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(CNN) -- This holiday season, the Colombian military is trying a unique angle to get guerrillas to lay down their arms: It is creating Christmas trees deep in the jungle in hopes the holiday spirit will tug the rebels back home. The first tree of "Operation Christmas" was decorated in the jungle of southern Colombia, the military said. Two units in two Blackhawk helicopters dropped in on a supply path that the guerrillas are known to use and picked a 25-meter (82-foot) tree to decorate with sparkling blue lights. A commercial made by the military shows the soldiers, dressed in camouflage uniforms and face paint, wrapping 2,000 lights around the branches and trunk. The tree was rigged with a motion sensor that will turn the lights on when someone walks by. A banner next to it says, . "If Christmas can come to the jungle, you too can come home. Demobilize. At Christmas, everything is possible." Officials hope the gesture will be enough to lure rebels away from the jungle. "For us, the most important month is December," Colombian military spokeswoman Marcela Duran said. "Many make the final decision about demobilizing this month." She says that traditionally, the holiday season sees a larger number of defections as rebels reflect on the positives and negatives of their situation. When they were recruited, many of the rebels did not know that it would mean being isolated from their families, she added. The tactic is a shift from what has been an aggressive military campaign against the rebels this year. In September, a military raid claimed the life of the No. 2 leader in a Marxist guerrilla group that has been at war with the Colombian government since the 1960s. Victor Julio Suarez Rojas, also known as Jorge Briceno Suarez and by the nom de guerre Mono Jojoy, was the military leader for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, commonly called the FARC. It was one of a number of military successes for the government this year. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, a former defense minister, was known for his tough line against the rebels, but he also has a softer side, an analyst said. During his time as defense minister, the government began using billboards and radio advertisements in areas where the rebels operate at an unprecedented level, said Adam Isacson, senior associate at the Washington Office on Latin America. Operation Christmas sounds a bit gimmicky, he said, but "rather than trying to kill all the rank-and-file guerrillas, it's better to try to convince them to leave." FARC leaders tell their followers that they will be killed if they turn themselves in, but the advertisements and Christmas trees give another message, he said. Despite the military successes this year, "the challenge is that their recruitment at the youngest levels is very easy," Isacson said. The tree decorating is probably aimed at those young recruits. In all, 10 jungle trees throughout the country will be decorated as part of Operation Christmas. This year, 2,411 guerrillas have demobilized, including 140 during this holiday season, the military said. In 2009, a total of 2,638 rebels laid down their arms. | "Operation Christmas" will decorate 10 trees in the jungle . The goal is to persuade rebels to demobilize by reminding them of holiday spirit . The military says 140 rebels have laid down their arms this holiday season . | 61032b10033cf4c50119678e493d8f043e4427a8 |
Arthur Hutchinson was sentenced to life for the murders of Basil Laitner, his wife Avril and their 28-year-old son Richard . Locking up Britain’s most evil criminals until they die does not breach their human rights, European judges ruled yesterday. In a major victory for Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, Strasbourg backed ‘whole life’ prison sentences for horrific murders and other heinous crimes. The European Court of Human Rights dismissed an appeal by a notorious triple killer against his ‘life means life’ tariff. Arthur Hutchinson, 74, stabbed a bride’s parents and brother to death on her wedding night and repeatedly raped a teenage house guest in a frenzied attack in October 1983. The ruling means notorious prisoners, including Moors murderer Ian Brady and Mark Bridger, the paedophile killer of five-year-old April Jones, can be kept behind bars indefinitely. After the decision, Mr Grayling said: ‘Those who commit the most heinous crimes deserve to spend the rest of their lives in prison. ‘That is what the public want, and it is right that judges will continue to be able to hand down whole life orders to the very worst offenders.’ The ruling was a significant retreat for the European court’s grand chamber, which in July 2013 ruled that whole life terms were ‘inhuman and degrading’ and should be reviewed after 25 years. It had claimed the lack of a proper review and hence the lack of hope, however remote, of eventual release was a major breach of prisoners’ human rights. But Britain’s Court of Appeal said last February that the European court was wrong and ruled killers could potentially be released at the discretion of the Justice Secretary if ‘exceptional grounds’ existed, for example if they were terminally ill. Yesterday, the Strasbourg-based court agreed and threw out Hutchinson’s appeal – ruling that his whole-life sentence did not violate the European Convention on Human Rights. It said Britain had ‘specifically addressed’ the issue and that the legal situation was ‘in line with human rights laws’. Double police killer Dale Cregan (left) and Mark Bridger (right), who murdered five-year-old April Jones, are serving life sentences . The ruling is a further sign that the European courts are stepping back from interfering in British laws. It is also an important boost for the Conservative Party in the run-up to May’s General Election. Stinging criticism by MPs and ministers of meddling by Strasbourg appeared to have had some influence on the latest ruling, which may stem a drift of voters to Ukip. European judges who strayed beyond their original brief were cited by the Tories in proposals published last year to claw back sovereignty and scrap the Human Rights Act in favour of a British bill of rights. If the Government had lost the latest case it could have opened the way for parole hearings by Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper (left) and Ian Brady, the Moors Murderer (right) Dominic Raab, a Tory MP campaigning for reform of human rights legislation, said: ‘It’s welcome that this Government stood firm and Strasbourg has performed a U-turn. ‘But it also highlights the intensely political instincts of a court that meddles when it thinks it can get away with it. That’s why we need Conservative reforms of our relationship with Strasbourg, to safeguard the democratic right of our Supreme Court to have the last word on British justice.’ Last week Strasbourg judges agreed it was lawful to extradite to the US a terror suspect accused of being Abu Hamza’s trusted sidekick. And last August they saved British taxpayers millions by saying prisoners barred from voting should not get compensation. Frenzied attack: Arthur Hutchinson . Arthur Hutchinson carried out the bloody slaughter of Basil Laitner’s family at their home in October 1983. The 59-year-old solicitor, his wife Avril, 55, and son Richard, 28, were all murdered on the day they spent celebrating the wedding of daughter Suzanne. Armed with an eight-inch bowie knife, Hutchinson – nicknamed ‘The Fox’ – broke into the wealthy family’s home in Sheffield to carry out the killings. He then grabbed hold of an 18-year-old woman who was staying at the house, forced her to walk through a pool of blood, took her to a marquee in the grounds and raped her. Hutchinson was captured after weeks on the run and convicted thanks to the rape victim’s testimony and a wealth of forensic evidence, including his palm print on a bottle of wedding champagne. The judge in his 1984 trial at Sheffield Crown Court said he should serve 18 years but Home Secretary Leon Brittan later ruled he should face a whole life tariff. Before the latest ruling ministers had been forced to consider scrapping ‘life means life’ sentences completely. Instead of being told they must die in prison, it was thought offenders could be given an American-style jail sentence of up to 100 years that would have been subject to review. Fifty-five inmates in England and Wales are serving whole life tariffs, including Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, Rosemary West and one-eyed police killer Dale Cregan. The longest serving whole life prisoner is Ian Brady, who committed the Moors Murders between 1963 and 1965. He is 76. | Triple killer Arthur Hutchinson loses challenge against 'life means life' term . Hutchinson jailed in 1984 for stabbing a mother, father and son to death . He was first to challenge sentence after court ruling whole-life tariffs illegal . Judges said life sentences with no chance of release violated human rights . Today judges said as long as life sentences can be 'reviewed' they are okay . It means killers like Mark Bridger and Ian Brady can never be released . Ministers feared a wave of appeals from some of the most notorious killers . | 531a23cf9095628f8d2ad0ffc47592ef11bb634d |
By . A. Greg . and Associated Press . It's been 31 years since Sid Wells was shot execution-style in his own home in Boulder, Colorado and his terminally ill mother has yet to see his killer locked up. The 22-year-old University of Colorado student had been dating Robert Redford's daughter Shauna Redford for three years at the time of his death, and she was so devastated by the loss that she dropped out of college. 'I don't know that I'll live long enough to see a resolution in this case, but I would hope that I can, and I've never given up hope,' she told CNN. Young love: Shauna Redford and Sid Wells had been dating for three years when he was killed . Heartbroken: June Menger is now terminally ill but hopes to live long enough to see police apprehend Thayne Smika . Wells' mother June Menger says Redford is like a daughter-in-law to her, even though she never saw her son married. Boulder police are still looking for Thayne Smika after a murder warrant was issued for his arrest in . 2010. Wells' brother . found his body August 1, 1983, in Wells' Spanish Towers condominium. An . autopsy showed Wells was shot execution-style at point-blank range in . the back of the head with a 20-gauge shotgun. The case attracted worldwide media . attention when Redford halted production of The Natural, being filmed on . location in Buffalo, N.Y., and came to Boulder for Wells' funeral. Wells . and Redford's daughter Shauna, then 22 years old, were both students at . the University of Colorado and lived in the same building. Smika, who was often late with rent, was supposed to pay Wells the day he was killed, investigators said. Police . suspected Smika, Wells' roommate, and arrested him a few months after . investigators said they linked him to the murder. Smika was never . prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take . the case. Smika left the area, and in 1986 his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, California. Wells' mother, June Menger, said that Boulder investigators have been dogged in their work to solve the case. Victim: University of Colorado journalism student Sid Wells, 22, was gunned down August 1, 1983, in his condominium . Suspect's many faces: Boulder police released (clockwise) murder suspect Thayne Smika's original mugshot and a series of age-progressed sketches showing what he might look like now with glasses and facial hair . Warrior: Wells was part of the university's Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps . Senseless loss: Wells aspired to be a journalist, was a dedicated student and had many friends . She said she isn't bitter about the delays in getting a murder warrant. Prosecutors at the time of the killing lacked the evidence techniques that have since allowed detectives to link shotgun pellets recovered from Wells' body to shells found at the Smika family residence in Akron, Menger said. She said Robert Redford and her son were friends, and they went jogging and skiing together. She said Redford initially decided not to attend the funeral, worried it would become a media circus. But he came anyway because of his close friendship with Wells. ‘He said it had turned into his nightmare too,’ she said. Redford said in 1997 that Wells' murder still haunted him. ‘It's like a partially opened door with a very dark room behind it,’ he said. Horrifying scene: Sid's brother discovered the 22-year-old's body in his Spanish Towers condo . Grisly: Autopsy showed Wells was shot execution-style at point-blank range in the back of the head with a 20-gauge shotgun . Prime suspect: Smika, Wells' roommate, was arrested a few months after the murder, but he was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case . In 2010, the Boulder County district attorney's office agreed to review the case and approved an arrest affidavit for Smika. But authorities could not find him. Smika's bail was set at $5million after the warrant was issued. Boulder Deputy Police Chief Dave Hayes, one of the first detectives to investigate the case, said Smika may have become assimilated into a community and he hopes new coverage of the case will lead a neighbor or a relative to step forward. ‘It's time for justice,’ said Hayes, who has remained in touch with Wells' family over the last three decades. Thayne Smika, who is believed to be living under an assumed identity, would be 54 now. Police released his 1983 mugshot and an age-progressed image of what he might look like today. True friend: Robert Redford, pictured comforting his weeping daughter, initially decided not to attend Wells' funeral, worried it would become a media circus, but he came anyway . Bereaved: Shauna Redford dated Sid Wells for three years, was his best friend, and in his obituary she was listed among his survivors . In 1997, a police officer posing as a journalism student talked to Smika's mother, who said her son had changed his name because he was afraid for his life because he knew who the real killer was. An aspiring journalist, Wells also was part of the university’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. For his first date with Shauna Redford, the two went to an ROTC dance, the site Daily Camera reported. Shauna, the daughter of Robert Redford and his first wife, Lola Van Wagenen, whom he divorced in 1985, dated Sid Wells for three years, and in his obituary she was listed among his survivors. Moving on: Shauna, pictured left with her actor-director father in 1997, went on to marry journalist and best-selling author Eric Schlosser (right), and the couple have two children . A photo that accompanied a 1983 Associated Press article about Wells’ funeral showed the weeping young woman being comforted by her father on their way to the service. Following the murder, Shauna went on to marry university professor Eric Schlosser, the best-selling author of Fast Food Nation. The couple have two children, a boy and a girl. Police believe Thayne Smika could be hiding in Mexico or California under an assumed identity. | June Menger, the mother of murdered 22-year-old college student Sid Wells, hasn't given up hope police will find his killer . Thayne Smika, now 54, is being sought in 1983 murder of 22-year-old Sid Wells . Wells was found dead from 20-gauge shotgun blast to the back of the head in his home . Well had been dating Robert Redford's daughter, Shauna, for three years . Police believe Smika, Well's ex-roommate, has been living under alias . | db0e945c65911ecafb584d46c237d48b572c0eb7 |
By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 20:33 EST, 10 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:38 EST, 11 March 2014 . Dallas Star forward Rich Peverley fell unconscious after collapsing on the bench at last night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. When the 31-year-old fell unconscious his team mates frantically jumped off the bench and onto the ice while the game was going on to get attention. Peverley was hurriedly carried into a tunnel where medics carried out chest . compressions and defibrillated him as well as using electric shock electricity to . bring a rhythm back to his heart. Dallas Star forward Rich Peverley, seen here left, collapsed on the bench at last night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets . When the 31-year-old fell unconscious his team mates frantically jumped off the bench and onto the ice while the game was going on to get attention . Peverley was stabilized, transported to a hospital and in good condition Monday night. The Stars stood in stunned silence, clearly in distress, unsure what had happened to a player just six months removed from undergoing a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat. 'When he dropped, it was red alert,' Ruff said after the game between Dallas and Columbus was postponed with the Blue Jackets leading 1-0 in the first period. 'Don't worry about the game. It was about getting the doctors. The players don't want to play, and I don't want to coach the team right now.' Stars forward Erik Cole tried to rush into the tunnel just after Peverley was carried through, only to be turned away. He then gnawed at the thumb on one of his gloves while he waited for word on what the players would do next. Sergei Gonchar stared blankly near fellow defenseman Trevor Daley, who was hunched over on the bench, wiping his face with a towel. 'I was scared,' Ruff said. When the 31-year-old fell unconscious his team mates frantically jumped off the bench and onto the ice while the game was going on to get attention . Play was halted at 6:23, and the postponement was announced about 30 minutes later . Play was halted at 6:23, and the postponement was announced about 30 minutes later. Many in the hushed crowd lingered long after the postponement was announced 'as a result of the emotional state of the players on both teams caused by the medical emergency.' The NHL didn't say when the game would be rescheduled. Peverley's wife, Nathalie, accompanied him to a hospital, and the Stars essentially told the Blue Jackets they were not keen on finishing the game. 'They're shaken and they want to reschedule. We understand that,' John Davidson, the Blue Jackets president of hockey operations, told Fox Sports Ohio. 'They were shaken to the core.' Peverley missed the preseason and the season opener because of a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat, a condition diagnosed during a training camp physical. He made his Stars debut on Oct. 5 against Washington. 'We monitor him closely for a different type of arrhythmia he has,' said Dr. Gil Salazar of UT Southwestern Hospital. 'He does have a pre-existing condition, and the condition - a normal quivering of the heart that does not allow him to send blood to places where he needs to, in his brain and heart.' Peverley sat out last week's game at Columbus because of an irregular heartbeat. He had felt strange after last Monday's game and couldn't fly. He played in Dallas' next two games before Monday. 'There wasn't any concern,' Ruff said. 'Our doctors have done a fabulous job monitoring the situation.' In 62 games this season before Monday, Peverley had seven goals and 23 assists. He was acquired last July from Boston with forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Ryan Button for forwards Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser, and defenseman Joe Morrow. 'The first thing (Peverley) asked me was how much time was left in the first period,' Ruff said. The Stars went to the airport after the postponement, and even had a scheduled departure for St. Louis that was earlier than it would have been if the game was played. Dallas is scheduled to play the Blues on Tuesday night. 'He's going to be OK,' Ruff said. 'The care he's getting and the care going forward is the most important thing.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Rich Peverley, 31, collapsed on the bench at last night's game . Team mates frantically jumped off the bench and onto the ice to get help . Medics carried out chest compressions and defibrillated him . Peverley was stabilized, transported to a hospital and is in good condition . | 7a6b25528228c2b12b9871ecc186107d612415be |
By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 04:25 EST, 12 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:38 EST, 12 August 2013 . Re-arrested: Rolf Harris was held last week while answering bail, after three women in Australia came forward . Rolf Harris was re-arrested on suspicion of new sexual offences after three women came forward in Australia, it emerged today. The 83-year-old was questioned last week over ‘further allegations’ made to Operation Yewtree detectives, after police in his home country passed on the information to Scotland Yard. Harris, from Bray in Berkshire, was arrested for a second time last week after answering police bail and learning he faced additional claims. The Australian Federal Police today confirmed to MailOnline that they are helping with the investigation. The entertainer, who was first arrested in March, is said to be in 'complete shock' about the new allegations and has vowed to 'fight them'. In May at least two Scotland Yard detectives flew to Australia to interview a Sydney woman, named locally as Lauren Martell, 43, as part of their investigations into the allegations against Harris. The woman did not say she was a victim, but had told the police she was a witness. In the following days it is understood that two more women came forward and gave statements to the Met who were helped by Australian detectives. Scotland Yard declined to comment today and the Australian Federal Police said their officers were helping the Met with their inquiries. 'This is a massive blow to Rolf,' a source close to him told the Daily Mirror. 'He fully denied the original allegation but the fact that more people have come forward has come as a complete shock. 'He completely denies all of the claims against him and will fight them.' Harris is being dealt with under the 'others' strand, meaning the allegations have no link to shamed DJ Savile . Rolf Harris, 83, was pictured performing this month at the Wickham Festival in Hampshire . Police insisted that the allegations remain unconnected to paedophile Jimmy Savile, who sparked the Yewtree inquiry. The Australian-born star is the biggest name to be arrested as part of the inquiry into historic sex offences. He was first questioned under caution when he attended a police station by appointment in November last year. His original accuser is a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by him when she was a teenager. Harris’s wife of 55 years is the Welsh sculptress and jeweller Alwen Hughes, 81. The . artist and singer received a rapturous reception from fans when he . performed on London’s South Bank and in Bristol this year. Earlier, . a leaked email from his Sydney-based brother and manager Bruce Harris . revealed the family’s frustration at the pace of police investigations. Writing . to a friend, Bruce said: ‘This has been dragging on for nearly seven . months. The Plod in the UK are certainly taking their time. Rare public appearance: Harris performed at the Wickham Festival in Hampshire over the first weekend in August, where he greeted fans with a loud 'G'day!' and became emotional as he thanked them for their support . 'We’ve been . advised by Rolf’s top-notch legal team to sit tight and make no . comment.’ Others held . as part of Yewtree include pop star Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie . Starr, DJ Dave Lee Travis, publicist Max Clifford and comedian Jim . Davidson. A Metropolitan . Police spokesman confirmed Harris was 'further arrested on suspicion of . sexual offences in connection with further allegations made to Operation . Yewtree'. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Harris was re-arrested by detectives from Operation Yewtree last week . Entertainer was first arrested in March over alleged sex offences . Three women in Australia are said to have made statements to detectives . The allegations have no link to shamed DJ Jimmy Savile, police say . | 81b3dd40410ec95313388a62cd07035f05352e22 |
By . Snejana Farberov . Disgraced mom: Nicole McMillen, 44, seen in a 2012 booking photo, was sentenced Friday to three years and four months in prison for molesting her son's two teenage friends . A married middle-aged school employee from California was sentenced Friday to more than three years in a state prison for sexually molesting her teenage son's friends. Nicole McMillen, a 44-year-old mother of three from Irvine, was also ordered to register as a lifetime sex offender. McMillen, who had worked as a behavioral specialist at Tustin schools, was convicted last October of four counts of lewd acts on a child and three counts of oral copulation of a minor under 16. According to the prosecution, the married woman was keeping a 'fun' home where her children's school friends could come and play video games and watch TV. An investigation has revealed that in January and February 2012, Mrs McMillen assaulted a 14-year-old boy who came to her house in a gated community in Irvine, repeatedly touching his groin over the pants and performing oral sex on him, the station KTLA reported. When the boy's parents learned of the incident and filed a complaint with police, investigators discovered a second victim, a 16-year-old. During her . trial last fall, prosecutors said that the married mother of three . carried on a year-long affair with the older boy between 2005 and 2006. McMillen . engaged in oral sex with her son's 16-year-old friend, who had known . her since he was 10, at least on one occasion, prosecutions claimed.Scroll down for video . Marked for life: McMillen, a former behavioral specialist and married mother of three, was ordered to register as a lifetime sex offender . During her sentencing Friday at North Justice Center in Fullerton, the 44-year-old McMillen showed little emotion. Her husband, Joseph McMillen, and parents sat in the audience during the proceedings. Nicole McMillen's attorney, Salvatore Ciulla, had asked for a probation sentence for his client in light of the fact that she already had served 296 days in jail. But Judge James Rogan rejected the defense's request, saying that the disgraced wife and mother had shown no remorse and continued to deny her wrongdoings. The convicted child molester could be released early because of prison overcrowding. At the time of the incidents McMillen was working part-time with kindergarten-age kids at Peters Canyon Elementary School and as a behavioral interventionist with the Tustin Unified School District. | Nicole McMillen, 44, sentenced to three years and four months in state prison, and ordered to register as lifetime sex offended . McMillen, a behavioral specialist, was convicted in October 2013 of performing sex acts on her son's 14-year-old friend . Police found her second victim was 16-year-old boy with whom McMillen had year-long relationship . | 7750587f3a1829ca91ad2ed944d6143b05773303 |
Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- A slate of Cabinet ministers for Libya's emerging government was finalized Sunday, two spokesmen for the National Transitional Council said. The names of those in the new Cabinet are expected to be released soon, said the spokesmen, who declined to be named. The transitional council has organized the military and political movement to unseat Libya's long-time ruler Moammar Gadhafi. It moved its capital from Benghazi to Tripoli last month, after anti-Gadhafi forces took over the city, and is recognized as Libya's legitimate government by many nations and world bodies, including the United Nations and African Union. In that time -- and as fighting continues against regime loyalists in a few locales -- council representatives have spoken for the government internationally and also tried to execute certain functions within Libya. But up until now, the group has not had ministers formally charged with overseeing certain aspects of government. Gadhafi son slams Interpol arrest warrant . One of those places that remains a battle zone, in addition to Bani Walid and Sabha, is Sirte. Last week, the transitional council said that the central coastal city and about 5,000 pro-Gadhafi loyalists inside were surrounded by its forces. On Saturday, the group's chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil gave civilians 48 hours to leave before a full-scale offensive is launched. Souad Masoudi, a spokeswoman for the International Committee of Red Cross, earlier this weekend claimed that about 10,000 people had fled Sirte. The group described humanitarian conditions inside the besieged city as dire, adding that medical supplies appeared to be in dangerously short supply. On Sunday -- after having earlier efforts, by boat, aborted due to "the security situation" -- a Red Cross team entered Sirte by land from the west, the group said in a press release. They met with civil representatives who claimed dangerous shortages of drinking water, hygiene items and food, including for infants. The team also went to Ibn Sina hospital, with the operation's leader Hichem Khadraoui describing the conditions for medical personnel as "extremely difficult." Libyan Jew returns from exile . There, they delivered enough surgical material -- including body bags and dressing kits -- to treat about 200 wounded people, as well as 400 liters (about 106 gallons) of fuel for the facility's generator. "The hospital is facing a huge influx of patients, medical supplies are running out, and there is a desperate need for oxygen," Khadraoui said. "On top of that, the water reservoir is damaged." | The slate of ministers was made final Sunday, 2 transitional council spokesmen say . Many recognize the council as Libya's government, but it had not had a Cabinet . The Red Cross delivers much-needed supplies in the besieged city of Sirte . | dd0f6ab45a429eba9b3c7d93559d8f83d9335934 |
Apple has signed up Visa, Mastercard and American Express to its new payments system set to be unveiled next week, it has been claimed. The iPhone 6 will include a new payments system allowing owners to pay in stores simply by tapping their phone on a reader, it has been claimed. Now it has emerged the tech giant has signed up the major card firms to back the project. Scroll down for video . Put away the credit card! Apple is believed to be working on an iWallet app to allow users to easily pay with their phone . The handset is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday 9 September and will come in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sizes. It is thought the phone could boast a flexible and scratch-proof sapphire screen, which is about to go into large-scale production in the US. The screen is tipped to be ‘Retina display+’ with a 1,704x904 resolution. Experts also predict a faster A8 processor, better rear-facing camera - possibly with changeable lenses -and wireless charging support. It may also include a heart rate sensor like the Samsung Galaxy S5. Called Near Field Communication (NFC), the technology is already widely used by credit cards for low cost payments. Apple is expected to link the system to its iTunes store, which already holds customer's payment details. According to a source quoted by Bloomberg, 'The agreement includes Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and American Express Co. and will be unveiled on Sept. 9 along with the next iPhone.' 'The new iPhone will make mobile payment easier by including a near-field communication chip for the first time', the person told the firm. According to tech blog The Information, 'conversations between Apple and payments-industry companies have heated up in recent months.' It claims 'several people briefed on the talks say that Apple executives have discussed launching a mobile 'wallet' as soon as this fall for people to use their iPhones to pay for goods in physical stores.' According to the report, new phones will include a ‘secure element’ to store such sensitive data. Apple has also made hires relating to 'building a business around the hundreds of millions of credit cards it already has on file,' according to Wired, claims a source has told uit the solution will include NFC. Apple's cryptic invite for it's September 9th event, which is expected to see the iPhone 6 and iWatch unveiled. The service will also run without any intervention by mobile phone firms. Apple has told some partners its system would involve a so-called secured element in the phones—a piece of hardware where sensitive information such as a phone owner’s financial credentials can be stored. This expected to be the same secure system currently used to store fingerprint information, which is also set to store health data. Earlier this month Visa launched a new service called Visa Checkout that eliminates a few steps in online payment. The company and its retailing partners, including Neiman Marcus, Pizza Hut, Staples and others, hope a quicker payout will lead to fewer abandoned shopping carts online. With the iPhone 6 launch two weeks away, new images of leaked parts have been revealed on a near daily basis. Multiple images of both the front panel and the rear shell of the 4.7-inch device have surfaced, while this image seemingly shows the design of the entire device . As more customers shop on smaller screens like smartphones and tablets, the hassle of entering in credit card numbers and billing addresses is becoming a sticking point and payment processors have been working to find ways to simplify the process. Visa Checkout joins similar services like eBay's PayPal, MasterCard's MasterPass, Amazon's one-click checkout and others. Visa has been working to expand its reach into the payments processing business with new products like Visa Checkout. The company is also opening a technology center in San Francisco in an effort to court mobile developers in the Bay Area tech community. It plans to hire 100 new technology staffers for the center. | Could be linked to iTunes store accounts . NFC system already in use by some retailers . Will allow shoppers to pay by tapping their phone's fingerprint sensor to prove their identity . | 0624c6ea8a7aa98b89cb4f318abec8b5de0d452b |
By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 07:49 EST, 20 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:21 EST, 20 June 2013 . Injured friends of a student nurse who died in a minibus crash as they all travelled to a hen party joined hundreds of other mourners for her funeral today. Beth Jones, 18, died in the collision between the bus and a lorry on the M62 near Pontefract in West Yorkshire in April. Today, many of Miss Jones's friends who were injured in the crash were in tears as they waited for the cortege to arrive outside St Joseph's Church, in South Elmsall, West Yorkshire. Scroll down for video . Some of the other hen party victims of the M62 crash attended Beth Jones's funeral today in their wheelchairs . Student nurse Beth Jones, 18, was killed in the collision between the hen party's minibus and a lorry in April . Ryan Jones acted as the lead pall bearer to carry his sister's coffin today . Miss Jones's parents, Diane and Paul, led the mourners along with her boyfriend, Nathan Hurcomb. Diane Jones was also injured in the crash and she walked into the church with the aid of crutches. Miss Jones's sister, Amy, was in a wheelchair. Bride-to-be Stefanie Firth, 24, walked into the church still wearing a neck brace, supported by her fiance Gary Leafe. The pair had been due to get married in the fortnight after the crash, but have postponed their wedding. Mr Leafe's mother Lesley was also seriously injured in the crash. The women were travelling from South Elmsall, between Doncaster and Wakefield, for the hen night in Liverpool. Twenty women on the bus were hurt, eight of them seriously. Ryan Jones wore a pink tie for his sister's funeral in South Elmsall today . Beth's parents Paul and Diane Jones left the funeral accompanied by her boyfriend Nathan Hurcomb . Nathan Hurcomb, also wearing a pink tie in tribute, wept as he left his girlfriend's funeral today . Miss Jones's brother Ryan and boyfriend Nathan Hurcomb helped carry the white coffin into the church. Ryan Jones led tributes to his sister during the 90-minute service. Reading a message from their sister, Amy, he said: 'My beautiful baby sister. 'I can't begin the explain, that I had the most amazing sister in the whole wide world, my best friend forever. 'I will never forget you. We were the same on the inside and out. Love you always, your big sister.' And reading a message from their father, he said: 'My little girl - not just beautiful on the outside but stunning on the inside.' He added: 'Beth could light up any room with her smile and warmth. A true diamond. 'Forever in my heart and thoughts, love Dad.' Bride-to-be Stefanie Firth attended the funeral wearing a neck brace and walking on crutches, accompanied by her fiance Gary Leafe, whose mother Lesley also suffered critical injuries in the crash . An order of service is shown in the hands of a mourner during the funeral of Beth Jones . Miss Jones's cousin, Becca Thompson, told the packed church her friend was a 'fun, caring, happy-go-lucky girl who would always wear a smile to brighten up any day'. She said Miss Jones was the 'big sister I never had - my best friend'. The service was relayed by speakers to mourners who gathered outside the packed church. Many of those waiting were wearing pink clothes and sporting pink flowers. A choir from St Wilfrid's Catholic High School, where Miss Jones studied, sang Purify My Heart, I'm Giving You My Heart and I Watch The Sunrise. The service ended with the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful and was followed by a private cremation nearby. Crash survivors Ashley Warner, left, and Beth's sister Amy, right, attended the service in their wheelchairs as they continue to recover from the April crash . Injured friends of Beth Jones attended her funeral today in their wheelchairs following a minibus crash on the M62 in April . Miss Jones, who would have celebrated her 19th birthday last Monday, was in the first year of a nursing course at Leeds University. She died in the crash that happened close to one of the off-slips of junction 32 of the motorway. The lorry involved was travelling in the same direction. Firefighters who attended the battered minibus said the scene was one of the worst they had ever seen. In a statement after the crash, Miss . Jones' family said: 'Beth was a fun and bubbly girl who was caring and . considerate to everyone she met. 'She was the apple of her grandad's eye and she will never be forgotten and sadly missed by everyone.' The family has asked for donations to Beth's Angels, a fund to raise money for those affected by the crash, which has already raised £12,000. Many of the mourners, including Beth's sister Amy, wore pink and carried pink flowers in tribute . Ashley Warner was one of the hen party members who arrived at the church in a wheelchair today . St Joseph's Church in South Elmsall was packed for today's service, which was followed by a private cremation . The fund was set up by her cousin Mark Larkin, the landlord of the Barnsley Oak pub, where Miss Jones worked. He said: 'I knew a lot of people had started raising money for the air ambulance after the crash but I thought we needed to do something for the girls who are going to be out of work for a long time while they recover. 'Also, we wanted to support Beth's family while they look after her older sister Amy, who was also injured and was the last one to leave hospital.' The driver of the minibus, Jimmy Johnson, 62, from Bradford, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving last week. He was bailed pending further inquiries. Lorry driver Kevin Ollerhead, 43, was arrested and bailed following the crash. Another crash victim, Sarah Johnson, was pictured being wheeled into church today . The crash that killed Beth Jones happened on the M62 in West Yorkshire between junctions 32 and 32A as a hen party for bride-to-be Stefanie Firth made its way to Liverpool . | Funeral of Beth Jones, 18, was held today in South Elmsall, West Yorkshire . Mourners wore pink and carried pink flowers for the church service . Six hen party friends arrived in wheelchairs while others were on crutches . Ryan Jones acted as the lead pallbearer for his sister's white coffin . | c1942db0b1377ed52f6fd8ecdb55411744b8bb25 |
Former AFL player Stephen Milne has received a hefty fine but avoided a conviction for indecently assaulting a woman 10 years ago. The former St Kilda star, who was supported by wife Melissa, his father and brother, was fined $15,000 in Victorian Country Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting a 19 year old woman at a teammate's house after a drunken night out in 2004. The result in the long standing case comes after three rape charges against the former AFL footballer were dropped earlier this month. Scroll down for video . Former St Kilda AFL player Stephen Milne (centre) arrives at the Victorian County Court in Melbourne where he was fined $15,000 but escaped conviction for allegedly indecently assaulting a woman in 2004 . Former St Kilda AFL player Stephen Milne (pictured) and his wife Melissa (pictured) leave the Victorian County Court in Melbourne after he was fined $15,000 with no conviction to indecent assault . Victorian County Court Judge Michael Bourke described the incident as a non-violent but physical sexual act. He said both the victim and Milne had suffered due to the decade-long delay in bringing the matter to court, and described Milne as a different and far more mature man than at the time of his crime. 'The evidence is highly persuasive that this offending was out of character,' Judge Bourke said on Tuesday. He accepted Milne was a man of good character who had suffered from the publicity of the high profile incident. 'You have been the subject of public scrutiny and public abuse,' Judge Bourke said. 'Your family has witnessed and been distressed by this.' Milne, 34, had been due to face trial charged with three counts of rape later this month. Former AFL player Stephen Milne outside court on Tuesday, has been fined but avoided a conviction for indecently assaulting a woman 10 years ago . In Victorian County Court on Tuesday Stephen Milne (pictured) was flanked by supporters including wife Melissa (pictured) The resolution to the long standing case comes after three rape charges against the former AFL footballer were dropped earlier this month . But he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of indecent assault on November 6 after the Office of Public Prosecutions withdrew the rape allegations. Milne, admitted to indecently assaulting the woman in a darkened room, with former teammate Leigh Montagna and another woman nearby. Judge Bourke said the victim had believed Milne was Montagna. Milne met his victim and her female friend at the St Kilda Football Club family day in March 2004, the day after the club won the pre-season premiership. Milne, Montagna and the two women met later that night at Montagna's house and the offending occurred while all four were together in a dark room. Judge Bourke described Milne's crime as unplanned and somewhat spontaneous but said he offended after the victim had been clear in saying no. Former AFL player Stephen Milne (pictured) with wife Melissa (pictured) has received a hefty fine but avoided a conviction for indecently assaulting a woman 10 years ago . Stephen Milne (pictured at an earlier court appearance) had three rape charges dropped . If Milne was convicted, the maximum penalty for indecent assault was 10 years' jail. He has six months to pay the fine. Earlier in November when the rape charges were dropped, Milne went to court supported by wife Melissa, St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt and recently retired Saints midfielder Lenny Hayes. At an earlier court appearance, Milne's barrister Philip Dunn QC asked Judge Michael Bourke to hand Milne a fine without conviction in relation to his indecent assault charge. Mr Dunn said the offence was more than 10 years old and Milne had not offended since. He described the offending as 'unplanned, spontaneous and momentary'. But Mr Dunn acknowledged Milne had offended after the victim had been clear in saying 'no'. Milne (pictured in an earlier court appearance) was supported by former Saints teammates Nick Riewoldt and Lenny Hayes . Milne retired last year after playing more than 250 game for St Kilda . 'His recklessness was a misread of the situation,' said Mr Dunn in court early November. He also said Milne and his family had suffered a decade of abuse, in which crowds chanted 'rapist' at St Kilda's AFL games. Mr Dunn described one incident in which Milne's partner took photos of his 250th AFL game and was insulted by a K-Mart employee when she went to have them printed. 'What do you want a photo of a rapist for?' she was asked. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Former AFL player Stephen Milne fined $15,000 but avoided conviction for indecently assaulting a woman . Earlier this month, Milne pleaded guilty for the indecent assault of a 19 year old woman at a team mate's house in 2004 . That plea followed three rape charges against Milne being dropped . Victorian County Court Judge Michael Bourke believed Milne was now a far more mature man that at the time of his crime . | 7f20cfb793426eed7b683cf0fb2c41485f6773b2 |
Cosmetic surgeon Angelica Kavouni says: ‘Wearing a bra in bed does not help protect against drooping’ (stock picture) You’ve brushed your teeth, slathered on moisturiser and taken off your slippers. Now for the nightly decision that has divided women for generations — should you remove your bra before bed or sleep in it? Everyone seems to have a different opinion and the internet is full of conflicting information. Some claim wearing a bra to bed prevents a sagging cleavage, others that it blocks vital lymph glands — and can even cause breast cancer. Many say it makes breasts perkier, and there are those who say it irritates skin. Screen legend Marilyn Monroe wore one every night and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup has sworn by doing so since Paula Yates told her not to bother with a boob job and ‘just wear a bra in bed’. But is it the mother of all old wives’ tales or can wearing a bra all night really reverse the effects of gravity? THE DROOP TEST . Whether night-time bra-wearing can stop sagging is the million-dollar question. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence to firmly support the theory. Cosmetic surgeon Angelica Kavouni says: ‘Wearing a bra in bed can offer comfort while sleeping but does not help protect against drooping.’ She says breast ptosis, where skin becomes saggy, can set in due to shrinkage after pregnancy, sudden weight-loss or lack of collagen caused by ageing. ‘None of these are relevant when lying down,’ she adds. ‘Wearing a bra while standing and moving can battle ptosis but the processes that cause drooping aren’t in play while supine.’ Equally, a bra is not a time machine and can’t reverse drooping. But a lack of scientific proof can’t silence the anecdotal evidence that bras do help. Natasha Harding, a fitting specialist at lingerie specialists Rigby & Peller, sees many women who are adamant wearing a bra to bed has improved their shape. ‘My personal experience is that women tend to maintain perkier breasts if they sleep in a bra,’ she says. STAYING SMOOTH . Cosmetic surgeon Angelica Kavouni says nightly bra-wearing does not stop drooping . According to cosmetic surgeon Douglas McGeorge, nightly bra-wearing may help with stretch marks. ‘Bigger breasts can drag and want to go sideways when you are lying down. This can pull the skin and contribute to stretch marks,’ he says. ‘Wearing a bra to sleep in may slow the ageing process down very slightly in this instance.’ Equally, while bras can’t help stop a wrinkly décolletage while you sleep there are specialist products that can. The Kush sleep support (£29.99, thekushcompany.com) sits between the breasts while you rest on your side, supporting their weight and reducing creases. COMFORT FACTOR . Professor Kefah Mokbel, lead breast surgeon at the London Breast Inst-itute, says: ‘I advise patients suffering from breast discomfort that wearing a bra at night can provide support and stop discomfort.’ Experts agree wearing a bra in bed, as long as it is well-fitting, may give a more comfortable night’s sleep. Those with larger breasts — size 34D and above — often find this and so do pregnant women as their breasts can increase by two sizes or more and get far heavier. It’s about feeling secure and helping you sleep. Professor Kefah Mokbel, lead breast surgeon at the London Breast Inst-itute, says: ‘I advise patients suffering from breast discomfort — usually because they have large breasts or have just had breast surgery, such as implants or a reduction — that wearing a bra at night can provide support and stop discomfort.’ Some women find camisole tops with built-in support more comfortable, avoiding the restrictive feeling of a conventional bra. There is also a range of ‘night bras’ on the market. TIGHT SPOT . Choosing a bra that’s too tight can lead to problems. ‘Wearing a constrictive bra to sleep affects the physiology of the breast. It can impair the blood flow and lymphatic drainage, which, at worst, can lead to chronic inflammation, oedema (fluid retention) and discomfort,’ warns Professor Mokbel. Lymph glands are like exit doors for waste products from the breasts, draining by-products such as oestrogen and sending them to the liver or kidneys to be broken down. If a bra strap or side panel digs in while you are asleep, you may get an unhealthy build up of fluid which can trigger swelling and painful sensitivity. KEEP COOL . Bras, especially synthetic polyester styles, can raise your temperature while you are asleep. Breasts are external organs designed to work best at a lower temperature (36 degrees celsius) than the rest of your body, which prefers to be a steady 37C. Bras, especially synthetic polyester styles, can raise your temperature while you are asleep. ‘Sleeping in your bra can raise the temperature of your breast tissue to 37 degrees or slightly more and a restrictive bra can heighten this rise even more,’ warns Professor Mokbel. ‘Though very little research has been done, there are some theories that a change in heat like this — called “chaotic cooling or warming” — may cause conditions which lead to breast cancer. This is in the same way testicular cancer has been linked to cyclists who wear restrictive clothing, such as lycra shorts, for long periods.’ To prevent any risk to yourself, pick out a correct-fitting bra that is made in soft, breathable cotton. THE RIGHT FIT . If you are going to take the plunge and buy a sleep-in bra, there are a few things to remember. The first, according to Rigby & Peller’s Natasha Harding, is to avoid the rigid underwired models. ‘Underwire can push into the chest when you lie down and cause cysts over time with rubbing. ‘Choose something soft — almost like a sports bra — but nothing overly loose or stretchy. It should give you some support.’ A third of us wear the wrong-sized bra every day, so get a professional fitting to find out your correct measurements and prevent irritation. Retailers such as Rigby & Peller and Marks & Spencer will do this for you for free through a personal consultation without any obligation to buy. Expert Natasha says women with bigger busts should pick out bras with more structure, thicker side panels and wider straps for maximum support without pinching the skin. ‘Look for at least 80 per cent cotton on the label, too, so it’s breathable and you won’t overheat,’ she says. | Marilyn Monroe wore one every night as does Mariella Frostrup . Surgeon Douglas McGeorge says nightly bra-wearing helps stretch marks . Cosmetic surgeon Angelica Kavouni says it does not stop drooping . Breast ptosis, where skin becomes saggy, sets in after pregnancy . Natasha Harding, a fitting specialist, sees many women who say it works . Choosing a bra that’s too tight can lead to problems . Synthetic polyester styles can raise your temperature while you are asleep . | 570cddaaa97c6d4923028f782bfb72d239b890ab |
Tiger Woods finally arrived at Valhalla Golf Club on Wednesday to begin his preparations for the 96th US PGA Championship. Woods' participation was in serious doubt after he withdrew from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational during Sunday's final round, the former world number one looking in severe pain from his back after hitting his tee shot on the ninth hole. The 38-year-old, who underwent back surgery on March 31, was scheduled to play a practice round at 2pm local time. VIDEO Scroll down for World No.1 Rory McIlroy looks forward to US PGA Championship . Fighting fit: Tiger Woods arrives at Valhalla for his PGA Championship practice round . Smooth: The American golfer looked calm in his preparations, intent on recovering from injury . Empty space: There were doubts the former world number one would make it to Valhalla . Woods won the US PGA the last time it was staged here in 2000, but did not play in the Ryder Cup in 2008 and the course has since undergone extensive renovation led by designer Jack Nicklaus. Woods is scheduled to tee off at 8:35am local time on Thursday alongside Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington, but could still decide to withdraw and miss three of the year's four majors for the first time in his career. Knee surgery in 2008 to replace his anterior cruciate ligament - just after his last major victory in the US Open at Torrey Pines - forced him to miss the Open and US PGA Championship. In 2011 he failed to tee it up at the US Open and the Open because of an Achilles complaint. Injury: Woods injured his back playing this shot last week . Asked on Sunday if he had suffered the same injury which led to the operation in March, Woods told reporters: 'It's just the whole lower back. It happened on the second hole when I hit my second shot. I fell back into the bunker. Just jarred it. It's been spasming ever since.' Woods missed the cut in his first event back at the end of June and then suffered his worst ever 72-hole finish in a major championship as a professional, ending up 69th in the Open at Royal Liverpool despite an opening 69. He had previously spoken about being 'pain-free' for the first time in two years, but told his pre-tournament press conference in Akron that other people who had undergone the same surgery 'had no idea' how he was able to play again so quickly. | Woods due to begin practice round at 7pm BST . Injured back in WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday . Underwent back surgery on March 31 . | b7de2e0272fca08bf8db99bf8f54b48193c46205 |
An English Mastiff who veterinarians said couldn't have puppies has just delivered a litter of 18 miracle mutts. The Suggs family of Holly Springs, Mississippi, were sad when a vet told them their three year old dog, Kimber, was unable to breed. 'She wasn't going to have any puppies,' Amy Suggs said of the 150lb pet, adding that because of the vet's prediction, she and her husband, Richard, 'weren't concerned with separating her from our male.' But Kimber had other plans. Scroll down for video . Proud mom: The Suggs family of Holly Springs, Mississippi, were sad when a vet told them their three year old dog, Kimber, pictured, was unable to breed . Puppies galore: The English Mastiff who veterinarians said couldn't have puppies delivered a litter of 18 miracle mutts, pictured . She and Magnum, the Suggs' male Mastiff, found love and before long she was pregnant. And the surprises just kept coming. Unable to get the dog onto the X-ray table because of her size, the vet estimated she was having 11 puppies. So the Suggs began preparing for the mass delivery. 'I was really excited because of the experience and everything that goes along with having a litter,' Suggs told WTVA. Last Thursday, the couple took Kimber to the vet because she looked to be unwell. When they arrived there was another, scary surprise. He told them he was going to perform an emergency c-section in an effort to save Kimber and save the puppies. 'I was an emotional basket-case,' Suggs said. 'I was just sitting in the waiting room not really knowing what was going on.' Dad: She and Magnum, the Sugg's male Mastiff, pictured, found love and before long she was pregnant . All hands on deck: The Suggs are pitching in to help the busy mother care for her enormous litter, bottle feeding the pups every three hours as Kimber recovers from the c-section . Kimber nearly didn't make it, but thankfully the vet delivered the pups and some good news - they were all fine and healthy, along with their mom. However, he also delivered perhaps the biggest surprise of all - that Kimber's 11 puppies were in fact 18. 'I laughed and thought he was playing and picking at me,' Suggs said. 'But he was telling the truth. We had 18 puppies.' The Suggs are pitching in to help the busy mother care for her enormous litter, bottle feeding the pups every three hours as Kimber recovers from the c-section. 'The first thing I do every morning is get up and walk in and make sure they're still alive,' Amy Suggs said. 'It's just gratifying to know that you're taking care of them, giving them what they need and that they're surviving and making it to another day- very gratifying.' | The Suggs family of Holly Springs, Mississippi, were sad when a vet told them their three year old dog, Kimber, was unable to breed . But not long after they left her with their male English Mastiff, Magnum, she became pregnant . The vet said she was having 11 puppies but after she went into labor 18 puppies were delivered by emergency c-section . The family is now helping to bottle feed the massive litter while Kimber recuperates from the operation . | 44bb273bae14535be96106cf874f917e4f40cefa |
