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A have-a-go hero stopped three louts who had stole a pensioner's mobility scooter but he had to let them go after police took an hour to arrive. Michael Lowe, 29, cornered the trio of joyriders in a passageway behind his home in Northenden, Manchester, just after midnight and asked his uncle to dial 999. One of them claimed the scooter belonged to his grandmother but when the charity volunteer shone a torch on it he saw it had been hot-wired and was covered in mud after being ridden in fields. Michael Lowe (left) cornered three louts who had made off with a mobility scooter while his uncle Neil Hodkin (right) called police. But police took an hour to arrive on the scene and in that time the men had esaped . He attempted to hold the men for as long as possible while his uncle, Neil Hodkin, 46, was on the phone to police, but they claim they took so long to respond that the group made off. Mr Lowe, who volunteers at stables to help disabled children ride horses, said: 'I tried to keep them for as long as I could but, in the end, they legged it into the fields. 'I could have given chase but I had to think of my own safety. My uncle couldn't help because he was being kept on the phone to the police. 'If they had come sooner they would have captured them.' Mr Hodkin said: 'I wanted to help my nephew but the call handler kept saying "I just need some more details". 'Call handlers are trained to do the best job they can but, frankly, that's not the point when you have individuals on the scene. The system's just not working.' After the louts ran off, the pair then began their own investigation, and found a second damaged scooter nearby and established that they belonged to next-door neighbours on another street. Mr Hodkin said: 'The police only turned up an hour later and they spoke to my nephew as if he had stolen them. I thought it was a disgraceful response. 'I think it's atrocious local youths have targeted elderly disabled people. It means they haven't got the means to get out and about. They're stranded. 'I think the response from the police was atrocious.' Inspector Luke Breakspear, from Greater Manchester Police, said: 'Police were initially called at 00.03am and the caller reported he could see youths driving a mobility scooter some way in the distance. One of the thugs claimed the scooter belonged to his grandmother but when Michael Lowe shone a torch on it he saw it had been hot-wired and was covered in mud after being ridden in fields (file picture) 'As with every 999 call, the call handler had to establish the exact details, location and circumstances of the incident in order to correctly prioritise the call and allocate the right officers to attend. 'This call lasted five minutes. At that time, the division was already dealing with two grade one incidents. 'Grade one incidents are given a higher priority as they relate to potential threats to people's lives so it is only right we allocate more resources to these critical jobs. 'This incident was therefore graded two and an officer was on scene at 1.02am, 59 minutes after the original call. 'I would also like to stress that the stolen mobility scooters were found and returned to their original owners that same night. 'However, if the caller does have any concerns about our response we would be more than happy to discuss them with him and address those concerns.' | Michael Lowe, 29, stopped the joyriders in a passageway behind his home . He told his uncle to call 999 while he held them for as long as he could . One of them claimed it was his grandmother's but it had been hot-wired . Officers took an hour to respond to call and in that time the trio got away . Police say they were dealing with two urgent calls when incident happened . The mobility scooter, and second one found later, were returned to owners . | e18638ca12491a75808ebe4d185b5aceb42bd558 |
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- The trial of American hikers charged with espionage in Iran will resume May 11, the state run Islamic Republic News Agency reported Sunday, citing the head of the Justice Ministry. The trial began behind closed-doors last month, and allowed Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal "the opportunity to explain their innocence to the court," according to February 7 statement from the men's families. Iran accuses Bauer, 28, Fattal, 28, and Sarah Shourd, 32, of spying and trespassing. They were detained July 31, 2009, after they allegedly strayed across an unmarked border into Iran while hiking in Iraq's Kurdistan region. Shourd was released on bail in September 2010 because of a medical condition and immediately left the country. She has not responded to a court summons to return to stand trial, Masoud Shafii, the hikers' attorney in Tehran, has said. Iranian authorities say she will be tried in absentia if she doesn't appear in court. All three have pleaded not guilty. Fattal and Bauer continue to be held in Iran's notorious Evin prison. | Three hikers are being tried for espionage in Iran . One of the hikers has been released on bail and has left the country . | 7e2609e39a1bcf835fe1c252b33e178d75ddaa6e |
Chelsea are set to send more players to the World Cup than any other club, with up to 18 stars from Jose Mourinho's side ready to descend on Brazil. The west London club have had two more players selected for provisional and final 23-man squads than rivals Manchester United, who have 16 stars potentially on their way to South America. Four of Chelsea's squad have been selected to represent the host nation by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, with Oscar, Willian, Ramires and David Luiz all in line to play on home soil. VIDEO Scroll down to watch England players model the World Cup kit . Homeward bound: Brazil defender David Luiz is one of 18 Chelsea players in line to play at the World Cup . Still going strong: Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (right) has been included in England's 23-man squad . In the frame: Fernando Torres is hoping to be chosen in Spain's final list after a disappointing season for Jose Mourinho's side . 1. Chelsea (18) 2. Manchester United, Bayern Munich (16) 3. Napoli (14) 4. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City (13) 5. Juventus, Arsenal, Liverpool (12) 6. Atletico Madrid (11) 7. Porto, Inter Milan, AC Milan, . Zenit (10) 8. Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain (8) 9. Southampton, Schalke, Roma (7) The Blues also have England duo Frank Lampard and Gary Cahill, Spain pair Fernando Torres and Cesar Azpilicueta and Belgian stars Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Thiabaut Courtois all set for international action next month. The rest of Chelsea's World Cup contingent is made up of Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o, Germany's Andre Schurrle, Nigeria's John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses and Kenneth Omeuro, Ghana's Christian Atsu and Holland's Patrick van Aanholt. United endured their . worst ever Premier League season, but that didn't stop international . managers picking their players for this summer's showpiece event. Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Robin van Persie are all certain to play in next month's tournament, although Red Devils duo Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick are both on stand-by for Roy Hodgson's England. On the plane: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is battling to be fully fit for Brazil . Back in action: Red Devils forward Robin van Persie looks set to play for the club's next manager, Louis van Gaal, on Holland duty . The Old Trafford club have the same amount of players selected as Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, who make up a large proportion of Germany's squad. Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kross, Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze and Philipp Lahm all look certain to make Joachim Low's 23-man list. Serie A side Napoli are the third most well represented club within provisional World Cup squads with 14 players, including Swiss trio Valon Behrami, Blerim Dzemaili and Gokhan Inler boosting their numbers. The Italians have more than Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, who could both have a maximum of 13 players - including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi - pulling on their boots in Brazil. That's the same amount as recently crowned Premier League champions Manchester City, whose selected players include Argentinian trio Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis. Arsenal and Liverpool could both have 12 . players on show in Brazil, although Lucas Leiva has his work cut out to . make the host nation's final 23 after only being added to Scolari's . stand-by list earlier this week. Midfield general: Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger is one of 16 Bayern Munich players to have been called up . Star man: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo is one of 13 Real Madrid players included in World Cup squads . Threat: Barcelona's Lionel Messi will lead the line for Argentina back in South America this summer . Italian champions Juventus have also had 12 of their stars named in squads this week and they can count themselves unlucky not to have another, after striker Carlos Tevez was omitted from Alejandro Sabella's group. La Liga leaders and Champions League finalists Atletico Madrid are next with 11 players selected, including Spanish trio Diego Costa, Koke and Juanfran. Other clubs included on the most represented list include Porto, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Zenit St Petersburg (all 10 players), Borussia Dortmund (eight) and Southampton (seven). Brazil bound: Southampton's Maya Yoshida (right) and Liverpool's Luis Suarez (left) are both set to play in this summer's World Cup . | Chelsea could have 18 players playing at the World Cup - more than any other club . Manchester United and Bayern Munich have both had 16 players called up . Italian side Napoli could be better represented that both Barcelona and Real Madrid in Brazil . | 749e3aa5195a99a4a3f9a8a6a5a02f3b8209da17 |
(CNN) -- The most comprehensive cybersecurity legislation proposed by Congress, which sponsors say would have helped protect the government and industry from potentially devastating cyberattacks, was voted down in the Senate Thursday. The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 would have given the government the three legislative elements it needs to fend off cyberattacks, according to John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism. Those are new threat-information-sharing between the government and private industry, better protection of critical infrastructure such as the power grid and water filtration facilities, and authority for the Department of Homeland Security to unite federal resources to lead the government's cybersecurity team. Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Connecticut, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced the bill. "This is a moment of disappointment that I really cannot conceal," Lieberman said after the vote. "But the threat of cyberattack is so real, so urgent and so clearly growing that I am not going to be petulant about this." On a telephone conference all with reporters Wednesday, Brennan and with other administration officials urged Congress to pass the bill. "The risks to our nation are real and immediate," Brennan said, adding that the White House didn't see the legislation as a partisan issue, but rather a matter of national security. Republicans opposed to the bill argued that the cybersecurity standards that would have been put in place allow for too much government regulation. "How can the Senate ignore these repeated warnings from the experts of how at risk our national security, our economic prosperity, and indeed our American way of life it is," Collins asked. "It just is incomprehensible to me that we would not proceed to this bill. There certainly is plenty of blame to go around." Congress begins its August recess Friday, making it very unlikely that cybersecurity legislation will be voted on again before next year. | The bill would have given the government three paths to fend off cyberattacks . Sen. Lieberman: "This is a moment of disappointment that I really cannot conceal" Opponents argued it would have allowed too much government intervention . | d1282001e5a36ee52ac775282f64fe59e2df49e6 |
By . Katy Winter . A Facebook page inviting people to post amusing comments they claim to have heard in an up-market supermarket chain has become an internet hit. The woes, trials and tribulations of the ever-expanding British middle-class are being posted on the site, apparently just as they were heard uttered by people while doing their weekly food shop. The remarks by shoppers often with their children in tow, are both cringe making and hilarious in equal measures. The Facebook page, which is described as 'A page for publishing words often heard permeating the aisles of Britain;s poshest supermarket', has already gained 120,799 likes since it was launch ed three days ago . The Duchess of Cambridge was snapped heading into her local Waitrose when she was living on the island of Anglesey with William in 2011 while he was worked as an RAF search and rescue pilot . HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall also visited Waitrose, which has long been a favourite among affluent shoppers . With quotes revolving around the . purchasing of gourmet, expensive foods and the difficulties of managing a . life of privilege, the page has gone viral online with 120,000 ‘likes’ . since being launched just three days ago. People often joke that Waitrose is the 'posh persons' supermarket' and lines that are said to have been overheard include: 'Hurry up with the focaccia darling, that man's coming to clean the pool soon' and 'Daddy, does Lego have a silent tea, like Merlot' Oh and that terrible problem of having to keep up with numerous properties is covered too with 'Darling, do we need parmesan for both houses? The site, which should possibly be taken with a pinch of only the very best sea salt, is the latest to gain attention online through mocking the middle classes with Twitter accounts such as 'Middle Class Problems' also gaining a huge following. | Facebook group allows people to post things they claim to have heard in Waitrose . Only launched three days ago and already has over 120,000 'likes' Quotes revolve around the 'problems' faced by affluent customers . | e63ebdedf5c3de538862ca801fdef18df01bb4bd |
Christmas chocolate, sweets and biscuit boxes are getting smaller as the prices stay the same, but at least those considering a New Year diet will have fewer pounds to shift. Researchers have found that cartons of festive treats have shrunk by as much as 14.8 percent in the last year, while shoppers are still paying the same amount for their favourite snacks. Manufacturers say rising costs of ingredients and even a lighter sort of chocolate are behind the shrinking boxes, as well as pressure from health chiefs to reduce the sugar and calorie content in their products. Shrinking: Boxes of Maynards Wine Gums (left) and Bassetts Jelly Babies (right) are among the Christmas treats that are getting smaller, with the weight of a £4 box falling from 540 to 460g . According to research by the Sunday Mirror, the weight of a £4 box of family favourites Maynards Wine Gums and Bassetts Jelly Babies have plummeted from 540g to 460g. The Fabulously Fox's Biscuit Selection, which costs £6, is now 50g lighter at 600g, and the £5 Cadbury Biscuit Collection has dropped from 380g to 335g. And chocolate lovers will find there is less to go around with £6 boxes of Nestle Black Magic which once weighed 376g now coming in at 348g, and £4 boxes of Terry’s Chocolate Orange Segsations down 30g at 300g. Selection box: The Fabulously Fox's Biscuit Selection, which costs £6, is now 50g lighter at 600g . Changes: Biscuit manufacturer Burtons, which makes the Cadbury pack, told the newspaper that their boxes have the same number of biscuits, but they weigh less because they are topped with different chocolate . Biscuit manufacturer Burtons, which makes the Cadbury pack, told the newspaper that their boxes have the same number of biscuits, but they weigh less because they are topped with a different sort of chocolate. 'We changed the recipe and this has resulted in slightly reduced weights per biscuit,' said a spokesman. Foxes said their biscuits may weigh less than before, but the product is now of a higher quality, and Nestle said there will still the same number of sweets in the Black Magic box. Uniform: Cadbury said the shape of the Terry's Chocolate Orange Segsations packaging had changed to mirror other products on sale . Cadbury said the shape of the Chocolate Orange Segsations packaging had changed to mirror other products on sale, while the size of the Wine Gums and Jelly Babies packs had been reduced because of 'economic factors', with the smaller boxes meaning customers were not paying more for them. Last year, Mars UK shrank its popular Mars and Snickers bars, reducing a Mars from 58g to 51g and Snickers from 58g to 48g as part of a pledge to cut calories in its products to a maximum of 250. As a result of the size changes, the number of calories in a Mars bar dropped from 260 to 229 and in a Snickers bar from 280 to 245. Manufacturers have also had to deal with the rising cost of ingredients, in particular cocoa butter, the price of which has jumped 28 percent this year to more than £5,000 a tonne because of strong demand and limited supply. The price of cocoa beans, from which cocoa butter is extracted, has also risen to a three-year high this year. Expensive ingredients: The price of cocoa beans, and the cocoa butter extracted from them is rising . | Boxes of festive treats have shrunk by as much as 14.8% in last year . Weight of Maynards Wine Gums and Bassetts Jelly Babies down 80g . Packets of Fox's and Cadbury biscuits also weigh less than before . Manufacturers say rising cost of ingredients behind some of the changes . Different sort of chocolate is the cause of lighter Cadbury biscuits . | 96488cc3089baec6daf6ee973673d01d5a83e98a |
Washington (CNN) -- This weekend we pause to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation that set in motion the freeing of the slaves throughout the South. But as we focus on Abraham Lincoln's action on September 22, 1862, we should also realize that there was another crucial date in the story of freedom. Perhaps the most significant event in American history --other than the creation of the documents that created our nation -- was Abraham Lincoln's emancipation of the slaves in the District of Columbia on April 16, eight and a half months before the historic signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. It was the most significant because it began the process of stopping the one thing that could have ended this nation: slavery. The D.C. proclamation predated the Emancipation Proclamation by months, but it received no less attention from the nation. It was a highly controversial document, and it was the first and only time that the government tried to compensate owners for freeing the enforced laborers. Owners loyal to the United States were paid $300 per person, and each freed man, woman or child was paid $100 -- almost one-third of a working man's yearly wage in 1862 -- for those people who chose to return home. Compensating slaveholders was never tried again. Washington was a hub of the slave trade. Slaves were sold across from the White House in Lafayette Park. Slave pens, or jails, holding the slaves for sale were located throughout the District. Charles Ball, a slave in Washington, would take walks to Georgetown. "I frequently saw large numbers of people of my color chained together in long trains, and driven off towards the South," he wrote. Frederick Douglass was one of Lincoln's most severe critics. For those unfamiliar with him, among man, Douglass stands beside Lincoln as a towering giant of the Civil War. Born a slave, Douglass, in his own words, "stole this body" and escaped to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Self-educated, Douglass became known nationwide. Lincoln invited him to the White House four times. (Twice for meetings, once to his second Inauguration and once to the Summer White House, which Douglass declined because he had a speaking engagement.) The first meeting changed Douglass' tune. After that conversation Douglass said, "I felt as if I had known him all my life." What was most important, Douglass had Lincoln's ear; the president listened. Ending the sale of slaves in the District was a thing of wonder. The act, said Douglass, was "a priceless and an unspeakable blessing." A District citizen (an African-American who was a free man all his life), wrote a friend in Baltimore, "Were I a drinker I would get on a Jolly spree today, but as a Christian I can but kneel in prayer and bless God for the privilege I've enjoyed this day." Because of the Civil War, the District's Emancipation Day was not formally celebrated until 1866, when 5,000 marched from the U.S. Capitol up Pennsylvania Avenue to Franklin Square, cheered by a crowd of 10,000 lining the way. Earlier this year, the District's non-voting member of Congress, the Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton, led Washington's celebration of Emancipation Day. Many years ago, her great-grandfather, Richard, lived in the city. President Lincoln's signature didn't free him. He freed himself when he walked away from a slave plantation in Virginia in the 1850's. But Lincoln's mighty pen made 3,100 men, women and children equal in the laws of the land. The congresswomen did more than simply honor legacy; she brought the emancipation legacy home to us now. She said that the city, unlike the 3,100 who were emancipated, could free itself of congressional rule. (Washington's citizens do not have senators and have but one non-voting representative in Congress. Congress must approve all legislation Washington's City Council enacts.) Norton said, "Our freedom is locked up in the U.S. Capitol. We can claim it, or leave it there. "We can claim it, or leave it there." This fall, the descendants of slaves, millions of ethnic and religious minorities from other lands, African-Americans and immigrants -- Latinos, Asians, Europeans -- and women, as well as working- and middle-class Americans, will decide whether to claim their future. We are all in this together. All Americans will have a chance to move Lincoln's vision forward to help close the opportunity gap, to end the economic inequality resulting from government policies that favor a handful over the many who work equally hard. Abraham Lincoln would be proud to see the progress we have made. But he also would understand that there is still more work to do. Together. Claim it. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Donna Brazile. | Donna Brazile: Weekend marks 150th anniversary of preliminary Emancipation Proclamation . She says April 16, 1862 also was significant in struggle for freedom . On that date, Lincoln signed bill to free the slaves in the District of Columbia . She says it began the process, which continues today, of seeking freedom and justice . | 928231dcf65aae717cd4519625b84470393baedb |
The parents of an American aid worker who has been captured by ISIS and threatened with beheading have released an emotional letter he wrote them while captured by the extremists. Abdul-Raham Kassig, from Indianapolis, was seized by the terror group a year ago while giving aid to Syrians - and was singled out in their latest gory execution video as their next victim. Paula and Ed Kassig, the 26-year-old's mother and father, today revealed parts of a letter they received from him which speaks of his fear at the prospect of becoming ISIS's next victim. Aid worker: Peter Kassig (left), who has been held captive by ISIS for the past year, first went to the Middle East as a U.S. soldier before returning as a medical worker. Right, he is threatened by an ISIS militant . Emotional plea: Ed and Paula Kassig (above) released parts of the heartfelt letter they received from their son on June 2 this year . Kassig, a former U.S. Army Ranger, converted to Islam in captivity. He was formerly known as Peter, but his family have asked media outlets to refer to him by his Islamic name, Abdul-Rahman. But it also implores his parents to 'take comfort' in the fact that it was his commitment to helping other people that led to him being captured. In the message he says: 'I am obviously pretty scared to die but the hardest part is not knowing, wondering, hoping, and wondering if I should even hope at all. Growing up: Abdul-Rahman, formerly Peter, Kassig is pictured above with his father on a fishing holiday . As a child: Abdul-Rahman is pictured above with his mother in front of a waterfall as a boy . 'I am very sad that all this has happened and for what all of you back home are going through. If I do die, I figure that at least you and I can seek refuge and comfort in knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need.' 'I wish this paper would go on forever and never run out and I could just keep talking to you. Just know I’m with you.' The Kassig family received the letter on June 2, but have only just made parts of it public, along with two photographs of him growing up. They also issued a statement explaining how he converted to Islam, a process which they say had already begun when he was taken hostage. They say he had come to 'admire and respect' the Syrian Muslims he was helping, and had fasted during Ramadan in July and August 2013. A former hostage told them he had converted fully by December 2013, at which point he took on a new name and began praying five times a day. In his letter he wrote: 'In terms of my faith, I pray everyday and I am not angry about my situation in that sense. I am in a dogmatically complicated situation here, but I am at peace with my belief.' His parents, who have already released a video pleading for mercy from ISIS, then repeated their message, and also said that they disagree with the U.S. government's actions against the group. They wrote: 'We ask the world to continue to pray for him and for all innocent people harmed by violence and war. We continue to pressure the government to stop its actions and continue to call on his captors to have mercy and release him.' Aid worker: Kassig is pictured above with a friend in Syria working with his non-profit organization, SERA . Kassig first went to the Middle East as a U.S. soldier before returning as a medical worker to help victims of war. While in Turkey, he founded SERA (Special Emergency Response and Assistance), a medically-oriented emergency relief group that serves refugee populations and internally displaced persons. It was while working on a project for SERA almost exactly a year ago, on October 1, 2013, when he was captured by members of ISIS as he headed to Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria. On Friday he was threatened with death in a chilling video showing the beheading of 47-year-old British aid worker Alan Henning. Supplies: Kassig is seen above with a truck of supplies to be given to victims of the conflict in the Middle East . He was shown kneeling in the desert at the end of the footage, which saw a masked militant tell President Barack Obama that U.S. 'aerial bombardments' are putting them under strain. The militant added: 'It's only right we continue to strike the necks of your people. The beheading of Henning yesterday followed the murders of three other hostages in similar circumstance: U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines. U.S. officials have confirmed that Mr Kassig is being held by Islamic State militants, but have declined to give any more details of his capture. After the video surfaced, President Obama strongly condemned the killing and urged that U.S. forces and its allies will bring his killers to justice. 'Mr Henning worked to help improve the lives of the Syrian people and his death is a great loss for them, for his family and the people of the United Kingdom,' he said in a statement. 'Standing together with our U.K. friends and allies, we will work to bring the perpetrators of Alan's murder - as well as the murders of Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Haines - to justice.' The President added that the U.S. and other nations will continue to take action to 'degrade and ultimately destroy' the Islamic State group. This is the letter that Paula and Ed Kassig received from their son in captivity. Before it was released the text was edited for length and sensitive information redacted: . 'The first thing I want to say is thank you. Both to you and mom for everything you have both done for me as parents; for everything you have taught me, shown me, and experienced with me. 'I cannot imagine the strength and commitment it has taken to raise a son like me but your love and patience are things I am so deeply grateful for. 'I am obviously pretty scared to die but the hardest part is not knowing, wondering, hoping, and wondering if I should even hope at all. 'I am very sad that all this has happened and for what all of you back home are going through. 'If I do die, I figure that at least you and I can seek refuge and comfort in knowing that I went out as a result of trying to alleviate suffering and helping those in need. 'In terms of my faith, I pray everyday and I am not angry about my situation in that sense. I am in a dogmatically complicated situation here, but I am at peace with my belief. 'I wish this paper would go on forever and never run out and I could just keep talking to you. Just know I’m with you. 'Every stream, every lake, every field and river. In the woods and in the hills, in all the places you showed me. I love you.' | Abdul-Rahman Kassig, 26, was captured by terror group in Syria last year . Was named in gruesome beheading video as next victim on Friday . Kassig, formerly Peter, converted to Islam in captivity and took new name . Ed and Paula Kassig today released letter they received from him in June . He confronted possibility of death, and told parents that he loves them . | e36d4858d7afc517f0453fe3781bae01aab2ba9d |
By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 07:59 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:14 EST, 5 September 2013 . A customer has sued luxury fashion label Prada after being unable to remove a stain from a silk skirt. Catherine Whitty, 40, a physiotherapist from Melbourne, spent £971 ($1,660 in Australian dollars) on the skirt but spilled champagne on the garment during birthday celebrations. When Whitty took the piece to the drycleaners, she was told that it couldn't be removed, according to reports in Australian paper, the Herald Sun. Irate: Catherine Whitty was outraged when she was unable to remove a stain from her Prada skirt . What's more, reported the paper, Whitty was 'surprised' to be told that in addition to champagne, any liquid - including rainwater and even accidental splashes of water during hand-washing - would stain and indeed permanently damage the fabric. Incensed, Whitty launched legal action against the brand, claiming that sales staff were told the outfit was being purchased for a champagne celebration and should have warned her. She argued that she had chosen the 'timeless' A-line skirt because she expected to be able to wear it again and assumed it would be fit for 'common usage'. But Prada argued that retail operations manager Albin Cheng said that it was Ms Whitty's responsibility to care for the skirt. Success: Whitty took the Italian luxury label to court and was awarded a full refund by the tribunal . He told the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal that staff had recommended the purchase of the skirt based on fashion, and not on what would be served during celebrations. Cheng also said that Whitty's failure to have the skirt cleaned immediately compounded the problem and increased the damage. But despite his protests, tribunal member Peter Moloney found in Ms Whitty's favour and ordered the brand to hand over a full refund. He added that unless sold with a warning, garments should be expected to withstand splashes of water, or, indeed, champagne. | Physiotherapist Catherine Whitty, 40, from Melbourne sued Prada . She spilled champagne down her £971 skirt during a birthday party . Was told it couldn't be removed and launched legal action . Judge ruled in her favour and told Italian brand to refund full cost . | 3ea6329af2e31fce79413adf90e0f8b623babac0 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:36 EST, 3 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:33 EST, 4 November 2012 . Greedy landlords and hotel owners looking to make a quick buck from the thousands without power or displaced by Hurricane Sandy were exploiting people's desperation by demanding outrageous prices for a shelter. As of yesterday morning Craigslist was full of posts for costly rooms, with one ad promising people the luxury of a single bedroom apartment with electricity for a 'mere' $700 per night. 'Stay in comfort and style until the power comes back on,' the Post reported. It wasn't just Craigslist vultures. The Red Carpet Inn in Bushwick typically charges $99 for a Friday but was asking $500 via hotels.com, according to the New York Post.The New York Palace Hotel in Midtown had also jacked its rates $100 per night to $600. Marathon weekend is one of the busiest times of the year Hilton Garden Inn . The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan jacked its prices from $100 to $600 . A manager at that hotel insisted to the Post that they weren't taking advantage of the hurricane's aftermath. 'We aren't charging them extra,' the unidentified manager said. 'It's just because of the hurricane we had high occupancy, and when we have high occupancy, the rates go up.' As power was restored to lower Manhattan and the New York City Marathon was cancelled, prices quickly began to drop. Hotels in midtown recently claimed to be fully booked were suddenly offering rooms at close to their regular rates. As late as Friday tourists trying to book rooms in New York City via travel website were being referred to New Jersey hotels. Even with the opportunity to squeeze every last penny out, there were still people trying to do the right thing. One Staten Island hotel owner refused to evict storm victims so he could book marathon runners with reservations. The New York City Marathon is one of the busiest weekends of the year for the Hilton Garden Inn in Bloomfield, said owner Richard Nicotra. But with thousands without power and temperatures plummeting, Nicotra gave the rooms over to storm refugees. Vultures: Some people advertised rooms for a ¿mere¿ $700 per night to people displaced by Hurricane Sandy . 'These are my neighbors,' Nicotra told ABC News. 'Am I going to kick out my neighbors who lost everything, who have not a place to go, for someone who's travelling here to run a race?' He even hosted a local resident's wedding at the hotel. Contracts with the NYC Road Runners Club – official sponsor of the marathon - are lifeblood of Nicotra's business but his bosses still supported him in his decision. Nicotra called both the club and individual guests to explain the situation, amounting to a total of 180 guest cancellations. 'Well they weren't happy about it, obviously,' he said. 'But we asked them to look on the TV, look at what is going on in Staten Island.' Though he couldn't offer them rooms, Nicotra promised a free cot, free meals, and a free shuttle to the starting line as an alternative. 'This was bigger than all of us,' Nicotra said. 'But we told them, 'Come and we will take care of you.' | Craigslist clogged with rooms going for hiked prices . With the marathons cancelled some owners may be trying to make up for their losses . Some landlords are refusing to join the rush for profit offering rooms and facilities to those in need . | bed1028f34879ddd1770c8f01e3402af2bd5a558 |
By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 09:47 EST, 11 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:31 EST, 11 November 2012 . Rabbits braved a chilly start in Cambridgeshire this morning and starlings looked to be flying south for the winter in Scotland as much of the UK woke up to a blanket of frost this morning. These beautiful pictures show how a cold snap overnight turned the countryside white with temperatures turning bitterly cold. But despite the chill, autumn hasn't yet said a final farewell with water parting beautiful autumn leaves at Sourmilk Gill in Cumbria. And forecasters predict a fine outlook for the rest of the day. A walker watches the fast flowing water gushing down Sourmilk Gill near Buttermere, Cumbria . Large sections of the country will bask . in glorious sunshine today, with Met Office forecasters predicting clear . skies, but don't be fooled by the sun as temperatures will remain . chilly. Much of the country can expect similar scenes tomorrow morning with . temperatures expected to drop as low as 1C in urban areas overnight and below . freezing in rural areas. Isolated . showers are forecast in coastal areas in the west and in northern . Scotland, but elsewhere it should remain dry and bright with . temperatures peaking at 11C in some areas. Beautiful autumn scenes at Ferry Meadows, Cambridgeshire, as the sun rises on a chilly morning . Autumn made a late appearance in Hillsea, Hants . These ducks enjoyed bright skies over Hillsea, Hants . Clear skies will ensure that the temperature will drop quickly this evening particularly in central and eastern areas. By dawn tomorrow south west England, . western Scotland and Northern Ireland will see some rain in something of . an east west divide, with showers likely to be heavy in north westerly . areas. Through the day showers will gradually move eastwards and a southwesterly wind will increase. Temperatures are likely to stay between 7C and 12C with some southern spots hitting 13C. A cold start in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, as a rabbit runs through the frosty grass . Ice crystals hang from this fungi as temperatures plummeted overnight leaving a frosty start in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire this morning . These rabbits brave the cold early on Sunday morning . Sunday's weather . Monday's weather . Tuesday's weather . Tuesday could see heavy outbreaks of rain across Northern Ireland and some parts of Scotland. Elsewhere, there will be bright spells though it will be fairly breezy. Temperatures will be similar to tomorrow. The Met Office say that it will turn milder as the week goes on, but turn gloomier. Meanwhile, autumn made a late appearance in Hillsea, Hampshire, this morning with beautiful clear skies and autumnal colours reflected in the crystal waters. Much of the UK woke up to frosty scenes like this this morning. Today is expected to be a fine but chilly day . A murmuration of starlings put on an a display over the town of Gretna last night . Thousands of starlings flew in formation over the Scottish town . | A bright but cold day forecast for much of the UK today with more frost expected overnight . Monday will see an east/west divide with rain expected for parts of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland . | b03c1be879fad958aad9b908e8f676c69121a165 |
(CNN) -- One of the most memorable moments in the Democratic presidential primaries came last year when a debate moderator asked Joe Biden about his reputation for talking too much. Sen. Joe Biden credits his mother with teaching him to stand up for the little guy. The moderator asked Biden, who was described by the Los Angeles Times as a "gaffe machine," if he could reassure voters that he would have enough verbal discipline needed for the world stage. "Yes," Biden replied with a grin and a twinkle in his eyes. The moderator, NBC anchorman Brian Williams, waited for Biden to elaborate, but a still-grinning Biden said nothing more. Nervous titters spread through the crowd until the audience erupted in laughter. The Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama may be known for his eloquence. But Biden, his vice presidential running mate, can handle himself behind the podium as well. He is known for his ability to throw a verbal punch. Biden, often called the "scrappy kid from Scranton," Pennsylvania, once described as "bulls**t" and "malarkey" President Bush's alleged implication that Obama wanted to appease terrorists by talking to nations that Washington considers terrorist states. He delivered this savage putdown of former Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani: "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, a verb and 9/11." See Biden campaign photos » . Yet Biden's frankness can end up hurting him more than his intended target. During the Democratic presidential primaries, he was widely criticized for describing Obama as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean." More recently, Biden attracted attention for telling a crowd that Sen. Hillary Clinton "might have been a better pick" as Obama's running mate. Biden has weathered plenty of public bruises during his 36 years as a politician. But his private battles have been even more dramatic. See timeline of Biden's life » . Jeffrey Rosen, writing for The New Republic magazine, said Biden's willingness to mix it up comes from his working-class upbringing in Scranton during the 1950s. Biden's father managed a car dealership and lectured his son at the dinner table about the horrors of the Holocaust. His dad once quit his job when he saw his boss throw silver dollars on the floor and watched his employees scramble for them, Rosen said. Biden's mother taught her son to stand up for the little guy as well, Rosen said, before highlighting a passage from Biden's autobiography, "Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics." "The one thing my mother could not stand was meanness," Biden writes. "She once shipped my brother off with instructions to bloody the nose of a kid who was picking on smaller kids. Religious figures and authority figures got no exemption. They abuse their power, you bloody their nose." Biden took that pugnacious attitude into the political arena. After earning a law degree from Syracuse University, he won a Senate seat at age 29 representing Delaware in 1972 -- in a surprise victory. He eventually became the chairman of the powerful Judiciary and Foreign Relations committees, establishing himself as an authority on national security issues and the Supreme Court. In the 1980s, Biden led the Judiciary Committee through the explosive hearing for controversial conservative Judge Robert Bork. In 2005, one of Biden's distinctive moments on that committee came when he questioned Supreme Court chief justice nominee John Roberts during the confirmation hearings. Roberts, who would eventually sail through the hearings, had told committee members that he was not an ideologue but more like a judicial umpire who called balls and strikes. "As much as I respect your metaphor, it's not very apt, because you get to determine the strike zone," Biden told Roberts. Biden first ran for president in 1988 but dropped out after charges of plagiarism in a stump speech. He also ran for the Oval Office this year but dropped out after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses. He's serving his sixth congressional term, making him Delaware's longest-serving senator. Biden's private battles, though, have shaped him more profoundly than his political skirmishes. He overcame a stuttering problem as a child. In 1988, he had surgery for a brain aneurysm. A Roman Catholic, Biden carries a rosary and kept one under his pillow during brain surgery, according to People magazine. Watch Biden's sister describe how he fought his stuttering » . His most wrenching private struggle took place at the beginning of his political career in 1972. His first wife and infant daughter were killed in a car wreck. In an interview with CNN's Abbie Boudreau, Biden said he even considered quitting politics after the loss of his wife and daughter. Boudreau asked Biden to read a passage from his autobiography to explain how he moved on to marry his current spouse, Jill. Watch Biden's emotional reading from his book » . The passage recounts a moment when he asked his current wife, Jill, how she could marry him when she knew he had adored his first wife. "She didn't hesitate," Biden said, reading from his book. "That's the reason I can marry you. Anybody that can love that deeply once can do it again." Biden swallowed hard, cleared his throat and looked down after he read that passage. Then he looked up again, his eyes welling with tears. He told Boudreau that his wife "gave me permission to be me again." "I know that sounds corny," Biden said. "But she really did. ... She brought me back." Biden looked down again and said nothing more. For once, he was at a loss for words. | Los Angeles Times called Sen. Joe Biden a "gaffe machine" Biden's willingness to mix it up comes from his working-class upbringing . Biden described Bush charge about talking to "terrorists" as "bulls**t" Biden took on conservative Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, and won . | 4f8c35b627406cca6be577dfca4de1d0d0fca569 |
Home hunters spend less time deciding to buy a property than they do watching one episode of Coronation Street, a new study reveals. Research released today indicates we spend just 25 minutes and 30 seconds viewing a property before making a decision. This is almost five minutes less than it takes to watch one episode of the popular soap, including the advertisements. A lovely looking living room but almost three in ten homeowners (28 per cent) would be quick to buy the house it is in because they 'did not want to put off the vendor by spending too much time there' And this hasty decision could prove to be costly with the average UK home selling for £250,000 - meaning each minute we decide to part with £9,804. What's more, some of us are so eager to get the keys to a new home that we buy it before even seeing it for real, the study found. The new research, carried out by Barratt Homes, quizzed 2,000 Britons about how long it takes us to decide whether to buy a home or not. More than a quarter (27 per cent) of potential buyers felt 'pressure' from estate agents and 25 per cent were not sure how to arrange a second viewing . It found one in eight (13 per cent) purchased a property without even seeing it. Meanwhile, one in five house hunters (17 per cent) decided to buy within ten minutes or less. The study suggests we spend just seven and a half minutes more deciding on a new home than we do on a new pair of jeans. And it seems we allocate more time choosing which car to buy as it takes us 31 minutes to make that decision. The research comes as Barratt Homes released a new 21st Century Living: Heads, Hearts and Homes Report. It reveals the reasons why we are so quick to purchase a new property. Almost three in ten homeowners (28 per cent) were quick to buy because they 'did not want to put off the vendor by spending too much time there'. Home hunters spend less time deciding to buy a property than they do watching one episode of Coronation Street - with the adverts - (above), a new study reveals. More than a quarter (27 per cent) felt 'pressure' from estate agents and 25 per cent were not sure how to arrange a second viewing. One in ten (10 per cent) said they had a 'lack of time' and wanted to purchase the home there and then. The process leaves people feeling 'stressed' (five per cent) and 'worried' (four per cent). Mark Clare, the CEO of Barratt Developments, said: 'Purchasing a property, whether for the first time or the tenth time, is a major life investment. 'It is really important for the buyer to be 100 per cent happy and confident in their decision. 'But rushing this decision can and should be avoided. 'Considering a new build home is one way to do this - new build homes offer customers the opportunity to view a new property they're interested in as many times as they like, without feeling pressured or rushed.' Barratt Homes teamed up with the Social Issues Research Centre to gain further insight into the emotional factors affecting property buying. Kate Fox, the author of Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour, said: 'Given the deep emotional importance of the house in society, there is something very interesting about the disproportionately short amount of time - if any at all - that prospective buyers spend in a house before making the decision to buy. 'When we enter a person's home with the intention of buying it, it can seem strange and uncomfortable - like an imposition or invasion of privacy.' Even if you've spent less than half an hour picking out your home, make sure you put in the time and research to secure the best mortgage for you - don't just take the first one you see. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of options out there, so, as well as doing your own research, this is an occasion to search out expert opinion from a good mortgage broker. First, read Mail Online's award-winning money section This is Money's regularly updated What next for mortgage rates? This outlines the current state of the market and highlights the current best buy deals. Then also check the top mortgage deals on offer currently in our best buy mortgage tables, or click through by using our helpful table (right). You should now be armed with some knowledge about what is on offer and you can use our True cost mortgage calculator to compare how different deals stack up. You should also talk to a mortgage broker. There is no obligation to go through with their recommendation and so they may not end up actually arranging the mortgage for you, but they will be able to explain your options and help you to find the best deal. Go a broker who offers advice from the whole market. Avoid brokers who offer a restricted service based on products from a limited number of lenders, and don't just simply go to your bank - unless you get lucky, you will be unlikely to find the best deal this way . This is Money has a carefully chosen partnership with mortgage broker London and Country. We have picked them because they offer a good service, with no upfront fees. Find about more about London & Country's fee free mortgage advice here. Amy Andrew, This is Money . | Average UK home sells for £250,000 - each minute deciding costs £9,804 . One in eight (13%) purchased a property without even seeing it . 28% 'did not want to put off the vendor by spending too much time there' 17% decided to buy the house within ten minutes or less of arriving . | 7820495ea05c35663533faca1ed95e3d31443645 |
By . Sean O'hare . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 26 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:58 EST, 26 November 2012 . Wrapping up warm can be a little difficult when you’ve lost your coat. Luckily, Lily the Shar Pei has a carer who doesn’t mind improvising. So when she goes out walkies Lily always wears a onesie. The snuggly all-in-one suit is the . best way to keep the dog warm after an infection and a bout of mange . left her bald and with skin so painful she could hardly bear to be . touched. Earning her stripes: Lily, a three-year-old Shar Pei rescue dog needs to wear a onesie to stay warm after losing her fur . Anne Rees, the RSPCA foster carer who is looking after . three-year-old Lily, said the small adult-sized onesie, complete with . tiger stripes, was the perfect solution. ‘Lily’s condition means she can get a . bit cold, but she still needs plenty of exercise, which can be tricky in . cold weather,’ she said. ‘The onesie is a really good fit for her, and . it keeps her warm when we’re outside. She loves wearing it and all the fuss she gets. ‘It does confuse people and other . dogs. We were out walking last week and a little spaniel looked at her . but obviously thought: “I better not take a tiger on.” ’ Snug and warm: Lily the hairless Shar Pei in her tiger onesie with her 'foster mum' Ann Rees . Lily was taken . to the RSPCA in Worcester two weeks ago after her owner abandoned her . because of the expense of treating her condition. The poor dog suffers from mange and a bacterial skin infection, which is being treated, but she will take time to recover from. But that doesn’t stop hairless Lily - who loves her new outfit costing £12 from Primark - from enjoying long walks and days out around Worcester town centre. Lily was cared for at RSPCA Worcestershire & Mid-Worcestershire branch after she was abandoned there by an owner who couldn’t afford to treat her condition. The Shar Pei is now in the care of Anne, who fosters dogs, and has been looking after her. Naked: a combination of mange and a rare bacterial skin infection mean that Lily has lost almost all of her hair, making winter walks a touch chilly . Wrapped up and ready for walkies: Lily in her Primark tiger onesie that gives other dogs plenty to think about . Anne, 50, who works from home as a typist, said: ''She has been suffering with mange and a . bacterial skin infection which, together, have left her almost totally . bald, with skin that smelled really bad and was so sore and burning hot . that she couldn’t bear to be touched. 'But she has special baths and treatment to help that infection - and she’s now well on the way to recovery. 'Wherever we go she creates interest. Not many people know her breed,especially when she’s dressed up as a tiger. 'When . she doesn’t have the onesie on, her bald skin makes her look a bit like . a pig, so I think she’d probably rather be mistaken for a tiger. 'Every . time we go for a walk, people stop us asking what breed she is or what . the problem is with her or just to give her a stroke as they think she’s . so lovely. 'She’s gorgeous and has stolen my heart, as well as those who’ve met her.” On the prowl: Lily and owner Ann Rees on their daily walk around Worcester town centre where they attract plenty of curious looks . A spokesperson for RSPCA Worcester said: 'Lily came into our care two weeks ago, totally bald and with very sore pink skin, from an infection, which has been left untreated for a long time. 'Poor Lily is only three years old and has already had four litters of puppies. She will need a lot of love and care. 'We are seeking public donations to help fund Lily’s ongoing veterinary treatment. She is a lovely affectionate dog, with a sweet nature.' The Worcester & Mid-Worcestershire Branch of the RSPCA need to raise £1 million to build a local branch rescue and re-homing centre, to provide 20 kennels, 20 cat pens and 20 rabbit pods. Winter coat: Lily is slowly recovering from her skin condition thanks to special baths and treatment. Until she makes a full recovery she will continue to dress as a tiger . | Rare skin infection has caused the Shar Pei to lose her hair . She was dumped by first owner who couldn't afford her treatment . | 2572279800d0bbd71d086940e449da2008f2a4f4 |
Growing problem: The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has drawn up an action plan in response to worrying obesity rates in the UK (posed by a model) Doctors today demanded a 20 per cent tax on fizzy drinks and a ban on fast-food outlets near schools to tackle Britain’s obesity problem. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has drawn up an action plan in response to the UK’s current status as the fat man of Europe. Among the proposals is an experimental 20 per cent tax on sugary soft drinks, like that in operation in parts of the US, for at least a year. The potential annual yield of £1billion could help fund weight management programmes, the academy said. It added that councils should limit the number of fast food outlets allowed to operate near schools, colleges, leisure centres and other places where children gather. Another recommendation was that hospitals get rid of vending machines selling unhealthy products on their premises. The academy said it is ‘perplexing’ to find canteens in hospitals selling unhealthy dishes, and ‘even more astonishing that in many hospital receptions patients pass by high street fast food franchises or vending machines selling confectionary, drinks and crisps’. New parents, the organisation continues, should be taught by health experts how to feed their children properly, to avoid them getting hooked on sweet or fatty foods while still very young. In addition, NHS staff should routinely talk to overweight patients about their eating and exercise habits at every appointment under a policy of ‘making every contact count’. The academy, which effectively speaks for the entire medical profession, said urgent action is needed from ministers, the NHS, councils and food producers to break the cycle of ‘generation after generation falling victim to obesity-related illnesses and death’. Its report says doctors are ‘united in seeing the epidemic of obesity as the greatest public health crisis facing the UK’. Plans: The academy has come up with a number of recommendations, including that hospitals should get rid of vending machines selling unhealthy products on their premises and that councils should limit the number of fast food outlets near schools . Its members criticised attempts by successive governments to solve the problem as ‘piecemeal and disappointingly ineffective’. The academy proposals follow a year-long inquiry into the country’s spiralling weight crisis. One in four adults in England is obese, and figures are predicted to rise to 60 per cent of men, half of women and a quarter of children by 2050. The academy recommends that the NHS spends at least £300million over the next three years to tackle a serious shortage in weight-management programmes, so more patients can be helped ‘in a supportive and sensitive manner’. Academy chairman Professor Terence Stephenson said the report did not claim to offer a full solution to the obesity epidemic, but ‘it does say we need together to do more, starting right now, before the problem becomes worse and the NHS can no longer cope’. The report claims it contains measures that ‘society as a whole needs to take to prevent the obesity crisis becoming unresolvable’. It adds: ‘Just as the challenges of persuading society that the deeply embedded habit of smoking was against its better interests, changing how we eat and exercise is now a matter of necessity.’ The academy’s guidelines will be announced in full today. | Academy of Medical Royal Colleges called for urgent action to tackle problem . Proposals include experimental 20 per cent tax on sugary soft drinks . Also said hospitals should get rid of vending machines selling unhealthy food . | a5bd6cd23e7940ff497c8b9a51b559540f8baea3 |
