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By . Daily Mail Reporter . You'd think that if your father was a millionaire rock star that money would be the least of your worries. But Ronnie Wood’s son has revealed how he hustled and dealt drugs to earn a few pounds because the Rolling Stone was so ‘tight’ with his cash. Jamie Wood, who is now an art dealer, was expelled from a Somerset boarding school when he was 16 after he was caught selling cannabis to his classmates. Tight: Jamie Wood said his adoptive father Ronnie, who is worth £20million, made him build his own career . Asked if his art career was bankrolled by his father, who is said to be worth £20million, he said: 'Dude, what are you thinking? My old man is tight. I’d say, “Dad, I’m going out”, and he’d give me a tenner. 'That’s why I was always hustling from a young age, so I wouldn’t have to ask him for nothing. 'I was a hustler. That’s what I did. I’m into money and making money.' The gallery owner, now 39, also told how he would challenge Rolling Stones band members to games of pool to make extra cash. Brother in arms: Ronnie brought Jamie up as his own alongside his other sons Jesse and Tyrone Wood . Jamie's mother is Jo Wood, Ronnie's former wife, who met the rocker when her first-born was just a baby . Jamie was adopted in the 1970s as a baby by Ronnie when the musician got together with his mother Jo. His biological father is clothing boss Peter Greene. The father-of-three has recently spoken out about his shock following the death of L'Wren Scott, girlfriend of Sir Mick Jagger. The 39-year-old art dealer was expelled from boarding school for dealing cannabis, but build himself up . He told The Times the entire inner circle of the Rolling Stones and their families are in still coming to terms with the circumstances. Asked if he thinks Mick can overcome . the tragic loss, he replied: ‘Yeah, course. He's been through plenty of . things. But you never know how things may affect people, you just wish . them luck and hope that they get through okay at a terrible time. ‘Things like that are difficult because they're so unexpected.’ | Jamie Wood expelled from boarding school at 16 for dealing cannabis . Claims adoptive father Ronnie, worth £20m, made sure he built himself up . Gallery owner, now 39, would challenge Stones to games of pool for cash . | f0c19aaaaef7b9051b7c0880d7cfdd29a46c9222 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:08 EST, 24 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:56 EST, 24 July 2013 . Jo Rust underwent drastic weight loss surgery five years ago after struggling to shed the weight shed piled on after having her children. After years of failed diets and with her weight sticking stubbornly at 20 stone, Jo Rust decided to have a gastric band fitted. The mother of two was delighted as the pounds rolled off and her dress size dropped from a 24 to a 12. But her weight kept falling and falling, and then she collapsed at work. At hospital, doctors assumed the gastric band was too tight and decided to remove it, only to discover her stomach had become tangled in the band and turned gangrenous. To save her life, surgeons had to remove 90 per cent of her stomach. Mrs Rust is now a healthy ten-and-a-half stone. But as a result of the surgery she never feels hungry – and has to set an alarm to remind her to eat six times a day. The operation left her with hardly any stomach lining, which produces the hormone that drives the hunger instinct. Her remaining stomach is so small that the 47-year-old can eat only tiny portions of food, using a baby’s bowl for her meals. ‘I haven’t felt hungry for months,’ she said yesterday. ‘I think it would take me days before I realised I haven’t eaten without the alarm reminder. Before having a gastric band fitted, Mrs Rust (pictured in 2007) says she would devour biscuits, crisps, sandwiches and sausage rolls for lunch - and she would binge on sweets once a week . ‘When I was not working and recovering . at home I found it easier to remember, but now I am back at work full . time it is so easy to let it slip my mind. ‘The alarm is also important as it . makes my colleagues aware that I need to have something to eat, . otherwise meetings can go on for hours and I could be starving without . knowing it. ‘When I had the band I still felt . hungry, but it stopped me overeating. Now I have to force myself to eat . when I am not hungry. It is completely different psychologically.’ Due to a freak complication surgeons had to remove the majority of Mrs Rust's stomach, which means she never feels hungry. She now has to set an alarm on her phone to remind her to eat . Mrs Rust, of King’s Lynn, Norfolk, went up to 20 stone after having her daughters Holly, now 25, and Emilia, 21. The mother-of-two has dropped nine stone to weigh a healthy 11 stone 7lb . At work she would eat biscuits, crisps, sandwiches and sausage rolls for lunch and then binge on sweets. She had the gastric band fitted in . 2007 and slimmed to 11-and-a-half stone by eating three small meals a . day and exercising. However as the band failed her weight dropped . further. At the end of January she collapsed and had her stomach . removed. Despite her ordeal, she urged others to consider having a gastric band fitted. ‘I have no regrets,’ she said. ‘The band is the best thing I have . ever done. I don’t want people to be put off when what happened to me . was a freak occurrence.’ | Jo Rust, 47, had majority of stomach removed after her gastric band broke . She had dropped from 20 stone to 11 stone 7lb, from a size 24 to a size 12 . Mrs Rust says she hasn't felt hungry for months and must now set an alarm on her mobile phone to remind her to eat six times a day . Despite her ordeal she still believes her gastric band was the best thing she has ever done . Those who are mocked for being . overweight are more likely to get fatter, according to a study by . Florida State University – because fear of ridicule means they avoid . exercise and are prone to comfort eating. Meanwhile, scientists in Japan have . developed a breath sensor that can accurately measure actual fat loss . after exercise. Researcher Satoshi Hiyama said it could play ‘a pivotal . role’ in the fight against obesity. | df146f873ef926f59ddcdfaed3377f43530f9550 |
Austin, Texas (CNN) -- When speaking to the tech-savvy attendees of South by Southwest Interactive, it doesn't hurt to lead with a Web reference -- even if you're the former vice president. "Our democracy has been hacked," said Al Gore. "It no longer works, in the main, to serve the interests of our people." Gore joined Sean Parker, the mind behind Napster and founding president of Facebook, on a two-man panel at the digital festival Monday during which both decried the influence of money in politics and pointed to the Internet as the answer. Parker, whose Napster nearly single-handedly started a revolution in how people acquire and consume music, alluded to his past during the hour-long talk before an overflow crowd of about 5,000. "The Internet is incredibly good at taking money out of existing industries," he told the capacity audience of more than 3,000. "My hope is that the Internet can do for the political process what it did for the copyright industries." Parker is a backer and board member of Votizen, a site started in 2010 to help users parlay their social networks into political activism. In 2007, he also co-founded Causes, a site that applies similar principles to fundraising for nonprofits and has raised $40 million for over 27,000 organizations. Gore, who in addition to his well-documented environmental activism is a technology investor and founder of Current TV, pointed to recent examples of Web-enabled activism -- from the Web's role in democratic reform in Egypt to successful protests of the Susan G. Komen Foundation after it pulled funding for Planned Parenthood. But he and Parker noted that, in the next generation of Web activism, there needs to be a way to strengthen engagement beyond merely putting a digital signature on an online petition or clicking "like" on Facebook. "It's not enough to take that small action online," Parker said. "A referral or notification is not really the same thing as showing up at a protest or actually opening up your wallet." While blasting the Supreme Court's ruling in the Citizens United case that allowed for big-money "super PACs" in political campaigns -- "a Supreme Court I have not always agreed with," said the 2000 presidential nominee -- Gore said that successful political activism online can decrease the influence of money from special interests. "When we win the conversation, then the pressure can be put on the politicians and elected officials to do the right thing," Gore said. Parker said the way online communities rose up to ultimately derail the Stop Online Piracy Act (which many felt would have clamped down on Web freedom) is heartening, even if he's not sure exactly what form future efforts will take. (He called apathy in tech circles "somewhat pathetic" before that, but that SOPA "awakened that sleeping giant." "There are a lot of really smart hackers in this audience," Parker said. "We need to put our heads together and take control of this system ... before the slow-thinking incumbents ... know what's happening." | Al Gore: 'Our democracy is being hacked' and the Web can help . Gore and Napster founder Sean Parker spoke at South by Southwest Interactive . Both say money is too prevalent in politics and the Web needs to balance that . Parker founded Votizen to help turn social networks into political activism . | 35d30bce5913a5aa53c2a9acc8895b2f1ac17e78 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:39 EST, 25 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:39 EST, 25 October 2013 . A drunk 23-year-old man was charged with sexual battery after allegedly dropping to his knees and biting a woman's buttocks in a Georgia bar yesterday morning. David Franklin Cruz was partying with his friend at Nowhere Bar in Athens when he allegedly chomped on a 22-year-old woman's rear end about 1am. Cruz also allegedly fondled another woman's breast inside the bar, and tried to kiss a man and woman outside the North Lumpkin Street drinking hole. Bizarre: David Franklin Cruz, 23, has been charged with sexual battery after allegedly biting a woman's buttocks in a Georgia bar yesterday morning . Inebriated: Police said Cruz behaved in a 'very agitated and uncontrollable manner' when being questioned . Cruz came to the attention of police about 1.15am as he fought with patrons on the street. A patrolling officer found several bar patrons trying to push Cruz and another man out of the establishment, Athens Patch reported. Two people involved in the altercation told police Cruz had bitten a woman. The victim told police that Cruz 'had dropped to his knees and had bitten her on the buttocks.' Bar staff confirmed her claim. Another woman who refused to press charges said the Waycross resident had fondled her breast. Public disorder: Cruz came to the attention of police when they saw him embroiled in a fight outside Nowhere Bar in Athens . After Cruz was handcuffed, a 23-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman told the officer Cruz had tried to kiss them and they pushed him away. According to the police report, Cruz 'had stopped them on the sidewalk and . had tried to kiss each of them and they had to shove him away to fend . off the unwanted advances,' The Smoking Gun reported. Police said Cruz behaved in a 'very agitated and uncontrollable manner' and smelled like alcohol while being questioned. He was arrested for sexual battery, public intoxication and disorderly conduct and booked into the county jail. His friend, 23-year-old Charles W. Stewart of Waycross, was charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct, according to Athens Patch. Night life: Cruz allegedly bit a woman's bum and fondles another woman's breast inside Nowhere Bar in Athens, Georgia (pictured) | David Franklin Cruz, 23, charged with sexual battery after allegedly biting a female bar patron's bottom Thursday morning . He also allegedly fondled another woman and tried to kiss a man and woman outside the Georgia bar . Police arrested Cruz after spotting him in a fight on the sidewalk . Cruz's friend Charles W. Stewart, 23, was charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct . | c257ec011c6589ad00393e38a0f866caf16d8976 |
By . Jack Doyle . Last updated at 1:49 PM on 17th September 2011 . Repeat offender: The boy outside court in August . A boy of 11 given a ‘rehabilitation order’ after joining in the riots was caught shoplifting just six days later. The boy, who is thought to be the country’s youngest rioter, stole from a department store in his home town of Romford, Essex, after the windows were smashed. Appearing in court on August 31, the judge told him: ‘You can’t get away with committing offences of this nature.’ The youngster, whose name cannot be made public, was told he would have been jailed if he was ‘a little older’. But six days later, on September 6, he was arrested again in the town’s Asda supermarket accused of theft and assault. Astonishingly, the boy had joined the rioting just five days after yet another court appearance, for arson and criminal damage. When he was placed on the youth rehabilitation order at the end of August, charities criticised the courts for punishing children of his age for ‘minor offences’. But yesterday Tory MP for Romford Andrew Rosindell said the youngster needed a ‘short sharp shock’. ‘We need harsher penalties. You’ve got to make people fear the punishment so they don’t commit the crime,’ he added. ‘What are his parents doing to allow their child to behave in such a way? He needs to be taken away from his parents for six months.’ According to Scotland Yard, the boy is the youngest rioter in London to face prosecution. The original Mail story on Sept 1 . He admitted burglary after he was . caught stealing a £50 waste bin from a Debenhams store on August 8, when . a gang smashed the store windows. Appearing before Havering . Magistrates’ Court in Essex three weeks later, District Judge John . Woollard told him: ‘You seem to think that nobody can stop the way you . behave.’ Riots: The boy is believed to be one of the youngest to get caught up in August's violence (file photo) The boy was given an 18-month . rehabilitation order – a generic community sentence for young offenders, . to which requirements such as curfews can be attached to try to break a . cycle of crime without resorting to custody. But he was back in the same court on . September 7, where he admitted theft but denied assault. He has been . released on bail until November 22. At the time of the riot offences, he . was already under a ‘referral order’ for offences of arson, criminal . damage and carrying a pointed instrument. | Young rioter 'should be taken away from his parents', says Tory MP . | 25035f9a332368fba18213503527d5865fdafa89 |
Washington (CNN) -- Environmental advocacy groups hope President Barack Obama will live up to the words of his second inaugural address that put climate change front and center on the national agenda even though he rarely mentioned it during the presidential campaign. But the same advocates, including the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, say the president should use the power of the executive branch to further those aims rather than pursuing a congressional strategy. Melinda Pierce, legislative director for the Sierra Club, pushed the president to focus more on executive orders and regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency than on legislation. "Congress is a place where good ideas go to die," she said. "There is a tremendous amount that his administration can do without Congress. He has the authority; he doesn't have to wait for Congress." Eric Pooley, senior vice president of the Environmental Defense Fund, told CNN that while "serious climate legislation isn't in the cards this year" the White House understands that congressional "legislation is not the only way to make progress." CNN Poll: Do Americans agree with Obama on climate change and immigration? "There is a clear plan of action here," Pooley said. "It is time to just get started with the rule-making, which is a process that gives ample time for give and take between the administration and industry." Included in the list of executive actions that Pierce and others hope for are curbing carbon emissions among existing power plants, not just new plants, and mandating high efficiency standards to larger trucks and longer haul vehicles. Those sort of executive branch actions are similar to what Obama pushed for during his first term. In 2011, the EPA issued new standards on toxic pollutants and mercury emissions from coal power plants. Obama also finalized regulations requiring that passenger cars and trucks nearly double their fuel efficiency by 2025. Bob Keefe, spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said Obama's first term was successful on environmental issues because of those actions. However, he acknowledged that he would have liked to have seen more from the president. "You take what you can get and you hope for more," Keefe said. "I think the president is recognizing this in his speech." Why 2013 could be a game-changer on climate . In a lengthy paragraph in his address on Monday, Obama said, "We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries -- we must claim its promise." The president made little mention of climate policy in his 2012 campaign and outlined little, if any, specific climate policy plans for his second term. Obama's climate policies, specifically Energy Department loan and grant programs for developing advanced energy technologies, were used against him on the campaign trail following the bankruptcy of Solyndra, which received economic stimulus money. Attack ads featured a visit Obama made to the California solar panel manufacturer and Republican candidate Mitt Romney used the bankruptcy to highlight what Republicans believed were misspent taxpayer funds on unproven energy projects. Pooley called this time period -- the last two years of Obama's first term -- the "two years of silence," when very little talk was devoted to climate change. It wasn't until Superstorm Sandy, an extraordinary confluence of powerful weather systems, devastated coastal New York and New Jersey in late October that the issue of climate change made an impact on the political season. Obama's speech ties current issues to founding principles . Before the storm hit, the last time both candidates mentioned the issue in any substantive manner was in written statements to a science organization in September. "Sandy put this thing back on the agenda with an vengeance and restarted a national climate conversation," Pooley said. "That is the reality, that is what reminded everybody that this issue is not going away, that we need to deal with it." Next step: Obama's State of the Union speech on February 12. Pooley said he has "every reason to suspect" that Obama is going to unveil more detail in that speech about "what he is going to do." | Activists push for Obama to focus more on executive orders and EPA regulations than on legislation. President made little mention of climate policy in 2012 campaign and outlined few climate policy plans . Superstorm Sandy returned climate change to the political conversation just before the election . One advocate anticipates Obama will reveal some detail about his environmental agenda in the State of the Union address . | 4a0bb448622e297df3e44d661c5570c1e1b97239 |
Each year, more than 8 million animals are put up for adoption in shelters across the US alone. Now, a New York-based app is hoping to make matching these animals with potential owners much easier – using a model similar to dating site Tinder. Animal lovers can browse the profiles of pets, swiping left and right through pictures, save their favourites, and contact the shelters directly. Called AllPaws, the listings on the free app (pictured) predominantly come from shelters across the US and Canada, although a number are made by individuals. There are more than 200,000 pets at any one time. Users browse profiles, or search based on type of animal, breed and shelters within a certain region . Called AllPaws, the listings on the free app predominantly come from shelters across the US and Canada, although a number are made by individuals. There are more than 200,000 pets listed at any one time, and this includes birds, rabbits, cats and dogs, as well as horses, ‘small and furry’ animals, reptiles, and even pigs. Users browse profiles, or search based on type of animal, breed and shelters within a certain location. Other filters include the age and size of the pet, whether it’s been vaccinated and neutered, and its compatibility with other animals. Animals available for adoption includes birds, rabbits, cats and dogs, as well as horses, ‘small and furry’ animals, reptiles, pigs and other barn yard pets. The free service is only currently available in the US and Canada, and on iOS devices . These animals can then be stored as favourites (picutred left), or shared with other users on Twitter, Facebook and through email. Once a user finds an animal they’re interested in adopting (pictured right), they can message the shelter directly, for free, through the app to arrange a viewing . There are more than 200,000 pets on the free app at any one time. This includes birds, rabbits, cats and dogs, as well as horses, ‘small and furry’ animals, and even pigs. Users browse profiles, or search based on type of animal, breed and shelters within a certain location. These animals can then be stored as favourites, or shared with other users on Twitter, Facebook and through email. Once a user finds an animal they’re interested in adopting, they message the shelter directly, for free, through the app to arrange a viewing. These animals can then be stored as favourites, or shared with other users on Twitter, Facebook and through email. Once a user finds an animal they’re interested in adopting, they message the shelter directly, for free, through the app to arrange a viewing. ‘AllPaws.com is already responsible for thousands of adoptions, and there is no doubt in our mind that adding an iPhone app for pet adoption will help more pets get adopted’, explained the developers. ‘The AllPaws iPhone app also features the ability to share pets, increasing the likelihood of animals finding a home.’ The free service is only currently available in the US and Canada, and on iOS. App founder Darrell Lerner told MailOnline that an Android app is in the pipeline, and his team is looking to expand the service outside of the US, but he couldn't provide timings. 'Android is something we'd like to build for as soon as possible given the overwhelming reception the iPhone app has received,' said Mr Lerner. | Shelters across the US and Canada use the app to list animals . This includes cats, dogs, rabbits, parrots and horses - among others . Each animals has a profile, and there are more than 200,000 to choose from . Search function helps users find different breeds in certain locations . Users save their favourite animals, and can share listings on social networks . They then contact shelters to request more information and meet animals . | 86d793e13bd5bbc9b114bdb821d29cd91c663196 |
Tirana, Albania (CNN) -- Tension escalated in the Albanian capital Thursday as opposition members clashed with police outside the building where a commission is still counting votes from a local election that was seen as a crucible for stability in the Balkan nation. Members of the opposition Socialist Party attempted to enter the commission building by force. Police pushed them back. Protests also erupted in three other towns, including Kavaja, where roads were blocked and people burned tires. At issue is a razor-thin Tirana mayoral race in which the head of the opposition, Edi Rama, held only a 10-vote lead. A final vote tabulation by the Central Election Committee could tip the results of the May 8 vote in favor of the government candidate, former Interior Minister Lulzim Basha. Rama's Socialist Party has accused the ruling Democratic Party of vote manipulation and has asked to check ballot boxes. Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, urged a peaceful resolution. "The narrow result in the mayoral elections in Tirana means that both sides need to reach out, overcome differences and find solutions," Ashton said in a statement issued Thursday. "Developments today have shown the fragility of the political situation," she said. "I urge all political leaders in Albania and in the city of Tirana to support the finalisation of the election process calmly, constructively and with a focus on the future." Albania, a former Stalinist nation, abandoned communism in the 1990s but the path to democracy has been bumpy. Past elections have been criticized for not being free or fair. About 300 international monitors and observers were on hand for this round of voting, a test for whether Albania was ready to join the European Union. Albania submitted its application for membership in April 2009. The Socialist Party has won 70% of local elections, winning seats in other Albanian towns and cities. But Tirana remained in contention after a monthlong campaign leading up to the vote was marred by violence, including explosions, stabbings, beatings and threats. Earlier in the year, Rama, a three-term mayor of Tirana, had promoted protests alleging government corruption and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Sal Berisha. Four people were killed in the protests, for which the opposition held Basha culpable. The recent clashes and back-and-forth allegations stem from a longstanding political stalemate following a disputed June 2009 election, one that international diplomats are pushing hard for Albanian leaders to resolve peacefully. The country's supreme court, however, determined that those elections -- which returned Berisha to power -- were valid, and the ballots were burned by the Central Election Commission. Since then, tension has mounted between the government and its political rivals. Journalist Auron Tare contributed to this report. | Clashes erupt at the central election panel, which is tabulating votes . The Socialist Party mayor holds a 10-vote lead . But a final count could tip the vote in favor of the government candidate . Political tension has run high in Albania since a 2009 disputed election . | e72a2abf3cd49265242b8ba94ff56734b8ce791c |
By . Lucy Crossley . It is a scheme that even King Joffrey might find too cruel but one maths teacher has come up with a way of controlling unruly pupils - by threatening to reveal which characters die on Game Of Thrones. Fans of the hit HBO series have spent months trying to avoid any spoilers ahead of the fourth series, including the class of children at a Belgian school. But when the youngsters became too rowdy their maths teacher hit upon a dastardly plan which could rival any dreamed up by Tyrion Lannister. Scroll down for video . Plot: A maths teacher came up with a way of controlling unruly pupils - by threatening to reveal Game Of Thrones spoilers unless they were quiet . Cunning: The maths teacher's dastardly plan could rival any dreamed up by Tyrion Lannister, played by Peter Dinklage (pictured) Plot: The teacher asked his class students which of them watched the series, based on the A Song Of Ice And Fire novels by author George M. Martin . According to Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad, the teacher asked his class of 70 students which of them watched the epic fantasy series, based on the A Song Of Ice And Fire novels by author George M. Martin. When around three-quarters of the pupils raised their hands, the teacher, who has not been identified, replied: 'Well I've read all the books. If there's too much noise I will write the names of the dead on the board. 'They are enough to fill the whole year and I can even describe how they die.' Return: The series, starring Emilia Clarke (pictured), returns in the US on April 6, and will air in the UK on Sky Atlantic the following day . Series: Taking inspiration from ancient myths as well as historic events, the show centres on the struggle for power between a number of families in the mainland of Westeros . Some giggling pupils reportedly then decided to put their teacher's threat to the test, only for him to begin writing out the names of every character killed at the end of the third series on his board 'for those who had not seen it'. According to a post believed to have been written by a pupil on French website Dans Ton Chat: 'There was a religious silence for the last hour of the lesson'. The pupil described his teacher as a 'genius'. The series, starring Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clarke, returns in the US on April 6, and will air in the UK on Sky Atlantic the following day. Taking inspiration from ancient myths as well as historic events, the show centres on the struggle for power between a number of families in the mainland of Westeros. Since Game Of Thrones first aired in 2011 it has attracted legions of fans from across the globe, and has become known for its graphic violence, frequent sex scenes, shocking plot twists - and lack of sentimentality when it comes to killing off lead characters. Popular: Since Game Of Thrones first aired in 2011 it has attracted legions of fans from across the globe . Fantasy: The series has become known for its graphic violence and shocking plot twists . | Belgian teacher asked his unruly class if they watched the hit HBO show . When most put up their hands he said he had read the books and would reveal which characters died unless the class were quiet . He then began writing the names of dead characters on the board . The rest of the lesson was spent in a 'religious silence', according to pupil . Fourth series of the fantasy show airs next month in both the USA and UK . | 06d3618fb1fc6cb6b01c442451631d5586baec4f |
By . Jill Reilly . A 'terrorist' Palestinian used a digger to mow down and kill an Israeli before overturning a bus on a main Jerusalem street today, Israeli police said. There were no passengers on the bus, in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood of the city. Surveillance video broadcast on Israeli television showed the yellow excavator's mechanical arm tearing into the side of the bus as it lay on the pavement. Police shot the driver dead and later announced he was a Palestinian from East Jerusalem - they described the incident as a terrorist attack. Scroll down for video . A 'terrorist' Palestinian used a digger to mow down and kill an Israeli before overturning a bus on a main Jerusalem street today, Israeli police said . Police shot dead the driver dead and later announced he was a Palestinian from East Jerusalem - they described the incident as a terrorist attack . Later, a motorcyclist shot and wounded a man on another Jerusalem street, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for Monday's attacks in the city. But a spokesman for Hamas, the dominant group in the Gaza Strip, said: 'We praise the heroic and brave operations in Jerusalem, which come as a natural reaction to the crimes and massacres by the Occupation against our people in Gaza.' Tensions have been high in Jerusalem for the past month over the Gaza war and the killing of a Palestinian teen in the city by alleged Israeli assailants out to avenge the deaths of three abducted Israeli youngsters in the occupied West Bank. Yossi Farienti, Jerusalem district police chief, said the excavator 'hit a Jewish citizen at a construction site and then drove about 50 metres (yards) down the road, where it overturned the bus with its arm, slightly injuring three people'. A police spokesman said police officers shot at the driver, killing him. TV footage showed the man's body hanging out of the excavator's cabin. Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said the nearly four-week-old Gaza war had also raised fears of attacks in Israeli cities. There were no passengers on the bus in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood of the city . Surveillance video broadcast on Israeli television showed the yellow excavator's mechanical arm tearing into the side of the bus as it lay on the pavement . Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said the nearly four-week-old Gaza war had also raised fears of attacks in Israeli cities . 'From the moment fighting started in the south, we realised such an incident of a lone attacker can happen and such tractor attacks are familiar in Jerusalem,' Aharonovitch said on Channel 2 television. '(The driver's) whole family is being interrogated. We want to know who sent him, if he was acting alone, whether he belonged to a network - all those things are being checked,' he said. In two incidents in July 2008, construction vehicles driven by Palestinians hit Israeli buses and pedestrians, killing a total of three people. In both incidents, the attackers were shot dead. Three years later, an Arab truck driver drove into cars and pedestrians in Tel Aviv, killing one person, in what police said was a deliberate attack. The driver was apprehended and sentenced to life imprisonment. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish boys climb a wall to watch the scene of an attack in Jerusalem . Ultra-Orthodox Jews gather and watch police as they clear the scene . | No passengers on the bus, in ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhood . Police shot the driver dead and said he's a Palestinian from East Jerusalem . Excavator's mechanical arm seen tearing into the side of the bus . Motorcyclist shot and wounded a man on another Jerusalem street . Spokesman for Hamas: 'We praise the heroic and brave operations' | 68f4c1e2aed5f83cfc44519ea0d8e7273358db23 |
Motorists are being ‘held to ransom’ by petrol prices of up to 16p a litre more on motorways. Fuel at motorway service stations can be up to 10p per litre more than the national average price, and up to 16p higher than the cheapest prices at local supermarkets, research from the RAC found. This adds up to £8 to the cost of filling up an average family vehicle. High prices meant drivers risked ‘running on fumes’ while trying to avoid paying over the odds, the RAC said . The high prices also risked drivers ‘running on fumes’ and breaking down while trying to avoid paying over the odds, the report said. Calling for prices to be capped to prevent profiteering, the RAC report said drivers ‘should not have to experience this 21st century form of highway robbery’. Their spot check revealed the worst offender for high fuel prices was the Reading services on the M4 – which was selling BP petrol at 137.9p, while six miles away in Shinfield it cost 121.9p – a difference of 16p per litre. Buying diesel on the M4 costs an average of 138.9p – 13p more than at the filling station. Fuel at motorway service stations (such as this one on the M25) can be up to 10p per litre more than the national average price, and up to 16p higher than the cheapest prices at local supermarkets . RAC spokesman Simon Williams pointed out that the price of fuel at the pumps has fallen to its lowest since January 2011. ‘It’s no wonder that motorists feel held to ransom with prices on the motorways inflated to such an extent. 'We can see no reason why motorway fuel should be so much more expensive,’ he said. ‘Prices have come down significantly in recent weeks and we are currently at levels not seen since 2010, but motorway service stations still remain much more expensive.’ | Fuel at motorway service stations can be up to 16p per litre more than at the cheapest prices at local supermarkets, research from the RAC has revealed . RAC said it amounted to the '21st century form of highway robbery' Risked drivers breaking down to avoid paying over the odds, the report said . | b2c95ebd3401478fc0c7351fe736cb64b37f316f |
By . Associated Press . and Daily Mail Reporters . An adorable 3-year-old girl who suffered a heart attack during a dentist visit likely died because she was given the maximum dose of sedative drugs, according to an autopsy report. Finley Puleo Boyle, of Kailua in Honolulu, Hawaii, probably died because of the sedatives and local anesthesia that were administered during her December dental procedure, Honolulu Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Happy concluded in his autopsy report. He classified the death as an accident. The girl lapsed into a coma on December 3 in the office of Dr. Lilly Geyer at Island Dentistry for Children. She died on January 3. The office has since closed. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Finley Boyle, 3, died after being given sedatives during a standard dental procedure . Finley Boyle's devastated mother Ashley (right) took the little girl to the Island Dentistry for Children in Oahu, Hawaii on December 3 . The autopsy report said the previously healthy girl had no signs of underlying heart problems or an allergic reaction to the array of sedatives and anesthetic she received in preparation for cavity fillings and root canals, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Friday. The medical examiner noted her teeth were in good shape: 'the oral cavity has native dentition in good repair.' Finley received five drugs, according to the report, including Demerol, hydroxyzine and chlorohydrate. She was also given laughing gas and an injection of a local anesthetic, lidocaine with epinephrine. 'Immediately following the lidocaine injection, the decedent became unresponsive and went into cardiopulmonary arrest,' Happy said in his report. The girl lapsed into a coma on December 3 in the office of Dr. Lilly Geyer (center) at Island Dentistry for Children . The girl's mother Ashley Boyle (pictured) is traumatized by her daughter's death and has filed a negligence lawsuit against the dentist . Parents Ashley and Evan Boyle filed a negligence lawsuit while their only child was in a coma. Their attorney, Rick Fried, would not comment on the autopsy report. Geyer's attorney, John Nishimoto, has called the allegations 'unproven' but declined to comment further because of the lawsuit. He didn't respond to the newspaper's requests for comment on the autopsy report Thursday. Geyer was issued a license to practice dentistry in the state in July 2005, the Star-Advertiser has previously reported. As of last December, there were no records of complaints against her or her practice on file with the Hawaii Department Of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, according to the newspaper. Ms Boyle is being represented by attorney Richard Fried who called the maximum dosages of five different drugs 'grossly excessive'. He cited the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's standards which warned that young children should be monitored every five minutes and that an extra person should be there to help in case resuscitation is needed. Immediately following the lidocaine injection, Finley Boyle became unresponsive and went into cardiopulmonary arrest . The procedure on December 3 broke both . of those rules. Instead of checking Finley's oxygen levels every five . minutes, records show she wasn't checked for 26 minutes which explains . why the brain damage was so severe. When . the girl went into cardiac arrest, a doctor from another office had to . be brought in to perform CPR - which Ms Boyle believes is the main . reason her daughter fell into a coma. Ms Boyle was left with the agonizing decision to not resuscitate her daughter, saying that although she held out hope that her daughter would recover she didn't want her to live in a vegetative state. 'Had it been initiated at the correct time, she'd be walking out of the hospital right now,' Boyle said.Finley . may not have even needed the fillings. Ms Boyle has been contacted by . others mothers who got second opinions after visiting Dr Geyer and found . out that her recommendations were 'either totally unnecessary or . somewhat unnecessary' according to Fried. Other mothers said their children had trouble walking for a few days after having work done by Dr Geyer. Ms Boyle calls the botched procedure a 'massive tragedy' that she and her family 'will have to deal with for the rest of our lives.' In January, new state rules took effect tightening oversight of dental sedation in Hawaii. Finley Puelo Boyle (pictured) is tragically missed by her mother, father, and all who knew her . Write caption he . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Finley Puleo Boyle, of Kailua, probably . died because of the sedatives and local anesthesia that were . administered during her December dental procedure . The girl lapsed into a coma on December 3 in the office of Dr. Lilly Geyer at Island Dentistry for Children and died on December 3 . Devastated parents Ashley and Evan Boyle filed a negligence lawsuit while their only child was in a coma . The mother decided not to let her daughter live in a vegetative state . Other children have been unable to walk for days after being treated by Dr. Geyer . | 67786ea55344a378f3e3b262742d9dda92fd73bf |
Race row: TV Presenter Richard Hammond has angered travellers with his use of the word 'pikey' Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has been embroiled in a race row after he used the word 'pikey' in a magazine column. An Irish traveller group slammed the 42-year-old television presenter and journalist, saying the word was the equivalent of calling a black person a 'n*****'. Hammond used the word in his regular column in this month's Top Gear magazine while writing about how much money he had spent on his Land Rover. He wrote: 'I have, over the 10 years I've owned it, spent way too much money on my Land Rover. I've documented on this page before some of the car's many stages of evolution. 'It's spent time as a blinged-up street cruiser with chrome wheels, blue neon underlighting, straight-through dragster sidepipes and a pumped-up stereo that could damage your pelvis on loud. 'A lot of my little touches have been fun, innocent and pretty harmless. I have fitted chromed accents on the dash and commissioned back seats bearing my daughter's names. 'Yes, I am a pikey, and it is important that my Land Rover reflect that.' A spokesman for the Irish Traveller Movement in Britain said: 'He has to understand that pikey is the equivalent to the n word. 'You could make a joke with the n word in but if you did it wouldn't be funny. It would be offensive. It is the same with pikey.' Top Gear magazine's editor Charlie Turner said: 'We're sorry this term has caused offence. That was never the intention.' Pikey is a highly-offensive word to Irish travellers and gypsies, who consider it derogatory, and its use has landed other celebrities in hot water. Four years ago Formula One commentator Martin Brundle used the word in a television broadcast and ITV had to apologise to viewers after complaints. Favourite wheels: Hammond used the word in this month's Top Gear magazine while writing about how much money he had spent on his Land Rover (above) The term 'pikey' can be traced as far back as the 16th Century when it was derived from the word pike, which meant a road on which a toll is collected. As such, it is strongly associated with a transient lifestyle. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, its first use in print was in the Times in 1837 to refer to strangers who had come to the Isle of Sheppey island to harvest. Later that century, it meant a 'turnpike traveller' or vagabond. In 1847, the Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words recorded the use of 'pikey' to mean a gypsy for the first time. In more recent years, however, it has become a term of abuse and can been deemed a racist offence, given its association with Irish travellers and Roma Gypsies. The previous year celebrity chef Marco Pierre White used the word on ITV's Hell's Kitchen amid another race storm. Hammond . himself has previously been accused of racism after he made an . insulting parody of Mexicans to describe a Mexican sports car. He suggested the vehicle reflected the national characteristics of people from its country of origin - to wit, ‘a lazy, feckless, flatulent oaf with a moustache, leaning against a fence asleep, looking at a cactus, with a blanket with a hole in the middle as a coat’. He also described Mexican food as ‘refried sick’. Co-presenter James May ventured it was ‘like sick with cheese on it’. Clarkson predicted they would not get any complaints, suggesting that the Mexican ambassador would be holding a remote-control and snoring in front of the TV. But the Mexican ambassador, Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, was furious. He described the comments as 'offensive, xenophobic and humiliating' and the BBC was forced to deliver a personal apology. Controversial: Hammond with his Top Gear co-presenters James May, left, and Jeremy Clarkson, centre. The show has often been accused of racism . | Offensive term use blasted by Irish traveller group . | 5b41a51dd67c4b133cb9e21ddf43df8d174f337e |
By . Freya Noble . Prime Minister Tony Abbott has started a war with renewable energy companies after he blamed them for the increase in power prices . Tony Abbott has hit out at the green energy sector claiming the renewable energy target (RET) is the cause of rising energy prices in Australia. The Prime Minister said the country is well on its way to being 'the unaffordable energy capital of the world' and that's the reason for the government's review of the RET, report The Financial Review. 'We should be the affordable energy capital of the world, not the unaffordable energy capital of the world and that’s why the carbon tax must go and that’s why we’re reviewing the RET,' he told the publication. Clean energy companies have responded to these claims saying Mr Abbott completely exaggerated the impact that the target would have, and in the long run the nation would be better off financially and environmentally from the scheme. The RET currently states that by 2020, 20 percent of energy should come from renewable sources, however this could be subject to change under the government's upcoming review. In the Senate next week the government will try to abolish the carbon tax, but opposition leader Bill Shorten has vowed to continue the crusade for action against climate change. Clive Palmer is set to block the government from lowering or abandoning the RET until after the election in 2016. Infigen, Pacific Hydro, Senvion and the Clean Energy Council are all among the companies who have disagreed with the Prime Minister's comments, and a spokesperson for Senvion said if the RET is kept in place the price of power bills will drop off by 2020. The government is currently looking to review the renewable energy target which is set to see 20 percent of energy come from green sources by 2020 . Clean Energy Council director Russell March agreed, claiming the only other alternative to the target is a switch to gas-fired power, but the price of that resource is on the up. The consensus in the renewable energy industry is that power prices will drop as more forms of renewable energy are being utilised, with some companies citing the decrease in power bills around the $50 mark. This week saw the Crawford Australian Leadership Forum take place in Canberra, and economists from around the world including Nobel Prize recipient Joseph Stiglitz and former Reserve Bank of Australia board member Warwick McKibbin were among the experts calling for Australia to have a price on carbon, according to AFR. Economists have warned against scrapping the carbon tax saying a price on carbon would be taking a step forward for Australia . Professor Stiglitz described putting a price on carbon as a 'no-brainer' and said it is more practical than taxing labour or capital, plus it would set Australia up for the future. By pricing carbon now Australia would be taking a step forward to combating climate change he said, and the world would soon follow. Aluminium refineries are also a big player in the RET debate, which are currently said to be 90 percent exempt from paying for renewable energy. The government is expected to make a move from the backbench to completely clear the refineries from paying for any form of green energy. According to Origin Energy: . 'The RET is a mandatory scheme and energy retailers (on behalf of their customers) must source a set proportion of their electricity from renewables. Retailers purchase a renewable energy certificate for each megawatt hour of electricity generated by government-accredited renewable electricity sources.' Despite aiming to deliver 20 percent renewable energy, if continued the RET is forecast to deliver a higher rate, up to 27 percent. | The Prime Minister has blamed the renewable energy target (RET) for increasing power prices . Clean energy companies hit back saying Abbott exaggerated the impact . Economists say Australia needs a price on carbon . Clive Palmer will block proposed changes to the RET until 2016 election . | c6a9bb9bf311e651ecff02ca9fd266603fab4ee3 |
Perry announced suspension of campaign morning before final debate . Announces his endorsement of Newt Gingrich's campaign . Romney on Perry's departure: 'We'll miss him on the stage tonight' By . Meghan Keneally . Updated: . 09:25 EST, 20 January 2012 . Rick Perry announced today that he is dropping out of the Republican presidential bid after continually poor rankings and debate performances. ‘There is no viable path forward for me in this 2012 campaign therefore today I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich,’ he said at an 11am press conference in North Charleston, South Carolina. 'I've discovered this tremendous purpose and resiliency of our people. They haven't stopped believing in the promise of America. They never stopped believing in the American dream...What's broken in America is not our people: it's our politics. 'I ran for president because I love America. I love the people, I love the freedom. Scroll down for video . Saluting his supporters at the press conference today, Rick Perry announced that he was stopping his bid for president because he no longer has a 'viable path' to win . Supportive: Mr Perry appeared with his son Griffin (center), wife Anita (right) and daughter Sydney (not shown) 'Humbled': Shortly after Perry's announcement, Gingrich said he was honored and humbled by the endorsement . 'The conservative philosophy . transcends any one individual and will live long past any of us,' he . said, clearly signalling that he was preparing to endorse one of his . other competitors. 'Newt is not perfect, but who among us is,' Mr Perry said during his endorsement. The . boost that Mr Gingrich will receive from Mr Perry's endorsement- though . it may not be very large- may be all that is needed to bring the former . speaker into fighting reach of front-runner Mitt Romney. Mr . Perry has a strong base of evangelical Christian supporters, and that . is one group that Mr Gingrich has had trouble connecting with due to his . complicated personal history. There were clear overtones of religious . approval in Mr Perry's speech of Mr Gingrich, perhaps as a signal to . values-voters that they should vote for the former speaker. Even before the formal announcement, there were rumblings that he would . endorse Mr Gingrich as the Perry campaign . took down their anti-Gingrich website early Thursday morning. Mr Gingrich followed Mr Perry's endorsement with his own press conference highlighting his connection to Mr Perry. Dropping out: Mr Perry's announcement comes just two days before the South Carolina primary . 'He has been a great patriot,' Mr . Gingrich said in response to Mr Perry's announcement. Mr Gingrich was . apparently honored and humbled by the endorsement. Mr Gingrich then said that he has asked Mr Perry to head up a . 10th Amendment enforcement project, which will place emphasis on . constitutionality clause. The project is reportedly something that the . two men have discussed for years and will be a way for Mr Perry to . remain active on a national scale while stepping back from the 2012 . race. After announcing his bid for president on August 11, Rick Perry was seen as a conservative godsend for Republican voters. He reached a record-high of 31.8 per cent in national polls a month later, but his campaign only went down from there. The . veritable 'nail in the coffin' came at the televised CNBC debate in . Rochester, Michigan on November 9 when Mr Perry forgot one of his major . campaign platforms. Mr . Perry continually lambasted the size and over-reach of the federal . government, and he campaigned saying that he would abolish three federal . departments as soon as he took office. When . asked about that decision at the debate, he took over a minute to . remember the three agencies before finally just saying 'Oops... I . forgot'. Though he . remained in fourth place immediately after that debate, the space . between he and third-place Newt Gingrich continued to widen. Front-runner Mitt Romney made very brief remarks about the news as he was leaving a campaign event. 'He's a great conservative, a great governor,' Mr Romney said. 'We'll miss him on the stage tonight,' he said referring to the last debate in South Carolina before the Saturday primary. While the news of Mr Perry's suspension does come a as a surprise . as the South Carolina primary is only two days away, it is not a . complete shock as his support has been lagging, even reaching its' lowest point in recent weeks. Mr . Perry will be the second candidate to drop out this week, as Jon . Huntsman Jr. also cancelled his campaign after . less-stellar-than-expected performance in New Hampshire. Mr Perry has been in last place since . the New Hampshire primary last Tuesday. He currently only has 4.4 per . cent of the Republican votes in South Carolina, trailing Rick Santorum . by 9 points. He even took a brief trip to his home . state after the first major primary in Iowa- where he finished in fifth . place-to talk with advisers and consider whether he would remain in the . race. He then decided to stay the course . but to skip last week's primary in New Hampshire, opting to devote more . time and resources to South Carolina, where his conservative credentials . would be more favorable. Just over a week later, he has clearly reversed that decision. His . campaign made no secret of the fact that they were hoping for a strong . surge in South Carolina as he was seen as a conservative alternative to . Mormon front runner Mr Romney by appealing to Christian values-voters. That hasn’t worked, however, and some . of Mr Perry’s strongest supporters have been calling for an end to his . campaign in recent weeks. Erick . Erickson, founder of popular political blog RedState who started as one . of the Texan governor’s biggest advocates, announced that he believed . that Mr Perry’s campaign had to ‘come to an end’. Signalling . a shift even within the state in question, South Carolina state senator . Larry Grooms- who initially backed Mr Perry- switched and is now . supporting Santorum. Unlike the rest of the Republican . field, Mr Perry was able to highlight his time spent in the Air Force . during the campaign, and that was thought to be a major advantage going . into South Carolina because of the state's strong military presence. Mr Perry's high point in the campaign came in September, when he reached his high with 31.7 per cent of the vote. One more down: Preparations are being made at the debate site ready for just four candidates . Since . that initial peak, Mr Perry has continued to plummet in the polls and . has remained steady with around 6 per cent of Republican voters . nationally throughout the past month. He branded himself as the true outsider of the race, never having worked in Washington, D.C. and spending all of his time in Texas state government. Mr Perry's campaign took repeated and . significant blows with many of the televised debates, the worst of . which was his infamous 'oops' moment when he forgot the names of the . three government agencies he wished to cut if her were elected. Most . recently he was put on the defensive after saying that Turkey was run . by Islamic terrorists in Monday night's televised debate. The country . responded with harsh criticism of the candidate. 'Figures . who are candidates for positions that require responsibility, such as . the U.S. presidency, should be more knowledgeable about the world and . exert more care with their statement,’ the Turkish statement asserted. The end: Mr Perry appeared relatively optimistic during his frank press conference . | Perry announced suspension of campaign morning before final debate . Announces his endorsement of Newt Gingrich's campaign . Romney on Perry's departure: 'We'll miss him on the stage tonight' | 7b47d4fceb7ecf59d316f893d0d553a356903c6e |
Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton on Friday forcefully defended his company's decision to cancel the release of The Interview and had some harsh words for President Obama who earlier today said the movie studio 'made a mistake.' In an exclusive interview Friday with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Lynton insisted that 'we have not given in and we have not backed down.' In a controversial move earlier this week, the studio pulled the plug on the release of The Interview after hackers officially linked to North Korea made terrorist threats against theaters showing the comedy. Scroll down for videos . Speaking out: Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton on Friday forcefully defended his company's decision to cancel the release of The Interview . Lynton told CNN Sony does not have the interface necessary to distribute the movie on the web directly . Harsh words: On Friday, President Obama said during a press conference Sony 'made a mistake' when it decided to cancel the release of the political satire . 'The president, the press, and the public are mistaken as to what actually happened,' Lynton said. 'We do not own movie theaters. We cannot determine whether or not a movie will be played in movie theaters.' After Wednesday's threats, Sony told theaters they could drop the film if they chose to, and all major chains promptly did. The company then scrapped the release altogether. Responding to calls from the likes of George Clooney to release the movie online, Lynton told CNN Sony does not have the interface necessary to distribute the movie on the web directly. Lynton explained that in order to release the film online, they need to go through a third-party distributor, but so far none have come forward offering their services. Scrapped: Sony told theaters they could drop the film if they chose to after receiving terrorist threats, and all major chains promptly did . Leak: Hackers linked to North Korea breached Sony's system and released embarrassing emails written by top executive Amy Pascal, pictured here with Lynton at Variety's 5th Annual Power of Women event in October . Earlier on Friday, Obama said during his end-of-the-year press conference Sony should have released the film and not bowed to pressure from hackers. 'I wish they would have spoken to me first,' Obama said. 'I would have told them, "Do not get into a pattern in which you're intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks." 'We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States,' the president said. 'Because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don't like, or news reports that they don't like.' The hackers leaked embarrassing emails between Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin joking in a racially insensitive manner about Obama's film tastes. The Sony executive said if given the chance, the studio would have made The Interview again, and that he still would like the public to see the film . Responding to the president's critique, Lynton said Sony had 'no alternative' but to pull the screwball comedy about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un because movie theater chains said they would not screen the film. 'We have not caved, we have not given in, we have persevered and we have not backed down,' Lynton said. 'We have always had every desire to have the American public see this movie.' The Sony executive added that if given the chance, the studio would have made The Interview all over again, and that he still would like the public to see the film. 'Knowing what I know now, we might have... done something slightly differently,' he added. When asked about his reaction to the president's statement earlier today, Lynton - a long-time support of Obama - said he would be 'fibbing' had he said he wasn't disappointed. 'I don't know exactly whether he understands the sequence of events that led up to the movie not being shown in the movie theaters,' Lynton said. 'Therefore I would disagree with the notion that it was a mistake.' The full interview with Michael Lynton will air Friday night on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 at 8pm and Sunday on Fareed Zakaria GPS. | CEO Michael Lynton told CNN's Fareed Zakaria his studio has not backed down in the face of threats over movie release . Said President Obama, the media and the public don't realize the studio doesn't decide whether a movie would be screened at theaters or not . Sony do not have interface to directly release The Interview online but is looking for third-party distributors . President Obama said during Friday's press conference the studio 'made a mistake' when it scrapped the release . | 1d742a5fb6ff2c3e97272cba1e4c55cefe552ad8 |
By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 05:40 EST, 3 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:48 EST, 3 September 2012 . Shattered dreams: The aspiring model sobbed as she recalled her alleged attack . A teenage girl who dreamed of being a model was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted by a photographer who duped her into a photoshoot. The 16-year-old trusted the photographer after posing for him a number of times in Greenwood, Indianapolis. But the photographer - who promised to send off her photos to modelling agencies to help her become famous - gradually persuaded her to start posing in lingerie for racier shoots, she and her mother say. Fox59 news reported . that the girl was given ten vodka shots, then drugged, before the . sexual predator filmed himself sexually assaulting her and then taking . nude photos of her. Medical . tests revealed that she had been drugged with methamphetamine and . opiates and had been sexually abused, the news website reported. Speaking to the news website, the victim sobs: 'It was like I wasn't all there, I was gone and then I was like aware... he was on top of me.' The devastated teenager said that all she had wanted to do was make some money and perhaps be famous. But her mother says the photographer took advantage of her dream by telling her if she posed in her underwear he would send the pictures to lingerie chain Victoria's Secret. Scroll down for video . Devastated: The girl's mother claims her daughter's dream was taken advantage of . Her heartbroken mother wept as she . told Fox59 news that after attending multiple shoots with her daughter, . she trusted the man to let him take her daughter's photo alone in his . studio. But she claims that DNA tests taken from the girl after the night match samples taken from the photographer. She . claimed that the man preys on vulnerable girls who have no father . figure and single mothers struggling to raise their children with no . help. The girl claims she was duped into racy photoshoots before being drugged (photo posed by models) Her mother says her daughter's dreams have been stolen and that she cannot bear the thought of her daughter having to live with memories of the alleged assault. She told Fox59: 'I have to live with the regret that I let her go without me.' Assistant Greenwood Police Chief Matt Fillenwarth told Fox 59 News that detectives are searching the photographer's computer hard drive before they charge him. | Teenager was allegedly given cocktail of drugs and alcohol before being abused . Mother of aspiring model claims photographer took nude photos of her daughter . Police investigating photographer's computer, Fox59 news reports . | 177dae09c1fecc2e68b38810157b0b61a0161c8d |
Beijing (CNN) -- Watch out, America. China is steadily catching up in space. Between June and August this year, China plans to launch its manned Shenzhou-9 spacecraft and then rendezvous and dock with a space lab which has been orbiting the earth since September. Three astronauts will undertake the voyage, but one of them will not board the space lab. He will remain inside the spacecraft as a precautionary measure in case of emergency. It will be China's first crew expedition involving manual docking. If all goes as planned, China will become only the third nation, next to the U.S. and Russia, to dock capsules in space. "It demonstrates China's continued commitment to becoming a first-class space power with an independent space capability," says Taylor Fravel, associate professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). "This is very exclusive club." China's space program goes farther. "The Chinese manned space program has announced its plan on 20 future space voyages," wrote Zhou Erjie of the official Xinhua News Agency. "China also plans to establish its own space lab around 2016 and assemble a 60-ton manned space station around 2020, when the current International Space Station is estimated to likely retire." China has also begun efforts to explore the moon using space robotics. The country's eventual goal is a manned lunar landing. The Chinese exploration plans, announced in December, come as the United States has been scaling back its plans and funding for space exploration. China's space program has become a campaign issue in the United States. In recent debates among presidential aspirants in the Republican Party, candidates criticized America's flagging space program. Mitt Romney called for a partnership among "corporate America as well as the defense network and others" to "create a plan that will keep our space program thriving and growing." Newt Gingrich cited China's soaring ambitions. "Every serious analyst understands that the Chinese are going all out to dominate space," Gingrich said. "I would like to have an American on the moon before the Chinese get there." To be sure, China is still decades away from a moon-landing. Chinese officials speak of a three-step manned space flight plan: send man into orbit, dock spacecraft together to form a small space lab, and ultimately build a large space station. "They are currently in step two," says Joan Johnson-Freese of the U.S. War College. "For comparative purposes, it's about where the U.S. was during the Gemini program." China has been striving to put man into orbit since 1992. China has developed its own spaceship, the Shenzhou, or Divine Vessel, which observers say resembles Russia's Soyuz space capsule. Over the years, it has upgraded its launch vehicles, built new spaceflight facilities and trained a stable of astronauts. Still, China did not put a man in space until 2003, 41 years after John Glenn became the first American to orbit earth. That year, Colonel Yang Liwei orbited the Earth 14 times aboard the Shenzhou 5 space capsule. Yang became an instant celebrity, paraded around the country and overseas. Several months later, he was promoted to general. Yang's voyage has enhanced China's image overseas and boosted national pride at home. Only Russia, the United States and China have sent men into space. Before that, China's space program was largely seen as capable but lacking in sophistication. I saw that myself up close. In August 1997, I had the rare chance of visiting the Xichang Satellite Launching Center in rural Sichuan province to observe the launch of Mabuhay, the first Filipino communications satellite. Inside a windowless building, we watched Chinese staff work frenetically behind rows of computers and panels. They struck me as quite unassuming in their white wrinkled robes that made them look MORE like doctors in a hospital ward than aerospace experts. There was palpable anxiety before the launch. Two years earlier, a rocket exploded in this launch site after liftoff and killed several people on the ground. This time, when the Chinese-made rocket rumbled skyward, the crowd in the hall cheered. The glitch-less launch restored China's reputation and self-confidence. Over the years, China has been vying for a bigger slice of the lucrative satellite-launch market. China also looks to harness aerospace technology for trickle-down spinoffs in telecommunications, weather forecasting, agriculture, medicine and navigation. Experts say the upcoming launch will place China close to putting a space station in orbit. Such a station, a la ISS, will enable China to conduct scientific and military research. Experts say the Chinese could use the station to conduct biological, genetic and energy research. At the same time, they could also use it as a platform to spy on potential adversaries or to develop lasers capable of blinding or disabling other satellites. The Chinese space program is largely run by government-owned enterprises or military-affiliated groups. Many of the pilots, scientists and engineers are active or demobilized army officers. China promises to never use space research for military purposes. "A rapidly developing space industry does not mean China has renounced its commitment to peace," says Qi Faren, the chief designer of the Shenzhou spaceship series. "All China is doing is to pursue a peaceful development of the space industry as planned." Still, experts say, the U.S. remains concerned about Chinese space activities. "Over 95% of space technology is dual use, meaning of value to both civil and military communities," says Joan Johnson-Freese of the U.S. War College. "While the U.S. is still far ahead of China technically, China has something critical that the U.S. does not—the political will to push forward." If the trajectory remains unchanged, experts say, China's space activities may well surpass those of Russia and the European Space Agency within a decade or so. That will position China just next to the U.S. as a dominant space power. | China plans to launch its first manned flight to dock at space lab in 2012 . Country plans to build a space station, working towards a manned lunar landing . China's space ambitions are a campaign issue in the upcoming U.S. election . China's may overtake Russia and Europe's space activities in a decade, experts says . | 1b0a7f87e5faa9da26ff09713a7edff32c83d2e9 |
A French prosecutor dropped an investigation Tuesday into former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn's connection to a possible gang rape in Washington. The young Belgian woman whose testimony was the basis for the inquiry has withdrawn her previous statement and said she will not press charges, a statement from the Lille prosecutor's office said. Strauss-Kahn: A reputation battered by sex allegations . This meant the inquiry had no grounds to continue, the statement said. Strauss-Kahn remains under investigation over allegations that he participated in a prostitution ring, in what is known in France as the "Carlton affair." He has denied wrongdoing and has not been convicted of a crime. Police investigating the alleged prostitution ring referred the Washington incident, which they believed could qualify as gang rape, to the Lille prosecutor earlier this year after hearing the testimony of the Belgian woman. But the prosecutor's office said Tuesday that the Belgian woman's lawyer had stated in August that his client did not want to give any judicial statement on this matter. Can France handle truth on sex lives of rich and powerful? The woman also wrote a letter to the prosecutor in which she said she had been consenting, and that she would not press charges. She had not filed a complaint when she was questioned by French and Belgian investigators late last year. "Given all these elements, the offense of rape could not be made, and the Lille prosecution decided to proceed no further with the case, on the ground of 'no offense'," the statement from the prosecutor's office said. The former IMF chief hit the headlines in the United States last year over a separate case involving attempted rape allegations in New York. The judge dismissed all the charges against him after the witness's credibility was thrown into doubt. | Strauss-Kahn remains under investigation in connection with an alleged prostitution ring . The Washington inquiry stemmed from testimony given in that probe . The woman whose evidence prompted the Washington probe did not want to press charges . Strauss-Kahn has denied wrongdoing and has not been convicted of a crime . | 4a24311476276de92efd273ab06c2dc9d9a233e2 |
By . Dan Bloom . PUBLISHED: . 13:15 EST, 28 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:07 EST, 28 February 2014 . A city's police force which was tasked to weed out the abuse of vulnerable women has arrested 54 people in just a month. Officers in Newcastle set up Operation Sanctuary to comb through taxi firms, B&Bs and takeaways to find people who have been sexually exploited. Since the launch they have already identified around 80 women and girls who may be victims. Raid: One of the homes targeted in Newcastle, where police have arrested more than 50 people in relation to sexual exploitation in just a month. They say there are 80 women and girls who have been possible victims . Duo: Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes and Northumbria Police assistant chief constable Gary Calvert . Twenty-seven people - 25 men and two women - were arrested in the first week at the end of last month and the tip-offs have been coming in steadily since, a Northumbria Police spokesman said. One man has been charged with raping an underage girl after allegations emerged as part of the operation. Abdul Jelilou Ouro Kefia, 21, from Walker, Newcastle, was charged with one count of rape of a female under 16 after the alleged incident on February 17. He appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on February 19 where he was remanded in custody. The operation is continuing visits to taxi firms, hotels, B&Bs, and takeaways in the Newcastle area. Standing guard: An officer at one of the homes targeted, right, and assistant chief constable Gary Calvert, left . Probe: Police outside one of the homes which was raided as part of the investigation . Arrests: The people held - who were mostly men - all lived in and around Newcastle (riverside pictured) The force covers Newcastle and the surrounding countryside and towns in Northumbria. Deputy Chief Constable Steve Ashman said: 'Operation Sanctuary has expanded to embrace all crimes of a sexual nature on vulnerable female victims. All victims are dealt with sensitively by our specially trained officers and we take decisive action against suspected offenders. 'A recent example of this heightened public vigilance is a report we received from a concerned member of the public who saw what appeared to be an intoxicated woman in a park and who called us. 'Officers attended and ensured she was safe. This is exactly what we want the public to do to help us to protect vulnerable women. He added: 'We are working closely with our local communities and partner agencies to raise awareness of this important issue and encourage people to report the sexual exploitation of women and girls. Arrests: Police in Newcastle have arrested more than 50 people in relation to sexually exploiting women in just a month after launching an operation designed to root out victims of abuse (photo posed by modeol) 'We need the public to assist us with the investigation and I'd urge people to be vigilant and pass on any information they think could help us with our enquiries. 'Specially trained officers are continuing to work with and support the victims we have identified so far and I would like to praise their courage in coming forward and speaking to us. 'I want to reassure our communities that we are doing all we can to identify offenders and I'd ask anyone who thinks they may be a victim, regardless of how long ago the offence may have taken place, to come forward and speak to us.' Anyone with any information or concerns can contact Northumbria Police on 101 ext 69191, quoting Operation Sanctuary, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | The arrests were all made in and around Newcastle in the last month . Operation Sanctuary set up to comb B&Bs, takeaways and taxi firms . Northumbria Police has already identified 80 possible victims of abuse . | bdae75380daccceb770e3860e9df03189e810d5e |
By . Daniel Mills . The sister of a man shot dead during a botched Gold Coast robbery has taken pitty on her brother's killer, security guard Wayne Heneker, saying he 'was just doing his job'. Nasreen Rahman, the elder sister of Shameem Rahman, 46, who was killed on Monday while trying to rob a security from a firm he was laid off at, said it must be a distressing time for the 47-year-old guard who shot her brother three times. In the days since Sharmeem Raheem's death, an outpouring of support has been directed towards Mr Heneker, including from the most unlikey of places, the dead man's family. 'I feel sorry for him:' Nasreen Rahman, The sister of slain robber, Shameem, said she does not begrudge the security guard who shot her brother in a botched armed hold-up . Shot and killed: Shameem Rahman died after attempted to carry out the armed robbery on a former colleague . Police said Mr Heneker acted on instinct, and Ms Rahman agreed. She told the Courier Mail she did not begrudge the guard for doing what he did, declaring she 'felt very sorry for him.' 'It wasn’t his fault. There’s nothing to forgive — he was doing his job.' She has even made a plea to Mr Heneker that if he would ever like to meet with her, to help put her brother's death behind them, she would be happy too. 'Our sympathy goes out to him because he has to live with this for the rest of his life.' Ms Rahman said her brother was a loving father, devoted husband and a good cook who was not, to her knowledge, in any financial trouble at the time of his death. But she didn't shy away from the fact that he was plagued by a series of past misdemeanors and battled a history of crime linked to issues with drugs and violence. He also battled a severe bout of depression following the death of his mother and father. Ms Rahman said it was a combination of all of these factors which brought out his self-destructive side. 'Traumatic situation': A security guard is consoled by police after opening fire and shooting a former colleague dead during a robbery attempt on the Gold Coast on Monday . 'I loved my brother anyway – he was a good man, trying to provide for his family but unfortunately the other stuff in his life was almost like self-destruction,” she said. Meanwhile, the family is still to decide whether Mr Rahman, a Muslim, will be buried here, in Sydney or back in Bangladesh. Mr Heneker, a 27-year surf lifesaving veteran, said he was grateful for the community support he had received since the shooting, which had left him shaken. His lawyer Jason Jacobson said on Tuesday that his client was very emotionally and physically injured from the incident. 'He's still in a very bad way today,' Mr Jacobson told MailOnline. 'He's getting the appropriate support from medical professionals to deal with the trauma of what he dealt with yesterday.' The Highland Park Tavern on the Gold Coast where a 46-year-old married father of five jumped an armed guard after he exited his van to make a cash delivery . An aerial view of the crime scene. Police initially locked down streets in search of a second man but now they believe the assailant acted alone . Mr Jacobson said the man was bashed to the head with the offender's gun and was involved in a violent struggle. He added that his client was licensed to carry a gun and said he did not expect the man to be charged. Rahman was unemployed and had not been charged with a criminal offence in over 15 years. Police believe he was acting alone. Border Security general manager Leanne Walsh said the company's wishes were with all persons involved and their families. 'We are able to report that whilst our guard was visibly upset and traumatised by yesterday’s incident, he has our full and unconditional support and is receiving counselling and assistance to get through this difficult time,' Ms Walsh said in a statement on Tuesday. Witnesses speak with reporters after hearing shouting and gun shots outside the pub early on Monday morning . 'Border Security continues to assist police with the investigation and as such, we are unable to comment any further on the incident.' One witness said he heard 'three gun shots' and a 'couple of shouts' while he was walking nearby. Streets were earlier shut down and the doors locked on a childcare centre with up to 30 children housed inside. Neighbours who first raised the alarm said they saw a man run out of the tavern yelling 'Call the police' and then saw a security guard 'standing there pointing a gun at the bush'. | Nasreen Rahman said Gold Coast guard was just doing his job when he shot her brother . She agreed that he was acting on instinct and does not begrudge what happened . The man tried to jump a former colleague from the security firm he was laid off from earlier this year . He 'tried to use his knowledge of the firm's procedures' to rob the guard . Incident happened on Monday morning at a pub on the Gold Coast . | b554d9a3bb6ff042a601ce1b26f20438f63caf01 |
Thomas Muller may be joint leading scorer at the 2014 World Cup, but he was severely off target during a Germany training session - as one man eating lunch found to his cost. The Bayern Munich forward is on course to reclaim the Golden Boot that he won at the 2010 World Cup after scoring a hat-trick in Germany's opening 4-0 demolition of Portugal - making it eight goals in seven games for him at the tournament. However, during a practice session with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Muller managed to chip the ball over some improbably small goals and into the team's dining area where it hit an unassuming member of staff squarely in the face. Sharp shooter? Thomas Muller lines up a shot during Germany training session . Tiny target: The Germany international strikes the ball aiming for the undersized goal . Fore! Thomas Muller badly mishits his shot as the ball sails towards a group of diners . Head's up! The ball hits one of Germany's staff members squarely in the face . My bad! Thomas Muller apologises to his victim before returning to training . Muller apologised and, fortunately, the victim didn't fall to the floor clutching his face like Muller had done after being fouled by Pepe in Germany's opening game, subsequently leading to a red card for the combustible Portuguese defender. Despite his play-acting getting criticised by the likes of Diego Maradona, Muller only hoped that he wasn't made to look like a fool on global television. 'I’d . like to see it on TV,’ Muller told German television station ARD. ‘I . only hope that I looked okay. I felt a blow from his fist. German engineering: Thomas Mullers scored a hat-trick in Germany's opening game against Portugal . Rush of blood: Portugal defender Pepe was sent off after reacting to Thomas Muller's playacting . ‘But . what happened after that I can’t really remember, whether we were . head-to-head or not. I just hope it didn’t look stupid on TV. ‘I didn’t want to cheat,’ Muller added. ‘I felt Pepe’s hit. I can’t influence a red card, and I was not playing for a red card.' Germany face Ghana in their second game on Saturday, where Muller will be hoping to add to his tally for the tournament. | Thomas Muller is joint top scorer at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil . Germany international hit a hat-trick in opening 5-0 win against Portugal . Bayern Munich forward has scored eight goals in seven World Cup games . Muller was off target during training... hitting a man eating lunch in the face . | 3b1a08202dd43ba2585d162bf1adadc274a38919 |
By . Paul Bentley . Feud: The late Poet Laureate's love life is back in the spotlight after a row between a biographer and his widow . He was as renowned for his tempestuous relationships as he was for his award-winning poetry. And Ted Hughes's extraordinary love life is once again in the spotlight after a row between his widow and an academic planning a no holds barred biography. Jonathan Bate, an English professor at Oxford, has worked for four years on a book about the poet after being given access to Hughes's journals, diaries and unpublished poems. He has since been banned from looking at any more documents by the poet's widow Carol Hughes after uncovering new material about a series of affairs and his turbulent relationship with his first wife Sylvia Plath, a fellow poet who committed suicide in 1963. Mrs Hughes has also requested he now return any photocopies he has made of documents held in an American archive. Mr Bate yesterday spoke of his anger about the project being sabotaged. 'It makes me wonder if there is some secret being guarded,' he told the Sunday Times. 'Of course I would have to make some references to his love life, but that itself was so important to his poetry. The point is that everything he did in a remarkable life fed into his writing.' The biography Professor Bate has been working on was never officially authorised but Mrs Hughes gave her blessing and initially allowed him access to archives on condition that personal revelations were only used to inform understanding of the poet's works. She has since reneged on permission she granted for him to photocopy material from the Hughes archive in the British Library, which bought the collection from her in 2008 for £500,000. Mr Bate discovered new material about his scrutinised relationship with Plath, including an unpublished poem which reveals how he tried to reconcile their relationship over a romantic dinner in Soho shortly before she killed herself. Ended co-operation: Carol Hughes has banned Oxford professor Jonathan Bate from seeing any more material . Hughes was subsequently blamed for his wife's death. The poet later had a relationship with German Assia Wevill, who also committed suicide. In 1970, he then married Carol Orchard but took mistresses including novelist Emma Tennant, Australian Jill Barber and Brenda Heddon, a social worker from Devon. Professor Bate's biography was commissioned by Faber & Faber but is not expected to be published next year by rival HarperCollins. An employee at Faber & Faber - Hughes's former publisher - said of the poet's appetite for women: 'He was insatiable. He'd come in the office and seek women. He had tremendous sexual presence too. Carol, who is a very nice and steady person, put up with the affairs but never knew the full extent.' Revelations: The biographer is said to have discovered new details about . Hughes' relationship with his first wife Sylvia Plath, who killed . herself in 1963 . | Professor Jonathan Bate was given access to Hughes' journals and diaries . Has been banned from looking at further documents by poet's widow Carol . Said to have uncovered new material about relationship with Sylvia Plath . Mrs Hughes has also requested he now return any photocopies . | 25c50af7caddda3815e8ca3db2329030be3a87a9 |
By . Martha Kelner for The Mail on Sunday . Follow @@marthakelner . CLICK HERE for all facts, stats and graphics from the big match at Upton Park including the move for Graziano Pelle's goal. Morgan Schneiderlin could not muster the mental strength to play for Southampton a few weeks ago, such was his desire to leave the club. But he committed himself to the task at hand, scoring twice to secure victory for his team. The Frenchman is now ‘99 per cent certain’ still to be at the club after the transfer window closes, according to boss Ronald Koeman. If Southampton are to repeat the success of last season, when they finished eighth, they need him to stay. Koeman said he is confident the group of players he has can dispel the gloom and doom that descended since the departure of Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert, among others. The manner in which they came from behind to beat West Ham at home did nothing to contradict that belief. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Alex Song receive a heroes welcome at Upton Park as he joins West Ham from Barcelona . Top dog: Morgan Schneiderlin scored twice as Southampton beat West Ham 3-1 away in the Premier League on Saturday . All smiles: West Ham's new season-long loan signing Alex Song was paraded in front of the home fans before Saturday's match against Southampton . Star attraction: Song (centre) signed autographs for West Ham fans at Upton Park following his move from Barcelona . Sharing pleasantries: Sam Allardyce (left) and Ronald Koeman (right) shake hands before the match . All together: Southampton players have a team huddle before their clash against West Ham on Saturday . Leading by example: West Ham captain Mark Noble (right) scored the opening goal of the game after 27 minutes . Running wild: Noble celebrates giving West Ham the lead against Southampton at Upton Park in their Premier League encounter . West Ham (4-2-3-1): Adrian 5; O’Brien 4.5, Tomkins 5, Reid 5, Cresswell 5; Kouyate 6.5, Noble 7; Downing 5.5, Zarate 6 (Morrison 57), Vaz Te 5 (Diame 58); Cole 5 (Valencia 79) Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Sakho, Demel, Poyet. Goals: Noble 27 . Booked: O'Brien, Cresswell . Southampton (4-2-3-1): Forster 6; Clyne 6, Yoshida 6, Fonte 6.5, Bertrand 6; Long 6 (Ramirez 66), Schneiderlin 8.5; Steven Davis 6, Ward-Prowse 7 (Cork 71),, Tadic 7.5; Pelle 6.5. Subs: Kelvin Davis, Gardos, Wanyama, Mayuka, Hooiveld. Goals: Schneiderlin 45 and 68, Pelle 83 . Booked: Pelle . Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral) Attendance: 34,907 . ‘We were a much better team than West Ham,’ said Koeman. ‘It was a deserved win. I told them at half- time to play as winners and they kept that spirit.’ The afternoon began with an almost full Upton Park brimming with optimism to greet the unveiling of former Arsenal star Alex Song, brought in on loan from Barcelona. The new recruit watched from the stands but may have been longing for Catalonia after his team-mates let their lead slip in dire fashion. Boos rang out from the hardy souls who remained until the final whistle. The players trudged off the pitch looking downtrodden and Sam Allardyce did little to improve their mood in the changing room. ‘There was nothing to be pleased about,’ he said. ‘It was an under-par performance across the board and perhaps some of the players need a reality check.’ West Ham claimed they had ‘fought off interest’ from Europe’s biggest clubs to seal the Song deal. Allardyce laid a big task at his feet. ‘I hope as well as his quality he will bring experience and leadership,’ he said. ‘I hope he will kick a few backsides on the pitch. It doesn’t appear like anybody is taking responsibility.’ West Ham went ahead in the 26th minute. Upton Park new boy Mauro Zarate exploited a rare hiccup by Schneiderlin, catching him in possession and passing to Mark Noble, whose shot from outside the area deflected off Maya Yoshida and to the left of Fraser Forster. Serbia midfielder Dusan Tadic was identified as a danger before the match by Allardyce and he lived up to his billing. Tadic’s free-kick just before half-time reached Schneiderlin, whose right-footed shot was blocked but he finished with his left foot into the top corner. West Ham’s defence was exposed again after 68 minutes when Tadic played a short corner to Ward-Prowse, who crossed for Scheiderlin to volley in. ‘I was pleased with his attitude,’ said Koeman, ‘It’s been difficult for him. I understand his situation with offers from other clubs but he is happy now.’ A first Premier League goal for Italian striker Graziano Pelle’s sealed victory for Southampton. Curled to perfection: Schneiderlin (centre) equalised for Southampton just before half-time with a beautiful left-footed effort . Mobbed: Schneiderlin (second left) celebrates his stunning left-footed curler with his team-mates just before half-time . Double trouble: Schneiderlin (left) watches on as his close range strike beats Adrian (second right) in goal to put Southampton 2-1 ahead . See the build-up to Graziano Pelle's goal... for more go to our brilliant Match Zone . Smashed home: Graziano Pelle (left) completed the scoreline with an unstoppable shot that flew into the top left-hand corner of the West Ham goal . Joyous occasion: Southampton players congratulate Pelle (second left) after he scored his debut goal for the club . Getting stuck in: Pelle (left) battles for the ball with James Collins (right) at Upton Park during Southampton's 3-1 win at West Ham . You can't be serious!? Allardyce (left) vents his displeasure at a decision gone against his side to fourth official Michael Oliver (right) | Morgan Schniederlin scored twice as Southampton came from behind to win 3-1 at West Ham . Schniederlin scored either side of half-time to cancel out Mark Noble's opener . Graziano Pelle completed the scoreline late on with a blistering effort into the top corner . West Ham captain Noble gave the hosts the lead after 27 minutes with . | 2eb9ddc0d967a9a69d6438bef673d1b3035426c7 |
From her coveted seat on the sidelines of this week’s hottest catwalk show, businesswoman Teodora Mihaylova surveys the models with a discerning eye. As the co-owner of two children’s hair and nail parlours, she takes fashion very seriously. The cut of a jacket, the hue of a shoe, the just-so accessories, nothing escapes her notice. In the spirit of a true fashionista, practicality is not an issue for her. It’s all about the label — and most importantly — being seen in that label. Scroll down for video . Strutting their stuff: On the catwalk at Global Kids Fashion Week . But Teodora, from West London, is not looking for clothes for herself. She is researching looks for her children Sienna, who’s just 18 months old and Alex, who’s four. ‘My kids are my trophies. I love to see them well-groomed and well-dressed,’ she announces proudly. She confesses to spending around £3,000 a year — more than she spends on herself — kitting them out. She once spent £250 on a pair of kids’ designer shoes, only to see them wrecked the first time her son wore them. ‘Of course, they don’t know anything different,’ she says. ‘They do grow out of them so quickly — and the clothes don’t last long — so for me, it is more about the logo than the quality. Some people may not even realise if my kids have a Ralph Lauren jumper on. But it’s the kind of thing I notice.’ It’s this thinking that is fuelling the current boom in children’s fashion, evidenced this week by Global Kids Fashion Week, Britain’s first designer fashion week especially for children. Here, well-turned-out little girls and their mothers paid up to £110 for a prime, catwalk-side vantage point. Designs on fashion: Youngsters decked out in the latest looks for the premiere Kids' Fashion Week . Stylish youngsters: The child models strut their stuff in front of celebrity mums and fashion forward children . Important targets: The luxury children¿s wear market is valued at £6.5¿billion in the UK alone . The opening-day audience was a veritable who’s who of the mummy fashion elite. Model Jodie Kidd and her sister Jemma were in the front row with their respective children, Indio, 18 months, and Mae, three. Others famous names to attend included Kate Moss’s make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury and Jamie Oliver’s wife Jools, a children’s wear designer. In order to get the child’s perspective on this fashion circus, I took my eight-year-old daughter Clio. The moment we stepped out of the cab, she was mobbed, like a mini A-lister, by fashion bloggers wanting to take her picture outside. I was disturbed to think how quickly our children could be tricked into thinking the right clothes can instantly confer celebrity status. As she looked around inside, Clio was lured by the sight of the mini nail bar — aimed at a new type of child, chillingly branded ‘sweetly sophisticated’. Here tiny tots as young as 18 months old were getting their nails painted with washable non-toxic polishes designed so their mummies don’t have to worry if they stick their fingers in their mouths. But, of course, it was the catwalk where all eyes were focused. The very first Global Kids Fashion Week launched by AlexandAlexa showcased top designers A/W designs and drew celebrities like Jodie and Jemma Kidd to the front row . The show had a fun and playful vibe as the professional child models claimed the runway as their own wearing designers such as Oscar De La Renta, Paul Smith, Gaultier and Missoni . Models show the Autumn/ Winter 2013 looks for designers Paul Smith Junior (left) and Anne Kurris (right) These tiny outfits can cost many . hundreds of pounds; a party dress for a five-year-old by Roberto Cavalli . (who dresses Katie Price’s daughter Princess) will set you back £350. The luxury children’s wear market is . booming. It is now valued at £6.5 billion in the UK alone, with every . major fashion house, from Chloe to Marc Jacobs, offering their own . junior collections. It’s not surprising the rich and . famous are willing to splash cash on children’s clothes, but talking to . mums at the show, it’s clear how far fashion’s drip-down effect is . spreading. The children cheered, applauded and . held jewelled iPhones aloft as they watched other small children strut . down the runway in John Paul Gaultier outfits costing a small fortune. Sipping champagne at the after-show . party, Teodora Mihaylova’s sister Donna, with whom she co-owns Happy . Faces, believes celebrity culture is partly responsible for the growing . obsession with junior designer brands. Since Romeo Beckham started modelling . for Burberry, she has noticed a definite upsurge in the number of young . customers wearing the label. Although they start off being . influenced by their parents, Donna says it doesn’t take long for . children to catch on that they should look, and be dressed, a certain . way. ‘There were kids in the front row . today with dresses more expensive than those worn by the average . 30-year-old,’ she says. ‘But if you bring your child to Kids Fashion . Week, you’d want your child to compete. I know I would.’ Jodie Kidd, who watched in the front row with her blonde haired son, said of the show 'it was absolutely gorgeous' A grinning model shows off a grey pinafore dress by Roksanda Ilincic . An Africa silhouette dress by Kickle by AlexandAlexa . Kenzo's Winter collection feature warm and comfy pieces in bright colours . Today is a big family day out for . Carrie Daniels, 25, who has travelled from Bolton with her mother, . partner and two small daughters. In order to prove that her baby . Lily-Ella, eight months, really is dressed top-to-toe in Roberto . Cavalli, she lifts up her frilly dress to show me her bottom, branded . with the company’s logo on her tights. Carrie’s partner works as a . doorman and she is a stay-at-home mother. But money is no object when it . comes to dressing her little ones. She regularly spends up to £500 on . designer children’s wear websites and proudly posts her daughters’ outfits on Facebook. Carrie says: ‘When my girls are . beautifully dressed, nothing else matters. It’s a reflection on me as a . parent. It doesn’t matter what I wear. People treat you differently . when your children wear designer clothes.’ To eight-year-old Kayama Johnson, from . Hertfordshire, the show is an exciting trip out. She’d dashed from . school to change out of her uniform into her favourite faux leather . trousers for the show — in homage to her heroine, popstar Rihanna. Jemma and Jodie Kidd attended with their own fashion conscious little ones and stopped to pose for photographers after the show . Children have always been a reflection of their parents. But rather than . reflect our values, nowadays it seems that many parents are more . worried about whether they reflect their taste in fashion — or spending . power. If there is anything that illustrates how parenting is becoming a matter of style over substance, it’s Global Kids Fashion Week. But while it’s fine to sell the idea . to adults, who are old enough to know better, is it fair to sell the . same dream to children, who are so much more vulnerable and desperate to . fit in? The organisers are savvy enough to . head off any accusation that their event might sexualise young children. There is not even the slightest hint of lip-gloss and just a sprinkle . of glitter in the girls’ hair. There are no little ones clacking down . the catwalk in heels. Instead it’s Doc Martens and Mary Janes. But it is . still a blatant commercialisation of childhood. Research has found that children start . recognising logos at 18 months. By the age of ten, the average child . has already memorised 300 to 400 brands. Among eight to 14-year-olds, 92 . per cent are specific about which ones they want to buy. John Galliano (left) and Marc Jacobs (right) are just two of the estabilished designers who took part . Kate Mack-Biscotti (left) and Jottum (right) sparkle in party wear including pink faux fur and metallics . Scotch R'Belle collection had a 'back to nature' feel with delicate fabrics and more muted colours layered up, incorporating various cultural influences . Even before children’s designer wear . got the stamp of approval from the over-excited reception to this event, . children were already saying they needed the right labels to make them . feel ‘special’, ‘make them popular’ and ‘protect them from bullying’. The PR pitch for this show continually . tries to stress this event is all about ‘playfulness’, ‘fun’, and . ‘dressing up.’ But as I remember it, didn’t dressing up as a child used . to be about pretending to be a knight or a cowboy, not mimicking . grown-up label slaves? Isn’t this obsession with brands really all about . money? Educational expert, Sue Palmer, author . of the book, Toxic Childhood, says: ‘What’s fun for adults and . teenagers isn’t necessarily good for children. ‘The earlier you are hooked on . fashion, the more likely you are to be a fashion victim in the future, . desperately searching for an off-the-peg identity rather than developing . a rounded personality of your own. ‘Apart from “best clothes” for special . occasions, children need outfits that allow them to play freely; . clothing in which to run, jump, climb and generally mess about.’ After the show, Clio’s verdict on . fashion remained mercifully child-like: ‘Some of the clothes were nice, . but I’d spend too much time worrying what to wear if had them — and I’d . like to do other things, like play with my friends.’ As pressure mounts for the next . generation to be fashion plates, I hope all our children stay strong . enough to reject the life of a mini-fashionista in favour of a . childhood. ■ Tanith Carey is author of Where Has My Little Girl Gone? How to Protect Your Daughter From Growing Up Too Soon. The adorable models show Chloe's A/W 13 collection which features fresh neutral shades in cosy fabrics . Roberto Cavalli's pieces were sophisticated and tailored, featurting pops of animal print . Kenzo . Little Marc Jacobs . Marni . Oscar de la Renta . Kickle by Alexandalexa . John Galliano . Roksanda Ilinic . Paul Smith Junior . Junior Gaultier . Tommy Hilfiger . Juicy Couture . Diesel . Nike . Chloe . Roberto Cavalli . Fendi . I Pinco Pallino . Boss Kids . Missoni . | AlexandAlexa.com behind first ever Global . Kids’ Fashion Week (GKFW) Labels included Paul Smith Junior, Junior Gaultier, Chloe, Little Marc Jacobs . Models Jodie Kidd and Portia Freeman came along with their children . | bee5a08fa65d60dd78f7f548f3e5d3036f0272ad |
A San Francisco man who almost took his life eight years ago by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge has been reunited with the hero who saved his life. Kevin Berthia was perched on the iconic bridge ready to take a fatal leap on March 11, 2005, when he heard the voice of California Highway Patrol officer Kevin Briggs calling out to him from above. Over 60 life-changing minutes, Briggs managed to convince Berthia, as he has done with hundreds of suicidal men and women, to climb back over the rail and give life another shot. Since that significant day Berthia hasn't looked back and is now happily married with two children. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Reunited: Kevin Briggs, (center) shakes the hand of Kevin Berthia (left), the officer who talked him down from throwing himself off San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge in 2005 . Savior: Kevin Berthia, right, was perched on the iconic bridge ready to take a fatal leap on March 11, 2005, when California Highway Patrol officer Kevin Briggs, left, talked him off the ledge and back to safety . And this week he was able to thank the man who made all that possible. The pair reunited as part of an emotional ceremony honoring Briggs and other members of the CHP known as the Guardians of the Golden Gate Bridge, whose job it is to gently talk people like Berthia down from the structure. 'It was phenomenal,' Berthia, 30, told Yahoo News about the reunion at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention public service ceremony. 'I didn't know what I was going to feel, or how I was going to react,' he said. 'But when I first saw him, he walked up me and I just shook his hand. It felt like I had known this man my whole life. The nerves weren't there. It was just two old friends being reunited.' As he presented Briggs with the award, Bertha explained how grateful he was for Briggs' help and urged others to seek help, insisting they could too get better and life a fulfilled life. 'I didn't want him to try and stop me but now I'm glad he did,' he told the crowd. 'All I can say is that I am truly grateful. You gave me an opportunity to live.' Saving lives: During his 20 years patrolling the bridge Briggs has managed to talk may despondent people out of taking the fatal fall . The pair were reconnected after a Yahoo documentary in December 2012 chronicled the work of Briggs' team, centering on Berthia's case. A resounding image of the man clinging to the bridge as Briggs spoke to him provoked an outpouring of support from the Bay area community. After he received the award, Briggs said he was 'very humbled, honored and happy' to have the recognition for his team's hard work. 'I (accept this award) on behalf of the California Highway Patrol and police officers across this country who strive to do their best each and every time they receive a suicide call. 'During my career I've encountered numerous suicide attempts on the Golden Gate Bridge. Of those attempts, I've only lost one person. It's something you never forget. 'Kevin found the courage in himself that day to climb back over the rail, thus beginning a new stage in his life. Here, standing before us, is the reason we do what we do.' Reunited: Berthia and Briggs, pictured, were reconnected this month after a Yahoo documentary in December 2012 chronicled the work of Briggs' team, centering on Berthia's case . Briggs said, since Yahoo's video, he had been contacted to get his life rights for a movie and other police departments have called to speak to him about the CHP's work. 'It's all been very humbling, to be honest,' he said. Briggs, a cancer survivor and army veteran, first met with Berthia's mother and then the two men and their families met privately in a small room before the ceremony began. 'I wanted to meet him again,' Briggs told Yahoo, acknowledging that it was 'very unusual' for him to have contact with any of the men and women whose lives he's saved over the years. 'I just said, "It's great to see you." He said, "My Mom is your No. 1 fan." It was really neat.'Berthia said the bond the pair forged during those 60 significant minutes will see them being friends for life. 'Now that I have his number, I don't see us never not being friends,' he told Yahoo. 'We are of such a different age but it never feels like that. I've shared things with Officer Briggs in those 60 minutes that no one else in the world knows. It's a special bond there.' | Kevin Berthia was perched on the iconic bridge ready to take a fatal leap on March 11, 2005 . California Highway Patrol officer Kevin Briggs spent 60 life-changing minutes convincing Berthia to climb back over the rail . Pair were reunited as Berthia presented Briggs with an award at the emotional American Foundation for Suicide Prevention public service ceremony earlier this month . | b321cc9d02084ef55946c623b651283948b05bfb |
