spent your life being called a n*****, and growing up in the South and now I get the cops called on me. 'I'm an actress at this studio! I'm in a major sitcom and I'm still being put in handcuffs because I'm making out with my boyfriend.' Sgt Parker, a 25-year veteran of the LAPD, says he was offended by claims that Miss Watts was harassed because she is a black woman with a white boyfriend. Sgt Parker said he's witnessed first hand many of the department's most dramatic moments - including the 1992 riots over the beating of black motorist Rodney King and the 1997 North Hollywood shoot out. Throughout his career, he says he has watched the LAPD become dramatically more sensitive to race relations and diversity. 'It’s a new generation. It’s not about who you are or what religion you are or what color you are, it's about who you are and what you do in uniform,' he told MailOnline. Sgt Parker, who is white, said that as Miss Watts ranted about being discriminated against for being black, she didn't take the time to realize that all three officers who responded to the scene were minorities. 'A gay officer, a female officer and a Hispanic officer were there,' he said. 'How funny it is. She kind of didn’t really get the right mix there. It’s quite comical.' Sgt. Jim Parker, a 25-year veteran of the LAPD, says he is speaking out because he's seen the department become dramatically more sensitive since he's been on the force . Sgt Parker said that when the complaint about a couple having sex in their car came in, he happened to be right around the corner. He quickly fingered Miss Watts and her boyfriend of 15 months Brian James Lucas as the suspects - though he said he had no intention of arresting anyone. Sgt Parker says he simply wanted to respond to the call and then grab a cup of coffee. Miss Watts and Mrs Lucas maintain they were doing nothing wrong - and that they were only making out, not having sex. Sgt Parker said he fears that if he and other officers had not recorded their run-in with Miss Watts, her allegations would have ruined their careers. 'She picked the wrong person to make a public incident out of a private matter,' he said. Miss Watts and Mr Lucas dispute LAPD assertions that Miss Watts was legally obligated to show ID when asked. Mr Lucas wrote on his Facebook today: 'What we experienced this past Thursday, September 11 was the THIRD time in the past few months that D and I have had to deal with cops profiling a "black and white couple." This is the THIRD time, an officer has realized his error and had to let us go because we weren't breaking any laws.' He continues: 'As the LA Times and ACLU have said in the past few days, Daniele had every right NOT to show her ID!!! California does not have a stop and identify statute. According to California State Law, to investigate a potential arrest for lewd behavior (which is a misdemeanor), Sgt Parker would have had to seen us in the middle of the lewd act, OR had talked to a witness at the scene of the alleged crime.' The LAPD said it is conducting a review of the officers' behavior, but all three remain on the streets. | Actress Danièle Watts claimed she was harassed and racially profiled by the LAPD because she is black and her boyfriend is white . A new audio recording obtained exclusively by MailOnline reveals Watts used the N-word . Claimed she knew the law because she played cop on 'Weeds' Sgt Jim Parker is speaking out to defend his actions and the actions of his other two officers on the scene . Sgt Parker revealed he is gay, one of the officers involved is a woman and the other is Hispanic . Kristina Lucarelli with MailOnline contributed to this report . | 246f1b8f4bcbc406b6ad0344e763c34ec056981f |
By . Karolos Grohmann . Germany coach Joachim Low on Monday dismissed suggestions his pre-World Cup camp resembled a hospital due to the number of injured players. Captain Philipp Lahm and keeper Manuel Neuer are recovering from injuries and have yet to start training, while playmaker Bastian Schweinsteiger and defender Marcel Schmelzer are training alone at their northern Italy training camp. Holding midfielder Sami Khedira only recently returned to action after six months out injured and although he played for Real Madrid in Saturday's Champions League final, he was replaced after an hour. Bullish mood: Joachim Low is confident he will have his key men fit for the World Cup . '(When you) see reports you would think that we are in a hospital here but that is not the case," he told reporters in his first news conference since the team's arrival in the Italian Alps for a 10-day camp last week. 'We will travel to Brazil with a competitive and good team. The players are working very well and as it stands now I am very satisfied. Some are still injured and cannot fully train with the team but they are all training individually and I am very confident that it will work out.' Germany, drawn with Ghana, Portugal and the United States in Group G, are eager to end an 18-year title drought and Low said all would be fit in time for the tournament starting in Brazil next month. Talking tactics: Low briefs his squad during training . 