They have plagued feet for centuries, but only now have physicists revealed what causes ingrown nails. Experts have come up with the first mathematical formulae that describe how human nails grow. They have discovered that ingrown toenails are caused when the forces holding nails in place, and their rate of growth, become unbalanced. Experts have come up with mathematical formulae that describe how nails grow. These graphs show how the tilt of the nail changes when the adhesive molecules are not working efficiently (C), the probability that a bond is not keeping up with nail growth (D) and a representation of the force generated by a nail (E) Other factors, such as the thickness of the nail, biomechanical stress and the way people trim their nails, influences their chances of getting ingrown nails. The University of Nottingham study solves a long-running mystery about why ingrown nails occur. Nails are made of dead skin cells, which are hardened by a protein called keratin. They grow outwards from the half-moon shaped ‘lunala’ at the base of the nail, but their progress of 0.1 to 0.2mm a day is kept in check by adhesive molecules that ‘stick’ the nail to the finger, Popsci reported. They have discovered that ingrown toenails are caused when the forces holding nails in place, and their rate of growth, become unbalanced. When this happens, a nail becomes wider at the top and curls round into the sensitive flesh to either side of the nail. Big toenails are prone to becoming ingrown because of their shape . Scientists looked at the mechanical stresses and energies associated with the nail, to come up with equations to explain nail growth. They show that when the balance between the nail’s growth stress and adhesive stress is broken – if a nail grows too quickly or slowly, or the number of adhesive structures changes – a residual stress across the entire nail can occur, causing it to change shape over time. The equations demonstrate that residual stress can occur in any fingernail or toenail; however, the stress is greater for nails that are larger in size and have a flatter edge, which explains why ingrown toe nails predominantly occur in the big toe. Experts say that the tiny, microscopic structures, which allow the nail to slide forwards, grow in a ‘ratchet-like’ fashion by continuously binding and unbinding to a nail. If the balance between adhesion and growth becomes unbalanced, the nail changes shape, and can become ingrown or spoon-shaped, according to research published in the journal, Physical Biology. Ingrown nails often occur in children, teenagers and pregnant women, when hormones cause a growth spurt of the nails, which extend into the sensitive flesh alongside them. Cyril Rauch, lead author of the study at the University of Nottingham, said that big toenails are particularly prone to becoming ingrown because of their shape. Scientists say that people should trim their nails in a ‘parabola shape’ to minimise their chance of getting ingrown nails. They warned that poor trimming can tip the fine balance of nails, causing residual stress to occur across the entire nail, making problems like ingrown nails more likely . Their squareness means stress caused by walking is diverted to the tip of the nail, which gets wider to spread the load. The scientist says that people should trim their nails in a ‘parabola shape’ to minimise their chance of getting ingrown nails. Dr Rauch warns that regular poor trimming can tip the fine balance of nails, causing residual stress to occur across the entire nail. ‘We suggest that nail beauty fanatics who trim their nails on a daily basis opt for straight or parabolic edges, as otherwise they may amplify the imbalance of stresses which could lead to a number of serious conditions,’ he says. | Scientists at the University of Nottingham have come up with the first mathematical formulae that describe how human nails grow . They say ingrown toenails are caused when the forces holding nails in place, and their rate of growth, become unbalanced . Other factors, such as the thickness of the nail, biomechanical stress and the way people trim their nails, changes the odds of getting ingrown nails . Experts advise people to trim their nails in a 'parabola shape' | 47452d2a198961848ec072fdad52a9cc5a0ac5d8 |
A scheduled Bill Cosby appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman next week has been cancelled as rape allegations continue to besiege the beloved comedian. It is the second time in a month that the 77-year-old has been dropped from a TV lineup, after he withdrew from Queen Latifah's talk show. Decades-old accusations of rape came back to haunt Cosby last month after stand-up comedian and former Saturday Night Live writer Hannibal Buress unleashed a violent tirade about Cosby, calling him a 'rapist' and a sanctimonious hypocrite during a live performance. A video of the rant quickly spread online, reigniting a fire that has long burned, and inspiring one woman, Barbara Bowman, to come forward and share her story withThe MailOnline, claiming she was sexually assaulted by Cosby when she was 19. Cancelled: Bill Cosby representative David Brokaw confirmed Friday night the comedian would not appear on The Late Show With David Letterman as previously scheduled next Wednesday. Cosby's last appearance on the show, seen here, was January 13, 2014 . A spokeswoman for The Late Show confirmed to Newsday that Cosby's guest booking for Wednesday had been cancelled. However it is unclear whether it was Cosby or Letterman et al that decided to pull out. Spokespeople for Queen Latifah's talk show reported that it was Cosby who withdrew from his spot on October 31 . Allegations of rape were first levelled against Cosy in 2005 in a lawsuit filed by Andrea Constand, 32, a former Temple University employee . Constand claimed she had been sexually assaulted in Cosby's Philadelphia mansion in 2004. She also said her suit contained the testimonies of 13 other women with similar claims. The suit was settled in 2006 for an undisclosed amount. Bowman has now come forward identifying herself as one of those women. Telling her story: Barbara Bowman told MailOnline how Cosby 'raped and drugged her' while she was just a teenager . Under fire: The 77-year-old Emm - and Grammy-winning actor and comedian, who has been married for 50 years and has five children, has been battling accusations of sex assault for more than three decades. He is seen here giving a Veterans Day speech in Philadelphia on Tuesday . 'I was drugged and raped by that man,' she told The MailOnline. 'He is a monster. He came at me like a monster. My hope is that others who have experienced sexual abuse will not be intimidated into silence by the famous, rich and powerful. 'If I can help one victim, then I've done my job.' Bowman was just a teenager at the time she met Cosby, and soon the actor was flying her to meet him around the country and putting her up in the nicest hotels. Things changed however when one night she passed out after a glass of wine and woke up vomiting in the toilet wearing Cosby's white t-shirt. Bowman is certain that she had been drugged by Cosby. And she believes raped by him too. After that her relationship with Cosby changed, and by 19 he had sent her on her way after a final night in Atlantic City where she claims he tried to rape her. Cosby has not commented on the allegations and has never been charged with sexual assault. He has been married for 50 years and has five children . Decades old rape allegations against Bill Cosby came back to haunt the comedian once again on Monday when a supposedly harmless social media stunt blew up in his face . On Monday, Cosby, in an attempt to connect with his Twitter followers, invited fans to create memes using a selection of photos of him. However the idea majorly backfired. His Twitter feed was inundated with memes that referenced the rape claims. Not long after, Cosby’s original tweet was deleted and the meme generator was removed from the site and the link now redirects people to Cosby’s homepage. | Guest spot on The Late Show scheduled for Wednesday cancelled . Cosby also dropped out of a spot on Queen Latifah's show on October 31 . Rape claims have haunted the comedian since the 1970s . As many as 13 women have claimed Cosby sexually assaulted them in the past, but he has never been charged . Reignited last month after former Saturday Night Live writer Hannibal Buress called him a 'rapist' during a routine . Video of the rant spread online . Barbara Bowman, former actress and model, came forward saying Cosby raped her when she was 19 . | ff890e401061477c4e7dbb67aa2133045a5eed2c |
(CNN) -- Rebel leaders said early Monday that they had captured three of embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's sons -- Saif al-Islam, Saadi and Mohammed -- during their siege of Tripoli. "As for the other four sons, we think they are either hiding or they have run away," said Guma El-Gamaty, the Britain-based coordinator for Libya's Transitional National Council. The latest arrest was that of Mohammad Gadhafi, whom the rebels claimed was being confined to his house. "I'm being attacked right now. This is gunfire inside my house. They are inside my house," a man who identified himself as Mohammed Gadhafi told Al Jazeera in a phone call. A barrage of gunfire was then heard and the phone cut off. Later, the head of the Transitional National Council told the station that Mohammed Gadhafi was not harmed. Earlier, rebel leaders said they captured Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, a top official in his father's regime. Another of Gadhafi's sons, Saadi Gadhafi, was also in custody, the rebels announced. The International Criminal Court says it plans to negotiate the transfer of Saif Gadhafi who -- along with his father -- is wanted for crimes against humanity in connection with their attempts to put down the emerging revolt against Gadhafi's four-decade rule in February. The court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, issued a similar warrant for Abdullah al-Sanussi, the elder Gadhafi's brother-in-law and Libya's intelligence chief. The third son detained is Saadi Gadhafi, a businessman and onetime professional soccer player. He helped set up an April CNN interview with a woman who claimed she'd been raped by government troops. He later told CNN that those behind the attack should be prosecuted. Ali Suleiman Aujali, the Libyan Transitional National Council ambassador to the United States, told CNN early Monday he believes the Libyan people should decide whether to hand over the sons to the ICC. "I believe the choice for the Libyan people they have the rights, you know, what they want to do with them," he said. Aujali said the decision will be made at a later date. "It's very difficult to say at the present time," he said. There was no immediate reaction from Libyan government officials to the reports of the three sons' arrests. The whereabouts of Moammar Gadhafi was also unknown. | NEW: Four other sons are either hiding or have run away, El Gamaty says . The arrest of Mohammed Gadhafi plays out as the son is on the phone with a news network . Heavy gunfire can be heard and the phone call abruptly ends . The International Criminal Court said it will seek to transfer Saif al-Islam Gadhafi into its custody . | 5eddfdeded4e473a1e6d35eb45696eba59a0836a |
German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined thousands who marched to condemn the terrorist attacks in Paris, promote tolerance and send a rebuke to a growing anti-Islamic movement today. The chancellor was among the marchers at a Muslim community rally today, a day after a record 25,000 people attended a right-wing protest. The German Chancellor said: 'Hatred, racism and extremism have no place in this country. We are a country based on democracy, tolerance and openness to the world.' Scroll down for video . German President Joachim Gauck (centre) gives a speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin at a Muslim community rally today . Vigil: Thousands of people, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel turned out to condemn the terrorist attacks in Paris, promote tolerance and send a rebuke to a growing anti-Islamic movement . (l-r) German President Joachim Gauck, chairman of the Central Committee of Muslims in Germany Aiman Mazyek, and Chancellor Angela Merkel at the vigil . President Joachim Gauck addressed the event at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, organised by the Central Council of Muslims under the banner 'Let's be there for each other. Terror: not in our name!' Imams recited Koranic verses, including a passage that condemns the taking of life, and this was followed by speeches given by Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders and a minute's silence. Announcing the vigil, the Muslim Council and the Turkish Community of Berlin had condemned 'the despicable terror attacks in France in the strongest terms' and stressed that 'there is no justification in Islam for such acts'. With a view to a nascent anti-Islamic movement, they said they wanted 'to send a message for peace and tolerance, against hatred and violence and for a cosmopolitan Germany which respects and protects the freedom of expression and religion'. The rallies are in response to last week's terrorist attacks in Paris which shocked the world. Last night, tens of thousands of people joined the Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West, or PEGIDA, rally in the city of Dresden in the former communist east Germany. The right-wing movement was founded on Facebook and launched with several hundred people in October. It has grown week-by-week and spawned smaller copycat groups nationwide, with the group's 12th march held last night. But across the country, 100,000 people took to the streets in counter-demonstrations on Monday, voicing support for multiculturalism and Germany's four-million-strong Muslim community. Je suis Charlie: Marchers carrying banners turned out in their thousands in Berlin following a right-wing march last night . Aydan Oezogus of the Social Democratic Party (left) and German Family Minister Manuela Schwesig (right) pay their respects . Chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, Aiman Mazyek (left) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) were among thousands at a Muslim community rally, less than 24 hours after a record 25,000 people attended a right-wing protest . Merkel, who is often known to avoid controversial issues, has weighed in strongly, condemning PEGIDA's leaders and stressing on Monday that 'Islam is part of Germany'. Representatives of Germany's Green party (l-r) Anton Hofreiter, Katrin Goering-Eckardt and Simone Peter lay a wreath in front of the French embassy in Berlin . Her comments were broadly hailed in the media, but not everyone agreed. 'Naturally, Muslims belong in our society,' said Merkel's former interior minister Hans-Peter Friedrich, a Bavarian conservative. 'But the question is knowing what constitutes the identity of a country, and in Germany it is a Christian identity built on Judeo-Christian roots.' Commentary on news site Spiegel Online meanwhile praised Merkel for speaking out against PEGIDA, at the risk of losing voters at the fringes of her conservative party. 'The chancellor is not playing tactical games but in her New Year's address placed herself at the forefront of the anti-PEGIDA movement,' it said, after Merkel condemned the group's leaders as having 'prejudice, coldness, even hatred in their hearts'. Bild, Germany's top-selling daily, said the Paris attacks seemed to have shaken the usually unflappable Merkel, a pastor's daughter who grew up in the communist east. 'She has two issues where, when she speaks, she doesn't sound like she is simply droning on with platitudes: religion and freedom,' it said, noting the rare public signs of emotion she showed with Hollande at Sunday's solidarity march. 'She knows that gestures are now necessary... it is about freedom and protection from a terrorist war.' On Sunday, Merkel joined French President Francois Hollande and other world leaders at a huge Paris solidarity rally. At the right-wing protest on Monday, one placard depicted German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had spoken out against the protests, wearing a headscarf . Memorials: A blood-stained banner bore the faces of the cartoonists and contributors murdered in the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris at the 12th PEGIDA rally . | March promoted tolerance and sent a rebuke to anti-Islamic movement which has grown week-by-week . German Chancellor said: 'Hatred, racism and extremism have no place in this country' Muslim community rally followed a right-wing protest attended by a record 25,000 on Monday . But across country, 100,000 people attended counter-demonstrations, voicing support for multiculturalism . | 476dde48fea3182eb0bd6dbc0bb57b997dbcfe2b |
The U.S. Department of Defense tried to pay ransom to win the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from the terrorist Haqqani network in Pakistan, but was duped by a con man who ran off with the money, according to a member of Congress. The Pentagon said June 9 that 'there was no money exchanged for Bergdahl’s release,' and the White House's National Security Council insisted a day later that 'the United States did not provide money in exchange for Sgt. Bergdahl’s release.' Those carefully worded statements don't appear to rule out the possibility that money was sent but never reached its target. Joe Kasper, the press secretary to California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, told MailOnline on Thursday that the Pakistanis holding Bergdahl 'wanted to deal. They were desperate to deal.' Official denials from the Obama administration, Kasper said, are par for the course but likely deceptive. Rep. Duncan Hunter (center) is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who is pressing the Pentagon for details about a failed plot to ransom Bowe Bergdahl through a middleman who disappeared with the money . A triumphant President Barack Obama announced Bergdahl's release in May, offering no suggestion that his administration had tried to ransom him before opting for a 5-to-1 prisoner swap instead . AWOL? Bergdahl's former platoon-mates said he walked away from his post in Afghanistan and should have been court-martialed instead of reintegrated into the military . 'We know better than to believe that,' he explained. 'That's what they're going to say, and that's fine. We should expect that. But where there's smoke there's fire.' 'They can deny it all they want,' added Kasper, speaking of the administration's official spokespersons. 'But there are people within the Defense Department itself who are saying otherwise. Their own people. ... We know who discussed this issue within the Pentagon. We know who briefed the secretary.' He said the government is in the habit of entertaining ransom plans, but always through third-parties that will give the United States deniability. 'We don't pay a ransom in the sense that the U.S. government officially makes payments to a foreign entity,' Kasper said, emphasizing the word 'officially.' 'The way we've been doing this for a long time is through a workaround.' Rep. Hunter, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served two combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attacks, is among Capitol Hill's most persistent military bloodhounds. Pentagon officials flatly told the congressman this year that there was no consideration of a cash swap for Bergdahl, Kasper said. 'They told him categorically that, no, it never happened. That's when we decided to press down on the accelerator. And the information we got back was resounding.' White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Wednesday that the Obama administration flatly opposes the idea of paying for the release of Americans held captive overseas. 'It's not in the best interests of American citizens to pay ransoms to any organization, let alone a terrorist organization, that is holding an American hostage,' he said. 'And the reason for that is simple: We don't want to put other American citizens at even greater risk when they’re around the globe, and that knowing that terrorist organizations can extract a ransom from the United States if they take a hostage only puts American citizens at greater risk.' Hunter dropped a bombshell in a Nov. 5 letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, claiming that America's Joint Special Operations Command 'did pursue at least two lines of effort for Bergdahl: a kinetic rescue operation, if necessary, and; a payment to the Haqqani Network to gain Bergdahl's release.' 'It has been brought to my attention,' Hunter wrote, 'that a payment was made to an Afghan intermediary who "disappeared" with the money and failed to facilitate Bergdahl's release in return. The payment was made in January-February 2014.' Hunter also seemed to understand the careful parsing of denials that often follows inquiries – from both congressmen and journalists – into sensitive national security matters. 'I recognize the reluctance to describe a payment as a ransom,' he wrote, but claimed the botched payment was made – 'regardless of how the transaction is described.' In a separate letter to the directors of the FBI, the CIA and U.S. Special Forces Command, he expressed his understanding that 'a transfer occurred that possibly included payment to Haqqani from the Taliban for the receipt of Bergdahl.' Accusation: Hunter's press secretary told MailOnline that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was briefed on the failed ransom plan, which had to involve third parties in order to give the White House deniability . TALIBAN FIVE: The Afghans released from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Bergdahl were among the most senior members of the Taliban held at the prison camp, including one who had direct ties to Osama bin Laden . According to The Washington Times, unnamed officials said the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force anti-terrorism squad handled the Bergdahl ransom mission. 'The FBI also was involved in the ransom payment attempt and was waiting inside Afghanistan’s border with North Waziristan when the release failed,' the Times reported, 'confirming that it had been a scam.' The USA Patriot Act makes it a crime to give payment or assistance to terror groups that could boost their support, and hostages' family members have said publicly that the federal government warned them against raising money for their loved ones' safe return. But retired Lt. Col. Oliver North told WMAL radio in Washington in June that he had direct knowledge of the negotiating process and was sure the Haqqani network had asked for a cash payment. Bergdahl, he said, 'was never regarded as a – quote – "prisoner of war." They all thought of him as a hostage and that’s the way they presented it. All they wanted was money.' Earnest's statement on Wednesday came in response to questions about a government-wide review of U.S. hostage policies, requested this summer by President Barack Obama. Bergdahl is back on active duty now, after five years of captivity . The Pentagon completed a review of his case in October but has yet to release it, citing the need for an internal review. Angry Republicans including some on the House Armed Services Committee claimed in the days before the midterm election just weeks ago that Democrats were holding it back for political advantage. The self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a militant terror group that now controls large sections of Syria and Iraq, has executed three American hostages this year in gruesome beheading videos distributed via online social media. That group has reaped at least $20 million this year in hostage ransoms, according to Treasury Undersecretary David S. Cohen, but often decides that the propaganda value of videotaped killings outweighs the value of money. Bergdahl was released in May after the Obama administration made a different kind of trade – not for money, but for five high-value Taliban terrorists who had been held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba military detention facility. The enlisted soldier came under fire for allegedly deserting his U.S. Army unit in Afghanistan before he was captured by Taliban fighters. That group reportedly sold him to the Haqqani network, a notorious crime syndicate with centuries of history trading hostages for gold, opium and other commodities. The Haqqanis held Bergdahl for five years. He is now back on active duty and serves at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Duncan Hunter Letters on Bergdahl Ransom uploaded by MailOnline . | Rep. Duncan Hunter mentioned the failed plot in a letter to the defense secretary; his spokesman says the Obama administration isn't credible . Con man who claimed to represent the Pakistani 'Haqqani Network' allegedly fooled Pentagon into paying ransom through a Delta Force unit . 'We know who discussed this issue within the Pentagon. We know who briefed the secretary,' Hunter's spokesman said . FBI agents waiting inside Afghanistan reportedly realized the government had been scammed when no hostage-takers showed up with Bergdahl . But the White House insisted Wednesday that America doesn't pay ransoms because it would 'put other American citizens at even greater risk' Defense Department's careful statement insists no ransom was 'exchanged for Bergdahl’s release' | 8cd6dfcdc0015cfe53e18ac73076e070eca4d4f5 |
Emirates has suspended flights to Guinea over fears of spreading the Ebola virus. The Dubai-based carrier is the first major international airline to cancel flights due to the epidemic which has taken hold in West Africa. However, British Airways continues to operate its flight from Liberia to London Heathrow, which also stops at Lungi International Airport in Sierra Leone. Emirates has suspended flights to Conakry after there was an outbreak of Ebola in Guinea . Emirates confirmed the decision to suspend flights Conakry came after there was an outbreak of the virus in Guinea. The suspension of the route follows a similar decision by Pan-African airlines Arik and ASKY, which have stopped flying to Liberia and Sierra Leone. A spokesperson for Emirates said: 'Emirates will be suspending its service to Conakry from (Saturday) 2 August, 2014 until further notice, due to the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Guinea. 'We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers. However the safety of our passengers and crew is of the highest priority and will not be compromised.' Liberian soldiers walk through streets to prevent panic over fears the virus could spread to city of Monrovia . British Airways also released a statement, saying: 'The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority. 'We fully comply with the guidance provided by local health authorities and continue to monitor the situation closely.' The current Ebola outbreak is the largest ever recorded since the virus was first detected in 1976, with more than 1,200 cases so far. It far exceeds the next largest outbreak, involving 425 cases. Around 60 per cent of cases so far have been fatal and more than 700 people have died since the start of February. The outbreak began in Sierra Leone and has spread to Liberia, with a Liberian also dying in Lagos, Nigeria last week, after a flight from his home country. Following his death, both Arik and ASKY halted all flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Guinea's capital Conakry will not be serviced by Emirates flights until further notice . Despite fears over flights still operating into and out of West Africa - often with direct routes to London - the Foreign Office claims Border Staff have been trained to recognise symptoms. A statement from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) read: 'Border Force has been working closely with Public Health England and other agencies to ensure staff are prepared to deal with the threat of the Ebola virus. 'As part of this planning, guidance has been issued to front line staff on how to identify and safely deal with suspected cases of Ebola that makes clear what steps need to be taken should a passenger arrive at the border unwell. 'If a person is identified at the border as being a potential carrier of Ebola they will be immediately referred by a Border Force officer to a specialist medical care provider and reported to the Public Health England.' Public Health England (PHE) advises that the risk to tourists, visitors or expatriate residents in affected areas is considered very low as long as they take the correct precautions. The highest risks of infection are associated with caring for infected patients, particularly in hospital settings, unprotected exposure to contaminated bodily fluids, and unsafe medical procedures, including exposure to contaminated medical devices, such as needles and syringes. It is recommended that travellers: . The FCO has also stopped short of restricting travel to the crisis-hit nations, simply referring travellers to the National Travel Health Network and Centre, which offers advice on how to reduce the risk of infection. For its part, the World Health Organization does not recommend any travel restrictions to Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone and confirmed there has never been a case of Ebola imported into the UK. The leader of Guinea's Ebola task force has said that moves by neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone to contain the disease that has killed 729 people this year may have the opposite effect. Liberia has put in place measures including closing all schools and some government departments as well as possibly quarantining affected communities. Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency and called in troops to isolate Ebola victims. The virus, which has gripped both Sierra Leone and Liberia (pictured) has also spread to neighbouring Guinea . 'Currently, some measures taken by our neighbours could make the fight against Ebola even harder,' said Aboubacar Sidiki Diakita . 'When children are not supervised, they can go anywhere and make the problem worse. It is part of what we will be talking about,' he said. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 57 new Ebola deaths on Thursday in the four days to July 27 in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria and said the number of cases had topped 1,300. WHO director general Margaret Chan will also attend the meeting in Guinea's capital Conakry today. British Airways has confirmed it will continue to run its route to Liberia and Sierra Leone . The outbreak of the virus, for which there is no known cure, began in the forests of eastern Guinea in February, but Sierra Leone now has the highest number of cases. The haemorrhagic virus can kill up to 90 percent of those infected, though the fatality rate in this epidemic is about 60 percent. In the final stages, its symptoms include external bleeding, internal bleeding, vomiting and diarrhoea - at which point Ebola becomes highly contagious. The jump in the number of cases and the death toll has raised international concern and placed under-resourced health facilities in the region under strain. WHO said on Thursday it would launch a $100 million response plan. The United States said it was providing material and technical support to the three countries and further assistance will be discussed at a summit meeting in Washington next week. The head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also announced plans to send an extra 50 health experts to help efforts to control the epidemic. | Emirates first major airline to suspend flights to Ebola-hit countries . African carriers Arik and ASKY stopped flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone . BA confirms it will continue operating Heathrow flight despite Ebola fears . | bcbc6dbe6475801f00f399491754c4f8ec1a9c46 |
(CNN) -- The anti-abortion group Live Action released Tuesday its latest undercover video aimed at discrediting Planned Parenthood. The edited video shows a Planned Parenthood staff member apparently counseling a woman about gender-selective abortion. "I see that you're saying that you want to terminate if it's a girl, so are you just wanting to continue the pregnancy in the meantime?" says a counselor, identified only as Rebecca, in a Planned Parenthood clinic in Austin, Texas. The woman, purported to be in the first trimester of her pregnancy, according to Live Action, says she does not know the gender of her fetus but wants to abort if it turns out to be female. "The abortion covers you up until 23 weeks," says Rebecca, "and usually at five months is usually (sic) when they detect, you know, whether or not it's a boy or a girl." The staffer recommends to the woman that she "just continue and try again" if her fetus turns out to be female. "Good luck, and I hope that you do get your boy," Rebecca says. In a statement, Planned Parenthood's vice president of education, Leslie Kantor, said the staffer was in an entry-level job and is no longer working for the organization. She "did not follow our protocol for providing information and guidance when presented with a highly unusual patient scenario," the statement says. The incident occurred six weeks ago and swift action was taken, Kantor adds. "Within three days of this patient interaction, the staff member's employment was ended and all staff members at this affiliate were immediately scheduled for retraining in managing unusual patient encounters." The statement continues, "Gender bias is contrary to everything our organization works for daily in communities across the country. Planned Parenthood opposes racism and sexism in all forms, and we work to advance equity and human rights in the delivery of health care. Planned Parenthood condemns sex selection motivated by gender bias, and urges leaders to challenge the underlying conditions that lead to these beliefs and practices, including addressing the social, legal, economic, and political conditions that promote gender bias and lead some to value one gender over the other." Last year, after the anti-abortion group released another undercover video that Live Action said showed staff willing to assist sex trafficking and exploitation of minors and young women, Planned Parenthood announced it would retrain more than 11,000 staff members at more than 800 centers across the United States. The secretly recorded video used a couple portraying themselves as a pimp and a prostitute who were seeking abortions for underage girls. Planned Parenthood said then that employees would be fired in cases of confirmed failure to comply with the group's procedures for situations involving endangered minors and with states' mandatory reporting laws for underage girls. After Live Action released undercover videos of four Planned Parenthood health centers in Virginia and one in New Jersey, Planned Parenthood officials fired a staff worker in the New Jersey office, but defended the others, saying they behaved professionally and appropriately reported the incidents to the U.S. Justice Department. | Video shows Planned Parenthood staffer apparently counseling a woman on gender-selective abortion . "Just continue and try again" if the fetus turns out to be female, the counselor says . Planned Parenthood says the counselor is no longer working for the organization . She "did not follow our protocol," says the group's vice president for education . | 282434021da12e5fbe2332265e728dddaf8a6626 |
(The Frisky) -- I'd never been one of those girls who'd dreamt about her perfect wedding. The white wedding dress, the exorbitant costs, the fuss over a big, shiny rock -- none of it ever appealed to me. I wanted to find a lifelong partner, and a family sounded nice, too, but honestly? I never cared much about that piece of paper. So why did I just marry my boyfriend after pondering it for a mere two hours? One reason: health insurance. My now-husband is a bartender and a student whose school's insurance is exorbitant. The man hadn't gone to the doctor in years, living in fear of a major accident or illness. We had lived together for about eight months when I got a job as a reporter for a newspaper with a kick-ass medical plan. According to my job, a domestic partnership affidavit was standing in the way of my partner having awesome coverage and escaping $8000 worth of retroactive hospital bills. It was a no-brainer. Onto domestic partnership! Problem is, the state of Illinois doesn't let you get domestic partnership if you're hetero. ("If they could, no one would get married!" the City Hall employee informed me smugly, as if 1) that fact was actually true and 2) rampant domestic partnerships would mean the end of the world.) Apparently you can't be a part of the "system" if you're queer, and you can't opt out of the "system" if you're straight. It started to seem so ridiculously arbitrary -- and unfair! Did I really have to choose between leaving my honey vulnerable to unthinkable medical costs and a measly $50 certificate? The choice was clear. We went ahead and got married. The weird thing wasn't the actual City Hall wedding (it was actually sort of fun!), it was watching people react to the news. Some were angry -- "How could you have gotten married without me there?" my best friend implored, crushed. Others were confused --"Really, Nona? I thought you weren't into that sorta stuff." The Frisky:Got engaged but not really in love with man . But the most common reaction was voyeuristic elation -- from everyone, even my long-lost elementary school friends on Facebook. It was like I had become part of some coveted club, or even a higher-class citizen. I understood more than ever why gay marriage was such a big deal. I also started to get why people become so wrapped up in weddings. It's your moment. All eyes are on you. Suddenly, everybody loves you! The Frisky: Boyfriend better give me good gifts . Mine is a situation that's left me contemplating my principles. By getting insurance-married on the fly, did I "give in" or did I beat tradition? Maybe a little bit of both? I have nothing against weddings -- nothing's better than a celebration of love -- and if my husband and I decide to get married "for real," I'm sure we'll have an epic one. But the government certificate thing has always made me indignant, especially nowadays when the health insurance crisis looms large. Why should one be able to have health insurance more easily because they happen to be heterosexual? Or, for that matter, if they believe in the institution of marriage enough to support it? The Frisky: Paris magical at Christmas . Either way, our shotgun wedding was just as much of a gesture of love as anything else. People get married for a lot worse reasons than ensuring their loved one's health, safety, and peace of mind. And at the very least, now I know my vow of "in sickness and in health" is backed up by a PPO insurance plan. TM & © 2010 TMV, Inc. | All Rights Reserved . | After living together for months, couple marries to get him health insurance . They were denied a domestic partnership by state of Illinois . He was student, but university insurance was too costly . Bride now feels like member of some coveted club, a higher-class citizen . | 585279ce1892955591f338b9a2c65742f46705a8 |
(CNN)While many people are recovering from a hangover, Englishman Steve Abraham will be cycling more than 200 miles on New Year's Day. And he then aims to do the same again every day for the remainder of 2015 as he attempts to break a record that has stood for 74 years and many consider to be unbeatable. It was set by another Englishman, Tommy Godwin, who covered 75,065 miles (120,805 kilometers) in a calendar year -- an average of 205 miles (330 km) per day. What is more, Godwin continued on to complete a staggering 100,000 miles (160,930 km) in 500 days, finishing his epic ride in London on May 13, 1940. Abraham, 40, who lives in Milton Keynes in central England, knows only too well just how tough the mark will be to beat -- it's the equivalent of cycling around the world three times. He will need to be in the saddle, riding a steel-framed Raleigh bike similar to that used by his hero Godwin, for up to 20 hours per day, surviving on minimal sleep, particularly in the more favorable summer months. But Abraham, a veteran of other long distance cycling challenges, has been building up to this attempt for a number of years. Extreme challenge . "It's just something I fancied doing, but it is a bit extreme," he told CNN. The heyday for the record was in the 1930s when various cycling publications ran competitions to encourage attempts but according to the official website for Abraham's 2015 bid, the year record has never been formally sanctioned by a national cycling federation, or ratified by the Guinness Book of Records. Instead, it is being run under the rules of the Ultra-marathon Cycling Association (UMCA) -- which stages the annual Race Across America and other distance classics. It will be tracking Abraham's progress using technology and random checks. The UMCA has also assigned its 24-hour champion Chris Hopkinson to support his fellow Englishman and offer valuable advice. The 47-year-old Hopkinson, from Yorkshire, where the Tour de France started in 2014, told CNN that Abraham was made of the right stuff. "If anyone can break the record, Steve can," he said. "And I plan to help him get there," he added. As well as the inclement weather, with the majority of his rides planned around the flatter central belt of England, Abraham will need to be kept constantly fed and watered, burning up to 10,000 calories each day with his marathon efforts. Volunteers from the cycling community have pledged to support him on food stops and Abraham is grateful for their help and encouragement. Inspirational attempt . "I think it just inspires people, I know that's a big headed thing to say, but I hope this will bring people together to have a good time." Abraham has had to give up his job as a warehouse worker to free up the necessary time for such an all-consuming record attempt. He is also single. "This is not the sort of record that a married man would attempt," said Abraham's media spokesperson Idai Makaya. Ahead lie the dangers of spending many solo hours on the busy UK roads, where an accident could spell the end of his record hopes. "A crash could be nothing, or it could be life or death," Abraham admitted. He is also doing all he can to steer clear of colds and flu, which again could derail his daunting schedule. With so many imponderables, so much sacrifice and potential hazards, it begs the question why attempt such a daunting record? Fighting talk . "I would be crazy not to try it because if I don't I would never know [if I could achieve it]," he said. "I would rather fail than not try it. I can't see the sense in not trying it." Abraham is hoping that the warmer summer months will see him, like Godwin before, clock up tallies of 300 miles per day (483 km) so he can reach his target of 80,000 miles (1287km). He has also hoping to compete in the Paris-Brest-Paris challenge in August, a famous and grueling 1200 km (745 miles) endurance event run under Audax rules, which means it is not a race, but riders must complete the distance within a set time to be classified. Abraham was the youngest Briton to finish the event within the 90-hour mark and has completed it five times. It is his performances in races such as Paris-Brest-Paris that first persuaded Abraham that he could try to beat Godwin's record, having previously believed it was out of reach. American challenge? There may well be another contender for the year mileage best. Arkansas-based cyclist Kurt Searvogel, a winner of prestigious long distance events in the United States, is ready to begin his attempt on January 10, long-time rival Hopkinson told CNN. Searvogel, who has the nickname of "Tarzan" is set to take a different approach to the "long and slow" method being deployed by Abraham, looking to complete his daily 200 mile efforts at a much higher average speed. "I wish Kurt the best of luck," said Abraham, who believes that riding too fast would leave him at risk of burning out too quickly. | Steve Abraham attempting record for miles cycled in a year . The long-distance record of 75,065 miles dates back to 1939 . Englishman Abraham, 40, will need to average more than 200 miles per day . | c5583254a4a593960cf1db116c93b463d4ca816c |
Abdullah bin Bayyah met with members of the Obama administration's national security team on June 13, despite his close ties with a Muslim Brotherhood leader who advocates for the destruction of Israel and has been banned from the U.S. since 1999 . The White House's National Security Council has confirmed that staffers held a June 13 meeting with Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, an Islamist cleric who shares leadership of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, where he is vice-president and the terror supporter Yusuf al-Qaradawi is president. The meeting occurred on the same day the Obama administration announced plans to arm Syria's rebel factions, in the wake of a determination that President Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons against his own people. The Investigative Project on Terrorism, . which released a report Late Tuesday covering the circumstances of the meeting, wrote that bin Bayyah has referred to the anti-Semitic . Islamist al-Qaradawi 'as "a mountain upon whose peak there is light” and . as "a great reformer" who "spreads knowledge and wisdom."' MailOnline . saw a late draft of that report. 'Like many in the global Muslim . Brotherhood movement who pose as moderates to the press and to liberal . intellectuals by issuing condemnations of al-Qaida,' it read in part, . 'Bin Bayyah refuses to label the acts of groups such as Hamas, Hizballah . or Palestinian Islamic Jihad as terrorism.' He . has also issued 'an endorsement of the push by Muslim intellectuals to . criminalize blasphemy against the Muslim prophet Muhammad and Islam,' the group reported. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Development and Democracy at the National Security Council, met with Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah on June 13 . Bin Bayyah (2nd L) released this photo on his website, showing the June 13 meeting with Obama administration officials including Gayle Smith (2nd R) and Rashad Hussain (4th L) Bin Bayyah wrote on his website in . the days following that meeting that he 'visited the White House where . he met with Ms. Gayle Smith, a senior aide to President Barack Obama, . and Mr. Rashad Hussain, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of the . Islamic Conference.' 'He . also met with a number of experts,' that claim continued, 'including the . director of public relations in the White House, the national security . adviser, and representatives from seven government agencies.' Smith is Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Development and Democracy at . the National Security Council. Hussain is the lawyer tapped to . implement the 'new beginning with Muslims around the world' which . President Obama promised during a June 4, 2009 speech in Cairo, Egypt. Bin . Bayyah cultivates an image as a Muslim moderate despite his views. Al-Qaradawi, meanwhile, is a more vocal proponent of Muslim suicide . bombers killing Jews, especially in portions of Israel that Palestinians claim as their territory. Yusuf al-Qaradawi (R), shown with Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh (L), leads the International Union of Muslim Scholars. His second-in-command, Abdallah bin Bayyah, was welcomed into the White House on June 13 . Al-Qaradawi . is generally considered the leading Islamic scholar affiliated with the . Muslim Brotherhood. He has called openly for the destruction of Israel . and the deaths of all Jews, called Adolf Hitler a divine punishment for . the 'misdeeds of the Jews' and claimed the Nazi Holocaust has been . popularly exaggerated. Al-Qaradawi has also said he wants to . die 'in the service of jihad' by blowing himself up in Israel and . killing Jews in the process. 'I have supported [suicide bombings] for the past 20 years,' he said in 2008. 'I . do not automatically support martyrdom operations,' he continued. “I . permit them under specific constraints, when necessary, like in the case . of our Palestinian brothers who are forced to defend themselves by . turning themselves into bombs.' The . two clerics' close association has caused reputational trouble for bin . Bayyah among Western governments, and the U.S. State Department has . denied al-Qaradawi entry into the country since 1999. But the Obama . administration welcomed bin Bayyah into the White House. Bin . Bayyah's own views about Palestinian terror attacks on Israeli targets . may have made inviting him to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue a difficult call. Barack Obama has made overtures to the Israel lobby since the days of his first presidential candidacy, but members of his national security team met secretly with the vice president of a leading anti-Israel group this month . Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, circled in red, is shown at the December 2012 International Union of Muslim Scholars' board meeting in Doha, Qatar. Yusuf al-Qaradawi is shown to his left (camera-right). The meeting ended with a call for the destruction of the state of Israel . 'That the Obama Administration would . invite to the United States a radical Muslim cleric whose organization . supports terrorism and whose leaders have issued fatwas calling for the . killing of Americans and Jews is beyond comprehension.,' Investigative . Project on Terrorism executive director Steve Emerson told MailOnline. Emerson called on Congress to investigate 'immediately.' 'In . my 30 years of covering terrorism, I have never in my life been so . appalled and outraged at what can only be called criminal behavior by . this administration,' he said. NSC communications director Caitlin Hayden told MailOnline in an email that she was 'unfamiliar with this meeting,' but later allowed that she was 'not disputing it.' Separately, a senior administration official confirmed to MailOnline that 'Gayle Smith and members of the National Security Staff met with Shaykh Bin Bayyah to discuss a wide range of issues including poverty, global health efforts, and Bin Bayyah’s efforts to counter the al Qaeda narrative.' 'Ms. Smith stated that she looked forward to working with him,' the official added, 'and with other faith leaders on issues of mutual interest.' Abdallah bin Bayyah's English-language website initially reported that 'the national security adviser' of the U.S., Tom Donilon, was a participant in the June 13 meeting . After MailOnline inquired with the White House, but before bin Bayyah's organization was approached, the 'national security adviser' language disappeared . Yusuf al-Qaradawi claimed in 2009 that the Nazi Holocaust was a 'divine punishment' directed at Jews. Abdallah bin Bayyah, who met with National Security Council staff in the White House, is al-Qaradawi's deputy as vice president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, which al-Qaradawi leads . The account of the meeting on bin Bayyah's website also mentions that he 'called for the protection of the Syrian people and the Muslim minority in Myanmar.' But less than 12 hours after MailOnline made inquiries with the NSC, that account was . altered to remove any reference to National Security Adviser Tom . Donilon having attended the meeting. The site still claims 'the director . of public relations in the White House' - likely a reference to . communications director Jennifer Palmieri - did attend. There . has been no confirmation from the White House or from bin Bayyah that . either Palmieri or Donilon participated in the June 13 meeting. A second web page on bin Bayyah's site was also changed within hours of MailOnline's inquiries. According to translations provided by . the Investigative Project on Terrorism, an Arabic language account of . the June 13 meeting originally mentioned the 'Director of Public . Relations in the White House' and 'the National Security Adviser.' It . was changed to refer to 'Deputy Director of Public Relations in the . White House' and 'Deputy National Security Adviser.' The National Security Council would not confirm the attendance of any specific West Wing deputy. Rashad Hussain, US envoy to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, is the Obama administration official tasked with rebooting America's relationships in the Muslim world . During an April 2013 TV interview, prominent International Union of . Muslim Scholars member Tareq Hawwas wished openly of Europe's Jews that 'Hitler had finished them off, thus relieving humanity of them' Any connection with the International . Union of Muslim Scholars could be problematic for the Obama . administration, since that organization ended its December 2012 board . meeting by calling for all of Israel to be returned to Palestinians, and for the return of . those Palestinians who were exiled after the Israeli War of Independence in . 1948. Its most prominent members have also expressed openly anti-Semitic views. Lebanese . Islamic scholar Tareq Hawwas, for instance, said in April on Al-Quds TV . that Jews 'are cowards' and 'the most miserly of all peoples ... If . only Hitler had finished them off, thus relieving humanity of them.' And Hamas parliament member Marwan Abu Ras, another International Union of Muslim Scholars member, claimed on the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV that 'Jews are behind each and every catastrophe on the face of the Earth. This is not open to debate. ... Any catastrophe on the face of this Earth, the Jews must be behind it.' That assessment came on Sept. 12, 2012, as the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya lay in ruins and ashes. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for information about whether it recommended against issuing a visa to bin Bayyah for his June 13 meeting. Typically, a former DHS official told MailOnline, that agency would have been consulted before the state Department began the process to clear him for entry into the country. Speaking of the International union . of Muslim Scholars, the Investigative Project on Terrorism's Emerson . claimed 'the United States Government has just . legitimized a group that is basically no different that Hamas or . Hizbollah, except that this group is the one issuing the religious . edicts . to those Islamic terrorist groups to carry out jihad against Israel and . the United States.' 'This is the equivalent of inviting Al Qaeda to the . White House.' | The UK and U.S. have banned Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who leads the anti-Israel International Union of Muslim Scholars. The Obama administration invited that group's VP, Abdallah bin Bayyah, to a private meeting on the day it announced support for Syria's rebels . The organization ended its December 2012 board meeting by calling for the end of Israel and the return of its lands to the Palestinians . Hours after MailOnline began inquiring with the National Security Council about its meeting with bin Bayyah, the cleric's website was edited to remove the claim that National Security Adviser Tom Donilon attended . | c7b3cbb5a5948147f9839f0953dd63e9ddc2b49f |