By . Phil Duncan for MailOnline . Follow @@PhilDuncanF1 . Arsenal’s stars were willing to poke fun at themselves in a hilarious new advert. Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud were among the all-star cast to team up with Stonewall – a lesbian, gay and bisexual rights charity in the UK – to help tackle homophobia in football. Walcott, currently sidelined with a knee injury which saw him miss last summer’s World Cup, is the first to appear on screen. Tan: A bare-chested Oliver Giroud says: 'I can't help I'm gorgeous' before winking to the camera (below left) Hair we go: Giroud flirts with the camera before club captain Mikel Arteta sprays his locks with hairspray . ‘I can’t change that I look like Lewis Hamilton,’ he says in reference to comparisons drawn between the Formula One star and the Arsenal and England forward. Next up is the club’s captain Mikel Arteta. ‘I can’t change that my hair is perfecto,’ the Spaniard says while using hairspray to keep his locks in place. Santi Cazorla – one of the Premier League’s smallest players at just 5ft 6in – then appears, albeit comically with only half of his face on display. ‘I can’t change my height,’ he says during the 30-second advert. ‘I can’t change that I look like a Teenage Ninja Mutant Hero’, adds Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain before crocked Giroud probably provokes the biggest laugh. Out of shot: The advert pokes fun at Santi Cazorla's height. He's one of the shortest in the Premier League . Seeing double: Theo Walcott (left) and Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, pictured at this week's GQ Awards . Spraying his body with fake tan, the Frenchman says: ‘I can’t change that I am gorgeous,’ before winking at the camera. The advert forms part of the Rainbow Laces campaign and was filmed in conjunction with the club's betting partner Paddy Power. Rainbow laces will be distributed to players across the UK for next week’s round of fixtures. The Gunners will face Manchester City at the Emirates. Turtle Football: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's former team-mate Emmanuel Frimpong compared him to a Teenage Mutant Hero (below) Arteta, who hopes to return from injury for the eagerly-awaited clash, said: ‘We’re very happy to support the campaign and whilst the advert is a light-hearted look at the things we can’t change, discrimination in football cannot be tolerated and we need to work together to change this.’ Former Aston Villa and West Ham midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, the only openly gay player to have played in the Premier League, added: 'I’m proud to be working with Stonewall on the Rainbow Lace campaign. I want to show that being gay and a professional footballer is something that’s normal. 'The perceived contradiction between playing football, the man’s game, and being homosexual is nonsense.' | Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla also starred in the hilarious advert . Cazorla, one of the smallest players in the Premier League, pokes fun at his height, while Giroud is seen covering himself in spray tan . Stars featuring in Rainbow Laces campaign aimed at helping to tackle homophobia in football . | 02bac9ea68b2fdeb8d89a91bfef1088227eb2ad0 |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The parents of a California girl who was allegedly raped and killed by a registered sex offender are calling for tougher standards against repeat offenders. "How many times do our daughters need to be raped before we put these monsters behind bars forever?" said Kelly King, mother of 17-year-old Chelsea King, in an interview Thursday with CNN's "Larry King Live." "I just don't -- I don't get it. Change has to be made," she continued, "and I know that there are people out there that are trying to, you know, get this change in place." She said she and her husband, Brent King, "are committed for the rest of our lives to be a part of that." On Wednesday, John Albert Gardner III, 30, a registered sex offender, was charged in the rape and murder of Chelsea, who lived in the San Diego area. Gardner, who is being represented by a public defender, was also charged Wednesday with assault with intent to commit rape in an attack on a jogger in December 2009. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Gardner, of Lake Elsinore, California, will not be allowed to post bail. If convicted, the charges against Gardner make him eligible for the death penalty, the San Diego County district attorney's office said Wednesday. The prosecutor's office said it has not determined whether it will seek capital punishment. For the Kings, there's no question. "I think the death penalty is a very appropriate punishment for this case," Kelly King. Brent King said he had "100 percent agreement" with his wife. Searchers found a body on Tuesday they believe to be that of Chelsea King. Police arrested Gardner on Sunday. King had been missing since February 25. Investigators said she was last seen at her school in Poway, about 15 miles north of San Diego. Her car, with her cell phone inside, was found at Rancho Bernardo Community Park. Searchers found remains in a shallow grave at that park; they were found along the shoreline of a tributary south of a lake, authorities said. The body was found in a heavily wooded area not visible from nearby homes. A shoe had been found earlier in the same area, the sheriff said. King's parents, noting she was a great student and avid runner, said she had gone for a run at the park before she disappeared. "It's a lovely area, very peaceful, very picturesque -- exactly what Chelsea ... loved to be in," Kelly King said. She said the couple's son, 13-year-old Tyler, was extremely close to his sister. "He's struggling through it just like us," Brent King added. Gardner's next court appearance, a status hearing, is scheduled for Tuesday. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 18. | Parents of Chelsea King make appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live" They call for tougher standards against repeat sex offenders . Registered sex offender John Gardner has pleaded not guilt to raping and murdering Chelsea . Mother says death penalty is "a very appropriate punishment for this case" | ad69ffcfa044d48877469ef48737fca25bb24c3a |
By . Daniel Bates . Last updated at 11:21 PM on 9th January 2012 . A producer at NBC has told of Matt Lauer's germaphobia. He allegedly uses Purell all the time after shaking fans' hands . Matt Lauer is so paranoid about germs that he uses hand sanitiser after shaking hands with the public, according to a report. The Today show host meets and greets dozens of people every day after they have arrived to watch the filming of America's most popular morning show. But after he has said hello he secretly pulls out a bottle of Purell that he keeps in his pocket at all times and applies it to his hands to get rid of any disease. Lauer's actions are likely to dishearten his legion of fans who could interpret his actions as insulting. But . according to New York magazine they are the least of his worries - he . also hates doing celebrity stories but swallows his pride and gets on . with the job. Lauer has been . the Today anchor since 1997 and is widely regarded as one of the most . trusted and dependable hosts on TV. He is also the highest paid and . earned a reported $17million last year. The report in New York Magazine is from an unnamed producer who works on Today, which is on NBC and draws around 4.75million viewers every day. The producer writes: 'Matt is known as the germophobe of the anchor team. Lauer also fears he doesn't always get enough journalistic credibility. He is photographed left at a benefit and right interviewing Justin Bieber in November . 'He walks around with a bottle of . Purell in his pocket. He's constantly out shaking hands with the crowd, . and the minute he turns away, he's Purell-ing his hands. 'If you ever walk in his office, it's like a museum - he's meticulous.' The . producer explains how Today and ABC's Good Morning America engage in . fierce competition each morning to get the best stories. But when it comes to presenting them on-air, Lauer is not exactly enthusiastic about the celebrity material. The producer writes: 'Matt has, sort of, I don't want to describe it as highbrow, but sensitivity about his journalistic credentials. 'He only wants to go after what he perceives as really important stories. Did he want to do Kim Kardashian filing for divorce? Absolutely not. He hates the seedy, gossipy stuff—but he has to do it.' Lauer, 54, has recently the subject of speculation that he was going to be replaced on Today by E! presenter Ryan Seacrest, 37. NBC's entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt was forced to address the issue during a recent speech in which he claimed that keeping Lauer on Today was his top priority. In the article the Today producer said that if Lauer does decide to leave then he 'wouldn't be surprised if they offer him $20 million' to stay. He writes: 'The succession planning for that show is key. And Matt has been rumored to leave the show at the end of this year, when his contract is up.' Nobody from NBC was available for comment . | 'He's constantly out shaking hands with the crowd, and the minute he turns away, he's Purell-ing his hands' | 1b56f13abfee7415857f5f2872cb21acb9ed4fad |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Water with trace amounts of radioactivity may have leaked for months from a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine as it traveled around the Pacific to ports in Guam, Japan and Hawaii, Navy officials told CNN on Friday. The USS Houston arrives in Pearl Harbor for routine maintenance, during which the leak was found. The leak was found on the USS Houston, a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine, after it went to Hawaii for routine maintenance last month, Navy officials said. Navy officials said the amount of radiation leaked into the water was virtually undetectable. But the Navy alerted the Japanese government because the submarine had been docked in Japan. The problem was discovered last month when a build-up of leaking water popped a covered valve and poured onto a sailor's leg while the submarine was in dry dock. An investigation found a valve was slowly dripping water from the sub's nuclear power plant. The water had not been in direct contact with the nuclear reactor, Navy officials said. Officials with knowledge of the incident could not quantify the amount of radiation leaked but insisted it was "negligible" and an "extremely low level." The total amount leaked while the sub was in port in Guam, Japan and Hawaii was less than a half of a microcurie (0.0000005 curies), or less than what is found in a 50-pound bag of lawn and garden fertilizer, the officials said. The sailor who was doused, a Houston crew member, tested negative for radiation from the water, according to Navy officials. Since March, the Houston had crisscrossed the western Pacific, spending a week in Japan and several weeks in both Guam and Hawaii, Navy officials said. See a timeline of the sub's movements » . The Navy on Friday notified the Japanese government of the leak, the officials said, and told them it was possible the ship had been leaking while in port in Sasebo, Japan, in March. While Japan has agreed to allow U.S. nuclear-powered ships in Japanese ports, the decision was a not popular in Japan. The Houston incident comes at a time when the Navy is trying to smooth over a problem with a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The USS George Washington was due to replace the aging, conventionally powered USS Kitty Hawk this summer as the United States' sole carrier based in Japan. While en route to Japan this May, a massive fire broke out on the George Washington, causing $70 million in damage. The fire was blamed on crew members smoking near improperly stored flammable materials. There was no damage or threat to the nuclear reactor, but the ship was diverted to San Diego, California, for repairs. It now is expected to arrive in Japan at the end of September. The Navy this week fired the captain and his deputy, saying an investigation into the fire led to a lack of confidence in the leadership of both men. Just two weeks ago, thousands of Japanese protested the pending arrival of the George Washington. | Leak was found on the USS Houston during routine maintenance last month . Navy officials say amount of radiation leaked into water was virtually undetectable . Sub spent time at ports in Guam, Japan and Hawaii . Officials: Radiation was "negligible" and an "extremely low level" | d5285abe6888255b74dc65316e003e3fca547538 |
By . Francesca Infante . PUBLISHED: . 11:08 EST, 13 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:14 EST, 13 September 2013 . A married couple have invented a simple way to stop pirates hijacking ships this is set to earn them £1million and the gratitude of sailors the world over. Teresa Stevens dreamed up a plastic barrier to fit over ships’ rails and make it impossible for anyone to board from another vessel. Together with her husband David she runs a company specialising in maritime security and the pair are celebrating after the crime-busting design put them on course to turn over £1million in their first year. Scroll down for video . Teresa and David Stevens have invented a simple but effective way to stop pirates hijacking ships but stopping them getting aboard in the first place . The design is a large plastic P shape which is fitted over the railings of ships and hangs over them. It . works by making it impossible for pirates to board boats by throwing . ladders and grappling hooks because they can't over the ledge it forms. After . an arduous development process the Stevens called in their local unit if marines Royal Marines to try and board a ship protected with Guardian Anti-Piracy barriers - after 2 hours they gave up and the design was declared a success. It is has now been fitted on more than 100 ships and in May this year saved it's first would-be victims when pirates attempted to storm a container ship of the coast of Nigeria. Mrs . Stevens said: 'The pirates came up to the ship and were harassing it . for close to an hour I think, trying to board it but they couldn't. 'In . the end they got so frustrated that they shot the lifeboat to pieces . but they couldn't get any further than that, we learned later that they . took another ship in the same location just two hours later - obviously . that one didn't have any protection. 'The . chief security officer contacted us to say they were very happy because . it saved the ship and that meant the crew members were safe. Startlingly simple: Pirates are unable to board ships protected with the Guardian barrier because their grappling hooks and ladders are unable to get grip . 'That . is absolutely why we do it, it was great to get that validation because . it makes you think all that effort developing and designing, those . years of hard work and living on the poverty line was worth it.' The units appear to made from plastic . but are in fact a compound UV package which makes it denser and . stronger than any plastic used in any marine environment to date. Crucially . it does not fall apart under fire and is fixed to the rails so it also . screens the crew from incoming pirates enabling them to stay out of . sight and get to safety. They can also be removed in sections making them easy to move in and out when they ships enter ports and need to allow people off but still keep stoaways and thieves out. They retail for £110 and most ships require between 65 and 100 units to cover all their exposed areas meaning that relative to the value of the ships they protect the barriers are hugely cost effective. Mrs Stevens, a former chef, works . alongside her husband David at their firm Marine and Auto Security . Solutions in Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire. She . said that they realised after focusing their efforts on trying to remove pirates from . ships that the real key was to make it impossible for them . to get on board in the first place. The Guardian Anti-Piracy Barrier prevents pirates from boarding ships by making it impossible for them to sling grappling hooks over the railings . Success: The barriers have already been installed on 100 ships and the company is set to make £1million turnover in it's first year of trading . She added: 'We were working on anti-piracy and my husband came up with a way of remotely controlling a ship. 'But our customers wanted something to stop pirates getting on board in the first place, so we thought of things like ways to blast the pirates with chilli oil and other things. 'It suddenly occurred to me to put a huge plastic P over the rail to prevent the ladders and grappling hooks gripping.' The most common way pirates take control of ships is to sling ropes and roof ladders around the outdoor railings and then, often at night, climbing up. But the Stevens' device has a wide plastic top which means its hooks cannot grab on. The success they have had so far means that they save the shipping industry millions and thwart an increasingly common problem that endangers the lives of seamen all over the world. Mrs Stevens added: “We tested it with Royal Marines at a local maritime school and they couldn’t get on. 'We even tied a rope on but because of the shape of the barrier, the marines could not get past the overhang. 'They tried for two hours and had to give up and it was really put through its paces in the Gulf. 'Now we have put it on probably 100 ships and are in talks with an oil rig company to supply them, as they’re based off the coast of Africa an the rig and their ships get attacked by pirates regularly.' Not ones to rest on their laurels, the Stevens are now working on developing a range of different sizes and shapes to protect other marine installations at threat from piracy. | The barrier prevents pirates from boarding ships using grappling hooks and ladders because they can't get a grip . It has already been fitted to a 100 ships and in May this year prevented it's first attack in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Nigeria . | 5c51988c1352148a90f2a4d61041f88ff1d12d91 |
Washington (CNN) -- Four decades since Roe v. Wade, and little, it seems, has changed. The January 22, 1973, Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion remains the law of the land, passions remain high on both sides of the issue, and protests are held each year on its anniversary. Access to abortion, then and now, is about more than simple legalities. Social, religious and family values, as well as finances and politics, still play a role in shaping the abortion issue, but many legal and medical experts say the debate has become entrenched. "Much of the controversy about abortion is really stimulated by the interest groups on both sides of the political question, rather than by ordinary Americans," said David Garrow, a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh, and a longtime Supreme Court scholar. "The American people and many political leaders have already made up their minds about legal abortion." Public opinion on abortion has remained stable over the years. A CNN/Opinion Research survey last August found 44% said abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances, while 52% said only under few or no circumstances. And 88% said the procedure should be allowed when the woman's life is in danger; 83-percent said so in cases of rape or incest. The margin of error was plus-or-minus 3 points. The Roe decision did not prompt "abortion on demand," as many opponents of the procedure had predicted it would. Nor have various legislatures or court rulings restricted access as much as some supporters claim. Research from the Alan Guttmacher Institute finds the number of abortions at its lowest level since Roe, remaining steady at about 1.2 million reported procedures in the year 2011, down 25-percent since the all-time high in 1990. Bans on abortion in the United States began early in the 19th century. Connecticut in 1812 became first state to outlaw them, specifically after "quickening," the time in the pregnancy when the woman starts to feel fetal movements. The laws were designed primarily to protect women from dangerous "back alley" abortions. These laws were also ambiguous, given the Victorian moral code that stifled debate on so personal a subject as unwanted pregnancies. Since then, movements have come and gone to relax the restrictions or to give women more choice, but such efforts mostly went nowhere. It was not until the 1960s that an organized movement was launched to ease the laws regulating abortions. Medical technology had advanced to the point where they could be done safely by trained medical staff in clean, professional environments. By the early 1970s, a number of states had changed their laws, though most did so in very limited ways. Survey: Few religious groups want decision overturned despite abortion views . The legal fights culminated with Roe v. Wade, the court's 7-2 decision giving women a qualified constitutional right to abortion during most of the pregnancy. The court, in fact, heard two cases around the same time: Roe (aka Norma McCorvey, who has since become an abortion opponent), which challenged a Texas law banning abortions except to save the woman's life; and Doe v. Bolton, involving a Georgia law requiring that abortions be performed only in accredited hospitals and only after a review by a hospital staff committee and an exam by two doctors other than the woman's physician. The Roe and Doe rulings affected laws in 46 states. For the justices, Roe reflected earlier cases involving the right to privacy. That "right," wrote Justice Harry Blackmun in the main opinion for the court, is "broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy." "Prior to Roe," said Garrow, "whether one could obtain a legal abortion in the face of an unwanted pregnancy was a crapshoot. For 40 years now, it's been a constitutionally guaranteed right." He is the 1994 author of "Liberty and Sexuality: The Right to Privacy and the Making of Roe v. Wade." But the ruling was a qualified one, and that fact has been used by abortion opponents in their efforts to narrow the scope of other abortion provisions. Blackmun noted that the state's "important interests in safeguarding health, maintaining medical standards, and protecting potential life" are compelling enough to justify regulation "at some point in pregnancy." That "qualified right" found its form in the controversial "trimester analysis" laid out by the justices in Roe: permitting no government regulation during the first three months of a pregnancy; allowing limited regulation in the second trimester to protect the woman's health and safety; and granting government the power to ban abortions during the third trimester -- a time when, medical consensus has concluded, the fetus is capable of living on its own. That reasoning has outraged abortion opponents and puzzled many legal scholars. "The better argument for the result reached in Roe v. Wade," said Edward Lazarus -- a former law clerk for Blackmun and an author of "Closed Chambers: The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Modern Supreme Court"-- "is that it's necessary for the equality of women, rather than grounding it in the privacy right." After Roe, the high court affirmed the right to abortion in subsequent cases: striking down provisions requiring a husband's consent for a first-trimester abortion; requiring parental consent for an unmarried woman under 18; striking down efforts to expand on laws requiring women to give informed consent before having an abortion; striking down a 24-hour waiting period; and striking down a law requiring doctors to inform women of the risks and of assistance available if she were to carry the fetus to term. But there was one notable victory for abortion opponents: a ban on the use of taxpayer funds to finance abortions for poor women. The abortion issue has been revisited several times since Roe, most famously in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). Opinion: If Ireland had Roe v. Wade . Webster (a 5-4 decision) upheld major parts of a Missouri abortion law that prohibited the use of public facilities or the participation of public employees in abortions, and required doctors to test the viability of the fetus before an performing any abortion. Justices William Rehnquist, Byron White and Anthony Kennedy said they would allow restrictions on abortion, but only if the restrictions had a rational basis. More important, the three conservative justices said, a compelling government interest need not be required to justify restrictions on abortion. That was a blow for anti-abortion forces. Then came the Casey ruling, in which the justices outlined their views on Roe. The decision (also 5-4) reaffirmed the heart of Roe while giving states the power to regulate procedures so long as they did not impose an "undue burden" on a woman's right to abortion. The standard: Undue burden exists if "the purpose and effect is to place substantial obstacles in the path of a woman seeking an abortion before the fetus attains viability." The ruling left supporters on both sides of the issue dissatisfied, feeling it was ambiguous. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor joined neither opinion, saying there was nothing in it to justify reconsidering Roe. Nevertheless, Blackmun wrote, "the right to reproductive choice" was in danger of being overturned. Another legacy of Roe: The head-counting of justices on the court, a what-if scenario that could lead to the overturning of Roe. The current 5-4 conservative majority might shift in either direction if two or more justices leave the bench in the next few years, as is widely expected. In the meantime, conservatives in Congress have promised to push for tougher restrictions on access to abortion, though many political experts say the goal is not necessarily aimed at overturning Roe. They found success five years ago when the justices, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld a federal ban on a controversial late-term procedure, rejecting concerns the law didn't take into account the physical safety of the woman. The procedure -- called "partial birth abortion" by its critics -- is typically performed in the middle-to-late second trimester. The legal sticking point was that the law lacked a "health exception" for women who might suffer serious medical complications, something the justices have said in the past is necessary when considering abortion restrictions. The swing vote, as in previous cases, came from Kennedy. In angry dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, then the lone woman on the high court, called the majority's conclusions "alarming" and said they "cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away a right declared again and again by this court, and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women's lives." Ginsburg has long been a leading voice for gender equality. Ironically, some of the opposition to her 1993 nomination to the high court came from feminists, who did not like her criticism over the legal reasoning of Roe. She believed a more gradual liberalization to abortion would have kept the issue back in the states, avoiding the social and political upheaval that has been part of Roe's legacy. The law on abortion was evolving at the time of Roe, Ginsburg recalled in 2005. "The Supreme Court stopped all that by deeming every law -- even the most liberal -- as unconstitutional. That seemed to me not the way courts generally work." But Ginsburg, in her rulings, has upheld a woman's reproductive choice. "When government controls that decision for her, she's being treated as less than a full adult human being responsible for her own choices," she said during her confirmation. If there is one overriding legacy of the Roe decision, it may be that it opened and expanded the debate on the rights of women, sexuality, health care, and medical decisions. Issues like cloning, stem cells, and fetal research have become part of the national lexicon. As significant as it was, Roe v. Wade was only the beginning of the battle. | 40 years later, Roe remains the law of the land . Passions still run high on both sides of the landmark decision . In 1812, Connecticut outlawed abortions after "quickening" | 0f0b450d07f58457f7c45b7f961d01ae555e2e4b |
By . Associated Press . A once-prominent socialite was found guilty Tuesday in the 1996 Tucson car bomb killing of her ex-husband after spending years abroad living a lavish lifestyle across Europe. Pamela Phillips, 56, had pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. During the trial that began in February, Phillips' lawyers told jurors their client had nothing to gain from the death of businessman Gary Triano and that she was the victim of overzealous authorities who failed to follow other leads. They said Phillips was already a successful real estate broker with her own money, and suggested that Triano had numerous other enemies. Guilty: Pamela Phillips, shown as her verdict was handed down on Tuesday, has been found guilty on Tuesday of murder in the explosive death of her ex-husband Gary Triano . Haunting past: Phillips smirks as the verdict settles in on Tuesday in a Tuscon, Arizona court . But prosecutors described Phillips as a gold digger who hired a former boyfriend to kill Triano to collect on a $2million life insurance policy in order to maintain her extravagant taste for the good life. It's been nearly two decades since Triano died when his car exploded as he was leaving a Tucson-area country club after playing golf. Authorities said Phillips paid ex-boyfriend Ronald Young $400,000 to carry out the hit. Young was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to two life terms in prison, but jurors weren't allowed to consider his case while determining Phillips' fate. 'The state went after the easy marks,' defense attorney Paul Eckerstrom told jurors during closing arguments, indicating that Triano had plenty of other enemies with better motives to kill him. 'You have to tell the state: "You made a mistake."' Prosecutors presented a portrait of a . woman who grew accustomed to the high life and found herself struggling . financially with an easy $2million way out. The . state's case against her hinged largely on the purported secret . arrangement between Phillips and Young, who the defendant dated while . working as a real estate broker in Aspen, Colo., after she divorced . Triano. While . Phillips claimed she had paid Young the $400,000 for assistance with . business ventures and financial planning, prosecutors argued the money . was clearly payment for the hit. Scene: The prosecution contends that while Phillips was not at the Tucson-area country club when her ex husband Gary Triano was killed in 1996, she paid Young to plant the bomb . Plot: Phillips had entered a plea of not guilty but jurors were convinced by voicemails she left for her ex-boyfriend-turned-hitman who was convicted in 2010 (seen in court last week) 'He's not getting paid for business . advice that she never takes — he's getting paid for murder,' prosecutor . Rick Unklesbay said in closing arguments. During . the trial, in addition to witnesses, prosecutors used financial records . and telephone conversations that Young secretly recorded during talks . with Phillips. In one recording, Young appears to grow angry over not . receiving his payments, telling Phillips, 'You're going to be in a . woman's prison for murder.' Defense lawyers said the calls were merely the ramblings of a con man. One prosecution witness, a longtime friend of Phillips, testified that Phillips once told her how easy it would be to hire someone to kill her husband. Back in the day: The prosecution painted . Phillips, seen left in an undated photo, as a gold digger who left her . real estate developer husband Gary Triano (right) after he lost much of . his fortune . The defense downplayed the testimony, noting Phillips was distraught at the time after having a fight with Triano during which he threatened her. Phillips' lawyers also called into question the witness' memory. Triano was a developer who made millions investing in Indian bingo halls and slot-machine parlors in Arizona and California before Congress authorized tribes to open full-blown casinos. But after the real estate market declined and he lost control of his gambling interests, Triano went broke. Upset: On Thursday, the Arizona court heard recordings that Phillips' ex boyfriend Ron Young (pictured) made when he was calling her about payments for the bombing . That's around the time Phillips filed for divorce, prosecutors said. The couple, who had two children together, separated, but Phillips remained the beneficiary of Triano's insurance policy, paying the premiums herself. She eventually moved to Aspen and worked in real estate before meeting Young, and prosecutors said the two would later hatch a plan to kill Triano and collect on the policy. After the killing, Young was on the run from a warrant for his arrest in Colorado on fraud charges while Phillips was sending him money for the hit, eventually adding up to $400,000, prosecutors told jurors. The investigation into Triano's killing stalled until Young's arrest in 2005 in Florida on the fraud charges. That's when both Phillips and Young became the key suspects in the killing. Authorities say he kept detailed records of his financial transactions with Phillips, including recorded telephone conversations and invoices. Prosecutors said police also found divorce records pertaining to Phillips and Triano in a van rented by Young. By then, Phillips had received the $2 million insurance payout and had left Aspen for a life overseas.She was arrested in Austria in 2009 and extradited to Tucson. Her case was delayed after a judge ruled she was mentally unfit to stand trial at the time. Phillips' attorneys argued throughout the trial that the evidence against her was flimsy, and that Phillips was already wealthy with her own money. They said Young didn't even kill Triano, raising the specter that it could have been a hit by a jilted investor. Jurors began deliberating last week. Sentencing has been set for May 22, and Phillips faces life in prison. | Pamela Phillips has been found guilty of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder . Prosecutors played tapes of Phillips calling her ex-boyfriend, Ron Young, who she agreed to pay if he killed her ex-husband, Gary Triano . Triano was killed by a car bomb at a Tuscon, Arizona golf club . Even though Phillips and Triano had split years before his death, she knew she was still listed as the beneficiary on his $2million life insurance policy . Young was found guilty in 2010 and is currently serving two life sentences . Her sentencing date has not been scheduled yet . | b6d94bdac76816c587154d681cc7e59c99c51936 |
Sentenced: Ed Bagley was finally sentenced Wednesday for holding a mentally disabled woman captive as a sex slave he drugged and abused for six years starting when she was sixteen years old . Fans of 50 Shades of Grey are worried that the unorthodox sexual practices depicted in the erotic best-seller could face a backlash thanks to the upcoming trial of a man accused of abusing his wife who says they were simply engaging in S&M. Ed Bagley faces a federal trial early next year on 11 counts of abuse against a woman authorities say he groomed to be his sex slave. Now prosecutors plan to present consensual, though violent, acts between Bagley and his own wife Marilyn as evidence that Bagley has a history of sexually assaulting women. Defense attorneys plan to show evidence of 'sadistic sexual assaults' and S&M advocates fear that it will cause a negative public reaction to their lifestyle choices, which have come to public attention partly because of E.L. James's . Some worry the government's assertion could open up people who practice bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism - or BDSM - to criminal charges for consensual acts they're already performing, said Susan Wright, founder of the Baltimore-based National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. 'We are following this case specifically because we were hoping this issue would not come up,' she said. Ed Bagley, 45, of Lebanon, Missouri, is accused of grooming a young woman to be his sex slave starting in 2002, then keeping her captive for years while making money from her images on fetish Internet sites and forcing her to work as a dancer at strip clubs. Marilyn Bagley, 47, is charged with five counts, including sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking. Both have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial in February. 'Marilyn Bagley's "consent" to the sexual assaults by Defendant Edward Bagley does not change whether the acts legally constitute assault or not,' prosecutors wrote in court documents filed last month. 'Pursuant to the Missouri state assault statute... consent is not a defense to assault resulting in serious physical injury.' The case came to light in early 2009 after the woman, then 23, was hospitalized after what prosecutors said was a torture session. Then-U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips called the case one of 'the most horrific ever prosecuted in this district.' Advocates for the BDSM community say even the most brutal acts detailed in Bagley's federal indictment are not criminal acts, as long as there was consent. Popularity surge: Susan Wright, founder of the Baltimore-based National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (left), said that S&M is on the rise since the release of 50 Shades of Grey (right) But if the woman was too young or not intelligent enough to consent, as prosecutors allege, or if she initially gave consent and then changed her mind, most who spoke with the AP said that would be criminal sexual abuse. It's the inclusion of Bagley's acts with his wife in the case that concerns BDSM advocates and Bagley's attorney, Susan Dill. 'Like many people from all walks of life, my client and his wife engaged in what some might term alternative, but nonetheless, consensual sexual activity that they both enjoyed,' Dill said. 'The assertion that their consensual, marital sex life is evidence of prior criminal activity is nonsensical.' As in several other states, Missouri assault laws limit instances in which consent can be used as a defense against criminal charges when serious injuries occur. Exceptions generally are made for athletic activities and the victim's occupation or professions in which the conduct and harm are reasonably foreseeable hazards. As in several other states, Missouri assault laws limit instances in which consent can be used as a defense against criminal charges when serious injuries occur. Exceptions generally are made for athletic activities and the victim's occupation or professions in which the conduct and harm are reasonably foreseeable hazards. Wright's group contends 'serious physical injury' is not well-defined under law. 'The assessment of the seriousness of harm is often affected by judges' "moral judgments about the iniquity of the conduct,"' the organization says on its website in a section focusing on the consent issue. 'Courts tend to inflate the risk and harmfulness of an activity they want to denounce. For example, any injury caused during a sadomasochistic encounter has been consistently classified as serious.' Wright notes that regardless of the legal precedent, prosecutors' attempts to present acts between Bagley and his wife as evidence in the Missouri case also comes at a time when kinky sex practices appear to be gaining broader public acceptance amid the popularity of the E.L. James 50 Shades of Grey bondage books. 'Because of 50 Shades of Grey, a lot of people are trying BDSM for the first time this year,' she said. 'We want to be sure they understand they have to do these activities consensually, and to make sure they have the skill to do them safely.' | Man charged with abusing 'sex slave' but he says it was consensual S&M . Now S&M fans concerned that trial will be bad for their lifestyle . | b6001b23106955a187a1e2ce8be6d34457b5567c |
(CNN) -- One of the most anticipated NBA seasons gets under way Tuesday night. LeBron James' decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat and fellow stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, fueled passionate off-season conversation about him and the league. While the focus this season is what will take place on the court, there are financial issues looming for the NBA that many expect will result in a work stoppage next season. CNN spoke to TNT NBA analyst Steve Kerr about the excitement around this week's league openers and the economic clouds looming next season. Below is an edited transcript of that interview. CNN: What should fans expect from LeBron James early in the season? Steve Kerr: They can expect the usual highlight reel play. That's not going to change. But I think fans need to temper their expectations for the team. It takes some time for the team to find its identity and find their roles especially with Dwyane Wade injured for most of the pre-season. I think it's going be fun to watch it all unfold. CNN: So fans shouldn't wonder why the team isn't on pace for 75 wins (teams play 82 games) from day one? Kerr: I get that question a lot since I was on the [NBA record] 72 win team in Chicago [in 1996]. It is pretty unique and I don't think it will ever happen again, but Miami is going to win a ton of games. I don't think anyone will ever win 73 but they will probably be in the 60s, and if things go really well they could be in the high 60s. CNN: James told CNN that he thought race played a role in the criticism of "The Decision" and he recently re-tweeted a racially charged tweet someone sent him. Will this result in people seeing a different side of LeBron James, perhaps not the carefree kid they saw for many years in Cleveland? Kerr: I think this whole thing has to have hardened him and given him a different perspective on people. I think if you combine "The Decision" TV show with the fact that he hasn't won a title, he's starting to feel pressure and people maybe don't look at him as the "boy wonder" anymore. It's more "When are you gonna win?" That brings a lot of pressure, an edge and that comes with the territory and I think he understands that. He has to go out and win a title at some point to validate his legacy. Watch LeBron James' new commercial . CNN: You were a general manager and a player, so you've seen the league's economics from both sides. The NBA is projecting about $350 million in losses this season -- do you think that's an accurate figure? Kerr: Yes. Having been on the management and seeing a lot of numbers both in Phoenix and elsewhere, I think that's an accurate number. CNN: How did it get to that point? Kerr: Rising player costs. The salaries really exploded and you combine that with the downturn in the economy. ... It's been a tough go for most of the teams in the league. It's like a lot of other things in the country: People don't have a lot of spending money and the first thing you cut back on is your entertainment expenses. The other factor is that when the owners bought franchises 30 years ago, they knew they were sitting on a huge franchise value escalation. They bought it for $20 million and they knew it would grow and they could afford to lose some money knowing they could eventually cash in. But now you have a whole group of owners that bought-in at $300-400 million, so owners aren't sitting on that huge payoff at the end that they used to be, so there's a little different mentality on a year-to-year basis. CNN: Is it realistic that player costs can be reduced by 1/3 as the commissioner David Stern says he wants to do? Kerr: I don't think anyone really knows. Usually in these situations, Stern's the master in these negotiations for sure and everything he says is calculated and there's a plan behind it and maybe the plan is go for 1/3 and get 1/4 -- I don't know. He knows what he wants, he knows how to get it, and he also knows that it is a partnership with the players and there has to be compromise and we'll see how it all unfolds. CNN: How hard might the players fight this? Kerr: Having been through it in 1999 (the last NBA lockout) the end result was the players gave up more than the owners did and that's usually the way it works. You have 450 players versus 30 owners and the owners have other businesses, and generally speaking the owners are going to be able to weather the storm easier than the players are. That said, the owners are going to lose a lot of money in a lockout too. I think it's something that'll be resolved but usually the owners come out with the better end of the deal. CNN: What are the odds that there will be a lockout next year? Kerr: I think the odds are pretty good It's impossible to give a number. I think circumstances are very unique, probably more severe than in 1999 because of economic conditions in this country, and the fact that a lot of the owner's other businesses may be struggling a little bit. CNN: What should fans watch for in the early part of the season? Kerr: Can the Lakers stay healthy and motivated? They're trying to get to their fourth straight NBA finals which is very hard to do. Watch Kobe Bryant -- can he sustain it for another full season? Chicago has made a lot of improvement. Orlando is the team that's flying under the radar. Everybody is watching Boston and Miami. Nobody is talking about Orlando. They have the best defensive player in the league, Dwight Howard, and they're going to pose a lot of problems for everybody. CNN: Is Orlando your surprise winner? Kerr: I picked Miami to play the Lakers, with the Lakers winning. But it wouldn't shock me at all if Orlando got to the finals. | Steve Kerr says LeBron James new team should win more than 60 games . James under pressure; needs to win a championship to validate his legacy, Kerr says . Kerr expects there to be a lockout of NBA players before next season . He says rising player costs have led to the league losing hundreds of millions of dollars . | cf321a09076f912ce5bf36088e6520c6799753b4 |
(CNN) -- A significant number of investors are preparing to confront the management of UBS on Thursday by voting against the Swiss bank's 2011 pay award and denying executives formal approval of their actions. The bank's share price dropped 28 per cent last year and it lost $2.25bn in a rogue trade in London that caused the largest unauthorised trading loss on record in Britain. For the same period, the bank chose to pay 12 members of its executive board SFr70.1m ($77.1m) compared to SFr91m in the year before. That has prompted advisory groups and institutional investors including ISS, Ethos, F&C and Hermes Equity Ownership Services to rebel against what they see as a lack of disclosure on how pay is calculated and a high proportion of variable pay. George Dallas, director of corporate governance at F&C Management, which owns a 0.2 per cent stake in the bank, said: "UBS's bonus pool for its executive board is still too high given the trading scandal, decreasing profits and a drop in market value in the past year." CNNMoney: Occupy boardroom: Shareholders revolt . Natacha Dimitrijevic, head of European corporate governance at Hermes which represents 25 clients with a combined stake of 0.15 per cent, said it was worried about a lack of specific performance criteria for UBS bonuses. "Without assurances that large discretionary payouts can't occur we cannot vote in favour of the pay scheme," she said. Although the exact voting intentions of shareholders will not be clear until the annual meeting, some investors say they expect the bank to face a more forceful vote than at fellow Swiss group Credit Suisse, where more than a third who voted refused to back its pay award. The discontent among UBS shareholders also goes beyond the recent upsurge in investor activism expressed in non-binding votes on pay at other big banks including Citigroup and Barclays. A large number of shareholders are expected to refuse to give management a clean bill of health for 2011 because of the trading scandal and UBS's admission that the incident revealed "shortcomings" in its risk management. Under Swiss law, an investor forfeits most rights to sue management for actions in a given year by formally voting to "discharge" it of responsibility for that period. The trading scandal has triggered management changes including the replacement of chief executive Oswald Grübel by Sergio Ermotti last September. At the annual meeting, investors are being asked to elect Axel Weber, former Bundesbank president, to succeed Kaspar Villiger, outgoing chairman. Two years ago shareholders voted against discharging the former management of responsibility for 2007, the year before the credit crisis brought the bank to the brink of collapse. UBS has already been berated by a strong minority of investors over its pay structures for two consecutive years. Last year, more than a third who voted refused to back the pay report and in 2010 more than 45 per cent of investors declined to endorse it. ISS, the influential US proxy firm and Ethos, the Swiss activist investor that advises domestic pension funds both recommended their clients vote against the discharge of the management and the remuneration report. "ISS continues to have concerns about lack of safeguards against excessive pay and poor pay practices, lack of disclosure in key areas, and certain aspects of UBS's remuneration system," the advisory group said in a recent note to clients. | Investors are preparing to confront the management of UBS on Thursday . A significant number plan to vote against the Swiss bank's 2011 pay award . | 9cb40ea571a0dcdd9b2853afc0f69b97384d3a52 |
(CNN) -- Bullets riddled a crowd at an Alabama nightclub over the weekend, according to police. Rapper Doe B, 22, was killed, police said. So was Kimberle Johnson, 21. The barrage wounded six more people at the Centennial Hill Bar and Grill in Montgomery early Saturday. Security guards at the club couldn't stop the shooting. Police are searching for suspects and asking for tips on Facebook to help them make arrests. The mayor vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Doe B and gunshot wounds . Doe B was born Glenn Thomas, and is from Montgomery, his manager Frank White said. Thomas had recently been on tour. Colorful placards announcing his performances marked the path of his December concert rounds through his state and to Atlanta. He then returned to the club in his home town, where his life was taken. It was not the first time he had been shot, Billboard Magazine reported. His eye was wounded in a previous shooting, and he wore an eye patch that had become his trademark. On the cover of his new album Baby Jesus, a baby is pictured dressed like Doe B with the eye patch and with additional bullet wounds on the left arm. Tough turf . The venue got a reputation with city officials after a shooting there last year, which local media reported. Back then it was called the Rose Supper Club, but it changed its name after the violence. Some people vented their rage at the club over Doe B's killing Saturday in all caps on the venue's old, pre-name-change Facebook page. "Y'all SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH MURDER," wrote Brandon King. Montgomery's mayor shut the club down. The city had given Centennial Hill repeated warnings, Todd Strange said in a statement. "I believe it is not a matter of 'if,' but 'when' the next tragic incident occurs at this business," he said. "That is unacceptable, and that is why we have ordered the business to be closed effective immediately." Music of sorrow . Doe B's musician friends and compatriots poured out their hearts on Twitter. "He was just getting started.... The future was so bright... I would have told you thank you. Rest in peace," manager White posted. "Clubs keep lettin guns in the club as if that's not where we as artists work. We got families to go home to, f--- is wrong with y'all," said artist Machine Gun Kelly. | Bullets sprayed the crowd at a club in Montgomery . The police are still searching for the shooter . The Centennial Hill Bar and Grill had been a thorn in the side of the city . The mayor shut it down after the shooting . | 8062294af7a75010032ebce12da104c974a4b8ff |
