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(CNN) -- Eating well while traveling doesn't always mean hitting up the newest, hottest and trendiest locales. Besides, given the notoriously high failure rate in the restaurant industry, chances are the memorable new restaurant you try this year won't be around in the years to come. Those who want a side of history with their dinners -- and a higher probability for a return visit -- should seek out some of America's wonderful, still-thriving historic restaurants, from the centuries-old steakhouses in Manhattan to San Francisco's 100-year-old seafood counter, Seattle's midcentury four-star, and the Tex-Mex breakfast spot that Austin, Texas, politicos, from Lyndon B. Johnson onward, have called home for decades. A second helping of historic U.S. restaurants . Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington, D.C. Washington icon the Old Ebbitt Grill has been attracting the likes of presidents and beltway movers and shakers since its opening in 1856. It is the city's oldest bar and restaurant, and though it has relocated twice -- most recently to 15th Street two blocks from the White House in 1983 -- many of the original spot's artifacts, including taxidermy and gas lamps, made the move. Like many of the country's oldest restaurants, Old Ebbitt serves a take on saloon fare -- meatloaf, chops, burgers -- but the chefs here also rotate in specials based on local ingredients and seasonality. The very famous Oyster Bar should not be missed. 675 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20005 . 10 best new bars in the United States . Keens Steakhouse, New York . New York teems with venerable, historic restaurants and boasts a fair share of the country's most distinguished steakhouses, yet Keens Steakhouse stands above the rest. Albert Keen founded the restaurant in 1885 in what was then the Theater District, Herald Square. Now, it's a living relic, with a handful of clubby, wood-paneled rooms decked out in historic paraphernalia, framed old paintings, photographs and menus. The ceilings heave with 90,000 clay pipes once smoked by regulars, including Babe Ruth, JP Morgan and Teddy Roosevelt. What to order? That's easy: the famed mutton chop, on the menu from the beginning and perfected year after year. 72 West 36th Street New York, NY 10018 . Are you a travel over-sharer? Canlis, Seattle . Canlis is a baby on this list, clocking in at just 62 years old, but it's a treat for any traveler who appreciates lineage, architecture and high-caliber food. First, the building is a midcentury masterpiece --- all windows and stone and soaring ceilings -- designed by the father of Northwestern architecture Roland Terry and Honolulu-based Pete Wimberly. Inside, diners find an elegant four-star restaurant, run by third-generation owners Mark and Brian Canlis. They revamped the menu offerings in 2008 when they brought chef Jason Franey on board, snatching him up from the Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York. Now the restaurant is at the forefront of the Seattle dining scene, relevant and revered. 2576 Aurora Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109 . Pacific Dining Car, Los Angeles . In 1921, when Los Angeles was transfixed by train travel and urban trollies, Fred and Grace Cook built and opened a trolly car specifically designed as a restaurant. It was a quick hit, and they were able to pick up and move easily when their rent grew too expensive. Now, Pacific Dining Car has been parked solidly in the same spot for almost 90 years (and expanded into a new location in Santa Monica). Since they age prime beef on the premises, the restaurant is known for its excellent steaks. Because it's one of the few fine dining options open 24-hours a day, it enjoys a solid patronage from late-night eaters. 1310 West 6th Street Los Angeles, CA 90017 . Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco . Come lunchtime San Francisco food lovers looking for pristine seafood, a clubby atmosphere, white tablecloths and power players head to 163-year-old classic Tadich Grill. Those looking for the same pristine seafood but less pomp and more fun head to Swan Oyster Depot, one of the real restaurant gems of the Bay Area. The space consists of just one long raw bar, with around 20 stools, manned by a handful of friendly shuckers and servers doling out oysters, clams, lobster, chowders, seafood salads and wine. It's all about the charm, not about the pretense. Getting there outside of prime time lunch hours will guarantee a shorter wait to get in, as the secret has been out on this place since it opened in 1912. 1517 Polk Street San Francisco, CA 94109 . Jacob Wirth, Boston . Boston, of course, is rife with historic tourist attractions, including restaurants. And though German pub Jacob Wirth is the second oldest restaurant in the city, having opened in 1868, it is more of a local hangout and Theater District go-to than a tourist hub. They serve solid pub grub -- burgers, mozzarella sticks, fish 'n' chips -- as well as authentic Germanic fare like Wiener schnitzel and sauerbraten and have one of the biggest beer selections in the city (with taps that are changed regularly, given the crowds). There are sing-a-longs every Friday night to complete the beer hall vibe. 31 Stuart Street Boston, MA 02116 . Cisco's Restaurant Bakery, Austin . Widely known for serving the best breakfast in Austin, 62 year-old Tex-Mex spot Cisco's is family run and has been a local favorite for generations. The migas are legendary, but don't miss their huevos rancheros and complimentary hot fluffy biscuits. It is an established hangout for Austin politicos and looks about the same as it did when Lyndon Johnson held court here many mornings during his days in the Legislature. 1511 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702-3375 . Commander's Palace, New Orleans . Of New Orleans' historic grande dame restaurants, and there are a few, Commander's Palace, built in 1880 in a stunning Victorian house, is the one that isn't just banking on its storied reputation. The kitchen has produced New Orleans legends, from Paul Prudhomme to Emeril Lagasse, and today showcases the food from future culinary rock star Tory McPhail. The space suffered severe damage during Hurricane Katrina but was successfully refurbished and reopened in October 2006. The guidebooks will report that brunch is popular, and it is, but that's not the time to go. Head over there for an elegant dinner of haute Creole dishes like Louisiana crawfish gnocchi, pecan-crusted Gulf fish and tenderloin of fire-spiced pork. 1403 Washington Avenue New Orleans, LA 70130 . Calumet Fisheries or Berghoff, Chicago . Calumet Fisheries is not really a restaurant. It's a take-out fish shack and smokehouse on the edge of the Calumet River in Chicago, offering all manner of gorgeous smoked and fried fish to seafood-loving locals who wait patiently for their lunches and then chow down in their cars. It's a classic institution, attracting crowds since 1948, and a must for visiting seafood fanatics. 3259 East 95th Street, Chicago, IL 60617 . Those seeking a historic Chicago dining experience with actual chairs and tables better head toward the Berghoff, the 114 year-old German icon and one of the oldest family-run businesses in the country. What started as a men's-only beer hall to showcase the Berghoff family's signature beer has evolved over the century into a modern German restaurant with pierogis, Jager schnitzel, beer-battered cod and some un-German selections like mushroom paninis and Cajun chicken salads. 17 West Adams Street Chicago, IL 60603 . Ralph's, Philadelphia . Ralph's, the oldest Italian restaurant in the country continuously owned by the same family and a one-time favorite of Frank Sinatra, serves the classic rib-sticking red sauce Italian-American fare that is now so ubiquitous it's almost passe in the food world -- lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant parmesan. But as one of the true Italian-American originals, Ralph's serves this food well and serves it with pride in a boisterous row house. The three floors of the restaurant quickly fill on most nights with regulars, locals and visitors wanting to get an authentic introduction to the Italian culture of South Philly, so reservations are recommended. 760 South 9th Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 . What are your favorite historic eateries? Please tell us in the comments below. | Trends come and go, but these restaurants have lasted through the decades . Keens Steakhouse in New York was founded in 1885 . Great architecture and inventive cuisine are married at Canlis in Seattle . Cisco's Bakery is widely known for serving the best breakfast in Austin . | 59e19c0ad224d4635fae4574d85dd8b76e3f5eea |
By . Ap Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:30 EST, 11 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:36 EST, 11 December 2013 . Millennial women in America are more likely to receive pay nearly equal to their male counterparts than any previous generation. A Pew Research study out Wednesday shows that the working women of Generation Y bring home around 93 percent of the earnings of men. But even as the wage gap closes, women aged 18 to 32 remain as pessimistic as their mothers and grandmothers regarding gender equality. Closing the gap? A new Pew study out Wednesday found that Millennial women are more likely to receive pay nearly equal to their male counterparts than any generation before . Overall, women earned just 84 percent of what men were paid in 2012 according to the Pew study. Though . the younger generation is more fortunate after decades of women’s . demands for equal pay, 75 percent of women 18-32 still say the U.S. needs to do more to bring about equality in the workplace. Some 57 percent of young men answered the same way. While . women under 32 now have higher rates of college completion than men . that age, the analysis of census and labor data shows their hourly . earnings will slip further behind by the women's mid-30s, if the . experience of the past three decades is a guide. Narrower, but still there: Pew's research shows that women 25 to 34 make 93 percent of what their male counterparts take home. Compare that to the 84 percent that woman make versus men overall . That widening gap is due in part to . the many women who take time off or reduce their hours to start . families. Other factors cited in the report are gender stereotyping, . discrimination, weaker professional networks and women's hesitancy to . aggressively push for raises and promotions, which together may account . for 20 to 40 percent of the pay gap. Even so, just 15 percent of young women say they have been discriminated against because of their gender. ‘Today's . generation of young women is entering the labor force near parity with . men in terms of earnings and extremely well prepared in terms of their . educational attainment,’ said Kim Parker, associate director with the . Pew Social & Demographic Trends Project. ‘They feel empowered in . many ways, yet when they look at the workplace, they see it as a 'man's . world' with the deck stacked against them.’ ‘They . think that men earn more than women for doing the same job and that . it's easier for men to get top executive jobs than it is for women,’ she . said. Women are . increasingly moving into higher career positions both in government and . business. They make up nearly half the workforce, and the share of women . in managerial and administrative occupations is nearly equal to that of . men — 15 percent compared to 17 percent. Not out of the woods: Despite the great strides made in closing the pay gap, even Millennial women continue to be skeptical about gender equality in America--nearly as skeptical as their mothers and grandmothers . Andrew Cherlin, a sociology professor . at Johns Hopkins University, attributed young women's negative . assessments about gender equality to their rising career expectations. ‘More doors are now open to women, but they can now see how far they are . from equality in high-level jobs,’ he said. The . near-equal pay for young women is being driven in large part by their . educational gains. Some 38 percent of women ages 25-32 now hold . bachelor's degrees, compared to 31 percent of young men. As a result, 49 . percent of employed workers with at least a bachelor's degree last year . were women, up from 36 percent in 1980. That means more women in . higher-skilled, higher-paying positions. The . current ratio of hourly earnings for young women to young men, now at . 93 percent, is up from 67 percent in 1980 and is the highest in . government records dating back to at least 1979. Across all age groups, . the median hourly wage for women last year was 84 percent as much as men . — $14.90 vs. $17.79, up from 64 percent in 1980. At . the same time, the Pew study indicates that a woman's job advancement . often will hit a ceiling, due in part to competing demands of work and . family. Women remain twice as likely as men to work part-time and are . more likely to take significant time off from employment during their . lives to care for children or other family members. Still skeptical: While the wages are going up for Millennial women, the Pew study shows that 75 percent of women aged 18-32 think more should be done to bring about gender equality. In Boomer generation women, the number was only slightly higher . Among young women, 59 percent say that being a working parent makes it harder to advance in a job or career, compared to just 19 percent of young men. Across all age groups, 22 percent of women and 9 percent of men report having quit jobs for family reasons at some point during their working lives. Fewer young women than young men aspire to become a boss or top manager. Some 34 percent say they're not interested, compared to 24 percent of young men. And the vast majority of adults of all ages who reduced their work hours to care for family members — 94 percent — say they are glad they did it. ‘This report shows that we are still very much in a 'stalled revolution' when it comes to gender equality in the workplace — and young women see it,’ said Pamela Smock, a sociology professor at the University of Michigan. ‘When we see our male CEOs taking off a day to care for a sick child, then we will be working in a more gender-equal workplace — and a more gender-equal world.’ The Pew study was based on interviews with 2,002 adults by cellphone or landline from October 7 to October 27. The Pew poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. | Pew Research has found that Generation Y women make 93 percent as much as their male counterparts . Overall, women in America made just 84 percent of what men were paid in 2012 . The study found that young women are as pessimistic about gender equality as previous generations . | 9e5aece837a517fc2463a35d2eafa33fe4d54cf4 |
(CNN) -- Growing up in the Jim Crow-era South, we saw firsthand the great disparities in health care suffered by African-Americans. The lack of access to basic services, the dearth of black physicians and the often overtly racist attitudes of white health care providers contributed to higher rates of infant mortality, chronic illnesses and shorter life expectancy. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., said that "of all forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane." But hasn't the prejudice that prevailed in those far off times been eliminated in today's more equitable society? Or do health disparities persist in less obvious but no less worrying ways -- and not just for African-Americans? Studies emphatically conclude that such disparities do persist. U.S. News and World Report released its latest issue announcing the best hospitals in the nation on Tuesday. People put a lot of stock in these rankings, and equality of treatment should be considered as a factor in what makes a hospital excellent. "Unequal Treatment," published by the Institute of Medicine in 2002, spelled out exactly how Latinos, African-Americans, Native-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Pacific Islanders receive care that's inferior to that enjoyed by mainstream Americans. The IOM report triggered other studies that demonstrated the (often unconscious) prejudice that prevails in treating women, the elderly, the LGBT community, the obese --13 groups in all -- a large percentage of the health care consuming public. Here are a few shocking examples: Women with symptoms of heart disease often are not transported by emergency medical services to health facilities as rapidly as men. Women and blacks with heart attack symptoms are not given cardiac catheterizations and other appropriate clinical tests at the same rate as white men. Latinos and African-Americans do not receive the same pain medication for long bone fractures as do their fellow citizens. Attacking health disparities head-on can make a big difference. A program in Alaska designed to train dental health care therapists -- the rough equivalent of physician's assistants -- celebrated its 10th anniversary this month. The Native Tribal Council initiated the program, Dentex, because the state had few dentists and most wouldn't accept Medicaid. Many native children lost all of their teeth by age 18, affecting their health, social lives, school attendance, and employment possibilities. The dental health aide therapists have improved oral health in Alaska dramatically. Now, despite the fierce opposition of the American Dental Association, Maine and Minnesota have approved the training and deployment of similar mid-level dental providers, and other states are considering it. It is widely accepted that African-Americans and Hispanics are underserved. Shortening the waiting times at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia -- which primarily serves African-American, Hispanic and other minority populations -- allowed greater access to mental health services because the population is admitted more quickly and provided with care. Hospitals would be encouraged to join the fight if equality were included as a metric in the U.S. News and World Report rankings. These rankings are popular and closely watched. They bestow bragging rights on hospitals, but most important, provide guidance for people deeply interested in where they might go to receive the best care in the specialties that concern them most. U.S. News and World Report has a tremendous opportunity to facilitate significant changes in health care delivery by rating hospitals for their care of the underserved. Its annual hospital rankings tell consumers nothing on this vital subject. Where do hospitals rank in their understanding of the problem of unequal care? What measures do they take to counteract the effects of prejudice in the treatment they provide? We encourage the publication to maximize this opportunity before next year's "Best Hospitals" issue. That would enable women and minorities to advocate for health care equality more successfully. It would help U.S. health professionals understand health disparities and more effectively treat underserved and minority populations. Most important, it would help all patients and their families, not just those who need not worry about disparities in care, to know better where to go for the care they need. | U.S. News and World Report releases respected list of best hospitals in the U.S. Louis Sullivan, Augustus White grew up when minority health care was shameful . They say problems persist in unequal access, quality of care for minorities, women . Authors: "Best Hospital" rankings must include metric of equal treatment . | d3b257275de302abea09b21f4ece8d911017a0e7 |
Swansea winger Wayne Routledge has been ruled out for four weeks with a calf strain. Routledge, who has featured in 19 of the club's 22 Barclays Premier League fixtures this campaign and scored three times, came off after only 32 minutes of last weekend's 5-0 home defeat to Chelsea. But there was better news for Swansea manager Garry Monk on Tuesday as Ecuador international Jefferson Montero returned to full training for the first time since sustaining a hamstring injury in the 1-0 victory against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Swansea City winger Wayne Routledge has been ruled out with a calf injury for the next four weeks . Routledge was substituted after just 32 minutes during Swansea's 5-0 defeat at home to Chelsea last weekend . Montero will be available for selection for Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round trip to Sky Bet Championship side Blackburn and midfielder Leon Britton is also in contention for that game after missing the Chelsea defeat with a groin strain. But captain Ashley Williams is set to to miss the trip to Ewood Park after sustaining a shoulder injury against the Premier League leaders. The winger, who signed from Newcastle United in 2011, has been a mainstay for The Swans this season . Swansea manager Gary Monk will be handed a boost however, with Jefferson Montero nearing a return . | Wayne Routledge faces four weeks on the sidelines through injury . He came off after just 32 minutes during Swansea's 5-0 defeat to Chelsea . The winger has played 19 of Swansea's 22 league games this season . Jefferson Montero, meanwhile, looks set to return for The Swans . | ab8308199548402357b6224a840ee5afe73cebd3 |
A 10-year-old boy from Pennsylvania has been charged as an adult in the beating death of a 90-year-old woman who was in the care of his grandfather. Prosecutors in Wayne County said the boy, Tristen Kurilla, was visiting his grandfather, Anthony Virbitsky, in Tyler Hill Saturday, when county emergency responders got a call reporting the death of an elderly woman who has been in his care, Helen Novak. District Attorney Janine Edwards said in a statement that Kurilla's mother, Martha Virbitsky, brought him in to the state police barracks at Honesdale the same afternoon and reported that her son had told her that he had gone into the woman's room and she yelled at him. Scroll down for video . 'Pint-size killer': Tristen Kurilla, 10, pictured left and right with his mother, has been charged as an adult in the death of 90-year-old Helen Novak, whom he allegedly hooked by the neck with her cane . Crime scene: Helen Novak was killed inside her caretaker's home in Damascus Township, Pennsylvania . Tristen told his mother 'he got mad, lost his temper and grabbed a cane and put it around Novak's throat,' police said. Advised of his rights and interviewed by a trooper, he said he 'pulled Novak down on the bed and held the cane on her throat and then punched her numerous times,' authorities said. State police said the 10-year-old told them that he went to his grandfather and told him that the woman was 'bleeding from her mouth' but denied he had harmed her, but later told him that he had punched the woman and put a cane around her neck. Police said an autopsy performed Monday at Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale indicated blunt force trauma to the victim's neck, and the death was ruled a homicide. Dr. Gary Ross also said the boy's account to police 'was consistent with the injuries he observed.' Tristen was charged as an adult with criminal homicide and aggravated assault, with the prosecutor's office noting that the crime of homicide 'is specifically excluded from the juvenile act' and therefore 'a juvenile who commits the crime of homicide is charged as an adult.' Tristen Kurilla was visiting his grandfather at his home in the 340 block of Sky Lake Road in Damascus Township when at around 10am Saturday he entered the room of Helen Novak to ask her a question, police stated. According to the child, the elderly woman yelled at him and ordered him to leave, reported The Times-Tribune. Difficult child: Tristen's mother told police her son has been having mental issues . The 10-year-old became upset at the woman's reaction, grabbed a wooden cane, came up behind her and hooked it around her neck, using the staff to pull her backwards unto the bed, police said. Anthony Virbitsky, 69, Tristen’s grandfather who has been looking after Ms Novak, went into her room at around 10.30am and found her breathing heavy and looking terrified. About 30 minutes later, the caretaker checked up on her again and found the 90-year-old unresponsive. When interviewed by police Saturday, Tristen Kurilla reportedly told a trooper: 'I killed that lady.' Temper tantrum: The 10-year-old (center) reportedly told police he flew off the handle when Novak, who has been in the care of his grandfather, yelled at him to get out of her room . Confession: The boy allegedly told police he 'killed that lady,' even though he was only 'trying to hurt her' The 10-year-old boy reportedly described how he pushed the cane into Novak's throat for several seconds and then punched her five times in the throat and the stomach. ‘I was only trying to hurt her,’ Kurilla allegedly told detectives. According to court documents cited by WFMZ, the boy's mother, Martha Virbitsky, told police she ‘has had a lot of trouble with Tristen and that he has had some mental difficulties.’ Kurilla is being held without bail pending an October 22 preliminary hearing. | Tristen Kurilla, 10, charged as an adult in the beating death of 90-year-old Helen Novak . Kurilla's grandfather, Anthony Virbitsky, 69, has been caring for the woman at his home in Damascus Township, Pennsylvania . Tristen told police he got mad at Novak for throwing him out of her room . The child reportedly admitted to pulling the victim with the cane and then punching her five times in the throat and stomach . The 10-year-old's mother told police has has mental issues . | eb141734e5e6e6cb41175c913a437d1dd90d4fea |
Mauricio Pochettino's development of Luke Shaw at Southampton helped to convince fellow left-back Ben Davies to join the Argentinian when he made the move to Tottenham this summer. An impressive 18-month spell at the Southampton helm persuaded Spurs that Pochettino was the right man to take the reins at White Hart Lane. Pochettino last season led Saints to their best ever Premier League campaign, playing an attractive, high-pressing game with a team full of British talent whose talents he helped hone. New man: Left-back Ben Davies (left) moved to Tottenham Hotspur from Swansea City this summer . Inspiration: Mauricio Pochettino's move to Tottenham Hotspur convinced Ben Davies to follow him there . The likes of Adam Lallana, Calum Chambers and Shaw have moved on to pastures new as a result, with the latter leaving for Manchester United in a world-record deal for a teenager. The left-back improved markedly during his time under Pochettino and Davies, one of the Argentinian's first signings at Tottenham, hopes his game will be taken on in a similarly impressive fashion. 'He was massive,' Davies said. 'To have an up-and-coming manager that has shown the qualities he has got, it is great to have someone like him show a lot of faith in you and that he really wants you here. 'I was delighted when I knew the interest was there and he made it easy for me after speaking to him. 'It has shown a lot of faith in me, bringing me here. I am grateful for that. 'It was an opportunity I wanted to take, really, and I am sure he is expecting me to settle into his system as quickly as possible. 'I think the way we used to play at Swansea and the way that he likes to play in keeping the ball and moving it around as quickly as possible suits my game. 'I think he could have seen that in me and hopefully I can bring that to this team.' Development: Pochettino's work with Luke Shaw at Southampton encouraged Davies to move to Spurs . Pochettino's style relies heavily on his full-backs, who are expected to race down the flanks as well as be steady defensive operators. One Saints player joked they needed two hearts to play in that manner, but Davies is loving it. 'It is sometimes (like you could do with an extra heart) at full-back when he expects you to kind of be a winger and a defender at the same time, but that is part of my game,' he said, chuckling. 'I am a pretty fit player and I enjoy that, playing under him, and it allows me to play my game. 'He has been great with all the lads and hopefully the system he wants us to play we can adapt to as quickly as possible. It'll definitely be able to pick us up results.' Davies made his Spurs debut on Thursday night, playing the full 90 minutes as they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win at AEL Limassol in the Europa League play-offs. Pointing the way: Davies believes that Pochettino can help him develop and move forward with his game . It was far from an easy match, thanks in no small part to the Cypriot heat and spirited opponents, and could mean the Wales international drops to the bench against QPR on Sunday, with Danny Rose starting instead. Having just penned a new five-year deal, the Yorkshireman looks set to be a rival for a long time to come but it is competition that Davies thrives on. 'It is going to make us both better players, hopefully, and that's all we want to do as professionals,' he said. 'It is a good competition between us and we will be supporting each other whichever way it goes, really. 'Dan has been great to me since I've come in. He has help me settle well. 'I could have easily expected to come in and have someone give me the cold shoulder, but I can't say that about him. Credit to him. 'He has been great to me and it is a competition between us. We both want that number one jersey, but whoever does get it at the end of the day we are supporting the team and we'll support each other. That's the way it is going to be.' In the air: Davies (right) made his Tottenham debut on Thursday against AEL Limassol in the Europea League . | Left-back Davies signed for Tottenham from Swansea City this summer . Luke Shaw improved considerably under Pochettino at Southampton . Davies says Pochettino's presence at Spurs convinced him to sign for club . Welshman says Pochettino was 'massive' for him to move to North London . Davies made his Spurs debut in 2-1 victory over AEL Limassol on Thursday . | 907476a43730ddbf7557631221a35fef9674cc91 |
Washington (CNN) -- Two days after voters angry with Washington's dysfunction swept Republicans into control of the Senate and expanded their advantage in the House, Speaker John Boehner used his first post-midterm news conference to issue a "burn" notice to the commander-in-chief. "When you play with matches, you take the risk of burning yourself and he's going to burn himself if he continues to go down that path," the Ohio Republican told reporters on the Hill, when asked about President Barack Obama's plans to issue executive orders on immigration before year's end. Just hours after Obama recommitted himself to staying the course on immigration orders and protecting his signature health care law, Republicans spent Thursday firing back shots at the administration, signaling that Tuesday's midterms did little to quell partisan tension in Washington. Republican National Committee members as well as GOP leaders on the Hill took the election results as a sign to dig in on their issues, and while both parties made reference to compromise, Thursday's developments suggested more of the opposite was in store. Obama alone after midterm repudiation . Two of the most powerful Republicans in Washington, Boehner and the expected next Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, outlined their priorities in writing, using an oped in the Wall Street Journal to showcase their 2015 priorities. Among them: Repealing Obamacare, authorizing construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline and reforming the tax code. The pair took shots at Democratic House and Senate leaders who shepherded most of Obama's significant legislative achievements through Congress, saying they "won't repeat the mistakes made when a different majority ran Congress in the first years of Barack Obama's presidency, attempting to reshape large chunks of the nation's economy with massive bills that few Americans have read and fewer understand." And in his press conference, Boehner said the House will likely vote again next year to repeal the Affordable Care Act -- both in full and in separate chunks, like stripping away the medical device tax and the individual mandate. Get ready: 2016 starts now . And he warned that if Obama will "burn himself" if he overhauls the U.S. immigration system through executive order in the coming weeks -- which president has pledged to do. Going ahead with those plans, Boehner said, will "poison the well" in the eyes of congressional Republicans. It's the same phrase Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell used Wednesday -- indicating that a major fight is likely to come before the new Congress is even sworn in. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in his Thursday briefing that Obama is looking forward to meeting with GOP leaders and hearing their ideas. "The good news though is that the deck has been reshuffled," Earnest said. "There's now a Republican majority in the Senate. There's a Republican majority in the House. And you could understand how this might change the political calculation that Republicans make. Maybe they now see that it would be in their own personal political interest to try to find some common ground with the president." Opinion: Did Americans get what they want? Obama himself repeated his plans for an executive overhaul of immigration laws during hid Wednesday news conference. But he also said he'd like to sit down for Kentucky bourbon with McConnell and telling voters -- and those who stayed away from the polls Tuesday -- that he heard their message. Boehner, one of several Republicans to mention their mistrust of the President, said Thursday that he isn't buying it. "The president said, 'I listened to what happened Tuesday night,'" Boehner said before adding, with an incredulous grin: "Really?" Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told CNN on Wednesday night that it's "bizarre" to see Obama and his allies now looking for areas of compromise. He pointed to Obama's handling of immigration -- the president had initially planned to take executive action over the summer, but deferred that move until after the midterm elections. "I don't believe a thing he says," Priebus said when asked by CNN's Erin Burnett about working with the president. "All he's been doing for the last year is lying to Hispanic voters across the country." While McConnell's ascendancy to the Senate majority leader's post is all but assured and Boehner is staying on as speaker, Democrats have some leadership questions of their own to sort through after Tuesday's devastating elections. Why Pelosi, Reid are sticking around . Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel told Newsday he won't stay on for a third election -- though he does want a seat at the House Democrats' already-crowded leadership table. The first look at the new political landscape will come later this month, when lawmakers return for leadership elections and the House is scheduled to vote on a series of Environmental Protection Agency regulatory bills. In the coming weeks Congress will also take up Obama's request for more than $6 billion in new Ebola-related funding, spending bills to fund the government and potentially legislation to authorize the use of military force against ISIS. | House Speaker John Boehner warned President Obama against executive orders on immigration . His remarks come amid many Republicans speaking out against the White House . Two days after the midterms, big fights are much easier to spot than areas of compromise . Republicans won back control of the Senate and increased their majority in the House . | a340e51911dd855716af24ef4384febaa718e4ab |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Last week's "balloon boy" incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency representative said Tuesday. The Heene family -- including Falcon, second from right -- on CNN's "Larry King Live" last week. Richard and Mayumi Heene, whose son Falcon was thought for several hours to have flown away in a homemade balloon, are facing a number of local charges, a Colorado sheriff said this week. The Fort Collins couple could be charged with conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to influence a public servant, Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Sunday. The family also probably will be charged with filing a false police report, which is a misdemeanor, Alderden said. Their lawyer, David Lane, said the sheriff was overreaching and that the family deserves the presumption of innocence. Watch the Heenes' friends talk about the incident » . FAA spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere confirmed Tuesday that the agency was "investigating the circumstances" of the incident, in which police and military scrambled to rescue the 6-year-old boy, who later turned out to be hiding in his family's attic. A source familiar with the investigation said no record has been found indicating that Richard Heene called the FAA. The agency does not record all of its calls, and the search for a record of any call is continuing, the source said. The Heenes may have violated FAA regulations barring people from flying balloons or kites within 5 miles of an airport, an FAA official said. The official declined to be named because the case is under investigation. The giant silver balloon was apparently not visible on radar, the official said, and the FAA is relying on pilot reports to determine its approximate flight path during the roughly three hours it was aloft Thursday. CNN's Mike M. Ahlers in Washington contributed to this story. | Federal Aviation Administration looking into "escaped balloon" story . Balloon's owners already facing several local charges . Heene family deserves presumption of innocence, lawyer says . No proof that Richard Heene called FAA when balloon set off, source says . | 948752b358c609cf3d9855d0cf96312ce1558885 |
By . Joshua Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 19:14 EST, 14 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:12 EST, 15 August 2013 . The owner of a San Diego restaurant says he’s abolished tipping waiters for the last six years and service has only gotten better. Concerned about income disparity between servers and kitchen staff, Jay Porter and his employees opted to tack on an extra 18 percent to each customer’s bill and distribute the money evenly among everyone who worked at his farm-to-table restaurant, The Linkery. Instead of creating an unhappy, unmotivated waitstaff, something miraculous happened: service actually started to improve. Gratuity included: Not a single tip was left at The Linkery in San Diego for six years . Porter wrote about the experience of running The Linkery, which specialized in farm-to-table cuisine with the tag line ‘Our friends grow food for you and we cook it,’ in a recent Slate article. ‘Within a couple of months,’ writes Porter, ‘our server team was making more money than it had under the tipped system. The quality of our service also improved.’ Over time, the servers evidently earned more overall with more consistent pay. And better service, logic would say, meant more customers with more of those built-in 18 percent gratuities. But it wasn’t just the service that benefited from the change, which the restaurant made a few years after The Linkery opened. The food also improved. Happy family: Owner Jay Porter says that taking away tips made for happier workers, customers, and more money for all . ‘Our food improved,’ writes Porter. ‘Probably because our cooks were being paid more and didn't feel taken for granted. In turn, business improved.’ Porter insists it’s not just about the money. ‘In my observation, however, that wasn't mainly because the servers were making more money (although that helped, too). Instead, our service improved principally because eliminating tips makes it easier to provide good service.’ Porter says in the years his restaurant, which recently closed, enforced the rule his business and service got progressively better. Less cutthroat? By giving servers to the same incentives as workers in other industries, Porter says his they strove toward professionalism and raises . ‘Servers want to keep their jobs,’ he reasons. ‘Servers want to get a raise; servers want to be successful and see themselves as professionals and take pride in their work.’ Most workers, Porter writes, must only negotiate salary occasionally, but servers must take on the often belittling task many times per day. Also unlike most workers, servers must negotiate with the customers who benefit from their work instead of with the employers who understand the difficulty of what they do. Porter and his employees simply made the stakes the same for everyone else. ‘These two principles probably apply at your work, too, if you work somewhere other than a restaurant and with your clothes on,’ he writes. Everyones happy: Porter says he made the new rule as a way to equalize pay between servers and kitchen staff . Though his employees and most of his customers were more than satisfied with the arrangement, Porter says he came up against critics. In fact, one detractor was literally a critic, for the local alt weekly of San Diego’s restaurant scene. Even the city’s attorney threatened to shut The Linkery down over the issue, which he called deceptive. In spite of them and the fact that his great experiment has come to an end, Porter maintains that tipless restaurants are the wave of the future. ‘It's a system that's successful in other industries, and in restaurants in other countries. It can work here, too—and it can work better, in almost every way, than the system we have now.’ | No tips were left at The Linkery in San Diego for six years . 'Creating a non-tipping culture in restaurants is possible,' says owner Jay Porter . | 84ee821d45fd8a41561b2761078a4d6695980bf5 |
Children are becoming too scared to sing because they fear they will be subjected to X Factor-style ridicule, a Royal Opera House conductor has warned. Dominic Peckham said auditions for the programme were like a '19th century freak show' that resulted in children 'crumbling' when they are asked to perform. Mr Peckham, who directs the Royal Opera House's youth chorus, said schools needed to do more to support children. The X Factor has attracted a number of peculiar contestants, including Michael Jackson wannabe Michael Lewis in 2010 - but Mr Peckham fears it is making children reluctant too sing and perform . The Royal Opera House conductor likened the X Factor to a '19th century freak show' that was making children scared to sing . Mr Peckham, who directs the Royal Opera House's youth chorus, said schools needed to do more to support children . Mr Peckham said the ridicule many contestants are met with on X Factor had led to children crumbling when they are asked to perform on stage . In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he said: 'In my experience as a youth chorus director, for years I've had children shaking their heads and just crumbling when I ask them to have a go at a song. 'You can see in their eyes that they think they are going to be no good and in many respects it's reality TV shows like The X Factor that are to blame for that.' 'As viewers we are sponsoring a multi-million pound freak show that creates a culture where people are ridiculed for performing and expressing themselves. 'That has now filtered down to young people who do not want to get involved with singing lessons or performing because they fear they will be laughed at. 'No one deserves that, and I have a real issue with the production companies driving us towards those freaky moments of performance. It greatly stands in the way of young people learning to sing, perform and audition.' While Mr Peckham attacked the X Factor, he reserved some praise for the BBC's the Voice. He said the programme put greater emphasis on 'contestants' raw talent' rather than image. Mr Peckham said: 'As viewers we are sponsoring a multi-million pound freak show that creates a culture where people are ridiculed for performing and expressing themselves' He added: 'You can see in their eyes that they think they are going to be no good and in many respects it's reality TV shows like The X Factor that are to blame for that' Former judges Tulisa Contostavlos and Gary Barlow poke fun at one of the contestants on the show . The X-Factor has been widely criticised by musicians and other education experts in the past. The show is currently in its 10th year as the cornerstone of the ITV1 Saturday evening schedule. Musician Sting called the show 'televised karaoke', with the contestants being encouraged to 'conform to stereotypes' and saying that real musical talent was more likely to be found in pubs and clubs. Blur singer Damon Albarn said the show created 'a mindset that suggests you can get something for nothing and that it's easy to acquire status and fame', while his band mate Graham Coxon said it was 'disgraceful'. At the 2009 MOBO Awards, V V Brown said: 'I don't like it - it's making kids think that they can get really famous easily, rather than working really hard to achieve something'. James Morrison stated '[X Factor] sends out the message that you can be famous for doing f*** all and that you can succeed even if you're not a good singer'. DJ Calvin Harris blasted the show as a 'joke' and that Cowell had a 'frightening stranglehold' of the British charts. In a similar criticism, Noel Gallagher attacked the show for having 'absolutely nothing to do with music and everything to do with television'. Simon Cowell has been attacked for his 'frightening stranglehold' of the British charts by some musicians . Elsewhere, psychologist Melanie Gill, who has advised the Government on child welfare, said it is impossible to know which children may be harmed by performing in front of millions of viewers. She said: ‘It is awful that The X Factor is willing to risk the welfare of such vulnerable young people by lowering the age limit again. ‘They say they are looked after, but the reality is that their brains are not fully developed. ‘The children may look fine, but their broad grins are fake and are put on for the adults. You can’t tell what is going on inside and they don’t have the emotional strength to cope with some of the stresses a show like this brings. ‘Very often, the youngest contestants are pressured by pushy parents to compete. ‘Being humiliated in front of a mass audience and having their dreams shattered could put them at risk of depression in later life.’ | Dominic Peckham, a Royal Opera House conductor, criticised the X Factor . He said it was making children scared too sing and 'crumbling' on stage . Said auditions for the show were like a '19th century freak show' The show has been attacked in the past for being image obsessed . | b0e42138fb768c48ca3a149bf5154eb193353feb |
By . Meghan Keneally . and David Mccormack . The mastermind behind Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos, is a tough taskmaster who at just three years of age took his own crib apart with a screwdriver because he wanted a real bed, reveals a new book. He is the subject of a new biography that gives a number of fascinating insights into the bullish management style of one of the key architects of the internet age. The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos And The Age Of Amazon was released on Tuesday and tells the story of the creation and amazing growth of the online retailer, which launched in 1995 and sold $61billion worth of goods last year alone. Scroll down for video . Bullish, driven and determined: Bezos founded Amazon.com in a bid to live life without regrets . Author Brad Stone, who also writes for Businessweek, approached Bezos and asked if he could tell his story. Although Bezos refused to be interviewed for the book, he encouraged friends, family and company executives to talk to the author. The amazing success of the company has . earned Bezos a reputation as someone who can be unsparing in his . criticism and isn’t an easy man to work for. ‘If . you’re not good, Jeff will chew you up and spit you out. And if you are . good, he will jump on your back and ride you into the ground,’ is one . quote about Bezos’s management style in the book. Amazon has earned a reputation for being an incredibly ruthless negotiator with the companies that it does business with. The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos And The Age Of Amazon' was released on Tuesday and tells the story of the creation and amazing growth of the online retailer . Stone . describes Amazon’s culture as 'notoriously confrontational, and it . begins with Bezos, who believes that truth springs forth when ideas and . perspectives are banged against each other, sometimes violently'. In the book it is revealed that Bezos . once suggested that Amazon approach small publishers in the same way . that a cheetah approaches a sick gazelle. The . environment isn’t for everyone and turnover among top executives is high, writes Stone. He quotes one observer as saying that . Amazon executives 'have an absolute willingness to torch the landscape . around them to emerge the winner.' Stone also writes that . Bezos can be kind to people, but is well-known for going on rants that . other employees refer to as 'nutters', and that he has a reputation for asking his employees . provocative questions, such as 'Does it surprise you that you don’t know the answer to that question?', or 'Why are you ruining my life?'. After graduating from Princeton in 1986, Bezos worked at the hedge fund D.E. Shaw before deciding to setup his own company. Since launching in 1995, Amazon has become the world's largest online retailer and last year it sold $61billion of goods . In . the book it is revealed that he was so eager to get started on his own . that he left before the end of the financial year and so walked away . from a very large financial bonus. The . gamble has certainly paid off, but it hasn’t been plain sailing and the . company suffered a dramatic downturn during the dot-com bubble at the . turn of the century. Amazon’s . stock hit a high of almost $107 a share during the first dot-com . boom, but then plunged below $6 after the market collapsed. It . has since soared to more than $300 a share. Stone writes that Bezos had an ordinary childhood with his mother and stepfather, but that his real father, Ted Jorgensen, was a one-time circus performer whom his mother told to stay out of their lives when Bezos was just four years old. Jorgensen has revealed that he plans to contact the billionaire Amazon founder after only learning about who his son had become from author Stone. His own family: Bezos married his wife MacKenzie in 1993 (seen together at the Met Ball in 2012) and they have four children . Then and now: Ted Jorgensen was a teenage unicyclist (left) when his son Jeffrey was born, and he only learned that the boy grew up to be Jeff Bezos last year (pictured right this year, at age 69) Jorgensen was an 18-year-old unicyclist who was a rising star on the niche circuit when his girlfriend, Jackie Gise, became pregnant. The pair traveled to New Mexico to get married - because she was too young under American law - and then returned and had a makeshift ceremony at her house, where both of their mothers signed their marriage application form. Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen was born on January 12, 1964, and 17 months later, Ted and Jackie got a divorce. Both Jackie and her father told Ted never to contact the family again, and he agreed. She then started dating her co-worker, Mike Bezos, who she eventually married. Gise asked Jorgensen's legal permission to allow her new husband to adopt their son, Jeffrey, and he agreed. Fast forward 47 years and reporter Stone . went to the small bike-repair shop in Glendale, Arizona, that Jorgensen . owns and he found the 69-year-old working behind the counter. Parents: Jeff's mother Jackie (left) married his step father Mike Bezos (right) when Jeff was four-years-old . 'I’d considered a number of ways he might react to my unannounced appearance but gave a very low probability to the likelihood of what actually happened: He had no idea what I was talking about,' Stone writes. 'Jorgensen said he didn’t know who Jeff Bezos was and was baffled by my suggestion that he was the father of this famous CEO.' It was only after the author brought up Jeff's mother Jackie Gise and their infant son Jeffrey that he saw the wheels in Jorgensen's head begin to turn before seeing his eyes fill 'with sorrow and disbelief'. Stone then met with Jorgensen and his current wife Linda, who has four children that he helped raise. 'I wasn’t a good father or a husband,' Jorgensen said of his first marriage. 'It was really all my fault. I don’t blame Jackie at all.' Man with a plan: Amazon started as a book-shipping business that went public in 1997 (Bezos pictured that year) See more of the interview at Comedy Central . | New book reveals that the Amazon CEO is a tough taskmaster who is very demanding of his employees . | 6ed218b4e9aa40acc82193483efc55c90c39db4c |
(CNN) -- Pakistani soldiers have been sent to a prison in northern Pakistan amid concerns that militants might try to release high-profile prisoners, according to a senior Pakistani intelligence source who spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday. The prisoners at Peshawar's central prison include high-profile Pakistani-Taliban militants as well as Dr. Shakil Afridi, a Pakistani physician accused of helping the United States find al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden prior to his death two years ago. Officials received intelligence indicating that militants could be planning a jailbreak there, security sources said on condition of anonymity. The senior intelligence source said the army deployed soldiers to the Peshawar prison at the invitation of provincial authorities. Bolstering security at the Peshawar prison comes about a week after Taliban gunmen freed about 250 inmates -- including about 35 high-profile militants -- from a prison in the city of Dera Ismail Khan, about 185 miles (300 kilometers) south of Peshawar, authorities said. About 40 inmates were recaptured by Wednesday, but all of the high-profile militants remained on the loose, a prison official said on condition of anonymity last week. Since the Dera Ismail Khan jailbreak, intelligence agencies have warned that more attacks on Pakistani jails holding high-profile prisoners could occur. The Pakistani prison break and a series of similar incidents linked to al Qaeda that freed convicted or suspected terrorists in Iraq and Libya were factors in the U.S. decision to close embassies and consulates this week across Africa and the Middle East and issue a worldwide travel alert. Pakistani authorities accused Afridi of working with the CIA to set up a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad to try verify bin Laden's whereabouts. U.S. special forces killed the al Qaeda leader at an Abbottabad compound in May 2011. Afridi was convicted of treason in Pakistan and is serving a 33-year sentence. Pakistani-Taliban inmates at the Peshawar facility include the group's former spokesman, Muslim Khan, and a number of high-ranking commanders from Swat and Bajaur. Opinion: Jihadists focus on prison breaks . CNN's Jason Hanna contributed to this report. | Soldiers sent to Peshawar's central prison, intelligence source says . Move comes week after Taliban freed 250 prisoners at different Pakistani prison . Peshawar prison holds doctor accused of helping U.S. find Osama bin Laden . Prison also holds high-profile Taliban militants . | bd811b66cb03b4d7590b5ebc6468552f2bd573a2 |
By . Nick Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 18:20 EST, 5 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:20 EST, 5 November 2012 . Taxpayers could be landed with a £10million bill to compensate victims of ‘fatal’ Government delays in handling ash dieback disease. More than 100,000 ash saplings have been destroyed in recent weeks, while the import and movement of the trees has also been banned, leaving nursery stock effectively worthless. One nursery is suing the Government for £200,000, while the horticultural trade body says more legal action will follow unless ministers offer adequate compensation to all its affected members. Suing: Simon Ellis was forced to destroy 50,000 ash trees at Crowders Nurseries, Horncastle . Scientists have warned the killer fungus – chalara fraxinea – could wipe out almost all of Britain’s 80 million ash trees within a generation, with new cases now confirmed in Kent and Essex woodland for the first time. The number of confirmed sites has risen by more than 50 per cent since the weekend, up from 52 to 82. Martin Ward, chief plant health officer at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), yesterday acknowledged that ‘we are probably not going eradicate’ the disease. There is increasing anger among plant wholesalers over the Government’s failure to offer them any financial support, despite warnings from the Horticultural Trade Association as early as 2009 that action was needed to prevent dieback from spreading. Killer: New cases of the dangerous fungus, which could wipe out millions of ash trees, were confirmed this weekend in southeast England . The trade body claims the Government initially misdiagnosed the disease, believing it to be the same as one already present in Britain. Tim Briercliffe, director of business development at the HTA, said the delay seemed to ‘ignore common sense’ and warned that it would consider legal action if no compensation was offered. He said: ‘Nurseries and tree growers have £10million of ash that will either be destroyed or no longer has a market. Threat: An ash tree affected by fungus . 'We want the Government to come forward and acknowledge this is a specific case and offer some form of compensation. ‘We asked them to do something as long ago as 2009, and they didn’t. The fault lies at their door for not acting soon enough. ‘If no financial package is offered, then we would be forced to take legal action on behalf of the trade.’ One plant nursery forced to destroy 50,000 ash trees said it would be suing the Government for more than £200,000. Simon Ellis, managing director of Crowders Nurseries in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, said it took the Government three months to tell him what to do after finding trees at the nursery were infected in June. ‘There have been instances, such as foot and mouth, where farmers have been compensated for their loss of stock,’ he said. ‘But despite the Government failing to heed the warnings, we are being asked to foot the bill for the damage done. ‘We have had to uproot and destroy stock which we’ve been growing for six years. 'If they had listened to us in 2009 and acted we wouldn’t have this situation now.’ A Defra spokesman said: ‘It is our view that resources are best spent on surveillance and other preventative disease management activities.’ Environment Secretary Owen Paterson will chair a summit on ash dieback tomorrow, and is holding twice daily meetings to discuss the problem with experts. He warned that more cases are expected. | Cases of the killer fungus confirmed in Essex and Kent for the first time . Simon Ellis was forced to destroy 50,000 ash trees at his Lincolnshire nursery and plans on suing the Government for £200,000 . | 21a7157f68fc14b18991fbff04a28e0f55f815b2 |
