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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:30 EST, 9 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:30 EST, 9 March 2013 . A Dutch artist has produced an stunningly lifelike piece of 3D street art to highlight the plight of endangered African and Asian elephants. Remko Van Shaik, 45, chose the pavement outside a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand, on which to showcase his stunning chalk work to coincide with the meeting in the city of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. According to a new report entitled 'Elephants in the Dust – The African Elephant Crisis' presented to the summit, increasing poaching levels, as well as loss of habitat, are threatening the survival of African elephant populations in Central Africa as well as previously secure populations in West, Southern and Eastern Africa. A Buddhist monk and woman walk past a three-dimensional elephant painted on the ground at a temple in Bangkok by Remko Van Schaik, 45, from the Netherlands . The artist unveiled his work to coincide with an international summit which highlighted the danger elephants face from poachers . The report says systematic monitoring of large-scale seizures of ivory destined for Asia is indicative of the involvement of criminal networks, which are increasingly active and entrenched in the trafficking of ivory between Africa and Asia. The forest elephants of Africa have lost almost two-thirds of their number in the past decade due to poaching for ivory, a landmark new study revealed on Tuesday. Eight key ivory-trading nations, including the host nation Thailand and biggest market China, have been put on notice of sweeping trade sanctions if they fail to crack down on the trade. Mr Van Schaik applies the finishing touches on his 3D elephant art with an unknown assistant . Renowned Thai Buddhist nun Mae Chee Sansanee throws flowers over the stunning piece of work (right) 'The analysis confirms what conservationists have feared: the rapid trend towards extinction – potentially within the next decade – of the forest elephant,' said Samantha Strindberg of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), one of 60 scientists on the research team. There are about 100,000 forest elephants remaining in the forests of central Africa, compared with about 400,000 of the slightly larger savannah elephants. The total elephant population was over 1m 30 years ago, but has been devastated by poaching driven by the rising demand for ivory ornaments in Asia. Mr Van Shaik, who collaborates with Planet Street Painting, has displayed his pieces in Europe and the America. | Dutchman Remko Van Shaik, 45, uses chalk to create stunning image . His piece aimed at highlighting plight faced by elephants from poachers . | c213700e787416730ba7e990026a37bf7b041cef |
(CNN) -- Pakistan's election campaign was heavily infused with the rhetoric of change. Voter turnout was the highest since the 1970s. A large number of new youth voters also entered the fray. Yet the evolution of democratic culture in Pakistan produced a rather conventional outcome -- victory for a two-time former prime minister known for corruption and the military coup that ousted him in 1999. Nawaz Sharif and his party, the Pakistan Muslim League -- Nawaz (PML-N) will still be on the hook to produce change for over 180 million Pakistanis -- and there is a lot to change. The good thing is that there is not a lot of confusion over what Pakistan's problems are. Sharif's wide margin of victory also affords him a broad mandate to make bold policy decisions without the same political instability that plagued the outgoing Pakistan People's Party government. Will he take advantage of this opportunity? Yes and no. Sharif has rightly prioritized the economic situation, but he will still have to pick and choose his battles on reform. The economic challenges demand both short-term fixes and long-term reforms. Most governments in Pakistan have opted for short-term fixes because the path to reform simply takes too long or lacks political support. Sharif might have support in the National Assembly for some of the more difficult reforms, such as taxation and cutting energy subsidies, but the backing of special interest groups, trade unions and provincial governments among others will not always be guaranteed. Real reform will require the buy-in of these stakeholders too. Sharif could be the man to do it. He is a free-market oriented businessman who in his previous tenures as prime minister focused on privatization, infrastructure development and deregulation. But his views alone won't carry the country towards the free market. Sharif will also need to strengthen his party's links to economic and political stakeholders outside of Punjab, where the PML-N has a smaller presence than the other regional parties. A prime example of where Sharif's outreach will be needed is in Karachi. The megacity contributes to over 20% of the country's GDP and is also home to a multi-billion dollar informal economy. These economic gains have been threatened by unprecedented violence between the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), and the Awami National Party (ANP) -- all of whom are looking to benefit from the financial spoils. Karachi's economic environment has no doubt learned to adjust to the fluctuating security situation, but the national government cannot afford to let it get worse. Fixing Karachi will require Sharif to garner the support of MQM, PPP, and ANP -- none of whom at this point look poised to join his government. Security is the other area where Sharif faces high expectations, but will be forced to be flexible and accommodating to competing interests. More than ever before, the Pakistani public, politicians and the military agree on the existential threat posed by the Pakistani Taliban. The military's on again-off again campaign against these militants in the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas has failed to end violent attacks on ordinary citizens and government targets. The spike in attacks during the election campaign is evidence enough of that. Sharif will have to find his public voice on militancy, an issue he has been resoundingly silent on. This isn't surprising considering his own Punjab province is a hotbed of militant activity in the south. Part of the problem is that the PML-N-led government in Punjab has not taken aggressive legal or police action against militant groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Sipah-e-Sahaba, some of whom in recent months have been implicated for their involvement in major attacks outside of Punjab. The lack of action against these groups seems to have protected the PML-N against attacks during the campaign. There have also been fewer attacks within Punjab. Sharif cannot pursue this informal arrangement at a national level. He will also have to get behind the military's campaign against the Pakistani Taliban but has to be cautious in how forward he leans. Sharif could continue to protect Punjab at the expense of the country, or he could be bold and help the military wipe out the Pakistani Taliban -- either way, he still loses a little. Pakistanis deserve enormous credit for showing up in large numbers to vote in the face of such violence. Sharif and the PML-N should be congratulated on winning big, especially with so much hype in Punjab over Imran Khan, the famed politician and cricket star. But the high voter turnout and election victory just put Sharif back on the map. Based on the options he faces, there are plenty of reasons to be less sanguine on the prospects for quick and easy policy-making. It is now up to Sharif to figure out how to navigate the long road ahead. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Shamila N. Chaudhary. | Pakistan elects two-time former prime minister known for corruption and military coup . Big expectations for Nawaz Sharif and his party, Pakistan Muslim League -- Nawaz . Sharif must tackle economic challenges as well as security issues from Taliban . | 6db31d419b4ec0667ed2152cfacaeb66d5c2e89a |
Criminal activity has often been associated with $100 bills - and the type of people that carry them. But a study has revealed that the consumer most likely to carry them is a person who is aged over 55 and has been educated past that of high school. The research, carried out by Claire Greene and Scott Schuh of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, states that on a typical day in the United States one in twenty people carry $100 bills. Criminal activity has often been associated with $100 bills - and the type of people that carry them. But a study has revealed that the consumer most likely to carry them is a person who is aged over 55 and has been educated past that of high school . It is often assumed that they are used by criminals or tax evaders as cash is difficult to track and $100 bills is the easiest way to transport large amounts of cash, . For this reason Kenneth Rogoff, an economist at Harvard University, wants the bills to be taken out of circulation, and told NPR in August: 'Think about countries like Mexico, Colombia, where they're really at war with the drug money, where the United States is not only buying the drugs but it's providing this resource that very much helps the drug dealers.' But the study suggests that 5.2 percent of consumers admit to carrying one or more $100 bills and the researchers found no evidence these people were anything but law abiding, reports Business Week who analyzed the findings. There does not appear to be evidence that consumers try to get rid of $100 bills either - the study states: 'On any given day, between 75 percent and 80 percent of respondents to the 2012 DCPC who carried a $100 bill held on to it. 'There does not appear to be evidence that consumers try to get rid of $100 bills.' The study also does not support the idea that people who are rich only use credit cards or debit cards to pay for goods - it found that those who carry around lots of cash actually earn more money. A graph to show which bills consumers are most likely to carry - $20 came out top . The paper states that consumers who make more than $75,000 are about 50 percent more likely to be carrying around $100 than those who make less than $35,000. But the study does point out that the reason for carrying a $100 bill could be for ease - 'consumers who carry a lot of cash find them easier to carry than a fat wad of 20s, 10s, or lower denominations.' Cash is still used for 40 percent of all purchases - in general the amount of cash in circulation keeps rising with $1.2 trillion in cash outside banks, up 20 percent since 2011. Although the use of credit and debit cards is rising, these is in replacement of checks going out of use. | Criminal activity has often been associated with $100 bills - and the type of people that carry them . But a study has revealed that the consumer most likely to carry them is a person who is aged over 55 and has been educated past high school . On a typical day in the United States one in twenty people carry $100 bills . The average person carries $22 in cash on them . | 3eb743b48921d031c80471a31dae616906d505fc |
By . Simon Jones . Stoke chairman Peter Coates expects the club to sign former Manchester United striker Mame Biram Diouf from Hannover. The 26-year-old Senegal international made five appearances during his three-year period at Old Trafford before signing for the German club in January 2012. Coates told BBC Radio Stoke: 'We're hopeful that Diouf will be done. On his way: Hannover striker Mame Biram Diouf is on the verge of signing for Stoke City . 'He's the striker Mark Hughes wanted . last year. We thought twice we'd got the deal done only for the deal to . collapse, as it does in football. 'We've got a few irons in the fire with other players. Tony Pulis had a preference for leaving things late. I wasn't always sure he was right but that's what he felt, so we tended to go down that path. 'Mark would rather do things earlier. They're all different. The outcome is the important thing.' Red Devil: Diouf made five appearances for Manchester United during his three years at Old Trafford . | Stoke chairman Peter Coates expects his club to sign the Hannover striker . Diouf made five appearances during his three-year period at Old Trafford . | a2bf8c41c1382803d209fd0eec0b2897dc2a19f0 |
Football legend Stanley Matthews's 1953 FA Cup winners' medal could fetch up to £60,000 when it goes under the hammer next month - almost three times more than the price its TV presenter owner paid in 2001. The medal - won by Matthews in the FA Cup final which now bears his name - was bought by television personality Nick Hancock for £23,500 at Sotheby's 13 years ago. The Queen presented Matthews with the winners' medal after his stand-out performance brought his Blackpool side back from 3-1 down to take a 4-3 victory against Bolton Wanderers. Stanley Matthews (left) was instrumental in Blackpool's comeback to win the 1953 FA Cup final against Bolton Wanderers at the old Wembley Stadium . His medal was sold at auction in Sotheby's in 2001 to television presenter Nick Hancock for £23,500 . The win meant the winger finally got his hands on the trophy after losing two FA Cup finals in 1948 and 1951. The 'Matthews Final' went down in history as one of the greatest matches at the old Wembley, featuring one of the England international's most memorable performances. In 2001, a year after Matthews, who also had two spells at Stoke City, died, his medal was sold at auction to They Think It's All Over presenter Mr Hancock. Speaking to the Telegraph in 2010, Stoke City fan Mr Hancock said owning the medal brought him joy, despite the fact Matthews was not playing for his team when he won it. He said: 'I am a massive Stoke City fan and a lover of sporting memorabilia. So it made perfect sense to buy Sir Stanley Matthews's FA Cup-winning medal from 1953 as he was the club's greatest ever player. Nick Hancock, a keen collector of football memorabilia, is selling the medal, which could fetch up to £60,000 . 'It cost me about £20,000 and was money well spent as it brings a lot of joy. I don't actually have it but have given it to Stoke City to put on display at the stadium. 'I have also bought one of Gordon Banks' England caps for £5,000, although I've never worn it.' The medal is to be resold by Mr Hancock through sports memorabilia specialists Graham Budd on November 11. At the same sale, Ray Wilson's England 1966 World Cup winners' medal, sold at Christie's in 2002, is expected to sell for up to £120,000. The medal, which was awarded after England's 1966 win against West Germany, is inscribed with the words: 'FIFA. World Championship Winners, Jules Rimet Cup, Ray Wilson, In England, 1966.' It is the second time the medal has been put up for sale. It was previously sold for £80,750 in 2002. The 1953 FA Cup Final, known as the Matthews Final, has gone down in history because of the brilliant performance by the winger - and because of his two previous FA Cup final defeats. Matthews's Blackpool side were down 1-0 to Bolton Wanderers within two minutes, with Nat Lofthouse the first on the scoresheet for Bolton. Blackpool and England forward Stan Mortensen was able to score an equaliser, but with 22 minutes to go until full-time, Matthews's side were 3-1 down. In one of the greatest individual displays seen at the old Wembley, Matthews miraculously inspired Blackpool to victory. Mortensen got a second, but, with one minute of time left on the clock, they were still losing 3-2. Mortensen then scored a third from a free kick - making him the only player to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup final. Minutes later, Matthews put a cross into the penalty box, which Bill Perry hammered home to win the trophy. Even though he did not score, the match became known as the Matthews Final. Blackpool's all-time record apperance maker Jimmy Armfield explained why. He said: ‘The nation just loved him. He had suffered in previous finals and they just wanted him to win. ‘I don’t think we have ever had a player like him before or since. He was unique. He played from the age of 15 until nearly 50. Amazing.' | Stanley Matthews's 1953 FA Cup final medal could sell for up to £60,000 . His stand-out performance helped Blackpool win the cup in dramatic fashion . The match at the old Wembley is now referred to as the Matthews Final . The Queen presented the winger with the medal in her Coronation year . TV presenter Nick Hancock bought the medal at auction in 2001 for £23,500 . The gold medal will go under the hammer again in mid-November . | 2ba5cecce5e9bc8c1b62ea72a540e9b9e3a101a3 |
By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 10:27 EST, 23 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:40 EST, 23 April 2013 . A mother awoke to find her toddler daughter dead beside her after the child had climbed under the duvet to be close to her, an inquest heard. Sienna-Louise Burns-Hainesborough, aged 15 months, died from sudden childhood death syndrome, the coroner said. The child's mother Kirsty Hainesborough, 24, got the whole family to sleep downstairs in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, because she was worried about some trouble in the street earlier in the day. Happy family: Kirsty Hainesborough (right) holding her daughter Sienna Louise who died after after getting under the duvet as she slept. Her fiance Christopher Burns is holding their other child, Lily . Kirsty put Sienna and her sister Lily to sleep on one sofa with their father Christopher Burns, 30, while she slept on another, the inquest in Cleethorpes Town Hall was told. But in the morning the distraught mother found Sienna's lifeless body at her feet under the duvet after the young child snuggled in with her during the night. The child's father Christopher said the family decided to sleep downstairs in the living room on January 5 last year after some troublemakers had come to the door. He said he had fallen asleep on one sofa, with Sienna-Louise and her sister Lily sleeping at either end. Kirsty was asleep under a duvet on the other sofa. Mother and child: Kirsty holds her daughter Sienna-Louise who died on January 6 last year . In the early hours of January 6, Christopher awoke and could not see Sienna-Louise at his side. On checking the other sofa, he found her under a duvet at her mother's feet. Emergency services were called to the home but they were unable to revive the infant. Both parents told the inquest they were aware of advice, given by health visitors, about the dangers of co-sleeping with children. A post-mortem examination concluded the young girl died from sudden childhood death syndrome. Detective Sergeant John Shepherd said the infant had made her own way from one sofa onto the sofa occupied by her mum. Grimsby and North Lincolnshire Coroner Paul Kelly said: 'She made her own way to the sofa on which her mother was sleeping and burrowed her way under the bedclothes.' He concluded the infant died from unexpected death in childhood in which accidental co-sleeping was a contributory factor. Sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) is less common than sudden infant death. It's estimated to occur in 1.5 deaths per 100,000 live births. By definition, the cause(s) of death in these children is unknown. SUDC generally occurs in children aged one to three, and more often in boys. Factors that may increase the risk include a family history of seizures, a recent minor head trauma and/or a family history of sudden infant death syndrome or SUDC. Most are found prone, often with their face straight down into the sleep surface. The diagnosis of SUDC can be made only after thorough review of the medical history of the child and its family, microscopic evaluation of the scene where the child was found lifeless, and post-mortem examination. For more information: www.sudc.org . | Sienna-Louise Burns-Hainesborough was found dead by her parents . Family had slept downstairs in their home in Grimsby after a disturbance outside earlier in the day . The young girl, aged 15 months, climbed into her mother's bed in the night . | c50d5ab49c234e5adba394a63f934fffb8922fcb |
A tragically-mutated piglet born with 'a face like a human's' has died not long after birth - but now collectors are keen to buy the animal's remains. The extraordinary-looking creature was recently born on a Chinese farm and when pictures of it circulated online, owner Tao Lu was flooded with offers to buy the creature. The farmer decided to keep the deformed pig in the hope of turning it into a lucrative tourist attraction - but sadly the animal died after being rejected by its mother and refusing to feed from a bottle. Scroll down for video . Mutant piglet: With its beak-life face, huge eyes and peculiar growth on its forehead, the unfortunate newborn was almost indistinguishable as a piglet . With its beak-life face, huge eyes and peculiar growth on its forehead, the unfortunate newborn was almost indistinguishable as a pig in its short life. News of its strange deformity spread when a local newspaper published pictures of the animal - with several readers offering to buy it. Tau Lu said his friends and neighbour also rushed to see the piglet at his farm in Yanan township in the city of Nanning in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Farmer Tao, 40, said: 'It was a large litter, and the mutant was one of the last of 19 piglets to be born. Alien-looking: The extraordinary-looking animal was recently born on a Chinese farm and when pictures of it circulated online, owner Tao Lu was flooded with offers to buy the creature . 'All the others were normal, just this one was really bizarre. It is a shame it died, I could have got more money for it then for the rest of the family put together based on what people were offering me on the phone.' Despite squirming and squealing after its was born, the piglet did not last long. Local resident Wu Kung, 32, who posted these images online, said: 'I was one of a dozen people who went there to see the piglet, and it really did have human face growing out of its forehead.' Did not survive: The farmer decided to keep the piglet in the hope of turning it into a lucrative tourist attraction - but sadly the animal died after being rejected by its mother and refusing to feed from a bottle . | Alien-looking creature was born on a farm in Nanning in southern China . As pictures circulated online, several people offered to buy bizarre piglet . Farmer had hoped to turn the animal into tourist attraction but sadly it died . | 447c80db1ae28cc1701d8706649a46895d2f99d5 |
Turns out getting rid of Alan Pardew has done nothing to lift the gloom at Newcastle United. The Londoner might have been a convenient scapegoat for disaffection in the North East but Saturday’s display in the FA Cup was wearisomely familiar. And at the end of a turgid performance, there were extraordinary scenes as the Newcastle players went to applaud their own fans and were greeted by a chorus of boos and chants of ‘We’re s*** and we’re sick of it!’ VIDEO: Scroll down for Sportsmail's Big Match Stats: Leicester 1-0 Newcastle . Leonardo Ulloa celebrates after giving Leicester the lead during the FA Cup Third Round clash with Newcastle on Saturday . Toon goalkeeper Jak Alnwick is hopeless to stop the first goal of the game at the King Power Stadium . Ulloa is congratulated by his team-mates as the Foxes advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup . Newcastle players look dejected after the final whistle as Vurnon Anita applauds the travelling fans . Leicester City (4-4-2): Hamer 6; De Laet 6.5, Morgan 7, Moore 6, Konchesky 6; Knockaert, 6.5 James 7.5 Cambiasso 5.5 (Albrighton 26 - 7), Lawrence 6.5; Nugent, 6, (Vardy 73 - 7); Ulloa 6.5 (Wood 59 – 6.5) Subs: Vardy, Simpson, Taylor-Fletcher, Mahrez, Smith . Nigel Pearson 7 . Goal: Ulloa 39 . Newcastle United (4-3-3): Alnwick 7; Santon 5 (Satka 59 5.5), Williamson 6, Dummett 6, Haidara 5,5; Anita, 6.5 Tiote 6, Vuckic 5.5 (Roberts, 79 - 6); Armstrong 6.5, Riviere, 6 Cabella 6.5. Subs: Gouffran, Campbell, Bigirimana, Woodman, Gillead . John Carver 5 . Ref: Lee Mason 6 . Some fans did applaud but the majority appeared to be booing and gesturing for the players to leave. The players themselves looked bemused, unsure of what to do in the face of such hostility, before eventually departing. Truly this is a club in the midst of an identity crisis. ‘It’s hugely embarrassing but they’re entitled to do that,’ said stand-in coach John Carver. ‘The one thing I wasn’t going to allow was that the players didn’t go over to them. I was in front of everybody because we deserved it. That’s how they feel, they pay their money their entitled to do that.’ Carver, a Newcastle man to his core, knows better than most why there is so much dissatisfaction. Once this club boasted a proud FA Cup tradition — they have been finalists 13 times and have won it on six of those occasions. They have now won three FA Cup ties in nine years and on Saturday they played like a team whose board of directors have belittled cup competitions as being of minimal financial use. Carver had invoked the spirit of Sir Bobby Robson before the game and had expressed his desire to take the FA Cup seriously with a strong team — but in the cold light of day, and with injuries mounting, pragmatism trumps romanticism. Daryl Janmaat, Moussa Sissoko, Fabricio Coloccini and Jack Colback were all carrying niggling injuries and deemed too important to risk, while Ayoze Perez was deemed too exhausted to start. ‘The future of this football club is over the next few weeks and it was important we got people fully fit for our next game,’ said Carver. ‘I put out the strongest team that I could, other than Ayoze Perez, who’s come from a new culture and been one of our shining lights in a season and he’s run out of fuel, there’s nothing left in the tank. For me to play him with Papiss Cisse being in the African Nations, would have been a massive, massive gamble.’ Leicester also made seven changes — small wonder with 48 hours in between fixtures — but they at least attacked the game with an intent which belied their precarious Premier League status. Newcastle fans shout abuse at their team at the end of the FA Cup Third Round match . John Carver is yet to win as coach after Alan Pardew's departure to Crystal Palace this week . David Nugent squares up to Newcastle's Massadio Haidara during a heated opening at the King Power Stadium . Remy Cabella thought he had given the visitors the lead but the linesman flagged for offisde . Ben Hamer was certainly beaten by Cabella's strike and was grateful for the offside flag . The attendance was well down at the King Power Stadium in the all-Premier League clash . Marc Albrighton crosses the ball past the onrushing Cheick Tiote from the right-hand side . Ultimately, Carver, who wants the job, will be judged on his Premier League record. But Saturday’s performance did not bode well. They did at least produce the finest moment of the first half on 32 minutes — only to see their efforts ruled out by an offside flag. Vurnon Anita broke down the right, crossed and saw Emmanuel Riviere deliver a superb flick to Remy Cabella, who finished beautifully but was ruled offside. ‘We’ve gone out with a whimper because of a poor decision in the first half. I thought at the time it was a good goal, there was a delay with the linesman making the decision. Nigel Pearson said to me it was a good goal and it was onside but that’s no comfort because we’ve come away from home, brought a fantastic following and lost the game, which is not good enough.’ Leicester, though, had showed more desire throughout. ‘There’s no doubt the Premier League is our priority but it was always going to be important to get the right result here rather than the performance,’ said Pearson. ‘Today’s game was an illustration of two clubs needing to utilise the squad, so it didn’t make for the best game but we put in a very committed performance. And that’s important as January and February are going to be very big months for us.’ By then, Pearson hopes he will have fomer England striker Jermain Defoe in his ranks. The 32-year-old has spent a year in MLS with Toronto FC but is keen on a return to the Premier League and the Foxes are leading the chase for his signature. Newcastle's stand-in boss John Carver reacts from the touchline during the game . Tom Lawrence of Leicester goes into the tackle with Adam Armstrong and Cheick Tiote . Haidara gets down the wing from left back but is well tracked by opposing defender Ritchie de Laet of Leicester . Current hot shot Leonardo Ulloa had missed a fine chance on 11 minutes from a Tom Lawrence corner, shooting over when unmarked; and David Nugent flashed a shot across goal on 30 minutes. The breakthrough for Leicester finally came on 39 minutes, a short corner being played to Matty James whose rifled shot was flicked on by Ulloa and went in off the crossbar. It was no more than they deserved and in the second half, without ever setting the game alight, they consistently created the better chances. Newcastle’s Jak Alnwick had to react sharply to keep out a diving header from substitute Chris Wood before Jamie Vardy raced away on 76 minutes and drove in a shot the keeper pushed away. As for Newcastle, 17-year-old academy graduate Adam Armstrong impressed in parts and registered a shot on goal early in the second half. And Haris Vuckic had a free kick deflected, which almost fooled Ben Hamer. Other than that, there really was precious little else to cheer. Liam Moore tracks Newcastle striker Emmanuel Riviere during the third round fixture . Vurnon Anita looks to keep up with Tom Lawrence as the Leicester midfielder travels forward with the ball . Leicester boss Nigel Pearson and his backroom staff and substitutes watch on from the sideline . | Leonardo Ulloa scores in 39th minute as Leicester advance to the FA Cup Fourth Round at Newcastle's expense . Newcastle's stand-in boss for John Carver rested several players at the Kind Power Stadium . Alan Pardew left to take on role at Crystal Palace this week . Remy Cabella thought he had given visitors the lead but his effort was disallowed for offside . | 4ac67ae060253ca86ff648be7d8691c6e2060b68 |
By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 15:19 EST, 10 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:32 EST, 10 November 2013 . People up in arms over a Florida high school named after the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan are working to get the name changed. Previous attempts to rename Nathan Bedford Forrest High School, in Jacksonville, were unsuccessful, but officials have begun looking into a name change after the father of a district student started a petition and has said he will not allow his daughter to attend the school. Omotayo Richmond’s Change.org petition has well over 100,000 signatures, but the Duval County Public School district has said it will have no impact on the high school’s name. The first Grand Wizard: Nathaniel Bedford Forrest was head of the KKK from 1866 until 1869 . Mr Richmond’s daughter attend the district, the African-American told ABC News he will not allow her to set foot inside a school named after a famously notorious racist. ‘It just wouldn’t happen,’ Mr Richmond said. ‘I believe it’s outrageous that this could even be questioned by anybody… that anybody could even come to the defense of this man.’ He’s not alone, the more than 160,000 people who signed his online petition come from all over the country. ‘I am very encouraged that [people] chose to support this cause and I am humbled by that and excited for change,’ he continued. Sentiment clearly supports a change, but there is a catch. A DCPS spokesperson told ABC the district will only listen to a name change request originating from within its boundaries – where Mr Richmond lives, and that the final decision will be made by school board members. Honoring a racist: Nathaniel Bedford Forrest High School was named after the former KKK leader, but residents want that to change . A previous attempt to change the school’s name have somehow failed. Despite a 2007 Florida State College . study that received an overwhelming number of responses in favour of . changing the school’s name, the school board voted against changing the . school’s name, according to ABC. The vote had two African-Americans in favor of changing the name, but five whites voted against the idea. The city of Memphis, TN., earlier this year voted to rename a park . named after the Mr Forrest, who also was a general in the Confederate . Army during the Civil War. The KKK marched on the city, with a . local leader claiming 'the Memphis City Council is basically trying to . eradicate white people out of the history books across America.' Lance Stoll, the college professor who headed up the 2007 effort, is spearheading this one as well. He believes this time the name will change. ‘We don’t want 60 percent of the kids, black kids going to a school named for somebody who would’ve killed them and enslaved them if he had the chance,’ Mr Stoll told ABC. Over 90 per cent of respondents in just under 2,000 door to door surveys conducted by Mr Stoll’s Jacksonville Progressive Coalition have responded in favour of changing the school’s name, ABC noted. The Klan: Klan members wear ceremonial robes and carry Confederate flags, in a nod to their past, when marching in protest . A further 36 people showed up to last week’s school board meeting advocating to change the name, according to ABC. Some did speak in favour of the name remaining, arguing for Mr Forrest’s place in history. ‘Forrest, the man, and his association with the KKK is history,’ 1979 graduate Alison Barwick said, according to ABC. ‘The KKK’s function was much different in his time than it is now.’ ‘I think you’d be hard pressed to find any Southern gentleman from that era that didn’t have some association with the Klan,’ she added. Despite further arguing by Ms Barwick that the school has very little money for band and drama programs, the school board voted unanimously to move forward with the process. The drawn out plan involves gathering info from many groups, including current and former students, the PTA and many more. It is unlikely a vote will be held this year, a spokesperson told ABC. | Nathan Bedford Forrest High School, in Jacksonville, is named after the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan . Over 160,000 people have signed an online petition . Thousands in Jacksonville support the change . A school board vote is likely to be held next year . | 3d5e75e71378c90a6da676de0bd60f4f6cf77fb4 |
That Vladimir Putin, he's a baaad man. The muscle-bound Russian President rides horses while shirtless. He catches massive fish and gives them a kiss. He tranquilizes tigers. He also is apparently pretty good on the mat. Putin, 62, has been awarded a karate black belt, the Russian Kyokushin-kan Karate-do Federation said Friday. In a letter to Putin, the federation said the Kyokushin-kan International Honbu decided to award him an eighth-dan, or eighth-degree, black belt for his "contribution in promoting Kyokushin-kan karate in Russia." Putin, known also for his judo skills, had already been awarded a fifth-degree black belt in 2001, according to the federation. Kyokushin-kan is a full contact form of karate in which no protective gear is worn and in which striking an opponent in the head with hands is not permitted. Putin in 2013 also received the highest rank in taekwondo, the ninth-dan ranking, giving him honorary grandmaster status, according to Russian state news agency Itar-Tass. | Russian-based federation says Vladimir Putin gets eighth-degree belt in Kyokushin-kan discipline . Putin, 62, is quite the sportsman and already has highest rank in taekwondo . No protective gear is worn in Kyokushin-kan . | e48cd0f8a3e9037d1e9e39c46771494ab8d669bf |
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A 49-year-old woman collapsed and died on the floor of a waiting room at a Brooklyn psychiatric hospital and lay there for more than an hour as employees ignored her, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union, which on Tuesday released surveillance camera video of the incident. Surveillance video shows a woman lying on the hospital floor for almost an hour before anyone helped her. Esmin Green was involuntarily admitted to the psychiatric emergency department of Kings County Hospital Center on June 18 for what the hospital describes as "agitation and psychosis." Upon her admission, Green waited nearly 24 hours for treatment, said the civil liberties union, which was among the groups filing suit against the facility last year seeking improved conditions for patients. The surveillance camera video shows the woman rolling off a waiting room chair, landing face-down on the floor and convulsing. Her collapse came at 5:32 a.m. June 19, the NYCLU said, and she stopped moving at 6:07 a.m. During that time, the organization said, workers at the hospital ignored her. At 6:35 a.m., the tape shows a hospital employee approaching and nudging Green with her foot, the group said. Help was summoned three minutes later. Watch the surveillance video » . In addition, the organization said, hospital staff falsified Green's records to cover up the time she had lain there without assistance. "Contrary to what was recorded from four different angles by the hospital's video cameras, the patient's medical records say that at 6 a.m., she got up and went to the bathroom, and at 6:20 a.m. she was 'sitting quietly in waiting room' -- more than 10 minutes since she last moved and 48 minutes after she fell to the floor." The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, which oversees the hospital, released a statement Tuesday saying it was "shocked and distressed by this situation. It is clear that some of our employees failed to act based on our compassionate standards of care." After a preliminary investigation, the corporation said it suspended or terminated six employees, "including staff involved with the direct care of the patient as well as managers of security and clinical services," the statement said. A Health and Hospitals Corporation spokeswoman said it was aware of the discrepancies in Green's record when it began the preliminary investigation on June 20. That information is now in the hands of various investigatory agencies, she said. The corporation pledged to put "additional and significant" reforms in place in the wake of the incident. The civil liberties group and the Mental Hygiene Legal Service filed suit against Kings County in May 2007 in federal court, alleging that conditions at the facility are filthy. Patients are often forced to sleep in plastic chairs or floors covered in urine, feces and blood while waiting for beds, the groups allege, and often go without basic hygiene such as showers, clean linens and clean clothes. The lawsuit claims that patients who complain face physical abuse and are injected with drugs to keep them docile. The hospital, the suit alleges, lacks "the minimal requirements of basic cleanliness, space, privacy, and personal hygiene that are constitutionally guaranteed even to convicted felons." The video sent the organizations back into court Tuesday, demanding immediate reform. "What's happening in Kings County Hospital is an affront to human dignity," New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman said in a written statement. "In 2008 in New York City, nobody should be subjected to this kind of treatment. It should not take the death of a patient to get the city to make changes that everyone knows are long overdue." The Department of Justice recently initiated an investigation into conditions at the hospital, the organization said, prompting the facility to improve some of its problems. "But the culture of abuse and neglect remains and, as evidenced by the June death, the situation is too dire to wait for the Justice Department to act," the group said. Among the reforms agreed to in court Tuesday by the hospital are additional staffing; checking of patients every 15 minutes; and limiting to 25 the number of patients in the psychiatric emergency ward, officials said. In addition, the hospital said it is expanding crisis-prevention training for staff; expanding space to prevent overcrowding; and reducing patients' wait time for release, treatment or placement in an inpatient bed. On Monday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he was appalled by the surveillance video. "Look, I saw the film like everybody else did and I was -- horrified is much too nice a word. Disgusted I think is a better word. I can't explain what happened there." Green, a native of the island of Jamaica, lived alone in Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood. She had no close family in the United States, and her neighbor Beatrice Wallace described her as a quiet woman who had few visitors and spent most of her free time at church. The medical examiner is withholding autopsy results pending further study and investigation into the precise cause of death. | Esmin Green was involuntarily admitted June 18 for "agitation and psychosis" Kings County Hospital Center was target of lawsuit over conditions . Tape shows Green collapse, convulse and lay still; workers ignore her . Group says hospital staff falsified records to cover up incident . | 2770712dd0708548b16bb4276ce4a682c0156656 |
By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 08:33 EST, 4 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:40 EST, 4 December 2013 . A Batman fan has spent over $100,000 building a shrine dedicated to his hero. Kevin Silva, 52, from Indiana, U.S, keeps his 2,500-item haul in his very own basement 'Batcave'. Along with a Gotham City phonebook - reported to be a prop from the original Batman TV series, Mr Silva also has a red Batphone, which sits under a glass, just like the one used by Commissioner Gordon on the 1960s show. Pow! Superfan Kevin Silva holds his Gotham City phonebook from the 1960s Adam West Batman TV series . His obsession with all things Batman began at the age of five, when ABC's live-action Batman TV series aired in 1966. Mr Silva said: 'My dad bought the family a colour TV the previous Christmas, so my first images of Batman were pretty vivid.' After he was bought a Batman lunchbox in kindergarten, Mr Silva became hooked, and since then he just hasn't been able to resist any kind of Batman merchandise. 'I've still got that lunchbox to this day,' said Mr Silva. Collection: Kevin Silva, 52, admires his collection of Batman merchandise in his Batcave . A pair of Batman branded rollerskates which are part of Kevin Silva's collection . The collection of Batman memorabilia, including costumes, toys and comics, owned by superfan Kevin Silva . 'It is one of my many personal favourite items from the entire collection. 'I love to see the expression on people's faces when they realise just how big my collection is. 'My friends are always finding me things at garage sales and flea markets. I'm an easy person to buy a present for because if it's Batman related, you can be sure I'm going to like it. 'Growing up, I had lots of comics and toys that I managed to keep. I fell out of collecting a little after I was 12 or so and then got back in it deep after the release of the first Michael Keaton movie in 1989. I've been going strong ever since.' Kevin Silva has spent an estimated £65K on Batman memorabilia and keeps his haul in his very own Batcave . Kevin's obsession with all things Batman began at the age of five, when ABC's live-action Batman TV . series aired in 1966 . The electrician, who says that his favourite Batman film is The Dark Knight, has even splashed out on a $3,600 replica of Adam West's Batsuit. But luckily for Mr Silva, his wife Janet, 50 and two children fully support his adoration for the caped crusader and have even started their own memorabilia collections. Mr Silva's daughter Kaylaigh, 25, now collects anything Marilyn Munroe while his son Dylan, 21, is building up an impressive collection of rock band Kiss memorabilia. Memorabilia: A lifesize cutout of Heath Ledger's Joker, as seen in The Dark Knight, which is Mr Silva's favourite film . Mr Silva became hooked and since then he just hasn't been able to resist any kind of Batman merchandise . Luckily for Mr Silva his wife Janet and two children fully support his adoration for the caped crusader . Mr Silva said he isn't ready to stop just yet. While his favourite find so far is his 1966 replica Batman outfit, he has his eye on a 1966 Batbelt. Mr Silva, who says that X-ray vision would be his superpower of choice, added: 'Although my collection might be worth $100K, it's not monetary value that's motivated all these years - it's a mere passion and love for Batman. 'And I'll be passing this love down on to my kids.' | Kevin Silva has been collecting Batman memorabilia since he was five . The 52-year-old from Indiana keeps 2,500 items in his own Batcave . Father-of-two keeps a Batphone under a glass just like in the 1960s series . | 78bd2c01ad99e511873d9b9c2f97fdd5dd67eb54 |
By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 05:59 EST, 4 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:46 EST, 4 December 2013 . Women spend almost twice as much as their men on their sexy Christmas lingerie, according to a new survey. In the hope of becoming a sexy Mrs Claus this year, ladies will spend £47 on new lingerie over the festive season. However, if men are in charge of buying the gifts, they spend almost half as much - just £24. Nervous: Men spend half as much as their partner on sexy Christmas lingerie because they are terrified their lover will hate their choice . But the difference in spending isn't because men are skinflints - they are . worried of completely misjudging their lover's tastes so they tend to . opt for the first sexy slip that they see and leave it at that. Women are more confident about their purchases and happily splash out on three times as many pieces as their men. Big spenders: Women are more confident about their purchases and happily splash out on three times as many pieces as their men - spending £47 over Christmas . The study also found that the most generous female lingerie shoppers are in Carlisle, followed by London, Guildford, Liverpool and Edinburgh. Men in Cardiff spent the most on their women - followed by Sheffield, Manchester, London and Chelmsford. The most popular item chosen by both sexes was classic black suspenders and stockings, followed by black or pink briefs, a sheer black teddy, a red satin body bow and basque. And it seems that sexy lingerie is big business; last year, the UK female lingerie market was worth £1.5 billion. It was also revealed that women spent a total of £15,000 on lingerie in their lifetime - buying 13 new pairs of knickers a year. A spokesperson for Bluebella, who commissioned the survey, said: 'Women today know what they want and are feeling more empowered than ever before to enjoy buying beautiful underwear which makes them feel gorgeous and confident not just in the bedroom but in the boardroom too. 'The fact they buy three times as much as men is great for both parties - she feels fabulously sexy and confident in lingerie that suits her perfectly and he gets to enjoy the new view. 'Men tend to impulse buy when it comes to underwear and go for the first sexy slip they see. They're probably unsure if their partner will like their choice so they prefer to spend less. If he gets it wrong, it can put him off buying lingerie for a while but it doesn't have to be this way. 'If he gets it right, it is the gift that keeps on giving.' Generous: Men in Cardiff spent the most on their women - followed by Sheffield, Manchester, London and Chelmsford . CarlisleLondonGuildfordLiverpoolEdinburgh . CardiffSheffieldManchesterLondonChelmsford . | Men spend £24 on partners compared to £47 if women buy for themselves . Most popular item with both sexes is black suspender and stockings . Biggest female spenders live in Carlisle . Most generous men in Cardiff . Women buy 13 new pairs of knickers a year . Spend £15,000 on lingerie during their lifetime . | c34c60156d0ffd34a9322ba176b3e63053513a0f |
By . Dan Bloom . PUBLISHED: . 01:49 EST, 9 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:06 EST, 9 December 2013 . Breakthrough: A new contact lens could release a steady flow of drugs to combat glaucoma (file photo) A new contact lens which releases drugs slowly into the eye could be the next weapon to treat glaucoma, the world's leading cause of irreversible blindness. The method has been proposed for 50 years to replace inefficient eyedrops but has been held up by technology, which left scientists unable to provide a steady dose over time. But American researchers say they have for the first time developed a lens which can deliver a regulated dose of latanoprost, a common glaucoma drug, for up to a month. The study by Havard Medical School and the . Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been hailed as a key step forward in the fight against the disease, which affects 480,000 people in Britain. Glaucoma occurs when the drainage tubes within the eye become slightly blocked preventing eye fluid, aqueous humour, from draining properly. This builds up pressure which can damage the optic nerve. The condition can be treated with eye drops, laser treatment or surgery, but there is no perfect option. Cornea specialist Dr Joseph Ciolino said: 'In general, eye drops are an inefficient method of drug delivery that has notoriously poor patient adherence. 'This contact lens design can potentially be used as a treatment for glaucoma and as a platform for other ocular drug delivery applications.' The lenses were designed by encasing a . thin film containing the drug inside the edges of the absorbent plastic . used to make contact lenses. Glaucoma is the main cause of irreversible blindness and affects 480,000 people in Britain (file photo) Tests found single contact lenses were able to achieve, for one month, latanoprost concentrations in the eye fluid that were comparable to those achieved with eyedrops. The treatment could be combined into contact lenses which patients already wear to correct their eyesight. Professor Daniel Kohane added: 'The . lens we have developed is capable of delivering large amounts of drug at . substantially constant rates over weeks to months.' The findings were published in the journal Biomaterials. Dr Ciolino claimed they could help 'save millions from preventable blindness'. | Measure has been proposed for 50 years but held up by technical problems . Researchers in the U.S. now say they have perfected a slow-release lens . Technology can release steady flow of drugs for up to a month . UK has 480,000 people with glaucoma, the main cause of blindness . | 0d65196c4da2cf88a1f800e9a1bbb99f56b875ea |
