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Manchester City will take on Real Madrid in a friendly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next summer. Organisers have confirmed that the Premier League champions will face the Champions League winners at the 100,000-seater stadium as part of the International Champions Cup. A third team, expected to be Serie A side Inter Milan, will soon be announced for the tournament, which takes place from July 18-14. Manchester City will head to Australia to play a pre-season tournament next summer . Real Madrid will play Manchester City at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the International Champions Cup . The event in Melbourne will run parallel with the International Champions Cup that takes place in North America, which was one by Manchester United this summer. Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano said: 'We are looking forward, once again, to being a part of the tournament. 'We are particularly excited to be visiting Melbourne, which is home to our sister Club, Melbourne City FC. We know that it will also be a home away from home for Manchester City and we can’t wait to play in front of our Australian fans.' The Melbourne Cricket Ground in the state of Victoria holds 100,000 spectators . Man United beat Liverpool in the final of the North American version of the International Champions Cup . | Premier League champions will play Champions League winners in July . Match will be part of the International Champions Cup tournament . A third team, expected to be Inter Milan, will be announced soon . Tournament will run alongside the current North American version . | fc09a1098e706da4bd4017feefd10491493f9193 |
Braces from Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla secured victory for Arsenal as Arsene Wenger's side put their recent Premier League troubles behind them . The Gunners moved within two points of the Premier League's top four after this 4-1 demolition of Newcastle. Sportsmail's Matt Barlow was at the Emirates to run the rule over both sets of teams... Olivier Giroud (right) celebrates after his 15th minute goal gave the Gunners an early lead . ARSENAL (4-1-4-1) Wojciech Szczesny 6 . Entirely redundant until terrific save to deny Gouffran before the interval and barely tested again before Newcastle’s goal. Hector Bellerin 7 . Good pace and got forward well. One great first-half diagonal run and set up Giroud’s second. Booked for an innocuous tap on Dummett. Mathieu Debuchy 7 . Settled well at centre-half and surprisingly strong in the air against Ameobi. Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin (right) showed good pace and got forward often against the Magpies . Per Mertesacker 6.5 . Hit the bar early on but the captain will have been disappointed his defensive unit leaked a soft-goal from a free-kick. Kieran Gibbs 6.5 . Combined well with Welbeck on the left. Defended well and went close with volley slammed into the side-netting. Mathieu Flamini 6 . Arsenal wobbled briefly for five minutes either side of half-time but were mostly in control and he wasn’t tested greatly . Gunners forward Alexis Sanchez (right) controls possession as Jack Colback watches on . Alexis Sanchez 7.5 . The usual powerball performance. Strong and dangerous out wide or through the centre. Delivered the cross for Giroud’s first goal. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 7 . Terrific energy and changes of pace. This formation gives Arsenal so much in attack but little help for Flamini shielding defence. Santi Cazorla 7.5 . Not everything came off for him on his 30th birthday but scored with a delicious chip from a tight angle and added the fourth with a Panenka penalty. Santi Cazorla bagged a brace for the Gunners including a superbly taken late penalty at the Emirates . Danny Welbeck 7 . Effective and threatened goal, even from wide on left. Had one harshly disallowed and volleyed another just wide. Olivier Giroud 8 . Majestic header to open scoring and his link-up play was excellent. Also won important headers in his own box. SUBS ON: Podolski (for Giroud 73), Coquelin (Sanchez 87), Maitland-Niles (Oxlade-Chamberlain 90) SUBS: Martinez, Ajayi, Campbell, Sanogo. BOOKINGS: Bellerin, Oxlade-Chamberlain. MANAGER: Arsene Wenger 7.5. Head here to Like our Arsenal Facebook page. Newcastle United goalkeeper Jak Alnwick struggled on his first start between the posts . NEWCASTLE 4-2-3-1 . Jak Alnwick 4.5 . A day to forget for the 21-year-old on his first start. Seemed nervous, hesitant and barely protected against Arsenal’s rampaging attackers. Early goal only added to anxieties. Daryl Janmaat 5 . Overwhelmed at times by the speed and movement of Arsenal’s attacking players and barely able to support in attack. Fabricio Coloccini 6 . Made some key tackles but his defence simply could not cope with Giroud and the runners around him. Might have conceded more. 6. Fabricio Coloccini (right) made some key tackles but struggled to cope with the pace of Arsenal's attack . Mike Williamson 5.5 . Also suffered against a fluent attacking force and did not look comfortable all game. Paul Dummett 6 . Quick, committed and aggressive, although he struggled to contain Sanchez and conceded a penalty with a foul on Welbeck. Cheick Tiote 5 . Lucky to avoid an early red for studs-up follow through into Sanchez midriff after five minutes. Booked later for chopping down the Ox. Cheick Tiote was fortunate not to be sent off early in the contest after his reckless tackle on Sanchez . Jack Colback 6.5 . Good passing and dead-ball delivery. His midfield consistency must be one of the few positives to take back to Tyneside. Ayoze Perez 5 . Moved around into different positions but made no impact until after the substitutions, when he scored with header from Colback free-kick. Sammy Ameobi 4.5 . Dominated in air by Debuchy while in centre. Worked hard when on the left but offered little going forward and hooked after less than an hour. Newcastle's Sammy Ameobi heads clear under pressure from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain . Yoan Gouffran 5 . In for suspended Sissoko. Header forced a good save from Szczesny and a scramble but otherwise rarely involved. Papiss Cisse 4 . Seven in the Premier League before this but entirely anonymous. Few chances and link-up play poor. SUBS ON: Rivieire (for Ameobi 56) Cabella (for Cisse 56), Armstrong (for Perez 82) SUBS: Woodman, Armstrong, Anita, Haidara, Vuckic, . BOOKINGS: Tiote, Janmeet. MANAGER: Alan Pardew 5.5. MAN OF THE MATCH: Olivier Giroud. REFEREE: Lee Mason 5 . ATTENDANCE: 59, 949 . | Oliver Giroud gave Arsenal the perfect start with his 15th minute header . Santiago Cazorla doubled Arsenal's advantage just after the break . Giroud grabbed his second near the hour mark . Ayoze Pérez pulled a goal back for the Magpies . Cazorla completed his brace with an audacious penalty in the 88th minute . | 642ece04a38c36c9f94f9d78fba5844125bb55b1 |
(CNN) -- It's become a nightly ritual. When dusk descends, so do they -- by the hundreds, in cities coast to coast. And the protests over police brutality after recent deaths of unarmed black men might only intensify. Organizers are calling this week a "Week of Outrage," culminating in large demonstrations planned for Saturday in New York and Washington. Eric Garner Jr., the son of the man who died after a New York police officer held him in a chokehold, said he was proud of how protesters are carrying on. "It made me feel proud because I don't have to share this moment by myself and my family," the son told CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront." "It's amazing how everybody (is) doing this. My father and I appreciate it." But already this week, peaceful protests across the country have been marred by bouts of violence and crowds that disrupted thousands by shutting down freeways. Here's the latest on the unrest across the country: . Protesters 'die in' At New York City's Grand Central Station, protesters Tuesday night re-enacted the chokehold that killed Eric Garner, laid on the ground and chanted. Demonstrator Dariel Ali, who's participated in New York protests for days, held a sign that said, "My only crime is being black." "There's a lot of racial profiling going on within the system," he said as protesters chanted behind him. It's been encouraging to see the ranks of protesters grow in recent days, he said. What's next? "We gain numbers," Ali said, "and we take the streets, like we always do." NBA players speak out . Before the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers faced off on the basketball court Monday night, several players were already scoring points with protesters outside the arena. As they warmed up for the game, Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were among the players wearing T-shirts that said "I can't breathe" -- Eric Garner's last words, which have become a rallying cry for protesters after last week's grand jury decision not to indict an officer in his death. The crowd erupted in cheers after an organizer told them about the players' T-shirts. After the game, James explained why he wore the "I can't breathe" shirt. "It was a message to the family. I'm sorry for their loss," the four-time league MVP said. "Obviously, we know that our society needs to get better. But like I said before ... violence is not the answer, and retaliation isn't the solution. As a society, we know we need to get better, but it's not going to be done in one day. Rome wasn't built in a day." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told CNN Tuesday that he supports players who want to voice their opinions. "I have a tremendous respect for our players and the fact that they want to speak out on an issue, and we support them doing that," he said. "Of course, there are the four corners of the court, and in terms of the game itself it is my job to enforce our rules. Having said that, I recognize that there needs to be some flexibility and I think, to me, that was a spontaneous reaction from our players ... and my sense is that, to respect it." California interstate shut down . For the second night in a row, protesters spilled onto a Northern California freeway Monday night, this time shutting down Interstate 80 in Berkeley. Many snaked through the hundreds of cars that were trapped for an hour and a half. "We are out here because the system has made it obvious that black lives do not matter, and us as a people are not OK with that," a protester in Berkeley told CNN. "We're here to demand justice, and we're here to demand peace." The California Highway Patrol arrested 150 people for illegally blocking the freeway, the agency said. Some protesters also sat on a train track in Berkeley, blocking a train from moving, the San Francisco Bay Guardian reported. But unlike Sunday night, when some protesters looted businesses and damaged several police cars in the Oakland and Berkeley areas, there were no reports of major destruction in Northern California. Obama weighs in . After weeks of racial protests across the country, President Barack Obama spoke about the future of race relations in America to a network that reaches a predominantly young African-American audience. "What I told the young people who I met with -- we're going to have more conversations over the coming months -- is, 'This isn't something that is going to be solved overnight,' Obama said in an interview with BET. " 'This is something that is deeply rooted in our society. It's deeply rooted in our history.' " Once criticized for shying away from the topic of race early on in his presidency, Obama has more recently been forced to lead a discussion on the issue. In his interview, the President said African-American youths need to be both persistent and patient in order to make progress on the issue of racial tensions in America. "It's important to recognize as painful as these incidents are, we can't equate what is happening now to what happened 50 years ago," he said. "If you talk to your parents, grandparents, uncles, they'll tell you that things are better -- not good, in some cases, but better." CNN's Dan Simon in Berkeley, California; Nick Valencia, Julian Cummings and Lawrence Crook in New York; Sara Fischer in Washington; and Emily Smith and Tina Burnside in Atlanta contributed to this report. | NEW: "My only crime is being black," one sign says at a New York protest . 150 people are arrested for blocking a California freeway . LeBron James wears an "I can't breathe" T-shirt during a warm-up in Brooklyn . "This isn't something that is going to be solved overnight," President Obama tells BET . | 0fd45e4c11ed3c25e06cfcc4829e203d11946176 |
(CNN) -- A 22-year-old man wanted in the shooting deaths of 9-year-old Alabama twins and their elderly babysitter was arrested Saturday morning, authorities said. Deandra Marquis Lee was captured around 11 a.m. in Selma, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation announced. Prior to his arrest, authorities converged on an apartment complex near the Vaughan Regional Medical Center and evacuated residents from his building. Efforts to "initiate communication" with people inside the apartment were unsuccessful, the state investigative bureau said in a news release. Authorities then "made entry into the apartment (and) immediately took Lee into custody." He is charged with three counts of murder in the deaths of the twins and their 73-year-old caregiver, Jack Mac Girdner. The bodies of Girdner and the twins, Jordan and Taylor Dejerinett, were found Tuesday afternoon on a dirt road near Hayneville, southwest of Montgomery, state investigators said. The children and Girdner, according to the bureau investigators, were last seen Sunday when the twins' mother left them in the care of the babysitter. When the twins' mother returned later that night to pick them up from the suburban Montgomery home of the babysitter, the children and Girdner were missing, investigators said, along with Girdner's car, a 1988 Mercedes-Benz. Authorities did not release a possible motive in the killings, though they confirmed the three victims were shot. State investigators also did not say what evidence connected Lee to the case. Girdner's car was found -- with its doors removed -- Thursday in Minter, they said. Lee, according to state investigators, has a history of trouble with the law. In 2011, he was acquitted of murder in a 2008 shooting that prosecutors say was gang related. Before Sunday, Lee was out on bond following January 2012 charges in Dallas County that he assaulted a police officer and was in possession of gun with an altered ID number, state investigators said. According to court records, Lee was also arrested on a third-degree robbery charge and released on $10,000 bond in Lowndes County in February 2012 for allegedly stealing a Honda Accord in 2011. | NEW: Authorities evacuated a Selma apartment building before detaining Lee . NEW: He is charged with three counts of murder . Police say the bodies of the twins and their babysitter were found on a dirt road . The car belonging to babysitter, Jack Mac Girdner, 73, was found Thursday . | fa39408f7284edab83eebd3b33669f9e6e8458d3 |
A dangerous combination of alcohol and gravity played a cruel joke on a Maine artist who fell out of a second-floor window after accidentally breaking into a flower shop while trying to prank a friend. Ronald Podlaski, 29, who goes by the moniker RookSye in Portland's art circles, said he was trying to surprise a friend Saturday by sneaking into her apartment via the fire escape. But unfortunately for Podlaski, who admittedly came up with the stunt after downing a few too many beers, he got the wrong building. Harebrained prank: Ronald Podlaski, 29, who goes by the moniker RookSye, was arrested Saturday after he accidentally broke into a Portland, Maine, flower shop thinking it was his friend's home . Instead of climbing into the apartment of Cara Taggersell, which she shares with her fiance, Podlaski found himself in the middle of Harmon's & Barton's flower shop on Congress Street Saturday night. After realizing his mistake, and getting tangled in some plants, the hapless 29-year-old tripped the alarm and fell from a second-floor window,Portland Press-Herald reported. When Podlaski came to, he found himself lying on the pavement with a pair of Portland police officers staring down at him. The artist suffered a broken wrist and was hauled off to jail, but prosecutors have decided to let him off the hook after concluding that he has learned his lesson. Podlaski has acknowledged that the nighttime escapade was a 'foolish' idea, and he now plans to apologize to the owner of the flower shop for the unwelcome visit. In an ironic twist, even if Podlaski got the right building that night, his grand gesture would have been in vain because his friend, a fencing referee, was away that week working at an international competition in El Salvador. Ironic: Podlaski was hoping to surprise his friend and former roommate, Cara Taggersell (left and right), but unbeknownst to him she was in El Salvador at the time . Portland police were dispatched to the flower shop at 584 Congress Street at around 10pm Saturday after receiving an alert indicating a possible break-in. Ron Podlaski/RookSye was picked up, literally, and jailed on charges of burglary, criminal mischief and theft. The theft count was tacked on after police spotted a candelabra hanging from the fire escape. They said the 29-year-old plummeted two stories while trying to use the fire escape as a getaway route. The 29-year-old aspiring tattoo artist said that the ill-conceived stunt was exacerbated by an unfortunate miscalculation on his part, which brought him two buildings down from where his friend Cara lives. After climbing two flights of fire-escape stairs to the third floor of 584 Congress Street, he snuck into the attic and then descended down to the second floor, where his error became immediately apparent. Instead of encountering the familiar interior of his friend's apartment, he saw mannequins used by the florist in window displays. Podlaski tried to beat a hasty retreat, but on his way downstairs he tripped the burglar alarm. Series of unfortunate events: Podlaski climbed the fire escape to the attic at 584 Congress Street in Portland, descended to the second floor and only then he realized that he broke into Harmon's and Barton's flower shop . Two peas in a pod: Podlaski and Taggersell had been roommates at one time, and according to the woman, it is not uncommon for him to hurl pebbles at the windows to draw her attention . Desperate to escape, Podlaski tried to climb out the window but stumbled and fell, landing on the sidewalk below where he was collared by police. Mr Podlaski was released from Cumberland County Jail Monday after spending the weekend cooling his heels in a cell. When Cara Taggersell heard of her friend's misadventure, she was not surprised. ‘He’s always up for a good time. Sometimes he might lack common sense about some things,’ she told the paper. The fencing referee said it was not uncommon for Podlaski, her former roommate, to hurl stones at their windows to draw her and her fiance's attention. Podlaski insisted that he was not a bad person, but rather a 'foolish young man who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.' | Ronald Podlaski, 29, who goes by RookSye, spent the weekend in Portland, Maine, jail after the stunt . He used fire escape to break into a Congress Street flower shop thinking it was his friend's building . Podlaski fell from second-floor window after tripping alarm and stumbling . Prosecutors decided to drop charges of burglary and criminal mischief against him . Podlaski did not know that his friend was away in El Salvador Saturday, so his prank would have failed anyway . | f4e44d9ad3f2a6ce49134f254abb89ef6b5d6341 |
Earlier this week, a visibly pregnant Duchess of Cambridge wowed guests at a Kensington Palace charity event, with a stunning sheer polka dot top which she teamed with a neat belt and a shimmering knee-length skirt. But although she looked a million dollars, her outfit came with the considerably lower price tag of £89 - the cost of the glamorous semi-sheer top by Hobbs chosen for the event. And it isn't the first time that Kate has stepped out in High Street. Zara, where prices for dresses average out at £50, and Whistles, which offers T-shirts for £40 and dresses for £120, are among her favourites as are Topshop and Reiss. High street meets high-end: The Duchess of Cambridge teamed an £89 Hobbs top with a Jenny Packham skirt at last night's Place2be charity event - just the latest example of how she uses simple styling tricks to make her low-cost labels look a million dollars . But while low-cost looks might have been bought for bargain prices, on the Duchess, they look anything but high street, thanks in no small part to her judicious use of accessories and penchant for teaming budget buys with designer splurges. Her appearance at the Place2be charity event was no exception. Joining the £89 Hobbs bargain was a billowing silk skirt by top designer Jenny Packham, a patent leather belt and, of course, her stunning sapphire and diamond engagement ring. The Duchess' latest high street outing is the continuation of a trend that began the moment she joined the royal family in 2011 and chose a simple Zara dress for her going away outfit. She teamed the £49.99 pleated blue number with a pair of £129.99 wedge pumps by another of her favourite high street brands, L.K. Bennett, while the fitted black jacket that completed the ensemble had been tailored just for her. A month later, at Prince Philip's 90th birthday celebrations, the dress appeared again, this time with a designer Jane Troughton coat. Updating her look: The Duchess wore a £189 Reiss dress in one of her official engagement portraits, which she accessorised with dazzling jewels, including Princess Diana's ring, reportedly worth £300,000 (left) Recycling: The Duchess of Cambridge wore the Reiss dress again during her visit to the Canadian Museum of Civilisation in Gatineau, Quebec, in 2011. This team she jazzed it up with a hat by Sylvia Fletcher for Lock and Co, which can retail at nearly £1,000 (right) Diamonds are a girl's best friend: To open an art room in North London, she chose a £225 kingfisher blue dress by LK Bennett and added £1,200 amethyst and diamond drop earrings by her favourite jeweller Kiki McDonough (left) Blign bling: Kate looked radiant in another high street design from Whistles at the National Portrait Gallery, she paired the Sofia Rae dress with dazzling earrings once owned by Princess Diana (right) Since then, she has stepped out in a whole host of high street numbers, whether the Petit Bateau striped top she wore to watch Prince William play polo earlier this year, or the tailored Zara jacket sported during the royal visit to New Zealand. Again and again, the Duchess has mixed high fashion with high street style, although many of her purchases - among them the designer bargains she picks up at the Bicester Village outlet centre - are later tailored to ensure they fit perfectly. But could there be more to the Duchess' high-low wardrobe than her love of a bargain? Fashion writer Simon Glazin thinks a desire to please a public fed up with watching high-spending politicians splash out could also be a factor. 'There has been lots written about the Duchess and Prince William's spending,' he explains. 'It's likely to be the reason why she is thrifty with her wardrobe and often recycles dresses and coats. Even a Princess has to dress on a budget.' Deja-vu: Kate's cornflower blue Zara Dress that she wore the day after announcing her engagement to Prince William sold out and she proved to be the frugal Duchess when the dress appeared again just a month later at Prince Philip's 90th birthday celebrations. She updated it with a swanky Jane Troughton coat, right . Luxe it up: The Duchess of Cambridge visited the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at the St. Patricks Day Parade at Mons Barracks Aldershot in March wearing a £279 Hobbs coat and £400 Emmy shoes and clutch, which was £290 by the same designer . And it certainly seems to be working, with the Duchess named the UK's third most popular royal after Prince Harry and the Queen in a recent YouGov poll. Her love of British brands has also won her acclaim from the UK's fashion industry with her relentless championing of labels like Alexander McQueen, Goat and Jenny Packham giving business a noticeable boost. But while she's no stranger to designer fashion, the high street, whether her Topshop maternity dresses or L.K Bennett 'Sledge' shoes, remains a favourite. 'We're lucky in the UK to have one of the best high streets in the world,' adds Glazin, 'and it's good to see a royal appreciate it too. Kate has obviously worked out that designer pieces plus high street buys adds up to super-stylish - and she looks better than ever for it.' Mixing it up: For a trip to the Warner Brothers' Studio when she was pregnant with Prince George, right, she teamed a £38 Topshop dress with a more high-end Ralph Lauren blazer . Style icons collide: Kate met Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace in 2011 wearing a £175 Beige Shola shift dress from Reiss, £160 LK Bennett shoes and a pricier Anya . Hindmarch clutch bag, which cost £259 . Clever styling: Kate looked a million dollars on the red carpet at the Princes Trust concert wearing a short figure-hugging black and tan dress costing just £69.99 from Zara, which she teamed with a Ralph Lauren blazer . | The Duchess of Cambridge often teams dresses by Reiss, Whistles and Zara with designer coats . Makes low-cost pieces look high end by adding expensive accessories and shoes . She also has both budget and designer buys subtly altered so they fit her perfectly . Fashion expert says her genius for combining designer and high street fashion adds to her appeal . | cf546334a1937d04724244faa5f87bb7e2f2d7e2 |
By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 08:27 EST, 13 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:09 EST, 13 June 2013 . Reverend Caroline Wright was among 250 women who agreed to take part in the photoshoot to raise money for charity . A female priest has spoken of how she had no hesitation at all before stripping off and posing topless for a charity wallpaper. Reverend Caroline Wright, an associate priest at St Michael’s Church in Smethcote, Shropshire, was among 250 women who agreed to take part in the photoshoot to raise money for breast awareness charity Coppafeel. The 65-year-old, who conducts weddings and funerals and plays the organ at the rural 12th century church, said the topless photo shoot by local artist Sam Powley was 'great fun'. Reverend Wright, who is a grandmother of 12 and has been ordained for four years, said she had no hesitation in taking part in the project - but she is not revealing where she is on the wallpaper. She said: 'Body awareness in young women is so important. I didn’t even think about the fact I was a priest until I bumped into a parishioner at the photoshoot. 'The thought of exposing myself in a perfectly secure environment didn’t bother me in the least. I looked around the room and saw all those women together, different ages, shapes and sizes and it was really powerful and great fun. 'We all need to love our bodies. If we love them we don’t treat them badly. I do think the way the project was done was reverential in that sense - we are all made in God’s image. 'Sam’s wallpaper makes you realise how unique and individual we all are.' Reverend Wright signed up for the photoshoot after seeing the 38-year-old artist's plea for female volunteers on Facebook. Ms Powley spent eight months photographing hundreds of women’s breasts at Shrewsbury Coffeehouse and other venues in Hertfordshire, North Wales and Birmingham. She then put the pictures together to form a sheet of wallpaper, which was unveiled at her fine art degree show at Birmingham City University this week. Reverend Wright said she had no hesitation in taking part in the project . The paper has now gone on sale for . £100 a roll, with a quarter of the profits going to the charity . Coppafeel, which sends teams out to festivals to teach young people how . to examine their breasts. She said: 'I’m really pleased with the result and I’m chuffed that people are reacting to it in such a lovely positive way. 'I wanted to celebrate the female . form. The most important part of the project is not the boobs on the . wall, it’s the relationship between me and the subjects. 'So many people found it cathartic and liberating, a really important, emotive thing to be part of. 'I . started off thinking many women didn’t really like their boobs but I’ve . been really interested to find just how many people love them.' Anni . Holden, director of communications for the Hereford Diocese, said it was important as many people as possible got involved in supporting the cause. She said: 'It is equally as important to . our female priests as for other ladies. Reverend Wright conducts weddings and funerals and plays the organ at St Michael's Church in Smethcote, Shropshire . 'We would like to see any of our priests getting involved in anything supporting breast cancer charities.' Other women who took part in the . project included transgender Tessa Curtis, 54, from Worcester, who said . her breasts were 'in progress'. She said: 'I am taking medication and they are growing but I was a bit concerned I might not qualify. 'I was worried the presence of a . transgender person might cause offence but I wanted to support it. I . went on my own and was made to feel very welcome as part of the . sisterhood. It was very interesting and enjoyable.' 'I didn’t even think about the fact I was a priest until I bumped into a parishioner at the photoshoot' - Reverend Caroline Wright . Helen Nicell, 51, from Watford, said her family had been 'plagued' by cancer so she wanted to support the project. She found a lump in her own breast on . the day her mum died of breast cancer and has also lost her husband and . dad to the disease. She had a mastectomy in 2010, but a further growth was detected in her spine last year. She said: 'Going to a topless photoshoot with just one boob was quite out there. 'Breast . cancer is something we are all very concerned about in our family. I . discovered my own when I found my nipple had completely changed shape. 'Self-checking . is so important. I’ve had more treatment and am still living a normal . life. The doctors hope I will have many years left.' Reverend Wright (pictured, right, with the Rt Rev Anthony Priddis, Bishop of Hereford) took part in the project, which was organised by artist Sam Powley (left) The wallpaper is to be sold to raise money for breast awareness charity Coppafeel . Former Conservative Shropshire councillor Karen Burgoyne, 49, said she was pleased she took part. She added: 'You feel a glow of confidence afterwards. Everybody went in nervous but came out smiling. Cancer touches so many lives, I wanted to do my bit.' Ms Powley's daughter Daisy Pooley-Tolkien, 20, from Cambridge also took part in the topless shoot. She said: 'Boobs are something that can be objectified or appreciated and my mum has really shown the appreciation side. 'I found it very hard to accept that I had inverted nipples when I was a teenager. This was really my way of saying, you know what, I really don’t care any more. It isn’t just me - I’m not a complete freak.' Ms Powley now hopes the paper might be showcased by a major high street store and would also like to see it papering the walls of bathrooms across the country. She has already raised more than £2,000 for Coppafeel and will be taking orders for the wallpaper via her website boobwallpaper.com from the end of the week. | Elaborate wallpaper designed to raise money for charity Coppafeel . Rev Caroline Wright among 250 women who took part in shoot . Others involved include a local councillor and a transgender woman . | b0a523ac2c74afe263a8d8ef6369e309d792e41c |
These pictures show how blind Alaskan husky dog Gonzo overcame his handicap to do what he does best - pulling tourists on 50 mile overnight sled tours across New Hampshire's North Country. With the help of his brother Poncho, who acts as his eyes, Gonzo has kept his place in the eight-dog teams, although admittedly not as a front runner. Gonzo is one of 120 dogs at Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel in New Hampshire, a temporary home for retired professional sled dogs and rescue dogs. Scroll down for video . Sled dogs Poncho, left, and his blind brother Gonzo (right) are hooked up for a . run at the Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel, in Jefferson, N.H. Poncho has . taken to helping his blind brother on regular runs . The eight-dog sled teams take tourists out on runs that last from 20 minutes to overnight and are made up of retired professional sled dogs and rescue dogs. All wear booties . Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel houses dogs until owners are found for them. Sadly many people consider retired sled dogs to make poor pets, although kennel owner Neil Beaulieu says this is nonsense . Together they make up multiple eight-dog sled teams that pull tourists across trails that can run from 20 minutes to 50 miles overnight tours. Staff first noticed something wasn't quite right with Gonzo when he started to trip over his food. Once blindness was diagnosed the vet's advised that rather retiring Gonzo he should be kept running and that's exactly what he's been doing. 'Even though he's blind, he still knows . when hook-ups are happening. He's still very aware,' Kennel manager . Ben Morehouse told Associated Press. 'When you have a dog such as Gonzo, with such a want and . a drive and a desire you try it, you hook up, you see what . happens.' Kennel owner Neil Beaulieu described a time when Gonzo's brother Poncho plucked him out of the snow by grabbing his harness with his teeth. The dogs are said to love getting harnessed up and taken out. Those that don't make the eight-dog team on any given day will go back to their kennels and howl . Sled dogs howling in the snow. Some sit on top of their kennels, others choose to wait inside until they hear the familiar jangling sound of the harnesses which means they might be in with a chance to get a run out . Tourists come from all over to experience being pulled along by a team of sled dogs in New Hampshire . Beaulieu said. 'I've run dogs in a lot of places, all over the country, . and it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen sled dogs do.' Now Gonzo leans into his brother when out on sled runs and uses him to get a feel of the direction and pace of the run. 'At first, he'd be a little bit . nervous when Gonzo would lean into him. And then somehow - I don't know . how dogs communicate - he learned that he was utilising him to determine . where the turns are and how fast they were going. And he would let him . do that — he wouldn't get as grumbly as he did in the beginning,' Moorhouse added. The pair are always partnered together and usually towards the back of the eight-dog team. While all the other dogs look . straight ahead when they run, Gonzo tilts his head to the right, to make . the most of his sense of smell and hearing. Kennel owner Neil Beaulieu (left) and kennel manager Ben Morehouse (right) Mr Beaulieu got into the dog sledding business after he volunteered to take care of a team of dogs on the 1,000 mile Iditarod dog sled race ten years when the dogs' owner dropped out. The same owner then said she never wanted to see a sled dog again and he found himself taking them on full time. He later gained experience helping a friend run sled tours from a hotel before starting his own business. The money he makes now from running tours is used to find loving homes for sled dogs that sadly so many owners consider unadoptable. 'For myself and the entire crew . here, we know that's false. They are very adoptable,' he said . Ben Morehouse guides a team of sled dogs, including a blind dog Gonzo and his brother Poncho through a field below the Presidential Range in the White Mountains in Jefferson, N.H. Neil Beaulieu looking out across the Muddy Paw Sled dog Kennel . | Gonzo's blindness spotted three years ago when he tripped over his food . Brother Poncho senses Gonzo needs help and lets him lean into him on runs . He once pulled him out of the snow by gripping his harness with his teeth . Pair are among 120 dogs at home for retired sled dogs and rescue dogs . They take tourists out on tours that range from 20 minutes to overnight . | 9789a61d5dd2986d78d0dda208b3d7a9d329766f |
(CNN) -- Japan striker Shinji Kagawa will miss the rest of the Bundesliga season after having surgery in the foot injury he picked up in their Asian Cup semifinal victory over South Korea. In a blow for his club Borussia Dortmund and country, Kagawa has a broken metatarsal, having been substituted in the 87th minute in Tuesday's match which Japan won on penalties. "It hasn't really sunk in yet, it'll take me some time," Kagawa told AFP. "Now I need to try and get back to playing as quickly as I can." "I have already had an injury in the same place in 2009 and that was sorted out in a month, but I haven't felt as bad as now." Dortmund are 11 points clear in the German title race with Kagawa playing a major role with seven goals in 18 appearances. Coach Juergen Klopp said they were unlikely to rush into the transfer market to find a replacement for Kagawa, with young German international Mario Gotze set to continue in his place. He wants Kawaga, who joined in the summer from Japanese club Cerezo Osaka, to make a full recovery rather than rush back to injury. "We now have the time to find an absolutely perfect solution for Shinji," he told the club's official website. Japan take on Australia in the final of the Asian Cup in Qatar on Saturday. Australia beat Uzbekistan 6-0 in their semifinal. | Shinji Kagawa to miss rest of Bundesliga season with a foot injury . Kagawa picked up injury in Japan's Asian Cup semifinal win over South Korea . His Borussia Dortmund team lead the German standings by 11 points . | 8a1dcd2d6bf137efcfc1f54d89c8e0556e02a7d0 |
(CNN) -- Have English Premier League club Sunderland's players set a dangerous precedent for under-performing sports teams? After losing 8-0 at Southampton on Saturday, Sunderland's squad has offered to refund the cost of match tickets to their 2,500 traveling supporters who made the 1,026 kilometer round trip from the north east of England to the south coast. "We win and lose as a team, players, staff and fans," Sunderland captain John O'Shea told the club's website.. "However we wanted to acknowledge and thank the supporters who traveled such a long way to give us their backing and despite everything, stayed with us until the final whistle," It's a gesture that could cost the Sunderland squad as much as $100,000, with any unclaimed money to be donated to Sunderland-based charity Grace House, which provides care to children who have life-shortening conditions for which there is no known cure. Saturday ignominious defeat was Sunderland's biggest in 32 years and left the club one spot above the relegation zone after eight games. The 8-0 reverse, which included a spectacular own goal by Santiago Vergini to spark the rout, was one short of the record defeat in the English Premier League, Manchester United's 9-0 rout of Ipswich in 1995. "I've never felt as bad on a football pitch, as a player or as a coach, as I do today," said Sunderland manager Gus Poyet after Saturday's loss. "Even as a fan I've never felt this way, it's embarrassing and unacceptable, I'm really hurt." | Sunderland players offer refund to fans after team's 8-0 defeat by Southampton . 2,500 fans made 1,026 kilometer round trip at the weekend . The gesture could cost Sunderland's players as much as $100,000 . Any unclaimed money to be donated to charity . | 5086f9d9f9a6a5ecb3490a736c4fb421c7449e4b |
By . Damian Spellman, Press Association . Who should be England's next captain? Former team-mate Jamie Carragher is confident England's loss will be Liverpool's gain after Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from international football. Carragher, who played alongside Gerrard for both club and country, believes the 34-year-old midfielder has several more years in his legs as he prepares to embark upon another Champions League campaign. The former defender told Sky Sports News: 'Listen, for Liverpool Football Club, it's a great decision. I am sure the Liverpool supporters will be happy. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Steven Gerrard announce his retirement from England duty . Stepping aside: Gerrard has decided to call it a day after competing in six major tournaments for England . Backing: Gerrard's friend and team-mate Carragher thinks he has made the right decision . 'You get a fresher Steven Gerrard. He had a great season last season with the demands of England. 'But there will be more demands on Liverpool this season, more expected because of the season they had last year, and Steven Gerrard is still a vital part of Liverpool - and I think he will be for the next two or three years, so for (manager) Brendan Rodgers, it's a great decision by Stevie.' Carragher insists Gerrard could have continued to represent both Liverpool and England, as he did last season, although he admits the demands of Europe's most prestigious club competition lie behind his decision. He said: 'I think he could have. I think he has shown that throughout his career, he has been able to deal with the demands of Liverpool and England. Leader: Gerrard captained England at two World Cups and one European Championship . 'I think just that fact of Liverpool being back into Europe now, that adds to the schedule of games. 'At times, you are playing two or three times a week because he is still vitally important to Liverpool, and I think he is also for England in some ways because there isn't a natural person you could see taking the role he has now with England in terms of that holding role, that sitting role. 'There are not many young players coming through in that role, but England will have to find someone to fill that role.' Wonderstrike: Gerrard scores in England's 5-1 win over Germany in 2001 . Gerrard ended his England career having won the last of his 114 caps at an ultimately disappointing World Cup finals in Brazil, and Carragher admits he will have done so, like many of his contemporaries, regretting the fact that a so-called Golden Generation never quite reached the heights expected of it. He said: 'Of course, that's not just Steve, that's a whole generation of those players, that they never got quite close enough, maybe even getting to a semi-final or a final in a big tournament. 'You think of the players they have had over the last decade or so, I think it will be a big disappointment for all of them. Glory days: Carragher (left) and Gerrard celebrate winning the Champions League in 2005 . 'That's why it probably was a bigger decision, because England didn't do so well in the summer. 'I think he would have loved to have had a great World Cup, the team do really well, all come back and then his decision to retire may have been a bit easier because I think he, along with a lot of those players who played in that decade or so, may feel we probably should have achieved more.' Former England colleague Rio Ferdinand took to Twitter after hearing the news. Ferdinand tweeted: 'Next England captain??? Gerrard has been an incredible player. Surpassing 100 caps is some achievement.' He was joined by former England striker Gary Lineker, who posted: 'Steven Gerrard has retired from international football. He's been a wonderful servant to his country. A great player who always gave all.' England midfielder Jack Wilshere tweeted: 'Amazing international career, inspirational Captain, an absolute honour to play with someone I looked up to growing up and still do! #SG4.' Old friends: Ferdinand (second right) with Gerrard on international duty back in 2006 . Role model: Wilshere (right) played alongside Gerrard for England at the World Cup . Former Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry paid tribute to an international captain who allowed his football to do his talking. Parry said: 'Steven was the sort who led by example. He wasn't necessarily always demonstrative or the one that made the most noise, but he was a true leader by example. 'He had a quieter determination, a phenomenal will to succeed and he's the sort who would have gone around making his point to the players one by one and quietly without being as demonstrative as some. 'But I know it was something that he cared absolutely passionately about. Despite all the honours he had won, it was a great honour for him when he was finally given the captaincy.' | Gerrard retires from international football at age of 34 . Gerrard's former team-mate Jamie Carragher backs decision . Rio Ferdinand, Gary Lineker and Jack Wilshere pay tribute . | f2a5055b25107ef51bd0ad9e013479d0ceedd014 |
Former Brazil striker Adriano was charged by Rio de Janeiro prosecutors on Tuesday for his alleged connection with drug trafficking. Prosecutors claim the striker bought a motorcycle and gave it as a gift to a known drug dealer in the shantytown where he grew up. It will be up to a judge whether to accept the charges. Adriano could face up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted. Former Brazil striker Adriano leaves the Public Ministry after being interviewed by police . Adriano has been accused of gifting a motorbike to a drug dealer that was later used for trafficking . It is not the first time he has been investigated for his alleged ties to drug trafficking in Rio, but he had never previously been charged. Several years ago, prosecutors had requested a probe into Adriano's purchase of the motorcycle, which allegedly was registered in the name of the drug dealer's mother and was used for drug trafficking. Prosecutors on Tuesday did not request Adriano's arrest but asked for him to surrender his passport, claiming the player has enough money to try to flee the country if wanted. Adriano and his lawyers could not be immediately contacted for comment. The 32-year-old forward reportedly has been negotiating with second-division French club Le Havre to return to football after several months without a club. He travelled to France recently to meet with club officials, and French media reported that a deal was close. The 32-year-old has hardly played over the last two years because of injuries and off-field problems . Adriano is reportedly close to a move to French Ligue 1 side Le Havre . Adriano played a few games with Brazilian club Atletico Paranaense earlier this year after being out of action for nearly two years because of injuries and off-field problems. He began his career with Flamengo and played for Inter Milan and AS Roma, among other clubs. He won four Serie A titles with Inter Milan early in his career, and with Brazil he won the 2004 Copa America and the 2005 Confederations Cup. He was in the starting lineup for Brazil at the 2006 World Cup, when the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Adriano was touted to make the team in 2010 in South Africa after leading Flamengo to the national title a year earlier, but was not included in the final squad. His last match with Brazil was in 2010. | Adriano Leite Ribiero has been charged for alleged links to drug trafficking . Prosecutors claim former Brazil striker gifted a motorbike to a dealer . Ex-Inter Milan and Roma forward is close to joining Ligue 1 side Le Havre . | 6bf81675450bc62d96d904f799d1b2cf0161bc2e |