PUBLISHED: . 06:59 EST, 7 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:04 EST, 7 January 2014 . Recipes, cures and handy hints from a Victorian housewife have been given a new lease of life on the internet. Over the years, Sarah Matthews, born in 1893, noted down all her recipes for cakes, cures, medicines, furniture polishes and handy hints from days gone by in elegantly-written Victorian handwriting. And she left this treasure trove of handy hints to her granddaughter-in-law Patricia Matthews when she died in 1970. Mrs Matthews used the book (which she's holding in the picture) handed down to her from her husband's grandmother to make cakes for her children and grandchildren - but in 2007 decided she wanted to share Grandma Sarah's legacy with others and publish it - the result was Grandma's Antique Recipes . Among the recipes is her improbable 'cake determined by weight of the egg'. Weigh an egg, then take equal quantities of sugar, butter, rice flour, and vanilla essence, mix and bake. A tablespoon of boiling water added to sponge mix makes lighter sponge cakes. To help green vegetables keep their colour boil in the pan without the lid. The best way of making curdled custard smooth is to stand it in a pan of cold water and beat with an egg whisk until smooth. To prevent skin forming on boiled milk, cover the pan with a plate or saucer, thus saving all the goodness. When making oatmeal porridge or cooking rice, if the pot is greased with lard or butter first it is much easier to clean. Mrs Matthews has since used the book to make cakes for her children and grandchildren - but in 2007 decided she wanted to share Grandma Sarah's legacy with others and make it into a book - Grandma's Antique Recipes. In May a publisher got in touch with her and said they would take the book on. It's currently available on Amazon as a Kindle download. A donation from every book sold is going to The Christie Hospital in Manchester. Grandma Sarah's recipes are all in original imperial measurements, and rely on basic equipment and elbow grease. Favourites include Tennis Cake, Potato Pie, jams and preserves, Simnel Cake, lemonade and ginger wine. Mrs . Matthews said: 'She was the only girl and was born in Salford in 1893 . but moved to Bolton after her mum died. Over the years, while baking and . cooking for her family, she documented all her tips and tricks in her . little recipe book. In May a publisher got in touch with Sarah Matthews and said they would take the book on and it's currently available on Amazon as a Kindle download . Patricia Matthews with the old (right) and new (left) version of Grandma's Antique Recipes . 'When my husband Ronnie and I started courting we would go round to her house and it would always smell of baking. She was a God-fearing, straight-laced person who wouldn't stand for any messing - but she had a wicked sense of humour. 'We will never see the like of this kind of woman ever again. They were very resilient people in those days.' Tennis Cake . 2oz of butter2oz sugar l egg4 oz patent flour (SR flour is fine)2oz chopped almonds2oz candied peel2 oz currants or raisinsCupful of milkA little vanilla essence- Cream the butter and sugar together, add the egg and mix well.- Add the fruit nuts and candied peel and fold in the flour.- Little by little add the milk until the mixture reaches a dropping consistency.- Pour the mixture into a 7in loose bottom cake tin and bake in the middle of the oven at 180C/gas mark 4 for 35 mins.- Turn out onto a wire cooling rack and leave to cool before cutting into slices.------------------Victorian Sandwich . 8ozs/200g self-raising flour4ozs/100g butter4ozs/100g sugar2 eggs3 tablespoons of milkLemon essencePreheat oven to 150C/gas 5Line and grease 8" sandwich tin or use two 7" tins- Cream the fat with a wooden spoon until soft.- Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light in colour and fluff}'.- Add the lemon essence.- Add the eggs one at a time with a little of the sieved flour and mix well.- Fold in the remaining flour.- Spoon the mixture into the tin.- And level with a palette knife or table knife.- Bake for 25-30 mins or until the sponge feels firm to the touch.- Leave in the tin for 10 mins.- When cold, cut in half, spread with jam, sandwich together and dust the top with icing sugar. To download an e-edition of the book for £1.99, search for Grandma's Antique Recipes on Amazon.co.uk. A paperback version of the book will be available soon. | Sarah Matthews noted down recipes for cakes, cures and polishes . Handed them on to grandson's wife Patricia Matthews . Now Grandma's Antique Recipes has been published on Kindle . Soon to come out on paperback . | 3c300e1a5e0eb73d7ffce258517d09e28bf56184 |
Australia's richest MP turned heads this morning, rolling up to Parliament House in Canberra in a sparkling vintage-style grey Rolls Royce. The eccentric member for Fairfax, who made his billions in the mining industry, chose the passenger seat for his dramatic entrance to Capital Hill, delivered by a private chauffeur. AAP reports Mr Palmer was listening to Van Morrison as he stepped out of the extravagant vehicle and into a press pack interviewing Labor's Brendan O'Connor about employment figures. Maverick Palmer quickly stole the show, with the assembled media more interested in his penchant for luxury travel than the political lines being peddled by the member for Gorton. 'Members of parliament really don't need comm (Commonwealth) cars that cost the taxpayer a lot of money,' he told reporters when asked about his choice of transport. 'That money could be better spent giving it to pensioners.' He added that members without a Rolls Royce in their garage should catch a taxi to work. Causing a stir: Palmer's grand entrance to parliament in a Rolls Royce on Tuesday morning turned heads . Mr Palmer was pressed on whether his snazzy ride was an inappropriate look when arriving for a sitting of the House of Representatives. He remained defiant, telling reporters that any Australians - regardless of race, colour, wealth or creed - had the opportunity to become parliamentarians. 'I would say only two per cent of Australians have lobbyists in Canberra, the other 98 per cent are unrepresented,' he said. 'I am here to represent them.' Billionaire: Palmer said MPs without Rolls Royces should catch taxis to parliament . Summing up the bizarre interruption, Brendan O'Connor - the shadow minister for employment and workplace relations - remained philosophical. 'Clive's Clive,' he said. 'If he wants to present that way, of course, that's entirely up to him.' Clive Palmer's Palmer United Party recently earned official registration in the Northern Territory. He is estimated to be worth more than $1 billion and has plans in place to build a full-length replica of the RMS Titanic. Charismatic: Clive Palmer plans to build a replica of the RMS Titanic and installed dinosaur models on his resort in Queensland . | Australia's richest MP flashes his luxury Rolls Royce at parliament . Interrupts Labor's Brendan O'Connor during a press conference . The shadow employment minister unfazed by limelight-stealing entry . Sums up Palmer's extravagant arrival by declaring 'Clive's Clive' | e2bba376a5b747cfdc45f931e1d68d0d0d24df51 |
His family have claimed an estimated £342,000 in benefits over the last 18 years. But a jobless father who once tipped the scales at 26 stone has turned down jobs that recruitment consultants said he would be able to do. Philip Chawner, 56, who has been a full-time carer for his obese wife for the last 23 years, rejected posts offered to him in a television interview. Scroll down for video of Mr Chawner turning down work . Can't work: Philip Chawner turns down work offered to him by a recruitment consultant because of arthritis and a problem with his legs . Job offers: Recruitment consultant Christopher Lord offers work to Mr Chawner - but he says he can't do it . Mr Chawner, his wife Audrey and their two daughters once weighed a combined 83 stone and were dubbed 'the telly tubbies' by their neighbours in Blackburn, Lancashire. Their daughter Emma, 23, famously appeared on the X-Factor six years ago wearing a wedding-style dress made by her dad. She was kicked off after the first . audition, but not before the family were evicted from their previous . house after neighbours complained about her singing at 3am. Lorraine Kelly tried to get the whole family to slim down in a six-part television series called 'The Chawner Challenge' on the Biography channel. Mr Chawner, a registered carer who was once a lorry driver, said he has lost seven stone and the weight is still falling off - but he is still unable to work because of his medical problems. Obese family: Philip Chawner, his wife Audrey and daughters Emma (front right) and Sam (front left), pictured here with Lorraine Kelly (centre) once weighed a combined 83 stone and were dubbed 'the tele tubbies' by neighbours . Can't work: Philip Chawner and his wife Aubrey said they were unable to work because of their medical conditions . When jobs were offered to him by a local recruitment consultant on ITV's Daybreak, he insisted arthritis and a problem with his legs prevented him from doing physical labour. His daughters Sam and Emma did at least eventually land regular work last year. Recruitment consultant Christopher Lord told him: 'We have got a couple of agencies we would like to run past you. First one is a sprinter van driver with dry pet food products. Is that something that you would be able to do?' Too fat to work: Phillip and Audrey Chawner with Aled Jones and Lorraine Kelly on Daybreak this morning . Audition: Emma Chawner appeared on X-Factor - and was swiftly kicked off . But he replied: 'There would be a problem with lifting the bags, I've got problems with arthritis in my shoulder.' Mr Lord then offered him a second post. 'This is a film packing role - you would be on your feet for eight hours a day,' the recruiter said. Mr Chawner replied: 'Yes. I can't really stand on my feet very well because I have got this heat thing in my legs.' Pressed on whether he could in fact manage the work, he again insisted his shoulder was a problem. Mr Lord told Daybreak he believed the father-of-two was able to do some light work if he wanted to. 'We would be able to put him into a few roles fulfillment packing roles with light duties. I would say he would be able to carry those out. Whether he wants to I don't know.' Mr Chawner said he has been a 24-hour carer for his wife Audrey, 61, since 1990 because she suffers from a series of health problems including epilepsy. Former Apprentice contestant Katie Hopkins attacked Mr and Mrs Chawner and said it wasn't right that taxpayers were paying for them to sit at home. She told them: 'I have no sympathy at all for your . situation. I think if you are obese or morbidly obese the . situation lies in your own hands. 'I think as a taxpayer, speaking for . other taxpayers out there I can't understand for one moment why we are . paying people £17,000 or £18,000 on average to stay at home, that doesn't seem . right to me.' She added that the family's situation will not sit well with people who go out of work to pay and pay taxes to fund their benefits. 'People are getting up at 6am to go to work they are getting home very late. They are missing putting their children to bed and they are missing the things they would like to do,' she added. 'What they are seeing in return is you are sitting on a sofa all day not going out to work but being supported by their taxes.' Attack: Businesswoman Katie Hopkins, right, said she had no sympathy for the parents who have claimed around £342,000 in benefits over the last 18 years . | Philip Chawner, 56, turned down two jobs in TV interview . Obese family of four once weighed a combined 83 STONE . Family were dubbed 'the telly tubbies' by neighbours in Blackburn . Recruitment consultant insists Mr Chawner is able to work . Family claim around £17,000 a year in benefits . | 0dfce15580178a6358c8fcbc96b653d57ed89042 |
By . Simon Tomlinson and Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 09:55 EST, 22 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:53 EST, 23 November 2013 . Prince Harry has finally arrived in Antarctica ahead of the charity trek involving wounded servicemen and women after the trip was delayed for 48 hours. The group was forced to stay over in Cape Town this week as a storm in the south pole meant flights had to be cancelled. This morning, Harry, a cluster of celebrities and 12 injured servicemen were given the all-clear and boarded a plane headed for Russia's . Novolazarevskaya Station, which is situated at the edge of the Antarctic . continent. They were met by temperatures of around minus 3C - cooler than they enjoyed in South Africa - but will face icy lows of up to minus 45C and biting 50mph winds on the trek itself. Finally here: Prince Harry arrives in Antarctica ahead of a charity trek after his team was delayed by 48 hours due to a storm . Bracing: The Prince was certainly dressed for the weather as he stepped off the plane onto a snowy runway at Novo . Teamwork: The team, made up largely of injured servicemen and women gather next to the plane shortly after landing earlier today . Friendly: Prince Harry talks to other members of the Walking With The Wounded team after arrival . Drop in temperature: The party are expected to stay for the next couple of days to acclimatise to the Antarctic weather and make final preparations for the trek, which is due to begin next week . The three teams competing in the . 200-mile Walking With the Wounded charity trek were seen off by friends . and family ahead of flying from Heathrow Airport last weekend. The . royal, other supporters and the dozen injured personnel arrived at the . Novo airbase in Antarctica this afternoon. The party are expected to . stay for the next couple of days to acclimatise to the Antarctic weather . and make final preparations for the trek, which is due to begin next . week. The teams spent the . majority of the afternoon making adjustments to their kit, which had . been dispatched to the base weeks earlier. Glad to be here: Harry talks through the challenge with the Press after touching down in Antarctica . Close bond: (Right to left) Prince Harry, Kate Philp, Guy Disney, Richard Eyre, Ibrar Ali and Duncan Slater of Team UK in the challenge . Nervous? Despite having raced before with Walking With The Wounded, this will be tough for the prince . Excited: The team pose for a picture as they finally get to board the plane to start their 200-mile trek . Trained: The team are kitted out with expert equipment, having trained for months for this journey . All smiles: They have been enjoying the 30C degrees heat, but they are heading for decidedly colder climes . They are due to rest tonight ahead of skiing training tomorrow. Once they are used to the altitude and freezing temperatures, the . teams will start the race next Friday. The . 29-year-old army attack helicopter pilot will trek alongside the . British team in the charity race to the planet's southernmost point, . which is expected to take 16 days. Ready for take off: The Prince strapped into his seat ready to fly to the edge of Antarctica . All set: The group will fly to Russia's Novolazarevskaya Station, on the edge of the Antarctic continent . Lift off: The small plane takes off signalling the start of the journey, due to finish around December 16 . Team work: The British team will meet their US and Commonwealth counterparts when they land later . Ready to go: Prince Harry and actor Dominic West will spend a week acclimatising to the harsh conditions . Finally: Prince Harry and his teammates arrive at the airport to set off on their Walking With The Wounded trek . Checking in: Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard checks into the Antarctic flight to get to the race . Excitement: The group bustle to the check-in counter. They will meet the US and Commonwealth teams later . The teams, who are taking part in the Walking . With The Wounded challenge, were told on Monday that their flight would . be delayed by at least 24 hours because of the adverse weather in . Antarctica. Each team has a mentor and a polar guide. Harry . is patron of organisers Walking With The Wounded, which raises funds to . retrain injured troops and help them find new careers outside the . military. Stunning: Actor Dominic West, who is captain of the Commonwealth Walking With The Wounded team, is seen looking over Cape Town as they wait to leave South Africa for the Antarctic . On hold: The teams of celebrities and injured service personnel arrived in South Africa have been told to wait in Cape Town until a storm dies down in Antarctica . Glorious: The challengers instead enjoyed some wonderful summer scenes in 30C temperatures . Life's a beach: The teams, who are taking part in the Walking With The Wounded challenge, were told on Monday that their flight would be delayed by at least 24 hours because of the adverse weather in Antarctica . On a high: The teams will eventually fly out from Cape Town to an air base near Russia's Novolazarevskaya Station, which is situated at the edge of the Antarctic continent . Waiting game: The Prince arrived in South Africa last weekend for what was meant to be a brief stopover with the teams of celebrities and wounded troops he has joined for his South Pole trek . Upbeat: Prince Harry looked relaxed as he landed in Cape Town, South Africa, last week . Pit stop: Prince Harry travelled with 12 wounded servicemen to Cape Town ahead of a 200-mile race . Calm before the storm: Prince Harry join other members of the British team in the team bus which headed to a nearby hotel along the coast for some relaxation time before leaving for the South Pole . Keeping calm: The Prince didn't seem at all daunted by the challenge ahead . He launched the charity's South Pole Allied Challenge in London's Trafalgar Square on Thursday. 'All the men and women behind me have achieved so much just to get here, let alone actually walk to the South Pole,' he said, flanked by the competitors. 'It's just a wonderful display of courage from their part. 'These guys aim to achieve something quite remarkable, and in doing so will prove to everybody else that even though you've lost a leg or lost an arm, or whatever your illness may be, that you can achieve pretty much anything if you put your mind to it.' He added: 'This trip is another way of reminding everybody that as Afghanistan draws down and these guys aren't in the news any more... the support must continue.' Trekking around 15 miles per day, the teams will be pulling 155lb sleds.They . will likely endure temperatures as low as -35C and wind speeds of around 50 miles per hour. Patron: The Virgin Money South Pole Allied Challenge 2013, of which Harry is patron, will see them race across the Antarctic to the South Pole . Prince Harry and other members of the British team get off the bus after arriving at a local hotel in Cape Town . Preparation: The teams will all fly on to a Russian base in Antarctica tomorrow where they will be given a few days to acclimatise to the freezing weather conditions . Speaking at London Heathrow Airport on Sunday before departing, British army veteran Ibrar Ali, whose right arm was amputated after a roadside bombing in Afghanistan in 2007, felt both nervous and excited about the challenge ahead. 'A bit like pre-tour when you're just about sat at Brize Norton (airbase) when you're just about to go out to Iraq or Afghanistan,' he said. Speaking of Harry's involvement, he added: 'He's a great team member and just fits in really well so no different to anyone else.' Harry, who is fourth in line to the throne, joined the Walking With The Wounded trek to the North Pole in 2011. However, he had to come home early to be best man at his brother Prince William's wedding. Members of the team carry equipment that will be vital on on their trek to the South Pole . Expedition: Members from the Soldier On Team - who represent the Commonwealth- pose for photographs ahead of the 200-mile Antarctica trek. They are joined by actor Dominic West, second left . Famous faces: Actor Dominic West, pictured, is to join the Commonwealth Team . | Prince is joining 12 injured service personnel on a 200-mile Antarctica trek . They boarded a flight from Cape Town to edge of Antarctica this morning . Landed in South Africa on Monday for brief stopover on way to South Pole . But they were told to stay for 48 hours until storms in Antarctica passed . Teams from Britain, America, Australia . and Canada will trek 10-15 miles per day and endure temperatures as low . as minus 45C plus 50mph winds . Race will begin on November 29 and finish on December 16-20 . | e15d780097d451ab5da2a07c22c3b5148777fec3 |
The mother of an Omaha toddler is defending her son after he unleashed a slew of obscenities in an online video that has gone viral. In the video, the diapered boy is taunted and cursed at by adults, who coax him into using crude words. The African-American toddler knocks down a chair and responds to some of the comments with a middle-finger salute. "Shut up, bitch," he says in one of the responses. The adults chuckle, prompting him to unleash more obscenities at them. Despite the video, he's not an anomaly, according to his mother. "He had a clean diaper, the house was clean and like they said, kids curse, every kid does it," the mother told CNN affiliate KETV in an exclusive interview. CNN does not identify juveniles in such stories. The mother is 16. "He's a smart little boy. All that cussing that he did, he doesn't do that," she said. "Somebody told him to do that. My son doesn't do that. I don't allow it." She said a friend of her brother filmed the video while she was in another room. "He was wrong for doing that ... posting the video up and getting us into this situation," she said. "Everybody that thinks I'm a bad mother, I'm not. I'm a good mother to my son. I teach him a lot. He's very smart." The police union in Omaha, Nebraska, posted the clip on its website to highlight what it called the "cycle of violence and thuggery" the community faces. The Omaha Police Officers' Association is under fire from the city's police chief, the ACLU and at least one community leader. They say the move needlessly antagonizes minority communities, which make up about a quarter of Omaha's 409,000 residents. Sgt. John Wells, the union's president, said the video was "disturbing" and "offensive." "The focus here isn't on any particular ethnic group. The focus here is on the troubling behavior toward this child," Wells said. "This behavior is going to potentially lead this child down a path that is completely unhealthy." On the website where the video is posted, the union said the clip came from "a local thug's public Facebook page." "We here at OmahaPOA.com viewed the video and we knew that despite the fact that it is sickening, heartbreaking footage, we have an obligation to share it to continue to educate the law abiding public about the terrible cycle of violence and thuggery that some young innocent children find themselves helplessly trapped in," the police union wrote in a post accompanying the video. "Now while we didn't see anything in this video that is blatantly 'illegal,' we sure did see a lot that is flat out immoral and completely unhealthy for this little child from a healthy upbringing standpoint," it added. Wells said one of the adults mentions a local street gang in the video. "That is why when we talk about the culture, the criminal culture, that this is to try to break the cycle and deal with the culture of violence and the culture of gang activity," he said. Willie Hamilton, president of the community activist group Black Men United, said the union crossed a line. "For them to take a video out of context -- a 2-year-old who doesn't have the brain capacity to know what's going on -- and to say that this child, because two adults acted inappropriately, is going to end up in a life of crime is totally inappropriate," Hamilton said. The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which filed an excessive force suit against the Omaha Police Department on behalf of an African-American family Monday, said the union's use of "racially charged language" was "very disconcerting." "Officers should be working to build a culture where anyone feels comfortable calling law enforcement," ACLU of Nebraska Executive Director Becki Brenner said in a prepared statement. "The manner in which the Officers Association has discussed this incident has done nothing but further erode community trust and reinforce the need for independent oversight, trainings, and other reforms." Police Chief Todd Schmaderer tried to distance his agency from the controversy Tuesday, saying that the union's website and Facebook page are separate from those of the Omaha Police Department. He said he has little authority over the public statements of union members. "With that background and understanding, I want to make it explicit and clear that the views expressed on the OPOA Facebook page do not necessarily reflect the official stance of the Omaha Police Department," Schmaderer said. "I strongly disagree with any postings that may cause a divide in our community or an obstacle to police community relations." Wells said union members have turned the video over to the department's child victim unit. The child and his mother are in protective custody for safety reasons. Court records obtained by the affiliate show the toddler was among five injured in October when shots were fired at a home. The boy and his mother have been relocated by the state in the past over gang activity fears, according to the affiliate. | Video shows toddler bombarded with obscenities, coaxed to respond in kind . "He's a smart little boy. All that cussing that he did, he doesn't do that," mom says . Mom says as long as his diaper and house were clean, there was no reason to worry . ACLU and African-American leaders blast the video . | d50ea3563e1cd9c0d744d0e8b1a4ba6f8bb2c7dc |
By . Leesa Smith . A three-storey penthouse at the top of James Packer's proposed Crown Sydney hotel could be the first Australian property to shatter the $100 million barrier - the same figure forked out for the licence to operate the VIP-only casino. The billionaire’s company Crown has not yet lodged a development application for the 69-storey tower proposal at Barangaroo’s casino resort - and it has not been decided whether to apply for the residence to be privately sold or used as a luxury villa to etnice the international big spenders. However, CBRE chairman Justin Brown predicts the apartment might sell for up to nine figures compared to similar property around the world. A three-storey penthouse at the top of James Packer's proposed Crown Sydney hotel at the Barangaroo site (pictured) could be the first Australian property to shatter the $100million barrier . The billionaire's company Crown has not yet lodged a development application for the 69-storey tower proposal at Barangaroo's casino resort which pushes 270 metres despite the 170-metre height limit in the area . ‘The penthouse at One Hyde Park (in London’s Knightsbridge) sold for $255 million (£140 million) recently,’ Mr Brown told The Sydney Morning Herald. ‘Penthouse apartments are selling in New York and Hong Kong for $100 million’ Mr Brown said the calibre of such a property would ‘seriously position itself globally’. The proposed resort pushes 270 metres despite the 170-metre height limit previously set to develop a hotel in the area. The site’s developer Lend Lease is in discussions with the state government about relocating the hotel on to Barangaroo South following community outrage about the original plan. Crown paid a $100 million licence fee to the NSW government this month to run the casino for 99 years from November 2019. As part of the agreement the company has promised the state government will receive a guaranteed minimum $1 billion in gambling taxes and fees over the first 15 years of the casino's operation. James Packer's company Crown paid a $100million licence fee to the NSW government this month to run the casino for 99 years from November 2019 . | A three-storey penthouse at propsoed Crown Sydney hotel could be the first Australian property to break $100 million price bracket . Company paid same figure for the licence to operate the VIP-only casino . Crown has not yet lodged a development application for the 69-storey tower proposal at Barangaroo’s casino resort . It has not been decided whether to apply for the residence to be privately sold or used as a luxury villa to entice the international big spenders . | ed230561fb67f7ed0a4ede5f2827b39fdc23f6a7 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . Most people don’t think twice about what happens to an email after they press send. Emails seem to appear instantly, but the reality is they often have long and indirect journeys through thousands of miles of cables - and a new program has been designed to help people visualise this arduous journey. Dubbed Email Miles, the email plug-in uses . GPS technology and internet tracking to log where a message was sent and . where it was received. Scroll down for video . Email Miles plug-in uses GPS technology and internet tracking to log where a message was sent and where it was received. This GIF shows the indirect route taken by an email sent from New York to Dakar, which travelled via Chicago, California and Dallas . Email Miles is a free plug-in for email programs such as Apple’s Mail and Google's Gmail. When an email is sent, the location of the server sending the message is tagged into the code of the mail. Email Miles scans an email for this so-called Geolocation tag. Every time an email is received by a new server, the new location tag is added to the email. Brucker-Cohen's plug-in tracks the different server locations of the emails and calculates the distance, in miles, between the two using GPS co-ordinates. The distance is direct, from one point to another, and may not account for the length and shape of the cables it passes through. The nature of email and web traffic means that for emails to travel long distances, it sometimes has to be passed through different servers as it enters and leaves different countries. This is because different companies manage different network cables. Email Miles then adds the location information to emails automatically. It then calculates the total distance between the two and displays it on a monitor. When an email is sent, the location of the server sending the message is tagged into the code of the mail. Email Miles scans an email for this so-called Geolocation tag. Every time an email is received by a new server, the new location tag is added to the email. Brucker-Cohen's . plug-in tracks the different server locations of the emails and . calculates the distance, in miles, between the two using GPS . co-ordinates. Inventor Jonah Brucker-Cohen hopes the program will ensure users do not take for granted how quickly we can communicate with one another in the modern world. Brucker-Cohen, a 39-year-old design lecturer from New York, said: 'Email Miles is a programme you download which then works to show the miles your emails travel.' 'Information is ubiquitous, but the speed and transmission of this information is typically invisible to people who have no conception of the infrastructure involved,' he added. 'The project looks to make those physical locations and separations more tangible and thus to change how people perceive their online communications,' he went on to say. The nature of web traffic means that for emails to travel long distances, they sometimes have to be passed through different servers as they enter and leave countries. This is because different companies manage different cables. Email Miles tracks the server locations and calculates the distance, in miles, between them . After tracking the emails, Email Miles adds the location information and miles to emails automatically, pictured . One of the program's more interesting revelations is how indirect the route of many emails can be. For . example, an email sent from New York to Dakar in Senegal travelled a . total of 12,115 miles - much further than the actual distance between . the two cities. This is . because the email first travelled 790 miles west to Chicago, then . another 2,163 miles west to Mountain View in California. After that it finally started making its way back east - first 1,699 miles to Dallas, then 4,745 miles to London, before eventually heading 2,718 miles south into the West African city. The nature of email and web traffic . means that for emails to travel long distances, it sometimes has to be . passed through different servers as it enters and leaves different . countries. This is because different companies manage different network cables. Brucker-Cohen claims the program does all of its time and distance calculations using the internet and a coordinate mapping system. 'Email Miles is beneficial because it adds a physical component to a phenomenon like email that is perceived as purely virtual,' he said. Brucker-Cohen has set up a FundAnthing campaign to raise money to make the plug-in widely available. | Program allows users to track exact route an email has taken to their inbox . Emails often travel thousands of miles in wrong direction before arriving . This is because web traffic and cables are owned by different companies . As an email leaves one server and travels to the next, the GPS location of each server is 'tagged' into the email's code . Email Miles scans each email for these so-called Geolocation tags . It calculates the distance between points, and the total distance travelled . | b7057697ccb18987bc860f7ea876a5a7db065c94 |
Labour could try to cut the cost of the Trident nuclear deterrent to save money, Ed Miliband said yesterday – opening the way for a deal with the SNP. He declared that he wanted to have the ‘least cost nuclear deterrent we can have’. His comment raises the prospect of a coalition with the SNP, which has insisted it will not support any party that favours replacing the Trident nuclear missiles. Scroll down for video . Nuclear deterrent since 1994: The Trident missiles have a range of 7,500 miles and are accurate to a few feet. They are carried by four submarines - Vanguard (above), Vengeance, Victorious and Vigilant . It also suggests that Labour could ditch one or more of the submarines which carry the weapons and are needing to be replaced. Next year MPs will hold a final vote on whether to build a new generation of submarines in a £20billion ‘like for like’ replacement of Trident. Labour’s position on Trident could be a key factor in any coalition deal after the May election – and the SNP could end up handing Mr Miliband the keys to Number 10 if it wins enough seats to prop him up and deliver a Commons majority. The issue could also help Mr Miliband in negotiations with the Lib Dems and the Greens. Labour leader: Ed Miliband declared that he wanted to have the ‘least cost nuclear deterrent we can have’ The current system involves four nuclear-powered submarines, with one armed boat always at sea, operating out of Faslane in Scotland. Ed Miliband was asked about Trident during a question and answer session. He said: ‘I want to see disarmament, but I want to see multilateral disarmament, I’m not in favour of unilateral disarmament. ‘What does that mean? That means we have got to have the least cost deterrent that we can have, and that’s my philosophy.’ The Liberal Democrats say ending round-the-clock patrols would allow the submarine fleet to be cut from four boats to three but the Tories attacked the idea of a ‘part-time’ deterrent. Stepping inside: David Cameron (pictured) is said to back the like-for-like replacement of the ageing Vanguard class boats which carry the missiles. He is pictured aboard Vanguard class submarine HMS Victorious in 2013 . Downing Street said David Cameron backed the like-for-like replacement of the ageing Vanguard class boats which carry the missiles. A 2007 vote saw 161 MPs vote to oppose the renewal of Trident, including 95 Labour rebels. Submarine-launched missiles are regarded as superior to land-based nuclear weapons because they are less vulnerable to a ‘first strike’. Trident has been the UK’s nuclear deterrent since 1994. The missiles have a range of 7,500 miles and are accurate to a few feet. They are carried by four submarines - Vanguard, Vengeance, Victorious and Vigilant. On patrol, one submarine will carry 16 missiles, each with three warheads. Authorisation for using them can only come from the Prime Minister. Former home secretary Charles Clarke, a critic of the current Labour leadership, questioned his party’s credibility on controlling public spending. He wrote in the Fabian Review magazine: ‘The public needs to support how their tax is spent. So Labour needs to acknowledge that spending which might easily have gained public support decades ago now needs serious re-evaluation.’ | SNP won't support parties favouring replacing Trident nuclear missiles . Labour could ditch one or more of submarines which carry weapons . Final vote for MPs next year on building new generation of submarines . Labour's position on Trident could be key factor in any coalition deal . | af303e30154967b1ab5d6d904ccf9ecdb6b94152 |
By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . In recent years we’ve seen popular words on social networks make their way into the dictionary - from selfie to bitcoin. But now a new initiative will see Twitter users decide for themselves what modern words they want to see included. Collins English Dictionary has scoured the microblogging site to find emerging words, and is asking users to vote on which should be added to the next edition of the dictionary. Twitter users are being asked to vote on new words to enter the October 2014 edition of the Collins English Dictionary. Entries must be tweeted with a hashtag by 28 May and include words such as 'adorkable', which means a person who is 'dorky in an adorable way.' Stock image pictured . Lexicographers at Collins spent months scouring Twitter to uncover the most popular terms being used, and have drawn up a shortlist. These include words such as 'adorkable', meaning dorky in an adorable way, to 'felfie' – a farmer who has taken a selfie. The winning word will be announced in June and it will enter the October 2014 edition of the Collins English Dictionary. To vote on a word, users need to tweet using a hashtag of their favourite word - such as #adorkable - by 28 May. And, according to the company’s website, adorkable is currently in the lead, although there is plenty of time for it to change. Adorkable - dorky in an adorable way. Duckface - the traditional 'pouting' facial expression in selfies. Euromaidan - the original pro-Europe protests in Ukraine, named for Maidan Square in Kiev. Fatberg - a large mass of solid waste or grease clogging a sewage system. Felfie - a farmer who has taken a selfie. Fracktivist - an activist who protests against fracking. Gaybourhood - a gay-friendly neighbourhood, such as Castro in San Francisco. Nomakeupselfie - a selfie of a woman without her make-up, posted online to raise awareness for a charity; the masculine equivalent is the makeupselfie. Vaguebooking - posting deliberately vague status updates on a social networking site with the intention of prompting a response. The company said using Twitter to measure a word’s popularity is a natural extension of the way the dictionary is compiled. Words are usually added by analysing their usage across a range of UK and international print and digital media. These are then collated into Collins’ list of definitions, which currently stands at 4.5 billion. ‘Twitter offers us an immediate snapshot of how much a word is used,' said Andrew Freeman, Associate Publishing Director at Colllins. ‘The tried and tested approach to compiling dictionaries has to adapt to embrace the ways in which language is developing through use on social media, and this is a fun way to get Twitter users involved in defining the English language.’ The company said using Twitter to choose a new word is a natural evolution of the process usually used to select new words. Fracktivist, for example, is a word growing in popularity used to describe someone who protests against fracking. Stock image pictured . Ian Brookes, lexicographer and consultant editor to the Collins English Dictionary, added: 'The words that we are asking Twitter users to vote on have been selected from a group of words that were mostly submitted by the public for inclusion in the Collins English Dictionary via [our website].' 'We then looked at the frequency of their usage by analysing the data held in the Collins corpus, which records word usage around the world in newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and online and is the data source we use to compile the dictionary. 'They are all "bubbling under" words, in that we would not usually put them in the dictionary at this stage as they have not reached the required level of usage. 'However, when we additionally used Twitter data to look at their profile it was clear that there was a definite pattern of use on Twitter and we could see where they originated from, and how their use has grown and spread geographically. 'In this way, we are harnessing Twitter data to detect and track word development at an early stage.' Brookes added that language has always had to evolve to new developments in society, and this latest initiative is an indication of how important social media has become. | Twitter users are being asked to vote on new words for the 'Twictionary' Winning word will be entered into this year's Collins English Dictionary . To enter, users need to tweet a word from the shortlist using a hashtag . 'Adorkable', 'fracktivist', 'felfie' and 'fatberg' are among the words included . Competition closes on 28 May and the winner will be announced in June . | d8718d927397bbd3a939ae4c84c23ccd636cd6b7 |
An eagle-eyed photographer has captured these incredible pictures of an orchid that looks just like a bird. Photographer Christian Kneidinger, 50, was taking pictures in a botanical garden in Linz, Austria, when he realised he was looking at something special. Initially the software engineer was trying to focus on the colour of the flowers but after an hour he took a closer look at the pink moth orchid and noticed an optical illusion of a bird in its centre. The optical illusion of a bird can be seen in the pink moth orchid found at Botanical Garden in Linz, Austria . Photographer Christian Kneidinger from Austria could not believe his eyes when he captured the images . ‘I showed other visitors what I had captured, but no one could believe it. Everyone was so surprised, even when I showed them the orchid,’ he said. ‘I was trying to get some beautiful pictures of some beautiful plants. I never expected to see something so magical.’ ‘I came by the bird completely by chance. I thought I was seeing things, but it felt so real. ‘I knew I had to capture it before it disappeared and I'd think my eyes had been deceiving me.’ Mr Kneidinger, who lives in Austria, used a DSLR 5D Mark III camera with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L lens and a Macro IS USM lens to capture the stunning pictures. He said: ‘I looked through the finder of my DSLR and I noticed that it looked like a bird - I was really surprised. Mr Kneidinger said he showed it to other visitors at the Botanical Garden in Linz, Austria, who couldn't believe it . He used a DSLR 5D Mark III camera with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L lens and a Macro IS USM lens for the image . Christian Kneidinger, 50 (pictured), said: 'I never expected to see something so magical¿ . ‘Looking at it through the camera monitor didn't have the same feeling as in real life, so I took my video LED light that I use to brighten shadows. ‘I placed the light behind the flower and reduced the intensity, and I got what I expected. It was amazing.’ The orchid, scientifically known as a Phalaenopsis, was found among the 10,000 various plants at the Botanical Garden in Linz, which houses five greenhouses full of exotic floras. ‘It shows how beautiful these flowers are and how nature is at one,’ added Mr Kneidinger. ‘I try to go with open eyes everywhere I go and I try to use different views. ‘I take time watching for my desired object and sometimes, like now, something unexpected happens.’ | Photographer Christian Kneidinger, 50, captured images in Linz, Austria . He was trying to focus on colours but after a closer look spotted the 'bird' Centre of pink moth orchid shows an optical illusion of animal in flight . Showed other visitors at Botanical Garden who could not believe it . Said he was surprised and 'never expected to see something so magical' | 7306b0b95513035465e1c08f111d775296d36d05 |
Bangkok (CNN) -- Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Thailand's capital Sunday, some surrounding the home of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whom they want to oust. An estimated 90,000 protesters were marching in Bangkok, Lt. Gen. Paradon Patthanathabut, Thailand's national security chief, told CNN. He said that number rose to 150,000 at the peak of the rally in the late afternoon. He earlier said 10,000 had surrounded the premier's home while she tours the northeast provinces. The demonstration there was later disbanded. In a bid to cool tensions, Shinawatra dissolved the nation's parliament earlier this month and called for new elections, to be held on February 2. But the move has done little to appease anti-government protesters, who remained on the streets by the thousands. The main opposition party, the Democrat Party, has said it will boycott the polls. Speaking on one of the main stages set up at the rally, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban asked demonstrators to surround a sports complex where candidates seeking to put themselves forward for the election will have to register their names. Candidates have from Monday to Friday to do so. Security beefed up . Security at the complex was being stepped up ahead of the start of registration, Paradon said, but he could not give figures. During the weeks of demonstrations, protesters have occupied various government offices. The rallies have been mostly peaceful, but there have also been deadly clashes between protesters and government supporters. Protest leaders have said they want to rid Thailand of the influence of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the older brother of Yingluck. That's an ambitious goal in a country where every election since 2001 has been won by parties affiliated with Thaksin, who built his political success on populist policies that appealed to Thailand's rural heartland. Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and has spent most of the time since then in exile overseas. If he returns, he risks a two-year prison sentence on a corruption conviction, which he says was politically motivated. The current protests in Bangkok were prompted by a botched attempt by Yingluck Shinawatra's government to pass an amnesty bill that would have opened the door for her brother's return. That move added fuel for critics who accuse her of being nothing more than her brother's puppet, an allegation she has repeatedly denied. CNN's Marie-Louise Gumuchian contributed to this report . | NEW: Protest leader calls for demonstration at site where election candidates will register . Protesters surrounded the home of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra . PM has called for February 2 elections, main opposition party says it will boycott . Protesters have occupied various government offices in the last few weeks . | 29a2eb6d0571cc27ba4ad70dce71c06d9c0ff60c |
A video clip claiming to show a naked man climbing down the facade of Buckingham Palace on a bed sheet has gone viral on the internet. The video show a couple of tourists standing on Constitution Hill, outside Green Park as the Changing of the Guard is taking place. As the video zooms towards Buckingham Palace, it appears as if a naked man has clambered out of a window onto a bed sheet and attempts to lower himself to the ground. These are the amazing scenes as a naked man apparently climbs from the window of Buckingham Palace . The daredevil is making his escape just as the Changing of the Guard is taking place . Two tourists seem almost oblivous to the ongoing drama as they wait for the soldiers to pass by . Despite a naked man just yards away the soldiers seem completely unaware of what is happening over their shoulder. The man is seen slowly lowering himself down the rope made from bed sheets over the course of several seconds. However, after about ten feet, the man loses his grip and plummets to the ground some 20 feet below him. Yet, despite the incident, nobody in the crowd or any of the soldiers appear to react. However, the 45 second video is believed to be an elaborate hoax. When contacted, Buckingham palace declined to comment on the video. The Metropolitan Police said they have not received any reports of a naked man dangling from a Buckingham Palace window. The London Ambulance Service said they have not received any calls to treat a naked man suffering from injuries sustained from a fall from a rope made of bed sheets. The video man zooms in as he notices the naked man who has dark coloured hair escaping the window . The man appears to have almost made it as he passes a lower window which has the blinds closed . The man, who appears to be only wearing his left sock, now seems to be in trouble . Shockingly, the man plummets to his doom after he loses his grip on the improvised climbing rope . | A video on the internet claims to show a naked man in Buckingham Palace . The man appears to be climbing down from a window using a bed sheet . The drama happens during the middle of Changing of the Guard . After a few feet, the man plummets from his improvised climbing rope . Buckingham Palace said they do not wish to comment on the video . | 2192e4773285b63ddc36aea85eb98dc882600f51 |
A newborn baby is in intensive care at a Brisbane Hospital, as police investigate the cause of the two-week-old’s life threatening head injuries. The investigation has been launched by the Child Protection Investigation Unit on the Gold Coast, according to the Courier Mail. The infant was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital on Sunday and is now in the ICU at Brisbane’s Mater Children’s hospital. The two-week-old baby was first taken to Gold Coast University Hospital (pictured) on Sunday . The child’s parents, from Maudsland on the northern Gold Coast, are understood to be cooperating with police. | Two-week-old baby in intensive care with 'serious' head injuries . Gold Coast police have launched an investigation to determine the cause . Infant taken to Gold Coast University Hospital on Sunday before transfer . Child's parents, from Maudsland, are cooperating with detectives . | 318ede9d11a0d035ab215a9b1a098515c9722372 |
Its moments of high drama usually involve burnt cakes or ‘soggy bottoms’. So viewers of The Great British Bake Off were understandably shocked when the BBC2 show turned into a ‘bloodbath’ worthy of Casualty. One of the star contestants, 23-year-old John Whaite from Manchester, was forced to withdraw from the strudel round after slicing his finger on an electric mixer. Scroll down for video . Shocked: John Whaite cut himself while trying to bake a strudel on The Great British Bakeoff on BBC2 . But instead of passing tactfully over the incident, producers treated the show’s dedicated fans to close-up shots of his blood-soaked hand. Some took to Twitter to complain. One said: ‘I greatly dislike the sight of blood. Great British Bake Off was rank. Blood glove. Eew.’ Another said: ‘Did not expect to see blood on The Great British Bake Off. Not hungry any more,’ while a third simply called it a ‘bloodbath’. In a tense climax, Mr Whaite – who has a strong female following – was spared elimination, with the judges deciding to vote off two contestants next week instead. The accident happened halfway through Tuesday night’s episode, as contestants competed in the ‘showstopper challenge’, set by judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. Emergency aid: Contestant Mr Whaite, 23, from Manchester, is led away for treatment on his hand . As he made his strudel, Mr Whaite was seen wearing a blue glove on his right hand. He explained: ‘I’m having to start again because I stupidly – it’s my own fault – I put my finger in the Magimix and just slid it across the blade. It’s just knocked me off balance a little but I’ll be all right.’ Soon, however, the law student was forced to sit down as blood filled the glove and began pouring down his arm. Looking increasingly pale, he said: ‘I need to wash it. I keep on feeling dizzy.’ As the cameras showed a close-up of his cut, host Sue Perkins provided a rather vivid running commentary. Help is at hand: Danny Bryden, a doctor, and host Sue Perkins (right) take charge of the situation . Miss Perkins said: ‘John’s been soldiering on with a cut finger, but it’s deeper than first feared, and stretching the pastry has stretched the wound.’ She added: ‘Luckily there is a doctor in the marquee. Danny [Bryden, another contestant] is an intensive care consultant.’ Despite begging to be allowed to continue, Mr Whaite was led off for treatment. He later returned with his arm in a sling, saying: ‘I’m just so gutted because I really think my strudel’s going to be amazing.’ Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer . | John Whaite, 23, from Manchester, was forced to withdraw from the round . Instead of passing over incident, producers showed close-up shots of hand . Fans took to Twitter, saying they 'did not expect to see blood' on the show . | fb25df8e0b320c4860dcf1638551b419bcc4920e |
By . Dave Wood . Luis Suarez has little to smile about following his four-month ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini but fans were queuing up to have a laugh at his expense. A poster featuring the Uruguay striker baring his teeth became a major attraction on Copacabana Beach in Rio as it provided the perfect backdrop for a photo opportunity. FIFA announced on Thursday that Suarez was suspended from all football-related activity until the end of October and he would miss Uruguay's next nine internationals. The news was relayed to commuters over the travel message boards on London Underground. VIDEO Scroll down for hilarious Suarez gif depicts the the Uruguay striker as Jaws . Tourist attraction: Fans queued up to stand next to a Luis Suarez poster on Copacabana Beach in Rio . Tourist attraction: Fans queued up to stand next to a Luis Suarez poster on Copacabana Beach in Rio . It didn't take long for Luis Suarez's bite on Giorgio Chiellini to viral - although perhaps people were expecting it. Within . moments of the Uruguay striker appearing to sink his teeth into . Chiellini's shoulder fans were scanning the net for photos and video . clips of the incident. And quick-thinking internet wizzes were putting together their best efforts to create viral jokes soon after. On message: Tube commuters found out about the lengthy ban given to Suarez on the digital screen . On message: Tube commuters found out about the lengthy ban given to Suarez on the digital screen . On the ball: The news broke just before the busy evening rush hour . Viral: This was tweeted supposedly depicting Luis Suarez as a child with a Hannibal mask on . Solid gold: Suarez picked up another award after a great season, according to some on Twitter . Yummy: Snickers' Twitter account got in on the act by publishing this viral with #luissuarez . Starving: Suarez's head has been added to the game Hungry Hippos as well . He's got my arm! Suarez (right) is depicted as having taken off Chiellini's arm with his bite . They've got him! Suarez depitced being captured like a dog following his biting incident . There's something in the water... Suarez is depicted as Jaws in this viral . Jokes: At least some could see the funny side of Suarez's actions - including some edited Panini stickers . Chez Suarez: Which other footballers could be on the menu? Biter: @SBNation cast Suarez as blood-sucking vampire Dracula after he appeared to aim a bite at Chiellini . Reaction: Hilarious vine depicting what Chiellini's response to the Suarez incident would be . An Argentinian twitter user was subjected to abuse on the social media site as fans confused him for Luis Suarez. Diego . Suarez, whose twitter handle is @Suarez, received so many vile tweets . that he said he was considering closing his account down. 'Please . stop I am not Uruguayan, I am not Luis Suarez' the unfortunate . Argentinian tweeted. 'I am not Luis Suarez, there are many Suarez in the . world'. Chiellini was subject to a shocking attack by Liverpool forward Suarez, who sunk . his teeth into his opponent just before Diego Godin's matchwinner in Uruguay's 1-0 win. It . wasn't the first time that the Uruguayan has sunk his teeth into an . opponent. Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic and PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal . were previous victims in 2013 and 2010 respectively. Christmas stocking filler: The Suarez bottle opener would probably be a best-seller if it was real . Spot the difference: Luis Suarez sinks his teeth into Branislav Ivanovic . Doubled up: And then of course there was another Suarez heat-map, this time showing his impact on Chiellini . Better option: Chicken chain Nando's were one of the first to reach out to the Uruguay striker with other options . Fancy an Italian? And Bella Italia were quick to follow up with an offer at one of their 90 UK restaurants . Proof: Some even joked about FIFA's overused goal line technology that has been noted during the tournament . How many times: Suarez's previous misdemeanors had not gone unnoticed by football fans online . Sniggers: Was Suarez's bite because he hadn't eaten before kick-off in the Group D decider? Bite over bark: Suarez has been likened to Jaws before and again he is proving it's not safe to be around him . VIDEO Suarez in another biting storm . | Luis Suarez sent home in shame after being banned for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini . Uruguay striker Suarez ruled out of Saturday's last 16 clash against Colombia at World Cup . The internet has reacted with a number of jokes and images in reference to the incident . Images show Luis Suarez as Jaws and Dracula while he wins the 'Golden Teeth' Giorgio Chiellini's apparent bite marks are made substantially worse . | 461766c482e299d0968a65a3836ea3541044b3d7 |