(CNN) -- George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watch volunteer at the center of a national firestorm over racial profiling, crime and gun rights, gave his first television interview on Wednesday, saying he had to act after Trayvon Martin said "you are going to die tonight" and reached for Zimmerman's gun holster. Zimmerman sat for an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity and expressed his regrets to the parents of Martin, 17. He said he is neither a racist nor a murderer. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for shooting Martin in what he says was self-defense. Martin was unarmed when he was killed in February while walking back to his father's girlfriend's house in a gated residential area of Sanford, Florida. The watch volunteer said he can't now second-guess what happened. "I feel it was all God's plan," Zimmerman said Wednesday. Investigator: Zimmerman missed opportunities to defuse situation . Martin's family in a statement, said Zimmerman "does not regret anything he did that night." "We must worship a different God because there is no way that my God would have wanted G. Zimmerman to kill my teenage son," father Tracy Martin said. Zimmerman, who said he routinely carried a gun except when he was at work, told Hannity that Martin appeared to be suspicious as he cut between buildings. Zimmerman said he moved toward a different area when police told him not to continue following the young man. That's when he said Martin approached him, his body language "confrontational." "He asked me what my problem was," Zimmerman said. "I said I did not have a problem." When he reached for his cell phone, Zimmerman said, Martin punched his nose and broke it. Zimmerman said he didn't know whether he fell or was pushed to the ground. Martin straddled him and told him to shut up during their struggle, he said. "He started bashing my head into the concrete sidewalk. As as he broke my nose I started yelling for help. I was disoriented," he said. Zimmerman said it was his voice caught on a phone call screaming for help. "(Martin) started to try to suffocate me and I continued to push his hands off my mouth and nose." He said he was concerned he would lose consciousness. Zimmerman told Hannity he had to shoot Martin when the latter told him he was going to die and made a move for Zimmerman's handgun. Zimmerman, who apologized to Martin's parents during an April bond hearing, again expressed regret Wednesday. "My wife and I don't have any children. I have nephews that I love more than life. I love them more than myself. And I know when they were born, it was a different unique bond and love that I have with them," Zimmerman told Fox. "And I love my children even though that they aren't born yet. I am sorry that they buried their child. I can't imagine what it must feel like. And I pray for them daily." Witness alleges she was abused by suspect in Trayvon Martin killing . The 28-year-old has pleaded not guilty and has been free on $1 million bond since early July. He had been granted bail in April, then had it revoked after a judge found Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie Zimmerman, had failed to disclose more than $150,000 in donations from the public among their assets. Police have said Zimmerman was not immediately charged because there was no evidence to disprove his account that he had acted in self-defense. A police report indicated he was bleeding from the nose and the back of his head. A special prosecutor who took over the investigation eventually found that Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, racially profiled Martin, an African-American, and ignored a police dispatcher's instructions to stop following Martin. Zimmerman was arrested in April on the murder charge. His wife was arrested on a perjury charge related to the donations in June. Defense attorney Mark O'Mara told Hannity that he could not comment on the donations, given the case against Shellie Zimmerman. He did say the case against his client would be an appropriate example of a "stand your ground" defense in Florida. Zimmerman said he had not heard of the law before the incident. He also said the media has made a rush to judgment. Zimmerman asks for another new judge . Witnesses tell FBI that George Zimmerman is no racist . Timeline of events in Trayvon Martin case . CNN's Vivian Kuo contributed to this report. | NEW: Martin family reacts to Zimmerman comments . Zimmerman gives his account of Martin shooting, says he screamed for help . He says he is not a racist or a murderer . He gave his first television interview to Fox News on Wednesday . | c1a83ef300e1ac5a50bfdac83620ae320caf4847 |
By . Rob Preece . PUBLISHED: . 04:01 EST, 19 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:14 EST, 19 July 2012 . A computer programmer and entrepreneur who murdered his wife and buried her in a shallow grave near their home has been ordered to pay their children $60million compensation. Hans Reiser, 48, whose company Namesys has developed software used across the globe, was jailed in 2008 for the second-degree murder of his Russian wife Nina. Now a civil jury in a California court has decided he should pay their two children, aged 12 and 11, after they filed a lawsuit for unlawful death. Punished: Software entrepreneur Hans Reiser (right) has been ordered to pay his children $60million compensation after he was convicted of murdering their mother Nina . Lawyers for the Reisers' children, Rory and Niorline, had asked jurors in Alameda County to pay $10million to each and an additional $5million in punitive damages. However, after deliberating for several hours over two days, the jury went further and decided he should pay $25million to each child, plus $10million damages. Reiser, whose company developed the journaled computer file systems ReiserFS and Reiser4, is serving 15 years to life for strangling his wife in their Oakland Hills home. Mrs Reiser was reported missing in September 2006 and her husband was arrested and charged with her murder the following month. Murdered: Nina Reiser's body was found in a shallow grave near her California home in July 2008 . But her body was not discovered until July 2008, when Reiser agreed to lead police to the site in return for being allowed to plead guilty to second-degree murder. Reiser had previously been accused of first-degree murder, which carries a heavier sentence. Mrs Reiser's remains were found about a half a mile from the couple's home. Reiser, who represented himself during the civil trial and claimed that he had rightfully killed his wife to protect their children. Jailed: Reiser is serving 15 years to life for strangling his wife in their Oakland Hills home . He claimed his wife suffered from a range of conditions including Munchausen by proxy syndrome, in which a parent makes up illnesses in their children to gain sympathy from others. But authorities said there was no evidence that Mrs Rauser had the disorder or had abused her children. Reiser showed no emotion as the jury's verdict was read out. He had claimed that he was representing himself because he could not afford an attorney. Arturo Gonzalez, the attorney representing the Reisers' children, told the San Francisco Chronicle: 'I can't tell you how happy we are right now. 'When you fight a case like this for four years and you have jurors come back and do the right thing like this, is just a wonderful thing about our system for justice.' Jury foreman William Smith, 65, said: 'We wanted to make it reasonable for everyone involved, and so we didn't want to come up with an astronomical amount that would be thrown out and be considered unreasonable.' He said Reiser had made clear during the trial that he hated his wife, which garnered little sympathy from jurors. He said women on the panel 'quite frankly were like, "Screw you"'. The foreman added that the Reisers' children were 'horribly damaged by this' and the jury wanted to make 'darn sure' they were well cared for. The children live in Russia with their maternal grandmother. | Software boss Hans Reiser murdered wife Nina, who went missing from their California home in 2006 . He was jailed in 2008 after admitting second-degree murder . Civil jury decides he must pay the couple's children, aged 12 and 11 . Jury foreman: Children have been 'horribly damaged by this' | fe2291982771d4579587247ba200e90c72c6c538 |
Thai police investigating the murder of two British backpackers tried to bribe a taxi driver to give false evidence against a football team then beat him up when he refused, it was claimed today. Pornprasit Sukdam claims he was offered 700,000 baht (£13,300) if he agreed to be a fake witness to events leading up to the deaths of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge in Koh Tao. But when he turned down the offer, he claims the officers became angry and attacked him before releasing him on Monday evening. He said he complained to the district chief Kobchai Saowalak and asked for protection over fears of another attack after the officers said they intended to question him again yesterday. The bodies of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found on a beach on Koh Tao on September 15 . The last known picture of the pair, together with a group at the sports bar called Choppers - they also went to the AC bar where a group of amateur footballers were celebrating the end of a tournament . He said: 'They said they would give me 700,000 baht to be a witness but I was not a witness,' Pornprasit told Thai journalists from ASTV-Manager online, as cited by Prachatai. 'I never saw anything. Then they became angry.' Pornprasit, 37, is a member of the Sun Service Football team, who became the latest suspects in the murder inquiry when they were questioned by police last week. A spokesman for the Royal Thai Police confirmed that DNA samples were taken from 'more than eight' footballers - who reportedly threw a late-night party at the AC nightclub where the victims spent their final hours - and officers were awaiting the results. The amateur footballers were allegedly at the nightclub celebrating the end of a tournament while the British backpackers were there. Yesterday, it emerged that electronic ID wristbands could be given to all tourists visiting Thailand in the wake of the murders, the country's tourism minister has revealed. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said the devices would be used to help identify and locate tourists who get lost or into trouble. 'When tourists check in to a hotel they will be given a wristband with a serial number that matches their ID and shows the contact details of the resort they are staying in, so that if they're out partying late and, for example, get drunk or lost, they can be easily assisted,' Kobkarn said. The minister said there were plans for these wristbands to eventually incorporate some sort of 'electronic tracking device'. Police have been taking DNA swabs and footprints of people on the island in a bid to find the killers . She said a 'buddy system', pairing tourists with a local minder at tourist spots, was also being discussed. But Kobkarn admitted that not everybody was comfortable with the wristband idea. 'Most people welcome the idea but some hotels are concerned that tourists may not want to wear the wristbands.' Concerns have also been raised about the safety of tourists in Thailand following the murder of two Britons. The bodies of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found on a beach on the holiday isle on September 15. A bloodstained garden hoe, believed to be the murder weapon, was found nearby. Detectives investigating the murders on the island of Kao Tao are hunting for three men - two of whom they say raped the female victim while the third watched. The murders – and Ms Witheridge's suspected rape – were the work of a group of at least three 'attackers', two of whom are Asian men, police have claimed, citing analysis of DNA and other evidence . In the wake of heavy criticism over the investigation into their brutal deaths, police sought to allay fears that the killers had long escaped saying they were 'confident' that a significant breakthrough was on the horizon. 'Two of the suspects raped and killed Witheridge while another one witnessed the murder,' Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, said yesterday. 'We're confident we have a very high chance of finding the suspects,' the senior police officer said. 'I'm not worried [about high public expectations] because I know how much the probe has been progressing. We just have to follow forensic results.' Police have taken more than 200 DNA samples from men living and working in the area of the crime scene - most of them being migrant workers from Burma. But there have been no matches so far with the victims. Police have offered a reward of 700,000 baht - roughly £13,300 - for information which leads to the arrests of the culprits. Dressed in a pink top and white skirt, Hannah Witheridge looked happy and relaxed as she strolled past fruit stands and in and out of bars on the night before her murder . Investigating officers have said they believe sexual jealousy was the motive behind the murder of 23-year-old from Great Yarmouth in the early hours of September 15. A condom has recently been recovered from the crime scene which has the young woman's DNA on its outer skin. Police have already said that DNA recovered from her body has shown that two men took advantage of her on the morning of her death. 'The discovery of the condom is an important piece of evidence,' said provincial police commander General Kiattipong Kaosam-ang. 'Solving this crime is going to come down to DNA matches and we are working hard on this.' Her recently-met friend David Miller, 24, from Jersey died when he was attacked after - it is believed - he went to her aid when he found her in trouble near a group of boulders on the beach. The movements of David Miller and Miss Witheridge are not known afterwards though some locals claim to have seen them in a bar arguing with an Asian man . DNA found on a cigarette matches a sample taken from Miss Witheridge and police say they are hoping that matching it with a suspect would 'open the door' to finding who else was involved. 'There is no doubt the murder of Miss Witheridge was sexually motivated because none of her belongings or those of the English man were missing,' said General Kiattipong Kaosam-ang. 'Yes, the motivation for the attack is rape.' He said the attackers might have been smoking when they saw Miss Witheridge walking back to her guest house alone along the beach. Miss Witheridge's family said they are 'broken' by her death and revealed several days ago that they have returned to the UK with her body. In a statement, they said: 'As a family we feel enormous relief to have Hannah back at home where she belongs. 'We continue to work closely with officers to assist in the investigation and bring those responsible to justice. 'Our family is broken and require time to grieve in private - as do Hannah's many friends.' | Pornprasit Sukdam claims he was offered £13,300 to implicate football team . Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered on September 15 . Plans for all visitors to be given their own 'electronic tracking device' Young woman was attacked by three men before being beaten to death . Police say that two men took advantage of her while one other watched . More than 200 DNA samples have been taken from men without results . Royal Thai Police offer £13,000 reward in hunt for killers of British tourists . | a07624a84fe59a3321e83f153d6fd615207a8545 |
As news broke yesterday that Australia will be competing in this year's Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, the internet imploded with a long list of questionable suggestions on who should represent the Land Down Under. So far the lucky Australian performer, who will sing in front of an estimated 195 million people, is still yet to be picked, with many names being thrown around including; Sia, Iggy Azalea and Samantha Jade, to name a few famous Aussies. But many Australians are gunning for the underdog and already petitions and Twitter hashtags have been created in the hope of sending a more unconventional act to Vienna in May. Scroll down for video . Australian performer Dame Edna Everage's legion of fans have taken to social media to petition for her to represent Australia in the Eurovision . A Change.org petition has been launched by Australian Andrew Wade begging his fellow countrymen to sign on and make 2015 'EuroTISM' in the hope that the anonymous rock band TISM from Melbourne will reunite for the big event. 'We, the undersigned, humbly request that landmark Australian rock band reform and take charge of the stage. Since you left us in 2004, we've had a never ending parade of gormless depressing electro-indie, depressing indie-folk, and depressing Aussie hip-hop,' the Change.org page says. 'We the undersigned, ask that you get on stage in front of the world and remind them of just how great Australian music is.' In just one day, the petition has been signed over 8,900 times, with only 3,500 more signatures needed before it reaches it's quota. Dame Edna is just one of a range of unconventional celebrities whose names have appeared on social media . Hollywood Actor Hugh Jackman and Pince Philip have been named online as possible entrants for the Eurovision 2015 in May . This year, not only will voters be able to back Australia, but the country will be fast-tracked to the final to celebrate the contest's 60th anniversary in May. The Twitter hashtag #EmRuscianoForEurovision is gaining momentum online. The popular comedian's name has popped up on the social media account with many people getting behind the performer. Rusciano is a TV and radio presenter with experience singing and performing in musicals and may be Australia's golden ticket for the Eurovision win. Jackman has appeared in many musicals including Oklahoma and Les Misérables . Hugh Jackman's fans have tagged him in a Twitter hashtag started to suggest famous names who should appear in the Eurovision . After Prince Philip received an Australian knighthood many joked he would be the perfect man to represent Australia . While Prince Philip is not from Australia, Twitter users seem to think he could be drafted in to help the Aussies win the European competition . Last year's winner: Conchita Wurst, a bearded drag queen from Austria, clinched the title with her belter Rise Like a Phoenix at the final in Denmark . One Twitter user seemed impressed that the comedian may be toted for the top job, claiming he would 'stay up late' to watch the Eurovision if Rusciano was appearing. Another user supported his stance saying: 'Attention Australia. There is only one woman for this job. You know it. I know it. Let's do this.' A host of other hilarious names were added to the list of Twitter hashtags. Tweeters have been quick to suggest that Prince Philip may be the man to represent Australia, having controversially recently received a knighthood from Tony Abbott. 'Prince Philip is the obvious Australia entrant,' one Twitter user said, while another user backed him up claiming Prince Philip should be sent to the Eurovision as he is now an honorary Australian. Dame Edna Everage, Tim Minchen, Peta Credlin and Brendan Maclean's names have also been mentioned on social media, with many Australian's throwing their support behind their favourite contender for the job. 'If Dame Edna Everage does not represent Australia at Eurovision, there is no justice. She has the right level of musical talent,' one Twitter user said. Fans of Melbourne based band The Cat Empire have also begun their own online campaign in the hope the anonymous group will bring their hit The Wine Song to Europe. Others suggested that some of our most well-known actors could light up the stage and win the competition for Australia. Hollywood actor Russell Crowe has also been suggested online as a possible candidate for the international contest . Mr Crowe has appeared in Les Misérables alongside Hugh Jackman where he showcases his impressive singing voice . Hollywood stars Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman have both appeared in musicals including Les Misérables and Oklahoma and according to social media users could be the very men for the job. 'Hey Australia, you know there's only one choice for Eurovision: Hugh Jackman a Twitter user said. Australia has until March 16 to decide who will represent them at the show which has previously accepted entries from outside Europe but none from so far away. A petition has also been launched to get Spinning Around pop superstar Kylie Minogue to represent her home country at the Eurovision song contest. And a campaign on change.org started by Ismael Gomez in Madrid, in Spain, shows support for Kylie has already begun. Popular Australian band The Cat Empire are also contenders for the job . The Change.org campaign was set up by a TISM fan, who claims the band should represent Australia and show the Europeans what real Australian music sounds like . Last year, Australian singer Jessica Mauboy was watched by 180 million people when she performed as a guest - but didn't compete- at the Eurovision Song Contest in Denmark in 2014. A statement from SBS said 'The [new] deal is a result of SBS's ambition to increase Australia's presence at Eurovision following the success of Jessica Mauboy's performance last year in Denmark.' The petition states, 'It is the first time and the last one Australia will take to the stage and compete in the popular song contest as it marks its 60th anniversary. 'Kylie is the symbol of that country, the best pop singer in the world and, for sure, the Spanish community will support her in Vienna next May. Comedian and fan-favourite Em Rusciano has received her own hashtag on Twitter. #EmRuscianoForEurovision has set the Twitosphere alight . 'And, finally, because WE LOVE KYLIE!!!!' The petition, which has so far earned 25 signatures and messages of support, was sent to SBS, long associated with the contest. Australia's participation is a one-off initiative to mark the show's anniversary and organisers say that even if Australia wins, it will not host next year's contest, which will remain in Europe. However, if they do win the title Australia will be allowed to defend their crown the following year. Many Twitter users have got behind the comedian, claiming she is the only woman for the job . Em Rusciano has dabbled in theatre and is a singer and perfomer . Some Austraians have started a petition to get pop superstar Kylie Minogue to represent her home country . | Australia has been invited to compete in Eurovision 2015 . Social media users have listed their favourite Aussies for the job . Prince Philip, Dame Edna Everage and Hugh Jackman have been named . A campaign has been created to bring back TISM for the event . Kylie Minogue has also been touted as the big performer . | 3c8c86458dbaf4db5010aba41df5ed89f376b1ec |
Washington (CNN) -- After years of criticism, the Transportation Security Administration is taking the initial steps to modify screening for people age 75 or older. Beginning Monday, the TSA will test procedures allowing those passengers to leave their shoes on, as well as light outerwear. Other changes are intended to reduce the likelihood that older passengers will be subjected to a pat-down. Some airports want private screeners . The tests will be conducted at four airports: Chicago's O'Hare, Denver International, Portland International in Oregon, and Orlando International. If they are successful, the TSA could expand the procedures to checkpoints nationwide. The new protocols closely parallel changes implemented last fall for passengers age 12 and under, and for the same reason -- intelligence indicates that they are unlikely to be involved in a terrorist attack, the TSA said. TSA spokesman Greg Soule said the agency is trying to "move away from the one-size-fits-all approach" to security screening. The changes will manage risk, but not eliminate it, he said. FAA changes safety reporting culture . At the selected checkpoints, passengers 75 and older will be allowed to leave their shoes and light outerwear on. If the full-body scanner detects an anomaly, the passenger will be allowed a second pass through the machine to resolve the issue. If the matter is still unresolved, the TSA screeners will be able to use other methods, such as an explosive trace detection test, before subjecting the traveler to a physical pat down. Passengers may be required to remove shoes and may still undergo a pat-down if anomalies persist. TSA officers will make a visual assessment to determine which passengers are 75 or older, the agency said. The TSA said the new procedures will allow officers to better focus on passengers who may be more likely to pose a risk to transportation while expediting the screening process. | The procedures being tested make allowances for people age 75 and older . They don't have to take off their shoes or light outerwear, for instance . The tests are starting at checkpoints in Chicago, Denver, Portland and Orlando . | 10d8f1eb8c5de0449f10efff3af9ac75614dab68 |
By . Rebecca Camber . PUBLISHED: . 09:40 EST, 18 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:13 EST, 18 June 2012 . A riot squad officer ‘whose blood was up’ after he was humiliated by a protester killed a defenceless bystander during the G20 demonstrations, a court heard yesterday. PC Simon Harwood, 45, is accused of lashing out at Ian Tomlinson, 47, in a ‘gratuitous act of aggression’ after he ‘lost self-control’. Harwood hit Mr Tomlinson with a ‘forceful baton strike followed by a powerful push to the back which sent him flying to the ground’, a jury was told. Scroll down for CCTV . Denied: Pc Harwood, pictured arriving at court today with his wife Helen, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter . Fatal injury: The moment Ian Tomlinson, 47, is pushed to the ground during the protests . Pc Simon Harwood, 41 (right), seen arriving at Southwark Crown Court is accused of the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson (left) during the G20 demonstrations in April 2009. Mr Tomlinson, a newspaper vendor, had . been walking home from work but had been prevented from taking his usual . route due to the protests in the City of London in April 2009. At the time, Harwood was said to be . bristling with aggression after a protester had scrawled ‘all cops are . bastards’ on a police carrier. Prosecutor Mark Dennis QC compared Harwood to a thug during the opening of the trial at Southwark Crown Court. Mr Tomlinson's widow Julia (right) arrives at Southwark Crown Court along with her stepsons Paul King (centre) and Richard King (left) to witness the proceedings . He said: ‘It was a rush of blood to . the head. It was unnecessary aggression more akin to thuggish behaviour . than proper reasonable policing. ‘There had been no need to use any . force upon Tomlinson, let alone a forceful baton strike followed by a . powerful push to the back that sent [him] flying to the ground. ‘The display of force has all the . hallmarks, we submit, of a gratuitous act of aggression by a lone . officer whose blood was up having lost the self-control to be expected . of a police officer in such circumstances and who was going to stand no . truck from anyone who appeared to him to be a protester and to be . getting in his way.' Mr Tomlinson was not posing a threat . to anyone and was ‘ambling along’, oblivious to the protests and ‘simply . minding his own business’ when Harwood set upon him, Mr Dennis said. The court heard that Mr Tomlinson was . stood with his hands in his pockets and his back to the police lines . when Harwood is said to have suddenly struck his thigh with a baton and . violently pushed him to the ground. Mr Tomlinson was sent crashing to the pavement, causing catastrophic internal bleeding. Mr Dennis said: ‘Having struck Tomlinson and sent him flying to the ground, the defendant simply turned away and ignored him.’ The riot squad officer, who is part of . Scotland Yard’s Territorial Support Group, failed to alert anyone or . make a note of the incident. The attack: Footage of Ian Tomlinson at a G20 protest in London, shortly before he died. It shows Tomlinson, who was not part of the demonstration, being assaulted from behind and pushed to the ground . After the incident: Ian Tomilnson was then caught on camera shortly after being hit and pushed to the ground . Lying injured: Cameras then captures Ian Tomlinson looking semi conscious as he lay near the Bank of England after the attack . Tomlinson was helped to his feet by . two bystanders, but he collapsed and died minutes later after staggering . only 70 yards away from police lines. The alleged assault might never have come to light but for an American tourist who captured it on film. An initial post-mortem examination suggested Mr Tomlinson had died of a heart attack, despite his ‘unusual’ leg injuries. But after the tourist’s video footage . was released, two subsequent examinations found abdominal bleeding . caused by trauma to be the cause of death. Mr Dennis said: ‘Tomlinson was not posing any threat to the defendant or any other officers. ‘He was displaying no aggression towards anyone nor even making provocative comments towards anyone.’ Harwood denies manslaughter, claiming that his actions were ‘necessary, proportionate and reasonable’ in the circumstances. The trial continues. VIDEO: CCTV captured Ian Tomlinson being knocked to the ground during the protests . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Newspaper seller collapsed and died in April 2009 . Jurors told Tomlinson collapsed after 'forceful baton strike' from officer . Pc Harwood's actions were described as 'more akin to thuggish behaviour than proper reasonable policing' Court heard Pc Harwood's 'blood was up' minutes before incident . Pc Harwood had minutes before tried and failed to arrest a protester, leaving him 'embarrassed of not humiliated' Police officer denies manslaughter . | 5bea63ecf94f946fac47830e4cbabb7ad74547e1 |
By . Samuel Moore . and Adam Shergold . It is the spine-tingling and teeth-chattering challenge that has swept the world and raised millions for good causes. At the moment, it seems no visit to YouTube or a news website is complete without watching the latest nominated celebrity have freezing cold water poured over them from a big bucket. But where did this craze come from? And what's it in aid of? What is the 'Ice Bucket Challenge'? The choice is very simple. You either stand or sit there while some very kind and willing assistants pour a big container of ice water over your head, or you make a donation to an ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) charity. The whole thing is filmed and once the 'victim' has recovered from the icy shock, they nominate someone else to take the challenge. Chilly challenge: Lionel Messi is soaked in icy water as he takes his turn to do the Ice Bucket Challenge that has been sweeping the world to raise money for ALS charities . Dunked! David Beckham also took part in the spine-tingling challenge this week. So far, millions of pounds have been raised for good causes as a result of the challenge going viral on social media like Twitter and YouTube . 60558 . 58166 . 56402 . 60094 . 69010 . 59920 . 51920 . 58817 . 56680 . 56077 . 60233 . 60094 . 59908 . 57029 . 58329 . 55937 . 58631 . 62555 . 53685 . 59722 . 55427 . 60094 . 60094 . 60256 . 18159 . 72098 . 40519 . 34691 . 43770 . 116890 . 57493 . 62509 . 32694 . 63925 . 27307 . 15080 . 60094 . 60419 . 59120 . 60094 . 60094 . 52245 . 43282 . 57029 . 56402 . 32973 . 41611 . 31278 . 60094 . 15024 . 39358 . 55287 . 65876 . 55752 . 48809 . 67280 . 70891 . 52687 . 54637 . 60094 . 60094 . 66201 . 60094 . 60256 . 60094 . 63879 . 56402 . 76998 . 55078 . 58492 . 10194 . 60233 . 60094 . 60094 . 49600 . 60094 . 58329 . 48275 . 48089 . 60094 . 60814 . 55264 . 55937 . 60094 . 58956 . 54823 . 51800 . 56040 . 60094 . 57040 . 43120 . 60233 . 60233 . 29443 . 34250 . 55891 . 37060 . 48995 . 54428 . 102702 . 58120 . 36827 . 57958 . 59165 . Once nominated, the person has 24 hours to do the same thing and post the evidence on social media like Twitter, Facebook or YouTube to prove they've gone through with it. Most celebrities have gone through with the challenge but some, like Charlie Sheen, have chosen to donate money instead. Twist: Charlie Sheen decided to donate to charity rather than subject himself to the cold water . What is ALS? Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the term used in the United States to describe Motor Neurone Disease (MND), which affects a person's ability to move voluntarily. While the person continues to think and feel, they are often unable to walk, eat or talk, leaving them effectively 'locked in' to their body. It is estimated about 5,000 people in the United Kingdom suffer from MND and half of those diagnosed will die within the first 14 months of knowing they have it. There is no known cure at present. Grin and bear it: Neymar reacts to the shock of the freezing water after completing the challenge . Brave: Cristiano Ronaldo sat in just his pants when he had the ice bucket tipped over him . How did the craze start? In the States, when Chris Kennedy, a golfer from Sarasota in Florida, was nominated by a friend to participate in an ice bucket challenge similar to the one screened live on-air by programme Golf Channel Morning. Kennedy was the first to associate the challenge with ALS because he has a relative suffering from the disease and his video was posted back on July 15. Soon his friends were all doing it and using the hashtag #StrikeOutALS and it started to go viral when former professional baseball player Pete Frates took part. By the end of July, the ALS Association reported a dramatic rise in donations and the campaign has been gaining more and more popularity ever since. Team work: Golfers Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods poured water over one another in their clip . Fronting up: Tennis star Ana Ivanovic takes her turn at braving the sub-zero water . What impact is the campaign having? A very positive one. The ALS Association has seen a huge rise in donations - £9.4m compared with £30,000 in the same period last year - since the campaign went viral. The Motor Neurone Disease Association reported on Tuesday that is had raised £4,000 from text message donations since the campaign took off in the UK. Smaller associated charities have also reported a surge in donations. What a reaction: John Terry after taking his turn at being covered in icy water . Nicely chilled: Rio Ferdinand did his challenge during QPR's training session this week . Who has taken part? Celebrities the world over have volunteered to have the ice water thrown over them. Footballers including Neymar, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and John Terry have taken part, as have sports stars Usain Bolt, Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant and Rory McIlroy to name but a few. Among other famous folk to have taken part are Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Mark Zuckerberg and Justin Bieber. Many have injected an element of humour into their 'dunkings', helping rack up millions of views on YouTube and other sites. Thousands of ordinary people have also done their bit, including the 200 who met in Boston's Copley Sqaure to dump water on each other on August 7. Ice couple: Wayne Rooney dunked his wife Coleen in one of the videos from Wednesday . | Celebrities all around the world have been taking the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money for ALS and Motor Neurone Disease charities . Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Beckham, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Javier Hernandez and Darren Fletcher among footballers to have taken part . Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic also involved . Craze started in Florida with golfer Chris Kennedy and has spread rapidly . Millions raised for good causes so far, including £9.4m in United States . | 2428c450344d9f0d1f93d70632411faab254c808 |
This astonishing video shows a young mother-of-two downing a pint of lager in just five seconds. Siobhan Cranstoun, 26, is filmed picking up the pint glass with her mouth in the video taken at the King's Head in Beverley, East Yorkshire, and swallowing the beer in a matter of seconds. The clip has been shared more than 40,000 times on Facebook after being uploaded by Miss Cranstoun's boyfriend, Jon Crowther. Scroll down for video . Siobhan Cranstoun was filmed picking up the pint of beer with her mouth in the video that was shared on Facebook . The mother-of-two then throws back the pint with her head, chugging the lager down to the amazement of her boyfriend . But despite receiving thousands of compliments from men impressed with her drinking stamina, the 26-year-old said she does not advise anyone to copy her stunt when they are out drinking. Dressed in a white jack and top, Miss Cranstoun looks at the camera with the pint of beer sat in front of her before asking 'ready' at the start of the clip. She is then filmed picking the glass up with her teeth and downing the beer in 5.5 seconds. Within seconds the entire pint has been swallowed, with a voice in the background heard saying: 'What!' There are 2.3 units in a pint of beer, which falls within the recommended daily intake for women. Women are not meant to exceed 2-3 units on a regular basis, while men should not exceed 3-4 limits. Alcohol poisoning is a risk of drinking too much, and can often occur when you drink too much in a short space of time. Symptoms include vomiting, dizziness, confusion and having trouble communicating. For more information on how to stay safe while drinking, visit drinkaware.co.uk. Accompanied with the caption: 'realising my gf can down a pint in 5.5 seconds omg (sic)' the video has been 'liked' by almost 200,000 people on Facebook. While Mr Crowther, 30, added: 'Remember drink responsibly!!! (sic)', some critics fear the video promotes dangerous alcohol consumption. Speaking of the video, Miss Cranstoun said she was surprised by how many people had taken notice. 'Although at the time I drank that pint quickly I didn't do it to cause attention,' the 26-year-old said. 'It was merely the case of finishing off my drink before we moved on to the next bar as me and my partner were celebrating his 30th birthday in Beverley with friends . 'My partner filmed it as he had also filmed other moments during the night. As he was shocked at how quickly I drank it, he uploaded the clip to Facebook. 'To be completely honest the attention has been staggering . I fully understand I drank irresponsibly and do not advise anybody to copy (me)'. The 26-year-old finishes off the drink in just over five seconds, keeping her hands in the air while she downs the last of the pint . The video has been shared more than 40,000 times on Facebook after being uploaded on Friday night. Miss Cranstoun is thought to live in Hull and has two children . The couple were out celebrating Mr Crowther's 30th birthday when he filmed Miss Cranstoun downing the drink . Miss Cranstoun said while she was finishing her drink quickly so the group could move on to another bar, she does not advise anyone to behave as she did . | Siobhan Cranstoun was filmed downing pint of lager in just 5.5 seconds . Video was uploaded to Facebook and has been shared thousands of times . The 26-year-old said she was 'staggered' by the attention video had received . Couple were celebrating her boyfriend's 30th birthday when video was filmed . Miss Cranstoun said she 'does not advise anyone to copy' her actions . | 7137150c8c45bd79ac0135dba8ea756758de21bc |
Chelsea are weighing up a bid in the region of £27m for Colombian star Juan Cuadrado as they expect to lose either Andre Schurrle or Mohamed Salah. Fiorentina's Cuadrado has also been linked with Manchester United since his outstanding performances at the World Cup last summer. But who is the flying winger who has struck fear into the hearts of so many defenders over the last couple of years? Fiorentina and Colombia star Juan Cuadrado has been linked with Chelsea and Manchester United . Name: Juan Guillermo Cuadrado Bello . Age: 26 . Position: Winger . Teams: Fiorentina and Colombia . Where do I recognise his name from? Most likely from last summer's World Cup in Brazil and his integral part in that vibrant Colombia team that reached the quarter-finals. While James Rodriguez was the undoubted star, Cuadrado also made a name for himself with his performances of the right wing in Jose Pekerman's team, combining a bold, direct approach, lightning pace and lethal crossing. He registered four asissts during the tournament, putting him joint-top of the ranking with Germany's Toni Kroos, who played in two more matches. Cuadrado celebrates after converting a penalty in Colombia's 4-1 win over Japan at the World Cup . Two of those came as Greece were swept aside 3-0 in Colombia's opening group match and Cuadrado also scored a penalty in the third group game, a 4-1 win over Japan. And in the last-16 clash with Uruguay, after Rodriguez had scored his award-winning volley, Cuadrado soared into the air to cushion a very high cross down for the top scorer to grab a crucial second. To followers of Italian football, these performances came as little surprise following a stellar season at Fiorentina as Cuadrado helped them to fourth place and a spot in the Europa League, realising his potential in spectacular style. Whereabouts does he play? Cuadrado is a versatile player, capable of performing on either wing. He can also fit in as a wing back, right back or even centre forward if required. Indeed, he played as a centre forward earlier in his career and his idol growing up was Brazilian hero Ronaldo. These days, he is stationed on the right wing as this allows him to inflict most damage. The flying winger in action for Colombia against Uruguay in the last 16 of the World Cup . What are his strengths? Blistering pace is Cuadrado's main asset, as plenty of dizzy defenders have found out when it's already too late. Indeed, the 26-year-old was given the nickname 'Vespa' by his former Fiorentina team-mate Luca Toni because of the ways he nips between defenders like the ubiquitous scooters between cars on Italian city streets. The right wing is his highway and with his direct approach, close control and accurate crossing, Cuadrado would be a real asset for any team. His athleticism also enabled him to withstand a fair deal of punishment - defenders don't take kindly to the type of humiliation Cuadrado doles out and, as one of Serie A's most-fouled players, needs resiliance. One aspect of his game that has improved is his finishing, as shown by the 15 goals he scored for Fiorentina last season, a three-fold increase on the campaign before that. Speaking in 2013, Cuadrado revealed how he'd worked hard at improving this aspect of hs game. 'I spend hours and hours shooting at goal after training,' he said. 'Who knows how angry the goalkeepers Neto and (Cristiano) Lupatelli are at having to hang back with me before they're able to hit the showers.' Cuadrado holds off the challenge of Brazil's Marcelo in the World Cup quarter-final in Fortaleza . What's his background? Cuadrado was born in the coastal town of Necocli, which is one of the oldest settlements in Colombia, though he was raised further south in the city of Tumaco. His father, Guillermo, a truck driver, was shot dead when he was just five years old. Speaking on a Colombian interview show, his mother Marcela said he had to be the perfect student in order to play football. Playing as a forward, Cuadrado started out at Atletico Uraba but on the recommendation of the club's founder Nelson Gallego, he was moved to the wing. After a brief spell at second division side Rionegro, where he mostly languished on the bench, he was signed by Independiente Medellin, one of the country's biggest clubs, in 2008. Cuadrado scored on his debut against Boyaca Chico and the wheels were soon in motion. Cuadrado in action for Lecce during his loan spell at the Italian Serie A club from Udinese . Italian jobs . Cuadrado only actually spent one season at Independiente. He attracted interest from Italian clubs and duly joined Udinese on a five-year contract in July 2009. Opportunities were initially limited for the 21-year-old, who made just 12 appearances in his first season and the same number in his second, failing to score a goal in either. A change of scenery was probably a good idea and he was sent out to fellow Serie A side Lecce for the 2011-12 campaign. With more regular football, Cuadrado started to show his talents, scoring three goals and setting up two more in a season of 33 league appearances. It wasn't enough to keep Lecce in the top flight but his performances did catch the eye of Fiorentina. They paid £4.5m for a 50 per cent ownership stake in Cuadrado. The winger became a popular figure at Lecce for his dance celebrations with team-mate Luis Muriel . In his first season at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, he opened his account in a 4-1 win over Cagliari and finished the season with five goals and seven assists as the Viola finished fourth. But 2013-14 was his breakthrough season, with a string of impressive performances leading to 15 goals and 11 assists in all competitions. The most important came against his former club Udinese in the semi-final, second leg of the Coppa Italia, securing a 3-2 aggregate success and a place in the final against Napoli (which they lost 3-1). His profile boosted by the World Cup, Cuadrado has continued to excel and has five goals and three asssits this season so far. International honours . Cuadrado earned his first international call-up for Colombia a year after his transfer to Udinese, playing and scoring against Venezuela in September 2010. Since then, he has been a regular in the side, with 37 caps and five goals to his name. Celebrating with a spectacular backflip during Fiorentina's Europa League match with Guingamp this season . | Juan Cuadrado has been linked with Chelsea and Manchester United . Colombian winger, who plays for Fiorentina, is valued at £27m . He made his name with impressive displays at World Cup last season . Cuadrado contributed four assists as Colombia reached quarter-finals . The 26-year-old possesses lightning pace and good crossing abilities . | 6ff6afa09da79630b129a0bcbbf209324f1b23cd |
(CNN) -- Malawi's high court ruled in favor of pop superstar Madonna on Friday, saying she will be able to adopt a young girl from the country, said Zione Ntaba, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office. Madonna walks with her Malawian son, David Banda, in Lilongwe, Malawi, in March. "In our judgment," the court wrote in its ruling, "the welfare of infant CJ will be better taken care of by having her adopted by the foreign parent rather than for her to grow up in an orphanage where she will have no family life, no love and affection of parents." Madonna issued a statement saying she is "extremely grateful for the Supreme Court's ruling on my application to adopt Mercy James. I am ecstatic. ... My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her." The young girl at the center of the current case is Chifundo James, whose first name translates to "mercy" in Chichewa, Malawi's national language. Madonna, 50, took her effort to adopt the three-year-old to Malawi's highest court last month after a lower court ruled the adoption did not meet local law. Malawi requires applicants for adoption to have lived in the country for 18 months before they may be granted permission. That condition was waived in 2006, when Madonna adopted another Malawian child, David Banda. Madonna has two other children who are not adopted. Mercy has lived in an orphanage for most of her life; her teenage mother died shortly after childbirth. Meanwhile, child rights group Eye of the Child told CNN it agrees with Friday's high court ruling. The group had earlier opposed the adoption. "There was legal confusion about this case," said Maxwell Matewere, executive director of Eye of the Child. "We are happy that the high court is able now to give us direction. This provides an important precedent." But the man believed to be the father of Chifundo told CBS's "The Early Show" that he did not want Madonna to adopt the young girl. "I'm crying. I need my baby," James Kambewa said. "I don't know where I can find any help." Kambewa told CBS that he wants to raise the child. "I do not want my baby to be adopted because I want to take care of her and I'm capable to take care of my baby. ... Mercy, she is a Malawian -- so (I) need her to grow as a Malawian, as well with our culture." The court said it does not know who the girl's father is. Madonna's long-term charitable involvement in the country was considered when the court decided in her favor, according to the judgment. Madonna has been involved with Malawi for several years and made a documentary, "I Am Because We Are," to highlight the poverty, AIDS and other diseases devastating children in the country. She also co-founded a nonprofit group, Raising Malawi, that provides programs to help the needy. CNN's David McKenzie contributed to this story. | 50-year-old singer had filed a petition to adopt Chifundo James . Madonna's application to adopt was rejected in April because of residency law . She has three other children, including adopted son David Banda . | 2c9fd30e67134e80770738e73912ff75553ac65f |
Murder victim: Chef Henry Stangroom, 21, who was stabbed to death in his flat in south London last year . A jilted lover killed his ex-girlfriend’s brother after days spent in a ‘blur’ of wine, cocaine and laughing gas, a court heard today. Andrew Morris, 30, is alleged to have killed chef Henry Stangroom, 21, ‘in revenge’ after his partner Michelle broke up with him. The court was told how Morris repeatedly stabbed his victim in the flat in Battersea, London, they had once shared with Mr Stangroom’s sister before shooting himself with a harpoon gun. She had moved out of the property six weeks before Mr . Stangroom was killed and Morris allegedly blamed him for the break up of the . relationship. The Old Bailey heard how Morris was making a large salary as a financial risk assessor - but was suffering from depression and had turned to drugs. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Marcus Hughes . saw Morris the day after the incident on October 18 last year and said . Morris was ‘bewildered, sweaty, slightly agitated and slightly . confused.’ He was suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms and said he had been drinking three bottles of wine a night. Morris also confessed to taking large doses of cocaine and had also been inhaling nitrous oxide, or laughing gas. ‘He said he started to use nitrous oxide more often within the past few months before he was admitted to hospital,’ Dr Hughes said. ‘He didn’t say how often he was using it. He told me in general he was using drugs with Henry and his flatmate and his ex girlfriend Michelle.’ Scene: The trio had shared a flat in Battersea, south west London, before Miss Stangroom moved out . Morris told the doctor than his ex-girlfriend would come to the flat just to take drugs with him and her brother. During the consultation at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, Morris said he would take £150 of cocaine in one go. The actuary had been suffering from depression and has cut his wrists twice. ‘He told me he had taken four or five overdoses,’ said Dr Hughes. Michelle Stangroom, the sister of Henry Stangroom, had split from Andrew Morris six weeks before the attack . Morris had hallucinations and was hearing voices that would order him to change the TV channel, but was not suffering from psychotic symptoms. But according to Morris he had no memory of killing Mr Stangroom. ‘He said the events leading up to his admission to hospital had all been a blur,’ Dr Hughes said. ‘He had no recollection of the fishing spike that had been found piercing his neck.’ Morris had gone to see a psychotherapist Mark Bailey at his Regent Street clinic three months before he killed Mr Stangroom. He told Mr Bailey how he had been beaten by his father as a child who had smashed his head against a radiator. Mr Bailey found he was suffering from depression and booked him in for two further appointments, but Morris didn’t turn up. Mr Stangroom, who worked at the Criterion in Piccadilly Circus was repeatedly stabbed in the heart, lungs and head at the flat in Battersea. Morris was found in the bathroom with wounds to both wrists and the harpoon spear sticking out from underneath his chin. He claimed the last thing he could remember was seeing Michelle Stangroom three days before. There is no dispute he killed Mr Stangroom, originally from Odiham, Hants, but Morris denies murder. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Andrew Morris, 30, is accused of stabbing Henry Stangroom, 21, to death . Mr Stangroom's sister Michelle had broken up with Morris six weeks earlier . Morris suffered from depression and 'drank three bottles of wine a night' He had also 'taken cocaine and laughing gas in lead-up to fatal attack' Morris found with slit wrists and harpoon sticking out from under his chi . | dd0d340875e417e4a4bd3327c1887827457bd80a |