By . Chris Greenwood . PUBLISHED: . 05:49 EST, 20 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:09 EST, 20 March 2013 . Clutching a bundle of papers, Professor Vicky Pryce could be on her way to her next economics lecture. Casually dressed, wearing little or no make-up, she appears business-like but relaxed. In fact, she’s on her way to the library at her home for the next few weeks, East Sutton Park prison. New friends: Vicky Pryce, who was convicted of perverting the course of justice alongside her ex-husband, former cabinet minster Chris Huhne, can be seen for the first time settling into life at East Sutton Park open jail . Big improvement: The economist spent four days enduring the harsh regime at Holloway Prison before being moved to the countryside open jail . These are the first pictures of the disgraced former academic and top civil servant amid the prison’s easy-going regime. She carries the same black notebook . that she clutched inside the prison van after her court appearance. In . front of her and two other inmates is a prison guard. Onlookers said Pryce – who was . transferred from Holloway Prison in North London last Friday – appeared . to be in ‘good spirits’ as she ambled through the grounds of the prison . near Maidstone, Kent. Hard time: Vicky Pryce was moved to the open jail East Sutton Park where she is free to wander the grounds, pictured, until 11pm after spending only four days behind bars at Holloway Prison in North London . New home: East Sutton Park open prison near Maidstone in Kent, an an 15th century Elizabethan manor . She has replaced her usual skirt suit . and black heels with a grey polo-neck sweater, black cardigan and dark . trousers. But at least they were not the prison clothes she wore after . first arriving in Holloway. She was jailed for eight months for . perverting the course of justice ten days ago after swapping penalty . points with her ex-husband Chris Huhne. She spent four nights at Holloway, Europe’s largest women’s jail, before being moved. Making herself at home: Vicky Pryce can be seen wearing a pair of black trousers and a smart black coat next to a fellow inmate in a light blue fleece and beige trousers . Jailed: Vicky Pryce, the ex-wife of former energy secretary Chris Huhne, pictured inside the window of a prison van as she was taken to Holloway Prison where she was moved after only four days . Guilty: Pryce and former Cabinet minister Huhne were both sentenced to eight months for perverting the course of justice after she ‘accepted’ his speeding points ten years ago . The multimillionaire mother-of-five . is expected to serve the remainder of her sentence in the more relaxed . surroundings of the listed 15th-century building. It is described on the Ministry of . Justice website as a ‘pleasant mansion house overlooking the Weald of . Kent’. During her time there, Pryce will be expected to work on the . prison farm performing duties such as weeding, digging and mucking out . pigs. There are many classes available at . East Sutton Park, including art, computer studies, cookery and creative . writing. The prison holds around 100 adult and young offender women in . 32 dormitory-style bedrooms in the main house. Huhne remains in Wandsworth Prison . but is expected to be transferred to another open prison, possibly Ford . near Arundel in West Sussex, within a week. Settling: Pryce was moved to East Sutton Park open prison near Maidstone, described as a 'pleasant mansion house', where a friend said she was 'settling in' First officials must complete a risk assessment to ensure he poses no danger to others or may try to escape. A fellow prisoner at Wandsworth, the . public school fraudster Edward Davenport, told a visitor that many . inmates sympathised with Huhne over his treatment at the hands of his . wife. They have been helping him get hold of some little luxuries including toiletries and Twix bars from the prison canteen. The former environment secretary’s . lawyers will return to court this afternoon to dispute the £120,000 . legal bill that he was handed last week. Prosecutors and police have applied for the money to pay for their lengthy and complex investigation. But Huhne has already signalled he . does not agree he is responsible for all of the costs, despite hiring a . £20,000-a-day barrister to defend himself. Pryce and Huhne are likely to be . released under a home curfew scheme for non-violent prisoners after . serving just a quarter of their sentences. | Chris Huhne's ex-wife moved from North London prison to open jail in Kent . Told friend she was 'settling in' at East Sutton Park prison near Maidstone . Moved from Holloway Prison after four days following risk assessment . She will work on the prison farm with the other 100 'residents' there . Her family has raised concerns about her physical and mental state . Former inmate has warned that Pryce may find the new prison 'unbearable' | aa9c16ab95514b610e1b6dd78e159192dde65deb |
(CNN) -- World No. 1 Roger Federer faces a potential quarterfinal clash with Nikolay Davydenko after his recent nemesis was drawn in the same quarter of the field for the Australian Open, which starts on Monday. The Russian has beaten Swiss star Federer in his past two meetings as he has risen to sixth in the rankings, winning the 2009 season-ending ATP World Tour Finals. Last year's losing finalist Federer faces Davydenko's unseeded compatriot Igor Andreev in the first round, and could play former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in the third. To get to Federer, Davydenko -- who starts against a qualifier -- may have to face last year's semifinalist Fernando Verdasco, or the Spanish ninth seed's compatriots Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya, who are both former top-ranked players. Third seed Novak Djokovic is also in Federer's half of the draw, along with No. 8 Robin Soderling. The Serbian could face Soderling, last year's French Open finalist, in the quarterfinals before a potential semifinal with Federer. World No. 2 and defending champion Rafael Nadal heads the other half of the draw, where he could face Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. Murray has paid the price for deciding against defending his Qatar Open title earlier this month, with the Britain dropping outside the top four in the rankings. If he were to get past Nadal, Murray could possibly face a semifinal against U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro, who is fourth seed and expected to play despite pulling out of the Kooyong Classic with a wrist problem. Del Potro could play American seventh seed Andy Roddick in the last eight. Verdasco will play Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is seeded 10th for the season's first Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne, in Saturday's final in the exhibition event. Meanwhile, 2006 Australian Open runner-up Marcus Baghdatis will play Richard Gasquet in the final of the Sydney International event on Saturday. Cypriot Baghdatis is aiming for his second title in three tournaments, having won the Stockholm Open at the end of last year. Frenchman Gasquet is seeking his first ATP Tour title since September 2007, having served a ban for a positive cocaine test last year which was later reduced due to mitigating circumstances. Australian Open men's singles draw (seeds in bold): . 1-Roger Federer (Swi) v Igor Andreev (Rus) Juan Ignacio Chela (Arg) v Victor Hanescu (Rom) Stephane Robert (Fra) v Potito Starace (Ita) Oscar Hernandez (Spa) v 31-Albert Montanes (Spa) 22-Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) v Qualifier Christophe Rochus (Bel) v Qualifier Paolo Lorenzi (Ita) v Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp) Frederico Gil (Por) v 15-Gilles Simon (Fra) 9-Fernando Verdasco (Spa) v Carsten Ball (Aus) Qualifier v Dudi Sela (Isr) Rajeev Ram (USA) v Qualifier Qualifier v 23-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spa) 30-Juan Monaco (Arg) v Ernests Gulbis (Lat) Martin Vassallo Arguello (Arg) v Michael Llodra (Fra) Carlos Moya (Spa) v Qualifier Qualifier v 6-Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) 3-Novak Djokovic (Ser) v Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spa) Marinko Matosevic (Aus) v Marco Chiudinelli (Swi) Kristof Vliegen (Bel) v Michael Berrer (Ger) Denis Istomin (Uzb) v 32-Jeremy Chardy (Fra) 20-Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) v Richard Gasquet (Fra) Jan Hajek (Cze) v Robby Ginepri (USA) Lukasz Kubot (Pol) v Mischa Zverev (Ger) Santiago Giraldo (Col) v 16-Tommy Robredo (Spa) 10-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukr) Fabio Fognini (Ita) v Taylor Dent (USA) Ryan Harrison (USA) v Janko Tipsarevic (Ser) Simon Greul (Ger) v 18-Tommy Haas (Ger) 26-Nicolas Almagro (Spa) v Qualifier Benjamin Becker (Ger) v Qualifier Alejandro Falla (Col) v Marcos Daniel (Bra) Marcel Granollers-Pujol (Spa) v 8-Robin Soderling (Swe) 7-Andy Roddick (USA) v Thiemo De Bakker (Ned) Teimuraz Gabashvili (Rus) v Thomaz Bellucci (Bra) Feliciano Lopez (Spa) v Pablo Cuevas (Uru) Rainer Schuettler (Ger) v 25-Sam Querrey (USA) 21-Tomas Berdych (Cze) v Robin Haase (Ned) Daniel Brands (Ger) v Evgeny Korolev (Rus) Sebastien Grosjean (Fra) v Qualifier Olivier Rochus (Bel) v 11-Fernando Gonzalez (Chi) 14-Marin Cilic (Cro) v Fabrice Santoro (Fra) Qualifier v Bernard Tomic (Aus) Igor Kunitsyn (Rus) v Jose Acasuso (Arg) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spa) v 19-Stanislas Wawrinka (Swi) 29-Viktor Troicki (Ser) v Nicolas Lapentti (Ecu) Philipp Petzschner (Ger) v Florian Mayer (Ger) James Blake (USA) v Arnaud Clement (Fra) Michael Russell (USA) v 4-Juan Martin Del Potro (Arg) 5-Andy Murray (GB) v Qualifier Marc Gicquel (Fra) v Simone Bolelli (Ita) Jarkko Nieminen (Fin) v Nick Lindhal (Aus) Florent Serra (Fra) v 28-Jurgen Melzer (Aut) 17-David Ferrer (Spa) v Andreas Seppi (Ita) Qualifier v Yen-Hsun Lu (Tpe) Daniel Koellerer (Aut) v Qualifier Qualifier v 12-Gael Monfils (Fra) 13-Radek Stepanek (Cze) v Ivo Karlovic (Cro) Julien Benneteau (Fra) v Qualifier Mardy Fish (USA) v Andrey Golubev (Kaz) Jason Kubler (Aus) v Ivan Ljubicic (Cro) (24) 27-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) v Horacio Zeballos (Arg) John Isner (USA) v Wayne Odesnik (USA) Lukas Lacko (Svk) v Leonardo Mayer (Arg) Peter Luczak (Aus) v 2-Rafael Nadal (Spa) | Roger Federer faces potential quarterfinal clash with Nikolay Davydenko at Australian Open . The Russian sixth seed has beaten the world No. 1 in their last two meetings . Defending champion Rafael Nadal faces possible last-eight tie with Andy Murray . Nadal could then face U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro in semifinals . | 239860cc3cce609fc651513550f4ea9dab7c637a |
(CNN) -- When it comes to deciding where the money goes, the Lotus Formula One team says its main priority is the car -- not the star driver who sits in the cockpit. Kimi Raikkonen said last week that he decided to leave it and rejoin Ferrari for the 2014 season because Lotus "haven't got my salary." But the team, owned by Luxembourg-based investment group Genii Capital, has now responded by explaining that it prefers to focus its finances on developing the car, even if it means seeing their driving talent walk away. Raikkonen has posted Lotus' only victory this year, with himself and the team both fourth in the respective driver and constructor standings. "Our suppliers and key people who develop the car were our priority -- maybe not Kimi," Lotus team principal Eric Boullier told the official F1 website. "Kimi was in a similar position last year and it was all settled by the end of the year. And Genii had the plan to do the same this year. "It is public knowledge by now that we've been late in paying him, and he got upset. "To manage the cash flow -- and I don't mean the money itself or the budget we have, which is guaranteed by Genii, or at least most of it as we don't have the revenue stream to allow us to live independently from Genii -- this cash flow is an issue if you have fixed costs and want to keep up the development level. "You have to decide where you want to spend your money." Genii Capital took full control of the team -- which has raced in F1 since 1981 under its previous guises Toleman, Benetton and Renault -- from previous owner Renault in 2011. Ownership by a private investment company, instead of car manufacturers such as Mercedes and Fiat, which owns Ferrari, or a global company such as Red Bull, can provide a more risky financial backdrop for an F1 team. But Boullier says that Lotus' alternative business model does not mean it is mired in a financial crisis, as the rumors circulating in the sport would suggest. "Red Bull or Mercedes, those companies are sponsoring the teams," said Boullier, whose driver management company Gravity also has connections to Genii. "Genii has a different strategy: they loan the money. "It is part of the strategy that partners join the team and Genii will get back their investment. "Seventy-five percent of the debt Lotus has comes from Genii. They could write it off tomorrow by saying this money is a sponsorship -- and then our debt would be drastically reduced. Our normal debt is similar to most of the other teams." Genii's strategy of choosing to bankroll the team before looking for sponsorship deals to recoup their investment is a gamble. Having 2007 world champion Raikkonen on board would have inevitably helped attract sponsors, but now Boullier is looking at alternatives. He says the team plans to emulate the business strategy of some of rivals, including Red Bull and McLaren, by looking for a title sponsor. "It is no secret that for quite a while Genii have been looking for partners to make sure that we can bring more money to the team and have access to a bigger sponsor portfolio," the Frenchman added. "We need to secure sponsors, as this is the only way to step up. "Formula One depends massively on the people -- and to attract the best people to a team you need to have money, to be able to build something for the long term. "Genii's plan was to bring the team up within five years -- which we are trying to do -- but to move to the next step you need another five-year plan in place. And that is what we are working on." | The Lotus Formula One team says it prioritizes spending on developing the car . Driver Kimi Raikkonen is leaving Lotus at the end of 2013 because he was not paid . Lotus is financed by investment company Genii Capital, which loans the team the money . The team is looking for a lucrative title sponsor for the 2014 season . | 0a6790f886a42a76945d4a21ed27c4ebd9ca1025 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:49 EST, 28 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:46 EST, 29 October 2012 . Lovesick patients are increasingly using Facebook to flirt with, proposition and harass their doctors. The number of medics seeking help to deal with unwanted advances has risen by a third as technology, including emails and text messages, erodes boundaries and makes contact easier, the Medical Defence Union has warned. It said that although some flirtations quickly fizzle out, in the worst cases the police are called in and injunctions taken out to stop doctors from being stalked or harassed. The number of medics seeking help to deal with unwanted advances has risen by a third (file picture) Medics are even finding themselves in danger of being struck off after being falsely accused of having a relationship with a patient who is infatuated with them. Dr Claire Macaulay, of the MDU, which provides legal advice and insurance to doctors, said: ‘The trend towards patients making unsolicited advances to their doctor is not a new one. ‘But while in the past patients were likely to put pen to paper when making such approaches, patients are now using digital means. Our members report that being bombarded with messages to their mobiles or email, Twitter or Facebook accounts can, in some ways, be even more intrusive than receiving a stream of written letters.’ In one case, a male GP began to receive letters and gifts from a patient with mental health problems. The woman was told the contact was inappropriate but continued to send letters and also sent repeated friend requests on Facebook. Although some flirtations are said to quickly fizzle out, in the worst cases police are being called and injunctions taken out (file picture) After her care was transferred to another doctor in the practice, she told the General Medical Council she had had a sexual relationship with the first GP. The doctor denied this and was cleared of any wrongdoing – but only after a six-month investigation. In another example, a female GP was asked out for a drink by a male patient as she left her surgery. When she declined, the patient pestered her via Facebook, and sent her lilies, after reading on the site that they were her favourite flower. On the MDU’s advice, the doctor changed the security and privacy settings on the site, so that only a few chosen friends could see the information she had posted. Another doctor brought charges after being sent lingerie catalogues and stalked by an ex-patient. Lovesick patients are increasingly using Facebook to flirt with their GP (picture posed by a model) Between 2002 and 2006, the MDU, Britain’s biggest insurer of GPs, received 73 requests for help in dealing with unwanted advances. This rose to 100 from 2007 to 2011. Seventy-two of the 100 cases involved GPs, the others were hospital doctors including psychiatrists and gynaecologists. Almost three-quarters of those being pursued and propositioned were male. Doctors are advised not to respond to advances made through social networking sites. If the problem continues, the patient’s care can be transferred to a colleague. Other advice includes withholding mobile numbers when calling patients and exercising caution before accepting gifts. Dr Clare Gerada, of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said patients can sometimes mistake doctors’ professional care for personal interest. ‘Patients see doctors when they are vulnerable, and doctors are trained to maintain professional boundaries at all times,’ she said. ‘In some cases, however, where there may be vulnerable patients who have experienced traumatic events, they might misinterpret their doctor’s compassion for something stronger.’ | Patients are increasingly turning to Facebook to flirt with and harass medical professionals the Medical Defence Union has warned . In the worst cases police are being called in and injunctions taken out . | ab99e57f72c65e717f45c011f1302e9c6ff20ddb |
Asprey worker Martin with the £80,000 bags . This may not be a question you've ever asked yourself, but how much would you be prepared to pay for a money safe shaped like a gorilla? A tenner? £100? What do you mean they'd have to pay you to take the monstrosity home? Would it make a difference to discover that the gorilla is solid silver, hand-crafted by some of the finest silversmiths in the land, and on sale in a shop that epitomises the 'If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it' ethos? The actor Samuel L Jackson fell in love with this, er, unusual piece on a trip to London. It isn't known if he paid the full price (celebrities often don't), but for a mere mortal to take it home would cost an eye-watering £55,000. The price of a solid silver gorilla safe is just one of the life lessons you learn from watching a jaw-dropping documentary that goes behind the scenes at Asprey, the jewellery and gift store to the rich and famous. Austerity Britain this is not. One customer, who comes in to buy handbags, expresses an interest in some rings as she's about to leave. A particularly sparkling little gem is placed on her finger. The price? £4.6 million. That she doesn't have a heart attack tells you everything you need to know about the clientele. A bona fide British institution, Asprey can trace its history back to 1781 and has been a presence on upmarket New Bond Street since 1847. It's held a Royal Warrant from every British monarch since Queen Victoria awarded it one in 1862, and everyone from Mae West to the Beckhams has been a customer. And at one point the joke went that the Sultan of Brunei was the only customer, so lavish were his spending sprees there. The last time Paul McCartney popped in it was because he needed a couple of dozen wine glasses for a party. Not that 'need' is a word much associated with Asprey. Who 'needs' a solid silver cocktail shaker shaped like a rocket (£7,500), or a stag's head decanter – an Asprey bestseller at £2,500? 'It's not a case of "I need one." It's a case of "I want one,"' says one staff member. 'And what people are buying is exclusivity.' The staff are upfront about the fact that prices aren't emblazoned all over the shop. Mostly you need a magnifying glass to find one. One salesman talks about how you sell a champagne bath (it's a big bucket, basically). It seems you don't scream about how it costs £30,000, you point out how long it took to make, and how it is a unique piece. By the time the question of 'How much?' comes up, he says, the customer is likely to think, 'That's just the thing for my yacht.' In an age of mass-market consumerism, Asprey is something of a relic. It's still the place to go in certain circles for gifts though, and it's never too young to start. One can quite imagine Elton John and David Furnish practically moving in when they were doing up the nursery. A solid silver baby hairbrush will set you back £265 (although you'd probably want the matching comb – £185 – too, so as not to look like a cheapskate). An egg cup shaped like a rocking horse costs £495, while a little tube to hold a birth certificate is £675. Aspreys £55,000 Silver Gorilla Safe purchased by Samuel L Jackson . The company made its name making intricate gilded travel cases for the discerning. The manufacturing process involved heating mercury to extreme temperatures – at which point it gives off deadly fumes. Dying on the job was an occupational hazard, and the average lifespan of the Asprey craftsmen, back in the day, was just 41. These days the craftsmen and women who toil in the workshops may have dwindled to just a handful (due to a lack of demand rather than mercury poisoning), but they're still responsible for making and mending some of the world's most iconic pieces, including the Crown Jewels. Watching them at work is awe-inspiring, and as a lament to the lost world of the British master craftsman this programme is as powerful as it gets. It can take months, even years, to craft some items, but in the modern world these are no longer skills that are valued. One silversmith is filmed cleaning the toilets. His services doing the job he trained for were no longer required. Another, Stuart Greig, is filmed nervously stepping onto the shopfloor in his overalls, to hand over a necklace that will retail at £133,000. 'I'm a scruffy urchin. I feel out of place,' he says. Alas for the purists the market for near-priceless trinkets has evolved and the customers targeted today are likely to be film stars and footballers with an eye for the eccentric. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie even designed a range of jewellery for them called The Protector in 2009. A bangle from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's collection, £10,500 . The fact that cameras have been allowed in for the first time shows that things are changing. Once Asprey was a byword for discretion and quiet opulence. But the company has had its share of tribulations in recent years. Its own financial history is chequered; the firm posted losses of £10 million in the mid-90s. The latest financial figures are healthier following a £50 million refurbishment by Lord Foster and a surge in demand from Middle Eastern customers. The programme doesn't flinch from showing the challenges of keeping a company like Asprey afloat. An extraordinary project – the sale of 41 bespoke handbags – is launched while the cameras are there. These are off-the-scale high-end bags, some made from crocodile skin with 18-carat gold fittings and encrusted with diamonds. The most expensive is £80,000. Special events are arranged to try to flog these handbags. High teas are laid on, but the sandwiches and macaroons remain uneaten. Treasured clients are invited but fail to turn up. Celebrity events are held. After one month, only a couple of the bags have sold. Alex, the salesman charged with shifting them, starts to sweat. He works on commission, has a small child at home, and is now worried about having one of his 'bread and water months'. We cheer for him when a Saudi Princess swoops in at the last minute and buys a dozen. In some ways the programme lifts the lid on a preposterous world. There's a Texan tourist who's with a salt and pepper set shaped like The Owl And The Pussycat. Yes, yes, it looks as hideous as it sounds, but she absolutely won't hear of leaving without it. The price? £6,995. One Oriental gentleman is warmly greeted – hardly surprisingly, since we learn he comes three or four times a year. He's looking for a watch and when he's told the price of the one he likes is £85,000 he buys two. Will it make you wish your husband was the sort to pop into Asprey and ask them to help him choose your birthday gift? Yes and no. The gentleman who does this asks the saleswoman to model some earrings for him so he can choose. She duly obliges. It's not a service you get in Argos, granted, but some might find it a bit, well, weird that while the birthday girl's earrings may have cost £15,750, they've also been in someone else's ears. Priceless. Inside Asprey: Luxury By Royal Appointment, Thursday, 9pm, ITV. | A new series takes a sneak into the inner workings of Asprey . From £55,000 Gorilla safes to rings worth £4.6m this is not a shop for austerity . Inside Asprey: Luxury by Royal Appointment starts on Thursday at 9pm ITV . | c1d91e1cfe01b591453ed7ceceb973ca35f86d8e |
(CNN) -- Nepalese authorities in Kathmandu seized ballot boxes Sunday, disrupting elections for Tibetans who were voting to elect a new prime minister and government in exile, officials said Monday. "The administration intervened in the so-called election because Nepal's foreign policy does not allow any activities against any friendly neighboring countries," Nepal's Home Ministry spokesman Jaya Mukunda Khanal told CNN. Tibet is officially an autonomous part of China. Many Tibetan leaders advocate what they describe as a more genuine autonomy, while others seek independence. China rejects Tibetan claims of independence or greater autonomy and claims sovereignty over the area. An estimated 20,000 Tibetan exiles live in Nepal. Nepal maintains that Tibet is part of China, and does not allow any anti-Chinese activities on its soil. Khanal denied that there had been any instructions from the Chinese government to foil the election. According to a Home Ministry statement, 18 ballot boxes were seized and investigations are being carried out. No arrests were made, Kathmandu police Chief Ramesh Kharel told CNN. About 30 Nepalese police conducted the confiscation operation at two Kathmandu polling sites, according to a statement on the website of the Central Tibet Administration. But Thinley Gyatso, the regional Tibetan election commissioner in Nepal, said that authorities had given him permission to conduct the vote and that he is pressing the Nepalese government to return the ballot boxes, according to the Central Tibet Administration statement. Journalist Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report. | Tibetans were casting their votes for a government in exile . Tibet is an autonomous part of China . Nepal does not allow anti-Chinese activities on its soil . | 62d63164fecd125f84387792b33bff7ba12eabfd |
Follow all the movers and shakers here . Swansea have completed the signing of Gambian striker Modou Barrow for £1.5million. The 21-year-old arrives from Swedish club Ostersunds FK on a performance-related contract and will now link up with the club's under-21 squad. Barrow, who scored 10 goals in 19 appearances for Ostersunds last season, will hope to progress to Garry Monk's senior squad after settling in at the Liberty Stadium. New boy: Gambian striker Modou Barrow (above) has signed for Swansea . 'I'm delighted to be here,' said Barrow, who becomes the third Swansea Under-21 squad recruit in a week following the signings of striker James Demetriou from Nottingham Forest and midfielder Giancarlo Gallifuoco, who was previously at Tottenham. 'I now can't wait to get going and improve each day in training and try to score some goals. 'I like the way Swansea play football, it reminds me of how I used to play back home. I've watched a lot of their games on TV and I was impressed with what I saw. 'They like to give young players a chance and hopefully I can progress here.' Youngster: Barrow will join up with Swansea's Under-21 squad as his looks to impress . | Swansea City sign Gambian striker Modou Barrow . Barrow joins Swans for an undisclosed fee from Ostersunds FK . Barrow will join Swansea's Under-21 squad . | 19114bdba62c621013be28e4d8313fb792339d16 |
By . Steve Robson . PUBLISHED: . 13:15 EST, 17 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:15 EST, 17 April 2013 . Distraught: Driver Shannon McGarrigle told an inquest of the moment schoolboy Sam Belcher stepped out in front of her . A teenage driver has told of the moment a suicidal schoolboy sprinted into the path of her car with arms outstretched 'like Superman'. Shannon McGarrigle wept as she told an inquest how Sam Belcher, 15, had been running along the side of a road in the village of Pamber Heath, near Tadley, Hampshire, when he dashed in front of her Ford KA. 'He started jogging away from me, he kept turning and looking at me,' Miss McGarrigle, told Alton Magistrates Court. 'He was metres away when he ran out in front of my car with his arms out in front of him, like Superman. He pretty much ran out in front. I went to swerve while he kept jogging. 'I stopped straight away.' Sam suffered multiple injuries in the accident which happened at around 2.30am just four days before Christmas last year. Miss McGarrigle told the court she dialled 999 and stayed with Sam until paramedics arrived at the scene, describing the wait as the 'loneliest 10 minutes' of her life. 'I kept talking to him throughout,' she told North Hampshire coroner Andrew Bradley. "The lady on the phone said 'keep talking to him to see if you can get a response'. 'I don't know whether he was conscious.' The hearing at Alton Magistrates' Court was told that Sam would have been unconscious from the moment of impact. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead shortly after the collision. His cause of death was given as severe head injuries. Police investigators agreed there was nothing that Miss McGarrigle could have done to avoid colliding with Sam as he ran into Silchester Road, less than a mile from his home. Sam Belcher ran into the path of the Ford Ka on Silchester Road in Pamber Heath, Hampshire, just a mile from his home . 'The driver was confronted with a pedestrian in the road who she was unable to avoid and tragically the pedestrian suffered fatal injuries,' said PC Andrew McDonald. The inquest heard that Sam had complained of feeling low in the months before his death and had been referred to mental health professionals by both his GP and his school, Hurst Community College in Tadley. Sam's headteacher, Malcolm Christian, told the hearing that Sam was a 'pleasant pupil, who always appeared bubbly and happy.' He said that Sam had a good academic record but that his attendance had slipped in the two months before his death. Mr Christain said that school support staff had flagged up their concerns about Sam and that his mother Claire had also kept him up to date with what the boy was going through - as did Sam himself. Dr Suzanne Gray, a psychologist, had been working with Sam and his mother and said that while Mrs Belcher had put his low mood down to a prior experience of bullying, the teenager had not agreed. 'Mrs Belcher related it to an experience of bullying but Sam did not equate with that,' she said. 'In the last few months he had an increasingly low mood. He said 'I can't find joy in life any more', and 'I wake up thinking this day is not going to go my way'.' The inquest heard Sam had come to the end of his sessions with Dr Gray, by mutual consent, and that when he was re-referred to her team in November 2012 he had to join the back of a waiting list and was not seen again prior to his death on December 21. Mr Bradley said that Sam had sought help and raised concerns that Sam was not seen sooner on his re-referral. 'He's effectively been taken off the conveyor belt and his re-referral puts him back at the beginning of the conveyor belt,' he said. 'I find this incomprehensible and it is certainly something that bears examination because the situation for Sam is clearly one of plummetting downhill and he is not handling whatever is causing him trouble.' The coroner recorded a verdict of suicide. For confidential support about . depression, call the Samaritans on 0845 790 9090 or visit a local . Samaritans branch. Or click here to visit the charity's website. | Sam Belcher, 15, died from multiple injuries four days before Christmas . Driver Shannon McGarrigle wept as she gave evidence at inquest . Described wait for paramedics as 'loneliest 10 minutes' of her life . | 6b516cdd20bfa67d2001b5000d60a3925f17a2c9 |
(CNN)The death of a 14-year-old shot by police just blocks from his school is the latest flashpoint as political tensions mount in Venezuela and pockets of anti-government protests erupt throughout the country. Kluibert Roa Nuñez, a high school student, was killed Tuesday when he got caught between protesters and national police in the western city of San Cristobal. A police officer fatally shot Kluibert, officials say. The government and the opposition alike have condemned the teen's killing, but Venezuela's recent history of violence and sharp political polarization hang over this shooting. Already protesters opposed to President Nicolas Maduro's government are pointing to the teen's death as a fresh rallying cry. And Maduro has blamed protesters for the violence that led to the shooting. A year ago, San Cristobal was the birthplace of anti-government protests that spread nationwide. The standoffs between security forces and protesters lingered for weeks and became violent, with more than 40 deaths, according to the government. Three witnesses at Tuesday's protest said that Kluibert was not a protester and had inadvertently come across the confrontation after leaving school. Vivian Nuñez, the slain teen's mother, told CNN en Español her son was walking four blocks from his school when a riot broke out around him. The protesters -- mostly students from a nearby university -- were running from police at the moment that Kluibert walked into the area, according to the witnesses, who spoke with CNN en Español. The teen tried to protect himself by ducking under a car but suffered a direct shot from an officer's firearm, the witnesses said. CNN has not independently confirmed how the shooting unfolded. The governor of the state of Tachira, where San Cristobal is located, declined to comment on his government's version of events. The teen's death sparked several protests around the country Wednesday. In Caracas, demonstrators outside the justice ministry held up notebooks smeared with red paint to symbolize the blood of the country's youth they say has been spilled. "A bloody notebook. This is what we, the students, have -- ideas," protester Hilda Rubi said. "We say to Mr. Nicolas Maduro, 'Are you afraid of the students? These are our weapons: a notebook, pens, thoughts and ideology.' " The Venezuelan government responded quickly to the killing, detaining and identifying the national police officer who shot the teen. The interior ministry named Javier Mora Ortiz, 23, as the shooter. Attorney General Luisa Ortega Díaz announced Wednesday that Mora is formally charged with intentional homicide, and that nine protesters were also arrested in San Cristobal. Interior Minister Carmen Melendez, speaking on state television, vowed that the officer would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. She appealed for calm, asking students to remember the 43 deaths recorded in clashes last year. The police has been reformed since then, she said, calling the national police force a "protector of human rights." "This is an isolated incident that does not represent the behavior of the new, humanist police," Melendez said. To protesters, and to the family of the slain teen, these comments seem to be insincere, or outright lies. Erick Roa, the father of the slain teen, told CNN en Español's Fernando del Rincon that he wants the full weight of the law to be applied to the officer but is not comforted by the government's actions. The officer's quick confession might be part of a strategy to get a lenient sentence, Roa said. He is afraid the justice system will go easy on Mora because he is a police officer. "This was a murder; this was a homicide committed by this man, and he should pay with the full weight of the law," he said. The father also questioned the government's claims of what kind of projectile killed his son. The interior minister said Mora shot Kluibert with a shotgun loaded with rubber pellets. Roa said that if the weapon was indeed a shotgun, it was loaded with lead pellets, not rubber. The coroner's report said that a firearm caused the fatal wound, without detailing whether it was rubber or lead pellets, the father said. The government also said that police provided first aid to the injured teen, something that witnesses deny. Roa pleaded for police to "be guardians" while on duty, saying he hopes another child won't become a victim. The fury over Tuesday's shooting echoes the arguments made by pro- and anti-government groups in the past. Maduro framed the boy's death around the actions of the protesters in San Cristobal. He described a group of "hooded youths" who were "being violent," beating police and pelting officers with rocks before police responded with force. Critics of the government turned to one of their most powerful tools -- social media -- to accuse the security forces of abuses and to share photos they say back their allegations. Tweets were tagged with #SOSVenezuela, #PrayForVenezuela and #MaduroAsesinoDeEstudiantes, literally accusing the President of killing students. Government supporters tweeted under the banner #ApoyoRotundoAMaduro, or "complete support for Maduro." All this turmoil comes during an economic crisis in oil-rich Venezuela. Venezuelans have endured years of shortages of basic goods, products and services. Consumers have to stand in line for hours for staples such as milk, chicken and cornmeal. Even toilet paper and condoms are scarce. Venezuela's currency, the bolivar, is overvalued. The official exchange rate is 6.3 per dollar, but dollars are being exchanged in the black market at 190-to-1 creating all kinds of problems for foreign companies, including American ones. Last week, the mayor of Caracas, Venezuela's capital and largest city, was arrested and accused of plotting to overthrow Maduro's government. In fragile economy, Venezuela arrests opposition figures: Why you should care . Mayor Antonio Ledezma, one of the opposition's most visible leaders, was arrested in a raid by federal agents. The opposition says the mayor's arrest is an attempt to divert attention from the country's economic woes. CNN's Kay Guerrero, Miguel Escalona and Catherine E. Shoichet and journalist Osmary Hernandez contributed to this report. | Anti-government protests erupt over the death of a 14-year-old . The high school student was killed by police during a protest Tuesday . Tensions and polarization in Venezuela remain high . | 1c43a583fd1ec2b938431236d72ee4f6e07884c9 |
By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 14:56 EST, 13 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:12 EST, 14 January 2013 . Sir Jimmy Savile could be awarded a posthumous knighthood – so he can then be stripped of it. The bizarre plan is being considered by the Honours Forfeiture Committee because knighthoods cannot be removed from people who have died. Those given a knighthood are awarded lifetime membership to a ‘living order’ and the title no longer exists when the holder dies. A constitutional bar preventing the dead from having their knighthoods removed means the government's forfeiture committee cannot strip Savile of the accolade . A Whitehall source told The Sunday Times: 'The forfeiture committee is certainly looking at the issue.' The TV host, who died last year aged 84, was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 1990 - an award which followed the OBE he was given for services to charity and broadcasting in 1971. The Queen has the power to remove honours after they have been recommended by the forfeiture committee. Last year Fred Goodwin, former chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland, was stripped of his knighthood. Paedophile: Jimmy Saville who was awarded a knighthood in 1990 for 'charitable services' A report published this week by Scotland . Yard and NSPCC said he DJ spent ‘every waking minute’ thinking about . abusing children and used his celebrity status to that end. Eighteen . girls and ten boys aged under ten were abused – the youngest being a boy . of eight targeted at his school. Allegations of sexual assault have been made by 450 individuals, aged up to 47, and some have yet to be interviewed. The 214 confirmed offences included 34 rapes and stretch across 28 police force areas. The most recent was in 2009 but they date back as far as 1955. Lawyers for the victims have already instigated compensation claims against the BBC, NHS and education authorities for failing to stop the serial predator. The payouts could run into millions of pounds. Victims said it was shocking it had taken so long to expose the DJ’s predatory behaviour. They said senior managers who missed opportunities to stop him should be named and shamed. | An OBE or knighthood expires when a person dies but title 'Sir' is still used . Honours Forfeiture Committee may award Savile another knighthood so he can be stripped of it publicly . | 654f283e15f66ca68b90662e012684648518e7fc |
Roy Hodgson will give Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain time to prove his World Cup fitness. Oxlade-Chamberlain will be out for two weeks after scans showed the knee injury suffered against Ecuador on Wednesday was not as bad as first feared. He has a slight strain in the medial ligaments in his right knee, but no tear was visible and the 20-year-old Arsenal midfielder was able to move around freely in Miami on Thursday with the help of a brace to support the joint. VIDEO: Scroll down for Sportsmail's Neil Ashton's England v Ecuador game report . Strapped up: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is pictured at the England team hotel on Thursday wearing a knee brace . Staying positive: Oxlade-Chamberlain walks freely at the team hotel in Miami after a scan on his knee injury . Holding court: England manager Roy Hodgson speaks during a Q&A session with England fans in Miami . Relaxed: Hodgson looks in good spirits as he answers questions from England supporters in Miami . Packed house: There was a large turnout for the unprecedented Q&A with the England manager . Warm welcome: Hodgson smiles as he arrives at a bar in downtown Miami to meet the fans . Worry: Oxlade-Chamberlain was forced into an early exit against Ecuador after picking up a knee injury . Awkward: Ecuador midfielder Carlos Gruezo landed awkwardly on the knee of the midfielder . ‘Gutted to have picked up an injury,’ said Oxlade-Chamberlain on Twitter. ‘I’m staying positive and getting to . work with the medical team on recovery. Fingers crossed.’ The . upbeat medical bulletin chased some gloom from the England camp but . Hodgson is still left with a tricky decision about a player who has been . ravaged by injuries during the last 12 months. The England boss is fond . of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s pace and unpredictability. He . would like to keep him in the squad and can wait, because he has until . next Friday to make a decision. The squad fly to Brazil following . tomorrow’s friendly against Honduras. They are likely to take a second scan before then to assess the recovery rate. Hodgson must decide whether to take another gamble on the fitness of a player who suffered a cruciate ligament injury at the start of the season and was niggled by a groin injury at the end. The game against Ecuador in Miami was his first start for almost two months. Concern: Roy Hodgson said it is too early to make a decision on what happens next with Oxlade-Chamberlain . Exit: Oxlade-Chamberlain was seen on Wednesday leaving the Sun Life Stadium visibly upset . Despair: The England midfielder will hope his World Cup dream is not over . Blow: Oxlade-Chamberlain looks distraught after suffering an injury against Ecuador . Hodgson may opt to take Oxlade-Chamberlain to Brazil and delay his final verdict. The squad lists were lodged this week but each team is allowed to make a change for a new injury, up to 24 hours before their first game as long as FIFA doctors confirm it is a tournament-ending injury. Last night Hodgson said: ‘We will do everything we can to keep him with us because a) we would like to think we might go beyond the group stage, and b) he played so well against Ecuador. He was undoubtedly our best player and it would be a major blow if we lost him. ‘We will do everything in our power to keep him and our medical team are optimistic, he is optimistic, so let’s wait and see.’ In pain: England players look glum as they surround the hurt Arsenal midfielder . Performed: The youngster put in a terrific performance in Miami before he was forced off . | Scans have showed that the England midfielder's knee injury is not as bad as first feared . Oxlade-Chamberlain has a slight strain in the medial ligaments in his right knee . The 20-year-old moved around freely in Miami on Thursday with the help of a knee brace . Hodgson said it is 'too early to make any decisions about what happens next' | c515deabe4436c52c4638e2ad0bb95dc0168f671 |
By . Neil Ashton . Follow @@neilashton_ . Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gave England hope he could make the World Cup after training in a knee brace on Monday. The Arsenal winger inflamed ligaments in his right knee during England's 2-2 draw with Ecuador in Miami last week. Oxlade-Chamberlain emerged halfway through England's training session at the Urca military base and was put through some running exercises by head physio Gary Lewin. Up and running: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is put through his paces as England train in Rio . Flying solo: Oxlade-Chamberlain trained alone with England medical team during Monday's session . Kneesy does it: Oxlade-Chamberlain wore a protective brace during training on Monday . Please let me be fit: The Arsenal midfielder is hoping he can prove his fitness to England boss Roy Hodgson . All smiles: Hodgson and Oxlade-Chamberlain were in good spirits during training on Monday . The England midfielder was told he would be out for at least 10 days when he sustained the injury. England head coach Roy Hodgson has until 24 hours before the opening group game against Italy on Saturday to decide whether to replace Oxlade-Chamberlain if he is deemed unfit for the whole tournament. Captain Steven Gerrard also trained away from the main two groups on Monday and finished his session early after tightness in his groin. England were guarded by Brazilian Army personnel as they trained in the shadown of Sugar Loaf mountain. No pain, no gain: Oxlade-Chamberlain finds it tough going in the searing heat on Monday . Down and out: Oxlade-Chamberlain goes down after a tackle from Ecuador's Carlos Gruezo (below) | Winger trained in a protective knee brace on Monday . Suffered knee injury in 2-2 draw with Ecuador last week . Hodgson has until Friday to decide whether to name Oxlade-Chamberlain in World Cup squad or replace him . | b64b91b30834a44d978937b74e3816ad954a2c9d |