(CNN) -- Bubbly water and politics haven't mixed well for Hollywood actor Scarlett Johansson. After recovering from a kerfuffle over a Super Bowl ad she appears in, she suffered a painful blow over it Thursday. Her starring role in the campaign for a machine that puts the fizz into water and soft drinks cost her her starring role as the public face of the charity Oxfam. Although she officially resigned, the poverty-fighting organization says her representation of the company that makes the machines is a conflict of interests. Oxfam and human rights activists accuse Israeli company SodaStream of manufacturing its product in Jewish settlements in the impoverished Palestinian territories. They view this as an exploitation of Palestinians and their resources. "Oxfam believes that businesses, such as SodaStream, that operate in settlements further the ongoing poverty and denial of rights of the Palestinian communities that we work to support," the poverty fighters said in a prepared statement. "Oxfam is opposed to all trade from Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law." On its website, the company says it manufactures on the West Bank, as well as in Israel, Germany, Sweden, the United States, Australia, South Africa and China. Calls to SodaStream's headquarters were not answered Thursday. It touts its products as ecologically friendly, as they help consumers avoid buying plastic soda bottles. Johansson has been nominated for at least three Golden Globes and currently stars as the voice of a computer app in the popular feature film "Her," according to her IMDb profile. She also has Jewish roots. For eight years, Johansson publicly advanced Oxfam's work for survivors of calamities from Sri Lanka to the Philippines. Oxfam thanked her for her service. The previous snag Johansson hit with the ad came from television network Fox, but was quickly fixed. Fox, which will broadcast the Super Bowl on Sunday, nixed Johansson's ad, which was slotted to run during the sporting mega-event. In it, Johansson dissed competitors Coke and Pepsi, which left Fox feeling uncomfortable. SodaStream made sure the mention quickly hit the cutting room floor for the Super Bowl version, but it has retained the jab in its online version of the ad. CNN's Aaron Smith contributed to this report. | Johansson stars in an ad for soda machine maker SodaStream . Oxfam accuses SodaStream of manufacturing in Jewish settlements on the West Bank . The company says it manufactures on the West Bank . Johansson's Super Bowl ad for SodaStream hit a previous snag with Fox network . | 8270cf78d0ec3977a96e9a99e15e8dbfa278dab8 |
But Jennifer's mother, Nancy Dow, allegedly heard the news via the press . By . Sarah Fitzmaurice and Nadia Mendoza . PUBLISHED: . 11:34 EST, 13 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:10 EST, 14 August 2012 . He told an US gossip site that he had no knowledge of Justin Theroux's proposal to his daughter Jennifer Aniston. But now it appears that John Aniston was simply trying to play dumb to avoid spilling any details. A spokesperson for Jennifer told MailOnline: 'John did know about the engagement but did not know when we would go public with the information so when he was caught off guard on the phone he did not want to be tricked into giving out any information that was not cleared by Jennifer and Justin.' As news broke Celebbuzz.com asked the Days of Our Lives actor, 79, his thoughts on the proposal. He has Jen's best interests at heart: John Aniston claimed he didn't know anything about his daughter's engagement to Justin Theroux but he was simply playing dumb . John said: . 'It’s the first I’ve heard about it. It’s a surprise to me. I’ll have to . look online. When I find out more, I guess I’ll tell you!' When it was explained that Theroux . proposed to Jennifer on his birthday while they were on the set of her . new film We're the Millers on August 10, Jon didn't reveal he knew about the proposal and said: 'It sounds very . romantic.' The American soap star has described Theroux as a 'charming young man', and . gave his seal of approval saying, 'I think they make a wonderful . couple.' Meanwhile, Radar Online are reporting that Jen's mother, Nancy Dow, only heard about her daughter's good news when it was confirmed to the press. Good relationship: The veteran actor, 79 approves of Justin, seen here with the actor in February as the pair supported Jen at an event . Engaged! Jennifer Aniston agreed to marry Justin Theroux on his 41st birthday last Friday . Starter marriage: Brad Pitt with Jennifer in September 2004 - four months before they split after five years of marriage . Mother and daughter became estranged after Nancy penned a tell all memoir in 1999 but started to reconcile after Jennifer's 2005 split from Brad Pitt. She and Justin visited her mother in hospital last year after she suffered a stroke, and despite hearing the news second hand, Nancy is said to whole-heartedly approve. The happy news that the . Friends actress and her actor/director beau sealed the deal on Friday, . after the 41-year-old popped the question during his birthday . celebrations, broke over the weekend. His spokesperson confirmed to People: . 'Justin Theroux had an amazing birthday on Friday, receiving an . extraordinary gift when his girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston, accepted his . proposal of marriage.' 'They're great friends,' the spokesperson added - a cheeky reference to the sitcom that made Aniston famous in the Nineties. The engagement news comes on the weekend rumours swirled that Jennifer's ex-husband Brad Pitt set to be marry Angelina, his partner of seven years and the mother of his six children, at their French home. Their romance was infamously shrouded in whispers that they embarked on a relationship while Brad was still married to Jennifer - having met on the set of Mr & Mrs Smith in 2004. However, as news of the wedding has still not been confirmed and insiders are claiming that next weekend is 'a far more likely date', Jennifer and Justin have stolen their thunder. The couple, who have been dating for more than a year, were first seen together in May 2011. Just two months later, Jen placed her . Beverly Hills mansion on the market for $38m, before buying a palatial . LA Bel-Air home with Justin in January of this year - for a reported . $22m. Vacation: Jennifer and Justin Theroux took a romantic summer trip to Europe, heading to Paris and Rome . Jennifer and Justin . both starred in Wanderlust together, a comedy flop with Paul Rudd about a . modern New York couple trying to escape society by moving to a commune . in Georgia. Fans will be elated for Jennifer, as the Los Angeles native was largely considered to be unlucky-in-love. Following . her four and a half year marriage to Pitt, which saw them separate in . January 2005, she endured a string of fling flops. End of an era: Justin reportedly 'dumped' Heidi Bivens, his girlfriend of 14 years, to be with Jennifer . Aniston was seen on the arm of The Break-Up co-star Vince Vaughn soon after, before moving on to British model Paul Sculfor for a few months in 2007 and later had an on/off romance with John Mayer. Meanwhile, Theroux fell under the . microscope during his courting of Aniston - as he broke up with his . long-term girlfriend of 14 years, Heidi Bivens. The well-respected fashion stylist, who has worked at Details and Vogue, was said to be 'blindsided' by his actions. Love match; The couple met on the set of Wanderlust . However, she seems to be moving on, . having been hired for costume designer duties on the new Selena Gomez . and Vanessa Hudgens film Spring Breakers. But it seems Jennifer certainly made . Justin sweat, reportedly turning down his initial proposal in June . during a romantic European jaunt in Paris and Rome. And in an interview with GQ Spain, she said she no longer strives for the perfect life as it's 'cliché'. Asked if it bothers her that her . personal life is under constant scrutiny, she said: 'A perfect life? I . think that’s sort of cliché, isn’t it? 'Like, if you want to be happy, you should have the house, the husband, the kid... Kids are messy!' Exes: (L-R) Jennifer dated John Mayer in 2008-2009, Tate Donovan in the mid '90s and Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz in 1995 . 'Defibrillator': Jennifer praised Vince Vaughn for 'bringing me back to life' after her gruelling divorce . 2008 - On/off one year romance with singer John Mayer for year. They briefly split from August to October 2008 when he held a press conference to announce he ended it because 'something's not right . 2007 - Enjoyed a brief fling with Essex builder-turned-model Paul Sculfor . 2005 - 2006: Fell for Vince Vaughn on the set of The Break-Up. She later referred to the actor as 'my defibrillator... He literally brought me back to life' after her divorce. 1998 - 2005: After being introduced by their agents, Jennifer and Brad dated for two years before marrying in a star-studded ceremony in July 2000. They announced their split in January 2005, with Brad being photographed with rumoured other woman Angelina Jolie in April of that year. 1995 - 1998: Dated The O.C. actor Tate Donovan for three years. 1995: Briefly dated Counting Crows frontman Adam Durtiz, who rather awkwardly went on to date her Friends co-star and close friend Courteney Cox. 1990-1991: Before finding fame in Friends, Jennifer dated Charlie Schlatter - who famously starred alongside Kylie Minogue in The Delinquents . | But Jennifer's mother, Nancy Dow, allegedly heard the news via the press . | 7a2a002569bd8a0985509be823de37a89c122c89 |
(CNN) -- Hamas is an Islamic fundamentalist organization whose military wing has admitted responsibility for terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers. Hamas supporters wave flags and shout slogans in Gaza on December 14 to mark the group's 21st anniversary. The group came into being in December 1987, growing out of the Muslim Brotherhood, the religious and political organization founded in Egypt. Its goal is an Islamic fundamentalist Palestinian state. It is considered a terrorist organizations by Israel and the United States. Hamas is an acronym for "Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamia" or Islamic Resistance Movement, in English. The group was primarily a religious and charitable organization between the 1960s and 1980s. It has wings devoted to religious, military, political and security activities. Hamas has an annual budget of $70 million, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. It gets financial support from expatriate Palestinians, private donors in the Middle East, Muslim charities in the West, and Iran. Here are some notable events in its 21-year history: . 1988 - The covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement is published. The group presents itself as an alternative to the PLO. 1989 - An Israeli court convicts Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin of ordering Hamas members to kidnap and kill two Israeli soldiers. April 1994 - Hamas orchestrates its first suicide bombing. Five are killed in the Israeli city of Hedera. February to March 1996 - The Palestinian Authority cracks down on Hamas, after a series of Hamas-orchestrated suicide bombings in Israel kill more than 50 people. Palestinian President Yasser Arafat condemns the bombings, referring to them as "a terrorist operation." Later, the PNA arrests approximately 140 suspected Hamas members. 1997 - Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is released from prison. 1999 - King Abdullah of Jordan closes down Hamas headquarters in Jordan. 2001 - The U.S. State Department lists Hamas on its official list of terrorist groups. June 12, 2003 - A suicide bomber disguised as an ultra-orthodox Jew detonates himself on a Jerusalem bus, killing 16 Israelis. Hamas claims responsibility. August 20, 2003 - A suicide bomber detonates himself on a bus killing at least 20 Israelis. Hamas and Islamic Jihad claim responsibility. January 2004 - The first Hamas female suicide bomber kills four Israelis at Erez crossing in a joint operation with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. March 14, 2004 - Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claim responsibility for a double attack at the Israeli port of Ashdod that kills 10 Israelis. March 22, 2004 - Hamas leader Yassin is killed by Israeli air strikes. March 23, 2004 - Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantisi is named as Yassin's successor. April 17, 2004 - Rantisi is killed by an Israeli air strike on his car. August 31, 2004 - The Islamic militant group Hamas claims responsibility for deadly simultaneous explosions on two buses in the southern Israeli city of Beer Sheva that killed at least 14 people and wounding more than 80. September 26, 2004 - A leading member of Hamas, Izz Eldin Subhi Sheikh Khalil, is killed by a car bomb as he leaves his home in Damascus, Syria. December 12, 2004 - An attack at a checkpoint on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt kills five Israelis. Hamas claims responsibility. January 14, 2005 - A bomb at the Karni crossing at the Israel-Gaza border kills six Israelis. Hamas claims responsibility. January 25, 2006 - Hamas, running as the "Change and Reform Party," participates for the first time in Palestinian parliamentary elections. The group is fielding 62 candidates. January 26, 2006 - Hamas wins a landslide victory in the Palestinian legislative elections. Hamas wins 76 seats, and Fatah 43 seats in the 132-seat Palestinian Legislative Council, giving Hamas a majority. March 29, 2006 - The new Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya, and his cabinet are sworn in. The governments of the United States and Canada say they will have no contact with the Hamas-led Palestinian government. June 25, 2006 - Hamas militants attack an Israeli military post and kill two soldiers. A third, Gilad Shalit, is kidnapped. The Palestinian government denies any knowledge of the attack. Early June 2007 - After a week of battles between Hamas and Fatah, Hamas seizes control of Gaza. Read a profile of Gaza . June 14, 2007 - Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas dissolves the government and dismisses Ismail Haniya as Prime Minister. Haniya rejects this and remains the de facto leader in Gaza. April 18-19, 2008 - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter meets with exiled Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal, in Damascus, Syria. June 2008 - Cease-fire truce between Hamas and Israel negotiated by Egypt goes into effect. Hamas agrees to stop firing rockets at Israeli border communities and Israel will allow limited trade into and out of Gaza. The cease-fire has a six-month deadline. December 19, 2008 - Hamas formally ends cease-fire with Israel. Attacks between the two had continued the entire time to some degree, escalating more in November. From December 24, 2008 - The rocket attacks from Hamas increase and so do the retaliation air strikes from Israel. See photos of Gaza in crisis » . | Military wing of Hamas has admitted terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, soldiers . Hamas is considered terrorist organizations by Israel and the United States . It has wings devoted to religious, military, political and security activities . | 8f704c7d55b3627a07496e96377199f961cf2c75 |
(CNN) -- On Wednesday, Gov. Nathan Deal signed Georgia's Safe Carry Protection Act into law. Many gun proponents love House Bill 60, but it will create unintended problems for law enforcement, local governments and the citizens they serve. Although changes in the state's gun laws were meant to strike a balance between the rights of gun owners and the government's interest in protecting its citizens, unintended consequences may follow that don't make anybody safe. Picture this: It's a pleasant summer day. The kids are out of school, and you've decided to take them to the local park. You're sitting on a park bench in the shade, watching them play, when you suddenly notice a man dressed in a heavy winter coat approaching the playground. As he scurries past you, you notice a handgun strapped around his waistband. Alarmed? You should be. Who is this man, and why is he armed at your children's playground? Concerned enough to call the local police? Not a bad idea, but here is the problem. Starting July 1, law enforcement in Georgia will not be able do much for you. As a matter of fact, they could get sued if they detain the man you called about and ask him whether he has a valid weapons carry license. That's because, under Georgia's revised Safe Carry Protection Act, it is prohibited for police to detain someone for the purpose of checking for a license. So much for safe. But wait, it gets better. Worried about convicted felons toting guns? Rest assured, convicted felons are still prohibited from possessing firearms in Georgia -- except in the act of self-defense. But, you might ask, don't you have to possess a firearm first in order to be able to use it in self-defense? Correct. So, what kind of sense does that make? It doesn't. It encourages gun ownership and use by convicted felons. Think about it. All they have to do now is claim "self-defense." Feeling safer already? Finally, Georgia's revised Safe Carry Protection Act may also cost you more money. Before this law, cities could simply prohibit firearms or any other weapons in government buildings by posting a sign; now, they can do so only by screening entrances into the government building with security personnel. And guess who ends up paying for that? That's right, the taxpayer. And if the police officer is sued for asking to see a gun carry permit, who will pay for his or her defense? It will be up to the municipality, using taxpayer funds. But not only does it cost us more, it also has a chilling effect on open government. Many citizens might feel discouraged from visiting their local government offices, knowing that they are now subject to being screened. While these revisions certainly favor the rights of gun owners, they create dilemmas for local law enforcement and government. As a police chief, my main concern is the safety our residents. As police, we have taken an oath to protect and serve, and this new law doesn't help us. | Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed Safe Carry Protection Act . Warren Summers says police can't ask suspicious person with gun to show permit . Convicted felons can't have firearms, he says, unless they claim self-defense . Summers: The law will cost taxpayers and make it hard for police to keep people safe . | bdb94f1f12cba66fc8eeea24c979de039c490097 |
A massive surge in immigration is driving the need for at least 42,000 new homes a year to be built in London, a report warned yesterday. A damning dossier accused London Mayor Boris Johnson of ‘entirely misrepresenting’ the reason for the capital’s relentlessly rising population – a trend which will lead to unprecedented housing development. But a predicted increase of a million foreigners over the next 15 years must be matched by the same number of Londoners being ‘driven’ out of the metropolis, or the ambitious target will be doomed to failure because there will still be too few homes, it warned. Migrationwatch UK, the immigration think-tank which published the report, said it was ‘sheer nonsense’ for the Greater London Authority’s to claim that the predicted population boom would be caused by natural growth from the city’s ‘youthful population’. Scroll down for video . A migrant camp in Calais, France. The coastal town is a hub for many trying to make their way into Britain . Between 1991 and 2011, the UK-born population of London was static at 5.2million while foreign-born residents doubled to 3million – a total population of around 8.2million. It is projected to increase to 10million by 2029, overwhelmingly driven by the arrival of 1.1million immigrants and births to existing and future foreign families, says the report. In 2012, only one-third of births were to parents who were both UK-born, it said. Migrationwatch UK said this would place further huge demand on the city’s housing stock, which is already struggling to cope with its rapidly swelling population. Housing supply has not kept pace with the number of residents living in London meaning waiting lists for social housing have doubled since 2000, private rents soared to more than £1,400 a month and property prices soared to an average price of £514,000 – around nine-times median earnings. Critics have recently said the cost of buying or renting a property in the capital is being pushed ‘beyond the boundary’ of what is affordable. To tackle the problem, Mr Johnson has pledged to double the number of homes being built to 42,000, by freeing up brownfield sites, converting existing properties into flats or building on the green belt. But in its 20-page report, ‘The Demand For Housing In London’, Migrationwatch UK said the target was ‘optimistic’. A new report has accused London Mayor Boris Johnson (pictured) of misrepresenting the reason for the capital's rising population . Achieving this number was dependent on around 1million Londoners leaving the capital for other parts of the country. Many are middle-class families who are pushed out because they cannot afford a house in London and can find cheaper homes in other places with better schools, hospitals and transport, and less crime. Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said: ‘London’s huge population increase in the last two decades has been driven solely by immigration and the same will apply over the next 15 years. ‘City Hall has been less than frank about what is going on. The general public have no idea of the extent to which immigration is driving the city’s housing crisis and causing Londoners to leave. Sir Andrew Green (pictured), chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said London's huge population increases have been driven solely by immigration . ‘The business lobby seem to have a lofty disregard for the lives of ordinary Londoners. It is ludicrous for them to suggest that London needs immigrants on anything like the present scale. ‘The inevitable effect is massive pressure on schools and hospitals and, especially, on housing. London needs skilled migration, not mass migration.’ He added: ‘Those who promote the idea of an international city effectively free of constraints on immigration seem to be blind to the implications for the existing population of London. ‘They should be clear that the result will be more Londoners forced to leave the city and find somewhere else to live. Are they content with that outcome?’ Concerns about the impact of migration have increased since Tony Blair introduced an effectively open-door immigration policy after the 1997 election, affecting the social make-up of cities, unemployment and pressure on housing and services. Net migration remains stubbornly high at more than 200,000 a year, mainly due to EU immigration. Critics have warned it means David Cameron's promise to reduce net migration to tens of thousands, the levels of the 1990s, will be virtually impossible to achieve. In a joint statement, Labour MP Frank Field and Tory grandee Sir Nicholas Soames MP, who co-chair the cross-party group Balanced Migration, said: ‘Just as the Scottish referendum has blown open the British constitution, so has this latest report on housing needs blown open the debate on immigration. The report shows London’s housing stock is creaking.’ | A predicted increase of a million foreigners must be matched by new builds . Report accuses Boris Johnson of misrepresenting reason for capital's boom . Group says attributing population boom to natural growth was 'nonsense' | dbfc53e733789a89030d415e3aa12ea881b7f31f |
By . Wills Robinson . Netflix has signed a deal with three small cable-providers in the US to become a regular TV channel. The agreements with Atlantic Broadband, RCN Telecom Services and Grande Communications gives the internet streaming site's subscription service a channel on TiVo boxes that the companies provide their customers. It will debut on Atlantic and RCN on Monday and then will expand on to Grande's service by end of next month. Breakthrough: The online streming service has signed a deal with three small cable providers, giving it a TiVo channel . Collectively, the three services have around 820,000 subscribers scattered through nine states and Washington D.C. Although it is a small fraction of the market, the deals represent another milestone for Netflix as it tries to make its Internet video service more like premium channels such as HBO and Showtime. The online streaming service has already been included on digital and satellite boxes in the UK, Denmark and Sweden, but has not been able to make similar inroads in the US until now. The company's nearly 36 million U.S. subscribers typically have to buy a separate device, such as games console or a specific device, if they want to stream video on to their TVs. That method usually requires a separate remote and an additional step to change to a different TV input. Now, Netflix will be like any other . channel on the cable-TV dial, but will rely on a high-speed . Internet connection to deliver its video. 'We . think this signals a new generation of cable-TV service of offerings,' said David Isenberg, Atlantic's chief marketing and strategy officer. 'It's a watershed moment.' He . likened what Netflix is doing for Internet video to what HBO did for . cable-TV when that service began transmitting through satellites in the . early 1970s. Popular: The site, which has been responsible for dramas such as House of Cards, has around 36million subscribers in the US . Netflix has been striving to become more HBO-like since it expanded upon its DVD-by-mail service and began offering Internet streaming seven years ago. In the past two years, the Los Gatos, California, company has been featuring more original programming, such as the critically acclaimed House of Cards and Orange Is The New Black to persuade more U.S. subscribers to pay $8 per month for its service. To help pay for its rising programming costs, Netflix plans to raise its prices by $1 or $2 by July. The higher tariff will initially only impact new customers. HBO, which is owned by Time Warner, views Netflix as such a threat that it has steadfastly refused to licenses its old TV shows, such as The Sopranos and The Wire, to the internet video service. Those HBO shows instead will be streamed through a rival Internet video service offered through Amazon.com Inc.'s Prime shipping service as part of deal announced earlier this week. 'HBO fears Netflix's growing industry power,' BTIG Research analyst Richard Greenfield wrote in a Thursday blog post. Competition: With original programmes such as Orange Is The New Black, Netlix is trying to rival premium streaming services such as those used by HBO . 'We suspect HBO wanted to balance Netflix's growing media industry hegemony by helping to bolster their largest direct-to-consumer competitor — Amazon.' Unlike their partnerships with HBO and Showtime, the cable-TV providers aren't offering a Netflix subscription as part of their bundled packages. People will still have to open a Netflix account through the company's website or mobile application, although Atlantic is trying to make that process easier by offering a way to sign up on the TV screen. Netflix is still hoping to be added to the programming lineup of a major cable-TV service. It seems unlikely that Netflix will make its way onto a cable box offered by the biggest service, Comcast Corp any time soon. The relationship between the two companies has grown frosty because Netflix is opposing Comcast's proposed $45 billion purchase of another major cable-TV service, Time Warner Cable Inc. | Internet streamers have made agreement with Atlantic Broadband . Breakthrough acknowledges growing popularity of online television . Site has already made inroads into UK, Danish and Swedish markets . U.S. has nearly 36million subscribers, who have to use separate devices . | cba62f8fdef70f19261ee130c3cb89080ec84f28 |
The Caterham Formula One team have made 230 staff redundant while still planning to race in next weekend's Abu Dhabi season-ender, an administrator said on Sunday. Finbarr O'Connell told Reuters that the team, who went into administration last month, would take 40 people to the Yas Marina circuit with their expenses paid with money raised through a crowd-funding initiative. Caterham raised £1.92 million of a targeted £2.35 million by last Friday, with the deadline reset to midnight on Sunday week, but still face an uncertain future. The cash-strapped team claim they will now compete at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi . Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson recently terminated his contract with financially stricken Caterham . O'Connell said the redundancies had come at the request of a majority of the staff who had wanted to start a formal claims process that takes at least a month before any payments are made, if the team is not sold. 'We are going to Abu Dhabi, racing and talking to potential buyers with meetings already arranged out there," he said. 'The second track is that at the same time the claims forms will be up and running. 'A best outcome could be for staff to get redundancy, arrears of pay and then if someone comes along (and buys the team) they would get paid again,' he said. Cash-strapped Caterham went into administration in October and are fighting to make the Abu Dhabi GP . O'Connell acknowledged he was in a 'race against time' but there were four or five interested parties with the necessary funds, including one that would be a 'phenomenal opportunity' if it happened. The staff at the Leafield factory in central England have not been paid since the end of September and have worked without pay for the past seven weeks in a bid to keep the team alive. Rivals Marussia, who also went into administration last month, have ceased trading with some 200 staff made redundant. Both teams missed the last U.S. and Brazilian Grands Prix, leaving a grid of just nine teams and 18 cars. O'Connell said he had first discussed redundancy with the Caterham staff last month after they were 'effectively abandoned' by entry holders 1MRT, founded by Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes. 'They were very supportive but asked would I agree, if the team was not sold by Friday, to organise them to be made redundant," he added. The administrator said only about 17 of the 230 had not wanted to be made redundant and they were not members of the race team. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Caterham Formula One will take 40 people to the Yas Marina circuit with their expenses paid with money raised through a crowd-funding initiative . Caterham raised £1.92 million of a targeted £2.35 million by last Friday . The staff at the Leafield factory in central England have not been paid since the end of September and have worked without pay for the past seven weeks in a bid to keep the team alive. | 35882124d0384c5a21f2b69e6496d712293b416b |
A super-fit mum has come under fire for 'fat-shaming' women - after she posted a picture of her six-pack on Instagram. Fitness fanatic, Abby Pell, 33, from East Grinstead, East Sussex, thought she was helping encourage others to lose post-pregnancy weight when she shared the picture of her posing with her daughter. She included the message 'I have a kid, a six pack and no excuse.' Scroll down for video . Abby Pell posted this picture of her and her six-year-old daughter Bella on Instagram and was met by a barrage of abuse accusing the mother-of-one of fat shaming . But instead of support, the mum-of-one was branded 'shameless' by scores of people and met with abuse from her followers. One web user wrote: 'This is so demeaning - I bet she doesn't have to work for a living.' Another added: 'This is fat shaming, pure and simple. Exploiting your motherhood to show off is despicable and shameless.' Dedicated mum Abby manages to juggle motherhood and running her own nutrition business while still hitting the gym up to six days a week. 'I was on the heavier side so I tried a range of weight loss plans like The Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet and just generally restricting my daily calorie allowance. 'But I would always end up so hungry I'd get to the point where I couldn't bear to starve myself any longer. Abby piled on the pounds while she was pregnant reaching 13st when she was pregnant with her daughter and has now slimmed down to 9st after she took up weight training . The personal trainer from East Sussex was shocked to be accused of 'fat-shaming' and says that she never meant to offend anyone with her photo . 'And as soon as I gave in the weight would go straight back on.' Abby turned to intense weight training taking just a year to sculpt her impressive abs, after she ballooned to 13 stone when she was pregnant with daughter Bella, now six, and struggled to lose shed the extra 50lb. 'I decided to have just one last push, so I started lifting weights, and I was astonished at the results that came so quickly. 'My bum was firmer, arms more defined and my abs were showing. 'Now going to the gym is where I have my 'me-time,' which all mums know they need.' Abby, who now weighs 9st and is a size eight, says she feels better now than before she was pregnant. The personal trainer was immensely proud of her achievements and naturally wanted to share success with her friends and family. Abby was aiming to inspire other mothers to shape up after pregnancy rather than anger them as she believes that having a child is no excuse for being inactive and overweight . Abby only put the picture of her flat stomach, complete with the offending caption, after her proud daughter told her that she looked like Wonder Woman. 'One day Bella said to me, 'You look like Wonder Woman, Mummy.' That's what gave me the idea for the Instagram picture.' Abby was expecting the picture to cause a stir but was stunned with the amount of negativity she received. 'I never meant to offend anyone - my life is better now that I'm in shape, so I hoped I could encourage others to do the same. Abby decided to put the image up after her daughter told her that she looked like Wonder Woman . 'It's a sorry state of affairs when someone's healthy passion is labelled abusive, whilst obesity, junk food marketing and laziness are all on the rise. You keep going.' Abby, who posts pictures on Twitter and Instagram under the name @SuperAbs, reckons that if just one person takes up her advice, it will be worth it. 'There were some positive messages congratulating me on working hard but they were mostly negative, criticising me for fat-shaming and adding pressure on mums to look fantastic. 'I'm not saying the nasty comments are jealousy, but it might be that these people are insecure in the way that they look.' The 33-year-old added that when it comes to shaping up too many people rely on dubious reasons not to. Abby believes that just because you're a mother that doesn't mean you should give up on fitness . 'Some people want to be able to make excuses and don't like it when an alternative body type is put in their face. 'Having a child is not a valid reason for being out of shape. Everybody can make excuses. I want to show that this figure is achievable. 'It doesn't matter if you're overweight, if you have a busy lifestyle and kids to look after - if you want to do it then there's always a way. 'Being a mum doesn't mean you have to give up.' Abby added that even people who are extremely fit don't have the perfect body. 'You can have stretch marks and a great figure - I'm so proud of my body and I want other people to be proud of their bodies too.' | Abby Pell, 33, posted a picture of her abs on Instagram to inspire others . Fitness fanatic was met by abuse with many accusing her of 'fat-shaming' Says her daughter thinks she looks like Wonder Woman . | 0c999be12fe73dfd332a7d0045d7b258006a1fa1 |
By . Annabel Fenwick Elliott . A new video offers a glimpse into Victoria Beckham's recent trip to South Africa, in support of the Born Free foundation - a charity aiming to eradicate the transmission of HIV from mother to child by 2015. During the trip, which was captured by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue, Mrs Beckham, 40, came to learn about a revolutionary pill for pregnant mothers infected with HIV, which has only been available for a few years. 'The fact that there is a tablet that a woman who is infected with HIV can take, that will mean that that baby will be born free of HIV - that's incredible,' she says in the Vogue video. Humanitarian: Mrs Beckham (pictured), shot by Annie Leibovitz for the May Issue of Vogue, was personally invited to collaborate by the magazine's editor, Anna Wintour . The fashion designer and mother of four - who was personally invited to collaborate by the magazine's editor, Anna Wintour - looks elegant and understated, dressed in a crisp white shirt and wearing soft, fresh make-up, with her glossy dark hair tied back into a sleek ponytail. The film also takes viewers behind the scenes of Vogue's photo story, starring statuesque Ethiopian-born model Liya Kebede and shot by legendary Ms Leibovitz. In the accompanying feature article on VOGUE.com, writer Jonathan Van Meter describes spending time with Mrs Beckham, who tells him it's been a long time since she has found a charity she really feels 'a connection' with. Spreading the joy: Stunning Ethiopian-born model, Liya Kebede (pictured in South Africa), starred in Vogue's accompanying shoot . Touching: The designer and mother-of-four describes her visit to the Tygerberg Hospital in Cape town (pictured) as 'very upsetting' but it also made her realize how 'truly blessed' she is with her own healthy family . Referring to the breakthrough pill, Mrs Beckham says: 'I had no idea that this pill existed, and because of these pills, we are now at a statistic of 97 per cent of babies born free of HIV. 'Obviously I am a woman and I am a mother, and this touched me.' Just recently, Mrs Beckham shared her photo diary from the 'life-changing' trip, which she described as 'powerful' and 'heart-wrenching'. Mommy and me: Mrs Beckham has also designed a mother-and-daughter set of dresses for Born Free (pictured left, the $220 design for mothers and right, the $120 design for children) Devoted mother: Mrs Beckham (pictured with daughter Harper, two) pointed out that it felt 'appropriate' that women in fashion, many of whom are mothers, should be lending support to the cause . 'The creative community has led the HIV/AIDS response for many years,' she says. 'It seems appropriate, when talking about mother-to-infant transmission, that women in fashion (many of whom are mothers) also lend their support,' before adding that she was 'honored' to contribute. Cover girl: Emma Stone graces this month's issue of Vogue . Mrs Beckham visited several hospitals on her trip, an experience she clearly found difficult. 'Seeing all of the sick children was very upsetting, and I realized how truly blessed I am for the health of my own children,' she says of sons Brooklyn, 14, Romeo, 11, Cruz, eight and daughter Harper, two. The Spice . Girl turned fashion designer also joined other A-Listers including . Ivanka Trump and Gisele Bundchen, as well as designer giants Versace, . Prada and Alexander McQueen, to name a few, to create a range of . mother-and-daughter dresses for Shopbop, in partnership with Born Free. The . relatively affordable collection includes a matching set of . pink printed dresses with pleated skirts, priced at $220 for the mother . version and $120 for the adorable daughter dress. On May 11 the organization will also hold . a Mother's Day Carnival in partnership with Vogue. The New York City . event will include performances by Ariana Grande and Idina Menzel, as . well as friendly baseball games with members of the New York Yankees, . and family portrait opportunities with a Vogue photographer. Tickets are . $2,500 for a family of five. Vogue's May issue, which is covered by actress Emma Stone, hits newsstands nationwide on April 29th. You can watch the full promotional video here. | Vogue was on hand to capture her 'life-changing' experience . The star also partnered with Born Free to design a matching mother-and-daughter set of dresses for Shopbop, on sale today . | 91d3901018dd476a5b3f2a06b30f9030c9e8ff58 |
Lionel Messi equalled Raul's Champions League record by reaching 71 goals in 90 games as Barcelona beat Ajax to reach the last 16. Playing against his old club, Luis Suarez is without a goal in his first three games for Barcelona but Messi's double at least meant the former Liverpool striker got his first win for his new club. Messi scored from Pedro's cross on 76 minutes to reach Raul's landmark and book Barca's place in the knockout stages. Lionel Messi heads into an empty net to give Barcelona the lead after Jasper Cillessen had come out but failed to clear the ball . Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen left his line but failed to collect the ball, leaving Messi to head Marc Bartra's cross into an empty net . Luis Suarez's pin-point cross finds Messi at the far post leaving the unfortunate Cillessen unable to cover . Argentine star Lionel Messi celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game, which took his tally to 70 Champions League goals . Messi is congratulated by Jordi Alba, Suarez and Neymar after moving within one goal of Raul's Champions League record . Ajax: Cillessen, Van Rhijn, Veltman, Moisander, Boilesen, Klaassen, Serero (Denswil 80), Andersen (Riedewald 72), El Ghazi, Sigthorsson (Milik 62), Schone. Subs Not Used: Boer, Kishna, Viergever, Zimling. Sent Off: Veltman (71). Booked: El Ghazi, Veltman, Moisander. Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Dani Alves (Adriano 83), Bartra, Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Rakitic (Rafinha 80), Busquets, Xavi, Suarez, Messi, Neymar (Pedro 74). Subs Not Used: Bravo, Pique, Douglas, Munir. Booked: Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Dani Alves. Goals: Messi 36, 76. Att: 52, 116 . Ref: Pedro Proenca (Portugal). Suarez's best opportunity to open his account came on the hour when Messi played him through. He had promised not to celebrate if he scored against his former club and the promise was not tested as Jasper Cillessen came out to save his shot. Gerard Pique was once again out in the cold this time not in the stands but on the bench as Luis Enrique paired Marc Bartra with Javier Mascherano. Xavi took his place in midfield to draw level with Iker Casillas on a record 144 Champions League games, but all eyes were on Suarez. The man who scored over 100 goals for Ajax in little more than 150 games, captained them to success in the Dutch Cup final in his final full season and played enough games in his last campaign – before moving to Liverpool in January 2011 – to earn a league winners medal has always enjoyed the unstinting support of the club's supporters even during what was a troubled last season at the club marred by a ban for biting Otman Bakkal. They cheered his name as the Barcelona team was read out and just hoped he would net score his first Barcelona goal against them. Barcelona's former player Marc Overmars, who is now Sporting Director at Ajax, described the Barcelona front three that Suarez now makes up with Messi and Neymar as 'a dream' before the game but this was the first time the fantastic three had finished the game with three points; albeit after a difficult first half. Neymar had the ball in the net on four minutes but his goal was ruled out for offside and it was the last we saw of Barcelona's attack for a while as Ajax domintated. Lucas Anderson picked up on a poor clearance from Dani Alves and shaved a post with his shot and Marc-Andre ter Stegen then had to turn Davy Klassen's shot away for a corner as Ajax had their first chances. Stegen's save and some timely interceptions from Jordi Alba and Mascherano were all that was keeping Ajax at bay. Suarez forced a corner to give Barcelona some much-needed respite but Ajax were laying siege to Barca's goal. Alba handled in the box and was lucky to escape without conceding a penalty. At the other end he forced a save from Cillessen but Ajax remained on top. The night gets worse for Frank de Boer's men when Joel Veltman is sent off for picking up two bookings . Former Santos forward Neymar holds off Anwar El Ghazi at The Amsterdam Arena on Wednesday night . Barcelona's Uruguayan forward Suarez leaps into the air to reach the ball during his side's clash with Ajax in Holland . Former Liverpool and West Ham midfielder Javier Mascherano fights for the ball with Kolbeinn Stigthorsson . Lasse Schone remonstrates with former Sevilla midfielder Ivan Raktic during the Champions League Group F match . They were furious when El Ghazi stayed down injured in the Barcelona area and the visitors played on and forced a free-kick at the other end. Messi took the kick and Cillessen saved brilliantly but seconds later he made the mistake that would cost Ajax the lead. He came for a 50-50 ball with Bartra, lost the race. The central defender crossed from the byline and Messi scored with a looping header. It was the most unusual of goals – a Messi header from a cross from a centre-half – but it calmed Barca's nerves in what had been a chaotic first half. And it was goal number 70 in 90 Champions League games that left him level with Cristiano Ronaldo and one short of Raul's record. Messi turned provider on the hour sliding a pass through for Suarez. It should have been his first goal for Barca. His first touch took him clear of the Ajax defence but Cillessen won the one-on-one and so there was no 'no-celebration' from the Uruguayan who had promised to respect his former supporters. Arkadiusz Milik headed against the post as Ajax pushed for the equalizer but they were reduced to ten men when Joel Veltman was sent off for a second bookable offence and as Barca poured forward wth the extra man Messi got his historic goal. Suarez promised not to celebrate against his old club, but that promise wasn't tested after he missed his one-on-one . Dutch winger El Ghazi, who is only 19-years-old, tries to shake off the attention of Spanish full back Jordi Alba . Messi takes a free-kick during the first half, Durhc keeper Cillessen dived to his right to bat it away . The result will calm talk of crisis at the Nou Camp. Suarez will hope he gets off the mark soon after another frustrating night in front of goal. There were at least signs in the second half when he played more centrally and Messi tucked in behind him that things are beginning to click. Enrique still has problems, with Alves below par at right-back and Pique an unused substitute. But he also has Messi. The Argentine had a quiet first half hour as Barca suffered but when he came alive he killed the game. And at just 27 years of age has leveled with Raul – the only difference being that it has taken him 90 games and not 142 as it did the Spaniard. 'Messi is the best player I have seen in my life' said Enrique after his double. He added: 'We were better in the second half. We always tried to win the ball back as far from our goal as possible and we were able to do that better after the break. 'It's important qualify with two games left. We have to improve we know that much but I have no complaints about the attitude of my players.' Barcelona's talented front three of Suarez, Messi and Neymar discuss their plan for a free-kick . Ajax's players defend frantically while Neymar and Messi try to pick up the loose ball in the box . Niklas Moisander reacts angrily to a decision by referee Pedro Proenca during the Group F clash in Holland . Ajax midfielder Dennis Praet kicks the ball away while being closed down by Barcelona's Sergio Busquets . Ajax fans wave their flags and play drums in the build up to the match against the Spanish giants in the Dutch capital . Former Liverpool striker Suarez, now playing for Barcelona, spent four years with Ajax in what was an incredibly prolific period . Former Barcelona midfielder and current manager Luis Enrique watches on as his team face the Dutch giants in Amsterdam . Barcelona's players celebrate after ending their two-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over Ajax . Suarez applauds the crowd at his old home stadium - the Amsterdam Arena - where he spent four years with Ajax . Suarez is without a goal in his first three games for Barcelona, but he did at least get his first win on Wednesday . | Gerard Pique dropped for the second consecutive match by Barcelona boss Luis Enrique . Lionel Messi opened the scoring with a header after an error by Ajax goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen . Messi then scored again to equal Raul's Champions League goal-scoring record of 71 strikes . Joel Veltman was sent off for Frank de Boer's side . Luis Suarez started against his former club Ajax, where he spent four successful years . | 7e19041632368d6cdc47ffe9982aba5254903fba |
George Osborne was always facing a difficult balancing act between sticking with the austerity drive and giving the economy a boost . Humiliating? Certainly. Having made so much of Britain’s AAA credit rating as a magnificent statement of confidence in his economic policies, Chancellor George Osborne has been given a political bloody nose by Moody’s downgrade. Polls . indicate the Tories leading in the run-up to the Eastleigh by-election . but the new rating can serve to be only a setback as voters reconsider . Osborne’s attempts to cut the deficit. The . loss of our AAA credit rating had been widely expected and we would do . better not to place much emphasis on minor tweaks by agencies – after . all, they are still somewhat tarnished by their failings during the . financial crash. Osborne . was always facing a balancing act in next month’s Budget between . sticking to his austerity drive to retain our rating and giving the . economy a boost to generate the growth that is needed if we are ever . going to pay down our debts. While . businessmen have stressed their desire for the Chancellor to keep a . tight rein, they have become increasingly frustrated that there have . been no imaginative initiatives to kick-start growth. Companies . in this country have about £180 billion in cash on their books and have . been looking to the Chancellor to come up with a gesture to encourage . them to start spending this money to create orders and jobs. The . fact that the pound fell suggests most economists were taken by . surprise by the timing of Moody’s downgrade – most had thought such a . move unlikely before the autumn. Thinking in the City is mixed this weekend on whether the downgrade will put more than temporary pressure on sterling. However, . if the pound falls more that could create an inflationary pressure that . the Bank of England is unlikely to want to stave off with higher . interests rates because of the damage that would inflict on the wider . economy. The pound is . already seven per cent down from the start of the year, which will make . our imports more expensive. That will be uncomfortable for shoppers who . are already experiencing a squeeze on the purchasing power of the pound . in their pocket. The incoming Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has indicated he is prepared to tolerate inflation if that is the price for growth . The Bank of England has already . said that inflation will top three per cent during the summer but the . betting must be on three per cent looking rather moderate longer term. Incoming . Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has already indicated he is . prepared to tolerate a dose of inflation if that is the price necessary . for growth. Conversely, . though, it would be good news for our exporters who have, recently, been . showing themselves more inclined to pass on the benefits of the weaker . pound in terms of lower prices for their overseas customers rather than . keeping prices level and pocketing a larger profit. The . Treasury’s own worst-case scenario is that we could have to pay an . extra £20 billion a year in interest payments because of our slightly . diminished credit ranking. However, America was actually able to borrow . more cheaply after it was downgraded. And, don’t forget, investors have to put their money somewhere. Only Germany and Canada still have AAA-rated economies – and arguably even Germany could be under pressure. Unlike . us it does not control its own currency and therefore lacks the . flexibility that manipulating the exchange rate can give. Its recent . economic performance has also been weak. Britain’s economic ranking may have lost some of its lustre but it is in good company: ratings are not absolutes. | Osborne always facing a difficult balancing act between austerity and growth . 'America was able to borrow more after being downgraded' | 18611cfb69f90dc992ac078ac2f7edf66ee32b6f |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:30 EST, 4 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:22 EST, 4 September 2013 . A recent study shows that the more wealth a person gains, the more likely they are to become both stingier and lonelier. Patricia Greenfield studied a Mexican village for forty years and watched its residents grow progressively distant from one another as they became richer. And she says the same thing has happened to the United States as a nation. By surveying the contents of a million books printed between 1800 and 2000, Greenfield found that Americans have used progressively fewer words like ‘give’ and more like ‘get’ over the last 200 years, indicating a serious trend toward individualism she says is all because of money. Care to give: Studies find that getting richer often means getting stingier and lonelier because people require communities less as they become wealthier . ‘The frequency of the word “get” went up, and the frequency of the word “give” went down,’ Greenfield told NPR. Greenfield, a researcher with UCLA’s department of Psychology, used Google’s Ngram viewer to assess changes in word use over the years. ‘Words that would show an individualistic orientation became more frequent,’ Greenfield said. ‘Examples of those words were “individual,” “self,” “unique.” Words that would represent a more communal or more family orientation went down in frequency. Some examples of those words are “give,” “obliged,” “belong.”’ Greenfield’s findings also use her forty years of tracking families in Chiapas, Mexico, where she found that as villagers grew richer, tendencies toward individualism grew stronger and community bonds became weaker. Make more, give less: A study in 2001 found that the less money a household makes, the higher percentage of their income they contribute to charity . And Greenfield is not alone in her assessment that poorer people are more communal. ‘I saw it personally — I feel it in myself,’ said UC Berkeley researcher Dacher Keltner. ‘That somehow, when I am thinking hard about making more money and rising in wealth and enjoying materialistic benefits, I do feel personally that I am not as responsive to the needs of others.’ Keltner grew up poor and says he frequently attended barbecues and other community events. As he’s become wealthier and more independent, those backyard cook-outs have become much less frequent. To give or receive? Greenfiled assessed a million American books and found that the use of 'give' has declined markedly since 1800 . Still going: After the 1970s, the word 'get' sees a spike in use in American books, while give continues to drop . The professor of psychology studied money’s effect on individualism and generosity. He found that increased wealth leads to less generosity, charitableness, trust, and helpfulness. ‘In just about every way you can study it,’ he said. ‘Our lower-class individuals volunteer more, they give more of their resources — they're more generous.’ Both researchers have concluded that the poor simply need social connections more, that they’re more reliable on the community safety net. ‘The wife may make the clothes for the whole family,’ Greenfield found while studying the Mexican village. ‘The husband grows food and builds the shelter for the whole family. Therefore giving, social obligation, belonging to a family are very important.’ America’s wealth has come at a price, said Keltner. ‘As we rise in wealth, along with that rise in wealth comes ideas of individuality and self-expression and autonomy and freedom,’ he said. ‘And loneliness.’ | A study from UC Berkeley's Dacher Keltner finds that isolation and a decrease in generosity occur as personal wealth increases . Another study tracked a Mexican village and watched giving and community activities drop as wealth grew . Since 1800, Americans have used the word 'get' in print progressively more than the word 'give' | 7334c7447da6edcd9cb4d8f7e56b96c8c4d8398f |