'Philipp will start running on Tuesday and then we have to see every day. We should not force it,' he said, adding that Neuer would continue receiving treatment for an injured shoulder. He said players like Lahm, Schweinsteiger and Neuer would not be affected too much if they missed a few days of training. 'We assume that all of them will be fully fit within days,' said the 54-year-old. 'That is what they are working on. According to our medical department these are all short-term injury and I see no problem.' Limbering up: Andre Schuerrle, Julian Draxler, Toni Kroos and Mario Goetze stretch it out . With Lahm expected to be fit well before the tournament starts, Low will delay his decision on where to deploy the right back, with his captain eager to move into a permanent role in midfield. 'We will decide during the preparation where he will play,' said Low, whose team take on Cameroon and Armenia in World Cup warm-up games on June 1 and June 6. 'It also depends on other players. It is still a bit early. We have to see what happens with Khedira and Schweinsteiger. We will take a decision after those friendlies.' | Coach hit back at claims pre-World Cup camp resembled a hospital . Lahm and Neuer are recovering from injuries and yet to begin training . Schweinsteiger and Schmelzer training alone at Italian base . | a69034a7b4849f2690535659bed6ca20f28232ca |
At least 1,700 military veterans waiting to see a doctor were never scheduled for an appointment and were never placed on a wait list at the Veterans Affairs medical center in Phoenix, raising the question of just how many may have been "forgotten or lost" in the system, according to a preliminary report made public Wednesday. Describing a "systemic" practice of manipulating appointments and wait lists at the Phoenix Health Care System, the VA's Office of Inspector General called for a nationwide review to determine whether veterans at other locations were falling through the cracks. It also appears to indicate the scope of the inquiry is rapidly widening, with 42 VA medical centers across the country now under investigation for possible abuse of scheduling practices, according to the report. Among the findings at the Phoenix VA, investigators determined one consequence of manipulating appointments for the veterans was understating patient wait times -- a factor considered for VA employee bonuses and raises, the report said. The preliminary report sparked outrage from all corners, with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki calling the findings "reprehensible" and ordering the 1,700 veterans be immediately "triaged" for care, while some lawmakers called for the agency's chief to resign. Shinseki has been on "probation" since President Barack Obama vowed last week to hold accountable those responsible for the delays, and he remains on "thin ice" with the President pending the outcome of the internal investigations, a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CNN. The VA is under fire over allegations of alarming shortcomings at its medical facilities. The controversy, as CNN first reported, involves delayed care with potentially fatal consequences in possibly dozens of cases. CNN has reported that in Phoenix, the VA used fraudulent record-keeping -- including an alleged secret list -- that covered up excessive waiting periods for veterans, some of whom died in the process. 'Numerous allegations' The big questions remain under investigation, according to the report: Did the facility's electronic wait list omit the names of veterans waiting for care and, if so, at who's direction? And were the deaths of any of these veterans related to delays in care? "To date our work has substantiated serious conditions at the Phoenix facility," said the report, which also found another 1,400 veterans were on the Phoenix VA's formal electronic wait list but did not have a doctor's appointment. The report also found "numerous allegations" of "daily of mismanagement, inappropriate hiring decisions, sexual harassment, and bullying behavior by mid- and senior-level managers." Calling the report's initial findings "damning," House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Florida, said "you can only imagine" what might come out once a fuller investigation is completed. The investigation is expected to be completed later this summer, with a final report issued by the VA inspector general in August. The report's findings prompted the American Legion to call for a criminal investigation. "We want every VA employee who participated in these cover-ups to be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law ..." the veterans group said in a written statement. The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the interim report, Peter Carr, a Justice Department spokesman, said. "We will continue to consult with the inspector general's office regarding their ongoing review," he said. Document: VA audit report released . Calls for Shinseki's resignation . Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, told CNN it was "about time" the Justice Department launched its own investigation. "I haven't said this before, but I think it's time for Gen. Shinseki to move on," McCain said. There have been calls from other members of Congress for him to step down over the scandal, but McCain's voice on military matters carries enormous weight considering his experience as a combat veteran, a Vietnam prisoner of war, and his work in the Senate on related issues. Shinseki finds himself in a firestorm . A number of Senate Democrats, all up for re-election this year, also called for Shinseki to leave his post. Among them was Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado who took to Twitter with his message: "In light of IG report & systemic issues at @DeptVetAffairs, Sec. Shinseki must step down." Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota said a change in leadership is needed. "I believe it would be in the best interest of veterans for Secretary Shinseki to step down," he said. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said "fundamental problems plague the agency." "It's time for a forceful new leader to address the outrageous problems at the VA," she said. Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken told CNN that President Barack Obama has been briefed on the report, and found it "deeply troubling." When pressed on whether Obama still supports Shinseki, Blinken said: "We're focused on making sure these veterans who've delivered for this country get the care they need." IG: 'Take immediate action' The VA has acknowledged 23 deaths nationwide due to delayed care. The VA's inspector general, Richard Griffin, told a Senate committee in recent weeks that his investigation so far had found a possible 17 deaths of veterans waiting for care in Phoenix, but he added that there was no evidence that excessive waiting was the reason. Griffin recommended that Shinseki "take immediate action" to "review and provide appropriate health care" to the 1,700 veterans identified in Phoenix as not being on a wait list. It also recommended that he initiate a nationwide review of waiting lists "to ensure that veterans are seen in an appropriate time, given their clinical condition." The report came just hours before the start of a combative House committee hearing on the Phoenix VA issues, where Republican and Democratic leaders said they were dissatisfied with the VA's response to their panel's subpoena for documents on shortcomings related at the agency's Phoenix medical center. "Veterans died. Give us the answers, please," Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican, told one of three senior VA officials called to testify. The committee's senior Democrat, Michael Michaud of Maine, was equally sharp with the witnesses, who initially sparred with lawmakers over the agency's response for documents before answering questions about Phoenix. "Let me be clear, I'm not happy. We do expect answers. We'll get to the bottom of this," Michaud said. Dr. Thomas Lynch, the VA's assistant deputy under secretary for clinical operations, told the committee there are plans in place to contact the 1,700 veterans in Phoenix by the close of business on Friday to assess their needs and get them care. Lynch, who said he agreed with the interim report's findings, believes that overarching agency goals for reducing wait times for care are flawed. "What's happened is unacceptable," he said. VA pledges faster appointments . The VA's troubled history . | A veterans group demands a criminal investigation of medical center practices . 1,700 veterans will be contacted by the end of business Friday, a VA official says . VA Secretary Eric Shinseki is on ''thin ice'' with Obama, a White House official says . The scope widens, with 42 medical centers now under investigation . | 7c61805f987df1eb662b2f4e836d5dc7f6633901 |
By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 06:37 EST, 15 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:10 EST, 15 June 2013 . Teenager Emaan Shah has been missing since she disappeared while on a shopping trip with her family on Oxford Street on Monday . A police hunt is underway to trace an Indian teenager who went missing while on a shopping trip with her family on London's Oxford Street. Emaan Shah's parents have been left 'frantic with worry' after the 17-year-old became separated from them while out shopping on Monday, June 10. The teenager had been on holiday in the UK with her family for two weeks and was due to fly home to India that evening. Her father Tanvir Shah has said the family are desperate for information about the teenager and that there was no reason his daughter would go missing. He said: 'My wife and two sons are now frantic with worry. There is no reason for Emaan to go missing. 'We’d been enjoying our last few hours in London before catching our flight home. I was just a few paces ahead of my wife and daughter in Oxford Street and when I turned round she’d gone. 