(EW) -- Looks like the mercurial Jay Gatsby will remain mysteriously out of reach for a bit longer. Warner Bros. announced today that "The Great Gatsby," director Baz Luhrmann's 3-D adaptation of the seminal novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has been pushed to Summer 2013. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role, along with Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, and Joel Edgerton, the film had been slated to open on Christmas day this year. No specific new date was indicated. In announcing the change, Warner Bros. president of distribution Dan Fellman lauded Luhrmann's singular visual style. "We think moviegoers of all ages are going to embrace it, and it makes sense to ensure this unique film reaches the largest audience possible," he said in a statement. International distribution chief Veronika Kwan Vanderberg added that the studio believes "The Great Gatsby" "will be the perfect summer movie around the world." The film would have gone head to head with Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," which also stars DiCaprio in a supporting role as the cruel owner of a plantation in the pre-Civil War south. Read full story at EW.com. | Warner Bros. announced 'The Great Gatsby' has been pushed to Summer 2013 . The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton . It had been slated to open on Christmas day . No specific date for release has been stated . | 956517b5143936f8191653817bf461cc1fb02021 |
Taylor Armstrong 'dreads' seeing family of suicide husband Russell at memorial service . Family of tragic Real Housewives star pick up his belongings from coroner . By . Mike Larkin . Last updated at 7:03 AM on 24th August 2011 . Russell Armstrong had stopped taking anti-depressant drugs a fortnight before he committed suicide, it has been claimed. The venture capitalist is said to have been taking the prescription medication to control his rage issues. He had been taking the drugs for several . months, and it later emerged his wife Taylor was leaving him after . accusing him of domestic abuse. Tragic: Russell Armstrong is said to have stopped taking anti-depressants two weeks before he committed suicide . An insider told RadarOnline: 'Russell had been doing so well when he was on the anti-depressants. 'He was prescribed the meds to control his rage issues. Russell stopped taking the meds two weeks before his suicide. 'Taylor was very supportive of him taking the meds. 'All of a sudden about two weeks ago, Russell stopped taking the meds though.' Ed Winter, Assistant Coroner for Los Angeles said: 'No medication bottles for Mr. Armstrong were recovered from the scene.' Collection: The family of Russell Armstrong picked up his possessions from the LA coroner's office today as it emerged he had stopped taking anti-depressant drugs weeks before his suicide . It has also been revealed Taylor Armstrong is terrified of meeting the family of her dead husband Russell at his memorial service this week. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star thinks his family blame her for the venture capitalist committing suicide in Los Angeles last week. And she is scared of conflict in front of her daughter at Wednesday's event with his family, who collected his possessions from the coroner's office in the California city today. A source told RadarOnline: 'She feels that they all hate her, and that they blame her for Russell's suicide. 'Taylor just wants to get through the memorial on Wednesday. 'She hopes that Russell's family doesn't try and cause a scene. Checking out: His relatives looked over their paperwork as they left their heartbreaking appointment . This is a memorial service for the father of her daughter, Kennedy will be at the service as well.' The 40-year-old reality television has been staying out of the public eye at a rental house in plush Bel Air Crest with her daughter since news of her husband's death emerged. The Mail Online had previously revealed Russell's mother John Ann Hotchkiss will not be attending the memorial. Meanwhile Russell's family were picking up the 47-year-old's possessions from the LA coroner's office today. They looked glum faced as they left with the jewellery and other personal items they had been holding. Following their appointment they checked paperwork as they sped off in a waiting vehicle. It has also emerged the broke banker had splurged $60,000 on a 40th birthday party for his wife as he attempted to woo her weeks before his death. An insider told Celebrity News and Style: 'On the surface both Taylor and Russell looked happy and were all smiles. 'He was very attentive to her, maybe even more than usual and I found that to be a bit odd. He followed her around and was by her side the entire time.' He spared no expense in throwing the special party at Beachers Madhouse at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, despite the fact he was hugely in debt. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills that he invited were co-stars Kyle Richards, who was out of town, Lisa Vanderpump and husband her Ken Todd. The new developments follow revelations he had slammed Real Housewives bosses in one of the last interviews he conducted. He said: 'Everything you see on that show is bull****. 'Those Bravo b*****ds take every little argument out of context and magnify it for the cameras.' 'That's not me': Armstrong said of his onscreen portrayal, 'He's just a stock character created by Bravo's evil overlords' Speaking exclusivity to TheFix.com Armstrong added: 'The Russell you see on TV has nothing to do with my real personality. 'He's just a stock character created by Bravo's evil overlords. That's not me you see up there. It's just a character I play on TV.' Last week Armstrong's 69-year-old mother John Ann Hotchkiss threatened the network with legal action if they proceed with plans to air footage of her son. She told Headline News: 'Before the new . season even started, before he took his life, he said, "Mom, they’re . just going to crucify me this season".' 'He said, "I don’t know what to do. I’ll never survive it".' She has also said that the TV network: 'Better not air one frame of my son... or else!' Legal . action: Armstrong's mother has threatened Bravo not to show any footage . of her son in the upcoming season of Real Housewives . During his TheFix.com interview, the businessman appeared to change his tune at one point. 'At first I was a little annoyed about all the bull****, but then I realised it's not so bad to be a celebrity,' he said. 'The thing is, all the publicity has been great for my business.' Armstrong's statement is contrary to the widespread reports that he was in hot water financially at the time of his death. In the interview Russell also appeared to deny the highly-publicised rift with his wife Taylor, whom he was estranged from. 'She is the most sensitive, sweet woman I've ever met. Taylor's kind of like an angel,' he told TheFix.com. 'She really is everything to me. 'We watch these stories about our terrible marriage, and we lie in bed and laugh. The truth is we are really, really happy.' Representatives for Bravo are yet to respond to Mail Online's request for comment on Armstrong's claims. 'She an angel;': Despite being estranged from his wife, Russell sang Taylor's praises and said all was well in their marriage . Armstrong was found dead last Monday after hanging himself at a home he was staying at on Mulholland Drive. The Mail Online revealed on Saturday that John Ann Hotchkiss will not be attending the planned memorial service for her son in LA this Wednesday after tension with Taylor Armstrong boiled over. Instead she will remember her son at a . separate memorial service, which is due to be held next week as well, in . either Evergreen or Benton, Texas, just outside of Houston. Meanwhile, sources close to the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast have claimed that Taylor failed to go to the police over her husband's alleged abuse because she wanted to protect their daughter Kennedy. 'She said that she didn't want Kennedy to know and she knew that Russell would never harm their daughter,' the source told Radar Online. 'Kennedy would hear them yelling behind closed doors but she didn't witness any violence.' Do you have a story about a celebrity? Call the Daily Mail showbusiness desk on 0207 938 6364 or 0207 938 6683. For U.S. stories, phone 310 642 2317. Keeping busy: Taylor's co-star Lisa Vanderpump was spotted out and about in Los Angeles . | Taylor Armstrong 'dreads' seeing family of suicide husband Russell at memorial service . Family of tragic Real Housewives star pick up his belongings from coroner . | a79c425bea7190e887d2014049521c488cad3350 |
Two teenagers have died after they were thrown from the flatbed of a pickup truck after it lost control and flipped over several times. Seven Lakes High School football star, 17-year-old Trent Weber, and Cinco Ranch High School sophomore, 16-year-old Terra Kubala, were killed in the crash in Katy, Texas on Saturday night. The teens were in the back of the Toyota pickup truck with as many as eight other schoolmates as it drove to a bonfire, authorities said. The 18-year-old male driver lost control, causing the vehicle to roll three times along Luna Vista Lane at around 11.30pm, KPRC reported. Scroll down for video . Loss: Trent Weber, 17 (left), and Terra Kubala, 16 (right), both died after the truck they were riding in on Saturday night crashed on the way to a bonfire night. The driver and four others were also injured . Deputies say the driver, who has not been identified, and four other teenagers suffered significant but non-life-threatening injuries. They say at least five teenagers were in the cab of the truck and as many as 10 were in the bed. No charges have been filed against the driver but an investigation is being carried out by the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office. After news emerged of the death, two separate vigils were held for the beloved teens on Sunday. Students gathered at the football field at Seven Lakes to remember Weber, the wide receiver for the Spartans. He was known as 'Spider-Man' because he could catch whatever was thrown at him. Loved: Weber, pictured with his mother, was known as 'Spider Man' because he could catch any throw . Missed: School friends said that Kubala always had a smile on her face and improved everyone's day . 'Everybody loved that kid, everybody loved him, everybody was his friend because he was so kind to everyone,' said Trent's teammate, Andy Garcia. Weber was a big brother to three younger siblings. At Cinco Ranch High School, more than 300 friends and classmates gathered to remember Kubala. Friends said she always had a smile on her face. Classmate Teagan Schmidt told Fox26: 'She's just a ball of sunshine.' 'She always had a smile on her face and she was so much fun to be around,' added another friend, Natalie Nesbit. Scene: As many as 10 teenagers were riding on the truck's flatbed on Saturday when the driver apparently lost control and the vehicle flipped several times, coming to a stop on its side (pictured) Tributes: Hundreds of students gathered at the students' schools for candle-lit vigils on Sunday evening . Devastated: Classmates comforted each other as they remembered their friends on Sunday . Staff sent out emails to parents of children at the schools, KPRC reported. 'We ask that you please join us as we extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to the family as they mourn their loss,' it read. 'Grief counselors will be on campus on Monday to help our school community deal with this loss. We will be doing everything we can to help your child and our staff through this heartbreaking experience.' See below for video . | Trent Weber, 17, and Terra Kubala, 16, were heading to a bonfire on Saturday night in Katy, Texas when the truck flipped over several times . As many as 10 teenagers were in the flatbed of the truck at the time and four others and the unidentified teen driver were injured . Police are investigating the crash but have not yet brought any charges . Friends remembered the teens at candle-lit vigils on Sunday night . | 73bfc64f50e2a588a35340435a1dc6266b399bb6 |
The King of Spain is a serial womaniser who once made a pass at Princess Diana while she was on holiday with Prince Charles, a book has claimed. It also alleges that Juan Carlos is a ‘professional seducer’ who has had numerous affairs and has not shared a bed with his wife for the past 35 years. And it reveals that age has not stopped the 74-year-old, with the monarch regularly receiving vitamin injections and anti-ageing treatments. Tactile: Princess Diana being kissed in 1987 by the King of Spain, who according to a new book, is a serial womaniser . Together: Diana, Prince Charles and their boys with King Carlos, Queen Sofia and members of the Greek royal family on board a yacht in August 1990 . The Solitude of the Queen by Pilar Eyre, which is likely to prove controversial in the Catholic country, claims the king made a ‘tactile’ advance to Diana while she and Charles were on holiday in Majorca in the 1980s. It follows much-derided allegations made in 2004 by Lady Colin Campbell that the princess had a fling with Juan Carlos while on a cruise in August 1986 and then again the following April. Controversial: The Solitude of the Queen by Pilar Eyre claims the king made a 'tactile' advance to Diana while she and Charles were on holiday in Majorca in the 1980s . During a 1987 visit, in which Charles . and Diana went to Madrid, the king was pictured smiling as he kissed . the princess on the hand – a gesture which left Diana looking . embarrassed. Miss Eyre’s book also alleges that Queen . Sofia has not slept in the marital bed since 1976 and only remains in . the marriage out of ‘a sense of duty’. She even claims the queen stumbled upon her husband with one of his alleged lovers, the Spanish film star Sara Montiel, at a friend’s country house in Toledo in 1976. Sofia, now 73, was forced to attend a football match the day afterwards ‘as protocol demanded’, before storming out of the Zarzuela Palace, their official residence, with her children. Advised to stay with her husband, she was told a break-up would mean she would ‘end up being paid to liven up the parties of the newly rich’. Miss Eyre adds: ‘The role of the queen is sad, she is the loneliest woman in Spain.’ Distant: Carlos and Queen Sofia have allegedly not slept in the marital bed together since 1976 . She also told Spanish gossip magazine Vanitatis: ‘Queen Sofia is a woman betrayed and hurt with a married life that has been a real tragedy. The king’s closest friends I have spoken to say they don’t like her.’ And she alleges that, as recently as last year, when the monarch was recovering from the removal of a benign lung tumour, he was seeing a 25-year-old German translator. After writing the book, Miss Eyre was informed she would no longer appear on Spanish TV channel Telecinco. She said she was told: ‘The station has banned talk about your book and does not allow you to continue working. You are banned, Pilar, we are sorry.’ | Book claims Juan Carlos has had numerous affairs and has not shared a bed with his wife for 35 years . | 5c2136926281c0182212522e188b2e4b93295808 |
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Children in war-ravaged Afghanistan are safer than those growing up in London or New York, NATO's top civilian envoy says. Mark Sedwill, the senior civilian representative for NATO, made the comments on an episode of CBBC's "Newsround," which is airing Monday. In the show -- a BBC current-affairs program for children -- several youngsters in Kabul, Afghanistan, say they are afraid of daily violence and the frequent explosions in their war-torn country. In response, Sedwill says: "Here in Kabul, and other big cities actually, there are very few of these bombs. The children are probably safer here than they would be in London, New York or Glasgow or many other cities. "Most children can go about their lives in safety. It's a very family-oriented society. So it is a little bit like a city of villages," he added. A U.N. report released earlier this year seems to contradict Sedwill's assessment. The February report, by the special representative for children and armed conflict, says that children in Afghanistan are increasingly the victims of roadside attacks, crossfire between militants and international forces, and air strikes. In addition, they have been used as human shields and recruited as suicide bombers. The report also said boys are sexually abused and exploited by armed groups and girls schools have been burned down. Earlier this year, there was a rash of poisonings involving schoolgirls, and several instances of acid attacks have been reported. On Monday, Sedwill elaborated on what he meant in his remark. "Any comment you have to clarify obviously wasn't very well put and the comparison I made with western cities distracted attention from the important point I was seeking to make," he said. "I was trying to explain to an audience of British children how uneven violence is across Afghanistan. Half the insurgent violence takes place in 10 of the 365 districts, and, in those places, children are too often the victims of IEDs and other dangers. But, in cities like Kabul where security has improved, the total levels of violence, including criminal violence, are comparable to those which many western children would experience. "For most Afghans, the biggest challenges are from poverty -- the absence of clean water, open sewers, malnutrition, disease -- and many more children are at risk from those problems than from the insurgency." | NEW: Remark took away from point he was trying to make, Sedwill says . Despite Afghan children's fears, there are few bombs in Kabul, the envoy says . He makes his comments on a BBC current-affairs program for children . "Most children can go about their lives in safety" in Kabul, he says . | 7fd1212700ee0d1e8d7b06f7b589614651479f1b |
By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 04:44 EST, 31 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:49 EST, 31 March 2013 . An unemployed Iraqi 'benefit queen' charged £4,000 a week to sublet a taxpayer funded £2million flat, it has been claimed. Bushra al-Rahimi is claimed to have rented out the flat to a family of Kuwaiti tourists, while also being in receipt of housing benefits from Westminster city council to cover the cost of the city centre five-bedroom property. Al-Rahimi and her family have now been re-housed at taxpayers' expense in nearby Islington, in a block of flats where another property is let at £5,000 a month. Bushra al-Rahimi is claimed to have charged £4,000 a week to rent out the flat at Harrowby Court (pictured) to a family of Kuwaiti tourists, while also being in receipt of housing benefits . The alleged offence came to light after director of Lord Estates Hany Hanna was asked to intervene by the head lessor of the flats at Harrowby Court, in a street near Marble Arch, the Sunday Times has reported. Mr Hanna said when he called at the flat, which is close to Tony Blair’s home in Connaught Square, in the first week of July 2011 a man claiming to be the rightful tenant opened the door - in an e-mail to the head lessor Anthony Slingsby, Mr Hanna said he could tell by his accent he was from Kuwait. He said he heard the man talking on the phone after he shut the door and was later called by al-Rahimi who asked him to leave. He accused her of committing a fraud and warned her the matter had been reported to Seymour police station. Mr Hanna, who claims he was told by police the case was a civil, rather than a criminal, matter, last week said the man in the flat told him he was paying £4,000 a week rent when he told him to leave. Al-Rahimi and her four children moved back into the flat, but she was accused again of unauthorised subletting on December 23. According to the Sunday Times, when the flat's owner, Jean-Francois Destexhe, 42, a multi-millionaire based in Hong Kong, visited the property he found two young Frenchmen paying £800 to £1,000 a week to share a single bedroom. The flat al-Rahimi is alleged to have subletted is close to Tony Blair's home in Connaught Square (pictured) In March 2012 he instructed solicitors to evict al-Rahimi, who is believed to receive jobseeker's allowance of £71 a week, and an order for possession was granted by the Central London county court in October that same year - she was ordered to pay £30,800 in rent arrears, although Destexhe says he is still owed the money. Mr Destexhe said he did not feel he should criticise because he is an overseas resident, but admitted he did not understand, 'why a government would feel it needs every council, including the ones situated in the most expensive areas of Europe, to carry the burden of accommodating these people under the welfare system'. Lindsey Hall, Westminster city council’s anti-fraud tsar, said it was investigating 'for possible illegal subletting last year, and those investigations are continuing'. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Bushra al-Rahimi ordered to pay £30,800 in rent arrears by county court . Charged Kuwaiti tourists £4,000 a week to rent property off her . Was also in receipt of housing benefit to cover cost of city centre flat . | c1a0f02c05c7bfc9e20aa60bf279ace43ff5954e |
By . Jaya Narain . and Daniel Martin . and Sam Marsden . and Michael Seamark . Predator: Cyril Smith is said to have abused boys for decades . The MP who blew the whistle on Sir Cyril Smith’s four decades of child abuse last night demanded a full public inquiry into the scandal. As police announced a probe into an alleged cover-up of Smith’s activities in Rochdale, Labour’s Simon Danczuk said a wider probe was needed to examine how far the network of paedophiles extended and how the political establishment kept it quiet. He said the Lib Dems must reveal all the information they had at the time about the abuse. The call for a public inquiry will put more pressure on Lord Steel – the party’s leader in the late Seventies and Eighties – who has claimed he knew nothing of the allegations. Mr Danczuk, whose book Smile For The Camera: The Double Life Of Cyril Smith was serialised in the Mail this month, said: ‘What we need is a much larger public inquiry that looks at what Smith was involved in, not just in Rochdale but the cover-up in London and elsewhere. ‘Look at what happened to Smith, what he was involved in. Look at who he was in networks with in terms of this type of abuse and also take evidence from elsewhere and look at the wider cover-up.’ Writing in today’s Mail, he adds: ‘Make no mistake: The identities of many of these men have long been known to the police. They must be made to face the law before, like Smith himself, death allows them to escape scot free. ‘Smith’s sphere of influence stretched far beyond Rochdale. I believe he was part of a VIP paedophile ring which was active in London and other parts of the country, with protectors at the highest level of the Establishment.’ Senior Lib Dems including Nick Clegg have said they knew little of the true extent of Smith’s abuse, except for a report in the Rochdale Alternative Press in 1979. Mr Clegg has said he sees no need for an internal inquiry, claiming it is a matter for police. Mr Danczuk’s book tells of appalling events at Knowl View residential school in Rochdale where boys say they were abused by Smith and other men. Scroll down for video . Accused: Sir Cyril Smith, who died at 82 in a nursing home in Rochdale in 2010, is also said to have abused boys at privately-run hostel Cambridge House . The school has closed but there have long been suspicions that the scandal of what happened there was suppressed, in part, to protect Smith. Nine men have come forward to tell police they were abused at Knowl View from the 1970s. Eight more claim they were abused in the 1960s at Cambridge House, a privately-run hostel for boys. Sir Cyril, who died at 82 in a nursing home in Rochdale in 2010, is also said to have abused boys at Cambridge House, and was secretary of the association that ran it. Smith had links to several schools, including Knowl View, where he was said to hold a set of keys and could visit when he liked. Uncovered: Labour's Simon Danczuk blew the whistle on Sir Cyril's four decades of child abuse . During this time, three files about alleged child abuse were passed to the director of public prosecutions, but without result. Yesterday, Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said his force would also conduct an inquiry into allegations that Rochdale Council, which had responsibility for Knowl View, had covered up sex abuse claims. He added: ‘As a result of the publicity and the discussion around the book recently published about child abuse in Rochdale, we are carrying out a review into those allegations and other matters of public debate around that book to see whether that justifies a criminal investigation into allegations of cover-up.’ Rochdale Council said it was also widening the scope of its own inquiry into Knowl View in light of Mr Danczuk’s book. But last night the care worker who blew the whistle on abuse at the school in 1994 condemned police and the council. Martin Digan, the school’s head of care, said: ‘Police and the council have had evidence of the abuse that went on for two decades but all they have done is cover it up. ‘They have documents that clearly show Knowl View was a sweet shop for paedophiles who would travel the country to come and abuse boys there, and yet 20 years later we are still waiting for these abusers to be brought to justice. It is not only an insult to the victims, it is an insult to society itself.’ In 2000, Manchester Police carried out a ‘comprehensive investigation’ into abuse claims at Knowl View which led to the conviction of one man for indecent assault and gross indecency. They said there was insufficient evidence to charge any others and no specific allegations were made against Smith. However, last year the Crown Prosecution Service said that under today’s guidelines Smith would have been charged. Mr Danczuk’s call came as victims of the sex-abuse scandal accused the police of ‘abandoning’ them. Despite having the names of 11 suspected child abusers for 18 months, Sir Peter admitted his force had failed to question any of them. Cyril Smith and his friend Harry Wild were among a gang of abusers who for years beat and raped boys at Knowl View, a residential school for vulnerable children. Both were school governors who had a set of keys and they would saunter around eyeing up young boys and watching them as they showered. Smith and Wild, a 6ft 5in former Territorial Army officer who was a Tory councillor, attacked victims as young as seven. Abuse: Cyril Smith (pictured) and his friend Harry Wild were among a gang of abusers who for years beat and raped boys at Knowl View, a residential school for vulnerable children . The school for those with learning difficulties opened in 1969 and was described as a ‘sweet shop for paedophiles’. But when a whistleblower on the staff of the 50-bed facility in Rochdale raised concerns, he was threatened with the sack. According to Simon Danczuk’s book, head of care Martin Digan became aware of the visits by Smith and Wild, who died in 2001 aged 80. Mr Digan said he complained four times but his concerns were dismissed and he was threatened with the sack. Matters came to a head in 1992 when a ten-year-old boy, shaking with fright, told Mr Digan he had been sexually assaulted. Visits: According to Simon Danczuk's book, head of care Martin Digan became aware of the visits by Smith and Wild, who died in 2001 aged 80 . The youngster started to describe Wild’s usual attire of a Crombie coat and black polished boots. Mr Digan called the police, who arrived quickly but failed to take the matter further. In the headmaster’s unlocked office, Mr Digan found and copied a devastating report written by an HIV prevention officer which warned that pupils were at risk of Aids. This meant, Mr Digan said, that the boys had been abused by paedophile gangs. ‘They were like lambs to the slaughter,’ he said.Mr Digan said education and social services chiefs were made aware but ‘the action that was taken was zero’. The HIV report, not naming Smith or Wild, was later published and the scandal forced Knowl View’s closure in 1994. But Mr Digan then received phone calls threatening his children. He is adamant Smith – who had failed in a bid to run the school privately when it was closed by Rochdale Council – was behind it all. | Labour's Simon Danczuk demands full public inquiry into the scandal . MP says Lib Dems must reveal all the information they had about abuse . Former party leader Lord Steel says he knew nothing of allegations . Nick Clegg has said he sees no need for an internal inquiry . Sir Cyril died at 82 in a nursing . home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester . He is said to have abused boys at Knowl View residential school . | 2f804a1a4161a745e4018ce53357296da4393037 |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The notorious Iraq prison once called Abu Ghraib has reopened under Iraqi government control. And the Ministry of Justice has launched a public-relations campaign to show it has changed since the days when prisoners were tortured there -- first under Saddam Hussein, and later by American troops. The Iraqi Ministry of Justice gave journalists an inside look at the prison formerly known as Abu Ghraib. It is now called Baghdad Central Prison, and has water fountains, a freshly planted garden and a gym -- complete with weights and sports teams' jerseys on the walls. Under Saddam Hussein, tens of thousands of Iraqis were thrown behind bars here. There were horrific stories of torture, abuse, execution without trial. In 2004, the prison was once again thrown into the international spotlight, this time because of abuse by U.S. troops. Watch how the prison has been revamped » . Detainees were photographed in degrading positions, as Americans posed next to them smiling. The images -- naked prisoners stacked on top of each other, or being threatened by dogs, or hooded and wired up as if for electrocution -- caused outrage around the world when they were leaked to the news media in May 2004. Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, commander of the Abu Ghraib prison at the time, was demoted in rank to colonel because of the scandal. Seven low-ranking guards and two military intelligence soldiers -- described by then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as "bad apples" -- were disciplined after the scandal surfaced. Rumsfeld later said the day the scandal broke was the worst in his tenure as defense secretary. "Clearly the worst day was Abu Ghraib, and seeing what went on there and feeling so deeply sorry that that happened," Rumsfeld said shortly before leaving office at the end of 2006. "I remember being stunned by the news of the abuse." The United States always denied it was a matter of policy to torture detainees. But it shut down Abu Ghraib in September 2006 and turned the facility over to the Iraqis. They have revamped and reopened it. Rooms have been transformed and renovated. CNN was told, but not shown, that a few hundred prisoners are here already, in a revamped part of the facility that can hold up to 3,000 prisoners. The capacity is critical to help deal with overcrowding at Iraq's other facilities and the potential security threat. The Iraqi government is going to great lengths to try to change the image this facility has. It organized a tour for journalists, very carefully orchestrated by the Ministry of Justice. Murtada Sharif, the only Ministry of Justice official to speak to CNN on camera about the prison, admitted Abu Ghraib is synonymous in people's minds with the inhumane acts that took place there both before and after the fall of Saddam in 2003. "We want to change its image, to make it a place of justice," he said. A wing that used to hold a thousand prisoners In Saddam Hussein's time now is ready for 160. Cells that used to hold between 30 and 50 people now have a capacity of eight. Prisoners and their families actually get to see each other -- the prisoners behind a cage-like structure, the families on the other side of the fence, in a courtyard with a playground for the children. Again, it is part of the whole effort to create a different atmosphere. But human rights organizations in Iraq say abuse and torture remain routine in Iraq's detention facilities. Changing Abu Ghraib's infamous reputation may take more than fresh paint and fake flowers. | Abu Ghraib is now Baghdad Central Prison, with a garden and a gym . In 2004, photos of prisoners being humiliated by American guards were published . Ministry of Justice trying to show that the prison, now under Iraqi control, has changed . | 1c0683c2821bb2415b3a1560b3df68f596d68a63 |
(CNN) -- America loves its outlaws, but few of us actually dare to live the lifestyle. Veteran LIFE photographer Bill Ray got about as close as anyone, riding along with a notorious biker gang. In 1965, the Hells Angels were little known outside the American West. Ray spent several weeks in Southern California, photographing and traveling with the San Bernardino chapter of a gang that would soon become notorious for its hedonistic, lawless swagger. See more of Bill Ray's Hells Angels photos at LIFE.com . The Hells Angels are now a worldwide phenomenon -- incorporated, licensed and branded. But the gang Ray traveled with, two years before the Summer of Love and four years before the deadly violence at a Rolling Stones concert at Altamont speedway made them infamous, truly lived on the fringes of society. In a culture where the Beach Boys and the Beatles fought a squeaky-clean battle for the hearts and minds of America, the Hells Angels were, in the words of Hunter S. Thompson, a "burst of dirty thunder" that shocked folks wherever they went. It was a time when the roar of stripped-down Harleys and the sight of long-haired bikers on the freeway -- or riding into a sleepy town -- was still new, alien, and for the average law-abiding citizen, more than a little frightening. Forty-five years after the story and photos were rejected by a LIFE managing editor, they still have some of that shock value, a reminder that outlaws still have a secret sweet spot in the American psyche. | LIFE photographer Bill Ray rode along with the Hells Angels in 1965 . The story and photos were rejected by a LIFE managing editor . Now they're being published . | 7f4f2aa720b6a16835aa3f1b55ad852449300d94 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 05:37 EST, 22 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:39 EST, 22 August 2012 . A mother who was told her baby daughter had died in the womb before doctors said she was alive but suffering from a dangerous blood-clot, is celebrating after taking her home. Shelagh McAlpine, 37, suffered a . placental abruption in April when she was 28 weeks’ pregnant - putting her and . her unborn daughter’s life in danger. Medics initially told Shelagh that she had lost her baby when she was rushed to hospital where doctors struggled to detect the unborn child’s heartbeat. Stephen, Shelagh and their daughter Mia Rose who recovered despite being three months premature and suffering from life-threatening blood clots . They then discovered she was alive but had a life-threatening blood clot in her arm and holes in her lung and heart. But after an emergency caesarean and several operations, little Mia Rose has now made a full recovery and gone home to her parents in Glasgow. Ms McAlpine said: 'She has been through so . much and has battled everything she’s come up against, now she is a . healthy wee baby. We feel so blessed to have her - she is our little . miracle.' Shelagh was rushed to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, in Paisley, Renfrewshire on April 25 after she started bleeding heavily in the early hours of the morning. 'My due date was July 15 so I was . panicking and I thought I had lost my baby - it was terrifying and I was . completely distraught,' she said. 'My partner, Stephen, was working away . in London when it happened so I was in hospital alone, leaving my son, . Reece, who’s two, with family - but he had witnessed everything. 'Doctors couldn’t detect Mia Rose’s . heartbeat for about seven minutes - they were the longest seven minutes . of my life. When they found it I was so relieved, but still so scared . about what could happen. 'I was rushed in for an emergency . caesarean and my beautiful baby girl, Mia Rose, entered the world. She . needed ten blood transfusions, while I needed two.' Mia Rose was in hospital for three months. She lost the top of two fingers on her left hand and the tips of three other fingers . Delight: Doctors couldn't detect Mia's heartbeat for seven minutes, but the premature baby girl pulled through . Mia Rose weighed just 2lb 10oz when . she was born and was rushed straight to the special baby care unit. It . was five days until Shelagh was well enough to visit her. Stephen Storrie, 30, dashed up from London then followed his . daughter to Yorkhill Hospital where Mia underwent life-saving surgery to remove a . blood clot from her arm. Stephen said: 'I just sat in the car in . the car park for five hours while Mia Rose was in theatre. I didn’t tell . anyone what was happening. Shelagh was too ill and everyone was . shattered by what had already happened. 'I decided to wait until after the operation and prayed for good news.' Another blood clot was found further up her arm, but both were successfully removed. The next 72 hours were critical as Mia Rose could have lost her arm or foot - which had turned black due to a lack of oxygen. Happy family: Stephen and Shelagh McAlpine, with Reece and baby Mia Rose at home in Glasgow . Shelagh said: 'The next couple of weeks were touch and go with a few scares but Mia Rose kept pulling through. 'Surgeons were delighted with her . progress and said that no child her age and weight had survived an . operation as big as she had. 'Only time would tell what would happen, it was a very nerve-wracking experience.' Mia Rose slowly recovered although she lost the top of two fingers on her left hand and the tips of three other fingers. She suffered another setback a few weeks . later when doctors discovered a hole in the baby girl’s heart and lung . and again it was touch and go, but once more Mia Rose continued to . battle through. Mia Rose has since made a full recovery and was welcomed to the family home on 1 August. Shelagh said: 'Now we are over the moon she’s home and our family is complete.' | Doctors couldn't detect Mia's heartbeat for seven minutes in the womb . Little Mia underwent an operation to remove two blood-clots from her arm when she was just days old . | bf3ed87335201712bb9f109aeefacacc4111a08a |
By . Fiona Macrae . PUBLISHED: . 19:33 EST, 16 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:33 EST, 16 June 2013 . Doomed and saved: An ash tree infected by dieback which may now be a sight soon forgotten . Scientists have made a breakthrough in the battle against the disease that is ravaging Britain’s ash population. They have unravelled the genetic code of a tree that is resistant to ash dieback. The information could be used to breed ashes that are impervious to the killer fungus – and, in time, repopulate Britain’s forests and woodlands. The scientists behind the breakthrough describe it as ‘giving nature a helping hand’. However, it may not be a help in protecting the UK’s existing ash population, which is being killed off by the rapid spread of the disease. Ash dieback, which ravaged other European countries before entering the UK, kills 90 per cent of the trees it affects. It has spread to 500 sites since first spotted here little more than a year ago . Experts fear it could become the new Dutch elm disease, causing widespread destruction of one of Britain’s best-loved trees. The country’s 80million ash trees support wildlife as well as the £10billion timber industry and take up about a third of British woodland. Researchers at The Sainsbury Laboratory and the John Innes Centre, both in Norwich, have decoded the DNA of a Danish ash tree that was found to be able to withstand the fungus. Known as Tree 35, it remained healthy, while other trees around it withered and died. Scientists around the world are being encouraged to analyse the data, which could be used to seek out ashes in Britain that have a similar genetic profile. Other options include crossing Tree 35 . with native ashes – or breeding with other trees known to be immune to . ash dieback – to create a stock of super-resistant saplings. Saviour: Scientists have identified the genetic code of tree resistant to ash dieback, which kills 90 per cent of the trees it infects . It will take ten to 20 years to breed saplings suitable for restocking the countryside. Professor Allan Downie, of the John Innes Centre, said: ‘We’re trying to give nature a bit of a helping hand by identifying the right kind of trees to do the appropriate crosses. ‘It would be wonderful to be part of the solution but the problem is enormous and breeding is going to take a long time.’ While fungicides might help in some cases, the probability is that Britain will lose most of its ash trees, he said. | Scientists have identified the genetic code of tree resistant to dieback . Discovery may help save the British ash tree population . | 8e4f4af5bb2c20e39f7e46317ea6369d1ba69471 |
By . Rebecca Seales . Last updated at 4:40 PM on 19th January 2012 . A pensioner was duped out of his life savings by a con-artist who posed as the heir to an Italian millionairess, a court was told. Scott Travis, 44, is alleged to have cheated nearly £100,000 from the man after claiming his name was 'Franco' and that he was set to get £1.7m from his mother's will. He also claimed he needed to fly to Italy for specialist cancer treatment, and turned up at the pensioner's house with a bandaged head after having a 'tumour' removed. Alleged conman: Scott Travis tried to dodge photographers as he left Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester. He denies charges of fraud, obtaining property by deception, blackmail and perverting the course of justice . Minshull Street Crown Court heard that Travis was actually on benefits and living in a Manchester council house with his girlfriend Gail Heyworth. Lisa Boocock, prosecuting, said: 'It was all a sham. He was using the money to pay for plastic surgery.' The court was told that Travis got into a relationship with the pensioner after placing a personal advert in a newspaper which said he was seeking companionship. It was claimed he then made several demands for cash between 2003 and 2010. Ms Boocock said: 'At first the man didn't object. He was happy to help somebody... but the demands kept coming.' The jury heard that Travis, of Baguley Crescent, Middleton, demanded £20,000 for 'cancer treatment' in Italy and cash to pay off debtors. Ms Boocock said the pensioner was 'absolutely terrified' for the safety of 'Franco' and went to the police, who told him he may have been the victim of a con-artist. At that stage he decided not to make a formal complaint. On trial: The prosecution claim Travis used the £100,000 he swindled to pay for plastic surgery, and lied about needing specialist cancer treatment . Travis then disappeared, but returned in 2010 and claimed he needed £35,000 to release cash from his mother's will. The court was told that another man, David Hannon, went to the pensioner's house and told him he was going to hurt 'Franco' unless the pensioner paid £30,000. Ms Boocock said the pensioner was so frightened that he moved out of his home and went to stay with relatives. The prosecution claim Travis and Miss Heyworth, 50, later tried to contact him and that she left phone messages in which she pretended to be a solicitor. The pensioner, speaking to the court via a video-link, said: 'I trusted him. I liked him. Something about him was appealing. He was remarkable in his knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome. He was very attractive to me intellectually.' Travis denies four counts of obtaining property by deception, one count of fraud, two counts of blackmail and one count of perverting the course of justice. Miss Heyworth, of Baguley Crescent, Middleton, denies one count of perverting the court of justice. | Scott Travis, 44, 'posed as Franco to con pensioner' Claimed he 'needed the money for cancer treatment' Wore 'bandage on head after fake surgery for tumour' | 8a62a209a7660a21887900972d4c70be0fb7e79f |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- California Gov. Jerry Brown will seek an immediate stay of what he called an "unprecedented" federal court order to release almost 10,000 inmates to relieve prison overcrowding by the end of the year, he said Thursday. A three-judge federal court panel ordered the state to reduce its prison population to 137.5% of design capacity by December 31 and threatened to find the state in contempt if California does not report on its progress every two weeks, Thursday's ruling said. California has the nation's largest prison system and says it has been reducing overcrowding. The case grows out of lawsuits filed in 1990 and 2001 that alleged overcrowding is at the core of a domino effect of unsafe and unhealthy conditions for those on both sides of the iron bars. When plaintiffs filed motions to convene the three-judge court panel in November 2006, California's prisons were at 202% of design capacity. In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a three-judge federal panel's determination that California's medical and mental health care for inmates falls below a constitutional level of care and that the only way to meet the requirements is by reducing prison crowding. The Supreme Court in 2011 found that California's shortcomings in prison medical and mental health care resulted in "needless suffering and death" and recognized the federal court's prison reduction order was "of unprecedented sweep and extent," Thursday's ruling said. The high court affirmed that order in full in 2011. On Thursday, the three U.S. District Court judges expressed impatience with California officials, the defendants in the case. "The history of this litigation is of defendants' repeated failure to take the necessary steps to remedy the constitutional violations in its prison system," the order said. "It is defendants' unwillingness to comply with this Court's orders that requires us to order additional relief today." The three-judge panel added that the plaintiffs' request for a court order to show why California shouldn't be held in contempt "has considerable merit." "Our first priority, however, is to eliminate the deprivation of constitutional liberties in the California prison system," the three judges said in their ruling. "We will therefore DEFER ruling on plaintiffs' motion, and defer instituting any contempt proceedings related to defendants' prior acts until after we are able to determine whether defendants will comply with this order." Court documents also show that "DEFER" was not only all capitalized but also printed in bold face. | Gov. Jerry Brown will seek a stay of what he calls "unprecedented" court order . A federal court orders prison population to fall to 137.5% of capacity . Original lawsuits were filed when overcrowding was at 202% of capacity . Federal court ruling threatens California with contempt but defers action . | fffe0c4eb70bde9733b858adfd5b4eeeae631f28 |