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama needs to learn a simple lesson: Saying something doesn't make it true. Though the President has claimed victory touting 8 million "enrollments" under his health care law, Americans cannot and will not wipe their memories clear of the botched rollout and continual failings of Obamacare. Democrats have sustained their tactic of telling everyone the health care law is working, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Perhaps if they say it enough, their reasoning goes, it will become true. Well, Obama can have his own opinions and he can even assert falsehoods as truth, but he can't conjure fact. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll lays the facts out bare. The President's approval rating has slipped to 41% -- the lowest of his presidency in Post/ABC News polls. And only 37% approve of the President's handling of Obamacare's implementation. Despite the 8 million enrollees vaunted by the administration, a mere 44% of Americans approve of the President's signature law. This negative view of Obamacare persists even upon the assumption, parroted by many in the media, that the 8 million enrollment figure is accurate. However, the administration refuses to tell the American people any details about that number. How many of those "enrollees" are insured, having paid their first month's premium? How many were previously uninsured? How many were forced off their former coverage that they liked? What will the quality of coverage be for those who actually receive coverage? These questions have been met with deaf ears and defensive posturing. "The debate over the repeal of the law is over," the President said. "This law is doing what it's supposed to do -- it's working." The President has confused reported high enrollment numbers with success, disregarding that while millions may be signed up under threat of penalty, Americans are not sold on the failed law. To provide Americans answers to the unanswered questions, the House passed in January the Exchange Information Disclosure Act, which would require transparency from the administration regarding the Obamacare insurance exchange. Yet U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has blocked the bill in the Senate, unwilling to give the American people access to information they have a right to know. In an attempt to get the data directly from the source, the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters in March to every insurance provider participating in the federal exchange requesting enrollment data, including the number of individuals who have paid their first month's premium or were previously uninsured. The results finally came in. As of April 15, only 67% of individuals and families that selected a plan had paid their first month's premium, data provided to the committee by every provider in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace shows. Insurers informed the committee that, by the same date, only 2.45 million had paid their first month's premium for coverage obtained through the FFM. The purpose of Obamacare, if the President remembers, was to insure, not merely to sign up, and it seems the President's enrollment numbers far surpass the number of insured. Of those who have enrolled and paid their premiums, some surely liked their health insurance, were renewing their health insurance and were booted off their health insurance because of Obamacare regulations. This law is not a success. Even before the Energy and Commerce Committee released their findings, Americans still viewed Obamacare unfavorably. In Tuesday's Post/ABC News poll, 47% of Americans reported that the ACA has raised their health care costs and 60% blame Obamacare for increasing costs nationally. Americans -- faced with Obamacare's burdens and disappointed with the president's handling of the economy, foreign policy, and more -- want a Republican-controlled Congress to act as a check on the president's policies by 53 to 39%. The debate is far from over, Mr. President. Instead of taking responsibility for the failed health care law, Obama prefers to call major problems "glitches" and forced re-enrollment of millions who were previously insured "success." He has claimed victory with a number that includes millions who remain uninsured. The first step toward fixing a problem is admitting the problem exists. Instead of taking responsibility for the disaster they've created and the unnecessary hardships they've imposed on the American people, Obama and the Democrats are trying to rewrite the facts. Unfortunately for them, facts don't work that way. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion. | Rep. Kevin McCarthy: Selling of Obamacare omits the reality that not everyone is paying . Eight million "enrollees" doesn't equal 8 million paid customers, he says . House Oversight Committee: Only 67% of enrollees had paid first month's premium . | c51951caebfbe3fcd632aaea6032c9878dcc1211 |
Anthony Marshall, who served time in prison last year for looting the estate of his multimillionaire philanthropist mother Brooke Astor, has died aged 90. Marshall, a decorated World War II veteran who later became a diplomat and Broadway producer, died on Sunday morning in New York, his attorney Kenneth Warner said. Warner didn't have information on the cause of death, but Marshall had suffered heart problems for years and he was granted medical parole last year after doctors said he had Parkinson's disease. His wife Charlene announced his death in the New York Times on Monday in a cryptic obituary that failed to mention his socialite mother, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 105, or his two adult sons, Philip and Alec, who testified against him in his trial in 2009. Death: Anthony Marshall, pictured with his mother Brooke Astor (center) and wife Charlene (right), at the Plaza Hotel in 2002, has passed away, aged 90. He served time in prison last year for looting his mother's estate . Marshall, who was Astor's only child, was convicted in October 2009 of exploiting his mother's dementia to loot her $200 million fortune in the final years of her life. Prosecutors said that after her Alzheimer's diagnosis, he bought himself lavish gifts, including a $920,000 yacht, with her money. He also took valuable artwork off her walls and engineered changes to her will that gave him control of most of her estate, including millions previously earmarked for her favorite charities. Brooke Astor had married Vincent Astor, a descendant of one of America's first multimillionaires, and gave away eye-watering sums of money to the St Regis Hotel, the New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Art Museum, as well as other charities. She received the nation's top civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was a fondly regarded fixture in the city's society set. But she was left to spend her last days in allegedly heart-breaking conditions - she was forced to live on pureed peas and oatmeal, while she slept in her own urine at her Park Avenue apartment, according to Marshall's son Philip. Left behind: He is pictured with his wife Charlene in court in 2009. Charlene announced his death in a New York Times obit on Monday - but made no mention of his mother or his two sons from a previous marriage . Philip brought a guardianship case against his father in 2006. The allegations of physical neglect were never substantiated, but they led to the criminal case over Astor's finances. His trial plunged jurors into a world of Park Avenue apartments and sprawling estates. Witnesses included Astor friends Henry Kissinger and Barbara Walters. Locked up: Marshall, pictured in his mug shot, was granted medical parole last year after a fall . Marshall's lawyers said he had the legal power to give himself gifts with his mother's money, and he believed she wanted him to have them. The defense lawyers also argued that Astor was lucid and acting out of love when she altered her will to benefit her son. Jurors disagreed and found Marshall guilty of grand larceny and scheming to defraud. He was sentenced to one to three years in prison - but years of appeals and legal wrangling off his sentence for years. In that time, Marshall urged a judge to spare him a prison sentence. He described in court papers an often sad, if privileged, childhood. He painted his father - Astor's first husband, New Jersey state Sen. J. Dryden Kuser - as an alcoholic who pushed the pregnant Astor down a flight of stairs. After they divorced, Astor married stockbroker Charles Marshall, who virtually banished her son to a series of boarding schools and summer camps, Anthony Marshall claimed. But he could not get out of the prison sentence and, following the delays, he started serving time in June 2013. He was granted medical parole two months later, with a state parole board finding that he was suffering from debilitating and permanent, though not terminal, illness. The board asked whether he had regrets about the events leading to his imprisonment, according to a transcript. 'Well, regrets, yeah,' he said. 'Naturally.' He told parole commissioners he was unable to stand up or walk for long. While he said he was fuzzy about the date and how long he'd been in prison, he said his memory overall was 'fair'. Estranged: His wife Charlene made no mention of his twin sons Alec (left) and Philip (right) in his New York Times obituary on Monday. Both men testified against their father in his 2009 trial . Sentenced: Marshall, who was a U.S. ambassador, is pictured with his wife Charlene in New York Criminal Court in June 2013, when he started his prison sentence. He was released in August 2013 . But when asked whether he recalled the allegations that led to his conviction, he didn't hesitate. 'I remember it,' he said according to a bedside interview with the parole board. 'All too well.' At the time, he told the board he 'loved' his mother and 'found her to be an extraordinary person.' 'We had lots of things in common, particularly a sense of humor, and we went on lots of trips together,' Marshall continued, singling out their frequent summer vacations in Italy. As well as his declining health, the parole board also considered the $14.5 million in restitution he had paid for stealing from his mother to fund a Maine estate and 55ft yacht, among other luxuries. The Astor family made their money in the fur trade in the 1700s. Marshall's step-grandfather, John Jacob Astor, was the wealthiest passenger to die on the Titantic, where he was last seen smoking a cigarette on the top deck. Final years: Marshall's son accused his father of neglecting Astor (pictured left in 1991 and right in 2002, when she was 100) and leaving her to sleep on a urine-soaked bed. The allegations were never substantiated . While his obituary, for which his wife paid, fails to mention his two sons, it speaks of his fondness for his stepchildren, Arden, Inness and Robert - 'particularly his stepson Robert with whom he formed an everlasting and most loving bond'. It continues: 'During the course of his life, he helped countless young people get their own start in life by introducing them to those who could provide internships or jobs or sometimes he would write a check to tide one over until they could make it on their own. And then he relished in their success.' It lists other achievements including working as a 'talented wildlife photographer... an early conservationist, author of seven books and a highly respected three-time United States Ambassador.' He also served his country as a young Marine, and earned a Purple Heart, before working as a decoder at the State Department, Consulate General to Turkey and then for four decades with the CIA and the U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar, the Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kenya. 'Tony had the tenderest of hearts, a brilliant mind and an outrageous sense of humor. It was my honor to love and be loved so tenderly by Tony for more than 25 years,' his wife Charlene wrote. | Tony Marshall was convicted of swindling his mother out of millions after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in the last few years of her life . Brooke Astor, a philanthropist and socialite, died in 2007, aged 105 . One of Marshall's sons first tipped off authorities when he became concerned about his grandmother's living conditions . Marshall, who had Parkinson's disease and heart problems, served time in prison last year but was released after he was granted medical parole . His wife Charlene announced his death in a cryptic New York Times obituary that did not mention his mother or his two sons, who testified against him . | de5d84f8e5db692f76425a2e676341ea853bbc7b |
By . Mike Dawes . and Sam Webb . Sir Bradley Wiggins was denied a golden return to track cycling as he and England's pursuit team were beaten by a rampant Australia in the Commonwealth Games. Wiggins, 34, joined Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Andy Tennant in claiming silver in the 4,000m discipline at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, but there was never any chance of edging out an Australia quartet who built an immediate advantage and never looked like letting it go. ‘I’m disappointed we came second here but in hindsight we’ll look back and think this is a start point for us now,’ he said. ‘Rio is the goal and we’ve got to work back from that.’ The team's valiant efforts were watched by Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. The Countess roared on the team and covered her face when they failed to overcome the might of the Australian men's team. Scroll down for video . Runners-up: England's Sir Bradley Wiggins (left) won team pursuit silver at the Commonwealth Games . Not impressed: Wiggins immediately removes his silver medal after posing for pictures . Still smiling: Wiggins waves to the crowd inside the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome after defeat to Australia . Respect: England's cyclists applaud their Australian rivals as they step up to receive their gold medals . Rapid: The Australian team power their way around the track on their way to a convincing win . Wiggins, 34, had not taken part in any . significant international track meeting since the Beijing Olympics in . 2008, when he won two golds in China. With a . disappointing year at Team Sky behind him, having been dumped from the . Tour de France - which he won in 2012, the first Briton to do - line-up, he made a late decision to compete here. Instead . Jack Bobridge, Alex Edmondson, Glenn O'Shea and Luke Davison finished . with their English team in their sights and a winning margin in excess . of five seconds - a crushing victory. For Wiggins it represents a fourth . Commonwealth Games silver medal after a six-year hiatus from the track, . though there were signs that there is plenty more to come from both him . and his team-mates on the road to Rio 2016. Australia . had finished almost two seconds ahead of England in qualifying, though . the latter assured themselves of at least second place by besting a . talented New Zealand outfit, who cruised to bronze by chasing down . Canada. A packed Glasgow . audience showed no nationalistic bias as they roared Wiggins, Clancy, . Burke and Tennant on but it was to no avail. Glum: Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex watch the English Men's Team compete in the Team Pursuit at the Chris Hoy Velodrome. She seemed disappointed with the silver obtained by Sir Bradley Wiggins et al . The agony and the ecstasy: The Countess of Wessex covers her eyes as the Australian's triumph . Dejected: Wiggins looks glum after losing out on gold to Australia in the men's team pursuit final . Out in front: Wiggins leads the way but England couldn't cope with Australia's speed in the final . Too good: Australia's Alex Edmonson celebrates after helping his country win gold at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome . All smiles: Aussie duo Alex Edmondson and Luke Davison raise their arms in celebration at the end of the race . They slipped a second behind almost immediately as Australia attacked hard in the first couple of laps and the advantage was touching two seconds at the 1,500m mark. England sensed hope when Davison dropped out of the race soon after halfway, but instead Australia merely increased their stranglehold, adding to their lead at each split. Clancy rode himself to a standstill before pulling up late on, leaving Wiggins, Burke and Tennant to complete what had become a surprisingly one-sided outing. | Australia emerged victorious with a winning margin in excess of five seconds at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome . Wiggins was unable to help England mount a comeback after a slow start . Luke Davison was forced to drop out during the race . Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Andy Tennant rode alongside Wiggins . | d8d4254e2444249dc948f67164f90e4ae0dfbd6c |
If you’re lucky enough to look about 18, there’s a good chance you’ll be asked to provide ID at the supermarket to buy alcohol, knives or glue. Now an addition has been made to that list of potentially hazardous items – chocolate pudding. Robert Nemeti was amazed when he was asked for ID while buying a microwaveable pudding at Tesco. Proof is in the pudding: Shopper Robert Nemeti was stunned when he was asked for ID as the dessert posed a risk to the roof of his mouth . Mr Nemeti, 24, was going through the . self-service checkout when an on-screen warning announced that his . purchase had to be ‘approved’. A member of staff at the store in Southampton hurried over and asked Mr Nemeti to produce identification. When asked why, the female assistant told him that the Cadbury Hot Chocolate Pudding would get hot when cooked and may burn him. Mr Nemeti, a photographer, yesterday described the policy as ‘crazy’ health and safety. He said he did not have any ID on him because he had just ‘nipped to the shop to buy something sweet after work’. Tesco said the machine should not have requested proof of age for the dessert (file picture) A member of staff at the store in Southampton demanded Mr Nemeti produce identification showing he was over 18 . Luckily the shop worker approved the . purchase anyway, saying she was satisfied he looked old enough to be . trusted with the £1 dessert. Mr Nemeti, from Southampton, said: ‘I . scanned through a pint of milk without any problem and then the pudding. ‘The machine beeped, flashed up a warning on the screen and an annoying automated voice warned “approval needed”. ‘I only bought two items – and they . weren’t alcohol, cigarettes, solvents or sharp – so I was clueless as to . why they would need approval. The 24-year-old described the request for his age as 'health and safety gone mad' ‘The woman who was monitoring the . self-service checkouts came over and asked me for identification showing . I was 18. I asked her why and was stunned when she told me: “It gets . hot when you cook it – and you may burn yourself”. Surely the same can . be said of many of the products they sell in any supermarket? Health and . safety has gone crazy if you now have to prove you can be trusted with a . chocolate pudding.’ He added: ‘I explained that I didn’t . have any ID. Thankfully she agreed that I looked over 18 and she scanned . her staff pass to approve the sale.’ Mr Nemeti managed to cook and eat the dessert that evening without injury. Tesco said: ‘The self service machines . can be temperamental. The pudding should not be an age-restricted . product. It’s a mystery why the machine prompted staff to ask for ID.’ | Robert Nemeti's purchase had to be 'approved' at self-service checkout . Staff member asked for ID to buy the £1 dessert in case he burned himself . He described the policy as 'crazy' health and safety . Tesco said self-service machines can be 'temperamental' and that the pudding should not be 'an age-restricted product' | 9d912f0acd5e3b07d323c282521e7a9559ddb7ea |
By . Lizzie Edmonds . This man has been courted by every politician in the run up to the next round of elections in India - because he has 39 wives and 127 children. Polygamist and sect leader Zionnghaka Chana has become the voter every politician in Mizoram state wants to know because of his influence over his 39 wives and 127 children and grandchildren. Mr Chana, who has a 100-room home in the Baktawng village, Aizawl, told reporters: 'We were witnessing a rush of politicians seeking votes in the last few days. Zionnghaka Chana - who is currently being courted by numerous politicians in the Mizoram state because of his influence over his 39 wives and 127 children and grandchildren . Mr Chana lives with his huge family, pictured, in a 100-room, four-storey house in the village of Baktawng, Mizoram . 'During every election we are much in demand as the winning margins of politicians in this state are slim, so even 100-odd votes matter to them.' One of Mr Chana's wives, Rinkmini, said: 'When we go to vote, we always cast our ballots for the same candidate or party. 'That means more than 160-odd votes are assured from one family.' Like most voters at this election, Mr Chana said he wanted clean government and development so that his family could prosper. 'All we want is good governance and the wellbeing of the state instead of personal gains for our family from the politicians,' he said. Mizoram is the only state voting on Friday, in the fourth of nine stages of voting in the world's biggest election. The house where Mr Chana, who is head of a sect, and his family live. He says numerous local politicians have approached him trying to befriend him in the run up to the election . The family cram on to a truck to make their way to church. One of Mr Chana's wives, Rinkmini, said: 'When we go to vote, we always cast our ballots for the same candidate or party' One of Mr Chana's wives prepares dinner for the family. The sect leader said he want s clean government take power in the next election so his family can prosper . The . Election Commission rescheduled polling following a dispute over . whether tribal groups displaced during recent ethnic strife were allowed . to vote in their refugee camps. The . state represents less than one percent of India's 814 million-strong . electorate. Voting across India ends on May 12 - with results due four . days later. Mr Chana's . grandfather founded the sect in the 1930s. It has some 1,700 members including four . generations of the Chana family, many of whom carve wooden furniture and . make pottery items. The group live in an enormous 100-room, four-storey property - but some of the wives still have to sleep top-to-tail in communal dormitories. The family is organised with great discipline. The oldest wife Zathiangi, 69, regularly draws up . schedules for her fellow partners to take turns performing household . chores such as preparing meals, washing and cleaning. THE WIVES: Zathiangi, 71, was the first woman Ziona married (left) while Hmaii, 57, became his second wife (right) Pari, 60, is the 3rd wife (left), while Tlungi, 65, was the fourth (right) Sangi, 62, is the 5th wife (left), while Sangi, 58, (right) is Ziona's 6th wife . Preparing meals is always a mammoth . task - with one evening meal seeing them consume 30 chickens, 132lb of . potatoes and up to 220lb of rice. The property has its own school, a playground, carpentry workshops, piggery . and poultry farms and a vegetable garden big enough to supply the whole . family. Mr Chana is also head of the sect - which allows members to take as many wives as they wish. Muani, 41, was the 7th wife (left) and Changliani, 60, was the 9th (right) Malsawmi, 48, (left) is Ziona's tenth wife while Thangzeli, 40, was the 14th (right) Chuani, 40, is the 15th wife (left) and Muanpuii, 38, is number 16 (right) Sawmi, 30, is wife number 17th (left) and Matluangi, 37, is the 19th (right) Zuali, 37, (left) is the 20th wife, while Khumi, 65, is the 21st (right) Ngeni, 37, is Ziona's 22nd wife (left) and Rawni, 57, is the 23rd (right) Remi, 37, is wife number 26th (left) and Hritpuii, 32, is the 27th (right) Its . philosophy is based on Christian teachings, although leaders from the . Presbyterian church, the main faith in the state, reject Chana's embrace . of polygamy. He keeps . the youngest women near to his bedroom with the older members of the . family sleeping further away - and there is a rotation system for who . visits his bedroom. Rinkmini, . one of Ziona's wives, who is 35, said: ‘We stay around him as he is the . most important person in the house. He is the most handsome person in . the village.’ . Rami, 27, is the 33rdwife (left), Lalthai, 38, is the 34th wife (right) Lawmii, 34, is wife number 35th (left) , and Rizapi, 35, is the 36th wife (right) Kimii, 36, is the 37th wife (left), and Thari, 30, is the 38th wife (right) Siami, 30, is the 39th wife (left) and Ziona, 67, (right) is one busy man! | Polygamist and sect leader Zionnghaka Chana has become the voter every politician in Mizoram state . Mr Chana has a great deal of influence - as he has 27 wives and 127 children all living under one roof . 'During every election we are much in demand as the winning margins of politicians in this state are slim,' he said . Mizoram state is the only one voting this Friday in the fourth of nine stages of voting in Indian election . | e6f0edb7bddfb9f018b268186f7998d81cf35dc7 |
The mighty Bárðarbunga volcano in Iceland's Highlands began erupting on August 29 last year. Five months on, it is still going, producing a lava-field spanning around fifty miles. Lava over 40-feet deep is seeping out of the volcano while the concentration of sulphur dioxide has, at times, been so high that the Icelandic authorities have urged local residents to stay indoors. The Holuhraun eruption, in Iceland, began in August 29, 2014, and is continuing to seep lava and emit sulphuric ash clouds . Lava bubbles at Holuhraun. The concentration of sulphur dioxide has been so high that authorities have urged local residents to stay indoors . The view from above. The volcano has produced a lava-field spanning around 50 miles . Icelandic scientists are uncertain about what the future may hold for the eruption. Some predict it could go on for a matter of months while others argue it could develop into a potentially more disruptive ash-producing eruption. The 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption grounded over 100,000 international flights and cost airlines more than £2 billion. Some scientists predict it could go on for a matter of months while others argue it could develop into a disruptive ash-producing eruption . The eruption has caused no disruption to flights, unlike the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption which grounded over 100,000 international flights . The Icelandic eruption, which began north of the Bárðarbunga caldera, is now in its fifth months . Dutch photographer, Robert Meerding, took these incredible photographs in October, during two flights in a six-person fixed wing aircraft. As the photographs were taken over two flights, Robert has captured the magnificence of the eruption, by day, showing the incredible scope of the ash cloud, and by night, showing the lava-field in all its lit up glory. Robert said: 'We flew along the edge of the lava field so we had a good view of the eruption itself. It was a bumpy ride. The lava emits so much heat that there's naturally a lot of turbulence.' Daytime pictures of the volcano show the incredible scope of the ash cloud while the evening snaps show off the lava-field in all its glory . The pictures were taken by Dutch photographer, Robert Meerding, in October during two flights in a six-person fixed wing aircraft . 'It was a bumpy ride. The lava emits so much heat that there's naturally a lot of turbulence,' said Meerding of the flight above the volcano . 'What surprised me was the viscosity of the lava: it looked like boiling water and it moved at an incredible speed,' added the photographer . The biggest hazard produced by the eruption so far has been to the air quality in Iceland . Lava over 40-feet deep is continuing to seep out of the volcano, which began to erupt in August, 2014 . 'As the sun sets you can see lava glowing that you can't see at daylight,' said the photographer, Robert Meerding . Robert said: 'To me it was an amazing experience, especially the evening flight. 'As the sun sets you can see lava glowing that you can't see at daylight and the light emitted by the eruption itself is amazing too.' He added: 'What surprised me was the viscosity of the lava: it looked like boiling water and it moved at an incredible speed. 'I can see why it might be a scary experience for some people but, for me, it was thrilling. I loved every minute of it.' | Long-running eruption began in August 2014 and has now produced a lava-field spanning around fifty miles . Lava over 40-feet deep is seeping out of the volcano and Icelandic scientists are uncertain about its future . Concentration of sulphur dioxide has been so high that Icelandic authorities urged local residents to stay indoors . | f722c9fd7c6c49953e805797d28bc6d3f0555814 |
The record-breaking chill across the U.S. and Canada was so frigid it literally stopped Niagara Falls in its tracks. A collection of spectacular photographs have shown the moment the U.S. side of the famous falls froze before they could reach the bottom. Thankfully, the freezing air and 'polar vortex' that turned the cascading water to ice - and affected about 240 million people in the U.S. and southern Canada - will depart during the second half of this week, and a far-reaching January thaw will begin, according to AccuWeather.com. Scroll down for video . The U.S. side of the Niagara Falls is pictured in Ontario Wednesday January 8, 2014 . A collection of spectacular photographs have shown the moment the U.S. side of the famous falls froze before they could reach the bottom . Thankfully, the freezing air and 'polar vortex' that turned the cascading water to ice will depart during the second half of this week, and a far-reaching January thaw will begin, according to AccuWeather.com . In the incredible pictures, the Rainbow Bridge is seen with solid ice below it . The 'polar vortex' affected about 240 million people in the United States and southern Canada this week . The incredible pictures show frozen . mist coating the landscape around Prospect Point at Niagara Falls State . Park and the Rainbow Bridge is seen with solid ice below it. Tuesday . was a day of record-setting cold in Niagara, with the mercury bottoming . out at a chilling -2F. Combined with the wind chills, it felt like . -20F. One . would think the icy cold would keep tourists away, but those who . enjoy taking photos rugged up to snap the conditions, producing . exceptional images they wouldn't otherwise have an opportunity to capture. The . natural wonder should be looking more like itself come Saturday when . temperatures are forecast to be in the 50s, according to Environment . Canada. They also show frozen mist coating the landscape around Prospect Point at Niagara Falls State Park . But the record-breaking temperature didn't deter visitors . Tourists still visited the landmark to take pictures overlooking the falls in Ontario . Tuesday was a day of record-setting cold in Niagara, with the mercury bottoming out at a chilling -2F. Combined with the wind chills, it felt like -20F . The 'unprecedented' amounts of ice in the upper Niagara River, caused by the freezing conditions, caused a so-called ice jam and in turn flooding on Grand Island and Cayuga Island in Niagara Falls. According to historical records, during only one year, 1848, has freezing weather caused the thousands of cubic feet of water per second flowing over the Niagara Falls to run dry, an event thought to have been caused by ice jamming and damming upriver, according to environmentalgraffiti.com. Ice bridges spanning the Niagara River from bank to bank have formed as a result of various other chilly winters. In 1936, the American Falls, the shallower of the three waterfalls, are said to have frozen over completely. One of the earliest images showing the frozen falls, in sepia tones, is believed to be from 1911 or 1912, though skeptics have questioned its authenticity because its photographer is unknown. In 1912, an ice bridge broke apart as several people were crossing it, sending three to their deaths. In this stock picture, the iconic falls are seen flowing normally in the summer months . One of the earliest images showing a frozen Niagara Falls, in sepia tones, is thought to be from 1911 or 1912, though skeptics have questioned its authenticity because its photographer is unknown . This image of an icy falls is believed to be from 1890 or 1902 . Ice bridges spanning the Niagara River from bank to bank have formed as a result of various cold winters. The above photo was taken circa 1936 . | The record-breaking chill across the U.S. and Canada was so frigid it literally stopped Niagara Falls in its tracks . Tuesday . was a day of record-setting cold in Niagara, with the mercury bottoming . out at a chilling -2F. Combined with the wind chills, it felt like . -20F . Thankfully, the freezing air and 'polar vortex' that turned the cascading water to ice will depart during the second half of this week, and a far-reaching January thaw will begin . | 808733c074f38a83f4aad6ff92d995a5139f560a |
By . Paul Donnelley . Loner: Iain Merrick was jailed for seven years after putting a bomb in a pillar box and labelling local postmen paedophiles . A man who tried to blow up a postman and made and distributed indecent images has been jailed for seven years at Manchester Crown Court. Iain Merrick, 39, of Cheriton Gardens, Horwich, near Bolton, Greater Manchester, began a four-year hate campaign after complaining that he kept getting other people’s mail. The Post Office delivered, he claimed, up to 30 letters a day when they should have been delivered to neighbours. Merrick’s grudge campaign against Royal Mail started in 2008 when he began to experience problems with his post at his flat where he lived alone. It was claimed his upstairs neighbour would mistakenly get his post and Merrick asked that his own mail be redirected to another address for six months. Eventually it was agreed that staff would hold his mail at the post office and he would collect it personally. But in July 2010 he complained of getting post addressed to his neighbour and made several complaints to the post office. In November, police spoke to Merrick about him harassing Royal Mail workers and he told them: ‘I’m not going to send a bomb in the mail or anything. Bomb site: Winter Hey Post Office in Horwich near Bolton Greater Manchester where 'obsessive loner' Iain Merrick placed a bomb in the pillar box (on the left) as part of a campaign of intimidation against postmen . When his grievances were ignored, Merrick did build a bomb from nails, razor blades, light bulb fragments and fish hooks then posted it in a letter box near his home on April 15, 2011.’ Postman Ian Platt on collecting duties opened the pillar box outside Winter Hey Lane post office and spotted the cigarette packet-sized device which had a 12 volt battery and two wires protruding from it – each one attached to a nail. Bomb disposal experts were summoned and the police evacuated the immediate area, creating a 100-yard cordon around the scene while the device was defused. The homemade bomb: Iain Merrick built a bomb from nails, razor blades, light bulb fragments and fish hooks and posted it in a pillar box near his home . During the trial Merrick said: ‘It could range from three to four letters a week to 30 a day, more than that. I did go down to the depot but they said they are not allowed to hold onto any mail.’ Police searched Merrick’s home in September 2012 and found a pen drive in a boiler cupboard. The drive contained a folder entitled ‘Dangerous’, which had hundreds of pages of information including an article containing a diagram and instructions on how to make a pipe bomb from a 2010 issue of the terrorist publication Inspire. Unemployed Iain Merrick became so annoyed with the Post Office that he planted a bomb in this pillar box. Police found terrorist-related information in his home. He also had a collection of more than 500 child porn photographs and also had an unhealthy obsession with the Harry Potter actress Emma Watson . Police also discovered books entitled Bombs: Explosives and Experiments, The Anarchist Cookbook and Mujahideen Explosives Handbook. The authorities learned that during his vendetta Merrick had also sent letters to six primary schools containing pornographic photographs of children along with the names and occupations of postal workers in a bid to smear them. He had also put white stickers around the area falsely claiming one postal worker was a convicted paedophile. Search: police and forensics staff examine the home of Iain Merrick who had waged a four-year vendetta against the Post Office . Police also found 533 indecent images of children and discovered Merrick had been searching on the internet for mocked up ‘pseudo’ nude images of Emma Watson, the Harry Potter actress. At Manchester Crown Court Judge Martin Steiger QC called Merrick an ‘obsessive loner’ and added: ‘This campaign caused intense distress. ‘It escalated to be a ruthless and relentless campaign waged against local postal workers. It must have been perfectly obvious that this was a wicked thing to do. The defendant used his high intelligence and technical sophistication.’ He was found guilty of 17 counts of making indecent photographs of a child, four offences of distribution of an indecent image of a child and placing an explosive substance in a postbox with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. As well as his seven-year sentence, unemployed Merrick was told that on release he would spend another five years on licence. | Iain Merrick, 39, launched a four-year vendetta against Royal Mail because he got neighbour's post . Built a bomb from nails, razor blades, light bulb fragments and fish hooks . Police found terrorist material on a pen drive hidden in boiler cupboard . Unemployed loner of Horwich, Greater Manchester, had a collection of more than 500 child porn photographs . | 07e3953db4eb8518d309a2bd8761963b83c271e4 |
An Argentinian painter is making a splash in the world of art by colouring with his eyes. Leandro Granato, 27, snorts up to a pint-and-a-half of watercolour and thanks to an unusual connection between his nose and eyes he is able to squirt the paint onto a canvas. The Argentinian artist's works take from 10 minutes to months to create, and sell for up to £1,500. Scroll down for video . Hitting the target: Argentinian artist Leandro Granato, 27, makes his living squirting paint from his eyes . Mr Granato began pushing liquid from his nose through his eye at a young age. He now uses it to create unique works of art. 'Ever since I was a kid I knew I had a special connection between my eye and my nose,’ he said. ‘As I grew up I started realising air and liquids could go out of my eye if I put them through my nose. ‘Now I am the inventor of a new painting style in the art world. ‘When I decided I would do this for a living my whole family thought I was going crazy - as well as many other people. ‘But as time went by they began to understand the art I call eye-painting.’ Eye spy: Mr Granato looks down at one of his works, created entirely with watercolour paint . Here's looking at you, kid: In Leandro's case the appreciation of his art is not just in the eye of the beholder . Signed and sealed: Mr Granato's only addition by hand is his signature on his finished piece of art . Mr Granato spent two years training and developing a special formula of paint that does not damage his eyes. Leandro believes he is the only person in the world to paint this way. ‘My motivation to become an artist first came when my grandfather died because of cancer,’ said Mr Granato. ‘After this loss, I started painting to overcome this pain.' Dripping with cool: Leandro creates one of his masterpieces . Leandro Granato is working with a children's hospital to raise money for cancer research by selling his art . Mr Granato cites American artist . Jackson Pollock as one of his inspirations. The 20th century painter . made his name by using unusual painting techniques, developing his own unique style of drip painting. He said: ‘Jackson Pollock is one of my inspirations mainly because at first nobody understood him, and he was pointed out to be crazy.’ Leandro is planning a charity event to help a children's cancer hospital in Argentina. He is also searching for more galleries and art dealers to help him spread the word about his art in Europe. ‘Some people like my abilities, some don't,’ said Leandro. ‘Some say I'm crazy, but my technique doesn't hurt my body. ‘I believe crazy people are often the ones that build the roads that the wise ones will then travel across. ‘I'm constantly being examined by expert doctors, and the formula I came up with is harmless. ‘It will not cause me any health problems in the future.’ | Leandro Granato can snort up to a pint-and-a-half of watercolour . The 27-year-old squirts the paint out of his eye and onto the canvas . The Argentinian artist sells his works for up to £1,500 a piece . American painter Jackson Pollock is among his inspirations . | 8c29b4bc942295161089a8c6426379a20b2481c3 |
‘The other day, a coach of a big team was knocked out of the Cup and he was saying, “Very good, now we can focus on other competitions”. If I lose against Bradford I won’t say that. I say, “It’s a disgrace” ~ Jose Mourinho on Friday . Click here to read the full story . Jose Mourinho slammed ‘disgraceful’ Chelsea after they crashed to a humiliating defeat against Bradford City, as four of the Premier League’s top six crashed out of the FA Cup. The Blues boss admitted his side should be ‘ashamed’ after letting a 2-0 lead slip as they fell victim to a famous FA Cup giant-killing against the League One side. Eight-time winners Tottenham Hotspur were turned over 2-1 at home by Leicester and Premier League high-flyers Southampton lost 3-2 to visitors Crystal Palace. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho can't hide his frustration during the 4-2 defeat to Bradford on Saturday . Mourinho looks pensive on the Stamford Bridge touchline during the dramatic 4-2 loss to League One Bradford . Premier League champions Manchester City were stunned 2-0 at home by Middlesbrough to complete an unbelievable day of FA Cup drama. For Chelsea, the loss ends their hope of a quadruple and piles even more pressure on the club ahead of their Capital One Cup semi-final second-leg clash against Liverpool on Tuesday. ‘I feel ashamed, I think the players should feel exactly the same as I feel,’ said Mourinho. ‘I repeat the words I used yesterday in the press conference, if we lose, it is a disgrace. Is this one of my worst ever results? Yes. But this is the beauty of football, of the . FA Cup. In not many sports is it possible that the best team and the best players lose against a team with complete different potential. This is the beauty of the FA Cup. ‘In the history of this competition, this happens to every team now and again, for me it is the first time, for Chelsea it doesn’t happen a lot and it is unacceptable to lose against a team from a lower league. ‘If I was a you (a journalist), I would be very critical with Chelsea, with the manager and players. But the other team don’t deserve that we forget them and we focus on the negative Chelsea. They also deserve such an impressive result. I could find in my bad feeling with the game and with the result space to be happy for them.’ Bradford boss Phil Parkinson was unsurprisingly in better spirits than his Premier League counterparts. Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson is congratulated by Mourinho having masterminded a shock win . Chelsea's £200million men were sunk by a supermarket shelf stacker who was plucked from non-league obscurity for the princely sum of £7,500. James Hanson was the only member of the Bradford City squad at Stamford Bridge to have cost the club a fee when he joined the League One side from Guiseley in 2009. The rest of Phil Parkinson's parade of heroes were stitched together by a mixture of free transfers and low-key loan deals. In contrast the total cost of Jose Mourinho's shocked stars clanged the £200m mark. Even £99m of talent on the bench alone could not rescue Mourinho from the most embarrassing moment of his managerial career as the Bantams proved worth their weight in gold. CHELSEA . PETR CECH: £7m . ANDREAS CHRISTENSEN: trainee . KURT ZOUMA: £12m . GARY CAHILL: £7m . CESAR AZPILICUETA: £6.5m . RAMIRES: £20m . OSCAR: £25m . JOHN OBI MIKEL: £4m* . MOHAMED SALAH: £11m . DIDIER DROGBA: free . LOIC REMY: £8.5m . Subs: Cesc Fabregas - £30m, Nathan Ake - trainee, Eden Hazard - £32m, Thibaut Courtois - £5m, Willian - £32m, John Terry - trainee, Ruben Loftus-Cheek - trainee . TOTAL COST: £200m . * plus compensation . BRADFORD . BEN WILLIAMS: free . STEPHEN DARBY: free . RORY McARDLE: free . ANDREW DAVIES: free . JAMES MEREDITH: free . BILLY KNOTT: free . GARY LIDDLE: free . FILIPE MORAIS: free . ANDY HALLIDAY: free . JAMES HANSON: £7,500 . JON STEAD: loan . Subs: Alan Sheehan - free, Billy Clarke - free, Francois Zoko - loan, Mark Yeates - free, Jason Kennedy - free, Christopher Routis - free, Matthew Urwin - free . TOTAL COST: £7,500 . The Bradford squad celebrate their famous FA Cup fourth round win at Stamford Bridge on Saturday . ‘It has put Bradford on the map again,’ he said. ‘It’s only slightly sinking in. When we were on the pitch celebrating at the end it did feel a bit surreal, that we’ve come to the league leaders and scored four goals. ‘It’s a great feeling and will be remembered in Bradford for a long time but the rest of the country as well.’ Mourinho left key men Nemanja Matic, Diego Costa and Branislav Ivanovic out the squad, while Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard and John Terry were on the bench. But the Portuguese said: ‘The team I selected is a good team and the only player that came from the youth team is Andreas Christensen, he did well. ‘We didn’t lose because of Christensen. The kid did his job very well. The other players have to be ready to play for Chelsea, ready to play any game. ‘If they cannot play against a team from the Championship, League One or League Two, what do we do? ‘It is the same team that played against Watford in the last round and we won. The players that played — we are not speaking about a team of kids. I think the selection was good enough, more than good enough.’ Mourinho insisted Andre Schurrle’s omission from the match-day squad was down to a back injury. The German has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge before the transfer deadline and his no-show fuelled talk of an imminent switch. Chelsea's players are left dejected after Bradford stage a stunning comeback from two goals down . Striker Jonathan Stead wheels away in celebration as his Bradford team-mates rush to congratulate him . Chelsea keeper Petr Cech dives in vain to try and stop Stead's 41st minute effort but comes up short . Bradford manager Phil Parkinson (right) and his players and staff celebrate their third goal . | The Blues led League One side Bradford 2-1 at half-time in the FA Cup . However Chelsea conceded three in the final 15 minutes to lose 4-2 . The shock FA Cup fourth round defeat ends Chelsea's quadruple chances . | 2f2021a1bec991bbe8c075e412ae6e048a9d18d4 |
A schoolboy has tragically died after being hit on the head by a bottle thrown across the playground. Oisin McGrath, 13, was struck while playing football on his lunch break at St Michael's College in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, on Monday afternoon. A 17-year-old boy was arrested and later bailed pending further police inquiries into what happened. Tragedy: Schoolboy Oisin McGrath was playing football on his lunch break when he was hit in the head by a bottle. A keen sportsman, he is seen here playing Gaelic football for his local team . Peter Robinson, First Minister of Northern Ireland, sent a message of condolence on Twitter and wrote: 'Young Oisin McGrath's death is heartbreaking. 'I'll be praying for his family and all those devastated by this sad news tonight.' Sources at the school said Oisin was playing football with friends when he was hurt. It is believed a water bottle was thrown across the playground and struck the schoolboy on the head. Condolences: Peter Robinson, First Minister of Northern Ireland, sent a message of condolence on Twitter, writing: 'Young Oisin McGrath's death is heartbreaking' Local priest Father Seamus Quinn had been at Oisin's bedside along with his devastated family. He said: 'They are stunned, numb and utterly shocked, with their hearts broken. 'People were shocked when they heard that there were no signs of life and the support would be gradually removed.' Oisin, a keen sportsman from the village of Belcoo in Fermanagh, was being treated in the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) in Belfast. Fr Quinn described Oisin as a very well-grounded and well-rounded young teenager, and added: 'He was happy and helpful, genuinely helpful, intelligent young fellow. 'They are a well-loved and well-respected family, they are solid, salt of the earth people, faith-based people, Christian people.' He said the community in Belcoo had been united in prayer for Oisin, with 500 people attending Catholic Mass on Wednesday night at St Patrick's Church in nearby Holywell, a small village outside Belcoo. Fr Quinn added: 'There is a silence in the village, there was a silence after Mass last night, naturally people were just dumbfounded and in shock. 'For anybody who has children it is their worst nightmare.' Closed: St Michael's College in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, where the incident happened, will be closed on Friday 'in the light of the tragic events this week and the impact on the school community' The teenager played Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) football in Belcoo. His mother Sharon is secretary in the local club. Paul McGrath, coach of the Belcoo under-14 side, described Oisin as a 'good, quiet lad'. Fr Quinn had earlier told how Oisin's mother Sharon had spoken of her sympathy for the other youth's parents. He said: 'I heard his mother saying there was some other poor family suffering at the moment. She said that yesterday. She was very concerned about Oisin's friends too. 'I would echo that myself. Our hearts go out to anybody else involved in this if there was some sort of accident. Nobody sets out to do this; it was obviously an accident of some description.' St Michael's is a Catholic boys' grammar school with 700 pupils, and a statement from the school said: 'A group of students were playing at lunchtime when one student became unwell and we sought medical assistance.' A notice on St Michael's College website said it would be closed on Friday 'in the light of the tragic events this week and the impact on the school community'. | Oisin McGrath was hurt on Monday afternoon while on his lunch break . Teenager was rushed to hospital and had been on life support since . Tragically, he passed away tonight with his family at his bedside . Devastated family are 'stunned, utterly shocked, with their hearts broken' | f37e59ec58bac0ba703b6bbac47a5752de679a3f |
DNA test show the seven-year-old is related to the Roma family after she was put into care on Monday . A blonde girl who was taken away from her Roma parents in Ireland was reunited with them last night after DNA tests proved she is their daughter. The seven-year-old was back with her family two days after ten officers stormed into her home in Dublin and removed her. Police took the drastic step after a member of the public expressed concern that a girl living in the end-of-terrace house bore no physical resemblance to her siblings. The tip-off from a neighbour was prompted by global coverage of the story of little Maria, who was found in Greece last week. Last night the Dublin girl’s 21-year-old sister said the family was ‘very excited to have her back’. At the family home in a south Dublin suburb she said: ‘During this ordeal I always knew that she was my sister and that my parents were her real mother and father. But the police didn’t believe us, so we’ve had to wait for DNA tests to prove it. ‘We haven’t seen her since she was taken on Monday, and the last time we saw her, she was very traumatised. This is the first time she has been without us and it has been very hard on the family. We’re just relieved she’s coming home and we’re going to have a big party to celebrate.’ In a separate incident it emerged yesterday that police removed a blond two-year-old boy from his Roma parents in Athlone, a town in the centre of Ireland, on Tuesday amid similar concerns over his appearance. They were reunited yesterday after the authorities were satisfied he is related to them. Senior detectives and health officials are facing allegations of incompetence and of racial profiling for sanctioning the removal of both children based on flimsy and unsubstantiated evidence. The housing estate where the seven-year-old lives in Tallaght, Dublin . Tallaght Garda station in Dublin where the blonde-haired, blue-eyed seven-year-old girl was taken before she was put into care . The seven-year-old girl’s ordeal . began when a member of the public wrote a message on the Facebook page . of Paul Connolly Investigates, a current affairs Irish TV programme. Police in Greece say they have arrested three Greek Roma people suspected of child abduction. Police say the suspects allegedly tried to register the two-and-a-half month old boy as their own, but raised suspicions because they lacked sufficient documentation. Regional police chief Panagiotis Kordonouris says the 19-year-old woman, her 21-year-old companion and his 51-year-old mother were arrested Wednesday at a Roma settlement outside the island capital of Mytilini. Kordonouris said they told police an unknown Roma woman gave them the baby in Athens. Last week, a Roma couple in the mainland town of Farsala was charged with abducting a girl known as 'Maria' found living with them. The author of the message made . reference to the case of Maria and added: ‘There is also a little girl . living in a Roma house and she is blonde and [has] blue eyes.’ The message then accused the Roma people of stealing children ‘to get child benefits in Europe’. Mr Connolly passed the message to the police. Yesterday the girl’s mother broke down in tears as she revealed her torment for the first time. The 35-year-old mother of six told the Daily Mail: ‘We all feel terrible . about what has happened. How would anybody feel if their child was . taken from them? This is a terrible thing to happen to us.’ Another of the girl’s sisters said: ‘The authorities have treated us very badly. This is racism.’ When asked why her sister had blonde hair and blue eyes, she said: ‘It’s . not usual, but it does happen that some of us will have blue eyes. 'I . used to be blonde when I was small and my mother used to be blonde. We have another child that has blue eyes. If you go to Romania, you will see other Romanians with blue eyes.’ Concern: The Dublin youngster was taken into care after officers called to a house in Tallaght (seen here in a general view) in the south of the city, yesterday afternoon . A Roma family has described how they were left devastated as their crying toddler was taken from their home by Irish authorities. The blond and blue-eyed two-year-old boy, from Athlone in Ireland, has been reunited with his parents today after being put into State care over concerns about the little boy's appearance. His father said: 'I was upset, I just felt so sad - they took my baby.' Gardai were believed to be acting on concerns about the little boy's appearance, but were satisfied about his identity after carrying out inquiries. The boy spent a night in the care of the Health Service Executive. 'A guard knocked on my door on Tuesday night and told me he wanted to bring my son to the health centre,' the father said. 'I said, "Why? Not a chance," but he said, "Please, we just need to take a sample, and a swab from you and your partner".' The father, who moved to Ireland with his extended family from Romania nearly a decade ago, said they had been living in Athlone for five years. He said his son had been born in nearby Ballinasloe. The father said neither he nor his family had heard about a seven-year-old girl who was taken from her home in Tallaght, Dublin because they do not watch Irish TV or listen to the news. The man and his partner stayed with their son while DNA samples were taken from all three at a health centre near their home, but the child was taken away at around 10pm on Tuesday. 'He was crying for his mother and we were both so worried, but they told us he would be safe,' the man said. 'That is all I care about. That he was okay.' The couple, who have another child, said she was confused and cried for her brother. The parents returned to the same health centre this afternoon where they were reunited with their child. The father said he was not angry with gardai - just glad to have his boy back home. The child's grandfather said: 'Imagine someone taking your wallet, or your coat or something like that, you worry about it. But for someone to take away a child, it is very bad.' Charged: Hristos Salis (right) told the court he did not want Maria (centre) in the house as he tried to blame his wife, Eleftheria Dimopoulou (left), for taking the child . Charges: Hristos Salis, 39, left, and . Eleftheria Dimopoulou, 40, right, are appearing at a courthouse in . Larissa to answer charges of abducting a minor and holding false papers. They are pictured here last Thursday . | The seven-year-old was put into care on Monday in south Dublin suburb . DNA tests proved she is the daughter of the Roma couple . Police received tip-off that a fair-haired girl was living with large Roma family . Campaign groups call for inquiry into the 'abduction' by authorities . | 889eba347fb82766a5ce1c5b16220894510d7529 |