(CNN) -- We watch more than 2 billion YouTube videos every day, but let's admit it -- we're usually viewing a top 25 clip, a video forwarded by a friend or an old standby like David After Dentist (some of those 66 million views must be repeats). But what happens to the gazillion other videos that are uploaded to YouTube only to languish in obscurity? The sheer volume of stuff on YouTube -- 24 hours of video are uploaded to the site every minute -- means that for every breakaway, million-view hit, there are thousands of clips that almost nobody ever sees. Luckily, we now have Zero Views, a new blog that scrapes the bottom of the YouTube barrel for the most entertainingly awful clips. At the time they were discovered on YouTube and re-posted, each of these videos had attracted literally zero views. Watch the clip "Aw yo, listen," of a bandana-covered teen doing a Macarena/hip-hop solo boogie in his bedroom to Middle Eastern dance music. Admire the 23 seconds of "Don't give her no meat," featuring pet hamsters sharing a meal with a family at the dinner table. With new videos posted daily, Zero Views videos remind us how boring, mundane and disgusting some people can be -- something that's easily forgotten if all you watch is popular videos. Zero Views democratizes the online platform. At worst, it's a place to get a laugh, or maybe feel better about your own awkward attempts at YouTube fame. At best, it gives equal footing to all of us -- even people who, measured solely by online viewership, nobody cares about. If you need to cleanse your video-watching palate afterwards, watch the "100 GREATEST HITS OF YOUTUBE IN 4 MINUTES" a clever compilation of skateboard wipeouts, cute babies and keyboard-playing cats. It's gotten more than 7 million views. But after spending some time with Zero Views, the popular videos may seem a little less real. | Zero Views is a new website that scrapes the bottom of the YouTube barrel . The site's videos remind us how disgusting or boring some people can be . Zero Views gathers mundane clips that, as of their posting, had attracted no viewers . | 6eba637e3e3c02631c25ff9d98879f299892ffe0 |
By . Simon Jones . Luis Suarez may be poised for a quick return to English shores as Spanish giants Barcelona will prepare for the new season at St George’s Park. The four-times European champions have booked themselves into the home of English football for a training camp between July 28 and August 2. VIDEO Scroll down to watch England training at St George's Park . On the move: Barcelona hope to wrap up a deal for Luis Suarez from Liverpool this week . Controversial: Suarez was banned for four months after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini . VIDEO Suarez to Barca talks open . Their precise squad is not yet known . due to World Cup commitments but it raises the possibility of Lionel . Messi, Neymar and Andres Iniesta training on the pitches England use so . often. Technically, if Luis Suarez is a Barcelona player by the time of the trip, he would not be able to train because of his four-month ban from all football-related activity. However, Suarez may be allowed to train owing to revised terms of his world football ban, which he has appealed. The Uruguayan is poised to leave Liverpool this weekend for around £72m. 'I . am absolutely delighted that FC Barcelona have decided to join us for . their pre-season preparations later this month,' said St. George's . Park's Managing Director, Julie Harrington. Facilities: Barcelona are set to spend some of their pre-season at the National Football Centre . 'This . is hugely exciting news for St. George's Park and The FA, and it is a . real pleasure to be able to have one of European football's most . successful clubs train at our facility. 'We . look forward to welcoming the players and staff, and helping ensure . their visit with us is both an enjoyable and memorable experience.' St George's Park, built at a cost of £105million, was opened by the Football Association in October 2012. Ahead . of its official use, the FA took in trips to Barcelona's training . headquarters as part of a fact finding mission to bring the best . facilities to England. In action: Suarez is appealing his four-month footballl-wide ban . | Barcelona will train at the National Football Centre from July 28 to August 2 . Suarez is expected to make the £72m move to the Spanish giants . The Uruguayan may also be allowed to train owing to revised terms of his world football ban, having appealed the decision . He is poised to leave Liverpool this weekend for around £72m . | 8192dbec5a4f36b5b008ea1074cc5f3ac261ee94 |
Republican congressman Randy Weber went after President Barack Obama on Twitter for his absence at the Paris solidarity march on Sunday and compared him to Hitler . A GOP congressman compared President Barack Obama to Hitler while criticizing the U.S. leader for neglecting to attend a solidarity march in France last weekend. Texas Rep. Randy Weber tweeted: 'Even Adolph Hitler thought it more important than Obama to get to Paris. (For all the wrong reasons.) Obama couldn't do it for right reasons. Weber notably misspelled Hitler's first name, which was Adolf, not Adolph. A conservative congressman who was among a group of 25 Republicans last week who revolted against House Speaker John Boehner, Weber has excoriated Obama in the past over his plans to give 'amnesty' to millions of immigrants residing in the country illegally. Ahead of last year's State of the Union address he used a Nazi-era term for military police to in a tweet attacking Obama and suggested that the Democratic president was purposefully misleading the American people. 'On floor of house waitin on "Kommandant-In-Chef"... the Socialistic dictator who's been feeding US a line or is it "A-Lying?"' Weber first tried to justify his tweet invoking reviled German dictator Hitler in his verbal assault on Obama, telling the Dallas Morning News it was meant to 'start a discussion' about the president's foreign policies. 'Hitler reminds us that there’s evil in the world. Obama doesn’t seem to get it. This is about his foreign policy, his actions or lack thereof,' Weber said. But after the controversy over his tweet raged on, he apologized in full. 'It was not my intention to trivialize the Holocaust nor to compare the President to Adolf Hitler,' Weber said in a statement, this time spelling Hilter's first name correctly. 'The mention of Hitler was meant to represent the face of evil that still exists in the world today. I now realize that the use of Hitler invokes pain and emotional trauma for those affected by the atrocities of the Holocaust and victims of anti-Semitism and hate,' he professed. Prior to Weber's retraction, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had gone for the jugular over the matter, calling his tweet 'beyond vile and insulting.' Twitter users also blasted him. '[W]hat the hell is wrong with you. Moron,' Jack Hutton said in a reply. 'So you're saying... Obama is worse than Hitler?' another user asked. 'I mean, geez. If you're going to the Reductio ad Hitlerum route at least spell "Adolf" correctly,' a user named Josh Terry lampooned. New York Rep. Steve Israel, who is Jewish, said in a statement that the tweet was 'vile and stoops to a new low level by desecrating the victims of the Holocaust to make a political point.' 'At a time when we should be coming together in the wake of the attacks in Paris, Rep. Weber turned instead to hate. 'While I, too, disagree with the President's absence in Paris, there is a proper way to express that disagreement, unlike Rep. Weber's tweet,' the Democrat said, chastizing Weber for having a 'complete lack of judgment.' Hitler once visited France's capitol city in 1940 after it was under German control. During the brief trip he viewed the tomb of famed French emperor Napoleon and marveled at the city's architecture, drawing inspiration from Paris for the construction of public buildings in his own country's capitol, Berlin. He also arranged for two WWI memorials, one honoring British nurse Edith Cavell, who was executed by a German firing squad for aiding Allied soldiers, and the other French General Charles Mangin, be destroyed, as they represented German defeat. Obama last visited the Paris in June when he attended a service commemorating D-Day and the liberation of northern France from Hitler's forces. Since the Sunday unity rally in Paris memorializing the victims of a terrorist attack on satirical publication Charlie Hebdo, Obama has been assailed by Republicans and the media for sitting out the major event, which attracted millions. 'The absence is symbolic of the lack of American leadership on the world stage, and it is dangerous. The attack on Paris, just like previous assaults on Israel and other allies, is an attack on our shared values,' Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a presumed candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, said Monday in an op-ed for Time. 'Our President should have been there, because we must never hesitate to stand with our allies. We should never hesitate to speak the truth. In Paris or anywhere else in the world,' Cruz wrote. Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris on another matter, but he did not march for undisclosed reasons. The U.S. ambassador to France, Jane Hartley, was the highest-ranking American to march. The White House's failure to send a visible U.S. representation at the event that was attended by more than 40 other world leaders fueled a sparring match between 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and members of the press on Monday as reporter after reporter demanded that the president's spokesman explain the goof up. The West Wing's chief spokesman, Josh Earnest, acknowledged that the president's advisers made a mistake in not ordering a cabinet-level official to the march. 'I think it’s fair to say that we should have sent someone with a higher profile to be there,' he said. Without directly blaming West Wing staff, Earnest confessed that Obama was not involved in the decision-making process. He also confirmed that both the president and vice president were resting at home over the weekend, though the Obama administration official adamantly denied that either U.S. leader could have marched in Paris without their security detail 'significantly' impeding the experience of other marchers, which he said was a major concern of the White House. Earnest said 'had the circumstances been a little bit different, I think the President himself would have liked to have had the opportunity,' pointing out that the White House was informed of the march just 36 hours before it was to take place. The president's spokesman was won't to detail the White House discussions that precipitated the international incident. 'But I think suffice it to say there should not be, and there is not any doubt in the minds of the people in France or people around the world, and certainly not among our enemies, about how committed to a strong relationship that the United States is with France, and committed to the same kinds of values that they are,' he said. | 'Even Adolph Hitler thought it more important than Obama to get to Paris. (For all the wrong reasons.) Obama couldn't do it for right reasons,' he said . Hitler visited France's capitol city in 1940 after it was under German control; during the trip he visited Napoleon's tomb . Texas Rep. Randy Weber is a conservative congressman who has excoriated Obama in the past over 'amnesty' for illegals . | 76a52dc92e937591558ac9af1a076bd6616cb4b2 |
By . Richard Arrowsmith . Every day, Sportsmail takes a look at the European papers to see what are the biggest stories creating talking points on the continent. The news that is dominating the Italian press on Sunday morning is that Serie A champions Juventus are close to tying in-demand midfielder Paul Pogba down to a new contract that will keep him in Turin until 2019. This will come as a blow to Premier League sides Chelsea and former club Manchester United who have both expressed an interest in the France midfielder over the summer. Scroll down for video... Staying? Italian press leads with new that Paul Pogba is close to signing a new deal with Juventus . Blow! Both Chelsea and Manchester United had expressed interest in the midfielder over the summer . Tuttosport splash with the headline 'Pogba 2019', claiming Juve general manager Beppe Marotta and the player's agent Mino Raiola are close to agreeing a renewed contract that will see the 21-year-old's wages increase to €3.2m per season, plus another €1m bonuses. Why always him? Mario Balotelli has one month to impress Pipo Inzaghi at AC Milan . Swap shop? Inter Milan have proposed an exchange deal for Fredy Guarin and Javier Hernandez . The paper also claim that Mario Balotelli has one month to impress new manager Pippo Inzaghi at AC Milan, while local rivals Inter are planning a swap deal for Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez with Freddy Guarin moving in the opposite direction. Corriere dello Sport also lead with 'Golden Pogba', although they claim the contract extension will only keep the player at Juventus until 2018. According to the paper, the Old Lady also want Chelsea misfit Romelu Lukaku and Southampton bad boy Dani Osvaldo to lead their attack this season. Finally, another Manchester United target Edinson Cavani has apparently split ties with PSG forcing a bidding war for his services. | Italian press reports Paul Pogba is close to signing new deal at Juventus . France international will be tied down to 2019 on annual wages of €3.2m . Chelsea and Manchester United had expressed interest in the midfielder . Mario Balotelli has one month to impress Pippo Inzaghi at AC Milan . Inter Milan want to swap Fredy Guarin for United striker Javier Hernandez . Edinson Cavani will prompt a bidding war after splitting with PSG . | 6caa46a39dc78609b98b898bd019ab4555df947f |
Robin van Persie has reason to be thankful. If Manchester United had not spent more than £150m on new firepower during the summer, he'd be getting slaughtered for his performances right now. The Dutchman has largely managed to stay under the radar in the opening two months of the campaign despite a series of anonymous, lacklustre displays that perhaps signal the start of a terminal decline. Inevitably the scrutiny has been on the likes of Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Ander Herrera, the latest batch of expensive acquisitions, rather than those who were already at Old Trafford. VIDEO Scroll down to see Louis van Gaal express his disappointment after West Brom draw . Robin van Persie turned in one of his worst performances in a Man United shirt in the 2-2 draw at West Brom . The Dutchman was ineffective all night and had just one shot on target during his 90 minutes on the pitch . Louis van Gaal is still searching for a winning formula at United, who sit sixth in the table after eight matches . But the focus is slowly shifting. Van Persie barely turned up in United's 2-2 draw at West Bromwich on Monday night and fans and pundits alike are starting to notice. Deployed as the spearhead of United's attack at The Hawthorns in the absence of the suspended Wayne Rooney and the jet-lagged Radamel Falcao, a sluggish Van Persie took 75 minutes to make an eye-catching contribution. With instinctive control on the periphery of the box, he unleashed a volley that smacked the base of the post, coming within millimetres of a United equaliser. It was the one glimpse of his best all night. In the end, it required Van Persie's compatriot Daley Blind to rescue the team late on and keep the gap to Premier League leaders Chelsea down to a mere 10 points. For the rest of the match, Van Persie was a shadow of his former self. Absent-minded and ineffective, he roamed around without ever looking like scoring. It required a goal from Daley Blind three minutes from the end to rescue United at The Hawthorns . Van Persie, who captained United, celebrates with Marouane Fellaini after the Belgian's second-half goal . United looked better once Radamel Falcao was introduced during the second half . Goals up to October 21st for club and country . 2012-2013 . 8 for Man United, 2 for Holland . Final season total: 35 . 2013-2014 . 7 for Man United, 6 for Holland . Final season total: 28 . 2014-2015 . 2 for Man United, 1 for Holland . It was a final indignity when Falcao, who had arrived back at Carrington two days later than Van Persie having clocked up several thousand more air miles, looked sharper than the Dutchman when he came on. Sky Sports pundit and Sportsmail columnist Jamie Carragher tweeted that Van Persie, 31, has not been himself for 12 months now and had a point. On this form, Van Persie, who has just two goals for United so far this season, will lose his place leading United's line when Rooney returns and Falcao fully recovers. Comparing this point in time over the last couple of seasons and we see the beginnings of decline. Two years ago to the day, Van Persie scored in a 4-2 home win over Stoke City. It was his eighth goal in a United shirt since joining Sir Alex Ferguson's side from Arsenal. At this stage last season, he already had seven for United and a further six for his country. This season's return so far has been meagre by comparison and Van Persie is injury-free. Sky Sports pundit and Sportsmail columnist Jamie Carragher summed up the thoughts of many fans . Van Persie prepares to re-start the game after one of West Brom's goals at The Hawthorns . Van Persie celebrates his goal against West Ham, one of two he has scored for United this season . Van Persie's heat map from Monday's match shows most of his touches came too deep to make an impact . Passes: 24 . Passing accuracy: 79.2% . Duels won: 2 . Duels lost: 2 . Shots on target: 1 . Shots off target: 2 . Chances created: 1 . And his all-round influence is fading too. Against West Brom, Van Persie made just 24 passes, had just one shot on target and set-up just one chance for someone else. In all, United had 22 shots on the Baggies goal. His heat map from the evening shows his principal contributions came on the halfway line rather than in the penalty box. It was a shock to discover that he covered 10.93km during the game, second only to Blind and Luke Shaw. It seems most of that running was into the wrong areas. And it is certainly not the first time this season he has looked invisible in games and it was made worse by the fact he was captain for the night. When it was announced that Van Gaal was to succeed David Moyes at Old Trafford before the World Cup, the link-up with Van Persie seemed a match made in heaven. RVP had been heart-broken when Ferguson decided to retire in 2013 but this was going to make up for it. Van Gaal had taken the player under his wing long ago - his captain for the national team, they enjoyed an almost father-son bond and even went on scouting trips together. Just look at the joy on Van Gaal's face as Van Persie raced towards him for a high-five following that sensational diving header against Spain at the World Cup, the trigger for a 5-1 rout. Van Persie scored for Holland against Spain at the World Cup with a sensational diving header . And the striker rushed straight to Louis van Gaal for a high-five after scoring . Van Persie's free-scoring exploits for United appear to be on the wane . The Dutch striker was bitterly disappointed when Sir Alex Ferguson decided to retire in 2013 . Those scenes were going to be repeated every week on the Old Trafford touchline. Perhaps the pressures of a long run in the World Cup are still affecting Van Persie - though he had a very long rest afterwards - or perhaps there is another niggle affecting those ageing legs. Maybe he is still reeling from being second choice to Rooney last season under Moyes, or from Van Gaal's decision to give the captain's armband to his strike partner. The arrival of Falcao has maybe knocked his nose out of joint. Whatever the reason or reasons, Van Persie needs to show an urgent improvement in his game. United have a difficult run of fixtures now in which they play Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal in their next four matches. Van Gaal still believes United can make up the 10-point gap to leaders Chelsea and win the title. To have a sniff of a chance, he needs his favourite son to start performing straight away. | Robin van Persie was anonymous in United's 2-2 draw at West Brom . Holland striker hit the post but did little else at The Hawthorns . The 'jet-lagged' Radamel Falcao looked sharper when he came on . Van Persie's performance was criticised by fans and pundits alike . Many believe 31-year-old is in terminal decline, as goal record suggests . | 51794c1082abacfdb2538acf4d5705157e395eb2 |
This is the touching moment orphaned leopard Pardus bounds towards her human companion, attempting to curl up on her lap and clamber all over her. Despite her huge size, the black leopard can be seen enjoying a playful tumble with volunteer Juhi Agrawal, who has worked with the abandoned animal since she was a cub. Completely unaware of her enormous frame, the leopard spots her friend and leaps up onto a platform, trying to sit on her lap and scrambling all over her, much as a kitten would. The big cat, whose coat appears to be solid black . because her spots are hard to distinguish, was abandoned by her mother . when it was just a few hours old. She was taken to Cheetah Experience, a . charity which carries out conservation work in South Africa, where she . was raised by volunteer Juhi Agrawal who is pictured in the video. Riana Van Nieuwenhuizen, founder of the charity, said: ‘She is just jumping and playing like they would in a tree. ‘The human interaction enriches their lives in captivity. We take them out on walks so they are not in the cages all the time. Pardus loves her walks on the plains. ‘When she is a bit older, we will introduce her to our breeding programme which is aimed at preventing the animals from becoming extinct.’ Wham: The black leopard appears to pounce on Juhi Agrawal, the woman who raised it, in the enclosure in a wildlife centre in South Africa. But the animal was just playing . Ms Van Nieuwenhuizen said: ‘When we found her she weighed just 300g, which is quite light for a leopard cub. Normally they weigh 500g when they are born. ‘We suspect her mother abandoned her because she did not have enough milk for her. ‘She was completely helpless so we took her in. She would not have survived otherwise.’ Volunteers come from all over the world to work at the centre and interact with the animals. She added that the leopards like Pardus, are reared from birth by humans so they do not pose a threat. Cuddle: Juhi Agrawal cuddles the leopard she raised at the Cheetah Experience in South Africa . She said: ‘It’s very safe to interact with the leopards. We don’t take any chances with the volunteers.’ Sadly, the animals will not be released back into the wild. Ms Van Nieuwenhuizen said: ‘Unfortunately, the ones that are born in captivity have to stay in captivity. We do not want to mix the genes of a leopard in captivity with one in the wild.’ The centre is also home to cheetahs, wolves, lions, caracals, servals and meerkats. Ms Van Nieuwenhuizen set up the charity after spending 22 years working for the Department of Justice and realising that it was not her calling in life. She resigned and used a loan to buy her first animal – a cheetah. From there, she took on more animals and built up the centre which she hopes will save the animals from extinction. | Cub was abandoned because its mother did not have enough milk . She was then taken in by wildlife charity the Cheetah Experience . Incredible video shows the leopard playing with the woman who raised her . | ac2516bbe8c421ddf89e9a1b7f01101a83206de7 |
England's World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore has been brought back onto the pitch by the creators of FIFA 15's Ultimate Team Legends, with the game providing a fascinating breakdown of the defender's attributes and how he compares with today's players. Moore is widely regarded as the finest player to wear an England shirt and EA, the makers of Ultimate Team, show that Moore would undoubtedly be worth, and would have earned, millions if he was playing today. His defensive capabilities make him a mix of Giorgio Chiellini, a World Cup winner with Italy, Gerard Pique and Thiago Silva but Moore's ball control, passing ability and balance match him with the best midfielders in the game, such as Frank Lampard, Paul Pogba and Andrea Pirlo. Captain Bobby Moore (centre) holding the World Cup after England's victory in 1966 at Wembley . Moore, pictured in West Ham colours (left), has been created in FIFA 15's Ultimate Team (right) Moore's attributes in the game rank him alongside some of the best present day players . And it is Lampard, alongside his father Frank Lampard Snr, a team-mate of Moore's at West Ham who played twice for England, who led the tributes to the man who is synonymous with English football. 'I remember stories from my Dad telling me 'this is the type of player you want to be, but also more than that this is the type of man you want to be',' Lampard Jnr said. 'If you were to put Bobby in any era, in the era he played or moving up to the era now with (Lionel) Messi and (Cristiano) Ronaldo, with his quality across the board, he would be able to deal with all of them.' The game rates Moore's reactions on par with Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, at 89. But Lampard Snr revealed that the one chink in Moore's otherwise gleaming armoury was his pace, but his instinctive reading of the game meant that his speed was seldom exposed. 'He wasn’t the quickest around, but I think a lot of his ability was in his head,' Lampard Snr recalled. 'He used to read everything before anybody else. He was there before it happened basically. You don’t coach that, you’re born with it, but he used it very well.' Frank Lampard Snr (second left) was a team-mate of Moore's (centre) at West Ham . Frank Lampard Jnr played for England 106 times, two appearances less than Moore did . Moore (right) poses with Brazil captain Carlos Alberto (left) before England faced Brazil in the 1970 World Cup . Moore's eye for an interception is rated at 91, the same as Paris Saint-Germain's Silva, while his strength in the air is 82, level with Pique. A rating of 89 for marking places him alongside Chiellini. But it's Moore's ability in possession of the ball that is something which places him outside of his 22-year career span from 1956-78. Contemporary defenders are expected to be comfortable with the ball at their feet, bringing play out from defence and entwining phases of play from the back into midfield. With ratings of 82 for both short passing and ball control equalling Paul Pogba and Lampard Jnr respectively, as well as 81 for balance matching Andrea Pirlo, Moore was clearly not just comfortable with playing out from the back, he was very good at it, too. Moore's rating of 89 for marking is the same as Juventus and Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini (right) Moore also has a rating for passing of 82 (left) which is the same as Paul Pogba (left) of Juventus . Midfielder Lampard (left) has the same ball control rating as England legend Moore at 82 . Moore's reaction are rated at 89, the same as Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer . Ironically, for a man that is emblematic of football in England, it is a style that is not immediately associated with English play. 'If you give a ball away Bobby would never moan at you, he'd just give you a look, a look that said 'we don't do that here, we have to keep the ball',' Lampard Snr said. 'He won the World Cup and he led by example on the pitch. He played so many games for England at the standard that he played at, he is the greatest captain England ever had and England ever will have.' Moore played 108 times for England, as well as making 544 appearances for West Ham. He passed away in 1993 at the age of 51 to bowel cancer. Play as Bobby Moore in EA SPORTS FIFA 15 Ultimate Team Legends, and experience the ball control of Frank Lampard Junior, the reactions of Manuel Neuer and the marking of Giorgio Chiellini in one legendary centre back. Bobby Moore is available from 6pm today, exclusively on Xbox. Frank Lampard Senior and Frank Lampard Junior were speaking on behalf of the Bobby Moore Fund, donate now at http://bobbymoorefund.cancerresearchuk.org . | England hero Bobby Moore has been recreated for FIFA 15 Ultimate Team . His attributes have been broken down at compared to present day players . Moore's heading matches Gerard Pique and passing equals Paul Pogba . | 58de6712d38dd25c20a4b8981ec5b03c4501f4a1 |
(Real Simple) -- Learn how to be plugged in without being impolite. (This is one user manual worth reading.) If you run into someone while you're listening to your iPod, remove both earbuds to talk to her, experts say. 1. You're walking down the street and listening to your iPod when you run into someone you know. Do you need to remove both earbuds to talk to her? Jodi R. R. Smith: If you're having more than a two-minute conversation, then, yes, both buds need to come out -- whether you turn off the device or not. And that goes for your Bluetooth earpiece, too. Jodi R. R. Smith is the president of Manner-smith Consulting, in Boston, Massachusetts, and the author of "From Clueless to Class Act: Manners for the Modern Woman." Joni Blecher: Yes. People want to know that the person they're talking to is really paying attention to them. Joni Blecher is editorial director of LetsTalk.com. Her blog, Somethin' to Talk About, covers the latest technology. Sue Fox: Remember -- etiquette is all about making the other person more comfortable. How comfortable could your friend be trying to talk to you when you've got something in your ears? Sue Fox is the founder and president of EtiquetteSurvival.com, an etiquette consulting firm. 2. Is it rude to check your PDA at a friend's house? Blecher: A little bit. But if you arrive at a friend's home and explain that you need to check a few e-mails before you visit so you can give her your full attention, she will probably understand. Smith: It depends on how you're using it. If you're checking on something relevant to your visit, then no. If you find yourself perusing other e-mails, you will send the message that you're bored. Will Schwalbe: Think of your PDA as a crossword puzzle. Anywhere it's acceptable to work on a crossword puzzle, it's OK to check your PDA. Will Schwalbe is a coauthor of "Send: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better." Real Simple: Tips for dealing with obnoxious co-workers . 3. How quickly must I respond to an e-mail? Are the standards different for work e-mails versus personal e-mails? Schwalbe: It's all about consistency. If you're going to deviate from what you usually do, use your out-of-office assistant or automatic-response setting to let people know why they might not be hearing from you as quickly as they're used to. You don't want them to think they've insulted you somehow or that you are ignoring them. Judith Kallos: Not responding quickly -- within hours and certainly by the end of the day -- to any e-mail might make the other side feel as though she's being overlooked. It's particularly important to respond promptly to business e-mails because that is professional and courteous. Judith Kallos oversees NetManners.com, a Web site dedicated to the topics of e-mail and Internet etiquette. Anna Post: The sooner you can reply properly, the better. Never leave someone hanging. Anna Post is the resident technology-etiquette expert at the Emily Post Institute, in Burlington, Vermont. 4. If someone calls you, can you e-mail the person back or send a text message if you're not in the mood to talk? What if you text or e-mail someone and the person calls you back? Pier M. Forni: Unless the person has requested something specific or you sense a tinge of urgency, there's nothing uncivil about replying with a "Can we talk later?" text message. Pier M. Forni is the author of "The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude" and a professor of Italian literature at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland. Schwalbe: Think about what is the best way to respond. If someone called you to get directions somewhere, for instance, reply via e-mail so you can send along a map. Blecher: If you text someone because you don't want to talk and the person calls back, don't answer. If you do answer, the other person will sense your foul mood immediately and might get offended. Just text back that you can't talk now but will call later. Your friend will thank you. Real Simple: 18 common phrases to avoid in conversation . 5. Is using BCC (blind carbon copy) on an e-mail considered sneaky? Schwalbe: Yes, and it's dangerous too, because your BCC can be exposed if the blind recipient hits Reply All or forwards the e-mail to someone else. To protect yourself from this, forward the message separately with an explanation. Kallos: Using it to make someone look bad or e-tattle on someone is not appropriate. BCC is best used to protect your contacts' e-mail addresses from being exposed to strangers. Smith: BCC can be sneaky but also useful. If you feel that an e-mail discussion you had could turn into a larger issue, you could BCC your boss to make her aware of the situation. Just don't inundate her with copies of every e-mail you send. Get a FREE TRIAL issue of Real Simple - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Remove iPod earbuds when you're talking to someone, experts say . Author: Anywhere it's OK to work on a crossword puzzle, you can check your PDA . The sooner you can reply to an e-mail properly, the better, an etiquette expert says . | bb3be13a69864d2a3c23e6aee251e2a961c743b6 |
San Francisco's iconic . Golden Gate Bridge moved a big step closer to getting an oft-debated . suicide barrier after bridge officials on Friday approved a $76 million . funding package for a net system that would prevent people from jumping . to their deaths. The bridge district's board . of directors voted unanimously in favor of the funding for a steel . suicide net, which includes $20 million in bridge toll revenue. Federal . money will provide the bulk of the remaining funding, though the state . is also pledging $7 million. A tearful Dan . Barks, of Napa, who lost his son, Donovan, to suicide on the bridge in . 2008, said after the vote that he was almost speechless. Scroll down for video . This undated artist rendering provided by the Golden Gate Bridge authorities shows the proposed netting suicide barrier that is to be installed under the iconic bridge in San Francisco . A sign is posted above a crisis counseling call box on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco . 'A lot of people have done so much incredible work to get this accomplished,' he said. After . the vote, he rose from his knees and shared a tearful embrace with Sue . Story of Rocklin, whose son Jacob jumped off the bridge in 2010. 'We did it, Dan! We did it! It's no longer the Bridge of Death anymore,' she said. At . least some of the money still requires additional approval. The . bridge's board, however, has now taken its final step in adopting the . net. 'The tragedy of today is that we can't go . back in time, we can't save ... the people who jumped off the bridge. But the good thing, with this vote today, we can vote in their memory,' board member Janet Reilly said. 'We will save many lives who have . followed in their footsteps and that's what so extraordinary about . today.' The Golden Gate Bridge, with its . sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, has long been . a destination for people seeking to end their lives. Roberta McLauglin photographs an exhibit of shoes in remembrance of people who have jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge during a commemoration of the bridge's 75th anniversary on Sunday, May 27, 2012 . Since it opened in . 1937, more than 1,400 people have plunged to their deaths, including a . record 46 suicides last year, officials said. Officials . have been discussing a suicide barrier on the bridge for decades. The . bridge's board voted in 2008 to install a stainless steel net, rejecting . other options, including raising the 4-foot-high railings and leaving . the iconic span unchanged. Two years later, . they certified the final environmental impact report for the net, which . would stretch about 20 feet wide on each side of the span. Officials say . it will not mar the landmark bridge's appearance. But funding for the project remained a major obstacle. A . significant hurdle was overcome two years ago when President Barack . Obama signed into law a bill making safety barriers and nets eligible . for federal funds. House Minority Leader Nancy . Pelosi of California in a statement Friday praised the bridge's board . and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, who has been a staunch . supporter of a barrier. The Golden Gate Bridge district's board of directors voted unanimously to approve a $76 million funding package to build a net suicide barrier on the iconic span . 'The Golden Gate . Bridge is a source of immense pride to San Francisco, but for too many . families in our community, it has also been a place of pain,' Peloisi . said. 'A suicide prevention barrier offers a critical second chance for . troubled men and women acting on often impulsive suicidal thoughts. Together, we can ensure this magnificent landmark stands as a faithful . companion for all San Franciscans, awing and inspiring visitors for . generations to come.' Most jumpers suffer a . grisly death, with massive internal injuries, broken bones and skull . fractures. Some die from internal bleeding. Others drown. Kevin . Hines, who miraculously survived his suicide attempt after jumping off . the structure in 2000 at age 19, urged the board before its vote to "not . let one more family sit in eternal pain, in perpetuity because of . politics." He later broke down after the unanimous vote approving the funding. 'I . feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders, all of our . shoulders. I feel free,' Hines said. 'I feel a sense of hope that I . haven't had in a very long time. It's not over yet, we will be here . until that net is raised and no more people die.' Richard . Gamboa of Sacramento, whose son, Kyle was among the 46 bridge suicides . last year, said while Friday's vote is momentous, he's not done . fighting. Over 1,500 people committed suicide by jumping from the iconic bridge since it opened in 1937 with 46 people jumping to their death in 2013 . 'It's not over for me. I'm going to . keep coming here and urging them to get the barrier done. When I go on . that bridge and look down and see that net there, then I will be at . peace,' Gamboa said. John Brooks, whose . 17-year-old daughter, Casey, jumped from the rust-colored span in 2008, . told the board Friday that he hopes that some measure is taken before . the net is constructed to provide some kind of safety to everybody. 'What I really don't want to see between now and the time it is done is more deaths,' Brooks said. 'That will be a cruel irony.' Board . members and San Francisco supervisors David Campos and London Breed . both agreed that the sooner the barrier is built, the better. 'We need to build it as quickly as we can,' Campos said. Bidding on the job is expected to start next year, with completion of construction expected in 2018. | The Golden Gate Bridge has become a popular destination for the suicidal . More than 1,400 have jumped off the bridge to their deaths since it opened in 1937 . Construction expected to be complete by 2018 . | 9423ec7480ca35f58b11345a0e2eae0f260c8bca |
Children are returning to the type of books loved by their grandparents. A new wave of writers inspired by traditional favourites like Enid Blyton has marked the resurgence of mystery and detective novels for children, according to a leading bookstore. Six novels shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize involve super-sleuthing children who are left to their own devices to solve mysteries, reminiscent of old favourites like the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series or Enid Blyton’s Famous Five. Children are now reading the sort of books their grandparents did, according to the shortlist for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize . Half the novels shortlisted in the categories ‘Best Books for Teens’ and ‘Best Fiction for 5-12s’ are mysteries. In recent years vampire novels and dystopian stories have dominated teenage reading lists and light-hearted ‘funny fiction’ has prevailed for younger readers. Now new trends suggest there is a demand for wholesome novels which are familiar to parents from their own childhoods. Books shortlisted for the prize include ‘Murder Most Unladylike’ by Robin Stevens, which stars a pair of boarding school teens investigating the murder of their teacher, and ‘Smart’ by Kim Slater which follows a misfit teen investigating the death of a homeless man. Melissa Cox, head of children’s buying at Waterstones, said: ‘Crime fiction is a perennial favourite on adults’ bookshelves, but the resurgence of children’s mystery books recently is striking. ‘Enid Blyton is a classic example of a children’s mystery author and her storytelling has clearly been an influence on a couple of the authors we have shortlisted. Old favourites like The Famous Five (pictured are the cast from the 1995 TV version) are informing contemporary successful children's books . ‘The trend harks back to more traditional storytelling compared to some of the other stuff we have seen lately like funny fiction for younger readers or dystopian and vampire fiction for teens. ‘The sorts of books that are easy to sell are one that parents deem, not necessarily a ‘safe’ read, but as something they would have read in their own childhood. ‘By borrowing from the detective genre, many of our shortlisted authors have allowed their characters to deal with some very serious issues within a framework that also feels safe and familiar for young readers. 'Some books, however, have simply channelled the good old-fashioned fun of catching the baddie.’ YouTube star Zoella, real name Zoe Sugg, with her 'squeaky clean' novel Girl Online . Another current children’s bestseller, Girl Online, the fictional novel by YouTube star Zoella (real name Zoe Sugg) is also linked to a desire for ‘innocent’ books for tweens and teens. Ms Cox added: ‘Zoella’s book is very squeaky-clean. There is nothing in there that is going to alarm parents.’ Natalie Doherty, from Penguin Random House, is the editor of Murder Most Unladylike, which has been shortlisted in the Best Fiction for 5-12 category. She said the novel, set in a boarding school, is a fresh, modern take on two classic children’s genres. She said: ‘It takes the traditional murder mystery story in the style of Agatha Christie and combines it with the Enid Blyton-style boarding school stories like Mallory Towers. 'It has a nostalgic appeal to people who grew up reading those types of novels. ‘Despite that, it doesn’t feel like an old-fashioned story. It is really fresh and modern and looks at themes like racism, same-sex relationships and bullying. 'It’s also very funny, with lots of dry humour.’ The winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize will be announced on March 26. Six books will compete in each category: Best Illustrated Book, Best Fiction for 5-12s and Best Books for Teens. The winning author from each category will receive £2,000 with the overall winner receiving an extra £3,000. Mystery novels nominated for Best Fiction for 5-12s include Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens, Violet and the Pearl of the Orient by Harriet Whitehorn and A Boy Called Hope by Lara Williamson. In the Best Books for Teens category, the mystery novels shortlisted include The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald, Dead Ends by Erin Lange and Smart by Kim Slater. | Six novels shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize involve super-sleuthing children left to their own devices to solve mysteries . New wave of writers inspired by traditional favourites like Enid Blyton . Girl Online, the fictional novel by YouTube star Zoella is linked to a desire for ‘innocent’ books for tweens and teens . | 9ea916b22a1ce13313c3b6b59b7a507ab93e1d5a |
A man is fighting for his life in hospital after plunging from a hotel penthouse onto iron railings 60ft below. The 19-year-old barman at the hotel is said to have suffered 'horrendous injuries' after he fell from a roof terrace at Glasgow's Blythswood Square hotel early this morning. He was discovered bleeding and badly injured on the pavement below, near a foot long spike that had apparently broken off a row of metal railings on West George Street, Glasgow. Scroll down for video . Scene: An unnamed 19-year-old fell 60ft from the top of the Blythswood Square hotel onto railings below . The man is fighting for his life in hospital after suffering 'horrendous' injuries when he fell onto iron railings . Two metal railings appeared to be broken after the man was discovered with 'horrendous' injuries early today . Broken off: A section of metal railings outside the Glasgow hotel was clearly missing a black iron spike . The man was attending a private party on the rooftop terrace of the five star hotel's penthouse suite, which costs £1,500 per night, when the incident happened. Inspector Kenny Darroch, of Police Scotland, said: 'There was a small group who appeared to have been at a party in the penthouse and the man has fallen. 'He is now at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He's alive but he has horrendous injuries.' A colleague who wished to remain anonymous said: 'I have been told that it was a barman working at the hotel. 'I think the party was hosted by a former head barman at the hotel who was coming back to spend all his money. 'It is an absolutely horrible thing to happen.' Police officers cordoned off Blythswood Square and stopped traffic for several hours while officers took photographs and statements at the scene. A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: 'We got a call at 4.55am about a 35-year-old male lying in the street. 'There is suggestion that he's fallen off the roof. We've taken him to Glasgow Royal Infirmary.' Police Scotland detectives, who say they are not looking for anyone, inspect the pavement the man hit . Cordoned off scene: The man, who police say is in a 'serious condition' in hospital, has not yet been named . Hotel: The man had been at a party at the five star hotel and spa in an historic building in the city centre . A police officer at the scene, who asked not to be named, said: 'There is no investigation - we're not looking for anyone - but there's obviously protocol to follow.' Described as 'magnificent' on the Blythswood Square hotel website, the penthouse suite has a rooftop terrace, private bar and dining room with views over the city which 'will quite literally take your breath away'. Guests are treated to a bottle of Dom Perignon 2003 Epernay Champagne, on arrival and can enjoy a well-stocked complimentary mini bar. This morning, the hotel's managing director Hans Rissmann declined to comment on the incident. A spokeswoman for Police Scotland confirmed the man was in a 'serious' condition and said: 'Around 5am a report was received of a man having fallen from the roof of a building in the centre of Glasgow. 'We're still trying to piece together the circumstances.' | The 19-year-old man was at a party at Glasgow's Blythswood Square hotel . He fell from the penthouse suite's rooftop terrace onto iron railings below . Man is a barman at the hotel but was attending private party for former staff . Police called at 4.55am to reports of an injured man on West George Street . A foot-long spike of broken metal railings was found near the bleeding man . He is now in Glasgow Royal Infirmary with 'horrendous injuries', police said . Detectives say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with fall . | 4cda52186ce947a51ec647e0ab9bda7b558801f5 |