Multi-millionaire property investor: Entrepreneur Paul Bloomfield enjoyed a lavish lifestyle including luxury homes, a helicopter and a private jet . Officials failed to prosecute a multi-millionaire property investor who did not pay any tax for 24 years, it has been claimed. Entrepreneur Paul Bloomfield enjoyed a lavish lifestyle including luxury homes, a helicopter and a private jet. But he did not submit any returns or pay a penny in tax for more than two decades, according to the BBC. His case was said to be the most extreme to have emerged in Britain since the HSBC scandal was revealed and raised further questions about HM Revenue & Customs’ apparent failure to prosecute tax dodgers. Mr Bloomfield, nicknamed ‘Boom Boom Bloomfield’ for his series of property deals in the 1980s, was reportedly named in the list of Britons with offshore accounts with HSBC in Switzerland. BBC1’s Panorama claimed he met HMRC investigators in 2011 – five years after his personal wealth was estimated at £60million – but told them he did not own any property or have any income of his own. Panorama said it had seen notes of the meeting, which said: ‘Bloomfield confirmed that his living expenses are paid from wherever there is money. Involvement: Mr Bloomfield helped to arrange finance for the new Wembley Stadium (above) in London in 2003 . 'In his words there is a box somewhere which contains money and he arranges for the bills to be paid.’ Mr Bloomfield, who helped to arrange finance for the new Wembley Stadium in 2003, claimed an offshore company paid his rent and another firm funded his use of a Boeing 757, a boat and a helicopter. During his 2011 meeting with HMRC officials, he denied having an offshore bank account, but the HSBC files – given to HMRC by French government officials in 2010 – reportedly revealed he had an offshore account with HSBC in 1993. Tax officials were said to have disbelieved Mr Bloomfield’s denials about not having any income and concluded he was liable for tax for the past 20 years, but he was not prosecuted. Ownership: Mr Bloomfield became renowned in the 1980s for buying and selling some of the best known sites in the UK, including Paternoster Square (pictured), near St Paul’s Cathedral . Mr Bloomfield, a friend of well-known property figures such as Gerald Ronson, became renowned in the 1980s for buying and selling some of the best known sites in the UK, including Paternoster Square, near St Paul’s Cathedral. He was declared bankrupt after a disastrous project during the 1990s property crash, but then bounced back, moving to Russia and reportedly making £158million through deals in former Soviet states. He is now believed to be living in Spain. Panorama said he had not responded to its requests for comment. Former tax inspector Richard Brooks, who now writes on tax matters, said: ‘If you haven’t paid any tax and you’re given a chance by the Revenue to come clean, especially when the amount is on this scale, and you don’t, then you can expect to be prosecuted. That is what you would expect.’ One former business associate of Mr Bloomfield, Mohammad Ghadami, told Panorama: ‘It wasn’t true he had no income, he had a few cars, a few drivers, security, a very expensive wife, an aeroplane. And he had... accountants and lawyers – to work for him.’ The BBC said if HMRC had checked the data about HSBC’s Swiss accounts when it was handed over, officials would have discovered one belonging to Mr Bloomfield and been able to take action years ago. An HMRC spokesman said: ‘We don’t talk about identifiable taxpayers. We take a wide range of factors into account when deciding the right course of action.’ | Investor Paul Bloomfield had luxury homes, helicopter and private jet . It is claimed he did not submit any returns or pay tax for two decades . Case is 'most extreme' to emerge in UK since HSBC scandal emerged . Raises more questions about apparent failure to prosecute tax dodgers . | 96d2e217eca02ff3d1a86d3cd9f4c088d5ef87a4 |
By . Michelle Daniels . Lying in a private room on the labour ward, exhausted from giving birth, I desperately tried to block out the noise all around me. The screams of a woman in labour gave way to the cry of a newborn baby. I heard the father phoning relatives, elated as he announced the arrival of his daughter. It was too much for me to bear. For as I cradled my baby girl Emily, tenderly stroking her soft, plump cheeks, my husband Richard and I stared at her tiny chest, willing it to rise and fall, yet knowing it never would. Grieving: Richard and Michelle Daniels who lost daughter Emily . Emily had been stillborn by emergency caesarean at 11.31pm on December 19, weighing 8lb 1oz. Her heart, which we’d heard beating so loudly on a monitor at the hospital that morning, had stopped during labour. Quite why, no one knew at that point. We had been robbed of the life we’d imagined as a family of four with our five-year-old son, Finlay. I’d had a healthy pregnancy and all the indications from the scans were that my baby was healthy. In the moments after her birth, as we were consumed by sadness, our pain was only compounded by our surroundings on a ward full of the sounds of new life. The room was cold and clinical, a place for enduring the physical pain of labour, not mourning the tragic death of a baby. A Perspex cot stood empty in one corner, leaflets on breastfeeding littered a table and there was a neat pile of baby clothes provided by the hospital for parents who aren’t prepared for their new arrival. There was no sofa or double bed on which Richard and I could sit close, our arms around each other, holding Emily together. There was no soundproofing to silence the noise beyond the room or soft lighting. Only reminders all around us of what we’d just lost. As a nurse, I cannot fault the care we received at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham, where Emily was born. Yet while still in the throes of our grief, there are two things Richard and I are certain we don’t want. The first is pity, because we are far from the only family to suffer such a shattering loss. The second is for any other couple to endure the agony of spending their few precious moments with their stillborn infant with the audible backdrop of a labour suite or maternity ward. This is the reason we want to share our story to raise awareness of the need for bereavement suites in hospital maternity units. Michelle recalls: 'In the moments after her birth, as we were consumed by sadness, our pain was only compounded by our surroundings on a ward full of the sounds of new life' We hope to raise £50,000 for such a facility at the QMC and others at hospitals across the country.I married Richard, who is 37 and has his own accountancy and management consultancy, in May 2005 and Finlay was born in November 2008. When I found out I was pregnant last spring, we were delighted. At the 20-week scan, however, I was told I had a condition called placenta previa, where the placenta blocks the cervix, making a natural birth impossible. But it often rights itself, so I was put under the care of a brilliant obstetrician and given regular scans to monitor it. Finlay had been desperate to know the sex of ‘his’ baby and helped pick out the exact shade of pink for his sister’s bedroom. Two weeks before my baby was due, a scan showed the placenta had moved, meaning I could have a natural birth after all. On December 19, I went to the hospital for an appointment to kickstart labour. That’s when we listened to our baby’s heart beating so loudly. Stillbirth is 15 times more common than cot death, according to official figures . We returned home and by early evening the contractions were coming fast, so we abandoned Finlay’s bedtime story and made a mad dash to take him to stay with Richard’s parents. On arrival at the QMC at 9pm, two midwives immediately got a monitor to listen to my baby’s heartbeat. When they couldn’t hear it, they assumed there was a fault with the machine or it was due to the position in which I was lying. But a second monitor was also silent. Suddenly there was panic in the room. The registrar arrived with a portable ultrasound machine and spoke the words we never wanted to hear: our baby wasn’t moving and it was suspected she’d died. I’d need an emergency caesarean to deliver her. What happened after that is a blur. I remember lying on the operating table with Richard standing beside me, sobbing. We clung to the hope there had been a mistake and our baby was still alive or that they would be able to revive her. When she was delivered, we held our breath, praying she’d cry. But there was no sound except the beeping of machines and our sobs. Wrapped in a pink blanket, our daughter was brought to us by the midwife in the recovery room a few minutes later. We decided to call her Emily. It wasn’t on our shortlist of names, but it was pretty, just like her, and it was so important to us that she had an identity. Emily was perfect and with lots of dark brown hair. She looked very much like Finlay did as a baby, with a button nose and beautiful rosebud lips. Her cheeks felt soft and warm and there was a flicker when we touched them, which is a normal reflex action. We simply couldn’t believe she was never going to open her eyes. A small funeral was held on January 7 with only Michelle and Richard's parents, siblings and one of the midwives present . The theatre staff were upset, particularly the anaesthetist, who confided that his sister had suffered two stillbirths. That’s when we started to realise how common this is. There is a one in 200 chance of having a stillborn baby — that’s as many as 17 a day in Britain. At the QMC, there have been two more since we lost Emily. At 4am, Richard called our parents to give them the heart-wrenching news that their longed for granddaughter hadn’t survived. They were distraught. But how were we going to explain it to Finlay? At dawn, Richard left Emily and me to go to him. I have no idea how he had the strength to tell Finlay that Emily had been poorly and had gone to live with the angels. Apparently, he buried his head in his daddy’s shoulder and cried his little heart out. On the second night, Richard stayed with Finlay while my mum sat with me at the hospital, holding me as I became increasingly traumatised by the sounds of families celebrating new arrivals. When Richard returned the next morning, he had to pass new fathers excitedly carrying baby car seats into the hospital. The midwife gave us a white cardboard memory box in the shape of a treasure chest containing a teddy bear, candle and kit with which to take prints of Emily’s hands and feet, which we did before leaving hospital later that day. Though I was desperate to get home to Finlay and away from the labour suite, it was agonising saying goodbye to our daughter, who was taken to the chapel of rest. Michelle says 'I have no idea how he (husband Richard) had the strength to tell Finlay (their son) that Emily had been poorly and had gone to live with the angels' We had a small funeral on January 7 with only our parents, siblings and one of the midwives present. Richard and I had an hour-and-a-half at home alone with Emily that morning. We wanted to feel her presence in our house, to cradle her in her bedroom and know she’d once been there. In February, there was more agony when the test results came back. It revealed I’d had an antenatal condition where the placenta functions during pregnancy, but fails under the stress of labour. There’s no way of screening for it during pregnancy as it can be diagnosed only by tests following a stillbirth. The tragic irony is that had the placenta previa not rectified itself in those final weeks, I’d have had a planned caesarean and the chances are Richard and I would have a healthy baby. When we took the first steps towards setting up our charity, Forever Stars, in January, we aimed for 100 followers on our Facebook page. We now have more than 4,000 from Alaska to Australia, and have received messages from 1,000 parents who were left to grieve for their stillborn baby in hospital in similar circumstances. The same story recurs — the medical care and staff are fantastic, but hospitals don’t have a private place to grieve and spend precious time with your baby. When we spoke to them, the QMC told us they had already recognised a need for a dedicated, peaceful but medically equipped bereavement suite. Richard and I would love to try for another baby, but there’s a risk I’d have the same placenta problem, so I’d be given a caesarean at 37 weeks. Like Finlay, he or she will grow up knowing they had a beautiful sister called Emily, who will be part of our family forever. www.foreverstars.org or www.facebook.com/foreverstars . Interview by Sadie Nicholas . | Emily had been stillborn by emergency caesarean on December 19 . Michelle describes her grief and confusion over why her daughters heart stopped during labour . Now campaigning for bereavement suites in hospital maternity units . | 25ae68fc0c054498a8bad9425a381ce66ef7b0d4 |
Jasmine Bishop was so determined to reach her target weight of 6st that she took 20 laxatives a day . A young woman who suffered cruel taunts about her figure ended up necking 20 laxatives a day because she was so desperate lose weight. Jasmine Bishop was so fixated on dropping from 12st to 6st that she became embroiled in a cycle of binge eating, vomiting and laxative abuse. Every night while her parents were asleep she would swallow the pills, bought from a local chemist, before spending most of the night on the loo - often falling asleep there. It was only when her tearful father begged her to get help that she reluctantly saw a doctor. Appearing on ITV's This Morning, Miss Bishop, now 22, explained how her health declined dramatically within a year. At 17, she had gone to her doctor about irregular periods and, as part of the consultation, was weighed. 'I was told I was classed as obese,' she told This Morning presenters Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes. 'Then I started getting comments from young lads, calling me a fat midget, and "look at her".' While the process started gradually, 'within a year my whole life had ended up in this massive bubble of just me and this eating disorder,' she said. 'No one else understood what I was going through and no matter how much they said "you look fine" or "Jas, you are beautiful", it was no good. 'In my head, I had a goal weight - and that was what I was going to get to.' In her desperation to lose more and more weight, she resorted to a number of drastic measures - and by time she sought help, she was diagnosed with multiple eating disorders. 'I was binge eating, vomiting and relying heavily on sugary drinks to keep me going,' she said. Courtesy of ITV's 'The Morning' 'And on top of that, I was always looking for more ways to lose weight - like laxatives.' A box of 60 costing £6 would last her for just three days, because she would down a staggering 20 at a time. In a bid to hide her addiction, she would take the pills late at night, just as her parents went to bed. Then, as the explosive effects of the drugs kicked in, she would dash to the loo and spend most of the night there. 'Most of the time I fell asleep on the loo,' she recalled. 'I thought my parents didn't know, but looking back,' they did. And with many people complaining even one or two laxatives can cause terrible stomach cramps and diarrhoea, what effect did 20 have on her body? Miss Bishop told This Morning hosts Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes: 'After taking the pills, I would be rocking backwards and forwards in agony' Teenage anorexics are being put at risk because supermarkets are handing over powerful laxatives without any restrictions or age controls, an investigation has found. Laxative abuse can cause kidney failure . Concerns about the sale of the medicines to youngsters who are dangerously thin and ill were first raised by the eating disorder charity Beat five years ago. However, an undercover survey recently revealed that leading supermarkets continue to dish out laxatives to 14-year-olds without asking questions. Beat is calling for a change in the law or voluntary measures by stores to ban laxative sales to under-16s. The group also wants the maximum pack size reduced to ten tablets with sales restricted to pharmacies and a warning label that reads: ‘this is not a weight loss product’. The charity’s chief executive, Susan Ringwood, said there is evidence that an increasing number of youngsters are using laxatives as part of their drastic weight loss regimes. She said: ‘We have seen a 30 per cent increase in calls to our helplines over the last year where people have mentioned overusing laxatives in unhealthy way. And that does include a significant number of young people as well.’ Miss Bishop said: 'I would be rocking backwards and forwards in agony. 'Fifteen hours of labour was nothing compared to being on that toilet every night,' she said. Asked why, if the pain was so bad, she continued, she replied: 'It was in my head that I was fat and I wanted to lose loads of weight. 'If I couldn't get it out of one end, by being sick, I would get it out the other.' Medical experts warn that laxative abuse can cause diarrhoea, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances that can lead to kidney failure. It can also damage the liver and potentially damage the heart leading to heart failure and death. Miss Bishop's constant exhaustion and trips to the loo began to sound alarm bells with her worried family. Then, when her hair began falling out in clumps due to malnutrition, her parents confronted her. And their reaction was what shocked Miss Bishop, from Hampshire, into taking action. She told Ruth and Eamonn: 'I have never seen my dad cry, but he was nearly in tears. 'He said: "We've lost you. You're not my little girl any more". 'He could usually get me to talk, but this time I had shut everyone out. 'In the end, my mum begged me to get some help.' She was prescribed antidepressants by her GP and slowly began to eat selected foods. Today, thanks to specialist treatment, she has returned to a healthy weight and gone onto have a baby daughter. Her little girl has also given her more important things to focus on, she said. 'I don't have the energy to sit on the loo all night,' she explained. And she urged others not to fall into the terrible weight loss trap that she did. 'Don't do it. Once you have an eating disorder you can never look at food in the way again. 'I can't look at a burger in the same way and I can't just sit on the couch and have a lazy day. 'It's a mental disorder and it ruins your body. Thankfully, I see myself a lot differently now.' | Jasmine Bishop, now 22, was fixated on dropping from 12st to 6st . Body issues triggered after cruel name calling by other young people . Became embroiled in a cycle of binge eating, vomiting and laxative abuse . Every night would take 20 tablets and end up falling asleep in the bathroom . Despite the pain and exhaustion, she was determined to hit her goal weight . Eventually her family begged her to get help, after her hair fell out . Has since had treatment and gone on to have a baby daughter . The charity BEAT can provide support and advice with eating disorders . | 240347e2d0583f547441460d9b5f9be0370cef13 |
Ahead of this weekend's Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for Chelsea's home clash with Hull City... Chelsea vs Hull City (Stamford Bridge) Team news . Chelsea . Goalkeeper Petr Cech will make his first Barclays Premier League start of the season against Hull on Saturday after Thibaut Courtois suffered a minor injury in training. Playmaker Cesc Fabregas will serve a one-match suspension as Jose Mourinho reverts to the majority of his first-choice line-up. Defender John Terry and forwards Eden Hazard and Willian were rested for the midweek defeat of Sporting Lisbon, which saw Mourinho make six changes to the side which lost for the first time this season last weekend at Newcastle. Provisional squad: Cech, Ivanovic, Luis, Fabregas, Zouma, Ramires, Oscar, Hazard, Drogba, Mikel, Schurrle, Salah, Remy, Costa, Matic, Willian, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Schwarzer, Beeney, Loftus-Cheek, Christensen. Petr Cech will make his first Premier League start of the season for Chelsea against Hull City . Hull City . Hull captain Curtis Davies could be handed a recall for the trip to Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea. The centre-half has been dropped for the last two matches, but manager Steve Bruce could revert to a back three at Stamford Bridge, opening up a vacancy at the back. Gaston Ramirez has completed a three-game ban, but fellow loanee Hatem Ben Arfa is set to continue his exile from the squad. Provisional squad: McGregor, Jakupovic, Davies, Rosenior, Robertson, Chester, Dawson, Bruce, Elmohamady, Meyler, Huddlestone, Livermore, Brady, Aluko, Quinn, Ramirez Hernandez, Aluko, Jelavic . Hull City captain Curtis Davies could be restored to the starting line-up for the trip to Stamford Bridge . Kick-off: Saturday 3pm . Odds (subject to change): . Chelsea 1/5 . Draw 5/1 . Hull 14/1 . Referee: Chris Foy . Managers: Jose Mourinho (Chelsea), Steve Bruce (Hull) Head-to-head league record: Chelsea wins 21, draws 7, Hull wins 4 . Key match stats (supplied by Opta) Loic Remy and Didier Drogba have both scored three goals in three Barclays Premier League games against Hull City. The Tigers have never won away at Chelsea in any competition (L15 D5 W0). Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 10 games against Hull City in all competitions (W8 D2), including all six in the Barclays Premier League (W4 D2 L0). Mohamed Diame has scored four goals from just four shots on target in the Premier League this season. Hull City have gone eight Premier League games without a victory (W0 D4 L4). Hull have never won away at Chelsea in 15 visits but will look to put that right on Saturday . Cesc Fabregas (81) is now clear in sixth place in the all time Premier League assist ranking; one ahead of David Beckham (80). Allan McGregor has saved all three of the penalties he has faced in the Premier League – no goalkeeper has ever saved four consecutive penalties that he’s faced in the competition. Hull have scored only two goals in their last seven Premier League games. Only once before have Chelsea had more points after 15 games of a Premier League campaign (40 in 2005-06). This is Hull City’s worst start to a Premier League season (13 points), even lower than the 16 they accrued after 15 games in 2009-10 when they were relegated. | Chelsea host Hull City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (3pm kick-off) Petr Cech will make his first Premier League start of season for Blues . Hull captain Curtis Davies could be recalled to Tigers' starting line-up . Tigers have never won away at Chelsea in any competition (15 visits) | b98242cde63ffe755bbb81c0587a63b6e28ba1ad |
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Before Monday, Eliot Spitzer was a rising star in the Democratic Party -- his squeaky-clean image as a corruption buster led to his being mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate and possibly even a future White House contender. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer arrives with his wife Monday for a press conference. Now, after federal investigators have linked the New York governor to a top-dollar prostitution ring, political advisers are split over whether Spitzer has any political future at all. "There's no way he can survive it," said Ed Rollins, a Republican political consultant and adviser to former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. "All the facts aren't out there, but as they're being reported, there's no way you can survive. "Not only is he a hypocrite, he may also end up being a charged felon." On Monday, Spitzer publicly apologized for an undisclosed personal matter. He did not specifically mention the prostitution sting, nor did he resign. Watch Spitzer's apology » . The apology came four days after federal prosecutors announced the arrests of four people in an international prostitution ring that charged clients up to $5,500 an hour. A source with knowledge of the probe said that wiretaps in the case identify Spitzer as an unnamed client who met a prostitute on February 13 at a Washington hotel. Many political professionals said they were stunned by Monday's developments regarding Spitzer, a man who once made a name for himself going after organized crime and Wall Street corruption as New York's attorney general. "Obviously, the facts are going to come out in the next several days and the story will be told," said Robert Zimmerman, a political adviser and Democratic National Committee member. "But if the facts are as we suspect, it's very hard to imagine him staying in office." But James Carville, a CNN political analyst and onetime adviser to former President Bill Clinton, said Spitzer could hold on to his position if the scandal remains strictly about sex -- or if it's revealed that his political enemies were responsible for leaking the story. Carville mentioned other high-profile politicians who have weathered sex scandals, including Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after his arrest in a men's room sex sting, and his own former client, President Clinton. "All of us remember the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the immediate rush to judgment," he said. "A lot of people said, 'How could Bill Clinton survive a scandal like that?' Yet, he managed to survive. "If it's not a financial or monetary thing involved, I don't know." Watch a discussion of Spitzer's political future » . On a more personal level, Dina Matos, the estranged wife of former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey -- who resigned after an alleged affair with a male political aide -- said Spitzer should step down whether he thinks he can salvage his political career or not. McGreevey, who announced he is gay and is now attending an Episcopalian seminary, and Matos are in the midst of divorce proceedings. Matos said "was very difficult for the family" when her husband tried to hang on to the governor's office for several months after stories about the relationship with the aide surfaced. "I thought Gov. Spitzer was going to announce his resignation today," Matos told CNN's "Larry King Live." "By not doing so, he's only prolonging the pain and and anguish and humiliation for his wife and family." Watch responses to the question: Will Spitzer have to resign? » . If Spitzer resigns, Lt. Gov. David Paterson would complete his term in accordance with the New York state constitution. Paterson, 53, is the highest-ranking African-American elected official in New York state. Paterson, who is legally blind, is a leading advocate for the visually and physically impaired. E-mail to a friend . | N.Y. governor, a hard-charging ex-prosecutor, falls far amid link to prostitution . "There's no way he can survive" scandal, GOP consultant and adviser says . Ex-Bill Clinton adviser: He has a chance if scandal's enemy-driven or only about sex . Estranged wife of ex-N.J. governor says Spitzer should resign to spare family grief . | 703d248cce913a6036347aabd2ba011a7f660bf4 |
Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Vladimir Saint-Louis is glad to be back in business months after January's devastating earthquake in Haiti shut down his large athletic complex in the heart of Port-au-Prince. Although he was unharmed, his father nearly lost his life when cement blocks fell on his car, injuring and trapping him for hours. On this particular afternoon six months after the quake, customers worked out at Saint-Louis' main gym, some hitting the weights, others at the Ping-Pong table, a welcome break from all that still plagues Haiti. Still, just footsteps away, stands a tent city erected by 7,000 homeless Haitians on the complex. "This is a 400-meter track, and this is my soccer field; it's my land; it's part of the same property," Saint-Louis told CNN. He said that on the night after the quake, desperate Haitians climbed over collapsed walls and found refuge on his land. At first, it was understandable, he said. But six months later, it's clear he has become frustrated. "All the government officials we sent letters to, all the letters went unanswered," Saint-Louis said. Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive says the government is working on a resettlement plan, not only to solve land disputes, but also to provide housing for all displaced. But he says the government's hands are tied until billions of pledged funds for Haiti come through. "Even if we don't have the money, we should have a calendar," says Bellerive, stressing the need for a disbursement calendar. And there's also the matter of priority. "We have to understand that right now, the priority of the government is to protect the population from the next hurricane season," Bellerive said. "Most of our force is going in that direction." Meanwhile, tent camps, thought to be temporary living arrangements in the aftermath of the quake, have become permanent fixtures all over the capital. More than 1,300 have sprouted -- hot, muddy from the rains, lacking water and proper sanitation, and in some cases breeding grounds for turf wars. An estimated 1.5 million people are homeless and living in such conditions in Haiti. Many are on private property and the crisis is pitting landowners against the desperate. At another tent camp pitched on private property, Aline Masselin washes clothes by hand in a plastic basin that sits on a dirt floor. She has lived in this camp since the night of the quake. Her daughter, Alexandra, was born here just weeks later. Recently, a judge showed up at the site, warning the homeless it was time to go and that the owner was fed up. They missed the deadline to leave, and still they are waiting without a place to go. At a nearby camp, another landowner successfully evicted a group of homeless. "It was 52 families," said Emmanuel Auguste, showing a lot that once housed quake victims who have now resettled in other camps. Asked whether there will be a change six months from now, United Nations humanitarian spokesman Imogen Wall was blunt. "It will take time to get 1.5 million people back into the kind of long-term living arrangements that they want and need," she said. For Vladimir Saint-Louis -- whose athletic complex once boasted tennis and basketball courts, a soccer field and other recreational areas that have now become squatting areas -- news that this will take even longer does not sit well. "There's a barbershop. There's a cyber cafe. There's a hotel in one of the tents, where people pay to stay there for the night -- I swear to God," he said. So far, Saint-Louis has found a way to make peace with the homeless on his land, waiting for a solution to come to salvage his business that's taken a 50 percent hit since it became the site of a tent city. Asked whether he can keep his business afloat, he replied, "God give the strength. God give me the strength." CNN's Ivan Watson contributed to this report. | Tent cities still going strong months after Haiti earthquake . Landowners frustrated with thousands of homeless on properties . Government says a resettlement plan is in the works . UN official: Getting 1.5 million people into more permanent housing takes time . | 26f510e2667d85057a5ca530b7a205509e5f4613 |
Michael Schumacher is 'fighting', the former Ferrari racing boss has said, adding that he believes the ex driving ace will get better. Jean Todt spoke on Schumacher's condition shortly after visiting him at his Swiss mansion where he is being cared for in a purpose-built medical suite. The 45-year-old former race ace returned to his home with his wife and children two months ago after being discharged from a rehabilitation clinic in Lausanne, Switzerland. Scroll down for video . Fighting back: A former racing boss has said Michael Schumacher, pictured in December 2013, is 'fighting' Schumacher spent time in the rehab clinic after coming out of his medically-induced coma following a ski accident in the French Alps on December 29 last year, which left him with catastrophic brain injuries. 'What's important is that he lives and that his family is with him. We really believe that things will get better. He needs time and to be left alone,' Jean Todt said. 'We can say that he can probably never again drive a Formula 1 car. But he is fighting.' President of the International Automobile Federation Jean Todt, said that Schumacher will never drive a Formula 1 car again . Accident: Schumacher, pictured with wife Corinna, suffered severe brain injuries after a ski accident in December last year and was put in a medically induced coma . 'In the past weeks and months, he has made progress in relation to the severity of his injury,' said Todt, now president of the International Automobile Federation after visiting him last week. 'But a long and hard road is in front of him. Hopefully things will improve. His family is close to him. He needs time and peace.' Schumacher is being cared for by a team of 15 experts at his home. It is understood he remains immobile and unable to speak. The team at Gland, where a purpose-built mini-clinic has been constructed inside the Schumacher mansion, consists of 15 people, most of them provided by the Lausanne clinic. His care at home is estimated to be costing his family 100,000 pounds per month. At the end of the year his father Rolf is moving from his home in Germany into a specially constructed residence built for him in the grounds of the 35 million pound Schumacher mansion at Gland, on the shores of Lake Geneva. | Michael Schumacher 'will be able to recover from his injuries', says F1 boss . Former head of Ferrari racing team spoke after visiting Schumacher . Jean Todt said although he will have a normal life, he will not drive F1 again . | 47b25df2f4a1766929a86cc7a8251c37d8c3a2da |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:10 EST, 24 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:39 EST, 24 February 2014 . An audience of 'pandas' has appeared in a Taiwan theatre to highlight the plight of the endangered animals. Some 1,600 paper-mache made pandas are on display, designed by French artist Paulo Grangeon, at the National Theatre in Taipei. The Pandas on Tour exhibition was launched by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2008 as a way of highlighting the need to protect endangered species, and has since travelled around the world. After being asked by the WWF, Grangenon created the 1,600 pandas from recycled paper - to represent the actual amount of real pandas left in the world. For the Taiwan exhibition, the artist specially created another 200 Formosan black bears in order to support wildlife protection acts for local animals and set a green tree frog made out of paper in the middle of it. An audience of 'pandas' has appeared in a Taiwan theatre to highlight the plight of the endangered animals . Some 1,600 paper-mache made pandas are on display, designed by French artist Paulo Grangeon, at the National Theatre in Taipei . For the Taiwan exhibition, the artist specially created another 200 Formosan black bears in order to support wildlife protection acts for local animals and set a green tree frog made out of paper in the middle of it . After being asked by the WWF, Grangenon created the 1,600 pandas from recycled paper - to represent the actual amount of real pandas left in the world . The exhibition was first held by the French section of the World Wildlife Fund in a joint project with Grangeon in July 2008 at Paris City Hall . | Pandas on Tour exhibition launched by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2008 to . highlight need to protect species . 1,600 paper-mache made pandas on display, designed by French artist Paulo Grangeon, at National Theatre in Taipei . | 551e583129d236dccfb4f648c9190829f9701028 |
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:01 EST, 16 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:03 EST, 16 December 2013 . Home Secretary Theresa May said tougher penalties of up to life imprisonment for human traffickers would lead to more prosecutions . Trafficking gang victims who are caught working in a cannabis farm or forced to run a brothel will escape prosecution. Home Secretary Theresa May announced a blitz on the ‘scarcely believable’ modern slave trade yesterday amid claims there are up to 10,000 UK victims. A Home Office bill will introduce a maximum sentence of life in prison for human traffickers, and new guidelines will be issued which state victims should not face prosecution. A review by Labour MP Frank Field says those who commit crimes after being trafficked usually do so ‘at the behest of their controllers’. It adds: ‘This may be children and young persons compelled into forced labour in cannabis farms and factories; those who are forced to run a brothel as part of their enslavement; or those in possession of false immigration documents.’ Mrs May warned last month of slaves working in nail bars. She said slavery is ‘all around us, hidden in plain sight’. Home Secretary Theresa May said that it was impossible to know exactly how many people are being held in conditions of servitude in Britain, but referrals to official agencies suggest that the numbers are growing. The draft Modern Day Slavery Bill, published today, sets out the Government's plans to tackle the problem of people being trafficked into the UK to work in conditions of slavery. Thousands of slaves are thought to work in building sites and farms as well as brothels, shops and in domestic servitude. The bill pulls together into a single act the offences used to prosecute slave-drivers and increases the punishments courts can hand down. Crime hotspot: Earlier this month police raided brothels, sex shops and lap dancing clubs in Soho in a crackdown on drugs and people trafficking . The government has been under pressure . to act because fewer than 10 prosecutions are secured each year, . despite there being thousands of victims. Labour . MP Frank Field, who has produced a report into slavery for the Home . Office, estimates that there are 10,000 victims of slavery in the UK. But . Mrs May said: ‘The honest position is that we don’t know if that’s the . right figure or whether there are fewer or indeed more victims in the . UK. ‘What we do know if . that we have seen more referrals to what is called the National Referral . Mechanism where people are able to refer people who they think have . been trafficked,’ she told BBC Radio 4. ‘I . mean we have seen more cases being identified in the UK through action . by the likes of the National Crime Agency and the Gangmasters Licensing . Authority and one of the purposes of bringing the bill forward is to . ensure we can enhance our ability to deal with the slavedrivers and . therefore reduce the prospect of people being victims in the future.’ Mrs May said one of the obstacles to successful prosecution was the reluctance of victims to come forward because of fears that they might themselves face prosecution or be sent back to their home countries. New guidance is being drawn up by the Director of Public Prosecutions to protect victims of slavery from being prosecuted for crimes which they have been forced to commit because of their illegal servitude, she revealed. However it is thought that because the victims of trafficking and slavery are often also prosuected - such as the case unsuccessfully brought against a group of Vietnamese children forced to work in a cannabis factory – it might deter victims from taking the stand against their exploiters. Mrs May added: ‘We do need victims to be willing to come forward and give evidence in these cases. ‘That issue of whether or not a victim is going to be treated as a criminal themselves is consistently raised. I have talked to both the former and the current Director of Public Prosecutions about the treatment of victims and about why it is that we are not seeking more prosecutions for trafficking and slavery cases. Labour's Yvette Cooper called for more protection for child victims of trafficking . ‘The DPP and the Crown Prosecution Service are issuing more guidance to make clear the circumstances around this question of where a victim has been forced into criminality because of their servitude, because of what the slave-driver has done.’ The Bill contains provisions to give automatic life sentences to offenders who already have convictions for very serious sexual or violent offences. It introduces Trafficking Prevention Orders to restrict the activity and movement of convicted traffickers and stop them from committing further offences. And a new Anti-Slavery Commissioner will be appointed to hold law enforcement and other organisations to account. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the legislation should do more to provide protection for child victims of trafficking. She said: ‘There is cross-party consensus that we need new action to tackle modern-day slavery. And we welcome the limited moves in this Bill. ‘But we would like to see the Bill go further - particularly to provide stronger legal protection for child victims. It is right to increase sentencing for traffickers and to make it easier to prosecute these heinous crimes and prevent repeat offending.’ | New laws mean human traffickers will face up to life in prison . Victims sent to work in illegal environments will not face prosecution . Report by Labour MP Frank Field estimates there are 10,000 slaves in UK . Home Secretary Theresa May says it is difficult to know if it is even higher . | 796ab1404def3fad03733075de1feb45e707d5c9 |
By . Edward Knight . UPDATED: . 11:38 EST, 1 September 2011 . Blackpool Tower has reopened to the public following a multi-million pound refurbishment, but visitors are going to need an exceptionally good head for heights. The revamped tower now sports a 'Walk . of Faith' glass floor which looks straight down . to the Blackpool Promenade 380ft below the gallery, originally placed at the top in 1998. The grandeur and heritage of the 118-year-old building has been retained, including the Tower Ballroom and Tower Circus. But it now boasts two new attractions - the Blackpool Tower Dungeon, a walk through some of the North West's most horrible history, and the Blackpool Tower Eye with 4D cinema experience. See for miles: Amber Houghton, eight, tries out the new 'Walk of Faith' glass Skywalk at the top of the refurbished Blackpool Tower . Not afraid: Reassuring the faint-hearted - the glass floor weighs half a tonne and is made up of two sheets of solid laminated glass . Visitors who take the lifts to the top are . immediately confronted by the Skywalk, a 4.15 tonne glass floor and . floor-to-ceiling observation platform, which now runs along an . entire side of the Tower Eye. Room with a view: A visitor stands transfixed at the top of the revamped Tower. The floor-to-ceiling observation platform runs along an entire side of The Tower Eye . Glory days: The newly refurbished upper levels of Blackpool Tower, now renamed the Blackpool Tower Eye . Walking on air: Jessica, Oliver, Josh and Anthony Hill from Blackpool look down through the glass floor . But before they get there they can watch a specially-commissioned film which takes guests on a trip down memory lane to see history in the making, including Mayor John Bickerstaffe's construction of the tower, seen through the amazed eyes of a young boy. The film is brought to life with sensory effects, dubbed the fourth dimension, from sea spray to the unmistakable aroma of the beach donkeys. Old and new: The new viewing gallery that brings the 19th century building right up to 2011 . Topsy-turvy: Jessica Hill, eight, from Blackpool does a handstand on the glass floor . The cinema is located under the tower's steel arches, which have been exposed for the first time, and the film will be shown before visitors are guided into the lifts and taken up to the Tower Eye. They can then walk the route of the Blackpool Promenade, hundreds of feet in the air, and marvel at the uninterrupted views of the North West coastline. Birds' eye view: A tram seen from the 380ft-high viewing gallery which looks straight down on the Promenade below . Iconic: The refurbished Tower restores the famous landmark to fully functioning duty as part of the council's regeneration plan for Blackpool . Blackpool Council, which bought the tower, has been working with attractions operator Merlin Entertainments to return it to its glory days as part of the council's £250 million regeneration plans for the resort. So far the refurbishment has taken 10 months. Nick Varney, Merlin Entertainments CEO, said: 'This is a landmark day for Blackpool and the Blackpool Tower. 'While there is still more work to be done, the tower itself looks fantastic - and has been restored with a great deal of skill and care.' Vertical drop: The Hill family from Blackpool look down through the glass floor . | Refurbished landmark has 'Walk of Faith' glass floor and 4D cinema . | 0e57ca8161f4ae64857908f19cf4f5097bd3c6ae |
By . Alexandra Klausner . PUBLISHED: . 17:43 EST, 7 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:54 EST, 7 February 2014 . One Panda at the Toronto Zoo hasn't let the snowy weather get in the way of a good time or in the way of starring in a viral video. Toronto saw heavy snow fall on Saturday, and the Toronto Zoo's five-year-old adorable Panda, De Mao, looked impossibly cute while flopping about in the the fluffy white mounds. The National Post reported that the Toronto Zoo closed early for the weather but that the security cameras were still capturing footage of animals at play. This 46 second video shows De Mao rolling around and doing an impressive nose dive off of a rock. The playful video already has 486, 549 views. See why for yourself. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Should I climb this tree? Snow's too slippery... This Panda seems determined to have adventures in the snow . This panda prepares to jump off this rock as cute as he possibly can . De Mao bravely takes a nosedive into the fluffy snow . De Mao lands safely in the snow and isn't done playing yet... To celebrate the weather De Mao decides to roll around in utter joy . | De Mao the 5-year-old panda at the Toronto Zoo loves playing in the snow and was captured via the zoo's security cameras . Video of the panda playing has become a viral hit and already has 486, 549 views . The Zoo is closed now because of the heavy snowfall . | ca835f054c87c5d3a3b8043fa6bf51d67caf15b3 |
(CNN) -- At one point in Jared Hutchins' young life, the Beatles were a big problem. The rallies, which draw mostly teens, are one part concert, one part Christian revival. "I had to stop listening to them for a while," said Hutchins, who lives in Cumming, Georgia, and plays the piano, guitar and harmonica. He said the group's world view "had a negative effect on me," and made him irritable and angry. "God owns my life, not the Beatles," he said simply. Although Hutchins said he enjoys a wide range of music -- from Pink Floyd and Arcade Fire to Christian bands such as Hillsong United -- he said he has to be careful of what music he listens to, for the same reason he temporarily turned off the Beatles. Hutchins, a 16-year-old graced with poise and thoughtfulness, is one of many teenagers who say that some part of popular culture, with its ubiquitous references to sex, drugs and violence, has harmed him. Last year, Hutchins and his Christian youth group attended an Acquire the Fire rally in Atlanta, Georgia, he said. Acquire the Fire -- regional rallies held across the country -- and BattleCry -- the larger rallies held this year in only three cities -- are the products of the evangelical Christian organization Teen Mania. Go behind-the-scenes with CNN's Christiane Amanpour at a BattleCry event » . One part concert, one part Christian revival, the rallies seek to "stage a reverse revolution" against secular popular culture. They have the pull of headlining rock concerts, drawing thousands of people regardless of the region of the country, the month of year or the day of the week. The audiences are nearly always predominantly teenagers and young adults. From 2006 to 2007, a total of 127,830 people attended the 34 Acquire the Fire rallies, and 71,414 people attended the three BattleCry events held in San Francisco, California; Detroit, Michigan; and Bristow, Virginia, according to Teen Mania. Watch flags, fireworks and teens at rally . For Hutchins, who said he struggled in his early adolescence to fit in and be cool before having a personal experience with God about four years ago, the organization's message is exactly right. "We don't have to be branded by the culture, we are branded by God," he said. "Be who God created you to be." But the glossy, glamorous appeal of popular culture too often obscures that path to God, Teen Mania followers say. And so, Ron Luce, the 46-year-old founder of the organization, has waged a modern-day crusade against "purveyors of popular culture," whom he has condemned as "the enemy." More than two decades old, Teen Mania estimates it has reached more than 2 million teens with its message "of living completely for Christ." The organization is sprawling. In addition to its live stadium rallies, there are BattleCry shirts and hats, mobile screen savers, books and a television program. There are international mission trips -- Hutchins attended one in Tijuana, Mexico, this summer. There is even a Teen Mania internship, a one-year program called the Honor Academy, based in Lindale, Texas. In the live events, Luce couples the earnest appeal of a young father with a preacher's ability to mobilize a crowd. He weaves disturbing statistics about teenagers amid his gospel. Today's teenagers are in crisis, he says. "We're fighting for those who don't know they have a voice, that are being manipulated by our pop culture indulging in things that, really, they're not mature enough to be thinking about yet," Luce told CNN. "Kids are hurting," he said. And of those who he feels inflict these moral wounds, Luce said, "We call them terrorists, virtue terrorists, that are destroying our kids." "They're raping virgin teenage America on the sidewalk, and everybody's walking by and acting like everything's OK. And it's just not OK." To some, Luce's rhetoric is off-putting, hateful and divisive. Opponents point to his views on homosexuality -- not "in God's plan" -- and abortion -- the "ending of a precious life" -- and say Luce is imposing conservative values on vulnerable teenagers. Explore Americans' views on religion . It is this criticism that Luce and his followers confronted head-on in March at BattleCry San Francisco. There, in arguably the most liberal city in the United States, protesters, armed with megaphones and poster board signs, rallied against BattleCry on the steps of City Hall as the Christian teenagers circled and prayed in a demonstration of their own. "Ron Luce is a liar!" one protester shouted. "Let me hear you say Christian fascist," another yelled. Luce and the youths, some as young as 11, also raised their voices. "God, I ask that as we do this BattleCry, Lord, that you would reveal yourself to the teenagers, God, here, God," Mindy Peterson, shouted. Peterson is a member of Teen Mania's Honor Academy. Afterward, Peterson railed against what she said was the protesters' mischaracterization of BattleCry. "These people think that our war is against other people. They think that our war is against man. And our war isn't. Our war's against ... the pain in teenagers' hearts, like depression, alcoholism. Those things that -- that are, like, tearing our teenagers apart," she said. While much milder in his terms, Hutchins agrees. "We're a generation that is kind of troubled," he said. Luce wants to "rescue the hearts of our generation," he added. And of the critics' contention that the rallies, the organization, the message is neo-conservatism wrapped in Biblical verse? Hutchins smiles, nods patiently. "I don't go because I have a political agenda," he said, adding that his friends don't, either. "Mostly, what we're concerned with is Jesus." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Julie O'Neill and Taylor Gandossy contributed to this report. | Thousands of teens attend Christian rallies each year . Many of the rallies attempt to offer an alternative to secular popular culture . Opponents say these impose conservative values on vulnerable teenagers . | 82a0e1f034174079179821b052f33df76c781b47 |
At a height of 5ft 5ins and weighing 115lb (8st 2lb), at first glance pretty Alexa Grasso doesn't look like she packs a punch. But the 21-year-old, who lives in Mexico, has proved she's a force to be reckoned with in the ring as she remains undefeated as a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. The strawweight (her weight category) is said to have knockout power that few women possess as she has already achieved four knockout wins in her professional career - which only began in 2012. Scroll down for video . Alexa Grasso is an undefeated female fighter and has been in the ring since 2012 . She first decided to make a living as a fighter when she attended an event with her uncle, who is now her coach. Alexa says that seeing women like herself in the ring made her realise that you don't have to be super macho to be strong. Alexa who lives in Mexico, first became interested in fighting after visiting a match with her uncle . At the age of 19 Alexa attended her first fight and won, her uncle now acts as her coach . 'My inspiration was a day I accompanied my uncle, who is my coach, to a fight event where I saw my first women's fight,' she said. 'I was amazed to see that such beautiful and strong women could punch and kick that way against a larger rival. I saw the beauty of the sport and that women are just as capable as men to fight.' The undefeated champ's first match was in December 2012 at the age of 19 and she took her energy from the hoards of supporters who were shouting her name. 'My first fight was a beautiful experience. A colleague and I fought at the same event. We prepared together and also went with many people who supported us. The 21-year-old said her first fight was a beautiful experience and says that cheers from the crowd spurred her on to success . Alexa says that despite the aggressive nature of the ring she is a quiet studious girl at school . 'I was very nervous before getting into the ring but when I went up and everyone was shouting my name, it gave me a lot of energy and courage to achieve my goal.' The former waitress said nobody messed with her during her school days after one day she exploded and defended herself against a fellow pupil. 'My school life was quiet. I have a memory of a colleague who always annoyed me, until one day I exploded and defended myself. Since that day nobody was annoying.' Alexa says that despite her aggressive alter ego she still remains a hard working student. 'I've always been very quiet and dedicated myself to studying. I think school is a very nice place. My favourite subject was natural sciences. And in college, to this point it has been morphology.' Alexa said after seeing her first fight: 'I was amazed to see that such beautiful and strong women could punch and kick that way against a larger rival' Alexa, who has worked many jobs ranging from a hostess, to a secretary and an MMA instructor for children, said her parent's support has helped fighting career. 'My parents have supported me in all my decisions. My mom is very concerned, but always on the lookout for my tournaments or fights. 'My dad is always the happiest, he loves the idea of me being a fighter, and supports me with even the simplest things from helping with my uniform to drying my tears and saying beautiful words when I'm in the last weeks of preparation.' The undefeated strawweight for Invicta FC has had six straight wins and no losses and could soon get the call up to UFC in the future. | 5ft 5in Alexa Grasso hasn't lost a fight since she began two years ago . 21-year-old student from Mexico has achieved four knockout wins . First became interested in martial arts after watching match with her uncle . She said: 'I saw that women are just as capable as men to fight' | e66e83fb8ac1c2fe4a3a4612443cb02baf2cebea |