(CNN) -- If you want to know why there's little cooperation in Washington these days, I'd start with a campaign promise made in 1988 by presidential candidate George H.W. Bush. "Read my lips: No new taxes." So, when he raised taxes two years later, quite naturally, voters, particularly conservatives, were upset. If you want to know why so little is being accomplished in Washington these days, I'd start with that broken promise and what Bush did in an attempt to get those conservatives back. He carried Rush Limbaugh's bags. That's right. In 1992, President Bush invited Limbaugh for a sleepover and personally brought his guest's bags into the Lincoln bedroom for him . They were not friends. In fact, Limbaugh didn't care for Bush that much, and "41" knew it. But Bush was seeking re-election. He was saddled with a slumping economy and locked in a tough battle with Gov. Bill Clinton and businessman Ross Perot. He believed he needed Rush Limbaugh. The party has been carrying Limbaugh's bags ever since. So, if you want to know when Washington became so polarized, maybe we should circle August 1, 1988, exactly 25 years ago. That was the day a satirical talk show host syndicated his act and, in the process, made a lot of money and became one of the most influential figures in American politics today. "Have any of you heard of an individual by the name of LZ Granderson?" Limbaugh asked on his show in June 2012. "Snerdley? He has not heard of LZ Granderson. Dawn, have you? Brian, have you heard of LZ Granderson? Prior to last night I had not heard of LZ Granderson." Which isn't true. In June 2011, Limbaugh brought me up on his show as well, going so far as to say, "You can blame me, LZ Granderson, all you want, and I'll take it." It only takes a few seconds on "The Rush Limbaugh Show" website to find out those facts. But Limbaugh isn't on the air to provide facts, he's there to entertain. Many of his listeners understand that. And many of them don't. A 1994 New York Times article leading into the midterm election called Limbaugh "a kind of national precinct captain for the Republican insurgency of 1994" and documented caller after caller legitimately asking the Mahi Rushie -- he calls himself that on occasion -- for guidance. Not much has changed. During the Affordable Health Care Act debate, callers were actually asking Limbaugh, a shock jock in the mold of Howard Stern, what was in the bill. He even threatened to move to Costa Rica if it was implemented, which seemed counterintuitive, considering Costa Rica has universal health care. But it's moments like that when you remember that Limbaugh's purpose isn't to provide thoughtful political discourse. It's to vent on his listeners' behalf, to appeal to their censored side. The side that wants to hear a white man say "nigga" in public or call a woman a "slut" without getting fired. If that makes you laugh, then he's doing his job. If that disgusts you, well that's his job, too. Limbaugh has had us on this yo-yo since the moment he assumed the role of Gabriel in the Kingdom of Reagan 25 years ago. Back then, it was only offensive, because he was the party's megaphone, warning listeners about the impending invasion of welfare queens with his mixture of righteous indignation and half-truths. It became destructive when listeners and politicians alike made him its spokesman: a pseudo-politician free from the burden of actually having to do anything. Like use facts. In rebutting the legitimacy of climate change, Limbaugh once told listeners the United States had more acreage of forest land today than at the time the Constitution was written. That wasn't true, of course, but it sounded good. Not too long ago, he read what he believed to be passages from Obama's senior thesis, passages that expressed a disdain for the U.S. Constitution. Sadly, the whole thing was made up by a blogger. And while Limbaugh did sheepishly tell listeners what he had read earlier was false, the host still found a way to justify reading it by saying, "We know he thinks it." Some folks eat that kind of stuff up. Some get riled up about it. And the folks in Washington? Well, after 25 years, they're still not quite sure what to do with it or him. If you're a Democrat, do you ignore him? If you're a Republican, do you carry his bags? I imagine it's like that feeling you get when someone tells you something that you can't determine is a joke or not. You just stand there half-smiling like an idiot. So, if you want to know what the folks in Washington are doing about the economy, I'd start there. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of LZ Granderson. | LZ Granderson: President Bush in 1992, seeking Limbaugh's support, carried his bags . GOP has been Rush Limbaugh's bellhop ever since he got influential, he says . LZ: Rush throws around half-truths and insults. Some are disgusted, others entertained . LZ: But it's destructive when people, politicians make him some sort of spokesman . | e448d500c692db19bf01c562e64eda284f67731a |
By . Bianca London . Ollie Proudlock is the much-loved Made In Chelsea style guru who put . crucifix earrings, man buns and Hawaiian shirts on the fashion radar. And now, the . 25-year-old with a penchant for top knots has landed himself a modelling contract with top agency, Elite Model Management, joining their special bookings division. Speaking to MailOnline, the ever humble fashion designer and reality TV . star said: 'I don’t see it as . just a modelling contract; it’s more about building the relationship . with Elite London: focusing on fashion and creativity. First look: Ollie Proudlock has been signed by Elite and will work as part of its special bookings division . 'It’s great to be involved in photo-shoots and developing my creative portfolio along the way. Elite is the biggest international modelling network so it is exciting to be on board with them.' Ollie, who uploads snaps of himself to his style blog, Proudlock Style, admits he never gets camera shy. He said: 'While modelling was never my main intention, my mum is a photographer and she always took loads of photos of my family and I, putting on mini photo-shoots whilst we were on holiday so I have been used to the camera from an early age, which is fortunate for where I am now.' Edgy: As well as shooting with them, Ollie is an ambassador for the Elite Model Look UK, which scouts talent . Sharing his top tips for perfecting his pose, Prooderz - as he is affectionately known amongst his co-stars - said: 'For me, the key is to try to be as . natural as possible and attempt to show variation. I’m not a trained . model so I take direction wherever possible.' Proudlock's bun may have become the butt of all jokes between his Made In Chelsea co-stars but, as man buns - or muns - become the hottest hair accessory, who's laughing now? 'It’s funny because at the beginning it was really alien to a lot of people and I had a very mixed reaction. It’s fun seeing people out and about sporting the "mun". He's a natural: Sharing his top tips for perfecting his pose, Ollie said the key is to try to be as natural as possible and attempt to show variation . 'The best person to pull it off so far is my Mini Proudlock from the #MiniChelsea advert. He looks epic.' I would recommend investing in: . A pair of . Tom Davies bespoke sunglasses . The Serge DeNimes Yellow Gold Padlock . Pendant . Christies Kingsbury fedora . 'I am big on accessories at any . time of the year but these are perfect for sunny days' Unlike a lot of his MIC pals who have been tottering up and down the King's Road and partying at Boujis until the tiny hours, Ollie has been building a brand - he has his own fashion range, Serge DeNimes, jewellery lines and has just collaborated with Gandy's to design a pair of flip-flops for charity. 'It’s a really exciting year ahead for Serge DeNimes, with the Gandys collaboration and another which we are yet to announce; we are also launching in five Harvey Nichols stores in May with an exclusive capsule collection. 'In addition we have just released our first Serge Life Style video: #LiveSerge, which we intend to continue monthly, acting as a platform for young creatives. 'I am hoping that I will be filming in New York for the summer for a six-episode Made in Chelsea special; it’s a really big step for the show. 'If not I will be around London working on some exciting things for Serge DeNimes and of course building my portfolio with Elite London. 'We’ve had a hectic filming . schedule, I think this is the best season yet with new characters and . some huge reveals that we didn’t see coming so the viewer’s certainly . won’t,' he reveals. Hilarious! The new trailer for the upcoming . seventh series of Made In Chelsea sees the cast - pictured here Oliver . Proudlock and Jamie Laing - depicted as child versions of themselves and Ollie says his mini-mi has the best man bun ever . Roomies: Jamie Laing and Francis Boulle are lucky to live with Ollie, who can impart his fashion tips . | Ollie, 25, signed to Elite Model Management . Will also serve as their ambassador for Elite Look UK scouting competition . Kendall Jenner just signed with same agency . Ollie says MIC will be best season yet with lots of new characters . | 3f3ce445ed7493684888b825a738e301ae3d2b1b |
By . Bianca London . We're a nation that runs on tea drinking, but what would you sacrifice for a cuppa? New research has revealed how our love of tea is so great that one fifth (19 per cent) of women would rather go without sex than give up tea. Over a third (35 per cent) of those polled would go without Facebook, and a quarter would forego alcohol (28 per cent) or chocolate (25 per cent) - all in favour of a good brew. Tea lovers: Miranda Kerr is a notorious tea lover and even designed her own range of china but would she, like one fifth of women, rather go without sex than give up tea? We're also a fussy bunch when it comes to making it: 48 per cent of Brits prefer to make a cup of tea themselves, rather than trust someone else to make it because, they say, it just doesn’t taste the same. Results were even higher amongst the 55-plus age group, with the majority (52 per cent) of respondents saying they prefer to make their own brew. If you are going to accept an offer of a cuppa, think twice before taking one from a man, as 14 per cent admit to giving someone a brew in a dirty mug. Men’s slapdash approach might be due to less practice, as the average woman makes five cups of tea a day, versus the four made by the average man. That’s 1,825 cups of tea made by the average woman each year, compared to 1,460 made by men. We really do love tea! A fifth of women would sacrifice sex for a cup of tea, over a third would go without Facebook, and a quarter would forego alcohol . While we'll use almost any excuse to have a cup of tea, there are rules that every tea-maker must abide by. Nearly half (48 per cent) of Brits think that leaving used tea bags on the kitchen worktop is the biggest tea-making no-no, although 14 per cent of people admit to doing so. Leaving the tea bag in the cup goes against tea making etiquette for almost half (44 per cent) of Brits, and serving tea with the remnants of washing up liquid is, quite rightly, frowned upon by 37 per cent of UK residents. One in ten (10 per cent) cite leaving tea stains from a wet spoon in the sugar bowl as one to avoid. Fussy: The survey found that 48 per cent of Brits prefer to make a cup of tea themselves, rather than trust someone else to make it because, they say, it just doesn't taste the same . A spokesperson for Whitworths Sugar, who commissioned the research, said: 'It’s really interesting the things that people will give up for a cup of tea - and how picky we are about how it’s made. 'According to our research, to create the perfect cup of tea you should use freshly boiled water, allowing the loose tea leaves to brew for about three minutes and add your preferred milk after water, with the sugar stirred in last.' | One fifth of women would rather go without sex than a cup of tea . A third would go without Facebook . One in seven men admit to giving someone tea in a dirty mug . British women make an average 1,825 cups of tea every year . | ad3ef789f041aa82c8d532b6caa2b5f90fc99e6c |
Jeb Bush has surged into the lead in the Republican presidential candidate race according to the latest poll. The surge in popularity follows his announcement last week to 'actively explore' a bid to run in the 2016 race. According to the survey by CNN in conjunction with OCR, he is the choice of nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of GOP supporters interviewed and ten points ahead of his closest rival, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (13 per cent). Scroll down for video . Jeb Bush has the largest lead in the polls by a Republican presidential hopeful in two years. The former Governor of Florida is 10 points ahead of closest rival, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie . Physician Ben Carson came in third with 7 per cent of the support, while Senator Rand Paul and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee were tied for fourth with 6 per cent. It is the first time that a GOP potential has led beyond a poll's margin of error in the past two years. However, of the Republicans polled, some said they were less likely to vote for him on some of the issues he has encountered as the Governor of Florida. For example 42 per cent say his description of illegal immigration as an 'act of love' make them less likely to support Bush, but another 39 per cent say it makes no difference to them. In the Democratic race, Hilary Clinton is still the runaway favorite, with two-thirds of support within her party. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is the closest to her, but with a distant 9 per cent. Bush last week said that he is going to 'active explore' a bid to run for the White House. He has constantly been ahead of his competitors in 2016 polls . Last week Bush showed more signs he was preparing for a run at the White House. He stopped booking paid speeches, though he will follow through on previous commitments through early next year. After his father's loss Bush decided to stay in politics, first as a campaign manager for Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and later as a candidate himself. He failed at his first attempt to be elected to public office but succeeded at winning the governor's mansion on his second try in 1998. Two consecutive terms as governor later, Bush reentered the private sector in 2007 and joined the boards of Lehman Brothers, which was later absorbed in part by Barclays after the 2008 financial crisis, Swisher Hygiene, InnoVida, Rayonier and Tenet. | Survey by CNN/ORC shows he has taken 23% approval over other GOP potential candidates surveyed . He's 10 points ahead of closest rival, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie . Physician Ben Carson came in third, with 7% of the tallied vote . It comes after Bush announced that he was to 'actively explore' a bid . | 9944ece0dfe1c0fe817e4e564fba579188592b31 |
By . Australian Associated Press . Tony Abbott's personal approval rating took another hit as voter support for the Federal Government dropped three points to 37 per cent, but more heavily in stronghold states Western Australia and Queensland, according to the latest Newspoll. In findings being attributed to displeasure with the coalition's first budget, government support in WA has slipped six points to 40 per cent and by four points to 37 per cent in Queensland. Men are generally continuing to back the government, but its support among females has dropped two points to 35 per cent, according to the results published by The Australian. The Prime Minister's personal rating has fallen sharply in all states and every demographic group. Scroll down for video . Sharp drop: Tony Abbott is down four points as the preferred Prime Minister . Mr Abbott is now behind Bill Shorten (left) as preferred Prime Minister, 37 per cent to the Opposition Leader's 41 per cent . Only 38 per cent of voters in Mr Abbott's home state of NSW preferring him in the top job, compared to 42 per cent who say they'd back Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Nationally, he is preferred as Prime Minister by 37 per cent of voters (a drop of four points) while nationwide approval for Mr Shorten has jumped from 36 per cent to 41 per cent. There has also been a significant fall in backing from older voters, with support among those aged between 35 and 49 tumbling three points to 34 per cent, and among those 50 and older falling from 48 per cent to 45 per cent. More... Tony Abbott takes heat for saying Australia was 'unsettled' before British arrived . PM 'risked his daughters' lives' by parading them for political gain during the election campaign, claims senator . 'The unaffordable energy capital of the world': Tony Abbott blames green companies for increasing power prices in Australia . The results come three days after Mr Abbott landed himself in hot water after he said Australia was unsettled before British colonisation. Mr Abbott made the comments during an address he made at the Melbourne Institute, saying Australia was unimaginable without foreign investment. 'I guess our country owes its existence to a form of foreign investment by the British government in the then unsettled or, um, scarcely settled, Great South Land,' he said on Friday. | Tony Abbott down as preferred PM to 37 per cent; Shorten up to 41% . Displeasure at Coalition's budget affects Government support in key states . Voter backing in WA (six points) Queensland (four points) falls sharply . | 68fdc46c3897056f144594bba2aa40866ab26775 |
The 'friendly' match between Boca Juniors and Racing Club during Argentina's off-season proved to be anything but. Boca right-back Leandro Marin scythed down Racing midfielder Ricardo Centurion with a violent two-footed lunge. The ensuring red card was Boca's second of the game after just 30 minutes and they went on to lose 4-1. Boca's Leandro Marin takes out Racing's Ricardo Centurion with a violent two-footed lunge . The right-back came in from behind with his studs up . Centurion was left writhing in pain after the horror tackle . The referee immediately shows Marin (left) the red card, his side's second of the game after just 30 minutes . Centurion is suspected to have suffered a broken leg as a result of the challenge. Argentina's football season is set to kick off in mid-February with Racing, who went unbeaten in their final nine games of the previous campaign, the reigning champions of the Primera Division, the country's top domestic league. Boca, meanwhile, finished last season fifth in the table, with just two wins from their final six fixtures. It is unclear at the moment whether any action will be taken against Marin for his tackle. Racing players are understandably animated following Marin's horror challenge on their team-mate . It is unclear whether Marin will face any disciplinary action for his challenge . Centurion is suspected to have broken his leg as a result of the tackle . | Boca's Leandro Marin takes out Racing's Ricardo Centurion . Marin's red card is his side's second of the game . Racing go on to win 4-1 . The game was a friendly during Argentina's close-season . | 705d6178f466830aadd640f2635056f6369a8772 |
Sea levels have risen by about 20cm . (8in) over the past century . By . Damien Gayle . West Antarctica is warming almost twice as fast as previously believed, a new study shows, heightening fears of a catastrophic thaw that raise water levels from San Francisco to Shanghai. Annual average temperatures at the Byrd research station there have risen 2.4C (4.3F) since the Fifties, it said, one of the fastest gains on the planet and three times the global average. West Antarctica holds enough ice to raise world sea levels by at least 3.3m (11ft) if it ever all melted. Melting: A new study raises the alarm over rising sea levels due to climate change in the Antarctic . Heating up: On this map, the colour intensity indicates areas around Antarctica that are likely experiencing comparable warming to Byrd Station, which is marked by the star . That process would take centuries, but even a much more modest thaw could threaten low-lying areas and coastal cities across the planet. 'Continued summer warming in West Antarctica could upset the surface mass balance of the ice sheet, so that the region could make an even bigger contribution to sea level rise than it already does,' said David Bromwich, professor of geography at Ohio State University and senior research scientist at the Byrd station. 'Even without generating significant mass loss directly, surface melting on the WAIS could contribute to sea level indirectly, by weakening the West Antarctic ice shelves that restrain the region's natural ice flow into the ocean.' Low-lying nations from Bangladesh to . Tuvalu are especially vulnerable to sea level rise, as are coastal . cities from London to Buenos Aires. Sea levels have risen by about 20cm . (8in) over the past century. The . United Nations panel of climate experts projects that sea levels will . rise by between 18 and 59cm (7-24in) this century, and by more if a thaw . of Greenland and Antarctica accelerates. Byrd Polar Research Center, pictured in 1960: Due to its location some 700 miles from the South Pole and near the center of the WAIS, Byrd Station is an important indicator of climate change throughout the region . Andrew Monaghan, study co-author and scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said that the new findings place West Antarctica among the fastest-warming regions on Earth. The rise in temperatures in the remote region was comparable to that on the Antarctic Peninsula to the north, which snakes up towards South America, according to the U.S.-based experts writing in the journal Nature Geoscience. Parts of the northern hemisphere have also warmed at similarly fast rates. Several ice shelves - thick ice floating on the ocean and linked to land - have collapsed around the Antarctic Peninsula in recent years. Once ice shelves break up, glaciers pent up behind them can slide faster into the sea, raising water levels. Patchy data: Since its establishment in 1957, . Byrd Station hasn't always been occupied and even after it was automated . it has been subject to frequent power cuts, so . scientists were forced to reconstruct readings . 'We've already seen enhanced surface . melting contribute to the breakup of the Antarctic's Larsen B Ice Shelf, . where glaciers at the edge discharged massive sections of ice into the . ocean that contributed to sea level rise,' Dr Monaghan said. 'The stakes would be much higher if a similar event occurred to an ice shelf restraining one of the enormous WAIS glaciers.' We could refreeze the Arctic, and it wouldn't even cost that much, a scientist claims. Two recently published studies explore the possibility that a technological solution could be found to the problem of global warming melting the ice caps on the North Pole. The scientist who is lead author on both claims that 'any significant nation' could find the resources to carry out the operation. The only significant question, he says, is whether we should. The amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean shrank to an all time low in September (see graphic above), with the total area covered now half what it was in the Eighties. David Keith, professor of applied physics at Harvard University, is lead author on papers published in Nature Climate Change and Environmental Research Letters which speculate as to how we could restore the polar ice. He used climate models to suggest injecting reflective particles into the atmosphere could reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth, engineering a regional effect that could bring ice back to the Arctic. His paper claims that by reducing the penetration of sunlight by just 0.5 per cent is could be possible to restore the sea-ice around the North Pole back to pre-industrial era levels. His second paper suggests the whole operation could be accomplished with just a few modified Gulfstream jets, costing somewhere in the region of $8billion a year. However, while he believes action must be taken to tackle the amount of pollution spewed into the Earth's atmosphere, he doesn't yet advocate the kind of action his papers suggest. Researchers consider the West . Antarctic ice sheet especially sensitive to climate change, explained . Ohio State University doctoral student Julien Nicolas. Since the base of the ice sheet rests below sea level, it is vulnerable to direct contact with warm ocean water. Its . melting currently contributes 0.3mm to sea level rise each year — second to Greenland, whose contribution to sea level rise has been . estimated as high as 0.7mm per year. Due to its location some 700 miles . from the South Pole and near the center of the WAIS, Byrd Station is an . important indicator of climate change throughout the region. In the past, researchers haven't been able to make much use of the Byrd Station measurements. Data was often incomplete because nearly one third of the temperature observations were missing for the time period of the study. Since its establishment in 1957, the station hasn't always been occupied. A year-round automated station was installed in 1980, but it has experienced frequent power cuts, especially during the long polar night, when its solar panels can't recharge. Professor Bromwich and two of his graduate students, along with colleagues from NCAR and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, corrected the past Byrd temperature measurements and used corrected data from a computer atmospheric model and a numerical analysis method to fill in the missing observations. Aside from offering a more complete picture of warming in West Antarctica, the study suggests that if this warming trend continues, melting will become more extensive in the region in the future, Professor Bromwich said. While the researchers work to fully understand the cause of the summer warming at Byrd Station, the next step is clear, he added. 'West Antarctica is one of the most rapidly changing regions on Earth, but it is also one of the least known,' he said. 'Our study underscores the need for a reliable network of meteorological observations throughout West Antarctica, so that we can know what is happening—and why—with more certainty.' | Average temperatures have risen 2.4C since the Fifties, study shows . West Antarctic ice sheet contains enough water to raise sea by 3.3m . Sea levels have risen by about 20cm . (8in) over the past century . | d40ff72326fa1d9c565a9331de70a7eed503d87e |
BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Qin Xiaona used to visit the suburban Xiaotangshan Sanatorium in the summer to escape the scorching temperature in the city. Now she comes here to turn up the heat on a subject close to her heart. Animal rights advocate Qin Xiaona mixes leftovers to feed stray cats. "This is our experiment to save the city's stray cats," said the 62-year-old retired TV journalist, as she carried two plastic containers full of leftovers out of her villa surrounded by lush greenery. Calling out a dozen snoozing cats by the bushes, Qin watched them rush over and devour the rice mixed with pork and fish. Qin, who heads the Capital Animal Welfare Association, estimates there are some 200,000 stray cats in Beijing, after her group spent more than two years studying the population. She detailed the precarious state of the felines in an 80,000-word report and decided to start her rescue mission with the 72 cats roaming the sanatorium's sprawling ground. "The health bureau runs this place and agreed to let us take care of the cats," Qin said, lifting up a female kitten to check the healing of the surgery wound on its stomach. "We have already neutered and vaccinated a third of them." "We convinced the health officials that stray cats could be a more effective and environmentally friendly way of rodent control than placing 15 tons of rat poisons across the city every year," she explained. This is the kind of win-win solution that Qin hopes to replicate throughout the capital, where stray animals are frequently culled by the government on fears of spreading diseases or attacking humans. For Qin and other members of her NGO, saving stray cats is just one uphill battle in their war against animal cruelty in a culture that often treats man's four-legged friends with little favor. For over 15 years and with meager funding, they have been setting up shelters to house abandoned pets, persuading restaurants to take dog meat off the menus and, most importantly, lobbying legislators to pass an animal welfare law -- a goal that nevertheless remains distant. "Many in the government and society still consider us peripheral and alternative -- and don't recognize and approve our work," Qin said. When Beijing won the bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics seven years ago, she and fellow activists perceived a perfect catalyst in expanding animal rights. To their dismay, the authorities have since stepped up their campaigns against animals -- pets and strays alike -- aimed at "cleaning up" the city for the Games. In 2006 Beijing implemented a controversial "one family, one dog" rule for urban households and required such pet dogs no taller than 35 centimeters (14 inches). "It is such a ridiculous law," Qin raised her voice, still livid. "Anyone with a little understanding of animals would know that the temperament of dogs has nothing to do with their size, but depends on their breed and training." Although official policies are difficult to modify, Qin feels her efforts have slowly changed the minds of many ordinary citizens. "People's attitude toward animals reflects their attitude toward fellow human beings," she offered. "We should promote love, not hatred, from an early age on." Qin has seen more young people grow receptive to the concept of animal welfare and now also counts some unlikely volunteers -- including a former policewoman -- among her 600-strong group. With the Olympics around the corner, however, Qin has become jittery amid reports of an intensifying government crackdown on animals. "I feel my heart is in my throat," she admitted. "Many officials get money and quotas for culling -- they simply find it so much easier than caring for animals." As she finished feeding the cats at the sanatorium, Qin received a phone call from an animal lover living in a residential compound near the Olympic district. "They are crying for help for the 30 stray cats there," she said. "They have neutered and vaccinated 90 percent of those cats, but officials still sealed the cats in the basement with cement because of health and safety concerns during the Games." Frantically dialing, Qin tried to reach the right person before time ran out for the felines. "Innocent animals shouldn't have to pay the ultimate price for the Olympics," she said. Steven Jiang is a Beijing-based freelance writer and former CNN producer. | Clamp down on stray cats and animals in China's capital leading up to Olympics . Qin Xiaona runs organization to help protect Beijing's estimated 200,000 stray cats . Animal welfare still generally seen as 'alternative' idea, but 600 support Qin's group . | f8aa39bfec231d1bd4eeced99bf61ecd78716759 |
By . Lydia Warren . The three-year-old son of a missing teacher told investigators that he hasn't seen her since her live-in boyfriend 'kicked mommy's butt and made her cry', it has emerged. The boy was interviewed by investigators looking for his mother, 31-year-old Bianca Tanner, who vanished on June 7 after moving in with her boyfriend, Angelo Smith, in Charlotte, North Carolina. 'Mommy got a spanking with the belt,' the little boy told police during an interview after she vanished, according to warrants shared with WSOCTV. 'Angelo kicked mommy’s butt and made her cry.' He added: 'Angelo is mean to mommy and hurt mommy in the face,' the warrant states. Missing: Bianca Turner, 31, vanished on June 7 after a row with her boyfriend, he told authorities . Smith reported her missing on June 8 - just days before she was about to start a new job with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools - and said they had got into an argument over a text message. He said that, following the row, she left the apartment drunk and carrying a bag with her. On Thursday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe said they were now treating the case as a homicide investigation because some witnesses had not been truthful, WSOCTV reported. In addition, Tanner's ex-husband told police they share a joint bank account and said there has been no activity on the debit card linked to the account. Witness: Her three-year-old son told authorities that the boyfriend hit her with a belt and hurt her face . The search warrant added that police are looking for a belt or paddle, cellphones, clothes worn by Tanner during an assault, evidence of blood, hairs and other bodily fluids, the channel reported. During a search, police did find a Dell laptop, a white Apple iPhone, two notebooks, a black zipper pouch with an empty magazine, a Captain Morgan bottle, two torn photographs from the trash inside and a gold-post earring and the back in the trash, the warrant revealed. Detectives added that Smith had began deleting information from his phone before an interview with police, during which they were going to check the device, the warrant said. Smith also had an outstanding warrant for domestic battery out of Arkansas after his then-girlfriend reported that he 'threw her onto the bed and covered her face, both mouth and nose, with his hand, smothering her', investigators said. Apartment: Tanner moved in with her boyfriend to this Charlotte apartment just 2 weeks before she vanished . Search: Investigators say they are treating it as a homicide case but have not yet named any suspects . But Smith has not been named a suspect in the case. Despite police saying they believed she was killed, friends and family are not giving up - and posted fliers around the town and knocked on doors in the search for information. 'It’s just tearing us apart,' her sister, Cerise Richardson, told reporters, the Charlotte Observer reported. 'Every night, her son is crying for her. He wants his mommy.' Tanner had moved to Charlotte in late May from Greensboro, where she taught second grade at Reedy Fork Elementary School. She was also working on a doctoral degree in education administration. See below for video . | Bianca Tanner, 31, has not been seen since June 7 and police in Charlotte, North Carolina said they are now treating the case as a homicide . Her boyfriend, Angelo Smith, told detectives they had a fight when she was drunk and she left with a bag . Investigators said Smith, who has not been named as a suspect, deleted messages from his phone before he went for a police interview . Her son told investigators he spanked her with a belt and hurt her face . | db2368231a206d6abcf9eed594ee83121c100c8c |
A Brooklyn woman is distraught after a cold-hearted thief drove off with her Audi with her tiny Chihuahua puppy still inside. Elani Pappas, 23, from Mill Basin said she feels sick that her little dog, Leo, has gone missing and is desperate to get him back. ‘We just hope that the man didn’t harm him,’ she said. ‘We don’t want the car — we just want Leo.’ Best friends: Elani Pappas, 23, said she feels sick at the thought of her little dog Leo being taken by the thief . Missing: Leo the Chihuahua was inside the car when the vehicle was stolen at a gas station in Mill Basin . Pappas pulled into a gas station on Avenue U in Mill Basin for a minute before the car was swiped from right in front of her. ‘My puppy was in the car and I didn’t want him to get cold,’ she said. She left the car running and went inside the gas station to pay for her gas. ‘It was literally not even a minute,’ Pappas told The New York Post explaining how long she left her puppy alone. The 23-year-old legal assistant said: ‘I threw 20 dollars on the attendant’s desk, and I said ‘20 dollars on pump six,’ and as soon as I was walking out I saw the man sitting in my car and he just took off!’ She said:‘I tried to run after him, but he started going like 60 miles an hour.’ Reward: Dozens of family members and friends have helped Pappas to hang up missing posters for the dog . Devastated: Pappas said she wouldn’t care if she did not ever find the car but just wants the dog back . The thief drove right onto Hill Avenue in Pappas’s dark blue 2010 Audi A4, and disappeared, with Leo barking loudly inside. ‘My dog is like my kid,’ Pappas sobbed. Dozens of family and friends have helped Pappas to hang up missing posters on Sunday morning. ‘We wouldn’t care if we ever find the car.’ | Elani Pappas, 23, pulled into a gas station on Avenue U in Mill Basin . She was only there for a minute before the car was swiped from her . She left him in the car because she did not want him to get cold . The legal assistant said the thief can keep the car but bring back the dog . | 2ebe415b30abd63c0f8c3d3de30b221b0297ce19 |
Arsenal are primed for another summer transfer battle with Liverpool, this time over Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez. Following the club record £42.5million capture of Mesut Ozil last summer, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants to make another marquee signing with Sanchez his No 1 target. Barcelona are prepared to let the Chile international leave as new manager Luis Enrique stamps his authority on the club. VIDEO: Scroll down to see stunner Jhendelyn Nunez flash her bra after Sanchez scores . In demand: Arsenal and Liverpool both want to sign Chile star Alexis Sanchez . And the Gunners have opened talks with Barcelona with a view to making a £22m offer for Sanchez. However, Arsenal will probably have to raise their offer as Liverpool have already discussed a £30m bid. Barca officials, who arrived in London on Wednesday to start formal talks with Liverpool over Luis Suarez, are prepared to use Sanchez as a makeweight in their attempts to land the Uruguayan. However, the Suarez deal is not subject to Liverpool signing Sanchez, 25. Wednesday’s . talks, which were led by Barca trio Raul Sanllehi, Toni Rossich and . Jordi Mestre, are said to have been productive. World Cup star: Sanchez scored two and provided the same amount of assists . However, it is understood Sanchez’s representatives, if he is to leave the Nou Camp, want him to move to Arsenal though the decision ultimately rests with Sanchez. If Sanchez turns down an Anfield move it would mean only a straight Barca cash offer of around £80m would persuade Liverpool to sell Suarez. The fight to land Sanchez, who is also . interesting Manchester United, is the second time in 12 months Liverpool . and Arsenal have gone head to head in the transfer market. Last summer, Arsenal’s attempts to sign Suarez and their subsequent £40,000,001 offer for the Uruguayan infuriated Anfield chiefs. Barca bound: Luis Suarez is in talks over a move to the Nou Camp . Ironically, if Sanchez does move to the Premier League he would love to go to Old Trafford because he has been a fan of United since boyhood. Wenger has . a £100m transfer kitty to strengthen his side ahead of next season and . wants a striker, a central midfielder, a right-back and a back-up . goalkeeper. The . Gunners have an interest in Sanchez’s international team-mate Arturo . Vidal, but the midfielder’s £40m asking price is likely to prove . prohibitive despite Arsenal’s healthy financial position. Attracting interest: Sanchez's form in Spain hasn't gone unnoticed by the Premier League big guns . Their bid to persuade Bayer Leverkusen to part with Lars Bender is proving difficult, so the Gunners are now ready to turn to Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin in their search for a defensive midfielder. Arsenal, however, are confident of signing Queens Park Rangers striker Loic Remy. Liverpool did complete one deal on Wednesday, taking Kevin Stewart, 20, on a two-year deal after the defender left Tottenham. Goal machine: Arsenal are confident of landing QPR striker Loic Remy . | Chile ace Sanchez is Arsene Wenger's No 1 target at Arsenal . Liverpool have discussed a £30m move for the Barcelona forward . La Liga side will use Sanchez as makeweight in Luiz Suarez deal . | f44527f9304c12f52d2bbcdb799cc6f1ae239ed9 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:18 EST, 27 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:36 EST, 27 August 2012 . Legendary music mogul Quincy Jones has been roped into a nasty alleged murder plot between a Las Vegas tycoon and the creator of Girls Gone Wild, court papers allege. Mr Jones, who is the most nominated Grammy artist of all time, has been called to testify in the case between Joe Francis, the creator of the adult entertainment video empire, and Steve Wynn, who among other things, owns the hotel where Prince Harry was notoriously caught partying last weekend. Court documents allege that Wynn threatened to kill Francis and hide his remains in the desert, and that Mr Jones may have seen an email detailing the alleged plot. Roped in: Legendary music stalwart Quincy Jones has reportedly been called as a witness in a bitter legal battle between a Vegas casino owner and an adult entertainment millionaire . Legal battle: Wynn Casino owner Steve Wynn, left, is embroiled in a legal battle with Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis, who recently had to pay the billionaire $7.5million in punitive damages . The email allegedly plotted to have Francis killed and buried in the desert over money he supposedly owes the casino, TMZ exclusively reported. However, Wynn, 70, insists that no such email exists. Mr Jones will testify next week as to what he saw, the celebrity gossip website reported. The court documents state Mr Jones will be a witness for the Las Vegas mogul, who is worth an estimated $2.5billion, according to Forbes. In February, TMZ reported that a judge ordered Francis to pay Wynn $7.5million over a defamation lawsuit in which Francis publically accused Wynn and his many casinos of being deceptive to guests. In the complaint, Wynn alleged that Francis uttered slanderous words about his business. Sin City: Wynn owns the now-infamous Wynn Hotel, where Prince Harry spent a highly-publicised weekend partying . The judge in the case said that Francis’ actions damaged Wynn’s reputation and made him pay $5million, adding a further $2.5million in punitive damages. Francis, who has an estimated $150million net worth, has had many brush-ins with the law in the past, many of them tied up in his Girls Gone Wild Empire. Included in the complaints were not getting consent of the girls he filmed flashing their breasts, exploitation of minors, and keeping incomplete records. According to Forbes, the young millionaire has also been indicted for tax evasion, and has been convicted of child abuse and prostitution. The father of actress and comedian Rashida Jones, Mr Jones has 26 Grammy awards and 76 nominations. He is expected to testify at the trial this week. | Vegas casino billionaire Steve Wynn has reportedly called in music mogul Quincy Jones to testify for him . Ropes in Grammy winner to bitter legal dispute between Wynn and Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis . Francis alleges that Wynn plotted to kill him and bury him in the desert . | 88a696e7a3ef8424d88ff9439550c60fc54b8996 |
By . Charlie Scott . Follow @@charliefscott . Arsenal fans that queued outside Puma's flagship store for hours enjoyed their first glimpse of the club's new kits as Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini stepped into the front window of the shop wearing the home, away and cup strips. The Gunners timed their kit launch to perfection. On the same day the club announced the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona, their kit deal with Puma - worth a reported £30million-a-year - kicked into gear. Cazorla, Arteta and Flamini were all present at a glitzy unveiling at the Puma store in Carnaby Street, before Arsenal spectacularly unveiled the kits to the public via a 20m high water projection visible from the North Bank of the River Thames, right in front of the London Eye. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Arsenal seal Sanchez swoop . Fresh: Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini model the new Puma Arsenal kits . Impressive: Puma project their new Arsenal advert onto water jets on the River Thames at Embankment . Lucrative: The deal was announced as 'the biggest in Puma and Arsenal¿s history' First one in: The Arsenal launch took place at the Puma store in Carnaby Street . Ready to go: Olivier Giroud (left) and Alexis Sanchez wear Arsenal's new Puma kit for the 2014/15 season . VIDEO Arsenal seal Sanchez swoop . The FA Cup holders announced their partnership with Puma earlier this year, ending a 20-year partnership with Nike. It was announced as ‘the biggest deal in Puma and Arsenal’s history’, surpassing the £30million-a-year the club receive from main sponsors Emirates Airlines. At the time, Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said: 'We are excited to be partnering with Puma, a company whose football heritage and record of innovation have a strong affinity with our own. 'This represents another important step forward in Arsenal's progression on and off the pitch.’ The boss: Arsene Wenger's image is projected onto the 20m high spray of water . Show: The Arsenal trio stood behind the shop window as they modeled the strip . Cheer: Arsenal fans will be hoping to see Aaron Ramsey celebrating next season . New look: The kit was paraded for the first time at the Puma store in Carnaby Street . Change: Arsene Wenger's side will wear this light and navy blue number for their away trips . The timing of the launch could not come at a better time for the Gunners and their fans, as the club look set to announce the signings of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona and Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle. Sanchez had been touted for a move to Liverpool as part of the deal taking Luis Suarez to the Nou Camp, but Arsene Wenger’s interest in the Chile international put an end to that. The attacker is expected to fly to London from Spain on Thursday to finalise terms and undergo a medical to complete his £30million move to the Emirates. Sanchez is set to sign a five-year deal worth in the region of £140,000-per-week, which will put him on par with Arsenal’s current top-earner Mesut Ozil. Sales of the kit went live at 11pm, and . fans at Puma's store in Carnaby Street. New: Sales of the kit went live at 11pm, and fans at Puma's store in Carnaby Street . Striker pose: Giroud and Jack Wilshere model the kit they will be wearing next season . New deal: The FA Cup holders announced their partnership with Puma earlier this year . New boy: Alexis Sanchez has completed his move from Barcelona to Arsenal . Back in action: Theo Walcott (above) will hope to stay injury- free next season . | Arsenal have revealed their new Puma kit for the 2014/15 season . Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini present new strip in London . FA Cup holders announced their deal with Puma earlier this year . It has been announced has the 'biggest deal in Arsenal and Puma's history' | 7cd68cba0f21a8903bc28f4960cc812ee36b6b55 |
(CNN) -- Britney Spears' latest album is supposed to be intimate, but it's left a number of critics cold. The 32-year-old singer's eighth record, "Britney Jean," was officially released on Tuesday after streaming on iTunes for the past week. As early reactions indicated, "Britney Jean" isn't quite as warm and inviting as Spears has made it sound. "I poured my heart and soul into this album," Spears told her fans in an open letter on her website. "I know I keep telling you it is my most personal record yet, but it's true and I'm really proud of that. I have been through a lot in the past few years and it has really inspired me to dig deeper and write songs that I think everyone can relate to." Yet to Entertainment Weekly, which gave the album a B+ grade, "Britney Jean" "tells you virtually bupkus about her struggles over the years. But in just 10 tidy songs, it brings us closer than ever before to that distant dreamer." The Washington Post wasn't as gentle in its review, finding that the ironic lack of intimacy on "Britney Jean" makes the disc "instantly forgettable." "The result isn't remotely personal, doesn't venture much beyond the usual Britney themes -- fame is confusing, sex is fun, I am a totally normal person with the same worries as you, let's dance -- and will do nothing to reassure anyone that the once familiar, pre-2007 Britney is in there anywhere," the review says. The Atlantic agrees, dismissing "Britney Jean" as Spears' "most disappointing release yet, a snoozefest of shallow mid-tempos and limp club tracks that chase trends rather than invent them. And the glimpses into Britney Jean Spears, the artist, are, frankly, neither interesting nor informative." The Los Angeles Times warns that "whatever unique skills Spears once had -- what were they again, anyway? -- 'Britney Jean' suggests she better prepare herself for the reality that she's losing them fast. ... There's very little beneath the album's many cliches to suggest insight, let alone the unfiltered honesty of autobiography." That said, if you're a fan of post-2007 Spears, which includes the smash album "Blackout," then "Britney Jean" might be your cup of dance-pop tea. Rolling Stone gave Spears' effort three-and-a-half stars, appraising "Britney Jean" as continuing "the roll she's been on in recent years. ... Like her excellent late-summer electro-sleaze hit, 'Work B***h,' 'Britney Jean' adds up the high price of stardom. It's a concept album about the loneliness of pop life -- with a high-profile broken engagement behind her, Brit gets personal and drops her most bummed-out music ever." MTV, too, was able to see the heart underneath the driving beat. "Most of the tracks sound like a wild night out," the network said in an early review. But added "it's when you dig under all the reverb and EDM beats that you hear that 'Britney Jean' really is coming from her heart -- one beating at 500 miles an hour." | Britney Spears' eighth studio album was released on December 3 . The record, "Britney Jean," is intended to be more intimate . Yet some critics have found the disc to be impenetrable . | 4e0564865a04090aa1b030b66da372dfdeda5a6d |
(CNN) -- Three dozen earthquakes over the past week in central Arkansas shook shelves, rattled nerves and prompted speculation about their cause. "Are they being being triggered or are they natural? That's something we don't know," Arkansas Geological Survey scientist Scott Ausbrook said Sunday. The chances of so many temblors in the region in such a short time are "Powerball kind of odds," Ausbrook said. "What was unusual was to have four different areas in the state to be active in the same week." More than two dozen quakes recorded since Wednesday have been centered north of Morrilton, Arkansas. The strongest, on Wednesday and Thursday nights, had reported magnitudes of 3.5 and 3.4. "Right now all we've gotten reports of is shaking stuff and rattling shelves, but people are definitely noticing them," Ausbrook said. Measuring the magnitude of eathquakes . Solving the mystery is important because of suspicion the quakes could be related to natural gas exploration nearby using hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, he said. "The best probability at this point is they are natural, but we can't rule out the possibility that there may be a relationship," Ausbrook said. A swarm of hundreds of earthquakes centered near Guy, Arkansas, ended two years ago after state regulators imposed a moratorium on new injection wells in the area. Two operating injection wells, just outside of the moratorium area, are about 8 miles from some of the quakes. "I can't say at this time there's not a connection, but given the distance from those wells, it would be pretty amazing," Ausbrook said. One natural explanation would be a fault running through the area that makes a sharp turn, where "you would expect more strain to accumulate," Ausbrook said. CNN's Dave Alsup contributed to this report. | Chances of so many in such a short time are "Powerball kind of odds," scientist says . More than two dozen since Wednesday were centered near Morrilton, Arkansas . One suspect is natural gas exploration using hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking . "We can't rule out the possibility that there may be a relationship," official says . | b64cbeed19079962a70ea4c1c3ec8f5004a959c5 |
SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- A 16-year-old girl was found dead and another girl was found unconscious in an Army barracks at Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Washington, during the weekend, a base spokesman said Monday. "Neither of the two women had any outward signs of trauma on them," said Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Piek. He said that an Army solider who was "allegedly an acquaintance" of the two 16-year-olds was questioned by investigators, but no arrests had been made. The spokesman said the name and rank of the soldier who had been questioned was not being released. According to an Army news release, the names of the two girls "are not being released due to their ages, their civilian status, and the nature of the ongoing investigation." The Fort Lewis Criminal Investigation Division is trying to determine why the two girls were in the barracks, where soldiers live, and what led to their conditions when they were found. Emergency personnel from the base responded to a 911 call about 3:30 a.m. Sunday and found the two girls in one of the barracks. A doctor declared one of the girls dead on the scene, and the second girl was transported to Madigan Army Hospital, where she was in stable condition Monday. The Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy, Piek said, and it will be at least a week before results are complete. Both girls are from the nearby South Puget Sound area but were not related to anyone living on base, Piek said. Both girls' families had been notified, he said. Although Fort Lewis is not open to civilians, they can be escorted in by a soldier living there if they have identification and a reason for coming onto the facility. The circumstances of how the girls came unto the base are under investigation, Piek said, but there was no evidence that security had been compromised. About 30,000 military personnel are based at Fort Lewis. Barracks where soldiers live are usually split into rooms for one to three soldiers, Piek said. Details about the barracks where the girls where found were not released. | Second girl found unconscious in barracks at Fort Lewis, Washington . Soldier has been questioned, but no arrests have been made . The two teens had no outward signs of trauma on them, spokesman says . Fort Lewis not open to civilians but can be escorted onto base by personnel . | c1208956c5c755a1a5c1948f67c4bafbd0835ebb |