(CNN) -- Thousands of miles from raging Western wildfires, North Carolina lowered its flags to half-staff Tuesday to honor four crew members of a U.S. military firefighting plane who were killed in a weekend crash. The tanker crashed Sunday night in the Black Hills of South Dakota where it was dropping flame retardant on the White Draw Fire north of Edgemont, the U.S. Northern Command said. Six North Carolina National Guard members were aboard the C-130, part of an eight-plane fleet battling wildfires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres. The four fatalities were National Guard members, said the National Interagency Coordination Center. They were identified as Lt. Col. Paul K. Mikeal, 42, of Mooresville, N.C.; Maj. Joseph M. McCormick, 36, of Belmont, N.C., Maj. Ryan S. David, 35, of Boone, N.C.; and Senior Master Sgt. Robert S. Cannon, 50, of Charlotte. The identities of the two survivors, who were in critical condition, were not released. The cause of the crash is under investigation. The military suspended its aerial firefighting operations after the crash to review flying and safety procedures, but said it was resuming operations Tuesday. On Saturday, a smiling Mikeal told reporters that he was looking forward to helping out in the effort to quell the growing fires. Colorado fire victim films her own evacuation . "It's very exciting. Adrenaline is flowing," Mikeal said. "We are ready to go. We have been watching the news and seeing everything that's going on out there. We have been waiting for the call." A hospital official at South Dakota's Rapid City Regional Hospital said Monday that two other members of the crew were critically injured in the crash and identified one as Josh Marlowe. Marlowe deployed to Afghanistan three times and has an 8-week-old son, Marlowe's stepmother, Kim Marlowe, told WBTV. iReporters share views of the wildfires . Marlowe said her stepson's condition was improving. "He fought in so many wars and it is my faith that I know that God brought him through all that and will bring him through this," she said. "I just want him to know that I love him, and we're praying for him to come back home. I'm just asking for people to pray for him and families that weren't as fortunate." The blaze in South Dakota is one of several Western wildfires that have scorched thousands of acres across Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. In response to Colorado Springs fire, an evangelical tone . One of the worst has been the Waldo Canyon Fire, which last week roared down a mountain and razed nearly 350 homes in western neighborhoods of Colorado Springs. Firefighters reported more gains Monday, saying they had stopped the fires' growth and were working on putting out hot spots within its charred 17,920-acre footprint. A day later, the fire had not budged, said Tim Johnson, a public information officer with the interagency management team. "That's still the acreage, and a containment of 70%," he told CNN in a telephone interview. "By the end of the day, I would expect that number to increase." Of the 32,000 people who were evacuated, 30,000 will have been allowed to return home by 6 p.m. Tuesday, leaving 2,000 still shut out, he said. "Sadly, about half of those, of course, are to homes that are no longer there." The cost of fighting the fire has exceeded $12 million, he said, adding that estimates of the replacement cost for the homes destroyed exceed $103 million. In all, 1,581 personnel were fighting the fire, he said. The most destructive fire in state history, it killed two people, destroyed 346 homes and damaged dozens more. Photos: Wildfire photographer Kari Greer goes inside the inferno . The U.S. Forest Service has warned it could be mid-July before the fire is fully controlled. So far in 2012, the agency has tracked 28,420 fires that have burned nearly 2.2 million acres, the agency said. In 2011, when wildfires raged across much of Texas, 35,574 fires burned 4.7 million acres, according to the agency. Help for wildfires evacuees and first responders . CNN's Tom Watkins, Joe Sutton and Jessica Jordan contributed to this report. | North Carolina lowers flags to half-staff to honor the dead . Fires have burned in Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota . This year, 1.9 million acres have burned in wildfires, federal agency says . Two other crew members of an Air Force plane are injured in the crash, a hospital says . | b21786670202e16804f68856768ada8b05a2f7d1 |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Simone Battle, who appeared to be on the verge of realizing her lifelong dream of stardom, hanged herself Friday, the Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman said Monday. Battle, 25, was an "X Factor" finalist in 2011 and a singer with G.R.L., a girls group created last year to replace the Pussycat Dolls. She and her four bandmates found success this year with their music, including a collaboration with Pitbull. G.R.L. performed on ABC's "Good Morning America" last month. Battle's boyfriend last saw her alive at 3:45 a.m. Friday in the West Hollywood apartment they shared. He found her hanging in in a closet about four hours later, according to Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter. The autopsy conducted Sunday determined that it was a suicide, Winter said. G.R.L. collaborated with Pitbull on the song "Wild Wild Love," which rose to No. 30 on Billboard's Hot 100 this year. Pitbull tweeted his condolences Saturday: "My heart and prayers go out to @GRLSimone: @grl and her family. RIP Dios la bendiga." G.R.L.'s latest single was "Ugly Heart," released in June, according to Billboard. Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin created G.R.L. as the "next generation" of her original group last year. The G.R.L. Twitter account posted this message Saturday: "Words cannot express the depth of our loss. Simone's incredible talent was only surpassed by the size of her heart." Battle had said that Whitney Houston "inspired my dream to be a singer," according to the group's official biography on the RCA Records website. She grew up in Los Angeles, singing in a church choir, studying ballet and tap, modeling and acting in television commercials before working an internship with a company associated with the Black Eyed Peas. She studied music and songwriting at the University of Southern California before competing on "The X Factor," where she reached the top 16. The highlight of her acting career was a role in "We the Party," a 2012 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, the bio said. | Simone Battle's group, G.R.L., had recent success with Pitbull . Battle's group performed on ABC's "Good Morning America" last month . The singer's boyfriend found her hanging in a closet Friday . | 2cec4aa1f0e3c7c372b9fad7876677c03cb409e6 |
(CNN) -- The diminutive Derartu Tulu -- she stands only 1.56 meters (5 feet 2 inches) tall -- is one of, if not the greatest-ever female runners, the only woman ever to have won a long-distance gold at two separate Olympics. Two Olympic 10,000-meter victories have made Tulu an Ethiopian icon. Born, like so many great athletes, in the highlands of Ethiopia, a member of the Oromo tribe, she grew up tending cattle on the family farm, and was not even aware that she was an especially fast runner until she started taking part in athletics competitions in her teens. She won the World Junior 10,000 meters title in 1990, and at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, won her semifinal heat in an Ethiopian national record of 31 minutes 45.95 seconds. In the final, however, she came a disappointing eighth, leading many pundits to dismiss her chances of success at the following year's Barcelona Olympics. They couldn't have been more wrong. In one of the most thrilling 10,000-meter races of all time Tulu overtook South Africa's Elana Meyer just before the bell, running the final lap in 64 seconds to win by 30 meters, in the process becoming the first ever black African woman to win Olympic gold. The race over, she waited at the line for Meyer, a white south African, the two women embracing before joining hands and setting off on an emotional lap of honor together draped in their respective national flags, a gesture that seemed to symbolize hope for a new Africa. Defending her title four years later in Atlanta she could only manage fourth place. Triumphant return . At the 2000 Sydney Games, however, she made a triumphant return, overtaking her compatriot Gete Wami at the bell and sprinting the final 400 meters in an astounding 60 seconds to win in 30 minutes 17.49 seconds, a new African and Olympic record. Her victory made her the first woman ever to win two Olympic long-distance gold medals, and cemented her place as an Ethiopian national icon alongside fellow running legend Haile Gebreselassie (Addis Ababa city council subsequently named a school in her honor). In addition to her two Olympic titles Tulu has won a World Championship gold medal (2001), three World Cross Country titles and the London Marathon (2000). Although her mantle has, in recent years, passed to Britain's Paul Radcliffe, her place in the pantheon of athletic greats remains assured. She has a six year-old daughter, Tsion. | Olympic record: 2 gold medals . Only woman to have won a long-distance gold at two separate Olympics . The first ever black African woman to win Olympic gold . Runner; born March 21, 1972, in Bekoji, Ethiopia . | 9afee2c140ef903280d30807d5d15d0dc9f95368 |
By . Damian Ghigliotty . PUBLISHED: . 13:51 EST, 19 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:42 EST, 19 November 2012 . Holiday retail workers watch out. Crazed bargain hunters are already lining up for Black Friday deals at commercial stores. Best Buy shoppers in California have started pitching tents outside several store locations, more than 100 hours before the company’s big holiday sale begins. Shoppers in Arizona are also getting an early start in line, equipped with soda, water, snacks, laptops and air mattresses. Scroll down for video . On the bargain hunt: Elk Grove, California shopper, Sora Barbour, said she's camping outside of Best Buy to save money and make friends . Early shoppers: Shoppers camp outside of a Best Buy store in Miami, Florida . Signs of dedication: Tents lined up outside of a Best Buy in Los Angeles, California . One customer who only works weekends told a local reporter that he expects to 'make' between $4 and $5 an hour waiting for a 40-inch flat-screen television that Best Buy is selling for $180 during its sale. In addition to the direct savings, some are doing it for the thrill, Fox10 in Phoenix, Arizona, reports. ‘We like being number one,’ Angela Gransberry, an eager customer waiting outside of a nearby Best Buy, told a reporter. Tony Avitar, an Ohio father-of-five, set up base outside of a Best Buy in Cuyahoga Falls last Thursday. He said he has camped out for Black Friday deals over the past nine years, and that his family will join him in his tent on Thanksgiving for a family meal. 'When you have five kids and you have limited income what you want to be able to do is provide for them and get them decent Christmas presents,' he told Fox8 in Cleveland, Ohio. Sneak preview: The Best Buy website shows some of the Black Friday deals customers are anticipating . They're here: Shoppers flood a Best Buy store in Mesquite, Texas that opened at midnight on November 25 2011 . Crazed consumers: Shoppers vie for copies of video games at a Black Friday sale at a Walmart store in Mentor, Ohio in 2011 . The flood of bargain hunters could mean an even bigger headache for holiday workers this year. Retail employees recently began protesting the earlier shifts they were given this Black Friday as several chain stores have decided to open earlier than previous years. Target, Walmart, Sears and Toys ‘R’ Us are all opening their doors between 8 and 9pm this Thanksgiving, two to four hours earlier than last year. That news led to the organization of a national Black Friday walkout among Walmart workers and more than 40 petitions on Change.org protesting this year's Thanksgiving shifts at several big chain retailers. Waiting it out: Black Friday shoppers wait in line at a Target store in San Diego, California on November 24 2011 . 'Walkout on Walmart': A 'Black Thanksgiving' Walmart strike sign in West Allis, Wisconsin . Watch video here: . | Best Buy shoppers around the country have . started pitching tents outside several store locations, more than 100 . hours before the company’s big holiday sales begin . One customer told . a local reporter that he expects to 'make' between $4 and $5 an hour . waiting for a 40-inch flat-screen television that Best Buy is selling . for $180 . | 8c9de816c9c6567f2fff687a1ecf74e1ad5ebecc |
(CNN) -- Controversial remarks by the last white president of South Africa, F.W. de Klerk, in which he validated the origins of "separate but equal" nation states, have been used by critics "unfairly out of context," his foundation said. "The FW de Klerk Foundation regrets that the comments that FW de Klerk made in his recent interview with Christiane Amanpour of CNN have been taken so unfairly out of context," the foundation said in a statement Friday. "The question that she asked related to the policies that he had supported when he was a young man -- and his reply centered on his view that, though idealistic at the time, they had resulted in the unacceptable injustices of apartheid," said the foundation, whose founder and chairman is de Klerk. In the CNN interview, de Klerk would not back off his belief in the validity of the original concept of "separate but equal" nation states. That remark provoked criticism, including on Twitter where some South Africans said de Klerk isn't worthy of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize he shared with Nelson Mandela for ending South Africa's apartheid regime. Said de Klerk on CNN this week: "I don't apologize for saying that what drove me as a young man, before I decided we need to embrace a new vision, was a quest to bring justice for black South Africans in a way which would not -- that's what I believed then -- destroy the justice to which my people were entitled. My people, whose self-determination (was) taken away by colonial power in the Anglo-Boer War." That, de Klerk said, is how he was raised. "And it was in an era when also in America and elsewhere, and across the continent of Africa, there was still not this realization that we are trampling upon the human rights of people. So I'm a convert." The foundation's subsequent statement elaborated on de Klerk's position, saying "there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the idea that the problems of territories that include different peoples should be addressed on the basis of territorial partition. "This, after all, is what has happened in such societies all over the world -- in the territorial divisions of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union and more recently in Sudan. It is the solution that has long been advocated for Israel/Palestine," the foundation said. South Africa's apartheid system was born out of "by the loss of the right of Afrikaners to self-determination in the Anglo-Boer War," the statement said. "However, as De Klerk pointed out, the National Party's application of territorial partition was a complete failure because the territorial division was manifestly unfair (something that De Klerk opposed as a young politician)," the statement said. "The Amanpour interview dealt with De Klerk's views as a young man. He tried, as frankly as he could, to explain what motivated him at the time. What motivated him as a young man ceased many years ago to motivate him as a political leader," the statement said. "Since the mid-eighties he has accepted that the policies that he supported as a young man were wrong and that there was not any possibility of justly settling South Africa's complex problems on the basis of territorial partition." CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report. | F.W. de Klerk stirs controversy about the origins of "separate but equal" nation states . Critics question whether he's still worthy of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize . De Klerk's remarks were "taken so unfairly out of context," his foundation says . The comments were made in a CNN interview . | 88a7d4e72c9bdb0c0e01f6c9ce2c4b504057e582 |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actor Charlton Heston died at his Beverly Hills home at the age of 84 Saturday, his family said. Heston was suffering the late stages of Alzheimer's disease. Heston, known for portrayals of larger than life figure including Moses and Ben Hur, was suffering the late stages of Alzheimer's disease. Heston's wife of 64 years, Lydia, was at his side at the time of his death, according to the family statement. Heston is survived by a son, a daughter and three grandchildren. "We knew him as an adoring husband, a kind and devoted father, and a gentle grandfather, with an infectious sense of humor," the family said. "He served these far greater roles with tremendous faith, courage and dignity. He loved deeply, and he was deeply loved." While no funeral plans have been announced, the family said it would hold a private memorial service. The Internet Movie Database listed 126 movies and television production credits for Heston, starting in 1941. He rose to fame in the 1950s with starring movie roles including Ben Hur, for which he won an Oscar. He played Moses in the "Ten Commandments." Heston's last acting credit was for playing an elderly Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz Nazi surgeon who performed medical experiments on concentration camp refugees during World War Two in the 2003 movie "My Father, Rua Alguem 5555." Heston was also known for his political activism. He was a high-profile supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his civil rights movement. He attended King's 1963 March on Washington and stood near the podium as King delivered his "I have a dream" speech. He was president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2002, a role that cast him as a conservative. Heston was born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Illinois, on October. 4, 1924. He took the surname Heston after his mother divorced and remarried when he was 10. E-mail to a friend . | Heston was suffering the late stages of Alzheimer's disease . Heston's wife of 64 years, Lydia, was by his side at the time of his death . The family said it would hold a private memorial service . | 321cbdf75a9e4c372d572035b3f9717aebd0b1e7 |
A terror suspect who trained the ringleader of the 7/7 terrorist bombings in London has been allowed to set up an Islamic primary school, teaching children as young as three, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. As a member of a banned extremist group, Sajeel Shahid, 38, called for violence against British troops and ran a training camp in Pakistan where known terrorists learned how to make bombs and fire rocket- propelled grenades. One of his ‘graduates’ was Mohammed Siddique Khan, who led the gang of four suicide bombers on the deadliest terrorist attack ever committed in Britain, killing 52 people on the London Underground and a bus on July 7, 2005. Boss: Ad-Deen school founder Sajeel Sahid, 38, called for violence against British troops and ran a training camp in Pakistan where known terrorists learned how to make bombs and fire rocket- propelled grenades . Shahid also allegedly trained four convicted terrorists who tried to blow up the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent and London’s Ministry of Sound nightclub in a foiled plot. The jihadist – who was raised in Britain but spent years in Pakistan after the 9/11 attacks – was detained for three months in 2005 by the Pakistani security forces over his suspected links to Al Qaeda. He had been running the Pakistan branch of the banned British extremist group Al-Muhajiroun. After his detention he was expelled from the country. But despite being known to British security services, on his return to the UK he was given permission to set up an independent primary school, where he taught lessons and employed his brother – who also has a history of extremism – as head of IT. Independent school: Documents seen by The Mail on Sunday show Shahid was registered as director and proprietor of the Ad-Deen Primary School in Ilford, Essex, which teaches 54 pupils aged three to 11 . The Department for Education said last night it was ‘urgently’ looking into Shahid’s case, which critics said exposed the lack of checks on potentially dangerous individuals who set up schools in the UK. Lord Carlile, the Government’s former adviser on counter-terrorism, said: ‘It is a matter of real concern that somebody should be able to slip through the net and run a school where there has been substantial concern about his activities in the past. 'People who have been involved in terrorist activity anywhere in the world should not be allowed to run schools, unless there is the clearest evidence they have rejected the views that made them turn towards terrorism.’ Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Committee which is investigating terrorism, including extremism in schools, said: ‘It’s extremely worrying a person with such a history, which should be of concern to the relevant authorities, should be in such a position. The DfE needs to look into this urgently.’ Documents seen by The Mail on Sunday show Shahid was registered as director and proprietor of the Ad-Deen Primary School in Ilford, Essex, which teaches 54 pupils aged three to 11. He is thought to have founded the £2,000-a-year school in 2009, where, using the pseudonym Abu Ibrahim, he taught children to recite the Koran. He was able to operate his school for five years, despite the DfE launching a Due Diligence and Counter-Extremism Unit in 2010 to prevent individuals with a history of extremist beliefs running schools. A cursory internet check on Shahid reveals his past as a terror suspect, as he even has a profile on Wikipedia stating his involvement with Al-Muhajiroun, the group founded by Omar Bakri Mohammed. In 2001, Bakri sent Shahid and his elder brother Adeel, 39, also a member of Al-Muhajiroun, to Pakistan to set up a branch of the group there. In December 2001, Shahid gave an interview to a British newspaper. He said: ‘We say the Pakistan army, navy and air-force should be fighting US and British forces which are killing our Islamic brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. We see the US and British governments as the biggest terrorists in the world.’ He also called on Muslims to rise up and ‘throw out their rulers implementing kufr [infidel] laws to be replaced by the Islamic law and order,’ adding, ‘jihad was the only solution for Muslim lands under occupation.’ Bomber: Mohammed Sidique Khan, 30, working as a teaching mentor in a classroom at a school in the Beeston area of Leeds before leading the gang of four extremists who carried out Britain's worst-ever terror attack . More details of Shahid’s activities in . Pakistan emerged at the Old Bailey trial of seven terrorists who . plotted to blow up the Bluewater Centre and the Ministry of Sound with . half a ton of fertiliser. The . court heard evidence from Muhammed Junaid Babar, 39, a US terrorist who . became an FBI supergrass on Al Qaeda, who had met Shahid and his . brother in Pakistan in 2001. Babar . revealed they accommodated British jihadists in safe houses in Lahore, . before they left for Afghanistan to fight the Americans. According . to transcripts obtained by the MoS, Babar told the court that in 2003 . he and Shahid and two others travelled to a region near the Afghan . border and set up a terrorist training camp in Malakand. Babar . told the jury that in August 2003, the would-be ringleader of the 7/7 . attacks, Mohammed Siddique Khan, 30, trained at the Malakand camp with . Mohammed Shakil, 37, a friend from Leeds. He was jailed in 2009 for . seven years for attending the camp. Khan, . who was known at the camp as Ibrahim, and Shakil, known as Zubair, were . joined by four other Brits, who were led by Omar Khyam, 34, who was . later convicted as the ringleader of the Bluewater plot. In . 2005, the Shahid brothers were arrested by security forces in Pakistan . on suspicion of supporting and having links with Al Qaeda and were . detained for three months. Horror: The remains of a London bus after the attacks on July 7, 2005, in which 54 people were killed . Security sources told The Mail on Sunday that Sajeel Shahid was ‘on MI5’s radar’ after he was expelled from Pakistan and returned to the UK, but slipped towards the bottom of their priority list as he was not deemed a national security threat. He has never been charged with any terrorism offences. But last night, questions were asked as to how Shahid’s past was not uncovered by the DfE despite background vetting, which include enhanced criminal records checks. Electronic records sent to Companies House indicate that Shahid resigned from Ad-Deen early this month, although a staff member said that he ‘still goes in and out’ and can be reached at the school. He did not respond to our calls. Ofsted inspected the school in 2011 and 2012 without apparently discovering Shahid’s past, concluding it met ‘all regulatory requirements’. Last night, Ofsted refused to answer any questions on what checks it made on the background of Ad-Deen’s staff and proprietor. The DfE spokesman said: ‘We will investigate any evidence put to us.’ | Sajeel Shahid ran a camp where he taught combat and bomb-making skills . Mohamed Siddique Khan was one of the men who trained with him there . British-born jihadist was detained in then expelled from Pakistan in 2005 . He then set up the £2,000-a-year Ad-Deen primary school in Ilford, Essex . | 3c35392c00a6b7da2c1616ced6f6dec74d734241 |
(CNN) -- The director of athletic training at an Ohio university died Tuesday night when a bus carrying the wrestling team and others crashed, the school said Wednesday. Dan Gorman, 52, director of athletic training and associate professor of human performance and sport business at the University of Mount Union, died from injuries suffered in the crash about 11 p.m., according to a statement from the university. Mount Union is in Alliance, Ohio, about 32 miles southeast of Akron. The bus was carrying the school's wrestling team, coaches, statisticians, an athletic trainer and athletic training students, the statement said. It was returning to campus after a match at Ohio Northern University in Ada, about 16 miles east of Lima, when it was involved in the crash near Bucyrus, Ohio. The Ohio State Patrol said it is investigating the crash, which occurred between the university bus and an Ohio Department of Transportation snow plow. Both vehicles were eastbound, the patrol said in a statement, and the vehicles collided when the bus attempted to pass the plow, which was plowing the left lane. Twenty-eight passengers were on the bus, the state patrol said. Gorman was pronounced dead at a hospital, and four others were treated for minor injuries and released. Gorman came to Mount Union in 1985, the school said, and was "integral to the success of the university's athletic training program." Mount Union said it was making counselors and the university chaplain available to members of the campus community. | Dan Gorman had been at the University of Mount Union since 1985 . Officials said the bus collided with a state snow plow . All others on the bus requiring medical attention were treated and released . | e97407580767cee9d9ff0068d1f33d99c6b4b360 |
(CNN) -- Germany underlined their impressive credentials ahead of Euro 2012 with a 3-0 thrashing of arch-rivals the Netherlands on Tuesday in Hamburg. The Germans, who will be among the favorites next year in Ukraine and Poland, swept aside the 2010 World Cup runners-up with veteran striker Miroslav Klose inspirational. He set up Thomas Muller to put the home side ahead in the early stages before helping himself to the second goal and his 63rd for Germany in the 26th minute. It left him just five short of the legendary Gerd Muller's all-time record. The 33-year-old Lazio striker then worked in Real Madrid's Mesut Ozil for a close range strike in the 66th minute as Germany sealed their first win over the Dutch since 1996. "The whole team made the match a lot of fun to play in," Ozil told AFP. Meanwhile, world and European champions Spain needed two goals in the final seven minutes to rescue a 2-2 draw with Costa Rica in their friendly clash. Just three days after a 1-0 defeat to England, Vicente Del Bosque's Spain fell behind on 31 minutes in San Jose when forward Randall Brenes capitalized on an error from goalkeeper Iker Casillas to clip a shot over defender Carles Puyol and into the empty net. It was a nightmare moment for Real Madrid's Casillas, who was celebrating making his 127th appearance for Spain and becoming their most-capped player. It got worse for Spain three minutes before half time when Lorient striker Joel Campbell, who is on-loan from English Premier League side Arsenal, doubled Costa Rica's lead. Spain pressed in the second half, eventually breaking the home team's resistance with seven minutes remaining when Manchester City playmaker David Silva finished after a neat exchange with midfielder Andres Iniesta. Barcelona's David Villa spared Spain's blushes as the match entered stoppage time, stooping to head home his 51st international goal and rescue a draw for the visitors. Elsewhere, England made it two wins in five days at Wembley with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Sweden. England made several changes from the side which beat Spain 1-0 last Saturday, but were largely in command for much of the match against their fellow Euro 2012 qualifiers. It was England's first win over Sweden in 43 years and captain John Terry, recalled to the team despite being under investigation for alleged racial abuse, said he never had any intention of sitting the match out because of the controversy. "No chance," he said. "I'm very passionate, very confident being England captain and very proud to be, also." England's only goal in the first half, their 2,000th in internationals, was originally given to midfielder Gareth Barry, but his header took a final touch off Sweden's Daniel Majstorovic. Debutant Jack Rodwell missed a glorious opportunity for his first goal for England and Manchester United youngster Phil Jones also went close as the home side might have added further to their tally against a below-par Swedish side who rarely threatened. Meanwhile in Rome, Sebastian Fernandez scored the only goal of the game as Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 win in the Olympic Stadium. Mario Balotelli went close for Italy before former Juventus fullback Martin Caceres crossed for Fernandez to help the ball home. | Germany beat the Netherlands 3-0 in international friendly in Hamburg . Spain score two late goals to rescue a 2-2 draw with Costa Rica . England beat Sweden 1-0 at Wembley for second straight friendly win . Uruguay edge Italy 1-0 in Olympic Stadium in Rome . | 19e554350976853d60f4eed4ad90d06ec7ef4c86 |
Nine Cleveland police officers involved in a deadly 2012 police shooting are accusing the police department of racial discrimination. Eight white officers and one Hispanic officer filed a federal lawsuit against the city on Friday, alleging that the police department treats non-black officers involved in shootings of blacks more harshly than black officers. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for discrimination and civil rights violations after they were suspended, allowed back on regular duty and then placed back on restricted duty in a move they argue was 'politically expedient.' Racial tension: Several of the officers involved in the 2012 shooting deaths of two black unarmed Cleveland citizens are suing the city over claims non-black officers are treated unfairly harshly following shootings of black suspects . Thirteen Cleveland police officers fired into the victims' car after a high-speed chase, killing 43-year-old driver Timothy Russell and 30-year-old passenger Malissa Williams in the parking lot of a suburban middle school . 'A serious dichotomy exists as a result of the defendants' longstanding practices and procedures which place onerous burdens on non-African American officers, including the plaintiffs, because of their race and the race of persons who are the subjects of the legitimate use of deadly force,' reads the suit. The officers were not allowed back on to regular duty until June 2014, reports CNN. By then, they say they'd missed out on potential wages, transfers and promotions. They are suing for unspecified damages. The relatives of the two African American people killed in a barrage of police gunfire in 2012 will split a $3 million settlement from the city of Cleveland, the attorney for one of the families said Tuesday. Thirteen Cleveland police officers fired into the victims' car after a high-speed chase, killing 43-year-old driver Timothy Russell and 30-year-old passenger Malissa Williams in the parking lot of a suburban middle school. Both were unarmed. Russell family attorney Terry Gilbert said the settlement of the federal lawsuit helps avoid long and expensive litigation. Williams' family attorney, David Malik, declined to comment. City spokesman Dan Williams would not comment on specifics of the agreement but said 'the settlement speaks for itself.' Disciplined: Cleveland authorities including (left to right) Director of Public Safety, Martin L. Flask, Police Chief, Michael McGrath, and Mayor Frank Jackson, announced in October 2013 that 63 officers were suspended for breaking rules during a deadly chase . Gilbert called the shooting 'probably one of the worst cases of police misconduct' in U.S. history because of the number of police officers involved. More than 100 officers and 60 police cars, including some driven by supervisors, were involved in the chase. Gilbert said that by the time the chase ended in East Cleveland, officers had Russell's car blocked in and surrounded when they opened fire. 'We felt it important to address the conduct of all the shooters, not just officer Brelo,' Gilbert said, referring to Michael Brelo, who faces two counts of voluntary manslaughter for having jumped on the hood of Russell's car and firing the last 15 rounds into the windshield. He fired a total of 49 rounds. Five supervisors face misdemeanor dereliction of duty charges. Gilbert said the lack of supervision during the chase and shooting was evidence of a systemic problem within the police department that 'led to the massive violations of the constitutional rights of Russell and Williams.' The chase began when officers patrolling near a homeless shelter on the edge of downtown Cleveland thought they heard a gunshot. Investigators later said it was likely that the officers heard Russell's car backfiring. That sparked a 20-mile chase that lasted 23 minutes and reached speeds of 110 mph. The U.S. Justice Department is conducting an investigation of the Cleveland police department's pursuit and use of force practices. | The eight white officers, and one Hispanic, were among the Cleveland cops who killed Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams in a hail of 137 bullets . The officers were placed on leave for three days and then put on a 45-day 'cooling-off' period before being allowed back on regular duty . They were then placed back on restrictive duty in a move their lawsuit says was politically motivated . Just this month, the family of Williams and Russel were awarded $3 million in a settlement with the city of Cleveland . | 4fad722807fbb7170c59b2279723fb9e02026666 |
By . James Chapman . Attack: Ed Miliband will accuse firms of targeting vulnerable families and causing misery for millions . David Cameron was under increasing pressure to stop the spread of fixed-odds betting terminals last night. Labour leader Ed Miliband announced plans to give councils the power to ban the gambling machines, which have been dubbed the ‘crack cocaine of the high street’. Mr Miliband admitted Labour, which allowed the creation of the machines in the 2005 Gambling Act, had ‘changed our mind’, following widespread concern that the machines are addictive for problem gamblers. Bookmakers now rake in more than £1billion a year in profits from the machines, which allow punters to gamble up to £300 a minute, or £18,000 an hour, mostly on electronic roulette. Mr Miliband said he would legislate to put betting shops in a separate planning class so that councils can control the number opening in their area. That plan has already been backed by the Liberal Democrats at their party conference. Currently betting shops are classified as ‘financial and professional services’, which means that one can open in any building that used to be a bank, building society, estate agent or employment agency without needing planning permission. Labour would also legislate to give councils the power to revoke or reduce the number of FOBTs in betting shops, currently capped at four, potentially to zero. Finally, the party says it would legislate to increase the time between plays, curtrently once every 20 seconds, requiring on screen warnings and breaks in play. Industry: Fixed odds betting temrinals (FOBTs) make more than £1billion a year in Britain . Mr Miliband said: ‘There’s clearly a massive and growing epidemic in some parts of our country of people losing huge amounts of money on these fixed odds betting machines. Our high streets are turning into high stakes, high cost venues for gambling. ‘I’m not objecting to having a betting shop or two on my high street but I don’t think people want the high street to be full of betting shops. ‘It’s right that we stand up to a powerful and important industry, the gambling industry. The betting industry has its place in the country but we can’t let them dominate our decisions.’ David Cameron has expressed concern about the issue but the Department for Culture has delayed any action while a review of betting habits on gambling machines is conducted - due to report back in the autumn. Campaign: Miliband is backed by Labour MPs including Tom Watson (pictured) in a policy break from New Labour, which attempted to allow 'super casinos' Mr Miliband accused the Government of failing to act. ‘They . seem incredibly reluctant to act. I want to force them to act. I’d . rather they acted now rather than wait 18 months. They’re too slow. They . should stand up to the vested interests. Mr Miliband conceded that Labour’s gambling policy from 2005 has proved problematic. ‘We’ve changed our approach on the basis of the evidence. Tuition fee repeat? Nick Clegg has been accused of going against his word after voting against curbs on betting terminals this month . In . 2007/8 when the supercasinos were stopped people thought that was the . big issue, actually this turned out to be as important an issue and it . needs to be dealt with. We’re responding to the evidence, which is concerning and worrying. Something needs to be done.’ Mr . Miliband will stop short of agreeing with one key demand of campaigners . against the proliferation of the machines, which is for the maximum . stake to be slashed to £2 per spin. But he told the Mail: ‘We don’t rule that out. We don’t rule out going further.’ The . Tories accused Labour of hypocrisy for accepting hundreds of thousands . of pounds in donations from top gambling figures, including Peter Coates . of Bet365 and industry lobbyist Neil Goulden, the former boss of the . Association of British Bookmakers. In . total, Labour have received £192,000 of cash from Goulden and Coates- . with some of the donations being registered only months ago. Two key members of his Shadow Cabinet, Tristram Hunt and Chuka Umunna, have also pocketed cash directly from gambling tycoons. But . Mr Miliband said his policy would not be affected by the donations. ‘There are people who are Labour supporters in all walks of life, . whether they’re Labour supporters or not we’ll do the right thing for . the country.’ Derek Webb, . Founder of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling and Stop the FOBTs Campaign, . said: ‘We welcome this announcement and look forward to the national . debate that now looks set to take place. The Coalition can’t continue to . delay action on FOBTs any longer.’ The . Association of British Bookmakers condemned the plans. A spokesman . said: ‘This announcement has nothing to do with helping problem . gamblers; it is simply about playing politics with the jobs of 40,000 . people, and the enjoyment of 8 million customers for no reason.’ David . Cameron has expressed concern about the issue but the Department for . Culture has delayed any action while a review of betting habits on . gambling machines is conducted. It is due to report back in the autumn. | Labour leader to accuse firms of causing 'misery' for millions of families . UK's 33,000 fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) take more than £1bn a year . Miliband's words are break from New Labour which tried to allow casinos . | b97fa30e0ce844cb1b85179ab7d9bcbdcc883d8c |
As she approached her 60th birthday, there was only one present Linda Briggs wanted - new breasts. The 59-year-old from Norfolk was determined to wear a backless, silk dress as she celebrated her milestone birthday, and all that stood in her way was her 'saggy' cleavage. So rather than consign the dress to her wardrobe, Linda instead booked to have a boob job in Paris. Forking out to look younger: Linda Briggs has spent more than £50,000 to roll back the years . Transformed: Linda, left, aged 44 when she was mistaken for her sister's mother, and right, after more than 50 procedures including a boob job . It's not the first time she's been under the knife. In fact she's had more than 50 procedures in the past 15 years, spending over £50,000 in the process. She said: 'I don't want to look old and I will do whatever is necessary to stop the process.' As a result of her quest to roll back the years, she has had procedures including upper and lower eye lid reduction, a face lift, a neck lift, eye bag removal, liposuction on her stomach and thighs and even had her toe straightened. The former lawyer reveals on Channel 5 documentary '200 Nips & Tucks and I Want More!' that cosmetic surgery has become the 'norm' for her. She said: 'I wouldn't say I'm addicted to surgery but if I have an issue I will have it corrected.' She added: 'I know what can be achieved with cosmetic surgery so I am less tolerant of any problems that I have. If it's easy to go and do it, I'll go and do it and get rid of it.' Linda revealed that her obsession with surgery began aged 44 when she was mistaken for her younger sister's mother at her wedding. Quick fix: Linda says she's not addicted to surgery but is happy to go under the knife if necessary when she spots something she wants to change . She explains: 'A friend of hers came up to me and asked if I was her mother. I didn't react at the time although I wanted to kill her! It was like a stab in the back, I was shocked I never thought I looked that old. 'I got back and looked in the mirror and thought "why would she think I'm my sister's mother?" 'I studied my face and thought "you've got a turkey neck and lines like the grand canyon". I screamed and cried, then thought "now's the time for a face lift".' Since then she has had dozens of procedures to help her look younger and slimmer. She said she isn't worried about an operation going disastrously wrong and doesn't think she will even look unnatural as a result of playing with nature. Uplifting: The former lawyer went to Paris to have a boob job ahead of her 60th birthday . Ta dah! Linda back in her favourite dress which she couldn't wear when she had 'saggy' boobs . She said: 'I don't think you can tell I have had surgery as I do try and keep it as natural as possible. I will never grow old gracefully. I will grow old as disgracefully as I possibly can.' She added: 'I am blasé about it. Once I have made the decision I am going it, I do research right surgery and surgeon.' Most recently she had a breast lift so she could have the cleavage of a woman half her age on her 60th birthday. She was delighted with the result which she showed off in her favourite black dress. 'I haven't worn this for years as my breasts have been saggy and you can't wear it with a bra, now it looks great. All of me I think looks 45 but the boobs look like a 30 year olds.' She added: 'I think my friends and family will think I'm a tart but I don't care!' 200 Nips & Tucks and I Want More! is on Channel 5 this evening at 11pm or catch up with Demand 5 . | Linda Briggs has had more than 50 cosmetic procedures . Treatments have included a face lift, liposuction and boob job . She's spent more than £50,000 . But says she's not addicted to surgery . Started when she was confused for her younger sister's mother . Now it's become the 'norm' | f3cf7693665b524fa3c441b5791dbc6695f77283 |
By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 16:14 EST, 3 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:45 EST, 4 June 2013 . Creating a 'perfect life' for yourself on Facebook can help boost self esteem, a study has found . Creating a 'perfect life' for yourself on Facebook can help boost self esteem, a study has found. But researchers have warned there could be a downside to the rush of good feeling which comes from looking at your 'idealised' profile - as it can make users less motivated to do well in other areas of their lives. Scientists from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, tested the self esteem of users of the social networking site after they viewed their own profile for five minutes. They asked volunteers to associate positive or negative adjectives with words like 'me', 'my', and 'I'. Study researcher Catalina Toma said the test group experienced a significant . boost in self-esteem after looking at their own Facebook profile . for just five minutes, Today Tech reports. She said: 'If you have high self-esteem, then you can very quickly associate words related to yourself with positive evaluations but have a difficult time associating words related to yourself with negative evaluations. 'But if you have low self-esteem, the opposite is true.' But she and the team noted that this self esteem burst seemed to make the group less likely to perform well when faced with a maths test immediately after. They discovered those who had viewed their Facebook profiles before the test answered fewer questions in the designated time than compared with a control group who had not been looking at their profiles. But researchers have warned there could be a downside to the rush of good feeling which comes from looking at your 'idealised' profile - as it can make users less motivated to do well in other areas of their lives . Ms Toma said that performing well in a task can help people to feel better about themselves, but when people are already feeling full of self worth, they may be less likely to need to 'increase the feeling' by performing well in a task. She added that further research is needed to examine the psychological effects of other Facebook activities, like viewing other users' profiles or reading their newsfeeds. Previous studies have claimed that scrolling through other people's Facebook accounts can leave people feeling depressed about their own lives. The research is published in the June issue of the journal Media Psychology. | But it can make users 'less motivated to do so well in other areas' University of Wisconsin team asked volunteers to view own profile . They found self-esteem significantly boosted afterwards . However, the group were less motivated to do well in a following basic test . | 44cace750113387544fc9e7b8e8be1c72aeac457 |