'We are at a point where we cannot eat, we cannot sleep. We are desperate for news about Emaan and just want her back with us.' Officers have said her disappearance is 'completely out of character'. Westminster police have pieced together CCTV which shows Emaan walking along Wimore Street, close to the junction with Duke Street, after appearing to have left Oxford Street. Officers have said the route could have taken her back to the hotel she was staying in. Detective Inspector Annette Clark, who is leading the investigation to trace the teenager, said: 'Emaan may be 17 but she is not street-wise and she’s never travelled alone before. 'She is not familiar with London and, to our knowledge, does not have any friends in the capital. 'It is vital that anyone with information about her whereabouts contact us as soon as possible.' Emaan is 5ft 3ins tall, of slim build with brown wavy hair. When last seen she was wearing a black jacket with a Manchester United logo on the chest, grey trousers and black and white trainers. Anyone who saw her on Oxford Street that day, or who thinks they may have seen her since, should call 101 and quote ref 5736/10JUN13. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Emaan (pictured with her father, Tanvir Shar, her mother, Kalsum and one of her two brothers, Jehan, 14) had been on holiday in the UK with her family for two weeks when she went missing . Police have released CCTV footage of Emaan walking with her mother along Oxford Street . | Emaan Shah was out shopping with her parents when she went missing . The family have been left 'frantic with worry' since disappearance on Monday . The family were on holiday in the UK and were due to return home that day . Police have issued CCTV of the teenager in a bid to trace her . | 307e7e93ae7984277f26c89ae29691c2a1b771be |
(CNN) -- Police on Friday identified the gunman who walked into a Pittsburgh psychiatric hospital and started shooting as 30-year-old John Shick. Pittsburgh police Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki initially told reporters that attempts to name the man, who was not carrying identification, had failed. But later Friday said authorities had determined his identity and were reviewing his personal computer as part of their investigation. Shick was shot and killed by police Thursday, but not before he killed hospital employee Michael Schaab, 25, and injured seven others. "It was clear that Michael was truly a leader among our staff, and he was beloved by the geriatric patients whom he cared for every day," said hospital President Claudia Roth. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this time." Roth called the incident a "senseless act of violence" that "has had a profound impact on all of us who knew and admired him." "He will be greatly missed," she said. A law enforcement source told CNN's Susan Candiotti that Shick is believed to be a transient from the western United States. Shick's Pittsburgh apartment was being searched Friday evening. One of the two 9mm handguns recovered was traced to New Mexico and the other was traced to Texas, the law enforcement source said. It was not known whether the weapons were legally purchased or how Shick allegedly came to have them. Investigators also recovered an extra box of ammunition, the source said. The guns generally hold about 15 rounds. It remained unclear how many rounds were fired before the suspect was killed by police. Four people remained hospitalized Friday, according to hospital spokeswoman Wendy Zellner. They include a 46-year-old man listed in fair condition, a 64-year-old woman in serious condition, a 35-year-old man in good condition and a 49-year-old man in serious condition, authorities said. A 54-year-old woman was released from the hospital Friday. "This is a tragic day, a sad day, a senseless day," Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said after the shooting Thursday at the medical center. The assailant walked through the psychiatric hospital's front door with a pair of semi-automatic handguns around 1:40 p.m., according to Ravenstahl. Officers from the University of Pittsburgh Police Department arrived within "a matter of minutes" and "engaged" the gunman, the mayor added. "There is no doubt that their swift response saved lives today," said Ravenstahl, lauding the police officers' "courage and willingness to step up." Those wounded were swiftly ushered to nearby UPMC Presbyterian. All are expected to survive. Officials said two of the five hospitalized patients have undergone surgery. iReporter was on the scene . Ravenstahl said that a University of Pittsburgh police officer "was grazed with a bullet, and I believe he is doing well." Steven Bartholomew, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said his agency is "working with Pittsburgh police and other authorities in the investigation." "Any firearms recovered will be traced to determine their source," Bartholomew said. At one point Thursday, the University of Pittsburgh's official Twitter account had a message that suggested a "possible 2nd actor" was involved and called for a lockdown. But later Thursday, the medical center's Twitter feed had a message that "there was no second shooter" and there was "no hostage situation," as had been reported elsewhere. Roth, the psychiatric hospital's president, said after the shooting that treatment at the facility "will be uncompromised," with care continuing to be delivered through the day and night "the same way we always have." CNN's Jeremy Ryan contributed to this report. | NEW: Officials search suspect's apartment, source says . NEW: One of five hospitalized patients released . Michael Schaab, 25, died after being shot by the gunman . Those who remain hospitalized are all employees of the psychiatric hospita . | 691df35f7b2368cd8ffcdc4f2c68155d738ca509 |