Safety measures at the devastated Fukushima nuclear power plant were tightened today as the strongest storm to hit Japan this year battered the southern islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. Typhoon Vongfong brought heavy rain to Tokyo and caused extensive travel disruption across Japan, where 820,000 people have been urged to leave their homes and seek shelter. Many trains in western cities were suspended, while more than 500 domestic flights were cancelled, the public broadcaster NHK said. At least one overseas flight was cancelled, according to an airline. Scroll down for videos . Stormy: People struggle with their umbrellas as they fight through the strong wind and rain delivered by Typhoon Vongfong in Himeji, Japan, which surpassed Genevieve for the most intense western Pacific typhoon of 2014, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency . Duty: A traffic policeman stands stoically in the middle of the road as he's buffeted by Typhoon Vongfong's wind and rain . Cleverly done: A man holds his umbrella close to its canopy to stop it from being blown around in the high winds . Mistake! This man, on the other hand, seems to be having a few problems with his umbrella . Turbulent: High waves batter a breakwater at a port of Kawaminami town in Miyazaki prefecture, on Japan's southern island of Kyushu . Incoming: High waves surge towards the port, although the Typhoon's power has weakened somewhat since yesterday . Windy: Trees by deserted streets are blown by strong winds at Kagoshima, on Japan's southern island of Kyushu . About 4,900 households in Tokyo suburbs were without power, media said, and rain in the city was expected to intensify overnight. Vongfong continued to batter the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, 1,000 miles south of Tokyo, where it landed yesterday, and moved up to also hit Kyushu and Shikoku islands, injuring 59 people, NHK said. On Sunday, the wind weakened significantly from the previous day when it reached a peak of 146mph, which had made Vongfong into a 'super typhoon'. Tokyo Electric Power Co, the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, said in a statement it had increased the water transfer and storage capacity to prevent an overflow of radioactive water from the plant. A major baseball game in Osaka city, between the Orix Buffaloes and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters for the Pacific League playoff, was also postponed. More than 200,000 residents were forced to flee their homes on the island, some 1,000 miles south of Tokyo, before it was hit by what was Japan's most powerful storm this year. It was the first time a Nippon Professional Baseball playoff game was cancelled because of a typhoon. The typhoon, which also caused massive waves on the eastern coast of China, flooded streets and cut power to more than 60,000 homes. Residents look on as strong winds whip up towering waves that hit the Shitang Township in Wenling, China on Sunday . Taking shelter behind a sheer cliff, residents of the Shitang Township in Wenling, China, take photos of the waves caused by Vongfong . One man runs for cover as a wave, caused by the super typhoon's strong winds, crashes against the eastern coast of China on Sunday . Brave onlookers stop to take a photo of the dramatic waves as the effects of typhoon Vongfong are felt by Chinese coastal towns . A man tries to pick up sugar cane felled by heavy wind and rain as typhoon Vongfong approaches Yomitan, Okinawa, Japan on Sunday . The typhoon whipped up high waves that breached seawalls off the coast of Okinawa, carrying debris from the ocean on to the streets . Surfers brave the violent waves off the island of Kyushu, where the tropical storm is expected to make landfall on Monday . Residents work together to try and move a tree that collapsed on to the bonnet of a car when the typhoon swept across Okinawa . A satellite image taken of the storm earlier this week revealed that the eye of the typhoon was roughly 50 miles wide. After making landfall on Sunday, the storm lost intensity and was downgraded from a 'super typhoon' to a tropical storm. Wind speeds dropped significantly from Saturday's peak of 146mph as the storm made its way towards Tokyo. It is on course to reach Kyushu, the country's third largest island by Monday. Authorities on the island were forced to halt the high-speed bullet train this weekend after strong winds blew a plastic sheet onto the aerial wires on the line. Meanwhile, Japanese airlines JAL and ANA cancelled more than 400 flights due to strong winds. Early on Sunday, parts of Okinawa received more than six centimetres of rain within an hour while some western areas were forecast to receive total rainfall of over 50 centimetres. The map above shows the direction that the typhoon is travelling in. It is expected to hit Kyushu on Monday and reach Tokyo by Tuesday . Powerful winds swept across the southern island of Okinawa on Sunday, toppling trees, above, and leaving 60,000 homes without power . Waves crash into seawalls off the southern Japanese island of Shikoko on Sunday. The country was battered by Typhoon Vongfong . A driver braves the unpredictable weather as he navigates the flooded roads on the island of Okinawa in southern Japan . Ocean debris covers the roads on Okinawa, where super-typhoon Vongfong made landfall on Sunday before continuing northwards . Heavy winds from Typhoon Vongfong toppled trees which brought down power lines and caused power outages on Sunday . Vongfong led to a number of road closures in the country, including the main toll highway on Okinawa, pictured above on Sunday . Storm barriers built to protect coastal homes are threatened as huge waves pummel the village of Yomitan on the island of Okinawa . The storm is expected to cut across the biggest of Japan's islands, Honshu, on Monday - causing heavy rain in Tokyo - before exiting from the north coast, Japan's Meteorological Agency said. Vongfong, which means wasp in Cantonese, was following the path of Phanfone, a typhoon that slammed into Japan's main island on Monday, disrupting transport and prompting evacuation advisories for hundreds of thousands of people. Seven people were killed, including three U.S. airmen swept out to sea and a man who died while surfing. Fishing boats are grounded as huge waves generated by typhoon Vongfong hit the coast in Yomitan village, on the island of Okinawa, . A car is crushed by a tree that was uprooted during the relentless wind and rain brought by typhoon Vongfong to the island of Okinawa . Residents try to shift the fallen tree, left, as elsewhere on the island of Okinawa, power lines were brought down by strong winds . An enormous tree uprooted by the storm lies across a road in the village of Yomitan, Okinawa, where the typhoon struck on Sunday . Residents work together to repair a roof that was damaged in the typhoon. More than 200,000 in Okinawa were made to flee their homes . Roadside trees are blown by winds in Miyazaki, Japan's southern island of Kyushu on Sunday. It is expected to reach Tokyo on Tuesday . | Vongfong, Japan's second typhoon in a week, is sweeping north towards the capital city of Tokyo . Fukushima operators increase the water transfer and storage capacity to prevent radioactive overflow . Baseball game in Osaka between the Orix Buffaloes and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters also postponed . | a6d212f677e941bf551f2293d1fef9671940cc73 |
Nicole Dufault, 34, is charged with the sexual of three male students and now prosecutors say they have video proof . A New Jersey high school teacher accused of sexually assaulting three 15-year-old boys . in her car and at the school where she taught was even captured on video performing oral sex on one victim. In investigating the allegations against mother-of-two Nicole Dufault, 34, authorities discovered the video and a piece of clothing she was wearing while searching her apartment. Dufault is charged with several counts of aggravated sexual . assault and endangering the welfare of a child, NJ.com reported. At least one other victim is supposedly present in the video. Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Gina Iosim unveiled new details in the case Friday as the court heard a motion to reduce Dufault's $500,000 bail on the grounds she had no criminal record and longstanding community ties. Her attorneys argued she had not even received a traffic ticket. She is awaiting trial in Essex County jail. The motion was denied by Superior Court Judge Michael R. Ravin. He said the bail was reasonable given both the severity and number of charges, and added that the video meant the likelihood of conviction was very high. Iosim also argued that Dufault had seen two prior complaints lodged against her at Columbia High School for 'lack of professionalism and her conduct.' She was accused of having 'inappropriate sexual conversations in the classroom,' in one complaint. She's also accused of lying about her work experience on her resume, listing one former employer where she never actually worked. Dufault's attorney, Timothy Smith, has not said the video and said after the hearing he could not comment without seeing the new evidence. He did say 'sometimes a video...doesn't tell the entire story . 'If the video depicts certain things happening...that doesn't mean my client's not innocent,' he told NJ.com. 'For example, she could be the victim. People are victimized by juveniles all the time.' Prosecutors . in Essex County say that Dufault, who taught language arts at Columbia . High School for nine years, assaulted the boys during the regular . academic year and summer school between 2013-2014. The . encounters allegedly took place in the teacher's car and the school's . campus in Maplewood, New Jersey, and included oral sex and intercourse, . authorities charge. She faces 12 separate charges. Each alleged victim was 15 at the time of the encounters. Dufault's two minor children have been removed from her custody. She only spoke briefly during the hearing, saying she was 'well' when asked by Ravin at the opening. Dufault has been a language arts teacher for nine years at Columbia High School (pictured) in Maplewood, New Jersey. Prosecutors say some of the assaults happened in her car and on school property and that they now have eyewitnesses to testify . Beyond the videotape, the state evidence reportedly includes statements from each of the five victims about their encounters with Dufault and witnesses that also 'witnessed her in sexual acts with others.' Smith also tried to argue that Dufault should be released from the county jail as she has a 'horrific medical condition' of a shunt in her brain because of accumulated spinal fluid that can not be properly treated while incarcerated. However Ravin did not see anything in the evidence leading him to believe the jail could not address her medical needs. 'I don't understand how someone can't pick up the clues for something like that or how any one of those kids would not have said something before now,' parent Jennifer Berkeley told WABC. 'It's really surprising to me.' 'They do background checks on the teachers, so I don’t understand,' another Columbia HS parent told CBS New York. Dufault was arrested at her home on Wedneday. One neighbor, who's known the teacher for six years, was shocked to hear about the allegations. 'Seemed like a, you know, just an average mom going to work,' Maureen Messina told CBS New York. 'Not only did she destroy her life and her children, but the boys who are involved as well,' the neighbor added. Dufault is being held at the Essex County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. | Nicole Dufault, 34, is charged with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child . Dufault was denied a lower bail at a hearing Friday, as defense attorneys argued she was not a flight risk and had no criminal history . State evidence also allegedly includes testimony from student witnesses who saw he in sexual situations with students . The mother of two is accused of assaulting three 15-year-old boys at Columbia HS in Maplewood, New Jersey . Dufault, a mother of two, allegedly assaulted the boys at her car and on school property . | b371f451646068ac61ab07ad97ec09f88331805d |
In the moments after Liverpool’s 3-2 victory at Norwich last April, Brendan Rodgers crowned Raheem Sterling as the best young player in European football. Sterling had scored twice and laid on another for Luis Suarez in a thrilling win at Carrow Road, increasing Liverpool’s lead over Chelsea to five points and six over eventual champions Manchester City. ‘Raheem is arguably the best young player in European football at the moment,’ claimed Rodgers after his exhilarating performance. ‘If he doesn’t win PFA Young Player of the Year it is ridiculous.’ Negotiations over a new Liverpool contract for Raheem Sterling have been going on for some time . Sterling's representatives are trying to get the best deal possible for their client . They've been sitting round the table trying to thrash out terms on a deal for the next five years . A month later Eden Hazard, four years his senior, won the award after scoring 14 times in 35 appearances in the Barclays Premier League for Chelsea. Hazard will soon sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge after agreeing, in principle, to a five-year deal worth £200,000 a week. So what is Sterling, promoted to England’s squad for the World Cup last summer and the recipient of the European Golden Boy award in December, really worth? Unfortunately there is no set formula. By amortising Sterling’s current valuation in the transfer market - say, for example, £35m - over the period of his proposed five-year contract, he could make a fairly solid case to be paid £7m a year (£134,000 a week). Liverpool’s offer is a long way short of that. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists there is a 'wonderful' offer on the table in front of Sterling . Sterling will be laughing all the way to the bank as he can expect a huge pay rise with his new deal . An alternative is for the club’s managing director Ian Ayre to ask around and build a picture of the salaries commanded by some of Europe’s best young players. For instance should Sterling, 20, earn more than Paul Pogba, the ‘Mona Lisa of football’, according to his bellicose agent Mino Raiola? Pogba has scored 18 goals in 80 appearances in Serie A for Juventus and earns £70,000 a week, but he plays in a country that no longer has the same commercial pull as the Premier League. More than Luke Shaw, who joined Manchester United for £28m last summer from Southampton and is paid £120,000 a week at Old Trafford? Shaw is still only 19 and his form has dipped markedly. Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard is set to pen a new Chelsea deal worth around £200,000 a week . Hazard has also been taking his time over talks on ha new contract to extend his stay in the Premier League . Certainly more than Wilfried Zaha, who signed a contract worth £40,000 a week when he returned to Crystal Palace following his disappointing spell at Manchester United. How about Martin Odegaard, the 16-year-old Norwegian who opted to sign for Real Madrid last month and is commanding £1m a year net at the Bernabeu? As much as Philippe Coutinho, who committed his future to Liverpool on February 2 by signing a contract, laced with incentives, worth more than £60,000 a week? The problem when you ask around in football about players’ salaries is that everyone, in the words of one agent, ‘puts a bit of VAT on them’. On that basis, these figures may not be accurate. To put Sterling’s career in England into context, two of the best young talents in Brazilian football earn around £10,000 a month each at Fluminense. Kenedy, a 19-year-old winger at Flu, and Marlon Santos, a defensive midfielder at the same club, are two of the most promising players in Brazil’s Serie A. How much is Sterling worth if Luke Shaw (above) is on £120,000 a week at Manchester United? Brazilian Philippe Coutinho (centre) has committed his future to Liverpool on a new deal . In the recent South America Under 20 tournament in Uruguay, Kenedy came to prominence when he scored a beauty for Brazil against Venezuela. Like Sterling, he belongs in the special talent category. If Kenedy and Marlon make it in to the national team, they will soon be heading to the Premier League for the really big bucks. Sterling is operating in a different environment, a place where money talks for the top talent in the English game. Sterling’s progress has been so rapid, speeding past various milestones in his young career, that he is now in a position to become the highest-paid young player in Europe. The problem for any club, even for an institution like Liverpool, is that when players are put on a pedestal the club becomes a hostage to fortune. Comparisons have been made with Sterling and Paul Pogba as two of the biggest young talents in Europe . Kenedy (left) will rake in the big bucks if he continues to develop and makes his way to the Premier League . Everybody appears to be in agreement that this is one of the most talented young players in the game. Liverpool’s offer, as Rodgers revealed in a briefing before Tuesday's Premier League clash with Tottenham at Anfield, is ‘wonderful’ and ‘incredible’. That is certain to be the case, but Sterling, who missed the game with Spurs though injury, is entitled to wait. Age is a constant theme in the negotiations with frequent reminders that Sterling is only 20. Look at it from Sterling’s position at the negotiating table and he will be entitled to remind Liverpool that he will be in his 26th year by the time this contract ends. He is in a strong position, particularly because he still has an ace up his sleeve in the form of the incoming television deal. If Sterling opted to run down his contract at Anfield, by the time the next round of negotiations with his agent takes place, the numbers swilling around the Barclays Premier League will be on their way up again. Whatever happens, this is a golden age for Sterling. Sterling will be in his 26th year by the time his new contract comes to an end so he must plan ahead . Sterling, celebrating an FA Cup goal against Bolton, has nine in all competitions this season . | Raheem Sterling's contract talks have been going on for some time . He has a 'wonderful' offer on the table, according to Brendan Rodgers . Sterling's representatives are fighting for the best deal for the 20-year-old . He has been a Liverpool player since leaving QPR in 2010 . Luke Shaw at Manchester United is on £120,000 a week . Eden Hazard is set to sign a new Chelsea deal worth £200,000 a week . | 37b73d4cd087f502c632677fcca1dda864f8fbd6 |
(CNN)It's been a tough month for the "Islamic State." Its fighters were finally driven out of the Syrian border town of Kobani after more than 100 days of fighting against Kurdish militia; Iraqi government forces pushed ISIS back in Diyala province; the city of Mosul -- still under ISIS control -- is beginning to look vulnerable. And airstrikes have taken a toll on the group's infrastructure and field commanders. Its ability to win the release of a jailed jihadist in Jordan or the ability of its followers in Libya to attack a Tripoli hotel may provide brief propaganda boons, but they don't affect the fundamentals on the ground. Nor will its attempts to export terror to Europe. But lest anyone declare victory, predictions of ISIS' demise are wildly optimistic. ISIS still controls some 50,000 square kilometers of Iraq as well as up to 30% of Syrian territory and at least 10% of its population. To the west of Baghdad, it is still on the offensive in Anbar, and recently raided checkpoints on the Iraqi-Saudi border. Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said last week: "We're only six to seven months into this thing....This is going to be a long struggle." A senior official at the U.S. State Department echoed Kirby's line this week, saying ISIS' expulsion from Kobani is part of the "early phase of a multi-year campaign." ISIS is "a very adaptive organization," the official said -- and terms like "turning point" were to be avoided. Even so, there's quite a contrast between September, when U.S. officials said the fall of Kobani to ISIS seemed inevitable, and Kurds celebrating on the city's streets this week. ISIS chose Kobani as a symbol of its virility, even sending hostage John Cantile there to make a video about the group's inevitable victory. Kobani was a recruitment poster in ISIS' efforts to draw more foreign fighters to the Caliphate. ISIS continued to reinforce its presence in the town despite constant airstrikes. General John Allen, U.S. coordinator of the campaign against ISIS, said in November that the group had "impaled itself" on Kobani. The State Department official said ISIS' losses there -- likely running into four figures -- could help counter the messaging that has attracted foreign fighters. "A narrative of inevitable glory and conquest" had been replaced by images of bodies left on the streets, the official said. A growing number of those foreign fighters may also be disillusioned after several months of airstrikes. Setbacks in Kobani and elsewhere have led to a stream of deserters, dozens of whom have been executed according to local activists cited by the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights. Analysts say one trend in coming months may be a stream of disillusioned foreigners trying to escape ISIS territory. In Iraq a leading expert on ISIS, Hisham Al Hashimi, told CNN that ISIS has now lost ground in several areas and needs to regroup. Torbjorn Soltvedt, a senior analyst at consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, agrees that ISIS is on the back foot in Iraq, relying more on classic insurgency tactics such as roadside bombs and unable to move in force because of the threat of airstrikes. Among its latest reverses, ISIS has lost control over a number of villages in the province of Diyala, north-east of Baghdad. Iraqi troops and Shia militia known as Popular Mobilization Units launched an offensive last week to retake ISIS' last strongholds around Muqdadiyah -- 50 miles (80km) from the capital. According to Iraqi commanders, the whole province of Diyala is now back in government hands, after several months of intermittent battles. Soltvedt says it became increasingly difficult for ISIS to sustain its supply lines in the region. The key prize for all sides in Iraq remains Mosul, a city of 1.5 million people on the Tigris river, held by ISIS since last June. ISIS has invested heavily in governing the city; its leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi pronounced his leadership of the Caliphate at the Grand Mosque there last July. For their part, Kurdish officials say that as long as ISIS holds Mosul, it threatens Kurdistan. Likewise, neither the government in Baghdad nor its coalition partners can rest while terrorists occupy Iraq's second-largest city. Peshmerga forces have made steady progress against ISIS north and west of Mosul over the last two months. They have taken some 3,000 square kilometers of the Sinjar area, as well as the area around the Mosul dam, choking off access routes and threatening ISIS' main resupply route to Syria. To the south, Iraqi forces' gains around Baiji have also restricted ISIS' freedom of movement. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which studies military activity in Iraq and Syria, says ISIS is preparing to dig a defensive trench around Mosul, and has blown up a bridge on a key western approach. ISW also reports an increase in executions by ISIS across Nineveh province, where Mosul is located, which it sees as further evidence "ISIS is feeling pressured by internal resistance in the province." (There is anecdotal evidence of resistance across the border in Syria too; a senior ISIS police official who had supervised executions was himself found beheaded in Deir Ezzor early in January.) There had been talk of a January offensive to retake Mosul, but any assault now seems many weeks away. Kirby told CNN's Barbara Starr Tuesday that the timing could not be predicted "but obviously we're working closely with Iraqi security forces on helping them better understand the challenges" of an assault on Mosul. Iraqi units are already fully occupied elsewhere -- notably in Anbar province, where ISIS threatens Ramadi and other areas. An assault on Mosul would have to be meticulously co-ordinated from several different directions, informed by good intelligence and supported from the air. A massive intelligence-gathering effort is already under way, according to analysts. Even so, Mosul's remaining residents are predominantly Sunni Arabs and would be wary of Kurdish and Shia militia, so regular forces from the reconstituted Iraqi army would likely have to take the lead. The recent history of urban warfare in Iraq should give pause, analysts say, recalling the brutal battles to evict al Qaeda from Fallujah in 2004. Soltvedt says an uprising from within is much preferable to an assault from without, and some observers predict any operation to retake Mosul wouldn't happen until early summer. Another problem for ISIS is that coalition airstrikes and ground operations by Iraqi and Peshmerga forces appear to be whittling away ISIS' commanders -- even if claims by some US officials that half of ISIS' leadership has been taken out appear optimistic. Among prominent casualties reported by Iraqi and Kurdish officials in the past two months are ISIS' governor for Anbar province, Abu Anas Samarraie, and Abu Muslim al-Turkmani, a member of ISIS' Shura Council, its highest policy-making body. Soltvedt says some of ISIS' most seasoned fighters have also left Iraq -- some returning to Libya, for example. More importantly, he says, there is only a finite pool of skilled military commanders -- some of them former officers in Saddam Hussein's army, and "they will have a problem replacing them" if they are killed. Even where ISIS suffers defeat, there is no guarantee the Iraqi government can secure and hold territory. The prominent role of Shia militia may yet make it difficult for Baghdad to pacify areas after ISIS retreats. During the Diyala offensive, the militia killed some 70 Sunni civilians, a local member of Parliament, Nahida al-Daini, told Reuters. Others claimed the militia had burned down houses and mosques. The Iraqi Interior Ministry denied the claims, but it's not the first time these militia have been accused of atrocities during military offensives -- and that may weaken the readiness of Sunni tribes to help the government against ISIS. The Iraqi government has proposed bringing the militia under the umbrella of a National Guard. Oil Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi wrote on his Facebook page that it would "be possible to organize the [Shia] Popular Mobilization forces, the [Sunni] Sons of Iraq and the Peshmerga under the umbrella of the National Guard, knowing that the main goal of the latter is to prevent the emergence of militias, put all the weapons under the supervision of the state and provide backup forces when needed." But there is plenty of resistance to the idea because such militia have often been the best guarantee of a community's security. In areas it liberates, the Iraqi government will have to provide security, rehabilitation and effective governance to people who -- with good reason -- don't believe Baghdad can provide any of the above. ISIS also benefits from being able to use both Syrian and Iraqi territory as the battlefield shifts. While under pressure in northern Iraq, its forces can regroup across the border in Syria's Hasaka province. It can also use the frontier from Deir Ezzor into Iraq's Anbar province, "where it enjoys real strategic depth and the Iraqi army struggles with long supply lines," says Soltvedt. It has even begun to probe the Iraqi-Saudi border. ISIS also controls a number of small oil fields and an arsenal of weaponry captured in both Iraq and Syria. And it still has money. Iraqi Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari told Reuters he estimates ISIS has looted $456 million from banks in Mosul, Tikrit and Baiji since June. And it has set up a rudimentary taxation system in the main cities it controls, as well as a fearsome intelligence apparatus. But ISIS is finding the job of controlling much harder than that of attacking. It has needed an expensive and labor-intensive mix of coercion, intimidation and policing to run Mosul, where the Iraqi government still pays the bulk of state employees' salaries. Under pressure on several fronts, "ISIS now has to think very carefully about where it puts its forces," says Soltvedt. CNN's Barbara Starr, Laura Koran and Raja Razek contributed to this report. | ISIS fighters have been driven out of Kobani in Syria and pushed back in Iraq . But the group still controls large areas of Iraq and Syria . Experts say the fight against ISIS is likely to take several years . | 8f55a2a93830a63548eb64e53da178e032f9d38d |
By . Ruth Lythe . PUBLISHED: . 18:26 EST, 29 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:03 EST, 30 July 2013 . Mistrust: MPs criticised regulator Ofgem, run by CEO Alistair Buchanan (pictured) for failing to protect customers from profit-making firms . Energy companies have been blasted for ‘serious shortfalls’ in the way they explain price increases and bills - leading to a ‘deep mistrust’ from customers unable to work out if they are getting a good deal. MPs said it was ‘astonishing’ that Ofgem had not taken on recommendations to improve energy company reporting or listened to criticism on how competition in the market is measured. The report - by the Energy and Climate Change Committee - was published as it emerged complaints from homeowners struggling with huge gas and electricity debts have soared to record highs - more than doubling in five years. Figures from charities revealed they are receiving thousands of calls from homeowners unable to pay their energy bills after being hit with large price hikes. Advice group National Debtline received more pleas for help from people about their gas and electric supplier than it did about payday loan companies or from homeowners who had fallen behind with their mortgage or rent. Many of the calls were from the elderly, some of whom owed thousands of pounds. The MPs also criticised energy firms for failing to be open about their huge profits and was also critical of regulator Ofgem for failing to protect consumers. Since 2007, the average price of gas and electricity have risen by 41 per cent and 20 per cent in the UK in real terms, according to the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Firms have introduced further hikes of up to 11per cent since the beginning of the year and experts warn of further price hikes. Meanwhile, the big six energy firms E.On, SSE, British Gas, Npower, EDF and Scottish Power have enjoyed bumper profits. The MPs on the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee have attacked these giants for ‘serious shortfalls’ in the way they explained price increases and bills - leading to a ‘deep mistrust’ from customers who were unable to work out whether or not they were getting a good deal. Complaints: The number of people struggling with gas and electricity debts has more than doubled in the last five years . According to figures from National . Debtline it received a record 15,502 calls from people who had run into . difficulties paying back their bills between January and June - a 111 . pc increase in just five years. Richard . Lloyd,of consumer group Which? said: ‘Hard-pressed customers . consistently tell us that the spiralling cost of energy bills is among . their top concerns, with energy firms trusted by fewer than a quarter of . their customers.’ ‘People will not feel confident that they are paying a fair price for their energy unless prices are simplified and costs that make up our energy bills are open transparent and subject to robust scrutiny. Sarah Harrison, senior partner at Ofgem, said the watchdog rejected any suggestion that it was falling down on the job. ‘We are here with one goal in mind, which is to protect customers, and we will use the full range of powers we have got to do that,’ she said. ‘That includes taking penalty action against companies who fail their customers - and they do.’ Last night Paul Crayston, a spokesman for National Debtline, said: ‘Undoubtedly the huge bill increases – which have far surpassed any rises in wages are to blame for the increase in people to unable to cope. Leap: Since 2007, the average price of gas and electricity have risen by 41 per cent and 20 per cent in the UK in real terms, according to the Department for Energy and Climate Change . 'For many families the simple act of turning on the kettle is going to eat up yet another chunk of their precious income.’ A spokesman for energy firm tradebody Energy UK said: ‘Energy companies take helping their most vulnerable customers very seriously and will to help where they can. 'We know that the cost of a whole range of household bills, including gas and electricity, is a real concern which is why anyone struggling to pay should contact their supplier.’ | Complaints from homeowners struggling to make gas and electricity payments have soared to record highs . MPs said there is a lack of trust in figures and regulator Ofgem is failing to protect customers . Firms have introduced hikes of 11 per cent since the beginning of the year . | f8351fa35b7b376d7e2af91f4b590a3a946e73cb |
By . Mario Ledwith . PUBLISHED: . 21:11 EST, 29 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 21:11 EST, 29 December 2012 . Outspoken: Archbishop Bernard Longley, writing in a letter to churches in his diocese, warns that plans to legalise gay marriage could tarnish the Christian view of family life . Plans to legalise gay marriage would undermine the Christian view of the family, according to a leading Roman Catholic archbishop. The Archbishop of Birmingham Bernard Longley warned that the Government cannot foresee the 'full consequences' of the proposals. In a letter to churches and chapels in his diocese, the Archbishop warned of the impact gay marriage would have on 'children involved or for wider society'. His warnings are the latest attack from a senior member of the Catholic Church on David Cameron's plans to allow gay couples to marry in churches. In the letter, due to be read to worshippers tomorrow, the Archbishop said: 'Government policy cannot foresee the full consequences, for the children involved or for wider society, of being brought up by two mothers without a father’s influence or by two fathers without a mother’s influence. 'We first learn about diversity and acquire a respect for difference through the complementarity of our parents.' He describes the 'complementary love of father and mother' as a 'precious gift that we should wish for every child'. Archbishop Longley adds: 'We know that many single parents courageously and generously look after their children and often struggle to give them a fine up-bringing. 'If it had not been for the . understanding of St Joseph, our Lady herself might have had to face the . difficulties of being a single parent. 'Even . so, the experience of growing up with our father and mother to teach . and guide, to console and love us unconditionally is an invaluable . blessing in life.' Views: In the letter the Archbishop describes the 'complementary love of father and mother' as a 'precious gift that we should wish for every child' Criticism: The archbishop said that the Government could not foresee the consequences for 'children or wider society' The remarks follow the more pointed criticism from the Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, the most senior Catholic in England and Wales. He lambasted the Prime Minister for his 'undemocratic' and 'Orwellian' plans to legalise gay marriage. The archbishop said the proposals were a 'shambles', and accused David Cameron of pushing through the changes without a mandate. In his Christmas Eve sermon at Westminster Cathedral, he said that only marriage between a man and a woman shares in 'the creative love of God'. The Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury, . Mark Davies, also used his Christmas homily to liken moves to legalise . same-sex marriage to the way Nazis and Communists tried to undermine . religion. Archbishop . Nichols criticised successive governments for failing to stand up for . marriage and promoting sex before marriage instead. 'Shambles': The Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols said the plans to introduce same-sex marriage laws are undemocratic . In an interview with the BBC, he attacked parties who were promoting same-sex marriage, saying the plan was 'Orwellian' because there was no mandate from the public. 'From a democratic point of view, it's a shambles,' he said. 'George Orwell would be proud of the manoeuvre. I think the process is shambolic.' The attacks from leading Catholics come despite the fact polls show the public is largely in favour of allowing gay couples to marry. Civil partnerships - which come with most, but not all, of the legal safeguards of marriage - were introduced seven years ago. They allow gay couples to celebrate their unions in civil settings, but not in religious buildings. Now the Government wants to allow them to call their unions marriage and have the ceremony in civil and religious settings. Opposition: The most senior Catholic in England and Wales described the plans as 'Orwellian' Religious organisations such as the Quakers and the Unitarians have said they would like to be able to host gay marriages. But the Church of England and Roman Catholic Church are against it and the legislation says it would be illegal for any Anglican vicar to marry a gay couple. Ministers insist that churches will never be forced to carry out gay marriage, but opponents say homosexual couples could get the ban overturned under European human rights laws. Pope Benedict XVI has also reiterated his opposition to gay marriage earlier this month, saying that it was destroying the very 'essence of the human creature'. | Archbishop of Birmingham says government can't see 'full consequences' Warns of impact for 'children involved or wider society' in letter to churches . Remarks are latest attack from senior Catholic on David Cameron's plans . | 00b7c9d48f8b8d80e73799e367fd3121e63bd873 |
By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . PUBLISHED: . 12:26 EST, 10 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:54 EST, 10 December 2013 . A comet-chasing probe is set to be woken from its deep space slumber early next year, the European Space Agency (ESA) has said. At precisely 10 am GMT on 20 January, the Rosetta spacecraft be brought back to life as it moves closer towards Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenk. When Europe's Rosetta spacecraft wakes, scientists are hoping it will be ready for the final stage of its daring mission to land on the comet. Scroll down for video... When Europe's Rosetta probe gets roused from its deep space slumber next month, scientists are hoping it will wake up fit and ready for the final stage of its daring mission to land a spacecraft on a comet . The scientists are in for an nerve-wracking wait as there is little room for mistakes as the coming months. After it is woken from its slumber, the spacecraft will be involved a high-speed chase followed by a delicate dance around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. It will then attempt a historic landing in November 2014 the intercepting a 4km wide comet as it hurtles towards the sun. ‘Imagine trying to parachute onto the tip of a mountain,’ said Paolo Ferri, head of mission operations at the European Space Agency (ESA). The effort is different from Nasa’s Deep Impact probe that fired a projectile into comet Tempel in 2005, hurling a plume of matter into space for scientists to study. For the coldest, loneliest leg of the mission, as Rosetta travelled out towards the orbit of Jupiter, the spacecraft was put into deep-space hibernation . Rosetta was launched in 2004 and has since travelled around the sun five times, picking up energy from Earth and Mars to line it up with its final destination: Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. For the coldest, loneliest leg of the mission, as Rosetta travelled out towards the orbit of Jupiter, the spacecraft was put into deep-space hibernation. In 2014, Rosetta will complete its cruise towards the comet, meeting with it in August, before putting its Philae lander onto the comet’s surface in November. The time for Rosetta to wake up and prepare for this most exciting scientific adventure is now fast approaching. That mission was more of a sniper shot compared to the extended meeting ESA is planning for its spacecraft. Launched in 2004, Rosetta has already spent almost 10 years in space preparing for its big day. The probe had to conduct three fly-bys of Earth and one of Mars, taking advantage of the planets' gravity to accelerate sufficiently to intercept comet 67P as it orbits the sun at speeds of up to 100,000 kph (62,000 mph). The spacecraft has been in hibernation for more than two years now to conserve energy. ESA has been using the time to solve two glitches that could jeopardise the mission: a problem with two of the four `reaction wheels' used to turn the spacecraft, and a small leak of helium that could affect the thrusters which are vital for its final manoeuvres. ‘This is making our life more difficult,’ Dr Ferri acknowledges. But he added that engineers have found workarounds. If all goes according to plan, the probe's instruments will slowly switch themselves back on, though scientists will have a tense few hours of waiting before they can be sure the spacecraft is in full working order. The following months will involve a gradual approach of 67P, as Rosetta gently slows down and eventually draws up alongside the comet in what Dr Ferri likened to two planes flying in formation. After it is woken from its slumber, the spacecraft will be involved a high-speed chase followed by a delicate dance around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Pictured is an artist's impression of the comet . This will give the mission team time to take plenty of pictures of the comet, which is about 4km (2.5 miles) in diameter, and identify a good landing site. At the moment scientists are divided over whether to pick a site close to the comet's three active regions - where matter appears to be released into space - or to stay away from them to prevent dust from harming the lander's sensitive instruments. The lander - called Philae - will drop onto the surface of 67P and latch on using a harpoon, to prevent it from drifting off into space due to the comet's weak gravity. Using drills, it will dig up samples and analyse them using on-board instruments. Researchers hope to gain fascinating insights from the results, because comets have remained largely unchanged since the beginning of the universe. ‘This time capsule's been locked away for 4.6 billion years,’ said ESA's director of science Mark McCaughrean. One key question scientists hope the mission can help answer is whether comets are responsible for the water on Earth, he said. | Rosetta will be brought back to life on January 20 at 10am GMT . It launched in 2004 and has since travelled around . the sun five times . In November it will land on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko . Mission could help answer whether comets brought water to Earth . | 1ca855d48dedefeceb0a0cc770bf455bb6dc1b4e |
The FBI have found no bombs on the two Atlanta-bound planes that were guided into airports by fighter jets after threats were posted on Twitter. The Twitter user with no followers, who goes by the name KingZortic, sent a slew of warnings to Delta Airlines and Southwest Airlines, claiming to have planted explosives on flights which were due to land at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. Bomb squads was rushed in as a result, but nothing suspicious was found on either flight. One tweet read: '@DeltaAssist I have a bomb on one of your planes, but I forgot which one when I left the airport. Can you help me find it?' Scroll down for video . Was this the threat? It is believed this is one of the tweets that prompted the FBI raid of two airplanes . Warning: The Twitter user sent a slew of warnings to Delta and Southwest on Saturday . Threats: A Delta flight and a Southwest flight reported credible bomb threats as they landed at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday afternoon . Emergency: Passengers were escorted off the flights that landed around 3pm before bomb squads boarded . Another said: '@SouthwestAir As part of a nationwide State agreement. A bomb was placed on SWA2492. It will be detonated at a random time of my choosing...' It is believed these tweets prompted NORAD fighter jets to escort Delta flight 1156 and Southwest flight 2492 to the Atlanta, Georgia, airport. Bomb squads then rushed about the Delta flight, which came from Portland, and the Southwest flight, which flew in from Milwaukee, with canines. However after an investigation of both planes found there were no explosive devices on board. Both flights had landed by 3pm and all passengers were being ushered off as bomb squads prepared to sweep the cabins, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported. FBI officials told WSBTV the passengers on both flights would be interviewed and searched before they are allowed to leave the area. After the flights were airborne, the Twitter user King Zortic, who claims to be a member of a group they title The State, bombarded Delta and Southwest with warnings. The user, who claims to be based in Chicago, wrote to Delta: 'I have a bomb on one of your planes, but I forgot which one when I left the airport. Can you help me find it? 'It was from Portland to Atlanta, I forgot the flight number, though. It was something like DL156 or DL 1556 I forgot the order. 'Oh yes, that's it. 1156, thanks. It was smuggled through one of the back entrences because the airport didn't... have much security around one of the entrences so the bomb is at the back of the plane. Everyone will know when it's detonated. 'I had one of the airport security help me because he's an old friend who now works for The State. No more information for you. 'If anything happens to me I'll make sure that more flights are targeted. I strongly suggest you don't try anything stupid.' To Southwest, the user wrote: 'Hello, I need help. Escorted away: Passengers leave a fire station as they board a shuttle taking them off the tarmac . Security: A police officer walks on the edge of the tarmac as bomb squads with canines search the planes . 'As part of a nationwide State agreement. A bomb was placed on SWA2492. It will be detonated at a random time of my choosing... 'As you are the second and last aircraft of the day to be targeted. It's strongly recommend you don't try anything stupid.' Following the FBI raid of both planes, the user tweeted: 'I'm going to get raided. Oh noeS!!' Airport spokesman Reese McCrainie would not say how the threats were received, only that, 'we believe the threats to be credible,' the Journal reported. A Southwest Airlines spokesman said: 'Due a security situation, the aircraft operating Flight 2492 was taken to a remote area of the airport where Customers and the aircraft are being rescreened. 'Our number one priority is the Safety of our Customers and People. We cannot comment on the nature of the security situation.' | Twitter user @KingZortic sent slew of threats to Delta and Southwest . 'Credible' bomb threats reported on two flights at Hartsfield Jackson . Delta 1156 flew in from Portland, Southwest 2492 came from Milwaukee . Fighter jets escorted the planes to the runway, bomb squads preparing to sweep the cabins . After an investigation, no explosive devices were found on board . | a60f018385d6caa660a6877b8ed84a715427cda2 |
(CNN) -- Go ahead, read the headline again. It does say "Writer's black" and not "Writer's block." No doubt, overlooking a mistake like that would be a gigantic copy editing if not editorial blunder. But think about it. How often do we do the editorializing in our own minds before we even start to read a writer's work? A recent article by ESPN The Magazine writer Toure' about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick got me to thinking. Opinion: Why I wrote 'If Michael Vick were white' The article and provocative headline pose the question, "What if Michael Vick were white?" "Hmmm," I wondered out loud to another writer sitting next to me. "Hmmm," the writer said back to me, following up with a "That's deep." Then we sat quietly for a few moments looking around the room, pondering. We didn't say much else, but the incident and the article stuck with me for a few days. ESPN defends 'white' Michael Vick . It stuck not because of the sports angle, but for the broader ramifications of his questions. It made me think about all the times I had to defend myself for something I said or wrote simply because of my gender, background and any other mechanism we use to define ourselves and other people. I thought about all the times I had been called privileged by African-Americans, biased by whites, narrow-minded by Hispanics, too sensitive by men and unfeeling by women, lefty by conservatives or right-wing by liberals. And I wondered what the response would have been if the reader knew nothing about my background or me. What would it be like? So I decided to write this article anonymously and provide you the reader with a sort of written Rorschach test. I could be white. I could be black. I could be Hispanic or Asian or male or female. Fill in the blanks. Straight away, I must admit that I have a completely selfish reason for doing this. The filter of my own experiences had duped me, too. In all honesty, when I saw Toure's byline, my mind immediately leaped to the finish, drawing a conclusion that an African-American writer would probably go easy on Vick. But I caught myself, stopped, and much like I do in both my personal and professional lives, I put the writer's ethnicity aside and kept reading. So, in an effort to make it easier for you to do the same, I'm removing my byline as I assess the racial and cultural differences that might have steered Michael Vick onto the path of dog fighting, his demise and eventual redemption. In one of the neighborhoods of my youth, blacks and whites had vastly different relationships with animals; mainly dogs. I'm generalizing here, but whites typically treated their dogs as part of their families. The dogs lived indoors, and they climbed onto sofas and into beds at will. But many blacks did not want to eat at a home where dogs or cats had the run of the house. The logic went: An animal in the house meant animal hair in the food. And by the same token, (again, a generalization) whites were generally upset by their black friends who treated their animals as not human. Dogs and cats were mostly kept outdoors unless the temperatures dipped below freezing or swelled to triple digits. Both black people and white people kept any chickens outdoors, and the only violence the fowl faced was getting their necks wrung on the way to becoming Sunday dinner. But for Hispanics I knew, cock fighting was not only accepted, but also expected. Those who partook didn't understand why it's OK to slaughter a rooster but it's not OK to have them fight. Spaniards celebrate bullfighting. Americans flock to the rodeo. And however you feel about any one of these probably has a lot to do with your relationship with animals growing up. Just as the ESPN article makes no excuses for Vick's behavior, this one doesn't either. Part of my mission is to help you understand that people from different backgrounds have different feelings about animals. And perhaps it has more to do with where you come from (culture) rather than the color of your skin. But in America, race somehow pervades the discussion on just about any subject. Even Toure' admits it in his own article when he questions the headline. He writes: "This question makes me cringe. It is so facile, naive, shortsighted and flawed that it is meaningless. Whiteness comes with great advantages, but it's not a get-out-of-every-crime-free card. Killing dogs is a heinous crime that disgusts and frightens many Americans. I'm certain white privilege would not be enough to rescue a white NFL star caught killing dogs." | ESPN article about a "white" Michael Vick got this author thinking . Readers can make assumptions about authors' race and culture . This anonymous writer invites you to guess those attributes from this essay . | 7bb453a7f6c1365fb76e89247d8dde4f5cbce4f1 |
It has been giving Britain’s aristocracy advice on social etiquette for more than 200 years. Now Debrett’s is branching out from producing guides on elegant manners and will start offering courses in social skills to jobseekers. The publishing house is offering residential and day courses - starting at a £1,000 - to a generation of young people who struggle to make eye contact or proffer a firm handshake. The publishing house is to offer courses to young people who lack social skills needed in the workplace . Debrett’s developed its programme on ‘social intelligence’ for under-30s after business leaders raised serious issues around young people entering the modern workplace. Its research highlights concerns over the employability of graduates and school leavers who have no idea how to behave at work. Debrett’s says that ‘manners, social intelligence, personal presentation and impact can be as important as academic qualifications. ‘With so much focus on exam results and the hectic informality of modern family life and technology, social graces can be a casualty.’ The courses come amid accusations that schools and universities are so focused on academic targets that they are failing to produce rounded graduates. Instead they are turning out young people who are shy and awkward after spending all their time on the internet or mobiles, who lack the ability to spell or write a letter, and are unable to get through a day without regular online checks on what their friends are up to. Louise Ruell , Debrett’s director of training, said: ‘Young employees need to differentiate themselves beyond their academic achievements. Employers listed dependency on the internet and text jargon as some of the reasons why young people are so ill equipped in the workplace . The research clearly shows that this is often lacking.’ Ninety per cent of the senior executives on a panel at Debrett’s believe social skills are just as important, or even more important, than academic skills. Some 63 per cent said their office juniors often lack any such skills at all. A quarter said they had even embarrassed them in front of clients. Meanwhile, one in four business leaders complained that prospective candidates had inflated expectations regarding salaries and career progression and were over-confident and formulaic in interviews. Misplaced informality was another complaint. Some 21per cent of employers said young employees had dressed inappropriately for the workplace or had drunk too much at work social events. Amelia Higham, managing director of Dovetail Insurance, said: ‘There is so much emphasis on passing written exams that there’s no room for them to be taught life skills. ‘Throw in text jargon and overuse of the internet to communicate and you’ve got a generation which cannot connect one to one. Being a nice person to do business with is crucial no matter what business you are in.’ She said she would prefer a job applicant to have good social skills rather than perfect academic grades. ‘We have just had a chap in. On paper he looked fabulous - he had brilliant qualifications. On the second day he had to write a letter - he couldn’t do it. It was appalling really. ‘It’s the whole ethos of this generation - they miss a trick with their attitude of expectation. ‘We all expected to do rough jobs during the summer holidays or whatever, pick fruit, knock on doors selling things, working in a factory. Those jobs taught life skills. ‘Every teenager should have to do some sort of summer job. It would teach them not to rely on the bank of mum and dad and help their development as well.’ The publishing house considers itself an expert on 'knowing the who's who and what's what of today's Britain' Almost three quarters of the 58 business leaders in the survey did agree that a preoccupation with technology hurts the social skills of young employees, affecting their ability to build relationships with clients. Even firms whose business is in the digital world are concerned. Linford Haggie, managing director at Graphic Alliance, a digital advertising agency, said: ‘We want candidates who live and breathe the digital world but too many are over-reliant on technology. ‘They are shy and scared. They don’t want to pick up a phone and have lost any people skills. I don’t blame them, no, they need to have the working world demystified and schools and businesses have a part to play.’ | Publishing house, Debrett, to offer £1,000 'social intelligence' courses to under 30s . Research shows employers feel younger generation lack social skills despite academic qualifications . Universities and schools face criticism for not producing 'well rounded' graduates . | 968c5d1a40e56f987f3dec9518936d42b19860ca |
By . Mail On Sunday Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:45 EST, 11 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:45 EST, 11 January 2014 . Spies are being given a ‘licence to speed’ for the first time. Ministers will announce tomorrow that Britain’s secret agents are to be exempted from the laws of the road. Currently, MI5 and MI6 officers must stay within the speed limits even if security is at risk. MI6 Headquarters: Intelligence officials are currently not allowed to break the speed limit, even if security is a at risk . But now the agencies will join the list of organisations that can speed when responding to emergency situations. Bomb disposal units, mountain rescue teams and organ transplant drivers will also be granted the freedom to break speed limits. But all those who are exempt will be required to pass advanced driving courses. At the moment, only the police, ambulance and fire crews can break speed laws. Laws: Police, ambulance and fire crews are the only organisations who are permitted to break the speed limit when responding to an emergency (file picture) | Currently, MI5 and MI6 officers must stay within the speed limits . Now agencies will join the list who can speed when attending emergencies . Mountain rescue teams and bomb disposal units will also be given freedom . | 08e3b2c3a0cc520edd0004c15e059df4b31cccdd |