Babies fake cry to get extra attention - particularly if they have brothers and sisters, scientists claim (stock image) Babies are known to cry to alert their parents to their distress to help ensure their survival. Yet, confirming what many parents already suspect, scientists have found that infants also fake cry simply to get extra attention - particularly if they have brothers and sisters. Japanese researchers studied two babies crying over a period of six months and believe the infants are capable of the clever deception. Hiroko Nakayama, a researcher at the University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo, said one of the babies faked crying, after filming the children for an hour twice a month, for half a year. The scientists coded the video footage in five second segments to document 68 episodes of crying for seven month old ‘Baby R’ and 34 episodes for ‘Baby M’ who was nine months old at the beginning of the study, The British Psychological Society reported. They looked for the presence of emotion in the minutes before and after the babies cried and found that all of Baby M’s crying episodes were preceded by evidence of upset, shown by the child grimacing, making noises or looking sad. However, the researchers also found that there was an instance when Baby R cried shortly after smiling and laughing. While they said that 98 per cent of Baby R’s crying episodes did follow a negative effect, the incident at 11 months was recognised by her mother as fake crying and analysis confirmed this. ‘Infant R appeared to cry deliberately to get her mother's attention,’ said Nakayama, who added that ‘she showed smile immediately after her mother came closer.’ The scientists looked for the presence of emotion in the minutes before and after the babies cried and found an instance when Baby R cried following a positive emotion when the child was smiling and laughing (illustrated) In the study, one baby only cried when she was distressed or unhappy. The other cried for the same reason 98 per cent of the time, but also fake cried to get attention. Researchers looked at the presence of emotion immediately before and after the infants cried to try and determine their motivation. They think fake crying contributes 'greatly' to a baby's social and emotional development. The scientists believe the child who used fake crying tactics in the study did so as she had to compete with siblings for her parents' attention. Dr Nakayama said fake crying successfully attracts the attention of a parent and contributes 'greatly' to an infant's social development as well as their emotional development. ‘Infants who are capable of fake crying might communicate successfully with their caregivers in this way on a daily basis. Fake crying could add much to their relationships,’ she added. The study also revealed that typically after a crying episode, the babies continued to be distressed or sad and they only slowly became happier with physical contact from a parent. While the researchers only observed two children, they think that Baby R might used fake crying as she had two siblings, whereas Baby M was an only child and did not have to compete for her parents’ attention. Dr Nakayama said that siblings can enrich social interactions at home and increase their variety. ‘Such environmental factors are known to stimulate the development of communication skills of infants,’ she added. | Tokyo researchers studied two babies to look at whether they were distressed or happy immediately before crying . They believe fake crying contributes greatly to an infant's social . development as well as their emotional development . The scientists think babies with siblings use fake crying to get attention as they have to compete with brothers and sisters to stay in the limelight . | ab8e99ec408abfc1b56967c01428f3ad66a4aead |
By . Tamara Abraham and Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 17:07 EST, 22 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:28 EST, 23 July 2013 . The date and time of the new royal baby's birth indicate that he will be highly intuitive and kind by nature, according to a top psychic. Fourth-generation psychic medium Linda Lauren, who is based in New Jersey, observed the date and time of the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's new son to assess the colours and energy around him. She told MailOnline: 'Being born on July 22nd astrologically puts the new baby on the cusp of . his birth sign (like his father the month prior, June 21) of emotionally . sensitive sign of Cancer and the willful and sensitive sign of Leo. Sharing signs: The Royal baby is a Cancerian like Prince William, pictured left, with a moon in Capricorn - the same star-sign as mother Kate, pictured right . 'His energy is that of someone who will be highly intuitive and kind by . nature due to his birth during a full moon cycle.' The psychic's observation that the blue and green energy around the future king indicate prosperity comes as little surprise, however she did note that the colours mean that the infant can expect good health and a way with words. 'He will probably talk early,' she said. The infant's sensitive nature will have a strong guiding hand in his mother, she says - but may experience friction with his father over emotional issues. 'Being born on July 22nd puts the new baby on the cusp of emotionally . sensitive Cancer and willful and sensitive Leo' 'This family will be led by the strong, orderly person in Catherine as a grounded Capricorn,' she says. 'The energy they share as a family is very blue and purple which tells me that Prince William will bump heads with his son on issues of emotion but they will always reason it out. Overall colour: yellow, a very easy, happy vibe.' William and Catherine welcomed their new son at 4.24pm this afternoon at St Mary's Hospital in London. The baby's star sign, Cancer, is one shared by his father and late grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales. Happy news: The official notice at Buckingham Palace announcing the birth of the royal baby at 4.24pm. It means he is a Cancer, but had he been born half an hour later, he would have been a Leo . Had he been born after 4.54 today, the . child would have been a Leo, like its great aunt Princess Margaret, . Countess of Snowdon, and Princess Anne. The Duchess of Cambridge went into . labour at 5.30am this morning - with many suggesting the approaching . full moon at 11.16am helped bring on the contractions. Reading energy: Fourth-generation psychic medium Linda Lauren, is based in New Jersey . Prince . William was by his wife's side at the private Lindo Wing of St Mary’s . Hospital in Paddington, west London, where he himself was born in 1982. Traditionally . those born under the sign of Cancer arrive between June 22nd and July . 22nd although the exact dates vary slightly every year. Famous . Cancerians include former South African president Nelson Mandela, . Hollywood actors Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise, and Edward . VIII, who gave up the throne for American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Astrologer Patrick Arundell said the . future king or queen will be more conventional because it is a . Cancerian, but would have been more of a ground-breaker if he was born . tomorrow as a Leo. 'Mars . and Jupiter are conjunct in Cancer and that will give the baby a . tremendous amount of go-get energy and that is already in motion,' he . said. He added: 'Venus and the Sun are also . in a magnetic connection which will give the baby a star quality and a . sparkling charisma.' Meanwhile . there have been numerous theories as to what caused the Duchess of . Cambridge to go into labour - whether it was the full moon, an electrical . storm or just conventional 'Baby Mean Time'. Maternity wards are said to be busier . during a full moon, although there is debate in the medical world about . whether the moon does encourage women to go into labour. Written in the stars: The new baby shares a sign with his late grandmother, Diana, Princess of . Wales, pictured (left) in 1985. Had he been a Leo, he would have shared a sign with Princess Margaret, pictured in 1960 . Mervi Jokinen, of the Royal College of Midwives, said midwives often talk of how the full moon makes for a busy spate of deliveries. 'It's always sort of been an old . wives tale saying that the full moon brings women into labour. Midwives . usually do say "I'm on call. It's a full moon. I'll be busy tonight",' she said. 'There was a . study about 20 years ago at a hospital near the River Thames which is a . tidal river and it showed that on the full moon they did have more . births. 'The idea is that because the baby is . surrounded by water, the time of the full moon and the high tide causes . the waters to break. But there's not enough scientific evidence to show . it's proven.' Waiting game: Members of the world's media gathered outside The Lindo Wing when The Duchess Of Cambridge went into labour at St Mary's Hospital in London this morning . Birth coach Zara de Candole, of Doula UK, said: 'As a doula (birth coach) who has supported many women in labour, there does seem to be some link between labour kick starting and a full moon.' There are also suggestions electrical storms and a drop in barometric pressure can bring on labour. Western central London - near William and Kate's Kensington Palace apartment - experienced isolated heavy rain, thunder and lightning strikes at 6am this morning - just at Kate was admitted to the Lindo wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington. Chris Burton, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: 'We've had high pressure with the sunshine but now there's low pressure and it's hot and humid which can cause thunder storms.' | The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed a son at 4.24pm this afternoon, making him a Cancer. Had he been born half an hour later, he would have been a Leo . Fourth-generation psychic medium Linda Lauren says the infant can expect good health and a way with words . | 573519c15b72b354c0e0582f5db439604ebc0560 |
Cardiff's approach to talk to Leyton Orient manager Russell Slade about their vacant managerial post has been rejected by the League One club. The Championship club have been without a manager since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left the Bluebirds last Thursday and 53-year-old Slade has emerged as the surprise favourite to fill the position. 'On Friday morning we were contacted by a lawyer close to Cardiff City and Russell Slade, who asked us to give permission for Cardiff to talk to Russell,' said a Leyton Orient club statement on Monday. Leyton Orient boss Russell Slade has emerged as the surprise favourite for the Cardiff job . Vincent Tan and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer parted company after defeat to Middlesbrough on Tuesday . 'That evening Russell asked the club for permission to talk to Cardiff. On Saturday the general manager of Cardiff approached us in order to again ask permission to talk to Russell. 'In all cases, we denied Cardiff the permission and we did not authorise Russell to talk to Cardiff.' Slade, who held talks with Orient owner Francesco Becchetti regarding his own position last week, has been in charge at Brisbane Road since 2010 and on Saturday said he was 'proud' to be linked with Cardiff. Kike's goal proved the final straw for Solskjaer's managerial career at Cardiff . Orient, conceding a goal to Notts County here, have had a poor start to the season themselves . | Cardiff have had approach to talk to Russell Slade rejected . The Orient boss is under pressure after the League One side's disappointing start to the season . Likes of Dave Jones, Neil Lennon, Paul Hartley and Tugay are in the frame . Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left the club after defeat to Middlesbrough on Tuesday . | 47a49a8d0c3f879e3fd3f9d8e4cc01ce97b5c2d7 |
Jimmy Bullard and Kendra Wilkinson bit off more than they could chew in Thursday night's 'I'm a Celeb' Bush Tucker Trial. Sitting down at a table-for-two the duo nervously checked in to the make-shift pub named the 'Terror Tavern', where you'd be more likely to be served a gin-and-vomit than a spritzy cocktail. In order to collect the ten stars up for grabs, the former Premier League midfielder and the ex-glamour model were told they must each eat five courses of unappetising bush-themed dishes. Jimmy Bullard showed he had the balls as he tucked into five servings of gruesome bush-themed meals . The former Wigan, Hull and Fulham midfielder winced as he tried to swallow a sheep's testicle . Ex-Playboy model Kendra Wilkinson fought to keep oozing fish eye liquid from dribbling out of her mouth . In keeping with the pub theme, the pair were instructed to throw darts at a specially designed board in order to determine the size of the portions they would eat. With the board divided into 'small' and 'large' sections, Jimmy Bullard was confident his skills with an arrow would help him in the task. 'I'm hoping that a bit of the fear has gone since the first (Bush Tucker Trial),' he said. Stepping up to the oche first in the 'jungle's finest gastro pub' was former Playboy model Kendra Wilkinson, who threw off-centre to be faced with a large portion of the aptly named 'prawn cocktail'. Served with a side of salad, Wilkinson had to eat two sections of bush deer penis. 'Is that a pubic hair? There’s a pubic hair on it,' she squealed. 'The penis is in my throat right now!' she added. The trial included the infamous Witchetty grub, which Bullard had the pleasure of facing (dips included) Next up was Bullard, who hit a double top to receive a small portion of 'ham, egg and (cow's) lips'. Downing in one, Bullard and his cultured palate noted a 'bit of a beef taste'. Hitting small on her second shot with a dart, Wilkinson had to devour a morsel of blended cockroaches, crickets, meal worms and cheese fruit, served on a bed of rice. She did so with aplomb. With the accuracy expected from a former professional footballer, Bullard hit another double top and successfully necked a live Witchetty grub, not without wincing as it slithered down his throat. Following suit with another small portion of 'mixed gill' (fish eye), the American Wilkinson popped her way through the unusual fishy dish: 'I don't even eat seafood,' she squirmed. Bullard then saw off a large serving of 'pig eye steak', working his way through four pig eyes served on a platter with chips, peas and a grilled tomato. No pub would be worth it's salt without the presence of pork scratchings, but in this case Wilkinson got her serving in a packet labelled 'pork snifflings', or more bluntly, a pig's nose. 'It tastes like I'm swallowing farm,' the American moaned. The pair were made to test their throwing skills on the specially designed 'large or small' dart board . The foul trial proved too much for Bullard, who got on all fours to try and get over his disgusting dinner . Former Playboy model Kendra couldn't help but giggle as Bullard tried some Hump Steak - a camel's hump . With another double top, Bullard faced a round of 'mixed nuts', but in this quirky version of the classic pub dish the former Wigan man had to swallow a sheep's testicle. When asked how it tasted by host Ant McPartlin, Bullard replied: 'that's just f****** filth!' With the final round of grizzly meals to come, Williamson chowed down on a large helping of 'cheesy nach-toes', or ostrich foot to be precise. With the offer of an alcoholic drink for all camp-mates on the cards, Bullard's last task took on an added incentive. True to form, the ex-Fulham joker hit small, and begrudgingly nibbled at two pieces of camel hump from a cocktail stick as the matted mounds of camel fur sat in front of him. McPartlin again quizzed the ex-footballer: 'Would you come back (to the Terror Tavern)?' Bullard didn't leave much to the imagination when he responded, 'no its a f****** s***hole!' With 10/10 stars, the successful partnership went back to camp with a big smile. 'I ain't leaving a tip,' Wilkinson joked. | Jimmy Bullard and Kendra Wilkinson took part in gruesome eating trial . The pair were told they must each eat five courses of bush-themed dishes . The ex-footballer and former glamour model won 10 of 10 available stars . Courses included bush deer penis, cow's lip and pig's nose dishes . | 565a1b1c5cb19d852a34ffb0c0340a85507a29ee |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 12:00 AM on 25th December 2011 . Christmas has been cancelled on the majority of the UK’s rail network as services wound down last night for up to 60 hours of train-free yuletide timetables. As millions of families made their festive getaway, train services started to run down in advance of a complete shut-down of the rail network today, with services axed in most areas on Boxing Day, and a late start to a limited Bank Holiday service on Tuesday. East Coast, Virgin West Coast, First Great Western, Northern Rail, Cross Country, South West trains and South Eastern are among those writing off the majority of Christmas with blank departure and arrivals boards. Walk-out: London Underground workers will strike on Boxing Day . And many of those trains which do eventually run between Christmas and New Year will be subject to delays, diversions and cancellations caused by engineering works and the dreaded bus replacement services. In Scotland, railway signal workers started a 72-hour strike yesterday in a dispute over career progression. Just to add to Britons' woes, Tube services will be hit by striking Underground workers who want extra pay to work on Boxing Day. Slow services: Many of those trains which do eventually run between Christmas and New Year will be subject to delays . It means millions of families will have to resort to their cars to visit friends and relatives over the festive period – or simply stay at home. Passenger groups and rail experts in Britain want to know why British rail passengers have to put up with such a shoddy service – despite pledges by the Conservatives in opposition that they would end the Christmas shut-downs. It comes as passengers face soaring New Year fares averaging 5.9 per cent but potentially as high as 11 per cent. Philip Haigh, business editor of the respected Rail magazine said: ’It’s almost a three-day shut-down. 'Local services should be running – on Boxing day at the very least. It used to happen 30 or 40 years ago. But then the whole country used to work a lot harder over the Christmas period. ‘There’s clearly a demand for travel on Boxing Day – you only have to look at the queues in the busy shops and shopping centres. Some of them, like the Metro Centre in Gateshead and Meadowhall in Sheffield, even have their own stations.’ Up to 18 million cars took to the roads yesterday with a ‘delayed rush hour’ as people set off to spend Christmas with family or to do last-minute Christmas shopping. But there was chaos in the capital as one of the main arterial routes into London was blocked because of a ‘serious structural defect’ at the Hammersmith Flyover on the A4 discovered on Thursday night. Getaway traffic was heavy on major routes, including the M1 in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, the M4 between London and Newbury in Berkshire, the M25 around London, and the M4 and M5 in the West Country. The Highways Agency said 19 sets of roadworks and lane restrictions had been removed to ease congestion, and will not be put back until the new year. However 26 roadworks remain in place including on the M1 near Luton, the M25, and the A1 near Thirsk. | London Underground workers due to walk out on Boxing Day . Signal workers in Scotland began 72-hour strike last night . | 8e41d6dc03d1d3797e1ff30ae85460dd55dd5059 |
She's Chelsea's resident fashionista who spearheaded the fedora hat trend and dishes out daily style advice, so it's hardly surprising that Rosie Fortescue has been snapped up to front a new campaign. The long-standing Made In Chelsea star has been unveiled as the face of Pretaportobello.com's new initiative, MarketSpace - an e-tailer that allows up-and-coming independent designers to trade directly with customers. The brand hand-picked stylish Rosie because she is apparently a big supporter of British design talent. Scroll down for video... Fashionable face: Made In Chelsea starlet Rosie Fortescue has been unveiled as the face of Pretaportobello.com's new initiative, MarketSpace - an e-tailer that allows up-and-coming independent designers to trade directly with customers - and she says she is a huge supporter of fledgling designers . Speaking about her involvement, the 24-year-old, who recently unveiled her own fashion range, told MailOnline: 'Supporting up and coming designers is super-important to me and I actually get contacted by a lot of new designers via my blog. 'I feature them as often I can as I think it's important to show them support. 'There's an amazing array of young design talent on board, helping to give them a platform to get into the mainstream market.' Rosie recently curated and modelled her debut clothing collection with Lipstick Boutique - and every piece stayed true to the tailored and chic style she's made her own. Sharing her go-to style formula, she said: 'It's all about finding clothes that fit my body. It's incredibly important to wear items that compliment your figure. 'I do often stick to the same style when shopping which leaves me with a wardrobe full of muted colours and leather trousers so I do try and think outside the box and be creative.' Perfect fit: Rosie said it's essential to find clothes that fit your body. 'It's incredibly important to wear items that compliment your figure,' she advises . Star style: Rosie is a huge fan of tailored pieces and recently chanelled her style expertise into her own range for Lipstick Boutique . The reality TV star cites her statement Christmas party outfit as a tuxedo suit with a camisole top, sexy heels, statement necklace and clutch bag. 'It's a go-to outfit for me as I am not the biggest fan of dresses,' she said. 'Don't get me wrong, when I find a dress I adore I really do enjoy wearing it.' Despite unveiling her debut range earlier this year, Rosie says her fashion coup is yet to come. 'My favourite fashion moment is yet to come I think. I do always enjoy dressing in brands for London Fashion Week and attending all the shows. 'It's a way for me to really play around with style and dress to my exact mood and feelings,' she said. Big things on the cards? Despite unveiling her debut range earlier this year, Rosie says her fashion coup is yet to come . Citing her icons as Olivia Palermo and Abbey Clancy, Rosie reveals that her best friend and fellow fashion designer Millie Mackintosh had a glance through her look book before it launched and the pair exchanged notes. 'We have been wearing each others ranges,' she added. Rosie is one of the original Made In Chelsea cast members and as well as seeing her star rise, she says her style has changed, too. 'I have learnt a lot about my body and what suits my shape. For example, I am pale so I would never wear neon.' She's extremely grateful to the E4 show for providing her with so many opportunities, explaining: 'It's full of drama and fun and we had an amazing time in New York. I am so proud and pleased that it's all going so well.' Stylish friends: Zara Martin, Millie Mackintosh and Rosie Fortescue attend the Chopard Christmas Party at Annabel's last week . | Rosie, 24, unveiled as face of Pretaportobello.com's MarketSpace . Says she is 'super' supportive of up-and-coming designers . Recently designed her own range for Lipstick Boutique . | dc5b6181b7beaa94c35f591e2f1283a1d0c13a5c |
By . Mark Duell . and Inderdeep Bains . and Craig Mackenzie . PUBLISHED: . 02:53 EST, 6 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:05 EST, 7 October 2013 . Keep your winter coat in the wardrobe for a few more days - because the warm weather is set to last a little longer across many parts of Britain. Temperatures last week reached 20C, and the Met Office has predicted the mercury will hit 19C today and tomorrow in the South and East of England. North-east England can also expect maximum temperatures of 19C, while eastern Scotland is set for 18C. The UK average for this time of year is 12.8C. It comes as stags were pictured this morning bellowing loudly to signal the start of the mating season in Richmond Park in south-west London. The red deer were searching for a female. They competed to be the loudest stag on show but left empty handed as no doe turned up to see them. Early start: A proud stag disturbs today's morning calm by bellowing loudly to signal the start of the mating season in Richmond Park in south-west London . Bright light: In amongst the early morning mist, the 500lbs red deer is searching for a female in Richmond Park, south-west London - only to come across a rival . Call: They compete to be the loudest stag on show in Richmond Park, south-west London, but leave empty handed as no doe turns up to see them in action . Lovely day: A woman walks through autumn mist at Arundel, north of Littlehampton, West Sussex, as Britain continues to enjoy good weather . Awakening: Autumn mists hangs over villages and the countryside in the South Downs National Park near Amberley in Horsham, West Sussex . Picture perfect scene: Autumn mists hang over villages and the countryside in the South Downs National Park near Amberley . It is expected to be dry today in . southern and eastern parts today and tomorrow, with a chance of rain in . the North and the West. Emma . Corrigan, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: ‘In the past week we've . seen temperatures consistently of about 20C in terms of maximums. ‘Even though we've seen heavy rain it's been warmer than average, mostly in the south. That is due to the wind direction.’ She . added: ‘From midweek onwards it's a cooling period - a marked dip in . temperature due to a cooling wind, and it will be more towards the . average.’ Her comments come . days after a beautiful double rainbow appeared in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, . last Friday afternoon - following heavy showers. The rare weather phenomenon happens when sunlight is reflected twice inside the raindrops at an angle of 50 to 53 degrees. On the move: Nyetimber, a sparkling wine producer in West Sussex, is starting its harvest - after not picking a single grape last year due to poor quality . Checks: Nyetimber, the sparkling wine producer in West Sussex, planted its first vines 25 years ago, and the harvest is expected to begin tomorrow . Misty start: Thick fog sets in over Hyde Park in Central London this morning as warmer weather is forecast for later in the day . Going for a run: Thick fog sets in over Hyde Park in Central London this morning as warmer weather is forecast for later in the day and into the week . Keeping fit: An early cycle ride as the sun rises over the mist on the downs above Brighton on Ditchling Beacon in East Sussex today . Eerie start: The sun rises in East Sussex, showing a misty landscape over Brighton as Britain prepares for a few more days of pleasant weather . Beautiful sight: A double rainbow over Grimsby, Lincolnshire, stunned local residents. The beautiful sight appeared on Friday afternoon, following heavy showers . Impressive: A double rainbow over the Immingham area of Grimsby. The phenomenon happens when sunlight is reflected twice inside raindrops at an angle of 50 to 53 degrees . Forecast: Temperatures last week reached 20C, and the Met Office has predicted the mercury will hit 19C today and tomorrow in the South and East of England . The Met Office said the dry sunshine . at the start of this week has been caused by high pressure and air . coming in from the south. Gardeners . revealed some late-blooming plants are making a surprise appearance . well after the time when they would normally disappear until next year. The highest temperature ever recorded in October in the UK was 29.9C on the first of the month in Gravesend, Kent in 2011. But . sadly, forecasters have warned that a late heatwave is not on the cards . this week, with cloud and rain already a possibility in some areas. On . Saturday the highest temperature recorded was 20.1C in Thorney Island, . Sussex. Yesterday, 20.2C was recorded in Essex in mid-afternoon. It . has come as a welcome relief after much of the country was battered by . rain and wind last week, with the colder weather marking a rapid shift . from the bright, dry days of September. Glow: Regent's Park in London is awash with a hazy glow as the sun lingers at the tail-end of summer to the delight of many late holiday-makers venturing out this month . The blue skies and warm temperatures have stunned Brits, normally ready to start complaining about chill and rain by September . Colourful image: The autumn setting of trees near Grasmere lake in the Lake District in Cumbria yesterday, with their glorious reflection in the water . Picturesque: The morning mist lingers as the sun rises over Brockweir in the Wye Valley yesterday. The weather is expected to stay settled over the next few days . Let there be light: The sun rises behind Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley yesterday morning . Ghostly vision: The top of The Shard building in Central London pokes above the early morning mist yesterday in an image seen from Richmond Park . Heavy rain on Thursday triggered yellow warnings for floods and severe weather in some parts of the country. The . warm temperatures came as a survey found the first decent British . summer for seven years prompted many holidaymakers to delay their main . vacation until the autumn. Almost . a fifth of holidaymakers said they were going away in October for the . first time, the poll by foreign exchange company Travelex revealed. Of . those who took breaks in Britain this summer, around 30 per cent . visited south west England, while other popular spots included Scotland, . the Lake District and the Isle of Wight. Overall, around 60 per cent chose a UK holiday this summer, with many deciding to vacation at home due to the good weather. | Temperatures last week reached 20C, and mercury predicted to hit 19C today and tomorrow in South and East . It is expected to be dry today in southern and eastern parts, with a chance of rain in the North and the West . But temperatures will drop from midweek onwards back towards 13C - the UK average for this time of year . | a12597000009fd8eb01374118d46e1b3687df818 |
Washington (CNN) -- A Tennessee woman sued Southwest Airlines and a flight attendant Tuesday for $800,000 for serving tea she says severely burned her. On December 28, 2011, Angelica Keller was seated in the window seat of the front row on Flight 955 between Nashville and Houston with a stop in New Orleans. She ordered hot tea, and the suit says the flight attendant brought her a cup of "extremely hot water" sitting in another cup which contained the tea bag and condiment packets. Air Force One aborts landing, second try successful . In the "plaintiffs efforts to extricate the tea bag from its position of being wedged between the tilted paper 'hot cup' of extremely hot water and the shorter clear plastic soft drink cup, the extremely hot water spilled into her lap at her groin area," the suit said. Keller's body suffered second degree burns and her skin blistered, peeled and she was permanently scarred, the lawyers said. "Our Customers' comfort is our top priority at all times, and we safely serve about 100 million drinks onboard every year," Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said in a statement. "The referenced event is unfortunate, and we are currently reviewing it. We can't provide additional details due to the pending lawsuit that was filed." Southwest does not have tray tables in the front rows of its aircraft, and Keller's suit said that contributed to the accident. It also said the airline served the drink in an unreasonable manner and used "hot water at a temperature too hot for use in an aircraft." Mainz was unable to provide the standard temperature of the water on Southwest flights, but said it has never been an issue in the past. The suit, filed Tuesday, seeks $300,000 for property damages, medical bills, injuries and pain and suffering as well as $500,000 in punitive damages. Crikey! Crew corrals crocodile in cargo hold on plane . | Woman suffered second-degree burns, is permanently scarred, lawyers say . Southwest does not have trays in front rows, which contributed to the accident, suit says . "We safely serve about 100 million drinks onboard every year," Southwest says . | 088136429e5897504935fbbd8a7b87c92f8cd42e |
(CNN) -- With 182 Formula One wins, McLaren is one of the most successful marques in the history of the sport, but F1's second oldest team could be waiting some time for the next victory. So much so, that after the team's stuttering start to the new F1 season last weekend, McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Sergio Perez have already ruled themselves out of winning Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix. The 2009 world champion Button won three races last season and after Lewis Hamilton left McLaren to join Mercedes he must have been relishing the chance to launch a title challenge as the team's No. 1 driver. However the Briton, who finished ninth at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, is expecting another frustrating weekend in Kuala Lumpur. "Australia was obviously a tough weekend and, despite getting the maximum out of the car, it's still clearly not where we want to be," Button told the sport's official website. "There's a lot of work to be done but we all know that this team won't stop working until they get it right. For this weekend, I don't think we can expect an improvement in our fortunes, but the thing about Malaysia is that it can be so unpredictable." Like all Englishmen, Button is closely watching the weather forecast in the hope that McLaren might profit from what could be a wet race at the Sepang International Circuit to even up the odds for the British team. "We saw that last year, when Fernando (Alonso) won, and we know that the unpredictable weather can make it a lottery for everyone," added Button. "That's something that could play into our hands -- I do enjoy driving in changeable conditions, and would love the challenge of being able to run competitively in a car that we all know is not quite capable of challenging for victories yet." Perez, who made his debut for McLaren last weekend after joining the British marque from Sauber, delivered an equally sombre assessment of the team's problems. "Last weekend's race was a difficult one for everybody on the team, but it's shown us exactly what we need to do to close down the gap to the leaders," said the 23-year-old Mexican, who finished second in Malaysia last season, . "This weekend in Malaysia will be about trying to maximise the package we have while knowing that it's not going to be enough to allow us to fight for overall victory. "Sepang holds many happy memories -- I had one of the best races of my career there last year where I was able to push Alonso for victory until the closing laps. The Circuit: CNN's F1 interactive . "It's a fantastic circuit, really fast and demanding. It would be great to pull off another unexpected result for the team this year." Mercedes optimism . Former McLaren driver Hamilton enjoyed a solid first race for Mercedes last weekend, finishing fifth after starting the race third on the grid, and the 2008 world champion has been pleasantly buoyed by his team's performance in Melbourne. "I feel very optimistic," Hamilton was reported to have said by AFP. "I came away from there with 10 points and I feel really happy with 10 points because when I made the switch I didn't know where we'd be, and I definitely didn't think we'd come away from the first race with 10 points." Hamilton is confident he can match the pace of Red Bull's triple world champion Sebastian Vettel. "I don't think they (Red Bull) had frightening pace in qualifying," continued the 28-year-old Briton. "I think if I was out at the same time, if I was out as late as they had gone out, I think I could have matched their time. "But then we got to the race and they had great pace again, as they always do and he (Vettel) disappeared, along with everyone else. Hopefully in the next race we won't have that problem." Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen is the top of the drivers' rankings following the first race after the 2007 world champion took the checkered flag at Albert Park in Melbourne. But the Finn denied suggestions he will be the man everyone is looking to beat in Sunday's race. "There's no target (on my back)," said the 32-year-old. "We're not doing any different things this week from what we did previously. "So whether people think we are the leaders makes no difference to how we work, what we're going to do this weekend or any other weekend. We'll try to do our best and hopefully we can score some good points." | Jenson Button and Sergio Perez say McLaren will not compete in Malaysia . Button finished ninth at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix . Lewis Hamilton confident Mercedes can challenge Red Bull in 2013 . Kimi Raikkonen plays down suggestions he's the man to beat at Sepang . | 3454b2bdb1d30dea0e97a78e279127897dfc0e34 |
Washington (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain slammed President Barack Obama on Monday over his comments that U.S. intelligence underestimated ISIS. McCain countered Obama's assertions made on CBS' "60 Minutes," saying that ISIS' expansion in Syria and Iraq was tied to the President's decision not to leave a residual U.S. military force in Iraq and his refusal to arm moderate Syrian rebels last year despite urgings from his national security advisers. "We predicted this and watched it," McCain said on CNN's "New Day." "It was like watching a train wreck and warning every step of the way that this was happening." In the "60 Minutes" interview that aired Sunday, Obama admitted that a chaotic Syria became "ground zero for jihadists around the world" and that the United States also overestimated the strength of Iraqi security forces. The Republican senator from Arizona also reserved some criticism for his fellow legislators who went on recess to focus on the November midterm elections without voting on U.S. military action in Syria. "It's an act of cowardice on the part of Congress," McCain said. "They didn't want to vote before the election." After adjourning without a vote more than a week earlier, House Speaker John Boehner told ABC News on Sunday that he would be "happy" to call lawmakers back to the House floor for a vote if Obama submits a resolution to Congress. "I'd bring the Congress back," Boehner said. Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the President for his "political failure" rather than a failure of the intelligence community, saying Obama needs to lead. "It is incumbent upon the commander in chief to lay out the strategy that he wants," Royce said. "We have given him those tools." McCain also called on the Obama administration to take on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, renewing calls for a no-fly zone over Syria and saying the United States should "take out his air force" if the Syrian ruler doesn't keep his planes out of the air. McCain said Obama has the authority to attack al-Assad's regime without congressional authorization and said not doing so would be "immoral." "They want to train 5,000 Free Syrian Army people in Saudi Arabia and send them back. But are we going to do anything about Bashar al-Assad's air attacks?" McCain said. "Are you going to ask these young people ... to fight against ISIS but not against Assad. It's not only unworkable, it's immoral." McCain and fellow hawk Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, first advocated for a no-fly zone in Syria in the summer of 2013 when Obama was considering military action against the Syrian regime, which McCain said is responsible for the death of 192,000 Syrians. McCain agreed with the Obama administration that the United States is at war with ISIS -- a statement that only 40% of Americans agree with, according to a CNN/ORC International poll released Monday. "Of course, we are," McCain said. | McCain on ISIS' growth: "We predicted this and watched it" McCain also slams Congress for "cowardice" after adjourning without a vote on military force . House speaker says he would "bring the Congress back" for a vote if Obama seeks resolution . McCain: U.S. should impose no-fly zone in Syria to stop Syrian regime's attacks against rebels . | df049590713c8e0d3dfa98662cc3194aa30faa88 |
An iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has crashed into a pole in central Pennsylvania. The giant hot dog on top of the vehicle was smashed up and damaged in the accident in Harrisburg, on Sunday, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Police said the crash occurred in the 500 block of South Enola Road in Enola, when the vehicle skidded and slammed into a pole. Scroll down for video . Crash: The iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was smashed up and damaged in an accident in Harrisburg . Windscreen: The vehicle reportedly slipped off the roadway near the intersection of State Road and Fairview Avenue, slamming into a pole and smashing the windshield . The vehicle reportedly slipped off the roadway near the intersection of State Road and Fairview Avenue, smashing the windshield ABC 27 reported. However, there were no injuries. But drivers who passed by the accident, stopped to take pictures of the damaged wienermobile on their cell phones and have shared the images on social media. Oscar Mayer is a food company and division of Kraft Foods, based in Madison, Wisconsin. It's much loved 1973 commercial featured a cute kid fishing and singing it's theme song. But it's now thought that the start of that song can be changed to 'My bologna has a new first name and it's C-R-A-S-H.' The company has several 'Wienermobiles,' all shaped like a hot dog on a bun, which are used to promote and advertise Oscar Mayer products in the United States. They measure 27 feet in length and first hit the road in 1936 after Oscar Mayer's nephew Carl created them. Damage: Part of the wiener mobile hangs off on an icy street in the 500 block of South Enola Road in Enola, where it came to a halt . | The iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was smashed up and damaged . It skidded and crashed in an accident in Enola, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania . Drivers who passed by the accident, stopped to take pictures of the vehicle . | 007fa7f25c695f864d73882f069cd2845511d72e |
(CNN) -- Gunmen killed seven people Wednesday in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, and two more died in a bomb blast in Karachi, police said. The Karachi explosion resulted from a bomb planted near an illegal gambling and drug center, according to police official Muhammad Aslam. It was not immediately clear who placed the bomb. In Balochistan, four people died in Loop Sherani when gunmen on two motorcycles sprayed a vehicle with what police official Abdul Jabbar Baloch called "indiscriminate firing." The shooting appeared to be a targeted killing, he said. In the other Balochistan incident, gunmen killed three people in Quetta, the provincial capital. Deputy Inspector General Wazir Khan Nasar said gunmen had earlier kidnapped the victims, who were later shot repeatedly in the head from close range. Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province, is routinely racked with violence. This month, 97 people have died in bombings in the province, leading to protests among Shiites who complain that the government has done too little to protect them. In addition to sectarian attacks on Shiites, unrest in the province is believed to be fomented by several insurgent groups, including the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army and the Pakistani Taliban. CNN's Shaan Khan contributed to this report. | NEW: Bomb blast kills two in Karachi . Gunmen kill seven people in Balochistan province in southwest Pakistan . In Loop Sherani, men on motorcycles spray a vehicle with gunfire, killing four people . In Quetta, the provincial capital, gunmen kill three people who had been kidnapped . | f9faad9e0c827c770166bf31eeaf3fa87dc637b6 |
By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 12:22 EST, 20 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:32 EST, 20 February 2014 . A British tourist has been arrested on suspicion of stealing a rare pink diamond worth £135,000 from a jewellery shop in Australia. The man, who has been named as 29-year-old Matthew Osborne, has been accused of stealing the pink Argyle diamond from the Diamond Gallery in Cairns, Queensland. Police said the suspect was seen riding away on a dark-coloured mountain bike following the alleged incident at about 11am last Friday. The British tourist, named as Matthew Osborne, has been accused of stealing the pink Argyle diamond from the Diamond Gallery (pictured) in Cairns, Queensland . The man is due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court tomorrow charged with theft . The diamond was still inside its container when it was taken, said detectives. The store specialises in rare pink polished diamonds, some of which can fetch up to nearly £1million. Of every million carats of rough diamonds mined, only one carat is suitable for sale. Rare pink diamonds are on average valued 20 times the price of an equivalent white diamond. The stolen diamond was said to be 0.31 carats. A man was arrested at Melbourne Airport today while trying to board a flight to New Zealand. A man has been accused of stealing a pink Argyle diamond worth £135,000 (file picture shows a different pink diamond) Police said the man had a British passport with an Australian tourist visa. It is not known where in the UK he is from. He is due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court tomorrow charged with theft. It is expected the authorities in Cairns, part of a different state, will ask for him to be extradited to them. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | British man, named as Matthew Osborne, 29, accused of stealing diamond . Allegedly stole pink Argyle diamond from Diamond Gallery in Queensland . Due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court tomorrow charged with theft . | 623744c366359319ff10912c176f5dc003c9047b |
The scale of Britain’s dependence on foreign energy was laid bare yesterday in a set of official figures. According to a report from the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the amount of coal, oil and gas imported by the UK hit a record high in 2012. At the same time domestic production dwindled, falling by more than 10 per cent last year after a slump in output from the North Sea. Last year the UK imported 173million tons of oil equivalent – a measure of energy potential that covers all fuels including gas, coal and oil. This was 7.1 per cent more than 2011 and is the highest level ever recorded. Last week the UK had only 36 hours of domestic gas reserves left, after plummeting temperatures saw a surge in demand . But the amount exported fell 5 per cent to 80million tons – the lowest level since 1989. Overall some 43 per cent of the energy used in the UK came from overseas – the most since 1976, when the country was on the cusp of its own oil boom. Energy analyst Angelos Anastasiou, from Cantor Fitzgerald, said: ‘We’re rolling towards a crisis scenario. ‘We do need new generating capacity, and the likelihood is we’ll end with more gas-fired power stations. ‘But the problem is at the moment they’re not economical to build because of the returns.’ He added: ‘That’s the way of world now, because sadly we are running out of North Sea oil and gas. The situation is unlikely to improve.’ Last week, the UK had only 36 hours of domestic gas reserves left, after plunging temperatures saw millions of homes switch on the heating. | 43 per cent of energy used came from abroad last year . UK imported 173 tons of oil equivalent - 7.1 per cent increase on 2011 . | 75b16099533e964bc759c9d1c5b041982a696301 |