(CNN) -- Haiti's infrastructure was among the world's worst even in the best of times, the country's ambassador to the United States said Tuesday. "It was a catastrophe waiting to happen," Raymond Alcide Joseph told CNN from Washington shortly after a 7.0 earthquake leveled parts of his home country, cutting power and phone lines in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. "Sadly, it has happened." He called the result "a catastrophe of major proportions." The capital city is surrounded by hills to which "little flimsy houses" were struggling to hold on, he said. Frank Williams of World Vision Haiti told CNN from the Petionville section of the capital that the building in which his organization is based shook for about 35 seconds and did not weather it well. Learn more about Haiti, poorest nation in Americas . "Portions of things on the building fell off," he said. "Fortunately for us, our building remains standing and none of our staff were injured, but lots of walls are falling down. Many of our staff have tried to leave, but were unsuccessful because the walls from buildings and private residences were falling into the streets." In the capital, government buildings were damaged, phone service was spotty and electricity was out, except for people who had emergency generators, Williams said. The quake's impact also shook the psyches of residents, particularly when aftershocks occurred, he said. "If there is another aftershock, there is a kind of wail as people are very frightened by it," Williams said. "But most people are out in the streets and just kind of looking up." Joseph said he had spoken with Secretary-General Fritz Longchamps, who told him buildings collapsed on either side of him as he walked along a street in Petionville. Catholic Relief Services, international relief agency based in Baltimore, spoke briefly with their person in charge in Port-au-Prince before the line went dead. Regional Information Officer Robyn Feiser said the representative told them "it's a total disaster." She quotes him as saying, "I never felt anything like this. It was a major hit, and it was direct." He told Robin their building was shaking but still standing, but the building across the street from them collapsed. He described a cloud of dust everywhere, and people moving into courtyards to get away from buildings. Eighty percent of Haiti's 9 million residents live under the poverty line and more than half -- 54 percent -- live in abject poverty, according to the CIA Factbook. In 2008, four tropical storms damaged the transportation infrastructure and agricultural sector, on which two-thirds of Haitians depend, mainly as subsistence farmers. Citing that World Bank assessment, the Organization of American States said in a report on its Web site, "Among the numerous factors explaining the extent of the loss of lives and goods are the absence of land use zoning and building guidelines, and comprehensive enforcement mechanisms." The OAS report added Haiti has no national building codes. Former U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Timothy M. Carney told CNN that Port-au-Prince was particularly at risk because it grew rapidly from a population of about 250,000 in the mid-1950s to more than 2 million today, all with little oversight. City planners had called for the surrounding hills to remain undeveloped in order to protect an aquifer. "That didn't happen," Carney said. "People started building up those hillsides." Instead of building concrete structures, they built shanties, he said. "My fear is that they all fell down." | Haitian ambassador to U.S.: Infrastructure of island nation poor in best of times . Raymond Alcide Joseph calls quake "a catastrophe of major proportions" People are reported out in the streets, cowering in strong aftershocks . OAS says lack of any building standards in Haiti makes residents vulnerable . | 473d04cebb89bac65890dbbc8019e27b4c7d5a80 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:26 EST, 18 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:26 EST, 18 June 2013 . A day care worker sprinkled drugs on snacks to get children in her day care to sleep during the day, according to charges filed on Monday. Tammy Eppley denies the charges and says that the accusations are a misunderstood joke. She was charged in Franklin County Municipal Court, Ohio with six counts of child endangerment after police in suburban Westerville say they obtained text messages in which she admits giving children the allergy drug Benadryl and Melatonin, a hormone and sleep aid. Daycare disaster: Tammy Eppley denies that she sprinkled Benadryl on the food of children she took care of in Ohio and said the accusations are a misunderstood joke . 'Tammy was bragging about how they were all perfectly still and being quiet or asleep,' said a police report describing a video Eppley allegedly recorded on her cellphone and sent a friend. 'Tammy jokes about one of the children almost discovering her actions by remarking that the sprinkles on some cupcakes tasted funny.' Eppley is also accused of mixing crushed Benadryl into pancake batter and juice for the children at her daycare, Caterpillar Clubhouse, Westerville police Det. Richard Tiburzio said in an interview on Monday. Jokes? Eppley has been charged with child endangerment after she allegedly sprinkled Benadryl on the snacks of children she cared for . Eppley, 37, denied the charges in a phone interview, saying Tiburzio was 'obsessed' with pursing the charges against her. She said she did provide drugs to children but only after getting permission from their parents. She acknowledged making light of giving the drugs in text messages to a friend but said they were jokes. Eppley described the comments as 'very tongue-in-cheek'. 'It was, ''Good grief, I wish these kids would go to sleep, I wish I could drug them,''' she said. 'I do regret making that comment, obviously,' she said. 'It was not, ''I did it.''' Tiburzio said he stands by the investigation and there is other evidence in the case. Franklin County Children Services concluded an investigation in May and are not presently working with Eppley, said spokesman Bruce Cadwallader. 'So to us it's unsubstantiated,' he said. 'But the police have a different role than we do.' In 2010, two former Ohio church day care workers were each sentenced to six months in jail for slipping Melatonin into candy to get children in their care to sleep. Safe haven? Eppley believes that a detective is 'obsessed' with pursuing charges against her . | Tammy Eppley, from Ohio, denies the charges and says that the accusations are a misunderstood joke . | e23fb34c18d76e2948f824558e65c6784c99d5d8 |
(CNN) -- A bail hearing for a man arrested in connection with homicide allegations against former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez was postponed Tuesday. In a brief court proceeding in Attleboro, Massachusetts, the bail hearing for Carlos Ortiz was continued to August 14. Ortiz was arrested in Connecticut on a Massachusetts firearms charge June 26, the same day Hernandez was arrested on suspicion of killing Odin Lloyd, 27. Hernandez has been charged with premeditated murder. He has pleaded not guilty. Judge orders Hernandez case evidence documents to be released . Authorities have said Hernandez, 23, Ortiz and another man picked Lloyd up from his Boston apartment early on June 17. Surveillance cameras captured the car at an industrial park near Hernandez's North Attleborough home. Lloyd's body was found in the industrial park later that day, authorities have said. The Patriots released Hernandez after the arrest. In Tuesday's proceeding, the court ordered that records in connection with Ortiz's case remain sealed. A law enforcement source told CNN earlier that Ortiz was cooperating with investigators. The source declined to elaborate. | Carlos Ortiz's bail hearing is moved to August 14 . Police say Ortiz, arrested on firearms charge, is an associate of ex-NFLer Aaron Hernandez . Hernandez is charged with murder in death of Odin Lloyd in Massachusetts . Authorities: Ortiz was in car with Hernandez, Lloyd before Lloyd was killed . | 8dabd6a3c0ff4ab25697eeed88668928399c49a9 |
(CNN) -- Syrian government officials will attend the international conference dubbed "Geneva II" that is charged with bringing about an end to the violence that has wracked the country since March 2011, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported Wednesday. Presidential adviser Bouthaina Shaaban told Russia Today TV on Tuesday that the government would attend without preconditions and with the goal of stopping violence and terrorism in the country, SANA reported. She ridiculed the opposition coalition as a front for Saudi intelligence. "Who does the coalition represent?" she asked rhetorically, and then cited two groups described as terrorist by the U.S. State Department. "Is it al Qaeda or Jabhat al-Nusra?" Shaaban described the Syrian government as a legitimate and elected representative of the Syrian people. In Beirut, Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said in a statement issued Tuesday that Geneva II is the only solution to the crisis and that Lebanon would participate, if invited, SANA reported. The long-delayed conference would not occur before December, Russian state news agency Itar-Tass reported Tuesday, citing a source close to talks among the United Nations, Russia and the United States. Representatives from the United Nations, Russia and the United States met Tuesday in Geneva in hopes of ironing out a plan for the talks, which have been held up in part because many branches of the Syrian opposition have said they wouldn't attend, or wouldn't participate without preconditions. Nineteen largely Islamist rebel groups, for example, last month flatly rejected participating. Some groups want Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down before talks. And the Syrian National Coalition, a rebel umbrella group, said it wouldn't participate if Iran -- an ally of the Syrian regime -- is invited. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said there will be no preconditions for the talks, Itar-Tass reported Tuesday, adding that preconditions would run counter to plans that the United States and Russia previously drew up for the conference. The United States and Russia announced in May that they would try to bring the warring parties to a second conference in Geneva to implement the peace plan they endorsed at Geneva I in 2012, which left open the question of whether al-Assad must leave power. Russia's semi-official Interfax News Agency reported Wednesday that Moscow has invited Syrian opposition leaders to Moscow for "informal contacts" ahead of Geneva II. "Our proposal for informal contacts in Moscow as part of the process of organization of Geneva II would be important from the point of view of creating a favorable atmosphere, so that people can meet and discuss their issues," Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told reporters. Meanwhile, the killing continued. A bomb exploded Wednesday afternoon at the entrance to Syria's railway headquarters in the capital, killing at least eight people and wounding others, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported. Women, children and laborers who were doing maintenance work at the office building at Hijaz Square in central Damascus, SANA said. A photo published by SANA showed exterior concrete steps in pieces; another photo showed two bags of vegetables abandoned on a nearby street. The explosion comes amid a civil war in the Middle Eastern nation. The Syrian conflict began in March 2011 after government forces cracked down on peaceful protesters during the Arab Spring movement. The United Nations estimates that more than 100,000 people have died in the conflict. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report. | Presidential adviser Shaaban says the government will attend without preconditions . She ridicules the opposition coalition as a front for Saudi intelligence . Women, children, laborers are among those killed, SANA reports. | e6485ce38a4894de2f3c5ee7bf11560c52d69d2f |
By . Eleanor Crooks, Press Association . Qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni upset US Open second seed Simona Halep to reach the fourth round at a grand slam for the first time in 15 years. The former child prodigy is now 32 but rolled back the years with a superb display of power hitting to knock out title contender Halep 7-6 (8/6) 6-2. A title winner at 15 and Wimbledon semi-finalist by 17, Lucic-Baroni's burgeoning career was derailed by off-court problems. Upset: Mirjana Lucic-Baroni reacts to knocking out second seed Simona Halep . Game over: Halep and Lucic-Baroni embrace at the net following their US Open third round clash . In 1998, she and her mother and siblings fled their native Croatia for the United States to escape father and coach Marinko, who she alleges physically and verbally abused her from a young age. Although she went on to have her great run at Wimbledon in 1999, beating Monica Seles before losing narrowly to Steffi Graf, Lucic-Baroni's success petered out. Financial problems limited the amount she could play and she contested only two professional matches between 2004 and 2006. But Lucic-Baroni was determined that her personal misfortune would not stop her playing tennis and in 2007 she began the long road back. She has battled away on the lower rungs of the tennis ladder, returning to the grand slam stage in 2010 after a gap of eight years. Her best run until now came at Wimbledon in 2012 when she beat Marion Bartoli on her way to the third round as a qualifier. The result will be a major disappointment for Halep, who has enjoyed a brilliant season, reaching at least the quarter-finals at the other three grand slams and losing to Maria Sharapova in the French Open final. There was also disappointment for Venus Williams, who served for the match against Sara Errani before losing a bizarre contest 6-0 0-6 7-6 (7/5). Williams came into the tournament with high hopes after a good run of form and had never lost more than three games in a set against Errani before. Anguish: Venus Williams served for the match against Sara Errani before losing . Determined: Errani used all her experience to overcome Williams at Flushing Meadows . The American's radar was horribly off in the first set - she hit four winners and made 18 unforced errors - but she looked to have decisively turned the match in her favour in the second. Williams served for the match at 5-3 in the decider but could not force a match point and Errani came up with two fine points to clinch the tie-break, throwing her racquet into the air and then perhaps unwisely shushing the crowd. Bizarrely it is the second time Williams has lost a match at Flushing Meadows having lost the first set and won the second to love - she was also beaten by Kim Clijsters in 2009. Lucic-Baroni will play Errani in the fourth round. It was a day of shocks, and another arrived on Court 17 where 17-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic knocked out sixth seed Angelique Kerber 6-1 7-5. Teenager: Belinda Bercic, 17, caused a major upset by ousting sixth seed Angelique Kerber . Qualified: Bercic will play Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round after the Serbian thrashed Johanna Larsson . On form: Peng Shuai defeated Roberto Vinci after seeing off Agnieszka Radwanska the previous round . In her first visit to the last 16 at a grand slam, Bencic will play eighth seed Jelena Jankovic, who dispatched Sloane Stephens' conqueror Johanna Larsson for the loss of one game. Peng Shuai followed up her victory over fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in round two by defeating 28th seed Roberta Vinci 6-4 6-3. | Former child prodigy Lucic-Baroni rolled back the years to beat second seed Halep in straight sets . The Croatian was a Wimbledon semi-finalist 15 years ago aged 17 . Veteran Venus Williams beaten by Sara Errani after serving for the match . Teen Belinda Bencic shocks sixth seed Angelique Kerber . Further wins for Jelena Jankovic and Peng Shuai . | 7f15b743706386d139427d52977e0f5025dbabb6 |
(CNN) -- George H.W. Bush marked his 80th and 85th birthdays with parachute jumps. He said after the second jump: "Just because you're an old guy, you don't have to sit around drooling in the corner. Get out and do something. Get out and enjoy life." Now 88, Bush has been struggling with serious health concerns, including bronchitis. We need him to recover, to set an example for the world of how a man can mark his 90th. The son of a U.S. senator, Bush has been a naval aviator hero, oil millionaire, member of Congress, ambassador to China, CIA director, vice president of the United States and then the president who managed the end of the Cold War. He has lived more life than seems possible for any single human being. The achievements of that remarkable life are overshadowed by one negative fact: Along with Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush is only one of three 20th-century presidents to have lost re-election. Yet while Hoover's presidency and Carter's are largely regarded as failures by posterity, the judgment on Bush's has become more forgiving over time. Eighteen months ago, former President Bill Clinton paid this tribute to his predecessor in office: . "George W. Bush did me one of the great favors of my life. He asked me, not once,but twice, to work with his father to help people in need: first in South Asia in the tsunami and then in the Gulf Coast after Katrina. All told, we took seven trips together. It was an amazing experience. This man, whom I'd always liked and respected and then run against in a painful campaign in some ways, I literally came to love." In the years ahead, we will hear more such tributes -- tributes that may at last do justice to a president whose most important accomplishment has been persistently undervalued and misattributed. In the summer of 1987, President Ronald Reagan visited divided Berlin and urged, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." It was a stirring moment, a stunning speech. In documentaries about the end of the Cold War, that speech always gets prominent attention, as it should. Yet it is also true that after Reagan spoke his words ... nothing much happened. Nothing much happened for a year. Nothing much happened for a second year. Not until deep in 1989, two years later, did the communist system in central Europe begin its implosion: first in Poland, then in Hungary and only in November of 1989 in eastern Germany. In one ecstatic night, the East German regime's border guards did nothing as local protesters overwhelmed the dividing wall. Then morning came, and Europe confronted the same question it had confronted for half a century: What would Russia do? Since 1945, the Soviet rulers had made clear they would plunge the world into war rather than accept a reunited Germany. In November 1989, they still commanded the power to do just that. Over the next few months, the Soviets changed their minds. They acquiesced to the surrender of their single most fundamental geopolitical claim. They acquiesced without violence and without getting much of anything in return. In the history of world diplomacy, there has never been a negotiation like this one. That work of negotiation fell not to the eloquent Ronald Reagan but to George H.W. Bush, who never saw a speech he didn't mangle. There is no "tear down this wall" clip by Bush. But it was during his presidency that the wall was in fact demolished -- and not by some lucky accident but after months of agonizing work by Germans and Americans together. There's a saying in Hollywood: "He who will not toot his own horn, his horn shall not be tooted." George Herbert Walker Bush is an inveterate non-horn-tooter. He did not toot his horn over the end of the Cold War. He did not toot his own horn over his deficit reductions. He believed that horn-tooting risked alienating the very people whose cooperation had made the accomplishment possible in the first place. Very likely, he was right, too. As the former president fights off the illness that sent him to the hospital, though, perhaps it would be well if he did hear a few toots from other people's horns: the Germans and other Central Europeans whose progress to freedom his diplomacy assisted; the Kuwaitis who owe their country to him; and too-neglectful Americans, to whom he bequeathed a world more peaceful, more stable and more free. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Frum. | David Frum: George H.W. Bush, 88, must recover to continue to inspire on way to 90 . Bush has packed much into life: war hero, ambassador, CIA chief, VP, president . He says elder Bush not given enough credit for role in shepherding end of Cold War . Frum: Bush will not toot own horn; others (Kuwaitis, Eastern Europeans, Americans) should . | 36e83e6b85728a7f314c0840414ec3efbcf8cb02 |
By . Alexandra Klausner . PUBLISHED: . 17:36 EST, 28 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:51 EST, 28 February 2014 . One father and stepfather of a kindergartener at a Missouri elementary school got into a heated scuffle on Tuesday night after their daughter's class performance in the school gymnasium. Ryan D. Steck, 36, and Kevin F. Alexander, 38, were watching a show at the Alma Schrader Elementary School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri when they allegedly began exchanging harsh words which escalated into pushing and shoving. Two off duty police officers who were watching their children perform at the school saw the fighting, notified an on duty unit, and the men were arrested. A father and stepfather were watching their daughter perform at the Alma Schrader Elementary School when they broke out into a fight . The gentlemen were then cited and released for peace disturbance. Ryan D. Steck is the biological father the young girl and Kevin F. Alexander is the child's stepfather. The Southeast Missourian spoke to Public information officer Darin Hickey on Thursday who said that when off-duty cops saw the men fighting they 'immediately separated them.' Alexander told the Missourian that he became angry with Steck after he forcibly pulled his step-daughter from his hands which she said, 'hurt her.' Alexander claims that Steck slapped him with the back of his hand and says that Steck spit in his face. Alexander adds that in retaliation he punched Steck in the head and 'may have hit him a couple more times.' Steck told the Missourian that he never hit or spit on Alexander and that he just 'blew air out of his mouth.' 'I'm not the type of person who would get into a fight at a school like that,' Steck said. Alexander told the paper that the fight was ' a long time coming.' Both men confess to having a history of conflict with one another but neither of them will be near a history classroom anytime soon as they are now banned from future school functions. 'The worst part about it was it was in an elementary school around a bunch of kids,' Alexander said. | Kevin F. Alexander claims that Ryan D. Steck yanked his stepdaughter from his arms and that she said it 'hurt her' Alexander claims that Steck 'slapped him' and 'spit on him' so in retaliation he 'hit him a couple of times' Steck says he did not spit but that he merely 'blew air out of his mouth' Off-duty police officers who were attending the kindergarten show as parents broke up the fight . The men were arrested then cited and released for peace disturbance . Both gentlemen are banned from future school performances . | 777c9565b2aa85beeb887c244fe558e721a0f7ed |
For a split-second, it could have been the opening day of last season. Same opposition, same score to protect and a contribution from the same player that brought the same, deafening reaction. Deep into added time, with Liverpool clinging to a 1-0 lead, Charlie Adam hoisted a cross into the penalty area and Anfield gasped for breath. Through a sea of red shirts, Simon Mignolet appeared to pluck the ball from the sky and spark a thunderous ovation. The reaction from the home support, however, was mixed with relief. Mignolet had previously came for but missed a number of balls slung in his direction and irony could be detected in the cheering. VIDEO Scroll down for Brendan Rodgers: I didn't realise it was Gerrard's 16th year . Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet applauds the fans after their 1-0 win over Stoke on Saturday . Mignolet pulls off a fine save against the Potters after diving to tip the ball over the crossbar . Mignolet sheres a laugh with match-winner Glen Johnson (right) and Raheem Sterling at full time . But, at that moment, Mignolet ensured the game would be won. When referee Craig Pawson brought a tense contest to an end shortly after, Mignolet stood on the edge of the box, punching the air in celebration. His emotions needed no explanation. A weight had been lifted. When Stoke arrived at Anfield in August 2013, Mignolet made an immediate impression on his debut, saving an added-time penalty from Jon Walters. That plunging stop launched Liverpool’s push for the title and it was the best possible introduction to his new fans. He once described that as the ‘best moment of his career’ but, highlights have been few since. Liverpool are used to charismatic No 1s but Mignolet, for much of 2014, has done nothing but spread anxiety. It meant the circumstances had significantly changed for this visit from Stoke. Mignolet had a huge question to answer, aware the criticism of him — most notably from former Liverpool keeper Bruce Grobbelaar — had been stinging. Mignolet saved a penalty from Jonathan Walters on his debut for Liverpool at the start of last season . The Belgian goalkeeper celebrates with a fist pump after assuring Liverpool of a 1-0 win in the game . He celebrates vociferously with team-mates Kolo Toure (left) and Jordan Henderson . Having spoken to Brendan Rodgers on Friday, Mignolet — whose error against Ludogorets in the Champions League ensured the spotlight was shining on him — knew that he had to produce. That wasn’t always the case. He was heckled by The Kop at one point when he dithered over a goal kick; his kicking, as a whole, wasn’t always assured and his decision making was hesitant, notably in the second half when he allowed Mame Biram Diouf to close in on him. As the pressure mounted, though, Mignolet produced, not least with a fabulous fingertip save to tip over a Bojan Krkic volley. Then, as Stoke tried to salvage a point, he made that catch and all was right in his world. The question is how long it will stay that way. | Simon Mignolet has struggled since taking the No 1 jersey at Liverpool . Was unconvincing on several occasions against Stoke on Saturday . Brendan Rodgers had spoken to him after draw with Ludogorets . Glen Johnson scored the winner as Liverpool beat Stoke 1-0 at Anfield . | 5f3ef90cd3246b8222211d2cce622f8d0a44db82 |
By . Dan Bloom . Changing times: Famous for going door-to-door, Jehovah's Witnesses have taken to the streets . It's a practice that's been the butt of jokes for decades: a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses turning up suited and booted on your doorstep. But the days of the 140-year-old religious order's members trudging door-to-door in the rain could soon be numbered. Thousands have switched tactics to stand on street corners in more than a dozen cities across Britain - and unusually for public preachers, they are staying almost completely silent. Leaders believe it is a better tactic in modern Britain, where people do not like being approached directly and prefer browsing as if in a shop. Three years after the same tactic was introduced in New York, witnesses have been standing on pavements in at least 13 cities across Britain and handing out tens of thousands of magazines. Unlike other evangelical preachers, they do not shout or call attention to themselves - instead standing in near-silence until someone approaches them. 'I guess that's just not our style,' said Mark O'Malley, a spokesman for the Jehovah's Witnesses at their London headquarters. 'We have used inventive approaches down the years. We used "sound cars" in the 1930s which would relay lectures in the street from megaphones on the roof. 'Radio was used a lot later on and our members wore placards and sandwich boards. But now it's more organised, particularly in larger cities where there's tremendous footfall. 'I think this method is effective because it allows individuals to take the initiative rather than us approaching them. 'People find certain approaches more appealing to them. If you go into a shop some people prefer to browse and then at the right time they'll be asked if they'd like some help.' Jokes: There are 8million members of the movement around the world, but they often have front doors slammed in their faces. Leaders say door-to-door work will continue but people are often not at home . Grumpy commuters already spend their time batting away free newspapers, magazines, leaflets and charity collectors - but Mr O'Malley said: 'People tell us that for them, they prefer that approach. Other cultures are similar.' Some former believers claim door-to-door preaching - which has been widely parodied for decades - is unpopular with members who earn a hostile reception on the doorstep. Former member of 14 years Scott Terry, who wrote The Truth: How a Gay Child Was Saved from Religion, said hitting the streets could be the only way to 'clock up' enough hours of service. He said: 'Jehovah's Witnesses require a certain amount of "field service," or time spent recruiting, in order to maintain their standing in the congregation. 'Anyone who does not fulfill those requirements will receive admonishment from the elders, and could also be considered "inactive". There is a tremendous amount of pressure within the congregation to fulfill the hourly requirement.' Print run: The organisation wants to build a new headquarters the size of seven football pitches near Chelmsford, Essex, which could print 184,000 copies an hour of magazines such as The Watchtower . Mr O'Malley insisted 'nothing's changed' with the movement's stance on doorstepping, which still takes place. But he admitted: 'We find a lot of people might not be home, especially during the week. 'People we might not find door-to-door, we find in the street.' The new recruits in the street include 1,000 in London alone, with others in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield. There are also street 'Witnesses' in Dublin, Ireland. Media-savvy: Leaders are now analysing which themes shift the most magazines . They come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and more are women than men, but Mr O'Malley said this was because many believers have husbands who work full-time. The movement was founded in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell, a Presbyterian from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now has around 8million members. They adopted the name Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931 to reflect the fact that they believe only in direct worship to God (Jehovah) and not the traditional Christian Trinity of 'father, son and Holy Spirit'. Certain beliefs - including refusal to salute flags, fight in armed services or accept blood transfusions, even for children - have brought 'Witnesses' in to direct conflict with governments. They are also not accepted as a doctrine by mainstream Christianity and former members such as Mr Terry claim they are like a 'cult'. But the organisation presides over vast numbers of members worldwide and millions of pounds in funding. Next month 50,000 believers will descend on Twickenham stadium in south west London for a convention in more than a dozen languages. And in January, the global movement announced its plans to open a new British headquarters the size of seven football pitches on the outskirts of Chelmsford, Essex. If built the centre could provide a base for 800 believers, several acres of gardens and a printing room capable of churning out 184,000 magazines every hour. Jehovah's Witnesses - whose celebrity members include the singer Prince and tennis champion sisters Serena and Venus Williams - are also becoming more media-savvy. Leaders say the May issue of Awake!, their main magazine alongside The Watchtower, shifted record numbers because it was themed around stress, a general topic with which everyone could connect. In response the movement is repeating almost exactly the same theme in its September issue, which will be about 'burnout'. | Religious movement founded in U.S. became famous for knocking on doors . They once drove cars with loudhailers and wore large sandwich boards . But now thousands of followers are taking to public 'pitches' for long shifts . Tactic launched in 13 British cities including London, Cardiff and Edinburgh . Followers admit nowadays people are rarely at home during the day . | b509615099ec2a486f15fe354f592c2f14b02d90 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:51 EST, 9 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:38 EST, 9 October 2013 . A 13-year-old-boy is due to stand trial in Louisiana on Wednesday, accused of the second-degree murder of his five-year-old half sister. Devalon Armstrong allegedly used wrestling moves he had seen on television on Viloude Louis, who died from the brutal beating on June 16 in Terrytown. The little girl suffered broken ribs, internal bleeding and a . lacerated liver after Armstrong repeatedly slammed her on a bed, punched her in the stomach, jumped on her and struck her with his elbow several times, police said. Tragic: Five-year-old Viloude Louis died of horrific injuries in June, allegedly inflicted by her half brother Devalon Armstrong, as he practiced wrestling moves on the girl . Judge Andrea Price Janzen will hear testimony today and then rule whether the boy will be charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter or negligent homicide. He could also be acquitted. The Times-Picayune reported that if Armstrong was convicted as charged he would get 'juvenile life', which would mean imprisonment until his 21st birthday. The teenager, who is also known as Armstrong Desvallons, told officers that he was practicing wrestling moves on his sister while their mother, 39-year-old Adlourdes Desvallons, was out. But Juvenile Court Judge Janzen will not let prosecutors use the tape where he confesses this as evidence during Wednesday's trial. Victim: Viloude Louis, 5, was found unconscious on the floor after she was brutally beaten . As reported by The Advocate, the judge ruled in September that neither the boy nor the mother really understood how this statement could be used against him. Deputies say they received a 911 call . from the home on June 16 saying the girl had been found unconscious on the bathroom floor. Paramedics found the girl unresponsive and she . was pronounced dead a short time later. Armstrong was arrested after a coroner investigation found the girl died of multiple injuries, two days after the death, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's spokesman Col. John Fortunato said. Detectives initially spoke with the girl's mother and found out that the teenager had been babysitting while she went shopping, Fortunato told The Times-Picayune. Devalon told investigators the girl had a stomach ache and went upstairs to brush her teeth, and 30 minutes later he found her on the floor complaining her stomach still hurt, Fortunato said. Scene: The little girl suffered the beating in this Louisiana neighborhood while her half-brother babysat her . The teenager claimed he took the girl downstairs to the sofa and called 911 when he saw she was no longer breathing. Dispatchers told him to start CPR and paramedics arrived on the scene. The coroner's office said there did not appear to be any outward signs of injury and her death was left as unclassified, but then Devalon told detectives he had been practicing World Wrestling Entertainment-style moves on the girl, The Times-Picayune reported. He said that even when his little half sister said she was in pain, he continued to carry out the moves on her. Detectives added that he appeared to be enjoying talking about the assault. The Sheriff's office reclassified her death as a homicide and Devalon was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder. He has been held at a juvenile detention center since the incident. Violent: The boy said he used moves on his sister like those he had seen on World Wrestling Entertainment . | Devalon Armstrong, 13, 'repeatedly punched half sister in the stomach, jumped on her and slammed her on the bed as he copied WWE moves' Five-year-old Viloude Louis later died of her injuries including broken ribs, internal bleeding and a lacerated liver . Teenager could be jailed until his 21st birthday if convicted of second-degree murder in trial starting in Louisiana on Wednesday . | d9fd06af802f0099d9a0657766f446faf6fb9b66 |
It is one of Britain's greatest architectural masterpieces and these stunning photos give a rare glimpse inside the 150-year-old Clifton Suspension Bridge. The iconic bridge, stretched 245 feet above the River Avon to link Bristol with Somerset, reached its landmark birthday this month. And to celebrate, photographer Jon Rowley was granted rare access to the magnificent structure that Isambard Kingdom Brunel referred to as 'my first child, my darling'. Scroll down for video . Photographer Jon Rowley was given rare access to the Leigh Woods Tower of the Clifton Suspension Bridge . Detail of the giant rollers that the chains rest on allowing them miniscule movement when loads pass over the bridge . David Anderson, Bridge Master of Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge stands inside the Leigh Woods Tower - the abutment on which is stands was discovered to consist of 12 vaulted champers back in 2002 . Detail of the giant cradle that the chains rest on. The slight movement of the chains absorbs forces created by chain deflection prevents and damage to both tower and chain as heavy loads pass over the bridge . Jon captured images from inside the 110ft-high Leigh Woods tower and the stunning views across Bristol and the surrounding countryside. In 2002 it was discovered that the abutment on which the tower stands was not a solid structure but contained 12 vaulted chambers up to 35 feet high, linked by shafts and tunnels. Roller-mounted 'saddles' at the top of each tower allow movement of the chains when loads pass over the bridge. Though their total travel is minuscule, their ability to absorb forces created by chain deflection prevents damage to both tower and chain. The view from the very top of the Leigh Woods Tower shows the spectacular scenery around the bridge which Brunel described as 'my first child, my darling' Jon Rowley was given the rare access to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the bridge, which was marked with a fireworks display on December 8 . David Anderson, Bridge Master of Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge, looks out across the bridge from the top of the Leigh Woods Tower . The view from the South side of Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge from the Leigh Woods Tower gives a new perspective of the iconic bridge . The bridge, which spans the Avon Gorge, opened to the public on December 8, 1864 and is regarded as Brunel’s finest achievement. Plans for a bridge go back as far as 1754 when Bristol wine merchant William Vick left £1,000 in his will to the Society of Merchant Venturers, requesting £10,000 was raised to build a bridge to the city. However, war with France stalled the idea of a grand bridge, built tall enough so that ships could pass underneath, and it was not until the 1820s that it was resuscitated. Completed in 1864, the majestic Clifton Suspension bridge is a testament to the ingenuity of Victorian engineering. It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel who was only 24 years old when he won the commission to build the incredible structure. The majority of the weight of the bridge is supported by its two major towers; Leigh Woods tower and the Clifton tower. As compression pushes down on Clifton Bridge’s deck, the chains transfer that compression to the towers. The towers then dissipate the compression directly into the ground. The bridge has three independent wrought iron chains on each side, from which the bridge deck is suspended by 81 matching vertical iron rods ranging from 65ft (20 metres) at the ends to 3ft (0.91 metres) in the centre. Roller-mounted ‘saddles’ at the top of each tower allow movement of the chains when loads pass over the bridge, to help absorb forces and prevent damage to the structure. The supporting cables deal with the bridge's tension forces. These cables run horizontally between the bridges anchorages, which pass the tension forces to the rock below. Timber sleepers overlaid with planking make up the deck of the bridge, which has been covered with asphalt since 1897. The bridge is made up of 3,500 load bearing bolts and huge chains that stretch 20 miles (32km) underground. Of the 4,200 links in the iron chains which hold the 1,500-ton structure together, 4,199 are Victorian originals. Overall, it spans 700ft (210 metres) and sits 245ft (75 metres) above the water below at high tide. By 1829, £8,000 had been secured and a competition was announced for engineers to submit their designs for a bridge across the gorge. The competition was to be judged by Menai Bridge designer Thomas Telford, but he rejected all entries - including Brunel's - and submitted his own plans. However, locals were not impressed by Telfords plans and the whole project stalled. A year later a new competition was held and Brunel, who was just 24 at the time, was declared the winner and appointed project engineer for a fee of 2,000 guineas. Work was painfully slow and expensive and became surplus to requirement when another bridge was opened so the project was abandoned in 1853. The spectacular photos, taken from the top of the tower, gove a new perspective on the iconic Grade 1-listed bridge . The 85-foot-tall Leigh Woods tower stands atop a 110-foot red sandstone-clad abutment and gives a view over the whole bridge . But Brunel's death in 1859, aged just 53, prompted the Institution of Civil Engineers to restart the project to commemorate their hero. They purchased chain links form the Hungerford Bridge in London, another Brunel project which was being dismantled, and used them to complete the Cliftonproject. The link, purchased for £5,000, were even transported to Bristol on Brunel's Great Western Railway. By November 1864, the bridge was ready and workmen tested t by dumping 500 tons of rock on the central section to see if it would hold. The rare images celebrate what is one of Britain's most iconic architectural masterpieces, and 34 years in the making . Isambard Thomas, Brunel's great great grandson visits the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol as the structure marks its 150th anniversary . Brunel first won the competition to build the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol in 1830, but it was not completed until 34 years later . After being abandoned in 1853, the bridge project was restarted following Brunel's death and completed in 1864 . Archive photo of the building of the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol in the 1860s shows the iconic bridge near completion . The bridge dipped seven inches under the weight, but returned to its former state once they were removed, declaring the engineering feat a success. A century and a half later, the bridge still draws half a million visitors a year to marvel at the engineering wonder. And the Grade I listed structure is used daily with more than 8,000 motorists crossing the bridge every day. Thousands of people once again flocked to the bridge earlier this month to watch a dazzling fireworks display to celebrate its 150th anniversary on December 8. | Photographer Jon Rowley was give access to bridge's 110ft-high Leigh Woods tower . Pictures shows views from top of bridge as well as inner workings of suspension bridge cables . Brunel's masterpiece is celebrating 150 years since its completion in December 1864 . | e3f048db78b088252af33141629dd810a09604bc |
President Barack Obama told a United Nations meeting on Tuesday that pollution must be contained to address climate change. Specifically, he called out China, saying that the most populous country on Earth, with the fastest increase in carbon pollution, must join the United States to lead the rest of the world in carbon reduction. "We have a responsibility to lead," Obama said to applause. "That's what big nations have to do." Obama was speaking at the U.N. Climate Summit, a one-day meeting hosted by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and open to leaders of all 193 U.N. member states. Wednesday begins the U.N. General Assembly meeting, which has marked climate change as one of its top issues as well. The event offers Obama a chance to shift the conversation away from the threat posed by ISIS, Ebola, and other national security matters and focus on an issue where he can tout accomplishments. Hours after ordering strikes on Syria, Obama said that the "urgent and growing threat of climate change" would ultimately "define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other" issue. Obtaining broad agreement to combat global climate change does not come easy, an issue the President addressed. For instance, China has been reluctant to stem the influx of energy production, as it's in more demand. And in the United States, the issue is controversial, with some claiming to believe that humans don't cause climate change. "In each of our countries, there are interests that will be resistant to action. In each country there is a suspicion that if we act and other countries don't -- that we will be at an economic disadvantage. But we have to lead," Obama said. Obama painted a tragic picture caused by a changing climate in the U.S., detailing floods in Miami, wildfires in the West, hurricanes in the north and drought followed by excessive rain in the middle of the country. Obama noted that some countries are more impacted than others by climate change, but said, "No nation is immune." Actions announced . The President unveiled a series of actions to urge the international community to cut emissions. He also announced measures to help developing countries better prepare for climate change. While efforts are still under way to meet and exceed goals set for 2015, the President outlined a partnership plan to meet additional carbon reduction goals by 2020. "We cannot condemn our children and their children to a future that is beyond their capacity to repair -- not when we have the means, the technological innovation and the scientific imagination to begin the work of repairing it right now," he said. "I believe in the words of Dr. King that there is such a thing as being too late." Actions taken so far . In June 2013, Obama announced a plan to cut carbon pollution, including directing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish new emission standards for active coal plants in the United States, and working with other countries including China and India -- two of the world's top emitters of greenhouse gases -- to establish new plans for addressing pollution globally. The plan included many executive actions -- things that don't need approval from Congress, such as new standards for coal plants -- that were controversial. A year later, in June, 2014, the EPA proposed a new plan designed to cut carbon emissions by 30% by the year 2030. That plan has become a popular subject in several Senate races this year, including West Virginia and Kentucky. Still to be done . For the environmental community, the next big frontier to tackle is methane emissions -- different from carbon emissions but, environmentalists say, just as important in the fight against climate change. "For us the big next steps include making a decision to address methane pollution from the oil and gas sector," said John Coequyt, director of the international climate campaign at the Sierra Club, one of the country's oldest environmental organizations. "That's one of the biggest unresolved pieces." Polling . A demonstration in New York on Sunday featuring appearances from U.N. leader Ban and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, among others, turned out tens of thousands of supporters, but polling indicates that many Americans do not list addressing climate change as an issue they believe should be a top priority for the President and Congress. A Pew research poll conducted earlier this year found that 29% of respondents listed "dealing with global warming" as a top policy priority -- and that number has remained virtually unchanged since Obama took office in 2009. And a Gallup poll conducted in March 2014, found that a little under a fourth of Americans -- 24% -- list climate change as a national problem that they worry about "a great deal." However, when it comes to addressing climate change, polling indicates most Americans back action. A Gallup poll from June found that 65% of those surveyed support the government tightening pollution regulations on businesses. | President Obama gives address on climate change at United Nations on Tuesday . U.N. secretary-general is hosting world leaders at a one-day climate change summit . The Obama administration unveiled a climate change action plan in 2013 . | bde35088f3b67c2163ab3cefe18c6e4d7a675d1a |