Luxury Italian lingerie label La Perla has removed a mannequin displayed in front of its New York store, after a customer complained about its overly thin frame on Twitter. The discovery was made at the brand's SoHo store on Sunday, by passing customer Michael Rudoy, who snapped a photo of the skeletal mannequin and uploaded it with the caption: 'How does #LaPerla think ribs on a mannequin is ok?!' Within hours, a representative from La . Perla swooped in and removed the offending object, claiming in a . statement released on Twitter that it 'will not be used . again by any La Perla boutique.' Ribs on show: This mannequin (pictured) displaying jutting ribs and a concave stomach, was spotted by a customer in a New York store and promptly removed by La Perla following a Twitter outcry . 'We are in . the process of redesigning all La Perla stores with a new concept image . and the mannequins that are currently displayed in our U.S. stores will . no longer be used.' 'TERRIBLE!!!' responded one tweeter, from the Alliance for Eating Disorders in Florida, when the photo first emerged. 'It's not [ok] and I'm #NotBuyingIt' wrote another. Mr Rudoy's friend, Seth Matlins, a former ad executive who is a self-described 'advocate for truth-in-advertising' also weighed in on the topic, praising La Perla for it fast response. Skinny standards: La Perla's mannequins are typically very slender, with ribs also visible in this example, displayed in a different New York store front in 2011 . Slender: Cara Delevingne (pictured) fronted the label's Spring/Summer 2013 campaign, looking lithe in the sultry set of photos . 'Was told by @LaPerlaLingerie, who replied/acted quickly, that the mannequin's been removed' he tweeted yesterday. An hour later, he tweeted again. 'Impressed by @LaPerlaLingerie commitment to change. We all make mistakes - it's if/how we fix them that counts.' The luxury label, whose bras start at $98 and run up to over $300 each, has more than 100 boutiques globally. Supermodel Cara Delevingne fronted their Spring/Summer 2013 campaign, looking lithe in a series of sultry shots. Luxury: La Perla's lingerie (pictured) is sold in over 100 boutiques worldwide and ranges from $98 to over $300 for a single bra . And it's not just La Perla that has come under fire for promoting its clothing on stick-thin mannequins. Psychotherapist Dae Sheridan was shocked when she came across a mannequin in a J.C. Penney store near her home in Florida in 2012, with matchstick narrow legs. 'We are in the process of redesigning all . La Perla stores with a new concept image and the mannequins that are . currently displayed in our US stores will no longer be used' 'The legs on the mannequin were not just “super-skinny”, they were extraordinarily, shockingly thin. So thin, that the mannequin’s leg was the same size as my arm!' Ms Sheridan wrote in a 2012 online petition, which garnered over 7,500 signatures but was never addressed by J.C. Penney. Gap, Zara and Club Monaco have also been lambasted for similar offenses in the past, with Spanish label Mango agreeing in 2007 not to display any mannequins smaller than a size 6, citing 'problems with eating disorders among Spanish women.' MailOnline contacted a representative for La Perla and is expecting a response shortly. | The luxury lingerie label announced that the mannequin will not be displayed again in any of its U.S. boutiques . A concerned customer uploaded a snap of the mannequin to Twitter on Sunday . | d6bf702dbca015bc43d06da7298f33108f1b768f |
Washing and peeling potatoes for the Sunday roast can be a time-consuming task, especially if you have 1kg of potatoes to prepare. However, one Danish man has found an ingenious solution to slash the time needed to peel the spuds using just a bucket, a hose, a drill and a toilet brush. Leo Lund from Grasten came up with the idea to use the everyday household items so he could prepare the potatoes within just 50 seconds ready to be cooked. Scroll down for video . Starting off with a 1kg bag of potatoes, left, Leo Lund tips them into a bucket, right, and lines up his drill, with a toilet brush attached and his hose . Mr Lund then places the drill brush inside the bucket, left, and then blasts the potatoes with the water from his hose . In a video, Mr Lund can be seen taking his large bag of unwashed and unpeeled potatoes and placing them in a bucket. He then picks up a power drill, which he has attached a stiff toilet brush to the end of it. Mr Lund then blasts the potatoes with the hose, while at the same time holding the drill with the brush attached inside the bucket. The potatoes then go into a spin as the force of the drill and hose begin to wash and peel them . After a minute of the potatoes being spun, he then drains away the excess water ready to reveal the spuds . He then tips the potatoes, which have been cleaned and peeled into a pan ready to be cooked . He continues to hose down the spuds while using the drill brush to quickly peel them. And less than a minute later, he pours out the excess water to reveal his washed and peeled potatoes, which he places into a pan. Mr Lund then posted the video of his potato peeling on to his Facebook page and entitled his video, 'How to fix 1 kg of new potatoes ready for the pot in about 50 seconds, rather lazy than stupid.' The footage has now gone viral on the social network already receiving more than 17,000 likes and being shared over 100,000 times since it was posted last week. | Leo Lund from Grasten, Denmark came up with idea to quickly peel potatoes . Uses a bucket, hose, toilet brush and drill to prepare potatoes for cooking . The potatoes become washed, peeled and ready to cook in under a minute . | 91f2a719007da040e7ec0a2c455b0a33cff3ed94 |
(EW.com) -- A "Mad Men" actor is going to ABC's "Pan Am" -- he doesn't even need to change decades! Darren Pettie has had a recurring role on the AMC drama as the son of a cigarette mogul who was secretly gay (and recently had an arc on The CW's "Ringer"). Now Pettie has signed up for a recurring part on "Pan Am" playing an airline captain who's considered the "ultimate sky god." He's a heroic former WWII pilot named Vince Broyles, a charmer with a dark side. Due to his acclaimed military service, he's allowed to commandeer "Pan Am" aircraft for his personal use. Expect Pettie to struggle for Alpha Male status with Capt. Dean Lowrey (Mike Vogel) later this season. See the full article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Darren Pettie played the son of a cigarette mogul who was secretly gay on "Mad Men" In "Pan Am" he will play a heroic former WWII pilot named Vince Broyles . Expect Pettie to struggle for Alpha Male status with Capt. Dean Lowrey . | 268c7ae24bf89ae5cf162cbb69365ffdb4d863d0 |
The TV licence fee could be slashed by £50 under Tory plans which would stop short of scrapping the levy altogether. The idea is reportedly being pushed by senior Conservatives who want the £145.50 annual charge to be overhauled. Culture Secretary Sajid Javid has made clear the cost is 'a lot of money for some people' with some in the government calling for it to be done away with. Scroll down for video . The future of the TV licence is in doubt ahead of the BBC charter renewal due in 2016 . The BBC's royal charter, which agrees the way the corporation is run and funded, is up for renewal at the end of 2016. One unnamed minister told the Sunday Telegraph: 'There is a policy proposal going around to cut the licence fee by £50. 'The negotiation after the election will be very big. Some Cabinet ministers regard £50 as the minimum cut.' However a BBC source said: 'The BBC already has 25 per cent less to spend over this licence fee period and a reduction of a further £50 is equivalent to the loss of BBC One, Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3 and Radio 4.' The radical £50 plan is not thought to have the backing of Mr Javid who has so far refused to state what level he thinks the licence fee should be after the charter renewal. Last month he told the Mail: '£145.50 is a lot of money for some people. 'It's incumbent on all public bodies to be vigilant when spending other people's money, and the BBC is no exception to this.' A source at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport today stressed that money would remain tight at the corporation. 'We have to ask the BBC to do more for less,' the source added. Ministers are already examining whether not paying the licence fee should still be a criminal offence. Culture Secretary Sajid Javid was made clear the £145.50 fee is a lot of money for some people, but has not put a figure on the size of a cut he would like to see . Some 200,000 people a year end up in court accused of not buying a TV licence. They face fines of up to £1,000 and a criminal record - more than 50 a year go to prison. One possibility is to use new technology to cut off BBC channels for those who have not paid . John Whittingdale, the Conservative MP who chairs the committee, told a party conference meeting this week that it was 'getting steadily harder to sustain the licence fee'. Rona Fairhead, the new chairman of the BBC Trust, started work in her new role last week with a warning to staff that of the 'need to operate efficiently'. Rona Fairhead has taken over from former cabinet minister Lord Patten who stood down in May. In an email to BBC staff, she said she had spent time with director-general Tony Hall and other senior executives in recent weeks. She said: 'They are under no illusions about the challenging environment; the changing viewing patterns, the explosion of choice and the rapid changes in technologies and markets. 'They understand that they need to operate efficiently and to rectify some of the high profile issues of the past, while building this compelling future.' The BBC was heavily criticised over excessive payouts given to senior staff including £470,000 to former director-general George Entwistle after only 54 days in the job and £680,000 to former chief operating officer Caroline Thomson. Deputy director general Mark Byford departed the BBC with a total payout of £949,000. The former chief executive of the Financial Times group also said she would 'defend vigorously the BBC's independence while holding it accountable to its audience'. | Dramatic cut of a third is one option being pushed by senior Conservatives . Culture Secretary Sajid Javid says £145.50 is a lot of money for some people . Future of the licence fee to be decided in BBC charter renewal in 2016 . Some Tories want to see the levy scrapped in favour of subscription . BBC warns it is equivalent to axing of BBC One and Radio 1, 2, 3 and 4 . | b8f5cfa5f4417a2e600be08848d2c5d42c19e2ec |
On Sunday's CNN "State of the Union" show, anchor Candy Crowley asked Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D- California), the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and her counterpart in the House, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Michigan), a simple question: "Are we safer now than we were a year ago, two years ago, in general?" Feinstein's' answer was unambiguous, "I don't think so. I think terror is up worldwide. Statistics indicate that. The fatalities are way up. ... There are more groups than ever, and there is huge malevolence out there." Crowley seemed surprised by this response: "I have to say, that is not the answer I expected. I expected to hear, oh, we're safer." Rogers backed up Feinstein's gloomy assessment, saying, "Oh, I absolutely agree that we're not safer today." Both Feinstein and Rogers are able public servants who, as the heads of the two U.S. intelligence oversight committees, are paid to worry about the collective safety of Americans, and they are two of the most prominent defenders of the NSA's controversial surveillance programs, which they defend as necessary for American security. But is there any real reason to think that Americans are no safer than was the case a couple of years back? Not according to a study by the New America Foundation of every militant indicted in the United States who is affiliated with al Qaeda or with a like-minded group or is motivated by al Qaeda's ideology. In fact, the total number of such indicted extremists has declined substantially from 33 in 2010 to nine in 2013. And the number of individuals indicted for plotting attacks within the United States, as opposed to being indicted for traveling to join a terrorist group overseas or for sending money to a foreign terrorist group, also declined from 12 in 2011 to only three in 2013. Of course, a declining number of indictments doesn't mean that the militant threat has disappeared. One of the militants indicted in 2013 was Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is one of the brothers alleged to be responsible for the Boston Marathon bombings in April. But a sharply declining number of indictments does suggest that fewer and fewer militants are targeting the United States. Recent attack plots in the United States also do not show signs of direction from foreign terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda, but instead are conducted by individuals who are influenced by the ideology of violent jihad, usually because of what they read or watch on the Internet. None of the 21 homegrown extremists known to have been involved in plots against the United States between 2011 and 2013 received training abroad from a terrorist organization -- the kind of training that can turn an angry, young man into a deadly, well-trained, angry, young man. Of these extremists, only Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the alleged Boston bombers, is known to have had any contact with militants overseas, but it is unclear to what extent, if any, these contacts played in the Boston Marathon bombings. In short, the data on al-Qaeda-linked or -influenced militants indicted in the United States suggests that the threat of terrorism has actually markedly declined over the past couple of years. Where Feinstein and Rogers were on much firmer ground in their interview with Crowley was when they pointed to the resurgence of a number of al Qaeda groups in the Middle East. Al Qaeda's affiliates in Syria control much of the north of the country and are the most effective forces fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad. In neighboring Iraq, al Qaeda has enjoyed a renaissance of late, which partly accounts for the fact that the violence in Iraq today is as bad as it was in 2008. The Syrian war is certainly a magnet for militants from across the Muslim world, including hundreds from Europe, and European governments are rightly concerned that returning veterans of the Syrian conflict could foment terrorism in Europe. But, at least for the moment, these al Qaeda groups in Syria and Iraq are completely focused on overthrowing the Assad regime or attacking what they regard as the Shia-dominated government of Iraq. And, at least so far, these groups have shown no ability to attack in Europe, let alone in the United States. | Heads of intelligence committees tell CNN U.S. is no safer than in 2011 . Peter Bergen: Evidence suggests that fewer plots are being directed against the U.S. There's little sign of Americans being trained by jihadists overseas, he says . Bergen: The committee chiefs are correct about stepped up jihadist activity in Mideast . | 20bcbd2c2e5b7b7b545dc55acd84b790af3ba261 |
(CNN) -- Have you heard the news? Because Antarctic ice sheets are melting, the sea level is likely to rise "unstoppably" by at least 10 feet, dooming many coastal towns and displacing millions of people. And it's all going to happen—within several centuries. Well. Who. Cares. This is news you can snooze. So go ahead and hit that snooze button. Could we plan for what will happen centuries from now if we wanted to? Should we plan for what will happen? Will there even be people centuries from now? If there are, do we owe them anything? The next 200, 500 years, are not for us to worry about. The future isn't what it once was, but their business isn't our business. Unimaginable technology has always come to the rescue and always will. Like, we will invent giant, cost-effective floats for New York City and all the other cities and towns on the world's coasts, or something. The announcements about the collapsing ice sheets came from two teams of scientists with different approaches, focused on different parts of the Antarctic. "A large sector of the West Antarctic ice sheet has gone into irreversible retreat," according to Eric Rignot, a glaciologist at the University of California, Irvine, who led one of the teams. "It has passed the point of no return." His team measured shrinkages of 10 to 35 kilometers in several retreating glaciers since the early 1990s. Those glaciers are also thinning. Warming air is intensifying the winds that sweep round the Antarctic, but it's not warming air that is melting the glaciers there. Those winds are drawing warm waters to the surface. The warm waters are eroding the ice. Causes? Seems to be mainly the warming caused by the greenhouse effects of increasing carbon dioxide from burning gas, oil, and coal. But the ozone hole, also human-caused but having nothing to do with greenhouse gases or fossil fuels, might also be intensifying the winds. So far, sea level rise worldwide has been caused mainly by the heat-caused expansion of seawater, much more than melting ice. But melting land ice will have a big effect on sea level rise. Ian Joughin, leader of the other research team, said that nothing can stop the collapse of the ice sheet, adding, "There's no stabilization mechanism." But, again, it will be slow. Centuries. John H. Mercer of the Ohio State University was first to predict this way back in 1978. He died without seeing the Antarctic glaciers break up. And so will we all. So, back to bed. People 200 years from now? Not our problemo. The only wrinkle in that thought is that centuries ago, about 225 years ago to be more precise, some people wrote a Constitution and Bill of Rights that affect our lives every day and that we refer to daily to guide us legally and morally. Those people could have said, "Screw it, let's make money." I think about my debt to them for wanting to be better than that. I often wish we wanted to be as good. Closer to home, closer to now, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that in this century, sea levels could rise as much as 3 feet. And that is our problem. Some of us will be alive then. Many of us will have children who will live to this century's finish line. Between then and now, there will likely be more devastating Sandy-like hurricanes as winds intensified by warmer waters devastate shores. While reading about the Antarctic ice melt, I noticed three side articles, and clicked. One talked about flooding-related displacement already affecting people in low-lying areas around the world, from the natives of Kiribati to the people of Florida. Another speaks of misery caused in Bangladesh by rising seas, where 18 million people will be displaced in the next 40 years by rising seawater or having their well-water and farms ruined by salt. The third article talked about our dysfunctional Congress's new defeat of yet another energy bill. Voice of America says, "A bill with strong bipartisan support to make the United States more energy efficient has been blocked in the Senate." Efficiency is bad; we need wastefulness. Thank you, senators. Either we have a moral responsibility to others or we don't. It doesn't matter whether they live around the block or in the next state or in the future. Morally there's not much difference between a person flooded out by Superstorm Sandy and a person flooded out 200 years from now by our collective, willful inaction. But some days, I'm not even sure how willful it is. When I was in high school in the 1970s, I learned that we were too dependent on other countries for energy, and that oil and coal are non-renewable and polluting, and that we needed to begin a shift to harnessing clean renewable energy sources. The shift to petroleum-based economy had taken a century. The shift to clean renewables would be my generation's most important task. A lot has happened but, bottom line, there's been very little progress. Technology advanced, but it hasn't been embraced. It's been outmaneuvered by denial and inertia backed by entrenched big-energy lobbying and campaign money. Globally, we're not exactly coming together to stabilize climate and institutionalize clean energy. I think we could do what's needed. But collectively we simply aren't. Sometimes I don't see humanity as being capable of fixing the problems we're creating. We'd have to agree to fix them. Before that, we'd have to care. We're not doing enough of any of those things. Too often, we're in denial. And we feel fine. Our main solution is that snooze button. So, let's not worry about the people of Bangladesh, Kiribati, New York and Miami, or the 23rd century. Pleasant dreams. | Scientists say Antarctic's ice land melting 'appears unstoppable' Carl Safina: Who cares if sea level rises and wipes out coastal cities? He says either we have a moral responsibility to others or we don't . Safina: But given our track record, we might as well hit the snooze button . | 1b2bbba2cff149e184570c214ac51f374748725f |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:18 EST, 9 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:13 EST, 9 August 2013 . She may still be wearing her diamond wedding ring but the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, who died two years ago, may have found love again as she has now been romantically linked to former Washington DC mayor Adrian Fenty. Laurene Powell Jobs, who was married to the famed tech entrepreneur for 20 years, is said to have bonded with Adrian Fenty over a shared passion for school reform after they met at an education conference in 2011. Their friendship reportedly developed into a romance shortly after Mr Fenty announced he was leaving his wife, sources told the Washington Post. New love: Laurene Powell Jobs has been romantically linked to former Washington DC mayor Adrian Fenty . Tender moment: Steve Jobs met Laurene Powell when she was a grad student at Stanford, and they married two years later in 1991. They were said to have had 'an exceptionally close marriage' (seen here in 2011, months before his death) Political family: Fenty- seen holding his daughter Aerin while the couple's twin sons Matthew and Andrew stand behind Michelle on the local Election Day in 2010- has not yet had his divorce finalized . The couple's relationship is not believed to have been behind the break up of Mr Fenty's 15-year marriage. Mrs Jobs, who has three children, inherited an estate of about $10billion when her husband died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56 in October 2011. Despite being one of the richest women in the U.S, the 49-year-old has kept a deliberately low profile as she continues with her charitable work. In a rare interview in April Mrs Jobs said of her husband: 'His private legacy with me and the kids is that of husband and father. And we miss him every day.' Grieving: Laurene with her husband and Apple founder Steve Jobs, who died in October 2011 . As she pushes her charity work, Mrs . Jobs has started to increase her public profile, and friends suggest . that it is time that she starts to make a name for herself that is . removed from her husband's legacy. 'She’s been mourning for a year and was grieving for five years before that,' said Larry Brilliant, of Skoll Global Threats Fund, told the New York Times earlier this year. 'Her . life was about her family and Steve, but she is now emerging as a . potent force on the world stage, and this is only the beginning.' She married the Apple founder two years after meeting him when Jobs gave a talk to Stanford Business School while she was a student there. His half sister, Mona Simpson, took a moment during his eulogy to reflect on her late brother's love of Laurene, telling how he called her on the day that he first met his future wife. One with nature: Steve and Laurene got married at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley in March 1991, and their first child, a son named Reed, was born six months later . Spiritual: Their wedding ceremony was led by a Zen Buddhist monk, Kobun Chino Otogawa, in keeping with Jobs' religious beliefs . Tough times: Laurene and Steve were married for 20 years, though friends said how she was grieving for the final few as he grew more and more sick (seen here together in 2011 months before he died) 'There’s this beautiful woman and she’s really smart and she has this dog and I’m going to marry her,' he reportedly said on that fateful day. 'His abiding love for Laurene sustained him. He believed that love happened all the time, everywhere,' Simpson said. Their wedding took place in March 1991 at a hotel in Yosemite Valley, and the ceremony was led by a Zen Buddhist monk, Kobun Chino Otogawa, in keeping with Jobs' religious beliefs. Their eldest child, a son named Reed, was born six months later, and the couple had two daughters in the years following. Separation: Adrian and Michelle Fenty's 15-year-marriage is said to have ended in January . During Steve's lifetime, Laurene kept her profile extremely low, focusing on raising their three children and running their home while her husband, an infamous workaholic, launched the groundbreaking tech firm. While she was on the boards of several companies and charities during his lifetime, it was only after he died that she began to speak publicly and use her fame to draw attention to the causes that matter to her- education reform and school accessibility for the children of immigrants being the two biggest passion projects. Her connection to Mr Fenty increased after he joined the board of College Track, a non-profit program for students that she founded in February last year. In a statement released at the time she said: 'Adrian Fenty is one of our country’s . great advocates for education reform. His sense of urgency and record of accomplishment is . unparalleled.' Devoted: Laurene Powell Jobs was pictured still wearing her wedding ring while on holiday in Italy last month . In contrast to the privacy courted by Mrs Jobs, Mr Fenty has been a public figure since his election as Washington DC mayor in 2006. He and his wife Michelle, who have twin teenage sons and a young daughter, were often spotted at high profile parties and events in the city. When he was elected to run the nation's capitol, a number of glowing profiles mention his athletic build, with The Washingtonian describing the now-42-year-old as 'an attractive, unstoppable political force, a buff triathlete, a proud father of three, the local mirror image of President Barack Obama'. Better times: Michelle made only a few appearances at gala events like the state dinner for the Indian Prime Minister's visit in 2009 (left) and the White House Correspondent's Dinner in 2010 (right) Separate lives: Michelle, a lawyer, began spending much of her time in Trinidad and Tobago for work last year . Since his defeat in 2010 Mr Fenty has focused on acting as a consultant to education tech companies and his position as special adviser at Andreessen Horowitz, which led to him splitting his time between Washington and Silicon Valley. His wife took a job in Trinidad and Tobago with the Inter-American Development Bank in 2012, which led to her also splitting her life between two places, according to the Washington Post. On January 14 of this year, the couple announced that they were separating and their divorce is said to be close to completion but formally done. Both Mrs Jobs and Mr Fenty have declined to comment on speculation about their relationship. | Couple are believed to have met at an education conference in 2011 and have been close friends with similar interests since then . Fenty separated from wife in January but their divorce is not yet complete . Fenty and Powell Jobs' 'budding romance' was said to have started after the former mayor announce his separation from his wife of 15 years . Laurene Powell Jobs still pictured wearing her wedding ring during a vacation in Italy last month . | 66b0c5dd679b1736a47c8d29ddd21b2110171d37 |
(CNN)The attack is harrowing: Al-Shabaab militants raid a quarry in Kenya, separating non-Muslim workers from their Muslim counterparts and executing them. The brutal act comes just days after the Islamists ambushed a bus and sprayed bullets on those who failed to recite Quran verses. The attacks reminded the world once again how brazen the group can be. What does Al-Shabaab want? Here's an explainer. What is Al-Shabaab, and what does it want? Al-Shabaab is a Somali group that the United States designated as a foreign terrorist organization in March 2008. It wants to turn Somalia into a fundamentalist Islamic state, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The group has been blamed for attacks in Somalia that have killed international aid workers, journalists, civilian leaders and African Union peacekeepers. It has a history of striking abroad, too. Before admitting to the Kenya quarry attack, Al-Shabaab was responsible for the July 2010 suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, that killed more than 70 people, including a U.S. citizen, who had gathered at different locations to watch the broadcast of the World Cup Final soccer match. How big is it? The total size of Al-Shabaab is not clear. In 2011, A U.S. official who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the information said Al-Shabaab was estimated to control up to 1,000 fighters. A U.N. report identified one insurgent leader who is believed to command "an estimated force of between 200 and 500 fighters," most of them Kenyans. And Al-Shabaab has links to other organizations. In February 2012, the group's leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, and al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri released a video announcing the alliance of the two organizations. How did Al-Shabaab start? Decades of weak government amid grinding poverty have long made Somalia a target for radical Islamist groups. Al-Shabaab's predecessor was al-Ittihad al-Islami (AIAI), which worked to create an Islamist emirate in Somalia. It was, in part, funded by former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. AIAI, which the U.S. State Department designated as a terrorist group, strengthened after the fall in 1991 of Siad Barre's military regime and amid the years of lawlessness that ensued. In 2003, a rift erupted between IAIA's old guard -- who were seeking to establish a new political front -- and its younger members, who were seeking to establish fundamental Islamic rule. (Al-Shabaab means "the youth.") That strife led the younger members to ally with a group of Sharia courts -- the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) -- that were seeking to impose order over a landscape marked by feuding warlords in the capital city. Working together, the Islamic Courts Union and Al-Shabaab gainied control of Mogadishu in 2006. That sparked fears in neighboring Ethiopia that violence would spill over there, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Those fears -- combined with a request from Somalia's transitional government -- led Ethiopian forces to enter Somalia in December 2006 and to remove the ICU from power. And that move inflamed Al-Shabaab, which attacked Ethiopian forces and gained control of parts of central and southern Somalia, according to a 2011 case study by Rob Wise, who was then with the Counterterrorism Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. What is Al-Shabaab's relationship with neighboring countries? In 2011, after attacks on tourist destinations in northern Kenya blamed on Al-Shabaab, the Kenyan government ordered a cross-border incursion aimed at creating a security buffer zone in southern Somalia. Ethiopian troops have also crossed the border and expelled Al-Shabaab from Baidoa, a strategic town midway between the Ethiopian border and Mogadishu. The group then targeted African Union soldiers and government buildings in the capital in suicide attacks. A suicide bombing in March 2012 killed five people at the presidential palace. Analysts say tension appears to have been growing within Al-Shabaab between Somalis and foreign fighters, several hundred of whom are thought to have entered Somalia in recent years to join the group. How does Al-Shabaab recruit? The group has a sophisticated public relations arm that includes a Twitter account and video production abilities. Al-Shabaab has even made a video is as slickly produced as a reality TV show, complete with a hip-hop jihad voice and a startling message: . "Mortar by mortar, shell by shell, only going to stop when I send them to hell," an unidentified voice raps in English. But Al-Shabaab's enemies -- and alliances -- can shift. Al-Amriki, whose real name is Omar Hammami, said in a video posted online last year that he had had a fallout with Al-Shabaab "regarding matters of the Sharia and matters of strategy" and feared for his life. He was reportedly killed in Somalia by Al-Shabaab. CNN was not able to confirm the report. Finding replacements might not be difficult. Sheikh Ahmed Matan, a member of Britain's Somali community, said he knows of hundreds of young Somali men living in the West who returned to Somalia for terrorist training. How is Al-Shabaab funded? The once-ragtag al Qaeda affiliate has grown into an economic powerhouse, raising tens of millions of dollars in cash from schemes that have involved extortion, illegal taxation and other "fees," according to the 2011 United Nations report. The United States believed then that the group was coordinating with al Qaeda groups in Yemen and might have been plotting attacks in the region and abroad. In 2011, it was generating "between $70 million and $100 million per year, from duties and fees levied at airports and seaports, taxes on goods and services, taxes in kind on domestic produce, 'jihad contributions,' checkpoints and various forms of extortion justified in terms of religious obligation," according to the report from the U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea. How have Somalis been affected? In 2011, the U.N. declared a famine in the southern Somalia regions of Bakool and Lower Shabelle, and Al-Shabaab reversed an earlier pledge to allow aid agencies to provide food in famine-stricken areas. That year, the U.N. Interagency Group for Child Mortality Estimation said Somalia had the highest mortality rate in the world for children ages 4 and younger. About 258,000 Somalis died in the famine between October 2010 and April 2012, and half the victims were younger than age 5, according to a report from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network. What is the United States doing? The United States has supported U.N.-backed African forces fighting Al-Shabaab and strengthened its counterterrorism efforts against the group. It has also donated millions of dollars in aid. What is the status of Somalia's government today? In September 2012, Somali parliament members selected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the new president in a vote that marked a milestone for the nation, which had not had a stable central government since Barre's overthrow 21 years earlier. But that didn't mean Al-Shabaab was calling it quits. In January 2013, French forces attempted to rescue a French intelligence commando held hostage in Somalia by the group. The raid left the soldier dead, another soldier missing and 17 Islamist fighters dead. But there has been political progress in Somalia. In January 2013, for the first time in more than two decades, the United States granted official recognition to the Somali government. CNN's Tim Lister, Barbara Starr, Paula Newton, David McKenzie and Elise Labott contributed to this report. | Al-Shabaab is an al-Qaeda-linked militant group based in Somalia . It was once allied with Sharia courts, which tried to impose order on the lawless country . The U.S. government designated Al-Shabaab as a foreign terrorist group in 2008 . Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the deadly attack at a Kenyan mall in September 2013 . | 09d86bd1171a53ff276e42564bbad962fda2a297 |
The most shocking statistic in Lleyton Hewitt's long and distinguished career is that he is only 33 years old, because it's like he's been around forever. At just 15 years of age, Hewitt was the youngest qualifier in the history of the Australian Open in 1997. But as he prepares for his 50th match at the tournament, there are no shortage of young Australian players looking to take his place. 18 years ago his opponent was the world number 64 player Sergi Bruguera of Spain who beat the Australian in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. Bruguera has been retired for 13 years now and is currently the coach of France’s Richard Gasquet. Scroll down for video . Australia's Lleyton Hewitt plays a backhand return during the Australian Open in 1998. It was only his second appearance in the tournament . A teenage Hewitt takes time out at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida, in 1998 . Surfer dude: Hewitt goes for a run on the beach in Florida in 1998 . For most of his career Hewitt would make this sign after winning an important point during a match . Reflecting back on his debut, Hewitt said: ‘I wouldn’t have dreamt of that as my first one in ’97 as a 15-year-old, that’s for sure. I didn’t think I’d be playing anywhere near 30.’ Well he is. And after beating China’s Zhang Ze in the first round he‘ll now face Germany’s Benjamin Becker in the second round on Thursday. Just for some more context Hewitt is one of the last remaining players on tour to have played against Benjamin’s namesake Boris Becker. Hewitt was beaten in straight sets by Boris at Wimbledon in 1999. Today’s Australian stars are babes in the wood in comparison. But this year fellow Australians Nick Kyrgios, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Bernard Tomic, Marinko Matosevic, Sam Groth and James Duckworth all made it into the second round as well. A young Thanasi Kokkinakis can only dream of playing in the Australian Open at this age . Nick Kyrgios (left) shows that cheeky grin as a kid that he shows his opponents on court today . Kokkinakis was just nine months old when Hewitt played his first Australian Open match on January 13, 1997. Kyrgios was 21 months old, while Tomic was nearly five. Now that he's in the twilight of his career Hewitt knows it's time for them to step up. ‘I think for the most part those three guys - obviously Tomic, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis - they have big futures,’ he told Fox Sports. ‘All three guys like playing on the big stage, which is really important. ‘I’ve seen that in Davis Cup now. It doesn’t get much more pressure than playing Davis Cup, where you’re playing for your country and your team mates as well as yourself. ‘It hasn’t really surprised me the last couple of days. It’s great for Australian tennis... It’s starting to get back like the good old days.' A 16-year-old Hewitt celebrates winning a point at the 1998 Australian Open . Hewitt poses with the men's final winner Marat Safin of Russia after finishing runner-up in the 2005 Australian Open final . One of Hewitt's signature celebrations after getting one over his opponent . Hewitt hugs Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus after the Australian won in the fifth set in the third round of the Australian Open in 2008 . Fox Sports reported that since 1997 Hewitt has faced off against opponents from 23 countries at the Australian Open. In 1997 the Rod Laver Arena was still three years away from being renamed, while Hisense and Margaret Court Arenas didn’t even exist in their current form. The nearest he got to winning the competition was in 2005 when he was beaten by Russia’s Marat Safin 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the final. Since Hewitt made his Australian Open debut in 1997, the first iPhone was more than ten years away from going on sale, while Facebook and Twitter were not invented for another seven and nine years respectively. Hewitt's famed on-court ferocity is in contrast to his quiet demeanour off it however. But this did not stop him becoming one of Australia's most famous celebrity couples. In 2005 he tied the knot with Rebecca Cartwright who was famous for playing Hayley Smith Lawson on the soap opera Home and Away. Perfect couple: Hewitt and Rebecca 'Bec' Hewitt attend the Swisse marquee on Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse in 2012. They married in 2005. Australian golfing great Greg Norman (background) celebrates with Hewitt's wife Bec during the 2005 Australian Open final against Marat Safin . Hewitt chills out with his children Ava, Cruz, and Mia after winning his match against Juan Martín del Potro of Argentina in the AAMI Classic at Kooyong in 2013 . They relocated to the island of Nassau in February 2009 after purchasing a $3.8 million villa in the Old Fort Bay estate. The couple has three children together - Mila, eight, Cruz, five, and Ava, three - and now see their Caribbean haven as home, despite still owning some property in Australia. He is a devout Adelaide Crows fan and his sporting hero is Tyson Edwards of the Crows. The Tennis Australia website said that his good friends are golfers Greg Norman and Aaron Baddeley, and he even caddied for Greg Norman at Australian PGA event. Bec Hewitt looks on as her husband plays against Ze Zhang of China in the first round of the 2015 Australian Open In Melbourne on Tuesday night . The 33-year-old celebrates in familiar style after winning a point against Ze in their first round match on Tuesday night . The website also stated that Hewitt’s favourite band was Cold Chisel, so maybe he had an old head on young shoulders all along. But after beating China’s Zhang in the first round in Melbourne he told Channel 7 interviewer Jim Courier he still had no plans on retiring and taking a seat in the commentary box. Despite the Aussie young guns lining up to replace him, no one would bet against Hewitt making a 20th appearance at the Australian Open next year. Never a lost cause: In his heyday Hewitt was one of the game's most tenacious battlers . | Hewitt was just 15 years old when he became the youngest qualifier in the history of the Australian Open in 1997 . The nearest the 33-year-old came to wining the tournament was when he was beaten in the 2005 final by Russia's Marat Safin 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 . After beating China’s Zhang Ze in the first round he‘ll now face Germany’s Benjamin Becker in the second round on Thursday . Australians Nick Kyrgios, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Bernard Tomic, Marinko Matosevic, Sam Groth and James Duckworth also qualified . ‘I think for the most part those three guys - obviously Tomic, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis - they have big futures,' says Hewitt . | 4849b4c8ce347e87896c2d42941f30232354c1b7 |
PARIS, France (CNN) -- As a look, it is about as quintessentially French as it gets. All the same, from the New Year enjoying a cigarette while you sip on your cafe au lait will become a thing of the past. From January 1 it will be illegal in France to smoke in cafes as well as clubs, casinos and hotels. France is extending its ban on smoking to include bars, discotheques, restaurants, hotels, casinos, as well as its fabled cafes. In a country renowned for its fondness for romance, smoking has never quite shaken off its romantic associations with smoky Left Bank cafes and waifish Parisienne beauties clutching on a Gauloises. In spite of the health dangers, about 13.5 million people smoke out of a population of 60 million with around 26 percent of 15 year olds estimated to smoke, according to 2002 figures from the World Health Organization. A smoking ban was first introduced in France in February this year to cover workplaces, schools, airports and hospitals. The new restrictions will only apply to the inside of premises, meaning smokers are still free to light up on the terraces. Even so, enforcing the ban may prove tricky in a country well known for its cafe culture. To soften the blow, the authorities have agreed to an amnesty over the New Year holiday and will not fully enforce the new arrangements until Wednesday. After that time, any smoker caught will face a fine of €450 ($662), while hotel and bar owners who fail to prevent smokers from lighting up on their premises will be fined €750 ($1,100). France has lagged behind many of its European neighbors in bringing in legislation to curb smoking in public places. Ireland became the first European country to introduce a comprehensive smoking ban in 2004. Since then Italy, Spain, Belgium and Britain have followed suit with similar bans. E-mail to a friend . | Smoking ban in France extended to bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes from Jan 1 . Smoking ban first introduced in February 2007 for public buildings, workplaces . About 13.5 million people in France smoke out of a population of 60 million . Similar bans now exist in Ireland, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Britain . | a84e31bf36290e557a3080ad297177b6f18cdf84 |
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has declared himself 'happy to be back' as he steps up his anticipated return from a long injury lay-off. The 24-year-old has not featured for the Reds since August 31 after a thigh strain sustained on England duty was followed by a calf problem picked up in his first session back with his club. Having spent last week finishing off his rehabilitation sessions at Melwood the striker has now returned to training, although with most of the first-team squad away with their national teams, he will not be involved in a proper full session until next week. Daniel Sturridge (left) congratulates Alberto Moreno on his goal at Tottenham, with the 3-0 win at White Hart Lane at the end of August proving to be his last game in a Liverpool shirt before picking up an injury . Sturridge has missed Liverpool's last 14 games through injury as he looks on from the stands during Chelsea's 2-1 Premier League win at Anfield on Saturday . Sturridge has scored one goal this season, on the opening day in a 2-1 win over Southampton . 'Training was class. Happy to be back,' Sturridge tweeted on Wednesday, having written on social media after Saturday's defeat to Chelsea he was 'looking forward to returning to full training next week'. After missing 14 matches for Liverpool the England forward is targeting a return to action when the Premier League resumes after the current break with the match at Crystal Palace on Sunday November 23. 'I'll be ready for that one, God willing,' Sturridge told BT Sport at the weekend. 'It's the worst feeling to be honest but that's football. Everyone picks injuries up.' During the time Sturridge has been sidelined the Reds have won just five games - two of those in the Capital One Cup - and lost seven. Sturridge hasn't played since featuring for 89 minutes in England's 1-0 friendly win over Norway in September . Sturridge assesses a thigh injury picked up while training with England at St George's Park which has led to him missing much of Liverpool's season so far . Their Premier League record during that spell shows five defeats and only eight goals in seven matches as summer signings Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert have failed to fill the void. That has seen Brendan Rodgers' side drop to 11th in the table, 15 points behind unbeaten leaders Chelsea but still only four points off a Champions League qualification place - which remains their primary target having got back among Europe's elite with their runners-up finish to Manchester City last season. Sturridge's return will be a welcome boost for Rodgers as his side seek to regain their cutting edge but former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman believes they should not put too much pressure on the striker to start delivering immediately. 'Daniel Sturridge is hopefully going to be fit and raring to go (soon) and you hope Liverpool can replicate the kind of form they displayed at Tottenham away when they won really easily against a good team,' he told liverpoolfc.com. 'It'll have a positive impact because he's a very good footballer who scored lots of goals last year, but he'll need time to get himself fully fit and well.' Like MailOnline Sport's Facebook page. | Daniel Sturridge targets return to full training next week . Liverpool striker has missed last 14 games through thigh and calf injuries . Sturridge hoping to return for Liverpool's next clash with Crystal Palace . Brendan Rodgers' side have struggled in England forward's absence, with Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert all struggling to score . | c7c3ad9dfe14c40908197fe4f8f0d6dd7d14116a |
(CNN) -- Regulators are focusing on at least four of Europe's biggest banks as they investigate the attempted manipulation of the region's benchmark interest rate, suspecting that Barclays' traders were the ringleaders of a circle that included Crédit Agricole, HSBC, Deutsche Bank and Société Générale. Evidence of links between traders at all four banks and Barclays' former euroswaps trader Philippe Moryoussef is under scrutiny, people involved in the process have told the Financial Times. The news comes in the wake of the clear-out of senior management at Barclays, after the bank paid a £290m fine to settle probes in the US and UK into its involvement in the attempted manipulation of the London interbank offered rate (Libor) and its European equivalent, Euribor. The furore over the attempts to rig lending benchmarks has led to calls from policy makers around the world for an overhaul of the system that underpins $500tn of contracts globally -- everything from arcane derivatives to standard home loans. In its settlement with Barclays, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the US futures regulator, described an unnamed trader as having "orchestrated an effort to align trading strategies among traders at multiple banks [...] in order to profit from their futures trading positions". According to several people familiar with the matter that senior Barclays trader was Mr Moryoussef, who worked for Barclays from 2005 until 2007. His strategy was based on the fixing of three-month swaps pegged to Euribor -- the euro-based interbank lending rate set in Brussels by averaging 44 banks' submissions, regulators have said. According to an FT investigation, Mr Moryoussef is alleged to have contacted a number of traders whom he knew at other banks, either through previous employment or via professional or personal networks. Regulators are looking at suspected communication with Michael Zrihen at Crédit Agricole, Didier Sander at HSBC and Christian Bittar at Deutsche Bank, all of whom no longer work at the groups in question, according to people familiar with the investigations. At SocGen the identity of the traders in question remains unclear and the probe appears to be at an earlier stage. There were at least 20 requests from traders at rival banks to Barclays' Euribor submitters to lower or raise rates between 2006 and 2008, according to findings by the Financial Services Authority in its settlement with Barclays. It has been clear for some time that about 20 institutions have been drawn into regulators' sights over the affair. But until now, the details of how individual banks could be implicated has remained murky. There had been a broad assumption that most banks under investigation were suspected of manipulating Libor submissions in the financial crisis period running from 2007-9 to appear healthier than they really were, sometimes allegedly with the implicit nod from policy makers. However, the alleged involvement of traders at Crédit Agricole, HSBC, Deutsche and SocGen, predates the financial crisis by several years. Barclays' settlement with regulators made it clear that there were two distinct periods of attempted manipulation -- the first for trading gain, the second for broader reasons of financial stability. Sir Mervyn King, Bank of England governor, has sent a letter to other top central bankers inviting them to a September 9 meeting in Switzerland to discuss "radical reforms" to the Libor process. The invitees include the head of the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve and other major central banks, according to a person familiar with the contents. Regulators' probes continue. But to date there has been no allegation of wrongdoing made by any authorities against any of the individuals or any bank beyond Barclays. All the banks declined to comment beyond previous statements confirming their co-operation with regulators over the broader investigation. The traders concerned either could not be reached or declined to comment. Reporting by Patrick Jenkins, Kara Scannell, Caroline Binham and Jennifer Thompson . | Regulators are focusing on at least four of Europe's biggest banks in the rate-fixing scandal . Crédit Agricole, HSBC, Deutsche Bank and Société Générale are the subject of the probe . The news comes in the wake of the clear-out of senior management at Barclays . | f46cb730af67d16d3718d72d72d2971e61ed9688 |
(CNN) -- Despite supporters' hopes that this time it's different, President Barack Obama's new call for restricting some semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines will face deeply entrenched resistance in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and could be a long shot even in the Democratic-led Senate. Any gun legislation sent to the House "is going to have to pass with most Democrats and a few Republicans," said Nathan Gonzales, deputy editor of the Rothenberg Political Report. "This would be an even more high-profile bill." Read the proposals . And Obama's call for Congress to reinstate the federal ban on military-style rifles that expired in 2004 "is a further reach than some of the other proposals that are being tossed around," Gonzales said. "There is no way that it is going to pass with a majority of Republican support," he said. "That is just the reality of the situation. It is going to take virtually all the Democrats, and all the Democrats won't vote for that." Obama and Vice President Joe Biden laid out a package of measures aimed at reducing gun violence Wednesday, just over a month after the December massacre at a Connecticut elementary school. The killings of 26 people there followed a July rampage in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, that left 12 dead and the August attack on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that killed another six. "The world has changed, and it's demanding action," said Biden, who led a White House task force on gun violence after the Connecticut slayings. But before the announcement, local officials in at least three states vowed to resist any new gun controls. And Second Amendment fans have poured out their vituperation online, some floridly warning of a power grab by the Obama administration. A look at U.S. gun laws . Texas state Rep. Steve Toth told CNN on Wednesday that he'll introduce legislation that would make it illegal to enforce a federal gun ban. "We're going to do everything we can to call people back to the belief and the understanding that we're a constitutional republic and that our rights do not come from Congress," he said. "Our rights come from God and are enumerated in the Constitution." And in a video that spread virally across the Internet, the head of a Tennessee gun training and accessory company warned "all you patriots" to "get ready to fight" if the Obama administration took steps to restrict firearms. "I am not letting my country be ruled by a dictator. I'm not letting anybody take my guns. If it goes one inch further, I'm gonna start killing people," Tactical Response CEO James Yeager vowed. In a later video, in which he's accompanied by his attorney, Yeager apologized "for letting my anger get the better of me" and cautioned viewers, "It's not time for any type of violent action." Opinion: NRA's paranoid fantasy . Obama on Wednesday signed 23 orders that don't require congressional approval that he said would stiffen background checks on gun buyers and expand safety programs in schools. And he called on Congress to restrict ammunition magazines to no more than 10 rounds and to require a background check for anyone buying a gun, whether at a store or in a private sale or gun show. The steps that require legislative action are likely to bump up against the often-visceral opposition of lawmakers from conservative districts -- and some of their more outspoken constituents. Most Republicans in the House of Representatives have top rankings from the National Rifle Association, the powerful gun-rights lobby, which quickly criticized the White House plans. But it's not just Republicans: Many Democrats, particularly in the conservative South and rural West, are vocal gun-rights supporters as well. "Guns have been one of the key issues that more moderate Democrats have used to express their independence from the Democratic Party, and this gun talk is putting a strain on that independence," Gonzales said. Though they might be willing to support proposals such as a ban on large-capacity magazines, they're unlikely to vote to ban "an actual gun," he said. CNN/Time Poll: Slight dip in support for gun control measures in last month . "You can just see the ads -- 'They are taking guns away' -- where with these other items it is different," Gonzales said. Even in the Senate, where Democrats control the chamber, Democratic leadership sources told CNN that passing any new legislation will be extremely difficult. More than a dozen vulnerable Democrats from conservative states will likely resist much of what the president is pushing, the sources said. Those sources say they have no intention of putting their members in politically vulnerable position on a gun measure unless they are sure it can reach the president's desk. That means not only getting enough red-state Democrats on board, but getting enough Republicans to break a possible GOP filibuster. But Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-New York, said the tide appears to have shifted in favor of gun control after the Connecticut killings. A CNN/Time magazine/ORC International poll released Wednesday found 55% of Americans generally favor stricter gun control laws, with 56% saying that it's currently too easy to buy guns in this country -- but only 39% say that stricter gun controls would reduce gun violence all by themselves. McCarthy said Senate approval "might even give some members of Congress the spine to do the right thing." "You know, the NRA is not in line with an awful lot of their members, and that is something we're counting on to go forward," said McCarthy, whose husband was among the six killed when a deranged gunman opened fire on a Long Island commuter train in 1993 . December's killings have "gone to the heart of every mother, father, grandparent thinking about their children, grandchildren. We have to do something," she added. Opinion: Gun control -- it's on all of us . CNN's Dan Merica contributed to this report. | Obama's proposed assault weapon ban isn't likely to survive the House, analyst says . Vulnerable Democrats may not support legislation in the Senate, either . But supporters say December's killings in Connecticut changed the equation . | b4123d9f22efadc4e5fc45a3c8711395449aee0e |