(CNN) -- Dean Obeidallah, John Avlon and I kick off this week's episode of "The Big Three" podcast by tackling Congress' Benghazi hearings from three distinct perspectives. Ever the centrist, my beloved husband John questions whether the hearings are an earnest search for the truth or a hyperpartisan GOP political witch hunt aimed at embarrassing the Obama administration while derailing Hillary Clinton's potential 2016 presidential bid. Dean and I duke it out from opposite perspectives, and we all agree on a surprising point at the end. Then, on to a discussion of the dramatic fractures within the GOP on immigration reform -- a split between former Sen. Jim DeMint's Heritage Foundation and his protégé Sen. Marco Rubio -- which give Dean cause for celebration. But I'm not sure he will ultimately like the outcome of these GOP growing pains, which I suspect reveal a realignment of Republican reformers from old guard thinking. Cracks in what had been GOP monolithic thinking on issues ranging from immigration to gun control to gay rights -- in a week where Delaware became the 11th state to pass marriage equality with a genuine bipartisan majority -- could reinvigorate the GOP brand and lead to a more competitive party nationally. John thinks renewal and competition in any party orthodoxy is healthy for America, but Dean is clearly rooting for DeMint's success, even if it means the end of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act. To be fair, Dean's a comedian, so maybe his partisanship is good for laughs, but it will give way to a desire for good policy to win the day -- even if the Republicans get some credit. We'll let you decide. Finally, was Gov. Chris Christie's lap band surgery motivated by political ambition or personal health? One of us thinks Americans are too obsessed with weight to elect an obese president. Another worries that the act of losing weight will obscure Christie's record in New Jersey if he decides to challenge Hillary Clinton in 2016. Is it possible for aspiring elected officials to make decisions independent of their political future? We hope you have as much fun hearing us analyze these issues as we had laughing it out over them. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Margaret Hoover. | CNN Radio podcast features CNN Opinion contributors on top three stories . Margaret Hoover, Dean Obeidallah, John Avlon tackle motivation for Benghazi hearings . They discuss whether cracks in GOP's monolithic thinking will help or hurt party . They ask if Gov. Christie's lap band surgery was for political ambition or personal health . | 8126142a61546ca9a06064fc1841bbe17429b18c |
A Hero teacher who saved the life of a seriously ill pupil by giving her one of his kidney is to be honoured with an MBE. Ray Coe stepped in to rescue Alya Ahmed Ali, 13, after learning she was desperate for a donor. The 53-year-old father-of-one said he was left shocked and proud after learning he had been recognised in the Queen's New Year Honours list. Teacher Ray Coe, pictured left, is set to be awarded an MBE after he stepped in to rescue pupil, Alya Ahmed Ali, 13, pictured right, after learning she was desperate for a kidney donor . The special needs coordinator at Royal Docks Community School, Custom House, east London, has been awarded the gong for services to education and the community. He took part in the life-saving kidney transplant to rescue Alya, who suffers from a deadly condition called hydrocephalus, or water on the brain, which has led to severe learning difficulties. They have since become very close - and Mr Coe even spent part of Christmas with Alya and her grateful family. 'It was a bit of a shock to be made an MBE,' said modest Mr Coe. 'I was not expecting it at all. The special needs coordinator at Royal Docks Community School, Custom House, east London, pictured above with Alya, has been awarded the gong for services to education and the community . Mr Coe, pictured with Alya and her father Ahmed Ali, said he was still a bit 'perplexed' and added: 'I don't see it as anything that no-one else would do' 'It's a very proud moment and there's a huge sense of honour.It seems like it's just spiralled. 'I never thought for a moment that it would become as big a story as it did. 'I'm still a bit perplexed, because I don't see it as anything that no-one else would do. 'For me the greatest thing to come out of it has been becoming a real part of Alya's family.' Mr Coe is a teacher at Royal Docks Community School in east London, where Alya is a pupil . Alya's dad, Ahmed Ali, 47, of Stratford, east London, said after Ray brought his daughter back from the brink: 'He has given Alya much more than just the gift of life.He's an amazing man, we owe him so much.' School head Wendy Bower also saluted Mr Coe, saying: 'Ray has gone above and beyond with the call of duty with this selfless and noble act. 'He's a very humble and modest man.The whole staff are in admiration for his kindness. 'He has given a new life to Alya and her whole family.' | Teacher Ray Coe gave pupil Alya Ahmed Ali,13, one of his kidneys . The teenager desperately needed a donor after suffering from renal failure . The father-of-one, 53, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours . He said he was not expecting it, but described it as a proud moment . | 64220170407fa1993f4084af1c457d74309e6c1e |
Hong Kong (CNN) -- As thousands of traumatized typhoon survivors struggled to escape the stricken city of Tacloban, Gina Ladrera was desperate to get back in. It had been five days since Super Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the Philippines coast, obliterating everything in its path. And five days since she'd last heard from her family: husband Pedro Ladrera Jr., and their two children, 10-year-old daughter Kyra and 11-year-old son Kim. For the 39-year-old domestic worker living in Hong Kong, the silence was too much to bear. She had to go back home to find them. And miraculously, she did. READ MORE: Mother's grief as Haiyan aid flows . Leaving Hong Kong . CNN first spoke to Ladrera on Tuesday evening, four days after the typhoon. She was packing for the flight from Hong Kong to Cebu. From there she hoped to fly to Tacloban City, then somehow travel more than 10 miles (17 kilometers) south to her hometown of Tanauan, a city of around 50,000 people. Ladrera's voice broke as she recalled the last time she spoke with her husband, the previous Thursday, hours before screaming winds sent a wall of water slamming into the coast. "He told me, 'don't worry, they can manage, my two kids.' It was the last words for me: 'Don't worry, I can manage my kids.' That was the last thing he told to me," she said, bursting into tears. The Ladreras are used to separation. Gina has been working in Hong Kong for more than two years, sending money to her 39-year-old husband, Pedro, a security guard, to help him provide for their children. Asked to describe them, Ladrera says Kyra is "very clever," before adding in a stilted, tearful laugh, Kim is "very lazy to do his homework, he likes to play." VIDEO: Haiyan's path of destruction . Ladrera is one of hundreds of thousands of domestic workers who leave the Philippines to earn money abroad. In the days after the storm, she feared Haiyan may have separated her family forever. "I asked them to evacuate in another place or another house but (my husband) didn't know the typhoon was very worse. I don't know if they evacuated," she said. "I can't talk to them." For hours after the storm hit, she tried calling her husband and daughter's mobile phones. There was no answer. By Friday afternoon, there wasn't even a signal. She hadn't heard from neighbors, or anyone who knew them. Days later, the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong had no record of their whereabouts. With the help of her Hong Kong employers, Ladrera packed a large backpack with food, water, a tent and sleeping bag and left for a place described by survivors as "worse than hell." Returning to Tacloban . Ladrera flew from Hong Kong to Cebu on Wednesday morning with a friend, Rita Ladenia, a fellow domestic worker from Hong Kong who was also frantic with worry about her husband and five-year-old son. Ladenia had heard her family was alive but needed to find out for sure. Once in Cebu, the women immediately booked tickets to fly to Tacloban the following morning. Ladrera said she was nervous, scared and worried about having her bag stolen by starving survivors desperate for rations. She wasn't sure how long she'd stay or what she'd find. Ladrera planned to meet her friend's husband at the airport who would take her by motorbike to her family's home, where she hoped to find them safe and well. For whatever reason, that plan didn't work. Losing contact . After the typhoon, mobile signals were sporadic at best in Tacloban, a city splintered by the force of Haiyan, which smashed into the coast on Friday, November 8, bringing a storm surge that caught many locals by surprise. Ladrera had a local mobile but repeated calls to the number were met with the message: "The subscriber cannot be reached. Please try again later." Her friend Ladenia, who was reunited with her husband at the airport, sent a message to friends in Hong Kong that Ladrera had left the airport with a film crew from GMA-7, a Filipino news channel. A GMA-7 producer told CNN they had spoken to her at the airport, but said when they returned later to pick her up for the trip to her home town she was gone. There was no sign of her on Friday, one week after the typhoon, and no way to tell her the news she'd been so desperate to hear, that her husband and children had survived the storm and were safe. "We had an agreement with Gina that if she gets in her place she was going to call me back. I'm also worried about her. I've not heard from her," Ladenia said on Friday. It wasn't until Saturday that word came through that Gina had made it to Tanauan and had been reunited with her family. She sent a text message to her friend -- all were safe. READ MORE: Survivors question faith . 'I'm so blessed because I found them' Only later did it emerge the lengths Ladrera had gone to to get home, and her family's astonishing story of survival as the storm lashed their house, and all but flattened the entire town. From Tacloban Airport, Ladrera begged for a ride from the Philippines military aboard a truck to Palo. From there, she rode with police to her home town of Tanauan. Everything was gone. But amid the debris, was her family, sheltering in a makeshift hut her husband made from what he could salvage from the remains of their house. "They were very shocked. They didn't expect to see me. They were crying tears of joy, and then also my children, they didn't know what they're feeling. I'm so blessed because I found them," she said. Her husband, two children and parents-in-law had survived by clinging onto electrical wiring on the rooftop for four hours until the storm passed, she said. They were bruised and scratched by flying debris; minor injuries compared with the devastation around them. Neighbors gave them dry clothes, and a day later someone handed them rice and water. When Ladrera arrived home, there was no food left. She gave them what she had in her backpack then set about getting them out. They returned to Tacloban and on Sunday night caught a flight to Cebu. From there they'll fly to Manila before heading to her mother's home in Luzon. The children are in shock, she said, and are screaming in their sleep: "They are crying no, no, no." Ladrera plans to ensure her family is safely settled before she returns to work in Hong Kong. "I'm starting from zero," she said, aware of the time it'll take to earn the money to rebuild her family's home and lives. "I will go back to Hong Kong, I need to. I need to work because of my family," she said. Another separation looms ahead. READ MORE: The body collectors of Tacloban . | Gina Ladrera flew from Hong Kong to Tacloban to find her missing family . She'd been unable to contact them for days after Super Typhoon Haiyan . Almost one week after typhoon, she found them alive amid ruins of their home . Her family survived by clinging to electrical wire on the roof during the storm . | fc52ed17221a0b060c9f42513ee002dc9a99665f |
By . Paul Hirst, Press Association . Manchester United defender Chris Smalling is confident he can slot perfectly into Louis van Gaal's first-team plans this season. Van Gaal has made it clear he wants United to line up in the 5-3-2 formation he used during the latter stages of the World Cup with Holland. With only three centre-halves on his books, Van Gaal has already admitted he needs reinforcements. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Louis van Gaal: The players have adapted well to new system . First impressions: Chris Smalling is keen to impress new Man United boss Louis van Gaal and secure a place in the starting XI ahead of the season . Heads you win: Smalling beats Baggio Husidic to the ball in the air during United's 7-0 rout of LA Galaxy in the first match of their US Tour . The former Holland manager is actively pursuing Thomas Vermaelen, Stefan de Vrij and Mats Hummels, although signing the latter is proving problematic as Borussia Dortmund do not want to sell another star this summer after losing striker Robert Lewandowski to Bayern Munich. Smalling started 21 Premier League games last term under David Moyes, but he has looked sharp in both friendlies on United's tour of the United States and he thinks Van Gaal's system suits him well. Smalling said: 'Being part of that formation means you have a lot of responsibility. 'We really have to go out there and attack and be nice and aggressive. I would like to think that's my game. 'I played in a back three when I was younger, not since I turned professional, but we are all picking it up and enjoying it. 'Communication is key, but we get on well so that's not really an issue.' Impress me: Louis van Gaal has stated that he is willing to give every member of United's squad a chance to show him what they can do . Golazo: Wayne Rooney scores from long range to set Manchester United on their way to a 3-2 win over Roma in their latest pre-season friendly . Van Gaal maintained his 100 per cent record as United boss with a 3-2 win over Roma on Saturday, but he was unhappy with his team's performance in Denver, accusing them of wasting possession. Despite having just three days' rest after the World Cup, Van Gaal has wasted no time implementing the rules that he thinks will turn United into winners again. The players have been told they must speak English to each other in an attempt to improve communication on and off the pitch. Rectangular tables have been replaced with circular ones in the dining halls on tour so the players are more likely to chat and bond over meals. Tour plans have been amended so United stay in hotels near to their training facilities and Van Gaal sits down with his coaches at 10:30pm every night to discuss the players' progress. 'It's all down to fine details,' Smalling added. 'He has the whole overview - on how we play, how we take set-plays, how we eat, how we rest. He has that all in hand.' Transfer target: United have been linked with Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels (right) as they seek to strengthen their defence . Not impressed: Van Gaal was critical of United for being sloppy in possession during the Roma match . Smalling clearly admires his new manager greatly. 'He is a man who requires a lot of respect and we give him that because of what he has done and what he is like,' the England defender said. 'We are all trying to impress him, whether it's in training or in the hotel with how we conduct ourselves. 'He is a man we can learn a lot from.' Smalling admits the team should not be immune from criticism despite recording their second successive tour win. 'At times we were a bit sloppy and we need to work on that to make sure that we tidy that up,' he said. At the double: Wayne Rooney celebrates his second goal of the match with Juan Mata . But there could be no criticism from Smalling, or any of his team-mates, towards Wayne Rooney, who scored a stunning curler from 25 yards to put United ahead in Colorado. 'That's what special players can do,' Smalling added. 'He turns there and you think he has nowhere to go, but then it's in the top corner. 'It's that kind of class we are going to need this year.' United flew to Washington DC on Sunday ahead of their next match in the International Champions Cup against Inter Milan, which takes place on Tuesday. | Defender believes he can easily fit in to Van Gaal's plans at Man United . Dutch manager favours a 5-3-2 formation but needs defensive reinforcements . Smalling played in United's latest pre-season fixture, a 3-2 win over Roma . United have targeted Mats Hummels, Stefan de Vrij and Thomas Vermaelen in transfer market . | 8e767b69a09e395f073cbdff9723e4c74317714c |
Washington (CNN) -- While the presidential election has topped the news much of the year, it has been pushed aside by Sandy as the storm crashed into the East Coast. Both President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, their running mates, and backers have pretty much curtailed campaigning, some fundraising and advertising as they wait to see the severity of damage from the storm. Sandy overshadows candidates on Facebook . Here are five things to watch for in the storm and its aftermath: . 1. Playing the commander-in-chief card . President Barack Obama canceled his appearance at a campaign event in Florida on Monday to return to Washington to monitor the federal government's preparation and emergency response for the hurricane. Soon after his arrival back at the White House, the president spoke to reporters in the briefing room. Asked how the storm would impact next week's election, Obama said, "I am not worried, at this point about the impact on the election. I'm worried about the impact on families and I'm worried about the impact on our first responders. I'm worried about the impact on our economy and on transportation. The election will take care of itself next week." Looking presidential: The optics of leadership during a disaster . Before leaving for the abbreviated campaign visit to Florida a day earlier, Obama stopped by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for an update on preparations for the coming storm and told reporters that, "it's so important for us to respond big and respond fast as local information starts coming in." Call it the power of incumbency. "The beauty of being a president and a candidate is that when a monster storm stalks up the East Coast, you can run over to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and be seen as a president on the job, which also works if you are re-applying," said CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley, host of CNN's "State of the Union." Crowley: Sandy introduces big unknown into campaign . But there can also be a downside for the president: If the federal government's response to storm damage is deemed slow and inefficient (remember Hurricane Katrina?), Obama may pay a political price just days before the election. Zelizer: How Sandy will test Obama, Romney . President George W. Bush's approval rating never recovered from Katrina, and that was a contributing factor in his party's defeat at the polls 15 months later in the 2006 mid-term elections. 2. Romney low profile, but for how long? About three hours after the president canceled his appearance at a campaign rally in Florida and hopped on Air Force One to Washington, the Romney campaign announced that the Republican nominee would cancel his event Monday night in Wisconsin. The campaign also announced that Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, would cancel events Monday in Melbourne and Lakeland, Florida, and both candidates' events for Tuesday were also being scrapped. "Out of sensitivity for the millions of Americans in the path of Hurricane Sandy, we are canceling tonight's events with Governor Romney in Wisconsin and Congressman Ryan in Melbourne and Lakeland, Florida," Romney Communications Director Gail Gitcho said in a statement to reporters just before noon ET on Monday. And on the campaign trail Sunday and Monday before he suspended campaigning, Romney continuously mentioned those in harm's way of Sandy. "On the eastern coast of our nation, a lot of people are enduring some very difficult times, and our hearts and our prayers go to them as we think about how tough it's going to be there," Romney said at a rally in Avon Lake, Ohio. "So I'd like to ask you who are here today to think about making a contribution to the Red Cross or to another relief agency, to be of help if you possibly can in any way you can imagine to help those who're in harm's way." The optics are easy to understand. Campaigning does not look good while millions of East Coast residents are getting pounded by what may end up being a very devastating storm. "Just the forecast of a potential disaster can make politics look small," Crowley added. Both campaigns stopped sending fundraising emails to supporters in the states affected by the storm, and the Romney campaign announced that in North Carolina, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia, it was collecting supplies at its campaign offices to help local storm relief efforts. In Virginia, the campaign was loading storm-relief supplies onto the Romney bus to be delivered. Romney campaign aids Sandy relief effort . While he can't compete with a sitting president leading the federal government's storm response, Romney did reschedule a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio Tuesday and is transforming it into a disaster relief event. 3. Knocking the final campaign ad assault off the air . It's as simple as this: If the storm knocks out your power, you can't watch TV. Both campaigns are planning to spend tens of millions of dollars on a final assault of campaign commercials. But Sandy could knock those plans off the air in such battleground states as Virginia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and the lean Obama-state of Pennsylvania, which are all in the storm's path. And while it won't get a direct hit, battleground Ohio will also feel the wrath of Sandy. Do the math: The CNN Electoral Map . "In areas without power and thus without either TV advertising or TV news, the race is likely to be frozen in place," said Elizabeth Wilner, vice president at Kantar Media/Campaign Media Analysis Group, which tracks political ad spending on broadcast and national cable TV. But she said it was rare for an entire media market to be without power, so advertising would continue in those markets with both campaigns hoping for a restoration of service as soon as possible. Wilner adds that the campaigns may be forced to go heavier on the ground, or do more radio or print ads, in order to reach areas that remain without power well into the week. By the numbers: Swing states . 4. Will the storm stifle early voting? The answer is yes, but not in states that are in play. Maryland and the District of Columbia suspended early voting Monday because of Sandy. But the president is expected to easily carry both. The storm did impact some early voting in some of the eastern portions of the swing state of North Carolina, and could put a damper on some early voting in northern and eastern Ohio. And in the battleground state of Virginia, which allows limited absentee voting in advance of Election Day, some counties Monday canceled such in-person absentee voting. If the storm does put a dent in early voting, the Obama campaign would feel the bigger impact, as it seems to rely more on pre-election day voting than the Romney campaign. By the numbers: Early voting . "Obviously we want unfettered access to the polls because we believe that the more people come out, the better we're going to do, and so to the extent that it makes it harder, you know, that's a source of concern," Obama campaign senior adviser David Axelrod said on "State of the Union." 5. Pulling the plug on polling . With just a week to go until Election Day, expect a flood of final polling. Or maybe not. The storm is washing out some polling organizations' plans. Both Gallup and Investors Business Daily/TIPP announced Monday that they were temporarily suspending their daily national tracking polls. And in some of the states directly impacted by the storm, polling may become much more difficult, as Sandy knocks out phone lines and some cell service. Colorado poll: Romney 48% -- Obama 47% . CNN Poll: Romney 50% -- Obama 49% in Florida . Poll: Locked up race in North Carolina . Poll: Obama up three points in Minnesota . Poll: Obama advantage in Virginia . Where the race stands: CNN Poll of Polls . | Campaign events were largely suspended Monday as Sandy approached the East Coast . Obama: "I'm worried about the impact on families and I'm worried about the impact on our first responders" Romney: " A lot of people are enduring some very difficult times, and our hearts and our prayers go to them" The storm could also affect TV ads, early voting, and polling in some of the battleground states . | b6624e97252b406536a0ec26b10af079dc7a6fd8 |
(CNN) -- Musician Ike Turner died of a cocaine overdose, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday. Ike Turner, seen at last year's Grammys, died accidentally, the San Diego County medical examiner says. "The cause of death for Ike Turner is cocaine toxicity with other significant conditions," Supervising Medical Examiner Investigator Paul Parker told CNN. Contributing conditions included high blood pressure and emphysema, he said. "The manner of death is an accident," he added. Turner, who died December 12 at age 76, was perhaps best known for the blues, soul and funk music he and his then-wife Tina performed with the Ikettes during the 1960s and 1970s. Their hits included "Proud Mary" and "I Want to Take You Higher." E-mail to a friend . | Ike Turner died December 12 at age 76 . Musician, wife Tina known for blues, soul, funk music . He and Tina performed with Ikettes in 1960s, 1970s . Their hits included "Proud Mary" and "I Want to Take You Higher" | 987820ec2e1633ce95d3183ca8edc8758304bcf6 |
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Politicians and foreign diplomats said they were doggedly working Friday to salvage a newly-minted Iraqi government power-sharing deal, a long-awaited agreement that threatened to unravel just hours after it was announced with great fanfare. Mahmoud Othman, an Iraqi Kurdish lawmaker, told CNN mediation efforts by Kurdish officials, Americans and the Arab League began Thursday after a dramatic walkout by Sunni Arab lawmakers and will continue ahead of Saturday's scheduled parliament session. Saying that the walkout stemmed from political misunderstandings and deep distrust among politicians, Othman said he hopes the power-sharing agreement will not fall through, but if the situation is "not amended" and "they don't come back I am afraid it will." Othman believes that Saturday's session will be a key indicator of the deal, hammered out to meet the demands of Shiites, Sunni Arabs and Kurds. The compromise announced Thursday was designed to end an eight months' long stalemate that drew fears of a resurgence in sectarian and insurgent violence in Iraq. The Sunni walkout, staged by lawmakers in the Iraqiya bloc, was prompted by what it said was the failure of parliament to actually cast a vote on the power-sharing agreement. It threatened to undermine political amity and lead to the formation of a government without adequate Sunni representation. The squabbling, regarded as a political hiccup by some politicians, was considered possible disaster by others. President Barack Obama and other U.S. officials praised the power-sharing agreement. "There are still challenges to overcome, but all indications are that the government will be representative, inclusive and reflect the will of the Iraqi people who cast their ballots in the last election," Obama said at a Friday news conference at the G-20 summit in Seoul, South Korea. But Ayad Allawi, the former Iraqi prime minister who heads the Sunni-backed and cross-sectarian Iraqiya, told CNN that he scorned what he viewed as a political double-cross. "This is a new dictatorship that is happening in Iraq," said Allawi, a secular Shiite who walked out with his Sunni allies. Under the proposed deal, the three major governmental positions were to have been filled by three members of the country's largest ethnic groups -- the Shiites, the Kurds and the Sunni Arabs. Politicians forged a compromise that left Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite, and Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish president, in power for another term. The deal created a powerful new office that was expected to be headed by Allawi, his rival. That office would be called the National Council for Strategic Policies and it would be a check on al-Maliki's power. Iraqiya also issued demands, including that legislators pass a law within 30 days forming the national council and form a committee to review the files of people illegally detained, a great concern for Sunni Arabs who have accused Iraq's Shiite-dominated government of persecuting them. It also called for a final agreement on outstanding legislation and for canceling a ban on several Sunni Arab politicians from running in elections. Those politicians have been accused of ties to Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baathist movement. After lawmakers elected Talabani for a second term, the president gave al-Maliki 30 to 45 days to form a government. Parliament also elected Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni Arab from the Iraqiya bloc, to be the parliament speaker. But Sunnis walked out when parliament didn't accept its demand for a vote on the actual power-sharing agreement and decided to go ahead and make the key vote for a president. Shiite lawmakers said the vote for power-sharing couldn't be taken because it was not on the agenda, but Allawi disputed this. "The proceedings were going in the right way. Then suddenly they said we are going to elect the president," Allawi said. "We said, 'Wait a minute here we agreed that there are points that we agreed that are going to be announced and voted on.' " "I was very surprised, I was extremely surprised. This agreement was done after talking to Obama, the Arab League." Allawi said. "It's a joke in a way. What this reflects really, it reflects the intentions of these guys. They don't have the intention to really work on a power sharing formula." "We don't want to be puppets for a government that does not respect the will of the people, that does not respect power sharing. After all the compromises I am not going to be a puppet running around being a false witness to history." But Othman said what happened in parliament Thursday was a result of a "misunderstanding" between the country's leaders. He said al-Iraqiya was under the impression that a U.S. -brokered agreement between al-Maliki, the Kurdish region's president, Massoud Barazani and Allawi would be formalized in a parliamentary vote, while the other blocs thought it was a political deal that would not go to parliament. Othman said the scenario on Thursday reflected a state of "widespread mistrust" among the political groups and a result of hasty negotiations and a deal that was put together very quickly. He said while Iraqiya had the right to demand a parliamentary vote, he said their timing was off kilter. He said Iraqiya got its choice for speaker elected and it should have waited for the Talabani to be voted on before pushing for their demands. Allawi said on Friday he expects the boycott to continue and that he doesn't see himself accepting a role in the new government. "I personally have made up my mind. I will not be a part of this theater," he said. "I am thinking of forming a council for opposition from inside parliament to start building the issues that we think are right for this country and to use all possible peaceful means to achieve the objectives." CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report. | U.S., Kurds, Arab League are mediating . Politicians say misunderstandings resulted in the walkout . Parliament will meet again on Saturday . | debcabe9677c446e3fbb8851f225cb30d38beea6 |
(CNN) -- Last week, three teenage girls from Denver were alleged to have tried to join ISIS. The girls were stopped by FBI officials as they transited Frankfurt airport in Germany and were sent back to Colorado. The key lead in this case wasn't high-tech surveillance by the National Security Agency or a tip by a government informant, but a tip to the FBI by the girls' worried families. Assad Ibrahim, the Sudanese-American father of one of the girls, received a call from his daughter's Denver school telling him she was missing. When he tried calling her, she did not pick up. Ibrahim went to the father of the other two girls to check whether their passports were missing. They were. The families then went to the FBI, which intercepted the girls at the Frankfurt airport. The key role that families play in preventing violent extremism is often overlooked in favor of focusing on more exotic counterterrorism measures such as the National Security Agency's surveillance programs or the use of paid informants. In fact, a survey by the New America Foundation of 251 jihadist terrorism cases in the United States since 9/11 found that almost a third of the individuals accused of engaging in some kind of terrorist crime have been implicated by a tip from a family member or a member of the Muslim-American community. By contrast, only a little more than 1% of these cases was generated by one of the NSA's most controversial surveillance programs, in which the agency collected every American's phone data for several years. Families are often critical in stopping radicalizing individuals from stepping over the edge into militant activity. Take Adam Dandach, a 20-year-old Orange County man who was charged in July with committing passport fraud in an effort to join ISIS. His mother hid his passport so he could not leave the country. When more than 20 Somali-Americans left from Minnesota after 2007 to fight for the al Qaeda affiliated Al Shabaab group in Somalia, family and community members played critical roles in the ensuing FBI investigation. After Abdirizak Bihi's nephew, Burhan Hassan, left to fight for Al Shabaab in Somalia in November 2008, Bihi worked to organize community cooperation with the government's investigation. As Ralph Boelter, who oversaw the FBI's investigation, put it in 2009 when the Justice Department unsealed charges against eight men accused of supporting Al Shabaab, "It is through the sustained and dedicated efforts of the Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force and the support of the Somali-American community that today we are able to disclose some of the significant progress we have achieved in this critical investigation.". Families are not a panacea. Sometimes family members intervene with a radicalizing individual, but the intervention doesn't work. Shannon Conley, a 19-year-old Colorado woman, pleaded guilty in September to conspiring to provide material support to ISIS. Her family sought to dissuade her from seeking to join jihadists in Syria, but their efforts failed and she was arrested on April 8 at Denver International Airport on her way to Syria. Samir Khan traveled to Yemen from Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2009 where he became the editor of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's Inspire magazine despite several attempts by his family members and elders from the local Muslim-American community to dissuade him from his militant views. Two years later Khan was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen. Sometimes a family will warn U.S. authorities about a radicalizing child, but the warning isn't sufficiently followed up on. The Nigerian "underwear bomber," Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, tried to blow up a bomb secreted in his underwear over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. Luckily the bomb failed to detonate. A month earlier, Abdulmuttalab's father had gone to the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, and told State Department officials there that he believed his son was meeting with extremists in Yemen. The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria issued a warning to the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, but Abdulmuttalab was not put on the "no fly" list and the center's analysts did not make an effort to determine if Abdulmuttalab possessed a valid U.S. visa. Families are often, of course, the first to notice if a son or daughter is radicalizing and are a key bulwark against extremism. Why and how some people radicalize is a subject that is complex, but one indicator is usually unambiguous and that is that radicalizing individuals will often spend a great deal of time on jihadist websites or consuming jihadist social media. Many parents don't have much of a clue about what is happening online, but a common sense approach if they suspect their son or daughter is radicalizing is to get a better handle on their children's social media use and profile. | 3 Colorado girls are intercepted on their way to the Middle East, allegedly to join ISIS . Their families alerted authorities, who were able to find them in Frankfurt airport . Peter Bergen: Families often spot signs of radicalization and alert officials . More terrorism plots disrupted by families than by controversial NSA surveillance . | 6d7e11ebed5cd973ccd1070f24b4035700162e2c |
(CNN) -- For three weeks, Dr. William Petit went to a courtroom and re-lived the day he was attacked and his wife and daughters were killed in their Connecticut home. He calmly testified about being beaten awake from a nap and being taken to his basement tied up, not knowing what was happening to his family upstairs. He rarely left the New Haven courtroom, once excusing himself when a medical examiner testified. He listened stoically Tuesday after one of the accused was found guilty of capital murder. Now Petit will go through it in court all over again. Steven Hayes' penalty phase is ahead, and a second defendant will face trial afterward. "People keep asking that question, why do you do it or how do you do it," Petit said after Hayes' verdicts were read Tuesday. "... I think that you probably would all do the same thing for your families if your family was destroyed by evil." Hayes, 47, was convicted on 16 of the 17 charges against him in connection with the deaths of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters, including nine counts of murder and capital murder and four counts of kidnapping. The jurors acquitted him of an arson charge in the burning of the family's home. The killings of Hawke-Petit, 17-year-old Hayley Petit and 11-year-old Michaela Petit happened in the New Haven suburb of Cheshire on the morning of July 23, 2007. Prosecutors said Hayes and co-defendant Joshua Komisarjevsky entered the home the previous night, beat and bound Petit and attacked his wife and daughters before setting their home on fire. Komisarjevsky, 30, will be tried separately, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Hayes. Petit and other family members -- including Hawke-Petit's parents, who'd come up from Florida -- attended every session of Hayes' trial, which began September 13. Petit indicated he would attend Hayes' penalty phase, which begins October 18, and Komisarjevsky's trial. Being in the courtroom every day with the rest of his family was the one thing Petit felt he could do about that day in 2007, he told reporters Tuesday. "Do I look forward to the ride every day? No," he said. "I have a little nausea every time I get off the exit ramp, [and] a little nausea every time I get out of the car and walk across the street. I think I do it for my family, but I think all of you ... would do the same thing for your families." Petit, an endocrinologist, testified on September 14 that he had fallen asleep in his home's sunroom as his wife and daughters were watching television July 22, 2007. He awoke as blood ran from a gash on his head, he said. "I sort of awoke in a daze. ... The next thing I knew I was seated on the middle of the sofa, with my head down [and] there was something warm running down the side of my face," he testified. Petit testified that the attackers told him to lie down on the couch "and tied my hands at the wrists and my feet at the ankles" and covered his head with a piece of fabric. He was told he'd be shot if he moved, and eventually he was led to the basement, where he was tied to a pole by a rope around his chest and waist, his hands still bound with plastic zip ties, he testified. Prosecutors said Hayes took Hawke-Petit to a bank, where she withdrew $15,000. She was eventually found inside the home raped and strangled, authorities said. The attackers tied the girls to their beds and put a pillowcase over their heads, prosecutors said. After getting the money from the bank, the attackers set the home on fire and fled, prosecutors said. Inside the home, the two daughters, one of whom had been sexually assaulted, died of smoke inhalation, authorities said. Before the fire, Petit was able to untie the rope on his hands and break the plastic ties, but couldn't undo his feet. He said he heard "three loud noises, like someone was throwing 20- or 30-pound sacks on the living room floor." Petit testified he heard a "whoosh" sound shortly afterward. Fearing for his family's safety, Petit, still bound by his feet, hopped up his basement steps, left the home and headed for a nearby house, where he alerted a neighbor and asked him to call 911. Prosecutors say the attackers put gasoline in several plastic gallon-size jugs found at the house to start the fire in the home. During Hayes' trial, jurors were visibly stunned when they were shown pictures of the victims' burned remains, and at least one wept. Helen Ubiñas, a Hartford Courant columnist who covered the trial, told CNN that the testimony and evidence made the trial "an incredibly grueling ordeal for the family and for the jury." CNN asked Ubiñas if she was surprised by Petit's stoicism in court. "I think that's the one thing that many of us have been asking. We've been in awe of not just Dr. Petit, who of course has shown tremendous strength and grace through all this, but the whole Hawke and Petit families, I think, have shown the strength that many of us just wonder [if] we would have if we were put in that same situation." Petit, asked after Tuesday's verdicts whether what happens to Hayes now matters to him, said that "what matters to me most is my family and my memories of my family." "Over the last couple of weeks, I just kept trying to tell myself that good will overcome evil, and we'll keep trying to do good things and [I'll] try to refocus myself on the positive and stay away from the negative," he said. In Session's Michael Christian and Swetha Iyengar and CNN's Brooke Baldwin and Jason Hanna contributed to this report. | Dr. William Petit addresses difficulty of attending trial of man convicted of killing Petit's family . Steven Hayes is convicted of capital murder, could face the death penalty . "I have a little nausea every time I get out of the car" and go to court, Petit says . Petit survived home invasion in which his wife, daughters were killed in 2007 . | 9412a6288f10b9a8609cd6e68b727c78b474db91 |
By . Elanor Crooks, Press Association . Serena Williams began her quest for a third straight US Open title with a convincing win over American teenager Taylor Townsend. Williams described 18-year-old Townsend as the future of tennis ahead of the meeting but showed she is still very much the present in a 6-3 6-1 victory. Left-handed Townsend loves to attack the net but the power of Williams kept her pinned back for the most part, with only the occasional glimpse of her precocious ball striking. Pleased as punch: Serena Williams celebrates her 6-3 6-1 victory over Taylor Townsend at the US Open . Roar: Wearing a leopard skin dress, Williams surged into the second round in just 55 minutes . Hair-raising: Williams has struggled in the Grand Slams this year but is targeting a third straight US Open . World No 1 Williams has a huge amount riding on this tournament given her poor record in grand slams this season but she was calm and composed and played at a high level throughout. Her serve in particular gave Townsend, who reached the third round of the French Open, all sorts of problems. Williams dropped just five points on serve in the whole match and eased to victory after 55 minutes. Teenage kicks: Townsend, 18. was unable to handle the Williams serve but her opponent tipped her for a great future in the game . Power: Williams sends down another formidable serve at Flushing Meadows . The 32-year-old, who has never won three consecutive titles at any grand slam, said: 'I just come out and play. This was the first slam I won and I love to come back. I never want to stop. 'Taylor's incredibly talented. She's such a great person, I love her and I love that there's so many great Americans. We have such a great future and we have so much to look forward to.' Williams next meets another American, 25-year-old Vania King. VIDEO US Open: Day two review . | Serena Williams defeated Taylor Townsend 6-3 6-1 in US Open first round . World No 1 is chasing her third successive title at Flushing Meadows . Williams was full of praise for 18-year-old Townsend afterwards . Eased to victory in just 55 minutes and plays Vania King next . | e1106ef77fce3ebf437bef94d964fe5f1ffb7ba6 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:48 EST, 20 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:16 EST, 21 September 2013 . An auction of memorabilia belonging to prison-bound former . congressman Jesse Jackson Jr has been halted over concerns about the authenticity of one of the items. The auction got underway on Tuesday, but concerns were later raised about a guitar, said to be signed by Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen. The online auction by the U.S. Marshals Service is an attempt to . recoup part of the $750,000 in campaign funds the disgraced Chicago Democrat and . his wife illegally spent. Pricey: U.S. marshals were selling prize possession of Jesse Jackson Jr and his wife Sandi after they were sentenced to jail for spending campaign money on personal purchases. The items included these bright capes . Court: Former Illinois Rep Jesse Jackson Jr and his wife, Sandra, leave their August sentencing hearing in Washington after both were jailed for misusing $750,000 in campaign money . Fame: The auction includes celebrity memorabilia like a framed and autographed Michael Jackson cymbal, as well as Bruce Lee poster . Fake? Authorities are suspicious of a guitar supposedly signed by Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen . 'After receiving legitimate concerns . about the authenticity of the guitar purportedly signed by Michael . Jackson and Eddie Van Halen and out of an abundance of caution, the . Marshals Service will conduct a secondary review of all the assets,' the . Marshals Service said on Friday. Once the lots have been investigated the service will decide whether the items will be sent for auction again, according to CBS News. In . addition to the guitar, other Michael Jackson memorabilia and multiple . fur coats were among a dozen items being auctioned off to help pay off a . $750,000 money judgment against Jackson. He . and his wife were handed prison terms last month. The couple now have . to witness some of their prize possessions being sold off to the highest . bidder. Get your bids in at txauction.com. A lady's red cashmere cape with black mink fur trim drew the most early action as . bidding started at 10am Tuesday - attracting 16 bids within 15 . minutes. The highest offer by lunchtime was $615. Other ostentatious clothing includes a lady's black sheared mink jacket with 40 per cent silver fox sleeves and a long black sheared mink hooded parka. All of the fur items come with a sales receipt from Edwards Lowell Furs in Beverley Hills from November 14, 2009. This must have been a particularly expensive day in the Jackson household. Before the auction started, the highest minimum bid set by the . auction house was $350 for a Bruce Lee autograph. Happier times: The couple are pictured leaving a Chicago polling place in 1995. The jacket that Sandra is wearing here is not included in the auction . Splashing out: All of the fur items come with a sales receipt from Edwards Lowell Furs in Beverley Hills from November 14, 2009 - a particularly expensive day in the Jackson household . But within 15 minutes, . not a single person had bid for it. Later in the day it got one minimum bid. Also in the collectibles section are a Michael Jackson-autographed Zildjian ZBT Splash 10' cymbal as well as a number of signed posters and photos by Jackson and Bruce Lee. The objects up for auction illustrate the disgraced legislator's passion for both pop iconography and for what some might consider gaudy and pricey fashion. Prosecutors said Jackson spent tens of thousands of dollars other apparent frivolities, including two mounted elk heads for his office. Those were not listed among the objects on sale this week. Collectible: This framed Michael Jackson poster had received 13 bids a few hours after the auction opened . | Sale of former congressman's possessions halted days after online auction began . Marshals Service is trying to recoup part of the $750,000 in campaign funds Jackson illegally spent . | e1ba170af0a7e073e84029a2b0ba2f1dde56c679 |
Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. military cleared the F-35 fighter jet to fly again after the fleet of jets were temporarily grounded. The jets, that are designed for use by the Navy, Air Force and Marines, were grounded on February 21 due to a crack in an engine component that was discovered during a routine inspection in California, the Pentagon said. On Thursday, military officials said engineers had analyzed the jets and cleared them. "No additional cracks were found during inspections," the Pentagon's F-35 program office said in a statement. "This decision concludes a cautionary flight suspension." The nearly $400 billion Joint Strike Fighter is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons system. The program has been beset by cost overruns and various technical problems during development. Currently, there are 51 planes in the F-35 fleet. | The jets were grounded on February 21 . On Thursday, military officials said engineers had analyzed them . The nearly $400 billion fleet is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons system . | bbd3a1beaec0c71432aa1a8c78914459e69bdeb2 |
Azelle Rodney, 24, died in 2005 after being shot. Ex-specialist firearms officer Anthony Long has today been named as the man charged with his murder . The police marksman charged with the murder of robbery suspect Azelle Rodney has been named for the first time today. Anthony Long, who until now has been known only as E7, is an ex-specialist firearms officer with the Metropolitan Police CO19 section. He is facing a murder charge in relation to the fatal shooting of Mr Rodney, 24, in Edgware, northwest London, on the night of 30 April 2005. Long, whose address was given as the Police Federation Headquarters in Leatherhead, Surrey, can be named after reporting restrictions were lifted at the Old Bailey. He is due to go on trial on June 8 next year, with the case expected to last around a month. Long, who did not attend today’s hearing before Mr Justice Sweeney, is accused of killing Mr Rodney. Mr Rodney died after officers stopped the car he was travelling in with two other men, fearing that they were armed and on their way to rob Colombian drug dealers. He was hit six times, once each in the arm and back, and fatally four times in the head. The Crown Prosecution Service announced it planned to charge the officer with murder in July, after reviewing new evidence following the outcome of a public inquiry into Mr Rodney’s death. Sir Christopher Holland, who chaired an inquiry into Mr Rodney’s death last year, ruled that there was ‘no justification’ for the shooting by Long. Wesley Lovell and Frank Graham - Mr Rodney’s fellow passengers in the VW Golf - were both handed custodial sentences for drugs and firearms offences in January 2006. Lovell was also convicted of allowing drug production in his Hammersmith home. He was jailed for seven years, while Graham was handed a six year sentence. Susan Alexander, Mr Rodney’s mother (pictured last year), has campaigned vigorously for an apology from the Met for the ‘execution’ of her son. In July, she said she was 'very pleased' the officer had been charged . The shooting took place outside The Railway Tavern on Hale Lane in Edgware, north London in April 2005 . Mr Rodney, of west London, had two brothers and a girlfriend who gave birth to his daughter after he was fatally shot. Susan Alexander, Mr Rodney’s mother, has campaigned vigorously for an apology from the Met for the ‘execution’ of her son. After Long was charged in July, she said: ‘I am very pleased at the decision to prosecute the officer who killed my son. I have waited a long time to see this day and hope this prosecution will lead to justice for Azelle.’ Long has not yet entered a plea to the charge of murder. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Azelle Rodney died in Edgware, London, in 2005 after being shot six times . 24-year-old was shot after police feared he was on way to armed robbery . CPS announced in July it had charged police marksman 'E7' with murder . Ex-specialist firearms officer today named for first time as Anthony Long . | 2a3d0ae51317ca6d27f4183e6557047429b57246 |
Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Conservative candidate Park Geun-hye claimed victory Wednesday in South Korea's presidential election, a result that will make her the country's first woman president. Addressing crowds in Seoul's central Gwanghwamun Square, Park said her win was a victory for the people. "I will be the president of the nation who keeps pledges," she said. "This is considered a victory for people who want to overcome crisis and revive the economy. I will never forget the will of the people who believed in me wherever I went during the election campaign. "I will start an era of happiness in the nation." Her rival, liberal candidate Moon Jae-in of the Democratic United Party, conceded victory, according to South Korean network YTN. South Korea's outgoing President Lee Myung-bak congratulated Park on her win, which comes at a time of rising economic anxiety for the nation. The result has not yet been confirmed by the country's National Election Commission. But Park was leading with 51.66% of the vote, to 47.91% for her rival Moon, with more than 94% of the vote counted, election officials said. Read more: Pocket, not rocket, worries Koreans . The three major broadcasters in South Korea all projected a win for Park, the 60-year-old daughter of a former dictator who heads the governing conservative Saenuri party. U.S. President Barack Obama sent a message of congratulations to Park on Wednesday. "I look forward to working closely with the Park Administration to further enhance our extensive cooperation with the Republic of Korea on a wide range of important bilateral, regional and global issues," he said. "The U.S.-ROK alliance serves as a lynchpin of peace and security in the Asia Pacific, and our two nations share a global partnership with deep economic, security, and people-to-people ties." Obama also praised Lee for what he said the outgoing leader "has done to strengthen U.S.-ROK relations and promote a Global Korea." Read more: Ghosts of past presidents loom over South Korea's election . Park will assume office in February 2013, in a country grappling with income inequality, angst over education and employment prospects for its youth, and strained relations with North Korea. South Korea is also a strategic Western ally and the fourth-largest economy in Asia. "I hope the next president can put what the people want and how the country can develop before the interests of their own party," said Yong Sung-hwa, who voted in the morning. As in many other elections around the world, the economy is the No. 1 issue for South Korean voters. Though the Asian country has fared far better than other countries, including the United States, during the economic crisis, its export-led economy has still felt the pinch. Read more: South Korea's election paradox . "This country depends on the world's economy," said Jong Kun Choi, associate professor in the department of political science and international studies at Yonsei University in Seoul. "Eighty-nine percent of our GDP comes from the international trade." The election appeared to be a showdown of generations. Park enjoys broad support from older Koreans in their 50s and 60s, while Moon has strong support from younger Koreans. In a survey conducted by the National Election Commission, 80% of the respondents said they would vote, despite frigid weather. Lee, the outgoing president, could not run for re-election, as it is prohibited by Korea's constitution. He will leave office next year dogged by low approval ratings, an impasse with North Korea, and corruption scandals involving his family and inner circle. The Korean presidency has not enjoyed a sterling reputation. Park and Moon also bring baggage from the past. Park is the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, whose legacy left the Korean public divided. Some claim he was a dictator who ignored human rights and cracked down on dissent, while others credit him with bringing economic development to South Korea. Her father's assassination in 1979 ended his 16 years of rule. Moon is a former human rights activist who was imprisoned in the 1970s for protesting Park's father's regime. He is also a former special forces commando and holds a black belt in judo. Like Park, he carries divisive associations with the past. He was chief of staff for the late President Roh Moo-hyun, who was in office from 2003 to 2008. Roh committed suicide in 2009 amid an investigation into a bribery scandal. Throughout the campaign, Moon portrayed himself as the down-to-earth choice, calling for welfare reform and economic democracy. Both candidates pledged reforms including engagement with North Korea, reining in the country's big conglomerates -- like Samsung and Hyundai -- support for small and medium-sized businesses and more social spending, although their proposed methods differ. Read more: South Korea: A presidential election primer . "I'm concerned about homeland security, foreign policy and the economy," voter Lee Dong-hoon said. "Among those, the economy is the most important. We need to raise the number of the middle class." The election comes at a time of sluggish growth and increasing poverty. In October, the Bank of Korea, the nation's central bank, lowered its growth forecast for next year to 2.4% from its previous prediction of 3%. Since 2006, the number of residents living in relative poverty has jumped 10%. Almost one-fifth of the population earns less than half the national average income, according to Statistics Korea, a government agency. Nowhere in the country is the gap between rich and poor more stark than Guryong village, part of the exclusive Gangnam district of Seoul, made famous by the viral "Gangnam Style" song by rapper PSY. Lee Ha-soong, 80, has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years. Her home is a patchwork of wood and corrugated iron, sandwiched between other improvised cabins. In heavy rain or snow, she is forced to stay with neighbors as her 5-square-meter home floods. After seeing presidents come and go, Lee is unimpressed by their promises. "Every election and every Christmas, politicians come and ask me, 'How are you, Grandma? How can we help?' It's always the same questions. I tell them, 'If you can't change anything, why are you asking such useless questions?' " Despite plans to raze the shacks and build low-income apartments for these residents, Lee is unconvinced that change will happen. Less than a kilometer away from her shack, high-rise apartments stretch into the sky. The cheapest apartment in these buildings cost a cool $1.2 million in an area known as the Beverly Hills of Seoul. CNN's Soo Bin Park and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report. | NEW: President Barack Obama congratulates Park Geun-hye, praises outgoing leader . Park says her win is a victory for South Koreans; outgoing president also congratulates her . Rival Moon Jae-in concedes victory to Park, broadcaster YTN reports . South Korea is a strategic Western ally and Asia's fourth-largest economy . | afb08313d36cae3f953619896ac698358a2b08cd |
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 06:27 EST, 20 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:53 EST, 21 June 2013 . Radical cleric Abu Qatada should be on a plane to Jordan at 'the earliest opportunity', the Home Office said today. The UK Parliament today ratified a treaty with Jordan today which will make it possible to deport the preacher after a decade-long legal battle. Last month, the cleric unexpectedly . volunteered to leave the country as soon as the treaty between the UK . and Jordan is ratified by both countries. The deportation of radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada takes a step closer when the UK parliament ratifies the treaty with Jordan . The prospect of finally removing Qatada from the UK had seemed remote for years. Human rights judges in Britain and Strasbourg had halted his removal to Jordan on the grounds some of the evidence used against him may have been obtained by torture. But Home Secretary Theresa May announced in April that she had thrashed out a mutual assistance treaty with Jordan, guaranteeing Qatada the right to a fair trial. The deal has already been ratified by the Jordanian parliament and today it was announced that it has been signed off by the UK Parliament. A Home Office spokesman said: 'We welcome the approval of the Treaty by both the UK and Jordanian Parliaments. Our focus remains on seeing Qatada on a plane to Jordan at the earliest opportunity.' David Cameron held talks in Number . 10 this week with the King of Jordan, who has already approved the . agreement in his country. Talks: David Cameron last night met Jordan's King Abdullah II for talks in Downing Street . Deal: The UK parliament is expected to ratify the agreement with Jordan as early as today . The agreement has been approved by both houses of the Jordanian parliament and has been signed off by the country's King Abdullah. Mr Cameron’s official spokesman said the issue of kicking Qatada out . of Britain was only briefly raised during the meeting with King Abdullah . because confidence is now so high that the saga is almost at an end. September 16 1993 - The Jordanian father of five claims asylum when he arrives in Britain on a forged passport. May 1998 - He applies for indefinite leave to remain in Britain. April 1999 - He is convicted in his absence on terror charges in Jordan and sentenced to life imprisonment. February 2001 . - He is arrested by anti-terror police over involvement in a plot to . bomb Strasbourg Christmas market. Officers find him in possession of . £170,000 in cash, including £805 in an envelope marked 'For the . mujahedin in Chechnya'. August 2005 - The preacher is arrested under immigration rules as the Government seeks to deport him to Jordan. April 2008 . - The Court of Appeal rules that deporting him would breach his human . rights because evidence used against him in Jordan may have been . obtained through torture. February 18 2009 . - In a landmark judgment, five Law Lords unanimously back the . Government's policy of removing terror suspects from Britain on the . basis of assurances from foreign governments. It is ruled he can be . deported to Jordan to face terror charges.April 18 2012 - Abu Qatada lodges an appeal - potentially delaying his deportation by months. March . 6 2013 - He is returned to jail over fears the terror suspect was . trying to communicate with associates, in breach of bail conditions. March 27 2013 . - Court of Appeal admits hate preacher is 'very dangerous' but rules . sending him to face a terror trial in Jordan would not be fair.April 17 2013 - Home Office says it will take its battle to the Supreme Court. April 23 2013 - Court of Appeal rejects government request to appeal. ‘We have a very clear way forward which we are actively perusing to get this individual on a plane out of the UK and back to Jordan. ‘There will remain a legal process that we will seek to expedite as quickly as possible.’ The agreement does not name Qatada directly, but it states that any evidence used to prosecute someone who is to be deported cannot be used 'unless the prosecution in the receiving State proves beyond any doubt that the statement has been provided out of free-will and choice and was not obtained by torture or ill-treatment by the authorities of the receiving State'. Ministers have been trying for a decade to send Qatada to Jordan, where he is accused of plotting a terrorist atrocity to coincide with the Millennium. Last week Mrs May revealed the legal battle has cost £1,716,306 in eight years, which includes Qatada's legal aid costs of £647,658. The Home Office has spent more than £1 million pursuing the case through the courts. Qatada’s removal was originally approved by the British courts, only to be halted by the European Court of Human Rights last year. Judges in Strasbourg said he would not get a fair trial because some of the evidence used against him may have been obtained by torture. Controversially, Mrs May opted not to appeal against this verdict. Instead, she and her ministers secured personal promises from the Jordanian authorities there would be no use of torture evidence, and began the deportation process again in the UK legal system. But last November, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission said it was not satisfied with the assurances, and halted Qatada’s removal. The court said it must reflect the Strasbourg ruling. That decision was upheld by the Appeal Court and the same court refused permission for the Home Secretary to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court. However the treaty with Jordan is seen as a major breakthrough in finally ending the long and expensive saga. The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) previously heard that a USB stick understood to belong to Qatada's oldest son contained 'jihadist files' made by the ''media wing of al Qaida'. Qatada is also being investigated by Scotland Yard over suspected extremist material found during the search of his home. The Metropolitan Police passed on the material to Danish authorities to reportedly investigate a connection with a controversial Islamic publisher. | UK parliament to ratify treaty which would clear the way for deportation . Deal has already bee signed off by Jordanian parliament . David Cameron held talks with King Abdullah of Jordan last night . Legal battle has already cost British taxpayers £1.7million . Qatada said last month he would leave voluntarily if treated passed . | d1b0568d049b4adbdf93b06293897cf2f990a94b |
A photographer has captured these poignant pictures showing the life of the outcast transgender people in Bangladesh. Shahria Sharmin decided to get to know the transsexual minority group, known as Hijras, who are shunned from society in most of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Her eye-opening portrait series, titled ‘Call me Heena’, highlights the struggles faced by males who choose to live as females – known as the ‘third’ or ‘unknown gender’. Scroll down for video . Shahria Sharmin captured these poignant pictures of the transgender community in Bangladesh known as Hijras in a portrait series entitled 'Call me Heena' Her pictures highlight the struggles faced by males who choose to live as females. Pictured is Zorina, 25, who said she wishes one day she would wake up and find she had become a woman . Meeting Heena, 51 (pictured above) changed the Bangladeshi photographer's opinion of the transgender community she had been brought up to see as less human . The 42-year-old Bangladeshi photographer, who is currently studying in London, said: ‘In Bangladesh Hijras hardly get an opportunity to have a normal life. ‘They do not have any school to study, no temple to pray in, no government and private organisations would want to see them in their employee list. ‘They have no access to legal system nor do even health service providers welcome them.’ She added: ‘I, like almost everyone else in my society, was raised to see them as less than human. Their habits, way of life, and even their looks marked them as apart, different and deviant. 'Always desiring to be a mother I have adopted Boishakhi. But I wonder what if she calls me father someday,' said 27-year-old Salma, a newly transgender mother . In Bangladesh Hijras hardly get an opportunity to have a normal life. They do not have any school to study, no temple to pray in, no government and private organisations would want to see them in their employee list. Pictured is Nayan, 24, who works at a garments factory and earns what is perceived as honest income by her family . Nishi, 21, waits for the man of her dreams after joining community that dates back thousands of years but has only been shunned for the last 200 hundred . 23-year-old Priyanka (right) is recreating old dreams of love into reality with her new lover (left). The government in Bangladesh now recognise Hijras a third gender . ‘Then I met Heena and she made me see how wrong I was. She opened her life to me, made me a part of her world and helped me to see beyond the word Hijra. ‘She made me understand her, and others who live in her community, as the mothers, daughters, friends and lovers that they actually are.’ As well as speaking with 51-year-old Heena, she also met and photographed other people in the Bangladeshi transgender community including Shumi, 22, and Priya, 26. While 21-year-old Nishi told her she was waiting for the man of her dreams and Salma, 27, who has adopted baby Boishakhi, wonders if she will call her father instead of mother one day. Sex worker Panna, 52, waits for her client in a winter evening. Many members of the Hijra community have descended into working as prostitutes . Shumi, 22, (Ieft) and Priya, 26, (right) pose semi-naked for photographer Shahria Sharmin, who is currently studying in London but is originally from Bangladesh . The photographer's opinion changed when she met transsexual Heena, who made her see how wrong she was after she opened up her life to her . Pinky Guru, 56m (right) the Hijra community leader shows her passion for expressions, joining followers in dance at a puja party within the minority group . Hijras have been part of South Asia’s culture for thousands of years but it was only when the British came to power in India in 1897 that outraged colonists introduced a law classing them as criminals. The word ‘hijra’ is an Urdu-Hindustani word derived from Semitic Arabic root meaning ‘leaving one’s tribe’. In 2013 the Bangladeshi Government formally recognised hijras as a third gender. This was followed by India in January of this year. Chaiti, 32, above, prefers to define herself as 'third gender', which is now officially recognised and can be used on passports by Hijras in Bangladesh and India . The word ‘hijra’ is an Urdu-Hindustani word derived from Semitic Arabic root meaning ‘leaving one’s tribe’. Laily, 33, is a member of the ostracised community . Exiled from her village for living as a woman, Sonia, 33, (left) lives in a plastic shade in the park. Once in a while she appreciates a walk with her transgender friend . Speaking with Heena made Sharmin understand her, and others who live in her community, as the mothers, daughters, friends and lovers that they actually are . Eight-year-old Tiptap's father and the Hijra community exchanged her luck against nature's progression. She dances under the light before her fate is decided for her . Sonali, 31, asks why society cannot accept them as they are. Western society has long accepted the transgender community but they are shunned in South Asia . 'I like it when guys are attracted to me like they would be attracted to any other woman,' says 24-year-old transgender Jasmine, who lives in Bangladesh . | Photographer Shahria Sharmin got to know shunned transgender group through poignant portrait series . Known as Hijras, the minority community is shunned from most of society in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India . Pictures highlight the struggles faced by the males living as females - known as 'third' or 'unknown' gender . Sharmin, 42, from Bangladesh but currently studying in London, brought up to see them as less than human . But after meeting Heena, 51, her opinion changed and helped her to understand the ostracised community . | cd2452cd08f3ecfce2335d222fe2fac53d94381c |
The mother of a boy who was seen banging his head against a window for days at his North Brisbane home has been charged with child cruelty. Speaking at the Brisbane Magistrates Court today, crown prosecutor Gretchen McKinley said the two boys who were living in complete squalor were both autistic and would suffer emotional and psychological scars as a result of their abuse. The boys were found naked in the filthy house in Keperra on a cold May morning. The smell of urine and faeces made the police officers physically gag as they rescued the boys. The mother of a boy who was seen banging his head against a window at his North Brisbane home has been charged with child cruelty . A neighbour saw the two-year-old boy 'screaming, crying and headbutting' the window for up to two days at his home from May 3 to May 4. Ms McKinley said the two-year-old boy was autistic while his older brother, who was aged four at the time of the abuse, may also be autistic. The court heard evidence from the two-year-old boy's foster mother and sister, who claim the little boy is often seen curled up in the foetal position and is easily frightened. There was previous evidence of neglect at the house that was known to the Department of Child Safety but the woman was only standing trial for the abuse in early May. The boys were found naked in the filthy house in Keperra on a cold May morning. The smell of urine and faeces made the police officers physically gag as they rescued the boys . While the mother's layer Lewis Shillito admitted that there was evidence of a 'lack of care' in the house, it was not possible to determine whether the boys would suffer mentally because of the abuse. However, judge Judith Daley said it would be the jury's decision what harm the neglect has had on the two boys. A date for the woman's trial has not yet been set. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | A mother will stand trial in Brisbane on child cruelty charges . Two boys were allegedly living in squalor in the house . The two-year-old boy was seen banging his head against the window for days . Both boys are believed to be autistic . The boys were found naked in the house on a cold May morning . Police officers gagged at the smell of urine and faeces . The mother will appear before a court on an undisclosed date . | 10b1fa371762cd61509928ac62e08abe0897bd9f |
New York (CNN) -- Authorities on Sunday released the name of a woman who turned up in New York this month saying she had no memory of her name or family. She is Kacie Aleece Peterson, 18, of Hansville, Washington, according to Paul Browne, deputy commissioner of the New York Police Department. Police a day earlier said a CNN viewer in Maryland identified the woman, who was found in Midtown Manhattan on October 9 outside a youth shelter. A photo of Peterson, who had been referred to as Jane Doe, was circulated by police and aired on CNN this week. Authorities didn't release Peterson's name until Sunday. Browne said Peterson's mother is dead and that her father is heading to New York. CNN affiliate KOMO-TV in Seattle, Washington, reported that her father went to New York on Sunday to bring her home. The family said it's not the first time she disappeared and then later was found with apparent memory loss, the station reported. Peterson is from Colville in eastern Washington, KOMO reported. She had been living with a friend in Hansville and attending Kingston High School. The father said the daughter had gone to live temporarily with a friend of her late mother, the station reported. Scott Wilson, spokesman for the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office, said Peterson was reported missing by her father on October 1, KOMO reported. Detectives later discovered bank activity and other evidence that she was alive, he said. The woman was found outside Manhattan's Covenant House youth shelter around 12:30 a.m. October 9. The organization said that she was not a resident at the time and did not appear as if she intended to seek refuge at the facility. A security guard for the shelter noticed the woman walking on the sidewalk near Covenant House and approached her. Finding her unresponsive, he called the New York City Police Department. Police officers interviewed the woman, but it became clear that she couldn't provide authorities with any information about herself. Police said she was wearing military green camouflage pants, a black shirt and a pair of black sneakers when she was discovered. The CNN viewer who identified her was familiar with her situation and knew she had been missing this month, police said. Police said they do not know how she lost her memory. "I just want to know who I am and what happened to me," the young woman said in a statement previously released by the New York City Administration of Children's Services. Evan Buxbaum, Susan Candiotti and Vanessa Juarez contributed to the report. | KOMO-TV: Family says this isn't first time woman found with apparent memory loss . Kacie A. Peterson, 18, was found outside Manhattan youth shelter October 9 . Police: Woman claimed not to know her name, family . CNN viewer in Maryland identified the woman, police say . | f216ea70c38db012dae8cd56562bb362f1e0f2fe |
John F Kennedy Jr had a steamy relationship with Madonna who his mother Jackie Onassis hated because she posed as Marilyn Monroe on the cover of Life magazine, a new book has claimed. JFK Jr, who was once dubbed the sexiest man alive, reportedly began seeing the Material Girl star in 1988 following the breakdown of her marriage to actor Sean Penn. In his new book 'The Good Son: JFK Jr. and the Mother He Loved,' author Christopher Andersen tells how Madonna 'went after' JFK Jr, telling friends she believed an affair with him 'would be nothing less than “cosmic"'. Scroll down for video . Relationship: John F Kennedy Jr and Madonna, pictured here in 1996, had an affair following the breakdown of her marriage to actor Sean Penn, a new book has claimed . The book also quotes dancer Erika Belle, one of Madonna’s closest friends at the time, who claims JFK Jr was equally keen. She said: 'You could see it in his eyes that first time they met. 'John was totally in awe.' JFK Jr and Madonna would reportedly meet at a health club where they shared the same trainer and would occasionally jog around Central Park together in the early morning. While they managed to keep their relationship secret from the media, JFK Jr was not said to have been shy about introducing the singer to his mother. The book tells how he brought her to his mother's Central Park flat where she signed the guestbook 'Mrs. Sean Penn', as she was still legally married at the time. Disapproving: JFK Jr's mother Jackie Onassis is said to have been unimpressed by Madonna particularly as she had posed as Marilyn Monroe on the cover of Life magazine . Jackie was reportedly unimpressed with the singer partly due to her use of crucifixes and other Catholic images which had been deemed sacrilegious by the Vatican. But what is said to have upset her most of all was seeing a copy of Life Magazine which featured Madonna on the cover dressed up as Marilyn Monroe - Monroe being one of several women who her husband had famously cheated on her with. Scandal: Monroe was one of several women who JFK famously cheated on Jackie Onassis with . Author Christopher Andersen writes: 'One unwelcome reminder of JFK’s torrid affair with Marilyn — the affair that most troubled Jackie — arrived on her doorstep in the form of another blond bombshell by the name of Madonna.' Another part of the excerpt published by the New York Daily News, highlights the steamy nature of their alleged affair. It reads: 'One day while he was staying with Billy Noonan in Hyannis Port, John phoned New York to check his messages. 'On the other end, a woman with a familiar voice was calling from Rome. “Kennedy,” she began, “I’m drunk and when I see you next I’m going to take your ...” The rest was decidedly X-rated, and after John played it for Noonan, his friend asked to hear it again. 'Unable to quite place the voice, Noonan begged John to tell him who it was. “Madonna,” John answered matter-of-factly. 'Noonan was speechless. “You are banging Madonna?” Noonan asked. “How do I not know this until now?” 'So what was it like sleeping with Madonna? “Let me tell you,” Kennedy replied, “she’s a sexual dynamo.”' The book tells how at the time JFK Jr was still dating steady girlfriend Christina Haag - who Jackie O wanted him to marry - but somehow managed to keep his relationship with Madonna secret from her. However Madonna's ex husband Sean Penn is said to have confronted JFK Junior over it when they met at a party in Robert De Niro’s honor at the Tribeca Grill. Madonna's ex husband Sean Penn is said to have confronted JFK Junior over the relationship when they met at a party in Robert De Niro’s honor at the Tribeca Grill . When JFK junior went to intorduce himself, Mr Penn, reported snarled: 'I know who you are. You owe me an apology.' According to the book JFK Jr then 'beat a hasty retreat' because he was aware of Penn's reputation for fighting. JFK Jr is known to have had relationships with a string of women including Sex and the City actor Sarah Jessica Parker, who he is said to have seen at the same time as Madonna. He died in 1999 in a plane crash along with his wife Carolyn Bessette, and her elder sister Lauren. | Couple began relationship after her marriage to Sean Penn broke down . Kennedy told a friend she was a 'sexual dynamo' Sean Penn reportedly confronted him saying 'you owe me an apology' | a25d979758c8228fccf9932a9d9cb384e4571a38 |
(CNN) -- Monkeys in space. No, it's not the title of a wacky B movie, featuring primates amongst the stars in a bid for intergalactic dominance. Rather, Iran says this plot represents its latest bid to join the space race, though Iran's foes fear the real aim may be to test missile launching capabilities for less peaceful purposes. According to official Iranian news reports, the primate was strapped snugly into a Pishgam (or Pioneer) rocket and launched 120 kilometers (75 miles) into the sky on Monday. He returned back to Earth sometime later, looking shell-shocked but alive as a crowd of men along the desert ground rejoiced, video from state-run Press TV showed. "Sending (the monkey into space) and retrieving it was the first step for sending humans into space," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency. But while it was celebrated in Tehran, the monkey business -- if it actually happened -- didn't play well in Washington. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Monday that while she saw pictures of "the poor little monkey," the United States doesn't "have any way to confirm this (happened), one way or another." "But our concerns with Iran's development of space launch vehicle technologies are obviously well-known: Any space launch vehicle capable of placing an object in orbit is directly relevant to the development of long-range ballistic missiles," she told reporters. Nuland said that, if confirmed, Iran's launch would violate a U.N. Security Council resolution that forbids "any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons." But the tone was far different in Iran, where officials characterized the monkey's reportedly successful trip high into the sky and back as a major step forward in its space program. One of the 24 founding members of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in 1959, Iran sent its first satellite into space in 2009. Other launches have followed, including of an orbiter capable of transmitting images of, and to, Earth. Monday's reported launch of the monkey -- who was kept in a "completely sealed" capsule that produces oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide, with his vital signs recorded throughout the flight -- is part of a larger effort to someday send humans into space, said Iranian Space Agency Director Hamid Fazeli. It's not the first time animals have reached the skies ahead of humans. The U.S. space program launched a rhesus monkey into space from New Mexico in 1948. Other primates and mice followed, and the Soviet Union a few years later joining the animal space race when nine dogs went skyward aboard rockets. Many more creatures soared into space in the years to come, until Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth in April 1961. American astronaut Alan Shepard made a suborbital flight later that year, and John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962. Read more space and science news on CNN's Light Years blog . | Iranian state news reports a monkey strapped inside a capsule launches into space . An Iranian minister calls the monkey's trip "the first step for sending humans into space" A U.S. official says such a launch, if confirmed, violates a U.N. Security Council resolution . Animals have been used for space launches before, to prepare for human flights . | b277cbcc7191abef826f648b1ba3f17ba7520663 |
Just in time for Albert Einstein's birthday Thursday, scientists delivered exciting news about how the universe works. Last summer, physicists announced that they had identified a particle with characteristics of the elusive Higgs boson, the so-called "God particle." But, as often the case in science, they needed to do more research to be more certain. On Thursday, scientists announced that the particle, detected at the Large Hadron Collider, the world's most powerful particle-smasher, looks even more like the Higgs boson. The news came at the Moriond Conference in La Thuile, Italy, from scientists at the Large Hadron Collider's ATLAS and Compact Muon Solenoid experiments. These two detectors are looking for unusual particles that slip into existence when subatomic particles crash into one another at high energies. "The preliminary results with the full 2012 data set are magnificent and to me it is clear that we are dealing with a Higgs boson though we still have a long way to go to know what kind of Higgs boson it is," Joe Incandela, spokesperson for the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment, said in a statement. Scientists have analyzed two and a half times more data than they had when the first announced the Higgs boson results last July 4. The Higgs boson is associated with the reason that everything in the universe -- from humans to planets to galaxies -- have mass. The particle is a component of something called the Higgs field, which permeates our universe. It's not a perfect analogy, but Brian Greene, theoretical physicist at Columbia University and "NOVA" host, offered this comparison when I spoke with him last year: . "You can think of it as a kind of molasses-like bath that's invisible, but yet we're all immersed within it," Greene said. "And as particles like electrons try to move through the molasses-like bath, they experience a resistance. And that resistance is what we, in our big everyday world, think of as the mass of the electron." The electron would have no mass if it were not for this "substance," the field made of Higgs particles. So, without the Higgs boson, we would not be here at all. How particle smasher and telescopes relate . Many physicists hate the term "God particle" because it did not originate in the way you might think. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leon Lederman wrote a book with "God Particle" in the title, but reportedly said he'd actually wanted to call it the "Goddamn Particle." Having evidence that the Higgs boson really exists is important for the current understanding of how the universe works. An amazing fact about the Higgs boson is that scientists predicted its existence and then detected it (or something that strongly resembles it), rather than the other way around. They didn't see an abnormality and wonder what it was. The particle confirms notions about the universe that had only been calculated, but not directly observed. But scientists do not know if the particle they've found is truly the one predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics. That model is the best explanation out there for what happens at scales smaller than the atom, but still has a lot of holes in it, and there are other theories out there that go beyond that model. It is possible that the Higgs boson found at the Large Hadron Collider could fit into those other theories. To figure that out, scientists must look at how fast the boson decays into other particles, and see how the decay rate stacks up against predictions. The Large Hadron Collider is located in a 17-mile tunnel near the French-Swiss border, and is operated by CERN, the European Organization of Nuclear Research. The $10 billion particle-smasher set a record in 2012 for the amount of energy achieved in particle collisions: 8 trillion electron volts (TeV). The LHC shut down last month for a long staycation full of maintenance and upgrades. After about two years, it will come back online with 13 TeV. Detecting the Higgs boson takes a lot of particle collisions -- there's only one observed event in every trillion proton-proton collisions, CERN said. The Higgs boson news coincides not only with Einstein's birthday, but also with Pi Day, March 14. These events are not entirely unrelated: Incandela told CNN last year that the number pi comes up in Large Hadron Collider calculations. For instance, scientists need to use pi when calculating how "loops" -- particles that transform themselves into other particles, and then come back together to make the original particle again -- contribute to a particle's mass. More space and science news from CNN Light Years . | An elusive particle discovered last year looks even more like the Higgs boson . Higgs boson is linked to all mass in the universe . Large Hadron Collider, which discovered particle, shut down for about 2 years . The particle-smasher will come back online at unprecedented energies . | ff305c52a9b8e473787c1393e5220fb5d1850268 |
By . Emily Payne . Fewer boys are being born in central Scotland - and it's thought pollution may be playing a part. A study by the University of Stirling . found that the ratio of boys to girls being born is falling. While evidence suggests that male babies more often die in the womb than females, it is now thought pollution could be one factor behind this. Ultrasound: The number of baby boys being born in parts of central Scotland are decreasing . Across the world, slightly more boys are . born than girls. But statistics show the proportion of boys to . girls being born in Scotland, or the sex ratio, has been on a downward . trend since 1960 - and in the industrial parts of central Scotland in . particular. Analysing data from 1973 through to 2010, the team . found a 'significant upward skewing' of the sex ratio in the Highlands, . compared with a downward shift in the Forth Valley and the Borders. Researchers found 'significantly lower sex ratios for populations where industrial . air pollution is highest' in eastern central Scotland. The researchers add their findings are consistent . with small studies in heavily industrialised parts of Canada and . elsewhere in the world. More research is needed, they say, but warn that care should be taken when planning large industrial developments, as they may have an effect on hormone levels of the local population. The scientists focused on chemicals or pollution that, at certain and sometimes very low doses, can interfere with the endocrine (or hormone system) in human beings. Dr Ewan McDonald, the lead investigator, said: 'The reproductive health of populations is often difficult to measure, particularly before pregnancy and at the early stages. 'There is strong evidence that during early pregnancy loss, male foetuses are lost more often. In utero: Evidence suggests that male babies die in the womb more often than females, . 'The sex . ratio, particularly declines in male births, can therefore be a marker . for changes in reproductive health or fertility amongst human . populations. 'Our analysis on sex ratio was extensive: over time, regions, neighbourhoods and socio-economic groups across Scotland.' He said the results indicate that the effect of pollution on hormones may be to blame for the national decline in the proportion of male births. Professor Andrew Watterson, also involved in the research, said: 'The study raises important questions about our knowledge of what may impact on human reproductive health and how we then shape public health policy.' The study is published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health. | Researchers from the University of Stirling looked at birth ratios in Scotland . Study found lower sex ratios where industrial pollution was highest . 'Raises questions about what may impact on . human reproductive health' | 91aac31ecc46b431835a59e348af089b564e5f7a |
(CNN) -- One of the most popular singers of the 1950s, Eddie Fisher, has died. He was 82. Fisher died of complications from hip surgery Wednesday, his family said. "Late last evening the world lost a true America icon. Eddie Fisher, 82, one of the greatest voices of the century passed away in Berkeley, CA due to complications and a decline in health from a recent hip surgery," his family members said in a statement. "He was loved and will be missed by his four children: Carrie, Todd, Joely, and Tricia Leigh as well as his six grandchildren. He was an extraordinary talent." Eddie Fisher: His life and times . Although Fisher sold millions of records and had his own television show, his biggest claim to fame may be his high-profile marriages to Hollywood starlets Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens -- all of which ended in divorce. The marriage of Eddie Fisher and Elizabeth Taylor . He had two more marriages after that. Fisher also co-starred in the films "Bundle of Joy" and "Butterfield 8". Among his four children, Carrie Fisher and Joely Fisher were actresses. Fisher has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for recording and the other for TV. Carrie Fisher said recently on the micro-blogging website Twitter that her father had just undergone hip surgery. | He died from hip surgery complications, family says . He is best known for marriages to celebrities, including Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor . He is also the father of actress Carrie Fisher . | f8755a8faa394b365855bff69a5a9b822ef9eccc |