(CNN) -- A computer-science detective story is playing out on the Internet as security experts try to hunt down a worm called Conficker C and prevent it from damaging millions of computers on April Fool's Day. This piece of computer code tells the worm to activate on April 1, 2009, researchers at CA found. The anti-worm researchers have banded together in a group they call the Conficker Cabal. Members are searching for the malicious software program's author and for ways to do damage control if he or she can't be stopped. They're motivated in part by a $250,000 bounty from Microsoft and also by what seems to be a sort of Dick Tracy ethic. "We love catching bad guys," said Alvin Estevez, CEO of Enigma Software Group, which is one of many companies trying to crack Conficker. "We're like former hackers who like to catch other hackers. To us, we get almost a feather in our cap to be able to knock out that worm. We slap each other five when we're killing those infections." The malicious program already is thought to have infected between 5 million and 10 million computers. Those infections haven't spawned many symptoms, but on April 1 a master computer is scheduled to gain control of these zombie machines, said Don DeBolt, director of threat research for CA, a New York-based IT and software company. What happens on April Fool's Day is anyone's guess. The program could delete all of the files on a person's computer, use zombie PCs -- those controlled by a master -- to overwhelm and shut down Web sites or monitor a person's keyboard strokes to collect private information like passwords or bank account information, experts said. More likely, though, said DeBolt, the virus may try to get computer users to buy fake software or spend money on other phony products. Experts said computer hackers largely have moved away from showboating and causing random trouble. They now usually try to make money off their viral programs. DeBolt said Conficker C imbeds itself deep in the computer where it is difficult to track. The program, for instance, stops Windows from conducting automatic updates that could prevent the malware from causing damage. The program's code is also written to evolve over time and its author appears to be making updates to thwart some of the Conficker Cabal's attempts to neuter the worm. "It is very much a cat and mouse game," DeBolt said. It's unclear who wrote the program, but members of the Cabal are looking for clues. First, they know that some recent malware programs have come from Eastern European countries outside the jurisdiction of the European Union, said Patrick Morganelli, senior vice president of technology for Enigma Software. Worm program authors often hide in those countries to stay out of sight from law enforcement, he said. In a way, the Conficker Cabal is also looking for the program author's fingerprints. DeBolt said security researchers are looking through old malware programs to see if their programming styles are similar to that of Conficker C. The prospects for catching the program's author are not good, Morganelli said. "Unless they open their mouth, they'll never be found," he said. So, the most effective counter-assault simply may be damage control. One quick way to see if your computer has been infected is to see if you have gotten automatic updates from Windows in March. If so, your computer likely is fine, DeBolt said. Microsoft released a statement saying the company "is actively working with the industry to mitigate the spread of the worm." Users who haven't gotten the latest Windows updates should go to http://safety.live.com if they fear they're infected, the company's statement says. DeBolt said people who use other antivirus software should check to make sure they've received the latest updates, which also could have been disabled by Conficker C. The first version of Conficker -- strain A -- was released in late 2008. That version used 250 Web addresses -- generated daily by the system -- as the means of communication between the master computer and its zombies. The end goal of the first line was to sell computer users fake antivirus software, said Morganelli. Computer security experts largely patched that problem by working with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to disable or buy the problematic URLs, he said. That process-of-elimination approach isn't likely to be effective with Conficker strain C, Morganelli said. The new version will generate 50,000 URLs per day instead of just 250 when it becomes active, DeBolt said. The first iteration of Conficker is thought to have grown out of a free function for security programs created by Dr. Ronald Rivest, a computer science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Any technology can be used for good or evil, and this is just an example of that," Rivest said. Many viruses have taken pieces of benevolent programs and used them for ill. But overall the "open source" environment online promotes computer security far more than it enables hackers, DeBolt said. "I don't blame the open-source community at all" for virus attacks, he said. CA said it recently found a piece of code in Conficker C that says the worm will become active on April 1. Previous versions of the malicious software launched on specific dates noted in the program code, so the April Fool's Day launch date is not likely to be a trick, DeBolt said. "The best minds in the industry are working on this to protect customers," he said. "We're trying to reduce the impact of the April 1 date as best we can. But we know ... this malware will continue to evolve." | The Conficker C computer worm is expected to activate on April Fool's Day . The worm lets a master computer take over infected zombie PCs . It's unclear what the program's author plans to do with all the power . A group called the Conficker Cabal is trying to hunt down solutions . | d8dec18e209ceaadbcef62761c4c108410c493f1 |
Rawalpindi, Pakistan (CNN)A suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a Shiite Muslim mosque in the northern Pakistani city of Rawalpindi on Wednesday evening, officials said, killing at least two people in what is the third such deadly attack in Pakistan in three weeks. The attacker tried to enter the mosque during evening prayers at 6:45 p.m. but was stopped by a security guard, Islamabad police said. The bomber detonated his explosives outside the building, police said. The bombing killed two people and injured seven others, said Dr. Aisha Isani, a representative of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, which was treating people injured in the blast. The militant group Jundallah claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack, said a Jundallah spokesman going only by the name of Fahad. The spokesman said that the group attacked because of a months-long Pakistani military operation against the Taliban and other militant groups in the country's North Waziristan area, and that Jundallah would continue to target Shiite Muslims. North Waziristan is one of the northwestern Pakistan tribal areas bordering Afghanistan that have long been a base for anti-government militants. The Pakistani military campaign has displaced tens of thousands of people. Pakistan is a majority Sunni Muslim country. Shiites make up about 10% to 15% of the country's population, according to the CIA World Factbook. Jundallah also claimed responsibility for a January 30 bombing at a Shiite mosque in the southern Pakistani city of Shikarpur. That blast killed at least 48 people and injured dozens of others, officials said. On Friday, a suicide bombing and gunfire attack on a Shiite mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar killed at least 19 people, officials said. The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack. Journalist Adeel Raja reported from Rawalpindi. CNN's Sophia Saifi reported from Islamabad, Pakistan. CNN's Jason Hanna contributed to this report. | Jundallah militant group claims responsibility, blames a military offensive in North Waziristan . A suicide bomber detonates explosives outside a mosque after guard stops him, police say . Three deadly attacks on Shiite Muslim mosques have happened in Pakistan since January 30 . | bb050d6e71bbcacbd5e515ea106618ef0e945210 |
Taxpayers are spending £100million every year on interpreters to help immigrants who cannot speak English, a Mail on Sunday investigation has found. Police, town halls, hospitals and courts are all spending huge sums on translating documents and providing professional interpreters to assist people with poor English. This is despite repeated Government attempts to save money and improve social cohesion by making new arrivals take English tests, and by telling councils not to waste money on translating leaflets. Police, town halls, hospitals and courts are all spending huge sums on translating documents and providing professional interpreters . It can be revealed today that: . Last night critics said that, at a time when budgets are being slashed by the Government, key public services can ill afford to spend millions of pounds to help immigrants who have not learned English. And they argued that translating can ultimately leave foreign language-speakers worse off – as they are less likely to get well-paid jobs in this country if they have not learned the language. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: 'The guidance I've issued is crystal-clear – councils should stop wasting taxpayers' money by translating into foreign languages. Translation holds people back from integrating into British society. If they can't speak English, they're not going to get on. Money saved can be used to protect frontline services and keep council tax down.' Under the Freedom of Information Act, The Mail on Sunday asked public bodies across England to detail their costs for written translation of documents and face-to-face or telephone interpreting. Responses from 585 organisations, about two-thirds of those contacted, revealed they had spent £79 million in 2013-14, indicating that the total figure is well over £100 million. Most goes on face-to-face interpreters rather than document translation, which can be done free online. In the NHS, the sum spent on foreign language services has risen by 41 per cent over the past four years to reach at least £33 million. Dozens of hospitals failed to respond to our data requests. The biggest health spender is Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in East London, which spent £1.2 million in a year. Some hospitals have even installed full-time interpreters on their wards, such is the demand they face. But the details obtained by this newspaper indicate poor control of spending in some trusts. In one instance last January, a Bengali interpreter charged £126 for more than three hours' work, even though the interpretation took only ten minutes, during an endoscopy procedure. In another, the Trust was charged £162 for 4.5 hours' work by an Arabic interpreter, which in fact took 30 minutes during a home visit. Meanwhile a health board in Brighton translated a 'short video explaining what a clinical commissioning group is' into five languages, at a cost of £7,500. Another spent £1,678 on translating leaflets about 'the importance of registering with a GP'. One physiotherapist in South-West London reported having four appointments in a day – with an interpreter required at each. NHS organisations claim that offering translation and interpretation services to those with poor English is a 'mandatory requirement'. In its FOI response, Cannock Chase Clinical Commissioning Group stated: 'This is a mandatory requirement within the standard NHS contract that we use. The standard contract states, 'The Provider must provide appropriate assistance and make reasonable adjustments for Service Users, Carers and Legal Guardians who do not speak, read or write English or who have communication difficulties.' ' But some experts say that, in the vast majority of cases, providing this service is unnecessary. Julia Manning, chief executive of the think-tank 2020Health, said: 'I cannot imagine someone with zero English being in this country without having a relative who does speak the language, who could help them. It really should be the responsibility of family or friends to assist with understanding.' Latest figures show the Department for Work and Pensions spent £5 million on language services in a year, most on face-to-face and telephone help for jobseekers and benefits claimants. Meanwhile, councils in England spent £11 million on language services in the most recent financial year, despite 2013 guidance from the Government telling them translation and interpreting should be used in emergency cases only, for instance child protection. Among the biggest spenders was the London Borough of Haringey, paying £232,592 for interpreters and £16,444 for written translations, mostly Turkish, Polish and Spanish. Sheffield City Council spent £226,280 on interpreters and £47,644 on translation into 61 languages. Government data shows HMRC spends £1 million a year on providing tax advice in different languages. Some of the spending is required by law, however. A massive £15.5 million was paid out last year by the Ministry of Justice for interpreters in court cases, as the European Convention on Human Rights requires. Police and the Crown Prosecution Service spent £16 million between them as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) requires that suspects understand the questions put to them by officers. The Metropolitan Police was the biggest spender – getting through £6.7 million in 2013-14. A spokesman said: 'The MPS has a legal obligation to provide interpreting.' Private companies that make money from taxpayer-funded interpreting services include outsourcing giant Capita, California-based LanguageLine and thebigword. In many cases interpreters work from home or in call centres, and translate in three-way phone conversations with foreign-language speakers and doctors or police. If you go to see a doctor in France, Germany and Poland, nobody will provide you with an interpreter . If you go to see a doctor in France, Germany and Poland, nobody will provide you with an interpreter. I was talking to my sister about this the other day. She lives in Italy and says if you go to a doctor there and you speak the language, fine. If not, well too bad. You communicate with your hands. The situation in Britain regarding translators must be unique. I have been a Polish translator in England since 2008. When I started it was really, really busy. I would have three cases a day. I was working day and night. I have less work now, but I think that’s mainly because there are so many more interpreters. In some ways it is surprising that more Poles than any other nationals require interpreters here. Most Polish nationals – specially the younger generation – learn English at college. Some hospitals or GP surgeries use telephone interpreters but from my experience it doesn’t really work. Take NHS cases. Patients sometimes want you to be there when they are given local anaesthetic. I’m next to the patient and the doctor with the scalpel, so sometimes you see things that could make you faint. For me the most exciting projects are crown courts. A year ago we did quite a big murder trial in Carlisle – it lasted for a month and a half, lots of defendants. We had all those reports, pathologists’ reports, so this was very demanding stuff. I was born in Poland. My great-great-grandfather was British. He moved to Poland. When I was in high school I went to America, then finished my degree in Poland and came here, completed an interpreting diploma and started my career. I am a freelance, self-employed interpreter on the books of Capita. The pay is £16 to £22 an hour. There is no guarantee of work – we wait for an email or phone call with a job offer. There are weeks when there is work every day. We never know, it’s such an unpredictable profession. When Poland joined the EU in 2004 I knew there would be a huge wave of Poles coming here: it’s hardly surprising when you think about the economic situation in Poland, the low wages. People who do manual labour or work in factories can live comfortably here even if they earn the minimum wage, whereas in Poland this is impossible. Britain is still such a wealthy and prosperous country. | Police, hospitals and courts are all spending huge sums on translators . Councils in England spent £11 million on language services in last year . Polish is the most commonly translated language by courts and police . Met spends nearly £7million a year on interpreters for crime suspects . A hospital trust in the North West uses interpreters 74 times each day. Britain's biggest police force spends nearly £7 million a year on interpreters for crime suspects – mostly Romanian – and victims. One council helps people who speak a total of 61 different languages, including the little-spoken Fulani, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Shona, Tagalog and Visayan. Polish is by far the most commonly translated language by courts, police and councils. A US firm makes more than £10 million a year from the interpreting 'industry'. | 2a79c2076a2ccee6cc59f4237ccce3cce87eb588 |
(CNN) -- Here's an unusual site. A developer in the South African city of Johannesburg has transformed an old grain silo into trendy residences, re-purposing the entire ten-story building and topping it with disused shipping containers to provide extra living space. The result may look like a giant Jenga puzzle, but the Mill Junction project aims to provide affordable accommodation to just under 400 students. See also: Paris metro stations given exciting second life . South African universities have high dropout rates, according to figures from the country's Council on Higher Education, with many students forced to quit their studies before graduating. According to Citiq, the company behind the project, Mill Junction will help students from poorer backgrounds by offering them budget living space close to school campuses. The building has been fitted with communal kitchens, study areas, free WiFi and a rooftop social area. "Our intention with these projects is to provide people with decent accommodation at affordable prices that is well located centrally in the city," Citiq CEO, Paul Lapham, told CNN. "I am really excited about how these kind of projects can help address the dire shortage of good student accommodation in South Africa," he added. As well as providing an important social function, Lapham believes the project has helped maintain the architectural heritage of Johannesburg. The distinctive grain silos had lain dormant since the late 1980s but provide a striking visual reminder of the old industries once housed in the city. Adding shipping containers, meanwhile, has put an extra five levels on the original structure (including the rooftop space) and makes creative second use of materials that would otherwise lie idle. See also: Could micro-homes offer big housing solution . "Repurposing old spaces plays a key role in revitalizing a city in terms of the people living and working there, as well as retaining the history, character and eclectic feel of these old neighborhoods," Lapham said. "The alternative of leaving these sites abandoned, or even demolishing them, has the potential to destroy this." Take a tour of the Mill Junction building by clicking through the gallery atop the page. Are there any similarly creative architectural projects near you? Let us know in the comments section below. | A developer in Johannesburg has transformed an old mill into a spectacular new student residence . Mill junction is a ten-storey building with shipping containers added to the roof for extra living space . The project aims to provide affordable apartments while maintaining the city's architectural history . | 752335df2e9a065a4f636d254a49330cc9e5a13e |
By . Nick Fagge . PUBLISHED: . 10:30 EST, 20 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:46 EST, 21 December 2012 . David Cameron promised to roll out the red carpet for the French when they announced a 75 per cent tax on the super-rich. Well, Mr Prime Minister, it’s time to get the hoover out. One of France’s richest men has announced he is moving to London – on the same day his country’s socialist government set its new rate. Alain Afflelou (pictured left with his partner Christine Couland while his second wife is pictured right) has announced he is moving to London, on the same day the government set its new tax rate . Alain Afflelou, who made a . £150million fortune from running an international chain of opticians, . joins a growing list of wealthy French quitting the country. The 64-year-old, however, claims he . is not moving abroad because of the new tax regime, but to ‘oversee the . development’ of his business in northern Europe. In a statement to employees, Mr Afflelou said: ‘As you know, our group has had a new UK majority shareholder since July. ‘It is at its request that I moved to . London for a specified period. It is by no means tax exile. I already . spend more than 40 per cent of my time abroad for the purposes of the . group... so nothing new.’ French businessman Alain Afflelou (left) will join thousands of wealthy French fleeing President Francois Hollande's new tax regime . But the fact his announcement came at . the very moment the French National Assembly approved plans for high . taxes on those earning more than £800,000 a year will only add to . speculation that Mr Afflelou is the latest in a growing list of wealthy . tax exiles. France’s most famous actor Gerard . Depardieu has already put up his £50million Paris mansion for sale and . moved to Belgium to avoid the unprecedented tax rate. Prime Minister . Jean-Marc Ayrault has attacked the exodus. He said: ‘Those who moved . aboard aren’t afraid of becoming poor. It’s because they want to become . even richer.’ Depardieu threatened to give up his French passport after Mr Ayrault branded him ‘unpatriotic’ for leaving the country. Gerard Depardieu has already announced that he is moving to Belgium to escape the new tax rules . Getting away from it all: The French actor is seen arriving in Rome yesterday . France’s richest man, Bernard . Arnault, who runs luxury goods brand LVMH, applied for Belgian . nationality in September. His decision to leave France prompted the . Left-wing newspaper Liberation to run a front page headline, ‘Get lost, . rich bastard!’ President Francois Hollande insists tax hikes are crucial to easing the country’s £24billion deficit. The 75 per cent rate on earning over . £800,000 will make France the highest taxing country in the EU. He has . added new charges on capital gains, a bigger wealth tax, a boost to . inheritance charges and an exit tax for entrepreneurs selling their . companies. Mr Afflelou – ‘the King of Glasses’ – is the French . equivalent of Richard Branson. His name adorns shops throughout French . high streets and the shirts of some of the country’s biggest football . teams. Tax relief: Depardieu has revealed he will move to Belgium to avoid paying high tax in France . Tax regime: France's President Francois Hollande in his office at the presidential Elysee Palace . Born to French colonists in Algeria . in 1948, his family arrived in France as refugees from the bitter war of . independence in 1962. After training as an optician he opened his first . store in 1972 in Bordeaux aged 24. Today, his business empire stretches across nine southern Europe countries, into Africa. A member of elite French society, the . tycoon has mixed with politicians and celebrities and has dated . various models. He has been married twice. His first wife was Polish . celebrity dancer Alexandra Lorska, with whom he had a son in 1991. His second was former Dutch model . Rosalie van Breemen, a former wife of French film star Alain Delon. They . married in 2002 but divorced in 2008 after she wrote a book which . advised how to get over a divorce and how to get the appropriate . financial settlement. He is currently with another partner, Christine . Couland. In June, Mr Cameron said: ‘If the . French go ahead with a 75 per cent top rate of tax we will roll out the . red carpet and welcome more French businesses to Britain and they can . pay tax in Britain and pay for our health service and schools and . everything else.’ | Alain Afflelou is fleeing President Hollande's new 75% top tax regime . The optician chain tycoon joins thousands of millionaires leaving France . It comes after David Cameron said Britain would 'roll out the red carpet' | 995482fa733e362667788d66f40f6abfd0e590cd |
By . Tom White, Press Association . With the cost of watching live football rising every year, one owner of a club is instead offering to pay fans to come through the turnstiles. Jamie Waltham, 33, the owner and manager of newly formed non-league Hull United AFC, says he will give £2 to everyone that comes to watch his team play their first home game. He said that many people in the city feel priced out of watching their much bigger rival Hull City in the Premier League so he wanted to offer an alternative. Generous: Jamie Waltham has offered £2 to everyone who comes to the next Hull United home game . 'Everyone in Hull is really proud of what Hull City have achieved,' he said. 'But I speak to a lot of people who feel priced out and prices go through the roof when you are in the best league in the world. 'I’ve felt for a long time we needed a top non-league club and that’s our goal. Hull City started a long time ago by people playing at a similar level of football so I see this as the beginning of a journey for us and the fans that come along. 'I’m offering £2 to everyone that comes through the door, but if people come in and spend £4-5 then we could make a bit of money. We are doing pints of beer for £2, food at discounted prices and we want it to be as affordable as possible. 'If 500 people come through the door then I’ll pay out £1,000 because I feel that sometimes you have to give before you get back. It’s about offering an alternative and an incentive to come down and watching something a little bit different.' Club runner: The 33-year-old is the owner and manager of the newly-formed non-league side . Having bought the ground Dene Park, Mr Waltham is confident that in five years time they will be a well established non-league team and has set his sights on eventually joining the Football League. And his aim started well as they won their first game of the season last weekend away from home, beating Hessle Rangers 3-0. He said: 'If we get five promotions then we will be in the conference so in five years time I want us to be a top non-league club. And then I believe the goal for a top non-league club should be to become a league club. 'If you don’t have that set in your sights from the start you will never get to it.' | Jamie Waltham says he will give £2 to everyone who comes to watch Hull United's next home game . The 33-year-old is the owner and manager of the non-league side . He says many in the city feel priced out of watching Premier League Hull . Hopes to establish the side in the football league in next five years . | 83b31499246c0a9985a4099b597c5b9edae34360 |
(CNN) -- While we learned that rising stars in the Democratic Party come in younger (Sandra Fluke) and older (Elizabeth Warren) versions, it was a party elder and established superstar (President Bill Clinton) who stole the show on Day Two of the Democratic convention. Wednesday's session began amid controversy over language in the party's platform that saw a tumultuous voice vote. And another one. And another one. It's not the image Democrats wanted to project after a successful opening night. And while Clinton's speech was 15 minutes longer than his famously panned 1988 convention address, this one kept the audience in the packed Time Warner Cable Arena on its feet. Here are five things we learned from Wednesday night: . 1. Clinton delivers . Forty eight minutes, more or less. That's how long Clinton's speech lasted on Wednesday night, but no one in Charlotte gave a rip. Why? The Full Clinton showed up Wednesday with a combative, charming and substantive piece of oratory that many in the political class immediately billed as one of the best speeches he has ever delivered. Clinton's remarks at the DNC . And crucially, President Barack Obama -- who has struggled to explain his policy accomplishments to the public -- got a tremendous boost from the best communicator in American politics. Republicans were stunned after the speech. "Tonight, when everybody leaves, lock the door," GOP strategist Alex Castellanos said on CNN immediately after the speech ended. "You don't have to come back tomorrow. This convention is done. This will be the moment that probably re-elected Barack Obama. Bill Clinton saved the Democratic Party once. It was going too far left. He came in and took it to the center. He did it again tonight." Mike Murphy, another leading Republican operative, tweeted his praise. "Highly effective Clinton speech. Aimed right at voters Obama needs," Murphy wrote. And then: "A master's class in using (select) factoids and policy ideas to 'explain' and score big politically. Mitt's speech should have done this." Forget that Clinton strayed from his prepared remarks repeatedly and was not even halfway through his speech when the clock struck 11 p.m. on the East Coast -- the Big Dog delivered. Now it's Obama's turn. 2. Clinton answers the burning question . Republicans criticized Democrats this week for largely avoiding a firm answer on the question of whether Americans are better off than they were four years ago. It was a question that first gained traction last week during Mitt Romney's acceptance speech, when he said, "You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him." Clinton says Obama offers a better path forward for America . And the issue further snowballed when Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley of Maryland answered "no" to the query during a Sunday interview -- a reply quickly seized upon by Republicans. While speakers at the DNC Tuesday and Wednesday mostly stayed away from the topic, Clinton answered it head-on in his speech, delivering perhaps his biggest moment of the night. "He inherited a deeply damaged economy. He put a floor under the crash. He began the long, hard road to recovery and laid the foundation for a modern, more well-balanced economy," he said. He continued: "Now are we where we want to be today? No. Is the president satisfied? Of course not. But are we better off than when we were when he took office? Listen to me," he said, as the crowd roared. He then painted a picture of economic conditions at the time Obama took office in January 2009, saying 750,000 jobs were disappearing per month and adding the economy was "in free fall." "Are we doing better than today? The answer -- yes," he said forcefully. He used the "better off" theme several more times through the night. Inside the DNC: Sights and sounds from convention-goers . Clinton rallied the crowd, urging them of the importance of re-electing Obama to finish what he described as a tough ride from the start. "No president -- not me, not any of my predecessors -- no one could have fully repaired all the damage he found in just four years," he said. 3. Foreign policy and faith still matter . What goes around, comes around. One week after criticizing the platform that Republicans approved at their convention last week, Democrats got a taste of their own medicine on Day Two of their convention. While Tuesday's session was considered a strong opener, there was a growing controversy over the omission in the current platform of a line from the 2008 platform that recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Republicans and Mitt Romney presidential campaign officials quickly pounced. Fast forward a day: The Wednesday session started with some dissension when delegates approved a change in the party platform to reinstate the 2008 line. Another change restored the word "God" to the platform after the 2012 version omitted it, though it included language on faith as part of American society. The language referring to God-given rights was the same as in the 2008 platform. Just in: Democrats update platform with Jerusalem, God reference . But it took three voice votes to pass the changes, with supporters and opponents loudly expressing their sentiments. When Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, chairman of the convention, said that the motion passed with a two-thirds majority, some delegates made it clear they weren't happy. Obama himself intervened regarding the Jerusalem language, a senior Democratic source told CNN. And Democrats say that illustrates that the president showed leadership. But the damage was done. Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul was quick to put out a statement saying "Mitt Romney has consistently stated his belief that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel." Analysts said it was a terrible start to the second day. "After a roaring first night that we all proclaimed was successful, they started out Wednesday night with a stumble," said CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen, who has advised Democratic and Republican presidents. Van Jones, a CNN contributor and former Obama administration special adviser, called it a "big blunder." "I think it was handled badly from beginning to end, and now I think we're going to pay a price for it," he said. CNN Chief National Correspondent John King said the conversation should have never come up. "The Democrats last week decided to make a very big deal of the Republican platform. When you do that, it is Politics 101, you better scrub yours, because you know this is coming," he said. "This is Keystone Cops." 4. We, not me . The theme of convention week is "Americans Coming Together" -- and for the second night in a row, Democrats hammered the premise home with a clarion call for collectivism instead of individualism. This isn't a big shocker. Those two worldviews are at the heart of the ideological schism between the Democrats and Republicans. But in speech after speech about the slowly recovering economy, Democrats aggressively pushed a common message: We're all in this together. Five lines that killed on Day Two . "Democrats believe in reigniting the American dream by removing barriers to success and building ladders of opportunity for all, so everyone can succeed," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi announced. "The American dream belongs to all of us," said California Attorney General Kamala Harris. Then there was the hook of Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper's speech about how he started a successful chain of Denver brewpubs from next to nothing. "It was 'we,' not 'me,' " Hickenlooper said over and over again. The contrast at work here? Republicans look out for themselves, while Democrats look out for each other. It takes a village and all that. If you didn't have that message drilled into your brain at the end of the night, you probably missed that middle school English class lesson about "context clues." Or you were watching the Cowboys-Giants game? 5. Paul Ryan a bigger thorn in Romney's side than Bain? Mitt Romney faced a tsunami of attacks this summer over his business background and former private equity firm, Bain Capital. A pro-Obama super PAC particularly hammered Romney, spending $20 million on commercials in crucial swing states painting Romney as a greedy corporate raider. And while speakers addressed Bain during prime time, Democrats seemed to be more fired up about another target Wednesday night: his running mate. Fact or fiction? Paul Ryan's RNC speech . Speech after speech dealt several zings at Rep. Paul Ryan's budget plan, a proposal widely backed by the GOP and one that favors tax cuts coupled with large entitlement cuts. Sister Simone Campbell especially hammered home the point. The nun has led other nuns on a nine-state bus tour this summer, campaigning against Ryan's plan as a measure that stands in the way of the church's moral teachings. "Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are correct when they say that each individual should be responsible. But their budget goes astray in not acknowledging that we are responsible not only for ourselves and our immediate families," she said. "Rather, our faith strongly affirms that we are all responsible for one another." Her comments were carried further by U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who serves on the same House Budget Committee chaired by Ryan. Van Hollen, who's been tapped to play the role of Ryan in debate prep for Vice President Joe Biden, said Romney and Ryan's "obsession with tax breaks for the wealthy is part of a rigid ideology." "But this theory crashed in the real world. We all lived through the recession when jobs went down and the deficit went up," he said. "So when they say they'll turn around the economy, beware. They mean a U-turn back to this failed theory that lifted the yachts while other boats ran aground." Wednesday night's program certainly highlighted Romney's time at Bain, especially when three laid-off workers took the stage to blast the GOP nominee as a heartless businessman motivated only by profit. But a stronger theme threaded throughout the night could be found in Ryan's sweeping budget proposals and Democrats' fervent opposition to it. Political observers say Romney's pick in Ryan was risky, given the congressman's highly polarizing policy proposals. Watching the convention this week, it seems those attacks fuel plenty of fire against Romney, one that may not die down anytime soon. Obama to speak after forceful Clinton endorsement . | The Full Clinton showed up Wednesday with combative and charming oratory . Clinton answered the question, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" Platform battle over Jerusalem and God show foreign policy and religion matter . Paul Ryan's budget plan may cause Republicans problems headed into the fall . | 1a328d1ddac528994ae4e96a4d2bbb9eac2172b4 |
A mother whose cancer has returned for the third time has turned her back on modern medicine - and says she will try to overcome the disease through healthy living and alternative therapies. Anne Pharo, 41, has been treated for breast cancer twice since 2010. During this time, she has undergone two mastectomies, six rounds of chemotherapy and four weeks of radiotherapy. After beating the disease twice, Ms Pharo found a lump on her rib cage in October 2014 and doctors confirmed the cancer had returned for a third time. Despite being told the disease will kill her if she doesn't embark on more chemotherapy, she has opted out of further treatment. Instead, she and has decided to beat cancer on her own, by eating healthily, running marathons and using alternative therapies. Anne Pharo, 41, beat breast cancer twice before, undergoing two mastectomies, chemotherapy and radiotherapy (she is pictured, left, after a mastectomy). Now the cancer has returned, she has decided to try and overcome it on her own by eating healthily, running marathons (right) and seeking alternative treatments . After being diagnosed with cancer in 2010, Ms Pharo, who is a sible parent to James, 16, and Jessica, 13, continued going to work - only taking time off for hospital appointments - as she feared the family wouldn't survive financially if she wasn't working . Ms Pharo, a customer services manager who lives in Portsmouth with her two children James, 16, and Jessica, 13, said: 'In my opinion, chemotherapy and radiotherapy don't cure cancer. 'That kind of treatment is just a temporary thing and the cancer does come back a few years later. 'It nearly killed me and was tough for my kids, so I decided I'd never put my body through it again. 'Instead I took up running. 'I've also drastically altered my diet, I go for oxygen therapy every week and see a homeopath. I'm determined to get better this way.' At her latest hospital appointment this month, Ms Pharo was told the tumour has grown since October. Yet she is still refusing any help from the NHS, except for examinations every three months. She also disagrees with claims by doctors that is she allowing herself to die. Consultant oncologist Professor Karol Sikora said there is no evidence a healthy diet, exercise and alternative therapies will cure Ms Pharo’s cancer. However, her treatment is her own choice and doctors must respect that, he added. He told MailOnline: ‘The patient is always in the driving seat; their treatment is up to them. ‘I would try and persuade her to have two cycles of chemotherapy, as I’m sure her doctor is doing. ‘There’s no evidence that diet alone will help without the chemotherapy. ‘With the chemotherapy, a healthy diet and exercise is beneficial. ‘But it’s not a cure, you need conventional treatment too. ‘Different people react to cancer in different ways and one has to respect that. ‘Oxygen therapy and homeopathy, these alternative therapies offer false hope. ‘There’s no evidence they work. A lot of people believe they work and that is the problem. ‘Alternative therapists will have great stories of people who have benefitted from their therapy, but they won’t give you the real statistics, because the facts show it doesn’t work. ‘I would recommend having conventional treatment, and then by all means, have alternative therapies as well if you really like, but don’t replace the former with the latter.’ She said: 'I don't want to put my body through any more trauma. I want to try and treat this with natural methods. 'My oncologist isn't very happy, but it's my body after all. I am not in denial or giving up - I've even registered for a half marathon on Gothenburg this summer. 'But I have lost faith in NHS. I wish they would consider working together with natural treatment, but instead I'm having to go it alone.' Her first diagnosis came in January 2010, after she noticed her left breast had become misshapen. She said: 'It was a huge blow. My ex-husband is no longer around and I was terrified at the thought of leaving the kids behind if something were to happen to me. 'I was desperate to get better for their sakes. 'The tumour was quite large, about 7cm long, so I said yes to everything my doctor suggested. 'I had chemotherapy from February until June, then a mastectomy, followed by radiotherapy for two months.' She had finished her treatment by September 2010, but describes those months as 'such a struggle'. She said: 'I'd been very honest with the kids about what was happening to me, so it was a horrible time for all three of us. 'It didn't help that I had to work throughout the whole ordeal, while feeling sick and exhausted, . 'I was an office manager at the time and didn't feel we could cope financially if I left my job, so I stayed at work and only took time off for hospital appointments. 'I put a post on Facebook asking for advice, sort of a cry for help. 'An old friend got in touch who had beaten cancer himself and it all started from there. He gave me a few tips to gradually change my lifestyle. 'It was a step-by-step way to get back to normal after cancer. 'My new diet was mainly based on alkaline foods. Lots of greens, avoiding anything with sugar and wheat, avoiding most meats. Ms Pharo began chemotherapy in January, and says the treatment was a 'struggle'. Her body suffered further the following January, when, during breast reconstruction surgery, her lung was punctured. She is pictured during chemotherapy . In October 2014, she was told her cancer had returned, but she refused surgery or chemotherapy. 'I decided it was all too invasive. I started researching other ways to treat cancer and found out about the oxygen chambers, which I now go to twice a week,' she said. She is pictured with her family during earlier treatment . 'Dairy produce has been linked to breast cancer too, so that was a major thing I cut out.' She also started exercising carefully. Initially, a ten minute walk would leave her exhausted. But she became fitter, building up how far she could walk, until she could jog and run. Finally, she signed up for the London Marathon to keep herself motivated. She said: 'Running the marathon in April 2012 was a huge achievement. I felt so much better, as though I was finally getting back to myself.' But a subsequent medical appointment in January 2014 led to doctors picking up on a second tumour. Ms Pharo was told in January her tumour had grown. But she is determined to keep refusing NHS treatment, and is undergoing oxygen therapy . Ms Pharo said: 'I think a lot of things cause cancer and one of the main things is stress. I'd been made redundant the year before, we'd packed up and moved miles from our home, plus I'm originally from Sweden so none of my family were close by to support me.' Initially, she thought doctors had made a mistake. 'I was in complete denial,' she said. 'I thought they couldn't possibly be right as I was on my new diet and I was still training. 'But obviously they were right. It was alarming - the tumour was so big. There was a big lump as well as a spotted tumour all over the breast.' She underwent a second mastectomy in March 2014 but she refused another 'damaging' bout of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Instead, she maintained her fitness despite the diagnosis, having signed up to run the Frankfurt Marathon in October 2014 and a week before running the marathon, a doctor discovered cancer cells next to a scar on her right breast. She said: 'Doctors wanted me to have a CT scan right away but I refused, as the rays are 200 times more powerful than an X-ray. 'They then scheduled surgery to remove the cancerous cells, but at the last minute I cancelled the operation. 'I decided it was all too invasive. I started researching other ways to treat cancer and found out about the oxygen chambers, which I now go to twice a week. 'I have drops prescribed by a homeopath and I take shots of bicarbonate soda with lemon juice. 'I've also been in touch with a woman who runs a treatment centre in Bulgaria. 'She beat cancer using natural methods, so she's going to help me raise money for treatment. The first step is having my mercury fillings removed.' For more info about fundraising for Ms Pharo's treatment please visit: www.gofundme.com/annepharo . | Anne Pharo, 41, successfully beat breast cancer twice by 2010 . This involved mastectomies and rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy . She wanted to stay alive for the sake of children James, 16, and Jessica, 13 . Treatment took its toll and when the cancer returned, she felt despair . Says chemotherapy and radiotherapy is temporary and doesn't cure cancer . Is now refusing to be treated on the NHS and is seeking alternatives . This involves oxygen therapy and being seen by a homeopath . Also believes running marathons and eating healthily will beat cancer . Tumour has grown since October, but she is still refusing NHS care . | 45c098b20ad4ffd56e6e340a4fc18aa47f6a142a |
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 07:30 EST, 13 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:47 EST, 13 August 2013 . Unions have tightened their grip on Labour and are now responsible for three-quarters of all big donations to party coffers. The Unite union, which went to war with Ed Miliband over plans to curb union influence, gave £722,195 from April to June this year. New figures reveal that even the Lib Dems have raised more from individual non-union donors than the Labour party since the election. Red Ed: Five of the biggest trade unions accounted for three-quarters of the total donations to Labour coffers in the three months to the end of June . The revelations will heap further pressure on Mr Miliband, who has faced growing criticism for his failure to set the political agenda in recent weeks. A new opinion poll shows 40 per cent of people now back David Cameron and George Osborne to run the economy, compared to just 24 per cent for Mr Miliband and shadow chancellor Ed Balls. The Labour leader is caught between trying to widen the appeal of his party while relying increasingly on trade unions to bankroll his campaign for Number 10. Most people use their will to leave money to family and friends, charities or the church. But one mystery woman decided to donate more than half a million pounds to whoever was in power. Joan LB Edwards bequeathed a sum of £520,000 to the party in government at the time of her death. But with the Tories and Lib Dems in coalition, the two parties had to share the cash. As the larger party, the Conservatives received £420,576 while the Lib Dems had £99,423. The unusual arrangement meant the money was destined for a political party rather than the government. Last year it emerged dead Britons had left the Treasury £54,000 to help pay off the ballooning national debt from beyond the grave. The Electoral Commission today released details of all donations to political parties over £7,500. In the three months to the end of June, . Labour received a total of £3,136,447 in such donations, of which 72 per cent . came from five of the biggest unions. Unite gave £772,195, the GMB £485,830, UNISON £458,080, USDAW £411,147 and the Communication Workers’ Union £143,121. Labour stressed that the figures did not include smaller donations, and said union money accounted for 25 per cent of total donations since the start of the year. Over the period Labour reduced its overdraft facilities by £2.5 million and took out two new loans of £1.22 million each with the Co-operative Bank and Unity Trust Bank. The party had outstanding loans of £12.79 million at the end of June. By contrast, the Tories are recorded as having £2.6 million of loans but have access to overdraft facilities of up to £10.13 million. Tory party chairman Grant Shapps said: ‘Despite Ed Miliband’s promise of change, these independent figures prove his Labour Party is still dominated by the trade unions. ‘They choose the candidates, pick the leader and remain Labour’s biggest donors - providing three quarters of the party's money. ‘Until Ed Miliband stops taking his union paymasters’ cash, he will be too weak to stand up for hardworking people. ‘Instead, he can only offer what the union barons want in return for their money - the same old Labour policy of more spending, more borrowing and more debt, exactly what got us into this mess in the first place.’ In the money: David Cameron's Conservatives received most in donations overall, while Nick Clegg's Lib Dems had more in donations from non-union sources than the Labour party, lead by Ed Miliband . The UK Independence Party was buoyed by donations more than doubling to £160,000. It included a single payment to its Tiverton and Honiton branch worth £50,000, the second highest payment to a local association of any party. UKIP has grown hugely in the last year, picking up an extra 15,000 members. Last month Unite general secretary Len . McCluskey aid out a £63billion shopping list of left-wing policies he . says Labour must adopt or lose millions in funding. He . said the Labour leader had to be ‘bold’ and reverse the coalition’s . benefit reforms, halt spending cuts and borrowing billions to build . 1million extra homes. Labour’s reliance on union backing means it now raises less from individuals than Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats. In the latest three months, the Lib Dems raised £801,000 from non-union donations while Labour received only £730,000. Since the 2010 general election the Lib Dems have raised £6million from individuals compared to £4million for Labour. And Mr Miliband has struggled to widen the supporter base, with only 305 individual Labour donors, compared to 1,077 for the Lib Dems. Even with the union barons bankrolling the party, Labour still received less than the Conservatives. David Cameron's party received a total of £4,116,006, including major donations from businessmen. The largest gifts to the Conservatives were £280,770 from co-treasurer and hedge fund boss Michael Farmer and £263,600 from investment banker James Lupton. Labour said the Tories received £1,042,970.93 in the last quarter from donors who attended private dinners with Mr Cameron and other senior ministers. It included £694,370 from donors in the financial sector. Sadiq Khan MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, said: 'The Tories have raked in over £1 million from private dinners with David Cameron and senior Ministers in the last quarter. 'And more than two thirds of that comes from the City – the bankers and hedge fund bosses whose taxes David Cameron cut. 'Hardworking families are seeing their living standards squeezed, with prices rising faster than wages. Meanwhile David Cameron shows how out of touch he is, standing up for the millionaires who fund his party.' Meanwhile, the new figures show the Ministry of Sound gave £65,000 to the Lib Dems, just weeks before the nightclub's boss James Palumbo received a peerage from Nick Clegg. The superclub firm made a donation of £50,000 to the central party on June 6, and on June 30 a further £15,000 was given to the Bermondsey and Old Southwark local association of Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes. | Five biggest unions responsible for 72% of £3,136,447 given in April-June . Nick Clegg's Lib Dems raise more from non-union sources than Labour . Woman left £520,000 to the governing party - Tories and Lib Dems split it . UK Independence Party sees donations double to £160,000 . Dinners for Tory donors and Lib Dem peerage for nightclub backer . | 91ee054713dca0335d3cba2e23eaa3fd3a48d12d |
(CNN) -- A single-engine plane crashed Saturday outside a bank in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, seriously injuring the five people on board, authorities said. A damaged airplane lies on the ground Saturday next to a busy road in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The pilot reported engine problems shortly after leaving the city's Wiley Post Airport, about a mile away from the crash site, at midmorning, said Lynn Lunsford, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane hit two trees as it came down, and video showed the damaged Beechcraft Bonanza resting on the grass near a busy thoroughfare in the northwest section of the city. Fire Department Deputy Chief Cecil Clay said the two men and three women on the plane were taken to hospitals. Lunsford said they suffered multiple injuries. Watch footage of the plane at the crash site » . The plane was headed to Enid, Oklahoma, about 100 miles north of Oklahoma City. The pilot tried to return to Wiley Post Airport after he recognized the engine trouble, Lunsford said. "I heard what I thought was a Dumpster being unloaded in the complex," said Shaddy Ahmad, who manages the U-Haul business across the street from the bank. He said emergency responders used special equipment to extricate the people from the plane, the top of which was peeled back. "They were very lucky because this is a high-traffic area," Ahmad said. "You have the expressway, the bank and stores in the area. They were blessed to land how they did." | Single-engine Beechcraft makes hard landing near busy road . Plane developed engine problems shortly after takeoff, FAA official says . Fliers were headed for Enid, Oklahoma, about 100 miles north . | 0cf2db4ce96f8aeb91bf08ba9f9cadf6c44936fd |
Editor's note: Harvard Business School Professor Clayton M. Christensen and Innosight Institute Executive Director of Education Michael B. Horn are the co-authors along with Curtis W. Johnson of "Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns." Clay Christensen says the sudden burst of federal spending on schools holds great danger. (CNN) -- Historically the federal government has been a small investor in the nation's education system. With the recent economic stimulus bill, however, this changed virtually overnight. There is great danger in the sudden and massive amount of funding -- nearly $100 billion -- that the federal government is throwing at the nation's schools. District by district, the budgetary crises into which all schools were plunging created the impetus for long-needed changes. The most likely result of this stimulus will be to give our schools the luxury of affording not to change. This is borrowed money that we're pumping into our schools, and it comes at a price. Charging education isn't changing it. That our schools need to change should not be surprising. Just walk into your local school and enter a classroom. Odds are high that it won't look too different from a classroom from a generation or two ago. Sure, there might be some computers in the back of the room and perhaps an interactive white board instead of a chalkboard, but chances are high that students will still be sitting at desks lined up in neat rows with a teacher at the front delivering the same lesson on the same day to all the students. This might be acceptable if society and the skills many people need to succeed in today's economy hadn't changed either, but they have. While U.S. schools stand still, the rest of the world is moving forward, and this has a price tag -- not just for individual children, but also for the nation. We urge the federal government to consider four criteria when creating new programs or grants for states and districts to help transform an outdated educational system into one fit for the 21st Century. First, don't fund technology that simply shoves computers and other technologies into existing classrooms. We've spent well over $60 billion in the last two decades doing just that, and there is now overwhelming evidence that when we do it, the current unsatisfactory system co-opts the technology to sustain itself. We should instead use technology funding to bolster new learning models and innovations, such as online-learning environments, to level the playing field and allow students from all walks of life -- from small, rural communities to budget-strapped urban schools -- to access the rich variety that is now available only to children in wealthy suburban districts. Second, don't fund new school buildings that look like the existing ones. If the architecture of new buildings is the same as that of existing schools -- designed around teachers delivering monolithic, one-size-fits-all lessons to large batches of students -- it will lock students into another century in which the physical infrastructure works against the flexibility needed for student-centric learning. Instead, invest in bandwidth as an infrastructure of change. The government has a productive history in investing in infrastructure that creates change and innovation -- from allocating land to those building the transcontinental railroad and the land-grant colleges in 1862 to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funding the creation of the Internet. To allow all districts to realize the power of online learning to advance us toward a student-centric system, the federal government should help deliver broadband capabilities necessary not just for today's needs, where schools already lag, but also in anticipation of tomorrow's. Third, don't fund the institutions that are least likely to change. Our research shows that institutions are good at improving what they are structured to do, but that transformative innovations that fundamentally change the trade-off between cost and quality -- disruptive innovations -- come from start-up institutions. This means that there is a high probability that spending money on existing schools of education will only result in their doing more of the same, for example. Meanwhile, there are a host of disruptive training organizations that are providing comparable educators at lower cost, such as Teach for America, the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, and New Leaders for New Schools. Alternative certification, including alternative programs from existing schools of education, has grown at a 29 percent compound annual growth rate since 1997. The government must embrace this and back the winners, not defend the old institutions. Fourth, direct more funds for research and development to create student-centric learning software. Just a fraction of 1 percent of the $600 billion in K-12 spending from all levels currently goes toward R&D. The federal government should reallocate funds so we can begin to understand not just what learning opportunities work best on average but also what works for whom and under what circumstance. It is vital to fund learning software that captures data about the student and the efficacy of different approaches so we can connect these dots. Transformation of any existing system isn't an easy process, but ignoring the laws of innovation, although it may be perhaps politically expedient in the short run, will only make it more difficult. When the federal government directs future funds toward education, having these principles in place will go a long way toward making sure we're not simply charging education, but that we have a fighting chance of changing it. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Clayton Christensen and Michael Horn. | Christensen, Horn: Federal spending on schools is set to jump . They say it would be a big mistake to use money to let failing schools resist change . Co-authors: Federal money should go to innovators challenging traditional ways . They say technology should be used to create new forms of schooling . | 4f7424eb3186f18c00da413f77a29e85d498c6d8 |