By . Helen Collis . PUBLISHED: . 07:55 EST, 16 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:52 EST, 16 October 2013 . Accused: David Carrender, 49, allegedly killed his son by shooting him six times after a fight over watching football . A father is accused of killing his son after an argument over watching football escalated into a deadly shooting spree. David Carrender, 49, allegedly shot his 19-year-old son, Wyatt Carrender, six times at the family home, in Martinsville, Indiana. The two men had been out together watching a football match at a restaurant or bar, according to Morgan County Sheriff Robert Downey, quoted in the IndyStar.com. The pair started arguing about whether to leave or not - the father wanted to stay, but the son wanted to go home, the Sheriff said. According to the news service, the father had allegedly been drinking and once the family got home, the two men continued their fight. 'It appears the father retrieved a handgun and shot his son, it appears, six times,' Sheriff Downey told the local new service. At the time of the shooting, the father's and son's girlfriends were with them, Downey told the IndyStar.com. David Carrendar, of Crooked Creek Drive, . Morgan County, has no previous arrest record, the news service said. Although his son's vehicle was registered at a Bloomington, Morgan . County address, it is thought he had been living with his father. David Carrendar, of Crooked Creek Drive, Morgan County, has no previous arrest record, the news service said . Charges are expected to be filed against David Carrender this week. A post-mortem examination is being carried out on the son's body. Read more here: Football argument prompted dad's fatal shooting of teenage son, Morgan County sheriff says . | David Carrender, 49, allegedly shot his son Wyatt Carrender, 19, six times . Morgan County sheriff said they had been watching football at a bar . The son wanted the leave; the father wanted to stay, the Sheriff said . When they got home the argument escalated into a fatal shooting . | 64a5c64a907e1d672e3d4482c10e75f0fba71eab |
A 17-year-old has been charged with the murder of a pizza delivery man who was killed on the job in Alabama last weekend. Father-of-four Najeh Masaeid, 63, a Jordanian immigrant, was delivering a Dominos order to an apartment building in Birmingham, but when he got there it was vacant. Corey Arrington Jr is accused of killing Mr Masaeid during a robbery. Killed: Najeh Masaeid, 63, was found dead in Brimingham, Alabama, on Sunday while delivering a Dominos pizza, in what police believe was a set-up robbery . Family man: Tributes have been pouring in for Masaeid, a father-of-four who has been described as honorable, hard-working, energetic and funny. A GoFundMe page set up for his family has received over $65,000 . He is in custody and undergoing questioning, held on a $100,000 bond for the robbery charge. There is no bond for the murder charge, AL.com reported. Mr Masaeid's body was found in a hallway, having died of blunt force trauma to the head, in what police believe was a premeditated robbery. However the owner of the Domino's shop where Masaeid had worked for over 15 years said Masaeid likely only had about $20 on him. 'He came here for the American Dream and it was shattered by American greed,' Masaeid's daughter, Jordan Hosey, told AL.com. 'Where's the justice in that?' 'Nothing is free. You work. You pay for what you want. You don't get free.' 'He really valued an honorable dollar.' Police evacuated the surrounding apartments before going into the one that was on Masaeid's order, only to find it empty. No one in the building reported anything out of the ordinary. Mrs Hosey said her father and mother moved to the US almost 20 years ago. He took a job at Dominos and worked 80 hours a week to afford a modest apartment for his family in Shelby County. Favorite employee: Masaeid had worked at the same Dominos for 15 years and was loved by his colleagues . Jokester: Masaeid has been described as full of life and someone who could always make a person laugh . Mrs Hosey further explained the story of her father on a GoFundMe page set up to help her mother. The family hoped for $25,000, but have already received over $65,000. Most of the donations are believed to have come from locals who often had pizzas delivered by Masaeid. 'My dad didn't make much, and I often times paid their bills,' she wrote on the page. 