A debate in the House of Lords is the last place you expect to hear someone fantasise about making love to George Clooney. But it is precisely what cheeky typist-turned-Tory Minister Tina Stowell did when she persuaded fuddy-duddy peers to back gay marriage laws. Lords Leader Baroness Stowell used Clooney to explain how a man who married another man could only sue for adultery if his partner had sex with a woman, not a man. For example, she told dumbstruck peers, if Clooney married a gay man and then had a fling with her – ‘and who could blame him?’ she added coyly – Clooney’s ‘husband’ could sue him for adultery with her. Crush: Baroness Stowell, who referred to George Clooney in a debate, with a cardboard cut-out of the actor . Sure enough, a photo of Stowell alongside a life-sized cardboard cut- out of the star has pride of place in her tennis court-sized, red leather and wood-panelled Lords office, where we chatted. ‘I’ve had a soft spot for him ever since I saw him in ER,’ she says. ‘I needed to relax peers who were tense about gay marriage, so I thought, “I’ll bring in George Clooney.” ’ And fantasise about having sex with him? ‘A bit of humour helps,’ she smiles. Stowell is to extend the gay marriage laws in the next few weeks, allowing gay people who took part in civil partnerships before gay marriage was legalised to ‘upgrade’ it into a formal marriage. ‘It’s important for them to say not “I’m sort of married” but that they are married,’ she says. When Stowell was made Lords Leader – a Cabinet Minister in all but name – in July, some grandees were appalled, even more than when she was ennobled three years ago. They reacted with the same haughty disdain that Downton Abbey’s Earl of Grantham showed sparky kitchen maid Daisy on learning she was studying maths instead of washing dishes. ‘Tina should be pushing the tea trolley at Cabinet, not sitting at the table,’ scoffed one, a reference to her having been PA to John Major and William Hague. In truth, ‘the Earl of Downing Street’ David Cameron had exposed her to such insults by denying Stowell full-blown Cabinet status – and £22,000 extra pay – given to her predecessor. Stowell, 5ft 1in, faced a revolt led by Baroness Betty Boothroyd, who accused the PM of ‘trampling on the constitution’. Didn’t little Tina feel cowed by all these people fulminating at her? ‘I don’t feel intimidated by anybody. I was brought up to believe I’m as good as anyone else.’ Spoken like Daisy. Stowell's doggedness and impish charm was widely credited with wooing reluctant peers to her cause . Stowell, 47, whose dad Dave was a painter and decorator and mum Margaret worked in a factory in the same street as their terrace house in Beeston, Nottinghamshire (‘it was posh, we had an inside loo’, she laughs) left her local comp aged 16 with five O-levels. She showed her gritty determination aged 14, landing a weekend job at a cake shop. ‘They said I couldn’t work out front until I knew the price of all 100 cakes,’ she says. ‘When I went back the next week, they couldn’t believe I knew them all.’ How much was a doughnut? ‘12p,’ she answers. ‘If I saw a big queue outside I’d try my hardest to get it down and it brought a big smile to my face when I did.’ Doesn’t it require loftier thinking to be a Cabinet Minister? She swats it away like a fly on a sticky bun. ‘The Lords may seem a million miles from the cake shop, but those people in the queue are who I think of when I do my job here,’ she says. Her cool confidence and prim porcelain glamour is a far cry from the unworldly lass mistaken for a hooker when, aged 18, she was dropped off by mum and dad at a hostel in London, for her first Civil Service job as a secretary. ‘I was stopped by a bloke who said “Are you looking for business?” I said “Sorry?” I didn’t know what he was on about. When I told the girls in the hostel, they said “Didn’t you know? This a red light area”.’ Her horizons widened with a stint at the British Embassy in Washington, and she joined Downing Street when John Major was Prime Minister. She recalls her rage when she overheard a plummy-voiced Tory sneer at ‘ignorant’ Major, unaware his loyal PA was listening. ‘The very things people criticised him for like his humble background are why I admired him. I don’t like snobs,’ she says. She formed the same bond with the next Tory leader William Hague, adding: ‘When he stepped down, I sobbed my heart out.’ But there were tears of joy when, a decade later, now a Minister with her own PA, she piloted the gay marriage laws through the Lords. ‘I was choked with happiness,’ she says. Baroness Stowell told dumbstruck peers that if Clooney married a gay man and then had a fling with her, Clooney's 'husband' could sue him for adultery with her . First she had to persuade crusty peers to take notice of someone who had never been married herself. Again she deployed her ‘friend’ George Clooney, telling the Lords bold as brass in her broad Nottinghamshire accent: ‘I’m single but as long as George Clooney is available I’m prepared to wait.’ Even peers who raged about the ‘evils of buggery’ softened. Stowell’s doggedness and impish charm was widely credited with wooing reluctant peers to her cause. That was a year ago. Clooney is married now. ‘It’s his loss, there you go, no more excuses,’ she grins. She has never been short of male admirers, so why no marriage? ‘No one ever asked me!’ You have to go looking. ‘Maybe I’ll start.’ Mmm. Perhaps it is the price she has paid for her career? ‘No,’ she says firmly, ‘I don’t rule it out, though I’m probably past having children. Mum drilled it into me never to be financially dependent on a man, get a job, fend for yourself.’ The gay marriage law made her a gay icon, leading to awards from Pink News and Spectator magazine. Stowell’s, dare I say it, rather raunchy, pixie-like Twitter photo has a hint of the Judy Garland in it. She is dolled up, albeit on a budget. Her black and berry Precis Petite jacket is £79 from the suitably conservative House of Fraser. Some gay rights campaigners have speculated whether petite Stowell is gay? ‘Oh really?’ she replied. Is she? ‘No,’ she says, her bright blue bush baby eyes gleaming. And she is again quick to scotch any idea that she may never marry. ‘If a fantastic guy turned up and offered me a life better than the one I have now, why would I say no?’ she says. ‘Now George Clooney is taken, I’m back on the market.’ | Lords Leader used Clooney to explain how a man who married another man could only sue for adultery if his partner had sex with a woman, not a man . She is to to extend the gay marriage laws in the next few weeks . Will allow gay people who took part in civil partnerships before gay marriage was legalised to 'upgrade' into a formal marriage . | a232143a35e884447f7ce2b681ef8e2a60f5bf98 |
Haryana, India (CNN) -- She's just 16 years old and one month ago was about to sit her final-year exams when she says she was shoved into a car and gang-raped by eight men in a small village in the Indian state of Haryana. "I remember being driven by the canal, all the guys were standing there then four more boys came on a motorbike," said the teenager, who had been hoping to be the first female high school graduate in her family. "There were approximately 12 men. Eight men raped me, they then fed me a pill, they filmed the whole thing and left." The teenager kept her ordeal secret for 10 days before her mother noticed something was wrong. "She would just lie in bed all day, she wouldn't talk, she wouldn't eat, I thought she was ill. Those rapists had threatened to kill our family and show the video to the entire village if she opened her mouth," she said. The 16-year-old's mother also remained silent. "People told me to forget about what had happened. They said this is a matter of your daughter's reputation. Who will marry her if people find out she was raped? Let it be, don't make a big deal," she said. Bollywood star: The Truth Alone Prevails . When her father heard about the rape video, he couldn't live with the thought of his daughter's pain and how she would be judged by society, her mother said. He committed suicide by swallowing pesticides. Devastated by his death, the teenager vowed to seek justice, not only for herself but other rape victims in Haryana, many of whom are too scared to report the crime. "It happens a lot with dalit [lower caste] girls but they keep quiet because they fear for their reputation. I probably would not have spoken up either but I didn't want my father's sacrifice to go to waste," she said. Police say all eight of the accused rapists have been arrested and are awaiting trial. In the past month, at least 17 other young women have reported rapes in Haryana, a relatively sparsely-populated state in the country's northwest. In 2011, 733 rapes were reported throughout the state, a fraction of the 24,206 cases alleged throughout the country over the full year. While more than 24,000 rapes were reported, convictions were only recorded for just over one quarter of cases, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Local police say the incidence of rape has fallen in Haryana over recent months, and that recent cases have attracted "hype." "The nature of the crime created hype in the number of rape cases registered in Haryana," said Satish Balan, Police Superintendent of the Hisar district. "In two cases there were suicides which led to media coverage of rapes in Haryana otherwise the number of rapes registered has come down by 15%. This is the truth." Some local politicians blame progress and the proliferation of modern technology like mobile phones, internet, television and films for encouraging sex attacks. However, women's rights groups say the increasing gap between the number of men and women in Haryana is one of the main contributors. The 2011 National census revealed there were 877 females for every 1,000 males in the state, compared with the national ratio of 940 females to 1,000 males. High incidences of female feticide in Haryana are largely to blame for the imbalance, say rights groups, who say families traditionally value boys over girls. Government of India census results . Provisional population results . The khap panchayats, or the self-appointed village caste councils, which have no legal authority, have suggested that lowering the legal age for marriage could cut the incidences of rape. "The marriageable age for girls, which is 18 right now should be changed to 16 or 15 so then these cases will decrease, these will be stopped," council member Jitendra Chhattar told CNN. The United Nations says lowering the marriageable age is not a solution. In an open letter to the country's minister for Women and Child Development, Krishna Tirath, four U.N. agencies urged the Indian government to give the issue urgent attention. "Child marriage is not a solution to protecting girls from sexual crimes including rape. In fact, child marriage denies a girl of her childhood, disrupts her education, limits her opportunities, increases her risk to be a victim of violence, jeopardizes her health and therefore constitutes an obstacle to the achievement of nearly every Millennium Development Goal and the development of healthy communities," the letter said. Tirath told CNN in an interview Thursday that she strongly condemned the cases of rape being reported in Haryana. "I will be taking the issue up with the Chief Minister of Haryana to take strict and stringent action to ensure that safety and security of women is not compromised in anyway. We are already working on the issues on the child-sex ratio and giving it the highest priority," she said. Opinion: Make schools safe for girls everywhere . | The teenager kept her rape ordeal secret for 10 days . When her father heard about his daughter's suffering he killed himself by swallowing pesticide . Local police say rape incidents have fallen in Haryana over recent months, and that recent cases have attracted "hype" Women's rights groups say there is an increasing gap between the number of men and women in Haryana . | 9c30da61c03c1848bc14c9611a5a66f2b4e05745 |
(CNN) -- Over the weekend the United States launched drone strikes in two different locations in Yemen, killing at least 15 militants as well as three civilians. At the same time, Yemeni ground forces began what have been termed "unprecedented" operations against al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen, which may also involve additional U.S. drone strikes, although that isn't clear right now. The U.S. drone campaign in Yemen is very much President Obama's war. Unlike in Pakistan, where President George W. Bush significantly ramped up the CIA drone campaign while he was in office, there was only one drone strike in Yemen during Bush's two terms in office. During Obama's administration, there have been 92 drone attacks, as well as a further 15 U.S. strikes using other forms of weaponry such as cruise missiles, according to a count by the New America Foundation. Indeed, Obama vastly accelerated the drone campaign in Yemen in 2011 and 2012, just as CIA drone strikes in Pakistan began to slow. Forty-seven strikes took place in Yemen in 2012, marking the first time the number of drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan reached comparable levels. One reason for this acceleration in drone strikes in Yemen may have been Obama's authorization in April 2012 of the "signature" strikes that had been approved the previous year for use in Pakistan's tribal regions. Such strikes do not target known militants but rather people who are displaying the behaviors of suspected militants. Such signature strikes were reportedly governed by stricter rules in Yemen than in Pakistan, though, and were given a different name: TADS, or Terrorist Attack Disruption Strikes. As of Monday, U.S. drone and air strikes have killed an estimated 753 to 965 people in Yemen, of whom the large majority were militants, but at least 81 were civilians, according to the New America Foundation study. All but six of the many hundreds of victims of the strikes were killed under the Obama administration. The drone program in Yemen began in earnest after a series of attempted terrorist attacks against the United States were traced back to al Qaeda's Yemen-based affiliate, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. AQAP claimed responsibility for the would-be "underwear bomb" attack on a Detroit-bound flight by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on Christmas Day 2009. Fortunately for the people on board Northwest Airlines Flight 253 that day, Abdulmutallab's bomb was a dud, and he succeeded only in burning himself rather than destroying a commercial airliner. Had his bomb exploded as intended, it would have been the most devastating terrorist attack on the United States since 9/11. Less than a year later, AQAP mailed two packages with bombs cleverly disguised inside HP LaserJet printer cartridges from a FedEx office and UPS facility in Yemen to the street addresses of two synagogues in Chicago. The toner in the printer cartridges had been replaced by the high explosive PETN. The bombs were almost impossible to detect as the explosives were odorless and the circuitry for the detonator looked like ordinary wiring. Both devices were discovered on October 29, 2010, before they could detonate, one in Dubai and the other at a British airport. They were discovered because of very specific information about the tracking numbers of both packages that was provided by the Saudis, who had managed to plant a spy in the ranks of AQAP. The bomb-maker believed responsible for these cleverly designed bombs is Ibrahim al-Asiri. According to a senior U.S. official, al-Asiri is proving hard to find, as he avoids any form of electronic communication and communicates only by courier. Another senior U.S. official says al-Asiri has been experimenting with bombs that can be implanted in suicide bombers using surgical techniques. Al-Asiri is the most important target in Yemen for U.S. intelligence, although senior American officials say he has also trained others in al Qaeda in advanced bomb-making, so his techniques may survive should he be killed in a drone strike. During the Obama administration, U.S. drones have killed 35 key al Qaeda militants in Yemen, including the Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who directed AQAP's operations against the United Sates before he was killed in 2011 drone strike. Unlike in Pakistan, where political leaders have condemned the strikes, Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi said during an interview with The Washington Post in 2012 that he personally signs off on all U.S. drone strikes in Yemen and that they hit their targets accurately, asserting, "The drone technologically is more advanced than the human brain." Yet some of the popular resentment toward the U.S. drone campaign that has long festered in Pakistan is beginning to emerge in Yemen. On April 23, 2013, the Senate Judiciary Committee held the first public hearing dedicated to the legal issues surrounding the U.S. drone campaign. One of the six who testified was Farea al-Muslimi, a young Yemeni activist who spent his high school years in the United States. Al-Muslimi told the committee that a drone strike had targeted his village of Wessab just six days earlier. "What radicals had previously failed to achieve in my village," al-Muslimi told the senators, "one drone strike accomplished in an instant: There is now an intense anger and growing hatred of America." | Suspected U.S. drone strikes hit two different locations in Yemen . Peter Bergen says strikes are part of an aggressive war by U.S. against militants . Estimates are that up to 950 people have been killed, including more than 80 civilians . Bergen: War is focusing on bomb-maker believed to have designed devices aimed at U.S. | 7e71b20b7a3bbea0b1649d57e0455d3b1a62fb2d |
By . Tom Kelly . PUBLISHED: . 12:40 EST, 14 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:33 EST, 14 March 2013 . Intrusive: Judge Anthony Thornton condemned Haringey council for its heavy-handed approach to the abuse case . A mother told of her nightmare yesterday after being secretly . investigated for child abuse by social workers who received a single, . anonymous letter. The woman was left ‘terrified’ that her six-year-old daughter would be . removed in the probe by Haringey Council – the authority at the centre . of the Baby P scandal. After winning a ‘landmark’ case yesterday, she also spoke of her anger . that the local authority had sought to avoid being named in the affair . to prevent further public embarrassment. Officials had obtained three . mobile numbers and a landline phone number for the family after . contacting the girl’s school without her parents’ knowledge. The mother – who works as a social . worker – said she was ‘horrified’ when a student social worker later . contacted the couple to belatedly reveal they were investigating . allegations of mistreatment. Yesterday a High Court judge condemned . Haringey for its ‘knee-jerk reaction’ to the unsigned letter, which was . riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. This included approaching the child’s GP . and her school to ask for any signs of ‘emotional and physical abuse’ of . the child before they had spoken to her parents. Pay out: The parents of a young girl have won High Court damages over an 'unlawful' decision by social services to investigate whether their child was being ill-treated or was at risk of suffering significant harm . Judge Anthony Thornton said the child was never at risk of harm from her middle class parents, who had never been in trouble with police or had previous contact with social services. He quashed the ‘unlawful’ decision to start the investigation and ordered the council to pay £2,000 compensation to the couple and legal costs expected to run to tens of thousands of pounds. After the hearing, the girl’s mother urged the Government to step in to . sort out Haringey’s beleaguered child protection department. She . expressed fears that while the council squandered taxpayers’ cash . investigating spurious complaints it risked overlooking genuine cases. She said: ‘This has been a dreadful ordeal that has taken a huge . emotional and financial strain on my family. Although I knew it was . groundless, I was terrified they would take my child away. ‘We were accused of smacking our child. As it happens, we don’t smack, . but if the council starts investigating all parents who occasionally . smack their child to discipline them, they would end up looking at 90 . per cent of families in the borough.’ The woman and her partner are both experienced social workers and so knew the council’s reaction was excessive. Decision: A judge ruled there was no basis on which the London Borough of Haringey's social workers should have started the inquiry. Haringey council building is pictured . Tragic: Haringey council has faced devastating criticism in the past over the Baby P, pictured, and Victoria Climbie cases . Gone: The former director of children's services at London's Haringey council Sharon Shoesmith is pictured . They brought a legal challenge to the council’s decision to investigate them under Section 47 of the 1989 Children Act, which the judge described as an ‘intrusive’ assessment of a child and her parents to determine if she was being harmed. The mother said: ‘Because we know the system we had the courage to stand up to the council and take it this far, but I pity the many other parents who aren’t able to do this and have to suffer in silence. This is the first time that a section 47 investigation has been successfully challenged and overturned.’ The council launched the investigation after its ‘social services child abuse department’ received the unsigned letter dated March 2011 from someone claiming to be a neighbour of the family saying he was worried about the child. The judge ruled that approaching the GP and school without seeking the parent’s permission was ‘erroneous’. He said: ‘These were serious departures from permissible practice and these actions were unlawful.’ The child was not at risk of significant harm and it... was highly likely the anonymous referral was malicious.’ A Haringey Council spokesman said: ‘Our handling of this case fell below the standards that we would expect, and we apologise to the family concerned.’ | Judge said Haringey Council's social workers should not have investigated . They approached child’s GP and her . school without parents' permission . Child’s mother said her family had gone through 'a nightmare' | a1a5c69d4f1a7b37fc0a8f7a22a9cce8c191314b |
(CNN) -- Dubai could lose its place on the Women's Tennis Association Tour calendar after Israeli Shahar Peer was denied entry to compete at this week's event, the WTA supremo warned Monday. Shahar Peer told CNN she learned of her visa ban Saturday, just before her scheduled flight to Dubai. Peer was scheduled to fly into the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, but was informed Saturday night by telephone that she would not be granted a visa. WTA Chairman and CEO Larry Scott said the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour "will review appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament." Scott added: "The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour believes very strongly, and has a clear rule and policy, that no host country should deny a player the right to compete at a tournament for which she has qualified by ranking." Peer, who had just finished playing in the Pattaya Open in Thailand, where she reached the semifinal, said she is "very, very disappointed" to have been denied the opportunity to play in Dubai. "They really stopped my momentum because now I'm not going to play for two weeks and because they waited for the last minute I couldn't go to another tournament either," Peer said from Tel Aviv. "So it's very disappointing, and I think it's not fair." Watch Peer describe her disappointment » . Scott, meanwhile, confirmed: "Following various consultations, the Tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week, pending further review by the Tour's Board of Directors. "Ms. Peer and her family are obviously extremely upset and disappointed by the decision of the UAE and its impact on her personally and professionally, and the Tour is reviewing appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer." Scott said Peer's visa refusal has precedence: Last year an Israeli men's doubles team was denied entry to Dubai. He said the Emirate cited security reasons following recent unrest in the region. "At that time I was in Dubai. I made it clear to the authorities, the representatives of the government, that next year when our top players wanted to play this very prestigious tournament all of them had to be allowed to play," Scott said. "They had a year to work on it and solve it. We've spent time through the year discussing it. We were given assurances that it had gone to the highest levels of government," Scott said. "I was optimistic they would solve it. And we've made crystal clear to the government, to the tournament organizers that there could be grave repercussions not just for tennis in the UAE but sports beyond that." Watch CNN's interview with Larry Scott » . The Dubai government issued a short statement through the state-owned news agency, saying that Peer was informed while in Thailand that she would not receive a visa. The agency quoted an official source in the organizing committee saying, "The tournament is sponsored by several national organizations and they all care to be part of a successful tournament, considering the developments that the region had been through." Earlier an official source who did not want to be named, said, "We should check what happened in New Zealand, when Peer was playing there with all the demonstrations against Israel during the attacks on Gaza. We have to consider securing the players and the tournament." In January, a small group of about 20 protestors waved placards and shouted anti-Israel slogans outside the main entrance to the ASB Classic tournament in Auckland. They were moved on before Peer played her match. The Israeli player said she's received phone calls of support from her fellow players. "'All the players support Shahar," world No. 6 Venus Williams told The New York Times, adding, "We are all athletes, and we stand for tennis." Peer is uncertain of her next move. She said the last-minute decision had left her at a loose end. She said she was concerned about her points and ranking and may go to the U.S. this week to try to take part in another tournament. "I don't think it should happen," she said. "I think sport and politics needs to stay on the side and not be involved. I really hope it's not going to happen again, not only to me but to any other athlete." CNN Dubai bureau chief Caroline Faraj contributed to this report . | Israeli tennis player back in Tel Aviv after being denied entry for Dubai event . Shahar Peer told night before tournament she would not be granted visa by UAE . WTA chief Larry Scott warned Dubai tournament could lose place on calendar . Scott: "This runs counter to everything we were promised and is a setback" | 9939959cf9cb1a14497e63aec0b88a08ad3e451c |
By . Emily Andrews . PUBLISHED: . 17:18 EST, 16 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:29 EST, 17 July 2012 . Fury: Chris Tarrant, pictured with girlfriend Jane Bird, has told of his anger at the breakin . Chris Tarrant has spoken of his anger after burglars targeted his mother’s house only days after she died. They took heirlooms including jewellery, silver cutlery and vases. They also stole bottles of wine, her television and even her coat. Tarrant was with Joan, 93, when she died at home in April. He had suspected thieves were watching her £400,000 detached home, which was on a quiet street in Reading, Berkshire. The burglars struck before Mrs Tarrant’s funeral and before the presenter was able to start the emotional task of clearing her home. The 65-year-old said: ‘They are b***ards. They knew very well it was an elderly lady who had died.’ Neighbour Paul Roberts, 64, said: ‘The burglary clearly upset Chris because I did speak to him when he came round to the house to sort out his mum’s possessions. ‘He was very upset. I just said to him it must have been particularly difficult since the house would have had a lot of memories for him too – he did live there for a few years too. ‘Joan was a lovely lady and she was a fighter till the very end. She was an amazing woman with a lot of strength. ‘It’s outrageous what those burglars did, especially since it was coming up to the funeral itself.’ The Thames Valley Police spokesman said officers were called to the property nine days after Mrs Tarrant’s death. They said the culprits had not yet been caught and police are appealing for information about the incident. Tarrant’s father, Basil, died seven years ago. Earlier this year the presenter, an only child, revealed how close he was to his parents in the Channel 5 show War Hero In My Family. He said: ‘My father was my best friend. We did everything together. ‘My mother was a kind soul who never told a lie in her life. Not one. I said that at her funeral. They were my heroes.’ Basil Tarrant was an infantry major in the Second World War and received the Military Cross for his bravery. Burgled: Thieves stole heirlooms from Joan Tarrant's Berkshire home . While researching the programme about his father’s life, Tarrant discovered he had killed German soldiers during house-to-house fighting in a night patrol in Kleve, a border town between Germany and the Netherlands. ‘My jokey, lovely dad killing people with a bayonet or with his bare hands. ‘And then he came home and went back to the Huntley, Boorne & Stevens biscuit tin factory and never spoke about it. Emotional: Chris Tarrant has spoken movingly about discovering his father was a war hero during research for a new television programme . ‘Finding that out blew my mind,’ Tarrant said. His discoveries also made him re-evaluate his relationship with his four children – two from his first marriage and two with ex-wife Ingrid. He said: ‘I’m not a great dad because in the early years I worked too hard and didn’t see the kids enough. ‘After the break-up with Ingrid they weren’t fond of their father. But these days I know what counts. I keep promises. ‘The death of parents gives you perspective. Now I know my greatest achievements are my children. ‘There’s no gong, media success or a million-quid cheque that beats that.’ He said his relationship with Ingrid is not quite so successful. ‘We haven’t had a conversation for years. It’s a shame. I do hope it all sorts itself out one day.’ The marriage collapsed spectacularly in 2006 after Ingrid hired a private detective who discovered that Tarrant had been having a decade-long affair with primary school deputy head Fiona McKechnie. Now Tarrant lives a much quieter life with girlfriend Jane Bird, and says he has not been so happy for a long time. ‘She’s an Essex girl and a lovely lady. She’d come out and stay on my 40-acre place in the country in high heels and say: “What am I doing here?” ‘She didn’t like the country uniform – wellies and Barbour. Now she indulges my country ways. Especially fishing. ‘Would I marry her? No. The reason we are together is because we like each other. ‘She doesn’t want to either. It puts pressure on. She’s just a mate.’ | Chris Tarrant suspected thieves were watching his mother £400,000 detached home, which was on a quiet street in Reading, Berkshire . | c766f0055fcaabbb9c403184614dd073cc90f0e7 |
Jerusalem (CNN) -- The corruption trial of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ended Tuesday with a mixed verdict. Olmert was found guilty of breach of trust, but was acquitted on two corruption-related charges. The allegations stemmed from 2002 to 2006, when Olmert served a second term mayor of Jerusalem and held several cabinet posts under then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Prosecutors accused Olmert of double-billing government agencies for travel, taking cash from an American businessman in exchange for official favors and acting on behalf of his former law partner's clients. Israeli political heavyweights publicly spar over Iran policy . "The court decided that I breached trust. I honor the decision of the court, and will learn the lessons from this," Olmert said outside the courtroom. "I want to remind you that the court said that there were procedural problems -- not corruption, I never got anything. I acted in a way which was counter to procedure. I honor that, and take it to my heart." He said nothing about his political future and thanked his lawyers for their work. But Olmert still faces legal trouble as one of 16 suspects charged in the ongoing Holyland corruption trial, which involves developers who allegedly paid bribes to senior Jerusalem municipal officials in exchange for expedited approval of permits for a construction project. Olmert became prime minister in 2006 after succeeding Sharon, who suffered a massive stroke. He announced his resignation in August 2008 after Israeli police recommended that he stand trial. Olmert: Right-wing U.S. cash killed my peace plan . He left office after a new government took power in March 2009. Earlier this year, Olmert told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that millions of dollars from the "extreme right wing" in the United States helped oust him from government and derailed a peace plan with the Palestinians. In 2008, Olmert sought a "full comprehensive peace between us and the Palestinians" -- a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. But the plan was never realized, and Olmert was forced from office accused of corruption. He had denied the allegations. "I had to fight against superior powers, including millions and millions of dollars that were transferred from this country (the United States) by figures which were from the extreme right wing that were aimed to topple me as prime minister of Israel. There is no question about it," Olmert told CNN. Pressed to name names, Olmert replied: "Next time." CNN's Elise Labott and Michal Zippori contributed to this report. | Ehud Olmert says he will "learn the lessons" from his conviction . Olmert remains a suspect in the unrelated Holyland corruption trial . He is convicted of breach of trust and acquitted on two corruption-related charges . Those allegations stemmed from his time as mayor of Jerusalem . | 0d411b8513446df935eaa85181f1955682e69591 |
Jonny Wilkinson claimed a second consecutive Heineken Cup crown in his final game on British soil on Saturday - but was keen to turn the spotlight on the "incredible" contribution of Matt Giteau in Toulon's victory over Saracens. World Cup winner Wilkinson landed 13 points with the boot at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium yet felt it was the performance of centre Giteau that was pivotal to the 23-6 win. The former England fly-half, who turns 35 on Sunday, will end 17 years of top-class rugby with Toulon's Top 14 final against Castres next weekend, and conceded watching Giteau execute a cunningly-disguised chip that yielded a fine try for the Australia playmaker underlined exactly why he will retire this summer. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Jonny Wilkinson after winning the Heineken Cup . Bowing out: Jonny Wilkinson won the Heineken Cup in his last ever game on British soil . Glory: The England legend lifts the trophy with his team-mates following their impressive victory . 'Matt's individual contributions to . the game were incredible, all the way through,' said Wilkinson. 'He's a . damn good player who can just about do everything, and he's the reason . why someone like me realises my time is up. 'You . look at him doing what he does, and you think that's where the future . of this team is. I certainly want to see him flourish, he's been an . inspiration to me, and I know he will be to this team in the future. 'Since . he's been here he's done nothing but bring this team up, give them more . and make us all better players. I wouldn't survive out there without . guys like him, his ability to selflessly do the extra work, take on . extra responsibility, make the difficult calls. 'He . could say "that's not my position, that's not my job" but he never . does. There have been times during the season where I haven't made the . first few kicks, and I've asked him to take the next one and he just . steps up and does it. 'He never says anything about it, he just gets on with it, and that's the kind of guy he is.' Wilkinson will move straight into Toulon's backroom staff as kicking and skills coach once he retires this summer. The . nerveless fly-half's haul of points on Saturday afternoon included a . trademark drop-goal off his weaker right foot as Toulon retained their . European title. Giteau's . stubbed chip caught Alex Goode cold to allow Drew Mitchell to claim the . loose ball and return the favour, with the Wallabies midfielder . ghosting home for the game's first try. Juan Smith grabbed the decisive score after the break, with Saracens never able to generate their usual rhythm or power. 'Hell of a feeling': Wilkinson kicked 13 points against Saracen at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff . Double: It was the second successive win in the tournament for Wilkinson's Toulon side . Despite . a near-unrivalled professional-era career, Wilkinson was once again at . pains to shake off the adulation that follows him around the globe. 'I've . made no secret of the fact I've been over-supported, I've been given . way too much respect,' he said. 'I've been given too much of an easy . life compared to others who have deserved so much more but haven't had . it. 'I've tried to keep my feet on the ground, otherwise someone's going to realise I'm a bit of a fraud. 'You're . lucky enough to be surrounded by such quality players, and yet it's not . these guys around me that get the adulation and applause. 'When guys go out of their way to cheer for you, it's humbling.' Wilkinson . admitted it will be a "pity" not to celebrate Toulon's triumph in . style, with Bernard Laporte's team gearing up for Saturday's Top 14 . showdown, a repeat of last year's final. Wilkinson . said: 'It's a hell of a day, but a great reward for a long journey for . this team. And I hope that it can continue for one more week. 'It's an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life: it's a fantastic present. 'It's a pity but we do have to move on very quickly as we have another final to play.' Saracens . rugby director Mark McCall backed his team to show the resolve required . to shake off the defeat and challenge for the Aviva Premiership title . in Saturday's Twickenham final against Northampton. McCall backed captain Steve Borthwick to face Saints after continued pectoral trouble, and added: . 'One . of the great qualities is our ability to respond to the setbacks. Even . if we were playing Newcastle away I would back us to front up, but we're . in the Premiership final and I've got no doubt we'll give a good . account of ourselves in that too. 'Steve still has an injury, but he's able to play with it, and he'll be able to play next week as well.' | Wilkinson was playing his final game on British soil before retirement . Toulon's second consecutive Heineken Cup victory . The French side beat Saracens 23-6 with Wilkinson kicking 13 points . England legend's last ever game is in Top-14 final next Saturday . | bbd4b4d21a6eda3ff48d3f8c6ade3a4e940f0767 |
By . Chris Pleasance . PUBLISHED: . 06:42 EST, 19 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:47 EST, 19 December 2013 . The stepfather of an Idonesian girl who worked herself to death has defended the advertising industry saying that 'long hours are expected.' Zafrul Sjahrial, who has had a 35-year career in advertising, said that Pradnya Paramita was entering a 'high note' of her career adding that she knew what it took to succeed. Paramita collapsed on Saturday while out with friends following the mammoth shift, slipped into a coma, and died on Sunday. Zafrul Sjahrial, the stepfather of Pradnya Paramita who died after a 30 hour shift, has defended the advertising industry saying Paramita knew what it took to succeed . Speaking to the South China Morning Post following her funeral, Sjahrial said: 'Life . in advertising is not like working in a bank or any other institution. 'The long hours are expected and already a prerequisite. I know how the industry works. Other industries are doing worse than this.' He also dismissed the claims that she had worked 30 hours solid as 'overblown', adding: 'There must be lunch breaks and dinner breaks, there must have been walks around the office. 'For a young lady – for 30 hours – she wouldn’t want to stay in the same clothes the whole day.' He also confirmed that the family would not be taking any action against her employer, Young & Rubicam, as they just wanted their daughter to rest in peace. Y&R are an advertising firm with headquarters in New York, 6,500 employees across the world and clients including Dell, Colgate, Xerox and Citibank. Paramita, who went under the name Mita Diran on Twitter, frequently posted about her long hours online and collapsed while having dinner with friends just hours after this message . Paramita worked for advertising agency Young & Rubicam whose clients include Dell and Xerox . The copy writer slipped into a coma late on Saturday night and was pronounced dead on Sunday . Sjahrial said her tweets showed she was passionate about her job and was 'a girl ready for the next step' Paramita, who went under the name Mita Diran on Twitter, often messaged about her long hours, and at 7pm on Saturday, shortly before she collapsed, said: '30 hours of working and still going strooong.' Speaking about the message Sjahrial said: 'She’s so enthusiastic and passionate. That tweet is by a girl ready for the next step. 'My daughter was strong. I know she knows what it takes to be in the advertising industry.' He described the 27-year-old as passionate, a keen reader, and strong headed. Weeks before her death Paramita had earned awards for her work. Sjahrial, an advertising creative director with 35 years' experience, said long hours were expected . The Thai version of Red Bull has been blamed for contributing to the death, and Sjahrial says Paramita had used it to stay awake since University, but stressed that the company had not asked her to drink it . Sjahrial confirmed that he would not be pressing charges against the company saying that if people wanted somebody to blame, they should blame the entire industry . Addressing claims that Thai Red Bull could have contributed to her death, he said she had used the drink to stay awake since going to University, and stressed that the company had not asked her to do so. He added that people looking for somebody to blame should blame the entire industry, not just one company. Y&R are investigating the death internally and closed their Jakarta office for the day on Monday as a mark of respect. Stepfather also said reports of continuous 30-hour shift were 'overblown' saying there must have been breaks for food or opportunities to walk around the office . In a Facebook post about the death Y&R expressed sympathy with the family, before telling other employees: ‘Please people. Know your own body limitation, don’t push yourself too hard.’ Meanwhile a state lawmaker has called for an independent inquiry and said the company may be taken to court if it was proved Paramita worked excessive hours. This case echoes that of German-born Merrill Lynch intern Moritz Erhardt, who was found dead in the shower of his London flat after a non-stop 72-hour shift . An inquest found he died of an epileptic seizure which could have been brought on by tiredness. Merrill Lynch was a one-time client of Y&R in the '80s. | Pradnya Paramita, 27, died Sunday after tweeting about a 30-hour shift . Stepfather Zafrul Sjahrial says 'long hours are expected' in advertising . Confirms family will not be pressing charges against Young & Rubicam . Paramita collapsed during a meal with friends on Saturday night . Slipped into a coma and died on Sunday with energy drinks partly blamed . | 5284e605985684b05055d59b3317bac68a9c5b51 |
(CNN) -- Ukraine's Security Service launched a raid on the country's state-run gas company Wednesday, searching for documents related to a gas deal with Russia, a spokesman for the company said. Ukrainian security service agents let employees leave a room at Naftogaz's headquarters. A group of about 30 gunmen wearing masks and carrying machine guns entered the offices of Naftogaz and took control of every floor of the company's building in the capital of Kiev, Naftogaz spokesman Valentyn Zemlyansky said. Operatives from the security service then began a search for various company documents, including those pertaining to the Russia-Ukraine gas deal signed in January to end a weeks-long gas dispute, Zemlyansky told journalists, according to Russia's Interfax news agency. The Security Service opened a criminal case on Monday into alleged misappropriation of 6.3 billion cubic meters of transit gas worth over 7.4 billion hryvnia ($880 million) by a group of Naftogaz officers, Interfax reported. Taras Shepitko, a deputy chief of an Energy Regional Customs division under the State Customs Service, was detained as part of the case. Ukrainian Security Service operatives confirmed to Interfax that the operation was related to that criminal case. The armed troops were there simply to protect the investigators, the service told Interfax, citing attempts to hinder the investigation. Naftogaz called police when the armed men stormed in but the police retreated soon after they arrived, Zemlyansky said. CNN's Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow, Russia, contributed to this report. | Ukraine's Security Service raids country's state-run gas company . Naftogaz: Raid was to search for documents related to gas deal with Russia . Security Service investigating alleged theft of gas by Naftogaz officers . | e5535fb8dc8be171ce8653a0763dfd2ecef376a0 |
London, England (CNN) -- British Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced a public inquiry Wednesday into allegations that Iraqis were killed and abused after a firefight more than five years ago in the southern part of the country. The allegations center around the aftermath of a fight in May 2004 at the so-called Danny Boy checkpoint in Maysan Province. Former detainees and the family of a slain Iraqi contend at least 20 people were killed and others were abused at Camp Abu Naji after a fight between British soldiers and Iraqi insurgents. That claim has been denied by the UK Ministry of Defence -- which says the 20 people died in battle and people detained were not mistreated. The probe is called the Al Sweady inquiry -- named after the family of the dead Iraqi. Thayne Forbes -- who retired from the High Court Bench last year -- will chair the inquiry into allegations. The inquiry will look into allegations of "unlawful killings" and the "ill-treatment of five Iraqi nationals detained at Camp Abu Naji." Even though the probe will focus on five detainees, attorneys claim nine people were detained and abused. The defense ministry disputes those allegations. "We have found no credible evidence that those detained, as a result of the attack on British troops and the prolonged firefight at Danny Boy checkpoint, were mistreated," the defense ministry said in a statement. The release of a photo published in British media and obtained by CNN about the incident shows an armed soldier standing near four people face down on the ground with their hands bound behind their backs and their faces covered. Attorneys for the men say they were beaten and evidence shows a breach of the Geneva Conventions prohibiting humiliating and degrading treatment of prisoners. But, the defence ministry disputes that. "It is important to remember that our first priority at the end of such attacks is to protect our personnel from further threats," the ministry said. CNN's Atika Shubert and Per Nyberg contributed to this report. | UK to hold public inquiry into allegations Iraqis were killed and abused after firefight five years ago . Allegations center around aftermath of firefight in 2004 at checkpoint in Maysan Province, southern Iraq . Former detainees and family of a slain Iraqi say at least 20 people were killed and others were abused . UK defense ministry says the 20 people died in battle and people detained were not mistreated . | c27a068a88a9f282acab4130c04ad10fb1f91ba7 |
(CNN)Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry again asserted his innocence in the felony abuse-of-power case against him Wednesday and pledged to fight the charges, despite a Texas judge's refusal to dismiss the case this week. "I am confident that I will ultimately prevail because the prosecution's case amounts to the criminalization of politics," he said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference. Perry's attorneys had sought to have the two criminal charges — coercion of a public official and abuse of official capacity — against him thrown out on constitutional grounds, their second failed attempt to have the case dismissed. Tony Buzbee, the governor's attorney, said in a statement issued Tuesday that Perry "acted lawfully and properly exercised his power under the law as Governor to protect the public safety and integrity of government." "Continued prosecution of Governor Perry is an outrage and sets a dangerous precedent in our Democracy. America's commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law is at stake in this case, which is why we will immediately appeal this decision to the Third District Court of Appeals," he said. The former governor has already spent more than $1 million from his campaign coffers on his defense, and another appeal is likely to take months and draw more resources as he prepares for a likely presidential bid. Perry was indicted in August related to his 2013 veto threat to veto funding for public corruption prosecutors in the state, a threat which he eventually carried out and one that critics said was intended to pressure a local district attorney to resign. District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, a Democrat, rebuffed the governor's calls to resign after she was arrested and pleaded guilty in April of 2013 to drunken driving. The Texas governor is openly preparing for another presidential bid, and though the indictment was then seen as a possible impediment to his candidacy, he continued his travel to early primary states, and in fact drew widespread support from Republicans when the indictment was reported. His potential GOP primary opponents again came to his defense with the judge's decision to allow the case to move forward this week. Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, along with Govs. Scott Walker and Chris Christie, all issued statements of support on social media. And Perry reiterated Thursday that the ongoing case will have no impact on his preparations for a second run. "We're moving right along as we have intended to" with those plans, he said, and hinted that he may already have his mind made up on whether to go forward with another bid. "We'll make a decision — or, actually, make an announcement, is a better descriptive term — in the May-June timetable just like we had intended to before this," Perry added. | A Texas judge denied the second attempt by Rick Perry's attorneys to have the felony charges against him thrown out . Perry pledged to continue to fight the charges, which he said "amounts to the criminalization of politics" He said he's moving forward with a potential presidential bid, despite the charges . | 09d34fcb5434371173123e294d735c8dced33916 |
(CNN) -- When you're on a roller coaster, thrills and chills are to expected. Standing still -- for hours, high above the Earth? Not so much. But that's the experience riders on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit got Wednesday night, when the Universal Orlando attraction stalled due to what park spokesman Tom Schroder called a technical glitch. The coaster did what it was supposed to do, when that happened around 7 p.m: It came to a stop about 140 feet above the ground, Schroder said. What the ride -- which towers, at its highest point, 17 stories above the theme park -- didn't do was promptly start again. While the cars toward the front were at least closer to level, with a view over the hill, those farther behind were "sitting straight back with no way to move, because it's straight down," one park visitor, Ray Downs, told CNN affiliate WESH. Most riders were able to be safely taken off but, more than two hours later, about 10 still remained. The Orlando Fire Department was called in to pluck off these stranded few about 2½ hours after the ordeal began. One female rider was transported to the hospital complaining of neck and back pain, according to Schroder. Asked whether this had happened before, Schroder said, "Yes, we've had similar incidents." On its website, Universal Orlando bills the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit as the tallest roller coaster in the theme park-filled central Florida city. Peaking at 65 mph, the coaster features what the park calls a "record-breaking loop" about other twists and turns. "We are going to work to understand what happened tonight before we reopen the ride again," Schroder said. Downs, for one, is open to hopping on the coaster again, feeling that mechanical issues will happen no matter how well maintained a ride is. But his daughter -- who was "scared half to death" before they rode the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit just before it got stuck -- might not feel the same. "I said, 'It will be OK, they took good care of their stuff,'" Downs said. "Thank goodness it wasn't us." Texas roller coaster reopens after woman's death . | NEW: A park visitor says some stranded riders were "sitting straight back" Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit stops due to a technical glitch around 7 p.m., spokesman says . Most riders are taken off, though the fire department is called in to get the remaining few . The coaster is billed as Orlando's tallest, reaching 17 stories high . | fef1373218fa2e50c0c92b93c06179f860a726b1 |