By . Steve Doughty . PUBLISHED: . 21:43 EST, 15 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:01 EST, 16 October 2012 . Dying patients who need hospital treatment in England cost the NHS an average of £7,415 each, a research report said yesterday. The bill covers care over the patient’s last year of life, and most of it is spent on emergency admission to hospital and then treatment in the final month, it found. The report by independent research group the Nuffield Trust put the total cost to hospitals and social services of looking after dying patients at just under £5 billion a year, with nearly two thirds of the bill falling to the NHS. Rising costs: Nearly two thirds of the £5million bill for caring for the dying is met by hospitals - with nearly two thirds of that cost falling to the NHS (posed by models) It said the finding raised the question of whether it would be cheaper for people to die outside hospital, adding ‘now more than ever this type of analysis is critical if more value is to be extracted from public funds.’ The inquiry comes at a time of growing controversy over the way hospitals routinely withdraw treatment from patients judged to be dying and allegations that the cost of caring for very seriously ill patents is one of the reasons why. NHS hospitals have adopted methods such as the Liverpool Care Pathway that are meant to ease the suffering of the dying during their last hours of life. But families have complained that LCP has been applied to patients who were not dying. One senior NHS consultant, Professor Patrick Pullicino, has said that predicting death in advance is not medically possible, that the Pathway has become a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’, and that it is being used to free hospital beds or deal with difficult patients. The criticism suggests that the cost of treatment and care has become a factor in determining the way hospitals deal with the most severely ill and vulnerable patients. The Nuffield report, called Understanding Patterns of Health and Social Care at the End of Life, said costs for hospitals were much higher than for local councils because many more of the dying use hospitals than social care. Nearly half of all costs go on emergency admissions to hospital . Nearly nine out of 10 people in their last months of life go into hospital, but few more than a quarter use social care services. Overall, nearly two thirds of the total bill for caring for the dying is met by hospitals. But the report said that for each individual the cost of care of the dying in hospital was less than 60 per cent of the bill for local councils for social care of people in their last year of life, which covers both people in residential care homes and those who are given help to live in their own homes. Those who get social care in their last year of life on average cost the taxpayer £12,559, the report said. The costs are mainly spent helping people with low incomes because the care means test system means the better off have to pay their own care and care home bills, usually out of the value of their homes. The report said that extra spending on social care - for example by easing the means test system so homeowners are required to spend less of their assets on a care home place - could save hospitals money. Nuffield research head Dr Martin Bardsley said: ‘People are very vulnerable in the last months of their lives, and achieving appropriate and well-co-ordinated care across health and social care is critical. Our study suggests how social care might be effectively substituting for hospital care for this group of people. He warned that the Coalition and local authorities should not cut back on social care spending. ‘The worry is that if funding for social care is cut back, people may have no option but to use hospital care. This may not be the best care for people who wish to be at home in their last months of life, as well as cost far more for the NHS. ‘Given the financial climate, this type of analysis is critical now more than ever if more value for patients is to be extracted from public funds.’ The report, based on the care of 73,243 people in seven English cities, said that £486.6 million was spent on their hospital care and £255.3 million on their social care. ‘Many more people used hospital care than social care in the last year of life, and total hospital costs in this period were approximately double those of social care services,’ it said. Nearly half of all hospital costs were incurred by emergency inpatient admissions, and more than £2,000 of the cost of a hospital death was built up in the last month of life. ‘With this very large rise in activity towards the very end of life, over half of all hospital costs were due to activity in the last three months of life,’ the report said. | Total cost of looking after dying patients nearly £5 billion a . year - with two thirds of the bill to the NHS . Almost half of all hospital costs were incurred by emergency inpatient admissions . | e399d32a8c2abdfcef82c8d34cd3ff0e43bcb7e5 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 4:24 PM on 6th February 2012 . The woman accused of stalking New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman pretended to be pregnant with his baby, her mother claims. After Louise Neathway told her ex-lover Mr Cashman of her claim and threatened to air it publicly, he gave her $6,000 to have an abortion. But her mother later told him that she had invented the claim - and said it was not the first time she had lied about having an abortion, according to the New York Post. Mr Cashman, 44, appeared under strain over the weekend when he visited his wife, who is filing for divorce in the wake of his alleged affair with Ms Neathway. Accused: Louise Neathway is said to have made up a claim that she was pregnant with her ex-lover's baby . A sad state of affairs: Looking tired and unhappy, Brian Cashman drives away from his house in Norwalk, Connecticut on Saturday . But he may have received some relief . from the revelation that Ms Neathway, 36, was never in fact pregnant - . despite demanding $15,000 for an 'unspecified medical issue'. The Yankees boss was told that this claim was false during a meeting on January 27 with Ms Neathway's mother Caroline Meanwell. Ms Meanwell 'apologised to [Mr Cashman] for all the trouble and was very emotional,' according to a source for the Post. 'She said [Ms Neathway] was never pregnant, and had lied about it in the past as well. 'She said she had made [previous] claims of fake pregnancies and fake abortions.' Louise Neathway, pictured right in court, claimed that Yankees boss . Brian Cashman, left, got her pregnant and made her have an abortion . Pregnancy scare: Ms Neathway emailed Mr Cashman a photo of an ultrasound, pictured, telling him to pay for her 'abortion' or she would continue to torment him . On that same day, Ms Neathway sent Mr . Cashman a message about her alleged pregnancy and attached what she . said was an ultrasound scan of their baby. The trove of emails sent to Mr . Cashman and his lawyer by Ms Neathway, who who has been charged with . stalking and harrassing the father of two, was obtained by the Daily . News. 'What Brian Cashman has done to me is . both incomprehensible and unforgivable,' Ms Neathway reportedly wrote . in an email sent with the scan on January 29. 'I am going to the press and . informaing [sic] them of the preganacy [sic] and the abortion. And . everything else,' she wrote in an error-littered message. 'So you can have a little gloat at my . agony here is my ultra sound picture. . . I guess its ok for me to just . push this aside right? Men!!!' Yankees boss Brian Cashman's wife has filed for a divorce after he was publicly accused of the affair with Neathway . Ms Neathway, in a separate email sent . a day later, threatened to make Mr Cashman’s life hell unless he paid . for her 'abortion'. She also warned that any threats against her would . backfire, claiming she worked for British intelligence agency MI6. 'I will not tolerate threats by any . means, of a criminal nature, as that will bite Brian in the backside and . probably will be the biggest personal mistake of his life,' wrote the . mother of one, according to the Daily News. Mr Cashman's wife Mary, 42, filed for . divorce a day after Ms Neathway faced her charges in court on Thursday . claiming to have had an affair with him. When the baseball manager visited his . wife at their Darien home he spent less than a minute in the house, . which he moved out of when the claims first emerged. Scruffily dressed and with dark rings under his eyes from lack of sleep, the pressure was clearly showing. Mr Cashman is the latest in a line of . men who claim Ms Neathway has tormented them with death threats, phone . hacking and lies about miscarriages and abortions, court records and . former friends claim. Extra threat: Neathway warned Cashman in her last email that any threats against her would backfire claiming she worked for British intelligence agency MI6 . On Thursday prosecutors said Ms . Neathway harassed Mr Cashman with hundreds of text messages, and . demanded he give her $15,000 to pay for a medical procedure. She allegedly threatened to contact . the press and his family with claims that would hurt his personal . relationships and professional standing, according to a court complaint. Mr Cashman made two payments, one for $4,000 and another for $2,000. He even tried to get rid of his alleged mistress by urging her mother to have her committed, sources told the Daily News. He apparently contacted Ms Meanwell last week and told her that her daughter was mentally unstable and 'needs help'. The call led to a meeting between Ms Meanwell, Mr Cashman and his lawyer. Prior accusations: Mr Cashman is not the first man to accuse her of stalking and making threats . 'He told the mother she needed help,' one of the sources said. 'He suggested to her that she try to have her committed.' In the meeting, Mr Cashman and Ms . Meanwell placed a conference call to Louise’s Manhattan psychiatrist, . Charlotte Murphy, who agreed with Cashman, sources told the Post. 'Murphy agreed that Louise was dangerous and violent, and that it was a serious situation. She said to call 911,' a source said. Ms Meanwell made the call which eventually led to her daughter's arrest. Mr Cashman claims he was stalked and blackmailed into handing over $6,000 to Louise Neathway . Cashman is the latest in the line of men who claim Neathway has tormented them with death threats, phone hacking and lies about miscarriages . The Daily News also obtained a reference letter Mr Cashman wrote for Ms Neathway on Yankees-letterhead paper. In the letter dated July 15, 2011, Mr . Cashman said that he had known her for six years through charity work . and described her as 'tireless' contributor who had the 'respect and . admiration' of her colleagues. In court Ms Neathway's lawyers said . Mr Cashman was 'a married man having an inappropriate relationship' with . Neathway, a medical sales worker, and he turned on her when it 'ended . badly'. She is also reported to have claimed . to several friends that she had a year-long affair with Mr Cashman which . she ended after he did not fulfill a promise to leave his wife. Ms Neathway has a criminal history of harassment and trespassing going back to 1988 and spanning three states. | Louise Neathway is charged with stalking and harrassing Brian Cashman . She told the Yankees general manager she was pregnant with his child . He handed over $6,000 to pay for an abortion . But her mother says she was lying - and claims she's done it before . Mr Cashman's wife Mary has filed for divorce after affair allegations revealed . | 19c64b1b43dc5bbdcbcd51ec5184a7548b148d84 |
By . Jill Reilly . A daredevil slackliner tiptoed across a tiny railing and juggled above a 30 metre drop in an awe-inspiring stunt. Flaviu Cernescu, climbed up and walked across a 4cm wide aqueduct support in Resita, Romania - with no safety equipment to prevent him from falling. The 32-year-old then continued his crossing while juggling three balls as the rail swayed under his feet. Scroll down for video . A daredevil slackliner tiptoes across a tiny railing and juggles above a 30 metre drop in an awe-inspiring stunt . Flaviu Cernescu did the death-defying stunt while juggling three balls as the rail swayed under his feet . The dizzying feat is the latest escapade of the extreme sportsman, who hails from Caras-Severin, Romania. Flaviu said: 'I passed the pipe every day and I always wanted to walk across it. 'I don't get scared - walking at that height just feels natural to me. 'The walking was difficult because it swayed as I moved across it, I had to concentrate at every step. 'When I started juggling it got a lot harder, the rail was moving underneath me and I knew that if I made one mistake I would fall.' Flaviu Cernescu, climbed up and walked across a 4cm wide aqueduct support in Resita, Romania . He had no safety equipment to prevent him from falling . The dizzying feat is the latest escapade of the extreme sportsman, who hails from Caras-Severin, Romania . Flaviu said: 'I passed the pipe every day and I always wanted to walk across it' 'I don't get scared - walking at that height just feels natural to me' he said . 'When I started juggling it got a lot harder, the rail was moving underneath me and I knew that if I made one mistake I would fall,' he said . | Flaviu Cernescu walked across a 4cm wide aqueduct support in Romania . He had no safety equipment to prevent him from falling . The 32-year-old juggled three balls as the rail swayed under his feet . | 31e2b673d63726db0565041b272b947ade1c7cc7 |
By . Sam Webb . Six people suspected of being 'slaves' have been rescued by police following a raid at a Bournemouth garage this morning. Dorset Police raided the AA Clock Garage as part of an investigation into forced labour and human trafficking. As a result six men, aged between 20 and 30, have been taken to a place of safety and are being given all the help and support they need. A 23-year-old man from Bournemouth has been arrested in connection with slavery offences. Freed: Six men were rescued from a garage on Ringwood Road in Bournemouth (pictured) today after a police raid. A 23-year-old man from Bournemouth has been arrested in connection with slavery offences . Detective Superintendent Kevin Connolly, who is leading the investigation, said: 'Today's operation is the result of a detailed and protracted inquiry and our primary aim is to protect and safeguard vulnerable victims. 'Human trafficking is happening up and down the country. 'In such cases victims are often forced to live and work in poor and unsanitary conditions, sometimes with little or no pay. Some may not recognise themselves as victims and, even if they do, they may feel unable to speak to the police or other authorities.' The business sells cars and vans and is also a hand car wash centre. It has no connection with the Automobile Association. A person living near the garage told the Bournemouth Echo: 'They keep themselves very much to themselves. 'They come and go. We were on holiday over the summer period and when we came back there was a minibus of them going and the crowd that were there before had gone. 'They've never bothered the neighbours, but it's deteriorated since it's opened.' Det Supt Connolly added: 'Human trafficking is a serious offence and Dorset Police remains committed towards tackling such cases. 'Human trafficking, particularly in the form of servitude, is a hidden crime and we will do everything we can to ensure this immoral trade is stopped. 'In order to do this we also need help from the public. 'I would urge anyone who has any information about such offences in Dorset or concerns about people in their community to contact us in confidence on 101.' During the operation, police were assisted by Bournemouth Borough Council, the National Crime Agency and the Red Cross. A British Red Cross spokeswoman said: 'The British Red Cross has been called in by Dorset Police to provide assistance to people being supported in a place of safety following an investigation into forced labour and human trafficking. 'The Red Cross works with the emergency services to provide assistance to vulnerable people in times of crisis.' | Dorset Police raided a garage in Bournemouth this morning . A 23-year-old has been arrested in connection with slavery offences . The men have been taken to a safe place and cared for . A resident has seen minibuses full of men coming and going from garage . | 2a67d5dee1b1ef8bccff8b89218bdc13192d39bb |
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told a group of college students on Tuesday that race and gender relations are worse now than when he was a kid in a segregated Georgia. According to Yahoo News, at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida, Thomas, the second black justice to serve on the court, lamented how society is more 'conscious' of racial differences than it was when he grew up in segregated Georgia before and during the civil rights era. The conservative justice who, among other things, has written opinions supporting limits on Affirmative Action, added that 'the worst things that have been done to me, the worst things that have been said about me, by northern liberal elites, not by the people of Savannah, Georgia.' Speaking out: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told a group of college students on Tuesday that race and gender relations are worse now than when he was a kid . The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: Thomas, the second black justice to serve on the court, lamented what he considers a society that is more 'conscious' of racial differences than it was when he grew up in segregated Georgia in the days before ¿ and during ¿ the civil rights era . The justice spent some of his childhood in Georgia when public facilities in his home state of Georgia were segregated by race, Ku Klux Klan billboards were up and didn't dare set foot in parts of Savannah. His second wife Virginia, to whom he's been married since 1987, is white. Yahoo News reported that he equated racial injustice with the day-to-day unfairness of life, criticizing the amount of focus placed on racial issues in national discussions. 'My sadness is that we are probably today more race and difference-conscious than I was in the 1960s when I went to school.' Outspoken: The conservative justice who, among other things, has written opinions supporting limits on Affirmative Action, added that 'the worst things that have been done to me, the worst things that have been said about me, by northern liberal elites, not by the people of Savannah, Georgia.' Summing it up: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas equated racial injustice with the day-to-day unfairness of life, criticizing the amount of focus placed on racial issues in national discussions . 'To my knowledge, I was the first black kid in Savannah, Georgia, to go to a white school. Rarely did the issue of race come up,' Thomas said during the service hosted by the nondenominational Christian university. 'Now, name a day it doesn’t come up. Differences in race, differences in sex, somebody doesn’t look at you right, somebody says something. Everybody is sensitive. If I had been as sensitive as that in the 1960s, I’d still be in Savannah. Every person in this room has endured a slight. Every person. Somebody has said something that has hurt their feelings or did something to them — left them out.' 'That’s a part of the deal,' he added. In his 2007 memoir, 'My Grandfather's Son,' he described his experience growing up as an African-American Catholic in Georgia during the Jim Crow era. 'I was a two-fer for the Klan,' he said. After leaving the church for awhile he reconciled with Catholicism in the mid-1990s after become someone disenchanted with it while at Holy Cross. Thomas moved north from Georgia for college and graduated from Yale Law School in 1974 after marrying his college sweetheart in 1971. Straight-talking: To my knowledge, I was the first black kid in Savannah, Georgia, to go to a white school. Rarely did the issue of race come up,' Thomas said during a chapel service in Florida . He went on to a successful judicial career that took him all the way to the Supreme Court. Along the way he claims to have experienced more discrimination in the North than the South. 'The worst I have been treated was by northern liberal elites. The absolute worst I have ever been treated,' Thomas said. 'The worst things that have been done to me, the worst things that have been said about me, by northern liberal elites, not by the people of Savannah, Georgia.' In his autobiography, Thomas recalled his rocky confirmation being worse than his childhood growing up under segregation, writing, 'my worst fears had come to pass not in Georgia, but in Washington, D.C., where I was being pursued not by bigots in white robes but by left-wing zealots draped in flowing sanctimony.' | Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Americans are more 'sensitive' about race now than in the 1960s . Thomas is from Georgia and grew up in the state at a time when public facilities in his home state of Georgia were segregated by race . Thomas: 'Every person. Somebody has said something that has hurt their feelings or did something to them. That’s a part of the deal.' | c01cf60febd0ef05086d22f7167bcd282a3ee0b5 |
Prime Minister’s Questions should be shown live on TV in a prime time slot, Nick Clegg has claimed as he railed against the ‘ridiculous’ spectacle of MPs hollering at each other each week. The Lib Dem leader said voters should be able to send in questions to be answered by the Prime Minister as he called for an end to the ban on MPs calling each other by their names. In an extraordinary attack on parliamentary tradition, Mr Clegg condemned the ‘highly aggressive, macho, chest‑beating, testosterone‑driven’ charade which is deeply off‑putting to the public. Nick Clegg backed a Mumsnet petition calling for PMQs to be moved to an evening time slot so it can be watched live by more people . Mr Clegg warned that each failure to change the way Parliament is run, including party funding and electing the House of Lords, is ‘another nail in the coffin of public interest in participation in politics’. Senior politicians have repeatedly tried to alter the way the Commons is run, with David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband all vowing soon after becoming leader to change the culture of Prime Minister’s Questions. But attempts to end the heckling and insults rarely last long, despite repeated warnings that the public are put off by it. Asked what he would like to change about the Commons’ culture, Mr Clegg replied: ‘Pretty well everything. I just despair sometimes about just how totally out of step with modern life politics generally appears and, certainly, in the House of Commons.’ Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband go head-to-head at noon every Wednesday, meaning few people who work ever watch the clashes live. Mr Clegg backed a Mumsnet petition calling for PMQs to be overhauled and made more accessible. ‘I think it’s brilliant… basically saying, ‘When is Prime Minister’s Questions is going to be, a) scheduled to the time when people below the 65 watch it? When is it actually going to allow other people to ask questions? ‘When is it going to become less of this kind of Punch and Judy formula?’ The Deputy Prime Minister said he had tried - and failed - to make changes to the House of Lords and party funding . Mr Clegg told a Q&A with Mumsnet: ‘It’s just ridiculous. You can’t even call people by their name. You can’t even address people like human beings. ‘And so the whole thing is in a language which wasn’t used since 1867 and in a kind of highly aggressive, sort of, macho, chest‑beating, testosterone‑driven idiom which is deeply off‑putting to – to any normal person.’ Under Commons rules, MPs cannot refer to each other by name, but their constituency. It means Mr Clegg is known as ‘the Right Honorable member for Sheffield Hallam’. MPs must also speak through the chair, so instead of telling an opponent ‘you are wrong’, they must say ‘he is wrong’. MailOnline last year revealed details of letters sent to Commons Speaker John Bercow about behaviour at PMQs. MPs were branded them ‘morons’, ‘t**ts’, ‘braying donkeys’ and a throwback to the 19th century. David Cameron and Ed Miliband go head-to-head at noon every Wednesday, meaning few people who work ever watch the clashes live . MailOnline last year revealed details of letters sent to Commons Speaker John Bercow about behaviour at PMQs, branding MPs 'morons’, ‘t**ts’, ‘braying donkeys’ and a throwback to the 19th century. Mr Clegg said he had tried – and failed- to modernise Parliament. ‘I couldn’t even manage to persuade the powers that be to introduce a smidgen of democracy into the House of Lords or even change the rules by which parties were funded. ‘My own view is that every time the Westminster establishment fails to reform itself, whether it’s on how Prime Minister [Questions are] conducted, how parties are funded, whether you let voters in to decide who’s in the House of Lords… every time they do that, there is just another nail in the coffin of public interest in participation in politics.’ He said the failure to back change will ‘only make the later crises – which will come – in public confidence in politics all the worse.’ Meanwhile, Commons Speaker John Bercow last night urged MPs to complete the 'revolution' in Parliament triggered by the expenses scandal five years ago. In a speech at Westminster, Mr Bercow said that reforms passed after the public outcry over MPs' expense claims had had a 'transformative' effect on the work of the House. He highlighted in particular select committees, which had adopted a more confident, 'gladiatorial' approach since their members were elected in a secret ballot of party colleagues, with the chairmen elected by the whole House, rather than chosen by party whips. He suggested they should go further, extending the system of 'confirmation' hearings for important public appointments, following up their reports more vigorously and employing in-house researchers. | Lib Dem leader rails against the 'ridiculous' rules which put off voters . Backs campaign to move Prime Minister's Questions to an evening time slot . Says MPs should be allowed to call each other by their name during clashes . Warns failure to tackle party funding and House of Lords will lead to crises . | 2f2b33925b545579676c639755b0b6904c18365e |
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, head of the Islamic State or Iraq and the Levant, has released a 19-minute video calling on Muslims to build an 'Islamic state' The leader of extremist group ISIS has called on Muslims to come to the territory his group has seized to help build an Islamic state, declaring: 'The earth is Allah's.' Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, head of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, said in a 19-minute audiotape released online yesterday: 'Muslims, rush to your state. Yes, it is your state.' In the audio, posted on militant websites which have been used by the group before, the leader makes a special call to those with practical skills - such as scholars, judges, doctors, engineers and people with military and administrative expertise - to come 'answer the dire need of the Muslims for them'. Urging Muslims around the world to travel to the Middle East to join the Islamic state, al-Baghdadi goes on to say: 'Rush, because Syria is not for the Syrians and Iraq is not for the Iraqis'. He also calls on jihadi fighters to increase fighting in the holy month of Ramadan, which began on Sunday. He . said: 'In this virtuous month or in any other month, there is no deed . better than jihad in the path of Allah, so take advantage of this . opportunity and walk the path of you righteous predecessors. 'So to arms, to arms, soldiers of the Islamic, fight, fight.' The tape was released online two days after the organisation unilaterally declared the establishment of an Islamic state, or caliphate, in the land it controls, changing its name to the Islamic State. It also proclaimed al-Baghdadi the caliph - the head of state in a caliphate - and demanded that all Muslims around the world pledge allegiance to him. The voice resembled that on other audiotapes said to be by al-Baghdadi, an Iraqi militant who has rarely been photographed or appeared in public. Meanwhile, claims have emerged that ISIS militants, which are continuing to advance in Syria, are in possession of a massive long-distance ballistic missile. Missile: Photographs show a large weapon being paraded on the back on a lorry surrounded by masked men in the Syrian city of Raqqa - the proclaimed capital of the new Sunni Muslim caliphate . Mystery: It is not known how the weapon ended up in the hands of ISIS, but social media accounts linked to militants fighting for the group in Iraq and Syria claimed they are now preparing it for use . Announcement: ISIS militants (pictured) are celebrating the establishment of a caliphate, or Islamic state, in the vast stretches of the Middle East that have fallen under its control . Upon declaring a caliphate, the Sunni militants - whose brutality in attempting to establish control in Iraq and Syria has been branded too extreme even by Al Qaeda - demanded allegiance from Muslims around the world . Photographs . show a large weapon being paraded on the back on a lorry surrounded by . masked men in the Syrian city of Raqqa - the proclaimed capital of the . new Sunni Muslim caliphate. Supporters . of the jihadist group said the missile . was a Scud, although experts analysing the images believe the weapon is . almost certainly inoperable and highly unlikely to pose a threat. The leader made a special call to those with practical skills to 'answer the dire need of the Muslims for them' The weapon pictured being paraded by ISIS militants in Raqqa is believed to have been captured from another rebel group, the Free Syrian Army. The FSA are understood to have acquired the Soviet-built missile when it captured a military base from government forces in the Deir ez-Zor region of Syria last September. It is not known how the weapon ended up in the hands of ISIS, but social media accounts linked to militants fighting for the group in Iraq and Syria claimed they are now preparing it for use. 'Dawla Islamiyya (The Islamic State) has SCUD missile in #Raqqa. [God willing] its heading towards #Israel for a spectacular Eid ul fitr,' an ISIS suspporter calling himself Ansar Udeen said on Twitter. A number of experts have poured cold water on the idea that the missile could be a threat, however. Elliot Nelson, a blogger who tracks munitions used in Syria, tweeted: 'The only danger that Islamic State scud is to anyone at the moment is if they accidentally run over a pedestrian showing it off.' Meanwhile Charles Lister - an expert on the Syrian conflict who works at the at the Brookings Doha Center research organisation - called the missile 99 per cent useless, according to the Telegraph. This morning, Iraq's newly elected members of parliament attended their first government . session in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. The new parliament ended its inaugural session by failing to make any . progress in choosing a new prime minister - even as the country faces a . militant blitz that threatens to rip it apart. World leaders and senior clerics have urged Iraq's fractious politicians . to unite in the face of the militant onslaught, which has killed more . than 2,000 people, displaced hundreds of thousands and polarised the . country's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish populations. New era: News that ISIS had declared its territory a caliphate was described by one expert, Charles Lister, as 'the most significant development in international jihadism since 9/11 . Caliphate: A map purportedly showing the areas ISIS plans to have under its control within five years has been widely shared online. As well as the Middle East, North Africa and large areas of Asia, it also reveals ISIS' ambition to extend into Europe. Spain, which was Muslim-ruled until the late 15th Century, would form part of the caliphate, as would the Balkan states and eastern Europe, up to and including Austria . Extremist: A gun-brandishing Islamist loyal to ISIS celebrates the formation of the Islamic State by waving an jihadist flag in the Syrian city of Raqqa on Sunday. The area is considered the capital of the Islamic State . Iraq's newly elected members of parliament attend their first government session in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad this morning . Iraq's new parliament ended its inaugural session today by failing to make any progress in choosing a new prime minister - even as the country faces a militant blitz that threatens to rip it apart . On Sunday ISIS declared they had changed their name to the Islamic State and announced that the areas of Iraq and Syria under their control represent the establishment of a caliphate. The news was described by Mr Lister as the 'most significant development in international jihadism since 9/11'. Upon declaring a caliphate, the Sunni . militants - whose brutality in attempting to establish control in Iraq . and Syria has been branded too extreme even by Al Qaeda - demanded . allegiance from Muslims around the world. With brutal efficiency, ISIS has carved . out a large chunk of territory that has effectively erased the border . between Iraq and Syria and laid the foundations of its proto-state. Now that it feels it has secure the territory under its control, the group announced it would be changing its name from the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (also known as the Levant), to just the Islamic State, in order to appear less regional. A . spokesman for ISIS declared the group's chief, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as . the leader of the new caliphate and called on . Muslims everywhere, not just those in areas under the organization's . control, to swear loyalty to him. 'The . legality of all emirates, groups, states and organizations becomes null . by the expansion of the caliph's authority and the arrival of its . troops to their areas,' said Abu Mohammed al-Adnani. 'Listen to your caliph and obey him. Support your state, which grows every day,' he added in an audio statement posted online. Al-Adnani loosely defined the state . territory as running from northern Syria to the Iraqi province of Diyala . - a vast stretch of land straddling the border that is already largely . under ISIS control. | Abu Bakr al-Baghdad released 19-minute audiotape online earlier today . Made special call to those with practical skills such as doctors, judges and engineers to 'answer the dire need of the Muslims for them' Comes as large weapon, believed to be a Scud, photographed in militants' possession . Seen being transported by masked men in city of Raqqa in Syria yesterday . Raqqa is proclaimed capital of ISIS, which now calls itself the Islamic State . Experts dismiss the idea, suggesting it is highly unlikely to be operable . | f3e4888697429cf6c32e003fc547df2856971ac4 |
Victim: Health director Loretta Fuddy was named by government sources as the plane crash victim . Hawaii's health director has died after a light aircraft carrying nine people crashed in the sea off the island of Molokai on Wednesday. Loretta Fuddy, who was on an annual visit to the the island, was named as the sole victim in the crash by state government sources. One passenger was able to swim to shore and the others on board the Cessna Grand Caravan were rescued by helicopter and boat. The Makani Kai Air plane, which was scheduled to fly to Honolulu at 3.15pm, went down at about 3.45pm, half a mile northwest of Kalaupapa peninsula, Maui Fire Department spokesman Lee Mainaga said. Ms Fuddy had been booked on the flight along with the health department's deputy director Keith Yamamoto, a spokeswoman for the department said. Two government sources later confirmed to Kitv that Ms Fuddy had died. The 65-year-old, who had won awards for her work with children and social work, had been appointed as director in 2011. Ms Fuddy and Mr Yamamoto had been on an annual visit to Kalaipapa, a former colony for leprosy sufferers. The remote peninsula on the north side of Molokai still houses a settlement for patients with leprosy, which is run by the Health Department. Three of the crash survivors were plucked from the sea by a Coast Guard helicopter and fire crews saved five others. Scroll down for video . Crash: A Makani Kai Air plane was carrying nine people when it crashed in the sea . Remote: Radio and cell phone communications are poor in Molokai. The wreckage was spotted by a second plane. Fuddy was the only casualty when the Makani Kai Air plane, bound for Honolulu . No emergency calls were received from the pilot of the stricken aircraft, and the accident was called in by another pilot who had spotted debris in the sea, Khon 2 reported. 'Kalaupapa is a unique area and radio communication is kind of poor there, cell phone coverage, that kind of stuff. So right now, we have no information if any calls were made out,' Richard Schuman, owner of Makani Kai Air, said. The pilot who reported the crash continued to fly around the crash site and relayed information to authorities to help guide them to the wreckage. | Loretta Fuddy named as victim in light aircraft crash . Rescue crews alerted after second pilot spotted debris in the sea . | b123c0a632d473cf5f54f4f395cda0d6cbe5c760 |
It's Hot or Not time again as Ian Ladyman reveals what's been making him feel warm this week and what's been leaving him cold inside. There's a Dutchman who used to have an orange glow and is now burning bright on the south coast plus a tennis legend, a £25million Premier League hot-shot and a couple of familiar faces who are never short of something to say. WHAT'S HOT . RONALD KOEMAN . The Southampton manager is not a stranger to winning. If you spent enough time hanging around the first team at Ajax, Barcelona and Holland in the 80s and 90s then the chances are you won't have wasted your time and Koeman's CV contains two European Cup triumphs, a clutch of Spanish trophies and a European Championship win from 1988. At the age of 51, though, Koeman is midway towards what would perhaps be one of his greatest achievements. Ronald Koeman (centre) has Southampton looking comfortable in the Champions League places . Dusan Tadic (No 11) was the hero for Koeman's side last week as he scored to sink top-four rivals Man United . The Dutchman was already a European Cup winner with PSV Eindhoven when he scored the only goal for Barcelona - a typical Koeman free-kick - against Sampdoria under the Twin Towers at Wembley in 1992 . He was celebrating then and he's still celebrating now... Saints boss Ronald Koeman knows how to win . When his Southampton team started the season like a train, we presumed they would prove to be nothing more than pleasant diversion from the norm. Here we are heading towards February, though, and last weekend's win at Manchester United has seen Koeman's team ease in to third place in the Barclays Premier League. Southampton in the Champions League? Koeman's record would perhaps suggest that is where he belongs. ROGER FEDERER . If you want to know the toll a life on the professional tennis circuit takes on the mind and body then consider the fact that Bjorn Bjorg has been selling underpants for the last two decades. The worshipped Swedish baseliner may not be typical but the fact he retired at the age of 26 tells you something about how hard it is to extend a career at the top of the men's game year after year. You're never too old for a bit of showboating as Roger Federer practises ahead of the Australian Open . His game hasn't changed much but he's ditched the hairdo he had when he won his first Wimbledon in 2003 . John McEnroe - who did as much as anyone to hurry Bjorg in to retirement - kept his career going until he was 32 but the fact his singles ranking had dropped to 20 by the time he took his racket home suggests he had carried on a little too long. Others went earlier. Stefan Edberg at 30, Boris Becker at 31. So what do we make of Federer's remarkable longevity in the week that he racked up his 1,000th victory? Federer is second-favourite - behind Novak Djokovic - to win the season's first grand slam in Melbourne . Federer will be approaching his 34th birthday by the time this summer's Wimbledon rolls round but, ranked two in the world and second-favourite for the forthcoming Australian Open, is showing no signs of slowing down. Maybe a clue to it all is buried in the stats. Of the 1000 wins on tour, only 22 have ever gone to five sets. Maybe it's just been too easy all these years. MANCHESTER CITY . It may seem a little odd to shine a positive light on the Barclays Premier League champions in the week that they were shown to have bungled their way to a succession of untruths regarding the status of Frank Lampard. Certainly, their PR department have had better weeks. Wilfried Bony will return from the Africa Cup of Nations as a Manchester City player after his £25m move . Fernandinho (left) and Sergio Aguero have just head that City have snapped up a 20-goals-a-year striker . Nevertheless, all that will really matter to Manuel Pellegrini and the club's fans are prospects on the field and it may be that the signing of striker Wilfried Bony this week has changed the landscape of the domestic season significantly. For all Chelsea's formidable power, it is hard to escape the feeling they rely rather too heavily on the prolific Diego Costa for goals and momentum. If they lose him to injury, we may see a different Chelsea. City, though, now have four of 2014's top five Premier League goal scorers in their ranks and if that isn't a fact to serve notice of their ongoing financial might - whatever the calculators of UEFAS FFP officials may say - then I don't know what is. Bony, or Wilfried, either way his name was on a Premier League scoresheet 20 times in 2014 . WHAT'S NOT . QUEENS PARK RANGERS . While discussing his team’s troubles in the Premier League so far this season, Joey Barton suggested it was time for the players to: ‘Show some b******s’. While such basic urgings do little to further Barton’s claims to be one of our national sport’s great thinkers, they also miss the point rather. Joey Barton and QPR have lost every Premier League game they've played away from home this season . QPR’s issues at the foot of the league – they have lost all of their 10 away games so far – have little to do with their courage, motivation or determination and more with the fact that they just aren’t good enough. Last season in the Championship, Harry Redknapp’s squad was bursting with extremely well-paid household names – many of whom had Premier League experience – yet they still managed to finish fourth, 13 points behind Burnley, in second, and a staggering 22 behind winners Leicester. That, really, should have told us all we needed to know. Average teams don’t become good teams overnight, no matter how big their ‘b******s’ are. DARRAGH MACANTHONY . The Peterborough chairman and owner has ploughed enough of his own money in to his football club to have earned the right to say whatever he likes when things don’t go the way of Darren Ferguson’s team down in League One mid-table. However, the 38-year-old may wish to ponder whether his latest Twitter rantings at his failing players are likely to have any effect. Darragh MacAnthony launched a scathing Twitter attack... and if you want to read it, just look below . Here is the list of the 14 tweets from disgruntled Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony on Saturday . Any FA charge that follows his 11-tweet outburst won’t bother him but it’s hard to escape the feeling that his players perhaps won’t respond in the way he wishes them to. You only have to go back to November 22 for the previous time he took Ferguson’s team to task on Twitter – after a 2-1 defeat by Swindon – and the response to that was a run of results that currently reads LLWLLDL . The problem with the ‘shock’ tactic is that you only really have one shot at it. If it doesn’t work and you keep on ranting, you look less like the master motivator and more like the nutter in the corner. KEVIN PIETERSEN . Australia’s wonderful ‘Big Bash’ competition presented us with the chance to witness a riveting 20-minute exchange between Ricky Ponting and Kevin Pietersen as they shared a commentary box in Melbourne on Tuesday morning. The first thing we learned is that Ponting may have a future as an interviewer, the former Australia captain proving as determined and unforgiving with the microphone as he did with a bat over his two-decade career. As far as an England recall is concerned, it's time for Kevin Pietersen to let it go . The second is that Pietersen can be diplomatic when he tries. Pushed by Ponting to name players in the England set-up with bigger egos than his own, Pietersen declined. When the subject of Andrew Strauss was raised, meanwhile, he described him as a 'lovely guy'. Sadly, though, Pietersen will continue to lose admirers as long as he continues to talk dreamily about a return to the England side. The former England skipper may or may not be right when he says there are many who want to see him back in the set-up but there are certainly many who don’t and that – sadly for him – would appear to include the selectors. Time for him to let it go before it gets embarrassing. | European Cup king Ronald Koeman may have another crack at the big one . His Southampton side are comfortable in the Champions League places . Roger Federer is still going strong at the grand old age of... 33 . Man City have never been slicker now Wilfried Bony has joined the ranks . Queens Park Rangers just aren't good enough . | 6ff87235772f336eb6acbac5b908b2373dfbd333 |
A diplomatic row between Belarus and Sweden over teddy bears escalated today when the eastern European country withdrew its embassy staff from Stockholm. Belarus also told Sweden to take similar action with its diplomats in Minsk. It all stems from a stunt by a Swedish PR which parachuted 800 teddy bears into Belarus last month. Scroll down for video . PR stunt: Teddy bears parachuting over a residential area in Minsk, Belarus on July 4 . Diplomatic row: The president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko (pictured), has sacked senior members of his staff over the teddy bear incident and is now taking his fury out on Sweden . The company chartered a light aircraft which invaded Belarussian airspace to drop the bears, all of which highlighted the lack of human rights in the former Soviet state. A furious Belarus president, Alexander Lukashenko, has sacked senior members of his staff over the incident and is now taking his fury out on Sweden. Belarus expelled Sweden's ambassador on August 3. The Belarussian ambassador to Stockholm was also withdrawn. The foreign ministry said Minsk was now pulling out its remaining embassy staff because Sweden had aggravated the situation by expelling two more diplomats and had refused to allow a new Belarussian ambassador to take up his post. 'In this connection, the Belarussian side has been forced to take the decision to withdraw its embassy in Sweden and bring back all its (embassy) staff to Belarus,' the statement said. Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt wrote on Twitter: 'His fear of human rights reaching new heights.' Swedish Tomas Mazetti, left, and Hannah Frey, right, show a teddy bear on a parachute before the stunt was unleashed . The diplomatic row between Belarus and Sweden was stepped up after 800 teddy bears were dropped over the eastern European country . The teddies, with pro democracy signs attached, were dropped by Swedish activists from Studio Total. The incident was initially denied by the authorities . The incident was a humiliation for President Alexander Lukashenko, a hardliner who has been in power in Belarus since 1994 and is on poor terms with the West because of his harsh policies towards the political opposition. European Union ambassadors will hold an emergency meeting on Friday on the issue, an EU source in Brussels said. 'There will be an emergency meeting of the European Union ambassadors Friday to decide on appropriate measures,' the source said on condition of anonymity, adding that the meeting would be held in Brussels. Sweden's four remaining diplomats in Belarus have been ordered to leave the authoritarian-ruled country following a 'teddy bear' incident that has soured relations between the two countries . Time to leave: An Swedish embassy employee adjusts a Swedish flag on a Swedish embassy in the centre of Minsk, Belarus . Bildt last week said ambassador Stefan Eriksson, who took up the post in Minsk in 2008, was expelled because of his pro-rights stance and meetings he had with the Belarus opposition. Stockholm retaliated immediately, saying . it would not welcome a new ambassador named by Minsk to replace an . envoy who left the post several weeks ago, and withdrew residency . permits for two Belarus diplomats who were asked to leave the . Scandinavian country. '[Lukashenko's] fear of human rights reaching new heights.' Swedenish Minister Carl Bildt . Belarus . foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh denied last week that . Eriksson had been expelled, saying instead in more diplomatic language . that 'a decision was made not to renew his credentials.' Eriksson's 'activity was aimed not at strengthening Belarusian-Swedish relations but destroying them,' he said. On Wednesday, Minsk said in a statement it was 'forced to take a decision to recall its diplomatic staff from Sweden and return its employees to Belarus,' stressing however it was not severing diplomatic ties with Stockholm. It also gave Stockholm until August 30 to remove all of its diplomats from Minsk. Sweden has been actively pushing for democracy in Belarus. An activist from women's rights group Femen fights with a police officer, as the group protests against the plans of Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko to attend the Euro 2012 final in July . Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt wrote on Twitter: 'His fear of human rights reaching new heights.' Lukashenko's re-election in December 2010, marred by fraud, led Stockholm to focus its Belarus strategy on democracy, human rights and equality. 'The state-run international development policy and the lack of a clear democratisation process make the cooperation particularly challenging,' the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency said on its website. Bildt reiterated Sweden's commitment to Belarusian human rights on Wednesday, writing on Twitter: 'We remain strongly committed to the freedom of Belarus and all its citizens. They deserve the freedoms and the rights of the rest of Europe.' By meeting with members of the opposition, ambassador Eriksson 'followed the policies that Sweden defends', Bildt said last week. Sweden's embassy in Minsk opened in 2008. Prior to that, the country was represented by its mission in Moscow, which had a representative in Minsk. The embassy counts four diplomats and a SIDA representative, as well as a handful of local staff. 'Two or three diplomats are currently there,' ministry spokesman Joerle said. Belarus is under a raft of sanctions by the European Union over the plight of political prisoners in the country. VIDEO: One of the men behind the stunt has received death threats... see why... | It follows stunt by Swedish PR firm in Belarussian airspace last month . Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko was left furious . The leader is now taking his fury out on Sweden . | 1a412f0f01e0452b8a21d8c0415c1d70cd510f73 |
By . Spencer Matthews . Agreeing to judge the Miss Monaco beauty pageant in London in the run up to the F1 Grand Prix was not the toughest decision of my life. Let me think about this: 21 stunning women, motor racing's most glamorous event, followed by the Grand Prix's most luxurious after-party. Yes, please. The winner of Miss Monaco 2014 will have the arduous task of sitting aboard the Infiniti Podium Lounge 120ft tri-deck super-yacht to watch the race from the best spot on the race-track, with Moet champagne on tap. Next, if she isn't too exhausted, it's off to the Infiniti Podium Lounge after-party on the penthouse terrace of Zelo's nightclub. It's a tough life: This week Spencer was a judge at the Miss Monaco beauty pageant, pictured here with two contestants . Normally, this kind of A-list hospitality package would set you back around £10,000 per person, so it's safe to say that the competition is intense. As I arrived, there were gorgeous women limbering up, hair being teased into shape, vertiginous high heels attached, last-minute make-up applied and Vaseline being put on teeth - it's an old beauty pageant tip to help contestants smile easily. I also noticed a couple of rather racy ladies who were wearing little more than some bodypaint. Race-y ladies: Spencer looks pleased with himself as he poses with half-naked models . Tricky decision: Spencer had some tough choices to make - though we're sure the margaritas helped . Celebration time: Spencer couldn't help but get a taste of the action (left) and poses with the winner, Hannah Matthews (right) A few of the models came over to me before the start to say hello and bat their eyelids, but I made it clear that I would be a totally impartial judge. One of them was well over six foot in her heels and towered over me, and was kind enough to slouch in our photo together. Another contestant's boyfriend came over; he was very keen to point out that she was not single. With that in mind, I took my seat on the judging panel next to the Infiniti Podium Lounge organisers John Clayman and Tim Johnson. Spencer was joined by new Made In Chelsea flame Emma Miller . Following the eveningwear round a couple of favourites were way out in front. It was a tough decision, but in the end we decided the winner was number 14, Hannah Matthews. I think it was her impassioned speech about world peace and loving animals that clinched it - that, and the fact she was absolutely stunning. But despite all that, the real winner on the night was the gorgeous model and Made In Chelsea newcomer, Emma Miller, who rocked up near the end of the night with her friend Victoria Gucci. I invited Emma to go to the Infiniti Podium Lounge in Monaco with me, so hopefully Emma will agree to be my Miss Monaco. Lots of love, . Spencer . | Spencer was invited to be a guest judge at the Miss Monaco contest . The winner wins a trip to Infiniti Podium Lounge in Monaco worth £10,000 . MIC's Emma joined Spencer on his Monaco jaunt . | d718f1036d8bfcde27cd517934e26189f1596228 |
By . Andrew Levy . PUBLISHED: . 07:44 EST, 20 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:54 EST, 20 December 2012 . Logan Steed was kicked out after being suspended four times in his first year . The cherubic face and angelic smile might suggest a sweet disposition. But Logan Steed’s school record indicates otherwise – he was suspended four times in his first year before finally being expelled. The five-year-old has bitten and punched other children and staff, thrown school equipment and stolen fruit. On one occasion his entire class was evacuated to protect other pupils. The last straw came when he kicked a teacher in the face as she bent over his chair. But his parents claim he is well-behaved at home and say he has been ‘thrown on the scrapheap’ by the school. ‘They said they had to exclude him to ensure the safety of the staff and pupils but I don’t understand how a five-year-old can pose so much of a threat,’ said his father, Cameron, 27, a care home manager. Logan’s uncontrollable behaviour was noted on his first day as a four-year-old at Powers Hall Infant School in Witham, Essex, in September last year. He was soon put on a report system under which he was monitored daily and information emailed by his head teacher to his parents, who are separated. He had been ‘kicking, biting, pinching and punching adults’, said a report on November 20 last year. Damaging effects: Logan's family believe Powers Hall Infant School has 'thrown him on the scrap heap' and that the expulsion will affect him for the rest of his life . 'Threat': Headteacher Claire Edwards said in her . report that she was forced to exclude the boy because of the risk to . the safety of other children and staff . It also detailed the incident a week earlier that led to his expulsion. ‘He was sitting and the member of . staff was holding his arms. He kicked his legs straight into the member . of staff’s face,’ the report said. ‘She let go of his arms and he ran off into the library.’ Angel-faced: Logan Steed's parents Laura, 22, and Cameron, 27, say he is always well behaved at home . Kicked out: Logan, pictured aged three, was suspended four times in his first year after being accused of violence and causing chaos by throwing food around . It was not clear yesterday why the . teacher had been holding Logan, who has been tested for several . conditions including Asperger’s syndrome and abnormalities to do with . his diet and health. All came back negative. The school tried to manage his . behaviour with action plans including one-to-one support from the head . teacher and allowing him to do his activities in any order. Isolated: Logan, who splits his week between his parents' homes, now receives just an hour of tuition a week . His mother, Laura, 22, a chef from Braintree, Essex, said: ‘Before Logan started school we didn’t know he had this side to him. 'It is like we are talking about two . completely different boys. At home he does exactly what he is told and . we have never seen him do any of the things the school say he did. 'He really is a clever boy and now that is being wasted.’ 'Dangerous': Logan, pictured with mother Laura, was taken out of the care of one teacher with whom he got on after she became pregnant . Mr and Mrs Steed believe their son should be at a mainstream school where he can socialise with other children. They have a right to appeal against his expulsion but decided not to because of the possible reaction if he was reinstated. At present, Logan receives an hour of tuition a day at a specialist school. Head teacher Claire Edwards said her staff and pupils ‘deserve to work and learn in a safe place’. She added: ‘The decision to permanently exclude a child is never taken lightly and one I take with great sadness. ‘This school takes a firm stance on the safety of pupils and staff and assaults on either cannot and will not be tolerated.’ | Logan Steed is a 'happy and polite' child at home, say mother and father . Primary school child was suspended four times in his first year of school . | 23749d3c362c6901f69e633cfb34ea14a21fa9d5 |