A new class of cholesterol-fighting drugs could be coming to patients in the not-so-distant future, and experts say they could be a real game-changer in Americans' battle to lower artery-clogging LDL, or "bad," cholesterol. The drugs, known as PCSK9 inhibitors, work to suppress a particular gene that regulates how much cholesterol the liver can filter out of the body. In early phase 3 trials, the inhibitors have shown to be safe and to work in reducing LDL cholesterol levels to previously unknown lows. As interesting as the drugs themselves is the process by which they were discovered. Ten years ago, researchers found a family in Paris with a long history of extremely high levels of LDL, incidents of cardiovascular disease and early deaths, says Dr. Jay Edelberg, global head of PCSK9 development for Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company working on a PCSK9 inhibitor in partnership with Regeneron. Tests revealed that the family had a rare mutation on the gene called PCSK9. Additional studies showed that individuals with underactive PCSK9 genes had low levels of LDL and, much more important, low levels of cardiovascular disease. "That became the most exciting potential target in cardiovascular medicine," Edelberg said. It's this discovery that has Sanofi and two other major drug companies, Amgen and Pfizer, racing to develop a drug that mimics the gene's effects. The best approach, experts say, will be through monoclonal antibodies: antibodies that are created in a lab and help your immune system fight a disease or, in this case, fight cholesterol. "PCSK9 inhibitors could offer an important treatment option for patients, particularly for those who are in need of greater LDL-C reductions beyond what the current standards of care can offer," said MacKay Jimeson, a spokesman for Pfizer, one of the companies working on this new type of drug. "This is not to replace statin therapy," said Joe Miletich, senior vice president of research and development at Amgen. "This is actually to get patients to (their) goal who can't get there." TIME: Statins safe for most people . Normal LDL levels hover somewhere in the 100 to 130 mg/dL range, according to the American Heart Association. Anything above that, your doctor starts to get concerned. "With a statin medication, you can often get somebody's cholesterol between 70 and 100 mg/dL," said Dr. Elliott Antman, president-elect of the American Heart Association and a dean at Harvard Medical School. "If you use these monoclonal antibodies, you could see a number way less than 50." This excites doctors like Antman, who is not connected to the research but often sees patients with cholesterol numbers in the hundreds. "I would say this is a game changer." But is there such a thing as cholesterol levels being too low? We don't really know, Antman says, but he believes the lower, the better. "Infants, when they're less than a year old, have smooth arteries, and their LDL is 40 or less," he said. The initial research into the PCSK9 gene also found people with virtually no PCSK9 activity who lived their entire lives with extremely low cholesterol. Researchers observed no ill effects in those patients. The safety data from the clinical trials are good, and experts say these drugs could help patients who can't tolerate or do not respond to traditional cholesterol-lowering drugs. "Monoclonals were generally well-tolerated," Antman said. "Although the studies weren't comprised of millions of patients and duration of follow-up wasn't as long as we'd like, the signals we're seeing are all very positive." As excited as the pharmaceutical giants are about this new discovery, this isn't ready for prime time. For one thing, the drugs are not approved by the FDA, although Antman said it probably won't be long. "These drugs are of such great interest that there will likely be an aggressive approach to conducting large-scale trials for FDA approval and perhaps expedited review," he said. "It's hard to know exactly when these drugs will be available, but I'm guessing it'll be less than two years." Another issue with the drugs is that they can't be taken orally. "You can't swallow this, because the digestive enzymes in your stomach would break up the protein," Antman said. "It's given by subcutaneous injections (into a lower level of skin), but this can be done with very small needles." Researchers say patients would need to give themselves injections only every two to four weeks, which, depending on how often they're taking pills to lower cholesterol, may be a less cumbersome option. Finally, these types of medications are very expensive to make and difficult to store and require a much more extensive manufacturing process than a pill. "They are heat-sensitive and open to risk of microbial contamination, so issues of shelf life and handling are always front and center," Antman said. "This means they're probably going to be more expensive than pills." But Antman believes, as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. "How much is it worth to use a more expensive treatment up front to avoid downstream events that are more expensive?" he asked. "If you think prevention is expensive, try treating disease." | Drugs suppress a gene that regulates how much cholesterol liver filters out . Studies show people with low levels of PCSK9 have low levels of LDL cholesterol . Pharmaceutical companies are working to get these drugs approved by the FDA . | a45f52db99ee7a0f607652646394f77104a55bb6 |
By . Nick Enoch . PUBLISHED: . 06:00 EST, 27 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:21 EST, 27 March 2013 . Poirot, Lovejoy and Anton du Beke have all admired its view - and now, a beach that provided the backdrop for movies and TV programmes has been put up for sale. Bigbury beach in south Devon is one of the region's largest sandy spots, according to the agents selling it. It will be sold at . auction with a guide price of £35,000. Burgh Island, which inspired some of Agatha Christie's murder mysteries, is just 250m away and can be accessed on foot while the tide is out. Scroll down for video . Bigbury beach in south Devon, which has provided the backdrop for TV shows and films, is on sale for £35,000. Seen in the background is Burgh Island, where Agatha Christie wrote some of her books . A sign welcomes sun-seekers to Bigbury beach, which could soon be yours . The stunning scenery was once enjoyed by Agatha Christie, who was born in Torquay . The beach has been the setting for various adaptations of Christie's Evil Under The Sun (above) The beach has been seen in . television shows such as the 1980s' classic Lovejoy and GMTV's slimming segment Inch Loss Island (starring du Beke). As well as the setting for various adaptations of Christie's Evil Under The Sun, the location also featured in the 1965 film Catch Us If You Can, starring the British band The Dave Clark Five. Nick Wheeldown, director of Waycotts Chartered Surveyors of Torquay, said: 'I have sold many different properties over many years but this is something special. 'Personally, I have enjoyed good times on this very beach with my family.' The auction for the beach takes place on May 9 at the St Mellion International Resort in Cornwall . Burgh Island, which inspired Christie's And Then There Were None among others, is near the beach - and can be accessed on foot while the tide is out . The Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel was a second home for many post-war luminaries including Noel Coward . A bird's eye view of the south Devon coast . The beach is popular among surfers, and facilities include a cafe and shop . Nick Wheeldown, director of Waycotts Chartered Surveyors of Torquay, said: 'I have sold many different properties over many years but this is something special' Agatha Christie is said to have written . And Then There Were None and Evil Under The Sun while staying at the . Burgh Island Hotel during the 1930s. The author, who was born in Torquay, had a long association with Devon. Among other post-war stars who made the Art Deco hotel their second home was Noel Coward. The auction for the beach takes place on May 9 at the St Mellion International Resort in Cornwall. 1980s' TV series Lovejoy, starring Ian McShane, was also filmed at Bigbury . GMTV's Inch Loss Island slimming segment was filmed on Burgh Island, which is 250m away from the beach . | Bigbury beach in south Devon has featured in versions of Evil Under The Sun, as well as TV's Inch Loss Island . Nearby Burgh Island was a bolthole for Christie, and Noel Coward . | 3644787ea5c0175f609265298566b836750d60b2 |
Cocaine worth more than £40million has been found aboard a private jet owned by a French tycoon based in London. The vast haul of drugs was found by customs officers in the Dominican Republic on a plane owned by millionaire businessman Alain Afflelou - who was not on board at the time. Officials boarded the Falcon jet minutes before it was due to leave the Caribbean island for Paris and seized 26 suitcases packed with 680kg of the class A drug. Drugs seizure: £40million of cocaine was found on board Alain Afflelou's Falcon jet in the Dominican Republic . Four French nationals, as well as several local police officers, were arrested after the seizure on suspicion of being part of an international drug-trafficking network. Opticians chain owner Afflelou swiftly denied all knowledge of the drugs, stating he had loaned his plane out to Lyon-based Transhelicopter Services company. A spokesman for Mr Afflelou said after the bust on Sunday: 'Alain heard the news last night through the media and he's amazed. Tycoon: Mr Afflelou denied any knowledge of the drugs and was not on board the plane at the time . 'He will now take all the necessary steps to establish what happened. A letter demanding an explanation has also been sent to the French leasing company.' Mr Afflelou, 64, sparked a storm on controversy in December when he announced he was moving to Britain amid plans for massive tax hikes on France's highest earners. The businessman - who has an estimated £190 million fortune - is among a flood of French millionaires including film star Gerard Depardieu and musician Jean-Michel Jarre quitting France ahead of a looming 75 per cent tax on earnings above one million euros. Mr Afflelou sold around 70 per cent of his shares in his retail chain to UK investment firm Bridgeport in 2006, but remained a shareholder with capital. The chain has more than 890 stores in France as well as in other European countries and sells more than a 1.5 million pairs of glasses a yer. A new report revealed yesterday said that repressive tax regimes in France had lost the country up to a million jobs, with entrepreneurs fleeing abroad. Tax hikes and employment regulations imposed by left and right wing governments over 20 years meant there were now 60,000 French businessmen abroad employing around 16 people each . | Vast haul of drugs was found by customs in the Dominican Republic . It was on a Falcon jet owned by millionaire businessman Alain Afflelou . Officials seized 26 suitcases packed with 680kg of the class A drug . Mr Afflelou was not on board and denied all knowledge of the drugs . | c39b830fbb66fceab2f1aaccd6a91b00051355e6 |
(CNN) -- There was lots of news in the NFL this weekend. Little of it had to do with the pigskin. Domestic violence has dominated professional football's story lines for weeks, and this weekend saw three star players miss their games because of issues at home. A black cloud hangs over a fourth player as California's lieutenant governor requested that the San Francisco 49ers bench a defensive end as his domestic violence case navigates the court system. Here is what you may have missed: . Ray Rice was initially cleared to play next week, until footage of him brutalizing his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City, New Jersey, hotel elevator surfaced. Once the video was made public, the Baltimore Ravens cut Rice, and the NFL made his suspension indefinite. There are reports that Rice intends to appeal the new punishment. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, who joined 15 other women senators in asking NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to institute a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence, has said it's "outrageous" the NFL didn't try harder to obtain the tape. Goodell has said no one in the league office saw footage of Rice striking Janay Palmer until TMZ posted the video online. "I have a feeling there's a lot of people that know stuff, what went on here," Klobuchar told CNN on Sunday. "I'm waiting to see if there is a major cover-up. If it shows (Goodell) lies, there could be many factual situations where, in fact, he should step down." Adrian Peterson turned himself in to authorities in East Texas on Saturday after a grand jury indicted him on felony child abuse charges. He quickly posted $15,000 in bail and was released, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said. The Minnesota Vikings star running back, considered one of the best -- if not the best -- in the NFL, missed his team's game against the New England Patriots on Sunday. State law says an accused person can defend himself against the charge Peterson faces if he can demonstrate he was administering reasonable discipline. While the prosecutor in the case alleges Peterson hurt his child "with criminal negligence or recklessly," Peterson's attorney says his client used a switch to spank his son, thus doling out discipline much like "he experienced as a child growing up in East Texas." Greg Hardy was set to take the field Sunday, despite being convicted of domestic violence this summer and facing a jury trial in an appeals court later this year. That changed shortly before game time when the Carolina Panthers announced he would sit out the team's match against the Detroit Lions. Authorities say Hardy in May choked his then-girlfriend, threw her around, dragged her by her hair and threatened to kill her. He was sentenced in July to 18 months of probation and a 60-day suspended sentence. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive end says he is innocent and has appealed a guilty verdict rendered by a Mecklenburg County judge in North Carolina, but many observers wondered how Rice could face suspension, but not Hardy. Despite sitting Hardy, the Panthers were accused of reacting to the new climate regarding domestic violence rather than any acting out of any concern about the crime or victim. Coach Ray Rivera acknowledged the changed climate and said in post-game remarks, "We really do have to get this right." Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch was not impressed with Hardy's last-minute benching. "They ceded to press/public pressure. It was disgrace it took this long," he tweeted. Ray McDonald had two tackles in the San Francisco 49ers' Sunday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears, but according to Sports Illustrated, Goodell was not in attendance. Goodell, who often attends stadium openings and was reportedly scheduled to be at Levi's Stadium for its christening, is under fire for his handling of the Rice case, prompting the women's rights group Ultraviolet to fly banners over NFL stadiums with the hashtag, #GoodellMustGo. Police were called to a birthday party at McDonald's home about 3 a.m. on August 31 and determined McDonald had been involved in an altercation with his fiancee, who was 10 weeks pregnant, The Sacramento Bee reported. She showed police minor bruises on her arms and neck, the paper reported. McDonald told CNN affiliate KTVU that "the truth will come out" after he was released from jail on felony domestic violence charges. California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the 49ers to bench their defensive tackle Sunday, saying the team's "continued insistence on playing Ray McDonald during his ongoing criminal investigation is a painful affront to every victim of domestic violence and sends a troubling message to our community and especially our children that 'zero tolerance' are empty words, not real actions." CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin, Mary Grace Lucas, Candy Crowley, Greg Botelho, Ray Sanchez, Steve Almasy, Kevin Conlon and Holly Yan contributed to this report. | Senator: NFL commissioner should resign if there was a cover-up in the Ray Rice case . Adrian Peterson turns himself in, posts bond, claims innocence in child abuse case . The Carolina Panthers sit Greg Hardy at the last minute as his jury trial in appeals court looms . There are calls for 49ers to bench Ray McDonald, as Roger Goodell misses stadium opening . | 1ec6d11f1a1d1d3bef1ee866bcb198985df8c082 |
(CNN) -- There was a time when my biggest fear was getting my brain munched by zombies. But that childhood fright of Halloweens past has given way to a scare that often grips me as a journalist today -- the fear of failure. Alright, I know I'm not alone here. Many of you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's those moments of workplace indecision, avoidance, or perhaps procrastination all due to the simple fear of making a mistake on the job. So when I sat down with Trend Micro chief Eva Chen for CNN's "Leading Women," I made sure to hit the topic. You see, just months into her job as CEO of the company, she had to manage through an episode of failure. Make that, monstrous failure. In 2005, one of the company's signature files caused computers worldwide to crash. The effects were so far-reaching, the bug even forced ever-timely trains in Japan to grind to a halt. Did that epic fail make Chen doubt herself or her ability to be the CEO? Not at all. Instead, she focused on a solution. "There were two problems I tried to address," she tells me. "One is external -- how do I help the system quickly recover? My customers' businesses need to continue. "The second one is internal: how do I make sure that the values of Trend Micro -- innovation and 'dare to fail' -- really stayed." Chen says the lessons learned from that mistake helped propel Trend Micro from a player in traditional antivirus software to the forefront of cloud computing protection. A company philosophy at Trend Micro reads as follows: "We drive our growth by innovation; we encourage risk-taking and our management style dares you to fail." That call to embrace failure, like firewalking or "trust falls" at a corporate retreat, can reek of management malarkey. But Chen is a leader who sincerely takes it to heart. To this day, she still doesn't know which employee was responsible for the faulty file that crashed computers across the planet. Nor does she ever want to know. Risk-taking and fear management came early in her career when Chen founded the company in 1988 with her brother-in-law, Steve Chang, and sister, Jenny Chang. Cold-calling potential customers, she found herself reluctant and afraid to speak on the phone. To address her phobia, Chen mined her memories and rediscovered a moment in early childhood when her mother was speaking on the telephone just as lightning struck a tree that fell inside their home and set ablaze the phone's wiring. "The impression just made me feel that the telephone line would kill my mom," Chen tells me. "So something that you never expect -- that image from my childhood -- actually became an obstacle when I tried to do business." Chen says once she identified that fear, it went away. "Every time you overcome one obstacle, you feel you've learned something and you grow. That's the joy of entrepreneurship and taking challenges." So what is the one obstacle that is holding all of us back? Did you ever turn down a challenging assignment because the depressive realist inside said you couldn't do it? (I know I have.) How many times have you failed to truly speak your mind at a meeting? (Guilty. Many times over.) Instead of sitting on our hands, we should raise them high and dare to ask that question, make that assertion, or take on that new challenge. Like Eva Chen, we must lean into our fear to conquer it. | Eva Chen is CEO of Trend Micro -- a Japanese software security company . Within months of becoming CEO, a bug caused worldwide problems for the business . Chen turned mishap into opportunity, turned company into cloud computing protection leader . | efad0d66da315626316811d6547d5f587dbf54fb |
Arsene Wenger has urged star man Alexis Sanchez to produce a big performance away from the Emirates Stadium in his battle with Sergio Aguero on Sunday. Two of the deadliest attacking threats in the Barclays Premier League go head-to-head when Arsenal travel to Manchester City. Sanchez has been a revelation since joining from Barcelona in a £30million summer move, scoring 18 goals for the Gunners. However, only four of those have come away from home, while he was not quite up to his usual high standards in the matches at top-four rivals Liverpool and Chelsea. Alexis Sanchez, pictured after scoring against Sunderland, has found the net just four times away from home . The Arsenal frontman has been urged to produce a big performance away at Manchester City on Sunday . Sanchez (left) and his Arsenal team-mates look dejected after conceding away to Swansea in November . ‘Yes, at Chelsea and Liverpool he wasn’t at his best,’ admitted Wenger. ‘It’s maybe because the team has not been as effective away from home, because when you are a striker you depend a little bit on how much your team pushes forward. ‘But he can use that as a motivation to play well on Sunday. As a team we didn’t play well as we would like (against Liverpool and Chelsea) and it was difficult for the strikers to get good balls. But he has had some good away games, too.’ Arsenal legend Thierry Henry — who will make his debut as a Sky Sports pundit for the clash at the Etihad Stadium — said this week that Sanchez has the potential to be Wenger’s best ever signing. Producing a match-winning display against Manuel Pellegrini’s side on Sunday would further those claims. Sanchez celebrates by punching the air after scoring during Arsenal's home victory against Stoke on Sunday . ‘It’s difficult to compare Laurent Koscielny, for example, with Sanchez,’ said Wenger. ‘All the signings we made this year were good. Sanchez is one of the better ones, but you have to consider the price you pay as well to decide that because we paid good money for him. ‘But whichever way you look at it, he is good value for money. He is one of the fastest to adapt to the Premier League. I believe it’s because he feels accepted by the other players, that he feels he is an important player.’ Victory against the champions will provide Wenger’s men with a huge confidence boost in their attempts to finish in the top-four. Per Mertesacker has a word with Mesut Ozil following Arsenal's 6-3 defeat at the Etihad in December 2013 . Their record against English football’s elite remains a concern for Wenger, who admits three points over City could be a pivotal moment in their season. ‘We are going through a period where confidence is important,’ said the Frenchman. ‘So a big performance could be decisive. I feel we have to play with a bit more freedom. From every big game you gain confidence when the result is good. Let’s focus on going there and giving ourselves a chance to win by putting a great performance in. ‘We want to have a good balance between attacking and defending because we know that City attack very well.’ Arsene Wenger believes victory over Man City would prove to be a pivotal point in Arsenal's season . Meanwhile, Wenger confirmed the signing of Legia Warsaw midfielder Krystian Bielik, pending a successful medical. Bielik arrived in London on Friday to complete his move. Wenger insists the fee for the 17-year-old is less than the £2m that has been touted — but admitted it was a hefty sum to fork out for one so young. ‘It’s an awful lot of money for a player if he doesn’t succeed,’ said Wenger. ‘If he does succeed then it’s cheap. He’s a defensive midfielder, 6ft 2in, he has a good energy level and technical level. It’s a gamble. But on what we saw it’s worth to take the gamble. He will go straight into the first-team squad.’ | Alexis Sanchez has scored just four times away from home this season . Arsenal travel to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday . Arsene Wenger has urged Sanchez to produce a big performance . | f876ff7266a7a0bfc2ee0a6d5325ad2a016e1f92 |
By . Emma Thomas . PUBLISHED: . 15:02 EST, 3 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:31 EST, 3 December 2013 . A cheeky netball team have stripped off for a calendar to raise money for charity. Aberdeen University Netball Club braved the elements to create their first charity calendar to raise cash for Cancer Research and their club. The 19 women received more than 1,000 Likes on Facebook within hours of launching their online fundraising page this week. Braving the elements: Aberdeen University Netball Club pose for June's page in the calendar . Risque: The autumnal shoot for the charity calendar, which will raise money for Cancer Research, was done in November . Posing: January's page in the calendar shows the girls enjoying a drink together . Netball: The members of Aberdeen University Netball Club hide behind their position badges for the March page of the calendar . Netball club president Lauren Crane, 20, said the women also believed the calendar would be a fantastic way to promote body diversity. She said: 'We were brainstorming different fundraising ideas for this year and this one kept coming up. 'We thought we could make it a success. 'I was a bit apprehensive about getting my kit off and there were a few other girls who felt the same. 'But it's not all about being a size zero model - everyone is different.' February: Netball club president Lauren Crane, 20, said the women also believed the calendar would be a fantastic way to promote body diversity . Working out: The girls pose for April's page in the calendar at the gym. They are donating the proceeds to Cancer Research . Idea: Aberdeen University Netball Club created their first charity calendar to raise cash for cancer research and their club . Brave: Netball club president Lauren Crane said she almost changed her mind on the day of the shoot . Lauren said she almost changed her mind when the day of the photo shoot arrived. But the netball team soon got rid of their nerves and enjoyed their day. She said: 'The first photograph took place at 9am and it was down at the beach. In one of the photos we had to run towards the water. It was freezing cold - in the middle of November. 'At first I thought I didn't want to do it, I had changed my mind. Then we took our clothes off quickly and ran and it just felt so good. 'We just got used to seeing each other walking around semi-naked, we got over the fear very quickly.' The calendars have gone on sale for £5 each and are being sold online and on the university campus. August: The netball team pose with sheet music and a piano for one picture. They said they soon got rid of their nerves and enjoyed the day . Outdoors: The pictures were taken in November and the girls said it was 'freezing cold' and they were apprehensive about getting their kit off . Mo-vember: The November page is a cheeky take on the Movember fundraiser where men grow a mustache for the whole month to raise money for charity . Festive: The December page of the calendar has a Christmas theme and the complete calendars have gone on sale for £5 each and are being sold online and on the university campus . | Aberdeen University students created the calendar for Cancer Research . The 19 women have received more than 1,000 likes on Facebook so far . Calendars cost £5 each and are being sold online and at the university . | 03f549bccda4a981f17cd976230d6334e6f1c837 |
(CNN) -- Some 3.5 million people fled their homes in Oklahoma, Texas, and elsewhere, the bone-dry landscape, blistering heat and choking dust storms unfit for growing and raising the crops and cattle they relied on to survive. Thousands more, many of them children and seniors, could not escape, killed by an infection dubbed "dust pneumonia" and other illnesses tied not just to the extreme weather and poor living conditions but to massive, fast-moving dust clouds. Those clouds and barren terrain across much of middle America gave this period of despair its name: the Dust Bowl. There were suicides, there were bankruptcies, there were people scrapping for whatever they could find to live. And these were not overnight horror stories: They were repeated day after day and year after year, at a time when much of the United States and world was already debilitated by the Great Depression. "If you can imagine what's happening now and multiply it by a factor of four or five, that's what it was like," said Bill Ganzel, a Nebraska-based media producer who interviewed survivors of the 1930s' environmental and economic disaster and penned a book, "Dust Bowl Descent." "And it lasted for the entire decade." From dry rivers to dead deer, drought's impact felt everywhere . Nothing in U.S. history can compare to that calamity of eight decades ago, including the historic drought now gripping much of the country. That doesn't mean, though, there isn't considerable suffering and devastation now in most of the United States. Or that dire conditions could well persist for several years, as they did during the 1930s -- compounding negative impacts of drought, thus ruining even more livelihoods and lives despite technological and agricultural advancements of recent years. "Mother Nature holds all the cards," said Mark Svoboda, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center. "You roll the dice ... every year. Nothing will make you quote-unquote drought-proof." This year, Hurricane Isaac helped alleviate the current drought in some locales, but not in most, and certainly nowhere near enough to put a big dent in a phenomenon that's affected millions. Is it happening again? Over 63% of the contiguous United States in early September was suffering moderate to exceptional drought, nearly twice the land affected a year ago, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Using July data, the National Climatic Data Center reported that America is in the midst of its most expansive drought since December 1956. The combination of dry conditions and extreme heat -- including hundreds of record-breaking temperatures this summer -- has been unbearable for many. The drought's impact has been seen in ways big and small, from leaves falling early and lawns turning brown to farmers giving up and lakes drying up, exposing hundreds of dead fish. "It does look like a moonscape," Svoboda said of parts of western Oklahoma, where dirt drifts into mounds and soil climbs over fence posts. "There are some parts of the country where (dire farming conditions) have nothing to do with them failing to till over the soil," as was commonly blamed for "dust storms" of the 1930s. LIFE.com photos: Dust Bowl survivors, Oklahoma, 1942 . Driving through southern Wisconsin, CNN iReporter Jim Jostad saw heap after heap of chopped-down corn sacrificed by farmers who had conceded this year's crop, hoping if anything to salvage some of the loss by selling off as cattle feed what did sprout up. Dozens of farmers markets in Oklahoma were without vendors months earlier than had been expected because their bounty was so meager, said Nathan Kirby of the state's Department of Agriculture, a year after closing even earlier due to similarly hot, arid conditions. While consumers may be worried about rising food prices tied to the drought, many farmers have seen their incomes all but evaporate because crops won't grow -- finding even irrigated farmlands cannot pump in enough moisture, given the rate it evaporates back into the atmosphere in high heat. It hasn't been easier for those who raising cattle and other animals, at a time of scorched pastures and scanty, costly hay and other feed. Ranchers have been forced to prematurely sell off their cattle, saying they had no other choice because it cost more to feed them than to keep them. Oklahoma ranchers "liquidated" -- meaning slaughtered or sold off, without replacing them with newborns or new purchases -- 14% of their livestock last year, said Derrell Peel, an Oklahoma State University faculty member who works with ranchers and affiliated companies in that state. The only reason rates haven't been similarly high after this summer is because ranchers don't have as many animals to sell, he said. Families trying to make a living raising cattle have been especially hard pressed. Take Mark Argall of Mountain Grove, Missouri, who sold 33 of his cherished cows (leaving only a few behind) for less than half what they might have earned before the drought. "They're not just numbers on a computer," Argall said. "They're members of the family." Can it happen again? So what can be done to prevent another Dust Bowl disaster? Rains from Hurricane Isaac might have made headlines, but they alone won't make a dent in the drought. Ironically, the Dust Bowl era had wet spells, too -- including flash floods in the Great Plains -- though they did not alter the devastating equation much, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist Brad Rippey. What farmers and ranchers do have working in their favor, compared to the 1930s, are new tools, techniques and other developments that help them better manage droughts, storms and other harsh weather realities. Photos: Drought around the world . Svoboda, with the National Drought Mitigation Center, rattles off several such changes -- from more effective soil preservation measures to hybrid seeds to the inception of center pivot irrigation. He adds, too, that things like cell phones and computers make it easier for farmers, ranchers and others to understand what's coming, then adjust. And the most significant difference between the 1930s and today -- and the main reason for hope that it won't be as bad -- is time. The Dust Bowl era is generally defined as an eight-year stretch; while parts of Oklahoma and Texas are in the second year of drought, the rest of the United States is in its first. In other words, there's still a long way to go. If the precipitation picks up, "row farmers" cultivating crops like corn, soy beans and sorghum using modern farming practices should be able to recover next year. "If they have a normal rain pattern, it's basically a zero recovery period," said Rippey. "You are going from a (devastated) 2012 crop to normal." But those raising livestock may feel the effects of this drought for longer, even if there's more rain. Some strained pastureland and hay fields may revive with above average, more sustained rainfalls than ordinary. But other lands may be a lost cause, with replanting the only way to save them. Peel called the next one to two months "critical," as some rain soon may help save these lands so ranchers do not have to start from scratch. Still, even if their pastures improve or hay prices drop, those who sold off many of their livestock in recent years likely cannot afford to buy the same number back, and return to normal, anytime soon. "Grazing and ranching are totally at the mercy of rain-fed crops and pastures," said Svoboda, pointing especially to the susceptibility of grass and hay to a lack of moisture and excess of heat. "They just don't control those factors at all." If drought conditions do persist, they can have a steamroller effect. "The suns' rays are more efficient (when) you have parched soils," said Rippey, the USDA meteorologist, adding that it becomes harder for new moisture to make an immediate impact. "These droughts, when they tend to go multiple years, it really starts to feed on itself," adds Svoboda. Girl from iconic Dust Bowl photo: 'We were ashamed' We haven't got there quite yet, but we could be if more precipitation doesn't fall over the Great Plains and beyond. As they try to predict the drought's future, meteorologists say they will look first to whether this fall and winter are wetter and cooler than last year, hoping that it will saturate soils and rivers and spur a wetter trend that continues into next spring and summer. As is, some states out west had two straight La Nina winters that "tend to really suck you dry," Svoboda explained. Typically lasting a year or two, La Nina is characterized by cooler than normal sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean that has a domino effect on global weather -- leading to more rainfall than normal in some locales and drought in others. "If we had a third consecutive La Nina, there are some statistics that would be scary," he added. "But the odds of La Nina (continuing) are very small right now." Still, no one predicted practically a full decade of minimal rain, maximum heat during the Dust Bowl era either. The fact is, for all the forecasts and farming innovations, keeping one's fingers crossed for change in the weather may be as useful as anything else. "Right now, it's just a question of Mother Nature giving us a break," said Derrell Peel, from Oklahoma State. By the numbers: Today's drought vs. the Dust Bowl era . | Millions were affected and thousands were killed in the 1930s' Dust Bowl era . Experts say we're a long way from a Dust Bowl repeat, but note major challenges . New tools and techniques have made it easier for farmers to adapt, with limits . As one climatologist specilizing in drought mitigation says, "Mother Nature holds all the cards" | 9fd85073c809ddddf62a334f3991004e69c8e1ae |
Borussia Dortmund remain in the Bundesliga relegation play-off spot after twice letting a one-goal lead slip in their 2-2 draw with second-placed Wolfsburg. Jurgen Klopp's men have suffered a dramatic fall from grace this season but would have been hoping to give their fans something to cheer in their final home match of the year. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave them an ideal start with his eighth-minute opener but Kevin De Bruyne levelled matters just before the half hour. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Wolfsburg match highlights and stats . Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (right) gives his side the lead against Wolfsburg . Kevin De Bruyne (centre) is congratulated after scoring Wolfsburg's first equaliser of the night . Ciro Immobile once again put Dortmund ahead in the 76th minute but Ronaldo Naldo ensured Dortmund remain third bottom with his strike five minutes from time. The result is a setback for Wolfsburg too as they are now 11 points behind pacesetters Bayern Munich, while they are only four ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen, both of whom won on Wednesday night. Gladbach moved up to third on goal difference after a 4-1 victory over 10-man Werder Bremen. Ciro Immobile (left) celebrates after putting Dortmund into a 2-1 lead at home to Wolfsburg . Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp appears dejected after the final whistle after seeing his side concede late on . Max Kruse scored the opener from the penalty spot just after the half hour and although Oscar Wendt doubled their lead after 38 minutes, Zlatko Junuzovic pulled one back just after half-time. Christoph Kramer re-established the home side's two-goal lead shortly before Luca Caldirola's 66th-minute red card, while Branimir Hrgota sealed an emphatic win two minutes from time. Stefan Kiessling's 79th-minute effort was the difference as Bayer Leverkusen beat Hoffenheim 1-0 - although they slipped to fourth after Gladbach's crushing win. Borussia Monchengladbach duo Branimir Hrgota (left) and Thorgan Hazard celebrate during their 4-1 win . Bayer Leverkusen forward Steffan Kiessling is left on the ground after scoring the winner against Hoffenheim . In what proved to be the clash of the night, Hertha Berlin blew a 3-0 and 4-2 lead as they were forced to settle for a 4-4 draw at plucky Eintracht Frankfurt. Goals inside the first 37 minutes from John Brooks, Anis Ben Hatira and Julian Schieber appeared to put Hertha on course for all three points but Stefan Aigner pulled one back just before half-time. Haris Seferovic narrowed the deficit to one goal and although Peter Niemeyer put Hertha ahead with 10 minutes remaining, Alexander Meier struck twice in added-on time to rescue a thrilling point for Eintracht. Goals either side of half-time from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Roman Neustadter helped Schalke hit back to win 2-1 at Paderborn, who had taken the lead through Kaan Ayhan's own goal. | Borussia Dortmund remain in the Bundesliga relegation play-off spot . Defender Naldo salvaged a late draw for Wolfsburg on Wednesday night . Borussia Monchengladbach beat Werder Bremen 4-1 to move to third . Steffan Kiessling gave Bayer Leverkusen a 1-0 win against Hoffenheim . | 45fcbbb762d997674228c45030b8590ac2e446ae |
Hill ponies are being shot with contraceptive darts to stop them overbreeding on Dartmoor in a battle to save their existence. Conservationist Charlotte Faulkner has been roaming moorland in the Devon national park firing doses into the hides of mares using a gas powered rifle. The unusual move to dose 300 of the ponies is the latest attempt to control growing numbers. Ms Faulkner, founder of the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association, is quick to point out that all owners must give permission and the horses hardly feel a thing. Hill ponies are being shot with contraceptive darts to stop them overbreeding on Dartmoor . The unusual move to dose 300 of the ponies is the latest attempt to control growing numbers . 'They just bounce forward and carry on eating, as if they had just had a bee sting,' she told the Exeter Express and Echo. 'Everything is about making it the very best as we can do it and it seems to be working very well. 'At the moment there is a problem – we need the ponies to look after the habitat but the by-product of that is foals – we need the stallion to keep the mares in the right place and this is the end result. 'We now have about 100 on this drug but we won't know the final result of the trial until May.' Each gas-fired dart contains a dose of the drug Improvac, a much cheaper and longer-lasting way to prevent mares becoming pregnant than the old system of injections. Conservationist Charlotte Faulkner (pictured) has been roaming moorland in the Devon national park firing doses into the hides of mares using a gas powered rifle . 'The gun has been brought over from America and uses an infra-red beam to judge the distance so you don't overshoot or hit them too powerfully – their welfare has been really carefully worked out.' Once the pony has been dosed a sharp-eyed assistant needs to retrieve the tiny dart. Ms Faulkner has previously spoken out in favour of eating ponies to save their species, saying a meat trade should improve a pony's chances of finding a new home. 'Strangely, having a meat trade should improve a pony's chances of finding a new home at sales,' she wrote in a letter to South West Equine Protection (SWEP), . The numbers of hill ponies have declined from over 25,000 in the 1930s to around 1,000 today . The native ponies – not to be confused with their pure-bred Dartmoor cousins – are an essential part of the ecology of the national park by keeping the gorse on the moorland under control. But their numbers have declined from over 25,000 in the 1930s to around 1,000 today. With ponies selling for as little as £10 at auction, they have been left to breed unchecked and there are now fears of overpopulation. In 2013 it emerged that unwanted Dartmoor ponies were being slaughtered and fed to lions and tigers in zoos and their hides were being crafted into 'wild pony' drums. Ms Faulkner said she believes herders will only continue to keep the animals if there is a 'sustainable market' for them. The tails of the ponies shot with contraceptive darts are trimmed back to mark them out in the autumn. The initiative has been backed by Exmoor Pony Society and the Exmoor National Park Authority. | Hill ponies are being shot with contraceptive darts on Dartmoor . Conservationist Charlotte Faulkner said it was attempt to control numbers . She said all owners must give their permission and ponies hardly feel dart . Ms Faulkner previously said she is in favour of eating ponies to save them . Each gas-fired dart contains a dose of the contraceptive drug Improvac . | 64facda3137fe8b968b3f72019ca125f274cc2e6 |
(CNN) -- A North Korean rocket slated for launch sometime early next month can be clearly seen in a satellite photograph taken Sunday, the Institute for Science and International Security said Sunday. The latest satellite image shows a rocket sitting on its launch pad in the north east of the country. The satellite imagery, obtained by the ISIS from DigitalGlobe, is said to show the rocket at the Musudan-ri launch site in northeastern North Korea. The image casts a shadow on the ground below. CNN could not independently confirm the information provided by the institute, led by former U.N. nuclear inspector David Albright. Defense Department officials were not immediately available for comment. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday there is little doubt that the planned launch is designed to bolster that North Korea's military capability. He also indicated that the U.S. military could be prepared to shoot down a North Korean missile if the rogue regime develops the capability to reach Hawaii or the western continental United States in a future launch. The North Korean government says it will launch a commercial satellite atop a rocket sometime between April 4 and April 8. "I don't know anyone at a senior level in the American government who does not believe this technology is intended as a mask for the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile," Gates said during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday." Gates noted that while the United States believes it is North Korea's "long-term intent" to add a nuclear warhead to any such missile, he "personally would be skeptical that they have the ability right now to do that." Japan recently mobilized its missile defense system -- an unprecedented step -- in response to the planned North Korean launch, Japanese officials said. The move, noteworthy for a country with a pacifist constitution, is aimed at shooting down any debris from the launch that might fall into Japanese territory. In a concurrent response, U.S. Navy ships capable of shooting down ballistic missiles are being moved to the Sea of Japan, a Navy spokesman said Thursday. Gates said that the U.S. military could shoot down "an aberrant missile, one that was headed for Hawaii ... or something like that, we might consider it, but I don't think we have any plans to (do) anything like that at this point." He does not believe North Korea currently has the technology to reach Alaska or Pacific coast. Gates said that impending missile launch is a clear demonstration of the failure of the recent six-party talks to disarm the North Korean regime. "It's very troubling. The reality is that the six-party talks really have not made any headway any time recently," he said. "If (the missile launch) is Kim Jong-Il's welcoming present to a new president ... it says a lot about the imperviousness of this regime in North Korea to any kind of diplomatic overtures." Gates said that he believes economic sanctions are the best tool to getting countries like North Korea and Iran to the negotiating table. Both countries are believed by the United States and other Western nations to be trying to acquire a nuclear capability. | Satellite imagery shows rocket at launch site in northeastern North Korea . North Korea says it will launch a commercial satellite atop a rocket between April 4-8 . U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says rocket aims to boost military capability . U.S. Navy ships capable of shooting down missiles moved to Sea of Japan . | 386dbd18687490af900a6fe44baa45c83b3f7f78 |
A Spanish airline has teamed with a tech giant to become one of the first airlines to allow passengers to board planes with the flick of a wrist. Iberia and Samsung have developed a wearable boarding pass using a new app that can be installed on Samsung Gear 2 and Gear Neo smartwatches – eliminating the need for a paper document. Similar to boarding passes on mobile phones, passengers who are wearing one of the devices simply have to scan the electronic bar code on the app to get through airport checkpoints and onto their flight. There's an app for that: Iberia and Samsung have developed a wearable boarding pass using a smartwatch . Samsung Electronics’ corporate vice-president says the device will make travel more convenient and simple . Miguel Angel Henales, Iberia’s director of digital business, said in a statement: ‘At Iberia.com we are constantly adding new services and technologies. We believe that this innovative boarding pass will be very well received by our customers.’ Samsung Electronics’ corporate vice-president, Celestino Garcia, said the device will make travel more convenient and simple for users. Airlines have gradually been incorporating smartwatch technology to make it easier for customers to book or manage their flights. Smartwatch: Iberia's app can be downloaded to Samsung's Gear 2 and Gear Neo devices . Paper cut: Passengers have already been using electronic boarding passes on their mobile phones for years . Earlier this year Spanish low-cost airline Vueling partnered with Sony to create the first smartwatch-based boarding pass, and Air Berlin announced its own app using Pebble’s smartwatches. Virgin Atlantic has already tested wearable technology to improve the customer experience from the check-in counter to the gate. It previously trialled Google Glass and Sony’s line of smartwatches in the Upper Class Wing at London Heathrow Airport. | New app can be installed on Samsung Gear 2 and Gear Neo smartwatches . App works the same as boarding passes for mobile phones . Samsung says the device will make travel more convenient and simple . Virgin previously trialled smartwatches in its Upper Class Wing at Heathrow . | f5251b8f5da5c2129525708d9a791ffae18278d3 |
By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 04:58 EST, 7 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:14 EST, 14 October 2012 . An inspiring new film tells the unlikely story of four young Aboriginal singers who rose to fame in the face of racial prejudice as Australia's answer to The Supremes. A favourite at Cannes and a box office smash Down Under, The Sapphires follows the talented quartet as they are plucked from obscurity in a remote Aboriginal mission, formed into a dynamic singing group and sent to entertain the troops in Vietnam in 1968. The heartwarming tale is brought to life by writer and former Neighbours star, Tony Briggs, whose mother Laurel Robinson and her sister and cousins - Lois Peeler, Beverley Briggs and Naomi Mayers - were the real Sapphires, four decades ago. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Heartwarming: The inspiring film, pictured, tells the unlikely story of four young Aboriginal singers who rose to fame in the face of the racial prejudice . 'I said to the women, ''we have to take a lot of artistic license, but the core of this story for me is about the strength of character of the individuals and the women in my family, my aunties and cousins and who I'd grown up with'',' Briggs told The Australian. Success: The film received a 10 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival . He said his family loved the idea that their experience had inspired a mainstream feature film. 'It is based on a true story and true events,' he said. 'And I've been the one responsible for pulling their stories together.' The movie, one of the highest-grossing in Australian history, received a 10 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was bought up by heavyweight producer Harvey Weinstein. It will be released in Britain next month. An adaption of a hugely successful Australian stage musical, the movie stars 23-year-old Australian Idol sensation Jessica Mauboy as lead singer Julie. Irish actor Chris O'Dowd from the IT Crowd and Hollywood comedy Bridesmaids is the group's kind-hearted, soul-loving manager Dave who discovers the girls one night in a dusty outback tavern. Impressed by their honey-sweet voices, Dave convinces the band to switch their act from country and western to soul. While the racist locals strongly oppose the idea of an Aboriginal singing group, Dave vows to make the Sapphires sparkle - all over the world. And he succeeds, with the group's first performance taking them to Vietnam where they sing tunes by Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding for the appreciative soldiers. The true story differs somewhat. Only two of the four women born into the Yorta Yorta community along Victoria's Murray River, ventured to Vietnam - Briggs' mother, Laurel, and her sister, Lois, - while the others refused in protest of the war. Vietnam: The Sapphires, pictured in the film, were sent to Vietnam to entertain the troops . Heartwarming: Chris O'Dowd, right, from the IT crowd and Bridesmaid is the group's kind-hearted manager . As well as portraying the anger brought on by Australia's involvement in the war, the racism the singers encountered as they sought stardom is a central issue. 'The Sapphires are four black twenty-something women who for one brief period of time have an opportunity to transcend the circumstances they're born into and reach their full potential,' the movie's Aboriginal director Wayne Blair told the Guardian. 'In Australia in 1968, the racial divide was significant. My own Nana died in 1966... she died in her own country classed as an outsider.' Cannes: Aboriginal director Wayne Blair, centre, with the film's stars Shari Sebbens, Jessica Mauboy, Miranda Tapsell and Deborah Mailman (l-r) shone at Cannes . Stars: Irish actor Chris O'Dowd, left, plays the band's manager Dave while Australian Idol star Jessica Mauboy, right, plays lead singer Julie . Real Sapphires: The original Sapphire's (l-r) Laurel Robinson, Naomi Mayers, Lois Peeler and Beverly Briggs are thrilled at the film's success . The girls' tour of Vietnam was an . extraordinary achievement for two young Aboriginal women, considering . that Aboriginal people had just received the right to vote. All four original Sapphires still live in Australia. Naomi Mayers has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Medical Service for 30 years and received an Order of Australia Medal in 1984. Ms Peeler became Australia's first Aboriginal model and is now the Executive Director of Worawa Aboriginal College, a secondary education facility for young Aboriginal Women. | New movie tells true story of four indigenous singers plucked from obscurity and sent to Vietnam in 1968 to perform for the troops . Girls battled racism to rise to stardom in Australia and abroad . The Sapphires received 10 minute standing ovation at Cannes and was bought up by producer Harvey Weinstein . | 598fa538d9d359469a398be6f73b32e607b10193 |
The red planet has a new scar after a fresh impact crater was found on Mars' Elysium Planitia volcanic region. Discovered by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, astronomers believe it was created between February 2012 and June 2014. The image shows a very distinct crater rim and ejecta that is much darker than the surrounding dust-covered terrain. Discovered by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, astronomers believe this impact crater was created between February 2012 and June 2014.The image shows a very distinct crater rim and ejecta that is much darker than the surrounding dust-covered terrain . The distribution of the debris around it suggests that the impactor struck from the west and Nasa is still calculating its size. Researchers used the Hirise camera to examine this site after orbiter's Context Camera had revealed a change in appearance. The 143lb (65kg), £26.4 million ($40 million) instrument was built under the direction of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. It consists of a 0.5 metre (19.7 inch) aperture reflecting telescope - the largest so far of any deep space mission. This allows it to take pictures of Mars with resolutions of 0.3 m/pixel (about 1ft). The distribution of the debris around it suggests that the impactor struck from the west and Nasa is still calculating its size.Researchers used the Hirise camera to examine this site after orbiter's Context Camera had revealed a change in appearance . Time to stop remarking about how unearthly cold it is outside because on Thursday, Mars was warmer than many parts of the U.S. The daytime high in the red planet's Gale Crater, as recorded by the curiosity Rover, -8°C (17.6°F), warmer than the -14°C (-6°F) high in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Temperatures in fourteen states from Washington to Maine reported temperatures colder than Mars, as a brutal blast of Arctic air sweeps the country. Mars just recently passed its closest orbit to the sun, which partially explains why the temperature was relatively balmy. The Gale Crater is also located in one of the warmest parts of the planet, near the equator. Elysium Planitia is the second largest volcanic region on Mars after Tharsis, and is around 1,050 miles by 1 490 miles (1,700 by 2,400 km) in size. All of Mars’ impact craters can be viewed using a map created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Virginia. Taking 16 years to create, this colourful map describes the geography of Mars as it is today while also shedding light on the red planet’s watery past. 'Spacecraft exploration of Mars over the past couple decades has greatly improved our understanding of what geologic materials, events and processes shaped its surface,' said USGS scientist and lead author, Dr Kenneth Tanaka. 'The new geologic map brings this research together into a holistic context that helps to illuminate key relationships in space and time, providing information to generate and test new hypotheses.' Out of the thousands of craters, earlier this year one has emerged as the likely source of most of the Martian meteorites that have been found on Earth. Researchers believe the Mojave Crater, a 34-mile (55km) wide basin on the Mars’s equator is the origin of the “shergottites” meteorites. These are a group of meteorites that includes about 75 per cent of the 150 known Martian meteorites. Scientists are keen to learn where the meteorites came from as it would help them piece together the history of Mars. The 143lb (65kg), £26.4 million ($40 million) Hirise instrument was built under the direction of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. It consists of a 0.5 metre (19.7 inch) aperture reflecting telescope - the largest so far of any deep space mission. This allows it to take pictures of Mars with resolutions of 0.3 m/pixel (about 1ft). An artist's impression is pictured . | Discovered by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, it may have been created between February 2012 and June 2014 . Image shows a very distinct crater rim and ejecta that is much darker than the surrounding dust-covered terrain . Distribution of debris around it suggests the impactor struck from the west and Nasa is still calculating its size . | 77cb17474c027594dae5583f78fa2ecc4b77e8ee |