(CNN) -- Lovemore Mupfukura, a 30-year-old from Zimbabwe who studied health education, moves deliberately and concentrates on conversations like they're chess matches. Rithika Mathias, a 25-year-old chemist and musician from Massachusetts, walks quickly and can carry on multiple conversations simultaneously. One year ago, they didn't know each other. Now, as colleagues, roommates and confidants, they are working to become leaders of our next big social movement -- the fight for health equity. Lovemore and Rithika work side by side out of identical, windowless offices at Covenant House's Crisis Center in Newark, New Jersey. As health counselors, they are in charge of the medical intake and well-being of 40 homeless youth. The only part of their demanding day that is consistent is the morning -- they are greeted with a hug when they get to work. The two were placed at Covenant House by Global Health Corps. Founded in 2009, GHC's mission is to mobilize young leaders from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds to promote global health equity. GHC recruits and trains emerging leaders, then places them in one of seven countries to work with a health non-profit or government office for a yearlong fellowship in order to strengthen and learn from the organization. This week, Lovemore and Rithika will complete their year of service and become GHC alumni as a new class of 106 fellows joins the movement to serve with 44 partner organizations. Our advocacy for health equity is fueled by the belief that access to quality health care is a human right. At GHC, we believe the poor, who are burdened the most by disease, deserve our highest quality of care. We know many of the 1.7 million deaths from HIV/AIDS worldwide can be prevented with better access to antiretroviral medicine. We are motivated by the overwhelming costs of health care for the poor and the fact that more than 60% of bankruptcies in the U.S. are caused by medical expenses. These challenges are daunting, but can be met. We at GHC believe the following four principles are vital to the movement's success: . 1. Young people should be at the center of this cause . More undergraduate students in North America are linking arms and demanding global health curricula while building up community organizing skills. GlobeMed, a nonprofit founded in 2007 by students at Northwestern University that partners with grassroots health organizations around the world, has spread to 55 universities and is joined by several new health organizations. Yet, a scarcity of opportunities and lack of a supportive global health community keeps too many skilled young professionals from fulfilling their potential after college. It's a moral imperative to provide young people opportunities in the global health space. 2. The leaders must be global . GHC has a partnership model where one fellow is always paired with an international fellow. We see our 90 current fellows, who come from 12 countries, sharing challenges and ideas daily, via social media, impromptu gatherings and in-person retreats. The exchange of best practices in this globally connected social movement is not just from the U.S. outward. It is a collaboration that has no boundaries. For example, our fellows at Partners In Health's PACT program in Boston improved care for low-income HIV patients by adopting best practices from community health worker programs implemented in rural Haiti and Rwanda. 3. Complex challenges require diverse skills . Doctors and nurses are vital to the movement for health equity but our next transformational leaders could be from non-traditional health fields such as computer science, economics, or communications. This year, GHC fellows with architecture backgrounds, working with the MASS Design Group in Rwanda, oversaw the construction of hospitals that use the latest theories of design for efficient care. Our new class of fellows represents 45 fields of expertise. 4. Organizations must take a humble approach . We should stand with, and learn from, those we seek to serve. Health programs should be staffed and led by those in the community who are being served. We should also work in partnership with both the public and private sectors to reach more people. Without these partnerships we will fail. After the fellowship, Lovemore will partner with another GHC alum in Zimbabwe to establish an organization to serve orphans and other at-risk youth. Rithika will study medicine at UCLA and focus on community health. After providing care to hundreds of at-risk youth and receiving hundreds of morning hugs this year, they are ready to lead in the movement for health equity. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Barbara Bush and Andrew Bentley. | Barbara Bush, Andrew Bentley: Join us in the fight for health equity . Bush, Bentley: We believe that access to health care for all is a human right . They say young leaders can participate in Global Health Corps to help the world . This social movement will help foster best practices in health equity, they say . | 8b881ed533a798bd0ee7510ce7a4e92dbdd2d1ae |
New York (CNN) -- Federal investigators have joined local and state law enforcement in an effort to track down and prosecute Ann Pettway, who is suspected in the 1987 abduction of Carlina Renae White, according to a law enforcement source. A warrant was issued Friday in North Carolina for the arrest of Pettway, for violating her two-year probation sentence on attempted embezzlement charges, according to North Carolina Department of Corrections spokeswoman Pamela Walker. "As part of her probation she must seek permission to leave the state of North Carolina," Walker said. "At this time no such request has been made." That said, if she is arrested, Pettway would be prosecuted at the federal level for allegedly kidnapping White, then an infant. White's mother said she never gave up hope that she would be reunited with her daughter, who had been missing for 23 years. "I just always believed that she would find me," Joy White told the New York Post this week after seeing her daughter for the first time since she was just 19 days old. White last saw her daughter on August 4, 1987, when she took her to a Harlem hospital because the baby had an extremely high fever, a New York police official said. Carlina was admitted to the hospital, and White went home to rest. When the mother returned, Carlina was gone. "That was a big part of my heart that just was ripped apart," Carlina White's biological father, Carl Tyson, told the Post of his daughter's disappearance. Carlina White has told the Post that the woman who raised her is Pettway, who she said was pregnant in 1987, but lost her baby. "Nobody knew because she was pregnant and came back with me," White said. "She had something set up." But White, who was raised under a different name, had nursed a nagging feeling that she was brought up by a family she did not belong to, said Ernie Allen of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And her suspicions grew stronger after the woman who raised her could not provide her with a birth certificate. White said she wondered: "Where did you get me from?" "I just started typing in Yahoo and Google different articles -- anything that pulled up in 1987 with any child that went missing -- and I came across the article, and the baby picture just struck me because ... it looked like my daughter," White, now the mother of a 5-year-old girl, told the Post. "I swear I stayed on that article for like a good two hours." On January 4, Joy White's phone rang. The woman on the other end of the line said she was Carlina, and she sent White a picture taken in 1987. The face in the photograph bore a striking resemblance to that of the baby in the tattered picture White had held on to. Police also agreed that the photographs looked alike and carried out a DNA test. On Tuesday, the results came back: They were a match. Lisa White-Heatley, Joy White's sister, was at the reunion between Carlina and her mother. "It was a beautiful experience," she said Friday on NBC's "Today" show. "Her face -- she looked just like herself. I just grabbed her. I was so happy to see her. And then my sister started to cry and Carlina said, 'Mommy, don't cry.'" Regina Tyson, the sister of Carlina White's biological father, described her niece's relationship with her family as "immediate closeness." "This was always what I wanted ever since I found out that lady wasn't my biological mother," Carlina White told the Post of her newly reunited family. "I just hope that the officials will be able to get her in their hands so we could just hear her side of the story now." Her biological family, meanwhile, says they want justice. "I want her to go to jail ... for what she did and what she did to my family," White-Heatley said of whoever abducted her niece. "She destroyed my family." CNN's Ronni Berke contributed to this report. | NEW: North Carolina authorities have issued a warrant to arrest Ann Pettway . Pettway is serving a two-year probation on attempted embezzlement charges . If arrested, Pettway would be prosecuted at the federal level . | 7e132e4efaa17f98c5dbd09c8af9a1518ef66ee3 |
By . Lizzie Edmonds . Vanessa Feltz, pictured today, said she has received a 'storm of insults and bile' following her allegations she was assaulted by Rolf Harris . Vanessa Feltz says she has received a 'storm of insults and bile' following claims she was sexually assaulted by Rolf Harris. The broadcaster claimed on Sunday the sex predator put his hands up her dress and tugged at her underwear during a live interview on Channel 4's The Big Breakfast. Feltz claims she only managed to stop Harris assaulting her by calling out for an advertisement break. Following her allegations, which date back to 1996, the presenter says that she's received an 'outpouring of misogyny and hatred' online. Speaking on the radio, she said: 'You think if people react like that, you can see why people don't come forward. 'I'm 52 and I can handle myself so imagine if I was a seven-year-old child, or 12 or 17. 'I'm not saying just if it's someone famous, but imagine if it was your dad, uncle or teacher. 'The kind of reaction I have had, I found so upsetting. 'I was upset by the outpouring of misogyny and hatred and you know "Who would want to assault Vanessa Feltz?".' Today, scores of comments could be seen on Twitter. One, named Jack, said: 'Vanessa Feltz claims Rolf Harris groped her. Surely even Rolf Harris has standards?' Another, Jo Hoskinson, wrote: 'Apparently #RolfHarris groped #vanessafeltz. Really Vanessa? Does someone need some publicity? #jumponthebandwagon' One Twitter user, Rob, wrote: 'If #RolfHarris has touched up #vanessafeltz he deserves another 5 years for p***poor taste.' Another, referred to as Belcher, added: 'Vanessa Feltz, though? You've really let your fans down this time, Rolf.' Adam Tonner remarked: 'Vanessa Feltz is just a stupid b**** that noone likes #doone' Scroll down for video . Miss Feltz claims the disgraced star attacked her during a live interview on Channel 4 in 1996. Pictured is one of the abusive tweets written about the broadcaster . Miss Feltz said on Sunday it 'didn't occur to her' to inform officers of Harris's alleged attack. Pictured is another of the tweets posted today . Miss Feltz said today she was 'upset' by the messages, one abusive example pictured . Derek Stitt said: 'Vanessa Feltz has accused Rolf Harris of touching her up in 1996. I think he thought he was sedating a hippo in animal hospital to be fair.' One, known as Fattus Antus, wrote: 'Vanessa Feltz looks like the offspring of a knockoff Barbie doll from Rwanda and a neglected beanbag. I can honestly say that I'd rather grope a Kangaroo than Vanessa Feltz.' Feltz said that she contacted Metropolitan Police on the first day of the trial hoping to testify against him. However, she was told that Harris's lawyers said the allegations came too late to investigate without derailing the case. Earlier this week, singer Linda Nolan also alleged the paedophile molested her when she was 15. She claims Harris attacked her while she was backstage in South Africa - where she and her sisters were due to perform. Harris, 84, was jailed for five years . and nine months at Southwark Crown Court last Friday for 12 indecent . assaults on four victims including his daughter’s best friend and an . eight-year-old. Another of the messages. Miss Feltz's claims come as singer Linda Nolan alleged she was attacked by Harris when she was 15 years old . Feltz says the attack took place in May 1996 while she was interviewing Harris on a bed. In an interview with The Daily Express, she said some of the staff on the show warned her Harris was known in the business for his wandering hands. The presenter, who was wearing a floor-length evening dress for the interview, described the alleged attack to the newspaper. She said: 'As the interview continued, with his wife watching and with the crew all in the room, I suddenly felt a rustling at the hem of my dress. ‘I was on live television so I could not look down but I sensed that his hand was at the bottom of my dress and he was slowly gathering the fabric up and moving his hand higher and higher up my leg.’ She said Harris carried on smiling and joking as though nothing was happening. ‘Suddenly his hand had reached my knee and he was still going up and travelling at speed. Miss Feltz says she was attacked by the paedophile during this interview on Channel 4's Big Breakfast - which she presented at the time. She said staff warned her at the time Harris had 'wandering hands' Rolf Harris, pictured leaving Southwark Crown Court with his wife Alwen and daughter Bindi (right),was found guilty of 12 sex charges involving four women last week . 'After a few seconds he had managed to get his hand inside the elastic of my knickers and I was absolutely staggered. ‘I had to do something but I was in the middle of an interview on live television with one of the most famous men in the country. I have not a shadow of a doubt that he knew exactly what he was doing and he was getting excited about it, doing what he was doing while he was on live television. ‘The second we went to the break I jumped away from him and got his hand out from under my dress. He didn’t react in any way at all. When we came back to the live interview he carried on as if nothing had happened. ‘I was powerless to protect myself and he knew and he was getting a thrill from it. 'At the time I did not even consider going to the police. I did not think anyone would believe me against the great Rolf Harris.’ Linda Nolan, pictured on Good Morning Britain today, claims she was attacked by Harris when she was 15 . The Nolan Sisters, left to right, Bernadette, Denise, Linda (top), Anne and Maureen. The singer says Harris attacked her while the family were touring in South Africa . | Vanessa Feltz, 52, claims she was assaulted by disgraced entertainer . Says Harris put his hands up her dress during live 1996 television show . Today, broadcaster says she's received a 'storm of insults and bile' online . 'I was upset by the outpouring of misogyny and hatred,' she added . Comes as singer Linda Nolan claims she was attacked by disgraced star . Alleges Harris attacked her when she was 15-years-old in South Africa . Harris was jailed for five years and nine months for string of assaults . | 5b7f066e912088f251b2a7c41786daa673603fac |
In the cramped conditions of an ant nest, living alongside 100,000 of your work colleagues could get a little messy. Black garden ants, however, appear to have a solution - they build en-suite toilets in the corners of their nests. Biologists have found that the insects are meticulously sanitary when it comes to where they deposit their faeces - leaving them in just one or two places. Black garden ants, like the one pictured above, use specific corners of their nests when going to the toilet . But rather than throwing out the build-up of waste like they do with other rubbish - such as the remains of food and corpses - they leave the toilets in their nests. It suggests that the ants may use put their faeces to some use - perhaps even using it as a place to 'grow' food. While humans and even crows have been found to have a favoured side when performing delicate tasks, it also seems ants may do too. A recent study has found that ants tend to turn left when exploring new surroundings. The behaviour was recorded when Temnothorax albipennis, or rock ants, were put in mazes. In the experiment the ants overwhelmingly chose to turn left, as opposed to right, when exploring the new 'nest'. Why ants may have this bias for the left remains unknown, according to biologists. Dr Tomer Czackzkes, a biologist who led the study at the University of Regensburg, in Germany, said: 'For ants, which like us live in very dense communities, sanitation is a big problem. 'Ants normally keep a very clean nest, and usually throw out dangerous rubbish, like food remains and corpses. 'Some insects use faeces for defense, as building materials, as manure for their crops, and as markings. 'Perhaps these toilets are also gardens for crops, or even stores for valuable nutrients.' The researchers, whose study is published in the journal Public Library of Science One, observed the behaviour of black garden ants, Lasius niger. They were kept in nests built from plaster and given sugary food dyed with either red or blue food dye. The researchers found red and blue dye from the food given to the ants accumulated in the corners of their plaster nests, pictured above, over a two month period, which suggests they were using them as toilets . The scientists then took pictures of the nests and surrounding foraging box they were placed in over the next two months. After two months the ants were removed and the scientists found coloured patches had formed in one to four corners of the nests. The colour was always the same colour as the sugary food the ants had eaten. The scientists said that no coloured patches were found outside the nest, but distinct piles of dead ants and other debris from the nest were found outside. They also gave the ants a protein jelly - which worker ants do not eat and can be lethal to them - and this was also found outside the nest. Black garden ants, shown above in this electron microscope image, are also known by the name Lasius niger . Other social insects are also known to collect their faeces for use - termites use it as a building material while leaf cutter ants use it as fertiliser for the fungi they use as food. Honeybees, however, are known to leave their nests to go on 'defecation flights'. Dr Czackzkes said the toilets may have an anti-microbial function to help prevent the spread of disease in the nests. He said that there did not appear to be any fungi growing on the toilet areas, but when ants were removed from the nest some fungi did grow. He also noticed that the ants did not appear to avoid walking through the toilets and is keen to investigate whether workers carry the brood to these areas of the nest or keep them away. He said: 'The growth of micro-organisms on the toilets may be actively inhibited by the ants, perhaps by the application of formic acid or antibiotic secretions. 'Alternatively, the ants may be using the toilets as a garden, and eating the resulting fruiting bodies, as a way of accessing otherwise inaccessible nutrients from their waste. 'These hypothesised roles for the toilets are open to future investigation.' | Biologists at University of Regensburg studied common black garden ants . They fed the ants sugary food containing coloured dye to track their faeces . After two months they found distinct piles appeared in corners of the nests . Scientists say the insects may use their waste for building or as fertiliser . | a26be8e3313c980471b02d0bed483a55c4340cec |
Boat after boat, body after body from a capsized South Korean ferry came ashore Sunday morning, a solemn process interrupted by piercing cries and screams from passengers' kin. The wrenching scene came after four police boats arrived in rapid succession. The first carried four bodies. The second boat had three more, likewise the third and fourth. 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 themselves shed tears -- and past even more outwardly emotional family members. These relatives cried and, in some cases, yelled loudly, clearly overtaken by the moment. Some of those shouts came from inside the identification tent. One man yelled out, "Wake up! Wake up, please!" The arrival of the 13 bodies corresponds with the South Korean coast guard's announcement, a short time earlier, that the death toll had increased by that number, up to 50. But few expect it to stop there. While 174 were rescued shortly after the vessel sunk Wednesday, there have been none saved since despite extensive, exhaustive searches by air, from ships and by divers plunging into the frigid waters and ideally inside the now completely submerged ship itself. The number of those unaccounted for stood at 252 early Sunday. Relatives of some of them gathered in Jindo -- the nearest port to the wreckage some 12 miles (20 kilometers) away -- were asked earlier in the weekend to submit DNA samples. Ship's captain defends evacuation . As divers and others scrambled to retrieve yet more bodies, details are trickling in about what happened the day the ferry capsized. Capt. Lee Joon Seok defended his order to delay the evacuation of his sinking ferry, CNN affiliate YTN reported early Saturday. Lee was charged with abandoning his boat, negligence, causing bodily injury, not seeking rescue from other ships and violating "seamen's law," state media reported. He appeared before reporters in handcuffs. "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," prosecutor Lee Bong-chang 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, he faces from five years to life in prison. Lee wasn't at the helm of the Sewol when it started to sink; a third mate was at the helm, a prosecutor said. Where was the captain? The captain was not in the steering room when the accident occurred, according to police and his own account. He was in his cabin. A crew member, described as the third mate and identified only as Park, appeared in handcuffs with Lee. 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. Lee answered questions as he left a court hearing Saturday. "The tidal current was strong and water temperature was cold, and there was no rescue boat," he told reporters, according to CNN affiliate YTN. "So I had everyone stand by and wait for the rescue boat to arrive." He said he plotted the ship's course, and then went to his cabin briefly "to tend to something." It was then, he said, the accident happened. The third mate, who was at the helm of the ship when Lee left, said she did not make a sharp turn, but "the steering turned much more than usual." The captain was one of at least 174 people 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." More ships, aircraft . Hopes of finding the missing alive dimmed further when the entire boat became submerged Friday. Until then, part of the ship's blue-and-white hull was still poking out of the frigid waters of the Yellow Sea. The coast guard said workers continued to pump air into the hull of the submerged ship, but could not stop its descent. The ferry boat sank 10 meters (33 feet) farther below the surface of the Yellow Sea overnight, Maritime Police told CNN Saturday. South Korean officials said Saturday they are sending in 176 ships, 28 aircraft and 652 divers to take part in the search and rescue efforts. | The death toll climbs to 50, the South Korean coast guard says . 252 people are still missing, in addition to the 174 who were rescued . Capt. Lee Joon Seok defends his order to delay the evacuation of his sinking ferry . | 751872b526382c5108b790837b369a1e28b81f3c |
Owen Farrell and George Ford could rekindle their junior partnership this weekend as England consider naming both players in the starting line-up to face South Africa. With Kyle Eastmond struck down by illness, head coach Stuart Lancaster could be short of options in the midfield for Saturday’s Test against the Springboks. Luther Burrell is also sidelined with a hand injury and the England selection panel are now deliberating whether to name Farrell at No 12, with Bath playmaker Ford pulling the strings at fly-half. England coach Mike Catt (right) works with George Ford and Owen Farrell (left) in training on Monday . Sir Clive Woodward urged Lancaster to move Farrell . Sir Clive Woodward wrote in his Sportsmail column on Monday that England are in need of a natural kicker like Farrell at inside centre — something that Eastmond does not offer — and the Ford-Farrell combination would tick that box. The pair, who were once opponents at junior rugby league clubs in Yorkshire, thrived in the same partnership at England age-group level, when they lost just two games in five years. ‘I’m sure he (Kyle) will get over the sickness and diarrhoea, but it’s about how much it takes out of him and the knock-on effect of not doing the work,’ said Lancaster. ‘The obvious options are to put George in at 10 and Owen at 12. ‘You can bring someone like Billy Twelvetrees in at 12, while Luther Burrell is on a return to play this week but he hasn’t done anything for two or three weeks, so isn’t really in the equation for us. They are the options.’ Farrell (right) and Ford played for England in the final of the Junior World Cup in 2011 . Johann van Graan has hailed England’s Graham Rowntree as ‘one of the best forwards coaches in the world’, who has created a ‘world-class scrum’. He added: ‘Graham is a good friend of mine. We coached against each other for the first time in 2012. What a great guy and what a great (team of) coaching staff — just look at guys like Stuart Lancaster, Andy Farrell and Mike Catt.’ The physical threat posed by the Springboks might count against Ford in selection, but Lancaster will weigh up the pros and cons in Tuesday's training session at Pennyhill Park. Ford’s small stature — 13st 3lb compared to Farrell’s 15st 2lb frame — could lead to him being targeted by some of South Africa’s powerful ball-carriers. Lancaster added: ‘It is a four-game series. I’ve got in my own mind further games and options to look at combinations. ‘The question in my mind is: do you give the players another opportunity who played their part last week (in the 24-21 defeat by New Zealand) to improve on that performance? Because there is a lot of frustration.’ Sir Clive Woodward says England are in need of a natural kicker like Farrell (right) at inside centre . Head injuries to Courtney Lawes and Dylan Hartley mean the Northampton pair will have cognitive testing ahead of Thursday’s team announcement. Dave Attwood also picked up a minor knock and a hip injury to Semesa Rokoduguni, who is expected to train on Tuesday, will have Anthony Watson on red alert ahead of a possible promotion to the starting XV. Lancaster is hopeful that all will be available for selection, while Ben Morgan is also pushing to oust Billy Vunipola after the No 8’s impact off the bench on Saturday. The latest injury problems are far from ideal for Lancaster, who is hoping to end a barren winless run against South Africa this weekend. England have suffered 10 defeats and one draw in their last 11 meetings with the Rainbow Nation, having failed to record a victory since 2006. The Monday morning debrief after Saturday’s defeat at Twickenham was, in the words of loosehead prop Joe Marler, ‘very honest’, but focus must now turn towards their next challenge. The Quins front-row said the second-half performance was worthy of words that he ‘can’t really use’ and has promised to bottle up the frustration ahead of the second Test on Saturday. ‘The Southern Hemisphere teams have set the standard over the years and are continuing to do so,’ said Marler. ‘But I’d like to think we’ve got a squad now who can go toe-to-toe with them. It’s about having the belief that we’re not just capable of hanging in there against them, but can ramp it up ourselves at the right time and can take them to some darker places.’ Stuart Lancaster is hoping to end a barren winless run against South Africa this weekend . But while England will still be seething from their defeat by the All Blacks, South Africa will arguably be even more aggrieved after their shock 29-15 loss to Ireland. England will face some hugely powerful forwards in the likes of Duane Vermeulen, Victor Matfield and Bismarck du Plessis and Marler knows his side must front up if they are to overcome their Southern Hemisphere hoodoo. ‘Against every international team at the moment you’ve got to be physical otherwise you’re going to get pumped,’ said Marler. ‘South Africa as a nation stand very tall and proud; their DNA is run hard and, if that doesn’t work, run harder. They pride themselves on that and they’ve got a world-class tight five.’ | Sir Clive Woodward said England are in need of a natural kicker like Owen Farrell at inside centre . Bath playmaker George Ford set to be handed No 10 shirt for Saturday's Test against South Africa at Twickenham . Kyle Eastmond's illness has left England head coach Stuart Lancaster short of options . | a591d5f126402e66b03aaec92d9fe892a87bdd95 |
(CNN) -- The U.S. Navy has pulled off what the service's "air boss" called "a watershed event," launching a drone from an aircraft carrier. The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator completed a catapult launch from the USS George H.W. Bush off the coast of Virginia Tuesday morning. "Today we saw a small, but significant pixel in the future picture of our Navy as we begin integration of unmanned systems into arguably the most complex warfighting environment that exists today: the flight deck of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier," the "air boss," Vice Adm. David Buss, commander of Naval Air Forces, said in a statement. The drone landed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, after a 65-minute flight around Chesapeake Bay, the Navy said. "The flight today demonstrated that the X-47B is capable of operation from a carrier, hand-off from one mission control station to another, flight through the national airspace, and recovery at another location without degradation in safety or precision," Matt Funk, the lead engineer for the UCAS program, said in statement. The next milestone will be landing the craft back on the carrier as the flight deck pitches in the open sea, something onboard pilots consider one of the most difficult things they do. That may come sometime this summer, the Navy statement said. Drone came within 200 feet of airliner in March . One state has a new law restricting drone use . | The launch from the USS George H.W. Bush is called a "watershed event" The drone landed at an air station in Maryland after a 65-minute flight . The Navy hopes to land a drone on a carrier this summer . | 99c5f0af2b219def475d50df0d83dfd2723e8ae6 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:12 EST, 31 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:08 EST, 31 October 2013 . Dozens of high school students in San Diego could face criminal charges after texting sexually explicit photos of teenage girls. Schoolgirls, some as young as 13, had sent naked pictures of themselves to their boyfriends, which were then circulated to students at seven schools. Some of the students who received and sent on the photos could now be charged with possession and distribution of child pornography. Investigation: Schoolboys at seven San Diego schools could be charged with child pornography after sharing pictures of naked girlfriends . 'The individuals took pictures of . themselves in very compromising positions, exposing various parts of . their bodies, and very, you know, unflattering,' Lieutenant Chuck Haye of the San Diego Police Department said. He told 10 News about 30 students at six high schools and one middle school were involved and that many of the girls had no idea their pictures were being distributed. 'We have several hundred photographs to . look through. We have a much smaller number of pictures that actually . have a face shot that will provide us an opportunity to identify who it . is,' Lieutenant Haye added. The San Dieguito Union High School District told ABC News it was cooperating with the investigation and that it encouraged parents 'to consistently monitor teen-use of cellular phone and other technologies'. Parents in the school district have also said the case has prompted them to think about the way their children use phones. Gordon Cooke, whose 14-year-old daughter attends Canyon Crest Academy, one of the schools allegedly being investigated, said: 'What I tell my kids all the time is you’re really just one screen shot away from ruining your lives.' 'I think a lot of the kids don't realize and they think it's funny and innocent,' he said. San Diego police plan to file criminal charges but have not said when that will happen. All of those being investigated are minors. | Boys face child pornography charges for sharing naked photos . San Diego police investigating six high schools and a middle school . | 6060214b47fc35c3b1ff9286bfeac6f22ca86f59 |
By . Daniel Martin, Whitehall Correspondent . The public has lost faith in government claims about tackling immigration because it does not tally with what they see on the ground, Nick Clegg will admit. In a speech on immigration tomorrow, the Deputy Prime Minister will say it is ‘no wonder’ that people do not believe what ministers tell them when they have been ‘repeatedly told one thing only to then see another’. He will speak out in favour of the free movement of European citizens but seek reforms to ensure that fewer Eastern Europeans move here if more countries are admitted to the EU in future. Speaking out: In a speech on immigration, Nick Clegg (left) will back the seek reforms to the free movement of European citizens to ensure that fewer Eastern Europeans move here if more countries are admitted to the EU in future, while Rachel Reeves (right) will also call for reforms to tackle benefit tourism . Labour’s welfare spokesman Rachel Reeves will also call for reforms to the freedom of movement – to tackle benefit tourism – in a speech tomorrow. But the Tories claim her idea – to stop people being able to claim welfare unless they have built up sufficient National Insurance contributions – was likely to be illegal under EU law. The two speeches on immigration from Labour and Lib Dem politicians indicate that both believe they need to speak tough on the issue in the run-up to next May’s general election. On Saturday, Labour’s Ed Balls said the party could not win the election unless it became tougher on immigration. The surge by Ukip – which stands on an . anti-immigration platform – in May’s European elections particularly . unnerved the Lib Dems, who were reduced to one seat. To tackle this . perception, Mr Clegg will say tomorrow that more needs to be done on . migration from Europe. Arrivals: Passengers check in for a flight from Bucharest, Romania, to London, on January 1 this year when transition controls were lifted . ‘I want to be unequivocal: freedom of movement between EU member states is a good thing,’ he will say. ‘It’s a cornerstone of European integration; a right enjoyed by around one and a half million British citizens who live on the other side of the Channel. ‘It is necessary in order to be part of the world’s biggest single market where goods and people can flow between nations. ‘Those who wish to undo it should be careful what they wish for: the blow to UK prosperity would be immense.’ But he said freedom of movement needed reform to make it clear it was a freedom to work, not a freedom to claim benefits. He said that, if the EU expands in future, there need to be tougher transitional controls so that fewer people from poorer countries can come here in search of work. Mr Clegg will say: ‘In 2004 Labour said up to 13,000 people from countries like Poland and Hungary would come here every year. The real figure was around 170,000. ‘When Romania and Bulgaria joined, Labour said no one from those countries would arrive ahead of the transition controls being lifted this year. Yet 60,000 Romanians and Bulgarians were already working here through a loophole for anyone who registered as self-employed. ‘Is it any wonder – when people have been repeatedly told one thing only to then see another – that so many have lost faith in government’s ability to manage the flow of migrants from new EU states?’ Get tough: Boris Johnson will warn David Cameron that Brussels will only give him a better deal if he threatens to pull Britain out of the EU . Boris Johnson will throw down the gauntlet to David Cameron this week – by warning that Brussels will only give him a better deal if he threatens to pull Britain out of the EU. A study by the London Mayor’s economic adviser, banker Gerard Lyons, says leaving the EU is ‘definitely a viable option’ and would be better for Britain than staying in an unreformed institution. Mr Johnson will use the findings in a speech in which he is expected to say that the UK should ‘not be frightened’ of leaving the EU – a stark contrast to the position of the Prime Minister, who wants Britain to stay in. Mr Cameron has pledged a referendum on EU membership by 2017, following Brussels reforms, including a crackdown on benefit tourism. But Mr Johnson is understood to believe that the strategy will not ensure success. A source close to the mayor told The Sunday Times that he believes Mr Cameron must be ‘bold’ in his demands in the renegotiation of membership and the best way is by showing he has ‘no fear’ of departure if the talks fail to deliver. | Deputy Prime Minister due to give a speech on immigration tomorrow . He will say people are 'repeatedly told one thing only to see another' Clegg will speak out in favour of free movement of European citizens . But he will seek reforms ensuring fewer Eastern Europeans move here if more countries are admitted to the EU in future . Labour's Rachel Reeves will also call for reforms to freedom of movement . | 192d264c0bc4676a2ac9e0c3073e838fbd8c0707 |
(CNN) -- A picture is worth a thousand words -- but for Christie Morgan, those words weren't worth remembering. When she was forced to pose for photos at her niece's Sweet 16 party in 2008, she realized just how overweight she really was. If she didn't make a drastic change, she knew she wouldn't live to see future family milestones. At the time, she weighed in at 403 pounds. Because of her body size, she struggled throughout everyday life. She couldn't walk more than a few steps in her own home, get out of a car or fit in airplane seats. "I swear, every beat of my heart hurt," Morgan says. "Any moment could be my last, and I felt one morning I simply would not wake up." Morgan grew up in a large family where every occasion centered around food. Every birthday, anniversary, graduation or accomplishment was an excuse to consume authentic Italian food. She wanted to be a role model for her daughter, Brielle, now 18, but says it was difficult enforcing a healthy diet when she wasn't following one herself. When Brielle had parent-teacher days at school, Morgan refused to attend because she didn't want to embarrass her daughter by being "the fat mom." "When you are that large and that miserable in your body, you feel like you're a failure to your children, your parents and society," Morgan says. Doctors told her the only way to lose enough weight to be at a healthy BMI was through gastric bypass surgery. Her friends constantly told her she wouldn't be successful if she didn't get professional help. Morgan says she considered both, but ultimately she wanted to shed the pounds on her own naturally. "I felt just from watching surgery-goers, their body changed, but they weren't all that healthy," Morgan says. "They could continue to eat the junk, just not as much." In the past, she had tried almost every single diet fad known. "Either I failed them, or they failed me, I just don't know," Morgan says. So she decided to look at weight loss as a challenge to her doctors and herself, not as punishment. Days after seeing pictures from the birthday party, Morgan sat down and formed an eating plan. She took elements of other diets and her knowledge from nutrition classes she took in college and created her own diet plan. Lean meats and fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, KIND bars and unlimited water are essentials during the day. Morgan says she didn't want to feel deprived as she did in other diets -- she wanted a way to eat cleaner and feel full at the same time. "I love cooking and entertaining," Morgan says. "I needed to find a way to cook my favorite foods healthier, not cut them out entirely." She says exercising was a challenge in the beginning, but starting slow allowed her to keep realistic goals. "The first day of exercising resulted in me breaking a "Total Gym" machine because I exceeded the weight limit," Morgan says. So she steered clear of the gym to avoid being ridiculed by strangers. "It's not about investing in supplements, gym memberships, programs or diet plans," she says. "For me it was about investing in myself, my health, my mind and my body." In two years, Morgan has shed a total of 289 pounds. She now weighs 114 pounds. She says looking back at pictures, she can see the sadness in her eyes. The smile on her face was a facade to hide from how she truly felt about her body. "Perfection is knowing that I am the best I can be in every way," she says. "And now I'm no longer an observer of life, but a participant." Have you lost weight? Share your story on iReport . | Doctors encouraged Christie Morgan to have gastric bypass surgery, which she resisted . When she was 45 years old, Morgan weighed 403 pounds . She says she didn't want to be an observer of life anymore but a participant . In two years, Morgan has dropped 289 pounds without surgery . | 3d95a3be6c9eff171db9f1a5bcc378bc39a81479 |
By . Toni Jones . PUBLISHED: . 09:42 EST, 7 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:11 EST, 7 August 2013 . Here's a piece of furniture you can really lay into - a sofa that flips to become a punch bag. The clever design by German designer Tobias Franzel, named 'Champ' brings a cartoon touch to the standard couch, leaving exercise avoiders with little excuse. While resting, the sofa's arm and punch bag lies flat on the seat, but it can be moved in to position ready for action within seconds. Scroll down for video . German designer Tobias Franzel has created a sofa that turns in to a punch bag . While resting, the sofa's arm and punch bag lies flat on the seat, but it can be moved in to position ready for action within seconds . Tobias, 34, said: 'I needed something to beat up whenever I'm angry need to release tension and it couldn't just be a normal punch bag. 'It should just be a casual thing, something on demand. Then the idea to combine it with a backrest for the sofa sprang to mind. 'I wanted it to be comic-like, fresh and with a poppy appearance, and the shape just ended up that way.' Designer Tobias, 34, said: 'I needed something to beat up whenever I'm angry need to release tension and it couldn't just be a normal punch bag,' Tobias, a product designer at Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany, developed the settee with an engineer to ensure it is sturdy enough to keep the punching ball in place . Designer Tobias Franzel is a product designer at Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany . Tobias, a product designer at Bauhaus . University in Weimar, Germany, developed the settee with an engineer to . ensure it is sturdy enough to keep the punching ball in place. He considers each sofa a work of art, so each one is individually handmade, and retails at around £3,000 (3,600euros). 'It's made by hand, in single piece production in a signed series almost like a piece of art,' said Tobias. 'I always choose the best materials and I pay the highest attention on quality. 'The craftsmen are not in a hurry and are paid well so they can focus on doing a good job. It's really old-school. 'It's perfect for people who like to have fun and how off their specialities but not worry about the money. 'It's different to other couches as it's extremely good looking and people will be one of only a few owning such a unique kind of object.' | German Tobias Franzel has created a sofa that turns into a boxing bag . Designed to be used for exercise or to release tension . Developed with an engineer to . ensure it is sturdy . Each one is bespoke and sells for around £3,000 . | 49a4ecf45739181499237e96137f1b0d22bf7693 |
By . John Mcdonnell . Last updated at 3:57 PM on 5th July 2011 . Amanda Knox's best friend is so convinced of the innocence of the convicted murderer that she has moved to Italy to be by her side. Madison Paxton has spoken candidly about her regular visits to her 'confidante' in jail and revealed that they sometimes can do nothing but 'hug and cry'. Knox is serving 26 years in jail for the brutal knife murder of British student Meredith Kercher, 21, who was found semi naked and with her throat cut. Close: Madison Paxton, left, is now working as a newspaper photographer in Italy after moving from Seattle to be near to her best friend Amanda Knox (right), who is serving 26 years for murder . Victim: English student Meredith Kercher was found murdered in November 2007 . After her conviction in December 2009, . Knox wrote to Paxton to tell her of her plans if her appeal was . successful - 'ride my bike through Seattle, get married, have children'. But if her appeal was unsuccessful, Knox said she planned to 'get a few degrees, work as a translator', Paxton revealed. Last November, Paxton, 24, moved 5,000 . miles from Seattle to Italy to be close to her friend, and she now has a . job as a photographer on a local newspaper. In an interview with Grazia, Paxton revealed that Knox is keeping busy in jail by studying foreign languages, singing in a choir and learning to play the guitar - but she often breaks down. 'On Amanda's down days there's little I can do. We just hug, cry and thank each other for existing.' She also told how despite Knox, nicknamed 'Foxy Knoxy', receiving 'bundles' of letters of support and marriage proposals from strangers, there is a 'stigma' attached to being friends with the convicted murderer. 'Strangers have spat in our friends' faces and I've received abusive Facebook messages,' Paxton said. Real life: Amanda Knox is led into court in December as she continues to fight for an appeal to prove her innocence in the murder of British student Meredith Kercher . Fictional portrayal: Hayden Panettiere stars as Amanda Knox in the controversial TV movie that has upset everyone involved in the case . Graphic: 'Meredith' lies helplessly on the floor as she is attacked in the TV film portrayal . Lawyers for Amanda Knox are battling to block a TV film about the murder of Meredith Kercher being shown it Italy before the American exchange student's appeal later this year. Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial In Italy was broadcast in the U.S. in February, despite legal objections, but now there is a fight on to stop distribution of the film, which sees Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere portraying Knox and playing an active part in the terrible events. In the disturbing footage, Meredith is seen being held down on the floor by Knox's former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, who was convicted of murder with her and Rudy Guede, who was found guilty at an earlier trial. Knox's lawyers claim the film amounts to 'character assassination' of their client and Sollecito, and have even asked for the trailer to be removed from YouTube. The trailer opens with a scene of Knox at home in Seattle surrounded by her father Curt and mother Edda Mellas as they give her a champagne send off as she begins a year abroad in the Italian town of Perugia. It then cuts to her meeting Sollecito at a concert and shows the start of their relationship before switching to a police chief who tells a press conference: 'This was a sex game... Amanda orchestrated the attack.' He then adds: 'Under the angel face, she is capable of anything.' The film, which has been slammed as 'horrific' by Meredith's parents, was shot in Rome during October and November after officials in Perugia denied filmmakers access. Paxton also revealed how the guards in the prison where Knox is being held seem 'sympathetic' towards her plight. 'They sometimes give us chocolate as we chat,' Paxton said. Knox was found guilty after a . year-long trial, but in recent weeks there has been growing unease over . the strength of the evidence used to convict her and fellow accused . Raffaele Sollecito, 27. Last . week a DNA report drawn up by two independent experts said that DNA . found on a 30cm kitchen knife recovered form Sollecito's flat 'could not . be attributed with certainty to Meredith Kercher.' The . report went on to say there was a serious possibility that evidence had . been contaminated and that proper internationally recognised procedures . when collating and examining evidence had not been followed. Knox was given the news by fellow inmates at Capanne jail, near Perugia, after they saw the revelations on television. Clapping and cheering, inmates crowded round her - with many also embracing her and telling her it was only a matter of time before she was released. Knox's appeal will resume at the end of July. The damning report does mean chances of her being freed on appeal have risen significantly, although its claims must still be discussed in court and any decision is unlikely until the autumn. 'I hope more than anything that come September we can be roommates... But first we must prove she didn't kill her last one,' Paxton said. Meanwhile, lawyers for Knox have launched a legal bid to block a TV film about the murder of Meredith Kercher being shown outside the U.S. to prevent it scuppering the pending appeal. Partners in crime: Rudy Guede, left, and Knox's . boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of the killing of . Kercher along with the American . It has been claimed by lawyers that the film, which stars Hayden Panettiere as Knox, amounts to 'character assassination' of Knox and Sollecito, who is also appealing his murder conviction. A third defendant, small-time drug dealer Rudy Guede, an immigrant from the Ivory Coast, was also jailed in connection with the brutal killing. He was handed a 30-year sentence - later cut to 16 years - for murder and sexual violence following a fast-track trial in October 2008. | Madison Paxton now working as newspaper photographer in Italy . Jail guards 'sympathetic' to Knox's plight, says friend . Knox's lawyers try to block distribution of film about Kercher murder . | d693232748f61bc28883eb7461e4dce8fe74a22d |