Downing Street was last night facing a chorus of demands to bar MPs from policing their own affairs and sack minister Maria Miller . Downing Street was last night facing a chorus of demands to bar MPs from policing their own affairs and sack minister Maria Miller. Senior figures from all main parties backed a call from the watchdog in charge of Commons expenses for MPs to be prevented from ‘marking their own homework’ when complaints are made. Former Tory chairman Lord Tebbit and a grassroots party organisation said Mrs Miller, who was made to repay £5,800 in excess mortgage claims last week, should resign or be dismissed. Anger over the Culture Secretary’s case has been compounded by the decision of the standards committee, made up of ten MPs and three lay members with no voting rights, to water down her punishment. Kathryn Hudson, the independent parliamentary standards commissioner, initially suggested she should repay some £44,000 and said her designation of what had been her main home was incorrect. No 10 said that David Cameron, who once suggested MPs’ expenses should meet a ‘smell test’ even if they were strictly within the rules, was not backing reform of the standards committee. A spokesman said: ‘He is happy with the system as it stands.’ But Sir Ian Kennedy, chairman of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, said the Commons must ‘give away powers in regulating itself’, insisting: ‘MPs marking their own homework always ends in scandal.’ Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said he was ‘very open’ to ‘independent people’ being in charge of the process, saying: ‘This goes on and on and on, eating away at the credibility of Parliament. Whatever it takes to restore that credibility is vital.’ Angela Eagle, Labour’s shadow leader of the Commons, said: ‘We need a system which commands public confidence, and what we have at the moment clearly doesn’t do that.’ John Mann, the Labour MP whose complaint prompted the investigation into Mrs Miller, said: ‘Everyone who was in the last parliament was embroiled one way or other in the expenses scandal and therefore they can’t possibly sit in judgment on other MPs.’ The former anti-sleaze MP for Tatton, Martin Bell, told the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme that he agreed the committee on standards should be abolished. He said: ‘The House of Commons ... is incapable of regulating itself and that’s been proven yet again.’ The investigation into Mrs Miller was prompted after she claimed £90,000 in mortgage interest and other housing costs for her taxpayer-funded second home in Wimbledon, south-west London, which was also home to her parents. She rented a smaller property in Basingstoke which she designated as her main home. The central allegation against her – that she cheated taxpayers in order to subsidise the living costs of relatives – was dismissed. But during the course of the investigation, it emerged that she had increased the size of her mortgage at least twice since becoming an MP and made a series of ‘overclaims’ which she blamed on administrative errors. Correspondence released by the committee reveals she made repeated attempts to browbeat the commissioner into dropping inquiries into the broader question of her mortgage charges. Mrs Miller won only lukewarm support from colleagues after issuing a curt 30-second apology in the Commons last week, and some ministers privately indicate they believe she should have offered to resign. Lord Tebbit said: ‘Having staked his authority and reputation on defending his Culture Secretary against calls for her to be fired, the Prime Minister will be damned if he now fires her and damned if he doesn’t. The best way out of this is for Mrs Miller to resign.’ Ben Harris-Quinney, director of Conservative Grassroots, called for her to ‘go with immediate effect’. He said: ‘Maria Miller is a totemic example of the modern political class who hold no discernible character, talent or integrity. ‘The grassroots of the Conservative Party have no time for careerist politicians who not only do not support, but flagrantly oppose, conservative values once they are comfortably settled in Parliament and Cabinet. The longer she remains in her position the greater the damage.’ Digby Jones, former head of the CBI, said: ‘In a company environment, in a business environment, you’d be asking for a resignation.’ Commenting on suggestions that Mr Cameron wanted to keep Mrs Miller on because he did not want to lose one of only four women in his Cabinet, Lord Jones told BBC Radio 5’s Pienaar’s Politics: ‘I think it’s an absolute legitimate motive to say “I need more women in my Cabinet”. But I’m sure he could have found another one, if you know what I mean.’ Maria Miller’s allies yesterday claimed she was being treated more harshly by Tory supporters and the Press because she had been in charge of controversial reforms on media regulation and gay marriage. Iain Duncan Smith said: ‘I think she has done a very good job in a very difficult set of circumstances with the Leveson Inquiry, which has stirred up a lot of media antipathy to her, I know, and also the gay marriage stuff.’ The Work and Pensions Secretary told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show: ‘There’s a lot of Conservatives out there who perhaps weren’t necessarily in support of it all so feel rather bitter about that.’ MP John Mann, who made the original complaint about her expenses, said the suggestion she was being demonised because of her policy responsibilities was ‘absurd’. He added: ‘It’s desperate stuff and it’s wholly inaccurate. If that’s the best they can do it shows the problems they are in.’ A Survation poll for the Mail on Sunday found almost three-quarters of voters thought Mrs Miller’s apology was inadequate, and similar numbers felt Mr Cameron was wrong to offer her his support. Some 78 per cent thought she should lose her Cabinet seat. Former Tory culture secretary David Mellor said: ‘I don’t think it matters if she resigns or not. Bless her heart, she won’t be missed if she goes and she won’t be noticed if she stays. ‘What this is all about is, first of all, the judgment of David Cameron; secondly the integrity of Parliament. ‘I mean, the 30-second apology to the House, allowing a bunch of dim-witted backbenchers to roll her out of what an independent adjudicator had said. Who is behind this? David Cameron needs to take a long, hard look about what kind of administration he’s trying to run.’ | Lord Tebbit said Mrs Miller should resign or be dismissed . Mrs Miller issued a curt 30-second apology in the Commons last week . It was initially suggested that she should repay some £44,000 . No 10 said David Cameron was not backing reform of standards committee . | af302c6fc08615a12397feee2f4b18a7d3a3d5d9 |
(CNN) -- Three-hundred fifty-seven. That's the number of women it took for Australia on Sunday to seize the record from the Cayman Islands for the largest bikini parade. The women, in tiny two pieces and pink visors, paraded around Surfers Paradise beach on the Gold Coast as throngs of onlookers whooped, hollered and snapped pictures. A electronic sign kept count as the women filed past: 329, 330, 331. At 332, a cheer went up as the crowd realized the parade had broken the previous record: 331, set in Grand Cayman on the Cayman Islands in June 2010. Yet, more women sauntered past. In the end, a new record was set: 357. "And so, the record you were going for stood at 331. It was broken in the Cayman Islands last year," Australian Guinness World Records adjudicator Chris Sheedy told the crowd. "And unfortunately, they have had their record smashed." The number would have been higher. Four women were disqualified for overdressing. | The old record was set last year in the Cayman Islands . Australia breaks the record with 357 bikini-clad women . Four women are disqualified for overdressing . | 21eb0ceb3205917f6963fdc618935cb3674db81d |
BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- German federal prosecutors said Friday they have arrested a man suspected of helping a terrorist cell that allegedly plotted attacks against U.S. troops in Germany. The U.S. military's Ramstein Air Base is believed to have been one of the targets for plotters. The prosecutor's office identified the man only as "Kadir T.," and said he is a German of Turkish origin. He is suspected of acquiring a video camera and night-vision equipment for the Islamic Jihad Union group, prosecutors said. The items were allegedly shipped to Waziristan in Pakistan, prosecutors said. Four men trained by the Islamic Jihad Union are on trial in Germany for allegedly plotting attacks against U.S installations in Germany. They are known as the "Sauerland Group." Three of the men, two Germans and a Turk, were arrested in September 2007. They were mixing a massive amount of explosive materials that could have resulted in a strong blast, bigger than the attacks in Madrid, Spain, in 2004 and London, England, in 2005, authorities said. Fritz Gelowicz, Martin Schneider, and Adem Yilmaz are charged with membership in foreign and domestic terrorist groups, preparation of explosives, plotting to murder and plotting to commit a crime using explosives, the court said. Schneider is also accused of attempted murder, the court said. The fourth person, identified in German media reports as Attila Selek, is a German citizen of Turkish descent. U.S. interests in Germany were among the targets of the group's plot, Michael Chertoff, who was the U.S. homeland security secretary, said at the time. Gelowicz and Schneider are Germans who converted to Islam. Gelowicz was a leading member of a radical Islamist center in Ulm in southern Germany, and was well known to German authorities, officials said. The Islamic Jihad Union is a little-known Uzbek militant group that claimed responsibility for the plot days after the arrests. It said the intention was to target U.S. and Uzbek targets, a German Interior Ministry spokesman said. German authorities have said the three men trained at the group's camps in northern Pakistan. The group said it wanted to target the Ramstein Air Base and other United States and Uzbek military and diplomatic installations in Germany, the spokesman said. The group also wanted to force Germany to stop using an air base in Uzbekistan as a stopover point for moving equipment and personnel in and out of northern Afghanistan, the spokesman said. The Islamic Jihad Union was unknown until April 2004, when it conducted a series of suicide bombings in Uzbekistan, killing 47 people, according to the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism. The nonprofit organization is funded by the Department of Homeland Security. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report. | "Kadir T." suspected of helping a terrorist cell that allegedly plotted attacks . He tried to get equipment for Islamic Jihad Union, officials say . Islamic Jihad Union is a little-known Uzbek militant group . U.S. interests in Germany among the targets of the group's plot, officials say . | 7432fe57db27c648d9e7689daf4537d8640e7da2 |
(CNN) -- The two boys abducted by their parents and taken to Cuba were "well cared for" on their trip, their grandmother told reporters. The children, Chase and Cole, don't know they were abducted, Patricia Hauser said. All they know is they were on an "adventure," she said Thursday. The boys -- 2 and 4 -- appeared in front of reporters after Hauser spoke, smiling and showing off toys. "We have not asked the boys anything about the journey. We are just letting them tell us as things come out if they feel like talking," said Hauser, who along with her husband was given legal custody of the children April 2. Police say their father, Josh Hakken, broke into the home where the boys were living with their grandparents a day later, tying up their grandmother before whisking the two children away. Authorities say they traveled to Cuba on a sailboat. Authorities reunited the boys with Hauser and her husband on Wednesday after Cuban authorities turned the parents and the children over to U.S. officials. Boys reunite with grandparents . Hauser thanked U.S. State Department and Cuban officials for their work to find the children and bring them back to Florida. "They called us from Cuba and let us talk to the boys before their plane even left," she said. "Many tears were shed in that room from us." She said the family would not have any more news conferences or interviews, and asked that the media and public respect their privacy. "We are trying very hard to shield the boys from media coverage, and we want them to get back to their normal everyday schedules and just be normal carefree boys again," she said. According to search warrant documents released Thursday by Florida authorities, Hauser told investigators that Hakken and his wife, Sharyn, had "previously discussed suicide." The documents, citing the boys' grandmother, also allege the boys' father tied her to a filing cabinet with plastic cable ties before abducting the children "with force." Thursday night, an attorney for the Hakkens agreed to the prosecution's request that the Hakkens remain jailed without bond until trial. The next hearing is May 30. The judge also appointed a public defender to represent the couple after they said they wouldn't be able to pay for a lawyer on their own. Later, the state attorney's office filed formal charges against the Hakkens, including two counts of felony kidnapping. Given Florida sentencing guidelines, a conviction on the kidnapping charges could mean the Hakkens will spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Among the 11 counts, the couple was also charged with burglary, false imprisonment and child abuse. Police: Parents talked of 'journey to the Armageddon' The circumstances leading up to the ordeal began in June when the family was staying at a hotel in Slidell, Louisiana. Responding to a call, police officers found the parents "acting in a bizarre manner," Slidell police said in a statement. Inside the room where the boys were, authorities found narcotics and weapons. "They were talking about 'completing their ultimate journey' and were traveling across the country to 'take a journey to the Armageddon,'" police said about the parents. Louisiana authorities took the children from their parents after that incident. About two weeks later, the father showed up at a foster family home with a gun and demanded the return of the boys, Slidell police said. He fled after the foster parents called 911. Over subsequent months, the parents "did not participate in the system," said Sheriff David Gee of Hillsborough County. He did not offer details. "As a result of that, the authorities in Louisiana gave custody to the grandparents," he said. That transfer became official on April 2, when a Louisiana judge terminated the suspects' parental rights. Early the next morning, Patricia Hauser told police, Josh Hakken entered her Florida home, tied her up and sped away with the children and the family dog in a silver 2009 Toyota Camry. They met up with Sharyn Hakken, sheriff's investigators said, and eventually ended up on a 25-foot sailboat named Salty. The boat's seller later tipped off authorities after word got out about the alleged abduction. It was at the Hemingway Marina just west of Havana, on Tuesday, that CNN found the family -- hunkered inside the boat, under the watch of Cuban security forces. That morning, U.S. officials in Havana told CNN that they were afraid the children could be in danger from their parents. Armed Cuban security agents watched over the family most of the day until the parents and children were led away peacefully that afternoon. Boys 'fine, happy and sleepy' on return to U.S. Cuba and the United States are divided by far more than the Straits of Florida. But this week, U.S. officials repeatedly expressed their appreciation for the Cuban government's "extensive cooperation." The Cuban Foreign Ministry said the boat pulled into the marina in bad weather Sunday. The two governments shared information, which led to the return of the family and their dog to the United States. CNN's Patrick Oppmann, Kim Segal and John Zarrella contributed to this report. | NEW: The next hearing for the couple is set for May 30 . Josh and Sharyn Hakken are accused of abducting the boys and taking them to Cuba . The boys thought they were on an adventure, their grandmother says . Prosecutors file 11 charges against the parents, including kidnapping and child abuse . | bfd1da68bce2246edaf6f1f23b150e12ff2643f3 |
By . Emily Anne Epstein . PUBLISHED: . 09:04 EST, 3 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:42 EST, 3 October 2012 . David Crespi plead guilty to brutally stabbing his five-year-old twin daughters to death, but there is one person that still believes he's innocent: their mother. Kimberli Crespi has fought for her husband from the beginning, forgiving him for his horrific crime in 2006 and now she wants to share their story with the world. Mrs Crespi believes Crespi killed their girls because he was misdiagnosed with a personality disorder and put on a cocktail of drugs which in turn, caused a psychotic episode. Treatment, not prison, is the answer, she says. Tragic: David Crespi, right, plead guilty to brutally stabbing his five-year-old twin daughters, left, to death in 2006, but there is one person that still believes he's innocent: their mother . Family: Kimberli Crespi, right, has fought for her husband, left, from the . beginning, forgiving him for his horrific crime and now she wants to share their story with the world. The couple are pictured with their daughters Tessara and Samantha . 'We live for them, we live for their sweetness, we long for them, but the reality is they're not in this life,' Mrs Crespi said to WBTV. Tessara Kate Crespi and Samantha Joy Crespi were born to David and Kimberli on October 17, 2000 in Sacramento, California. They would have turned 12 years old this month. Tessa's favorite color was purple and she loved to dance. Sammie loved lambs, pink poodles and her favorite color was blue. They were two of five children in the Crespi family when they moved to North Carolina. Then on January 20, 2006, David Crespi killed them in a violent outburst: stabbing them 32 times. A knife was found stuck in the body of one of them. David Crespi called 911 and was arrested at the scene. In order to avoid the death penalty, he plead guilty to both their deaths and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in July of 2006. Mrs Crespi makes sure to visit him every week. All Together: Mrs Crespi believes Crespi killed their girls because he was misdiagnosed with a personality disorder and put on a cocktail of drugs which in turn, caused a psychotic episode. The Crespis are pictured with their five children . Missing: Treatment, not prison, is the answer, she says. Her family has been punished by being deprived of David has made their loss even worse . 'I can’t believe it,' she told the Charlotte Observer of her husband’s imprisonment. 'When I visit, I’m like, "How could David Crespi be in prison?" He’s a good person. For him to do this is unbelievable. He was such a good dad. But it happened.' 'It's horrible, it's absolutely horrible . what happened to Tess and Sam and to David but it's just easier for . society to leave him in prison and act like that and walk away.'Kimberli Crespi . Mrs Crespi says that a cocktail of newly prescribed drugs, which included Ambien, Trazadone, Prozac and Lunesta. She believes a chemical imbalance caused the crime, not Crespi's actions. 'It wouldn't have happened without the prescriptions. David Crespi never acted like this ever in his life,' said Mrs Crespi to WSOCTV. However, Marsha Goodenow, the chief homicide prosecutor, said that Crespi testified he had violent thoughts before he ever began taking the pills. 'He was asked, "Did you have these thoughts when you were on the medication or off the medication," and he said "both,"' she told 20/20 in an earlier interview. 'You can't say that someone who would do this to their own daughters isn’t sick. Obviously he's sick, but sickness does not excuse criminal behavior.' Mrs Crespi said she still mourns her little girls, but being deprived of her husband has caused even more pain. The couple has been married 16 years. 'He should not be punished. He didn’t have free will at the time when he did this,' she told the Charlotte Observer. Twins: On January 20, 2006, David Crespi killed them in a violent outburst: stabbing them 32 times. A knife was found stuck in the body of one of them . Together: The casket containing the remains of Samantha and Tessara Crespi is wheeled to an awaiting hearse after funeral services at St. Matthew Catholic Church on Tuesday afternoon, Jan 24, 2006, in Charlotte, N.C. She has become a champion of anti-depressant awareness, trying to educate others about the dangers of medications. David Crespi has since been weened off all pills, Mrs Crespi said. He's 'back to his old self.' 'David is a lovely person who one day did something horrible, and I would like that to not happen to somebody else. If it happened to us, I think it can happen to anybody,' she said. She is leading a lecture on the side effects of antidepressants on Thursday, October 11 at the South Charlotte Banquet Center. 'It's horrible, it's absolutely horrible what happened to Tess and Sam and to David but it's just easier for society to leave him in prison and act like that and walk away,' she said. to WBTV. The following are excerpts from David Crespi's call to 911 after murdering his daughters . Operator: 911 emergency do you need police, fire or medic? Crespi: Matthews . Operator: I’m sorry. Do you need police? Crespi: Matthews . Operator: Matthews police? Crespi: Yeah . Operator: OK, your cell phone is cutting in and out, but I’m going to transfer you. Just a second. Second Operator: Police department. Crespi: Yeah. I just killed my two daughters. Operator: You just what? Crespi: I just killed my two daughters. Third Operator: Sir, tell me what happened. OK. How. I mean, what’s going on right now? Crespi: I just freaked out. Operator: Are you on medication? Crespi: Yeah . Operator: Are they breathing or anything now? Crespi: No . Operator: What did you do to them? Crespi: I stabbed them. Operator: You stabbed them? Crespi: Yeah. Operator: OK. How many times did you stab them? Crespi: I don’t know. Operator: You don’t know? Is anybody else in the house with you? Crespi: No. Operator: No? Crespi: My wife just left. Operator: Who are these girls? Crespi: They’re my daughters . Operator: Your daughters? OK. How old are they? Crespi: Five . Operator: They’re twins? Crespi: yeah . Operator: OK. So we’ve got help started. Can you tell me what happened? How did you kill them? Crespi: With a knife . Operator: And you’re sure they’re deceased? Crespi: Yeah. Yeah, they’re dead. Operator: OK. Operator: Sir, did you have a fight with your wife? Is this what happened? Crespi: No . Operator: No? You just couldn’t handle it anymore? Crespi: Yeah. | Tessara and Samantha Crespi were killed by their father David in 2006 . Kimberli Crespi believes that David Crespi had a psychotic episode from taking a combination of Ambien, Trazadone, Prozac and Lunesta . She wants him freed from jail to re-join their family and three other children . | 338adea271928e648639ffa212c1b16f3d16537d |
Barcelona star Neymar is best known for plying his trade on the field at the Nou Camp - but he has tried his hand at American football ahead of the Superbowl on Sunday. The Brazilian took on the challenge of trying to break the 64-yard field goal record in Catalonia - but came up short. Neymar's first attempt from 50 yards sailed over the sticks, as did his second from 60 yards. Neymar pulls an American football helmet on as he readies himself to take on the field-goal challenge . The Barcelona forward places the ball on the tee before attempting his first 50-yard effort . The 22-yard-old (right) bends over and readies himself to smash the 50-yard effort . Neymar celebrates on the pitch with his arms wide after succeeding with the 50-yard attempt . The Brazilian's effort from 60 yards goes agonisingly short during his attempt at a field goal . However, the three attempts the 22-year-old took from the 64-yard mark were all sent with too low a trajectory and failed to find the target. Defending champions the Seattle Seahawks face the New England Patriots at Superbowl XLIX in Phoenix on Sunday night. Neymar himself also scored Barca's first equaliser in their come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Villarreal at the Nou Camp on Sunday. Neymar does some keep-ups on the pitch after taking on the field-goal challenge . The Brazilian points to the sky to celebrate his goal for Barcelona during their 3-2 win over Villarreal . | Neymar scored for Barcelona in their 3-2 win over Villarreal on Sunday . Seattle Seahawks face New England Patriots in Superbowl XLIX . Barca forward tried his luck at American football in a video . Neymar's attempt at a 64-yards field goal fell agonisingly short . | 2f185783658595228e0d0d3cad4a741a017d3679 |
Washington (CNN) -- School bullying is the target of a two-day summit in Washington that kicked off Wednesday morning with Education Secretary Arne Duncan saying bullying undermines learning in schools. "It is an absolute travesty of our educational system when students fear for their safety at school, worry about being bullied, or suffer discrimination, taunts, because of their ethnicity, their religion, sexual orientation, disability, or host of other reasons," said Duncan. Just under a third of students ages 12-18 reported that they had been bullied in school in a recent study by the National Center for Education statistics. The study, done during the 2007-2008 school year, found that the harassment predominantly came in the form of "being made fun of" and "being the subject of rumors." Bullying differs from teasing, according to Kevin Jennings with the Education Department's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, which is hosting the first-ever summit on bullying. One reason is that bullying generally involves a power imbalance, he said.. "The key thing that defines bullying versus teasing is that bullying has ... an impact on the student's ability to achieve and to want to be at school," Jennings said. "Teasing sometimes is unpleasant but (if) it escalates to the point where you actually see students do worse in school or actually avoid areas in school or avoid coming to school, then it goes from teasing to bullying." The bullying summit, which is being attended by government officials as well as superintendents, researchers, corporate leaders and students, looks to come up with a national plan to reduce and end bullying. "Part of the reason we are focusing on bullying is we want to intervene in this cycle early on, before it escalates to harassment and violence and we have horrible incidents like we've all seen on the evening news that terrifies every parent in America," Jennings said. | The Education Department is holding its first-ever summit on school bullying . Study: Nearly a third of students ages 12-18 reported being bullied in school . The summit looks to come up with a plan to reduce and end bullying . | 79c6d7821307bb8c2aee306fa8a76be8958d34dd |
(CNN) -- A suspect has been arrested in the slaying of a 19-year-old Puerto Rican man found Friday decapitated, dismembered and partially burned, police said Tuesday. Members of the U.S. gay community are asking authorities to investigate whether the slaying was a hate crime because the victim, Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, was gay, said Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "The brutality of the slaying and the fact that he was openly gay leads us to believe it was very possibly a hate crime," Serrano said. Authorities are investigating whether the killing involved sex, Guayama police Commander Hector Agosto Rodriguez told CNN affiliate WLII TV. Guayama prosecutor Jose Bermudez identified the suspect as Juan A. Martinez, 26. Police had earlier described him as a 27-year-old man from the interior Puerto Rican town of Cayey. Martinez was scheduled to attend a court hearing Tuesday night at which charges would be lodged, said Luis Bernier, a spokesman for the Guayama police district, which has jurisdiction in the case. The hearing was postponed several times throughout the day. Officials were waiting for a prosecutor from a nearby district, causing the delay, Bernier said. The FBI was not directly involved in the investigation Monday, said FBI Agent Harry Rodriguez of the San Juan office. "The FBI is monitoring this investigation by police in Puerto Rico," Rodriguez said. "Any assistance that the police requests or requires, we would be more than happy to provide." Puerto Rican authorities may ask for help with forensics or other advanced investigative tools the FBI could provide, Rodriguez said. The U.S. attorney's office, in consultation with local officials and other agencies, would determine if the slaying was a hate crime, which is a federal offense. "It's at a very preliminary stage," said Lymarie Llovet, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, which means federal agencies have jurisdiction. "There's the potential for a federal investigation," Rodriguez said. The suspect was arrested Monday around 11:30 p.m. AST (10:30 p.m. ET) at his home in the Mogote de Cayey neighborhood, said Wilson Porrata Mariani, another spokesman for the Guayama police district. Police impounded two cars and also are investigating a home in another neighborhood, Huertas del Barrio Beatriz de Cidra. Lopez Mercado's body was found on Puerto Rico Road 184 in another part of town, Barrio Guavate de Cayey, police said. The slaying has reverberated throughout the gay and lesbian community in the United States, where supporters started a Facebook page called "Justice for Jorge Steven Lopez -- End Hate Crimes." The group demands an investigation by Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno and prosecution of the slaying under the Federal Hate Crimes Law. The law was enacted in 1969 to guard the rights of U.S. citizens engaged in any of six protected activities, such as voting, going to school, applying for a job or attending a public venue. Last month, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which extends federal protection against illegal acts motivated by a person's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. Gay activist Serrano said he does not believe anti-gay sentiment is any stronger in Puerto Rico's Latin culture than anywhere else. "That's a long-debunked myth, that our culture is more homophobic," Serrano said. Instead, he attributed any ill will toward gays to "hate rhetoric" by some religious and political leaders. One politician, he said, recently referred to gays as "twisted and mentally ill." "That's the kind of rhetoric that incites violence against gays," Serrano said. Equality Forum, an international gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights organization, asked for a federal investigation. "Equality Forum calls on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to have the FBI investigate," said former federal prosecutor Malcolm Lazin, the group's executive director. "The Matthew Shepard Amendment empowers and requires the federal government to prosecute this horrific murder." Serrano said Lopez Mercado was a "very, very dear friend" he had met through a mutual acquaintance. "Jorge was a person who you only needed one minute to fall in love with," Serrano said. Lopez Mercado often volunteered for gay causes, Serrano said. The teen's family is coping, considering the circumstances. "It has been horrible, but they are very grateful that it has come to a quick resolution," Serrano said. | NEW: Activist attributes ill will toward gays to some religious, political leaders' "hate rhetoric" Puerto Rican gay community wants police to see if slaying was a hate crime . FBI is monitoring investigation and is prepared to offer help, agent says . Suspect, 27, was to attend Tuesday court hearing, which was postponed several times . | e125ec74910bf9979f938c46b51ff48eb4453b35 |
By . Toby Harnden In Washington . PUBLISHED: . 15:06 EST, 20 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:48 EST, 21 November 2012 . The descent of the David Petraeus case into a media circus has been accelerated by the appearance of Natalie Khawam, Lebanese-born twin sister of Tampa socialite Jill Kelley, at a press conference alongside celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred. In an apparent bid to gain leverage for her client in a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband over their four-year-old son, Allred portrayed Khawam's case as 'extremely important to single moms across the nation'. Petraeus, who resigned as CIA director after his affair with biographer Paula Broadwell was revealed when Kelley complained to the FBI about harassing emails from her, wrote a letter in support of Khawam's case. Tears: Natalie Khawam, the sister of Jill Kelley, addresses her part in the Petraeus scandal on Tuesday . General John Allen, Nato commander in Afghanistan and under investigation for potentially 'inappropriate' emails in a correspondence of up to 30,000 pages, also wrote a letter backing her. Allred paid tribute to Petraues and his wife Holly at the press conference in the Ritz Carlton in Washington on Tuesday afternoon. 'Both have known Natalie and her son personally for many years, and have had numerous opportunities to observe them together,' she said. 'They have loved Natalie's child and emotionally supported her and her son through the toughest time in Natalie and her son's life. Speaking out: Celebrity attorney Gloria Allred is representing Khawam, a friend of Petraeus and his wife . Business: Khawam was flung into the limelight after her sister contacted the FBI about threatening emails she was receiving from Petraeus' mistress - which led to the discovery of their affair . 'They both spoke up through their court declarations in support of Natalie about what a loving, protective mom she was.' Khawam, 37, who wiped away tears as she stepped forward to speak, declined to answer any questions but spoke of her relationship with her sister. 'My sister Jill and I aren't just twins, we're best friends. Literally inseparable,' she said. 'During my darkest time... she and my brother-in-law, Dr Kelley, took me in with my son when we needed refuge and protection. Jill is the kindest, most generous person I know. 'We played tennis together. She played net and I served. We also played softball together. She was the catcher and I pitched. We love to cook. I usually bake and she sautees. Emotion: At the press conference, Khawam said Petraeus and General John Allen had written letters of support to judges on her behalf as she battled her ex-husband for custody of their child . Sisterly bond: Khawam described her sister, Jill Kelley, as her best friend and loyal supporter . Gloria Allred has a long history of standing up for downtrodden women and of trotting out female clients who claim to have revealing and damaging stories about high-profile men. The California attorney's clients have included the family of Nicole Brown Simpson in the O.J. Simpson trial and former Spice Girl Mel B for her paternity case against Eddie Murphy. She has represented two of Tiger Woods' alleged mistresses, Rachel Uchitel and Joslyn James, and worked for Ginger Lee, who claimed Anthony Wiener had encouraged her to lie during his sexting scandal. More recently, she represented Sharon Bialek, who claimed Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain had groped her - which he denied - and the girlfriend of the former girlfriend of Rudy Eugene, known as the 'Miami Cannibal'. 'We used to study together. I love math, she loves science and she excels in chemistry. We love to play piano and play chess. 'Jill has lovingly supported me through the years and I plan to love and support her unconditionally.' Khawam lost an ugly child custody dispute with ex-husband Grayson Wolfe despite the letters written on her behalf by Petraeus and Allen. The judge said he had serious concerns and reservations over her mental stability and her grasp on reality and accused her of 'outrageous conduct', 'bad faith litigation tactics', and 'illogical thinking' before awarding full custody to the father, who had been unable to see his child for more than a year. According to the New York Post, Wolfe, . won sole custody of the boy after the judge found out Khawam, a lawyer, . repeatedly lied under oath and filed false domestic-violence and . child-abuse claims against her husband. She . was also accused of defying court orders to allow her estranged husband . access to their son and sent emails to his friends and colleagues . telling them he was a 'horrible father and husband'. Friends: Khawam, left, smiles alongside (from left) David Petraeus, her sister's husband Scott, her sister Jill Kelley and Holly Petraeus at a garden party at her sister's Florida home . Battle: As she was locked in a custody battle for her son with her ex-husband Grayson Wolfe, left, Khawam received letters of support from Petraeus and General John Allen, right . Allred . described her client as 'a loving, caring mother' as well as a 'highly . educated academic scholar and a successful attorney'. She described Kelley's relationship with Petraeus as 'social'. He has been pictured at garden parties at her $1.3 million Tampa house, alongside Kelley's husband and his own wife, Holly. Asked by MailOnline whether Khawam had, as reported, visited the White House, Allred said she had been there 'essentially for a tour' but declined to say who had been the host. Neither Allred nor Khawam would speak about Allen or go into any detail about Petraeus. On Friday, as news coverage of Kelley . and Broadwell persisted as their roles in the scandal became . increasingly clear, Allred blasted the media's obsession with the women. 'Inseparable': Khawam, pictured right with Jill Kelley and Senator Marco Rubio, also used the opportunity to laud her 'kind, generous' sister and describe their lives growing up together . Affair: Khawam became part of the scandal surrounding his affair with biographer Paula Broadwell, pictured, when her sister began receiving threatening messages from Broadwell . She told the Daily Caller: '[M]y . personal feeling on this matter is that women are being depicted in a . negative and stereotypical manner which appears to be very unfair to all . of them.' Allred's clients include a string of high-profile women, including former porn star Joslyn James and nightclub promoter Rachel Uchitel, for whom Allred helped win $10 million from Tiger Woods. She is renowned as the go-to lawyer for women who find themselves caught up in celebrity scandals and has has defended women against stars such as Charlie Sheen, Eddie Murphy, and Rob Lowe. | Natalie Khawam was swept up in Petraeus scandal after her sister Jill Kelley tipped off the FBI about threatening emails from his mistress . Petraeus and Gen. John Allen wrote letters of support for Khawam during her bitter child custody battle with her ex-husband . Press conference on Tuesday detailed her relationship with the men . Also used the opportunity to paint her sister as 'kind and generous' | cb0e0631e0030744521e7c5906d86cb2b0e0c467 |
By . Emma Glanfield . Jess Rowles, 24, was left needing stitches to her lip and chin after allegedly being punched in the face by a taxi driver following a night out in Bristol on July 27 . These photos show the horrific injuries a woman suffered after being punched in the face by a rogue taxi driver following a night out. Jess Rowles, 24, said she was assaulted by the taxi driver in an 'isolated' street after she told him she didn't have enough money to pay the fare as he took her home on July 27. She had enjoyed several drinks with a friend in Bristol city centre prior to the incident and was on her way home at about 2.30am when the taxi driver allegedly locked the doors before driving to the random street. The insurance company worker said she realised during the drive home she didn't have enough money and asked the taxi driver to stop off at a cash point. However, he ended up dropping the two young women off in the secluded street – miles from home – before allegedly assaulting Miss Rowles. She said: 'We had £14 but he wanted £20 so we asked him to take us to a cash point. 'He refused, locked us in the cab and said he was going to take us back to where he collected us. 'But in fact he dumped us in (another road) which was dark, but to be honest we were just glad to be able to get out the cab. 'Then as we walked away he got something out the boot of his car and sprayed us with water. 'I went back to ask him why he had done that and it felt like he punched me in the face. 'There was certainly a lot of force because it knocked me to the ground and I hit my face on the kerb.' The young women, from Shirehampton, Bristol, called the emergency services and police officers took Miss Rowles to hospital where she had several stitches to her lip and chin. However, the cabbie - which the girls believe was run by Bristol City Council and had an Asian driver who was in his 20s– drove off and police have been unable to track it down. Miss Rowles said she told the taxi driver she didn't have enough money to pay the fare as he took her home in Shirehampton, Bristol, and asked to be driven to a cash point. It was then he apparently punched her in the face . Avon and Somerset Police were informed of the incident but have now closed the investigation due to lack of evidence, infuriating Miss Rowles, who thinks they have done the 'bare minimum'. A force spokesman said: 'A thorough and detailed investigation was carried out based on the limited information and evidence available. 'CCTV was checked but there was no film showing the incident or a good shot of the actual taxi. 'House-to-house investigations were also carried out and private CCTV checked but no relevant footage was found. 'Because Miss Rowles has a right to complain if she feels we have not carried out a thorough investigation, this has been reported to the force's professional standards department to review.' Ms Rowles has now gained the support of her local MP, Wayne Harvey, who said: 'Seeing the photos of this horrific, violent and cowardly attack on Jess has left me feeling sickened. Avon and Somerset Police has closed an investigation into the case which Miss Rowles blasted them for, saying they had done the 'bare minimum'. She now has the support of MPs who said the attack was 'cowardly' 'This is the second attack that has been brought to my attention regarding taxi drivers becoming violent and assaulting their passengers. 'With all the CCTV we have in Bristol this should be being picked up.' MP Charlotte Leslie added: 'Taxis should be seen as a place of safety for people, not a place where you risk being assaulted. 'It seems sad but perhaps we need to encourage people to note down taxi licence numbers when they get in a taxi.' | Jess Rowles needed stitches to her lip and chin after being punched in face . The 24-year-old claims taxi driver attacked her after she couldn't pay the fare . She asked to be driven to cash point but was taken to isolated Bristol street . Cabbie drove off and police have closed investigation due to lack of evidence . | d833ce6beebe17f00b14052509997514e974ebd8 |
By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 12:21 EST, 3 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:57 EST, 3 July 2013 . Sleek, expensive and undoubtedly the apple of its owner's eye. But this sports car, valued at around £300,000, could be smashed to smithereeens as it could be sent to the crusher after it was seized by police. The Lamborghini Aventador was seized on Wilton Place in Knightsbridge for being driven illegally on London’s streets without insurance. The purple high-performance machine is currently on display outside New Scotland Yard, with police considering whether charges will be brought against the driver. The sports car, valued at around £300,000, could be sent to the crusher after it was seized by police . A Met Police spokesman said the Lamborghini was one a several supercars taken by officers . And the car could yet find itself suffering a similar fate to the scores of old bangers already seized by police - crushed. A Met Police spokesman said the Lamborghini was one a several supercars taken by officers as part of its Operation Cubo. He said: 'We have been seizing many types of cars, but sports cars have been among them. A total of 10,318 vehicles have been seized as part of Operation Cubo since October 2011 . The car could yet find itself suffering a similar fate to the scores of old bangers already seized by police - crushed . 'We have had a few Porsaches, BMW X5s, and a Ferrari - that one got crushed and in fact the vast majority of them are.' Operation Cubo has so far taken place on 20 separate days, with 656 vehicles seized one day last month. The force said 135 arrests were made on this occasion for offences including robbery, drugs supply, metal theft, weapon-related offences and for being wanted offenders. A total of 10,318 vehicles have been seized as part of Operation Cubo since October 2011. | Lamborghini was seized in Knightsbridge, London for being driven illegally . Police are considering whether charges will be brought against the driver . Met Police spokesman said it was one a several super cars taken by officers . Crackdown is part of Operation Cubo which seized 656 vehicles in one day . | 767a392e4b73aebd924e7309963ab0bbf5139c05 |
The team call themselves the 'Barrister Hottie Experts' First, there was the boys - a list of the best looking male barristers in Britain. Now, here come the girls. In the interest of equality, the two American women behind the idea to list the 21 most attractive male lawyers in the country have released a list of best looking female barristers. Included on the list of 'hotties' is Justine Thornton, wife of Labour party leader Ed Miliband . Top of the list of 'hottest female barristers' is international and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, of Doughty St chambers . Writing on yourbarristerboyfriend, the . team - calling themselves the Barrister Hottie Experts - said: 'After . the enthusiastic response to our debut Male Barrister Hottie list, we . thought long and hard about what to do next. 'The answer seemed clear. Avoiding women would just be too easy - and perhaps even sexist. 'We had some reservations. Because women are still judged on their appearance on a daily basis, they don’t particularly need anything else to remind them of our lookist society. 'Or so the argument goes. But we don’t like the idea that women barristers, unlike men, are not powerful enough to withstand a hottie list. We didn’t believe that this would destroy the legal profession, as some Chicken Littles predicted. Plus, we think we have excellent taste in women.' Included on the list of 'hotties' is Justine Thornton, wife of Labour party leader Ed Miliband. She is praised for her 'earnest swot look' nut mainly for putting up with her husband's 'adenoidal patter every day.' Top of the list is international and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, of Doughty St chambers. Marianne Butler (left) is number two, and described as 'ferociously intelligent', and (right) Sri Carmichael of Hardwicke chambers, is in at number three, and is 'even more beautiful in the flesh' The 'breathtakingly beautiful' Miss Alamuddin represented Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, in his fight against extradition, the Telegraph reports. The list's creators said: 'Not only does she have huge warm eyes and silky, jet-black hair, but she speaks French and Arabic.' Marianne Butler is number two, and described as 'ferociously intelligent with a first from Oxford (PPE), a cornucopia of prizes and a glittering career at Fountain Court [chambers] where she keeps all the male hotties on their toes.' Siobhan Grey, of Doughty Street chambers, is entered at number four. Her entry reads: 'If you had been born in 1850s, you might have been discovered by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and made to sit for hours in a medieval dress' Laura Newton (11 Stone Buildings). The bloggers write: 'Oh Laura, you lovely English rose, even your name is quintessentially British' Elizabeth Nartey, of Argent Chambers, is 'obviously stunning', but 'also has the kind of face that exudes kindness, warmth and sincerity' Also on the list are Gemma White (Blackstone Chambers left and Laura Bell (Devereux Chambers) right . Left, the 'dewy eyed nymph' Sophie Wellings of QEB, and ‘absolutely breathtaking’ Dinah Rose QC, right . 'Immaculate' Hannah Curtain, of Henderson, (left) and the 'badass' Karyl Nairn QC (right) Rebecca Drake, of 39 Essex Street, is 'straight out of central casting for the sort of blonde English lovelies with porcelain skin, tiny waists and delicate, tapering fingers like Middlemarch¿s Rosamond Vincy or Gwendolen Harleth of Daniel Deronda' The fun and fantastically smart Rachel Oakeshott (left) and fabulous Angharad Start (right) Sri Carmichael of Hardwicke chambers, is in . at number three. The accompanying entry reads: 'According to her admirers, she is ‘even more beautiful in . the flesh’, ‘charming and super bright’, and ‘tall with an incredible . supermodel figure’.' Siobhan Grey, of Doughty Street chambers, is entered at number four. Her entry reads: 'If you had been born in 1850s, you might have been . ‘discovered’ by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and made to sit for hours in a . medieval dress, fingering a lute for a series of languorous, slightly . lascivious portraits. Shaheed Fatima and her 'beautiful eyes' (left) and Rachel O'Hagan who 'must have a team of hair stylists following her around' 'But here you are today, fighting white collar . fraud and defending freedom of expression.' 'English Rose' Laura Newton of 11 Stone Buildings is number 5. They write: 'Can we ask you if anyone has compared you to the young Marianne Faithfull? We see you bicycling down a Reading country lane in 1964 with your blonde hair blowing in the wind and your big periwinkle eyes dreaming of London. The glamorous Sophia Cannon (left) and 'raven haired beauty' Amelia Sugden (right) 'There you acquire a black velvet dress with a white collar and a pair of boots from Mary Quant’s Bazaar, and become the ‘it girl’ of the swinging sixties. 'Oh wait, this is 2013 and women are more than dolly birds and muses. You are in fact a very serious professional woman who speaks German, French and a bit of Mandarin. You’re just lucky enough to still look like a winsome schoolgirl.' Elizabeth Nartey, of Argent Chambers, is 'obviously stunning', but 'also has the kind of face that exudes kindness, warmth and sincerity', Shaheed Fatima, of Blackstone chambers has 'beautiful eyes . and such a calm, knowing smile' and Sophie Wellings, of 39 Essex . Street chambers, 'an angelic, dewy-eyed nymph' and claisscially trained soprano. Dual guardians of the 'sexy brunette flame' Philippa Jackson, of 39 Essex Street,(left) & Nichola Higgins, of Doughty Street (right) The women had originally tried to keep their identities secret but have now been revealed as author and historian Natalia Naish, 31, and former Time magazine writer Sonia Van Gilder Cooke, 30. Miss Cooke told the Telegraph that reaction the lists had been almost entirely positive. She said: 'We haven’t put anyone on who doesn’t want to be there and we have not included pupils, who can be in a vulnerable position as they are not so established,' she said. The pair are welcoming suggestions for inclusion in the women’s list, and have also launched a male ‘hottie of the week’. Derrick Dale QC, left, takes the number two spot on the male list while third place goes to Nick Wilkinson, right . Orlando Pownall, 60, makes the top ten, left, while Justin Ageros at number 20 is described as 'a manly man' | Team who released Male Barrister Hottie list have produced a female top 21 . Included in list of 'hotties' is Justine Thornton, Ed Miliband's wife . The team call themselves the 'Barrister Hottie Experts' | 9316116aefa9f9d3176f9ca3b93563e5b7019d9c |
By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 06:31 EST, 18 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:51 EST, 18 September 2013 . Tablet computers and iPads have become something of a regular prop held by newsreaders and television presenters while they talk to camera. But BBC News presenter Simon McCoy left viewers baffled when he introduced a feature about 'drunk tanks' by holding something slightly less technical. The 51-year-old broadcaster had intended to pick up his trusted iPad when the cameras prepared to roll in the BBC studios - but instead grabbed a pack of photocopier paper. Scroll down for video . Baffling: Viewers spotted that BBC News presenter Simon McCoy had picked up a pack of paper as a prop instead of an iPad by mistake . Error: The BBC later admitted that Mr McCoy had picked up the paper by mistake . Viewers saw McCoy holding the packet in a . full-length shot as he hosted the item live on the rollling BBC News . channel without any explanation. But the BBC later said he had picked it up by mistake. Although he realised his error, McCoy didn't have time to swap his paper for the expensive gadget and instead 'went with it'. A spokeswoman for BBC News explained: 'This morning as Simon McCoy was preparing to introduce this story, instead of picking up his tablet to hold as he went to air, he mistakenly picked up a ream of paper that was sitting next to it. 'In the rush of live news, he didn’t have an opportunity to swap the items, so simply went with it.' In the past the presenter has been seen briefly resting his head on the desk when cameras cut to him. Improvising: A BBC spokesman said that Mr McCoy didn't have time to swap the props around following his mistake and just 'went with it' Form: The presenter has previously been seen resting his head on the desk when cameras cut to him during a bulletin . The camera had cut away for the local news to be read, but when it returned Mr McCoy was seen with his head resting on his folded arms on the desk. He suddenly sat bolt upright and looked sheepish as he tried to regain his composure beside co-presenter Martine Croxall. Following a number of mocking messages from Twitter followers, McCoy eventually tweeted: 'I was not asleep!' He added: 'It was a long desk head-banging that wasn't meant to be picked up in the BBC1 opt!!' But his co-presenter weighed in and jokingly told her own followers: 'Intravenous caffeine now being administered to @simonmccoy.’ Previous: Mr McCoy appeared to be asleep when the camera cut away for him to read the local news during a bulletin last year . Mr McCoy's gaffe is far from the first to befall BBC News presenters. In 2007, BBC consumer affairs correspondent Karen Bowerman interviewed who she thought was IT journalist Guy Kewney about the legal battle between the Beatles' Apple Corps and Apple Computer over the use of an apple symbol as the logo. But her guest was in fact taxi driver Guy Goma. Mr Goma gamely attempted to answer the interviewer's questions, but later described the incident as 'very stressful'. In 2009, a segment on BBC Breakfast about an expletive-filled rant from actor Christian Bale on the set of the Terminator film which was caught on camera left producers red-faced. Mistaken identity: BBC presenter Karen Bowerman interviews a cab driver thinking he is internet expert Guy Kewney . Ooops: BBC Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid accidentally flashed a glimpse of her underwear in a live broadcast on Monday morning . Viewers were left shocked however when an unedited version of the rant was broadcast. The curse of live broadcasting hasn't just affected newsreaders in the past either, BBC weathermen have been known to fall foul of the odd gaffe. In 2010, BBC News Channel viewers saw weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker brazenly sticking his middle finger up at breakfast show presenters Simon McCoy and Fiona Armstrong, who were off-camera. Last year, Alex Deakin mistakenly swore in a live broadcast when instead of saying 'bucket loads of sunshine' he predicted 'bucket loads of c***'. Just this week, presenter Susanna Reid accidentally treated eagle-eyed viewers to a flash of her underwear as she crossed her legs on the BBC Breakfast sofa. | The 51-year-old presenter was doing a piece to camera on 'drunk tanks' The BBC later said that he had picked up the paper roll by mistake . He has previously been seen briefly resting his head on the desk . | 121eda1724ee7b25149c934fb2aa6bc99a4c8444 |
The actions of the captain and crew of the sunken ferry Sewol "are akin to murder," South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Monday. Her comments come after a radio transcript released a day earlier suggested that passengers aboard the doomed South Korean ferry couldn't reach lifeboats to escape because the ship tilted so quickly that it left many of them unable to move. "Please notify the coast guard. Our ship is in danger. The ship is rolling right now," a crew member on the ship first tells authorities in a dramatic conversation that took place while the Sewol ferry was sinking last week. An unidentified crew member on the Sewol talked to two different Vessel Traffic Service centers as the ship sank Wednesday morning, the transcript revealed. Someone on the ship contacted the traffic service in Jeju -- the ferry's destination -- at 8:55 a.m. and communicated with it before the conversation switched to Jindo VTS, which was closer, about 11 minutes later. "The ship rolled over a lot right now. Cannot move. Please come quickly," the crew member says a minute after initial contact. At one point Jeju advises the crew to get people into life vests. "It is hard for people to move," Sewol replies. After the conversation switches to the traffic service in Jindo, the Sewol crew member says several times that the ship is leaning too much for passengers to move. Sewol: "Our ship is listing and may capsize." Jindo VTS: "How are the passengers doing? ..." Sewol: "It's too listed that they are not able to move." A short time later, another exchange takes place: . Jindo VTS: "Are the passengers able to escape?" Sewol: "The ship listed too much, so it is impossible." The transcript may help answer one of the major questions about the capsizing: Why didn't more passengers escape on lifeboats? Many missing, scores killed . At least 64 people have died in the sinking, and 238 are missing, the South Korean coast guard said Monday. Search crews brought more than a dozen bodies to shore Sunday morning, a solemn process pierced by screams and cries from the passengers' families. The wrenching scene came after four police boats arrived in rapid succession. The first carried four bodies. The second boat had three more. The third and fourth also carried three bodies each. Each body was taken onto a stretcher on the dock in Jindo, draped in cloth. After an inspection, they were carried along a path guarded by police -- who were also shedding tears -- and past grieving family members. Some relatives refused to accept the outcome. "Wake up! Wake up, please!" one man screamed. With hundreds of people still missing, the heartbreaking scene will likely play out over and over again. Although 174 people were rescued shortly after the vessel sank Wednesday, no survivors have been found since. Nonetheless, more than 100 divers continued plunging into the frigid Yellow Sea Sunday. And 35 aircraft and 214 ships aided in the search, Joint Task Force spokesman Park Seung-gi told reporters. At around noon on Monday (11 p.m. ET Sunday), divers will try to enter the ship's cafeteria, where authorities believe most students were when the ship started to sink, he said. One diver described his experience to CNN affiliate JTBC. Teams have been focusing on the third and fourth floors of the ship, where investigators believe many of the missing might be. "It's hard to say exactly where you are once you enter the ferry, since it is completely dark and you basically have to feel your way around based only on the blueprint of the ferry," diving team leader Hwang Dae Sik said. "So it is hard to say definitively in what compartment you are searching and what your are discovering." As they wait, relatives of the missing have been asked to submit DNA samples. Park on Sunday declared the cities of Ansan and Jindo as special disaster zones eligible for national disaster assistance programs, in order to facilitate central government help, a spokesman for the Joint Task Force Headquarters said in a news release. Ship's captain defends evacuation . According to the transcript, Jindo Vessel Traffic Service urged the captain to take charge. Jindo VTS: "The captain should make (the) decision to make people escape. We do not know the situation so captain make final decision on passengers' escape." The captain has defended his order to delay the evacuation of the ferry. "It is a fairly fast current area, and the water temperature was cold," Capt. Lee Joon Seok said, according to CNN affiliate YTN. "I thought that abandoning the ship without discretion would make you drift off a fairly far distance and cause a lot of trouble. At the same time, the rescue ship did not come, and there were no fishing boats or supporting ships around to help at that time." The captain has been charged with abandoning his boat, negligence, causing bodily injury, not seeking rescue from other ships and violating "seamen's law," state media reported. Prosecutor Lee Bong-chang gave more details about the accusations against the captain. "Mr. Lee is charged with causing the Sewol ship to sink by failing to slow down while sailing the narrow route and making (a) turn excessively," the prosecutor told the semiofficial Yonhap news agency. "Lee is also charged with failing to do the right thing to guide the passengers to escape and thereby leading to their death or injury." If convicted, the captain faces from five years to life in prison. The captain wasn't at the helm of the Sewol when it started to sink, the prosecutor said. A third mate was at the helm. So where was the captain? The captain was not in the steering room when the accident took place, according to police and his own account. He said he plotted the ship's course, and then went to his cabin briefly "to tend to something." It was then, the captain said, that the accident happened. A crew member, described as the third mate and identified only as Park, appeared in handcuffs with Lee. The third mate said she did not make a sharp turn, but "the steering turned much more than usual." Park is facing charges including negligence and causing injuries leading to deaths, said Yang Joong-jin, a maritime police spokesman. A technician with the surname Cho is also facing the same charges, he said. The captain was one those rescued soon after the Sewol began to sink, violating an "internationally recognized rule that a captain must stay on the vessel," maritime law attorney Jack Hickey said. "Pretty much every law, rule, regulation and standard throughout the world says that yes, the captain must stay with the ship until all personnel are safely off of the ship, certainly passengers." Families protest over rescue operation . Murky waters cloud the horror facing ferry rescue divers . | South Korean President says captain and crew's actions are "akin to murder" At least 64 bodies have been found, the coast guard says . 238 people are still missing; 174 have been rescued . Official: Divers will try to reach the ship's cafeteria on Monday . | 907d878f18983de75b42b0c53ab902a49a28ffcb |