Royal memorabilia is sought after by collectors around the world, particularly those pieces associated with weddings. The general public aren't immune to the lure of marriage keepsakes either: it is rare to find a house in the UK without a commemorative mug or tea towel from either Charles and Diana's wedding or the more recent marriage of the Duchess of Cambridge to Prince William. And now, an exiting new auction will offer collectors a unique opportunity to own a very special souvenir: a piece of the wedding cake from Kate and William's big day. Legacy: At the Julien's auction in Beverly Hills, a slice of cake from the 2011 royal wedding of Prince William, and Kate Middleton is on sale . The cake is to be auctioned at Julien's auction house in Beverley Hills, California, as part of a special sale that will see a collection of the late Lady Diana Spencer's dresses go on sale alongside the wedding cake. Diana's dresses are expected to reach prices up to $130,000 (£80,000), while the single slice from the 2011 nuptials is estimated to fetch between $1000 (£600) and $2000 (£1,200). Best not to actually eat it: The cake (pictured) comes in a presentation tin and is estimated to fetch between $1,000 and $2,000 . The cake was a bespoke creation, crafted by cake-maker Fiona Cairns. It took her five weeks to complete the confectionery masterpiece. The elaborate gateau was covered in cream and white icing and decorated with 900 delicate sugar-paste flowers. The culinary masterpiece took centre-stage at the Buckingham Palace reception held in the picture gallery on the day of their wedding. Fiona, 59, whose confections are sold in Harrods, Selfridges and Waitrose, was contacted by St James's Palace in February and asked if she would make William and Kate's wedding cake. Bakers prepare the Royal wedding cake in the Picture Gallery of Buckingham Palace . Finishing touches: Staff perfect the special cake, that was covered in cream and white icing and decorated with up to 900 delicate sugar-paste flowers . It appears that the humble slice of wedding cake may be worth its grand price tag as Fiona says that creating the dessert was a meticulous and exhausting task. 'We reflected some of the architectural details in the room so the garlands on the walls were reproduced loosely on the fourth tier - we've used roses, acorns, ivy leaves, apple blossom and bridal rose.' The bride wanted elements from the Joseph Lambeth technique of cake decoration, where intricate piping is used to make three dimensional scroll work, leaves, and flowers. Royal wedding memorabilia is extremely collectible and hard to get hold of, the Julien's auction will offer a rare opportunity to fans, pictured - Kate and Will on their wedding day in 2011 . Kate also gave Fiona detailed instructions for her to include 17 different blooms and foliage for their meaning or symbolism - known as the 'language of flowers'. With this in mind it seems that such an iconic component of the wedding should be deserving of such a royal price tag. Also under the hammer is a blank invitation to the same wedding, printed on Queen Elizabeth II's Buckingham Palace stationary. 'The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by The Queen to invite __ to the Marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales, K.G. with Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on Friday 29th April at 11.00 a.m.,' it reads. 'Dress: Uniform, Morning Coat or Lounge Suit.' It is sure to be met with an equally eager set of bidders. The Exquisite Collection of HRH Diana, Princess of Wales auction will take place on 5th December 2014 at Julien's auction house Beverley Hills California . You're invited: Also under the hammer is a blank invitation to the same wedding, printed on the Queen's Buckingham Palace stationery . A collection of the late Diana, Princess of Wales's dresses which she auctioned off for charity in London in 1997 herself, will go under the hammer again this December in Beverly Hills, California. The outfits, all but one designed by the late Catherine Walker, Diana's personal couturier and close friend for 16 years, are estimated to fetch between $60,000 and $100,000. At the highest end of the price spectrum is a cream lace dress designed by Zandra Rhodes and worn by Diana in 1987 to the Birthright Benefit at the London Palladium; while bidders on a lower budget might snap themselves up a pair of cuff-links commemorating Diana and Prince Charles' 1981 wedding, valued at $600 to $800. Scroll down for video . Under the hammer: This cream lace dress designed by Zandra Rhodes (left) and worn by Diana in 1987 to the Birthright Benefit at the London Palladium (right) is estimated to fetch between $80,000 and $100,000 . The June 1997 auction, Dresses from the Collection of Diana, Princess of Wales, was handled by Christie's of London, only one month before Diana was killed in a car accident in Paris at the age of 36. The anonymous winners will now part with their collectors items at the upcoming Beverly Hills show, handled by Julien's Auctions, . Along with the items, which will go up for auction December 5, is a copy of an oversized catalogue which accompanied the original auction, as well as an invitation to the event; signed by Diana, and valued at between $2,000 and $4,000. Emerald: A vivid green silk gown by Catherine Walker (left), which Diana wore in 1993 to a banquet at the Dorchester Hotel, London, (right) is expected to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000 . Princess pink: A Catherine Walker dress, embellished with beads and mock pearls (left) was worn by Diana in 1993 to the Savoy Theatre in London (right) and is also estimated to sell for up to $80,000 . A handwritten letter from Diana, using her Kensington Palace stationary and dated June 1997 reads: 'The inspiration for this wonderful sale comes from just one person... our son William.' Other garments that will feature will include a Catherine Walker petal pink dress, embellished with beads and mock pearls, worn by Diana in 1993 to the Savoy Theatre in London and estimated to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000. A vivid green silk gown Diana wore the same year, also in London, to a banquet at the Dorchester Hotel, is also expected to go for between $60,000 and $80,000. Additionally, a strapless monochrome number which she wore to a private event, is estimated at the same value. Black and white delight: This strapless monochrome number, also designed by Catherine Walker and worn by Diana to a private event, is also up for auction . Pals: Miss Walker (left) who died in 2012 after a long battle with cancer, created over 1,000 outfits for Diana (right) during her tenure as her personal couturier. Pictured: June 1997, a month before Diana's death . Full circle: The collection was originally auctioned off for charity in London in 1997 by Diana herself. A copy of an oversized catalog which accompanied the auction (pictured) is also for sale . Handwritten: A letter from Diana dated June 1997 (left) reads, 'The inspiration for this wonderful sale comes from just one person... our son William.' - and her signature on the auction catalog (right) Ms Walker, who died in 2012 after a long battle with cancer, worked tirelessly to create over 1,000 outfits for Diana; from right after her 1981 wedding to Prince Charles, to until her death in 1997. According to a friend of Miss Walker, journalist Alison Jane Reid - who wrote an in-depth story about her for MailOnline in 2010 - the Princess and the designer were close, and their relationship founded on 'loyalty and total discretion.' Reid wrote: 'After Diana’s separation from Prince Charles in 1992, clothes became even more important to her. 'Together, the two women devised a joint strategy of ‘defiant’ frocks - body-conscious but without vulgarity - that Diana wore in separation and divorce.' ANNABEL FENWICK ELLIOT . | A slice of Kate and Will's wedding cake will go under the hammer . The single slice is expected to fetch between $1000-$2000 . It is part of a unique auction of Lady Diana's dresses . The couples' wedding invitation will also be up for auction . | fb5647ba6f68774b3a61c0298c44c51e64085916 |
(CNN) -- Authorities will resume their search Monday morning for the bodies of four men who are believed to have drowned in southeastern Idaho after one of them fell overboard and three others went missing trying to rescue him, the Power County Sheriff's Department said. "It is not confirmed they are deceased at this time -- presumption that they are -- but we cannot confirm any deaths at this time or drowning," said Cpl. Leilani Morgan. The incident took place Sunday at the American Falls Reservoir, about 180 miles east-southeast of Boise. Five children -- all under the age of nine -- also were on the boat and have been rescued by authorities, according to the sheriff's department. CNNRadio's Matt Cherry contributed to this report . | The men are presumed drowned at American Falls Reservoir in southeastern Idaho . Three men disappear while trying to save a fourth man . | cddc2b6a20a2ffe7b002b0d48e7e380be4b954fa |
(CNN) -- The Senate on Thursday passed its version of the health care bill, inching the country closer to the biggest expansion of medical coverage since Medicare was enacted more than four decades ago. Senate Democrats declared victory after the 60-39 party line vote, but one of the most complicated tasks is still ahead. A conference committee must reconcile the differences -- notably a public option, how to pay for the plan that emerges, and coverage for abortion -- and merge them into one. The House and Senate will then have to pass the revised plan before it can be sent to President Obama's desk. Each chamber needs a simple majority vote for final passage. Although the House won't be in session until January 12, House staff will begin working through the differences on the two chambers' bills, according to several Democratic aides. Leaders and committee chairmen will return in early January for health care meetings. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said the House and Senate bills are in some ways "irreconcilable." Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele scoffed at the idea of negotiations. "There won't be a legitimate conference. The House members are being told to accept whatever the Senate bill comes up with," he said on a conference call. But Democrats and the White House insist the bill that comes out of the conference will represent a huge step forward for health care reform. Norm Ornstein, a congressional scholar with the American Enterprise Institute, agrees that the final bill will end up looking a lot like what came out of the Senate. "Are they dramatically different in some key respects? Yes. But you can reconcile two bills by picking one over the other," Ornstein said. "The question that remains is can they get 218 House Democrats to swallow the Kaopectate, which means basically to swallow hard and accept something that is basically the product of the Senate," he said. The House might be able to make changes around the margins, but that will be it, Ornstein said. The biggest difference between the two bills is the public option. The House bill has one; the Senate bill does not. The Senate bill originally included a government-sponsored plan with the option for states to opt out, but that was dropped as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tried to secure the votes of moderate Democrats. The Senate bill instead allows nonprofit private insurers to offer coverage with approval of the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the federal employees' health plan. In asking House Democrats to give up the public option, "the argument that is going to be made here to House Democrats is, 'Do you want a health bill or do you want nothing?' " Ornstein said. Given the reality that there weren't the necessary 60 votes in the Senate for a public option, there wasn't much discussion among House leaders about pushing hard for the Senate to include one in its bill. "They [the Senate] tried to see if they had support for it. There isn't. That's the reality," a top Democratic leadership aide told CNN. "I think a lot of people are coming to terms with that and I don't know how productive it would be to bring it out again." Another sticking point is coverage for abortion. A late compromise in the House led to the adoption of the Stupak-Pitts amendment, which bans most abortion coverage from the public option. It would also prohibit abortion coverage in private policies available in the exchange to people receiving federal subsidies. A similar amendment introduced by Sen. Ben Nelson failed in the Senate. To get Nelson's vote, a compromise was reached that allows states to choose whether to ban abortion coverage in health plans offered in the insurance exchanges. Individuals purchasing plans through the exchanges would have to pay for abortion coverage with their own money. As lawmakers work to merge the bills, there will be no other option than to pick the Nelson compromise, Ornstein said. The real question is whether or not Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak "tries to lead an insurgent group of pro-life Democrats away from the bill as a result of a compromise," he added. The House and Senate bills also conflict on how to pay for the plans. The House plan is projected to guarantee coverage for 96 percent of Americans at a cost of more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The Senate plan is projected to cover 94 percent of Americans with an $871 billion price tag over the next 10 years, according to the CBO. The House plan pays for health care reform with a 5.4 percent surtax on incomes for those making over $500,000 a year, as well as families earning more than $1 million. It also includes a 2.5 percent tax on medical devices sold in the United States. The Senate plan increases the Medicare payroll tax on individuals earning more than $200,000 and couples earning more than $250,000 from the current 1.45 percent to 2.35 percent. The Senate bill also imposes a new tax on insurers that provide so-called "Cadillac" health plans valued at more than $8,500 for individuals and $23,000 for families. The 40 percent tax would be on the value of the plan. In addition, it imposes a 10 percent tax on indoor tanning salon treatments. Both bills call for cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare and Medicaid. Ornstein said the funding mechanism is one area where the House might be able to pull some weight. How to handle illegal immigrants could pose another obstacle as lawmakers iron out their differences. The House bill mandates insurance coverage for illegal immigrants and allows illegal immigrants to enroll in the public option and to buy private coverage in the national insurance exchange, but prohibits government subsidies for such private coverage. The Senate plan exempts illegal immigrants from the health coverage mandate, and prohibits illegal immigrants from participating in the insurance exchanges. Despite the differences, Ornstein predicts a bill will likely come out of conference quickly, although it won't be a smooth process. "Part of the reason they are going to jump up and scream in outrage is, once you get down to the point where you need every vote, as we saw with the Senate example, it's a great way to extract favors." CNN's Tom Cohen, Alan Silverleib and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report. | Conference committee must merge House, Senate bills . Bills differ on public option, abortion language, funding . Final bill will look a lot like the Senate bill, congressional scholar says . Lawmakers might try to extract favors in final negotiations, Ornstein says . | 8dc274c4d13c9457f162de45c3958d453d371178 |
By . Tom Mctague, Mail Online Deputy Political Editor . The backlog of passport applications threatening to ruin thousands of family holidays this summer almost doubled in just three months this year, MPs heard today. Passport Office chief Paul Pugh admitted 480,000 people are now waiting for their travel documents - some 200,000 higher than last year. Mr Pugh, who revealed he earns £104,000 a year, blamed a 'substantially higher intake' of applications. But unions told MPs the figure was even higher. By June 8 the number of people waiting for their passport had hit 493,289, union chief Mike Jones told the Home Affairs Select Committee. Just 12 weeks earlier, the figure stood at 289,892. Mr Jones, whose PCS union represents Passport Office staff, told MPs: 'They've lost control of the backlog.' Scroll down for video . Passport Office chief Paul Pugh, who earns £104,000 a year, told MPs the backlog had hit 480,000 - around 200,000 higher than usual . Mr Pugh admitted that he considered resigning over the fiasco. He said: 'Of course I've considered whether it would be right for me to have stepped down.' Mike Jones, the Home Office group secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union representing Passport Office staff, appeared before MPs on the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee this afternoon . Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz questioned the PCS's Mike Jones this afternoon as part of his investigation into the passport crisis . But when asked whether he would rule out taking Passport Office staff on strike during the crisis, Mr Jones refused, adding: 'We are keeping all of our options open.' He said he wanted the 550 jobs cut since 2010 reinstated and a 'guarantee' of no more privatisation. He added: 'We've got a crisis caused by a lack of jobs.' Passport chief Paul Pugh said any strike action would be 'extremely damaging'. He told MPs that even before strike action there had 'never been a challenging situation of this kind' in recent years. Mr Pugh apologised to families who suffered delays in their passport applications. Addressing Mr Pugh, the committee chairman Keith Vaz said: 'Would you like to take this opportunity to apologise to all those who have been waiting? I have a sheaf of letters from members of the public, from members of parliament, who are very, very angry. 'You don't seem to recognise the fact that people are very upset and angry. Would you like to apologise?' Mr Pugh replied: 'I absolutely recognise the anger and distress that some people have suffered and I would like to put on record that yes, in every case where we haven't met our service standards, where we haven't been able to meet the customer's needs, yes, certainly, we are sorry for that.' The Prime Minister last week apologised for the chaos after he revealed there were at least 30,000 applications outstanding which had not been processed within the normal three-week limit. But it now emerges that his only accounts for a fraction of the true backlog. Amid mounting fury over the passport delays the Government was forced to take urgent action to deal with the crisis. Those who desperately need travel documents were told that they could get their applications fast-tracked free of charge, instead of paying an extra £55.50 a person. But this will only apply to those who have not had their passports back within three weeks and are going abroad in the next seven days. Minister also announced that those renewing their UK passports from overseas will be given an automatic 12-month extension. And families applying from abroad for passports on behalf of their children will be given emergency travel documents as well, the Home Secretary announced. Pictures leaked to MailOnline, showing hundreds of boxes of applications piled on the floor of a Passport Office in Liverpool, piled pressure on the Government to introduce emergency measures to tackle the backlog . The images showed boxes of applications piled in a spare room set aside for interviews. Officials at the Liverpool clearing house where the image was taken said the situation was 'a million times worse' in Durham . Standard passports cost £72.50 - or £46 for children - and should only take three weeks to get. Those needing a passport urgently can pay extra for a premium or fast-track service. The 'premium' service, costing £128, means passports can be collected within four hours of being approved. Under the fast-track service, costing £103, a passport is returned within a week of the application being approved. The Home Office has urged those who have already applied not to resubmit their application. But those that need to leave the country within the next seven days and have been waiting for their passport for more than three weeks can have their application fast tracked for free. British families abroad can get an automatic 12 months extension - while their children will be given emergency travel documents. The Passport Office has increased the number of examiners and call centre staff by a further 200 on top of the 1,000 staff already redeployed to deal with a surge in applications running at a 12-year high. Mrs May has drafted in emergency staff - earning up £70 an hour - to the Passport Office to clear the backlog. Around 100 Home Office staff based in the North have been asked to move to the Liverpool Passport Office for up to two months, a letter leaked to MailOnline revealed. This is on top of the 250 backroom staff at the Passport Office which have already been redeployed to the front line. The Government's attempt to head off the growing crisis came after MailOnline published pictures showing hundreds of boxes of passport applications piled on a sorting office floor. Last week passport office workers revealed the pressure they were being put under to clear the backlog. One whistleblower said workers were being left 'suicidal'. He said Mrs May did not have 'any idea' how bad the situation really was and claimed staff were at breaking point. Speaking anonymously, he said he had been working seven days a week for four months to clear the estimated 500,0000 backlog of applications. He said: 'We're tired, we can't concentrate. Theresa May hasn't got any idea. She doesn't now how bad things are.' As the Government moved to avert a summer holiday crisis, hundreds of families last week descended on offices - like this one in London - to renew their passport in person . The whistleblower was asked about the morale at the Passport Office. The worker said: 'It's suicidal. Suicidal. The staff are worn out. 'Management keep changing the goal posts. They come up with crazy ideas and say how can we help, but they don't have a clue. 'The overnight staff are only supposed to work until 9pm, but they are working till midnight. I'm just so tired. 'I just want people to know the truth. I'm worn out, really worn out and it's been going on for far too long.' He added that the Passport Office in Durham was 'a million times worse' than in Liverpool. He added: 'It's really bad - they are way behind.' The worker said that yesterday morning a woman 'burst into tears because of the pressure they're putting on us'. Theresa May ordered hundreds of staff to move from UK Visas & Immigration to the Passport Office, as this leaked letter to MailOnline revealed, to help clear the backlog. But unions said the move would leave other areas short staffed . Last night a spokesman for Her Majesty’s Passport Office said: 'There are currently approximately 480,000 active applications being processed. 'It is not unusual during peak periods for HMPO to operate with high numbers of applications in the system at any one time, with this year seeing the highest levels for 12 years. 'We are working to ensure that the vast majority of people continue to receive their passports within our service standards. 'We have also introduced a range of measures to help those who need to travel urgently, including free upgrades.' | MPs hear that by June 493,289 people were waiting for passport applications . In March the number of people in the queue was just 289,892 . Union representing passport staff says ministers 'lost control' of backlog . But PCS's Mike Jones refuses to rule out strike action despite holiday crisis . Beleaguered Passport Office chief Paul Pugh reveals he earns £104,000 . Pugh confirms backlog has hit almost 500,000 ahead of summer getaway . Admits he considered if 'it would be right for me to step down' over crisis . | ecae331493cf1f7334292ec2895ba3c1fd79c026 |
Ministers came under fresh criticism for their handling of the NHS last night after it emerged the ambulance service will be hit with £90 million in fines – as punishment for the chaos blighting casualty departments. Critics said the fines will simply deprive trusts of vital funds that could help tackle the deterioration in patient services. A new penalty clause that was written into ambulance trust contracts from last month will levy fines of £200 for every patient who has to wait for longer than 30 minutes for admission to A&E, and £1,000 for each patient forced to wait more than an hour. Closures: The devastating impact of casualties shutting across the nation . Delays: The ambulance service faces millions of pounds in fines if patients cannot be delivered to A&E units . But acute overcrowding in A&E . departments has led to increasing ambulance ‘jams’ formed as they queue . to unload, with waits of four hours recorded at some hospitals at the . busiest times. Damning new . figures reveal that during the past year there were more than 265,000 . occasions in England when ambulance staff took more than half an hour to . deliver patients into the hands of hospital doctors. Doctors and MPs have vowed to fight ‘disastrous’ new plans to close two more A&E departments that will affect more than a million people. The proposals come despite growing concerns about over-burdened emergency departments across the country, with record attendance figures and soaring waiting times. NHS bosses have tabled plans to close A&Es at hospitals in Epsom, Surrey, and St Helier in nearby Carshalton – even though they are highly regarded by patients. It means eight A&Es within the M25 are now threatened with closure, joining a growing list nationwide. Proposals to downgrade Epsom and St Helier A&Es to ‘urgent care centres’ were slipped out on the website of an NHS review panel for South-West London called Better Services, Better Value. Some of these UCCs are staffed only by nurses. Consultant-led maternity services at St Helier could also go. The review panel says that concentrating services at three hospitals in the region is necessary because the existing five are failing to meet quality standards. Centralising will mean senior staff are available round the clock, it says. The plan is to beef up GP surgeries and other ‘community services’ to stop people going to A&E. But Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam, said: ‘Proposing the closure of A&E and maternity at St Helier without a clear idea of how the GP and community services will be improved is a recipe for disaster. ‘It will shunt more people into what are already busy and often overloaded A&E and maternity units.’ He is being supported by other MPs, including Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, Tory MP for Epsom and Ewell, who says the plans would mean ‘cannibalising’ two hospitals to ‘bolster’ the remaining three, in Kingston, Croydon and Tooting. In England and Wales, at least 14 hospitals have either closed their casualty wards or have cut their services. A further 14 A&E departments are under threat of being closed down or merged. By Stephen Adams . And shockingly, more than 37,000 patients had to wait over an hour to move on to the wards. Official guidelines say ambulances should deliver patients, clean the ambulance and be back out on the road within 15 minutes. A longer wait is seen as ‘unsafe’. Yet the chaos in A&E departments is so bad that at one, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, doctors were forced to put up a tent to act as a makeshift ward to treat patients alongside the ambulance queue. If the ‘handover delays’ continue at their current level then the ambulance trusts will have to find nearly £90 million to pay to the Department of Health over the next financial year. The fines were introduced after NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson said last year that he would like to see handover delays treated as ‘never events’ because of their impact on patients. Fewer than a third of trusts hit their target of achieving a 15-minute turnaround in 95 per cent of cases. In London, where the situation is at its worst, the 15-minute target is missed in nearly half of all cases. Last night Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham said that depriving one part of the Health Service of money as a ‘punishment’ for delays beyond its control was divisive and counterproductive. ‘This is a clear sign of the chaos . that is now engulfing the NHS,’ he said. ‘People expect to see the NHS . pulling together to protect patients. They do not expect to see one part . of it fighting another. ‘A&E . departments across the country are reaching crisis point. Thousands of . nursing posts have been lost, leaving hospitals understaffed. David . Cameron has slashed council budgets to the bone, resulting in cuts to . home care and support, leaving elderly patients stranded unnecessarily . in hospital beds. ‘Hospitals can’t move patients from A&E through to wards so ambulances are unable to discharge patients. ‘Now, to top it all, hospitals are having to pay thousands of pounds in fines because of the delays. ‘This . is no solution and it will only make matters worse. These are problems . made in Downing Street, not in our hospitals. It is David Cameron’s . toxic medicine of budget cuts and top-down reorganisation that has . brought the system to its knees. ‘He . urgently needs to get a grip and sort out this crisis. This money . should be used to put nurses in our hospitals not paid out in fines.’ Queues: Problems in A&E are causing some patients waiting over an hour to be moved into hospital . The region with the greatest number of handover delays was London, which had 63,962 delays longer than 30 minutes. Of these, 4,240 were over an hour. If that is repeated this year, the trust will have to pay more than £17 million in fines. West Midlands Ambulance Service faces . the highest fine – more than £20 million – if it repeats its 63,426 . delays. Its fine would be the highest because an alarming 8,010 of these . were longer than an hour. Critical: Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham said fining ambulance services was divisive and counterproductive . The best performance came from the South West Ambulance Service (North), where just 10,596 delays of more than 30 minutes were recorded last year. Even this performance would see the trust hit by a fine of £6.4 million. Delays at A&E mean ambulance crews may be prevented from attending other emergencies, if paramedics are stuck in corridors or in their vehicles with patients waiting for a nurse or doctor to take over. Although procedures are in place to ensure that those whose lives are in danger can be fast-tracked into hospital ahead of those not at immediate risk, critics say patient care is still seriously jeopardised. Liberal Democrat Health Minister Norman Lamb, who as North Norfolk MP has observed the problems of the Norfolk and Norwich first-hand, said: ‘The situation with ambulance handovers has been unacceptable, and can mean that they miss their response times to other incidents. 'We have got to try to understand why the demand for A&E services is going up so much.’ Last night, a spokesman for Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: ‘We believe that everyone should be seen quickly when they arrive at hospital, even more so when they arrive in an ambulance. It is unacceptable for patients to be left waiting in ambulances outside hospitals. ‘The NHS needs to ensure it has proper plans in place to deal with high demand and we are doing everything we can to support the service in treating patients as swiftly as it can.’ Tens . of thousands of readers have backed The Mail on Sunday’s campaign . against A&E closures since it was launched last September. We have received a total of 32,074 protests from our readers – 17,290 coupons, 9,745 emails and 5,039 text messages. They . are concerned that closing down their local A&E departments could . risk lives as it will lead to longer journey times to hospital. In . October, we delivered your response to David Cameron’s doorstep, when . our reporters handed over two bulging mailbags of your petitions to 10 . Downing Street. In the same month, a powerful lobby of 140 senior . physicians, academics and surgeons signed an open letter to Mr Cameron . calling for an end to the ‘indiscriminate’ closure of A&E units . across the country. They accused health chiefs of driving through changes just to save money, rather than for valid clinical reasons. It . is believed that more than 25 A&E wards out of 220 units have . closed down, been downgraded or face being shut. Such cuts are having . devastating impacts on local residents. Plea: The Mail on Sunday has been campaigning to stop A&E closures . Fiasco: In September we revealed how longer waiting times were putting lives at risk . David's story: We told how a former paramedic who died after delays getting to hospital after a heart attack . Secret: The MoS published information from a hidden NHS study showing A&E closures affect health . | Ambulance trusts fined for waiting outside overcrowded casualty units . More than 37,000 patients waited more than a hour last year . Fines are counterproductive 'punishments', says Andy Burnham MP . Up to 14 more A&E departments could close, following cuts to 14 others . | b1d41b24c8ce596385a24d5e039b0acdc02e97ab |
By . Hannah Roberts . PUBLISHED: . 14:57 EST, 24 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:52 EST, 25 February 2013 . Topless protesters targeted Italy's former premier Silvio Berlusconi as he went to vote in the country's election - which could plunge Europe into fresh economic chaos. The three women, thought to be from feminist protest group Femen, burst from a crowd of journalist outside a polling station in Milan and lunged at the controversial politician. But the demonstrators, who had 'Basta Berlusconi', meaning 'Enough of Berlusconi', written on their bodies, were grabbed by police officers and dragged away before they could reach him. Scroll down for video . Protest: A topless protester is led away by police after lunging at former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi . Demonstrators: The three women rushed at the controversial politician as he arrived at a Milan polling station . Italians have gone to the polls in an unpredictable election that looks set to plunge the Eurozone into fresh turmoil. Polling continues tomorrow amid fears the current administration will have to negotiate with either former premier or a stand-up comedian to retain power. The results, which will be affected by heavy snow in northern areas, do not look likely to produce a government strong enough to pull the highly indebted country out of its economic slump. A hung parliament is a distinct possibility, but new elections within months could, many fear, prompt a new dip in confidence in the European Union’s single currency. Market investors are already nervous about any successor to Mario Monti’s technocratic government being willing to continue his austerity programme and implement necessary reform. Activists: The woman are thought to from feminist protest group Femen and burst out of a crowd of journalist . Unsuccessful: The protester were dragged away by police officers and were not able to get the former PM . At the start of the campaign the polls . were predicting a comfortable victory for the centre left led by . ex-Communist now moderate Pier Luigi Bersani and his Democratic PD. party. But after a lacklustre campaign by Bersani, the most recent polls suggest that a brazenly populist campaign (including a virtual bribe of a huge tax refund for all) by the three-time PM Berlusconi has clawed him back into contention. A remarkable come-back from a politician convicted of tax fraud and on trial on a charge of under-age sex with a prostitute. As ever the mogul, 76, has used his major control of the media to blitz TV and newspaper coverage, and today compared Italian judges to the ‘mafia’. Meanwhile the prospect of a huge protest vote against the Monti’s government’s painful austerity measures and a never ending series of corruption scandals has thrown the result wide open. Election: Berlusconi cast his ballot today but the polls will also be open across the country tomorrow . Powerful: The 76-year-old has used his major control of the media to blitz TV and newspaper coverage . 'I'm not confident that the . government that emerges from the election will be able to solve any of . our problems,' said Attilio Bianchetti, a 55-year-old builder in Milan, . who voted for the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. The . anarchic group led by a stand up comedian turned political activist . Beppe Grillo has been one of the surprise features of the campaign, . packing the piazzas of Italy’s cities with hundreds of thousands of . supporters. Challenger: Leader of the Five Stars Movement, stand-up comedian Beppe Grillo, has been the surprise feature of the election . Grillo, 64, (who also has a criminal conviction, for involuntary manslaughter) advocates a new direct democracy which has the main parties scared. The polls suggest he could come as high as second when the votes are counted. 'He’s the only real new element in a political landscape where we’ve been seeing the same faces for too long,’said Vincenzo Cannizzaro, 48, in the Sicialian capital Palermo. Meanwhile Italians give caretaker PM Monti almost no credit for saving them from the brink of financial ruin 15 months ago. If opinion polls are converted into votes, his policies of tough medicine will have been rejected by the electorate. When the last polls closed two weeks ago Bersani was leading at 35 per cent with with Berlusconi 5 points behind,Grillo on 16 and Monti on around 14. A victory for Berlusconi could be the worst result for the Euro because he has promised to reverse many of the austerity measures brought in by Monti to get interests rates down. But as seems more likely, with Berlusconi’s resurgence and Grillo’s protest vote, the two comic faces of Italian politics could prevent a Bersani-Monti government from being formed, the only government likely to command international confidence. For the third-largest Euro economy to be facing economic meltdown could trigger a renewal of the Eurozone crisis just when the worst seemed to be over. A crisis which would affect a British economy already reeling from the downgrading of its credit rating. | The naked demonstrators lunged at the former PM outside a polling station . But they were grabbed by police before they could reach the politician . Hung parliament could lead to a dip in confidence in the single currency . Berlusconi has promised to reverse austerity measures if he wins election . | d7115c8a26ed2a8a36ded417b4a65fc75ef5989b |
The mother of an American journalist who was released Sunday after two years in captivity said she is 'so relieved' to have her son on his way home, though she mourned the brutal killing of his fellow reporter James Foley. Peter Theo Curtis was handed over to UN representatives, just days after Foley was beheaded by ISIS. Curtis is now safely outside Syria, U.S. government officials confirmed. The United Nations said it helped with the handover to U.N. peacekeepers in a village in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and that Curtis was released to American authorities after a medical checkup. 'My heart is full at the extraordinary, dedicated, incredible people, too many to name individually, who have become my friends and have tirelessly helped us over these many months,' said Nancy Curtis. 'Please know that we will be eternally grateful.' Curtis, 45, was abducted in Antakya, Turkey, in October 2012 from where he planned to enter Syria to teach English, according to Al Jazeera. He was held by the Nusra Front, the Qaeda affiliate in Syria, which has broken with the more radical ISIS. Scroll down for videos . Free: Peter Theo Curtis, pictured, was handed over to UN representatives on Sunday, just days after another U.S. reporter, James Foley, was beheaded by the Islamic State group. 'We are so relieved that Theo is healthy and safe and that he is finally headed home after his ordeal, but we are also deeply saddened by the terrible, unjustified killing last week of his fellow journalist, Jim Foley, at the hands of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS,' Mrs Curtis said. She said in the statement that she had gotten to know the Foley family over the months their sons had been captive. 'I have seen Diane Foley's bravery and her heroic efforts firsthand, efforts that helped rally the spirits of the families of all the journalists and others being held captive,' she said. 'We appeal to the captors of the remaining hostages to release them in the same humanitarian spirit that prompted Theo's release. The release came on the same day as a memorial for Foley was held in New Hampshire. U.S. officials declined to discuss details of the negotiations for the release of Curtis. It was not known what prompted Curtis' release, though his mother insisted no money changed hands, as some have speculated. 'While the family is not privy to the exact terms that were negotiated, we were repeatedly told by representatives of the Qatari government that they were mediating for Theo's release on a humanitarian basis without the payment of money,' she said. 'My entire focus right now is on helping the other families of those still being held in Syria, and on taking care of my son.' Footage released on June 30 shows a relatively healthy-looking albeit disheveled Curtis, who also goes by the name Theo Padnos. In the video obtained by Al Jazeera, Curtis read from a prepared script stating his name and profession, saying he was a journalist from Boston, Massachusetts. He said he had been well treated and 'had everything' he needed. 'Everything has been perfect, food, clothing, even friends now,' he said on the tape, according to the broadcaster. That account sits in stark contrast to the one told by his cellmate during some of his time in captivity. According to the New York Times, American photojournalist Matthew Schrier, who escaped in July 2013 after being held for seven months, described being tortured and starved by his masked captors. So desperate, Schrier eventually managed to crawl out of a hole in the wall he created by standing on Curtis' back and unraveling wires in a small opening. Safe now: Curtis, pictured prior to his kidnapping, is safely outside of Syria now with a UN representative . Missing: Curtis reportedly went missing in Antakya, Turkey, as he was traveling to Syria in 2012 . However, the heavier-set Curtis became stuck and chose to return to the cell where he remained for another 13 months. The pair were held in the rebel-held portion of Aleppo. U.S. officials declined to discuss details of the negotiations for the release of Curtis. It was not known what prompted Curtis' release. A cousin of Curtis', Viva Hardigg, declined to provide details on the circumstances of his release, but said he seems to be in good health. Hardigg told The Associated Press: 'We are deeply relieved and grateful for his return and the many people who have helped us secure his freedom. At the same time, we are thinking constantly of the other hostages who are still held and those working to help them be freed. We want to do everything we can to support their efforts.' Secretary of State John Kerry dubbed Curtis' safe release a victory for the U.S. and the journalist's family. In a statement Sunday, he said: 'Particularly after a week marked by unspeakable tragedy, we are all relieved and grateful knowing that Theo Curtis is coming home after so much time held in the clutches of Jabhat Al-Nusrah. 'For two years, this young American has been separated from his family. Finally he is returning home. Theo's mother, whom we've known from Massachusetts and with whom we've worked during this horrific period, simply refused to give up and has worked indefatigably to keep hope alive that this day could be a reality. Cellmates: Curtis, left, was held in a cell with American photojournalist Michael Schrier, right, who escaped in 2013 . Before: Curtis was originally from Boston but had lived abroad for many years researching the Muslim faith . Author: Curtis, right,who also goes by the name Theo Padnos, wrote numerous books about Islam . 'Over these last two years, the United States reached out to more than two dozen countries asking for urgent help from anyone who might have tools, influence, or leverage to help secure Theo's release and the release of any Americans held hostage in Syria. 'Every waking hour, our thoughts and our faith remain with the Americans still held hostage and with their families, and we continue to use every diplomatic, intelligence, and military tool at our disposal to find them and bring our fellow citizens home.' National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice said in a statement that Curtis is now safe outside Syria and soon will be reunited with his family. 'For two years, we have kept Peter Theo Curtis, a U.S. citizen held hostage in Syria, in our thoughts and prayers. Today, we join his family and loved ones in welcoming his freedom,' she said. Rice said the government had not forgotten the other Americans still held. There are believed to be four. '...We hold in our thoughts and prayers the Americans who remain in captivity in Syria,' she said. 'Notwithstanding today's welcome news, the events of the past week shocked the conscience of the world. As President Obama said, we have and will continue to use all of the tools at our disposal to see that the remaining American hostages are freed.' James Foley was beheaded by Islamic State militants who released a video last week blaming his death on U.S. airstrikes against their fighters in Iraq. Foley's captors had demanded $132.5 million from his parents and political concessions from Washington. Neither obliged, authorities say. For al-Qaida and some other militant bands, ransoms paid to free kidnapped Europeans over the past decade have surpassed donations from private supporters as a source of funding, according to the United States and Britain. The British government, like the U.S., adheres to a longstanding policy against paying ransoms to extremists. A senior Obama administration official said last week the Islamic State had made a 'range of requests' from the U.S. for Foley's release, including changes in American policy and posture in the Mideast. Mrs Curtis said her son went to Syria because he wanted to help the people there. 'Theo has a deep concern and regard for the people of Syria, which is why he returned during the war,' she said. 'He wanted to help others and to give meaning and to bear witness to their struggles.' She added: 'I am very fortunate that I do not have to tell his whole story. He eventually will be able to do so himself.' Curtis was born Peter Theophilus Eaton Padnos in Atlanta, Georgia, where his father, Michael Padnos, who is now a writer living in Paris, was working as a lawyer. He graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont, has a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Massachusetts and is fluent in French and Arabic, his family said. He also speaks German and Russian. He first became interested in writing about disaffected youth while working as a teacher in the Vermont prison system, resulting in his first book, 'My Life Has Stood a Loaded Gun.' According to the family statement, while working as a journalist in Yemen, Curtis became interested in the stories of the many disaffected young men from the West coming to study Islam and he eventually wrote about them in his book, 'Undercover Muslim,' published in the United Kingdom. He changed his legal name to Peter Theo Curtis after publication of that book to make it easier to travel in the Arab world, although he continued to work as a journalist, writing under the name Theo Padnos. Curtis' family said he grew to love Syria and its people a decade ago while studying Arabic and Russian in Damascus. | Peter Theo Curtis was handed over to UN representatives on Sunday . His release comes just days after another U.S. reporter, James Foley, was beheaded by the Islamic State group . His mother Nancy Curtis thanks all those who helped to secure her son's safe release . She also mourned the death of James Foley, whose parents have become her friends . Curtis was abducted in Antakya, Turkey, in October 2012 where he planned to enter Syria . Curtis has written numerous articles under the name Theo Padnos . | 3e8b0e53876acf8f77445896784c4c51cb2d2c17 |
(CNN) -- The United States will not accept North Korea as a "nuclear state," Secretary of State John Kerry warned on Tuesday, just hours after Pyongyang announced plans to restart a nuclear reactor it shut down five years ago. North Korea's decision comes as tensions on the Korean peninsula escalate over Kim Jong Un's threats to wage war against the United States and South Korea. "The bottom line is simply that what Kim Jong Un is choosing to do is provocative. It is dangerous, reckless. The United States will not accept the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) as a nuclear state," Kerry said during a joint briefing in Washington with South Korea Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se. "And I reiterate again the United States will do what is necessary to defend ourselves and defend our allies, Korea and Japan. We are fully prepared and capable of doing so, and I think the DPRK understands that." North Korea's declaration that it would reopen the reactor demonstrates Kim's commitment to the country's nuclear weapons program that the international community has tried to persuade it to abandon. The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, reported that the reclusive state's atomic energy department intends to "readjust and restart all the nuclear facilities" at its main nuclear complex, in Yongbyon. Those facilities include a uranium enrichment facility and a reactor that was "mothballed and disabled" under an agreement reached in October 2007 during talks among North Korea, the United States and four other nations, KCNA said. The announcement was followed by a plea for calm from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is South Korean. North Korean defectors return rhetorical fire . "The current crisis has already gone too far," he said in a statement from Andorra. "Nuclear threats are not a game. Aggressive rhetoric and military posturing only result in counteractions, and fuel fear and instability. "Things must begin to calm down, as this situation, made worse by the lack of communication, could lead down a path that nobody should want to follow." Ban said dialogue and negotiations are "the only way to resolve the current crisis." The tensions on the Korean Peninsula have led Pyongyang to sever a key military hot line with Seoul and declare void the 1953 armistice that stopped the Korean War. The United States has made a show of its military strength amid annual training exercises with South Korea, flying B-2 stealth bombers capable of carrying conventional or nuclear weapons, Cold War-era B-52s and F-22 Raptor stealth fighters over South Korea. On Tuesday, the United States positioned a second destroyer -- the USS Decatur -- near the Korean peninsula, a defense official said on condition of anonymity. The official was not authorized to release details to the media. A day earlier, the U.S Navy moved a warship and a sea-based radar platform closer to the North Korean coast in order to monitor that country's military moves, including possible new missile launches, the Defense Department said Monday. North Korea on Wednesday also blocked more than 480 South Korean workers from entering the jointly run Kaesong Industrial Complex, which sits on the North Korea side of the border, according to the South Korean Unification Ministry. "North Korea said today that it is only approving people to go back to South Korea and not approving entrance" to the complex, said Kim Hyung-seok, a spokesman for the ministry. He urged the North to resume letting workers enter. There are 861 South Koreans inside Kaesong at the moment, the ministry said, and 446 have registered to leave. The symbol of an era of better relations between Seoul and Pyongyang, Kaesong is a joint economic cooperation zone between the two Koreas where scores of South Korean companies operate. It also is an important source of hard currency for the North. The move comes after threats in recent days by Pyongyang to shut down the industrial complex. Seoul, meanwhile, on Monday warned that any provocative moves from North Korea would trigger a strong response "without any political considerations." U.S. moves warship, sea-based radar to watch North Korea . Murky motivation . The motivation behind the North's announcement Tuesday on the nuclear facilities was unclear, said Ramesh Thakur, director of the Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament at Australian National University in Canberra, suggesting that it was unlikely to make a big difference militarily for the country, which is already believed to have four to 10 nuclear weapons. The North Koreans may be hoping to use the move as a bargaining chip in any future talks, he said, or it could be an attempt by the country's young leader to shore up support domestically. "It's just a very murky situation," Thakur said. "The danger is that we can misread one another and end up with a conflict that no one wants." China, a key North Korean ally, expressed regret over Pyongyang's announcement about the reactor. "China has consistently advocated denuclearization on the peninsula and maintaining peace and stability in the region," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said Tuesday at a regular news briefing. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the move would need to be dealt with in a serious manner, noting that it breached the North's previous commitments. On Tuesday, Kerry refused to speculate about North Korea's intentions or what its strategy may be with regard to its plans to reopen its reactor. "We've heard an extraordinary amount of unacceptable rhetoric from the North Korean government in the last days. So let me be perfectly clear here today: The United States will defend and protect ourselves, and our treaty ally, the Republic of Korea," he said. Kerry reiterated the U.S. policy with regard to North Korea, saying the United States believes there is "a very simple way" for Pyongyang to end the sanctions by ending its nuclear ambitions. Kerry was scheduled to visit Seoul next week, while South Korea's president was due in Washington for talks with President Barack Obama. South Korea warns North of 'strong response' to any attack . A torrent of threats . The North's latest declaration comes after a stream of verbal attacks against South Korea and the United States in recent weeks, including the threat of a nuclear strike. Pyongyang's angry words appear to have been fueled by the recent joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea in the region, as well as tougher U.N. sanctions in response to North Korea's latest nuclear test in February. Much of the bellicose rhetoric, analysts say, isn't matched by the country's military capabilities. Nuclear weapons: Who has what? The North's announcement Tuesday follows a new strategic line "on simultaneously pushing forward economic construction and the building of the nuclear armed force." It was announced Sunday during a meeting of a key committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea headed by Kim Jong Un. The work of adapting and restarting the nuclear facilities "will be put into practice without delay," KCNA said. The measures would help solve "the acute shortage of electricity," as well as improving the "quality and quantity" of the country's nuclear arsenal, it said. Threats of annihilation normal for South Koreans . Yongbyon's back story . In June 2008, the usually secretive North Korean government made a public show of destroying the cooling tower of the Yongbyon reactor to demonstrate its compliance with a deal to disable its nuclear facilities. But two months later, as its then-leader, Kim Jong Il, balked at U.S. demands for close inspections of its nuclear facilities, the North started to express second thoughts. It said it was suspending the disabling of its nuclear facilities and considering steps to restore the facilities at Yongbyon "to their original state." In November 2009, it announced it was reprocessing nuclear fuel rods as part of measures to resume activities at Yongbyon. It noted success in turning the plutonium it had extracted into weapons-grade material. OPINION: Why Kim Jong Un is not crazy . CNN's K.J. Kwon in Seoul, Tim Schwarz in Hong Kong, Dayu Zhang in Beijing, Yoko Wakatsuki in Tokyo and Barbara Starr and Elise Labott in Washington contributed to this report. | NEW: North Korea blocks South Korean workers from jointly run industrial complex . The U.S. is ''fully prepared" to defend itself, Kerry says . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "deeply troubled" about North Korea's statements . The North says it is adapting and restarting facilities at its main nuclear complex . | 8cb3583ffba21f49a4a47f83842f6811f11a0ca9 |