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini's composed exterior hasn't necessarily extended to the dressing room during his side's recent stumble in form, reveals Sergio Aguero. After three losses in their past four games the defending Premier League champions' players have 'been told what for' behind closed doors, says the Argentine. 'Manuel is calm on the touchlines, but that isn't to say that when we get in the dressing room at half-time or after a match, that he isn't the first to give us what for,' Aguero said. Sergio Aguero says Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini can blow his top at times . Pellegrini is usually calmness personified pitchside but when the doors are closed he erupts, says Aguero . West Ham away - LOST 2-1 . Newcastle at home - LOST 2-0 . Manchester United at home - WON 1-0 . CSKA Moscow at home - LOST 2-1 . 'I'm not going to tell you exactly what he says, but he doesn't hold back.' If ever there was a case for Chilean Pellegrini to blow his top it was Wednesday night as City imploded at the Etihad, falling to Russia's CSKA Moscow to leave their Champions League campaign in tatters. Fernandinho and Yaya Toure were sent off and Aguero was booked for diving in the 2-1 loss that puts City at the bottom of Group E behind CSKA Moscow and Roma, with Bayern Munich cruising to top the group with two games remaining before the knock-out phase. Aguero goes down after a challenge in the penalty area from CSKA Moscow's Sergei Ignashevich . Instead of a penalty Aguero (left) was booked by referee Anastasios Sidriopoulos (centre) for diving . City have an opportunity to regain some confidence with back-to-back wins in the Premier League, following last week's 1-0 result against Manchester United, when they face QPR at Loftus Road on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm). Any clash with the hoops brings back memories of Aguero twirling his shirt in celebration after scoring the goal that snatched the 2012 title from Manchester United. Aguero has a picture of that moment hanging on his wall at home. ‘Whenever you mention the words “Queens Park Rangers” it always comes to mind,’ he said. ‘That will remain etched on my memory for ever. I’ve watched it back loads and loads of times, as you can imagine.’ Sergio Aguero: Born To Rise – My Story, RRP £18.99. Print and ebook on sale now . | Sergio Aguero said boss Manual Pellegrini is first to give them what for . He revealed the manager's calm exterior disappears in the dressing room . Manchester City have lost three of their past four matches . They face Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Saturday . Aguero said he will stay at City until they win the Champions League . | 0ef10c87884284474681562b4de8e0ac6b8e35b0 |
Everton youngster Ryan Ledson has has praised first team boss Roberto Martinez for giving youth a chance to shine at Goodison Park. Ledson, who joined Everton's academy at the age of five, made his senior professional debut earlier this season when he started the Toffees' Europa League defeat against Krasnodar in a game which saw Martinez blood several youngsters. Despite suffering defeat, the 17-year-old revealed he'll never forget his debut for his boyhood club. Ryan Ledson (right) has praised Roberto Martinez for giving young players a chance at Everton . Ledson told Bleacher Report: 'It was brilliant; being a Scouser, and going to the games all the time, and then getting onto the pitch … you just want more of it. 'The gaffer [Martinez], he gives the young lad a chance - he did it at Wigan and he has definitely done it here up until now. 'That’s what he wants, he wants us progressing, and maybe a few of us get brought up to the first-team.' Ledson made his Everton debut in the 1-0 Europa League defeat against Krasnodar in December . The midfielder, who also captained the England Under-17s to European Championship success last year, also revealed that he plans to work his way into the Toffees first team within the next five years. When asked where he sees himself in 2020, Ledson added: 'Right here. Staying here, and in the first team.' Ledson hopes to being fighting for a first team place under Toffees boss Martinez (above) | Ryan Ledson has hailed Roberto Martinez for showing faith in Everton's youth academy . 17-year-old made his senior debut against Krasnodar in December . Midfielder led England Under-17s to European Championship glory . Ledson sees himself playing in Everton's first team by 2020 . | 51f0a783d506846e6963006d201e59d5c3410e65 |
By . Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 13:03 EST, 14 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:39 EST, 15 December 2012 . Officials in Carson City, Nevada have declared a California woman the rightful owner of $7.4 million in gold coins found in the home of her late cousin. City Clerk-Recorder Alan Glover said a month's worth of genealogical research determined Arlene Magdanz, a first cousin to the late Walter Samasko Jr., was the only living relative of the man, who died in May. Inheritance: Substitute teacher Arlene Magdanz has been officially declared the rightful owner of $7.4million in gold coins found in her first cousin's garage after he died . They managed to identify Arlene Magdanz, a substitute teacher living in San Rafael, California. Mail Online was unable to reach Magdanz by phone on Friday. Her attorney said that the first words . out of his client's mouth when she learned of the possible inheritance in September were: 'Oh my God, Oh my God.' Windfall: Walter Samasko Jr., who died with only $200 in his checking account, had at least $7million of coins in his Nevada home . Officials found the treasure at Glover's . Nevada home, along with his decaying body, one month later after . neighbours complained of a foul smell. He was 69 years old and he left behind just $200 in the bank. He hadn't worked since 1968 and was living off stock investments of $140,000 and $25,000. The gold coins were stowed away in boxes labeled 'books' in Samasko's garage. Glover had died from heart problems, a coroner found, at least one month before he was discovered. Leaving . no will, and with no known relatives, officials set about tracking down . a list of people who had attended Samasko's mother's funeral after she . died in 1992, the Las Vegas Sun reported. She had not spoken to her cousin for a year. The gold, including . coins from Mexico, England, Austria and South Africa dating to 1872, was . hauled from the garage using a wheelbarrow and truck, then deposited for . safekeeping. Carson City Clerk Recorder Alan Glover told MailOnline that only coins were found in Mr Samasko’s house. ‘There . were no bars at all. There were all sorts of coins, though – Mexican, . British sovereigns, Austrian ducats, (South African) krugerrands, most . of it was U.S. $20 gold pieces.’ The British sovereign coins, he said, had ‘both early and later Queen Victoria – from 1840s and the 1890s.’ Quiet life: The reclusive millionaire lived in this modest ranch home and kept his coins in his attached garage . Everything's golden: Among the coins Mr Samasko collected were Austrian ducats, left, and South African Krugerrands, right, many dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s . Stockpiling: Officials said that much of Mr Samanko's wealth was from $20 gold coins from the U.S. (stock photo) Royal find: He also had a collection of British sovereign coins that depicted Queen Victoria, in both her earlier and later years on the throne (stock photo) The county clerk’s office would sell the coins and give the proceeds to Magdanz, minus about $800,000 in inheritance taxes and other expenses. is in the process of recruiting Mr Howard Herz, a locally renowned jeweler, to appraise the coins for internal revenue. Mr Herz’s family has owned a jewellery store in the area for more than 130 years. ‘A lot of them were just bulk coins wrapped in aluminum foil,’ he said. Mr Glover said that Mr Samasko’s mother was the one who began collecting coins, a tradition that he continued after she died. ‘They were most likely taking money out of their stock accounts and buying gold with it,’ Mr Glover said. Other things . found in the 'anti-government' pensioner's home included a stash of . conspiracy theory books and several guns, Mr Glover . said. He rarely went out and never went to a doctor, Mr Glover said. Samasko . had lived in the house since the 1960s. Records show that he hadn't . held down a steady job since 1968. His mother also lived there until her . death in 1992. Cases like this are rare within Carson City. ‘I’ve never had a case like this, and not in this amount,’ Mr Glover said, adding thoughtfully: ‘(Mr Samasko) had some definite survival tendencies.’ | Substitute teacher Arlene Magdanz officially declared rightful owner of gold coins . Walter Samasko Jr died with only $200 in his bank account, but officials discovered windfall of gold coins in recluse's garage, valued at more than $7million . Samasko hadn't held steady job since 1968 and used investment money to purchase coins . | b2dcca96d5124ec8604a56c7d36034572555288e |
Tourists on a big wheel ride in Budapest were left befuddled when the commentary described the city of Plymouth over a thousand miles away. While gazing down at the banks of the River Danube, passengers heard a voice inside their pod waxing lyrical about the beauty and history of Smeaton's Tower, the Mayflower steps, the Devonport Naval Base and Sir Francis Drake. But there's a simple explanation: The big wheel completed its final rotation on Plymouth Hoe almost a year ago - and is now entertaining visitors 1300 miles away in the centre of the Hungarian capital. Confused: Tourists on the wheel heard commentary describing a city over a thousand miles away . The commentary promised 'a bird's eye view of Plymouth' as it was heading up and over the River Danube . The commentary, by Radio Plymouth's Tim Mans and Jon White and city historian Chris Robinson, promised riders 'a bird's eye view of Plymouth', before explaining what they should be looking at asthey went around. The company which runs the wheel admitted to the mix-up, but says it has since been rectified. Merv Metcalf, aged 42, from London, visited Budapest in June with his friend Alexan Palamountain. A different location: The big wheel completed its final rotation on Plymouth Hoe almost a year ago . 'We had some time to kill before flying back so we went on the wheel,' Merv said. 'There were four of us in our pod, you can put the commentary on or off so we put it on, expecting to hear about the sights and sounds of Budapest. 'But instead we had a welcome from a couple of DJs telling us about the sights and sounds of Plymouth and its history. 'There was no alternative, so someone must have forgotten to swap the commentaries over. It was quite a surreal, strange experience.' Smeaton's Tower, left, and the famous Mayflower steps in Plymouth were two of the landmarks described . Plymouth's Devonport Naval Base, another landmark which featured in the commentary used in Budapest . Plymothian Steve Dykes, who visited the city in July, added: 'They have forgotten to change the tape, so if you select 'English' when the wheel moves it spouts all about Plymouth's history and views of the Hoe.' Historian Chris Robinson, whose voice could be heard on the commentary, said the revelation was news to him. 'It must have been somewhat bizarre, especially if anyone listening to it spoke English,' he said. The 214-ft-wheel is now in Erzsebet Square in the centre of Hungary' beautiful capital, Budapest . The wheel opened in Plymouth in 2011 and was taken over in September 2012 by Dubai-based Freij World Attractions. The 214-ft-high attraction is now in Erzsebet Square in the centre of Budapest, forming the centrepiece of the Sziget Festival. Tamas Kadar, CEO of Sziget Cultural Management, said the Plymouth commentary was mistakenly added to the wheel when it opened in Budapest in May and has since been turned off. | Plymouth's famous big wheel completed its final rotation almost a year ago . Holidaymakers 1300 miles away in Hungary's capital heard its commentary . Voice described Smeaton's Tower, Mayflower steps and Sir Francis Drake . | faa292ebfb10e27ef1bfa041094588f6a8f34983 |
Former Liverpool striker Sebastian Leto has been taken to hospital for emergency treatment after a barbell fell on his head during training. Now at Italian side Catania, Leto suffered the injury after a squat exercise in the gym which saw a barbell drop on his head. The 28-year-old, who has been on loan at Argentinian club Lanus since February 3, was initially sent home by the medical staff with a deep wound in his head. Sebastian Leto (right), pictured in action for Catania last year, is in intensive care after barbell fell on his head . Leto is challenged by Reading striker Shane Long during a League Cup clash with Liverpool in 2007 . But he later went to the hospital after suffering headaches and is now in intensive care. Doctors are not ruling out surgery for the 28-year-old and it is feared Leto may have internal hemorrhaging. Leto was signed by Rafa Benitez from Lanus in 2007 and made 15 appearances for the Reds before leaving for Olympiacos on loan in 2008. He left Anfield permanently a year later when he signed for Greek side Panathinaikos before moving on to Catania in the summer of 2013. Leto was signed by Rafa Benitez in 2007 but left Liverpool after just two years at Anfield . The 28-year-old, pictured in August 2007, could face surgery as it's feared he has internal hemorrhaging . | Lanus striker Sebastian Leto is in hospital for emergency treatment . The former Liverpool man had a barbell fall on his head in training . He sustained a deep wound and later suffered from headaches . Leto could face surgery as it's feared he may have internal hemorrhaging . | 10fafb9315947a2040593dcfc645acd2e4b30954 |
By . Camilla Canocchi For Mailonline . A four-star hotel in the heart of the New Forest National Park has been ordered to pay more than £20,000 in fines after hygiene inspectors found evidence of rat infestation in its kitchen. The Crown Manor House hotel in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, chose to close down its kitchen twice in a month after inspectors found fresh rat droppings underneath and behind kitchen equipment, as well as gnawed eggshells and gnawed paper towels. The hotel, which was fined £16,670 and incurred £4,326 in costs, pleaded guilty to five offences under the Food Hygiene Regulations at the Southampton Magistrates’ Court. Fined: The kitchen of the Crown Manor House in Lyndhurst was infested by rats . Two of the offences involved the production and distribution of food in an area infested with rats. Environmental health officers from New Forest district council visited the hotel in October last year following an anonymous complaint about the hygiene in the hotel’s kitchen. Inspection: The Crown Manor charges up to £144 for a standard double room . The Crown Manor House, which was established in the 15th century and charges up to £144 for a standard double room, received a food hygiene rating of zero - the worst rating under the food hygiene rating scheme. A spokesman for New Forest district council said: ‘Evidence of significant rodent activity was found in the kitchen. ‘Fresh rodent droppings were found underneath and behind equipment as well as gnawed eggshells and gnawed paper towel. ‘Food was not protected against potential contamination.' Following the inspection the hotel agreed to voluntarily close the kitchen and was allowed to reopen it after seven days. But when inspectors visited the hotel’s kitchen again for a routine follow-up check, they again found rat droppings and the hotel again agreed to voluntarily close the kitchen until the infestation had been removed. A hotel spokesman said the rats had come from a derelict building next door that had been empty for many years. The building has since been restored and the hotel installed a new kitchen costing £150,000 as part of a major facelift, he said. He added: ‘The new kitchen is fantastic and our food hygiene standards are very robust, especially as the former problem next door no longer exists.’ Edward Heron, Councillor at New Forest District Council, said: ‘It is totally unacceptable to allow rats into a food business. ‘Environmental health officers took necessary action to protect the health of customers and staff and I am pleased that The Crown Manor House Hotel has responded with improvements and received a food hygiene rating of four.’ | The Crown Manor House hotel pleaded guilty to five offences . Two offences involved production, distribution of food in an infested area . Hotel was fined £16,670 and incurred £4,326 in costs . | 2d3d56c7d2308ea1f412f6a372b3c4f68a3296c9 |
A federal air marshal fired in 2006 for leaking information about air marshal travel cuts has won a victory before a federal court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Friday ordered the case of Robert MacLean returned to a federal board to determine whether MacLean's disclosures deserve whistle-blower protection. "My smile is so wide it's threatening my ears," said Tom Devine, a lawyer with the Government Accountability Project who has represented MacLean. Devine said he is "chomping at the bit" to argue that MacLean's leak was in the national interest, saying it may have helped prevent terrorist attacks on the United States. The Transportation Security Administration declined comment, saying it is reviewing the decision. MacLean, now a resident of Ladera Ranch, California, and a storm restoration contractor, said he hopes the decision will eventually lead to his return to the ranks of the Federal Air Marshal Service, which places armed, plain-clothes officers on commercial airplanes. The case began in July of 2003, when MacLean, then based in Las Vegas, tipped off an MSNBC reporter that the TSA was suspending overnight missions just days after air marshals were briefed about a new "potential plot" to hijack U.S. airliners. The agency planned the cutback -- which would have kept air marshals off most long-distance flights -- because it was running out of money at the end of the fiscal year. The news caused an immediate uproar on Capitol Hill, with Sen. Charles Schumer, and then-Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Kerry, among others, writing letters expressing concerns. The TSA retreated, killing the scheduling cuts before they went into effect. A year later, MacLean appeared on "NBC Nightly News" -- in disguise and identified only as "Federal Air Marshal 'Mike'" -- to criticize the agency's dress policy, which, he said, made it easier for terrorists to identify the undercover air marshals. But someone from the TSA recognized MacLean's voice and the agency ordered an investigation into MacLean for an "unauthorized media appearance." During that investigation, MacLean admitted he leaked the information to the media about the 2003 suspension of long-distance flights. The agency fired MacLean in April of 2006, saying his leak was an unauthorized disclosure of "Sensitive Security Information," or SSI. Supporters argued that MacLean brought to public light a TSA action that violated federal law, which mandates that the agency give priority to flights that present high security risks, specifically mentioning "nonstop, long distance flights." They say the information he gave was factual and that it ultimately protected passengers by changing a flawed policy. MacLean argued the information he disclosed was not Sensitive Security Information, saying the TSA sent the information as a text message on his cell phone, instead of as an encrypted message on his password-protected pager. And it was not labeled SSI. MacLean said his firing was retaliation for his union activities. But the Merit System Protection Board said that even if the scheduling directive was not labeled SSI, deployment information was "within the definition of SSI." MacLean "admittedly knew that he was not permitted to tell anyone about (air marshal) scheduling, yet he did so anyway, and it could have created a significant security risk," the board said. The board said there is "no direct evidence" the agency retaliated or discriminated against MacLean for his union activities. On Friday, the appeals court held that MacLean had met the threshold of being eligible for whistle-blower protection. MacLean must now demonstrate that he reasonably believed that his disclosures "evidenced a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety." "Frankly, that's a hearing we would relish because there's little question that his disclosures were worthy," said Devine. "Numerous members of Congress attacked (the travel cuts) as betraying the department's (responsibilities). The Department of Homeland Security said it was a mistake and canceled the orders less than 48 hours after his disclosure. They only corrected the mistake because of his disclosure." Devine said the TSA has three options: appeal Friday's decision to the Supreme Court, defend the original case before the Merit System Protection Board or settle with MacLean. If the government takes no action, the case will automatically be returned to the MSPB for a hearing, he said. | Air Marshal Robert MacLean tipped the media off to a cutback in schedules . He was fired after the TSA found out he was the one who leaked the information . MacLean appealed decision . He will try to get federal whistle-blower protection . | c9c862adfb39aeb2b3a33106fef3cf73bb4eb9fb |
By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 03:51 EST, 27 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:12 EST, 27 November 2012 . A retired Nato scientist is hoping to make history by sailing a four foot remote-controlled model boat across the Atlantic. Robin Lovelock, 65, hopes to become the first person to sail an unmanned craft - named Snoopy Sloop - 6,000 miles across the ocean as part of the Microtransat Challenge, launched in 2010. The 30lb home made boat, constructed for . less than £450 and put together in Robin's games room at his . Sunninghill, Berkshire, home, will attempt to sail the seas powered by . wind and a solar-powered GPS and steering system. Scroll down for video . Challenge: Retired NATO scientist is trying to make history by engineering the first unmanned vessel to cross the Atlantic and to keep himself from taking the task too seriously, he's made the vessel a toy boat with a Snoopy figure attached . Labour of love: Mr Lovelock has spent four years crafting the four foot boat at a cost of around £450 . Although Robin was more accustomed to developing military computer systems for Nato in his day job, he has constructed a pretty resilient boat - it has already sailed 5,000 miles, albeit in the comparatively still waters of Bray Lake near Windsor, over the last seven months. Robin has already mapped out his route and will depart Barton-On-Sea on Saturday heading along the English Channel before heading south towards the Azores and then off towards the Bahamas, hoping to eventually land in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The painstaking voyage, which will see Robin given hourly updates on the boat's progress along its pre-programmed route via satellite, could take as long as six months. Resilient: Robin's craft has already sailed around 5,000 miles, albeit on the still waters of Bray Lake near Windsor . Slow progress: The journey to the shores of America will not be a quick one - it's expected to take six months . He says that a miniature Snoopy figure placed on board the tiny boat is to poke fun at academics who take the challenge 'far too seriously.' Robin told the Telegraph: 'I got hooked about four years ago. I didn’t even play with model boats when I was a boy. 'I sometimes tinker on the boat in the lounge, but am usually banished to the games room by my wife.' Helped by a team that includes a veteran of BBC's Robot Wars, Mr Lovelock seems to be confident that he will complete the challenge - he has already programmed the return route into the boat's navigation system. The first Microtransat competition took place on a lake near Toulouse, France in June 2006 with three teams taking part. A team from Aberystwyth University attempted the first transatlantic crossing in September 2010 setting sail from Valentia, County Kerry, Ireland. But the team lost its track of the craft off the north west coast of Ireland. The challenge has been attempted three times since 2010, with all three attempts failing. Three more attempts have been registered for this year. Construction: Robin has been helped by a team of friends, including a veteran of BBC's Robot Wars . Sailing: The boat will rely on wind for power but will be steered by a solar powered computer and a GPS tracker . The challenge: Snoopy Sloop will depart from Barton-On-Sea, then sail along the English Channel before heading south towards the Azores and then off to the Bahamas, to eventually land in Plymouth, Massachusetts . | Robin Lovelock, 65, hopes to sail his four foot long boat 6,000 miles to American shores . His craft will set off from Barton-On-Sea, Hampshire, on Saturday as part of the Microtransat Challenge . | 3bf812ef58dd86940d6ea79113caeb7d1f0effd1 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:17 EST, 5 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:30 EST, 5 November 2013 . A couple in Evergreen, Colorado, were sitting down to their morning coffee on Monday when they were shocked to see a young elk bouncing around on a trampoline in their backyard. The couple live in a rural area and while it wasn’t all that surprising to see a small herd of elk grazing in the woodland surrounding their home, it was the first time they'd seen an animal have a go aboard the bouncy contraption. Greg Chase caught the unusual sight on his cellphone and then posted it online. A couple in Evergreen, Colorado, were sitting down to their morning coffee on Monday when they were shocked to see a young elk bouncing around on a trampoline in their backyard . ‘I watched this young elk poking his head into the entrance of the trampoline when all of a sudden he decides to jump in for some fun!’ Chase wrote in the description on his YouTube video. The footage was posted on Monday and has already attracted more than 36,000 views. During the three and a half minute clip, the foolhardy animal attempts to figure out just how he is going to get himself out of his bizarre predicament. Several times he breaks out into a burst of energy, but succeeds only in falling over as he tries to acclimatise to the sensation of keeping his balance. Slip sliding away: Several times the elk breaks out into a burst of energy, but succeeds only in falling over as he tries to acclimatise to the sensation of keeping his balance . While most of the herd seem relatively unconcerned about the fearless elk's predicament, he does have one friend who seems worried and remains focused on what's happening to his mate on the trampoline. ‘The elk’s friend on the outside actually looks like he wants to get in and join the fun while the mom looks on,’ Chase wrote. When Chase goes to see if he can help, his partner Shauna takes over filming and provides her own commentary. 'This has gotta be a first,' she said. At one point, Shauna suggests that they might have to shoot the elk after he puts one of his feet through a hole in the trampoline. Chase clarifies on his YouTube account that his wife over-reacted because she is an animal lover and didn't want to see it suffer. During the three and a half minute clip, the foolhardy animal attempts to figure out just how he is going to get himself out of his bizarre predicament . 'The . only reason my wife suggested doing so was to keep it from suffering if . it got too badly hurt due to the hole in the tramp,' Chase wrote. 'We . recently watched in horror as a fox was strangled to death in our . neighbor’s soccer goal netting.' Fortunately the elk wasn't injured and he soon managed to make his way back out through the hole in the safety net through which he had originally entered. Once free, he and his best friend bound off together looking for their next adventure. ‘We see a lot of crazy Elk behavior here in Evergreen, CO....but this Takes The Cake for sure!’ wrote Chase. Free at last: Once free, the brave elk and his best friend bound off together looking for their next adventure . | A couple in Evergreen, Colorado, were shocked on Monday morning to see a young elk bouncing around on their trampoline . | eca89f290b3ad2f0a1930b28c958659c42202f3a |
By . Emma Innes . Professor Andrew Jotischky claims fashionable celebrity diets - such as the 5:2 diet followed by Beyoncé - are very similar to the eating habits of monks in the Middle Ages . Fashionable fasting diets used by celebrities were actually invented by monks and hermits in the Middle Ages, it has been revealed. There is a direct link between the 5:2 and DODO diets followed by stars such as Beyoncé and Benedict Cumberbatch and the spiritual eating habits devised hundreds of years ago to cleanse the mind and body. Andrew Jotischky, Medieval History Professor at Lancaster University, is the author of ‘A Hermit’s Cookbook’ which has recipes from the Middle Ages including stew and bread soup. The monks’ healthy, simple diet and their fasting habits are almost exactly the same as today’s celebrity weight loss plans, says the professor. The idea behind the 5:2 diet is to eat normally for five days, while fasting on the other two days. It is suggested that the dieter limits themself to 500 calories for two non-consecutive days a week. However, they are given a free reign on their choice of food for the other five days. Some studies suggest fasting once or twice a week can also protect the brain against illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease. The DODO - or Day On Day Off diet - follows a similar theory. The lecturer in Lancaster University’s History Department has produced a detailed look at fasting and diet in the Middle Ages. He believes the way the monks found, prepared and ate their food contains lessons that can - and are - being used in modern life. Professor Jotischky said: ‘Hermits went out and found their food in the wild or grew it themselves. ‘In that respect they were very similar to some of today’s chefs, like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who use the same approach to prepare their dishes. He says the monks' healthy, simple diet and their fasting habits are almost exactly the same as today's celebrity weight loss plans. Benedict Cumberbatch is also thought to follow the 5:2 diet . ‘And of course, fasting played a major part in their lives. For them it was a spiritual act rather than a way to lose weight, but it made them very aware of the nature of food and eating. ‘As we have seen with recent dieting fads, we still look at fasting as a way of cleansing and improving our minds and our bodies. ‘There are great similarities between the hermits’ and monks’ diets and today’s current trendy weight-loss regimes. Modern day hermit? Professor Jotischky says that hermits foraged for food in the wild or grew it themselves - much like some of today's chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall . ‘The way they ate has a very modern dimension, and the superiority of home-grown and locally picked food is an argument they would have been very familiar with. ‘They would also be familiar with the debate over concerns over “food miles”. Monks and hermits gathered their food from nature. ‘They also recognised the virtue of a diet of simple food that needed little or no preparation.’ | Professor Andrew Jotischky says there's a link between the 5:2 and DODO diets and eating habits devised hundreds of years ago to cleanse the mind . He says the way monks found and grew their food is similar to the techniques employed by celebrity chefs like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall . | 5387450736a7a99dba337c7a14824ab0f62b41ef |
Mark Zuckerberg has picked a fight with the boss of Apple by calling his recent criticism of the social network 'ridiculous'. The Facebook founder told Tim Cook to make products like the iPhone and the iPad cheaper if he wanted to be more in touch with his consumers. In an interview Zuckerberg, 30, also revealed he upbraided Bill Gates over some comments in a magazine and confronted the 59-year-old Microsoft founder by saying: 'What's up dude?' Gloves off: Mark Zuckerberg (left) has picked a fight with the boss of Apple by calling his recent criticism of the social network 'ridiculous'. The Facebook founder told Tim Cook (right) to make products like the iPhone and the iPad cheaper if he wanted to be more in touch with his consumers . The article in TIME magazine details how Zuckerberg is not content with having more than one billion Facebook users - he wants to connect the whole world. But picking a fight with Cook means that he has one less partner with which to do it. Zuckerberg said: 'A frustration I have is that a lot of people increasingly seem to equate an advertising business model with somehow being out of alignment with your customers… . '...I think it's the most ridiculous concept. 'What, you think because you're paying Apple that you're somehow in alignment with them? 'If you were in alignment with them, then they'd make their products a lot cheaper!' Cook has inherited Apple founder Steve Jobs' legacy as the company's mouthpiece in chief and has sharply criticised its rivals in the past. 'You think because you're paying Apple that you're somehow in alignment with them?, said Mark Zuckerberg in a recent interview. 'If you were in alignment with them, then they'd make their products a lot cheaper!' Picture dis Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing revealing iMac prices . He has said that he is 'offended' by the privacy breaches carried out by its arch rival Google and that he runs a 'very different company' to them. In September he attacked Facebook for harvesting information about users 'to sell to advertisers' Zuckerberg said that he spoke to Gates after he apparently criticised Internet.org, the home page for his global partnership for expanding Internet access. He said: 'I talked to him after that...I called him up and I was like, 'What's up, dude?' 'But he was misquoted, and he even corrected it afterward. He was like, 'No, I fully believe that this is critical.' Internet.org was unveiled earlier on this year and is a partnership between Zuckerberg and six major mobile phone companies. Its aim is to give everyone on the world Internet access and is developing advanced technologies to make it happen. Lawyers have claimed that each time a user with non-iTunes music tried to sync their phones and iPods, between 2007 and 2009 (Steve Jobs is pictured launching the 2009 iPod Nano), the tech firm urged them to restore their devices to factory settings. This is said to have been a deliberate move to wipe the rival files . For at least two years, Apple deleted songs from iPods that had been bought from rival music stores, according to accusations made in court. Each time an Apple user with non-iTunes music tried to sync their devices, between 2007 and 2009, the tech firm urged them to restore the players to factory settings. And lawyers claim this was a deliberate move to wipe the rival files, and cause the users' music libraries to 'blow up.' Apple has been taken to court by individuals and businesses who accuse it of abusing its monopoly position in the digital music player market. The suit is being heard in a US district court in California, and is specifically looking into whether Apple tried to bolster its iPod and iTunes market between 2007 and 2009. The plaintiffs are seeking $350 million (£223 million) in damages, claiming that Apple’s behaviour forced them to pay more for songs and hardware. Apple is also accused of inflating the prices of its iPods by almost $350 million (£223 million). The group declined to comment on legal proceedings. Zuckerberg: 'We were thinking about the first decade of the company (Facebook), and what were the next set of big things that we wanted to take on, and we came to this realization that connecting a billion people is an awesome milestone, but there's nothing magical about the number 1 billion. 'If your mission is to connect the world, then a billion might just be bigger than any other service that had been built. But that doesn't mean that you're anywhere near fulfilling the actual mission. 'We feel like this is just an important thing for the world…. and there are no steps that are clear steps to make this an awesome business or to have it fully rolled out across the world, but I'm pretty confident we can do it. I'm pretty confident it's going to be a good thing.' | Tim Cook, said that ad-supported services are bad for customers . Mark Zuckerberg retaliated by saying Apple must make cheaper products . Facebook CEO said the company was out of touch with their consumers . He added that Tim Cook's comments about ad-based sites was 'ridiculous' The comments were made in a recent interview with Time magazine . | 0dbf5a28458de7d608a29a1e79b0f11d8cda7fdc |
By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 08:35 EST, 17 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:10 EST, 17 October 2013 . A young father who was told he could lose both his wife and newborn baby is celebrating after his family was allowed home together for the first time. Kyle Moynan, 26, was told that his wife Lauren’s life hung in the balance after she went into labour at 27 weeks suffering from severe pre-eclampsia. Medics told him they would have to perform an emergency Caesarean to stand any chance of saving his wife’s life - but that the couple’s daughter would probably not survive such an early birth. Kyle Moynan was warned that he might lose his wife, Lauren, and daughter, Evie, when Mrs Moynan developed pre-eclampsia and went into premature labour 27 weeks into her pregnancy . Mr Moynan was forced to give the go-ahead for emergency surgery – aware that both his wife and daughter may not survive. Although surgeons managed to stabilise Mrs Moynan, tiny baby Evie was kept in intensive care for months while doctors tried to save her. But now, they are celebrating after Evie, now seven months old, has been allowed to go home for the first time - a day Mr Moynan feared he’d never see. Mr Moynan, from Carlisle, Cumbria, said: ‘There was a time when I feared I’d never have either my wife or my baby at home again - to have them both here is amazing. ‘It was the worst experience of my life. It was so traumatic and I could do nothing but just stand there and watch while the doctors tried to save Lauren and baby Evie. ‘I was worried I was going to lose them both. Mrs Moynan's organs were starting to fail as a result of the pre-eclampsia so Evie had to be delivered by emergency C-section . Evie is pictured at home with her mother, Lauren, sisters Faye (left) and Sophie (right) and her grandmother, Barbara (far right) ‘I am just so relieved to have them both home and safe now. I am grateful to all the doctors who saved their lives.’ Mrs Moynan was rushed to the Cumberland Infirmary after going into labour in the middle of the night when she was just under six months pregnant. Doctors carried out tests and although she had not realised she was ill, Mrs Moynan was quickly diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia. The condition was so advanced that it was causing her organs to fail. Evie only weighed 1lb 3oz when she was born and her parents were warned that she might not survive . Evie (pictured with her mother) spent the first seven months of her life in hospital - she spent two months in intensive care and she still requires oxygen to help her breathe . HGV engineer Mr Moynan said: ‘Lauren was wired up in the hospital bed. It was horrendous. All I could do is just stand there and watch while the doctors rushed around. ‘There wasn’t time for them to explain what was going on, so I had to just stand there and wait. I knew it had to be serious because of the way they were rushing around but I didn’t have a clue what was happening. ‘After what felt like forever a nurse pulled me to one side and told me that Lauren’s life was in danger and in order to save her life they would have to deliver Evie.’ Distraught Mr Moynan then had to give to go-ahead for an emergency Caesarean, even though doctors warned Evie’s chance of survival were slim, and it was a massive risk. He said: ‘It was all a blur and I knew it was risky but I couldn’t face losing Lauren and Evie, so I agreed for her to be delivered. Mrs Moynan said: 'I was so ill and they were pumping me full of drugs. I had cannulas in both arms and doctors all around me. I was just terrified that I would lose my baby' Mr Moynan had to give to go-ahead for an emergency Caesarean, even though doctors warned Evie's chance of survival were slim. Image shows Evie with her mother and sisters, Faye (left) and Sophie (right) ‘We have two other daughters, Faye, eight, and Sophie, five, and I had to stay strong for them.’ Mrs Moynan said: ‘I was so ill and they were pumping me full of drugs. I had cannulas in both arms and doctors all around me. I was just terrified that I would lose my baby.’ Luckily Evie was safely delivered but weighed only a tiny 1lb 3oz and Mr Moynan only had five minutes to see his newborn before she was rushed to Newcastle’s Royal Infirmary by ambulance, where medics fought to regulate her breathing. Mrs Moynan said: ‘We didn’t know if baby Evie would survive but because I was so poorly myself I didn’t really know that much about it.’ Mrs Moynan stayed in hospital for a further two weeks and Evie was kept in an incubator in intensive care, where her life hung in the balance for two months. After Evie was born she was rushed to Newcastle's Royal Infirmary by ambulance, where medics fought to regulate her breathing . Mrs Moynan said: 'We didn't know if baby Evie would survive but because I was so poorly myself I didn't really know that much about it' The dedicated parents travelled to the hospital every day to visit baby Evie, who spent two months in intensive care and one in high dependency before being transferred to the Special Care Baby Unit at the Cumberland Infirmary, from where she has just been released. Mrs Moynan said: ‘I would never have expected something this drastic would have happened. I just woke up and I was in labour all of sudden. Kyle was at work and I was so scared- luckily he made it to the hospital just in time.’ Mrs Moynan, who works as a nursery practitioner was still working until the day Evie was born. Evie's parents visited her in the hospital every day but now, at seven months old, she has been allowed home . She said: ‘I had only just started to think about getting things for Evie- we didn’t have her room ready or any clothes for her.’ Baby Evie still has to use an oxygen canister to help her breathe but now weighs a more healthy 12lbs. Mrs Moynan said: ‘I can’t believe I was so close to losing my own life, and my baby’s. It was such a whirlwind but I am just glad we are home and safe and Evie is doing so well.’ Mr Moynan said: ‘I am thankful for all the doctors did to save Lauren’s life and miracle baby Evie is doing well at home and getting stronger every day.’ Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects some pregnant women during the second half of their pregnancy. Early signs of the condition include high blood pressure and protein in the urine. As the condition becomes more advanced, further symptoms can develop. These include swelling of the feet, face and hands, a severe headache, vision problems and pain below the ribs. Pre-eclampsia affects up to five per cent of pregnancies and is severe in about one to two per cent. It is more likely during a first pregnancy, if the woman has had it in a previous pregnancy, if the woman has a family history of the condition, if the woman is over 40, or if she is carrying more than one baby. The condition is often mild but can lead to severe complications if it is not monitored and treated. The only way to cure pre-eclampsia is to deliver the baby, until this happens, some sufferers are given medication to lower their blood pressure. Although most cases of pre-eclampsia do not lead to problems, there is a risk that the mother will develop fits - these can be life threatening for the mother and baby but are rare. Occasionally, the condition can also cause the mother to suffer a stroke or organ failure. About six or seven women die from complications of pre-eclampsia in the UK every year and about 1,000 babies die as a result of the condition - usually because of complications of early delivery. Source: NHS Choices . | Kyle Moynan was told he might lose his wife, Lauren, and baby, Evie, when Lauren developed severe pre-eclampsia 27 weeks into her pregnancy . The condition was so serious that her organs started to fail . Evie had to be delivered by emergency C-section to save her mother . It was feared she was too premature to survive - she only weighed 1lb 3oz . Mrs Moynan was released from hospital two weeks later but Evie spent seven months in hospital . | 67a066918b9b39ed3db2b2ced22aace94cb01db0 |
By . Graham Smith . PUBLISHED: . 05:29 EST, 15 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:18 EST, 15 June 2012 . Mountain lions, or cougars, are making a big comeback in the U.S. after a century of decline, conservationists claim. The big cats are moving far outside their heartland territory in the Midwest, increasing the chances of encounters with humans. One male cougar from South Dakota was found to have travelled 1,800miles through three states before ending up in Connecticut. Big cat: Cougars are moving far outside their heartland territory in the Midwest, increasing the chances of encounters with humans . Michelle LaRue, from the University . of Minnesota, who led a study on the spread of mountain lions, said: . 'The question now is how the public will respond after living without . large carnivores for a century. 'We believe public awareness campaigns and conservation strategies are required.' Hunting . and a lack of prey caused a dramatic decline in the cougar after 1900, . leaving small numbers of the animals isolated in the American west. Three main populations live around the Black Hills in South Dakota, said Ms LaRue. But evidence from sighting of the lions shows they are now venturing much further afield. She . said: 'While the distance the Connecticut cougar travelled was rare, we . found that cougars are roaming long distances and are moving back into . portions of their historical range across the Midwest. 'Our . study took in over 1.2million square miles of territory, confirming the . presence of cougars from Texas, Arkansas and Nebraska, to the Canadian . provinces of Ontario and Manitoba.' The findings, published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, cited 178 confirmed reports of cougars in the Midwest. A steady increase in sightings occurred between 1990 and 2008. When cougar carcasses were recovered, three quarters were found to be male. The research suggests male mountain lions are leading the dispersal of cougar populations. | One cougar from South Dakota travelled 1,800miles through three states before ending up in Connecticut . | 87c789d10178418da28aa39d3c73ad14a24ce313 |
(CNN) -- Thirteen Boston deputy fire chiefs have signed a letter of "no confidence" in Fire Chief Steve Abraira regarding his handling of the Boston Marathon bombings, according to the letter, which CNN independently obtained from a deputy chief who signed it but requested anonymity. The deputy chiefs wrote of their displeasure to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino on April 26, according to the letter. "You can unequivocally consider this letter a vote of no confidence in Chief Abraira," the deputy chiefs wrote in the letter. They said the chief failed to assume command responsibility or show any leadership at the scene. "Despite the fact that the members of the BFD command staff have become accustomed to this 'ghost fire chief,' nothing prepared us for his actions, actually inactions, on the day of the horrific terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon," the letter reads. "At a time when the City of Boston needed every first responder to take decisive action, Chief Abraira failed to get involved in operational decision-making or show any leadership," the letter continues. In the letter, the deputies describe an e-mail that Abraira sent to all department members, saying that when he arrived at the scene, "it was clear that our Command Officer had the incident well in hand and that our department was fully active in a support role with our law enforcement partners." The deputies call Abraira's argument "illogical" and "mere rationalization to justify his behavior," saying that when Abraira arrived, the Boston Fire Department was "still heavily involved in the incident" because of the possibility of "second explosions," "additional suspicious packages" and "structural stability concern of buildings," among other issues. But Abraira defended his actions to CNN. "In their estimation, they believe that if you don't assume command, you don't have responsibility there for what goes on," he said. "I tried to explain to them, if I'm on the scene, I'm still responsible. That's it. But they don't believe it." Boston's top cop asked if bombing was preventable . The chief told The Boston Globe that he was comfortable with the way his commanders were handling the incident. "The nationally accepted practice is that you only take command (as chief) if there's something going wrong or if you can strengthen the command position or if it's overwhelming for the incident commander, and none of those things were in fact happening," he told the paper. The president of the Boston City Council, Steve Murphy, told CNN Wednesday that he was at the finish line shortly after the bombings and "personally I didn't see anything but selfless heroic acts on the part of the fire, EMT and police personnel." But Murphy added, "if all 13 of our district chiefs are expressing no confidence then that concerns me." He said if the mayor did not act in response to the letter that the City Council, which funds the fire department, would look into the functioning of fire department command during upcoming budget discussions. The twin blasts at the end of the Boston Marathon on April 15 killed three people and wounded more than 260 others. Six people remained hospitalized Wednesday, according to a CNN count. One of two bombing suspects, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died after a gunfight with authorities four days later. After much secrecy and protest, he was buried in a rural Virginia cemetery this month. To locals' surprise, Tamerlan Tsarnaev buried in Virginia cemetery . Police took his brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, into custody on April 19 after finding him hiding in a boat in the backyard of a Watertown, Massachusetts, home. He has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of property causing death. Tsarnaev is being held at Federal Medical Center Devens. Source: Russia withheld details about Tsarnaev . CNN's Joe Sterling and Lawrence Crook III contributed to this report. | NEW: Letter says chief wasn't "involved in operational decision-making," didn't show leadership . Chief defends his actions to CNN, says incident was "well in hand" when he arrived . Source: Nearly all of Boston's deputy fire chiefs sign letter of "no confidence" The Boston Marathon bombing killed three and wounded more than 260 others . | 0de71784e8f74c765f20d12f0b49be52c2d9fb5f |