(CNN) -- Much was made of the death of the VW Kombi last year, when the last van rolled off a Brazilian factory floor after more than 60 years of continuous production. But there are still places where this icon of world travel can be found, spluttering and stuttering along the dusty paths of adventure. A small tour company in Uganda has discovered a few Kombis rusting away, abandoned by their owners in dusty corners of the country, and is putting them to use as hardy servants of travelers seeking alternate means of travel. In 2009, Steven Cresswell and William Boase toured Uganda from the UK on a motorcycle and saw several deserted Kombi vans along their way. A year later they returned, bought and revived one of these relics, named it "Piglet," and founded Kombi Nation Tours. From ambulance to tour bus . Piglet, a 37-year-old red Kombi van, was first registered as an ambulance in the northwest of Uganda. "She'd been last used as a matatu (bus/taxi)," says Rachel Landman, director of Kombi Nation Tours. "Though when we found her, she was being used as a storage for car parts with the words 'Please Enjoy Me Again' painted on the back window." The company quickly found two more camper vans, namely Beatrice (Betty) -- formerly an ambulance -- and The Dude, formerly a chicken hutch. Many of the Kombis were used as taxis and minibuses until they become difficult to maintain. "VW Kombi are no longer common in Uganda," says Landman. "They ceased to be used as taxis and buses in 2000. "They're actually the more expensive choice because of the amount of (maintenance) invested in them but most clients still choose them for the novelty factor," says Landman. Every recovered Kombi is reincarnated by chief mechanic Fred Seruwo, who refits the engine and brakes, reworks the body and takes the van on a 700-kilometer test drive. "When I get back [from the test drive], we have a nice Kombi," says Seruwo. Good, bad, ugly of a Kombi tour . Not all Kombi fans are confident the vehicle is suited to Africa's terrain. "Having been to Africa, I believe there are more appropriate vehicles for touring this part of the world," says Californian Gary Garfield, a Kombi fan who toured Europe in a Kombi in 1973. "The Kombi is/was fun and has great memories, but it's old technology and I wouldn't seek out a tour that uses these for a nostalgic rationale," he adds. Thus, the company also owns a fleet of 4x4 Toyota Landcruisers as backups. "[Our camper vans are] a bunch of old ladies, and this means that they do occasionally have hiccups, usually related to poor-quality fuel confusing their guts," says Landman. But the company says no major breakdowns have occurred so far. "Kombi Nation Tours was born out of Boase's and Cresswell's motorcycle tour and it remains the inspiration of the tour company," says Landman. "[Kombi tours] are to replicate that trip, a true adventure," says Landman. "Many of the clients that we attract are from that 'nostalgia market,' those who traveled in a Kombi back in the 1970s." One quality that has turned Kombis into icons of resourcefulness are the stories that get towed along in their exhaust stream. Landman describes one such episode: "In February 2014, we were traveling between Ishasha, home of the tree-climbing lion and Bwindi, home of the mountain gorillas. "We left the savannah of the national park only to find the road had been resurfaced the day before and raised about 40 centimeters and we couldn't get the Kombi onto the main road. "Luckily, Kate, one of the clients who had owned a Kombi in Nepal in the '70s, and her nephew, had a good sense of adventure. "Together we dug some of the gravel and sand -- luckily not yet tarmac -- and made a clearance to drive the vehicle up -- and replaced it afterward of course." 'They'll be around another 40 years' The Kombi has been in production since the 1950s but Volkswagen shut down its Brazil plant, the last facility making the vans, on the last day of 2013. "We are, of course, all saddened that they will at some point fade away," says Landman. "But we think they'll be around for another 40 years or so. From a business perspective, it makes them more special and unique. "On tour outside of Kampala [the vans] certainly turn heads. Children run to them in the village and sometimes just stare at them, confused, in the very remote areas. "Old men wave and its been known for them to stop walking and take off their hats!" Have you traveled in a VW Kombi? Share your experience in the comments section. | VW ended the production of the Kombi last year, but the vans' resourceful spirit thrives in Uganda . Kombi Nation Tours recovers abandoned Kombis and turns them into tour buses . "Many of the clients that we attract are from that 'nostalgia market,'" says company director . | e444dbfdef246da925e39246b703b680a9f389a1 |
(CNN) -- A state of emergency in Myanmar was put in place to stop "attempts by a small number of people to spread ... violence to other parts of the country," President Thein Sein said Thursday. In his first speech since making the emergency declaration last week in response to clashes between Buddhists and Muslims, he accused "instigators" of escalating a private dispute into sectarian violence that killed at least 40 people last week. "We did not resort to the use of force immediately mainly because we do not want any possible endangerment of our ongoing democratic transition and reform efforts," the president said. "That said, I am firmly committed to use the power vested in me by the constitution to deploy our security forces and to use existing laws to prevent and protect the life, liberty and security of my fellow citizens." The president said some were exploiting the situation to engineer violence in other parts of the country. "I would like to warn all political opportunists and religious extremists who try to exploit the noble teachings of these religions and have tried to plant hatred among people of different faiths for their own self-interest: Their efforts will not be tolerated," he said. During the clashes in Meiktila, which were reportedly set off by a dispute between a Muslim gold shop owner and two Buddhist sellers, rioters set fire to houses, schools and mosques, prompting thousands of residents to flee their homes. The government declared a state of emergency in the city Friday, allowing the military to help reinstate order. But as the situation there appeared to calm, authorities reported arson attacks by groups of Buddhists in other towns in the region over the weekend. One group, the Myanmar Islamic Religious Organization, blamed the government for the loss of lives. "It is analyzed that loss of Muslims' lives and properties, mosques and religious schools in this way are due to weakness and omission of administrative authorities to provide protection and take action effectively," the organization said in a statement. The unrest highlights the fragility of ethnic relations in Myanmar, also known as Burma, as it emerges from decades of military repression. Authorities have released thousands of political prisoners and pursued peace talks with rebel groups in the past two years. The clashes in Meiktila and elsewhere have drawn expressions of concern from U.N. and U.S. officials. The sudden boiling over of tensions between Buddhists and Muslims in central Myanmar follows sectarian troubles that killed scores of people in the western part of the country last year. Those clashes, in Rakhine state, took place between the Buddhist majority and the Rohingya, a stateless ethnic Muslim group. CNN's Jethro Mullen contributed to this report. | Myanmar's president speaks for the first time since declaring state of emergency . He blames "instigators" for trying to spread violence . At least 40 people were killed last week in sectarian violence . | 670b925634649591b5e7790119487f8534212fac |
By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 09:56 EST, 25 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:02 EST, 25 September 2013 . Jail cell footage has been released showing a couple who allegedly kidnapped their toddler sons and fled to Cuba on a sailboat discussing the plot - and desperately urging each other to stay quiet. Joshua and Sharyn Hakken, from Tampa, Florida, are seen embracing, kissing and apparently talking about what they will say about the kidnapping on the video released by prosecutors. Among other documents released this week, prosecutors have also shared a bizarre love letter Sharyn Hakken sent to a 26-year-old woman whom she met in prison, in which she tells the former inmate she is '100% committed to you and our relationship'. The Hakkens were charged with kidnapping, interference with child custody and neglect in April after they allegedly kidnapped two-year-old Chase and four-year-old Cole from the boys' grandparents, who had been granted custody of them just a week earlier. Caught on camera: Joshua Hakken embraces his wife Sharyn in jail shortly after they are arrested for kidnapping their two toddler sons and fleeing to Cuba. The video shows them discussing the plot . Keeping quiet: Joshua Hakken urges his wife not to speak to her cellmates about the kidnapping as he comforts her in the cell. The footage could be used as evidence in their kidnapping trial . After the couple were tracked down in Cuba and returned to the U.S., they were held in a Hillsborough County jail, where surveillance cameras filmed their conversations on April 10. 'Be careful what you say to your cellmates,' Joshua Hakken, 45, says to his wife. 'No one can know about this.' 'I know, I know, I know,' responds Sharyn Hakken, 34, later adding, 'I said too much on the plane', as her husband comforts her, ABC News reported. The couple, who have both pleaded not guilty to the kidnapping charges, also apparently discussed their release from jail. Arrest: Sharyn Hakken, left, and her husband Joshua, right, allegedly kidnapped their sons, aged two and four, a week after Sharyn's mother had been granted custody of the boys . Affair: Lacrecia White, pictured, said that she met Sharyn Hakken in prison and they continue to write to each other. Prosecutors have released the letters, in which Hakken tells White she loves her . Devotion: The letters called White her 'soul mate' and tell her she is 100% committed to their relationship . As part of the documents prosecutors released this week in the Hakken case, they shared a letter written from Sharyn Hakken to a woman. The woman, Lacrecia White, told ABC Action News that they had met in prison in July before she was released. Here are some excerpts from the letter from Hakken: . 'I hope I dream about you tonight. I need to see you and feel you. I love you. Ugh I so badly wish we could hold each other right now. I wanna play with your hair! 'I am so super excited about our future together... 'I want to talk to you and hear your . voice sooo bad... So how are you my beautiful girl? I miss you so much. 'I love you so much. I hope you really do know that by now... I am 100% fully committed to you and our relationship! 'Let's get married! (I'm totally serious unless you think I'm crazy then haha jk [just kidding])' 'I've been nervous that yours and my relationship could hurt my case in some way and that my lawyer would find out and tell me to stop talking to you. I don't think I'd be able to!' 'When everything goes down I'll come . find you,' Joshua Hakken said, with his wife adding: 'If I get out . before you, I promise I'll wait for you.' Prosecutors plan to present the footage as evidence at a trial later this year. They also released photographs taken inside the Hakken's sailboat that show two child car seats, a gun and ammunition. Other documents included love letters Sharyn Hakken sent to a 26-year-old woman. The woman, Lacrecia White, gave an interview to ABC Action News and explained that they had hit it off while playing cards together in jail in July. One . letter from Hakken reads: 'I want to talk to you and hear your voice . sooo bad. So how are you my beautiful girl? I miss you so much. I'm glad . I stayed up so late writing to you last night. 'I love you so much. I hope you really do know that by now... I am 100% fully committed to you and our relationship!' White, who has since been released on probation and is training to become an electrician, said that Hakken spends her days doing yoga and missing her children. 'I know that her overall goal is to get her kids back. She says that when she gets out of jail, she wants to start in with a case plan, if that's even possible,” said White. 'We'll definitely keep writing each other. I need her support and she needs a friend right now.' Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. Found: The couple's boat, 'Salty', is pictured moored at the Marina Hemingway complex in Havana on April 9, six days after the couple allegedly set sail from Florida with their sons on board . Prosecutors said the Hakkens had . become paranoid about living in the U.S., claiming the government was . trying to hack their computers and poison them. They had asked 11 . countries for asylum, documents show. They . lost custody of the boys last year after police officers in Louisiana . found them and the children in a hotel room surrounded by weapons and . drugs. On April 3, Joshua Hakken allegedly . forced his way into his mother-in-law's home, tied her up and put the . boys in his car, before setting sail for Cuba. Officials . in Cuba learned that the parents were wanted in connection with a . kidnapping and contacted U.S. authorities, who flew them back. When . the boys were returned, their maternal grandparents Patricia and Bob . Hauser revealed that the youngsters, who were not harmed, did not know . they were allegedly kidnapped. New home: The boys wave to the press alongside their grandparents and law enforcement officials outside their new home after they were safely returned to the United States in April . 'They . have been told that everyone heard about their sailboat trip to Cuba - . "another country", as they call it,' Mrs Hauser said at a press . conference. 'And their airport ride back to America, and that everyone . wants to take their picture... We are treating it as if they went on a . vacation.' Mr Hauser said that they had never imagined they would be bringing up Cole and Chase - but that the 'smart, chatty' boys were a joy each day. 'It was initially a change of life-style for us, but having these boys here is just amazing,' he said. 'I come home from work at the end of a . bad day and the two will come running up hugging and kissing me . [saying] "Papa's home! Papa's home!" It's just wonderful. We wouldn't . trade it for anything.' See below for video . | Joshua and Sharyn Hakken 'kidnapped their sons from her mother's house' in April after she was granted custody of the boys, Cole, 4, and Chase, 2 . They were tracked down in Cuba and safely returned to their grandparents . New footage shows the Hakkens discussing keeping the plot quiet as they comfort each other in a jail cell after their arrest . Prosecutors also released love letters written from Sharyn Hakken to woman, 26, she met in jail saying she is committed to their relationship . | ffd935616d7b104eb41cd62d248a725793a03639 |
(CNN) -- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said Tuesday that it is liable for the San Bruno, California, pipeline rupture, which killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes in September 2010, and will compensate the victims. "We are taking on financial responsibility so that everyone injured in the accident will be able to recover all of their damages from PG&E," said Chris Johns, the company's president. "We are affirming our commitment to do the right thing in our response to this accident." The announcement came in response to a San Mateo County Superior Court judge's request for PG&E's official position and ahead of a court hearing Friday on the case, PG&E said on its website. PG&E said it has been working to resolve claims "fairly and promptly" and to improve the safety of its pipeline operations. Federal officials said in August that a faulty pipe, flawed operations and inadequate government oversight led to the natural gas explosion in the San Francisco suburb. During a public board meeting after delivering their final report on the matter, National Transportation Safety Board investigators sharply criticized pipeline owner PG&E for the explosion, saying the pipe was inadequate from the time it was installed in 1956. That was compounded "by a litany of failures" over the years, including poor record-keeping, inadequate inspection programs and "an integrity management program without integrity," NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said. "It was not a question of if this pipeline would burst," she said. "It was a question of when." Hersman said the probe yielded "troubling revelations about a company that exploited weaknesses in a lax system of oversight, and government agencies that placed a blind trust in operators to the detriment of public safety." In a memo sent Tuesday to employees, Johns noted that a legal filing in July had been interpreted by some to mean that the utility "was leaving the door open to somehow blame San Bruno residents or the city of San Bruno for the accident itself. Nothing could be further from the truth, which we stated at the time. In a follow-up filing, we clarified our position by explicitly stating that none of the plaintiffs or residents of San Bruno was at fault for the accident. PG&E has consistently stated our position that we would do what we could to assist the residents of San Bruno and help them recover from this tragic accident." He said external pressure had not led the company to issue the announcement. "The judge is hopeful that this will make the legal proceedings move faster and more efficiently. PG&E is hopeful that this will allow the people injured to receive compensation sooner without unnecessary legal proceedings." The September 9, 2010, explosion blasted a 72-foot by 26-foot crater and destroyed 38 homes in San Bruno, near San Francisco International Airport. A 28-foot segment of the pipe was found about 100 feet from the crater. Scorched homes and the shells of burned-out cars lined charred streets, where firefighters battled hot spots trying to save the devastated neighborhood. Prior to the hearing, the company said in a statement that it had taken "multiple steps" to improve the safety of its operations, including efforts to replace aging pipe and improve contacts with local police and fire departments. NTSB investigators determined the explosion was caused by a substandard and poorly welded pipe, creating a weak spot that resulted in a pipeline rupture during a pressure increase stemming from poorly planned electrical work. They said the faulty welds should have been detected when the pipe was laid in 1956. Compounding the problem, investigators said, was the fact that PG&E failed to alert emergency responders as soon as they realized the line had burst. Isolating the rupture to stop the flow of gas took more than an hour, and put first responders in a defensive mode as they struggled to put out the fire, investigators said. "There were a lot of opportunities missed here by PG&E," Hersman said. During the board meeting, board member Robert Sumwalt noted that the California Public Utilities Commission failed to exercise adequate oversight and enforcement of PG&E, and that the federal regulator, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which is a part of the Department of Transportation, failed to monitor the state commission's oversight of PG&E. "This accident is not just about the failure of a seam in a pipeline. Rather it's about a failure of an entire system -- a system of checks and balances that should have been put in place to prevent the disaster," Sumwalt said. Board members pointed to previous PG&E-related incidents as examples of the company's lax procedures, noting a gas explosion resulting in a fatality in 2008, and a gas main break in 1981 that forced more than 30,000 people to evacuate San Francisco's financial district. PG&E runs three major gas pipelines, including the one involved in the San Bruno explosion, under "nine high-population-density neighborhoods in San Francisco," Herrera said. | NEW: PG&E president stresses that city of San Bruno nor residents were at fault . "We are affirming our commitment to do the right thing," Chris Johns says . Eight died and dozens of homes were destroyed when pipeline ruptured in 2010 . | 71947baf83c9fe705225711b4b37638638a32cba |
A 21-year-old college student has been charged with creating ricin after two concerned professors turned him in. Kyle Allen Smith allegedly told a biology teacher at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh he was planning something 'borderline illegal' and planned to use the chemical as 'a biological weapon'. It came after he approached a chemistry professor on October 29, asking him about oil and protein extraction from seeds to make 'ribosomal-inhibiting proteins' - a potentially lethal concoction. Charged: Kyle Allen Smith, 21, was turned in by two of his professors as they believed he was making ricin . That night, the professor approach police with fears Smith was making ricin. Smith was arrested on October 31 and police closed four blocks around his him. He was charged with recklessly endangering safety and is being held in federal custody, The Northwestern.com reported. According to an affidavit, a search warrant on Smith's residence found a glass vial of white powder in the dining room drawer, which tested positive for ricin. A notebook documenting how to create ricin was also seized, authorities told Fox 6. If found guilty, Smith faces 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. Fears: Smith allegedly approached a biology and a chemistry professor asking how to extract oil and protein, which is a method to create 'ribosomal-inhibiting proteins' - a potentially lethal concoction . | Kyle Allen Smith, 21, 'told professor he had a "borderline illegal" plan' Asked biology and chemistry teachers how to extract oil to make ribosomal-inhibiting proteins - a potentially lethal concoction, police say . He wanted to 'use something living to harm something living,' claim says . | 630efc588031995c620c52499209652ea985c4f3 |
Liverpool have had a £16million bid accepted by AC Milan for Italy striker Mario Balotelli. Balotelli has been offered £90,000-a-week to move to Anfield and the transfer is nearly complete after a 'positive' first meeting on Thursday evening. The player's representatives will meet with Reds executives on Friday morning to thrash out a deal. Brendan Rodgers had said Liverpool would categorically not be signing the errant Italy striker last month, but has had a change of heart. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Balotelli scores and still manages to row with team-mate . How it's going to be: Mario Balotelli mocked up in a Liverpool shirt in anticipation of his £16m move to Anfield . Drive to succeed: Balotelli leaves Milan's training ground in his red Ferrari . Super Mario: Balotelli left the Premier League in 2013, but now seems to be on his way back with Liverpool . Change of heart: Rodgers had previously said he would not be signing the Italian striker . Stats: Balotelli's Premier League record (via Opta) Balotelli earlier told Sky Italia: 'This will be my last day at Milanello.' Later, he left Milanello training complex in a red Ferrari. He had lunch after training and stopped to tell reporters: 'Nothing is decided yet nothing is black and white.' Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen posted on Sportslobster: 'Going to be great fun having Balotelli back in the Premier League. There is no doubt about his talent and I'm sure Brendan Rodgers will make sure he behaves having witnessed the problems (Luis) Suarez inflicted on the club. If that's the case, £16m looks good value.' Samuel Eto'o is still an option for Liverpool should the Balotelli deal fall through, for any reason. Balotelli has to be registered by noon on Friday if he is to figure for Liverpool against former club Manchester City on Monday. It would be a sensational return to the Premier League for the 24-year-old, who left City in 2013. Balotelli has been involved in a series of scrapes during his career to date, especially during his time in the Premier League. Striker: Balotelli scored 30 goals in 80 games for City before moving back to Italy . Flashpoint: Balotelli had a number of run-ins during his explosive relationship with Roberto Mancini . On the field, he was sent off for Manchester City against Arsenal in 2012 in a defeat that almost derailed their title charge. And off the pitch, there was the notorious incident when Balotelli set off fireworks in his house, leading to him revealing the famous 'Why Always Me?' T-shirt when he scored in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford in 2011. He also had a set-to with City manager Roberto Mancini on the training ground, and a scrap with Jerome Boateng. The striker's agent Mino Raiola flew to England on Wednesday to try to thrash out a deal. Since returning to Italy, he has scored 30 goals in 54 games, the same amount he scored for City in 80 games. And it is easy to forget that he has already won four titles in two countries, a Champions League and the FA Cup and Coppa Italia by the age of 24. Couple: The Italian striker and his partner Fanny Neguesha in Miami over the summer . Sending a message: Balotelli with his famous 'Why Always Me?' T-shirt at Old Trafford in 2011 . VIDEO I've got nothing against Balotelli - Inzaghi . | Liverpool have had a £16m bid accepted by for Balotelli . Italian striker left Manchester City in 2013, and has scored 30 goals for Milan . Balotelli is offered £90,000-a-week by the Reds . Brendan Rodgers still searching for another striker after selling Luis Suarez . Former Liverpool star Michael Owen says it'll be great fun having Balotelli back in the Premier League . Liverpool face Balotelli's former club Manchester City on Monday . | 31794e1390f2753a88e840558bb5e304775ea1be |
Kevin Pietersen says he hopes his exile from the England side will soon end allowing him able to achieve his goals of reaching 10,000 Test runs and again beating Australia in an Ashes series. Pietersen was dropped from the England team after the disastrous and acrimonious series in Australia earlier this year, held responsible by the ECB for disharmony in the dressing room. The batsman, in Australia to join the Melbourne Stars for the Twenty20 Big Bash League, said Monday he still has ambitions to play Test cricket . Kevin Pietersen looks out towards the pitch at the MCG after arriving in Melbourne on Monday morning . Pietersen smiles during a press conference ahead of his appearance in the Twenty20 Big Bash League . South African-born Pietersen, 34, said 'I know I still have four or five years left. Whether I just want to play T20 though, is another thing. 'The next six months, with the changes happening in England, (it) could be interesting,' Pietersen also added he still has goals: 'I have 8,300 (Test) runs - I'd love to get 10,000. 'I'd love to beat Australia again ... last time, we got hammered. That doesn't sit well. I'm not a player who likes being hammered, I'm a player who plays to win.' Pietersen, who will play for the Melbourne Stars, speaks to Australian reporters on Monday morning . Pietersen leaves the field after being bowled out by Australia's Mitchell Johnson at the MCG last year . Pietersen said his enforced break from Test cricket had allowed him to recover fully from a chronic knee injury. 'I should have had a microfracture before the double Ashes last year,' he said. 'But I was flying around this country getting injected by every single doctor to try to get myself through. 'Having not played Test cricket since January, my body has felt a hell of a lot better. I'm feeling good - ready to go.' | Kevin Pietersen says he still has ambitions to play Test cricket . The batsman was dropped from the England team earlier this year . Pietersen is in Australia to play in the Twenty20 Big Bash League . | 9f3e7e43791f5f12d8b0958f08b07fa61ebd8bfa |
Two high school students have been suspended after posting a photo of themselves posing with replica guns online just hours before their homecoming dance. Tito Velez and his girlfriend Jamie Pereira, both 16, decided to pose with 'unique props' ahead of the event at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton, Massachusetts. Donning formal attire, they picked up two Airsoft guns - replica firearms that look deadly, but can shoot only plastic pellets - and took a picture. Scroll down for video . Suspended: Tito Velez and his girlfriend Jamie Pereira, both 16, have been suspended from high school after posting this photo of themselves posing with replica guns online just hours before their homecoming dance . They later posted the image on Facebook, where it was viewed by hundreds of fellow students, leading to 'significant disruption' the next day at school, according to officials. Now, Mr Velez and Miss Pereira have been suspended for up to 10 days pending a hearing as to when or whether they will be allowed to return. Defending his decision to take the photo, Mr Velez, who regularly participates in Airsoft team games as a hobby, told WCVB: 'We wanted something unique and different instead of using flowers like everyone else. We were like, "let’s use something we like to do on the weekend as a prop".' Pointing to one of the replica rifles, he added: 'This isn’t dangerous, you can’t kill someone with it. We didn’t shoot anyone, we were pointing them at the floor.' Controversy: The students (pictured speaking to TV crews) decided to pose with the Airsoft guns - which can shoot only plastic pellets - ahead of the event at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton . Replica firearms: Pointing to one of the replica rifles (pictured), Mr Velez said: 'This isn’t dangerous, you can’t kill someone with it. We didn’t shoot anyone; we were pointing them at the floor' Miss Pereira toldCBS Boston she understand why school officials had expressed concern over the image, but said: 'I think they took this way too far. Suspending us for 10 days and possible expulsion is way too much.' The students, who posted the photo online last Friday, were pulled out of school on Monday as they headed to a track meet for long-distance runners. They were then quizzed by police officers. Miss Pereira's father, Jailes, said the school's reaction to the image was 'ridiculous' and blown out of proportion, adding that it went against the couple's freedom of speech at a 'private house'. Hobby: Mr Velez (circled in red) and his girflriend regularly participate in Airsoft team games as a hobby . Institution: The students, who posted the photo online last Friday, were pulled out of the school (pictured) on Monday as they headed to a track meet for long-distance runners. They were then quizzed by police . But defending his decision to suspend the students, Superintendent Richard Gross said: 'It has nothing to do with free speech. Their behavior caused a significant disruption in the school' 'We had our homecoming event on Friday and following that the students were looking at Facebook and, of course, it caused a tumult in the building.' He added that the photo had been uploaded to an online album titled 'Homecoming 2014', meaning it was directly 'tied' to one of the school's events. Dressed up: The teenage couple are pictured posing in another - less controversial - photo before the dance . It comes just days after teenager Jaylen Fryberg shot five classmates in the cafeteria at Marysville Pilchuck High School in Washington State, killing two girls and injuring the three others . The unsuspecting teens were all seated at a lunch table when 15-year-old Fryberg pulled out a .40-caliber Beretta handgun and shot each one, before committing suicide. On Monday, investigators said the shooter had lured his victims to the scene by text message before launching the deadly attack. | Tito Velez and his girlfriend Jamie Pereira, both 16, met up before dance . Donning formal attire, they picked up Airsoft guns and posed for picture . The replica rifles may look deadly, but they can shoot only plastic bullets . Following day, students were pulled out of school and quizzed by police . Suspended from Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton . Officials set to hold a hearing as to when or whether the pair can return . Comes days after teen shot five classmates in Washington, killing two . | 3150c9352de2d5684fab890c045e755d93c444ea |
Human cannonball Matthew Cranch, 24, as killed when the safety net intended to break his fall after he was fired into the air collapsed . The death of a 'human cannonball' who died after being fired into the air at a stunt show has been ruled an accident, an inquest has ruled. Matthew Cranch suffered multiple injuries after a safety net intended to break his fall collapsed as he fell to the ground on April 25, 2011. The 24-year-old had been fired from a lorry-mounted cannon during Scott May's Daredevil Stunt Show at the Kent County Showground in Detling. An inquest, sitting at Archbishop's Palace, Maidstone, heard that a mechanism which triggered the release of the safety net was not properly set. Tests carried out following the tragedy showed the mechanism could be unintentionally falsely closed, leading to the net dropping when the lorry recoiled upon firing of the cannon. In her closing remarks to jurors before they retired, Mid Kent and Medway coroner Patricia Harding said it was 'undoubtedly a tragic case' but she urged them to be dispassionate. She said: 'This is not a trial. It's an inquest into a death, a fact-finding mission to find out how Mr Cranch died. There is no indictment, no criminal charge.' In its conclusion, the jury said: 'At some point during the firing of the cannonball, the safety net quick release mechanism activated prematurely as a result of it being incorrectly set. 'As a result, Matthew Cranch sustained multiple injuries.' Mr Cranch, who was living in Cornwall, had performed the showpiece five times before the tragedy and had joined the stunt team just one week before his death. Kent Police announced in December 2012 that no criminal prosecution would be brought over Mr Cranch's death. Scroll down for video . Mr Cranch is seen climbing into the cannon before carrying out the daredevil stunt on April 25, 2011 . He gives a 'thumbs up' sign as he climbs into the cannon at the stunt show at the Kent County Showground . In footage shown at the inquest, one of Mr Cranch's colleagues was heard giving a '3, 2, 1' countdown on the public address system before he shouted 'fire'. Mr Cranch could then be seen being propelled from the cannon amid a cloud of pyrotechnic smoke as the safety net in front of him suddenly collapsed. He later died at Maidstone Hospital. Mechanical engineer Alex Grimes, tested the safety net trigger mechanism and found that when the latch was fully closed, the net could not be released. But on a third occasion he engineered the mechanism so that it was falsely closed. On this occasion, the safety net did release when the vehicle recoiled as the cannon fired. Pictures taken of the mechanism several months after Mr Cranch's death showed a build-up of dirt and grease on it. Mr Grimes said that dirt or grit could have impacted on the mechanism's performance, but he could not confirm whether this contributed to the failing or not. Mr Cranch suffered multiple injuries when he plunged to the ground after being fired from this cannon . In footage shown at the inquest, one of Mr Cranch's colleagues was heard giving a '3, 2, 1' countdown on the public address system before he shouted 'fire' Mr Cranch, who was living in Cornwall, had performed the showpiece five times before the tragedy and had joined the stunt team just a month before his death . A second expert, Charles Simmons-Jacobs, a specialist inspector in mechanical engineering, said it appeared the trigger had not been set 'to the end of its travel'. Stunt show employees, including Tommy Austin, who set up the trigger mechanism on the safety net on the day, told the inquest they were not aware the mechanism could be set in a falsely closed position. Tony Nicholls, the chief mechanic at Stunts UK Ltd, and the man who fired Mr Cranch from the cannon on the day of the tragedy, said he heard the click of the net release mechanism just after Mr Cranch was sent flying through the air. Mr Nicholls, who has no formal mechanical qualifications but has years of experience, was asked how he would ensure that the lug engaged with the latch. He told the inquest: 'For me, it was the noise, like a car door when you hear it has been engaged.' Whenever he set the mechanism, Mr Nicholls said he would do so using force 'to make sure it was in every time'. Mr Nicholls said the trigger release mechanism, which was partly in a sealed unit, was routinely pressure washed, lubricated using WD40 and checked for fatigue. He said there were equipment checks before each performance and more in-depth maintenance during breaks between performances. As Mr Cranch was fired out of the cannon, the net collapsed, causing him to land on the ground . Expert Charles Simmons-Jacobs, a specialist inspector in mechanical engineering, said it appeared the trigger had not been set 'to the end of its travel' In her closing remarks to jurors before they retired, Mid Kent and Medway coroner Patricia Harding said it was 'undoubtedly a tragic case' but she urged them to be dispassionate . At the time of Mr Cranch's death, his friends described him as a 'thrill-seeker' who opted out of his promising academic career and his conventional middle-class upbringing . Motorcycle stuntman Scott May said said the showpiece stunt had been performed about 1,000 times . The tragedy happened in front of the assembled crowds who had paid £12 to see the stunt show . Mr Cranch had suffered serious injuries to his heart, head and chest and died in the ambulance after suffering a cardiac arrest two minutes before arriving at hospital, the inquest was told . Kent Police announced in December 2012 that no criminal prosecution would be brought over the incident . Asked whether he had ever encountered problems with the net release trigger mechanism not setting properly, he replied: 'No, never.' Scott May, he owner and managing director of family-run Stunts UK Ltd, said training to use the device involved employees watching senior colleagues doing it before performing it themselves under supervision, then on their own. Mr May said the showpiece stunt had been performed around 1,000 times with no issue. He said: 'Any faults that are found results in equipment being taken out and rectified and put back in the show.' Tony Nicholls, chief mechanic at Stunts UK Ltd, said safety was a 'top priority' and if anyone voiced concerns about safety, a stunt would not go ahead until it had been put right. Mr Cranch's parents Michael Michael and Pauline and his sister Eleanor attended the hearing. | Matthew Cranch died after being fired from a cannon in April 2011 . The 24-year-old had joined the stunt crew just one week before his death . The showpiece stunt had been performed 1,000 times without incident . Mechanism that released the safety net was not properly set, inquest told . Corner Patricia Harding said the death was 'undoubtedly a tragic case' | 202f04fa54eeb060075afff7e56369533d906ed6 |
(CNN) -- Ukraine's Foreign Mnister Andrii Deshchytsya on Monday asserted that the situation in his country "is almost like ... a war." With Russian forces effectively having taken control of Crimea, this is Europe's biggest geopolitical crisis for at least two decades. Russia is currently drafting counter-proposals to a U.S. plan for a negotiated solution. This will seek to challenge Washington's support for the new government in Kiev that Moscow believes was installed in a coup and has plunged a significant part of the country into chaos. From Washington's perspective, Russian troops (up to 25,000 would normally be stationed in Crimea, according to Russian state media, but it's unclear how many are in the region now. Ukrainian authorities have said more Russian soldiers have come into Crimea) must pull back from Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is also attempting to secure support for the placement of international monitors, and has also called for Moscow to use its influence to stop the March 16 referendum in Crimea (which was annexed into the Ukraine in 1956 by Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev) on whether it should join the Russian Federation. In seeking to frame Russia's actions in Crimea, various historical analogies with Nazi Germany have been made, including last week by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The use of analogies by politicians in international crises is commonplace. In the complexity and uncertainty of fast moving day-to-day events, policymakers often seek to draw what they perceive as key lessons of the past in seeking to guide and provide rationales for their actions. For much of the period since the 1970s, for instance, many U.S. officials were fearful of "another Vietnam" referring to the disastrous U.S. intervention in that Asian country. This tended to reduce willingness to deploy U.S. military force internationally unless any action (such as the 1991 Gulf War) had clear, attainable objectives that could swiftly be achieved with a minimum of casualties. The Vietnam debacle also became a key frame of reference when the U.S.-led intervention in Iraq faltered after 2003. This was despite the fact that the two experiences (Iraq and Vietnam) were dissimilar in many respects, including the nature of the insurgencies, and U.S. objectives in each country. However, the most widely used historical analogy is that of Munich and Nazi Germany. The widely seen implication for foreign affairs of the ill-fated 1938 UK-French agreement with Adolf Hitler is that appeasement with aggressors doesn't work. Numerous politicians claim to have been influenced by Munich, including George W. Bush during the "war-on-terror," Margaret Thatcher over the Falklands conflict, Lyndon Johnson concerning Vietnam, Anthony Eden and Guy Mollet during the Suez crisis, and Harry Truman over Korea. Moreover, the continuing salience of Munich is illustrated by the fact that, only last month, Philippine President Benigno Aquino compared what he claimed was China's recent belligerent behaviour with Nazi Germany's expansionism by openly questioning "at what point do you say, 'Enough is enough?'" While military action appears to have been ruled out by Western policymakers in Ukraine, the fact that Munich is informing the thinking of some politicians is reflected in Clinton's comments last week. She noted that "the claims by President Putin and other Russians that they had to go into Crimea and maybe further into Eastern Ukraine because they had to protect the Russian minorities, this is reminiscent of claims that were made back in the 1930s when Germany under the Nazis kept talking about how they had to protect German minorities in Poland and Czechoslovakia and elsewhere throughout Europe. I just want everybody to have a little historic perspective." These remarks, which were qualified by Clinton, have been supported by leading Republican Senators John McCain, the party's 2008 presidential nominee, and Marco Rubio, who is widely anticipated to run for president in 2016. McCain has gone even further, asserting that the emboldened stance of Russia in Crimea reflects the "fecklessness" of the Obama administration's foreign policy. While some see very strong similarities between Russia's incursion into Ukraine, and Nazi Germany's expansionism, the fact remains that use of analogies can be fraught with difficulty for policymakers. On a fundamental level, for instance, not all military actions end up like Vietnam, while not all diplomatic agreements turn out like Munich. As history shows, there is thus a danger that policymakers misinterpret past crises just as frequently as they learn the right lessons. For instance, Suez and Vietnam underscore how Munich was used to guide or justify major foreign policy blunders by the United States, the United Kingdom and France in the 1950s and 1960s. Another example is U.S. President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis who was influenced by Barbara Tuchman's "The Guns of August" book. This argued that World War I started as a result of miscalculation and mistakes from all sides. Kennedy believed the events of October 1962 were reminiscent of the lead-up to that conflict and, wisely, sought to deploy a range of diplomatic options with the Soviets, overruling advice of military advisers for a quick military strike on Cuba. However, an increasing number of academics now believe that Germany actively sought war, and that Tuchman's thesis is wrong. In this sense, it has been argued that Kennedy's actions (which were prudent in the context of Cuba, and may have saved the world from nuclear war) were based on a misreading of World War I history. In the case of Ukraine, Munich is by no means the only historical lens through which to interpret what is happening in the country. And, even if it were, there are clear differences between the 1930s and today, including in the interdependence of the global economy, wider dissimilarities in the global balance of power, and the fact that Russia has an extensive stockpile of nuclear weapons. In the unpredictability and tension of the current moment, it is certainly the case that, like Kennedy in 1962, calm, clear and careful decision-making is now needed by Western (and indeed Ukrainian) politicians as they think through the array of non-military options they have at their disposal, including sanctions. History can provide an especially useful framework in addressing similar or identical policy challenges, but to avoid potentially major misjudgement attention also needs to be given by policymakers to any significant differences between past and present conditions. INFOGRAPHIC: Comparing Ukraine and Russia's military forces . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Andrew Hammond. | Andrew Hammond: Ukraine is Europe's biggest geopolitical crisis for two decades . Russia is drafting counter-proposals to a U.S. plan for a negotiated solution, he says . Hammond: The use of analogies by politicians in international crises is commonplace . The most widely used historical analogy is that of Munich and Nazi Germany, he writes . | 254b8f360775c4ffced5d9890d922422122e2735 |
Prince Charles has ordered a mass cull of 'invading' grey squirrels on his estates . Prince Charles has ordered a mass cull of 'invading' grey squirrels on his estates to protect trees, endangered native birds and other wildlife. They have already been blamed for driving out Britain's native red squirrels but the Royal Forestry Society said the rodents have also learnt to strip the bark from native trees. The Prince of Wales, who is patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, is privately described as 'detesting' greys, according to the Sunday Times. A spokesman confirmed he had ordered 'the humane and lawful control of grey squirrels' on Duchy of Cornwall land and his other properties, including Birkhall in Scotland. He said: "The red squirrel is a most cherished and iconic national species, and, as Patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, The Prince of Wales keenly supports all efforts to conserve and promote their diminishing numbers. "Where appropriate, this includes the humane and lawful control of grey squirrels as well as other measures to enhance the natural habitat of reds across the Duchy of Cornwall estate, in accordance with established estate management practices." The rodents, now numbering two-and-a-half million, carry a pox virus that is deadly to reds, but they are also thought to be having a much wider impact. Andrew Woods from the Royal Forestry Society said: 'They have learnt to strip the bark from almost all our native broadleaf trees so that in many areas there are no longer any juvenile oaks. 'They reach the age of 10 to 15 years and then get attacked and die.' Andrew Woods from the Royal Forestry Society said: 'They have learnt to strip the bark from almost all our native broadleaf trees so that in many areas there are no longer any juvenile oaks. 'They reach the age of 10 to 15 years and then get attacked and die.' Grey squirrels threaten the government's pledge to increase woodland cover from 10 per cent to 12 per cent of England's land area by 2060. The Royal Forestry Society said grey squirrels have also learnt to strip the bark from native trees . Simon Lloyd, the RFS development director said: 'They see planting native trees such as oak as pointless because too many will fall prey to squirrels.' Lord Redesdale, a Liberal Democrat peer, exterminated 23,400 grey squirrels on his land in Northumberland. He said: 'My stroke of genius was to find a way of screwing a hazelnut to the pressure plate that actuates the trap.' There are 17 red squirrel strongholds in northern England with an estimated 140,000 red squirrels left in Britain, but there are thought to be more than 2.5 million greys, according to the Forestry Commission. They cause an estimated £10million a year in damage to trees, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said. A spokeswoman confirmed Prince Charles had ordered 'the humane and lawful control of grey squirrels' on Duchy of Cornwall land and his other properties, including Birkhall in Scotland (pictured) | The Prince of Wales is privately described as 'detesting' grey squirrels . His gardeners say the rodents have learnt to strip the bark from trees . They have also been blamed for driving out Britain's native red squirrels . Grey squirrels, numbering five million, carry a pox virus deadly to reds . | 7692a48d0440a24b16a9815190d6af1ec67dfb08 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:03 EST, 12 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:15 EST, 12 January 2014 . A man who shot and killed former Major League Baseball player Danny Clyburn Jr. has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter of his lifelong friend. Derrick McIlwain, 38, shot Clyburn in the heart with an illegal gun on February 7, 2012, during an early-morning argument in an abandoned house in Clyburn's hometown of Lancaster, South Carolina, according to The Herald Online. McIlwain was originally charged with murder, telling police he was angry at Clyburn 'never doing anything for anybody in the ’hood' after starting to play baseball, however a plea was negotiated on a claim of self-defense and the fact that Clyburn, 37, had marijuana in his system when he was killed. The victim's sister, Alisha Clyburn, was outraged with the sentence. Victim: Danny Clyburn Jr. was kiled in February 2012 by his lifelong friend Derrick McIlwain, who has now been sentenced to 15 years prison for involuntary manslaughter . Killer: Following his arrest for the murder of friend Danny Clyburn Jr, Derrick McIlwain told police Clyburn never did anything for anybody in the ¿hood' after he started playing professional baseball . 'That 15 years is not worth a person’s life,' she told McIlwain in court. 'My brother didn’t have any gun. You should have been a man.' Assistant public defender William Frick said his client feared for his life against the bigger, stronger Clyburn, who had 'made it out of the ’hood and out of Lancaster'. 'Unfortunately he had a firearm, a gun,' Frick told Circuit Court Judge Brian Gibbons. 'But (McIlwain) didn’t get out of the ’hood. He didn’t get out of Lancaster. A lot of people carry small pistols around the ’hood in Lancaster for protection. I don’t like it, but it is a fact of life.' According to The Herald Online, McIlwain - who had no job, no permanent home and a string of previous offenses - was angry that Clyburn hadn't given enough back to his home after becoming famous. McIlwain had expected Clyburn to buy him drinks and the two began to fight, with Clyburn saying he owed McIlwain nothing. McIlwain shot Clyburn once in the heart with an illegal gun. A statement McIlwain gave police after his arrest was read in court Friday. It stunned people in the court – even some who had heard it at previous hearings – with its harsh reality and warped rationale. Promising: In baseball terms, Danny Clyburn Jr was known as a 'five-tool player' because he could hit for average, hit for power, run, field and throw. He died before his career takeoff . 'When he played,' McIlwain told police, 'Clyburn never did anything for anybody in the ’hood.' The shooting happened in a tiny house where nobody actually lived. It was a party spot where some men drank and played cards and just a few doors down from where Clyburn grew up. Clyburn, who lived in California, was only in Lancaster that day in 2012 to visit his father, sister and two children, who live with his ex-wife. He earned about $200,000 a year when playing in the majors – but most years earned far less. That money sent to his family. As a young player in the minor leagues, Clyburn was considered a great prospect. He was what baseball people call a 'five-tool player' – he could hit for average, hit for power, run, field and throw. McIlwain claimed after the killing that he should face no charges under South Carolina’s 'stand your ground' law, but a judge shot that down. Solicitor Doug Barfield conceded that he had to offer a deal in the case because a jury in a murder trial could have agreed that McIlwain had acted in self-defense – and McIlwain might have never been held accountable for the killing. Clyburn's father, Danny Clyburn Sr., attended every one of the court hearings about the killing of his son. On Friday, he spoke quietly and with dignity about getting through the anger of such a senseless killing. He said he “doesn’t know all of what happened that night,” but he does know that his only son is dead from a gunshot. | Tampa Bay Devil Rays player Danny Clyburn was shot once in the heart following an argument on February 7, 2012 in Lancaster, South Carolina . His friend, Derrick McIlwain, was arrested for the killing and later admitted to murder, saying that Clyburn 'never did anything for anybody in the hood' after he started playing professional baseball . McIlwain's charge was changed to involuntary manslaughter and he pleaded guilty . On Friday he was sentenced to 15 years prison, causing more grief for Clyburn's family . | 9906a7898e38da71703c92f9c6d8ed44d204b0da |