By . Matthew Blake . From the tails of fighter planes to black and white checked buildings, graveyards take different and unusual forms around the world. A photographer from Estonia has travelled the globe and captured some of the world's weirdest and most wonderful burial grounds. Kaupo Kikkas has spent the past 15 years photographing graveyards. Wing and a prayer: A graveyard for Soviet pilots killed in action in Ñmari, Estonia. Kaupo Kikkas has spent the past 15 years photographing graveyards . Death in the desert: A World War II military cemetery in El Alamein, northern Egypt. Shadow of a mountain: A graveyard in Jostedalsbreen, Norway. Kikkas has travelled the globe and captured some of the world's weirdest and most wonderful burial grounds . Strong emotions: A cemetery in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. The 31 year old photographer from Tallinn, Estonia, said he started photographing graveyards because 'they stir such strong emotions' The 31 year old photographer from Tallinn, Estonia, says: 'I started photographing graveyards because they stir such strong emotions, and I decided it would be interesting to look at the burial traditions of different countries.' 'On my travels I saw many smaller stories of symbols, locations, traditions, tombs but also different kinds of architecture, colour, composition and landscape. Small stories: A graveyard on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. The photographer says he saw 'many smaller stories of symbols, locations, traditions, tombs but also different kinds of architecture, colour, composition and landscape' Beautiful: A graveyard in Recoleta, Buenos Aires. Argentina. He says people are often 'surprised at how aesthetically beautiful graveyards can be' Quiet landscape: A graveyard in Maras, Peru. He says some of these settings 'could simply be a quiet landscape - not necessarily a final resting place' Oil refinery: A Russian cemetery in an oil terminal in Paldiski, Estonia. Kaupo has visited around 100 graveyards, documenting the different appearances and meanings . Long voyage: His travels have taken him to Egypt, the Caribbean Islands, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Norway, Russia, Argentina and Peru . 'People are surprised at how aesthetically beautiful graveyards can be. Some of these settings could simply be a quiet landscape - not necessarily a final resting place. Kaupo has visited around 100 graveyards, documenting the different appearances and meanings. His travels have taken him to Egypt, the Caribbean Islands, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Norway, Russia, Argentina and Peru. Having visited so many countries, Kaupo has photographed graveyards that are now relics of bygone eras, such as the World War II military cemetery located in El Alamein, Egypt, and a 19th century cemetery in Paldiski, Estonia. Bygone times: A forgotten cemetery for Baltic-Germans, in Madis, Estonia. Having visited so many countries, Kaupo has photographed graveyards that are now relics of bygone eras . Special location: A township graveyard in Cape Town, South Africa. The photographer says sometimes it can be the placing of the graveyard or some strange tradition that makes it special . Lifelong project: A graveyard in Iquitos, Peru. He first photo of graveyard 15 years ago and considers this as a 'lifelong project that will continue to grow' Deserted: A deserted graveyard in a desert in Cabo dela Vela, Colombia . Sealed in stone: A graveyard in San Juan, Puerto Rico . Once located in a meadow, the Paldiski cemetery is now in the shadow of an oil terminal. Kaupo says: 'Sometimes it can be the placing of the graveyard or some strange tradition that makes it special. 'A favourite of mine was the Russian fighter pilots graveyard near Amari, Estonia. The tombstones are made from the tails of the pilot's fighter jets. 'I took my first photo of graveyard 15 years ago and I consider this as a lifelong project that will continue to grow with me.' | Kaupo Kikkas has spent the past 15 years photographing some of the world's most beautiful graveyards . His travels have taken him to Egypt, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Norway, Russia, Argentina and Peru . They include a World War II military cemetery in El Alamein, Egypt, and a 19th century cemetery in Paldiski, Estonia . | 19df998523284ed825e2a2cec52ace12b74c4ded |
By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 11:01 PM on 5th October 2011 . GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain has risked the wrath of Occupy Wall Street protesters by fuming that they are only holding demostrations to distract from President Obama's failed policies. The businessman addressed protesters in a Wall Street Journal interview, saying: 'Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself.' Meanwhile around $35,000 has now been sent to the protesters who have been camped out in Manhattan, New York, for almost three weeks now - angry at the state of U.S. politics and economics. Scroll down for video . Herman Cain: 'Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself. It is not someone's fault if they succeeded' Varying faces: Lincoln Hallgren, left, joins his father during a demonstration in Chicago and Tobias Calzarette, right, with a face guard, joins others with Occupy Wall Street as they leave Zuccotti Park on Wednesday . Gathering momentum: Occupy Wall Street protesters march to join a rally in New York on Wednesday . 'I don't have facts to back this up, . but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and . orchestrated to distract from the failed policies of the Obama . administration,' Mr Cain, 65, said. The protests are expected to swell with . reinforcements as more groups head towards Zucotti Park, showing the . demonstration that started out small is showing no signs of losing . steam. ‘(The donations) are coming from . everywhere,’ student Victoria Sobel, 21, who is on the group’s finance . committee, told the New York Post. ‘I'm sure we're on the cusp of much . larger donations.’ Among . those planning to join the clamour on Wednesday are the liberal group . MoveOn.org and community organisations like the Working Families Party . and United NY. The growing crowd will also include members of the Chinatown Tenants Union and the Transit Workers Union. Today: Tevor Roulstin, left, from Durango, Colorado, stands with a sign at the Occupy Wall Street Protest in New York, while Racheal Davidson, right, signs a citation given to her by Dayton police officer P.T. Harris in Ohio . Believing: Activists take part in a demonstration to protest against corporate greed near the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. on Wednesday . Pete Dutro, 36, who is also on the committee, told the New York Post they want to be 'transparent' and use the money 'effectively'. Meanwhile organisers have called for . students at college campuses across the nation to walk out of class in . protest at 2pm on Wednesday. ‘They're capturing a feel of . disempowerment, feeling like nobody is listening to them,’ a United NY . spokesman said. ‘What do you do when no one is listening to you? You . speak up, you take action.’ In addition organisers in Washington D.C. are planning a march at Freedom Plaza on Thursday. Famous support: Filmmaker Michael Moore was at the Occupy Wall Street camp in Manhattan on Tuesday . Route: Commuters walk through the Zuccotti Park protest camp in the financial district on Tuesday . The groups will embark on yet another . march in Manhattan, this one from Foley Square, which was named for ‘Big . Tom’ Foley - a former blacksmith's helper who became a prominent . Democrat. ‘They're capturing a feel of disempowerment, feeling like nobody is listening to them' United NY spokesman . The marchers will head to Zuccotti Park - . the unofficial headquarters where protesters have been camped out in . sleeping bags. Some organisers say thousands could show up to the march. MoveOn.org is planning a ‘virtual . march’ on its website by encouraging people to post photos of themselves . with the caption: ‘I'm the 99 per cent’. This . is a reference to those people not among the wealthiest one per cent of . Americans and the debate over whether they should be taxed more. Message: The Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccoti Park are in their third week now and a number of creative banners have been produced by demonstrators . Spreading: Occupy Seattle protesters, who have taken the lead from those in New York, carry signs as they march on Tuesday . The group's executive director, Justin . Ruben, called the protesters ‘brave young people’ who have successfully . inspired others to join them. 'We want to make sure we have ways of . using the money effectively. We are trying to be transparent . about it' Pete Dutro, 36 . ‘From our perspective, we're protesting kind of the greed that led to the collapse of our economy,’ Mr Ruben said. ‘The fact that these banks aren't paying their fair share.’ Many of those who work on Wall Street don't take the protests personally. Some even sympathise. ‘It's really incredible to me, the . passion and conviction these people have,’ said Lou Crossin, who works . for a company that sells corporate governance research to large . investors. Together: Occupy LA protesters shout slogans while holding placards during a late afternoon march through downtown Los Angeles, California, on Monday in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York . Walking: More protesters shout slogans while holding placards during a march through Los Angeles on Monday . ‘I don't think these are violent people. They're just standing up for their beliefs.’ '(The donations) are coming from . everywhere. I'm sure we're on the cusp of much . larger donations' Victoria Sobel, 21 . Mr Crossin said the protesters - with their chanting in unison, leafleting and drum circles - reminded him of Jefferson Airplane song lyrics: ‘Look what's happening out in the streets. Got a revolution.’ Sam Schmidt, a lawyer who walks by the park in New York every day, said the protests took him back to when he was a student in 1970 and went to Washington D.C. to oppose the Vietnam war. ‘I lived through the '60s and the '70s, and this is nothing. I think it is well-behaved. We've got a few crazies, but we have a few crazies here anyway,’ he said. ‘It's just reminiscent of my youth.’ See video here . | New York protests centred in Manhattan's Zucotti Park now in third week . Demonstrators angry at state of America's economic and political systems . Organisers want students at college to walk out of class this afternoon . Big march planned for Thursday on Freedom Plaza in Washington D.C. | c415a61a8267b51837bb2a8736342d70a02e6b24 |
New York (CNN) -- The New York City Police Department was searching Wednesday for a man who allegedly punched a 33-year-old woman in the back of the head in Brooklyn, in what could be the latest in a spate of "knockout" assaults. The incident occurred just before 3 p.m. on Saturday, but police released a sketch of the suspect Tuesday. The unidentified woman and her 7-year-old daughter were walking in the Midwood section of Brooklyn when the attacker approached her and punched her in the back of the head, knocking her down, then fled on foot, according to the NYPD. The woman sustained minor injuries to her knees and hands when she fell, police said. The suspect is described as about 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, with short braids, and was wearing a black wool cap, green jacket, and dark-colored jeans, police said. This latest attack follows a series of assaults known as the "knockout game," where teens try to knock random strangers unconscious with a single blow. At least nine suspected "knockout" attacks have been reported since October in New York, but police have said they see no evidence of a trend. A NYPD spokeswoman told CNN on Wednesday that police "investigate each assault individually" and that the latest attack was still under investigation. In November, a 23-year-old man was walking in the Bronx one afternoon when he was punched and knocked to the ground by men who continued to punch him after he was down. Authorities have reported similar incidents in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri and Washington. In New Haven, Connecticut, police said there were seven reported incidents possibly connected to "knockout" assaults, but it was unclear if they were carried out by the same person. There were no major injuries in the attacks, which occurred in the same three- to four-block area on November 17-18. The assaults stopped after police questioned a suspect, though no arrest was made. "We have no reason to believe this is a hate crime," said Officer David Hartman, a New Haven police spokesman. Some previous assaults in the region have targeted Jewish people. Hartman said police believe the attacks were copycat crimes spurred by media attention. Youth violence expert Chuck Williams blamed the media and parents for what he called extreme aggression by America's youths. Negative attention, he said, is often rewarded. "That's America. America loves violence, and so do our kids," he said. "We market violence to our children and we wonder why they're violent. It's because we are." Williams, a professor of psychology and education at Drexel University in Philadelphia, said some young people are desperate for attention. He called it the "Miley Cyrus effect," where teens will do anything, no matter how unconscionable, to get noticed. "These kids know the consequences," he said. "They want to get arrested. They want to get caught, because they want that notoriety. They know they won't go away forever because they're kids. It's a win-win all around for them." CNN's Morgan Winsor contributed to this report . | NYPD searches for a man who allegedly punched a woman, knocking her to the ground . The woman was walking with her young daughter when she was assaulted . The victim sustained minor injuries and the suspect fled on foot . Attack follows 9 suspected "knockout" assaults reported since October in New York . | 813b81ba03340c754f79a4498333d7f363e5dfce |
These shocking photos show how a young woman's life has been ruined by snorting a powerful party drug as she escaped jail over a drunken knife attack. Mikaila Tyhurst, 28, had once been an attractive blonde with clear skin, good teeth and a career plan to become an air hostess at the age of 18. But after becoming hooked on the former legal high GBL in 2009, she suffered severe liver damage and ended up on life support 15 times, claiming she had been treated like a 'rag doll' by a string of men. Scroll down for video . A young Mikaila Tyhurst (left) before her addiction to GBL and now ravaged by the drug aged 28 (pictured right, leaving Burnley Crown Court) During her addiction, her skin became blotchy and covered in spots, her eyes grew puffy and her hair turned a mousey shade of brown. Meanwhile, her front teeth were knocked out when she fell over during one drug-fuelled night and her 18-month-old daughter was taken away from her. Last March Tyhurst from Crumpsall, Manchester, went public about her addiction and claimed she had been off the drug for two years - and was determined to turn her life around and help others for the sake of her young daughter. She had been on a detox programme and was hoping to undergo a liver transplant. But on Monday she pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual body harm, possession of a knife and theft after she and two accomplices left a man seriously injured with three knife wounds during a feud at his home in Padiham, Lancashire. Tyhurst claimed she had been treated like a 'rag doll' by a string of men who suffered the horrific injuries while high on GBL . Judge Andrew Woolman said Tyhurst had turned to drugs because of the 'sustained abuse' she had suffered at the hands of men . Tyhurst could have been jailed but Judge Andrew Woolman gave her an 18 month suspended jail term instead after hearing the appalling and sustained abuse of which she had been a victim. Judge Andrew Woolman told her: 'I have read the pre-sentence report but the bold print does not reveal the full horror of your own life. Your adult life can only be described by sustained abuse at the hands of men. 'You had an appalling time and it led you to drug abuse. These facts allow me to take an exceptional course for what you have done.' Tyhurst, a former pupil of Habergham High School in Burnley, had become hooked on GBL in 2009 before it was made illegal by the Government. The drug - a component of some paint strippers, nail varnish removers and superglue solvents - gives users a feeling of euphoria, but can also reduce their inhibitions. Over a four year period, Tyhurst was taken to hospital nearly 1,000 times - and was close to death on 15 occasions. She only stopped taking the drug after doctors warned her that, if she didn't, she was likely to die. Burnley Crown Court was told the stabbing occurred during a violent fracas with Anthony Hurst after she showed up to at his house drunk and armed with a kitchen knife stashed in her coat. She shouted at Hurst: 'you'd better open the f..king door now' and when he did so, she burst in with two accomplices and began to attack and punch him. Tyhurst had once been pretty with clear skin, good teeth and a career plan to become an air hostess at the age of 18 . As Mr Hurst was pinned down Tyhurst stabbed him three times before his flat screen TV, laptop, mobile phone and wallet were stolen. Mr Brian McKenna prosecuting said: 'Mr Hurst received several blows to the head, neck and back and felt a couple of puncture wounds on his back. He realised a knife was being used on him. He says he was terrified and so scared. He was then dragged up the stairs and pushed onto a settee where he was choked with an arm placed around his neck. 'He was terrified and began to lose consciousness and couldn't breathe. He honestly thought that he might be killed.' Tyhurst said she had borrowed a a friends's kitchen knife because she wanted to scare the complainant not stab him. She told officers, 'I jabbed him..' and said that she prodded him three times with the knife - twice in the back and one time in the chest. She had convictions going back to 2000 when a juvenile for common assault in June 2007 as well as theft, breach of court orders, and common assault and battery in May 2011. GBL - or gamma butyrolactone - is a component of some paint strippers, nail varnish removers and superglue solvents. It gives users a feeling of euphoria, but can also reduce their inhibitions and produce a sense of drowsiness. Once in the body, it turns into notorious drug GHB - known as 'liquid Ecstasy' - banned in 2003 because it was being used as a date rape drug. The former 'legal high' was made illegal by the Government in December 2009. Overdoses are common, with as little as one teaspoon enough to put the user in a coma. Deaths that have been linked with GBL include that of Lynette Nock, 28, died in 2012 after taking the drug. She was at a memorial party for her friend Carl Fearon, who had died after taking the drug the day before. In mitigation defence counsel Mr William Staunton said: 'It's clear she has gone there with the intent to frighten the victim. She didn't gain from the theft of the items, she accepted that at one stage she unplugged the television. 'She is a lady who bears the scars, she was the subjected of prolonged and brutal violence. 'She has gone from one addiction to another, GBL -obtained from squeezing fluid from nail varnish. She is also the victim of violence. 'She would not wish violence on her worst enemy. She has a puncture wound to her head where her former partner struck her with a screwdriver. She has lost teeth. 'She lived effectively as a rag doll at the hands of a man. 'Custody has caused her to reflect and reflect on her destructive ways. Her determination to be drug free I submit is impressive.' Tyhurst was also sentenced to a supervision requirement of 18 months and a 12 month drug rehabilitation programme. Because of her addiction, Tyhurst's life expectancy had been reduced by at least ten years - and she admitted she looked far older than other women in their twenties. She said her liver was currently operating at a level of just 11 per cent - meaning she will need a transplant in the future. After the case she said: 'I am trying to get my life back on track and I haven't been on that stuff for a year. I wish I didn't get into trouble, I'm embarrassed for myself. I see my daughter all the time time, she doesn't know about this.' An accomplice Shaun Andrews, 28, of Burnley, admitted burglary and was jailed for six years at an earlier hearing. | Mikaila Tyhurst has been on life support 15 times since her addition to GBL . The 28-year-old also claims she was used like a 'rag doll' by string of men . She pleaded guilty to the stabbing but was given a suspended sentence . Judge said her 'sustained abuse at the hands of men' drove her to drugs . | 7f547fdf1685bf556850a034031428141a7ddeb5 |
The statement he made summed up the rivalry. In September 2002, Sir Alex Ferguson was asked about the great challenge Manchester United were facing at that particular time. 'My greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their ******* perch,' he responded. 'And you can print that.' He eventually realised his ambition, in May 2011, when United secured their 19th league title. It might have been symbolic for the general public but, speaking from a Liverpool perspective, there was no dwelling on what they achieved. Our focus was on how we could turn the situation around. Brendan Rodgers gives instructions to his Liverpool players during training at Melwood on Friday . Liverpool's players seem in high spirits in training despite their difficult start to this season . Steven Gerrard goes for a header (left), while Mario Balotelli shows he's a safe pair of hands . But on the eve of Liverpool's latest trip to Old Trafford, I think about Ferguson's words and find myself asking questions: are Liverpool ever going to knock Manchester United off their perch? Or has a glorious opportunity been squandered? When Ferguson retired, a door opened for Liverpool. He was an empire on his own, one of the biggest influences on football this country has seen but, suddenly, his departure transformed things. There was a glimmer of light to exploit. Look at what happened: Liverpool beat United twice, the second time being with the most emphatic performance I can remember a Liverpool team producing at Old Trafford. They were even awarded three penalties that day – would that have happened with Ferguson in the dugout? So it was crucial Liverpool made the right steps following that thumping 3-0 victory in March; first by winning the league and then, crucially, with successful player recruitment. Doing that would have made things difficult for United – who had not ended up below Liverpool in the table for 12 years – to get back into the Champions League at the first chance. Gerrard onhis haunches after Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday night . Manchester United are on the up and Van Persie (left) celebrates his winner at Southampton on Monday . Yet here we are on December 13, exactly seven months after the last campaign ended, and United are back on the front foot, third in the table. They are an average side, compared to Ferguson's teams of the past, but being in transition has not hindered their ambitions. In adding Angel di Maria and Luke Shaw, United bought the better players. Liverpool may have spent more than £100million but where has it left them? And when will they be able to lavish such a figure again? Looking at them now, you feel they need another £100m spending just to improve. Once you begin to examine the respective finances of both clubs, you see the extent of the power behind United. Their recently published accounts showed they brought in revenue of £433.2m in 2013-14. Liverpool's, by comparison, was £206.1m. Old Trafford, with 30,000 more seats, is a money-making machine. Yes, Liverpool are getting a fantastic new Main Stand, which will be ready in August 2016, but it will take time for benefits to be felt. While Anfield is being revamped, United's £750m kit deal with adidas will kick in. Van Persie (left) and Wayne Rooney will be the main threats for United at Old Trafford on Sunday . United, including former Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes (left) are put through their paces at Carrington . Louis van Gaal (left) oversees proceedings in preparation for the biggest match in English football . When you consider all that, it proves United could – if they desire – spend £100m every summer. Liverpool have never had that luxury and it feels like, once again, they have handed their most bitter rivals a 'get out of jail free' card. The Premier League table, showing Manchester United in third and Liverpool ninth . It keeps happening. When we finished second to Arsenal in 2002, the next step was to win the league. We were outstanding in the cups, as our treble in 2001 showed, and we had beaten United in five consecutive games over two campaigns. The right moves would have given us a great chance. Instead, we bought El Hadji Diouf, Bruno Cheyrou and Salif Diao for £20m, all of whom failed. That same summer, United paid £29.3m to smash the British transfer record for Rio Ferdinand, Ferguson fixed his defence and, 12 months later, they were champions. United have an ability to land 'star' names with Di Maria offering the latest proof. In my time at Liverpool, it was all about developing players to become stars yet surely last summer was the moment for them to show they could compete at the highest transfer level? Rafa Benitez used to say Liverpool had 'to be perfect' when buying players to compete with United but he made mistakes, just like Gerard Houllier did before and all the others who succeeded him. When that keeps happening, is it any surprise a gulf exists between the clubs? History shows the dominance in this rivalry goes in cycles. United, with the Busby Babes and three league titles, were the teams of the 1950s. They added a European Cup in 1968 but Liverpool, during the Sixties, were a becoming an irresistible force under Bill Shankly. The moment Manchester United knocked Liverpool off their perch - Sir Alex Ferguson with the Premier League trophy in 2011, which was his club's 19th title, taking them ahead of their great rivals . Sports analysts Bloomberg Sports believe a Man United win is the most likely outcome against Liverpool . That led to Liverpool's total superiority in the 1970s and 1980s before it swung again, with United and Ferguson dominating the Premier League era. This conflict has always ebbed and flowed and achievements are evenly matched; Liverpool have 59 major trophies. United have 58. Without Ferguson, though, they looked vulnerable. They experienced great change at a number of levels, first with David Moyes and then Louis van Gaal, and had Liverpool played their cards right, they could have finally reasserted themselves and left United scrambling catch up. Now you cannot escape the conclusion Liverpool are doing the scrambling. Going out of the Champions League on Tuesday night was a savage blow and my initial fear was that after waiting five years to return to that competition, it could be another few years before they get back in again. United, on the other hand, look like they are resuming normal service. They need working on before they reach a title-winning level once more but they remain on their perch they claimed in May 2011. Liverpool have let them off the hook. Win a trophy and Pardew’s turnaround is complete . The transformation in Alan Pardew’s fortunes at Newcastle is one of the stories of the season and he deserved to enjoy the Chelsea win. It shows what can happen when clubs persevere with managers, and victory at Arsenal tonight would propel them into the top five. Given the confidence he and his players have, Newcastle will believe they can get a result at the Emirates. Alan Pardew poses with his Manager of the Month award for November . Realistically, though, how long will Newcastle stay there? Sooner or later, the clubs with better resources will elbow them away from the Champions League spots. If Newcastle finish seventh or eighth, it represents a good season. Pardew, however, has a chance to make it a memorable one. They have a quarter-final in the Capital One Cup at Tottenham on Wednesday and they will not want to squander that opportunity. Newcastle’s fans are desperate for silverware and, if Pardew can deliver, people would really sit up and take notice of the job he has done. Pardew celebrates with assistant John Carver after Newcastle beat Chelsea last weekend . Football is all about winning trophies. Everyone praised Newcastle for finishing fifth in 2012 but supporters will never say: ‘Remember that year we qualified for the Europa League?’ They want to talk about famous days at Wembley and, for Newcastle, it has been too long coming. Like Pardew, Sam Allardyce at West Ham has worked hard to turn things round. But if they want to change perceptions, a trophy would do that. THIS WEEK I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO: Seeing Andy Carroll... go back to war . I know from experience that when Andy Carroll is in the mood and he gets the right kind of service, he is unplayable. He is a nightmare for defenders to handle. John O’Shea and Wes Brown, then, will be bracing themselves for what is headed in their direction this afternoon at the Stadium of Light. Carroll was outstanding in West Ham’s win over Swansea last week and he will want to build on it. West Ham's Andy Carroll celebrates after scoring against Swansea last week . The corresponding game last season between Sunderland and West Ham was shown on Monday Night Football and Carroll absolutely tormented Brown and O’Shea. Carroll knocked Brown over when scoring and O’Shea ended up being substituted. Sunderland’s defenders had a straightforward afternoon at Anfield seven days ago when keeping a clean sheet but if Carroll is in the frame of mind he showed against Swansea, it will be anything but for Gus Poyet’s men. It will make for interesting viewing. | Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United knocked Liverpool off their perch in 2011 when they won their 19th title . When Ferguson retired there was a glimmer of hope for Liverpool . However, United are currently third and Liverpool ninth . The dominance in this great rivalry goes in cycles . United buy star names, Liverpool buy players to develop into stars . Liverpool have won 59 major trophies, United have 58 . | 7b17355e3d7ecd0b3bec9413b36ac5c6c34cf752 |
Goat cafes, rabbit cafes, even loneliness-curing Moomin cafes. The world of the weird cafe has moved on from cats. And yet, while some of these obscure cafes grab headlines for a few days and then vanish, cat cafes have proliferated around the world, to become if not the most novel, certainly the most enduring craze when it comes to themed coffee houses. German philosopher Albert Schweitzer reportedly once said: "The only escape from the miseries of life is music and cats." And so it would appear. Started in Taiwan a dozen or so years ago with a cafe called Cat Flower Garden, the concept was most enthusiastically embraced in Japan where today there are more cat cafes than anywhere else in the world -- around 150 at the last count. Now the rest of the world is cat-ching on. In April the United States saw it's first feline coffee house open in New York, albeit only temporarily, London recently opened its first too and a number of major European cities now also offer purr-fect coffee breaks. Australia is soon to join the fray as well. "My partner and I went to Japan 18 months ago -- going to a cat cafe was an amazing experience and we decided to open our own in Melbourne," says Anita Loughran, owner of Cat Cafe Melbourne, which will open in July 2014. "It's a place where animal and cat lovers can mingle, socialize and be comfortable in a quiet environment that reflects their interests." Cat cafe 101 . For the uninitiated a cat cafe doesn't sound too complicated. It's a regular cafe that happens to have cats walking, or lying, around. But there are nuances that distinguish this kind of cafe from others. You often need to book before you arrive, because a) the cats are liable to walk out as you walk in, and b) the ratio of people to cats needs to be controlled. "We now have a booking system, because 20,000 people wanted to come into a 30-seat cafe all at the same time," says Lauren Pears, founder of Dinah's Cat Emporium in London. Her website says the cafe is fully booked until October 2014. Sanitation and health issues also need to be considered, and have put some people off. "Who wants cat hair everywhere? That would gross me out," says Diana Mullin, a non-customer from Vancouver. But Loughran says there's nothing to worry about: "As the cats are completely separate from the cafe, this is not an issue. And if people still have their concerns they should actually visit a cat cafe first. We would not be able to open if we weren't super hygienic." Most cafes also have a look-but-don't-grab policy, to minimize catty stress and potential clawing of customers. Feline good . After all, the idea is that these cafes provide an almost therapeutic area to chill, as Café Neko owner Takako Ishimitsu in Vienna says. Though she advises any mother visiting the cafe check her pram before leaving: some of the cats can inadvertently turn stowaway, having sought out the warm softness of a baby carrier. Thomas Leidner, owner of the Cafe Katzentempel in Munich, says: "The popularity of these cafes is probably due to the fact that many people are not allowed, or are disinclined to have pets in the city, yet they occasionally feel the need for closeness to an animal. "Life today is busy and hectic, so offering an oasis of calm, where you can relax over a drink and enjoy (vegan) snacks, is important to us." Pears agrees. "I think a lot of our patrons just enjoy coming to play with them. We also find they tend to make conversation with other patrons. The cafe has a nice community feel to it." "What could be better than a black Americano, a good book, and a cat curled up beside you (even better if it's on your lap)?" says Sandi from the UK, one of the trend's enthusiastic fans. "Bliss! The only issue I have is struggling to leave." And so the cat cafe continues to spread across the globe. Look out in the future for KitTea, due to open in San Francisco later this year, and Purringtons Cat Lounge in Oregon hoping to invite people in for a cup before the end of 2014. Cat cafes to check out . London: Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, 152-154 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch;+44 (0) 207 729 0953 . Munich, Germany: Café Katzentempel, Turkenstrasse 29, Munich; +49 89 2006 1249 . Vienna, Austria: Cafe Neko, Blumenstockgasse 5; +43 1 5121 466 . Tokyo: Nyafe Melange, 1-7-13 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku; +91 3 5449 4024 . Paris: Le Cafe des Chats, 16 rue Michel Le Comte, Marais; +33 9 7353 3581 . Budapest, Hungary: CatCafe Budapest, Revay utca 3; +36 2 0617 3301 . Madrid, Spain: La Gatoteca, Calle Argumosa 28; +34 9 1622 5831 . Dubai, U.A.E.: Dubai Cat Cafe, Jumeirah, Dubai; +971 50 115 4287 . Melbourne, Australia: Cat Cafe Melbourne, 375 Queen Street (opening soon) | Cat cafes started in Taiwan, but really took off in Japan, where there are now reportedly 150 . New openings this year include cafes in London, New York and Melbourne, Australia . London cat cafe now fully booked until October 2014 . | a8d26ebe912424428bbcf6d46d61babc38651f47 |
If you're an avid tweeter who values their relationship, we have one important piece of advice... step away from the phone now! New research from University of Missouri, USA, found that Twitter causes relationship conflict, which in turn is linked to emotional and physical infidelity, breakups and divorce. The study's author, Russell Clayton, surveyed 581 Twitter users of all ages and asked how much conflict arose as a result of the social networking site. Is Twitter ruining your relationship: New research found Twitter use was linked to infidelity, breakups and divorce . He found that the more active people were on Twitter, the more likely it was to cause arguments between them and spiral into serious relationship issues - including divorce. So why is it that Twitter can wreak havoc with your love life? 'Even if you are sat in silence with your partner, reaching for your phone breaks any connection, makes the other feel that they are boring you,' says sex and relationship therapist Sarah Berry. And then there's all that flirting: 'Online flirting with others may seem innocent but it can still hurt. It can lead to your partner not trusting you. 'Even if your flirting is only online and you have not been unfaithful in the flesh, it can still feel like a public slap in the face for your partner.' In previous research, Clayton found Facebook had a similar effect. But whereas Facebook-related conflict was greater among couples in newer relationships (of 36 months or less), in this latest Twitter research, Clayton found the same worrying outcomes occurred regardless of how long people had been together. 'I found it interesting that active Twitter users experienced Twitter-related conflict and negative relationship outcomes regardless of length of romantic relationship,' Clayton said. Tweeting is the source of many relationship woes . 'Couples who reported being in relatively new relationships experienced the same amount of conflict as those in longer relationships.' His advice for Twitter lovers? To limit use of social networking sites to more healthy, reasonable levels. 'Although a number of variables can contribute to relationship infidelity and separation, social networking site usage, such as Twitter and Facebook use, can be damaging to relationships,' Clayton said. 'Therefore, users should cut back to moderate, healthy levels of Twitter use if they are experiencing Twitter or Facebook-related conflict.' 'Some couples share joint social networking site accounts to reduce relationship conflict, and there are some social networking site apps, such as the 2Life app, that facilitates interpersonal communication between partners.' The 2Life app is a private, secure network that lets you chat, . share, collaborate and coordinate with your partner. It features a 'date night' feature powered by Yelp's local listings so that couples can browse reviews before deciding where they want to have dinner. They can also chat in the built-in messaging space and there's a private shared journal. In his previous study, . Clayton, surveyed Facebook users . aged between 18 and 82, asking them how much they used the social . network and how often they had bust-ups with their partners - past or . present - that had been ignited by the site. #LetsTalk! Couples are often involved in their social media world instead of interacting with each other . Dr . Clayton said: ‘Previous research has shown that the more a person in a . romantic relationship uses Facebook, the more likely they are to monitor . their partner's Facebook activity more stringently, which can lead to . feelings of jealousy. The research found Twitter is linked to extreme ralationship issues -- breakups, infidelity and divorce . ‘Facebook-induced jealousy may lead to arguments concerning past partners. ‘Also, . our study found that excessive Facebook users are more likely to . connect or reconnect with other Facebook users, including previous . partners, which may lead to emotional and physical cheating.’ According . to the study, ,published in the Journal of Cyberpsychology, Behavior and . Social Networking,couples who are just starting out should consider . staying away from the site. Dr Clayton explained: ‘The findings held only for couples who had been in relationships of three years or less.‘This suggests that Facebook may be a threat to relationships that are not fully matured. ‘On . the other hand, participants who have been in relationships for longer . than three years may not use Facebook as often, or may have more matured . relationships, and therefore Facebook use may not be a threat or . concern. ‘Although . Facebook is a great way to learn about someone, excessive Facebook use . may be damaging to newer romantic relationships. | Excessive Twitter use increases risk of cheating, breakup and divorce . Facebook has similar affect and encourages people to reconnect with ex . People jealously monitor their partner's activities on social media . | 8163b635052dca7727d6889da5a47e9dd9c4cc8e |
Turkey’s prime minister has warned speculators not to try and make money off the back of the country's troubles, threatening 'we will choke you.' Tayyip Erdogan also warned protesters who have taken to the streets across Turkey demanding his resignation that his patience has its limits and compared the unrest with an army attempt six years ago to curb his power. Riot police used teargas and water cannon to disperse anti-government protesters from a square in the capital, Ankara, just a few kilometres from where Erdogan spoke. Limits: Anti-government protesters stand behind improvised barricade in central Ankara. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told flag-waving supporters on Sunday that his patience with mass anti-government protests had its limits . Power struggle: Erdogan moved to seize back the initiative by announcing counter-rallies next weekend . Response: In Ankara's Kizilay district, riot police fired tear gas and water cannon to flush anti-government demonstrators from a square . Threat: Many see Turkey's secular order threatened by Erdogan . He held six rallies on Sunday, a measure . of tensions after a week of the biggest demonstrations and worst . rioting of his decade in power. Thousands waved red Turkish flags and . shouted Allahu Akbar (God Is Greatest) as he accused protesters of . attacking women wearing headscarves and desecrating mosques by taking . beer bottles into them. 'I believe in Erdogan and his path. We will not let some looters hijack our country and our flag,' said a housewife who gave her name as Zeynep, waving a national flag with Erdogan's picture emblazoned on it. In the commercial centre Istanbul, tens of thousands flooded the central Taksim Square, where protests began nine days ago when police used teargas and water cannon against a peaceful demonstration over plans to build on a park there. Many see Turkey's secular order threatened by Erdogan. Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters yesterday. He warned: 'Those who attempt to sink the bourse, you will collapse ... If we catch your speculation, we will choke you. No matter who you are, we will choke you' Waves: Tayyip Erdogan waves to his supporters next to his wife Emine Erdogan, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Interior Minister Muharrem Guler in Ankara yesterday . Protesters, many camped out in tents, . now control a large area around the square, with approach roads . barricaded by masonry, paving stones and steel rods. Police have . withdrawn completely from the area, water cannon kept hundreds of metres . away by the side of the Bosphorus waterway. Western . countries have held up Erdogan's Turkey as an example of an Islamic . democracy that could be emulated elsewhere in the Middle East. Violent . police action, however, has drawn criticism from the West and Erdogan . has increasingly accused foreign forces of trying to aggravate the . troubles. He also . rounded on speculators, foreign and domestic, in the country's capital . markets, vowing to 'choke' those who he said were growing rich off 'the . sweat of the people', and urging Turks to put their money in state not . private banks. 'Those . who attempt to sink the bourse, you will collapse ... If we catch your . speculation, we will choke you. No matter who you are, we will choke . you,' he said. Turkey's financial markets were turbulent last week and investors are preparing for more volatility this week. Control: Protesters, many camped out in tents, now control a large area around the square, with approach roads barricaded by masonry, paving stones and steel rods . Extended: Riot police officers gather after chasing protesters - the trouble has been going on for over a week now . Destroying: Anti-government protesters remove bricks from the street to build a barricade . Passing along: The bricks were passed along the road by the protestors after they were taken out of the ground . Defiant: Wearing a gas mask a demonstrator gestures to the riot police . Early on Friday, the lira hit its . weakest point against its euro/dollar basket since October 2011, while . Istanbul's main share index lost around 15 percent over the week. The yield of Turkey's two-year benchmark sovereign bond hit a six-month high on Thursday. Three . people have been killed and around 5,000 injured in the troubles . rocking a country faced with war across its southern border with Syria. 'We . were patient, we will be patient, but there is an end to patience, and . those who play politics by hiding behind the protesters should first . learn what politics means,' Erdogan said, in one of his most strongly . worded speeches since the troubles began. Erdogan . did not specify who he thought was 'hiding behind the protesters'; but . one of his proudest achievements has been in combating a conservative . secularist establishment, especially an army that had toppled four . governments in four decades. Moving in: A policeman gestures to a water truck at Kizilay Square in central Ankara . Turbulent time: Riot policemen chase protesters at Kizilay Square in central Ankara . Cause: The nationwide unrest first erupted on May 31 with a tough police crackdown on a campaign to save Istanbul's Gezi Park from demolition . Injured: A beaten and shocked demonstrator is helped by other protesters after being confronted by riot police on Kizilay square . Troubled: Riot policemen chase protesters at Kizilay Square in central Ankara . Erdogan, who critics say has become authoritarian after three election victories in a row, compared the troubles with a confrontation with the army that became known as the 'e-Coup'. 'Today, we are exactly where we were on April 27, 2007.' On that date, the army issued a memorandum on its website denouncing plans to have Abdullah Gul, co-founder with Erdogan of the AK Party, appointed as president. The move would give AKP broad control over the state apparatus and the generals suggested they could act to stop it in defence of secularism. Erdogan's government had been expected, like others before it, to bow to the will of the military. But it faced down the army, chided it publicly for its intervention and went ahead with Gul's appointment. Camping out: Protesters spend their night at Taksim's Gezi park in Istanbul . Control: People sleep at Taksim Square - the protestors have now seized control of a large part of the area . It was a definitive moment in relations with the military, many of whose top generals have since been jailed after investigation of alleged coup plots against Erdogan. The Ergenekon plot had hinged on stirring widespread protests throughout Turkey and public disorder, followed then by bombings and assassinations that would clear the way for an army takeover to restore order. Erdogan clearly feels there are potentially powerful forces still ranged against him. Underscoring the drama of the moment, Erdogan, who denies Islamist ambitions for Turkey, made reference to two of his political models - former prime minister Adnan Menderes, hanged after a 1960 coup, and Turgut Ozal, a reforming president who some believe was poisoned to death. 'My beloved brothers, we're walking towards a better Turkey. Don't allow those who attempt to plant divisive seeds to do so,' Erdogan said at another speech in the southern city of Adana on Sunday, from atop of a bus emblazoned with his picture and the AK Party's slogan, 'Big Country, Big Power'. Meanwhile, a Turkish-American photographer has issued pictures from last week's protests in Istanbul on Facebook. Charles Emir Richards' pictures are accompanied by the message: 'You don’t need my permission to share the photos. 'I think it is especially important that people outside of Turkey share them to let it be known what is going on here.' This young couple were captured among the Taksim square protests mid-kiss, having removed their gas masks . A young boy wore protective goggles and a surgical mask among threats of tear gas from police . Richards is a Turkish-American photographer living in Istanbul and shared pictures of the protests on Facebook . Richards told NBC that Facebook was the only way to get his pictures out . Mr Emir Richards told NBC: 'It has been the only means to get the word out about what is going on here recently. 'The news media here went blank on the issue, that’s when I thought I should go out and shoot and post on Facebook, I felt that a document should get out from somewhere, anywhere. 'Until yesterday [Friday], the local media pretended that nothing was going on. On June 2, when everyone was on the streets engaging the police, CNN Turk was broadcasting a documentary about penguins.' Pictures posted to Facebook by photographer Charles Emir Richards show clashes in Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul between protesters and police . The photographer has urged people to share his pictures to publicise the protests in Turkey . Richards documented stand-offs in Istanbul as police unleashed water cannons . These pictures were taken last week as protesters demanded the resignation of prime minister Tayyip Erdogan . | Protestors taken to the streets demanding Tayyip Erdogan's resignation . He accused protesters of attacking women wearing headscarves . Held six rallies yesterday, a measure of tensions after the demonstrations . | e3effa59880f748c75b3dbdaf9e3ee2bb5eec29c |
FIFA say Barcelona will not get special permission to sign a defender after Thomas Vermaelen was sidelined by injury for several months. Barcelona sought an emergency signing under 'exceptional situations' in Spanish federation rules, despite facing a one-year FIFA transfer embargo. FIFA told Barcelona on Monday that its disciplinary committee did not 'conceive an exception' for signing players 'outside the official periods of registration.' Thomas Vermaelen underwent surgery on a hamstring injury that will keep him out for several more months . The defender (left) is yet to make a single appearance for Barcelona since his summer move . The Belgium international joined the Catalan club from Arsenal for £15million . FIFA's ban was imposed because Barcelona broke rules on international signings of young players. It takes effect in January, pending an appeal verdict this month from the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Barcelona signed Vermaelen in the off-season when FIFA froze the ban until appeals were completed. The Belgium international has not played since his reported £15million move from Arsenal. | Thomas Vermaelen has not played for Barcelona since his £15m move . Barcelona wanted to sign a replacement under 'exceptional situations' The club's one-year transfer embargo takes effect in January . FIFA disciplinary committee did not 'conceive an exception' for Barcelona to sign players 'outside the official periods of registration' | 26a8acbad3eb4dae1b8eeeb417f0a7cf30c0b5a7 |
By . Victoria Woollaston . When a transplant patient receives the call saying a long-awaited donor organ is ready, there can be a mad rush to get it on ice and on the move ready for the operation. To reduce the stress, and expense, involved in such operations, a team of medical scientists have created the Organ Care System - a box designed to keep organs alive outside the human body. Surgeons in Phoenix recently used the system to successfully transplant a lung, but the machine can also maintain hearts, kidneys and livers, according to reports in Al Jazeera America. The OCS was created by . Massachusetts-based firm TransMedics and the system has been designed to . simulate conditions of the human body as close as possible. As well as keeping lungs breathing, pictured, the system can also make hearts beat, help kidneys produce urine and livers produce bile . The OCS was created by Massachusetts-based firm TransMedics and the system has been designed to simulate conditions of the human body as close as possible. As well as monitoring temperature, the system can make hearts beat, help kidneys produce urine and livers produce bile. Donor blood is pumped through the organs, and the system can manage blood oxygenation and flow using an internal gas supply and pumping system. It can also maintain humidity, protect the organ from contamination, and replenish any depleted nutrients missing from the blood and organ. The recent OCS lung transplant was carried out by doctors and surgeons at the Heart and Lung Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Centre, in Phoenix. Patient Victoria Bloomfield only had 30% lung capacity, diseased lung pictured right, and needed a replacement, pictured left . The transplant lung was kept in the OCS for more than 24 hours and the surgery took four hours to complete. Traditionally, a lung can be preserved for between five hours and nine hours on ice. Hearts last for even less time, between three and eight hours. Other organ preservation times are shown on this graph . The recent OCS lung transplant was carried out by doctors and surgeons at the Heart and Lung Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Centre, in Phoenix. Patient Victoria Bloomfield only had 30 per cent lung capacity due to disease and needed a replacement. The transplant lung was kept in the OCS until the surgeons were ready, and the surgery took four hours to complete. During which time, the organ was protected with a cool solution during the implant. Traditionally, a lung can be preserved for between five hours and nine hours on ice. Hearts last for even less time, between three and eight hours. The longest a heart and lung has been kept on the system has been between 10 and 11 hours but the firm said organs can be kept in the OCS for longer. The Organ Care System (OCS) is designed to keep organs warm and in state where they can function outside of the body – either while waiting for a transplant to take place, or during clinical tests. The system can make hearts beat, lungs breathe, help kidneys produce urine and livers produce bile. It was created by Massachussets-based firm TransMedics and the system has been designed to simulate conditions of the human body as close as possible. OCS connects to wireless monitor, an organ specific perfusion module, and specially-designed solutions for looking after organs. Donor blood is pumped through the organs, and the system can manage blood oxygenation and flow using an internal gas supply and pulsatile pumping system. It can also maintain humidity, protect the organ from contamination, and replenish any depleted nutrients missing from the blood and organ. The OCS makes it possible to keep these vital organs alive and transplant-ready for much longer. Journalist Shini Somara from Al Jazeera America witnessed the transplant and said: ‘The sound of the lungs mechanically breathing was surreal, and we followed these previous organs back to the operating room. Once surgeons were ready to make the swap, they held Victoria's old lung and new lung side by side. Victoria’s old lung was tiny frail and full of ugly black carbon deposits, while her new donor lung was large, pink and fluffy.' A spokesman for TransMedic told MailOnline the heart and lung system are both in use in the UK at Harefield and Papworth hospitals. TransMedic plan to bring the liver system to the market later this year. | The Organ Care System (OCS) was created by U.S firm TransMedics . It's designed to keep organs in a state where they function outside a body . Machines can make hearts beat and lungs breathe using donor blood . They can also replenish any depleted nutrients missing from the organ . Surgeons in Phoenix recently used it to maintain a lung for transplant . | 0a4aa918d9b8b758e3959b296f9ac2a14b1f15c3 |