By . Brendan Carlin . PUBLISHED: . 16:43 EST, 9 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:40 EST, 10 June 2012 . Ambitious: Ed Balls has made efforts to soften his bruiser image . Politics is often described as showbusiness for ugly people - but few MPs have taken the saying to heart as much as Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls. He has secretly commissioned private polling at a cost of thousands of pounds to find out how voters are reacting to him and his economic policies. Embarrassingly, Labour Party sources say the polling results show that Mr Balls is still seen as a turn-off by many, both politically and personally. A spokesman for Mr Balls denied claims about the results - but refused to give any more details of what the polling had uncovered. So The Mail on Sunday commissioned its own survey - and it showed that Mr Balls is seen as 'uninspiring, untrustworthy and unlikeable'. And despite the double-dip recession, the public have more faith in the economic policies of David Cameron and George Osborne than those of Mr Balls and Ed Miliband, albeit by a tiny margin. The Survation survey clearly indicates that Mr Balls must admit his role in making a mess of the UK's economy as a senior member of the Labour Government of Gordon Brown. Four in ten people said Labour must accept more responsibility for the recession, against one in four who disagreed. The Tory lead is all the more surprising given that calls by Mr Miliband and Mr Balls for Government policy to focus more on fostering economic growth have been echoed by international leaders. But it is Mr Balls's personal ratings that are most worrying for him. A total of 44 per cent say he is an opportunist, with only 19 per cent describing him as principled. Nearly one in two say that he is not charismatic, against 13 per cent who think he is. And 48 per cent say he is not likeable, compared with 17 per cent who believe he is. Opposition: Calls by Ed Miliband and Ed Balls for Government policy to focus more on fostering economic growth have been echoed by international leaders . The results are almost identical when voters are asked if they can trust Mr Balls. The Tories have fallen to a 14-point deficit behind Labour, according to an opinion poll released today. The survey, carried out by pollsters Angus Reid for The Sunday Express, puts Labour on 43 per cent, with David Cameron's party on 29 per cent. The Tories' coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats are on just 9 per cent, the same as Nigel Farage's UK Independence Party. Labour's lead over the Tories is the biggest since December 2002, when Tony Blair was Prime Minister and Iain Duncan Smith led the Conservative Party. And almost one in two say they have no idea what his policies are, compared with one in five who say they do. Asked who they trusted to lead Britain out of recession, 29 per cent of those polled chose Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne, with 28 per cent favouring Mr Miliband and Mr Balls. Despite losing to Ed Miliband in the Labour leadership contest in 2010, Mr Balls remains fiercely ambitious and has made considerable efforts to soften his political bruiser image in recent months. He admitted to crying while watching the BBC's Antiques Roadshow and has talked about his love of cooking. Only last week he tweeted: 'Did a v good prune & armagnac sponge pudding this evening from the excellent Dan Lepard baking book Short And Sweet.' Mr Balls's office refused to confirm reports that the private polling is being carried out by the Labour pollster Deborah Mattinson, who performed the same role for Mr Balls's mentor, Mr Brown, with largely the same negative results. The disclosure comes amid growing concern in Labour's high command at its failure to win more public support for its economic policies. Several senior Labour figures used a recent Shadow Cabinet meeting to complain at the party's failure to win more backing for its attack on the Coalition's 'austerity Britain' approach. The move was seen as a coded attack on Mr Balls. Denied: Labour claim people are losing faith with Chancellor George Osborne . One Shadow Minister told The Mail on Sunday: 'When the economy is in a mess and George Osborne is widely seen as arrogant and lightweight, Labour should be doing much better. 'On most issues we are way ahead of the Tories, but we struggle on the economy. Ed Balls must take responsibility for that.' Mr Balls's spokesman said last night: 'Every political party does private research and polling. But given how important the economy is as an issue, Ed's office has raised funds in order that the Labour Party can do extra research on the economy.' He declined to say where the money had come from or how much the polling had cost. Later, Labour Party sources denied the private polling was bad news for the Shadow Chancellor. One said: 'Our research shows that, with the economy pushed into a double-dip recession, people are increasingly losing faith with David Cameron and George Osborne's economic strategy. 'Clearly, we still have a long way to go to regain economic trust, but we are making good progress and people are starting to open their ears to Labour's call for a plan for jobs and growth as part of a balanced plan to get the deficit down.' Survation interviewed 500 people online on Friday. | Survey shows public has more faith in economic policies of David Cameron and George Osborne than those of Ed Miliband and Ed Balls . Four in ten people believe Labour must take more responsibility for the recession, while nearly half say the Shadow Chancellor is not likeable . Growing concern in Labour's high command at its failure to win more public support . | 837f8c98cea49fb98c56b5a8bd8dcd3b50d4fab8 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 21:43 EST, 19 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:27 EST, 20 August 2013 . Like father like son: Nicholas Lyndhurst said his son Archie had the 'acting gene' but the Only Fools And Horses star said he did wonder 'what sort of industry he'll enter' Nicholas Lyndhurst has condemned the current state of television, comparing ‘cruel’ Britain’s Got Talent to the Bedlam asylum of the pre-Victorian era. The former Only Fools And Horses actor said that the BBC1 sitcom, which starred Lyndhurst and David Jason as Rodney and Derek Trotter, would not be made today. Lyndhurst, 52, who has replaced Alun Armstrong in detective series New Tricks, said his son Archie had the ‘acting gene’ and was a pupil at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. But he told Radio Times: ‘I wonder, though, what sort of industry he’ll enter. I can hardly say, “Do all this training and the best thing will be Celebrity Dog Watch”. 'Take away the talent shows, celebrity cook shows, skating, dog training, dancing, putting people on an island – and what’s left?’ He added: ‘Britain’s Got Talent? Hundreds of years ago we were selling tickets to Bedlam. It’s become like that. It’s cruel to watch these deluded people.’ Only Fools And Horses, penned by John Sullivan, was not an instant hit when it was first broadcast in 1981 but went on to smash records with 24.3 million viewers for an episode in 1996. Lyndhurst said: 'Only Fools would never be made today, nor Dad’s Army. TV companies turn down good scripts because they’re not prepared to let them develop. Show: Lyndhurst compared Britain's Got Talent, featuring judge Simon Cowell, to the Bedlam asylum of the pre-Victorian era . Classic: The former Only Fools And Horses actor said the BBC1 sitcom would not be made today . Interview: Lyndhurst made the comments in an interview with Radio Times . 'A talent show will pick up seven million viewers and they can’t afford to nurture something that initially will only have a million.' Lyndhurst appears in the tenth series of cold case series New Tricks, co-starring Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman and Denis Lawson. Redman will be replaced by ex-EastEnders actress Tamzin Outhwaite when she leaves the BBC1 series, and Lyndhurst admitted: 'You have to worry if it will continue to be successful. 'Lots of shows that run a decade-plus have familiarity. It’s comforting to see people you think you know in different situations. Our viewers are people who don’t want to play catch-up on their phones.' Lyndhurst also confirmed that he turned down the 1997 film The Full Monty, about unemployed steel workers who form a male striptease act. | Only Fools And Horses actor said sitcom would not be made today . Nicholas Lyndhurst said his son Archie had the 'acting gene' He said he did wonder about 'what sort of industry he'll enter' | 4da2d9ef4771998339acb6010ab15a6666141aa0 |
Indonesia has announced that six prisoners will face execution at the weekend while the two Australians on death row will be executed together once their bid for clemency is officially rejected. Bali Nine members Andrew Chan, 31, and Myuran Sukumaran, 33, are among the 20 death row prisoners listed and their schedule for execution could follow. It comes after Sukumaran had his bid for clemency officially rejected, bringing him one step closer to facing the firing squad but Chan has yet to receive notice of his rejection. The Indonesian Attorney-General HM Prasetyo said the pair will be dealt with together. Scroll down for video . The Sydney pair were sentenced to death over a plan to smuggle more than 8kg of heroin to Australia in 2005 . 'When a crime is committed by more than one person the execution must be conducted at the same time,' he told reporters. 'So Myuran will wait for his turn.' When asked if he had been under any pressure from foreign governments including Australia, Prasetyo said: 'so far, none'. Meanwhile, four men and two women, imprisoned in three locations in Java, will be shot by a firing squad, starting on Sunday, the attorney-general said. Among them are foreign drug offenders who are citizens of Malawi, Vietnam and Brazil. The remaining prisoners are two Indonesians and one man of uncertain citizenship who was born in Papua. As plans for the six executions go forward, legal argument continues over how many requests can be filed for an appeal called a judicial review. Two death row prisoners last year requested an additional judicial review. The attorney-general said for the six set for executions, 'All their judicial aspects have been fulfilled'. He didn't know if the two requesting another appeal were in the group. Prasetyo said the executions were in line with President Joko Widodo's determination to crack down on drug crime, which the government claims kill up to 40 Indonesians daily. Bali Nine mastermind Andrew Chan smiles in a holding cell at Denpasar Court after he was sentenced to death for heroin trafficking . Myuran Sukumaran (left, with Andrew Chan) recently had his bid for clemency officially rejected, bringing him one step closer to facing the firing squad . It comes after a spokesman for Indonesia's attorney-general said the list assumes President Widodo will stick by his pledge to deny mercy to drug smugglers. 'That's what the president said,' Tony Spontana said. 'It's clear and so we're confident.' Sukumaran learned his last-ditch appeal had been formally rejected last week. Chan and Sukumaran's pleas for clemency were made more than two years ago, amid an unofficial moratorium on the use of the death penalty in Indonesia. But hopes dimmed when Mr Joko declared he was against clemency for drug offenders late last year. Five or six convicts are to be executed imminently, and the 20 others will follow. The letter informing Sukumaran that his bid had failed said: 'there's not enough reason to give clemency to the convicted'. Chan's name is on the list of prisoners scheduled for execution this year, even though a letter rejecting his bid for presidential clemency has yet to be issued . However both men have made huge efforts in their rehabilitation, and help other inmates through art, cooking and mentoring programs. In a message on his supporters' Facebook page on Tuesday, Chan said he was humbled by the birthday wishes he received. 'I am standing strong - we are standing strong,' he wrote. 'We are trusting that the Indonesian president will see that the work we are doing and the work we want to do will make a positive difference in rehabilitating people here and in other places too.' Sukumaran's (centre) claim for clemency has been rejected in line with President Joko Widodo's stance . The attorney-general said Chan (centre) and Sukumaran will be dealt together once he receives his rejection . Chan dreams of teaching hospitality classes and Sukumaran has more plans for his art. 'We are, with your encouragement, able to keep on doing that even in the current situation,' Chan wrote. A potential new appeal avenue hinges on an argument between Indonesia's constitutional and supreme courts over how many times prisoners can seek judicial reviews. The newly-appointed head of the constitutional court, Arief Hidayat, told the Koran Tempo newspaper the president should meet senior judges to sort out the wrangle. He maintains his court's decision allowing multiple reviews should be applied uniformly. 'When the constitutional court has made a decision, it can't be interpreted any further,' he said. The Sydney pair were sentenced to death over a plan to smuggle more than 8kg of heroin to Australia in 2005. | Indonesia will execute six death row prisoners, starting on Sunday . Australian Bali Nine members Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran will be executed together once their bid for clemency is officially rejected . The pair are among the 20 prisoners scheduled for execution this year . Sukumaran had his clemency rejected while Chan has yet received one . | 65fff87687b15e67ab2a4a3e9e9f980a06470656 |
By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 09:37 EST, 27 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:57 EST, 27 July 2012 . The odds of cracking open an egg and finding a double yolk inside of finding a double are believed to be around 1,000/1. So chef Ross Cruickshanks might be tempted to buy a lottery ticket after an extraordinary run that saw him crack open 19 ‘double yolkers’ in a row while cooking breakfast at a Scottish café. Mr Cruickshanks was rustling up breakfasts for diners at Café Riva by Nardini in North Ayrshire when he broke open six of the unusual double yolk eggs in succession last week - a feat in itself believed to have a one in a trillion chance of happening. Amazed waitresses took the first six to waiting customers, only for the chef to find double yolks in the next 13 eggs he cracked on to his grill at the café in Inverkip, Inverclyde, last week. Hope you're hungry: Pictured sizzling away on Ross Cruickshanks' grill are 13 of the 19 double yolk eggs he cracked open in a row as he prepared breakfast for diners at a Scottish cafe . Staff snapped pictures of the bizarre coincidence and posted them on the restaurant’s Facebook page. The post added: ‘Ross has just made three breakfasts with SIX double yolkers in a row – that’s odds of more than a TRILLION to one!’ Eggs-travaganza: Part-time chef Ross Cruickshanks cracked open no less than 19 'double yolkers' in a row at the cafe in Inverkip . When the chef went on to crack open more than a dozen more, staff added: 'Ok now it’s getting unreal, another 13 in a row!' The run . continued at the café last week, with kitchen staff cracking open . another 10 double yolkers on Thursday and 10 more on Friday, according . to café owner Alessandro Nardini. 'I've . been researching it a bit myself and it's supposed to be lucky to find a . double yolk, so I've put on a lottery ticket for this week,' Mr Nardini . said. Mr Nardini said . the cafe's egg supplier, C&G Eggs in Greenock, use vans emblazoned . with the fitting slogan: 'Need a Yolk? I'm Your Bloke'. Chef . Ross, from Skelmorlie in North Ayrshire, is studying sport and physical activity at Strathclyde . University in Glasgow. He has been working part-time in the kitchen at Cafe . Riva since March. A spokeswoman for the British Egg Information Service said cracking open 19 double yolks in a row was 'very impressive indeed'. 'The chances of getting a double yolk are estimated to be less than one in 1,000, so this is pretty rare,' she said. The spokesman added: 'Egg yolks contain all kinds of vitamins and minerals and studies recently showed that they contain more nutritional value than was previously thought,' | Part time chef amazed to crack open six 'double yolkers' - before going on to find another 13 in a row . Scottish cafe has found two yolks in a total of 39 of its eggs over several days last week - despite odds of less than one in 1,000 . | 67e4e37a31a6a06b11c60b22a9f96e0f5f6265af |
Britons are getting high-tech in the kitchen spending more than £1 billion on gadgets and equipment over the past year. Inspired by television programmes like The Great British Bake Off and MasterChef, wannabe cooks have stocked up on 34 million culinary devices in just 12 months. Kitchens are home to some 163 million mixers, juicers, blenders and grills, according to new research. Scroll down for video . Programmes like the Great British Bake Off (pictured) have inspired people to spend money on kitchen gadgets . The frenzy for gadgetry has been has been driven by the rise of the celebrity chef and soaring popularity of cookery shows. The research by shopping website bespoke offers part of Barclaycard, found Britain is also a nation of health-conscious cooks with more than a quarter owning a steamer. Around 23 per cent have a juicer while 16 per cent own a smoothie maker. However 1.6 million less healthy households have an ice cream maker, with 930,000 owning a popcorn machine and 70,000 a candy floss maker. The microwave, kettle and toaster came in as the top three most desired kitchen gadgets according to survey . And the nation’s love of tea and toast is still alive with more than 80 per cent of households owning a kettle and 77 per cent a toaster. David . Herrick, managing director of bespoke offers, said: 'As someone whose . kitchen is the central room in the home, it’s great to see that so many . of us are cooking and baking up a storm. 'Kitchen gadgets are clearly an integral . requirement of the modern kitchen, helping keen chefs avoid ‘soggy . bottoms’ and become star bakers. PUGH: 'The egg-cracking device is a gadget too far' 'As a nation we all have different culinary desires, from the health conscious smoothie lover, to the sweet toothed cupcake baker, and at bespoke offers we have a fantastic range of great value kitchen gadgets to guarantee everyone their perfect match.' The poll of 2,000 adults found nine million Britons have been inspired to cook by watching The Great British Bake Off which kicks off the fifth series on Wednesday, on BBC One. Some seven million cookery fans have been glued to BBC One’s MasterChef while six million tuned into Jamie Oliver’s Money Saving Meals on Channel 4. The research found among Bake Off fans, when it comes to the judges Mary Berry beats Paul Hollywood in the popularity stakes. The 79-year-old pulled six per cent of the votes for 'inspirational chef' beating silver fox Hollywood, 47, who only managed two per cent. Both were beaten by Jamie Oliver who took the crown with more than 16 per cent favouring his cheeky style. He is followed by the Nigella Lawson, 54, and Gordon Ramsay, 47, who each managed six per cent of the vote. Delia Smith, 73, and Heston Blumenthal, 48, were both off the menu receiving just five per combined. 1. Microwave - 31 per cent2. Kettle - 24 per cent3. Toaster - 16 per cent4. Coffee machine - 13 per cent5. Bread maker - 10 per cent6. Slow cooker - 8 per cent7. George Foreman Grill - 7 per cent8. Juicer - 7 per cent9. Smoothie maker - 6 per cent10. Candy floss machine - 3 per cent . | Wannabe cooks stock up on 34 million culinary devices in just 12 months . People are inspired by TV shows like BBC's The Great British Bake Off . Now 163 million mixers, juicers, blenders and grills in kitchens nationwide . Microwave, toaster and kettle are top three most desirable kitchen gadgets . | 296d21b706979296bddce626ec54145fd6ea0711 |
A common benchmark in the United States for determining when a driver is legally drunk is not doing enough to prevent alcohol-related crashes that kill about 10,000 people each year and should be made more restrictive, transportation safety investigators say. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended on Tuesday that all 50 states adopt a blood-alcohol content (BAC) cutoff of 0.05 compared to the 0.08 standard on the books today and used by law enforcement and the courts to prosecute drunk driving. "Most Americans think that we've solved the problem of impaired driving, but in fact, it's still a national epidemic," NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said. The idea for a tighter standard is part of a safety board initiative outlined in a staff report and approved by the panel to eventually eliminate drunk driving, which accounts for about a third of all road deaths in the United States. NTSB looks to technology to end drunken driving in the U.S. Hersman said progress has been made over the years to reduce drunk driving, including a range of federal and state policies, tougher law enforcement, and stronger advocacy. But she said too many people are still dying on America's roads. The board acknowledged that there was "no silver bullet," but that more action is needed at the federal and state levels. "In the last 30 years, more than 440,000 people have perished in this country due to alcohol-impaired driving. What will be our legacy 30 years from now?" Hersman asked. "If we don't tackle alcohol-impaired driving now, when will we find the will to do so?" Lowering the rate to 0.05 would save about 500 to 800 lives annually, the safety board said. Under current law, a 180-pound male typically will hit the 0.08 threshold after four drinks over an hour, according to an online blood alcohol calculator published by the University of Oklahoma. That same person could reach the 0.05 threshold after two to three drinks over the same period, according to the calculator. Supreme Court rules against police in drunk driving case . Many factors besides gender and weight influence a person's blood alcohol content, and many states outlaw lower levels of inebriation when behind the wheel. The NTSB investigates transportation accidents and advocates on safety issues. It cannot impose its will through regulation and can only recommend changes to federal and state agencies or legislatures, including Congress. But the independent agency is influential on matters of public safety and its decisions can spur action from like-minded legislators and transportation agencies nationwide. States set their own BAC standards. The board also recommended on Tuesday that states vastly expand laws allowing police to swiftly confiscate licenses from drivers who exceed the blood alcohol limits. And it is pushing for laws requiring all first-time offenders to have ignition locking devices that prevent cars from starting until breath samples are analyzed. In the early 1980s, when grass-roots safety groups brought attention to drunk driving, many states required a 0.15 BAC rate to demonstrated intoxication. But over the next 24 years, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other groups pushed states to adopt the 0.08 BAC standard, the last state falling in line in 2004. The number of alcohol-related highway fatalities, meanwhile, dropped from 20,000 in 1980 to 9,878 in 2011, the NTSB said. Drunk-drive blood tests divide Supreme Court . In recent years, about 31 percent of all fatal highway accidents were attributed to alcohol impairment, the NTSB said. "I think .05 is going to come. How long it takes to get there, we don't know. But it will happen," said the NTSB's Robert Molloy, who helped guide the staff report. For some, the vote struck close to home. NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt noted that one of his relatives had been killed by a drunk driver and another is serving a 15-year sentence in a related death. Many of the recommendations "are going to be unpopular," Sumwalt said. "But if we keep doing what we're doing, we're not going to make any difference." The NTSB cited research that showed most drivers experience a decline in both cognitive and visual functions with a BAC of 0.05. Currently, more than 100 countries on six continents have BAC limits set at 0.05 or lower, the safety board said. The NTSB has asked all 50 states to do the same. CDC: Teen drinking and driving rates cut in half . A restaurant trade association, the American Beverage Institute, attacked the main recommendation, saying the average woman reaches 0.05 percent BAC after consuming one drink. The group said it based that conclusion on a chart it said was used by auto safety regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). But NHTSA told CNN on Tuesday it no longer uses that chart "as there are many variables" that contribute to an individual's level of intoxication. A new NHTSA chart shows a person with a 0.05 BAC level experiences "reduced coordination, reduced ability to track moving objects, difficulty steering, (and) reduced response to emergency driving situations." A beer industry trade group said it would examine NTSB's recommendation for lowering the blood-alcohol threshold. "However, we strongly encourage policymakers to direct their efforts where we know we can get results: by focusing on repeat offenders and increasing penalties on those with BAC of (0.15) or more," said Joe McClain, president of the Beer Institute. The safety board also recommend that NHTSA provide financial incentives to states to carry out the changes. NHTSA, which oversees highway safety as a federal regulator and analyzes traffic crash data, said it would work with any state that wants to pursue a lower BAC standard to "gather further information on that approach." At Tuesday's meeting, the safety board also championed laws allowing police to confiscate a motorist's license at the time of arrest if the driver exceeds a BAC limit, or refuses to take the BAC test. Some 40 states already use the administrative tool, which the NTSB believes is effective because it is swift and immediate. And the board recommended more widespread use of passive alcohol sensors, which police can use to "sniff" the air during a traffic stop to determine the presence of alcohol. The sensor is capable of detecting alcohol even in cases where the driver has attempted to disguise his breathe with gum or mints. If the sensor alerts, it is grounds for more thorough testing. The NTSB recommended last December that states require ignition interlocks for all DUI offenders and said states should improve interlock compliance. Tuesday's recommendations were timed to coincide with the deadliest alcohol-related crash in U.S. history. On May 14, 1988, a drunk driver drove his pickup the wrong way on Interstate 71 near Carrollton, Kentucky. The truck hit a school bus, killing 24 children and three adults. More than 30 others were hurt. What sways teens not to drink, drive? Stories, not stats . | For a decade, 0.08 has been the blood alcohol benchmark to consider a driver intoxicated . National Transportation Safety Board would like to see a nationwide 0.05 level . The board would also like to see swifter action on taking away offenders' licenses . Restaurant, beer industries say focus should be on repeat offenders . | 0acf0acbc5973655f9edab1d1bd5392ff5f2b865 |
The South Korean belief that eating dog helps beat the heat in the summer months has angered animal rights activists around the world. Known as ‘Bok-Nal’, the dog eating days, it is a ritual celebrated by South Koreans where dog meat is eaten to increase stamina during the hottest days of the year. To coincide with the tradition, animal rights activists staged protests around the world today, packing into wired cages in various locations including in front of the South Korean embassies in Seoul, London and America. Protest for dogs: These animal rights activists packed into wire cages to protest against the South Korean tradition 'Bok-Nal' where people eat dog meat to increase their stamina during the summer heat . While dog meat is consumed throughout the year, during Bok-Nal South Koreans consume more to combat the heat. Dog meat restaurants in Seoul say they served more customers than usual today. Animal rights group In Defense of Animals (IDAUSA) said dogs and cats are kept in cramped, filthy cages and slaughtered in unimaginable ways as part of the $2 billion dog and cat meat industry. A statement on their website said: 'Two and a half million South Korean dogs are electrocuted, hanged, or beaten to death each year. Don't eat: 2.5 million dogs are killed each year for consumption according to animal rights group In Defense of Animals. The protestors' signs read 'Don't eat dog meat' Dog will have his day: Activists say that dogs are slaughtered in unimaginable ways due to the prevailing myth that the greater the suffering, the more tender and tastier the meat . 'The dogs are slaughtered in . unimaginable ways: electrocuted, hanged, and even beaten to death, . because of the prevailing myth that the greater the suffering the more . tender and tastier the meat, and that the mythical health properties are . enhanced.' Thousands of cats are also eaten in soups and 'tonics'. IDAUSA said: 'Cats are often bludgeoned and thrown into boiling water while still alive.' According to Yonhap news agency, Seoul is experiencing the longest period of time with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius since 1994. On the menu: Dog is consumed throughout the year in South Korean restaurants. A South Korean woman eats dog meat hamburgers (left) while a cook puts a dog's leg into a large pot to stew (right) Worldwide anger: Animal rights activists staged protests around the world including Bangkok, Thailand where this woman painted her face and stood in front of the South Korea embassy, placard in hand . | Known as 'Bok-Nal', South Koreans eat dog meat during the hottest days of summer because they believe it increases their stamina . Animal rights activists staged international protests against the tradition . The activists claim that the animals are kept in cramped cages and are slaughtered in cruel ways . Seoul is experiencing the hottest summer since 1994 . | 4473499635e2046655b066ba74b43d2c6c6623cd |
The Burberry show is literally the only time of the year I wish spring and summer would just b***** off out of the way so we could fast forward to winter again. Christopher Bailey's sumptuous collections, at once classic and quirky, are always alluring, and that's without the beautiful location in Kensington Gardens, the epic soundtrack (this year pounding piano and piercing lyrics by Ed Harcourt, Paloma Faith and Rhodes) and the stellar front row (Harry Styles, cute as a Burberry button in forest green suede trench, was the highlight). Oh yes - and the models, always the cream of the fashion week crop, including longtime Burberry family member Cara Delevingne along with Suki Waterhouse, Jourdan Dunn, Charlotte Wiggins and Malaika Firth. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Prints: Geometric prints, florals and a dash of Apache on the runway at Burberry. Plus: bags are oversized again, yes! Back to the clothes though, and THAT . blanket coat... Bailey sent out all his models wearing wool blanket . ponchos, knitted in muted yellows, reds and blues, patterned in a sort . of Bauhaus Mondrian-inspired geometric way, or with Apache-style zig . zags. Each one was . monogrammed with the initials of the model who wore it (indeed, front . row fodder Cat Deeley, who named it as her favourite piece from the . show, had her eye on Cara Delevingne's). Wandering Eye - Ed Harcourt . Raise Your Love - by Rhodes . Only Love Can Hurt Like This - by Paloma Faith . There were blanket coats, too, equestrian blanket scarves, relaxed trenches and trench coat ponchos. Elsewhere, . bold nature-inspired prints were emblazoned on dresses and silk . scarves, silk cotton organdy dresses were handpainted, while flowers were painted on buttersoft shoes. The show, called The Bloomsbury Girls, took inspiration from the British decorative art of the Bloomsbury set and Charleston, the country home and meeting place for the writers, painters and intellectuals who formed the group. It was an explosion of rich, yet natural, colour: elderberry, cameo pink, blackcurrant, slate blue, antique rose, russet red ink blue, bottle green, burnt amber, olive, amethyst, larch yellow, camel, black amethyst... the list goes on. And it was lapped up by a stellar front row that included Harry Styles, . Tinie Tempah, Laura Mvula, Lianne La Havas, actors Bradley Cooper, . Naomie Harris, Jamie . Campbell Bower, film producer Harvey Weinstein, . photographer Mario Testino, as well as Greg James, Cat Deeley, Olivia Palermo and Poppy Delevingne. Phew. Nature-inspired: The palette was watercolour cool, and while some prints were soft, they were juxtaposed with the more graphic prints of Apache embroidery in earthy hues . We . know that what Christopher Bailey does best is to take the traditional . and stamp it with his own mischievous fingerprint - and here that . surfaced in the shape of intricate handmade black lace given a saucy . twist, used to create sheer dresses that afforded a glimpse of lingerie . underneath. Naughty, but very nice. Speaking . to MailOnline after the show, Poppy Delevingne, who was, of course, . dressed head-to-toe in Burberry, said: ‘I thought the show was amazing, I . almost burst into tears! It was so beautiful. It was so cool seeing my . sister Cara leading the brigade, kind of amazing really. ‘I have enjoyed London Fashion Week so much, it’s my favourite of them all.' Soft: Prints were painterly, with pastel tones and broad brushstrokes. Make-up was natural but powerful - a deep rose petal stain on lips and dusky pink eyes. From left, Cara Delevingne, Suki Waterhouse and Jourdan Dunn . Cosy chic: Cara Delevingne led the models in the finale of the show, with each one wearing the monogrammed blanket shawl set to be a blockbuster this A/W . Cosy: The monogrammed blankets as seen on Cara (l) will be top of every fashionista's wishlist this year, while Suki wrapped up in sheepskin and Edie Campbell modelled an illustrated super trench . Colourful: The collection was bolder in print . than we are used to from Burberry, with stylised nature-inspired motifs . on wool coats and silk scarves . Roll on winter: Blankets will be in for AW14, rejoice . Woolly army: Cara led the blanket-covered finale, with Edie Campbell as her second-in-command . Man of the moment: Christopher Bailey on the runway at the Burberry Prorsum show at London Fashion Week today . Moving: Paloma Faith gave an epic performance with live musicians as the soundtrack to the show . Epic: Setting and soundtrack are always standout at Burberry . Impact: The show was an explosion of vivid prints in a sumptuous palette . Famous faces: Anna Wintour arrived uncharacteristically early (l) while two stars of the show Paloma Faith and Cara Delevingne (r) cosied up backstage . Front row fabulous: (l-r) Naomi Harris, Tinie Tempah, Harry Styles and Alison Mosshart . Fashion friends: Stylish trio Cat Deeley, Poppy Delevingne and Laura Mvula shared a bench while Vogue editor Anna Wintour chatted to actor Bradley Cooper . Mad about the boys: Harry Styles (l) wore a green suede trench while our favourite radio boy Greg James (m) channelled a nautical vibe in stripes and an electric blue mac and Burberry model Jamie Campbell Bower (r) stepped into some seriously skinny jeans . Presenter Cat Deeley (l) and reality star Olivia Palermo (m) made the trip from LA to take in the show while Londoner Poppy Delevingne (r) added another frow ticket to her hectic fashion week schedule . | AW14 show The Bloomsbury girls was inspired by the decorative art of the Bloomsbury set . Standout piece was monogrammed blanket wrap as seen on Cara Delevingne and Suki Waterhouse . Stellar front row included Harry Styles, Tinie Tempah, Bradley Cooper, Cat Deeley and Harvey Weinstein . Catwalk was an explosion of rich, natural colour featuring fabric bags, painted heels and heavily clashing textures . | f4ce76c6cfbc32c4c00097be7c63a8f872d7857f |
The couple, who have three other children, told police they followed a 'very low cholesterol diet' Mother previously charged with biting elder daughter . By . Associated Press . Last updated at 3:49 AM on 18th November 2011 . Parents starved their baby for months claiming they were afraid she would end up obese, a court has heard. Christopher and Mary Sultze, of Appleton, Wisconsin were both charged earlier this month with a felony count of child neglect. The couple face up to a year in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted. The infant gained just five pounds in the 14 months after her birth. She needed . to weigh 22 pounds to meet even the minimum growth charts for her age, a doctor told police. History of abuse: Mary Sultze, of Appleton, Wisconsin, appeared in court today accused of starving her baby - she previously admitted to biting her elder daughter . Another doctor noted that the child had no fat on her . body and was essentially starving. Mr Sultze reportedly told doctors during a check-up in August that his daughter would 'get fat' if she stayed at the hospital, even though it was recommended because the child was dangerously underweight. Mr Sultze, 35, appeared at Outagamie County Circuit Court today and was released on bail on the condition he had no contact with the child. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for next week. His wife Mary Sultze, 36, waived the right to a preliminary hearing yesterday in exchange for her release on bail so that she could return to the couple's three other children, according to her attorney Brandt Swardenski. Warped: Christopher Sultze told doctors he was worried about his 14-month-old daughter 'getting fat' despite one physician saying the child was essentially starving . She was also ordered to have no contact with the daughter she's accused of starving. Neither has entered a plea. Mr Swardenski said: 'I have serious reservations about whether there's any criminal activity here or just misguided parenting intentions. 'This is a case where we need to reserve judgment until we learn more details on exactly what occurred.' Mr Sultze's attorney Michael Petersen declined to comment. According to the criminal report, the couple's daughter weighed eight pounds when she was born in July 2010 and weighed just 13 pounds this September. Doctors began tracking the girl's lack of growth and weight gain at her four-month checkup in November 2010, when she weighed just 7 pounds, 9 ounces. Her parents were irritated that doctors were continually concerned about their daughter's weight, the report said. They insisted they were feeding her enough, their other children grew slowly and that they believed the girl would eventually gain weight. Months went by with no significant improvement and tests for potential medical problems came back negative. In August, the family's doctor convinced the couple to bring their daughter to Children's Hospital in Fox Valley for an evaluation. The girl gained 8 ounces in one a day at the hospital. A social worker assigned to the family as part of hospital procedure noted that the girl's parents were upset by recommendations that they needed to feed her more calories. They decided to take their daughter home against the advice of her doctors. Mr Sultze reportedly told a doctor he didn't want to have obese children and kept insisting his daughter would 'get fat' at the hospital. He later told police that his family followed a very low cholesterol diet. Mr Sultze said he underwent bypass surgery for a blocked artery when he was 25 years old. Court records revealed that Mrs Sultze was charged with misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct for biting her four-year-old daughter on the arm in 2009. At the time, she told police she had bitten her daughter to teach her a lesson after the girl bit her older sister. The mother of four acknowledged that 'it probably wasn't right to do'. She ultimately pleaded no contest to the disorderly conduct charge, which is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. Prosecutors dismissed the battery count. | The couple, who have three other children, told police they followed a 'very low cholesterol diet' Mother previously charged with biting elder daughter . | ab0a07bb4f6f7465bc72861e3844a6d0feef8312 |
A Michigan referee of an adult-league soccer match died Tuesday, two days after being punched in the head by a player, authorities said. John Bieniewicz, 44, died at Detroit Receiving Hospital from injuries suffered in what police said was an unprovoked attack. The blow left the victim unconscious and not breathing on the field, Livonia Police Chief Curtis Caid said. After the attack, the player fled the field and waved his middle finger at the crowd. Bieniewicz was in critical condition when he reached the hospital and was pronounced dead Tuesday morning. "John Bieniewicz was a man who lived life to the fullest," friends wrote on a website dedicated to his memory. "He had a passion for his family, a passion for the kids at Mott Children's Hospital, and a passion for soccer. John died doing what he loved: Officiating a soccer game." The Wayne County Medical Examiner's office will determine the cause of death, according to Livonia police. The alleged attacker, Baseel Abdul-Amir Saad, 36, was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder. He was being held on $500,000 bail, police said. He pleaded not guilty. The investigation is ongoing and authorities "anticipate the criminal charges to be modified as a result of Mr. Bieniewicz's death," police said. Defense lawyer Brian Berry expressed his condolences to the family of the referee, but also said all the facts in the case had not come out and that "witness accounts may have been miscategorized." A hearing was set for July 10. Bieniewicz is survived by his wife and two sons, age 13 and 9. On the website, the Bieniewicz's friends remembered him and sought to raise money for his family. The site said Bieniewicz was a licensed soccer referee at all levels, professional, collegiate, high school and children's leagues, was president of the Metro Detroit Soccer Officials Organization, and sometimes refereed three games on a Saturday. "He also took a particular interest in all the children he worked with Monday thru Friday at the pediatric dialysis center at Mott, and reveled in their improvement and happiness," the site said. The site added, "The boys will miss his fatherly guidance and support but they will also miss his financial support, and we are here to help that in a small way. If you were touched by John, or merely share his love of soccer, we ask that in his name you donate to his children's futures." Last year, a 17-year-old soccer player in Utah pleaded guilty to homicide by assault in the death of referee Ricardo Portillo. A judge ordered the teenager, who was not named publicly, to keep a picture of Portillo in his cell for the remainder of his time in juvenile jail. The judge recommended a sentence of three years, said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. The teen also was ordered to write weekly letters to Portillo's family, telling them what steps he is taking to return to normal life. Player stabbed, referee dismembered over soccer quarrel in Brazil . Soccer violence: Referees under siege . | Michigan soccer referee died after an unprovoked attack by a player, police say . Man accused of attack seen giving the middle finger to onlookers as he fled . Suspect Baseel Abdul-Amir Saad, 36, is being held on $500,000 bail . | 141e3ff76d19fab1b9b06ab38376ea31462439e9 |
(CNN) -- United States captain Landon Donovan is poised for a January switch to Everton after the English Premier League club confirmed talks were underway about a loan move. The 27-year-old, who has won a record 120 international caps, will lead his country against England in their opening group game at the World Cup finals in South Africa next year. The versatile Los Angeles Galaxy forward is expected to join compatriot Tim Howard on Merseyside from January 2 if negotiations are successful, and remain at Goodison Park until mid-March. "Landon is a player who [manager] David Moyes has identified as someone he would like to bring to the club," chief executive Robert Elstone told Everton's official Web site. "We are working to make that happen and hope we can reach agreement soon with all the appropriate parties." Donovan has previous experience in Europe, having gone to Bayer Leverkusen while a teenager. But he failed to make an impact at the German club and was loaned to U.S. Major League Soccer outfit San Jose Earthquakes before joining the Galaxy in 2005. He spent a spell on loan at Bayern Munich at the start of this year, making six appearances, and then after a public falling-out with teammate David Beckham helped the galaxy reach the final of the MLS Cup. Donovan would join a growing list of American players in Britain, joining Howard and his fellow-goalkeepers Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan of Aston Villa, Fulham's Clint Dempsey and Eddie Johnson, West Ham defender Jonathan Spector plus Maurice Edu and DaMarcus Beasley at Scottish club Rangers. Everton are struggling in the bottom half of the Premier League following a debilitating series of injuries to key players, but have qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League. | United States captain Landon Donovan is poised for a January switch to Everton . The English Premier League club confirms talks are underway about a loan move . The 27-year-old will lead his country in opening World Cup group match against England . He will join Everton on January 2 if talks are successful and stay until mid-March . | 4a6e4122cf39cfa7566fe15140dd6e2b238e5dde |
Fernando Alonso would be top of the list for Mercedes if Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton fails to agree a new deal with the team beyond this year, according to motorsport director Toto Wolff. Hamilton, who took his second championship in 2014 after winning 11 races, has yet to put pen to paper on a new contract despite both sides talking about their eagerness to stay together. 'There's no hurry, we'll discuss it during the year,' Wolff told Italy's Gazetta dello Sport newspaper in an interview from his vacation in the Austrian ski resort of Kitzbuehel when asked about the talks. Toto Wolff (left) hopes that a new contract can be agreed with Lewis Hamilton (second right) at Mercedes . Wolff believes if a deal is not made, Fernando Alonso (right) would be the best replacement for Hamilton (left) 'I'm an optimist. The priority is to continue with these drivers (Hamilton and Nico Rosberg). Should it not be possible, then Alonso represents the first alternative, then there's (Finland's Valtteri) Bottas.' McLaren said last month that Spaniard Alonso, a double world champion, had signed a multi-year deal in joining them from Ferrari. However, Alonso made little secret of the fact that he was interested in the Mercedes seat and is likely to have exit clauses if McLaren, who are starting a new partnership with Honda after years with Mercedes, under-perform. Wolff has emphasised repeatedly that Mercedes want Hamilton to stay long-term and his words could be seen also as a means of putting pressure on the Briton by suggesting the team have alternatives. The Austrian paid tribute also to Alonso's abilities, saying he was 'dangerous (as a rival) in any car. 'If he has a car that can finish sixth, he will take it to third place,' said Wolff. Alonso has left Ferrari to sign a deal with McLaren, but has previously eyed a seat with Mercedes . He dismissed Honda's poor showing in their first post-season test with the new engine and said it was an electronics issue, rather than anything more serious linked to the power unit, of a kind that all teams had experienced. The Austrian also tipped Mercedes-powered Williams, the team he was with before Mercedes and which employs his wife Susie as a test driver as well as Bottas, as being a main rival in 2015 after they finished third overall last year. 'I put Williams at the top of the list,' he said. 'But I also fear a lot Red Bull. They have won four titles in a row and will use every resource in order to fight again for the title.' | Lewis Hamilton is yet to sign a new contract with Mercedes . Hamilton won his second championship in 2014 with 11 race victories . Director Toto Wolff said Fernando Alonso would be an ideal replacement . | 8623ef8699dbeaf450aeb8c69b02a35e314466f8 |
A Lithuanian man who squirted three neighbours in the face with CS spray for playing loud music insisted such behaviour was ‘normal’ in his home country. Arunas Kastentinavicius, 26, approached the two women and one man in Hanley, Staffordshire, to complain about the volume of their music. They agreed to turn it down, but he returned to their door an hour later to make the same demand. The father-of-one said he used the gas because he ‘didn’t want to hit a woman’. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court (pictured) heard how the man sprayed the two women and man in the face with gas after asking them to turn their music down . Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the three victims suffered burning and choking sensations and one of the women was taken to hospital. Kastentinavicius pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon and to three charges of assault. Heather Chamberlin, prosecuting, said he defended his actions, telling police it was ‘normal’ behaviour in his home country. ‘Kastentinavicius said he knocked on the door and the women were shouting at him, so he sprayed them with CS spray. It is normal in Lithuania,’ she said. The man said he did not know the gas was illegal in the UK (file image) ‘The cylinder … had an 11 per cent harmful content, as opposed to spray used by police which has 5 per cent … He had asked his mother to send the spray over from Lithuania. 'He didn’t realise it was illegal.’ Kastentinavicius was given a six-month suspended sentence with 100 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay each victim £200. Kevin Moorlock, defending, told the court: 'The victims still live in the same block of flats and there has been no further incidents. 'He has one son. He had worked a long day and became emotional. 'In terms of the pepper spray, he says the cannister is available to buy in normal stores in Lithuania. 'It is recognised as forbidden in Germany, but he didn’t think to research if it was banned here. He has learned a harsh lesson.' Sentencing him, Judge David Mason said: 'This was a very unpleasant incident. 'You went to the door of these three people and deliberately sprayed in their faces, causing a very unpleasant injury.' | Arunas Kastentinavicius sprayed two women and man in face with gas . Lithuanian had gone to complain about the loudness of their music . Told a judge it was 'normal' in his country and he didn't want to hit a woman . | 97d9af20939c6aa2fd79b9566c3a08e918cb5182 |
A wildlife operation involving dozens of countries and organizations, seized more than three tons of ivory and a bevy of rare wildlife products as well as rare wood. Operatives found rare animals -- both living and dead -- during the international, month-long operation. The China-led transnational effort, codenamed Cobra II, aimed to crack down on illegal wildlife trade. Authorities recovered over 10,000 live European eels and pig-nosed turtles, as well as over 2,000 live snakes, according to Xinhua, China's state-run news agency. They also seized three tons of ivory, 36 rhino horns, and over 1,000 hides and skins from tigers, leopards and snakes as well as several hundred kilograms of pangolin scales from wildlife traffickers. The operation included 27 other countries including the United States. The effort had the support from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the World Customs Organization and Interpol, reported Xinhua. During the operation, China's law enforcement officials suspected a Chinese man of being the head of an ivory trafficking group after customs staff at Taoxian Airport in northeast China found luggage containing 1,226 ivory beads, according to Xinhua. Both Chinese and Kenyan police cooperated in the investigation and suspected that the man, whose last name was reported as Xue, operated a crime ring buying, transporting and selling ivory. Xue was arrested in Nairobi, Kenya on January 17 and extradited to China, the news agency reported. His arrest marks the first time China has arrested a wildlife crime suspect overseas, the report said. The Cobra II operation lasted from December 30 to January 26. It will "serve as a valuable model for the international community in future operations against transnational crimes," said Wan Ziming, director of the law enforcement department under the endangered species office in Xinhua. The efforts uncovered over 200 cases with more than 250 suspects, according to Xinhua. China accounts for around 70% of the global demand for ivory, which is known as "white gold" in the country. China has been under pressure to take more action to protect rare and endangered species and to fight the illegal trade. China appears to have redoubled efforts tackling the ivory trade -- it destroyed 6.15 tons of ivory in January. | Wildlife operation led by China nets tons of illegal animal products . Found: 10,000 live eels and asia turtles, over 2,000 live snakes . Operation had broad international support . | a45f2dff3f19fbdcdd6a8bcc230c98def9ef6356 |