The former Marine convicted of sexually abusing his two children will spend the rest of his life behind bars, after receiving two life sentences in Florida court today. U.S. District Judge Roy B Dalton Jr. called what 26-year-old Jonathan Adleta did to his children 'heinous', saying he is reposible for 'the destruction and scarring of his own children'. During the trial it was revealed that Adleta started planning to abuse his children before they were born, telling his pregnant girlfriend Sarah Adleta, 29, that he would only marry her if she allowed him to have 'daddy-daughter sex' with their child. Sick plan: Sarah Adleta, 29, was convicted of sexually abusing her two children with her ex-husband Jonathan Adleta, 26. During her ex-husband's trial, she revealed that their plan to abuse their children started before the two were born . The abuse started when their daughter was born in March 2009, and the two were married the following year. They went on to have a son together, and the parents sexually abused both children. Soon after getting married, the two broke up but the abuse continued over Skype and with visits to Adleta in OKlahoma where he already had a new girlfriend. Girlfriend Samanatha Bryant, 23, had a daughter and she let Adleta abuse her as well. Enabler: Adleta's new girlfriend Samantha Bryant, 23, allowed him to abuse her daughter as well. She is serving a 15-year sentence consecutively with a 30-year sentence . Both women testified during Adleta's trial, shedding light on the gruesome abuse. During that trip to Oklahoma in December 2012, Sarah let her ex-husband abuse her daughter in his bedroom while she watched. The toddler 'seemed very resistant and 'really upset' the mother testified, leading her ex-husband to suggest she find another man for the child to have sex with so she wouldn't be 'freaking out' in the future. The Adletas horrifying and despicable sexual abuse of their own children was only uncovered when FBI were tipped off when the mother sent naked pictures of herself and the toddlers to a man in North Carolina. The mother performed sex acts on her children so the man could watch, according to testimony she gave the court this week. Sarah Adleta was sentenced to 54 years in prison in October for abusing her children. The Adleta children have since been put up for adoption. Adleta's girlfriend Bryant faced seperate charges herself, and was found guilty on two counts of lewd molestation. She was sentenced to consecutive 15- and 30-year sentences. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gable called Adleta's crimes 'despicable and egregious' and said he is a 'grave danger to children'. Horrifying: Jurors heard despicable details of the sexual abuse of two young children in Orlando federal court (pictured) Despite that, Adleta's defense said consideration should be taken in for Adleta's military service in Afghanistan. The judge disagreed, saying what he did brought 'dishonor to the Marine Corps'. Adleta's former father-in-law Leonard Lippy, asked the judge to 'make sure he never touches another child again'. Lippy has no contact with his grandchildren who are being put up for adoption. 'He gets time but it didn't rbing my family back,' Lippy told the Orlando Sentinel after the hearing. 'You're going to tell me two life sentences makes this right?' | Jonathan Adleta, 26, was given two life sentences for sexually abusing his two children . The abuse started when his first daughter was born in March 2009, and continued when he had a son and even after he split from his wife . Mother Sarah Adleta abused the children as well and is serving a 54-year sentence . | de5e6430a7c1166ca82500ab7fb82cb95cc643c1 |
(CNN) -- The indictment of NFL star Adrian Peterson on child abuse charges has led to a robust debate about whether hitting, spanking or any other form of corporal punishment is justified and effective in dealing with children. It has also revealed sharp differences in cultural, regional and generational attitudes toward using any kind of physical force to try to teach kids right from wrong. Peterson, through his attorney, has admitted disciplining his 4-year-old son with a switch -- taking an approach to discipline along the lines of what "he experienced as a child growing up in East Texas," said the attorney, Rusty Hardin. In a written statement Monday posted on his Twitter feed, the star running back for the Minnesota Vikings touted his parents' approach as one of the reasons he has reached the professional heights he has. "Deep in my heart I have always believed I could have been one of those kids that was lost in the streets without the discipline instilled in me by my parents and other relatives," he wrote. "I have always believed that the way my parents disciplined me has a great deal to do with the success I have enjoyed as a man." Children who are spanked or given other physical punishments like Peterson apparently was when he was a kid are more likely to spank their own kids, said Elizabeth Gershoff, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin who has been studying corporal punishment for 15 years. "We call that intergenerational transmission because our parents are one of our main examples of how to parent," said Gershoff, known as one of the leading researchers on spanking. "So parents do what parents did to them and that's what Adrian Peterson is saying." Gershoff, who has done a systematic analysis of the hundreds of studies exploring the effects of corporal punishment, said the research shows that spanking is more common among African Americans than among other racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including whites, Latinos and Asian Americans. "There are people who say it might be a legacy of slavery, which is a very sad thing to think about but it's possible that having lived for centuries with a culture of violence being kind of (used) against them that they kind of keep it going unfortunately." Parenting advocate Asadah Kirkland, author of the anti-spanking book "Beating Black Kids," also points to a belief held by some African Americans that using physical force to discipline children helps to protect them from the violence of the wider world. She calls it "The Beloved Syndrome," referring to a movie about slavery starring Oprah Winfrey. "If you remember the movie, Oprah Winfrey actually kills her children because she saw the slave master coming and instead of letting him get them, she ended up killing her own children," she said. "That's drastic but it comes from that mentality, but it's not real. It's a myth." Kirkland, who gives workshops to African Americans encouraging them not to discipline with their hands, said the thinking is that if you beat your children, they will be more prepared for any potential "beating up" they'll face in life. "This is not the boxing match. This is you rearing a child so that they should have certain values and certain skills that they can only have if you give (them) to them." Former NBA star Charles Barkley added the regional component to the debate over spanking, when he suggested that a "whipping" is a kind of discipline that many parents in the South "do all the time." Jennifer Alsip, a mom of two, said she comes from a white middle class family in Texas that believes in spankings. "I got 'whooped' and I 'whooped' my daughters (when and if they needed it)," she said. "All I would have to do was threaten to give them a spanking, and they would mind me." Gershoff, the researcher on corporal punishment, said spanking rates are indeed higher in the South than in other parts of the country. Part of that, she said, may be because spanking is more common in families that have a conservative religious background. "Those parents are more likely to say they have very strong beliefs and their interpretation of the Bible leads them to believe that spanking is a good idea, that they need to do it." Other factors driving corporal punishment, she said, include age, education and income: Younger parents, parents with lower levels of education and parents from lower income levels are more likely to hit their children. "Parents with less education may not be aware that there are other ways of disciplining kids," said Gershoff. Peterson, for his part, indicated he wasn't familiar with other parenting techniques to use when children misbehave. "I also understand after meeting with a psychologist that there are other alternative ways of disciplining a child that may be more appropriate," he said. Awareness is crucial, said Gershoff, comparing spanking to seat belts and car seats. We didn't have either in the 60s and 70s when parents let their kids bounce around the backs of station wagons. "They thought that was fine but now we know so much more about what happens in car accidents, and you can't do that anymore," she said. "And I think of spanking in the same way. We know so much more now about the kinds of things that hurt kids and the kinds of things that help them that we really shouldn't spank anymore. We know it's not a good idea." The research, according to Gershoff, is conclusive: spanking does not improve behavior, leads to aggression and other behavior problems like stealing and lying, makes it more likely children will have mental health issues such as depression and anxiety and could lead to learning problems at school. It could also lead to child abuse, she said. "The more parents spank, the more likely they are to physically abuse their children," said Gershoff. "And that's kind of what we see in the Peterson case is that people hit too long or too hard with an object and their intention is to discipline the kid but they're hurting them because they're hitting so hard." Despite all the research we have now on spanking and other forms of corporal punishment, for parents who were spanked a lot as kids, it can be tough not to use it as a form of discipline. Micky Morrison -- a mom of two, author and founder of BabyWeightTV -- said she grew up in rural Tennessee where spanking was the norm. "Interestingly, probably because I was spanked as a child, spanking was often my first reaction to a stressful parenting situation. It's taken a lot of reprogramming to not repeat that pattern," she said. Do you think spanking is an effective form of discipline? Tell Kelly Wallace on Twitter or CNN Living on Facebook. | Children who were spanked are more likely to spank their own kids, according to research . African Americans are more likely to spank their children than other racial or ethnic groups . Low-income, less-educated parents are also more likely to spank, according to research . Spanking leads to negative consequences in children, says a prominent researcher . | 89bda1c9f159a29ded343090cf254cc16c9244e6 |
Police are hunting for a 22-year-old woman who disappeared after leaving a Halloween party last Saturday dressed as Poison Ivy. Chelsea Ellen Bruck was wearing a black wig and a leaf-covered vest when she was last seen between 3am and 4am in Monroe County, Michigan, as the party was being shut down. Despite widespread searches on foot and by helicopter, no trace has been found. Missing: Police are hunting for Chelsea Ellen Bruck, 22, who was last seen dressed as Poison Ivy on Sunday . Search: This sketch has been issued of the man she was last seen with at the Monroe County party at 4am . The sheriff's office has published a sketch of the man she was seen with in a parking lot outside the gathering in French Township. The dark-haired man had thin stubble and wore glasses with a black hoodie, witnesses described. In a missing person appeal, Chelsea Bruck is described as 5'7' tall, 140lbs, blonde, with a small anchor tattoo behind her right ear. Fears: Her family have said Chelsea's disappearance is 'way out of character' as police struggle to trace her . Distinctive: Missing posters describe an anchor-shaped tattoo behind Chelsea's right ear . Party: Chelsea had been at the Halloween party (not pictured) with around 15 friends before it closed down . Chelsea's costume, emulating the Batman character Poison Ivy, consisted of black leggings, green ivy leaves and a black wig. Her sister, Kassandra Bruck, 24, told the Detroit Free Press this morning that the family is encouraging people to share photos of Chelsea - across Michigan and beyond. 'She could be anywhere at this point,' she said. The party host Mike Williams, 30, told the paper he had been forced to close the party, intended for 500 people, after around 800 revelers turned up. He added that he hadn't seen Chelsea at the party at all. Distraught: Her sister and mother joined around 100 people in Monroe County on Tuesday for candlelit prayer . Searches: Citizens have gone on daily searches across the entire county in a desperate bid to find Chelsea . More than 100 people joined in candlelit prayer in Monroe County on Tuesday night, her sister said. She added that the disappearance was 'way out of character'. 'A deacon from our church spoke. We joined in prayer together and just kind of met together in prayer and hoping that that prayer has an effect.' Anyone with information should contact the Sheriff's Office on 734-243-7070. | Chelsea Ellen Bruck, 22, was wearing black wig and ivy leaves at party . She was last seen in parking lot with dark-haired man at 3am Sunday . Police have issued a sketch of the man she was last seen with . | 7d6bee52077b7d85a2ea49039dc1228be79933bf |
By . Jennifer Smith for MailOnline . Fiona Nalty is accused of murdering Michael Hunt after allegedly kicking and punching the man to death when he chatted her up . A woman kicked and punched a man to death after he tried to chat her up, a court has heard. Fiona Nalty and her boyfriend Arry Green beat Michael Hunt within an inch of his life and dumped his naked body in a skip following a row in a cab office, it was alleged. After being discovered barely breathing and lying on top of rubbish in a skip in Norwood, south London, the 37-year-old died in hospital. Nalty, 24, from Coulsdon, Surrey, and her 21-year-old boyfriend from Norwood both deny murder. The Old Bailey heard the victim had been drinking with Nalty and Green in the Portmanor pub on March 13. In the early hours of March 14, the three were in a shop on South Norwood High Street where Hunt, originally from County Waterford in Ireland, appeared to be 'chatting up' the woman. Next they were spotted in Courier Cars - a minicab office - where a row broke out after a driver said they were too drunk to be taken home. 'Mr Hunt was not aggressive, he tried to calm Mr Green and Miss Nalty down,' said David Jeremy, prosecuting. ‘He told them they would not get a cab if they behaved like that. The three of them then left the office.' ‘After they had left, the cab controller Mr Bill Peters looked out into the street and saw Miss Nalty punching Mr Hunt to the face more than once and push him around. 'He was not retaliating. The group them left the area. Mr Peters could still hear Miss Nalty shouting and swearing as they went.’ Michael Hunt was found in a skip having had his clothes taken from his body after being punched and kicked in the head. The 37-year-old died in hospital after suffering a massive heart attack . When the 37-year-old started grappling with the woman, her boyfriend joined in the attack, it was alleged. A 15-year-old boy who was with the group at the time said Nalty then began kicking Mr Hunt in the head. ‘They had ended up in the alleyway where the boy had seen Fiona Nalty kicking Mr Hunt to the head as a he lay on the floor.' ‘He thought he saw Mr Green kicking him as well, but he only had a glimpse of that as it was so nasty he looked away. ‘Mr Hunt did not hit anyone. All he had tried to do was protect himself. ‘But every time that he had tried to get up he was kicked again,' Mr Jeremy added. ‘The boy said he heard Mr Hunt shouting: “Stop, please stop.” ‘He could not face what he saw and he had walked away. He remembered Nalty laughing as he did so.’ Nalty and her boyfriend deny the murder of Michael Hunt. The trial at the Old Bailey in London continues . When she emerged from the alleyway Nalty allegedly bragged: ‘We f****d him up bad’ and the boy saw blood on her foot and leg. Mr Hunt was still breathing when his body was found in the skip at around 7am on the morning of March 14 this year, but his skull had been fractured. ‘Mr Hunt was lying on the skip on top of the general debris. He was completely naked save for a bandana around his neck,’ Mr Jeremy said. ‘It follows that as an act of humiliation the defendants must have removed his clothing as or after they had beaten him into unconsciousness.’ He died in hospital of a massive heart attack days later. Police recovered clothes stained with Mr Hunt’s blood from the garden of a home in Purley when Green was arrested there. Nalty was found in an address in Brighton and told police: ‘I didn’t do it..’ Both deny murder at the Old Bailey. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Fiona Nalty and her boyfriend accused of murder of Michael Hunt . The 24-year-old allegedly kicked man in the head before dumping him in skip . Hunt, 37, appeared to be 'chatting her up' after drinking session in Norwood . His naked body was found in a skip in March covered in bruises . Man died in hospital days later following a massive heart attack . Nalty and her boyfriend Arry Green deny murder at the Old Bailey . | 440ae155940615f7b9e89ca57991f556be5e79af |
By . James Salmon . PUBLISHED: . 19:05 EST, 4 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:02 EST, 5 April 2013 . Criticism: The three men who steered HBoS to the brink of collapse today face calls for a lifetime ban on working in the City . The three men who steered HBoS to the brink of collapse today face calls for a lifetime ban on working in the City after their ‘catastrophic failures’ saddled taxpayers with a £28billion bill. More than four years since the lender had to be rescued by Lloyds and a massive government bailout, the ‘reckless’ bankers at the top have been slated in an official report into the debacle. But as the blame game escalated today, former Labour treasury minister Lord Myners took aim at Gordon Brown, claiming the former PM who gave him a job in government 'got it wrong' on opposing tougher rules in the City. The Government’s Commission on Banking Standards examined the roles played by former HBoS chairman Lord Stevenson and former chief executives Sir James Crosby and Andy Hornby, and its damning report today accuses them of presiding over a lending spree which led to the bank’s downfall at the height of the financial crisis in 2008. Like Northern Rock, HBoS – created in 2001 by a merger of Halifax and Bank of Scotland – fell to the brink of collapse after relying on risky short-term loans from other banks to fuel its own lending to customers. When banks became too scared to lend to each other during the financial crisis in 2008, HBoS – saddled with £238billion of debt – had to be rescued by Lloyds. All three men at the top of the company have moved on to lucrative positions since leaving HBoS, but the commission found their actions so ‘deluded’ it has called on the City watchdog to consider banning them from working in the financial sector ever again. It also singled out former chairman Lord Stevenson as being ‘incapable of facing up to the reality of what placed the bank in jeopardy’. In its devastating report, the Commission says: . Last night critics also called for Lord Stevenson and Sir James Crosby to be stripped of their honours, after former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Fred Goodwin was relieved of his knighthood last year. Paul Moore, the former head of risk at HBoS who was sacked in 2004 shortly after he raised the alarm on its reckless lending, said: ‘These former bosses have been proved to be incompetent and willfully reckless, maybe even dishonest. 'They need to be stripped of their knighthoods and peerages.’ He . added: ‘We’ve got here very rich people with great power who have not . been held to account – finally someone from the establishment has taken . off their gloves and is telling it how it is.’ Scroll down for video . Under scrutiny: The report examined the role played in the HBoS collapse by former chairman Lord Stevenson, left, and former chief executives Andy Hornby, right, and Sir James Crosby . The City watchdog, the Financial Services Authority, is also slammed by the Commission for ‘box ticking’ and failing to prevent the collapse of HBoS, despite warning the lender’s board in 2004 that it was ‘an accident waiting to happen’. It says: ‘The FSA was ‘not so much the dog that didn’t bark as the dog barking up the wrong tree.’ Lord Myners, a former NatWest executive brought appointed City Minister by Mr Brown in 2008, praised the 'brilliant' and 'forensic' report but said politicians made a mistake in opposing stricter regulation of the industry. Lord Myners said: 'I wasn't in the government at the time, but I probably was part of a consensus that missed what was happening. 'Gordon Brown was wrong in what he said; his judgement has proven to be wrong, and I’ll put my hand up and say that I was with the consensus in thinking that the City was doing probably quite a good job,' he told BBC Radio 5Live. 'I had been on the court of the Bank of England at that time and had been urging the Governor to look at the issues of risk and poor risk management. But I think Gordon Brown got it wrong.' Shareholders, including pension savers, have seen their investments wiped out, while more than 35,000 staff at Lloyds and HBoS have lost their jobs since the bailout in 2008. Bailed out: During the financial crisis in 2008, HBoS ¿ saddled with £238billion of debt ¿ had to be rescued by Lloyds . Andrew Tyrie MP, chairman of the Commission, describes ‘the history of HBoS as a manual of bad banking’. He added: ‘Consumers and the wider economy, as well as shareholders and taxpayers, have paid a heavy price for the blunders of the HBoS board.’ In its 90-page report, the commission catalogues the ‘toxic’ and ‘incompetent’ decisions made by the management at HBoS. The report added: ‘We are shocked and surprised that even after the ship has run aground, so many of those who were on the bridge still seem so keen to congratulate themselves on their navigational skills.’ The Commission criticises the regulator for only punishing former director Peter Cummings. Known as the banker to the stars, Cummings headed the corporate division which dished out huge loans. He was fined £500,000 last year and received a lifetime ban from working in the City. The FSA has this week been replaced by two new watchdogs, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority. A spokesman said: ‘The Government has done away with the discredited system that failed to sound the alarm as the financial system went wrong, and put in its place a new system that puts the Bank of England back in charge.’ Lord Stevenson . Former HBoS chairman Lord Stevenson is accused by the Banking Commission of being ‘delusional’ and ‘incapable of facing the realities of what placed the bank in jeopardy’. A series of telling exchanges between the 67-year-old peer – who is a friend of Lord Mandelson – and the City watchdog shortly after the run on Northern Rock in September 2007, are highlighted in the Commission’s report. When asked how HBoS was coping with the crisis on November 13, 2007, Stevenson insisted that the management team had scaled-back its high-risk behaviour. ‘Without wishing to sound hubristic, management has done a superb job-a-job (sic) that started five years ago…’, he said. Stevenson also accuses the Financial Services Authority of being ‘paranoid’ about the health of HBoS, adding on March 17, 2008, just months before the lender’s collapse: ‘My soberly considered view is that given the extraordinary external environment, HBoS in an admittedly uncertain and worrying world is in as secure a position as it could be.’ The Cambridge-educated peer, who once described himself as ‘an unreconstructed 1960s Guardian-reading liberal’ and an ‘intellectual snob’, received £815,000 in annual pay and perks at HBoS. But despite this, in December he stunned the Commission by claiming he only worked there part time and was not responsible for its risky lending. Commission member and former chancellor Lord Lawson accused him of ‘living in cloud cuckoo land’. Despite Stevenson’s attempts to portray himself as a fringe player in the downfall of HBoS, the Commission points out he was at the helm from ‘its birth to its death.’ The keen violinist became chairman of Halifax in 1999 and assumed the top role two years later when it merged with Bank of Scotland. Since leaving HBoS after it was rescued by Lloyds, Stevenson has worked for a private equity firm and he recently quit as a non-executive directorship of a venture capital firm based in tax haven Guernsey. | HBoS saddled with £238billion of debt had to be bailed out by Lloyds . The report examines the role of former HBoS chairman Lord Stevenson . Also criticises former chief executives Sir James Crosby and Andy Hornby . All three men have gone on to lucrative positions since leaving HBoS . Ex-Labour City minister Lord Myners says Gordon Brown 'got it wrong' The former bosses’ ‘high risk’ strategy led to the collapse of HBoS . ‘Reckless lending’ by HBoS culminated in £46billion losses for Lloyds between 2008 and 2011 . Former bosses were ‘deluded’ and had failed to take responsibility for their actions . The regulator should consider banning them from working in financial sector . The City watchdog was warned in 2004 that HBoS was an ‘accident waiting to happen’ | 0aa8917118ac78e22ccb19536ca1314b9c0dbb92 |
By . Emma Innes . and Mark Prigg . An asteroid nine times larger than the QE2 has sailed past the Earth - and is so big it even brought along its own moon. The 1.7mile long space rock will get no closer than 3.6 million miles, or 15 times the distance between the Earth and the moon. Scientists have named the asteroid 1998 QE2 but the name has nothing to do with the transatlantic Cunard liner - it follows a code used for newly-discovered asteroids by the US Minor Planet Centre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Scroll down for video . The asteroid was captured as it sailed past the earth. It is so big it even dragged its own moon along . An artist's impression of the QE2 asteroid that sailed past earth last night . Researchers were stunned to spot the . smaller moon asteroid is circling the larger space rock, an unusual but . not unheard of space phenomenon. The main asteroid is believed to be about 1.7 miles long, or nine times the length of the Queen Elizabeth 2. It . was discovered on August 19, 1998, by the Massachusetts Institute of . Technology Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (Linear) programme near . Socorro, New Mexico. The object made its closest approach to Earth at 9.59pm last night. The sequence of radar images of asteroid 1998 QE2 was obtained on . the evening of May 29, 2013, by NASA scientists using the 230-foot . (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, when the asteroid . was about 3.75 million miles (6 million kilometers) from Earth, which is . 15.6 lunar distances. The first radar images of asteroid 1998 QE2 were obtained when the asteroid was about 3.75 million miles (6 million kilometers) from Earth. The small white dot at lower right is the moon, or satellite, orbiting asteroid 1998 QE2 . The main asteroid is believed to be about 1.7 miles long, or nine times the length of the Queen Elizabeth 2 and has a rotation period of . less than four hours. The preliminary estimate for the size of the asteroid's satellite, or . moon, is approximately 2,000 feet (600 meters) wide. The radar imagery revealed that 1998 QE2 is a binary asteroid. In the near-Earth population, about 16 percent of asteroids that are . about 655 feet (200 meters) or larger are binary or triple systems. Radar images suggest that the main body, or primary, is approximately . 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) in diameter and has a rotation period of . less than four hours. Also revealed in the radar imagery of 1998 QE2 are several dark surface features that suggest large concavities. The preliminary estimate for the size of the asteroid's satellite, or . moon, is approximately 2,000 feet (600 meters) wide. The radar collage . covers a little bit more than two hours. As the asteroid moves close, scientists scanned it with radar using a 230ft wide dish telescope at the . Goldstone Observatory in California’s Mojave Desert. The resolution of these initial images of 1998 QE2 is approximately 250 feet (75 meters) per pixel. Resolution is expected to increase in the coming days as more data become available. Between May 30 and June 9, radar astronomers using NASA's 230-foot-wide (70 meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California, and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, will perform an extensive campaign of observations on asteroid 1998 QE2. The two telescopes have complementary imaging capabilities that enabled astronomers to learn as much as possible about the asteroid during its brief visit near Earth. Even from a distance of nearly four . million miles, the researchers wanted to study features on the . asteroid as small as 12ft across. Chief . investigator Dr Lance Benner, from the American space agency Nasa’s Jet . Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said: ‘It is . tremendously exciting to see detailed images of this asteroid for the . first time. The giant space rock will get no closer than 3.6 million miles, or 15 times the distance between the Earth and the moon . ‘With radar we can transform an object from a point of light into a small world with its own unique set of characteristics.’ White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a press briefing about the asteroid: 'scientists have concluded the asteroid 'poses no threat to planet Earth'. He then laughed and said: 'Never really thought I'd be standing up here saying that, but I guess I am.' The asteroid will not make a return trip to the Earth for at least another two centuries. In 2016 Nasa will launch a robotic sample return mission to one of the most potentially hazardous known near-Earth objects (NEOs), the asteroid (101955) Bennu. The asteroid, which measures a third of a mile across, comes within 500,000 kilometres of the Earth every six years. Scientists have calculated that in 2182 there is a one in 1,800 chance of the object colliding with the Earth. | The asteroid sailed past the Earth at 9.59pm UK time last night . It will be scanned by scientists using a 230ft wide dish telescope . Asteroid is 1.7miles wide- the same size as the one believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs . | 00e8bc66f1999725698756817e26290546af52cc |
(CNN) -- Sen. Joe Lieberman is crossing party lines and endorsing Republican Sen. John McCain for president. Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Connecticut, is endorsing Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, for president. "Being a Republican is important. Being a Democrat is important. But you know what's more important than that? The interest and well-being of the United States of America," the Democrat-turned Independent said in announcing his decision Monday morning in New Hampshire. "Let's put the United States first again, and John McCain is the man as president who will help us do that," he said. Lieberman, the Democrats' vice presidential nominee in 2000, said the next president needs to "break through the reflexive partisanship that is poisoning our politics today and stopping us from getting anything done in Washington." Watch Lieberman explain his move » . In accepting Lieberman's backing, McCain said, "It is one of the great honors of my political career to have known him, to have worked with him and to have received his endorsement." The Connecticut senator decided to endorse McCain because he considers him "the most capable to be commander in chief on day one of his administration, and the most capable of uniting the country so that we can prevail against Islamic extremism," a Lieberman aide said earlier. The Lieberman aide insists the senator does not see this as a "commentary on or an endorsement of the Republican Party, only the person." The endorsement could help emphasize McCain's experience on national security issues, demonstrate his ability to work across party lines and perhaps help persuade Independent voters in New Hampshire to support his 2008 presidential bid, as many of them did during his first campaign in 2000. McCain also picked up key endorsements this weekend from two of the most influential papers for voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, The Des Moines Register and The Boston Globe. Lieberman, who broke with the Democratic Party over Iraq, won re-election as an Independent after losing the party's Senate nomination to an anti-war challenger in 2006. He still caucuses with the Democrats, giving them their razor-thin majority in the chamber. Lieberman chairs the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, and he still attends weekly Democratic strategy meetings. But his adviser said the endorsement appears to be a "hangover" from the 2006 race, when top Democrats backed the Democratic nominee, Ned Lamont, rather than support Lieberman's Independent candidacy. "I have the greatest respect for Joe, but I simply have to disagree with his decision to endorse Senator McCain," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, told CNN in a written statement. Lieberman's office called Reid's office Sunday to inform the Democratic leader of his decision to endorse a Republican, a Reid spokesman said. In response to the endorsement, Al From, founder and CEO of the Democratic Leadership Council, said, "I am very saddened by Senator Lieberman's choice, and profoundly disagree with it. We need to elect a Democratic president in 2008." Lieberman and McCain co-sponsored the 2002 resolution that authorized the U.S. invasion of Iraq the following March, and Lieberman has remained a supporter of the nearly 5-year-old war in Iraq at a time when Democratic leaders are trying to bring the conflict to an end. He had not planned to endorse anyone until after the primary season, but McCain asked for his endorsement a few days after the two men returned from a Thanksgiving trip to Iraq together, the aide said. A CNN/WMUR poll released last week found McCain tied for second in the New Hampshire, which hosts the first primary of the 2008 presidential race in January. He and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani both rated 19 percent support among New Hampshire Republicans, while Mitt Romney, the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts, led the race with 32 percent. The poll of 354 likely Republican primary voters was conducted from December 6 through December 10. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. E-mail to a friend . CNN correspondents John King and Dana Bash contributed to this report. | Sen. Joe Lieberman was Democrats' vice presidential nominee in 2000 . Lieberman broke with Democrats and became an Independent . McCain picked up endorsements from The Des Moines Register, The Boston Globe . McCain tied for second among GOP candidates in New Hampshire . | 8f1fbbc0c23f179b64f57f55671d1d1744776256 |
Apple fans should be able to get their hands on the Apple Watch in March, but if you can't wait that long, a firm has created an online demo. The interactive watch is modelled on official images released by Apple, and lets people see how their messages, emails and homescreen will look and work. The demo also shows how push notifications will appear, and lets users control music on the virtual watch. The interactive watch (pictured) is modelled on official images released by Apple, and lets people see how their messages, emails and homescreen will look and work. Clicking the crown on the right of the watch brings up the homescreen, featuring a host of circular app icons . It was created by designers at Pipes, an app that lets people track news stories and trending topics. Clicking the crown on the right of the digital watch brings up the homescreen, featuring a host of circular app icons. Clicking the mouse and moving it to the left and right will swipe through pages on the watch's face. And clicking an individual icon will open that particular app. Reports suggest that supplies of the iPod Shuffle are dwindling. Apple's online store quotes a delivery time of between seven and 10 days. By comparison, other iPod products are shipped within 24 hours. Apple fan site 9to5Mac said Apple has warned its retail employees Shuffle supplies will be short for an 'unspecified period of time'. For example, clicking the iTunes icon opens a music player screen and lets users press play and pause, and change the volume. On the left-hand side of the demo are options that let users see how push notifications will appear, as well as how Apple's Glances feature works. Glances is a summary of the apps the user open the most, such as Facebook, the weather app, emails or maps. The feature is similar to Google Now, and on the physical version of the watch, Glances will be accessible by swiping up from the bottom of the watch face. In the demo, Glances shows the weather, news articles from Mashable, and Pipes' Top Stories menu. It's a basic demonstration, but gives users an idea of how popular apps will appear on the watch's 1.5-inch display. Clicking the mouse and moving it to the left and right will swipe through pages on the watch's face. And clicking an individual icon will open that particular app (Messages app pictured left). For example, clicking the iTunes icon opens a music player (right) and lets users press play and pause, and change the volume . The demo was created by designers at Pipes, an app that lets people track news stories and trending topics. It's a basic demo, but gives users an idea of how apps will appear on the watch's 1.5-inch display (pictured) Earlier this week, reports said Apple is 'finishing up' work on the Apple Watch’s software and it could go on sale in March. Apple fan site 9to5mac said sources familiar with the product’s development believe the device will ship in the US by the end of the first quarter of 2015. Glances feature (picutred) shows info users would like to see, similar to Google Now, and is accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen . So far Apple has refused to reveal exactly when it will be released, although a statement made to Apple employees suggests the release will be in 'the spring.' It has previously been claimed that suppliers were struggling to make enough screens and processors. Now 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman said Apple Store employees are set to be trained in February. 'One or two representatives from many Apple Stores in the United States, depending on store and market size, will be sent to Apple offices in either Cupertino, California or Austin, Texas to learn first-hand about the Watch,' he claimed. 'These training programs will take place between 9 February and 16 February.' The employees will then train the rest of their store's staff, it is believed. Unveiled on 9 September at Apple's iPhone 6 launch event, the Apple Watch is the company's foray into wearables. Samsung, LG, Sony, Motorola and Microsoft have already launched their own smartwatches, but Apple is expected to face unprecedented demand for its timepiece. Quanta, which is building the watch, has upped its number of workers from 2,000 to 10,000 and is ultimately aiming for 20,000. The initial round of shipments will be 3 to 5 million watches. Apple anticipates a total of 24 million watches to be shipped during 2015. During the announcement in September, Apple's chief executive Tim Cook didn't announce exactly when the watch would be available, but said it would go on sale 'early next year.' A 'source close to Apple' told The Information in November that the firm 'would be lucky to ship [the watch] before Valentine's Day'. Despite the range of impressive features unveiled by Mr Cook, there was something he failed to mention: battery life. Apple's chief executive Tim Cook (pictured) unveiled the watch at a launch event in September. Earlier this week, reports said Apple is 'finishing up' work on the watch’s software and it could go on sale in March . Built-in is a 'taptic engine' that responds to a subtle vibrations users feel on their wrist for notifications . The watch has a completely new user interface, different from the iPhone, and the 'crown' on the Apple Watch is a dial called the 'digital crown.' Users can turn the crown to zoom in and out on a map, or scroll a list. The crown can also be pressed to take the user back to the home screen. Different areas on the watch face can be customised with taps and swipes, and force touches. The Glances feature shows info users would like to see, similar to Google Now, and is accessed by swiping the screen up from the bottom. Music can also be controlled on an iPhone through the Apple Watch. Built-in is a 'taptic engine' that responds to a subtle vibrations users feel on their wrist for notifications. It understands questions in messages and then offers pre-selected answers, and messages can be dictated to the iPhone. Users can also talk to the watch and send a voice reply, or have it transcribed to them. There is no keyboard on the watch, and messages can only be sent through dictation, or emoji. Siri also is built into the Apple Watch. The telling omission suggests the watch’s battery life will be the Achilles Heel of the device when it eventually does go on sale. Apple is said to be unhappy with the watch's battery life, and the long lead time before the $349 (£216) product ships could mean the device will be more functional once it's released early next year. Most existing smartwatches on the market, such as Pebble and MetaWatch, tend to last up to a week on a single charge. The closest Cook came to talking about the battery life for the Watch was saying that users would ‘charge it at night.’ During an interview in Bloomberg Business Week, Apple's senior vice president of operations Jeff WIlliams said: 'We want to make the best product in the world. The watch has a completely new user interface (left), different from the iPhone, and the 'crown' on the Apple Watch is a dial called the 'digital crown' (right) presented by chief executive Tim Cook . The company's chief executive added the Apple Watch ‘can be worn all day, for any occasion,’ but hourly figures were notably absent. The long lead time before the $349 (£216) product ships could mean the device will be more functional once it's released early next year . 'One of our competitors is on their fourth or fifth attempt, but nobody is wearing them.' The company's chief executive added that the Apple Watch ‘can be worn all day, for any occasion,’ but hourly figures were notably absent. A source said Apple is unhappy with the watch's battery life, according to Re/Code. Another source confirmed to the technology site that that the battery life ‘is about a day now.’ A spokesperson for Apple declined to provide battery details to MailOnline and said they will be revealed closer to launch next year. | The interactive watch is modelled on official images released by Apple . It lets people see how their messages, emails and homescreen will look and work.The demo also shows how push notifications will appear, and lets users control music on the watch. Apple Retail staff expected to undergo training in February . Software for watch is almost finished, according to blog 9to5mac . | cef1e9760b48ca6358256754661c04e2263f5678 |
Her personal life may have suffered a blow after discovering boyfriend Lewis Bloor had been cheating on her, but Lauren Pope's professional life is booming. The TOWIE star, who maintains that her career will always come first, has seen her clothing line and hair extension brand go from strength to strength in recent months. So popular has her Hair Rehab London business become that even style queen Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has been wearing her extensions on X Factor in recent weeks. Scroll down for video . Success story: Lauren Pope, who found fame on The Only Way Is Essex, established her hair extension brand, Hair Rehab London, in 2007 and now she has countless celebrity fans . Speaking to MailOnline about her latest fan, Lauren said: 'It's pretty amazing to think that anyone is wearing a product I've designed and created and it's always exciting to see those results. So when the products are on a big name like Cheryl it does give you a great buzz.' Established in 2007 - three years before Lauren joined hit TV show The Only Way is Essex - Hair Rehab London began as a MySpace business and today employs a host of staff and sees sales increase by an average of 270 per cent annually. To start up the company and secure investment for her ideas, Lauren entered Tycoon - a business TV show, which gave start up companies six weeks to set up. Each week, Lauren explains how she would pitch for further investment and advice, learning invaluable business lessons as she went along. She's got the X Factor: Cheryl, left, wore the extensions on the Jonathan Ross show last week. Speaking to MailOnline about her latest fan, Lauren, right, said: 'When the products are on a big name like Cheryl it does give you a great buzz' Famous fans: Made In Chelsea's Lucy Watson, left, is a fan of Lauren Pope, right, and her hair extensions, which use 100 per cent real or synthetic hair . Speaking about her success, Lauren said: 'I decided to set up my own company as, at the time, I found I was having to make my own hand sewn extensions due to a lack of affordable styles on the market. I looked in to the business and manufacturing behind it, secured investment and started by selling through MySpace. It all took off from there. 'A lot of people don’t realise that I had a successful business before I joined TOWIE and that I balance being an entrepreneur alongside taking part in the show. 'Hair Rehab London has always been important to me and I work hard to ensure the company keeps on growing and my team is happy. It’s been great to see the business go from strength to strength - it’s a testament to the quality of the product that people keep coming back to us.' Her products are available with 100 per cent real hair and synthetic styles in clip-in extensions, plaits, buns, ponytails and headbands, with prices ranging from £9.99 to £139.99. Since founding the brand, Lauren can count the Little Mix girls, Sam Faiers, Denise Van Outen, and Sarah Harding as her fans - and she said it would be 'super exciting' to see Nicole Richie wearing them. As well as working on Hair Rehab London, Lauren is a professional DJ and recently unveiled her third clothing collection for In The Style. Girl power: Lauren, who counts Little Mix as her fans, told MailOnline: 'A lot of people don't realise that I had a successful business before I joined TOWIE and that I balance being an entrepreneur alongside taking part in the show' The star, who often wins style plaudits on the show, explains that she likes to mix up different looks dependent on her mood. 'Fashion has now become such a big part of my life, especially since starting my Style Diary last year,' she explained. 'One of my favourite things to do is try out new styles and ideas and share these ideas via social media. I tend to always keep it pretty demure these days but always try and add a sexy twist in there somewhere, either by showing a bit of leg or tummy.' Lauren, 32, is constantly complemented on her youthful looks and, unlike a lot of her Essex pals, who swear by lashings of fake tan and false eyelashes, Lauren prefers to keep it pared-back when it comes to her beauty regime. 'I try to keep it as simple as possible by using a gentle facial cleanser by Biore and then use a moisturiser and eye cream,' she told us. 'I love Estee Lauder for eye creams or serums, they're a little bit more expensive but you see the results. I love these products especially now I've stopped having Botox - I can see signs of ageing around the eyes slightly more now I'm in my thirties.' Get the glow: Lauren, 32, is constantly complemented on her youthful looks and since she's stopped having Botox, she swears by skin serums . Entrepreneur: As well as working on Hair Rehab London, Lauren is a professional DJ and recently unveiled her third clothing collection for In The Style . | Lauren told MailOnline she keeps her beauty regime simple . Set up Hair Rehab London in 2007 and has lots of celebrity fans . Cheryl has been wearing her extensions on X Factor . Little Mix and Sarah Harding also love them . | de6f462b930b751daf44eb2a8e54a5f3ea81ee47 |
Chilean stunner Jhendelyn Nunez showed her colours when star forward Alexis Sanchez scored the equaliser against Brazil - by flashing her bra. The journalist was clearly delighted when Sanchez fired home to cancel out David Luiz's opener. Stunner: Jhendelyn Nunez shows her support for the Chile national team . Single show: Unfortunately Chile were only able to find the net once, and lost on penalties . Inspiration: Alexis slots home the goal that led to Nunez's topless celebration in Belo Horizonte . Not so fun: Sanchez's celebration was rather more PG on the pitch than the journsalist's outside the ground . VIDEO Powerful scene as Chile fans sing national anthem at World Cup . Nunez lifted her shirt to show a bra emblazoned with the Chile flag. Brazil went on to win the game on penalties after the visitors hit the crossbar in the last minute of extra time - who knows how Nunez would have celebrated if her side had won! | Journalist's bra showed the Chilean flag . Alexis Sanchez goal made it 1-1 during first half . Brazil won on penalties - how would she have reacted if Chile won? | 7e6cc8bf44b576367f955b9ecf7b26290bd2b8bb |
(CNN)If you're going to work for the water department in San Francisco, you better learn how to hold it. That's what the city's water utility advises after a manager was caught relieving himself into a reservoir that supplies water to millions of people. Last month, employees with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission witnessed Martin Sanchez, a $111,000-a-year maintenance planner with the utility, urinate in the Priest Reservoir, said Tyrone Jue, a spokesman for the utilities commission. The Priest Reservoir is a 674 million-gallon basin, located about 150 miles east of San Francisco, that provides water for 2.6 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area. The water in the reservoir is untreated and disinfected with chlorine and ultraviolet light before it reaches customers. There was no water in the reservoir at the time of Martin's bathroom break -- it had been drained for maintenance, Jue said -- but that made no difference. "There is no public health risk to be concerned about because the reservoir was not in use and the fact any water would have been treated anyway," said Jue. "Still, his actions are completely unacceptable." Sanchez is facing disciplinary action from the utility, which could include several days of suspension without pay. San Francisco isn't the only city that's had to deal with this. Last April, Portland, Oregon, was forced to dump 38 million gallons of water from a reservoir after a teen urinated in it. A security camera captured the 19-year-old, with the help of two friends, climbing a fence surrounding the reservoir and, ahem, taking care of business. The city decided to get rid of the water in the reservoir because it was slated to go directly to homes and there was no way to treat it. The teen and his two accomplices were cited by police. As for Sanchez or any other employees in San Francisco who may be working around a reservoir and want to save themselves a trip to the restroom, Jue offers a warning. "Come to work wearing your big boy pants or diapers. If not, you'll need to find another place to work." | Water manager was caught last month urinating in a San Francisco reservoir . Water utility says there is no public health risk; employee will be disciplined . | cac2a722bec6ae4016db7fa0af2e6e5a62863f5f |