By . Suzannah Hills and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:41 EST, 26 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:44 EST, 26 June 2013 . Over $1 million in $100 bills stolen from a shipping container on a Swiss Air passenger flight may have been a JFK Airport inside job. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday that the money was gone when the plane landed in New York. Now they believe an insider at JFK is the culprit. And they're administering lie detector tests to personnel to figure out whodunnit. Heist: The FBI is investigating $1.2million in cash found missing from a Swiss Air Lines jet when it at JFK airport, pictured, in New York Monday . The shipment on flight 17 left Zurich Saturday, but by the time it reached its destination at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, $1.2 million of the $92 million aboard was gone. The theft was discovered at the official count of the cash at its final destination in New Jersey. At first, it was it unclear if the money was stolen in Switzerland or somewhere en route. An investigation then uncovered a big hole had been punched in the crate, likely with a forklift. The thief then turned the crate in such a way that the hole wouldn't be evident. Take the money and run: An arm-sized hole was found in the shipping crate that contained the missing money . Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. And to find out exactly who, a source for the New York Post says the FBI is administering lie detector tests to JFK personnel. Previously, ABC News reported a forklift operator 'opened the sealed crate and noticed damage to one of the crates in the form of a puncture from a forklift. It was a hole large enough to put your arm in.' However, the operator failed to report the hole because reportedly because such damage commonly occurs to the crates after years of use. Meanwhile, a Swiss Air rep said the company didn't have 'any indication of a robbery of a Swiss aircraft.' Officials have not disclosed who the money was meant for or why it was being sent. No comment? Jim Margolin, spokesman for the FBI in New York, declined to provide further information. But the New York Post reports that the agency is performing lie detector tests on JFK employees . Investigators are now looking in to how . many mechanics, crew members and airport personnel had access to . the jet and whether any of them could feasibly have emptied the box and . escaped unnoticed. According to the US Treasury, $1 million in $100 bills is estimated to weigh just 22 pounds, meaning a thief could easily cart around the cash. The largest cash heist in JFK Airport history happened on December 11, 1978, when an estimated $5 million was stolen at the Lufthansa Airlines terminal. At the time it was also the largest cash theft to have been carried out on US soil and went on to be portrayed in the movie 'Goodfellas'. It is not unusual for airlines to transport large sums of money - with a single flight sometimes carrying more than $1 billion. Investigation: It was previously believed that the money was missing when the plane landed at JFK, but now the FBI reportedly believes the money was taken in New York . | Passenger flight 17 arrived at JFK Airport in New York Monday afternoon missing 12 bundles of $100 bills . The FBI is now administering lie detector tests to JFK personnel after'hole large enough to put your arm in' was found in shipping crate . The agency originally said the money was missing when the plane landed . Another $92 million remained in the shipment destined for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York . | ee69ecbb4b3b8ffa1e8292f21a6e8a492d5fa0b4 |
By . Peter Allen . and Kieran Corcoran . Francois Hollande today spoke for the first time about the health of his grief-stricken ex-partner, after confirming that he 'doesn't want' another first lady in the Elysée palace. The French president has also been encouraged by his advisers to begin a 'bachelor presidency' as Valerie Trierweiler, 48, ends her eight-day stay in hospital prompted by claims of an affair between Mr Hollande and film actress Julie Gayet, 41. His new commitment to the single life, reported in the French press, came as he made a solo official visit to the Dutch royal family. Scroll down for video . France's President Francois Hollande raises a toast with Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander toasts at the royal palace Noordeinde in The Hague this afternoon . Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander (left) and Queen Maxima (right) welcome France's President Francois Hollande upon his arrival . Mr Hollande said Ms Trierweiler was . having a rest but otherwise ‘doing better, while making plans to kick her . out of the Elysée Palace for good. According to sources close to the president, who spoke to news magazine L'Express, he has been advised to usher in 'a bachelor presidency', which would be 'an element of modernisation for the role of president'. Meanwhile French TV station Itélé reported that Mr Hollande told a group of journalists: 'I do not want there to be first lady in the future at the Elysée.' During his visit to the Netherlands, Mr Hollande pointedly referred to the first lady by her full name. Asked . directly at a press conference if Ms Trierweiler was still his first . lady, Mr Hollande said: ‘Thank you for your question. Valerie . Trierweiler is doing better and is now resting at La Lanterne. I have . nothing to add.’ La . Lanterne is the massively luxurious presidential retreat in . Versailles, where Ms Trierweiler arrived in a police-escorted limousine. According to Paris Match – where Ms Trierweiler still works as a columnist – she is a broken woman. Mr . Hollande only visited her for half-an-hour when she was in hospital, . and, according to the glossy magazine she is ‘devastated and humiliated’ and ‘perhaps at the end of a journey.’ The pair pose for photos inside Palace Noordeinde, in The Hague . Dutch Presidents of the House of Representatives Anouchka van Miltenburg (left) and of the Senate Ankie Broekers-Knol (right) welcome Hollande . Hollande talks to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the Parliament building this morning . Sources at Paris Match – where . Trierweiler has worked for more than two decades – said during a half-hour visit to her . bedside on Thursday night Hollande . told his partner that he 'needed time' to decide between her and his alleged lover Julie . Gayet, 41. However one . of Mr Hollande’s aides confirmed yesterday that his relationship with . 48-year-old Miss Trierweiler was ‘over’. Mr . Hollande is expected to publicise a decision about Miss Trierweiler’s . future before he leaves for a scheduled visit to the USA in February. Francois Hollande, an avowed left winger who . ‘dislikes the rich’, was set to visit his estranged first lady Valerie . Trierweiler to ‘discuss their future’ in one of the most opulent homes . in Europe . Meanwhile . Miss Trierweiler made her first direct public comment about the scandal . on Saturday, tweeting: ‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all . those who have sent messages of support wishing me a speedy recovery. Very touched.’ While . Miss Trierweiler has indicated she is prepared to forgive and forget . following revelations of his affair with an actress, her furious uncle . Florent Massonneau said: ‘I think the fact my niece is being cuckolded . is disgraceful. Her situation gives us a lot of pain.’ It came as a new poll revealed that 77 per cent of French people are ‘dissatisfied’ with Hollande’s presidency. Today such figures were expected to rise, as the growing crisis was set to be played out in La Lanterne. Built for the bodyguard of the pre-Revolutionary monarch Louis XVI, it has long been viewed by the left as a symbol of unacceptable wealth and privilege. Valerie Trierweiler left hospital in Paris on Saturday after reportedly overdosing on sleeping pills, and is now 'resting' at the president's country house in Versailles . As well as a heated swimming pool, tennis court and manicured gardens, it contains one of the best wine cellars in France, and its own manicured gardens . As well as a heated swimming pool, tennis court and manicured gardens, it contains one of the best wine cellars in France, and its own manicured gardens. Despite having her own flat in Paris, Ms Trierweiler, 48, was driven to the the magnificent presidential home on Saturday afternoon after spending eight days in a private hospital room suffering from stress. It was caused by hearing claims about Mr Hollande’s secret two year affair with the film and TV actress Julie Gayet, 41. As Ms Gayet remained in hiding, a source close to the president confirmed that he ‘planned to see’ Ms Trierweiler today, and that he and the first lady would be ‘discussing their future’. Mr Hollande only saw Ms Trierweiler once in hospital, and even then only after she had been at the Pitie-Salpetriere for more than a week. President Hollande has been accused of having an affair with 41-year-old actress Julie Gayet . The leader is due to reveal whether Ms Trierweiler will continue in her role as the First Lady next month . Ms Trierweiler is desperately trying to hang on to her role, despite clear indications that Mr Hollande wants to make Ms Gayet his first lady. In an attempt to drum up public support, Ms Trierweiler took to Twitter on Saturday night to write: ‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those who sent messages of support ... very touched’. Her words were met with an avalanche of ridicule, with people describing her as everything from ‘the Rottweiler’ to the new Marie-Antoinette, after the high-living wife of Louis XVI who was eventually guillotined. A new Ifop/idd poll in the Journal du Dimanche newspaper reveals 37 per cent of France is ‘very discontented’ with Hollande’s presidency, and 40 per cent are simply ‘discontented’. Mr Hollande visited his political heartland of Correze, in central France, on Saturday, but again refused to answer questions about who his real first lady was. Instead Bernard Combes, the Socialist mayor of Combes – a job Mr Hollande had for seven years – said: ‘France's political situation requires all of the president's attention and all of his time, so obviously it would be best for everyone if he can resolve the problems in his personal life under good conditions.’ The French President greeted constituents in Tulle as the scandal surrounding his alleged infidelities continues . Happier times: The couple are pictured in celebrating Hollande's election win in Tulle in 2012, with the leader offering his girlfriend a rose . | Francois Hollande made a solo visit to the Dutch royal family today . He mentioned that the first lady was recovering when asked about her . Meanwhile advisers reportedly told him to begin 'a bachelor presidency' Mr Hollande himself told journalists he 'doesn't want' a first lady in future . Valerie Trierweiler, 48, left hospital Saturday after Hollande affair rumours . Source: She has been asked to leave all presidential residences . She is now 'resting’ at the president’s country house in Versailles . Mr Hollande was seen carrying out official duties in Holland today . | b7be0108d83ae82fe4688e8e9623b316cd511c22 |
By . Toni Jones . As Paris Fashion Week rolls on the major trends of the last month's global catwalk are already being dissected by the world's editors and style elite, and orders for the must-haves of next season are being placed by the fanciest fashion stores. Despite being only a small part of a finished outfit, accessories are key in these thriftier times as consumers clamour to own a piece of their favourite label without the hefty price tag. On Tuesday Stella McCartney showed off space-age sunglasses and skin-coloured heels at her show in the Palais Garnier, today Cara Delevingne showcased luxury backpacks and wonder wigs at Chanel, but it is belts all over the catwalks of New York, London, Milan and Paris that have caught the eye of the trend-forecasters. For spring/summer 2014 designers including Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry and Pucci have all brought back the statement belt. The message is the bigger the better and huge buckles and extra hardware have added a tougher feeling to an otherwise feminine style. Belts were a key look for the women of the 1940s and 1950s who defined tiny waists with full skirts and tight belts and for many design houses, specifically Christian Dior, it became a signature style. Today we look at the trend from the current collections and possible inspiration from the archives. Carolina Herrara in New York: Prim checks meets plastic fantastic . Balmain in Paris: Touches of 80s excess . Michael Kors in New York: Colours and fabrics nod to nature . Dolce & Gabbana in Milan: Roman style rules the catwalk . Burberry in London: Pretty embellishment adds interest . Lanvin in Paris: A rigid robo effect in gunmetal grey . 1970s: A Parisian model wears a tailored Christian Dior suit complete with a snakeskin belt . 1996: A young Carla Bruni wears a metallic belt as she walks for Chanel in Paris . 1960s: This demure women matches her belt to her full-skirted DIY prom style dress . The waist rules: a 1950s model (l) wears a tapered dress with a wide sash belt and Italian actress Sophia Loren (r) reclines on a lounger in a cherry red belt circa 1960 . 1947: In Paris a model wears another Christian Dior design . 1945: A girl models a leather belt with a golden horse head designed on the front . 1960: A swanky young woman prepares to step out for the day in head-to-toe check . | Bold, bright and blinging belts have been a catwalk staple across each of the four fashion weeks . Burberry showed elegant embellishment while Dolce & Gabanna cinched in fur dresses with OTT gold designs . Modern designers influenced by filmstar fashion from the 40s and 50s as well as fellow fashion house Dior . | 7b6ea85b3e86fe3ec39a7f52167a70e77d991425 |
By . Chris Greenwood . Last updated at 2:30 AM on 4th August 2011 . It's the sort of luxurious yacht that would attract admiring glances wherever it went. In the case of £1million pleasure cruiser Louise, however, the attention it received was from customs officials, who found the UK’s largest ever haul of cocaine stashed ‘ingeniously’ inside. Smugglers had hidden 1.2 tonnes of the class-A drug in the bodywork of the vessel – then audaciously tried to ship the whole boat to Britain in a commercial cargo vessel. High and dry: The Louise in Southampton Docks where she was searched by officers . The cocaine was exceptionally pure and officials said it could have been cut into eight tons of saleable drugs – worth £300million and a third of the entire UK annual supply. On Tuesday, six suspected members of a crime gang, including a 60-year-old Dutch man and his three sons, were arrested in Holland. Police also seized 100,000 euros (£87,300), two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, two guns, a silencer and ecstasy. Authorities were first alerted to the 65ft Caribbean pleasure cruiser while it was in the British Virgin Islands in May. Seized: The £1m Louise, a 65ft pleasure cruiser, was held at Southampton Docks where UKBA and Soca officers found cocaine worth an estimated £300m . Undercover officials looked on as it was loaded on to a container ship alongside 30 others for its journey across the Atlantic to Holland via Southampton. Investigators believe the gang intended to unload the cocaine there before distributing the majority back to Britain, which is the biggest market for the drug in Europe. But customs officers intercepted the boat at Southampton and specialist search teams spent six days secretly taking it apart. Meanwhile, the boat’s owners threatened to sue for £750,000 unless it was released. Border officials stalled for time claiming the yacht had been damaged in transit and was no longer seaworthy. Record haul: The drugs, worth £300m, are pictured with the head of the Border Force for the UK Border Agency Brodie Clark . Hidden depths: The £1million yacht, Louise, is held by customs officials, who found the 1.2 ton cocaine haul stashed in a specially built section in the back . It transpired that the excuse was based on fact, as they discovered that by removing the huge haul of drugs the vessel had become dangerously unstable. The cocaine had been concealed in a specially designed four cubic-metre compartment under the diving platform. It was 90 per cent pure, while the average purity of cocaine seized at the British border is just 63 per cent. Officials at the Serious Organised Crime Agency said the high purity meant it could have been cut into about seven million street deals. Brodie Clark, of the UK Border Agency, said the way the drugs were hidden was ‘ingenious’, adding: ‘This has been an enormous seizure of cocaine. This is the largest we have on record. It is hugely significant.’ The operation is the latest blow to international drug cartels which has forced cocaine prices in the UK to record levels. Officials said the value of a kilo of cocaine has risen from £30,000 in 2008 to more than £55,000 today. News of the seizure came as Scotland Yard scored a separate blow against the British arm of another drug network. Anthony Briggs and Rayner Jane Rothery, the final two members of a gang responsible for trafficking a ton of cocaine and laundering £10million, were jailed at Kingston Crown Court. Since . the drugs were found in June, the UKBA has helped Dutch police track . members of the gang and six men were arrested during early-morning raids on Tuesday - two 44-year-olds in Amsterdam, a 60-year-old in Meppel, . two, aged 32 and 34, in Heusden, and a 27-year-old in Waalwijk. Immigration . Minister Damian Green said: 'This was a significant drugs seizure which . was made possible by the co-operation of our international partners. 'UK Border Agency staff have shown vigilance, dedication and determination to uncover this shipment. 'Our . efforts have helped bring an international crime gang to book and the . message is clear: we will investigate and prosecute anyone who tries to . smuggle banned substances through UK borders. 'By . keeping the border secure we play a key role in stopping drugs entering . the UK and in reducing the harm they do to our communities. Find: Some of the 1.2 tonnes of 93 per cent pure cocaine found hidden inside the boat which was 'destroyed' during the search . UK Border Agency officials called the hiding of a record drugs haul in a 44-tonne, £1 million luxury yacht 'ingenious'. 'The cocaine took up a space of about four cubic metres and was fitted neatly under the diving platform aft with access from the engine room. 'It required some really good blanking panels to hide them and it was ingenious,' a spokesman said. The hiding place was so good it took specially trained officers six days to find the haul. 'The concealment was a professional job. It's a case of being methodical to find it,' said Doug McLellan, the head of maritime operations at the UKBA. 'Six days might sound like a long time but there is a lot of areas on a yacht of this size, so it's a painstaking process using trained officers, firstly looking through the obvious places and when those have been exhausted looking at the fabric of the boat.' The yacht had been transported from the British Virgin Islands on board a specially designed Dutch-registered ship, Snoekgracht, owned by Seven Stars Yacht Transport along with 30 others. It was coming to Europe to be refitted. The transport company was completely unaware of the drugs, the spokesman said. Now the yacht, which was owned by those arrested, is at berth in Southampton docks and is Crown property. 'We aim to protect society from the violence and corruption that always accompanied the trade in illegal goods.' The Dutch police were acting on . intelligence provided by Soca's international network and the French . Customs Investigation Service. Brodie Clark said the international co-operation was a 'strong and powerful example of more to come', he said. Asked . about how the drugs were hidden, he added: 'It was ingenious, it was . difficult to find. Skilful people spent a number of days looking for . it.' David Armond, deputy director of international operations for Soca, said the Louise had been 'of interest for some time'. Operation Parsons showed the trust . between international partners as the £1 million vessel was 'destroyed . to find the load', he said. He said the high purity of the cocaine meant it would make about eight tonnes of saleable drugs once cut. 'It's unusual for a load like that to get to the shores of the UK. 'It . is undoubtedly the case that, had this vessel been allowed to get to . its destination, a significant amount of this load would have been . transported back to the UK.' Jim Jarvie, deputy director for the . UKBA's crime directorate, said the drugs were destined for Holland, from . where they would have been distributed across Europe. Commissioner Gert Ras, of the Dutch National Crime Squad, said all six arrested men were Dutch nationals. They included the 60-year-old owner of the boat and his three sons, aged 27, 32 and 34. A further arrest of a seventh Dutch national is also expected, he said. Ripped apart: Officers made the search after tracking the boat from the Caribbean which was bound for Holland . | UK's 'biggest-ever' find of Class A drugs weighing 1.2 tonnes . Haul of 93 per cent pure cocaine represents a third of annual street deals when cut and distributed . | e8cb1a88e2ae6b53136d6ab9b703e012bac02b64 |
Washington (CNN) -- Senate Republicans again Tuesday blocked Democratic legislation that would require greater transparency into who is behind much of the secretive, often negative campaign advertising filling the airwaves this election season. Supporters of the DISCLOSE Act mustered 53 votes in an effort to advance the bill, but fell short of the 60 needed to break a GOP filibuster. Democrats unanimously supported the bill, while Republicans voted unanimously against it. The legislation, which needs 60 votes to succeed, failed on a 51-44 vote Monday. The legislation would require certain tax-exempt groups involved in political advertising -- which currently are not required to disclose the names of their donors -- to release the names of those who give donations of $10,000 or more. A similar vote Monday ended with the same result. "During this election, outside spending by GOP shell groups is expected to top $1 billion," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, in a floor speech. "The names of these front groups contain words like 'freedom' and 'prosperity.' But make no mistake: there is nothing free about an election purchased by a handful of billionaires for their own self-interest." Read Reid's prepared statement . Democrats say the requirement is a much-needed response to the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizen United decision, which opened the doors to large amounts of campaign spending by corporations, labor unions and other groups. The political advertising all those donations buy "threatens to drown out the voice of middle-class families in our democracy," argued Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, a chief sponsor of the bill. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, led the GOP charge against the bill and accused Democrats of crafting it to favor labor unions -- traditionally Democratic allies -- over other types of donors. Read McConnell's statement . "This legislation is an unprecedented requirement for groups to publicly disclose their donors, stripping a protection recognized and solidified by the courts," said McConnell, who has advocated for more disclosure in the past so long as it applies to all big players in campaign financing, such as labor unions and trial lawyers. McConnell cited a recent Wall Street Journal analysis that found labor unions spent $4.4 billion on campaigns between 2005 and 2011. Obama picks up campaign cash in the Lone Star State . "Predictably, unions are exempted from the kind of disclosure Democrats now want to impose on others," McConnell said. Democrats disagreed with the Republicans' assertion that labor unions are exempt from their legislation. However, the concern about labor unions appeared to sway key Republicans such as Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a longtime vocal advocate of campaign finance reform, who said he would vote against the bill for that reason. Read McCain's full remarks . "By conveniently setting high threshold for reporting requirements, the DISCLOSE Act forces some entities to inform the public about the origins of their financial support, while allowing others -- most notably those affiliated with organized labor -- to fly beneath the Federal Election Commission's regulatory radar," McCain said. McCain argued that local union chapters would not have to disclose payments from individual members if the amount was less than $10,000. Fiscal cliff fight: Missing the big picture . Opinion: Why Democrats need labor unions . To sway voters, tens of millions spent on health care ads . | GOP filibuster blocks DISCLOSE Act again . The Democratic bill would require certain groups to disclose names of high-paying donors . Republicans argue it favors labor unions over other types of donors . The legislation failed in a Monday vote, 51-44 . | 0a9dbfea7ca576578b8b03e9a08e39c7e203ab86 |
It was so nearly the ultimate fairytale for Che Adams, who came off the bench to score two goals for Sheffield United in their semi-final with Tottenham. His immediate impact, and first two goals for the club, nearly rescued the Capital One Cup tie for the Blades before Christian Eriksen's late heroics guided Spurs into the final. But who is the 18-year-old striker who only joined the League One side in November? Sportsmail gives you the lowdown on Sheffield United's cup sensation. Che Adams came off the bench to score two goals for Sheffield United against Tottenham Hotspur . SO WHO IS SHEFFIELD UNITED’S TWO-GOAL HERO? His full name is Che Zach Everton Fred Adams, the 18-year-old striker was snapped up by the Blades in November. SHOULD I HAVE HEARD OF HIM? Probably not. He was playing for non-League Ilkeston FC before moving to the League One side, though he was heavily scouted by the likes of Southampton, Burnley, Sunderland, Norwich and Rangers. His Blades career had seen him play just three times previously but he did make his debut in the 1-0 win over Southampton in the Capital One Cup quarter-final as a half-time substitute. Adams came on as a substitute for Sheffield United in the 74th minute and scored three minutes later after finishing neatly across Michel Vorm's goal following a low far post cross . Adams celebrates scoring his first goal for the club which levelled the scores on the night at 1-1 . DIDN'T COVENTRY CITY LET HIM SLIP THROUGH THE NET? Adams was on the books at the Sky Blues before they released him, and his form became so impressive in the non-league ranks that up to 45 scouts were watching him at one point. HE TOOK HIS GOALS AGAINST SPURS WELL, BUT IS THERE MORE TO HIS GAME? Indeed there is. His strike record was impressive at Ilkeston with nine goals in 16 games, but he also contributed with 11 assist during that period too. WHAT ARE HIS STRONGEST ABILITIES? It's best to let his former manager Kevin Wilson give a lowdown on that. Wilson was excited about the striker's potential after he sold him to Sheffield United back in November. The second goal for Adams came just two minutes after his first, a low drive inside the box deflected past Vorm by Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier (right) Spurs midfielder Paulinho stands dejected as Adams celebrates scoring the Blades' second goal of the evening to give them a 2-1 lead - a scoreline which would have earned the League One side extra time . Sheffield United players congratulate Adams following his immediate impact, before Christian Eriksen restored Spurs' aggregate lead in the Capital One Cup semi-final . 'Che is one of those players that comes along every so often and makes you think, ‘wow’,” said Wilson in an interview with The Star. 'He’s got pace in abundance, but he’s really powerful too. I remember a goal he scored against FC United of Manchester, where he picked the ball up in his own half, drove at their defence and finished in the bottom corner. 'His biggest asset is that knack of changing games in the blink of an eye. He stands defenders up and then leaves them for dead. In fact, I’d say he’s capable of doing things that I haven’t seen players do for a long, long time.' ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HIM? Adams has already been earmarked to play for Antigua and Barbuda at international level and was formally called up to the England C team last October. He is also eligible to represent Scotland. Adams applauds fans following the second leg semi-final clash having caused Spurs an almighty scare . Sheffield United boss Nigel Clough instructs his team during the cup tie, with the Blades boss having signed Adams from Ilkeston in November . | Che Adams scored twice for Sheffield United against Tottenham Hotspur . Striker came off bench to turn around Capital One Cup semi-final tie . The 18-year-old only joined Blades in November from non-league Ilkeston . | 0c7751eb61886e7cb065a278db8b402ef675aa0d |
In the course of their murderous rampage yesterday in Paris, two of the Islamist shooters announced that they were acting in the name of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP, the affiliate of Al Qaeda that operates in Yemen. Formed in 2009, AQAP merged existing Yemeni and Saudi jihadists after the Saudi Kingdom became too unsafe for them and they fled southwards. This suggests that AQAP feels eclipsed by ISIS, which has attracted so much coverage since last summer, and is determined to put itself back in the international spotlight with this act of mass murder, in broad daylight, in a major European capital. There is a proven link between AQAP and the gunmen's choice of target since AQAP's online magazine 'Inspire' recently included the editor-in-chief of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in a list of 'unbelievers' deserving a bullet. AQAP also has a track record of mounting attacks on western targets, and has its own Foreign Operations Unit to train terrorists who can convincingly pass themselves off in foreign contexts. Scroll down for video . The two men were named as Cherif Kouachi (left), 32, and his brother Said Kouachi (right), 34 . There is a direct personal link between AQAP and core Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its leader, Nasir Abdel Karim al- Wuhayshi, served four years as Osama bin Laden's aide de camp and then became Ayman al-Zawahiri's 'general manager' thereafter. After three years in a Yemeni jail, in 2006 Wuhayshi escaped and has led AQAP ever since. Attacks on the 'far enemy' as they call the West, are integral to Al Qaeda's strategy, since it undermines western support for the local regimes Al Qaeda wishes to destroy. Like Afghanistan under the Taliban, Yemen is almost ideally suited for terrorist groups to operate. It is a wild place, with vast and rugged desert wastelands, including the Hadramaut region in the north east where the family of Osama bin Laden originated from before they emigrated to Saudi Arabia. Yemen is the poorest Arab state, not least because its modest oil reserves are almost totally exhausted. So too is the country's water supply, with so much of it diverted into growing the leaf narcotic qat which Yemeni men chew obsessively throughout the afternoons. The capital, Sana'a will soon be the first city in the world to run out of water as the aquifers empty. The politics of Yemen are desperate too, with government compared with dancing on the heads of snakes. Its long time dictator, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, was ousted in February 2012, leaving what amounts to a power vacuum. The country was already faced with two secessionist insurgencies in north and south. One of these involves the Iranian-backed Houthis, who come from the country's large Shia minority in a country that is predominantly Sunni. The Sunnis are backed by Saudi Arabia which is so worried by its disturbed southern neighbor as to construct a huge fence along the heavily patrolled border. This has not checked the Houthi advance. Recently, the triumphal Houthis virtually hijacked the weak government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and took control the capital. The Shia Houthis are waging a violent struggle against the Sunni AQAP, with almost daily bomb attacks, like the one which on Wednesday killed 38 would-be recruits at Sana'a's police training academy. Drive by shootings of intelligence and police officers by AQAP gunmen are also becoming more frequent. 'Massacre': Two masked gunmen brandishing Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers attack the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo office . Helpless: The gunmen move in on the officer as Ahmed Merabet - who is believed to have been a Muslim - lies wounded on the pavement . Intelligence officers have been told the brothers attended jihadi training camps in Yemen overseen by Al Qaeda – one is believed to have made two visits, stopping initially in the capital Sanaa. They are said to be checking whether he went there to study. Al Qaeda operates several remote training camps in the east of Yemen that have been the target of US-led drone attacks and where trainers have taught Europeans, including Britons and French nationals. Detectives are trying to confirm the information and seeking to check whether the brothers had received military training in Algeria with militant groups. Both men operated during the Charlie Hebdo shooting with military expertise and precision, using classic tactics when leaving the building and running down the street – one covering the other throughout. They did not waste bullets, firing individual shots or short bursts displaying a calmness that suggested both had previously been in combat, possibly as part of Al Qaeda units fighting Yemen’s Army in the east of the country. Anwar al-Awlaki (pictured) was killed in 2011 but had been a prolific recruiter for AQAP . For in these grim circumstances, AQAP has prospered. The wildness of Yemen provides plenty of remote places to use as training camps, where the group's highly proficient bomb makers can practice their craft. Here they receive basic and then more advanced infantry training of the kind used to devastating effect in Paris yesterday. Covering their advance by sweeping their guns left and right, the two gunmen used single shots rather than blasting away indiscriminately. One of them simply said 'OK Chief' as he murdered a wounded policeman lying helpless on the pavement. These camps were responsible for training both the 'underpants' bomber Abdulmutallab who attempted to blow himself up on a trans-Atlantic flight on Christmas day 2009, and a year later for a sophisticated attempt to smuggle bombs hidden in printers on cargo planes bound for the US in order to kill designated Jewish targets in Chicago. Since the Yemeni armed forces are largely deployed combating separatist rebels, the US has had little choice other than to strike these terrorists with drones, especially since they lurk in inaccessible regions. Some of these strikes have killed considerable numbers of women and children since AQAP terrorists and trainers are often accompanied by dependent family members. That in turn magnifies sympathy for the group within the wider Yemeni population. So although nothing seems to connect a wild tribal society on the verge of ruin with the deaths of witty and sophisticated writers and cartoonists in the 'city of light', unfortunately globalization means that just such a connection exists and it is lethal. And unlike ISIS, which so far has simply incited random individuals to carry out low level attacks involving using cars or knives as weapons, AQAP can evidently mount carefully planned operations, in which the professionalism of the attackers is as evident as their implacable religious fanatacism. The gunmen being hunted by police over the Charlie Hebdo attack are believed to be from militant group Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The group was established by Yusef al-Ayeri in 2003 in Saudi Arabia, but was forced to flee to Yemen after a series of attacks drove them back. Yemen's weak government allowed the group to rally and gain members, though they are only thought to have around 400 troops today. While their attacks initially focused on targets in the Middle East, such as an attempted suicide attack on Saudi Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, they quickly spread to Western targets. On Christmas Day in 2009, they were implicated in the underwear bomb plot after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was discovered on a Detroit-bound plane trying to detonate liquid explosives in his underpants. The following year AQAP also took responsibility for a plot to blow up two devices hidden inside printer cartridges loaded on to cargo planes travelling from Yemen to the United States. One device was discovered during a stopover at East Midlands Airport in Britain, while another was uncovered in Dubai. According to Stanford University the group is currently lead by Yemen-born Nasser al-Wuhayshi, who is an apprentice of Osama Bin Laden and was imprisoned for a time in Yemen, but escaped in 2006 along with 22 others. The group has a global jihadist agenda. Like ISIS, they aim to create a single Arab caliphate, covering Pakistan Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and the Levant - the area encompassing Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Israel. If yesterday's attack is confirmed as coming from AQAP, it will be the first time the group has used lone-wolf style tactics, in which gunmen act alone or in small groups to attack targets. | The massacre in France may be because Al Qaeda feels eclipsed by ISIS . Charlie Hebdo boss named in extremists' magazine as target for murder . Gunmen claimed they were acting for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula . Known as AQAP, it has become of the organisation's strongest branches . The group is based in Yemen, which is perfectly suited to terror activities . | c13173b31ff6d815254e2fe5da5ced5be8fc7b10 |
Budget: Sally Shephard, pictured, bought a week's worth of fresh food for just £5.60, or 80p-a-day . A 29-year-old woman proved you don't need to break the bank to eat healthily - buying a week's worth of fresh food for just £5.60. Sally Shephard carefully planned her 80p-a-day menu and raided markets and supermarkets for the best deals on fresh ingredients. And she even had change spare for a pork pie at the end of the week. Miss Shephard, from Newcastle, said her aim was to live on the same budget as those who live below the international poverty line and raise money for impoverished communities in Kenya. Her three meals-a-day diet consisted of core ingredients such as carrots, onions and rice that were bought at the beginning of the week. And rather than indulging in costly alcohol or fizzy drinks, Miss Shephard washed her meals down with glasses of hot water. She said the meals, which included omelettes, potato cakes and soups, weren't that different to what she would usually eat, and said it proved it was always possible to eat healthily - even on a shoestring budget. Miss Shephard, who is due to become a special needs worker next month, said: 'I bulk bought bags of potatoes and rice and bought fresh fruit and vegetables from my local market. 'I was never hungry and I had loads of money left even after I'd bought myself the ingredients. 'My diet during those seven days wasn't that different to what I would have normally and I had good, big healthy meals.' On day four of the challenge, Miss Shephard used the £2.24 she had in change from her main buy at the beginning of the week to pick up spinach, a cabbage and six eggs from the market. And on day seven, Miss Shephard even had enough money to buy a pork pie that had been reduced to 45p. She finished the week with five potatoes, five onions, more than half a kilo of rice, a slice of bread, two thirds of the cabbage and some butter - and still had 9p in her purse. Day one . Breakfast - wholemeal toast with butter and a banana . Lunch - rice salad with onion and carrot . Dinner - carrot, potato and onion soup . Day two . Breakfast - wholemeal toast with butter and a banana . Lunch - carrot, potato and onion soup . Dinner - rice salad with onion and carrot and mushrooms gathered on a walk . Day three . Breakfast - two slices of wholemeal toast with butter, and a banana . Lunch - carrot, potato and onion soup . Dinner - carrot, potato and onion soup with slice of fried bread (fried in butter) Staple: Miss Shephard's carrot potato and onion soup, pictured, was a key part of her five-day menu. She bought all three vegetables in bulk for little over £2 at the beginning of the week . Day four . Breakfast - wholemeal toast with butter and a banana . Lunch - plain jacket potato . Dinner - omelette packed with onion, spinach and cabbage and a slice of fried bread . Day five . Breakfast - wholemeal toast with butter and a banana . Lunch - carrot, potato and onion soup . Dinner - potato cakes with onion and carrot and a poached egg . Day six . Brunch - two slices of toast, two potato cakes and a poached egg . Dinner - potato cakes with steamed cabbage, carrots and spinach . Supper - piece of toast with a potato cake . Day seven . Breakfast - two slices of toast, two potato cakes and a potato cake . Lunch - pork pie . Dinner - steamed cabbage, spinach and carrots bubble and squeak . Dinner: Miss Shephard made potato cakes (left) with onion and carrot and a poached egg for her evening meal on day five. Her meals were made from ingredients sourced from markets and supermarkets . Treat: At the end of the week Miss Shephard even had enough money to buy a pork pie that had been reduced to 45p, pictured, and still had 9p in her purse leftover . Miss Shephard said the challenge showed it is possible to live comfortably on low-cost ingredients, adding that there was 'no excuse' to eat unhealthy food as it is 'often so expensive in comparison'. While she admitted the menu did become slightly repetitive, she said the meals were also surprisingly tasty. 5kg potatoes: £1 . 10kg onions: £1 . Bag of carrots: 49p . Wholemeal bread: 49p . 1kg rice: 40p . Five bruised bananas: 5p . Butter: £1 . Spinach: 50p . Cabbage: 50p . Eggs: 70p . Pork Pie: 45p . She said: 'The potato cakes are a winner. I will be making them much more in the future. 'It has been a little repetitive but easily manageable and enjoyable. I have also surprised myself with how many tasty meals can be made with so few ingredients. 'I didn't have any fatty foods or anything processed at all. If anything my diet is much healthier as I have not been able to afford crisps, chocolate and alcohol.' The challenge, which lasted a week, has already helped Miss Shephard raise more than £1,000 for Mattumaini, a charity she set up. The project is dedicated to the development of the community in the slums of Nakuru, the fourth largest town in Kenya. Miss Shephard said: 'All you read about in the news is the Government giving money to people who are obese to help them lose weight. 'I don't think that's right and I've got a friend who lives below the poverty line so I thought I would try and prove you don't need a lot of money to live healthily. I found it surprisingly easy.' Chopped: Miss Shephard said the challenge showed it is possible to live comfortably on low-cost ingredients, adding that there was 'no excuse' to eat unhealthy food as it is 'often so expensive in comparison' Weekend boost: This hearty meal of two slices of wholemeal toast, two poached eggs and two potato cakes was just one of the clever meal that Miss Shephard came up with . Back to basics: Lunch on day four was just a plain jacket potato. Miss Shephard admitted that the menu did become slightly repetitive, but said the meals were also surprisingly tasty . | Sally Shephard raided supermarkets and markets for deals on ingredients . She managed to make three balanced meals a day, all with fresh produce . The 29-year-old completed challenge to raise money for charity in Kenya . Miss Shephard said it proved you could eat healthily even on tight budget . | 03acc05aa822bd398781f7b998a01fdee4ae6eda |
AC Milan is the right move for Torres . Fernando Torres has described his two-year loan move to AC Milan as a 'new adventure' as he completed his medical on Sunday. Torres arrived at Milan Linate Airport on Saturday to be greeted by 200 fans ahead of his switch from Chelsea to the Serie A club. And the 30-year-old Spaniard is now looking forward to working under manager Filippo Inzaghi after passing his medical. VIDEO Scroll down for Fernando Torres misses from two yards in Chelsea friendly . All good: Fernando Torres gives the thumbs up after completing his medical at AC Milan on Sunday . Arrival: Torres pictured arriving in Milan on Saturday ahead of his two-year loan move from Chelsea . En route: Torres with AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani just after his arrival at Linate Airport . Mobbed: Torres was greeted by fans as he arrived for his medical at 'Madonnina Clinic' Selfie: Supporters tried to take pictures with the Chelsea international as he arrived for his medical . New challenge: After seven years in the Premier League, Torres will head for Serie A . Pose: A supporter outside the 'Madonnina Clinic' takes a photo with the £50m Chelsea striker . Good times: A supporter in a Liverpool shirt asks Torres to sign his red jersey . Flop: Despite a £50million move from Liverpool, Torres scored just 45 goals in 172 appearances for Chelsea . Atletico Madrid (2001-07) Appearances: 244 . Goals: 91 . Goals per game ratio: 2.7 matches . Liverpool (2007-11) Appearances: 142 . Goals: 81 . Goals per game ratio: 1.8 matches . Cost per goal (signed for £24m): £296,000 . Chelsea (2011-14) Appearances: 172 . Goals: 45 . Goals per game ratio: 3.8 matches . Cost per goal (signed for £50m): £1.1m . Spain (2003-) Appearances: 110 . Goals: 38 . Goals per game ratio: 2.9 matches . Torres told the Milan Channel: 'I cannot wait to start this new adventure. I spoke to the coach yesterday and I am really pleased to work with a coach like him. 'He was a great goal-scorer and definitely understands what the role of a striker is. I am sure that he can teach me and help me a lot in this adventure.' Torres revealed how he almost once joined Milan from Atletico Madrid before eventually moving to Liverpool in 2007. He said: 'I was close to joining Milan when I was at Atletico Madrid, but we’re talking about many years ago, a long time has since passed. 'I’ve now finally arrived at Milan. Playing for Milan isn’t easy. It’s an honour and a privilege to wear this shirt. I want to give my best and help the side have a great season.' Torres will wear the number 9 shirt at Milan, as worn by Inzaghi and Dutch legend Marco van Basten. 'It would be a privilege to wear the number 9 jersey and to play at the level that everybody expects from me. I thank the fans for the welcome. 'I am sure that it will all go well. I can promise that I will give 100% and that with their help this experience will be fantastic and for many years I hope.' Frustrating: Torres' failed to live up to his £50m price tag during his three-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge . On the ball: Spain striker Torres (right) had two years on his £150,000-a-week deal at Stamford Bridge . | Fernando Torres has completed his medical at AC Milan . Torres leaves Stamford Bridge and moves to the San Siro on loan . Striker landed in Milan on Saturday to be welcomed by 200 fans . Spanish striker ends three-and-a-half difficult years at Stamford Bridge . Torres scored just 45 goals in 172 games after £50m move from Liverpool . | cc46924d46cdc5f0deb5da0d0966508a82de9af8 |
Two convicted murderers were being hunted by police tonight after both went on the run from open prisons with fellow inmates in a bizarre coincidence over the weekend. Daniel Shankly, 30, vanished from HMP Leyhill in south Gloucestershire on Saturday, while the following day 27-year-old Lewis Hoare walked out of Spring Hill Open Prison, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Police were warning members of the public not to approach either of the men, who had both disappeared along with another inmate from their respective prisons. On the run: Daniel Shankly, 30, (left) vanished from HMP Leyhill in south Gloucestershire on Saturday while the following day 27-year-old Lewis Hoare (right) walked out of Spring Hill Open Prison, near Aylesbury . Shankly, who was sentenced to life behind bars in 2001 for the murder of disabled Timothy Young, vanished alongside 29-year-old Daniel Wynne, although police said they may have split up since leaving the prison. Shankly, who has links to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, is described as white, about 6ft 3ins and of slim build. He has short brown spiky hair, is clean shaven and has a tattoo on his right upper arm with the words 'RIP Nan'. Wynne, who was serving a two-year sentence for assault, has links to the Caerphilly area of South Wales. He is described as white, 5ft 7in and of stocky build. He has a shaved head, speaks with a Welsh accent and has a tattoo on his left arm with the name 'Danny'. Inmates: Shankly vanished alongside 29-year-old Daniel Wynne (left), while Hoare left prison with fellow inmate Kenneth Simmonds, 43 (right) An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: 'They were last seen at about 12.50pm and failed to appear for the 4.45pm roll call. 'It is believed they absconded together but it is possible they may have split up after they left HMP Leyhill. 'We would like members of the public who spot both or either of the men to contact us via the 999 emergency number. 'We would advise anyone spotting the men not to approach them but call us immediately.' In a separate incident, police launched a manhunt for Hoare - who was jailed for eight years in 2007 for the brutal murder of a former Royal Navy worker - after he left his low security complex with fellow inmate Kenneth Simmonds. Hoare, 27, was part of a gang who kicked and punched pensioner Brian Kitching, aged 68, to death in a seafront rock garden after one of them falsely accused him of being paedophile. Meanwhile, Simmonds, 43, was said to be in prison for malicious wounding. Police were tonight warning the public not to make contact with the convicts, who walked out of Spring Hill at around 1pm yesterday. Hoare was described slim, with blue eyes, short brown hair, clean shaven, with a mole on his right cheek, protruding ears and a tattoo with the word 'Pompy' across his knuckles. Simmonds is of medium build, with blue eyes, short brown hair, clean shaven, with a small scar under his left eye, a scar above his right eyebrow, a tattoo of a panther on his left forearm and a tattoo of a panther's head on his right arm forearm. Detective Inspector Joe Banfield from Thames Valley Police said: 'Thames Valley Police is working closely with the Prison Service to try and locate Hoare and Simmonds, who walked out of Spring Hill Open Prison at about 1pm yesterday. 'If any member of the public sees either Hoare or Simmonds do not approach them, instead call 999.' | Daniel Shankly vanished from HMP Leyhill in Gloucestershire on Saturday . Convicted murderer Shankly, 30, left with fellow inmate Daniel Wynne, 29 . The next day Lewis Hoare walked out of Spring Hill prison near Aylesbury . 27-year-old went missing with Kenneth Simmonds, 43, on Sunday . Police have warned the public not to approach any of the men . | 3664aed5049ae5801ef32cea4c0861cd0e61ffbe |
New York (CNN) -- Al Qaeda propagandist Sulaiman Abu Ghaith had a long plane ride last week to New York and an American jail cell located blocks from ground zero of the September 11 attacks. He filled that time, in part, by talking to U.S. investigators. It was an odd end to a journey that began just weeks earlier in Iran. Abu Ghaith, for reasons still unclear, left Iran and entered Turkey using a forged Saudi passport, Turkish media reported. The CIA tracked him to a Turkish hotel room. He was detained by Turkish officials in early February, but they refused for a month to turn him over to the U.S. Instead, Turkey expelled Abu Ghaith and put him on a plane to Kuwait, where he was born, sources said. U.S. law enforcement took him into custody during a stopover in Jordan. Members of HIG -- the High Value Interrogation Group, which includes the CIA -- were also involved in the operation. Abu Ghaith apparently wasn't quiet during his overseas flight with U.S. authorities. The conversations, confirmed by a U.S. official with knowledge of them, are expected to be part of the government's case to prove Abu Ghaith helped conspire to kill Americans and recruited members for al Qaeda. The Justice Department and FBI declined to comment on whether or when Abu Ghaith was read his Miranda rights after his arrest. However, intelligence experts say that is required if prosecutors intend to use his lengthy statement during trial. "That would be the way it was done," says Mitchell Silber, an executive managing director with the security firm K2 Intelligence and the New York Police Department's former director of Intelligence analysis. Sources and intelligence experts told CNN it's questionable how helpful Abu Ghaith, one of Osama bin Laden's sons-in-law, could be in terms of current intelligence, because he has been out of the loop for years. He has lived in Iran since 2002, mostly under house arrest. "He's a low-level target with high political value," Silber told CNN. "His main value would be (if he's) able to help quantify and assess the former top al Qaeda leaders with him under house arrest in Iran," Silber says. Silber added the U.S. would want Abu Ghaith to "describe the nature of the Iranian treatment of them," including "how adversarial the relationship is between Iran and al Qaeda." There is concern former al Qaeda leaders in Iran could rise to power again. But the relationship between the predominantly Shiite Iranians and the largely Sunni al Qaeda members is a complex one. Just how do the Iranians view al Qaeda? Do they see opportunities for cooperation? Or is the extreme Sunni philosophy of the group too much for them? It's something investigators would like to know, and Abu Ghaith may have insights. Strange bedfellows -- Iran and al Qaeda . On Friday, the fiery former al Qaeda spokesman walked into federal court with his hands cuffed. He was only about a mile from ground zero in the very country he had targeted in multiple video messages, warning Americans they would be attacked again after 9/11 by "airplane storms" and biochemical attacks. At his arraignment, his cuffs now removed, a not guilty plea was entered on Abu Ghaith's behalf by Philip Weinstein, the attorney appointed to represent him. Abu Ghaith told the court, through an Arabic interpreter, he had no money to pay for a lawyer. Prosecutors didn't reveal what Abu Ghaith had said to them, only telling the court he had made an "extensive statement" after his arrest that filled 22 pages. The charges in the indictment were sealed until his arrest. He is being held without bond until his next appearance in April. No trial date has been set. If found guilty, Abu Ghaith faces life in prison. | Sulaiman Abu Ghaith's statement, given after his arrest, is 22 pages long . Expert says his value comes in assessing status of former al Qaeda leaders in Iran . Concern is al Qaeda could gain power in Iran again . Abu Graith is charged with conspiracy to kill Americans . | 254982c9e7e9f695eae66afae88951f28566541c |
Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero Wednesday ordered a review of his country's nuclear power plants in light of the crisis unfolding in Japan, where workers are battling to contain radioactive materials at a plant after an massive earthquake and tsunami. Spain is the latest in a number of countries around the world who are giving their nuclear programs a second look as Japan tirelessly works to avoid a nuclear disaster. According to nation's nuclear regulatory body, the Nuclear Safety Council, Spain has eight nuclear reactors in operation at six nuclear power plants. "We should do this, but there are reasons to remain calm about the safety of our nuclear plants and about the reports the Nuclear Safety Council is preparing," Zapatero told reporters of his decision for a review. He added, "What we are going to do is be even more sure and safer. And if there is a needed improvement at some nuclear plant due to a hypothetical risk, that's the work of the Nuclear Safety Council." Separately, Zapatero said that Spain is not ordering an evacuation of its nationals in Japan because there's been no such request from the Japanese government. Instead, Spain will follow Japan's lead and will try to assist those Spaniards who wish to leave. There are no Spaniards in the affected zone near the nuclear power plant or in other high-risk areas, the prime minister's office reported. There are about 1,900 Spaniards in Japan, more than half of them in the Tokyo area. In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez said that preliminary plans for a nuclear power plant in his country will be halted. He ordered his energy ministry to look for alternative sources of energy. Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a three-month moratorium on the extension of the operation periods for German nuclear plants. That move will lead to at least one German nuclear plant shutting down very soon, Germany's environmental minister later said in a statement. | The decision was made in light of the crisis in Japan . Spain's prime minister says the review will make the plants even safer . Venezuela announced it's halting plans for a nuclear plant . | a1edae47d9c1ab3768c5d2e645fb3e2583d0b234 |
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