There is never really a good time to watch porn at work, no matter how empty you think the office is. But even when you've checked every meeting room, toilet cubicle and the office kitchen to ensure the coast is clear, it is always a good idea to close the blinds. That is what one lonesome worker in Australia learned when he was caught red handed pouring over a graphic X-rated video at his desk - by office employees across the street. Smutting his stuff: Despite their applause and calls of encouragement, the white-shirted worker bashfully turned off his computer and vanished into a darker corner of his office where he could no longer be seen . The picture was taken by Twitter user James P in . Brisbane who posted it on the social networking site for the world to see. It immediately went viral. Lounging in his swivel chair, the unidentified voyeur continued watching the flick, blissfully unaware that he was giving the building opposite a peep show of its very own. But his alone-time was frustratingly cut short when he noticed the gathering crowd of workers at the window behind him. Despite their applause and calls of . encouragement, the white-shirted worker bashfully turned off his . computer and vanished into a darker corner of his office where he could . no longer be seen. James P, . who posted it under the Twitter handle PenguinShepherd, said on the . site that it was not the man's first time, noting that he had been . 'doing it for ages'. Caught in the act: James P, who posted the picture under the Twitter handle Penguinshepherd, said on the site that it was not the man's first time, noting that he had been 'doing it for ages' He later tweeted: 'He saw us all watching him towards the end of the day. We gave him a round of applause, he closed his screen down...' It is not the first time an employee has exposed their predilection for the adult arts to public scrutiny. In December a high school teacher became an internet sensation after he hooked up his laptop to a projector screen in a lecture hall, apparently unaware of the Pornhub.com account notification email sitting at the top of his inbox. As titters rippled through the auditorium, one enterprising student took a picture of the screen and posted it online, thus compounding the teacher's already widespread humiliation. Healthy desk life? In November last year, German sex therapist Dr Christoph Ahlers told a conference on medicine and therapies for the treatment of sexual behavioural issues that as much as two thirds of the world's office workers have watched porn from their desks. In November last year, an expert claimed that as much as two thirds of the world's office workers have watched porn from their desks. German sex therapist Dr Christoph Ahlers said around 60 million people log on to the world's largest free porn website every . day. made the claim at a conference in Salzburg, Austria, on medicine and therapies for the treatment of sexual behavioural issues. 'Modern . viewing of porn is no longer something in which strange individuals are . engaged in in quiet rooms in video booths,' he said. 'Sixty million views, of which two . thirds are people sitting at their computer at work, is a powerful . indicator of what is happening.' Dr Ahlers said watching porn was now a 'worldwide phenomenon'. He added that a second rush to the X-rated website occurred after dark. 'The second peak is from viewers at home after midnight,' he said at the conference. | Unidentified man pictured in Brisbane, Australia, watching X-rated film . Picture goes viral on internet after it was posted on Twitter for world to see . While his office appeared to be empty, the building opposite had full view . Despite applause from workers across street, he bashfully turned off screen . | ad0626c654a0f30ba07130af8fb149b01b0fbec9 |
Gareth Bale sustained a bloodied nose on Tuesday night after being caught in the face during Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Ludogorets in the Champions League. The Welshman had to be substituted after taking a hit on the nose as defender Georgi Terziev put in a forceful challenge during the Group B clash. Falling to the ground, Bale looked down at his hands as blood dripped down from his face and on to the Bernabeu pitch. Gareth Bale was left bloodied after being caught on the nose during Real Madrid's vcitory over Ludogorets . Bale took the full force of Georgi Terziev's arm as the Ludogorets defender challenged the Welshman . The Real Madrid forward fell the floor and immediately held his face following the challenge . Bale appears slightly dazed as blood drips from his nose and on to the Bernabeu turf . Bale holds his hands out and looks to the ground as blood drips from his nose . Blood pours out of Bale's nose as players from both sides tended to the injured Madrid star . Bale holds a towel to his nose in a bid to stop the flow of blood as a physio tends the Real Madrid player . Bale was withdrawn with seven minutes remaining as Real Madrid claimed a 4-0 victory on Tuesday night . The 25-year-old looked dazed holding a towel to his face in a bid to stop the flow of blood as Real Madrid physios tended to the injury. The former Tottenham forward was eventually withdrawn in the 83rd minute of the match. Spanish giants Real made it six wins from six in this season's Champions League, topping the group - above Basle, Liverpool and Ludogorets. The victory also saw the current La Liga leaders secure their 19th straight win courtesy of goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale, Alvaro Arbeloa and Alvaro Medran. Carlo Ancelotti's men travel to league strugglers Almeria on Friday night before taking on Valencia after the winter break on January 4. Head here to Like MailOnline Sport's Facebook page. VIDEO Real form surprising Ancelotti . Bale celebrates his goal in traditional style by forming a heart with his hands after doubling his side's lead . Real Madrid's first team stars applaud their fans after qualifying for the next stage of the Champions League . | Gareth Bale was forced off during Real Madrid's win over Ludogorets . The Welshman was sustained a bloodied nose after being caught by defender Georgi Terziev . Spanish giants progressed having won all six of their Group B matches . | b008c87ab9a38e16eaef0450363946f0ba42df49 |
Fernando Alonso is hopeful Jenson Button will be on the Formula One grid next year, despite being tipped to replace the McLaren driver. Alonso's deal to re-join the British team, who he he left so acrimoniously in 2007, is all but done and could be announced before the season finale in Abu Dhabi in a fortnight's time. The Ferrari driver is expected to take over from Button with the McLaren hierarchy likely to stick with rookie Kevin Magnussen. Jenson Button, pictured ahead of Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, is out of contract at the end of the season . Button made his move on Kimi Raikkonen (right) stick to secure fourth position at Interlagos on Sunday . But Button's cause to be partnered alongside Alonso was aided by a strong performance in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix after he finished fourth. He now has 106 points this season in comparison to the 55 scored by team-mate Magnussen. 'Hopefully he will stay', said Alonso, 'He is a very talented driver, a great character and good person. People like him are good for our sport. 'Whether we will see him on the grid, you need to ask McLaren.' Fernando Alonso, posing with a fan ahead of the race, is set to re-join McLaren after five season at Ferrari . Button, in action during the race, has 106 points this season in comparison to the 55 scored by Magnussen . Button sealed his fourth-placed finish with an exquisite passing move around the outside of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. Asked whether he was ready to leave the sport after 15 years, Button said: 'Not ready to stop racing no. 'That is all I can do right now, go out and enjoy my racing and I loved it today. 'You have good days, you have bad days when you are in a situation like I am mentally, but I don’t think any of the days on circuit have been negative, they have always been positive and I am going strong so I am happy.' | Alonso's move to McLaren is expected to be announced in the coming weeks . Button out of contract at the end of this year and could make way for Alonso . But the Spaniard wants the 34-year-old to remain on the Formula One grid . Button finished fourth in Brazil taking his points tally to the season to 106 . | 48694939cadb3d6de76c92d0e3054ba71da610f3 |
A terminally-ill girl with alopecia has had her dreams come true after strangers stumped up hundreds of pounds to buy her a new wig. Generous donations flooded in after it was revealed Ashanti Smith, from Burgess Hill, Sussex, was desperate to have long flowing hair like her school friends. The news touched people's hearts and they rallied to raise the money needed for a human hair wig. Scroll down for video . Dream come true: Generous donations flooded in after it was revealed that 11-year-old Ashanti Smith, who suffers from rare ageing disease, was desperate to have long flowing hair like her school friends. The youngster was treated to a pampering day where she chose a wig and had it styled at a top salon . The 11-year-old - who suffers from rare ageing disease Hutchinson Gilford Progeria and is not expected to live past the age of 15 - could not hide her delight as she had her glossy new blonde locks styled at a top hairdressers. The youngster visited the Brighton branch of Trevor Sorbie with her mother Phoebe and her sister Minnie. Trevor himself helped Ashanti choose a wig from Trendo before pampering the schoolgirl at his salon. The three women also enjoyed a posh meal at Donatello Italian restaurant beforehand. The day out came as a result of The Argus Appeal - a charitable arm of The Argus newspaper - that raised the funds for the schoolgirl. Speaking to the paper about their day out, her mother Phoebe said: 'Ashanti was so excited about her new wig that she didn’t go to sleep for ages. 'She loves doing these girly things. It is so nice because we can actually do something together.' Helping hand: Trevor Sobrie, a top celebrity hairdresser, helped Ashanti choose a wig from Trendo before pampering the schoolgirl at his salon . Girly day out: The 11-year-old could not hide her delight as she had her glossy new blonde locks styled at the hairdressers . The day out comes two months after Ashanti was forced to remove a pink wig she wore to school as the school claimed it might encourage others to dye their hair. The pupil at Oakmeeds Community College, West Sussex, was told to take the wig off by a teacher because it was 'not cold in the school' and she felt so humiliated that she didn't want to return. Her mother Phoebe said at the time: 'She was devastated when they told her to take it off. Her little heart was broken. It's disgusting. It is bright but she should have the right to wear whatever colour hair she wants.' 'She was so proud of her hair but this has put her on a downer. 'When I took her into school three teachers by the office said she looked glamorous and beautiful and said how lovely her wig was. 'But as soon as I turned my back they told her to remove it. It was so embarrassing for her. 'It's a pink wig, come on, other children would have understood. I have only got a few years left with her so we want her to live it to the full.' Girls day out: Speaking about their day out, her mother Phoebe said: 'Ashanti was so excited about her new wig that she didn't go to sleep for ages' Ashanti's rare condition, Hutchinson Gilford Progeria, causes symptoms including stunted growth, hair loss, weight loss, wrinkled skin, stiff joints, and heart disease. The pink wig was donated by friends as Ashanti's family struggles to afford human hair wigs. In June this year it emerged that Ashanti's father stole £3,500 of charity money that was intended for her to go swimming with dolphins. She was given the donation by Sussex British Motorcycle Owners Club (SBMOC) in 2010 so she could go for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to America. But her father Albi Elliott, 44, hid the money from the rest of the family and within two months had spent it - on trips to Tesco. Blasting his actions as 'callous and despicably devious', the judge at Chichester Crown Court jailed Elliott for three years. Donations: The day out came as a result of The Argus Appeal - a charitable arm of The Argus newspaper. Ashanti is pictured with hairdresser Trevor and Trendco stylist, Phoebe Gething . | Ashanti Smith was desperate to have flowing hair like her school friends . News touched people's hearts and they rallied to raise the money needed . She suffers from rare ageing disease Hutchinson Gilford Progeria . Is not expected to live past the age of 15 . She, her mother and sister had a great girl's day out, all paid for by charity . | 2483a4d11c054ec526d0a78f8cf5325be08fa9e1 |
The U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria has stepped up its attacks on the militant Islamist group's de facto capital, with 30 airstrikes targeting Raqqa overnight, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday. Separately, another opposition activist group based in Raqqa reported that about 30 airstrikes by "the crusader alliance" targeted areas northwest of the city. Previously, coalition strikes have primarily targeted Kobani, near the Turkey border. The attacks in Raqqa mark an increase in coalition activity there. Last week, almost 100 people were killed in Syrian government airstrikes in Raqqa, the observatory said. Many more were critically injured. Government warplanes carried out at least 10 airstrikes in Raqqa, targeting the city's al-Hani Mosque and the public souk, or market, the observatory said, using reports from activists and residents on the ground. Extremists have made the city, which sits on the banks of the Euphrates River, the de facto capital of their self-declared Islamic State that stretches across large areas of Syria and Iraq. The city is known as a place where ISIS puts training centers, weapons depots and accommodations for fighters. During the Syrian conflict, the group has also seized military bases from the Syrian regime near the city and in the wider Raqqa province. Syria has been embroiled in a three-year civil war, with government troops battling ISIS and other rebels. Fighting raged across the country on Sunday, the observatory said, with more than 40 people reported dead in airstrikes, shelling and raids. A leader of al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra was among those killed in clashes north of Aleppo, the observatory said. The Islamist militant group, also known as al-Nusra Front, is also trying to establish an Islamic state, though primarily in Syria. It has been gaining ground and has emerged as one of the most effective groups fighting the Syrian regime during the civil war, drawing on foreign fighters with combat experience in Iraq and elsewhere. At least 40 fighters killed in Syrian city of Kobani . | More than 40 were killed in clashes across Syria, observers say . At least 30 airstrikes target Raqqa overnight, according to opposition activist group . Attacks mark increase in activity in Raqqa, which ISIS had made its de facto capital . | 7e5e573edcfc5a302d73e1205779f83efd81d671 |
By . Jessica Jerreat . The woman due to become the first African American businesswoman to be boss of a Fortune 500 company has said more women will soon be taking over top jobs in the U.S. Xerox chief executive Ursula Burns said the business world would be foolish to ignore the large pool of talented women in America's colleges. 'A tidal wave is coming', the 50-year-old told the audience at a Prism awards fundraiser for New York University. Optimistic: Ursula Burns, the first African American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company, expects more women to take on leading business roles . Ms Burns, who is credited with helping her predecessor save Xerox, said executives would be 'silly . business people' if they did not draw on the pool of talented women in college soon. She . added that the most successful corporations would hire women and minorities, according to Huffington Post Business. Although Ms Burns, who was seventh on Fortune's list of the 50 most powerful women in business last year, believes women will play an even greater role in the business world, she despaired at the lack of women in high-level executive positions. Basically there's been no progress,' Ms Burns, who rose to the top role at Xerox after starting as an intern, said. Her speech at the luncheon comes amid renewed debate about women's progress in business. In March Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said women were being held back by things that were out of their control. The author of Lean In added that hard work, help and ambition could redress the lack of businesswomen in top positions. Those remarks came as Yahoo! chief executive Marissa Mayer banned working from home, even though she has a nursery next to her office to help her balance being a mother and a boss. Historic: Anne Mulcachy with President Obama and Google's chief executive Eric Schmidt. Her handover to Ursula Burns will be the first woman-to-woman Fortune 500 succession . Ms Burns reflected Ms Sandberg's advice, and encouraged career women to 'be . the best at what you do and work hard', adding that young people often believe it will be easy to reach the top of their profession. 'They think you can get to this end just participating nine to five,' she said. A strong work ethic was instilled in . Ms Burns from an early age. She was raised in a housing project in . Manhattan by a single mother who worked as a cleaner and ironed clothes . to help pay for her daughter's education, . Her efforts were rewarded when Ms Burns graduated from Columbia with a masters in mechanical engineering. Despite their hard work and ambition, women still face . barriers to progressing in their careers when it comes to pay and promotions, making only 80 per cent of what their male counterparts earn. For example, Ms Burns is one of only 21 women who hold the title of an S&P 500 CEO. More than a third of public companies had no woman senior . officers last year, according to a survey from Catalyst. At a conference in March, however, Ms Burns told aspiring businesswomen not to have guilt trips about missing out on what their children are doing, adding it's a 'fool’s journey' to try to achieve the perfect work-life balance. She also warned against taking life too seriously, adding 'Ninety per cent of this stuff is just not that serious,' according to the Wall Street Journal. The rarity of women in top positions was highlighted when Ms Burns was offered the chief executive role at Xerox from Anne Mulcachy last month. Career advice: Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg says women are being held back . It was the first woman-to-woman handover for a Fortune 500 company and, when Ms Burns officially takes over on July 1, she will be the first African American woman in the list. Ms Burns and her predecessor cemented their success by saving Xerox. In the past five years they have halved the company's debt to $7 billion and boosted net earnings. According to CNN Money, Ms Mulcachy told her to 'figure out how to get $2 billion out' while ensuring Xerox survived to be a company our children could work at. Her lasting advice for women wanting a leading role in business however is to work for a company or industry they are passionate about. | Ursula Burns says companies would be 'silly' to not hire talented women . Businesswoman rose to be chief executive of Xerox after starting as intern . | 6632430297369fe2a88a1f9cd6374eb067f07df2 |
Orlando, Florida (CNN) -- AT&T's wireless network will face major challenges "in the short term" unless the carrier is able to begin integrating T-Mobile USA's infrastructure, said AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega. He didn't specify an exact timeframe for when his company's problems could compound but acknowledged that the network's needs must be addressed in less than three years. AT&T announced plans to acquire the American T-Mobile unit from Deutsche Telekom on Sunday in a $39 billion transaction. "With this deal, we're set" for both the short and long haul, de la Vega said in a brief interview on Tuesday. Analysts predict that AT&T could see major scrutiny from the regulating bodies that must approve the deal. However, it's unclear how long that process might draw out. "One of the key drivers (for the deal) was the need for additional spectrum," he said on a panel at the CTIA Wireless conference. "It resolves the pending spectrum challenges that we're facing in major cities." Wireless spectrum is the airwaves on which cellular signals travel. Without enough spectrum, phone calls can get dropped and internet surfing can slow to a crawl when too many gadgets are trying to connect at the same time. People in the industry talk of an impending "spectrum crunch." Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski dedicated a large part of his speech at this week's mobile conference to the topic. "Unleashing more spectrum must be a national priority," he said. "Every day we are not freeing up spectrum for mobile broadband is a day with real costs to our economy." The FCC is one regulator, along with the Department of Justice, that will review AT&T's acquisition proposal. Genachowski declined in his speech to comment on the deal. He promoted the idea for broadcasters to auction their spectrum -- something he's championed but hasn't succeeded in implementing. However, Verizon Wireless CTO David Small isn't feeling a spectrum crunch. He said Verizon secured ample airwaves at the FCC auction in 2008, when the company spent an estimated $9.6 billion. "We bet pretty big with the 700 megahertz spectrum that we bought, and we feel that that gives us a very good path forward for 4G LTE," Small said. "There is not a Verizon Wireless spectrum concern in the short term." At that same auction, AT&T paid $6.6 billion, analysts said then, in addition to the $2.5 billion spent to acquire Aloha Partners earlier that year. AT&T is positioning the T-Mobile purchase as a proactive move to alleviate overflow in major cities. Poor service quality in cities such as New York and San Francisco has been a criticism lobbed at AT&T over the past several years. De la Vega, the AT&T executive, said he expects Verizon will face issues down the road if it doesn't continue to aggressively buy spectrum. "You wait and see," he said. Verizon's forecast determines that its network will be stable until 2015 before it will need to buy more or free up spectrum from its own holdings, Small said. That's despite iPhone data usage being "a little bit higher than what we had expected," he said. "We feel we're in pretty good shape for the next three to four years." Small was also unimpressed with AT&T's pledge to expand the rollout of its faster 4G LTE network to 95% of the U.S. population from 80% if federal regulators approve the T-Mobile merger. "From my view, that's old news," Small said of AT&T's promise. Verizon had set a deadline in 2013 for when its own version of that network technology will match its 3G coverage, which blankets about 97% of Americans. Verizon's 4G LTE began deployment in December, currently covers 59 cities and will add 88 more by the end of the year. | AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega says the network faces short-term problems . T-Mobile USA's assets could alleviate the troubles AT&T faces, he says . But AT&T faces a potentially long regulatory approval process . | 25c50a62adc78acfd20df1230d3003559d7201c5 |
Jordan has been condemned by human rights groups after hanging 11 men convicted of murder (file picture) Jordan has been condemned by human rights groups after hanging 11 men convicted of murder, ending an eight-year moratorium on the death penalty. The men were killed at dawn in a prison 45 miles from the capital Amman, interior ministry spokesman Ziyad Zoobi confirmed. The men, said to mostly be in their 40s, were convicted murderers with no links to politics or extremism, Jordanian authorities said. Jordan last carried out an execution in 2006, with 122 people sentenced to death since. The 11 men hanged by the Middle Eastern nation were convicted in 2005 and 2006, it was claimed. Although Jordan gave no reason for ending the eight-year moratorium on capital punishment, Interior Minister Hussein Majali recently hinted that the death penalty could return. He said there was a 'major debate' in Jordan on the death penalty and that 'the public believes that the rise in crime has been the result of the non-application' of executions. Rights groups condemned the executions, saying they would make little difference to rising crime in Jordan. 'With these executions, Jordan loses its standing as a rare progressive voice on the death penalty in the region,' Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director Human Rights Watch said. 'Reviving this inherently cruel form of punishment is another way Jordan is backsliding on human rights.' Taghreed Jaber, regional director for Penal Reform International, said: 'We are surprised by this decision, which is a step back for Jordan.' The head of Jordan's Adallah (Arabic for justice) rights group, Assem Rababa, said the country's authorities would be better off tackling the root causes of crime. 'Political and economic problems are fostering crime,' he said. 'The authorities should not make a headlong rush (into executions) while ignoring these problems.' The executions in a prison 45 miles from the capital Amman ended an eight-year moratorium on the death penalty (file picture) Oraib Rantawi, head of Amman's Al-Quds Centre for Political Studies, said: 'The authorities have been confronted in recent years with a wave of violence, criminality and murders and want to meet the challenge by opting for deterrence and the renewed application of the death penalty.' A number of countries in the Middle East continue to impose the death penalty for serious crimes, including Jordan's neighbour Saudi Arabia, which has executed 83 people so far this year. China by far carried out the most executions in 2013, numbering in the thousands, followed by Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United States, Amnesty International said in a report in March. | Jordan condemned by rights groups for executing 11 convicted murderers . The men were hanged in a prison 45 miles from the capital Amman . Executions end an eight-year moratorium on the death penalty in Jordan . Human rights groups said executions were 'inherently cruel punishment' | 347441569749576ba2e45c1b637d31309ac628af |
By . Darren Boyle . Over-the-counter divorces will make ending a marriage as easy as 'disposing of a carrier bag', a former government minister has warned. Ann Widdecombe said plans under consideration by the most senior family law judge in England and Wales, Sir James Munby will make obtaining a divorce even easier than it is at present. This comes as the Office of National Statistics has revealed that the number of couples divorcing has increased by 0.5 percent between 2011 and 2012. Ann Widdicombe, left, believes plans under consideration by Sir James Munby, right would be 'making an nonsense of marriage' and 'should not be like buying sweets over the counter, or discarding an old carrier bag' Couples have to be married for at least a year before they can apply for a divorce in England and Wales. A so-called 'quickie divorce' can be granted in England and Wales within six months in the case of adultery or unreasonable behaviour. However, if there are complicated financial issues or a dispute over child care arrangements, the process can take several years. In all cases, one party has to apply to court for a decree nisi citing one of five grounds for the divorce. Once the decree nisi is granted under one of the five grounds, a decree absolute, ending the marriage officially can be issued after six weeks. Ms Widdecombe told The Times: 'Divorce is already too easy — it makes a . nonsense of marriage. I am not saying, go back to the old days when . divorce involved tricks and stratagems, but at least it should be . something people have to think about and take a great deal of trouble . over. 'It should not be like buying sweets over the counter, or discarding an old carrier bag.' The number of divorces has fallen from a high of 153,000 in 2003, although this could be due to a reduction in the number of people getting married. At the outbreak of the Second World War, 450,000 people a year were getting married compared with 250,000 in 2012. In England and Wales, married couples can apply for a divorce if they have been married for at least twelve months and accept that the relationship has permanently broken down. The marriage has to be legally recognised in the UK and the couple must have a permanent home in England and Wales. At present, a divorce petition has to be filed with the court showing the reason for the marriage to end. If . the spouse agrees to the petition, the court will grant a decree nisi, . showing there is no reason why a divorce cannot be granted. Six weeks later, the marriage can be ended with the granting of a decree absolute. According . to the Office of National Statistics, 13 divorces an hour were granted . in 2012 with almost half of these happening within the first decade of . marriage. Women were granted 65 per cent of all divorces and only one in seven was due to adultery. Almost . half of those divorcing had at least one child aged under 16 living . with the family while the most likely time for a split is between the . fourth and eighth wedding anniversary. According to current figures, 42 per cent of all marriages will end in divorce. From 2015, the ONS will also release figures on the first same-sex divorces. More than 40 per cent of all marriages will end in divorce with couples between four and eight years married at the greatest risk . However, Sir James wants to streamline the process, removing uncontested divorces from the court system. He said: ‘There are countries where the system is that a divorce . which is by consent and where there are no children is treated as an . administrative matter dealt with by what, using our terminology, one . might describe as the registrar of births, deaths, marriages and . divorces. It seems to work.’ He said he ‘would not contemplate it . in cases other than cases where there is consent and cases where there . are no children of the family’. Sir James added: ‘All one is doing is actually bringing a . bit of intellectual honesty to the situation and getting rid of an . unnecessary process which simply makes life more complicated.’ Any changes to divorce law would need . parliamentary legislation to be drawn up and pushed through by the . Justice Secretary. Ministers have indicated that present Justice . Secretary Chris Grayling will not consider divorce reform before the . election. Andrew Leah, partner at Birchall Blackburn Law said: 'Sir James has stirred up debate in the media by advocating the introduction of new “no-fault” divorces which wouldn’t be dealt with by the courts, but rather by Registrars as an administrative exercise similar to the registration of births, marriages and deaths. 'Unusually perhaps for a member of the legal profession, I would cautiously welcome Sir James’ suggested reforms for people who want to divorce by mutual consent. By taking uncontested divorces out of the court system, it could be a faster and cheaper way to bring marriages to an end and may avoid some of the acrimony that sometimes results from court proceedings. 'Sir James’ suggestions do not appear to propose changes to the current rules which provide for compulsory mediation in divorces involving financial or child related issues. In those circumstances, for people without the benefit of the right legal advice, there is a danger that the dominant partner in the marriage could try to manipulate the mediation process to their own advantage.' The Office of National Statistics will release the first figures on same-sex divorces from 2015 . | Family Law judge supremo wants to remove no-contest divorce form court . Sir James Munby said these divorces should be 'an administrative matter' Ann Widdicombe said the plan will 'make a nonsense of marriage' She said divorce 'should not be like buying sweets over the counter' No liberalisation of divorce laws is planned ahead of next year's election . | d676567f7a6b17659641db3e4055da5ec9b80fd0 |
Daley Blind and Louis van Gaal were busy shaking hands and posing for pictures on Monday afternoon as Manchester United captured their man. But no sooner had the promotional shots been snapped and forms ratified, the pair were straight back to Holland to collect a couple of awards. Blind, who has cost United £14million from Ajax, picked up the Golden Shoe at the Dutch Player of the Year awards. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Edwin van der Saar on his countryman Daley Blind . Smile! Daley Blind (left, pictured next to father Danny) won the Dutch Player of the Year award . Title: Louis van Gaal (next to Dutch FA chairman Michael van Praag) was handed a lifetime achievement award . Addressing: Van Gaal gave a speech to the audience at the annual gala in Hilversum . Get up and running! The former Holland coach needs to start winning games at Old Trafford . He was followed on stage by his new manager - at club level, anyway - who was presented with a lifetime achievement award for his services to the game. Van Gaal looked in circumspect mood as he addressed the audience at the gala in Hilversum after a tricky start to his tenure in Manchester. United have failed to win under the new boss yet and were unceremoniously dumped out of the Capital One Cup by League One MK Dons. What followed that defeat was a recruitment drive that was going right down to the wire on deadline day as the club tried to get a loan deal for Monaco's Radamel Falcao over the line. Dreamland! Blind spoke about joining the 'best club in the world' when the move was finalised . Cheers gaffer! Van Gaal had earlier looked delighted with the capture of the 24-year-old on deadline day . | Manchester United signed Daley Blind for £14million . Louis van Gaal joined Blind in collecting an award over in Holland . The pair had taken promotional pictures together in Manchester earlier . | 7f270a28dcc216a0dc61c32cd7af5a50e2acef7e |
On the field at least, this crushing Hibs victory represented a new low for Rangers and proof that the problems besetting this football team run a lot deeper than the identity of the manager. Any hope that the placing of Ally McCoist on gardening leave might provoke a positive reaction was dissolved within 12 barnstorming minutes as Hibs grabbed control of the contest and rendered it an early walkover with strikes from David Gray and Jason Cummings. This was Rangers’ heaviest domestic defeat since losing 6-2 in an Old Firm derby in 2000, a day on which a certain Alan Stubbs helped man the Celtic defence. Stubbs the manager spoke afterwards of Hibs’ near-perfect performance and, in Scott Allan, he possessed the game’s classiest performer. Hibernian's David Gray strikes the ball to put the home side 1-0 up against Rangers early on in the match . Players watch on as Gray's shot flies into the top left-hand corner of the net after just eight minutes . Hibernian: Oxley, Gray (Booth 74), Hanlon, Fontaine, Stevenson, Allan, Robertson, Craig, Handling (Kennedy 87), Cummings (Stanton 87), Malonga . Subs not used: Harris, Heffernan, Sinclair, Perntreou . Goals: Gray 8, Cummings 12, Robertson 63, Craig 70 . Rangers: Simonsen, Foster, McGregor, McCulloch, Wallace, Aird (Boyd 46), Black (Hutton 34), Law, Smith, Clark, Miller (Shiels 83) Subs not used: Mohsni, Daly, Faure, Robinson . Booked: Black 21, McCulloch 86 . Kenny McDowall acted as assistant throughout McCoist’s time in charge, but this was not so much a bruising introduction to the front line as a full-on torture session. The caretaker manager looked shell-shocked as Rangers were taken apart by a side which started the day seven points poorer off in the Championship standings. The irony is that nobody gained from this result so much as the league leaders, and Hearts’ procession to automatic promotion moved a step closer as Rangers fell further behind in the title race. Even victory in next weekend’s Edinburgh derby is highly unlikely to provide Stubbs’ side with the opening to haul themselves back into the hunt but, having now chalked up three victories on the bounce, there is momentum at Easter Road. And, having now beaten Rangers twice in the league handsomely, there is no reason for them to fear a play-off against the Glasgow club at the end of the season. Easter Road has arguably proved Hibs’ biggest obstacle to keeping pace with neighbours Hearts at the top of the table. Still resentful of being relegated alongside the neighbours last term, the Leith crowd have been a cranky lot this season, affording little patience to Stubbs’ new-look side as they have bedded in. Jason Cummings was in the right place at the right time to slot home Hibs' second of the afternoon . Cummings celebrates with his team-mates after putting Hibs 2-0 up against Rangers at Easter Road . With Hibs entertaining Rangers for the first time since the latter’s financial meltdown in 2012, this was a top-tier standard occasion and the audience reflected the fact by backing their players to the hilt. The ground was not full but it was noisy and Gray’s rocket soon boosted the decibel levels. Although Rangers had not been here on league duty since a Nikica Jelavic double gave them a comfortable win in December 2011, they had visited the stadium for last term’s Challenge Cup Final, which ended in a humiliating defeat by Raith Rovers. This was a different class of opposition but the shame was no less for it. The Hibs fans had already been warmed up by the sight of former Hearts midfielder Ian Black being bullied off the ball by Allan when Gray unleashed his piledriver. A Liam Craig cross had been half-cleared by Lee McCulloch and Gray had time to take a touch as he stepped on to it 20 yards out. The resulting shot was straight and true, arrowing high past Steve Simonsen at a fair pelt. Rangers' Ian Black (centre) looks very disappointed as he is substituted after just 34 minutes of the game . Nicky Law (second left) challenges Hibs' Scott Robertson, scorer of the home side's third goal . If that goal could just about be forgiven, Rangers’ defence was utterly incompetent at the second. Not only did Craig have the time and space to meet Dominique Malonga’s looping cross unopposed, his ball back across goal found Cummings in even more room in the six-yard box where he applied the simplest of finishes. Cummings scored twice at Ibrox earlier in the season and he was again proving a constant menace, pulling Rangers’ defenders all over the place and showing no lack of confidence with the ball at his feet. He attempted one of his zingers from 20 yards, forcing Simonsen to spill and, after Scott Robertson sent the rebound wide, Black’s embarrassment was completed as the No 8 was shown on the board to signal his withdrawal. Already on a booking after a brainless challenge on Allan, the midfielder was saved from himself, if not the baying crowd, by McDowall, with Kyle Hutton being sent on in his place. There were just 33 minutes on the clock. Paul Hanlon (right) makes a challenge on Rangers' Nicky Clark during the Scottish Championship match . Rangers' Steven Smith (centre) tries to break past the challenge of Hibs' Robertson (left) A cry of ‘sack the board’ went up from the away end and there was even some rare self-deprecation as they started to sarcastically cheer a succession of passes from the men in blue. The break robbed Hibs of some momentum but they stood firm defensively with Liam Fontaine and Gray both putting their heads in the way of Nicky Law shots. Kris Boyd had come on for Rangers at the break but the burly striker never looked like threatening. Instead, Hibs were able to pick their guests off. Robertson got the third, swapping passes with Allan before sliding a low finish across Simonsen, and then Craig helped himself to the fourth. It was again Allan with the assist, first bamboozling Hutton with a shimmy before driving forward and then scooping a pass into the path of Craig who, from a similar angle to Robertson, applied a subtle volleyed finish into the far corner. | Before the game, Rangers were second in the Scottish Championship, seven points clear of third-place Hibernian . Hibs have now closed the gap to three points after thrashing Rangers . David Gray opened the scoring, before Jason Cummings doubled the lead . Scott Robertson scored the third, before Liam Craig completed the win . Kenny McDowall was taking charge of Rangers for the first time . | c9b42da1cba93fee37434bf1c201b0702b1c0e08 |
A Los Angeles TV producer pulled off an epic Thanksgiving Twitter take-down of an apparently horrid fellow passenger on his flight to Phoenix yesterday that ended with the middle-aged woman slapping him in the face. Elan Gale, whose Twitter bio says he's a producer on ABC's The Bachelor, began tweeting from the airport around 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving, after learning his flight was running behind schedule. What came next was a blow by blow account, from 30,000 feet, of his note-passing battle with 'Diane from 7A' that would put most 7th graders to shame. Twitter war: Elan Gale, pictured, whose Twitter bio says he's a producer on ABC's The Bachelor, began tweeting from the airport about midday on Thanksgiving . 'Our flight is delayed. A woman on here is very upset because she has Thanksgiving plans. She is the only one obviously. Praying for her,' the long-haired, bearded Gale began. He added: 'She's telling the flight attendants that it is Thanksgiving. She wants them to know she wants to have dinner with her family.' According to Gale, the woman was getting pretty irate at the prospect of being late for her holiday dinner. 'The male flight attendant said "I understand ma'am. I'm looking forward to seeing my family too." She responded "This isn't about you,"' Gale tweeted. 'Her family is very important to her, she says. Her family has a special recipe for stuffing. She needs to be there to help. It is crucial,' he wrote in a follow up. First encounter: Gale's first tweet, pictured, on the subject revealed his flight was delayed that one passenger was particularly pissed off . Annoying: The woman continued to complain, according to Gale . Up in the air: Once seated, he bought he a glass of wine and wrote the woman, later revealed to be called Diane, a note, pictured . Gale said the woman couldn't believe that she might be late, and she wanted everyone to know about it. 'She has a connecting flight. Why doesn't anyone understand she has a connecting flight? Why do people not understand her needs?' he tweeted. Finally, the plane took off, but the hilarious tit-for-tat was just getting started. 'She had to sit down because we took off. She has been muttering "about DAMN time" and I can hear her breathing from 5 rows back,' he tweeted, from up in the air. That's when he decided to send her a glass of red wine. And a note. He took a picture of both for the pleasure of his 35,000 twitter followers who, if they were already sick to death of their own Thanksgivings, would have been following the action closely. Upset: Though Gale, pictured, may have been the most confrontational, others on board were also aware of the impolite woman's behavior, he said . Enjoying the action: After the wine, Gale gave the woman two small bottles of vodka that the assistant handed him, after which he was a little nervous . The note read: 'Dear Lady in 7A, It has come to my attention that today is your 'Thanksgiving!' It must be hard to not be with your family. Please accept this glass of wine. It is a gift from me to you. 'Hopefully if you drink it, you won't be able to use your mouth to talk. Love Elan.' Though he may have been the most confrontational, others on board were also aware of the impolite woman's behavior, he said. 'The male flight attendant is giving me the "let's just pretend this never happened" face. Shaking his head a lot,' he tweeted, before adding that the host took him aside. 'He gave me two little bottles of vodka but he won't hand them to her. He says I have to do it myself.' He told the Twittersphere 'I'm going to do it.' Then four minutes later, he wrote: 'Oh my God I did it I walked as if I was going to the bathroom and I leaned over and put them on her tray table and walked away Oh my God.' He said, in response, the woman just stared at him 'really hard,' and was breathing through her teeth. But he was clearly enjoying the altercation. Retaliation: But the woman, Diane, struck back wit her own note, pictured . Warpath: 'This means war,' he tweeted, before sending out a description of his opponent to his tens of thousands of followers . 'I'm not going to lie I am shaking this is so terrifying she is so angry at me it's kind of incredible,' he tweeted. 'I don't really know what to do now I'm afraid to get out of my seat. This is like being on a roller coaster I'm scared and super excited.' But that's when the woman struck back. 'The male flight attendant just handed me a note from 7A,' he tweeted before posting a picture of the letter from 'Diane.' 'Dear 'Elan,' The wine wasn't funny. The vodka wasn't funny. You're an awful person with no compassion. I'm sorry for your family that they should have to deal with you. - Diane.' 'This means war,' he tweeted, before sending out a description of his opponent to his tens of thousands of followers. Another note: Gale hit back with another note in which he told 'Diane' to stay home next time she was in a bad mood . Seat: He also took a photo of the woman's seat, pictured . 'Diane is in her late 40s or early 50s. She is wearing mom jeans and a studded belt and she is wearing a medical mask over her idiot face,' he tweeted. In an amusing effort, he even tweeted at US Airways in a bid to get her kicked off the flight 30,000 feet in the air. '@USAirwaysHelp hi I find a passenger on one of your planes to be annoying. If I give you money will you remove her? I want to buy her seat,' he wrote. But decided another note, which he said he was considering 'balling up in my mouth and spitting it into her tray table,' was his best retaliation approach. He tweeted a picture of her seat number and then his response note before delivering it. It read: 'Dear 'Diane,' Thank you for your lovely note. The person who lacks compassion is you. We all want to get home, particularly the nice men and women who fly your lazy ass around and serve you drinks (you're welcome!) Next time you're in a bad mood, stay home. I hate you very much. Eat my d***' Love 'Elan.' Tit-for-tat: Diane's next note, pictured, read: '"Elan" This is inappropriate beyond belief. I will be speaking to the authorities when we land' Rude: But the producer couldn't leave it there, and sent another note to Diane, referring again to his genitalia . Violent: In a violent twist of fate, it was Diane who may have been in trouble with the authorities when they landed . Diane shot back with her own threat. It was getting heated. '"Elan" This is inappropriate beyond belief. I will be speaking to the authorities when we land.' But the producer couldn't leave it there. With the comment, 'My final (I think) note to Diane in 7A,' he posted a picture of his latest offering, 'Dear "Diane" When you speak to the authorities, please make sure they arrest you for cannibalism because you just ate my d***!' Love Elan.' However, in a violent twist of fate, it was Diane who may have been in trouble with the authorities when they landed. 'Well, "Diane just slapped me,' Gale tweeted. Final note: In a last note, after the slapping, Gale gave Diane his Twitter handle and told her to read all his tweets . Signing off: Signing off, Gale added once more for measure 'eat my d***' He later explained, on his connecting flight to LAX, how it all played out. 'When I got off the plane I waited for her at the gate. I was holding another note in my hand and I was going to give it to her,' he tweeted. 'She walked right up to me and slapped me immediately in the face.' He said the gate agent for the next flight actually grabbed her and held her back before asking Gale if he wanted the airport police called. He said 'no,' as Diane turned to ask the same agent whether she'd make her connecting to Sacramento. 'He said "no,"' Gale tweeted. He said he laughed and the agent asked again if he wanted to call the police. Again he said no, but he did have one last note for her. It read: 'Diane, allow me to introduce myself. I am TheYearOfElan. Look me up online. read every tweet. Read every response. And maybe next time you'll be nice to people who are just trying to help.' And signing off he wrote, 'PS Eat my d***. Love Elan.' Hat-tip to Buzzfeed for first reporting this hilarious Thanksgiving etiquette lesson. | Elan Gale, whose Twitter bio says he's a producer on ABC's The Bachelor, began tweeting about 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving . He said his flight was delayed and described an apparently horrid fellow passenger who was outraged she'd miss 'her Thanksgiving' What came next was a blow by blow account, from 30,000 feet, of Gale's note-passing battle with 'Diane from 7A' It ended in him getting slapped and her being told 'eat my d***' | 8bd434bdb57c68b85b4ba1aed6a7f3c73489b3e1 |
While some buskers merit a few coins, footage has emerged of a group of drummers who deserve their own TV show. The clip shows an incredible display of synchronised skill outside the TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis following a Minnesota Vikings game against the New York Jets on Sunday. What’s more, the men manage to wow passers-by with their dexterity despite the fact that they’re only playing on buckets. Scroll down for video . Amazing: Four drummers wowed the crowds outside the TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis . Drumming up support: The men manage to wow the crowds with their dexterity despite the fact that they’re only playing on buckets . Those watching whoop and cheer as the men play with extraordinary precision in snowy conditions, even flipping their drumsticks around in time with each other. It’s not clear how much money they made from their percussive endeavours, but they’re raking in views on the internet, with over 11,000 hits so far. And they probably cheered up a few Jets fans, as their team lost 24-30 to the Vikings. It’s not clear how much money they made from their percussive endeavours, but they’re raking in views on the internet, with over 11,000 hits so far . The clip comes hot on the tail of a little girl becoming an internet sensation after she danced to music by subway buskers and started a hoedown in the process. The band Coyote, which was playing a Grateful Dead Cover of 'Me & My Uncle,' posted the video of the New York moment on YouTube and the video now has over 200,000 views. The little girl who started it all can be seen dressed all in pink and grooving out to the band's tune. A green haired woman dances along with her. | Footage has emerged of drummers wowing crowds in Minneapolis . They show remarkable dexterity has they flip their drum sticks together . Thousands have watched a clip of them performing in the chilly weather . | 9022cbe3b5ec9dfbc320174112bb62d656ef49d5 |
(CNN) -- Another chartered flight is scheduled to leave the United States for Cuba Sunday as a result of recent U.S. government moves to ease restrictions on travel to the Communist nation. In a partnership with Delta Air Lines, Marazul, a Miami-based travel agency that specializes in travel to Cuba, has restored direct flights between select U.S. airports and Havana, Cuba, a Delta spokeswoman said Sunday. "We are excited to get back into the market in partnership with Marazul," Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said, adding that some flights took place in October, departing from Miami. Marazul announced on its website that it has restored its direct flight between New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Havana, scheduled to take off on Sunday. In December, Marazul will provide weekly flights from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Marazul announced. Round-trip tickets can only be purchased through Marazul travel, which has chartered a Boeing 737 with crews from Delta Air Lines for its Miami-Havana flight, the travel company said. Laughlin said loosened government restrictions on travel to Cuba has allowed Delta to re-establish the charter service with Marazul. According the Marazul's website, these flights are offered only to passengers who have been "duly authorized" by the U.S. government to travel to Cuba. This includes, but is not restricted to, travelers with close relatives in Cuba, official business travelers, professionals, students and other potential travelers authorized by the U.S Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). In September of 2009, OFAC announced it would ease existing restrictions on travel to Cuba, citing President Barack Obama's initiative announced the same year to "reach out to the Cuban people in support of their desire to freely determine their country." | Delta Air Lines partners with Marazul travel agency to provide chartered flights to Cuba . Delta provides planes, Marazul sells tickets, Delta says . The first flight took off from Miami in October . | 9218911a4e5a8cc5e1f57fc6a6ab3ab3259ad78f |
London, England (CNN) -- The three Pakistani cricket players at the center of betting allegations in London left the United Kingdom on Friday. All three were interviewed by police last week under caution, meaning police believed they may have committed a crime. The players have promised to return to help investigators "in due course," London's Metropolitan Police said. The players departed London's Heathrow airport at about 11:30 a.m. (6:30 a.m. ET). The betting scandal has rocked the cricket world, with allegations that members of the Pakistan national team were involved in "spot-fixing" during Pakistan's Test series with England late last month. Spot-fixing involves deliberately throwing parts of a game, rather than the whole match. The News of the World, the British tabloid that first reported the allegations, said players deliberately bowled "no balls," or fouls, at specific points in the game and that the alleged ringleader made 150,000 pounds (about $230,000) in the scam. No players have been arrested over the allegations, but the three questioned by police -- teenage cricket star Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, and team captain Salman Butt -- were provisionally suspended by the sport's governing body and charged with various offenses under the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption code. Their team is continuing a two-month tour of England without them. | The players have departed London . All three were interviewed by police last week . They are at the center of betting allegations . | 1b37f8943e908871816b93df12760615dc966995 |