'He never ONCE went to the government for money, although his legal status entitled for him for it. HE never believed in this. His words to me were always "Nothing is free, you work, you pay for what you want, you don't get free". 'My Father was simply trying to earn an honorable dollar. Scene: The 63-year-old's body was found in a hallway at The District at The Summit apartment building . Set-up: Police said the person who placed the pizza order did not live at the building and lured Masaeid there . 'He didn't feel entitled for it, he worked for it, and it makes me sick to my core how someone felt they were entitled to his money (and drivers never carry much, he always deposits it everytime he runs back to the store) or his life over what? $20? 'My dads life was ended for $20? 'I can't bear it. I just can't believe it.' Masaeid will be buried on Christmas Day. Police are hoping people will information will come forward. The death is being investigated as a homicide, according to WIAT.com. David Daewoud, the owner of the Domino’s where Masaeid worked, said the address of the order Masaeid was delivering was changed at the last minute, which was not unusual, as people often might go to a friend's house and ask the order be delivered there. 'They’re luxury apartments that you would never think something like that would happen,' Daewould told WIAT.com . 'Unfortunately, the caller was a fake order. 'He was waiting on our driver Najeh by the stairs. And we don’t know all the details yet. 'We’re waiting on the police report. And the investigator is trying to find out how he was hit.' | Corey Arrington Jr, 17, charged with capital murder and robbery . Najeh Masaeid, 63, killed by a blow to the head Sunday night in Birmingham, Alabama, while delivering a pizza . Police believe the order was fake and it was a premeditated robbery . Masaeid had worked 80 hours a week at Domino's for over 15 years . His family say he believed in hard, honorable work and honesty . He is believed to have had less than $20 on him when he died . A GoFundMe page has already raised over $65,000 . | 041705338e119e48246a15ef71d21e0c5f98e6aa |
(CNN) -- You were more likely to be struck by lightning or attacked by a shark -- maybe even at the same time -- than win Wednesday night's Powerball drawing. But then again, you're not Mystery Ticket Holder in Lexington, South Carolina. Millions played, hoping against hope, defying the odds, dreaming the dream of winning the $399.4 million jackpot. But there was only one winning ticket that hit the jackpot. Powerball trio strikes it rich with $448 million jackpot . One that spit in the face of the formidable 1-in-175,223,510 odds. One that drew the winning numbers: 7, 10, 22, 32, 35 and Powerball 19. And it belongs to Mystery Ticket Holder in Lexington, South Carolina. No one has yet come forward to claim the prize, said the director of the South Carolina Lottery, Paula Harper Bethea, on Thursday morning. We may never know the name or names of the winners. South Carolina lottery rules lets winners remain anonymous if they want. Powerball jackpot winners in New Jersey claim prize . Bethea said the ticket was sold Wednesday afternoon at a Murphy gas station in that 5.8-square-mile town of 17,800. The station will receive a cool $50,000 for selling the ticket. The winner or winners must claim the prize within 180 days, Bethea said. Bethea told reporters outside the station Thursday that she encourages the winner or winners to sign the back of the ticket, put it in a secure location and seek counsel from an accountant, lawyer or financial planner. "This is a life-changing event. There are a lot of zeroes that this person or these persons are going to get," she said. Wednesday's haul was the fourth largest lottery price in U.S. history. The biggest payload in American history was $665 million in the Mega Millions game in March 2012. The greatest Powerball jackpot was the $590.5 million won with a single ticket in Florida this past May. But $400 million, with a cash value of $223 million, is still pretty sweet. Someone's calling in sick this morning. That, you can bet on. Why you keep playing the lottery . | NEW: Winner has yet to come forward, lottery official says Thursday morning . The winning ticket was purchased in Lexington, South Carolina . The odds of winning were 1 in 175,22,510 . The winning numbers: 7, 10, 22, 32, 35 and Powerball 19 . | b3d01cbeb8a87daa919b98c81b7e618bb9009f91 |