Miami (CNN)Rumors of another major change in U.S.-Cuba policy are sparking a surge in Cuban migrants in recent days, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Agency officials tell CNN that Cubans are being told the decades-old "wet foot, dry foot" policy is going away on January 15, and that has many of them attempting to reach the United States. The policy, which was enacted in 1995, grants asylum to any Cuban who reaches U.S. soil, or "dry foots." But most Cubans found at sea would be sent back to Cuba. Any change to that policy, which is part of the Cuban Adjustment Act, would need approval by Congress, which is highly unlikely to happen. "We recognize that when these rumors continue to perpetuate, they grow. People believe it. They may get desperate. They may try and take to the sea," said Capt. Mark Fedor, the chief of response for the Coast Guard's 7th District, which patrols most of the waters around the island nation. Since the Obama administration announced a renewal of diplomatic relations with the Castro government on December 16, the Coast Guard says there has been a 235% increase in the number of Cubans found at sea, compared with the first two weeks of December. Overall, the final month of 2014 saw a 117% jump year to year in the number of migrants from the Communist island. "Having this many people at sea, in very unseaworthy vessels -- it just makes for a very dangerous environment," said Fedor. The source of the rumors is unknown. But, Coast Guard officials believe human smugglers and builders of makeshift boats may be partly to blame. "These boats aren't just laying around. These people are getting paid to build these boats. That's the profit motive behind all this," said Fedor. "There are people making money off of this. And they don't care about the safety of these folks. I think it's in their benefit to perpetuate these rumors. And we're trying to combat that." Ever since Fidel Castro took power in Cuba in 1959, there have been incidents of mass migration from Cuba -- the most famous of which was the Mariel boatlift of 1980, when roughly 125,000 Cubans landed on Florida's shores within a six-month span. Although the recent surge is not considered a mass migration, Fedor says, "We're always attentive to that. There's a variety of factors that could lead to a mass migration. But right now, we're not at that level." But, just in case, Fedor says the Coast Guard has put additional resources in the Florida Straits to deal with the current situation. | Rumors in Cuba suggest it may soon be harder to get asylum in U.S. U.S. Coast Guard reports huge increase in number of Cubans found at sea . The rumors may be coming from human smugglers or boat builders, Coast Guard says . | ce42e80887f840f77088c56800e0ca8ad0f0fb42 |
(CNN) -- To kick off the release of her new album, Madonna is joining Twitter for one day to answer questions from fans. The pop legend will be turning to Twitter on Monday night to promote her 12th studio album, MDNA, and interact with fans on the popular social network. She will be answering questions starting at 10:00 p.m. EST/7:00 p.m. PST. The Twitter handle @MadonnaMDNAday sent out its first tweet on Sunday to get the word out about the Q&A. Fans can submit questions to Madonna by tweeting @MadonnaMDNAday and using the hashtag #askmadonna. The account already has over 12,000 followers. The news was also announced on Madonna.com/AskMadonna, with the following message: . "Madonna joins Twitter for one day only to answer fan questions and celebrate the release of her MDNA album. Got a question? #AskMadonna," the site says. It's uncertain if the account will still send tweets about the album or if it will be shut down after the online event. The Twitter account has not yet responded to questions from Mashable. Madonna's dip into Twitter isn't just to promote her album, but also to increase her social media presence. She recently granted a Facebook Live-exclusive interview with late-night host Jimmy Fallon on Saturday. Fans — who had to "Like" her Facebook page in order to watch the interview — were also encouraged to submit questions for the pop queen. Her interview with Fallon was the only talk show appearance planned to promote the album. Madonna has nearly 9 million subscribers on Facebook. This is her first album since the release of "Hard Candy," featuring "4 Minutes," in April 2008. See the original article on Mashable.com. © 2011 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved. | Pop star Madonna will answer fans' questions on Twitter beginning Monday at 10 p.m. ET . It's uncertain if the account will be shut down after the online event . Fans can submit questions by tweeting @MadonnaMDNAday and using #askmadonna . | 00fb691a26a54c060cff232a7616723823e95245 |
For BlackBerry users, taking a leap of faith and ditching a QWERTY keyboard for a touchscreen phone can be daunting. To solve this, a company backed by US TV presenter Ryan Seacrest has attempted to bridge the gap by creating a physical keyboard that slides onto touchscreen phones - although it comes at a price. The Typo Keyboard costs $99 (£60) and is due to launch in January for iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S handsets. Other smartphones and tablet versions will then follow later next year. Scroll down for video . The Typo Keyboard, pictured, costs $99 (£60) and is due to launch in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the iPhone 5 and 5S. Other phone and tablet versions will then follow later next year . Although the keyboard slides onto the bottom of the phone, it actually connects to the software via Bluetooth. When a user wants to write a message, . email or Facebook post, for example, they can type on the physical . keyboard and the key strokes will be sent wirelessly to the phone in . real-time. The case adds a quarter of an inch thickness to the bottom of the Apple handset, and around an inch to the length. Seacrest is said to have invested $1million in the phone keyboard, and he is shown as a co-founder on the Type Products company website. Although the keyboard slides onto the bottom of the phone, it actually connects to the software via Bluetooth. When a user wants to write a message, email or Facebook post, for example, they can type on the physical keyboard and the key strokes will be sent wirelessly to the phone in real-time. The case adds a quarter of an inch thickness to the Apple handset, and around an inch to the length. Project: American TV presenter Ryan Seacrest (left) is said to have invested $1million in the phone keyboard (right), and he is shown as a co-founder on the Type Products company website . According to the Typo Products site: . ‘When we set out to design the Typo Keyboard, our goal was simple: . create a keyboard and case that would add the absolute minimum . additional length and thickness to the iPhone, while still providing . protection to the phone and a butter-smooth, tactile typing experience.’ The gadget is set to launch at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. The . company added: ‘For several years, many of our friends carried two . phones: one for typing and correspondence and an iPhone for virtually . everything else. 'One night, we were out to dinner and both had our phones on the table. Although the keyboard slides onto the bottom of the phone, it actually connects to the software via Bluetooth. When a user wants to write a message, they can type on the physical keyboard and the key strokes will be sent wirelessly to the phone in real-time . ‘Two people, four phones! We looked at each other and thought there was an easy solution to the problem, a keyboard for the iPhone. ‘That’s when we decided to take matters into our own hands and the Typo Keyboard was born.’ However, it is not the first keyboard adapter for touchscreen devices. BoxWave produces cases that have keyboards that slide from the bottom of iPhones and other touchscreen devices. The OEM Slider board is similar, but slides from the side of the handset, whereas the Concord Keystone Swivel board has a keyboard built into a flip case. | Typo Keyboard costs $99 (£60) and will be available on iPhone 5 and 5S . It will launch at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month . US presenter Ryan Seacrest is a founder and said to invested $1million . Keyboard fits over the bottom of the phone adding an inch to the length . | b1b5a6f90217e8aa95463ae4bc46f13b1b2e8eb8 |
By . Ian Parkes, Press Association . Lewis Hamilton continued his long love affair with the Hungaroring by posting the fastest times in both Friday practice sessions ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Hamilton has become a master of the tight, twisty track, the slowest permanent facility on the Formula One calendar, claiming four poles and four victories in seven attempts. Another win on Sunday would make the 29-year-old the most successful driver at the circuit of all time. He is currently tied with Michael Schumacher on four wins apiece. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Hamilton taking a virtual spin round Hungaroring . Picture that: Lewis Hamilton was fastest in both of Friday's practice sessions ahead of the Hungarian GP . Target: Hamilton has won the Hungarian Grand Prix on four previous occasions - in 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2013 . Hamilton could not have asked for too much more of a springboard towards a race win after finishing the day ahead of title rival and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg. Quickest in FP1 when the medium-compound Pirelli tyre was used throughout, Hamilton posted a time of one minute 25.814 seconds, finishing 0.183secs clear of Rosberg. Come FP2 when the drivers were allowed a run on the soft rubber, the quicker of the two choices this weekend, Hamilton improved to 1:24.482, with Rosberg down by 0.238. The fact they again finished one-two was no surprise as Mercedes have no equal this season, with just two drivers within a second of the pair after the two 90-minute runs. Heading for the track: Hamilton leaves the Mercedes garage during the second practice session . Driving seat: Nico Rosberg leads the World Championship but he was over two tenths down on Hamilton . Both were world champions, with outgoing champion Sebastian Vettel 0.629 off the pace in his Red Bull, followed by double title-holder Fernando Alonso for Ferrari, 0.955 adrift. The second session was not without its difficulties for Mercedes, though, as Hamilton at one stage complained of a loss of braking. That will likely have sounded a few alarm bells on the pit wall in light of Hamilton's accident during qualifying last Saturday for the German Grand Prix when he suffered a 30g impact into a tyre wall after a right-front brake disc failure. As for Rosberg, there were engine concerns just over two-thirds of the way through the session, although neither man seemed overly burdened as long runs were eventually undertaken. Off road: McLaren's Kevin Magnussen takes a trip across the gravel trap during the second practice session . VIDEO Hamilton takes a virtual spin round Hungaroring . There was one comical radio moment late on when Rosberg said: 'Some advice please.' 'On traffic?' came the reply. 'No, on driving!' said Rosberg. It appeared strange the current leader should ask how to drive his car, but he was told to look at his exit out of turn two in order to gain a better approach into turn three. Behind the leading quartet was McLaren's Kevin Magnussen, followed by the second Ferrari and Red Bull respectively of Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo, the latter 1.5secs down. Despite a run of three successive podiums - the first Williams driver to conjure such a feat for 11 years - Valtteri Bottas was only eighth, albeit on a track not expected to suit his car this weekend. McLaren's Jenson Button, 1.752secs back, and Felipe Massa in his Williams completed the top 10, with Marussia's Max Chilton down in 21st and just over four seconds in arrears. | Hamilton finished ahead of Nico Rosberg in both practice sessions . Hamilton has won the Hungarian Grand Prix on four occasions . The Briton is 14 points adrift of Mercedes team-mate Rosberg in title race . Sebastian Vettel was 3rd in his Red Bull with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso 4th . | d620e732b2e96de67eafec65c9ffc70392c9a96b |
An obese takeaway addict whose ankles were buckling under his 20 stone bulk has shed six stone - by eating Chinese food. Builder Matt Riggs, 35, piled on the pounds when his business was hit by the recession and he started binge eating for comfort. But he realised he had to change when he went to his GP with a suspected broken ankle but was told there was no break - he was just too heavy. Matt Riggs lost six stone in four months by cooking himself healthy versions of his favourite Chinese meals. He says at one point he was losing a pound a day. He is pictured (left) before his weight loss and (right) now . The dad-of-one had just started working in a Chinese takeaway restaurant and realised that if he took out fat he would be left with delicious, healthy food. He has now only eaten noodles and rice for four months and has lost an impressive six stone. Mr Riggs said: ‘I knew I had to sort my life out. I was eating far too many takeaways. ‘I noticed that many of the customers were overweight and was confused why the chefs at the Chinese were slim. ‘I watched the way they cooked the food they ate themselves. ‘It was basically the same but without the fat. Mr Riggs (pictured with his daughter, Cherry) weighed 20 stone before he changed his diet and he was so heavy that his ankles were being damaged. He now weighs 14 stone . ‘I had hardly ever cooked before, I would just get a takeaway or chuck something in the microwave. ‘But now I love cooking and have really enjoyed inventing my own recipes. ‘I was losing a pound every day when I first started. ‘People give up on other diets because they can't face lettuce or the other things you have to eat. ‘But with my diet you get to eat the food you like - just cooked healthily.’ At his heaviest Mr Riggs, from Bournemouth, Dorset, tipped the scales at a hefty 20st 5lbs. Mr Riggs shed the weight by cooking healthy, low-fat, versions of his favourite Chinese meals . But thanks to his new eating regime - which allows him cereal for breakfast and Rivita for lunch - he has now slimmed down to 14 stone. By swapping Chinese takeaways for home cooked versions, Mr Riggs has more than halved his fat intake. Each day he has one of his favourite Chinese dishes such as chicken chow mein, chilli chicken, Kung Po chicken or chicken chow. Mr Riggs said: 'I had hardly ever cooked before, I would just get a takeaway or chuck something in the microwave. But now I love cooking and have really enjoyed inventing my own recipes' Mr Riggs (pictured before his weight loss) believes that he has now halved his daily fat intake . An average takeaway chicken chow mein has 860 calories and 30g fat, but a home-cooked version can have just 458 calories with 15.8g fat. Mr Riggs says he has a second dieting secret - he always eats his main meal of the day before 5pm so his body has time to burn off the calories before he goes to bed. He says his wife Mel, 33, and daughter Cherry, one, have both been delighted with his new trim look. Before he went on a diet, Mr Riggs would have toast or a cooked breakfast in the morning then grab a supermarket sandwich or fast food for lunch. In the evening he would occasionally put a steak in the oven, but most of the time he stuck to microwave meals or takeaways. He would also down up to ten cans of lager a night. Nutrition scientist Dr Aine O'Connor, from the British Nutrition Foundation, said: 'When you're eating out or buying food that has been prepared for you, it's often easy to have more fat, salt and calories than you realise.' BEFORE: . Breakfast: Toast or a fry up . Lunch: A supermarket sandwich or fast food . Dinner: Microwave meals or takeaways . Drinks: Up to ten cans of lager a night . AFTER: . Breakfast: Fruit and fibre cereal . Lunch: Rivita and tuna . Dinner: Chinese meal such as salt and chilli chicken, Kung Po chicken, chicken chow mein, noodles or egg fried rice . Snacks: Fruit . | Matt Riggs weighed 20st and his weight was damaging his ankles . He worked in a Chinese takeaway and noticed the chefs cooked themselves food without as much fat as the food they sold . He decided to ditch takeaways and start cooking his own low fat versions . He has now slimmed down to 14st . | cd21bc3e0fa4d8b6b4d6c3566e17937ebbef4518 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . It's obvious to choose a flight based on the cheapest option. But with so many add-on fees to consider as additional to the cost of a ticket, Business Insider reporter Sara Silverstein decided to go looking for the best price overall. The journalist decided to book flights for the Fourth of July weekend - one of the busiest American travel times - from New York to Los Angeles, to determine which airline offers the greatest deal. What she found was the most popular carriers, such as Delta and United, had the costliest extras. Don't forget the add-ons: Business Insider conducted a report into the cheapest airline to fly from New York to Los Angeles on Fourth of July weekend in terms of overall fees, and determined SouthWest offered the best price . The report found that JetBlue and Southwest Airlines did not charge customers to check in one item of luggage. However American Airlines, Delta and United all charged $25 to check a bag. Picking a seat is also an important and expensive option. SouthWest determines their seating arrangements on the order that people check in, but for $12.50 you can reserve a spot toward the front of the plane. JetBlue offer more spacious seats for $80. United has economy plus for $99, while Delta has economy comfort for $99. American Airlines has the fewest available complimentary seats. Upgraded seats cost between $66 and $86. SouthWest Airlines charged the least amount of additional fees overall, Business Insider concluded . The cost for a good seat and a checked seat one-way on Delta and/or United is almost $250. Silverstein determined that SouthWest were the best all-inclusive option. However that is without being able to choose a seat. Delta and United were the most expensive for Fourth of July when it came to additional fees. | Study conducted by Business Insider into the cheapest overall airline for Fourth of July Weekend . Determined SouthWest offered the least in additional fees . Delta, United and American Airlines charged steep add-ons . | 1b980c4037a6834ccbd4ff6b3321ccf8b61414bc |
(CNN) -- Sebastian Vettel is potentially just a week away from becoming only the third Formula One driver to win four consecutive world titles, but outside of the German's continued dominance the big talking point of Sunday's Korean Grand Prix was another ugly tire issue. For the second time this year, F1's official supplier Pirelli has been forced to explain a potentially dangerous blowout during a race. Several incidents at June's British Grand Prix forced the Italian company to strengthen its compounds amid threats of a driver strike if safety was not improved, and the issue has come to light again after Sergio Perez had to wrestle for control of his McLaren after the right-front tire fell to bits. "I'd done 21 laps with that set, when, all of a sudden, the front-right just exploded, destroying the front win," said the Mexican, who also suffered blowouts at Silverstone in practice and during the race. "It was lucky, because there weren't any other cars around me." Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery defended the tires. "It was a big flat spot that put a huge hole right the way through the tread. There's not a lot we can do about that one," said Hembery, whose firm will again be F1's sole supplier next year. "It was a big lockup and he just burned this huge hole which lost air, and when tires do that, all sorts of things can happen. So we've absolutely no fears going forward." Red Bull's Mark Webber, however, voiced his disapproval. "The drivers aren't super important, it is what other people want," said the 37-year-old, whose race was ended when his car burst into flames after being hit by the Force India of Adrian Sutil. "The tyres are wearing a lot and they also explode a bit, but that is for Pirelli to sort out," the Australian added. "Pirelli will also put the puncture of Perez down to a lockup, but the reason the drivers are locking up is because there is no tread left." Vettel was able to clinch his fourth successive race victory, avoiding the chaos and tense battles going on behind him despite twice being held up when the safety car was brought out after the Perez and Webber incidents. He led from pole position to notch up the 34th win of his career as he closes in on the 41 of Ayrton Senna, who is third on the all-time list. "This track, it's known that the limit is the front-right (tire). We saw it the previous years, and basically it's good to have the team on the radio warning you -- because obviously you see what's going on, the tire grains immediately and then kind of stabilizes," said Vettel, who now has a 77-point lead over Fernando Alonso. "But when it stops graining basically there's nothing left and that's quite dangerous because it's quite likely to have a big lockup. You have a flat spot, which could end with pitting the stint earlier than you want or having a tire puncture. "So yeah, they were quite worried, similar to last year. I thought I had it more or less in control but obviously it's good to communicate." The German will join Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher in the history books if he wins next weekend's Japanese Grand Prix and Alonso is no higher than ninth. The Spaniard finished sixth in Yeongam after tangling with Felipe Massa near the start -- while Alonso lost a place, his Ferrari teammate was left at the back of the field before battling back to claim ninth ahead of Perez. Vettel's main threats ended up being the Lotus duo Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, who claimed second and third. Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg provided much of the day's entertainment with an impressive drive to take fourth place ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, another driver to complain about the tires after losing 16 seconds in the space of just six laps. "After the second safety car, we lost out in traction to the Sauber," said Hamilton, who dropped to fourth overall below Raikkonen. "It was a nice battle with Fernando at the end, but it's hard to take when it's only for P5 or P6. It was just not a good race for us, but we have the chance to bounce back in Suzuka." The 2008 world champion's teammate Nico Rosberg was seventh ahead of McLaren's Jenson Button, putting Mercedes a point behind second-placed Ferrari in the constructors' standings -- which Red Bull leads by 118 points. "Vettel is a very long way off in terms of points, and we cannot expect miracles between now and the end of the championship," said Alonso, who had also criticized the tires following Saturday's qualifying. "Second place in the constructors' championship is probably a more realistic target, but one thing is certain, we are not giving up now and we will give it our best shot right to the very end." Vettel has won for the last three years in Korea and the previous race on the calendar, Singapore. He now heads to a Suzuka circuit where he has triumphed three of the last four times. "The car is working ... it's on the edge, to be honest, more so than you would probably think from the outside, but it's obviously nice when you get the results like Singapore or this weekend," he said. "I look forward to Japan because it's one of the nicest tracks of the whole season. It's the best track in the world, with the fans completely crazy in a positive way. "They're big fans of motorsport, very passionate, so I'm very much looking forward to one of the highlights of the season." | Pirelli defends its tires after Sergio Perez suffers dangerous blowout in Korea . Supplier dismisses safety concerns despite criticism from drivers . Sebatian Vettel wins fourth successive race to close in on fourth world title . German can potentially clinch championship in Japan next Sunday . | a257c9940a33e98b43af7cc06ec41ae75fc9b61e |
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is being investigated by police over claims he threatened his mother's neighbour for taking pictures of his £240,000 Ferrari. Police were called to a housing estate in the Wythenshawe area of Manchester at 3pm yesterday, when the 24-year-old was reportedly visiting his mother Rose Barwuah. The controversial Italian footballer parked his Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and a number of residents came out to take pictures before going back indoors. Scroll down for video . Someone who was not involved in the alleged incident took this photograph of Mario Balotelli's Ferrari parked in a housing estate in the Wythenshawe area of Manchester . Mario Balotelli (pictured) is being investigated by police over claims he threatened his mother's neighbour for taking pictures of his £240,000 Ferrari . Mario Balotelli arriving at Liverpool's Melwood training ground in his red Ferrari on Thursday morning . Balotelli is then said to have come out to remonstrate with one neighbour. The alleged victim told the Manchester Evening News that the former Manchester City striker stooped down to look through her front window before launching into a tirade as she came to the front door of the property. The woman, who asked not to be named, was visiting her own mother at the time and said the footballer left her 'frightened and speechless' by the rant. A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: 'We are investigating a report of threatening behaviour. Officers will be speaking to all concerned in due course.' The woman said: 'I hadn't even taken any pictures. He came and looked through the front window. He was wearing a black beanie hat and he gave me a bit of a fright. The alleged incident is said to have taken place on this road in the Wythenshawe area of Manchester, where the 24-year-old was reportedly visiting his mother Rose Barwuah . The woman was visiting her own mother at the time and said the footballer (pictured) left her 'frightened and speechless' by the rant . 'Then when I came to the door he was getting right near me and pointing in my face saying "you took pictures of my car" and I kept telling him "I didn't, I didn't". 'Then he said, "if you do anything with them, I'll come back, I'm warning you", which to me was a direct threat. 'I don't care who he is, I won't be threatened like that by anyone. He's a big guy and it was very frightening.' The woman's mother said: 'When he was at City he'd come round all the time and sit with us, so for him to be so nasty is a shock. 'We used to cook him eggs, bacon and tomato and now he treats us like this. It's not on.' Mario Balotelli is pictured with his ex-fiancee Fanny Neguesha in Miami in July this year . The incident came a day after Balotelli was caught swapping shirts with Real Madrid defender Pepe at half time during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat in the Champions League at Anfield . Mario Balotelli is pictured right in action during Liverpool's Champion's League game against Real Madrid this week . Other neighbours said that Balotellihad always been friendly towards them while visiting his mother. Brian Robinson, 76, said: 'I've had my photograph taken with him and he's always been pretty good. He likes to have a laugh and a joke with us. 'I guess he could get peeved with people pestering him for autographs. But he's always been OK with me.' Hayley Ashton, 28, saw the striker leaving his mother's house on Thursday. She said: 'I didn't see him arguing with anybody.' Pictures of the car on the road were taken by someone not involved in the incident. Liverpool Football Club said they would not be commenting until all the facts had been established. MailOnline has requested a comment from the footballer's representatives. The incident came a day after Balotelli was caught swapping shirts with Real Madrid defender Pepe at half time during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat in the Champions League at Anfield - prompting claims he was not fully committed to the team's cause. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admitted he would ‘deal with’ the £16million signing from AC Milan. He has been caught up in controversy in the past and in October 2013 it was reported that he had to flee his £3million mansion after fireworks were let off in his bathroom. The same month he wore a T-shirt saying 'Why Always Me?' after scoring against Manchester United in response to adverse media attention. Balotelli was born in Sicily to immigrants from Ghana. But his parents gave him up for adoption aged two as he had a life-threatening intestinal condition made worse by their impoverished conditions. She later developed a relationship with her son and moved to Manchester in 2011 to be nearer him. She still lives in the city even though he left Manchester City for AC Milan in 2013 and now plays for Liverpool. | Liverpool's Mario Balotelli quizzed over claims he 'threatened' woman . He was reportedly visiting his mother in Wythenshawe area of Manchester . Parked his Ferrari F12 Berlinetta before residents started taking pictures . Balotelli is then said to have come out to remonstrate with one neighbour . Woman involved claims she was left 'frightened and speechless' by the rant . Greater Manchester Police 'investigating a report of threatening behaviour' | 9b26de9c648d10f2590983b2074775011aa9a8ed |
By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 12:15 EST, 1 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:06 EST, 2 January 2013 . The gang of men who attacked an Indian woman who later died from her horrific injuries tried to run her over with the bus she was brutally raped in, it emerged today. The 23-year-old was tossed out of the moving vehicle only for her fiance to battle to pull her from under its wheels, police in Delhi have said. 'They tried to drive the bus over the rape victim and her male friend. Her friend pulled her to safety, just in time', an officer close to the investigation claims. Neighbours said the couple were planning . to marry in February but the woman, who remains anonymous, died on . Saturday despite treatment at a Singapore hospital - two weeks after she . was attacked. Anger: Protests continued in Delhi on New Year's Day as it was revealed that the victim was thrown under a bus by her attackers, police sources said . Message: An Indian man arranges posters on a road during a protest to mourn the death of a gang rape victim in New Delhi . Meanwhile a row has erupted over whether the tragic victim should be named. Minister Shashi Tharoor said . if her parents do not have any objection her identity should be revealed. In India rape . victims cannot be named in any circumstances under section 228-A of its Penal Code. Mr Tharoor said on Twitter: 'Wondering what interest is served by . continuing anonymity of #DelhiGangRape victim. Why not name&honour . her as a real person w/own identity? 'Unless her parents object, she should be honoured&the revised . anti-rape law named after her. She was a human being with a name,not just a . symbol'. Hope: An Indian women drinks tea during one of many protests held today . A bone test is also being carried out to confirm the age of a young suspect in custody over the fatal assault and gang rape of a woman on a bus in India's capital. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for five other men arrested with him, police said today. The six will be formally charged in court on Thursday on accusations that they kidnapped, gang-raped and murdered the 23-year-old woman in New Delhi on December 16, police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said. Media reports said some 30 witnesses have been gathered, and the charges have been detailed in a document running to more than 1,000 pages. It emerged yesterday that the victim told her family as she lay dying in hospital that she tried as hard as she could to fight off her attackers. Tense: The body of a young woman who was gang-raped and brutally beaten on a bus in India's capital was cremated but her family say she could have survived . Aware: The body of the tragic student victim was cremated amid tight security, police said . Poignant: White lilies could be seen in the back of the ambulance as the body was transported through the city . The 23-year-old told her younger brother she bit and kicked the men as they raped her on a bus in Delhi. As they assaulted the student the men said they would kill her. Following her death her brother paid tribute to the strength and courage she showed following her ordeal. He said: 'She . was very strong. She always said one should never bear atrocities but . fight against it. 'While she was admitted in hospital, she told me that . she fought back as hard as she could. She was defending herself by . beating and biting them. 'She . thrashed them and kicked them too. They were boiling in anger by her . defence so they decided to kill her. She told me that they were . murmuring 'maar do ise' (kill her). They threw her considering she was . dead.' He also paid tribute to the woman's friend, who was also attacked on the bus as they were returning home from a cinema trip. Her brother said: 'The boy was equally courageous like my sister. She told me that he guarded her until he became unconscious.' Rituals: After the body arrived at the airport, it was taken to the woman's New Delhi home, where police stood guard outside, for religious rituals before being escorted by police to the crematorium . Tragic: The body of the young woman is moved into the funeral home by workers where she was embalmed before being flown home . Coffin: The casket at a funeral home in Singapore which carried the body of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim . Solace: An Indian activist prays as she takes part in a candlelight vigil in Kolkata for the gang-rape victim . He added that he hadn't slept since the incident occurred. 'I’m missing her voice. She was my best friend. Whenever I had a problem, I talked to her over the phone for hours. She . used to give me the best advice,' he said. In an interview with The Indian . Express today, the brother said he and her family believe she could have . survived if she had been taken to Singapore for life-saving treatment . sooner. He said his sister caught a series of preventable infections in Delhi. The trainee physiotherapist . was flown to the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore four days ago - . almost two weeks after she was raped by a gang of six men on a bus in . Delhi. 'She could have been saved perhaps, but . the decision came late,' her brother said, adding: 'Mount Elizabeth Hospital had very high standards . of hygiene. They could have prevented the infection.' It comes as a second victim, a . 16-year-old girl claims she was raped by a conductor on a Delhi bus the . same day as the gang-rape victim died. Candles: Indian people light candles to pay tributes to the 23-year-old in Bhopal, India . Sad: Undertakers and hospital staff carry the body of the Indian rape victim into a van as they leave Mount Elizabeth Hospital . Final journey: A police morgue vehicle is parked in front of the Mount Elizabeth hospital in Singapore to retrieve the body . The family of the 23-year-old student said they will 'fight' for the death penalty to be handed down to the perpetrators. He said: 'The fight has just begun. We want all the . accused hanged, and we will fight for that, till the end.' The woman's body was cremated . yesterday after being brought back to Delhi by an aircraft chartered by the Indian government. Her horrific ordeal has galvanised . Indians to demand greater protection for women from sexual violence with . mass demonstrations, candle-lit vigils and street protests with . placards, chants and road blocks. The Indian Army has cancelled New Year's parties across its airforce, navy and army in a show of solidarity with the family. A . hotel in Gurgaon has cancelled rapper Honey Singh's performance tonight . after online outrage over his lyrics which boast about the different . ways he will sexually assault a woman. The Indian Congress has put forward plans for chemical castration and 30-year jail terms for all rapists following the attack. A draft Bill has been put together and will be finalised and handed to India's chief justice by the end of January. | Police say that the victim was tossed under the vehicle she was attacked in . But student's fiance fought to pull her from under the wheels . The couple were due to marry in February in Delhi . Indian government may defy law to 'name and honour her' Charges likely to be brought against six men on Thursday . | 9292a43e89d9de6c29d14323c858386bfcab679e |
London (CNN) -- At least 57 people were arrested in London on Tuesday in connection with plans for anti-capitalist demonstrations before next week's Group of Eight summit, police in Britain said. Those arrested were accused of possession of weapons with the intent to cause violent disorder, possession of pointed/bladed articles and a variety of public order offenses. Earlier, police in riot gear raided a building in central London. Britain is hosting the G8 world leaders at a summit next week in Northern Ireland. A "Carnival Against Capitalism" has been planned by demonstrators ahead of the summit. Demonstrators long have targeted the G8 summit to protest the economic policies of the world's leading industrial powers. The group is made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Carnival Against Capitalism group said it hasn't negotiated with police and stressed that it won't be controlled. It planned a "mass action" of protests for central London on Tuesday afternoon. "London is right at the heart of global capitalism," the Carnival group said on its website. "The powerful feel safe in London so long as they go unchallenged." "Traditionally, carnival is the time where the people take over the streets, the bosses run and hide, and the world gets turned upside down. It is a time to celebrate our resistance and our dreams, to bring music and colour to the streets. And also to show our strength and our anger." The group said in a statement that the mass actions "will only be as effective as the people participating in them." "We have not negotiated with the police and we will not be controlled. If we look after each other, stay mobile, don't get caught in kettles and are ready to make quick decisions about what to do next, we can make the most of the day. See you on the streets," the group said. The London Metropolitan Police says it has "an appropriate police plan in place." There were nearly 1,200 officers on duty as part of Tuesday's policing operation around the G8 summit. | People accused of having weapons with a violent intent are among those arrested . Police say they have a plan to deal with street protests . "London is right at the heart of global capitalism," Carnival Against Capitalism group says . The G8 is set to meet next week in Northern Ireland . | bfb23a4f040b7006875f934cb35e6b22e0ea85b0 |
(CNN) -- Niger's president is standing by his country's decision to offer amnesty to one of the late Moammar Gadhafi's sons, saying he is entitled to stay in his nation like other "Libyan refugees." President Mahamadou Issoufou addressed reporters Friday, reaffirming his stance on Saadi Gadhafi, whom Libya wants returned home to stand trial. "The attitude of the Niger government regarding this has already been noted: We have already welcomed Libyan refugees for humanitarian reasons," Issoufou said. "Of these, one is a son of (Moammar) Gadhafi -- Saadi Gadhafi." Interpol has issued arrest warrant -- known as a "red notice" -- for Saadi Gadhafi, requesting his provisional arrest ahead of his extradition or surrender to an international court. The warrant accuses him of "misappropriating properties through force and armed intimidation when he headed the Libyan Football Federation." His lawyer, Nick Kaufman, told CNN earlier this month that his client "strenuously denies the charges made against him." Kaufman said he's asked the Interpol secretary general to revoke the warrant, claiming that it is politically motivated and was sought by a new Libyan leadership that lacks legitimacy. Saadi Gadhafi is in Niger, the landlocked West African nation bordering Libya. His father and three brothers have been killed and one more brother, Saif al-Islam, remains in hiding. His other siblings, meanwhile, escaped to Algeria during the months-long conflict in their native Libya. Saif al-Islam is also wanted by Interpol, as well as the International Criminal Court. As a party to that court, Niger would be obligated to turn Saif al-Islam over should he be detained within its borders. | Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou addresses reporters . He says Saadi Gadhafi is welcome in Niger "for humanitarian reasons" Interpol has issued an arrest for Saadi Gadhafi, who is now in Niger . His lawyer has "strenuously" denied the charges against him . | 8213a98cfce9c95f9468df85914e438270bed729 |
(CNN) -- The European Commission found leading computer chipmaker Intel guilty Wednesday of violating European anti-trust rules and ordered that it pay a fine of 1.06 billion euros ($1.45 billion). Intel was allowed to present a defense to the European Commission ahead of Tuesday's ruling . It is the largest fine the commission has ever imposed, said Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner for competition. Intel has said it plans to appeal the decision. The commission found Intel abused its dominant market position in the market for computer chips known as the x86 computer processing unit (CPU), Kroes said. The abuse lasted more than five years, she said. "Those x86 chips are the engine of the car, so to say," Kroes said at a news conference in Brussels, Belgium. "Your computer won't work without these chips." Intel held a 70 percent share of the market during the period of the violations, she said. "That Intel had such a large market share is not a problem in itself," Kroes said. "What is a problem is that Intel abused its dominant position. Specifically, Intel used illegal anti-competitive practices to exclude essentially its only competitor, and that reduced consumer choice -- and the whole story is about consumers." Intel's actions frustrated innovation and reduced consumer welfare, Kroes said. The commission found that Intel awarded major computer manufacturers rebates on the condition that they purchase all or most of their supplies from Intel. Intel also paid Europe's biggest computer retailer, Media Markt, to sell Intel-based PCs exclusively, the commission found. Media Markt has some 200 megastores in nine countries. The commission also found that Intel awarded payments to computer manufacturers so they would postpone or cancel the launch of products containing parts from its leading competitor, AMD. "The commission found that these payments had the potential effect of preventing products for which there was a consumer demand from coming to the market," the commission said in a statement. "Given that Intel has harmed millions and millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for more than five years, the size of the fine should come as no surprise," Kroes said. Intel was allowed to present a defense to the commission's preliminary conclusions. But Kroes said the company "went to great lengths" to cover up its anti-competitive practices, resulting in a long and complex investigation. In a statement on the company Web site, Paul Otellini, Intel's president and CEO said the company took strong exception to the ruling and planned to appeal. "We believe the decision is wrong and ignores the reality of a highly competitive microprocessor marketplace -- characterized by constant innovation, improved product performance and lower prices," Otellini said. "There has been absolutely zero harm to consumers. He added that the compnay did not believe its practices violated European law and accused the Directorate General for Competition of the Commission of ignoring or refusing to "obtain significant evidence that contradicts the assertions in this decision." Otellini added that the company had never sold products below cost but had invested in innovation, manufacturing and developing leadership technology with the result that it could "discount our products to compete in a highly competitive marketplace." "Despite our strongly held views," Otellini concluded, "as we go through the appeals process we plan to work with the Commission to ensure we're in compliance with their decision." | European Commission launched anti-trust investigation nearly two years ago . Commission determining that Intel abused its dominant position in the CPU market . Commissioner: Fine is the largest ever imposed by European Commission . NEW: Intel: CEO says it takes strong exception to the ruling, will appeal . | 9c1bc6b1a49a0ceb45c6e3eefc382a27b997efb8 |
By . Leesa Smith . Pop-up testing centres have made major progress toward reaching the target of eliminating HIV in NSW by 2020. The results come through in 30 minutes at the centres where you can walk-in or book while other clinics have doubled of the amount of testing in the past 18 months. The data shows a pop-up clinic at Mardi Gras this year tested a higher proportion of men with high-risk sexual behaviours and found HIV in two per cent - double the average rate. NSW is on the right track towards eradicating HIV with pop-up centres such as this clinic on Oxford St in Darlinghurst in March . Professor Andrew Grulich, from the University of NSW’s Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity in Society, praised these results as impressive. More... Bill requiring porn stars to wear condoms and get regularly tested for AIDS passes California's assembly . ‘There are are big clinics in inner Sydney which have doubled their testing rates with some who were testing more than 1,000 a quarter, which has jumped up to 2,000,’ he said. ‘I think it's a tribute to how these centres have re-organised themselves internally to be able to do big volume testing, which is making a difference.' The highest proportion of gay men in nearly 20 years are now getting tested for HIV, with many attending the pop-up centre on Oxford St during Mardi Gras . The figures show the proportion of people diagnosed with low CD4 cell counts is decreasing, meaning fewer people have the virus for long periods of time before it is detected. NSW chief medical officer Dr Kerry Chant said she was confident the 2020 target would be met, but more needed to be done. | HIV tests can be received within 30 minutes at pop-up clinics across NSW . Some inner-Sydney clinics have doubled HIV testing rates . NSW is moving towards reaching its target of eliminating HIV by 2020 . Expert praises the state for fundamental change in testing . | c1bc7972d6ce147ddca524dffbb60da01cc5bac9 |
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