A Tory grandee today warned that he would sue for libel if newspapers repeat false internet rumours linking him to paedophilia. In an unusual move, Sir Peter Bottomley issued a public denial of any involvement in child sex abuse in a bid to counter false claims circulating on websites. Sir Peter said people were using the current controversy about an alleged cover-up of child sex abuse at Westminster to ‘restart’ disproved rumours about him from the 1980s. Sir Peter Bottomley, married to the former Conservative Cabinet minister Virginia Bottomley, issued a public denial of any involvement in child sex abuse in a bid to counter false claims circulating on websites . Sir Peter, who is married to the former Conservative Cabinet minister Virginia Bottomley, told Radio Four’s Today programme that people were also now wrongly suggesting that he may have visited the Elm Guest House, in Barnes, south-west London, which is at the centre of some of the current claims. The Elm Guest House is alleged to have been the scene of paedophile activity and sex parties attended by politicians and other prominent figures in the 1970s and 1980s. Visitors are said to have included the late Liberal MP Sir Cyril Smith. Sir Peter, 69, successfully sued The Mail on Sunday in 1989 after it printed a false story about him. Today he said he would have no hesitation in doing so again if the rumours appear in print. He said: ‘People are trying to restart [the rumours]; people are trying to somehow to connect it to the Elm Guest House, a place I’ve not been to, where I’ ve not been involved. And I give this public warning - if any substantial publisher links me in any defamatory way, they can expect the same kind of action as The Mail on Sunday got.’ Sir Peter dismissed suggestions there had been a conspiracy to cover up abuse by Establishment figures . Sir Peter, who said he had always gone out of his way to help whistleblowers, said he backed the idea of a wide-ranging inquiry into claims that senior figures were involved in child sex abuse, provided it did not interfere with police investigations. But he dismissed suggestions that there had been a major conspiracy to cover up abuse by Establishment figures. He said successive governments did not take seriously enough the activities of groups like the notorious Paedophile Information Exchange, ‘partly because people couldn’t believe it, partly because there may have been one or two senior people in the police or some other forms of public life’. But he added: ‘The idea that there could be an organised group that could stop things happening is, I think, imagination. ‘If I tried to organise a conspiracy on something I knew a lot about I think it would fall apart in two or three days. If this were an organised conspiracy there would be much more there.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Worthing West MP issues public denial of any involvement in child abuse . Said people are using the current controversy to restart disproved rumours . Denied there had been a major Establishment conspiracy to cover up abuse . | a7a3c8053f3aacd39563bbb85895009fd8f6ada2 |
(CNN) -- "Eat, Pray, Love" author Elizabeth Gilbert returns to her roots with her latest foray into fiction. Literally. In "The Signature of All Things," Gilbert focuses on a 19th-century female botanist who specializes in moss. She says it took more than three years to research and write the novel, which spans generations and continents. In her free time, Gilbert stays loyal to the passions she immortalized in her best-selling memoir: yoga, travel and her husband, played memorably by Javier Bardem in the movie version of "Eat, Pray, Love." The 2006 book about her journey through Italy, India and Indonesia brought her fame and fortune. She followed it up with "Committed," an exploration of the institution of marriage, inspired by her decision to wed the man she met during her travels, after a contentious divorce and swearing off matrimony. She spoke to CNN about her new book, and its famous predecessor, in her familiar voice. Below is an edited transcript. CNN: How does it feel as a writer to have your books compared when they're so completely different? Elizabeth Gilbert: It's inevitable that readers who came to know me, and who know my passions and my interests, will see aspects of me. If they're looking for it, they'll find me in there. They'll find some familiar themes. It's about a woman's journey of discovery. It's about a woman who's passionate about her work. It's about a woman who's passionate about the world. All that stuff will be familiar to readers of "Eat, Pray, Love." It doesn't bother me. I'm not offended by it, because I'm not writing this book to try to get away from "Eat, Pray, Love." I'm writing this book to try to do something entertaining for myself and for my readers. It's OK. It's cool. CNN: How did you decide to go back to your roots as a fiction writer? Gilbert: To a large extent, what I did writing "Eat, Pray, Love," and certainly a bit with "Committed" as well, all of that was so that I could do this. My life had gotten so messed up in my early 30s, after my divorce and this period of depression that I went through, that the idea of being the creative writer that I always wanted to be just fled from me. I think the simplest way to describe it is that you can't invent drama when you're living drama. One of the things that I wanted to do by getting my life in order was to return myself to a place of calmness and stability, where I could do something like take on a book of this scope. So in many ways, this book is kind of a celebration of the result of "Eat, Pray, Love": the result of finding a good relationship and getting out of my own way and clearing out all that space so that I could be the writer I've always wanted to be. CNN: How did you go about doing all the research on the places and the time? Gilbert: I just got so lucky after "Eat, Pray, Love," I had all these resources and all this freedom to be able to fund whatever I wanted to do with my life. And so I was able to throw myself into three years of study about 19th-century botany. For me, that's joyful and exciting and interesting. And it felt like a real tribute to the freedom that I had to be able to do that. And it was intimidating, because I didn't really know that much about the period, and I didn't really that much about the plant adventures of that day. But on the other hand, I'm such a geek. I just got to really full-on geek out about learning all that stuff, which was very exciting. CNN: Did the joy in this writing process come from your personal life? Gilbert: I'm getting smarter as I get older. I'm enjoying my 40s so much more than I enjoyed any other period in my life. I had a friend who told that me your 40s are such a wonderful time because you start to get out of your own way and get over yourself. And that has certainly been the case for me. I don't have much nostalgia for my 20s and 30s. It's just a really nice time. I'm in a really supportive marriage. My husband is a great champion of me and my work. This book was also probably one of the sweetest intimacies of our marriage, because I wrote it in several months in a big burst, and every night, he would come into my office and sit down with a glass of wine, and I would read to him what I had written that day. I felt his excitement, and that compelled me to write faster. And it became this lovely private thing that we were doing together. And I think his influence shaped the book as well. CNN: What's your next project? Gilbert: I think I'm going to stick with fiction. I had such a good time with this, I don't want to let go of it yet. Having been in the corseted, buttoned-up, repressed 19th century, I want to move into the early 20th century and write a novel about girls behaving recklessly. Take off those corsets. | Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir "Eat, Pray, Love" sold an estimated 10 million copies . She chose fiction for her latest book, which follows a 19th-century female botanist . The author says you can't invent drama when you're living drama, which she was . Gilbert says she's enjoying her 40s much more than any other period in her life . | dd7970a704079d1e9008a2b3a721026599c86a1b |
The "world's most wanted man" may be holed up in Russia, but Edward Snowden's story will soon be available -- as they say -- everywhere books are sold. "The Snowden Files: The Inside Story Of The World's Most Wanted Man," by reporter Luke Harding, from the British newspaper The Guardian, comes out in the UK this week, with a U.S. release date of February 11. The Guardian is a key player in the Snowden saga, having provided an outlet for the former NSA contractor-turned-whistle-blower to expose what he knew about the U.S. government's mass surveillance programs. Harding accessed a wealth of inside information, such as this story about how Snowden first connected via e-mail with Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald. Harding writes in the book: "This mystery correspondent asked Greenwald to install PGP encryption software on his laptop. Once up and running, it guarantees privacy (the initials stand for Pretty Good Privacy) for an online chat. Greenwald had no objections. But there were two problems. 'I'm basically technically illiterate,' he admits. Greenwald also had a lingering sense that the kind of person who insisted on encryption might turn out to be slightly crazy." Greenwald and Snowden eventually built a mutual trust, and the former IT contractor divulged many of the top secret documents in his possession. At that point, The Guardian's U.S. Editor Janine Gibson drew up plan before publishing, including seeking legal advice and working out a strategy for approaching the White House. She had some tough decisions to make. Harding wrote: "Gibson decided to give the NSA a four-hour window to comment, so the agency had an opportunity to disavow the story. By British standards, the deadline was fair: long enough to make a few calls, agree a line. But for Washington, where journalist-administration relations sometimes resemble a country club, this was nothing short of outrageous." Harding said Gibson's tough decisions meant she'd have to face down some tough people, including FBI deputy director Sean M. Joyce, NSA deputy director Chris Inglis, and Robert S. Litt, general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The author writes: "By fielding heavyweights, the White House had perhaps reckoned it could flatter, and if necessary bully, the Guardian into delaying publication. Gibson explained that the editor-in-chief -- in the air halfway across the Atlantic -- was unavailable. She said: 'I'm the final decision-maker.' After 20 minutes, the White House was frustrated. The conversation was going in circles. Finally, one of the team could take no more. Losing his temper, he shouted, 'You don't need to publish this! No serious news organisation would publish this!' Gibson replied, 'With the greatest respect, we will take the decisions about what we publish.'" The newspaper ran the story and, soon thereafter, Snowden disappeared. He's currently in Russia, where he has asylum. "I think ... he's achieved far more than he could have possibly imagined when he was sitting in Hawaii planning this leak," Harding told CNN on Sunday. He described Snowden's transformation from contractor to leaker. "He got hardened. In other words, the more information he saw about what he viewed as ... mass surveillance, the more disillusioned he became. He says quite explicitly that he thought that (President Barack) Obama would roll back some of these programs when he came into the White House, and when this didn't happen, essentially Snowden decided he would take things into his own hands, and become a whistle-blower," he author said. "There's no doubt that he's changed history by what he's done." | The book, by Guardian reporter Luke Harding, will be released in the UK this week . It details the unlikely journey of intelligence leaker Edward Snowden . Harding on Snowden: "He's achieved far more than he could have possibly imagined" | aa6c873b4d137845e804ac039426b434eac53a39 |
(CNN) -- After an eight-year hiatus, Buffy is back! Not really, but for some fans of Sarah Michelle Gellar it's the closest they can get at this point. The actress made her highly anticipated return to TV on Tuesday night in The CW's "Ringer." Playing ex-stripper Bridget and her wealthy twin sister Siobhan, Gellar's characters are a far cry from her days as the now-iconic vampire slayer on "Buffy." But fans of the late supernatural series agree, they'd follow the actress just about anywhere: And that includes her new film noir-type soap. Though The CW's programming tends to skew a bit younger, "Ringer," which was originally created with CBS in mind, maintains a more adult quality. Potentially perfect for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit, many of whom have likely matured with Gellar, now 34. "This is a good way for fans who loved 'Buffy' to sort of continue on with [Gellar]," Hollywood.com's TV editor Kelsea Stahler said. "Because they're older, I think it can appeal. We don't need vampires or werewolves or the forbidden love between her and Angel. You already love her. The drama is there." The anticipation helps, too. Gellar went off the air on a high note after "Buffy" -- and stayed off. Despite a TV movie, a couple of voiceovers on popular animated series and roles in two film franchises -- "The Grudge" and "Scooby-Doo" -- the actress chose to lay low while beginning a family with husband Freddie Prinze Jr. The pair welcomed their daughter Charlotte in September 2009. "The hiatus actually worked wonders for her," Stahler added. "A lot of 'Buffy' fans were teens when 'Buffy' was first on. They grew up with her -- through 'Cruel Intentions,' 'The Grudge.' And when she went off the grid to do her family thing, people started to miss her as opposed to tossing her aside as a has-been." Like TV bloggers and industry insiders predicted, "Ringer" reeled in a solid audience for The CW. However, its 2.7 million viewers don't quite compare to the 3 to 5 million viewers who tuned into The WB-turned-UPN to watch "Buffy" each week in the late '90s and early 2000s. But TV consumption is a different beast from when Gellar first graced the small screen. Anywhere in the 2 million viewers range is standard for programs on The CW, which spawned from the aforementioned networks. "'Buffy' fans are incredibly loyal," Daniel Malen, the editor of tvaddict.com, said before the show's premiere, adding, "They're 100% going to watch 'Ringer.' ... I'm Sure The CW will be happy with [Tuesday's] numbers." And Gellar's involvement isn't just appealing for viewers. Her "Ringer" co-stars are equally as thrilled to have her aboard. "When we knew Sarah Michelle was attached, that was the biggest draw to the project -- as much as the brilliant script that we both read," Ioan Gruffudd, who plays Siobhan's husband, said at Comic-Con. "The package was just too attractive to turn down." And as if "Buffy" fans weren't enough, throw in fans of "LOST's" Nestor Carbonell, who plays FBI agent Victor on the show. "It's smart casting," Stahler said. "They've picked people who are really going to bring [viewers] along with them." But, as Malen says, "It's easy to get someone to tune in, but people have to enjoy the show. Whether or not the 'Buffy' fans stick around, we'll see." Ryan McFadden, who runs buffyfans.com, said he's sure it will take some time before he can fully separate Gellar from Buffy in her new roles, but he's thrilled to welcome her back to TV. Of course, he adds, there is a chance it won't live up to "Buffy." And Gellar knows it. "You can't top 'Buffy,' " Gellar, who is also co-executive producer of her new series, told EW prior to "Ringer's" debut. "There's no reason to try. It lives in that world, so you have to do something that's interesting for both the audience and for me as an actor. And that's not necessarily the easiest thing to find after a show like that." Get more geeky news and musings at the CNN Geek Out blog . Perhaps unsurprisingly, "Ringer" was met with mixed reviews. The Hollywood Reporter is among the many outlets to compare Gellar's characters to Buffy, noting, "[Gellar's performance] hardly lends confidence that she's capable of being the cornerstone of such a show." The consensus of most reviews being, "give it a few episodes." A boating scene shared by both of Gellar's characters attracted a good amount of negative criticism. Stationary clouds and calm water for miles backs the scene, which New York Magazine describes as "the Sea of Bad Production Values." "They might have gotten stuck in the Comically Phony Visual Effects trade wind and been unable to navigate the difficult waters of the Fake Backdrop Strait," the article states. But, for "Buffy" fan Kelly Creamer, Gellar can do no wrong. "I noticed [the green screen] a bit, but honestly, it was fine to me," she said. "I mean, it didn't look that bad. ... It didn't affect the performance." It's just nice to spend time with Gellar again each week, Creamer added. "It feels like family -- the same kind of comfort." | Gellar plays ex-stripper Bridget and her wealthy twin sister Siobhan on "Ringer" A boating scene shared by both of Gellar's characters attracted negative criticism . "Ringer" reeled in a solid audience for The CW -- 2.7 million viewers . | f2924c3501ec7d9b73c2c99bf0798d8a89f48cb0 |
While Louis van Gaal was being unveiled, Manchester United old boy Rio Ferdinand put thoughts of Old Trafford behind him. The England defender, released by United at the end of the season, wrapped up his move to Queens Park Rangers, signing a 12 month contract. Ferdinand was looking forward to resuming his Premier League career with Harry Redknapp’s side after putting pen to paper on a deal worth up to £70,000-per-week. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Harry Redknapp: I'm so pleased to have Rio Ferdinand at QPR . Done deal: QPR manager Redknapp says new signing Rio Ferdinand had other options in London . Pen to paper: Ferdinand signed for QPR from Manchester United on a free contract on Thursday . Committed: Ferdinand will concentrate on his football after signing a one-year contract with QPR . Warm welcome: The former West ham defender greets young fans before signing his contract . VIDEO Ferdinand completes QPR move, Caulker bid accepted . Redknapp said: 'He had other offers. He could've gone to . two top London clubs who wanted to speak to him, where he might have played and . not played, but he wanted to come here. 'I can't say who they were but that's . 100 per cent fact.' After . completing a medical, Ferdinand arrived at Loftus Road . to sign the contract and conduct in-house media duties. Ferdinand, 35, arrived back in England earlier this week following his stint working for the BBC as a World Cup pundit. The veteran defender has, however, been topping up his fitness over the summer in preparation for pre-season at QPR. The move reunites Ferdinand with Redknapp, who gave the former England star his senior debut at West Ham in 1995. Speaking exclusively to www.qpr.co.uk, . Ferdinand said: 'I used to sit in the Loft – my Dad used bring me here . as a young boy. QPR was the first professional club to ever sign me. 'There are great memories for me here – for my family. 'Anton . had nothing but good things to say about QPR and I watched Les here as a . boy, with the likes of Ray Wilkins, Clive Wilson, David Bardsley and . Alan McDonald.' New chapter: Ferdinand posted an image on his Twitter account after signing . Farewell: Ferdinand left Manchester United after 12 years of success at Old Trafford . Ferdinand, . who has been involved in deals worth close to £50million, was one of . Redknapp’s top targets as soon as promotion was assured via the . play-offs in May. And . despite a reluctance from certain members of the Rangers hierarchy to . rubber-stamp the deal given his age, Redknapp has got his man. Ferdinand brings a wealth of top-level experience with him having spent 12 years at Old Trafford. He helped United to 11 trophies, including six league titles, one Champions League, one FIFA World Club Cup and an FA Cup. En route: Former Manchester United defender posted a message confirming his medical at Loftus Road . Trophy cabinet: Former Manchester United defender will be leaving Old Trafford with six Premier League titles . But his target next season will be much different as he looks to keep Rangers in the top-flight following their promotion. Redknapp . hopes Ferdinand’s capture will be the catalyst for several more . purchases ahead of his side’s season-opener against Hull City on August . 16. The . Rangers boss is hoping to land Ajax striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson after . having a £4.8million offered accepted by the Dutch giants. They are also interested in Cardiff central-defender Steven Caulker, who is also wanted by Crystal Palace and Southampton. | Rio Ferdinand has confirmed his move to Queens park Rangers . Former Manchester United defender passed a medical at Loftus Road . Ex-England captain has signed a one-year deal despite having more 'lucrative offers' from other clubs . The 35-year-old defender met with owner Tony Fernandes to convince him about his 'desire' to play . Harry Redknapp previously gave Ferdinand his debut at West Ham . | b5f536df5aca439ac09ee2be318f4f959541f398 |
ISIS in Libya have released pictures of armed fighters burning musical instruments as the extremist group continues its propaganda assault in the north African country. Pictures of the heavily armed masked militants watching while a pile of drums burnt in the Libyan desert were released earlier today - purportedly by the 'media wing' of the local group. It is understood the brightly coloured instruments had been confiscated by the religious police, and were destroyed near the port city of Derna, in eastern Libya. 'Unislamic': The group claims it burned the drums because it believes music is against their religion . Seized: A statement said the instruments were 'burnt in accordance with Islamic law' A message released with the pictures explains: 'Hesbah seized these un-Islamic musical instruments in the state of Warqa (we call it the city of Derna). It adds they were 'burnt in accordance with Islamic law'. Whether or not it actually is has been a point of some debate in the Islamic world, but Libya's ISIS recruits are not the first to burn instruments. Earlier this year, religious police were filmed beating musicians and destroying their instruments as punishment for playing an 'un-Islamic' keyboard. The men were pictured being hit across the back and legs with a wooden stick in a public square in Syria after ISIS's fanatical Islamic enforcers ruled the electric keyboard was 'offensive to Muslims'. Another picture shows two keyboards and what appears to be a lute smashed to pieces after raids thought to have taken place in Bujaq, a few miles to the east of Aleppo in Syria. Brand new?: Some of the drums destined for the pyre appeared to never have been used before . Hidden: The ISIS militants were careful not to show their faces in any of the pictures . These latest pictures from Libya are the latest in an onslaught of 'propaganda' being released by the country's local branch of ISIS. The group, and its march through Libya, was brought back into the spotlight with the release of a five minute video showing the murders of a group of Coptic Christians. The men were beheaded by the extremists on the beach at Sirte, allowing them to film the blood running into the Mediterranean. It has since released pictures showing a smart fleet of Toyota Land Cruisers carrying the notorious black flag of Islamic State as they drive in perfect unison through the streets of Libya. Propaganda war: Libya's ISIS fighters came back into the spotlight when they beheaded 21 Egyptian men . Co-ordinated: The group followed it up with pictures purporting to be its own fleet of 4x4s . Land grab: ISIS now controls four major cities along the Libyan coast - including Derna, far right, where the pictures of fighters burning instruments were taken, and Serte, centre, where the beheadings took place . The extremist group has taken control of four major cities along Libyia's coast, joining forces with groups that formed after the fall of Gadafi. Meanwhile, Libya's internationally recognised government has fled to Tubruq, near the Egyptian border, a two-and-a-half hour drive from where the instruments were supposedly burned. It shares control of Tubruq and capital Tripoli with other rebel groups. Libyan forces are working with an international coalition to try to rid the country of ISIS. | Group published pictures of fighters watching a pyre of drums burning . Release statement claiming destroyed because instruments are 'unIslamic' Images are the latest move in a propaganda war fought by ISIS in Libya . Came back into the international spotlight after beheading 21 Christians . Have also released pictures boasting about its fleet of vehicles . | 9ba2027bfb24c5dc739e5857d4e3289df785aebd |
By . Stephen Wright, Emine Sinmaz and Gerard Couzens . PUBLISHED: . 19:34 EST, 23 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:58 EST, 24 November 2012 . An Algerian-born career criminal suspected of a ‘marriage of convenience’ to a British citizen has been deported from Spain to the UK. Police said Lazhari Zemouche had been arrested 92 times in Spain over the past 25 years for crimes from theft to robbery and had used a number of fake identities. But because he had married in the UK before his latest crime spree in Spain, he was deported to London rather than to his native Algeria. Powerless: Border agency staff are unable to stop Algerian criminal Lazhari Zemouche from entering the UK . Officials said he was put on a plane to London after his latest arrest in Majorca because he was deemed a ‘security risk’ in Spain. Spanish police sources claimed Zemouche, whose whereabouts were unknown last night, had entered into a sham marriage to obtain a British passport. They admitted that unless Zemouche was a wanted man in Britain, he would be free to roam the streets and carry on offending as he has done over the past two and a half decades in Spain. His wife’s identity and the exact date of his marriage, said to have taken place in England ‘a few years ago’, were not revealed by the Spanish authorities. He was deported to the UK under a 2007 Spanish law allowing it to expel EU citizens for security reasons. A spokesman for police in Majorca, where 45-year-old Zemouche was arrested on October 4 and held in an immigration centre pending deportation, declined to name him officially. But Zemouche’s initials appeared in the local media and informed sources confirmed his full identity.The police spokesman said: ‘He was deported to Britain because he married a British citizen in the UK and has British nationality. ‘Police records show he has been arrested 92 times since 1987 in different parts of Spain for crimes including theft and robbery and has been in prison several times. He has also used up to 22 identities. If this gentleman has put on his British passport form that he’s not got a criminal record outside of the UK then he would appear to be lying because his spells in prison date back a number of years.’ A police source added: ‘We suspect he entered into a sham marriage to obtain a British passport because after marrying he’s returned to Spain and continued offending and in principle doesn’t appear to have had any contact in Spain with his wife. For us it’s a marriage of convenience.’ Last night there was no answer at an address in North London where Zemouche is thought to have lived previously. Spanish police declined to offer a full list of his past offences. An official admitted: ‘Unless he is wanted in Britain then he will obviously be free to walk the streets a free man until such time as he reoffends. ‘But with his history, it’s a question of when and not if he’s going to reoffend.’ The Home Office said it could not discuss individual cases. Before he was granted British citizenship, background checks were carried out on Zemouche. These would have included establishing whether he had committed any offences in the UK. Figures last year showed EU migrants were committing over 500 crimes a week in Britain, but officials were powerless to deport most of them. Whitehall’s interpretation of EU freedom of movement rules means only offenders who have received a jail term of at least two years can be deported. | Lazhari Zemouche . arrested 92 times in Spain over the past 25 years . Crimes range from theft . to robbery and he has used fake identities . Believed to have entered into a sham marriage to obtain a British passport . | e90ba8cf02936ecdef06ac565399e001770de63b |
By . Simon Walters . PUBLISHED: . 18:09 EST, 21 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:09 EST, 21 July 2012 . Commons Speaker John Bercow charged taxpayers £624 to have his chauffeur rush him to Devon for a ‘dirty weekend’ with wife Sally before she entered Celebrity Big Brother. His official limo picked him up at Westminster and drove him 224 miles to his favourite seaside resort, Woolacombe, where his wife and family were staying last August. Mrs Bercow has confessed that while there she used sex to persuade her husband to drop his opposition to her appearing on the Channel 5 reality programme. 'Dirty weekend': John Bercow (right) charged the public purse £624 so his chauffeur could rush him 224 miles to Devon for a 'breathless' night with his wife Sally (left) ‘I just used my feminine wiles and took John away for a dirty weekend in Devon,’ she said. ‘I gave him a weekend he wouldn’t forget, which left him happy, if breathless. He eventually gave in.’ She made her comments amid reports that their marriage was on the rocks over her determination to use the programme to become a television star. Now figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that days before Mrs Bercow went on the show, the Speaker spent almost £800 of publicly funded expenses on a round trip between Woolacombe and Westminster. He was on holiday in Devon, but was called back to Westminster to chair a one-day debate on the summer riots. Mr Bercow dashed to meet his wife at Woolacombe, his favourite resort, before she entered the Big Brother house . The trip back to London on August 10 . involved a £95 taxi to Exeter and a £40 rail fare to Paddington, where . his chauffeur was waiting to take him to his official residence at a . cost of £37.20. However, when he returned to Woolacombe the next day, immed-iately after the debate ended at 8pm, he took the official car back at a cost of £624.72. His decision to be driven back meant he could spend the night snuggled up to his wife instead of arriving the next day by train. A spokesman for the Speaker defended the ride, saying: ‘Otherwise it would have taken him an extra 18 hours to get back to his family.’ Mrs Bercow (left), dressed as a mummy on last year's Big Brother, has confessed that while at the resort she used sex to persuade her husband to drop his opposition to her appearing on the Channel 5 reality programme . However, he could have caught the 11.45pm ‘Night Riviera’ sleeper service to Barnstaple, which arrives at 7am (cost £49), jumped in a taxi for the 11-mile ride to Woolacombe (cost £25) and been back in Sally’s arms by 8am, a mere eight hours later than the limo, but saving tax-payers £550. The couple remained in Devon until the end of the weekend, and on August 18 Mrs Bercow went into the Celebrity Big Brother house. The following day she was quoted as having told a friend about the ‘dirty weekend’. Shortly afterwards she became the first contestant to be voted off the show. Mr Bercow flew straight to India – the £6,155 flights were also charged to the taxpayer – on official business, which enabled him to avoid the hullabaloo over Big Brother. His spokesman said: ‘The Speaker and his family only took one week’s holiday last year. This coincided with the recall of Parliament, and by the time the debate finished it was too late to get back to his family other than by official car.’ The documents also revealed that Mr Bercow charged the taxpayer £1,320 for a shower screen and £80 to repair a roller blind in a ‘baby bedroom’ at his grace-and-favour apartment beneath Big Ben. Between September 2010 and March 2012 he spent £45,825 on travel – most of it on international flights – including £8,429.86 for the Speaker and a member of staff to fly to Washington and Boston. The documents also revealed Mr Bercow spent almost £13,000 over three months on entertaining and hospitality, including £3,599 on a three-night trip to Rome to attend a G8 Speakers’ conference. | He dashed to Devon for a 'dirty weekend' with Sally . She was due to appear on reality show Big Brother . Their marriage was reportedly on rocks over show . Mrs Bercow admits using sex to get him on board . | f0238b58227592b8eba1725f08df36a1c5e33ef4 |
By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 06:12 EST, 6 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:11 EST, 6 March 2013 . This baby orangutan already seems to be getting to grips with the world as he clings to his mother at Singapore Zoo. The playful Bornean orangutan, named Veera, appears to pull a face at the camera as his mother Dam sits down for a bite to eat. Veera, who was born in January at the zoo - which has the largest social colony of endangered Sumatran and Bornean orangutans in the world. Shy: The Bornean orangutan is under the threat in the wild from deforestation and other human activities . Lift: Baby orangutan Veera looks comfy as she clings to her mother Dam's back at Singapore Zoo . Cheeky: Veera - who was born on January 21 at the zoo - appears to pose for the camera . Bornean orangutans, which are native to the island of Borneo, are an endangered . species, due to deforestation and deliberate killing by hunters. The species, together with the Sumatran orangutan, belongs to the only genus of great apes native to Asia. Orangutans are very intelligent animals, and can use tools. They share around 97 per cent of their DNA with humans. Bornean orangutans live in tropical and subtropical forests in lowland and mountainous areas of Borneo. The species lives in the tree canopy and moves large distances in search of food. Around 55,000 Bornean orangutans live in the wild. As well as the destruction of their natural habitat, they are also killed for the 'bushmeat trade,' while young orangutans are even caught to be sold as pets. Head scratching: Singapore Zoo has the largest social colony of Sumatran and Bornean orangutans . Yum: Veera holds on tight as Dam takes time out to relax with a tasty snack . | Baby orangutan Veera poses for the camera as he clings to his mother . One of group of endangered Bornean orangutans living at Singapore Zoo . Species is threatened in wild by deforestation and killing by humans . | 1db278eb76c1f70717184ab50acd32acaee89e5d |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:48 EST, 8 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:12 EST, 8 December 2013 . Missing 13-year-old girl Samantha Dodson - who had not be seen since Tuesday night - has been found safe by police in the company of a 40-year-old 'family friend' in a mobile home park just outside Oregon City. Samantha Dodson's parents awoke to find her missing from the family's Oregon City home in Oregon on Wednesday morning. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said she was believed to be with Kelsey McCune, 40, a friend of Dodson's father who has no known address. He had spent Thanksgiving with the family. Sarah Dodson, Samantha's sister, said the family were 'worried about the twos relationship'. Found: Samantha Dodson, 13, was located by police at the weekend in the company of 40-year-old Kelsey McCune (right), who has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and interfering . On Saturday deputies responded to a tip from a person who had recognized Dodson from missing persons flyers, according to KPTV. The tipster, believed to be a woman walking her dog, saw both Dodson and McCune in a wooded park area at the north end of the Country Village Mobile Home park off S Maple Lane Rd. Authorities responded by sending in a SWAT team, due to the size of the area and the need to search it quickly. Dodson was reported to be in a good condition but was transported to a local hospital for a check up. McCune was arrested and booked into the Clackamas County Jail on a charge of kidnapping and interfering. Concerned: Samantha's sister Sarah said she was worried about their relationship . As the search for the pair started during the week, police said the girl could have left willingly with McCune, according to KOIN. Samantha's sister Sarah said the family were ' most worried'. 'We're most worried about where she is and is she safe,' Samantha's sister, Sarah, told KATU. 'And then we're also really worried about their relationship and what is happening between them.' Sarah Dodson, Samantha's sister . The sheriff's office said that the girl had no history of suicide attempts or running away from home. McCune was described as six feet tall and 170 pounds. He has a glass eye and graying hair. His criminal history includes guilty pleas for reckless driving and attempted burglary. 'We're all just doing everything that we . can to console one another and also to try to figure out where they . are,' Dodson's sister added. Samantha Dodson was last seen on Tuesday night at her family home in Oregon City. After the sheriff's department released numerous images of the girl, she was recognized by a woman walking her dog in a mobile home park . Samantha Dodson has been found safe by police following a four-day search . The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office used the hashtag #FindSamantha on Twitter and Facebook to help spread the word. | Samantha Dodson was last seen in Oregon City on Tuesday night . Authorities believed she was with Kelsey McCune, a friend of her father's who stayed with the family over Thanksgiving; he has no known address . A person who recognized Samantha from missing persons flyers reported seeing her in a park inside the Country Village Mobile Home Park . A SWAT team searched the area and found Samantha and McCune . McCune was arrested and charged with kidnapping and interfering . | 720753ff89f4cacfda640c37b1236aa2634234f9 |
By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 14:57 EST, 3 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:35 EST, 4 September 2013 . Benjamin Robinson, 14, continued playing rugby for 25 minutes despite his injury . A schoolboy rugby player died from second impact syndrome after playing rugby for 25 minutes and colliding with another player, an inquest has heard. Benjamin Robinson, 14, collapsed on the pitch at Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, in Northern Ireland, in January 2011 and died in hospital from head injuries. Coroner Suzanne Anderson told an inquest in Belfast she believed the teenager had sustained concussion during a heavy collision with another player at the start of the second half but, despite his injury, had played on for a further 25 minutes. 'I am satisfied that he sustained concussion in the first four minutes of the second half. Unfortunately neither the team coach or the referee were made aware of his neurological complaints and he continued to play,' Ms Anderson said. Benjamin, who was playing for Carrickfergus Grammar School, was involved in two other clashes during the game with Dalriada at his school grounds. In the final minutes he fell to the ground unconscious and, despite frantic efforts by a doctor who had been spectating and medics at the Royal Victoria Hospital, he never recovered. The coroner added: 'I accept the consensus opinion that the features of this death are typical of second impact syndrome which occurs when two concussive-type injuries are sustained in a short space of time. It is exceptionally rare but can affect young people between 14 and 18 whilst engaged in sporting activity. 'This is the first recorded death of its kind in Northern Ireland and most probably the first in the UK. Medical science is not able to ascertain why an individual can succumb to this exceedingly rare syndrome.' There is some evidence that children are more susceptible to second impact syndrome than adults because their brains cannot recover as well from a minor knock. Devastated: Mother Karen Walton, pictured with father Peter Robinson, said Benjamin had slept in his rugby kit . The coroner said she would present her findings to the head of Irish rugby and Northern Ireland’s Minister for Education to highlight the dangers of second impact syndrome and raise awareness about concussion management. 'I think everybody could learn from this,' she added. Outside the court, the schoolboy’s parents said they would fight for the introduction of new legislation to protect young people engaged in contact sports. His father, Peter Robinson, said: 'We welcome the Coroner’s findings and the recognition that there was a concussion early in the second half and he played a full half with concussion. Devastated: Karen Walton the mother of schoolboy Ben Robinson is comforted after speaking to the media in Belfast . 'Obviously it has been highlighted about education - it is about getting the message out to the schools. We had a policy in America, a template for all of this, that can be put in place tomorrow if they wanted. 'I would love to fight for Ben’s Law because why should children in the UK not have the rights like in America.' The family have consistently argued that Benjamin should have been taken off the pitch earlier and believe if modern guidelines on concussion management had been put in place their son would still be alive. Mr Robinson said he hoped something positive could come out of the tragedy. He added: 'We lost Ben. There has to be something good come of this. Just to make sure no other family has to go through this. It is so easily prevented. Again we go back to education and all the facts being presented to parents so they are aware.' There were harrowing scenes inside Belfast’s Old Town Hall when video footage of the match was played. In it, Benjamin could clearly be seen clutching his head on several occasions. The schoolboy’s mother, Karen Walton who had been watching from the sidelines as her son collapsed, wept uncontrollably while other friends and relatives clung to each other for support and wiped away tears. Afterwards Mrs Walton recalled how Benjamin had slept in his rugby kit and had not wanted to let team mates or his school down during the crucial match. She said the coroner’s findings provided little comfort. 'I don’t have my son back. I have an image of my 14-year-old son in his rugby kit the night before. He slept in his rugby kit because he didn’t want to forget anything and he didn’t want to let anybody down. He did not want to let anybody down during that match,' she said. 'He was the most loveable, loving, likeable, honest kid. He was just a 14-year-old kid who is missed every second of every day. He was a very loyal boy, outspoken but a good kid, a great son and a fantastic brother.' The coroner described the video images as 'extremely useful' and said they were 'better than a witness statement' because they could not be disputed. The inquest previously heard how Benjamin had appeared dazed and confused towards the end of the game. A team mate said he had not been aware of the score that his team was winning. It was also claimed that after one collision Benjamin had to be helped up by the team coach. Cause of death was officially recorded as cerebral oedema and subdural haemorrhage associated with second impact syndrome. | Benjamin Robinson died in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, in January 2011 . Coroner Suzanne Anderson said she believed the teenager had concussion following a collision with another player . Despite his injury he continued playing for a further 25 minutes . Family have argued that Benjamin should have been taken off the pitch . | fdcbda4f1a5687ba8a4959347021947d2e8cd588 |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Four prominent neurologists say they cannot see how Sen. Pete Domenici can continue his work as a U.S. senator given his diagnosis with frontotemporal lobar degeneration, a type of dementia. September tests showed Sen. Pete Domenici's brain disorder had progressed since an April checkup. The disease attacks the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which control judgment, complex decision-making, communication, mood and behavior. None of the four doctors is treating Domenici, nor is any familiar with his case, but all have treated patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration, or FTLD. Dr. David Knopman, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, says when his patients learn they have FTLD, he tells them it's best to stop working. "They would be prone to have poor judgment and make mistakes," Knopman said. "I would encourage them to leave their employment." Domenici, a six-term New Mexico Republican, announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election after his current term expires in January 2009. It's not clear how long the senator has known of his condition. "For at least two years, I have felt very little impact from this disease," he said in announcing his decision. But September tests showed the condition had progressed since a checkup in April, he said. "While the progression was slight, I had to consider whether I could in good conscience run for re-election and serve you as well as you deserve for another six-year term," Domenici told an audience in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A source close to Domenici, 75, says his physician at Johns Hopkins University Hospital "has a comfort level with his ability to finish out the term." The source added, "Those of us who work with him have not seen much deterioration." Dr. Bruce Miller, a neurologist at the University of California-San Francisco, says that of the 500 patients he's treated for FTLD, very few have been able to keep working. "At times they can shift to a different style of work that doesn't require making big judgments, like being a paper boy," he said. Dr. Murray Grossman, a neurologist at the University of Pennsylvania, noted the difficulties the disease presents for people who make decisions on others' behalf. "A lawyer wouldn't be able to best defend their clients. A stockbroker wouldn't be able to make the best investments for their clients," he said. Another neurologist, Dr. Daniel Brauner, said if an FTLD patient is making "world-shaking decisions they should probably stop working." He added some of his patients in less stressful jobs have been able to keep working but have had to scale back, leaving behind tasks that are too complex. In addition to problems with judgment, FTLD patients have behavior and language issues, because of the areas of the brain that are affected. "They can be inappropriate with money. They believe every ad they see in the paper and buy everything," he said. The doctors said first signs of the disease are often very unusual behavior or a change in personality. An affectionate grandfather, for example, might push away a grandchild looking for a hug. Someone who's always been very polite might become very rude. "Someone who's usually very adept and in touch with people might suddenly make inappropriate or caustic comments, like they might refer to someone who's overweight as 'fatty,'" Knopman says. He added patients often don't want to leave work. "One of the problems with this disorder is they often lack insight so they themselves don't perceive the problems," Knopman said. There's no cure for FTLD. Treatment consists of managing symptoms with medication and in some cases, speech therapy. E-mail to a friend . Elizabeth Cohen is a correspondent with CNN Medical News. Senior producer Jennifer Pifer contributed to this report. | Experts: Most patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration must stop working . FTLD affects parts of brain that govern judgment, complex decision-making . Senator's doctor said to be comfortable with decision to finish term . | 12c2a43f7206ccd1ce055a76d1866cc7f092e77a |
By . Chris Parsons . and Daily Mail Reporter . A Canadian porn actor accused of dismembering his Chinese lover and mailing the body parts to several addresses has pleaded not guilty to five charges including first degree murder. Luka Magnotta, 29, pleaded not guilty through his lawyer Pierre Panaccio after arriving back in Montreal yesterday. Bisexual Magnotta, 29, is accused of killing male lover Lin Jun and posting a video online that shows him having sex with the dismembered corpse. On Thursday, the court will consider Magnotta's lawyer request that he be evaluated by a psychiatrist to determine his criminal responsibility. Magnotta is also suspected of eating parts of Jun’s body. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Pleaded not guilty: Magnotta, 29, pleaded not guilty through his lawyer after arriving back in Montreal yesterday, where he was met with heavy security . Arraignment: A courtroom sketch shows Luka Magnotta being arraigned via videolink at the Montreal Courthouse today . Victim: Magnotta's suspected victim, Jun Lin, whose body parts have now been confirmed as sent to various locations - Magnotta has pleaded not guilty to all five charges against him including first degree murder . Canadian cannibal killer suspect . Luka Magnotta faced his first court hearing as early as today after . arriving in Montral last night under police escort. The . porn star murder suspect is suspected of killing male lover Lin Jun and . posting a video online that shows him having sex with the dismembered . corpse. Magnotta was flown to Montreal's Mirabel Airport on Monday, where he arrived under a heavy security presence. A convoy of police vehicles with flashing lights rolled out to meet Magnotta as half a dozen men escorted him down the stairs of the plane and into a minivan. Armed guards stood by, while handcuffed Magnotta, who has also had his hair cut short, said nothing. Canadian Public Safety Minister Vic Toews noted that Magnotta himself sped up the process by declining to contest his extradition. Martin Steltner, a spokesman for Berlin prosecutors, said Germany's federal government gave formal approval for the extradition a few days ago. Gruesome: Magnotta, 29, pleaded not guilty to murdering his gay lover, Lin Jun, before having sex with his dismembered corpse . Magnotta was caught reading stories about himself at an Internet cafe in Berlin earlier this month after he spent a few days partying in Paris. Magnotta was arrested in Berlin two weeks ago after a massive international manhunt following the Montreal murder of Chinese student Jun. In a gruesome twist, the victim’s hands and feet were sent to members of Canada’s main political parties and two schools in Vancouver. Magnotta was extradited from Germany to Canada on Monday on charges including murder and abusing a corpse. Identified: Packages containing a human foot and . hand sent to two schools in Vancouver have been identified as belonging . to the gay lover and victim of Luka Rocco Magnotta, pictured . Multiples: Police said Luka had 70 Facebook accounts under different names . His extradition and pending court appearance came after his devastated ex-lover spoke of her horror at falling for him and said: 'He could have chopped me up too.' The transsexual, who goes by the name Barbie, said the porn star wooed her by taking her to see violent film Basic Instinct 2 — in which a victim is killed with an ice pick. Sickened Barbie, aged 30, said: 'When I heard Luka was suspected of killing a man I was disgusted and disturbed. I wish I had never met the monster. 'I felt ill that I could have dated a man who was said to have done something so horrific. 'I had panic attacks because he knew where I lived and I thought he could come for me. I forced myself to watch the murder video on the net. 'I thought, "It could have been me. He could have chopped me up like that."' Magnotta's original arrest warrant cited first-degree murder, committing an indignity to a dead body, publishing an obscene matter, mailing obscene matter and criminally harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other members of Parliament. But Montreal police commander Ian Lafreniere said yesterday that number could change because investigators have yet to formally question Magnotta. | Luka Magnotta pleaded not guilty to five charges including murder . He is accused of killing gay lover before posting gruesome video online showing him having sex with dismembered corpse . Magnotta's lawyer requested his client be evaluated by psychiatrist . | bdbfaa53276efcae79485eb12bd87654537ddec2 |
A solicitor worried about paying his children’s private school fees jumped in front of a train and killed himself, an inquest heard. Vincent Buffoni, 49, was spending up to £30,000 a year to send Matthew, 14, to elite Charterhouse, and extra to send Francesca, ten, to a prep school. But the law firm he owned had been hit by the recession, and he had remortgaged the family home to raise £60,000 to continue paying for his children’s education. Early this year Mr Buffoni, an old boy of Marlborough College, contemplated suicide – writing a farewell note to his family and taking out a life insurance policy – but decided against it, the inquest heard. The elite Charterhouse School, where Vincent Buffoni, an old boy of Marlborough College, had sent his 14-year-old son Matthew . Lambeth North tube station, where the Oxford graduate threw himself under a train (file photo) Then, in May, he leapt in front of a . train at a London station. Southwark Coroner’s Court in London was told . that immigration law specialist Mr Buffoni, an Oxford graduate, founded . Vincent Buffoni and Co in 1994. As . the recession took its toll on his business he suffered depression and . anxiety. He had also been upset by the suicide of his brother Peter . three years earlier. One . morning in May Mr Buffoni left home in Woking, Surrey, and took the . train to Waterloo, from where he usually travelled to his office in . Islington, North London, by tube. But instead he went to Lambeth North and lingered on the platform, PC Steve Tucker told the court. PC Tucker said: ‘The next train entered the station and he jumped down on to the tracks and into its path. ‘The train driver immediately applied the emergency brake, but was completely powerless to stop.’ Mr . Buffoni’s wife Nicola, 50, said he had been taking anti-depressants for . around a year before his death and had also been on prescription . sleeping tablets, to which he feared he had become addicted. In February he had asked to be admitted to a psychiatric treatment centre for his own safety, she told the court. Mrs Buffoni added: ‘His business had been hit by the recession and he was very concerned about our financial situation. ‘Our children are at private schools and we have been very careful with money. To ensure our son could complete his education we had taken out an additional loan of £60,000 secured on our house. ‘He continued insisting we would have to sell our house and send our children to state school in order to survive on a dwindling cash pot.’ But Mr Buffoni’s sister Clare said his mood had improved in the days before his death after he started a course of the anti-depressant venlafaxine. 'He told me that he felt his brain had clicked back into gear,' she said. Mr Buffoni was worried over the financial performance of his law firm of the same name . She said she feared the new medication could have been responsible for triggering suicidal impulses, but doctors told the inquest it had been given in accordance with guidelines. Coroner Sarah Ormond-Walshe said there was insufficient evidence to record a verdict of suicide, and instead concluded Mr Buffoni had killed himself while the balance of his mind was disturbed. The coroner said: 'Mr Buffoni must have suddenly had some black thoughts. 'He got off the train, waited for another train and jumped in from of that moving train and died instantly. 'It does appear to have been a very impulsive, sudden and unexpected thought that passed through his brain. 'Although there was a note it was written some time earlier and there doesn't appear to have been any planning of this event whatsoever.' | Vincent Buffoni, 48, had concerns over family's finances after his law firm was hit by the recession . He spent £30,000 a year sending son to private school . Had remortgaged home to continue paying for children's education . Coroner: 'He must have suddenly had some black thoughts' | fc30b5186422911b8a7965a47283ce7fd1408909 |
NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens will warn today that Britain needs to 'get back in shape' if a public health catastrophe is to be avoided . Britain needs to ‘get back in shape’ if a public health catastrophe is to be avoided, the head of the NHS warns today. Simon Stevens is to launch a national anti-obesity drive in the new year – as a report finds Britain is now the second fattest country in Europe. In a clarion call to those recovering from the excesses of Christmas Day, Mr Stevens will ask GPs to identify tens of thousands of fat patients to be put on anti-diabetes programmes and offered lifestyle advice. The NHS England chief executive will say that losing just 5 to 7 per cent of weight can cut the chance of developing diabetes by almost 60 per cent, according to research. The warning comes as a study of 30 European nations found that only Hungary has fatter adults than Britain. Campaigners said Britain needs to make a collective New Year’s resolution to reverse current trends, which suggest two thirds of middle-aged men will be obese in two decades, official data shows. Mr Stevens also attacked a ‘daft’ European Court of Justice ruling last week which said obesity should be counted as a disability. He said such fatalistic talk should be abandoned in favour of a realisation that it was up to all of us to take responsibility for our health and get in shape. ‘The ghost of Christmases past reminds us that 20 years ago we didn’t have these problems as a nation,’ Mr Stevens said. ‘The ghost of Christmases future tells us that if we get our act together – as the NHS, as parents, as schools, the food industry – we can get back in shape. Scroll down for video . ‘Rather than recent daft judgments by the European Court practically pretending that obesity is inevitable, in England in 2015 we’re going to start proving that it isn’t. ‘That’s why the NHS is going to be funding a new national programme, proven to work, that will offer tens of thousands of people at risk of diabetes proper support to get healthier, eat better and exercise more.’ Under the new scheme, GPs will be asked to identify patients at risk of diabetes – especially those under 40 who are overweight. After tests for pre-diabetes, they will be advised on fitness and diet . The extent of Britain’s obesity epidemic was exposed in the latest study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Its Health At A Glance Europe 2014 report shows 24.7 per cent of British adults are obese, compared with a European average of 16.7 per cent. Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Bulgaria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria and Romania all have obesity levels of less than 13 per cent. Only Hungary has higher rates of adult obesity than the UK, at 28.5 per cent. The OECD report, based on data collected in 2012, shows Britain’s rate rose from 23 per cent in 2002. Rankings cannot be compared, as some countries in the 2014 report did not feature in 2002. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index of 30 or more, meaning the person’s weight is a danger to their health. BMI is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres. A measure of between 18.5 and 25 is healthy. Independent research earlier this year found that obesity costs British taxpayers more than the police, prisons and fire service combined. Mr Stevens believes anti-obesity schemes will begin saving the NHS money within three years. Under the scheme, GPs will be asked to identify patients at risk of diabetes – especially those under 40 who are overweight. After tests for pre-diabetes, they will be advised on fitness and diet, followed by regular monitoring. Earlier this year, a major study suggested a third of Britons have borderline diabetes. The NHS spends £10billion a year treating the three million sufferers of the condition – the majority of whom have type two, linked to obesity. Local NHS organisations that have run successful diabetes prevention schemes will be asked to help design the national programme. Official data suggests that if obesity was reduced from the current rate of almost 25 per cent to the 1993 level of 15 per cent, about five million cases of disease could be prevented in two decades. The National Obesity Forum’s Tam Fry said: ‘After all the food and drink consumed yesterday and today, I wouldn’t be surprised if the UK had caught up with Hungary … The National Obesity Forum is calling for a national New Year’s resolution … to tackle the aftermath of turkey, pud and cake.’ Obesity has caused 88,000 avoidable cancer cases, according to Cancer Research UK . Four in ten cancers could have been prevented over the past five years if Britons had adopted healthier lifestyles, research shows. A toll of 600,000 avoidable cases includes 314,000 caused by smoking, 145,000 by poor diet – including eating too much red meat – and 88,000 from obesity, says Cancer Research UK. Figures from the charity show that around 40 per cent of the 331,500 new cases diagnosed each year are directly caused by a poor lifestyle. According to the statistics, half of us will be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime. Scientists are urging the public to make simple lifestyle changes to slash the odds. Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London – funded by Cancer Research UK – looked at more than 100 existing studies to calculate how many cancers diagnosed between 2007 and 2011 were caused by poor lifestyle. In addition to smoking, a poor diet and obesity, they found that a further 62,200 cases were down to excess alcohol and 55,900 from spending too much time in the sun. Professor Max Parkin, a Cancer Research UK statistician, said: ‘There’s now little doubt that certain lifestyle choices can have a big impact on cancer risk, with research around the world all pointing to the same key risk factors.’ But he added that ‘we can stack the odds in our favour by taking positive steps now that will help decrease our cancer risk in future’. | Simon Stevens will launch national anti-obesity drive in the new year . He will ask GPs to identify fat patients for anti-diabetes programmes . Losing 5 to 7% of weight cuts chance of developing condition by up to 60% . Study of 30 nations found only Hungary has fatter adults than Britain . | 3cd50b10d94155c7d5c6d9d27238d4f2ff86475f |
(CNN) -- Australian tourist Michael Smith says he was eating lunch in a restaurant in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, on Friday when he heard an explosion and saw smoke. Video shot by an Australian tourist shows protesters in the streets of Lhasa, Tibet, last week. As armored vehicles and trucks carrying Chinese soldiers rushed past, Smith started videotaping. "We're standing here in the middle of Lhasa and the place has just [expletive] exploded," Smith narrated during the rioting. Smith, who was traveling in Tibet when anti-Chinese rioting broke out Friday, returned home this week with dramatic video of the violence in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, which aired on Australian TV on Wednesday. Watch Smith's video of chaos in streets » . Tibetan exile groups maintain at least 80 people were killed by Chinese security forces that day, but Chinese authorities insist they acted with restraint and killed no one. Instead, China says 13 "innocent people" were killed, some brutally burned, by the Tibetan rioters. No apparent deaths or injuries were seen on the video, which Smith shared with Australia's ABC News, a CNN affiliate. The video shows Tibetans smashing windows and setting fire to Chinese shops and cars, while people are heard cheering. It also shows Chinese security forces, but no clashes between them and the rioters. "It's absolute mayhem on the streets," Smith said. Other video released of the rioting was broadcast by the Chinese government's CCTV, and it did not include pictures of Chinese security forces. Smith said as he made his way back to his hotel on Friday, he "met so many Tibetan people on the streets, so many young Tibetan boys just screaming for Tibet's freedom." "We don't have any freedoms," one young Tibetan male shouted to Smith's camera. "The Tibetan people are going crazy," Smith said. See protests around the world over Tibet » . Many of the businesses targeted by the rioters were operated by Han Chinese, China's largest ethnic group. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, has blamed the violent protests on deep resentment fueled by Chinese treatment of Tibetans as "second-class citizens in their own land." Tibetan activists said an influx of Han Chinese from other provinces is threatening their ancient culture. While many of these "Free Tibet" activists demand independence from China, the Dalai Lama said he wants only "genuine autonomy" so that Tibetans can preserve their heritage. Watch Tibetans on horseback storm a Chinese town » . Meanwhile, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday that more than 100 people surrendered themselves to police and admitted involvement in the clashes last week in Lhasa. Tibet's regional government said 105 people had turned themselves in to authorities by 11 p.m. Tuesday (1:15 p.m. ET), Xinhua said. Authorities had urged those who participated in the protests to turn themselves in, offering them leniency if they did. "Those who surrender and provide information on other lawbreakers will be exempt from punishment," Xinhua quoted a police notice as saying. E-mail to a friend . | Michael Smith shot video of anti-Chinese rioting in Lhasa, Tibet, last week . The Australian tourist videotaped Tibetans smashing windows, setting fires . Once home, Smith shared his video with Australia's ABC News . | c09d39a23115a810d562c00afc455a5b5cf34b35 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:45 EST, 23 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:25 EST, 23 August 2013 . Doctors diagnosed Ritchii Kara, 28, (pictured) with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) last August and gave him just 14 months to live . A vegetarian has been given just months to live after being diagnosed with the human equivalent of mad cow disease. Doctors diagnosed Ritchii Kara, 28,with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) last August and gave him just 14 months to live. Mr Kara, said: 'I had trouble for quite a long time, going back four years. My doctors didn’t take it seriously, my headaches and coordination being off balance.They just put it down to stress.' It was not until Mr Kara, who has been a vegetarian for the past five years, moved to Brighton two years ago that a doctor referred him to the specialist CJD National Prion Clinic in London where he was diagnosed with variant CJD. 'My memory’s bad and so is my coordination and sometimes I can’t see,' he explained. 'I get hallucinations sometimes, which is part the disease and part the medication. 'I put toothpaste in the fridge once but I have no memory of doing it - it’s kind of like sleep walking.' Variant CJD is an incurable disease . believed to be caused by exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy . (BSE) which affects cattle. The . vast majority of cases are caused by consuming beef contaminated with . BSE. Contaminated meat contains an abnormal protein called a prion. Prions accumulate at high levels in the brain and cause irreversible damage to nerve cells. It was not until Mr Kara (pictured), who has been a vegetarian for the past five years, moved to Brighton two years ago that a doctor referred him to the specialist CJD National Prion Clinic in London where he was diagnosed with variant CJD . Symptoms include memory loss, balance . and coordination problems, slurred speech, visual problems and . blindness, abnormal jerking movements, progressive deterioration and . immobility. Most people with vCJD will die within a year of the . symptoms starting, usually from infection. This is because the . immobility caused by vCJD can make patients vulnerable to infection. There . is currently no cure for vCJD so treatment involves helping to relieve . symptoms and making a patient feel as comfortable as possible. This can . include using medication such as antidepressants to improve mood and . painkillers to relieve pain. Assistance with feeding may also be . required. Mr Kara said it took a long time for him to accept the news and it wasn’t until a month later that he finally told his parents. Mr Kara said it took a long time for him to accept the news and it wasn't until a month later that he finally told his parents. He is pictured here with his friend Mari Ahfeld-Smith . He said: 'It’s harder for my parents because I think they feel quite powerless. 'They said to me, "We want you to move home and look after you", but I’m just not ready to stop everything yet. 'I think if you’re just going to sit about and be sad, what’s the point in going on anyway?' A few months ago Mr Kara was forced to give up his job as a barman at the Queen’s Arms pub, Brighton, where he also performed as a drag queen. After stumbling a few times behind the bar due to his poor coordination, his friend Mari Ahlfeld-Smith rounded up the troops and moved all of Mr Kara’s belongings into her home where he now lives. Variant CJD is an incurable disease believed to be caused by exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) which affects cattle.The vast majority of cases are caused by consuming beef contaminated with BSE . Ms Ahlfeld-Smith, 48, said: 'It was just the right thing to do, I couldn’t have stood back and left him - he’s like my son.' Now Mr Kara is now organising a charity event to raise awareness of CJD and money for the National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh. 'It’s for the future because they have got to find a cure for it one day and any money we raise is surely going to make a positive difference,' he added. What is vCJD? Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is a neurdegenerative condition and the human equivalent of Mad Cow Disease or Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). How is it transmitted to humans? The vast majority of cases are caused by consuming beef contaminated with BSE. Contaminated meat contain an abnormal protein called a prion. Prions accumulate at high levels in the brain and cause irreversible damage to nerve cells. They are . very different in their behaviour to conventional viruses and bacteria, . and are not destroyed by extreme heat and radiation used to kill . bacteria and viruses. Antibiotic and antiviral medicines have no effect on prions. A government inquiry in 2000 concluded that the prion was spread through . cattle that were fed meat-and-bone mix containing traces of infected . brains or spinal cords. The prion then ended up in processed meat . products, such as beef burgers, and entered the human food chain. Is eating beef still risky? Strict . controls have been in place since 1996 to prevent BSE from entering the . human food chain and the use of meat-and-bone mix has since been . outlawed. How common is CJD? Between 1996 to March 2011, 175 cases of vCJD were reported in the UK and 49 cases in other countries from October. Following the successful containment of the BSE epidemic in cattle, the number of cases of vCJD in the United Kingdom has declined since 2000. There were only five confirmed deaths in . 2011. Some experts believe that the food controls have worked and that . further cases of vCJD will continue to decline. As of January 2012 there . were no patients with vCJD, but this does not rule out the possibility . that other cases may be identified in future. There is considerable uncertainty about how many people in the UK population are incubating vCJD. A . recent study based on random tissue samples suggested that around 1 in . 4,000 might be infected with vCJD, but show no symptoms to date. What are the symptoms? Symptoms include memory loss, balance and co-ordination problems, slurred speech, visual problems and blindness, abnormal jerking movements, progressive deterioration and immobilityMost people with vCJD will die within a year of the symptoms starting, usually from infection. This is because the immobility caused by vCJD can make patients vulnerable to infection. Is there a treatment or cure?There is currently no cure for vCJD so treatment involves helping to relieve symptoms and making a patient feel as comfortable as possible. This can include using medication such as antidepressants to improve mood and painkillers to relieve pain. Assistance with feeding may also be required. | Ritchii Kara, from Brighton, was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease last August and was given just 14 months to live . Mr Kara has only been vegetarian for five years so would have been exposed to the contaminated beef when he still ate meat . He is organising a charity . event to raise awareness of CJD and money for the National CJD Research . and Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh . | dc5166c3a1b287bbdf996b4d5294eae15493cb85 |
(CNN) -- High-flying acrobats. Death-defying leaps. Bright lights and performance tents filled with adoring fans. It's the stuff of which dreams are made. After all, who doesn't want to run away with the circus? But for Joe Putignano, it wasn't as simple as running away -- it took a lifetime of dedication and a battle against addiction to get where he is today: dangling from the 40-foot-high catwalk above the Cirque du Soleil big top. The house lights are off, and one lone spotlight shines upon Joe's reflective mirror-ball suit. He is tethered at the waist, head tilted back, arms reaching behind him to grab his foot, which is quickly flexing up toward his head. He starts to spin -- literally because that's what his character is supposed to do, and figuratively, because of the searing pain he's feeling in both shoulders as he contorts into this position. Though it may seem that Cirque characters are superhuman, they too can get injured. Joe is a real human being with real muscles, bones, connective tissue and joints. And for Joe, it's not just high-flying acrobatics that cause him pain. "It's sort of mundane things," he says. "Sleeping hurts a lot, because I'm rolling over on my shoulder. Just drinking a coffee. Washing my hair hurts a lot." After nearly 1,000 performances of "Totem" and a lifetime of gymnastics training, Joe has finally hit a wall. "I need to have surgery," he says matter-of-factly. "I really wanted to see if I could continue on, and just kind of manage it, do a lot of physical therapy, and get out of this pain. But we've done that, and we're kind of out of options." Cirque du Soleil star: Why I fear pain . Joe has what's called a superior labral tear from anterior to posterior -- a SLAP tear for short -- in his right shoulder. His biceps tendon is also torn, and he has a third tear in the subscapular area underneath his shoulder blade. His left shoulder has just the one injury -- another SLAP tear. That one needs to be operated on as well, and soon, before he has permanent damage to the joint. And surgery has to be done in a way that preserves Joe's abilities to perform. "I suppose there's always a risk that when they do fix it, that it will destroy my flexibility," Joe says. "I'm useful in this industry because of my flexibility." Now this contortionist is headed to another arena with bright lights, where all eyes are focused on him: the operating room. Surgery is scary for anybody, but for Joe, it is potentially the most terrifying thing he's ever encountered. Joe is a recovering heroin addict. He's been clean for more than five years, but the thought of anything affecting his sobriety -- particularly opioid painkillers after surgery -- is something he isn't willing to risk. "Opiates made me feel like I was the greatest human being possible. Protected, cared for, loved -- all internally," he said. "So I started my path on opiates and abused them, which ultimately lead me to heroin." "I'm terrified that if I have an opiate, will it trigger this kind of sleeping demon inside of me?" Joe's fears aren't unfounded. "I recently met a woman who was 10 years sober, and she had breast cancer," he said. "She was given Percocet for the pain, and she ended up relapsing. Why does that have to be our reality?" He's determined to not let it become his reality, both for his own benefit, and to show other addicts they don't have to fear a day where they need surgery. In 2009, 605,000 Americans who were 13 and older reported abusing heroin in the preceding year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. That same year, 16 million Americans "misused prescription pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants or sedatives for nonmedical purposes," according to that same report. Most of these nearly 17 million Americans will need surgery someday, and many of them will be prescribed opioid painkillers to combat post-operative pain. "We don't have exact numbers of the percentage of former addicts that are going back for surgery, but this is definitely a growing problem in America," said Dr. Boris Spektor, assistant professor of anesthesiology and pain management at Emory University and the person who will be managing Joe's pain throughout the process. "As more and more people are using opioid substances for nonmedical reasons, and using them for medical reasons out of proportion for the dosages that they should be prescribed, it's something we're going to see a lot more of." Joe's specific plan for post-operative pain management has several facets, the first of which is a pre-operative nerve block. "It's a way of giving some numbing medication directly to the nerves that are going down to the shoulder," said Spektor, "and we'll do that for as long as possible, because with each passing day, the pain is going to get better." There is one problem -- Spektor says nerve blocks are usually inserted while the patient is awake to make sure they're placed properly. Typically they would also give the patient a sedative to help with the pain and anxiety of the procedure, but Joe has abused all three of the medications they use for sedation. So he'll be fully awake as Spektor pokes around in his shoulder to place the nerve block. Step two of Joe's pain-management plan involves a cocktail of medications -- none of them drugs of abuse -- intended to reduce swelling, turn down the nerves' pain signals and reduce Joe's stress-response to pain. Step three involves going to Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings regularly before and after surgery. During step four, Joe will see a psychologist the day after surgery and regularly after that to ensure he stays on the right mental path. And just to add insult to injury, Joe has to go through this intense process twice -- once for each shoulder. "In my head, it's like -- OK, we're going to go and visit hell, not just once, but twice," he said. "I feel like it's somewhat of a cosmic joke on me." But will these efforts pay off? Will the plan work? "I think every patient is unique," Spektor says. "But I think Joe has an incredibly good psychological framework going on. He's got a psychologist that's definitely on board with him, he's got a group of friends that are on board with him. He's got NA and AA meetings that he goes to, and we have a medical framework that's here for him." "With that combination, I think the likelihood of success is pretty good, but none of us known for sure." Today marks the first day of the rest of Joe's life. He's dropping into a new type of circus, possibly as you read this. Today he rolls into the OR for the first of his two surgeries. "I'm fearful; I'm scared; I don't know what's going to happen. I'm jumping into a freezing cold pool, and I don't know how I'm gonna react," he said days before the surgery. "I can tell you what I'm going to do, how I'm going to think -- all of it's untrue, because I won't know until I'm there. When you're met with pain, only then you'll know how you'll react to it." Read more about Joe's fears leading up to surgery . | Joe Putignano's career as an acrobat has left him in need of surgery . Putignano is a recovering addict and fears pain meds after surgery will lead to a relapse . A four-step pain management plan has been put in place for the contortionist . | 091595cb5cc022a8ded83537c0a9bb25a45a6b10 |
(CNN) -- A Dallas Cowboys scouting assistant suffered a broken back and has been permanently paralyzed after the collapse of the team's practice canopy during a heavy thunderstorm, the Cowboys announced Sunday. An aerial view of the scene shows the Dallas Cowboys logo amid the ruins of the indoor practice facility. Rich Behm, 33, was one of three Cowboys staffers seriously hurt when the storm struck their practice facility Saturday afternoon. Behm's spinal cord was severed by a fractured vertebrae, paralyzing him from the waist down, the team said in a written statement. "To the Behm family, we extend our love, comfort and the full support of every person and resource within the organization," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "Rich is a courageous member of our family and someone for whom we care deeply. We ask for all friends and fans of the Dallas Cowboys to join us in embracing him and his family with their thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time," Jones said. A total of 12 people were hurt when a severe thunderstorm knocked down the air-supported, metal frame structure that covered the team's practice field. About 70 people, including more than two dozen of the team's rookies, were in the facility when it was blown down. Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis had a fractured cervical vertebra, while assistant trainer Greg Gaither had two broken bones in his leg, the team said. Watch CNN's Don Lemon with update on conditions of those injured in collapse » . A line of heavy thunderstorms was moving through the Dallas area at the time, but no other damage to buildings was reported, said Mike Adams, a dispatcher for the Irving, Texas, Fire Department. Watch the roof collapse on players, coaches » . Arnold Payne, a photographer for WFAA, was shooting the Cowboys' practice session Saturday when rain began falling "tremendously hard." "I noticed the walls started to waver ... and then I noticed that the lights that were hanging from the ceiling started to sway, and it wouldn't stop," Payne told CNN. Shortly after that, he said, "It was as if someone took a stick pin and hit a balloon." Watch Payne describe being inside when structure collapsed » . Payne said Cowboys staff photographers were up in the metal framework beneath the canopy to film the practice session and "actually rode the building down with the storm." "There was nowhere for them to go, and it fell so fast -- it just collapsed as if it was being imploded," Payne said. CNN's Matt Smith contributed to this report. | Rich Behm one of three Cowboys staffers seriously hurt Saturday . Behm's spinal cord severed by a fractured vertebrae, paralyzing him from waist down . Canopy over Dallas Cowboys' practice facility collapsed during thunderstorm . Team photographers were up in framework of structure, rode it down, witness says . | 5d9325b6c370a0f24eccdcc7cd077f2212d436bd |
By . Gerri Peev . PUBLISHED: . 19:34 EST, 21 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:34 EST, 22 October 2013 . Repeal: Nick Clegg has said that TV licences and winter fuel payments are going to well-off elderly people who 'do not need it' Nick Clegg has signalled that the Liberal Democrats would repeal free television licences and winter fuel payments for the better-off elderly. In a flip-flop from his position last week, the Deputy Prime Minister said those who could afford to give up the perks should in order to save money for future generations. Those ideas would form part of the Lib Dems’ manifesto at the general election, he said. ‘Some of these universal benefits – TV licence, winter fuel payments and so on – are going to people who simply don’t need them,’ he told ITV’s The Agenda programme. ‘It’s not because of their age... but because they have the wealth to be able to cover those costs themselves. ‘I certainly will be advocating that – I hope other parties will as well.’ He added: ‘Alan Sugar having his TV licence [paid for] is a nonsense.’ His remarks are in stark contrast to those he made last week following suggestions that the Government should treat wealthier pensioners less generously. Social mobility tsar Alan Milburn said on Thursday that ministers should ‘look again’ at universal benefits for pensioners. He said the elderly were not carrying their fair share of the burden of austerity measures. The former Labour health secretary also hit out at the rises to state pensions at a time of a growing older population. But Mr Clegg dismissed Mr Milburn’s idea last week, saying ‘punishing the elderly’ would not help younger generations. The Lib Dems have previously said they are in favour of scrapping universal benefits for the richest pensioners. Scrapped: The Lib Dems have previously said they are in favour of getting rid of universal benefits for the richest pensioners (library image) | Deputy Prime Minister said those who could afford to give up the perks should do so in order to save money for the young . Winter fuel payments and TV licences are given to 'people that do not need them,' Clegg said today . Stark contrast to his comments last week when he said 'punishing the elderly' would not help younger generations . Party have previously said they are in favour of scrapping universal benefits for the richest pensioners . | df0801e3bc70d13304ab1acc3aa3c78ebbbf8c31 |
By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 11:23 EST, 5 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:23 EST, 5 December 2013 . High winds forced aborted plane landings across Britain today, leaving passengers 'terrified'. Videos filmed at Birmingham Airport by YouTube user David Goodship showed a Brussels Airlines Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 and an Emirates Boeing 777 both fail to land today. And an easyJet flight from London Gatwick to Glasgow was forced to abort two landing attempts in Scotland before being diverted to Manchester as the high winds battered the North. Scroll down for video . Windy conditions: A video filmed at Birmingham Airport by YouTube user David Goodship showed a Brussels Airlines Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 coming in (left) then pulling up (right) after failing to land . The plane, which departed London at 7.35am, was diverted to Edinburgh after weather forced the crew to abandon a landing attempt at Glasgow. After flying east across Scotland, a second landing attempt in Edinburgh was aborted as the storm reached the Scottish capital. Hazel Bedford, a Cancer Research UK worker who was flying to Glasgow for a mid-morning meeting, said: ‘I'm feeling really lucky to be alive. ‘We took off as normal, the captain came over the PA and said there was a chance it could be a bit bumpy north of the border and there could be some delays while landing. ‘But we got further north and suddenly everything started shaking and bumping, we were going up and down, up and down, like a roller coaster. ‘It looked like we were going to land as normal and were just above the buildings when we were suddenly in full climb again.’ Ms Bedford explained that the crew said they would travel to Edinburgh, where weather conditions were believed to be better. Bumpy: Another video filmed at Birmingham by Mr Goodship showed an Emirates Boeing 777 fail to land . Pulling back up: The video showed the Emirates Boeing 777 having trouble landing at Birmingham Airport . She said: ‘We came into land in Edinburgh and again the same, it felt like we we're hitting big air pockets and dropping huge distances. ‘We were 10ft off the ground and being buffeted from side to side - and the same thing happened; we abandoned the descent and went into full climb. 'We were 10ft off the ground and being buffeted from side to side. An awful lot of people were being sick' Hazel Bedford, easyJet passenger . ‘An awful lot of people were being sick but the plane, it was incredibly quiet. When cabin crew said “we're going to Manchester”, people started to realise this was serious. ‘All I could think of was my new year's resolution this year, which was to write my own will, and I haven't done it. It was that frightening. I was absolutely terrified.’ A spokesman for easyJet confirmed that the flight, carrying 112 passengers and six crew, was diverted due to adverse weather. She said: ‘The captain had planned initially to land in Edinburgh but high winds meant this was not possible and so took the decision to divert to Manchester Airport. ‘EasyJet would like to apologise to passengers for any inconvenience caused and the passengers will be flying onwards to Glasgow shortly with a number opting to take transport back to Gatwick instead. The safety of passengers and crew is easyJet's highest priority.’ | Brussels Airlines and Emirates aircraft filmed in trouble at Birmingham . EasyJet flight from London to Glasgow at 7.35am aborted two attempts . Plane carrying 'terrified' passengers eventually diverted to Manchester . | f5515fb805cbee4e2619768b786cb5d305e78be9 |
(CNN) -- After weeks of criticism that she was being too elusive, Senate hopeful Caroline Kennedy is now talking about why she believes she is the best person for the job. Caroline Kennedy says she is the best person to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate. In a media blitz this weekend, Kennedy sought to explain what sets her apart from the handful of other people being considered for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. "I would be an unconventional choice -- I haven't followed a traditional path, but I think I bring a lifetime of experience to this," she told NY1. She also told The New York Times that "there's a lot of different ways that people are coming to public life now, and it's not only the traditional path." Asked if she thinks she's the best fit, Kennedy told the Times, "Well, I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I would be the best." New York Gov. David Paterson has the sole responsibility of picking Clinton's replacement. His pick would serve for two years before running for election in 2010. If the candidate won that contest, he or she would have to run again in 2012, when Clinton's term ends. If Paterson selects Kennedy, it would mean the continuation of a Kennedy legacy in the Senate that began 56 years ago with the election of her father, John F. Kennedy, as the junior senator from Massachusetts. But some are questioning whether she's ready to follow the path taken by her father and her two uncles. Watch Kennedy explain why she should be in the Senate » . Kennedy, 51, has been involved in education reform and women's issues but has never held public office and has mostly stayed out of the public spotlight. Hank Sheinkopf, who worked for President Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign, said name recognition does not make Kennedy qualified for the job. "Does she have name recognition? So does Jennifer Lopez," Sheinkopf said. "The Senate seat is not a legacy place. We haven't had a Kennedy elected to office from New York state since 1964, and a lot of people would like to keep it that way," he said, referring to Caroline's uncle Robert Kennedy. Kennedy has insisted that she brings more to the table than her name. "If my last name was not Kennedy, maybe I would have run for office a long time ago," she told NY1. "I'm proud of my family tradition. It means a lot to me. That's something that I want to live up to, and that's why I feel that I've been preparing myself to do this. But it isn't fundamentally about me -- it's about who can do the best job for the people of New York -- who Gov. Paterson thinks can do the best job for delivering for the people of New York." But now that she is publicly seeking the seat, her name does make it easy for her to get attention, according to Lynn Sweet, the Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times. "This is the megaphone of the Kennedy celebrity. This is one -- this is the most famous political family in America, the legendary family," she said. "What's interesting here, one of the other people who would like to be appointed, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, he comes from another big New York political family, but, yes, it's hard even for him even to be heard." Cuomo is the son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo. He is one of New Yorkers' top choices for the seat, according to recent polls. A new national poll suggest that just over half of Americans think Kennedy has the necessary qualifications, with 52 percent saying she is qualified and 42 percent saying she is not. Read what Americans think about Kennedy . The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Monday, also shows a gender gap -- with 57 percent of women saying she's qualified, compared with 47 percent among men. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. "Men may think of qualifications for public office in terms of work experience, while women may be looking at a candidate's life experience," said CNN polling director Keating Holland. "Caroline Kennedy has a personal history that may be compelling to many women, but her résumé is not very long, and that may be a mark against her to some men." The mother of three has spent most of her life in New York City, working there after graduating from Harvard, meeting her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, on the job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and attending Columbia Law School there. Her most prominent public roles to date involved overseeing her father's presidential library and presenting the annual Profiles in Courage Award. Most of her leadership positions have been based in the arts: hosting the annual nationally televised Kennedy Center Honors in Washington and serving as the honorary chairwoman of the American Ballet Theatre, as her mother had. Sweet, of the Sun-Times, said there's no clear path to the Senate, so it's hard to compare résumés for the job. "We know that people come to this from all walks of life. There is no one qualification for Senate," she said. Kennedy has said she's always considered political office, but was finally moved to action after working on President-elect Barack Obama's presidential campaign. She endorsed Obama early in the campaign and served on his vice presidential search team. Paterson has said he will not appoint Clinton's replacement until the seat officially becomes vacant. | Caroline Kennedy explains why she thinks she is qualified to be a senator . Gov. David Paterson must pick a replacement for Hillary Clinton . Critics say Kennedy has name recognition but not experience . New poll shows just more than half of Americans think she is qualified . | 8034e868d2cbf975af43abee87ce0cb2b59a68db |
A cafe owner has been forced to apologise after putting a sign in its window telling mothers they should breastfeed in the toilets. Tillings Cafe came under fire after a customer posted a picture of the notice - which informs customers they can use the disabled toilet if they want to breastfeed their babies - on Twitter. But the family-owned coffee shop in Gomshall, Surrey was forced to remove the sign after the National Childbirth Trust, the UK's largest parenting charity, asked for it to be taken down. The sign, which was posted in the window of Tillings Cafe in Gomshall in Surrey, which told breastfeeding mothers they would have to use the toilets . The laminated note, which is headed a 'Polite notice for the comfort of customers', read: 'We have baby changing facilities in our spacious disabled toilet. 'There is also a chair nearby which can be taken inside for mothers who are breastfeeding. 'We reserve the right to ask GROUPS of breastfeeding mothers to use this facility instead of feeding at the table.' The sign angered local mothers, who called for it to be removed. Hayley Kenway, who has a seven-month-old, said: 'I have been there before and have never had any problems. But after hearing about this I am disgusted that they have requested babies to be fed in the toilets. 'Asking any of their customers to feed in the toilet is a breach of human rights.' While mother Sophie Stone added: 'It's laughable that they seem to suggest groups of mothers take it in turn to use the chair in the loo. 'I think the screams of hungry babies would cause more disruption than feeding them ever would.' The note was posted in the window of the family-owned cafe in Gomshall in Surrey . The disabled toilet at Tillings cafe, where they suggested mothers should go to breastfeed their children . However, the owners have now taken down the sign and have issued a full apology, claiming the sign was meant to present an option for mothers, rather than an order. Owner June Radford, who has run the cafe for three years, said: 'Tillings can only apologise for a huge miscommunication. 'We have had many happy breastfeeding mums in our cafe in the three years we have been open and we continue to support breastfeeding. 'We have never and would never ask anyone to stop breasting in the cafe, nor leave the cafe. The sign, headed 'A polite notice for the comfort of customers', was posted on Twitter by a customer and attracted the attention of the National Childbirth Trust . 'We are a small independent family-owned business and we try to do our best to look after all of our customers. 'Being human we can make mistakes and if we have offended anyone in trying to establish an option for more private feeding facilities we can only apologise and ask for your help in telling us what we might do to support the breastfeeding cause.' Emma Pickett, chair of the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and a breastfeeding counsellor, said: 'Most people are now aware of the rules that breastfeeding mothers shouldn't be discriminated against. 'To say breastfeeding women should use a disabled toilet is unacceptable as it is unhygienic and what happens if a disabled person wants to use the toilet? 'Everyday breast feeding mums meet up all over the UK with other mums and babies for at cafes so it is important they are catered for.' Emma Bond, who posted a picture on Facebook of her breastfeeding her premature daughter for the first time, which was then removed from the site . The cafe row comes after Facebook were forced to reinstated a picture of a mother breastfeeding her severely premature baby for the first time last month after it was removed from the site because it ‘breached nudity rules’ Emma Bond, 24, posted the picture of herself with Carene, who was born 12 weeks early, but soon found it had been removed after it had been deemed 'offensive'. Meanwhile in September, breastfeeding mother Olivia Pozniak claimed she was forced to cover up with a dirty dishcloth while joining friends for breakfast at a Wetherspoon pub in Bexleyheath. And in June, 27-year-old Carrie Davies says she was left feeling 'embarrassed and ashamed' after staff at Global Buffet in Cardiff suggested she move while feeding her four-month-old son. Mothers who staged a mass breastfeeding protest at a Sports Direct store in Nottingham in support for Wioletta Komar, who claims she was asked to leave the premises for breastfeeding her son . According to the Equality Act of 2010, it is discriminatory to treat a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding. However, in September a breastfeeding mother claimed today that she was ordered to cover up with a dirty dishcloth while joining friends for a breakfast. Olivia Pozniak, a single 25-year-old, was feeding her 11-week-old son Louie at the Furze Wren pub owned by J D Wetherspoon in Bexleyheath, Kent, when she was told to cover up. Meanwhile in August Natasha Barnett, 29, from Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, was told by a lifeguard at Middleton Pool that she could not breastfeed her five-month-old daughter Olive because it was 'classed as eating and drinking'. In June, a mother was asked to sit in a corner by a waitress while breastfeeding her son - to keep her away from schoolchildren eating in the same restaurant. Carrie Davies, 27, was left feeling 'embarrassed and ashamed' after staff at Global Buffet in Cardiff suggested she move while feeding her four-month-old son Trystan. Ms Davies, who was lunching with a friend, was offered a spot by the restaurant's toilets, which bosses at the restaurant say was more 'convenient' for her in light of a large school party who had started eating there. It comes after around 70 women descended on Sports Direct in Nottingham city centre in April to show support for 25-year-old Wioletta Komar, who claimed she was kicked out of the premises earlier this year for breastfeeding her three-month-old son. She claims a member of staff suddenly marched over and told her that breastfeeding mothers were not welcome because of 'company policy'. The sales assistant then told her that the store had no facilities for her and suggested she should go to McDonald's which had a baby and mother room. | Tillings Cafe posted a notice in the window for breastfeeding mothers . Said that they should feed their babies in the disabled toilet not at table . A customer took a picture of the sign and posted it on Twitter . Cafe have now apologised saying they didn't mean to offend customers . | afc6b662b3bed3ead6e9206ff2f2d777eeefbef8 |
ALS has no survivors. Zero. The disease is an incurable -- let's change that -- progressive degenerative neurological disorder. For reasons that are still not completely understood, the nerve cells in my brain and spinal cord will gradually deteriorate. I will ultimately lose the ability to move, speak, swallow and finally breathe. ALS leads to complete paralysis. The average life expectancy is two to five years. Shit. This is not fun to talk about! I have what is called familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Only 5% to 10% of ALS patients have this genetic disposition. My grandmother Marie was diagnosed when I was in middle school. She passed away six years later. My mother, Catherine, was diagnosed when I was in high school and has been living with this disease for 13 years. Although most of my mom's muscles have atrophied away, she's the longest living ALS patient in her clinic. She is the most beautiful and inspirational person you will ever meet. Four years ago, I graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and moved back home to help care for my mom. I started a wedding photography business. I photographed weddings on the weekends and would help my mom during the weekdays while my stepfather was at work. I was fulfilling two passions: photographing 40+ weddings a year and spending much needed quality time with my mom. I loved it! But then my hands, arms and shoulders started getting weak. I was carrying camera equipment all day, and it became increasingly more difficult to change settings and hold up my camera. After a wedding, I felt like I was hit by a bus. I was so incredibly exhausted, and it took my body a long time to recuperate. I thought I was just overdoing it, but realized I couldn't ignore the symptoms anymore. On January 27, 2014, at 26 years old, I was diagnosed with ALS. That day, hands down, was the most difficult day of my entire life. I cried uncontrollably in the doctor's office. When I saw family in the waiting room, I just remember repeating the phrase, "it's not fair" as my sister Vanessa hugged me without saying a word. Somehow, I summed up the courage to tell my mom the same day. Words can't describe the level of emotional pain she went through. I really hate thinking about it. The next day, I canceled 30 weddings I had booked for that year as a photographer. I sold all of my camera gear to refund the deposits. Since then I've lost the ability to button my clothes and open bottles. I feel like I have weights strapped to my body. Taking a shower is a workout in itself. It sucks, but I try to be grateful for the abilities I haven't lost yet. The muscles in my upper body are constantly twitching and cramping. It's a constant annoying reminder that my body is breaking down. I believe this is one of the reasons many people didn't really know what ALS was all about before the ice bucket challenge: No one wanted to talk about a depressing disease with no cure, no hope. My family included. We rarely discussed the lack of support surrounding this disease because it brought too much heartache. "Be strong and positive for the family" is what I think most of us had in the back of our minds. But now ALS is finally out of the closet after the ice bucket challenge sensation this summer! Wahoo! If there's one thing I've learned from my recent experiences is that we have to share our story, even if it's difficult. How else can we rally the support we so desperately need? One voice can and will make a difference. The challenge sparked hope, raised awareness and made a huge impact on launching new research initiatives, but we still need funds to find a cure. My family, including my new wife, Laarne, and I have a sense of empowerment that we've never had before. Priceless. My quality of life is amazing right now, but it's so great that I don't want it to stop. It's bittersweet. I'm grateful I've found the love of my life. I just want to spend as much time as I can with her. Let's change the course of ALS. We're stronger together. Please join me in this fight, and I'd be so incredibly grateful. | Anthony Carbajal was diagnosed with ALS at 26 years old . Carbajal's grandmother died from the disease, and his mother is living with it . The survival rate after an ALS diagnosis is two to five years . | 10c371a550ee55e3676ee4033d370e85a69d8328 |
By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 05:28 EST, 27 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:35 EST, 28 September 2012 . Globe-trotting Oscar the dog has flown over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter and crossed the Golden Gate bridge in the latest stage of his world tour. After visiting more than 30 countries and stopping at iconic landmarks including the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China during his great journey three years ago, the plucky pup was ready to take to the skies again. Oscar, who travels with his owner Joanne Lefson, has now braved a hot air balloon flight, helicopter ride and more plane trips as he ticks more destinations off his list, including Germany, Brussels and the Netherlands. Scroll down for video . Woof air: Brave Oscar takes a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon . Hanging out: The ten-year-old is absolutely fearless after having visited more than 30 countries . Doggy vision: Oscar prepares for another flight - on a hot air balloon in Cape Town . Not just hot air: The little dog was very excited over his trip in a balloon . Approving woof: Adopted Oscar and owner Joanne Lefson meet the pilot in the cockpit of a plane . Ms Lefson, who is half-British, rescued Oscar from a South African kennel eight years ago - just a day before he was due to be put down. The . pair began their epic journey across five continents in 2009 in a bid . to help millions of dogs without a home, visiting more than 20,000 dog . shelters on the way. The . ten-year-old canine has also recently revisited some of his favourite . spots including Nevada, France and India, meaning he has now travelled . more than 150,000 kilometres - twice the circumference of the earth. Ms Lefson, . who uses money made from the sale of her home to fund trips, said she . would not stop travelling and raising awareness until every dog had a . home. Plane brilliant: The well-travelled pup is used to having his head in the clouds . Pets win prize: At the cathedral in Cologne, Germany, and trying his hand at golf with owner Ms Lefson during the U.S. Golf Championship in San Francisco . Sporting chance: Unstoppabler Oscar goes for a ride to warm up for a tough competition . She said: 'Travel remains in our . bloodstream as does the case for dog adoption. An estimated half a . billion dogs on the planet are homeless. 'When they're adopted, we'll unbuckle our seat belts and put our paws up. 'Oscar . loved the helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon he seemed a little . disappointed there weren't any crocs in the Canyon but anxiously watched . at every turn for the odd animal to visually chase. 'During . the balloon ride he barked his brains out. There must be something . about all that fire in the sky that makes him barking mad. Cosmopolitan: Oscar by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and with owner Joanne Lefson and friends in Las Vegas, Nevada . What a star: Oscar on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles . Travelling in style: Oscar tries out yet another mode of transport in Amsterdam . Far from his basket: California's beautiful Yosemite National Park was another fascinating landscape for the dog to take in . Canine companion: A Tuc Tuc driver in New Delhi doesn't quite know what to make of his unusual passenger . Kennel kid: If Ms Lefson had not adopted Oscar from the shelter, he might not have had a loving owner - or the chance to visit so many far-flung spots . 'Perhaps his most impressive achievement is that he has endured several flights lasting 16 hours and more and hasn't even lifted a leg. 'It's a miracle he's still even alive though. If I hadn't gone to the kennel that fateful day Oscar would have had one more day left and would have been put down. 'When I discovered what a wonderful dog Oscar was it broke my heart to think how many Oscars are still out there and simply just don't get that second chance. 'I want to change perceptions of shelter dogs being old, abused and disturbed animals. Nothing could be further from the truth.' Le chien: Oscar checks out the Eiffel Tower in Paris, having now visited France several times . Just barking: Oscar has some fun with a novel disguise on a beach in Malibu . Snowy surprise: Oscar meets Tin Tin and his equally adventurous pal in Brussels . | Furry flier is well used to planes after visiting more than 30 countries . He was adopted from a kennel by owner Joanne Lefson and now the tiny traveller helps her raise awareness about the plight of unwanted dogs . | eaa8d18333dde3d5715752c445871fe38eb0aa00 |
(CNN) -- The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibiilty for two explosions Thursday at a shrine in Karachi in which at least eight people were killed and dozens injured. The suicide attack was launched at the shrine of a revered Sufi Muslim saint, Abdullah Shah Ghazi, said Zulfiqar Ali Mirza, interior minister of Sindh province. Mirza has ordered the closing of Karachi shrines until further notice. Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, is located in Sindh province. Saghir Ahmed, Sindh's health minister, told CNN that the victims have been brought to hospitals in Karachi and 60 people are being treated for injuries. Authorities said crews were sifting through human remains at the site. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack. "The relentless attacks on ordinary Pakistani citizens by those who want to impose an extremist mindset and lifestyle upon our country will not deter our government and the Pakistan Peoples Party," a statement from Zardari's office said. "We remain committed to fighting these murderers and expelling them from our land." The attack occurred Thursday night, the busiest time at the shrine because it's the eve of Muslim Friday prayers. Karachi and Sindh residents make pilgrimages to the shrine to offer prayers. Thursday night also is when people distribute free food to the poor, an act that is one of the five pillars of Islam. | NEW: Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for attack . At least 60 injured in the blast at the shrine of a Sufi saint . Karachi shrines are shut down for the time being . President Zardari condemns the act . | 179dfd1faf0638c88f096033e05256f58f87ea9b |
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