By . Helen Pow . A mother thrown to her death from a Six Flags rollercoaster in July was sitting in a car operators knew to be faulty and wasn't properly restrained, according to a newly released police report. Rosa Ayala-Gaona Esparza, 52, was ejected from her seat in the Texas Giant in front of her mortified daughter at about 6:40 p.m. July 19. Her partially severed body was found wrapped around a support beam on the roof of the Honky Tonk tunnel, with blood and tissue scattered over a 75-foot area. According to The Houston Chronicle, the ride operator told Arlington Police Department investigators that he checked everyone's restraints before the train departed, but when it went by he remembered thinking the restraint wasn't all the way down on Esparza's thigh. The theme park has denied a mechanical fault was to blame for the accident. Tragic: Rosa Ayala-Gaona Esparza, 52, pictured, who was thrown to her death from a Six Flags rollercoaster in July was sitting in a car operators knew to be faulty and wasn't properly restrained, according to a newly released police report . However, the harness was down far enough for the computer to register it as locked. The police report also reveals that an investigator received an email from a woman who had ridden in car number 3, the car Esparza was riding in, the day before the fatal incident. The woman said she was riding at about 6:30 p.m. and after the train had loaded, the operator announced 'all clear' over the loud speaker. But he then immediately looked down and announced 'Check car 3.' She explained that one of the employees who had previously checked the restraints came back to her car and rechecked the restraint. Then came another 'all clear' announcement and the ride began. A witness riding in the fourth row, directly behind Esparza, corroborated the claim that her restraint was not properly latched. Faulty: The ride operator told Arlington Police Department investigators that he checked everyone's restraints before the train departed, but when it went by he remembered thinking the restraint wasn't all the way down on Esparza's thigh . He told police both he and his friend tried to help the woman when they saw her feet in the air but they couldn't reach her. Investigators interviewed 17 witnesses who either saw Esparza being flung from the car or only became aware of the tragedy after the ride came to a halt. The woman's daughter, who is suing the theme park, was riding in the car ahead of her mother with her husband and turned around early int he ride to see her mother almost completely upside down in the car with her head at the floor. As the ride began its third ascent, she saw her mother being tossed out of the car but didn't see her hit anything, the report states. The daughter was then forced to endure the rest of the ride, not knowing her mother's fate. It took fire fighters an hour to remove Esparza's body from the aluminum roof. 'The decedent's body was partially wrapped around support beam #471, with her lower body on top of the roof and her nearly severed upper body hanging over the south side of the roof,' one of the reports states, according to the Chronicle. Reopened: The Texas Giant roller coaster ride in Six Flags Over Texas, pictured, reopened in September . In a statement to the newspaper on . Monday, Six Flags said, 'Our hearts remain heavy about this accident and . our sincerest condolences go out to Ms. Esparza's family.' The theme park denies all allegations that it was at fault. In . October, Six Flags said in court documents that it was not responsible . for the death because it was not the manufacturer or designer of the . Texas Giant ride. The theme . park filed its response on October 4 in district court in Tarrant . County to the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Esparza's family. The ride reopened in September. The company said it followed maintenance and inspection procedures recommended by manufacturer Gerstlauer Amusement Rides. It also pointed out that about 2.5 million people had been on the roller coaster before the incident. Six . Flags announced in September that the notorious 153-foot tall roller . coaster was to reopen with new seat belts and redesigned restraint bar . pads following an internal investigation. While the company maintains a . mechanical failure was not to blame for Esparza's tragic fall, her family have . accused the park of negligence and operating a faulty ride. The $1 million lawsuit, filed in September names Six Flags . Entertainment Corporation, Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc, Texas Flags, Ltd. and Six Flags Over Texas as defendants. Ominous: Witnesses said they heard Rosa Esparza complain about her harness before she fell . According to the suit, Esparza, who . also went by the surname Ayala-Gaona, was in the front left . seat of the train's second car behind her daughter and son-in-law. The . car had no seat belt or shoulder harness, only a single lap or 'T-bar' to restrain passengers, Star-Telegram reported. 'As the roller-coaster was in its first . large descent, Rosa Esparza's daughter heard screaming and yelling . behind her, and turned to see her mother in the process of being thrown . out of the car, out from behind the safety in her seat,' the suit . states. Esparza was then thrown against a support piling as the car twisted and turned, landing on the tunnel's roof. 'She was then catapulted many feet below . onto the metal roof of a tunnel,' the lawsuit states. Before the mother of two fell about . 75 feet, witnesses said she had complained her harness wasn't fastened securely. 'They didn't secure her right. One of . the employees from the park — one of the ladies — she asked her to . click her more than once, and they were like, 'As long you heard it . click, you're OK.' Everybody else is like, 'Click, click, click.' ' a . witness told The Dallas News. 'Hers . only clicked once. Hers was the only one that went down once, and she . didn't feel safe, but they let her still get on the ride.' Devastating: Esparza's family is suing Six Flags Over Texas for negligence after the tragic accident . The suit states Esparza's daughter and son-in-law were forced . to complete the ride for 'what seemed like an interminable time knowing . that Rosa Esparza had been thrown out of the ride and not knowing . whether she was dead or seriously injured and in need of immediate . medical attention'. It also claimed Six Flags employees initially refused to believe that Esparza had been thrown off the ride. 'It's a tragedy of the highest order,' Dallas attorney Frank Branson, who filed the suit on the family's behalf, told Star-Telegram. 'I believe it should have been . avoided and could have been avoided.' Following a nearly two-month investigation by the . 'ride train manufacturer, internal engineers and external experts', the . Texas Department of Insurance gave the park approval to start up the . ride again. Six Flags officials said it has now added 'incremental and overlapping safety measures' to the ride, including re-designed . restraint-bar pads from the manufacturer and new seat belts. The park is also now providing a coaster ride seat at the entrance to allow guests . with 'unique body shapes and sizes' to see if they fit in the restraint. Flung: The mother fell 75-feet from the fast-moving rollercoaster, pictured in action . 'We are heartbroken and will forever . feel the pain and sadness of this tragic accident,' Steve . Martindale, president of Six Flags Over Texas, said. 'The safety of our guests . and employees is our company's absolute highest priority and we try to . take every reasonable precaution to eliminate the risk of accidents.' Martindale and his family were among the first riders when it reopened in September. The Esparza family's suit says Six Flags . operators have known for decades the extreme dangers posed by . such rides. This was the park's second fatality. In 1999, a 28-year-old Arkansas woman . died and 10 others were injured when a boat capsized on the Roaring . Rapids ride. In 2006, . nine park patrons were injured on the Texas Tornado when one of the . mechanical bearings that spins the ride malfunctioned. 'More often than not, the response of . the Six Flags defendants to roller-coaster tragedies at their parks has . been merely to feign surprise and to belatedly add safety belts in an . attempt to calm the public's fears,' the lawsuit states. Star-Telegram also reports the suit states that inspections done on . the roller coasters since Esparza's death 'showed that various parts of . the security systems on the ride were experiencing inconsistencies and . intermittent failures.' 'In addition, Six Flags has now admitted . that, after these inspections, they replaced a 'limit switch' for a . restraint in the very car in which Rosa was riding because Six Flags . found the switch to be defective,' the suit states. | Dallas, Texas mother Rosa Esparza, 52, was ejected from her seat in the Texas Giant in front of her mortified daughter on July 19 . Her partially severed body was found wrapped around a support beam on the roof of the Honky Tonk tunnel . According to a newly released police report, the ride operator said he recalled thinking the restraint wasn't all the way down on Esparza's thigh . Esparza's family is suing park for negligence . The company said it was not responsible for manufacturing or design . | 2b60240b4eff3c602037e3f80726b3697e9f63d0 |
By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 13:06 EST, 26 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:55 EST, 26 September 2012 . No, these photographs aren't blurry. And don't worry, your eyes are just fine. The fuzzy images are actually the latest hi-tech gimmick from a British plus-size women's fashion and lifestyle magazine: they are shot in 3D. The cover of SLiNK's seventh issue features a 3D photograph of gorgeous Australian model Bree Warren, a UK size 14, which is the minimum requirement for all models featured in the publication. The cover of SLiNK magazin's seventh issue is 3D and comes with free 3D glasses so you can see more of model Bree Warren than ever before. The cover shows Warren - who works for Models 1+ and has just finished . her journalism degree - wearing a furry Marimodo gilet, a body from ASOS Curve, and cuff and rings by Imogen. Inside the magazine is further 3D editorial, with photographs of Warren modelling a selection of clothes and accessories from both high street brands and independent high-end designers. Readers can fully appreciate the photos - all of which are taken by Roberto Aguilar - by wearing the free 3D glasses provided with the edition. The theme of the edition is Freedom, exploring everything from the change in a woman's freedom after she has children, to how the changes in the Middle East have affected women in the region. Bree Warren wears a jacket by Dea London and jewellery by Imogen. The editor of SLiNK, Rivkie Baum (a size 16-18 26-year-old), said the 3D technique was employed 'to create a sensational selection of images with a military theme that truly come to life'. She added: 'The issue is The Freedom Issue and as our . lead story we wanted something fierce and fresh with a military spin. 'We worked with a lot of mainstream PR agencies for this shoot, . especially with young designers whose samples would work for both a girl of . size 14 and a straight size model. 'We find emerging designers are keen to work with models of various sizes. We wanted this . shoot to really be about pushing boundaries of what 'plus size' modelling and fashion should be about.' Warren models a Jeffrey Michael Design bodice, an Imogen Belfield necklace and New Look leggings. Bree Warren, size 14, models a Peek-a-Boo Vintage dress, left, and one of the brand's patterned jackets, right. As well as the 3D shoot the edition also features a beauty section, shopping pages and extra . editorial shoots, including a beautiful lingerie shoot. SLiNK, which won the award for Best Plus Size Magazine 2011 at the 100% People Awards, was founded 'to show that plus-size models can do anything a straight size model can'. The fashion inside can always be found up to a size 22, often a 32. The concept for the publication was Baum's, a graduate from the London College of Fashion in Design and Pattern Cutting and a creative at Models 1. Her aim was to promote healthy lifestyle, body confidence and body acceptance to the 4.9 million women in the UK who wear a size 18+. Warren wears a coat by Marina Rinaldi, a dress by Francesca Marotta and a head piece by Loren Wood. Working the military look, Warren sports a Peek-a-boo Vintage top, a Lulu Liu furry gilet, Imogen Belfield rings and New Look leggings. Baum said: 'SLiNK is a shining light in a world that frowns on plus size . women. 'Using models who are a size 14+, SLiNK's . ethos is to show their readers that being fuller-figured is no barrier . to obtaining both an on-trend wardrobe and a fabulous lifestyle.' The magazine has run online for one year and is now available to purchase via the company's website. Print copies cost £3.95 and digital downloads £2. For the SLiNK shoot, editor Rivkie Baum was stylist, the model's make-up was done by Lauren Baker and her hair by Enzo at HMS Creative. | Cover girl is journalism graduate Bree Warren from Models 1+ . | ce8b43e85c282284a3843243e751cc1bae34ccb2 |
By . Rebecca Camber . PUBLISHED: . 19:28 EST, 11 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:46 EST, 11 March 2014 . Charged: Professor Green arrives at Lewisham Police Station in London to answer bail last night . Rapper Professor Green has been charged with drink driving over a crash outside his £1.5million home last year. The Hackney-born hip hop artist, who is married to Quality Street heiress and Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh, was charged last night under his real name, Stephen Manderson, after answering bail at a south London police station. He had called police to his London home in November, claiming he had been mugged for his Rolex watch. But when officers arrived in the early hours, they found that his £100,000 Mercedes had been involved in a crash with a van on the road outside. No one was injured in the incident but police arrested the musician at the scene. The 30-year-old was initially held on suspicion of drink-driving and spent a night in the cells. Days later the rapper - who had a No1 hit in 2011 with Read All About It, which featured vocalist Emeli Sandé - was re-arrested on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the reported robbery. However, Scotland Yard said last night they were not pursuing this matter. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘Stephen Manderson has been charged with drink-driving following an incident on November 3 2013. ‘He will appear at Bromley Magistrates Court on March 20.’ Green was reported to have been clubbing prior to reporting the robbery to police at 2.40am on November 3. He married Ms Mackintosh at Babington House, Somerset in September last year. The couple met in 2011 after he saw the reality TV star on the cover of FHM magazine and asked his publicist to get her contact details. Despite their disparate backgrounds, . the rap artist who hails from a deprived council estate in East London . and the privately educated heiress who grew up in a rural idyll . immediately hit it off. The . 24-year-old later quit her prominent role in Made In Chelsea when the . programme makers demanded she play out her romance with Green on camera. Earlier this year, Green said: ‘I know I couldn’t be with me - I’m an absolute nightmare. Claims: The rapper arriving to answer bail last night. A second accusation of attempting to pervert the cause of justice is no longer being pursued by the Metropolitan Police, a spokesman said . Timing: Two months after the incident the rapper married Millie Macktintosh, pictured left and right . ‘So, I think Millie is commendable just for being with me and she’s helped me no end. I’m a huge pessimist - and too much pessimism can lead to depression.’ Since leaving Made In Chelsea, Ms Mackintosh has become a health, beauty and lifestyle blogger and is a brand ambassador for Claire’s, the High Street accessory and make-up chain. She is preparing to launch her own clothes line and is due to take part in Celebrity Masterchef later this year. A spokesman for Professor Green was unavailable for comment last night. Different backgrounds: The wealthy heiress and the rapper who grew up with little have made a firm couple . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Hip hop artist called police in November saying he was mugged for his Rolex . Officers arrived and found his Mercedes was involved in crash with van . Rapper, 30, married Quality Street heiress Millie Mackintosh last year . | 1751d5cd01c34c97ed5ab5d324d1248d3f659996 |
By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 10:16 EST, 4 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:09 EST, 5 November 2013 . Health officials today denied that a flesh-eating heroin alternative drug had spread to Ohio. They said that three suspected cases of krokodil were not confirmed to be the lethal drug and that the most prominently reported case, in Columbus, was likely an infection from using dirty needles. Surprisingly, a spokesperson for the Central Ohio Poison Control Center told MailOnline the lack of krokodil usage in Ohio may come from heroin being so readily available. Flesh eating: There had been fears that flesh eating drug Krokodil was being used in Ohio. Angie Neitzel, 29 a drug addict, in Joliet, Illinois shows her wound from the drug . All three suspected Ohio cases, initially suspected to be the cannibal narcotic were something else entirely. 'It is my understanding that everything that’s been tested for has been negative,' the spokesperson said. Testing for the drug failed to find codeine, the key ingredient that makes the krokodil authentic, the spokesperson explained. Initial assumptions that people were taking the drug may have been rooted in skin conditions found on drug users. 'There’s a skin reaction associated with krokodil, causing some people to jump to the conclusion,' said the spokesperson. 'It’s turning out to be other types of skin reactions from using dirty needles,' the spokesperson added. All three cases were likely simple infections from sharing needles with others. Already suspected to be in Arizona, . Illinois and Oklahoma, the lethal opiate gets its name from the . greenish-black color and scaly appearance given to the skin of users – . similar to a crocodile. The spokesperson further added that one of the two Arizona cases did not test positive for the toxic drug. Local officials immediately suspected the Columbus man had taken krokdil after he admitted to using the drug, and because of lesions on his skin. ‘The patient had a large, open wound and it is consistent with what we've been seeing, or the trend when people use [krokodil].’ Columbus Fire Deputy Chief Jim Davis told WBNS. A call by MailOnline to the Columbus Division of Fire was not answered. 'It seems like a stretch in this case,' Dr Marcel Casavant, of the Central Ohio Poison Control Center told MailOnline. 'But injection drug users will do a lot of things before calling [for help].' The lack of evidence supporting the usage of krokodil in Ohio is also being attributed by poison control officials to a surprising, and perhaps unexpected, factor. Heroin is easier to get: One Ohio official claims readily available heroin, similar to that pictured here, keeps krokodil off the state's streets . 'We’re guessing totally that it’s not an issue here is because sadly its much easier for people to get a hold of heroin here,' the spokesperson said. 'We have a major problem with heroin being extremely . available,' Dr Casavant added, explaining that Ohio is a hotbed for drug users. 'There’s still a very plentiful supply of all sorts of opiates available,' Dr Casavant said, adding 'I don’t expect that [krokodil is] going to be a big problem here.' Given the lack of readily available codeine, which is the key ingredient in krokodil, the drug is harder to make. In Russia, the spokesperson further explained, people have a much easier time finding codeine than they do heroin, both the doctor and the spokesperson noted. People in Ohio who want heroin get heroin, many in Russia who want heroin settle for krokodil - and its devastating side effects. Even though there is no evidence to suggest the . deadly drug has found its way into Ohio, Dr Casavant cautioned that it . doesn't mean people in the state aren't using it - but reiterated that . he doesn't ever see it reaching the scale of epidemic currently seen in . Russia. Despite the lack of concern by officials, the deadly drug’s presence has been detected in multiple US states, and horrific images of the ravaged bodies of addicts are becoming commonplace. At least one user, in Oklahoma, has died from using krokodil, others have suffered permanent damage from the drug – which literally eats the flesh of users from the inside- out. Another user, in Illinois, told MailOnline of the horrors krokodil has inflicted on her. Wounds: Krokidil causes terrible weeping sores and its use has been spreading across America . ‘It didn't take long before we both started to get these horrible deep sores on our bodies, particularly our arms and legs,’ former addict Amber Neitzel said. The woman suffered ‘deep holes and the skin is just rotting away, it's hard to describe how revolting they are,' she said. Despite having spent $100 on her last . stash of the vile narcotic, Ms Neitzel threw it away – a cardinal sin . to an addict – when she discovered what it was. A doctor who treated Ms Neitzel and her sister told MailOnline the drug’s use is widespread and pleaded with authorities to address it. ‘The . effects are the worst I have ever seen from any drug in all my years of . practice… I really don't know how it can be stopped, but it has to . start with law enforcement.’ The Drug Enforcement Administration, for its part, has mostly downplayed the drug’s danger to communities. ’None of our forensic labs have analysed samples that became . krokodil,' DEA spokesperson Rusty Payne told MailOnline. Ms Neitze told MailOnline she has been using the drug for over a year, and that its use is common. Joliet, where Ms Neitzel is from, is close to Chicago - notably because Mr Payne said the Chicago field office of the DEA recently received a sample of a drug believed to be krokodil. Testing revealed it to be heroin, said Mr Payne. 'Often times we get a sample of a chemical or substance, and its given to us believed to be one thing that turns out to be something . else,' said Mr Payne. 'This is what is happening, things are believed to be one . thing, and it turns out to be other substances,' he added. Mr Payne also explained that dealers don't always know what they are selling, leading them to call something krokodil because that is the hot name, but have it be another synthetic drug. Krokodil, . also known as desomorphine, is similar to heroin, but more powerful . than morphine. The high is immediate, intense and cheap - but only lasts . a few hours. Unlike heroin, which some people use for several years, krokodil is known to kill the majority of those addicted in only a couple of years. | Three people were suspected in Ohio as recently as last week to have taken krokodil . None of the three suspected cases tested positive for the drug . They instead were likely suffering from needle sharing infections . | 5ba1e9258ab4c871f49df3b424260f261613643b |
Thousands of commuters who travel to work outside of peak hours will be given discounts on season tickets, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has revealed. The cheap rail fares will also be available for people who work part-time as the government plans to cut the cost of regular rail travel by bringing in 'smart ticketing'. Mr McLoughlin admitted that improvements needed to be made for passengers, but said the electronic ticketing scheme would save passengers money. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, pictured on a train to Leeds with David Cameron, said he wanted to cut rail fares for people travelling outside of peak hours by bringing in 'smart ticketing' 'I'm not going to sit here complacently and say everything is fine for the passenger,' the Transport Secretary told the Independent. 'I think there is a lot that still has to be done for the commuter. I am very well aware of the burden of fares.' Ticket prices have continued to rise - up by an average of 4.2 per cent in the last year - and only four in 10 people believe train companies give value for money. Mr McLoughlin plans to bring in electronic 'smart ticketing', similar to the Oyster card scheme in London, which he says will reduce fares. He said: 'Not all commuters want to use the train five days a week. But at the moment it works out cheaper to pay for a season ticket than buying three return journeys a week. 'We have not got the kind of smart ticketing that would make the difference to enable you to purchase six journeys a week rather than pay for 10 journeys a week.' The electronic smart ticketing, which will operate like London's Oyster scheme, will cut rail fares for thousands, Mr McLoughlin said (file picture) A similar initiative by C2C, a rail operator in the east of England, was introduced this week and could be rolled out across the country. The Cabinet minister added that he wanted to make off-peak services cheaper than rush-hour trains, which could alleviate the crush thousands of commuters experience on packed trains. He said: 'We all know that commuter trains are horrendous between 8am and 9am. Now can we get to the situation where somebody gets on their train at 10am is charged a different rate? With smart technology there are a lot more opportunities.' A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail operators and Network Rail, said they were looking into the possibility of smart ticketing. 'We are already exploring new forms of ticketing such as smart cards and mobile ticketing that have the potential to reduce journey times, offer more flexible fares and drive down costs.' | 'Smart ticketing' will save money for thousands, Transport Secretary says . Commuters travelling outside of peak hours will be given rail fare discounts . Mr McLoughlin says this will ease squeeze on 'horrendous' rush-hour trains . | 58943c705f18f291d45423935c572afbd4f3c253 |
In 1973, Secretariat won horse racing's Triple Crown and set records that still stand today at the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. Now, 39 years later, the legend has been recognized as having also set a still-standing record at the Preakness Stakes. The Maryland Racing Commission unanimously agreed Tuesday that evidence shows Secretariat's Preakness time was faster than originally recorded, said the commission's executive director, Mike Hopkins. Penny Chenery, who owned Secretariat, and Thomas Chuckas, the president of the Maryland Jockey Club, made the request for the commission to review the evidence. The hearing lasted three hours and involved watching digital tapes and video overlays as well as listening to expert testimonies, Hopkins said. The controversy over Secretariat's time goes back to the 1973 race day. Secretariat's 1973 Preakness time reviewed . The electronic timer at the Preakness recorded a winning time of 1:55 (one minute, 55 seconds). However, two independent clockers from the Daily Racing Form individually timed the race at 1:53 2/5. Officials at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, where the race is held, admitted that there were "extenuating circumstances" with the electronic timer's recording and changed Secretariat's official time to 1:54 2/5. If Secretariat had indeed run the 1 3/16-mile (9.5-furlong) race in 1:53 2/5, as the Daily Racing Form timed it, it would have meant a record at the time, and one that has been matched but not beaten since. But the commission changed the official time to 1:53 flat, meaning the then-3-year-old set an unmatched best in the race, the second leg of the Triple Crown. "For me, revisiting this dispute on a new day is matter of resolution -- for historians, for sportswriters and for racing fans," Chenery said. "Their voices are supported by sound evidence, and they deserve to be heard." Modern video technology can be used to settle the controversy, Chuckas said. "During the last 40 years, video technology has been accepted in other professional sports as a supportive mechanism for officials to ensure fairness and accuracy in their decisions," he said. "It is important for horse racing and the record books to confirm the correct time in this historical race. It is the appropriate thing to do." Animal welfare activists: Horse racing industry needs reform . Previously on CNN.com: Union Rags rallies to win 144th running of Belmont Stakes . | Officials rule that 1973 winner is Preakness record-holder . The official time of 1:54 2/5 was disputed by independent timers . Using video evidence commission revises time to 1:53 flat . Triple Crown winner now owns the official record time in all three races . | 48f26837beb5e8dde14f2c260fd9c1494d4169d8 |
(CNN) -- One was the archetypal military strongman, intent on maintaining the social order and saving his country from "catastrophe." The other was a charismatic shipyard electrician and trade union leader who was just as determined to lead his countrymen to freedom. Wojciech Jaruzelski and Lech Walesa attend the first multi-party session of the Polish parliament in 1989. Yet nowadays Wojciech Jaruzelski, the last leader of communist Poland, and Lech Walesa both claim, in their different ways, to have played their part in setting Poland on the path to democracy. The rise of Solidarity, the union and social movement which Walesa founded among the dockers of Gdansk in 1980, was crucial to the ultimate collapse of communism in Poland and across the Soviet bloc. Feted in the West, Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 after spending nearly a year locked up as Jaruzelski clamped down on dissent, becoming a symbol of a rising tide of resentment behind the Iron Curtain. By 1989, Solidarity had become an unstoppable social movement, sweeping to victory as the communist authorities relinquished their grip on power by allowing free elections. Walesa describes the union as a screw turning in the opposite direction to the communist regime, ultimately "destroying the engine." "The system was 10 times less efficient than the western system," Walesa told CNN, recalling his decade-long struggle. "It paid less, life was worse. Each country enslaved by the Soviets was different and in Poland we had TV and people could travel so we knew life could be better... and we'd never given up." But Jaruzelski still believes that without his decision to impose martial law in 1981, Poland's revolt against Soviet domination would have been as ruthlessly and violently quashed by Moscow as had those in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968. "For me personally it was a great tragedy, the consequences of which I've felt to this day," Jaruzelski told CNN. "Martial law was evil. But it was less evil than the real and inevitable threat we were facing. There was a threat of an explosion -- and an explosion in Poland would have meant an explosion throughout Europe." As a key link in the Soviet Union's chain of Eastern European satellite states, Jaruzelski believes Moscow would never have allowed Poland to break away peacefully: "I feared a terrible catastrophe. If martial law had not happened, Poland might have been flooded by a sea of blood." Walesa admits the threat of Soviet intervention in the early 1980s was real, but says Solidarity had already won the argument against communism by the time Jaruzelski imposed martial law. "I knew we were not going to fight," he said. "Because in Poland there were over 200,000 Soviet troops, they had nuclear arms, and they shot better than us. We could conquer them only this way: You can arrest us, but when we come out we do the same, and we will never work for communism again." Even his arrest and imprisonment only deepened Walesa's belief that Jaruzelski's government could be toppled: "My friends advised me to run away but I made a different decision. When they came to arrest me, I said, 'You have lost, I have won. You have just put the last nails into the coffin of communism.'" These days Jaruzelski is no defender of the system which he served, describing communism as "beautiful and noble, but utopian." Yet he believes Solidarity's demands in the early 1980s amounted to an "economic time bomb" and that Poland was not ready for democracy at the time. "The system was bad, I admit it today," he said. "But at the time, I wasn't aware of that. Everything has to ripen -- corn, fruit, man and societies. Western countries took centuries to arrive at democracy. Except for six or seven years after World War I Poland had never been democratic so it was a difficult process." The Polish authorities also realized the urgency of economic and political reform, Jaruzelski adds, and had already begun the process before the Round Table talks with Solidarity in 1989 that led to elections. "It was a difficult and painful process for both sides," he said. "I can talk primarily of the government side, and what huge resistance I had to overcome among the people who were in power -- in the party, in the state, the army and the security apparatus." Both men pay tribute to outside forces which made the leap to democracy possible. For Jaruzelski, Mikhail Gorbachev's emergence in the Kremlin marked a "breakthrough moment" in which the threat of Soviet military intervention in Poland was lifted, and a possible end to the Cold War loomed into sight. Walesa and Jaruzelski also acknowledge the unique role of the Polish-born Pope John Paul II and the Catholic church in brokering peaceful talks between the two sides. For Jaruzelski, though, the fall of communism was not the product of Solidarity alone or a single summer of upheaval but "a great river made up of numerous streams." "Nobody should monopolize that victory," he said. "Because in this stream there was Gorbachev; there was Reagan and then Bush, who caused the weakening of the Soviet Union by the arms race; there was Solidarity; there was the pope, and there were also -- which I will say without humbleness -- the reformists within the authorities at the time." Both Jaruzelski and Walesa paint themselves as reluctant leaders. Jaruzelski describes his decision to become Polish prime minister as "one of the greatest mistakes of my life," while Walesa, who was elected Polish president in 1990, says it was never his wish to lead his country -- "but who else could have done it?" Jaruzelski remains a divisive figure in modern Poland, derided by many as a living symbol of an oppressive past and occasionally summoned to court rooms to answer charges relating to his career as a leading servant of the communist regime. "My generation, which remembers those times and can evaluate them in a balanced way, is passing away," he said. "And the new, younger generation, through school, books and TV, are being indoctrinated to be critical of martial law. Still, a large part of the society -- the majority, I think -- considers martial law to have been inevitable and justified." Yet even Jaruzelski says Poles can be "proud" of their role in the downfall of communist regimes across Europe: "The Polish elections preceded the revolutions in Hungary and in Czechoslovakia and the fall of the Berlin Wall. That impulse, that example that came from us, was of great significance and I think it is our great historical tribute." Walesa, unsurprisingly, offers a more direct assessment: "Poland knocked out the teeth of the Soviet bear. Once we had done that, knocking down the Berlin Wall, the Velvet Revolution, all was made possible -- but only once the bear had no teeth." CNN's Claudia Rebaza interviewed Wojciech Jaruzelski. CNN's Fredrik Pleitgen interviewed Lech Walesa. | Former Polish leaders Jaruzelski, Walesa speak to CNN . Jaruzelski was military leader who declared martial law in 1981 . Walesa was leader of Solidarity, first president of post-communist Poland . Both men claim to have played key roles in Poland's transition to democracy . | 579f16eaf55685de58e1c6d1d4c0d4e41f7df719 |
Tragedy: Martin Ball, 28, died in his sleep after he took morphine-based drug OxyNorm from a friend's medicine cabinet to treat his back pain . A father-of-one suffering from chronic back pain poisoned himself by overdosing on a terminally-ill man's super-strength painkillers after an all-night drinking session. Martin Ball, 28, died in his sleep after he took morphine-based drug OxyNorm from a friend's medicine cabinet and began swigging from the bottle, an inquest heard. The plasterer, whose heartbroken partner described him as the 'life and soul' of the party, drank pints of cider, assorted spirits and Jagerbombs before going back to a friend's house after a night out. He complained about his back pain and went to a medicine cabinet where he drank a significant quantity of a bottle of 'end of life' drug OxyNorm - prescribed to his friend's late grandfather. Not knowing how dangerous it was when mixed with alcohol, Mr Ball, known to friends as 'Marve', fell asleep on the sofa and never woke up. Friends were unconcerned because he was snoring initially, but when they tried to wake him later that morning he was unresponsive. An ambulance was called and he was rushed Royal Bolton Hospital in Greater Manchester where he was pronounced dead. The 250ml bottle of OxyNorm - a Class A drug derived from morphine - had been used in November 2011 to treat the grandfather of Mr Ball's friend Terri Blanchard in the last months of his life as he received round-the-clock care from the family. Miss Blanchard told the Bolton inquest: 'At one point in the evening I saw that he had a bottle of medicine in his hand. It was something that was my grandad's. 'I went to bed and Martin was on the couch snoring loudly and I left him there because I thought he was asleep. Before he lay down he was still drinking and being merry. I was woken by shouting downstairs and went down to find him in an unresponsive state. 'I just remember the medicine bottle being on the side and I grabbed it and gave it to the paramedics. There wasn't much in it. I didn't think keeping the medicine would cause any harm to anybody. I just left it there and never thought to move it.' Popular: Heartbroken said Mr Ball, usually the 'life and soul' of the party, took a fatal dose of painkillers after he drank pints of cider, assorted spirits and some Jagerbombs . Emergency: Paramedics rushed him to the Royal Bolton Hospital but he could not be saved . Mr Ball's best friend Christopher Young said: 'He had been complaining about backache. He had been talking about it a lot that night. He hadn't really mentioned any pain before that. 'I saw him with the bottle. I didn't know where he got it from. I saw him drink it. I don't know how much I had. Marve seemed alright. He didn't complain about anything. We stayed at the house until about 6am then decided that everybody would get taxis home. I had fallen asleep. 'I tried to wake him up but he wouldn't. Then I noticed he had turned blue so I tried to resuscitate him. Before he went to sleep he was alright. I tried to do CPR and then the ambulance came. Four people had a drink of that medicine. I should have said to the police but I was upset and I apologise for not saying that.' Shock: Friends said he had been drinking and having fun despite his back pain but fell asleep and never woke up . Initially, Miss Blanchard was treated as a suspect and interviewed under caution because of OxyNorm's categorisation as a Class A drug. Pathologist Dr Emil Salmo concluded that Mr Hall died from oxycodone toxicity exacerbated by a high level of alcohol. He was found with 0.31mg of the drug in a litre of blood, with the therapeutic level usually registering at 0.03mg and the range associated with fatalities from 0.1mg. He was also almost three times the legal drink-drive limit, with 214 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80mg. Recording a conclusion of death by misadventure, coroner Rachael Griffin said: 'He was a young man who was very popular and a good, fun character. He also enjoyed spending many times with his young son. 'I have heard that at one point in the evening he had a medicine bottle. I am satisfied that because of his back pain he was feeling unwell and went looking for medication to relieve the pain as he would normally do. 'That bottle was OxyNorm, a form of oxyxcodone, a strong painkiller prescribed to Miss Blanchard's grandfather. I am satisfied he drunk it of his own volition. I believe he took the medicine to ease the pain he was suffering as he had done in the past but sadly he took it without realising the dangers and possibly tragic consequences when taking medication prescribed to others. 'It is tragic and catastrophic what happened that night.' Following the hearing, his mother Moya Ball, 61, a company director, said there should be more accountability with medication with a need for dangerous substances to be recalled. 'If he had known how strong it was he wouldn't have taken it,' she said. 'I think bottles like that need to be recalled by the people responsible. 'Terri would have never kept if she had known. It's not her fault. If you have made a prescription for something you should have a responsibility to bring it back. The pharmacist would know it's a Class A drug and they should keep control. He didn't think for one second he was in jeopardy and taking that medication would put him in jeopardy. That man has been dead for three year, why has nobody gone back and asked where the medication was? 'He had no idea it was lethal. If he hadn't taken it he would still be alive. He would have woken up with a hangover and that would have been it.' His partner, Jodie Jones, said: 'He was bubbly, loud, good fun, lovely to be around and very caring. He was the life and soul.' | Martin Ball, 28, consumed large amount of 'end of life' painkiller OxyNorm . Plasterer had complained about chronic back pain to friends on night out . After drinking pints of cider and spirits he went back to friend's house . Witness said he was seen with bottle of drugs, fell asleep and never woke . Coroner told Mr Ball had no idea drug should not be mixed with alcohol . | f8aa91b491567e1eccfeac10be01d4d7167666fe |
(CNN) -- A former "Manson family" member who stabbed actress Sharon Tate to death more than 40 years ago and is now terminally ill faces her 13th parole hearing on Wednesday. Susan Atkins, shown here after her indictment in the Manson murders, has a parole hearing Wednesday. Susan Atkins, 61, has terminal brain cancer. As of earlier this year, she was paralyzed over 85 percent of her body and could not sit up in bed or be moved into a wheelchair, according to a Web site maintained by her husband and attorney, James Whitehouse. However, despite her declining health and an impressive prison record, Whitehouse wrote, "there is still a very real chance the Parole Board will nonetheless insist her release would be a danger to society." The hearing will be held at the Central California Women's Facility at Chowchilla, California, said Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Atkins was moved to the Chowchilla facility from the California Institution for Women at Frontera last year because of her illness. Watch Linda Kasabian describe the murders » . "Last we heard, she is expected to attend," Thornton said Tuesday of Atkins. The proceeding is scheduled to be held in a hearing room, but depending on Atkins' condition, it could be held at her bedside, Thornton said. The panel is expected to render its decision following the hearing after deliberating behind closed doors, she said. Atkins -- California's longest-serving female inmate -- has been denied parole 12 times previously, Thornton said. She was 21 when she and other followers of Charles Manson participated in a two-night rampage that left seven people dead and terrorized the city of Los Angeles in August 1969. She and the others -- Manson, Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles "Tex" Watson -- were initially sentenced to death in the slayings of five people, including Tate, and two additional deaths the following night. Their sentences were automatically commuted to life in prison when the Supreme Court struck down the nation's death penalty laws in 1972. By her own admission, Atkins held Tate down as she pleaded for mercy, and stabbed the actress, who was eight months pregnant, 16 times. In a 1993 parole board hearing, Atkins said Tate "asked me to let her baby live. ... I told her I didn't have any mercy on her." After killing Tate, according to historical accounts of the murders, Atkins scrawled the word "pig" in blood on the door of the home Tate shared with her husband, director Roman Polanski. Polanski was not home at the time, but three of Tate's houseguests were also slain by the killers, as was a teenager who was visiting the home's caretaker in his nearby cottage. If the panel decides to grant Atkins parole -- called a "tentative suitability finding" -- the decision is subject to a 120-day review process by the California Board of Parole Hearings, Thornton said. If it still stands, the matter then goes to the governor's office. The governor's options include allowing the decision to stand, actively approving it, modifying it or reversing it, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Web site. However, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has previously opposed Atkins' request for compassionate release -- a request made by terminally ill patients wishing to be released before death. The Board of Parole Hearings unanimously denied that request in July 2008. It was also opposed by Debra Tate, Sharon Tate's sister. If parole is not granted, another hearing will be set in three, five, seven, 10 or 15 years, at the discretion of the panel, Thornton said. Atkins has been described as a model prisoner who has accepted responsibility for her role in the slayings and now shuns Manson. But Debra Tate told CNN in an e-mail in March she does not believe any Manson family member convicted of murder should ever be set free, saying the slayings were "so vicious, so inhumane, so depraved, that there is no turning back." "The 'Manson Family' murderers are sociopaths, and from that, they can never be rehabilitated," Debra Tate said. "They should all stay right where they are -- in prison -- until they die. There will never be true justice for my sister Sharon and the other victims of the 'Manson Family.' Keeping the murderers in prison is the least we, as a society who values justice, can do." In a manuscript posted on her Web site, Atkins, who was known within the Manson family as Sadie Mae Glutz, wrote that "this is the past I have to live with, and I have to live with it every day." "Unlike the reader, or the people who seem to think Charles Manson was cool, I can't think about it for an hour or so and then go on with my life. Just like the families and friends of the victims, this is with me every day. I have to wake up every day with this and no matter what I do for the rest of my life and no matter how much I give back to the community I will never be able to replace what my crime took away. And that's not 'neat,' and that's not 'cool.'" Atkins' brain cancer was diagnosed in March 2008, Whitehouse wrote on his Web site. On May 15, doctors predicted she would live less than six months. But she passed that deadline, he wrote, and celebrated her 21st wedding anniversary on December 7. | Susan Atkins has admitted she stabbed pregnant actress Sharon Tate to death . She has been denied parole on 12 previous occasions . Atkins has terminal brain cancer and just months to live . She was denied compassionate release in July 2008 . | 7b8ef193a81719e0401da77d4681f498c6eab495 |
LONDON, England (CNN) -- When a woman dates a much older man, bystanders often speculate that she has only the most superficial of motives. French actress Ludivine Sagnier stars in veteran New Wave filmmaker Claude Chabrol's "The Girl Cut in Two." In "The Girl Cut in Two," veteran French filmmaker Claude Chabrol tells the story of one young woman for whom just the opposite is true. It stars French starlet Ludivine Sagnier as a young woman who rejects the amorous advances of a flashy, wealthy man her age, in favor of a sleazy affair with a fickle, 60 year-old father figure. Sagnier's desire to take on the role was also motivated by the allure of a much older man: Chabrol. "The idea of working with Claude Chabrol was the main attraction at the beginning," she told CNN. "He is a great French director, one of the pioneers of the French New Wave." "The guy has so much experience. I felt like I was a journalist, always asking things," continues Sagnier. "He's very old ... he's been through many, many things. This was his 66th movie, or something like that." Sagnier describes her character, Gabrielle de Neige, a charming, 20-something television weather girl, as "very naive." "She falls in a trap like a poor little lamb and she gets eaten by wolves. "The thing is, she doesn't have a dad, so she lacks affection, and sometimes that lack of affection can drive you to make mistakes. "I'd say I'm stronger than that," says 29 year-old Sagnier, who is perhaps best-known for her provocative portrayal of a highly-sexualized teenager opposite Charlotte Rampling in Francois Ozon's 2003 drama, "Swimming Pool." Sagnier who is often compared with screen sirens like Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve, drew international acclaim for a series of films in 2002 and 2003, but has recently has been taking smaller roles. Many of the qualities that attracted Sagnier to Chabrol are similar to those that draw her on-screen alter-ego Gabrielle to writer Charles Saint-Denis (Francois Berleand) -- Charles' knowledge of life, literature and his ability to treat her like a little girl, not as an equal. Sagnier says of working with Chabrol: "It was like opening a cinema book, because when you work with him he talks to you about Hitchcock, he talks to you about Kubrick. "He met everyone, so he's full of anecdotes, so you want to know more." Chabrol began his career in 1956, earning his stripes alongside fellow New Wave directors Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut. He became famous in the late 1960s for suspense thrillers such as "La Femme Infidele" (1969) and "Le Boucher" (1971). He has continued working prolifically in film and television ever since. Chabrol co-wrote the screenplay for the heartbreak drama, in which Sagnier character is consistently disappointed in love and let down by the men around her, with his step-daughter, Cecile Maistre, who also served as assistant director on the film. At the end of "The Girl Cut In Two," Sagnier appears on stage as a magician's assistant, smiling in the spotlight as she hears applause rise from the audience, the attention perhaps curing her depression over lovers lost. She lies in a box, appearing to be cut in half, the trick functioning as an almost literal embodiment of the film's title -- but clearly there's more to it than meets the eye. "She cuts into two men first of all, and she's also cut in two different sides of her personality," said Sagnier. "She has a part of shade and a part of lightness." Sagnier's fate since her collaboration with Chabrol has, thankfully, been a decidedly rosier affair: Since finishing "The Girl Cut in Two," she has starred in Jean-Francois Richet's, "Public Enemy No. 1," which received more nominations than any other film at the 2009 Cesar Awards, France's equivalent of the Oscars. The indefatigable Chabrol has recently wrapped up yet another film: "Bellamy" starring Gerard Depardieu. "The Girl Cut In Two" is released in the UK on 22 May 2009 . | French starlet Ludivine Sagnier stars in "The Girl Cut In Two" It tells the story of a young woman who embarks on an affair with an older man . It was directed by prolific French New Wave veteran Claude Chabrol . Sagnier on Chabrol: "He is a great French director, one of the pioneers" | 3d69696014ac57a9dede130814218360ed722d92 |
A resort that allows rich tourists to pretend they live like millions of impoverished Africans in ramshackle shanty towns has been described as 'poverty porn'. Emoya Estate claims the collection of corrugated metal huts on its five-star luxury game reserve gives holidaymakers the chance to experience life in a shanty town in 'a safe environment'. However, unlike the genuine towns, tourists at the resort are given conveniences such running water, electricity and even Wi-Fi. Scroll down for video . Tourists can pay to stay in an iron shack the mimics those lived in by millions of impoverished Africans . Unlike many genuine shanty town homes, rooms at the Emoya Estate include running water and electricity . The Emoya Estate shacks have painted walls, Wi-Fi access and even under-floor heating . It has been criticised as tasteless, insensitive and offensive to people who have no choice but to call the shacks home. American political satirist Stephen Colbert said: 'At best, insensitive; and at worst, poverty porn'. A . night in one of the 'shacks' costs $80 (R850), only slightly less than . the $98 (R1,000) average monthly wage of a South African domestic . worker. Unlike, those . who have no choice but to live in the genuine shanty towns, the tourist . version comes with a host of modern conveniences. The rooms include under-floor heating and wireless internet. A communal fire pit at the resort where chairs have been created from rubber tyres . A light inside one of the shacks made from used bottles. The resort has been branded 'tasteless' by critics . Emoya Estate said a stay at the shanty town is an 'experience of a lifetime' Conditions in the shacks are basic by modern tourist standards but still far more luxurious than some of the most impoverished homes in South Africa . The . Emoya Estate, which runs a private game reserve, luxury hotel and . conference centre, claims a stay at the shanty town is 'the experience . of a lifetime'. Its website says it is perfect for 'team building, braais or fancy theme parties'. Guests can also experience an outdoor toilet or 'long-drop'. The . company states on its website: 'A Shanty usually consists of old . corrugated iron sheets or any other waterproof material which is . constructed in such a way to form a small 'house' or shelter where they . make a normal living. 'A . paraffin lamp, candles, a battery operated radio, an outside toilet . (also referred to as a long drop) and a drum where they make fire for . cooking is normally part of this lifestyle.' Emoya Estate says a stay at the shanty town is perfect for theme parties and team building . Tourists who stay at the five-star luxury estate have access to The Shebeen bar . The inside of this shack has been decorated with old tins and food storage jars . Conditions in the shacks are basic by modern tourist standards but still far more luxurious than some of the most impoverished homes in South Africa. There are sinks with running water and showers and the rooms are waterproofed and come with purpose-built flooring and comfortable beds. The resort has prompted outrage from many people online. Africa's . Country writer Zachary Levenson said the concept was 'offensive' and . implies that people choose to live in the basic shacks. He wrote: 'No one wants to live in a shack, not a single damn person.' Mail Online has contacted Emoya Estate for comment. The Shanty Town in Bloemfontein is run by Emoya Estate, which has a luxury hotel, game reserve and spa . Critics argue that the themed tourist resort suggests people choose to live in the basic shacks . | The Emoya Estate provides corrugated metal shacks for up to 52 guests . Say the shacks that mimic the homes of impoverished Africans is an 'experience of a lifetime' Critics called it 'poverty porn' and insensitive to those who have to live in such basic conditions . | c403240f88b29ac976edb5b3d0b211824818a7b0 |
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