(CNN) -- A New York teenager with a 7,000-a-month texting habit now has a lot more to text about. Brianna Hendrickson, 13, of Brooklyn won this year's LG U.S. National Texting Championship by accurately typing the phrase "Old McDonald had a farm, Ei, ei, oh! And on this farm he had a champ. W/a txtr here, and BFF there. Here a text, there a text, erywhere a text-text!" in 60 seconds. Brianna took home $50,000 and will compete in the LG Text For Good Challenge, where she will have the chance to double her prize money and win an additional $50,000 for a charity of her choice, the technology company said. "I was really nervous when I saw the final phrase and worried my fingers wouldn't be fast enough," Brianna said. "Hearing my name announced was amazing and shocking all at the same time." The final showdown pitted Brianna against two other teenagers and 48 year-old Joanne Rach from Chicago, Illinois. Rach won LG's national texting competition for parents and caregivers. Finalists who competed in New York City had already messaged their way through preliminary competition, such as on-site texting challenges at concerts, text alerts on TV shows or texting from online tournaments. They endured blindfolds, complex phrases and marathon texting during the competition this week. About 500,000 texters participated in preliminary rounds of the competition this year, LG said. | Brianna Hendrickson, 13, of Brooklyn wins the texting title . She can win more money for herself and charity during another challenge . Contestants' accuracy, speed and dexterity are tested . | 07d6d9f0bad57da2ab99fdee4c65e6f6627eebcc |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 15:40 EST, 28 September 2012 . The father of a beautiful, 23-year-old Lacoste marketer who was partially beheaded and disemboweled after being stabbed some 30 times by her jilted boyfriend, has told a judge the look of 'terror' on his dead daughter's face will 'haunt me for the rest of my life.' Lynde Coit, a millionaire lawyer from Greenwich, Connecticut, laid bare his grief at the loss of his daughter, Sarah, in a Manhattan courthouse today, just days after Raul Barrera admitted to the brutal Lower East Side slaying, which left the woman with the blade of a knife still lodged in her skull. 'When I identified Sarah's body in the basement of the morgue,' Mr Coit testified, choking with emotion, 'her injuries, the look on her face, the terror, will haunt me for the rest of my life and haunt the rest of her family.' 'A bright, wonderful girl': Sarah Coit had been studying marketing at Hunter College and was a former high school athlete . Mr Coit described how he had travelled to New York, expecting to share a meal with his daughter at her favourite pizza restaurant, according to The New York Post. He read aloud his final text to his daughter - 'Love you,' which he sent as he set off for the city. Devastated: Lynde Coit, pictured, described to a judge how he will never forget the terror on his daughter's dead face . But she had already been dead for eight hours, prosecutors said today, and what he saw when he arrived in New York was Miss Coit's once-beautiful face criss-crossed by gashes in the city morgue, her perfect teeth grimacing in pain. Prosecutor Matthew Bogdanos told . Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Richard Carruthers, who will decide . Barrera's fate, that the killer murdered the young marketer with . 'breathtaking viciousness.' He . also described how neighbours awoke to her screams but heart-wrenchingly . couldn't work out where to send police, according to The Post. 'There . were so many soul-shattering screams that half-a-dozen New Yorkers got . out of their beds at 2.30 in the morning,' Bogdanos said. 'These neighbors roamed their hallways, calling, 'Where are you? Where are you?' Miss . Coit was living in a tenement apartment in the lower Manhattan . neighbourhood and the proximity of the houses to each other left . neighbours thinking her blood-curdling screams were coming from the . building nextdoor. As such, . Barrera was lacerating the young woman for 35 minutes before police . finally knocked on the right apartment, eventually finding her breathing her . last breathes in a puddle of blood, with bent and broken knives littering . the floor. Barrera, 33, faces anywhere from 15 years to life in prison. Judge Carruthers will pass sentence after hearing evidence from both sides in the coming weeks. Prosecutors are expected to ask for the maximum sentence - 25 years to life. But defence attorney Paul Feinman is likely to argue that Barrera deserves a reduced sentence because of mental health issues. Guilty: Raul Barrera is walked from the 7th Precinct after surrendering to authorities for allegedly stabbing his girlfriend to death . Killer: Raul Barrera, 33, pictured right, told cops 'I did something bad' after grabbing a kitchen knife and butchering 23-year-old Sarah Coit . Crime scene: Raul Barrera stabbed Sarah Coit some 30 times in her Lower East Side apartment, pictured . Miss Coit was killed on Sunday April 8 after a heated row that woke the neighbourhood. 'It was pure anger,' one source said. 'He didn't want her to leave, and he didn't want her to be beautiful for anyone.' Brianna Andalore, 20, said she heard screams of 'No, no. Stop, stop. Don't hurt me' through the walls of an apartment she was . staying in. Horror: Sarah Coit, 23, was sliced across the face with such force that the knife broke . Another . neighbour said: 'When she was brought out, the cops were yelling, "Don't . look Don't look", her head was almost off. Her neck was wide open.' Assistant District Attorney William Beesch said: 'His father told him to turn himself in.' Public relations worker Barrera has since been held without bail. Sources close to the investigation said that after being picked up by police, Barrera said: 'I did something bad.' Joost Bohner, 33, said, 'I heard her yelling, "Help me, Help me." It went on for quite a while, at least 20 minutes. 'People . from the building were yelling out, "Where are you, What apartment?" She never answered them, and people started calling 911.' Miss . Coit was found face up on the living room floor with several stab . wounds and the gaping neck wound, sources said. She survived long enough . to be taken to hospital, but died an hour later. An autopsy revealed that the former high school athlete was killed by a stab in the back which left internal organs protruding. Prosecutors revealed that Barrera, who was arrested . last year on unrelated assault charges, was on his way to Penn Station . to make his escape when he called his father. Miss Coit had been studying . marketing at Hunter College. Her father, Lynde Coit is a . Cornell-educated lawyer and the family live in a $1.4 million home in . Greenwich. Speaking to the . Post, a woman who lives nearby said: 'She was a bright, young, wonderful . girl. She had a bright future ahead of her. She has the most wonderful . family you could imagine.' | Sarah Coit, 23, was sliced across the mouth and jaw with such force that the knife snapped . Girl's father Lynde Coit today described 'terror' on dead daughter's face when he identified her body in morgue . Her live-in boyfriend Raul Barrera pleaded guilty this week to the gruesome murder after confessing to police: 'I did something bad' The couple had argued because she wanted to leave him . Barrera now faces anywhere from 15 years to life in prison . | 617b195b28fbe693ecbc957a69f24d1cd73765e0 |
By . Sam Webb . These eerie images were taken inside an abandoned arms factory used in World War Two to make mustard gas and help develop the atomic bomb. Hidden away in rural North Wales, Rhydymwyn Valley is the only site of its type that was not discovered by Nazi intelligence. It is thought that the site was almost impossible to see from the air because of its proximity to woodland, so it escaped the wrath of Hitler's bombers. In the 1950s Britain relinquished its chemical weapons capability and the site was used by various governmental . departments for storage until it closed in 1994. But the site still has many items from when it was in operation, such as a worker's jacket - with a pack of cigarettes still inside the pocket - found hanging among the ancient machines. Scroll down for video . Hidden history: This site in the Rhydymwyn Valley, North Wales, was used to manufacture deadly chemical weapons and help develop enriched uranium . Sinister: The interior of the building. Workers were churning out 40,000 mustard gas shells - a deadly chemical weapon - every week in November 1942 . Photographer Mathew Growcoot, from Birmingham, uncovered numerous artefacts as he explored the abandoned site, including a cabinet of old documents detailing the site's layout and specific building requirements. 'It was an incredible place to be. You could feel the history surrounding you, especially when you see documents and old items of clothing,' said Mr Growcoot, 24. 'I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the jacket hanging up, I took it outside so I could photograph it in the light and that's when I felt the pack of cigarettes in the pocket. 'It really brought the place to life, I think all history students should get up close and personal with their subject like I did.' Echoes of history: An old pack of cigarettes in a jacket pocket at the abandoned chemical weapons factory. The buildings are strewn with relics from the site's heyday . An old jacket hangs among the machinery. The plant was built in 1939, the outset of the Second World War, by the British Government at the cost of £546,000 . Clandestine: The well-hidden site was the only facility if its type to escape detection by the German military machine. Cover from surrounding woodland and its valley location helped keep it safe . The building used for the A-bomb and some of other buildings are now Grade-II listed. The valley itself is in a U-shape and extremely narrow so easily missed from the sky . Mustard gas is a chemical weapon that causes large blisters wherever it contacts the skin. It was especially deadly as it can penetrate clothing, so it is not only the exposed skin of victims that gets burned. If the victim's eyes were exposed it can result in temporary blindness and if inhaled, it causes bleeding and blistering within the lungs. It was fired at troops using artillery shells and bombs. A British nurse treating soldiers with mustard gas burns during the First World War described the horrific effects. She said: 'They cannot be bandaged or touched. We cover them with a tent of propped-up sheets. Gas burns must be agonising because usually the other cases do not complain, even with the worst wounds, but gas cases are invariably beyond endurance and they cannot help crying out.' On August 27th 1939, the UK Treasury . approved the £546,000 development of the top secret chemical weapons . plant and by November 1942 workers were manufacturing 40,000 25lb . mustard gas shells every week. And between 1942 and 1944 scientists . there worked on ways of producing the enriched uranium necessary for the . atomic bomb. Some went on to be involved with the Manhattan Project; . the American Government's race to build an atomic bomb before Germany . and Japan. Workers who handled mustard gas, a chemical weapon that causes large blisters to exposed skin and lungs, had to strip completely on arrival to work. One worker recalled: 'Once we'd stripped off, we were given a bath towel to walk into the department, where you put the work's clothing on.' The last known person alive to have worked on the site is Rosina Parry, who in March 2010 gave a television interview in which she described her role as a weapons inspector. She told the BBC: 'The bombs were laid . out for us to inspect. We had to pass them, to make sure they weren't . damaged in any way. We checked they weren't leaking before they were . sent through to be packed. 'We knew you couldn't have any leaks. You only needed a little spot and you'd be burned. 'People . in the air force were going to handle them after us so we had to be . sure there was nothing wrong with them when they went out.' The . site was an excellent location because of the River Alyn, which was . extensively canalised along with a rail network that was established . using the mainlines of Chester and Denbigh. Sinister purpose: The rusting and forgotten machines. From 1942 the plant worked on ways of enriching uranium - a key component of the atomic bomb . Warning: A sign at the entrance to one of the large hanger-like buildings on the site. Workers handled mustard gas, a chemical weapon that causes large blisters to exposed skin and lungs . Horror: Mustard gas is a debilitating and potentially fatal gas weapon, used to infamous effect extensively in the First World war . A worker who handled the mustard gas weapons and checked them for leaks was interviewed about her vital role. She said: 'We knew you couldn't have any leaks. You only needed a little spot and you'd be burned' Derelict: A cabinet with documents surrounding it inside Building 45, a Grade-II listed building where early development on the atomic bomb took place . A document discovered by Birmingham photographer Mathew Growcoot, who chronicled the site in a series of haunting pictures . Technical documents at the site. 'It was an incredible place to be. You could feel the history surrounding you, especially when you see documents and old items of clothing,' said Mr Growcoot, 24 . 'That (A-bomb) building was enormous inside and pitch-black. It was terrifying, because it was bat-infested and whilst moving around in the dark all I could hear were the loud echoes of scurrying feet,' said Mr Growcoot . An old picture showing the site when it was operational. A tunnel labyrinth was built beneath the site with the aim of being able to store 1,500 tonnes of charged weapons and have complete safety from enemy bombing. A staff member wearing protective clothing (right), including goggles, as he worked. Mustard gas could cause temporary blindness. A tunnel labyrinth was built beneath the site with the aim of being able to store 1,500 tonnes of charged weapons safe from enemy bombing. The valley itself is in a U-shape and extremely narrow so easily missed from the sky. The building used for the A-bomb and some of other buildings are now Grade II listed. 'That (A-bomb) building was enormous inside and pitch-black. It was terrifying, because it was bat-infested and whilst moving around in the dark all I could hear were the loud echoes of scurrying feet,' said Mr Growcoot. 'There were also creepy scarecrows and faces in the bushes at the side of the paths, I don't mind saying I jumped out of my skin a few times.' The photographer said: 'There were also creepy scarecrows and faces in the bushes at the side of the paths, I don't mind saying I jumped out of my skin a few times' | Workers at Rhydymwyn Valley manufactured mustard gas and worked on ways to develop uranium . It escaped detection from Luftwaffe thanks to cover from nearby woodland and its location in a valley . It was manufacturing 40,000 deadly mustard gas shells a week by November 1942 . Some scientists based there went on to work on Manhattan Project - the first nuclear weapon . | f8516c7c21ab64e726954d6ad34c759c48b8c717 |
President Barack Obama still has a long way to go to secure congressional authorization for military action against Syria even after clearing a key hurdle in the Senate. According to CNN, there are 18 "no" votes in the Senate and 24 "yes." Fifty-eight senators -- almost the same number of votes needed to overcome any filibuster -- remain undecided. After changing an Obama-sponsored proposal authorizing a military response to alleged chemical weapons use by Syria, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on Wednesday to approve it by a 10-7 margin. The outcome set up debate next week in the full chamber. CNN vote count: How the Senate will vote | House . Three Republicans -- Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee -- voted in favor of taking action. And that's where the good news ends for the White House. Obama needs at least 217 votes in the House to secure his resolution. In that chamber, there are nearly four "no" votes for every "yes" at the moment. According to CNN's count, 109 members plan to vote "no," while 23 -- including a number of high profile Republicans -- plan to back it. More than 280 representatives remain undecided. Of concern to the administration is a trend showing an increase in "no" votes, although lawmakers remain out of town until next week and many have yet to receive classified briefings where the administration says it can spell out more evidence and more candidly answer questions. Rep. Mike McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security committee, Rep. Bob Gibbs and Rep. Cynthia Lummis are among those who have come out against the plan. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican, signaled through a spokesman on Wednesday that she was planning to vote "yes." But the same official said on Thursday that she wanted to first see the resolution language and was now undecided. Those decisions put those lawmakers at odds with their leadership since House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor have backed Obama. Boehner has said it is up to the White House to get the votes. House Democrats, too, have reservations about Syria. Many, especially liberals, cite war weariness and prolonged intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan as reasons to oppose new military action. Others want to hear more details in classified meetings or see resolution language, which in the Senate would limit any strike, set a time limit for action, and prohibit the use of American troops in Syria. "After 6,668 American troop deaths and tens of thousands of American wounded, after spending $2 trillion in Iraq and Afghanistan representing $40,000 in debt for every American family, now is the time to nation-build in America and invest in the growth of the American economy," New York Rep. Brian Higgins, a Democrat, said in a statement to CNN. Despite the vocal opposition in Congress, Obama remained confident he'd get the necessary support. "I believe Congress will approve it because I think America recognizes that as difficult as it is to take any military action and even one as limited as we are talking about, even one without boots on the ground, that's a sober decision," he said at a news conference on Wednesday in Sweden. | Most senators undecided on how they'll vote on Syria . In the House, there are nearly four "no" votes for every member voting "yes" Despite House GOP leadership's call for approval, not a done deal among rank and file . House Dems also a trouble spot for Obama, who is calling for limited action . | e3265f8d7deedd735eb999ab3ea6c76e2ef0886d |
Australia's most expensive home may have sold for $100 million this week, but the record breaking price is being kept under wraps. Experts believe the new home owner could be from overseas, with the price tag on the waterfront mansion in Sydney's affluent eastern suburb of Point Piper out of reach for most Australians, . The heritage-listed property known as 'Elaine' was first listed on the market January by luxury agent Christie's International Real Estate. Australia's biggest ever home may have sold for $100 million but the record breaking price is being kept under wraps . Located in Australia’s most expensive suburb, the magnificent three-storey mansion features seven bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, a ballroom, sandstone walls and a sprawling garden with century-old trees. With an estimated 53-metre beach frontage, it features a multimillion-dollar harbour view, tennis court and is nearly three times the size of a nearby home 'Atona' home, which sold for $52 million in May last year. Built in 1863, the grand Victorian style mansion has a ballroom and numerous balconies with stunning Sydney Harbour views. Situated on one of Australia's finest beaches, Seven Shillings Beach, it comes with a semi-private beach that runs along the Point Piper waterfront. 'Elaine' has been handed down through four generations in the Fairfax family . The heritage-listed property has been owned by the wealthy media Fairfax family since 1891 . The water front mansion, is located in the affluent eastern Sydney suburb of Point Piper . The heritage-listed property has been owned by the Fairfax family - who founded Fairfax Media - since 1891 and has been handed down through four generations. John B. Fairfax bought the 6900 square metre harbour-front property from his father, Sir Vincent Fairfax for $3 million in 1989. The land is sprawled across six separate titles and new home owner could potentially build additional homes or even apartments on the site. However real estate agent Ken Jacobs from Christie's told the Daily Telegraph that no sale price had been confirmed. ‘In fact even the owners have not put a price on it,’ Mr Jacobs said. ‘There are no comparable properties, so that makes it difficult to gauge a price. ‘Nothing like this come has onto the market before and the anticipation it has created is extraordinary. ‘But I can say that it will be a new Sydney record.’ The heritage-listed property has been owned by the Fairfax family - who founded Fairfax Media - since 1891 and has been handed down through four generations . The grand Victorian mansion is situated on Seven Shillings Beach in Point Piper . The multimillion-dollar property features waterfront views of the ocean and a tennis court . The water front mansion, 'Elaine' is located at 550 New South Head Road, Point Piper of Sydney . The grass tennis court with water views and a sprawling landscape garden . The Victorian mansion is situated on Seven Shillings Beach in Double Bay . Built in 1863, the grand Victorian mansion comes with stunning waterfront with century-old trees . | With only a handful of Australians who could afford the mansion experts believe the new owner could be from overseas . The three store mansion is in the exclusive eastern Sydney suburb of Point Piper . Known as 'Elaine' it is three times bigger than the previous most expensive home in the same suburb, which sold for $52 million . The multimillion-dollar mansion features waterfront views, a tennis court, seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a ballroom . Heritage-listed property has been owned by the Fairfax family - who founded Fairfax Media - since 1891 and passed down through four generations . | 8a9e48b89ff953e3267a8d60e8653d8a1b04fb77 |
The world's most expensive player put his feet up at home as he watched Real Madrid deliver a brutal first-half lesson to Liverpool. Gareth Bale was forced to miss the Champions League holder's visit to Anfield as he recuperates from a gluetal buttock injury. The £85million former Tottenham winger will not take part in this Saturday's El Clasico showdown with arch-rivals Barcelona either as he battles to return to full fitness. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Barcelona next on Ronaldo's hit-list . Gareth Bale tweeted his support for Real Madrid at half-time of their Champions League game vs Liverpool . But he was pleased to see his Madrid team-mates excel without him as they surged into a 3-0 lead before half-time on Merseyside, courtesy of goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and a brace by Karim Benzema. Bale posted a picture of himself on Twitter watching the game with his feet up at home and wrote: 'Gutted not to be there, it's been a great first 45!! Got to keep it up for the second half #HalaMadrid.' Despite Real's sensational performance, manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted before the game that they were missing the Welshman. Real boss Carlo Ancelotti admitted before Wednesday's match that the Spanish giants would miss Bale . 'Gareth Bale is very important for us because he has a fantastic quality in every sense,' Ancelotti said, speaking to Sky Sports. 'We have to replace him. We have a fantastic squad so we have to replace him. 'You lose things in both attack and defence with Gareth.' His absence was at least one positive for Liverpool who managed to keep the scoreline the same after the interval. Imagine what it might have been with Bale on the pitch... Cristiano Ronaldo (right) gave Real the lead with a sumptuous strike in the first half . VIDEO Barcelona next on Ronaldo's hit-list . | Liverpool lost 3-0 at home to Real Madrid on Wednesday night . Bale missed Real's Champions League Group B match at Anfield due to a buttock injury . Wales star tweeted a picture of himself watching the game . | 16fa697a07f54349b00786c9f4f831030c5b5595 |
If you spot a commuter with Apple headphones on, you may want to avoid sitting near them if they have an iPhone 6. During tests, this handset was found to be the loudest among Apple's full range of iPhones including the 2G through to last year's iPhone 6 Plus. And, the eight-year-old 2G was able to reach a higher volume than the 2010 iPhone 4. Scroll down for video . iClarified placed decibel meters by the speakers of each of Apple's iPhones, including 10 handsets from the original 2G to last year's iPhone 6 Plus (pictured left to right). The meter presents the maximum reading in A-weighted decibels, or dBA. This reading is used to show the loudness of a sound, as perceived by the ear . Having a louder phone can be beneficial, especially when playing music or conducting a phone call on loudspeaker. But exposure to excessively loud noise - particularly when directed through headphones - can cause health problems, too. In environments where noise exceeds 85 dBA, for example, employees are required to wear ear protectors. And, as a comparison, average sound levels produced by a live band are around 110 dBA. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to these noise levels can disturb sleep, raise blood pressure and even increase the chances of heart disease. The latest sound test was carried out by iClarified, and was a follow-up to a sound test the site filmed after the iPhone 5 was released in 2012. In the latest video, a decibel meter is placed beneath the speaker of each handset and music is played at full volume. The meter presents the maximum reading in A-weighted decibels, or dBA. This reading is used to show the relative loudness of a sound in the air, as it's perceived by the ear. iPhone 2G: 94.3 dBA . iPhone 3G: 98.6 dBA . iPhone 3GS: 103.6 dBA . iPhone 4: 92.9 dBA . iPhone 4S: 101.1 dBA . iPhone 5: 104.0 dBA . iPhone 5C: 102.0 dBA . iPhone 5S: 103.6 dBA . iPhone 6: 105.4 dBA . iPhone 6 Plus: 105.0 dBA . Using this method, low frequency sounds are reduced, compared to unweighted decibels, because the ear doesn't hear lower frequencies as well as higher ones. A typical rating is around 25 dBA, which is 25 A-weighted decibels above the threshold of a person's hearing, and is said to be relative to the loudness of a person whispering in a quiet room. The meter changes position below the different handsets because the speaker changes position on each model, explained iClarified. The iPhone 6 had the loudest speakers on test, with a reading of 104.5 dBA, beating the larger Plus by 0.4 dBA. The iPhone 4 was the quietest, at 92.9 dBA, which was worse than the original 2G, which had a reading of 94.3 dBA. The iPhone 5 was in third place on 104 dBA. The iPhone 3GS and 5S had the same reading, at 103.6 dBA, and the 5C registered a reading of 102 dBA. The speakers on the iPhone 3G produced 98.6 dBA. This isn't the first test in which the iPhone 4 performed worse than the original 2007 2G. The iPhone 6 (left) had the loudest speakers on test, with a reading of 104.5 dBA, beating the larger Plus by 0.4 dBA. The iPhone 4 (right) was the quietest, at 92.9 dBA, which was worse than the original 2G with 94.3 dBA . In 2013, fan site EverythingApplePro created a video test of eight handsets, including the 2G up to the 5S. Each of the handsets were 'freshly restored and not jailbroken' meaning they each had the same default settings and all applications were force closed beforehand. In the first test, all the phones were powered off simultaneously and the 3GS shut down fastest, followed by 3G, then the 4, then the original model. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 40 per cent of Europe’s population is exposed to noise levels in excess of 55dB - about the same level of a noisy office. The average washing machine has a recorded sound level of 70dB, refrigerators average at around 50dB refrigerator while in some instances food processors can reach up to 90dB. WHO says this amount of noise is enough to disturb sleep, raise blood pressure and even increase the chances of heart disease. According to a survey of 2,000 UK adults by John Lewis, 39 per cent of people will avoid using technology appliances at certain times because of the noise they produce. Meanwhile, almost a third of people find it difficult to drown out the noise and almost half consider sound an important factor in their purchasing decision when buying home appliances. The worst offending items in the home, on average, include: . Food mixer - 90dB . Tumble dryer - 60dB . Washing machine - 70dB . Vacuum cleaner - 70dB . Refrigerator - 50dB . The newer handsets all took noticeably longer than the older models, but took exactly the same amount of time as each other, to the second. Each of the phones booted up at different times, but EverythingApplePro highlights that the models differ in the amount of processing power and RAM and software between the newest and oldest phones, meaning this was not unexpected. This isn't the first test in which the iPhone 4 performed worse than the original 2007 2G. A video from EverythingApplePro found the original retro model outperfomed more recent models in terms of performance. In tests, newer models booted up first, yet the original phone (far right) booted up faster than the iPhone 4 . The newer models all booted up first, and at almost the same time, yet the original phone booted up faster than the iPhone 4. Apple's iPhone 3G was the slowest to boost. In the final tests, EverythingApplePro launched the Reddit.com, and Apple.com websites. The male voiceover explained that the 5S loads sites 'instantaneously' adding: 'the extra processing power and the new Wi-Fi capabilities, its an amazing device'. When launching Reddit.com, the iPhone 5 beat the 5 and the voiceover continued the loading times go 'downhill' from there. In conclusion, the video maker claimed: 'I learnt that the amount of processing power is greater as the generation goes on, but it's marginally less noticeable the higher you go, so if you have a 5 I wouldn't really recommend upgrading to a 5S just based on the fact you want extra amount of power, because it has an amazing amount of power as it is.' In the final tests, EverythingApplePro launched the Reddit.com, and Apple.com websites, pictured. During the video, the voiceover explained the 5S loads sites 'instantaneously'. When launching Reddit.com, the iPhone 5 beat the 5C but the rest of the handsets loaded the page slower than its successor . | iClarified placed decibel meters by the speakers of each of Apple's iPhones . This included 10 handsets from the original 2G to last year's iPhone 6 Plus . The iPhone 6 had the loudest speakers on test, with a reading of 104.5 dBA . iPhone 4 was the quietest, at 92.9 dBA - this was worse than 2G's 94.3 dBA . EverythingApplePro previously tested boot times on the 2G up to the 5S . That video also revealed the iPhone 4 didn't perform as well as the 2G . | 999b922d12ad1a8b60f95c636da9775462af5d7c |
A Royal Marine known as 'the commando who refused to die' after suffering 100 injuries in an Afghanistan explosion has had a leg removed - so he can play with his children. Corporal Paul Vice, 31, suffered more than 100 significant wounds during an explosion and 'died' twice as he was airlifted back to Camp Bastion in 2011. The father-of-four, who was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery during two previous incidents, received more than 114 wounds to his torso. Corporal Paul Vice pictured in hospital (left) following the operation to remove his leg, and undergoing rehabilitation (right) after the surgery . Paul Vice (right), with fellow Invictus Games contestants Robert Cromley-Hawke (left) and John-James Chalmers (left) after they won gold medals in the road cycling event . Remarkably, he had more than 400 pieces of shrapnel and stones removed from his body by surgeons, suffered a broken neck, a damaged left eye, was deafened in one ear and suffered a stroke, a brain injury and paralysis down his right side. After surgery he recovered, and his determined spirit saw him compete at the recent Invictus Games, where he won medals in cycling and archery. But on-going problems with his left leg have stopped him from enjoying life with his wife Tessa and their four children Honey, Alfie, Frankie and Harley. So he made the difficult decision to remove the troublesome limb, which he referred to as 'the wet fish'. Before having the leg removed, he wrote a message on the limb which read: 'Dear leg, thanks for all the misery and admin you have caused over the last three years. See you later pal.' He said: 'The leg is crap - it does not do anything and I call it the wet fish. It does not do anything but cause me gip and pain and it cannot get any worse. 'I have gone through the stage of being depressed about why it happened and I have got over it. 'More importantly this is about my children. I cannot interact with them how I want. I want to be running and playing football with them, but at the moment I have problems just walking after them. Corporal Paul Vice, pictured left and right during his early years with the Royal Marines, was awarded the Military Cross for bravery prior to suffering life-threatening injuries in Afghanistan . Athletes Luke Darlington and Paul Vice (right) pictured during an interview prior to the Invictus Games . 'As a family, we have all agreed that the best way forward for me is to have the leg amputated. 'I live in the here and now and my sole aim is to look after and give my children and family the best life they can get.' Immediately following the 2011 explosion, while suffering from shock, he tried to check that all his limbs were intact, but could not move his head as the blast had broken his neck. He was able to see a pool of blood pouring from his torso, then realised that a life-threatening amount of blood was also streaming from his neck - he had a severed artery. His life was saved when a colleague who had escaped the blast rushed to his aid, and forced his knee into his neck to stop the bleeding. He survived the blast, but suffered a broken neck, a stroke, a damaged left eye, was deafened in one year and suffers from an enduring brain injury which causes paralysis. Mr Vice pictured in action during the Invictus Games, where he won medals for cycling and archery . Paul Vice watches the games (right) during a break in the competition, after having competed in the road cycling event (left). He is now known as 'the commando who refused to die' He was evacuated back to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, and a month later started his gruelling rehabilitation at Headley Court, the tri-service rehabilitation centre in Surrey. Cpl Vice said: 'I lay there checking myself over to make sure I still had my limbs. I couldn't move my neck because it was broken but I remember seeing a massive pool of blood coming out of me and then felt and heard blood spouting out from my neck like a hose pipe. 'I didn't feel pain, just red hot - I thought I was on fire. 'When I felt the hole in my neck I knew it was an arterial bleed, so I thought that was it. 'That's when Richie came ploughing through the dust and stuck his knee into my neck.' He is now the subject of a documentary, called The Commando Who Refused to Die, which will be broadcast on Friday, December 12, and includes footage of the amputation. | Corporal Paul Vice was injured in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2011 . More than 400 pieces of shrapnel and stones were removed from his body . He also suffered a broken neck and severed artery in his throat . Blast also caused brain injury and partial paralysis down his right side . He 'died' twice during the emergency airlift back to Camp Bastion . Injuries sustained in the attack caused ongoing problems with his left leg . He has now chosen to have it amputated so he can play with his children . Cpl Vice is known as the 'Commando who refused to die' | f631b3ab3c2cf11525bdb956e48c2a42cd3dd5cb |
By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 10:03 EST, 20 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:05 EST, 20 June 2012 . A nine-year-old schoolgirl who has never so much as trimmed her hair has chopped off all her locks and donated the resulting 17inch ponytail to a cancer wig charity. Xanthe Coote, from Portsmouth, Hants, decided she wanted to . help young cancer victims who have lost their hair to chemotherapy, after . a family friend was diagnosed with the deadly disease. The real-life Rapunzel also raised a staggering £666 for Portsmouth-based children’s hospice Naomi House - an especially impressive amount since her initial target was just £50. Before: Xanthe shows off her super-long locks before preparing to have her hair cut for the first time in her life . After: Xanthe plays with her short and sweet new crop, having cut off her ponytail to donate her tresses to a children's cancer wig charity . Xanthe said: 'It feels a bit weird because my head feels a lot lighter and it is easier to brush and wash my hair. 'I decided I wanted to donate my hair because one of my friends got cancer and had all her hair taken off. 'She explained to me what it felt like, and I decided to help all the other children who might be going through the same thing.' Proud . mum Anjella Corr, 40, said: 'Xanthe has grown her hair all her life - . she has never had it cut. I guess like most little girls she liked to . have long hair. 'But then one . day she came home and said she wanted to have it all cut off because her . friend had a haircut. She also decided she wanted to give her hair . away. 'She knows a family . friend, whose daughter had cancer and needed a wig. Even though they do . not know each other too well she wanted to help other people like her. 'She . is the youngest of four and she has always been very altruistic. It is . in her nature to be so giving and I am immensely proud of her.' Xanthe's new goal is to regrow her hair and cut it all off once more to help those in need. Hair today, gone tomorrow: Xanthe now plans to regrow her newly cropped locks in order to donate them all over again . Monica Glass, spokesperson for Little Princess Trust, who make the wigs, said: 'The Little Princess Trust is very grateful to Xanthe for her kind hair donation. 'Support such as this helps us to continue to provide real-hair wigs to boys and girls across the UK and Ireland, that have sadly lost their own hair through cancer treatment. 'It is always particularly poignant when one child decides to help another and for this we sincerely thank Xanthe. 'We would also like to extend our thanks to her family.' | Xantha Coote, nine, made decision after friend was diagnosed with cancer . Raised £666 for children's hospice in Portsmouth . Now growing it back...to cut it all off again! | cd695c0df58f050653018c800914779a94d79d55 |
(CNN)French hostage Serge Lazarevic has been freed after being held for more than three years in Mali by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, French President Francois Hollande announced Tuesday. Lazarevic was captured on November 24, 2011, in Hombori in central Mali and subsequently held in the Sahel. His release means that there are no longer any French hostages held anywhere in the world, Hollande said in remarks broadcast by CNN's French affiliate BFMTV. Lazarevic will travel to Niamey in Niger before heading on to France, Hollande said in a statement issued by his office. "He is relatively healthy, despite the very harsh conditions of his long captivity. He will be quickly repatriated to France," the President said. No details have yet been given of how Lazarevic's freedom was secured, but Hollande said discussions had been under way for months, with the involvement of authorities in Niger and Mali. Hollande thanked them for their help and said he shared in the joy of Lazarevic's family at the news of his release. He also saluted the memory of Lazarevic's fellow captive Philippe Verdon, who was abducted with him but slain by his captors several months ago. Lazarevic's release, which comes only days after a failed U.S. military raid in Yemen ended with the deaths of two hostages held by al Qaeda, has prompted wide French media speculation that a prisoner swap was involved. The French consistently deny that they pay ransoms in hostage takings, but they have been remarkably successful at freeing hostages by nonmilitary means. Lawmaker Alain Marsaud, of the opposition UMP party, told BFMTV that he had no doubt that a ransom had been paid for Lazarevic through the freeing of prisoners held in Mali or Niger. "There's not one French person who believes for one instant that Mr. Lazarevic has been freed just to please Mr. Hollande," he said. Marsaud, a former anti-terrorism judge, said he preferred the French position to the American approach, which ends with hostages being assassinated. Lawmaker Bruno Le Roux, leader of the governing Socialist Party's majority in the French National Assembly, was asked on BFMTV whether France had paid a ransom. He replied, "I ... it is not the strategy of the French state to pay a ransom. But our strategy is to never abandon our hostages, and so to ensure that links with the local authorities are established, with all those who can help us in freeing them." It's not the first time this year that France has welcomed home freed hostages. Four French journalists -- Nicolas Henin, Pierre Torres, Didier Francois and Edouard Elias -- were released in Syria in April, after being held for months by Islamist militants. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius insisted that France had not paid a ransom, Radio France Internationale reported at the time. CNN's Laura Akhoun, Jim Bittermann and Marion Lory in Paris contributed to this report. | Hostage's release prompts speculation that the French may have done a deal . French hostage Serge Lazarevic is freed after being held by al Qaeda in Mali . Francois Hollande says there are no longer any French hostages held anywhere . "He is relatively healthy, despite the very harsh conditions of his long captivity," says Hollande . | c10f5470518f4cf6073860bc424dc32fe751dcca |
By . Laura Cox . PUBLISHED: . 08:32 EST, 21 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:42 EST, 21 April 2012 . A teenage boy wanted on suspicion of killing a four-month-old puppy turned himself in to police in Dallas, Texas on Friday. Darius Ewing, 18, allegedly poured lighter fluid on the Labrador terrier outside a Pleasant Grove apartment block on April 4. The teen then flicked a lit cigarette at him, police said, causing burns which covered more than 70 per cent of his body. Scroll down for video . Disgusting: 18-year-old Darius Ewing allegedly poured lighter fuel over the puppy before flicking a lit cigarette at it . Police launched a man hunt for Ewing and witnesses came forward claiming to have seen a group of people, led by the teen, burning Justice. They offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for burning Justice, according to Examiner.com. Justice: Ewing turned himself into police in Dallas, Texas on Friday after an arrest warrant was issued. Authorities were offering a $25,000 reward for information about the slaying . Officers went to the house where Ewing had been staying with his great grandmother but were told he no longer lived there after failing to follow her rules. Friend and neighbour Jacoby Cooper told Fox 4: ‘He was on rehab. They was trying to get him to stop doing drugs but he ran away from rehab and he stopped going’. Cooper, who grew up with Ewing, added: ‘I really don’t think he would do something like that unless he was under the influence. ‘He do crazy stuff but I don’t think he would do that.’ Outraged animal lovers gathered . outside Dallas City Hall in support of the pup, named Justice by rescue . workers, when he died 10 days after the brutal attack. As hundreds of people held a moving candlelight vigil Ewing handed himself in. David Alex, . a special prosecutor in the district attorney's office, said to NBC: 'The timing was great. 'Hopefully, a . lot of it had to do with the pressure from the community to do the right . thing.' Ewing is charged with felony animal cruelty. If convicted he faces up to 10 years in jail. Police showed up at Ewing's great grandmother's house in southeast Dallas with a warrant for his arrest but she told officer's she had kicked him out when he failed to follow her rules . Outrage: Hundreds of people showed up for a candlelight vigil in support of the slain puppy . Teen Wanted for Burning 'Justice': MyFoxDFW.com . View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com. | Dog suffered for 10 days before dying as a result of horrific burns covering 70 per cent of his body . Hundreds turned out to hold a candlelight vigil in support of the pup . Darius Ewing was arrested on Friday and faces 10 years in jail if convicted of animal cruelty . | a40459056edb60b4405a3aee8713d114c3681979 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . A 59-year-old woman from Montclair, New Jersey, has described how she was conned out of $86,000 by a man she met on Match.com. The two-time cancer survivor, who is pictured but did not wish to reveal her name, says that a man who called himself Maxwell Yas swindled her out of her retirement money over a six-month period in 2012. The woman, who never met Yas, told CBS 2: ‘It felt good to have that male attention. You want to believe, because you think you’re developing a relationship.’ Scammed for money: This woman, who wished to remain anonymous, was scammed out of $86,000 through a relationship on Match.com . Yas claimed that he was a 60-year-old . New Yorker who was stationed in Malaysia for his work as a civil . engineer. He told his online lover that he was experiencing a great deal . of financial trouble. The woman admitted: ‘I cashed money out of an IRA; out of, you know, retirement money. ‘I’ve . always been a very rational person, and everything told me: “No, you . have to question this. It doesn’t sound right,”’ she said. She . insists that she has now learned her lesson: ‘No matter what they say; . no matter what kind of tale they tell you, you really have to be brave . and say no.’ A fake story: The man, who went by the name Maxwell Yas, told the woman that he was a civil engineer stationed in Malaysia and was having financial difficulties . Trying to recover: Though the FBI is investigating Mr Yas, the agency says that there is little chance that the woman will recover her money . Though the FBI . is carrying out an investigation into Yas’s true identity, the agency . says it is unlikely that the duped woman will recover her money. Match.com . has directed those inquiring about the case to its online safety tips, . which recommend that users ignore all requests to send other users . money. | The woman, 59, from Montclair, New Jersey, never met the man, but believed she was developing a relationship . The man told her his name was Maxwell Yas, and that he was a New Yorker, based in Malaysia for his work as a civil engineer . | a0b9179e7595e9ece4dc17b81d1ea025cb7b9c01 |
LA PAZ, Bolivia (CNN) -- An air of anxiety clutches Bolivia this weekend amid high-stakes talks designed to end bloodshed and keep the country whole. Bolivian President Evo Morales says opposition leaders are trying to overthrow the government. The central government of leftist President Evo Morales, Bolivia's first leader from an Indian majority centered in the western highlands, is conducting talks with governors of largely white provinces in the east who want autonomy. Tension between the two sides erupted into violence that killed at least 30 people in September. In addition, differences about the country's future have threatened to split the country. Julian Torrico, a peasant leader, said he and other Morales supporters will storm the eastern city of Santa Cruz if the talks, which started Thursday, do not yield progress. "We will go into Santa Cruz and respond with force because they have (marginalized) us and massacred us, so we will massacre them and we will take their land away from them," he said. Watch protesters march in Santa Cruz » . "The fight here is between poor and rich. The government of Evo Morales took power by a majority and now these opposition governors don't want to let him govern," Torrico said. Anyelo Cespedes, president of the Santa Cruz Youth Union, which opposes Morales, said they don't want a dictatorship or a communist regime. "We have our way of life and we don't want that changed," he said. The central government and eastern governors are discussing topics that include the distribution of natural-gas revenues, autonomy for several eastern provinces and the president's plan for a new constitution. Those negotiations may offer one of the final chances to reverse Bolivia's slide toward violent instability, according to Gonzalo Chavez, an analyst. "This is probably one of the few opportunities that we're going to have to solve the problems of the country," he said. Four of nine provinces in Bolivia have declared autonomy from the central government in referendums this year. Morales, an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and former Cuban President Fidel Castro, said the moves could cause Bolivia to disintegrate. The eastern opposition leaders have long opposed a decision of the Morales government to divert some revenue from oil and gas produced in the region to pay for government programs for the elderly. They have also opposed his plans to revise the constitution to give greater rights to the indigenous majority. The differences flared into violence with opposition protesters occupying government buildings and energy installations. Morales has said the opposition leaders are trying to overthrow the government. He expelled U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia Philip Goldberg on the grounds that he urged anti-government protesters to get violent, an assertion the United States has denied. "This is a coup in the past few days by the leaders of some provinces, with the takeover of some institutions, the sacking and robbery of some government institutions and attempts to assault the national police and the armed forces," Morales has said. Opposition leaders said they merely want their demands met. Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza of the Organization of American States arrived in Bolivia on Friday to encourage dialogue. He expressed optimism based on the "preliminary results" from the talks. Representatives of the Organization of American States and the 12-nation Union of South American Countries are among a group of international observers that has come to Bolivia for the negotiations. Ivan Canelas, a government spokesman, said the talks provide a critical opportunity to break an impasse that has split the country for months. "We understand that making peace requires the suspension of all forms of pressure," he said. Gov. Mario Cossio of the eastern Tarija state said he and other opposition leaders hope to reach a final agreement. He said they hope "to build a national agreement that Bolivia needs, that the Bolivians want." He said the goal is to "give peace back to our country and give certainty to Bolivia." CNN's Karl Penhaul and Gloria Carrasco contributed to this story. | Bolivian leaders plan to hold talks designed to bring peace to country . Four provinces in Bolivia have declared autonomy from the central government . At least 30 people have died in September . | 1b2f8fdb94a089fee25f7d07923bdbd2f3c1acf0 |
Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court ruled for a Pennsylvania woman accused of violating laws tied to a chemical-weapons treaty when she attacked the other woman in a love triangle. The justices by a unanimous vote on Monday concluded the government overstepped its authority when prosecuting Carol Anne Bond, as part of the country's obligations enforcing a chemical weapons agreement. At issue was whether Congress may criminalize conduct -- under its treaty ratification power -- that is otherwise the domain of the states. Bond was given a long prison sentence in the federal system after being convicted of using potentially lethal chemicals against a romantic rival. She would have likely gotten a much shorter sentence under state law. The decision sends the case back to lower courts, which could vacate the conviction. The case of toxic love has soap-opera elements, but Bond's lawyers argued she was being treated like a foreign terrorist instead of someone caught up in an act of personal revenge against a friend. "The global need to prevent chemical warfare does not require the federal government to reach into the kitchen cupboard," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his narrowly framed opinion, "or to treat a local assault with a chemical irritant as the deployment of a chemical weapon." Beyond this fact-specific dispute, the case touched on larger concerns about the strength and purpose of the Constitution's 10th Amendment, designed to preserve state power. It is also a question roiling the current political debate, especially among tea party conservatives in this post-9/11, security-conscious environment. The court majority largely avoided those questions in its ruling. Roberts said the facts of the case limited their scope. "This exceptional convergence of factors gives us serious reason to doubt the government's expansive reading of the [law], and calls for us to interpret the statute more narrowly." Bond, a native of Barbados, lived outside Philadelphia and worked as a microbiologist. As a federal appeals court succinctly summarized the relevant facts in the case: "Bond was excited when her closest friend, Myrlinda Haynes, announced she was pregnant. Bond's excitement turned to rage when she learned that her husband, Clifford Bond, was the child's father. She vowed revenge." The woman, known to her family as Betty, struck back by stealing dangerous a chemical -- arsenic-based 10-chloro-10H-phenoxarsine -- from her company. She also obtained potassium dichromate over the Internet. Both substances in heavy doses can cause toxic, even lethal harm with very little physical contact. The 42-year-old then tried to poison Haynes some two dozen times over several months, secretly sprinkling small amounts of the chemicals on an apartment doorknob, car door handles, and a mailbox. While suffering no more than a chemical burn on her thumb, Haynes grew suspicious -- one of the chemicals was a bright orange powder. After getting little help from local police, in 2007 she called postal inspectors, who set up surveillance cameras. Bond was videotaped stealing mail and placing chemicals inside the mailbox and a car muffler, court records show. She was soon arrested. Bond admitted her guilt early on and claimed she never meant to kill Haynes, but only wanted to cause her "an uncomfortable rash." The defendant also said her friend's betrayal caused an "emotional breakdown" that made her respond in such a shocking fashion. Instead of being charged with simple assault, which may have gotten her six months to a year or two in state prison, Bond was indicted in federal court on two counts of mail fraud and -- the bombshell -- two counts of violating a federal law and international treaty on the possession and use of "chemical weapons." When a judge denied her motions to transfer the case to state court, Bond pleaded guilty and immediately appealed. She received a sentence of six years behind bars and nearly $12,000 in fines and restitution. She was released in August 2012. There are about 1,000 treaties signed by the United States currently on the books. Many academics and lawmakers had hoped the majority right-leaning bench will use this opportunity to delve further into the scope of the 10th Amendment, which states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." In the broader political context, a bipartisan sphere of Americans worry the federal government and Congress have been overly aggressive in staking claims to disputes they believe are best left to states, especially in the criminal arena. And it is not just felonies. Areas like gun ownership, zoning laws, environmental regulations, taxation, health care, and education standards all could be re-examined in the wake of this high court decision. While agreeing the prosecution of Bond was improper, three other members of the court-- Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito -- would have gone farther and said the court should decide whether the law was a proper exercise of federal power. "We have here a supposedly 'narrow' opinion which, in order to be 'narrow,' sets forth interpretive principles never before imagined that will bedevil our jurisprudence (and proliferate litigation) for years to come. The immediate product of these interpretive novelties is a statute that should be the envy of every lawmaker bent on trapping the unwary with vague and uncertain criminal prohibitions," said Scalia. He added that the majority "enables the fundamental constitutional principle of limited federal powers to be set aside by the President and Senate's exercise of the treaty power. We should not have shirked our duty and distorted the law to preserve that assertion; we should have welcomed and eagerly grasped the opportunity-- nay, the obligation-- to consider and repudiate it." Some of Bond's supporters argue that some federal prosecutions are novel and the penalties are often more harsh, creating conflict and confusion with local efforts to ensure public safety. They see Bond as an unexpected hero in the fight to return "the power back to the people." "The proposition that the Treaty Clause is a trump card that defeats all of the remaining structural limitations on the federal government is not a proposition that is logically defensible," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said when the case was argued in December. Bond had won an earlier Supreme Court appeal, with a unanimous ruling she had "standing," or legal authority, to pursue her claims in the courts. That allowed her to continue trying to have her federal conviction tossed out, which was the current issue before the justices. Her lawyers say she had been trying in recent years to repair her shaken marriage, and has come to terms with her husband's betrayal. The case is Bond v. U.S. (12-158). | Carol Anne Bond challenged her conviction on a federal chemical weapon charge . She used poisons to try to get back at a woman who had an affair with her husband . The case touches on the conflict between federal and state powers . | 584771cf06fcdb6d8e7983af85beae23e6103454 |
A TV reporter in Colorado has been hospitalized with frostbite to his fingers after trying to film a late-night live shot during freezing temperatures. Eric Fink, a reporter for KRDO in Colorado Springs, was wearing cold-weather clothing while preparing to film a live shot on his own on Saturday night but ran into difficulties with his equipment. He told his producers that he needed to remove his gloves in order to connect his camera to the backpack, but that he was worried about taking them off in freezing winds, Mediabistro reported. But he removed them - as temperatures plunged to 11F (-11.7C) with a wind chill of 3F (-16C). Hospitalized: Eric Fink, a reporter for KRDO in Colorado Springs, is pictured receiving treatment in hospital after he suffered frostbite while reporting in freezing temperatures on Saturday night . The station would not comment on whether Fink was reporting on the weather at the time or on a different local story. Another KRDO reporter tweeted a photograph showing Fink receiving treatment for several frostbitten fingers on Sunday. 'How cold is it? Reporter @E_FINKSTER has frostbite on both hands after working in Falcon,' reported Jonathan Petramala tweeted. On Wednesday, Fink, 27, took to his own Twitter feed to give followers an update. 'Recovering from frostbite,' he wrote. 'I am overwhelmed by the prayers and support. Tweeting a heartfelt thank you to everybody.' Recovering: Fink, pictured, needed to take off his gloves in sub-freezing temperatures to fix his equipment . On the mend: On Wednesday, he told his Twitter followers that he was on the road to recovery . Ahead of the incident, KRDO had been warning viewers to bundle up against the sub-zero temperatures, warning them of the risks of frostbite. Mediabistro reported that the station's journalists had criticized KRDO for a lack of weather safety training. 'No one was surprised that something bad was going to happen during spot news or weather, we'd just hoped it wouldn't lead to someone potentially losing fingers as a result,' an insider told the site. Staff from KRDO declined to comment on the incident. Temperatures plunged in Colorado on Saturday during a cold front that lumbered across the U.S., and the temperature in Colorado Springs dropped from 30F to 20F in just one hour that afternoon. Freezing: The channel has been warning viewers about the freezing temperatures across Colorado Springs. It was 11F (-11.7C) with wind chills when Fink tried to film his shot on Saturday night . Frostbite happens when skin is exposed to freezing temperatures – typically any temperature below 31ºF. It can affect any part of your body, but hands, feet, ears, nose and lips, are most likely to be affected. To avoid frostbite: . The very young and very old are most at risk of frostbite as their bodies are less able to regulate body temperature. Smokers and diabetics are also at risk. During cold weather alcohol can be a factor in frost bite - it causes you to lose heat at a faster rate. The symptoms of frostbite usually begin with the affected parts feeling cold and painful. If exposure to the cold continues, you may feel pins and needles. If the tingling in the fingers and toes doesn't stop, or there are at least 30 minutes of symptoms and no feeling in the extremities, you should seek medical attention. | Eric Fink, 27, needed to remove his gloves to fix equipment while filming alone in Falcon, Colorado on Saturday night . At the time, temperatures plunged to 11F (-11.7C) He was treated at hospital for frostbite to his fingers and is recovering . The news station was criticized for failing to give proper cold weather training to its staff but would not comment on the incident . | f601639c358f71b03f5e2bdc79c1fa2cb52ac840 |
New doubts arose over the handling of the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the US after his family claims the hospital that cared for him has withheld records of experimental drug testing for weeks. Thomas Eric Duncan's sister Mai Wureh has claimed that out of thousands of pages of medical files released by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, information about the drug brincidofovir were not given. Wureh, herself a registered nurse, had been concerned about Duncan receiving the drug since he was first administered a dose. Stacks: Thomas Duncan's nephew, Josephus Weeks, combs through 1,450 pages of records released after Duncan's death, but no records of an experimental drug used have so far been found . She says she attempted to phone the medical records division repeatedly after his death in order to obtain more information about its effects and the treatment regimen. In the collection of records, which totals 1,450 pages, was a code supposed to allow access to electronic records for the family, but Wureh alleges it does not work. 'I called for a new code and was told that they could no longer release information to me,' she said, saying a liaison said the hospital could only release information to Duncan's son Karsiah, 19. Among 1,450 pages of records, Wureh was listed as the 'primary decision maker' because Duncan was incapable of making decisions for clinical care. She and her son Josephus Weeks were also listed as hospital contacts and 'consents relatives' by Dr Gary Weinstein, the chief of pulmonology and critical care, two days before Duncan's death. The first page of the collection of records is addressed to Wureh and states 'additional information may be added to the record.' Decision maker: Mai Wureh was determined to be 'primary decision maker' for Thomas Duncan's clinical care because of her background as a registered nurse . Patient zero: Thomas Eric Duncan was diagnosed with Ebola at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and died there in October after treatments failed to rid him of the virus . After being contacted by the Associated Press Tuesday night, spokesperson Wendell Watson said the hospital 'will be reaching out and providing the requested information.' Houston attorney Joseph Larsen, who has worked with medical records in past cases, says it's not within the power of the hospital to change who can request and receive records. 'That's absolutely not within the power of the hospital to change that,' he says. Weeks says Wureh made requests including for records of lab work while visiting Duncan shortly before his death that have gone unfulfilled, along with requests for information on his cremation. Karsiah Duncan signed documents related to his father's cremation, says George Mason, the pastor of Louise Troh, Duncan's fiancee. The remains are not yet with Duncan. | Mai Wureh, Duncan's sister, has requested lab work and other medical records related to his treatment with experimental drug brincidofovir . The hospital has released 1,450 pages of files to Wureh's care . She says they have refused follow up requests to have other files turned over . Karsiah, Duncan's 19-year-old son reportedly signed papers regarding his father's cremation, though he is not in possession of the remains . | b6960c2a9b9574d5b54a25724af18c91cb4c01a3 |
London (CNN) -- Jacintha Saldanha should never have become a household name. But within a few hours of her apparent suicide after being duped by a radio prank call, the nurse's name was in headlines around the world. Her husband and two teenage children have said little, overwhelmed by the shocking death of a wife and mother thrust suddenly into the public eye. Read more: Radio personalities apologize for prank call to duchess's hospital . An inquest, expected to open Thursday, may shed more light on the reasons for her apparent decision to take her own life early Friday, three days after putting through the fateful call from two Australian DJs who impersonated Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles to gain medical details about Prince William's pregnant wife, Catherine. In the meantime, a picture is starting to emerge of a generous, caring woman who was caught up in a media maelstrom. Read more: Prank call pitted 'the great' against the powerless . The 46-year-old nurse moved to the UK from India a decade ago, and for the past four years, she had worked in the hospital where Catherine was being treated for acute morning sickness. She spent her time off duty in the family home in the southwestern city of Bristol, according to UK media reports. British lawmaker Keith Vaz -- who accompanied Saldanha's husband, Benedict Barboza, and their children, Lisha and Junal, on a visit to the hospital living quarters in central London where she was found dead -- said they were devastated by the loss of "a loving mother and a loving wife." With the family standing beside him, looking shell-shocked, he added: "This is a close family. They are devastated by what has happened. They miss her every moment of every day, but they are really grateful to the support of the British public and to the public overseas." UK media reports have quoted an online testimonial for her driving instructor in which Saldanha apparently described herself as "a very nervous person." Read more: Nurse death sparks outrage, casts glare on 'shock jocks' But for her classmates and colleagues back home in India, she was a deeply religious, benevolent and bold young woman. "Jacintha was loving and caring," recalled the Rev. Sister Aileen Mathias, chief nursing officer at the Father Muller Medical College in the southern Indian city of Mangalore. Both trained at the institution's nursing school in the 1980s. Mathias still remembers her night shifts with Saldanha, who was a year her senior. "She would share her bread, coffee and sweets with the patients," Mathias said as she reminisced about her time with her old friend. Saldanha, at that time single, was a nursing student from 1984 to 1988 and said to be a devout Catholic. Read more: Hospital slams prank call radio station over nurse's death . "She was very religious. She will pray for the patients. Both of us will pray together for the patients," Mathias said. Last year, Saldanha visited her alma mater and donated money for the needy receiving treatment at the hospital, the nursing chief said. "Jacintha was a generous person. She would help patients whenever she was here." A condolence message posted on the website of Mangalore's Father Muller Charitable Institutions described the late mother of two as a "dedicated and caring nurse." But Mathias also recollected Saldanha's lighter side. "She was a forward-looking girl. And she was very humorous. We cracked jokes. It was fun being together." Read more: Australian prank call radio station boss calls nurse's death 'truly tragic' Her friends have not forgotten her diligence in her studies. "Jacintha was pretty studious. She would often score as much as 75% or even more (in exams). And she was an active participant in several activities of the college," Mathias said. Nathalia Martis, 46, was in Saldanha's class. She cannot believe that her classmate committed suicide. "I was shocked to hear that. She was not that type who would do that," she said. Now a staff nurse herself at the Father Muller Hospital, Martis remembers Saldanha as a "bold girl." "She was very good, polite, but a very bold girl. She was always ready to face any kind of a situation," Martis said of her friend. She praised Saldanha for her "leading capacity." Martis wouldn't elaborate, though, saying she doesn't remember specific incidents from more than 25 years ago. But she found Saldanha to be a decisive woman. "She was a good decision-maker. ... I mean she will take quick decisions during problems," Martis said. A family acquaintance, Ivan D'Souza, also considered her a "confident" person. "She was a student here at Father Muller. She was a confident girl. And that's what her teachers also tell us about her. She would not normally make mistakes," he said on the phone from Mangalore. "We are not able to digest the news about her death." Others back in Britain also praised her as a professional and caring person. Lord Glenarthur, chairman of the private King Edward VII's Hospital where she worked, described her as "a first-class nurse who cared diligently for hundreds of patients." And the hospital's chief executive, John Lofthouse, spoke of her as "a much loved and valued colleague" who would be greatly missed by her co-workers. For now, D'Souza said, much of Saldanha's family is in her birthplace, waiting for her body to arrive. "We should get it as soon as possible," he said. The decision on when to fly her remains back to India is one for her relatives to make, London's Metropolitan Police said. So far, her family's most public expressions of grief have been made via Facebook. Barboza, Saldanha's husband, wrote over the weekend: "I am devastated with the tragic loss of my beloved wife Jacintha in tragic circumstances. She will be laid to rest in Shirva, India." Saldanha's daughter, whose Facebook page is headed by a photo of herself with her mother and brother, wrote: "I miss you, I loveeee you. (Heart) Jacintha saldanha." CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh reported from New Delhi; and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. | Friends of Jacintha Saldanha in India say she was a generous, caring woman . Her family has paid tribute to "a loving mother and a loving wife" Nurses who trained with her say she was confident and a bold decision-maker . "We are not able to digest the news about her death," a family friend says . | 15ad19fec63aa007cd87da44a1abe3812297abc8 |
(CNN) -- Steven Van Zandt did not mince words. Steven Van Zandt (right) wants musicians to have a sense of history and care for their craft. "I want to spend just a minute on a topic that never ever gets discussed in the music business -- the music," the Bruce Springsteen guitarist and "Sopranos" star said in a speech to the SXSW music and arts festival in March. "The reason nobody wants to talk about it is because it mostly sucks! "Who are we kidding here?" he said. "Nobody's buying records? Because they suck!" He called the speech "A Crisis of Craft," and implored listeners to get back to rock 'n' roll's roots. Learn how to play cover songs, he said. Get people to dance. Harness your working-class energy. Take pride in craft. It's been two months since that speech, and Van Zandt is still passionate about the subject. "[Rock 'n' roll] is a craft that has to be learned," he tells CNN. "There are things you learn by listening to great records, copying heroes." He believes that he said some things that people were thinking, but haven't said out loud. But the rumbles are out there. The music business is in a state of flux, with the sales of more profitable CDs continuing to fall even as single downloads climb. "American Idol's" season is coming to an end, with rock purists once again assailing the show's slick pop sensibility. Commercial radio, country, rap and hip-hop -- they all have their critics, many of them wishing a return to the way things used to be. Blog: What do you think of the state of rock 'n' roll? Van Zandt has sympathy for all sides, coming at the issue from what he calls "a unique perspective" -- he's a musician, a DJ (with his radio show and Sirius XM channel, "Little Steven's Underground Garage") and record label honcho (Wicked Cool Records). He's quick to observe that he's not slamming all pop music. There's vibrancy in some hip-hop, he says, and he admires "Idol," particularly when it promotes music history. "But it's quite an alien world to my traditional rock 'n' roll world," he adds. "It has nothing to do with it." Within that rock 'n' roll world, he worries. Today's bands, he says, look down on performing covers, and as a result many have gotten lost in a musical wilderness. "The result is an extraordinary amount of mediocrity," he says. "There are no standards to live up to." Which is part of the problem with rejuvenating rock 'n' roll, says Steve Greenberg, founder of S-Curve Records, which includes alt-rockers Tinted Windows and We The Kings among its acts. Technology is one problem, he observes. "I think in the old days, in order to even be decent, it took a lot of work," he says. "And today, relatively untalented and uncreative people can actually make rock 'n' roll music that sounds kind of decent. And I think that kind of fools people and causes people to be lazy." But for Greenberg there's also a sense that the "square pegs" -- the naturally rebellious types -- are getting shoved in round holes. "A lot of opportunities inevitably these days go to people who fit the format, whether the format is Top 40 radio or 'American Idol' or [Radio] Disney or whatever it is," he says. "There's so much pressure to fit those slots. And it's the square pegs ultimately who are going to change the world." The spirited Greenberg wants to channel that rebellious energy. He's high on a band he signed named Care Bears on Fire, a trio of 13-year-old Brooklyn girls who sound like the Ramones with a touch of Shonen Knife. "Their attitude is maybe one size doesn't fit all," he says. "I feel like the spirit of rock 'n' roll lives in those guys. ... They're having fun playing rock 'n' roll." Scott Booker, the manager of the avant-pop band the Flaming Lips ("She Don't Use Jelly," "Do You Realize??"), is also hoping to foster creativity. He's serving as the CEO of the Academy of Contemporary Music, a music school based at Central Oklahoma University. Drawing from a British concept, the school plans to offer courses in music, music production and the music business, many starting this fall. Booker observes record labels aren't spending as much money on developing talent. He hopes the ACM not only makes bands more signable, but also teaches them business strategies, such as setting up their own label and distribution apparatus. "This could become a think tank for how the industry could go," he says, musing aloud. "People think of music as a throwaway cultural item [nowadays]. I want to change that. ... Make things more exciting." Technology, adds BMI executive Phil Graham, can also be rock 'n' roll's friend. "The opportunities the digital world give the population as a whole to throw their talents to a very wide audience is a very good thing," he says. More people have gotten the chance to put their music out there and connect with fellow music lovers, he says. Of course, there are also old-fashioned connections. BMI sponsors dozens of showcases for new acts; young bands play clubs and hawk their CDs (or Web page). Van Zandt welcomes the efforts, but hopes there's also a connection to rock 'n' roll history. He's founded a Rock and Roll Forever Foundation to foster music education in schools. (To its credit, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has similar programs.) "The spark comes from whatever people are into these days -- and that very well may be 'American Idol,' " he says. "You start with whatever singer you're rooting for, and you start to trace back where they come from. It's up to the artists themselves to make sure that their fans know where they're coming from, to make it clear that music doesn't fall off trees." | Steven Van Zandt: Bands aren't woodshedding, aren't learning rock 'n' roll history . Record label head: "square pegs ultimately who are going to change the world" Ways to counter trend: Use technology wisely, invest in history . | ca15e6d81cb198018e6be68b98fb18dbe949b44b |
Savings: The chancellor, George Osborne is expected to outline a further £10bn of welfare savings in the autumn statement on December 5 . Hidden public service cuts will drain Britain's poorest families of 30 per cent of their annual income by 2017, as the coalition's tough spending targets begin to bite, new TUC research reveals. It said reductions in benefits and family tax credits, combined with continuing cuts to welfare, will 'cause considerable financial harm for millions of families'. The dire predictions come as chancellor George Osborne prepares to deliver his autumn statement on December 5, in which he is expected to detail a further £10bn of welfare savings over the next five years. 'Unless George Osborne changes course,' the TUC warned. 'These cuts will be dwarfed by massive reductions in public services.' Their figures revealed that by 2016-17, the cumulative cost of lost public services for the poorest ten per cent of household will be £3,995 in cash terms - or 31.7 per cent of their average annual income. By contrast, the top tenth of the income scale will lose just £2,805 - or 2.5 per cent of annual income. This is because higher earners may use public transport less frequently, opt out of public schooling or healthcare, and less likely to rely on Sure Start centres. The analysis also said that the average household had already lost more than £1,200 in public services but the real pain is still to come - this is just a third of the cuts they are likely to experience by 2014-2015. The TUC report coincided with a study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which found that 6.1m people in working households live in poverty and more than 5.1m people live in working age households where no one has a job. Julia Unwin, the foundation's chief executive, told The Observer: 'The most distinctive characteristic of poverty today is the very high number of working people who are also poor.' Against the cuts: Protesters take part in a TUC march against the welfare cuts. Research by the Congress suggests that the poorest families could lose 30 per cent of their income as public services are withdrawn . Nick Davies, policy director at Children England, said on the scaling back back of children's services: 'Demand has increased, but funding reduced, and that has led to the withdrawal of some services and the rationing of others. 'Local authorities have to focus on their statutory responsibilities and other things get neglected.' Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, added: 'We are hearing reports from welfare rights advisers up and down the country that the services they provide are being cut or closed down. 'So a perfect storm is brewing: benefit cuts, service cuts and large-scale welfare reform.' | Public service cuts will drain Britain's poorest families of 30 per cent of their income, TUC say . Reductions in benefits and family credit, plus welfare cuts will 'cause considerable financial harm' Comes ahead of expected £10bn of welfare savings to be announced in autumn statement . Separate study shows 6m people in working households live in poverty . | da9f176a5dd92305707a26e3e3225e7ad1384479 |
(CNN) -- A Saudi court on Wednesday sentenced a man who caused uproar by bragging about his sex life on television to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes, according to Ministry of Information officials. Mazen Abdul Jawad talked openly about his sex life on the controversial show. Mazen Abdul Jawad, a 32-year-old airline employee and divorced father of four, spoke openly about his sexual escapades, his love of sex and losing his virginity at age 14. He made the comments on Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, which aired the interview a few months ago. Saudi authorities shut down LBC offices in Jeddah and Riyadh after airing the interview on an episode of its popular show "A Thick Red Line." Jawad was arrested shortly after the program aired and charged with violating Saudi Arabia's crime of publicizing vice. On the program, Jawad is also shown in his bedroom, where he holds sexual aids up to the camera. The room is decorated with Mickey Mouse and stuffed bears in sexually suggestive positions. The cameras gave audiences a glimpse of the room's nightclub-like chandeliers mixed with seafood-shaped wall sconces, perfume bottles and a book in Arabic, "101 Questions About Sex," that Jawad calls his "reference." Jawad, wearing a red shirt, explained that he put his phone number and details about his car -- a red Mini Cooper -- on his mobile phone's Bluetooth. He says women usually call him to ask if the car is for sale but, he boasts, "some go out with me that same night." The episode ended with him cruising the streets of Jeddah in his car looking for women. The show that aired Jawad's story is as popular as it is controversial in the Middle East. It tackles taboos sometimes never discussed in public. In one instance, a guest admitted he put up his children for sale and tried to justify why he continued to look for the highest bidder even though his kids were begging him to change his mind. Most guests wear sunglasses, wigs and strange clothing to disguise their identities as their lives can be endangered for talking about such taboo subjects. Surprisingly, Jawad did not disguise his identity on the program. Watch report on the uproar over the broadcast » . The episode caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia, where sharia, or Islamic law, is practiced. Pre-marital sex is illegal, and unrelated men and women are not permitted to mingle. The segment in question has been posted on the video-sharing site YouTube since its initial broadcast last month, and has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Speaking about promiscuous acts "is a violation of the sharia regulations on the one hand and against Saudi customs on the other," police spokesman Suleiman Al-Mutawae told Arab News, an English-language daily newspaper in Saudi Arabia. Before Jawad's detention, Arab News reported that he initiated a damage-control campaign, apologized for his comments and was considering filing a complaint against the show's producers for presenting him "in the worst possible manner by taking two hours of footage and condensing it down to a minutes-long segment." Jawad's lawyer could not be reached for comment. The ministry officials spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity. | Mazen Abdul Jawad, divorced father of 4, spoke openly about sex escapades . Saudi authorities shut down LBC offices in Jeddah and Riyadh over broadcast . Episode caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia . | 806221cd626affe729bbeda6be7217902aa09b9e |
UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The United Nations humanitarian chief Wednesday criticized a two-day pause in the fighting between the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels as "inadequate." U.N. Nations humanitarian chief John Holmes said he would have liked a "proper humanitarian pause." John Holmes, the under secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told reporters that the 48-hour break in hostilities was not sufficient, even as fighting resumed in the northeast of the country. The brief cessation of hostilities was announced by the Sri Lankan government on April 12 and allowed the U.N. and its partners to bring in necessary aid, said Holmes. He said he would have liked a "proper humanitarian pause" that lasted longer than two days, but hoped the break allowed for some progress to occur. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon had originally welcomed the announcement by the Sri Lankan government. However, Ban also expressed his concern that, "This is less than the full humanitarian pause of several days I had pressed for." But Ban added that the pause "is nevertheless a useful first step and an opportunity to move towards the peaceful and orderly end to the fighting now so badly needed." The government of Sri Lanka has been battling the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) rebels in a civil conflict that has lasted nearly 25 years. The LTTE has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the nations of the European Union. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the conflict officially began in 1983. The most pressing concern now, according to Holmes, is the fact that over 100,000 people are currently crowded in a "very small pocket of land" that is about five square miles, or about twice the size of New York's Central Park. "It is a very small area indeed for what we believe is very large number of people" Holmes explained. The crowded population, primarily comprised of Tamil civilians, is subject to the continuing Sri Lankan government assaults. The British and French foreign ministers released a joint statement as well on Wednesday, claiming that the LTTE is also using Tamil civilians as human shields. Holmes also called attention to the fact that the press has been barred from covering the civil strife in Sri Lanka. Ultimately, Holmes and the United Nations would like to see a peaceful end to the hostilities, but "its pretty clear, frankly, that a ceasefire as such is not something available at present circumstances." | U.N. humanitarian chief criticizes a two-day pause in fighting as "inadequate" 48-hour cessation of hostilities announced by Sri Lankan government on April 12 . Ceasefire allowed the U.N. and its partners to bring in necessary aid . Sri Lankan government has been battling LTTE rebels for nearly 25 years . | 2e27188d33a8d6c256d8764765d7314b55e6c7d8 |
(CNN) -- The human rights group Amnesty International is calling on Nigeria to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir if he attends an African Union Summit there on Thursday. Al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity relating to a five-year campaign of violence in western Sudan's Darfur region. And Nigeria, as party to the treaty that created the criminal court, is obliged to cooperate, Amnesty said. Nigerian officials could not immediately be reached for comment. "The Nigerian government has an unconditional legal obligation to arrest President Omar al-Bashir and hand him over to the ICC, should he enter Nigerian territory," the group said. "Any failure to fulfill obligations under international law and may amount to obstruction of justice." The group said Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua invited al-Bashir to attend the African Union Peace and Security Council in the capital, Abuja. The International Criminal Court issued the warrant against al-Bashir in March. It was the first ever issued for a sitting head of state by the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal, based at The Hague in the Netherlands. The warrant covers five counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape. It also includes two charges of war crimes for intentionally directing attacks against civilians and for pillaging. Al-Bashir remains president and has traveled to several countries since the warrant was issued. The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict in Darfur, and 2.5 million have been forced to flee their homes. Sudan denies the death toll is that high. The violence in Darfur erupted in 2003 after rebels began an uprising against the Sudanese government. To counter the rebels, Sudanese authorities armed and cooperated with Arab militias that went from village to village in Darfur, killing, torturing and raping residents, according to the United Nations, Western governments and human rights organizations. The militias targeted civilian members of tribes from which the rebels drew strength. Eighteen heads of state are slated to attend the summit, at which ex-South African President Thabo Mbeki is expected to submit a report on the situation in Darfur. | Al-Bashir is wanted by ICC on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity . Al-Bashir may attend an African Union Summit in Nigeria on Thursday . Al-Bashir remains president and has traveled to several countries since warrant was issued . | e9050cc7fd130648765c3006d9a04b7c9757f238 |
Sir Dave Brailsford is open to the idea of a showdown between the best cyclists on the planet, but stopped short of accepting Oleg Tinkov's challenge for the four best riders to contest all three Grand Tours in 2015 for one million euros. The eccentric Russian would like to see Alberto Contador, who rides for his Tinkoff-Saxo squad, Team Sky's Chris Froome, Astana's Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana of Movistar race in the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana in the same year. The one million euros (£788,966) purse could be divided equally, or be awarded as a prize to the rider who places best at the Tours of Italy, France and Spain. Chris Froome, of Great Britain and Team Sky, leads Alberto Contador during the 2013 Tour de France . Sir Dave Brailsford is open to a showdown, but stopped short of accepting Oleg Tinkov's €1 million challenge . Tinkov owns Tinkoff-Saxo, the team Contador rides for, and wants a €1 million Grand Tour Challenge . Team Sky principal Brailsford, speaking at the Leaders in Sport conference in London, said: 'I like the attitude, I must say. I think we'd all agree that seeing the best riders slug it out across the season at key races is what everybody would want to see. 'If you could bring an added element to it of a bit more of a narrative throughout the season rather than just a one-off race then I think I'd be behind that. 'I think it's all about getting the best riders racing together in the best and biggest races.' Many cycling fans are relishing the 2015 Tour de France, where the quartet are expected to meet to contest for the yellow jersey won by Nibali in 2014. The route of the Giro d'Italia, announced earlier this week, suggested a Giro-Tour double might be possible, but few riders ride three Grand Tours in a calendar year, let alone contest for the overall victory at them. Froome (centre) pictured riding during the second stage of the 2014 Tour de France . Luke Rowe of Great Britain leads Froome through Ponferrada during the UCI Road World Championships . 'From a performance point of view, it's quite a serious undertaking,' Brailsford added. 'But, from a conceptual point of view, I'm sure from a fan's point of view, from a sporting point of view, I think it's got a lot of merit.' There will be concerns a sport which has endeavoured to tackle the use of performance-enhancing drugs will be leaving itself susceptible to abuse if such a gruelling challenge is contemplated. Tinkov called for his gruelling idea to be adopted in an interview with Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport and then took to Twitter to 'call out' Contador's rivals publicly, including addressing Brailsford. Tinkov wrote: '@davebrailsford @chrisfroome @vincenzonibali @NairoQuintana dont be a chiken (sic)! #Real3GTChallenge' Brailsford will reserve full comment on the suggestion until the Tour de France route is announced in Paris later this month. 'Until we get all the information, it's going to be a pretty difficult one to judge,' he said. | Eccentric Russian Oleg Tinkov would like to see the four best riders in thw world contest all three Grand Tours in 2015 for €1 million . Sir Dave Brailsford is open to the idea of a showdown, but stopped short of accepting Tinkov's challenge . Tinkov tweeted Brailsford on Wednesday, telling him, 'don't be a chicken' | 0baa2a9384efbd5b830762cf12aa61035dea82c3 |
(CNN) -- "What good does it do to be able to eat at a lunch counter if you can't buy a hamburger?" Martin Luther King Jr. asked almost 50 years ago. As we celebrate King's birthday, recall the historic struggle for equality and reflect on the progress we've made, we can't forget that a basic tenet of the movement King represented was one of economic security. For millions of American women and their families -- especially women of color -- the aspiration of equal rights coupled with full economic opportunity is far from realized. On MLK Day, helping the unemployed is a moral issue . Today, one in three Americans lives at or below the poverty line, and almost 70% are women and children. That's 42 million women inching along poverty's tightrope. The number of working poor struggling to lift themselves into the middle class is steadily increasing, with the worst poverty rates falling on black and Latina women. A new report just released, The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Pushes Back from the Brink, illuminates this economic plight that is seizing millions of American women but is frequently overlooked in our national discussions about poverty and inequality. Women represent nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers, concentrated in jobs that tend to be labor-intensive. They go without paid sick days or access to affordable child care. Moreover, women across the spectrum continue to earn less than men no matter the education level, profession or position -- a wage gap that is more like a gulf for women of color who earn 55 to 65 cents on the dollar compared with white men. To fight poverty, start with women . Add to this picture that 40% of our nation's households with children rely on women as a primary or sole source of income, and it becomes easier to understand why it is so hard for many families to get ahead. What's clear is that the American family has changed. No longer are we a "Leave It to Beaver" nation. Only one in five families today has a parent in the workforce and another who stays at home with the kids. Women are increasingly primary breadwinner and primary caregiver, and the nation has not kept pace with this reality. Our approach to families, in public policy and in the workplace, is decidedly 20th century. We need to push forward a 21st century policy agenda that acknowledges women are playing these critical dual roles. The greatest MLK speeches you have never heard . For starters, it's past time we adopt nationwide paid family leave and paid sick day policies -- now standard in most developed countries -- so that women don't have to make the impossible choice between providing needed family care and feeding the family. We also need to close the gender wage gap, which would cut the poverty rate in half for working women and their families and add nearly a half trillion dollars to the national economy. Raising the minimum wage would provide women who labor in jobs caring for others' families with greater economic resources to care for their own. Access to quality, affordable child care not only allows mothers to work all year, it also gives them the chance to further their education, which is a key gateway to the middle class. Legislation has been proposed in Congress on all of these issues, so the time to act is now. As we chart the course for the next generation of change, addressing the economic crisis facing women -- particularly low-income women and women of color -- must be front and center. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Maya L. Harris. | On MLK Day, Maya Harris argues that economic justice for women is key today . Nearly 42 million women live at or below the poverty line, Harris says . Harris: We are no longer a nation with "Leave It to Beaver" family structure . Only one in five families today has a parent who stays at home with the kids, Harris points out . | 34faa48331854781f986f2f0d8d266e15f63fcfe |
Washington (CNN)Hillary Clinton is a New Yorker. And an Arkansan. And an Illinoisan. And at times also even a Pennsylvanian. While the question -- Where is Hillary Clinton from? -- may seem simple, the answer was made harder as Clinton traveled the country over the last six months stumping for Democratic candidates during the midterms and peddling her memoir. People from at least four states like to lay claim to Clinton, and the former secretary of state never shied away from those signs of citizenship. Born in Park Ridge, Illinois in 1947, Clinton rose to prominence during her 20-year stay in Arkansas from 1974 to 1992. After living in Washington, D.C., for eight years as first lady, Clinton moved to Chappaqua, New York and represented the Empire State for eight years in the Senate. Geographical identity politics are a core part of the American campaign trail from local offices all the way up Pennsylvania Avenue -- just ask Dick Lugar or Scott Brown -- and having home roots that are considered authentic by voters is a key part of messaging for any presidential hopeful, and that includes Clinton. At times, she plays up her Arkansas roots and slight southern accent. In other forums, she is the former senator from New York and resident of Chappaqua. And when she is anywhere in the Midwest, Clinton is the Chicago Cubs-loving child from Park Ridge, Illinois. The Clintons currently maintain their primary residence in New York and another home in Washington, D.C. Clinton's returning to one of these "home" states this weekend -- Arkansas -- for a 10th anniversary celebration of the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. Here is how Clinton is linked to four states -- Illinois, Arkansas, New York and Pennsylvania -- and why it matters. Illinois: . In Chicago, Clinton is heralded as a native daughter. Giving her an introduction at an October event in Chicago, Lester Knight said he was "welcoming her home." Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in June that Clinton "still and will forever be a Chicagoan at heart." Clinton spent her first eighteen years of life in Park Ridge, Illinois, a middle class neighborhood a few miles from downtown. Clinton, however, left the state in 1965 to attend Wellesley College in Massachusetts and since then has not lived in Illinois for any considerable time. Clinton maintains a small group of Park Ridge friends to this day. When she visited the city in June, she had a small dinner with many of them and reminisced about their years in at school and in their Methodist church group. "It is always great to be back in Chicago," Clinton said in October. "This is where I was born, where I grew up. Where I made so many life long friends and it is wonderful to be part of an extended community such as Chicago represents." Arkansas: . More than any other state, the Clinton family is most closely associated with Arkansas. Hillary Clinton moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1974 to marry Bill Clinton, a native son of the state and rising political star. For the next 18 years, the Clintons came to dominate the state's political scene. Bill Clinton served one term as Attorney General before serving five terms as governor. Hillary Clinton was a high profile first lady in the state, but Arkansas was never really home for her. Even her closest friends acknowledge that Hillary was never in love with Arkansas and was at times put off by how women were viewed. Hillary Clinton does, however, occasionally returns to the state, as she did when she spoke at two Little Rock events in July. And longtime Democrats in the state still lay claim to the former first lady. "Hillary Clinton's roots in Arkansas run deep, and many Arkansans still consider her their hometown girl," said Adrienne Elrod, a former Clinton aide from Arkansas. "As a native Arkansan, I could not be more proud to call her one of us." New York: . When Hillary Clinton decided to run for Senate in 2000, she had no connection to New York. And Republicans knew it was a weakness. "Name me three things Hillary Clinton has ever done for the people of New York," Sean Hannity, then a New York radio host, proclaimed regularly during his show at the time. Aware of the challenges, Clinton traveled the state on a "listening tour" and talked with voters in schools, labor halls and community buildings. She also established residency in the Empire State by moving to Chappaqua, the small hamlet that the Clintons still consider home today. "I think I have some real work to do, to get out and listen and learn from the people of New York and demonstrate that what I'm for is maybe as important, if not more important, than where I'm from," Clinton told the New York Times in 1999. Clinton even played up her sporting allegiances to become closer to New York. "I am Cubs fan," she told an audience in Chicago before noting that because she "couldn't stay hitched with a losing team" she "became a Yankees fan." Clinton's supporters argue she was a Yankees fan as a child and photos from 1992 published in her 2003 memoir "Living History" show the first lady in a New York hat. "I'm wearing the hat of my lifelong favorite American League team," says the description under the photo. Today, Clinton identifies most with New York. She lives there, votes there and her office is in Manhattan. Pennsylvania: . Of the states that have laid claim to Clinton, Pennsylvania is the most random. Clinton's father -- Hugh Rodham -- was born in Scranton, a city in the Northeast corner of the state. The Rodham family has deep ties to the region and even after moving to Chicago, Hillary and her family would spend summers at a rustic cabin on Lake Winola on the city's outskirts. (If Scranton sounds familiar, that's because it's also from where another potential 2016 Democratic hopeful Vice President Joe Biden.) "The rustic cabin had no heat except for the cast-iron cook stove in the kitchen, and no indoor bath or shower," Clinton wrote in her memoir "Living History." "To stay clean, we swam in the lake or stood below the back porch while someone poured a tub of water onto our heads." So when Clinton campaigned for Pennsylvania Democrats in 2014, many used those roots to tie her with the state. Tom Wolf, the governor-elect of the state, said, "coursing through [Hillary Clinton's] veins is blood that's tinged with Pennsylvania values and Pennsylvania ideas." At the event, Clinton also played up those roots and talked about her father's side of the family, their interest in politics and her time on the lake. "I spent every summer of my growing up years traveling on the turnpike going up to Scranton and often times during Christmas coming back," Clinton said. "The state has been very good to my family and to my husband and to me." Clinton's ties to the state also came in handy when Clinton ran for president in 2008. Because Clinton was able to better identify with the hard scrabble, predominately white Democrats of central and North East Pennsylvania, she won the state's primary. "She's tough," Christopher Doherty, Scranton's mayor at the time told the New York Times. "That's a real Scranton trait." | Hillary Clinton has key ties to four states: Illinois, Arkansas, New York and Pennsylvania . Clinton herself has not publicly shied away from citizenship in any of these states . Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Clinton "will forever be a Chicagoan at heart." Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania's governor elect, said her blood has "Pennsylvania values" | c6ba6be8ec802b87d5303e43cb4b376f9ebd5575 |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Tyler Perry has, for the first time, revealed graphic details about the sexual, physical and emotional abuse he says he suffered as a child. "I'm tired of holding this in," Tyler Perry wrote on his Web site, "... so I've decided to give some away." Perry recounts in a message posted on his Web site and in an e-mail to fans that a prescreening of the film "Precious," due out later this year, dislodged "some raw emotions and brought me to some things and places in my life that I needed to deal with but had long forgotten. It brought back memories so strong that I can smell and taste them." Perry is an executive producer of the movie, which tells the tale of Claireece "Precious" Jones, an illiterate, obese 16-year-old girl from Harlem who is emotionally and physically abused. The 40-year-old producer says he can identify with the character, and he recalls a number of incidents from his childhood. Emmitt Perry Sr., a construction worker, uttered profane insults at him and relentlessly beat and belittled him, Perry says. The random, violent beatings were commonplace until Perry was 19, he said. "You ... jackass! You got book sense but you ain't got no ... common sense," he quotes his father as saying. "I heard this every day of my childhood," says Perry. Attempts to reach Emmitt Perry Sr. for comment were unsuccessful. Tyler Perry was born Emmitt Perry Jr. but changed his name to distance himself from his father. One night when his mother was gone, Perry says, his drunken father "got the vacuum cleaner extension cord and trapped me in a room and beat me until the skin was coming off my back." Perry says that while at a playmate's house when he was about 10 years old, his friend's scantily clad mother locked the friend in the bathroom and told Perry to leave. "I was at the front door trying to get out, when she came in and laid on the sofa and asked me if I wanted the key. I told her I had to go home as it was getting dark. "She put the key inside of herself and told me to come get it, pulling me on top of her," Perry writes on his site. Perry said he was sickly as a child, and that made his father angry. His grandmother contended the family was wasting money on allergy shots. She said Perry had germs on him. One day when Perry's mother was away, he said, his grandmother decided "to kill those germs on me once and for all. She gave me a bath in ammonia." The violence in the home caused Perry's mother to pack up the car with him and his sisters and drive from Louisiana to California. Her husband reported the car stolen, and the family members went to jail until the father came to get them. Perry said his father beat his mother all the way home. The producer said he got through by turning to God, and he forgave his tormentors to help himself heal. Perry, who previously has spoken publicly in more general terms about his childhood abuse, explains his latest revelations this way: "I'm tired of holding this in. I don't know what to do with it anymore, so I've decided to give some away." In October 2008, he told Ebony magazine: "I tell people, if you're thinking about suicide, all that stuff I've attempted and thought about it. If you think about it, life gets better. The key to life when it gets tough is to keep moving. Just keep moving." Perry also is the writer, director and actor in boisterous comedies such as "Madea's Family Reunion" and "I Can Do Bad All By Myself." | Tyler Perry said seeing "Precious" brought back memories of abuse . Perry, who co-produced the film, wrote a blog entry about "raw emotions" it stirred . Turning to God helped him forgive and heal, Perry says . "Precious" is about an illiterate, obese Harlem girl who is abused . | 538696946da0ffd46a05b94a8771922798fc12c0 |