By . Daniel Mills . and Freya Noble . Capital cities on the east coast of Australia have experienced their coldest winter mornings in years as temperatures plummeted over the weekend. In Melbourne the mercury dropped to just above 1 degree, the coldest recorded temperature in 16 years. Though the city itself managed to stay just above zero, some of the outer suburbs were a little chillier, and Richard Carlyon from the Weather Bureau told the ABC the drop in temperatures was due to clear skies and light winds. Scroll down for video . Melbourne and Sydney have woken up to their coldest mornings in years after snowfall across the weekend . The coldest suburb in the Melbourne-Geelong area was Avalon at -3C degrees, while further west Ballarat got down to -5C, the lowest temperature since 2002. In the mountains the cold weather continued, and the mercury at Mount Bulla dropped to 8 degrees, the coldest of any of the ski resorts. It was also a frosty start in Sydney, which woke up to its coldest morning in four years - with a low of 5.5 degrees. While temperatures plummeted in Sydney, bushfires raged in northern NSW . An unconfirmed number of houses were lost as firefighters battled the blazes overnight . An emergency warning for Kremnos in far-north NSW has since been downgraded to advice . On Thursday Sydney was at the other end of the scale when it reached 25 degrees, just shy of the record July 24 date, set 14 years ago, when the city was hit with a top of 25.9 degrees. Despite the plummeting temperatures in some parts of the state, in northern NSW bushfires have destroyed homes and still threaten many more on the far north coast. Hundreds of firefighters battled blazes through the night and the number of homes lost it yet to be confirmed. The emergency alert for Kremnos in far-north NSW has been downgraded to advice. More than 90 fires are burning across the state and on Saturday afternoon three people were rescued by air from the out of control blazes. More than 90 blazes are still burning across NSW . Some houses are still under threat in northern NSW, past Coffs Harbour . Hundreds of firefighters fought the blazes overnight . Elsewhere Australians have experienced a wild weekend of winter chills as a cold-snap brought snowfall and extreme winds to many parts of the country. Residents living in Sydney's scenic Blue Mountains were treated to a splattering of snowfall on Friday night, as the first pictures of white atop the ranges appeared on Twitter around the Katoomba and Lithgow region. Further afield it was Bathurst, about three hours from the city, which copped an unexpected overnight overnight drenching of snow as residents braved the plummeting temperatures. The opening of the heavens ended Sydney's spell of above average temperatures which peaked on Thursday with a top of 25 degrees celcius. Senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology Peter Zmijewski told the Sydney Morning Herald that snow had been forecast to fall down to 600 metres across the Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands. Snow fell across Victoria and NSW at the weekend, thanks to a large cold front . Bonnie Vandoon and Charlotte Dawson play in the snow after a brief snow shower on top of Mt Dandenong . Jade Stephens, left, and Tyor Fletcher make snow angels in the wintry conditions . Residents of Ballarat braved below-zero temperatures with the town copping 5cm of snow at the weekend . The view from Sovereign Hill at Ballarat . 'It's cold enough, so it's no surprise to us [that it's snowing],' Mr Zmijewski said. The state's snow resorts also copped a fresh coating of powder with up to 15cm falling at Thredbo on Friday and 27cm bucketing over Perisher in the past 72 hours, but none in the last 24. In Victoria, residents of Ballarat froze through a night of below-zero temperatures with the temperature gauge plummeting to -5. The cold-snap brought snow, blanketing the town with 5cm of icy powder making for some of the heaviest snow fall in Ballarat in recent years. A Weatherzone spokesperson said the 'super cold temperatures' were produced in the wake of a vigorous cold front which not only swept across Victoria. Canberrans and South Australians were also met with minor snow falls and weather experts are anticipating more ahead for the weekend. Weatherzone meteorologist Sam Brown said he had heard reports of snow falling around the Canberra region on Friday although he said any sighting would have been fleeting. 'I've heard reports that there has been snow falling around the Canberra region, but most likely around the elevated areas and higher peaks around Canberra, not the city itself,' he said. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast 'a brief snow shower' around the higher peaks of the Adelaide Hills and Flinders Ranges in South Australia. region. Peaks of up to 600m at Mt Lofty and 700m further north are in line for snow fall. Snowfall fell over the Blue Mountains ranges in Bathurst about three hours west of Sydney . Katoomba residents braved the cold conditions for a look outside at the snow earlier on the weekend . The first sign of snow in Leura on Friday night . Temperatures plummeted to less than 5 degrees at the Blue Mountains over the weekend . | Melbourne woke up to its coldest morning in 16 years at 1.8 degrees . A frosty start in Sydney was the chilliest in four years at 5.5C . In northern NSW homes were lost to bushfires overnight . More than 90 blazes burn across the state . Across the weekend snow has been falling in the NSW Blue Mountains, Bathurst, Canberra and Adelaide . Thredbo and Perisher snow resorts also received a healthy drop . The snow fall was triggered by a cold front sweeping over inland Australia . | 5c8dc84f73f45e1b8f2e8692b9c5dfdcd4468319 |
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