By . Nina Golgowski and Snejana Farberov . PUBLISHED: . 23:01 EST, 21 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:20 EST, 22 November 2012 . Disturbing: Frederick Hengl, 68, is accused of killing, dismembering and cooking his wife, Anna Faris, at their California home . A 68-year-old California man accused of killing and dismembering his wife was cooking her flesh and bones at the time police officers came to arrest him, according to officials. Police said they responded to neighbors' complaints about a foul odor coming from the home of Frederick Hengl and his wife, 73-year-old Anna Faris, in Oceanside on Friday. An officer who entered the home through a window said he saw on the stove three pans containing what later turned out to be the remains of the elderly woman. Her severed head was discovered in the freezer. Deputy District Attorney Katherine Flaherty said there is no evidence of cannibalism at this time, Fox 8 San Diego reported.. Hengl pleaded not guilty to a slew of . charges on Wednesday, among them first-degree murder, willful cruelty . to an elder and committing an unlawful act with human remains. He faces . 25 years to life in prison if convicted. At around 11.10am last Friday, . officers responded to a report of an unbearable smell coming from . Hengl's home in the 400 block of North Ditmar street. Since no one was home at the time, . they climbed through the window and observed what appeared to be meat . cooking in several pans on the stove. Scroll down for video . Grisly find: The dismembered body of a 74-year-old woman was found in this Oceanside, California home on Friday morning with the woman's husband arrested on suspicion of murder . Unusual couple: Neighbours of the couple say they were extremely strange with the victim frequently seen with her pants down on the street while holding a knife and her husband seen cross dressing . Police found the 68-year-old man, . described by neighbors as a notorious cross-dresser, at a nearby bar and . after interviewing him realized that Hengl was in the process of . dismembering his wife's body, according to law enforcement officials. Flaherty said officers opened the . freezer to discover Faris' head severed at the top of the cervical . vertebrae wrapped in a bag. A meat grinder was 'in use' nearby. When they entered the bathroom, . investigators found a work bench with a saw and boning knife, along with . other cutting instruments. They also came across a plastic bag filled . with chunks of freshly cut bone. Prosecutors believe Hengl killed his . wife on or between the dates of November 1 and 16. Neighbors told . reporters that they had not seen the woman in about a month and had . heard the sounds of a power saw from the couple’s two-bedroom bungalow . style home about two weeks ago. Several neighbors said Faris had been . behaving strangely since last spring, walking around with pants around . her ankles, rarely bathing, carrying a butcher knife and telling . strangers things like 'God will smite you.' Gruesome sight: Entering the home police wearing masks discovered what remained of Mrs Hengl whom they said had been dead for at least one day . Tipped off: Next-door neighbour Erick Chavez, 21, said he alerted authorities after a horrible smell poured from the home for the last week and a half . ‘My neighbor was just telling me . she'd chase her down the street with a knife or she'd have her clothes . off, pants down; you could tell she was a little bit out of it,’ neighbor Brett Lord told 10News. 'She'd . stand there, feed the birds, talk to folks walking by and her pants . would fall. She didn't seem to notice, ever,' neighbor Jerry Parnell . told 10News. Her husband, however, also has gained notoriety around town for dressing up in women's clothing and wearing makeup. In one instance a neighbor described . seeing him wearing a floor-length purple dress coupled with a long . pearl necklace and earrings. In his hand he held a purse, reports UT San Diego. ‘He would cross-dress and you almost couldn't recognize the guy,’ Mr Parnell said. Police . say there are no previous reports of domestic violence from the home . though neighbours said they had made calls on Mrs Hengl in the past. 'About a week and a half ago, I noticed a pretty gross smell,' next-door neighbor Erick Chavez, 21, told NBC San Diego. By Friday morning, it had grown absolutely unbearable he said, prompting him to report it. Entering the home police discovered what remained of Faris whom they said had been dead for at least one day. Arrested . outside a downtown bar was her 68-year-old husband with police . questioning neighbors on possible power tools or heavy machinery heard . coming from the home as of late. 'I just thought somebody was working in their garage,' neighbor Nancy Wells, one of several who confirmed such sounds told CBS8. In addition to the loud sounds, Mr Chavez said Hengl had shown a particular attachment to his trash cans as of late. Odd behaviour: Mr Chavez said that in addition to hearing power tools as of late, the victim's husband Frederick Hengl was seen frequently carrying his trash cans to and from the house, the backyard seen . 'The . man was taking his trash cans back and forth,' Mr Chavez told News10. 'He’s been going around the block, up and around, taking pieces of her . and putting them in the trash; going around the block? I don't know,' he . guessed. The 68-year-old suspect remains . jailed on $5million bail. On Wednesday, he appeared frail in court, and . his lawyer requested he see jail medical staff for a heart condition, according to UT San Diego. Watch the video here: . | Frederick Hengl, 68, faces first degree murder charges in his wife's grisly murder . Police found flesh and bones belonging to his wife, Anna Faris, simmering inside three pans . Work bench with bone saw and other cutting tools was set up in a bathroom . Officers found a bag filled with freshly cut bone pieces and a meat grinder 'in use' Neighbours reported hearing power tools and horrible smell pouring from house over last week and a half . Victim Anna Maria Faris described as frequently running around neighbourhood holding a knife and with her pants down . | b41c0197b8ebcd2a5de5bc10c424ab08669efa44 |
Johannesburg (CNN) -- South Africa's ruling party banned its controversial youth leader Julius Malema from taking part in any party activities Wednesday, after he gave a speech that was critical of President Jacob Zuma. Malema's suspension from the African National Congress (ANC) comes into immediate effect, the party's national disciplinary committee said in a statement. Malema had already been suspended from membership of the party in November but was still allowed to attend party meetings while the appeals process was in progress. Malema's appeal against the disciplinary committee's ruling will be heard on April 12. The latest sanction from the disciplinary panel follows a speech Malema made Friday in which he suggested that Zuma was running the party in a dictatorial and intolerant way. "It is under President Zuma that we have seen the youth of the ANC being traumatized, being expelled from their own home," Malema said, according to the ANC statement. "It is under President Zuma we have seen a critical voice being suppressed. We have seen under President Zuma, democracy being replaced with dictatorship." The disciplinary panel said the youth leader's remarks constituted "a very serious violation" of the party's constitution. Malema attracts wide popular support and his suspension may cause anger among his base. He and the youth league helped propel Zuma to power in 2009, but have more recently become his fiercest critics, accusing his administration of failing to improve the lives of the poor. The party is due to elect a new leader in December this year, who will likely lead the party into national elections in 2014. Malema has previously been mentioned as a potential contender for the role. Malema was suspended for five years after the disciplinary hearing last November but was allowed to appeal. He faced a string of charges, including sowing party divisions by comparing Zuma to his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, and bringing the party into disrepute by urging the toppling of the Botswana government. In July, Malema criticized South Africa's decision to vote for a no-fly zone over Libya and accused the government of failing to prioritize the African agenda. "In the past, we know President Mbeki used to represent that agenda very well," Malema was quoted as saying at the time. Malema's supporters considered the disciplinary action an attempt to silence the anti-Zuma voice within the ruling party. Malema has also been the subject of a criminal investigation by the national revenue service over allegations he used his political position to influence the awarding of government tenders. CNN's Nima Elbagir, Bharati Naik and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report. | The sanction comes after Julius Malema made a speech critical of President Zuma . He is banned from taking part in any party activities, the ANC's disciplinary committee says . He was suspended in November but allowed to attend party meetings pending appeal . The youth leader, who helped bring Zuma to power in 2009, attracts wide popular support . | b2f51b9d865fc0db6ed26b2062236e17de8298f3 |
By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 08:17 EST, 15 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:49 EST, 15 October 2012 . This is the jaw-dropping moment a young boy achieved what appears to be the world's longest basketball shot. But rather than doing it from on the ground, the Finnish youngster hit his target from 230 feet (70 metres) up in the air. The astonishing video was filmed at a ski jump tower in Lahti, Finland. Scroll down for videos . Easy peasy: The Finnish boy, dressed casually in a hooded jacket, prepares to take his ambitious shot . Vertiginous height: The ski jump tower at Lahti, in Finland, is an immense 230 feet (70 metres) up in the air . Space jam: The description under the video claims the sensational shot has broken the world record for the longest drop of a basketball . Lucky it's orange! The ball becomes increasingly difficult to see as it drops from the incredible height . A boy dressed in a checked, hooded jacket is seen gently dropping the ball over the edge of the tower and into a forest of trees. Amazingly, his shot goes into the basket far below, and he shouts and bangs the side of his tower in delight. The boys made 19 attempts at their stunt before getting it right on the 20th try. 'This video is gonna be a hit,' writes one YouTube user. The brief description beneath the video, posted on Saturday but thought to have been filmed two years ago, stresses that the shot beats the record set by How Ridiculous - an Australian foursome who sank a shot from 219.5ft (66.89m) up at Perth's Western Australian Cricket Ground. The Guinness world record for the . longest successful basketball shot is 104ft 7in (31.9m), set by Elan . Buller at Campbell Hall Elementary School in North Hollywood, . California. Breathtaking: The ball fades from view over the dense Finnish forest in the display of stunning skill . Sheer genius: After a substantial pause, the pinprick grows larger as the ball speeds towards the basket . Overjoyed: The unnamed boy shouts and bangs the tower's wall as he achieves the remarkable shot . Other basketball records include the . most free throws in one minute - 39, by Ashley Graham (USA) at Tualatin . Hills Athletic Center in Beaverton, Oregon. How Ridiculous have lobbed balls off the top of all sorts of high structures in Perth, as well as performing bizarre stunts in the gym and on the football field. Their exploits include using exercise balls to bounce the ball into the net and kicking a ball over a bar and into a basket in an extremely tough-looking trick. They have also made videos of themselves catching a Frisbee while jumping off a speedboat and getting a hole-in-one on a golf course - with a throw. Exceptional: The lone boy appears to have beaten the official record set by an Australian group who perform crazy sporting stunts all year round . Perhaps the most bizarre clips show them hitting an egg with a boomerang and knocking an ice cream out of someone's hand. Now it appears that one of their craziest sporting stunts has been beaten by a very talented child. A spokesman for Guinness World Records said: '[There] is an existing record for the greatest height from which a basketball has been shot. The measurement was 66.89 m by Kyle Nebel of How Ridiculous in Perth, Australia, on 8 April 2011. 'Nebel and three teammates from the How Ridiculous team of basketball trick shot artists spent more than two-and-a-half hours attempting shots from the top of a light tower at the WACA ground. 'The Finnish claim remains unverified. We look forward to receiving their evidence so we can investigate.' VIDEO: Watch the unverified record-breaking shot here... VIDEO: Watch the previous highest basketball shot here... | Sank the shot from 230ft up at the top of a ski jump tower . Appears to have broken previous record set by Australian stunt group . | a3806c592c5e676d2da335b8a7a16e94fe146720 |
New York (CNN)A pair of New York police officers shot and wounded while responding to an armed robbery in the Bronx were going off-duty and probably not wearing their bulletproof vests, police officials said Tuesday. In fact, Andrew Dossi, Aliro Pellerano and three other officers were changing clothes at the end of a dangerous anti-crime detail when they ran out of a Bronx station house to search for two robbery suspects, officials said. The suspects were arrested Tuesday. "Chances are they weren't wearing their vests," Chief of Department James O'Neill told reporters. "They were going home. They jumped into a car and they ended up getting into this fierce firefight." The alleged shooter was identified as Jason Polanco, a 24-year-old boxer who was charged with five counts of attempted murder of a police officer and was said to have posted anti-police and anti-government statements on social media, police said. His alleged accomplice, Joshua Kemp, 28, was arrested on robbery charges. The wounded officers spent Tuesday at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. One of them, Dossi, who is 30 and has eight years on the job, was in stable condition following surgery after being shot in the arm and lower back, according to police. The other, Pellerano, who is 38 and has nine years as an officer, is in stable condition with gunshot wounds to the chest and arm. "Last night a team of our officers displayed extraordinary bravery, going above and beyond the call to protect their fellow New Yorkers," Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has found himself at odds with some in his police force in recent weeks, said in a statement Tuesday. "We thank these officers for their commitment to serving our city, including answering the call after their shift had ended. ... This incident was yet another reminder of how profoundly important the work of our police officers is, as well as the seriousness of the dangers they face every day in the line of duty." De Blasio also thanked New Yorkers who provided more than two dozen tips that helped identify the gunman. Police said 10 of the tipsters identified Polanco by name. Monday night, authorities located the white Camaro that two suspects carjacked a block from the shooting, as well as a .44-caliber revolver, but no one was inside the vehicle. Before Polanco was arrested, police offered a $12,000 reward for information leading to a bearded man pictured in a surveillance video from inside a take-out Chinese restaurant moments before the shooting. Police said he was the man who shot at the officers. Polanco entered the restaurant and bought a bottle of iced tea before coming out firing at the officers who stopped his alleged accomplice outside, police said. 'Extraordinarily brave' The call about an armed robbery at a Bronx grocery store came in around 10:30 p.m. Monday, as five plainclothes officers were coming off their shift. Rather than going home, the police went to look for the criminals, something de Blasio described as "extraordinarily brave and ... part of their commitment." The officers exchanged gunfire with Polanco, police said, but the suspects got away, fleeing on foot for one block and then carjacking the Camaro. At tense time for police in city . Sometime after the shooting, Kemp checked himself into a Manhattan hospital with a gunshot wound to the back, officials said. The man who drove him to the hospital was also taken into custody. Kemp, who has been arrested multiple times for robbery and was on parole, gave an account of how he was shot that didn't add up, police said. "He told a story that didn't seem factual, to be honest with you," Robert Boyce, chief of detectives, told reporters. "He was not credible. ... So, quickly the story didn't add up and then we saw his background, that he was a Bronx guy and we started breaking the case." The incident happened just south of Fordham University, an area hardly unfamiliar to violent crime. John Cardillo, who patrolled the area when he was a police officer, called it "a rough neighborhood in the '90s, and it still is today... (It had and has) armed bad guys with the propensity to shoot someone." The shootings have gotten heightened attention given when they happened -- at a time of large-scale anti-police protests after a grand jury decided not to indict a white New York police officer in the death of Eric Garner, an African-American man. Even if it's too early to tie it to this incident, experts in the law enforcement community have expressed concerns that such sentiment -- views supported in some respects, according to some police, by de Blasio -- will encourage violence against police. That's what happened, they say, when Ismaaiyl Brinsley fatally ambushed NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu last month as they sat in their patrol car. "When the rhetoric turns anti-police, the police are concerned that people on the street, it's going to increase the already existent lack of respect in certain segments of the society -- including armed robbers ... and other violent criminals," said CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director. De Blasio has become a focal point for supporters of law enforcement, with some police even turning their backs on him at Ramos' and Liu's funerals because of their perception that he has been overly supportive of protesters and critical of police. "The relationship is toxic (and) almost irretrievable in some respects," CNN political commentator Errol Louis said of the mayor-police dynamic. "This is not a good atmosphere." On Tuesday, Patrick Lynch, the president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, who has accused de Blasio of having "blood on his hands" after the two officers were killed in December, said in a statement: "New York City police officers, who could have closed their lockers and gone home after their shift ended, chose to respond to a robbery in progress and, sadly, were shot in the process. Our members are out there doing their jobs and putting themselves in danger to keep this city safe just as they always do." CNN's Shimon Prokupecz and Ray Sanchez reported from New York and Sanchez and Greg Botelho wrote this story. CNN's David Shortell and Dave Alsup contributed to this report. | Two men arrested, another in custody, in connection with shootings of two officers . Wounded officers are Andrew Dossi and Aliro Pellerano, according to police . NYPD officers responding to armed robbery are shot; 2 are hospitalized . | 2bb196021417c482134f7d5f0996f5bfe1ab91a0 |
By . Sarah Bruce . Last updated at 6:48 PM on 18th November 2011 . 23-year-old cage fighter Ally McCrae with his girlfriend Rachel Sharp. A young cage fighter who died after being crushed by a cow's carcass in an abattoir was named as Ally McCrae. The fit 23-year-old mixed martial artist suffered terrible head injuries after becoming trapped underneath the heavy carcass which fell on him in the slaughterhouse in Paisley, Renfrewshire. It's believed he was washing his hands when the carcass fell from a hook and hit him on the head, triggering a fatal heart attack. He was rushed to hospital but surgeons were unable to save him. Mr McCrae's headtrainer John . Nicolson, who works at D-unit gym in Dumbarton, said: 'Ally was such a . joker and when I heard the bizarre circumstances of the accident . yesterday, I thought for a second that he might be playing a really . silly joke. 'It's such a . tragedy, none of us at the gym can quite believe what has happened. I . can honestly say he was very talented and was a promising mixed martial . artist. 'He was always at . the gym after work and, knowing what happened, it's going to be very . difficult not having him around. Ally was such a colourful character, he . will be terribly missed.' Mr McCrae, originally from Kilmarnock, moved to Dumbarton six months ago to be closer to the gym. The . budding sportsman had been working at the abattoir to fund his training . in mixed martial arts (MMA) but his friends said he dreamt of one day . having a full-time career from the sport. The Sandyford abattoir in Paisley was also the scene of a shooting last month . The horror accident happened at the Sandyford abattoir in Paisley, Renfrewshire, just after 1pm on Thursday. The . gates at the busy abattoir, which sits underneath the M8 motorway a . mile down the road from Glasgow Airport, remained shut today. Police and Health and Safety Executive . (HSE) officials have launched an investigation at the abattoir in . Paisley, Renfrewshire, the scene of an accidental shooting last month. An HSE spokesman confirmed that an investigation into the death was under way. She . said the inquiry was being led by Strathclyde Police under the . ‘work-related death protocol’ and that HSE inspectors had attended the . abattoir. A Strathclyde . Police spokesman said: ‘A 23-year-old man sustained serious injuries . after being crushed by the carcass of a cow at Sandyford abattoir in . Paisley at around 1.05pm. 'He was taken to the Royal Alexandria Hospital, where he died a short time later. ‘Inquiries into the incident are continuing, the HSE has been informed and is in attendance.’ McCrae was killed when the heavy carcass fell from a hook (file picture) Last month, a 42-year-old Polish man was shot in the leg when an airgun was fired by accident during a ‘bit of horseplay’ at the abattoir. At the time, one witness said: ‘It seems the shooting was an accident. Two workers were mucking about and the gun went off.’ The abattoir, on the town’s Sandyford Road, slaughters cattle and sheep for on-site meat wholesalers and individual butchers. It also kills animals in the halal tradition for Muslim butchers and shops. A spokesman for the company refused to comment. Labour MP for Paisley Jim Sheridan said: 'It is a very sad thing that has happened. 'There was clearly something wrong with the health and safety at the abattoir and I urge the Health and Safety Executive to conduct a full investigation to make sure this doesn't happen again.' MSP for West of Scotland Neil Bibby said: 'This is a tragic incident and I would fully support it being fully investigated.' | Trainer leads tributes to promising fighter named as Ally McCrae . | fde569c3dbc7aa6cdb8a4095e846edb11e5724a9 |
Every small child knows the panic of losing sight of its mother in the supermarket, and as these delightful pictures show, small whales obviously feel the same way. Taken by a British diver who was following the sperm whale calf, they show the minute the baby - who had lost track of its mum - found her again in the sea off the Azores. Soaring 30ft across the waves, the euphoric newborn slammed its body onto the water with joy after becoming separated from its family group in the chilly waters. The newborn sperm whale calf leapt out of the water and slammed its 12ft-long body onto the sea to tell its mother it had found her again . But the adorable whale calf was doing more than just jumping for joy. British biologist and dive guide Justin Hart, 44, who took the pictures, says that young whales communicate with older ones in the ocean by creating a slamming sound which travels through the water to the ears of the adults deep below. By leaping out of the water and slamming its 12ft long body onto the surface of the sea up to 30 times, the baby whale is telling its relatives where it is so they can regroup. He said: 'We had been following the sperm whale calf for most of the day. 'Sperm whales, of all the whales and dolphins, are the species that dive the deepest and for the longest time. 'The calves have to follow what's going on below them from the surface as best they can - probably listening to the echo location clicks of the adults. The newborn whale had become separated from its family group when they swam deeper to hunt squid . Breath-taking sight: Despite being only a few months old, the whale calf measures 12ft long . 'However sometimes the adults re-surface far out of sight of the calf - and in this situation the whales often breach or leap out of the water causing a large bang as their bodies hit the surface. Mr Hart, who is originally from London but now lives on Pico Island in the Azores, said in this way, the whale family could regroup and the calf could suckle if it needed to. He added: 'When I took the photo two adults females had just resurfaced and the calf quite literally began jumping for joy.' Mr Hart captured the rare image four miles from the port of Lajes do Pico while he was working as a crewman on an underwater documentary with special licence to film sperm whales in the area. The baby whale slams its body onto the water to tell the adults where it is so that they can regroup . The sperm whale pod was photographed four miles off the island of Pico in the middle of the Atlantic . Diver Justin Hart, who is originally from London, is living in the Azores and working on a whale documentary . Sperm whales live in nearly all the world's oceans in pods of about 15 to 20 animals and they practise communal childcare. When the baby is fully grown adult it will weigh up to 45 tonnes and be nearly 60ft long - around the same as two double decker buses end-to-end. Mr Hart said the sperm whales dived deep to hunt squid in what is called the mesopelagic zone, around 600 metres under. He said: 'This is a problem for the calves as they do not have the capacity to follow their mothers there when they leave the surface to forage. 'The calves do not have to follow their mother too closely as sperm whales have a system of surrogacy whereby the calf can take milk from any milk-producing female in its social group.' | Newborn whale calf had temporarily lost its mother in sea off the Azores . British diver Justin Hart, 44, filmed its euphoric reunion with the adults . Whales body-slam the water to communicate with others far below . | f3a060c40b3ece5a4ce1c2c27e9a3668f6eaa42c |
Copiapo, Chile (CNN) -- Drilling has begun as part of an effort to reach the 33 miners who have been trapped underground in Chile for more than three weeks, authorities said Tuesday. The effort to drill through more than 2,300 feet (700 meters) of rock and safely extract the workers could take three to four months, officials said. The hole under way is the excavation hole, where the drill bit will be placed. The miners have been stuck in the desert copper-and-gold mine since an August 5 cave-in and are surviving on supplies funneled to them from above ground through three bore holes, each about 4 inches in diameter. A second 25-minute video sent Tuesday by the miners held another round of greetings to their relatives, family members who had seen it told CNN. Copies were to be distributed to the news media Wednesday. Some relatives emerged from a private screening held in the tents that comprise Camp Hope at the entrance to the mine solemn-faced; others were teary; yet most appeared happy. All the family members said the miners appeared to be in much better condition, much cleaner and much better organized than they appeared during the first video, which was sent up last Thursday. Most appeared stripped to the waist and bearded in the first video; some had shaved and were modeling high-tech sportswear -- T-shirts and shorts -- that were sent down to them this week. The video showed the miners with photographs their relatives have sent down to them in recent days. Some of the miners could be heard playing music in the background. A song from Dominican merengue artist Juan Luis Guerra was one. Over the last few days, rescuers have sent the miners MP3 players and small speakers with a selection of music including Mexican rancheras, Puerto Rican reggaeton and Dominican merengue. Eighteen-year-old Scarlet Sepulveda came out of the meeting crying. "My dad is fine, he's fine, but I miss him a lot," said the daughter of Mario Sepulveda, who held the camera and narrated Thursday's video. "Of course I miss him." Cristina Nunez, wife of Claudio Yanez, came out beaming. "They're much better; they're cracking jokes; they have their own things; and they're good," she said. "I was very happy to see them." Jose Vega, the 70-year-old father of Richard Alex Vega, himself a veteran miner, said of his son, "I was a little worried because I didn't see him much in the video. I think, if they have a problem, they steer clear of the video. But then again, he's a bit like me. He doesn't like cameras too much." The camera, just two inches wide, fits easily through the 4-inch bore hole, has front and side views and can rotate 360 degrees, said Jim Lozano, a product manager with a Fresno, California-based subsidiary of Aries Industries, Inc. "It's able to get into very small openings," he said. He said it was designed for use in the water-well industry. On Tuesday, the miners' menu included tea, herbal infusions, a yogurt-and-cereal shake for breakfast, chicken sandwiches for lunch, kiwi at midafternoon and jam sandwiches for the evening meal. In all, the day's meals contain 2,000 calories. In addition, each man is being urged to drink about five liters of water per day. Wednesday's menu will include rice and shredded beef or pork, the first hot meal the men will have had since they became trapped nearly a month ago, said Jorge Diaz, a medic involved in the miners' care. Though the dishes are normally served with beans in Chile, Diaz said they would not be included, so that the men -- who are living in close quarters -- can avoid getting intestinal gas. Two of the 16 smokers were to get nicotine patches. One of the men reported feeling withdrawal symptoms from not being able to smoke, the other one said he couldn't sleep without having a smoke. Reading material will include press clips about the rescue effort, copies of the "Condorito" cartoon books that are popular in Latin America, and a self-help book entitled "Tactics for Public Speaking." The book was selected after the miners said they wanted to be able to speak eloquently to the news media when they are rescued. Meanwhile, a four-person team from NASA is set to arrive in Chile this week to help provide physical and behavioral health support to the miners. A medical official, a nutritional medic, a psychologist and an engineering expert in logistics from NASA will stay at the mine from Wednesday through Friday to help, Chilean Health Minister Jaime Manalich said. A group of engineers has said it has a "Plan B" that could halve the time it would take to reach the miners. Walter Herrera, quality control and risk manager for the Chilean mining company GeoTech, has said his company was bringing a specialized device typically used for boring water holes to the mine. The drill would use one of the three bore holes already made as a pilot and widen the diameter to about 28 inches, which officials have said is wide enough for the miners to be hoisted through. Chile's mining minister has not ruled out the alternative plan, but has cautioned it might not work. He has also said it might not be put into operation. CNN's Karl Penhaul and Esprit Smith contributed to this report. | NEW: Camera, just two inches wide, produces second video . Solid food, music and a book are being sent down to miners . The effort to rescue the miners may take up to four months . NASA specialists are set to arrive this week to offer support . | dc59f7cd4e4457cb5d3bb1c6a1773c9a6233c0f3 |
By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 02:54 EST, 11 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:42 EST, 11 September 2012 . Graphic: Edward Atkinson, 81, sent anti-abortion material to the chief executive of a Norfolk hospital . An 81-year-old pro-life campaigner who sent graphic anti-abortion material to a new hospital boss has been given a three month suspended jail term. Edward Atkinson sent a letter and disturbing images to Patricia Wright, the new chief executive of King's Lynn Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Norfolk. But the package was opened by a young female member of staff at the hospital, who was left 'distressed' and upset by its graphic contents. Norwich Crown Court was told it was the third time the 81-year-old activist had breached an ASBO banning him from sending abortion-related material to any person, hospital, doctor, medical practice or public authority. The ban was imposed on life-long anti-abortion campaigner Atkinson, who lives in Hilgay, near Downham Market, in 2006. The hospital had previously been flooded with thousands of angry letters containing similarly explicit material from Atkinson's supporters in the U.S. after he last went on the warpath over abortion. Atkinson admitted breaching the order at court on Monday and was given a three-month jail term, suspended for 18 months. The ASBO was extended until March 2017 and he was given a three-month curfew. Judge Nicholas Coleman accepted Atkinson had been a life-long activist against abortion but said he had to comply with the order however much he disagreed with it. He warned the pensioner that if he breached it he would be jailed. 'If you commit an offence in the future this sentence will take effect,' Judge Coleman said. Julianna Tolan, defending, said Atkinson now realised there were other ways of putting his views across. 'There are legal ways he can protest which would ensure he would not come before the courts again,' she said. She said the pensioner had wanted to make contact with the new chief executive as he was also aggrieved that his ban meant he could not get his hip replacement carried out at Queen Elizabeth Hospital but had to go elsewhere. Target: The pensioner sent a package of extreme anti-abortion material to King's Lynn Queen Elizabeth Hospital . Miss Tolan said the package Atkinson sent to the hospital had carried a warning stating that it was not to be opened by anyone who might be offended by the material. 'It was not his intention to cause alarm,' she said. 'The envelope was clearly marked.' 'No one deserves to be on the receiving end of hate mail' Hospital spokesman . After the case Atkinson said that the sentence would not stop him battling to outlaw abortions. 'I am not going to stop until the scourge of abortion has been lifted from our law,' he said. Atkinson was supported in court by Victoria Gillick, 65, a long-time campaigner against under-age sex. The mother-of-10 said she was supporting him because no law was above criticism. Mrs Gillick, of Fenland Life Supporter Group, said: 'It felt like a sick joke to see someone like Ted at his age and infirmity threatened with jail.' Speaking after Atkinson was sentenced, a Queen Elizabeth Hospital spokesman said: 'This mail was opened by members of our administration staff who found it very disturbing and upsetting. 'Following an earlier case some years ago we were inundated with extremist mail from around the world.' 'All this had to be processed and responses provided, which used valuable public time and money.' 'The more extreme letters were referred to the police and appropriate action was taken.' 'No one deserves to be on the receiving end of hate mail. 'We will always take any steps necessary to enforce the NHS policy of zero tolerance in cases where the safety and well-being of our staff is under threat.' | Edward Atkinson sent a letter and disturbing images to the new chief executive of a Norfolk hospital . The package was opened by a young female member of staff who was left 'distressed' by its contents . Atkinson was given a three month suspended jail term at Norwich Crown Court . Pensioner has vowed to continue to campaign against the 'scourge' of abortion . | cd67ebed96580004d7258c9a7d714e583daa178d |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:14 EST, 19 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:19 EST, 19 March 2013 . The Pakistani teenager nursed back to health in Britain after being gunned down by the Taliban returned to school yesterday. Malala Yousafzai, 15, was shot in the head by extremists opposed to her campaign for girls' education. She was attacked by gunmen who boarded her school bus in Pakistan last October.Close to death, she was flown to Britain for treatment, and surgeons at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham saved her life. Scroll down for video . From Pakistan to Birmingham: Malala Yousafzai, 15, was gunned down by . the Taliban in revenge for her campaigning on girls' education, but began her studies at Edgbaston High School for Girls . She had a five-hour operation to fit a . titanium plate over her damaged skull. She also had a cochlear implant . fitted as her injuries had left her partially deaf. She left hospital in January and yesterday started lessons at the fee-paying Edgbaston High School for Girls in Birmingham. She has joined Year 9 and will be studying a full curriculum in preparation for selecting her GCSE subjects. 'I am excited that today I have . achieved my dream of going back to school,' she said. 'I want all girls . in the world to have this basic opportunity. I miss my classmates from . Pakistan very much but I am looking forward to meeting my teachers and . making new friends here in Birmingham.' Fresh start: Malala walked to school in Birmingham accompanied by her father, Ziauddin . Malala and her parents are now rebuilding their lives after settling in Birmingham. Her father has been appointed education attache at the Pakistan consulate in the city . Edgbaston High School is an . independent day school for girls aged from two-and-a-half to 18. Founded . in 1876, it is Birmingham's oldest independent girls' school. The Pakistani government will be paying her £10,000 a year school fees. New classroom: Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head after demanding all girls be allowed to go to school, is shown around her new school, Edgbaston High School for girls in Birmingham, by headmistress Ruth Weeks . New facilities: Malala Yousafzai, 15, who was shot in the head, has defied her attackers by returning to school today - but this time in Birmingham today. She was shown around by headmistress Ruth Weeks . Her efforts saw her gunned down from point blank range by a Taliban assassin who stormed on to her school bus on October 9. She escaped death by a matter of . inches when the bullet entered just above her left eye and ran along her . jaw, 'grazing' her brain. Doctors in Pakistan managed to remove . the bullet and Malala was flown to the UK for emergency treatment at . Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where staff are more accustomed . to treating soldiers shot on foreign battlefields. Malala Yousafzai . The schoolgirl's plight attracted . international attention, and she became a symbol of the battle for . girls' education around the world. As surgeons battled to save her, supporters gathered to hold vigils, bearing signs emblazoned with the slogan; I Am Malala. Just days after her operation, she was filmed sitting up in bed as she pledged to continue her fight to promote women's rights. The 15-year-old was finally discharged from hospital . in Birmingham last month after undergoing intensive surgery to try and . repair the damage caused by the gunshot wound. Today as Malala started her first day of lessons at Edgbaston High, girls around the world who are denied the right to an education were still at the forefront of her mind. 'I am excited that today I have achieved my dream of going back to school,' she said, before adding: 'I want all girls in the world to have this basic opportunity. 'I miss my classmates from Pakistan very much but I am looking forward to meeting my teachers and making new friends here in Birmingham.' Recovery: The teenager underwent surgery at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after being shot on her way home from school in Pakistan's Swat Valley . British education: Malala has joined girls in Year 9 at Edgbaston High, where she will study a full curriculum . There was a heavy security presence at the £3,000-a-term school where the sealed front gates were manned by two guards. One parent collecting her child from the school gates this afternoon said: 'The school know how much of an inspiration she is but they have told the girls to treat her like any other pupil. 'She doesn't want any special treatment and she has fitted in fine so far. 'Like any new girl at a new school, she was a little nervous. But she will be fine, I'm sure. It is a good school.' Targeted: The young activist was transported from a military hospital to an air base in Rawalpindi to be flown to Britain after she was shot in October . Critical: The plane that carried Malala from Pakistan to Britain is seen on the runway at Chakala Airbase . Support: Campaigners gathered in Birmingham to show their support for the injured schoolgirl as surgeons battled to save her life at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital . Malala has been living with her father . Ziauddin, mother Toorpekai, 40, and brothers Khushal, 12, and Atul, . eight, at a safe house in Birmingham. It . is thought she may take up permanent residence in the UK after her . father began working with the Pakistani consulate in Birmingham. Malala's school fees are being paid by the Pakistani government. Edgbaston High School is an independent day school for girls aged two and a half to 18. Founded in 1876, it is Birmingham's oldest independent girls' school. | Young women's rights campaigner, 15, was shot by the Taliban in Pakistan . She was flown to Britain where surgeons fought to save her life . Doctors discharged the teenager from hospital in Birmingham last month . Today was Malala's first day at Edgbaston High School for Girls . | f431a8a57f74248a7d0fd4faec22a4e93d31e139 |
New York Times media columnist David Carr died of complications from metastatic lung cancer, according to autopsy results released Saturday. Julie Bolcer , a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner's office, said the autopsy shows heart disease also contributed to his death. Carr died at age 58 after collapsing in the Times newsroom. Scroll down for video . New York Times columnist David Carr died Thursday of lung cancer an autopsy has revealed . The father of three wrote the Media Equation column for the Times, focusing on issues of media in relation to business and culture. Just hours before his death, the veteran newsman tweeted about the death of his fellow journalist Bob Simon. 'RIP Bob Simon, a television storyteller without peer,' Carr wrote Wednesday. And just hours before news of his death broke Thursday evening, Carr participated in a TimesTalk, featuring Ed Snowden, among others. It's no surprise then that Carr's death came as a shock to so many. Initial reports, the New York Times' included, said Carr died in the newsroom. The Times' website now says Carr collapsed in the newsroom and later died at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital. The cause of death was not immediately known. Carr is survived by wife Jill Rooney Carr, an event planner with whom he lived in Montclair, New Jersey with their daughter Maddie. He also has twin daughters, Erin and Meagan. He joined the Times in 2002 as a business reporter, covering magazine publishing. His Media Equation column appeared in the Monday business section. Before joining the Times, Carr was a contributing writer for The Atlantic Monthly and New York magazine. He also was a media writer for news website Inside.com. Carr served as editor of the Washington City Paper, an alternative weekly in Washington, D.C. He also was editor of a Minneapolis-based alternative weekly called Twin Cities Reader. Carr (at left on Thursday before his sudden death) well known for writing about his personal life and penned a memoir in 2008 The Night of the Gun in which he detailed his struggles with cocaine addiction . Carr tweeted about the death of his fellow journalist Bob Simon just hours before his own death . Carr was well known for writing about his personal life and penned a memoir in 2008 The Night of the Gun in which he detailed his struggles with cocaine addiction. The book, published by Simon and Schuster, traces Carr's rise from cocaine addict to single dad raising twin girls to sobered-up media columnist for the Times. Carr said he wrote up a book proposal 'on a dare to myself' in two days. After an agent sold the idea, Carr ended up interviewing about 60 people and working on the book for three years. He took the transcribed interviews, numerous documents and pictures to his family's cabin in the Adirondacks, where he wrote the book. Last year, Carr began teaching a Boston University class that explored the creative business models to support digital journalism. It was among the first professorships dedicated to evaluating how media organizations can sustain themselves financially as readers and advertisers migrate to digital platforms, a crisis that has doomed some news organizations and threatens the viability of others. Carr had written about the issue extensively. 'I think a lot of journalism education that is going on is broadly not preparing kids for the world that they are stepping into,' Carr told The Boston Globe. | David Carr died of lung cancer an autopsy has revealed . Carr had been tweeting just hours prior to his death, including a post about his fellow journalist Bob Simon, who died Wednesday . He appeared on stage for a TimesTalk at The New School on Thursday . The husband and father of three often wrote about his personal life and detailed his struggle with cocaine addiction in a 2008 memoir . | 1c008b8b64d356b532b68ff66715e7704345ad92 |
Zurich, Switzerland (CNN) -- No decision will be made on a shift in the date for soccer's Qatar 2022 World Cup before the 2014 World Cup is played, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Friday. There has been controversy around plans to stage the 2022 contest in Qatar's intense summer heat, prompting calls to move the tournament to the winter. It had been expected ahead of the executive committee, or ExCo, meeting that a decision on whether to shift the tournament from Qatar's summer to the winter months would come Friday. But the executive committee for football's world governing body, which has met over the past two days in Zurich, has "decided to launch a consultation process among main stakeholders for Qatar 2022 dates," Blatter said via his official Twitter account. At a news conference in Zurich, Blatter also said that Qatar "needs to intervene" after allegations of abuse of migrant laborers working on infrastructure projects for the 2022 tournament -- and that the Gulf state has said it will act. "This is not FIFA's first responsibility, but we cannot ignore it, and it touches me. But it is not an intervention by FIFA that is going to change something. It is Qatar that needs to intervene, and Qatar has confirmed to me that they are going to do it," he said. Qatar has provided a letter setting out what ministers have already started to do, he said. The delay in announcing a decision on changing the dates for the contest will allow FIFA time for broader consultations on the issue with key stakeholders, such as players, clubs, national football associations and TV broadcasters who pay huge sums for the rights to the games. Blatter said it would also mean the 2014 World Cup in Brazil could be played without being overshadowed by questions over Qatar. Blatter: Doubts over heat . Blatter stressed that there is no possibility of taking the 2022 World Cup away from Qatar, as some critics have demanded. He plans to visit Qatar with members of the executive committee to see how the preparations are going, as well as to meet with Qatar's new emir, he said. Asked about remarks last month in which he said FIFA may have made a mistake in choosing Qatar for the 2022 World Cup back in 2010, Blatter said his words did not relate to the choice of location. "The mistake was to think that we could play this competition easily in the summertime," he said. "There are some doubts as to whether it is a good period to play in this heat." He acknowledged that FIFA "could have made this declaration that it is too hot a little bit earlier" but said there is still plenty of time before the tournament is played. 'Irresponsible' Earlier Friday, FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb said, "I don't think there should be a decision today. We definitely have not been presented with an analysis. We don't know where the stakeholders are, so I think it would be irresponsible for us to take a decision today." The World Cup is usually played in the northern hemisphere's summer months, but concerns have been raised over the safety of players and football fans in Qatar, given that temperatures in July can soar to 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 Celsius). All 54 member associations of UEFA, Europe's governing body, last month voted against holding the tournament in the Qatari summer. But a winter World Cup would cause chaos with the European domestic season, with many clubs fearing that they could lose out financially. The secretary general for the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, Hassan al-Thawadi, delivered a progress report Thursday to FIFA's ExCo on the Gulf nation's preparations for the event. Al-Thawadi has said that innovative cooling technologies will ensure that conditions are not too hot for visitors during the tournament. The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee has also said it is committed to ensuring workers' safety and well-being. The Qatar conundrum . Ali Al Khulaifi, an international relations adviser at Qatar's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, said this week that Qatar is taking concrete steps to ensure that its labor rules are enforced, including making it easier for workers to report abuses by their employers. CNN's Alex Thomas reported in Zurich and Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. | FIFA "cannot ignore" the issue of workers' rights, but Qatar says it will act . Blatter: FIFA is launching "a consulting process" to determine the 2022 Qatar dates . There are fears players and fans could suffer in the searing heat of Qatar's summer . A Qatar ministry says it is taking concrete steps to ensure labor laws are respected . | 265c5da8e374982758e7d36a54cb30ac27e98386 |
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