A member of the New York City Police Department was killed on his way to work early Friday morning. Detective Paul Duncan was on his way to Queens at 4am when his car was struck head-on by 20-year-old Efren Moreano of Yonkers, who was driving the wrong way on the Sprain Brook Parkway. The 46-year-old, who was just ten months from retirement, was pronounced dead on the scene. The accident also caused major delays for thousands during their morning commute as they were stuck in traffic in the aftermath of the accident - including Duncan's wife and daughter. Scroll down for video . Paul Duncann (above with wife Rechelle), a detective with the NYPD, was killed in a car accident early Friday morning on his way to work in Queens . 20-year-old Efren Moreano of Yonkers, who was driving the wrong way on the Sprain Brook Parkway, hit Duncan head on . Mrs. Duncan said her husband was set to retire in 10 months, and that he was a 'really good dad' to their 13-year-old daughter . Rechelle Duncan was dropping the couple's 13-year-old daughter off at school in the city when she came across a police car blocking her entrance to the parkway. NBC New York reports that Mrs. Duncan had no idea what was causing the traffic, even after she again drove by the scene on the way home from dropping off their daughter, until later. The two were high school sweethearts she later told reporters, as she clutched a photo of the two of them together and wiped back tears. 'He was thoughtful, he was disciplined. He made really good dinners,' she said of her husband of 20 years. 'He thought he was funny, a sharp dresser, a really good dad.' She also said she will now stay focused on their daughter during this awful time. It is still not known what caused the crash, and Moreano is in a coma. | Paul Duncan, a detective with the NYPD, was killed in a car accident early Friday morning on his way to work in Queens . 20-year-old Efren Moreano of Yonkers, who was driving the wrong way on the Sprain Brook Parkway, hit Duncan head on . The accident caused traffic for hours, which his wife Rechelle sat in as she dropped their daughter off at school and returned home . Mrs. Duncan said her husband was set to retire in 10 months, and that he was a 'really good dad' to their 13-year-old daughter . | e089e5ab5a220bde2a6cda0a8792475f0958dd9f |
By . Rachel Quigley . PUBLISHED: . 16:46 EST, 8 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:17 EST, 8 November 2013 . A 39-year-old man pimped a teenage runaway out on Craigslist for more than two years in exchange for meth and cash until she escaped by jumping out of a speeding car, police said today. Robert Felix Gonzales, from Denver, was charged on Thursday with multiple violent and sex crimes, including trafficking in children and sexual assault. Investigators say he met the girl when she was 14 and living with a foster family. The grandmother told Arvada police that the teen ran away but lived with Gonzales during 2011 and 'had been approved by social services'. Gonzalez is accused of having sex with her and later pimping her on Craigslist to at least 30 strangers in various hotels throughout the district. Pimp or boyfriend? Robert Felix Gonzales has been accused of prostituting a teenage runaway for nearly two years until she escaped by jumping out of his speeding car . According to the Denver Post, investigators repeatedly tried to rescue the girl but they say she would always return to Gonzalez - who would keep her hidden behind a false wall in his basement. The teen eventually jumped out of the car to escape Gonzales in July, but initially wouldn't cooperate with authorities. In September of this year she confided in them. She said she met the 39-year-old through her foster family and fell in love with him. She believed he had the same feelings but shortly after they ran away together things changed. He would make her stay in motels, give her drugs and alcohol, have sex with her and often have men join in their sexual encounter, according to the affidavit. He started to advertise her on Craigslist and often used naked pictures of her, she said, adding that Gonzales assaulted her if she tried to refuse and that he . participated in approximately one-quarter of the sex acts. The Denver Post reports that Gozalez would beat her so hard he broke his hand after hitting her face with such force. Hideout: Police were called to Gonzalez's home several times but could never find the teen because he had erected a false wall and hid her behind it in a crawlspace . The teen told police she would accompany him to the hospital and though she had visible cuts and bruises, no one ever treated her or asked her about anything. She was finally rescued from Gonzalez's home on July 25, 2012, and was placed in a group home - which she also ran away from. One officer noted while he was interviewing her that she had the same tattoo as Gonzalez - a Chinese symbol which means 'eternity'. Gonzalez was arrested and pleaded guilty to harboring a minor in May of this year. On July 24, he was sentenced to three years' probation with a suspended jail sentence. It was two days prior to this the teen jumped from his speeding car, saying she had had enough of being used. She only told police about the relationship in September. Gonzalez is being held at the Jefferson County Jail on a $500,000 bond. He has been charged with trafficking in children, pandering of a child, two counts of a pattern of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, soliciting for child prostitution, procurement of a child, keeping a place of child prostitution, pimping of a child, inducement of child prostitution, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, harboring a minor and four counts of committing a violent crime. | The teen told police she was in love with Robert Felix Gonzalez and ran away to be with him . But he later started pimping her out on Craigslist and would even post naked pictures of her online, she said . Gonzalez allegedly gave her drugs and alcohol . Police called to his home many times but he had hidden the teen behind a false wall . She finally 'had enough of being used' and jumped out of his car in July . Only started to cooperate with police in September . | aca3c87d096610ce11f0b2d7dc4b60440b9ac59e |
By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 20:37 EST, 19 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:54 EST, 19 January 2014 . Ed Miliband insisted shadow Chancellor Ed Balls will not be sacked before the election – but failed to guarantee him in his job after 2015. Amid reports that Labour MPs are increasingly unhappy with the performance of the abrasive Mr Balls, the Labour leader dismissed speculation that he could be replaced by former Chancellor Alistair Darling or shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves. ‘Ed Balls is doing a really good job and, absolutely, I’ve said that he’s going to be the shadow chancellor going with me into the election,’ Mr Miliband told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme. Insists: Mr Miliband told Andrew Marr the shadow chancellor will keep his job until at least 2015 . However, observers asked why the Labour leader had not gone further, and pledged that Mr Balls would serve as Chancellor in a Labour government. Some speculated that Mr Miliband might want to keep the option open of putting someone else in charge of the Treasury - possibly Business Secretary Vince Cable in the event of a Lib-Lab coalition. The Labour leader added: ‘People have their critics. 'The thing I’d say to you about Ed Balls: he’s got a clear sense of what this economy needs, he’s working with me on tackling the cost-of-living crisis that we face and he’s got the toughness to stand up to lots of people who want more spending when actually it’s going to be tough for Labour.’ Yesterday, an Opinium poll for the . Observer found that just 18 per cent believe Mr Miliband and the shadow . Chancellor would be the best custodians of the economy. Concerns: Labour MPs are said to be increasingly unhappy with Ed Balls' abrasive performance . An anonymous Labour MP was reported as complaining that Mr Balls had ‘lost his mojo’. ‘Balls used to throw his weight around in shadow cabinet meetings and ignore Ed Miliband when he spoke,’ the MP said. ‘Now . Balls is totally out of sorts. He doesn’t say much at shadow cabinet . meetings and when he does, he is the one who is ignored. He has lost his . mojo.’ Last week, Mr Balls dismissed speculation over his future in the shadow cabinet as ‘tittle tattle’ and insisted he has a ‘very good relationship’ with Ed Miliband. The shadow chancellor, whose response to the Autumn Statement last month was widely criticised, was not mentioned in a major speech by the Labour leader, prompting further questions about the security of his position. Candidates? Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rachel Reeves and former Chancellor Alistair Darling . ‘If you are a grown up in politics then you don’t take that kind of tittle tattle seriously at all,’ Mr Balls said. ‘I’m the person who is going to make sure we have sound public finances but also have fairness in our labour market, fairness in our tax system, preserve our National Health Service and have competition in banking in our economy to tackle the cost of living crisis and every day I’m going to work hard to do my job for the benefit, not of the Labour party, but for the British people.’ Conservative party vice chairman Bob Neill said: ‘It’s clear Miliband hates Balls but he’s too weak to move him. ‘Every time he praises him he does so through gritted teeth. Every single call Balls has made on the economy has turned out to be wrong. The only thing he and the Labour Party stand for ate more borrowing, more spending and higher taxes.’ | Denied Rachel Reeves or Alistair Darling will get the job before 2015 . Follows claims Labour MPs are unhappy with Balls' abrasive performance . Poll found just 18% believe Miliband and Balls would guard economy well . | 6074da383e7df34fc4987786a116dde0ff70245f |
Diego Costa is the real deal as a striker. His attributes look tailor-made for English football. He has a bit of everything about him. He is great at holding the ball up, has enough speed to get in behind defenders, can work the 18-yard box and is clearly not going to be intimidated by physical opponents. Costa scored a hat-trick against Swansea City last weekend and is already on seven goals in a blue shirt . I would put his former Atletico team-mate, Radamel Falcao, just ahead of him overall but he still looks like the missing link for Chelsea. They — as Atletico before them — have worked out how to play in the way that suits him best, which Spain, with their short intricate passing, didn’t manage in the World Cup. Together with Cesc Fabregas, he has formed a wonderful understanding and Chelsea look a better side than last season — and that’s after having made a profit of transfers in the summer. Fabregas looks to be the perfect replacement for Frank Lampard. He might not score as many but he will create more. Radamel Falcao (left) has arrived in the Premier League from Monaco, and will attempt to emulate Costa . Fabregas has slotted seamlessly back into English football following his arrival back from Barcelona . I would imagine he’ll play just behind Costa at Manchester City on Sunday, with Ramires and Nemanja Matic sitting in the deeper positions to add a bit more solidity. You might have thought it would take Chelsea three or four months for their new signings to settle in but Costa, Fabregas and Thibaut Courtois have adapted straight away, which is why I have them as title favourites. They don’t need to win on Sunday; a draw would do them fine. Jose Mourinho always said that this was the season on which we should judge him and, so far, that’s looking like a good call. Costa trains with team-mates ahead of Chelsea's clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium . VIDEO Costa to start against City but still a concern . | Diego Costa is perfect for the Premier League, and has shown that already . He holds up the ball, has speed and strength and can obviously score . Although Radamel Falaco is better overall, Costa is Chelsea's missing link . Together with Cesc Fabregas, he has formed a wonderful understanding . | 4cea28445095c1b37899d5ad7eb7244c7e657020 |
(CNN) -- A group of media companies on Wednesday asked a North Carolina judge to unseal court documents in a lawsuit involving the John Edwards sex-tape case. The motion by the media companies, which include CNN, does not seek public release of the sex tape or any intimate photos that might exist. Instead, it argues that most details in the case already have been made public by the parties themselves, and therefore the motions and depositions so far should be public records as called for under North Carolina law. Edwards, a former U.S. senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2004, has given a deposition in the lawsuit of his former mistress, Rielle Hunter, against former Edwards aide Andrew Young. Hunter, who bore a child of Edwards, is suing Young to reclaim materials that she says belong to her, including the alleged sex tape that involves Edwards. Superior Court Judge Carl Fox previously ordered the motion compelling Edwards to give his deposition, as well as the deposition itself, to be sealed from public disclosure. "The public interest in Senator Edwards' deposition and the other depositions in this case is significant, while the privacy interests of Senator Edwards and the parties -- who voluntarily participated in events of significant public importance and have widely and openly discussed all of the events underlying this litigation -- are negligible," said the motion by the media companies. Young was a senior aide to Edwards who originally claimed that Hunter's child was his own in an effort to shield Edwards from having to make the disclosure. Edwards eventually did acknowledge his paternity. His last public appearance was at the funeral for his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, who passed away last December after a six-year battle with cancer. Edwards also is under investigation about whether or not he illegally used campaign funds to cover up his affair with Hunter, a campaign videographer. | A motion is filed by media companies including CNN . It does not seek public release of the sex tape . Instead, it seeks depositions in the case to be made public . | 945e7a980df184466b5fbeaf4b01d82f2d9d7765 |
By . Brendan Carlin, Mail on Sunday Political Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:14 EST, 26 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:15 EST, 26 October 2013 . Criticised: John Bercow came under fire last night over the £7million plan for classrooms in Parliament . Speaker John Bercow came under fire last night over a £7million plan for classrooms in Parliament. He is backing plans for a new education centre dubbed ‘Bercow’s Folly’ to encourage thousands more schoolchildren to visit the Commons. But the centre, earmarked for land next to the Palace of Westminster overlooking the Thames, will cost £1 million a year to run on top of the £7million building costs. And some MPs say the scheme cannot be justified while taxpayers are still tightening their belts. Tory MP Jake Berry, parliamentary aide to Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps, said: ‘Squandering this amount of taxpayers’ money on classrooms is outrageous. 'At a time when Parliament itself is reducing its running costs, it is beyond belief.’ The Speaker last night hit back, with officials saying the education centre idea has already been ‘unanimously’ backed by key MPs. The row erupted after the Commons finance committee – meeting behind closed doors – was shown detailed plans for the education centre. MPs heard it involved building a classroom complex next to the House of Lords, complete with a new security entrance. It would be a temporary structure because the entire Palace could be refurbished in 10 years’ time and the centre might need to be relocated. The aim is to more than double the current 45,000-a-year visits to Parliament by schoolchildren and students. But three Tory MPs present at the finance meeting asked to be recorded as opposing the plan. Concern: MPs Jake Berry, left, and Barry Sheerman, right, have questioned whether the project is justified . The Mail on Sunday understands that . they thought it was a ‘nice idea’ – but also argued it was inappropriate . when Parliament itself was cutting its budget. The . MPs have declined to comment but Mr Berry, who is not a member of the . finance committee, openly said the project should be ditched. Labour MP Barry Sheerman, former chairman of the Commons education committee, also questioned whether it was justified. He said: ‘I support improving facilities for schoolchildren. But when services to MPs themselves are being cut back, we have to review going ahead with this scheme.’ Last night, a spokesman for Mr Bercow said the principle of creating a dedicated education centre had already been ‘unanimously approved’ by the ruling House of Commons Commission. He said the plan would allow an extra 55,000 young people a year to visit Parliament. The spokesman said: ‘Involving and enthusing young people in this way is key to addressing currently low levels of democratic engagement.’ The row comes after Mr Bercow enraged Tory MPs last week by rebuking David Cameron after he called Ed Miliband ‘a conman’ at Prime Minister’s Questions. However, other MPs insist Mr Bercow was right to rule that Mr Cameron’s ‘conman’ jibe was unparliamentary. | John Bercow is backing plans for the new £7million education centre . It is earmarked for land next to the Palace of Westminster, near the Thames . MPs say the scheme cannot be justified in the current economic climate . | e31460eb6c9fda51dbf098c14ef4d1fda79a9a32 |
(CNN)ISIS has released a new propaganda video showing what appears to be Kurdish Peshmerga fighters paraded down Iraqi streets in cages. The video features a man saying the Peshmerga soldiers were captured by ISIS. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video. But it shows at least 21 men in orange outfits hauled in the cages atop the beds of pickup trucks. A man with a microphone bearing the ISIS logo interviews some of the captives, who say they are Peshmerga soldiers. Most of those interviewed say they are from Kirkuk. The prisoners, under duress, call on their fellow Peshmerga soldiers to give up their fight against ISIS. The video also features superimposed bios for each prisoner. One captive is described as an officer for the Iraqi army. The heavily edited footage also includes flashing clips of the recent beheadings of Christian Egyptians in Libya. It's not clear what happened to those in the video. The last scene shows them alive. But a man in the video gives an ominous warning. "We say to the Peshmerga: Leave your jobs, or your fate will be like these, either the cage, or under the ground," he says in Kurdish. The Peshmerga are armed forces protecting Kurdistan, a semiautonomous region in northern Iraq. The fighters opposed Saddam Hussein's regime and supported the United States in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In recent months, the Peshmerga have been battling ISIS as the terror group tries to establish a radical Islamic state across parts of Iraq and Syria. Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly described the video released by ISIS. While the video shows that the caged prisoners are threatened with execution, they are shown alive at the end of the video. CNN's Ben Wedeman and Kareem Khadder contributed to this report. | It's not clear what happened to the Peshmerga fighters in the video . The last scene in the video shows them alive . | 29f403be0555f90c7db468d8049405723e682a61 |
By . Associated Press . and Daily Mail Reporter . History: The 300-page police file tells how Rebecca Sedwick had cut herself and been hospitalized in the past . A new police report reveals that a Florida girl, who authorities said jumped to her death because she was bullied, also had a spotty relationship with her father and had just broken up with an online boyfriend. The 300-page investigative file on 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick tells how she was concerned about her mother and stepfather's fighting, had been involuntarily committed and wrote in her diary that she cut herself to ‘ease the pain.’ In a diary entry dated two weeks before she leaped to her death in September 2013, the girl notes that on one particular day, she had been called ‘pretty, nice beautiful, funny, awesome.’ Yet she also had been called ‘ugly, stupid, slut, fat, not good enough.’ At the bottom of the page she wrote one word: ‘suicidal.’ However, the file contains scant evidence of cyberbullying, even though officials publicly described cruel text and social media messages as reasons for Rebecca's suicide. Two classmates were charged with stalking Rebecca because of in-school, in-person conflicts, and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has said the girl also endured a barrage of cruel text and online messages before her death. In spite of the public case against them, the prosecution ultimately fell apart because of a lack of evidence. ‘Rebecca was a very fragile child,’ Judd said in a recent interview. ‘Rebecca's wagon was already pretty heavily burdened with bricks. And we never said that bullying was the only reason Rebecca committed suicide. But what the bullies did, is that they continued to stack bricks on an already overloaded wagon, 'til finally it broke.’ An attorney representing Rebecca's mother did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Scroll down for video . 'Fragile child': Even though investigators were quick to place the blame on cyber bulliers, they did not mention anything about the alleged virtual taunting because they could not obtain records from the companies . Sheriff Judd has said in the past that the girl's mother did everything she could to end the bullying, including home-schooling her and informing school and law enforcement officials. After Rebecca's death, Judd said as many as 15 classmates had ganged up on the girl and sent her messages saying ‘You should die’ and ‘Why don't you go kill yourself?’ But no such messages appear in the case file, although detectives interviewed some students who said they had seen such messages. Judd said his detectives tried to obtain records from social media companies overseas without success. There are no chat transcripts between Rebecca and her alleged bullies. Deputies wrote that they saw screen shots of cruel messages and that some of the evidence was deleted, but it's unclear by whom, Judd said. Stories: Rebecca had told friends she was abused by her mother Tricia Noman (pictured) and child protective authorities were called but Rebecca later told adults that her claims were a lie . It's clear from the file that Rebecca had problems with kids at her middle school in December 2012 and January 2013. Interviews with several students said that one girl in particular picked on Rebecca, and Rebecca and another girl were suspended for fighting. Heartbreak: The report mentions that a relationship that she was having with someone online had just ended but they did not disclose any further information about the person in question . Rebecca had told friends she was abused by her mother and child protective authorities were called — but Rebecca later told adults that her claims were a lie. Rebecca was in counseling, where bullying and Rebecca's home life were the main topics of discussion, the records show. Rebecca's mother decided to home school her after January 2013, and in late August, Rebecca attended a new school. A friend of Rebecca's told detectives that she chatted with Rebecca on social media five days before she died. Rebecca didn't say anything about bullying, the report said, but Rebecca stated that she ‘hated her life and wasn't doing good.’ The case underscored the difficulty of prosecuting bullying cases, especially cases using online evidence. Rebecca's mother and others called for bullying to be criminalized, but a bill that would have done just that died in the Florida Legislature this year. Lawmakers and law enforcement officials — including Sheriff Judd — opposed the bill because they said cyberbullying in particular was difficult to prosecute. | Rebecca Sedwick's 300-page police file reveals that she had a history of depression and had been hospitalized before her September 2013 death . Wrote in her journal about how she was 'suicidal' Had a relationship with someone online that had just ended shortly before she killed herself . Police first thought that her death was largely due to cyberbullying but the report didn't list any of the threats because they couldn't get the records . | bed97476d2e30c6fc68ac4ad47e898038722801c |
New York (CNN) -- Superstorm Sandy has weakened, yet her presence will be felt in the days and weeks to come as transportation systems assess impacts and try to resume schedules. Much of Tuesday's air and rail service has been canceled, and millions of public transit commuters are without service. Here's what to expect in many of the affected areas: . Transit upheaval . New York City's massive public transit network was crippled overnight. "The New York City subway system is 108 years old, but it has never faced a disaster as devastating as what we experienced last night," MTA Chairman Joseph J. Lhoto said in an online statement. Seven subway tunnels under the East River flooded in the course of the storm, the Metro-North Railroad lost power in sections of its lines and the Long Island Rail Road sustained flooding in one East River tunnel and evacuated its West Side Yards, according to the statement. The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel flooded "from end to end," the Queens Midtown Tunnel also was closed because of flooding, and six bus garages were disabled. Lhota said MTA employees will restore service as quickly as possible "to help bring New York back to normal." In New Jersey, all NJ Transit services remain suspended until further notice. Transit service is also suspended Tuesday in Maryland, according to the Maryland Transit Administration. Transit officials in Philadelphia said they are optimistic that city and suburban services will be up and running sometime Tuesday but could not give an exact time. Southeastern Pennsylvania's regional rail commuter lines present a bigger challenge, said SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams. Crews were out overnight and were walking the lines Tuesday assessing damage with the hopes of resuming commuter rail service Wednesday morning. "But we already know it's going to be a challenge. We already know there's going to be disruptions and delays in the morning," Williams said. In Boston, most transit service was set to resume Tuesday morning, with some delays, according to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Amtrak extended Northeast Corridor cancellations through Tuesday. Bus routes connected to those trains were also canceled. Trains coming to and from Canada or to and from the South will still operate, but they will stop short of the storm-affected states. Consult Amtrak's website for more details. Thousands of flights canceled . There have already been more than 15,000 flight cancellations since Sunday as a result of Sandy, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.com. That number is expected to rise, since FlightAware.com reports that most airports in the New York City area are closed and haven't announced reopening times. "It is unlikely there will be scheduled flight operations to/from NYC today and some airlines have begun canceling flights on Wednesday," according to a FlightAware.com statement. There have been 6,047 flights canceled for Tuesday, as of 8:50 a.m., FlightAware figures show. Philadelphia is leading the way with 1,085 cancellations followed by the New York-area airports with nearly 1,000 each. Airlines have already canceled 635 flights for Wednesday. More cancellations are expected Tuesday and Wednesday as airport staffs assess damage. American Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines (including its AirTran subsidiary), and US Airways announced cancellations Monday of all Tuesday operations to many Northeast locations, including the Philadelphia, Washington, Boston and New York City-area airports. United Airlines has canceled flights at the New York City airports and only expects to restart operations in the Washington area Tuesday night. Delta Air Lines said Monday that "limited flying is expected to resume Tuesday afternoon at Delta's LaGuardia and JFK hubs with a full restart targeted for Wednesday, subject to conditions." An airline spokesman says Delta also plans to restart operations Tuesday morning at other Northeast airports, including the Boston and Washington-area airports, conditions permitting. Most carriers will allow affected passengers to change their itineraries without penalty. Check the major airlines' advisories here: American Airlines, Delta, United, US Airways, AirTran, JetBlue, Southwest. Middle Eastern, European and Asian airlines also grounded flights in and out of the United States' Eastern Seaboard as Sandy approached. The good news is that the storm is happening during a slow travel season and airlines canceled many of the flights in advance, minimizing the number of stranded passengers, according to Farecompare.com Chief Executive Rick Seaney. "Barring significant airport damage, flight patterns should be back to normal by the end of the weekend," Seaney said. Hurricane safety: When the lights go out . CNN's Aaron Smith and Greg Botelho contributed to this report. | New York city transit system sustains "devastating" damage . More than 15,000 flights have been canceled, a flight tracking site says . Many air travelers may reschedule without penalty . Amtrak has canceled service in the Northeast on Tuesday . | a0c4265231694bd8294fde14b54be52c76ee474b |
Arrested: Rita Sanders-Campfield, 53, allegedly stabbed Chong Park, 67, because she was practicing witchcraft and needed to be 'perfected', according to her journal . A grandmother allegedly stabbed her roommate to death with a pair of scissors and a butcher knife because she thought she was evil and practiced witchcraft. Teacher Rita Sanders-Campfield has been charged with murder after Chong Park, 67, was found dead inside the apartment they shared in a quiet condominium in North Bethesda, Maryland. The 53-year-old Duke graduate was still lying in her bed when a maintenance worker walked into the property to make a routine repair and discovered the victim's body. Officers reportedly found a pair of scissors covered in blood next to her. She was living with Park through the non-profit organisation Housing Unlimited, which accommodates people with low incomes who have had a history of mental illness. Investigators revealed that the body had been in the property for several days before it was found and they also discovered a journal kept by the suspect. According to the Washington Post, one of the early entries suggested Sanders-Campfield believed Park practiced witchcraft and she needed to be 'perfected'. In a recent video posted on YouTube, Sanders-Campfield described how she had fallen into a deep depression when her husband suddenly died of pancreatic cancer in 1999. She said: 'It happened so quickly. I was in a bad place. I didn’t think that I could continue to live in the same home without him. I was fortunate that my mom allowed my son and I to move in with her.' She spent a year in hospital being treated and when she got out she tried to turn her life around. Thanking the organisation that housed her, Sanders-Campfield said that she had the 'perfect' living arrangement. Scroll down for video . Health problems: In a recent speech, thanking Housing Unlimited for accommodating her, she revealed a history of depression that began when her husband suddenly died of pancreatic cancer in 1999 . 'It has a party room, a gym, a grocery store across the street, and it’s right near the Metro.' she added. Sanders-Campfield appeared in court via a closed-circuit TV link on Wednesday. A social worker said she was in a 'catatonic state' in jail and urged the judge to send her for psychiatric evaluation. She has been charged with first-degree murder. Housing Unlimited's chief executive Abe Schuchman said Park had been living with them since 2006, and that he and his colleagues were deeply saddened by her death, but did not mention Sanders-Campfield in their statement. They said Park was a 'model tenant' who was 'caring, conscientious, warm, friendly, and well-liked by all.' The company added that Park's death is the only of 'this nature' during their 20 years of operation. Property: The pair had been put together in a condominium complex in North Bethesda, Maryland, through a non-profit organisation that housed low-income citizens with a history of mental illness . | Rita Sanders-Campfield, 53, is accused of killing Chong Park, 67 . The pair lived in a quiet condominium in North Bethesda, Maryland . Detectives discovered a journal Sanders-Campfield kept that suggested she thought Park was 'evil' and needed to be 'perfected' Suspect revealed she had a history of mental illness in a recent speech . Appeared in court via a TV link, a social worker urged that she should be sent for psychiatric evaluation . | 4f6cc7c3741d97dea6c619c2fce1482cd84f4a6b |
Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court has backed an Arizona law that punishes businesses hiring illegal immigrants, a law that opponents, including the Obama administration, say steps on traditional federal oversight over immigration matters. The 5-3 ruling Thursday is a victory for supporters of immigration reform on the state level. It was the first high court challenge to a variety of recent state laws cracking down on illegal immigrants, an issue that has become a political lightning rod. The outcome could serve as a judicial warmup for a separate high-profile challenge to a more controversial Arizona immigration reform law working its way through lower courts. That statute would, among other things, give local police a greater role in arresting suspected illegal immigrants. The hiring case turned on whether state law tramples on federal authority. "Arizona has taken the route least likely to cause tension with federal law," wrote Chief Justice John Roberts. "It relies solely on the federal government's own determination of who is an unauthorized alien, and it requires Arizona employers to use the federal government's own system for checking employee status." Arizona passed the Legal Arizona Workers Act in 2007, allowing the state to suspend the licenses of businesses that "intentionally or knowingly" violate work-eligibility verification requirements. Companies would be required under that law to use E-Verify, a federal database to check the documentation of current and prospective employees. That database had been created by Congress as a voluntary, discretionary resource. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit against the state, arguing that federal law prohibits Arizona and other states from making E-Verify use mandatory. The group was supported by a variety of civil rights and immigration rights groups. The state countered that its broad licensing authority gives it the right to monitor businesses within its jurisdiction. The Obama administration recommended a judicial review and sided with businesses and civil rights groups. A 1986 federal act significantly limited state power to separately regulate the hiring and employment of "unauthorized" workers. An exception was made for local "licensing and similar laws." Under the law, employees are required to review documentation to confirm someone's right to work in the United States, including checking the familiar I-9 immigration form. Civil and criminal penalties were strengthened, but businesses making a "good faith" effort to comply with I-9 procedures were generally immune from prosecution. Roberts, backed by his four conservative colleagues, said, "Arizona went the extra mile in ensuring that its law tracks (the federal law's) provisions in all material aspects." In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted E-Verify is a voluntary program and said criticism that the federal government is not doing enough to enforce the law is irrelevant. "Permitting states to make use of E-Verify mandatory improperly puts states in the position of making decisions ... that directly affect expenditure and depletion of federal resources," she wrote. Justices Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg also dissented. Justice Elena Kagan did not participate in the case, since she had been the administration's solicitor general last year when the case was being appealed to the high court. Gov. Jan Brewer had backed the law, saying in December when the case was argued, "The bottom line is that we believe that if the (federal) government isn't going to do the job, then Arizona is going to do the job. We are faced with a crisis." This case could serve as a bellwether to how the court will view a larger, more controversial state immigration law from Arizona. Much of that statute was tossed out by a federal judge in August and is pending at a federal appeals court. It would, among other things, give police authority to check a person's immigration status if officers have a "reasonable suspicion" that the individual is in the country illegally. One human rights group, the Border Action Network of Tucson, called the ruling dangerous because it could promote anti-immigrant atmosphere. "Arizona's residents and businesses have suffered enough in the wake of unnecessary immigration enforcement legislation," Jennifer Allen, executive director of Border Action Network, said. "This decision will only exacerbate those struggles, as it could be misinterpreted by Arizona politicians with unwarranted anti-immigrant agendas as a license to enact measures that increase bureaucracy, slow down business operations and erode the civil rights of job seekers, who could now be denied an employment opportunity because of their last name," she said. CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report. | The high court ruled 5-3 in favor of the state law . The law punishes businesses hiring illegal aliens . Roberts: "Arizona has taken the route least likely to cause tension with federal law" | ed897f0b7c5fc9c80e2b4b6ec247cc2f0516dce5 |
Ahead of the Boxing Day Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for Crystal Palace's home clash with Southampton... Crystal Palace vs Southampton (Selhurst Park) Team news . Crystal Palace . Kevin Doyle and Fraizer Campbell will battle it out to spearhead Crystal Palace's attack at Selhurst Park. Marouane Chamakh (right) has again been ruled out for Crystal Palace due to thigh trouble . Fit-again Doyle and Campbell will compete to lead Palace's one-man line with Marouane Chamakh again ruled out through thigh trouble. Manager Neil Warnock will keep faith with his 4-2-3-1 formation for the visit of Ronald Koeman's Saints, with Palace seeking to arrest a run of just one win in 11 games in all competitions. Provisional squad: Speroni, Hennessey, Kelly, Fryers, Delaney, Mariappa, Dann, Ward, Hangeland, Jedinak, Bannan, McArthur, Bolasie, Puncheon, Zaha, Gayle, Campbell, Doyle. Southampton . Dusan Tadic is expected to return for Southampton on Boxing Day but captain Jose Fonte is suspended. Tadic missed Saturday's 3-0 victory over Everton with a knock but resumed training on Tuesday while Morgan Schneiderlin, Victor Wanyama and Florin Gardos are all back from bans. Jay Rodriguez (cruciate ligament), Sam Gallagher (knee), Jack Cork (knock) and Jake Hesketh (knee), however, remain out. Provisional squad: Forster, K Davis, Cropper, Clyne, Bertrand, Targett, Alderweireld, Gardos, Yoshida, McCarthy, S Davis, Gape, Flannigan, Schneiderlin, Ward-Prowse, Tadic, Wanyama, Reed, Mane, Isgrove, McQueen, Mayuka, Long, Pelle, Seager. Southampton will be without captain Jose Fonte on Boxing Day as he is suspended . Kick-off: Boxing Day, 3pm . Odds (subject to change): . Crystal Palace 5/2 . Draw 23/10 . Southampton 11/10 . Referee: Mike Dean . Managers: Neil Warnock (Crystal Palace), Ronald Koeman (Southampton) Head-to-head league record: Crystal Palace wins 17, draws 14, Southampton wins 31 . Key match stats (supplied by Opta) Crystal Palace have lost just one of five Premier League games on Boxing Day (W2 D2 L1) including a 1-1 draw with Southampton at Selhurst Park in 1997. Southampton have lost just one of their last six Premier League games played on Boxing Day (W2 D3 L1). Saints have won the last five league games against Crystal Palace without the Eagles finding the net. Crystal Palace have never beaten Southampton in the Premier League (W0 D4 L6). Neil Warnock’s side have averaged just 35.6 per cent possession in Premier League matches so far this season; a low in the division. Crystal Palace have lost their last four games against Southampton without scoring but did defeat the Saints 2-0 in an October 2011 League Cup clash. Here Jermaine Easter (right) celebrates scoring with Jonny Williams . Only once (53.5 per cent v Sunderland on 3rd Nov) have Palace enjoyed over 50 per cent possession in a single match in 2014-15. This match will be Southampton’s 600th game in the Premier League. They have played 1,509 top-flight league games in total. Just one of Graziano Pelle’s eight league goals this season has come away from St. Mary’s Stadium. However it did come in London (versus West Ham in August). Yannick Bolasie (131) is one of three players to have attempted over 100 dribbles in the Premier League this season (along with Eden Hazard and Raheem Sterling). The Eagles have won none of their three previous Premier League matches on a Friday (D2 L1). Saints have won all of the eight league games this season when they have opening the scoring. They have lost six of eight when they have conceded first (W1 D1). | Dusan Tadic will return for Southampton but Jose Fonte is suspended . Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama returns from his suspension . Marouane Chamakh is ruled out for Crystal Palace with a thigh problem . | c006f6e6505dd62538501b3022f8fdce45789e1f |
(CNN) -- At least six people have been killed in avalanches recently in the West, as the risk of snow slides remains high. Two people were killed in each of three states: Oregon, Utah and Colorado. In Oregon, two cross-country skiers were killed Tuesday in an avalanche about 10 miles northwest of Halfway, according to the Baker County Sheriff's Office. Eight people were in their party when the snow slide hit. Besides those killed, two people were seriously injured and four escaped unharmed. The skiers were from the Seattle area and on a guided, multiday trip. In Utah, a snowmobiler and a snowshoer were killed in separate incidents over the weekend, the Utah Avalanche Center said. And in Colorado, two people were buried by large avalanches, again in separate events. One was caught by a snow slide near Kebler Pass; the other south of the Keystone Ski Area, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The center has issued an advisory warning that avalanche conditions in the backcountry remain dangerous. "Cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making are essential. Travel in or below avalanche terrain is not recommended," it said. "Veteran snow professionals are reporting triggered avalanches in well-documented avalanche paths that are breaking mature timber and behaving in surprising ways." A 28-year-old man was buried by a triggered avalanche in northern Utah on Tuesday, the state's Avalanche Center said. But his sledding companions managed to quickly dig him out, and he recovered on the scene. Avalanches cut off road travel to Alaskan town . Video: I got lucky, avalanche skier says . CNN's Mayra Cuevas, Chandler Friedman and Jethro Mullen contributed to this report. | NEW: A 28-year-old man is rescued after being buried by an avalanche in Utah . Two people were killed in each of three states: Oregon, Utah and Colorado . A center issues an advisory warning conditions in the backcountry are still dangerous . "Cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making are essential," it says . | b1ef8b7d2215aa0ff6d4834e8bc97e0e5fa2576a |
This is the moment a 13-year-old boy suspected of stabbing a teacher and a schoolgirl was arrested while clutching a box of Lego. The youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was arrested after an attack at The Chase Technology College in Malvern, Worcestershire, at 8.45am on Monday. Iosac Nelson, 16, captured the moment the boy was arrested on his camera phone after spotting him on the train as he came home from school. The boy has now appeared in court charged with 13 offences, including being in possession of five knives, and broke down as he appeared in the dock today. Scroll down for video . Arrested: Iosac Nelson, 16, took these pictures of a 13-year-old boy holding a box of Lego as he is arrested on suspicion of stabbing a teacher and a schoolgirl on Monday . Following the attack on Monday Police launched a major manhunt, . involving a helicopter, sniffer dogs and officers armed with stun guns, before finding the boy on a train from Hereford . to Malvern. Iosac was travelling back from Hereford Sixth Form College to Malvern Link when he captured the moment the 13-year-old was led away by police officers at Ledbury Railway Station. He said: 'I got on the train and he was just stood there. I wouldn’t have noticed him if my friend hadn’t messaged me. 'He had a box of Lego in a bag like he had just bought it. I didn’t know what to do. There were officers searching up and down the train and they got him. 'They said his name and he replied and they took him away. There was no massive scene or crowds, it was all very calm.' The boy appeared before a youth court in Worcester Magistrates' Court today, charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to a man . He is facing further count of causing actual bodily harm to a girl, and another of threatening a person with a knife. Iosac was traveling from Hereford Sixth Form College to Malvern Link when he took the photographs . Iosac said the boy was 'just standing there' as he got on to the train, adding that there were no crowds or screaming people, even as police arrived to arrest him . He is also . charged with possession of five knives, including four kitchen knives . with blades between two and seven inches long, and a pocket knife with a . three inch blade. The youngster, wearing a grey sweater, broke down in the dock on several occasions throughout today's hearing. The . case was adjourned to be heard at the city's crown court on September . 18, with the boy remanded to a local authority-run residential . children's unit. Pupils at the school have told how a boy . burst into their classroom on Monday wearing his own clothes and a scarf . covering his face, with Rambo-style camouflage paint smeared under his . eyes. According to witnesses, a teacher known only as Mr Westwood fought the attacker off with a cardboard folder, before the boy ran into the school hall where he slashed a 13-year-old girl. The two victims both received minor injuries but were reported to be back at school on Tuesday. The headteacher at The Chase Technology College has said the school will be carrying out a debrief to review the process they carried out after the stabbing. Crime scene: A male teacher, known only as Mr Westwood, was hurt during the attack along with a 13-year-old girl, though both are now back at school . Attack: The boy has appeared in Redditch Magistrates Court charged with 13 offences inlcuding GBH and ABH and will appear before a youth court today . Richard Jacobs said: 'It was a very distressing day for everyone at the school. 'Our thoughts and prayers have been with everyone who was directly involved in the incident and we are relieved that they are able to join us as we return to normal school life. 'Staff were very professional throughout the day and supported students well. Students showed their usual high level of maturity and remained calm at all times.' Superintendent Mark Travis, of West Mercia Police, added: 'I think the school did an excellent job in the way it reacted in a very professional way considering what was a confused and stressful situation. 'They did the best they could to give information but it clearly takes time. I think parents and pupils conducted themselves with real control.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Male teacher and girl, 13, stabbed during attack at school on Monday . Police found suspect eight hours later on a train from Hereford to Malvern . Iosac Nelson, 16, took pictures of suspect as he stood among passengers . Images show boy, 13, holding a box of Lego as he is arrested by police . He has now been charged with 13 offences, including GBH and ABH . Also charged with possession of five knives up to seven inches long . Broke down during hearing at Worcester Magistrates' Court today . | 86a1fb6c1832b2020635f95586b99ad4b770fce1 |
The internet has revolutionised the way we communicate and a third of the world’s population use it to stay connected. Now, Texas-based internet cartographer and computer scientist John Matherly has used software to ‘ping’ all of these global web devices and create a map demonstrating the technology’s global reach. In the majority of cases, this signal was sent to routers rather than individual gadgets, but Mr Matherly said iPhone and Android devices have appeared previously. Connected: Texas-based internet cartographer and computer scientist John Matherly has used software to ‘ping’ global web devices to build a map (pictured) demonstrating the technology’s global reach . The cartographer said it took around five hours to ping all IP addresses on August 2. The map then took more than 12 hours to create. 'Pinging' an IP address involves sending a signal to the device from a server, which causes the connection to 'light up' - albeit not physically. Mr Matherly is founder of Shodan, a search engine for connected devices. Different colours represent the density of devices in that region, and unsurprisingly, the world’s largest cities in developed countries glow the brightest. Red areas contain a lot of web-enabled devices, while green areas contain fewer. Black areas are regions where no signal was received. While it may be no surprise that there seem to be less internet-connected devices in parts of Africa, Mr Matherly explained his map is not precise because some organisations block ping requests. It is thought that areas of China should be coloured bright red on the map, but the country’s ‘Great Firewall’ explains why most of the country looks dark. The cartographer said it took five hours to 'ping' all IP addresses on 2 August. The map then took more than 12 hours to create. Red areas contain a lot of web-enabled devices, while black areas contain the fewest. It is easy to see how well-connected areas like Europe and the US (pictured) contrast with Greenland and Africa . Internet blackout: It is thought that areas of China should be coloured bright red on the map, but the country’s ‘Great Firewall’ explains why most of the country looks dark (pictured). ‘There's basically not a lot of information available on where an IP address is located within China, which makes mapping it very difficult. The majority of devices simply get lumped into Shanghai or Beijing, even though they might be located somewhere else within the country,’ he wrote. Explaining how he made the map, Mr Matherly said: ‘The data was generated using a stateless scanner used to create Shodan (a computer search engine that he founded). ‘A free, open-source scanner called Zmap is readily available for anybody that wants to do it themselves, and the map itself was generated using the Python matplotlib library. In the last year, it has become easy to scan the whole internet using such tools, where an individual sends and receives packets to everyone connected to the internet, Motherboard reported. Mr Matherly essentially asked computers, smartphones, tablets and games consoles to send him their location so he could create his map. To do this, he used a database that pinpoints a city for each IP address and used another tool to find them easily on a map of the world. A firm called IVPN recently created a map of internet freedom around the world (pictured) based on a Freedom House report in 2013. Regions marked in white have the freedom to roam, as opposed to those marked red . The internet has revolutionised communication and promotes free speech across the globe. Consequently, online freedom is a hot topic. Some governments consider the internet to be dangerous and inflammatory so they regulate it. A firm called IVPN recently created a map of internet freedom around the world based on a Freedom House report in 2013. In the report, countries were reviewed on limits placed on online content, obstacles to internet access, and violations of user rights. They were then graded as free, partly free or not free and marked on a map in white, pink and red respectively. Countries marked in grey were not included in the report. China, Iran and Syria were found to be the top three user rights violators when it comes to online freedom. | Texas-based cartographer used software to ‘ping’ global web devices . Using this data he drew a map demonstrating the internet's global reach . Signal was sent to routers rather than individual devices . Red areas show parts of the world with the most connected devices, while black areas show regions where few people have access to the internet . Map isn't complete because of censorship and security restrictions . It's thought China, for example, has more internet connected devices than shown on the map . | 71a9b459106b84375c14c05632f59b12f39c0554 |
(CNN) -- Britain says it has suspended the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands and imposed direct rule after allegations of systemic corruption and "serious dishonesty". Former Turks and Caicos Islands Premier Michael Misick, shown here with his wife, LisaRaye, could be investigated. British Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant said he instructed the British governor of the island territory to suspend the ministerial government and the House of Assembly for as long as two years. Bryant said his order also suspends the constitutional right to trial by jury in the Turks and Caicos. "This is a serious constitutional step which the UK government has not taken lightly, but these measures are essential in order to restore good governance and sound financial management," Bryant said in a statement. "It remains our intentions that elections should be held by July 2011, if not sooner. It is also important that the people of Turks and Caicos Islands continue to have a voice in the interim and the order puts in place an advisory council and consultative forum to make sure this happens." The move follows allegations of corruption in the Turks and Caicos, a British Overseas Territory of eight major islands and numerous uninhabited keys, 800 kilometers (500 miles) southeast of Miami, Florida. The British government set up a commission of inquiry in July 2008 to look into possible corruption or other serious dishonesty in recent years of past and present elected members of the legislature. The commission's report, delivered May 31, found "information in abundance pointing to a high probability of systemic corruption and/or serious dishonesty" in the Turks and Caicos, the Foreign Office said. "This, together with clear signs of political amorality and immaturity and of general administrative incompetence, demonstrated a need for urgent suspension in whole or in part of the constitution and for other legislative and administrative reforms," the Foreign Office said. The report also recommends criminal investigations into former Premier Michael Misick and four of his former Cabinet ministers. "This is not a 'British takeover,'" said Gordon Wetherell, governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands. "Public services will continue to be run by people of the Turks and Caicos Islands, as indeed they should be. But I hope we can now begin to run them better." Queen Elizabeth is the head of state of the British territory, and the governor is her official representative. The governor is responsible for defense; external affairs; internal security, including the islands' police force; and the appointment of some public officials, but he is normally required to act on the advice of the Cabinet. The islands' ministerial system includes the premier and six other ministers who must act according to Cabinet policies. | Britain says it has suspended the government of the Turks and Caicos . Move follows allegations of systemic corruption and "serious dishonesty" Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory of eight major islands . | 1ea061b80c42e013dfc385b98816ea08f59e139b |
They shot to global fame as the privileged toffs from hit movie The Riot Club - the film based on Old Etonians who go to Oxford University and on towards positions of great power and influence. And it seems that their debauched on-screen activities have worked in their favour because Sam Claflin and Douglas Booth have both landed top modelling jobs. Sam, who also stars alongside Jennifer Lawrence as Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games, is the star of Ciroc Vodka's new campaign, Ciroc On Arrival, and was hand-picked to be photographed by legendary snapper, Mario Testino. Scroll down for video . Photographer Mario Testino picked Hunger Games actor Sam Claflin to star in Ciroc Vodka's new campaign . The campaign is all about hand-picking emerging talents from across the globe and celebrating the latest young stars breaking out in their profession. Sam was chosen by Mario, who regularly works with Cara Delevingne, the Beckhams and Kate Moss, as one to watch in the industry for the London shoot. Speaking about his latest role, 28-year-old Sam said: 'I’ve been lucky enough to have been given some amazing opportunities to be able to do what I love in life. 'Of course, I have had to prove myself in a lot of ways as an actor which puts a lot of pressure on me, so this campaign appealed as it allows me a moment to celebrate.' Sam, who as chosen as an emerging acting talent, regularly works with Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss . Sam prepares for his shoot at The London Edition Hotel. He says the shoot felt like a career 'milestone' The heartthrob describes his wife, Inbetweeners actress Laura Haddock, as his 'female counterpart' Sam has had a lot of acting roles over the years but only shot to prominence in The Hunger Games - he has since become a poster boy within the acting world and a promising thespian. Despite his success, it wasn't always smooth sailing. He explains: 'Being in drama school and all the training you do as an actor, you hope you’re going to make it. 'But there’s a part of you that’s got to be realistic and say: "Look, it might not happen to me", so to play the roles I’m now playing and to be selected by Mario Testino, who is world famous for creating some of the most iconic images of recent decades, definitely feels like a milestone in my career.' Sam beefed up to for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as Katniss's co-conspirator Finnick Odair last year . Sadly for his female fans, Sam is married to the equally attractive actress, Laura Haddock. Speaking about his wife, who starred as Alison in The Inbetweeners movie, he said: 'She's my female counterpart is the best way to describe her. 'She is my mum. She reminds me of my mum so much which I think - a guy will know, right? It's important. Your mum knows like everything.' Sam and Laura are part of a new London-based group of hot young actors and regularly attend parties with Suki Waterhouse, Cara Delevingne, Jack Whitehall, Gemma Chan, Natalie Dormer and Douglas Booth. Douglas won the heart of the - mostly female - nation in 2013 in Carlo Carlei's film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Douglas Booth, left, starred as Harry and Sam Claflin, right, played Alistair in the hit movie The Riot Club . After starring alongside Sam in The Riot Club, Douglas has become a household name. His latest coup? Becoming the face of Salvatore Ferragamo's latest fashion campaign. The 22-year-old stars in A Man’s Story, a dynamic menswear project by photographer and filmmaker Francesco Carrozzini. He joins ASAP Rocky, Ryan McGinley, Henrik Lundqvist, Alexander Gilkes, Louis-Marie de Castelbajac and Tyrone Wood and reveals a decision that led them to become the men they are today. Speaking in a promotional video as he showcases the label's new sneakers, Douglas speaks of his childhood dreams of finding fame. He said: 'I remember being a kid and having a massive imagination. I would entertain myself just by running around the garden, I wanted to live a thousand lifetimes within my own. Douglas Booth may only be 22 but he is now the star of Salvatore Ferragamo's latest fashion campaign . 'To do that, I had to tell different stories and play different characters. I remember sitting and watching Gladiator 15 to 20 times with my friends, that was inspiring for me. Then to be working with Russell Crowe and him playing my father was a bizarre experience. 'Being driven home from school one day, I said to my friend: "I want to be an actor" and he said: "pfft, it's not going to happen" and I said: "why not?" 'I always just believed that there are people doing things that you dream of doing but you've got to take life by the balls and just do it.' Douglas stars in A Man's Story, a menswear project by photographer and filmmaker Francesco Carrozzini . And he did just that. Douglas, although severely dyslexic who admits to struggling at school, went on to develop a keen interest in drama. By 15, he was a member of the Curtis Brown acting agency and landed his first professional role in 2009's From Time To Time directed by Julian Fellowes. A role as Pip in the BBC One adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations in 2011 and a role in Darren Aronofsky's Biblical epic Noah alongside friend Emma Watson followed. His good looks have also landed him modelling work with acclaimed British fashion house, Burberry. Douglas has starred in campaigns with fellow Brit beauties Emma Watson, Rosie Huntington Whiteley, and Lily Donaldson. Douglas admitted to his dreams of finding fame: 'I remember being a kid and having a massive imagination' Fashionable face: Douglas (third from right) on the front row alongside (L-R) Poppy Delevigne, Donna Air, Aaron Paul, Alexa Chung, Sarah Jessica Parker and Serena Williams . | Hunger Games hunk Sam, 28, starred with Douglas, 22, in The Riot Club . Now both Brits have landed cool new advertising campaigns . Sam was hand-picked by photographer Mario Testino as 'one to watch' Douglas models Salvatore Ferragamo's latest men's fashion . | 030d69a236df621c18b166f3fb64136109988594 |
Washington (CNN) -- A $413 million judgment against Syria, resulting from a terror group's gruesome murder of two Americans, was upheld Friday by a U.S. federal appeals court. The unanimous ruling was a legal victory for the families of the men, which had sought to hold the Middle Eastern nation accountable for what a district judge concluded was the nation's "material support" of al-Qaeda in Iraq. The judges noted the case arose from "gruesome and memorable facts." Olin "Jack" Armstrong and Jack Hensley were working as military contractors in Iraq when they were abducted in 2004. The group al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, known as al-Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility. The group's leader Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi later decapitated the men, a scene captured on videotape and circulated widely on the Internet. Al-Zarqawi was later killed in 2006 by a U.S. airstrike. The separate estates of the two Americans then brought a lawsuit against Syria, which included the country's president and head of military intelligence. The families claimed Syrian officials facilitated the torture and beheadings by providing material support, which federal law says can consist of not only money, weapons and shelter, but also "advice or assistance." The issues for the Washington-based appeals court were whether the judges had jurisdiction to hear the dispute, and whether Syria was properly served with the lawsuit. The three-judge panel concluded they indeed had jurisdiction and that "the families adequately effected service of process against Syria when they first filed suit." Steven Perles, attorney for the families of Armstrong and Hensley, said in a statement, "It is our hope that if we can collect on some of this, Syria will realize they must repudiate their support for terrorists and rejoin the civilized world." Syria has been on the U.S. list of "state sponsors of terrorism" since the list's inception in 1979. The State Department's official website says after the 9/11 terror attacks on American soil, Syria "began limited cooperation with U.S. counterterrorism efforts." U.S.-based attorneys for Syria had argued "several procedural, constitutional, and jurisdictional defects" in the the trial judge's original ruling upholding a default judgment. There was no immediate comment on Friday from Syrian officials or their attorneys. A federal law known at the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act normally protects countries from lawsuits in federal courts. However, exceptions are made, among other things, for state-sponsored torture, hostage-taking charges, extra-judicial killings and aircraft sabotage. The case is Gates v. Syrian Arab Republic (08-7118). | The case stemmed from a terror group's murder of two Americans . Olin "Jack" Armstrong and Jack Hensley were military contractors in Iraq . The ruling was unanimous . | 88b677b1bed67a77631a9be4b824d9bf6221b4e5 |
By . Associated Press . After a rescue worker called her animal clinic saying dogs had been extracted from the destruction left behind by a massive Washington mudslide, veterinary assistant Cassna Wemple and her colleagues raced to this small down near the debris field. They found one of the dogs at the fire station among a flurry of rescue workers and townspeople. Bonnie, an Australian shepherd, was wrapped in a comforter. She was muddy, and had a broken leg in a splint. One of Bonnie's owners had just died in the slide. The other had been pulled out. Rescued horses at the Darrington Rodeo Grounds when it opened last Thursday to care for animals in the aftermath of the mudslide . 'She was just very much in shock,' Wemple said. In this rural community north of Seattle, Wemple said it's common for residents to have plenty of animals, including pigs, horses, rabbits, chickens, dogs and cats. When the deadly slide struck March 22, beloved pets and livestock also perished. The full number of pets and livestock killed may never be known. Authorities also don't have a clear number of how many pets are missing or displaced by the slide, incident spokespeople have said. There are at least 37 horses displaced and at least 10 dogs that were missing, according to different animal services helping the recovery efforts. 'To know that their animals are lost and may or may not be found. It's heart breaking. It's heart breaking for the people and the animals,' said Dee Cordell of the Everett Animal Services. Wemple said rescue workers could hear horses crying from the debris hours after the slide, but because of the unsafe conditions, rescuers couldn't go in. For those animals that survived, the community and outsiders have rallied in support with donations. Bag after bag of food for dogs, cats and chickens have filled up the rodeo grounds outside Darrington, which is serving as a makeshift shelter. At last count, it totaled nearly 45,000 pounds. On Saturday alone, 27 tons of donated food from Purina arrived. People carry bags of feed for the rescued horses and ponies taken to the Darrington Rodeo grounds on March 27 in Washington . Lilianna Andrews's seven horses are now at the rodeo grounds. Their house wasn't buried in the mud, but the displaced earth formed a dam, backing up the Stillaguamish River into a lake that rose waist-high in the house and as high as 10 feet in the barn. 'We got them out before they got any water on them,' the 13-year-old said after helping unload hay at the rodeo grounds on Saturday. 'But they would have drowned. So we just had to evacuate them from the water, and they've been staying here ever since.' The Andrews were in Seattle when a friend called to check on their whereabouts. When they realized it wasn't just a small mudslide blocking the road, they hurried home. Their dog, cats and chickens are fine too, Andrews said, although they haven't been able to get in to feed the chickens. Tom Gent, and his dog Tiny, in Darrington where he is caring for animals displaced by the devastating mud slide in Snohomish County . Volunteers are also tending to 20 horses that belonged to Summer Raffo, a farrier who died in the slide. Wemple's clinic, Chuckanut Valley Veterinary, treated three dogs hurt from the slide. One of those dogs, named Blue, had to have one of his legs amputated last week. His owner is still hospitalized. The owner's daughter has visited the dog daily. 'He'll be happier in the long run. No more pain in that leg,' Wemple said. Bonnie's owner was Linda McPherson, a well-known retired librarian. She was in her living room reading newspapers with her husband, Gary 'Mac' McPherson, when the slide hit. She died. He lived. Bonnie has been kept at the clinic for rehabilitation. At night, one of the staffers takes her home. A memorial is planned for next week for Linda McPherson. Wemple said the staffer will bring the Australian shepherd to the memorial for a reunion with her surviving owner. | There are at least 37 horses displaced and at least 10 dogs that were missing following the deadly mudslide in Snohomish County . Temporary shelter set up at Darrington Rodeo Grounds by volunteers . Rescue workers could hear horses crying from the debris hours after the slide . | 3fab47f80657ac5afaf2ba262a14411606c84651 |
By . Jennifer Newton . Fears that North Korea is planning a nuclear test to coincide with Barack Obama's Asia visit have prompted the United States to warn Kim Jong-un not to threaten regional peace. The South Korean government reportedly said that heightened activity had been detected at North Korea's underground nuclear test site, indicating possible preparations for another atomic test. President Barack Obama, left, arrives in Japan at the start of his Asian visit. It comes amid reports that North Korea, led by Kim Jong-Un, right, could be planning a possible atomic test . The U.S president is visiting Japan today and is due in Seoul on Friday, where he is expected to discuss ways to deal with North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. And State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki admitted they were closing watching Pyongyang and the Korean pennisula. She said: 'We have certainly seen the press reports ... regarding possible increased activity in North Korea's nuclear test site. 'We continue to urge North Korea to refrain from actions that threaten regional peace and security and to comply with its international obligations and commitments.' Kim Min-seok, the South Korean' defence ministry spokesman, said that 'a lot of activity' was being seen at the Punggye-ri test site. Mr Obama is welcomed to Japan on his Asian visit by ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy and her husband Edwin Schlossberg . North Korea warned last month it would not rule out a 'a new form' of nuclear test after the United Nations Security Council condemned Pyongyang for launching ballistic missiles into the sea. On the Air Force One flight carrying Obama to Asia yesterday, White House spokesman Jay Carney was asked about the reports that North Korea may be preparing a nuclear test. 'North Korea has a history of taking provocative actions and we are always mindful of the possibility that such an action could be taken,' he told reporters. 'There is a kind of cyclical nature to the provocative actions that North Korea tends to take and we'll be watching it very closely.' He later met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. On Friday he will travel to South Korea . Recent commercial satellite imagery indicates North Korea has begun new operations at Punggye-ri, said 38 North, a North Korea monitoring website run by Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. The activity 'could represent an early stage of preparations for a test or may be intended for a less provocative purpose, such as conducting maintenance after a long winter' 38 North concluded. Nuclear expert Jeffrey Lewis, of the Monterey Institute of International Studies in the United States, said this month that the reference to a new form of test could mean simultaneous detonation of two or more devices as part of a programme of more intense nuclear testing expected over the next few years. While North Korea has detonated several nuclear devices since 2006, analysts doubt it has the technical capability to reliably mount a nuclear warhead on a missile. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on a recent visit to an aviation station in an undisclosed area of the country. He is said to be possibly planning a new nuclear test . Diplomats have said it is possible the U.N. Security Council will respond to last month's North Korean missile tests by expanding a sanctions blacklist to include more North Korean entities involved in Pyongyang's missile program. But they said it could take weeks to reach agreement. The council expanded its sanctions on North Korea after its third nuclear test in February 2013. The United States said it held 'productive' talks with China on North Korea last week, part of stepped up international diplomacy after Pyongyang's nuclear test warning. | Reports say there is heightened activity at North Korea's nuclear test site . Coincides with President Barack Obama's visit to Asia this week . State Department warn Pyongyang not to threaten regional peace . The president is due to visit South Korea for talks on nuclear programme on Friday . | ea617ff3ddca94189bf428da5b35bfa506ef5c26 |
By . Martin Domin . Follow @@martin_domin . The prospect of Floyd Mayweather Jnr ever meeting Manny Pacquiao in the centre of a ring suffered another blow after the Filipino extended his contract with promoter Top Rank. Pacquiao has committed himself to Bob Arum’s outfit until the end of 2016, by which time he will be 38 and surely considering retirement. The eight-division world champion’s fights are shown on HBO in America while Mayweather is contracted to rival Showtime, meaning a fight between the two is highly unlikely. VIDEO Scroll down for Official movie trailer for Manny Pacquiao film . Deal: Manny Pacquiao has extended his contract with promoter Top Rank . Showdown: Pacquiao's new deal means a fight with Floyd Mayweather is less likely . Deal breaker: Bob Arum claims that a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather can still happen . Mayweather has three fights left on that deal, taking him to September 2015. Arum, however, claimed the $300million mega-fight could still happen. ‘We want to fight him and we’re willing to discuss it at any point,’ he said. ‘There are two ways to go here. One is to do a Mayweather fight with both HBO and Showtime involved, as they did with Lewis-Tyson, as I understand Mayweather is under contract to Showtime through 2015. The companies could come together and put on the show. ‘Or, the other alternative is, if Floyd wanted to fight Manny in 2016, he could return to HBO and we could do it there.’ Veteran: Pacquiao is now contracted to Top Rank until 2016 when he will be 38-years-old . A further obstacle to the fight is the fractured relationship between Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer. Mayweather has worked with Golden Boy since 2007 and has previously stated his loyalty to Schaefer. The 37-year-old will return to the ring on September 13 having outpointed Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas earlier this month. Pacquiao, meanwhile, could fight Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth time in Macau in November. Old foes: Pacquiao could fight Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth time in Macau this November . | Pacquiao commits to promoter Top Rank until 2016 when he will be 38 . Mayweather's contract with Showtime until 2015 makes fight unlikely . Arum claims that a mega-fight between the pair can still be agreed . Arum says that Pacquiao is open to discussion with Mayweather any time . | 79d14e1ba04ecad4f3c6c8c4a93fe93e0ac802a5 |
By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 11:12 EST, 5 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:41 EST, 5 December 2013 . An abandoned dog diagnosed with clinical depression has been nursed back to health - thanks to a course of acupuncture. Amber, a six-year-old mastiff cross, was emaciated and missing patches of fur with her eyes and ears covered in sores when her owner handed her to an animal rescue centre. Staff at K9 Crusaders in Bissoe, Cornwall, managed to treat her visible wounds but found the dejected pet's acute anxiety and depression far harder to fix. To the point: Abandoned mastiff cross Amber was treated for clinical depression with acupuncture by specialist vet Jennifer Williamson . They then decided to call on the services of vet Jennifer Williamson who specialises in animal acupuncture. Amber improved immediately with the first treatment and just six sessions later was a changed animal. Sanctuary volunteer Sue Smith said: 'Amber was in a bad way when we first took her to the vets and we were told she would need costly care for the rest of her life. 'That which meant it would have been difficult to re-home her so we decided to try acupuncture. Treatment: Amber, shown here receiving treatment, responded well to her course of acupuncture and her carers had seen a vast improvement after six sessions . Recovery: Following her acupuncture sessions, Amber no longer needs to take steroids or anti-depressants . 'Amber thankfully responded instantly, so much so in fact that when the first needle went in she dropped like a stone to the floor. 'Me and my colleague were so shocked we thought something was wrong - but she just relaxed immediately. 'From the first session she has continued to pick up and she is no longer on steroids or antibiotics. 'Not only did we see a vast improvement in her skin condition, but also in her demeanour and wellbeing. 'She's almost reverted to puppy-hood. She's gone from being a completely sad and dejected lost soul to a happy and excitable dog. 'She has the most gorgeous personality. She's a sensitive soul who craves affection.' Amber's acupuncture cost the charity £300, which was paid for with money from a grant from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust donated to help with vet's bills. The remainder of the money went to pay fees relating to the other 50 dogs in the centre's care. Sensitive soul: Staff at K9 Crusaders said Amber had a 'gorgeous personality' and craves attention . Animal acupuncture has been popular for years in Japan and is just starting to take off in the UK. Ms Williamson, of AcuVets in Redruth, Cornwall, says she uses the traditional Chinese treatment to cure depression in animals, and has also been successful with cats and horses as well as other dogs. She said: 'Amber was depressed, itchy and miserable. I recommended acupuncture as a way of boosting her immune system and calming the painful itching. 'I put one fine needle into the back of her neck and she immediately relaxed - so much so that she fell asleep for the rest of the session. 'Within four treatments Amber was off the drugs, her system supporting itself. Firm friends: Sue Smith of K9 Crusaders watches as animal acupuncture Ms Williamson treats Amber . 'By six treatments her skin and coat were beautifully healthy, and Amber herself, no longer so depressed, was having a second puppy-hood - lively, playing, running.' K9 crusaders, which looks after around 50 dogs at any one time, are now looking for a new home for Amber. Mrs Smith added: 'Amber's the first dog we've treated with acupuncture but the results have been fantastic. 'We get many dogs coming in who suffer from depression or psychological damage so we'll definitely be using acupuncture as a treatment more often. 'Amber's a one person dog - when someone shows her affection or kindness she gets exceptionally clingy. She would make a lovely dog for someone.' Following her dramatic recovery they plan to regularly use acupuncture which can only be carried out on animals by a qualified vet. The treatment has evolved from the ancient art of placing needles into special locations on the body and is used to alleviate pain, improve recovery rates and increase resistance to disease. | Mastiff cross Amber was emaciated and missing patches of fur . Rescue centre staff called for help of acupuncture expert Jennifer Williamson . Amber 'reverted to puppy-hood' after six sessions with specialist . | c44cabd20f3e6ea6e2c258f32decb44c90d42cc5 |
If he wanted to experience that winning feeling at World Cup 2014, then Prince Harry certainly chose a good match to attend last night - by watching host nation Brazil trounce Cameroon. The prince, who is starting a week-long tour of South America, was pictured getting to his feet and celebrating the goals as he sat among dignitaries to watch Brazil beat the African side 4-1 in Brasilia. He will also be attending England's game against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte today - but the match is a dead rubber, with the Three Lions knocked out and their opponents already in the next round. Scroll down for video . Hooray! Prince Harry (centre) and Brazil Minister of Sport Aldo Rebelo (right) celebrate Neymar's first goal for Brazil during the World Cup match against Cameroon in Brasilia . Goal: The prince watched from the VIP area of the stadium during the Cameroon v Brazil game in Group A . Sports fan: Harry watches the World Cup 2014 match (left), while a woman in the stands takes a photo (right) Clapping: Harry applauds as teams take to the pitch for the Cameroon v Brazil match at the Estadio Nacional . Gesturing: Prince Harry was earlier seen in the VIP lounge prior to the football match . Laughing: Prince Harry talks to a guest in the VIP lounge prior to the World Cup 2014 Group A match . England lost 2-1 to both Italy and . Uruguay in their first two group matches, and today's contest will be . their last game at the tournament. Earlier, . the prince met a little boy at a hospital in the Brazilian capital, . while at the Rede Sarah hospital which treats patients with brain . injuries and other neurological problems. Despite . looking a little bleary-eyed following a 15-hour flight from London, . Harry was on typically chatty form as he met patients. The . Brasilia branch of the Sarah network of rehabilitation hospitals, of . which there are 10 in Brazil, the medical centre specialises in rehabilitating . the victims of serious brain injuries. During the tour, . the prince stopped to watch a group battling it out on . court as they played wheelchair basketball and true to form, couldn't resist getting involved. Celebrates: Brazil's Neymar runs away after scoring his side's second goal during the World Cup match . Also in attendance: Alessandra Ambrosio (left) and fellow beauty and host of Brazil's Next Top Model, Fernanda Motta (right), were also at the Brazil versus Cameroon game yesterday . Looking for Harry? Brazil got some very good looking support from Ambrosio and a host of other models . All smiles: A little boy gets a hug from Prince Harry during his visit to the Rede Sarah hospital in Brasilia . Prince Charming: Harry makes a little girl burst into delighted giggles during a visit to the Rede Sarah hospital . After around 10 minutes, play was stopped and the prince sat down for a chat - as well as a photo or two - with patients. Sitting among the group of wheelchair-users, Harry put his arm round one small boy who smiled delightedly at the attention. Later, the prince showed himself to be a dab hand when it comes to charming the ladies, leaving a little girl giggling helplessly during a chat. And when, at the end of his tour, he got . a chance to go canoeing, the sporty prince simply couldn't resist and . mucked in with other canoeists, all of whom were patients at the . hospital, as they took to the water. Fun and games: Harry (centre back) seemed to be enjoying his visit to the hospital - despite the jetlag . Can't resist: Although Harry didn't fancy playing he couldn't resist joining in and doing a spot of refereeing . Thumbs up: Harry seemed impressed by the wheelchair basketball team who gave him a friendly thumbs up . Prince Popular: It seems that everyone wanted to get a picture with a smiling Prince Harry . Chatty man: Although Harry was too tired to play, the Prince was keen to talk to all the basketball players . Team player: Although Harry had been on a 15-hour flight he was quite happy to meet all of the patients . Beaming broadly, Harry then hopped into a bright yellow canoe . for a paddle on Lake Paranoá, the second largest . man-made water course in Brazil. The . trip to the hospital was his first stop on his tour of Brazil and . Chile, which will later see him join the crowds at the Estádio Nacional . de Brasilia for the Group A World Cup match between the hosts and . Cameroon. Tomorrow, Harry will travel to Belo Horizonte, the southeastern city that will be Team GB's base for the 2016 Olympic Games. While . there, he will tour training facilities for the UK's Olympic and . Paralympic athletes before taking in his second match in two days - . England's dead rubber game against Costa Rica at the Estádio Mineirão. Forgotten your trunks? Unfortunately Harry had to stay on dry land at the pool at Rede Sarah Hospital . Friendly face: Harry was seen joking with patients and members of staff at the hospital . Keen: Not even jetlag could prevent the sporty Prince Harry from hopping into a canoe with patients . Sporty Prince: Harry is well known for his love of sports and seemed very engaged whilst canoeing . Buddies: The ever-popular Prince appeared to be getting along famously with the other canoeists . Having fun: Prince Harry laughs with fellow canoeists and patients at Rede Sarah on his first day in Brazil . Playful Prince: After his canoeing trip, Harry's next engagement is the Brazil vs Cameroon match tonight . | Watched Brazil v Cameroon last night at the Estádio Nacional de Brasilia . He travels to Belo Horizonte today for England's final World Cup match . Prince Harry is beginning a week-long tour of Brazil and Chile . Looked tired following a 15-hour flight but chatted happily to locals . Toured the Rede Sarah hospital which treats people with brain injuries . Joined patients for a canoeing trip on Brasilia's Paranoá Lake . | 595da03810ef927434d108a222ad77270f827887 |
With a sheer drop of 415ft - higher than the Statue of Liberty - and travelling at speeds of 90mph, a new record-breaking ride will not be for the faint-hearted. A New Jersey company is planning to build the 41-story drop ride, making it the world’s tallest. Six Flags Great Adventure says Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom will hoist riders 415 feet in the air and drop them back to the ground at 90 mph. The stomach-churning attraction will be attached to what is itself the world’s tallest roller coaster, Kingda Ka in Jackson, New Jersey. Demo of ride below... Sinking feeling: Promotional artwork shows what the world's tallest drop ride, dubbed Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, will look like when completed at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2014 . Breathtaking: Zumanjaro will drop brave riders 41 stories at 90mph. At the top, they'll be able to see the skyline of Philadelphia 52 miles away . Zumanjaro’s three towers, each 41 stories tall, will be nestled inside the green loop of the current ride. Three gondolas will carry brave riders up the face of Kingda Ka. They will drop from just below the coaster’s 456-foot peak as Kingda Ka’s trains rocket toward them at 128 mph. Each of the towers will feature a gondola for eight riders, which will help keep lines for the ride as short as possible. At the top - far higher than the 305ft Statue of Liberty - riders will be able to see the skyline of Philadelphia, which lies 52 miles away. At 415ft high, Zumanjaro will surpass 400ft Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom at Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles as the world’s tallest drop tower ride. Mammoth: Each tower will feature a gondola for eight riders, which will help keep queues as short as possible . ‘Zumanjaro solidifies Six Flags Great Adventure’s dominance as the Northeast’s thrill capital,’ said John Fitzgerald, park president. He later told the Detroit Free Press: 'You’re going to have folks dropping 90 mph. 'You’re going to have the Kingda Ka cars racing around them at the same time. It’s really going to be fantastic. Fantastic views, but also terribly exciting.' Park spokesperson Kristin Siebeneicher echoes her boss's enthusiasm. ‘It's definitely exciting that we are breaking a world record,’ Siebenecher told the New York Daily News. Zumanjaro will be attached to Kingda Ka, the world's tallest roller coaster. At right is an actual photo of Kingda Ka. At left is a rendering of how the coaster will look with Zumanjaro attached . Meanwhile, the park says this is the last season for its wooden Rolling Thunder roller coaster after more than three decades. ‘There are definitely guests, especially roller coaster enthusiasts, who will miss Rolling Thunder,’ Siebeneicher said. The park says technology has surpassed the dual track coaster, which opened in 1979 and has become a beloved classic. Zumanjaro is scheduled to open in 2014. Saw – The Ride, Thorpe Park, UK . A favourite with bloodthirsty adrenaline seekers, Saw - The Ride opened at Thorpe Park in 2009. The . attraction is based on the horror film franchise which spawned four . movies and claims to be 'the world’s most terrifying horror . rollercoaster'. Riders are carried up to 100ft before being plummeted down towards sharp rotating blades below.Takabisha, Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park, Japan . Japan's . Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park laid claim to the title of steepest . vertical drop of any ride in the world when it opened in July 2011. The . stomach-flipping Takabisha ride - an attraction that includes seven . major twists over 1000 metres of track and a nerve-jangling drop of 43 . metres - features a 121° freefall. The 112-second attraction - which means 'dominant' in English - also accelerates to speeds of 100kmph. Riders experience weightlessness as they 'nosedive' down the sharp incline, before later being plunged into darkness. Terrifying: The Smiler at Alton Towers in the UK cost £18million and has entered the Guinness Book of Records for the ride with the most loops - with 14 . The Smiler, Alton Towers, UK (pictured above)It's called The Smiler. But unless you’re very, very brave, the chances of smiling when you come off it seem remote. Alton Towers’s latest rollercoaster cost £18million and has entered the Guinness Book of Records for being the ride with the most loops – 14. It has drops of 98ft, reaches speeds of up to 52mph and was designed with the help of psychologists and scientists for maximum thrills.Tower of Terror II, Dreamworld, Australia . Offers a fantastic view of the Gold Coast, if only you dare look down…riders of the recently re-launched Tower of Terror II are propelled backwards and up 100metres into the air. In the nerve-jangling drop back down, there are several seconds of weightlessness.Formula Rossa, Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi . When it comes to speed, Formula Rossa, at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, claims to be the world's fastest rollercoaster. The Formula One-themed attraction sees goggle-wearing riders reach 240kmph in 4.9 seconds over the course of a 2km track. Turns can reach up to 70º, while heights peak at 52 metres. Thrill-seekers will experience a maximum acceleration G-Force of 1.7. | Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom will be attached to world's largest roller coaster . Will beat 400ft Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom at Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles . | da0df6e6396123c41b78282e2ac398b8ef4f36f8 |
(CNN) -- Talk about a "Transformer." Mark Wahlberg, who shows off rippling muscles in 2014's "Transformers: Age of Extinction," is losing as much weight as he can for a remake of "The Gambler." Photos from the set show that the 42-year-old has become noticeably skinny in order to portray a literature professor with a gambling problem. The actor's leaner physique was first noticed in January, and he confirmed to "Extra" at the time that he was losing the weight for a role. "I'm trying to get as thin as a possibly can," Wahlberg said. "I was at 195 when I was doing 'Transformers,' and right now I'm at 158. So maybe (I'll go to) 150, 149, (1)45." Obviously, in order to drop that much weight while filming, Wahlberg's had to commit to a different diet -- one that he admittedly struggled with. "Anytime I smell food, I get crazy," he told "Extra's" Maria Menounos. "My daughter was eating this blueberry scone, and I wanted to like -- I was going to jack her for it. I was literally going to rob my almost 4-year-old daughter for her little blueberry muffin." Judging from the on-set photos, it looks like Wahlberg was able to stick to his guns. "The Gambler," which also stars John Goodman, Jessica Lange and Michael K. Williams, is due to arrive in 2015. | Mark Wahlberg has gotten noticeably skinny for the movie "The Gambler" The actor said in January he wanted to lose around 50 pounds for the role . He plays a literature professor with a gambling problem . The movie is due out in 2015 . | 159bcbd5f242a01a8521fd94b4a694db5aef1b0e |
By . Ap . and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 02:01 EST, 19 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:17 EST, 20 December 2013 . Identified: This photo provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles shows Alan Oliver Frazier, named as the Reno gunman . Officials in Nevada have identified the suspect in Tuesday's deadly hospital shooting as 51-year-old California resident Alan Oliver Frazier. Frazier is accused of killing a doctor and wounding two other people before turning a 12-gauge shotgun on himself inside Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. On Wednesday, investigators converged on Frazier's one-story home in Lake Almanor in Plumas County, California - some two hours northwest of Reno. Officers executed a search warrant at the alleged shooter's home on Evergreen Circle in the hopes of discovering some clues or information on his relatives. Police were able to identify Frazier and locate his home after running the license plate number on a GMC pickup truck that was abandoned in the parking lot of the Center for Advanced Medicine in Reno. Frazier's neighbor Mike Hawthorne recalled to Reno Gazette Journal that the last time he saw the man alive, the 51-year-old told him 'he wasn't coming back.' Killer's home: Police exercised a search warrant at Frazier's home in Lake Almanor, California - some 120 miles from Reno . Mr Hawthorne's wife, Jeannette, described the gunman as an avid hunter and fisherman who enjoyed playing with his dog and was a good neighbor. During snowstorms, Mrs Hawthorne said, Frazier would plow everyone’s driveways with his Bobcat. While police are still looking for a motive behind the crime, people who knew Frazier believe the shooting may be related to a medical procedure he had undergone in Reno. Slain: Charles G. Gholdoian was murdered Tuesday when a suicidal gunman police now say was on a mission of violence entered the Reno hospital where he worked and opened fire . Neighbors Bob and Jan Hammill had . known Frazier for 20 years. According to the couple, the man suffered . from medical complications following a surgery performed on him a few . years ago. It remains . unknown if either of the two doctors shot Tuesday had treated Frazier in . the past. So far, detectives have been unable to establish a . relationship between Frazier and the three victims: two physicians and a . relative of a patient. The Hammills said that Frazier used to work at a wood-burning power plant that closed two years ago. ‘He’s a very good man and I’m shocked he hurt other people,’ Mrs Hammill told the paper. Officials . from the local sheriff's department said that over the past decade, . they were called to Frazier's address twice: once for a disturbance, and . the second time for an act of vandalism targeting the homeowner. Police believe Frazier was on a mission of violence when he entered a third-floor urology office and opened fire with a 12-gauge shotgun after warning patients and their children in a waiting area to ‘get out.’ Charles G. Gholdoian, 46, was shot and killed at the scene. His colleague Dr. Christine Lajeunesse and a visitor to the hospital, Shawntae Spears, 20, were each shot once, but survived. As Spears and Lajeunesse try to recover in the very hospital where they were shot, police have undertaken an investigation of the unnamed gunman, who motive eludes them thus far. ‘But the fact the shooter went through . the first and second floor, made his way to the third floor of the . building, would indicate to me it is not a random event,’ said Reno . Deputy Police Chief Mac Venzo. A . witness who was among those the shooter passed in the waiting room said . Wednesday that Frazier could have killed many more . people at the Reno medical complex if that was his intent. Holding on: Dr. Christine Lajeunesse, left, was a colleague of the slain Dr. Gholdoian's and was critical condition but conscious on Wednesday. Shawntae Spears, 20, (right) was shot by the 12-guage shotgun as well. Her condition was upgraded from critical to serious on Wednesday . Gun violence: the gunman turned the shotgun on himself after opening fire on the third floor of Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada . Detectives . have not been able to establish any relationship the man may have had . with the two doctors and the relative of a patient who were shot Tuesday . before the gunman killed himself. ‘While . we piece this thing together, we are trying to figure out what that . relationship is, if there is a relationship at all,’ said Chief Mac . Venzo. Innocent victim? Lajeunesse is a urologist at Urology Nevada and remained listed in critical condition on Wednesday as police struggled to determine why a still unnamed Northern California man burst into her department and shot up the place before killing himself . Gholdoian, a . urologist at Urology Nevada within the Center for Advanced Medicine on . the campus of the Renown Regional Medical Center was killed at the . scene. ‘Urology Nevada . is shocked and saddened by the events that occurred,’ the medical center . said in a statement. ‘At this time we have no information as to why . these terrible events occurred, and we are cooperating with the . authorities in every way possible to learn more.’ Dr. Michael Morkin, an emergency room surgeon and the incoming chief of . staff at Renown, where the victims were taken, said both doctors were . his friends. He described them as ‘exceptional physicians.’ ‘It is a very difficult time for the medical community,’ he told reporters. Spears' condition improved Wednesday from critical to serious, the hospital said. Friends told Reno Gazette Journal the mother of two was in good spirits Wednesday and wrote on Facebook, ‘I am OK. Message me if you want to visit.’ ‘She has two little boys and she so enjoys being a mom,’ said Spears' friend Denna Tinnin Klink. Lajeunesse was conscious Wednesday but remained in critical condition at Renown, hospital officials said. Police were withholding the name of the killer because they said they still have not been able to reach his next of kin. 'I am OK': Spears has two sons and friends say she is a deeply devoted mother. Thankfully, it appears she'll be reunited with her boys very soon . No connection? Police had yet to find a connection between the victims including Spears (left) and the unnamed shooter, who was a resident of the Northern California town of Lake Almanor . Plumas County Sheriff Greg Hagwood said Frazier was a long-time resident of the community of Lake Almanor and lived alone. ‘Part . of the investigation and service of the search warrant was to help . identify next of kin,’ Hagwood told AP, adding that authorities have . established he has California relatives outside of Plumas County. He . said investigators were ‘taking every measure possible to make . notification of family as quickly as they can so they're not watching . the news and having the unsettling experience of finding out that way.’ Crime scene: The shooting happened inside Centers for Advanced Medicine B on East 2nd Street, but the shooter confusingly lived 120 miles from Reno, in Lake Almanor . Bringing the big guns: SWAT team members are trucked from near the Renown helicopter pad to the Renown Medical Center on Tuesday after shots rang out around 2pm . Police said there were about 100 people in the office building when authorities were alerted at 2.05pm Tuesday about an ‘active shooter.’ Venzo said investigators have talked to 29 witnesses, with more interviews pending. Vitalis Ozoude, a state auditor, was in the reception area of Urology Nevada with his wife and 3-year-old son waiting for his child's appointment when the gunman walked in and eventually told them and others to leave. ‘I don't think he meant to kill everybody because if he did he had ample opportunity to do that,’ Ozoude told AP. He said the dozen or so people in the waiting room didn't immediately react to the sight of a man carrying the gun because he seemed calm. ‘He looked like he belonged. I thought he worked there, and he was just getting a gun from his car or taking it to his office,’ he said. Lockdown: Police swarmed the hospital following the deadly incident . Vicki Green, another patient who said she was standing within an arm's length of the shooter at one time, said he ‘seemed calm, yet agitated at the same time.’ ‘He started swinging the gun and telling everybody in the waiting room, `You need to get out, you better get out, you should get out,'‘ Green told KRNV-TV. ‘People started picking up their stuff and their kids and running.’ Venzo said the gunman went past the front desk at the urologist's office and entered the patient examination rooms. Moving through the exam area, Frazier fired at least four rounds from the shotgun, striking the three victims, before making his way back to the office's waiting area and turning the gun on himself, police said. The shooting comes nearly two months after a 12-year-old boy opened fire at an area middle school, killing a math teacher before killing himself. Two victims from that attack were treated at Renown Regional. The medical center also has treated . victims of other recent tragedies, including a crash at a Reno air race . in 2011 that killed 11 people and a shooting rampage at a Carson City . restaurant the same year that killed three uniformed Nevada National . Guard members. Tragic tally: One victim was shot dead and two others are listed in critical condition as terrified hospital personnel were led away by authorities . Gridlock: Officers gather in front of the Renown Regional Medical Center after a lone gunman shot and injured several people before killing himself . | Police named Alan Oliver Frazier, 51, of Lake Almanor, California, as the shooter . One doctor is dead and another in critical condition after a suicidal gunman burst into the Renown Medical Center and opened fire Tuesday . Dr. Charles G. Gholdoian is dead and one of his partners Dr. Christine Lajeunesse was in critical condition Wednesday night . Another victim, hospital visitor Shawntae Spears, was shot and remained serious condition Wednesday . Police continued to search for a motive but believe the unnamed shooter arrived to the hospital with a mission to kill before killing himself . Frazier's neighbors said the man, an avid hunter and fisherman, has been living in pain after her surgery a few years ago . | d43cff4830d94abc2acf0646daf4d0c7beb8f947 |
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